Author Archives: Tereza Ma

God’s closeness

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IN EXILE

Father Ron Rolheiser

By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
There’s a growing body of literature today that chronicles the experience of persons who were clinically dead for a period of time (minutes or hours) and were medically resuscitated and brought back to life. Many of us, for example, are familiar with Dr. Eben Alexander’s book, Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife. More recently Hollywood produced a movie, Miracles from Heaven, which portrays the true story of a young Texas girl who was clinically dead, medically revived, and who shares what she experienced in the afterlife.
There are now hundreds of stories like this, gathered through dozens of years, published or simply shared with loved ones. What’s interesting (and consoling) is that virtually all these stories are wonderfully positive, irrespective of the person’s faith or religious background. In virtually every case their experience, while partially indescribable, was one in which they felt a warm, personal, overwhelming sense of love, light and welcome, and not a few of them found themselves meeting relatives of theirs that had passed on before them, sometimes even relatives that they didn’t know they had. As well, in virtually every case, they did not want to return to life here but, like Peter on the Mountain of the Transfiguration, wanted to stay there.
Recently while speaking at conference, I referenced this literature and pointed out that, among other things, it seems everyone goes to heaven when they die. This, of course, immediately sparked a spirited discussion: “What about hell? Aren’t we judged when we die? Doesn’t anyone go to hell?” My answer to those questions, which need far more nuance than are contained in a short soundbite, was that while we all go to heaven when we die, depending upon our moral and spiritual disposition, we might not want to stay there. Hell, as Jesus assures us, is a real option; though, as Jesus also assures us, we judge ourselves. God puts no one to hell. Hell is our choice.
However it was what happened after this discussion that I want to share here: A woman approached me as I was leaving and told me that she had had this exact experience. She had been clinically dead for some minutes and then revived through medical resuscitation. And, just like the experience of all the others in the literature around this issue, she too experienced a wonderful warmth, light, and welcome, and did not want to return to life here on earth.
Inside of all of this warmth and love however what she remembers most and most wants to share with others is this: “I learned that God is very close. We have no idea how close God is to us. God is closer to us than we ever imagine!” Her experience has left her forever branded with a sense of God’s warmth, love and welcome, but what’s left the deepest brand of all inside her is the sense of God’s closeness.
I was struck by this because, like millions of others, I generally don’t feel that closeness, or at least don’t feel it very affectively or imaginatively. God can seem pretty far away, abstract and impersonal, a Deity with millions of things to worry about without having to worry about the minutiae of my small life.
Moreover, as Christians, we believe that God is infinite and ineffable. This means that while we can know God, we can never imagine God. Given that truth, it makes it even harder for us to imagine that the infinite Creator and Sustainer of all things is intimately and personally present inside us, worrying with, sharing our heartaches, and knowing our most guarded feelings.
Compounding this is the fact that whenever we do try to imagine God’s person our imaginations come up against the unimaginable. For example, try to imagine this: There are billions of persons on this earth and billions more have lived on this earth before us. At this very minute, thousands of people are being born, thousands are dying, thousands are sinning, thousands are doing virtuous acts, thousands are making love, thousands are experiencing violence, thousands are feeling their hearts swelling with joy, all of this part of trillions upon trillions of phenomena. How can one heart, one mind, one person be consciously on top of all of this and so fully aware and empathetic that no hair falls from our heads or sparrow from the sky without this person taking notice? It’s impossible to imagine, pure and simple, and that’s part of the very definition of God.
How can God be as close to us as we are to ourselves? Partly this is mystery, and wisdom bids us befriend mystery because anything we can understand is not very deep! The mystery of God’s intimate, personal presence inside us is beyond our imaginations. But everything within our faith tradition and now most everything in the testimony of hundreds of people who have experienced the afterlife assure us that, while God may be infinite and ineffable, God is very close to us, closer than we imagine.

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

Catholic Day at Capitol returns in 2018

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Catholic Charities will again host Catholic Day at the Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018. Mental health is the keystone topic for the event. Angela Ladner from the Mississippi Psychiatric Association and Joy Hogge of Mississippi Families as Allies are the main speakers.
Catholic Day at the Capitol was founded as a way for Catholics from across the state to address their lawmakers. A team from Catholic Charities identifies key issues related to Catholic Social Teaching which the legislators may have on their agenda for the year. The committee then gathers resources for those who can advocate on behalf of the church and those who may be impacted.
In the last two years the event has gotten a makeover. The team used to be called the Poverty Task Force. It is now called the Faith in Action Team (FIAT) and hopes to bring Catholic Social Teaching to the forefront of social justice work throughout the diocese.
Sue Allen, coordinator for social justice ministry for Catholic Charities of Jackson, has been traveling to parishes in each deanery offering workshops about Catholic Social Teaching and about advocacy in general. She believes empowered and educated people can do more by meeting their lawmakers at home than by coming to the capitol during the busy session. In this way, Catholic Day at the Capitol becomes a day for people to gather and learn about key issues and take that information back to their parishes and communities, where they can advocate for better care for everyone.
Registration will open soon on the Catholic Charities website. Register by contacting Sue Allen at Catholic Charities at 601-383-3849 or by email at sue.allen@ccjackson.org.

Natchez pastor hopes to welcome community with Christmas outreach

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NATCHEZ – Father David O’Connor, pastor of St. Mary Basilica, has announced a program called ‘Walk with us in the Christmas spirit’ for the weeks before and after Christmas. He hopes to encourage parish members, Cathedral school population and community-wide people to consciously seek the Christmas spirit.
“We assume that most people want to experience the spirit of Christmas but we also realize that life for most people gets very busy during the Christmas season,” said Father O’Connor. “By Christmas spirit we mean sharing kindness, peace, joy, encouragement, acceptance and hospitality. In addition, to a wide range of programs in our congregation that proclaim the Christmas spirit, we also ask church members to select personal ways of sharing the Christmas spirit within the congregation and with everyone they meet,” he added.

NATCHEZ – A nativity scene from the Basilica of St. Mary from 2016. The parish is launching an effort to promote Christmas spirit. (Photos by Vickie Stirek)

The December calendar at St. Mary includes a wide variety of programs: the weekly Wednesday dinners at the Family Life Center, the Alcorn choir performance on December 3, Lessons and Carols on December 10, the celebrations of feasts of St. Nicholas (December 6), St. Lucy (December 7), the Virgin of Guadalupe (December 12), and the Virgin Mary (December 8). Additional social events include Breakfast with Santa (December 2) and an open house at the Family Life Center on December 23.
“Most church programs are directed by a parish commission or the pastoral council, but this program is different. Its effectiveness will depend on every child, youth, adult and family,” said Donna Martello, program coordinator at St. Mary. “We are asking that each of these select personal ways of extending kindness, love and joy to one another and to everyone they meet. This can take many forms such as sending personal greeting and prayer cards to a number of people, giving home baked cookies, a home visit to people in the neighborhood, phone calls to individuals, or an email greeting,” she explained.
Pat Tumminello, chair of the Liturgy Commission, said they want to counter the commercialism of the season. “We are encouraging a focus on spiritual activities such as praying for/with individuals, prayer visits to St. Mary, praying the traditional noon-time prayer of the church called the Angelus, using the ‘Blue Book’ thought-for-the-day guide, use of the Advent wreath at home, a brief prayer every time a person drives by St. Mary, seeking forgiveness and forgiving others, including the church and its clergy,” Tumminello said.
“This program is designed to encourage the efforts of all Christian people to keep Christ in Christmas. We as Catholics do not want to give the impression that we have a monopoly on this. We are inviting our friends and neighbors join with us to share the spirit of Christmas,” explained Father O’Connor. “We are using name tags, yard signs, posters, banners and social media to highlight the call to walk with us in the Christmas spirit.”
For a full listing of activities and suggestions, contact St. Mary parish office at (601) 445-5616.

(Submitted by Regina Mardis on behalf of Father David O’Connor.)

Mississippi Catholic 2018 Publication Schedule

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The staff at Mississippi Catholic is looking forward to a busy and productive 2018. As always, we invite participation from faithful from across the diocese. Please submit your stories, photos and events so we can include them in the paper.
The publication schedule for 2018 follows.

Look for special sections this year marking Catholic Schools Week, two priestly ordinations, graduations and the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation.
Send submissions to editor@mississippicatholic.com. Send information three to four weeks before or within one week after an event. Ads are due one week prior to publication. Visit the paper online at www.mississippicatholic.com.
The staff here at Mississippi Catholic would like to thank you, our readers, for your prayer and support and wish you a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.

Catholic liturgies avoid Christmas decorations, carols in Advent

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By Carol Zimmermann
WASHINGTON (CNS) – During the weeks before Christmas, Catholic churches stand out for what they are missing. Unlike stores, malls, public buildings and homes that start gearing up for Christmas at least by Thanksgiving, churches appear almost stark save for Advent wreaths and maybe some greenery or white lights.
“The chance for us to be a little out of sync or a little countercultural is not a bad thing,” said Paulist Father Larry Rice, director of the University Catholic Center at the University of Texas at Austin.
By the same token, he is not about to completely avoid listening to Christmas music until Dec. 24 either. The key is to experience that “being out of sync feeling in a way that is helpful and teaches us something about our faith,” he told Catholic News Service.
Others find with the frenetic pace of the Christmas season it is calming to go into an undecorated church and sing more somber hymns like “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” But that shouldn’t be the only draw, noted Jesuit Father Bruce Morrill, who is the Edward A. Malloy professor of Catholic studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School in Nashville, Tennessee.
He said the dissonance between how the church and society at large celebrate Christmas is that the church celebration begins, not ends, Dec. 25. The shopping season and Christian church calendar overlap, but don’t connect, he added.
And even though Catholic churches – in liturgies at least – steer clear of Christmas carols during Advent and keep their decorations to a minimum, Father Morrill said he isn’t about to advise Catholic families to do the same.
“It’s hard to tell people what to do with their rituals and symbols,” he said, adding, “that horse is out of the barn.”
He remembers a family on the street in Maine where he grew up who didn’t put their Christmas decorations up until Dec. 24 and didn’t take them down until Candlemas, commemorating the presentation of Jesus in the temple, which is celebrated Feb. 2 – the 40th day of the Christmas season.
He is pretty sure that family’s children or grandchildren aren’t keeping up that tradition.
Father Rice similarly doesn’t give families a lot of advice on when to do Christmas decorating, but when he has been pressed on it, he said, he has advised families to do it in stages – such as put up the tree and have simple decorations on it and then add to this on Christmas Eve.
Celebrating Advent is a little tricky in campus ministry, he noted, since the church’s quiet, reflective period comes at the same time as students are frantic over exams, papers and Christmas preparations.
This year, the day before the start of Advent, he said students planned to gather to decorate the Catholic center with purple altar cloths, pine garlands and some white lights.
Liturgical notes for Advent posted online by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops – https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/advent – points out that the liturgical color for Advent is purple, just like Lent – as both are seasons that prepare us for great feast days.
It says Advent “includes an element of penance in the sense of preparing, quieting and disciplining our hearts for the full joy of Christmas. This penitential dimension is expressed through the color purple, but also through the restrained manner of decorating the church and altar.”
It also points out that floral decorations should be “marked by a moderation” as should the use of the organ and other musical instruments during Advent Masses.
The way the church celebrates Advent is nothing new. Timothy Brunk, a Villanova University associate professor in theology and religious studies, said it began in the fourth century in Europe but has never had the history or significance of Easter for the church.
But even though Advent doesn’t have the penitential pull of Lent – where people give something up for 40 days or do something extra – that doesn’t mean the season should slip by without opportunities for spiritual growth.
Father Rice said it’s important for Catholics to engage in spiritual preparation for Christmas even in the middle of all the other preparations.
His advice: When you write a Christmas card, say a prayer for that person; while shopping, try to go about it in a slow and thoughtful way not frantically running around and let someone take that parking space you were eyeing.

Escucha los ecos en Adviento

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Obispo Joseph Kopacz

Por Obispo Joseph Kopacz
El primer domingo de Adviento marcó el comienzo de un nuevo año eclesiástico y un tiempo enfocado a la preparación para la venida de nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Espiritualmente, el Adviento infunde cada Eucaristía en la que los católicos se reúnen. Durante el rito de la comunión después del Padre Nuestro en cada Misa, el sacerdote celebrante ofrece una oración intercesora por todos en preparación para la Santa Comunión con el Señor. “Líbranos, Señor, oramos por todo mal, gentilmente concédenos la paz en nuestros días, que, con la ayuda de tu misericordia, podamos siempre estar libres de pecado y a salvo de toda angustia, mientras esperamos la bienaventurada esperanza y la venida de nuestro Señor Jesucristo”. Rezamos en la gozosa esperanza de que el Señor vendrá otra vez y muy pronto.
A medida que avanza la temporada naturalmente volteamos nuestros corazones y mentes hacia su primera venida en la Encarnación. Normalmente, de cuatro semanas de duración, este año el Adviento será más corto ya que la temporada es de sólo tres semanas y cuatro horas de duración.
El cuarto domingo de Adviento se celebra en la mañana y la víspera de Navidad comienza en la tarde. (La obligación para la Misa del cuarto domingo de Adviento puede ser satisfecha en la noche del sábado o el domingo por la mañana. La obligación de la misa de Navidad puede cumplirse el domingo por la tarde, en la víspera de Navidad, o el lunes, el día de Navidad. No hay ninguna dispensación de dos por uno.) Así como un pequeño barco navegando hacia abajo en el Río Mississippi, el Adviento es propulsado de cabeza en la corriente de la Navidad, así la pascua de Navidad, por así decirlo. En este sentido, el Adviento nos recuerda lo difícil que es encontrar tiempo y espacio para estar en la presencia del Dios vivo, con el fin de cultivar y cosechar las bendiciones de las promesas de Dios.
La Virgen es una lámpara para nuestros pies mientras caminamos a través de Adviento; ella es el estándar de oro para nosotros cuando anhelamos llevar a Cristo a la luz de nuestras vidas en el poder del Espíritu Santo. Ella estaba en el centro de los anawim, los pobres en Israel que permanecieron fieles a Dios en todas las circunstancias, aquellos a quienes Dios preservó. Para recibir el don del Espíritu Santo a través de la fe, la oración es dar carne al cuerpo de Jesucristo. Ella nos enseña la profundidad de la piedad que es posible durante el Adviento, cómo atesorar todas estas cosas en nuestros corazones, cómo tener esperanza en Dios, cómo convertir a los demás en el servicio amoroso, y cómo ofrecer hospitalidad a quienes búscan a su hijo y el estilo de vida del Evangelio.
¿Cuál es el asombro y la maravilla de esta temporada que eleva nuestras esperanzas y sueños a otro nivel para nosotros, para nuestros seres queridos, y para todo el mundo? Puede ser el eco del Evangelio en nuestras mentes y en nuestros corazones, nuestra visión llena de fe para el mundo que todos son hijos de Dios, y que nuestras vidas son un regalo porque estamos hechos a imagen y semejanza de Dios. Es verdad, como dice san Pablo, que toda la creación está de hecho en agonía, y nos quejamos aunque tenemos los primeros frutos del Espíritu Santo. Gruñendo o no, el Espíritu Santo nos lleva lejos del miedo y de la esclavitud del pecado a la libertad como los hijos de Dios.
La siguiente cita es del Obispo Donal Murray en su reciente libro, En un paisaje rediseñado, y presenta un compromiso de Adviento con nuestro mundo. “Todo lo que existe es un don del Creador. Este es el núcleo de la más profunda respuesta, ¿quiénes somos? “Los cristianos no ven el regalo como irrelevante para aquellos que no tienen fe. Cada persona es el resultado del mismo creativo y amoroso don. Los cristianos expresan su convicción, no con un sentimiento de superioridad, sino en la esperanza de que esta gran visión de la dignidad humana pueda encontrar eco en los corazones de todos los seres humanos.
La Iglesia sabe que el Evangelio de la vida que ella ha recibido de su Señor, tiene un eco profundo en el corazón de cada persona, creyentes y no creyentes, porque maravillosamente cumple todas las expectativas de los corazones mientras infinitamente los sobrepasa.” Mientras escuchamos el eco de la llamada del Señor en nuestras vidas durante este tiempo de gracia, que nuestras esperanzas y sueños para este mundo, arraigadas en la encarnación de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, estén en armonía con la visión de Dios de un mundo de justicia y de paz, hasta que el Señor vuelva. Maranatha!

Listen for the echoes in Advent

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Bishop Joseph Kopacz

By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
The first Sunday of Advent marked the beginning of a new Church year and a focused time of preparation for the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Spiritually, Advent suffuses every Eucharist at which Catholics gather.
During the communion rite following the Our Father at each Mass the celebrant offers an intercessory prayer on behalf of all in preparation for Holy Communion with the Lord. “Deliver us, Lord, we pray from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We pray in joyful hope that the Lord will come again, and real soon.
As the season progresses we naturally turn our hearts and minds toward his first coming in the Incarnation. Typically, four weeks in duration, this year we are on the fast track in Advent because the season is only three weeks and four hours long. The fourth Sunday of Advent is celebrated in the morning and Christmas Eve begins later in the afternoon.
(The obligation for Mass on the fourth Sunday of Advent can be satisfied on Saturday evening or Sunday morning. The Christmas Mass obligation can be fulfilled on Sunday afternoon, Christmas Eve, or on Monday, Christmas Day. There is no dispensation for a two-for-one.)
Like a small craft going down stream on the Mississippi River, Advent is propelled headlong in the Christmas current, so the Yule Tide, so to speak. In this sense, Advent reminds us how challenging it is to find time and space to be in the presence of the living God in order to cultivate and reap the blessings of God’s promises. The Blessed Mother is a lamp for our feet as we walk through Advent; she is the gold standard for us as we yearn to bring Christ to light in our lives in the power of the Holy Spirit.
She was at the center of the Anawim, the poor ones in Israel who remained faithful to God in all circumstances, the ones whom God preserved. To receive the gift of the Holy Spirit through faith, prayer is to give flesh to the body of Jesus Christ. She teaches us the depth of piety that is possible during Advent, how to treasure all these things in our hearts, how to hope in God, how to turn the other in loving service, and how to offer hospitality to those searching for her Son and the Gospel way of life.
What is the awe and wonder of this season that raise our hopes and dreams to another level for ourselves, loved ones, and for the entire world? May it be the echo of the Gospel in our hearts and minds, our faith-filled vision for the world that all are God’s children, and that our lives are a gift because we are made in the image and likeness of God.
It is true as Saint Paul says, that all creation is indeed in agony, and we ourselves groan even though we have the first fruits of the Holy Spirit. Groaning or not, the Holy Spirit leads us away from fear and slavery to sin, to freedom as the children of God.
The following quote is from Bishop Donal Murray in his recent book, In a Landscape Redrawn, and it presents an Advent commitment to our world. “Everything that exists is a gift of the Creator. This is the core of the most profound answer, who are we? Christians do not see the gift as irrelevant to those who do not have faith. Each person is the result of the same creative and loving gift. Christians express their belief, not with any sense of superiority, but rather in the hope that this high vision of human dignity may find an echo in the hearts of all human beings. The Church knows that the Gospel of Life which she has received from her Lord has a profound echo in the heart of every person, believers and non believers alike, because it marvelously fulfills all the hearts expectations while infinitely surpassing them.”
As we hear the echo of the Lord’s call in our own lives during this season of Grace, may our hopes and dreams for this world, rooted in the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, be in harmony with God’s vision for a world of justice and peace until the Lord comes again. Maranatha!

Parish calendar of events

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

FORT SMITH, Ark, St. Scholastica Monastery, 3-day silent directed retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, January 4-7, 2018, Presenter: Sister Rachel Dietz, OSB. It is a time to practice silence in order to make room for God to work in your life and by this, to strengthen your relationship with Him. Cost: $300.00. A $50.00 non-refundable, non-transferable deposit is required at the time of registration. Lodging and meals are included. Deadline for registration is December 20. Details: retreats@stscho.org or www.stscho.org/retreats
CULLMAN, Ala., Benedictine Sisters Retreat Center, Advent day of reflection, Wednesday, December 6, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. An opportunity to ponder your heart’s longing for God in the context of the scripture readings for the Sundays of Advent. Retreat Director: Sister Kathleen Gallas, O.S.B. Cost: $30, includes lunch and refreshments. Details: contact Sister Magdalena Craig, OSB, at (256) 615-6114, www.shmon.org.
GREENWOOD Locus Benedictus Spirituality Center and the Redemptorists of Greenwood announce the Second Bilingual Pilgrimage for Life and Family on Saturday, January 20, 2018. All faiths are welcome. The day begins with gathering from 9-10 a.m., a rally from 10-11 a.m., a three-mile pilgrimage on the grounds of Locus Benedictus, with an ecumenical prayer service before a picnic lunch. After the lunch we celebrate Mass in the shrine. Details: (662) 299-1232 or www.locusbenedictus.org.
The Gleaners, an all-faith organization, is celebrating 30 years of contributions to the Jackson-Metro area. Gloria Bomar Martinson named this service after the Biblical story of peasant women picking up the remnants in fields in the Book of Ruth. The organization needs around $50,000 per year for expenses. Tax-exempt donations can be made by check to: P.O. Box 9883, Jackson, MS 39286, phone number (601) 956-4740. Details: Rita Martinson, Lisa W. Davis or Joseph N. Goodell at rrmbm@bellsouth.net (601) 942-0772.
JACKSON Candlelight prayer vigils sponsored by Pastors for Life Mississippi and Pro-Life Mississippi, Saturday, January 20, 2018, at 6 p.m. in the Rotunda of the State Capitol at 400 High Street. Details: plm@ProLifeMississippi.org or (601) 956-8636.
DIAMONDHEAD (Gulf Coast) prayer vigil (see above), Saturday, January 20, 2018, at 6 pm. At Twin Lakes Pavilion, 4040 Twin Lakes Lane. Details: Bill Blaisdell, (228) 255-9835 or bbillblais2@aol.com.
TUPELO prayer vigil (see above), Saturday, January 20, 2018, 6 p.m. Fairpark across from City Hall, Details: Tanya Britton at (601) 672-7010 or tebritton1@yahoo.com.
JACKSON Catholic Charities Adoption program is selling T-shirts and journals. The shirts are purple with an adoption message on the back. The journals are soft bound and have a back pocket. Shirts are $15; journals are $15 or $25 for both. Details: www.catholiccharitiesjackson.org
LAFAYETTE, La, Holy Spirit Women’s Retreat, January 26-28, 2018, Dr. Mary Healy and Father Bill Henry will be featured at the annual Holy Spirit Women’s Retreat at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Lafayette. The theme is “Gather in upper room with Mary”. There will also be a Life in the Spirit seminar presented by Deacon Larry Oney, his wife Andi, and the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of New Orleans (CCRNO) team. Patti Mansfield will also be featured at this retreat. This retreat is sponsored by CCRNO and serves hundreds of women from throughout the Gulf South. Weekend and Saturday commuters are welcome. Register online at www.ccrno.org or call (504) 828-1368.

PARISH, SCHOOL AND FAMILY EVENTS

AMORY St. Helen, Mission Mississippi, Saturday, December 16 at 8-9 a.m. pancake breakfast and wrapping of gifts for two families. Details: (662) 256-8392.
BROOKHAVEN St. Francis, Ladies of St. Francis Morning Retreat, Saturday, December 16, 9 a.m. – noon. Guest Speaker: Mary Louise Jones. Details: church office (601) 833-1799.
JACKSON St. Richard, Christmas candle-light service, a special Christmas remembrance for deceased loved ones, Thursday, December 14, 6:30 p.m. in Foley Hall. Open to all, regardless of how long ago the death occurred or your church affiliation. Please RSVP as soon as possible so that preparations can be made. Details: Linda Lalor (601) 853-8840, Suzie Cranston (601) 982-5464 or Nancy McGhee (601) 942-2078 or ncmcghee@bellsouth.net.
SOUTHAVEN Christ the King, Posada, Monday, December 18 at 7:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to join in the procession with Mary and Joseph in their search for shelter. The night will end with hot chocolate and sweet bread. Details: (662) 342-1073.

YOUTH BRIEFS

NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Christmas Pageant during Christmas Eve 4 p.m. family Mass. Practice Monday, December 18 at 12:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Details: Katherine Callon at kecestia@yahoo.com.

VICKSBURG St. Paul, Children’s Christmas Pageant during the Christmas Eve Mass. Children of all ages and teenagers are needed and are encouraged to participate. Practice will be each Sunday at 10 am in Glynn Hall. Details: Candice Reeder (601) 529-0018 or Allyson Johnston at (601) 218-9952.

Ospino to speak at National Migration Week events

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By Maureen Smith
Parishes in northeast Mississippi will mark National Migration Week, January 7-13, 2018, with five days of educational programing, liturgy and celebrations.. The week offers the faithful a chance to learn more about refugees and migrants in their midst.
The keynote presenter for the week is Hosffman Ospino, an associate professor of theology at Boston College, the director of the V National Encuentro, a member and consultant to the National Catholic Educational Association and the USCCB. He has written several books about Hispanic ministry and Hispanic Catholic identity.
A committee made up of lay ministers Danna Johnson and Raquel Thompson and pastors Father Tim Murphy and Father Mario Solarzano came up with the programs.
“When (Pontotoc) St. Christopher Parish was part of the Glenmary Missioners ministry, it was contacted by Dr. Hosffman Ospino to be part of a national survey of churches with large Hispanic populations. Dr. Ospino is one of the leading experts in Hispanic ministry practices, trends and planning for future ministry in the United States, said Father Murphy, pastor at Tupelo St. James.
“Our Planning Committee has used his research and articles. We asked Danna Johnson to contact him and explore the possibility of a presentation in northeast Mississippi. Beyond all odds, he was available during National Migration Week 2018, and was willing to join us,” he added.
See sidebar for full schedule. For more information about the programs, call the parish at 662-842-4881.