Monthly Archives: May 2014

In Memoriam:

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Sister Jacqueline Marie Merz, SSND
CHATAWA – Sister Jacqueline Marie Merz, SSND, died on Sunday, May 4, at St. Mary of the Pines retreat center. She was born on Feb. 18, 1936, in Effingham, Ill. She professed her first vows in 1956.051614headshots08
Sister Merz held masters degrees in economics, business education and theology and served  in schools in Illinois, Missouri and Louisiana before becoming the associate director of religious education for the Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth.
Sister also served on a North American Spiritual Development team and was the provincial leader for her order for two terms. In Mississippi she served as the administrator of St. Mary of the Pines and was a pastoral assistant in Gluckstadt where she was also a founding member of the Notre Dame Education Center in Canton.
She retired to Chatawa in 2011. Her parents preceeded her in death. She is survived by her two sisters and nieces and nephews. Father Brian Kaskie celebrated her funeral Mass on Wednesday, May 7. She is buried in the Chatawa Cemetery. Memorials can be made to St. Mary of the Pines, Chatawa, MS, 39657.

Sister Bettean McDermott, SMSM
SOUTHAVEN – Sister Betteann McDermott, SMSM, (formerly, Sister Mary Noelita), program coordinator for Sacred Heart Southern Mission (SHSM)HIV/AIDS ministry, died the afternoon of Monday, May 5.051614headshots09
Sister McDermott made her first vows as a Missionary Sister of the Society of Mary (Marist Missionary Sisters) on Feb. 2, 1954. Her early ministerial assignments were in Fiji, where she taught and ministered for 23 years. She then went to Memphis where she was part of parish ministries until 1989.
In 1997, She returned to the Mid-South, where she served in positions of leadership at Memphis St. Patrick Catholic School and Parish until joining SHSM in 2005 to run the HIV/AIDS outreach program.
In February of this year, Sister celebrated her 60th jubilee of consecrated life. The community celebrated a funeral Mass on Friday, May 9, at Memphis St. Patrick Parish.

Images of Christ abound in Easter season

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By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
The midpoint of the Easter season is marked by the annual celebration of Good Shepherd Sunday. The image of the Good Shepherd is the earliest known work of art depicting the crucified and risen Lord.  Still today it is a beloved and familiar image in many locales across the world where shepherd and sheep roam in search of pasture as an essential component of rural and village life.

Jesus Christ embraced the image of the Good Shepherd universally known in the religious tradition of Israel.  The 23rd Psalm declares that The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Jesus proclaims that I am the Good Shepherd; I know my own, and my own know me; they know my voice and they follow me…The Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. Although many of us have not directly experienced the bond between the shepherd and the sheep, in the click of a computer key we can readily learn why the Lord identifies himself with this way of life. Or ask someone who has witnessed first hand the interaction of shepherd and sheep roaming together over hill and dale.

Even without seeing, we intuitively know that it is an image depicting a relationship that often requires total commitment for the sheep’s wellbeing, a willingness to sacrifice and endure hardship to protect them.  It is compelling because the Lord did lay down his life for us and his life-giving Spirit continues to shepherd us in his body, the church.

John the evangelist, the beloved disciple, elaborates on images that portray how utterly dependent we are on Jesus if we want to make our lives ‘something beautiful for God,’ in the words of Blessed Theresa of Calcutta.  One is the Good Shepherd; another is the vine and the branches.  Jesus plainly says in chapter 15 that I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who abides in me and I in him will bear much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. The Lord is the source and summit of our lives, the one who sustains us. His voice and words are the path to life in abundance. Without him we become lost, or we wither and die.

As compelling as the above images are we need to browse around the New Testament during these days in the Easter Season to grasp more fully the treasures of our Christian tradition as Catholics. The potential limitation of the images of sheep and branches is in the difficulty of distinguishing one sheep or branch from another.
In the Acts of the Apostles during the Easter Season we are given a panorama of the growth of the early church from its humble beginnings in Jerusalem, its circulation around the Mediterranean world, to its eventual foothold in Rome, the center of culture and power in the ancient world. The first generation of Christians knew they were the Body of Christ, disciples and friends of the Lord, and called by name with a variety of ministries and gifts.

The second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles recalls Peter’s speech on the day of Pentecost when his Spirit-driven fiery words stirred the hearts of thousands.  What are we to do, brother? Peter responded with what we know as the basic Kerygma, the doorway to salvation.  “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  With that began the great ingathering that continues to this very day. The portrayal that immediately follows reveals a flock and a vine that is moving and growing as the community of the Body of Christ, the Church.  They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common.

The gift of salvation is never only between Jesus and me. It is a grafting onto the vine of Jesus Christ, an entry through the sheep-gate into his flock, a baptism into his body, the church. Jesus Christ cannot be separated from his body, the church, and the church is the Lord’s real presence in this world.  At St. Paul’s conversion we heard:  Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?  And toward the end of Saint Matthew’s Gospel, we hear Jesus, the just judge say, whenever you did it to the least of my brethren; you did it to me.

In the aftermath of St. Paul’s conversion, the early Church’s most prominent missionary left us an overview of the Body of Christ that was anything but cookie cutter community.  There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. The Holy Spirit was molding this early ingathering of believers, like clay in the hands of the potter, into a living body of many parts.

The apostles and others in leadership in the church embraced the heart of the Good Shepherd. They had the smell of the sheep in the words of Pope Francis, and laid down their lives for the flock. This engine of God’s love was going on all cylinders, and the fire of Pentecost was unleashed upon the earth. We take up the torch in our generation.

Imágenes de Cristo abundan en el tiempo de Pascua

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Por Obispo Joseph Kopacz
La mitad del tiempo de la Pascua se caracteriza por la celebración anual del Domingo del Buen Pastor. La imagen del Buen Pastor es la obra de arte más antigua que se conoce que representa al Señor crucificado y resucitado. Aún hoy es una querida y familiar imagen en muchas localidades de todo el mundo en donde el pastor y las ovejas deambulan en busca de pastos como un componente esencial de las zonas rurales y la vida de las aldeas.

Jesucristo adaptó la imagen del Buen Pastor universalmente conocida en la tradición religiosa de Israel. El Salmo 23 declara que El Señor es mi pastor, nada me falta. Jesús proclama que yo soy el Buen Pastor; conozco a las mías, y las mías  me conocen a mí, conocen mi voz y me siguen … El Buen Pastor da su vida por las ovejas.

A pesar de que muchos de nosotros no hemos sentido directamente el vínculo entre el pastor y las ovejas, al tocar la tecla de una computadora se puede saber fácilmente porqué el Señor se identifica con esta forma de vida. O pregúntele a alguien que haya sido testigo de la interacción del pastor y las ovejas vagando por una colina y valle.

Incluso sin ver, intuitivamente sabemos que es una imagen que representa una relación que a menudo requiere total compromiso para el bienestar de las ovejas, una voluntad de sacrificio y soportar sufrimiento para protegerlas. Es convincente porque el Señor dio su vida por nosotros y su espíritu de vida continua guiándonos en su cuerpo, la iglesia.

El evangelista san Juan, el discípulo amado, elabora sobre las imágenes que muestran cómo absolutamente dependemos de Jesús si queremos hacer de nuestras vidas algo bello para Dios, en palabras de la Beata Teresa de Calcuta.
Uno de ellos es el Buen Pastor, y la otra es la vid y los sarmientos. Jesús claramente dice en el capítulo 15 que Yo soy la vid, vosotros los sarmientos; el que permanece en mí y yo en él dará mucho fruto; porque separados de mí nada podéis hacer. El Señor es la fuente y cumbre de nuestras vidas, el que nos sostiene. Su voz y su palabra es la senda de la vida en abundancia. Sin él nos perdemos, o nos marchitamos y morimos.

Tan convincentes como las imágenes anteriores son, tenemos que hojear el Nuevo Testamento durante estos días del tiempo de Pascua para comprender plenamente los tesoros de nuestra tradición cristiana como fieles católicos. La limitación potencial de las imágenes de las ovejas y las ramas se encuentra en la dificultad de distinguir una oveja o rama de otra.

Durante el tiempo de Pascua, en el libro de los Hechos de los Apóstoles se nos da un panorama del crecimiento de la iglesia primitiva desde sus humildes inicios en Jerusalén, su circulación alrededor del mundo mediterráneo, a su eventual implantación en la ciudad de Roma, el centro de cultura y poder en el mundo antiguo. La primera generación de cristianos sabía que ellos eran el Cuerpo de Cristo, discípulos y amigos del Señor, y llamados por su nombre con una variedad de ministerios y dones.

El segundo capítulo de los Hechos de los Apóstoles recuerda el discurso de Pedro el día de Pentecostés cuando las palabras impulsadas de su Espíritu conmovieron los corazones de miles de personas. Hermanos, ¿Qué debemos hacer?  Pedro respondió con lo que conocemos como el kerigma, la puerta de la salvación. “Arrepentíos, y bautícese cada uno en el nombre de Jesucristo por el perdón de los pecados; y así él les dará el don del Espíritu Santo”. Con ello se inició la gran reunión que continúa hasta el día de hoy.

La imagen que sigue inmediatamente revela una congregación y una viña que está en movimiento y crecimiento como la comunidad del Cuerpo de Cristo, la Iglesia. Se dedicaron a la enseñanza de los apóstoles, a la vida en comunidad, a la fracción del pan y a las oraciones. Asombro llegó a todo el mundo, y muchos prodigios y señales se realizaron a través de los apóstoles. Todos los creyentes vivían unidos y tenían todo en común.

El regalo de la salvación no sólo es entre Jesús y yo. Se trata de un injerto en la vid de Jesucristo, una entrada a través de la puerta de las ovejas de su rebaño, un bautismo en su cuerpo, la iglesia. Jesucristo no puede separarse de su cuerpo, la iglesia, y la iglesia es la presencia real del Señor en este mundo. En la conversión de San Pablo hemos escuchado: Saul, Saul, ¿por qué me persigues? Y hacia el final del evangelio de San Mateo, escuchamos a Jesús, el justo juez decir, cada vez que lo hicieron al menor de mis hermanos, a mí me lo hicisteis.

Como consecuencia de la conversión de San Pablo, los misioneros más prominentes de la primera iglesia nos dejaron un panorama general del Cuerpo de Cristo que era todo menos una comunidad donde los miembros eran todos iguales. Hay diferentes tipos de dones espirituales pero es el mismo Espíritu; existen diferentes formas de servicio pero el Señor es el mismo; existen diferentes talentos pero el mismo Dios que los produce todos en cada uno. A cada individuo le es dada la manifestación del Espíritu para algún provecho.

El Espíritu Santo estaba moldeado estas primeras reuniones de creyentes, como arcilla en manos del alfarero, en un cuerpo vivo de muchas partes.
Los apóstoles y a otros en el liderazgo en la iglesia abrazaron el corazón del Buen Pastor. Tenían el olor de las ovejas en las palabras del Papa Francisco, y dieron sus vidas por el rebaño. Este motor de amor de Dios iba en todos los cilindros, y el fuego de Pentecostés se desató sobre la tierra. Tomamos la antorcha en nuestra generación.

Retreats nourish spiritual health

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St. Mary of the Pines
Eight-day retreats – Cost is $640
Five-day retreats – Cost is $400
Weekend directed retreats – $160

Directed Retreats. The resident retreat director is Sister Dorez Mehrtens, SSND. During 2014, she is available for directed retreats on the following dates: May 29-June 5, June 11-18, July 3-9, Aug. 18-26, Sept. 2-9, Sept. 24-Oct. 3, Oct. 6-13, Nov. 10-18, and Dec. 1-10.

To schedule a retreat contact Sister Dorez, 601-783-0411 or 601-810-7758 (cell).
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.

Conference Retreat: “Come, Taste and See the Good Things of the Lord,” June 15-20. This retreat will utilize our senses through prayer, imagery, and ritual to fully “taste and see the good things of the Lord.” Suggested donation is $425. Scholarships are available. Details: Sister Helen Roper, 601-783-0801, retreatcenter@ssndcp.org, www.ssndcentralpacific.org.
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
“Be Still and Know that I am God,” June 4-8, July 2-6, July 31-Aug. 5. Two, three or five day retreat. Come for some time personally adapted to your needs. It is a time of quiet and prayerful reflection primarily using scripture.

Retreats are scheduled at specific times but retreatants  are welcome to come privately any time that is convenient to the person. Three hermitages (small cottages) are available.

Contact: The Dwelling Place, 2824 Dwelling Place Road, Brooksville, MS, 39739, 662-738-5348, www.dwellingplace.com.

Benedictine Center
“Still Green with Fruit: Flourishing in One’s Older Years,” Wednesday, May 21, from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. What are the hidden graces of old age that prepare us for the final surrender of our life on earth?  How might we, as the psalmist writes (92:15), continue to “bear fruit even in old age.”

This retreat will be based on the book by Emilie Griffin, “Green Leaves for Older Years.” Sister Kathleen Gallas will direct the retreat. Cost is $30, includes lunch.
“Finding God in Every Nook and Cranny,” Saturday, June 7, from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. The director, Sister Melannie Svoboda, will lead prayerful reflection on discovering God in the particular circumstances of our lives. Cost is $30, includes lunch.

Eight-Day Intensive/Post Intensive Centering Prayer retreat, June 24-July 1. Intensive: An in-depth retreat for those experienced in Centering Prayer.  The retreat will facilitate entrance into a more profound level of spiritual practice in an atmosphere of silence, solitude, and community, designed to assist participants in entering a more intimate relationship with God. Videotapes of Father Thomas Keating’s Spiritual Journey course will be viewed.

Post-Intensive: A next step into a profound silence and stillness to facilitate a more intimate union with God. An Intensive Centering Prayer experience is a prerequisite of the Post-Intensive.
Contact: Benedictine Sisters, 916 Convent Road, Cullman, AL 35055, (256) 734-4622, shmon@shmon.org.

WILLWOODS COMMUNITY
Married Couples Retreats, June 21-22, July 19-20, Aug. 23-24, Sept. 20-21, and Nov. 1-2, at Joseph Abbey Christian Life Center in Covington, La. Each retreat will be led by peer married couples and a priest.
Contact: Jason Angelette, 504-830-3716, jangelette@willwoods.org or visit www.faithandmarriage.org. Suggested donation of $275 per couple is requested but not required. Pre-registration deposit, which is part of the donation, is $50.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

  • GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph, parish rosary, Sundays during May, 30 minutes before Mass, led by the Knights of Columbus.
  • OXFORD St. John, workshop for those grieving the loss of a baby, Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m. – noon, facilitated by Robin Ridge, from Batesville St. Mary Parish.
  • PEARL St. Jude Parish, “Living the Eucharist” retreat, Sunday, May 18, 12:30 p.m., meal followed by reflection and prayer session. Activities will be offered for ages three years – adult.
  • YAZOO CITY St. Mary Parish, breakfast in the courtyard followed by the rosary Sunday, May 18, 9 a.m.

PARISH & COMMUNITY

  • BOONEVILLE St. Mary, installations of Sheila Przesmicki as lay ecclesial minister of St. Francis and Iuka St. Mary parishes and Father David Szatkowski, SCJ, as sacramental minister of St. Francis, Iuka St. Mary and Corinth St. James parishes by Bishop Joseph Kopacz, Sunday, June 1, during the 11 a.m. Mass.
  • CLARKSDALE Immaculate Conception Ladies Auxiliary rummage sale, Sunday, June 1. Details: Lydia Williams, 662-313-4801.
  • COLUMBUS Annunciation Parish free financial workshop every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Lowndes Public Library, 314 7th Street North.
  • CORINTH St. James, installation of Linda Gunther as lay ecclesial minister of St. James Parish during Masses on Saturday and Sunday, May 31-June 1.
  • GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph Parish special graduates’ Mass and reception, Sunday, May 18, at 5 p.m.
  • JACKSON – Pro-Life Mississippi’s Annual Walk 4 Life, Saturday, May 31, beginning at 7 a.m. with registration at St. Richard Parish. Prizes awarded to top three fund-raisers. Brunch provided in Foley Hall for all walkers and workers compliments of the Knights of Columbus.
  • – Summer Mother’s Morning Out program on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. beginning June 3. Details: Rebekah Johnson, 601-506-0862, rbjohnson@gmail.com.
  • PEARL St. Jude Parish, free estate planning seminar, Saturday, May 17, 10 – 11:30 a.m in the parish hall. This attorney-led, seminar will provide information needed to prepare a will, including low and “no cost” alternatives, medical directives, family trusts, and other probate issues. Details: Michael Wolf, 601-420-0333.
  • SHAW St. Francis of Assisi Parish summer socials: cookout Sunday, June 29, at 6 p.m. Potlucks on Sundays, July 27, and Aug. 24, at noon.
  • YAZOO CITY St. Mary, Mass and a cookout at the home of Jimmy and Mary Sue Shipp on Sunday, June 1. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be provided. Participants are asked to bring a dessert, salad or a side dish.

MAY CROWNINGS

  • AMORY St. Helen Parish, Sunday, May 18, followed by a potluck lunch. Bring a dish to share.
  • GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph, Sunday, May 18, at 9:30 a.m. All religious education students and parishioners are asked to bring fresh flowers.
  • PEARL St. Jude Parish, outdoor Mass on the grounds, Wednesday, May 21, at 6 p.m. followed by supper.

CELEBRATIONS

  • CHATAWA St. Mary of the Pines,  Summer Splash, Saturday, June 14, beginning at 9:15 a.m. for sixth – eighth grade girls and their mothers. Registration deadline is June 4.
  • The day will include spiritual activities, learning about the School Sisters of Notre Dame, crafts, and swimming. Cost is $6 per person. To register email Sister Clared Coyne, claredc@yahoo.com or mail to 3167 Old Hwy 51 S, Osyka, MS 39657.
  • GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph Parish, Spring Fling Dance and Social, Saturday, June 7, 8 p.m. – midnight. Tickets are $15. Proceeds will benefit local charities.
  • Child care provided for infant through nine-years-old by parish youth. Cost is $10 per hour per child, $15 per hour for 2 children per family, $20 per hour for 3 children per family.
  • MADISON St. Francis Parish, annual Cajun Fest, Sunday, May 18, noon – 4 p.m.
  • – Msgr. Michael Flannery’s 50th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood Mass of Thanksgiving Tuesday, June 3, at 6:30 p.m. followed by a reception in the Family Life Center.
  • McCOMB St. Alphonsus Parish, Pentecost picnic,  Sunday, May 25, at Nobles Farm.
  • MERIDIAN St. Patrick Active Christian Enthusiastic Seniors annual Spring Fling, Sunday, May 18, 5 – 7 p.m. in the parish center. Details: Beth Ohnemus 601-880-3319.

HEALTH PROGRAMS

  • CLARKSDALE St. Elizabeth School, Life Line Screenings for strokes, diabetes, heart disease and more, Wednesday, May 28. Pre-registration is required by calling 800-324-9458 or visiting www.helpinghandsforhealth.com. For each person who registers, $10 will be donated to the school.
  • GREENVILLE Sacred Heart Parish, six weeks Chronic Disease Self Management Program Seminar (CDSMP), Tuesday, May 20 – June 24, 6 – 8:30 p.m. Designed for adults with chronic diseases, their amily members, friends and caregivers.
  • GREENWOOD Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish blood drive, Thursday, Monday, June 23, from 3 – 7 p.m.
  • MADISON St. Francis of Assisi Parish, annual blood drive, Sunday, June 1, 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council 9543. Details: Andy Love, 417-597-0220, AmyLoveAndrew@gmailcom.

FUND-RAISERS

  • HERNANDO Holy Spirit Parish indoor yard sale, Friday, May 30, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday, May 31, from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Donations accepted starting on Monday, May 19, at 9 a.m. Details: Barbara Wilder, 901-832-0672.
  • COLUMBUS Annunciation Parish, “Change for Life, a baby bottle project” to raise funds for Life Choices Pregnancy Care Center in Columbus. Pick up a bottle and fill it up with spare change.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES’ EVENTS

  • JACKSON – Mark your calendar for Catholic Charities events this year:
  • – Bishop’s Ball, June 27.
  • – Journey of Hope Luncheon – Jackson,  Sept. 30.
  • – Journey of Hope Luncheon – Tupelo, Oct. 21.
  • – Purple Dress Run, Oct. 23.

 

Benefit Concert

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St. Joseph High School Fine Arts Dept. is hosting a BENEFIT CONCERT this Friday, May 9th at 7 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center.   The money raised will benefit storm victims in Fr. Lincoln Dall’s parish of St. James and other areas impacted by the recent tornado damage.  It will be an evening of variety performances from the St. Joe School Choir, Band, Jazz Band, Faculty Staff and other talents, as well as local elementary school choirs and church choirs.  The evening promises to be fun and entertaining  and all for a worthy cause.  Please come out and support our diocese in need!  Tickets are $5.00 each.  (Additional donations are accepted and appreciated.)    The ticket booth will open at 6 PM.  The auditorium will open at 6:30 PM.  

Hope always wins

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Millennial Reflections
By Father Jeremy Tobin, O.Praem
Recently I got a request from someone in Bangladesh urging people to sign a petition seeking full and fair compensation from two national clothing retailers for the survivors of a horrific fire that killed more than 1,100 people in a clothing factory a year ago.
The individual, Aklima Khanam, was a 20-year-old survivor. Some of you may remember the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York around the turn of the last century where almost 200 immigrant women died. They were locked in to keep them working. This galvanized the new movement for worker rights. The rest is history.

The event last year in Bangladesh dwarfs what happened 100 years ago in the United States. Here, too, survivors say they were locked in to keep them working and the cost in human life and injury was staggering.
Looking at the way workers are treated in these international sweat shops unencumbered by American labor law begins another chapter in human oppression and exploitation. It is always the most vulnerable poorest classes of people affected, especially women and children.

This came to me right after we celebrated total destruction. Jesus faced a rigged trial and was tortured and executed in the most grizzly way possible. His followers were dispersed. The Scriptures told how this was the plan of God, and Jesus did what he promised, he rose from the dead. His resurrection was the final statement that injustice of every kind would come to an end.

There will always be a push back from the kind of exploitation I just outlined, and, despite the lack of material resources, such movements will not stop. We always preach the death and resurrection of Jesus as a unit. One explains the other. It also says that no matter how much evil we encounter, people will keep getting back up to resist it.
These next two years we will celebrate the 50th anniversaries of the two major civil rights laws in our country. The struggle for civil rights and worker justice did not begin in the 1960s or 1860s, but from the first time one group exploited another.

The theological inspiration for every movement for social justice can be found in the Scriptures we read on Easter, in the Easter season and throughout Lent. The prophets are quite explicit about justice and fairness. Those who have been exploited can look to the trial and execution of Jesus. The followers of Jesus came from the exploited and marginalized.

Things we rely on as basic: food and clothes are produced all over the world by young, poor, invisible people. When we buy brand named clothes at high prices, we have no idea where they were made. Labels tell very little. Think for a moment about an $800 suit going at clearance for less than a $100, then try and figure out the real cost of its manufacture. Then think about the wages the workers get who make the clothes. No, the answer is not to react and make your own clothes. The answer is to change the system that is built on exploitation.

We can turn to food and those who grow and harvest the crops. That leads us to the broken immigration system. We just saw pictures of Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson  reaching through the border fence trying to give someone communion during the Mass for unity the bishops had at the Mexico-Arizona border.

The point is the endless push back for justice. They can build fences. They can build sweat shops, but people will always fight for justice. This is the power of resurrection over death. Real Christians know that our religion is built on optimism. Easter is the great feast that anything resembling despair, weakness, misery, etc. will be overcome by the power of justice, the joy of freedom and the peace that comes out of the empty tomb.
(Father Jeremy Tobin, O.Praem, lives at the Priory of St. Moses the Black, Jackson)

Rigged game teaches life lessons – our kind of conspiracy

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Reflections on Life
By Father Jerome LeDoux, SVD
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech all who attended will never forget. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question.
“When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?”
The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. “I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled, comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.” Then he told the following story.

“Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, ‘Do you think they’ll let me play?’ I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
“I approached one of the boys on the field and asked – not expecting much – if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, ‘We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.’

“Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.
“In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

“However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground.
“The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head.

“Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, ‘Shay, run to first! Run to first!’ Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.  Everyone yelled, ‘Run to second, run to second!’ Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

“By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions. So he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

“All were screaming, ‘Shay, Shay, Shay, all the way, Shay!’ Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, ’Shay, run to third!’ As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, ‘Shay, run home! Run home!’ Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.”

“That day,” the father said softly with tears now rolling down his face, “the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world.
“Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!”

If you are anything like me, this curious little episode did to you what it did to me, causing mist in my eyes, a tightness in my throat, and stiffness in the hairs of my skin. Deep down, we want everyone to be a winner in this life and in our glorious life to come.
“God is love, and all who abide in love abide in God and God in them.”   (1 John 4:16)
(Father Jerome LeDoux, SVD, is pastor of Our Mother of Mercy Parish in Fort Worth, Texas. He has written “Reflections on Life since 1969.)

State Knights of Columbus honor chaplains at annual convention

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JACKSON – Downtown Jackson hosted the annual Knights of Columbus State Convention April 25-27. More than 250 knights and ladies auxiliary members gathered at the Marriott for fellowship, continuing formation and celebration.

The theme for this year’s convention was “Honoring Our Chaplains.” Father Bob Higginbotham, state chaplain for the KCs and pastor of D’Iberville Sacred Heart Parish, celebrated a Friday morning Mass for the cause of Father Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus. State officers and the convention coordinating team participated in the Mass. Participants arrived throughout the day and in the evening enjoyed a dinner at the hotel.

One of the more moving moments of the convention was the reading of the necrology at the Saturday morning Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Kopacz. The necrology consists of the names of knights and ladies auxiliary members who have died since the last convention. State Secretary Jim McCraw read the names of more than 130 people as  a candle was lighted for each one. The ceremony took place at the beginning of the the liturgy so that the 200 plus gathered could remember their friends and family in prayer throughout the Mass.

After business meetings and workshops during the day, the Saturday evening banquet commenced with the introduction of dignitaries and the presentation of colors followed by the singing of the national anthem.
Four Bishops were in attendance – Bishop Joseph Kopacz, who offered the opening prayer, Bishop Roger Morin of the Diocese of Biloxi, and Bishops Emeriti Joseph Latino and William Houck. Awards were given to individuals and councils who had achieved various honors over the past year.

The knights presented checks to Bishop Kopacz and Bishop Morin for seminarian education and pro-life activities. This year the knights in the Diocese of Jackson raised more than $50,000 for seminarian education.

On Sunday morning Bishop Morin celebrated Mass for the Second Sunday of Easter also known as “Divine Mercy” Sunday. In his homily, Bishop Morin spoke of the canonizations of now Sts. John XXIII and John Paul II by Pope Francis, which had happened earlier in the day in Rome, and the need to continue to work for justice and peace in the world. He thanked the knights for their ongoing work in support of the church on the local, national and international level.