Sacred Heart Southern Missions breaks ground on volunteer house

Posted on February 21, 2017 by Maureen Smith

By Laura Grisham
HOLLY SPRINGS – Wednesday, Jan. 25, will be remembered as an important day for Sacred Heart Southern Missions (SHSM) and Northwest Mississippi. It was on this day that the groundbreaking for the Father Gregory Bezy Volunteer House in Holly Springs took place. Bishop Joseph Kopacz, bishop of the Diocese of Jackson, and Holly Springs Mayor Kelvin Buck were among those participating in the ceremony, which had originally been planned for earlier in the month, but was rescheduled due to ice and snow.
The Father Gregory Bezy Volunteer House will play an important role by housing caring people who travel to northeast Mississippi from near and far to help others.

HOLLY SPRINGS – Bishop Joseph Kopacz blesses the site of what will become a volunteer house in Holly Springs for groups who come to work with Sacred Heart Southern Missions. (Photo by Laura Grisham)

Each year, Sacred Heart Southern Missions hosts hundreds of volunteers from all across the country. Last year, that total exceeded 1,400 people, many of them high school and college students wanting to make a difference in the lives of the poor.
They offer a variety of service, everything from manual labor to works of mercy. Projects include work in home repair, helping distribute food for the food bank, tutoring or helping with summer programs for teens and kids. Often, volunteers find that those whom they have helped have made a difference in their lives as well.
“In volunteering, they find that they, too, have been changed,” said Father Jack Kurps, SHSM executive director. “Their hearts have been changed by their experience. They learn what it means to be a Christian.”
The new facility will have the space to house 32 volunteers. Project completion is expected by fall. It is named after Father Gregory Bezy, SCJ, who came to Mississippi in 1952 and served as the director for Sacred Heart Southern Missions for more than 30 years. Father Bezy was instrumental in establishing several churches here in northern Mississippi, expanding schools, and initiating many of our social outreach programs.
“He touched the lives of many in Mississippi and across the nation,” said Father Krups.
The advent of this new facility will provide much needed accommodations for our ever-increasing volunteer base. It will also afford us the opportunity to complete more projects for those in need through the additional sets of willing hands.
(Story reprinted with permission from Sacred Heart Southern Missions’ newsletter.)

Mass, meal and history lesson converge at Christ the King anniversary

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Mississippi Catholic

Bishop Joseph Kopacz celebrated Mass for the 50th anniversary of Christ the King Parish.

By Laura Grisham

SOUTHAVEN – On Saturday, Nov. 26, the feast of Christ the King, the parish of the same name celebrated its 50th anniversary. Christ the King is one of several parishes in the northern part of the Diocese of Jackson served by the Priests of the Sacred Heart as part of Sacred Heart Southern Missions.
Bishop Joseph Kopacz celebrated a Mass along with Father Ed Kilianski, CSJ, provincial superior for the U.S. province for the Priests of the Sacred Heart and many of the Sacred Heart priests who have served the parish.
After Mass, parishioners enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal featuring their own dishes as well as 21 turkeys prepared by Father Thi Pham, SCJ, moderator of the community.
Christ the King was established March 13, 1966, as a mission of Sacred Heart Church. Seventeen Catholics from Horn Lake and Southaven gathered with Father Michael Maloney to celebrate a Mass at Dealers Auto Sales, a car auction barn. Each weekend, parishioners moved the cars out of the barn before Mass.
Construction on the first parish church started in 1969. The first Mass was celebrated in July and the church was dedicated in October. The parish has only grown since then. The parish started on the current structure in 2002. Christ the King is the largest parish in the diocese, according to the 2016 Status Animarum, an annual census of the diocese. The pastoral team includes Fathers Pham, Zbgniew Morawiec and Greg Schill, all SCJ.
(This story was reprinted with permission from the newsletter for Sacred Heart Southern Missions, From the Heart.)

A young member of Christ the King looks at the history display at Christ the King’s anniversary celebration.

Bishop Joseph Kopacz posed with Hispanic dancers after he celebrated Mass for the 50th anniversary of Christ the King Parish.

Bishop Joseph Kopacz celebrated Mass for the 50th anniversary of Christ the King Parish.

SOUTHAVEN – Christ the King members gathered for a feast after the Mass.

SHSM hosts international educational mission convention

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Maureen Smith

Holly Springs Holy Family Principal Clara Isom leads the choir of educators throughout the conference. Holy Family students also participated in the event.

By Laura Grisham
SOUTHAVEN – Mission Education. Every few years a contingency from the U.S. Province of the Priests of the Sacred Heart (SCJ) and their affiliated organizations gather to learn about Father Leo John Dehon, founder of the Priests of the Sacred Heart, as well as the congregation that carries on his ministries. This October, Sacred Heart Southern Missions (SHSM) hosted the eighth such gathering of the SCJs. The two-day conference was the second one held here in North Mississippi.
The time and talent exerted in putting the event together did not hold a candle to the spiritual treasure and fellowship received by all who attended.
Titled “Mission in Mercy,” the conference was infused with music and prayer — a celebration of God’s mercy and the opportunity to extend that mercy to others through all of our various missions and daily tasks.
On Monday, Sacred Heart School welcomed attendees. The activities began with the voices of the ‘educators’ choir, lead by Holy Family School principal Clara Isom. Among their musical selections, the group sang “Who Will Speak?” encouraging audience participation and setting the tone for the conference.
Father Jack Kurps, SCJ, greeted the crowd, visually introduced the contingents from all corners of the country and in doing so, showed our solidarity – united in our common mission of mercy. With so many facets, one might think it a “Mission Impossible,” but in a clever video production, Father Kurps showed that our mission is possible, relevant and much needed, especially today. The superior general of the congregation, Father Heiner Wilmer, SCJ, who also appeared via video, echoed Father Jack’s sentiments.
“An Interview with Father Dehon,” provided a look back to the challenges he faced more than a century ago. It was a clever presentation involving a reporter, Province Communications Director Mary Gorski, and Father Dehon, played by Dave Schimmel, province director of Dehonian Associates, helped participants gain an understanding of his work.

Father Quang Nguyen, SCJ,spoke of the economics of proverty. He demonstrated the gripping realities that so many in the country face every day.

Father Quang Nguyen, SCJ, spoke of the economics of poverty while SHSM’s director of programs, Shakebra Young, made the numbers personal as she shared her own struggles of poverty here in the Mississippi Delta. Both demonstrated the gripping realities that so many in our country face every day.
Ekpe, a local entertainer, and his band, told the story of “From Africa to Beale Street.” This performance highlighted a rich legacy of music. Ekpe moved the audience and had them on their feet.
Sister Cathy Bertrand, SSND, a member of the SHSM board of directors, facilitated several panel discussions about Mercy In Action throughout the conference. The discussions brought members from the various service aspects of SHSM and other SCJ affiliated organizations to the table to share how they perceive their role of mercy in their particular area or ministry.
Bishop Joseph Kopacz, bishop for the Diocese of Jackson, and Mary Woodward, diocesan chancellor, also addressed the gathering, speaking about the Church and its challenges in Mississippi. The largest diocese east of the Mississippi River, it encompasses some of the poorest areas of the nation. He lauded the contributions and accomplishments of Sacred Heart Southern Missions and the SCJs in caring physically and spiritually for those living in the northwestern counties of the diocese.
Bishop Kopacz was also the main celebrant at Mass on Monday afternoon at Holy Spirit Church in Hernando. A traditional southern barbecue dinner was served immediately following with a performance by local blues artists Sean “Bad Apple” Appel and Stud Ford to close the day.
Tuesday morning attendees were bused to Holly Springs to continue the conference at Holy Family School.
The day began with praise and thanksgiving. Isom and the ‘educators choir’ mesmerized the audience, singing ‘Jesus Love and Mercy’ and “I Feel Like Traveling Home.” Images from the Heart of Christ, narrated by Dave Schimmel, also gave participants an opportunity to reflect on how they saw and related to Jesus in the Sacred Heart. Holy Family students presented a “Live Wax Museum” of African American inventors, surprising many with their knowledge of historical facts.

Music and dancing was part of the event. A performance by local blues artists Sean “Bad Apple” Appel and Stud Ford closed the day.

Panel discussions continued, facilitated by Sister Bertrand, and were sprinkled with opportunities for table and room discussions by all in attendance before and after lunch. And speaking of lunch, there was not a soul present that did not have rave reviews for the traditional “Thanksgiving” dinner, cooked by the fine members of Strawberry Baptist Church.
The conference began as it ended, in song. Mercy in Mission.
(Reprinted with permission from SHSM’s newsletter. )

Sacred Heart Southern Missions honored for food ministry

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Mississippi Catholic

By Laura Grisham
SOUTHAVEN – For all of its efforts of food distribution, including its pantries, holiday food baskets and mobile pantry distributions, Sacred Heart Southern Missions was recognized last month with the prestigious “Feed the Need Agency of the Year Award” at the Mid-South Food Bank’s 2016 Agency Conference.
According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study, the food insecurity rate in DeSoto County is 15 percent. The child food insecurity rate is even greater, as 20 percent of DeSoto County’s children are unsure if they will have enough nutritious food to eat. Compared to other counties in our service area, however, DeSoto County has it better. The percentage of those who are food insecure hovers between 25 and 29 percent in Marshall, Tate and Benton counties, and reaches a staggering 33 percent in Tunica County.
Statistically, 39,890 people in the area (14,640 of whom are children) struggle to keep food on the table. These deficiencies illustrate the importance of the food ministries at Sacred Heart Southern Missions.
SHSM tallied more than 304 tons of food this past calendar year. This is 48 tons more than last year and nearly double that of three years ago. The efforts of the Garden Café are also noteworthy as the twice-weekly kitchen served 11,800 hot, nutritious meals during the last fiscal year.

SHSM welcomes summer volunteers

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Mississippi Catholic

By Laura Grisham
SOUTHAVEN – Summer is finally here! School is out, much to the relief of teachers and students alike. Vacations are at the top of the list, but in addition to planning for beach or mountain getaways, many people have decided to spend a time in the Mississippi Delta with Sacred Heart Southern Missions’ (SHSM) Volunteer Program.
Local and long distance guests have rolled up their sleeves over the past few weeks to lend a hand on a number of rehab projects. The amount of work that has been accomplished is phenomenal.

Sadie Dixon helps her father Paul Dixon build a wheelchair ramp. The whole family does summer service.

The Dixon family, who attend Olive Branch Queen of Peace Parish, is no stranger to SHSM. Earlier in the spring, Crystal, Paul and their four youngest children, helped plant seedlings at the Garden Cafe in Holly Springs. Cafe guests were able to see and eat the fruits of their labor, as the first eight bell peppers were harvested in June. Soon, squash, peppers, carrots, beans, cantaloupes, and tomatoes will all be on the menu!
Itching to get their hands dirty again, the Dixons helped construct wheelchair ramps for two of our clients and have plans to work on roofing, plumbing, painting and sheetrock projects in the upcoming weeks. Crystal said that it was a real blessing to work with SHSM and was pleased to be able to enrich the family with a service experience. “We were looking for an opportunity for the family to work together. I made lots of calls and many were accepting of us adults, but thought the children would get in the way,” said Dixon. “Sacred Heart welcomed all of us with open arms.”
In addition to families, SHSM has been blessed with the youth of the six parishes in the region contributing time and talent to many projects. In mid-June, 20 young men, along with a handful of chaperones, made a decided difference at three client homes, the Garden Cafe and Dehon Village.

Nine-year-old Jake Dixon works on a wheelchair ramp with his family.

From painting and sheetrock to plumbing and cooking, these teens got a real workout, but also benefited from the service experience. Ryan Harra of Queen of Peace Parish said he was surprised that there were so many people in need so close to home. Another commented how he took ‘the little things’ for granted until he saw how little others had.
First time retreat participant and Eagle Scout Lyndon Meng, put part of the scouting oath into action. The oath reads: “Many people need help. A cheery smile and a helping hand make life easier for others. By doing a Good Turn daily and helping when you’re needed, you prove yourself a Scout and do your part to make this a better world.”
But it was not all work and no play for the retreat participants. Evening respites of bowling, swimming and a cookout rejuvenated the young men for the week’s work. The experience for them culminated with the June 12 feast of the Sacred Heart Mass and celebration at Christ the King—a fitting end to a week of service.

A volunteer for Sacred Heart Southern Missions paints a home in North Mississippi.

The next week girls from the same parishes made a service retreat and picked up where the boys had left off, completing several projects, including new plumbing for one client as well as paint and repair work on several homes.
A group from Chicago to Memphis of more than a dozen high school students from the St. Ignatius Seniors Rising program and chaperones made their annual trek. They made much needed repairs to rotted areas of exterior wood and added two good coats of paint to two homes.
Holly is a 68-year-old veteran chaperone for St. Ignatius and has been volunteering for their “summer immersion” for the past 17 years. Despite her family’s request to slow down, she is determined to continue until age 70, when she plans to ask her family to join her on the volunteer trip as their “birthday present” to her.
Another volunteer, 17-year-old Jack, perched atop a ladder slathering paint on carport trim, stated it was his first time with the group. He said he had enjoyed his time so far and was pleased that he had been able to meet the elderly lady for whom he invested his time.
Just north at another client site, Isabel was fighting wasps and heavy humidity as she coated a window sash with paint. Her group repaired and re-glazed all of the windows and tackled an all-wood exterior thirsty for a good coat of paint at an early 1930s home north of Red Banks. Isabel shared that this particular day was her favorite, as the group was able to bring a project to fruition. “Being able to see how your work helps people is so

Young women from the parishes in the Sacred Heart Southern Missions area spent a week doing service in their community. (Photos courtesy of Laura Grisham)

rewarding, and is the Jesuit way,” she said. (St. Ignatius was the first Superior General of the Jesuit order of religious. Part of Jesuit formation is the undertaking of service specifically to the poor and sick in the most humble ways.)
These are just some of the volunteers that have made a difference recently. Anyone interested in participating in the volunteer program should contact Laura Grisham at lgrisham@shsm.org or 662-342-3316
(Reprinted with permission from the Sacred Heart Southern Missions June 18 newsletter.)

Little sister, Sadie, age 3, wanted to get in on the action too.
SHSM’s Lee Smith (left) and volunteer Paul Dixon (right) pause with homeowner “Henry” to show him the progress on his new wheelchair ramp.

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