Author Archives: Tereza Ma

Father Goodyear nominated for Lumen Christi award

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By Joanna Puddister King
PHILADELPHIA – At 72 years old, Father Robert “Bob” Goodyear had much to reflect on for his nomination by the Diocese of Jackson for the Catholic Extension Lumen Christi award, that celebrates Christ’s call to service to his church. Father Goodyear truly demonstrates how the power of faith can transform lives – in his case, the Choctaw community.

PHILADELPHIA – Father Bob Goodyear at Holy Rosary Indian Mission in 1982. (Photo from the archives)

When he first arrived on the Choctaw Reservation in 1975 as a newly ordained Missionary Servant priest, Father Goodyear described the “mission” as “having a church workday to cut firewood for the elderly and sick.”

“They were surprised I knew how to use a chainsaw and drive a tractor,” said Father Goodyear – a call back to his very first missionary assignment to Clay county, Kentucky to an Appalachian coal mining town, where he learned to use a chainsaw, dig a foundation by hand and other various construction skills.

In total, Father Goodyear has been assigned to Holy Rosary Indian Mission for 31 years, but not continuously. He served from 1975 to 1990, then was assigned to a mission in Tennessee, then to one in Magee. He returned to the Choctaw Reservation in 2006.

The reservation went through many changes while Father Goodyear was away at other missions. “The dirt roads were paved. There are two casinos that subsidize the tribal programs,” he said.

Roads and casino weren’t the only things that changed. When Father Goodyear first arrived in 1975, Choctaw was the primary language of 98% of the tribe and today that is only true of the elders. Now, most are bilingual.

In his early years at Holy Rosary Indian Mission – a group of three churches consisting of Holy Rosary in Philadelphia, St. Therese Mission in the Pearl River Community and St. Catherine Mission in Conehatta – Father Goodyear read everything he could to learn about the culture of the people he was charged with ministering to.

He eventually gained the trust of the Choctaw community and with the help of three Choctaws he was taught their language.

“As I was first learning Choctaw, I quickly learned there are seven dialects of Choctaw on the reservation and when speaking to someone I needed to know what Choctaw community they came from. Words have different meanings, sometimes very different, in different communities,” said Father Goodyear.

After eight years of studying the Choctaw language, Father Goodyear began translating the Mass into Choctaw with the help of his teachers and an elder, who was the recognized expert on the language. Then with the aid of the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions, Father Goodyear prepared the translation of the Mass to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and then to the Sacred Liturgy office in Rome.

Finally, after eight years with the mission, Father Goodyear was able to celebrate his first Mass in the Choctaw language on May 1, 1983 at St. Catherine Mission in Conehatta.

“The Choctaw language and culture are critical elements in Choctaw self-identity,” said Father Goodyear. “The role of the church here is to believe in the Choctaws, their giftedness, their beauty, their talents, their hopes, so they will believe in themselves as much as God believes in them.”

While his first assignment to Holy Rosary Indian Mission was characterized by “non-traditional” ministries, Father Goodyear learned and did the usual things an associate pastor would do – working with youth, faith education, marriage preparation and the like. When the sisters moved to their new convent building, he remodeled the old convent building and turned it into a recreation center for the youth.

With the Choctaws, he worked with the tribe every chance he could. He worked on a suicide counseling manual, a self-image study, the Choctaw Human Services Council, the Choctaw Most In Need Indian Children and Youth federal demonstration project, and with the Choctaw grant writing office to not only preserve their faith, but the culture and language of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.

When he returned to the Holy Rosary Mission in 2006, Father Goodyear’s primary focus has been the preservation of the faith and the development of lay leadership in his three churches.

He developed a training manual for Eucharistic ministers that trains them not only to assist in Mass, but also how to lead a Sunday celebration in the absence of a priest and how to take the Eucharist to the sick and shut-ins – a resource used not only on the reservations, but also in other parishes around the diocese and even in parishes in other states.

As a staff of one, what Father Goodyear has accomplished is nothing less than remarkable. Not to mention, rising to the challenge of ministering during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • PEARL RIVER – Father Bob Goodyear stands with his 2020 Confirmation class. He has known each of them since birth, baptizing each of them as infants. Pictured left to right, Kelin Kelly, Sierra Wallace, Sydney Nickey, Father Goodyear, Katelin Williams, Onnahili Williams, Alexis Williams and Veronica Williams. (Photo by Bradley Isaac)

Reports have the percentage of Choctaws affected by the virus at about 18%. For a time, Father Goodyear was tending to two to four funerals per week. He has spent a great deal of his time on the phone, writing letters and messaging on Facebook to give his support to those who are grieving. “It is important to know that they are not forgotten and are prayed for,” says Father Goodyear.

He has also spent much time reaching out to those who have been afraid to come to church because of the virus and has worked along side the tribe encouraging Choctaws to take the vaccine.

As COVID restrictions begin to loosen, Father Goodyear is looking to recruit catechist and reaching out to the children and youth again. This Easter, he will baptize nine children at St. Catherine’s in Conehatta and has 15 young people and five adults in RCIC and RCIA. “While attendance is down in my other two churches, the Holy Spirit has been working overtime in Conehatta,” says Father Goodyear.

He says that his focus now is preparing the reservation to assume more responsibility for the future of their churches. “It is unusual for a priest to be in a place for so long. It was not my “plan,” but it has been a blessing I never expected. In spite of the demands of being a staff of one for three churches, I have never been happier as a priest or feel more blessed personally than I am today.”

(Each Lumen Christi Award nominee receives $1,000 in support of his or her ministry, and the award recipient is given a $50,000 grant, with the honoree and nominating diocese each receiving $25,000 of the grant money to enhance their community and ministry. The winner will be announced later in the year.)

Teachers, staff receive vaccinations for COVID-19

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By Joanna Puddister King
MADISON – In December, when COVID vaccination dates began to open, the Office of Catholic Education began working to determine a teacher eligibility date. As vaccinations were finally opened to all K-12 school, preschool and daycare employees on March 1 by Gov. Tate Reeves, diocese benefits coordinator, Renee Carpenter worked with the St. Dominic MEA clinic on a vaccination event for Jackson Metro area teachers, staff and administrators.
On Thursday, March 11 at St. Anthony School in Madison, almost 70 first vaccinations were administered to participants from St. Anthony, St. Joseph, St. Richard, Assisi Early Learning Center, as well as Catholic Charities and the chancery, bringing a sense of relief to many.
“At first, I was unsure about the vaccine, but now that I have gotten my first shot, I feel good about getting my second,” said Robin Love, a Pre-K4 teacher at Assisi Early Learning Center.

MADISON – Assisi Early Learning Center, Pre-K4 teacher, Robin Love winced as she received her first COVID vaccination on Thursday, March 11 at St. Anthony School. Jackson metro area teachers, staff and administrators took part in a vaccination event organized the Office of Catholic Education, the diocese benefits coordinator and St. Dominic’s MEA clinic. (Photo by Joanna Puddister King)

Anne Cowger, principal of St. Anthony, said, “Diocesan teachers and staff members, under the guidance of the Office of Catholic Education, have worked incredibly hard this year to keep our schools and early learning centers open and to provide a safe and healthy environment for the children in our care. St. Anthony Catholic School was pleased to provide our gymnasium as a place for metro area employees to get vaccinated. We were honored to be able to contribute in even a small way in this effort.”
“Our schools are continuing to do everything to make teachers, parents and students feel safe. We have had strong protocols throughout the year and because of that we have had less than 200 cases of COVID-19 since opening in person in August 2020,” said interim Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Karla Luke.
Overall, Catholic schools in the Diocese of Jackson have a total of 3,049 students, not including those in Early Learning Centers. Since returning in August, Catholic schools in the diocese have required masks and implemented enhanced cleaning procedures and more, to help lessen the risk of infection from the coronavirus.
After the vaccination event, assistant superintendent, Stephanie Brown shared her thoughts.
“I am so grateful that we could put together this coordinated effort to provide the vaccine to our teachers and caretakers. These individuals have been on the front lines risking their health as they cared for and educated our children. We are so thankful to St. Dominic and Renee Carpenter in the benefits office for taking action to help protect our most valuable resource – our teachers!”

(Editor’s note: Other Catholic Schools around the diocese are also working on vaccination events. As of press time on Tuesday, March 23, over 1.2 million doses of the COVID vaccine have been distributed in Mississippi
To find a vaccination site near you, visit www.msdh.ms.gov and click on vaccinations. All Mississippians, or out-of-state residents who work in Mississippi, age 16 and over are eligible for vaccination from COVID-19.)

Gift of the Holy Spirit connects people to Christ, pope says at audience

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By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Every Christian is unique because the Holy Spirit inspires something new and original in each person, creating “an endless field of holiness,” Pope Francis said.
“The one God, the Trinity of love, allows the variety of witnesses to flourish – all are equal in dignity, but also unique in the beauty that the Spirit has willed to be expressed in each of those whom God’s mercy has made his children,” the pope said March 17 during his weekly general audience.
During the audience livestreamed from the library of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis concluded his series of talks about prayer by looking at prayer as a relationship with the Holy Trinity, in particular with the Holy Spirit.
“The first gift of every Christian existence is the Holy Spirit,” he said. It is the key, essential gift because without the Holy Spirit, “there is no relationship with Christ and with the Father.”
The Spirit opens the human heart to Christ’s presence “and draws it into that ‘vortex’ of love that is the very heart of God,” he said.
The Holy Spirit “dwells in us; it is he who transforms us deeply and makes us experience the moving joy of being loved by God as his true children,” the pope said.
The Spirit writes the story of the church and of the world, he said, and “we are open pages, available to receive his handwriting.”
“In each of us, the Spirit composes original works because there is never one Christian who is completely identical to another,” creating a vast and flourishing “field of holiness.”

Pope Francis speaks during his general audience in the library of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican March 17, 2021. The pope spoke about the role of the Holy Spirit in making Jesus present in people’s lives. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

The church invites the faithful to call upon the Holy Spirit every day, to make Christ present so he can guide and transform his disciples, he added.
Calling on the Spirit for support and inspiration is important, especially when one has not prayed in a long time, has lost the desire to pray or recites prayers “like a parrot,” with no depth of feeling or faith, he said.
“This is the moment to say to the Spirit, ‘Come. Come, Holy Spirit and warm my heart. Come, teach me to pray, teach me to look to the Father, the son, teach me the way the path of faith goes, teach me to love, and above all, teach me to have an attitude of hope.’”
“If Christ were only far away in time, we would be alone and lost in the world,” Pope Francis said, but with the Spirit, “the possibility of encountering Christ is open to Christians of every time and place.”
Christians must “keep alive this flame” of the Holy Spirit, of God’s love, in their heart, the pope said, the same way the lamp next to the tabernacle stays lit “even when the church empties and darkness falls, even when the church is closed.”
“No one sees it, yet it burns before the Lord,” he said. “That’s how the Spirit is in our heart, always present like that lamp.”

The Easter Vigil, part II

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SPIRIT AND TRUTH
By Father Aaron Williams
When the Old Testament readings and their corresponding psalms and canticles are read, one of the more dramatic moments of the church’s liturgy occurs: the return of the Gloria. There are some interesting rubrics which detail this moment of the liturgy. The Roman Missal calls first for the priest or a cantor to intone the glory (i.e., to sing the first line). Then, the organ is directed to play in a festive manner while bells are rung and the altar candles are lit. In the older form of the Mass, it was not permitted for images to be unveiled or for flowers to be used until the Gloria at the Easter Vigil, so servers had to rush at this moment to unveil everything and set out the vases of flowers before the Gloria had concluded.
The liturgy is often meant to paint a picture for us of the mysteries we celebrate. Traditionally, the return of the Gloria at the Vigil was meant to mark the ‘moment’ of the Resurrection in our liturgical celebrations. There is a nice spiritual meaning to this, that just as the angels sang ‘Glory to God’ at the birth of Christ, it is fitting that we sing the same at His rebirth. This was more starkly represented in the older liturgies used in Holy Week when the chanting of the Gloria also marked the time when the priest would change from the violet vestments of Lent into the festive white and gold vestments of Easter.

Father Aaron Williams

The liturgy keeps this sense of drama when, just a few minutes later, the Alleluia also makes its return. The Roman Missal calls for the priest or cantor to chant the Alleluia with the people repeating it back. Then it is sung a second time, but this time I step higher. And again, a third time another step higher. This elevation of the key of the Alleluia is meant to symbolize the Rising of Christ, and our eager desire to praise him with the Hebrew ‘hallel’ — ‘praise be to God’.
The modern form of the Mass moves the Baptismal rite from its traditional location before the Gloria to after the homily. This seems a fitting change so that once we have both heard and reflected on Our Lord’s own rising, the new members of the Christian community then experience their own share in the death and Rising of Christ in holy Baptism. In ancient times, the catechumens would have, up to this point, assembled in a separate building where they would be baptized before being brought into the main body of the church. Many of these ancient baptistries were designed with eight sides so symbolize Christ’s rising as the so-called ‘eighth day of creation’. Even today, it is common for baptismal fonts to be designed with eight sides for this same purpose.
The ritual used to bless the baptismal font contains an odd custom, the meaning of which is likely lost to most people. During the prayer of blessing, the priest is directed to plunge the base of the lit paschal candle once (or three times) into the font, and then to leave it in the water until the prayer is concluded. This is meant to symbolize Christ’s own baptism. The prayer of blessing connects Christ’s baptism to blessing the water of the Jordan River: “so that the very substance of water would even then take to itself the power to sanctify.” The Paschal Candle is always meant to symbolize the risen Christ to us, and so it is fitting that when the water of the Baptismal font is blessed, the Paschal candle be symbolically ‘baptized’ as well.
In the modern form of the liturgy, the remainder of the Mass is much the same as any Mass. This wasn’t the case prior to the liturgical reform of 1969. Traditionally, the Easter Vigil wasn’t actually considered an Easter Mass at all — that was saved for Easter morning. And, so the remainder of the Mass lacked some of the normal elements which we would expect such as music at the offertory or communion as well as the sign of peace. These would make their return the next morning. The return of the sign of peace on Easter Day proposes a very interesting piece of liturgical drama in itself.
Traditionally, the ‘Kiss of Peace’ (as it is referred in the Roman Missal) was omitted on Holy Thursday night, since it was by kiss that Our Lord was betrayed. This omission would also occur on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. But, our Lord’s first greeting to His Apostles after the Resurrection was “Peace be with you.” Therefore, traditionally the liturgical rite of peace was saved until Easter morning.
Even though this is not a mandated rubric in the new rites, the rubrics of the Roman Missal allow for the Sign of Peace to be omitted in any Mass. Perhaps some parishes would be interested in adapting this small bit of symbolism by omitting the Sign of Peace on Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday. If this is done, it might be helpful for the service leaflet to be printed with a note about this omission so that people may be made aware of the symbolism.
The Easter Vigil concludes with the dismissal “Go forth, the Mass is ended, alleluia, alleluia.” This dismissal is used at all Masses until the Second Sunday of Easter, and again on Pentecost. Tradition strongly recommends that this dismissal be sung.

(Father Aaron Williams is the administrator at St. Joseph Parish in Greenville.)

Father Myladiyil installed as pastor at Sacred Heart Greenville

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GREENVILLE – Father Sebastian Myladiyil, SVD (center) bows his head as Bishop Joseph Kopacz and parishioners of Sacred Heart Church confer a blessing on him. Father Myladiyil was installed as pastor on Sunday, March 14 after being assigned as pastor to Sacred Heart parish in January by Bishop Kopacz. He takes the reins from Father Tom Mullally, SVD, who retired after 50 years of service. (Photo courtesy of Maurice Mosley)

“¡Aleluya! ¡¡Aleluya!! ¡¡¡Aleluya!!!”

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Por Padre Clement Olukunle Oyafemi

Si alguna vez ha asistido a la adoración en una iglesia pentecostal, o una iglesia debidamente inculturada en África, o una adoración regular del grupo de renovación carismática (grupo de oracion) en cualquier lugar de los Estados Unidos, probablemente observará el grito constante de “¡Aleluya! ¡Amén!” Aleluya es una expresión hebrea que simplemente significa “¡Alabado sea el Señor!”

Padre Clement Olukunle Oyafemi

Cuando veas gente gritando y gritando; “¡Aleluya! ¡Aleluya! ¡Aleluya! durante la temporada de Pascua, podrías pensar que están locos. Pero, si puedes imaginarte siendo uno de los apóstoles, que siguió a Cristo muy de cerca, durante los tres años de su ministerio; y lo vio sufrir injustamente en manos de su propio pueblo; colgando de la cruz con sangre por todo su cuerpo magullado; y probablemente lo vio enterrado muy silenciosamente en una tumba prestada; la noticia de su Resurrección te volvería más loco que cualquiera de esas personas.

El cristianismo se basa en la resurrección. Históricamente, los apóstoles se reunían todos los domingos para celebrar el memorial de la Resurrección de Jesús; así, sin resurrección no hay cristianismo.

 ¿Qué celebramos en Semana Santa?

 En Pascua celebramos la victoria de Cristo sobre la muerte. Celebramos la victoria de la luz sobre las tinieblas y también celebramos el triunfo de la esperanza sobre la desesperación. ¿Cuál es el significado de la Pascua en nuestra vida hoy? ¿Qué desafío nos presenta?

Cuando el sacerdote enciende el cirio pascual, del nuevo fuego del Sábado Santo, reza: “Que la Luz de Cristo, elevándose en gloria, disipe las tinieblas sobre nuestro corazón y nuestra mente”. Cristo es la Luz del mundo, y es por eso que la procesión hacia la iglesia oscura lo proclama tres veces como Cristo nuestra Luz. ¡Cristo nuestra Luz! ¡Cristo nuestra Luz!

Este cirio pascual se encuentra en el santuario para que todos lo vean durante los cincuenta días de la temporada de Pascua. El cirio pascual es un símbolo de Cristo resucitado y por eso en cada bautismo encendemos un cirio por el bautizado. Sin duda, una vela es suficiente para disipar la oscuridad en una habitación, y cuando tenemos dos o tres velas así, hay suficiente luz para iluminar toda la habitación. Muy pocos cristianos auténticos y activos son suficientes para llevar la luz de Cristo a las tinieblas de nuestro vecindario, iglesia e incluso de toda la sociedad.

La Pascua celebra la respuesta de Dios a la maldad de los seres humanos. Para quienes vieron a Jesús el Viernes Santo, colgado impotente de la Cruz, puede haber la tentación de pensar que el mal tiene la última palabra; pero, por la Resurrección de Jesús al tercer día, Dios declara absolutamente su última Palabra. El mal nunca… nunca podrá y nunca tendrá la última palabra en la vida de los hijos de Dios. Jesús murió una vez y vive para siempre, por lo que tenemos el desafío de proclamar su resurrección con nuestras propias vidas. La Pascua nos desafía a permitir que Dios responda a una situación en la que todo esfuerzo humano es impotente.

Cabe destacar que hemos manejado muy bien el silencio, la reflexión, la disciplina y la penitencia de la Cuaresma. ¡Tengo la esperanza de que también podamos manejar la alegría, el grito de Aleluya! ¡Aleluya! ¡Aleluya! durante las siete semanas de la temporada de Pascua.

 Esta es la temporada de Aleluya pero parece ser demasiado para muchos católicos; ¡pero no hay nada de malo en estar loco por Jesús que murió por nosotros! Si los apóstoles y las mujeres de la iglesia primitiva fueran tan poco entusiastas y pasivos, ¡la fe habría muerto en el primer siglo! Nadie puede conocer o experimentar a Cristo resucitado y negarse a ser apasionado y loco por él. Es hora de que evangelicemos, de anunciar a Cristo resucitado, como hizo Pedro en la primera lectura de hoy. Es hora de que salgamos como María de Magdala y las otras mujeres que proclamaron con entusiasmo y pasión que Cristo ha resucitado.

Que el poder interminable de la luz disipe las tinieblas de cada corazón humano. Que la alegría de la Pascua continúe sosteniendo a la iglesia ahora y siempre. ¡El Señor ha resucitado! ¡Aleluya! ¡El Señor ha resucitado! ¡¡Aleluya!! ¡¡¡Aleluya!!!

Los cristianos somos gente de “aleluya” y quisiera concluir esta reflexión con una oración tradicional de la Iglesia llamada Regina Caeli, que en latín significa “Reina del Cielo”, que se recita en lugar del Ángelus en el 6-12-6 a lo largo de la Temporada de Pascua de Resurrección. La Iglesia nos anima a hacer esta oración tres veces al día, y eso nos da la oportunidad de gritar aleluya dondequiera que estemos; ya sea que esté en la iglesia, en su automóvil, en su cocina, en el trabajo, en la granja o en cualquier lugar. Esta oración se dice todos los días desde el Domingo de Pascua hasta el Domingo de Pentecostés. También es muy fácil de memorizar, por lo que puede convertirse en parte de ti.

¡Reina del cielo, regocíjate!

V / ¡Reina del cielo, regocíjate!

R / ¡Aleluya!

V / Porque aquel a quien mereciste llevar,

R / ¡Aleluya!

V / Ha subido como dijo

R / ¡Aleluya!

V / Ruega por nosotros a Dios

R / ¡Aleluya!

V / Alégrate y alégrate, Virgen María

R / ¡Aleluya!

V / Porque ciertamente ha resucitado el Señor

R / Aleluya.

Rezemos:

Oh Dios, que diste alegría al mundo por la resurrección de tu Hijo,

nuestro Señor Jesucristo,

concede, te suplicamos, que por intercesión de la Virgen María, su Madre, obtengamos el gozo de la vida eterna: Cristo nuestro Señor.

 Amén.

(El padre Clem-alias Clemente de Dios- es Coordinador del Ministerio Intercultural de la Diócesis desde 2020. Padre Clem tiene dos maestrías, una en teología y otra en educación religiosa, y una licenciatura en filosofía. Comparte con la hermana Thea la pasión por el Señor y la música, el P. Clem fundó el Rejoice Ministry of African Worship Songs -AFRAWOS- en 2002.)

Calendar of events

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

NEW ORLEANS Our Lady of the Cenacle Retreat Center, Women’s Retreat, “Rise to New Life!” An Easter Retreat, April 16-18. Easter faith is the foundation of Christian life. During this time, we experience the new spring of life, a rejuvenating freshness that compels us to share our experience with the world around us. Retreatants will reflect on the implications of faith in Jesus’ resurrection for their lives and will be inspired to participate in the Spirit’s mission to recreate the face of the earth. Presenter: Father Glenn LeCompte holds a Master of Divinity Degree from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology with a focus in Sacred Scripture from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Father LeCompte now serves the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux as Director of the Office of Worship. In his retreats, Father LeCompte combines his rich background in Sacred Scripture with prayerful music. Their capacity is limited due to COVID-19 and they are currently accepting registration on a first come first serve basis. A non-refundable deposit is required. Details: to register, contact the retreat office at (504) 267-9604 or www.neworleansretreats.org/retreats.
Women’s Retreat, “Making All Things New: Becoming a New Creation” April 23-25. Presenter: Father Joseph Nassal, CPPS. “So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.” This retreat will explore what it means to become a new creation and to serve with a renewed sense of purpose and passion for life. Father Nassal is the author of many books including: Moments of Truth, The Conspiracy of Compassion, and Premeditated Mercy. A former director of a contemplative house of prayer, for more than a decade, Father Nassal has been in retreat and renewal ministry. He served on the leadership team of the Kansas City Province and lives in Berkeley, California where he is involved in setting up a house of prayer for those on the margins. Their capacity is limited due to COVID-19 and they are currently accepting registration on a first come first serve basis. A non-refundable deposit is required. Details: to register, contact the retreat office at (504) 267-9604 or www.neworleansretreats.org/retreats

PARISH AND SCHOOL EVENTS

MAGNOLIA St. James, “Faith and Racial Equity” is a nine-session online experience from the Just Faith Program. It will be held every other Thursday, beginning April 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. via Zoom. It introduces a framework for understanding and recognizing racial disparities and takes a deeper dive into specific issues related to power and privilege. There are three primary goals for Faith and Racial Equity: 1) Develop awareness of the ways that racial privilege impacts our communities and ourselves; 2) Through a deep dive into the Gospel of Luke, learn how Jesus’s teachings guide us in seeking racial justice in today’s world; 3) Learn practical tools for becoming anti-racist, and for effecting change in our communities. Cost: approximately $25 plus cost of the three books required for this course. We look forward to YOU joining our group. Details: Call Chris at (301) 266-0433 or send an email if interested to gracie_eddie@yahoo.com.
MERIDIAN St. Patrick, Please join Father Augustine on Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center for “A Biblical Walk Through The Mass.” All are welcomed! Details: church office (601) 693-1321.

YOUTH BRIEFS

JACKSON St. Richard School, 8th Annual Krewe de Cardinal, Friday, April 30 in St. Richard Church Courtyard. They will carry on the event safely at 50% capacity. Details: To become a sponsor or to donate an item, email cmarble@strichardschool.com
MADISON St. Francis, Bible Break has changed days, time and location for now. They now meet Sundays from 4-5 p.m. in the Family Life Center lounge to break open the Sunday Scripture. All seniors are welcome. Details: church office (601) 856-5556.
St. Joseph School, 14th Annual St. Joe Bruin Golf Scramble (4 person teams), Thursday, April 8 at 1 p.m. (lunch and drinks provided) at Annandale Golf Club, Madison. Team and Hole Sponsorships Available. Details: Contact Dana Caskey at (601) 942-3870 or danacaskey15@gmail.com.
MERIDIAN St. Patrick School, Save the Date, Annual St. Patrick School Countdown, Friday, April 16. Tickets are now available from any School Advisory Member or at the School Office or Parish Office during regular business hours. Details: school office (601) 482 6044.
NATIONAL Catholic Life Insurance is commemorating the 244th anniversary of the American flag with their 24th Annual Poster Design Contest (for grades Kindergarten – 5th grade) and first annual Video Contest (for grades 6th – 12th grades). Judges score each poster submission based on the following criteria: originality, eye appeal, and them. Participants do not have to be Catholic Life members or of the Catholic faith to qualify. It is an opportunity for all children to express their creativity and originality while honoring a sacred American symbol. Entry forms and complete contest rules can be downloaded from www.cliu.com under “Giving Back.” Deadline to submit entries is May 10. Winning posters and videos are published in the Catholic Life quarterly magazine. Details: contact the Communications Department at (800) 262-2548 or (210) 828-9921 or email branch@cliu.com.

Vatican says no blessing gay unions, no negative judgment on gay people

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By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – While homosexual men and women must be respected, any form of blessing a same-sex union is “illicit,” said the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The negative judgment is on the blessing of unions, not the people who may still receive a blessing as individuals, it said in a statement published March 15.
The statement was a response to a question or “dubium” that came from priests and lay faithful “who require clarification and guidance concerning a controversial issue,” said an official commentary accompanying the statement.

A same-sex couple is pictured in a file photo exchanging rings during a ceremony in Salt Lake City. The Vatican’s doctrinal office says in a new note that any form of blessing of same-sex unions is “illicit,” but that the negative judgment is on the blessing of unions, not the people, who must be respected. (CNS photo/Jim Urquhar, Reuters)

The response to the question, “Does the church have the power to give the blessing to unions of persons of the same sex?” was “Negative.”
“It is not licit to impart a blessing on relationships, or partnerships, even stable, that involve sexual activity outside of marriage – i.e., outside the indissoluble union of a man and a woman open in itself to the transmission of life – as is the case of the unions between persons of the same sex,” the doctrinal office said in an explanatory note accompanying the statement. Pope Francis approved both the statement and the note for publication.
“The Christian community and its pastors are called to welcome with respect and sensitivity persons with homosexual inclinations and will know how to find the most appropriate ways, consistent with church teaching, to proclaim to them the Gospel in its fullness,” the explanatory note said.
The clarification “does not preclude the blessings given to individual persons with homosexual inclinations, who manifest the will to live in fidelity to the revealed plans of God as proposed by church teaching.”
“Rather, it declares illicit any form of blessing that tends to acknowledge their unions as such. In this case, in fact, the blessing would manifest not the intention to entrust such individual persons to the protection and help of God, in the sense mentioned above, but to approve and encourage a choice and a way of life that cannot be recognized as objectively ordered to the revealed plans of God,” said the doctrinal office.
The statement came days before the launch March 19 of a yearlong reflection on “Amoris Laetitia” that will focus on the family and conjugal love.
The date marks the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”), which affirmed church teaching on family life and marriage, but also underlined the importance of the church meeting people where they are in order to help guide them on a path of discernment and making moral decisions.
The doctrinal congregation said in its note that some church communities had promoted “plans and proposals for blessings of unions of persons of the same sex.”
“Such projects are not infrequently motivated by a sincere desire to welcome and accompany homosexual persons, to whom are proposed paths of growth in faith,” it said.
In fact, the question of blessing same-sex unions arose from this “sincere desire to welcome and accompany homosexual persons” as indicated by Pope Francis at the conclusion of the two synodal assemblies on the family, it said.
That invitation, it added, was for communities “to evaluate, with appropriate discernment, projects and pastoral proposals directed to this end,” and in some cases, those proposals included blessings given to the unions of persons of the same sex.
The doctrinal congregation said the church does not and cannot have the power to impart her blessing on such unions and, therefore, “any form of blessing that tends to acknowledge their unions as such” is illicit.
That is because a blessing “would constitute a certain imitation or analogue of the nuptial blessing invoked on the man and woman united in the sacrament of matrimony,” it said, citing paragraph 251 of “Amoris Laetitia,” which reiterated the synod members’ conclusion that “there are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.”
“Only those realities which are in themselves ordered to serve those ends are congruent with the essence of the blessing imparted by the church,” it said. As such, it is illicit to bless any relationship or partnership that is outside the indissoluble union of a man and a woman open to the transmission of life, it added.
Declaring “the unlawfulness of blessings of unions between persons of the same sex is not therefore, and is not intended to be, a form of unjust discrimination, but rather a reminder of the truth of the liturgical rite and of the very nature of the sacramentals, as the church understands them,” the doctrinal office said.
The church teaches that “men and women with homosexual tendencies ‘must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.'”
As such, the doctrinal note makes a “fundamental and decisive distinction between persons and the union. This is so that the negative judgment on the blessing of unions of persons of the same sex does not imply a judgment on persons,” it said.
Such blessings are illicit for three reasons, it said:
– In addition to such a blessing implying “a certain imitation or analogue of the nuptial blessing” imparted to a man and a woman united in the sacrament of matrimony, there is the nature and value of blessings.
– Blessings belong to “sacramentals, which are ‘liturgical actions of the church’ that require consonance of life with what they signify and generate,” so “a blessing on a human relationship requires that it be ordered to both receive and express the good that is pronounced and given by the blessing.”
– And, “the order that makes one fit to receive the gift is given by the ‘designs of God inscribed in creation, and fully revealed by Christ the Lord.'” The church does not have power over God’s designs nor is she “the arbiter of these designs and the truths they express, but their faithful interpreter and witness.”
“God himself never ceases to bless each of his pilgrim children in this world, because for him ‘we are more important to God than all of the sins that we can commit,'” the congregation said. “But he does not and cannot bless sin: he blesses sinful man, so that he may recognize that he is part of his plan of love and allow himself to be changed by him. He in fact ‘takes us as we are, but never leaves us as we are.'”

Tackling racism is difficult work, but it must be done, says Bishop Fabre

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By Ruby Thomas
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (CNS) – The work it takes to respond to the issue of racism in the church and the wider community is difficult and slow, but it must be done, said Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana.
Speaking at the Archdiocese of Louisville’s online Archdiocesan Leadership Institute March 9, Bishop Fabre discussed “witnessing to the dignity of the human person as an antidote to the grave sin of racism.” And he shared six ways to respond to racism.

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of Houma-Thibodaux, La., chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, speaks Nov. 13, 2019, during the USCCB’s fall general assembly in Baltimore. (CNS photo/Bob Roller)

Typically, the institute draws parish leaders, clergy, staff and volunteers together for a daylong gathering of learning and sharing, but this one was presented via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bishop Fabre spoke to a group of 149 individuals, including Louisville Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, archdiocesan chancellor Brian Reynolds, clergy and individuals who serve in various ministries in the archdiocese.
During the first part of the day, Bishop Fabre discussed the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2018 pastoral letter on racism “Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love.” As chairman of the bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, he played a key role in drafting the letter.
His presentation posed the question: “How can we move forward in responding to issues of racism in the church and our communities?” This work is difficult and may be slow, but doing this work is “our call as a church and our task as disciples of Jesus Christ,” he said.
Racism affects how “we experience the journey through life,” he said.
For some, that journey is one of “optimism, hope and advancement,” he said. For others, it’s one of “fear, dread, injustice and discrimination.”
Bishop Fabre shared six ways to respond to the sin of racism:
– “Recognize and respond to racism as a life issue,” he said.
“Racism attacks the human life and dignity of its victims. … To truly and authentically be pro-life, we must strive to dismantle in our own hearts as well as in society all attacks against the sanctity of life and one such attack is racism.”
– Seek to overcome individualism and encounter others who are racially different.
Racism “traps people into individualism, blaming others for the misfortunes they encounter in life,” said Bishop Fabre. He noted that the 2018 pastoral stated that only by “’forging authentic relationships can we truly see each other as Christ sees us.’” This can only happen, he said, “if we step out of individualism.”
– Accept the growing racial diversity in the nation and the church.
“The church in the U.S. has been enriched by many races and cultures. … We must believe and act upon the fact that there can be unity in our diversity,” said Bishop Fabre. He noted that racism is typically seen as a “Black and white” issue, but noted that in reality racism affects “people of all colors.” “Educating ourselves on the church’s teachings and catechizing the youth and adults must be a way forward,” said the bishop.
– Seek the conversion of one’s own heart.
Bishop Fabre said that while it’s important to work for civil legislation that protects people from racism, “as people of faith we must understand that it is ours to undertake a deeper task,” he said. “Each must examine our own hearts … or what we declare will be empty words.”
– Preach against racism. He urged members of the clergy to regularly preach against racism.
“We all know that preaching against racism will elicit a response, but we must … lead our people to a path of goodness, charity, justice and peace,” said the bishop.
– Pray for an end to racism.
“Rely on the power of prayer. Prayers are often dismissed in these times as having no effect, but authentic prayer keeps us honest about where we are in our fight against racism,” said Bishop Fabre.
In a question-and-answer session that followed his presentation, the bishop was asked to address “the pain and realities of the past year” in which Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, both African Americans, were killed in altercations with white police officers.
“We have to find opportunities as parish communities and as people to really hear stories and to learn and share our thoughts, as well,” the bishop said, adding that Jesus knew the power of stories and used them to teach his followers.
Taylor, 26, was fatally shot in her Louisville apartment March 13, 2020, during a police raid. No officers were charged in her death.
Floyd, 46, died while in police custody May 25, 2020. He was arrested after a store clerk alleged he had passed a counterfeit $20 bill in Minneapolis. He was pinned down by then-Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on his neck, and he later died after being taken to the hospital.
After Floyd’s death, Bishop Fabre invited parishioners of the Houma-Thibodaux Diocese to speak to someone “racially different” to find out how Floyd’s death made them feel. Those whom he heard from said that in talking to others they finally started understanding the pain.
Asked what will generate “the needed passion” to respond to racism, the bishop that getting people to understand that racism is a life issue is a way to start.
“The more we can get them to see it as that it will hopefully generate a passion and hopefully we will have the same passion to end racism as we have to end all the other attacks against life,” he said, adding it also is important to preach about racism at church and teach about it in schools.
“Placing it before people in positive and constructive ways so that it becomes a part of our conversations” also is needed, he said, “so we can get passionate to see the injustices happening.”

(Thomas is a staff writer at The Record, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Louisville.)