DIOCESAN NEWS
01/08/10
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New school, new deacon mark 2009

By Fabvienen Taylor
JANUARY
      In 2009, the state mission in Saltillo marked its 40th anniversary. “The challenges continue, but the vision and efforts still bear much fruit for the people and Diocese of Saltillo.
      “We ask your continued support and prayers, and interest in our brothers and sisters in our care,” wrote Fathers Benny Piovan and Rich Smith.
      “Make your dreams real,” said keynote speaker Father Manuel Williams, CEO of Resurrection Catholic Missions and pastor of Resurrection Catholic Church of Montgomery, Ala., the interfaith service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jan. 11 at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle.
      During the Jubilee Year of St. Paul (June 28, 2008 - June 29, 2009), the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul in January was one of four occasions during the year a person could earn a plenary indulgence. An indulgence is a remission of the temporal punishment due for sins committed. A plenary indulgence is the remission of all punishment.
National Migration Week was celebrated Jan. 21 at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle parish center.
      Sister Donald Mary Lynch, RSM, executive director of St. Gabriel Mercy Center in Mound Bayou, received the 2008 Executive Catalyst for Faith Based Education and Service Leadership award for contributing to catalytical change in the community.
Immaculee Ilibagiza, author of “Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust,” spoke at “Evangelization 2009” in St. Mary Basilica Friday and Saturday, Jan. 16-17.
      Parishioners and Trinitarian Father Joe Keenan celebrated the final Mass at “the little rock church,” Raleigh St. Paul mission, Sunday, Jan. 25. The vocations shortage precipitated the closing of the church, a mission of Magee St. Stephen.
Hispanic leaders, invited by the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry, gathered Jan. 25 at St. Peter the Apostle parish center to discuss ideas and share information centering on the vision of creating unity among all Catholics in the diocese.
      Madison St. Joseph students participated in an Ecumenical Prayer Service Jan. 30, to cap off Catholic Schools Week and in line with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan. 18-25).
Northeast Catholics gathered for the second annual “Catholic Celebration” held at Tupelo St. James Parish on Jan. 31.

FEBRUARY
      Bishop Latino announced several new appointments: Eula Purvis appointed lay ecclesial minister, St. Stephen Parish, Magee; Father Onwuham Akpa, O.Praem., appointed associate pastor of Sacred Heart and Holy Child Jesus parishes, Canton, and sacramental minister of St. Joseph Parish, Gluckstadt (part-time); Father Robert Konopa, OFM, appointed associate pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Greenwood; Vocations director Father Kent Bowlds appointed associate pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Madison; and Father Mario Solorzano appointed pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, New Albany, and sacramental minister of St. Matthew Mission, Ripley.
      Over 350 youth and adult advisers gathered Friday-Sunday, Feb. 6-8, at the Marriott Hotel in Jackson for the 49th annual Catholic Youth Convention. This year’s theme was “Rock of Real Love.”
      Father Maurice Nutt, CSsR, editor of “In My Own Words,” by Sister Thea Bowman, signed copies of the book and led a prayer service Feb. 14, at Jackson Christ the King Parish.
      Thirty-five couples celebrated major wedding anniversaries on World Marriage Day, Sunday, Feb. 15, at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle.
      On Feb. 19, St. Mary Basilica’s archive committee launched a new website (www.stmarybasilica-archives.org) making available over 150 years of historical documents, photographs and artifacts.
      Bishop Latino gave the opening prayer Tuesday, Feb. 24, at the Forty Days of Life Campaign to end abortion at a Jackson clinic.

MARCH
      Fifty-six catechumens attended the Rite of Election on Sunday, March 1, at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle.
      “Wait With Me In The Garden” was the theme of the 2009 annual diocesan spring retreat attended by 40 college students March 1-4 at Holmes County State Park in Durant.
“Discovering God in the Ordinary” retreats in English/Spanish were offered in designated parishes as part of the “Why Catholic? Journey Through the Catechism” program Friday to Tuesday, March 20-24.
      Jackson Catholic Charities designated West Jackson radio station WMPR, 1018 Pecan Park Circle, the 69th Safe Place site on March 20.
      Across town on the same day, students, faculty and staff from Greenville St. Joseph School and Stern Enhancement School received the 2009 Governor’s Award for Outstanding School-Community Partnerships. Gov. Haley Barbour presented the honors at the 2009 State Seminar and Governor’s Award Luncheon.
      Mary Woodward, diocesan director of the Department of Evangelization, received the Religious Leadership Award presented by the Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference (MRLC) on March 24 at Galloway United Methodist Church.
      Arts ALIVE!, the Downtown Jackson Fine Arts and Crafts Festival, hosted by the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, Holy Ghost Parish and other downtown churches, was held Friday and Saturday, March 27-28, in Smith Park. The event featured music, art and dance.

APRIL
      Auxiliary Bishop Roger Morin, 68, of New Orleans was installed as the third bishop of Biloxi April 27 at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Biloxi. He succeeded now-Archbishop of Mobile Thomas Rodi.
      A Tenebrae Service was held Wednesday, April 8, at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, in preparation for the Sacred Triduum.
Bishop Latino enacted new guidelines for confirmations for parishes/missions to be held at one location in the six deaneries in the Jackson diocese. The round of confirmations began       April 19 at Starkville St. Joseph Church
Over 400 Knights of Columbus and ladies from attended the 105th State Convention in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle from April 24-26.
An early morning fire destroyed Saltillo St. Thomas Aquinas Church, a mission of Tupelo St. James Parish, on April 26. Father Tom Lalor, pastor, said it was believed to have been an accident.

MAY
      On May 1, Bishop Latino asked all parishes to dispense from distributing Communion from the cup to the congregation, for communicants to receive the host in the hands, share the Sign of Peace without touching hands or kissing as precautions against spreading the highly contagious swine influenza.
      Pope Benedict declared June 19, 2009 – June 19, 2010 as a Year for Priests. The Jackson diocese officially opened the Year for Priests on Sunday, June 21, with the celebration of Solemn Evening Prayer in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle.
      Tupelo St. James and Canton Sacred Heart parishes hosted the first youth Hispanic Encuentro, sponsored by the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry. The encuentro was held May 30 in Tupelo and in Canton June 6.

JUNE
      Bishop Latino declared June 12-14 a weekend of prayer for vocations in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.
From June 7 - 13, 135 Catholic Heart Workcamp volunteers cleaned, painted, and renovated houses and buildings and interacted with clients at 23 different work sites in the Jackson area.

JULY
      Rebecca Harris, former director of development for Catholic Charities, was named director of the Catholic Foundation and the Office of Stewardship for the Diocese of Jackson. She replaced George Roman, who retired after nearly 18 years.
      On May 9 four people from the Jackson diocese were awarded the master of theological studies degree from Spring Hill College: Ferrell Tadlock of Jackson, Judith Flechas of Oxford, Treadwell Spencer of Ruleville and Rose Snow of Madison.

AUGUST
      The first new Catholic school in 50 years in the diocese, Madison St. Anthony, was dedicated by Bishop Latino on Aug. 9.
      An Aug. 15 service commemorated the 60th anniversary of the founding of St. Dominic School of Nursing by the Springfield, Ill., Dominicans.
The first lay director of the Diocesan Department of Administration and Finance, Richard Whitelaw Briscoe, 88, died Aug. 23 at Cookeville Regional Medical Center in Tennesee. He retired in 1987.
      Clergy appointments included Father Raúl Ventura, ST, as associate pastor, Sacred Heart Camden and Father Robert Tucker, SCJ, as moderator of the Pastoral Team in Nesbit.

SEPTEMBER
      All 420 Jackson St. Richard School students donned yellow hard hats for a “Renovation Celebration” for new construction on the grounds of the lower elementary school on Sept. 4.
      Sister Anne Brooks, founder and director of the Tutwiler Medical Clinic was named one of four runners-up to the J.H. Kanter Prize, given to front-line physicians who have dedicated themselves to optimizing U.S. health care for all patients, regardless of gender, ethnicity, geography, language, education, religion, employment or insurance. She received $25,000.
      Father Bill Henry celebrated the 25th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood on Sept. 15, at St. Therese Church where as a member of the parish community he received his call to enter the priesthood and was later ordained.
      For the third year in a row, Greenwood Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish triumphed over competitors in the 23rd annual Bishop’s Cup Tournament on Sept. 16 at Colonial Country Club. Proceeds benefit Catholic Charities Northeast Office and event sponsor, the Catholic Foundation.
      On Sept. 20, Ripley St. Matthew Mission parishioners broke ground for a new church.
EXCEL (Enrichment and Excellence through Community Educational Leadership) held an Open House in September to mark its 10th anniversary in Morton. EXCEL promotes racial justice and works in multicultural communities with women and children, especially in underserved areas lacking resources.
      Bishop Latino celebrated the annual Mass for Consecrated Life on Sept. 27 at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle wherein religious women and men celebrating special jubilee years were honored followed by a reception.

OCTOBER
      Philadelphia Holy Rosary Indian Mission celebrated the 125th anniversary of the founding of the church Oct. 3. The celebration was a a spiritual one with Mass followed by a holy hour of prayer and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. A potluck dinner followed.
      Jackson Holy Ghost Parish celebrated its 100th anniversary Friday - Sunday, Oct. 2-4, with a school reunion, picnic, dinner and Mass.
The Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle hosted a first-class relic of St. Mary Magdalene on       Oct. 29. The visit was sponsored by the Emmanuel Community in the United States.
The Johnson Institute Seminar for Senior Ministry was held Nov. 9-13 at St. Dominic’s Hospital in Jackson. St. Peter Parish’s senior adult ministry program sponsored the seminar which offers programs geared toward senior adults and their spirituality needs.
      The Diocese of Jackson launched a new blog page “Let’s Talk” on its website, www.jacksondiocese.org.
      According to Bishop Joseph Latino, “The internet provides us with new ways to spread the Good News to Catholics and the world at large. On this blog page, you will find information about this diocese and the universal church and its teachings.”
      The Convocation of Priests, Lay Ecclesial Ministers and Pastoral Ministers was held in Greenwood, Oct. 12-15. The theme of the convocation was Evangelization in a Multicultural Church and World.
      The Law School at the University of Mississippi with much support from St. John Parish hosted the annual meeting of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists (SCSS) Oct. 30-31. Over 140 scholars and guests attended.
      “This is the first time in its history the society has met on the campus of a secular university and the first time in the South,” said Ron Rychlak, associate dean for academic affairs of the University of Mississippi School of Law and a member of St. John Parish.

NOVEMBER
      Seminarian Scott Thomas was ordained to the diaconate at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle Nov. 14. A reception followed. Deacon Thomas is scheduled to be ordained in 2010.
      In the 2009 Mississippi Mascot Challenge, television viewers and online fans named Flash, the purple-caped mascot of the Vicksburg St. Aloysius Flashes, best in the state.
In several messages following his surgery in Miami, Bishop Latino expressed his appreciation for the prayers and support he received during his on-going recovery.
      Thirty-one people from the Jackson diocese attended the seventh Interregional African American Catholic Evangelization Conference (IAACEC) Nov. 12-15 in Indianapolis.
      Friends, supporters and volunteers were on hand for the dedication and blessing of The Gleaners’ new building, 237 Briarwood Drive, Nov. 19. It is three times larger than its former location.

DECEMBER
      Members of the Camden Sacred Heart Choir sang for the Catholic Church Extension Society’s Annual Thanksgiving Reception at the Drake Hotel in Chicago.
      Elizabeth Dampier and her Jackson St. Richard fifth-grade classmates celebrated the Dec. 11 opening of the Disney movie, “The Princess and the Frog,” at the Malco Grandview Theater in Madison. Elizabeth voiced the younger Tiana character in the movie.
      Celebrations of the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe were held across the diocese as the season of Advent came to a close and the Christmastime season began for 2009

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