St. Mary of the Pines
Eight-day retreats –  $640
Five-day retreats –  $400
Weekend directed retreats – $160
Directed Retreats: The resident retreat director is Sister Dorez Mehrtens, SSND. To schedule a retreat contact Sister Dorez, 601-783-0411 or 601-810-7758 (cell), dorezm37@yahoo.com.
Private Retreats: A private retreat is a retreat without a director and may be scheduled any time space is available. The individual chooses his/her own resources and rhythm of prayer and reflection throughout the day. Cost is $65 per night. Financial assistance for any retreat is available upon request.
“An Advent Day of Reflection,” Saturday, Dec. 5, from 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Sister Dorothy Trosclair will lead the retreat. Cost is $30 and includes lunch.
“Married Couples Retreat: Finding God in All Things, Encountering the Living God in Marriage,” Feb. 5-7, 2016.
Participants will journey through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Led by Easton and Robin Hebert. Cost is $340 per couple.
Contact: St. Mary of the Pines Retreat Center, 3167 Old Highway 51 South, Osyka, MS, 39657, 601-783-3494, retreatcenter@ssnddallas.org.

The Dwelling Place
“Advent Hermitage Overnight,” Dec. 11-12. In the prayerful space of a hermitage, come away, block out our society’s noisy Christmas preparations and focus on the real meaning of Christ/Emmanual coming among us. Begins with 6:30 p.m. with dinner. Cost is $80.
“As I Begin the New Year,” Jan. 1-3, 2016. On this feast of the Three Kings, prayerfully using the Scriptures of Epiphany, we will look at the stars in our lives and will focus on what we seek for that is new and good in the new year. Led by Clare Van Lent.
“The Ascent of Mt. Carmel,” Jan. 22-23, 2016.  The retreat will reflect on St. John’s work in relation to our own response to God in our spiritual journey. Led by Father John Bohn, pastor of St. Richard Parish, Jackson. Cost is $100.
Contact: The Dwelling Place, 2824 Dwelling Place Road, Brooksville, MS, 39739, 662-738-5348, www.dwellingplace.com.

St. Scholastica Retreat center
Three-day silent directed retreat, Jan. 7-10, 2016.
Five-day silent directed retreat, Jan. 7-13, 2016.
Eight-day silent directed retreat, Jan. 7-16, 2016.
Cost for three days is $235, five days, $385, and eight days, $585.
“Dreams: Lost Language of God,” Feb. 19-21, 2016. This workshop shows how to begin recognizing, understanding and interpreting the Voice of God in your dreams. Led by Jungian Therapist Diana McKendree and pastor Lance Sawyer. Cost: Residents $195, commuters $150.
Contact: St. Scholastica Retreat Center, 1205 S. Albert Pike, Fort Smith, AR 72903, 479-783-1135, retreats@stscho.org, www.stscho.org/retreats.

Benedictine sisters
“The Sacrament of Advent:” Lessons and Carols from Thomas Merton,” Friday, Dec. 4,  from 7  – 8:30 p.m. Exploration of a journal entry, three poems and an essay on St. Bernard which Merton wrote in the first 10 years of his monastic life will provide a “service of lessons and carols” that closes with an Advent invitation to echo Mary’s fiat. Cost is $15.
“Introduction to Centering Prayer,” Jan. 15- 17, 2016. Centering Prayer is a form of Christian prayer rooted in the ancient Christian contemplative tradition. This retreat is designed for those new to Centering Prayer. Private rooms and the ability to maintain silence are required. Cost for private rooms is $245.
Contact: Benedictine Sisters Retreat Center, 916 Convent Road, Cullman, AL 35055, 256-734-8302, retreats@shmon.org.

JESUIT SPIRITUALITY CENTER
Directed Retreats: The Jesuit Spirituality Center specializes in personally directed retreats based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Solitude and silence are important aspects of these retreats. Retreats may range from three days, five days, or eight days, to a full month.
Dates: Dec. 7 or Dec. 10. Retreats of eight-days begin on the first date. Retreats of five or three days begin on either date.
“AA Weekend: Staying Sober with the 12-Steps,” Dec. 2-6. This is a retreat for women and men in recovery. Addicts, alcoholics, and family and friends are welcome. Led by Father Tom Weston, SJ, a counselor and retreat director. Cost is $320, commuters $240.
Contact: Jesuit Spirituality Center, 313 Martin Luther King Dr., Grand Coteau, La. 70541, 337-662-5251.

JACKSON – During November the church remembers and honors those who have died – the saints and our loves ones. To honor All Saints Day, some parishes and Catholic schools invite children to dress as their favorite saint.
On All Souls Day, Nov. 2, and throughout the month of remembrance, the faithful gather to remember their deceased family members and loved ones with Masses, altars and the blessing of graves. The memorials are as different as our parish communities. In some communities, names are written in a book of the dead or on cards placed near the altar. In other communities, photos are displayed in a public space in the parish.
In some parts of Mexico, families set up altars for deceased family members that include photos, favorite foods or drinks, personal items, books and more. They believe they feel the souls of the departed visiting on that day. Some place lighted candles in the altar to guide them back to their home.
Throughout Latin America, big celebrations are held at cemeteries where families spend time near the graves of their loved ones, lifting up their souls with their prayers, stories and songs.

By Maureen Smith
In January Bishop Joseph Kopacz and the Diocese of Jackson will begin a year-long process of discerning and proclaiming a shared vision and priorities for the church in this part of Mississippi. The process will be facilitated by Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI), an organization dedicated to helping strengthen the church through leadership formation and consultation. While the process is very structured, Mike Fullam, the CLI team leader who will consult on the planning and execution, said it starts and ends with the people.
“A big part of this is input from the faithful as the priorities and goals are developed. This vision is shared, not just by the bishop, but by his chancery staff, by the presbyterate, the people – everyone is going to have a part to play,” said Fullam.
“It has been almost 10 years since the last process and every organization needs to do some kind of planning every decade,” explained Bishop Kopacz. “This is not so much strategic planning, but listening to the reality of the diocese from those who live it,” he added.
Bishop Kopacz said he feels like he knows the diocese better now that he has served here for two years, but wanted to dig deeper into the life of the church here. “This is a comprehensive approach. It provides an opportunity to listen that I don’t have speaking to people individually as I travel around,” explained the bishop.
Initially, a team will go through training to facilitate a series of listening sessions. “An essential part of developing this mutually shared vision and priority plan is for the bishop to listen and learn from the people of God in the diocese,” said Msgr. Elvin Sunds, who will be working with CLI to coordinate the effort. “There will be 13 listening sessions all around the diocese at which the laity are invited to discern and speak to the bishop. There will be two sessions for the clergy and lay ecclesial ministers,” Msgr. Sunds added.
“This is a great opportunity for the bishop to listen to the faithful – to learn from them,” explained Fullam. The sessions are not town hall meetings, they are structured to allow everyone to reflect and share in a meaningful way. The bishop has no expectations of what might emerge, he wants to hear from the people. “If the response is healthy at each listening session, that’s going to be a lot of input,” said Bishop Kopacz. He wants to encourage people to participate. “This is an opportunity to really hear what the concerns are, what people are proud of, what they are grateful for,” said Bishop Kopacz.
At the sessions, which will include bilingual and youth components, people will sit at tables. “Each person will be given some questions to answer,” said Fullam. At their tables they will discuss their answers and one person from each table will present the priorities that emerge. “Anyone is welcome at any listening session. They do not have to go to the one closest to their parish,” he added.
CLI will compile the answers presented in the sessions and will help Bishop Kopacz form a leadership team. “The leadership team will review what was heard as well as other data points,” said Fullam. From that the team will articulate a shared vision and the top three priorities for the diocese for the next decade or so. The team then identifies goals the diocese needs to reach to fulfill the priorities. The bishop will write a letter outlining the vision and priorities for the diocese and the leadership team will transition into a diocesan pastoral council. The bishop and this council will oversee the work to reach the goals. “This is an exciting opportunity for everyone in the diocese to speak to the bishop and help shape the future of the church in our diocese,” said Msgr. Sunds.
“The team that’s going to be commissioned will go through a major process of formation,” said Bishop Kopacz. The members will gather several times throughout the year to become a team and go through the data, with help from CLI. “They will help me and other diocesan leadership develop these pastoral priorities and they will have a bigger picture of life in the diocese. They will have a significant role to play,” said the bishop.
Bishop Kopacz said while the vision and priorities will be for the diocese overall, individual parishes will have roles to play. “People in parishes and on parish pastoral councils can look at it and say ‘how does this apply to us?’”
The vision statements from other dioceses who have gone through this process are often short, such as the Diocese of St. Augustine’s “Come, live in the Light,” but the priorities and goals use corporate strategic language and include ways to measure success and timelines for each.
The Jackson diocese went through a strategic planning process more than 10 years ago. This process is different, both because the needs of the diocese have changed and because of the methods CLI is bringing. The CLI website describes it this way, “all of these services are structured to facilitate strong, collaborative relationships between key staff and team members as well as between team members and their bishop as a means to develop quality ministry and respectful communications between all persons and accompanying decisions.”

I had the privilege of serving in the Diocese of Jackson between 1997-2001, first as a seventh/eighth grade teacher, and later, as the principal of St. Francis of Assisi School in Greenwood. This offered to me a very rich ministry and new learning. I treasure and value that experience greatly, mostly because of the unique and powerful culture of the region. The families and individuals that I was able to get to know have had a lasting impact upon my life.
I am most grateful for our missionary work in the Mississippi Delta. As a contribution to your paper’s coverage of the Year of Consecrated Life, I am offering the following reflection that shares insights into my current ministry and life as I say “Thank you” to Mississippi.
‘Merciful like the Father’ is the “motto” of the upcoming Holy Year of Mercy as set by Pope Francis. He states, “It is my burning desire that, during this Jubilee, the Christian people may reflect on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.”
Looking at my current ministry as director of Mission and Pastoral Care at our local healthcare network – Holy Family Memorial, I can personally relate to the daily bestowing of hope and mercy upon the most vulnerable and marginalized individuals and their families within our service area, Manitowoc County and the surrounding Lakeshore Region.
I consistently witness Holy Family Memorial staff and volunteers welcoming the stranger with warm smiles, thoughtful, kind acts and gestures of real concern. Our entire team of healthcare professionals, from our housekeeping staff to our cardiologists, brings healing to the sick through compassionate service, respect for human dignity and the personal expertise that is theirs to share.
Being in pastoral care, my staff and I regularly offer counsel to the doubtful as family decisions need to be made regarding advance directives and other end-of-life issues.
Giving comfort to the afflicted is a daily fact as one is surrounded by others who are suffering severe illnesses, an unexpected family crisis or from multiple chronic health challenges.
I have grown spiritually in my role as Mission and Pastoral Care director. I truly appreciate the opportunities which are presented to me each day for spiritual services and comfort-giving.  These are life-changing and life-saving events for others. It is truly a privilege and a joy: the way that we can become ‘merciful like the Father’ if we are open and willing.
Sister Rochelle Kerkhof, OSF

(Editor’s Note: Earlier this year, Mississippi Catholic requested reflections from the orders of consecrated people serving in the Diocese of Jackson as a way to celebrate the Year for Consecrated Life. Religious wishing to submit a reflection should send it to editor@mississippicatholic.com.)

By Maureen Smith
GREENWOOD – Parishioners from half a dozen parishes across the diocese gathered at St. Francis of Assisi Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6-7, for “Many Saints, One Church,” a black Catholic day of reflection. The weekend featured a music workshop Friday evening and a whole day of reflection Saturday.
Friday night was all about music with a presentation by Roger Holland, the current artist in residence at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Saturday, Will Jemison, coordinator for the diocesan Office of Black Catholic Ministry, gave an update on the sainthood causes for four American black Catholics, urging those gathered to pray, donate to the cause of their choice and educate others about the causes, which include Father Augustus Tolton, Mother Henriette DeLille, Pierre Toussaint and Mother Mary Lange.
Annie Richardson of Indianola St. Benedict the Moor Parish said she always learns something new when she attends conferences. “I was unaware of the black Catholics who were up for sainthood. I did not know there is not a black Catholic saint from the United States so now I know I have something to work for and something to pray for,” she said.
Dr. Timone Davis, an instructor at the Augustus Tolton Pastoral Ministry Program, part of the Catholic Theological union of Loyola University, Chicago, led two sessions Saturday. In the afternoon session, she encouraged people to make a desert in their lives and find some time to spend there. This was the first in her three steps to becoming a disciple. Step two is to get to know yourself. This step, said Davis, takes what she calls detox, stepping away from things that distract you such as games, electronics and anything that keeps you busy, but are not fruitful.
She challenged the audience to describe themselves in 10 words or less, focusing on questions such as ‘what gives you hope, how many other people know what gives you hope?’ The final step is “living your purpose in this world,” said Davis. It comes out of a guiding principle and could be art, teaching, doing service, whatever it is a person is called to do.
The congregational health ministry team from Greenville Sacred Heart Parish set up inside the school and offered a free basic health screening to anyone who wanted one. The screening included a check of blood pressure, weight, waist size, body mass index, cholesterol and blood glucose. Marilyn Williams, who heads up the team, said the checks help not just the individuals getting them, but the community as well. The program is funded through a grant from the Mississippi Health Collaborative. The data gathered goes to the Centers for Disease Control to help paint a picture of how people in different communities are faring.
“If you look at statistics as far as health in the state, Mississippi always falls near the bottom, if not at the bottom so this is a way of knowing where people are. We give them follow up instructions if they have a doctor or if they need to get in to one,” said Williams. Her team includes nurses and a social worker who can help refer people to services they may need.
Richardson said she is taking her enthusiasm back home. “Many years ago we black Catholics gathered at Sacred Heart in Greenville and as a culminating event we attended the National Black Catholic Congress in Chicago,” she explained. “It was such a dynamic experience and I wanted to be a part of it again and I want my children and grandchildren to be able to share the experience that I had – so I have already told them that we are all going to attend the National Black Catholic Congress this summer wherever it is and we will have our family reunion there,” she added.
“I was always trained that you have to know where you came from in order to plot your course and know what your responsibilities are, to know where you are going and how to get there,” said Richardson, who converted to Catholicism after she married a Catholic.

By Helen Phillips
VICKSBURG – “Give me five or six guys like me around a campfire and that’s all the therapy I need.” That comment, made by wounded veteran Gregory Charles Williams to Dan Fordice was just the beginning of an organization dedicated to helping combat-wounded veterans. Fordice, an avid outdoorsman and hunter himself, saw the need to pull together wounded veterans, get them active, and get them talking. He founded the Warrior Bonfire Program in an effort to help veterans break the barriers of injuries sustained in combat and remind them that they do have a purpose. The experience can also lead them to seek help they may need in other aspects of their lives.
Fordice, a member of Vicksburg St. Paul Parish, recognized this as a call from God that would allow him and many others to perform works of mercy. He felt that if he could save souls from the loss of hope and despair, perhaps he could prevent suicide. “Too many of our men are taking their own lives and we must, we have to stop it!” said Fordice.
The Warrior Bonfire Program began with hunting, skiing and fishing trips but has grown to provide opportunities of all varieties including sporting events, NASCAR driving, whitewater rafting, zip lining and more.  The organization makes accommodations for wounded vets, helping those in wheelchairs or prosthetic devices participate with creative problem solving. On one hunt, a wheelchair was taken in a bulldozer out to the field.
“We will take them anywhere to do anything that gives them excitement, which opens the door for the conversations that heal,” stated Fordice. Talk therapy is becoming more and more understood and needed to help those with injuries, particularly for those veterans with invisible scars from traumatic brain injuries or post traumatic stress disorder. The Warrior Bonfire Program is designed to help in the healing process, physically, mentally and spiritually. Not getting help with these scars can lead to despair and hopelessness. “You are saving lives at the Bonfire” stated Purple Heart Veteran and member Mike Chesne.
Every meal and every bonfire is opened with a prayer inviting God into our circle to do His will and it is at these times the most powerful breakthroughs occur. I am Helen Phillips, the director of veteran services for the organization, and raised in St. Paul Parish. Time after time, we witness small miracles on these trips, where a veteran is helping another or as a group they rush to aid another. It is truly God’s work and a joy to see them find hope and direction.
The bonfire component of the organization is a sacred circle of six Purple Heart recipients gathered around a bonfire on the final night of the trip. At the bonfire, an American flag is properly retired using instructions set by Congress and done so in honor of fallen servicemen or women that served with the individuals present. Each soldier is able to retire a part of the flag, the red stripes representing blood, the blue field representing the sky, etc. They can dedicate the parts of the flag to specific fallen comrades.
When a soldier is injured, he or she is quickly evacuated for treatment. During that time some of their military brothers may lose their lives. This can mean that survivors never had the opportunity to say goodbye, find closure, honor their friend or grieve. This is the purpose of the bonfire and it has proven to be very healing. Ashes from every bonfire are collected and carried to the next bonfire, creating a new bond between the soldiers at the events. LTC Dave Grossman uses a phrase which captures completely what we do at the bonfire, “Pain shared is pain divided, joy shared is joy multiplied.”
The Warrior Bonfire Program gathers Purple Hearts from around the country at various events. Immediately upon introductions these veterans appear to be lifelong friends, all due the knowledge that everyone present as suffered similar traumas. They feel comfortable and safe with each other. In this environment, the core value taught in the military, “no man left behind” comes full circle. They begin to work with each other, push each other, teach each other and pick up each other. They are reminded of when they give of themselves to help others and lead others, that they do in fact still have a purpose in life. Knowing their brothers depend on them gives them life and direction.
Participants often go home to their families and share their combat experiences. Until now, many have wanted to protect their families from the horrific situations in which they were involved, but they learn at the bonfire that families want and need to understand. Purple Heart veteran Jeremy Johnson stated after a bonfire weekend, “You have changed my life, my wife’s life, and my children’s lives forever.”
The Warrior Bonfire Program works among a network of other vetted organizations that support veterans across the country. Once a veteran has become receptive to the idea of healing and therapy, the program will refer those that attend our trips to other organizations that specialize in specific ways to help whether it is recreational therapy, health and wellness programs, financial programs or family therapies.
The Warrior Bonfire Program is a 501c3 organization that provides four or five day excursions for Purple Heart Veterans to rebuild the brotherhood that many of our veterans injured in combat have lost.To learn more, please visit the website at www.warriorbonfireprogram.org.
(Helen Phillips is the director of veteran services and special projects for the Warrior Bonfire Program)

By Elsa Baughman
JACKSON – A group from the Diocese of Jackson contributed to a book to be used by the Southeast Pastoral Institute (SEPI) nationally during Lent and Easter Season in 2016. Veronica López, an associate in the diocesan Office of Hispanic ministry, and 11 other young Hispanic adults from the diocese traveled to Shreveport in September to finish writing and submit chapter six of the book “Mercy:  Seeing all with God’s eyes.”
Each one of them wrote a part of chapter six, titled “Mercy Missioners,” during several meetings and then gathered and edited the text for the book that will be presented to them already published in a workshop to be held in St. Augustine, Fla., in February 2016.
On Oct. 3, Izamar Mazy, a member of the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, on behalf of the Jackson diocese, presented a copy of chapter six to Dr. Juan José Rodríguez, SEPI’s Hispanic regional youth and young adults coordinator. He will take all the chapters back to SEPI where they will be integrated into one book. Each year since 1980, SEPI has coordinated the preparation and publication of a book in which young people apply the paschal mystery to a topic that they themselves choose and that they believe to be of importance and relevance in their own    lives.
To initiate the process of writing, adult counselors and some youth representatives meet in the spring to select a topic. During two more meetings participants worked on the text of their specific chapter coached by adult counselors who guide them to study different aspects of the selected topic, looking into the subject to which the pascal mystery will be applied.
In previous years they have dealt with different subjects such as freedom, love, community, identity and evangelization.
This book will be used in dioceses throughout the southeastern United States who use SEPI for catechesis and leadership training during the Easter of 2016. Each week consists of dynamics and activities that are carried out in the group to better understand the message.
The book uses church documents on the subject studied, testimonies, thoughts or ideas offered by the young people to delve into the issue selected. It also includes prayers, songs, activities and projects to be conducted outside of the meetings.
When the finished book is presented to them in February, the youth will be trained on how to use it and how to promote it in their own parishes during the Easter season. This helps the young people go from being parishioners to contributors and eventually to community leaders in their faith communities.
On Tuesday, Oct. 20, in Jackson, during a meeting of Hispanic leaders in which pastors, lay eccesial ministers and Bishop Joseph Kopacz participated, López gave an overview of the process of writing, editing and using this Lenten resource which will be published both in English and Spanish. She encouraged Hispanic leaders to use the book and told them if they are interested she would visit their communities and show them how to use it.