OCTOBER 25, 2024
mississippicatholic.com
Synod leaders share lessons learned in listening with U.S. students By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The listening that has been part of the Synod of Bishops changes people, can change the Catholic Church and can change the world for the better, four synod members told U.S. university students in Rome. “The person with a different opinion is not an enemy,” Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, the relator general of the synod, told about 140 students gathered Oct. 18 in the Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall at the tables used by synod members. The students, from 16 Catholic universities in the United States – along with a small group of young adults from Germany, Austria and Switzerland – had spent a week in Rome studying synodality and had questions for synod leaders. The questions included: whether the listening sessions held at the beginning of the synod process reached enough people; why young people who are not involved in the church should care; how they could guarantee that the synod’s outcomes would be faithful to the teaching and tradition of the Catholic Church; and would the synod really change anything. Maltese Cardinal Mario Grech, general secretary of the synod, told the students that “it aches me” when people say the listening sessions reached only
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Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, center, speaks to the artist who made a mosaic with thoughts about the Synod of Bishops and prayers for the synod written by U.S. university students as Cardinal Mario Grech, kneeling, adds his prayer to the mosaic in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican Oct. 18, 2024. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)
Centennial of faith: Our Lady of Victories journey By Joanna Puddister King
CLEVELAND – In 1924, a tiny church building and three-room rectory were built on a lot in Cleveland near the railroad tracks. When it rained in the Delta, the tiny church was described as looking “like it is standing in the middle of a sea,” by accounts from Bishop R.O. Gerow in his diaries. Father Victor Rotondo, pastor in 1924, stated in accounts that the church had no electricity and had to use small birthday candles for light. Today, Our Lady of Victories Church has grown immensely from its humble beginnings 100 years ago, moving to its final location on the west side of Cleveland in 1976 and with beautiful renovations that took place in 2020-2021. Parishioners celebrated the 100th anniversary of Our Lady of Victories on Sunday, Oct. 6 with a special Mass with Bishop Joseph Kopacz and Father Kent Bowlds, pastor. Families celebrating the mile-
stone traveled from near and far to reminisce over past parish events and sharing memories of past pastors, including Msgr. Michael Flannery and Father Charles Bucciantini, both present at the celebration. Bishop Kopacz delivered a homily at the 100th anniversary event commemorating Our Lady of Victories milestone, summing up the rich history of the parish: “The image of the Lord embracing and blessing the child, and his words demanding conversion of mind and heart to grow in God’s image and likeness describe much of what has taken place at Our Lady of Victories for a century. To welcome, to bless, to forgive in the name of our Lord as his body is the work of the church. “After reading the history of the parish from many perspectives from the binder that Father Kent sent to my office, possibly the first time that I have ever received such a corpus in anticipation of a milestone anniversary, I have a much deeper appreciation for the name of the parish – Our Lady of Victories. I enjoyed the narrative, page by page.
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Homegrown Harvest 4 Photos from annual seminarian fundraiser event
Movie Reviews 8 Reviews of “Conclave” and “White Bird”
Youth 14 Youth photos from schools and around the diocese