mississippicatholic.com
APRIL 21, 2023
Synod's 'messy,' 'joyful' North American phase concludes with call to mission, moves to Rome By Gina Christian
CELAM, given its long partnership with that conference.) The North American synod team ment for the North American phase – consisting of eight bishops, three of the 2021-2024 Synod on Synodality laywomen, two priests, two laymen was released April 12, capturing a and two women religious – spent time process of dialogue and discernment in prayer, silence and discussion to that two participants described as distill responses for inclusion in the 'messy,' 'joyful' and unifying – like the text, which forms a response to the synod itself. Document for the Continental Stage "It's amazing what comes about issued by the Holy See’s General Secwhen ... you invoke the Holy Spirit in retariat for the Synod of Bishops in the conversation," Julia McStravog, a October 2022. theologian and co-coordinator of the The final document for the conNorth American team for the synod's tinental stage from North America, continental phase, told OSV News. along with the contributions of the "The synodal approach provoked six other continental assemblies, will a genuine appreciation and joyfulform the basis of the "Instrumentum ness on the part of the people of God Laboris," the global synod's working to be able to engage in conversation, document, to be released by the Geneven if they were talking about diferal Secretariat in June. ficult issues," team co-coordinator Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Richard Coll told OSV News. Coll also serves as executive director of Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez joins college students, other young adults Brownsville, Texas, chairman of the the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bish- and ministry leaders during a synodal listening session at La Salle University April 4, USCCB Committee on Doctrine, who leads the North American team with ops' Department of Justice, Peace 2022. (OSV News photo/CNS file, Sarah Webb, CatholicPhilly.com) Canadian Bishop Raymond Poisson and Human Development. of Saint-Jérôme-Mont-Laurier, QueLed by Catholic bishops from Canproducing a 36-page final document available for downbec, presented the document at the Vatican April 12. ada and the United States, McStravog, Coll and their fel- load at usccb.org/synod. (According to the USCCB, the low team members have now synthesized the results of Catholic Church in Mexico is participating in the global – Continued on page 6 – synod listening sessions throughout the two countries, synod with the Latin American Episcopal Council, or
(OSV News) – The final docu-
Men's Holy Week prayer breakfast at St. Richard builds on decades of tradition By Joe Lee
“The presiding bishop has always been the Holy Week speaker since I’ve been JACKSON – For Anthony Thomas and the guys who put on the annual St. Rich- in charge of the speakers, which goes back to the mid-1980s,” Thomas said. “I think ard men’s prayer breakfast on the Monday of Holy Week, an especially start to the anybody you talk to who attends enjoys the fellowship as much as the message, but day carries on a tradition that’s in its seventh decade. It’s the opportunity to see we don’t ever want to book a speaker and then have a small crowd. We enjoy Bishop old friends, make new ones, and grow in their faith Kopacz, and there’s always a good turnout for him. We had a nice group this morning.” together that keeps these men coming back. “For me to be here as bishop, with the privileged position to be able to go to Ire“I moved to the parish in 1974 and got involved in the breakfast the following year,” Thomas said after land, represent the diocese, visit these retired priests and offer a word of thanks and a group of over 40 enjoyed a tasty, balanced meal of affirmation, that’s a beautiful thing,” Bishop Kopacz said. “And to come back and pancakes, sausage, fresh fruit, orange juice and cof- share the experience with (the breakfast attendees) gives them a perspective and fee in Foley Hall. “We’ve had only four chefs over the years: Joe Daschbach, Jay – Continued on page 6 – Potter, David Evers and INSIDE THIS WEEK Mike Prince, who’s doing it now. We’re fortunate to have had people who can cook that know what they’re doing.” Bishop Joseph KoAnthony Thomas pacz, who celebrated a pre-dawn Mass while Thomas and his team of volunteers were next door preparing the meal, also spoke at the breakfast and described his recent pastoral trip to Ireland, a journey that included visits with In memoriam 4 Youth photos 14 Service 7 retired Irish priests who pastored in the Diocese of Sr. Bernadette McNamara Youth activities from Parishes aid Rolling Fork Jackson and family members of deceased priests who & Sr. Helen Strohman around the diocese pastored here. after tornadoes