DECEMBER 6, 2024
mississippicatholic.com
Holy Family School marks 75 years of faith, education and service BY LAURA GRISHAM
Drawing on the words of St. Paul, the Bishop celebrated the HOLLY SPRINGS – Holy Famgifts of teaching, prophecy and ily School recently celebrated its service in the community of faith. 75th anniversary with a three-day He also tied the celebration to the event filled with faith, fellowship upcoming Jubilee Year of Hope, and festivities. The school, a cordeclared by Pope Francis for 2025. nerstone of Catholic education in “Rejoice in hope, persevere in afthe region, has evolved from its fliction, and be faithful in prayer,” beginnings as St. Mary’s School in he urged attendees, calling the 1948 to Cadet in 1969, and finally milestone a testament to faith and Holy Family in 1994. resilience. The celebration began with a The festivities reflected the special Mass led by Bishop Joseph vibrancy of Holy Family’s legaKopacz. He was joined by SCJ Facy. Alumni traveled from as far thers Jack Kurps, Vien Nguyen, as Alaska, Michigan and Illinois David Szatkowski and Guy Blair to reconnect and reminisce. St. as co-celebrants. The Mass, enMary’s School alumni gathered to hanced by the angelic voices of St. sing their school song, “The Bells Mary’s choir, set a reverent tone of St. Mary’s,” rekindling fond for the festive weekend. memories. Bishop Kopacz’s homily highHOLLY SPRINGS – Several staff members were honored at the 75th anniversary Despite the dreary weather, lighted the school’s journey and celebration was attended by Holy the enduring contributions of its celebration at Holy Family School on Saturday, Nov. 9. (Photo by Laura Grisham) Family students and parents, educators. “For 75 years, teachers, school alumni and people from administrators and community leaders at Holy Family School have embodied the mind and heart of Christ, serv- across the Marshall County community. Throughout the weekend, participants ing as beacons of hope and faith for students and families,” he said.
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With synod in mind, US bishops focus on advancing core mission priorities BY PETER JESSERER SMITH
BALTIMORE (OSV News) – The U.S. bishops’ annual fall assembly in Baltimore saw the shepherds of the Catholic Church in this country make intentional steps toward integrating their work with the synodal missionary style called for by the global church’s recently concluded Synod on Synodality. At the outset of the Nov. 11-14 plenary assembly, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, delivered a
homily in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – “the mother church of the synodal activity of the hierarchy in this country” – where he called upon the bishops to beg for wisdom “because we recognize that we are servants of the truth and charged to find ways to help those entrusted to our care.” At the opening public session, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the papal ambassador to the U.S., told the bishops that Pope Francis’ recent encyclical “Dilexit Nos,” on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is a call to “return to the heart” of Jesus – and key to understanding the church’s call to synodal evangelization, Eucharistic revival and the upcoming Jubilee 2025. “The deeper we go into his heart, the more strengthened we will be to proclaim the Good News together,” he said Nov. 12. Over the course of the assembly’s Nov. 12 and 13
public sessions, the bishops voted to approve a new “mission directive” for 2025-2028, which commits USCCB committees and staff to prioritize in their work “evangelizing those who are religiously unaffiliated or disaffiliated from the church, with special focus on young adults and the youth.” Regarding the global synod that concluded in October, a majority of the U.S. bishops in a voice vote Nov. 12 called for the USCCB’s Committee on Priorities and Plans to discern developing a task force to help the conference and dioceses implement the final synod document approved by Pope Francis. Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, who has led the USCCB’s involvement in the synod process, briefed the bishops on the synod’s October meeting. He said that more theological work needs
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Canonization dates 7 Acutis and Frassati canonization dates set in 2025
From the Archives Legacy of Bishop R. O. Gerow
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Youth 14 Youth photos from around the diocese