Category Archives: Diocesan News

Promotion draws on success in New Orleans

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JACKSON – Parishes and schools have started adding their information to the #iGiveCatholic page for the Diocese of Jackson. At press time, 10 organizations have created profiles for the Tuesday, Nov. 29, event. This year, six Catholic dioceses in the southeast region are involved: the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Dioceses of Austin, Baton Rouge, Biloxi, Houma-Thibodaux, and Jackson.
To celebrate the unique Catholic heritage of philanthropy, #iGiveCatholic is a giving day created to rally the Catholic community on #GivingTuesday, Nov. 29, a global day of giving. Secure, tax-deductible donations will be accepted on www.iGiveCatholic.org during a 24-hour period.
The monetary goal is to raise $1,500,000 for parishes, schools, ministries, and not-for-profit organizations during one day.
The underlying goal of the #iGiveCatholic Giving Day is to inspire the Catholic community to come together with giving in support of organizations that shape souls: parishes, schools, ministries and not-for-profit organizations.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans was the first to offer the faithful there the opportunity to support their favorite Catholic organization, encouraging people to participate in Giving Tuesday and to post the hashtag #iGiveCatholic on social media. The blitz was successful from its very first year, earning a million dollars in donations.
The social media aspect of the campaign is part of what has Ann Roberson, development director for Vicksburg Catholic Schools, excited. “When we look at some of your younger alumni and our young parents, we can better reach them on social media than in many other ways,” she said. She said the school promoted its ‘Spooky Sprint’ 5-K race on social media and got donations from people in Massachusetts who could not come to participate, but saw the social media post and wanted to help.
Each parish school or organization will have its own page on the website where organizers can say a little about how the donations will be used. They are encouraged to have fun promoting their participation. “We told them they can post videos of flash mobs, make yard signs or memes, whatever they can dream up to draw attention,” said Rebecca Harris, executive director of the Catholic Foundation. The Foundation is sponsoring #iGiveCatholic for the diocese, covering the cost of participating and coordinating the training. “Organizations can start promoting their participation far in advance of the actual day of giving. This helps spread the word a little farther and may result in more donations as people share their posts,” added Harris.
Look in the next few editions of Mississippi Catholic for a final tally of participants.

Seminarian summers: learning the art of being present

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By Nick Adam
A key part of priestly formation is spending time in the hospital ministering to the sick. This summer I was able to be a part of the pastoral care team at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson. My time in the hospital was a time to grow in my identity as a minister of God’s love, and it was also a time to grow in humility through the ups and downs of life in this difficult and beautiful place.
I would typically see 25-35 patients per day, and each one had a different story to tell. I believe that the most evident transformation during the summer was brought about in me rather than the patients I was ministering to. Those I visited showed me what it means to praise God in the good times and in the bad times. They also gave me the experience of connecting on a spiritual level with both Catholics and non-Catholics.
This summer experience also brought to mind the Gospel passage involving Jesus’ visit to the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Much of my time in the hospital was spent acting like a “Martha.” I loved to see how many patients I could see and I saw my primary role as that of “do-er.” Much like Martha, I spent much of my summer trying to show Jesus how much I loved him by working as much as possible.
As the summer went on, however, I was able to channel my inner-Mary. I was able to simply be present to the person in front of me and in doing this Christ made himself present. Mary knew that Christ needed someone to listen to him more than a home-cooked meal and a cleaned-up home, and I realized during this summer that the patients in the hospital needed me to sit and listen to them and to their story. This is healing in itself, and that is what Jesus desired that evening when he arrived at Martha, Mary, and Lazarus’ home.
After this summer, I believe I have learned to be more willing, like Mary in the Gospel, to trust my instincts and dive a little deeper with patients who seemed to need to tackle some deeper issues. This experience was an example of how effective I can be as a minister and it is exciting to reflect on the fact that I will have more opportunities in the future not only after ordination, but before ordination as well.
On the more practical side, I want to express how much I appreciate the entire staff at St. Dominic’s. We are truly blessed to have such a well-respected Catholic institution right in the heart of our diocese. I especially want to thank director Pat Walden and the entire pastoral team that works tirelessly at St. D’s. These holy folks walked with me, literally, throughout my time in the hospital. I was able to learn from each of them as they showed me the ropes and shared their wisdom with me.
I also enjoyed getting to know the Springfield Dominican sisters who continue to work diligently for their special mission here in our diocese. The Dominican community in Jackson was so welcoming to me, and their example of care and concern for everyone in the hospital was a wonderful model to follow. One of the highlights of the summer was a meal that I helped prepare for the whole Dominican community and for Father Dan Gallagher, who also deserves mention for his nine years of dedicated service to the hospital as full-time chaplain. Father Dan was so much fun to work with and he is such a wonderful example of a servant leader.
Writing this a few weeks removed from my assignment, I am still in awe of these women and men that care for the spiritual health of the patients at St. Dominic’s. I want to thank Sister Celestine, Sister Thecla, Pat, Pam, Father Dan, Dorothy, Mark, Jill, Joe, Claire, Kathy, Aimee, Tanya, Lynn and so many more dedicated staff members who spend their days making sure that patients at St. Dominic’s know that God is in their midst.
When I finished my day at the hospital, I would head to the rectory at St. Richard Parish where Father John Bohn graciously welcomed me as a summer guest. I learned a lot from Father John, and I really appreciated his easy-going spirit and his example of priesthood was also very formative. I enjoyed attending daily Mass at St. Richard Church and was also able to go to several different parishes on the weekend in the Jackson area. This part of my summer affirmed my vocation to the priesthood in Jackson. I am an Alabama native, but I have always believed that God called me to serve in this diocese, and this summer only served to confirm that.
(Nick Adam attends Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans and is scheduled to be ordained a priest in 2018. He is a member of the Catholic Community of Meridian and worked at WTOK-TV in Meridian prior to entering the seminary in 2012.)

Holy Savior marks 50 years

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By Maureen Smith
CLINTON – Hundreds of people packed the sanctuary to celebrate Holy Savior’s 50th anniversary on Sunday, Sept. 25. Bishop Joseph Kopacz was the main celebrant with Bishop Emeritus Joseph Latino, Father Thomas McGing, current pastor and Father Noel Prendergast, former pastor.
After the Mass, those gathered attended a catered luncheon. Families were invited to participate in arts and crafts and visit a traveling petting zoo in the education building.
Founding families sat in the front pews for Mass and shared their memories afterwards. Ivy Callegan remembers when she moved to Clinton, “I cried for weeks because there was no Catholic church nearby.” The original sanctuary was made from three conjoined trailers. “They saw trailers, but I thought it looked like a cathedral,” she said.
Ann Mackie, another founding member, remembers when the construction crew that delivered the trailers   could not get them into position because of all the mud on the site.  “Joe Stewart had to bring a Caterpillar down because the tongue broke on the trailer trying to move it in the mud. The caterpillar was connected to a truck, the truck was connected to the trailer and they just went around and around,” she laughed.
The parish has grown from those 23 founding families to a vibrant community. Their secret? “Faithful people who were capable of easily associating with Protestants and everyone else in the area,” said Mackie.

Sacred Heart Southern Missions honored for food ministry

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By Laura Grisham
SOUTHAVEN – For all of its efforts of food distribution, including its pantries, holiday food baskets and mobile pantry distributions, Sacred Heart Southern Missions was recognized last month with the prestigious “Feed the Need Agency of the Year Award” at the Mid-South Food Bank’s 2016 Agency Conference.
According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study, the food insecurity rate in DeSoto County is 15 percent. The child food insecurity rate is even greater, as 20 percent of DeSoto County’s children are unsure if they will have enough nutritious food to eat. Compared to other counties in our service area, however, DeSoto County has it better. The percentage of those who are food insecure hovers between 25 and 29 percent in Marshall, Tate and Benton counties, and reaches a staggering 33 percent in Tunica County.
Statistically, 39,890 people in the area (14,640 of whom are children) struggle to keep food on the table. These deficiencies illustrate the importance of the food ministries at Sacred Heart Southern Missions.
SHSM tallied more than 304 tons of food this past calendar year. This is 48 tons more than last year and nearly double that of three years ago. The efforts of the Garden Café are also noteworthy as the twice-weekly kitchen served 11,800 hot, nutritious meals during the last fiscal year.

St. Michael celebrates Golden Jubilee

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VICKSBURG – On Sunday, Oct. 2, more than 200 people attended the 50th anniversary Mass and celebration of St. Michael Parish. Bishop Joseph Kopacz celebrated along with Bishop Emeritus Joseph Latino, Father P.J. Curley, current pastor and several former pastors.
St. Michael, Vicksburg’s youngest parish, was established on Sept. 29, 1966, with the installation of Father Frank Corcoran as founding pastor. The creation of the parish resulted from a steady increase in the Catholic population of southern Vicksburg and Warren County.
For years, many residents of Vicksburg attended St. Michael Church on South Washington Street. The building which was used as an elementary school by the Sisters of Mercy, became a church in 1917 and was served by priests from St. Paul Parish. In 1966, Bishop Richard Gerow, recognizing the cohesion that existed within the small church, grouped 160 families into the new parish.
Less than four years later, the present parish hall was built and served as the interim church dedicated by Bishop Joseph Brunini on May 4, 1970. Located on a 40-acre tract just off Fisher Ferry Road, the temporary church provided seating for 350 persons and room in the spacious basement for educational and social activities. In October, 1971, the rectory was built to replace a temporary rectory that had been established in Marion Park in 1967.
Bishop William Houck dedicated the present church, built under the direction of Father Noel Prendergast, on August 28, 1988.
In the fall of 2010, our parish leadership determined it was time to construct a new parish educational building. Ground was broken in October 2012, with construction beginning in December of that year. Bishop Joseph Latino dedicated and blessed the new building on Aug. 25, 2013.
Today, after 50 years, and now operating under the spiritual guidance of Father P.J. Curley, our parish continues to grow, with membership of more than 400 families. We are blessed with strong lay participation in our many spiritual, educational, social and community activities and are ready for continued service to God and his community in Vicksburg and Warren County.
(This story, first published in the parish directory, was submitted by Helene Benson, director of religious education for the parish)

History-making Bishop’s Cup features hole in one

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MADISON  — Teams from across the diocese came to help raise money for the Bishop William R. Houck Memorial Trust at the 34th annual Bishop’s Cup golf tournament on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at Lake Caroline Golf Club.
Proceeds were put into a newly created trust this year. The Bishop Houck Memorial Trust, founded by the Bishop’s Cup committee in memory of the late Bishop William Houck, will fund projects proposed by parishes, schools and organizations from around the diocese.  “Bishop Houck believed in helping others and he would be excited to know that many projects will be supported each year with this grant”, said Rebecca Harris, Executive Director of The Catholic Foundation.
Through the years Bishop Houck was an avid advocate for the Catholic Foundation.  “He was a lifetime member of the Foundation, always making sure he was the first to give to the membership drive and always recruiting others to be members. He diligently worked with people from around the diocese on the importance of starting a trust in their name that would benefit either their parish, Catholic Schools or Catholic Charities. He was not a golfer, however, each year he came to the Bishop’s Cup dinner to show his support,” added Harris.
Each year there is a $10,000 prize on offer to anyone who can hit a hole in one on one particular hole. This year, Tico Hoffman teed up and did just that on the 17th hole of the course.  Hoffman, owner of Tico’s Steakhouse in Ridgeland, didn’t even realize he had won the prize after he hit the ball.
“When he came up to the green, he was looking for his ball,” said Chris Luke, Bishop’s Cup committee member. “I had to tell him that his ball went into the hole. Tico and his team – Father Gerry Hurley, Father Patrick Noonan and Joe Beal – began to celebrate,” said Luke. The committee was excited to award this prize for the first time in the history of the tournament. This year each golfer received a stainless tumbler donated by Citizens National Bank, “we thank Citizens National Bank for being our lead sponsor this year. We appreciated all of their help as well as all of our sponsors, said Harris.
After a day of golf, everyone went to The Mermaid Café to enjoy the silent and live auction, dinner and golf prizes.  First place went to Joel Ross, Brad Riles, Austin Brown and Mike Brown, who represented the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle team sponsored by Bank Plus, second place went to Flowood St. Paul, sponsored by Bank First, and third place went to Flowood St. Paul, sponsored by Tico Hoffman.
The golf committee extended an invitation to the 35th annual Bishop’s Cup on September 14, 2017, at Lake Caroline. “We would love to see every parish represented next year, and we hope to see another hole in one prize awarded,” said Harris. “If you would like to be part of our golf committee we are always looking for dedicated volunteers to help with sponsors, gather auction items, and work the day of the tournament,” she added.  Interested golfers and volunteers please call Rebecca Harris at 601-960-8477.

Domestic violence shelter to move into new headquarters

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON — Every nine seconds a woman in the United States is assaulted or beaten. Every minute, 20 people suffer from domestic violence. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but “this is not a one-month issue. This is an issue always,” said Betsy Smith, a caseworker for the Catholic Charities Domestic Violence Program.
The program, which includes an emergency shelter, group support, case management, some legal counseling, child care and, in some cases, temporary housing, is moving and expanding this year.  The old facility was in need of repair so they moved into temporary quarters until they could find a new home.
The staff hopes to be in a new building by the start of the new year. “It has room for more families, the daycare, the cafeteria and is more centrally located,” said Arteria Puckett, program director. The program serves nine counties: Copiah, Hinds, Madison, Rankin, Issaquena, Sharkey, Simpson, Warren and Yazoo.
Puckett, Smith and Sarah Bradley offer a program they hope will take women and their children “from victim to survivor to thriver,” said Puckett.
It all starts when a woman contacts the shelter. She may be ready to leave or she may need to make a plan. The staff can help in a couple of different ways. They are open 24-hours a day so they can offer an immediate safe place for a woman and her children to take shelter.
If a woman just wants resources, the staff can help her write an individualized safety plan. The form takes her through questions such as “if I decide to leave I will …,” and “I will use (Blank) as my code word for my children and friends so they can call for help.” The plan lists documents a woman may want to locate and remove so she will have them once she makes her escape and helps her think through the concrete steps of getting out.
Staff members can also invite a woman to one of the group support sessions to meet survivors and get the support she needs to take next steps.
One of the concepts the staff tries to impress upon a woman is that violence often escalates so the sooner she can leave the situation, the safer she and her children will be. They all remember a case in which a woman returned to her partner only to be beaten to death in her own home.
Once a woman and her children are at the shelter, Puckett, Smith and Bradley help her start to build a new life. Bradley can work as a court advocate, helping a woman obtain a temporary restraining order against her abuser. The center provides daycare for the children so the women can find jobs or pursue their education. Once a week, the center offers support groups with a variety of speakers, from nutritionists to job coaches who offer tips on dressing for job interviews.
The staff wants to help the women develop life skills so they don’t leave and go back to their old lives, but leave with  new – violence free – lives. “We did vision boards one night where we asked the ladies to create a vision for what they wanted their lives to be like,” said Smith.
Women can stay in the shelter for up to 45 days. If a woman is making progress, but still needs some support, they move into transitional communal housing. There, the women work and learn how to save money so they can move into a permanent situation.
Misconceptions abound when it comes to domestic violence. Puckett explained that it takes many forms, from the physical violence many people think of, to control, emotional manipulation to verbal or sexual abuse. “We heard about one case in which the man became so controlling, he followed her into the bathroom,” she said.
Puckett said many people think domestic violence is rare, but it crosses all racial, socioeconomic, geographic and educational boundaries. Men can be the victims of domestic violence as well as women.
One of the prevailing myths is that battered women can leave if they want. Puckett and Smith both said partners tend to become more controlling a suspicious as a relationship develops. He may take away her transportation, cut off her access to money, friends and family and isolate his victim so she feels she has no way to get out. “Many of our consumers come from out of state, so they have no support here. They end up depending on that guy who is abusing them,” said Puckett.
From a Catholic perspective, many women live with the myth that the church won’t let her leave an abuser. This is just not true. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a statement condemning domestic violence and outlining the church’s stand on the issue as it relates to marriage. “…we emphasize that no person is expected to stay in an abusive marriage. Some abused women believe that church teaching on the permanence of marriage requires them to stay in an abusive relationship. They may hesitate to seek a separation or divorce. They may fear that they cannot re-marry in the Church,” reads the statement. “Violence and abuse, not divorce, break up a marriage,” it continues.
The staff at the shelter wants everyone to know they are still available and will be throughout their move to the new location. Anyone in need of assistance can call the 24-hour crisis hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233).

 

Recognize signs, call for help

The staff at the Catholic Charities Domestic Violence Shelter
offered these warning signs to help recognize abuse:
Does your partner humiliate you or put you down in front of friends or family members?
Is your partner extremely possessive or jealous?
Do your partner need to know where you are at all times, often checking on you?
Is your view of your relationship different from that of your partner?
Are you starting to believe you are losing your mind because you are starting to believe what your partner says about you?
Do you do everything you can to try to make your partner happy, only to hear it’s all wrong?
Have you ever been afraid of your partners temper?
Have you ever not expressed your opinion of feelings because you are afraid of your partner’s reaction?
Do your partner act like the abusive behavior is nothing, blame you for it or tell you that it didn’t happen?
Has your partner ever threatened you with weapons of any sort?
Has your partner ever threatened suicide, especially if you leave?
If you are being abused, remember:
You are not to blame for being battered or mistreated
You are not the cause of your partner’s abusive behavior
You deserve to be treated with respect
You deserve a safe and happy life
Your children deserve a safe and happy life
You are not alone. There are people waiting to help.

24-Hour Crisis Hotline: 800-799-7233 (SAFE)

Explore the Call

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JACKSON – SEARCH Retreat is a unique retreat experience designed for youth who have a strong desire to deepen their faith and relationship with Christ. It’s a retreat “for teens, led by teens” with a strong focus on vocations. Youth in 11th and 12th grades are encouraged to register for this event set for Nov. 11-13 at Camp Wesley Pines in Gallman. Spaces are limited. SEARCH engages youth in a special way and calls them to live out their Catholic faith in a bold, real, active and healthy way. This retreat is intended for youth who are looking to “go deeper” in their faith. Register at www.jacksonsearch.com.

Digital archives now available

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A digital version of the Bishop Richard Oliver Gerow Archive and Records Collection is now available to be viewed on the Mississippi Digital Library website.
The Archives at the Diocese of Jackson was the winner of the 2016 Cultural Heritage Digitization Award from the library, which means members of the organization spent a week at the chancery, scanning photos and documents to make them available online.
An earlier issue of Mississippi Catholic documented the scanning process. The Bishop Gerow Collection houses all the bishops’ papers and significant documents and photos, including the papal bull establishing the diocese, Bishop William Henry Elder’s letterbooks of correspondence he wrote during the Civil War as well as hundreds of photos from across the Magnolia State.
Some of the documents are quickly deteriorating as the ink bleeds into the page. The photographs of the collection capture the culture and growth of the church and the state from the late 1800s. Many structures and places featured in these photos no longer exist.
The photos online are low resolution digital scans, and some are marked with copyrights, so those wishing to use them should contact Mary Woodward, diocesan chancellor and archivist, for permission. Mary can be reached at 601-969-1880 or mary.woodward@jacksondiocese.org.
To browse the collection, visit https://www.msdiglib.org/about/partners/cdj.