mississippicatholic.com
AUGUST 25, 2023
Inspiring others to ‘work together as people of faith’ Msgr. Sunds observes golden jubilee BY JOE LEE
of his in New York City named Father John Powis. This was 1967, and FaMADISON – On the evening of ther Powis was working in the rough Aug. 7, the family life center at St. Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, Francis of Assisi Church in Madison a largely Puerto Rican and African resembled a fine restaurant, with American neighborhood. white tablecloths and soft candlelight “I was impressed at what Father creating the perfect backdrop for a Powis was doing and found an aparthuge crowd to congratulate Msgr. Elment in a condemned building for the vin Sunds on the golden anniversary summer. I worked mornings at a comof his ordination as a priest. mercial laundry to support myself It was a fitting tribute to the kind, and spent afternoons organizing recsoft-spoken man who grew up in Iowa reational programs for the neighborand has spent more than fifty years hood kids.” of his life bringing Mississippians of Sunds had seminarian classmates different backgrounds together. The from Mississippi who urged him to throng waiting to enjoy the mouth-wavisit the state, which he did for the tering dinner was no surprise after first time that fall. the standing room only gathering at “Cardinal Bernard Law was the Mass, which made Sunds feel, in his vocation director then for what was words, deeply affirmed. the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson,” “When I first saw the church Sunds said. “He arranged for me to packed for the Mass, I was genuinely spend several months with Father Naoverwhelmed,” he said. “I had no idea thaniel Machesky, who was pastor of so many people over the years from St. Francis of Assisi in Greenwood. so many parishes – and from Catho“This was predominantly an Aflic Charities – wanted to express their rican American parish. They were gratitude.” offering education for the kids in the Sunds felt the call toward the grade school there, a wonderful alterpriesthood while a senior in high school, but he wanted something MADISON – Msgr. Elvin Sunds (second from right) celebrated his golden jubilee on native to what wasn’t a good education in the Greenwood public schools. I remore exciting than the Diocese of Des Monday, Aug. 7 at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Madison. (Photo by Tereza Ma) alized the Natchez-Jackson Diocese Moines, especially after being told by was where I needed to be.” his vocation director that he was exSince his ordination by Bishop Joseph Brunini at Our Lady of the Gulf in Bay pected to teach high school for the first ten years after ordination. “During my junior year at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Conception, – Continued on page 6 – Missouri, my spiritual director suggested I spend a summer working for a friend
Growing Catholic community flourishes inside Pearl state prison BY CHRIS KIEFFER
Catholic community. Their numbers have grown so much that the Catholic community has recently PEARL – On a Saturday afternoon in July, the 100 men gathered inside a chapel in this central Mississippi city rose and applauded as Father Lincoln Dall began his been recognized by CMCF as an official organization with its own bylaws and name – St. Michael the Archangel, chosen to honor the celestial being who led the angelic processional to commence Mass. The congregants were inmates at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility forces against Satan and his followers. The community was also given use of the CMCF chapel, where it met for Mass (CMCF). And the unscripted moment of enthusiastic appreciation that erupted at the start of Mass underscores the passion that has been at the heart of the growing on that Saturday in July. During the service, a banner hung from the ceiling above the altar declaring: “St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Community, Established Catholic ministry here inside the razor wire. “I feel like it is almost ministry in its most raw form,” said Father Lincoln, the – Continued on page 10 – pastor at both Holy Savior Catholic Church in Clinton and Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Raymond INSIDE THIS WEEK and the vicar general for the Diocese of Jackson. “A lot of them realize they have a lot to work on, and they’re hungry for this. You feel the energy for it. It’s palpable.” Father Lincoln has a long history with prison ministry, but even he has been amazed by the burgeoning Catholic community here inside one of Mississippi’s three state prisons. As recently as last Christmas, about 15 or 20 inmates would regularly attend Mass, which was then held in a small room tucked inside one of the facility’s buildings. Now, some 120 or 130 men attend one of the two Masses Father Lincoln celebrates at In memoriam 7 World Youth Day 19 Back-to-School insert CMCF’s chapel nearly every weekend. “It is an accomplishment for us to see it growing, Msgr. Thorton, Fr. Beard, Young pilgrims near and far Photos from our schools at and it makes us feel we are doing something positive,” Srs. Miriam & Mary Anne attended WYD in Portugal the start of the school year said Chris, an inmate at the facility and member of the