SEPTEMBER 15, 2023
mississippicatholic.com
Order of the Fleur de Lis holds meeting, invests Bishop and others with Knight Commanders Cross BY TEREZA MA AND JOANNA PUDDISTER KING
NATCHEZ – The Order of the Fleur De Lis held its annual meeting Aug. 25-27, in Natchez, with several events at the Basilica of St. Mary. The Order of the Fleur de Lis is an organization of Catholic men incorporated under the laws of the state of Louisiana as a non-profit organization. The Order’s domain is a five states region consisting of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Grand chancellor of the Order of Fleur de Lis, Steve Koach of Enterprise, Alabama said “for us to be here for the meeting, this is special because only every two years we do an investiture ceremony.” Objectives of the order include supporting and defending the Catholic Church and its teachings; promoting patriotism and good citizenship, encouraging public morality and unselfish service to God and country; assisting and publicizing the activities of other organizations; memorializing the memories and achievements of Catholic leaders in religion, the arts and sci-
NATCHEZ – Front, left to right in black: Father Jeffery Bayhi, Father Vernon Huguley, Bishop Joseph Kopacz and Father Joshua Rodrigue were invested in the Order of the Order Fleur de Lis on Saturday, Aug. 26 at the Basilica of St. Mary. (Photo by Tereza Ma)
ences, philanthropy education, exploration and archeology, government and international relations, medicine and jurisprudence and other established professions. Bishop Joseph Kopacz, who was inducted as a part of the Order on Aug. 26 said, “These qualities define the vision of the Order of the Fleur de Lis, and I wholeheartedly embrace these virtues that enrich the lives of our members and their families, as well as their parish communities, and ultimately our nation.” After their business meetings, the Order attended the Vigil Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary and after Mass an investiture was held with 23 Catholic gentlemen being invested with the Knight Commander Cross of the Order. Grand Prelate Bishop Glen J. Prevost, of Lake Charles, Louisiana presided over the ceremony. Leading the group of Knight Commander designates was Bishop Kopacz, Eleventh Bishop of Jackson. Other investees from the Diocese of Jackson were Father Aaron Williams, of the
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Church in Morocco, pope offer prayers after quake; death toll rises to more than 2,800 BY MARIA-PIA NEGRO CHIN
(OSV News) – Rescuers continue to search through the rubble in the hopes of finding survivors after a powerful earthquake struck Morocco the night of Sept. 8, killing more than 2,800 people and causing widespread destruction. Search and rescue teams continue their attempt to reach those in isolated villages closer to the earthquake's epicenter. Previous attempts to help had been delayed by fallen rocks covering the roads leading to the hard-hit rural communities. The deadly quake's epicenter was reported to be in the High Atlas mountains, about 44.7 miles (72 kilometers) southwest of historic Marrakech, a city of about 840,000 people. The villages in these areas were reported to have suffered the worst destruction, with buildings falling and killing many of the villagers while they were asleep. Even as some aid was starting to reach the villages Sept. 9 and 10, media reports shared that survivors were struggling to find food, water and shelter. The Sept. 8 earthquake struck shortly after 11 p.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which said its preliminary magnitude was 6.8 and it lasted several seconds, with a 4.9 aftershock hitting the area minutes later. The quake was the strongest to hit that part of the North African nation in 120 years, according to USGS. On Sept. 11, Morocco's interior ministry confirmed the earthquake's death toll had risen to 2,862, as of 3:40
p.m. ET. Authorities warned that these numbers are expected to rise. The ministry said there are over 2,500 people injured, with at least 1,404 in critical condition. According to CNN, state media reported that most of the dead – nearly 1,500 – were in the Al Haouz district in the High Atlas Mountains. "The next 2-3 days will be critical for finding people trapped under the rubble," Caroline Holt, global director of operations for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told Reuters. Soon after news of the devastation spread, the Archdiocese of Rabat – which has churches in Marrakech and Ouarzazate that suffered minor material
damage – urged prayers for those affected through a message posted on social media. "Let us pray with Our Lady of Morocco for the victims and their families," the archdiocese said. In a Sept. 9 telegram, Pope Francis expressed his sorrow and "deep solidarity" with the people of the North African nation, praying for those who perished, healing for the wounded and consolation for those mourning the loss of their loved ones and homes, Vatican News reported. The pope continued expressing his proximity to the Moroccan people "stricken by a devastating earthquake" after the Angelus prayer Sept. 10. He also
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INSIDE THIS WEEK
Pope's travels 7 Pope Francis traveled to Mongolia to reach margins
Sister Thea Bowman 8 Howard University names building honoring Sr. Thea
Adviser Award 18 Cassreino named National Broadcast Adviser of Year