Category Archives: Diocesan News

Sisters Held, Merrill remembered, honored, sent home with love

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By Maureen Smith
“I truly believe with all my heart that Margaret and Paula would tell us that we need to keep loving. Justice for a heinous crime demands punishment. It does not demand revenge.” Father Greg Plata, OFM, echoed the sentiments of the School Sisters of St. Francis, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and the families of Sister Margaret Held, OSF, and Sister Paula Merrill, SCN, in his homily at their memorial Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle on Monday, Aug. 29.
On Thursday, Aug. 25, the pair did not show up at work so a coworker asked police to check on them. They had been murdered in their home in Durant. Local police teamed up with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations and by Friday authorities announced the arrest of 46-year-old Rodney Earl Sanders of Kosciusko. He faces charges of capital murder, larceny and burglary. Members of Sister Merrill’s family as well as representatives from the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth (SCN) were at his arraignment Monday afternoon.
“In the courtroom, the family of Rodney Earl Sanders apologized to the four members of the SCN family that were present and to the family of Sister Paula Merrill. As Marie Sanders broke down in tears, the son went to Sister Susan and apologized. Sister Susan came to Mrs. Sanders’ side and the two embraced and cried. It was a powerful grace-filled moment. We continue to hold all in prayer,” said Diane Curtis, director of communications for the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.
Holmes County District Attorney Akillie Malone-Oliver told the Associated Press she will take the families’ wishes into account when deciding how to prosecute the case.
The day before the Mass and hearing, representatives of the religious communities and families issued a statement opposing the death penalty for the suspect charged in their murders.
“Many people will be dismayed, even angered at the joint statement the School Sisters of St. Francis and the Sisters of Charity made stating that they are opposed to the death penalty that could be imposed on the person who committed this terrible crime. But think of the powerful statement that makes. At the heart of Christianity is forgiveness. ‘Father forgive them for they know not what they do.’ Forgiveness isn’t something we do on our own. It is something we choose to do with God’s grace,” continued Father Plata.
Rosemarie Merrill, older sister of Sister Paula Merrill, said she forgives whoever did it, but she does want to know why.
Sisters Held and Merrill, both nurse practitioners, started their ministry in 1983 in Holly Springs with Sacred Heart Southern Missions. Sister Julene Stromberg, who still works with a group of lay associates in Holly Springs, and Sister Ramona Schmidtknecht, who volunteers at Holy Family School, offered these words together. “We are simply heartbroken. Sisters Paula and Margaret were so very caring. It was their mission to reach out and take care of the poorest of the poor. They did so much here in Holly Springs, but also in Oxford, Marks and Durant – not simply tending to a person’s physical ailments, but ministering to the ‘whole person.’”
Sisters Held and Merrill went on to serve in Tupelo and at a University of Mississippi medical clinic in Lexington. In 2009, that clinic downsized.
When the Lexington Medical Clinic opened in 2010, the sisters told Fabvienen Taylor of Mississippi Catholic they would stay “forever, or as long as the Lord wills it.”
Sister Susan Gatz, president of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and Sister Rosemarie Rombalski, of the School Sisters of St. Francis, went into the house Sunday for prayer, closure and reflection. In the kitchen, they discovered a loaf of bread in a bread maker. The simple act – typical of the Sisters who were known for being generous with their good food – turned into a life-giving symbol for the communities.
“Marge and Paula really had that sense of offering bread to each other. The bread of life, the bread of energy, the bread of hope,” said Sister Rombalski. She said the pair always wanted to fulfill Jesus’ will for their lives. “Jesus said to us clearly, ‘I am no longer with you with my hands and feet so you, Marge and Paula, and all those you touch and all those who believe, you become my hands and feet you become my eyes, you become my love and my energy that reaches out to others.’” she said. “So Marge and Paula’s life did not stop here, that love and energy that was given to each one of us is now in each of us and gets extended to more and more so their life continues in us,” she went on to say.
The Sisters broke the loaf in half to share with their respective communities in Milwaukee and Nazareth, Kentucky.
The bread was not the only comfort the Sisters sent, according to Sisters Gatz and Rombalski. Earlier in the week, Sister Gatz was speaking to a reporter in a conference room at her congregation’s headquarters when butterfly somehow got inside and landed on her shirt. Later the same day, she saw a butterfly on her windowsill in her office.
Sister Rombalski said she was outside praying about the murders when a whole group of butterflies appeared and fluttered around her for quite some time.
When the women compared stories they knew the experiences contained a message. “Butterflies are a symbol of the resurrection,” said Sister Gatz. “Marge and Paula were telling us they are OK,” added Sister Rombalski.
Sunday evening, almost 300 people gathered at Lexington St. Thomas for a vigil. In addition to the more than 100 people packed inside the tiny sanctuary, another 200 watched a video feed from a tent on the lawn, set up by mostly non-Catholic teenagers from the local Christian academy. Bishop Joseph Kopacz presided over the service, but Father Plata, the pastor of the usually tiny congregation, offered a homily. He remembered the Sisters as great cooks, gardeners, generous souls and hopeful women of the gospel. “As Christians, we only have one choice, to move on in hope,” he said.
As the families cope with the loss of their loved ones, they also worry about the people of Durant and Lexington. “A big hole in the universe and in our hearts,” is how Annette Held described losing her older sister. “Sister Margaret was a wonderful and gracious person, always a concerned about others and certainly the spiritual leader of the family. This tragedy is leaving a big hole for us. We are also worried because there is no one to carry their ministry now and that has been very important for so long for the community they lived in and for our family too. We keep wishing we knew what will happen next at the clinic,” she added.
Rosemarie Merrill expressed a similar concern. “Her (Sr. Paula’s) faith was very strong. And she was a wonderful nurse,” Rosemarie Merrill said of her sister. “I feel so bad for the people of Holmes County because they’ve lost so much. The care they provided leaves a huge void. They would do anything for their patients.”
The Sisters’ bodies have returned to their motherhouses for funerals and burials. The Sisters of Charity have started a fund to continue their work. Learn more on their website, www.scnfamily.org.
(Elsa Baughman of Mississippi Catholic and Marnie McAllister of the Record, the paper for the Archdiocese of Louisville, contrubuted to this article)

Catholic history in Mississippi goes digital

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By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – A little-known treasure hides in a vault in the Chancery building in Jackson. This treasure chronicles more than 200 years of Mississippi and regional history and is housed in a 10′ x 20′ room on the ground floor. In this small space, Bishop Richard Oliver Gerow, who served the diocese from 1924 to 1966, created a diocesan archive filing system still in use today. The good news, this little-known history is about to get new life and new exposure, thanks to a grant from the Mississippi Digital Library (MDL) and the work of the diocesan chancellor’s staff.
It often is said Catholic Social Teaching is the church’s best kept secret, but preserving and protecting records and history is another one. Canon Law requires the church to keep all sacramental records of its members, but it also requires a historical archive to be kept so that the events in the life of the local church can be chronicled for future generations.
The diocesan archives gives a unique accounting of history through the growth and spread of the Catholic faith within the boundaries of the 20th state of the Union. Papers and records in the archives date back to Spanish Colonial times in 1796 Natchez and travel forward through the establishment of the diocese in 1837, the Civil War, Reconstruction, the turn of the 19th century into the 20th, world wars, great floods, economic depression, the Civil Rights movement up to the present day. Items from these archives, gathered and maintained by Bishop Gerow and his successors are now continually updated by the diocesan chancellor’s office.
Throughout his 42 years as bishop, he meticulously indexed and journaled all the previous bishops’ papers dating back to the beginnings of the diocese in 1837 and beyond, making sure the legacy and expansion of the church in its developmental times would be properly documented.
Bishop Gerow also chronicled the growth of the church in the state by taking a camera along on his journeys around the diocese for dedications, ordinations and confirmations. In his tenure he amassed more than 1,700 photos depicting church life in those five decades of his episcopacy. Many of his photos are of structures that no longer exist, especially in the coastal counties. Although now the Diocese of Biloxi, these areas were a part of the diocese during Bishop Gerow’s time.
These photos capture not only church history but, on a greater scale, the story of Mississippi and the surrounding region. The diocesan archives contains papers on the development of Mississippi’s journey to statehood from the earliest times.
For this reason the Mississippi Digital Library (MDL) awarded the diocese its 2016 Cultural Heritage Digitization Award (CHDA).The MDL is hosted by the University of Southern Mississippi.
According to its website, the MDL provides an online space to search and explore the wealth of materials available in Mississippi. Its board includes digital preservationists, archivists, librarians and experts in the field of history from around the state, including the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, The University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University and Delta State University.
The award, given annually, offers 80 hours of scanning of historic documents and photos by MDL staff and partners. Lisa Jones, MDL director, described how excited they were to see the Bishop R.O. Gerow collection of photos and documents when she came for the onsite visit during the application process. Staff and board members were impressed with the breadth of material reflecting a unique angle of the history of Mississippi through the lens of a Catholic bishop.
During the week of Aug. 8 – 12, Nicole Lawrence, coordinator of MDL, and Susan Ivey, digital initiatives librarian, from Ole Miss, spent eight  hours each day scanning 614 items from Bishop Gerow’s collection. Notable items included several papal Bulls, including the decree establishing the original diocese of Natchez by Pope Gregory XVI. Sue Anne Booth and Donna King, staff of the chancellor’s office, worked tirelessly to get all the photos and documents in order and wrote metadata for each object.
Each day, members of MDL’s board offered training sessions for chancery staff on topics including: archiving digitally born records such as emails, texts and recent photos; best practices for digitization, digital storage space on servers and using cloud-based services and prioritizing documents and collections in archives for digitization.
As Chancellor for the diocese, it is my responsibility to maintain on behalf of the bishop all diocesan records as well as the historical part of the archives. The opportunity to partner with the MDL gives our collection better exposure to researchers, teachers and students who are studying the growth and changes in state history. It is an opportunity to educate more people on the Catholic faith and its contributions to the overall community, state and region over the past 200-plus years.
In the coming months, the scanned items will be housed on the MDL website in a collection named for Bishop Gerow. More items will be added as time goes on. So stay tuned to www.msdiglib.org and Mississippi Catholic for updates.
(Mary Woodward is the Diocesan Chancellor.)

Art show feature works by St. Catherine’s Village residents

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JACKSON – Art created by residents at St. Catherine’s Village is on display at the Mississippi Museum of Art now through Sept. 4. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Paintings were created as part of The Perfect Palette Art Group at St. Catherine’s Village and include submissions in oils, pastels, graphite, and acrylics. Led by Boo Richards, the program includes beginners all the way through virtuosos.
“We are thrilled to have works of art from our residents on display at the museum,” said Mary Margaret Judy, executive director at St. Catherine’s Village, Mississippi’s preeminent continuing life care community. “It gives our group members – and their families – the opportunity to celebrate their artistic achievements.”
The Perfect Palette Art Group is the second in the Mississippi Museum of Art’s Art in Us All: Community Exhibition Series. The exhibition program invites nonprofit organizations in Mississippi to showcase art created by their constituents. It is intended to cultivate creativity in the community for people of all ages and backgrounds while deepening the relationship between the museum and its visitors.
Through this series, the museum develops partnerships with Mississippi nonprofits that incorporate visual art into their social service work. The Perfect Palette Art Group was selected because it is the manifestation of art being used to lift the spirits and challenge the minds of an often underserved population – in this case, seniors.
“The beauty of this art group is the manner in which it serves to renew, resurrect or awaken someone’s potential, from fostering the enjoyment of an accomplished artist who had put the brushes aside to seeing the utter joy of a new artist upon producing that first work of art that makes the heart smile,” said Judy. “The results are many beautiful compositions of art, friendship, holistic wellness, and creativity.”
The Perfect Palette Art Group is one of many enriching activities in which those living at St. Catherine’s Village can participate. The continuing care retirement community encourages residents to stay engaged, energetic and excited, and has an activity director to coordinate a variety of clubs, groups and events.
“Our philosophy is to make available every tool to enhance holistic health, healing and wellness. The creative arts is one such program,” said Judy. “Its focus is on living life to the fullest and maximizing one’s total potential: physically, mentally, socially, spiritually, and educationally.”
Located on 160 acres in Madison, St. Catherine’s Village is a life care community offering the right care at the right time through independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing. For more information, call (601) 856-0123 or log onto www.StCatherinesVillage.com.
To view the approximately 40 works of art from St. Catherine’s Village residents, visit the Mississippi Museum of Art at 380 South Lamar Street in Jackson. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. (Closed Monday.) Find more information at www.msmuseumart.org.

Parish youth groups reflect on summer service

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Youth groups from across the diocese spent time this summer doing service work. Mississippi Catholic asked for reflections and photos from these trips. Following are excerpts from reflections submitted by members of Natchez St. Mary Basilica and Tupelo St. James. All three groups worked with Catholic Heart Work Camps, taking trips to Florida and Tennessee.

On July 17, myself and 26 other teens and seven chaperones from St. Mary Basilica youth group  traveled to Pensacola, Fla., to experience Catholic Heart Work Camp (CHWC).
I had the pleasure of working with young children at a summer day camp in Pensacola playing water games, reading books, learning about science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) and enjoying being with the children. I also learned enough sign language in order to communicate with a hearing impaired little girl. Her brother was proud to teach me their language.
Our group did some work outside at homes. We cut grass, powered washed and painted homes and trimmed bushes; doing anything that needed to be done. The owners were appreciative of the work we did and we were happy to help them even though it was very hot outside. Some of my friends worked at the local food bank sorting, organizing and preparing boxes for distribution.
Elizabeth Smith
Senior at Cathedral High School

I attended Catholic Heart Work Camp this past summer and it proved to be a very inspiring week for me and our entire group. I particularly enjoyed meeting other kids my age and getting a chance to know them and work with them in service of others.
We worked with Habitat for Humanity to help those in need. One part of my week that was most inspiring was helping an elderly lady with a chronic disease. Her story was so touching because she and her husband had worked hard all their lives but had fallen on hard times. Her husband was in a nursing home because she was unable to care for him after he had a stroke.
She suffered from COPD and had been in and out of the hospital and unable to pay her bills. She had lost one home and her current home needed to have grass cut and to be cleaned. Our group helped her clean her home inside and out. She was so proud and thankful. I think we were most inspired by her attitude. Despite all her hardships, she managed such a positive attitude and continued to give to those she considered less fortunate than all she could manage.
Caroline Kaiser
Junior Cathedral School

This year’s camp was a big change for me. A large majority of the people who usually go to CHWC decided not to go this year, so I kind of felt like I was going alone. But thankfully, this gave me a chance to grow close to other members of my youth group who I don’t normally talk to.
The other members of my team were also some of the friendliest, coolest people I’ve ever met and I was blessed to serve the community of Pensacola with them. On a more spiritual level, this year’s Catholic Heart has made me more appreciative of my Catholic faith and the church’s practices.
It also has strengthened my relationship with God and has given me a hopeful attitude of my future with Him. I learned that prayer is such a powerful tool that needs to be used every day of my life. With this being my fifth CHWC, I feel that this year has also convinced me to apply for a staff position when I’m old enough in the next two years.
Randle Haggerty
member of Tupelo St. James Parish

Parish This year for CHWC we went to Pensacola, Fla. Upon arriving at the school we would be staying at, I did not think I would enjoy most of the week. Ending the first day there, I was proven wrong. I found myself opening up to new people and having experiences that I’d never thought I would have with these people.
The community work we did brought us closer to God. It opened my eyes to a whole new meaning of Christ. God brought me closer to people from my own parish that I would have never talked to on my own. I made friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime. Overall this trip has made me more outgoing, understanding and closer to God. I can’t wait to go back again next year.
Julianna Vaughn
member of Tupelo St. James

I loved the entire week at Catholic Heart, but one of my favorite parts about the week was getting to meet new friends from all around the United States. Everyone that I met was really nice and encouraging, and it was cool to meet other Catholic teenagers. I also really liked the Four Corners experience that we had Wednesday evening. I think it was a great way to spend time with God through prayer, talking with others about our faith, and receiving the sacrament of reconciliation.
One thing I learned at Catholic Heart Work Camp was that when you help others with a good attitude, you get more blessings out of your work than the person that you even helped. I know that when we finished working each day, I had such a good feeling inside of me and I wanted to keep serving. I feel like now I am more eager to serve here in our community because it makes me feel so good.
Allison Hanby
member of Tupelo St. James Parish

Seminarians gather for convocation before school starts

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By Aaron Williams
Eight of the nine seminarians studying for the priesthood for the Diocese of Jackson gathered at Chatawa St. Mary of the Pines retreat center recently for our inaugural convocation. The seniors, Nick Adam, Mark Shoffner and myself organized the event.
The theme of the retreat was “Take courage, it is I,” taken from Matthew 14:27.
There were four conferences. I spoke about the particular virtues seminarians for Jackson need to foster, using figures from our diocesan history as a reference. Shoffner talked about the benefits of our summer pastoral assignments to our overall formation. Adam spoke about building fraternity amongst ourselves in preparation for being a part of the fraternity of priests.
Father Augustine Pattimalam, a native of India serving in Philadelphia, spoke about his perspective and difficulties of entering the diocese as an outsider.
(Editor’s note: During the weekend Bishop Joseph Kopacz accepted Schoffner into candidacy for ordination. The three seniors will be ordained to the transitional diaconate in the spring of 2017.)

Jackson pilgrims reflect on World Youth Day experience

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – “My favorite part had to be being feet away and in the presence of the most holy Father, Pope Francis,” said Rodney Self, one of 18 young people from the Diocese of Jackson who made the trip to Poland for World Youth Day.
Fellow traveler Perry Leffler agreed. “My favorite part of the World Youth Day pilgrimage was definitely seeing the pope. He is just so inspiring. Everybody cheered and there was such a feeling of excitement and joy when he was there,” said Leffler.
Amelia Rizor, youth minister for Jackson St. Richard Parish, who helped organize and lead the trip, said all the teenagers were thrilled to see the pontiff. “To see the joy on all those faces made it all worthwhile. Kids who never dance were dancing,” said Rizor. She went on to say she planned the trip to be a true pilgrimage, with thoughtful stops along the way.
In addition to touring the Auschwitz Concentration camp, the group visited Krakow’s Jewish Ghetto and the factory where Oskar Schindler saved more than a thousand Jews during World War II.
“We watched the movie Schindler’s List together before the trip, so seeing the factory brought it all home. Seeing that it (the Holocaust) wasn’t just some distant history, but that it really happened and it could happen again was powerful for everyone,” said Rizor.
The young people attended catechetical sessions sponsored by World Youth Day. Andre deGruy and his wife went on the trip with their two daughters. “Every time we had Mass on the trip it was amazing. The groups of people were just so huge. Priests would just appear in the crowd and start distributing Communion. I imagine that’s what it was like to try and feed the five thousand out of a few wicker baskets,” he said. “The Polish people were so welcoming. It was hard to connect the history with that. People were so kind and helpful and you had to think – their parents lived through the horrors of communism and the Holocaust, but they were amazing,” said DeGruy.
Rizor said she wanted the members of the group to get a sense of how large and active the Catholic Church is in the world. The members of the group got the message. “I did not expect the energy the people at the large events showed. It made me want to show the same amount of energy for my faith. It made me feel proud and not nervous about showing my faith,” said Self.
Dena Kinzey, a teacher at Madison St. Joseph School, posted her reflections to a blog on the school website during the trip. During one leg of the trip, the group had to split up. Luggage was lost, and it rained during several of the outdoor events.
“In the struggles of a difficult flight situation, tired people away from home, schedule changes, no air conditioning (this is big), the moment I saw these young people tremble and cry because they were so excited to be with the man who joyfully leads our church, I knew it was all worth it,” wrote Kinzey on her blog.
“It was in that moment that I felt the Holy Spirit working. The path to God is never easy, but the rewards are great. I’m blessed to be able to do this with them,” she continued.
“I got a deeper understanding out my Catholic faith. Through different tours and discussions, I learned about my Catholic faith to a level I never could have imagined. Not only did I strengthen my faith, I also strengthened my relationship with God,” said Self, a member of Jackson Holy Family Parish.
“Being on my first pilgrimage was incredible. You’re there to grow closer to God, to grow in your faith. Touring places like Auschwitz, seeing the Jewish Ghetto, and experiencing the Sanctuary of Pope John Paul II really puts your own life in perspective,” said Leffler.
Rizor believes she will be processing the trip with the youth group for a while to come. “I really want to sit down and talk more about the experience,” she said. The tour group will host a Timely Topics discussion sometime in September at St. Richard Parish. Check the parish website for exact scheduling. The next World Youth Day will be in Panama in 2019.

Marian Servants celebrate jubilee with retreat

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By Melisa Preuss Muñoz
The Marian Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus from McComb hosted its ninth Annual “Speak Lord I’m Listening” retreat in Chatawa July 29-31. The group is part of a national movement based out of Clearwater, Fla., and hopes to build its Mississippi membership through retreats and word-of-mouth.
The founding association, the Marian Servants of Our Lady of Divine Providence, model the life of Mary as servant. As Marian Servants, members emulate the life of the Blessed Mother, who is always obedient to the words of her son and who freely and humbly accepts God’s will.
The mission of the Marian Servants is to bring Catholics to a deeper understanding of their mission in Christ, the church and in the world. It follows a rule of life established by the parent organization. The rule consists of the call to holiness, obedience and service.
The lay apostolate of the Marian Servants is beginning to grow throughout Mississippi.  In 2013, the Diocese of Jackson established the Marian Servants of Jesus the Lamb of God at Jackson St. Therese Parish and has since added members at several other parishes. The ‘Speak Lord, I’m Listening’ retreats are a way for all the members to gather and strengthen their bonds.
Charlene Brown, assistant director of the Marian Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, said the theme of this year’s retreat was taken from Ephesians 2:3-5, “Rich in Mercy” to mark the Jubilee Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis.
Using the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the retreatants pondered scriptures after placing themselves in the presence of God, while praying for the graces to allow God to act freely in them, to see themselves as God sees them, and to give God their whole beings: mind, heart, soul and body. After prayer and contemplation, the retreatants met in small groups to share their prayer experiences.
Tom Edwards, a lay minister of evangelization, presented the idea that we are living stones with Jesus as the Corner Stone. Using the example of the building of Solomon’s Temple, he said that we, here on earth, are in a quarry being chiseled into beautiful and perfect stones which will eventually be used in God’s kingdom. He noted that according to biblical tradition, laborers prepared the temple stones in quarries underneath the city – representing earth – to respect the silence and holiness of the temple – representing heaven.
Saturday night, participants adored Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and took part in a healing service led by Father Bill Henry, the spiritual advisor of the Marian Servants in Mississippi.
Next year, ‘Speak Lord I’m Listening’ retreat will be held in Chatawa July 28-30, 2017. “I would like to extend an invitation to all, especially those in the Jackson diocese,” said Brown.
Anyone seeking more information about the Marian Servants should contact Mike or Charlene Brown at McComb St. Alphonsus Parish, Teresa Preuss at Jackson St. Therese Parish, or Maureen Roberts at Magee St. Stephen Parish.
(Melisa Preuss-Muñoz is the Administrative Assistant in the Office of Vocations for the Diocese of Jackson and member of St. Jude Parish in Pearl. She holds a Masters of Education from Dominican University in Chicago, Illinois.)

Catechist Companion updated, improved

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – The diocesan Department of Faith Formation has begun distributing the new edition of The Catechist Companion to parishes and schools. The companion is a curriculum guide for catechesis from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Each section of the book contains expectations for teachers of what students should grasp at the end of each year. There is also a section with the Catholic High School curriculum in it.
“We recognized the need to have this document updated and published as it is a vital tool for making sure our young people are learning about their faith in an age appropriate, consistent manner,” said Fran Lavelle, director of faith formation for the diocese. “We also recognize however, that there are many nuances in a diocese like ours with both rural and urban populations. The book should be used as a tool that aides in creating benchmarks for catechist.”
Lavelle worked with Contyna McNealy, coordinator for creative services for the diocese, to reformat the companion. It was printed in sections in a three-ring binder to make it easy for directors/coordinators of religious education to make copies for catechists by grade.
“We listened to the DRE/CREs and delivered a product that best suited their needs. A large review and editing committee worked very hard to get the document revised,” said Lavelle.
The books will be distributed to parishes and schools during the coming weeks and will also be available online on the Faith Formation page of the diocesan website, www.jacksondiocese.org for download.

V Encuentro planning update: parish meetings coming soon

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By Elsa Baughman
WINONA – Members of the V National Hispanic Encuentro’s diocesan team met recently at Sacred Heart Parish to continue planning their participation in this event which will be held Sept. 20-23, 2018, in Grapevine, Texas.
This diocesan team is responsible for the promotion and implementation of the V Encuentro goals in the Diocese of Jackson. Sister María Elena Méndez, of the Office of Hispanic Ministry, is leading the training.
Danna Johnson, a member of Pontotoc St. Christopher Parish, opened the meeting with a prayer and reflection and presented an introduction and guidance on what the V Encuentro means. During the all-day meeting, four other members of the team presented topics on leadership training, experience of an Encuentro and a theological reflection. Sister Josefina García offered a  Lectio Divina reflection.
Each of the four previous Encuentros has led to continued growth in Hispanic minitry in the United States and each has grown exponentially.
The first National Hispanic Encuentro was held in 1972, resulting in the creation of the National Office for Hispanic Affairs in the United States. It was held at Trinity College, Washington, D.C. More than 250 people participated.
The II Encuentro, in 1977, drew 1,200 participants. Fifty bishops attended the event. There were 26 workshops and more than half of the them were on Evangelization, which was the main theme of that gathering.
More than 2,000 people attended III Encuentro Nacional Hispano de Pastoral at The Catholic University of America on Aug. 15-18, 1985. Fifty-six bishops were in attendance. This third meeting led to the creation of the USCCB Committee on Hispanic Affairs and the promulgation of the National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry.
The IV Encuentro held in Los Angeles, Calif., in July 2000. More than 5,000 participants from 150 countries attended this meeting, including 82 U.S. bishops and several from Latin America.
Then Bishop William Houck, Mary Woodward, then director of the Department of Evangelization; Joyce Hart, then director of the Office of Black Ministry attended IV Encuentro along with Elsa Baughman from Mississippi Catholic and Aurelia Gibson, a member of New Albany St. Francis of Assisi Parish.
This V Encuentro is more than just the meeting itself. Discerning ways in which the church in the United States can best respond to the presence of Hispanics/Latinos is a critical part of the process. Participants are also trying to articulate how they respond as missionary disciples to the call of the New Evangelization, to serve the whole church.
In preparation for the gathering in 2018 there will be five parish meetings at the diocesan level from January to June 2017, followed by regional meetings. The culmination of this process happens when three thousand delegates from dioceses and other catholic organizations meet in Texas to participate in the V Encuentro. For more details visit www.vencuentro.org. Look for a schedule of parish meetings in future issues of Mississippi Catholic. .

First lay principal to lead Greenwood St. Francis

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By Maureen Smith
GREENWOOD – St. Francis School welcomed its first lay principal this year, graduate Jackie Lewis. “I am a graduate, my mom was a graduate, I have two adult children who graduated and my 14-year-old twins are graduates,” she said of her connection to the school. She is also a life-long parishioner.
Lewis retired from the public school system several years ago. “I think I stayed home for two months,” she joked. She had experience in administration and counseling so, after a short stint at a bank, Lewis returned to education as a teacher at St. Francis. When Sister Mary Ann Tupy, OSF, announced her retirement, Lewis saw an opportunity. “I have come full circle,” she said.
“I love the small classes and the small enrollment. It allows us to have a closeness with the faculty and staff. I think we stand out in this community because of the children we produce,” added Lewis.
The school was founded in 1951 to minister to the African-American community in Greenwood. Franciscans have been at the helm since that first day. There is still a community of Franciscan brothers and sisters there and Father Greg Plata, OFM, is still the pastor.
Several members of the Franciscan community that founded and is still involved in the school have told Lewis they are thrilled to see her take the job. “This is what they have prayed for all along. They came and got this community started, but knew they could not be here forever, so they wanted to find someone to mold into this position to continue the work,” she said.
Lewis has already established a school choir and is hoping to strengthen extracurricular activities this year.