By Father Matthew Simmons
Catholic Extension Society has again offered to include the Diocese of Jackson in the Seminarian Endowment Challenge. In 2013, Catholic Extension matched $25,000 the diocese raised through contributions of individuals for a total of $50,000. This year, the organization will give the diocese up to $25,000 to match $75,000 to be raised in new donations.
The new donations factor is key. Donations by new donors of $1000 or more qualify for the matching funds. If someone gave a gift to the Seminarian Endowment Challenge in 2013 of $1,000 or more, that donor would need to give the same amount given in 2013 plus an additional $1,000. For example, if one gave $1,000, that individual would need to give $2,000 this year in order for the donation to count towards the matching goal.
Although we are very grateful to the various groups in the diocese such as the Knights of Columbus who annually make large donations towards the education of priests, in order to secure this grant from the Extension Society, these donations must come from individuals. The goal of this challenge is to get individuals involved in the support of seminarian education. Donors can spread their gift out throughout the year, but the total must be received before Dec. 31. The donations will be placed in the Catholic Extension Mission Diocese Fund to be used by the Diocese of Jackson for seminarian education.
During the most recent school year, our diocese paid $392,000 to the seminaries in Louisiana for the education of our 10 seminarians. All dioceses in the United States pay for the entirety of a seminarian’s education at the graduate level.
The Diocese of Jackson pays for half of a seminarian’s expenses at the undergraduate level. This is the standard practice for dioceses in this region. By doing so, the diocese makes the cost of undergraduate seminary education roughly equal to that of a state university. Seminary formation is considerably more expensive than a traditional college because the academic component is only one part of a seminarian’s formation. A man in seminary has regular meetings with his priest spiritual director and formation advisor. He has a yearly evaluation with the formation team of the seminary and the diocesan vocation director. He participates in supervised ministry as well as in workshops in pastoral ministry, Catholic spirituality, celibacy and personal health.
For the Seminarian Endowment Challenge, checks can be made out to the Diocese of Jackson; in the notation area of the check mention, “Seminarian Endowment Challenge.” Donations and enquiries can be sent to Father Matthew Simmons, P.O. Box 2248, Jackson, MS 39225-2248. Father Simmons can also be contacted at matthew.simmons@jacksondiocese.org or (601)960-8484.
Donors will receive an acknowledgement thanking them for their contribution. We are grateful for all donations for the education of future priests.
(Father Matthew Simmons is the director of Vocations for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Pastoral Assignments:
Mr. Joel Schultz is appointed Lay Ecclesial Minister for Ripley St. Matthew Mission effective June 1.
Father John Bohn is appointed pastor of Jackson St. Richard Parish effective July 1.
Father Mike O’Brien is appointed pastor of Canton Sacred Heart Parish effective July 1.
Father Kevin Slattery is appointed Sacramental Minister of Gluckstadt St. Joseph Parish effective July 1.
Abbot Tom DeWayne, OPraem, is appointed Sacramental Minister of McGee St. Stephen Parish effective July 1.

Sister Mary Gianini, OP, also known as Sister Mary Mystica, a native of Cleveland, Miss., celebrated 60 years as a Dominican Sister on April 28 with her family. She will have a second private celebration with her fellow Sisters of the Springfield Province in August. Sister Gianini professed her vows August 5, 1955, in the Sacred Heart Convent, Springfield, Ill.
She holds a B.A. in education/English from St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa.
Sister Gianini taught kindergarten, first and second grades in Catholic parish elementary schools in the Springfield, Peoria, San Diego dioceses and the Chicago Archdiocese. After retiring from teaching, Sister Mary Gianini assisted with retreat ministries at the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, IL Benincasa Ministries in Illinois.
Being from Mississippi, she is especially known for her “southern hospitality,” her generous spirit and her willingness to help wherever needed.
Currently, Sister Gianini takes very seriously her “prayer ministry” for the needs of individuals requesting prayers and the needs of all people. She lives at the Sacred Heart convent in Springfield.

When the Knights of Columbus gathered in Biloxi the last weekend in April, they did a little showing off – with a twist of humility. Each council submits a write up of their projects from the past year. Service projects, family events, faith formation programs – the variety of endeavors is surprising. A committee reviews the submissions and votes on which ones to recognize in a special way.
While the knights do get awards for the efforts, the real point is to inspire other councils and share ideas. What worked for one council may work for another.
Some examples of projects honored include Flowood St. Paul’s ‘a year for life.’ The knights in that council stepped up to find little and big things they could do to oppose abortion. They raised $2,500 to purchase ultrasound machines – a hefty donation – but they also supplied the snacks for the students who traveled to Washington DC for the March for Life, a less visible, but still needed support.
St. Paul knights also received kudos for a Pentecost parish picnic. Pastor Father Gerard Hurley wanted to celebrate Pentecost outside with Mass and a picnic. The knights did everything from clearing underbrush and securing a tent to helping prepare and serve food the day of the event.
Meridian’s council earned honors for two family-oriented projects. The first was a series of family nights throughout the year. Each night has a theme such as Italian night with lasagna. A band provided entertainment and families enjoyed the evening together. The knights in Meridian also teamed up with their youth groups to prepare care packages which they delivered, with Santa, to children in the hospital on Christmas Eve.
The Hernando De Soto council in Southaven undertook a months-long faith and spiritual formation program. “This is very important to the knights and we wanted to promote it. Some councils are strong on the social side or in doing service. We didn’t want to forget the spiritual side of membership,” explained Ted Lander, grand knight. The program had three main components, monthly morning prayer breakfasts, a Lenten weekend retreat and study groups who used Pope Francis’ Joy of the Gospel as their guide.
“The Joy of the Gospel is profound. It really gets you centered and asking ‘are we doing what the Lord wants us to do?” That question is essential for us as knights, for us as men and for us as Christians,” said Lander.
Lonnie Treadway, who headed up the project, said more than 500 copies of the text were ordered. “It took communication, persistence and leading by example,” said Treadway about how the group got so many men involved. The knights offered a variety of times and places for the study groups to meet to make it easier for men to get involved. The retreat was at Subiaco Abbey in Arkansas.
Both men mentioned that the year spent praying and studying has already led to new ideas for new projects including a blood drive and possible work with the Special Olympics.
In Greenville, the knights handle the parish fair and famous meatball sale. The fair celebrated 100 years last year and was bigger than ever. Jack Duthu said he was glad to lead the effort, even if he joked about being glad when all the work was finished. Knights prepared and served literally thousands of meatballs for the day.
All the money goes to the schools in Greenville, St. Joseph High and Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School. “This fair has more than 100 year history in this parish – which says something in itself,” said Paul Artman, principal at St. Joseph. “Anytime you have a group such as the knights who pour their heart and soul – and all that good cooking – into an event, it makes it all that much better,” he added. The parish fair raised $50,000 for each school, an amazing support for Catholic education in the Delta.
Other notable honorees include Jackson St. Richard Parish for the “Women and Spirit” event including a screening of the documentary of the same name and a luncheon honoring women religious in the diocese.
Oxford St. John’s knights submitted their fundraising projects which benefitted their building fund. Two councils, Southaven and Madison St. Francis of Assisi, were honored for social events which included the wives and widows of knights.
A full listing of the awards along with descriptions of the projects is posted on the convention section of the Knights of Columbus website, www.kofc-ms.org.

By Elsa Baughman
GREENWOOD – Bishop Joseph Kopacz told Hispanics attending the Encuentro Hispano that their presence “is a living proof that there are many disciples and witnesses among us who have the mind and the heart to proclaim Christ crucified and risen and to evangelize, develop and strengthen the Body of Christ in our diocese.”
“This is a day of many blessings and I thank God for your presence here in our diocese,” said Bishop Kopacz during the Mass. “We are witnesses of the Hispanic presence that continues to grow as a living part of the Kingdom of God in Mississippi.” About 250 people from different communities of the Diocese of Jackson gathered at the Civic Center on Saturday April 18.
The guest speakers of the ‘encuentro,’ which means gathering or encounter, were Fabio Trujillo Lema, a psychologist with 30 years of experience, and Deacon Edgardo Farías, director of the pastoral prison ministry of the Archdiocese of Miami. Both are professors at the Southeast Pastoral Institute (SEPI) based in Miami, Fla.
This annual event, sponsored by the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry, offers participants a unique opportunity to come together to make new friends and to deepen their knowledge of God’s teachings.
Trujillo and Farías delved into the theme of the event, “Called to Be, Belong and Serve.”
Trujillo’s presentation centered on the ego. He used the title character from the movie “ET,” saying all people, like the alien, want “to go home” to God. An ET doll was one of many props he used.
He opened with St. Therese of Avila’s prayer to relax participants: “Let nothing disturb you; nothing frighten you. All things are passing. God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Nothing is wanting to Him who possesses God. God alone suffices.”
Jokingly, Trujillo said the reason to listen to the prayer was to “calm down the crazy one of the house,” meaning the mind. “If there is no peace in our mind, there is no way to get to God,” he said, adding that “we get depressed because we don’t know ourselves, because we don’t have the world we want.”
“Depression does not exist in the soul, it’s an affair of the ego,” he said. “When we feel depressed we should ask ourselves two questions, ‘what is happening with my life? And, how far am I from God?’ Because the closer I am to him, the less depressed I feel.”
He spoke of the need for Christians to transform themselves, as caterpillars transform into butterflies. He also emphasized the need to forgive and be forgiven. “Everything you have in your heart that you have not forgiven is an anchor with weight on the flight of your soul, and the more weight you have the less you fly,” he said.
Trujillo illustrated the need for a healthy self esteem with a Spanish song that says, “How beautiful I am, how nice I am, how nice I look and I feel, without me I would die, how much I love myself” (kisses).  And he advised, “my hands should be an extension of my heart.”  When that happens, he said, a person’s language will be of love and fire.
“Events like this (encuentro) are of great benefit because they help us to maintain our identity, to strengthen our roots and give us the elements necessary to go beyond the difficulties, in addition to gaining wisdom to not stagnate in the face of adversity,” said Trujillio.
Farias dedicated part of his presentation to the need to make our parish communities that project fraternity. He reminded participants that they are part of a diocese in which the bishop, the priests and religious, deacons and lay ministers are responsible for the care of its territory and its people.
He talked about the importance of belonging to a parish where all can participate and advised them to become friends with their pastor and to help the bishop to renew the diocese and to make ‘fire’ in Mississippi. “Ask yourselves,” he said, “Do I feel this way in my parish? This fire, this desire? Am I part of a healthy, lively, cheerful community?”
On the subject of ‘being’ he said we should be proud of who we are and where we come from, to feel as a family and be proud to be members of the church of Jesus. “So that God knows us and we know him and to get to be in an intimate relationship with God, we must know ourselves first,” he noted.
The second part of his talk was dedicated to the 15 ailments of the Vatican Curia that Pope Francis listed during his annual Christmas greeting to the cardinals, bishops and priests who run the central administration of the Catholic Church. But Farías applied them to personal situations and behavior in our lives and our parishes.
About 80 youth attended the event. Trujillo had a very lively presentation for them on the theme of the ego and how to be part of and belong to a loving community of faith.
Trujillo said that the youth need adults and the adults also need them. Adults bring maturity, responsibility and commitment, and they represent the hope, the dynamism, the freshness of the future.
“Young people and adults walking together can build a civilization of love, the dream of Jesus. “Love one another as I have loved you.”
The event ended with Mass celebrated by Bishop Kopacz along with several other priests and religious who attended the event. Readers can find more photos in this week’s Mississippi Catolico.

By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Every bishop has four symbols of his office, a miter, a ring, a pectoral cross and a crosier. Bishop Joseph Kopacz’s crosier was completed months after it was expected, but the timing turned out to be just about perfect.
“My first use of it was the Chrism Mass. In its own way to have my own crosier for Holy Week – so much of the diocese is present at that Mass – to be the bishop and be there before them and to have that crosier – it was pretty neat,” said the bishop. He commented that in some dioceses not every parish is represented at the Chrism Mass, but that is not the case here.
He called Chrism Mass the “finest truly diocesan liturgy of the year.” The Chrism Mass is when oils are blessed and consecrated and distributed to representatives from just about every parish in the diocese.
“It sort of settled me into the office in a very substantial way at the beginning of my second year. I had that sense similar to when you put the crosier in the stand and it falls solidly into its place, so I had that feeling of being in place in the Diocese of Jackson. Not that I wasn’t, but I had that sense that here is my crosier and now it’s there next to the cathedra,” he added.
The faithful will not see the crosier when the bishop comes to visit. The bishop’s crosier remains at the cathedral. When he travels he uses a simple wooden crosier with a plain hook. The traveling crosier comes apart and has its own carrying case and stand.
Bishop Kopacz’s crosier is also wooden, carved from walnut and an unusual piece of oak. Inside the crook the Chi Rho symbol is carved from a single piece of wood. “That is one of the three symbols on my coat of arms and is pretty universally recognized,” said the bishop. “It’s creative, it goes back to the early, early church. It’s the first three letters in Greek of ‘Christ’ and that’s very special, so it’s simple, but elegant,” he said. Separating the crook from the rest of the crosier is a darker bead of 20,000 year-old oak from a bog in Europe. When trees fall into bogs, they are preserved, taking on the textures of the gravel, sand and plants buried with them. There are people who harvest ancient wood for art and furniture.
The man who carved it, Markus Frei, works in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, and he has a roundabout connection to the project. Bishop Kopacz’s assistant pastor in Pennsylvania, Father Greg Laughney, saw some samples of other crosiers Frei carved. When Father Laughney studied in Rome he became friends with members of the Swiss Guard, the elite unit of men who protect the pope and the Vatican. That guards knew of Frei and recommended him for the job. Bishop Kopacz provided his coat of arms and some guidance on what he wanted and Frei sent several sketches for the bishop before they settled on a design.
The artisan started working on it soon after Bishop Kopacz took office, but became ill and had to take a break. The work started before the bishop was ordained and installed, but was not completed until this year. The bishop said he likes that the crosier is carved on both sides so people all around the church can easily see the design.
Every bishop selects his own crosier. He can have it custom made or use one that already exists. It does not have to relate to the bishop’s coat of arms, as Bishop Kopacz’s does, but it can. In the past, crosiers could be fairly ornate and were often crafted of metal, but the trend in recent years has been to make them from wood. Both retired Bishops William Houck and Joseph Latino used wooden crosiers.
According to diocesan chancellor Mary Woodward, there are several crosiers in the diocesan archives, going all the way back to the first bishop of the diocese. Bishop John Joseph Chanche, SS.
“We used that crosier at the 175th anniversary celebration and at Bishop Kopacz’s ordination,” said Woodward. That crosier was a gift to Bishop Chanche from Archbishop Anton Blanc in the early 1840s. It is metal and very intricate. Other crosiers in the archives include one used by Bishop Joseph Brunini which features a dragon in the crook.
While bishop’s crosiers look like shepherd’s staffs, the pope usually carries a crucifix as a crosier. One of the most iconic was the crucifix carried by Saint Pope John Paul II. The pope would sometimes lean on that crosier when he needed to. One of the most famous images of the saint is him pressing his head to the crosier.
The bishop holds his crosier as he processes in and out of Mass, when listening to the gospel and when he is accepting candidates for baptism and conferring confirmation and blessing the congregation. Usually, bishops hold their crosiers in their left hands so their right hands are free to offer blessings.
Bishop Kopacz said the crosier reflects the role of the leader of the local church. “It’s the shepherds staff, it’s one of the symbols of the bishop’s office. The miter signifies holiness. The crosier symbolizes the leadership, both the authority and the servant leadership,” he explained.
“So the ideal shepherd is one who is at the center of the flock, leads the flock, cares for and protects the flock. The bishop’s crosier is that symbol, so having the Chi Rho as the symbol of Christ at the center of that is really meaningful because He’s the Good Shepherd and I am trying to strive for that ideal.”

Vicksburg St. Aloysius High School and Jackson St. Richard Elementary School will have new principals when classes start this fall.
Dr. Buddy Strickland will take over at St. Aloysius and Cathy Wilson will lead St. Richard. Strickland has more than 40 years of educational experience in Mississippi, most of it in the public school system, as a teacher and principal on the elementary and secondary school levels. He has also taught at Delta State University. He retired and later went back to lead a private academy in Indianola.
He was living in Vicksburg and began substitute teaching at both St. Francis Xavier and St. Aloysius. His experience landed him on the search committee for a new principal.
He said as the committee’s work proceeded he began to feel called to submit his own name for the position. “This happened after a lot of thoughtful prayer. I felt like if God opened the door I would walk through. If not, I could walk away with peace,” said Strickland. “I have this opportunity at this time in my life to serve,” he added.
Strickland felt inspired by the students he was teaching as a substitute. “Catholic education in Vicksburg preceded public education. We have been here for more than 150 years. I want to take that tradition of excellence and build on it,” he said. Father Tom Lalor, the school’s canonical administrator, enthusiastically welcomed Strickland in an email sent to the school community.
The letter started by listing Strickland’s experience. “More important than the above experience, however, are the personal and professional qualities that Dr. Strickland brings to the position. He is passionate about students and their learning and achievement. He is focused on maintaining and building on the strong community of staff, students and parents,” he wrote.
Service is one of the benchmarks of Catholic education and Strickland said he is impressed by what the students at St. Aloysius are already doing. He said he was substituting a theology class when the students started talking about service. He was moved by their understanding of the connection between service and the gospel. “Every child, when they perform service, is walking in the footsteps of Christ,” he explained. Two of his grandchildren attend the school and his daughter has served on the advisory council.
He said he takes a collaborative approach to leadership. “I can’t do anything without the support of the teachers and parents,” said Strickland.
He takes cues from a book used in the corporate world called “From Good to Great.” “I want to make clear I am not a caretaker. We need to develop a clear plan to go forward,” he said. He asked for prayers as he takes on his new role.
He and his wife have four children. He is a member of St. Michael Parish, his wife is a member of the Orthodox church in Vicksburg.
St. Richard’s new principal is an alumna of Vicksburg Catholic Schools.
Wilson has almost 20 years of educational experience including time as a teacher, band director and administrator. In an email to the school community, the search committee for St. Richard explained why she became the best choice for the school. “We are impressed with her knowledge of curriculum and her passion for teaching and for her students. She has a wealth of experience in and out of the classroom as well as a solid understanding of what a school needs to be successful. We know you will be just as impressed as we are with Ms. Wilson’s enthusiasm, dedication, and strong commitment to Catholic Education,” read the email.
Wilson said the opportunity to apply for the job at St. Richard was a pleasant surprise. “I am looking forward to hitting the ground running,” she said. “Catholic schools are unique in that many offer smaller, more personalized learning environments and you don’t have to avoid talking about God” said Wilson. “The church is our cornerstone – the school is an outgrowth of the church,” she added.
She also emphasizes teamwork as a model for school management, capitalizing on the strengths of teachers, staff, parents and even students to build a strong community.
Wilson wasted no time getting involved in the St. Richard community. Even though she does not report to work until later this year, she attended the school’s Flight to the Finish 5K fund-raiser, even helping hand out medals to the students. She was set to attend a reception to meet parents the week of May 10 and was opening doors at carpool to meet her new students Monday, May 11. She said she likes to spend time getting to know the gifts and resources her teachers, parents and students offer to the whole school.
She is excited about working with the special kids at St. Richard, the only school in the diocese with a dedicated program for children with special needs and developmental delays. “These kids are your heartbeat in a school. They have so much to give, they just need an opportunity. All kids have the ability to learn, they just learn differently so you have to find a way to meet that need,” she said. Wilson said one of her favorite parts of her job is the ‘lightbulb moment’ when a child comprehends a lesson.
Madison St. Anthony School announced earlier this spring that Jim Bell will become principal there later this year. Bell, a Massachusetts native, was profiled in an earlier edition of Mississippi Catholic.
Catherine Cook, superintendent of Catholic (Schools) Education, said she is delighted to have all three new administrators in place before the close of the school year. The process of getting the right person for each place was filled with prayer, research and lots of work on the part of advisory committees, staff and pastors. “I am thrilled to welcome these three individuals into our community of Catholic educational leadership here in the Diocese of Jackson,” she said.
All three new principals will start in July.