Category Archives: Diocesan News

Foundation dinner honors Upchurch family

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – The Catholic Foundation continues to grow in membership and managed trusts. That was the message Foundation members received at the annual meeting and dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at the Jackson Country Club.
Executive director Rebecca Harris wrapped up the evening by presenting the Good Steward award to Loyce Upchurch Dykes and her children Cynthia Upchurch Hawkins; David, Michael and Robert Upchurch. The Upchurch family has been involved with the Catholic Foundation for many years. In 1997 they started the Vennis Ladell Upchurch Memorial Trust and then in 2014 they started the Loyce Upchurch Dykes Trust. Both trusts benefit Greenwood Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish. The family has faithfully given to both trusts each year to help them grow.
The Good Steward Award was established in 2002 and named after the late Bishop William Houck in honor of his giving spirit.
Harris also recognized Pam McFarland, a longtime Foundation administrative assistant who is leaving her post to move closer to family.
Earlier in the evening, board members heard proposals for changes to the bylaws and received detailed annual reports. The Catholic Foundation manages trusts and endowments to benefit parishes and schools throughout the diocese.

 

Upchurch family photos by Maureen Smith

Upchurch family

Bishop Kopacz participates in Share the Journey campaign

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By Dennis Sadowski and Maureen Smith
JACKSON – A prayer here, a share on social media there, a voice of support in a letter to the editor, even a get-to-know-others potluck.
Supporting refugees and migrants can take many forms, and Pope Francis is hoping Catholics around the world will act over the next two years to encounter people on the move.
In the U.S., the church’s leading organizations have developed a series of activities, including prayers that families, parishes, schools and individuals can undertake during the Share the Journey campaign.
Share the Journey is an initiative of Caritas Internationalis, the global network of Catholic charitable agencies. It is meant to urge Catholics to understand and get to know refugees and migrants who have fled poverty, hunger, violence, persecution and the effects of climate change in their homeland.
U.S. partners in the effort are the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and its Migration and Refugee Services, Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Charities USA.
Much of the effort will be focused on sharing stories about migrants and refugees, the struggles they face and why they chose to seek a better life elsewhere, said Kristin Witte, coordinator of domestic Catholic educational engagement at CRS, which is the U.S. bishops’ overseas relief and development agency.
“The hope is that through the stories that are presented, the images presented, that people will be moved from their place of comfort to a place of encounter. That’s what the church is calling us to. That’s what the pope is calling us to,” she said.
The coalition of Catholic organizations has developed a toolkit in English and Spanish that includes prayers, suggestions for activities for families, prayer groups, classrooms and clergy, and utilizing social media with references to #sharejourney.
One of the suggestions in the toolkit is for bishops to meet with refugees living in their dioceses. Bishop Joseph Kopacz took up the challenge, hosting a meet and greet with Edgar Lopez and Mariamparo Arias de Lopez in the Catholic Charites office near downtown Jackson on Wednesday, Oct. 20.
The Lopez family fled their native Venezuela two-and-a-half years ago. Edgar Lopez lost his job as a chemical engineer and he says political turmoil left him unable to get a new one for 12 years. The couple’s son was a baseball standout and had landed a scholarship to Belhaven University so they decided to come to Mississippi.
“I always felt that God was leading my journey to this country. After all we lived through in our country and when we came here we would always pray, ‘OK God, it’s in your hands, show us the way, and help us to find the better person who can help us,’ because we want to stay legally in this country,” said Mariamparo. That person ended up being former Mississippi Católico editor Elsa Baughman, who urged the couple to seek help from Catholic Charities’ Migrant Resource Center.
With help from attorney Amelia McGowan, they have received work permits and both have found jobs at different restaurants. They are waiting on approval of their political asylum. Bishop Kopacz commented on how hard they have worked to assimilate into the culture in America – working to learn the language and fit into their new home. Both say working in restaurants has helped them get over their fears of speaking English.
“We want to learn everything, we want to get involved in the culture and the community and we want to give back too,” said Edgar. He said the staff at the Migrant Resource Center has become family.
“It was an act of faith that brought us here. Because we are not young. But you have to make a decision to leave everything behind. We left our property, we left our family, we left our friends,” he added. The couple has two grown children. One still lives in Venezuela where she works as a translator.
Despite their struggles, the pair credit their faith and help from their new ‘family’ at Catholic Charities with their success. “Here, we have security, stability and freedom that we don’t have in our country, but the most important thing I have now is my new rela

Edgar Lopez and Mariamparo Arias de Lopez meet with Bishop Joseph Kopacz in the Catholic Charities. The family moved from their native Venezuela two years ago. (Photo by Maureen Smith)

tionship with God, a more powerful one. I see God acting in my life and my son’s life and my daughter’s life,” said Mariamparo.
Mark Priceman, communications for the bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services, said the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that about 22 million people are on the move around the world, making the Christian community’s awareness and response to their situation critical.

 

Workshop explores how technology, addiction impact ministry

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Sister Lynn Levo, CSJ, presented a two-day workshop on internet addiction to three dozen priests, deacons and lay ministers Oct. 10-11 in Jackson. Sister Levo spent a decade at St. Luke Institute, a psychological treatment center for priests and religious. As a psychologist, her specialty is human development, especially as it relates to technology and sexuality.
“We have to look at the time in which we are living,” said Sister Levo. She explained that two major movements are happening right now – societal chaos and rapidly evolving technology. “We are seeing not change, but a deconstruction (of cultural institutions). This is a time of chaos and endings and real desire and need for new beginnings,” she explained. Set within this context, technology, including social media and what kind of content is available on the internet, is exploding. “Technology is not a bad thing. The challenging part is that it is coming so quickly, changing almost daily,” she said.
She hopes her workshop helped ministers realize that technology and this rapid evolution is here to stay and that it can “enhance a person’s life, but not be a substitute for it.” Sister Levo has seen the impact technology can have on ministry and ministers as their congregations grapple with some of the darker aspects of it.
The ministers brought their own concerns and issues to the workshop – even impacting some of the material presented. “One of the things I most appreciated about her was that she would go away from her prepared material to address questions or remarks,” said Pam Minninger, lay ecclesial minister for Gluckstadt St. Joseph Parish.
Minninger said she and her fellow ministers really opened up to talk about topics they may not have brought up unless this opportunity presented itself. Topics ranged from pornography and its impact on men and young people; how to address same-sex marriage; transgender questions and social media challenges. Sister Levo was able to use her background in social science to speak about these issues from both scientific and pastoral viewpoints. She said she tries to run a relaxed workshop so ministers would feel comfortable bringing up any topic impacting their ministry or community.
“Technology is affecting our lives and our relationships. It affects our families and our ability to communicate,” said Minninger.
The committee plans to offer a workshop on homiletics in January and will continue to seek topics to assist those in ministry throughout the diocese.

JACKSON – Priests from across the diocese listen to a presentation on internet addiction on Oct. 11. (Photo by Maureen Smith)

Purple Dress Run

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Thursday, Oct. 19, runners took the streets of downtown Jackson decked out in purple dresses to benefit Catholic Charities’ domestic violence shelter. In its sixth year, the 5-K run lets runners and walkers have a little fun with their exercise.
Purple is the advocacy color for domestic violence and October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Many runners and walkers wear purple dresses to in honor of women who suffer or those who have ‘run’ from their abusers. Iconic downtown restaurant Hal and Mal’s hosts a gathering before and after the race, which winds around the capitol and through the streets of downtown as the sun sets.
Bishop Joseph Kopcaz kicked off the race with prayer and then handed out water at the turn by the capitol building. Bands from Jackson Prep and Madison St. Joseph High School played along the route to give the runners inspiration.

Purple Dress Run

Purple Dress Run

 

Encuentro process aimed at meeting needs, fostering sense of mission

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By Norma Montenegro
WASHINGTON – Most dioceses and archdioceses around the country are holding their diocesan encuentros throughout the fall, highlighting what contributions Hispanic Catholics bring to the Catholic Church and their faith communities.
Anticipation of those gatherings comes as communities celebrate this year’s annual National Hispanic Heritage Month, highlighting Hispanics’ contributions to their communities and to society. The observance began Sept. 15 and ran through Oct. 15.
U.S. census estimates show that about 29.7 million Hispanics/Latinos in the United States identify as Catholics, which represents nearly 59 percent of the total Hispanic population in the country. Among millennials, Hispanic Catholics represent 54 percent of U.S. Catholics born in 1982 or later.
U.S. Catholic officials say the church’s encuentro process is an essential opportunity for many parishes and dioceses to promote and grow unity, leadership and cross-collaboration.
Diocesan encuentros are the current phase of what is a four-year process of ecclesial reflection and action. First came parish-level encuentros, next will be regional encuentros. The process will culminate in the Fifth National Encuentro, known as “V Encuentro,” next September in Grapevine, Texas. Previous national encuentros were held in 1972, 1977, 1985 and 2000.

Members of Our Holy Redeemer Church in Freeport, N.Y., pass a sponge soaked in water during a team competition at the annual encuentro gathering in 2016 at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, N.Y. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz, Long Island Catholic) See ENCUENTRO-DIOCESAN-PROCESS Sept. 19, 2017.

The purpose, as its name states, is to “encounter” others by reaching out to those at the margins through evangelization, by listening to the concerns of such a diverse community through consultation and preparing emerging ministry leaders.
In the Diocese of San Diego, David Gonzalez, a parishioner at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in San Isidro, California, said the process has helped unify his parish community, engage new leaders including youth and young adults, and focus parish ministry groups on one common mission.
Personally, it has brought him a renewed sense of commitment. “I’m part of the church, I am the church, I need to go out too,” he said in an interview. “My wife and I, we try to continue (it). It is not just a process that happened and we are done.”
The Diocese of San Diego, which serves 1.3 million Catholics, is set to hold its encuentro Oct. 21. About 250 delegates from participating parishes were expected to attend. The encuentro process in this culturally diverse diocese, where 75 percent of the Catholic population is Hispanic, is offered in both English and Spanish.
Around the country, more than 100 of the nearly 165 participating dioceses are holding their diocesan encuentro between August and December. Parish delegates will attend and afterward present a report to their respective diocesan bishops that will include needs, goals, priorities and recommendations.
In the Archdiocese of Washington, 300 delegates representing 30 parishes gathered to contribute their recommendations, which were presented in a report to Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl Oct. 21 during the archdiocesan encuentro. About 1,000 people were expected to participate.
The delegates identified several priority areas from information gathered from nearly 6,000 people engaged during the process. Those include the accompaniment of families and youth, including single parents, the elderly and those at risk of violence; the need to foster a sense of missionary discipleship, including outreach to non-Spanish-speaking Hispanics; and the call to advocacy and solidarity with immigrants.
“It was pretty evident that folks wanted to be formed in their faith and they wanted to be the ones as missionary disciples, to go out and reach out to these groups.” said Javier Bustamante, chairman of the archdiocesan team for the V Encuentro.
“Our archdiocesan team will be taking a look at these recommendations in the next few months and will continue to come up with strategies, recommendations of best practices, things that we could be doing, both at the archdiocese and the parish level,” he said in an interview.
About 2,000 leaders and delegates from 100 parishes and religious organizations in the Archdiocese of San Antonio were preparing for their encuentro Sept. 30. The encuentro process reaching out to Hispanics and other cultural groups, has been fruitful in many ways, say those involved, including bringing hope and conversion, and helping many return to the church.
In one particularly moving case, it even helped save the life of someone who was considering suicide, according to Lucia Baez Luzondo, director of the Office of the V Encuentro. She also heads the Secretariat for Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth at the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
“The spirit and the culture of the encuentro are going to be the backbone of the new pastoral plan of the archdiocese for the next five years. It has been transformational to all of us,” Luzondo said.
In another example of missionary discipleship inspired by the encuentro, a youth group from St. Matthew Catholic Church in San Antonio reached out to a group of young Burmese refugees, who in turn have gotten closer to the parish and its community to the point where about 20 Burmese representatives will take part in the archdiocesan encuentro, Luzondo reported.
Dioceses will share recommendations gathered during their own encuentros with their episcopal regions by next spring and following that will come regional encuentros.
Reports based on recommendations will assist dioceses to better identify strategies, implement recommendations and set priorities in a more inclusive way to continue shaping how Hispanic ministry is done based on Pope Francis’ “Joy of the Gospel,” said Alejandro Aguilera-Titus, national coordinator for the V Encuentro.
He is assistant director of Hispanic affairs in the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington.
The V Encuentro is an implementation of that vision of church that is missionary, that is an example and promoter of justice, that reaches out to those who are most in need, that builds community and understanding,” Aguilera-Titus said.
(Editor’s note: see related story on page 1)

Saltillo book selling quickly

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JACKSON – Msgr. Michael Flannery sells a copy of his book “Saltillo Mission,” outside St. Richard Parish on Sunday, Oct. 8. Msgr. Flannery is touring parishes to speak about the book detailing the history of the Mexican mission under the care of the diocese for many years. Copies are available at the Carmelite gift shop. (Photo by Maureen Smith)

 

Parish calendar of events

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

BROOKSVILLE, Dwelling Place Retreat Center, “Praying Scripture through Lectio Divina” November 10-11, begins with 6:30 p.m. supper. an ancient practice of reading and praying Scripture. There will be group time and periods of silence. Presenters: Mary Louise Jones, retired teacher at Milsaps College and Claudia Addison, who has lead retreats and was associated with Spirit Lifting Ministries. Donation: $180. Details: (662) 738-5348 or dwellpl@gmail.com.

PARISH, SCHOOL AND FAMILY EVENTS

BATESVILLE, St. Mary, Rummage Sale, Saturday, November 4, 7 a.m. Details: Daniel Brennflect (662) 801-3760 if you need help transporting items too large or the church office (662) 563-2273 for other information.
GREENVILLE, Sacred Heart, Harvest Festival fish fry, Saturday, November 4, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Take out or eat in. Donations are $10. Details: church office (662) 332-0891.
HERNANDO, Holy Spirit, Weight Loss Support Group, Tuesday mornings 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. for weigh-in and sharing. Details: Liz Brown, (901) 331-3419.
Holy Spirit, blessing of veterans at all Masses on the weekend of November 11-12. We encourage all veterans to wear something to indicate their branch of military service. Details: church office (662) 429-7851.
JACKSON, St. Peter Cathedral, Fall Gala, Saturday, November 11, 6:30 – 10 p.m. Details: church office (601) 969-3125.
St. Richard, Father Edward “Monk” Malloy, C.S.C., will speak December 8-9 in Glynn Hall on “Christian Perspectives on War and Peace.” Father Malloy served as the 16th president of the University of Notre Dame from 1987 to 2005. He now serves as President Emeritus and is a professor in the Department of Theology. Details: church office (601) 366-2335.
Habitat for Humanity, work continues on Catholic Build #32 at 2839 Greenview Drive. Volunteers are needed on all shifts. Details: Tyna McNealy (601) 353-6060 or tmcnealy@habitat.mca.org.
MERIDIAN, St. Patrick, 20th annual Musical and Variety Show, Fashion Show and dinner, Saturday, November 18, 6 p.m. Tickets: Reserved seating $20; open seating: adults $10 and children thru high school $5. Proceeds benefit St. Patrick School. Tickets available in the parish office or school office. Details: Dan Santiago (601) 917-7364 and Mary Yarger (601) 482-6044

YOUTH BRIEFS

JACKSON, Sister Thea Bowman School, Otis Spunkmeyer Cookie Dough fundraiser is underway. Proceeds to benefit instructional and operational activities. Last day to sell is November 3. Details: Shae Robinson or school office (601) 352-5441.
JACKSON, St. Richard, Young Adults meet every Tuesday 7-9 p.m. in the Mercy Room. If you are between the ages of 21-35 and would like to join or learn more, email strichardyoungadults@gmail.com.
MADISON, St. Anthony School, 9th annual Starry Night Gala, Saturday, December 9, 7-11 p.m., with a VIP cocktail hour and auction preview from 6-7 p.m. Live music, live and silent auctions, raffles, food by the Knights of Columbus and area restaurants. The attire will be cocktail, festive Christmas with a holiday atmosphere. Details: Jennifer Schmidt, (601) 214-9656 or Jenniferschmidt819@yahoo.com
St. Francis of Assisi, High School seniors are invited to take a Bible Break every Wednesday at 6 p.m. at M7 Coffee House in Ridgeland. Seniors are also invited to choose WOW! on Wednesdays 6:30 – 8 p.m. Details: church office (601) 856-5556.
St. Joseph School Open House: Sunday, November 5 at 2:00p.m. Details:: Tricia Harris, (601) 898.4803 or tharris@stjoebruins.com.

St. Joseph School, Save the Date, Jeans Jazz and Bruin Blues annual fundraiser, Saturday, February 3, 2018. The Draw Down team is needs both family and business sponsors. Details: Marcie Ralston, (601) 214-9809, Bobbie Simpson, (601) 953-6365 or Tricia Harris, (601) 898-4803 or tharris@stjoebruins.com).
PEARL, St. Jude, Catholic citizenship essay contest, sponsored by St. Jude Knights of Columbus, open to students in 8-12 grades. Theme: Going to the Peripheries, 500-750 word essay. Prizes: first place from each grade wins $50. Registration forms can be picked up from Stacy Wolf in the church office. Deadline: November 1. Details: dunaway.rooks@teamrevell.com.
JACKSON Catholic Charities, Solomon Counseling Center is in need of volunteer receptionists. Details: Kim Thomason (601) 326-3760.

PRO-LIFE MISSISSIPPI TRIP

JACKSON, Pro-Life Mississippi is sponsoring a four day, three night trip to Washington, DC., for the 45th annual 2018 March for Life event scheduled for January 19, 2018. The cost of the bus and hotel is $350 per person. Registration, including a deposit, is due Dec 8. Details: Please call or text Mary (914) 466-4627 or text Dana (601) 260-0746.

MSU Bulldog, Father Burke Masters to headline Journey of Hope dinner, luncheon

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JACKSON – Catholic Charities is pleased to welcome Father Burke Masters to this year’s Journey of Hope meet-and-greet on Monday, Nov. 6 at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and then to the Journey of Hope lunch the following day, Tuesday, Nov. 7, at the Jackson convention complex.
The two-day Journey of Hope event is one of the biggest fund-raisers staged by Catholic Charities every year. The Monday evening meet-and-greet is $25 per person and runs from 6-8 p.m. This gathering gives people a chance to get up close with the speaker and get a preview of the luncheon event. The lunch starts at noon and is free to anyone. Table captains host attendees, inviting them to make an offering at the end of the program. Michael Thomas, development director for Catholic Charities makes the promise every year to keep the event to an hour so working people can always attend.
Father Masters has strong ties to Mississippi – he was part of the Mississippi State Bulldog baseball team that played in the College World Series and was nominated as one of the top student athletes in the college’s history. His vocation story is unusual since he was not raised Catholic. According to an interview he gave to Our Sunday Visitor in 2016, he went to a Catholic high school in his home state of Illinois because it offered strong academics and the opportunity to further his ambition of becoming a professional baseball player.
Father Masters became Catholic his senior year of high school, but continued to pursue baseball, earning accolades throughout his college career. God, it would seem, had other plans. He played for one professional team, tried his hand at team management and then went into the business world. He had a girlfriend and was living what he thought was a pretty normal life. He told OSV his call to the priesthood started when his girlfriend took him to Eucharistic adoration for the first time. He describes it as God’s gentle, persistent call.
After seminary, he worked in parishes in the Diocese of Joliet, Ill. Now, he is on the vocations team, helping other young men respond to God’s call to the priesthood. He also serves as the chaplain to the Chicago Cubs so he can stay connected to his love for baseball.
Tickets for the meet-and-greet are still available as are positions for table captains and seats at the luncheon. Contact Julie O’Brien at 601-326-3758 to purchase or reserve a place at both events.

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Encuentro takes grass-roots approach to improve Hispanic ministry

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MADISON — Seminarian César Sánchez Fermín speaks to the presenters during the V Encuentro meeting in Madison. V Encuentro is a four-year process to advance Hispanic ministry in the church in America. See more photos in the Mississippi Catolico this week. (Photo by Elsa Baughman)

By Elsa Baughman
TUPELO/MADISON – The Office of Hispanic Ministry has offered two diocesan Encuentros as part of the national V Encuentro process. The first was Saturday, Oct. 7, at Tupelo St. James Parish. Madison St. Francis of Assisi Parish hosted the second on Saturday, Oct. 21. About 200 people attended each event, many of them youth.
The V Encuentro is a four-year process. It starts at the parish level with teams who receive training to learn how to go into their communities and seek those living in the margins. The point is to find out what issues and concerns people are facing in their specific communities and come up with ways their parishes or dioceses can help address them. The teams then take their results to the diocesan level. The next step is a regional and then national Encuentro. (See page 11 for related story.)
Bishop Joseph Kopacz attended the Encuentro in Madison and concelebrated Mass with four other priests. In his homily, he said that the Catholic Church and the Diocese of Jackson are blessed with the presence of Hispanics in this country. “It is with great joy that I heard today that the Encuentro is in the heart of the mission of our diocese,” he said. “It is very important to inspire the disciples and embrace their diversity. I invite you to live the gospel in your hearts, with your families, in your places of work, in society, always looking for justice, peace, compassion, community and solidarity with our brothers.”
The basic program for the diocesan meetings was the same in both parishes. The first presentation was a short explaination of the Encuentro process, its spirituality and objectives. Participants go through a process of evangelization so they can contribute to the result and seek input from others. The Hispanic Ministry team wanted all Hispanic Catholics to feel welcome and all team members to become authentic missionary disciples.

V Encuentro - Tupelo

Speakers also presented the ties between the Encuentro process and the new diocesan Pastoral Priorities. Bishop Joseph Kopacz presented the Priorities early this year. They include a new vision statement to serve others, inspire disciples and embrace diversity. The three priorities focus on creating, inviting and reconciling communities, facilitating the life-long formation of intentional disciples and proclaiming the gospel. In Tupelo, it was addressed by Father Octavio Escobar and in Madison by Maribel Melo.
The second presentation consisted of a personal testimony of conversion and missionary commitment. In Tupelo, it was presented in the form of an interview by Danna Johnson and Sandra Almanza. In Madison, Gerardo Hernandez, a member of the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, shared how Jesus transformed his life.
Each of the two presentations were followed by small group sessions to discuss the obstacles and needs the parish teams brought to the meeting.
According to the organizers, the most important aspect of this V Encuentro is that Hispanics have been the protagonists in the process – participating actively in the parish groups, visiting the peripheries, sharing their faith and being authentic missionary disciples.

The process invites participants to share their aspirations, dreams and the gifts and talents they can offer in their communities to benefit the kingdom of God.
At the meeting in Madison, needs the groups identified included: youth groups, support and training for families, classes for adults and catechists, childcare, more priests who speak Spanish, and support groups in parishes in times of emergency.
In Tupelo pastoral care of youth, the need to work together with other cultures, the importance of formation classes for all ages were among the concerns.
For Reina Magaña the sessions of the V Encuentro were a process of conversion. “They have given me more confidence to speak in public and to see the reality around me,” she said. “Today I feel more confident about myself.”
Ana Mora de Lange, a member of Madison St. Francis of Assisi Parish, mentioned that her parish is working to embrace diversity with events such as “the Taste of St. Francis” in which families prepare food from their countries of origin. “This makes us feel that in the church we are all one body, no matter where we come from.” She also noted that two years ago the parish began celebrating the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe and offering a Mexican Advent celebration called las Posadas in December.
Among other successful practices in their parishes attendees mentioned the Christian Family Movement, the prayer group Emmaus, catechism classes, and praise celebrations.
Eva Sanchez, from Jackson St. Therese Parish, shared that she was very happy to be participating in the V Encuentro. “It has helped me to deepen my faith and be a witness of the love of God,” she said.
By the end of the sessions, the groups selected the issues most important to them to send to the next step in the process. Their issues included: youth ministry, evangelization, vocation promotion, creation of inviting and reconciling communities and continuous life-long formation of disciples.
The diocesan Hispanic ministry team will present the results of these sessions first to Bishop Kopacz, then they and a team of local delegates will participate at the regional level in February 2018 and finally in the National Encuentro in September of the same year. Later, a national report will be submitted to the U.S. bishops.
Maria Susana de Mejía, a member of Corinth St. James Parish, participated in the Encuentro in Tupelo. “I liked everything, from the animation by seminarian Cesar Sanchez Fermin, Father Octavio’s presentation, the short dynamic played by the two women in the form of an interview and the sharing in small groups. The Lord amazed me,” she said.
For Mayra Martinez from Tupelo St. James Parish, the Encuentro was an unforgettable experience. “To be able to share with people from other communities, exchange our views and experiences, learn about each one’s needs and seeing how we can work on them was very important,” she said.
Sister Maria Elena Méndez, MGSpS, from the Hispanic Ministry team for the diocese, thanked all those, from the bishop to the pastors to the people in the parishes, for all they have contributed to the process.
“We have a lot of work to do on the basis of these needs and the diocesan priorities,” she said. “The V Encuentro has helped us to see the specific needs of Hispanics in this diocese and ways to integrate solutions in concrete ways through the Pastoral Priorities.”
(Editor’s note: Sister Maria Elena Méndez collaborated with this story. See more photos in this week’s Mississippi Católico.)

Holy Family marks 60 years by honoring families, pastors, Sisters

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JACKSON – During the last weekend of September, Holy Family Parish celebrated the 60th anniversary of its founding. Saturday evening parishioners, pastors, catechists and graduates gathered for a gala dinner. Sister Michele Doyle, sitting in the center, who teaches now sits with Corinne Anderson. Joyce Brasfield-Adams, who works in faith formation for the parish, is visible in the back. Harrison Hart, parishioner, and Msgr. Elvin Sunds, who lived at the parish for many years, catch up. At left, Johnnie P. and Houston Patton reminisced about sending their children to Holy Family School. (Photos by Art Pulliam)