Monthly Archives: May 2017

Nursing workshop aims to integrate faith with care

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Registered nurses have the opportunity this summer to participate in a 38-hour workshop and retreat on the concept of faith community nursing. The workshop, organized by Catholic Charities, is based on the Westberg Institute in Memphis, which specializes in faith-based community nursing. It is set for June 9-10 and June 23-25 at Belhaven University in Jackson.
Participants will learn about spirituality, holistic health and community as it relates to community nursing. “Faith community nursing provides a ‘wholistic’ blending of nursing expertise and spiritual care as professional nurses practice in congregations, faith-based organizations and other institutions as part of ministry team,” according to a flier for the event. This program is designed to help faith communities get closer to the ideal and develop community outreach opportunities.
“The training is for nurses, although I have had other individuals taking the course as well. I am working hard to provide a retreat-like setting, so we can minister to the participants as they minister to others wholistically,” explained Ann Elizabeth Kaiser, coordinator for the Catholic Charities faith-based nursing program. “I hope faith communities and other health institutions may sponsor individuals, so they may attend the event and bring knowledge and compassion to their congregations,” she added. The workshop costs $200, but scholarships are available.
Several congregations in the Diocese of Jackson have a faith-based nursing ministry. In some cases, they offer health education in their parishes, keep an eye on those in the parish who may be having health issues or sponsor health screenings for the community.
To register for the workshop or find out more about scholarships, contact Ann Elizabeth Kaiser at (601) 213-6378 or annelizabeth.kaiser@catholiccharitiesjackson.org.

Memorial to honor Durant Sisters

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By Maureen Smith
DURANT – On Saturday, May 20, at 3 p.m., the community is invited to honor the memory of Sisters Paula Merrill, SCN, and Margaret Held, SSSF. Father Greg Plata, OFM, will bless and dedicate a marker to the two women in Liberty Park in Durant, Miss. The women were found murdered in their home in Durant in August 2016. Both had been nurse practitioners at a medical clinic in Lexington.

Sister Paula Merrill

Sister Margaret Held


Carolyn Reynolds, an alderwoman in Durant, conceived the idea of a memorial. “She called me, she didn’t really know the sisters, she had never met them, in fact, but she knew about all the good work they had done and thought it would be tragic if there was no memorial for them,” said Father Plata.
“She was hearing people in Durant talk about them – grown men were crying about them so she thought ‘surely someone like this needs some recognition,’” said Jaime Sample, the music minister at Lexington St. Thomas Parish where the sisters were in the choir. “I still cry sometimes when I am selecting music,” said Sample.
Family members and members of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and the School Sisters of St. Francis will be on hand for the dedication. In fact, the Sisters of Charity will arrive early and spend a week doing service in Durant, which is currently cleaning up from a tornado.
The monument will include pictures of the sisters and will sit near a similar marker dedicated to two Durant natives who died on 9/11. The dedication service will include scripture readings and the sisters’ favorite songs, ‘This Alone I Ask,’ and ‘How Can I Keep from Singing’ as well as some reflections from close friends and family members. After the service, the community will gather for Mass at 4:30 at St. Thomas.
“I still miss them, but I know they are still with us. I know they are watching over us,” said Sample. The parish is still accepting donations for the marker. They can be sent to St. Thomas Catholic Church, 200 Boulevard St., Lexington, MS, 39095 or via Go Fund Me at: https://www.gofundme.com/3r26suw.

Pastoral ministries workshop, retreats mesh with new priorities

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By Maureen Smith
The Office of Faith Formation for the Diocese of Jackson continues to respond to the diocesan priority of intentional formation of life-long disciples with new offerings at its annual Pastoral Ministries Retreats and Workshops in the first week of June at Lake Tia O’Kahata.
“One recurring theme that was brought up at all of the listening sessions with Bishop Joseph Kopacz was intentional faith formation for catechists and other lay persons in pastoral ministries including adult faith formation, youth ministry, RCIA and pastoral care,” wrote Fran Lavelle, director of Faith Formation for the diocese in an email. “As we move forward, we are evaluating the programs, workshops and retreats provided by the diocese for professional development and catechetical training. The Pastoral Ministries Workshop is a useful tool to help form and inform Catholic lay leadership for your parish,” she added.
The retreat and workshop is really three events rolled into one week: a retreat for those in ministry, an opportunity for an extended retreat, and a four-day workshop including classes needed to be certified as a lay minister for the diocese. The certification process is five years long and starts at the Pastoral Ministries workshop.


The retreats are guided. The shorter one starts Sunday, June 4, and ends at lunch on Monday, June 5. The cost is $120. The extended retreat starts Monday and runs through Thursday, June 8, and can be combined with the workshop. The extended retreat alone costs $400. The theme this year follows the 2017-2018 catechetical theme announced by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, ‘Living as Missionary Disciples.’
The workshop is part of the five-year certification process and each year builds on the previous one, so people taking it tend to form a community with others going through the program. It runs from Monday, June 5, through Thursday, June 8. Classes progress from introductory level theology through prayer, canon law and administration in a parish. The workshop is $500. Those taking a combination of the workshop and the retreat will pay reduced rates and scholarship money is available. The deadline to register is May 15.
The classes are taught by a team of excellent presenters, the atmosphere is relaxing, the daily liturgies are inspiring and for those attending the retreat there is ample opportunity for personal quiet time and reflection. Lavelle said a concerted effort is made to create a welcoming and inviting environment. “A lot of our attendees work for the Church in full time capacities, but some work full time in a job outside the church.” Lavelle hopes to provide a solid formation experience, mixed with great liturgies, and time to make connections that are helpful the other 51 weeks of the year. “We try to maximize the benefits of the limited time we have together,” Lavelle added.
Patti Greene, youth minister at Gluckstadt St. Joseph, and Canton Sacred Heart Parishes, is completing her last year in the program. “For me, the Pastoral Ministries Workshop has made all the difference in how I conduct my ministry. My first year, I had no idea what to expect, and was not looking forward to ‘another workshop.’ But this is not just a workshop. The Pastoral Ministries Workshop is where I finally surrendered my reservations and preconceptions about my ministry and opened myself to the guidance of the Spirit to truly lead my ministry. It was there that I found value in becoming a lifelong disciple and servant, so I could become a better teacher and leader” she said. “Each year that I attend, I discover multitude of resources in materials shared as well as in a network of common experiences and bonds with my brothers and sisters in Christ and in ministry. During this time of spiritual and professional renewal, I began once again my creative process of shaping the next year of our youth ministry. This year, my fifth year, as June approaches, I grow increasingly impatient to begin my next, but hopefully not last, journey to Lake Tiak O’Khata,” Greene added.
To enroll in the certification process or inquire about the retreats, contact Fran Lavelle at (601) 960-8473 or by email at fran.lavelle@jacksondiocese.org.

Catholic Charities celebrates new office opening with blessing, ribbon cutting

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JACKSON – On Friday, May 5, Bishop Joseph Kopacz cut a Ribbon for and blessed the new Catholic Charities offices on East River Place in Jackson. The staff has been in the facility since January, getting settled and getting programs up and running. The new space is larger and has much better parking than the old headquarters downtown. 

Bishop blessed the new building

Program seeks to connect students, campus ministry

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By Abbey Schuhmann
For the past several years the Diocese of Jackson has partnered with the Newman Connection in an effort to help connect our high school seniors with a Catholic campus ministry program at their chosen college, university, or community college. The Newman Connection is a non-profit organization that provides structure and support to dioceses, parishes, Catholic high schools and Catholic campus ministry programs across the nation free of charge.
Newman Connection is focused on strengthening today’s Catholic young adults in the faith during their college years; they work with nearly 50 dioceses to help connect as many young people as possible. This program fits in very well with our renewed diocesan mission and vision and supports the priority to facilitate life-long formation of intentional disciples.
How to get connected? High school seniors at our parishes and Catholic high schools will be asked to fill out a brief information card from Newman Connection that includes their name and school they plan to attend in the fall; that card is then collected by the parish or high school and mailed back to Newman Connection. This program is completely free for participating parishes and schools and what a great way to help keep our young people engaged with their Catholic faith as they begin this new adventure into college life.
A senior Mass, banquet, or Baccalaureate are great opportunities to have your students fill out the information cards. The Newman Connection enters the information into their database that will then reach Catholic campus ministers at more than 400 campuses around the United States. Catholic campus ministers will then know who the incoming freshman are, what diocese they are from and can reach out to them and encourage them to get involved in the Catholic campus ministry program.
The staggering fact is that “80 percent of students stop practicing their faith at some point during college, while only 15 percent look for a campus ministry on their own.”
But together, we can change this. Let us get connected and stay connected. Newman Connection packets have been sent to all parishes and Catholic high schools in our diocese and information cards should be available. You may also go on the Newman Connection website, www.newmanconnection.com and “connect” individually or to find out more about the Newman Connection program and other resources available.
Please contact Abbey Schuhmann in the Office of Youth Ministry if you have any questions about the implementation of the enrollment process with Newman Connection. Abbey.Schuhmann@jacksondiocese.org or 601-949-6934
(Abbey Schuhmann is the coordinator for youth ministry for the Diocese of Jackson.)

National music educator to offer liturgical workshop in Pearl

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By Mary Woodward
The diocesan Office of Worship and Liturgy is sponsoring a retreat-style conference entitled “Liturgical Music: Ministry Encounters Mystery” for liturgical music ministers, clergy and LEMs, June 8 – 9, at Pearl St. Jude Parish. The presenter for the experience is Alexis Kutarna, director of music for St. Mary Seminary in Houston, Texas.

Alexis Kutarna

Born and raised in Canada, Kutarna has been involved in church music ever since she was a child. Kutarna earned the Master of Arts in Liturgy at The Liturgical Institute at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, where she wrote her thesis on “The Sacramental Nature of Sacred Music.” She holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in music, as well as a performer’s certificate.
Kutarna has a special interest in the spirituality of liturgical music, and was privileged to study chant with Fr. Columba Kelly, OSB. She has served as a parish music and liturgy director, working with singers of all ages.
In a letter to parish leaders and musicians, Bishop Joseph Kopacz remarked: “In my travels around the diocese, I have experienced some wonderful liturgies with all kinds of musical offerings. This retreat experience will help affirm and broaden our parish musical horizons.
“Everyone from the novice to the most accomplished will benefit greatly from this conference. It is meant to inspire us to grow more deeply in our understanding of the divine mysteries and the unique and sacred role music plays in that mystery,” wrote the bishop.
“More deeply inspired and thoughtful liturgies based in our rich spiritual and theological tradition give us the fuel to embody and live the Gospel and proclaim it to others.”
Frequently asked to speak on music and the liturgy, Kutarna presents in a variety of contexts, from parish choirs and retreats to lectures and conferences. She has presented on seminary musical formation, the spirituality of chant, liturgical participation, and singing the Mass, including at the 2016 NPM convention.
She teaches the Summer Learning Schola for the St. Basil School of Gregorian Chant. In April of this year, she spoke on music and heaven at the “Transfigured” young adult conference in Chicago, hosted by the Liturgical Institute.
Kutarna teaches courses on the liturgy and liturgical music at the University of St. Thomas for the seminary, the permanent diaconate program, and the master of sacred music program.
The retreat will incorporate prayer, instruction, reflection and interaction. It is designed for those who actively engage in music ministry on the parish level. It also is designed to benefit clergy in additional knowledge of the role of music in the liturgy.
Retreatants will enjoy a journey into the sacred mysteries and gain a better understanding of their ministry as musicians in the liturgy. Topics for reflection include: Mystery and Liturgy, Mystery and Silence, Mystery and Music and From Mystery to Ministry. Though the retreat will be in English, resources for Spanish and bilingual Masses will be a part of the retreat.
As a prayer experience, the Liturgy of the Hours will be sung throughout and there will be a session on practical applications during the Mass.
The tentative retreat schedule will begin with check- in at 1 p.m. on Thursday, with overview and first session beginning at 2 p.m., and run until 9 p.m. Thursday night; it will begin on Friday at 8:30 a.m. and end with Mass at 4 p.m.
Cost is $60, which includes three meals and materials. Participants must make their own lodging arrangements. For more information contact Mary Woodward, chancellor, at 601.960.8475 or mary.woodward@jacksondiocese.org.
(Mary Woodward is the chancellor and coordinator for the Office of Liturgy.)

Carmelite shop renovated, updated, ready for new business

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JACKSON – The Carmelite gift shop on Terry Road in Jackson celebrated a grand re-opening on Saturday, April 22. The shop was relocated to the convent for a couple of months while work crews overhauled the space. Father Kevin Slattery, vicar general for the Diocese of Jackson, blessed the space and welcomed guests after Mass.
The Knights of Coulmbus from Clinton Holy Savior built two ramps, one from the outside of the store and another from the convent to the back door.

In addition to new floors, workers removed walls to create more open space inside the store. The inventory was reorganized and is displayed together. Sr. Donna Degnan, OCD, is visible greeting Peggy Harkins, at left, at the grand re-opening.

Workers removed some walls inside the buidling, a pre-Civil War house, to create more open space and either restored or replaced the wood flooring. The windows were uncovered and cleaned and the shop has new lights and new paint. The result is a much brigher, open space. The shop’s signature Fontanini nativities have their own room and the other inventory has been reorganized.
The sisters are grateful for the many years of support from the faithful and want to remind people they are open for business.

Charities to recognize Maloney siblings at Bishop’s Ball

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Catholic Charities has started selling tickets to this year’s Bishop’s Ball, a premire fundraising event set for Saturday, June 10, at the Jackson Country Club. In addition to dinner, a silent and live auction and dancing will keep the evening lively. During dinner, Bishop Joseph Kopacz will present the Good Samaritan Award to the Maloney siblings, a family whose support of the church spans several generations.
In the 1950s, James C. “Cowboy” Maloney was a residential builder in the Jackson area. With the post-war building boom rapidly transforming Jackson, the contractor and his wife Dolly carved out a comfortable living to support their family of three sons and a daughter: Con, Bridget (Fielder), Eddie and Johnny. As a way to provide better prices for his construction, in 1952 Cowboy and Dolly opened Maloney Supply Company as a local lumber yard, offering building materials at wholesale pricing. Maloney soon realized he had failed to factor in a crucial detail: his targeted consumers – building contractors – were also his direct competition in the construction business. To overcome the hurdle, Maloney retired from the construction business to concentrate on his new retail/wholesale venture. In addition to lumber and building materials, he began selling built-in appliances used in residential construction.
Creative marketing, personal customer service and affordably-priced appliance additions to his lumber lineup helped Maloney Supply flourish. “We quickly evolved to a full-line appliance dealer and from there became a TV dealer when the first television station came on line in Mississippi,” said Con, the eldest of the three Maloney sons who now share the reins of the appliance empire. “It’s the best of worlds, retail-wise,” explains Johnny, who came on board after graduating from Ole Miss in May 1978. “You’ve got Eddie who’s great with finance and Con who’s the best at marketing and I stay in between.”
Bridget no longer works in the family business, but “when she did, she was one of the best sales associates we ever had. She could sell ice to an Eskimo,” Johnny bragged.
Sister Dorothea Sondgeroth, OP, associate executive director of the St. Dominic Health Services Foundation, said the Maloney family is most deserving of this special recognition. “They exemplify their Catholic faith by their actions and involvement in parish functions and their service on various boards within the diocese. Their love for the Church and for community runs deep in the family roots. The Maloney family has been a pillar for St. Dominic’s, the only Catholic healthcare facility in Mississippi and has played an important role in its growth,” she said.
Tickets to the ball are $85 per person. Call 601-326-3758 to reserve seats.

Bishop Ball

Father Delaney celebrates 60th anniversary

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By Maureen Smith

Father Delaney (Photo courtesy of Janice Stansell)

CRYSTAL SPRINGS – Father Tom Delaney will celebrate 60 years as a priest this June. The 83-year-old continues to serve as the pastor of St. John parish and St. Martin of Tours mission. “I plan to continue in active ministry for as long as the Lord gives me breath,” he said during a recent interview. His parish of Crystal Springs St. John has planned a Mass and lunch for Saturday, June 24, starting at 11 a.m.
Father Delaney had to work hard just to get to Mississippi in 1959. He was ready to make the trip after his June 8, 1957, ordination, but an x-ray required for a visa showed a shadow on his lung. When he followed up with a doctor he discovered he had tuberculosis. It took almost a year of treatment and months of monitoring to heal completely before he was allowed a visa. He has never had a lung problem since.
Last July he had an aortic valve replaced, and this year had a malignant spot removed from his head, but he describes himself as being in good health.
“I have enjoyed my service in Mississippi and I have been blessed by the friendship of so many people, brother priests and bishops. I was lucky to know Bishops Gerow, Brunini, Howze (of Biloxi), Houck, Latino and now Bishop Kopacz,” said Father Delaney.
He has served all across the state, starting in Bay St. Louis at Our Lady of the Gulf before the creation of the Diocese of Biloxi. He went on to Greenville St. Joseph, Jackson St. Peter, Pearl St. Jude, Starkville St. Joseph, Port Gibson St. Joseph, Grenada St. Peter, Greenwood Immaculate Heart of Mary and Crystal Springs St. John along with its mission of Hazelhurst St. Martin of Tours. “I hope I have done some good,” said Father Delaney when reflecting on his time here.
Father Delaney also served as the chaplain for the state hospital at Whitfield, Mercy Hospital in Vicksburg, the moderator for the Catholic physicians’ guild and chaplain for Catholic nurses as well as once being a moderator and advocate for the marriage tribunal. “I would like to add one thing, I want to apologize to anyone whose feelings I may have hurt over the years,” said Father Delaney.
(Editor’s note: Father Tom Delaney was inadvertently omitted from the article in the past issue about significant anniversaries. I apologize for the error.)

Egypt: beacon of hope and refuge

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By Junno Arocho Esteves
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Just as it had been for centuries, Egypt can be a sign of hope for those who long for peace, Pope Francis said.
During his weekly general audience May 3, the pope reflected on his recent visit to Egypt and said that because of its religious and cultural heritage as well as its role in the Middle East, Egypt has the task of promoting a lasting peace that “rests not on the law of force but on the force of law.”
“For us, Egypt has been a sign of hope, refuge and help. When that part of the world suffered famine, Jacob and his sons went there. Then when Jesus was persecuted, he went there,” he said. “ Egypt, for us, is that sign of hope both in history and for today, this brotherhood.”
The pope’s April 28-29 visit to Cairo began with a gathering organized by Egypt’s al-Azhar University, Sunni Islam’s highest institute of learning.
The visit to the university, he said, had the twofold purpose of promoting Christian-Muslim dialogue and promoting peace in the world.
Peace between Christians and Muslims in Egypt, he said, is a sign of the country’s identity “as a land of civilization and a land of covenant.”
“For all of humanity, Egypt is synonymous with ancient civilization, treasures of art and of knowledge, of a humanism that has, as an integral part, a religious dimension – the relationship with God,” he said.
Christians in Egypt, the pope continued, play a pivotal role in contributing to peace in the country and are “called to be a leaven of brotherhood,” but that is possible only if Christians themselves are united in Christ.
The historic agreement signed by Pope Francis and Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II ending a longtime disagreement between the churches over the sacrament of baptism “renews the commitment” to peace and is “a strong sign of communion,” he said.
“Together we prayed for the martyrs of the recent attacks that tragically struck that venerable church,” Pope Francis said. “Their blood made fruitful that ecumenical encounter, which included Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, my dear brother.”
Talking about his Mass with the country’s Catholic community and his meeting with the country’s priests and religious men and women, Pope Francis said he encounter a “community of men and women who have chosen to give their lives to Christ for the kingdom of God.”
“I have seen the beauty of the church in Egypt,” he said, “and I prayed for all Christians in the Middle East so that, guided by their pastors and accompanied by consecrated men and women, they may be salt and light in that land.”
(Follow Arocho on Twitter: @arochoju.)