By Berta Mexidor
JACKSON – Health and economic hardships brought on by COVID-19 have been felt across the world. To help in the U.S., Catholic Extension launched the Sisters on the Frontlines alliance in late June in response to the pandemic, taking particular care to aid communities disproportionately afflicted by poverty and a lack of resources.
The goal of the initiative is to give 1,000 sisters, $1,000 each to provide rapid response to the poor and distressed. So far, five sisters in the Diocese of Jackson have received funds from through this special program – Sister Lael Niblick and Sister Mary Christine Fellerhoff of St. Helen Amory; Sister Nancy Schreck of Excel in Okalona; and Sister Maria Eugenia Moreno, MGSpS and Obdulia Olivar, MGSpS of St. Michael Forest.
According to Joe Boland, vice president of mission for Catholic Extension, the funds are unrestricted and the process to request and receive funds is simple.
“If they’re engaged in some ministry that is serving the poor — or have access to the poor — they determine how the money will be spent,” Boland said. “They know the ones in their communities, they know the names, the faces, the families. They will be able to deliver it or organize it in such a way that support goes to those who have the greatest need.”
Sister Obdulia, working with Hispanic families in Scott County affected by the ICE raids of Aug. 2019 and now impacted by COVID-19, said “Families to help are many, it was not difficult to identify them. We know what families were impacted by COVID and which ones were in most need of [this] help.”
Boland said that the sisters may serve anywhere, not just the 87 U.S. dioceses in Catholic Extension’s territory. Funding is released as it is raised, and Catholic Extension continues to seek donations to underwrite the program.
The Diocese of Jackson has been blessed by the service of many orders of sisters over the years: The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Agnes, – CSA; Missionaries Guadalupanas of the Holy Spirit, MGSpS; School Sisters of Notre Dame, SSND; Sisters of Humility of Mary, CHM; Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, RSM; Daughters of Charity, DC; Sisters of Charity of Halifax, SC; Franciscan Sisters, OSF; Sisters of the Living Word, SLW; Order of Discalced Carmelite Nuns, OCD; Dominican Sisters of Springfield, OP; Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, FSPA; Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, SCN School Sisters of St. Francis, Milwaukee, WI – OSF; Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, SNJM; Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate, S.H.Sp.; Union of the Sisters of the Presentation of the BVM, PBVM; and Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province – CSJ.
Since the program began in June, 378 sisters have received support from the Sisters on the Frontline grant program and another 622 have requested funds.
Sisters who have received funding are asked to report back to Catholic Extension as to how the funds were used. Catholic Extension will be sharing the sisters’ stories as they are received. To learn more or to donate, visit https://www.catholicextension.org/sisters-on-the-frontlines/.
By Catholic News Service
LAKE CHARLES, La (CNS) – Hurricane Laura destroyed six churches in the Diocese of Lake Charles, left a dozen others “highly compromised” and did heavy damage to chancery offices.
The diocese, in a report posted on its website, said that only one of six Catholic schools reopened Aug. 31, while the others needed at least some repairs before classes could resume.
The storm, which slammed southern Louisiana with winds of up to 150 mph in the early hours of Aug. 27, also left a diocesan rectory housing 20 priests, a third of them in active ministry, uninhabitable.
Some of the priests were able to relocate to rectories that sustained little or no damage, while others moved into Vianney House, a diocesan residence for people discerning a vocation, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in central Lake Charles and private homes.
Utilities, including power and water, in much of the region remained out Aug. 31.
The devastation was widespread, according to Bishop Glen J. Provost, bishop of the Lake Charles Diocese.
The roof of the chancery collapsed during the storm, leaving the building unusable, and a diocesan building across the street from the chancery sustained minor damage with broken windows from the fierce winds.
“The city is a disaster. No houses, no business is left untouched. The chancery will be unusable in the foreseeable future. We have 39 parishes and seven missions. All suffered some damage,” Bishop Provost said.
Hurricane Laura was the most powerful hurricane to strike southwest Louisiana, surpassing the devastation of Hurricane Rita in 2005 and Hurricane Audrey in 1957, the diocese said.
Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana began providing emergency relief within hours after the storm passed.
“We are here, we are open and we trying to meet the needs of the community,” the diocesan report quoted Mercy Sister Miriam MacLean, the agency’s director, saying.
“The Lord preserved Catholic Charities from any major damage for sure so that we can be up and operational,” she said. “We have a little bit of leakage in the roof and a couple of roll-up doors got a little damage, but we are blessed. We have a generator and the Religious Sisters of Mercy are running the office.”
The diocese reported that one of its newly ordained priests, Father Joseph Caraway, parochial vicar at St. Henry Church in St. Charles, used a chainsaw to clear a path so the Mercy sisters could return to their convent.
The priest then delivered food to homebound residents in the city, the diocese said.
The Knights of Columbus donated $150,000 to the Diocese of Lake Charles to assist with recovery efforts.
Bishop Provost rode out the storm at a parish in the northern part of the diocese.
“It is extremely important for me to live in my house in the diocese so I can be available to the priests and to the faithful,” said Bishop Provost, who has headed the diocese since 2007. “Some gentlemen from the cathedral parish bulldozed my driveway so that I could get to my house. Every tree in my yard, except maybe three or four, were downed. You can barely see my house from Lake Street because of all the downed trees.”
He reached out and offered prayers to all diocesan churches hours after the storm swept through the area.
The six destroyed churches are Our Lady of the Assumption in Johnson Bayou; Our Lady of the Lake in Lake Charles; Our Lady of the Sea in Cameron; Sacred Heart of Jesus in Creole; St. Eugene in Grand Chenier; and St. Peter the Apostle in Hackberry.
“Most of what I have witnessed so far has been wind damage,” Bishop Provost said.
He said Mass will continue to be celebrated when possible throughout the diocese.
“We appreciate everyone’s prayers. Bishops in other dioceses have sent word of assistance to us, so we appreciate the fellowship of the other Catholic dioceses throughout the nation. I have heard from bishops on the East and West coasts and especially in Texas and Louisiana,” he said.
As for the schools, only Our Lady Immaculate in Jennings was prepared to reopen Aug. 31. The diocese reported that Father Keith Pellerin, pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Jennings, said that classes would resume at the school.
St. Louis Catholic High School in Lake Charles sustained severe damage during the storm’s onslaught.
“Father (Nathan) Long, rector of the school, reported that the roof of the administration building is, for the most part, blown off. Windows in various classrooms are blown in and there is roof damage at the gym,” Father Pellerin said.
Bishop Provost spoke with Principal Trevor Donnelly of Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic School in Lake Charles, who reported minor damage to the building. However, the adjacent parish church sustained “substantial” damage. The parish rectory’s roof was significantly damaged, making it uninhabitable.
Volunteers were on hand Aug. 30 to clear trees and debris from the parish property.
Bishop Provost plans to visit as many parishes as possible to survey the storm’s impact firsthand.
Catholic Charities planned to distribute food, water and tarps to families in need. Sister MacLean said the dioceses of Beaumont, Texas, and Lafayette, Louisiana, will store donated supplies because her agency’s facility does not have enough storage space.
Bishop David L. Toups of Beaumont, Texas, helped deliver bottled water and also prepared meals to Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana despite having to assess storm damage in his diocese to the west. He said the damage in Beaumont was much less severe than in Lake Charles.
Sister MacLean also said people who were evacuated to hotels will need vouchers to remain there until other housing arrangements can be made. Long-term shelter will become a major need for people left homeless by Hurricane Laura, she said.
(Donations for relief effort are being accepted online at www.catholiccharitiesswla.com and www.catholiccharitiesusa.org.)
By Berta Mexidor
JACKSON – Health and economic hardships brought on by COVID-19 have been felt across the world. To help in the U.S., Catholic Extension launched the Sisters on the Frontlines alliance in late June in response to the pandemic, taking particular care to aid communities disproportionately afflicted by poverty and a lack of resources.
The goal of the initiative is to give 1,000 sisters, $1,000 each to provide rapid response to the poor and distressed. So far, five sisters in the Diocese of Jackson have received funds from through this special program – Sister Lael Niblick and Sister Mary Christine Fellerhoff of St. Helen Amory; Sister Nancy Schreck of Excel in Okalona; and Sister Maria Eugenia Moreno, MGSpS and Obdulia Olivar, MGSpS of St. Michael Forest.
According to Joe Boland, vice president of mission for Catholic Extension, the funds are unrestricted and the process to request and receive funds is simple.
“If they’re engaged in some ministry that is serving the poor — or have access to the poor — they determine how the money will be spent,” Boland said. “They know the ones in their communities, they know the names, the faces, the families. They will be able to deliver it or organize it in such a way that support goes to those who have the greatest need.”
Sister Obdulia, working with Hispanic families in Scott County affected by the ICE raids of Aug. 2019 and now impacted by COVID-19, said “Families to help are many, it was not difficult to identify them. We know what families were impacted by COVID and which ones were in most need of [this] help.”
Boland said that the sisters may serve anywhere, not just the 87 U.S. dioceses in Catholic Extension’s territory. Funding is released as it is raised, and Catholic Extension continues to seek donations to underwrite the program.
The Diocese of Jackson has been blessed by the service of many orders of sisters over the years: The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Agnes, – CSA; Missionaries Guadalupanas of the Holy Spirit, MGSpS; School Sisters of Notre Dame, SSND; Sisters of Humility of Mary, CHM; Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, RSM; Daughters of Charity, DC; Sisters of Charity of Halifax, SC; Franciscan Sisters, OSF; Sisters of the Living Word, SLW; Order of Discalced Carmelite Nuns, OCD; Dominican Sisters of Springfield, OP; Congregation of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, FSPA; Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, SCN School Sisters of St. Francis, Milwaukee, WI – OSF; Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, SNJM; Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate, S.H.Sp.; Union of the Sisters of the Presentation of the BVM, PBVM; and Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province – CSJ.
Since the program began in June, 378 sisters have received support from the Sisters on the Frontline grant program and another 622 have requested funds.
Sisters who have received funding are asked to report back to Catholic Extension as to how the funds were used. Catholic Extension will be sharing the sisters’ stories as they are received. To learn more or to donate, visit https://www.catholicextension.org/sisters-on-the-frontlines/.
MADISON – Father Aaron Williams and Dr. Andrew Abide wait to see if Phil Mansour sinks his put at the Lake Caroline golf course for the 2020 Bishop’s Cup Golf Scramble. Funds raised from the tournament and silent auction went to support the Catholic Foundation Grant Trust. Congratulations to the tournament winners. The BankFirst team of Marcus Mallory, Chase Frazure, Walker Brown and John Oller for came in first place. Second place (tied) was the Tico’s Steakhouse team of Tico Hoffman, Jack Hoffman, Father Gerry Hurley and Joe Beall. Also in second was the Campus Dining team of Michael Prince, Barry Planch, Steve Shirley and Jimmy Bailey. (Photo by Julia Williams)
Por Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
Durante el día feriado del Día del Trabajo (Labor Day, en inglés) y mientras disfrutaba de las bendiciones de un fin de semana largo, reflexioné sobre el aumento del desempleo, que se produjo debido al COVID-19 durante los últimos seis meses. En su apogeo, los cesados estuvieron en la astronómica cifra de un 33%, un nivel no visto desde la gran depresión en la década de 1930. Las dificultades actuales y la ansiedad por el futuro, que afligen a muchas familias, son cargas pesadas. Afortunadamente, las cifras de desempleo han vuelto a caer por debajo de los dos dígitos; sin embargo, demasiados son empujados al límite o más allá. Esta caída libre en la fuerza laboral deja en claro cuán esencial es el trabajo como un componente vital de lo que significa ser humano, es más que un simple trabajo.
Desde el advenimiento de la Revolución Industrial en el siglo XIX, la Iglesia ha enseñado extensamente sobre la naturaleza, la dignidad y la necesidad del trabajo comenzando con León X111 en la Rerum Novarum, sobre el Nuevo Orden de las Cosas, hasta el día de hoy con las exhortaciones del Papa Francisco. Al hacerlo, la iglesia siempre regresa a la fuente bíblica, en Génesis, cuando Dios trabajó durante seis días en la progresión de la creación y el descanso que siguió el séptimo día. Entonces Dios ordenó que la corona, masculina y femenina, de su creación debía someter la tierra y ejercer dominio sobre este asombroso planeta. (Génesis 1:28.) Sin embargo, esta tarea no es una licencia para ser prepotente o imprudente. Al contrario, en ella se trata de cultivar y cuidar el magnífico jardín que nos ha sido confiado. (Génesis 2:15) El mundo material no fue creado por la humanidad, sino que nos fue otorgado como un regalo precioso que el Creador puso bajo nuestra responsabilidad. Por lo tanto, todo trabajo puede ser una participación y un avance de la voluntad de Dios y el don de la creación.
En la perspectiva de la fe, los frutos de nuestro trabajo son para nuestro propio bienestar, para quienes dependen de nosotros, especialmente nuestra familia, para el bien común, para una sociedad justa y para la gloria de Dios. No es solo un trabajo. La familia, por tanto, debe ser legítimamente un agente esencial de la vida económica, guiada no solo por la mentalidad de mercado sino por la lógica del compartir y la solidaridad entre generaciones. La justicia es la virtud que gobierna el orden social, y el mercado debe aspirar a un nivel de vida para mantener una familia y permitirle vivir decentemente. (Pío XI) La demanda de justicia precede a la preocupación por el lucro. “Vale más lo poco ganado honradamente, que lo mucho ganado en forma injusta.” (Proverbios 16:8)
El ocio del Día del Trabajo, una especie de contradicción, retrata la intrincada red de la vida que Dios quiere. Jesús, un hombre de trabajo, dedicó la mayor parte sus años en la tierra al trabajo manual en un banco de carpintero. (Juan Pablo II). En sus enseñanzas, Jesús se refiere regularmente a la realidad del trabajo para desvelar el misterio del Reino de Dios. Alaba al siervo fiel y prudente a quien el Maestro encuentra esforzándose en los deberes que se le encomiendan (Mt 24:46), y condena la conducta del siervo inútil, que esconde su talento en la tierra. (Mt 25:14ss) Describe su propia misión como la de trabajar. “Mi Padre siempre ha trabajado, y yo también trabajo.” (Jn 5:17) Sus discípulos son obreros en la mies del Señor (Mt 9: 37-38), y “pues el trabajador tiene derecho a su paga.” (Lc 10:7)
Trabajar en el hogar o en el mercado es una parte esencial del ser humano. La conciencia de que “este mundo que vemos ha de terminar.” (1Cor 7:31) no es una exoneración de estar involucrado en el trabajo. (2Tes 3:7-15) Ningún cristiano, creyendo que pertenece a otros y a Dios, tiene derecho a no trabajar y vivir a expensas de los demás. El apóstol Pablo les encarga a todos que sean un punto de honor trabajar, no depender de nadie. (1Ts 4:12), y practicar la solidaridad compartiendo los frutos de su trabajo con los necesitados. (Efesios 4:28) Santiago defiende los derechos pisoteados de los trabajadores: “El pago que no les dieron a los hombres que trabajaron en su cosecha, está clamando contra ustedes; y el Señor todopoderoso ha oído la reclamación de esos trabajadores.” (Santiago 5:4)
Sin embargo, debe haber un equilibrio. En su predicación, Jesús enseña al hombre y a la mujer a no ser esclavizados por el trabajo. Antes que nada, deben preocuparse por sus almas. Ganar el mundo entero no es el propósito de la vida. (Mc 18:36) Los tesoros de la tierra se consumen, mientras que los del cielo son imperecederos. Es en estos últimos tesoros que los hombres y mujeres deben poner su corazón. (Mt 6:19-21) Porque no miramos a lo que se ve, sino a lo que no se ve. Porque lo que se ve es transitorio; lo que no se ve es eterno. (2Cor 4:18) Este es el don del reposo sabático en el día del Señor, un tiempo de curación, un tiempo dedicado a Dios y a los demás, cultivando relaciones que permitan a la humanidad emprender el camino hacia el sábado eterno.
Para muchos, la pandemia ha provocado una crisis y esperamos que puedan mantenerse estables durante la tormenta. Para muchos más que están bien materialmente, pero restringidos socialmente, esperamos que no se pierda la oportunidad de restaurar el equilibrio duradero en sus vidas dentro de la providencia creativa de Dios.
By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – A lack of respect for human life from conception to natural death and a lack of respect for the environment are both signs of a person claiming power over something that is not theirs to control, Pope Francis said.
“They are the same indifference, the same selfishness, the same greed, the same pride, the same claim to be the master and despot of the world that lead human beings on the one hand to destroy species and plunder natural resources and, on the other, to exploit poverty, to abuse the work of women and children, to overturn the laws of the nuclear family (and) to no longer respect the right to human life from conception to its natural end,” the pope said Sept. 3.
Pope Francis made his remarks in a speech written for a group of laypeople advising the French bishops’ conference on ways to promote and implement the teaching of “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.”
The group, which included the actress Juliette Binoche, traveled to Rome by train as a carbon-saving alternative to traveling by plane.
The Vatican press office said the pope handed his prepared text to members of the group and then had an unscripted conversation with them, telling them that his own “ecological conversion” began in 2007 by listening to Brazilian bishops at the Latin American bishops’ meeting in Aparecida, Brazil.
At the time, “I understood nothing,” he said. But he began listening and studying and dialoguing with scientists and theologians. The result was “Laudato Si’,” the encyclical published in 2015.
Ecological concern is a Christian concern, he said.
“The Bible teaches us that the world was not born in of chaos or by accident but by a decision of God who called it – and always will call it – into existence out of love,” the pope said. “The universe is beautiful and good, and contemplating it allows us to glimpse the infinite beauty and goodness of its author.”
Christians have a moral obligation to respect the creation God has entrusted to them “as a garden to cultivate, protect, make grow according to its potential,” he said. “And if human beings have the right to make use of nature for their own needs, they cannot in anyway claim to be its owners or despots, but only administrators who must give an account of their use.”
Jesus taught his followers to live in harmony, with justice, in peace and recognizing others as brothers and sisters, the pope said. But “when one considers nature only as an object of profit and self-interest – a vision that consolidates the whim of the strongest – then harmony is shattered and serious inequality, injustice and suffering result.”
Reflections on Life
By Melvin Arrington
Have you noticed that kindness seems to be absent from our world today? It hasn’t always been like this. When I was growing up the world moved at a slower pace. We didn’t have computers or smartphones but we knew all the neighbors on our street. TVs were small, black and white models with no remote control, no cable, no dish. We wrote letters instead of texts. Most out-of-town trips were made by car.
But in our modern, fast-paced society speed is considered essential in practically every aspect of life. We demand instant communication, whether it’s with someone across town or on the other side of the world. And if you’re going somewhere, chances are you’re looking to get there in a hurry. All these technological advancements that we take for granted have made our lives easier. But in privileging speed and comfort we have sacrificed some of the basic elements of human interaction, one of which is kindness (goodness, in some translations of Scripture), the fifth Fruit of the Spirit.
When I think of this virtue, I’m reminded of one of my cousins, a multi-talented artist who passed away a couple of months ago after struggling for many years with a debilitating disease. He was a wise and compassionate soul who inspired family and friends with his art and the way he lived his life. The phrase “be kind” was sort of a motto of his.
We ought to be kind to everyone, including those unable to do anything for us and especially to those we view as unworthy of our benevolence. Why? Because that’s the way God treats us. He looks on us and sees our unworthiness and showers us with all sorts of blessings and favors anyway. That’s the pattern we’re supposed to follow. It’s easy to say, “Yes, that’s right. I believe that.” The difficulty comes in putting it into practice.
Harold S. Kushner, best known for his book When Bad Things Happen to Good People, speaks succinctly to this point: “Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are.” This means I should treat others with kindness for the sake of kindness, not in order to call attention to my good deed. We’ve all been beneficiaries of someone’s charity, and even if we’re unable to pay it back we can always pay it forward. If those we help pass it on, then goodness will never go away. As Sirach 40:17 tells us, “Kindness is like a garden of blessings and charity endures forever.”
The word “kindness” comes from a Middle English word meaning “noble deeds” or “courtesy.” My wife once told me one reason she married me was because she thought I was courteous and a gentleman. If I am those things, it’s because of my mother, who taught me good manners when I was young.
One particular lesson stands out in my mind. I was about five. I was playing outside with one of the neighborhood kids, a little girl. When we got thirsty, she and I dashed up the steps to my house to get some water. I remember forging ahead, but when I got to the door my mother blocked the entrance, telling me I should let the girl go first. That made no sense to me because I got there first. So, I plowed ahead, but my mother pushed back, and when she did, my friend slipped inside ahead of me. That little incident may have been my initial exposure to the commandment “love thy neighbor as thyself.” As a side note, I think I actually crossed the threshold first by “breaking the plane” of the doorway, to use the football term, but what I learned that day was much more important than football.
In our culture of expediency, fueled by self-interest, love of neighbor often gets shoved out of the way, like when I tried to push past my friend to get inside the house. According to the prevailing philosophy of our time, we should simply “let everyone fend for himself.” But what we need instead is a culture in which we prioritize the needs of others rather than just taking care of ourselves. In that ideal society everybody looks out for his neighbor, especially the poor, the sick, and the lonely. That’s what good neighbors do. That’s what Christians do.
Do I exhibit kindness in the way I conduct my life? I hope so. I hope goodness and common courtesy have been instilled in me to the extent that they’ve become second nature, like saying “hello” or some other simple greeting in passing another person on the street.
Several years ago, I was in the Newark, New Jersey airport waiting to catch another flight. As I was walking along the sidewalk headed toward the next terminal, I passed a police officer and, without thinking, nodded my head and said “Hello.” I’ll never forget his reaction. His facial expression darkened, and he gave me a look that said, “What do you want?” He obviously was not used to having kind words spoken to him. In Learning the Virtues that Lead You to God Romano Guardini wrote that kindness requires patience and a sense of humor. That’s something I discovered on my own that day in Newark.
Do we really want to recapture the mutual understanding, cooperation, love, and goodwill that have all but disappeared from modern society? If so, we’re going to have to slow down, be considerate and attend to the needs of the other person, and perform “noble deeds,” all in a spirit of self-sacrifice. We’ve all got a role to play in building the Kingdom of Heaven, and it really doesn’t matter who goes first.
(Melvin Arrington is a Professor Emeritus of Modern Languages for the University of Mississippi and a member of Oxford St. John Parish.)
By Staff Reports The Vicksburg Post
VICKSBURG – Nearly 160 years ago, six ordained Sisters of Mercy arrived in Vicksburg with a singular goal in mind — to educate the children of the town and open the area’s very first school. Now, that legacy is being continued, and those women are being honored through the naming of the Vicksburg Catholic School Sisters of Mercy Early Learning Center.
The new facility, which is under construction at the corner of Clay and Howard streets, will serve as a childcare center for infants through three-year-olds. The building itself will be named the Sherry J. Scott Building, honoring a graduate of St. Francis Xavier and a generous donor to the school, who learned the importance of giving back at a young age from the Sisters of Mercy.
“Without the support from Sherry and her husband, Sam Scott, fundraising for this project would have been daunting, especially in our current environment,” said Kristi Smith, development director at VCS. “Their generosity and commitment to the school is just another great testament to the incredible impression the Sisters of Mercy left on their students.”
But education wasn’t the only call the Sisters of Mercy answered during their time in Vicksburg. In addition to being remembered as great teachers in the area, the Sisters also became nurses when they encountered numerous sick and injured soldiers during the Civil War. That work led them to take over City Hospital in 1878 and the Vicksburg Street Hospital in 1943, which later became known as Mercy Hospital until it was bought by a corporation in 1991.
“When you talk about the history of Vicksburg, you have to talk about the Sisters of Mercy,” said Mary Margaret Edney, a member of the VCS advisory council. “I can’t think of a more appropriate way for us to honor their legacy and to remember the many sacrifices they made to better our community all those years ago. There are a lot of people who will tell you that they wouldn’t be where they are today if it weren’t for those women.”
Since the news of Scott’s donation, VCS has moved into Phase 2 of its capital campaign to raise $2.2 million for the center. This phase will fund construction completion and furnishings, a total of about $400,000.
The Sisters of Mercy Early Learning Center is scheduled to open in 2021. For more information about enrollment, please contact the school at 601-636-4824.
(Editor’s note: Article re-printed with permission of The Vicksburg Post.)
