APRIL 7, 2023
mississippicatholic.com
'Pray for God's hand' over Mississippi: destructive tornado kills, injures dozens BY MARIA-PIA NEGRO CHIN, GINA CHRISTIAN
tended his prayers and encouraged Catholics to support all communities affected by this tragic event. "We join in prayer for all those affected by the storms that crossed our state," he said in a statement posted on the diocesan website March 25. During his Angelus, Pope Francis also prayed for the victims of the deadly weather and the people recovering from the loss of life and devastating destruction, according to Vatican News. "We pray also for the victims of the terrible tornado that struck Mississippi in the United States," the pope said at the end of his Angelus prayer on March 26. Early Sunday morning, President Joe Biden ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected, due to the major disaster in Mississippi. According to the White House disaster declaration, funding would be available to aid people in the counties An aerial view of the aftermath of a tornado, in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, U.S. March of Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, and Sharkey, and it can include grants for 25, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a video. Dozens are dead or injured after temporary houses and home repairs,
(OSV News) – Powerful tornadoes tore through rural Mississippi the night of Friday, March 24, killing or injuring dozens and causing widespread destruction. By Saturday night, an update from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) reported the death toll had risen to 25 and dozens of others were injured; four persons reported missing are accounted for. Multiple state agencies and partners have been working together to help in response and recovery efforts. News reports said that search and recovery crews continue to dig through destroyed homes and buildings on Sunday. Updated reports have the death toll from the storms as 21. "The loss will be felt in these towns forever," Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a Twitter post on Saturday. "Please pray for God's hand to be over all who lost family and friends." Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz of the a least one powerful tornado tore through rural Mississippi on March 24. (OSV News Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, ex- photo/SevereStudios.com, Jordan Hall via Reuters)
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Annual Bishop's Ball celebrates Catholic Charites 60th anniversary BY JOE LEE
MADISON – Let this sink in: the majority of those served by Catholic Charities are not Catholic. If that comes as a surprise, consider the organization’s mission, which is to be a visible sign of Christ’s love by helping those who are unable to help themselves; the poor and vulnerable, especially children, women and families. As final preparations are being made for the annual Bishop’s Ball – which will celebrate Catholic Charities’ 60th anniversary – executive director Wanda Thomas and her team are hard at work assisting the many victims of the March 24 tornado, an EF-4 that was on the ground nearly an hour and took the lives of 21 people in Rolling Fork and Silver City. There’s also significant damage in Amory. “We are responsible for responding to any individuals in need within the 65 counties covered by the Diocese of Jackson,” Thomas said. “We have outlying offices and programs within the metro Jackson area as well as Raymond, Natchez and Vardaman. We are in the process of starting a new program in Greenwood.” Those services include adoption and therapeutic foster care, domestic violence emergency shelters, the Born Free/New Beginnings residential substance abuse treatment for mothers, unaccompanied refugee minor group homes, and community-oriented, homebased services for youth at risk of needing psychiatric residential treatment. There’s also Healing Hearts outpatient mental health clinic, disaster services, support services for veterans and families, kinship navigation services to
prevent youth from needing foster care placement, rape crisis and sexual assault, emergency assistance, afterschool tutoring and a summer camp program. “A lot of the work is behind the scenes, done discreetly and confidentially, but with great devotion,” said Bishop Joseph Kopacz. “This ministry is a vital part of the work and the mission of the Diocese of Jackson. It really goes to the margins, to the most vulnerable in our communities. It’s what the Gospel is all about, and what Pope Francis speaks about. We reach out to people who will never know us, and never be able to repay us.” If you’re new to the area and haven’t attended the Bishop’s Ball before, it’s a wonderful opportunity to hear more about an organization that could definitely
use your assistance right now. The annual event is also great fun, based on a track record of many generous donors returning again and again. “When I entered the building (for the first time), I began working on the Bishop’s Ball,” said Marsha Burton, senior engagement and major gifts officer with Catholic Charities and a new addition to the team. “The live music this year will be a jazz band to set the mood of quaint and classy. We hired a decorator who will decorate around a diamond theme; the 60th anniversary is a diamond celebration. “The teamwork from within the agency here is outstanding. This year’s Bishop’s Ball Samaritan Award is being presented to St. Dominic Comprehensive Cancer Center for the compassionate patient care they provid-
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INSIDE THIS WEEK
In memoriam 7 Bishop Cheri of New Orleans & Msgr. Joseph Mercier
Sr. Thea Celebration 13 Bishop Kopacz celebated Sr. Thea at Holy Child Jesus
Youth photos Youth activities from around the diocese
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