AUGUST 22, 2025
mississippicatholic.com
A Future Filled with Hope: St. Richard begins new era at Meadowbrook campus BY JOANNA PUDDISTER KING
JACKSON – St. Richard Catholic School officially dedicated its new campus on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, marking a milestone in the school’s mission to provide faith-filled education for future generations. Founded in 1953, St. Richard has been a cornerstone of Catholic education in Jackson for more than 70 years. Generations of families have walked its halls, building a legacy of academic excellence, faith formation and community that continues to shape the city today. Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz blessed the campus during a dedication ceremony, joined by faculty, students, alumni and parishioners. The renovations include upgraded classrooms, new technology, the Father Brian Kaskie Memorial Chapel and spaces designed to meet the needs of the whole child. “This is an important moment for Catholic education in our diocese,” Bishop Kopacz said. “My hope is that this new campus will help our students grow as disciples and serve as a visible witness to the Catholic faith in the Jackson community.” The project began in 2023 when an unexpected opportunity arose – the nearby Meadowbrook Church of Christ property – just off I-55 on Frontage Road, near St. Andrew’s Episcopal Lower Elementary – became available. Recognizing how the site could meet both current needs and future growth, St. Richard parish and school launched the A Future Filled with Hope capital campaign and purchased the campus. Over the past year, the site has been transformed into a state-of-the-art
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JACKSON – With a joyful cheer, Eve Walsh raises the scissors in triumph after cutting the ribbon for St. Richard School’s new Meadowbrook campus on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025. Sharing in the moment are (from left) Gerald Beard, project manager; Father Joe Tonos, pastor of St. Richard Parish; Bishop Joseph Kopacz; Eve Walsh; Joni House, incoming executive director of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Jackson; and Russ Nelson, principal. (Photo by Joanna Puddister King)
Pope Leo’s first 100 days: Leaning into his new role BY CINDY WOODEN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Stories about “the first 100 days” are standard fare at the beginning of a U.S. president’s four-year term; the articles usually focus on how much the new president was able to accomplish and how quickly. But a pope is elected for life and without having promised voters anything or having presented a platform. Pope Leo XIV was
elected May 8, making Aug. 16 the 100th day since he stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as pope. He will celebrate his 70th birthday Sept. 14. While the first 100 days of a pontificate may hint at what is to come, the initial period of Pope Leo’s ministry as the successor of Peter and bishop of Rome seemed mostly about him getting used to the role, the crowds and the protocol. According to canon law, the pope “possesses supreme, full, immediate and universal ordinary power in the church, which he is always able to exercise freely.” In other words, he could have issued a slew of the canonical equivalent of executive orders in his first
days in office. Instead, he lived up to his reputation as a person who listens before deciding – holding a meeting with the College of Cardinals and individual meetings with the heads of Vatican offices. Like his predecessors, Pope Leo confirmed the heads of Curia offices on a temporary basis a few days after his election. Some major nominations are expected in September or early October, starting with his own replacement as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops. His choices for members of his team, and whether he decides to have an international Council of Cardinals to advise him will send signals not only about what he wants to do but also how he wants to
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In memoriam 4 Father Sam Messina, 60 years a priest, dies at 86
Back-to-School Section Highlights and photos from our Catholic schools
From the archives 10 Woodward explores memories from Hurricane Katrina