JUNE 17, 2022
mississippicatholic.com
Journey to the priesthood: Beggerly ordained to transitional diaconate By JoANNA PUDDISTeR KING
WEST POINT – Carlisle Beggerly grew up Protestant, but an encounter with St. Augustine’s Confessions led him to seek out the church that the author belonged to. “I felt called to the priesthood from the beginning of my conversion,” said Beggerly. He then spent some time with a religious order, but then left and attended law school, all the while still feeling a call to priestly life. The next step toward ordination to the priesthood for Beggerly was his ordination into the transitional diaconate on Saturday, June 4 at his home parish of Immaculate Conception in West Point by Bishop Joseph Kopacz. Typically, transitional deacons spend one final year in seminary before priestly ordination. Men ordained as transitional deacons do so with the intention of becoming a priest. “During the transitional [diaconate] period, we try to place WEST POINT – Carlisle Beggerly lies prostrate before the altar during the Litany of Supplicaour seminarians in parishes that tion. Beggerly was ordained to transitional deaconate on June 4 at his home parish of Immaccan give them a wide range of ulate Conception in West Point. (Photo by Tereza Ma)
experiences,” said vocations director, Father Nick Adam. “This will be the first time a seminarian can baptize a baby, witness a wedding or preside at a funeral. We want to make sure they have many opportunities to delve into parish life and walk with families along the way.” Fellow Immaculate Conception parishioner, Barbara Elliott has known Deacon Beggerly and his family since they began attending the parish more than 10 years ago. “He’s always been very devout ... and instrumental in helping the children of the parish with the liturgy,” said Elliott. “We are so proud of him.” Those in the transitional diaconate are tried to be placed at a parish with a school so they can be a part of the day-to-day life of kids, parents and faculty. A great place for that is at St. Francis and St. Anthony School in Madison, where Beggerly will serve through some time in October. – More pictures continued on page 16 –
Robinson reflects on years at Sister Thea Bowman school By Joe Lee
JACKSON – Something especially meaningful dawned on Shae Goodman-Robinson as she drove to Sister Thea Bowman School one morning near the end of her thirteenth and final year as principal. “I told my parents that I started at Sister Thea Bowman in kindergarten when it was Christ the King School, Shae Goodman-Rob- and here I am retiring there inson, principal of as principal,” Robinson said. Sister Thea Bowman “What a beautiful full circle of how God puts you in places to School pay it forward.” In the midst of an emotional few days of saying goodbye to students, parents and her employees, Robinson reflected on the many pay-it-forward moments she’s had in more than four decades of being an educator. “I’ll miss the children and the face-to-face contact with them,” she said. “It put a smile on my face, whatever may have been on my mind at the time. Kids will tell you what they see, in their honesty and love for you. ‘I
love your hair, Ms. Robinson. I love your dress, Ms. Robinson. I love your shoes, Ms. Robinson.’ I will genuinely miss that. It’s kept me going all this time.” Sister Thea Bowman, whom Robinson met two years before her death in 1990, had a profound impact on the way approached her calling. “Her legacy was, ‘I try,’ and one of my favorite Sister Thea sayings was, ‘I know God is using me in ways beyond my comprehension,’” Robinson said. “As principal, I tried to make sure the students understood the im-
portance of education, and that they took responsibility each day. I tried to make sure they understood that everything comes full circle regarding academic education and spiritual growth.” A kindergartener in the early 1960s, Robinson recalls her parents earning approximately $200/month but insisting on paying a tuition bill of $32/month to send all three of their children to Christ the King School. “They believed in the importance of the education – Continued on page 6 –
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Graduation insert Celebrating the Class of 2022
From the archives 10 Woodward delves into the pallium
Obituary 11 Father Malcom O'Leary, SVD passes at age 92
JUNE 17, 2022 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
CHATAWA Our Lady of Hope Retreat Center, 15th annual “Speak Lord I’m Listening” Retreat for men and women, using the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Friday, July 22 from 7 p.m. till Sunday, July 24 at 12 p.m. Retreat is directed by Father Bill Henry. Come learn techniques to pray and meditate on the scriptures to deepen your relationship with the Lord. Cost is $250 per person and includes housing and meals; cost for commuters is $150. Registration deadline July 11. Details: Charlene Brown (601) 276-5954 or Marion Amedee (601) 684-3098. Our Lady of Hope Retreat Center, Quo Vadis? Young Men’s Discernment Retreat, July 26-29. Age range for retreat is 15-25. Come pray, eat, have fun and build fraternity. To register visit: https://bit.ly/QuoVadis2022 Details: email Father Nick at nick.adam@jacksondiocese. org. JACKSON The Carmelite Monestery invites you to join them for Mass in their Monastery Chapel each evening during their annual Novena of Masses to honor Our Lady of Mount Carmel and to ask her intercession. Masses will be daily at 5:30 p.m., July 7 – July 16 and will be preceded by praying the Rosary at 5 p.m. There will be no morning Masses. Details: email dorothy.ashley@ fmolhs.org.
PARISH, FAMILY AND SCHOOL EVENTS
ABERDEEN St. Francis of Assisi, Parish Cook-out Party, July 2 after 5 p.m. Mass. Sign-up sheet posted in parish hall for sides and other things to bring. Details: parish hall (601) 813-2295. CANTON Sacred Heart, Chair stretch and contemplative prayer, Mondays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. in the parish center. Details: Tereza Speer (769) 233-1989. CLEVELAND Our Lady of Victories, Ladies Fellowship Lunch, Friday, June 24 at 11:30 a.m. at The Warehouse. Just show up! Details: Mary Foust at (662) 902-9903.
FEATURED PHOTO
JACKSON St. Richard, 4th of July Family Picnic, Sunday, July 3 after 5 p.m. Mass. Food, fun, treats and more! Bring your favorite dessert to share. Details: church office (601) 366-2335. St. Richard Boy Scout Troop Flag Retirement Ceremony, Boy Scout Troop #30 will hold their annual Flag Retirement Ceremony at the 4th of July Family Picnic on July 3. Please bring your worn out and torn flags to the church office by Friday, July 1 to participate. MERIDIAN St. Patrick and St. Joseph, Prison Ministry volunteers needed to spread the Good News. Details: call (601) 527-3497 John Maloney or (601) 513-9907 Ken Woodward. NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Thursday Nights at the Movies at 6:30 p.m. in the youth wing of the Family Life Center. Classic Catholic movies suitable for older children through adults will be shown. Snacks and drinks available for purchase. Donations accepted with proceeds going to new Miss-Lou Pregnancy Resource Center. June 30 – The 13th Day (2009); July 7 – Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972); July 21 – The Way (2010). Details: church office (601) 445-5616.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
BROOKHAVEN St. Francis, VBS, July 11-13 from 5:30-8 p.m. for preschool through age 11. Sign up sheets are in the vestibule. Details: church office (601) 8331799. CLINTON Holy Savior, Totally Catholic Rocky Railway VBS, July 11-15 from 6-8 p.m. for children going into PreK-3 through sixth grade. Registration open. Cost is $10 per child. Details: Trish Ballard (601) 924-6344. NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, VBS, July 11-15 at the Family Life Center. Begins at 5:15 p.m. and a light, kid-friendly supper will be provided. For children entering PreK-4 through exiting fifth grade. Theme is Jerusalem Marketplace. Pre-registration is required and ends on July 1. Register at vbspro. events/p/stmarybasilica. Details: church office (601)
445-5616. MERIDIAN St. Patrick, Vacation Bible School, July 18-22. Theme is Food Truck Party ... On a Roll with God! Registration now open at the parish office or online at https://bit.ly/MeridianVBS2022. Children must be registered individually. Cost is $10 per child (no child will be turned away if the family is unable to pay the fee). Open for children Kindergarten through fifth grade. Details: church office (601) 693-1321.
JOB OPENINGS
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS Catholic schools across the diocese have a variety of positions open from principals to substitutes. Please visit https://schools.jacksondiocese. org/education-overview/employment/ for an opportunity near you.
NATIONAL EVENTS
BIKING FOR BABIES, Renewing the culture of life in America, one pedal stroke and one pregnancy resource center at a time. They are riding through the state Monday, July 11, starting at St. Mary Basilica, Natchez and their first stop will be Tuesday, July 12 at 7 p.m. at Dayspring Community Church (1100 Clinton Business Park Drive, Clinton). They ask people to attend and support them as they raise funds for Pregnancy Resource Centers across the country. Details: www.bikingforbabies.com.
Blessing of McGing Hall...
APPLIANCE AUDIO VIDEO BEDDING FURNITURE SUPERSTORE
CLINTON – Bishop Joseph Kopacz and Father Thomas McGing bless the newly built McGing Hall at Holy Savior parish. Prior to the blessing, a Mass of Thanksgiving was held in honor of Father McGing, who is retiring after 51 years of service. (Photo by Joanna Puddister King)
Jackson Flowood R dgeland Pearl Cl nton V cksburg Tupelo Columbus Laurel Oxford Hatt esburg
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC JUNE 17, 2022
Saltillo Mission trip brings joyous adventure BY BISHOP JOSEPH R. KOPACZ, D.D.
The return after three years to our Saltillo Mission was a high-spirited and joyful adventure after nearly three years since the previous visit for the 50th anniversary of the beginning of Father Patrick Quinn’s missionary work in 1969. But many of you know of this pastoral visit through the social media networks of the Diocese of Jackson and the Diocese of Biloxi. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then you have already enjoyed multiple portrayals of the whirlwind of four days. It is amazing to consider the high volume of activity that occurs in such a compact timeframe. It can be exhausting and exhilarating over every bump on the road. Let me digress a moment to treasure the source of the spiritual bond that continues to thrive between Mississippi and Saltillo even in the absence of overland mission trips. In our Catholic world we are in the midst of celebrating the golden triangle of exceptional Solemnities beginning with Pentecost Sunday and the culmination of the Easter season, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, and the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord. The gift of the Holy Spirit received in faith and celebrated uniquely at Pentecost opens up a world of
mystery with our God who is love, the Holy Trinity of persons who overflowed in love in the gifts of creation and salvation. The celebration of Corpus Christi continues this outpouring of love poured out on the Cross and commemorated and lived each time we gather for Mass, the holy Eucharist. The three feasts together reveal the nature of love within the Trinity which manifests itself in Christian community, unity, communion and fraternity in the Body of Christ throughout the world bonded by one faith, one baptism, one God who is Father who is over all and in all. Thus, the joy of solidarity and unity can overflow with every liturgy, with every fiesta, with every meal and with every conversation in all parts of our world. From this fountain of faith, hope and love, we all cherish the history of these past 53 years, the memory of Father Quinn, and all who have given of themselves, from here and over there, whether for years or for weeks. The Sacrament of Confirmation with 80 candidates was the culminating liturgy with Bishop Hilario Gonzales Garcia, the recently installed Ordinary of the Diocese of Saltillo. It was heartening to concelebrate with him around the altar, and to spend time at table afterwards. One year into his episcopal ministry and he already has experienced the blessings of the relationship that Jackson and Biloxi have with his diocese. He fully supports what we are doing and hopes that we will accompany one another well into the future. We all hope that the day will come when the overland mission trips are
let there be light
able to resume, enabling the a new generation of Mississippi Catholics to be missionary disciples, evangelizing and being evangelized by our Mexican brothers and sisters in the Lord. Amidst the many grace-filled moments, meals and ministries from Monday to Thursday evening’s Confirmation, there were various signature events. On Tuesday we celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation two hours out at Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Garambullo and then bounced back to a special liturgy at San Miguel’s that honored all fathers in attendance with a special blessing as the Mariachis played and sang full throated and unsparingly. Afterwards, a fiesta followed honoring the young people who raised the most money for their individual parish communities. Various groups of entertainers, mostly young, performed splendidly in song, dance and gesture in a religious and cultural festival. Que Buena noche! Wednesday saw another memorable event unfold before us in amazement. In route to St. Pedro’s for the Sacrament of Confirmation we gathered at St. Joseph’s Chapel which was dedicated three years ago on the last pastoral visit. After prayer and blessings, cars and trucks were organized into a procession that grew into a ‘flotilla on the road’ to San Pedro. You have seen some of the photos, and the entire experience was as joyful as it – Continued on page 11 –
Viaje a Misión de Saltillo trae alegre aventura POR OBISPO JOSEPH R. KOPACZ, D.D.
El regreso después de tres años a nuestra Misión de Saltillo, desde la visita anterior por el 50 aniversario del inicio de la obra misionera del Padre Patrick Quinn en 1969, fue una aventura alegre y de mucho ánimo. Muchos de ustedes saben de esta visita pastoral a través de las redes sociales de las Diócesis de Jackson y de Biloxi. Si una imagen vale más que mil palabras, entonces ya has disfrutado de múltiples representaciones del torbellino de cuatro días. Es asombroso considerar el alto volumen de actividad que ocurre en un marco de tiempo tan compacto. Puede ser agotador y estimulante sobre cada bache del camino. Permítanme hacer una digresión por un momento para atesorar la fuente del vínculo espiritual que continúa prosperando entre Mississippi y Saltillo, incluso en ausencia de viajes misioneros por tierra. En nuestro mundo católico, estamos en medio de la celebración del triángulo dorado de Solemnidades excepcionales que comienzan con el Domingo de Pentecostés y la culminación del tiempo de Pascua, la Solemnidad de la Santísima Trinidad y la Solemnidad del Cuerpo y la Sangre del Señor. Volume 68 Number 13 (ISSN 1529-1693)
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 Contributors ......................................................................................................... Berta Mexidor
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC is an official publication of the Diocese of Jackson, 601-969-1880, 237 E. Amite St., Jackson, MS 39201. Published twice per month January - April and September December; once per month June, July and August. 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
El don del Espíritu Santo recibido en la fe y celebrado de manera única en Pentecostés abre un mundo de misterio con nuestro Dios que es amor, la Santísima Trinidad de personas que desbordó en amor en los dones de la creación y la salvación. La celebración del Corpus Christi continúa esta efusión de amor derramada en la Cruz, conmemorada y vivida cada vez que nos reunimos para la Misa, la Sagrada Eucaristía. Las tres fiestas juntas revelan la naturaleza del amor dentro de la Trinidad que se manifiesta en la comunidad cristiana, la unidad, la comunión y la fraternidad en el Cuerpo de Cristo en todo el mundo unidos por una fe, un bautismo, un Dios que es Padre que es todo y sobre todos. Así, la alegría de la solidaridad y la unidad puede desbordarse con cada liturgia, cada fiesta, cada comida y cada conversación en todas partes de nuestro mundo. Desde esta fuente de fe, esperanza y amor, todos atesoramos la historia de estos últimos 53 años, la memoria del Padre Quinn y todos los que se han entregado, de aquí y allá, ya sea durante años o semanas. El Sacramento de la Confirmación con 80 candidatos fue la liturgia culminante con el recién instalado ordinario Obispo Hilario Gonzales García, de la Diócesis de Saltillo. Fue alentador concelebrar con él alrededor del altar y pasar tiempo en la mesa después. Un año en su ministerio episcopal y ya ha experimentado las bendiciones de la relación que Jackson y Biloxi tienen con su diócesis. Él apoya totalmente lo que estamos haciendo y espera que nos acompañemos en el futuro. – Continúa en la pág. 11 –
BISHOP’S SCHEDULE Monday, June 20, 6 p.m. – Mass of Thanksgiving for Father Mike O’Brien, Sacred Heart, Canton Friday, June 24, 4:30 p.m – Feast of the Sacred Heart, Christ the King, Southaven Saturday, July 9, 5 p.m. – Confirmation, St. James, Corinth Saturday, July 16, 10:30 a.m. – Diaconate Ordination, Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, Jackson All events are subject to change. Check with parishes and schools for further details.
JUNE 17, 2022 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
4 VOCATIONS CALLED BY NAME
It may be the middle of the calendar year, but the vocations calendar is about to turn. We got to celebrate the priestly ordination of Father Andrew Bowden in May and the ordination to the diaconate of Carlisle Beggerly in June. Now, vocation directors in turn are getting ready for the ‘next school year,’ and the work of finding the next Bowdens and Beggerlys. In July, we will hold our third Quo Vadis discernment retreat at Our Lady of the Pines in Chatawa. This is a retreat open to young men ages 15-25 who are open to a call to priesthood. The retreat will run from July 25-28. Our first two retreats of this kind were held last year, and they were a lot of fun. If you know of someone who would benefit from this retreat, or if you are interested in helping out with this event or ones of this kind – i.e. chaperoning, providing food/ snacks, please let me know via email nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org. In early August the seminarians will come together for our annual convocation. This event has grown over the last several years and we enjoy getting together and checking in prior to the new school year. One of the highlights of the convocation this year will be seminarian Will Foggo receiving his call to candidacy. Being a candidate for Holy Orders Father Nick Adam means a couple of things: 1) you are committed to priestly discernment, and while you have not officially committed to going all the way to ordination, you believe that the Lord is calling you in this direction. Think of it like a high school football player making a verbal commitment to a college. One of the joys of candidacy is that a seminarian is then authorized to start wearing a roman collar in public. This is a neat stage of discernment because it starts ‘getting real’ for the seminarian. He is a public man of the church, not just as a seminarian, but visibly through his dress. Typically, a man receives candidacy when he begins his theology studies – 2-4 years into his priestly formation. The convocation is also a good opportunity to build fraternity with our current priests. We’ve had our convocation in Natchez the last two years, which has been amazing, and distinctly ‘Mississippi,’ but this year we are going to have our gathering in the Jackson Metro Area, and I’m planning on inviting priests from around the area to drop by to say hello and give talks to the seminarians. There is no better way to build relationships that quality time in front of another person, and in a world that is increasingly digital, it is vital that our seminarians get in front of our current priests so they can encourage one another. I find it very energizing to witness the zeal and excitement of our seminarians, and I’m excited to get together with them all at the end of what will be a busy summer for each of them. – Father Nick Adam If you are interested in learning more about religious orders or vocations to the priesthood and religious life, please email nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.
CATHOLIC SERVICE APPEAL 2022 The Youth Ministry Office – With the Catholic population in our diocese at only 3%, Youth Ministry allows our Catholic youth to gather at retreats and conferences, so they interact with other Catholic youth and engage in their faith. An emphasis is placed on learning the importance of developing a relationship with God. Through youth ministry the kids in our parishes deepen their faith and can participate in diocesan events like SEARCH Retreat, Catholic Youth Convention and other activities that help them strengthen their Catholic faith. csa.jacksondiocese.org
SCAN TO GIVE OR MAIL IN: PO BOX 2248, JACKSON, MS 39225
Spirituality 5
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC JUNE 17, 2022
God’s sense of humor IN EXILE By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
If we genuinely trust scripture, our own experience, and our own sanity, we can only conclude that God has a sense of humor, and a robust and sneaky one at that. Where’s the evidence? A generation ago, Peter Berger wrote a remarkable little book entitled, A Rumor of Angels. Unlike Aquinas, Anselm, Descartes and a number of renowned philosophers, he didn’t try to “prove” the existence of God through logic and argumentation. Rather, he simply examined a number of very ordinary human experiences and pointed to what’s hidden inside and behind the walls of those experiences. For instance, when a mother soothes and calms a frightened child at night, assuring the child that there is nothing to fear, she does this in good faith only because at some deep level she intuits that ultimately everything is all right. In effect, unconsciously, she is praying a Creed. Now, one of the experiences Berger highlights is the experience of humor. Here’s his thesis: no matter how oppressive and dire the circumstance, human beings always have the capacity to make light of it, to view it through the prism of irony and humor. For example, martyrs have joked with their executioners and, no doubt, there was some banter, sarcasm, irony and bitter humor at times inside extermination camps. The fact that people can do this, and do in fact do it, shows that there is always something transcendent inside us, something over which no human oppression has power, something that sets us above any situation within which we find ourselves. Our sense of irony and humor manifests that something in our soul sets us above anything that can beset us. And this can have its source in only one place, inside of the Creator who made us. Thus, not only must God have a sense of humor, humor must be something inherent within the nature of God, since humor is good, and God is the author of all that is good. There’s a school of classical philosophy that believes God has four transcendental properties. God, it teaches, is One, True, Good and Beautiful – to this we can add, Humorous. Moreover, this can be inferred from more than just the fact that sometimes we sense that humor manifests our transcendence within a given situation. More importantly, we can infer that humor has some godliness from examining the component parts of love. God is love, and humor is undeniably an important part of love. When the classical Greek philosophers defined love, they highlighted a number of components within it, namely, erotic attraction, obsession, friendship, pragmatic arrangement and altruism. However, they also highlighted another component, playfulness/banter/humor. How insightful. Humor along with healthy banter and playful teasing are part of the grease that enables us to sustain relationships long term, despite the inevitable over-familiarity, hurt, disappointment and boredom that beset even the most loving relationships. Humor helps make it all work. Thus, since it is an innate part of love, it is an innate part of God. Sadly, we don’t often picture God that way. Christianity, Judaism and Islam have this in common. We all picture God as male, celibate, solemn – and humorless. How might we picture God differently? If you were to draw up a composite face representing God, whose face would you include in this
picture? The pious face of the gentle, blond-haired Jesus with a lamb on his shoulder we see in our holy pictures? Images of a serenely composed and quiet Mary that we see depicted in our statues of her? The face of Mother Teresa? The face of Therese of Lisieux? The face of Dorothy Day? Of Martin Luther King? Of Oscar Romero? Of Billy Graham? Of Henri Nouwen? Of Rachel Held Evans? The face of your mother or father? Would you also include the face of your favorite comedian or favorite wit? Jerry Seinfeld? Bette Midler? Rowan Atkinson? The mischievous face of your colorful uncle telling a joke? Any picture of God’s face needs to manifest an inner soul that is One, True, Good, Beautiful, but also Humorous and Mischievous. Funny, while I believe that God is the author of humor, I’ve never been enamored by the various artistic depictions of Jesus as laughing uproari-
ously. Good idea, good intention, good theology, but to my taste, lacking the right nuance. That kind of laughing face has an ephemeral quality that too easily gives way to something else after it’s had its moment. God’s face, I suspect, has a quieter, sneakier, more permanent mischievousness to it. If this is true, if God not only has a sense of humor but is also the author of humor itself, then humor is an important quality within sanctity and holiness. What makes for wholeness, maturity, holiness, love and for the kind of person you want beside you at the table, here and at the eternal one in heaven? Certainly, you want someone who manifests the qualities that Jesus asked for in the Sermon on the Mount – along with a warm, playful and mischievous sense of humor. (Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is a theologian, teacher and award-winning author. He can be contacted through his website www.ronrolheiser.com.)
The Pope’s Corner
Health care must be accessible to all, not select few, pope says By Junno Arocho Esteves
not only a patient’s illness but also “his or her psychoVATICAN CITY (CNS) – Health care is a funda- logical, social, cultural and spiritual condition.” “When Jesus heals someone, he not only eradicates mental right for all and not a privilege for the rich while the poor and disadvantaged are left to the wayside, the physical ailment from the body, but also restores dignity, reintroducing him or her into society, giving Pope Francis said. “When a country loses this wealth that is public them a new life. Of course, only he can do this, but the health care, it begins to make distinctions within the attitude, the approach to the person is a model for us,” population between those who have access, who can he explained. Placing the dignity of the person at the center, he have paid health care, and those who are left without health care services,” the pope said June 4 to repre- added, helps to counter the “throwaway culture” that sentatives of the Italian health care association, Feder- views the sick “as a burden and a cost.” “Illnesses may sanità. mark the body, According confuse thoughts to its website, and take away Federsanità is a strength, but they confederation of can never nullify local health care the value of hufacilities and hosman life, which pitals that seek to must always be promote policies protected, from “strongly orientconception to its ed toward a new natural end,” he concept of ‘taking said. care’ of patients Lastly, Pope based on proxFrancis said imity, proactivity, health care propersonalization fessionals must and participaseek the common tion.” good to counter In his address, the pope said Pope Francis accepts a copy of the children’s book, “La luna di “the pursuit of closeness to pa- Kiev” (The Moon of Kyiv), during an audience with representa- partisan interests” tients is “the an- tives of the Italian health care association, Federsanità, at the in which “the ecotidote to self-ref- Vatican June 4, 2022. The pope said that health care is a funda- nomic or political erentiality” that mental right for all and not a privilege for the rich while the poor interests of one “breaks the chains and disadvantaged are left to the wayside. (CNS photo/Vatican group prevail at the expense of the of selfishness” and Media) majority of the allows health care professionals to view patients “as brothers and sisters, population.” The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, he said, has regardless of language, geographical origin, social status proven that “’every man for himself’ translates rapidly or health condition.” “Being close to others also means breaking down into ‘everyone against all,’ thus widening the gap of indistances, making sure that there are no first- and equality and increasing conflict.” “It is necessary to work to ensure that everyone has second-class patients, and committing energies and resources so that no one is excluded from receiving access to care, that the health care system is supported and promoted, and that it continues to be free of health care,” he said. Medical professionals, he said, should adopt a more charge,” the pope said. “Cutting resources for health holistic approach to health care that takes into account care is an outrage to humanity.”
JUNE 17, 2022 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
6 DIOCESE
'... instilled in me the big picture ...' – Continued from page 1 –
we were getting at Christ the King,” she said. “All of that propelled me to want to come back to the school and help pay it forward.” Another full circle moment is the friendship and work relationship Robinson has had with her successor, Jackson native Christopher Payne, who has taught at Sister Thea Bowman school for seven years and will serve as principal beginning this fall. “I worked with his grandmother at Bailey Alternative School back in the 1980s, and I told Chris that I remember when his parents got married and when he was born,” Robinson said. “He attended my children’s birthday parties – I remember him as a toddler and growing up. My daughter went to Mississippi State, and so Christopher Payne is the did he.” “When I heard Chris new principal of Sister was in education I talked Thea Bowman School to him, and when he said he wanted to teach, I offered him an open position I had. Once he got here, I saw leadership skills. He was not a teacher that raised his voice. He was always mild-mannered, and the kids loved him.” “Shae was the main reason I ended up at Sister Thea Bowman School,” Payne said. “I wasn’t even sure teaching was my calling, but she saw something in me. She
said to me, ‘You aren’t just here to work for the students; you’re here for the parents, your co-workers, the church and the community. She has instilled in me the bigger picture, that what happens outside the classroom matters most.” Robinson will certainly miss her cherished interactions with the many students she mentored at Sister Thea Bowman School, but she has no doubt the right person was selected to succeed her. “There was never hesitation when I asked Chris for help. He was always ready to help, and he volunteered to do things he saw that needed to be done without me having to ask,” Robinson said. “He has the personality, intelligence and another level of ideas that can take Sister Thea Bowman School to another level.” (Joe Lee is the Editor-in-Chief of Dogwood Press, a small but traditional publishing house. He is a regular contributor to Mississippi Catholic and a parishioner of St. Francis Madison.)
Sister Thea Bowman School welcomes new principal By Joe Lee
JACKSON – Succeeding a legend like Shae Goodman-Robinson would be a daunting task to some, but for Christopher Payne, the incoming principal of Sister Thea Bowman School, it’s a comfortable fit as well as an opportunity to continue paying forward the many life lessons he learned from his mentor. A graduate of Mississippi State University, Payne has spent the last seven years teaching social studies and technology to Sister Thea Bowman students in grades 3-6. A native of Jackson, he graduated from Jim Hill High school and knows the city and its challenges well. “In my first year, I noticed a student whose behavior was changing. He was more aggressive around others and a bit standoffish,” Payne said. “I’ve seen boys do that and felt I needed to have a heart-to-heart with him. He started talking about what was going on at home, his relationship with his parents, and he broke down and cried.” “I started sharing some of my experiences from the past, and he hugged me and said he hadn’t had anyone to talk to. That was the moment I said, ‘Oh, my gosh, this is the impact I can have on these students’ lives.’” In the short term, Payne says that while Sister Thea Bowman School already has a safe, loving, Christ-like environment, he wants to bring it “times ten” and immediately increase enrollment. “I want to help guide the school to be one of the premier Catholic schools in Jackson,” Payne said. “Sister Thea Bowman is up for canonization, and we look forward to our school being known as 'Saint' Thea Bowman Catholic School. Having at present a prominent African American student body, I’d like to see kids of all races at our school. That’s what Sister Thea wanted: harmony among all groups.” (Sister Thea Bowman School is now enrolling grades PreK-3 through sixth grade. Interested persons may contact the school at (601) 352-5441. Financial contributions to Sister Thea Bowman School as well as donations of your time and talents are greatly appreciated. Visit theabowmanschool.com to learn more.)
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC JUNE 17, 2022
DIOCESE 7
Father Adolfo installed as pastor in tri-lingual celebration By Berta Mexidor
MORTON – Bishop Joseph Kopacz officially installed Father Adolfo Suarez-Pasillas as pastor of St. Michael Forest, its mission, St. Anne Newton, St. Michael Paulding and administrator of Centro Católico in Morton on Friday, June 3 with a tri-lingual celebration. Between COVID outbreaks, illnesses and scheduling issues, the installation was delayed almost a year, but the celebration was no less joyous. The missions in Forest, Newton, Paulding and Morton serve many immigrants, not only of Hispanic descent but also Vietnamese among other nationalities, with a history that dates back to 1996 when the Catholic Center opened in Morton with a spiritual retreat led by Father Jorge Julio Mejia of Bogota, Colombia, who was visiting Mississippi and has continuously offered Sunday Mass and social services to the growing Hispanic community residing in and around Morton. Father Adolfo was ordained on May 11, 2019, and had his first Mass of Thanksgiving, on June 7 of the same year, in the parish of Jesus of Nazareth, in his hometown Jesús Maria, of Aguascalientes in Mexico. Since childhood, around the age of six, Father Adolfo remembers wanting to be a priest and look at the images of his
grandmother’s Bible, when he could not read. His grandmother and aunts taught him the world of faith and prayer. “The first time I remember, the priesthood came to mind was when I was about six years old. It was Sunday, I was walking with my cousin and I remember telling her I wanted to be a priest. She asked me why, then I told her, because all priests go to heaven,” Father Adolfo recalled in an interview with Mississippi Catholic. With his longing to serve and desire to follow God, Father Adolfo draws on the example of the many saints who inspire him, St. Augustine, St. John Bosco, St. Francis de Sales, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. John Mary Vianney, St. Francis of Assisi and St. John Paul II, along with his devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe to serve the People of God.
Patterson ‘bright spot’ in Office of Catholic Education By Joanna Puddister King
JACKSON – Since 2020, Rachel Patterson began praying on how she could grow in service towards her Catholic faith. Late last year, Patterson followed the path she had been praying for and was offered a role in the chancery with the Office of Catholic Education as an administrative assistant. Patterson previously served as a grant writer and executive assistant at The Little Light House, Central Mississippi, a developmental center that works with special needs children. “Although I was in a position that I loved, serving children with special needs, I felt called to apply,” said Patterson. “The position presented similar duties ... with the added bonus of serving Catholic students within my diocese.” Working with Karla Luke, executive director of Catholic eduRachel Patterson is pictured with her daughcation for the diocese, was a huge ter, Tristen. She began working with the Ofdraw for Patterson. fice of Catholic Education in December of “She has such vision for the 2021. (Photo courtesy of Rachel Patterson) Office of Catholic Education and what the future looks like. Her background in Catholic education and strong faith helps guide all of the amazing opportunities she plans to implement ... over the next few years,” said Patterson. Luke says that Patterson is a “bright spot” in the office. “[She’s] always enthusiastic, full of her Catholic faith which is evident in her interactions with all people she encounters.” “We are extremely lucky and blessed to have her as a part of our team.” Patterson is married to Rooks Patterson and the couple have a one-year-old daughter, Tristen, and are expecting their second daughter in September. Patterson and her family are members of St. Richard Jackson.
MORTON – Father Adolfo Suarez was installed as pastor of St. Michael Forest on Friday, June 3. The tri-lingual celebration was delayed but was full of joy. (Photos by Carol Evans)
JUNE 17, 2022 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
8 NATION
Eucharistic processions on feast of Corpus Christi will launch revival By Gabriella Patti
they have this beautiful devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist already and that they are willing to encourage those that they know within their parish that we need to do this together,” Haug explained. “It is going to be three years diving deeper into the meaning of the Eucharist through catechesis, liturgical celebrations and prayer,” she added. Catechetical resources will be made available throughout the diocese, said Brad Peper, director of the Office of Faith Formation. In addition, there will be retreats for lay leaders and a catechetical conference each year “focusing on different consecutive themes regarding the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist – presence, sacrifice and communion/ consummation,” he said. There also will be collaboration with religious education directors and the Catholic schools to plan curriculum that focuses more on the teaching of the Real Presence. “The Eucharist is at the very heart of our faith,” Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre of Louisville, Kentucky, told The Record, the archdiocesan newspaper. “It is the real presence of Jesus Christ, how the Lord strengthens us to do everything he has entrusted us to do.” And we are called to share the Eucharist with others, he said. The Corpus Christi procession provides a literal way to do so. It will start at the Cathedral of the Assumption after a noon Mass and travel several blocks in downtown Louisville and return to the cathedral. “We are called to take Christ to the world,” said the archbishop. The procession “is a manifestation of how we are called to bring Christ to the world, as we take the eucharistic Lord to the streets, we take the word of the Lord into the world to all the places we go, as well.” The U.S. bishops approved plans for the revival and the congress last November during their fall general assembly in Baltimore. Both are being spearheaded by the USCCB’s Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, chaired by Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota. “We are really aware in these times that we live that the church needs to become more missionary. The culture itself doesn’t support what we do anymore as Catholics,” Bishop Cozzens said in a statement. “All Catholics are invited into a renewed encounter with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, especially those Catholics who don’t fully understand the power of the Eucharist.” As people are seeking deeper connection more than ever before, “this is a time not to be ashamed of the
Gospel but to proclaim it from the rooftops,” he added. Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez, USCCB president, called the Eucharist “the gateway key to the civilization of love that we long to create.” “Jesus promised that he would be truly present in the sacrament of the altar – but also in the flesh and blood of our neighbors, especially those who are poor and suffering,” he said. “If we ever hope to end human indifference and social injustice, then we need to revive this sacramental awareness. “In every human person we meet – from the infant in the womb to our elderly parents drawing their dying breaths – we must see the image of the living God.” Among other components of the National Eucharistic Revival is the selection of 58 priests as National Eucharistic Preachers. They will soon be fanning out to dioceses across the country. Representing individual dioceses and religious orders, the priests are hoping to inspire people to become better aware of the Eucharist in daily life, said Father Jorge Torres, a priest of the Diocese of Orlando, Florida, who is working as a specialist for the revival at the bishops’ conference. The preachers will begin to respond to invitations from dioceses to speak at clergy convocations, gatherings of diocesan and Catholic school leaders, diocesan holy hours and youth and young adult events to help build interest stronger connections with the Eucharist and build interest in the congress. In about a year, Father Torres said, the priests will begin speaking at parishes and smaller gatherings. “The preachers have been asked to enter into this role because of their love for the Eucharist, their ability to communicate, their schedule for allowing flexibility,” Father Torres told Catholic News Service in early May. “The goal is to not only speak about the Eucharist but to eventually share the testimonies of who Jesus in the Eucharist is to me and how that affects me whether I am a pastor at a parish or a mom on the way to the soccer game,” he explained.
DETROIT (CNS) – Belief in the Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist is waning among professed Catholics, and the U.S. bishops are trying to do something about it. According to a 2019 Pew Research Center study, roughly two-thirds of U.S. Catholics do not believe that the bread and wine at Mass become Christ’s body and blood during the consecration – a core dogma of the Catholic faith and the “source and summit” of the church’s life, according to the catechism. In response, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is initiating a three-year grassroots revival of devotion and faith in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, culminating in the first National Eucharistic Congress in the United States since 1975. The congress will take place in Indianapolis in 2024. On June 19, the feast of Corpus Christi, the National Eucharistic Revival will be launched with eucharistic processions taking place in archdioceses and dioceses around the country. In the Detroit Archdiocese, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron will lead a two-mile eucharistic procession from the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament to Sacred Heart Major Seminary. Mercy Sister Esther Mary Nickel, director of worship for the archdiocese, said this “is an opportunity for Jesus to draw people to himself, and so we take Jesus to the streets, and we pray.” Sister Nickel told Detroit Catholic, the archdiocesan news outlet, that she remembers participating in Corpus Christi processions in Rome with St. John Paul II, when onlookers would join as the congregation moved through the streets. More than a month ahead of the archdiocesan procession, it was is drawing interest, she said. “One of the (Detroit police) officers from the precinct who will help us with safety asked, ‘What is this about? What are we really doing?’” Sister Nickel said. “I responded and said, ‘It’s a pilgrimage, and we’re not here to stay. We’re on our way to heaven, and this is a symbolic representation of how we’re on our way to heaven (Patti is a news reporter on the staff of Detroit Catholic, together as we go to the streets.’” the online news outlet of the Archdiocese of Detroit. ConFollowing these eucharistic processions, U.S. dioceses tributing to this story were Katie Peterson in Nashville and will develop parish teams of revival leaders to help their Marnie McCallister in Louisville.) fellow Catholics reflect deeper on the centrality of the Eucharist in the life of the church. In the Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, for example, parish initiatives will begin immediately June 20, said Jenny Haug, assistant director of catechesis for the Office of Faith Formation. The office, which is leading the revival initiative for the diocese, will be collaborating with parishes and the priests in the diocese to find a point person in each parish, she told the Tennessee Register, Nashville’s diocesan newspaper. “The only pre- This is the logo for the U.S. bishops’ three-year National Eucharistic Revival. On June 19, 2022, the feast of Corpus Christi, archdioceses requisite is that and dioceses across the U.S. will hold eucharistic processions to launch the revival, which will culminate in the National Eucharistic Congress in 2024. (CNS photo/courtesy USCCB)
Graduation ISSUE
2022
JUNE 17, 2022 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
2 Class of 2022
Cathedral School Natchez
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Number of graduates: 44
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Number of students going to 4-year colleges: 43
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Number of scholarship recipients: 44
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Largest scholarship awarded: $102,000
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Notable next steps: United States Offshore Fishing Boat captain school in Key West
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Total amount of scholarship money offered: $4,639,684
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Total amount of scholarship money accepted: $2,567,700
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Total amount of service hours: 7,132 total for the four years of high school – Notable service projects: National Honor Society, Pack the Green Wave Bus for the Natchez Stewpot Project. In preparation for the busy Thanksgiving, Cathedral students not only worked at the Stewpot preparing food to be given out, the entire school from PreK through 12th grades brought canned goods and loaded the bus with much needed and appreciated food. The entire Green Wave family participated in this wonderful project. – Special teacher/school honors earned this year: Cathedral was named the Best Private School in the Miss-Lou by the Natchez Democrat for the Readers Choice Awards. Robbie Lanehart was named the STAR Teacher, George and Ninette Junkin Memorial Teacher Recognition Award to Chemistry teacher James Shaidnagle. Jules Michel Faculty Recognition award to Sam Woods.
CATHEDRAL SCHOOL NATCHEZ VALEDICTORIAN: MARY CATHERINE “CATE” DRANE GPA: 4.422 – ACT: 32
From her speech: So, I leave you with this class of 2022, while there may be trying times in your life that leave you broken and wondering what’s next, there are always new beginnings in scary ends. While we move on to college the thought of making new friends, living on your own, or even washing your own clothes may be terrifying but know that within, you are starting your life fully and truly to what God created you to be. Know that no matter what adversity, conflict, or problem you may run into you are stronger with the guidance of God and with the help of your fellow peers. I’m excited to see where we all go, but mostly what we will look like at our 20th year reunion. Church: Trinity Episcopal Church of Natchez Favorite service project: Giving blood – helping others in time of need especially during COVID. Plans to attend: University of Mississippi Plans to study: Dual degree in Public Policy and Leadership and Applied Science and Public Health, pursuing a career in interventional radiology. Scholarships: $101,000 Scholarships offered, but not using: $391,000 Awards/honors: Elected Officials Scholarship; Veterans of
Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy Scholarship; Star Student; Highest Average for S.T.E.M.: Spanish I, Algebra I, Geometry, Technology Foundations, Religion II, Chemistry I, Art I, AP English and Language Composition, AP US History, Religion III and Trigonometry; 32 ACT Award; Academic Merit; 1848 Scholarship; Lucky Day; Lott Leadership; MS Eminent Scholar
before our last time together as a class, let us enjoy our graduation together as the Class of 2022. Although this is our last goodbye as a Cathedral student, I hope it won’t be our last goodbye to each other.
Activities: National Honor Society; Cathedral Peer Ministry Team; Emerald Tide Dance Team; Lady Wave Basketball, Softball and Tennis teams
Favorite service project: Organizing the Pack the Bus service project through the National Honor Society. The entire school PreK-3 through 12th grade participated by bringing canned goods to the school and loading them on the school bus which was then delivered to the local Stewpot.
Favorite subject: Chemistry
SALUTATORIAN: LAURA LINH DOAN
GPA: 4.424 – ACT: 28 From her speech: Without my classmates and friends, school would have not been the same. So, as I stand here today in front of many people that have not yet graduated, I want them to know that grades are a top priority but asking for help, seeking out others who need help, and talking about problems with other people are the real reasons why people can succeed in this world. As God has made us communal beings, we are interdependent on each other and cannot isolate ourselves. Therefore, we need to go out and talk to others to broaden our knowledge. Because ultimately, knowledge does not just stem from elementary, middle school, high school, college, graduate school, medical or law school, it’s about learning every day from each other. ... [College will] be the first time we don’t see our whole class on the same campus. It’ll be the first time that we have to say goodbye to each other as a whole class. There’s no memory more important right now than our graduation. Leaving the people that you’ve seen for your whole life. Leaving your parents or guardians that you have lived with up until now ... It’s a first. But for now, before we have many scary firsts,
Church: St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Fayette
Plans to attend: Louisiana State University Plans to study: Biology, pursuing a career in Internal Medicine Scholarships: $102,000 Scholarships offered, but not are using: $650,000 Awards/honors: DTiger Excellence Non-Resident Award; Doyle P. “Bubba” Spell Endowed Scholarship and offered over $650,000 in scholarship opportunities; David G. Hall, MD and Christina Womack Hall, RN Scholarship, Activities: National Honor Society; Cathedral Peer Ministry Team; Varsity Cheer and Soccer teams Favorite subject: Honors English III with Mrs. Jean Biglane
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
Class of 2022 3
JUNE 17, 2022
St. Joseph Madison
– Number of graduates: 51 – Number of students going to 4-year colleges: 48 – Number of scholarship recipients: 48 – Largest Scholarship awarded: $2,064,364 – Notable next steps: Notre Dame and Universal Tech Institute – Total amount of scholarship money offered: $4,647,759 – Total amount of scholarship money accepted: $2,016,995 – Total amount of service hours completed by senior class: Senior cumulative total for all six years: 7,216.75 Cumulative total for the whole school year: 12,745.25 – Notable service projects: BruinThon raised a record total for Blair E. Batson Hospital with $16,834. Students also collected baby items for Birthright of Jackson in May.
ST. JOSEPH MADISON VALEDICTORIAN: ANNA ELISE CROUT
AVERAGE: 99.628 – ACT: 29 From her speech: So now that we are graduating, what is in store for us next? For most of our lives, much of what we have done was chosen for us and not by us; the school we attended, the classes we took, the people we met, and the experiences we had together. But, now it’s our chance and our responsibility to decide for ourselves what we will make of our lives. I’m not going to lie; that seems like a pretty daunting task. How do I make these "big decisions" that seem so challenging and important? Emily Dickinson offers some insight into this dilemma. She counseled, “If you take care of the small things, the big things take care of themselves. You can gain more control over your life by paying closer attention to the little things.” So, the first step to finding your way in this complicated world seems to be to work day by day on the smaller problems right in front of you. And then accomplishing these “small things” eventually move you closer to accomplishing the “big things” in life. But what are these “big things”? What is our purpose? Like Bishop Robert Barron, I believe that “... the purpose of life is to discern God’s will.” This is the ultimate "big thing." We are to live in the
hope that by discerning God's will, we can each find the joy of Heaven. And this, once again, sets us on our own different courses. But no matter what our unique path is, whether it is medicine or teaching or law or music or art or journalism or athletics or business or any of hundreds of careers or vocations if we "discern God's will," it will bring us the peace promised to us by Jesus and undoubtedly lead us home. Church: St. Joseph, Gluckstadt Favorite service project: St. Joseph Gluckstadt Youth Service Week at MadCAAP. This service project opened my eyes to the needs of people in my own community. Plans to attend: Mississippi College Plans to study: Elementary Education; Minors in Spanish and Music Scholarships: Mississippi College Presidential Scholarship and Select Scholar with Distinction Awards/honors: National Honor Society; Mu Alpha Theta; National English Honor Society; Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society; Spanish National Honor Society; Tri-M Music Honor Society; St. Joseph Gospel Service Award 2022 (487 hours); President's Education Award 2022; National Spanish Exam Silver Medal 2022; Bishop John Joseph Chance Youth Award 2021; Wilkins scholarship $120,000; Madison County Business League and Foundation (Youth Leadership Program, 2020-2021); Daughters of the American Revolution Youth Citizenship Award (2021, 2020, 2018)
Activities: Choir; Band; Piano; Student Body Vice-President; Retreat Team; Spanish Club Favorite subject: Biology
SALUTATORIAN: ZACHARY THOMAS SHELTON AVERAGE: 97.929 – ACT: 34
From his speech: Usually in these kinds of speeches, the speaker gives some kind of clichéd advice to his fellow graduates, something like, “You’ll find what you love when you quit looking,” or “Live every moment to its fullest,” or some other overused phrase that some basic house has on its walls along with “Live, Laugh, Love.” I am not going to do that. What makes me qualified to give anyone advice — my GPA? Yea right! Hate to break it to everyone, but I have no idea what I’m doing, and I hope everyone realizes that that’s okay – your future isn’t set in stone at the age of 18. You get to make mistakes, apologize, and then do it all over again, hopefully learning in the process and keeping arrests for stupid things to a minimum. Church: Chapel of the Cross, Madison Favorite service project: BruinTHON because I was able to go through the entire process of planning, setting up and participating in a service project as well as being able to directly meet the children I was helping. Plans to attend: University of Mississippi Plans to study: International Studies and French through the Croft Institute as well
as Computer Science and Intelligence Security Studies (ISS), while being a member of the SMB Honors College. Scholarships: 1848 Scholarship; Academic Merit; Chancellors Leadership; Student Body President Scholarship and Valedictorian/Salutatorian Scholarship Awards/honors: Student Body President; BruinTHON Director; National Honors Society President; Mu Alpha Theta President; Film Analysis Club President and Founder; Youth Legislature Outstanding Representative; Youth Legislature Outstanding Senator; Youth Legislature Party Leader; Youth Legislature Chief of Staff; 30+ Club, and numerous academic awards. Activities: Baseball; BruinTHON, Retreat Team; Student Council; Youth Legislature; Boys State; National Honors Society; National English Honors Society; National Science Honors Society; Rho Kappa; Mu Alpha Theta; Spanish National Honors Society and Film Analysis Club Favorite subject: Computer Science because the practicality of the subject as well as the rewarding nature of successfully writing lines of code.
4 Class of 2022
JUNE 17, 2022 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
VARDAMAN – Orlando Ramos, Joan Juarez and Jacobo Johnson receive a blessing from Father Cesar Sanchez. The group graduated from Vardaman High School. (Photo by Danna Johnson)
VICKSBURG – (Above) Senior class girls pose for a photo before class. (Photo courtesy of Vicksburg Catholic School)
NATCHEZ – Julia Richardson (center) smiles during the traditional senior walk through Cathedral elementary. (Photo courtesy of Cathedral school)
MADISON – St. Joe Bruin's raised a record total of $16,834.71 for their annual BruinThon that raises funds for Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital in Jackson. Students hosted an eight-hour event, where students danced, played games staying on their feet. (Photo courtesy of St. Joseph School)
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
JUNE 17, 2022
Class of 2022 5
VICKSBURG – St. Michael high school graduates: (bottom, l-r) Emma Waisner, Keely Ramshur, Christina Waisner, Maggie Roberson and Faith Beamish; (top, l-r) Karen Smith, Lizzy Theriot, Carter Magee, Manuel Lopez, Jack Gannon and Dillon Chambers. Seniors not pictured – Leah Larson, Jackson Fontenot and Victoria Morehead. (Photo courtesy of Mimi Mitchell)
CARTHAGE – (Above) Santa Ana Community High School graduates. (l-r) Lizbeth Flores, Diego Rodriguez, Sebastian Rodriguez, Father Marco A. Sanchez, S.T., Michell Hernandez, Michelle Rodriguez and Stephanie Rodriguez. (Photo courtesy of Father Marco A. Sanchez, S.T) (Right) High School graduates from the Santa Ana community. Front row (l-r) Eliot López, Ángel López, Anderson Morales, Father Marco A. Sanchez, S.T., Cheryl Salvador, Kally Feliciano, Shany Cardona and Suleima Anai Ramírez. Back row (l-r) Cristofer López, Maycol Orozco, Alan Feliciano, Jennifer Pérez, Cathalina Garcia and Lucrecia Rodriguez, college graduates. (Photo courtesy of Father Marco A. Sanchez, S.T)
HOUSTON – Father Binh Nguyen poses for a photo with Houston High School graduate, Graciela Soto at Immaculate Heart of Mary parish on May 28. (Photo courtesy of Danna Johnson)
GREENVILLE – Seniors at St. Joe show off their spirit for their chosen colleges. (Photo courtesy of St. Joseph School)
JUNE 17, 2022 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
6 Class of 2022
St. Joseph Greenville
– Number of graduates: 21
– Total amount of scholarship money offered: $2,091,835
– Number of students going to 4-year colleges: 18
– Total amount of scholarship money accepted: $409,795
– Number of scholarship recipients: 17
– Total amount of service hours completed by senior class: 1,241 – Notable service projects: Pancake breakfast at St. Joseph on April 9 to raise money for Maria Guillen, a freshman student who had been diagnosed with leukemia earlier in the year.
– Largest scholarship awarded: Millsaps College $132,000 – Notable next steps: Air Force
ST. JOSEPH GREENVILLE VALEDICTORIAN: CAROLINE HEYNES MEYER GPA: 4.2273 – ACT: 32
From her speech: I would like to talk about something that is the opposite of a cliche. It is by far the best piece of advice I have ever received: lean on the Lord. I urge you to build a personal relationship with Him. 2 Corinthians 5:20 reads, “We’re speaking for Christ Himself now: Become friends with God; He’s already a friend with you.” I love the message translation because it calls attention to the fact that a relationship with the Lord doesn’t have to be a formal, solemn ordeal. There is no right or wrong way. A relationship with God can be as simple as a friendship. As Ben Stuart said, “ It’s not about the practices you have to get right, it's about a person you need to cling to, Jesus.” Spend time in His word, talk to Him throughout your day, and when you're in the car say a little prayer. I think a lot of times we overcomplicate being friends with the Lord. I promise that when you befriend Christ, you will find your worth, peace, hope, and joy in Him and your life will never be the same. We’ve
been lucky enough to go to a Christ-centered school surrounded by people who encourage us in our faith, but I urge you not to put God on the back burner when you leave today. It is because of His grace that today is the first day of the rest of our lives. ... It is because of His joy that when life gives us lemons we can make lemonade ... and it is because of His love that you only live once! Church: Lakeside United Methodist Favorite service project: As SGA President, I began "Soctober" this past school year. The student body collected socks, the number one most needed item in shelters and among those who do not have a home. We collected several hundred pairs and distributed to shelters in our surrounding areas. I hope that this service project is one that will continue at St. Joe. Plans to attend: University of Arkansas Plans to study: Marketing and Apparel Merchandising Scholarships: U of A Chancellor's Community Scholarship ($20,000); Arkansas Alumni Razorback Generations Scholarship ($10,000); Arkansas Challenge Scholarship ($14,000); Arkansas Governor's Scholarship ($40,000); Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarship ($4,000); Rotary 4-Way Test Scholarship ($1,000); National Honor Society Scholarship ($3,200) Awards/honors: Valedictorian; Star Stu-
dent; Miss SJS; St. Joseph Christian Character Award; Sandra McGaugh St. Joseph Alumnus Award; Irish Family Parent Association Award; Who's Who Most Likely to Succeed; Mississippi Scholar; Mu Alpha Theta President; National Honor Society Member; U of A Sam M. Walton College of Business Honors College Activities: Cheerleading; Soccer; Singing; Piano Favorite subject: History
smart. You is important.” We all have something great in us that will help us through the paths we choose. Congratulations on the beginning of the next chapter of your lives. I believe that we can make it through. Church: St. Joseph, Greenville Favorite service project: My favorite service project is when I managed the high school football team. I loved it because it’s like one big family there and everyone helps each other. Plans to attend: Northwest Mississippi Community College
SALUTATORIAN: AVERY MICHELLE COLE GPA: 4.2273 – ACT: 26
From her speech: Thank you to all of our parents and family, who always pushed us to do our best and taught us never to give up, even when things got tough. Without you, we would not be as successful as we are now. Without your steady hand leading us, we would have been lost. Thank you to all of the staff here at St. Joe for keeping us on the right track and helping us to succeed. You have become our parents away from home, who we will always look up to for advice. You taught us what our parents couldn’t and kept us in line while we were away from them. You all helped shape us into the people we are today. All of you will always hold a special place in our hearts. Thank you to everyone here for always having our backs and supporting us in everything we do. ... Class of 2022, as Aibileen Clark from The Help would put it, “You is kind. You is
Plans to study: Psychology Scholarships: Northwest Presidential Scholarship ($1,600 per semester); Lafayette Radio Club Endowed Scholarship ($750 per year); E.J. Leuckenbach Award ($750); MTAG ($2,200) Awards/honors: National Honors Society; Mu Alpha Theta; Delta Honors Graduate; National Society of High School Scholars. Activities: Archery; Managing the football team Favorite subject: Math
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
Class of 2022 7
JUNE 17, 2022
St. Aloysius Vicksburg – Number of graduates: 35 – Number of students going to 4-year colleges: 23 – Number of scholarship recipients: 27 – Notable next steps: National Guard – Total amount of scholarship money offered: $1,400,000 – Total amount of scholarship money accepted: $1,100,000 – Total amount of service hours: 3,859 – Notable service projects: Community Storehouse Pantry – monthly collections to assist with food insecurities for the Warren County population. Prayer Labyrinth – votive bags were sold to honor or in remembrance of a loved one. A walking labyrinth is constructed on the football field using the votive bags and the community comes and prays and walks the path for those who are being honored or remembered. – Special teacher/school honors earned this year: Chesley Lambiotte, Fine Arts Chair, named STAR Teacher
ST. ALOYSIUS VICKSBURG VALEDICTORIAN: CHRISTINA MARIE WAISNER GPA: 4.52 – ACT: 34
From her speech: These past four years have been taken in, in technicolor. Every memory stands out as vivid, and we have experienced every shade of joy, happiness, grief and fear. We have withstood a global pandemic, multiple losses and unimaginable trauma. But after every hard moment, we have met each other with softness and gentleness and kindness. At our retreat, I was hugged more times than I can count, and I remember every single person that came and comforted me. I'm not ashamed to say I still hold onto that lingering comfort when I am struggling. I think I can say with absolute honest that we are a class of compassion, but more than that, we are a class that understands that kindness is a product of experiencing life's cruelty. And we have come out stronger, braver and better for it, and for that I am eternally thankful. Church: St. Michael Catholic Church, Vicksburg Favorite service project: My favorite service project that I’ve done is hosting the Jacob’s Ladder Valentine’s Party through the Interact Club. That Valentine’s Party opened up my eyes to how wonderfully diverse our community is, and how even a simple celebration can bring together everyone and bring joy to our community. Plans to attend: University of Mississippi Plans to study: Currently undeclared. I’ve always had an interest in journalism and law. Scholarships: University of Mississippi Academic Excellence Scholarship; MS STAR Student Scholarship; University of MS 1848 Scholarship
Awards/honors: University of Mississippi Academic Excellence Scholarship; Mississippi State University Academic Excellence Scholarship; University of Missouri Academic Excellence Scholarship; Lombard Burns Memorial Scholarship; Ronald Reagan Student Leadership Award; Mississippi Economic Council STAR Student; Saint Aloysius Gold A Award; Mississippi Scholastic Writing Gold Key Award; MAIS ACT Distinguished Scholar 2022; University of Rochester George Eastman Young Leaders Award; Presidential Bronze Service Hour Award; AP Scholar; Honor Graduate; Valedictorian
I lost Aunt Mary, and while that hurt more than anything, it pales in comparison to losing someone you never imagined you were going to lose. So we remember who isn't here, and how to live like they are with us every step of the way.
Activities: Swim team; Purple Pride Band; Flash Features; Saint Aloysius Musical; Retreat Team; Liturgical Team; Mu Alpha Theta; National Honor Society; ROW Club; Interact Club
Plans to attend: University of Southern Mississippi
Favorite subject: English – It has helped me see the world with more open-mindedness and thoughtfulness than I did before.
SALUTATORIAN: LEAH CATHERINE LARSON GPA: 4.49 – ACT: 32
From her speech: Well, I guess we're all wondering how meathead got up here, huh? Graduation day. I've been trying to play it down, but in reality, it's the one of the three things that's going to have invitations with your name on it. Your graduation, your wedding and your funeral. So, let's make it a big deal! ... I've had to listen to 12 speeches over the years, some memorable, but mostly long. But these experiences have taught me what not to do and what to do. As we stand up here, we tend to think of all the people that we wish were here. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, brothers, sisters, classmates. People we would give anything in the world to have sitting with us to watch what we've accomplished. It's been a rough few years, and everyone up here has lost someone. We've come together through everything, not wavering to support each other throughout everyone of those times.
Church: St. Michael Catholic Church, Vicksburg Favorite service project: Facilitator in the Outstanding Teen Pageant – I cared for and helped the princesses who participated in the Teen Pageant.
Plans to study: Nursing Scholarships: University of Southern Mississippi Dean Scholarship; University of Southern Mississippi Band Scholarship; Farm Bureau Scholarship; Bruce Alan Ebersole, Jr. Memorial Endowment Awards/honors: Florida Southern College Pfeiffer Scholarship; Florida Southern College Christovern Scholarship; Florida Southern College Scholars Grant; Florida Southern College Honors Program; Centenary College of Louisiana 1825 Scholarship; Farm Bureau Scholarship; Bruce Alan Ebersole, Jr. Memorial Endowment; AP Scholar; University of Rochester Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award; Saint Aloysius Silver A Award Activities: Swim team; Purple Pride Band; Varsity Basketball Team; Mentoring Team: Liturgical Team: Mu Alpha Theta: National Honor Society: Saint Aloysius Honor Choir; St. Michael parish altar server Favorite subject: Science – I love learning more about me and my environment.
JUNE 17, 2022 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
8 Class of 2022
Cathedral SChool NatChez Mollie Leigh Anderson Jabaron D’Trone Burrell* Trace Alan Conn Morgan Nicole Crain* Ava Marie Credle* Elizabeth Trieu Minh Doan* Laura Linh Doan* (S) Mary Catherine Drane* (V) Lauren Charlese Dunbar* Isabella Claire Dupré* Sarah Saxon Falkenheiner* Zeke Tyger Flattmann Grace Ann Foster* Brady Alexander Gamberi Joseph LeRoy Garrity* Jamiyah Oe’ida Goods* Ronald Tyler Gregg* Elene Grace Harrigill-Ratliff* Kyle Jerome Helbling Rylie Brooke Horton* Ziggie Dean Hunstock David Harper Jones
St. JoSeph GreeNville Jamaal Maurice Bryant William Louis Burle, III Rosemary Elizabeth Chow* Kamiya Simone Clark* Avery Michelle Cole* (S) Noah Greyson Gibson Landon Douglas Hughes* Kadarius Capers Humphrey* Jordan Kendall Jennings* Thomas Russell Jones* Van Timothy Lockett, Jr. Caroline Haynes Meyer* (V) Catherine Cashion Meyer* Nautica Keshun Nelson Morgan Lynn Powers Eric Terrell Rancifer Tykira Beenet Rancifer Dillan Trevon Reed Frank Joseph Serio Matthew Douglas Stark* Justin Wesley Wyatt
Jackson Campbell Jones Ka’Jaryana La’Joshanae Jordan* James Paxton Junkin* Meredith Elaine Lessley* Hannah Claire Lofton* Emma Claire Loomis* Landon Scott Lynch Charles Lawrence Meng James Douglas Merriwether* Braylen Rae Mophett* Hannah Elizabeth Murray* Lacey René Prater* Jacie Sage Ratliff Julia Carson Richardson* Emma Carolyne Rogers Anna Elise Simmons* Carmen Briana Verser* Maria Anne Verucchi* Ethan Ashley Weadock* Sarah Katherine Webber* Kerrigan Gabrielle Winding Christian Timothy Wright
Congratulations Class of 2022
St. JoSeph MadiSoN Levoy Bryant Agnew, V Tristan Alexander Ballard* Harlan James Barbour Issac Kristian Bell Matthew Bennett Blackwood* Claire Elizabeth Bolen William Christian Bolen Karla Anastasia Brown Avery Greyson Calvert* Christopher Cooper Chaplain Elizabeth Anne Coleman* Haley Reneé Conerly Lauren Elizabeth Conerly Georgia Glyn Conrad Anna Elise Crout* (V) Ashley Lauren Crump* LaDainan Devon Davis Wilson Douglas Davis* Rosalia Pierce Foley Jonas Gregory Goss* Madeline Elizabeth Guichet Mary Katherine Hamilton Noah DeFrance Harkins* Morgan Marie Harris John Parker Hornback Camarius Terrell Hudson
Francis Hanh Nhu Lam Clara Rose Lenoir Addie Caroline Matthews* Landon Joseph Maynor* Ethan Roy McNabb* Sullivan Prentiss Moorehead Lara Sargeant Moriarity Nicolas Stanton Neese Quentin Dwarron Nelson, Jr. Mary Quynh-Phuong Cong Nguyen John Christian Provine* Jacob Tyler Ramsey Branson Jerome Robinson Rider Manning Sesser Zachary Thomas Shelton* (S) Cole Taylor Spivey Brandon Mauice Taylor Allen Charles Teague Arilyn Tenneson Michele Thomas* Jimmy Bustillos Thomas Samuel Kenneth Thomas Christopher Edward Tomsuden* Robert Raines Walker, Jr. Christopher Michael Watson Grace Anne Weisenberger*
St. aloySiuS viCkSburG Faith Anna Beamish Margaret Allison Boland* Spencer Calhoon Carroll* Dillon Michael Chambers Trace Sullivan Daily Iber Ti’Neil Davis Addilyn Ann Dickerson* Anastasios Eb Jackson Edward Fortenberry Adam Taylor Francisco William Jackson Gannon Ella Kathryn Gray Madison Elizabeth Hedrick* Sarah Jacobs Houser* Marissa Jade Jabour Logan Charles Johnson* Joshua Deveire Larsen Leah Catherine Larson* (S) Jose Antonio Lemus Angel, Jr. Cooper Dow Madison Carter Harrington Magee* Catherine Elizabeth Mathews* Victoria Claire Morehead* Jane Marie Ranager* Marguerite Elizabeth Roberson*
Greyson Rush Simmons Karen Matylda Smith* Gregory Layne Sparks, II* Landon Cole Stanchfield Haley Jordan Stuart* Elizabeth Grace Theriot* Chase Thomas Tucker Christina Marie Waisner* (V) Emma Linn Waisner* Tristan Ross Wilbanks* Jackson Stone Williams In memoriam: Carson Reid Kurtz
Photo courtesy of BigStock
.................................................... (V) – Valedictorian (S) – Salutatorian * Honor Graduate
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC JUNE 17, 2022
BRIEFS 9
tenderness. We grandparents and elderly people have a great responsibility: to teach the women and men of our time to regard others with the same understanding and loving gaze with which we regard our own grandchildren,” he had written. VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Holy Trinity shows how to be open to others and to be good, generous and gentle, Pope Francis said. “The Trinity teaches us that one can never be without the other. We are not islands, we are in the world to live in God’s image: open, in need of others and in need of helping others,” Inge Kraegeloh, 69, and Werner Deigendesch, 75, of Germany walk on the Via the pope said June 12 beDolorosa’s new accessible lane in the Old City of Jerusalem June 3, 2022. The fore reciting the Angelus Accessible Jerusalem-Old City makes many streets accessible to wheelchairs, prayer with visitors gathered in St. Peter’s Square. baby strollers and the vision impaired. (CNS photo/Debbie Hill) He also led prayers for the people of Ukraine, who remain “afflicted by war” and whose situation “remains SAN DIEGO (CNS) – Cardinal-designate Robert W. vivid in my heart.” He urged that the world “not grow McElroy told reporters May 31 that when he learned accustomed” to the tragedy in Ukraine. “Let us always he is among the 21 new cardinals Pope Francis will crekeep it in our hearts. Let us pray and strive for peace,” ate Aug. 27, “I said a big prayer. I said several prayers he said after reciting the Angelus prayer. In his main because I was stunned and so shocked by this,” said address, the pope reflected on the day’s feast of the Most the 68-year-old prelate who heads the San Diego DiHoly Trinity, which celebrates God as Father, Son and ocese. He is the only American in the group the pope Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit announced May 29. “It was prayer in gratitude for my family and the many people who have helped form me speaks, not of himself, but over the years and thanksgiving to God for all their roles “he announces Jesus and in my life,” he said during a 25-minute news conference reveals the Father. And we held outside the diocesan pastoral center. After the con- also notice that the Father, sistory, he will be among 132 cardinals under the age who possesses everything of 80, who will be eligible to vote in a conclave. The because he is the origin of number of those over 80 will be 97, bringing the total all things, gives to the Son number of cardinals to 229. A native of San Francisco, everything he possesses,” Bishop McElroy is the sixth bishop of San Diego. He was the pope said. The Holy installed April 15, 2015. Ordained a priest for the Arch- Trinity “is open generosity, diocese of San Francisco April 12, 1980, he was an aux- one open to the other.” iliary bishop of the archdiocese from September 2010 until he was named to head the Diocese of San Diego in 2015. “By naming Bishop Robert McElroy as a cardinal, Pope Francis has shown his pastoral care for the church in the United States,” said Los Angeles Archbishop José JERUSALEM (CNS) – H. Gomez, who is president of the U.S. Conference of After 10 years of systematCatholic Bishops. “I have known and have had the priv- ic work, the Old City of Jeilege of working with Cardinal-designate McElroy for rusalem is more accessible many years.” to the disabled and the elderly. The pandemic-related shutdown allowed for completion of work of the last, most sensitive mile VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Any Catholic who par- of the historic stone alleyticipates in the celebration July 24 of the World Day ways of the Via Dolorosa for Grandparents and the Elderly can receive a plenary – the Way of the Cross. It indulgence, the Vatican announced. “Grandparents, the took years for the first 2.5 elderly and all the faithful who, motivated by a true spirit miles of the $6.5 million of penance and charity,” attend Mass or other prayer Accessible Jerusalem-Old services for the occasion can receive the indulgence, City project to be complete which “can also be applied as a suffrage for the souls in because of the complexity purgatory,” said the announcement published May 30. of working within a historPope Francis celebrated the first World Day for Grand- ic area that is less than a parents and the Elderly in 2021 and decreed that it be half square mile in size. observed each year on the Sunday closest to the feast of Both the Old City and its Sts. Joachim and Anne, Jesus’ grandparents. In his mes- walls are designated as an sage for this year’s celebration, Pope Francis asked older UNESCO World Heritage people like himself to be “artisans of the revolution of site, requiring planners to
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carefully consider changes as they accommodated the needs of residents living their daily lives and millions of visitors a year, said Gura Berger, spokeswoman for the East Jerusalem Development Co., which implemented the program. “We worked day and night and we made (1 mile) accessible in two years,” Berger said. “These are the most sentimental (miles) because for the first time in history the Via Dolorosa is accessible. We did something important because people really come here in awe, with respect and hopes to the holy city.” SEOUL, South Korea (CNS) – Bishops in South Korea have moved ahead to pursue the canonization of 81 Catholics, including priests, religious and laypeople who were martyred by communist forces during the Korean War. The Special Episcopal Commission to Promote Beatification and Canonization held its closing session June 7 for preliminary examination of 81 Servants of God, the title accorded to individuals as the first step toward canonization, according to a notice from the bishops’ conference of Korea. The bishops agreed that the candidates were “witnesses of modern and contemporary faith” of the Korean Church, ucanews.com reported. Sainthood candidates include Bishop Francis Hong Yong-ho of Pyongyang, 49 priests, seven religious and 23 laymen who were tortured and killed by the communists before and after the Korean War, which was fought from 1950 to 1953. The martyrs include foreign missionaries. One was Msgr. Patrick James Byrne, an American Maryknoll missionary who was the apostolic delegate to Korea. The bishops’ conference said a preliminary examination of data and research materials began Feb. 22, 2017, and 25 sessions were held until May 13 this year. The committee will submit the data and documents it has gathered to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
10 DIOCESE
JUNE 17, 2022 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
June Feast of Peter and Paul sparks memories of pallium trip
Archbishop Thomas Rodi is pictured wearing his pallium. The pallium is a symbol of a special relationship with the Pope. Made from wool, the pallium of the metropolitan archbishops is decorated with six black crosses. In her column “From the archives,” Mary Woodward writes about the history and meaning behind the pallium. (Photo courtesy of Archdiocese of Mobile/The Catholic Week)
FROM THE ARCHIVES By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – Traditionally, June is the month on the Roman Catholic calendar when on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul (June 29), each newly named metropolitan archbishops is given a pallium by the Holy Father. Pallium is a Latin word that means a mantle or cloak. Made of lamb’s wool, the pallium is a white band measuring about two- and onehalf inches in width. Two equally wide bands, about 15 inches long containing small silk-covered lead pieces, extend one in front and one down the back. It is worn over the chasuble. The pallium is decorated with six black crosses placed in the front and back, on each shoulder, and on the ends of the pieces hanging in front and back. Three pins, spinula in Latin for thorn, are placed in the crosses on the front, the back and the left shoulder. The following historical description is taken from the Vatican’s website: “The Liber Pontificalis (Pontifical Book) notes that Pope St. Mark (died 336) conferred the pallium on the Suburbicarian Bishop of Ostia, one of the consecrators of the Roman Pontiff. Even if we cannot be sure of the historic value of this information, at least it reflects the practice of the fifth and sixth centuries, when the Liber Pontificalis was compiled by the Roman Curia.” “In 513, Pope Symmachus granted the privilege of the pallium to St. Caesarius of Arles and thereafter the concession of the pallium by the Pope to the bishops of Italy and outside Italy multiplied.” “The pallium is the symbol of a special relationship with the Pope and expresses the power, that, in communion with the Church of Rome, the metropolitan acquires by right in his own jurisdiction. According to Canon Law (canon 437), a metropolitan must request the pallium within three months of his appointment and may wear it only in the territory of his own diocese and in the other dioceses of his ecclesiastical province.” Spiritually speaking, the pallium’s unique design represents a yoke placed on an ox. The one who takes up the yoke carries the church on his shoulders, plowing through the many challenges and yet the many joys of church life. Traditionally, on the feast of St. Agnes (Jan. 21), two lambs are brought from Tre Fontane, the site of St. Paul’s martyrdom, to the Basilica of St. Agnes on the Via Nomentana. After they are blessed, the sheep are presented to the Pope, then they remain in the care of the women religious who reside at the Basilica of St. Cecilia in Trastevere. Just before Easter, these lambs are shorn and their wool is used to make
the pallia for newly appointed archbishops. On the night of June 28, the pallia are placed beneath the main altar of the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome where they lie close to the tomb of the first pope. In receiving his papal pallium when installed in 2005, Pope Benedict XVI in his homily stated: “The symbolism of the pallium is even more concrete: the lamb’s wool is meant to represent the lost, sick or weak sheep which the shepherd places on his shoulders and carries to the waters of life.” In June 2008, I was privileged to travel to Rome with Bishop Joseph Latino and Bishop Emeritus William Houck for the conferral of the pallia on all the new archbishops of the world by Pope Benedict XVI. This included our current metropolitan, Archbishop Thomas Rodi of Mobile. One of my main tasks was to pack and unpack cassocks according to the ceremony of the day and keep them wrinkle free. I like to joke that it was a terribly demanding job, but it was not. It truly was a blessing, especially considering I was in Rome participating in such a beautiful church tradition. Throughout the weeklong trip, it was about 99 degrees outside and inside was only slightly less hot. There is air-conditioning in Rome hotels, but basically it is a box on the wall that makes a lot of noise and drips water on the floor. The two bishops and I celebrated Mass in four major basilicas in Rome – Peter, Paul, John Lateran and my favorite, St. Mary Major. We managed the heat fairly well and became quite adept at hailing taxis. The day of the Pallium Mass in St. Peter Basilica, I positioned myself along the rail so that I would be close to the procession. I do not recall how many new metropolitans were there besides ours, but I do remember as they processed out through the basilica, they all looked so serene and otherworldly in their red chasubles and newly placed pallia. It was the look of being swept up into the heart of the triune God; to being entrenched in the 2000-year tradition of our church; and to being surrounded and bolstered by the Communion of Saints ready to bear the yoke and till the soil in God’s vineyard. (Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson)
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC JUNE 17, 2022
dIOCESE 11
‘... dates are on the calendar ...’ looked. The fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit were in abundance at the Confirmation that followed. On Thursday prior to the Confirmation Bishop Kihneman and I, along with the other pilgrims from Jackson and Biloxi, visited the tomb of Father Quinn in the Church of Perpetuo Socorro. Over the past year the back walls of the church above his tomb have been covered with the photos that provide a panorama of the events, the people and the places of the Father Quinn years. It is well done and very touching. While I stood there in admiration, I felt so grateful to have a part in this amazing story whose chapters are still being written, and to represent the faithful of our diocese who further the mission through prayer and generosity. Next year will mark the 25th anniversary of San Miguel, the cornerstone parish of the mission since Father Quinn’s death, and the dates are on the calendar for the September 2023 anniversary celebration. Stay tuned! – Continued from page 3 –
Bishop Louis Kihnemann of Biloxi, Father David Martinez, pastor of San Miguel Mission and Bishop Joseph Kopacz wave during a procession on the road to San Pedro. (Photo Terry Dickson/Diocese of Biloxi)
‘... las fechas están en el calendario ...’ Todos esperamos que llegue el día en que los viajes misioneros por tierra puedan reanudarse, permitiendo que una nueva generación de católicos de Mississippi sean discípulos misioneros, evangelizando y siendo evangelizados por nuestros hermanos y hermanas mexicanos en el Señor. En medio de los muchos momentos llenos de gracia, comidas y ministerios de la Confirmación, del lunes al jueves por la noche hubo varios eventos emblemáticos. El martes celebramos el Sacramento de la Confirmación dos horas en Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Garambullo y luego regresamos a una liturgia especial en San Miguel que honró a todos los padres presentes con una bendición especial mientras los mariachis tocaban y cantaban a todo pulmón y sin piedad. Luego, siguió una fiesta en honor a los jóvenes que recaudaron la mayor cantidad de dinero para sus comunidades parroquiales individuales. Diversos grupos de animadores, en su mayoría jóvenes, actuaron espléndidamente en canto, danza y gestualidad en una fiesta religiosa y cultural. ¡Qué Buena noche! El miércoles vio otro evento memorable desarrollarse ante nosotros con asombro. De camino a San Pedro para recibir el Sacramento de la Confirmación, nos reunimos en la Capilla de San José, que fue dedicada hace tres años en la última visita pastoral. Después de la oración y las bendiciones, los autos y camiones se organizaron en una procesión que se convirtió en una flotilla en el camino a San Pedro. Espero hayas visto algunas de las fotos y toda la experiencia fue tan alegre como parecía. Los frutos y dones del Espíritu Santo abundaron en la Confirmación que siguió. El jueves anterior a la Confirmación, el obispo Kihneman y yo, junto con otros peregrinos de Jackson y Biloxi visitamos la tumba del Padre Quinn en la Iglesia del Perpetuo Socorro. Durante el año pasado, las paredes traseras de la iglesia sobre su tumba se cubrieron con fotos que brindan un panorama de los eventos, las personas y los lugares de los años del padre Quinn. Está bien hecho y es muy conmovedor. Mientras permanecía allí admirado, me sentí muy agradecido de ser parte de esta increíble historia cuyos capítulos aún se están escribiendo y de representar a los fieles de nuestra diócesis que promueven la misión a través de la oración y la generosidad. El próximo año marcará el 25 aniversario de San Miguel, la parroquia fundamental de la misión desde la muerte del padre Quinn y las fechas están en el calendario para la celebración del aniversario de septiembre de 2023. ¡Manténganse al tanto! – Viene de la pág. 3 –
In memoriam: Father Malcolm O’Leary, SVD BAY ST. LOUIS – Father Malcolm Mark O’Leary, SVD, age 92, died on May 25, 2022. He was born April 21, 1930 to the late John O’Leary and Clementine Conway O’Leary in Sulphur Springs, Mississippi. He was one of twelve children and attended Sacred Heart School in Camden, Mississippi; as well as, Holy Ghost School in Jackson. Father O’Leary began his formal educational preparation for the priesthood in September of 1947 at St. Augustine Seminary in Bay St. Louis. Upon the completion of his priesthood preparation, Father O’Leary entered novitiate training in Techny, Illinois on Sept. 8, 1951 and took his first vows in 1953. On May 4, 1961, under the authority of Archbishop Vagnazzi, Father O’Leary was ordained into the priesthood at St. Augustine Seminary in Bay St. Louis. In the Diocese of Jackson, Father O’Leary served at Sacred Heart Greenville from 19621964; St. Francis Yazoo City as associate pastor from 1967-1969 and pastor from 1969-1972; Holy Ghost Jackson from 1972-1980; Immaculate Conception Clarksdale from 1980-1984; and St. Mary Vicksburg from 2008-2018. He retired from active ministry in 2019 and was a resident at the Woodland Village Nursing Home in Diamondhead. Father O’Leary was preceded in death by his parents, John O’Leary and Clementine Conway, six brothers, John Frank O’Leary, Patrick Henry O’Leary, Lawrence “Smitty” O’Leary, James Kermit O’Leary, Eldridge “Tommy” O’Leary and Alfred Wendell O’Leary; three sisters, Selena O’Leary, Annie Mae O’Leary and Mary O’Leary. He is survived by two brothers, James T. O’Leary of Alabama and Bernard O’Leary of California; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. His departure will be felt by many, but family and friends are comforted in knowing that he has now joined the faithfully departed. His Funeral Mass was held June 1 in the chapel of St. Augustine Seminary in Bay St. Louis. The Diocese of Jackson has launched a third-party reporting system that will enable all diocesan employees, volunteers and parishioners to anonymously (or named if preferred) make reports. Examples of this activity include fraud, misconduct, safety violations, harassment or substance abuse occurring at a Catholic parish, Catholic school or at the diocesan level. The system is operated by Lighthouse Services. Based in Deerfield, Illinois, Lighthouse Services maintains ethics, safety and fraud hotlines for over 4,100 organizations between the U.S. and abroad.
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:
Diocese of Jackson, Attn: Cathy Pendleton, P.O. Box 2248, Jackson, MS 39225-2248
JUNE 17, 2022 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
12 Columns
Church future determined by how we communicate our faith KNEADING FAITH By Fran Lavelle
In the last decade we have solicited the input of the young church from the Pope’s synod for youth and young adults which was detailed in Christus Vivit (Christ Alive), a USCCB national process of youth and young adult listening, and most recently the Synod on Synodality. In our diocesan efforts to produce a listening process we were keen on hearing from the young church. We heard a lot in our local and regional listening sessions for the Synod that folks are worried about losing our youth. It seems that it has been a problem that in the past few years has grown exponentially. Every year or so a new research poll comes out underscoring what we already know. Many of our youth and young people today are spiritual but not religious. They do not reject the idea of God, but do not support organized religion. This is not an exclusive problem for Catholics as other traditions are facing the same issue. Looking at the input young people have shared with church leaders over the past decade we have more than enough input to begin to look at ways to improve how we communicate our faith to the young church. As Pope Francis is oft to say they are not the church of the future, they are the church of the now. And, as such, we must find ways to engage our youth and young adults in ways that connect faith and action. In our recent experience with the Synod on Synodality, the young church spoke and was not shy in sharing their perspective. They asked for more opportunities for service, they feel a call to take care of the poor. They asked that church leaders (ordained and lay) be more authentic in words and actions. Specifically, they asked for leaders to stop being hypocritical. They asked for better preaching that is more relevant and address issues that matter. They asked that we stop using religion to support political views. They want the church to be better examples of faith in action and be more welcoming of others. In 2017, the National Dialogue on Catholic Pastoral Ministry with Youth and Young Adults began a listening and reflection process focused on understanding and enhancing the church’s ministries with young people. Many national organizations were collaborators in this effort, including the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM), the Catholic Campus Ministry Association (CCMA) and the National Catholic Network de Pastoral Juvenil Hispana (LaRED).
The results of that process clearly identified what the young church needs. Included in their findings was a call for more intentional connecting the life of faith with the lived experiences of young people. Address the “authenticity gap.” Many voices expressed that the church needs to show more empathy and authentic engagement with the young. Increase the investment in accompaniment. The church must train more people in “the art of accompaniment” with youth and young adults. Expand ministry with young adults. Reimagine faith formation. There was regular encouragement to move away from a classroom model and toward more relevant learning models featuring mentorship, small groups, accompaniment, faith sharing and authentic witness. Reconsider preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. There was a clear call to reexamine and reconsider how the church prepares young people for Confirmation. Partner with parents and enhance family ministry. There must be increased dialogue and collaboration with families and the domestic church, including the growth of intergenerational/family ministries. And, last but not least, transform ministry leadership. It was evident from the feedback that the church needs to seriously address the formation, support, and resourcing of ministry leaders and create a culture of collaboration and unity across ministerial and ecclesial lines. If you are an older adult, you might be thinking that no one ever asked you what you needed from the church and you turned out just fine. If that is where you are, I understand and appreciate you. I imagine if you think back to your own Confirmation and ask yourself how many of your high school or college friends are still Catholic, you can easily see the need to adjust how we convey faith to the young church. Be assured, we are not reinventing doctrine or dogma to suit present day culture. The rich beauty of the church and that of the Catholic faith are to be preserved and treasured. What we are looking for are ways to animate our faith in order to keep the young church on fire with the love of God. The reality is that we cannot unknow or unhear the voices of the young church. We cannot afford to be idle with our “we have always done it like...” mindset. The future of the church will be determined by our ability to dare to reimagine how we communicate our faith. I believe we can find a way.
The Heart of the Sovereign King: Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus THINGS OLD AND NEW By Ruth Powers
In popular Catholic piety, the month of June is traditionally devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, celebrated this year on June 24. Most Catholics are familiar with the image of the Sacred Heart: a heart topped with a flame and a cross, signifying Jesus’ love and compassion for us, and circled with a crown of thorns, representing His Passion. Many Catholic homes display a picture of Jesus pointing toward his heart, shown exposed in his chest. The practice of displaying such an image arose after a series of apparitions to a 17th century French nun, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, but the origins of devotion to the Sacred Heart are much older. Some of the early Church Fathers used the image of the heart of Jesus to symbolize his love for us, especially in his willingness to die to save us, but it wasn’t until the 11th century that a specific devotion to the wounded heart of Jesus began to develop. St. Bernard of Clairvaux wrote that the piercing of Christ’s side revealed his goodness and the charity of his heart for us. Practices honoring the Sacred Heart were prevalent in the Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries as private devotions, and soon began to spread to other religious orders. Franciscans had developed a special devotion to the Five Holy Wounds of Jesus, and St. Bonaventure wrote in his Mystic Vine, “Who is there who would not love
this wounded heart? Who would not love in return Him, who loves so much?” The Sacred Heart also figured in the visions of several female mystics of the time. By the 16th century, devotions to the Sacred Heart had become more formalized and special exercises and prayers were written. The Jesuits had a special devotion to the Sacred Heart and placed its image on the title pages of their books and on the walls of their churches. As lay people became more familiar with the idea of the Sacred Heart through the influence of the Jesuits, the devotion began to spread outside of the religious orders. St. Francis de Sales promoted this devotion, and his protégé St. Jane Frances de Chantal was influenced by him in her founding of the Visitation nuns. It is from this order that the best-known devotions to the Sacred Heart developed, thanks to visions of Jesus experienced by a Visitation nun, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. St. Margaret Mary experienced a series of visions of Jesus beginning in 1674 and ending in 1689. These visions have become the most significant source of devotion to the Sacred Heart in modern times. In these visions, Jesus called for special devotion to Him and his heart because of his great love. He requested reception of Holy Communion on the First Friday of every month for nine consecutive months, Eucharistic Adoration during a Holy Hour on Thursdays, and the celebration of a Feast of the Sacred Heart. In return, he made twelve promises to those who observed this devotion. “I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life. I will establish peace in their homes. I will comfort them in all their afflictions. I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death. I will bestow abundant bless-
ings upon all their undertakings. Sinners will find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy. Lukewarm souls shall become fervent. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection. I will bless every place in which an image of my Heart is exposed and honored. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts. Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart. I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.” After initial resistance, the nine First Friday devotions, along with the establishment of the Feast and the Holy Hour, spread throughout the world, aided by promotion by the Jesuits. A formal feast day for the Sacred Heart was recognized in 1765 in France and established as a feast day to be recognized by the whole church in 1899 by Pope Leo XIII. Devotion to the Sacred Heart has a long history in the church. It recognizes the humanity of Christ in the image of the human heart, and the depth of his love and compassion for us in his Passion. The promises tied to devotion to his Sacred Heart are very powerful, and the practice of these devotions (the novena of First Fridays, Holy Hours, placement of a picture of the Sacred Heart in the home) are beneficial to any Catholic. (Ruth Powers is the program coordinator for St. Mary Basilica Parish in Natchez.)
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC JUNE 17, 2022
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Please, give generously July 16 and 17, 2022
JUNE 17, 2022 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
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Graduation NATCHEZ – (Right) Emma Loomis and Molly Anderson exit the Baccalaureate Mass at St. Mary Basilica. (Photo by Cara Moody)
CLINTON – Holy Savior senior graduates pose for a photo with Father Thomas McGing after Mass on May 15. Pictured l-r, Tristan Ballard, Abigail Vargheese, Chenoa Dillon, Father McGing, Katherine McCombs and Matthew Weiss. (Photo by Trish Ballard)
VICKSBURG – Father Rusty Vincent speaks to St. Aloysius students. (Photo by Lindsay Bradley)
Let’s Celebrate!
MADISON – St. Joseph graduate John Hornback is pictured with Doug Hornback, Father Albeen Vatti and Katie Hornback. (Photo by Amy Hornback)
MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC JUNE 17, 2022
YOUTH 15 First time altar serving
End of the school year fun
(Above) JACKSON – St. Richard fifth graders had a party day on May 24. Students competed boys versus girls by passing the balls with their feet into the pool. (Photo by Tereza Ma)
WEST POINT – J.T. Pope experiences his first time altar serving, surrounded by seminarian Grayson Foley, Deacon Carlisle Beggerly and Bishop Joseph Kopacz, for the ordination of Carlisle Beggerly to the transitional diaconate at Immaculate Conception parish on June 4. (Photo by Tereza Ma)
(Right) SOUTHAVEN – Sacred Heart eighth graders receive a special blessing by Father Carlos at the end of the final Mass of the school year. (Photo by Sister Margaret Sue Broker) (Left) YAZOO CITY – St. Mary parish held a Children’s Mass on Sunday, May 22, with children serving as lectors, altar servers and greeters. Pictured is Will Foster reading. (Photo by Babs McMaster)
LELAND – St. James seniors: Leland Selby, Eleanor Zepponi, Magdalin Prewitt, Graci Pickell and Brett Chustz are pictured with Father Sleeva Reddy Mekala. (Photo by Glenn Pickell)
JUNE 17, 2022 MISSISSIPPI CATHOLIC
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'... journey to the priesthood ...' – Continued from page 1 – (Left) Bishop Joseph Kopacz lays his hands on the head of Carlisle Beggerly invoking the power of the Holy Spirit. (Photo by Lucia Arellano) (Below) Father Kelly from Sacred Heart Seminary in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, where Deacon Carlisle Beggerly studied for a time, speaks to the crowd. Also pictured (l-r): Father Binh Nguyen, Father Kent Bowlds, Father Andrew Bowden, Father Nick Adam and Deacon Henry Nguyen, a classmate of Deacon Beggerly's when he was at seminarian at Sacred Heart.
Preview released for Sister Thea Bowman documentary By JoANNA PUDDISTeR KING
A trailer has been released by NewGroup Media and the Diocese of Jackson for the upcoming documentary on Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman. The trailer has been making the rounds on social media and gives a glimpse into the life of the future Black Catholic saint. The documentary is entitled “Going Home Like a Shooting Star: Thea Bowman’s Journey to Sainthood” and it encompasses her life from her childhood in Canton, her rise to fame as a public speaker and evangelizer, to her death from cancer WEST POINT – Deacon Beggerly is vested by Father Andrew Bowden, who at age 52 in 1990. was ordained to the priesthood on May 14. (Photos by Tereza Ma) The documentary features testimonies from Sister Thea’s friends, fellow sisters, former students, acquaintances and admirers. It also includes live-action reenactments from moments in her life. The reenactments were filmed in various locations around the country, including locally in Canton featuring local talent, with St. Joseph Catholic School student Madison Ware, as young Bertha Bowman. Early reactions on social media platforms included: “These 6 minutes make me wish I had known her so much earlier! Thank you!” “She deserves this and so do the people!” “Sister Thea will hopefully one day be the first saint from Mississippi.” The trailer can be viewed on YouTube at https://bit.ly/SrTheaShootingStar. The film will be released this fall and is due to air on Screengrab from the trailer of the upcoming documentary on Servant of God Sister ABC. Thea Bowman. The film is due to be released this fall, airing on ABC.