Cognia Accreditation visit for Diocesan Catholic Schools
Editor’s note: On Wednesday April 9, diocesan schools in the metro Jackson area received on-site visits from Cognia Accreditation. Accreditation by Cognia ensures that a school meets rigorous educational standards and is committed to continuous improvement, providing credibility and quality assurance for students, parents and educators.
MADISON – (Top) Dr. Michael Bratcher of Cognia observes Patricia Holder’s classroom at St. Anthony School. (Right) Thomas Caskey chats with Dr. Bratcher about how much he loves St. Anthony School. (Photos by Joanna Puddister King)
JACKSON – St. Richard Principal, Russ Nelson and Dr. Michael Bratcher enter into a STEM class taught by Melissa Muñoz. (Photo by Tereza Ma)MADISON – Dr. Bratcher conducted interviews with students at each area school. Pictured is his interview with middle and high-school students at St. Joseph School. (Photo by Madelyn Johnson)
JACKSON – (Above) Sister Thea Bowman School fifth grade students, Khamari Stevenson and Harry Chia greet Dr. Michael Bratcher before they took him on an informative tour of the school. (Right) All students pointed to the state of Kentucky where Dr. Bratcher is from. (Photos by Tereza Ma)
JACKSON – St. Richard students, Jonah Grant, Levi Ward, Jones Carr, Marilee Nelson, Raegan White and classmates observe chemical reactions during a science experiment. Students put the scientific principle that oil and water don’t mix to the test. (Photo by Mrs. Foggo)PEARL – Several youth assisted in leading a Palm Sunday procession at St. Jude parish. Pictured: Mary Rose Wolf, Abbygale Roberts, Mary Lynn Brannon and Alex Tucker, with Deacons Mark Bowden and John McGregor and Father Cesar Sanchez following. (Photo by Tereza Ma)PEARL – The youth group at St. Jude in Pearl led the Stations of Cross on Friday, April 4. (Photo by Tereza Ma)
By Nicole Olea WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Thirty-five years after her death, the witness of Sister Thea Bowman – a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, scholar, cultural advocate and joyful daughter of the church – continues to inspire a growing movement calling for her canonization.
Through keynote addresses, panel conversations, music and moving testimony, attendees at the Sister Thea Bowman Conference March 29 at The Catholic University of America in Washington reflected on how her life calls every member of the church to live boldly, faithfully and freely in Christ, and how her legacy challenges Catholics today to embrace a fuller, more inclusive vision of holiness.
Redemptorist Father Maurice Nutt opened the conference with a keynote titled “Servant of God, Sister Doctor Thea Bowman, FSPA: Unapologetically and Unabashedly Faithful and Free,” echoing the name of his 2019 biography of his former teacher.
Father Nutt described Sister Thea as a woman of “holy boldness” – captivating, anointed, joyful and radically committed to truth.
Kathleen Dorsey Bellow, director of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana, gestures as she speaks during a panel discussion at the Sister Thea Bowman Conference hosted by The Catholic University of America on March 29, 2025. The all-day conference on the life and legacy of Sister Thea, a candidate for sainthood. From left to right are Javier Bustamante, director of the university’s Center for Cultural Engagement, who moderated the panel discussion; Sister Sue Ernster, president of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Sister Thea’s order; Kathleen Dorsey Bellow; and Father Michael Barth of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity. (OSV News photo/Nicole Olea, Catholic Standard)
Born in Canton, Mississippi, Sister Thea became a Catholic as a child after being inspired by the witness of the Franciscan Sisters and the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity. At age 15, she entered religious life, becoming the only Black member of her congregation.
“Her father warned her, ‘Baby, they may not like you up there in Wisconsin,’” Father Nutt recalled. “But ever persistent, she retorted, ‘Daddy, I’m gonna make ‘em like me.’”
She would go on to earn a doctorate and teach at every academic level. Her time attending The Catholic University of America and earning a doctorate in English there, he said, was transformational – both academically and spiritually. Among her students and colleagues, Sister Thea was known for her attentiveness and empathy.
Father Nutt highlighted Sister Thea’s contributions to Catholic life during and after the Second Vatican Council. She embraced liturgical reform and integrated African American culture, music and spirituality into Catholic worship.
“She could love her friends and challenge her friends. She could love her church and challenge her church,” he said.
Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984, Sister Thea continued traveling and speaking until her death in 1990.
“Donning her customary African garb, she would arrive in a wheelchair … but always with a joyful disposition,” Father Nutt said.
He recounted her now-famous 1989 address to the U.S. Catholic bishops, where she spoke about being both Black and Catholic, and challenged the Church to greater inclusion.
“She told the bishops she was trying to find her way back home, asking them to help her find her way back home to this Catholic Church,” Father Nutt said. “And then she invited them – yes, those bishops in all their dignity – to link arms and sing: ‘We Shall Overcome.’”
In her final days, Sister Thea was surrounded by prayer and care in her childhood home. “She died where she had been born,” Father Nutt said. “She wanted her tombstone to read: ‘I tried. I tried to love the Lord, and I tried to love them. I tried to tell their story.’”
Following the keynote, Father Nutt joined Catholic University’s president, Peter K. Kilpatrick, for a moderated conversation on Sister Thea’s enduring impact and the church’s ongoing call to racial justice and reconciliation.
Father Nutt urged Catholic institutions to move beyond symbolic gestures. “We need Black faculty – not just working in the cafeteria or sweeping the floors. We have scholars. You need more Black professors. You need Black faculty in your campus ministry, a place of welcome for Black students, to allow them to use their gifts and share with the whole university.”
During the Q&A, Sister Oralisa Martin, a theologian and former student of Sister Thea, stood to address the urgency of the moment. Founder and president of the ORACLE Religious Association based in Washington, Sister Oralisa in 1995 took private vows, accepted by the late Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton.
Sister Thea, she said, “possessed a spirituality that, frankly, the church still needs to catch up to.”
Calling for collective renewal, she added, “We need a … real movement. We don’t yet know our collective power. But when we do – when we gather in the power of the Holy Spirit – we will rise.” “Why do we want her canonized?” she asked. “Because her life – before, during, and after canonization – shows us how to be the church.”
Sister Thea was given the title “Servant of God” when her sainthood cause was officially opened in November 2018. She is one of seven Black Catholics from the United States being considered for sainthood.
Among speakers on the first panel of the conference exploring the formative role of key religious communities and institutions in shaping the spirituality and leadership of Sister Thea was Sister Sue Ernster, president of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.
She reflected on Sister Thea’s entry into religious life during the 1950s and the challenges she faced as the only Black woman in a predominantly white, Midwestern community.
“She came during segregation. She wasn’t allowed to ride with the white sister taking her to Wisconsin. But the sisters made arrangements so she could,” Sister Sue said, adding that Sister Thea endured that “because she felt called to serve.”
Kathleen Dorsey Bellow, director of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University, the nation’s Catholic historically Black college, described Sister Thea’s influence on generations of Black Catholic leaders.
“She helped form ministers. She loved Black children and taught them, ‘Black is good. It’s God’s gift to you,’” Bellow said. “She jumped in and did all she could. And now we have to do the work.”
Father Michael Barth, the former general custodian of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, recounted Sister Thea’s formation at Holy Child Jesus Parish in Canton. There, he said, she experienced firsthand the power of a faith community committed to justice and solidarity.
The second panel of the conference, titled “Personal Encounters: Testimony from Students and Colleagues,” reflected on Sister Thea’s impact on individuals who knew her as a teacher, mentor and friend.
“She became my unofficial seminary,” said Mgr. Raymond East, pastor of St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Washington. He was ordained as a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington in 1981. “She helped form many of us in what I call a beloved community.”
Ronny Lancaster, who studied under Sister Thea in 1971 at Catholic University, described her as a magnetic, fearless educator.
Sister Thea, he said, was a rare combination of joy and power, preparation and presence. She could disarm students with a smile – then break into song mid-lecture to drive a point home. “She made you feel OK. That was the power of her presence,” he said.
The final panel of the day examined how Sister Thea Bowman’s life offers a model for holiness and a call to recognize the witness of Black Catholics in the church.
“We always need more saints,” said Washington Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr.. “Sister Thea’s life shows us this. She opened her heart, her mind, and her soul to the faith. She prayed with every fiber of her being. And she loved – with joy and boldness.”
Panelist Jeannine Marino, secretary for pastoral ministry and social concerns for the Archdiocese of Washington, concluded with a call to action: “We can do our part by continuing to tell Sister Thea’s story, promoting her holiness, and praying for her cause. Every effort counts.”
(Nicole Olea writes for the Catholic Standard, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Washington.)
Pope Francis meets briefly with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and his translator, in the papal residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, at the Vatican April 20, 2025. Pope Francis, formerly Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died April 21, 2025, at age 88. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
NATION WASHINGTON (OSV News) – President Donald Trump, officials in his administration, and other U.S. political leaders issued statements expressing condolences for Pope Francis after the pontiff’s death April 21 at age 88. “Rest in Peace Pope Francis!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “May God Bless him and all who loved him!” Trump also ordered flags be flown at half-staff in memory of Pope Francis at public buildings, military posts, naval stations and ships, and embassies. The pontiff’s death followed his stay in Rome’s Gemelli hospital earlier this year while he recovered from respiratory infections. The day before his death, Pope Francis gave his Easter blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city of Rome and the world). He also held a meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, who also shared his condolences over the social media platform X on April 21. Former President Joe Biden, the nation’s second Catholic president, said on X: “Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time and I am better for having known him.” Pope Francis made his first – and only – trip in his life to the United States in September 2015.
DENVER (OSV News) – Organizers of the 2025 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage announced April 10 that public events are posted and registration is open for stops along the Drexel Route. The route begins May 18 in Indianapolis and spans over 3,300 miles to Los Angeles, arriving June 22. Eight young adult “perpetual pilgrims” will accompany the Eucharist through 10 states, 20 dioceses, and four Eastern Catholic eparchies, with events centered on prayer, Eucharistic adoration, and hope and healing. Named for St. Katharine Drexel, the pilgrimage aligns with the church’s 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope and offers a plenary indulgence to participants. Stops include a Missouri school founded by St. Katharine Drexel, a Tulsa hospice and a Texas prison. Special events will also honor victims of national tragedies. Organizers are anticipating over 10,000 attendees at the concluding Corpus Christi celebration in Los Angeles. Registration is free but required for most events. “We’re excited about continuing to start the fire of evangelization and mission that’s been so much of the heart of the Eucharistic Revival, this encounter and mission,” said Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, chairman of National Eucharistic Congress Inc., which is based in Denver.
WORLD LOURDES, France (OSV News) – A 72nd miracle has been confirmed at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, with the announcement bringing joy after a recitation of the rosary on the April 16 feast day of St. Bernadette Soubirous. The miracle involves Antonietta Raco, an Italian woman who suffered from Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS), a severe motor neuron disease. In 2009, during her pilgrimage to Lourdes, she experienced a miraculous healing after bathing in the waters of the sanctuary’s pools. Raco began moving independently, with symptoms of PLS disappearing entirely. Bishop Vincenzo Carmine Orofino of Tursi-Lagonegro officially declared the healing a miracle after extensive medical investigation. The International Medical Committee of Lourdes confirmed the healing as scientifically unexplained. This miracle comes just months after the 71st miracle, involving a British soldier from World War I. Lourdes, a site of pilgrimage for millions, has a rigorous process for recognizing miracles, and has over 7,000 reported cases of healing.
KYIV, Ukraine (OSV News) – Catholic and other religious leaders are condemning a Palm Sunday attack by Russia on a Ukrainian city that killed 34 – including two children – and injured 119. Two ballistic missiles launched by Russia earlier that same day struck the center of Sumy, a city in northeastern Ukraine located some 15 miles from the Russian border. “When we celebrate the feast of life, the enemy wishes to inflict its feast of death on us,” said Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, in an April 13 statement. The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, the largest organization of religious leaders in Ukraine, also condemned the strikes, which took place amid both the Jewish holiday of Passover (April 12-20, 2025) and the Christian observance of Holy Week. Multiple world leaders also deplored the Palm Sunday attack. Ukraine President Voldymyr Zelenskyy called for a global response to the strikes, which followed a similar April 4 attack by Russia on a playground in his hometown of Kryvyi Rih. Nine children were among the 19 killed in that strike. “It is crucial that the world does not stay silent or indifferent,” said Zelenskyy in an April 13 post on X.cal Survey’s estimates. In neighboring Thailand, Bangkok city authorities said so far six people had been found dead, 26 injured and 47 were still missing, according to The Guardian. The tremor, followed by a 6.4 magnitude aftershock, caused buildings to collapse, including a historic bridge in the region. The earthquake’s impact was felt across neighboring countries, including Thailand and Bangladesh. Pope Francis expressed his sorrow, offering prayers for the victims and emergency responders in Myanmar and Thailand. Meanwhile, relief efforts are hindered by Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, with few resources reaching affected areas. Catholic churches in Mandalay and beyond were also damaged, with St. Michael’s Church among the hardest hit. In some regions, local communities are organizing relief efforts as state response remains limited.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (OSV News) – In Nicaragua, Catholics celebrated Palm Sunday under intense government scrutiny, as police and paramilitaries surrounded Managua’s cathedral and restricted Holy Week activities to church grounds. The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo has banned public religious processions for the third straight year – allowing exceptions only for clergy aligned with the government. Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes of Managua led Mass inside the cathedral, focusing his homily on forgiveness despite the visible intimidation. Meanwhile, exiled Bishop Silvio Báez assured the faithful online that the government “cannot prevent the crucified one from revealing his victory” through acts of justice and solidarity. Church leaders report increasing harassment: clergy are monitored, muzzled, and even spied on during Mass. Some priests now avoid preaching altogether to evade arrest. Over 220 religious have been exiled or blocked from returning. Despite the crackdown, observers say the regime remains fearful of the church’s moral authority – and the enduring faith of the Nicaraguan people.
By Kate Scanlon WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The U.S. bishops on April 10 told congressional lawmakers they support bipartisan legislation that would ease some immigration restrictions on religious workers from other countries, allowing them to stay in the U.S. while they wait for permanent residency.
The legislation, titled the Religious Workforce Protection Act, was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and in the House by Reps. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, and Richard Neal, D-Mass.
If signed into law, it would permit religious workers already in the U.S. on temporary R-1 status with pending EB-4 applications to stay in the U.S. while waiting for permanent residency, Collins’ office said. All five of those members are Catholic.
“When Maine parishes where I attend mass started losing their priests, I saw this issue creating a real crisis in our state,” Collins said in an April 8 statement. “Recently, three Catholic parishes in rural Maine – Saint Agatha, Bucksport, and Greenville – were left without priests for months because their R-1 visas expired while their EB-4 applications were still pending.”
Father Charles Gnanapragasam, a priest from India, chats with well-wishers following a “Keep Our Priests” rosary rally at St. Mary Church in East Islip, N.Y., April 29, 2024. The U.S. bishops on April 10, 2025, told congressional lawmakers they support bipartisan legislation, the Religious Workforce Protection Act, that would ease some immigration restrictions on religious workers from other countries, allowing them to stay in the U.S. while they wait for permanent residency. (OSV News photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)
The National Study of Catholic Priests – released in 2022 by The Catholic University of America’s Catholic Project – indicated 24% of priests serving in the U.S. are foreign-born. A majority of these were ordained outside the U.S., while others are foreign-born priests who came to the U.S. as seminarians, were ordained in the U.S. and are also subject to visa renewals.
“Our bill would help religious workers of all faith traditions continue to live and serve here in the United States while their applications for permanent residency are being fully processed,” Collins said. “Many Mainers and Americans cannot imagine their lives without the sense of community and services their local religious organizations provide – with this legislation, I hope they never have to.” Kaine likewise said in a statement, “I first started hearing about churches losing trusted priests through my Parish, St. Elizabeth’s in Richmond, where we have had priests who were immigrants, and often have visiting priests, some of whom are immigrants as well.”
“But as it turns out, this problem is not unique to Virginia – it’s impacting religious congregations of many faiths, all across the country,” he said.
Bishops Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Virginia, James T. Ruggieri of Portland, Maine, and Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, were among the religious leaders who offered statements of support for the bill in press releases from Collins and Kaine’s offices, alongside representatives of evangelical Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu organizations.
In an April 10 letter to members of Congress, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, as well as Bishop Seitz, who is chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, urged lawmakers to pass the legislation to “to ensure communities across our nation can continue to enjoy the essential contributions of foreign-born religious workers who lawfully entered the United States on a nonimmigrant religious worker (R-1) visa.”
They said that there are many Catholic priests, women religious, and laypersons working in Catholic ministries in that category.
“Some parishes, especially those in rural or isolated areas, would go without regular access to the sacraments, if not for these religious workers,” the bishops said. “Additionally, dioceses with large immigrant populations rely on foreign-born religious workers for their linguistic and cultural expertise. We would not be able to serve our diverse flocks, which reflect the rich tapestry of our society overall, without the faithful men and women who come to serve through the Religious Worker Visa Program.” They said, “Simply put, an increasing number of American families will be unable to practice the basic tenets of their faith if this situation is not addressed soon. Likewise, hospitals will go without chaplains, schools will go without teachers, and seminaries will go without instructors.”
The bishops urged lawmakers to cosponsor “this vital measure and to work toward its immediate passage, thereby furthering the free exercise of religion in our country for the benefit of all Americans.”
(Kate Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on X @kgscanlon.)
By Justin McLellan VATICAN CITY (CNS) – With his death April 21, Pope Francis marked yet another first in the history of the Catholic Church: he became the first pope to open the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica without living to close it.
The pope opened the Holy Door Dec. 24, 2024, marking the beginning of the Holy Year 2025, a tradition normally celebrated in the church every 25 years as a time of spiritual renewal and pilgrimage. His death four months later means the Holy Door will be sealed by his successor – an unprecedented moment in the modern history of Jubilee celebrations.
Only once before had a Jubilee begun under one pope and concluded by another. In 1700, Pope Innocent XII, already gravely ill, gave his blessing for the start of the Jubilee he had declared in 1699 but was unable to preside at the opening of the Holy Door. He died in September 1700 and it fell to Pope Clement XI, elected later that year, to close the Holy Door and conclude the Jubilee.
Pope Francis pauses in prayer on the threshold of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 24, 2024, after he opened it and inaugurated the Holy Year 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
There have been other instances in which a Jubilee was proclaimed by one pontiff and carried out by another.
In 1389, Pope Urban VI declared the following year to be a holy year by changing the cycle of Jubilee celebrations to be observed every 33 years. His death that year meant the Holy Year 1390 was presided over by Pope Boniface IX.
A similar situation occurred when Pope Paul II proclaimed the Holy Year 1475 and laid out the requirement of visiting Rome’s four major basilicas, but he died before the Jubilee began and it was presided over by Pope Sixtus IV.
Pope Julius III presided over the Holy Year 1550 proclaimed by his predecessor, Pope Paul III, and Pope Pius VI presided over the Holy Year 1775 proclaimed by his predecessor Pope Clement XIV.
Yet Pope Francis became the only pope to personally open the Holy Door to inaugurate a holy year without closing it himself.
He previously opened and closed the Holy Door of the basilica during the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy he called in 2015. The pope was also the first to open a holy door outside the Vatican, opening the Holy Door of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Bangui, Central African Republic, that year.
In December 2024, he opened the Holy Door at the church in Rome’s Rebibbia prison complex as a sign of hope to incarcerated people.
A few days before Pope Francis was elected in March 2013, he told his fellow cardinals, “I have the impression that Jesus is locked inside the church and that he is knocking because he wants to get out!” Among his last gestures as pope, he left the door to the world’s largest church wide open.
MADISON – St. Joseph Catholic School’s high school, student-produced newscast “Bruin News Now” was named the state’s Newscast of the Year and the seventh-grade student-produced newscast “JV Bruin News Now” was named the state’s Middle School Newscast of the Year. Both awards were among 25 that St. Joe received at the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association spring convention Friday, March 28, 2025, on the campus of the University of Mississippi. Pictured, back row from left: Elizabeth Vanderloo, Colby Jones, Mary Alice Foster and Amari Alexander. Fourth row: Macon Ogburn, Audrey Young, Davis Hammond and Emma O’Brien. Third row: Camp Hlavac, Jason Paul Buckley, Sawyer Helms, Jonathan Warnock and Luke Jones. Second Row: Turner Brown, Alex Hood and Noah Sanders. Front row: Landry Erwin, Sofia Liberto, Thierry Freeman, McKenzie Cummings, Kaitlyn Evans and Addyson Russell. (Photo courtsey of school)
SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT CAMDEN – Sacred Heart, Intercultural Competence Workshop for Parish Leaders, Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Presenter: Deacon Juan Pagan of the Diocese of Lafayette. Explore what is culture and more. Details: Sister Amelia at amelia.breton@jacksondiocese.org.
GLUCKSTADT – St. Joseph, Millions of Monicas – Praying with confidence for our children, each Tuesday from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the church. Join with other mothers and grandmothers as we pray for our children’s faithful return to the church. Details: email millionsofmonicas@stjosephgluckstadt.com.
OFFICE OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION – The OCE hosts a Zoom Rosary the first Wednesday of each month during the school year at 7 p.m. The upcoming Rosary is on May 7. Details: Join the rosary via zoom at https://bit.ly/zoomrosary2024.
OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, Divine Mercy Holy Hour, Sunday, April 27 from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Details: church office (662) 895-5007.
CLARKSDALE – St. Elizabeth, Vacation Bible School, June 9-13. Save the date. Details: church office (662) 624-4301.
CLINTON – Holy Savior, Vacation Bible School “True North: Trusting Jesus in a Wild World,” June 2-6 from 6-8 p.m. Register at https://bit.ly/440Z1HA. Details: church office (601) 924-6344.
COLUMBUS – Annunciation School, Mass and Parish Picnic, Sunday, May 4 at 10:30 a.m. in the gym, Burgers, hotdogs and drinks provided. Last names A-D bring salad; G-M dessert; M-Z side. Be sure to bring a lawn chair. Details: church office (662) 328-2927.
GREENVILLE – St. Joseph, Central Grocery Muffuletta Sale, Thursday, May 1 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pickup location is in parish hall. Cost: $25 with proceeds going to St. Joseph School. Tickets available in church and school office. Details: church office (662) 335-5251.
JACKSON – Catholic Charities, Bishop’s Ball, Saturday, July 19 at the Two Mississippi Museums, with cocktail hour at 6 p.m. and auction beginning at 7 p.m. Early bird ticket sale ends May 15. Details: https://event.gives/bb25.
JACKSON – Holy Ghost, 50th Anniversary of the Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary, Saturday, June 21. More information to come.
JACKSON – Sister Thea Bowman School, Drawdown 2025, Saturday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. Grand prize is $5,000. Tickets cost $120; with additional $15 for second chance. Join us for fellowship, food, entertainment, silent auction and more! Details: email stbdrawdown@gmail.com or visit https://bit.ly/STBSDD2025.
JACKSON – Catholic Charities, 20th annual Bishop’s Ball, Saturday, July 19 at the Two Mississippi Museums. Cocktail hour at 6 p.m. with an auction at 7 p.m. Live music by the Patrick Harkins Bank. Early bird ticket cost of $100 ends on May 15. Details: call (601) 355-8634.
MERIDIAN – St. Patrick School, Countdown 2025, Friday, May 2, doors open at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $100; tickets available at school and parish offices. Grand prize is $5,000. Theme is disco! Details: (601) 482-6044.
St. Patrick, Vacation Bible School, June 23-27. Save the date.
NATCHEZ – Cathedral School, Crawfish Countdown, Friday, May 2. Save the date.
OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, Vacation Bible School “Passport to Peace,” June 16-20 from 5:30-8 p.m. Details: church office (662) 895-5007.
PEARL – St. Jude, Family Fun Night Potluck, Wednesday, April 30 after 6:30 p.m. Rosary. Please bring a main dish to share. Desserts and beverages provided. Details: church office (601) 939-3181.
SOUTHAVEN – Christ the King, Vacation Bible School for grades K-8, Monday-Friday, June 16-20 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Registration forms in gathering area of the church. Join us for crafts, Bible stories, games and snacks. Details: church office (662) 342-1073.
Christ the King, “Mother Mary, Show Us the Way” for grades K through fifth, Sunday, May 18 at 2 p.m. Join us for activities, prayer, crafts and snacks. Register by Sunday, May 4. Details: church office (662) 342-1073.
PILGRIMAGES HOLY LAND – Pilgrimage to Holy Land: Join Father Mark Shoffner, pastor of St. John Oxford, July 21-31, 2025. Details: lpjp.org, then click on “All Pilgrimages” and “Holy Land.” Details: church office (662) 234-6073.
MARIAN SHRINES – Pilgrimage to Marian Shrines (Fatima, Spain and Lourdes) with Father Lincoln Dall and Deacon John McGregor, Sept, 15-24, 2025. Details: for more information visit www.206tours.com/frlincoln.
ROME/LISBON/FATIMA – Pilgrimage to Rome, Assisi, Lisbon and Fatima with Father Carlisle Beggerly, Oct. 4-15, 2025. Cost: $5,799 per person (includes airfare from anywhere in the U.S.) Details: contact Pat Nause at (601) 604-0412; Proximo Travel at (855) 842-8001 or proximotravel.com. Mention trip #1181.
Por Cindy Wooden CIUDAD DEL VATICANO (CNS) – El Papa Francisco, quien falleció el 21 de abril a la edad de 88 años, energizó a millones de católicos – y causó preocupación para algunos – al transformar la imagen del pontificado en un ministerio pastoral basado en encuentros personales y fuertes convicciones sobre la pobreza, la misión y el diálogo.
El cardenal estadounidense Kevin J. Farrell, camarlengo de la Santa Iglesia Romana, anunció que el Papa Francisco había fallecido a las 7:35 de la mañana.
El Papa Francisco reacciona mientras se reúne con migrantes durante su visita al campo de refugiados y migrantes de Mavrovouni, en la isla de Lesbos, Grecia, el 5 de diciembre de 2021. El Papa Francisco falleció el 21 de abril de 2025, a los 88 años. (Foto CNS/Guglielmo Mangiapane, Reuters)
“Toda su vida estuvo dedicada al servicio del Señor y de Su Iglesia”, dijo el cardenal Farrell en un anuncio en vídeo emitido desde la capilla de la Domus Sanctae Marthae, donde vivía el Papa Francisco.
Los gestos del primer Papa procedente de Latinoamérica – desde abrazar tiernamente a los enfermos hasta visitar repetidamente a los presos – llegaron a millones de corazones. Pero sus denuncias de los excesos de un capitalismo salvaje, sus advertencias sobre la contribución humana al cambio climático y su insistencia en acompañar, no juzgar, a las personas homosexuales suscitaron polémicas.
Sufriendo de bronquitis y dificultad para respirar, el Papa Francisco ingresó en el hospital Gemelli de Roma el 14 de febrero. Se le diagnosticó una neumonía doble y una infección compleja. Había regresado al Vaticano el 23 de marzo para continuar su convalecencia.
La misericordia de Dios fue un tema constante en la predicación del Papa Francisco y fue tan central en su visión de lo que debe encarnar el ministerio de la Iglesia que proclamó un Año Santo extraordinario de la Misericordia del 8 de diciembre de 2015 al 20 de noviembre de 2016.
Elegido el 13 de marzo de 2013, el Papa Francisco fue el primer Papa de la historia procedente del hemisferio sur, el primer no europeo en ser elegido en casi 1.300 años y el primer jesuita en ser sucesor de San Pedro.
En los primeros tres años de su pontificado, publicó tres documentos importantes: “Evangelii Gaudium” (“La Alegría del Evangelio”), una visión detallada del programa de su papado y su visión de la Iglesia – en particular, la extensión de la Iglesia y su respuesta a los desafíos planteados por la cultura secular –; “Laudato Si’” (“Alabado Seas: Sobre el cuidado de la casa común”, sobre el medio ambiente; y “Amoris Laetitia” (“La alegría del amor”), sus reflexiones sobre los debates de los sínodos de obispos sobre la familia en 2014 y 2015.
La santidad fue el tema de su exhortación apostólica de marzo de 2018, “Gaudete et Exsultate” (“Alegraos y regocijaos”), en la que insistió en que ser santo no es aburrido ni imposible, y que crece a través de pequeños gestos cotidianos y actos de amorosa bondad.
El Papa Francisco saluda a la gente cerca del albergue para indigentes Talitha Qum en Cartagena, Colombia, 10 de septiembre de 2017. El papa Francisco, antes cardenal argentino Jorge Mario Bergoglio, murió el 21 de abril de 2025, a los 88 años. (Foto de CNS/Paul Haring)
Siguiendo los pasos de sus predecesores, el Papa Francisco fue una voz incansable en favor de la paz, instando a poner fin a los conflictos armados, apoyando el diálogo y fomentando la reconciliación. El Papa calificó de “locura” la invasión rusa de Ucrania y pidió a los obispos del mundo que se unieran a él para consagrar Ucrania y Rusia al Inmaculado Corazón de María. Cuando militantes de Hamás atacaron comunidades en Israel, matando a decenas de personas y tomando a más de 200 como rehenes a finales de 2023, e Israel tomó represalias atacando Gaza, el Papa Francisco hizo repetidos llamamientos para que se devolvieran los rehenes, se declarara un alto el fuego para entregar ayuda humanitaria y se estableciera un compromiso real con una paz negociada.
Promoviendo la paz, la solidaridad y el respeto por la Tierra, el Papa insistió en que las personas necesitan reconocerse como hermanos y hermanas y publicó una encíclica al respecto, “Fratelli Tutti, sobre la fraternidad y la amistad social”. Firmó el texto ante la tumba de San Francisco de Asís el día de su fiesta, el 4 de octubre de 2020.
El Papa Francisco pasó gran parte de los primeros nueve años de su pontificado persiguiendo dos ambiciosos proyectos: revitalizar los esfuerzos evangelizadores de la Iglesia – constantemente instando a un encuentro con los demás en lugar de una preocupación por los asuntos internos de la Iglesia — y la reforma de la administración central del Vaticano, haciendo hincapié en su papel de ayudar a los obispos de todo el mundo en lugar de dictarles la política.
El 19 de marzo de 2022, noveno aniversario de la inauguración de su papado, promulgó finalmente el “Praedicate Evangelium” (“Predicad el Evangelio”), su reestructuración completa de la Curia romana, destacando su misión de servir a los esfuerzos de evangelización de la Iglesia a todos los niveles. Su estilo de vida sencillo, que incluía su decisión de no vivir en el Palacio Apostólico y su elección de desplazarse por Roma en un pequeño Fiat o Ford en lugar de un Mercedes, envió un mensaje de austeridad a los funcionarios vaticanos y al clero de toda la Iglesia. El Santo Padre reforzó el mensaje con frecuentes advertencias sobre las exigencias evangélicas y el testimonio evangélico de pobreza y sencillez.
Aunque dijo en repetidas ocasiones que no le gustaba viajar, realizó 47 viajes al extranjero, llevando su mensaje de alegría evangélica a América del Norte y del Sur, Europa, África y Asia. Jorge Mario Bergoglio nació en Buenos Aires, capital de Argentina, el 17 de diciembre de 1936. Obtuvo el título de técnico químico en la secundaria y entró en el noviciado de los jesuitas en marzo de 1958. Tras estudiar Filosofía y Letras en Santiago de Chile, regresó a Argentina y se licenció en Filosofía en el Colegio San José de San Miguel.
Fue ordenado sacerdote el 13 de diciembre de 1969, y tras su profesión perpetua como jesuita en 1973, fue nombrado maestro de novicios en el Seminario de Villa Barilari en San Miguel. Más tarde, ese mismo año, fue nombrado superior de la provincia jesuita de Argentina, un cargo en el que, según su propio relato, demostró ser una figura divisiva por su “manera autoritaria y rápida de tomar decisiones”. En mayo de 1992, el padre Bergoglio fue nombrado obispo auxiliar de la Arquidiócesis de Buenos Aires. Cinco años después fue nombrado arzobispo coadjutor y en 1998 arzobispo de Buenos Aires; el Papa Juan Pablo II le nombró miembro del Colegio Cardenalicio en 2001.
Como líder de una arquidiócesis con más de 2,5 millones de católicos, el cardenal Bergoglio se esforzó por estar cerca de la gente. Viajaba en autobús, visitaba a los pobres, vivía en un apartamento sencillo y se preparaba su propia comida.
Su reputación internacional se vio reforzada por su trabajo en la asamblea de 2007 del Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano (CELAM) y, en particular, por su papel como jefe del comité que redactó el documento final de la reunión sobre la reforma y la revitalización de los esfuerzos evangelizadores de la Iglesia en el continente.
El cardenal Bergoglio era una figura conocida y respetada en el Colegio Cardenalicio, hasta el punto de que nadie puso en duda la noticia publicada por una prestigiosa revista italiana de que había obtenido el segundo mayor número de votos en las cuatro votaciones del cónclave de 2005 en el que se eligió al Papa Benedicto XVI.
Ocho años después, el Papa Benedicto se retiró. En las reuniones de cardenales previas al cónclave de 2013 para elegir a su sucesor, la necesidad de reformar la burocracia vaticana fue un tema común de preocupación.
En su discurso, el cardenal Bergoglio advirtió contra “la autorreferencialidad y una suerte de narcisismo teológico” en la Iglesia y argumentó que el próximo Papa debía ser “un hombre que, desde la contemplación de Jesucristo y desde la adoración a Jesucristo ayude a la Iglesia a salir de sí hacia las periferias existenciales” para difundir el Evangelio.
Su elección, el 13 de marzo, se produjo el segundo día del cónclave, en su quinta votación. Eligió el nombre de Francisco en honor a San Francisco de Asís, “el hombre de la pobreza, el hombre de la paz, el hombre que ama y protege la creación”, dijo.
“Salgan” fue la petición constante del Papa Francisco a todos los católicos, desde los cardenales de la Curia hasta la gente de los bancos en las iglesias. Más de una vez, dijo a los fieles que mientras la Biblia presenta a Jesús llamando a la puerta del corazón de la gente para entrar, hoy Jesús llama a las puertas de las iglesias parroquiales intentando salir y estar entre la gente.
Sin embargo, fue criticado por lo que muchos consideraron una falta de coherencia a la hora de abordar con firmeza la crisis de los abusos sexuales por parte del clero, especialmente en lo que se refiere a responsabilizar a los obispos de la gestión de las denuncias y a destituir a los sacerdotes acusados de abusos de forma creíble.
Y aunque su pontificado supuso un gran avance en los intentos del Vaticano de llegar a un acuerdo con el gobierno comunista de China sobre el nombramiento de obispos católicos, un acuerdo provisional firmado en septiembre de 2018, y renovado en 2020, 2022 y 2024, fue denunciado por los críticos como una traición a los católicos que arriesgaron sus vidas por negarse a cualquier cooperación con los comunistas.
Al igual que sus predecesores, el Papa Francisco fue un firme defensor del carácter sagrado de la vida humana. En un encuentro con médicos católicos en noviembre de 2014, por ejemplo, insistió en que “a la luz de la fe y de la recta razón, la vida humana es siempre sagrada y siempre ‘de calidad’. No existe una vida humana más sagrada que otra” ni “una vida humana cualitativamente más significativa que otra”.
Para el Papa Francisco, ayudar a los indefensos también significa prestar especial atención a los prisioneros, a las víctimas de la guerra y, en particular, a los cristianos y otras minorías religiosas perseguidas por su fe.
Cuando las fuerzas del Estado Islámico y otros grupos terroristas comenzaron a atacar específicamente a los cristianos y otras minorías religiosas en Siria e Irak, y más tarde en el norte de África, el Papa Francisco exigió a la comunidad internacional que actuara.
Citó con frecuencia cifras según las cuales el número de mártires cristianos es hoy mayor que en los primeros siglos del cristianismo, e insistió en que la comunidad internacional no puede “mirar hacia otro lado”.
Las manos del Papa Francisco, sosteniendo un rosario, se ven mientras descansa en su ataúd en la capilla de su residencia, la Domus Sanctae Marthae, en el Vaticano el 21 de abril de 2025. (Foto de CNS/Vatican Media)
Por Kate Scanlon WASHINGTON (OSV News) – El 10 de abril, los obispos de EE.UU. dijeron a los legisladores del Congreso que apoyan la legislación bipartidista que aliviaría algunas restricciones de migración a los trabajadores religiosos de otros países, permitiéndoles permanecer en los EE.UU. mientras esperan la residencia permanente. La legislación, titulada Ley de Protección de la Fuerza Laboral Religiosa, fue presentada en el Senado por los senadores Susan Collins (republicana de Maine), Tim Kaine (demócrata de Virginia) y Jim Risch (republicano de Idaho), y en la Cámara de Representantes por los congresistas Mike Carey (republicano de Ohio) y Richard Neal (demócrata de Massachusetts). Si se convierte en ley, permitiría a los trabajadores religiosos que ya están en EE.UU. con estatus temporal R-1 y con solicitudes EB-4 pendientes permanecer en EE.UU. mientras esperan la residencia permanente, dijo la oficina de Collins. Los cinco leg isladores son católicos. “Cuando las parroquias de Maine a las que asisto a Misa empezaron a perder a sus sacerdotes, vi que este asunto creaba una verdadera crisis en nuestro estado”, dijo Collins en una declaración del 8 de abril. “Recientemente, tres parroquias católicas en el Maine rural – Saint Agatha, Bucksport y Greenville – se quedaron sin sacerdotes durante meses porque sus visas R-1 expiraron mientras sus solicitudes EB-4 aún estaban pendientes”.
El padre Anthony Iaconis, párroco de la iglesia de Santa María en East Islip, Nueva York, dirige a más de 300 personas en la concentración del rosario “Mantengamos a nuestros sacerdotes” en su parroquia el 29 de abril de 2024. El 10 de abril de 2025, los obispos de EE.UU. dijeron a los legisladores del Congreso que apoyan la legislación bipartidista, la Ley de Protección de la Fuerza Laboral Religiosa, que aliviaría algunas restricciones de inmigración a los trabajadores religiosos de otros países, permitiéndoles permanecer en los EE.UU. mientras esperan la residencia permanente. (OSV News/Gregory A. Shemitz)
El Estudio Nacional de Sacerdotes Católicos – publicado en 2022 por el Proyecto Católico de la Universidad Católica de América – indicó que el 24% de los sacerdotes que prestan servicio en EE.UU. son nacidos en el extranjero. La mayoría de ellos fueron ordenados fuera de EE.UU., mientras que otros son sacerdotes nacidos en el extranjero que llegaron a EE.UU. como seminaristas, fueron ordenados en EE.UU. y también están sujetos a renovaciones de visas. “Nuestro proyecto de ley ayudaría a los trabajadores religiosos de todas las tradiciones de fe a seguir viviendo y sirviendo aquí en los Estados Unidos mientras sus solicitudes de residencia permanente se procesan completamente”, dijo Collins. “Muchos habitantes de Maine y muchos estadounidenses no pueden imaginar sus vidas sin el sentido de comunidad y los servicios que sus organizaciones religiosas locales proporcionan – con esta legislación, espero que nunca tengan que hacerlo”. Kaine también dijo en un comunicado: “Empecé a oír hablar de las iglesias que pierden sacerdotes de confianza a través de mi parroquia, St. Elizabeth en Richmond, donde hemos tenido sacerdotes que eran inmigrantes, y a menudo tenemos sacerdotes visitantes, algunos de los cuales son inmigrantes también”. “Pero resulta que este problema no es exclusivo de Virginia: está afectando a congregaciones religiosas de muchas confesiones, en todo el país”, dijo. Los obispos Mark J. Seitz, de El Paso, Texas, Barry C. Knestout, de Richmond, Virginia; James T. Ruggieri, de Portland, Maine; y Earl K. Fernandes, de Columbus, Ohio, fueron algunos de los líderes religiosos que ofrecieron declaraciones de apoyo al proyecto de ley en comunicados de prensa de las oficinas de Collins y Kaine, junto con representantes de organizaciones cristianas evangélicas, musulmanas, judías e hindúes. En una carta dirigida el 10 de abril a los miembros del Congreso, el arzobispo Timothy P. Broglio, presidente de la Conferencia de los Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos y jefe de la Arquidiócesis para los Servicios Militares, así como monseñor Seitz, que preside el Comité de Migración de la USCCB, instaron a los legisladores a aprobar la legislación para “garantizar que las comunidades de nuestra nación puedan seguir disfrutando de las contribuciones esenciales de los trabajadores religiosos nacidos en el extranjero que entraron legalmente en Estados Unidos con un visado de trabajador religioso no inmigrante (R-1)”. Dijeron que hay muchos sacerdotes católicos, religiosas y laicos que trabajan en ministerios católicos en esa categoría.
El arzobispo Timothy P. Broglio, presidente de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de EE.UU., que dirige la Archidiócesis para los Servicios Militares, EE.UU., en una foto del 16 de noviembre de 2022. (Foto de OSV News/CNS file, Bob Roller)
“Algunas parroquias, especialmente las de zonas rurales o aisladas, se quedarían sin acceso regular a los sacramentos, si no fuera por estos trabajadores religiosos”, dijeron los obispos. “Además, las diócesis con grandes poblaciones de inmigrantes dependen de los trabajadores religiosos nacidos en el extranjero por sus conocimientos lingüísticos y culturales. No podríamos servir a nuestros diversos rebaños, que reflejan el rico tapiz de nuestra sociedad en general, sin los fieles hombres y mujeres que vienen a servir a través del Programa de Visas para Trabajadores Religiosos Inmigrantes”. Y añadieron: “En pocas palabras, un número cada vez mayor de familias estadounidenses no podrán practicar los principios básicos de su fe si no se aborda pronto esta situación. Del mismo modo, los hospitales se quedarán sin capellanes, las escuelas sin profesores y los seminarios sin instructores”. Los obispos instaron a los legisladores a copatrocinar “esta medida vital y a trabajar para su aprobación inmediata, fomentando así el libre ejercicio de la religión en nuestro país en beneficio de todos los estadounidenses”.
(Kate Scanlon es una reportera nacional de OSV News que cubre Washington. Síguela en X @kgscanlon.)
