Updates

St. James Magnolia marks over 150 years of faith

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By Joanna Puddister King and Tereza Ma
MAGNOLIA – The small but spirited Catholic community of St. James the Greater Parish in Magnolia gathered Saturday, Oct. 5 to celebrate 153 years of faith, friendship and perseverance – a legacy that began as a rural mission and continues today as a thriving parish in southern Pike County.

Though billed as the parish’s 150th anniversary celebration, the event had been postponed several years due to the pandemic. When parishioners finally gathered, the joy and gratitude were unmistakable.
Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz presided at an outdoor Mass beneath white tents set up beside the historic wooden church, which could not accommodate the large crowd that came to celebrate. Concelebrating with Bishop Kopacz were Father Suresh Thirumalareddy, pastor; Father Bill Henry, a former pastor; and Father P.J. Curley, who once served in the region.

Bishop Joseph Kopacz concelebrates an outdoor Mass marking St. James Parish’s 150th anniversary with Father Bill Henry, Father Suresh Thirumalareddy and Father P.J. Curley.

The Mayor of Magnolia, Marvin Brumfield, joined the celebration and presented a proclamation recognizing St. James for its historic presence and contributions to the community.

Parishioners and guests from across Pike County gathered for music, fellowship and a hearty Southern meal following Mass. The afternoon included a silent auction, children’s face-painting, and food prepared by parishioners and friends from nearby parishes.

“It’s small, but powerful,” said parishioner Vicki Todd, who moved to Magnolia permanently nine years ago partly because of the charm of St. James. “We’ve spent months preparing for this day. People believe in St. James Parish – our little bitty church is just as beautiful as can be.”

Music minister Celena Johnson, who has led music since 2019, coordinated a combined choir of parishioners and musicians from St. James and St. Alphonsus Parish in McComb, reflecting the deep ties between the two faith communities. “I’m so blessed to have them,” she said. “We just keep it in the family.”

From its beginnings in the 1860s, St. James has depended on that sense of family. The parish traces its roots to Father Henry Picherit, who celebrated Mass in local homes before the first church was completed in 1874 and dedicated to St. James the Greater. Priests from Osyka, McComb, and Chatawa served the mission through the decades, including Redemptorists and the School Sisters of Notre Dame, whose presence at nearby Chatawa formed deep spiritual ties that endure today.

Several sisters who once lived or served in Chatawa returned for the anniversary, including Sister Gemma Marie Dittle, who praised Father Suresh’s leadership. “He’s so devoted and loves to teach and serve. It was a beautiful celebration,” she said. Sister Marie Clare Powell, 99, attended in honor of a lifelong friend – Sister Mary Clared – who played the organ for nearly 30 years. “We were classmates – she was one of the most faithful members of St. James,” she recalled.

MAGNOLIA – Parishioners and guests gathered under large white tents outside St. James the Greater Parish to celebrate the church’s long-awaited 150th anniversary, a celebration delayed several years by the pandemic. Among those attending were the School Sisters of Notre Dame – Sister Gemma Marie Dittle, Sister Sue, and Sister MarieClare Powell – who traveled from St. Anthony Gardens in Covington, Louisiana. The sisters were once a vibrant part of parish life through their ministry at St. Mary of the Pines in nearby Chatawa, which closed in 2020. The festive day also included music, food, and fellowship as parishioners and friends rejoiced in the enduring faith community of Magnolia. (Photos by Tereza Ma)

St. James remained a mission of St. Alphonsus McComb until Nov. 1, 2019, when Bishop Kopacz elevated it to parish status, recognizing its steady growth and service to Catholics throughout southern Pike County.

Bishop Kopacz said, “From the early days when the Redemptorists established this small mission church, you have grown into a beautiful expression of devoted, faith-filled followers of Christ sharing His Good News with one another and your neighbors in Pike County.”

For parishioners, the milestone was more than a look back – it was a renewal of their commitment to one another. “May God continue to bless you for your dedication and zeal for His church,” Bishop Kopacz, said.

Journey of Hope inspires faithful to “live God’s dream” through service and discipleship

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By Joanna Puddister King
JACKSON – Catholic Charities’ annual Journey of Hope took on a new format this year, reaching across the diocese with two gatherings that drew nearly 800 people to celebrate faith, service and hope.

More than 550 guests attended the Oct. 22 luncheon at the Country Club of Jackson, while another 250 gathered the following day at St. James Parish in Tupelo, where the focus centered on the outreach of Catholic Charities’ Vardaman office in Northeast Mississippi.

“Each event reflected how Catholic Charities and our programs are guided by our faith,” said Michael Thomas, development director for Catholic Charities of Jackson. “The goal is always that everyone leaves with a positive sense of what Catholic Charities is doing throughout our state to better the lives of so many.”

JACKSON – Father Burke Masters speaks to a crowd of over 550 gathered at the Country Club of Jackson for Catholic Charities annual Journey of Hope event on Wednesday, Oct. 22. (Photo by Joanna Puddister King)

Featured speaker Father Burke Masters, a former Mississippi State University baseball standout, Chicago Cubs chaplain and priest of the Diocese of Joliet, told guests that discipleship requires the same commitment and discipline once demanded of him on the field.

Scouts, he said, used to rate ballplayers on six “tools”: hitting, power, running, fielding, throwing and baseball IQ. “I was good at everything but great at nothing,” he recalled with a smile. “Not all of us can become Major League ballplayers, but all of us can become better disciples of Jesus Christ.”

He offered a spiritual parallel – the six tools of a disciple: grow, give, serve, worship, imitate Jesus, and build community. “Everybody looks for meaning and purpose,” he said. “And I can’t imagine anything more meaningful or purposeful than eternal life.”

Father Masters urged guests to make time for daily formation. “We practiced five hours a day to be the best baseball players we could be,” he said. “How much time do you and I invest in our spiritual lives?”
He also challenged listeners to approach worship with gratitude. “You don’t have to go to church – you get to go,” he said. “You get to worship the God of the universe.”

Thomas said proceeds from the Jackson event will benefit all Catholic Charities programs, while donations from Tupelo will remain in the Vardaman regional office, supporting ministries that serve families and individuals across the northeast region. “Donors know that they have a vested interest in what is accomplished in their own communities,” he said.

This year’s events highlighted Catholic Charities’ mission to bring hope and healing statewide through more than two dozen programs, from adoption and counseling to domestic-violence intervention and outreach for immigrants and refugees.

TUPELO – Wayne Hereford of WTVA interviews Father Burke Masters after his Journey of Hope talk at St. James Parish. (Photo by Tereza Ma)

Thomas credited widespread collaboration for the Jackson events’ success, noting leadership from St. Paul, Flowood; St. Francis of Assisi, Madison; and St. Richard, Jackson, who “led parish participation this year and set an example we hope others will follow.”

He also expressed appreciation for Christina Bach, executive director of Catholic Charities; Father Tim Murphy and the St. James staff in Tupelo; Michele Harris, board chair; and Julie Gibert, who chaired the development committee. “Everyone worked so hard to bring back our Journey of Hope and make it a success in both Jackson and Tupelo,” Thomas said.

Thomas said the dual-location format may continue in future years depending on the speaker, noting how fortunate organizers were that Father Masters could address both gatherings.

“Great things are happening with our programs,” he added. “Our Kinship Navigator Program is expanding to Greenwood and Jackson; and Born Free has a new director.”

In closing, Father Masters shared a story about receiving a replica Chicago Cubs World Series ring from seminarians while serving as vocation director. He often shows it to students, who “ooh and ahh” before he explains it is a $15 imitation. “It looks real, but it’s not,” he said, adding that his real focus is on a greater prize. “The crown of eternal glory doesn’t collect dust, it doesn’t fade away, and it lasts forever. Let’s live today as disciples preparing for that face-to-face meeting with God.”

Around the Diocese

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MERIDIAN

MERIDIAN – Father Carlisle Beggerly blesses rosaries for students during a Friday assembly at St. Patrick Catholic School. (Photo by Helen Reynolds)

HOLY SPRINGS

HOLLY SPRINGS – Holy Family Catholic School students D’Anthony Snow, Christian Buffington and Torris Brown examine different types of rocks during science class. Using what they learned about each rock’s characteristics, they worked to identify them as igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic. (Photo by Kim Nolan)

FLOWOOD

FLOWOOD – Pre-K4 teacher Jackie Hoey leads a “Sink or Float” science activity with her students at St. Paul Early Learning Center. From left: Aiden Scarbrough, Evie Fox, Elliott James Hannah, Millie Simmons, Carson Fede, Maggie Baker, Finley McCoy and Kinsey Rome. (Photo by Wendi Murray)

COLUMBUS

COLUMBUS – Annunciation Catholic School first graders Luke Thomas and Livy Windham dissect plants after learning about roots, stems, leaves and flowers. (Photo by Jacque Hince)

Youth

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All Heart: Middle School Fall Retreat

By Joanna Puddister King
MACON – Middle school youth from across the diocese gathered at Lake Forest Ranch in Macon, Oct. 18–19, for the All Heart Fall Retreat. The weekend, led by the Life Teen Missions Outreach Team, invited students to connect, recharge, and discover how their hearts can make a difference.
Throughout the retreat, participants enjoyed group games, outdoor activities, and a lively bonfire, as well as moments of reflection and prayer. Father Tristan Stovall celebrated Mass, encouraging youth to love the Lord “with all your heart, soul and mind.” The weekend offered a joyful blend of worship, fellowship and faith-filled fun – all centered on growing closer to Christ with all heart.

In God’s family, “it’s a small world” after all

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By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
The Wednesday papal audience regularly gathers pilgrims from around the world in St. Peter’s Square, and during this Jubilee Year the square could not contain the vast throng. The universality of the church was on full display during the nearly two-hour audience with Pope Leo XIV, which was well worth the 6 a.m. departure from our hotel.

The Holy Father’s message, delivered in eight languages, went out to all the earth with the passion of Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

Human speech echoed around the square to the delight of all physically present and to the virtual cloud of witnesses around the world.

Pope Leo XIV leads his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Oct. 29, 2025. Dozens of representatives of the world’s religions were at the audience, which was dedicated to “Nostra Aetate,” the Second Vatican Council’s declaration on relations with Judaism, Islam and other world religions. The landmark document was promulgated 60 years ago: Oct. 28, 1965.
Inset shows Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz of Jackson, who was among those in attendance. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

With each audience, bishops are invited to come forward to sit near the stage, and our hearty group’s early arrival gave me an excellent vantage point to see, hear and appreciate the unpretentious yet splendid presentation surrounding Pope Leo’s message. As an added bonus, I was fortunate to sit next to the archbishop of Bangkok, Thailand, who spoke about the church’s reality in a country that is 96% Buddhist, where Catholics number around 500,000 – about 1% of the total population.
It was a relevant portrayal because, to my left, there were as many Buddhist monks at the audience as there were bishops. Pope Leo had just conducted an interfaith prayer service for peace at the Colosseum the day before with representatives from all major religious traditions.

The central focus of the pope’s words at the Colosseum and the audience was prayer and a plea for peace, justice and reconciliation, inspired by the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate (In Our Age), a document of the Second Vatican Council that highlighted the need for interfaith prayer, dialogue and study for God’s glory and a more just and peaceful world. The love of Jesus Christ impels us to proclaim the Gospel of salvation and peace everywhere and for all time.

At the conclusion of each audience, all bishops are welcome to form a line to personally greet the Holy Father. This procession and the entire audience are preserved on the Santa Sede Vaticano website, with the unabridged encounters of each bishop with the pope. It is a treasured moment that is stored in memory for me and preserved on social media for countless others.

What words were exchanged between us during that heartfelt greeting? I introduced myself as being from the Diocese of Jackson and the state of Mississippi, and he smiled and said, “Ah, the United States.” Pope Leo XIV is the first successor of St. Peter to know that Mississippi is more than a river. After thanking him for his ministry in the church, I departed with a pair of rosaries – a prized gift from the Holy Father.

Immediately afterward, there was a joyful reunion with our diocesan group of pilgrims, who had advantageous seating in the square, allowing them to view the stage and capture it all on the big screen nearby. Afterwards, while walking through the square in my episcopal house cassock as everyone was spilling into the neighboring streets and passageways, there were many interactions and conversations.

I spoke to, prayed over, and took photos with pilgrims from France, Mexico, Ireland, Peru, the Philippines and Indiana. What a delight! This is where it came full circle with my recent travels. I asked the pilgrims from Mexico where exactly they live, and the first place blurted out was Saltillo. How true it is that all roads lead to Rome.

The mission trip to Saltillo was an exceptional springboard into pilgrimage and will be the subject of another column. One of the pilgrims from Peru stated the old adage in another way: “Obispo, es un mundo pequeño.” (“Bishop, it’s a small world.”)

Verdad, peregrino, verdad! True, pilgrim, so true. The message of the Good News of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen from the dead, goes out to the ends of the earth and back again. The Wednesday audience left no doubt about this truth.

Catholic Diocese of Jackson named 2025 Cognia System of Distinction

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By Joanna Puddister King
JACKSON – The Catholic Diocese of Jackson has been named a 2025 Cognia System of Distinction, joining a select group of school systems around the world recognized for exemplary service to learners and sustained commitment to continuous improvement. The honor follows a rigorous review earlier this year and places the diocese among systems in countries such as Belgium, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

Accreditation from Cognia, a global nonprofit organization serving more than 40,000 schools and systems in over 90 countries, is widely regarded as a mark of educational excellence. Each year, Cognia identifies a limited number of systems that not only meet but exceed its performance standards in leadership, learning and resource capacity. The Diocese of Jackson was one of only four Catholic systems worldwide – and the only Catholic diocese – to receive the 2025 distinction.

Dr. Mark A. Elgart, president and CEO of Cognia, said the process reflects the organization’s focus on helping all students succeed. He commended the Diocese of Jackson for its strong results during the 2025 review. “Cognia Systems Accreditation is a rigorous process that focuses the entire school system and its community on the primary goal of ensuring all students can flourish in engaging and equitable learning environments,” Elgart said. “We commend the Diocese of Jackson for meeting high standards and making progress on key indicators that impact student learning.”

The recognition marks a milestone in a process that began in 2018 when diocesan leaders embarked on their first systemwide accreditation journey with Cognia. The two-year process brought together principals, pastors, educators, parents and advisory councils from across Mississippi to build a framework for continuous improvement grounded in Catholic identity and academic rigor. The diocese first achieved system accreditation in 2020, establishing the foundation for this latest honor.

The Cognia review team visited diocesan schools earlier this year, meeting with educators, administrators and families. Evaluators commended the Catholic schools for their collaborative leadership, welcoming communities and the authentic integration of faith and Gospel values throughout daily learning. The team also noted the professionalism of school leaders and the strength of the diocesan system’s vision for student success.

Karla Luke, who retired as executive director of Catholic Education at the end of September after more than 33 years in Catholic education, guided the diocese through the accreditation and review process. She described the System of Distinction honor as one of the most meaningful moments of her career. Luke said that while the recognition was extraordinary, her greatest joy came from working alongside the dedicated principals, teachers and students who make Catholic education thrive across the diocese.

“Over the past 33 years, the most recent accomplishment of having Cognia recognize the Diocese of Jackson as a System of Distinction has been an overwhelming and rare experience,” Luke said. “However, in the everyday realm of the work, I am most proud of being able to interact with so many students, teachers and principals. It is very humbling to know that you have been a tiny part of a student’s life for a short time.”

Bishop Joseph Kopacz praised Luke’s leadership and the collaborative spirit of all involved in Catholic education. He said the distinction reflects both the faith and hard work that define the diocesan school system. He expressed gratitude to the principals, pastors and teachers who continue to advance the mission of forming students in faith, knowledge and service. “This recognition affirms what we already know – our Catholic schools are places of faith, excellence and community,” he said. “I am deeply grateful for the dedication of our principals, teachers and families who ensure that every child is known, loved and challenged to grow in the light of Christ.”

Joni House, who succeeded Luke as executive director in September, said the honor is both a celebration and a challenge to continue striving for excellence. She noted that the Cognia recognition affirms the strength of diocesan schools and their ongoing pursuit of improvement. House, a former principal of Annunciation Catholic School in Columbus and Cognia accreditation specialist, said she looks forward to building on the foundation Luke helped establish. “The recognition as a Cognia System of Distinction affirms the hard work of our schools,” she said, “and it challenges us to sustain and grow that culture of continuous improvement so Catholic education in our diocese remains strong and vibrant.”

As the diocese celebrates this global recognition, families are invited to experience Catholic education firsthand during Discover Catholic Schools Week that takes place Nov. 16-22, 2025. Many schools across the diocese will host open houses and special events offering families the opportunity to meet teachers, visit classrooms and see how students are growing in faith and learning every day.

For more information about Catholic schools in the Diocese of Jackson, visit https://jacksondiocese.org/schools-centers.

The Catholic Foundation holds annual membership meeting

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By Joanna Puddister King
JACKSON – The Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Jackson gathered members and guests on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, at the Country Club of Jackson for its annual membership meeting, celebrating another year of faithful stewardship and the continued growth of endowments that sustain ministries across the diocese.

The membership approved the docket of new board members, welcoming Dennis Antici and Gretchen Ware of St. Paul Flowood, Bob Gaston of St. Francis of Assisi Madison, and Bill Morris and Chris Walters of the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson. Returning board members re-elected to serve additional terms represented parishes from across the diocese, reflecting the Foundation’s wide reach and collaborative mission.

Joe Rice, president of the board of directors, provided an overview of the Foundation’s financial health and ongoing growth. “Since 2006, our investment earnings – measured by income, dividends, and market appreciation – have been a little over $40 million,” said Rice. “During that same period, we’ve distributed more than $20 million and built reserves of over $7 million in anticipation of market weakness.”

Rice noted that the Foundation’s portfolio, valued at $11.3 million in 2010, now stands at $75.5 million. “Our charge is to be good stewards of the money that the faithful across the Diocese have entrusted us with,” he said. “It’s only through and by the grace of God that we’ve been able to accomplish these things and keep our finances strong.”

One of the year’s most significant developments, Rice shared, was the establishment of an endowed operational trust to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Foundation’s work. “This decision allows our executive director and staff to focus on what they do best – telling the story of the Foundation and helping donors create new trusts to support the ministries they are passionate about,” he said.

Executive director Rebecca Harris expressed gratitude to members and donors who make that mission possible. She shared that the Foundation now manages 407 trusts with total assets of $75.5 million. These funds support parishes, schools, diocesan ministries, seminarian education and Catholic Charities. “I love sitting down with donors and talking about what is their passion,” Harris said. “I ask them to pray about where the Holy Spirit is calling them to give – and it’s always a blessing to see where that leads.”

Harris also celebrated the success of the annual Bishop’s Cup Golf Tournament, which raised a record amount this year to support diocesan youth ministry. Funds will assist in sending more young people to DCYC – the diocese’s annual youth convention, helping strengthen faith among the next generation.

Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz concluded the evening with a reflection on the Jubilee Year of Hope. “The work of the Foundation feeds hope in the lives of many people,” he said. “We are so grateful to God for the blessings He continues to pour out on our diocese.”

In God’s family, “it’s a small world” after all

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By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
The Wednesday papal audience regularly gathers pilgrims from around the world in St. Peter’s Square, and during this Jubilee Year the square could not contain the vast throng. The universality of the church was on full display during the nearly two-hour audience with Pope Leo XIV, which was well worth the 6 a.m. departure from our hotel.
The Holy Father’s message, delivered in eight languages, went out to all the earth with the passion of Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”
Human speech echoed around the square to the delight of all physically present and to the virtual cloud of witnesses around the world.

Pope Leo XIV leads his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Oct. 29, 2025. Dozens of representatives of the world’s religions were at the audience, which was dedicated to “Nostra Aetate,” the Second Vatican Council’s declaration on relations with Judaism, Islam and other world religions. The landmark document was promulgated 60 years ago: Oct. 28, 1965. Inset shows Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz of Jackson, who was among those in attendance. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

With each audience, bishops are invited to come forward to sit near the stage, and our hearty group’s early arrival gave me an excellent vantage point to see, hear and appreciate the unpretentious yet splendid presentation surrounding Pope Leo’s message. As an added bonus, I was fortunate to sit next to the archbishop of Bangkok, Thailand, who spoke about the church’s reality in a country that is 96% Buddhist, where Catholics number around 500,000 – about 1% of the total population.
It was a relevant portrayal because, to my left, there were as many Buddhist monks at the audience as there were bishops. Pope Leo had just conducted an interfaith prayer service for peace at the Colosseum the day before with representatives from all major religious traditions.
The central focus of the pope’s words at the Colosseum and the audience was prayer and a plea for peace, justice and reconciliation, inspired by the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate (In Our Age), a document of the Second Vatican Council that highlighted the need for interfaith prayer, dialogue and study for God’s glory and a more just and peaceful world. The love of Jesus Christ impels us to proclaim the Gospel of salvation and peace everywhere and for all time.
At the conclusion of each audience, all bishops are welcome to form a line to personally greet the Holy Father. This procession and the entire audience are preserved on the Santa Sede Vaticano website, with the unabridged encounters of each bishop with the pope. It is a treasured moment that is stored in memory for me and preserved on social media for countless others.
What words were exchanged between us during that heartfelt greeting? I introduced myself as being from the Diocese of Jackson and the state of Mississippi, and he smiled and said, “Ah, the United States.” Pope Leo XIV is the first successor of St. Peter to know that Mississippi is more than a river. After thanking him for his ministry in the church, I departed with a pair of rosaries – a prized gift from the Holy Father.
Immediately afterward, there was a joyful reunion with our diocesan group of pilgrims, who had advantageous seating in the square, allowing them to view the stage and capture it all on the big screen nearby. Afterwards, while walking through the square in my episcopal house cassock as everyone was spilling into the neighboring streets and passageways, there were many interactions and conversations.
I spoke to, prayed over, and took photos with pilgrims from France, Mexico, Ireland, Peru, the Philippines and Indiana. What a delight! This is where it came full circle with my recent travels. I asked the pilgrims from Mexico where exactly they live, and the first place blurted out was Saltillo. How true it is that all roads lead to Rome.
The mission trip to Saltillo was an exceptional springboard into pilgrimage and will be the subject of another column. One of the pilgrims from Peru stated the old adage in another way: “Obispo, es un mundo pequeño.” (“Bishop, it’s a small world.”)
Verdad, peregrino, verdad! True, pilgrim, so true. The message of the Good News of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen from the dead, goes out to the ends of the earth and back again. The Wednesday audience left no doubt about this truth.

Love, forgiveness defeat hatred, vengeance, pope tells chivalric order

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By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV thanked the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem for supporting the Christian communities in the Holy Land, especially during the “tragic days of war.”

“In a world where arrogance and violence seem to prevail over charity, you are called to bear witness that life conquers death, that love conquers hatred, that forgiveness conquers vengeance, and that mercy and grace conquer sin,” he told members of the ancient Catholic chivalric order.

The pope met with more than 3,000 knights and dames of the Holy Sepulchre in the Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall Oct. 23 during their Jubilee pilgrimage to Rome. Cardinal Fernando Filoni, grand master of the order, was also present.

The order, a lay institution under the protection of the Holy See, supports the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem with prayers, financial assistance and regular pilgrimages. There are more than 30,000 members around the world.

Pope Leo thanked them for “the considerable help you give, quietly and without publicity, to the communities of the Holy Land, supporting the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in its various activities: the seminary, schools, charitable work and assistance, humanitarian and educational projects, the university, aid to churches, with special interventions in times of greatest crisis, as was the case during COVID and the tragic days of war.”

Pope Leo XIV greets members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican Oct. 23, 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media) Inset: Father Mark Shoffner, pastor of St. John Parish in Oxford, who attended the audience, said the pope looked directly at him and waved. (Photo courtesy of Father Shoffner)

With concrete and varied assistance, he said, “you show that safeguarding the tomb of Christ does not simply mean preserving a historical, archaeological or artistic heritage, however important, but is supporting a church made of living stones, which was born around it and still lives today as an authentic sign of Paschal hope.”

“To pause at the Lord’s tomb means, in fact, to renew one’s faith in God who keeps his promises, whose power no human force can defeat,” the pope said.

“How often, thanks to your work, a glimmer of light reappears for individuals, families and entire communities who risk being overwhelmed by terrible tragedies at every level, particularly in the places where Jesus lived,” he said.

Pope Leo encouraged the order’s members to continue with their “task of being guardians of the tomb of Christ” with “the confidence of expectation, the zeal of charity and the joyful enthusiasm of hope.”

Called by Name

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By Father Nick Adam
We are looking forward to a unique Thanksgiving weekend at the end of November. Seminarian Will Foggo will be ordained to the transitional diaconate at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson.

This is not the usual time for a deacon ordination. In recent years, they have typically taken place in the spring, but because of changes to the national formation plan for seminarians implemented by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Will’s class is scheduled for diaconate ordination late this fall and priestly ordination in the spring. After this year, the schedule should return to its usual rhythm.
Will’s journey is unique. He will serve as a deacon for about six months before being ordained a priest on May 16, 2026.

Will Foggo will be ordained to the transitional diaconate at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28 at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Jackson. He will serve at St. Joseph Starkville until his priestly ordination on May 16, 2026.

It will be especially meaningful for me to see Will reach this milestone. He began his seminary journey around the same time I became director of seminarians. I remember in the spring of 2020 receiving a call from Father Jason Johnston, Will’s pastor while he was a student at Mississippi State University, saying he thought Will might be contacting me soon about applying for seminary. I didn’t waste any time – I called Will myself and texted him the application that same day.

I already knew Will and his family well. They are longtime parishioners at St. Paul Catholic Church in Flowood, and his mother, Sheila, is a longtime teacher at St. Richard Catholic School in Jackson. Will had also attended a Come and See retreat in February 2020, so I had seen enough to know he was someone we should encourage and support.

Will entered seminary at the height of the pandemic, and I’ve been impressed by his steadiness and maturity throughout the process. He was part of the first group of seminarians who participated in our summer Spanish immersion program and has been active in diocesan youth ministry events such as SEARCH and DCYC. He has also served as master of ceremonies at Notre Dame Seminary for several years – a demanding role that requires ensuring liturgies run smoothly day after day, often with visiting clergy and dignitaries.

Please plan to come and pray for Will and thank the Lord for his vocation on Nov. 29. A reception will follow the Mass in the Cathedral Center. Will is also preparing to graduate from seminary with his master’s degree in theology. That ceremony will take place Thursday, Dec. 11, at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans.

It seems like just yesterday we were giving Will a tour of Notre Dame Seminary during that Come and See weekend – but that was nearly six years ago. His story is a great reminder that building a culture of vocations takes time, but it is always worth the effort.

(For more information on vocations, visit jacksonvocations.com or contact Father Nick at nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.)