Author Archives: Tereza Ma

Hermana Lourdes celebra su 25º aniversario

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JACKSON – Hermana Lourdes Gonzalez, MGSpS, celebró su 25° aniversario de vida consagrada con una misa y una fiesta animada en la parroquia de Santa Teresita el domingo, 8 de abril.
En la misa, la Hermana Lourdes renovó sus juramentos mientras sostenía la Vela Pacual. Después de la misa, la comunidad se reunió en el centro parroquial para una fiesta. El salón estaba decorada con girasoles, la flor favorita de la hermana. Una banda de mariachis tocó y todos incluido el pastor Msgr. Elvin Sunds y la hermana bailaron toda la tarde.
Hermana Lourdes es parte de la comunidad de Misioneras Guadalupanas del Espíritu Santo que viven en Brandon. Ella trabaja como ministra pastoral en Santa Teresita.

JACKSON – Hermana Lourdes Gonzalez, MGSpS, baila en la celebración de su 25º aniversario de vida consagrada en la parroquia de Santa Teresita. (Foto de la hermana María Elena Méndez)

Un niño le pregunta al papa si su padre, que era ateo, irá al cielo

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Por Cindy Wooden
ROMA – Después de dar vueltas alrededor de un complejo de viviendas públicas masivas y desmoronadas en las afueras de Roma, el Papa Francisco tuvo un emotivo encuentro con los niños del vecindario. Las sesiones de preguntas y respuestas con los jóvenes son una parte estándar de las visitas parroquiales del Papa Francisco. Y, en la parroquia San Pablo de la Cruz el 15 de abril, hubo las preguntas usuales como, “¿Cómo te sentiste cuando fuiste elegido Papa?”

ROMA – El papa Francisco abraza a Emanuele, un niño cuyo padre murió, durante una visita a la Parroquia de San Pablo de la Cruz en Roma el 15 de abril. Aunque su padre no era creyente, había bautizado a sus cuatro hijos, y el papa le dijo al niño que sin duda su “papá está en el cielo”. (Foto CNS-Paul Haring).

Pero entonces fue el turno de Emanuele. El niño le sonrió al Papa mientras se acercaba al micrófono. Pero luego se congeló. “No puedo hacerlo,” dijo Emanuele.
Monseñor Leonardo Sapienza, un ayudante papal, alentó al niño, pero siguió diciendo: “No puedo.”
“Ven, ven a mí, Emanuele,” dijo el Papa. “Ven y susurra en mi oreja.”
Monseñor Sapienza ayudó al niño a subir a la plataforma donde estaba sentado el Papa. Emanuele estaba sollozando en ese momento, y el Papa Francisco lo envolvió en un gran abrazo, acariciando su cabeza y hablando en voz baja con él.
Con sus cabezas tocándose, el Papa y el niño hablaron en privado el uno al otro antes de que Emanuele regresara a su asiento.
“Si todos pudiéramos llorar como Emanuele cuando tenemos un dolor en nuestros corazones como él,” dijo el Papa a los niños. “Estaba llorando por su padre y tuvo el coraje de hacerlo delante de nosotros porque en su corazón hay amor por su padre.”
El Papa Francisco dijo que le había preguntado a Emanuele si podía compartir su pregunta y el niño estuvo de acuerdo. “Hace un tiempo mi padre falleció. No era creyente, pero bautizó a todos sus cuatro hijos. Era un buen hombre. ¿Papá está en el cielo?”
“Qué hermoso es escuchar a un hijo decir de su padre, ‘Era bueno,’” les dijo el Papa a los niños. “Y qué hermoso testigo de un hijo que heredó la fuerza de su padre, que tuvo el valor de llorar delante de todos nosotros. Si ese padre pudo hacer que sus hijos fueran tan buenos, entonces es cierto, era un buen hombre. Él era un buen hombre.”
“Ese hombre no tenía el don de la fe, no era creyente, pero bautizó a sus hijos. Tenía buen corazón,” dijo el Papa Francisco. “Dios es quien dice quién va al cielo,” explicó el Papa.
Al responder a la pregunta de Emanuele, el Papa dijo que el siguiente paso sería pensar cómo es Dios, especialmente qué tipo de corazón tiene Dios. “¿Qué piensas? El corazón de un padre. Dios tiene el corazón de un padre. Y con un padre que no era creyente, pero que bautizó a sus hijos y les dio esa valentía, ¿crees que Dios podría dejarlo lejos de sí mismo?”
“¿Dios abandona a sus hijos?” el Papa preguntó. “¿Dios abandona a sus hijos cuando son buenos?”
Los niños gritaron, “No.”
“Ahí, Emanuele, esa es la respuesta,” le dijo el Papa al muchacho. “Seguramente Dios estaba orgulloso de tu padre, porque es más fácil como creyente bautizar a tus hijos que bautizarlos cuando no eres creyente. Sin duda, esto agradó mucho a Dios.”
El Papa Francisco animó a Emanuele a “hablar con tu padre, reza a tu padre.”
Anteriormente, una joven llamada Carlotta también le hizo al Papa una pregunta delicada, “Cuando nos bautizamos, nos convertimos en hijos de Dios. Las personas que no están bautizadas, ¿no son hijos de Dios?”
“¿Qué te dice tu corazón?” el Papa le preguntó a Carlotta. Ella dijo, ellos también lo son.
“Correcto, y lo explicaré,” le dijo el Papa. “Todos somos hijos de Dios. Todos. Todos.”
Los no bautizados, miembros de otras religiones, aquellos que adoran ídolos, “incluso los mafiosos” que aterrorizan al vecindario alrededor de la parroquia, son hijos de Dios, aunque “prefieren comportarse como hijos del diablo,” dijo.
“Dios creó a todos, ama a todos y pone en el corazón de todos una conciencia para que puedan reconocer lo que es bueno y distinguirlo de lo que es malo,” dijo el Papa.
La diferencia, dijo, es que “cuando fuiste bautizado, el Espíritu Santo entró en esa conciencia y reforzó tu pertenencia a Dios y, en ese sentido, te hiciste más hija de Dios porque eres un hijo de Dios como todos, pero con la fuerza del Espíritu Santo.”

Visita pastoral a la misión de Saltillo

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Por Msgr. Michael Flannery
SALTILLO, Mex. – El jueves 12 de abril, el Obispo Kopacz y yo comenzamos nuestra visita anual a la misión en Saltillo, México. Los padres David Martínez y Evelio Casarubias, los sacerdotes de la misión, se reunieron con nosotros en el aeropuerto para llevarnos a la unidad de 70 millas a Saltillo a tiempo para la misa de las 6 p.m. en la Iglesia de la Divina Misericordia, dedicada por el Obispo Kopacz hace dos años. Después de la misa, se sirvió una comida deliciosa en honor a la llegada del obispo Kopacz.
La mañana siguiente (viernes), estábamos en la carretera a las 7 a.m. para visitar los ranchos acompañados de cinco acólitos y tres músicos. Nuestra primera parada fue en el pueblo de San Francisco para celebrar el sacramento de la Confirmación. Es rara vez que los pueblos ven un obispo. Por lo general, un aldeano tiene que viajar a la iglesia catedral para su confirmación, trayendo a familiares y patrocinadores con él/ella y tal vez pasar la noche. Por lo tanto, la visita del obispo es un gran ahorro para las familias. Después de la confirmación, todos compartimos un gran desayuno con los aldeanos y las personas recién confirmadas.
En el transcurso de ese día, dejamos el estado de Coahuila en el estado de Zacatecas, visitando los pueblos de Jalapa, Anima, Sabanilla, Garambullo y Tapon. Tapon es el pueblo más remoto y toma seis horas de viaje para llegar allí. La mayor parte del camino sigue un sendero hinchable, viajando aproximadamente de cinco a siete millas por hora. Nuestra última parada del día fue el Rancho el Cuervo, un famoso campamento de caza donde el amable anfitrión había preparado una deliciosa comida. En total, fue un día completo para el Obispo Kopacz, habiendo celebrado tres ceremonias de Confirmaciones, cuatro celebraciones de la Palabra y la Sagrada Comunión y una bendición de los aldeanos.
El sábado, el obispo don Raúl Vera, obispo de Saltillo, se unió al obispo Kopacz para bendecir la piedra angular de una nueva iglesia, San José. La bendición se llevó a cabo al aire libre bajo una sombra improvisada. La emoción de los 200 aldeanos fue increíble. Ellos participaron en la Misa con gran reverencia y entusiasmo. La realidad de tener su propio espacio de culto estaba a la vista. El obispo Vera predicó la homilía. Él habló de cooperar con los obispos de Texas y los obispos mexicanos cuyas diócesis estaban adyacentes a la frontera con los Estados Unidos. Este grupo recién formado de obispos estaba en el proceso de redactar una carta al presidente Trump en la que le suplicaba que no construyera un muro entre los Estados Unidos y México. El Obispo Kopacz, parafraseando al Papa Francisco, habló de construir puentes como el puente que las diócesis de Biloxi y Jackson han tenido con la Diócesis de Saltillo durante 49 años.
Después de la misa, viajamos a Presa San Pedro para la celebración de la Confirmación para los aldeanos de La Rosa, La Purísima y La Ventura. De nuevo, fue un gran festival de fe. Antes de irse, el Obispo Kopacz hizo una visita a una señora que sufría de parálisis cerebral. Ahora tenía 24 años y no pesaba más de 45 libras. Ella nunca había hablado y solo hacía sonidos guturales. La familia estaba muy agradecida por la visita del obispo.
El domingo por la mañana, en Saltillo, tuvimos una misa a las 9:00 a.m. en la Iglesia de la Divina Misericordia, que incluyó varios bautismos y un desayuno con las personas mayores. Después de la comida, nos unimos a una procesión a cuatro cuadras de la iglesia liderada por bailarines aztecas, que se dirigían a la Misa más grande del día a la 1:00 p.m. Una vez más, el obispo Kopacz fue el celebrante principal, acompañado por el obispo Vera. Las celebraciones continuaron hasta las 11:00 p.m.
Obispo Kopacz también visitó al sepulcro del padre Patrick Quinn, el fundador de la misión y el seminario local en Saltillo.
El martes viajamos a Aguascalientes para la ordenación diaconal de Adolfo Suárez Pasillas. Después del ensayo, conocimos a su familia encantadora y compartimos una comida deliciosa. El miércoles por la mañana Adolfo nos mostró los sitios históricos de Aguascalientes. La ciudad estaba haciendo preparativos extensos para la Feria de San Marcos, un festival anual de tres semanas que asisten varios millones de personas de todo México. Este festival musical tuvo una tradición ininterrumpida de 190 años. Los locales alegan que se consumirá más cerveza durante este período de tres semanas de la feria que durante el resto del año calendario.
Lo más destacado de nuestra visita fue la ordenación de Adolfo en su ciudad natal, Jesús María, en la iglesia parroquial de Jesús de Nazaret a las 5:30 p.m. Miércoles, 18 de abril. El Obispo Kopacz presidió la misa con una iglesia abarrotada de aproximadamente 500 personas, otras 400 se habían congregado en el patio. El apoyo de los feligreses fue increíble. El Vicario General de la Diócesis de Aguascalientes saludó al Obispo Kopacz y lo recibió en la diócesis. Señaló que la parroquia de Jesús de Nazaret era la parroquia más espiritual de toda la diócesis. La Diócesis de Aguascalientes ordena un promedio de 12 sacerdotes por año y actualmente tiene suficiente excedente que algunos de sus sacerdotes están sirviendo en otras áreas de México. De hecho, el vicario mencionó que podrían compartir algunos sacerdotes con la Diócesis de Jackson.
El padre Kent Bowlds, pastor de la parroquia de Nuestra Señora de las Victorias en Cleveland, donde Adolfo ha servido, dio el testimonio de la buena disposición del candidato. Después de la ordenación, nos dirigimos a un salón cercano donde fuimos recibidos por una banda de Mariachi y la celebración continuó hasta las 11:00 p.m.
En total, fue una semana llena, una tremenda experiencia de compartir la fe y una gran bendición para todos los participantes. En nuestro viaje de regreso a casa, el obispo Kopacz ya estaba haciendo planes para su viaje de regreso para el próximo año, cuando con suerte bendecirá la iglesia recién construida de San José y participará en el jubileo de oro de la fundación de la Misión Saltillo. El buen trabajo iniciado por el Padre Patrick Quinn, el fundador de la Misión Saltillo todavía continúa en su alcance a los pobres.
El diácono Adolfo será asignado a la parroquia de Jackson Santa Tersita durante su año como diácono.

(Mons. Michael Flannery es un sacerdote retirado de la Diócesis de Jackson. Ha escrito un libro sobre la misión de Saltillo, disponible en la Parroquia Madison St. Francis.)
(Nota del editor: una cobertura más amplia de la ordenación del Diácono Adolfo aparecerá en el conjunto especial de ordenación en el Mississippi Catholic en junio.)

Photo by Cristian Lopez

Photo by Cristian Lopez

Photo by Cristian Lopez

Photo by Cristian Lopez

Photo by Cristian Lopez

Photo by Cristian Lopez

Photo by Cristian Lopez

Photo by Cristian Lopez

Photo by Cristian Lopez

Photo by Monsignor Michael Flannery

Photo by Monsignor Michael Flannery

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Photo by Monsignor Michael Flannery

Photo by Monsignor Michael Flannery

Photo by Monsignor Michael Flannery

Photo by Monsignor Michael Flannery

Photo by Monsignor Michael Flannery

Photo by Monsignor Michael Flannery

Photo by Monsignor Michael Flannery

Photo by Monsignor Michael Flannery

Photo by Monsignor Michael Flannery

Photo by Monsignor Michael Flannery

Photo by Monsignor Michael Flannery

Advocates praise parole reform law signed by Governor Bryant

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – On Wednesday, April 18, Governor Phil Bryant signed House Bill 387 into law. Prison reform advocates are praising it as a long-needed step forward in the state. It has a number of different impacts on parole and sentencing regulations.
“What’s so great is that this is the first step in reform that we have needed for so long. We finally have some momentum,” said Marvin Edwards, coordinator for prison ministry for the Catholic Diocese of Jackson. He was invited to witness the bill signing. He has long advocated for reforms that would help both inmates inside prison and those who have been released and wish to start new lives. “Bigger issues are being tackled. We are getting people involved who have not been,” he said. Edwards said reform, while a moral issue, is quickly becoming a huge economic issue for the state.
André de Gruy, the state public defender and member of Jackson St. Richard Parish, outlined the main points in an email to Mississippi Catholic. He called special attention to two sections dealing with parole violations. Section five of the new law expands parole eligibility for non-violent offenders who were not covered in a previous reform. It means almost 200 non-violent offenders can now get parole. “The vast majority, more than 140, will be parole eligible on July 1; the fiscal impact estimate of this provision is $1.1 million in fiscal year 2019,” he wrote.
Another significant reform eliminates a judge’s ability to “stack” technical parole violations, such as failure to report or pay a fine. The practice means a parolee who has not committed a new crime could be sent back to prison for years on non-violent technical violations.
“The result was that despite 80 percent of revocations involving only technical violations almost 80 percent of people being revoked were going to prison for years not to Technical Violation Centers for 90-180 days. If this change is instituted with fidelity, the savings for the Department of Corrections are estimated to be between $12.3 and $18.5 million dollars,” de Gruy explained.
Incarceration is an expensive business. When an inmate is eligible for parole, but ends up back in a cell because he cannot pay a fine, the state or county has to pay for his food and supervision in an already overcrowded facility. If a parolee does not check in with her parole officer, she can end up back in jail on a parole violation. If she gets a job, she has to ask her employer for time off and find transportation. This can cost the parolee their job – another potential parole violation.
The new law allows parolees to use video conferencing such as Skype or Facetime to check in with their officers, saving the state, the parole officer and the former inmate time and money. The prison system is already running tens-of-millions of dollars in the red so money-saving reforms are welcomed.
One aspect of the law Edwards praised eliminates what some have called “debtor’s prisons” – when a judge can jail a person for not paying a fine. If an inmate cannot pay a fine, the judge has to conduct a hearing to find out if the reason is poverty or willful contempt. If someone does not have the money to pay, the judge has the option to establish a payment plan, lower the fine or waive it altogether.
The law also includes creation of a taskforce to examine sentencing disparity between judges, calls for a jail census, allows counties to request inmate workers and addresses sentencing in non-violent habitual offenses.
Edwards said he looks forward to seeing what comes next in the reform movement. As a member of the Catholic Charities Faith in Action Team (FIAT), he sees an opportunity for Catholics across the state to become engaged in the process. FIAT hopes to educate parishes about advocacy in general and about specific issues people can help with in the state. “Our goal is to be a clearinghouse for parishes to know the issues here,” said Edwards.
Prison reform, he said, is the perfect example. “The legislators want to do something, but if they don’t have support from the people, they are not going to rock the boat,” he explained. If Catholics knew what reforms are needed and thoughtfully contacted their lawmakers, Edwards is convinced more and even better reforms can happen. The law goes into effect July 1.

Program aims to help paroled inmates become good citizens

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Prison ministers for the Diocese of Jackson are taking their work outside the cells thanks to a new initiative meant to help people adjust to life after incarceration. The program is called Getting Ahead While Getting Out and it starts months before an inmate is released. The idea is to help someone gain some life skills and start building a support network before they ever leave prison.
On Saturday, May 19, Marvin Edwards, who coordinates prison ministry for the diocese, and Daughter of Charity Sister Madeline Kavanagh will host a training at Flowood St. Paul Parish for people who want to be facilitators in the Getting Ahead While Getting Out program. Anyone is welcome to attend – including non-Catholics – but the workshop is primarily for people who already have clearance to visit prisons. Everyone needs to register.

Photo courtesy of Bickstock

Edwards and Sister Kavanagh are collaborating on the new program. It is a relationship-based model for reintegration. Facilitators will meet with small groups of inmates in the months before their parole to prepare them for their life after release. “They have a workbook and they answer questions such as ‘how did I get here, what factors contributed to my situation,’ things like that,” said Sister Kavanagh. The participants learn how to manage finances, how to seek a job and how to build a support network. According to the program website, a large percentage of released convicts will get into trouble within days of release. Often, they return to old habits or they simply don’t know how to start a new life.
“There are so many inmates that are there simply because they didn’t know any better. They didn’t have any background – any roots. They are very intelligent. Don’t get me wrong, there are some in prison who don’t need to get out, but the majority of them could change if they had the opportunity,” said Edwards, who has been a prison minister for years in Mississippi. He said the prison system does not offer inmates the opportunity to transform their lives. “Lots of them just messed up. They were teenagers and they end up in prison for 20, 30 years. When they get out, they don’t know what to do,” he added.
This program, said Sister Kavanagh, gets them to start to think critically. “The woman who started it was a real educator. She realized we are always going in and telling people how to live their lives and that doesn’t work. Participants in this program are considered investigators,” explained Sister Kavanagh. “The facilitators don’t tell them what to do, the participant goes through his or her own program,” she said. The inmates take control of their own lives. The program materials refer to the participants as ‘returning citizens’ to help them see themselves in a new way.
“We are looking for people who can listen and accompany these prisoners as they go through the process,” she said. “When they are thinking out loud and being listened to, they find their own power and their own wisdom. They realize they have all this potential,” she added. In addition to facilitators, Sister Kavanaugh said the program will need community partners.
“We hope people realize that the people coming out of prison have not had the advantages that many others have had. They need support. They need people who can be mentors, who can help them get jobs, who will welcome them into the parish,” she said.
The training takes a few months to complete. While facilitators are being trained, Edwards will make contact with the individual prisons to lay the groundwork for the program. He already has support from the prison system. He believes it’s because the program is free for the prisons, and has the potential to save the state money by reducing recidivism. He hopes to have it up and running in February of 2019. Those interested in the training can call Marvin Edwards at (601)594-8254 or Sister Madeline Kavanagh at (213)215-6103.

Pope calls German cardinal to Rome to discuss eucharistic sharing

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By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis has asked the president of the German bishops’ conference to come to Rome to discuss pastoral guidelines for possibly allowing some non-Catholics married to Catholics to receive the Eucharist, the conference spokesman said.
Reports that “the document was rejected in the Vatican by the Holy Father or by the dicasteries are false,” said Matthias Kopp, the conference spokesman.
For one thing, Kopp said April 19, the guidelines still have not been finalized and, therefore, they have not been reviewed by the Vatican. Members of the German bishops’ conference were asked to submit proposed amendments to the draft document by Easter; the heads of the conference’s doctrinal and ecumenical committees and the president of the conference were to formulate a final draft and present it to the conference’s permanent council April 23.
Cardinal Reinhard Marx, conference president, had announced Feb. 22 at the end of their plenary meeting that three-quarters of the German bishops approved the development of pastoral guidelines for determining situations in which a non-Catholic spouse married to a Catholic could receive Communion.

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The cardinal said that “the background is the high proportion of mixed marriages and families in Germany, where we recognize a challenging and urgent pastoral task” to determine if and under what circumstances couples of different denominations who regularly go to church together can receive the Eucharist together.
The possibility, he had said, would require a discussion with the pastor or a designated member of the parish staff to ensure that the non-Catholic receiving Communion “could confess the eucharistic faith of the Catholic Church.”
“This assistance will give help in concrete cases of mixed-denomination marriages and create a greater clarity and security for pastors and married people,” the cardinal had said.
About a month later, however, seven German bishops, including Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne, sent a letter to Archbishop Luis Ladaria, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, asking for confirmation of their belief that a bishops’ conference does not have the authority to expand permissions for non-Catholics to receive Communion.
In general, Catholic teaching insists that sharing the sacrament of Communion will be a sign that Christian churches have reconciled fully with one another, although in some pastoral situations, guests may be invited to the Eucharist.
During Pope Francis’ visit to Sweden in 2016, Cardinal Koch, the Vatican’s chief ecumenist, was asked about the situations in which such sharing would be permitted. In reply, he said a distinction must be made between “eucharistic hospitality for individual people and eucharistic communion.”
The term hospitality is used to refer to welcoming guests to the Eucharist on special occasions or under special circumstances, as long as they recognize the sacrament as the real presence of Christ. Eucharistic communion, on the other hand, refers to a more regular situation of the reception of Communion by people recognized as belonging to the same church family, he had said.

Moral outrage becomes self-condemnation

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Father Ron Rolheiser

IN EXILE
By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
Moral outrage is the antithesis of morality. Yet it’s everywhere present in our world today and is everywhere rationalized on the basis of God and truth.
We live in a world awash in moral outrage. Everywhere individuals and groups are indignant and morally outraged, sometimes violently so, by opposing individuals, groups, ideologies, moral positions, ecclesiologies, interpretations of religion, interpretations of scripture and the like. We see this everywhere, television networks outraged at the news coverage of other networks, church groups bitterly demonizing each other, pro-life and pro-choice groups angrily shouting at each other and politics at its highest levels paralyzed as different sides feel so morally indignant that they are unwilling to contemplate any accommodation whatever with what opposes them.
And always, on both sides, there’s the righteous appeal to morality and divine authority (however explicit or implicit) in way that, in essence, says: I have a right to demonize you and to shut my ears to anything you have to say because you’re wrong and immoral and I, in the name of God and truth, am standing up to you. Moreover, you’re immorality gives me the legitimate right to bracket the essentials of human respect and treat you as a pariah to be eliminated – in the name of God and of truth.
And this this kind of attitude doesn’t just make for the angry divisions, bitter polarizations and the deep distrust we live with today within our society, it’s also what produces terrorists, mass shootings and the ugliest bigotry and racism. It produced Hitler – someone who was able to capitalize so powerfully on moral outrage that he was able to sway millions of people to turn against what was best inside themselves.
But moral outrage, however much it tries to justify itself on some lofty basis, religion, morality, patriotism, historical hurt, or personal injustice, remains always the opposite of genuine morality and genuine religious practice? Why? Because genuine morality and religious practice are always characterized by the opposite of what’s seen in moral outrage. Genuine morality and genuine religious practice are always marked by empathy, understanding, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, respect, charity and graciousness – all of which are glaringly absent in virtually every expression of moral outrage we see today.
In trying to draw us into a genuine morality and religiosity, Jesus says this: Unless your virtue goes deeper than that of the Scribes and the Pharisees you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. What was the virtue of the Scribes and Pharisees? On the surface, theirs was a very high virtue. To be a good Scribe or Pharisee meant keeping the Ten Commandments, being faithful to the prescribed religious practices of the time and being a man or woman who was always just and fair in your dealings with others. So what’s lacking in that?
What’s missing is that all of these things (keeping the commandments, faithful religious observance and being fair to others) can be done with a bitter, accusatory, unforgiving heart just as easily (and perhaps even more so) than with a warm, empathic, forgiving heart. Keeping the commandments, going to church and being a just person can all be done (as is only too clear sometimes) out of moral outrage. To paraphrase Jesus: Anyone can be gracious to those who are gracious to you. Anyone can love those who love you. And anyone can be good to those who do good to you … but can you be gracious to those who are bitter towards you? Can you be loving towards those who hate you? And can you forgive those who kill you? That’s the litmus test for Christian morality and religious practice – and nowhere inside of anyone who passes this test will you still find the kind of moral outrage where we believe that God and truth are asking us to demonize those who hate us, do us evil, or try to kill us.
Moreover what we do in moral outrage is deny that we are ourselves morally complicit in the very things we demonize and pour our hatred out on. As we watch the world news each day and see the anger, bitter divisions, violence, injustices, intolerance and wars that characterize our world, a deep, honest, courageous scrutiny should make us aware that we cannot fully separate ourselves from those things. We live in a world of longstanding and present injustice, of ever-widening economic inequality, of endemic racism and sexism, of countless people living as victims of plunder and rape in history, of millions of refugees with no place to go and in a society where various people are branded and ostracized as “losers” and “sickos.” Should we be surprised that our society produces terrorists? However sincere and innocent we might personally feel, how we’re living helps create the ground the breeds mass killers, terrorists, abortionists and playground bullies. We’re not as innocent as we think we are.
Our moral outrage is not an indicator that we are on the side of God and truth. More often than not, it suggests the opposite.

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

Annunciation School to add facilities, renovate

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By Maureen Smith
COLUMBUS – Enrollment is exploding at Annunciation Catholic School so it’s time to expand. The school has launched a two-phase capital campaign aimed at enlarging the existing facilities and establishing a long-term plan master plan. Phase one calls for raising a little more than $3 million to add a new building to house six classrooms, a library, a science lab, a technology lab and a new administrative area. This phase will also renovate the cafeteria, expand the gymnasium and reconfigure the current building.
“Currently, we have eight classes and a computer lab in modular classrooms. It is time to make these temporary classrooms permanent in order for us to fulfill our school mission to the highest potential. Our school family has been praying for an opportunity for us to continue providing a Christ-centered environment for children in the Golden Triangle. We are thrilled to undertake this task as we continue to guide students to reach their full potential,” said principal Joni House. She has seen enrollment grow 95 percent in the past seven years. Some students are riding a bus from Starkville daily to attend Annunciation, the only school in the so-called Golden Triangle of Columbus, Starkville and West Point.
She credits the enrollment jump to a great staff as well as a supportive community and parents who believe in the mission of the school and parish.
Father Jeffrey Waldrep became the pastor of Annunciation Parish just last year and has embraced his role at the school. “It has been so amazing becoming a part of the Annunciation Catholic school family,” said Father Waldrep. “Joni House, our principal and mentor, has made it her ministry to enable a talented, creative and spirit-filled team of teachers and staff that rally around a single mission. That mission has and continues our growth in enlightening the minds and forming life-long learners of our students,” he said.
He said he has seen support from both Catholic and non-Catholic families who see the value of the education at Annunciation.
“These are some very blessed times at our school. phase one of this project will provide opportunities for all students to use new technology and science labs, along with a new expansive library. This is not to mention the six new classrooms, stage and locker rooms on the gym and full-service cafeteria. But with all blessings comes responsibility,” said Father Waldrep. He has invited everyone in the community to prayerfully consider joining the campaign.
Parent Kay Regimbal is one of the campaign supporters. “The foundation that ACS has provided for our children is constantly strengthened day after day and year after year through teaching excellence, character building and spiritual guidance. ACS is making a lasting impact on our children, our local community and our future by raising the bar for academic excellence, creativity and interpersonal growth, developing students who not only think for themselves but love, care and respect those around them. We consider ourselves incredibly blessed to be on this journey with our school family,” she said.
The second phase of the campaign calls for establishing a long-term planning committee, possibly adding another academic building on property the school already owns and adding a chapel. When planning started, the committee looked at several options, including purchasing new land and building from scratch and purchasing an existing school building, but in the end, the committee agreed that the school would do best if it repurposed and added to existing facilities.
Those interested in supporting the campaign can make a one-time donation or make a pledge they can pay off in installments. Call the school office for details (662) 328-4479.

Campaign picture

COLUMBUS – A rendering shows what the entrance to an expanded Annunciation School will look like. The school is raising money for a $3 million dollar expansion needed to keep up with rising enrollment. (rendering courtesy of Annunciation School)

Hope Haven opens doors

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JACKSON – Bishop Joseph Kopacz, center, gathers visitors and staff for a blessing at the new Catholic Charities Hope Haven Residential facility on Friday, April 13. Hope Haven hosted an open house to celebrate their new residence, which will allow them to double their capacity. Hope Haven is a temporary shelter where teens in crisis and their families can get help to start the path to healing. The organization is still looking for supplies including sheet and comforter sets, exercise equipment and toiletries. Contact Kim Thomason to donate at 601-397-2224 or kim.thomason@catholiccharitiesjackson.org. (Photos by Tereza Ma)

Photo by Tereza Ma