Category Archives: Diocesan News

Reflection – Renewal – Remembering

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Sister Dorothea Sondgeroth took a turn riding a camel during her trip.

By Sister M. Dorothea Sondgeroth, O.P.
Lent 2018 has significant meaning for me as I began this holy season while on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I was privileged to be invited to join the Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulcher who financially support the Holy Places in the Holy Land, especially the University of Bethlehem. The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem is the only lay institution of the Vatican State charged with the task of providing for the needs of the activities and initiatives which are necessary to support the Christian presence in the Holy Land.
One of the Order’s principle goals is to sustain and aid the Catholic Church in the Holy Land. Without their membership as well as their support of and contributions to the upkeep of these sacred sites in the Holy Land, pilgrimages would not be possible for Christians, especially Catholics. The pilgrimage included the Shell Ceremony for the members of the Equestrian Order who have made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
The pilgrimage began as I joined up with Bishop Joseph Kopacz and 40 other friends departing from Newark for an overnight flight to Israel. Arriving in Tel Aviv, Israel’s center of culture, we set out on a life-changing journey in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus which offered a geography of our faith. The well versed tour guide made the scriptures come alive as we stopped at significant sites in the life of Jesus for the next ten days.
In Jaffa, the biblical port-town, stands St. Peter Church where the apostle had his vision which led to the first preaching of the gospel of Christ to the Gentiles. It was from here that Jonah set sail on his journey to Nineveh. We traveled on to the sparkling port city of Haifa and ascended Mount Carmel, home of the prophets Elijah and Elisha, to visit Stella Maris.
Each day offered opportunities for REFLECTION with the highlight of celebrating Eucharist with Bishop Kopacz as the main celebrant at holy places, first being at Mount Carmel in Haifa.
Continuing on to Cana of Galilee, where our Lord performed the first miracle of changing water into wine at the wedding feast, provided an occasion for the renewal of marriage vows by the pilgrim couples following a Eucharistic celebration. The pilgrimage took us to the city of Nazareth to visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, where the Angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would bear a child, and here Jesus spent his childhood with his parents, Joseph and Mary. Here marks the start of the Christian era. The drive to the summit of Mount Tabor offered time for scripture reading and a magnificent view of all the lower Galilee. Mt. Tabor is the “high mountain apart” which Jesus ascended with Peter, James and John and where He was transfigured before them.
Overlooking the Sea of Galilee, the Mount of Beatitudes provided a perfect setting for reflection time. There was found in the Sea of Galilee a wooden boat from the time of Jesus and people call it, the “Jesus Boat.” Following our excursion on the Sea of Galilee, we each received a certificate verifying that we sailed and prayed on a replica of the “Jesus Boat.”
On we traveled to Capernaum, home of Jesus during his ministry. Here Jesus met his first disciples, all fishermen who worked on the Sea of Galilee and where Jesus performed many miracles including the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law. After visiting the Synagogue and St. Peter’s house, the drive took us to the Church of the Primacy where Jesus appeared to the Apostles after His Resurrection and Tabgha, the site of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes. Leaving Galilee, our pilgrimage took us through the Judean wilderness to Jerusalem to the site on the Jordan River where we celebrated the RENEWAL of our Baptismal promises.
That day Eucharist was celebrated in the shepherds’ field offering more time for reflection and renewal. A visit to the Nativity Church in Bethlehem, the city of David, built by the Emperor Constantine in the fourth century over the traditional grotto of Jesus’ birth, the Manger, grotto of St. Jerome, the Church of St. Catherine and the Milk Grotto were inspiring sites giving pause for reflection and thanksgiving.
The creamy-white Church of the Milk Grotto is a Franciscan Chapel built over the cave in which the holy family sheltered during the flight to Egypt and where Mary nursed baby Jesus. The Via Dolorosa led to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and there we visited Golgotha and Jesus’ tomb, a powerful and moving experience. A drive to the top of the Mount of Olives afforded a spectacular view of Jerusalem where we visited the Church of Pater Noster, Ascension and walked the Palm Sunday road to Dominus Flavit where Jesus wept over Jerusalem.
We proceeded to Gethsemani to visit the Church of All Nations and the Garden of Olives. A drive through the New City of Jerusalem to Ein Karem, the city of Judah, is associated with the life of St. John the Baptist. Here Zachariah, St. John’s father had his summer home and here the Virgin Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth. The pilgrimage took us to the Visitation Church where Mary proclaimed her famous “Magnificat.”
From the Wailing Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem we saw a powerful view of the Dome of the Rock. The pilgrimage took us to Bethany to visit the site of the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus and the tomb of Lazarus. There we celebrated the Eucharist with hearts filled with thanksgiving and praise to God for this pilgrimage. We continued through the Judean wilderness and along the Dead Sea to Qumran to see the caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. A stop in Jericho, the oldest known city in the Western world, offered beautiful views of the rich valley with lush green plants, trees, fruits and camel rides.
This Holy Land pilgrimage was a powerful, moving experience immersing us in the Scriptures that offered time for REFLECTION on our faith, RENEWAL of our faith and REMEMBERING the privilege of having walked in the footsteps of Jesus, the source of our faith for which we can say, Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! Let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

(Sister Dorothea Sondgeroth, O.P., is the associate Executive director of St. Dominic Health Services Foundation.)

 

JORDAN RIVER – Bishop Joseph Kopacz sprinkles water from the Jordan River on the pilgrims from the Diocese of Jackson after they all renewed their Baptismal promises during a trip to the Holy Land. (Photos courtesy of Sister Dorothea Sondgeroth, OP)

St. Joe Alumna directs ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ at her Alma Mater

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By Leila deGruy
MADISON – St. Joseph Catholic School alumna Leslie Ann Harkins is leading the theater department’s production of Bye Bye Birdie, which she starred in as a student in 2004. The show opens Thursday, April 5, with performances at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, April 7. We asked Harkins about her role as a teacher and director, and how the production has changed since her high school days.
Q: What made you want to teach theater at St. Joseph?
A: I had a lot of great memories and mentors growing up in Mississippi, especially in the theatre world. I could not think of a better way to give back to the place that gave me so much than to return to my alma mater and work with students who are as passionate about the arts as I am.
Q: What is Bye Bye Birdie about?
A: Bye Bye Birdie is a story that is based on the pop-star Conrad Birdie. His character is very much like Elvis Presley. He goes into the army, and the story shows how that decision impacts his manager, his manager’s girlfriend, his manager’s mother and this whole town of Sweet Apple, Ohio.
Q: What can you tell us about this year’s production of Bye Bye Birdie?
A: This is by far the largest production I have put together at St. Joe. There are 78 people involved including 14 student and professional musicians in our live orchestra, six backstage crew members, eight working on lighting and sound, and the rest make up our student cast. The majority of our cast and crew are students at the school. We are very fortunate to have talented performers, musicians and technical crew as part of our student body.
Q: How will this year’s production be different from 2004, when you played the role of Helen?
A: When I played the role of Helen while in high school at St. Joe, the show was performed in our school gym. The most significant difference between our 2004 show and this year’s show comes in the form of our Fine Arts facility that was built nine years ago. The facility offers a professional and state-of-the-art experience for both the actors and the audience. To see this production on the “big stage” versus the gym floor is a very exciting thing for me.
Q: Can you tell us about your students and what makes this year’s Bye Bye Birdie cast and crew so special?
A: The theatre experience at St. Joe is very special for a number of reasons. First, our cast and crew are comprised of students from seventh to 12th grade. It is one of the few opportunities that all students have to come together and represent the entire student body. The younger students not only get the opportunity to experience the entire audition, rehearsal and performance process, they also get to benefit from strong mentorship from the older students who also have spent years on the stage. This inclusive process is very special and somewhat unique in high school theater.
To purchase tickets for Bye Bye Birdie, visit www.stjoetheatre.booktix.com. For more information visit www.stjoebruins.com or call 601-898-4800.

(Leila deGruy is a junior at Madison St. Joseph School.)

Sr. Thea researcher spreads her story

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Redemptorist Father Maurice Nutt barely had time to get settled in his new office in the chancery before he was called upon to share his knowledge of Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA. Sister Thea is one of five women being honored by the Connecting the Dots foundation at their annual Women of Courage and Strength banquet on Saturday, March 24. As part of the banquet, each honoree is invited to submit a video to tell their story. A local non-profit called Spark-O-Matic offered to produce the video about Sister Thea.
On Tuesday, March 13, three Spark-O-Matic students took time out of their spring break to interview Father Maurice at Medgar Evers Library in Jackson. The group is made up of local college and high school students who want to learn more about digital literacy. They have a robotics team and have learned about audio and video production, have gotten lessons in photo editing and have already produced a documentary that will be featured at the Crossroads film festival.
The students had never heard of Sister Thea before they started on this project. They watched a video of her addressing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and read stories about her life. Using photos of Sister Thea, quotes from her writings and Father Maurice’s interview, they plan to produce a video to introduce her to the banquet audience and for use on the diocesan website.
One student, Angel Walton said she was inspired when she watched Sister Thea addressing the bishops. Sr. Thea was in the last stages of her cancer and used a wheelchair by that time, but still spoke with energy and challenged the bishops to stand, link arms and sing “We Shall Overcome.”
Father Maurice is investigating Sister Thea’s life in hopes that the diocese can open a cause for her canonization. He lives in New Orleans, but will travel between his home and the chancery as well as the motherhouse for the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Wisconsin to complete his research.

Diocesan archives offer rich resource for researcher studying school integration

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Bishop Oliver Gerow

By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Catholic Extension is usually lending a helping hand to dioceses, parishes and schools, but this year, the Diocese of Jackson was able to offer its own help to the organization. Timothy Muldoon, director of mission education for Extension, spent a couple days in Mississippi doing research in the diocesan archives for a project on the work of the Church in the Civil Rights Movement.
He is working on a written treatment of “the process that led to the desegregation of Catholic Schools.” His project focuses on the late 1950s through 1964. He came to Mississippi for two reasons, its preeminent place in the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the rich detail offered in the archives here. “My interest is in the fact that the Diocese of then Natchez-Jackson was a place where we had the high-profile murders of Emmett Till and Medgar Evers that cast a spotlight on the state and the diocese,” said Muldoon.
During that time, Bishop Oliver Gerow shepherded the diocese. Bishop Gerow was a photographer and historian as well as being the leader of the local church — keeping a daily diary of his activities and thoughts and creating an index of diocesan history from the founding of the diocese up to his episcopacy. “He had, clearly, a keen sense of preserving history. This is not somebody who did it in a catch-as-catch can way. He was very meticulous,” said Muldoon.
Bishop Gerow worked to unite other faith leaders at the time to soothe racial tensions and bring about reform without violence. Archivist Mary Woodward said his files are some of the most popular among researchers. “We have had several people come and do this topic so we know where everything is so it’s easy. Bishop Gerow has an index that goes all the way up through his time, 1966. His diary has an almost daily account of what went on and in there is a lot of history you don’t get in the history books such as the early efforts of the Episcopal, Methodist and Catholic bishops trying to do something in Jackson to address the racial divide. Meeting with black pastors in different places – having lunch at the Walthall and how Rabbi (Perry) Nussbaum got involved. A lot of that is the flavor behind the history that we have because of Bishop Gerow,” said Woodward.
Researchers are welcome in the archives, but they need to submit a written request to Woodward and they should be working on a specific project, usually an academic one. Genealogists are not able to access these archives, although there is someone families can pay to look up sacramental records. Many of the documents here are originals and not for public viewing. Woodward usually pulls exactly what a particular researcher will need before they arrive to save time and preserve the precious documents.
Bishop Gerow carefully planned and executed school integration in Catholic schools throughout the state. “Bishop Gerow had this sense that you can’t just have a mandate to integrate,” explained Muldoon. “He was concerned with the safety of black congregants. He didn’t want to issue a fiat. He said ‘we have to move carefully,’” Muldoon added. While he was pastoral, Bishop Gerow did sometimes have to draw the line. “We had several incidents of parishioners not being as friendly as they should be and (the archives show) how the bishop reacted to them in terms of telling them ‘this is how it is and if you are going to make people feel unwelcome you can’t receive communion until you go to confession to me,’” said Woodward.
This research is “the perfect focal point for telling the broader story of what was happening in the Catholic Church at that time and what was happening in the nation at that time,” said Muldoon. He explained that examining the phenomenon of segregated parishes can be politically charged so putting it in context is important. There is a difference, he explained, between a segregated parish and a segregating parish. “Individual parishes provided a point of integration into the larger church for many immigrant communities,” he said. Muldoon spoke to Mississippi Catholic from an office in Chicago just a few blocks from four or five different parishes with separate ethnic communities attached to them.
“Initially, parishes provided an integrating community of like-minded people. Black parishes provided cover, for shelter,” he said. He also pointed out that cultural differences do not make parishes less Catholic. “There is a critical difference between homogeneity and Catholicity. It is not about making everyone the same or making them do the same thing,” he said.
Muldoon hopes to complete his writing and find the right spot to publish it in the next few weeks. Watch Mississippi Catholic for publication details.
While he was in the state, he took the opportunity to visit several parishes supported by Extension, including Camden Sacred Heart, Newton St. Anne and a stop at Sister Thea Bowman’s home in Canton. He posted a reflection called “11’o clock on Sunday Morning” about the vibrant community in Camden on the Catholic Extension Website here

 

Vía Crucis

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ABERDEEN – Parroquia de San Francisco, los miércoles a las 4 p.m.

BROOKHAVEN – Parroquia de San Francisco, estaciones y bendición viernes a las 5:30 p.m., seguido por una comida de cuaresma

CLARKSALE – Parroquia de Santa Elizabeth, viernes a las 2:15 p.m. (con estudiantes) y a las 5:30 p.m.

COLUMBUS – Parroquia de la Anunciación, viernes a las 5:30 p.m. seguido por una comida de pescado frito

GLUCKSTADT – Parroquia de San José, los miércoles a las 6 p.m. seguido por la misa

GREENVILLE – Parroquia del Sagrado Corazón, viernes a las 6 p.m. con misa y vía crucis
Parroquia de San José, viernes a las 5:30 p.m. Los Caballeros de Colón ofrecerán una comida de pescado frito en el salón parroquial el 23 de marzo de 5 a 7 p.m., $ 10 por persona

GRENADA – Parroquia de San Pedro, viernes a las 6:15 p.m. seguido por una cena de sopa y ensalada, a excepción de una cena de pescado frito el 23 de marzo

HERNANDO – Parroquia del Espíritu Santo, viernes a las 6:30 p.m. seguido por una cena de sopa. $ 1.00 de donación por persona beneficia a los pobres de la comunidad. Para ayudar, llame a Pat Kuehnel al (662) 996-6622

IUKA – Parroquia de Santa María, Adoración y Estaciones, los miércoles a las 9:20 a.m. Misa a las 10 a.m.

JACKSON – Parroquia de Cristo Rey, viernes a las 6 p.m.
Parroquia de la Sagrada Familia, viernes a las 6 p.m.
Catedral de San Pedro, adoración y estaciones, viernes 4:30 – 6 p.m. seguido por una comida ligera.
Parroquia de San Richard, los viernes a las 2:15 p.m. con la escuela
Parroquia de Santa Teresita, viernes a las 5:30 p.m. (inglés) seguido de una cena de sopa y un mensaje y los domingos, (español) a la 1:30 p.m.

MADISON – Parroquia de San Francisco de Asís, viernes a las 6 p.m., rosario, estaciones y comida de cuaresma

NATCHEZ – Parroquia de la Asunción, viernes a las 5: 30 p.m. Basílica de Santa María, viernes a las 12:05 y 5:15 p.m. seguido por una comida de pescado frito en el centro familiar

PEARL – Parroquia de San Judas, viernes a las 6 p.m. seguido por una comida de pescado frito

SHAW – Parroquia de San Francisco, viernes a las 6 p.m. después de la misa

CIUDAD DE YAZOO – Parroquia de Santa María, los martes a las 5:30 p.m. seguido por la misa

MERIDIAN – Parroquia de San Jose, viernes a las 6 p.m. con una comida de pescado frito

Tome Nota

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El programa “Hands ON + Hearts IN” (Manos ENCIMA + Corazones DENTRO) brinda experiencias en Holly Springs, Mississippi de discernimiento de una semana para mujeres que están considerando la vida como hermanas católicas. No hay costo para los participantes. Las próximas experiencias están programadas para el 7 al 11 de mayo, del 21 al 25 de mayo, del 20 al 24 de agosto y del 10 al 14 de septiembre.

Durante cinco días completos, las mujeres estarán acompañadas por hermanas de varias órdenes para proporcionar servicios prácticos a los necesitados como tutoría de niños, ayudar en una despensa de alimentos, limpieza de hogares para personas mayores, reparar casas dañadas o sirviendo comidas en un comedor de beneficencia.

Todas vivirán en comunidad durante la semana, compartiendo oración, cocina, reflexiones, orientación y mucha diversión. Los solicitantes deben registrarse un mes antes del inicio de un programa específico. Acompañados por los Ministros de Vocaciones, la experiencia de lunes a viernes ofrece una oportunidad práctica para ayudar a los necesitados mientras se discierne la vida como una hermana.

Para obtener más información sobre esta oportunidad de discernir la vida como hermana, contáctese con Hermana Sharon Glumb, SLW sglumb@slw.org; 847-577-5972 ext. 233 (oficina); 601-291-6738 (celular).

Rectory renovation begins with bee removal

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Renovations at the rectory for the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle caused quite the buzz in downtown Jackson during the second week of March. The restoration crew had to call in a beekeeper to remove a five-foot tall hive from one of the columns on the rectory porch. The operation drew news crews and concern from bank employees next door, but was completed smoothly and safely. Rectory staff and reporters even got to take home sections of honey comb.

JACKSON, Miss., Workers from Durable Restoration remove part of a five-foot tall beehive from a column on the porch of the rectory for the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in downtown Jackson on Friday, March 2. The bees have been in the nest about 10 years, but needed renovations forced their removal. Beekeeper Michael Everett, who will relocate them to a Mississippi State University Experiment station in Crystal Springs, estimates the hive had about 50 pounds of honey in it. Cathedral staff hope to auction the honey at a ministry fair later this spring.

Traci Avalon, office manager for the rectory, said she has known the bees had a hive in the column for a decade, but since they didn’t seem to bother anyone and she knows bees are endangered, she left them alone. When it came time to renovate, she included bee removal in the bid process. “I told them I did not want the bees destroyed. I know some beekeepers and I knew they can be moved,” she said.
Durable Restoration, a sister company to Durable Slate, took on the project. The company worked on the cathedral renovation several years ago and has done a lot of work in churches. Jacob Lammers, a public relations vice president for Durable Restoration, said this is not the first time the company has worked with a beekeeper to remove a hive. While beekeeper Michael Everett from Magee led the effort, Durable Slate employees donned protective bee-suits and did the heavy-lifting.
Workers drilled holes in the column and used a camera to precisely locate the hive. Then, they carefully cut the wood around the hive to remove a whole section from the column, bringing with it 10-years worth of honeycomb, honey and insects. “As bees build a nest, they continue to make it go down every year. They start at the top and as they have space they will go down. The column was about 20 inches inside and the bees have 3/8 of an inch crawl-space so they will suspend the combs and build from there,” Everett captured the queen bee and drew the workers out to her. The whole operation, started in the late afternoon, took about three hours. He guessed there was about 50 pounds of honey in this hive.
“These were Italian bees, a three-banded Italian. They were yellow with little black rings,” Everett explained. He has been a beekeeper for 13-years. He used to work in construction so he uses his knowledge of how structures are built to find creative ways to remove bees. These days he raises his own queen bees and helps with the occasional hive removal. He said as long as the bees are moved more than one mile from their original location, they will not return to their old nest. The cathedral bees will have a new home at the Mississippi State University Agricultural Experiment Station in Crystal Springs where they will pollinate local crops and continue to make honey.
Avalon said she will extract the honey from the comb she got and put it up for auction at the St. Peter Ministry Fair later this spring.

In memoriam: Fr. Leonard Elder, SCJ, retired Holly Springs pastor

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Father. Leonard Elder, SCJ

Father Leonard Elder, SCJ, died March 6, after suffering a heart attack. He was 76, and had served from 2004-2015 at Holly Springs St. Joseph Parish. For the past two years he continued to be in residence at the parish in retirement.
Born in East St. Louis, Illinois, and raised in Kentucky, Father Leonard attended the minor seminary as a teen with the intention of pursuing ordained ministry. But instead of continuing his seminary studies he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. In some ways, his time of military service was an extended period of discernment. After four years with the Air force “I asked to return to the community as a religious brother.”
He professed his first vows with the Priests of the Sacred Heart in 1967.
As a religious brother, he served for nine years as a missionary in Zaire (now, the Democratic Republic of Congo). It was in Africa that he once again felt the call to ordained ministry. “God, through the voices of many people where I served, called me to pursue studies for the priesthood,” said Father Leonard.
He returned to the States and earned his M.Div. at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners, WI, in 1996. He was ordained shortly after.
Father Leonard said that what he enjoyed most about his years in Africa “were the challenges; learning new cultures, languages, and the daily struggles to overcome the lack of almost everything I was accustomed to using. However, joined with those challenges was discovering a people eager to celebrate God’s love and to share in their lives and struggles.”
Following ordination, Father Leonard served in pastoral ministry in Houston from 1996-2004, and until retirement, at St. Joseph’s parish in Holly Springs.
The Priests of the Sacred Heart (Dehonians) is an international Catholic religious order of priests and brothers. In northern Mississippi, the order operates Sacred Heart Southern Missions, which includes parishes, schools and social outreach.

St. Martin offers parental support as part of Priority work

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By Ali and Patricia Lopez
HAZELHURST – Since October 2017, parents from St. Martin of Tours Mission have met on the first Sunday of every month for a program called “School for Parents.” The classes were adapted from a program already in use in Latin America and are part of the parish’s efforts to support the Pastoral Priority of the formation of life-long disciples. About two dozen families participated.
The focus of the program is to support parents who have children enrolled in religious education, especially those who have children preparing for First Communion this year. Themes included effective communication within the family, self-esteem in children, family values, parents’ responsibility to educate their children in the faith and the importance of family prayer.
Jaime and Herlinda Martinez led the closing session, Sunday, March 4. Jaime and Herlinda are graduates of the school of ministries offered by the Southeastern Pastoral Ministries Institute (SEPI) for training in becoming parish leaders. SEPI classes are coordinated by the Office of Hispanic Ministry.

(Alí and Patricia López are members of St. Martin of Tours Mission)