SEPTEMBER 18, 2026
mississippicatholic.com
Father Tom Mullally, SVD: Six decades of a missionary ‘yes’ BY JOANNA PUDDISTER KING
GREENVILLE – For Father Thomas Mullally, SVD, 60 years of religious life can be measured in dates and places – from a small Michigan community to parishes across Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi. But perhaps a better measure if found in the people. They came from communities Father Mullally has served over the decades to celebrate his 60th anniversary of religious profession with the Society of the Divine Word. During the celebration, representatives from parishes in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi were asked to stand, a visible reminder of the lives and communities that have intersected with his ministry. Looking back over those years, Father Mullally said one lesson has remained remarkably consistent: ministry begins with being close to people. “If you are good to the people, compassionate and merciful, they love you,” he said. He said smaller parishes have given him something particularly
valuable – time to know the people he serves. “The smaller parishes give you more time. You get to know the people better,” Father Mullally said, describing the closeness of a small parish as being “like family.” Born Nov. 9, 1942, in Emmett, Michigan, Father Mullally was the fourth of five children born to John and Ann Mullally. His father died in 1949, leaving his mother to raise their five children. Some of his fondest childhood memories were summers spent on his grandparents’ farm in Vassar, Michigan. Farm life helped instill lessons in hard work, responsibility, perseverance, simplicity and concern for others – qualities that would follow him into missionary ministry. After graduating from Vassar High School in 1960, he entered Divine Word Seminary. On Sept. 8, 1966, Father MulGREENVILLE – Father Tom Mullally, SVD, distributes Communion during a Mass lally professed his first religious of Thanksgiving celebrating the 60th anniversary of his religious profession with vows with the Society of the Divine the Society of the Divine Word. Attendees came from communities in Arkansas, Word. He professed perpetual vows
Louisiana and Mississippi where Father Mullally has served during his decades of ministry. View more photos at jacksondiocese.zenfoliosite.com. (Photo by Joanna Puddister King)
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Two Dehonian priests ordained in Houston BY MARY GORSKI
HOUSTON, Tex. – On Aug. 15, Bishop Joseph Kopacz of the Diocese of Jackson, ordained two members of the Priests of the Sacred Heart (Dehonians) at Vietnamese Martyrs Parish in Houston: Father Hung Pham, SCJ, and Father Long Nguyen, SCJ. Father Hung did his deacon internship with the Dehonians’ pastoral team in northern Mississippi; he will continue to serve there in his first priestly assignment. Both of the newly
ordained priests have ties to the Houston area. For Father Hung, 39, it was a homecoming: Vietnamese Martyrs has been his parish since arriving in the United States from Vietnam in 2008. “I was an usher and catechist for four years here before entering religious formation,” he said. “My parents have been members of the parish since their arrival in the United States in 2024.” Before entering SCJ candidacy, Father Hung earned a degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Houston and worked at the ALS Oil and Gas Company as a Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) analyst. He professed his first vows with the Priests of the Sacred Heart in 2020 and his final vows in 2025. Last December, he graduated from Sacred Heart
Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, and was ordained to the diaconate. For the past seven months he has been serving with the Dehonians’ pastoral team in northern Mississippi, within the Diocese of Jackson. Originally from Thibodaux, Louisiana, Father Long, 47, comes to the priesthood after nearly 20 years of religious life as an SCJ brother. He has served in pastoral ministry in South Dakota, Mississippi and Wisconsin. He also assisted with the English and Culture Studies Program at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology. After completing a year-long CPE program (Clinical Pastoral Education) through Aurora Healthcare in Milwaukee, he entered his cur-
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Youth 14 Photos from our Catholic Schools around the diocese
SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
2 PARISH SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
CAMDEN – Sacred Heart, Sister Thea Bowman, Servant of God – her legacy, speaker Karla Luke. Nov. 7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost $10. Registration open through Oct. 23. Details: amelia.breton@jacksondiocese.org. GREENWOOD – Locus Benedictus, Understanding St. Francis of Assisi, Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 6:30 p.m. Father Greg Plata, OFM will present the historical person of St. Francis, using stories about the saint which continue to speak to people of all faiths today. All are invited. No charge. Details: (662) 299-1232. HERNANDO – Holy Spirit, Discovering Christ, Thursdays, Oct. 8 through Dec. 3 in the Family Life Center. Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Come explore the meaning of life! Details: Call (662) 342-1073 or email nwms. evangelization@gmail.com. MADISON – Millions of Monicas will be praying at St. Catherine’s Village chapel (200 Dominican Drive), the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. When you arrive at the gate, let the team know you are joining the Millions of Monicas ministry. Please, mark your calendars for the following meeting dates: Oct. 13, Nov. 10 and Dec. 8, 2026. Details: call (601) 6138526. OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, Millions of Monicas, Thursdays from 6:15-7:15 pm. Join with other mothers as we pray to grow in holiness and for our children’s faithful return to the Church. Details: church office (662) 895-5007. WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mother Teresa Institute and the Saint John Paul II National Shrine is honored to host a temporary exhibit, entitled “Works of
Love Are Works of Peace,” on the life and mission of St. Teresa of Calcutta, featuring more than 80 photographs by Collopy. Exhibt open through Nov. 11. Details: https://www.jp2shrine.org/exhibits.
PARISH & YOUTH EVENTS
CLARKSDALE – St. Elizabeth, Trunk or Treat, Oct. 25. Details: church office (662) 624-4301. GREENVILLE – St. Joseph, Lunch Fundraiser, Sunday, Sept. 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Menu: Sloppy joes, baked beans, chips and browine. Cost: $15/ plate. Details: church office (662) 335-5251. GREENWOOD – St. Francis of Assisi, 75th Anniversary Mass and Celebration, Sunday, Oct. 4. Details: church office (662) 453-0623. HERNANDO – Holy Spirit, Fall Bazaar, Saturday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Details: Julie at (901) 371-6253 or julieastefanik@gmail.com. Holy Spirit Men’s Association, Fish Fry by Holy Spirit Men’s Association, Friday, Oct. 16, from 4-7 p.m. Adults $13; Children $6. Eat in or take out. Plate includes Catfish, Hushpuppies, Fries, Slaw, Drink and Dessert. Details: call Jon (901) 481-0228 or Lee at (662) 233-4833. JACKSON – St. Richard, Evening with Mary, Thursday Oct. 1 at 5:30-7:30 p.m. with Rhonda Bowden. RSVP and bring your Rosary. Details: church office (601) 366-2335. JACKSON – St. Richard School, Cardinal Fest, Saturday, Oct. 24. Enjoy food, live performances, games, art, chili cookoff and more! Visit https://bit. ly/cardinalfest2026 for tickets, chili cookoff registration, sponsorship or more info. Details: school office (601) 366-1157.
FEATURE PHOTO: ... Blue Mass in remembrance of Sept. 11...
MADISON – St. Francis, Blessing of the Pets, Saturday, Oct. 3 at 2 p.m. in the courtyard. Pets must be on leash. Details: church office (601) 856-5556. Taste of St. Francis, Sunday, Oct. 4 in the Family Life Center, following 10:30 a.m. Mass. MERIDIAN – St. Joseph, Octoberfest, Saturday, Oct. 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Theme – “Once Upon a Time.” Tickets on sale soon. Details: church office (601) 693-1321. NATCHEZ – Cathedral School, Fall Festival, Oct. 10 and 11. OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, Men’s Club Golf Tournament, Sunday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. at the Wedgewood Golf Club. Cost: $125/player – 4-person scramble. Details: Tim at (901) 515-8598. SENATOBIA – St. Gregory, Six Parish Event, Sunday, Sept. 27 with Mass at 3 p.m. followed by music, games and dinner. All are welcome. Details: church office (662) 342-1073. St. Gregory, Blessing of the Pets, Saturday, Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. Pets must be on leash. SOUTHAVEN – Christ the King, Fall Fest, Saturday, Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Join us for a day of food, fun, games and fellowship. Details: church office (662) 342-1073. Christ the King, Blood Drive, Sunday, Sept. 27 12-4 p.m. Details: church office (662) 342-1073.
DIOCESE EVENTS
ENGAGED ENCOUNTER 2026: Oct. 2-4 at Camp Garaywa in Clinton. Details: couples may register at https://jacksondiocese.flocknote.com/ signup/230073 or email debbie.tubertini@jacksondiocese.org. HOPE YOUTH FEST 2026 – Our Lady of Hope, Osyka (Chatawa) Oct. 10 for 9th and 12th graders. Registration is open. Contact your parish youth leader to sign up. SEARCH RETREAT 2027 – Camp Wesley Pines, Gallman Jan. 15-17, for 10th and 12th graders. Registration opens Fall 2026. Contact your parish youth leader to sign up.
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MERIDIAN – On Wednesday, Sept. 9, St. Patrick Catholic School held a special Mass honoring all first responders in remembrance of the 25th Anniversary of 9/11. First responders from the local community attended and received drawings and cards made by students. (Photo by Helen Reynolds)
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MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC SEPTEMBER 18, 2026
let there be light 3
United in Mission, anchored in prayer BY BISHOP JOSEPH R. KOPACZ, D.D.
The Capital Campaign, United in Mission, Forming Shepherds + Strengthening Parishes has begun to sink its roots and spread its wings across the diocese. There is no doubt that the expertise within our Catholic Foundation and Diocesan Temporal Affairs, in collaboration with our highly experienced campaign organizers, Guidance in Giving, has produced a clear and compelling case that is already gaining traction for this first ever diocesan-wide campaign. However, the engine that drives this bus is not so much a matter of the best practices in fundraising and organizational dynamics, as essential as these are, but prayer. The faithful of the diocese have been planting the seeds for this campaign with heartfelt prayer for vocations to the priesthood and religious life for the past 12 1/2 years of my tenure as bishop, and no doubt well before then. During this time, the Holy Spirit has awakened many in the Catholic Church to treasure the gift of the priesthood, the sacramental life that flows from it and the spiritual leadership across our ministries. Anchored in prayer, the Holy Spirit has raised up a strong diocesan ministry of vocations and opened the hearts and minds of many more viable candidates to discern a vocation to the priesthood. Indeed, we have sought first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33); we have begged the Harvest Master, as the Lord commanded us (Matthew 9:35-38); now we must
as co-responsible disciples building up the Lord’s body in their parish. The first Christian community in Jerusalem, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, is the standard for all parish communities and dioceses in every age. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). Two chapters later we read that “all of the believers were one in heart and mind” (4:32). United in prayer, all are invited to be one in mind and heart for the flourishing of our diocesan family, the Body of Christ. Inevitably, there will be differences of opinion, uncertainty and anxiety over such a major endeavor that we are undertaking. Yet, the Lord calls us to walk together patiently, respectfully and kindly, devoted in daily prayer, at the Eucharist, especially on the Lord’s Day, and in fellowship, all the while clothed by God’s embrace in our One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic tradition under the gaze of the Holy Spirit. Along the way, each of us will be asked to prayerfully consider how God is directing us to be united in mission. We entrust this endeavor to the intercession of our Blessed Mother, whose presence at Pentecost was a source of consolation and peace for the disciples, united in mission in eager anticipation to be clothed with power from on high.
continue to remain faithful in prayer so that United in Mission campaign will bring about an abundant harvest for the formation of future shepherds. The second of two essential pastoral pillars of our campaign is the strengthening of parishes. Covering 65 counties, the diocese is composed of a panorama of parishes, often with unique needs, opportunities and limitations. During our recent diocesan Pastoral Reimagining journey each parish was invited to discuss, discern and pray about how it could better flourish under the gaze of the Holy Spirit. We call upon the Holy Spirit again so that each parish in the United in Mission campaign can build upon Pastoral Reimagining and identify needs, opportunities and BISHOP’S SCHEDULE dreams that can be addressed with prospective Sept. 24-30 – Mission Trip to Saltillo, Mexico financial resources that otherwise would not maThursday, Oct. 1, 12:05 p.m. – Mass, Cathedral of St. Peter, Jackson terialize. Pastors, parish leadership and parishioThursday, Oct. 1, 6 p.m. – United in Mission Parish Reception, Christ ners can walk together
the King, Jackson
Happy Ordination Anniversary September 15
Father Bill Henry Retired
October 24
Father Marvin Gyasie, SVD St. Mary, Vicksburg & St. Joseph, Port Gibson
Thank you for answering the call! Volume 72 Number 11 (ISSN 1529-1693)
PRESS DATE: SEPT. 11, 2026
P.O. Box 2130 Jackson, MS 39225-2130 Phone: 601-969-3581 E-mail: editor@jacksondiocese.org Publisher ........................................................................................... Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz Communications Director ...................................................................... Joanna Puddister King Production Manager ...................................................................................................Tereza Ma MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC is an official publication of the Diocese of Jackson, 601-969-1880, 237 E. Amite St., Jackson, MS 39201. Published once per month, Mississippi Catholic mails 12 editions per year. For address changes, corrections or to join the email list for the digital edition, email: editor@ jacksondiocese.org. Subscription rate: $20 a year in Mississippi, $21 out-of-state. Periodical postage at Jackson, MS 39201 and additional entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mississippi Catholic, P.O. Box 2130, Jackson, MS 39225-2130. Website: www.mississippicatholic.com www.jacksondiocese.org
Saturday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m. – Confirmation Mass, Holy Family, Jackson Sunday, Oct. 4, 12 p.m. – 75th Anniversary Mass, St. Francis of Assisi, Greenwood Monday, Oct. 5, 6 p.m. – United in Mission Parish Reception, St. Therese, Jackson Tuesday, Oct. 6, 13, and 20, 7:30 a.m. – Mass, Carmelite Monastery, Jackson Sunday, Oct. 11, 10 a.m. – St. Francis of Assisi Jubilee Year Mass and Parish Picnic, St. Francis, Brookhaven Thursday, Oct. 15, 8:30 a.m. – School Mass, St. Elizabeth, Clarksdale Thursday, Oct. 15, 6 p.m. – Catholic Charities Purple Dress Run, The District at Eastover, Jackson Sunday, Oct. 18, 4 p.m. – Confirmation Mass for Parishes of Northwest Miss., Christ the King, Southaven Monday, Oct. 19, 1 p.m. – School Mass, Holy Family, Holly Springs Tuesday, Oct. 20, 12:05 p.m. – Mass, Cathedral of St. Peter, Jackson Tuesday, Oct. 20, 6 p.m. – United in Mission Parish Reception, Cathedral of St. Peter, Jackson Wednesday, Oct. 21, 9 a.m. – School Mass, St. Patrick, Meridian All events are subject to change. Check with parishes and schools for further details.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
4 VOCATIONs CALLED BY NAME For the last six years, the Homegrown Harvest has grown into our largest annual fundraiser for seminary education. Last year we raised over $200,000 for our seminarians: a record! But with the United In Mission Capital Campaign kicking off and the goal of $10 million dollars going in a trust for seminarian education along with it, I have been Father Nick Adam receiving a very reasonable question: is the Homegrown Harvest still going to happen? And another related question: what is the difference between supporting the Homegrown Harvest and supporting the Capital Campaign? Homegrown Harvest will continue, and we hope that it will continue for a long, long time. There were two reasons that we started this event back in 2020: 1) to celebrate the good things the Lord is doing in our diocese through the men who are answering the call to serve as priests; and 2) to raise money to offset annual expenses.
Those goals are still on the table, and we believe that this event is worth having because it is a wonderful evening with supporters of our vocation office and our seminarians and their families. The money that we raise helps cover the tuition, books and fees that each of our twelve seminarians need to attend seminary. It also helps cover their health insurance premium if they need coverage, as well as a monthly stipend to help them with incidental costs that come up while they are in formation. All told, it costs about $55,000 per year to cover one seminarian. So, while our fundraising is certainly up, we will always have yearly needs, especially with more seminarians and applicants than we’ve had in a long time. We have 12 excellent seminarians, and already have three applications for next year, and expecting several more to come. The Catholic Church across the country is seeing an increase in seminary enrollment, and if you look at our numbers per capita, we are toward the top end of the trend. I continue to be grateful that Bishop Kopacz saw this trend and decided to address it head on. With the United in Mission Capital Campaign providing long-term stability and predictable funding, Homegrown Harvest and
our spring appeal will continue to help meet the seminarians’ year-to-year needs. While these annual efforts will remain essential, they will face less pressure to cover the full cost of seminarian education in the future. This is a challenge, but it is one that is a great one to have to address, and I know that you would all agree. More seminarians means more priests, which means more access to the sacraments and more support and accompaniment for our parishioners across the diocese. We are playing the longgame, and the Lord is answering our prayers. I hope that many of you are planning on supporting and attending the Homegrown Harvest this year. It will be on Saturday, Oct. 24, and for the first time, we are having it at the Clyde Muse Center in Pearl. We needed a larger venue because of the great participation we’ve seen over the past several years, so please come celebrate what God is doing in our diocese. We will see you next month! (Father Nick Adam is Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Jackson. Visit https://bit.ly/ HomegrownHarvest26 to purchase tickets or sponsor Homegrown Harvest.)
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC SEPTEMBER 18, 2026
Spirituality 5
Toward an understanding of suicide IN EXILE By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
The first one is a lesson from nature. Here’s Elilf Shafak, a botanist, reflecting on the suicide of his friend’s mother: “When I was a young botanist, I was asked to diagnose a tree that was not doing well. It seemed to be dying. After many tests, nothing conclusive, I took a shovel and began to dig, and I learned a lesson I have never forgotten, girdling was happening below the surface. The tree was being strangled by its own roots. If the encircling roots are not found on time, they start putting pressure on the tree and it just becomes too much to bear. … Your mother’s death has nothing to do with the absence of love. She was blooming and thriving with your love, and I’d like to believe with mine too, but underneath something was strangling her: the past, the memories, the roots.” Sometimes our own roots (complexity, trauma, confusion, frustration, biology) can be so overpowering that they work at killing the body. As James Hillman writes in his book “Suicide and the Soul,” sometimes there are deep things inside us that cannot make themselves heard and their frustration
eventually works to strangle the body. Our own roots are sometimes such a complex mixture of soul and biology that we begin to asphyxiate. The second thought comes from Jeffrey Monroe in his book “Reading Buechner: Exploring the Work of a Master Memoirist, Novelist, Theologian, and Preacher.” Frederick Buechner, a Christian pastor, had to deal with his dad’s suicide. As a son, as man of faith, as a pastor trying to help others understand, he searched for answers vis-à-vis his dad’s suicide. The answers didn’t come easily, or seemingly at all. Eventually, Buechner came to this understanding of his dad’s suicide. The best pastoral answer in the face of inexplicable tragedy (his dad’s suicide) isn’t an answer at all. It’s a presence. On this side of eternity, we won’t get all the answers, not least to the question of suicide. Sometimes there is no satisfactory answer in our darkest moments, like when we lose a loved one to suicide. What matters most in those dark moments is that we can trust that God did not abandon our loved one. And what we desire more than answers is God.
Every year I try to write an article on suicide because it is perhaps the most misunderstood of all deaths and it wreaks a unique havoc among the family and the loved ones left behind. They are left with a blizzard of ambivalent and conflicting feelings: shame (What a shameful way to die); guilt (Somehow I should have done more); second-guessing (Why wasn’t I more attentive?); anger (This was an act of selfishness); and anxiety (How can this person go to heaven?) Moreover, in effect, this ruins the memory the person who died by suicide. (Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is a professor of spirThroughout my articles on suicide and my book ituality at Oblate School of Theology and award-win(Bruised & Wounded: Struggling to Understand Suining author.) cide) I have tried to emphasize that in most cases of suicide: • We are dealing with an extremely sensitive and wounded person, someThe Pope’s Corner one who at one level is too bruised to touch. • In suicide, a person dies against his or her will, akin to jumping out of a high-rise window because your clothing is on fire. • A death by suicide is the emotional municate the newness of life in Christ to the world “to By Courtney Mares and psychological equivalent of cancer, For seminarians navigating years of study and disci- those families who are barely getting by, to young people stroke, or heart-attack. For this reason pline in formation for the priesthood, Pope Leo XIV had in their 20s who pack their bags to look for work, to the we no longer use the verb “committed” a reminder Sept. 3: The key to preparing for priestly min- elderly living alone, to the marginalized, and to those who suicide since we never say that someistry is focusing on “your relationship with the One who have lost their sense of purpose.” one committed cancer, or a stroke, or a “The priest is sent to all people so that he may procalled you.” heart attack. Suicide, in most cases, is claim to all the beauty of faith in Jesus Christ, the good Pope Leo encouraged future priests to use their years not a voluntary act. in seminary to ground every aspect of their formation in news of our salvation,” he said. • In many cases too, suicidal depresPope Leo thanked the young men for their “yes” to a deep personal relationship with God. sion has a biochemical root. God’s call, adding “your very presence in the seminary is “The heart of the seminary experience lies here: learn• We need not worry about that pering to be with the Master, the Lord Jesus,” the pope said a sign of hope for the entire Church.” son’s eternal salvation. He or she had “As I look at each of you, I contemplate the wonder of in an audience with Italian seminarians in the Vatican’s a good heart and God reads the heart. God, who never tires of whispering to the hearts of young Clementine Hall. Sometimes a person can descend into a people the beauty of giving one’s life for him and for the “Every vocation is born from an intimate dialogue state into which the best of human love, with God, cultivated in silence and prayer, which often oc- Church,” the pope said. medicine, and psychiatry can no longer curs despite the sometimes deafening noise of the world,” reach, but faith assures us that there is (Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Folthe pope said. no depressive hell that God cannot delow her on X @catholicourtney.) The pope met with seminarians from two scend into and breathe out peace. seminaries in southern Italy: the Pius XI Re• We need to give ourselves permisgional Seminary in Puglia and the Episcopal sion to feel all the ambivalent feelings Seminary of Aversa in Campania. we will have about our loved one and “In a world so eager to celebrate self-rehis or her manner of death. That’s a alization, it is truly important to reiterate healthy grieving process that should that none of you and none of us are here benot be short-circuited. Eventually the cause we deserve it, but only because of a free memory of our loved one and his or her choice made by God the Father, a sign and spirit will come to us in peace and unpledge of a gratuitous love that always anticderstanding. ipates us and never disappoints,” Pope Leo • Our task, after our grieving period, told the young men. is to redeem the memory of our loved “There is no competition, no ranking, nor one so that our loved one’s life is not is it written anywhere that he chose the best: seen and judged through the prism of He chose those he wanted,” he added. his or her death. Put their photos back The pope underlined that the time spent up on the walls, no longer speak of in seminary is more necessary than ever tothem in hushed tones, celebrate their day “in a world that is in a hurry.” lives, and speak healthily of the special “Precisely because our times are fastspirit they brought into the world. paced and noisy, we need a place and a season Margaret Atwood once said that in life where we can learn to be present, to sometimes things need to be said, and discern, and to allow ourselves to be formed said, and said again, until they don’t without taking shortcuts,” he said. “The semneed to be said anymore. These points inary is not a postponement of the mission, Pope Leo XIV smiles during a private audience with seminarians on suicide still need to be said. at the Vatican Sept. 3, 2026. Pope Leo shared his advice with but rather a prerequisite for it.” Beyond these assertions, let me add He encouraged them to remember that the seminarians on how to best prepare for the vocation to the two more perspectives on suicide that I they are being prepared to be sent to com- priesthood. (OSV News photo/Mario Tomassetti, Vatican Media) have found helpful.
Pope Leo’s advice for seminarians: Focus on your relationship with Jesus
6 DIOCESE
SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
‘Father Tom ... is present for us’ – Continued from page 1 – four years later, on Sept. 8, 1970, and was ordained to the priesthood Dec. 19, 1970, in Techny, Illinois. His ministry took him throughout the Divine Word Missionaries’ Southern Province, with assignments in Louisiana and Arkansas before eventually leading him to Mississippi. Father Mullally came to the Delta in 2008, serving Catholic communities including Sacred Heart in Greenville, St. Francis in Shaw, Immaculate Conception in Indianola and St. Benedict the Moor in Indianola, as well as communities in Shelby and Mound Bayou and at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. He retired from active ministry in December 2020 but not from priestly ministry. Today, he continues serving as a priest in residence at Sacred Heart in Greenville and St. Francis in Shaw. Nearly two decades in the Delta have given Father Mullally a particular appreciation for the faith of its Catholic communities. Asked what the people of the Delta have taught him about faith, his answer was simple: “They chose to be Catholic.” He spoke especially about Black Catholics who remain committed to the church while living in communities where Catholics are a small minority. “They chose to be Black and Catholic. Now, that’s a commitment,” Father Mullally said. “They chose to be Catholic, and to remain Catholic. Now, that’s faith. That’s loyalty to the Church.” Father Mullally has also encountered new experiences during his years in the Delta, including ministry to the growing Hispanic Catholic community. Although he does not speak Spanish beyond a few words, he said he has learned that communication in ministry goes deeper than language. “The core of the heart is so important,” Father Mullally said. “Because they
know that you love them, you have compassion for them.” At the anniversary Mass, provincial Father Augustine “Gus” Wall, SVD, reflected on a characteristic he believes has defined Father Mullally’s missionary life – presence. “One thing, I’m sure we’ve all experienced about Father Tom, is that he is present for us,” Father Wall said. “If you’re having joy in your life, he wants to hear it. And he will pray with you for it. If you’re going through some … trouble, he wants to hear it even more.” Parishioners offered similar memories. One described Father Mullally as someone who listened and offered good advice when she needed to talk. Another recalled his presence in parishioners’ homes – blessing homes, sharing meals and becoming part of the life and history of the community. During the anniversary celebration, Father Mullally stood with a candle in hand and renewed the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience he first professed six decades ago. Following the renewal of vows, Father Mullally became emotional as he thanked God and reflected on reaching a milestone he once was not certain he would see. “I just thank God. I didn’t think I’d make it,” he said tearfully. Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, who has known Father Mullally for more than a decade of his priesthood, pointed to the contrast between the young Divine Word Missionary who professed vows at age 23 in 1966 and the priest celebrating six decades of religious life in 2026. The years have changed some things, the bishop joked, but not Father Mullally’s desire to serve. “He doesn’t dance physically like he used to,” Bishop Kopacz said. “But he dances in his heart.” Sixty years after his first profession, Father Mullally’s missionary journey continues – still rooted in the people, still centered on relationships and still answering the call that first led a young man from rural Michigan to the Society of the Divine Word.
‘... Dehonian vocation ...’ – Continued from page 1 – rent ministry as a hospital chaplain in the Milwaukee area. It was in his ministry as a chaplain that his call to ordained ministry grew. “I enjoy sharing prayer space with others,” he said. “Chaplaincy is one way of sharing that space, a space that can take many forms. I remind people that tears, anguish and frustrations are prayers too.” In his homily during the Ordination Mass, Father Vien Nguyen, SCJ, provincial superior of the US Province, shared words of advice that he had collected from fellow Dehonians, friends and family members. He closed the homily with his own advice for the newly ordained: “Stay close to Christ, close to the people, close to your religious community,
Father Long Nguyen, SCJ bestows a blessing on family members during his Ordination Mass on Aug. 15 at the Vietnamese Martyrs Parish in Houston, Texas. and close to the Spirit. If you do, your priesthood will become a real sign of the love of the Sacred Heart and a faithful witness to our Dehonian vocation.” The Priests of the Sacred Heart, also known as “Dehonians,” after their founder, Father Leo John Dehon, or “SCJ” for their initials, is an international Roman Catholic religious order of priests and brothers based in Rome. The order has a presence in over 40 countries; its headquarters in the United States is in Hales Corners, as is one of its largest ministries in the country: Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology. In Mississippi, Dehonians have responsibility for the Church’s ministry in five northwest counties of the state. Through Sacred Heart Southern Missions, Dehonians offer social services and emergency aid, advocacy, housing, education, job training and counseling. The Sacred Heart Auto League is also a part of SHSM ministry. (Photos from the Ordination Mass are available at HOUSTON, Tex. – Father Hung Pham, SCJ kneels before Bishop Joseph Kopacz during the presentation of the paten and chalice during his Ordination Mass on Aug. 15 at the Vietnamese Mar- the following link: https://scjusa.smugmug.com/Ordination-of-Frs-Long-Nguyen-SCJ-and-Hung-Pham-SCJ) tyrs Parish in Houston. (Photos by Mary Gorski)
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC SEPTEMBER 18, 2026
DIOCESE 7
Victim 0001: Friends recall Father Mychal Judge’s 9/11 loss and legacy shockingly pale as he was carried by five men. Since he lost his life, Father Judge – a friar for 47 years; a priest for 40 – has been hailed as a hero, suggested for sainthood, and praised as a selfless friend not only to first responders, but also to the poor, sick and forgotten of the Big Apple’s sometimes tough streets. Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack in recorded history, friends of Father Judge shared memories of his life Franciscan Father Mychal Judge, a and loss, and reflected on his legacy. chaplain with the New York Fire De“People would partment, is pictured in an undated often say about him, photo wearing his helmet and bunker when you talk to him coat. Father Judge died while giving it was like you were last rites to a firefighter in the af- the only person betermath of the terrorist attacks that fore him,” said Fabrought down the twin towers of the ther Kevin Mullen, a World Trade Center. This year marks Franciscan friar of the 25th anniversary of the attacks the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 and former president people in New York City and Shanks- of Siena University ville, Pa., and at the Pentagon. (OSV in Loudonville, New News photo/courtesy Holy Name York, where he curProvince Franciscans) rently teaches. “He engaged you fully; he was not lookBy Kimberley Heathering around for who he ington could talk to next. He was fully The offering placed before present to you,” Father Mullen the altar on Sept. 11, 2001, was told OSV News. “And that’s unlike any ever seen at St. Pe- what made a difference to a lot ter’s Catholic Church in Man- of people about Mychal Judge hattan’s Financial District: – they could talk to him, bare the lifeless body of 68-year-old their souls, share their good Franciscan friar and New York news, share their bad news. City Fire Department Chap- And he was going to be there lain Father Mychal Judge. for them.” He was killed when the – ‘He was there. He was 110 stories of the World Trade present’ – Center’s south tower collapsed On the morning of 9/11, at 9:59 a.m., blasting debris Father Mullen, stationed in a into the adjacent north tow- parish approximately 15 miles er lobby where Father Judge from midtown Manhattan, was was stationed. At the moment, responsible for a funeral liturhe reportedly was repeated- gy. ly praying, “Jesus, please end “I was aware before I startthis right now! God, please end ed the funeral that the first this!” He was shortly after- tower had collapsed,” he reward carried from the apoca- called. “And when I finished lyptic site. the funeral, I was told the Some four blocks away, second tower had collapsed. St. Peter’s own roof had So I knew things were getting been struck by landing gear worse.” from one of two hijacked jets That afternoon, he heard a smashed into both towers that radio announcement reporting morning. Father Judge’s jour- an injured fire chaplain at the ney there was captured in an World Trade Center. instantly iconic photo seen “And my gut said, ‘That’s worldwide – dust-covered, Mychal Judge,’” Father Mulslumped in a chair and already len said. “He was right across
the street from a fire station that responded immediately.” The church where Father Judge ministered and the friary where he lived, St. Francis of Assisi on West 31st Street, neighbored New York City Fire Department Engine 1/Ladder 24. “And I had no doubt he was down there,” Father Mullen said, referring to the disaster area. To confirm his suspicion, he called the regional head of his order. “As soon as he answered the phone – he didn’t even say, ‘Hello, Kevin’ – he just said, ‘It was Mychal.’ And I said, ‘I thought so.’ That’s how I learned.” Father Mullen said the already crushingly tragic day immediately became painfully personal. But nonetheless, he still found himself certain of one thing. “I felt that if Mychal was given his choice of how he would go out of this world, that would have been his choice: to be with the firefighters, literally going with his boots on. He was there. He was present.” – ‘He resided deeper in you than you understood’ – The first introduction Michael Daly – journalist and author of “The Book of Mychal: The Surprising Life and Heroic Death of Father Mychal Judge” from St. Martin’s Griffin – had to the priest was the sound of his and others’ laughter. And it was coming from, of all places, a hospital burn unit. Accompanying Patrick “Paddy” Brown – an FDNY captain who later died on 9/11 – Daly was there in 1994 to visit FDNY Captain John Drennan, who had been critically burned battling an apartment fire. “So I go in,” Daly recalled, “and there’s all these guys laughing because of something this priest said – and I’m thinking, ‘Who is this guy?’” On 9/11, Daly, a Catholic, was at the scene of the attack for the New York Daily News when the north tower collapsed. He remembers running for his life as a massive cloud of debris – chokingly dense with pulverized concrete, glass, metal and the contents of countless offices – rolled like a tsunami through the surrounding streets. He admits he was afterward “hazy about timing and hours and all that.” But he does know the air had finally cleared when FDNY Deputy Fire Chief Peter
Hayden told him Father Judge was dead. “And my knees just went,” recalled Daly, overwhelmed with shock. “I didn’t expect that; I didn’t know Mychal had been down there. Someone had called over the radio for the fire chaplain earlier. But I didn’t hear any response. And then – he’s gone, you know?” “I think he just …” Daly paused, searching for the right description. “He resided deeper in you than you understood.” – ‘A genius priest’ – Daly described Father Judge walking the streets of New York City in his brown Franciscan habit, greeting homeless people by their first names, praying with them and distributing neatly folded cash. Daly also recalled Father Judge often worked 16-hour days ministering at blazes and rescues – counseling firemen, their families and victims – and that he gently tended AIDS patients in an era when medical staff would not make physical contact. After Father Judge’s death, close friends and associates revealed he was gay – but by all accounts, maintained his vow of celibacy. The response of Kevin Shea, a firefighter at FDNY Engine 40/Ladder 35 in Manhattan’s Lincoln Square, apparently typified the reaction of other first responders. “He said,” Daly recalled, “Well, if you tell me Michael Judge was gay, I’ll tell you I just had my first gay friend.” While not “out” in the fire department, Daly said Father Judge told Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen, who was struggling with his son’s gay identity. “You know, he was a genius priest,” said Daly. “He just was.” – ‘I sat with his body for about an hour’ – Father Christopher Keenan, a friar of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, entered the Franciscans more than 60 years ago at Father Judge’s urging and became a FDNY chaplain after his friend’s death. On 9/11, he was helping in the emergency room at St. Vincent’s Hospital. About 2 miles from ground zero, St. Vincent’s staff were caring for the dust-caked and dazed people who had outrun the collapse of the towers. “I was connecting with their families to come pick them up. And about 2 o’clock in the afternoon, it kind of
stopped. I left at 5:30 to walk home from 12th to 31st Street,” Father Keenan recalled. “I had a shift of confessions at 6:00. I came out of the hospital, and there’s doctors and nurses and staff with stretchers – still waiting for all the people that never came.” Father Keenan had been looking for Father Judge. “So when I arrived at the firehouse across the street from St. Francis of Assisi Church, I asked the guys, had they heard from Mychal? And they said, ‘He died – and his body is in the back of the firehouse here.’ They had set up sheets and cordoned off a section, where his body was in a black bag. And so I sat with his body for about an hour.” Father Judge had been moved to Engine 1/Ladder 24 after temporarily lying in front of St. Peter’s altar. “Then the friars came from across the street. And the firefighters gathered that were there ... and we friars sang the Blessing of St. Francis … and then an ambulance took him to the morgue.” Father Keenan noted that six from the firehouse had also died. – Victim 0001 – Father Judge was later numbered victim DM (Disaster Manhattan) 0001-01 of 2,753 souls eventually tallied in New York City after the World Trade Towers crumpled into an infernal landscape of fiery and smoking rubble. Father Keenan himself would spend seven months assisting in that rubble with recovery efforts, afterward contracting several forms of cancer. In Washington that day, 184 were killed when hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. Another 40 aboard United Airlines Flight 93 died when a fourth hijacked plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field. “The 25th anniversary is going to be a very solemn time,” Father Mullen said. “And I hope we have that consciousness still alive in our country – that this is very, very painful, especially for the families,” he shared. “Because a lot of people have just taken this event for granted: ‘Well, that’s history – it happened, it’s over,’ he said. “But it’s never over for those families. Never, ever, over.” (Kimberley Heatherington is an OSV News correspondent. She writes from Virginia.)
SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
8 DIOCESE
A winding road to religious life “God wanted me to belong completely to Him,” she said. “I had no idea what that looked like or how to achieve this, but I blindly resolved to try.” She began attending RCIA (now OCIA) at St. James the Greater Parish in Tupelo, where she credits Father Lincoln Dall with patiently helping her find answers to questions about God, Christian life and prayer. At the Easter Vigil in 2016, she was confirmed and received her first Holy Communion. “It was the best moment of my life,” she said. “I truly can’t imagine how my life would be if I had not entered the Church.” Her journey eventually brought her to the Archdiocese of Mobile. Sister Damiana moved to Mobile in January 2019 to seriously discern religious life with a community in Sister Damiana Pickett professed her the archdiocese. She eventually first vows with the Congregation of found a parish home at St. Thomas Albertine Sisters Serving the Poor in the Apostle Parish in Chickasaw. But in 2021, she said she was disKraków, Poland on Sept. 8. (Photo couraged from applying to enter the courtesy of Sister Damiana Pickett) community she had been discerning with after it was determined she By Rob Herbst, The Catholic was unlikely to do well in its formation Week program. MOBILE – When Sister Damiana The setback left her questioning Pickett professed her first religious what she believed God had placed in vows Sept. 8 in Kraków, Poland, it her heart. marked another step in a journey of She credits St. Thomas pastor Fafaith that has included conversion, disther William Saucier with helping her appointment, perseverance and a call through the disappointment. to serve those in need. “Father William Saucier was inThe 38-year-old Greenville, Missiscredibly supportive during this time, sippi, native, who once rejected Chrislistening to my pain but always entianity and did not enter the Catholic couraging me to start again,” she said. Church until age 27, will profess vows “Without his support, I don’t think I of poverty, chastity and obedience with would have had the courage to go ‘back the Congregation of Albertine Sisters to square one’ and start contacting othServing the Poor. er religious communities.” For Sister Damiana, formerly Zola She did just that. Pickett, the path to religious life has In January 2022, Sister Damiana hardly been a straight one. entered formation with a contemplaShe was raised in a Protestant famitive community in Minnesota and said ly and remembers enjoying church as a she was happy there. But an encounyoung girl, particularly singing hymns ter with a homeless woman led her to and learning Bible stories in Sunday question whether God was calling her school. But by about age 11, she began elsewhere. wrestling with questions about her With her superior’s blessing, she faith and said she could not find the anbegan looking for communities whose swers she was seeking. apostolates involved direct service to She eventually rejected Christianithose experiencing homelessness. ty during her teenage and young adult Her search led her to the Albertine years, a period she said was increasingSisters. ly affected by alcohol and drug abuse. Founded in Kraków in 1891 by That changed Oct. 15, 2015. St. Brother Albert Chmielowski and Sister Damiana described that night Blessed Sister Bernardyna Jabłońska, as her “road to Damascus” moment. the Congregation of Albertine Sisters “God gave a small whisper of grace Serving the Poor is an international into my heart that blinded my undercongregation of pontifical right and standing with this intense light: He has part of the Third Order Franciscan traloved me tremendously from the begindition. ning of time, through every difficulty Its charism, Sister Damiana exof my life, and He is always patiently plained, is to see the suffering Christ in waiting for His children to return to each person and “to pour out our lives Him,” she said in an email interview. doing good for all.” While she keeps the words she exThe sisters serve in shelters and perienced that night between herself soup kitchens for the homeless and and God, Sister Damiana said she came poor, assisted living homes for people away with one unmistakable realizawith physical or intellectual disabilition.
ties and homes for retired priests. They also perform mission work in Bolivia, Argentina and Ukraine. The congregation has three houses in the United States, including its American motherhouse in Hammond, Indiana, near Chicago. Sister Damiana said reading about the congregation and its founder immediately struck a chord. “I immediately felt like Saint Brother Albert understood my desires very deeply,” she said. She contacted the congregation’s American motherhouse and was welcomed for a visit. During the Easter octave in 2023, she left the contemplative community to continue following where she believed God was leading her. That journey ultimately took her to Kraków and two years in the novitiate. Her religious name also reflects her desire to serve those who may be overlooked. In 2020, Sister Damiana worked as a certified nursing assistant in a nursing home and was among the few CNAs who volunteered to work with COVID-positive residents when needed. During that time, St. Damien of Molokai, who ministered to people with leprosy in Hawaii, became a personal patron. After joining the Albertines, she said she began reflecting on how the “leprosy” of sin can isolate people from God, others and even themselves. “When I entered the novitiate and was able to choose my religious name, I knew it had to be Damiana,” she said. During her first profession, Sister
Damiana made vows of poverty, chastity and obedience that will be binding for one year. She described poverty as sharing everything she is and has while keeping nothing for herself; chastity as loving God with an undivided heart and seeking Him and His kingdom; and obedience as seeking God’s will while setting aside her own preferences. “In a certain sense, my religious life is only beginning on the day of my first vows,” she said. “My past two years of novitiate have been a time of preparation to live by these promises.” Sister Damiana will remain in Kraków following her first profession. When she renews her vows next year, she could receive a new assignment. For those discerning their own vocation, Sister Damiana recommends daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, the Rosary and making time for silence with God – even if only for five minutes. But she has a particular message for those whose vocational journey has included the kind of disappointment she experienced. “Don’t give up on God’s plan for you,” Sister Damiana said. “Our God turns bottomless oceans into dry land for us to walk across. Don’t listen to your fears; trust in God and let Him show you the path which He has set out for you.” As her own path leads to the altar in Kraków, Sister Damiana is also asking for prayers. “Please pray for me, my superiors, and all my sisters, that we may be beacons of hope and instruments of the Holy Spirit for the people we encounter in our lives and ministries.”
In memoriam: Sister Emily Morgan, RSM Sister Emily Katherine Morgan, a Sister of Mercy of the Americas who served for 71 years, died on July 29, 2026, at Catherine’s Residence, the Mercy Retirement Center in Frontenac, Missouri. She was two days shy of her 91st birthday. Sister Emily graduated from Mercy High School in St. Louis in 1953 and entered the Sisters of Mercy that same year, making final vows in 1960. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1958 and taught in elementary schools in Portageville, St. Louis and Sikeston, Missouri; Little Rock, Arkansas; and McAllen and Mission, Texas. In 1984, answering the Second Vatican Council’s call for missioners, she studied at the IDEAL Language School in Cuernavaca, Mexico, after completing a master’s degree in theology at the University of Notre Dame in 1971. She then served as pastoral associate at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Raymondville, Texas, ministering in three parishes and five missions until 2007. Following
a brief sabbatical, she became pastoral assistant at Christ the King Parish in Southaven, Mississippi, where she launched the diocesan program for the laity, supported the Spanish-speaking ministry and coordinated music for the church choirs, until retiring in 2022. A woman of many talents, Sister Emily put them all to work for the church for more than 70 years. An accomplished musician, she brought music wherever she went. At the heart of her life was a deep commitment to opening the Scriptures to adult lay people in weekly gatherings, preparing new apostles to share the Gospel. A private Celebration of Life and Memorial Mass was held Aug. 3 at Catherine’s Residence Chapel.
CALLED. FORMED. SENT.
The men preparing to shepherd the Church of Mississippi Every priestly vocation begins with a call. For some, that call comes quietly, growing over years. For others, it arrives unexpectedly – in a chapel, at Mass, from a Newman Center, during a retreat or through the witness of another priest. For still others, it begins simply as a persistent desire that refuses to go away. But a call to the priesthood is not the end of the journey. It is the beginning. Today, the Diocese of Jackson is witnessing a growing number of men responding to that invitation. After years of having approximately six seminarians in formation, the Diocese is now working toward an ambitious goal: 33 seminarians by 2030. Behind that number are real men with different stories, different backgrounds and different gifts – but one shared desire: to discover God's will and, if called, give their lives in service to His Church. Through the United In Mission Capital Campaign, the diocese is making a $10 million investment in that future through a Permanent Seminarian Education Endowment. The goal is not simply to fund seminarians. It is to help form the shepherds who will one day serve Mississippi's Catholic families, parishes and communities.
CALLED.
DID YOU KNOW?
6
Approximate number of seminarians in formation each year for the past decade.
Every vocation begins with a "yes."
I knew God was calling me to the priesthood when I felt a huge desire to consecrate and give Communion.
”
“
During a homily, my pastor reminded us that the Church needs priests. I began to pray – and my desire gradually changed.
– Henry Haley
Number of seminarians in formation for the Diocese of Jackson in 2026.
33
Our Goal! Thirty-three seminarians by the year 2030 for the Diocese of Jackson.
The first stirring I felt toward the priesthood came on a youth retreat at Steubenville. Father Mike Schmitz brought the Eucharist before me, and as I looked at Jesus face to face, I prayed the truest prayer I had ever prayed: ‘Thy will be done.’
”
– James Villaseñor
12
– Grayson Foley
CALLED.
Every vocation begins with a "yes."
Discernment does not require having every answer at the beginning. It begins with openness – a willingness to listen for God’s call and follow him one step at a time.
At times I’ve been temped to leave. But Jesus’ words ‘To whom shall we go, Lord?’ keeps me anchored. The answer is increasingly clear – nowhere else.
”
“
– EJ Martin
I was raised Methodist and considered seminary, but my journey led to the Catholic Church and my call to priesthood took shape.
– Josh Statham
A vocation is personal – but it is never lived alone.
FORMED.
A call must be tested, strengthened and formed.
Answering God’s call does not mean immediately becoming a priest. It means entering a process of formation designed to shape the whole person – spiritually, intellectually, pastorally and humanly. For the seminarians of the Diocese of Jackson, that means a daily – Joe Pearson rhythm that can look very different from the lives they once knew. A typical day begins around 5:15 a.m. with a Holy Hour, Morning Prayer and Mass. Classes follow, along with study, exercise, community prayer and the rest of the responsibilities of seminary life. These young men balance classes and prayer with sports and time with friends. The details vary day to day. The purpose does not. Seminary formation is teaching these men not simply how to become priests, but how to become holy men who can give themselves to the people of God. Father Nick emphasizes that strong formation is essential because priesthood is more than a desire to help people. “These men are being called to be spouses ... of the Church,” he explains, comparing the priest’s vocation to the self-giving love of a husband and father. That requires formation. It requires prayer, study, spiritual direction, pastoral experience, fraternity and a willingness to be challenged and changed.
God works through every part of priestly formation, especially moments of difficulty. These challenges teach us to trust where he is leading and allow his strength to shine through our weakness.
Father Nick Adam, diocesan vocation director, and Father Tristan Stovall, assistant vocation director, accompany men discerning God’s call. Their ministry reflects a central truth: Vocations grow through relationships. Father Nick knows this firsthand. Returning to Mass after college, he nervously entered St. Patrick Parish in Meridian and found welcome, belonging and his first clear desire to become a priest. “We need to cultivate relationships with the young Church,” he says. Friendship with Jesus is at the heart of Catholic life – and often where a vocation begins. Father Tristan’s advice to men discerning is simple: Pay attention to the desire. You do not need every answer. You only need to be willing to ask God.
A Day in the Life of a Seminarian
5:15 AM Prayer & Holy Hour
6:30 AM Mass
8:00 AM Classes
12:00 PM Study & Personal Prayer
2:30 PM Pastoral Formation
5:30 PM Community & Fellowship
8:00 PM Evening Prayer & Reflection
18 de septiembre de 2026
mississippicatholic.com
Sirviendo a los Católicos Hispanos de la Diócesis de Jackson desde 1997
Padre Tom Mullally, SVD: Seis décadas de un 'sí' misionero POR JOANNA PUDDISTER KING
a su madre a cargo de cinco hijos. Algunos de sus recuerdos más enGREENVILLE – Para el padre trañables de la infancia son los veraThomas Mullally, la Sociedad del Vernos pasados en la granja de sus abuebo Divino, y 60 años de vida religiosa los en Vassar, Michigan. La vida en la se pueden medir en fechas y lugares, granja le inculcó lecciones de trabajo desde una pequeña comunidad de duro, responsabilidad, perseveranMichigan hasta parroquias de Luisicia, sencillez y preocupación por los ana, Arkansas y Mississippi. demás, cualidades que lo han acomPero tal vez una mejor medida si se pañado en el ministerio misionero. encuentra en la gente. Tras graduarse del instituto VasVinieron de comunidades de las sar en 1960, ingresó en el Seminario que el padre Mullally ha servido a lo del Verbo Divino. largo de las décadas para celebrar su El 8 de septiembre de 1966, el pa60º aniversario de profesión religiosa dre Mullally profesó sus primeros con la Sociedad de la Palabra Divina. votos religiosos con la Sociedad de Durante la celebración, se pidió a los la Palabra Divina. Profesó sus votos representantes de las parroquias de perpetuos cuatro años después, el 8 Arkansas, Luisiana y Mississippi que de septiembre de 1970, y fue ordenado se pusieran de pie, un recordatorio sacerdote el 19 de diciembre de 1970 en visible de las vidas y comunidades que Techny, Illinois. se han cruzado con su ministerio. Su ministerio lo llevó por toda la Mirando hacia atrás a esos años, el Provincia Sur de los Misioneros de la padre Mullally dijo que una lección se ha mantenido notablemente constan- GREENVILLE – El padre Tom Mullally, SVD (a la izquierda), luce una amplia Palabra Divina, con asignaciones en te: el ministerio comienza por estar sonrisa mientras recorre el pasillo junto al obispo Joseph Kopacz y el padre Luisiana y Arkansas antes de finalAugustine "Gus" Wall, SVD, tras la celebración del 60.º aniversario de su mente llevarlo a Mississippi. cerca de las personas. El padre Mullally llegó a la Del"Si eres bueno con la gente, com- profesión religiosa en la Sociedad del Verbo Divino. (Foto de Joanna King) ta en 2008, sirviendo a comunidades pasivo y misericordioso, te quieren", católicas como el Sagrado Corazón en Greenville, St. Francis en Shaw, la Inmacdijo. Dijo que las parroquias más pequeñas le han dado algo particularmente vali- ulada Concepción en Indianola y San Benito el Moro en Indianola, así como a comunidades en Shelby y Mound Bayou y en la Penitenciaría Estatal de Mississippi oso: tiempo para conocer a las personas a las que sirve. “Las parroquias más pequeñas te dan más tiempo. Llegas a conocer a la en Parchman. Se retiró del ministerio activo en diciembre de 2020, pero no del ministerio gente mejor", dijo el padre Mullally, describiendo la cercanía de una parroquia sacerdotal. Hoy continúa sirviendo como sacerdote residente en Sacred Heart en pequeña como "como una familia.” Nacido el 9 de noviembre de 1942 en Emmett, Michigan, el padre Mullally fue Greenville y St. Francis en Shaw. el cuarto de cinco hijos de John y Ann Mullally. Su padre falleció en 1949, dejando – Continúa en la página 2 –
Con una Misa y vigilia en Houston, los fieles honran a un inmigrante asesinado, expresan su dolor y piden justicia POR JAMES RAMOS
HOUSTON (OSV News) – La muerte de Lorenzo Salgado Araujo tras un encuentro con agentes federales de inmigración ha conmocionado a una de las comunidades de inmigrantes más arraigadas de Houston. Desde su muerte el 7 de julio, familiares, defensores de la comunidad y líderes de la Iglesia han cuestionado las circunstancias que rodearon su fallecimiento y han exigido que se rindan cuentas y se lleve a cabo una investigación exhaustiva. El lugar donde murió se encuentra en el corazón de Magnolia Park de Magnolia Park, un barrio construido por generaciones de familias méxico-americanas e inmigrantes. A lo largo de la calle Canal, las taquerías, las refresquerías y las carnicerías comparten cuadras con casas modestas, tiendas antiguas y negocios familiares que han sido un referente del East End durante décadas. A solo una cuadra de distancia, la calle Canal se cruza con la avenida South Sgt. Macario García, que lleva el nombre del inmigrante mexicano y héroe de la Segunda Guerra Mundial quien se convirtió en
el primer mexicano nacido en México en recibir la Medalla de Honor. La historia no se siente lejana en Magnolia Park. Está entretejida en los letreros de las calles. El 25 de julio, más de 300 católicos, clérigos, familiares y simpatizantes de la comunidad se reunieron en Magnolia Park para una Misa de vigilia en honor a Salgado Araujo. Cientos de personas más se sumaron a una procesión de oración de 1,5 millas y una vigilia a la luz de las velas ese mismo día. Justo antes de que cayera el atardecer sobre la calle Canal, donde terminó la procesión, y cientos de velas de la vigilia comenzaron a brillar contra la luz que se desvanecía en el East End, Ronaldo Salgado Araujo se alejó discretamente de la multitud. No dijo nada. Simplemente caminó hasta un tramo de pavimento en la cuadra 6800 de la calle Canal, se agachó y tocó el suelo donde su padre había fallecido 18 días antes. El momento duró apenas unos segundos, reflejando el tono sombrío de un día marcado por la oración y los pedidos de respuestas. La tarde comenzó en la Iglesia del Inmaculado Corazón de María, un pilar de Magnolia Park, donde
los fieles llenaron los bancos mientras el arzobispo Joe S. Vásquez de Galveston-Houston celebraba la Misa y hacía un llamado tanto a la compasión como a la reforma. "La dignidad humana y la seguridad nacional no están en conflicto", dijo el arzobispo Vásquez a la congregación en español. "Ambas son posibles si las personas de buena voluntad trabajan juntas". Durante la Misa, el arzobispo Vásquez reconoció el dolor que rodea la muerte de Salgado Araujo, al tiempo que la situó dentro de un marco moral más amplio. "Como católicos que creemos que todas las personas son creadas a imagen y semejanza de Dios", dijo, "lamentamos todas las situaciones en las que la vida humana llega a un final antinatural". El arzobispo Vásquez también evocó su declaración del 15 de julio tras la muerte de Salgado Araujo, al pedir una reforma migratoria significativa y el fin de las deportaciones indiscriminadas. "Los Obispos Católicos estadounidenses han pedido repetidamente esfuerzos de aplicación (de la ley) que sean dirigidos, proporcionales y humanos", escribió el arzobispo Vásquez en ese entonces, y agregó
18 de septiembre de 2026 MISSISSIPPI CATÓLICO
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'... Padre Tom es que está presente para nosotros ...' – Viene de la página 1 –
Casi dos décadas en la Delta le han dado al padre Mullally una apreciación particular por la fe de sus comunidades católicas. Cuando le preguntaron qué le habían enseñado la gente de la Delta sobre la fe, su respuesta fue sencilla: "Eligieron ser católicos." Habló especialmente sobre los católicos negros que siguen comprometidos con la iglesia mientras viven en comunidades donde los católicos son una pequeña minoría. "Eligieron ser negros y católicos. Eso es un compromiso", dijo el padre Mullally. "Eligieron ser católicos y seguir siendo católicos. Eso es fe. Eso es lealtad a la iglesia." El padre Mullally también ha vivido nuevas experiencias durante sus años en la Delta, incluyendo el ministerio de la creciente comunidad católica hispana. Aunque no habla español más allá de unas pocas palabras, dijo que ha aprendido que la comunicación en el ministerio va más allá del idioma. “El núcleo del corazón es tan importante", dijo el
padre Mullally. "Porque saben que los quieres, y que tienes compasión por ellos." En la misa de su aniversario, el padre Augustine "Gus" Wall, SVD, reflexionó sobre una característica que cree ha definido la vida misionera del padre Mullally: la presencia. “Una cosa de la que estoy seguro es de que todos hemos experimentado sobre el padre Tom es que está presente para nosotros", dijo el padre Wall. "Si tienes alegría en tu vida, quiere oírla. Y rezará contigo por ella. Si estás pasando por algún ... problema, quiere oírla aún más." Los feligreses compartieron recuerdos similares. Uno describió al padre Mullally como alguien que escuchaba y ofrecía buenos consejos cuando necesitaba hablar con alguien. Otro recordó su presencia en los hogares de los feligreses – bendiciendo hogares, compartiendo comidas y convirtiéndose en parte de la vida e historia de la comunidad. Durante la celebración de su aniversario, el padre Mullally se puso de pie con una vela en la mano y renovó los votos de castidad, pobreza y obediencia que profesó por primera vez hace seis décadas.
Tras la renovación de los votos, el padre Mullally se emocionó al dar gracias a Dios y reflexionar sobre alcanzar un hito que antes no estaba seguro de alcanzar. “Solo doy gracias a Dios. No pensé que lo lograría", dijo entre lágrimas. El obispo Joseph R. Kopacz, que conoce al padre Mullally desde hace más de una década de su sacerdocio, señaló el contraste entre el joven misionero de la Palabra Divina que profesó votos a los 23 años en 1966 y el sacerdote que celebra seis décadas de vida religiosa en el 2026. Los años han cambiado algunas cosas, bromeó el obispo, pero no el deseo del padre Mullally de servir. “Ya no baila físicamente como antes", dijo el obispo Kopacz. "Pero baila en su corazón.” Sesenta años después de su primera profesión, el viaje misionero del padre Mullally continúa: aún establecido en la gente, siguiendo centrado en las relaciones y respondiendo al llamado que por primera vez llevó a un joven de la zona rural de Michigan a la Sociedad de la Palabra Divina.
' ... Se necesita justicia para todos, para todas las víctimas ...' tráfico que pasaba. Los conductores tocaban la bocina en señal de apoyo. Algunos saludaban que una reforma duradera requiere con la mano desde las ventanas abier"diálogo pacífico, respeto mutuo y un tas. Otros levantaban los puños. compromiso con la caridad". Durante la mayor parte del recorri"Solo con la ayuda de Cristo y trado, Ronaldo Salgado Araujo llevó una bajando juntos tendremos una nación gran cruz de madera adornada con bajo Dios, con libertad y justicia para rosas que sobresalía por encima de la todos", expresó. procesión, proyectando a menudo una Entre los familiares de Salgado larga sombra sobre Navigation BouleAraujo que asistieron a la Misa se envard mientras las nubes dejaban encontraba su hijo de 29 años, Ronaldo, trever el sol poniente. quien junto con su novia llevó las ofA veces la apretaba con fuerza conrendas durante la procesión del ofertra su rostro. Otras veces se apoyaba torio. en ella mientras las oraciones y los Después de la Misa, los fieles sacánticos continuaban a su alrededor. lieron al intenso calor de Houston y se Lázaro Contreras, director del minreunieron en las afueras de la iglesia. isterio hispano de la Arquidiócesis de El obispo auxiliar Italo Dell’Oro, de Galveston-Houston, dijo que la presenGalveston-Houston, quien concelebró cia de la Iglesia tenía buscaba mostrar la Misa junto con varios otros sacerque acompaña tanto a la familia como a la comunidad en general. "La Iglesia siempre está con nosotros en cada dimensión de nuestras vidas, y esta es una de ellas", dijo Contreras. "La presencia de nuestros obispos, nuestros pastores, acompañando a su rebaño es muy importante para la familia y para la comunidad". Hablando en inglés, Contreras dijo que la historia de Salgado Araujo nos conmueve porque nos resulta familiar. Lo describió como un padre trabajador que pasó años construyendo una vida y ayudando a sus hijos a salir adelante. "De diferentes maneras, muchos de nosotros sentimos que él representa a nuestros padres y a nuestras familias", dijo Contreras. Las preocupaciones sobre la aplicación de las leyes de inmigración siguen surgiendo en toda la arRonaldo Salgado Araujo, de 29 años, hijo de Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, quien quidiócesis, señaló. "Algunas personas me llamaron y falleció tras un encuentro con agentes federales de inmigración en el barrio me dijeron: ‘Esto ha pasado en nuesde Magnolia Park, en Houston, el 7 de julio de 2026, habla durante una protra comunidad. Algunos de nuestros cesión y vigilia de oración celebrada el 25 de julio en Magnolia Park. (Foto miembros han sido detenidos y se los
– Viene de la página 1 –
dotes locales, impartió una bendición antes de que comenzara la caminata. Pronto, la procesión se extendió a lo largo de varias cuadras antes de terminar en el lugar donde murió Salgado Araujo. El clero caminó junto a los feligreses. Las religiosas se abrían paso entre la multitud llevando velas, pancartas y rosarios. Líderes religiosos de diversas tradiciones se unieron a la procesión, organizada por una coalición interreligiosa con el apoyo de la Congregación de las Hermanas de la Caridad del Verbo Encarnado. Mientras caminaban, los participantes rezaban el rosario y la coronilla de la Divina Misericordia en inglés y español. Los himnos flotaban entre las oraciones. Las respuestas resonaban en los almacenes, los escaparates y el
de OSV News/James Ramos, Texas Catholic Herald)
han llevado’", contó Contreras. "Es algo que está ocurriendo en este momento". Muchos católicos, dijo, buscan orientación en medio de la incertidumbre. "Buscan orientación y refugio", dijo Contreras. "En estos momentos, quieren saber que la Iglesia está de su lado y defiende su dignidad". Una vez que los fieles llegaron a la calle Canal, Ronaldo Salgado Araujo llevó la cruz hasta una casa cercana al lugar donde murió su padre y la dejó allí. Se dirigió a los asistentes a la vigilia, agradeciendo a quienes "nos están apoyando y exigiendo justicia para mi padre". Sin embargo, instó a los presentes a no enfocarse únicamente en la pérdida de su familia y mencionó a Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, un inmigrante colombiano de 25 años, padre de familia, que murió de un disparo durante una operación del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de EE.UU. (ICE) el 13 de julio en Biddeford, Maine. Las autoridades federales afirmaron posteriormente que Durán Guerrero no era el objetivo previsto. "Por favor, no olviden que Johan aún necesita justicia", dijo Ronaldo Salgado Araujo. "Se necesita justicia para todos, para todas las víctimas". A continuación, citó las palabras del reverendo Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. de la "Carta desde la cárcel de Birmingham" de 1963, diciendo: "La injusticia en cualquier lugar es una amenaza para la justicia en todas partes". (James Ramos es editor de contenidos del Texas Catholic Herald, periódico de la Arquidiócesis de Galveston-Houston. Este artículo fue publicado originalmente por el Texas Catholic Herald y distribuido a través de una colaboración con OSV News.)
18 de septiembre de 2026 MISSISSIPPI CATÓLICO
Unidos en la misión, anclados en la oración POR OBISPO JOSEPH R. KOPACZ, D.D.
pan y a la oración" (Hechos 2:42). Dos capítulos después leemos que "toeran uno de corazón y mente" (4:32). La Campaña Capital de, Unidos en la Misión, Formando Pastores dos los creyentes Unidos en la oración, todos estamos invitados a ser uno en ducir + Fortaleciendo Parroquias, ha comenzado a promente y corazón para el florecimiento de nuestra raíces y a ampliar sus alas por familia diocesana, el Cuerpo de Cristo. Inevitabletoda la diócesis. No cabe mente, habrá diferencias de opinión, incertidumbre duda de que la experieny ansiedad por una empresa tan importante que escia de nuestra Fundación tamos emprendiendo. Sin embargo, el Señor nos llaCatólica y Asuntos Tempoma a caminar juntos con paciencia, respeto y bondad, rales Diocesanos, en colabodos en la oración diaria, en la Eucaristía, especialmente ración con nuestros organizadores dedicaen el Día del Señor, y en comunión, todo ello vestidos por el de campana altamente experiabrazo de Dios en nuestra Única, Santa, católica y Apostólimentados, Guidance in Giving, ha ca tradición bajo la mirada del Espíritu Santo. producido un caso claro y convincente A lo largo del camino, se nos pedirá a cada uno de nosotros que que ya está captando tracción para esta consideremos en oración como dios nos está dirigiendo para estar unidos en primera campaña diocesana. Sin embargo, el motor que impulsa este autobús no la misión. Confiamos este esfuerzo a la intercesión de nuestra Santísima Madre, es tanto una cuestión de las mejores prácticas en recau- cuya presencia en Pentecostés fue fuente de consuelo y paz para los discípulos, dación de fondos y dinámica organizativa, por esencia- unidos en misión en una ansiosa anticipación de ser vestidos con poder desde lo alto. les que sean, sino de la oración. Los fieles de la diócesis han estado sembrando las semillas de esta campaña con oraciones fieles para vocaLa Esquina del Papa ciones del sacerdocio y para la vida religiosa durante los últimos 12 años y medio de mi mandato como obispo, y sin duda mucho antes. Durante este tiempo, el Espíritu Santo ha despertado a muchos en la Iglesia Católica para valorar el don del sacerdocio, la vida sacramental que de él fluye y el liderpasado, el Papa León afirmó que, escrutar a fondo los signos de la época, BY JOSEPHINE PETERSON azgo espiritual en nuestros ministeriCIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) – por el contrario, los cristianos están enfrentando "problemas urgentes os. Los fieles están llamados a dejar atrás llamados a compartir la vida de la como el progreso tecnológico que solo Anclados en la oración, el Espíritu beneficia a unos pocos y la persistencia "toda pasividad e indiferencia ante los humanidad tal como lo hizo Cristo. Santo ha elevado un fuerte ministerio de la pobreza generalizada". Esa cercanía a la humanidad, acontecimientos que se producen, ante diocesano de vocaciones y ha abierto Sus comentarios se produjeron la historia y la vida de las personas, señaló el Papa, también abre el los corazones y mentes de muchos cansobre todo ante el cambio rápido y camino a una comprensión más meses después de la publicación de didatos más viables para discernir una profundo que experimentamos hoy", profunda de los acontecimientos y de su primera encíclica, "Magnifica vocación al sacerdocio. De hecho, primHumanitas", en la que detallaba dijo el Papa León XIV en su audiencia la propia Revelación. ero hemos buscado el Reino de Dios "No se trata, de hecho, de una su visión sobre las implicaciones general. (Mateo 6:33); hemos suplicado al Mae"No es posible permanecer como disposición simplemente moral", globales de la inteligencia artificial stro de la Cosecha, como el Señor nos y advertía contra permitir que el espectadores desinteresados, es afirmó. ordenó (Mateo 9:35-38); ahora debemos Dirigiéndose a los peregrinos de desarrollo tecnológico avance sin dar necesario, en cambio, escuchar seguir siendo fieles en la oración para con el corazón, dejarse interpelar, habla inglesa, el Papa León afirmó prioridad a la dignidad humana. que la campaña Unidos en la Misión dé "En nuestros días, marcados involucrarse", dijo el Papa el 2 de que es responsabilidad pastoral de fruto a una cosecha abundante para la septiembre en la Plaza de San Pedro. la Iglesia relacionarse con el mundo por profundos cambios y mucha formación de futuros pastores. compartir sus injusticia, cada uno de nosotros está "Con Cristo y sostenidos por la contemporáneo, El segundo de dos pilares pastorales alegrías y tristezas, y defender a los llamado, pues, a desempeñar su papel fuerza de su Espíritu, los creyentes esenciales de nuestra campaña es el al acoger y escuchar las preguntas y están llamados a hacerse cargo de las pobres y marginados. fortalecimiento de las parroquias. Con La Iglesia, dijo, también debe anhelos más profundos del corazón dificultades de los hermanos, sobre 65 condados, la diócesis está compueshumano, haciendo todo de aquellos que ta por un panorama de parroquias, a presente ante todos el se ven oprimidos menudo con necesidades, oportuniamor misericordioso por la injusticia, por dades y limitaciones únicas. Durante de Cristo nuestro la discriminación, nuestro reciente encuentro diocesano Salvador", dijo el Papa por la violencia", de Reimaginación Pastoral, cada para los angloparlantes. afirmó durante su roquia fue invitada a discutir, discernir Durante un catequesis principal. y orar sobre cómo podría florecer meperíodo de profundos El Papa León jor bajo la mirada del Espíritu Santo. cambios que inició una nueva Invocamos de nuevo al Espíritu Sanestá generando serie de reflexiones to para que cada parroquia de la cam"desequilibrios sobre la constitución paña Unidos en la misión se pueda conpreocupantes", el pastoral del struir sobre la Reimaginación Pastoral Papa León afirmó que Concilio Vaticano e identificar necesidades, oportunila Iglesia está llamada II "Gaudium et dades y sueños que puedan abordarse a servir a la persona Spes", que examina con recursos financieros futuros que humana al escuchar la relación entre la de otro modo no se materializarían. Los "los interrogantes Iglesia y el mundo pastores, el liderazgo parroquial y los más profundos de su moderno. feligreses pueden caminar juntos como corazón y los anhelos Recordando discípulos corresponsables edificando que lo habitan". la advertencia de el cuerpo del Señor en su parroquia. La Iglesia debe San Juan XXIII La primera comunidad cristiana orientar a las contra los "profetas en Jerusalén, tal como se recoge en los personas hacia Cristo, de calamidades", Hechos de los Apóstoles, es el estándar q u i e n e s El Papa León XIV saluda a visitantes y peregrinos desde el pa- dijo, como "la clave, el para todas las comunidades parroquiconsideraban que pamóvil mientras recorre la Plaza de San Pedro, en el Vaticano, centro y el fin de toda ales y diócesis en todas las épocas. "Se su propia época antes de su audiencia general semanal, celebrada el 2 de septiem- la historia humana". entregaron a la enseñanza y a la comuera peor que el bre de 2026. (Foto CNS/Lola Gomez) nión de los apóstoles, a la partida del
Los católicos no pueden ser 'espectadores desinteresados' ante los acontecimientos actuales, dice el Papa León
18 de septiembre de 2026 MISSISSIPPI CATÓLICO Jarvis, feligrés de San Miguel en Annandale, quien se retiró de la Fuerza Aérea de EE. UU. y ahora trabaja en apoyo del Estado Mayor Conjunto. El vuelo 77 fue uno de los cuatro aviones de línea secuestrados que se utilizaron en los ataques terroristas de ese día, en los que murieron 2.977 personas en todo el país y miles más resultaron heridas.
VATICANO
ARLINGTON, Virginia (OSV News) – Veinticinco años después de que el vuelo 77 de American Airlines se estrellara contra el Pentágono a las 9:37 a. m. del 11 de septiembre de 2001, causando la muerte de 184 personas, el lugar del ataque sirve tanto como sitio de recuerdo como de reflexión. El accidente se cobró la vida de 125 personas que se encontraban dentro del Pentágono, así como la de los 53 pasajeros y los seis miembros de la tripulación del avión. La fachada reparada del Pentágono aún luce un poco más brillante y el área exterior de esa parte del edificio es ahora el Monumento Nacional del Pentágono al 11 de septiembre. Hay 184 bancos de acero inoxidable, uno por cada persona que perdió la vida allí. Cada banco lleva el nombre y la edad de la víctima y se encuentra sobre un estanque poco profundo. Dentro del edificio, la Capilla Conmemorativa del Pentágono, inaugurada en el primer aniversario de los ataques, sigue siendo una fuente de consuelo. “Por la mañana, me arrodillo afuera de la puerta porque sé que el Señor está ahí dentro, y al final del día”, dijo Steven
MUNDO
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (OSV News) – La ciudad portuaria peruana de Callao está preparando una impresionante bienvenida para el Papa León XIV antes de su visita en noviembre: una estatua de 45.9 pies de altura que, según las autoridades municipales, será el monumento más grande dedicado al pontífice en todo el mundo. La escultura, de acero y mármol, estará ubicada frente al Océano Pacífico y representa al papa con los brazos abiertos; se espera que esté instalada antes de su llegada el 11 de noviembre. El alcalde César Pérez dijo que el proyecto tiene como objetivo promover la fe, la esperanza y la unidad, con un terreno para el parque donado por la ciudad y financiamiento proporcionado por una empresa privada. El homenaje destaca el fuerte vínculo del papa León con Perú, donde obtuvo la ciudadanía mientras se desempeñaba como obispo de Chiclayo y, posteriormente, se desempeñó como administrador apostólico de Callao durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Los líderes de la Iglesia esperan que el viaje fortalezca la unidad nacional y ponga de relieve el mensaje de diálogo del papa León, especialmente en Perú, donde el entusiasmo por su regreso a casa sigue siendo alto. Se espera que el papa Leo visite Lima, Chiclayo, Pucallpa y Cusco entre el 11 y el 17 de noviembre. Los observadores señalan que el viaje abarca las tres regiones del país: la costa, la sierra y la selva. La visita a Perú concluirá el primer viaje del papa por Sudamérica, que también incluye a Uruguay y Argentina.
CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (OSV News) – Mientras los cristianos celebran el Tiempo de la Creación, el Papa León XIV dedica su intención de oración de septiembre al cuidado del agua, destacando tanto su significado espiritual como la crisis mundial de acceso al agua potable. En un video publicado el 1 de septiembre, el Papa hizo un llamado a los católicos para que rechacen el desperdicio y la contaminación, y defiendan el acceso al agua potable como un derecho humano fundamental. Su llamado se produce en un momento en que las agencias de la ONU estiman que 2.1 mil millones de personas aún carecen de agua potable gestionada de manera segura, y que millones dependen de fuentes no tratadas, como ríos y lagos. El Tiempo de la Creación se extiende desde el 1 de septiembre, Día Mundial de Oración por el Cuidado de la Creación, hasta el 4 de octubre, fiesta de San Francisco de Asís. El Vírgenes, Santos y tema de este año, "Agua viva", Días Festivos se centra en la creciente escasez de agua dulce y el acDía de la Independecia de Chile. ceso desigual a ella en todo 18 de septiembre el mundo. La Red Mundial de Oración del Papa señaló que San Mateo. esta intención es también un 21 de septiembre
La esposa de Bishi Pandey, quien falleció en las mortíferas inundaciones repentinas y un deslizamiento de tierra ocurridos en Nepal, llora durante un ritual de cremación el 3 de septiembre de 2026, en las instalaciones del templo de Pashupatinath, en Katmandú. Su cuerpo seguía sin aparecer, por lo que se utilizó una efigie simbólica en el ritual. Los equipos de rescate, con perros de búsqueda, continuaron rastreando entre el lodo, las rocas y los escombros en la frontera entre Nepal y China en busca de miles de personas desaparecidas de las comunidades del Himalaya tras una catástrofe que dejó al menos 1,114 muertos. (Foto de OSV News/Adnan Abidi, Reuters)
NACIÓN
llamado a la acción concreta, que anima a las personas a conservar el agua reduciendo el desperdicio, reparando fugas y evitando la contaminación. En el video que acompaña el mensaje, grabado en la Iglesia de San Pellegrino en la Ciudad del Vaticano, el Papa León reflexiona sobre el papel del agua en el bautismo y en la vida cotidiana, y presenta el cuidado del agua como un acto de administración responsable, solidaridad y preocupación por los pobres.
TOME NOTA
La Diócesis de Jackson se compromete a garantizar que ninguna persona a la que sirva la iglesia corra el riesgo de sufrir abuso o explotación sexual por parte del clero, los religiosos o el personal laico de la iglesia. El bienestar espiritual de todas las víctimas, sus familias y otros miembros de la comunidad es de particular interés para la iglesia. De acuerdo con nuestra política, a todas las víctimas se les ofrece asesoramiento y atención pastoral.
Primer dia de otoño. 22 de septiembre Ntra. Señora de la Mercred, Argentina, Ecuador, Rep. Dominicana y Perú. 24 de septiembre Día Mundial de los Migrantes y Refugiados. 27 de septiembre
Se alienta a cualquier persona que haya sido víctima de abuso o explotación por parte del clero, religioso o personal de la iglesia laica y aún no lo haya denunciado, a que lo haga. Nuestra coordinadora de asistencia a víctimas, Jenifer Jenkins una trabajadora social con licencia, está disponible para ayudar a hacer un informe. Números de contacto del Coordinador de Asistencia a las Víctimas: (601) 326-3736; (601) 326-3760.
San Wenceslao y Santos Lorenzo Ruiz y Compañeros. 28 de septiembre
Para obtener más información sobre las políticas y procedimientos diocesanos y para saber qué está haciendo la diócesis para crear un entorno seguro para todos, visite el sitio web diocesano en www.jacksondiocese.org y haga clic en "Protección de Niños."
Santos Arcángeles Miguel, Gabriel y Rafael. 29 de septiembre
Para hacer una denuncia de abuso o mal manejo de denuncias de abuso sexual por parte de un obispo, visite https://reportbishopabuse.org.
San Jerónimo. 30 de septiembre Santa Tersa del Niño Jesús. 1 de octubre
+Joseph R. Kopacz D.D., Ph.D. Bishop of Jackson
Santos Ángeles Custodios Primer viernes.
2 de octubre Santa Faustina Kowalska y Beato Francisco Javier Seelos. 5 de octubre Envíenos sus fotos a editor@jacksondiocese.org Síganos en Facebook: @DiócesisCatólicadeJackson Únase a lista de correos electrónicos Mande un texto: MSCATHOLIC a 84576
LÍNEA DIRECTA DE PREVENCIÓN DE FRAUDE El Departamento de Asuntos Temporales de la Diócesis de Jackson ha contratado a Lighthouse Services para proporcionar una línea directa anónima de fraude financiero, cumplimiento, ética y recursos humanos. Esta línea directa permite un método adecuado para reportar sucesos relacionados con la administración temporal dentro de parroquias, escuelas y la oficina de cancillería.
www.lighthouse-services.com/ jacksondiocese Hispanohablante USA: 800-216-1288
Meet the Men Please keep our seminarians in your prayers.
Grayson Foley
St. Richard, Jackson Third Configuration
James Villaseñor
St. Therese, Jackson Second Discipleship
EJ Martin
Joe Pearson
St. Richard, Jackson Third Configuration
St. Richard, Jackson Second Configuration
Phillip Speering
Roberto Becerra
St. Joseph, Starkville First Discipleship
St. James, Tupelo Propaedeutic Stage
Josh Statham
St. Jude, Pearl First Configuration
Adam Smith
St. Mary, Batesville Propaedeutic Stage
Kevin Lopez
St. James, Tupelo English Second Lang.
Thomas Taylor
Holy Rosary, Philadelphia Propaedeutic Stage
Henry Haley
St. John, Oxford Third Dicipleship
Robert Toole
St. John, Oxford Propaedeutic Stage
The Goal isn’t Simply More Priests. It’s Well Formed Priests.
SENT.
Preparing shepherds for the people of Mississippi
Formation has a destination. For these men, that destination is the people and parishes of the Diocese of Jackson. And when they talk about the future, their answers reveal that they are not simply looking forward to wearing clerical collars or celebrating Mass. They are looking forward to people.
I look forward to helping people unburden themselves through Reconciliation, so they can offer themselves fully to God the Father through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. – Adam Smith
”
I look forward to celebrating the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and encouraging families in their vocation to holiness, following the example of the Holy Family of Nazareth.
“
– Philip Speering
I look forward to serving the people of our diocese through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation, and helping them encounter Jesus personally in the Eucharist.
“
– Robert Toole
I look forward to offering Mass and being present to the people of our diocese, so they may encounter God’s love and divine mercy through my ministry.
”
– Thomas Taylor
Father Nick calls this a “homegrown harvest” – men from the parishes of the diocese who will one day return to serve those same communities. He wants the future priests of the diocese to reflect the diocese itself: its different regions, cultures, backgrounds, communities and traditions. And he believes that strong vocations have a multiplying effect.
A well-formed, joyful priest doesn’t simply serve a parish. He sets a parish on fire.
SUPPORTED.
No vocation walks alone.
There is one final piece to every vocation story. The people of God. The seminarians repeatedly return to the same theme when asked what they want to say to the people who support them:
Tha n k You !
Your prayers and generosity remind seminarians that they are not alone in formation. They know they can rely on the support of many people who place their hope in them. – Kevin Lopez Thank you for your prayers and support. Knowing that people are encouraging me strengthens my trust in where the Lord is leading. Every gift helps form well-prepared seminarians who can become faithful priests. – Roberto Becerra
$10 MILLION
permanent seminarian education endowment The $10 million Permanent Seminarian Education Endowment will provide a lasting source of support for the spiritual, academic and pastoral formation of future priests.
The Catholic Foundation is here to help you throughout the United In Mission Capital Campaign. Whether you have questions about the campaign, your parish’s participation, making a gift, or other campaign-related matters, we are happy to assist you. LEARN MORE. MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Visit our website to learn more about United In Mission or make a gift.
QUESTIONS?
CONTACT THE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION
Rebecca Harris, Executive Director (601) 960-8477 rebecca.harris@jacksondiocese.org
unitedinmissionjackson.org
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC SEPTEMBER 18, 2026
BRIEFS 9 taking medication that may have caused the improvement. But Dominic believes that something more than medicine was at work and feels fortunate he can share his experience to remind people “that God is always there.”
VATICAN
mudslide near the Chinese border. Sister Cecilia said the government’s immediate priority is protecting displaced families and supporting recovery efforts, but stressed authorities “cannot do this alone.” She called for coordinated support from national and international organizations to help communities rebuild with greater resilience. The disaster followed warnings from researchers that Himalayan glaciers are melting at an accelerating rate. A 5.2-magnitude glacial collapse triggered the deadly flooding. Noting Nepal produces less than 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Sister Cecilia called the country’s suffering “a profound injustice” and urged “concrete action” through climate finance, adaptation support and international solidarity. Caritas Nepal is providing emergency aid while planning long-term recovery and reconstruction efforts. JOHANNESBURG (OSV News) – A network of Catholic priests with more than 2,200 members worldwide has joined growing calls to describe the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as genocide, citing widespread civilian deaths, displacement and destruction in the Palestinian enclave. In an Aug. 21 statement, the international network Priests Against Genocide said: “We believe that the policies and actions of the Government of Israel in Gaza constitute genocide.” The group, launched in August 2025, includes Cardinal Stephen Brislin of Johannesburg among the signatories of the declaration. The priests argued that repeated evacuation orders issued during the conflict have offered little protection to civilians. “To order people to flee when there is no safe place to flee to is not protection,” the statement said. The priests also cited findings by human rights organizations that have accused Israel of apartheid-like policies toward Palestinians, while stressing their criticism is directed at the Israeli government, “not at Jews or Judaism.” The statement condemned antisemitism and Islamophobia and also denounced the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. According to a U.N. humanitarian report, more than 73,000 people have died in Gaza and about 94% of the population has been displaced. Israel has rejected accusations that its military campaign constitutes genocide.
VATICAN CITY (OSV News) – As Christians mark the Season of Creation, Pope Leo XIV is dedicating his September prayer intention to the care of water, highlighting both its spiritual significance and the global crisis of access to clean drinking water. In a video reThen-Bishop Fulton J. Sheen speaks inside of Sacred Heart Cathe- leased Sept. 1, the pope called dral in Rochester, NY, the day of his installation as the sixth bishop of on Catholics to reject waste Rochester Dec. 15, 1966. Catholics in the Diocese of Rochester will and pollution and to defend soon have a physical link to Venerable Sheen: A first-class relic of the access to safe water as a fundamental human right. His soon-to-be-beatified cleric, who led the Rochester Diocese as its sixth appeal comes as U.N. agenbishop (1966-69), is being gifted to the diocese by Archbishop Sheen’s cies estimate that 2.1 billion native Diocese of Peoria, Ill. (OSV News photo/courtesy Diocese of people still lack safely manRochester Archives) aged drinking water, with millions relying on untreated sources such as rivers ROCHESTER, N.Y. (OSV News) – Catholics in the and lakes. The Season of Creation runs from Sept. Diocese of Rochester will soon have a physical link 1, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. A first-class relic of through Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. This the famed cleric, who led the Rochester Diocese as year’s theme, “Living Water,” focuses on growing its sixth bishop (1966-69), is being given to the dio- freshwater scarcity and unequal access worldwide. cese by Archbishop Sheen’s native Diocese of Peoria. The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network said the inThe relic will be transferred during a Sept. 29 Mass tention is also a call to practical action, encouraging at Rochester’s Sacred Heart Cathedral Sept. 24, five people to conserve water by reducing waste, repairdays after Archbishop Sheen’s beatification in St. ing leaks and avoiding pollution. In the accompanyLouis. The Sept. 29 Mass will be followed by a series ing video, filmed at the Church of San Pellegrino of related liturgies at several diocesan parishes this in Vatican City, Pope Leo reflects on water’s role in fall. At these Masses, the faithful will have opportu- baptism and daily life, nities to view and venerate the relic – a small portion presenting care for waof Archbishop Sheen’s remains – before it is placed ter as an act of stewon permanent display at the cathedral for further ardship, solidarity and viewing and veneration. Highlighting the Sept. 29 concern for the poor. Mass will be an appearance by Bishop Louis Tylka, The Diocese of Jackson is committed to ensuring that no one being served leader of the Peoria Diocese, who will formally presby the church be (is) at risk of sexual abuse or exploitation by clergy, relient the relic to Bishop John S. Bonnici. gious or lay church personnel. The spiritual well-being of all the victims, NEWARK, N.J. (OSV News) – A New Jersey teen KATHMANDU, Netheir families and others in the community is of particular concern to the said that at age 4 he heard God’s voice call him to pal (OSV News) – Carchurch. In accordance with our policy, all victims are offered counseling become a priest. That dream, his strong faith and a itas Nepal’s leader is struggle with a life-threatening health issue inspired urging global action and pastoral care. his first-place essay on the priesthood. Dominic Au- on climate justice after Anyone who has been a victim of abuse or exploitation by clergy, religious ricchio, now 13, won first place in the Archdiocese catastrophic flooding or lay church personnel and has not yet reported it is encouraged to do so. of Newark’s Cardinal Joseph Tobin Essay and Video in Nepal claimed more Contest. Administered by the Office of Priestly Vo- than 1,100 lives and left We encourage any victim to contact Jenifer Jenkins, Coordinator of Viccations, the contest asks seventh graders to explain thousands tim Assistance & Office of Protection of Children and Safe Environments missing. why priests are important. It’s because they share Speaking to OSV News at 601-960-8471. God’s Word, celebrate the sacraments and love ev- Sept. 3, Sister Cecilia eryone as Jesus did, Dominic wrote. His achievement Durga Shrestha, execFor more information about diocesan policies and procedures and to learn came during a particularly trying time in his life. In utive director of Cariwhat the diocese is doing to create a safe environment for everyone, please December, he began experienc- tas Nepal, said many visit the diocesan website at www.jacksondiocese.org and click on “Proing seizures for which he is still survivors are receivtection of Children.” seeking treatment. A mass de- ing medical treatment, veloped on his brain. While his while countless famTo report an allegation of abuse or mishandling of allegations of sexual doctors and parents contemplat- ilies have lost homes, abuse by a bishop, please visit https://reportbishopabuse.org. ed the best treatment options, he land, livelihoods and said he experienced an appari- loved ones. Nepal’s tion of the Virgin Mary. Accord- National Disaster ing to Dominic, she told him not Risk Management Auto worry and that everything Dominic Auric- would be OK. Soon thereafter, a thority reported 1,114 deaths, about 4,500 chio (OSV News CAT scan revealed that his brain people missing and +Joseph R. Kopacz D.D., Ph.D. photo/courtesy mass had begun to shrink. His roughly 12,000 peoBishop of Jackson Archdiocese of recovery cannot be confirmed ple rescued following as miraculous because he was the Aug. 26 flood and Newark)
NATION
Protection of CHILDREN
WORLD
10 DIOCESE
SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
Sailing the High Seas in September 1929
FROM THE ARCHIVES By Mary Woodward
Last time we left a young Bishop Gerow on the deck of the MS Augustus pulling out from the New York harbor with several seminary classmates bound for the Mediterranean and its exotic ports of call. This week we find him enjoying the open ocean and blue skies of autumn as he and his companions make their way across the sea to the coast of Spain and beyond. On Sept. 22, he remarks in his reminiscence that it is a “soothing change” to no longer be in the hustle and bustle of New York with its roar, dust, and gasses. He takes joy in being away from the “nervous bedlam of the metropolis with men and women rushing wildly here and there through the streets.” Finding himself now resting in a steamer chair on the deck of the ship, he basks in the sunshine and mild temps under the “great blue dome of heaven above curving down on all sides until it rests upon the distant horizon.” He reflects on the “great blue ocean beneath us rising and falling, slowly, rhythmically like the breathing of some gigantic beast, its waves beating against the iron sides of the steamer and sending their spray in many colored rainbows.” Considering the many responsibilities of the office of bishop, I imagine it was wonderful for him to just sit and relax on the “gigantic beast” and enjoy meeting fellow passengers, engage in a game of quoits (similar to horseshoes but with rope rings) or shuffleboard. Coming from Mobile, he was very used to being on the water. Apparently, some of his traveling companions were having a little trouble being at sea. “For the last two days some of our party have failed to appear in the dining room for some of the meals; and the waiter has looked at me several times as if he thought that I was trying to eat their share as well as my own.” His entry on Sept. 25 has only four words: “Passed the Azore Islands.” But on the morning of Sept. 28, they could see the coast of Spain. “This morning upon our port bow appeared the rugged coast of Southern Spain, with its rolling hills clothed in velvet green. We have been following the coastline all morning, perhaps six or eight miles away.” Soon land appeared to the south of them – Africa off the starboard bow. The way he describes the scenery before him makes me feel right there on the deck.
So, let’s sail along with him and enjoy his entry into er for Tangier in Morocco. During his short stay in Algeciras in Spain, Bishthe Mediterranean. “Then as the distance between the Spanish shore op Gerow paints a picture of a quaint sojourn into on the north and the African shore on the south nar- Spanish lore. “An air of antiquity hangs over the rowed, there came into view the great Rock of Gi- place – one lives again in the middle ages in this braltar on the Spanish side of the strait, and Gebel old-fashioned little town with its narrow streets, its Musa, a great mountain of rock on the African side. ancient buildings, its easy going people.” As he sat in the gardens of the hotel the next Between these two rocky points ten miles apart the great Mediterranean Sea empties into the Atlantic morning prior to departing for Tangier, he soaked in that tranquil setting. “As I felt upon my cheek the Ocean. “Gibraltar is a great rock rising precipitously cool, refreshing salt-scented breeze from the ocean, I from the water to a height of 1361 feet … this is con- said contentedly within myself: ‘So this is Spain.’ “But I must awake from my revery – our boat nected with the Spanish mainland by a narrow strip of flat, sandy land. Gibraltar belongs to England. It leaves at two o’clock for Tangier. But I will return to has belonged to England since 1704. …Within this Spain!” Let us leave him boarding the steamer for Morocgreat rock run tunnels with small openings … looking out upon the sea and across the strait. Through co. His adventure there is quite rich in a land foreign these openings point great cannons, so that England to his “occidental eyes.” is in a position to command absolutely the entrance (Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for to the Mediterranean Sea.” the Diocese of Jackson.) Bishop Gerow and his friends disembarked the Augustus and bid farewell to the ocean liner. He describes the moment as being similar to The Diocese of Jackson has launched a watching the departure of a dear friend as the third-party reporting system that will enable ship sailed back out into the Atlantic. all diocesan employees, volunteers and paSince the hotels at Gibraltar were not conrishioners to anonymously (or named if presidered too comfortable, the group had booked ferred) make reports. Examples of this activity rooms in a hotel in Algeciras on the Spanish include fraud, misconduct, safety violations, mainland. So they made their way across that harassment or substance abuse occurring at a narrow, sandy strip of land to check in for one Catholic parish, Catholic school or at the diocenight. The next day they would board a steamsan level. The system is operated by Lighthouse
Services. To make a report visit www.lighthouse-services.com/jacksondiocese or call 888-830-0004 (English) or 800-216-1288 (Spanish). The Association of Priests of the Dioceses of Jackson and Biloxi provide a small pension to our retired priests. As you consider your estate plans, please remember these faithful servants by making a donation or leaving a bequest to the Association of Priests. Our parish priests dedicate their lives to caring for us, their flocks. Let us now care for them in their retirement. Donations can be made payable to the Association of Priests and can be mailed to:
Above is the Rock of Gibraltar. Top left is the Port of Tangier, Morocco. (Photos from BigStock.com)
Diocese of Jackson, P.O. Box 22723, Jackson, MS 39225-2723
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC SEPTEMBER 18, 2026
The Tom and Gerry Show
Irish musician Adrian Cashin accompanies Father Gerry Hurley in a singalong at Malzards, an authentic Irish pub in Co. Kilkenny, as coach driver Tom Tynan looks on. Inset: Visitors eager to kiss the Blarney Stone enter the centuries-old structure and begin the long climb to the top. (Photos by Barrett Photography)
GUEST COLUMN By Joe Lee
My wife of 31 years, Leslie, was stunned when I arrived home after a parish event over a year ago and said, “Let’s go to Ireland.” I was referring to the Tom and Gerry Show, the annual excursion across the Atlantic Ocean to Father Gerry Hurley and Father Tommy Conway’s native land. The journey to the beloved Emerald Isle, some 4,000 miles away, would have us away from home ten days. “Mike and Dianne are definite,” I added, referring to close friends Mike and Dianne Barrett, fellow parishioners at St. Francis of Assisi in Madison. “That’ll add value to the trip.” Leslie, once she picked herself up off the floor, was excited but skeptical. She’d urged me to travel with her while we’re still in good health, but she knew from being married to a workaholic who loves what he does that domestic spots like Yellowstone or Niagara Falls would be a tough sell. Full disclosure: I detest flying and hadn’t been on a plane since 1996. After the hour-long flight to Atlanta (and a lengthy airport layover), we would be in the air a whopping seven-plus hours. I was assured I would sleep during the overnight flight to Dublin. Right. I was a zombie as I staggered into the sunshine and tugged along my suitcases. But it turned out to be an unforgettable trip full of fantastic sights, good food, and fun times with Mike and Dianne. Also with us was Allison Hoggatt, a close friend from St. Paul in Flowood – we met a whole bunch of nice people from St. Paul. Quick observations: The Cliffs of Moher, which provide a spectacular view of the Atlantic, was a breathtaking example of God’s creation. I fought claustrophobia and successfully climbed the interior of Blarney Castle in Cork to kiss the Blarney Stone. I’ll never forget Father Hurley celebrating Sunday Mass in the bar of the Savoy Hotel in Limerick. We visited Malzards, an authentic Irish pub, for a tall glass of Guinness. While there we tried to learn hurling (Ireland’s national pastime and a game similar to field hockey and lacrosse) and enjoyed a performance from retired tailor and professional musician Adrian Cashin, who led us in singalongs of standards such as “Yellow Submarine” and “Danny Boy.” Ireland has lots of beautiful countryside with mountains in the distance that made the lengthy coach rides enjoyable. The widespread use of stone in the architecture is striking. So are the bright colors in the designs of both the homes and businesses in Cork, Kilkenny, Limerick, and Kinsale, the little fishing village where we stayed first. That was where I ruled out a morning jog on the narrow sidewalk when I realized the Irish drive on the left side of the street. It was great to get better acquainted with Father Hurley, the St. Paul pastor who’d just celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Father Conway, the pastor at St. Fabian in Hattiesburg.
COLUMN 11
“The Tom and Gerry show started about 15 years ago,” Father Conway said. “Father Gerry had never done a full tour of his own, but he would have six or eight people on mine. He branched out this year and labeled it the Golden Jubilee tour, inviting me along for the ride.” Father Conway hails from County Galway, while Father Hurley was raised outside County Cork. The priests have been friends since 1986 when Father Conway first came to Mississippi. “I think the people form a bond before they ever leave Mississippi,” Father Conway added. But the ‘Craic’ (loosely translated, a fun time) in Ireland really helps. Spending extra time and savoring the places we visit helps.” Adding crucial narration was coach driver Tom Tynan, an entertaining Irishman from County Kilkenny who must be familiar with every square inch of the country. He and Father Conway met 33 years ago when the pastor brought his first tour to Ireland. “I think one of the highlights is that many making the trip have some kind of Irish heritage,” Father Hurley said. “So many have grown up with Irish priests. Based on the stories and witness, they have longed to see the Emerald Isle. “This year, Father Tommy prevailed on me to organize a trip with a focus of people from the St. Paul area. He was key to planning and organization, as he and Tom Tynan had just finished a tour before ours began. That impacted our choices, such as having Mass in a bar as opposed to Father Tommy’s church.” Our tour guides were great, and I can’t recommend the Tom and Gerry Show enough. Yes, the airplane seats were as comfortable as cement blocks, and the less said about the airplane food, the better – I won’t eat “mushy peas” at a five-star restaurant, let alone microwaved at 38,000 feet. But if I, as someone who thinks driving to Tupelo or Meridian counts as a vacation, can handle being away from routine and business for ten days, you certainly can. Go while you’re still able to do so. (Joe Lee is the Editor-in-Chief of Dogwood Press, and member of St. Francis of Assisi, Madison.)
SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
12 COLUMNs
Inspired by the zeal of the Venerable Fulton Sheen, a man who lived life to the fullest THEOPHILUS PATHS By Ely Segura
I wonder where I’ve been all this time, as I didn’t know Archbishop Fulton Sheen until relatively recently. It wasn’t until I arrived in Chicago in 2019 that his name began to ring a bell. One evening, while browsing YouTube for material for my parish ministry, I came across a video from the 1950s in which an eloquent and lively bishop shared words of wisdom on the meaning of our existence. It was the now Venerable Fulton John Sheen in one of the episodes of his well known TV show “Life Is Worth Living.” I was immediately captivated. Hearing Fulton Sheen for the first time, I felt a sense of nostalgia that wasn’t my own; nostalgia for something great that I hadn’t experienced at the time, but which I realized had been a watershed moment for the American Church in the last century. A man of substance, filled with God, spoke with
courage and enthusiasm about the Triune God on national television, wearing the vestments of a consecrated Catholic bishop with pride and joy. Brilliant! I got goosebumps straight away! His work, like all of God’s work, endures to this day, spreading throughout the world. For example, I was certainly familiar with the missionary rosary and had indeed prayed it with the very same intention with which Sheen had conceived it in 1951. I came across words attributed to the Chilean writer Isabel Allende that really struck a chord with me: I am not afraid of death; I am afraid of a lack of passion, of not having lived with sufficient intensity. St. Irenaeus of Lyon had already alluded to this in the second century of Christianity when he stated: “The glory of God is man fully alive, and true life for man is the vision of God.” For me, Fulton Sheen is the epitome of a human being who embodies these statements. He was a man overflowing with divine grace and wisdom, capable of affirming through his testimony – despite his many trials and tribulations – that life is worth living,
Mourning in ordinary times ORDINARY TIMES By Lucia A. Silecchia
“Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” This season, with somber hearts, we mark 25 years since achingly bright September skies were filled with the horrors of an evil still incomprehensible. For so many years, whenever I took the train from Washington back to New York, the Twin Towers were the first sign in the distance to tell me I was almost home. New York City’s skyline without them still startles me after all these years. In far greater losses than steel and stone, my high school, parish and neighborhood in Queens were home to those who never came home that day. In Washington, I shared a University family and a parish with those who perished at the Pentagon. When I learned that the last flight could have been bound for the Capitol, above the subway where I was commuting in the last innocent moments of that day, I wondered whether I might owe my own life to the heroism of those whose lives ended in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Now, that dark day lies a quarter of a century ago. Most of my students were not alive that day. If they were, most were blessed with such youth that they would have no memories of it. My prayer for these generations that follow us is that they will never know a day like that one, when the evil that mankind is capable of plays out in real time before them. As years go by, it becomes ever easier to view the events of that day as historical affairs, to be studied with the mind but no longer felt with the heart. Those of us who recall that day owe a sacred obli-
cherishing and sharing in every second that is granted to us. In May 2024, I fulfilled a goal I had set myself before leaving Chicago: to visit the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Museum, located at the Diocese of Peoria’s Spalding Pastoral Center. After all, it couldn’t be true that, living in the same state where my dear Fulton Sheen was born and lived, I wouldn’t go to see it. I prepared briefly for my visit there by reading a heart-warming memoir written by Joan Sheen Cunningham (one of the bishop’s nieces) entitled “My Uncle Fulton Sheen.” I booked a room in a hotel near the museum for a couple of days and, filled with the Pentecostal enthusiasm of those days, set off on a train journey to Peoria. The museum is just a short walk from the Cathedral of St Mary of the Immaculate Conception, where the young Fulton Sheen was ordained a priest in 1919, and where his mortal remains now rest. Although it is, in reality, a small and simple space, I felt an overwhelming emotion there that I had to contain, as I had made this pilgrimage on my own and had no one there with whom to share it.
gation to those before us and those who come after us, to remember those whose lives ended that morning, and in the tragic aftermath of that morning. Sometimes, when losses are so many, and the list of those who perished is so long, we can lose sight of the individual people who were lost. Those who died that day were living the ordinary times so often taken for granted. The police officers, firefighters, first responders, chaplains and members of the military were doing what they do each and every day – ready to give up their lives for others. The airline pilots and flight crews were engaged in the awesome responsibilities they have when, around the clock and around the world, passengers entrust their lives to them. The thousands who went to work for the last time that day were parents, seeking only to earn a living and return home to the embrace of their children. They were older workers, laboring in the last year or two of their careers, anticipating the family times they thought lay ahead. They were young people, the same ages as my students, starting their first jobs in the hopes of a bright future. They were those working hard at the top rungs of the ladder of success, and they were those working difficult, minimum wage jobs so that their children would not have to do the same. They were those who were on flights for the myriad reasons we travel, and those who were where they were that day through seemingly inexplicable happenstance. They were newlyweds in the springtime of new love, and those who cherished the spouse whose hand they had held for decades in sickness and health and in good times and bad. They were women carrying their children within them, in eager anticipation of holding newborns in their arms within a few short months or weeks. They were friends making plans to
During my stay in Peoria, I visited the museum and the cathedral twice. I tried to take in as much as possible of all the exquisitely selected information and all the objects so harmoniously displayed. I watched at my leisure a film shown in a room in the museum decorated to look like the set of the show “Life Is Worth Living.” I loved it. I bought a copy of the film so that I could share its content with my community later. It is easy to imagine the joy I felt when the Vatican announced the official date of Sheen’s beatification. To celebrate, I proposed “Treasure in Clay,” his spiritual autobiography, as the title for my Catholic book club last April. I rejoice with the whole Church. I rejoice because another of our own is being raised to the altars. I am eager to share this admiration for him, his fidelity to Christ and the way in which he taught us to live. I constantly present my pastoral and professional intentions (which are one and the same) to Sheen, and I pray that others may not go through this life – as I did for so long – without having the joy of knowing of the existence of this remarkable human being. (Ely Segura is a laywoman and creator of the Teófilo project, an initiative for the faith formation of Hispanic adults in the United States – www. proyectoteofilo.com.)
be with friends to enjoy those happy bonds of affection. All were those for whom the day began with no hint of what was to come. While some were or became well known in the aftermath of that day, most lived the quiet hopes and dreams of ordinary lives. In the holy fragility of life, each of those thousands of our sisters and brothers had a unique place in the world that no one else could fill. Since that day, their loved ones have mourned for them even as life resumed, never the same. So many of us remember the images of those who were lost as they were that day. But their loved ones lost all the days since then. They lost all the joys, sorrows, hopes, dreams, good times and hard times that would have filled these past 25 years. These 9,125 days. These 219,000 hours. This year, although 25 years have passed, there are so many for whom grief is still fresh. Whatever else we might do this Sept. 11, let us take some time to pray in the early hours of the day, when we recall what happened that morning a quarter of a century ago. With gratitude for all whose heroism brought light to a dark day and showed the world a glimpse of the face of God. With hope for all those lost that day, that their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. And with love for all whose hearts still grieve. May God comfort them as they mourn their beloved and ache for so many lost moments of ordinary time. (Lucia A. Silecchia is a Professor of Law at the Catholic University of America. “On Ordinary Times” is a biweekly column reflecting on the ways to find the sacred in the simple. Email her at silecchia@cua.edu.)
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC SEPTEMBER 18, 2026
Youth happenings around the Diocese
DIOCESE 13 Pastoral Assignments Rev. Rickson Robert Antony appointed parochial vicar of St. James Parish in Tupelo effective July 2, 2026.
Rev. Hung Pham appointed to Sacred Heart Southern Missions Pastoral Team effective August 21, 2026.
MERIDIAN – St. Patrick Catholic School students Emory, Davis, Finley and Caroline Augustine pause for early morning prayer in the school chapel Thursday, Aug. 27. (Photo by Helen Reynolds)
Upcoming School Events
Deacon John McGinley appointed to St. Paul Parish, Flowood, effective October 1, 2026.
Tuesday, Sept. 22 – Annual St. Elizabeth Fair, St. Elizabeth School, Clarksdale
Deacon Mark Bowden appointed as Chaplain at VA Hospital, in addition to duties at St. Jude Parish in Pearl.
Saturday, Oct. 10-11 – Fall Festival, Cathedral School, Natchez Saturday, Oct. 24 – Cardinal Fest, St. Richard School, Jackson Saturday, Dec. 7 – Candy Cane Dash 5k, St. Patrick School, Meridian Saturday, Dec. 12 – Starry Night Gala, St. Anthony School, Madison
Rev. Javier Rosa, ST, appointed parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Parish in Camden, effective August 2, 2026
NATCHEZ – Cathedral School junior Grant Carlton, right, and kindergartner Emmett Dunaway talk about trucks while finding some shade on the playground during their first buddy meeting. (Photo by Brandi Boles)
Deacon Wesley Lindsay appointed as Coordinator of Mission Appeals, in addition to duties at Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson.
PONTOTOC – Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, Father Tim Murphy and Deacon Carlos Solas are pictured with confirmation candidates at St. Christopher Parish following the celebration of the sacrament April 18. Candidates pictured are Brittney Analai Acosta, Valentina Acosta, Alayska Alvarado, Tamara Garcia Alvarado, Jasmine Alvarez, Brian Joseph Amigon, Maddox Arriola, Sophie Arriola, Maria Fernanda Avina, Andrea Castillo, Eric Castillo, Regina Chaires, Dennis Chavez, Luis Corona, Cristian Yael Cruz, Jocelyn Cruz, Carmel Sadie Ethridge, Diana Figueroa, Steven Andrew Friloux, Miquel Alejandro Moreno Galvez, Alyssa Deanne Bishop of Jackson B. Garcia, Maria Guadalupe Garcia, Alejandro Garcia Gomez, Emily Rosalyn Gusmus, Fernanda Morales Hernandez, Leonel B. Hernandez, Katelynn-Ann Yinhi Le, Clarissa Lira, Efren Lira, Lizabeth Aileen Lira, Oscar Lira, Ailyn Mejia, Brianna Gonzalez Mendez, Zullemy Gonzalez Medina, Luis Ortega, Ricardo Renovato, Justin Anderson Gomez Reynosa, Evelyn Sanchez, Andrea Tiscareno, Angela Tiscareno, Jacqueline Arena Tiscareno, Jesus Alexander Tiscareno, John Michael Triano, William Hunt Valentine, Alex Diaz Vazquez, Ethan Thomas Vincent and Ricardo Olvera Yanez. (Photo courtesy of parish)
14 YOUTH
SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
Schools happenings around the Diocese
NATCHEZ – Cathedral School junior Anna Arthur shares a hug with kindergartner Adelide Garrison as the two meet for MERIDIAN – St. Patrick Catholic School third graders Nolan Mascaro, left, and Jude the first time through the school’s buddy program. (Photo by Pittman lead the morning news and daily prayer Aug. 21. Students watch the daily announcements on smart boards in their classrooms. (Photo by Helen Reynolds) Brandi Boles)
MADISON – St. Joseph students Alexa Ward (left) and Margaret Klar (right), perform an experiment in their honors chemistry class on Tuesday, Sept. 1. (Photo by Matt Sigler)
VICKSBURG – Father Rusty Vincent blesses a child during Vicksburg Catholic School’s annual Back-to-School Mass. (Photo by Anna Griffing)
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC SEPTEMBER 18, 2026
YOUTH 15
MADISON – St. Joseph Catholic School spirit squads and band perform their pregame routine Aug. 21 before the Bruins kicked off the football season against Copiah Academy. (Photo by Matt Sigler) COLUMBUS – Annunciation Catholic School kindergarten teacher Heather Ford leads students in a classroom activity. Ford, who has spent 18 of her 31 years in education at Annunciation, was recently named Teacher of the Year by the Kiwanis Club of Columbus and went on to receive the Louisiana-Mississippi-West Tennessee Kiwanis District Teacher of the Year honor. Ford says she strives to make sure every child who enters her classroom knows they are both “loved and liked.” (Photo by Kacy Haffner)
JACKSON – St. Richard School students participate in altar server training, learning the responsibilities and traditions of serving at Mass. Pictured are Thanh Nguyen, Thomas Morisani, Federico Diaz, Catherine Simmons and Marilee Nelson. The students will begin serving at daily and all-school Masses on campus. (Photo by Celeste Saucier)
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