APRIL 17, 2026
mississippicatholic.com
Flowers, faith and the “Divine Dance” bring Easter vision to life at St. Paul parish BY JOANNA PUDDISTER KING
FLOWOOD – A life-size bride dressed in handmade flowers greeted parishioners at St. Paul Church this Easter, her gown a delicate arrangement of soap petals crafted by members of the parish just weeks before. Inside the church, those same flowers adorned the altar, the result of a daylong, bridal-themed workshop that invited participants to reflect on the Church as the Bride of Christ and her call into the “Divine Dance.” More than 100 parishioners gathered March 14 for the Easter soap flower workshop led by Amber Earles, owner of A’Marie’s Bath Flower Shop, along with Cecilia Carlton, director of liturgy at St. Paul, and parishioner Pam Harkins. Guests of all ages filled tables, shaping delicate soap petals into flowers that would become part of the parish’s Easter environment. FLOWOOD – Handmade soap flowers created by parishioners at St. Paul Catholic The event blended creativity, Church decorate the Easter altar, part of a parish workshop reflecting on the Church as catechesis and celebration, with each element of the bridal theme the Bride of Christ and the “Divine Dance.” (Photo by Amber Earles)
pointing to a deeper spiritual meaning. “We’ve worked on this for a year, just letting things come to us from the Holy Spirit,” Earles said. “It wasn’t forced – it just unfolded, like the flowers.” Earles, a St. Paul parishioner, began her business more than a decade ago after creating a bouquet of soap flowers for her hospitalized mother-in-law. When her mother-in-law hesitated to use them because they were “too pretty,” Earles developed a petal-by-petal design that could be enjoyed both visually and practically. While her handcrafted flowers are now shipped nationwide, Earles said opportunities like the parish workshop remain central to her mission. “This is why I do what I do,” she said. “Yes, I work to live, but this – seeing people come together, creating and finding joy – this is the purpose behind it.”
– Continued on page 6 –
Diocese explores future campaign through feasibility study BY JOANNA PUDDISTER KING
JACKSON – The Diocese of Jackson has entered an important period of listening and discernment as it explores the possibility of a future diocesan-wide capital campaign. This effort, known as a feasibility study, is being led by the Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Jackson and is designed to gather input from clergy, parish leaders and parishioners across the diocese.
A feasibility study is a critical first step in determining whether a campaign is both needed and achievable. It allows diocesan leadership to better understand the needs, hopes and priorities of the faithful before making any decisions. Rather than beginning with assumptions, the diocese is committed to ensuring that any future campaign reflects the real needs of parishes, ministries and the broader Church. “This is first and foremost a listening process,” said Rebecca Harris, executive director of the Catholic Foundation. “We want to hear what matters most to our parishioners and how we can best support the mission entrusted to us as a diocese.”
Bishop Joseph Kopacz also emphasized the importance of participation in a recent letter to parishioners: “I write to you with gratitude and hope as our diocese enters a time of prayerful listening and discernment … Your voice is essential in this process.” His invitation underscores the central goal of the study which is to ensure that every voice has the opportunity to be heard. The feasibility study will explore several key areas, including support for parish needs, a retired priest endowment, parish endowments, and the Bishop Houck Lay Leader Center endowment. Another component of the campaign being tested is seminari-
– Continued on page 6 –
INSIDE THIS WEEK FOLLOW US
@jacksondiocese DIGITAL EDITION Text MSCATHOLIC to 84576
Meet the artist 7 Brother has 47 paintings supporting Sr. Thea’s cause
From the archives 10 Long lost paintings returned to diocese archives
Youth 13 DCYC 2026 provides opportunity to “Rise Up”