Monthly Archives: April 2015

Karitas Daycare expands services, accepts DHS certificates

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – When children spend their days at Karitas Day Care, a ministry of Catholic Charities, they get much more than just educational opportunities, structure and healthy food. They also get extra grandparents. One of the perks of the daycare is that several foster grandparents spend a couple hours every day providing extra love and attention to the babies and children there.
The daycare was recently approved by the Mississippi Department of Human Services’ Division of Early Childhood Care and Development (DECCD) to accept Child Care and Development Fund Certificates to provide child care assistance to low-income families. Previously, families had to be referred to Karitas, but now anyone can apply for a certificate and enroll a child.
The center takes children aged 6-weeks to 12 years and is open from 7:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. “We offer children a structured and secure environment – a safe place,” said director Caroline Bealer. She has been on the job for 19 years. “This is more than just a job to me, it’s a mission,” Bealer said and that seems to hold true for other staff members as well. One of the teachers has served the center for 30 years.
Karitas provides tutoring, field trips, arts and crafts, opportunities for sports and dramatic play, tutoring and homework help for school-aged children who come for after school care and welcomes special visitors such as firefighters. Karitas provides lunch, supper and snacks. The children are divided by age and there is a limit to how many children can be enrolled so teachers can maintain a good ratio with the kids. Computers are available for older children who need them to complete homework.
The foster grandparents are just a bonus. Many of them have also been coming for years. Bealer said for low-income parents having a child care option is good for the whole family.  “Having a daycare option will allow a parent to do things they may not be able to do with small children at home such as seek employment or seek challenges and goals to better themselves,” she said. She added that the children benefit as well.
“Sometimes, you will see a child who has never been away from a parent so when they go to school it can be a struggle,” she added. The teachers at Karitas all have certifications in early childhood education so they help the children with social skills, gross and fine motor skills as well as some of the educational benchmarks that can benefit them when they do start school.
The center is located directly behind Jackson Holy Family Parish on Forest Street in Northeast Jackson. Parents interested in sending their children to Karitas should first apply for a certificate on the state website: www.childcareinfo.ms. Select Catholic Charities as the provider and fill out the application. For more information on the programs at Karitas, call the center at 601-366-8281.

IN MEMORIAM

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SINSINAWA, Wis. — A Mass of Christian Burial for Sister Dorothy Ann Griff, OP, was celebrated at Queen of the Rosary Chapel March 16. Burial took place in the Motherhouse Cemetery. Sister Griff died March 13 at St. Dominic Villa. Her religious name was Sister Ephrem. She served in Mississippi, Illinois, Wisconsin, California, Minnesota, Iowa and Texas.
In the Diocese of Jackson, Sister Griff taught adult education and was literacy coordinator at Sacred Heart Southern Missions, Walls, from 1990-1998, and served as literacy instructor at DeSoto Center Literacy Council, Hernando, from 1998-2001, and tutor at Northwest Community College, Southaven, from 2001-2007.
Memorials may be made to the Sinsinawa Dominicans, 585 County Road Z, Sinsinawa, WI, 53824-9701 or online at www.sinsinawa.org by clicking on “Donate Now,” then “Honor and Memorial Gift.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ursuline Sister Helen Marie Lutz, died March 19 at the age of 87 in Louisville, Ky. Born in Canton, Sister Lutz taught at Camden Sacred Heart High School from 1982 to 1992. From 1992 to 1995, she was a literacy program assistant in Canton and in volunteer ministry to the sick and elderly there.
Sister Lutz attended Mississippi State College for Women in Columbus, Miss., before transferring to Ursuline College in Louisville.
Besides Mississippi, Sister Lutz served in Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.  From 1995 to 2005, Sister Lutz was a resident of the Ursuline Motherhouse in Louisville, serving as a receptionist and tutor before moving to Mercy Sacred Heart in 2010.
Memorials may be made to the Ursuline Sisters and mailed to the Mission Advancement Office, 3105 Lexington Road, Louisville, KY 40206.

Knights name foundation director

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JACKSON – The Mississippi Knights of Columbus Foundation Board of Directors approved Greg Patin, a member of Jackson St. Richard’s Council 15131, as the newest volunteer executive director of the foundation.
The Knights of Columbus Foundation was formed to receive and disburse grant funds for organizations serving children with special needs in the State of Mississippi. These organizations include the state chapter of Special Olympics, The McDougal Center in Tupelo, St. Richard’s Special Kids and other organizations that help individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Most councils raise money by selling Tootsie Rolls in April and May of each year. The funds are received by the foundation and designated by the Councils to be given to a specific organization, usually in the council’s community.
This year, the foundation expanded its services to receive and disburse funds for disaster relief efforts by Knights of Columbus Councils in Mississippi. “My long-time experience with disaster relief efforts will help strengthen this new outreach of the foundation,” said Patin who succeeds Larry Tabor, who served in the role for the past four years.
Patin is excited to serve in his new role and help the foundation become better known in the state.

Franciscan Sisters reflect on service in Greenwood

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(Editor’s Note: Earlier this year, Mississippi Catholic requested reflections from the orders of consecrated people serving in the Diocese of Jackson. As those reflections come in, we will share them in the paper as part of the Year of Consecrated Life. Four Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity shared their thoughts on their current work while Sister Judith Norwick, OSF, who has since left her work in Greenwood shared her own reflection on the community. Religious wishing to submit a reflection should send it to editor@mississippicatholic.com.)
The members of our community include Sister Elena Gonzáles Sister Annette Kurey, Sister Mary Ann Tupy and Sister Kathleen Murphy. We are currently serving at Greenwood St. Francis of Assisi Parish. Our Community Charisms are simplicity, firmly built on faith in a loving God; joyful acceptance of poverty; love for the church, and selfless dedication to the service of others.
Our Community‘s ministries are mainly education and health care though we do have sisters who are parish administrators or use their gifts in different ministries. So when the Franciscan Friars of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary Province asked our Community to work with them here in the Mississippi Delta at St. Francis of Assisi grade school it seemed like a perfect fit. Our school goes from Pre-K to sixth grade.
The school was started in 1951 to serve mainly the African American community here in Greenwood. Today we still serve largely the African American community, but our open door policy welcomes Hispanic families and those of other ethnicities as well.
To celebrate the Year of Consecrated Life we Sisters join in a monthly Holy hour during which we recite a prayer in celebration of Consecrated Life. To initiate the year to our parish we held an open house at our convent on Sunday, February 8th.
We will also be praying as a parish for all of the consecrated men and women religious who have ever served here at St. Francis from its beginnings until today. Another part of celebrating our call to consecrated life is sharing that life through vocation outreach activities. As the year unfolds other opportunities to pray and share will be coming.
My name is Sister Judith Norwick, O.S.F. I served at St. Francis of Assisi Parish during the school years of 2003 – 2009 in parish ministry – visiting the homebound, bringing the Eucharist to them and also to our parishioners in nursing homes or in the hospital.  I was also a part of the RCIA team, and helped in school wherever needed and in our local food pantry. I found the people of Greenwood very welcoming, warm, and friendly, “as warm as the weather in the South.” I miss each one of them.

World Meeting plans in high gear, diocese seeks more participants

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By Matthew Gambino
PHILADELPHIA (CNS) – Organizing for the World Meeting of Families and the visit by Pope Francis to Philadelphia in September has taken a major step forward with the announcement of the 15 committees and leadership charged with spearheading operations in hospitality, liturgy, volunteers and more.
Executives for the events including Auxiliary Bishop John J. McIntyre and Independence Blue Cross CEO Daniel Hilferty, who is a co-chairman of the World Meeting of Families-Philadelphia, unveiled the committees and introduced their chairpersons at the IBX headquarters March 11.
The congress has already registered approximately 7,500 attendees, according to officials. Between 10,000 and 15,000 people from the United States and 150 countries are expected to register for the Sept. 22-25 congress. Up to two million people are also anticipated for the papal events, including a cultural celebration and Mass celebrated by the pope, Sept. 26-27.
The Diocese of Jackson has partnered with Proximo Travel to offer three different trips to the event. Unfortunately, fewer than two dozen people are currently signed up to go. One trip is an eight-day trip by air and includes hotel, most meals, registration to the World Meeting of Families and Mass with Pope Francis. The second trip is five days and includes airfare, hotel rooms, tours of Philadelphia, some meals and Mass, but does not include attendance at the conference. The final trip is a five-day trip by bus which includes Mass with the pope. The bus must be full in order to make the trip so it is important to reserve a seat early. Air travelers can fly out of any airport in the continental United States so parishes in any part of the diocese can arrange to fly out of the airport nearest to them. Exact details of each trip are posted on the Diocesan News section of www.jacksondiocese.org.
“I just think this is such a unique opportunity to get in touch with what we call the one, holy, Catholic church,” said Kami LeVern, of Proximo Travel.
“For some, the chance to see Pope Francis will be a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” she added. As an added bonus, Proximo is donating profits from the trip to Catholic Charities.
The World Meeting of Families, held every three years, will come to the United States for the first time since it was begun by St. John Paul II in 1994. The aim of the congress is to strengthen the bonds of family life and highlight its value to society throughout the world.
Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput said in a statement that he was grateful to the people serving on the committees. “I’m confident that we will create a beautiful and memorable week for our families here in the Philadelphia region – and for families from around the world,” he said.
To join the diocesan trip to the World Meeting of Families, call LeVern at Proximo travel, 855-842-8001.
(Maureen Smith, editor of Mississippi Catholic, contributed to this report.)

Survey reveals millennials’ attitudes about contraception, abortion, family

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By Carol Zimmermann
WASHINGTON (CNS) — U.S. millennials, born between 1980 and 2000, don’t want to be pigeonholed into categories.
They are predominantly religiously unaffiliated and not identified by any political party. They are more ethnically and racially diverse than the general population.
This group of 18- to 35-year-olds doesn’t like to be labeled as “pro-life” or “pro-choice.” They mostly approve of the use of contraception and they support policies to make contraception more widely available and affordable. They also have a predominantly positive view of marriage, not viewing it as old-fashioned or out of date.
These findings are from a study released March 27 by the Public Religion Research Institute, which surveyed 2,314 young adults online in February. The margin of error was plus or minus 2.7 percentage points. The study, “The 2015 Millennials, Sexuality and Reproductive Health Survey,” looked at how race and religion shape attitudes on these topics.
During a presentation in Washington to review the results, panelists including health care advocates and Robert Jones, the research institute’s CEO, emphasized that today’s young adults tend to form their views on sexuality and reproductive health based on those of friends and family.
They said millennials focus on relationships and tend to take a more liberal view such as supporting same-sex marriage or accepting those who are gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual. The group, as a whole, also tends to be pragmatic. As one panelist pointed out, millennials have always lived in a world where HIV/AIDS exists.
“Experience trumps ideology,” said more than one panelist, noting that often young adults base their opinions on experiences of people they know.
According to the survey, 71 percent of millennials said the use of contraceptives was morally acceptable and 9 percent said it was morally wrong. Fourteen percent said it depends on the situation.
When the survey group was broken down by religious and ethnic traditions, white evangelical Protestants stood out as the only group that views abstinence as more effective than contraceptives.
Seventy-two percent of white Catholics and 74 percent of Hispanic Catholics said an emphasis on safe sexual practices and contraception was more effective than abstinence. The Catholic Church teaches that artificial contraception is morally wrong.
On the issue of abortion, millennials reflect the attitudes of the general public. Fifty-five percent of them said abortion should be legal in most or all cases. Along religious divides, 80 percent of white evangelical Protestants again said abortion should not be legal. Fifty-one percent of white Catholic millennials and 55 percent of Hispanic Catholics said abortion should be legal.
The Catholic Church believes abortion is morally wrong and that human life is sacred from conception onward.
Compared to other ethnic groups, Hispanic millennials exhibited the greatest moral reservations about having an abortion. Forty-five percent of Hispanic millennials said having an abortion is morally wrong, compared to 35 percent of whites, 30 percent of blacks and 23 percent of Asia Pacific Islanders.
The survey also showed that 73 percent of millennials said sexual assault is at least somewhat common on college campuses and 53 percent said such incidents are somewhat common in high schools.
In another reveal, the survey notes that millennials view men who concentrate too much on work as a more serious concern for families than women who have a full-time job. Forty-nine percent of millennials said that family life suffers when men focus too much on their work, compared to 30 percent who said family life suffers when a woman has a full-time job. Sixty-six percent of millennials disagreed that women working full time is a threat to family well-being.
When panelists reviewing the survey were asked what it is millennials, so often described as nonjudgmental, really want, the consensus was that they want what everyone else does: love, support and companionship.

Ancient liturgies, timeless salvation story: Holy Week gives way to Easter

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By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – As we make our way through Holy Week which began with the celebration of Palm Sunday, we look back and take stock of the beauty and sacred moments these liturgies of this most holy of weeks provide. On Palm Sunday we joined with Catholics around the world in blessing palms and remembering Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
A few minutes later we embarked upon the passion narrative of St. Mark. With this festive beginning that transcends into the passion and death of Jesus, we begin our own journey into “Jerusalem” and the holiest of weeks in our church’s tradition.
On Tuesday, we celebrated the Mass of Chrism in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, where with the presbyterate gathered around, Bishop Joseph Kopacz blessed the oils of catechumens and the sick and consecrated the Sacred Chrism. These oils presented to parish representatives were taken back to home parishes for use throughout the year to anoint the sick and baptize infants and adults. A striking point in this Mass is the Renewal of Priestly Commitment where the priests present renew the promises they made at their ordination.
On Wednesday in the cathedral, we prayed and sang the Office of Tenebrae, an ancient part of the Liturgy of the Hours that reflects on the suffering of Jesus Christ while offering a glimmer of hope at the end in one remaining lighted candle. It is always a very moving ceremony that features readings from the Lamentations of Jeremiah, psalms and hymns on the cross and crown of thorns. After each reading a candle on the altar is extinguished until one is left burning and offering hope.
The Sacred Triduum begins and Lent officially ended with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Thursday. This Mass is filled with rituals and symbols revolving around the true meaning of the Eucharist – sacrifice and service. The Gospel reading from St. John is that of the washing of the disciples’ feet by Jesus. In the liturgy 12 feet are washed by the bishop who, in the image of Christ, reflects the servanthood of being a follower of Jesus. At this liturgy a second ciborium of hosts is consecrated for distribution on Good Friday.
The final movement of the Holy Thursday liturgy is the transfer of the ciborium by procession to an area separate from the main altar perhaps even in another building. In St. Peter Cathedral the altar of repose is decorated to look like a middle eastern garden with palms in urns and fresh budding flowers to reflect the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus went to pray and was ultimately betrayed and also to foreshadow the garden tomb. The faithful remained in prayer and adoration trying to stay with the Lord.
Good Friday is one of my favorite liturgies of the church. It is once again an ancient ritual – one of the oldest in the church’s centuries old liturgical tradition. The altar is bare, stripped of all ornamentation and the liturgy begins in silence. The starkness of the church is quite striking.
The passion narrative of St. John is read, and then the general intercessions are chanted or recited. Following these time honored prayers we venerate the cross. What a moving moment to be able to touch or kiss the cross and watch our fellow Catholics come forward and do the same knowing that so many of them have had trials and struggles in their lives throughout the past year.
Once the veneration is finished, the altar is set with a simple red cloth and corporal.  The ciborium of hosts consecrated the evening before is brought to the altar for distribution to the faithful. The liturgy ends in silence and we are left to contemplate Christ on the cross.
Contrasting the starkness of Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Masses lift us up from despair because we know the tomb is empty and the Lord has risen.
As we complete our Holy Week journey for this year, we should reflect on this great week filled with intricate and deeply sacred liturgies. We too walk the path of our Lord as he makes his way to Jerusalem, the upper room, the garden, the cross, the tomb and finally the Resurrection.
Let us all open our hearts and minds to the passion of our Lord and the sacrifice he made for us all so that on Easter morning we can truly sing with joyful hearts – Jesus Christ is risen today! Alleluia! Alleluia!
(Mary Woodward is the Chancellor for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Spirituals, dance moves a testament to joy of new auxiliary bishop

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By Peter Finney Jr.
NEW ORLEANS (CNS) — Let the record show that never before in the nearly 300-year history of St. Louis Cathedral have Catholics seen a dancing bishop.
But when Bishop Fernand “Ferd” Cheri III, a Franciscan priest and native son, made his first remarks to the nearly 1,000 people gathered for his ordination as auxiliary bishop March 23, the hometown boy in him couldn’t resist breaking into several spirituals and even moving a few body parts.
Very reverently.
Bishop Cheri, 63, spoke briefly after giving Communion to his 87-year-old mother, Gladys, seated proudly in the front pew just six weeks after she had fallen and broken her right hip.
Gladys Cheri’s medical condition hardly fazed her as she jumped to her feet and began twirling a colorful “second line” umbrella — a local custom at celebrations — as Bishop Cheri broke out into song during his remarks before the final blessing.
All of the Cheri ladies — the bishop’s four sisters and his mother — were dressed in red, the episcopal color. Bishop Cheri’s brother Richard, a longtime choir leader, watched from the balcony as he directed the Archdiocese of New Orleans Gospel Choir, established 31 years ago by then-Father Cheri.
“I feel like King David felt when the ark of God was being brought into Jerusalem,” Bishop Cheri said, smiling broadly after being ordained the 11th auxiliary bishop of New Orleans by Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond, who heads the archdiocese. He joins the ranks of about a dozen U.S. black Catholic bishops.
Two of those bishops, Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta and Bishop J. Terry Steib of Memphis, Tennessee, were co-consecrators. Bishop Joseph Kopacz and Bishop Emeritus Joseph Latino were also on hand.
“Like David, I’m so overjoyed by God’s blessings and God’s grace and God’s mercy. I feel like I have to give a testimony,” Bishop Cheri said.
That drew murmurs from the knowing crowd, many of whom had heard Bishop Cheri speak before in their churches or at Gospel-based revivals.
An organist began playing a few notes, indicating a joyful noise was about to erupt.
It did.
In his remarks, Bishop Cheri used the lyrics of some of his favorite spirituals to express what he was feeling inside. He was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 1978 before transferring to the Franciscans in 1992. His most recent appointment was as director of campus ministry at Quincy University in Illinois, a Franciscan university.
“Lift every voice and sing, to give all praise, all glory and honor to God,” Bishop Cheri said, reciting one song. “For I’ve come — we’ve come — this far by faith … treading a path through the blood of the slaughter. … I feel like singing my song, I feel like singing my song. Yes, I’ve been through a lot, and I’m going with Jesus all the way.”
Citing the lyrics of another spiritual, Bishop Cheri said he wanted to give thanks to the many people who had lifted him up during the toughest moments of his seminary and priestly life. When Bishop Cheri faced several racially charged incidents, he said God allowed him to persevere in his vocation by bringing people into his life, especially members of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus, who told him personal stories about what they had endured.
“I want to give thanks to so many who have taught me and ‘brought me along a mighty long way,’” Bishop Cheri said.
After Bishop Cheri returned to his chair to extended applause, Archbishop Aymond turned to the congregation and said: “I think this afternoon we have been to church.”
Earlier, in his homily before the rite of ordination, Archbishop Aymond looked at his fellow Notre Dame Seminary alumnus and said: “Ferd, welcome home!”
From one hometown priest to another, it was a touching, fraternal moment.
Archbishop Aymond thanked Gladys Cheri and her late husband, Fernand Jr., for rearing seven children and helping see to it that all “were brought up in the faith.”
All seven Cheri children attended Catholic elementary and high schools, and all seven earned college degrees while Fernand Jr. made ends meet for his family on a postal carrier’s salary.
“Ferd, we also thank you for your faith and your priestly ministry over the years and for faithfully answering God’s call to serve the church as a servant leader,” Archbishop Aymond said.
Archbishop Aymond also noted that Bishop Cheri followed in the footsteps of the late Auxiliary Bishop Harold R. Perry of New Orleans, who in 1966 became the first African-American Catholic bishop in the United States in the 20th century.
“You bring the richness of the African-American tradition to our church,” Archbishop Aymond said. “Bishop Perry led a prophetic life. Ferd, you have the privilege to walk in his footsteps.”
Archbishop Aymond explained three of the outward signs of the bishop’s office: the ring as a symbol of “unconditional fidelity to Christ and his church”; the miter, a bishop’s headpiece, as a sign of the “call to holiness”; and the crozier, or pastoral staff, representing “Christ the Good Shepherd in whose name he will lead.”
“Ferd, sometimes you will find yourself leaning on the pastoral staff acknowledging your dependence on Jesus, especially when you bear the burdens of God’s people,” Archbishop Aymond said. “When you lean on the crozier, be reminded of your motto, ‘God is My Strength.’” Since so much is expected of a bishop, he said, it may seem like an impossible burden.
“Can you do all of this?” the archbishop asked. “Yes, if you stay close to Jesus the Good Shepherd. As you follow him, you will be able to lead others.
“Ferd, we are here today to pray with you and support you. We also promise to be there tomorrow as you fulfill your important ministry as bishop of the church.“
(Finney is executive editor and general manager of the Clarion Herald, newspaper of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.)

St. Anthony welcomes new principal

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By Maureen Smith
MADISON – St. Anthony School will have a new principal for the 2015/2016 school year, Jim Bell. Bell, a native of Cambridge, Mass., has spent his whole career in Catholic education, working at schools in Rochester, NY, and Huntsville, Ala. The students, faculty, parents and staff at St. Anthony School welcomed Bell the week of March 16, when he visited his new school.
“I was impressed with the academic record and the arts program at St. Anthony,” said Bell. He said he and his wife, who is from New Orleans, had been looking to move closer to the Crescent City when he saw the job opening at St. Anthony. “When I came to visit I just fell in love with the school and the people there,” he added.
A search committee spent months deciding what kind of leader the school might need and looking for the right fit for the community. Mike Kelly, who has two daughters at St. Anthony was on that committee. He said he wanted someone who could maintain both the academic excellence and Catholic identity of St. Anthony.
“Academic excellence is important, but so is the Catholic identity. You have to have both and I feel you can have both,” he explained. He said the committee liked Bell’s track record and felt like he was a good fit for the whole school community. “I wanted to find someone who could really move the school forward and that’s who we found,” said Kelly.
Bell and his family will move to the Madison area this summer and he will start work in July.

Youth Briefs & Gallery

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AMORY St. Helen Parish CYO supper will be on Sunday, April 19, at the home of Tim and Shannon Trautman.
GREENVILLE – St. Joseph Parish EDGE program for youth in sixth-eighth grades will meet Saturdays, April 11 and 18, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Themes to be discussed are divine mercy and facing final judgement. Dinner will be provided.
– Life Teen youth (ninth -12th grades) will meet on Sundays, April 12 and 19 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Dinner will be provided. Themes to be discussed are Will you go to Prom with me? and News feed: Media and the eighth commandment.
Details: Therese Seghers, tseghers@stjosephgreenville.org.
JACKSON – Dates and registration for the next SEARCH retreat have been changed. The retreat will be held May 8-10 instead of the original date of May 29-31. The retreat will be at Camp Wesley Pines in Gallman. Registration deadline has been moved to Wednesday, April 8.
SEARCH is a Catholic retreat for juniors and seniors throughout the Diocese of Jackson. Cost is $120. Details: www.jacksonsearch.com.
MADISON –  Boys in kindergarten through sixth grade can participate in the Junior Bruin Baseball Camp set for Sunday, April 12, from 1 – 4 p.m. at D.M. Howie Field on the school campus. Cost is $25 per camper. The camp is open to beginner and experienced ball players. Participants should bring a glove, hat, bat and water bottle.
TUPELO – St. James Parish youth are invited to “Spirit Night” Wednesday, April 8, from 4 – 8 p.m.

DEANERY V – The Glenmary Home Missioners are sponsoring a Catholic Camp for children in northeast Mississippi. The camp for boys and girls ages 8-11 is June 14-20 and for boys and girls ages 12-14 is June 21-27.
This is a residential, over-night camp that includes daily Mass, sports art and opportunities to meet other Catholic children in north Mississippi. The cost is $100 per week. Scholarships and reduced fees are available. Application deadline is June 7. Details: Father Tim Murphy, 662-304-0087, campglenmary@juno.com.

MADISON St. Joseph School senior Sophia Cosmich has been named a STAR student, and longtime English teacher Linda King has been named a STAR teacher.
Cosmich will be honored during the annual Education Celebration on Thursday, April 30, at the Jackson Convention Center in downtown Jackson.
Star students are selected on the basis of academic excellence. Both ACT scores and scholastic averages are compared to determine the school’s STAR Student.
“The STAR program encourages and promotes academic achievement among Mississippi’s high school seniors,” said Vickie Powell, senior vice president of foundations. Each STAR student is asked to designate a STAR Teacher, the teacher who has made the greatest contribution to the student’s scholastic achievement.