Category Archives: Bishop’s Column

The shepherd who didn’t run: Father Stanley Rother priest and martyr

Posted on by
Reply

By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
In 2003 I was privileged to travel to El Salvador and Guatemala to the shrines of the martyrs with the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers who had served in Central America in the preceding decades. The home base for our two-week pilgrimage was the Maryknoll Retreat Center in Guatemala City from where we traveled to the mountainous regions of that nation, as well as across the border to El Salvador.
This weekend I am attending the beatification of Father Stanley Rother, one of those martyrs, a priest from Oklahoma City who laid down his life for his friends, the Tz’utujil, the indigenous people of the Lake Atitlan region in the mountains of Guatemala. Following the Second Vatican Council Pope Paul VI called for greater solidarity in the Catholic Church of the Western Hemisphere, and encouraged the Church in North America to journey in faith with their brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ in Central and South America. Soon after, as we know so well, the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson began its mission in Saltillo, Mexico, while the Diocese of Oklahoma City was adopting the region of Lake Atitlan in the Diocese of Solola, Guatemala.
Father Stanley Rother became part of the mission of his diocese in 1968, and immersed himself in the lives of the Tz’utujil people until his martyrdom in 1981. Like the Curé of Ars, Father Rother had struggled mightily with his academic studies in seminary formation, and was dismissed after First Theology. But he did not waver in his desire to the serve the Lord as a priest, and with the support of his bishop, he was given a second chance at Mount Saint Mary’s in Emmetsburg, Md. With the successful completion of his studies he was ordained a priest in 1963. While serving in rural Oklahoma in his fifth year of priesthood, he accepted the invitation to go to the margins as a missionary disciple to the diocesan mission in Guatemala. It was not an easy transition because he did not speak Spanish, let alone the dialect of the indigenous Tz’utujil. However, one dimension of life that he did know intimately was hard work and perseverance in the face of adversity.
Grinding away, one day to the next, in a few years he learned Spanish, and even more incredibly, mastered the Tz’utujil dialect, proceeding to translate the liturgical texts for the Sacraments of the Eucharist, Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and Marriage, along with the New Testament into the language of his beloved people. The love of Jesus Christ burning in his heart moved mountains. But even before learning how to communicate with words, Father Rother’s actions spoke volumes. He worked the land with his people as only an experienced farmer from Oklahoma could, teaching them, when appropriate, more effective farming techniques that yielded a richer harvest.
Father Rother’s people loved him. Their language had no equivalent for the name Stanley, so they called him by his middle name of Francis, which in Tz’utujil became Padre A’Plas. They certainly did not think of God as a mystery that they themselves could master on their own terms. They looked at this man and others like him as visible channels of God’s presence, God’s compassion, God’s mercy. The indigenous people of that region had not known a priest for over a century, but with this good shepherd and others, they found a home in the Catholic Church.
The mission team of 12 who was serving when Father Rother arrived in 1968 gradually departed, not to be replaced. And in the years leading up to his martyrdom, he was one among his people, the last man standing, so to speak. Paralleling the mission in Saltillo, many people from Oklahoma went to Santiago Atitlan over the years. But unlike our mission which remained active until nearly a decade ago before being shut down by drug cartel brutality, the violence in Guatemala and El Salvador began decades earlier.
Civil wars erupted across Central America in the 1970s and raged throughout most of the 1980s. It was a bloody struggle between government forces and rebel groups with the former perpetrating more than 90 percent of the atrocities against their own people. Tragically, countless indigenous poor were murdered in Guatemala, along with an estimated 70,000 victims in El Salvador. Indigenous Church workers as well as missionaries from North America were caught up in the crossfire. Among the well known martyrs, whose shrines I had visited while on pilgrimage, was Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador who was gunned down at the altar by an assassin during the consecration of the Mass.
In 1980 three Religious Sisters, Ita Ford, M.M., Maura Clarke, M.M., Dorothy Kozel, O.S.U. and a Lay Missioner, Jean Donovan were raped and murdered by members of the Salvadoran National Guard. In 1989 El Salvadoran soldiers broke into the living quarters of the Jesuit priests at Central American University in San Salvador and executed six Jesuit priests, a housekeeper and her daughter. They were Fathers Ignacio Martin-Baro, S.J., Segundo Montes, S.J., Juan Ramon Moreno, S.J., Joaquin Lopez y Lopez, S.J., Amando Lopez, S.J., Juan Ramon Moreno, S.J., Elba Ramos, their housekeeper, and her 16-year-old daughter, Celina Ramos.
The dark clouds of reckless hate had reached the mountainous region of Lake Atitlan in the mid to late 1970s and the steady stream of abductions, murders and tortured remains went unabated in the ensuing years. In 1980 Father Rother was warned that his name was at the top of the death squads’ list and for a time he returned to the safety of his native Oklahoma. But he was tormented by the number of his beloved Tz’utujil people who were being mowed down by ruthless forces while he was far from harm’s way. With his bishop’s permission and the pained blessing of his family and friends, Father Rother returned for Holy Week, 1981.
His people rejoiced to embrace their shepherd once again. He gave them heart and hope. But the threats against his life only intensified. At night on July 28, 1981, three armed assassins broke into his rectory intending to abduct and torture him, before killing him and disposing of his body. Dying for his people was a sacrifice he was willing to make, but he had promised that he would not allow them to take him alive to torture and to throw away. For 15 minutes he fought them off with his bare fists, and realizing that they were not going to take this farm boy by force, they shot him in the head at point blank range. He was one of ten priests who was murdered in Guatemala in 1981.
There was an outpouring of grief in the immediate aftermath, but there was not an eruption of violence. During the funeral preparations Father Rother’s parents and family stated their intentions to bury his remains in the family plot in Oklahoma. His Tz’utujil family respectfully asked if they might keep his heart in Santiago Atitlan in their parish Church. They interceded that he had given them his heart in life; and with his heart they would cherish him in death. To this day it is encased at the back of Santiago Atitlan, the Church where his people faithfully ask his intercession when entering and leaving the house of the Lord that he had restored lovingly and ably during his years of service.
The following is a refection by Henri Nouwan who visited Atitlan two years after his martyrdom. “Stan was killed because he was faithful to his people in their long and painful struggle for human dignity, dying for them in whom he recognized the face of the suffering Lord. Stan stood with them as they learned how to read and write, sought proper nutrition and health care for their children, struggled to acquire small pieces of land to cultivate, and gradually free themselves from the chains of poverty and oppression. Martyrs are blood witnesses of God’s inexhaustible love for his people. We honor martyrs because they are the signs of hope for the living Church, they are reminders of God’s loving presence.”
Let us not forget the victims of such unspeakable violence, and grinding poverty, many who are forced to flee their homeland, then and now.

(Editor’s note: Bishop Joseph Kopacz is scheduled to attend Father Stanley Rother’s beatification ceremony in Oklahoma City Saturday, Sept. 23. Those who wish to know more about Father Rother can check out his biography, “The shepherd who didn’t run, Stanley Rother, martyr from Oklahoma,” by Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda.)

Reconstrucción: una obra de fe, esperanza

Posted on by
Reply

Construir y reconstruir son tareas tan esenciales para nosotros en nuestra vida diaria y especialmente para nosotros, como cristianos, que trabajamos para promover el reino de Dios en nuestro mundo, un reino de verdad y de amor, un reino de santidad y de gracia, un reino de justicia, amor y paz. Para muchas personas al terminarse el don del tiempo extendido el fin de semana del Día del Trabajo nos encontramos de nuevo en el ritmo de nuestra vida diaria, y listos o no, ansiosos o resistentes, la vida tiene una manera de tirarnos y de empujarnos. Qué creativo es el concepto de que un fin de semana largo a finales del verano, abierto al ocio y a la necesidad de equilibrio en nuestras vidas, nos da una pausa para reflexionar sobre la dignidad del trabajo en todas sus manifestaciones, la obra de nuestras manos, mente, corazón y espíritu. La fundación de la Palabra de Dios es la obra de la creación, (seis días) equilibrado por descanso del sábado (un día).
La interacción entre el trabajo y el descanso en Dios produce mucho fruto al cumplir nuestra dignidad y destino como imago Dei. El salmo 90, v. 17 pide a Dios que bendiga la obra de nuestras manos para que podamos efectivamente preservar el orden correcto de las cosas y, además, la obra de la creación.
El trabajo es bueno, y extractos del siguiente poema “Ser de uso” por Marge Piercy capta la sabiduría de las edades iniciado en Dios.
“La gente que más amo salta al trabajo de cabeza primero sin perder tiempo en la superficialidad….Me encanta la gente que utilizan, un buey a un pesado carro, que tira como el búfalo de agua con enorme paciencia, que se esfuerza en el barro y la porquería para hacer avanzar las cosas, quién hace lo que tiene que hacerse, una y otra vez…quiero estar con la gente que se sumerge en la tarea, que van a los campos para la recolección de la cosecha y trabajan en una fila y pasan las bolsas…El trabajo del mundo es común como el barro, chapuza, mancha las manos, se desmorona en polvo. Pero la cosa que vale la pena hacer bien hecha tiene una forma que satisface, limpia y evidente… El cántaro clama por agua para llevar, y una persona por trabajo que es real.”
Uno puede sentir la energía en este notable poema, y visualizar la decidida actividad de la que habla. Podemos ampliar estas imágenes en cada rincón de nuestras vidas, y fácilmente en la reconstrucción que se está llevando a cabo en Houston y Beaumont y en muchas comunidades en el sureste de Texas después del huracán Harvey. Este trabajo de recuperación continuará durante años y muchos trabajarán, de cerca y de lejos, vecinos y amigos, extranjeros e inmigrantes. Lo que lleva años para construirse puede ser derribado en momentos por el poder destructivo de la naturaleza, o las malas intenciones de la gente.
La noche llegó y la mañana continuó y así reconstruimos porque hay un poder superior, y la fe, la esperanza y el amor prevalecerán. Para comprender esto mientras avanzamos en las interminables tareas que tenemos ante nosotros en nuestros hogares, escuelas y lugares de trabajo, es un regalo que nos motiva, especialmente en esos días que preferiríamos quedarnos en la cama.
Este día, el 20º aniversario de la muerte de la Madre Teresa, nos recuerda la bondad, la belleza y la verdad de su vida, y la perspectiva fundamental de su fiel espíritu, es decir, “hacer de nuestra vida algo hermoso por Dios”. Su perdurable legado encarna la sabiduría que encontramos en el evangelio de Juan “el primer trabajo es tener fe en el que Dios envió, recordándonos como discípulos que el trabajo de la creación encuentra su realización en el plan de salvación de Dios en Jesucristo.
El don de la fe, del tamaño de una semilla de mostaza, puede mover montañas. (Lucas 17,6) Consideren el amanecer de la Madre Teresa, alterado a mediados de su vida de fe dedicada a los indigentes y abandonados. Ella pasó la antorcha al educar a los jóvenes y privilegiado de clase media y alta de la India y caminó hacia el infierno de Calcuta donde muchas personas habían perdido la esperanza y movido montañas.
¡Qué semilla de mostaza! Esta ruta increíble de fe, esperanza y amor no es el derecho de nacimiento de unos pocos elegidos, sino la llamada del Señor en cada una de nuestras vidas. “Porque somos su obra, creados en Cristo Jesús para las buenas obras que Dios ha preparado de antemano, que deberíamos vivir en ellas.” (Efesios 2:10) Qué el Señor suscite en cada uno de nosotros una maravillosa armonía de fe y trabajo, de modo que podamos hacer de nuestras vidas algo hermoso desarrollando nuestros talentos, sirviendo a otros y dando a Dios la gloria.

Rebuilding: a work of faith, hope

Posted on by
Reply

By Bishop Joseph Kopacz

Bishop Joseph Kopacz

To build and rebuild are so essential for us as we go about our daily lives, and especially for us as Christians working to further the Kingdom of God in our world, a Kingdom of truth and love, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a Kingdom of justice, love and peace. For many people as the extended gift of time of the Labor Day Weekend passed we found ourselves back into the rhythms of our daily lives, and ready or not, eager or resistant, life has a way of pulling and pushing us along. How creative is the concept that a long weekend at summer’s end, open to leisure and needed balance for our lives, gives us pause to reflect upon the dignity of work in all of its manifestations, the work of our hands, minds, hearts and spirit? The foundation of God’s Word is the work of creation, (six days) balanced by Sabbath rest (one day). The interplay of labor and rest in God produces much fruit as we fulfill our dignity and destiny as Imago Dei. Psalm 90, v. 17 asks God to bless the work of our hands so that we might indeed preserve the right order of things and further the work of creation. Work is good, and excerpts from the following poem “To Be of Use” by Marge Piercy captures the wisdom of the ages begun in God.
“The people I love the best jump into work head first without dallying in the shallows….I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart, who pull like water buffalo with massive patience, who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward, who do what has to be done, again and again…I want to be with people who submerge in the task, who go into the fields to harvest and work in a row and pass the bags along…The work of the world is common as mud, botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust. But the thing worth doing well done has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident…The pitcher cries for water to carry, and a person for work that is real.”
One can feel the energy in this remarkable poem, and visualize the purposeful activity of which she speaks. We can extend these images to every corner of our lives, and easily to the rebuilding that is underway in Houston and Beaumont and in many communities in southeastern Texas after hurricane Harvey and in Florida and the Caribbean after Hurricane Irma. This work of recovery will continue for years and many will labor, from near and far, neighbors and friends, strangers and immigrants. What takes years to build can be torn down in moments by the destructive power of nature, or the evil intent of people. Night came and morning followed and thus we rebuild, because there is a higher power, and faith, hope and love will prevail. To sense this as we go about the endless tasks before us in our homes, schools and work places is a gift that motivates us, especially on those days when we would rather stay in bed.
On the day I write this, the 20th anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa, we are reminded of the goodness, beauty and truth of her life, and the fundamental outlook of her faithful spirit i.e., “to make of one’s life something beautiful for God.”
Her enduring legacy embodies the wisdom found in the Gospel of John “the first work is to have faith in the one God sent, reminding us as disciples that the work of creation finds its fulfillment in God’s plan of salvation in Jesus Christ.
The gift of faith, the size of a mustard seed, can indeed move mountains. (Luke 17,6) Consider the dawn of Mother Teresa’s altered mid-life journey of faith dedicated to the destitute and abandoned. She passed on the torch of educating the young and privileged of India’s middle and upper class and walked into Calcutta’s hell where many had lost hope and moved mountains. What a mustard seed!
This path of incredible faith, hope and love is not the birthright of a chosen few, but the Lord’s call in each of our lives. “For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.” (Ephesians 2,10) May the Lord the Lord bring about in each of us a wonderful harmony of faith and work so that we can make our lives something beautiful by developing our talents, serving others and giving God the glory.

La peregrinación “a través del océano” proporciona compañerismo, comida, acción de gracias para los sacerdotes irlandeses

Posted on by
Reply

Bishop Kopacz

Por Obispo Joseph Kopacz
Después de tres años y medio como el 11ª obispo de la Diócesis de Jackson, era tiempo de seguir las huellas de nuestros obispos diocesanos en la época moderna quienes viajaron a Irlanda. Muchos no saben que durante la mayor parte del siglo XX, la mitad de los sacerdotes en Mississippi eran de Irlanda, el semillero de vocaciones al sacerdocio y a la vida religiosa. Incontables miles de misioneros irlandeses fueron enviados como heraldos del Evangelio por todo el mundo de habla inglesa. Por supuesto, me gustaría decir que los mejores vinieron a Mississippi para servir en la Diócesis de Natchez, Natchez-Jackson y, desde 1977, las Diócesis de Jackson y Biloxi, en las misiones estadounidenses, tal como se entiende comúnmente en Irlanda.
El Obispo Joseph Brunini tuvo la alegría de ir a Irlanda a ordenar sacerdotes para la diócesis de Natchez-Jackson. En la última parte de su episcopado las ordenaciones cesaron, y el propósito de sus visitas fue dirigido a la celebración de Misas de Acción de Gracias con las familias de los sacerdotes que habían servido, o estaban aún en servicio en Mississippi. Durante la época del Obispo Brunini, el Obispo Joseph Howze hizo lo mismo en su ministerio como Obispo Auxiliar de la Diócesis de Natchez-Jackson. El Obispo William Houck y el Obispo Joseph Latino continuaron las visitas pastorales a las localizaciones y los condados de Irlanda, donde miembros de las familias y los sacerdotes pudieran reunirse con el obispo para ofrecer la Eucaristía, la gran oración de acción de gracias de la Iglesia.
Aunque mi peregrinaje de una semana de duración no es un gran período de tiempo, necesita una generosa medida de organización y coordinación. A este respecto, le agradezco al Padre Mike O’Brien y a su familia y a la familia del Padre Patrick Noonan.
Originalmente, el Padre Mike y yo habíamos planeado celebrar dos Misas de Acción de Gracias, una en Roscommon y la otra en Limerick con el Padre Noonan como guíal. Pero su muerte el 4 de julio agregó una tercera Misa en la vigilia de la Asunción en su casa parroquial, Santa Ita en Raheenagh.
Nuestra primera Misa de Acción de Gracias tuvo lugar en la Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón en Roscommon y cerca de 60 miembros de las familias de los sacerdotes, vivos y fallecidos, que han servido en Mississippi estaban presentes: el Padre Brian Carroll, el Padre Gerry Hurley, el Padre Dan Gallagher, el Padre Frank Cosgrove, el Padre Tom McGing, el Padre P.J. Curley, Monseñor Patrick Farrell, el Padre Bernie Farrell, el Padre Tom Delaney, el Padre Mike O’Brien, el Padre Mattie Ruane, el Padre Juan Atkinson, el Padre Jim O’Riordan y Monseñor Noel Foley. Para continuar la reunificación después de la Misa nos reunimos con el original de la Abadía dominicana en el Hotel Abbey, construido a principios de los 1200s recordándome lo antigua que es la fe católica en Irlanda.
Nuestra segunda Misa de Acción de Gracias se realizó en la biblioteca del Hotel Strand en Limerick, con vistas al río Shannon y el centro de la ciudad. Aunque un grupo mucho más pequeño, el ambiente era muy adecuado para una Misa más cómoda y íntima y almuerzo.
Las familias del Padre David O’Connor, el Padre Mike O’Brien, el Padre Patrick Noonan, el Padre P.J. Curley, el Padre Jim O’Riordan, y el Padre Frank Corcoran estuvieron representadas en esta ocasión. Con esta segunda Misa de Acción de Gracias la peregrinación cambió su locus de Roscommon, en el centro de Irlanda, al suroeste del país, el lugar amado del Padre Noonan en el condado de Limerick.
En chanza clásica irlandesa, el Padre Noonan me había dicho, sabiendo que el Padre O’Brien sería mi chofer y guía durante el primer tramo del viaje, que hay mucho más de Irlanda que el Condado de Roscommon, la tierra natal del Padre Mike. Tal como habíamos disfrutado de la hospitalidad y de la casa de Tom O’Brien, el hermano del Padre Mike en Roscommon, fuimos cálidamente acogidos en el hogar de Michael Noonan donde estuvimos alojados durante el resto de nuestro tiempo en Irlanda. En tres mañanas consecutivas tuvimos el placer de disfrutar y el reto de consumir el “completo y variado desayuno irlandés” por lo que Irlanda es bien conocida.
Estas comidas fueron proporcionadas amablemente por cinco sobrinas del Padre Noonan. El lunes por la noche, la familia del Padre Noonan y muchos de los feligreses de su parroquia natal devotamente participaron en la Misa de los Preciados Meses en la vigilia de la Solemnidad de la Asunción. Qué oportuno fue celebrar la entrada de la Santísima Virgen a la vida eterna a través de los méritos de la muerte y resurrección de su Hijo mientras encomendábamos al Padre Noonan a Dios en la Eucaristía que él celebró durante 54 años como sacerdote. Después, nos reunimos en la finca de la familia donde el Padre Noonan vivió y creció antes de irse al seminario y ordenarse. Su hermano menor, ahora en su años 70, y sus hijos continúan la tradición familiar de la producción lechera.
En conclusión, me gustaría recordar las palabras al final del Evangelio de san Juan cuando el Evangelista afirma que si él hubiera escrito todo lo que Jesús dijo o hizo, no habrían suficientes libros en todo el mundo para incluirlo todo.
Asimismo, había mucho que ver mientras conducíamos a través de la campiña irlandesa. Vimos hombres y mujeres participando en juegos de hockey y rugby, cabras y vacas, y naturalmente tuvimos la oportunidad para jugar golf. Tuvimos muchas conversaciones que duraron hasta bien tarde en la noche. Siempre había mucho que comer y beber. Habían tierras pantanosas y piedras, una pinta de Guinness, y una gota de Jameson. Fue la “ irlandés plena” de hospitalidad y amabilidad a cada paso a lo largo de las carreteras del país. Hasta que nos volvamos a encontrar, que Dios nos sostenga en la palma de sus manos.

Pilgrimage ‘across the pond’ provides fellowship, food, thanksgiving for Irish priests

Posted on by
Reply

Bishop Kopacz

By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
After three and one half years as the 11th bishop of the Jackson Diocese it was time to follow in the footsteps of our diocesan bishops in the modern era who traveled to Ireland. Many may not know that for the greater part of a century half of the priests in Mississippi were from Ireland, the seedbed for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Countless thousands of Irish missionaries were sent as heralds of the Gospel throughout the English speaking world. Of course, I like to say that the best came to Mississippi to serve in the Diocese of Natchez, Natchez-Jackson, and since 1977, the dioceses of Jackson and Biloxi, to the American Missions, as is commonly understood in Ireland.
Bishop Joseph Brunini had the joy of going to Ireland to ordain clergy for the diocese of Natchez-Jackson. In the latter part of his episcopacy the ordinations ceased, and the purpose of his visits was directed toward the celebration of Masses of Thanksgiving with the families of priests who had served, or were still serving in Mississippi.
Bishop Joseph Howze during the time of Bishop Brunini did the same in his ministry as the Auxiliary Bishop of the diocese of Natchez-Jackson. Bishop William Houck and Bishop Joseph Latino continued the pastoral visits to the locales and counties in Ireland where family members and priests could gather with the bishop to offer the Eucharist, the Church’s great prayer of Thanksgiving.
Although my pilgrimage of a week’s duration is not a large period of time, it still required a generous measure of organization and coordination. In this regard I thank Father Mike O’Brien, and his family and the family of Father Patrick Noonan back home in Ireland.
Originally, Father Mike and I had planned to celebrate two Masses of Thanksgiving, one in Roscommon and the other in Limerick with Father Noonan as the local guide. His unexpected death on July 4 added a third Mass, his Month’s Mind, or the Mass offered a month after someone has died, on the Vigil of the Assumption in his home parish church of Saint Ita’s at Church Raheenagh.
Our first Mass of Thanksgiving took place at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Roscommon and nearly 60 family members of the priests, living and deceased, who have served in Mississippi were in attendance: Father Brian Carroll, Father Gerry Hurley, Father Dan Gallagher, Father Frank Cosgrove, Father Tom McGing, Father P.J. Curley, Msgr. Patrick Farrell, Father Bernie Farrell, Father Tom Delaney, Father Mike O’Brien, Father Mattie Ruane, Father Sean Atkinson, Father Jim O’Riordan and Monsignor Noel Foley.
After the Mass we gathered at the Abbey Hotel to continue the reunion with the original Dominican Abbey, constructed in the early 1200s, providing the background setting, reminding me of how ancient the Catholic faith is in Ireland. Our second Mass of Thanksgiving occurred in the Library Room of the Strand Hotel in Limerick overlooking the River Shannon and the city center.
Although a much smaller gathering, the ambience was well suited for a comfortable and more intimate Mass and luncheon.
The families of Father David O’Connor, Father Mike O’Brien, Father Patrick Noonan, Father P.J. Curley, Father Jim O’Riordan, and Father Frank Corcoran were represented on this occasion.
With this second Mass of Thanksgiving, the pilgrimage shifted its locus from Roscommon in the center of Ireland to the southwest of the country to Father Noonan’s beloved County Limerick. In classic Irish banter, Father Noonan had pointed out to me, knowing that Father O’Brien would be my chauffer and guide for the first leg of the journey, that there is a lot more to Ireland than County Roscommon, the home turf of Father Mike.
As we had enjoyed the hospitality and home of Tom O’Brien, Father Mike’s brother in Roscommon, we were warmly welcomed into the home of Michael Noonan where we were lodged for the remainder of our time in Ireland.
On three consecutive mornings we had the pleasure of enjoying and the challenge of consuming the “Full Irish,” the smorgasbord breakfast for which Ireland is well known. These meals were provided graciously by five of Father Noonan’s nieces.
On Monday evening the family of Father Noonan and many of the parishioners of his home parish devoutly participated in the cherished Month’s Mind Mass on the Vigil of the Assumption. How fitting it was to celebrate the Blessed Mother’s entrance into eternal life through the merits of her Son’s death and resurrection while commending Father Noonan to God at the Eucharist that he celebrated for 54 years as a priest.
Afterwards, we gathered at the family farm where Father Noonan spent his formative years prior to his seminary formation and ordination. His younger brother, now in his 70s, and his sons continue the family’s tradition of dairy farming.
In conclusion, I recall the words at the end of the Gospel of Saint John when the Evangelist asserts that if he wrote down everything that Jesus said or did, there wouldn’t be enough books in the whole world to contain it all. Likewise, there was so much to see as we drove through the Irish countryside.
There were so many engaging conversations that rolled on into late night gatherings. Always, there was plenty to eat and plenty to drink. There were bog lands and stone, a pint of Guinness, and a drop of Jameson. There was men’s hurling, and women’s rugby, goats and cows, and, of course, an opportunity to golf. It was the “full Irish” of hospitality and graciousness at every turn along the country roads. Until we meet again, may God hold us in the palm of his hands.

Fundación sólido encontrada en historia breve de los obispos

Posted on by
Reply

Por Opisbo Joseph Kopacz

Opisbo Kopacz

El 28 de julio, la Diócesis de Jackson marcó el 180 aniversario de su fundación con la promulgación oficial del Papa Gregorio XVI como la 13 ª diócesis católica en los Estados Unidos. Ahora hay casi 200 diócesis católicas en el país, lo que nos hace una de las tatarabuelas. La diócesis celebró su 175º aniversario con una conmemoración más formal y festiva. También es importante reconocer estos 180 años con gratitud y orgullo, pero no habrá celebraciones diocesanas en este aniversario. Como un vino fino, seguimos envejeciendo mientras nos esforzamos por ser siempre antigua y siempre nueva en el anuncio del Evangelio en nuestro tiempo.
Tendremos la oportunidad en octubre de este año de tener una conmemoración diocesana amplia del 100º aniversario de las apariciones de la Virgen en Fátima. Vamos a consagrar nuestra diócesis al Corazón Inmaculado de María, una manera espléndida de marcar nuestro 180 aniversario como diócesis.
La historia de nuestra diócesis es amplia y multidimensional y elegí el legado de los 11 obispos diocesanos para presentar un pedacito de nuestra herencia de fe. Cuatro años después de la fundación de la diócesis, el Obispo John Joseph Chance de Baltimore llegó a Natchez en 1841 a fundar y cuidar la fe católica que estaba realmente en un estado embrionario. Al momento de su muerte inesperada en 1852, había establecido 11 parroquias en Mississippi en Paulding, Biloxi, Jackson, Bay St Louis, Pass Christian, Vicksburg, Sulphur Springs, Pearlington, Port Gibson y Yazoo City. También fue coadyutorio para la creación de la primera escuela católica en Mississippi, una academia de señoritas, establecida en Natchez por tres de sus sobrinas, un signo de gran amor por su tío. Las Hijas de la Caridad también llegaron en 1847 para comenzar la tradición de la educación católica en la Escuela Catedral en Natchez, marcando su 170º aniversario.
El Obispo Oliver Van de Velde, S.J. llegó a Natchez durante un tiempo trágico – el brote de una epidemia de fiebre amarilla en la región en la que murieron unas 750 personas en Natchez y más de 7,800 en Nueva Orleáns. El ex presidente de la Universidad de San Luis, Obispo Van de Velde, se movió rápidamente para continuar la obra del Obispo Chance. Otro hito en la historia de la Iglesia Católica en Mississippi se produjo en 1855 con la apertura del Colegio de San Estanislao en Bay Saint Louis. Cinco hermanos del Sagrado Corazón sirvieron como profesores, el comienzo de su historia orgullosa en la diócesis. El Obispo Van de Velde sucumbió a la fiebre amarilla y murió en 1855, al igual que otros 40 feligreses.
El Obispo William Henry Elder fue ordenado e instalado como el tercer obispo de Jackson en 1857 y sirvió hasta 1880. Durante la administración del Obispo Elder, la Guerra Civil consumió al país en violencia y derramamiento de sangre durante cuatro años. El Obispo Elder ministró a los soldados y celebró Misa para los heridos durante la guerra. Él también sirvió como ministro a una comunidad de libertos en Natchez formada por esclavos que huyeron después que la ciudad fue ocupada en 1863 por las tropas federales. Bajo la ocupación de la Confederación, el obispo fue expulsado de Natchez y encarcelado en Vidalia, Louisiana, por negarse a orar por el gobierno de los Estados Unidos. Durante la epidemia de fiebre amarilla de 1878, el obispo personalmente asistió a las víctimas y contrajo la enfermedad. Sobrevivió, pero seis sacerdotes diocesanos se encontraban entre los muchos que perecieron. El Obispo Elder fue nombrado coadjutor de la Archidiócesis de Cincinnati en 1880 y más tarde se convertiría en arzobispo, donde sirvió hasta 1904. Cuando se fue de Mississippi, había 19 sacerdotes, 42 iglesias, 12 escuelas para niños blancos, tres escuelas para niños negros, y una población de 12.500 católicos.
En 1881 el Papa León XII nombró a Francis August Janssens de Nueva Orleans como el cuarto obispo de Jackson. El Obispo Janssens se concentró en la finalización de la construcción de la catedral, la contratación de la construcción de la sacristía y la instalación de un órgano de tubos.
La educación católica fue una característica de su tiempo en Mississippi. Cuando llegó, en 1881, existían 15 escuelas; cuando salió para Nueva Orleans, siete años más tarde, había 26. Durante su administración, se comenzó una misión entre los indios Choctaws en Tucker, creando una escuela integrada por tres Hermanas de la Misericordia. Las Hermanas de la Caridad comenzaron a enseñar a los niños afroamericanos en el presbiterio original durante este tiempo. En 1888 el Obispo Janssens fue trasladado para convertirse en Arzobispo de Nueva Orleans
El Padre Thomas Heslin del Condado de Longford, Irlanda, un pastor en Nueva Orleáns, fue nombrado el quinto obispo de la diócesis por el Papa León XIII. Una de las iniciativas principales del Obispo Heslin fue evangelizar y establecer misiones entre los afroamericanos. El Obispo Heslin invitó a la Sociedad de San José y a la Sociedad del Verbo Divino a que asistieran a misiones entre los negros de Mississippi. En 1890 fue establecida la parroquia Sagrada Familia en Natchez como la primera parroquia de la diócesis dedicada a ministrar en la comunidad afroamericana. Santa Madre Katharine Drexel fue instrumental en la construcción de una escuela para los niños de la Sagrada Familia en Natchez. El Obispo Heslin murió después de 22 años al servicio en la diócesis y fue enterrado en la Colina Católica en el cementerio de la ciudad de Natchez.
El Padre John Gunn, un sacerdote marista del Condado de Tyrone, Irlanda, fue nombrado el sexto Obispo de Natchez por el Papa Pío X en 1911. El cultivó la relación de la diócesis con Extensión Católica la cual ayudaría en la construcción de capillas en todo el estado. En el momento de su muerte en 1924, casi todos los católicos en Mississippi podían ir a Misa en una de estas capillas al menos una vez al mes. Las iglesias católicas aumentaron de 75 a 149 durante su administración, y los católicos crecieron en número de 17.000 a más de 31.000. El Obispo Gunn murió en Nueva Orleáns en 1924 y está enterrado junto a su compatriota irlandés, Monseñor Thomas Heslin en la Colina Católica en el cementerio de la ciudad de Natchez.
El Padre Richard Oliver Gerow de Mobile fue nombrado el séptimo Obispo de Natchez por el Papa Pío XI. Trabajó durante 42 años y vio un crecimiento enorme de la Iglesia Católica en Mississippi. El número de sacerdotes aumentó de 63 a 222, y las iglesias aumentaron de 108 a 159. Durante su administración se incluyen los años de la inundación del Río Mississippi en 1927, la Gran Depresión, la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el conflicto de Corea, y el movimiento de los derechos civiles, incluyendo el trágico asesinato de Medgar Evers en Jackson. El Obispo Gerow supervisó la renovación del santuario de la catedral para la celebración del centenario de la diócesis en 1937.
Estaba particularmente interesado en el ecumenismo y es recordado por su postura cristiana en los primeros días de la integración escolar. Fue un historiador consumado y un fotógrafo ávido y documentó eventos y actividades numerosos de la Iglesia en toda la diócesis. En 1957, la Diócesis de Natchez se convirtió en la Diócesis de Natchez-Jackson. La Iglesia San Pedro en Jackson se convirtió en la co-catedral.
En 1967, Joseph Bernard Brunini fue nombrado el octavo Obispo de la diócesis y fue instalado el siguiente año en la co-catedral de San Pedro en Jackson, después de haber sido ordenado obispo en 1957 por el Papa Pío XII. El Obispo Brunini es nuestra única vocación nativa de Mississippi que ha servido como obispo en nuestros 180 años de historia. Su administración fue muy diversa – la implementación del Concilio Vaticano II, la continuación del movimiento de los derechos civiles, y la guerra de Vietnam. Supervisó la desegregación pacifica en las escuelas católicas de Mississippi y como un líder fuerte abordó los asuntos del ecumenismo, la evangelización, la pobreza y la justicia social.
En 1973, Joseph Lawson Howze fue nombrado Obispo Auxiliar de la Diócesis de Natchez-Jackson. En 1977, la Diócesis de Natchez-Jackson fue dividida para convertirse en la Diócesis de Jackson, compuesta de 65 condados del norte del estado, y la Diócesis de Biloxi, compuesta de más de 17 condados del sureste de Mississippi. En ese momento, el Obispo Howze se convirtió en el primer obispo de la Diócesis de Biloxi.
El Obispo William Russell Houck fue uno de 27 obispos ordenados por el Papa Juan Pablo II el 29 de mayo de 1979. Fue obispo auxiliar de la Diócesis de Jackson de 1979-1984, y fue instalado en 1984 como el noveno obispo de Jackson. Proclamar que Jesucristo es Señor fue el lema episcopal elegido por el Obispo Houck, el cual sería su misión durante casi 37 años como obispo en Jackson, a través de santificar, predicar, escribir, enseñar, liderar, servir a los pobres. En enero de 2003 el Papa Juan Pablo aceptó la renuncia del Obispo Houck y siguió sirviendo como el presidente de Extensión Católica hasta el 2007.
El Obispo Joseph Nuncio Latino, un nativo de New Orleans y sacerdote de Houma Thibodaux fue ordenado e instalado como el décimo obispo de Jackson en 2003 y sirvió hasta el 2014. Dedicó su ministerio como obispo a fomentar las iniciativas de la justicia social basada en el evangelio, al trabajo de dirigentes laicos y las vocaciones. Durante su mandato, la Oficina de Protección de los Niños fue establecida para ayudar a garantizar un seguro entorno para los niños en nuestras iglesias, escuelas y comunidades. Bajo su liderazgo, la iglesia implementó la nueva traducción en inglés del Misal Romano, y acompañó a la diócesis a través del proceso de misión y ministerio en el 2007 que condujo a las seis estructuras pastorales de los seis decanatos que sirven a la diócesis tan bien diez años más tarde.
Esto nos trae a mí, su Obispo Joseph Richard Kopacz de Scranton, PA. Fui ordenado e instalado como el undécimo obispo de Jackson en 2014. Durante los últimos tres años y medio la diócesis ha abrazado un proceso de visualización que ha inspirado una visión renovada con Prioridades Pastorales que se encuentra ahora en una fase de implementación diocesana.
Damos gracias por lo que ha sido y procedemos con esperanza para lo que será, como discípulos de nuestro Señor Jesucristo en nuestra fe católica.
(Nota del editor, busque más información sobre la consagración al Corazón Inmaculado de María en las próximas ediciones de Mississippi Catholic.)

Opisbo Chance

Strong foundation found in brief history of bishops

Posted on by
Reply

By Bishop Joseph Kopacz

Bishop Kopacz

On July 28, the Diocese of Jackson quietly marked the 180th anniversary of its founding with the official promulgation by Pope Gregory XV1 as the 13th Catholic diocese in the United States. There are now nearly 200 Catholic dioceses in the country which makes us one of the great great grandparents.
For the 175th anniversary the diocese celebrated with a more formal and festive commemoration which was fitting for such an auspicious milestone. It is noteworthy also to acknowledge the 180-year marker with gratitude and pride, but there will not be diocesan wide celebrations for this anniversary. Like a fine wine we continue to age as we strive to be ever ancient and ever new in the proclamation of the Gospel in our time.
We will have the opportunity in October of this year to have a diocesan-wide commemoration for the 100th anniversary of our Blessed Mother’s appearances at Fatima. We will consecrate our diocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a splendid way of marking our 180 anniversary as a diocese. The history of our diocese is expansive and multidimensional and I choose the lens of the 11 diocesan bishops to present a sliver of our legacy of faith.
Four years after the founding of the diocese, Bishop John Joseph Chanche from Baltimore arrived in Natchez in 1841 to plant and nurture the Catholic faith which was truly in an embryonic state. At the time of his unexpected death in 1852 he had established 11 parishes in Mississippi in Paulding Biloxi, Jackson, Bay St Louis, Pass Christian, Vicksburg, Sulphur Springs, Pearlington, Port Gibson and Yazoo City. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the first Catholic School in the state, an academy for young ladies, opened in Natchez by three of his nieces, a sign of great love for their uncle.
The Daughters of Charity also came in 1847 to begin the tradition of Catholic Education at Cathedral School in Natchez, marking its 170th anniversary. Bishop Oliver Van de Velde, S.J. arrived in Natchez at a tragic time — the outbreak of a yellow fever epidemic in the region, which killed some 750 people in Natchez and more than 7,800 in New Orleans. The former president of St. Louis University, Bishop Van de Velde, moved quickly to continue the work of Bishop Chanche.
Another milestone for the Catholic Church in Mississippi occurred in 1855 with the opening of St. Stanislaus College in Bay Saint Louis. Five Brothers of the Sacred Heart served as the faculty, the beginning of their proud history in the diocese. Bishop Van de Velde succumbed to the yellow fever outbreak and died in 1855, as did 40 parishioners. Bishop William Henry Elder was ordained and installed at the third bishop of Jackson in 1857 and served until 1880.
During Bishop Elder’s administration, the Civil War consumed the nation in violence and bloodshed for four years. Bishop Elder ministered to soldiers and celebrated Mass for the wounded throughout the war. He also ministered to a community of freedmen formed in Natchez by slaves who fled after the city was occupied in 1863 by federal troops. Under Union occupation, the Bishop was expelled from Natchez and imprisoned in Vidalia, Louisiana, for refusing to pray for the United States government.
During the yellow fever epidemic of 1878, the Bishop personally ministered to victims and contracted the disease himself. He survived, but six diocesan priests were among the many who perished. Bishop Elder was named Coadjutor of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 1880 and would later become Archbishop where he served until 1904. When he left Mississippi, there were 19 priests, 42 churches, 12 schools for white children, three schools for black children, and a Catholic population of 12,500. In 1881 Pope Leo X11 appointed Francis August Janssens of New Orleans as the fourth bishop of Jackson.
Bishop Janssens focused on the completion of the cathedral, contracting for the building of the sacristy and installing a pipe organ. Catholic education was a hallmark of his time in Mississippi. When he arrived in 1881, there were 15 schools; when he left for New Orleans seven years later, there were 26. During his administration a mission among the Choctaws at Tucker began, creating a school staffed by three Sisters of Mercy. The Sisters of Charity began teaching African-American children in the original presbytery during this time. In 1888 Bishop Janssens was transferred to become Archbishop of New Orleans. Father Thomas Heslin of County Longford, Ireland, a pastor in New Orleans, was named the fifth Bishop of the diocese by Pope Leo XIII.
One of Bishop Heslin’s major initiatives was to evangelize and establish missions among African Americans. Bishop Heslin invited the Society of St. Joseph and the Society of the Divine Word to staff missions among black Mississippians. In 1890 Holy Family Parish in Natchez was established as the first parish in the diocese dedicated to ministering in the African American community. Saint Mother Katharine Drexel was instrumental in building a school for the children of Holy Family in Natchez.
In 1894 the Brothers of the Sacred Heart opened a school for boys in Natchez. Bishop Heslin died after 22 years of service to the Diocese and was buried on Catholic Hill in the Natchez City Cemetery. Father John Gunn, a Marist priest, from County Tyrone, Ireland was appointed the sixth Bishop of Natchez by Pope Pius X in 1911. He cultivated the diocese’s relationship with Catholic Extension to help in the building of chapels throughout the state. By the time of his death in 1924, almost every Catholic in Mississippi was able to reach one of these chapels for Mass at least once a month.
Catholic churches grew from 75 to 149 during his administration, and Catholics grew in number from 17,000 to more than 31,000. Bishop Gunn died in New Orleans in 1924 and is buried beside his fellow Irishman Bishop Thomas Heslin on Catholic Hill in the Natchez City Cemetery. Father Richard Oliver Gerow of Mobile was appointed the seventh Bishop of Natchez by Pope Pius XI. He served for 42 years and saw a tremendous growth in the Catholic Church in Mississippi. Priests grew in number from 63 to 222, and churches increased from 108 to 159.
His administration included the years of the 1927 Mississippi River Flood, Great Depression, World War II, the Korean conflict, and the Civil Rights Movement, including the tragic murder of Medgar Evers in Jackson. Bishop Gerow oversaw the renovation of the cathedral sanctuary in celebration of the centennial of the Diocese in 1937. He was especially interested in ecumenism and is remembered for his Christian stand in the first days of school integration. He was a consummate historian and an avid photographer and documented many church activities and events throughout the Diocese. In 1957, the Diocese of Natchez became the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson. St Peter Church in Jackson became the Co-Cathedral.
In 1967, Joseph Bernard Brunini was named eighth Bishop of the Diocese and was installed the following year at that co-cathedral, having been ordained a bishop in 1957 by Pope Pius XII. Bishop Brunini is our only native Mississippi vocation to serve as bishop in our 180-year history. His administration was quite diverse — implementation of Vatican II, the continuing Civil Rights Movement, and the Vietnam War. He oversaw peaceful school desegregation in Mississippi’s Catholic schools, and as a strong leader he addressed such issues as ecumenism, evangelization, poverty and social justice. In 1973, Joseph Lawson Howze was named Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson. In 1977, the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson was divided to become the Diocese of Jackson, comprised of the northern 65 counties of the state, and the Diocese of Biloxi, made up of the southeastern most 17 counties of Mississippi. At that time, Bishop Howze became the first Bishop of the Diocese of Biloxi. Bishop William Russell Houck was one of 27 bishops ordained by Pope John Paul II on May, 29, 1979. He was auxiliary bishop for the Jackson diocese from 1979-1984 when he was installed in 1984 as the ninth Bishop of Jackson.
“Proclaim Jesus Christ is Lord” is the episcopal motto chosen by Bishop Houck, which would be his mission for nearly 37 years as a bishop in Jackson, through sanctifying, preaching, writing, teaching, leading, serving the poor. In January, 2003 Saint John Paul accepted Bishop Houck’s resignation and he continued to serve as the president of Catholic Extension until 2007. Bishop Joseph Nuncio Latino, a native of New Orleans, and a priest of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux was ordained and installed as the 10th bishop of Jackson in 2003 and served until 2014. He devoted his ministry as bishop to fostering Gospel-based social justice initiatives, lay leadership, and vocations.
During his tenure the office for Protection of Children was established to help insure a safe environment for children in our churches, schools and communities. Under his leadership the church implemented the new English translation of the Roman Missal, and he shepherded the diocese through the Mission and Ministry process in 2007 that led to the six deanery pastoral structure that serve the diocese so well ten years later.
This brings us to yours truly, Bishop Joseph Richard Kopacz of Scranton, Pa. I was ordained and installed as the 11th Bishop of Jackson in 2014. During the past three and one half years the diocese has embraced an Envisioning Process that has inspired a renewed Vision with Pastoral Priorities that is now in a diocesan-wide implementation phase. We give thanks for what has been, and we proceed with hope for what will be as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ in our Catholic faith.
(Editor’s note, look for more information on the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in upcoming editions of Mississippi Catholic.)

Bishop William Henry Elder, who served from 1857-1880, weathered the Civil War and personally ministered to those suffering from yellow fever. (Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Jackson Archives)

This archive photo from Marigold, Miss., was taken on April 19, 1896, during the episcopacy of Bishop Thomas Heslin.His travels around the diocese may have contributed to his death. Legend says he fell asleep riding in the back of a mule cart and tumbled out. The driver did not notice and had to return to find the unconscious bishop. Bishop Heslin died a few weeks later. (Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Jackson Archives)

Convocation of Catholic Leaders: Joy of the Gospel in America

Posted on by
Reply

By Bishop Joseph Kopacz

Bishop Kopacz

The United States Catholic Conference was born in 1917 as a response to the demands of WW1 in order to have a national organization with a national voice. In anticipation of the anniversary of the centenary, nearly 10 years ago the planning began. Providentially, the Conference of Bishops really found their stride in the planning stages with the publication in 2013 of the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel. The convocation discovered its name and its purpose. Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America.
Over the four-day convocation, July 1-4, there were nearly 3,500 participants, representing the face of the Church in America. There were approximately 3,000 religious and lay leaders across the spectrum of church ministries and organizations. There were 155 bishops, mostly Latin Rite, but also Eastern Rite, representing their dioceses from around the nation, and nearly 500 priests and permanent deacons. In total, there were 185 national Catholic organizations on hand. Some described it as a World Youth Day for adults, something resembling a retreat and a pep rally. It was a well-balanced event. The keynote addresses were inspiring and engaging, and the panels that immediately followed them enlarged the depth and breath of vision of the speakers. Perhaps, even more valuable were the break-out sessions that were not lectures but conversations on an array of topics addressing the reality of modern society and how to respond as the Lord’s disciples in the spirit and conviction of the Joy of the Gospel.
In fact, conversations were the hallmark of this Convocation, and in whatever direction one turned bishops were speaking with their diocesan delegations, and in every corner and at every table, participants were in animated dialogue. The drumbeat throughout was the call to missionary discipleship for all who define themselves as Catholic in the 21st century. We are to go to the margins, to the peripheries to encounter and accompany the poor and marginalized. This could well be a family member, the young, the old, the poor, those close at hand, those out of sight and mind. This is the apostolic leadership of Pope Francis, the mind and heart of Jesus Christ.
Archbishop Gomez of Los Angeles powerfully unpacked this reality in his Keynote Address. “The peripheries are parts of our cities and rural areas we never visit, the other side of the tracks. They are where the poor live. They are prisons and the tent cities in our public places. They are all the places our society is ashamed of and would rather forget about, where people are wounded and feel their lives have no meaning and make no difference, trapping themselves in sin, addiction, slavery and self-deception. The pope is saying these peripheries are growing in the modern world, and these peripheries are new mission territories. The Church has always been present in the peripheries, but we can do better; we are called to do more.”
Overall, the Convocation was a great sign of unity in the Church in the United States and people were there for the right reasons. In this gathering the Bishops experienced their national conference not only as a bureaucracy, but also as a phenomenal tool for engaging our entire Church in its 21c mission. Church leaders seemed to be trying something new, another way that hasn’t been tried. All of the people were willing to sacrifice their leisurely 4th of July holiday and go to learn and be challenged. They didn’t go to be patted on the back but to learn. How can we share Christ better?
A cross fertilization of ministries, a great sign of unity for certain, and all were challenged to hear the voices of the poor and marginalized. The Convocation lit up social media for four days, which meant that the Joy of the Gospel was pulsating through cyberspace, plantings seeds of faith, hope and love. In the Diocese of Jackson the implementation of our vision and Pastoral Priorities is well underway. The path ahead is to inspire disciples, to serve others and to embrace diversity by being inviting and reconciling communities, by being intentional about life long faith formation, and by proclaiming Jesus Christ and our Catholic faith.
The Convocation of Catholic Leaders, the Joy of the Gospel in America enlarges our vision with the exhortation to be missionary disciples who break out of our comfort zones and go the poor and marginalized with ever renewed vigor in the work of proclaiming the crucified and risen Lord by living the Gospel in all of its truth, goodness and beauty.

 

Los jóvenes, la fe y el discernimiento vocacional

Posted on by
Reply

Por Opisbo Joseph Kopacz

Bishop Kopacz

El documento preparatorio en previsión al 2018 Sínodo Mundial sobre los Jóvenes, la fe y el discernimiento vocacional  recuerda la progresión constante del diálogo que la Iglesia tiene con el mundo moderno en el tercer milenio. Los próximos párrafos del documento preparatorio ofrecen este contexto. “Estas cosas os he hablado para que mi gozo esté en vosotros, y vuestro gozo sea colmado” (Jn 15, 11). Este es el plan de Dios para todos los hombres y mujeres de todas las edades, incluyendo a todos los jóvenes, hombres y mujeres del tercer milenio, sin excepción.
Proclamar la alegría del Evangelio es la misión confiada por el Señor a su Iglesia. El Sínodo sobre la Nueva Evangelización y la Exhortación Apostólica Evangelii Gaudium trataron en cómo llevar a cabo esta misión en el mundo de hoy. Los dos Sínodos sobre la familia y la Exhortación Apostólica postsinodal Amoris laetitia, fueron en lugar de ello, dedicados a ayudar a las familias a encontrar esta alegría.
En consonancia con esta misión e introduciendo un nuevo enfoque a través de un Sínodo con el tema “Los jóvenes, la fe y el discernimiento vocacional”, la Iglesia ha decidido examinarse a sí misma en cómo ella puede conducir a los jóvenes a reconocer y aceptar la llamada a la plenitud de la vida y el amor, y a pedirle a la gente joven para que la ayude a identificar los métodos más eficaces para anunciar la Buena Nueva de hoy.
Al escuchar a los jóvenes, la Iglesia volverá a escuchar al Señor hablando en el mundo de hoy. Como en los días de Samuel (cf. 1 Sam 3:1-21) y Jeremías (cf. Jeremías 1:4-10), los jóvenes saben discernir los signos de los tiempos, indicado por el Espíritu. Escuchando sus aspiraciones, la Iglesia puede vislumbrar el mundo que tenemos por delante y las rutas a las que la Iglesia está llamada.”
Esta es una interesante iniciativa y representa el compromiso del Papa Francisco y la iglesia para promover el diálogo, el discernimiento y la dirección de la Iglesia en el mundo moderno. Es un diálogo dentro de la Iglesia y más allá de la Iglesia.
Un estudio longitudinal recientemente publicado por el Centro de religión y sociedad de la Universidad de Notre Dame ofrece una seria pero esperanzadora realidad sobre la transmisión de la fe de una generación a la siguiente. Hicieron la punzante pregunta, ¿por qué es la pérdida de la identidad católica, tan común en los Estados Unidos? Tienen una investigación basada en la perspectiva desde la cual  proponen una respuesta. “Después de mirar cuidadosamente a jóvenes adultos católicos actuales y anteriores, encontramos motivos de inquietud y razones para esperanza. Por un lado, muchos de ellos se sienten alienados o sospechoso de la religión organizada.
Muchos piensan que la religión viola los principios de la ciencia y la lógica. Muchos están simplemente más concentrados en otras cosas, tales como terminar la escuela, pasar tiempo con sus amigos, encontrar una pareja romántica, conseguir un buen trabajo y lograr propósitos necesarios.
Muchos de ellos se resisten a la idea de la doctrina o a la sugerencia de que la religión es algo más que una elección personal, como el tipo de música que uno prefiere. Por otro lado, muchos católicos adultos todavía creen y oran a Dios y tienen la opinión de Dios no lejos de la doctrina católica. Muchos de ellos ven el valor de la obra de caridad de la Iglesia y piensan que la religión es generalmente una buena cosa para la sociedad.
Algunos están abiertos a la idea de volver a la Iglesia, especialmente cuando piensan en comenzar su propia familia… La Iglesia necesita comprenderlos en su lugar particular en la vida y a buscarlos. La religión y la fe están todavía evidentes en sus historias, aunque no de una manera que la Iglesia normalmente considera fieles.” Todo este proceso por delante no será reinventar la rueda. Será construir sobre los esfuerzos de la evangelización que está ya trabajando con los  jóvenes (edades 16-29) en nuestro país y donde la Iglesia está presente, en las familias, en las escuelas católicas, educación religiosa, y a través de una serie de ministerios para y con los jóvenes.
En los Estados Unidos los esfuerzos de evangelización y catequesis de Mateo Kelly y Dynamic Católica, con un personal de 100 personas, cuyo promedio de edad es entre mediados y finales de los 20s, han sido una transformación de energía en los últimos años en la iglesia y en la sociedad. El Obispo Auxiliar Robert Barren de Los Ángeles a través de su escritura, predicación y enseñanza, y más recientemente a través de su proyecto Palabra en Fuego, se centra especialmente en la obra de evangelización de la cultura a través de la visión de casi 2000 años de sabiduría y verdad.
El Reverendo Robert Spitzer, S.J., ex presidente de la Universidad Gonzaga, y ahora Director del Instituto Magis en Irving, California, tiene un fuerte compromiso para conciliar la fe con tres áreas críticas que suelen empujar una apertura a Dios a los márgenes: ciencia, sufrimiento y una vida de virtud. CARA, el Centro de Investigación Aplicada en el Apostolado, también contribuirá poderosamente a este proceso que conduce al Sínodo de sus investigaciones sobre los millennials.
La Diócesis de Jackson estará involucrada en este proceso durante la fase preparatoria y se ha comprometido a estudiar y aplicar el conocimiento y la comprensión que emerjan a través del Sínodo, y después con la visión del Papa Francisco. Creo que es oportuno finalizar esta columna con las palabras de dos de nuestros jóvenes que fueron confirmados recientemente.
Su formación en la fe para el sacramento de la confirmación, revelan el poder de Dios trabajando en su generación. “Quiero ser confirmada porque quiero vivir mejor, para estar más cerca de Dios, para estar más madura en mi fe y ayudar a otros a estar más cerca de Dios” y “Mi amor por el servicio ha crecido cada vez más a lo largo de mi confirmación a través de mi compromiso personal de servir a Cristo y a la Iglesia. Me siento agradecido y bendecido por seguir la misión de Dios para mí.”
Que nunca nos cansemos de combatir el buen combate de la fe de una generación a la siguiente, sabiendo que el Señor está siempre con nosotros hasta el fin de los tiempos.

Young people, faith, and vocational discernment: bishops begin synod work

Posted on by
Reply

By Bishop Joseph Kopacz

Bishop Kopacz

The preparatory document in anticipation of the 2018 World Wide Catholic Synod on Young People, The Faith, and Vocational Discernment recalls the steady progression of the dialogue that the Church is having with the modern world in the third millennium. The next few paragraphs from the preparatory document offer this context. “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (Jn 15:11). This is God’s plan for all men and women in every age, including all the young men and women of the Third Millennium, without exception.
Proclaiming the joy of the Gospel is the mission entrusted by the Lord to his Church. The Synod on the New Evangelization and the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium treated how to accomplish this mission in today’s world. The two synods on the family and the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia were, instead, dedicated to helping families find this joy. In keeping with this mission and introducing a new approach through a Synod with the topic, “Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment,” the Church has decided to examine herself on how she can lead young people to recognize and accept the call to the fullness of life and love, and to ask young people to help her in identifying the most effective ways to announce the Good News today. By listening to young people, the Church will once again hear the Lord speaking in today’s world. As in the days of Samuel (cf. 1 Sam 3:1-21) and Jeremiah (cf. Jer 1:4-10), young people know how to discern the signs of our times, indicated by the Spirit. Listening to their aspirations, the Church can glimpse the world which lies ahead and the paths the Church is called.”
This is an exciting undertaking and it represents the commitment of Pope Francis and the Church to further the dialogue, discernment, and direction of the Church in the modern world. It’s a dialogue within in the Church and beyond the Church. A recently published longitudinal study from the Center of Religion and Society from the University of Notre Dame offers a sobering yet hopeful reality on the transmission of faith from one generation to the next. They asked the poignant question, why is the loss of Catholic Identity so common in the United States?
They have a research-based perspective from which to propose an answer. “After looking closely at current and former Catholic young adults, we find causes for concern, and reasons for hope. On the one hand, many of them feel alienated from or suspicious of organized religion. Many think that religion violates the principles of science and logic. Many are simply more consumed with other things, like getting through school, spending time with friends, finding a romantic partner, getting a good job, and making ends meet. Many of them are resistant to the idea of doctrine or the suggestion that religion is anything more than a personal choice, like the kind of music one prefers. On the other hand, many formerly Catholic emerging adults still believe in and pray to God, and have a view of God not far from Catholic teaching. Many of them see value in the Church’s charity work and think religion is generally a good thing for society. Some are open to the idea of going back to the Church, particularly when they think about starting a family of their own… The Church needs to understand them in their particular place in life and to seek them out. Religion and faith are still evident in their stories, even if not in ways that the Church normally considers faithful.”
This entire process ahead will not be reinventing the wheel. It will be building upon the efforts of evangelization already at work with young people (ages 16-29) in our nation and wherever the Church is present, in families, in Catholic schools, religious education programs, and through a host of ministries for and with young people. In the United States the evangelization and catechetical efforts of Matthew Kelly and Dynamic Catholic, with a staff of 100 whose average age is mid to late 20s, have been a transforming energy in recent years in the church and in society.
Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barren of Los Angeles through his writing, preaching and teaching, and most recently through his Word on Fire project is focused especially on the work of evangelization in culture through the lens of nearly 2,000 years of wisdom and truth. Father Robert Spitzer, S.J., the former president of Gonzaga University, and now the Director of the Magis Institute in Irving California, has a strong commitment to reconciling faith with three critical areas that often push an openness to God to the margins: science, suffering and a life of virtue. CARA the Applied Center of Research in the Apostolate will also contribute mightily to this process leading to the Synod from their research on millennials.
The Diocese of Jackson will be engaged in this process during the preparatory phase and will be committed to studying and implementing the knowledge and understanding that emerge through the Synod and afterwards with the vision of Pope Francis. I think it is fitting to end this column with the words of two of our recently confirmed young people.
Their formation in the faith leading to the Sacrament of Confirmation reveals the power of God at work in their generation. “I want to be confirmed because I want to live better, to be closer to God, more mature in my faith and help others be closer to God” and “My love for service has increasingly grown throughout my Confirmation through my personal commitment to serve Christ and the Church. I am grateful and blessed to follow God’s mission for me.”
May we never tire of fighting the good fight of faith from one generation to the next knowing that the Lord is with us always until the end of time.
(To follow: Understanding Former Young Catholics)