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Delegación de la USCCB ve las duras realidades y las necesidades pastorales de los trabajadores agrícolas

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Por Ann Hess

YAKIMA, Washington (OSV News) — “La Iglesia no tiene una misión; la misión tiene una Iglesia”, enfatizó el obispo Joseph J. Tyson de la Diócesis de Yakima. Más tarde, le dijo al grupo: “Nuestra pastoral para los migrantes es el modelo para todos nuestros ministerios: la parroquia es más grande que el edificio”.

Un grupo de 24 apóstoles modernos pudieron presenciar esto durante una visita pastoral del 28 al 29 de agosto organizada por el Subcomité de Cuidado Pastoral de Migrantes, Refugiados y Viajeros (PCMRT). Participantes de la USCCB, Catholic Migrant Farmworker Network- Red Católica del Campesino Migrante y ministerios relacionados se reunieron en Yakima para testificar, apoyar y aprender de la pastoral migrante que lleva a cabo la diócesis.

Durante la visita — también considerada un encuentro episcopal con migrantes bajo el título “Cristo en el corazón del trabajador del campo migrante de hoy” — los participantes visitaron los lugares de trabajo y las viviendas de algunos de los trabajadores agrícolas nacidos en México que cultivan y cosechan la frutas y verduras que el estado de Washington envía a todo el mundo.

Migrant farmworkers share their experiences with the U.S. bishops’ delegation on August 28, 2023, as Father Jesús Mariscal (far right), parochial vicar at St. Paul Cathedral in Yakima, Wash., looks on. (OSV News photo/courtesy of Ana Contreras and USCCB)

La delegación visitante también tuvo la oportunidad de hablar con los trabajadores y aprender sobre su labor, sus desafíos y su motivación para apoyar a sus familias en casa. Helder Hernández, coordinador de pobreza, educación y extensión de la oficina de Justicia, Paz y Desarrollo Humano de la USCCB, dijo a OSV News que estas conversaciones le dieron una nueva perspectiva.

“Es verlos a los ojos y reconocer que son creados a imagen y semejanza de Dios, y saber que tienen un nombre, que tienen una dignidad que les ha dado Dios”, dijo. “Son nuestros hermanos y hermanas que merecen vivir una vida digna”.

El Departamento de Comercio Estatal informa que Washington es el mayor productor de manzanas, arándanos, lúpulo, peras, aceite de menta verde y cerezas dulces, y el segundo mayor productor de albaricoques, espárragos, uvas, papas y frambuesas en Estados Unidos.

Sin embargo, el trabajo es mal pagado, agotador, y de bajo estatus. Históricamente, los productores que buscan contratar mano de obra han atraído a aquellos con pocas opciones, incluidos algunos de los residentes más antiguos de Washington — su pueblo indígena– y los más nuevos (incluidos inmigrantes de Europa, Asia y América Latina en diferentes épocas). En Washington, los estadounidenses blancos de zonas rurales y desfavorecidas del país fueron la principal fuente de mano de obra hasta relativamente finales del siglo XX, según un informe de la Universidad de Washington.

Mientras que alrededor del 70% de los trabajadores agrícolas son residentes permanentes del estado de Washington y constituyen un porcentaje sustancial de los feligreses católicos de la Diócesis de Yakima, el resto sigue la cosecha o está aquí con una visa agrícola temporal H-2A. En ambos casos, a menudo se ven separados del apoyo de sus comunidades de origen durante meses.

“Sienten nostalgia, están ansiosos y a veces no pueden dormir”, dijo el padre Jesús Mariscal, vicario parroquial de la catedral de St. Paul en Yakima. “Hay mucho ministerio por hacer en estas pequeñas comunidades. Sólo al estar allí puedes descubrir cómo ayudar”.

El ministerio diocesano para servir a la comunidad migrante se remonta a la década de 1960, según la diócesis. En el verano de 2011, poco después de que el obispo Tyson se convirtiera en el pastor de Yakima, la pastoral  migrante comenzó un programa de verano en el que participan seminaristas.

La Diócesis de Yakima, que abarca siete condados en el centro de Washington, atiende a unos 176.000 católicos en 39 parroquias y tres iglesias misioneras, de las cuales aproximadamente dos tercios son hispanos. Durante la cosecha, se estima que unos 100.000 trabajadores inmigrantes residen en la región, según el vicario episcopal de la diócesis.

La delegación visitó un huerto en la cercana Zillah, donde recolectores, con los codos al descubierto, estaban cosechando manzanas. Posteriormente, el grupo recorrió una planta empacadora de frutas.

El encuentro que impresionó a muchos participantes fue la visita al FairBridge Inn. Siendo anteriormente un hotel, ahora este lugar alberga a unos 1.300 trabajadores H-2A.

Las visas H-2A de los trabajadores son sólo para trabajo temporal; el empleador está obligado a ofrecer oportunidades de empleo durante al menos tres cuartas partes del número de horas de la oferta de trabajo. Los empleadores deben proporcionar alojamiento a los empleados.

Según uno de los trabajadores que se aloja en FairBridge, se deducen semanalmente unos $108 de cada pago para cubrir la comida de los trabajadores, aunque la cantidad depende del contrato que los trabajadores tengan con su empleador.

En el hotel, un panel de cuatro hombres que habían dejado sus hogares y familias para trabajar en Yakima describieron sus vidas. Se levantan temprano para tomar un autobús a las 5 a.m. que los lleva a los huertos. Tienen dos descansos de 15 minutos, un período para almorzar y — dependiendo que tan fuerte esté el calor — regresan en autobús a FairBridge a eso de las 2:30 p. m., donde se sirve la cena a las 4:30 p.m.

Los trabajadores dijeron que aprecian las actividades nocturnas organizadas por la iglesia, especialmente la Misa. Uno de ellos señaló que, en su México natal, él asiste a Misa semanalmente, pero es difícil averiguar la manera de encontrar Misa cuando se trabaja aquí. Otro dijo que las actividades ayudan a que la vida sea algo más que el trabajo y el teléfono, y que le gusta tomar clases de inglés y guitarra.

Hay dificultades descritas por algunos de los trabajadores. Explicaron que los hombres tienen que quedarse en el recinto bajo llave por motivos de seguridad una vez que regresan al final de la jornada laboral; deben pedir permiso para ir a la tienda y no se les permite salir simplemente a caminar. La valla que rodea la propiedad conmocionó a la delegación.

Los campamentos de migrantes albergan a las familias que siguen la cosecha, así como a algunos trabajadores H-2A. Pueden ser una combinación de tiendas de campaña, remolques y otras estructuras temporales.

En Wenatchee, a unas dos horas en auto desde la ciudad de Yakima, Sandra Barros de la Iglesia Católica St. Joseph, describió cómo llevan a cabo la pastoral allí. “Llevamos comida y pañales para las familias, pero, sobre todo, traemos los sacramentos”.

Muchos de los jóvenes no permanecen en un lugar el tiempo suficiente para recibir una preparación convencional para la primera comunión o la confirmación. Barros ha creado una lista de correo de 300 familias desde 2019 y se comunica con ellas durante todo el año. “Sienten que estamos con ellos”, dijo.

A Hernández también le conmovió cómo los trabajadores establecen un sentido de comunidad, especialmente a través de su fe. Añadió que la pastoral migrante dentro de la Diócesis de Yakima es un modelo para diferentes áreas ministeriales porque se centra en caminar junto a los migrantes como hermanos y hermanas “para construir colectivamente el reino de Dios en esta tierra”.

La última parada de la visita pastoral fue un campamento de migrantes en Monitor, cerca de Wenatchee, donde estaban presentes tres obispos: el obispo Tyson, el obispo Eusebio L. Elizondo y el obispo Frank R. Schuster, ambos obispos auxiliares de la Arquidiócesis de Seattle. Ellos concelebraron la Misa y los trabajadores compartieron un banquete con la delegación.

Esther Morash, que ha estado organizando Misas los miércoles por la noche en el campamento de inmigrantes durante 15 años, que fue la semilla de la pastoral a nivel local, dijo: “Nunca he conocido gente más amable que estos trabajadores agrícolas. Cuando se van, siempre se dan la vuelta y dicen ‘gracias'”.

(Ann Hess escribe desde el valle de Yakima en Washington.)

GREENWOOD – En el área de Indianola y Greenwood hay granjas agrícolas que cultivan diferentes verduras y hortalizas. En el área del Delta hay, además, plantas de captura y procesamiento del pez gato(catfish). En todas ellas trabajan Hispanos. En foto de archivo, obreros agrícolas, mayormente mexicanos con visa de trabajo, hacen la cosecha de calabacines del mes de agosto 2018. (Foto por Berta Mexidor)

La Asamblea del Sínodo no será secreta, pero tampoco estará abierta a la prensa, dice el Papa Francisco

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Por Cindy Wooden

A BORDO DEL VUELO PAPAL DESDE MONGOLIA (CNS) — El Sínodo de los Obispos no es un programa de televisión ni un debate parlamentario, y sus discusiones no estarán abiertas al público ni a los periodistas, dijo el Papa Francisco.

“Hay una cosa que debemos cuidar, el ambiente sinodal”, respondió el Papa el 4 de septiembre cuando periodistas le preguntaron sobre el acceso a las discusiones de la asamblea del Sínodo de los Obispos que tendrá lugar del 4 al 29 de octubre.

“Esto no es un programa de televisión en el que hablamos de todo. No. Hay un momento religioso, hay un momento de intercambio religioso”, dijo a los periodistas que volaban con él de regreso a Roma desde Mongolia.

Docenas de notas adhesivas con oraciones y peticiones de jóvenes se ven en la pared del stand del Sínodo de los Obispos en un parque en Lisboa, Portugal, durante la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud del 1 al 6 de agosto de 2023. (Foto de OSV News/ Cortesía de la Secretaría del Sínodo)

El proceso sinodal comenzó en octubre de 2021 con una sucesión de sesiones de escucha a nivel parroquial, diocesano, nacional y regional centradas en crear una “Iglesia más sinodal”, donde cada persona se sienta acogida, valorada y llamada a contribuir y a compartir el Evangelio.

Después de que tantos católicos de todo el mundo dedicaran su tiempo y sus oraciones al proceso, una idea inicial era retransmitir en directo los debates generales desde el aula sinodal o, al menos, permitir el acceso a los periodistas.

El Papa Francisco dejó claro en el avión que eso no sucedería. Un resumen oficial de las discusiones del día — sin decir quién dijo qué — será realizado por el comité de comunicación del sínodo, dirigido por Paolo Ruffini, prefecto del Dicasterio Vaticano para la Comunicación.

Más allá del resumen anónimo de los puntos discutidos, los periodistas intentarán entrevistar a participantes para obtener al menos puntos de vista individuales sobre los trabajos sinodales del día.

El Papa Francisco dijo a los periodistas que cada miembro del Sínodo — que por primera vez incluye a mujeres y laicos — dispondría de tres o cuatro minutos para dirigirse a la asamblea. Cada discurso será seguido por tres o cuatro minutos de silencio “para la oración”.

“Sin este espíritu de oración, no hay sinodalidad, es política, es parlamentarismo”, dijo.

Hacer que un comité resuma los debates para la prensa es necesario “para salvaguardar la religiosidad (del sínodo) y salvaguardar de las personas que hablan” pero quizá no quieran hacerlo públicamente, dijo.

“Pero más abierto que eso, no lo sé”, dijo. “Es bueno que esta comisión sea muy respetuosa de las intervenciones de todos y trate de no parlotear, sino de decir las cosas justamente sobre la marcha sinodal que son constructivas para la Iglesia”.

Mundo en fotos

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Un panda rojo aparece en un cerezo en flor en Manor Wildlife Park en St. Florence, Gales, el 15 de abril de 2020. (Foto de OSV News/Rebecca Naden, Reuters)
Mongolian horse riders perform at a cultural exhibition sponsored by the Mongolian government for the papal entourage and journalists at Mongolia Culture Park south of Ulaanbaatar, Sept. 1, 2023. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)
Trabajadores atienden un campo de lechugas cerca de Salinas, California, en esta fotografía de archivo de abril de 2006. El comité editorial de Our Sunday Visitor sostiene que una forma de interrumpir la explotación de los trabajadores es cambiar la forma en que compramos cosas y ser conscientes de cómo la mano de obra barata devalúa la persona humana. (Foto de OSV News/Robert Galbraith, Reuters)
Las uvas, los viñedos y el viento aparecen cientos de veces en las Escrituras. Representan la sangre, la propagación y el pueblo de Dios. (Foto de OSV News/Nancy Wiechec)
Miembros de una guardia de honor de Mongolia marchan después de que el Papa Francisco llegue al Aeropuerto Internacional Chinggis Khaan en Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, el 1 de septiembre de 2023. El Papa estaba planeando una estadía de cuatro días en Mongolia para visitar la pequeña comunidad católica del país y fomentar la tolerancia y la armonía. . (Foto CNS/Lola Gómez)

Inspiring others to ‘work together as people of faith ’Msgr. Sunds observes golden jubilee

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By Joe Lee
MADISON – On the evening of Aug. 7, the family life center at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Madison resembled a fine restaurant, with white tablecloths and soft candlelight creating the perfect backdrop for a huge crowd to congratulate Msgr. Elvin Sunds on the golden anniversary of his ordination as a priest.

It was a fitting tribute to the kind, soft-spoken man who grew up in Iowa and has spent more than fifty years of his life bringing Mississippians of different backgrounds together. The throng waiting to enjoy the mouth-watering dinner was no surprise after the standing room only gathering at Mass, which made Sunds feel, in his words, deeply affirmed.

“When I first saw the church packed for the Mass, I was genuinely overwhelmed,” he said. “I had no idea so many people over the years from so many parishes – and from Catholic Charities – wanted to express their gratitude.”

MADISON – Msgr. Elvin Sunds (second from right) celebrated his golden jubilee on Monday, Aug. 7 at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Madison. (Photo by Tereza Ma)

Sunds felt the call toward the priesthood while a senior in high school, but he wanted something more exciting than the Diocese of Des Moines, especially after being told by his vocation director that he was expected to teach high school for the first ten years after ordination.

“During my junior year at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Conception, Missouri, my spiritual director suggested I spend a summer working for a friend of his in New York City named Father John Powis. This was 1967, and Father Powis was working in the rough Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, a largely Puerto Rican and African American neighborhood.

“I was impressed at what Father Powis was doing and found an apartment in a condemned building for the summer. I worked mornings at a commercial laundry to support myself and spent afternoons organizing recreational programs for the neighborhood kids.”

Sunds had seminarian classmates from Mississippi who urged him to visit the state, which he did for the first time that fall.

“Cardinal Bernard Law was the vocation director then for what was the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson,” Sunds said. “He arranged for me to spend several months with Father Nathaniel Machesky, who was pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in Greenwood.

“This was predominantly an African American parish. They were offering education for the kids in the grade school there, a wonderful alternative to what wasn’t a good education in the Greenwood public schools. I realized the Natchez-Jackson Diocese was where I needed to be.”

Since his ordination by Bishop Joseph Brunini at Our Lady of the Gulf in Bay St. Louis on Aug. 5, 1973, Sunds has pastored in Biloxi, Jackson, Meridian, Greenville and Corinth. Revered for his work with Catholic Charities (where he served as executive director from 1978-1994), he was honored by the Mississippi NAACP in 1982 with the organization’s Outstanding Service Award.

Msgr. Elvin Sunds pictured at his priestly ordination on Aug. 5, 1973 in Bay St. Louis. (Photo from archives)

“We established programs while I was there to serve people that had not been served in Mississippi,” Sunds said. “I really encouraged the employees to think toward trying to change the system and make a bigger impact than just the person we were serving. My first hire was Linda Raff as associate director. We made a great team.”

“Msgr. Sunds brought a sense of social justice for all of God’s children, especially those poor and vulnerable,” said Raff, who succeeded Sunds as executive director in 1994 and served in that role 14 years before returning for a final year as director in 2014. “I appreciated that he administered the agency in a very fair-minded way, and it will always be one of my greatest privileges to have worked for him.”

“We’re only 2.5 percent Catholic in the Jackson diocese,” Sunds said. “But we have a tremendous impact, and we have an even bigger impact when we work together ecumenically. The Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference was Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Jewish – lots of denominations – that worked together in the civil rights era.

“When we work together as people of faith, we can make a tremendous impact in Mississippi, such as the changing of the state flag. The football community, the academic community and the business community were behind it, but it was also the Catholic bishop, Methodist bishop, Episcopal bishop and others that agreed we needed to change it.”

“Msgr. Sunds and I have been friends for almost 30 years,” said retired pastor Raymon Leake. “He invited me to speak in his church (St. Patrick in Meridian at the time), and I invited him to speak in mine (First Baptist of Meridian).

“We’ve worked together on projects as significant as establishing a children’s home, and as seemingly insignificant as sharing with a community that Christians of different backgrounds can work together for the benefit of those who need us.”

“Msgr. Sunds was my predecessor at St. Patrick and did the hard work in setting up a relationship between (predominantly white) St. Patrick and (predominantly black) St. Joseph,” said retired priest Father Frank Cosgrove. “What he did should serve as a model for other places.”

“The attendance at 8:30 Sunday Mass at St. Joseph is now about fifty percent white – they come for the music and hospitality, both of which are wonderful – and Msgr. Sunds deserves great credit for that. A St. Patrick parishioner told me that Msgr. Sunds brought the Meridian Catholic community into the twenty-first century.”

In residence at St. Francis in Madison since officially retiring in 2019, Sunds has taken time off to travel the country, most notably an 8,000-mile excursion that took him to eight national parks and three national monuments. He and Leake, both avid outdoorsmen, have hiked together through the Tetons, the Sierras, the Rockies, and from France into Switzerland through the Alps. He even pastored for a month in 2021 in Nome, Alaska. [Click here to ready the story on his trip to Nome]

Sunds has the admiration of St. Francis pastor Father Albeenreddy Vatti, who praised his brother priest’s work ethic, organizational skills and the simple lifestyle he leads. He has also earned the trust and respect of the parish’s youth.

“When you’re a young priest, you’re kind of a mentor to young people because you’re not far removed from them in age,” Sunds said. “When you get to be middle age, you’re more like a parent, and the relationship changes a bit. Then you get to a stage where you’re more like a grandparent. Maybe they relate to you in a way they wouldn’t relate to their parents.

“You reach out by being accepting and non-critical. And listening.”

Holy Land experience ‘brought Bible to life’ for priestand diocesan travelers

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HOLY LAND – Pilgrims listen to a tour guide in the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem. (Photos courtesy of Father Mark Shoffner)

By Bryce Newsom
OXFORD – The Holy Land. Though the locations in which our Lord made the greatest sacrifice are a world away, this didn’t prevent Father Mark Shoffner and several members of our diocese from journeying that distance. Traveling by plane, these pilgrims visited stunning locations such as the former home of our Mother Mary, the workshop of her husband, Joseph, and the Sea of Galilee. Many miracles, and similarly many tragedies, happened in and around these areas. Upon their return, Father Mark shared their story.

The holy sites that were visited left a deep impression on many of the pilgrims, as could be gathered by their reactions to the meaning of the grounds as well as the architecture of the buildings themselves. For example, when asked what his favorite stop of their itinerary happened to be, Father Shoffner replied, “Definitely the Holy Sepulchre, it’s always been my favorite place to visit in the Holy Land.”

Father Mark Shoffner celebrated Mass on Mount Tabor on July 4 during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Father Mark also specified a particular experience which he and his fellow pilgrims were involved in at The Basilica of the Annunciation: “When we were there, by the ruins of Mary’s house, above us Mass was happening. And as the bells were ringing for the consecration, we realized that we were in the place where the Word became flesh … as the Word was becoming flesh in the Eucharist above us. It was a surreal experience.”

Continuing about their venture to the Holy Sepulchre, Father Mark spoke about his feeling that he had “completed his mission” as a Knight Chaplain of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre. He saw the reaction of many to the holy site, with awestruck wonder and adoration, and it warmed his soul. For not only was he himself able to observe and appreciate these passages he had read, made real in front of him, but he was able to help bring others to this realization as well.
Father Mark was able to go up Mount Tabor, often called the Mount of Transfiguration, and look out on the Sea of Galilee. When doing this in reflection, a thought dawned on him: “When you’re up there, you’re seeing the exact same locations that Jesus saw.” This revelation put the trip in perspective for Father Shoffner. The trip brought the Bible to life for many people, with other locations such as Capernaum, Nazareth, and the site of the Wedding at Cana, where Christ performed His first miracle.

For many, this was a trip which changed the way they viewed their faith. It became tangible, physical and more impactful. And in this process, grew that faith in Christ. Which, of course, was one of the primary goals of the pilgrimage. Another, however, was to observe the current state of Catholics in the Holy Land. Many are struggling to support their families, and often ask St. George, a former Roman soldier whose icon many place above their doorways, to pray for them. Let us, as their brothers and sisters, continue to pray fervently for them throughout this trying time.

Father Mark Shoffner and his pilgrims sailing on the Sea of Galilee.

Growing Catholic community flourishes inside Pearl state prison

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By Chris Kieffer
PEARL – On a Saturday afternoon in July, the 100 men gathered inside a chapel in this central Mississippi city rose and applauded as Father Lincoln Dall began his processional to commence Mass.

The congregants were inmates at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (CMCF). And the unscripted moment of enthusiastic appreciation that erupted at the start of Mass underscores the passion that has been at the heart of the growing Catholic ministry here inside the razor wire.

“I feel like it is almost ministry in its most raw form,” said Father Lincoln, the pastor at both Holy Savior Catholic Church in Clinton and Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Raymond and the vicar general for the Diocese of Jackson. “A lot of them realize they have a lot to work on, and they’re hungry for this. You feel the energy for it. It’s palpable.”

PEARL – Recently, Father Lincoln Dall and Bishop Joseph Kopacz celebrated Mass with the St. Michael the Archangel community at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl. (Photo courtesy of Father Lincoln Dall)

Father Lincoln has a long history with prison ministry, but even he has been amazed by the burgeoning Catholic community here inside one of Mississippi’s three state prisons. As recently as last Christmas, about 15 or 20 inmates would regularly attend Mass, which was then held in a small room tucked inside one of the facility’s buildings. Now, some 120 or 130 men attend one of the two Masses Father Lincoln celebrates at CMCF’s chapel nearly every weekend.

“It is an accomplishment for us to see it growing, and it makes us feel we are doing something positive,” said Chris, an inmate at the facility and member of the Catholic community.

Their numbers have grown so much that the Catholic community has recently been recognized by CMCF as an official organization with its own bylaws and name – St. Michael the Archangel, chosen to honor the celestial being who led the angelic forces against Satan and his followers.

The community was also given use of the CMCF chapel, where it met for Mass on that Saturday in July. During the service, a banner hung from the ceiling above the altar declaring: “St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Community, Established 2023. Always fighting the forces of evil.”

The Catholic inmates have played a large role in the community’s rapid growth, said Father Lincoln, who has made the ministry the focus of a project he’s undertaking as part of the Mathis Liturgical Leadership Program, a selective two-year initiative run by the University of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute of Church Life.

The project is about creating a Eucharistic culture. In this case, it builds that culture by empowering the members of CMCF’s St. Michael the Archangel community to evangelize their fellow inmates.

“It has grown because that core group is working behind the scenes when we’re not there, and they’re going and talking to people and evangelizing them and trying to get them to come to Mass,” said Wes Stevens, who also volunteers with Father Lincoln in the ministry. Michael, an inmate who serves as St. Michael the Archangel’s leader, is also a Eucharistic minister. Recognized as the facility’s official Catholic field minister, he meets with other inmates throughout the week, prays with them and tells them about the growing Catholic ministry.

Father Lincoln brings consecrated hosts to a tabernacle they established within the chapel, and Michael distributes the Blessed Sacrament to Catholic inmates during the week. He also brings rosaries and Bibles that have been donated to the ministry.

“For me, it doesn’t matter where I am,” Michael said when asked why the ministry means so much to him. “I have the peace of God. I want others to have what I have. It’s an incredible gift, and I want other people to have it.

“That’s the last thing Jesus said in the Gospel, was for us to go forth and share it.”

Six inmates went through the RCIA program last year and joined the Catholic Church at Easter, and two more were confirmed by Bishop Joseph Kopacz during a spring visit to the facility. A new RCIA class will be held this fall.

The community has a pastoral council of Catholic inmates who meet regularly to plan activities. It recently launched a farmer’s market, which buys fresh fruits and vegetables and sells them to other inmates. They view the market as an outreach opportunity – a chance to highlight the growing Catholic community to others inside the facility – as well a means to provide healthy meals at affordable prices.

“The men who participate in the Catholic Community are a great bunch of men,” Gregg, another inmate, recently wrote in a letter to Father Lincoln expressing his appreciation for the CMCF Catholic ministry. “…. (They) strive behind bars and razor wire to do things that are only discussed and dreamed of from the outside – to evangelize CMCF and build the kingdom of God.”

Although Jesus explicitly instructs his followers to visit those who are in prison (Matthew 25:36), it’s an often-overlooked ministry. It’s an especially important one in a state like Mississippi, which has an incarceration rate of 1,031 people per 100,000 residents, according to 2021 statistics from PrisonPolicy.org. That’s the second highest among U.S. states, and 55 percent higher than the national average.

Father Lincoln was joined on that July Saturday by Bob Pavolini, a volunteer with the Mississippi Association for Returning Citizens (MARC), a group that focuses on the re-entry of incarcerated individuals into society and that holds meetings at St. Paul Catholic Church in Flowood. A handful of other volunteers also assist in this ministry.

Father Lincoln notes the need for more volunteers and donations. Last year, they spent about $16,000 on the ministry – covering such various expenses as rosaries, Catechisms, Bibles, missalettes and books, as well as a golf cart used to distribute produce from the farmer’s market to the inmates. Individuals can donate specifically to the prison ministry through the Jackson’ Diocese’s online giving portal. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Father Lincoln at lincoln.dall@jackson.diocese.org.

“It’s uncomfortable at first and building relationships with the inmates is a slow-going process, but if you persist and you keep coming, eventually the guys bond with you and they open up and you realize they are just a normal human being who made a mistake at some point in their life,” Stevens said. “They’re not any different than you or I.”

Speaking about the growth of the Catholic community inside CMCF, the inmates rave about Father Lincoln and his sincerity and genuine passion for the ministry.

“I knew from the first time I met him that he really cared about the men here and his mission for God,” Michael said.

During his homily that Saturday afternoon, Father Lincoln referenced a quote he recently saw on the Internet, noting there are no perfect lives, jobs, marriages, parents, etc. We all have our struggles. But, Father Lincoln said, we have God who is perfect and will lead us through our imperfect lives with wisdom, strength and love.

“We all have our crosses,” Father Lincoln said. “I know you do. Our faith is here to help us through all of the struggles we have.”

Education, roof, bones mark Bishop’s tenure

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward

JACKSON – When Bishop Van de Velde arrived in Natchez on Dec. 18, 1853, he inherited a cathedral in debt and needing completion on top of repairs to what already was there.

In a letter to the Propagation of the Faith written on Jan. 2, 1854, Bishop Van de Velde describes the scene:

“When my venerable predecessor was nominated to the new Diocese of Natchez in 1841, he had not a Catholic church in this city. He had only one church and one priest in the whole extent of the diocese.

“The Catholics in general were poor and few in numbers, as they still are. He was forced to build a church here to serve as his Cathedral and he used all the money which he could obtain by gifts, subscriptions, contributions, collections, allotments, etc.

NATCHEZ – Bishop Van de Velde was buried in the crypt beneath the St. Mary Basilica sanctuary until 1874 when his remains were transferred by his Jesuit brothers to Florissant, Missouri. (Photos courtesy of St. Mary Basilica Archives/Mike Murphy)

“He contracted debts in building this church which he has left half-finished. There are walls, furniture and roof which already need to be renewed. The windows have been boarded up, leaving an opening in each one in which panes of glass have been placed.

“It is absolutely the appearance of a great barn, and it has been in this state since 1843.”

Archbishop Antoine Blanc of New Orleans gifted Bishop Van de Velde with around $2000. Adding that to a parish subscription, he was able to put a slate roof on the church and with some other funds collected locally and from the Propagation of the Faith was able to do some repairs.

As a diocese, Bishop Van de Velde maintained the 11 original parishes established by Bishop John Joseph Chanche at Natchez, Paulding, Biloxi, Jackson, Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, Vicksburg, Sulphur Springs (Camden), Pearlington, Port Gibson and Yazoo City. There were also a few dozen mission stations being attended to monthly around these locations.

During his tenure, the Bishop tried to develop Catholic education in his diocese. He invited the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet to staff a new mission and future school built at Sulphur Springs. Five Sisters journeyed down the Mississippi River to Vicksburg, where they were met by the Bishop. From there they travelled by stagecoach to Canton and on to Sulphur Springs.

Bones from the old Spanish burial ground located behind St. Mary Basilica rest under the sanctuary of the church.

There is an interesting event that occurred along the journey which reflects an undercurrent of anti-Catholic sentiments in the State. The stagecoach owner apparently was one who expressed these sentiments as a member of the Know-Nothing movement. Simply put, the Know-Nothings believed Catholics were conspiring to subvert civil and religious liberties in the United States.

During the ride, the man, who also was intoxicated, accused our Bishop of being a priest and spat tobacco in his face several times in front of the five Sisters. Bishop Van de Velde maintained his composure and temper blocking the spew with his hat. Finally, when the stage stopped to change horses near Canton, Bishop Van de Velde threw the man out of the coach.

Another major education initiative of Bishop Van de Velde’s was to establish a Jesuit College at Rose Hill near Natchez. But this was not to be due to a lack of qualified clergy available for the endeavor and, the Jesuits were unable to accept the Bishop’s proposal.

Overall, Bishop Van de Velde was a much-loved bishop among the clergy and laity. His efforts to grow Catholic educational opportunities in his diocese show his commitment to further the faith in the State.

Back in the city of Natchez, the Bishop briefly obtained possession of the old Spanish burial ground located behind the church. The grounds had become a playground for children and dogs, with bones being unearthed and scattered. The city had even used some of the ground containing bones to level city streets. Bishop Van de Velde had all the bones gathered into two boxes and interred them in a crypt under the sanctuary in the church, then built a high wall around the rest of the area to protect the remaining graves.

In the fall of 1855, Natchez and Mississippi were under another siege of Yellow Fever. Several of the Cathedral staff were ill with the disease and suffering in the rectory next to the church. On Oct. 23, the Bishop fell on the steps of the rectory while going out in the evening to close the front gate. He fractured his leg in two places. Those inside suffering from fever were unaware of his predicament, and the poor Bishop had to lie there until morning when passersby heard his moans.

Soon the Bishop himself had contracted Yellow Fever and suffered for several days in agony. His beloved flock would pass by his room and receive a blessing from him while the fever raged. Then on Nov. 13 in the middle of blessing a parishioner, he succumbed to the illness.

After his funeral Mass, he was buried in the crypt beneath the sanctuary until 1874 when his Jesuit brothers took his remains to Florissant, Missouri. The Jesuit cemetery was relocated in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2006. Similar to his predecessor, he has been buried three times.
Bless his heart. His prayerful desire to be a missionary priest led him along a circuitous path to frontier mission work. We are blessed by his short term here in our diocese.

A special thank you to the St. Mary Basilica Archives Committee, who provided photos for this article and facts from their web site: www.stmarybasilcaarchives.org.

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)

All are welcome

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By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.

“Todos, Todos, Todos” was Pope Francis’ heartfelt declaration during World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal earlier this month. This Spanish mantra states that all are welcome, the baptized especially, to come into the presence of God within the Catholic Church to know the transforming love of Jesus Christ.

Young and older, from nearly every nation on the planet were on hand to celebrate with the successor of Peter, the Servant of the Servants of our merciful God. What a marvelous manifestation of the church’s identity and mission in Lisbon, encapsulated as One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, the focus of our own pastoral reimagining. This universal vision for the church begun on the first Pentecost, actually began to emerge early in the Old Testament. However, it came to fulfillment in the life-giving death and resurrection of the Lord, and in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But the Cross reminds us that this vision of unity among all the nations in the church labors to run its course and requires repentance, conversion and sacrifice to overcome the sin that sows division.

Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.

The Canaanite woman of last Sunday’s Gospel is an excellent point of departure to look back into the wellspring of the Old Testament. Her unexpected and anguished plea to Jesus on behalf of her possessed daughter began with the greeting, “Lord, son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus was actually speechless for a moment over this pagan woman’s clear grasp of his identity. Respecting her courage and faith, he reminded her of the Israelite attitude and prejudice toward foreigners that “it is not right to take the food of the household and give it to the dogs.”

“But even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the master’s table” was the desperate woman’s retort. The Lord responded in awe over her faith, and in that instant this “unclean woman’s” daughter was healed. This is a fascinating encounter with the Lord that challenges us to go deeper in our knowledge and understanding of God’s will. The Old Testament holds this key.
The Book of Ruth is a parable, a narrative that confronted the harsh policies of the Israelites in the time of Ezra as they returned home from exile. (Ezra 10) Basically, Ezra was directing the Israelites to leave their foreign wives where they found them because they had been unfaithful to the Covenant.
In this mindset God does not want the blood of foreigners polluting the chosen people’s lineage. Really! Enter the Book of Ruth. It is an endearing story of a Moabite women, a pagan, who chose to return to the land of Israel with her Jewish mother-in-law, Naomi. Ruth’s words are forever enshrined in our biblical memory. “Wherever you go, I shall go. Wherever you live, I shall live. Your people shall be my people and your God, my God. Wherever you die, I wish to die, and so be buried beside you.” (Ruth 1:16-17) The hand of providence placed Ruth in the direct line of the story of salvation as the great-grandmother of King David from whose lineage came the Messiah, the Son of David. The seeds of universality were already sprouting even before King David sat on the throne of Israel.

There is nothing subtle or hidden about Isaiah’s prophecy in last Sunday’s first reading as he anticipates the Great Commission of the Lord at the end of Matthew’s Gospel. “My house will be a house of prayer for all the peoples.” (Isaiah 56:7) All who are righteous are invited to the banquet of God’s love. “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine – the best of meats and the finest of wines.” (25:6)

The story of the prophet Jonah is another masterpiece of God’s plan for universal salvation. His preaching prompted the citizens of Nineveh, from the King on down, to sincere repentance. As it turns out, Jonah deeply resented God’ action in granting mercy to the hated Assyrians who had destroyed the northern Kingdom of Israel. Too bad for Jonah. The prophet’s three days in the belly of the fish prefigured the Lord’s three days in the tomb and his resurrection from the dead, the final step in the plan of universal salvation. The letter to the Ephesians captures the essence of the Lord’s sacrifice.

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. And in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.” (Eph 2:13,16-17)

In our own time, we need to put to death hostility wherever it rears its ugly head and hear the call of the Gospel that rings true in the words of Pope Francis at World Youth Day. Todos, Todos, Todos. This, of course, is the great commission of the Lord “to make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19) one person, one family, one community, one nation at a time. With the invitation comes the call to repentance, conversion and change with the same attitude of Peter, the first pope, after Jesus had invited himself into his boat. Peter, overwhelmed by God’s grace with the enormous catch of fish exclaimed, “leave me Lord for I am a sinful man.” (Luke 5:8)

Our diocese is blessed with the faithful from many nations, a truly Catholic presence. In light of the above, we can say that a welcoming attitude, faith, prayer, compassion, repentance and conversion are ever-ancient and ever-new components on the journey of salvation. Even though our efforts may seem meager at times, now and then even a scrap that falls from the Master’s table is enough to start the feast.

Pope Francis signals that hundreds of thousands of young people are not loud enough after he asks them to repeat that there is space for everyone in the church. The pope’s remarks came at the World Youth Day welcome ceremony at Eduardo VII Park in Lisbon, Portugal, Aug. 3, 2023. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Called by name

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It is Back-to-School time for our seminarians! We have seven men studying for the diocese right now. This year is the first year of a new requirement for men studying to be priests.

The Bishops of the United States have put together a propaedeutic year – which is kind of like a year of basic training for new seminarians. The men in this propaedeutic program will focus less on the academic requirements of priestly formation and spend the year focusing on growing in the good habits that are necessary to be a good seminarian, and one day, a good priest. Focuses include building a stable life of prayer, building good friendships, working on some personal challenges based on one’s background and staying in good physical shape.

I don’t know about you, but I would welcome a year to focus on building up great habits and breaking down bad ones, so I pray that this is a blessed year for these men.

Our two new seminarians are taking part in the propaedeutic year. Wilson Locke (St. Paul Vicksburg) is a Starkville native who has spent the last three years as the youth director at St. Paul’s in Vicksburg. He is a convert to Catholicism and came into the church while at St. Joseph in Starkville. He is entering the propaedeutic program at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. Francisco Maldonado (Immaculate Heart of Mary, Greenwood) is a native of Houston, Texas, who just finished with his freshman year at Mississippi Valley State. After his year at Valley, Francisco decided to apply to the seminary and desires to discern whether he is called to our mission diocese.

We have five returning seminarians this coming year. Deacon Tristan Stovall (Holy Cross Philadelphia) is set to be ordained a priest on May 18, 2024, and he is currently at St. Mary in Natchez on his extended deacon assignment. John Le (St. Francis Brookhaven) just completed his hospital ministry summer and is returning to Sacred Heart Seminary in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. John has extensive formation experience as a Jesuit, so we are working on a schedule with him regarding how much ‘more school’ he’ll need. Will Foggo (St. Paul Flowood) is about ‘halfway done,’ as he enters his fourth year of formation in the seminary. EJ Martin and Grayson Foley (St. Richard Jackson) are both five years away from ordination. (God willing of course!)

Ryan Stoer (St. Richard Jackson) has decided to transfer to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. I’ve worked closely with Ryan on this decision, and while I am certainly sad to see him go, Santa Fe is getting a high-quality seminarian and future priest. One of the toughest parts of this job is being ‘detached,’ and open to the Lord’s will and not just our own needs. I ask that we all pray for Ryan and wish him all the best and that God’s will be done!

We certainly wish all of our seminarians the very best this school year. Please keep them all in prayer!

                                     – Father Nick Adam, vocation director

For more info on vocations email: nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.
Save the date: Homegrown Harvest – Saturday, Oct. 21