Updates

Host of new ‘The Rosary in a Year’ podcast hopes people ‘fall in love’ with the prayer

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By Katie Yoder
(OSV News) – A new podcast about the rosary promises to deepen listeners’ love of the Marian devotion and draw them closer to Jesus and his mother, Mary, in the new year.

“I hope people fall in love,” Father Mark-Mary Ames, a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal, the host of “The Rosary in a Year” podcast, said during a virtual press conference Oct. 28. “I hope our listeners and those who make this journey with us … fall in love with the rosary because they experience it as … a privileged door for encounter with Our Lord and Our Lady.”

A new podcast from Ascension – “The Rosary in Year” – promises to deepen listeners’ love of the Marian devotion hosted by Father Mark-Mary Ames, CFR begins Jan. 1, 2025. (Photo by Ascension)

The free podcast by Ascension, a Catholic multimedia network, begins Jan. 1, 2025, and continues through the year with a new episode released daily. Listeners can tune in on platforms including the Ascension App, Spotify and Apple Podcasts, for the episodes that run 10 to 15 minutes long. Each one will feature guidance and instruction, a prayer prompt and prayers of the rosary.
Father Mark-Mary, director of communications and director of priestly studies for the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, said he hopes the podcast meets people where they are, from those who pray the rosary regularly to those who are beginners.

“I believe that our journey for ‘The Rosary in a Year’ is going to be learning how to – and actually being accompanied in – praying with the truths of our faith,” he said during the virtual event.

The podcast will walk with listeners through six phases of deepening prayer by starting small and gradually growing over time. It promises to help people of faith learn how to build a daily prayer habit, form relationships with Jesus and Mary, discover the biblical foundations of the rosary, realize Mary’s influence in one’s own life and meditate with sacred art, the writings of the saints and Scripture.

Listeners can follow along with the podcast by signing up online for a free prayer plan at Ascension’s website, ascensionpress.com. Other related resources are available there too, including “The Rosary in a Year Prayer Guide,” a free parish kit and a package of 50 “How to Pray a Better Rosary” booklets. Ascension also offers rosaries inspired by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and their devotion to their patroness, Our Lady of Guadalupe. A new “The Rosary in a Year” YouTube channel will provide video content.

The podcast is the fourth of Ascension’s popular “In a Year” podcasts, following “The Bible in a Year,” its sister podcast in Spanish, “La Biblia en un Año,” and “The Catechism in a Year.”

Father Mike Schmitz, host of “The Bible in a Year” and “The Catechism in a Year” podcasts, will appear on bonus episodes with Father Mark-Mary.

This latest podcast comes after Father Mark-Mary did a video for Ascension in 2021 about learning to pray the rosary in a year. He has spoken about the rosary for Ascension before, including in a 2019 pray-along rosary video that went viral with more than 5 million views.

At the virtual press conference, Father Mark-Mary revealed that he struggled with the rosary as a teenager and hoped that this podcast serves as the resource he wishes he had as a young man. Pointing to St. John Paul’s II apostolic letter on the rosary, which kicked off the “Year of the Rosary” from October 2002 to October 2003, he shared how the rosary has impacted him personally.

At the end of the year, in October 2003, Father Mark-Mary was in his first semester of college and had stopped attending Mass for the first time, he said in response to a question by OSV News. Then, out of nowhere, he found himself speaking with a young woman at a dorm party who identified as an atheist.
“I said like, ‘How can you not believe?’” he remembered. “I started to defend the faith and all of a sudden like all of the lights went on. It’s like, I believe and it needs to affect my whole life.”

“The timing of it – it just can’t be coincidental,” he said of the event, adding that he believes that the grace of his own conversion came from all of the prayers said during the rosary year.

Today, he said, he prays the rosary every day and wears a rosary as a part of his habit.

For those who want a preview of Father Mark-Mary’s podcast, a bonus introduction episode is available.
“In a difficult world and a difficult time where it’s so easy for us to turn our attention towards everything going wrong, brothers and sisters, here is the response,” Father Mark-Mary says toward the end of that episode. “Let’s go to the Lord, let’s pray, let’s focus on him, let’s focus on the great mysteries of our salvation, let’s turn back to Our Lady, let’s remember that we have a mother who loves us, who is also powerful, who is queen of heaven and earth.”

(Katie Yoder is a contributing editor for Our Sunday Visitor magazine.)

In response to ‘black mass,’ thousands join Atlanta procession to show devotion to Eucharist

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By Andrew Nelson
NORCROSS, Ga. (OSV News) – Traffic came to a standstill along Beaver Ruin Road in the northeast metro area of Atlanta Oct. 25 as Catholics, representing several parishes and speaking multiple languages, followed on foot the Blessed Sacrament as a sign of devotion.

Called “Pilgrims of Hope,” the fall procession’s route linked St. Patrick Church and Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Church in Norcross and Our Lady of Americas Mission, Lilburn, in a prayerful march defending an attack on the participants’ most sacred beliefs. Drivers took photos of the passing event, as organizers handed out rosaries to people stopped in their cars.

Organizers estimated thousands of people took part in the walk.

Ighocha Macokor, 41, a member of the Knights of Columbus at St. Patrick Church said he was walking in his first procession to “stand against evil” and to show the faith to people passing by.

Meanwhile, lawyers working for the Archdiocese of Atlanta received a response from the organizers of a so-called “black mass” scheduled for the same Friday. The organizers confirmed they intended the event as entertainment and possessed no consecrated host.

Concern about the event and its possible sacrilege of a consecrated host prompted the Archdiocese of Atlanta to call for a special day of prayer, reparation and public support for belief in the Eucharist.
Pedro Ulloa and his wife, Flor, and their two grown daughters walked in the thick of the procession. Wearing two crosses around his neck, he said the show of faith allows others to “see the good things about Jesus Christ.”

Faith calls for people to show respect to Jesus, but some choose not to, he told The Georgia Bulletin, Atlanta’s archdiocesan newspaper.

“People can see we want to make a difference,” said Ulloa.

Nancy Frost, a longtime church member, spoke about the black mass event.

“We can’t have people doing that,” she said about the alleged mistreatment of what the faithful believe to be the body of Christ. “I am proud of the people that we have in our community. It just called to me. There’s no reason I can’t do this. It moves me that this many people are out.”

The procession began at St. Patrick Church, which celebrates Sunday Mass in English, Spanish and Korean, serving a large, diverse congregation. Following the prayers, the believers set out around 3:30 p.m. for a two-hour walk to Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Church.

Under a cloudless sky, the faithful spilled over the narrow sidewalk lining the road, reciting traditional prayers in Spanish and English. Lilburn police escorted the believers along the two-and-a-half-mile route for the first leg of the pilgrimage.

A rotating crew of men and women carry an altar with the Blessed Sacrament Oct. 25, 2024, during the “Pilgrims of Hope” procession along Beaver Ruin Road in Norcross, Ga., in the Archdiocese of Atlanta in response to a satanic group’s planned black mass event (OSV News photo/Andrew Nelson, Georgia Bulletin)

A rotating crew of men and women were pulled from the crowd to shoulder the heavy wooden altar, leaving them with strained and sweaty faces. A large sunburst monstrance with the exposed Eucharist was surrounded by white flowers and candles.

Loud booms of drums greeted the Eucharist as the participants arrived at the first stop at the Vietnamese church. It was another five miles to the mission destination.

“This shows we are one united church,” said Marissa Anguiano, who works at Our Lady of Americas Mission. She said believers are hurting at the idea of others intentionally desecrating the Eucharist, which Catholics believe is Jesus’ body, soul and divinity.

“We know Jesus is alive and hurting him really brings the community together in prayer,” said Anguiano.

Around the same time that afternoon, Atlanta Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer updated the Catholic community on a response. Staff at archdiocesan offices were “overwhelmed with calls, emails and messages of all kinds offering support,” he said. However, the archbishop emphasized that all action from Catholics must be a sign of “love stronger than hate or violence.” He condemned any threats or violence against the venue hosting the event or its organizers.

Lawyers with Smith Gambrell Russell, on behalf of the archdiocese, prepared to take the issue to court to force the return of the Eucharist. A group planning a black mass in Oklahoma returned a stolen host after the diocese there pursued a lawsuit in 2014.

According to the archbishop’s statement, the Satanic Temple of Atlanta responded saying that “they had no such consecrated host, and no such consecrated host would be used in their black mass.” The group’s letter “called their event entertainment and defended their right to express their beliefs by mocking ours,” said the archbishop.

“While their letter continued to mock the Eucharist and our beliefs, it also demonstrated an understanding of how seriously we have taken this threat to our core belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist,” he said.

In the end, “while there will always be people who mock and blaspheme Our Lord in the public square,” the archbishop wrote, “we know too, that he will be defended by all of us who love him.”

Archbishop Hartmayer urged “continued prayer both in reparation for all insults to Christ our Lord, but also prayer for those who do not yet know of his love for them.”

“Let us pray for those who turn to darkness. Let us pray that they will come to know that they are welcome in the arms of Jesus; that they will come to experience his true presence and experience true conversion,” he said.

(Andrew Nelson is a staff writer at The Georgia Bulletin, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.)

Sacred Heart encyclical hailed as a ‘simple and powerful cure’ to rekindle love

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By Gina Christian
(OSV News) – Pope Francis’ new encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus is being hailed as “a simple and powerful cure” for a fractured world, said the president of the U.S. Catholic bishops’ conference – and that sentiment was echoed by other experts on devotion to the Sacred Heart.

“Dilexit Nos” was released Oct. 24, following Pope Francis’ announcement in June, a month traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart, that he planned to issue a document about the devotion to “illuminate the path of ecclesial renewal, but also to say something significant to a world that seems to have lost its heart.”

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is depicted in a stained-glass window at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in the Forest Hills section of the Queens borough of New York. (OSV News photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

“The ills of modern society can read like a litany of uncurable diseases: consumerism, secularism, partisanism,” said Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, in an Oct. 24 statement. “In his latest encyclical … the Holy Father teaches us that devotion to the heart of Jesus can open our own hearts to renewed ways we can love and be loved.”

Subtitled “On the human and divine love of the heart of Jesus Christ,” the 28,000-word text – available on the Vatican’s website in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish – draws on Scripture, church teaching and the writings of various saints regarding the devotion, which has a centuries-long history.
The encyclical adds to the numerous papal documents on the Sacred Heart since 1899, and is intended to complement Pope Francis’ previous two encyclicals on social teaching, “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home” and “Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship.”

“The present document can help us see that the teaching of the social encyclicals … is not unrelated to our encounter with the love of Jesus Christ,” Pope Francis wrote. “For it is by drinking of that same love that we become capable of forging bonds of fraternity, of recognizing the dignity of each human being, and of working together to care for our common home.”

“We need this timely counsel,” Archbishop Broglio said in his statement.

“In an age where we are at each other’s throats – whether it’s simply disagreeing with positions or even going to war – appealing to the heart of not only of people, but more importantly of Christ, refocuses us on what really matters to being human,” Father Thomas Dailey, a member of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and author of “Behold This Heart: St. Francis de Sales and Devotion to the Sacred Heart,” told OSV News.

Timothy O’Donnell, president emeritus of Christendom College and author of “Heart of the Redeemer,” said the pope’s new encyclical “could really go a long way to help people get back to what’s really essential in Christianity.

“Devotion to the Sacred Heart really is a summary of the whole mystery of our redemption, as Pope Pius XII and numerous other popes have said,” O’Donnell told OSV News. “And if anything, that call … is even more urgent now in our current times, with the loneliness, the isolation, the sort of secular miasma that we all have to breathe, where oftentimes we are affected far more by this atmosphere of secularity, (rather) than drawing from the riches of a relationship with Christ.

And it is Christ, O’Donnell said, “who brings love to a world that really is starving for it.”

The timing of the document is “intentional,” added Father Dailey, who is the chair of homiletics and social communications, as well as project director of the Catholic Preaching Institute, at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Ambler, Pennsylvania.

He stressed the need to approach others not in terms of “policy to policy, war to war, or nationality to nationality,” but “heart to heart,” since “the heart is what makes us the same.”

The encyclical stands to call attention to “the personhood and the importance of the uniqueness of each individual,” said Father Donald Calloway, a member of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception and author of numerous books, including “Sacred Heart Gems: Daily Wisdom on the Heart of Jesus.”

Father Calloway said that in his initial perusal of the encyclical he was struck by the document’s emphasis on “an aspect of being” that is often neglected in current society.

“Being devoted to the heart is being devoted to the person,” he told OSV News. “I think it’s time to get back to some of these fundamentals. We live in this robotic, technological age where, I think, we’re forgetting that things have consequences. You can be on social media and you crank out a post, not realizing that you’re actually hurting people. You’re hurting hearts, not just some robot or some machine. … It affects people.”

He also stressed the need to attend to “the heart of our God.”

“There’s so much going on in the world right now that I think is offending our Lord’s heart,” Father Calloway said.

“It’s a good time to be reminded of the heart of our God, and that he loves us and wants us even to console him, to make reparation to him for our own sins and the sins of others,” he said.

“Jesus has a heart just like you and I do,” Father Dailey emphasized. “That heart loves just as yours and mine does. That heart breaks; that heart, poured out in love for humanity, is the ultimate sign of God’s love for human beings.”

(Gina Christian is a national reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @GinaJesseReina.)

A legacy of love and service: School Sisters of St. Francis commemorate 150 years

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By Laura Grisham
HERNANDO – Our local School Sisters of St. Francis recently celebrated the 150th anniversary of their religious order with a Mass and dinner at Holy Spirit Church in Hernando, Mississippi. Fittingly, the event took place on the day of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Northern Mississippi’s four School Sisters of St. Francis – Sisters Margaret Sue Broker, Ramona Schmidtknecht, Julene Stromberg and Rose Hacker – were joined by their U.S. Provincial, Sister Kathleen O’Brien, ten local Associates, and numerous parishioners from six area parishes. The Most Reverend Joseph Kopacz served as the main celebrant, with Mississippi SCJs as concelebrants.

The School Sisters of St. Francis was founded in 1874 by Emma Hoell (Mother Alexia), Paulina Schmid (Mother Alfons) and Helena Seiter (Sister Clara), who traveled from Germany to establish the order in Wisconsin. Over the years, the Sisters have expanded their ministries globally, reaching countries such as Honduras, Peru, India, Nicaragua, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and more recently, Tanzania.

HERNANDO – Sister Kathleen O’Brien, OSF addressed those in attendance at the 150th anniversary celebration of the School Sisters of St. Francis about the order’s modest beginnings and praised Sacred Heart School as a “wonderful place and expression” of the Sisters’ mission. (Photos by Laura Grisham)

In his homily, Bishop Kopacz honored the courage of the order’s founders, reflecting on their desire to assist immigrants and create a robust religious community to address the church’s needs. “One year after the Sisters of St. Francis began their migration to this country, the church dedicated the World Day of Migrants and Refugees,” Bishop Kopacz noted. He also highlighted the Sisters’ work in Mississippi, dating back to the 1940s in Yazoo City and later in Walls and Holly Springs, where they were invited to educate and help care for the poor by the Priests of the Sacred Heart.

Drawing from the life of St. Francis, Bishop Kopacz described how the Sisters’ mission reflects his vision of compassionate service. Referencing Pope Francis’ emphasis on tenderness, the bishop remarked that St. Francis was “the original ecologist,” deeply connected to both creation and the cross. He commended the Sisters’ continued dedication, stating, “Every day requires the courage to live and proclaim the Gospel.”
Sister Kathleen O’Brien, OSF, addressed the gathering, describing the order’s modest beginnings and the vision of the three founders, which grew into a global community. “They came from Germany, stopping in Philadelphia, Chicago, and Milwaukee, eventually founding their order in a small town in Wisconsin 150 years ago.” She invited all in attendance to view a display of flags representing the Sisters’ worldwide reach.

Reflecting on her first visit to Mississippi, Sister Kathleen praised Sacred Heart School as “a wonderful place and expression” of the Sisters’ mission. She emphasized the importance of collaboration, saying, “We consider you partners and collaborators in God’s mission … we are all participants, ensuring this is a community of love and care.” She commended Sisters Broker, Schmidtknecht, Stromberg and Hacker, who together have served 178 years in Mississippi.

In appreciation of the Sisters’ work across northern Mississippi, the Queen of Peace Church Women’s Club presented a $1,000 donation, expressing hope that the Sisters would “continue their mission of witnessing to God’s love and being a source of hope.” The evening concluded with a blessing over the meal, thanking God for the community gathered to celebrate this milestone and for the bounty of creation.

The congregation has a rich history, with Mother Alexia extending the Sisters’ ministries across Europe in the late 19th century. Under the leadership of Mother Alfons, known for her love of the arts, the community developed a strong tradition in music and liturgical arts. This legacy of artistic excellence and leadership continues to shape their ministries. Since their founding on April 28, 1874, the Sisters have devoted themselves to Christ’s mission through nursing, teaching, social work, and pastoral ministry, addressing the needs of their time with enthusiasm and commitment.

(Laura Grisham is the PR and Communications manager for Sacred Heart Southern Missions in Walls, Mississippi.)

Briefs

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NATION
FORT WORTH, Texas (OSV News) – Members of a women’s religious community in Arlington have been dismissed from the Carmelite order and Catholic religious life, according to Oct. 28 statements from Bishop Michael F. Olson of Fort Worth and Mother Marie of the Incarnation, whom a Vatican office appointed as the community’s major superior in April. The bishop and major superior attributed the dismissal to the nuns’ decisions “to break faith with their Mother, the Church of Rome” through denying the authority of the Vatican Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, their bishop and the dicastery-appointed major superior. The nuns also entered into an unlawful, formal association with the Society of St. Pius X Sept. 14 and soon after illicitly transferred ownership of their Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity to a nonprofit organization of laypeople, the statement notes. The affected nuns did not immediately respond on their website, which has been their mainstay for public communication over the past 18 months as they have openly feuded with Bishop Olson following his allegations in April 2023 that their community-elected prioress had committed unspecified sins against chastity. The saga has included church and civil courts, the nuns’ public rejection of the bishop’s governance authority over them, and their formal affiliation with the Society of St. Pius X.

LONG BEACH, Calif. (OSV News) – This year’s National Catholic Youth Conference theme “El Camino / The Way,” seeks to resonate with attendees, said Natalie Ibarra, the communications manager for the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, emphasizing the focus is on walking alongside peers and families in faith. The three-day conference, scheduled for Nov. 14-16 in Long Beach, California, is designed for high school students and their chaperones, and provides a central location that is more accessible for West Coast participants. NCYC 2024 will include a variety of engaging activities, including over 20 youth breakout sessions on topics ranging from pro-life activism to vocational discernment. Notable speakers and artists will enhance the experience, while an interactive exhibit hall will allow youth to explore various aspects of Catholic life and ministry. Ibarra noted efforts to reach Latino youth, acknowledging the financial barriers some families face. Organizers stressed that NCYC aims to unite young Catholics from across the country, fostering a sense of belonging and shared faith among participants. Pat Clasby, a parish director of confirmation and youth ministry at St. Patrick Church in Carlsbad, California, who is involved in organizing this year’s NCYC, said the conference will allow youth to see the larger Catholic Church. “It’s an opportunity for the youth to see other young people from around the country practicing their faith and realize they are not the only ones that are teenagers who are Catholic,” he said. “They are not the only ones trying to live their faith out loud.”

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Migrants demonstrate what hope is, and the Catholic Church must support them to keep that hope alive, Pope Francis said. “If migrants are to preserve the strength and resilience necessary for them to continue on their journey, they need someone to attend to their wounds and to care for them in their extreme physical, spiritual and psychological vulnerability,” the pope told members of the Scalabrinians during an audience at the Vatican Oct. 28. “Effective pastoral interventions that demonstrate closeness on the material, religious and human levels are required in order to keep their hope alive and to help them advance on their personal journey toward God, their faithful companion on the way,” he said. The pope lamented “the hostility shown by rich countries that perceive those knocking at their door as a threat to their own well-being.” Migrants are to be welcomed, accompanied, supported and integrated in the host communities, he said. Regardless of who they are or where they came from, all immigrants are to be “viewed as a gift of God, unique, sacred, inviolable, a precious resource for the benefit of all,” he said.

A person walks in a flooded street Oct. 30, 2024, in Llombai, in Spain’s Valencia region, after the Spanish meteorological agency put the region on the highest red alert for extreme rainfalls. (OSV News photo/Eva Manez, Reuters)

WORLD
DHAKA, Bangladesh (OSV News) – Amid signs of changes and more religious inclusivity in the country, church leaders in Bangladesh called for Easter Sunday to be a public holiday. The United Church Council of Bangladesh, the Catholic bishops’ conference and Bangladesh’s Christian Association have separately demanded a public holiday from the interim government on Easter Sunday. On Oct. 17, Bangladesh’s United Church Council president, Archbishop Bejoy Nicephorus D’Cruze of Dhaka, sent a letter to the chief adviser to the interim government. After the student uprising in August that left hundreds of people dead, the country’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, stepped down and fled the country to India. In his letter, Archbishop D’Cruze welcomed the interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus and said that Easter Sunday celebrates “the triumph of Lord Jesus Christ over sin and death” and is an important day for Christians. “Unfortunately, the government has not given it a (status of) holiday, despite repeated appeals to the previous government. As a result, many Christians cannot observe Easter Sunday,” the archbishop of Dhaka wrote. According to the 2022 national census by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the Muslim-majority country has about 500,000 Christians out of about 180 million, including 400,000 Catholics told ACN. “But even if the terrorists burned everything, they didn’t burn our faith!”

VALENCIA, Spain (OSV News) – The archbishop of Valencia expressed “grave concern” and said Mass for those affected after at least 72 people died, and many more went missing amid torrential rains that caused massive flooding in southeastern Spain. The flooding turned roads into rivers of floating cars and cut off highways and access points, with water reaching the first floor of buildings. Archbishop Enrique Benavent said Oct. 30 he “hopes that the victims and missing persons will be found safe and sound as soon as possible,” according to Spanish Catholic news outlet Alfa y Omega. The archbishop celebrated Mass for all those affected on the morning of Oct. 30 in a local basilica. In a letter sent to Archbishop Benavent and Msgr. Julián Ros, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Albacete, West from Valencia, Spanish bishops said that they share “their pain at the difficult times that they are experiencing in their dioceses.” The horrendous flooding that left piles of cars stuck in between buildings in historical narrow streets of Valencia and trapped dozens of residents was caused by storm Dana – described as an “unprecedented phenomenon” by Spain’s defense minister, Margarita Robles. King Felipe VI spoke of his “devastation and concern” over the flash flooding. Speaking of “enormous destruction” Oct. 30, he said accessing some areas was still difficult. Spain declared three days of mourning after the flash floods devastated parts of the country.

Calendar of events

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
OFFICE OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION – The OCE hosts a Zoom Rosary the first Wednesday of each month during the school year at 7 p.m. On Dec. 4, Annunciation School will lead us in prayer. Join early and place your intentions in the chat. Details: Join the rosary via zoom at https://bit.ly/zoomrosary2024 or check the diocese calendar of events.

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. – Basilica Shrine of the Miraculous Medal, Black Catholic History Month Event featuring Therese Wilson Favors and Ralph Moore on being Black and Catholic (475 E Chelten Ave, Philadelphia, PA) from 12:30-4 p.m. Details: Office for Black Catholics for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (215) 587-3541.

PARISH, FAMILY & SCHOOL EVENTS
CLEVELAND – Our Lady of Victories, “Taste of Italy” Lasagna Dinner, Thursday, Nov. 14 from 4:30-7 p.m. Details: church office (662) 846-6273.

COLUMBUS – Annunciation School, Open House, Thursday, Nov. 14, 9:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. classrooms open, 8:30 a.m. Mass (optional). Little Eagles Preview at 6 p.m. for PreK-3, PreK and Kindergarten. Details: RSVP to marketing@annunciationcatholicschool.org.

HERNANDO – Holy Spirit, Christmas Program and Dinner, Sunday, Dec. 8. Save the date. Details: Keelan at (601) 604-2202.

MAGEE – St. Stephen, Fall Potluck Lunch, Sunday, Nov. 24. Details: church office (601) 849-3237.

MERIDIAN – St. Patrick, Gender and Theology of Your Body hosted by Jason Evert, Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 6-9:15 p.m. Tickets are $15. Proceeds go to the Chastity Project. Details: https://tinyurl.com/stpatmeridian.

St. Patrick School, Candy Cane Dash, Saturday, Dec. 7 at 8:30 a.m. Register by Nov. 10 to guarantee a shirt. Details: register at https://time2run.raceentry.com/candy-cane-5k-dash/race-information.

St. Patrick, Our Lady’s Corner Christmas Open House, Wednesday, Nov. 13 from 4-6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Come shop for some meaningful Christmas gifts for your friends and family.

St. Patrick, Meridian Catholic Community Thanksgiving Dinner, Sunday, Nov. 17 at 12 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Details: church office (601) 693-1321.

NATCHEZ – St. Mary Basilica, Advent Wreath Workshop, Sunday, Dec. 1, in the Family Life Center after 10 a.m. Mass. Families or individuals are invited to come and make an Advent wreath. Fun craft activities available for children. Details: church office (601) 445-5616.

NATCHEZ – Wreaths Across America endeavors to honor all veteran’s graves with beautiful wreaths. Home With Heros is the proud, local Miss-Lou partner. Wreath ceremonies take place on Dec. 14 at 9 a.m. at Vidalia Cemetery and 11 a.m. at the Natchez National Military Cemetery. Wreaths cost $17/each. Order yours today at https://bit.ly/3AnaFjs. Details: call Larry at (253) 970-2090.

OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, Knights of Columbus Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser, Sunday, Nov. 24 at 11 a.m. Dine in or carry out. Details: church office (662) 895-5007.

Queen of Peace, Day of Reflection for Women of the Parish, Wednesday, Nov. 13 beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the social hall. Presentation by Father Guy Blair, SCJ. Details: Bridget at (901) 412-9865.

Queen of Peace, Fellowship Card Night sponsored by the Men’s Club, Friday, Nov. 15 with dinner at 6 p.m. and games at 7 p.m. cost: $20 per participant for dinner, beverage and 200 chips. All parishioners and guests welcome. Must be 21+. Details: Sign up in the Commons or contact Tracy at lindseyroofing1@gmail.com or (901) 828-4848.

SOUTHAVEN – Christ the King, Advent Program, Sunday, Dec. 1, at 4 p.m. followed by dinner. Details: church office (662) 342-1073.

DIOCESE
JOB OPENING – The Diocese of Jackson’s Office of Communications is looking for a full-time communications specialist. Role involves creating and promoting content across multimedia platforms, including social media, websites and promotional materials. The position requires strong communication skills, knowledge of Catholic teachings and proficiency in design and communication software. College degree required with two years experience. Send a cover letter and resume to joanna.king@jacksondiocese.org. If you would like a full job description, visit https://jacksondiocese.org/employment-1.

YOUNG ADULTS – Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage, May 12-27. Father Lincoln Dall will be leading this once in a lifetime journey. Space is limited. Email amelia.rizor@jacksondiocese.org for more information.

YOUTH – Diocesan SEARCH Retreat for tenth through twelfth graders, Jan. 17-19, 2025 at Camp Wesley Pines, Gallman. Diocese High School Confirmation Retreat, Jan. 25-26, 2025 at Lake Forest Ranch, Macon. Diocese Catholic Youth Conference – DCYC for ninth through twelfth grades, March 21-23, 2025 at the Vicksburg Convention Center. Details: contact your individual parish offices or contact Abbey at (601) 949-6934 or abbey.schuhmann@jacksondiocese.org.

CATHOLIC ENGAGED ENCOUNTER – CEE is our diocesan marriage prep program for couples preparing for the sacrament of marriage. The upcoming weekends for 2025 are: Feb. 21-23; August 1-3; and Oct. 24-26at Camp Garaywa in Clinton; and April 25-27 at Lake Tiak-O’Khata in Louisville. Register at https://bit.ly/CEE2024-2025. Details: email debbie.tubertini@jacksondiocese.org.

FEATURE PHOTO … Eucharistic Procession …

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NATCHEZ — St. Mary Basilica parishioners participated in the Procession of the Eucharist following 10 a.m. Mass on Sunday. A Eucharist procession is a Catholic ceremony in which the Eucharist — the bread and wine representing Christ’s body and blood — is carried through the streets as the faithful follow along, praying and singing. The St. Mary processional proceeded down Main Street to Wall Street to State Street and back to the church.

‘No olviden que hay 65 millones de hispanos en este país, todos de origen católico, pero viven un cambio cultural tremendo’

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By Marietha Góngora V. , OSV News

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – En la noche del pasado 16 de octubre en la nunciatura de la Santa Sede en Washington D.C., el Comité de Diversidad Cultural en la Iglesia de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos (USCCB) y el Subcomité de Asuntos Hispanos, en cabeza de su presidente el Mons. Oscar Cantú, obispo de San José; convocaron a líderes de organizaciones católicas y líderes de la pastoral hispana de las diferentes diócesis del país.

Esta jornada, en el marco del cierre del Mes de la Herencia Hispana, se llevó a cabo en medio de un ambiente festivo en el que el cardenal Christophe Pierre, nuncio apostólico de la Santa Sede en EE.UU., compartió una serie de experiencias y reflexiones de cara a esta celebración.

“Yo pienso que, en la pastoral hispana, en todos ustedes, siempre he encontrado algo especial. Yo he vivido 20 años de mi vida también en América Latina, en México y también en Cuba”, dijo en sus palabras de bienvenida el nuncio apostólico.

“Si hay algo que siempre me ha impresionado y que pienso que es algo que ustedes nunca deben perder es el entusiasmo para la misión”, expresó. “Eso ciertamente es parte de su ADN”.

Afirmando que, durante sus casi nueve años como nuncio en EE.UU., él mismo ha percibido un deseo de vivir la fe como misión, el cardenal Pierre dijo que no hay que perder la “experiencia misionera como miembros de la Iglesia a través de movimientos, a través de una formación” que muchos de los presentes habían experimentado.

Para el cardenal, el dinamismo propio de los fieles hispanos no se puede perder. “Hay que continuar ofreciendo (ese dinamismo) a la Iglesia de este país. Esa puede ser su contribución, la misión”, afirmó.

“El dinamismo, el método, la capacidad de preparar el V Encuentro. Eso fue muy bueno”, dijo el nuncio, con relación al proceso de muchos años del V Encuentro Nacional de Pastoral Hispana/Latina (V Encuentro) que incluyó una reunión nacional en Grapevine, Texas, en 2018, y cuyas conclusiones siguen dando frutos.

El nuncio subrayó que los líderes estaban también reunidos “para, finalmente, poner en práctica el Plan Pastoral (Nacional para el Ministerio Hispano/Latino)” que busca multiplicar las respuestas pastorales para hacer frente a las realidades de los hispanos católicos en EE.UU.

“El plan pastoral es un plan sinodal, ha sido un camino sinodal. Hemos caminado por meses, y meses, y meses para poder producir algo que corresponde a las necesidades de la cultura de hoy para poder evangelizar esta cultura, evangelizar a la gente”, destacó el nuncio, refiriéndose al plan de 10 años que fue aprobado por los obispos en 2023.

El cardenal instó a los presentes a no olvidar que “hay 65 millones de hispanos en este país, todos de origen católico, pero viven un cambio cultural tremendo”.

Según la Oficina del Censo del país, hoy en día hay más de 65 millones de hispanos que viven en EE.UU. El año pasado, un análisis de datos de Pew Research Center identificó que el número de Latinos sin afiliación religiosa ha aumentado, mientras que el porcentaje de Latinos que se identifican como católicos ahora representa un 43% de la población hispana.

El nuncio recordó que en la Conferencia de Aparecida del 2007, celebrada por CELAM en Brasil, “los obispos (de Latinoamérica y el Caribe) identificaron uno de los datos muy importantes del cambio de época, como lo dijeron ellos, fue la dificultad de transmitir la fe, la cultura de una generación a otra. Que no es solamente un cambio cultural de una generación a otra, es algo más profundo”.

El mundo ha cambiado, continuó el cardenal Pierre, agregando que innovar “es salir de nosotros mismos para (ir al) encuentro de las personas y entrar precisamente, provocar un nuevo encuentro que va a producir frutos nuevos. Eso es la cultura del encuentro. Esa es la nueva evangelización”, afirmó el representante de la Santa Sede.

Durante el encuentro, el nuncio destacó y agradeció la presencia de monseñor Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., obispo auxiliar de la Arquidiócesis de Baltimore; monseñor Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, obispo auxiliar de la Arquidiócesis de Washington; monseñor Cristiano G. Borro Barbosa, obispo auxiliar de la Arquidiócesis de Boston y monseñor Luís Miguel Romero Fernández, M.Id, obispo auxiliar de la Diócesis de Rockville Centre en Nueva York.

Dirigiéndose a los líderes de organizaciones católicas y líderes de la pastoral hispana presentes en el evento, el cardenal Pierre dijo que se sentía “muy feliz de ver que cada uno de ustedes tiene responsabilidad en la Iglesia. Responsabilidad a nivel nacional, movimientos, grupos que también vienen de todos los lugares, del norte, del sur, del este, del oeste”, concluyó.

Por su parte, el obispo Oscar Cantú reflexionó sobre la presencia hispana/latina y los hallazgos fruto de los recientes estudios liderados por el equipo de esta secretaría y sobre la importancia de la inculturación en los procesos de la evangelización, tomando como ejemplo las apariciones de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en 1531.

“Cuando los frailes tuvieron poco éxito en la evangelización, por más de 10 años, envió Dios a una mujer, a Su madre, a evangelizar. ¿Cuál fue la metodología que usó? Inculturó el mensaje del Evangelio a la cultura de ese momento y comenzó desde abajo, con los humildes, con un Juan Diego”, dijo el obispo Cantú.

El prelado recordó la iniciativa del Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano y Caribeño (CELAM), de la Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano y la Pontificia Comisión para América Latina de celebrar los 500 años de estas apariciones de la Patrona de las Américas con una novena intercontinental que inició el 12 de diciembre de 2022 y que finaliza justo el día en que se cumplen los cinco siglos de la llegada de la Virgen de Guadalupe al nuevo mundo.

Para el obispo Cantú, esta es una oportunidad para “fortalecer nuestra fe, nuestra devoción, nuestra Iglesia y nuestro poblado hispano. Qué bonito que podemos celebrar este mes de la hispanidad aquí, en la nunciatura, con estos anuncios. Entonces, les invito a todos ustedes, líderes de muchas personas, (a) fomentar esa invitación a vivir esta Novena Guadalupana”.

Por su parte, Alejandro Aguilera-Titus, subdirector de Asuntos Hispanos del Secretariado de Diversidad Cultural en la Iglesia, dijo a OSV News, concluida la jornada, que notó que los asistentes se encontraban “con un corazón agradecido, abierto e inspirado. Nosotros esperábamos treinta personas y vinieron sesenta, veintiocho tuvieron que volar para llegar acá y muestra el cariño y el deseo que tienen de celebrar, de demostrar su aprecio, de seguir comunicándose con sus colegas a nivel del liderazgo nacional”.

“Fue maravilloso ver el nivel de interés que expresaron, el entusiasmo que hay y también querían saber cómo es que se está implementando el Plan Pastoral”, aseguró Aguilera-Titus en relación a un video que documentó cómo cuatro diócesis avanzan exitosamente en el proceso de implementación, material que pronto será publicado.

OSV, compañía católica que ha apoyado los esfuerzos del V Encuentro, está apoyando la creación de dicho recurso, y también fue “host” del evento del 16 de octubre. (OSV es la empresa matriz de OSV News y de la revista Our Sunday Visitor).

(Marietha Góngora escribe para OSV News desde Washington D.C.)

El Sínodo pide medidas rápidas para implicar a más personas en la vida de la Iglesia

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Por Cindy Wooden
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) – Las parroquias y las diócesis deben actuar rápidamente para dar vida a los órganos consultivos y a una amplia participación en la misión y el ministerio ya previstos por la ley eclesiástica si la Iglesia Católica ha de tener alguna esperanza de convertirse en una Iglesia más “sinodal”, dijeron los miembros del Sínodo de los Obispos.

“Sin cambios concretos, la visión de una Iglesia sinodal no será creíble y alejará a los miembros del Pueblo de Dios que han recibido aliento y esperanza del camino sinodal”, dijeron los miembros en el documento final que aprobaron el 26 de octubre.

El Papa Francisco convocó el sínodo en 2021, pidiendo a parroquias, diócesis y conferencias episcopales que celebraran sesiones de escucha antes de la primera asamblea sinodal en Roma en 2023. La segunda asamblea que tuvo lugar este año e incluye a la mayoría de los mismos miembros, comenzó con una Misa en el Vaticano el 2 de octubre.

El Papa Francisco habla a los miembros del Sínodo de los Obispos sobre la sinodalidad después de que aprobaran su documento final el 26 de octubre de 2024, en el Aula Pablo VI en el Vaticano. (Foto CNS/Vatican Media)

Los miembros votaron sobre cada uno de los 155 párrafos del documento, en el que se hacían sugerencias y solicitudes al Papa Francisco que incluían proyectos a largo plazo, como continuar el discernimiento sobre la posibilidad de mujeres diáconos, la necesidad de reformar la formación en los seminarios y la esperanza de que más laicos participen en la selección de obispos.

Pero también incluían acciones que podrían y deberían ponerse en práctica inmediatamente, como contratar a más mujeres y laicos para enseñar en los seminarios o hacer que los obispos hagan obligatorios los consejos pastorales en todas las parroquias y que los párrocos se aseguren de que esos órganos sean realmente representativos de los miembros de la parroquia y de que él escucha sus consejos.

Los funcionarios del Sínodo afirmaron que todos los párrafos fueron aprobados por los dos tercios necesarios de los miembros del Sínodo presentes y votantes; 355 miembros estuvieron presentes y votaron, por lo que la aprobación requirió 237 votos. Un párrafo dedicado a aumentar el perfil de la mujer en la Iglesia recibió, con diferencia, el mayor número de votos negativos de todos los párrafos, con 97 miembros que votaron no y 258 que votaron sí. El apartado, que requería el 66 % de los votos, fue aprobado con el 72 %.

“En términos simples y concisos”, dijeron los miembros, “la sinodalidad es un camino de renovación espiritual y de reforma estructural para hacer la Iglesia más participativa y misionera, es decir, para hacerla más capaz de caminar con cada hombre y mujer irradiando la luz de Cristo”.

En una Iglesia sinodal, decía el documento, los miembros tienen funciones diferentes, pero trabajan juntos por el bien de todos los miembros y por la misión de la Iglesia.

Al igual que el informe de síntesis de la primera asamblea del sínodo de 2023, el documento final no utilizaba el término “LGBTQ” ni siquiera “homosexualidad” y sólo hablaba brevemente de la necesidad de llegar a las personas que “experimentan el dolor de sentirse excluidas o juzgadas a causa de su situación matrimonial, identidad o sexualidad”.

El documento se refería repetidamente a la “igual dignidad” de los hombres y las mujeres en virtud de su bautismo e insistía en que la Iglesia Católica necesitaba hacer más para reconocer las contribuciones de las mujeres a la vida y misión de la Iglesia y su potencial para ofrecer más.

“Las mujeres siguen encontrando obstáculos para obtener un reconocimiento más pleno de sus carismas, de su vocación y de sus funciones en los diversos ámbitos de la vida de la Iglesia”, afirmó. “Esto va en detrimento del servicio a la misión compartida de la Iglesia”.

Los miembros del sínodo pidieron la “plena aplicación de todas las oportunidades ya previstas en la legislación vigente en relación con el papel de la mujer”, y afirmaron que “no hay nada en las mujeres que les impida desempeñar funciones de liderazgo en las Iglesias: lo que viene del Espíritu Santo no debe detenerse”.

“Sigue abierta la cuestión del acceso de las mujeres al ministerio diaconal”, dijeron. “Este discernimiento debe continuar”.

La pregunta sobre el diaconado femenino fue uno de los temas que el Papa Francisco asignó a los grupos de estudio la primavera pasada. Los miembros del Sínodo pidieron a la Secretaría General del Sínodo que siga velando por la calidad sinodal del método de trabajo de los grupos de estudio, que deben informar al Papa en junio de los temas en los que se han enfocado.

El proceso sinodal, decían los miembros, era una “llamada a la alegría y a la renovación del Pueblo de Dios en el seguimiento del Señor y en el compromiso al servicio de su misión y en la búsqueda de caminos de fidelidad”.

Pero el documento reconocía repetidamente el crimen y el pecado del abuso sexual clerical y del abuso de poder, e insistía en que el compromiso con la sinodalidad – en particular con aprender a escuchar y con las formas necesarias de transparencia y responsabilidad – eran esenciales para prevenir los abusos.
La sinodalidad, dijeron los miembros, “ayudará a superar el clericalismo entendido como el uso del poder en beneficio propio y la distorsión de la autoridad de la Iglesia que está al servicio del Pueblo de Dios. Esto se expresa especialmente en los abusos sexuales, económicos, de conciencia y de poder por parte de los ministros de la Iglesia”.

Las mujeres y los hombres laicos tienen muchos talentos que pueden y deben ayudar a los obispos y párrocos en el buen funcionamiento de sus diócesis o parroquias, expresaron los miembros del Sínodo. Aprovechar esos talentos puede ayudar a obispos y a sacerdotes, quienes a menudo se sienten sobrecargados de trabajo.

Cuando las leyes de la Iglesia exijan a los obispos que consulten a su consejo sacerdotal o pastoral, o a los párrocos que consulten al consejo parroquial, decía el documento, “no pueden proceder como si no hubiera tenido lugar”.

“Como en cualquier comunidad que vive según la justicia”, decía, “el ejercicio de la autoridad no consiste en la imposición arbitraria de una voluntad”.

Los miembros del Sínodo también dijeron que escuchar, consultar, orar y discernir antes de tomar una decisión no es el final del proceso. “Debe ir acompañado y seguido de prácticas de rendición de cuentas y evaluación en un espíritu de transparencia inspirado en criterios evangélicos”.

Garantizar la rendición de cuentas y la evaluación periódica del desempeño de todos los que ejercen el ministerio en nombre de la Iglesia “no es una tarea burocrática porque sí. Es más bien un esfuerzo comunicativo que se revela como una poderosa herramienta educativa para provocar un cambio en la cultura”, afirmaron los miembros del sínodo.

Un tema que suscitó debate durante el sínodo fue el de la autoridad de las conferencias episcopales nacionales, sobre todo en temas doctrinales.

Los miembros del Sínodo, en el documento final, pidieron que se estudiara el estatuto teológico y jurídico de las conferencias episcopales y que se definiera con claridad “el ámbito de la competencia doctrinal y disciplinar” de dichas conferencias.

Recordándolo como profeta de los pobres y desposeídos,México despide al padre Marcelo Pérez

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Por David Agren
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO (OSV News) – El padre Marcelo Pérez, un defensor de los pueblos indígenas que dedicó su vida a la promoción de la paz quien fue asesinado hace unos días, fue enterrado en su tierra natal en medio de indignación y reclamos de justicia.

El padre Pérez, sacerdote de origen tzotzil de la Diócesis de San Cristóbal de las Casas, fue recordado por proteger a los pobres y desposeídos, al tiempo que buscaba el diálogo cuando era posible y denunciaba siempre la injusticia en una región cada vez más violenta.

“El padre Marcelo cuidaba especialmente de los más pobres, de los más débiles, de los más desprotegidos y los cuidaba de la gente abusiva, de la gente poderosa, de la gente que se siente dueña de la sociedad y de la tierra y que no me importa dañar la vida del prójimo para enriquecerse o para adquirir mayor poder político para adquirir todo lo que ellos quieren”, dijo el obispo emérito de Saltillo, José Raúl Vera López, durante una emotiva Misa al aire libre a la que asistieron cientos de pobladores en San Andrés Larrainzar.

Dolientes rodean el féretro del padre Marcelo Pérez durante su entierro en San Andrés Larrainzar, en el estado sureño de Chiapas, México, 22 de octubre de 2024. El padre Pérez, que ejerció su ministerio en regiones indígenas plagadas de conflictos territoriales y posteriormente denunció la violencia de los cárteles de la droga, fue asesinado a tiros el 20 de octubre cerca de la iglesia de Guadalupe en San Cristóbal de las Casas. (Foto OSV News/Gabriela Sanabria, Reuters)

“Él se preocupó especialmente de las personas que eran dañadas en su dignidad, en el trato injusto de parte de autoridades o de parte de personas abusivas. Esto, queridas hermanas y queridos Hermanos Es lo que nos dice hoy el Señor Jesucristo”, dijo monseñor Vera, quien era obispo coadjutor en San Cristóbal de las Casas cuando el padre Pérez ingresó al seminario menor.

“Esta es la razón por la que él murió con su palabra de profeta, que es Palabra de Dios”.
Los dolientes en su entierro gritaban: “¡Viva el padre Marcelo!” y “Marcelo, amigo, el pueblo está contigo”.

Pero el impacto de la muerte del padre Pérez golpeó duramente a los habitantes de Chiapas y suscitó la condena generalizada de los católicos de todo el país, así como de muchos miembros de la sociedad mexicana. El padre Pérez había sufrido amenazas e intentos de asesinato por su labor como mediador en conflictos, atendiendo a víctimas de la violencia y enfrentándose a jefes políticos y grupos criminales.

Su asesinato se produjo en una época en que el estado mexicano de Chiapas – el cual ha sido asolado por la pobreza, la desigualdad y la discriminación de los grupos indígenas durante mucho tiempo – se convulsionó por la violencia de los cárteles de la droga, que han hecho huir a cientos de personas a la vecina Guatemala.

El padre Pérez fue asesinado a tiros tras celebrar Misa en San Cristóbal de las Casas el 20 de octubre. Las imágenes de las cámaras de seguridad mostraron al sacerdote saliendo de la iglesia, subiendo a su coche y siendo asesinado a balazos a través de la ventana por un agresor que huyó del lugar.

El gobernador de Chiapas, Rutilio Escandón, anunció el 22 de octubre que se había detenido a un sospechoso. La presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum anunció ese mismo día que la fiscalía federal investigaría el crimen.

Sheibaum, quien asumió el cargo el 1 de octubre, aprovechó su conferencia de prensa matutina del 22 de octubre para destacar la encuesta de “percepción social de Inseguridad” del Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI), que mostró una mejor situación de seguridad.

“En el país la gente se siente más segura que en el 2018” – cuando su predecesor y mentor, el presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador asumió el cargo – e incluso más “que en el 2013”, dijo.

Con referencia a la situación en Chiapas, ella dijo que “es importante trabajar para que no vuelva a ocurrir una situación así y que no haya desplazamientos y pacificar, y evitar extorsiones y delitos que se están presentando”.

La reacción de la presidente reflejó una tendencia del partido gobernante, Morena, a restar importancia a la violencia, incluso cuando ésta se extiende a zonas del país antes consideradas como plácidas.
El padre Pérez, sin embargo, se pronunció sobre la violencia en Chiapas a lo largo de su sacerdocio – y especialmente cuando la violencia se intensificó en ese lugar.

Le dijo a los periodistas que cubrían una marcha por la paz convocada el 13 de septiembre por las tres diócesis católicas de Chiapas que, en muchas comunidades y municipios, la violencia es realmente insoportable.

El padre Pérez nació en San Andrés Larrainzar, un pueblo indígena tzotzil (tsotsil) conocido por los Acuerdos de San Andrés firmados en 1996 por el Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional y el gobierno mexicano tras un levantamiento de los zapatistas por los derechos indígenas.

Ingresó en el seminario menor siendo adolescente y fue ordenado sacerdote en 2002. Era un sacerdote indígena poco frecuente en una diócesis con más de 400 diáconos indígenas casados, que fueron ordenados por el obispo Samuel Ruiz García – que promovió una iglesia autóctona en Chiapas – para atender mejor a comunidades remotas sin sacerdotes.

El padre Pérez sirvió al principio de su sacerdocio en el municipio de Chenalhó, escenario en 1997 de una tristemente célebre masacre en Acteal de un grupo católico pacifista conocido como Las Abejas, que se cobró 45 vidas. Pero después de ocho años en la dividida comunidad, logró la participación comunitaria “sin diferencia de ideología o de postura política en las asambleas litúrgicas y en la forma de formación”, dijo a OSV News el padre jesuita Pedro Arriaga.

Más tarde trabajó para encontrar la paz durante su siguiente asignación en Pantelhó, donde un grupo armado se sublevó contra un “strongman” local, lo que llevó a que se emitiera una orden de arresto en su contra.

Siempre luchó por la paz, pero no sin riesgos. Unos presuntos asesinos manipularon el sistema eléctrico de su coche para que explotara, pero no funcionó, según el padre Arriaga. En otra ocasión le aflojaron las ruedas. Le instaron a abandonar la diócesis, pero el padre Pérez se negó a huir.

“Había amenazas por tanto tiempo”, dijo el padre Arriaga, antiguo portavoz diocesano en San Cristóbal de las Casas.

Recordó al padre Pérez como “un profeta”, describiéndolo como “siempre del lado de los pobres. Muy radical y sin tener miedo a hacer declaraciones a la prensa”.

“Él consideraba la muerte como una posibilidad por estar denunciando esta situación”.

(David Agren escribe para OSV News desde la Ciudad de México.)