By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Every bishop has four symbols of his office, a miter, a ring, a pectoral cross and a crosier. Bishop Joseph Kopacz’s crosier was completed months after it was expected, but the timing turned out to be just about perfect.
“My first use of it was the Chrism Mass. In its own way to have my own crosier for Holy Week – so much of the diocese is present at that Mass – to be the bishop and be there before them and to have that crosier – it was pretty neat,” said the bishop. He commented that in some dioceses not every parish is represented at the Chrism Mass, but that is not the case here.
He called Chrism Mass the “finest truly diocesan liturgy of the year.” The Chrism Mass is when oils are blessed and consecrated and distributed to representatives from just about every parish in the diocese.
“It sort of settled me into the office in a very substantial way at the beginning of my second year. I had that sense similar to when you put the crosier in the stand and it falls solidly into its place, so I had that feeling of being in place in the Diocese of Jackson. Not that I wasn’t, but I had that sense that here is my crosier and now it’s there next to the cathedra,” he added.
The faithful will not see the crosier when the bishop comes to visit. The bishop’s crosier remains at the cathedral. When he travels he uses a simple wooden crosier with a plain hook. The traveling crosier comes apart and has its own carrying case and stand.
Bishop Kopacz’s crosier is also wooden, carved from walnut and an unusual piece of oak. Inside the crook the Chi Rho symbol is carved from a single piece of wood. “That is one of the three symbols on my coat of arms and is pretty universally recognized,” said the bishop. “It’s creative, it goes back to the early, early church. It’s the first three letters in Greek of ‘Christ’ and that’s very special, so it’s simple, but elegant,” he said. Separating the crook from the rest of the crosier is a darker bead of 20,000 year-old oak from a bog in Europe. When trees fall into bogs, they are preserved, taking on the textures of the gravel, sand and plants buried with them. There are people who harvest ancient wood for art and furniture.
The man who carved it, Markus Frei, works in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, and he has a roundabout connection to the project. Bishop Kopacz’s assistant pastor in Pennsylvania, Father Greg Laughney, saw some samples of other crosiers Frei carved. When Father Laughney studied in Rome he became friends with members of the Swiss Guard, the elite unit of men who protect the pope and the Vatican. That guards knew of Frei and recommended him for the job. Bishop Kopacz provided his coat of arms and some guidance on what he wanted and Frei sent several sketches for the bishop before they settled on a design.
The artisan started working on it soon after Bishop Kopacz took office, but became ill and had to take a break. The work started before the bishop was ordained and installed, but was not completed until this year. The bishop said he likes that the crosier is carved on both sides so people all around the church can easily see the design.
Every bishop selects his own crosier. He can have it custom made or use one that already exists. It does not have to relate to the bishop’s coat of arms, as Bishop Kopacz’s does, but it can. In the past, crosiers could be fairly ornate and were often crafted of metal, but the trend in recent years has been to make them from wood. Both retired Bishops William Houck and Joseph Latino used wooden crosiers.
According to diocesan chancellor Mary Woodward, there are several crosiers in the diocesan archives, going all the way back to the first bishop of the diocese. Bishop John Joseph Chanche, SS.
“We used that crosier at the 175th anniversary celebration and at Bishop Kopacz’s ordination,” said Woodward. That crosier was a gift to Bishop Chanche from Archbishop Anton Blanc in the early 1840s. It is metal and very intricate. Other crosiers in the archives include one used by Bishop Joseph Brunini which features a dragon in the crook.
While bishop’s crosiers look like shepherd’s staffs, the pope usually carries a crucifix as a crosier. One of the most iconic was the crucifix carried by Saint Pope John Paul II. The pope would sometimes lean on that crosier when he needed to. One of the most famous images of the saint is him pressing his head to the crosier.
The bishop holds his crosier as he processes in and out of Mass, when listening to the gospel and when he is accepting candidates for baptism and conferring confirmation and blessing the congregation. Usually, bishops hold their crosiers in their left hands so their right hands are free to offer blessings.
Bishop Kopacz said the crosier reflects the role of the leader of the local church. “It’s the shepherds staff, it’s one of the symbols of the bishop’s office. The miter signifies holiness. The crosier symbolizes the leadership, both the authority and the servant leadership,” he explained.
“So the ideal shepherd is one who is at the center of the flock, leads the flock, cares for and protects the flock. The bishop’s crosier is that symbol, so having the Chi Rho as the symbol of Christ at the center of that is really meaningful because He’s the Good Shepherd and I am trying to strive for that ideal.”

Vicksburg St. Aloysius High School and Jackson St. Richard Elementary School will have new principals when classes start this fall.
Dr. Buddy Strickland will take over at St. Aloysius and Cathy Wilson will lead St. Richard. Strickland has more than 40 years of educational experience in Mississippi, most of it in the public school system, as a teacher and principal on the elementary and secondary school levels. He has also taught at Delta State University. He retired and later went back to lead a private academy in Indianola.
He was living in Vicksburg and began substitute teaching at both St. Francis Xavier and St. Aloysius. His experience landed him on the search committee for a new principal.
He said as the committee’s work proceeded he began to feel called to submit his own name for the position. “This happened after a lot of thoughtful prayer. I felt like if God opened the door I would walk through. If not, I could walk away with peace,” said Strickland. “I have this opportunity at this time in my life to serve,” he added.
Strickland felt inspired by the students he was teaching as a substitute. “Catholic education in Vicksburg preceded public education. We have been here for more than 150 years. I want to take that tradition of excellence and build on it,” he said. Father Tom Lalor, the school’s canonical administrator, enthusiastically welcomed Strickland in an email sent to the school community.
The letter started by listing Strickland’s experience. “More important than the above experience, however, are the personal and professional qualities that Dr. Strickland brings to the position. He is passionate about students and their learning and achievement. He is focused on maintaining and building on the strong community of staff, students and parents,” he wrote.
Service is one of the benchmarks of Catholic education and Strickland said he is impressed by what the students at St. Aloysius are already doing. He said he was substituting a theology class when the students started talking about service. He was moved by their understanding of the connection between service and the gospel. “Every child, when they perform service, is walking in the footsteps of Christ,” he explained. Two of his grandchildren attend the school and his daughter has served on the advisory council.
He said he takes a collaborative approach to leadership. “I can’t do anything without the support of the teachers and parents,” said Strickland.
He takes cues from a book used in the corporate world called “From Good to Great.” “I want to make clear I am not a caretaker. We need to develop a clear plan to go forward,” he said. He asked for prayers as he takes on his new role.
He and his wife have four children. He is a member of St. Michael Parish, his wife is a member of the Orthodox church in Vicksburg.
St. Richard’s new principal is an alumna of Vicksburg Catholic Schools.
Wilson has almost 20 years of educational experience including time as a teacher, band director and administrator. In an email to the school community, the search committee for St. Richard explained why she became the best choice for the school. “We are impressed with her knowledge of curriculum and her passion for teaching and for her students. She has a wealth of experience in and out of the classroom as well as a solid understanding of what a school needs to be successful. We know you will be just as impressed as we are with Ms. Wilson’s enthusiasm, dedication, and strong commitment to Catholic Education,” read the email.
Wilson said the opportunity to apply for the job at St. Richard was a pleasant surprise. “I am looking forward to hitting the ground running,” she said. “Catholic schools are unique in that many offer smaller, more personalized learning environments and you don’t have to avoid talking about God” said Wilson. “The church is our cornerstone – the school is an outgrowth of the church,” she added.
She also emphasizes teamwork as a model for school management, capitalizing on the strengths of teachers, staff, parents and even students to build a strong community.
Wilson wasted no time getting involved in the St. Richard community. Even though she does not report to work until later this year, she attended the school’s Flight to the Finish 5K fund-raiser, even helping hand out medals to the students. She was set to attend a reception to meet parents the week of May 10 and was opening doors at carpool to meet her new students Monday, May 11. She said she likes to spend time getting to know the gifts and resources her teachers, parents and students offer to the whole school.
She is excited about working with the special kids at St. Richard, the only school in the diocese with a dedicated program for children with special needs and developmental delays. “These kids are your heartbeat in a school. They have so much to give, they just need an opportunity. All kids have the ability to learn, they just learn differently so you have to find a way to meet that need,” she said. Wilson said one of her favorite parts of her job is the ‘lightbulb moment’ when a child comprehends a lesson.
Madison St. Anthony School announced earlier this spring that Jim Bell will become principal there later this year. Bell, a Massachusetts native, was profiled in an earlier edition of Mississippi Catholic.
Catherine Cook, superintendent of Catholic (Schools) Education, said she is delighted to have all three new administrators in place before the close of the school year. The process of getting the right person for each place was filled with prayer, research and lots of work on the part of advisory committees, staff and pastors. “I am thrilled to welcome these three individuals into our community of Catholic educational leadership here in the Diocese of Jackson,” she said.
All three new principals will start in July.