JUNE 13, 2025
mississippicatholic.com
Father Frank Cosgrove marks 60 years of priesthood with love, laughter and legacy BY JOE LEE
MADISON – Ed Donohoe didn’t fly nearly as far as Father Frank Cosgrove’s family members from Ireland to see the beloved priest celebrate Mass and mark the 60th anniversary of his ordination, an event which took place June 2 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Madison. But 1,200 miles was a long way for Donohoe to travel, and not an inexpensive trip. Why was it so important for him to join the celebration across the country? “Because Father Frank was like family,” said Donohoe, a Colorado resident who had just reported for duty at the Meridian Naval Air Station in 2008 when they met. Father Frank, then pastor of St. Patrick Church, would drive half an hour to the base chapel to celebrate Mass. It wasn’t long before he and Donohoe grew close. Cosgrove family members, including Father Frank’s brother Eamonn, his sister Ruth, and great nephews who were making their first trip to the U.S., flew over 4,000 miles to take part in the service and enjoy the reception. More than 50 priests from all over the Catholic Dioceses of Jackson and Biloxi came to support him, and Catholics from all over Mississippi (and a surprising number of non-Catholics) packed the St. Francis sanctuary. They heard a homily that drew from his brand-new memoir, “Sir, Do You Know Where You Are Going?” and MADISON – From left, Deacon John McGregor, Keith Comish, Father Frank Cosgrove, Cathy touched often on unity. Comish, and Deacon Denzil Lobo listen to the Mass readings during the 60th anniversary celebra“The celebration means a great deal to me,” said
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tion of Father Cosgrove’s ordination to the priesthood at St. Francis in Madison, Monday, June 2, 2025. (Photo by Tereza Ma)
Supreme Court rules in favor of Wisconsin Catholic agency over religious exemption BY KATE SCANLON
The U.S. Supreme Court on June 5 unanimously ruled in favor of the Catholic Charities Bureau of the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin, which had asked the high court to overturn a decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court the agency argued discounted its religious identity. The group previously appealed a ruling by
the Wisconsin Supreme Court that Catholic Charities is not exempt from paying into the state’s unemployment insurance system because its operations aren’t primarily religious under the definition in the statute requiring certain employers to do so. Wisconsin law states religious employers in the Badger State are eligible for an exemption from paying into its unemployment benefit program if they operate primarily for religious purposes. The state argued, however, that the Catholic Charities Bureau does not meet that standard since it employs non-Catholics and does not make its service to the less fortunate contingent on Catholic religious practice, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court previously
sided with the state, drawing a distinction between its mission or purpose and its “activities.” However, in an opinion written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously found the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s ruling violated the First Amendment by creating a preference for some religious practices over others. “It is fundamental to our constitutional order that the government maintain ‘neutrality between religion and religion,’” Sotomayor wrote, quoting previous Supreme Court precedent in Epperson v. Arkansas. “There may be hard calls to make in policing that rule, but this is not one.”
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St. Vincent de Paul 8 New community pharmacy in Jackson
Graduation (insert) Couples around the diocese celebrate marriage
Youth 14 Featuring graduates from around the diocese