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Monthly Archives: September 2015
RETREATS
St. Mary of the Pines
Eight-day retreats – $640
Five-day retreats – $400
Weekend directed retreats – $160
Directed Retreats: The resident retreat director is Sister Dorez Mehrtens, SSND. To schedule a retreat contact Sister Dorez, 601-783-0411 or 601-810-7758 (cell), dorezm37@yahoo.com.
Private Retreats: A private retreat is a retreat without a director and may be scheduled any time space is available. The individual chooses his/her own resources and rhythm of prayer and reflection throughout the day. Suggested donation: $65 per night. Financial assistance for any retreat is available upon request.
“Annual Women’s Retreat: Encountering God in all things,” Oct. 23-25. Sister Joan Dehmer, SSND, will be the presenter. She is on the staff of Loyola Spirituality Center in St. Paul, Minn. Cost is $135 for single rooms and $115 for double rooms, per person.
Contact: St. Mary of the Pines Retreat Center, 3167 Old Highway 51 South, Osyka, MS, 39657, 601-783-3494, retreatcenter@ssnddallas.org.
The Dwelling Place
“Jesus and my ego,” Sept. 25-27. Using Lectio Divina, participants will look at stories in the gospels designed to bring one’s ego out into the open. Led by Father Henry Shelton. Cost is $200.
“Hermitage Time,” Oct. 2-4.
Come, get away, be still and sort out your life under the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Experience God’s presence in the quiet and a personally guided prayer experience adapted to your needs. Director: Clare Van Lent. Begins with 6:30 dinner. Cost is $80 per day.
Contact: The Dwelling Place, 2824 Dwelling Place Road, Brooksville, MS, 39739, 662-738-5348, www.dwellingplace.com.
Benedictine SISTERS
“Woman Spirit Rising,” Sept. 25-27. A gathering of women at the Red Tent, a safe place to tell your own stories, to do truth telling, and to share hopes and dreams. Led by Sister Mary McGhehee. Private rooms, $245, shared rooms $205 per person.
Contact: Benedictine Sisters Retreat Center, 916 Convent Road, Cullman, AL 35055, 256-734-8302, retreats@shmon.org.
Teresa In Avila: The Life of a Saint, Thursday, Oct. 15, from 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. At this retreat, special attention will be paid to the place and times in which St. Teresa lived, how she was shaped by them, and how she in turn helped shape her times. We will also consider how our own places and times shape us, and we them. Led by Sister Elisabeth Meadows, O.S.B. Cost is $30.
JESUIT SPIRITUALITY CENTER
Directed Retreats: The Jesuit Spirituality Center specializes in personally directed retreats based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Solitude and silence are important aspects of these retreats. Retreats may range from three days, five days, or eight days, to a full month.
Dates: Oct. 5 or 8, Oct. 20 or Oct. 22 – (3 & 5 days only), Nov. 12 or Nov. 15, Dec. 7 or Dec. 10. Retreats of eight-days begin on the first date. Retreats of five or three days begin on either date. Costs vary according to the length of the retreat.
“An introduction to the directed retreat,” Oct. 2-4. Cost is $160 (includes $70 non-refundable pre-registration fee).
An Introduction to the Directed Retreat is designed for someone making a silent directed retreat for the first time. Group and individual sessions will focus on how to pray, to journal, and to communicate prayer experiences with one’s director. This retreat will also prepare participants for a longer 3, 5, 8 or 30-day retreat. Led by Nelda Turner.
“Zen Practices for Christian Living,” Oct. 15-18. Led by Father Robert Kennedy, S.J. Come develop a deeper contemplative prayer life. Zazen or sitting meditation is the practice of stilling the mind through whole hearted attentiveness to the breath. Cost is $240 (commuters $180) pre-registration and a non-refundable $70 registration fee are required
Contact: Jesuit Spirituality Center, 313 Martin Luther King Dr., Grand Coteau, La. 70541, 337-662-5251.
Knights of Columbus offer yearlong family prayer and bonding program
By Maureen Smith
JACKSON –The Knights of Columbus in Mississippi have provided a limited number of resource books to parishes and families throughout the state. “Building the Domestic Church, the family fully alive,” is a year-long program for families.
It comes in the form of a book of prayers, activities and reflections put together by the Knights of Columbus on a national level. The program, which runs from October to September, contains a monthly theme, a suggested family movie and service projects. It also has prayer cards and suggestions for council activities.
“As the saints have shown throughout history, holiness in life leads inevitably to witness in our daily lives. In our time, the work of evangelization is not reserved only for an elite few, but is the responsibility of all baptized Christians.
“In a very real sense, we are all called to be missionaries. We are called to ‘proclaim’ the Gospel to those around us through our lives each day, and the privileged place for most of us to do this is within our own families,” writes Karl Anderson, supreme Knight in his introduction.
“To help our families better become what they are called to be, the Knights of Columbus has launched this initiative entitled ‘Building the Domestic Church, the faith fully alive.’ Through this program our families can realize more fully their mission to be an authentic domestic church through daily prayer, catechesis and Scripture reading, as well as through monthly charitable and volunteer projects they can do as a family,” he added.
For example, the theme for October, “Because the Lord is God of our ancestors, we want to strengthen the relationship between our family’s generations,” suggests families make a family tree together, visit relatives or send a letter to a loved one. The book suggests watching Disney/Pixar’s movie ‘Up’ to reflect on relationships between generations. The service project for the month is centered on providing food for a family in need.
“This initiative can help all families, whatever their difficulties, deepen their relationship with the Lord. It can especially help divorced parents meet their obligation to raise their children in the Catholic faith and reassure them that their communion with the Lord is not severed, but rather can continue to grow stronger through prayer, scripture reading, participation in the parish community, service to others, and evangelization. In these ways, they too can be a part of our initiative and grow in their faith,” wrote Anderson.
The Knights of Columbus in Mississippi provided 500 copies of the books to different parishes of the Diocese of Jackson through the Office of Family Ministry, but anyone can download a free digital copy on the national website at www.kofc.org/familyfullyalive.
Internet safety workshop registration open
Spots are still available for “Catholic Citizenship in the Digital Age,” a workshop on internet safety set for Saturday, October 3, at Madison St. Joseph High School. The workshop is free, but reservations are important because orgainzers will provide lunch to attendees.
“Technology changes daily and education is important to us as good Catholics to be respectable and appropriate users of digital and social media,” said Vickie Carollo, Safe Environment Coordinator for the Diocese of Jackson. “Additionally, it is critical that as adults, we recognize our role in keeping young people safe when using electronic communication devices,” she added.
“The diocese is fortunate to have Paul Sanfrancesco of Philadelphia as the keynote speaker for the workshop. Paul is a technology consultant for Sadlier Publishing and teaches as Adjunct Professor in the Graduate Education Department at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and Neumann University in Aston, Penn,” said Carollo.
A few years ago Sanfrancesco did a survey in his school system on how proficient teachers were at using technology. He found that many needed training not only in technology, but in online platforms such as social media. He started a summer program to train his own teachers. He now takes that program across the country
“In addition to Paul’s keynote, the workshop agenda will include an opportunity to participate in a break-out session with an education consultant from the State of Mississippi Attorney General’s Office Cybercrime Unit,”she added.
The workshop is from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3. Anyone can attend, but parents, pastors, DREs/CREs, youth ministers and school administrators are especially invited. For registration, please contact Annette Stevenson for registration at (601-960-8470) or email her at: annette.stevenson@jacksondiocese.org.
Save the Dates: Catholic Charities plans full slate of fall events
JACKSON – Catholic Charities has three upcoming events to raise money for their many services.
Tuesday, Oct. 13 at noon, Father Jonathan Morris, author and news analyst, will speak at the Journey of Hope luncheon at the downtown Jackson Marriott hotel. Tickets are also still available for a meet and greet with Father Morris the evening before.
The fourth annual Purple Dress 5K run/walk benefiting Catholic Charities Domestic Violence Services Center is set for Thursday, Oct. 22 in a new location. The start and finish is at The Iron Horse Grill in downtown Jackson. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Get information about these events from Julie O’Brien, 601-326-3758 or julie.obrien@ccjackson.org.
This year’s Squat & Gobble event is also in a new location, the Old Capitol Inn in Jackson. on Thursday, Nov. 13. Squat and Gobble benefits Catholic Charities Domestic Violence Office.
Additional information is available on the Catholic Charities website: www.ccjackson.org.
‘Many Saints, One Church’ Black Catholic Day of Reflection announced
GREENWOOD – St. Francis Parish is hosting Many Saints, Once Church, a Black Catholic weekend of Reflection Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6-7. The weekend is sponsored by the Office of Black Catholic Ministry.
“We are featuring M. Roger Holland on Friday evening. He will share his amazing musical gifts with all. He is a very accomplished musician and gospel artist and composer,” said Sister Kathleen Murphy, FSCC, one of the organizers. “He has worked on Broadway, been gospel music choir director at St. Patrick’s in New York and he has compositions in the new “Lead Me, Guide Me” hymnal including the Welcome Table Mass setting,” added Sister Murphy.
Dr. Timone Davis is the keynote speaker for Saturday. She has worked extensively with youth and serves as formation director for the Augustus Tolton Pastoral Ministry Program based in Chicago. She employs African storytelling as she shares her message.
Father Anthony Clark, SVD, will offer breakout sessions for youth on Saturday. He is currently pastor of St. Augustine Parish in Memphis. He has served the Diocese of Memphis particularly in the area of Multicultural Ministries for many years.
The choir from St. Augustine Parish will serve as music ministers for the closing 4 p.m. liturgy on Saturday.
“The overall theme for the day, Many Saints – One Church – arose first of all from an interview done with Sister Thea Bowman,” explained Sister Murphy. “She was asked how she felt about being called a ‘living saint.’ Her reply included the idea that we all should consider ourselves to be living saints. The One Church element of the theme arose from the current events in our country which speak so sadly of divides of many types. The planning committee felt that there is a real call for unity among peoples today. It needs to be a theme for our prayer,” said Sister Murphy.
The registration fee is $15 per person which includes the T-shirt for the event, Friday evening reception, Saturday morning grab-and-go breakfast and Saturday lunch.
In addition to spiritual enrichment, the ogranizers are offering fellowship and fun. Attendees can win door prizes featuring John Richards home decor items and shop for African attire and other items from a collection of vendors. The Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer foundation will be there as well.
The Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn Express in Greenwood will have special rates for rooms that weekend for those who mention the Black Catholic gathering for the Diocese of Jackson when reservations are made.
Pre-registration will continue through Oct. 5. On-site registration will be available, but preregistration is preferred. To register contact Will Jemison at 601-949-6935 or will.jemison@jacksondiocese.org.
Pope to bishops: let Holy Spirit constantly move you
By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Never try to tame the Holy Spirit, Pope Francis told new bishops.
Let the Spirit “continually turn your life upside down” and inspire you to challenge faithful Catholics, seek out those who have left the church and boldly meet with non-believers, he said.
The pope made his comments Sept. 10 in a written address to some 130 recently appointed bishops from around the world.
In the lengthy text, Pope Francis said he didn’t want to dwell too long on the “dramatic challenges” the bishops would have to face “because I don’t want to frighten you. You are still on your honeymoon” as newly ordained or newly appointed bishops.
However, the pope did remind the bishops of the fear, confusion and dejection many disciples felt after Christ was crucified.
Yet their shattered lives found meaning again when Christ showed them he had conquered death and was truly risen. He breathed the Holy Spirit on them, giving them their new mission of spreading God’s mercy and forgiveness, the pope said.
Never forgetting Christ is risen is key to remaining strong in the face of so much disarray. “Passing through the walls of your helplessness, he has joined you with his presence,” he said. God is aware of their weaknesses, denials and betrayals, but he has still bestowed his Spirit on them, he said.
Safeguard the Spirit because it is a breath that will “turn your life upside down” and never be like it was ever before, the pope said. “I beg you not to tame such power,” but let it constantly move them.
The bishop’s primary task is to be a witness of the Risen Christ, which is “the reality that upholds the entire edifice of the church,” and which promises that all people can be reborn with him, Pope Francis said.
He asked the bishops to never exclude any aspect of human life or any person from their pastoral concern, instead encouraging them to teach and challenge faithful Catholics, actively seek out Catholics who have left the church and bring the Word to those who have always refused or do not know Jesus.
The pope said bishops should take by the hand those who are already part of the Christian community and lead them on a spiritual journey that reveals deeper mysteries about God and their faith than they “perhaps lazily have gotten used to listening to without seeing its power.”
Bishops can inspire their priests to reawaken joy in their parishioners because “without joy, Christianity wastes away into toil.”
Bishops must “intercept” those who are distanced from the church, let them “pour out” their sorrows and disappointments, and help them come to terms with the reasons they turned away from God.
“More than with words, warm their hearts with humble and engaged listening for their true good until they open their eyes and can turn things around and return to the One from whom they have been distanced,” the pope said.
Keep an eye open for signs of pride that may “dangerously worm into your community,” he said, thereby preventing parishioners from celebrating the return of those who were lost.
Finally, the pope said, bishops must be missionaries who “without fear or apprehension” can stand before people who do not know or have refused to believe in God and invite them to discover salvation has a place in their lives.
Showing concern for their true well-being, he said, might be what makes a tiny chink “in the walled perimeter they use to jealously protect their own autocracy.”
God’s ineffability revealed by Jesus
IN EXILE
By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
God, as I understand him, is not very well understood. A colleague of mine, now deceased, was fond of saying that. It’s a wise comment.
Anyone who claims to understand God is deceived because the very first dogma we have about God affirms that God is ineffable. That means that we can know God, but never adequately capture God in a concept. God is unimaginable. God cannot be circumscribed and put into a mental picture of any kind. Thank goodness too. If God could be understood then God would be as limited as we are.
But God is infinite. Infinity, precisely because it’s unlimited, cannot be circumscribed. Hence it cannot be captured in a mental picture. Indeed, we don’t even have a way of picturing God’s gender. God is not a man, not a woman, and not some hybrid, half-man and half-woman. God’s gender, like God’s nature, is intellectually inconceivable. We can’t grasp it and have no language or pronoun for it. God, in a modality beyond the categories of human thought, is somehow perfect masculinity and perfect femininity all at the same time. It’s a mystery beyond us.
But while that mystery cannot be grasped with any rational adequacy, we can know it intimately, and indeed know it so deeply that it’s meant to be the most intimate of all knowledge in our lives. It’s no accident that the bible uses the verb “to know” to connote sexual intimacy. There are different ways of knowing, some more inchoate, intuitive, and intimate than others. We can know God in a radical intimacy, even as we cannot conceptualize God with any adequacy. And that’s also true of all the deep realities in life, we can know them and relate to them intimately, but we can never fully understand them.
So where does that leave us with God? In the best of places! We are not on a blind date, struggling to develop intimacy with a complete stranger, with an unknown person who could be benign or malignant. God may be ineffable, but God’s nature is known. Divine revelation, as seen through nature, as seen through other religions, and especially as seen through Jesus, spells out what’s inside God’s ineffable reality. And what’s revealed there is both comforting beyond all comfort and challenging beyond all challenge.
What’s revealed in the beauty of creation, in the compassion that’s the hallmark of all true religion, and in Jesus’ revelation of his Father, takes us beyond a blind date into a trustworthy relationship. Nature, religion, and Jesus conspire together to reveal an Ultimate Reality, a Ground of Being, a Creator and Sustainer of the universe, a God, who is wise, intelligent, prodigal, compassionate, loving, forgiving, patient, good, trustworthy, and beautiful beyond imagination.
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, once, in a mystical vision, saw all of this hidden inside the eyes of Jesus. Staring at a painting of Jesus on a church-wall one day, Jesus’ eyes suddenly became transfigured and this what Teilhard saw: “These eyes which at first were so gentle and filled with pity that I thought my mother stood before me, became an instant later, like those of a woman, passionate and filled with the power to subdue, yet at the same time so imperiously pure that under their domination it would have been physically impossible for the emotions to go astray.
And then they changed again, and became filled with a noble, virile majesty, similar to that which one sees in the eyes of men of great courage or refinement or strength, but incomparably more lofty to behold and more delightful to submit to. This scintillation of diverse beauties was so complete, so captivating, and also so swift that I felt it touch and penetrate all my powers simultaneously, so that the very core of my being vibrated in response to it, sounding a unique note of expansion and happiness.
Now while I was ardently gazing deep into the pupils of Christ’s eyes, which had become abysses of fiery, fascinating life, suddenly I beheld rising up from the depths of those same eyes what seemed like a cloud , blurring and blending all that variety I have been describing to you. Little by little an extraordinary expression of great intensity, spread over the diverse shades of meaning which the divine eyes revealed, first of all penetrating them and then finally absorbing them all.
… And I stood dumbfounded. For this final expression, which had dominated and gathered up into itself all the others, was indecipherable. I simply could not tell whether it denoted an indescribable agony or a superabundance of triumphant joy.”
God cannot be deciphered, circumscribed, or captured in human thought; but, from what can be deciphered, we’re in good, safe hands. We can sleep well at night. God has our back. In the end, both for humanity as a whole and for our own individual lives, all will be well, and all will be well, and every manner of being will be well. God is good.
(Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser, theologian, teacher and award-winning author, is President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX.)
Inspirational reflections offered to educators
By Maureen Smith
MADISON – More than 300 educators for the Catholic Schools in the diocese gathered on Tuesday, September 8, at St. Joseph High School for a day of formation and reflection on this year’s school theme: Teaching Everyone About Mercy (TEAM) and the Catechetical theme for the year in the U.S.: Safeguarding the Dignity of Every Human Person.
The Office of Catholic Education partnered with the Office of Faith Formation for the event featuring Paulist Father Bruce Nieli. Father Nieli, who recently moved from Memphis to Austin, Texas, is a lively preacher and missionary who wrapped his presentation around his own experiences, some of his heroes and scriptures to inspire the group. He sang, played the guitar, danced and laughed for the entire day.
“He was a dynamic and charismatic speaker and his message was clear and concise,” said Clara Isom, principal for Holly Springs Holy Family School. “I was so thrilled because he grabbed our attention and really gave us something to listen to. He was scripturally sound and he reminded us that we have to be servants to all who enter our schools,” added Isom.
She said that while the schools are Catholic, they often serve diverse populations in terms of faith, but the mission remains the same. She added that Father Nieli offered his message to teachers and administrators of all backgrounds. “His message was pluralistic and inclusive. He gave us something we could feed on — something to think about individually and as a group,” said Isom.
This is the first time in a couple of years that the Office of Catholic Education has offered a day for all of the teachers. Groups carpooled and caravaned from every school in the system. “We felt like this would be a great way to enhance our work in strengthening Catholic identity at our schools,” said Catherine Cook, superintendent. “It also gave us a chance to get everyone together for fellowship, which is always a good thing, and we knew Father Bruce (Nieli) would get us all pumped up about the year,” added Cook.
The day started with Mass to mark the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Bishop Joseph Kopacz concelebrated with retired Bishop William Houck. “We were delighted to have both Bishop Kopacz and Bishop Houck join us for the whole day,” said Cook.
Karla Luke, the coordinator for Operational and Support Services, said all of the schools have been asked to bring the Jubilee Year of Mercy into their schools in some way. “Planning this day was led by the Holy Spirit, that’s for sure,” said Luke. “We wanted everyone to leave that day with a spirit of unity that no matter what our background — religious, ethnic, socio-economic or otherwise — we can realize we are all people of God, people of Christ and we have a duty and responsibility to one another. We wanted to wrap that into the catechetical theme of Safeguarding the Dignity of the Human Person and the Jubilee Year of Mercy,” said Luke.
Pope Francis has declared a Jubilee Year of Mercy to start in December. The year is focused on the mercy of God and includes an emphasis on reconciliation and renewal. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops selects a theme for catechists each year which is introduced on Catechetical Sunday in September.
Father Nieli spoke at length about letting the Holy Spirit into the lives of the teachers. He told personal stories of how it has enhanced his own life, for example, he was in New York just after the 9/11 attacks and wanted to visit the site. He asked to be let into the cleanup area and happened to be there when the largest collection of bodies was discovered. Rescuers asked him to bless those bodies. He had not planned on being there, he was not supposed to be the clergy person on duty and he had no connection to the recovery operation, but he let the Holy Spirit take the lead and began to pray. He felt called to use the Prayer of St. Francis with its call for peace and reconciliation.
He also told the story of speaking to children in a school in Ferguson, Mo., about Our Lady of Guadalupe and talked about being inspired by Sister Thea Bowman. By the end of the day, he had the whole audience on their feet clapping and singing.
“We got a lot of positive feedback from the day and we hope to do it again,” said Cook.
Jackson priests already empowered to absolve
By Nancy O’Brien
BALTIMORE (CNS) – Pope Francis’ Sept. 1 announcement that priests worldwide will be able to absolve women for the sin of abortion will have little effect on pastoral practices in the United States and Canada, where most priests already have such authority in the sacrament of reconciliation. Priests in the Diocese of Jackson have had the authority for many years, but ,many hope secular media coverage of the announcement may lead some to seek reconciliation who had been reluctant in the past.
“It is my understanding that the faculty for the priest to lift the ‘latae sententiae’ excommunication for abortion is almost universally granted in North America,” said Don Clemmer, interim director of media relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“Latae sententiae” is a Latin term in canon law that means excommunication for certain crimes, including involvement in abortion, is automatic. Clemmer said it is “the fiat of the local bishop” whether to allow the priests in his diocese to absolve those sins and most bishops granted such permission when giving priests faculties to minister in their local church.
Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger of Albany, New York, confirmed that in a Sept. 1 statement welcoming what he called the pope’s “wonderful gesture.”
“Any woman who has had an abortion, any person who has been involved in an abortion in any way, can always seek God’s forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation, if they are truly sorry for their actions.”
Several prelates, including Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, emphasized that Pope Francis’ action “in no way diminishes the moral gravity of abortion.”
“What it does do is make access to sacramental forgiveness easier for anyone who seeks it with a truly penitent heart,” he said.
Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said his “hope and prayer is that all those carrying the burden of an experience of abortion would turn to the church and her sacraments and experience the Lord’s mercy and love.”
Catholic moral theologian Charles Camosy, noted that the pope’s words about abortion and forgiveness bore a striking resemblance to the words of Pope St. John Paul II in his 1995 encyclical, “Evangelium Vitae.”
Addressing women who have had abortions, Pope John Paul wrote, “If you have not already done so, give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace in the sacrament of reconciliation.”
New teaching or not, Albany’s Bishop Scharfenberger expressed hope that women will take advantage of this opportunity.
“The real news is that there is no need to wait,” he said. “God is ready to forgive and heal now!”