AUGUST 19, 2022
mississippicatholic.com
Six new deacons ordained for diocese BY JOANNA PUDDISTER KING
gifts of the office of the diaconate. “As we appreciate over a long JACKSON – On Saturday, July tradition, nearly 2000 years, its 16, Bishop Joseph Kopacz ordained service in Jesus Christ. Its His minsix men into the permanent diaconistry and right at the beginning the ate at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostles realized we need to desApostle. The men spent the last five ignate this and we need to select years in formation, studying spirthose who are going to be faithful ituality, canon law, homiletics and to the Lord and to the needs of the learning how to administer sacracommunities with whom they are ments. entrusted,” said Bishop Kopacz. To full pews and those standing “So, we continue that many behind at the entrance to the Catheyears later and the church has indral, Bishop Kopacz acknowledged deed worked with you over these the evident joy and love for Mark past five years – give or take – to Andrew Bowden of St. Jude Pearl, arrive at this moment,” Bishop KoDien L. Hoang of the Cathedral of pacz told the diaconate candidates. St. Peter, Dixon Wesley Lindsay of He also reminded the new deathe Cathedral of St. Peter, John Anh cons that their ministry is one of Pham of St. Michael Forest, David service through the word, sacraPreston Rouch of St. Michael Vicksment and charity. burg and Anthony William Schmidt Drawing on their experience of St. Paul Flowood, being ordained of marriage or family experience, to the diaconate. Bishop Kopacz acknowledged that “The joy is so obvious this “all have learned how to sacrifice, morning as we come together in the serve and care up to this point their Lord ... to celebrate so much of our tradition of faith ... and in the minis- JACKSON – Six men were ordained into the permanent diaconate at the Cathedral of St. lives.” “Now opens another door tries that are such a blessing for our Peter the Apostle on Saturday, July 16. Pictured during the ordination are Tony Schmidt, church and our parish communi- David Rouch, John Pham, Wesley Lindsay, Dien Hoang and Mark Bowden. (Picture by where they will serve in the midst of our parish communities, serving ties,” said Bishop Kopacz. “And this Michael Barrett photography) the Lord and serving those entrustmorning, we celebrate the great gift ed to them.” of the diaconate.” In his remarks about the readings, Bishop Kopacz pointed out the sacredness and – Story and deacon Q&As continued on page 6 –
Journey of Hope event to highlight addiction, recovery and healing BY JOE LEE
MADISON – Known nationally for his business books and Ted Talks, Oxford native David Magee seemingly had it all before his beloved son William – who lettered in track at Ole Miss and attended Honors College – died of an accidental drug overdose in 2013, a year after graduation. But it wasn’t just William who was hurting at the time of his death. “I had to go look at what happened in our family,” Magee said. “How did what looked like a picture-perfect American family chasing the dream get completely shattered?” Author of the critically acclaimed memoir, Dear William, Magee is the keynote speaker at this year’s Journey of Hope luncheon, set for Tuesday, Sept. 20 at the Jackson Convention Complex. Much more than simply a tribute to his late son, Dear William is a brutally honest look at a family that had been in crisis for many years.
The long, hard gaze into the mirror began with Magee himself, who was adopted and unaware of his birth parents’ identity until well into adulthood. “I lived a great life in this wonderful university town,” he said of Oxford. “We knew everyone and could walk to the Square. But my house was very dark because there was a lot of depression and emotional pain inside me." “I did not know who I was, and the lack of sense of identity was something I didn’t deal with well. I tried
to pretend it wasn’t there with alcohol and prescription Adderall.” In addition to losing William, Magee and his wife, Kent, nearly lost their son Hudson to an overdose. Magee’s infidelity led to divorce before he and Kent remarried. But as facing their fears put them on a successful path to recovery and healing, Magee consulted his family about going public with everything they’d gone through in hopes of benefitting those in crisis. – Continued on page 20 –
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