Author Archives: Tereza Ma

Pope Francis advances sainthood causes of young teens

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By Junno Arocho Esteves
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis issued decrees advancing the sainthood causes of four candidates, including two young teenagers who heroically lived the Christian virtues.

Alexia Gonzalez Barros, a teen who offered her sufferings from a malignant tumor for the church, has been declared venerable. The Vatican issued the decree advancing her sainthood cause July 5. Gonzalez is pictured with Paddy on Dec. 24, 1984. (CNS photo/courtesy Sainthood Cause of Alexia Gonzalez Barros)

At a meeting July 5 with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, the pope signed a decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Alexia Gonzalez Barros, who offered her sufferings from a malignant tumor for the church.
Gonzalez was born in Madrid in 1971. Her parents were members of Opus Dei and passed on their faith to their five children. She made her first Communion in Rome and the following day attended the weekly general audience May 9, 1979.
She ran up to St. John Paul II as he greeted pilgrims and received a blessing and a kiss from the pope.
Several years later, her life dramatically changed when doctors discovered a tumor that gradually paralyzed her. Throughout her illness, she offered her sufferings for the church and the pope and would often pray, “Jesus, I want to feel better, I want to be healed; but if you do not want that, I want what you want.”
She died Dec. 5, 1985, at the age of 14.

Carlo Acutis, who was born in 1991 in London and died in 2006 in Monza, Italy, has been declared venerable. The Vatican issued the decree advancing his sainthood cause July 5. (CNS photo/courtesy Sainthood Cause of Carlo Acutis)

Pope Francis also recognized the heroic virtues of Carlo Acutis, a young teen who used his computer skills to catalogue eucharistic miracles around the world before his death at the age of 15 due to leukemia.
According to the website of his canonization process, Acutis placed the Eucharist “at the center of his life and called it ‘my highway to heaven.’”
Before his death in 2006, Acutis offered his sufferings for Pope Benedict XVI and for the church.
The other decrees signed by the pope recognized the heroic virtues of:
– Pietro Di Vitale, an Italian layman and a member of the Third Order of St. Francis. He was born in Sicily in 1916 and died in 1940.
– Giorgio La Pira, the former mayor of Florence and a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic. He was an advocate for peace during the Cold War and despite his stature in the international community, he lived in a small cell in the Basilica of St. Mark in Florence. He died in 1977.
Recognizing the heroic virtues of a person is one of the first formal steps toward canonization, or sainthood. In most cases, a miracle attributed to that person’s intercession is needed for beatification, the next step toward sainthood.

(Follow Arocho on Twitter: @arochoju)

Apologia : consecrated celibacy

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Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI

IN EXILE
By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
Huston Smith, the renowned commentator on world religions, submits that you should not judge a religion by its worst expressions, but by its best, its saints. That’s also true in terms of judging the merits of vowed, consecrated celibacy. It should be judged by its best, not perverse, examples, as is true too for the institution of marriage.
I write this apologia because today consecrated celibacy is under siege from critics in almost every circle. Celibacy is no longer understood or deemed realistic by a culture which basically refuses to accept any restrictions in the area of sexuality and in effect sees all celibacy, lived for whatever reason, as frigidity, naiveté or a misfortune of circumstance. Our culture constitutes a virtual conspiracy against celibacy.
More critical still is how consecrated celibacy is being judged in the wake of the clerical sexual abuse scandal. More and more, there’s a popular conception both within society and within church circles that sexual abuse in general and pedophilia in particular is more prevalent among priests and religious than in the population at large and that there’s something inherent in consecrated celibacy itself that makes priests and vowed religious more prone to sexual misconduct and emotional ill health.
How true is this? Are celibates more prone to sexual misconduct than their non-celibate contemporaries? Are celibates more likely to be less healthy and happy in general than those who are married or who are sexually active outside of marriage?
This must be adjudicated, I believe, by looking at the deepest intentions of sex itself and, from there, assessing where both married persons and celibates for the most part tend to end up. What’s the ultimate intention of sex? What is this powerful archetypal energy meant to do in us? Generically, the answer is clear: Sex is meant to lead us out of ourselves, out of aloneness, out of selfishness, into altruism, into family, into community, into generativity, into mellowness of heart, into delight, into happiness and ultimately (perhaps not always this side of eternity) into ecstasy.
Viewed through the prism of this criterion how do marriage and vowed celibacy compare? Mostly we see parallels: Some people get married, become healthily generous and generative, remain faithful to their spouses and age into wholesome, happy, forgiving persons. Others write a different chronicle. They get married (or are sexually active outside of marriage) but do not become more generous and generative, do not remain faithful to their commitments in love and age instead in sullenness, bitterness and unhappiness.
The same is true for vowed celibates: Some make the vow and become healthily generous and generative, remain faithful to the vow and age into wholesome, happy, forgiving persons. For some others, most everything in their lives belies the transparency and fruitfulness that should stem from their celibacy and they do not become more selfless, generative, mellow or happy. Instead, like some of their sexually active contemporaries, they also grow sullen, bitter and unhappy. Sometimes this is the result of breaking their vow and sometimes it’s the result of an unhealthily repressed sexuality. In either case, their vow isn’t fruitful and generally leads to unhealthy compensatory behaviors.
Celibacy, admittedly, comes fraught with some extra dangers because marriage and sex are the normal path that God intended for us. As Merton once put it, in celibacy we live inside a loneliness which God, himself, has condemned: It is not good for man (or woman) to be alone! Sex and marriage are the norm and celibacy deviates from that. But that doesn’t mean celibacy cannot be highly generative, meaningful and healthy and make for wholesomeness and happiness.
Some of the most generative and wholesome people that I know are vowed celibates, aging into an enviable mellowness and peace. Sadly, the reverse is also true for some celibates. Of course, all of this is equally true, both ways, for the married people that I know.
By their fruits you shall know them. Jesus offers us this as a criterion for judgment. But in judging celibacy and marriage (just in judging religions) we might add Huston Smith’s counsel that we should judge each by its best expressions, by its saints and not by its unhealthy expressions. Looking at marriage and celibacy, we see in each both healthy and unhealthy manifestations; and it doesn’t seem that either side trumps the other in terms of manifesting sanctity or dysfunction. That’s not surprising since, in the end, both choices demand the same thing, namely, a willingness to sacrifice and sweat blood for the sake of love and fidelity.
Some celibates are unfaithful and some are pedophiles, but some become Mother Teresa. It’s worth mentioning too that Jesus was a celibate. Some married persons are unfaithful, some are abusive and some murder their spouses, but some give tangible, embodied, holy expression to God’s unconditional love for the world and Christ’s unbreakable bond with his church.
Sexuality is a reality that can be lived out in different modalities and both marriage and celibacy are holy choices that can, sadly, go wrong.

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

Father O’Leary blesses Vicksburg fleet

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Father Malcolm O’Leary sprinkles Holy Water onto the quarter boats during the Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District Blessing of The Fleet Tuesday. (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post)

VICKSBURG – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg Districted hosted the annual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony Tuesday, July 10, at the Vicksburg Harbor. Father Malcolm O’Leary and the Rev. Joe Mosley performed the ceremony on the fleet that consists of tow boats, quarter boats and dredge, including the motor vessels Benyaurd, William James and Harrison.
The blessing of the fleet tradition dates back to medieval times and originally started in early European fishing communities. A blessing bestowed by a local priest was meant to ask for an abundant and safe season. (reprinted with permission from the Vicksburg Post. Photo by Courtland Wells, the Vicksburg Post)

Getting out of the sacristy: looking at our pastoral priorities

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Bishop Robert Barron

By Bishop Robert Barron
For the past several days, I’ve been with my Word on Fire team, filming for the Flannery O’Connor and Fulton Sheen episodes of our “Pivotal Players” series. Our journey has taken us from Chicago to New York to Washington, DC, and finally to Savannah and Millidgeville, Georgia.
At every step of the way, we have met numerous people who have been affected by Word on Fire materials: sermons, podcasts, YouTube videos, and the CATHOLICISM series. Many have told me that their exposure to Word on Fire started a process that led them back to the Church. Now, I’m telling you this not as an advertisement for my media ministry, but rather as an occasion to muse about what I consider to be a needful change in the way the Church thinks about its essential work.
Throughout all the years of my involvement with the Church, the parish has been taken as the crucial ecclesial institution. Talk to almost anyone involved in Catholic ministry during the past 50 years and you will hear ample criticism of lots of aspects of Church life, but you will, almost without exception, hear praise of the parish. I think here of Father Andrew Greeley’s lyrical evocations of the parish as a uniquely successful social and religious institution. Certainly within the context of diocesan priesthood, parish work is the unquestioned default position. Ministry outside of the parochial setting — hospital work, seminary work, teaching, administration, etc. — is acceptable, but it is generally seen as not quite what a diocesan priest ought to be doing. I think it’s fair to say that the overwhelming amount of our money, time, energy and personnel go into the maintenance of parish structures.
Now please don’t misunderstand me: I love the parish and believe in its importance passionately. Worship, instruction in discipleship, the building up of the community, formation for mission — all of this happens typically within the parish. I did full-time parish work for several years, and I’ve been involved in numerous parishes for the full 32 years of my priesthood. Now, as a regional bishop in the largest Archdiocese in the country, I supervise and regularly visit roughly 40 parishes. However, I do wonder whether, given the unique demands of our time, it might be wise to ask a few questions about our hyper-stress on the parish.
Survey after survey has shown that the number of the “nones,” or the religiously unaffiliated, is increasing dramatically in our country. Whereas in the early 1970s, those claiming no religion was around three percent, today it is close to 25 percent. And among the young, the figures are even more alarming: 40 percent of those younger than 40 have no religious affiliation, and fully 50 percent of Catholics younger than 40 claim to be “nones.” For every one person who joins the Catholic Church today, roughly six are leaving. And even those who identify as Catholic are spending very little time in and around parishes.
Most studies indicate that perhaps 20 to 25 percent of baptized Catholics attend Mass on a regular basis, and the numbers of those receiving the sacraments — especially baptism, confirmation, marriage — are in noticeable decline. Furthermore, objective analysis reveals — and I can testify from a good deal of personal experience — that a tiny percentage of the already small percentage who attend Mass typically participate in parish programs of education, social service, and spiritual renewal. The point — and again, this is to say absolutely nothing against those who do wonderful work within the parish — is that perhaps we should reconsider our priorities and focus, above all, on active evangelization, the great mission ad extra.
Pope Francis memorably told us to “get out of the sacristies and into the streets,” and to go “to the existential margins.” Especially in our Western context, the streets and the existential margins are where we find the “nones.” Two or three generations ago, we could trust that many people (Catholics certainly) would come to our institutions — schools, seminaries, and parishes — to be evangelized, but we absolutely cannot assume that today. But yet we still seem to devote most of our money, time, and attention to the maintenance of these institutions and their programs. Might it not be wiser to redirect our energies, money and personnel outward, so that we might move into the space where the un-evangelized, the fallen-away, the unaffiliated dwell? My humble suggestion is that a serious investment in social media and the formation of an army of young priests specifically educated and equipped to evangelize the culture through these means would be a desideratum. But that’s a subject for another column.
The last time Cardinal George addressed the priests of Chicago, at a convocation just about nine months before his death, he made a prophetic remark. He told the Chicago presbyterate that, at the beginning of the Church, there were no dioceses, no schools, no seminaries, and no parishes. But there were evangelists. He said that, in light of our present challenges, this is worth thinking about. He was right.

(This article first appeared at WordOnFire.org. Bishop Robert Barron is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.)

Parish calendar

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

CULLMAN, Ala., Benedictine Sisters Retreat Center, Woman in the World of Jesus, September 5-6. This retreat will offer an opportunity to focus on the Gospel passages that describe Jesus’ interaction with women. These passages can offer us new insight and appreciation of his generous and inclusive behavior in recognizing their contribution to his mission. Retreat Director: Sister Marian Davis, OSB, Ph.D. This is a one-night retreat. An additional night of retreat is available for those who wis. Cost: Private room $145; shared room $110 per person. Details: (256) 734-8302, retreats@shmon.org or www.shmon.org.
BROOKSVILLE, The Dwelling Place, Thomas Merton, Spiritual Writer and Contemplative, August 10-11, begins with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Donation: $100. Presenter: Ed Thebaud, a passionate admirer and scholar of Merton. He is a member of the International Thomas Merton Society. During this retreat, we will look at Merton’s historical life and conversion to Christianity. We will also look into essays that Merton wrote for the laity on solitude and contemplation. Coupled with these discussions will be some practical discussion on these sometimes thick subjects. Details: (662) 738-5348 or email at dwellpl@gmail.com.
GREENWOOD, Locus Benedictus Retreat Center, Grace for the Journey Training for Caregivers, Sunday, July 29 at 2 p.m. This training is for family, friends, clergy or employees who take care of people suffering from any illness or injury. Presenters: Catherine Kidd and Charlene Gressett. There is no cost to attend. Details: (662) 299-1232.

PARISH, SCHOOL AND FAMILY EVENTS

AMORY, St. Helen, Book Discussion Group will discuss The Book That Matters Most by Ann Hood at the parish hall, Monday, August 13, at noon. Everyone is invited. Details church office (662) 256-8392.
COLUMBUS, Annunciation Sit and Sew Circle, Third Wednesday of each month (next one is August 15) directly after the 8 a.m. Mass in the activity center. Bring your own project to work on from sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, etc. An extra sewing machine will be available if someone needs it. Bring your sack lunch and enjoy the fellowship. Details: Brenda Edwards at the church office (662) 328-2927.
GLUCKSTADT, St. Joseph, Save the Date, GermanFest, Sunday, September 30, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Details: church office (601) 856-2054.
HOLLY SPRINGS, “Hands-ON + Hearts-IN” provides week-long discernment experiences for women who are considering life as a Catholic Sister on the following dates: August 22-25 and September 10-14. The only cost to attend is the travel to and from the workshop and travel assistance can be provided. Jointed hosted by the Sisters of the Living Word, the Chicago Archdiocesan Vocation Association and Sacred Heart Southern Missions. Applicants must register one full month prior to the start of a specific program. Details: Sister Sharon Glumb, SLW, (847)-577-5972 ext. 233 (office), (601) 291-6738 (cell) or sglumb@slw.org.
JACKSON, St. Richard, Diocesan New Testament course, Tuesdays, beginning August 21 and continuing until Tuesday, September 28 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. in the Chichester Room. Facilitator: Mary Louise Jones. Reading the New Testament by Pheme Perkins; Paulist Press, Third Edition. It will focus on the four gospels and Paul’s Letters. Details: church office (601) 366-2335.
NATCHEZ, St. Mary Basilica, Parish Blood Drive, O’Connor Family Life Center, Tuesday, July 31, 12:30 – 6 p.m. Details: Regina Mardis (601) 445-5616 or schedule your online appointment at www.unitedbloodservices.org (Sponsor code: stmarynatchez).

YOUTH BRIEFS

CLEVELAND Our Lady of Victories, Movie Matinee, Sunday, August 12 at 2 p.m. in the Parish Center. Popcorn, nachos, candy and drinks will be provided. Volunteers to help with refreshments would be appreciated. Friends are welcome. Details: Jenifer Jenkins at (662) 402-7050.
COLUMBUS, Annunciation, CYO Kick-Off Pool Party, Sunday, August 19 at 4 p.m. at Father Jeffrey Waldrep’s house, 811 3rd Street. Details: contact Leslie at (541) 868-4944.
MADISON, St. Joseph Catholic School community is hosting a Blood Drive in support of Finn Blaylock on Thursday, August 2 from 2-7 p.m. in the St. Joe Cafeteria. Finn was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at the beginning of the summer. He is the six-year-old son of Ron and Lindsay Blaylock and is a student at St. Richard Catholic School. His sister Susanna is a sixth grader at St. Richard; his brothers, Declan, an eighth grader, and Gabe, a senior, are students at St. Joe. Please help us support this family of our school and Church community by visiting the St. Joe website to register www.stjoebruins.com. Details: Tricia Harris (601) 898-4800.

CORRECTIONS
In our annual report published last week, we accidentally omitted Religious Sisters living and working in the Diocese of Jackson. We deeply regret the error and honor the Sisters for all the work they do.
2016/2017 Stats: Sisters: 122 (includes 53 in residence at St. Mary of the Pines in Chatawa)

Hispanic leaders follow ‘the path’ to theological enrichment

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By Galen Holley
PONTOTOC – A light of recognition shone in Maribel Sanchez’s eyes, and she smiled humbly, her hand on her heart, as she stood to speak on behalf of her breakout group.
“I am a sinner, but God loves and forgives me, and, because of that, I am confident as a missionary,” said Sanchez, a catechist, as well as a lector and Eucharistic minister at St. Christopher Parish. “God has given me many good things, and all that I have, he wants me to share,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez stood amid some 50 of her fellow leaders in Hispanic ministry throughout Deanery Five, in northeast Mississippi. They gathered at St. Christopher for a day of study and reflection, the culmination of a year-long process of deepening their understanding of the faith, and better equipping themselves to impart that knowledge to others.
The course Sanchez and 10 other leaders officially completed on July 21 is called Camino. Meaning “the path,” in Spanish, Camino is an online, Spanish-based program in which students prepare by reading assigned, theological materials, then discussing what they have learned in group, chat sessions, and completing written assignments. Camino was developed through a partnership between the Pastoral Institute of the Southeast and the University of Notre Dame
Camino Director Esther Terry drove to Pontotoc from South Bend, Ind., with her husband and infant son, and conducted the retreat in Spanish. She began by citing the biblical accounts of Jesus’s call of Matthew, as well as the Lord’s call of his first disciples, in the first chapter of John, and Jesus’s visit to Mary and her sister, Martha, in Luke 10.
“Catechists, lay minsters, all who serve God, begin with an encounter with Christ,” said Terry, referring throughout the day to Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium.” In the 2013 document, the Holy Father emphasized that all the baptized, whatever their position or level of instruction, are called to proclaim and bear witness to the Gospel.
“Pope Francis says that all of us, informed by the Word of God and Church teaching, and reflecting upon our personal experience of the faith, are called to live our baptism by being missionary disciples,” Terry said.
That message resonated with catechist Luis Urzua, from New Albany St. Francis of Assisi Parish.
“Each of us experiences our relationship with Christ uniquely, so the gifts we offer, our witnesses, and our approaches to evangelizing will also be unique,” said Urzua.
According to Director of Faith Formation, Fran Lavelle, clergy and lay leaders in Deanery Five volunteered to serve as a pilot program for Camino in the Diocese of Jackson.
Choosing a program that was effective and manageable was a top priority, according to Raquel Thompson, Hispanic minister at Tupelo St. James Parish.
“A lot of thought was given to methodology,” said Thompson. “The guided study, the context for students to share what they learned with others in online forums, and the practical nature of the courses were important.”

At an orientation meeting in June of 2017, participants learned they would cover four areas of study, including the faith, the Creed, liturgy and sacrament, and prayer and spirituality. Each course lasted about six weeks. No grades were given, but online facilitators encouraged reasonable expectations for participation and consistency. Students were asked to pay $50 for each course, and the diocese offered scholarships.
The increasing need to provide sound theological and ministerial formation in Spanish was a big reason deanery personnel gave Camino a trial run, Thompson said. The broader impetus for the program, she added, emerged from the new vision statement and pastoral priorities Bishop Joseph Kopacz and his envisioning team set last year.
“Among the concerns we often hear from catechists and other leaders in the Hispanic community is that they don’t feel ready, or sufficiently prepared, or, in some cases, confident enough,” Thompson said.
St. Christopher’s Hispanic minister, Danna Johnson, concurred.
“We see a great hunger in our communities to learn more about the faith, and this innovative format, utilizing technology, and allowing many working people to study in their homes, when their schedules allow, is very exciting,” said Johnson.
Toward the end of the day, after participants prayed before the Blessed Sacrament, enjoyed lunch, and shared what they learned from the Camino experience, Lavelle awarded certificates, and Terry closed with another reflection upon Pope Francis’s exhortation, with a caveat from St. Pope John Paul II.
“John Paul II said that we never stop discovering, never stop deepening our understanding of faith,” Terry said. “Being a missionary disciple is also a lifelong process. Following Christ, imitating Christ’s life, participating in his mission — these are not easy things. Jesus didn’t promise us a rosy, easy time. Yet, we are invited to receive the love of God, and to share it.”

(Galen Holley is a member of New Albany St. Francis of Assisi Parish.)

Catholic Charities presents evening with Christian actor, producer

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Actor, producer and philanthropist Jim Caviezel knew when he accepted the role of Jesus in the Passion of the Christ, that his career would be impacted by the decision, but he wanted to use his life’s work to honor God. “My talent came from God, not from man,” he told Dave Cooper in an online interview for the show Christus Rex.
Caviezel is bringing his testimony to Jackson for an evening fundraiser for Catholic Charities on Friday, Sept. 7, at Thalia Mara Hall starting at 7:30 p.m.
Caviezel grew up in Washington State in a devout Catholic family. He first pursued a career in baseball until an injury sidelined him. He discovered acting instead.
In 1992 Caviezel landed a small role as an Italian ticket agent in Gus Van Sant’s My Private Idaho which earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award. To further his career Caviezel moved to Los Angeles in the early 1980’s and while making his round of auditions, Caviezel found small roles on popular TV shows Murder She Wrote, The Wonder Years and the CBS miniseries, Children of the Dust. Caviezel geared toward the big screen and accepted a role in Michael Ritchie’s drama Diggstown, followed by Lawrence Kasdan’s action film Wyatt Earp and in the action drama G.I Jane opposite actress Demi Moore.
Caviezel’s breakthrough role came in 1998 when he was casted in Terrence Malick’s Oscar nominated film The Thin Red Line, a dramatic adaption of a popular book about World War II alongside Sean Penn and Adrien Brody. Directors were drawn to Caviezel as he continuously demonstrated his powerful ability to fuse soulful introspection with physicality.
That generated quality and mainstream roles in films such as Ang Lee’s Civil War drama Ride with the Devil, Mimi Leders dramatic romance Pay it Forward and Luis Mandoki’s romantic thriller Angel Eyes. In 2002, Caviezel played the lead in an adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo based on the classic novel by Alexander Dumas. His next two roles included High Crimes opposite Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman and in Robert Harmon’s crime thriller in film Highwaymen.
Caviezel was recognized for his intense preparations for film roles and his role as Jesus in Passion of the Christ earned him a Grace Award from the Movie Guide Awards for the Most Inspired Movie Acting. Next, Caviezel played the character of Bobby Jones in the biographical drama Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius. In 2006, Caviezel played opposite Denzel Washington in the sci-fi thriller Déjà vu. Caviezel’s role on the mini TV-series The Prisoner for six episodes allowed him to prepare for his biggest TV role. In 2012, Caviezel appeared in the drama thriller Transit, alongside James Frain and Elisabeth Rohm. Premiering in 2011 Caviezel starred as ex-CIA special operations agent Jon Reese in CBS’s critically lauded drama, Person of Interest for all five seasons.
His second spiritual role was in Paul, Apostle of Christ, which was released earlier this year. When he speaks he challenges his audiences. In the Christus Rex interview he asked the attendees to “set yourselves apart from this corrupt generation my brothers and sisters, you weren’t made to fit in, you were born to stand out,” but he also warned that being a Christian and seeking salvation takes work. “Everyone wants resurrection. No one wants suffering,” said Caviezel.
“For any person, Christian or fan of the Passion or Caviezel’s other films, they are in for a treat. We are even more excited to bring his message to people of all faiths and denominations,” said John Lunardini, COO of Catholic Charities. He said he hopes people of all denominations will attend this inspiring evening.
Sponsors and VIP ticket holders will have access to the pre-show Meet and Greet with Jim Caviezel. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster online and in person at the box office.
Ticket prices range from $100 to $25 and group discounts are available. For more information about tickets and sponsorships contact Julie O’Brien at 601-326-3758, e-mail: julie.obrien@ccjackson.org or visit www.catholiccharitiesjackson.org

(Julie O’Brien contributed to this story.)

Experts in youth, Hispanic ministry to headline workshops

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON — Two of the leading voices in ministry in America today are coming to the Diocese of Jackson. Dr. Hoffsman Ospino and Robert Feduccia will lead this year’s faith formation workshop. The Office of Hispanic Ministry and the Department of Faith Formation are using the opportunity to also host a series of workshops and appearances with Ospino, associate professor of theology and religious education at Boston College and a member of the leadership team for the V Encuentro.

Hosffman Ospino, assistant professor of theology and religious education at Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry, delivers a lecture in 2017 at The Catholic University of America in Washington. Ospino told Catholic News Service in an interview that emerging in the national encuentro process as it unfolds is the need for all U.S. church leaders to strengthen outreach to Hispanic youth and young adults. (CNS photo/Jaclyn Lippelmann, Catholic Standard) See ENCUENTRO-OSPINO-YOUNG July 5, 2018.

On Saturday, August 25, Ospino and Feduccia are set to be keynote speakers anchoring this year’s Faith Formation Day at Madison St. Joseph School. The day is aimed at catechists and those who work in the protection of children, but others can register if they would like to attend. The theme this year – One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic – was developed around the four marks of the Church.
“We are looking at what unites us as Catholics and underscoring the importance of our Catholic identity, presence and catechesis in the world we live in today. Both keynote speakers have a well-developed perspective on what evangelization looks like in the modern era,” said Abbey Schuhmann, coordinator for youth ministry for the Diocese of Jackson and one of the organizers.

Robert Feduccia

Feduccia is a native of Brookaven and was active in the youth group at St. Francis. He was even a seminarian for the diocese before he discerned a call to married life. He helped found a youth liturgical leadership program called One Bread, One Cup at St. Meinrad Seminary and has worked with the National Catholic Youth Conference and World Youth Day.
Breakout sessions will focus on all areas of faith formation including family catechesis, adult faith formation, RCIA, youth ministry, elementary catechesis, Confirmation, self-care, and protection of children. Anyone involved in Faith Formation or Religious Education is encouraged to attend. The $10 cost includes a lunch.
That afternoon, from 3-7 p.m., Ospino will offer a program in Spanish at Pearl St. Jude Parish. Ospino is leading a workshop for pastors, deacons and lay ecclesial ministers one day before the public events.
In the invitation to the pastor event, Christian Brother Ted Dausch, coordinator for the Office of Hispanic Ministry, wrote a little about why hearing from Ospino is so relevant.
“We are living in very challenging times. Most of us cannot remember time a of such divisions, lack of civility, polarizations. It is against this backdrop, we are called to bring together people of different, languages, cultures, values, political preferences to reflect Catholic values lived out in very concrete ways. (Mt. 25)” he wrote.
Ospino has worked for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Catholic Educational Association. He brings with him a love for research and years of experience working with the Hispanic communities across the United States. He will speak with pastors, deacons and LEMs about the challenges of uniting diverse communities within faith communities. Registration for all events is open through the Office of Faith Formation, (601) 960-8473 or by emailing fran.lavelle@jacksondiocese.org.

Whole church urged to strengthen outreach to Hispanic young adults, youth

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By Norma Montenegro Flynn
WASHINGTON (CNS) – As the National Fifth Encuentro process unfolds across the United States, one of the emerging voices is the need to strengthen outreach to Hispanic youth and young adults.
The conversation should engage all pastoral leaders and not be considered an issue exclusive of Hispanic ministry, said Hosffman Ospino, associate professor of theology and religious education at Boston College and a member of the leadership team planning the Fifth Encuentro, or V Encuentro, process.
“The decision-makers, the gatekeepers, the power brokers, the people who are managing budgets and developing programs, many of these people have no idea what’s going on with Hispanic youth,” Ospino told Catholic News Service. “Some of them think that they know, some of them don’t want to know, some of them are scared to know. There’s got to be a massive, massive process of education.”
About 60 percent of Catholics in the U.S. age 18 or younger are Hispanic, according to research from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. Also, among young adults, nearly one in four Hispanics choose not to self-identify as Catholics, and on average they make that decision by age 25, according to the Pew Research Center.
Institutional self-preservation is one of many reasons Ospino offers for the need of widespread outreach.

Hosffman Ospino

“By the time they become adults and start having their families, the Catholic Church needs to find a way to connect with them, so they will see those churches, those dioceses and those schools as their home,” he said.
Growing vocations among young Hispanics in the U.S. also has been a frequent topic of conversation throughout the encuentro process as people call for more priests that share not only the language and knowledge of the culture, but who come from their own backgrounds, said Ken Johnson-Mondragon, national coordinator of research for V Encuentro.
“The children of the immigrants who came in the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s, are all growing up, they’re Catholic, they’re looking for services; they don’t see themselves as U.S.-born Hispanic Catholics mirrored in the ecclesial leadership,” Johnson-Mondragon said in an interview.
“There’s only one Hispanic U.S.-born priest for every 23,000 U.S-born Hispanic Catholics right now, so that’s another area that we need to put a lot of focus on: How do we strengthen the families and especially help families to become incubators and supporters of religious and clerical vocations in the church,” Johnson-Mondragon said.
Father Jose Eugenio Hoyos, director of the Spanish Apostolate in the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, knows firsthand the need to accompany families as a way to build a stronger faith among youth.
The problems Hispanic youth may frequently face are very complex, he notes, among those are family separation concerns due to possible deportations, teen pregnancy, violence and crime, lack of access to quality education, and the loss of family and human life values.
“One of our goals we have right now is to make stronger families, stronger marriages, and people will realize that that is what’s important for them, then the new generations will follow them,” Father Hoyos said.
“The community are like in (their) expectation. They want to see what the final recommendations for us into the Church are and want to start working hard because we are one Church, we have one Christ,” he said.
Ospino, who has written many studies on Hispanics and the Catholic Church, offers a few pieces of advice on making Hispanic youth ministry more effective:
– The church must engage in a massive process of training or re-training every pastoral leader about the realities of Hispanic Catholics.
– U.S. bishops and Catholic leaders must make substantial efforts to actively reach out to Hispanic youth at the parish level.
– Existing structures such as Catholic schools, Catholic universities, youth ministry and religious education programs must be made available to Hispanic youth.
– Leaders should actively support and promote ministry leadership roles among Hispanic youth and young adults.
“We have an obligation, we have a pastoral responsibility,” Ospino said, referring to Pope Francis’ invitation to ‘primerear,’ or to take the initiative to reach out and evangelize.