JACKSON – On Sunday, February 24 and Saturday April 6, volunteer Knights of Columbus from Flowood St. Paul Parish replaced 22 windows in the Carmelite Monastery convent. Another two dozen window replacements are in the works. The old metal single-pane hand-crank models, original to the monastery built in the late 1940s, were replaced with energy efficient double-paned windows.
Knights of Columbus replace the windows for the Carmelites. (Photo courtesy of Carmelites.)
To date new windows have been installed in the living quarters on the second floor. Old windows framed in steel had to be pried from the eight-inch thick brick structure, and new ones installed and caulked with silicone. Replacement involved the use of a lift to facilitate installation on the second floor. The new vinyl windows were supplied by Creative Windows and Doors Inc. of Madison,.The Sisters said the staff was very helpful in selecting the best and most economic window design and was often on site to aid in installations. The Knights participating in the window project are Jeff Johnson, Larry Moeller, Chuck Smith, Al Chapman, Pete Canizaro, Jose Lopez, Dan Cado, Ed Mueller, Toan Hoang and Brian Maier.. This is one of many projects undertaken by Knights of Columbus councils throughout the Jackson area to make repairs and improvements to the monastery, gift shop and grounds.
By Maureen Smith CHATAWA – Four School Sisters of Notre Dame marked a combined 265 years of consecrated life at St. Mary of the Pines on Thursday, May 10. The community gathered for a Mass and a meal on the grounds of the retirement facility at the edge of the Mississippi-Louisiana border. Bishop Joseph Kopacz celebrated the Mass. Sister Teresa Martin Caronia, a native of New Orleans, made her first profession on July 28, 1944, 75 years ago. She worked throughout the Southeast, mostly as a teacher and school administrator. She was delighted to participate in the jubilee Mass, singing every song. During the homily Bishop Kopacz asked the Sisters to share a little something about an assignment or ministry that was special to them. Sister Caronia said she treasured preparing children for their First Holy Communion.
CHATAWA – Bishop Joseph Kopacz asks the School Sisters of Notre Dame jubilarians for reflections on their many ministries during a Mass to honor their years of service. (L-r) Sisters Teresa Martin Caronia, Herman Marie Siebenmorgen, Goria Marie Foret and Rose Ann Bacak. (Photo by Maureen Smith)
Sister Herman Marie Siebenmorgen left her family farm in Morrison Bluff, Arkansas, 70 years ago to join the School Sisters of Notre Dame. She tried just about everything to delay her vocation, asking for sign after sign that she should go, but the Blessed Mother got the last word. “Before that, I said ‘if this (event) happens, I know God is calling me.’ And it happened, but I said, ‘I am going to try something harder.’ And it happened. I said ‘if I see the Blessed Mother or Jesus then I will go. That’s it, that’s all.’ I was in bed sleeping, towards morning. All of a sudden I felt a breeze coming over me. Someone was standing by my bed. It was the Blessed Mother – I saw here from here up. I was looking at her. She was looking at me just smiling. She didn’t say anything. Just smiling. I said ‘I can’t back out now.’” Sister Herman was the third of 12 children and 92 first cousins. Eleven of the women went into religious life. Most became Benedictines. Sister Herman’s older sister tried to convince her to join the Benedictines as well. “I said, no, I’m going to Mary. Benedict is OK, I like Mary. We are German. The prayer my mother said every day is in German. I say it every day. It’s all about how Mary will get me to heaven,” she explained. Sister worked in schools in Texas, Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. She now serves in a ministry of prayer and presence. Sister Rose Ann Bacak made her first profession in July of 1959 in St. Louis. She came from Kerrville, Texas, and served in the Dioceses of Jackson and Dallas teaching business classes and doing administrative work. She taught at both Jackson St. Mary school and the Notre Dame Education Center in Canton. She said every Notre Dame community will host a house jubilee for the Sisters in residence. “We do this every year for our sisters, no matter where they are — try to come together in one place. In July, we have a big celebration that includes a lot more Sisters. We just enjoy each other doing our thing and it’s kind of hard sometimes to accept the gratitude people feel for you,” she said. She works in the archives and finance office in Chatawa. Sister Gloria Maria Foret, celebrating 61 years of profession, taught at McComb St. Alphonsus school in the Jackson diocese as well as serving at schools in Texas, Louisiana and Alabama. Sister Gloria is still teaching by going to Osyka a couple days a week to work with students who need some extra support in their studies. She reflected on how each post changed how she ministered, especially the time she spent in Ghana, Africa. “Even though many of them were very poor they had so much to give and it was a wonderful place to me,” she said. “It helped me think and evaluate things from my own culture – like we are always rushing and keeping things ‘on time.’ And they are not like that – when they get there- that’s the time it’s supposed to be. They are so relaxed and into what’s happening and they are so ready to do things for others,” Sister Gloria added. The whole community renewed their vows during the Mass and enjoyed a meal planned by the jubilarians.
By Mark Pattison
WASHINGTON (CNS) – The new crop of priests being ordained this year had a wide variety of careers before discerning a call to priesthood, according to a report issued May 3 by the Center for Applied Research in the apostolate.
Education was the top career choice of ordinands at 11 percent – more than twice any other field.
Some reported entirely different career endeavors.
“I spent five years playing guitar in a punk rock band that toured the country and recorded albums,” said Patrick Klekas of the Diocese of Reno, Nevada. Klekas’ band was called the Girlfriend Season. In a 2010 interview with his hometown newspaper, the Elko Daily Free Press, he said, “We’re hoping to get to a point where we can do this full time.” Klekas will be doing something else full time instead.
“I have a deep love of astronomy and that the study of the night sky helped lead me to baptism and faith in God at age 20,” said Dean Marshall of the Diocese of Sacramento, California, on a vocations webpage for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“I was a pole vaulter at a Division I university,” said Derik Peterman of the Archdiocese of Detroit. “I try to keep involved with the sport by coaching and competing.”
“I once drove a taxicab – before Uber or Lyft – on the weekends while holding a full-time job during the week,” said Timothy Kalange, who will be ordained a Benedictine priest.
“I was a dental assistant before I entered the seminary. I have traveled to 15 different countries,” said Charles Moat Jr., who will be ordained for the Society of the Divine Word. “I was a member of the United States Air Force Honor Guard, where I participated in the inauguration of President George W. Bush and the funeral of President Ronald Reagan.”
Then, there are the more circuitous paths to the priesthood. Said Stephen Buting of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee: “I never altar served as a youth and was terrified of lectoring at Mass.”
With data collected annually for the past 20 years, some comparisons between then and now can be made by CARA, which is housed at Georgetown University in Washington.
The average age of ordinands who responded to the 1999 survey was 36. Over the past 20 years, that has trickled downward to 33. The youngest ordinand responding to this year’s survey was born in 1994; the oldest was born in 1949.
One-fourth of all ordinands responding to the survey, compiled by CARA’s Mary Gautier and Sister Thu T. Do, a member of the Lovers of the Holy Cross, reported having education debut before beginning seminary studies. The average debt was a hair under $30,000; some ordinands had debt as high as $119,000. During their years as a seminarian, they were able to reduce that debt by only $3,000 on average.
Religious communities, home to about a quarter of all of this year’s ordinands, did the most to help their seminarians hack away at their debt; 68 percent of religious ordinands reported that their orders helped.
Family members helped 24 percent or ordinands reduce their educational debt, and the Knights of Columbus’ Fund for Vocations helped 16 percent of reporting diocesan ordinands cut their debt, although no help from them was reported by religious order ordinands. Other sources of financial help included parishes, the Serra Fund for Vocations, friends and co-workers, and the Mater Ecclesiae Fund for Vocations.The CARA survey also tracks factors that may help lead men to a priestly vocation. Seventy-seven percent reported that both their parents were Catholic when they were children, and 34 percent have had a relative who is a priest or religious. Seventy-five percent of ordinands responding to the survey said they participated in eucharistic adoration on a regular basis before entering the seminary, and 73 percent prayed the rosary. Next closest was attending prayer group or Bible study, cited by 47 percent. Fifty-two percent reported participating in a “Come and See” weekend at the seminary or the religious order, while 66 percent have seen the vocational promotion DVD “Fishers of Men,” published by the USCCB.
By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis has revised and clarified norms and procedures for holding bishops and religious superiors accountable in protecting minors as well as in protecting members of religious orders and seminarians from abuse. The new juridical instrument is meant to help bishops and religious leaders around the world clearly understand their duties and church law, underlining how they are ultimately responsible for proper governance and protecting those entrusted to their care. For this reason, the new document establishes a clearer set of universal procedures for reporting suspected abuse, carrying out initial investigations and protecting victims and whistleblowers.
Pope Francis prays in front of a candle in memory of victims of sexual abuse as he visits St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral in Dublin Aug. 25, 2018. Pope Francis has revised and clarified norms and procedures for holding bishops and religious superiors accountable in protecting minors as well as in protecting members of religious orders and seminarians from abuse. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
The new document, given “motu proprio,” on the pope’s own initiative, was titled “Vos estis lux mundi” (“You are the light of the world”), based on a verse from the Gospel of St. Matthew (5:14). “The crimes of sexual abuse offend Our Lord, cause physical, psychological and spiritual damage to the victims and harm the community of the faithful,” the pope said in the document, released by the Vatican May 9. The norms go into effect June 1. In order to stop all forms of abuse from ever happening again, not only is “a continuous and profound conversion of hearts” necessary, there must be “concrete and effective actions that involve everyone in the church,” he wrote. Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, said the new norms ascribe a new role to heads of dioceses by making them responsible for alerting the proper Vatican authorities of all forms of suspected abuse, including the possession, distribution or creation of pornography involving a minor. He told Vatican News May 9 that the norms respond to Pope Francis’ continued insistence for concrete and effective measures to ensure bishops and religious superiors have a very clear understanding of what their obligations are and what they should and should not do when it comes to safeguarding. It also requires all priests and religious to report suspected abuse or cover-ups and encourages any lay person to report through a now-mandated reporting “system” or office in each diocese. How the office or “system” works will be up to each diocese, but “the idea is that anyone who has suffered abuse can have recourse to the local church, while being assured they will be well received, protected from retaliation, and that their reports will be treated with the utmost seriousness,” Andrea Tornielli, editorial director of the Dicastery for Communication, told Vatican News. The new norms now stipulate: – Procedures for the investigation of bishops, cardinals, patriarchs, religious superiors and all those who lead – even temporarily – a diocese or particular church, including personal prelatures and personal ordinariates. – Leaders will be held accountable not only with suspected cases of committing abuse themselves, but also accusations of having interfered with, covered up or failed to address abuse accusations they were aware of. – When the accused individual is a bishop, the metropolitan will receive a mandate from the Holy See to investigate or delegate a person in charge of the preliminary investigation. A status report must be sent to the Holy See every 30 days, and the investigation completed with 90 days with some exceptions. Vatican offices are also held to specific timeframes and prompt action. – By June 2020, every diocese in the world must create an office or “public, stable and easily accessible systems” for reporting suspected abuse against a minor or vulnerable person, failure of compliance of abuse guidelines by bishops or superiors, and cases of interference or cover-ups in either a civil or canonical investigation of suspected abuse. – All priests and religious that become aware of abuse or its cover-up must alert their bishop or religious superior promptly. – A minor is anyone under the age of 18 and a vulnerable person is “any person in a state of infirmity, physical or mental deficiency, or deprivation of personal liberty which, in fact, even occasionally, limits their ability to understand or to want to otherwise resist the offense.” – The definition of child pornography as any representation of a minor, regardless of the media used, “involved in explicit sexual activities, whether real or simulated, and any representation of sexual organs of minors for primarily sexual purposes.” – Bishops and religious superiors will be accountable not just for protecting minors against abuse but also for protecting seminarians, novices and members of religious orders from violence and sexual abuse stemming from an abuse of power. The norms apply to reports of “delicts against the sixth commandment” regarding clerics or members of religious orders and “forcing someone, by violence or threat or through abuse of authority, to perform or submit to sexual acts.” – Those who report abuse cannot be subjected to pressure, retaliation and discrimination or told to keep silent. The seal of confession, however, remains inviolable and is not affected by the new norms. – Procedures for carrying out the preliminary investigation include the bishop immediately requesting from the Vatican that he or a delegate be assigned to begin the preliminary investigation. If he considers an accusation is unfounded, the papal nuncio is informed. The Vatican will have 30 days to respond to the request and the bishop sends a status report to the Vatican every 30 days. – When the investigation is complete, the bishop sends the results to the proper Vatican office, which then follows existing canon law. – The continued obligation to respect civil laws regarding mandatory reporting. – Those who reported suspected abuse or cover-up will be told of the outcome of the investigation if they request to be informed. – A fund can be set up by bishops’ conferences, synods and church provinces to cover the costs of investigations. The document is a follow-up to Pope Francis’ 2016 document, “As a Loving Mother,” on transparency and accountability of bishops and religious superiors. The two documents together are meant to correct what had been a lack of or unclear procedures for investigating the way a bishop complies with already established norms against abuse and clearly expressing the consequences of noncompliance or cover-ups.
Bishop Kopacz comments on papal motu proprio
We welcome and celebrate the universal law enacted by Pope Francis to strengthen and support the Church’s commitment to protect children and vulnerable adults throughout the world. The law, Vos estis lux mundi, contains many of the provisions already enacted through the Dallas Charter in the United States so the Diocese of Jackson has already implemented almost all of the provisions included.
The Diocese of Jackson has a system for reporting abuse. It publicizes the reporting protocol throughout the year. It has an independent review board which includes lay members. That board has a policy to report to civil authorities – recognizing that law enforcement agencies are the proper responders for these cases.
The diocese provides psychological and pastoral care to victim survivors, using certified trauma therapists. This diocese goes even further, providing ongoing formation to priests, parish leaders and staff in how to spot and prevent abuse. The Office of Child Protection conducts background screenings on everyone who serves in parishes and schools.
The diocese welcomes the new provision in this law, which calls for accusations against bishops to go to the archbishop of a province. In this diocese, that would be Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi in the Archdiocese of Mobile. The Archbishop released his own statement about implementing this new provision which can be found here: https://bit.ly/2E8hhlB.
We affirm our Promise to Protect and our Pledge to Heal the damage caused by the sexual abuse crisis in the Church. We rejoice in efforts to thoughtfully and prayerfully evaluate policies on the local and global level and will continue to do all we can to participate in this much-needed process.
By Catholic News Service MONTGOMERY, Ala. – By passing a bill to ban abortion in nearly all circumstances, the Alabama Legislature has recognized that abortion is “the extinguishing of a unique human life,” said the president and CEO of Americans United for Life. “From conception to natural death, every single human life deserves to be protected by law. The violence of abortion is never the answer to the violence of rape,” said Catherine Glenn Foster in a May 15 statement. “Like other states that have passed laws concerning when life begins, Alabama has relied upon scientific and medical facts.” The state Senate passed the measure late May 14 in a 25-6 vote. It includes exceptions for when the life or health of the mother is seriously threatened and when the child has a fatal disease. It bans abortion in all other circumstances, including rape and incest, and would make performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by up to 99 years in prison.
A pro-life sign is displayed during the 2019 annual March for Life rally in Washington Jan. 18. By passing a bill to ban abortion in nearly all circumstances, the Alabama Legislature has recognized that abortion is “the extinguishing of a unique human life,” said the president and CEO of Americans United for Life. (CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn)
It now heads to Republican Gov. Kay Ivey, who has not stated publicly if she will sign it. The state House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved it in early May. If the bill becomes law, Alabama will have the most restrictive abortion law in the country. Legal challenges that are expected to be filed swiftly also could “become fodder for the swirling debate over if – and when – the Supreme Court might consider overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling,” CNN reported. Republican state Rep. Terri Collins said after the vote that bill was meant to challenge Roe v. Wade and protect the lives of the unborn, “because an unborn baby is a person who deserves love and protection.” In the debate leading up to the vote, Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, an opponent of the bill, called it “a sad day in Alabama. You just said to my daughter, you don’t matter, you don’t matter in the state of Alabama.” Afterward, he was quoted as saying the state and supporters of the measure “ought to be ashamed” Singleton added: “Women in this state didn’t deserve this. This is all about political grandstanding.” Other opponents called the bill cruel and a “war on women.” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, a national pro-life group, called passage of the near-total ban on abortion “a landmark victory for the people of Alabama who, like most Americans, overwhelmingly reject the extreme status quo of abortion on demand imposed nationwide by Roe v. Wade.” “Across the nation there is growing momentum, informed by science and compassion, and spurred on in reaction to abortion extremism in New York and Virginia, to recognize the humanity of the unborn child in the law,” she said. “It is clearer than ever that Roe is far from being settled law in the eyes and hearts of the American people, and this is increasingly reflected in state legislatures,” she added.
AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION By Reba J. McMellon, M.S, LPC (Editor’s Note: An Ounce of Prevention is part of an ongoing series about child abuse prevention and response. The lessons mentioned in this article are included in the Child Protection curriculum schools and parishes throughout the Diocese of Jackson offer to both children and parents. To find out more about the Child Protection program and see sample lessons, visit the Office of Child Protection on the website: https://jacksondiocese.org/offices/child-protection/) This article will address questions about how to keep your children safe from sexual abuse. Sexual abuse is not a pleasant subject. It doesn’t rank up there with pink and blue and baby reveal parties. But, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The following are tips about how to approach the topic of safety. It doesn’t have to be awkward.
Start the conversation about boundaries when your child is too young to dress themselves. Make it an important teaching moment. Remind your child, their body is your own and they can say who touches it. For example, when dressing a child in a bathing suit, remind the child that the part a bathing suit covers are their private parts. Reinforce this in a light hearted manner by asking, “What are your private parts?” and listen to your child’s answer. As they get older, you can refer to the private parts of their body as sacred parts. The parts reserved for the giving of life.
When reading to your children, include books that are about speaking up and saying no. Several children’s books about privacy and boundaries are available. Don’t read them exclusively, just have them as part of the repertoire of books you read aloud together.
Teach children the polite way of saying no to adults. For example; “No, thank you. No, I need to call my parents. No means no.” Teach them they will not be in trouble for saying no to a bad or uncomfortable request from an adult, even if it’s an authority figure or member of the family.
Teach your child the difference between good secrets and bad secrets. No one should ever ask them to keep a secret that makes them feel bad, sad or hurt. Period. Ever. For any reason. Slipping up and telling a good secret causes little damage. Not telling a bad secret can do a lot of harm. Explain to them, when in doubt, tell.
Teach children what it means to trust their instincts. If something doesn’t feel safe to them, encourage them to talk about it. Honor their feeling so they can learn to honor them too.
As your child gets older, keep the conversation open and light. Keep the door of communication open so that your child won’t hesitate to come to you if something happens that makes them uncomfortable. In doing this, you are also modeling the language of telling.
If your child can attend a class or seminar through your church, school or other familiar organization, take advantage of it. Your child will be among peers, a larger group in which to support and be supportive of healthy peer boundaries. The importance of healthy peer boundaries is as important, if not more, than teaching stranger danger.
If you, as a parent, are tempted to opt out when these classes are offered, make sure you know exactly what it is you’re opting out of. Age-appropriate conversations are an ongoing responsibility of parenting to ensure their safety. It cannot be emphasized enough, parents are responsible for the emotional, physical and psychosocial growth of their children.
As we’ve seen in the recent #metoo movement, it is never too soon or too late to learn when and how to say no to inappropriate advances and when and how to tell someone. Sooner is always better than later.
(Reba J. McMellon, M.S. is a licensed professional counselor with more than 35 years of experience. She worked in the field of child sexual abuse and adult survivors of sexual abuse for more than 25 years. She continues to work as a mental health consultant and freelance writer. Reba can be reached at rebaj@bellsouth.net.)
Millennial reflections
By Father Jeremy Tobin, O.Praem
May has often been the month for ordinations, especially priests, but deacons as well. Our diocese just ordained two priests and is set to ordain two transitional deacons. As such, May is a big month for jubilees. My Norbertine classmate and I are celebrating 50 years. He spent a lot of years as both a priest and physician in Peru. He still has a hospital in the jungle serving several villages along the Rio Napo, a tributary of the Amazon River. He had a church there. Another Norbertine spent years there and is buried in the native cemetery in Santa Clotilde. He has a cross in our abbey cemetery in De Pere Wisconsin.
Fifty years in the priesthood is anything but humdrum. In a religious community you are supporting one another whether in a common ministry like school teaching or supporting individuals in ministries they are called to do. The call can be from bishops or superiors or responding to needs. That brought us to Mississippi almost 30 years ago. This is bittersweet now that we are closing our priory near Raymond. We had great hopes. Now we return to the abbey that missioned us. Fortunately I and another confrere will be here for another year at least.
I would like to give some advice to seminarians and newly ordained priests or deacons. First, you may think what you are going to do is all planned out. It isn’t. The “people of God” will impact you, and lead to new possibilities even ministries. I know religious appear to have more options to respond to different ministries, and diocesan priest see parishes and pastoring as “the plan.”
As the shortage of priests grows, diocesan priests are now sent out as missionaries all over. Collaboration among bishops is a new norm. One of my confreres just came back from an annual “international priest conference.”
Never rule out the Holy Spirit and new talents and skills you will develop. Dioceses are always alert to people displaying exceptional talents or creatively responding to new situations.
Ordained ministry is not a job. In my day we tried to make in like other professions with some success, but it’s more than that. It changes your life. I see mayself it as servant to the servants of God. Inspire people, be the voice for those who have no voice. I think of Blessed Stanley Rother, a diocesan priest from Oklahoma, sent as a missionary to Guatamala. He was kicked out of the country by corrupt forces. Then God and his adopted people called him back. He was killed, and now is heralded as a martyr in the church. He was ordinary, just like us. But his priesthood changed him.
Let it change you. Know that the Holy Spirit is in charge. I was ordained was on the feast of St. Herman Joseph, a Norbertine. It was also the Vigil of Pentecost. My first Mass was Pentecost Sunday, and the Holy Spirit never left me. Those of you who will be in Mississippi the rest of your life, you are blessed. Mississippi can teach you a lot. It has taught me a lot. Listen to your people. Let them minister to you. All the priests I admire have experienced that.
Another bit advice I would give is one you have been hearing all through the seminary. Stay close to your fellow priests. Most of you will be one-man pastors which is why events that bring us together are so important. I enjoy the annual post Easter clergy retreat at Chatawa. The fellowship with priests is as good as the retreat master. We have a special spirit among us in this diocese that is accepting of new people and makes us glad to be together.
This is the vocation issue. Make your people see how you enjoy this special life. Following “Good Shepherd Sunday” we remind ourselves, we are both shepherds and sheep. We follow the Good Shepherd on the way to God. St. John boils it down to three words “Love one another.”
(Father Jeremy Tobin, O.Praem, lives at the Priory of St. Moses the Black, Jackson.)
By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – The Diocese of Jackson gained two new priests on Saturday, May 11 – one a native Mississippian and another from Mexico. Both have a devotion to the Blessed Mother and although both considered the priesthood as boys, both waited until after they had worked out in the world before they entered the seminary.
Father Mark Shoffner was working as a nurse in a cardiac unit when he finally realized that he did want to pursue the priesthood. But first, he wanted to take a sort-of pilgrimage. He told his mother about his plan on his next visit home. “It was January, 2012. He sat down to the supper table. I was making supper, and he said ‘I came home to tell you something – I am about to quit my job and travel around Europe for three months with just a backpack and then I am going to go to the seminary and become a priest,’” said Eva Shoffner.
His journey through the seminary started that fall and his family was thrilled to attend the ordination. “I am so excited. We have just been anticipating this time for a long time – seven years now – and we are just thrilled that the Lord choose our son to become a priest. He has always had a great faith in God and has always had such reverence. He has always greeted each day looking for something good. He is always grateful for all things. I believe he will be a good priest,” said his mother.
Father Adolfo Suarez-Pasillas lived in Mexico and the United States, searching for his true vocation. He said his family was devoted and constantly exposed him to prayer and sacraments, but it took a long time for him to respond to God’s love. His family told Mississippi Catholic that when he was very young, he would make play altars with sticks and flowers. His mother and aunts believe the seeds of his vocation were already starting to take root.
He went through a deep depression before he finally opened his heart and started to work towards the priesthood. Father Suarez-Pasillas could have gone to any number of dioceses, but chose the Diocese of Jackson because he wanted to serve in a place where he could be with the poor and marginalized and where the church needed him most.
The night before the ordination, the candidates, diocesan seminarians, Chancellor Mary Woodward and liaison to the seminarians Father Aaron Williams gathered for a rehearsal. The mood was joyful. Bishop Joseph Kopacz joked with the men as they walked through each part of the rite – the presentation, the litany, oath of fidelity, laying on of hands, vesting, anointing with chrism, receiving the chalice and paten and, finally, standing at the altar for consecration as priests of the church.
The Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle was standing-room-only full for the Mass of Ordination. Several days of bad weather cleared Saturday morning, leaving conditions breezy, but the sun peeked through by the time Mass started. Priests from across the diocese came to celebrate as well as Bishop Emeritus Joseph Latino.
Sister Magdalena Carrillo, Monsignor, read the first reading in Spanish from the Acts of the Apostles – Paul’s instructions for the presbyters to watch over their flock, keeping them safe from wolves and liars. Sister Dorothea Sondgeroth, OP, proclaimed the second reading from Ephesians in which St. Paul urges ministers to be humble and gentle and to unify the church. Deacon Andrew Rudmann chanted the gospel, a reading from John 17 about Jesus giving the word to his apostles and sending them out into the world.
At the conclusion of the Mass, all the priests sang Salve Regina in Latin, a tradition at many diocesan liturgies. As the new priests exited the church, their seminary classmates waited to greet them with cheers and hugs.
The next stop was Jackson St. Richard Parish where a team of volunteers and caterers, led by Berta Mexidor, had arranged a reception honoring the Mississippi and Mexican roots of the ordinands. Magnolias and mariachi music made for a merry reception. The priests offered first blessings while guests snacked on tamales, Delta-inspired stuffed grape leaves and a variety of other foods.
Father Suarez-Pasillas offered his first Mass of Thanksgiving that very afternoon at Jackson St. Therese Parish while Father Shoffner traveled to his home parish of Greenville St. Joseph for a Sunday Mass.
SOUTHAVEN – Sacred Heart third-graders release butterflies they raised in their classrooms into the courtyard at the school the week after Easter. Students in all grade levels had lessons about resurrection and new life during the Lenten and Easter Seasons. (Photo by Sister Margaret Sue Broker)
Service in the Garden
VICKSBURG – Vicksburg Catholic Schools seventh and tenth-graders spent Wednesday, May 1, helping out a the Vicksburg Community Garden. The project is a collaboration between the city, the Alcorn State Extension Program and Shape Up Mississippi to improve the community and increase access to fresh food. (Photo courtesy of Cristin Matthews)
Volleyball Tournament winners
MADISON – St. Anthony School volleyball teams square off at the end of the season elementary league tournament at St. Joseph High School on Wednesday, April 24. The St. Anthony third-grade team won the younger division while the St. Richard sixth grade team won the older division. Teams from a number of Jackson and Madison schools played in the tournament. (Photo by Abbey Schuhmann)
Oh Mary we crown thee with blossoms today …
MERIDIAN – St. Patrick School first grade students led the annual May Crowning at St. Patrick Church. Pictured from the procession (l-r) are: Olivia Henderson, Cayleigh Reeves, Ava Cayer and Amariah Dunnigan. Other students carried flowers and placed them at Mary’s feet. (Photo by Celeste Saucier)
JACKSON – On Thursday, May 2, Sister Thea Bowman students crowned Mary. Above, fifth-grader Zaniah Purvis (l-r) carried the crown of flowers and sixth-graders Cassie Anderson (kneeling) and RaNyia Ruffin carried bouquets of flowers to present. All are members of the Liturgical Dance group at the school. (Photo by Shae Robinson)
COLUMBUS – Annunication’s older students help their younger counterparts with May crowning. Above, eighth-graders Luke Clarke and Shelby Stafford help pre-k students Ames Borden and Vincent Beck place their flowers in vases. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)
Father Jason Johnston, appointed Pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Starkville and Corpus Christi Mission, Macon, effective July 1, 2019
Father Joseph Le, appointed Pastor of St. Francis Parish, Aberdeen and Sacramental Minister of St. Helen Parish, Amory, effective July 1, 2019
Father Raju Macherla, appointed Pastor of St. Elizabeth and Immaculate Conception Parishes, Clarksdale, effective July 1, 2019
Father Manohar Reddy Thanugundla, appointed Pastor of St. Francis Parish, Brookhaven, effective July 1, 2019
Father Scott Thomas, appointed Pastor of St. Mary Basilica and Assumption Parishes, Natchez, effective July 1, 2019
Father Antony Chakkalakkal, appointed Chaplain, St. Dominic Hospital, effective July 1, 2019
Father Juan Chavajay, appointed Administrator of St. Therese Parish, Jackson, effective June 20, 2019
Father Joseph Dyer, appointed Sacramental Minister of Christ the King Parish, Jackson, effective June 21, 2019
Father Jeremy Tobin, OPraem, appointed Sacramental Minister of St. Stephen Parish, Magee, effective June 21, 2019
Retiring or leaving diocese Msgr. Elvin Sunds, retiring from active parish ministry effective June 16, 2019; Father David O’Connor, retiring from active parish ministry effective June 30, 2019; Abbot Tom DeWane, OPraem, returning to St. Norbert Abbey, DePere, Wisconsin, after many years of dedicated service to the Diocese of Jackson, effective June 2019; Father Faustin Misakabo, OPraem, leaving diocese after many years of dedicated service to the Diocese of Jackson, effective June 2019.
