JACKSON – “This scripture comes to mind about the Habitat process – Isaiah 43:18-19: Do not dwell on things of the past. See I am doing a new thing. Can you not perceive it?” Cindy Griffin, executive director for the Capitol Area Habitat for Humanity used this verse to kick off the dedication of two new homes on Greenview Drive on Friday, Feb. 19.
One was dedicated to Pope Francis. The other is the work of the annual Catholic Build. The homeowners, Shavers Houston and Tequila Johnson, are both excited about raising families in a community in the midst of revitalization. Another new Habitat house, built by Episcopal volunteers, sits across from the Catholic one and more are planned for the street in South Jackson near St. Therese Parish.
“This is going to be a street filled with hard working families and a place where children can walk to school in safety and security. We are not going to dwell on the past. We are going to help build a new future for Greenview and for these great families,” added Griffin.
Houston has already contributed 150 hours of ‘sweat equity,’ working on other Habitat houses. He and his four children, Anasia, 13, Ariyana, 10, and twins Shaffar and Shafaria, seven, are moving from a two bedroom apartment into the new home. “My children are more excited than I am. They keep asking when are we going to move and will they have their own rooms.”
Shavers said he is honored to be the homeowner for the Pope Francis House. “This has been a very special experience near and dear to my children’s hearts,” he said. “I want to thank Habitat and the individuals who donated and volunteered to help my family. I can’t thank them enough.” The Pope Francis House was made possible by an anonymous donor who offered half the money needed for construction.
Johnson has two boys, five-year-old Keaton and Moderia, 18.
“You just don’t know how happy I will be to have my own house. This has been a dream of mine for years. I want to keep pushing for that so my kids and I will have a better life,” she said.
Parishes from across the Jackson area joined together to raise the money for and build the homes, starting in September. Bishop Joseph Kopcaz joined representatives from the various parishes for the dedication. Father John Bohn, pastor of St. Richard, spoke about that community’s long-standing dedication to Habitat.
Allen Scott, a member of the Habitat board of directors presented each family with a Bible for their homes to remind them that they were built in Christian love.

February is Catholic Press Month. This year’s theme reflects the core of the Department of Communication’s new mission statement: Encountering others in Joy: Communicating the life and mission of Jesus Christ.
As communicators we, the staff in the Department of Communications, seek to encounter you, the faithful, pastors and lay ministers and members of our communities, in a manner that is relevant and informative while also offering content that inspires.
We want to tell your stories and be a resource for open communication throughout the diocese and the community at large. We want to use all the tools we can, print, digital and social media to spread the joy of the gospel, but we also want to meet you where you are.
Catholic Press Month gives us an opportunity to promote how our Catholic community has supported us in putting our mission statement into action. Copies of the promotional poster below will soon go out to all the parishes.
This poster offers a small glimpse into how we as a church have encountered others in love and joy. Encounters such as – (clockwise) ordaining men to lead and grow the church; offering confidence to inner-city school girls through the services of Catholic Charities; celebrating the amazing resilience of a 130 year old parish; dedicating a chapel rebuilt after a fire; fostering unity while building stronger relationships among Catholic youth; and honoring community members who have faithfully returned their time and talents to the church – all communicate the life and mission of Jesus Christ. We hope seeing the impacts of our faith in action will encourage us to grow deeper in that faith.
Thank you for your support. Your willingness to read the paper, share our facebook posts, share your stories and welcome members of the staff into your communities is truly inspiring.
We ask you to continue to partner with us in our mission to communicate the good news of Jesus Christ. Send your stories, photos and thoughts to us. Be our eyes and ears in the parishes, schools, missions and communities who are sharing the joy of the gospel.
You can email editor@mississippicatholic.com, call 601-969-3581, or send a good old fashioned letter to 237 East Amite Street, Jackson, MS 39201.

NATCHEZ – Father David O’Connor, pastor of St. Mary Basilica and Assumption Parish, will lead a 10-day tour to Ireland departing from Jackson on Friday, July 8, and returning Monday, July 18.
The trip will include nine nights in Ireland, seven of which will be in four-star hotels and two will be in Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel. The overnight stays will be in Dublin, Donegal, Mayo, Limerick, and the final night will be at Carton Manor Hotel in Kildare County. Each day will begin with a full Irish breakfast. Seven dinners, including a medieval banquet in a castle, are part of the tour. The group will travel in a luxury air-conditioned motor coach.
“I will be with the group throughout their visit to Ireland, and will offer a tour of my home town and will introduce them to the history, culture and myths of my native country,” said Father O’Connor. “My initial plan is for a group of approximately 30 people. At least half of that number have already indicated an interest. My hope is that those who decide to make this tour will enjoy the natural beauty and history of Ireland and will return home with great memories.”
Upon arrival at Dublin airport the group will be transferred to Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, overlooking Dublin Bay, for a two night stay. Dublin adventures will include a tour into the heart of the world famous Guinness Brewery and a guided tour of Ireland’s Capital city, In the afternoon the group will travel south to Wicklow, known as the ‘Garden of Ireland’ where they will see the monastic settlement established by St. Kevin in the sixth century.
A stop in Northern Ireland will include a visit of the city of Derry. This is the only remaining completely walled city in Ireland and one of the finest walled cities in Europe. In Donegal, the group will experience the stunning scenery on the Wild Atlantic Way where the Atlantic Ocean has beaten the coast for millennia, shaping and molding it to the whim of the tides for generations.
From Donegal the group will head for Mayo, stopping to visit the grave of W.B. Yeats, a round tower dating from the 11th century, and will spend two nights in the picturesque town of Ballina. We will visit Knock Shrine, the site of the apparition of Mary in 1879, and Croagh Patrick, a place visited by St. Patrick.
A two night stop in Limerick will include a visit to Adare – Ireland’s prettiest village with its 13th century church, and to Father O’Connor’s home church where he was baptized and attended elementary school.
The group, on its last day in Ireland, will travel through Tipperary County, making a stop at the seminary where Father O’Connor studied theology and was ordained to priesthood, and/or also visiting the ‘Rock of Cashel’, a monastic site with the ruins of a Gothic cathedral dating from the 13th century.
The package price, including airfare is $3,675 per person.
Further information on the tour is available by visiting St. Mary Basilica website (www.stmarybasilica.org), calling Father O’Connor, 601 445-5616, or emailing the agency at info@caragrouptravel.com. For registration call Sara, 617-639-0273.
(Submitted by Regina Mardis, secretary at St. Mary Basilica)

By Maureen Smith
JACKSON — Fifty couples marking significant wedding anniversaries renewed their wedding vows Sunday, Feb. 7, during a World Marriage Day Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. More than 50 other couples were not able to attend the Mass, but were honored by the Office of Family Ministry.
World Marriage Day is an opportunity for the church to recognize couples who have sustained their commitments to one another. Pastors submit the names of couples celebrating 25 or more years of marriage to the Office of Family Ministry. Every couple is invited to the Mass, but even those who cannot come to Jackson are recognized by the bishop.
This year Betty and Tom Griffith will mark 65 years since they got married in Betty’s hometown of Mobile, Ala. Tom was a Navy pilot serving in Pensacola when they met at a dance on base. After Tom’s career in the Navy, civil aviation and then as a flight instructor, the couple retired in Meridian where they are members of St. Patrick Parish.
The Griffiths raised 10 children, five girls, five boys. Their youngest daughter is a Sister of Mercy in Savannah, Ga. The close-knit family moved all over the country. Their secret for moving with all the kids? “I’d go first by myself and Betty would follow,” laughed Tom.
“When we got married, you decided you would be married for life. It wasn’t something you played with. You have to work on it every day,” said Betty of how the couple have lasted 65 years. Tom added that her good cooking helped.
She said she would tell couples today to stop before their wedding and really reflect. “Take a look at what you are doing and really realize it’s a commitment for life,” she said. She and her husband got involved in the parish in every community where they lived and are still Mercy Associates today.
Anna and Joe Orr of Clinton Holy Savior also met at a dance. They will celebrate 50 years of marriage this year. Joe said they put planning into their marriage, discussing some heavy topics before they made the commitment.
“When Anna and I were planning on getting married we agreed that one, we wanted five children, number two, Anna would always stay at home to take care of the children and number three I would be the only one working to support the family,” said Joe.
He said the couple concentrated on keeping their family close.
“We had our children early in our marriage and they came close together, five kids in 11 years. Since our kids were so close together in age they were always close to each other and us. We went to church together every Sunday, never missing Mass.  Our kids always went to Sunday school and CYO classes.
We did a lot of things together, mostly on weekends, such as swimming, picnics, going to the zoo, movies, visiting relatives etc.,” he said. “Our marriage has been successful because we loved God, loved each other and loved our children,” Orr added.
The Orrs recommend that couples today put time into planning their family life to ensure a long, successful marriage. “Get to know each other’s parents and friends. Go to church together. Discuss education, jobs or career plans. How many children you want and who will take care of them when one or both of you are working. Don’t rush into marriage. Get to know each other and be prepared for a lifetime of marriage and family,” said Orr.
At the end of the Mass, Fran Lavelle, Director of Faith Formation, honored Jennifer Eidt, the coordinator for the Office of Family Ministry for her many years of service to the Diocese of Jackson. Eidt’s family is relocating so this is her last World Marriage Day celebration here.
The Office of Family Ministry is one of the many ministries supported by the Catholic Service Appeal. In addition to this celebration, the office provides marriage preparation programs, coordinates natural family planning training and supports other family ministry. Your donation to CSA is an important part of maintaining these services.

Father Ricardo Phipps announced his resignation as director of Catholic Charities Wednesday, Feb. 10. Father Phipps was appointed in July of 2015. He also requested and was granted a leave of absence from the priesthood, leaving his positions at Jackson Christ the King Parish and Sister Thea Bowman school. Father Phipps informed the bishop he is pursuing a job opportunity in Pennsylvania.
In a letter to the staff at Catholic Charities, Bishop Kopacz called the resignation a complete surprise. He expects to name an interim director in the next few days.
“As for now, I will be celebrating Mass and meeting with Christ the King parishioners the next few weeks and working with Charities senior staff, the governance council and the board of directors to ensure the many vital ministries and services continue to make a positive impact on our community. I ask you to keep Father Ricardo, myself, Christ the King Parish, Sister Thea Bowman School and Catholic Charities in your prayers,” wrote the bishop in a letter to clergy about the resignation.
All of the planned events and services offered by Catholic Charities will continue utilizing the staff already in place at the agency.

By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Almost 100 people attending Catholic Charities’ Catholic Day at the Capitol Thursday, Feb. 11, in Jackson heard that the situation for Mississippi’s children and those with mental health issues is dire, but not without hope.
The Poverty Task Force, coordinated by Catholic Charities, selected two issues of focus this year – taxation and issues involving children and mental health. Speakers came to educate and empower attendees on both issues.
Bishop Joseph Kopacz opened the day with prayer and a few words about the responsibility of Catholics to be involved in the public square. Matthew Burkhart of Catholic Relief Services took over to give an introduction to advocacy.
Burkhart called advocacy one of the “two feet of love.” He outlined ways to interact with law and policymakers, emphasizing that in-person visits by engaged constituents have been shown time and again to be the most effective way to impact the process. People who can’t meet lawmakers in person, he said, would do better to write personal letters and emails rather than just sign a form letter. He urged people to include a personal example to support their cause.
The morning concluded with words from three panelists who had their own powerful personal stories to share. Warren Yoder of the Public Policy Center of Mississippi spoke about the lawsuit against the state foster care system. At the time the suit was filed, the system was quite simply overwhelmed. “It got so bad on the coast case workers would shred records on children because they knew there was no way they could get out to see them or provide services and case workers were getting blamed,” he said.
The federal government will take over the foster care system unless the state can demonstrate improvement. “The number of families failing in Mississippi and the children taken into care is skyrocketing,” said Yoder. He said half of the caseworkers assigned to investigate and follow up on reports of abuse have overwhelming workloads. A thousand currently operating foster homes do not meet minimum standards and more homes are needed.
The executive director of the foster care program has asked the legislature to allocate $34.5 million this year to reorganize the system, hire case workers and tackle the problems. Yoder urged people to support the allocation and praised the work Catholic Charities does to help foster children through the agency’s work in the field.
Amy Turner, director of children’s services for Catholic Charities and director of therapeutic foster care gave some statistics on how big the problem is, but said she sees hope for the families in the state. “I don’t believe the parents of every child that’s abused set out to do that. They need parenting skills,” she said. Often, she added, parents who are able to take classes and get therapy themselves can learn how to manage their own anger and stress and a family can be reunited.
She told of a case involving a five-year old who had bruises on 65 percent of her body when she came into the system from her father’s home. The child’s mother came asking for help and started therapy. “The mom was able to change her mindset. She got lots of therapy and we did family therapy,” she explained. When the mother and child were reunited, Catholic Charities was able to help set up a network of supportive services so mother and child will continue to be supported as they move forward.
The final panelist was Valerie McClelland, director of the Solomon Counseling Center. She explained that childhood trauma stays with a person for life and can be triggered at any time. The more trauma a person suffered as a child, including experiencing hunger, depression or household dysfunction, the more likely that person is to have health issues later in life. “There are a lot of hurt children walking around out there in adult bodies,” said McClelland.
“There were 25,000 reports of abuse and neglect in Mississippi last year. Only 6,200 were evidenced. That concerns me. There are not enough workers to investigate,” McClelland said.
The group headed into the cathedral for Mass, then gathered for lunch and to listen to Father Fred Kammer, SJ, director of the Jesuit Social Research Institute of Loyola University, New Orleans. Father Kammer explained the difference between progressive and regressive tax systems. The latter forces the poor to bear more of the tax burden and damages a community as a whole. He tied the idea of using a more just tax system to the issues of the day, pointing out the need for funding to heal the foster care system and the children it serves.
“As you make your visits to your senators and representatives, you have a two-part message to deliver. First, in the spirit of Pope Francis in this year of Mercy, they should know that children and the mentally ill need essential human services to be funded and protected from cuts,” said Father Kammer.
“Second, they should hear from you that the burden of taxation to pay for those services must be carried more equitably by individuals and corporations who are more able to pay for them not by the poor and struggling families. This is not about politics; it is about human dignity and the common good,” he added.
After Mass and lunch, the attendees walked over to the capitol building where Bishop Roger Morin, of the Diocese of Biloxi, led a press conference urging lawmakers to support children and those facing mental health issues.
Four teenagers from Tupelo St. James Parish attended Catholic Day at the Capitol. Each one said he or she learned something new during the event. “I learned about how children need more love and how much that has affected Mississippi and we need to do something about that,” said Hunter Lepping, a student from Saltillo High school. His friend Andrew Albers added that he feels like he can turn the lessons from the day into action back home.
“I feel like I could put more thought into what I do. That I should be more grateful for my education and that I have financial and supportive parents and that I am not in any stress at all,” said Carrie Barrett, also of Saltillo High School. She and Julianna Vaughn, a ninth grader, said their youth group already does a lot of service work, but will now take what they learned at Catholic Day home and let it influence the projects for this year. They also hope to bring more teens in the future to attend the day.
Other groups came from the Diocese of Biloxi, McComb, Jonestown, Greenwood and other communities througout the diocese.

The Catholic Diocese of Jackson has been selected as the winner for the 2016 Cultural Heritage Digitization Award given by the Mississippi Digital Library. A team from the Mississippi Digital Library will come to the chancery later this year to digitize the Bishop Richard Oliver Gerow photograph collection.
The collection, part of the archives for the diocese, represents an incredibly diverse range of subjects and covers a broad timeline, from the 1860s to the 1950s. It reflects the history and development of the State of Mississippi through the unique lens of a Catholic bishop.
The collection includes images of important events; structures such as churches, schools, orphanages and people, including Native Americans, African Americans, immigrant communities, priests, religious men and women and bishops. Bishop Gerow was an avid photographer and historian and kept meticulous records of his collection.
The Mississippi Digital Library is the collaborative digital library program for the state. The aim of the organization is to provide online access to primary source materials held by repositories in the state of Mississippi.
The Mississippi Digital Library began in December 2003 as a partnership between Delta State University, Jackson State University, The Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Tougaloo College, The University of Mississippi and The University of Southern Mississippi.
Initially, the project focused exclusively on primary sources associated with the civil rights era, but has since expanded to include materials covering a wide range of subject areas, with contributions from museums, public libraries, historical societies and other cultural institutions throughout the entire state.

By Elsa Baughman
SALTILLO, México – In his second pastoral visit to the Saltillo Mission in two years, Bishop Joseph Kopacz followed a packed schedule with visits to the ranchos, Masses, confirmations and sharing meals and talking with the faithful in the region of northern Mexico.
The main reason for this second trip to St. Michael Parish was for the consecration of its new chapel, Divine Mercy, built in Colonia Fuentes del Pedregal, an area of Saltillo that, according to Father David Martínez Rubio, pastor, is home to many Protestants and atheists, few of whom show interest in returning to their Catholic faith. This chapel will use the corporal and spiritual works of mercy as a guide to provide services to the community, said Father Martínez.
Before the Mass to consecrate the chapel on the evening of Sunday, Jan. 31, Bishop Kopacz took a three-day road trip to visit 13 ranchos, during which he celebrated six Masses; one of them of thanksgiving for a quinceañera and one in “El Cuervo,” a hunting ranch where he was invited to spend the night.
At the different stops, Bishop Kopacz, Father Martínez and the volunteers who accompanied him, ate breakfast, lunch and dinner with the people of the ranchos. During the Masses, Bishop Kopacz conferred the sacrament of confirmation to 24 youth in three of the communities and participated in several celebrations dedicated to the traditional presentation of the Baby Jesus in the temple, which marks the end of the Christmas season.
Bishop Kopacz also visited and blessed the chapels of each of these 13 communities, celebrating Mass at five of them. He stopped to admire, in each of them, their manger which was still on display.
Diana Estrada, one of the youth confirmed in Rancho New Sabanilla on Sunday, Jan. 31, said she felt very happy because she had the joy of being confirmed by Bishop Kopacz. “It was a very nice experience,” she said. “I admire him because I see that he is a humble and simple person; I am pleased to see him again.” She noted that she had met Bishop Kopacz in November 2014 when he visited her rancho. On that occasion, community members walked a few kilometers to meet him along the way. “I was impressed by the fact that he got out of the van and walked along with us to the chapel,” she said.
The newly consecrated Divine Mercy Chapel seats about 600 people. During his first visit in 2014 Bishop Kopacz blessed the first stone, along with the Bishop of Saltillo, Raul Vera, and promised the congregation that he would return to bless it in a year.
The name given to the project was chosen before Pope Francis announced the Jubilee Year of Mercy. “That left us without words. It is not a coincidence,” said Father Martínez. “I believe God is present here and has made Don José participant of this project.” Bishop Kopacz is affectionately known in Saltillo as “Don José.”
“For our parishioners, and especially for the people of the ranchos, it is clearly a sign of the mercy of God to see Don José coming to see them from so far away and tell them that he is representing his whole diocese and that his parishioners love them, pray for them and offer them spiritual support. Is something as nice as when the Lord said, ‘Here I am,'” Father Martinez noted.
“We experienced how Don José visited the homes of these humble people without any problem,” he added. “The people here usually think that a bishop comes with bodyguards, that is someone far from them, who is not capable of touching or conversing with them or that can not visit their homes because they are very humble. They have this thinking, and when they see Don José that comes to their homes, drinks coffee with them and enjoys a family meal without any protocol or an ecclesiastic title, that moves them a lot, reinforces their faith and makes them feel that Christ is walking with them, sharing his life with them.”
Father Martinez said that during the time he worked with Father Benjamin Piovan he learned about what Father Patrick Quinn had done in the ranchos, a mission many other priests from the Dioceses of Jackson and Biloxi continued during their years of service in St. Michael.
Father Martinez said their work in the parish and in the ranchos would not be possible without the constant economic and spiritual support of the Dioceses of Jackson and Biloxi. “We were surprised when we met Bishop Kopacz. “He is a man full of mercy. That is the only way I can describe it,” he said.
The mission at St. Michael Parish now, and before it, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, has been co-sponsored by the Diocese of Jackson and the Diocese of Biloxi since 1969. Irish Father Patrick Quinn was its first pastor who volunteered to serve in a place whose language was unknown to him. Father Quinn remained the pastor of Perpetual Help Church until the time of his death on Jan. 7, 1997.
Father Martinez, 43-years-old, and Father Evelio Casarrubias, 35, were ordained in 2011 in the Diocese of Saltillo and both began to serve in St. Michael Parish working with Father Benjamin Piovan. When Father Piovan died in the August 2014 Bishop Raul Vera appointed them administrators of the parish.
Fathers Martinez and Casasrrubias visit the 30 ranchos that are part of the parish twice a month and on special occasions when classes are held for the sacraments or when there are special religious celebrations such as Ash Wednesday and Holy Week. These ranchos are located in areas of the desert, about 50 miles away away from the city of Saltillo. The hardest part of their ministry is not celebrating Mass or visiting these ranchos but the roads to get there which are covered with rocks and holes and at times are very difficult to go through.
But counting their blessings is the commitment of the lay people who accompany them on their visits to the ranchos, making their job a little easier.
Four of these dedicated volunteers accompanied Father Martínez and Bishop Kopacz during the visit to the 13 ranchos. Two served as drivers and eucharistic ministers and two youth were in charge of providing the music, carrying their equipment from place to place.
“Yes, it’s a bumpy road to get to these ranchos but we have to bring the love of God to them,” said Father Martínez.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: See more photos in the Spanish edition)