Author Archives: Tereza Ma

Lessons from a president’s funeral

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Father Aaron Williams

SPIRIT AND TRUTH
By Father Aaron Williams
Last month, the nation paid witness to the state funeral of President George H.W. Bush. It was a solemn occasion, especially the funeral service itself, held in the Episcopalian National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. But, watching this funeral service, I was reminded of a funeral of another president that happened a several years before I was born — yet one I have been able to watch online (more than once).
When President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, an event occurred in this nation that has never occurred before nor occurred since: the state funeral of a Catholic president. But, that funeral Mass in comparison to many of the more recent funerals of non-Catholic presidents, is actually pretty disappointing. It was a Pontifical Low Mass. We don’t really have those distinctions anymore, but before the liturgical reform after the Second Vatican Council there was a classification of different types of Masses which most people just called “Low” or “High” Mass.
In a high Mass, everything is sung. Sometimes you even have a solemn high Mass when the priest is assisted by a full gambit of ministers — a deacon and a subdeacon. But, in a low Mass nothing is sung — or at least, nothing of the texts of the Mass itself are sung. They are all spoken by the priest: the readings, the dialogues, the chants. All spoken. Exceptions were made in the early 1900s to allow vernacular hymns to be sung over the Mass itself while the priest spoke the actual texts of the Mass simultaneously.
And, this is the state funeral that was given to President John F. Kennedy. A low Mass, celebrated by a bishop (and therefore a ‘pontifical’ low Mass). One can go online and look up the video and hear Cardinal Cushing rattle off the Latin of the Mass in his Bostonian accent while various operatic voices sing settings of “Ave Maria” over and over again. The most comedic moment, in my opinion, is when the organ plays a light interlude during the procession as Cardinal Cushing walks down the aisle holding a piece of letter paper and mumbling the words of Psalm 51 to himself in pace so fast that it is entirely unintelligible.
The Second Vatican Council, in promoting the renewal and restoration of the Sacred Liturgy desired that elements of the liturgy be simplified, not so that the liturgy may become lackluster but so that the solemn liturgy would be more readily available to the faithful in the average parish. But, has this been the result?
Despite my harsh critique of President Kennedy’s funeral Mass, most Catholics alive today have never experienced anything more than a low Mass — or at least its equivalent. At best, they have experienced some elements of the solemn liturgy using sparingly on really important feast days. But the true solemn liturgy, the liturgy which was so earnestly promoted by the Second Vatican Council, has all but disappeared in the world today. Instead, most parishes always speak all the texts of the Mass, and then the choir tosses a few choice hymn over the Mass for good measure. Its really just a low Mass.
But, one remarkable thing that is being seen today is that, especially amongst young people, a trend is developing of a desire to restore the solemnity to the Sacred Liturgy. And, people are quick to try to make this into a political argument. They say that young people today are “romantic” over an “ideal” liturgical time that really didn’t exist. They want to “return” to something that they don’t really know about.
But, the reality that I have experienced in young people today is really quite different. Young people want a higher bar. They are not looking to turn back the clock. In fact, they are looking to go even further — and to see the vision of the Second Vatican Council fully realized. But that vision, when you actually look at the documents of Vatican II, is far different than what we have today or what we might imagine. It is certainly not a Pontifical Low Mass.
The solemn liturgy of the Church makes use of the greatest meeting of tradition and culture imaginable. Tradition, because the liturgy employs elements from ancient Christianity, yet hands them on to us polished and ready to be used again; and, culture, because the liturgy takes the best of modern talent and efforts and makes them fitting for sacred worship as well.
Over the next few articles, I would like to delve into the elements which the Second Vatican Council itself proposed as necessary to the solemn liturgy — why they are necessary, why we should seek to promote them, and how that can be done.

(Father Aaron Williams is the parochial vicar at Greenville St. Joseph Parish and serves as the liaison to seminarians for the Office of Vocations.)

Migration week seeks to “build communities of welcome”

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By Berta Mexidor and Maureen Smith
TUPELO – For nearly a half century, the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated National Migration Week as an opportunity to highlight the presence and situation of immigrants, refugees, victims and survivors of human trafficking. The week serves as a time for both prayer and action in support of immigrants and refugees.
The theme for this year’s January 6-12 celebration – “Building Communities of Welcome” – emphasized the responsibility and opportunity for Catholics to engage and welcome newcomers on their arrival and help to ease their transition into a new life here in the United States.
Pastoral leaders in the Diocese of Jackson’s deanery five led by Danna Johnson, the Hispanic ministry coordinator for Pontotoc St. Christopher, partnered with Catholic Charities to organize a week of activities and discussions. Guest speakers included Carlos Horacio Toro, assistant professor at the Southeastern Pastoral Institute (SEPI) as well as Jesuit priests Father Sean Carroll of the Kino Border Initiative and Father Fred Kammer of the Jesuit Social Research Institute at Loyola University New Orleans.
Father Carroll spoke Thursday to pastoral leaders in northeast Mississippi about strategies to create welcoming communities. He spoke about successes with students who came to Jesuit schools opposed to or indifferent about immigration. He said offering programs, such as Kino, where the students could meet migrants and refugees and accompany them often changed those students’ lives. He said the initiative then provides the students with tools to take back to their communities to talk to others about their experience and to advocate for just reform and compassion. He considers this work to be about more than just exposure to political or social issues. He sees it as part of the Christian process of conversion.

Father Carroll also led a spirited discussion about challenges and potential solutions for pastoral leaders here who are leading parishes where the Hispanic population is growing. “I want present to people this sense that we all have this opportunity to be renewed in the work that we are doing in the sense of engaging in this ongoing process of conversion and stay rooted in the experience of the people we are serving and really see in deeper ways their reality and through our encounter with Christ to continue on this path of service,” he said.
Sister Pat Hinton, OSF Aston, said gatherings like this give her energy to continue to minister. “If you keep feeding yourself you are better able to come forth and maybe a word or two you say will help someone else. You never know when you are going to say something – what I call coming in the back door. We have a long way to go in Mississippi in terms of education and awareness (of this issue),” she said.
The program continued on Friday, January 11, with a Mass for young people, celebrated by Bishop Kopacz followed by a conversation with Father Kammer.
Confirmation candidates and their parents, from different parishes of the Deanery Five participated. Bishop Kopacz, in his bilingual homily, explained to the youth the biblical foundation of welcoming the foreigner. Bishop compared the Holy Family with today’s immigrants.
At the conference, Father Kammer explained that, for Christians, the issue of migration should be analyzed based on the scriptures.
In modern times “we should not forget biblical concepts that are the foundation of faith: anawin, jubilee, pilgrimage” Kammer said.
Anawin is from the old testament describing the “poor ones” who remain faithful in troubled time because their only possession is God. These are people who need compassion and protection.
The concept of jubilee reflects the right to restoration of the dignity of the individual through forgiveness, amnesty and the common good. In this biblical concept, people work to build societies with respect, social welfare and peace that include the right of nations to control their borders as well as the right to migrate to protect and support families.
Pilgrimage is in the Bible on multiple occasions. In this sense, Father Kammer explained millions of human beings migrate today inside and outside their own country, for many reasons. That is why the word “they” loses meaning. When talking about migration, Father Kammer said “we are all brothers in Christ.”
Paco Aguilar, Danelly Blanco and Ulises López are cousins and Mexican descendants. They joined Bristy Whitenton, Morgan Floyd and Lillian Briston, all originally from Tupelo, in agreeing with the priest’s explanation of “them” and “we.” The six young people affirmed being impacted by these terms, saying the use of “them” separates and “us” suggests the understanding of the suffering of others.
On Saturday, January 12, the celebration concluded.
The closing remarks came from Toro, assistant professor of SEPI. His lecture, “Celebrating the Culture of the Encounter,” summarized Pope Francis’ idea that the culture of the encounter must be nurtured so that it can become a moral value in the individual and therefore in society.

Lord’s Prayer is reaching out for father’s loving embrace

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By Carol Glatz
VATICAN (CNS) – To pray well, people need to have the heart of a child – a child who feels safe and loved in a father’s tender embrace, Pope Francis said.
If people have become estranged from God, feel lonely, abandoned or have realized their mistakes and are paralyzed by guilt, “we can still find the strength to pray” by starting with the word, “Father,” pronounced with the tenderness of a child, he said.
No matter what problems or feelings a person is experiencing or the mistakes someone has made, God “will not hide his face. He will not close himself up in silence. Say, ‘Father,’ and he will answer,’” the pope said Jan. 16 during his weekly general audience.
After greeting the thousands of faithful gathered in the Paul VI audience hall, the pope continued his series of talks on the Lord’s Prayer, reflecting on the Aramaic term, “Abba,” which Jesus uses to address God, the father.
“It is rare Aramaic expressions do not to get translated into Greek in the New Testament,” which shows how special, important and nuanced “Abba” is in reflecting the radical and new relationship God has with his people, the pope said.
St. Paul, he said, wrote to the Romans that they were now “children of God, for you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, ‘Abba, Father!’”
Jesus teaches his disciples that “Christians can no longer consider God a tyrant to be feared,” but instead feel a sense of trust growing in their hearts in which they can “speak to the creator, calling him ‘Father,’” the pope said.
The term “Abba,” the pope said, “is something much more intimate and moving that simply calling God, ‘father,’” It is an endearing term, somewhat like “dad,” “daddy” or “papa.”
Even though the Lord’s Prayer has been translated using the more formal term, “Father,” “we are invited to say, ‘papa,’ to have a rapport with God like a child with his or her papa.”
Whatever term used, it is meant to inspire and foster a feeling of love and warmth, he said, like a child would feel in the full embrace of a tender father.
“To pray well, one must have the heart of a child, not a heart that feels adequate” or self-satisfied, he said.
People must imagine this prayer being recited by the prodigal son after he has been embraced by his father, who waited so long, who forgave him and only wants to say how much he missed his child, Pope Francis said.
“Then we discover how those words take on life, take on strength,” he said.
People will then wonder, “’How is it possible that you, God, know only love? That you don’t know hate? Where inside of you is revenge, the demand for justice, the fury over your wounded honor?’ And God will respond, ‘I know only love.’”
The father of the prodigal son also displays the maternal qualities of forgiveness and empathy, the pope said. Mothers especially are the ones who keep loving their children, “even when they would no longer deserve anything.”
“God is looking for you even if you do not seek him,” he said. “God loves you even if you have forgotten him. God sees a glimpse of beauty in you even if you think you have uselessly squandered all of your talents.”
“God is not just a father, he is like a mother who never stops loving” her child.
At the end of the general audience, in preparation for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Jan. 18-25, Pope Francis said, “ecumenism is not something optional.”
The purpose of the week of prayer and encounter, he said, is to foster and strengthen a common witness upholding “true justice and supporting the weakest through concrete, appropriate and effective responses.”

Wendy Beckett – RIP

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Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI

IN EXILE
By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
No community should botch its deaths. The renowned anthropologist, Mircea Eliade, suggested this and its truth applies to communities at every level. No family should send off a member without proper reflection, ritual and blessings.
On December 26th, 2018, the family of art and the family of faith lost a cherished member. Sister Wendy Beckett, aged 88, famed art critic, committed woman of faith and nurturing friend to many, died. Since 1970, Sister Wendy had been living as a consecrated virgin and hermit on the grounds of a Carmelite convent in England, praying for several hours a day, translating religious tracts and going to daily Eucharist.
Early on, after choosing this way of life, she began to study art history, started writing articles for magazines and published the first of more than 30 books on art. In 1991, she did a short BBC documentary on television and was an immediate hit with a wide audience. She soon began to host her own BBC show, Sister Wendy’s Odyssey, which was so popular it sometimes attracted one quarter of the British television audience.
Anyone who watched her programs was soon taken by three things: The absolute joy that was present in her as she discussed a piece of art; her capacity to articulate in a simple and clear language the meaning of a particular work of art; and her earthy appreciation of sensuality and the nude human body which she, as a consecrated virgin, could describe with a disarming appreciation.
All of those qualities (her joy, her simplicity of language and her capacity to give the pure gaze of admiration to the nude human body) were what endeared her to her audience but also brought scorn from a number of critics. They mocked her simplicity of language, criticized her for not being more critical of the art she presented and were put off by that fact that she, a consecrated virgin, could so comfortably discuss sensuality and the nude human body. They found it difficult to digest that this pious woman, a consecrated virgin, clad in a traditional religious habit, sporting thick glasses and buck-teeth, could be so much at ease with sensuality. Robert Hughes, of Time magazine, once mocked her as a “relentlessly chatty pseudo-hermit with her signature teeth” whose observations were “pitched to a 15-year-old” audience. Germaine Greer challenged her competence to describe erotic art given the fact that she was a consecrated virgin.
Sister Wendy mostly smiled at these criticisms and countered them this way: “I’m not a critic,” she would say, “I am an appreciator.” As to her comfort with sensuality and the nude body, she would answer that just because she was committed to celibacy did not mean that she was not fully appreciative of human sensuality, sexuality and the beauty of the human body – all of it.
There are of course different ways in which the unclothed human body can be perceived and Sister Wendy was a smiling, unapologetic appreciator of one of them. An unclothed human body can be shown as “nude” or as “naked.” Good art uses nudity to honor the human body (surely one of God’s great masterpieces) while pornography uses nakedness to exploit the human body.
Sister Wendy was also unapologetic about the fact that her consecrated virginity did not disprivilege her from appreciating the erotic. She was right. Somewhere we have developed the false, debilitating notion that consecrated celibates must, like little children, be protected from the erotic so that even while they’re supposed to be doctors of the soul they should be shielded from the deep impulses and secrets of the soul. Sister Wendy didn’t buy that. Neither should we. Chastity is not intended to be that kind of naiveté.
Full disclosure: I had a personal link to Sister Wendy. Many years ago, when I was young and still searching for my own voice as a spiritual writer, she sent me a large, beautifully-framed, print of Paul Klee’s, famous 1923 painting, Eros. For the past 29 years it has hung on a wall behind my computer screen so that I see it every time I write and it has helped me understand that it’s God’s color, God’s light and God’s energy that inform erotic longing.
In 1993, while visiting the monastery where Sister Wendy lived, I had the opportunity to go out to a restaurant with her. Our waiter was initially taken aback by her traditional religious habit. With some trepidation he timidly asked her: “Sister, might I bring you some water?” She flashed her trademark smile and said: “No, water’s for washing. Bring me some wine!” The waiter relaxed and much enjoyed bantering with her for the rest of the meal.
And that was Sister Wendy, an anomaly to many: a consecrated virgin discoursing on eros, a hermit but famous art critic and an intellectually brilliant woman who befuddled critics with her simplicity. But, like all great minds, there was a remarkable consistency at a deeper level, at that place where the critic and the appreciator are one.

(Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser, theologian, teacher and award-winning author, is President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX.)

Faith Formation Conference: ‘Go forth that all may be one’

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By Fran Lavelle
KENNER, Louisiana – his year the Go! Conference (Gulf Coast Faith Formation Conference), offered a well-balanced and intentional diversity of subjects and speakers focused on the theme, “That All May Be One.” The Conference planners, including the diocesan directors of the region, work to reach as many ministries within parishes and schools as possible while remaining focused on religious formation. We are constantly looking at relevant topics that are spiritually nourishing as well as practical and hands on.
The first day of the Conference this year was quite different from years past. We offered three unique experiences: Liturgy and Music Workshop sponsored by WLP, a panel on the Interface Between Science and Religion sponsored by the University Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute and Leadership Thursday for catechist and formational ministry sponsored by Sadlier. Participants from the three cohorts began their day with Mass at 9:00 a.m. Each of the major workshops reached out to different constituents from STREAM teachers and administrators in Catholic Schools to parish catechists to musicians and liturgists. Hopefully the participants found, in their own niche, great insights and inspiration to bring home.
Karla Luke, Associate Superintendent, Office Catholic Education, a participant in the McGrath Institute’s session on science and religion, is a former teacher of both middle school science and religion. “This event was not only enlightening but also affirming. It gives ‘permission’ to Catholic school teachers to freely incorporate both Science and Religion into the other’s classes,” said Luke. She went on to say, “Furthermore, it clarified that acceptance of scientific theories and laws do not negate one’s faith; but, consequently may enhance it. The workshop not only confirmed my belief in God the Creator but confirmed the love God has for all creation.”


The idea that science and religion are mutually exclusive was addressed head on. Participants were given the examples of Kepler, Galileo, Boyle and Newton, all devoutly religious scientist who saw themselves as uncovering God’s majestic work through scientific reason. Dr. Chris Baglow, of the University of Notre Dame, shared with the group an analogy from Minicius Felix:
If upon entering some home you saw that everything there was well-tended, neat and decorative, you would believe that some master was in charge of it and that he was himself much superior to those good things. So too in the home of this world, when you see providence, order and law in the heavens and on earth, believe that there is a Lord and Author of the universe, more beautiful than the stars themselves and the various parts of the whole world. Minucius Felix (ca.200 AD)
On Saturday, the keynote speaker, Dr. JoAnn Paradise addressed the cultural roadblocks to creating unity over division. She talked about brain science and development of empathy from the womb. She stated that we are programmed in our DNA, on a cellular level, to learn behaviors through visual perception at a very young age — 0-3 months. Our addiction to digital media, in our culture, has worked to the detriment of developing appropriate human responses. God, she contends, planted in our brains a developmental need for an interconnectedness that technology cannot replicate or replace. One of the human responses not being developed is empathy. As we become less empathetic, we can quickly vilify others who look, think, pray and live differently because we see them as different. She showed a picture of three chicken eggs, one white, one light brown and one dark brown. In the following picture, the three eggs had been cracked and were in a frying pan next to one another. They all looked the same. She used the photos to illustrate that it is now more than ever the important work of the Church to proclaim the gospel, to end division and fully live out Catholic social teaching.
This is a rapidly changing cultural and technological world. Understanding current challenges and opportunities in ministry is essential if ministers, catechists and church members are to continue to share the faith. Creating awareness and strategies to deal with these changes is imperative. Mission accomplished for this year’s conference. We had great liturgies, enjoyed good conversations, met inspiring people, reunited with old friends and learned a lot. Save the date for next year’s Conference, “20/20: His Vision — Our Call” January 9-11, 2020.
“I thank thee, Lord God our Creator, that thou allowest me to see the beauty in thy work of creation.” Kepler.

(Fran Lavelle is the Director of Faith Formation for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Bishop Kopacz Schedule

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Monday, Jan. 28, 9:15 a.m. Catholic School’s Week (CSW) Mass, Greenville St. Joseph School.
Tuesday, Jan. 29, 8:15 a.m. CSW Mass, Madison St. Anthony School.
1 p.m. CSW Mass, Madison St. Joseph School.
Wednesday, Jan. 30, 8:15 a.m. CSW Mass, Jackson St. Richard School.
1 p.m. CSW Mass, Jackson Sr. Thea Bowman School.
Thursday, Jan. 31, 9:10 a.m. CSW Mass, Vicksburg Catholic School, followed by library dedications.
3:30 p.m. CSW Rally at the Capitol for all Catholic Schools.
Friday, Feb. 1, 8 a.m. CSW Mass, Natchez Cathedral School.
7 p.m. Opening remarks, Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference, Vicksburg Convention Center.
Sunday, Feb. 3, 10:30 a.m. Closing Mass, Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference, Vicksburg Convention Center.

Only public events are listed on this schedule and all events are subject to change.
Please check with the local parish for further details

Open Wide Our Hearts – El perdurable llamado al amor: una carta pastoral contra el racismo

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Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz

Por Obispo Joseph Kopacz
Durante la Conferencia de Obispos de noviembre pasado, un momento culminante fue presentar la Causa de Canonización de la Hna. Thea. Después fué la abrumadora aprobación de la nueva Carta Pastoral contra el Racismo “Open Wide Our Hearts—The Enduring Call to Love”(Abiertos de par en par nuestros corazones – La continua llamada del amor”, por su traducción al español), debido al racismo en nuestra nación contra los nativos americanos y los afroamericanos en particular, pero también el prejuicio, profundamente arraigado, contra muchas poblaciones inmigrantes desde los primeros días de nuestra nación, cada generación de estadounidenses es desafiada a trabajar por la libertad y la justicia para todos.
Una forma preeminente de superar el legado de la división racial y el racismo que la sustenta es a través de la educación. Al celebrar a las Escuelas Católicas, reconocemos con orgullo que la Diócesis Católica de Jackson, a través de nuestras escuelas, ha sacado a muchos de la desesperanza de la pobreza y el analfabetismo.
Las Hijas de la Caridad, por invitación del obispo John Joseph Chanche, primer obispo de la entonces diócesis de Natchez, llegaron en 1847 como discípulas misioneras para comenzar el legado de la educación de la Escuela Católica en Mississippi. El gran mandamiento de Jesucristo de “ir y enseñar a todas las naciones, hacer discípulos y bautizarlos en el nombre del Padre, del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo” fue la vitalidad amorosa de su misión. Entre sus alumnos se encontraban los hijos de esclavos.
Los tres pilares de nuestra visión diocesana para abarcar la diversidad, servir a los demás, inspirar a los discípulos han sido piedras vivas en nuestras comunidades de las Escuelas Católicas durante los últimos 172 años, evidentes en las muchas ramas de la población europea y afroamericana. Recuerdese que la Hna. Thea se dió cuenta de su potencial dado por Dios a través de la dedicación de las Hermanas Franciscanas de la Adoración Perpetua.
Este Sierva de Dios continúa inspirando, a través de su Causa de Canonización, dispersa a lo largo y ancho de su santidad apasionada y su hambre y sed de justicia e inclusión para su gente y para todas las poblaciones marginadas. El orgulloso legado de la educación de la Escuela Católica continúa hoy, y actualmente se está realizando un esfuerzo considerable para reclutar a estudiantes dentro de nuestros católicos hispanos.
Mientras la Iglesia en los Estados Unidos estudia y pone en acción “Open Wide Our Hearts — The Enduring Call to Love”, lo hacemos a la luz de las tragedias y los triunfos en Mississippi y en todo nuestro país.
El Museo de los Derechos Civiles en Jackson, que tiene poco más de un año, conserva la realidad del odio, la violencia y el racismo durante la Era de los Derechos Civiles. También reconoce y aprecia los sacrificios y el compromiso de personas de todas las razas y orígenes para lograr la promesa de libertad y justicia de todos en nuestro país. Finalmente, se sienta como un baluarte que anuncia a todos que los ciudadanos de Mississippi permanecerán indiferentes en la lucha por la justicia racial para todos los pueblos.
Sin embargo, una vez más, hoy en día, las fallas de la división racial, étnica y seccional y la desconfianza han fracturado el discurso civil y la acción social constructiva. “Open Our Hearts — The Enduring Call to Love” desafía a los católicos, a todos los cristianos y ciudadanos a alejarse intencionalmente del vitriolo que ha levantado su feo rostro, en los principales medios de comunicación, en las redes sociales y en nuestros hogares, para reconocer y trabajar contra los demonios del racismo y el prejuicio.
A través del estudio, la reflexión y el diálogo debemos reconciliar la brutalidad del genocidio cercano que abrumó a nuestras poblaciones de nativos americanos, la inhumanidad de la esclavitud, que consideraba a hombres como propiedad, que diezmó a la población afroamericana y a los prejuicios e injusticias que han afectado a muchos grupos étnicos, en particular a la población latina en nuestros días.
No somos llamados como cristianos a revolcarnos en la vergüenza de nuestra historia pecaminosa, sino a reconciliarla en un nivel mucho más profundo para que podamos avanzar como una nación, más libre y más unida, verdaderamente e pluribus unum. “Por lo tanto, no podemos ver el progreso contra el racismo en las últimas décadas y concluir que nuestra situación actual cumple con el estándar de justicia. De hecho, Dios exige lo que es correcto y justo “. (Pastoral contra el racismo)
“Open Our Hearts” pregunta, “¿cómo podemos superar el mal de rechazar la humanidad de un hermano o hermana, el mismo mal que provocó el pecado de Caín contra su hermano Abel? ¿Cuáles son los pasos necesarios que llevaran a esa conversión? ” Los obispos señalan las palabras perdurables del profeta Miqueas. “El señor ya te ha dicho, oh hombre, en qué consiste lo bueno y qué es lo que El espera de ti: que hagas justicia, que seas fiel y leal y que obedezcas humildemente a tu Dios. (Mi 6,8)
Para los católicos, la conversión genuina requiere que vivamos según el mandamiento más grande que enseñó Jesucristo. “Ama al Señor tu Dios con todo tu corazón, con todo tu ser y con toda tu mente y….. ama a tu prójimo como a ti mismo” (Mt 22, 37-39) “Cuando comenzamos a separar a las personas en nuestros pensamientos por razones injustas, cuando comenzamos a ver a algunas personas como “ellas” y otras como “nosotros” que no amamos. El mandato de amar requiere que hagamos espacio para otros en nuestros corazones “. (Pastoral contra Racismo)
Con pasión y elocuencia, los obispos invocan nuestro compromiso con la Vida para combatir el racismo. “La injusticia y el daño que el racismo causa son un ataque a la vida humana. La Iglesia en los Estados Unidos ha hablado sistemáticamente y con fuerza en contra del aborto, el suicidio asistido, la eutanasia, la pena de muerte y otras formas de violencia que amenazan la vida humana. No es un secreto que estos ataques a la vida humana han afectado gravemente a las minorias, que se ven afectadas de manera desproporcionada por la pobreza, que han sido blanco del aborto, tienen menos acceso a la atención médica, tienen el mayor número de personas en el corredor de la muerte y tienen más probabilidades de sentir presión para acabar con sus vidas ante una grave enfermedad.
Como obispos, afirmamos inequívocamente que el racismo es un problema de vida”. Finalmente, como pueblo de esperanza en Jesucristo, demos gracias a todos los que trabajan para crear comunidades de vida, justicia y paz, a través de la educación, el servicio, el empoderamiento y la defensa en muchos frentes, porque sus esfuerzos dan frutos que durarán. Hermanos y hermanas, “Manténganse alerta; permanezcan firmes en la fe; sean valientes y fuertes. Hagan todo con amor.” (1Cor 16, 13-14)

Open Wide Our Hearts –The Enduring Call to Love: pastoral letter against racism

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Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
During the Bishops’ Conference this past November it was a crowning moment to introduce Sister Thea’s Cause for Canonization following the overwhelming approval of the new Pastoral Letter against Racism: “Open Wide Our Hearts—The Enduring Call to Love.” Because of the legacy of racism in our nation against the Native American and the African American especially, but also the deep -rooted prejudice against many immigrant populations since our nation’s earliest days, each generation of Americans is challenged to labor toward liberty and justice for all.
One preeminent way to overcome the legacy of the racial divide and the lurking racism sustaining it, is through education. In celebrating Catholic Schools we proudly recognize that the Catholic Diocese of Jackson – through our schools – has lifted many out of the hopelessness of poverty and illiteracy. The Daughters of Charity, at the invitation of Bishop John Joseph Chanche, the first bishop of the then Diocese of Natchez, came in 1847 as missionary disciples to begin the legacy of Catholic School education in Mississippi. The great command of Jesus Christ to “go and teach all nations, making disciples and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit was the loving vitality of their mission.
Among their students were the children of slaves. The three pillars of our diocesan vision to embrace diversity — serve others — inspire disciples have been living stones in our Catholic School communities for these past 172 years evident in the many branches of the European and African-American populations. Remember that Sister Thea realized her God-given potential through the dedication of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. This Servant of God continues to inspire through her Cause for Canonization that disperses far and wide her passionate holiness and her hunger and thirst for justice and inclusion for her people and all marginalized populations. The proud legacy of Catholic School education continues today, and considerable effort currently is being applied for the recruitment of our Hispanic Catholic students.
As the Church in the United States studies and puts into action “Open Wide Our Hearts — The Enduring Call to Love,” we do so in light of the tragedies and triumphs in Mississippi and throughout our country. The Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, just over one year young, preserves the reality of hatred, violence and racism during the Civil Rights Era. It also recognizes and cherishes the sacrifices and commitment of people of all races and backgrounds to achieve our nation’s promise of liberty and justice for all. Finally, it sits like a bulwark that announces to all that the citizens of Mississippi will remain unmoved in the fight for racial justice for all peoples.
However, once again today the fault lines of racial, ethnic and sectional division and distrust have fractured civil discourse and constructive social action. “Open Our Hearts — The Enduring Call to Love” challenges Catholics, all Christians and citizens to intentionally step aside from the vitriol that has reared its ugly head in the mainstream media, on social media, and in our homes in order to recognize and work against the demons of racism and prejudice. Through study, reflection and dialogue we must reconcile the brutality of near genocide that overwhelmed our Native American populations, the inhumanity of chattel slavery that decimated the African American population and the prejudices and injustices that have afflicted many ethnic groups, in particular the Latino population in our day.
We are not called as Christians to wallow in the shame of our sinful history, but rather to reconcile it at a much deeper level so that we can move forward as a nation, freer and more united, truly ‘e pluribus unum.’
“We cannot, therefore, look upon the progress against racism in recent decades and conclude that our current situation meets the standard of justice. In fact, God demands what is right and just.” (Pastoral against racism)
“Open Our Hearts” asks the question, “how do we overcome the evil of rejecting a brother or sister’s humanity, the same evil that provoked Cain’s sin against his brother Abel? What are the necessary steps that would lead to this conversion?” The bishops point to the enduring words of the prophet Micah. “You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God (Mi 6,8).”
For Catholics genuine conversion requires that we live by the greatest commandment as taught by Jesus Christ. “Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, mind, soul and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. (Mt 22, 37-39).” “When we begin to separate people in our thoughts for unjust reasons, when we start to see some people as “them” and others as “us” we fail to love. The command to love requires us to make room for others in our hearts (Pastoral against Racism).”
With passion and eloquence the bishops invoke our commitment to Life in combating racism. “The injustice and harm racism causes are an attack on human life. The Church in the United States has spoken out consistently and forcefully against abortion, assisted suicide, euthanasia, the death penalty and other forms of violence that threaten human life. It is not a secret that these attacks on human life have severely affected people of color, who are disproportionately affected by poverty, targeted for abortion, have less access to healthcare, have the greatest number on death row and are most likely to feel pressure to end their lives when facing serious illness. As bishops, we unequivocally state that racism is a life issue.”
Finally, as a people of hope in Jesus Christ, let us give thanks to all who labor to create communities of life, justice and peace, through education, service, empowerment and advocacy on many fronts, because their efforts bear fruit that will last. “Brothers and sisters, be on your guard, stand firm in faith, be courageous, be strong. Your every act should be done with love. (1Cor 16, 13-14)

Feature photo … Meridian teacher honored

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MERIDIAN – St. Patrick School kindergarten teacher Lauren Walker, right, accepts the Golden Apple Award for January from Susan Ross, general manager and sales manager for the Meridian Family of Stations, and Michael Harvey, manager of Mississippi Power Company’s Northern Division, during a ceremony on Wednesday, January 15. Walker will receive a laptop and desktop computer as well as a Teacher of the Month Certificate, $300 cash award, a $1,000 continuing education voucher for MSU-Meridian and $1,250 in school supplies. The Golden Apple Award honors outstanding educators in East Mississippi and West Alabama. (Photo by Celeste Saucier)

Parish calendar

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

BROOKSVILLE The Dwelling Place, Beloved Disciples retreat, February 22-23, begins with 6:30 dinner. Life is not about finding ourselves. We are not lost. It is about discovering who God created us to be. We are all beloved of God and if we allow Him control of our lives, He can love each one of us into being that beloved disciple that God describes in his Gospel. During this overnight there will be time to listen, pray and share. Presenter: Kathleen Grusek, Certified Spiritual Director and author of four books on spirituality. Donation: $100. Details: (662) 738-5348 or email dwellpl@gmail.com for more information.
COLLIERVILLE Tenn, Women’s Morning of Spirituality, Saturday, February 23, 8:15 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Catholic Church of the Incarnation, 360 Bray Station Road. Keynote speaker: Johnnette Benkovic Williams; Witness speaker: Sister Rita Marie Kampa, O.P. Love offerings accepted. Details: Mary Beth (901) 853-1819 or wmosmemphis@gmail.com. Register at womensmorning.com.
GREENWOOD Locus Benedictus Retreat Center, “Mary’s Life in the Holy Spirit – A Model for Us” Women’s Retreat hosted by The Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus, Council #5267, Saturday, February 9 from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. concluding with a Vigil Mass. Presenter: Catholic evangelist, Andi Oney. Cost: $35 and includes lunch. The retreat is open to all women 18 years and older. Details: www.locusbenedictus.org or (662) 299-1232.
JACKSON Catholic Day at the Capitol will be held on Wednesday, February 27, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle and wraps up with networking at 3 p.m. The topic is reform aimed at restorative justice – especially in the criminal justice system. Details: Sue Allen at sue.allen@ccjackson.org or 601-383-3849.
World Marriage Day 2019 celebration will be held Sunday, February 24, at 3 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. There will be a Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Kopacz, with a reception immediately following. The Mass honors all married couples, but invites those celebrating their 25th, 50th and 60th anniversaries, or any significant anniversary. Details: Contact Charlene Bearden, at (601) 960-8487, or via email: charlene.bearden@jacksondiocese.org.

PARISH, SCHOOL AND FAMILY EVENTS

CLARKSDALE Catholic Community of St. Elizabeth, Bible study on the Gospel of St Luke meets every Wednesday at noon in the St. Elizabeth Rectory. Details: Libby Antici or church office (662) 624-4301.
GREENWOOD Mardi Gras Ball to benefit St. Francis School, Saturday, February 16, from 7 p.m. – midnight. Leflore County Civic Center. Dinner at 8 p.m. DJ Traxx will provide the music. There will be the traditional coronation of the King and Queen of the Ball, as well as other prizes for participants, along with a 50-50 raffle. Cost: $35 per person. All proceeds benefit St. Francis School. Details: school office (662) 453-9511.
HERNANDO Holy Spirit, Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser, Friday, February 22, 4-8 p.m., Family Life Center. Cost: $10 adults; $5 children 12 and younger. Details: church office (662) 429-7851.
JACKSON St. Peter Cathedral, a Catholic look at advance care planning, Sunday, February 10, at 9:15 a.m. in the Cathedral Center. Presenter: Sister S. Karina Dickey, O.P., Ph.D. Details: church office (601) 969-3125.
St. Richard, “The Letters of Saint Paul” classes, Tuesdays, February 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 9:30 – 11 a.m. in the Chichester Room. Presenter: Mary Louise Jones. All are welcome to attend. Details: church office (601) 366-2335.
MADISON St. Francis of Assisi, Save the Date, Cajun Fest, Sunday, March 5. Includes lots of Cajun food and games for the children. More details will follow. Details: church office (601) 856-5556.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, World Day of the Sick Mass, Monday, February 11, at 11 a.m. The Mass will be followed by a soup and sandwich lunch in St. Therese Hall. Details: church office (601) 445-5616.
PEARL St. Jude, Knights of Columbus is selling chicken plates. Pickup date is Super Bowl Sunday, February 3, 1-2 p.m. All proceeds will benefit future Knights of Columbus projects. Details: church office (601) 939-3181.
VICKSBURG St. Aloysius High School, library dedication ceremony and reception honoring Father Tom Lalor, Thursday, January 31, in the library immediately following Mass at 9:10 a.m. Details: Kristi Smith at (601) 636-2256.

YOUTH BRIEFS

SAVE THE DATE Diocesan High School Confirmation Retreat, March 30-31, 1 p.m. Saturday – 1p.m. Sunday, Lake Forest Ranch, Macon. Cost is $50 per person. Youth must register through their parish. Registration is due by March 11. Details: Fran Lavelle, (601) 960-8473 or fran.lavelle@jacksondiocese.org
COLUMBUS Annunciation School, Open House, Saturday, February 2, 10 a.m. – noon, Details: Katie Fenstermacher at marketing@annunciationcatholicschool.org or school office (662) 328-4479.
MERIDIAN St. Patrick School, Irish Fest, Sunday, March 3, noon – 4 p.m. Details: school office (601) 482-6044.
SOUTHAVEN Sacred Heart School, Open House, Sunday, February 10 from 2-4 p.m. Recognized by Today’s Catholic Teacher as one of three most innovative Catholic Identity Schools in the U.S. Now accepting applications for the 2019-20 school year. Details: school office (662) 349-0900 or bmartin@shsm.org.