Superintendent attends education conference in Rome

By Junno Arocho Esteves
VATICAN CITY (CNS)/JACKSON – Catherine Cook, superintendent for Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Jackson joined 2,000 educators and education advocates in Rome in November for a conference marking the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on Christian Education and the 25th anniversary of “Ex Corde Ecclesiae,” St. John Paul II’s apostolic constitution on Catholic universities.
The trip was full of highlights for Cook, including Mass at the Tomb of St. Peter, two days in Castel Gandolfo hearing presentations from educators around the world and a question and answer session with Pope Francis.
Taking questions from administrators and faculty members, the pope spoke about Catholic identity in education and warned about the dangers of exclusion and educating within “the walls” of a selective and safe culture.
Roberto Zappala, headmaster of Milan’s Gonzaga Institute, asked the pope what makes a school “truly Christian.” Christian education, the pope responded, is not just about providing catechesis, but requires educating children and young people “in human values,” particularly the value of transcendence.
Spanish Lasallian Christian Brother Juan Antonio Ojeda, a professor at the University of Malaga, asked the pope how educators can foster a culture of encounter and restore the broken bonds among schools, families and society.
The pope said Catholic educators must overcome a tendency of being selective and must work to restore the broken “educational alliance” among families, schools and society, which tends to place profit over people.
“This is a shameful global reality,” the pope said. “It is a reality that leads us toward a human selectivity that, instead of bringing people together, it distances them; it distances the rich from the poor; it distances one culture from another.”
The pope urged the group to find new and innovative ways to make Catholic education accessible to every family who wants it.
When asked how Catholic schools could contribute to building peace in the world, the pope called on them to educate the poor and the marginalized even if that meant cutting the staff at some of their schools in wealthier neighborhoods.
Cook said she appreciated hearing from international educators. “I learned that the concerns we have about Catholic education in the U.S. aren’t that different than everyone else and yet there are significant differences,” said Cook. “We all want to think of our schools as safe havens, but in some parts of the world, where school may provide the only meal a child gets in a day or provide a truly safe place to be – that challenge is significantly different,” said Cook.
She said that Mass at the Tomb of St. Peter was a very moving experience and she used it to pray for those who work in Catholic schools here.
Pope Francis also gave the participants a homework assignment: to think about how to fulfill the corporal and spiritual works of mercy through education.
“Think about it in this Year of Mercy: is mercy just about giving alms or how can I do the works of mercy in education?” he said.
Schools in the diocese have adopted TEAM or teaching everyone about mercy as a theme for this year and each school is trying to embrace the Jubilee year in its own way.
(Maureen Smith contributed local content to this story)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
GREENVILLE St. Joseph Parish, seven-session, “Discovering Christ,” beginning Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016, with dinner. Transportation and child care will be available.
HERNANDO Holy Spirit Parish, Father Bruce Neili talks on the topic of mercy, Jan. 10-12, 2016. Dinner and child care will be provided.
JACKSON St. Richard Parish, mission, Jan. 18-20, 2016. Led by Father Jack Conley from Chicago.
– Annual ladies’ retreat, Jan. 22-24, 2016, at St. Mary of the Pines in Chatawa. Led by Bishop Joseph Kopacz.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica and Assumption Parish, parish mission, “Call to spiritual renewal and encounter with God,” Jan. 25-28, 2016.
– Theology course, “Deepening of Faith Commitment,” begins on Thursday, Feb. 18-March 24, 2016, in the O’Connor Family Life Center beginning with a light supper at 6 p.m.
GREENWOOD Locus Benedictus Retreat Center, presentation by Father Daniel Cambra, MIC, from the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Ma., Friday, March 4, 2016, at 6 p.m. followed by a blessing with a first class relic of St. Faustina.

PARISH, SCHOOL & FAMILY EVENTS
GRENADA St. Peter Parish, blood drive, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
GREENVILLE St. Joseph Parish was added to the stops for the boat American Queen. Parishioners can serve as hostess/docent. Details: Mary Lynn Powers, 662-335-2747, mlpowers43@gmail.com.
JACKSON St. Richard School, “Krewe de Cardinal” ball, Friday, Feb. 5, 2016. Tickets are $80 per couple.
MADISON St. Joseph School, “Jeans, Jazz and Bruin Blues” Draw Down, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. Great food, fun, entertainment and the chance to win $10,000. Only 550 tickets are sold.
PEARL St. Jude Parish, New Year’s Eve party, Thursday, Dec. 31, from 8 p.m. – 1 p.m. Wear your tackiest New Year’s outfit. Bring your favorite finger food, appetizer or hors d’oeuvres.
SHAW St. Francis of Assisi Parish, feast of the Holy Family, blessing of families and renewal of marriage vows during the 9 a.m. Mass, Sunday, Dec. 27.

IN MEMORIAM
ALGIERS, La. – A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Thursday, Dec. 17, for Brother Anselm Hollingsworth, OSB. He died Dec. 11 at Our Lady of Wisdom Healthcare Center in Algiers.
He grew up in Jackson in a Baptist household, but as a youth he became an Episcopalian and was received into the full communion of the Roman Catholic Church at the age of 24.
His father, the late William R. Hollingsworth, Jr., was a noted painter, watercolorist and illustrator. Brother Anselm inherited his father’s talent as a cartoonist. His major talent was as a self-taught pianist with a gift for jazz improvisation. As a young man, he headed his own dance band.
He was well known to visitors during his many years as the Abbey’s principal porter.
Brother Anselm entered St. Joseph Abbey and made profession as a monk on Aug. 29, 1960. He served at the Abbey and Seminary College in St. Benedict, La. For almost 40 years he was the local climatological observer, regularly reporting to the National Weather Service as well as to local news outlets. He served as secretary to two abbots.

COURT INTERPRETER SEMINAR
JACKSON – The Mississippi Court Interpreter Credentialing Program will offer the Ethics and Skill Building Seminar on Jan. 20-21, 2016, for court interpreters in the first floor meeting room at the Mississippi Supreme Court (Carroll Gartin Justice Building), 450 High Street in Jackson.
Cost is $100 and includes lunch for both days. Registration deadline is Jan. 8, 2016. The registration form and seminar agenda is available on the Mississippi Supreme Court website on the AOC/Court Interpreters/Resources for Interpreters under the Training Information section located at http://courts.ms.gov/aoc/courtinterpreter/resources.html. Details: Ta’Shia S. Gordon, 601-576-4632.

MEDICAL INTERPRETERS TRAINING
JACKSON – The Office of Health Disparity Elimination (OHDE) will offer a Medical Interpreters Training (MIT) on Jan. 20-22 and Jan. 27-29. The registration is  open until Jan. 1, 2016. Details: Shirley Pandolfi, 601-206-1553.

WORLD MARRIAGE DAY 2016
JACKSON – World Marriage Day 2016, Sunday, Feb. 7, at 3 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. There will be a Mass followed by a reception. The Mass honors all married couples, but especially recognizes those celebrating their 25th, 50th or 60th anniversaries or any significant anniversary. Submit your name, address and wedding date to your pastor or parish secretary by Dec. 30. Details: Jennifer Eidt, 601-960-8487, jennifer.eidt@jacksondiocese.org.

CATHOLIC DAY AT THE CAPITOL
JACKSON – Save the date for Catholic Charities’ Catholic Day at the Capitol, set for Thursday, Feb. 11, in Jackson. Activities this year will include in-depth discussions on effective advocacy and how the state can better serve children, families and those with mental health issues. Look for a full preview in the Jan. 8 issue of Mississippi Catholic.

DIOCESAN HISPANIC GATHERING
JACKSON – Diocesan Hispanic Gathering (Encuentro) “Called, healed, sent to live and proclaim a Year of Mercy,” Saturday, April 30, 2016, at the Convention Center in Greenwood.

Need help? Ask Mary

By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
As Advent approaches its half-way mark, Mary, the mother of Jesus of Nazareth, the woman of innumerable titles of honor and respect, is at center stage as we prepare the way for the Lord who is our way, truth, and life. Earlier this week we celebrated the great feast of the Immaculate Conception, Mary’s first moment of life in this world. Saturday, Dec. 12, is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and marks the second anniversary of my announcement as the 11th bishop of Jackson.
One of the symbols on my shield is the rose, representing the bouquet of roses that defined the appearance of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe to Saint Juan Diego. It is also the symbol of life at all stages of development.
“Mary, the Most Powerful Woman in the World” are the words, with a compelling portrait of the Blessed Mother on the cover of the current issue of, you might not guess, National Geographic. The feature article is a timely piece during Advent of the Virgin Mother who has the devotion of countless millions throughout the world. There are more than a few remarkable facts sprinkled throughout the cover story of this singular woman. “Praying for the Virgin Mother’s intercession and being devoted to her is a global phenomenon.”
The notion of Mary as intercessor with Jesus begins with the miracle of the wine at the wedding at Cana, when, according to the Gospel of John, she tells him, “They have no wine,” thus prompting his first miracle. It was in AD 431, at the Third Ecumenical Council in Ephesus, that she was officially named Theotokos, Bearer of God. Since then no other woman has been as exalted as Mary. As a universal symbol of maternal love, as well as suffering and sacrifice, Mary is often the touchstone of our longing for meaning, a more accessible link to the supernatural than formal church teachings.
Her mantle offers both security and protection. Pope Francis, when once asked what Mary meant to him, answered, “She is my mama.”
In a world that is currently hemorrhaging because of the clash among adherents of Islamic, Jewish and Christian civilizations, we can find a bridge across these chasms in the person of Mary. Muslims as well as Christians consider her to be holy above all women, and her name “Maryam” appears more often in the Koran than “Mary” does in the Bible.
“Mary is calling us spiritually, and because of that, both Muslims and Christians love her and respect her,” says a Coptic priest in Egypt who welcomes Muslim and Christian women to his church who pray to Mary for special favors. Imagine if all of the bombs, bullets and power struggles could give way to the tender love of a mother who directs all people to the heart of God as revealed in her Son, the Savior of the world.
As a Jewish maiden, Mary also offers a path to the sacred. Some of the latest Mary scholarship focuses on her as a Jewish mother. One scholar notes that “Mary brings us to Jesus, who is the light of the world, just as Jewish mothers light the Shabbat candles. We see the relationship of Mary with us isn’t just any relationship, it’s sacred.”
The church has officially recognized only 67 of more than 2,000 professed apparitions of Mary throughout the world. At a few of those sites without official recognition the pilgrims continue to come. For example, more than one million of the devout make a pilgrimage to Medjugorje each year, and many with whom I have spoken over the years are strengthened by the journey. There are many venerated sites going back centuries.
The Black Madonna of Czestochowa, also known as Our Lady of Czestochowa, is a revered icon of the Virgin Mary housed at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Czestochowa, Poland. Several Pontiffs have recognized the venerated icon, beginning with Pope Clement XI who issued a Canonical Coronation to the image on 8 September 1717 via the Vatican Chapter. The tradition takes it back to the 14th century.
Apparitions better known to all of us in the West are at Lourdes and Mexico City, Fatima in Portugal and Knock in Ireland. More than 5 million per year travel to Lourdes seeking healing and peace. The tilma, or cloak, of the poor Indian man, now Saint Juan Diego still inspires millions who make pilgrimage to Mexico City each year to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
His encounter with the Virgin Mother has led to an outpouring of love and devotion toward her that has not waned four and one half centuries later. Our Lady of Guadalupe is now the Patroness of the Americas as declared by Pope Saint John Paul II. The sites of apparition go on and on, from Vietnam to Rwanda, from Haiti to Chile.
As we prepare for the coming of the Savior, the Word made flesh, Emmanuel, God with us, the figure of Mary looms large because her yes to God’s indescribable call still amazes us. She remains our Lord’s first and foremost disciple who was present throughout his life, in death, and at the birth of the Church at Pentecost.
She was busy then, and she remains busy through the ages. In the light of faith we can say that she is a prophetess, like the prophets of old, who speaks on behalf of the eternal God. Like the prophets, at times she speaks words of consolation; at other times, words of warning. In every instance her presence and words are those of a loving mother who never abandons, her children, standing at the foot of their crosses, and holding them in her arms at the end. These are powerful images that obviously continue to endure and inspire nearly 2000 years later.
Advent is a time to renew our love for the the Lord Jesus, born into our hearts through faith. May the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church show us the way to her Son, the light of the world, this season and always.

Three pastors announce retirements

By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Three pastors have announced their retirement from active ministry, Msgr. Michael Flannery, Fathers Frank Cosgrove and Charles Bucciantini.
Father Cosgrove, 75, admits he has mixed feelings about leaving his post in Meridian. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease five years ago, but has been managing his illness up to now. “My energy level has been lower,” said Father Cosgrove. “I hoped I would know when it is time – and it is,” he added.
Father Cosgrove remembers reading missionary magazines when he was a child in Ireland. When then Father Jeremiah Hardnett came to his high school recruiting priests for Mississippi, Father Cosgrove knew he wanted to go. “I’m sincerely glad I did. It’s been a happy 50 years,” he said.

Father Francis Cosgrove, pictured at his Jubilee Mass in Merdian is retiring to St. Catherine's Village in Madison. (Mississippi Catholic file photos)

Father Francis Cosgrove, pictured at his Jubilee Mass in Merdian is retiring to St. Catherine’s Village in Madison. (Mississippi Catholic file photos)

Father Cosgrove served in Natchez, at the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Therese in Jackson, Oxford, Madison and Meridian. During his time in Jackson he served as director of Youth Ministry and later as vicar general under Bishop William Houck.
Father Cosgrove remembers his time in youth ministry as being full of adventures. During his first youth convention he was nervous about managing the 700 young people in the old Heidelberg Hotel. With so many students, he was sure he had filled the hotel. When he saw a young couple go into a room and close the door he sprang into action. “I banged on the door and told them, ‘you know the rule at this convention is that if you are in the room of a person of the opposite sex, you will leave the door open.’ The young man got very red faced and said, ‘but sir, we are on our honeymoon!’” He spoke of his love for helping young people find their vocations.
“One of my values over the years has been trying to build lay leadership, especially among young people,” said Father Cosgrove. He hopes to remain active in ministry, just not as a pastor. He will move to St. Catherine’s Village in Madison in February and asks for people to pray for him.
Msgr. Flannery knew he wanted to be a priest at the age of six. “Initially I was going to become a Franciscan and stay in Ireland, but this priest came from Mississippi and talked about the needs there,” he said. The challenge appealed to him. He liked the idea of participating in a variety of ministries, from working at a school to instructing people in

Msgr. Michael Flannery, who is retiring in 2016, celebrated his 50th anniversary of priesthood in June, 2014.

Msgr. Michael Flannery, who is retiring in 2016, celebrated his 50th anniversary of priesthood in June, 2014.

RCIA and celebrating multiple Masses every weekend. “I have enjoyed my priesthood, I have to say and I would encourage any young boy to consider it,” he said. Msgr. Flannery served in Jackson, Pascagoula, Rosedale, Cleveland, Clarksdale and Madison. He worked in the tribunal for 20 years of his ministry and served at the mission in Saltillo, Mexico, which he describes as his most memorable assignment.
“When I passed in over the border, I knew two phrases, buenos dias, and un poco. That was my total vocabulary. I got there at four o’clock in the afternoon and said ‘buenos dias,’ which is good morning. And the guy said to me in Spanish, ‘do you speak Spanish?’ and I said ‘un poco.’ I’d shot my whole wad,” he said, laughing. Msgr. Flannery added that learning the language was not the real challenge. Learning the culture was the real work. He described a people with true inner joy despite the poverty and isolation they faced.
“I went there believing I would make a contribution to the mission. The reality was they are the ones who enriched my life by their faith,” explained Msgr. Flannery. “It deepened my understanding of priesthood and what ministry was all about,” he added.
Many of the people in Saltillo had not seen a priest in a decade as he started to make the rounds of the mountain villages so there was plenty of work to do.
He remembered a time when Bishop Brunini came to celebrate confirmation in one of the villages. “Five hundred people turned out for the confirmation. We were expecting 100. So when we began conferring confirmation, there was a stampede because they thought we had run out of Sacred Chrism. About four of us had to make a circle around Bishop Brunini and we’d let two people in at a time to be confirmed,” he said.
He plans to live in Madison and help in the diocesan tribunal as the new guidelines for annulments streamline that process.

Father Charles Bucciantini, retiring pastor of Leland St. James, has a list of projects he would like to complete.

Father Charles Bucciantini, retiring pastor of Leland St. James, has a list of projects he would like to complete.

Father Bucciantini, 69, has a long list of projects for his retirement. He wants to learn piano, teach in a literacy program, visit all the national parks and more. “I am looking forward to it,” said the current pastor of Leland St. James.
The Natchez native has served in Biloxi, Clarksdale, Starkville, Cleveland and Leland.
He said his favorite part of being a pastor is being a counselor. “It’s one of the gifts the Lord has given me and I enjoy it,” he said.
Father Bucciantini said when he is working with someone trying to discern their vocation he tells them to follow their joy. “I think people are going to be most happy if they are doing what the Lord wants them to do. If the Lord has prepared them for it, that’s what they will be happiest to do. I would urge them to discern it with someone they can trust,” he said. Father Bucciantini hopes to live in Ridgeland when he’s not traveling.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
HERNANDO Holy Spirit Parish, Father Bruce Neili talks on the topic of mercy, Jan. 10-12, 2016. Dinner and child care will be provided.
AMORY St. Helen Parish, book discussion group  meets Monday, Dec. 14, to discuss “Still Life” by Louise Penny.
– Faith sharing/Scripture study, Sundays at 10 a.m. lat the convent house. Led by Sister Mary Chris.
MERIDIAN St. Patrick Parish, Scripture-based Advent devotion, Wednesday, Dec. 16, from 6:15 – 7:30 p.m. in the parish center.
JACKSON St. Richard Parish, mission, Jan. 18-20, 2016. Led by Father Jack Conley from Chicago.
– Annual ladies’ retreat, Jan. 22-24, 2016, at St. Mary of the Pines in Chatawa. Led by Bishop Joseph Kopacz.

PARISH, SCHOOLS & FAMILY EVENTS
AMORY St. Helen Parish, Mission Mississippi meeting, Saturday, Dec. 19, at 8 a.m. for a pancake breakfast and wrapping of Christmas gifts for two families. Parishioners are invited.
BOONEVILLE St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Posadas and the Christmas Story, Saturday, Dec. 19, at 6 p.m. in the parish hall.
BROOKHAVEN St. Francis of Assisi Parish, faith formation Christmas party Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 5:30 p.m.
CLEVELAND Our Lady of Victories Parish, Knights of Columbus Christmas party, Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 6:30 p.m. at the Pate’s House, 563 Hillcrest Circle. Bring new children’s pajamas for the pajama drive. Parishioners can leave them at the church if they would like to participate.
– Volunteers needed for an English as a Second Language (ESL) program to teach English to parishioners.
GREENVILLE Sacred Heart Parish Christmas potluck party, Sunday, Dec. 20, at 1 p.m. Participants will play Dirty Santa. Bring a $5 – $10 gift and a gift for the children’s table.
GRENADA St. Peter Parish youth are invited to go Christmas caroling Monday, Dec. 21. Meet at the Family Life Center at 5 p.m.
JACKSON St. Therese Parish, bilingual Mass, installation of Msgr. Elvin Sunds as pastor by Bishop Joseph Kopacz, Sunday, Dec. 20, at 10:30 a.m. A reception will follow in the parish hall.
– Representation of las Posadas during the bilingual Christmas Eve Mass, Dec. 24, at 4 p.m.
JACKSON St. Richard Parish, Angel Tree Christmas party, Sunday, Dec. 20, from 2 – 3 p.m.
– New Year’s Eve party, Thursday, Dec. 31, after the 6 p.m. Mass in Foley Hall. Bring hors d’oeuvres.
MADISON St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Christmas pageant, Sunday, Dec. 20, at 6 p.m. The congregation will process around the courtyard and in front of the chapel to Northeast Christian Church singing carols around their live manger scene. Refreshments will follow in the Northeast Christian Church fellowship hall.
MADISON St. Joseph School, “Jeans, Jazz and Bruin Blues Draw Down,” Jan. 30, 2016. Food, fun, entertainment and the chance to win $10,000. Only 550 tickets are sold. Tickets are on sale now.
SOUTHAVEN Christ the King Parish, las posadas, Tuesday, Dec. 22, at 6 p.m. followed by hot chocolate and sweet bread.
TUPELO St. James Parish, Happy Hearts Christmas celebration Friday, Dec 18, in Shelton Hall after the 12:10 p.m. anointing Mass. Lunch will be served. All seniors are invited to attend.
– Monthly anniversary Mass, Wednesday, Dec 16, at the 6 p.m.

ADVENT PENANCE SERVICES
Canton Sacred Heart, Thursday, Dec. 17, at 6 p.m.
Cleveland Our Lady of Victories, Dec. 15, at 5 p.m.
Gluckstadt St. Joseph, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 5 – 8 p.m.
Greenville Sacred Heart, Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 6:30 p.m.
Hernando Holy Spirit, Monday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m.
Holly Springs St. Joseph, Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m.
Meridian St. Patrick, Monday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m.
Olive Branch Queen of Peace, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m.
Southaven Christ the King, Saturday, Dec. 19, at 9 a.m. followed by a breakfast in the social hall.
Shaw St. Francis, Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 6:30 p.m.
Yazoo City St. Mary, Monday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m.

COURT INTERPRETER SEMINAR
JACKSON – The Mississippi Court Interpreter Credentialing Program will offer the Ethics and Skill Building Seminar on Jan. 20-21, 2016, for court interpreters in the first floor meeting room at the Mississippi Supreme Court (Carroll Gartin Justice Building), 450 High Street in Jackson
Cost is $100 and includes lunch for both days. Registration deadline is Jan. 8, 2016. The registration form and seminar agenda is available on the Mississippi Supreme Court website on the AOC/Court Interpreters/Resources for Interpreters under the Training Information section located at http://courts.ms.gov/aoc/courtinterpreter/resources.html. Details: Ta’Shia S. Gordon, 601-576-4632.

MEDICAL INTERPRETERS TRAINING
JACKSON – The Office of Health Disparity Elimination (OHDE) will offer a Medical Interpreters Training (MIT) on Jan. 20-22 and Jan. 27-29. The registration is  open until Jan. 1, 2016. Details: Shirley Pandolfi, 601-206-1553,

WORLD MARRIAGE DAY 2016
JACKSON – World Marriage Day 2016, Sunday, Feb. 7, at 3 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. There will be a Mass followed by a reception. The Mass honors all married couples, but invites those celebrating their 25th, 50th or 60th anniversaries or any significant anniversary. Submit your name, address and wedding date to your pastor or parish secretary by Dec. 30. Details: Jennifer Eidt, 601-960-8487, jennifer.eidt@jacksondiocese.org.

WOMEN AND SPIRIT
“Women and Spirit” will air on Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) on Monday, Dec. 21, at 8 p.m.
“A Mission of Healing and Hope” will air on MPB  on Friday, Dec. 18, at 9:30 p.m.

Diocese of Jackson Jubilee of Mercy

Monday, Jan. 25, 2016
Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul
– Special Pilgrimage day for Vicksburg Site

Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the Day for Consecrated Life
– Jubilee for Consecrated Life and the closing of the Year for Consecrated Life.
Prayers for vocations to consecrated life.

Monday, Feb. 22, 2016
Feast of the Chair of St. Peter
– Pilgrimage to Holy Door Opportunity
– Day of Works of Mercy by parish and diocesan staff

Friday and Saturday, March 4-5,
2016
“24 Hours for the Lord”
Pilgrimage days
– Confession in all parishes OR area reconciliation services in pilgrimage city sites
– Works of Mercy by parishes and parish organizations

Sunday, April 24, 2016
Jubilee for boys and girls
(ages 13 – 16)
Pilgrimage Day
Tuesday-Sunday, July 26 –  July 31, 2016
World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland.
– July 28 – 179th anniversary of the establishment of the diocese – Pilgrimage Day

Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016
– Jubilee for workers and volunteers of mercy
– Pilgrimage Day and Day of Works of Mercy

Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016
Our Mother of Sorrows
Original Patroness of the Diocese
Stabat Mater recited in all parishes, families and homes throughout diocese.
– Special Pilgrimage opportunity for Natchez pilgrimage site

Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016
– Jubilee for prisoners.
Pilgrimage Day – Prayer for Prisoners and Works of Mercy

Sunday, Nov.13, 2016
Closing of the Holy Doors in the dioceses of the world.
– Holy Door closed in St. Peter Cathedral
– Final Pilgrimage Day – Prayer for Peace
(A list of pilgrimage sites is available on www.jacksondiocese.org)

¿Necesitas ayuda? Pídele a María

Por Obispo Joseph Kopacz
A medida que el Adviento continua, María, la madre de Jesús de Nazaret, mujer de innumerable títulos de honor y respeto, está en el centro del escenario mientras preparamos el camino del Señor que es nuestro camino, verdad y vida. A comienzos de esta semana celebramos la gran fiesta de la Inmaculada Concepción, el primer momento de María en la vida en este mundo. El sábado 12 de diciembre es el día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe y marca el segundo aniversario de mi anuncio como el 11avo obispo de Jackson. Uno de los símbolos de mi escudo es la rosa que representa el ramo de rosas que define la aparición de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe a San Juan Diego. También es el símbolo de la vida en todas sus fases de desarrollo.
“María, la mujer más poderosa del mundo” son las palabras que aparecen junto con un convincente retrato de la Santísima Madre en la portada de la edición actual de, usted no podría adivinar, National Geographic. El reportaje es oportuno durante el Adviento de la Virgen Madre que tiene la devoción de incontable millones en todo el mundo. Hay más de unos pocos hechos notables esparcidos en el reportaje de esta singular mujer.
“Orar por la intercesión de la Virgen Madre y ser devota de ella es un fenómeno mundial. La idea de María como intercesora con Jesús comienza con el milagro del vino en las bodas de Caná, cuando, según el Evangelio de San Juan, ella le dice, “No tienen vino”, lo que propiciaría su primer milagro.
Fue en el año 431 DC, en el Tercer Concilio Ecuménico en Efeso, que fue nombrada oficialmente Theotokos, portadora de Dios. Desde entonces, ninguna otra mujer ha sido tan exaltada como María. Como un símbolo universal del amor materno, así como de sufrimiento y sacrificio, María es a menudo la piedra angular de nuestro anhelo por significado, un vínculo más accesible a lo sobrenatural que a las enseñanzas formales de la iglesia. Su manto ofrece tanto seguridad como protección. Cuando en una oportunidad le preguntaron al Papa Francisco lo que María significaba para él, respondió: “Ella es mi mamá”.
En un mundo que está actualmente sangrando debido al enfrentamiento entre seguidores de las civilizaciones islámica, judía y cristiana, podemos encontrar un puente entre estas diferencias abismales en la persona de María. Tanto los musulmanes como los cristianos la consideran santa por encima de todas las mujeres y su nombre, “Maryam”, aparece más a menudo en el Corán que “María” en la Biblia.
“María nos está llamando espiritualmente, y debido a eso, tanto los musulmanes como los cristianos la aman y la respetan”, dice un sacerdote copta en Egipto que acoge a mujeres cristianas y musulmanas a su iglesia que le oran a María para obtener favores especiales. Imagínense si todas las bombas, balas y luchas de poder podrían dar paso a la ternura de una madre que dirige a todas las personas al corazón de Dios como está revelado en su Hijo, El Salvador del mundo.
Como una doncella Judía, María también ofrece un camino a lo sagrado. Algunos de las últimos estudios sobre María la centran a ella como una madre judía. Un historiador señala que “María nos lleva a Jesús, quien es la luz del mundo, tal como las madres judías encienden las velas de Shabat. Podemos ver que la relación de María con nosotros no es simplemente cualquier relación, es sagrada”.
La iglesia ha reconocido oficialmente sólo 67 de las más de 2,000 supuestas apariciones de María en todo el mundo. A algunos de esos sitios sin reconocimiento oficial los peregrinos siguen llegando. Por ejemplo, más de un millón de devotos hacen una peregrinación a Medjugorje cada año, y muchos con los que he hablado a lo largo de los años son fortalecidos por el viaje. Hay muchos sitios venerados que se remontan a siglos atrás.
La Madona Negra de Czestochowa, también conocida como Nuestra Señora de Czestochowa, es un venerado icono de la Virgen María alojado en el monasterio Jasna Góra en Czestochowa, Polonia. Varios pontífices han reconocido el venerado icono, comenzando con el Papa Clemente XI, que emitió una coronación canónica de la imagen el 8 de septiembre de 1717 a través del cabildo vaticano. La tradición se remota al siglo 14.
Las apariciones mejor conocidas por todos nosotros en occidente están en Lourdes y Ciudad de México, Fátima en Portugal y Knock en Irlanda. Más de cinco millones de personas por año viajan a Lourdes a buscar sanación y paz.
La tilma o manto del indio, ahora San Juan Diego, todavía inspira a millones de personas que cada año hacen la peregrinación a la Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en la Ciudad de México. Su encuentro con la Virgen Madre ha conducido a una efusión de amor y devoción hacia ella que no ha disminuido cuatro siglos y medio más tarde. Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe es ahora la patrona de las Américas, conforme a lo declarado por el Papa San Juan Pablo II. Los sitios de aparición continúan, desde Vietnam hasta Rwanda, desde Haití a Chile.
Mientras nos preparamos para la venida del Salvador, la Palabra hecha carne, el Emmanuel, el Dios con nosotros, la figura de María cobra importancia porque su sí a la indescriptible llamada de Dios todavía nos asombra. Ella sigue siendo el primer y principal discípulo del Señor que estuvo presente a lo largo de su vida, en la muerte y en el nacimiento de la Iglesia en Pentecostés. Ella estaba ocupada entonces y  sigue estando ocupada a través de los tiempos. A la luz de la fe podemos decir que ella es una profetisa, como los profetas de la antigüedad, que habla en nombre del Dios eterno. Como los profetas, a veces habla palabras de consuelo; en otras ocasiones, palabras de advertencia.
En cada caso su presencia y palabras son las de una madre amorosa que nunca abandona a sus hijos, situada al pie de sus cruces y sosteniéndolos en sus brazos al final. Estas son poderosas imágenes que, evidentemente, siguen perdurando e inspirando casi 2,000 años más tarde.
El Adviento es un tiempo para renovar nuestro amor por el Señor Jesús, nacido en nuestros corazones por la fe. Qué la Virgen María, Madre de la Iglesia, nos muestre el camino a su Hijo, luz del mundo, esta temporada y siempre.

Office of Child Protection introduces new ongoing training

By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Effective, Jan. 1, the Diocese of Jackson will complement its safe environment program with monthly online training programs from VIRTUS.
It is both the foundation and the structure of all the risk control initiatives undertaken by National Catholic Services. Every employee and volunteer in the diocese will get an email every month with a link to training material. He or she will have to answer a multiple-choice question after reading the bulletin.
The VIRTUS Online Program is integrated with the Diocese of Jackson Protection of Children eApps Database. The eApps database will track and report who has participated in the monthly web-based safe environment training bulletins. Additionally, the VIRTUS website will include Diocesan Protection of Children polices and resource information.
All those who minister to children, young people and vulnerable populations will be provided a user ID and password to enter www.virtus.org, and will receive a system email reminder within the first full week of each month that a training bulletin is available to view online.
Anyone logging into the VIRTUS website is offered the Spanish option as well.
New employees and volunteer are still required to participate in a live “Called to Protect” initial training. The month subsequent to the initial training, an applicant will start receiving the monthly bulletin emails.
VIRTUS is the brand name that identifies best practices programs designed to help prevent wrongdoing and promote “rightdoing” within religious organizations. The VIRTUS programs empower organizations and people to better control risk and improve the lives of all those who interact with the Church.
The National Catholic Risk Retention Group, Inc. (National Catholic) created the programs. Msgr. Kevin McCoy, past board chairman of National Catholic, asked whether child sexual abuse could be prevented and, if so, how? In March of 1998, National Catholic invited prominent national experts in many disciplines to discuss these questions at a forum in Washington, D.C. From those discussions, the initiative for the VIRTUS programs was created. The National Catholic Board of Directors selected an Ad Hoc Committee to oversee development of the programs. The Ad Hoc Committee was assisted by a steering committee of nationally known experts and program and service providers.
“The VIRTUS® Programs empower organizations and people to better control risk and improve the lives of all. The training programs are comprehensive and multi-dimensional incorporating proven best practice standards for the ‘prevention’ of child sexual abuse,” wrote Pat O’Neal, Virtus executive director in an email. “The programs also incorporate best practice procedures for identifying problematic situations, reporting child sexual abuse, screening and selection of employees and volunteers, and addressing victim/survivor advocacy and healing,” O’Neal added.
“Most initial training programs establish awareness, but few change behavior. With the VIRTUS programs, the potential for successful behavioral change can be increased via the VIRTUS Online system. Monthly scheduled online training bulletins reinforce knowledge gained during awareness training with a continued focus on the prevention of child sexual abuse and the abuse of vulnerable adults,” said O’Neal.
Virtus is Latin for excellence, valor, moral strength and courage — the same characteristics needed for caring adults who interact with children and protect them from abuse. Through these programs that have reached more than 2.5 million adults, caring adults become partners with parents to ensure that all children are protected.
Vickie Carrollo, Safe Environment Coordinator for the diocese said she is excited about the new program. “I am always happy when we can strengthen our program, but I also believe the monthly bulletins are interesting and cover such a huge variety of topics,” she said.
Carrollo wanted to express her thanks to everyone involved in safe environment training and maintenance. “Thank you for the hours you have given, for your service to the Church and for the children you have protected.  Many blessings as we continue our journey into the future of safe environments.”

The Pope’s Corner — Pope to youths: read Bible through thick or thin

By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis said his Bible is old, beat up and worth more to him than anything money can buy.
“If you saw my Bible, you would not be impressed,” he wrote to young people. “You’d say, ‘What? This is the pope’s Bible? A book so old, so beat up?’ You might even want to give me a gift of a new one, something that costs 1,000 euro. But I don’t want it.”
Pope Francis wrote about his Bible and his Bible-reading habits in the preface to the German-language study guide, “Youth Bible for the Catholic Church.” It was released in late October by the Germany-based Katholisches Bibelwerk and the YouCat Foundation. Other language versions are expected in 2016.
The Jesuit journal, La Civilta Cattolica, published an Italian translation of the preface in early December.
The well-worn Bible has been with Pope Francis for half his life, wrote the pope, who will turn 79 Dec. 17.
“It has seen my joy and has been bathed by my tears: it is my priceless treasure,” the pope wrote, and “nothing in the world would make me give it up.”
Youths and young adults in Germany and Austria worked with three Catholic biblical scholars to compile the new introduction to reading and understanding the Bible. The illustrated guide, designed for teens and young adults, contains selections from every book of the Bible with an introductory note, as well as commentary on the chosen passages, reflections by the young people and related citations from saints and popes.
In the preface, Pope Francis urges young people to use the study guide and to read their Bibles daily. He asks them not to hide it on a bookshelf where it will gather dust “until one day your own children sell it at a used book stall. No! Don’t let that happen.”
The Bible is not just a piece of literature, he said. There are Christians in the world today being persecuted just for having a Bible; “evidently, the Bible is an extremely dangerous book.”
The pope quoted Mahatma Gandhi, a Hindu, who said, “You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilization to pieces, turn the world upside down and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of literature.”
God speaks through the Bible, the pope wrote. It is not a book designed for the shelves, but for the hands.
Pope Francis asked young people to read from the Bible each day and with attention.
“Ask ‘What does this say to my heart? What is God saying to me through these words?’” the pope counseled.
“I want to tell you how I read my old Bible. Often I pick it up, read a bit, then set it down and let myself be seen by the Lord. I am not the one looking at him, but he looks at me. God is truly there, present.”
Pope Francis reassured the young people that it is not uncommon at all to feel like God is not saying anything. “But, patiently, I stay there and I wait, reading and praying.”
“I pray seated,” he said, “because it hurts when I kneel. Sometimes when I’m praying I even fall asleep, but that’s OK because I’m like a son near his father and that’s what counts.”
“Do you want to make me happy?” the pope asked the youths. “Then read the Bible.”

Muslims, our brothers and sisters

IN EXILE
By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
This is not a good time to be a Muslim in the Western world. As the violence perpetrated by radical Islamic groups such as ISIS, Al Qaeda, and Boko Haram becomes more and more prevalent, huge numbers of people are becoming paranoid about and even openly hostile towards the Islam religion, seeing all Muslims as a threat. Popular opinion more and more blames the Muslim religion itself for that violence, suggesting that there is something inherent in Islam itself that’s responsible for this kind of violence.  That equation needs to be challenged, both in the name of truth and in the name of what’s best in us as Christians.
First of all, it’s untrue: Painting all Muslims with the same brush is like painting all Christians with the same brush, akin to looking at most the depraved man who calls himself a Christian and saying: “That’s Christians for you! They’re all the same!”  Second, it’s also unfair: Islamic militants no more speak for Islam than Hitler speaks for Christianity (and that comparison isn’t idly chosen). Finally, such an equation misleads our sympathy: The first victim of Islamic terrorism is Islam itself, namely, authentic God-fearing Muslims are the first victims of this violence.
When we look at the history of any terrorist Islamic group such as ISIS or Al-Qaeda, we see that it first establishes itself by terrorizing and killing thousands of its own people, honest, God-fearing Muslims. And it goes on killing them. ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Boko Haram have killed thousands more Muslims than they have killed Christians or persons of any other religion. While their ultimate target may well be the secularized, Christian West, but more immediately their real war is against true Islam.
Moreover the victims of Islamic terrorists are not just the thousands of moderate Muslims who have been direct victims of their violence and killings, but also all other Muslims who are now painted with the same brush and negatively judged in both their religiosity and their sincerity. Whenever Islamic terrorists perpetrate an act of violence, its victims are not just those who die, are injured, or who lose loved ones, it’s also all true Muslims, particularly those living in the West because they are now viewed through the eyes of suspicion, fear, and hatred.
But the Muslim religion is not to blame here. There is nothing inherent in either the Koran or in Islam itself that morally or religiously undergirds this kind of violence.  We would holler “unfair” if someone were to say that what happened during the Inquisition is inherent in the Gospels. We owe Islam the same judgment. One of the great students of World Religions, the renowned Houston Smith, submits that we should always judge a religion by its best expressions, by its saints and graced-history rather than by its psychopaths and aberrations. I hope that others offer us, Christians, this courtesy. Hitler was somehow a product of the Christian West, as was Mother Teresa. Houston Smith’s point is that the latter, not the former, is a truer basis for judging Christianity.  We owe our Islamic brothers and sisters the same courtesy.
And that’s more a recognition of the truth than a courtesy. The word “Islam/Muslim” has its origins in the word “peace,” and that connotation, along with the concept of “surrender to God”, constitutes the essence of what it means to be a Muslim. And for more than 90 percent of Muslims in the world, that is exactly what it means to be a Muslim, namely, to be a man or woman of peace who has surrendered to God and who now tries to live a life that is centered on faith, prayer, responsibility, and hospitality.  Any interpretation of Islam by a radicalized group that gives divine sanction to terrorist violence is false and belies Islam. Islamic extremists don’t speak for God, Mohammed, Islam, or for what it means to surrender in faith, but only for a self-serving ideology, and true Muslims are, in the end, the real victims of that.
Terrorist attacks, like the recent ones in Paris and Mali, call for more, not less, sympathy for true Muslims. It’s time to establish a greater solidarity with Islam, notwithstanding extremist terrorism. We are both part of the same family: We have the same God, suffer the same anxieties, are subject to the same mortality, and will share the same heaven. Muslims more than ever need our understanding, sympathy, support, and fellowship in faith.
Christian de Cherge, the Trappist monk who was martyred by Islamic terrorists in Algeria in 1996, wrote a remarkable letter to his family in France shortly before he died. Well aware that he had a good chance of being killed by Islamic terrorists, he shared with his family that, should this happen, they should know that he had already forgiven his killers and that he foresaw himself and them, his killers, in the same heaven, playing together under God’s gaze, a gaze that lovingly takes in all of God’s children, Muslims no less than Christians.
(Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser, theologian, teacher and award-winning author, is president of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX.)