Citas a través de Mexitel
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28 – 29 de abril Meridian, MS
12 – 13 de mayo Ripley, MS
2 – 3 de junio Indianola, MS
7 – 8 de julio Southaven, MS
28 – 29 de julio Cantón, MS
25 – 26 de agosto Tupelo – St. James
Por Msgr. Michael Flannery
SALTILLO, Mex. – El jueves 12 de abril, el Obispo Kopacz y yo comenzamos nuestra visita anual a la misión en Saltillo, México. Los padres David Martínez y Evelio Casarubias, los sacerdotes de la misión, se reunieron con nosotros en el aeropuerto para llevarnos a la unidad de 70 millas a Saltillo a tiempo para la misa de las 6 p.m. en la Iglesia de la Divina Misericordia, dedicada por el Obispo Kopacz hace dos años. Después de la misa, se sirvió una comida deliciosa en honor a la llegada del obispo Kopacz.
La mañana siguiente (viernes), estábamos en la carretera a las 7 a.m. para visitar los ranchos acompañados de cinco acólitos y tres músicos. Nuestra primera parada fue en el pueblo de San Francisco para celebrar el sacramento de la Confirmación. Es rara vez que los pueblos ven un obispo. Por lo general, un aldeano tiene que viajar a la iglesia catedral para su confirmación, trayendo a familiares y patrocinadores con él/ella y tal vez pasar la noche. Por lo tanto, la visita del obispo es un gran ahorro para las familias. Después de la confirmación, todos compartimos un gran desayuno con los aldeanos y las personas recién confirmadas.
En el transcurso de ese día, dejamos el estado de Coahuila en el estado de Zacatecas, visitando los pueblos de Jalapa, Anima, Sabanilla, Garambullo y Tapon. Tapon es el pueblo más remoto y toma seis horas de viaje para llegar allí. La mayor parte del camino sigue un sendero hinchable, viajando aproximadamente de cinco a siete millas por hora. Nuestra última parada del día fue el Rancho el Cuervo, un famoso campamento de caza donde el amable anfitrión había preparado una deliciosa comida. En total, fue un día completo para el Obispo Kopacz, habiendo celebrado tres ceremonias de Confirmaciones, cuatro celebraciones de la Palabra y la Sagrada Comunión y una bendición de los aldeanos.
El sábado, el obispo don Raúl Vera, obispo de Saltillo, se unió al obispo Kopacz para bendecir la piedra angular de una nueva iglesia, San José. La bendición se llevó a cabo al aire libre bajo una sombra improvisada. La emoción de los 200 aldeanos fue increíble. Ellos participaron en la Misa con gran reverencia y entusiasmo. La realidad de tener su propio espacio de culto estaba a la vista. El obispo Vera predicó la homilía. Él habló de cooperar con los obispos de Texas y los obispos mexicanos cuyas diócesis estaban adyacentes a la frontera con los Estados Unidos. Este grupo recién formado de obispos estaba en el proceso de redactar una carta al presidente Trump en la que le suplicaba que no construyera un muro entre los Estados Unidos y México. El Obispo Kopacz, parafraseando al Papa Francisco, habló de construir puentes como el puente que las diócesis de Biloxi y Jackson han tenido con la Diócesis de Saltillo durante 49 años.
Después de la misa, viajamos a Presa San Pedro para la celebración de la Confirmación para los aldeanos de La Rosa, La Purísima y La Ventura. De nuevo, fue un gran festival de fe. Antes de irse, el Obispo Kopacz hizo una visita a una señora que sufría de parálisis cerebral. Ahora tenía 24 años y no pesaba más de 45 libras. Ella nunca había hablado y solo hacía sonidos guturales. La familia estaba muy agradecida por la visita del obispo.
El domingo por la mañana, en Saltillo, tuvimos una misa a las 9:00 a.m. en la Iglesia de la Divina Misericordia, que incluyó varios bautismos y un desayuno con las personas mayores. Después de la comida, nos unimos a una procesión a cuatro cuadras de la iglesia liderada por bailarines aztecas, que se dirigían a la Misa más grande del día a la 1:00 p.m. Una vez más, el obispo Kopacz fue el celebrante principal, acompañado por el obispo Vera. Las celebraciones continuaron hasta las 11:00 p.m.
Obispo Kopacz también visitó al sepulcro del padre Patrick Quinn, el fundador de la misión y el seminario local en Saltillo.
El martes viajamos a Aguascalientes para la ordenación diaconal de Adolfo Suárez Pasillas. Después del ensayo, conocimos a su familia encantadora y compartimos una comida deliciosa. El miércoles por la mañana Adolfo nos mostró los sitios históricos de Aguascalientes. La ciudad estaba haciendo preparativos extensos para la Feria de San Marcos, un festival anual de tres semanas que asisten varios millones de personas de todo México. Este festival musical tuvo una tradición ininterrumpida de 190 años. Los locales alegan que se consumirá más cerveza durante este período de tres semanas de la feria que durante el resto del año calendario.
Lo más destacado de nuestra visita fue la ordenación de Adolfo en su ciudad natal, Jesús María, en la iglesia parroquial de Jesús de Nazaret a las 5:30 p.m. Miércoles, 18 de abril. El Obispo Kopacz presidió la misa con una iglesia abarrotada de aproximadamente 500 personas, otras 400 se habían congregado en el patio. El apoyo de los feligreses fue increíble. El Vicario General de la Diócesis de Aguascalientes saludó al Obispo Kopacz y lo recibió en la diócesis. Señaló que la parroquia de Jesús de Nazaret era la parroquia más espiritual de toda la diócesis. La Diócesis de Aguascalientes ordena un promedio de 12 sacerdotes por año y actualmente tiene suficiente excedente que algunos de sus sacerdotes están sirviendo en otras áreas de México. De hecho, el vicario mencionó que podrían compartir algunos sacerdotes con la Diócesis de Jackson.
El padre Kent Bowlds, pastor de la parroquia de Nuestra Señora de las Victorias en Cleveland, donde Adolfo ha servido, dio el testimonio de la buena disposición del candidato. Después de la ordenación, nos dirigimos a un salón cercano donde fuimos recibidos por una banda de Mariachi y la celebración continuó hasta las 11:00 p.m.
En total, fue una semana llena, una tremenda experiencia de compartir la fe y una gran bendición para todos los participantes. En nuestro viaje de regreso a casa, el obispo Kopacz ya estaba haciendo planes para su viaje de regreso para el próximo año, cuando con suerte bendecirá la iglesia recién construida de San José y participará en el jubileo de oro de la fundación de la Misión Saltillo. El buen trabajo iniciado por el Padre Patrick Quinn, el fundador de la Misión Saltillo todavía continúa en su alcance a los pobres.
El diácono Adolfo será asignado a la parroquia de Jackson Santa Tersita durante su año como diácono.
(Mons. Michael Flannery es un sacerdote retirado de la Diócesis de Jackson. Ha escrito un libro sobre la misión de Saltillo, disponible en la Parroquia Madison St. Francis.)
(Nota del editor: una cobertura más amplia de la ordenación del Diácono Adolfo aparecerá en el conjunto especial de ordenación en el Mississippi Catholic en junio.)
By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – On Wednesday, April 18, Governor Phil Bryant signed House Bill 387 into law. Prison reform advocates are praising it as a long-needed step forward in the state. It has a number of different impacts on parole and sentencing regulations.
“What’s so great is that this is the first step in reform that we have needed for so long. We finally have some momentum,” said Marvin Edwards, coordinator for prison ministry for the Catholic Diocese of Jackson. He was invited to witness the bill signing. He has long advocated for reforms that would help both inmates inside prison and those who have been released and wish to start new lives. “Bigger issues are being tackled. We are getting people involved who have not been,” he said. Edwards said reform, while a moral issue, is quickly becoming a huge economic issue for the state.
André de Gruy, the state public defender and member of Jackson St. Richard Parish, outlined the main points in an email to Mississippi Catholic. He called special attention to two sections dealing with parole violations. Section five of the new law expands parole eligibility for non-violent offenders who were not covered in a previous reform. It means almost 200 non-violent offenders can now get parole. “The vast majority, more than 140, will be parole eligible on July 1; the fiscal impact estimate of this provision is $1.1 million in fiscal year 2019,” he wrote.
Another significant reform eliminates a judge’s ability to “stack” technical parole violations, such as failure to report or pay a fine. The practice means a parolee who has not committed a new crime could be sent back to prison for years on non-violent technical violations.
“The result was that despite 80 percent of revocations involving only technical violations almost 80 percent of people being revoked were going to prison for years not to Technical Violation Centers for 90-180 days. If this change is instituted with fidelity, the savings for the Department of Corrections are estimated to be between $12.3 and $18.5 million dollars,” de Gruy explained.
Incarceration is an expensive business. When an inmate is eligible for parole, but ends up back in a cell because he cannot pay a fine, the state or county has to pay for his food and supervision in an already overcrowded facility. If a parolee does not check in with her parole officer, she can end up back in jail on a parole violation. If she gets a job, she has to ask her employer for time off and find transportation. This can cost the parolee their job – another potential parole violation.
The new law allows parolees to use video conferencing such as Skype or Facetime to check in with their officers, saving the state, the parole officer and the former inmate time and money. The prison system is already running tens-of-millions of dollars in the red so money-saving reforms are welcomed.
One aspect of the law Edwards praised eliminates what some have called “debtor’s prisons” – when a judge can jail a person for not paying a fine. If an inmate cannot pay a fine, the judge has to conduct a hearing to find out if the reason is poverty or willful contempt. If someone does not have the money to pay, the judge has the option to establish a payment plan, lower the fine or waive it altogether.
The law also includes creation of a taskforce to examine sentencing disparity between judges, calls for a jail census, allows counties to request inmate workers and addresses sentencing in non-violent habitual offenses.
Edwards said he looks forward to seeing what comes next in the reform movement. As a member of the Catholic Charities Faith in Action Team (FIAT), he sees an opportunity for Catholics across the state to become engaged in the process. FIAT hopes to educate parishes about advocacy in general and about specific issues people can help with in the state. “Our goal is to be a clearinghouse for parishes to know the issues here,” said Edwards.
Prison reform, he said, is the perfect example. “The legislators want to do something, but if they don’t have support from the people, they are not going to rock the boat,” he explained. If Catholics knew what reforms are needed and thoughtfully contacted their lawmakers, Edwards is convinced more and even better reforms can happen. The law goes into effect July 1.
By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Prison ministers for the Diocese of Jackson are taking their work outside the cells thanks to a new initiative meant to help people adjust to life after incarceration. The program is called Getting Ahead While Getting Out and it starts months before an inmate is released. The idea is to help someone gain some life skills and start building a support network before they ever leave prison.
On Saturday, May 19, Marvin Edwards, who coordinates prison ministry for the diocese, and Daughter of Charity Sister Madeline Kavanagh will host a training at Flowood St. Paul Parish for people who want to be facilitators in the Getting Ahead While Getting Out program. Anyone is welcome to attend – including non-Catholics – but the workshop is primarily for people who already have clearance to visit prisons. Everyone needs to register.
Photo courtesy of Bickstock
Edwards and Sister Kavanagh are collaborating on the new program. It is a relationship-based model for reintegration. Facilitators will meet with small groups of inmates in the months before their parole to prepare them for their life after release. “They have a workbook and they answer questions such as ‘how did I get here, what factors contributed to my situation,’ things like that,” said Sister Kavanagh. The participants learn how to manage finances, how to seek a job and how to build a support network. According to the program website, a large percentage of released convicts will get into trouble within days of release. Often, they return to old habits or they simply don’t know how to start a new life.
“There are so many inmates that are there simply because they didn’t know any better. They didn’t have any background – any roots. They are very intelligent. Don’t get me wrong, there are some in prison who don’t need to get out, but the majority of them could change if they had the opportunity,” said Edwards, who has been a prison minister for years in Mississippi. He said the prison system does not offer inmates the opportunity to transform their lives. “Lots of them just messed up. They were teenagers and they end up in prison for 20, 30 years. When they get out, they don’t know what to do,” he added.
This program, said Sister Kavanagh, gets them to start to think critically. “The woman who started it was a real educator. She realized we are always going in and telling people how to live their lives and that doesn’t work. Participants in this program are considered investigators,” explained Sister Kavanagh. “The facilitators don’t tell them what to do, the participant goes through his or her own program,” she said. The inmates take control of their own lives. The program materials refer to the participants as ‘returning citizens’ to help them see themselves in a new way.
“We are looking for people who can listen and accompany these prisoners as they go through the process,” she said. “When they are thinking out loud and being listened to, they find their own power and their own wisdom. They realize they have all this potential,” she added. In addition to facilitators, Sister Kavanaugh said the program will need community partners.
“We hope people realize that the people coming out of prison have not had the advantages that many others have had. They need support. They need people who can be mentors, who can help them get jobs, who will welcome them into the parish,” she said.
The training takes a few months to complete. While facilitators are being trained, Edwards will make contact with the individual prisons to lay the groundwork for the program. He already has support from the prison system. He believes it’s because the program is free for the prisons, and has the potential to save the state money by reducing recidivism. He hopes to have it up and running in February of 2019. Those interested in the training can call Marvin Edwards at (601)594-8254 or Sister Madeline Kavanagh at (213)215-6103.
By Maureen Smith
COLUMBUS – Enrollment is exploding at Annunciation Catholic School so it’s time to expand. The school has launched a two-phase capital campaign aimed at enlarging the existing facilities and establishing a long-term plan master plan. Phase one calls for raising a little more than $3 million to add a new building to house six classrooms, a library, a science lab, a technology lab and a new administrative area. This phase will also renovate the cafeteria, expand the gymnasium and reconfigure the current building.
“Currently, we have eight classes and a computer lab in modular classrooms. It is time to make these temporary classrooms permanent in order for us to fulfill our school mission to the highest potential. Our school family has been praying for an opportunity for us to continue providing a Christ-centered environment for children in the Golden Triangle. We are thrilled to undertake this task as we continue to guide students to reach their full potential,” said principal Joni House. She has seen enrollment grow 95 percent in the past seven years. Some students are riding a bus from Starkville daily to attend Annunciation, the only school in the so-called Golden Triangle of Columbus, Starkville and West Point.
She credits the enrollment jump to a great staff as well as a supportive community and parents who believe in the mission of the school and parish.
Father Jeffrey Waldrep became the pastor of Annunciation Parish just last year and has embraced his role at the school. “It has been so amazing becoming a part of the Annunciation Catholic school family,” said Father Waldrep. “Joni House, our principal and mentor, has made it her ministry to enable a talented, creative and spirit-filled team of teachers and staff that rally around a single mission. That mission has and continues our growth in enlightening the minds and forming life-long learners of our students,” he said.
He said he has seen support from both Catholic and non-Catholic families who see the value of the education at Annunciation.
“These are some very blessed times at our school. phase one of this project will provide opportunities for all students to use new technology and science labs, along with a new expansive library. This is not to mention the six new classrooms, stage and locker rooms on the gym and full-service cafeteria. But with all blessings comes responsibility,” said Father Waldrep. He has invited everyone in the community to prayerfully consider joining the campaign.
Parent Kay Regimbal is one of the campaign supporters. “The foundation that ACS has provided for our children is constantly strengthened day after day and year after year through teaching excellence, character building and spiritual guidance. ACS is making a lasting impact on our children, our local community and our future by raising the bar for academic excellence, creativity and interpersonal growth, developing students who not only think for themselves but love, care and respect those around them. We consider ourselves incredibly blessed to be on this journey with our school family,” she said.
The second phase of the campaign calls for establishing a long-term planning committee, possibly adding another academic building on property the school already owns and adding a chapel. When planning started, the committee looked at several options, including purchasing new land and building from scratch and purchasing an existing school building, but in the end, the committee agreed that the school would do best if it repurposed and added to existing facilities.
Those interested in supporting the campaign can make a one-time donation or make a pledge they can pay off in installments. Call the school office for details (662) 328-4479.
JACKSON – Bishop Joseph Kopacz, center, gathers visitors and staff for a blessing at the new Catholic Charities Hope Haven Residential facility on Friday, April 13. Hope Haven hosted an open house to celebrate their new residence, which will allow them to double their capacity. Hope Haven is a temporary shelter where teens in crisis and their families can get help to start the path to healing. The organization is still looking for supplies including sheet and comforter sets, exercise equipment and toiletries. Contact Kim Thomason to donate at 601-397-2224 or kim.thomason@catholiccharitiesjackson.org. (Photos by Tereza Ma)
YAZOO CITY – Father Frank Cosgrove draws a huge laugh from the congregation at St. Mary Parish during a mission he led from March 12-14. The topic was the Triduum. Father Cosgrove is well-known for bringing humor into everything he does and this retreat was no exception. (Photo by Diane Melton)
SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
CHATAWA St. Mary of the Pines Retreat Center, The Art and Heart of the Spiritual Life, June 17-23. The spiritual life is the ongoing process of being transformed into the image of Christ for the sake of others and breaking free from the agenda of the false self, living in the present moment and willingness to resist temptation and to forgive others. Presenter: Father Albert Haase, OFM. Suggested donation: $450. Details: Sister Sue Von Bank (601) 783-0801 retreatcenter@ssndcp.org.
CULLMAN, Ala., Benedictine Sisters Retreat Center, 8-Day Intensive/Post-Intensive Centering Prayer, May 22-29. A non-refundable deposit of $100 is required. Deadline for registration and deposit is May 1. Details: Katy Smith at (205) 410-1493 or smithdoc20@gmail.com.
DIOCESAN ANNOUNCEMENT
The Office of Family Ministry is seeking parish participation for a divorced Catholics support ministry. In every parish, there are some marriages that end in divorce. The first place most Catholics turn when confronted with divorce is to their own parish. The Diocese of Jackson wants to support parishioners recovering from divorce, by assisting them with learning and living their faith more fully. Will you help to support divorced Catholics in your parish? The “Recovering from Divorce Parish Program” can help you get started. Details: Charlene Bearden at 601-960-8487 or email at charlene.bearden@jacksondiocese.org.
PARISH, SCHOOL AND FAMILY EVENTS
AMORY St. Helen, book discussion group will discuss “Red Sparrow” by Jason Matthews on Monday, May 14, at noon. Details: (662) 256-8392.
CANTON Sacred Heart Parish is hosting more than 100 exhibitors during the Canton Flea Market, Thursday, May 10. Details: John Oliver Dowdle, Chairman at 601-955-3117 or https://www.facebook.com/CantonFleaMarketCatholicChurch/
COLUMBUS Annunciation, Pentecost International Food Festival, Sunday, May 20, from 5 p.m. – sunset. Details: to volunteer to be the coordinator for a food region (Cajun, Southern, Italian, etc.), contact Mike Cancellare at mikecancellare@hotmail.com or (703) 597-3498.
GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph Parish, Formal Tea on Saturday, May 19, 2 p.m., in the Parish Hall, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary. Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for children 10 and younger. Available for purchase after all Masses on May 6 and 13. Proceeds will be donated to the Carmelite Monastery in Jackson. Details: Gracie Wilson at (601) 790-4524.
JACKSON St. Richard, Cardinal Men’s Club “Flight to the Finish” 5K Run, 5K Race Walk and Mile House Challenge, Saturday, May 5 at 9 a.m. After the 5K, Pigs ‘N’ Tails from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Includes all-you-can-eat crawfish and pulled pork. They’ll be serving hamburgers and hot dogs also. Cost: $15 – age 13 and older; $10 – age 5-12. Free for age 4 and younger. Details: Shannon Garner garner@saintrichard.com or (601) 366-2335.
MADISON St. Francis of Assisi, Cajun Fest, Sunday, May 6, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mouth-watering food will include crawfish etouffee, jambalaya, boiled crawfish and other Cajun delicacies. Festival favorites also include corn dogs, funnel fries and sno-cones. Entertainment will include games for the kids, awesome raffle prizes and bingo. Dance to live music or pick up a bargain at the Cajun Fest General Store. Arts and craft vendors will also have a variety of Mississippi-made products on display. Details: call Amy Hornback at the church office (601) 856-5556 or https://www.facebook.com/stfrancismadison/
PEARL St. Jude, Adult Faith Formation, “Symbolon – The Catholic Faith Explained,” Sundays at 9:45 a.m. Details: church office (601) 939-3181.
YOUTH BRIEFS
CLARKSDALE Catholic Community of Clarksdale, Shipwrecked Vacation Bible School, June 18-22. Volunteers are needed. Details: church office (662) 624-4301.
GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph, “Camp Catholic” Vacation Bible School, June 11-13. Join us as we prepare to Camp in God’s Creation. Adult and youth volunteers fifth-graders and older are needed. Volunteer sign-up sheets will be in the back of church. Details: contact Karen Worrell at kworrellcre@hotmail.com or church office (601) 856-2054.
HERNANDO Holy Spirit Parish, “Open Gym” for sixth-12th graders, Wednesdays, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center. The Men’s Association provides dinner and a time for fellowship before religious education classes. Additional volunteers are needed to help chaperone. Details: Hank Ludwig at (662) 404-4672 or hludwig@renasant.com.
MADISON, St. Francis of Assisi, summer trip for current eighth- 12th graders. Includes a fun-filled service conference, a day at the beach and a theme park. Details: Amy Lipovetsky amy.lipovetsky@stfrancismadison.org or church office (601) 856-5556.
St. Joseph School will host a Jr. Bruin Baseball Camp June 19, 20 and 21 for boys in Pre-K through rising seventh grades at D.M. Howie Field from 9 a.m. to noon. Cost is $100.00 per camper. The Bruin coaching staff and players will be on hand to teach the fundamentals of baseball. This camp is for beginners, as well as the most experienced players. Details: Please pre-register with Coach Gerard McCall at gmccall@stjoebruins.com.
NATCHEZ Cathedral School, Crawfish Countdown, Friday, May 11, at 6 p.m. Includes crawfish, jambalaya, desserts, beverages and prizes. $100 ticket admits two people and the chance to win $5,000. Details: (601) 442-2531 or www.cathedralgreenwave.com.
By Monsignor Michael Flannery
SALTILLO, MEXICO – On Thursday, April 12 Bishop Joseph Kopacz and I began our annual visit to the mission in Saltillo, Mexico. The highlight of this year’s visit was a side-trip for the diaconal ordination of Adolfo Suarez Pasillas in his home parish in Aguascalientes.
Fathers David Martinez and Evelio Casarubias, the priests of the mission, met us at the airport to bring us on the 70-mile drive to Saltillo in time for 6 p.m. Mass at Divine Mercy Church, dedicated by Bishop Kopacz two years ago. After Mass, a delicious meal was served honoring our arrival.
The following morning (Friday), we were on the road at 7 a.m. to visit the ranchos (mountain villages), accompanied by five altar servers and three musicians. Our first stop was the village of San Francisco to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation. Seldom, if ever, do the mountain villages see a bishop. Under normal circumstances, a villager must travel to the cathedral church for confirmation, bringing family and sponsors with him/her and maybe stay overnight. Therefore, bishop’s visit is a great savings for the families. After confirmation, we all shared a big breakfast with the villagers and newly confirmed.
In the course of that day we left the State of Coahuila into State of Zacatecas, visiting the villages of Jalapa, Anima, Sabanilla, Garambullo and Tapon. Tapon is the most remote village and takes six hours of travel to get there. Most of the way follows a bouncy trail, traveling approximately five-to-seven miles an hour. Our last stop of the day was el Rancho el Cuervo, a famous hunting camp where the gracious host had prepared a delicious meal. In all, it was a full day for Bishop Kopacz, having celebrated three ceremonies of Confirmations, four celebrations of the Word and Holy Communion and one blessing of the villagers.
Saturday, Bishop Don Raul Vera, bishop of Saltillo, joined Bishop Kopacz to bless the cornerstone of a new church, San Jose. The blessing took place outdoors under an improvised shade. The excitement of the 200 villagers was amazing. They participated in the Mass with great reverence and enthusiasm. The reality of having their own worship space was within view. Bishop Vera preached the homily. He spoke of cooperating with the bishops of Texas and the Mexican bishops whose dioceses were adjacent to the U.S. border. This newly-formed group of bishops were in the process of drafting a letter to President Trump pleading with him not to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Bishop Kopacz, paraphrasing Pope Francis, spoke of building bridges such as the bridge which the Dioceses of Biloxi and Jackson has had with the Diocese of Saltillo for 49 years.
After Mass, we travelled on to Presa San Pedro for the celebration of Confirmation for villagers from La Rosa, La Purisima and La Ventura. Again, it was a great festival of faith. Before leaving, Bishop Kopacz made a home visit to a lady who suffered from cerebral palsy. She was now 24 years of age and weighed no more than 45 pounds. She had never spoken and only made guttural sounds. The family was very appreciative of the bishop’s visit.
On Sunday morning, back in Saltillo, we had a Mass at 9 a.m. at Divine Mercy Church including several baptisms, and a breakfast with the senior citizens. After the meal we joined a procession four blocks from the church led by Aztec dancers, who were on their way to the largest Mass of the day at 1p.m. Again, Bishop Kopacz was the main celebrant, accompanied by Bishop Vera. Celebrations continued until 11p.m. Bishop also visited the grave of Father Patrick Quinn, the founder of the mission and a local seminary during his weekend in Saltillo.
On Tuesday we were off to Aguascalientes for the ordination. After a rehearsal we shared a meal with Adolfo’s delightful family. On Wednesday morning Adolfo showed us the historic sites of Aguascalientes. The town was making extensive preparations for the three-week Fair of San Marcos, an annual festival attended by several million people from all over Mexico. This musical festival is an unbroken tradition for 190 years. Locals allege more beer would be consumed over the three-week period of the fair than during the remainder of the calendar year.
The Mass of ordination took place in Adolfo’s home town of Jesus Maria at the parish church of Jesus of Nazareth at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 18. Bishop Kopacz presided over the Mass with a packed church of an estimated 500 people, another 400 had gathered in the courtyard. The support from the parishioners was incredible. The vicar general of the Diocese of Aguascalientes welcomed Bishop Kopacz to the diocese.
He remarked that the parish of Jesus of Nazareth was the most spiritual parish of the whole diocese. The Diocese of Aguascalientes ordains an average of 12 priests per year and presently has enough of a surplus that some of their priests are serving in other areas of Mexico. In fact, the vicar mentioned sharing some priests with the Diocese of Jackson.
Father Kent Bowlds, pastor of Cleveland Our Lady of Victories parish, where Adolfo has served, made the trip for this joyful event. He gave the testimonial of readiness of the candidate. After the ordination we adjourned to a nearby salon where we were greeted by a Mariachi band and the celebration continued until 11 p.m. When he returns to Jackson, Deacon Suarez Pasillas will be assigned to Jackson St. Therese Parish for the year before he is ordained a priest.
In all, it was a packed week, a tremendous experience of faith-sharing and a great blessing for all participants. On our trip home, Bishop Kopacz was already making plans for his return journey in the coming year when he will hopefully bless the newly constructed church of San Jose and participate in the golden jubilee of the foundation of the Saltillo Mission. The good work begun by Fr. Patrick Quinn, the founder of the Saltillo Mission still continues in its outreach to the poor.
(Editor’s note: More extensive coverage of Deacon Adolfo’s ordination will appear in the June 29 edition of Mississippi Catholic along with all ordination for this year.)
(Msgr. Michael Flannery is a retired priest for the Diocese of Jackson. He has written a book about the Saltillo mission, available at Madison St. Francis Parish.)
Palm Sunday
Pearl, St. Jude Parish photos by Rhonda Bowden
Carthage, St. Anne Parish photos by Sister Maria Elena, MGSpS
Chrism Mass
Jackson, St. Peter photos by Tereza Ma ans Maureen Smith
Holy Thursday
Pearl, St. Jude Parish photos by Tereza Ma
Good Friday
Jackson, St. Therese Parish photos by Elsa Baughman
No Catholic Church offers Mass on Good Friday. Instead, they may have stations or veneration of the cross.
Easter Vigil
Jackson, St. Peter photos by Maureen Smith
