Author Archives: Tereza Ma

Calendar of events

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

VIRTUAL Dominican Sisters of Peace presents “Listening to God’s Call with Open Hearts,” a virtual discernment retreat for single women ages 18-45, Sept. 11-13. This retreat will give single Catholic women an opportunity to meet and talk with Sisters and women in formation, as well as other women who are discerning their own call to religious life. Details: Sister Bea Tiboldi, OP, (614) 400-1255 or BTiboldi@oppeace.org.
GREENWOOD Locus Benedictus Retreat Center, “Why am I Afraid to Change?” Friday, Sept. 25 to Saturday, Sept. 26. Presenters: Father Bill Henry and Janet Constantine, LMHC. The Retreat is on Friday from 6-9 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admittance is by love offering; however, participants must register, since seating will be limited due to social distancing. Masks must be worn by all participants. Details: You may register online at www.locusbenedictus.org or call (662) 299-1232.
HERNANDO Holy Spirit, Healing Shrine in the Daily Mass Chapel. A healing shrine has been erected along the back wall of one side of the daily Mass chapel at Holy Spirit, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints. A petition book is available for you to write your petitions for healing of any illness of body, mind or spirit, for you, your relatives and/or friends. These petitions will be remembered and prayed for by our parishioners. You may light a small 5-hour candle (tea light) for $2 or a 7-day candle for $10. Details: church office (662) 429-7851.

PARISH, SCHOOL AND FAMILY EVENTS

CLARKSDALE St. Elizabeth, Parish Fair, Tuesday, Oct. 6 from 5-7 p.m. This year the fair will be drive through food items only with some surprise booths. The sweet shoppe and frozen casseroles will only be offering their top five items to be purchased. Details: (662) 846-6273.
GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph, Germanfest 2020 cancelled. After consultation with the diocese, conversations with Father Kevin and our Germanfest Chairperson Eric Price, and much prayer, we have made the very difficult decision to cancel Germanfest this year. Due to uncertainties surrounding the COVID pandemic, the escalating numbers of illness, and the necessity of close and sustained contact during preparations, as well as the need to protect our parishioners and our visitors, we feel it is the best decision we can make at this time.
HERNANDO Holy Spirit, Adult Religious Education on Thursday mornings after daily Mass at 9 a.m. which will focus on scripture study. Grow in your spirituality and knowledge of our Catholic faith. Details: church office (662) 429-7851.
Holy Spirit, along with the other SCJ parishes, Grandparents Day will be celebrated the weekend of Sept. 12-13. They will be honored with a special blessing at the Masses that weekend. Details: church office (662) 429-7851.
JACKSON St. Richard, Save the Date, Special Kids Golf Tournament, Thursday, Oct. 8 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Deerfield Golf Club, Canton. Almost 40 years ago, Father Patrick Farrell saw the need to provide a program designed to address the challenges of children with special needs. Every year, the funding raised by our golf tournament makes so many things possible for our students. Raffle tickets for a Mother’s Day Weekend in Florida are available at St. Richard Church and school offices for $5 or five tickets for $20. Details: Shannon Garner at the church office (601) 366-2335, garner@saintrichard.com or www.saintrichard.com.
St. Richard, Confirmation for 10th and 11th grades begins Sunday, Sept. 20 and meets from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the youth center. Pizza will be served from 6-6:30 p.m. Details: church office (601) 366-2335.
JACKSON St. Peter Cathedral, Adult Faith Formation, Sundays, during 9:15–10 a.m. between Masses starting Sept. 13 in the Cathedral. Discussion will be on the book The Gospel of Mark by Mary Healy. It is part of a series entitled the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. The author teaches at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. The book is available at www.amazon.com and in the kindle format. Details: fathermatthewpricesimmons@gmail.com.
JACKSON Catholic Charities’ Journey of Hope has been rescheduled for Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021 at 12 p.m. There will be a meet and greet the night before, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021 from 6-8 p.m. The luncheon speaker will be Elizabeth Smart. Details: Catholic Charities (601) 355-8634.
JACKSON 40 Days for Life kickoff rally, 2903 North State Street, Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 12 p.m. Join in prayer and fasting as they go to the abortion facility to be a public witness for God. There will be no speaker this year, but they are asking that you pray and sing. Details: plm@prolifemississippi.org.
MERIDIAN Catholic Community of St. Joseph and St. Patrick, join in for the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3 p.m. and Vespers/Rosary at 4:45 p.m. (Monday-Friday). Details: Dial in by phone (769) 206-1927 to join in.
Catholic Community of St. Joseph and St. Patrick, Father Augustine leads a novena to the Lady of Our Perpetual Help on the parish’s Facebook page Saturdays at 11 a.m. Details: church office (601) 693-1321.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Spaghetti Dinner sponsored by Knights of Columbus, Sunday, Sept. 20 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the O’Connor Family Life Center. Due to COVID-19, all dinners will be to go and no brought-in containers will be allowed. Cost: Donation per ticket is $9. Details: Joe Garrity or Steve Nielsen at the church office (601) 445-5616.
SOUTHAVEN Christ the King, National Prayer Event, “Let’s Life Chain America,” Sunday, Oct. 4 from 2-3 p.m. Life Chain is a silent prayer vigil to communicate opposition to abortion. It is not political or confrontational. Details: Barbara Dean at (901) 486-6470; MaryAnn (662) 420-7851 or (662) 429-0501.
VICKSBURG St. Mary, Knights of Columbus Drawdown, Sunday, Oct. 11. This event will be a “virtual” drawdown with takeout food. Cost: tickets are $75 each. Details: church office (601) 636-0115.
VIRTUAL First Homegrown Harvest Gala and Fundraiser, Friday, Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m. to raise awareness and funds for the Seminarian Trust. This will be a live online event. You can go to https://one.bidpal.net/homegrownharvest2020 to be a part. You will hear from the six men who are studying for the priesthood, as well as hear a talk from Father Jim Wehner, the President/Rector of Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans and throughout the evening you will hear from Father Nick Adam, our seminarians and more. Details: Father Nick Adam, vocation director (601) 969-4020 or nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.

YOUTH BRIEFS

CLARKSDALE Catholic Community of St. Elizabeth, Faith Formation will resume on Sunday, Sept. 20 from 9:15-10:15 a.m. before Mass for the following grades: 9th-12th grades – meet in the church; 7-8th grades – meet in the school gym; 4th-6th grades – meet in McKenna Hall and 1st-3rd grades – meet in the school classrooms. Social distancing of at least six feet will be required and masks must be worn at all times. A teacher for 4th-6th grades is still needed. Details: call the church office to register your child (662) 624-4301.
MERIDIAN, Catholic Community of St. Joseph and St. Patrick, the Youth Group will be meeting every 2nd and 4th Sunday at 4 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Youth (6th-12th Grades) are invited. Please contact Angela Dove at 601 693 1321 Ext. 8 or by email angela@catholicmeridian.org.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, High School Youth Group, Wednesdays from 6-7 p.m. at the Family Life Center youth wing. “Be Still …” not a class, not a meeting, but a journey. There will be pizza. Details: (601) 445-5616.

COVID-19 REMINDER

In person Masses are now open at many parishes within the Diocese of Jackson. Check with your local parish for details and follow guidelines in place for attendance. All over the age of two are required to wear a mask.
The obligation to attend Mass continues to be dispensed by Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, so if you do not feel safe attending, or have an underlying health condition, or feel sick, please stay home. Be safe and stay vigilant!

Foundation accepting grant applications through Aug. 31

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JACKSON – The Catholic Foundation is accepting grant requests through Aug. 31. Each year the Foundation supports projects around the diocese in parishes, schools, Catholic Charities and ministries. The application can be found on the diocese website https://jacksondiocese.org/catholic-foundation-grant-application-form/.
Last year the Foundation funded 23 projects and awarded over $73,500. One of the recipients was St. Paul Early Learning Center. in Flowood The grant helped them to create an outdoor learning space to keep the children engaged in learning even when they are outdoors. Rebecca Harris, executive director stated, “We were excited to fund this grant. Since children at this age learn through play the Foundation grant committee felt like this was a unique opportunity for the Foundation to fund. We look forward to reading through the grant applications this year.”

Meet Andrew Bowden

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Andrew Bowden is in his third year of Theology at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. He entered the seminary after graduating from Brandon High School in 2014.

Andrew Bowden

Home parish: St. Jude, Pearl

Background: I am from Brandon. I have lived in Mississippi my whole life.

What is your vocation story? Who influenced you and why?
I’ve wanted to be a priest for as long as I can remember. Father Martin Ruane, my first pastor, was a big influence.

What draws you to diocesan priesthood? And to the Diocese of Jackson?
The Diocese of Jackson is my home. Prayer and discernment have made it clear the diocesan priesthood is how God wants me to serve him.

What are your hobbies/interests?
I like to listen to music, walk in nature and read. I also play the French horn.

Who is your favorite saint?
The Blessed Mother is easily my favorite saint.

Do you have a favorite devotion?
The Servite rosary is probably my favorite devotion. It reflects on Mary’s seven sorrows.

Who is your favorite sports team? The New Orleans Saints.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a seminarian? And the most challenging?
I’ve enjoyed getting to meet so many people in the diocese. The most challenging part has been being away from the diocese for so long [while I am away at seminary].

What advice do you have for those discerning a vocation?
Seminary formation is difficult and will be a long journey, but it will be worth it in the end.

Where can people send you a personal note?
Andrew Bowden, 2901 South Carrollton Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118

La ciudad de Dios

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Por Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.

La Revolución Francesa golpeó al mundo occidental como un huracán que volcó y arrasó todo a su paso. Siguió los pasos de la Revolución Americana de 1776, una lucha que duró 10 años después del asalto a la Bastilla en 1789. Las fuerzas que finalmente se desataron se habían estado construyendo durante mucho tiempo, y las monarquías en Inglaterra y Francia no pudieron resistir la presión de la humanidad que anhela respirar libremente.

Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz

Charles Dickens nació en este nuevo mundo emergente en Inglaterra en 1812 y se convertiría durante gran parte del siglo XIX en un crítico social preeminente. Su clásico Un Cuento de dos ciudades abordó los males sociales generalizados que llevaron a la revolución y que aún persistieron en su vida y que describió en las primeras líneas de su novela. “Fue el mejor de los tiempos, fue el peor de los tiempos, fue la era de la sabiduría, fue la era de la necedad, fue la época de la fe, fue la época de la incredulidad, fue la época de la luz, era la temporada de las tinieblas, era el manantial de la esperanza, era el invierno de la desesperación … Todos íbamos directamente al cielo, o todos íbamos en sentido contrario”.
En última instancia, esta obra clásica desafió a la gente de su época a ir más allá de la tontería, la incredulidad, la oscuridad y la desesperación y abrazar la sabiduría, la fe, la luz y la esperanza, en otras palabras, la redención y la nueva vida a nivel personal y social. Edades anteriores, San Agustín la llamó la Ciudad de Dios, anclada en la muerte y resurrección del Señor y su presencia permanente.

¿Cómo describiría nuestra nación y el mundo en el siglo XXI? ¿En qué dirección vamos? ¿Está la pandemia creando el peor de los tiempos? La verdad es que las palabras de Charles Dickens son atemporales y pueden aplicarse correctamente a todas las generaciones.

En nuestra sociedad abundan las pruebas de que muchas personas viven con rectitud y compasión como buenos ciudadanos, personas de diversas religiones o sin fe. Considere a los bomberos que se lanzan al camino de los infiernos para salvar vidas y propiedades, los trabajadores de la salud que diariamente cuidan a los afectados por el virus, los primeros socorristas que ahora están ayudando a quienes se encuentran en el camino de los huracanes, Laura y Marco. Lamentablemente, lo contrario es demasiado cierto cuando consideramos la cultura de la muerte que destruye la vida en el útero, pisotea a los pobres y priva a muchos de los elementos básicos para prosperar en este mundo. Por supuesto, demasiados desperdician las bendiciones de la libertad y la responsabilidad personal y eligen un camino en la vida que, en palabras de Dickens, “va en sentido contrario”. Hay mucho que reflexionar y mucho que hacer.

Desde que Jesús entregó las llaves del reino a Pedro, la Iglesia católica ha proclamado el Evangelio de la salvación sumergiéndose en la vida de las personas y culturas donde se arraiga el Evangelio. El objetivo final es la salvación de las almas, como escribió elocuentemente San Pablo, “ para esforzarme por alcanzar lo que está delante, 14 para llegar a la meta y ganar el premio celestial que Dios nos llama a recibir por medio de Cristo Jesús.” (Filipenses 3:13-14) Pero esa no es una directiva para usar ligeramente mientras viajamos por la vida, porque el Reino de Dios no es una cuestión de comer y beber, sino de justicia, paz y gozo en el Espíritu Santo. (Romanos 14:17)

En nuestra tradición católica, la esperanza para este mundo y el próximo está escrita en nuestro ADN. No es uno o la otro. Desde una perspectiva histórica, sabemos que, si no se afronta y se supera la injusticia, en la escena, tarde o temprano, estallan revoluciones. Las convulsiones y clamores que surgen en nuestra nación en el momento presente deben despertar a la nación para reconciliar y sanar el pasado, y para comprometernos todos con la obra de justicia y paz en esta generación, signos indiscutibles de la “Ciudad de Dios.”

Del documento ”Sobre la Iglesia en el Mundo Actual, Gaudium et Spes,” durante el Concilio Vaticano II, tenemos esta visión inspirada de nuestro mundo. “Aunque el progreso terrenal debe distinguirse cuidadosamente del crecimiento del Reino de Cristo, sin embargo, en la medida en que puede ayudar a un mejor orden de la sociedad humana, es de gran importancia para el Reino de Dios. Las bendiciones de la dignidad humana, la comunión fraternal y la libertad se encontrarán nuevamente en el mundo venidero cuando Cristo entregue al Padre un Reino eterno, purificado de todo pecado y transformado, un Reino de verdad y vida, de santidad y gracia, de justicia y paz“.

De seguro, este será “el mejor de los tiempos” en el Reino de Dios.

Making the poor a priority isn’t political, it’s the Gospel

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By Junno Arocho Esteves
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Church teaching on giving priority to the well-being of the poor and marginalized is not a political or ideological choice; it lies at the very heart of the Gospel, Pope Francis said.
The preferential option for the poor, which includes feeding the hungry and drawing close to the excluded, “is the key criterion of Christian authenticity,” he said Aug. 19 during his weekly general audience.
The principle also would include making sure that any vaccine developed for the novel coronavirus helps everyone, he added.
“It would be sad,” he said, if priority for a vaccine “were to be given to the richest. It would be sad if this vaccine were to become the property of this nation or another, rather than universal and for all.”
During his audience, livestreamed from the library of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis continued a series of talks on the principles of the church’s social doctrine as a guide for healing and building a better future, particularly as the world is struggling with a pandemic and its negative effects.

Pope Francis leads his general audience in the library of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican Aug. 19, 2020. The pope said that the church’s preferential option for the poor includes making sure any vaccine developed for COVID-19 helps everyone. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

In fact, he said, a proper response to the pandemic is twofold:
“On the one hand, it is essential to find a cure for this small but terrible virus, which has brought the whole world to its knees. On the other, we must also cure a larger virus, that of social injustice, inequality of opportunity, marginalization and the lack of protection for the weakest.”
“It would be a scandal if all of the economic assistance we are observing – most of it with public money – were to focus on rescuing those industries that do not contribute to the inclusion of the excluded, the promotion of the least, the common good or the care of creation,” the pope said.
These are the four criteria that should be used “for choosing which industries should be helped: those which contribute to the inclusion of the excluded, to the promotion of the least, to the common good and the care of creation.”
Pope Francis said the COVID-19 pandemic “has exposed the plight of the poor and the great inequality that reigns in the world” and it has made those inequalities and discrimination even worse.
One of the responses that must not be missing is the preferential option for the poor, he said.
This key element of the church’s social teaching “is not a political option, nor is it an ideological option,” he said; it is “at the center of the Gospel.”
Jesus “stood among the sick, the poor, the excluded, showing them God’s merciful love,” he said.
The preferential option for the poor is a duty for all Christians and communities, he said, and it means doing more than providing needed assistance; it requires remedying the root causes and problems that lead to the need for aid.
“Many people want to return to normality” and get back to business, the pope said, but this “normality” must not entail ongoing social injustice and the degradation of the environment.
“The pandemic is a crisis, and we do not emerge from a crisis the same as before: either we come out of it better or we come out of it worse,” he said. “We must come out of it better” and build something different.
The world needs an economy and remedies that do not “poison society, such as profits not linked to the creation of dignified jobs,” but rather profits that benefit the general public.
“We must act now to heal the epidemics caused by small, invisible viruses and to heal those caused by the great and visible social injustices,” he said.
By “starting from the love of God, placing the peripheries at the center and the last in first place,” he said, “a healthier world will be possible.”
The pope concluded by praying, “May the Lord help us and give us the strength to come out of it better, responding to the needs of today’s world.”

The Mass of Holy Thursday

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Spirit and truth
By Father Aaron Williams
Our study of the liturgies of Holy Week picks up in this edition with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday night. For the sake of these columns, I will save discussion of the Chrism Mass for a later issue since this Mass is historically new and deserves a fuller treatment. In older times, the ‘Chrism Mass’ was simply the Mass of Holy Thursday celebrated in the Cathedral church.
From an aesthetic and ceremonial perspective, the Holy Thursday Mass is the simplest of the Triduum lituriges. In many ways it resembles a ‘normal’ Mass, which seems fitting on the night which honors the institution of the Mass itself. From the beginning of the Mass, the overarching theme of the Triduum is put forward. The entrance antiphon begins, “Let us glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This same text is used as the entrance antiphon only on one other occasion in the year: Sept. 14, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
We tend to try to place ‘themes’ upon the Triduum liturgies, but the Church desires us understand these rites as a continual zooming in on the one Paschal Mystery. Holy Thursday should be understood as a Mass of the Passion, and retain the same somber tone that we would approach Good Friday. It is for this reason that the rubrics of the Holy Thursday Mass tell us that following the chanting of the Gloria, no instruments or bells are used until the Gloria at the Easter Vigil. The remainder of the Mass is sung a cappella. All through Lent, the church gradually strips away the ceremonial surroundings of the liturgy, and this comes to a climax on Holy Thursday night.
The Gospel read, both in the modern from and in the traditional Missal, does not actually tell the story of the institution of the Eucharist. Rather, the Gospel of the foot washing from St. John is used. This is to underscore the theme of the Passion in the Holy Thursday Mass. The reading of the foot washing on Holy Thursday isn’t a disconnected moment from the Triduum. Those who return for Good Friday will find that the Passion reading at that service will pick up where the previous night finished — again to underscore the one continual mystery celebrated through the Triduum.
In the Holy Week rites before 1955, there was no foot washing rite at this point. The Mandatum, as it is known, formerly was a rite reserved for Cathedrals and Monasteries when new members would be added to the clergy or monastic community. The head of the community would wash the new member’s feet while the community chanted, “Mandatum novum do vobis … I give you a new commandment, love one another as I have loved you.”

Father Aaron Williams

Pope Pius XII gave permission for this rite to be celebrated after the Holy Thursday Mass. In the later reform of Holy Week in 1955, the Mandatum is inserted into the Missal as an optional rite after the gospel — which made this rite unique considering there is very little that is optional in the traditional liturgical books. The modern liturgical books maintains the Mandatum as an optional rite, but moves its location to after the homily, rather than after the gospel. The traditional chant is still provided as an optional text to be chanted during the rite.
When this rite is celebrated, it must be the priest to perform the washing (and multiple priests should not be used). The priest takes the place of Christ, strips off his chasuble, and puts on a linen apron (or an amici tied about his waist). He should go one-by-one to each person and wash and dry at least their right foot. Remember that the theme of the entire Triduum is the Passion, so the emphasis here is that the priest, representing Christ, is also representing how Christ’s sacrifice was made not simply for all of us, but for each of us personally, which is why only the priest must celebrate this rite. Christ personally offers himself up for each of us in his Passion.
The Mass continues from this point as normal. The First Eucharistic Prayer (the Roman Canon) must be used in this Mass, and it takes a special form where, prior to the institution narrative, reference is made to the fact that the Eucharist was instituted on Holy Thursday night.
Following communion, a ciborium (not a monstrance) remains on the altar. After the post-communion prayer, all kneel and the priest incenses the ciborium. Putting on a humeral veil, the priest carries the ciborium veiled around the church in a solemn procession with incense and lamps. It is appropriate that some members of the faithful follow this procession as at least a representation of the parish. The procession leads to a special altar which is richly decorated and prepared as the place of reservation for the next two nights.
This altar is traditionally called the ‘Sepulchre’ or tomb. Some modern theologians compare this altar to the Garden of Gethsemane, but traditionally it is understood as a representation of the tomb of Christ, since the Holy Thursday Mass is a celebration of the Passion and not simply of Holy Thursday night. In medieval rites, this altar had a significant role in the Easter liturgy, which we will visit at another time.
After the procession, the ciborium is placed inside the temporary tabernacle and the door is shut. Candles are left burning and adoration (without a monstrance) is kept solemnly until midnight. After that point, adoration may continue more simply, but the altar is to be left decorated through the Triduum — which is why it is best this altar be in another place than the church itself.

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

Pandemic spirituality and the grocery store “clicklist”

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Kneading Faith
By Fran Lavelle
You can ask anyone who knows me, I love to cook. I love making wholesome and healthy meals and I absolutely love having people over for dinner. I love every minute of meal planning, shopping, meal prep, table setting, wine chilling, dessert making, and I love most the gathering of friends and family around my big country table. The pandemic has authoritatively terminated dinner parties and holiday gatherings since mid-March and will likely continue to scrub such activities for some time into the future. Not only have our gatherings been deferred but the glorious trip to Mother Kroger has been completely and utterly transformed.
Prior to the pandemic I never and I mean never thought I would utilize the “clicklist” shopping option at my local Kroger. Since the pandemic I use this option almost weekly and order my Mom’s groceries the same way. So, you are asking yourself, what do dinner parties and grocery shopping have to do with spirituality?
Here is the thing, as a society we have grown so accustom to having what we want, when we want. For most of us, we are a might bit demanding and our expectations for variety and quality are high. In a world of excess, it is easy to grow accustom to having what we want regardless of the season. But our present reality has made a mockery of our need for instant gratification and the best of the best. We have lost control of the things we have taken for granted like fully stocked shelves at the grocery store. The reality of having someone else shop for you means that you no longer control which bunch of bananas ends up in your cart. And we all know where we stand on the banana matrix of ripeness. If you are like me, slightly speckled bananas are considered over-ripe. If substitutions are made, you are not the one making that decision. On more than one occasion, I have found myself singing the Rolling Stones, “You can’t always get what you want” whilst unloading my “clicklist” groceries.
Therein lies the deeper lesson of this pandemic. This is a season of life marked by the destructive nature of an uncontrollable virus, but also marked by the opportunity to let go of our sense of control and seek God’s will. Ecclesiastes 3:1-5 reminds us, “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to give birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.” This ebb and flow of life’s events recognizes a proper time for everything under the sun.
What has this time of pandemic been for you? In March, I thought we would shelter in place for a few weeks, beat down this beast called coronavirus and be back in business by mid-April. I saw an opportunity for a hard reset that would take us out of the unhealthy and all-consuming busyness of our lives. Five months into this gig and the unhealthy busyness is creeping back in. I do not want to backslide. So, I am making an effort to reprioritize how I give myself to God, my family and my work.
We will look back on this time in the years to come and think about the many ways our lives have been forever changed by the pandemic. Some of them are as small as giving up control of what tomatoes end up in our shopping cart. Some of them will be seismic shifts in how we live. Sorting out what gifts we take with us from this pandemic and what we leave behind might be difficult. Just like the parable of the wheat and the weeds we may need to wait until harvest time to separate what is life giving from the things that just are not that important anymore. For now, I am leaning in. I know there are important lessons to be learned in all of this. The pandemic and the Kroger “clicklist” continue to remind me that I will not always get what I want, what I get may be less than what I expect, and there is a season for everything.

(Fran Lavelle is the Director of Faith Formation for the Diocese of Jackson)

Knights of Columbus called to redouble efforts to fight racism, violence

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By Catholic News Service
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CNS) – Every day Knights of Columbus live out the principles of charity, unity and fraternity, and through this daily witness in society, they must redouble their efforts to combat racism, violence and hatred, the top Knight told his confreres.
“Living these principles,” Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said, “is the highest expression of patriotism today.”
He made the comments in an address the evening of Aug. 4 during the fraternal organization’s 138th annual convention, held virtually for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many of our fellow citizens are still treated differently because of the color of their skin,” said Anderson. “Whenever and wherever this happens, it is wrong. And it must be righted.”
Anderson recommitted the Knights to its programs in support of Native Americans and to foster an “honest recounting of their history.” He lamented the recent desecration of churches and statues of saints, especially St. Junipero Serra, whom he called a “heroic and saintly missionary.”
“Where others seek to divide,” said Anderson, “let us promote unity. And where racism festers, let us build fraternity.”
“Living in fraternity is what we do every day,” said Anderson. “It is this commitment to fraternity that gives us the strength to do the great works of charity that our times demand.”
The convention, which had as its theme “Knights of Fraternity,” officially opened with an evening Mass Aug. 4 celebrated by Hartford Archbishop Leonard. P. Blair at historic St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, where Father Michael J. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus and where his remains are interred.

Carl Anderson, CEO of the Knights of Columbus, is seen Aug. 6, 2019, at the 137th annual Knights convention in Minneapolis. On Aug. 4, 2020, during the Knight’s 138th annual convention in New Haven, Conn., Anderson asked members to redouble efforts to fight racism, violence and hatred through their principles of charity and unity. (CNS photo/Tamino Petelinsek, courtesy Knights of Columbus)

The archbishop had news of his own to share: Father McGivney’s beatification will take place at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford Oct. 31.
The Knights expect COVID-19 restrictions to be in place on the date of the beatification, and are making preparations to broadcast the Mass to a worldwide audience so the public is able to join the celebration.
Ahead of the Mass at St. Mary’s Church, Anderson announced the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven will be transformed into the Blessed Michael J. McGivney Pilgrimage Center.
On May 27, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis, who met with the board of directors of the Knights of Columbus in February, had signed the decree recognizing a miracle through the intercession of Father McGivney, clearing the way for his beatification.
Once he is beatified, he will be called “Blessed.” In general, confirmation of a second miracle occurring through the intercession of the sainthood candidate is needed for canonization.
In his address, Anderson credited Father McGivney, as a “spiritual genius” for bringing men together as brothers who care for others through lives of charity.
Anderson suggested that Father McGivney’s beatification is timely since he understood well the pain of prejudice and discrimination as religious bigotry in the 19th-century targeted Catholics. However, the priest and his contemporaries identified a uniquely American way forward.
“They saw in the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment a path offered to them that could be found in no other country,” said Anderson. He cited a similar insight expressed by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who placed hope in the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence because they constitute a “promissory note to … every American.”
Anderson also used his addressed to deliver the Knights’ annual report, which shows that Knights donated more than $187 million and volunteered more than 77 million hours of service valued at more than $2 billion.
The organization responded to the pandemic with the Knights’ locally driven “Leave No Neighbor Behind” program to help neighbors most vulnerable to the illness, as well as blood drives and support for food banks in the U.S and Canada. Other initiatives included million-dollar lines of credit to dioceses in financial trouble and financial aid to the Vatican’s Bambino Gesu hospital for children in Rome.
Those programs are being carried out in tandem with the Knights’ ongoing activities for the disabled via Special Olympics and programs to help the needy, including Coats for Kids and disaster relief.
Despite the economic downturn due to the virus, Anderson reported insurance sales of $8.4 billion over the past 12 months with agents adopting a virtual business model since the start of the pandemic. With nearly $27 billion in assets under management, he said, the Knights of Columbus is meeting both its financial obligations, and its charitable goals.
In April, the Knights of Columbus was one of six companies to receive the highest ranking in a Standard & Poor’s review of North American life insurance companies. The rankings released April 6 give the Knights an AA+ and in the categories of “outlook,” “business risk profile” and “financial risk profile,” the Knights are considered, respectively “stable,” “very strong” and excellent.
Others insurance companies among the six are Guardian Life Insurance Group and New York Life Insurance Group.
Anderson had a final word about Father McGivney’s beatification and how it is both a cause for joy and a call to higher standards of charity, unity and fraternity.
“We step forward together,” he said, “as Knights of Columbus – ‘Knights of Fraternity’ – to continue our great work.”

Father Bill Henry retires after 36 years

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By Mary Margaret Edney

JACKSON – While working as a district sales manager for Nissan Motor Corporation, Father Bill Henry lived a successful, comfortable life. But after one particularly powerful weekend prayer retreat, he knew he was being called to move in a different direction. He answered that call, and today, Father Henry is celebrating his retirement after 36 years of service in the priesthood.

Father Bill Henry retired in June 2020. He served the Diocese of Jackson for 36 years at the following parishes: St. Joseph Greenville, St. Therese Jackson, St. Alphonsus McComb, St. Teresa of Avila Chatawa and at St. Joseph High School.

“The Lord just started speaking to me,” Father Henry said of that crucial weekend back in his early adult life. “It wouldn’t quit, like a toothache. I finally said, ‘if this is what You want me to do, I’ll do it.’”

So, Henry set a personal goal for himself — if he was going to quit the car business, he wanted to quit on top. And that’s what he did.
“It was the weirdest thing I’d ever seen in my life,” Father Henry recalled. “On my final day with Nissan, I had 18 dealers in Louisiana, and they broke every sales record. It was just awesome; it was my sendoff. I left there, all I owned was a new car and what was in it, but I felt like a millionaire. I’ll never be able to put my finger on that feeling of freedom and richness, and when I walked in that door of the seminary, there was no doubt that was where I was meant to be.”

Born in Orlando, Florida, Father Henry was raised in Washington state and spent much of his early adult life on the West Coast before moving to Jackson to work for Nissan. He attended Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology, and when he finished there, he made his way back to Mississippi.

After being at St. Therese Church, St. Joseph’s High School and the vocations office, all in Jackson, Father Henry became a part-time administrator at St. Anne’s in Carthage before his first pastorship at St. Alphonsus in McComb. He spent 11 years in McComb before going back to St. Therese in Jackson, and finally, his last assignment of eight years at St. Joseph in Greenville.

“A highlight for me was just the ministry as a whole,” Father Henry said of his years as a full-time priest. “It’s been a very interesting journey for me, but it has always been great to see people growing in their faith. That’s what I really enjoy.”

And just as Father Henry kept himself busy as a priest, he plans to stay active in retirement with spiritual direction workshops and events. He has been very involved with the Marian Servants of Divine Providence, a group that serves through retreats and other ministries.

“Sometimes we get stuck spiritually, and we don’t move on. We work on the roadblocks and show people how our woundedness, sin and other things keep us from moving on and growing spiritually,” Father Henry said of a workshop scheduled for late September in Greenwood.

But it won’t be all work all the time — Father Henry is looking forward to a little downtime, as well.

“I also plan to do a little fishing and bike riding as part of my everyday exercise,” he said. “I have a lot of good friends in the area, so retirement is a very enriching experience for me right now.”

Springfield Dominican Sisters confirm corporate stance on migration

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By Sister Beth Murphy, OP
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Dominican Sisters of Springfield gathered in general assembly Aug. 6-7, 2020, and affirmed a statement in support of migrants that “heralds justice and non-violence” and that “speaks the urgent need for social equality and economic parity, for compassion and for reconciliation” of the world’s peoples on the move.
The full text of the corporate stance reads:
We, the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Ill., express solidarity with those individuals and families who find it necessary to leave their homes or homeland in order to secure their safety and future. We commit to welcome, support, and protect all migrants: immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons. We commit to assist in their integration. We advocate for policies that protect their human rights, including family unity.
In her presentation of the statement to the sisters gathered at Sacred Heart Convent and around the Western Hemisphere via teleconference technology, Sister Sharon Zayac answered a rhetorical question about why more words were necessary on this topic. “In a world inundated with words that deny others their rights to life, liberty, and the means to provide for the needs and the future of their families, we need more words,” she said. “We need alternate words, words that herald justice and non-violence, that speak the urgent need for social equality and economic parity, for compassion and for reconciliation.”

(Left) Dominican Sisters of Springfield have been migrant advocates since their founders arrived in Jacksonville, Ill., on Aug. 19, 1873. Pictured: Springfield Dominican Sisters rally in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) legislation in 2017. Left to right are Sister Judith Hilbing, Veronica Espina (a Dominican associate), Sisters Elyse Marie Ramirez, Ann Clennon and Marcelline Koch. (Photo courtesy of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield)

The process of affirming this new corporate stance, the twelfth since 1994, began earlier this year with a period of communal study by the sisters on issues facing migrants in the U.S. and around the globe.
“When our founding sisters arrived in Jacksonville in 1873, they came to teach the children of the Irish immigrants whose fathers made a living doing back-breaking labor on the railroad,” said Sister Rebecca Ann Gemma, the congregation’s prioress general. “Many of our own sisters were also immigrants. This statement affirms our commitment to continued concern for, ministry to, and advocacy on behalf of immigrants so deeply rooted in our own story.”
The sisters work to fulfill Pope Francis’ goal of making the Catholic church a welcoming place for migrants. In a video statement from the pope viewed before their vote on this corporate stance, the sisters heard Pope Francis say “Unfortunately, in many cases people are forced to move by conflict, natural disasters, persecution, climate change, violence, extreme poverty, and inhuman living conditions. Our shared response can be expressed by four action verbs: to welcome, to protect, to promote, and to integrate.”
The Springfield Dominican Sisters now work to welcome, protect, promote and integrate migrants in a multitude of ways. They serve migrants at the Dominican Literacy Centers in Aurora and Melrose Park, Ill. and at Bethany House, a Chicago shelter facility for women and children seeking asylum or awaiting adjudication of their human trafficking cases.
Sisters engaged in parish ministry often serve migrants in those parishes, and migrants attend the congregation’s three sponsored high schools. Migrants are served by Springfield Dominican Sisters at counseling centers in Illinois and are among those cared for in health care facilities where our sisters work.
In many instances, Springfield Dominican Sisters volunteer time in service of immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees, and can often be found advocating for more just immigration policies in the seats of government. In Springfield, many sisters are engaged with the work of the Springfield Immigrant Advocacy Network (SIAN), an all-volunteer non-profit that provides service and advocacy for immigrants in central Illinois.
To learn more about how you can join the Dominican Sisters’ work in support of migrants contact Sister Marcelline Koch at 217-787-0481.