Category Archives: Diocesan News

Rice Bowl donations at work in diocese

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By Maureen Smith
Many families made the CRS Rice Bowl a part of their Lenten sacrifice, but may have forgotten to actually turn in their collections. Catholic Relief Services says it’s not too late. Rice Bowl money can be submitted until August 31. Since the beginning of CRS Rice Bowl in 1975, donations have been designated to support both local and global hunger and poverty alleviation efforts. Seventy-five percent of the revenue comes to CRS to support development projects overseas while 25 percent remains in dioceses in the U.S. to support local hunger and poverty alleviation efforts. In the Diocese of Jackson, the money is distributed out of the Catholic Charities office in Vardaman. Jettie Pettit, who runs that office, shared with Mississippi Catholic the story of one family who benefitted from the generosity of its neighbors.
On May 6, Lorenzo Villanueva came to my office asking for help to pay his electric bill. Clients must fill out a form telling us what emergency left them in need of aid. When I read his response, I asked if he would tell me his story. On February 14, he was taking his wife out to eat for Valentine’s day and to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary.

They were also celebrating something else: His wife had had a miscarriage the second year of their marriage and was told that she would not be able to have a child because of damage to her womb. He said they had prayed for a miracle and God had blessed them by letting his wife become pregnant. On the night of their celebration, Selena was almost eight months pregnant and everything was looking good. As Villanueva pulled out from a stop sign, a speeding car ran into them on the passenger side. He was thrown from the car and suffered cuts, bruises and a broken arm. He tried to get his wife out of the car, but had to wait for the ‘jaws of life.’ At the hospital, doctors told him that Selena had no brain activity and was clinically dead. At this point, both he and I were crying.
The doctor detected a fetal heartbeat, so Selena was put on life support until the fate of the unborn child could be known. On February 16, doctors delivered five-pound-three-ounce Sofia and placed her in her father’s arms. Then, Lorenzo held his wife’s hand as the machines were turned off and she died. Sofia had to stay in the hospital for three weeks due to breathing problems while Lorenzo buried her mother and tried to alternate his time between a few hours work and many hours at the hospital. Due to hospital bills and minimum work, he got behind on his bills. Thanks to Rice Bowl funding, we were able to get him caught up on his utility bills. Father and adorable daughter are learning to go on with their lives.
Any family that wishes to make a donation to this year’s Rice Bowl collection can submit it to their parish or submit it directly to CRS and the agency will send the diocesan share to Catholic Charities. Find out more at www.crsricebowl.org.

Jubilarians celebrate gift of priesthood

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By Mary Woodward
The month of June has been a month of jubilee celebrations for clergy and religious throughout the diocese and country. Women religious celebrating special anniversaries are profiled on page seven of this edition of Mississippi Catholic. Celebrations for these jubilarians were held at province homes in Iowa, Indiana, and Wisconsin. We congratulate and thank these remarkable women for their commitment to the consecrated life.
From June 3 until June 18 five diocesan priests celebrated Masses of Thanksgiving and were honored by family and friends for a combined 265 years of service in the vineyard.
On June 9, Father Frank Corcoran, who is retired and living in Greenville, celebrated 60 years of priestly life.  Msgr. Michael Flannery, pastor of Madison St. Francis Parish; Father David O’Connor, pastor of Natchez Assumption  Parish and St. Mary Basilica; and Bishop Emeritus Joseph Latino celebrated 50 years of priestly life June 3, 6, and 18, respectively. On June 10, Father Robert Dore of Columbus Annuciation marked 25 years of ordination.
All of the celebrations honored the gift of priesthood both ministerial and the “common priesthood of the faithful.” Each observance highlighted the life of the ordained within the life of the church and his service to the presbyterate as well as the priestly life.
Both ordained and laity participate in the priesthood of the church. In his homily on June 6, Bishop Latino focused on the dignity of the priesthood and defined its dimensions using the Cathechism of the Catholic Church (CCC):
Christ, high priest and unique mediator, has made of the Church “a kingdom, priests for his God and Father.” The whole community of believers is, as such, priestly. the faithful exercise their baptismal priesthood through their participation, each according to his own vocation, in Christ’s mission as priest, prophet, and king. Through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation the faithful are “consecrated to be . . . a holy priesthood.” (CCC #1546)
The ministerial or hierarchical priesthood of bishops and priests, and the common priesthood of all the faithful participate, “each in its own proper way, in the one priesthood of Christ.” While being “ordered one to another,” they differ essentially. In what sense? While the common priesthood of the faithful is exercised by the unfolding of baptismal grace – a life of faith, hope, and charity, a life according to the Spirit –  the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. It is directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all Christians. the ministerial priesthood is a means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads his Church. For this reason it is transmitted by its own sacrament, the sacrament of Holy Orders. (CCC #1547)
Although each celebration was one evening in the life of the church. Each life of service honored is a witness to the building up of God’s Kingdom. Each of these lives is a testimony to the church’s mission in the world to bring the Good News to all, especially those who are marginalized, oppressed, wounded and alone.
We give thanks to Almighty God for the gift of priesthood and the men who carry out the office.

Bishops continue Fortnight for Freedom; religious freedom highlights days of prayer

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By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
As a nation we eagerly look ahead later next week to commemorate and celebrate our nation’s most revered national holiday, the Fourth of July. We cherish our political, religious and civil freedoms, and in recent times the Church has honed in on that freedom that has priority of place in the First Amendment of our Constitution, Religious Freedom.
The First Amendment states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
The Catholic Church, along with many other religious leaders, theologians, lay practitioners, and community servants believe that a significant threat to religious liberty is afoot in the land.  (Their joint July 2, 2013 statement may be found on page 14.) The Department of Health and Human Service’s mandate of insurance coverage for sterilization, contraception, and abortion-inducing drugs in the Affordable Care Act commonly referred to, as Obamacare is the direct threat to religious liberty. Many people of faith and good will are observing that the government has taken it upon itself to narrowly define who is entitled to enjoy the religious freedom that is guaranteed in the First Amendment of our Constitution.
The HHS’ mandate seeks to narrowly exempt from the Health Care Law only those who are employed in houses of worship, and is not extending the same religious liberty to those who work and serve in in Catholic health care facilities, educational institutions and social services.
The Church believes that the mission Jesus Christ entrusted to us is a seamless garment of worship, Word, and service that is protected by the First Amendment and cannot be arbitrarily dissected by unjust laws. This is nothing short of prohibiting the free exercise of religion, or the freedom to serve.
In other words, religious liberty is not only about our ability to go to Mass on Sunday or pray the rosary at home. It is about whether we can make our contribution to the common good of all Americans. Can we do the good works our faith calls us to do, without having to compromise that very same faith? Without religious liberty properly understood, all Americans suffer, deprived of the essential contribution in education, health care, feeding the hungry, civil rights and social services that religious Americans make every day, both here at home and overseas.
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America issued a statement about the administration’s contraception and sterilization mandate that captured exactly the danger that we face:
Most troubling, is the Administration’s underlying rationale for its decision, which appears to be a view that if a religious entity is not insular, but engaged with broader society, it loses its “religious” character and liberties. Many faiths firmly believe in being open to and engaged with broader society and fellow citizens of other faiths. The Administration’s ruling makes the price of such an outward approach the violation of an organization’s religious principles. This is deeply disappointing.
This is not a Catholic issue. This is not a Jewish issue. This is not an Orthodox, Mormon, or Muslim issue. It is an American issue.
As Christians of various traditions we object to a “naked public square,” stripped of religious arguments and religious believers. We do not seek a “sacred public square” either, which gives special privileges and benefits to religious citizens. Rather, we seek a civil public square, where all citizens can make their contribution to the common good. At our best, we might call this an American public square established in the First Amendment of our cherished Constitution.
As Freedom Summer unfolds before us, we recall the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Americans shone the light of the Gospel on a dark history of slavery, segregation, and racial bigotry. The civil rights movement was an essentially religious movement, a call to awaken consciences, not only an appeal to the Constitution for America to honor its heritage of liberty.
In his famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in 1963, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. boldly said, “The goal of America is freedom.” As a Christian pastor, he argued that to call America to the full measure of that freedom was the specific contribution Christians are obliged to make. He rooted his legal and constitutional arguments about justice in the long Christian tradition:
I would agree with Saint Augustine “An unjust law is no law at all.” Now what is the difference between the two? How does one determine when a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of Saint Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.
It is a sobering thing to contemplate our government enacting an unjust law. An unjust law cannot be obeyed. In the face of an unjust law, an accommodation is not to be sought, especially by resorting to equivocal words and deceptive practices. If we face today the prospect of unjust laws, then Catholics in America, in solidarity with our fellow citizens, must have the courage not to obey them. No American desires this. No Catholic welcomes it. But if it should fall upon us, we must discharge it as a duty of citizenship and an obligation of faith.
We are Catholics. We are Americans. We are proud to be both, grateful for the gift of faith which is ours as Christian disciples, and grateful for the gift of liberty which is ours as American citizens. To be Catholic and American should mean not having to choose one over the other. Our allegiances are distinct, but they need not be contradictory, and should instead be complementary. That is the teaching of our Catholic faith, which obliges us to work together with fellow citizens for the common good of all who live in this land. That is the vision of our founding and our Constitution, which guarantees citizens of all religious faiths the right to contribute to our common life together.
Have a blessed Fourth of July that sparkles with the dignity of life at all stages, the blessing of liberty on all levels and the pursuit of happiness that finds its source and summit in the One who bestows all life and freedoms.

KCs knock it out of park for local, national charities

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By Mary Woodward
PEARL – Thursday, June 19, was “KC Night at the Ballpark” at Trustmark Park, home of the Mississippi Braves, a Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves. The annual event is sponsored by local Knights of Columbus Councils and helps promote the charitable acts of the organization. Bishop Joseph Kopacz threw out one of the ceremonial first pitches of the game. The pitch was a little outside, but did not bounce.
A Fourth Degree Honor Guard presented the nation’s colors for the singing of the Star Spangled Banner.  More than 125 local knights and friends participated in the event, which gave the broader community a look at the Catholic church and its organizations.
According to PRNewswire-USNewswire, the Knights of Columbus set a new all-time record for charitable donations and service hours in 2013 while helping in communities worldwide, including by responding to a number of large-scale humanitarian crises.

The Knights’ Annual Survey of Fraternal Activity for the year ending Dec. 31, 2013, reports Knights donated record amounts of money and hours of volunteer service — more than $170 million and more than 70.5 million hours.
Contributions increased for the 14th consecutive year, growing by more than $2.3 million to $170,135,754.
“Charity has been at the heart of the Knights’ mission for the past 132 years,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. “Whether with funds or service, and whether quietly helping someone overcome a personal tragedy or assisting in the aftermath of a widely known humanitarian disaster, the outpouring of charity by our members produces meaningful results, especially by helping to bring peace of mind to those who find themselves in incredibly difficult situations.”
Following the late April tornado outbreak in Central and Northeast Mississippi, Knights of Columbus Councils swung into action, processing hundreds of volunteers, bringing in 1,100 pounds of donated food and water, and putting in more than 7,000 hours of volunteers service in Lee, Rankin and Warren counties.
The response to unexpected tragedies was accomplished while the Knights continued their strong support within their communities through initiatives like the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids and Food for Families, programs supporting those with intellectual disabilities, organizing blood drives, and providing funding and volunteer time to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics and the American Wheelchair Mission.
Cumulative figures show that during the past decade the Knights of Columbus has donated nearly $1.5 billion to charity and 683 million hours of volunteer service in support of charitable initiatives.
The Knights of Columbus was founded by Venerable Father Michael McGivney, a New Haven parish priest, in 1882. The organization was formed to provide charitable outreach and care for the financial well being of Catholic families, focusing on the protection of widows and orphans, and on strengthening the faith of its members.

Lay ministers play important role in diocese

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By Maureen Smith
Since the Catholic Diocese of Jackson does not have enough priests to staff every parish and mission full time with an ordained pastor of its own, the church has called on lay members to help with administrative, educational and other jobs. These people, called lay ecclesial ministers (LEM), are appointed by the bishop, go through a formation process through the diocese and fall under the supervision of a priest. Pastoral ministers, such as music leaders or youth leaders, also serve their church using their gifts, but are not appointed by the bishop the way LEMs are.
“LEMs have the regular administrative duties a pastor would normally have – such as presiding over the parish council and finance committee, maintaining sacramental records and serving as administrator of parish property. LEMs are also empowered by the bishop of the diocese to preach the Word of God at a daily Communion service or at a Sunday service in the absence of a priest; and baptize in the absence of a priest, as well as coordinate and perform other sacramental and liturgical ministry,” explained Sheila Przesmicki, who serves as the LEM at Booneville St. Francis of Assisi parish.
Paula Fulton became the LEM at Louisville Sacred Heart Parish June 1, replacing a retiring Barbara Sturbaum who served in the position for 21 years. She will work with two assistants to serve the Catholic community there. “I want our church members to find projects and participate in the community.
Hopefully our membership will grow and include more young families,” said Fulton. She became interested in lay ministry when a pair of nuns came to run her parish because of the priest shortage. She said now she is committed to the idea of lay leadership. “If our church is going to continue to grow and thrive, lay leaders must evolve and become committed to continuing our presence in small communities,” she said.
A pastor must first recommend someone to start training to be an LEM. The training, offered and coordinated by the Office of Faith Formation includes academic and practical knowledge. “Lay Ecclesial Ministers, Pastoral Ministers and others who serve as lay leaders have the opportunity for an annual weekend retreat, a week-long training every June at Lake Tiak O’Khata, participation in LIMEX or Spring Hill College courses, as well as theology courses provided through the Diocesan Catechist Certification process,” explains the training document from the Faith Formation office on how a lay person becomes an LEM. They also have the opportunity to take classes to learn other practical skills such as parish administration, team leadership and education.
Both Spring Hill College and the University of Loyola in New Orleans, which offers the LIMEX program, offer extension programs in the diocese in which people can earn a master’s degree in theology. LEMs need this kind of academic training when they are running the day-to-day operations of a parish, planning liturgical celebrations and dealing with issues in a parish, but LEMs do not administer sacraments. The LEM will collaborate with the priest who ministers to the spiritual needs of a community.
Przesmicki said she did not have an ‘a-ha’ moment leading her into lay leadership, but has been involved in the work of the church since she was a child. “My first job in ministry was in the fourth or fifth grade when Father (her pastor) asked me to straighten up the books in church and make sure the kneelers were up on Mondays. He paid me a dollar to do it and I was just so pleased to have something to do,” she said. She took on larger roles as the years passed until she was called to replace a retiring sister who ministered to the parish in Houston. She said the gradual call kept leading her to more and more work in the diocese.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) outlines the role, supervision and training of lay people who serve in ministry in a document called “Co-workers in the vineyard of the Lord.” “Today in parishes, schools, church institutions, and diocesan agencies, laity serve in various ‘ministries, offices and roles’ that do not require sacramental ordination but rather ‘find their foundation in the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, indeed, for a good many of them, in the Sacrament of Matrimony.’
“What Pope Paul VI said of the laity thirty years ago—and what the Catechism of the Catholic Church specifically repeats — has now become an important, welcomed reality throughout our dioceses,” reads part of the introduction. The Diocese of Jackson has 17 parish LEMs and countless other lay catechists, parish leaders and more.
“The term “lay ecclesial minister” is generic. It is meant to encompass and describe several possible roles. In parish life — to cite only one sphere of involvement —  the pastoral associate, parish catechetical leader, youth ministry leader, school principal, and director of liturgy or pastoral music are examples of such roles. Participation in the exercise of the pastoral care of a parish, as described in the Code of Canon Law, canon 517 §2,12 is another example,” continues the USCCB document.

Sisters mark jubilees

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werkhooven

Werkhooven

DUBUQUE, Iowa – Sister Maria van Werkhooven, a Sister of Charity, BVM, will celebrate 50 years in religious life this summer.
In the Diocese of Jackson Sister van Werkhooven ministered as medical technologist and manager of the laboratories in Mound Bayou Community Hospital and Delta Health Center, Mound Bayou.

She worked as medical technologist in Papua New Guinea and Dubuque, Iowa, where she was also supervisor of the chemistry lab. In Memphis, Tenn., she received a fellowship in administration, and has served as manager and vice president of planning and business development, project specialist and director of administration, all in health care facilities. Currently she is the director of the Office of Medical Research, Regional Medical Center in Memphis.
“The places where I have ministered have each been object lessons in discovering how God is calling me to live in relationship with my BVM sisters and the people with whom I work and live. Having always worked in the area of healthcare . . . I have had professionally enriching opportunities,” says Sister Maria. She will enjoy a celebration as part of regular Saturday Vigil Mass on Aug. 30 at St. Peter Church, Memphis.

 

welding

Welding

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – On June 21, 73 U.S. School Sisters of St. Francis celebrated milestone anniversaries of service as women religious. In addition, five lay women and men in associate relationship with the community celebrated their 40-year jubilee, and one celebrated her 25-year jubilee. Eight of these sisters served in the Diocese of Jackson:
Sister Arlene Welding, a native of Oakdale, Nebraska, celebrated her 75th anniversary. She has a bachelor’s degree from Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wis., and a master’s degree from the University of San Francisco. Sister Welding taught at St. Francis School in Yazoo City (1953-1962). She currently resides in Campbellsport, Wisconsin.

 

doyle

Doyle

Three sisters celebrated 70 years of religious life:
Sister Michele Doyle was born in Forest Park, Ill. She has a bachelor’s degree from Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wis., and master’s degrees from Loyola University and the University of St. Thomas. In the Diocese of Jackson, she taught at St. Francis High School in Yazoo City (1949–1969 and 1973-1975) and Jackson State University (1969–1975). She also served as director of adult religious education for the diocese (1975–1983) and was director of education at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Madison (1991-2006).
Sister Doyle worked part-time at Mississippi Catholic for sevreal years helping to connect the paper with Catholic schools and religious education classes. She was chairman of the paper’s advisory board. Sister Doyle helped coordinate lay leadership training classes for the diocesan Faith Formation Office. She currently serves as a part-time lay minister in Jackson.

 

pisors

Pisors

Sister Helen Pisors (de Porres) was born in Kansas City, Missouri. She has a bachelor’s degree from Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a master’s degree from the University of Mississippi in Oxford.
In the Diocese of Jackson, she taught at CADET School in Holly Springs (1969-1980 and 1990-1995) and Holy Family School in Holly Springs (1995 -1998), and served as a volunteer at her convent home in Walls (1998-2006). Sister Pisors currently resides in Campbellsport, Wis.

 

reinke

Reinke

Sister Mary Louise Reinke was born in Chicago, Ill. She has a bachelor’s degree from Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wis., and a master’s degree from Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss.
In the Diocese of Jackson, she was principal at St. Francis School in Yazoo City (1965-1966), reading consultant at Christ the King School in Jackson (1966–1969), reading consultant for the diocese (1969-1970 and 1971-1973), teacher at St. Joseph High School in Jackson (1970–1971), director for the St. Francis Head start Program in Yazoo City (1973-1975), and for Yazoo Community Action Head start Program (1975-1998).  Sister currently resides in Greenfield, Wis.

 

schmidtknecht

Schmidtknecht

Sister Ramona Ann Schmidtknecht (Sophronia) celebrated her 60th anniversary of religious life. She was born in Galesville, Wis.  She has a bachelor’s degree from Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wis., and a master’s degree from St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri.
In the Diocese of Jackson she served as a teacher at St. Mary School in Holly Springs (1963-1969); teacher at CADET School in Holly Springs (1969-1995); director at Child Care Center in Holly Springs (1973-1975); teacher at Holy Family School in Holly Springs (1995-1999); and food service manager at Christopher Care Center in Holly Springs (1999-2001) and at Holy Family Early Childhood Center in Holly Springs (2001-2004).
Since 2004, she has taught at Holy Family Early Childhood Center in Holly Springs, where she resides.

 

Three sisters celebrated 50 years:

englhaupt

Engelhaupt

Sister Bernadette Engelhaupt (Ronald Marie) was born in Spencer, Nebraska. She has a bachelor’s degree from Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wis., and a master’s degree from Loyola University in Chicago, Ill. In the Diocese of Jackson, she served as parish minister at St. Mary Parish in Iuka (2002-2009). She currently resides in Loup City, Nebraska.

 

 

 

mcnulty

McNulty

Sister Kathleen McNulty was born in Blue Island, Ill. She has a bachelor’s degree from Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wis., and a master’s degree from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Col. In the Diocese of Jackson, she taught at St. Francis School in Yazoo City (1968-1969) and CADET School in Holly Springs (1969-1975 and 1976-1978).  She currently resides in Chicago, Ill.

 

 

heiderscheit

Heiderscheit

Sister Dorothy Heiderscheit,  was born in Holy Cross, Iowa. She received a bachelor’s degree from Briar Cliff University, Sioux City, Iowa, and Marycrest College in Davenport, Iowa; and a master’s degree from Tulane University, New Orleans. She served at Region V Community Mental Health Center, Greenville; Catholic Charities, Jackson, and was a member of the congregation’s leadership team.
Sister Heiderscheit is currently the CEO of The Southdown Institute, Holland Landing, Ontario, Canada.

 

picucci

Picucci

INDIANA – Sister Loretta Picucci, a native of Chicago, is one of 10 Sisters of Providence of Saint Matry-of-the-Woods, who will celebrate 50 years with the congregation this year. She currently ministers in Hispanic ministry at Providence in the Desert, Coachella, Calif. She graduated from Loyola University with a bachelor’s degree in Latin. In the Diocese of Jackson se served in Tunica at Outreach Service Minister, Sacred Heart Mission (1983-91).

Libertad de religión realza días de oración

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Por Obispo Joseph Kopazc
Como una nación esperamos con entusiasmo a finales de la próxima semana conmemorar y celebrar el día festivo nacional más venerado de nuestra nación,  el Cuatro de Julio. Valoramos nuestras libertades políticas, religiosas y civiles, y en los últimos tiempos la Iglesia ha perfeccionado en esa libertad que tiene lugar prioritario en la Primera Enmienda de nuestra Constitución, la libertad religiosa.
La Primera Enmienda establece que “El Congreso no aprobará ley alguna que adopte el establecimiento de una religión o se prohíba el libre ejercicio de las mismas”. La Iglesia Católica, junto con muchos otros líderes religiosos, teólogos, practicantes laicos y agentes comunitarios, cree que una importante amenaza a la libertad religiosa está en marcha en la tierra. (Ver pag. 14 para la declaración que acompaña este artículo)
El mandato del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos (HHS) sobre la cobertura de los seguros médicos para esterilización, anticoncepción y medicamentos inductores para el aborto en la Ley de Asistencia Asequible, lo que se conoce como Obama Care, es la amenaza directa a la libertad religiosa. Muchas personas de fe y buena voluntad, han observado que el gobierno ha tomado sobre sí mismo el definir estrictamente quien tiene derecho a disfrutar de la libertad religiosa que está garantizada en la Primera Enmienda de nuestra Constitución.
El mandato del HHS busca estrictamente exonerar de la Ley de Atención a la Salud únicamente a los que trabajan en lugares de culto, y no está extendiendo la misma libertad religiosa a los que trabajan y sirven en centros católicos de asistencia a la salud, instituciones educativas y de servicios sociales. La Iglesia cree que la misión que Jesucristo nos encomendó es una túnica inconsútil de culto, Palabra, y servicio, que está protegida por la Primera Enmienda y no puede ser arbitrariamente dividida por leyes injustas. Esto es casi como prohibir el libre ejercicio de la religión o la libertad de servir.
En otras palabras, la libertad religiosa no es sólo sobre nuestra capacidad de ir a misa los domingos o rezar el rosario en casa. Se trata de si podemos hacer nuestra contribución al bien común de todos los americanos. ¿Podemos hacer las buenas obras que nuestra fe nos llama a hacer, sin tener que comprometer esa misma fe? Sin una libertad religiosa bien entendida, todos los estadounidenses sufren, privados de la contribución esencial en educación, salud, alimentación de los necesitados, los derechos civiles, y los servicios sociales que los estadounidenses religiosos hacen todos los días, tanto aquí en casa como en el extranjero.
La Unión de Congregaciones Judías Ortodoxas de América emitió una declaración acerca del mandato de la administración sobre la anticoncepción y la esterilización que capturó exactamente el peligro al que nos enfrentamos:
Lo más preocupante, es la lógica subyacente de la Administración para su decisión, que parece ser la opinión de que si una entidad religiosa no es insular, pero comprometida con la sociedad en general, pierde su carácter y libertades “religiosas”. Muchas religiones creen firmemente en estar abiertas y comprometidas con la sociedad en general; y con conciudadanos de otras religiones. La decisión de la Administración hace el precio de este enfoque hacia el exterior la violación de los principios religiosos de la organización. Esto es profundamente decepcionante.
Este no es un tema católico. Esta no es una cuestión judía. Este no es un problema ortodoxo, mormón, o musulmán. Es un tema americano.
Como cristianos de diversas tradiciones nos oponemos a una “plaza pública desarmada”, despojada de argumentos religiosos y creyentes. No buscamos una “plaza pública sagrada” tampoco, que le da privilegios y beneficios especiales a los ciudadanos religiosos. Más bien, buscamos una plaza pública civil, donde todos los ciudadanos pueden hacer su contribución al bien común. A lo mejor,  podríamos llamar esto una plaza pública americana establecida en la Primera Enmienda de nuestra querida Constitución.
Mientras el Verano de la Libertad (Freedom Summer) se despliega ante nosotros, recordamos el movimiento de los derechos civiles de los años 1950 y 1960. Los estadounidenses relumbraron la luz del Evangelio en una oscura historia de esclavitud, segregación e intolerancia racial. El movimiento de los derechos civiles fue un movimiento esencialmente religioso, un llamado a despertar las conciencias, no sólo un llamado a la Constitución de los Estados Unidos para cumplir con su herencia de libertad.
En su famosa “Carta desde la cárcel de Birmingham”, en 1963, el Reverendo Martin Luther King Jr. dijo valientemente: “El objetivo de Estados Unidos es la libertad.” Como un pastor cristiano, argumentó que llamar a América a la plena medida de que esa libertad es la contribución específica que los cristianos están obligados a hacer. El fundamentó sus argumentos legales y constitucionales sobre la justicia en la larga tradición cristiana:
Estoy de acuerdo con San Agustín en que “Una ley injusta no es ley en absoluto”. Ahora ¿cuál es la diferencia entre las dos? ¿Cómo uno determina si una ley es justa o injusta? Una ley justa es un código hecho por el hombre que cuadra con la ley moral o la ley de Dios. Una ley injusta es un código que no está en armonía con la ley moral. Para decirlo en los términos de Santo Tomás de Aquino, una ley injusta es una ley humana que no está apoyada en la ley eterna y la ley natural.
Es algo preocupante contemplar a nuestro gobierno promulgando una ley injusta. Una ley injusta no puede ser obedecida. Frente a una ley injusta, no se ha de buscar un ajuste, especialmente recurriendo a palabras equívocas y prácticas engañosas. Si nos enfrentamos hoy en día a la perspectiva de leyes injustas, entonces los católicos en los Estados Unidos, en solidaridad con nuestros conciudadanos, debemos tener el valor de no obedecerlas. Ningún estadounidense desea esto. Ningún católico la acoge. Pero si esta cae sobre nosotros, debemos cumplir como un deber a la ciudadanía y una obligación de la fe.
Somos católicos. Somos americanos. Estamos orgullosos de ser ambos, agradecidos por el don de la fe que es nuestra como discípulos cristianos, y agradecidos por el don de la libertad que es nuestra como ciudadanos estadounidenses. Ser católico y americano deben significar no tener que elegir uno sobre el otro. Nuestras lealtades son distintas pero no tienen por qué ser contradictorias, y en su lugar deben ser complementarias. Esa es la enseñanza de nuestra fe católica, que nos obliga a trabajar juntos con otros ciudadanos por el bien común de todos los que viven en esta tierra. Esa es la visión de nuestro fundador y de nuestra Constitución, que garantiza a los ciudadanos de todas las creencias religiosas el derecho a contribuir a nuestra vida en común.
Que tengan un bendito Cuatro de Julio que brille con la dignidad de la vida en todas sus etapas, la bendición de la libertad  en todos los niveles y la búsqueda de la felicidad que encuentra su fuente y cumbre en el que otorga toda la vida y las libertades fundamentales.

Migration center seeks new funding

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Former and current employees of the Migrant Support Center advocate for immigration reform at the state capitol. This is just one of many ministries of the office (File photo by Elsa Baughman)

By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – The Migrant Support Center, a ministry of Catholic Charities Jackson formerly called the Immigration Clinic, files between 700-800 cases a year with a staff of one caseworker, a part-time assistant and a contract attorney. The center provides a variety of direct services to the immigrant population in the area, including family-based services to individuals seeking adjustment of immigration status, work authorization, naturalization and citizenship, as well as interpretation and translation services.
The center is now seeking new sources of funding. The grant money that started the service has run its course. Teresita Turner, the director of the center, said the center offers much-needed services with its limited resources.
“This is about more than just paperwork. This is about changing lives,” said Turner. “Seeing a family reunited that has been separated for years, seeing a woman be able to escape an abusive situation, seeing someone have an opportunity to change their life, that’s what makes this important,” she said. One of her most memorable cases involved a man with five children who came to the U.S. to work 30 years ago. He was forced to leave part of his family back home. While he was home for a Christmas visit he was kidnapped and held for months while his kidnappers tried to extort money from his family. When he finally escaped, Turner was able to get him asylum and had a case for bringing the rest of the family to protect them from future attacks.
These kinds of cases fit right in with what Catholics are called to do, according to Greg Patin, executive director of Catholic Charities. “Catholic Charities Migrant Support Center brings to life a number of the principles of Catholic social teaching,” said Patin. “Primarily, the center exemplifies the principle of the dignity of the human person. Each person is made in the image and likeness of God and does not lose their dignity because of circumstance, poverty or country of origin. We demonstrate the principle of the dignity of work – the right of all people to be co-creators with God in the world by having access to decent and productive work,” he said.
Immigration services are just the tip of the iceberg, said Turner. The center seeks to educate its clients. “We teach English, we do presentations on taxes, we explain their rights and responsibilities so they can be good citizens and participate in their communities, even if they are just here visiting or working,” she said. She has even helped translate a driver’s manual so clients can understand the rules of the road.
Her clients range from students to workers in the construction, agricultural and service industries. She ticked off a list of at least 20 countries from which her clients hail, Nigeria, Mexico, Belize, Colombia, India, and the Philippines.The list goes on and on.
New immigrant business owners generated $181 million in net income in Mississippi in 2010, according to the American Immigration Council. Foreign born entrepreneurs own more than four percent of all businesses in the state. Students are also a part of the economic picture, contributing more than $42 million to the state economy annually. The council stated that more than a third of the immigrants in Mississippi are naturalized citizens.
Many of the Migrant Service Center clients are eligible for a fee waiver from the government. Others are in the U.S. seeking political asylum or have become victims of crime. Turner has had cases of women who came to the U.S. to be with a fiancé only to discover that person is abusive.
Turner said migrants who are victimized are granted a special protected status if they cooperate with authorities. One of the families she helped was robbed four times. When they told Turner, she was able to put them in touch with the police. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and several police departments across the state have asked Turner to lead workshops or assist in their cases.
Migrants can apply for visas or green cards on their own, but the process is complicated and fraught with pitfalls. They may get all the way through the initial paperwork process, but if they have forgotten one item of documentation or misunderstand one step, they lose their chance. Simpson Goodman, the attorney for the center, said understanding their rights and responsibilities can make all the difference.
The center cannot help anyone who entered the country illegally. Those who cross illegally, said Turner, must return to their home countries and apply for entry.
Sometimes, Turner is able to refer migrants to appropriate auxiliary resources. She had one client who was homeless, had lost his green card and had mental health issues. Not only was Turner able to get his documents back in order, she was able to locate his family, who were overjoyed to welcome him home.

The center also hosts consulates from many nations. “Basically, the consul will come and we will secure a place for them and be on hand to help with paperwork so people can come renew their passports or other paperwork,” she explained.
The field of immigration is a constantly changing landscape, said both Turner and Goodman. “We have to take training constantly to stay current on laws, on who is eligible for asylum and more,” she said. This training takes time and money from the already strained budget. Turner used to have a case worker in Vardaman, but budget constraints cut that position. Now she has to travel all across the state to try and serve the growing population.
Turner said the board of directors is seeking money from corporations who rely on foreign workers, but they are also making an appeal to individuals and parishes to send the money needed to keep the doors open. “We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. We strive every day to ‘welcome the stranger’ to our land,” said Patin.
Contact Michael Thomas at Catholic Charities at 601-355-8634 or michael.thomas@ccjackson.org to donate. Mention Migrant Support Services on all checks.

Ordination Mass showcases ancient rites

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By Maureen Smith and Mary Woodward
The Mass of ordination for Binh Nguyen, José de Jesús Sánchez and Rusty Vincent honored the cultures of all three men and the church. Hymns, chants and readings in Spanish, Vietnamese, English and Latin alluded to the ancient tradition and modern reality of Catholicism. Bishop Joseph Kopacz greeted the congregation and thanked the ordinands’ families in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Planning for the celebration began months ago as the men completed their studies. Volunteers and staff members from the cathedral and chancery helped with every detail from parking arrangements to handing out programs and making sure the tables at the reception were well stocked with food.
The night before the Mass the ordinands gathered in the cathedral with Bishop Kopacz, the other seminarians, who acted as servers at the Mass and the ministers of ceremony to rehearse for the big day. The rehearsal began with Vespers, evening prayer, sung by all those gathered. The mood was quiet, but expectant as the seminarians led the small congregation in song and prayer.
The Rite has many parts so the then-deacons walked through every movement so they could better understand the mechanics of the ordination as well as have some time to reflect on its impact. Mary Woodward spoke to each seminarian about the responses he would be expected to give, when to stand and kneel and how the Mass would proceed. The Rite of Ordination commences after the Gospel. It began when Father Matthew Simmons, director of the diocesan vocations office, called forward the men and Father James Wehner, rector of Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, attested that the men were ready to be ordained priests.
Bishop Kopacz directed his homily to the three, calling to mind Pope Francis’ exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium,” (The Joy of the Gospel), explaining that our joy is a reflection of God’s joy for us.
He called Holy Orders a special gift given directly to the men, but also to the whole church. “In turn, the gift of their lives laid down in loving service will be a blessing to the People of God, the Body of Christ, scattered throughout the Diocese of Jackson,” said Bishop Kopacz. “Without a doubt you are a gift to all of the clergy of this diocese. Each year at the Chrism Mass priests renew the promises  we made on the day of our ordination. In a singular way today, as we lay hands upon you, you are inspiring us to stir into flame the gift we received with the laying on of hands,” he added.
He told them the call to the priesthood does not end at ordination. It is a life-long call, starting in the family, the domestic church, and continuing through their lives. “Those in the vocation ministry and in seminary formation, through dialogue, discernment, teaching and preaching, brought the Lord’s call in your lives into living waters. Without a doubt it takes an entire church to inspire and cultivate a vocation. It’s a community effort, and ultimately God’s work,” said the bishop.
After the homily each of the ordinands made five promises. As described in the rite the promises are to discharge the office of priesthood in the presbyteral rank as worthy fellow workers with the Order of Bishops; to exercise the ministry of the Word worthily and wisely, preaching the Gospel and teaching the Catholic faith; to celebrate faithfully and reverently the mysteries of Christ handed down by the church, especially the sacrifice of the Eucharist and the sacrament of Reconciliation, for the glory of God and the sanctification of the Christian people; to implore God’s mercy upon the people entrusted to their care by observing the command to pray without ceasing and to be united more closely every day to Christ the High Priest, who offered himself for us to the Father as a pure sacrifice and to consecrate themselves to God for the salvation of all.
The men then knelt individually before the bishop, placed their hands in his and promised obedience to him and his successors. The next part of the rite is perhaps the one that most people associate visually with ordination. The men then prostrate themselves  before the altar as the  congregation prays the litany of the saints. The prayer calls to mind the ancient tradition of asking the saints to pray for us and calls for the Holy Spirit to come down on the men about to be ordained.
Bishop Kopacz laid hands on each candidate’s head, and then each priest present also imposed hands on the men in silence symbolizing the men are joining the presbyterial college of the local church. The priests remained in the sanctuary, surrounding the bishop as he invoked the prayer of ordination. This prayer traces the priesthood from the call of Aaron in the Old Testament to the work of Jesus in the New Testament.
The new priests were then vested in stole and chasuble by a priest they had chosen, usually a mentor. Father Nguyen had Archbishop Emeritus Alfred Hughes of New Orleans, his spiritual director help vest him. Father Joseph Palermo, director of spiritual formation for Notre Dame Seminary vested Father Sanchez and Father Vincent’s uncle, Father Patrick Mascarella of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, vested him. Ideally priests should always wear a stole and chasuble when they celebrate Mass thus vesting symbolizes the men’s new status as priests.

Following the vesting came the anointing of the new priests hands. Anointing is a tradition dating to the earliest days of God’s covenant with his people. The bishop anointed the palms of each ordinand with Sacred Chrism consecrated on Tuesday of  Holy Week at the Mass of the Oils.
Family members then brought up the gifts so the bishop can present each new priest with a chalice filled with water and wine and a paten with a host on it. The men held the gifts as the bishop recited the command, “Receive from the Holy People of God the gifts to be offered to God. Know what you do, imitate what you celebrate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross.”
The Rite concludes with the ancient exchange of the fraternal kiss of peace. The bishop offered it first to each priest and then all the priests in attendance took their turns giving the men a hearty hug. The exchange of peace is a way for the local clergy to welcome their new coworkers into their ranks.
The Mass continued with the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Before the final blessing each priest greeted the congregation. Father Nguyen read his greeting in Vietnamese, Father Sanchez in Spanish. Father Vincent approached the ambo and began, “I guess I’ll just talk in English.” He spoke of how he was feeling the joy St. John felt upon hearing Mary’s voice, saying he could barely contain it. That same joy rippled throughout the congregation as the bishop announced parish assignments for the men.

The congregation erupted in applause as each assignment was read. Father Nguyen will serve at Madison St. Francis of Assisi; Father Sanchez in the Catholic Community of Meridian, St. Patrick and St. Joseph, and Father Vincent will go to Greenville St. Joseph.
Festivities continued in the Cathedral Center with a reception for everyone. Those who attended were treated to a variety of foods. Members of the Vietnamese community came early to prepare hundreds of hand-rolled spring rolls on site to serve at the party along with catered food served by dozens of volunteers.
The Cathedral Flower guild created overflowing flower arrangements for the tables in the center full of dark pink, white and green flowers to compliment the colors of the cathedral. Well-wishers could sign guest books congratulating the three new priests and leave cards and gifts on a table set up just for that purpose.

Ordinands, families, friends share joyful day

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By Maureen Smith
The ordination Mass of Binh Nguyen, José de Jesús Sánchez and Rusty Vincent had joyful overtones from the very start. Not only was it the first time in many years more than one man was ordained at a time in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, but it was celebrated Saturday, May 31, the Feast of the Visitation, when St. John the Baptist leaped in his mother’s womb upon hearing our Blessed Mother’s voice and sensing the presence of the Lord in her womb.
The men being ordained reflect the diversity of the universal church as well as the diversity of the local church in the Diocese of Jackson. Father Nguyen, a native of Vietnam, has served the Vietnamese community around Forest. Many of these Catholics came to Mississippi thanks to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) efforts to resettle refugees after the Vietnam War. Members of the community gather regularly to honor and celebrate their heritage with Masses in Vietnamese at both Forest St. Michael and Jackson St. Therese Parishes.
“I first met Binh Nguyen when he was on a summer assignment at my home parish in Meridian,” said seminarian Nick Adam. “I was immediately impressed with his hard work ethic and happy disposition. Binh was always ready to help out in any way he could, and he had such a great attitude,” Adam continued.
Father Sánchez left his native Mexico to serve the missions in Mississippi which have a growing and very active Hispanic community. Adam described him as welcoming, kind and thoughtful. “He even showed me how to properly tie a knot in a cincture,” he joked.
Father Vincent is a local vocation who has taught in the Catholic schools in the diocese. He calls Pearl St. Jude his home parish. The other seminarians describe his quiet sense of humor and good attitude as some of his best assets.
Family members from Mexico, Vietnam and across the U.S. took their seats in the front rows of the cathedral to witness the rite. “I am overwhelmed with emotion, a big emotion, I can’t describe it,” said Jesús Sánchez, father of Father Sánchez, with a soft and warm voice. “God has given him the blessing of this day today, to be ordained a priest and we are all very happy for him,” he added
Father Nguyen’s parents are deceased, but an aunt and a sister and brother attended the ordination. “The day of ordination was a very beautiful and grace-filled day in my Christian life,” said Father Nguyen after the Mass. “God is good, all the time,” he added.
Father Vincent’s parents, Rhea and Denise Vincent, attended as did his siblings, their spouses, children and lots of extended family.
“The day of our ordination was an incredible occasion. The excitement and nerves of the whole day flowed through me,” said Father Vincent in the week after the event. “The most memorable part was when the oil was poured into my hands, for it was a sign of me being conformed to Christ. It was a day that I was filled with joy, and it was a blessing to finally realize my vocation and I’m looking forward to serving the diocese,” he went on to say.
While ordination falls at the end of a long process of discernment, prayer and study, it is also the start of a new journey. “As the director of vocations and a fellow priest, I am very happy for Binh and José de Jesús and Rusty. Bishop Kopacz emphasized to the personnel board in making their parish assignments that he was more concerned about their having a good assignment than he was about putting them where they might be most needed. That support of the bishop for the newly ordained is very important,” said Father Matthew Simmons.
Father Simmons said in the past priests might fall prey to the idea that the grace of ordination would somehow make the transition into life as a priest automatic. That’s not so, said Father Simmons. “Instead, a newly ordained priest and, indeed, every priest needs to be proactive in his relationship with God as a priest,” he said. “Thinking one can coast along is dangerous. When the priests were profiled for the Year of Priests by Mississippi Catholic, I said that the best part of the job as a priest is that people pray for you,” said Father Simmons. “I don’t think priesthood is ever what one expects it to be; so one has to be vigilant in prayer at the time of transition. There is a change in one’s experience of prayer as a priest,” he said. He went on to ask that all the faithful of the diocese continue to pray for the new priests even as they pray for new vocations.
Father Simmons challenged priests to make their joy an inspiration to others. “The National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors emphasizes to every priest that it is his responsibility to recruit at least two men to the priesthood during his lifetime. I am confident that Binh and José de Jesús and Rusty will share their joy in priesthood in such a way that their being priests will bear that kind of fruit for God and His Church.”