Dorsey

GREENWOOD – Four Redemptorist priests have committed to working in Hispanic ministry in the Delta for five years starting this fall. The men will live in Greenwood, but serve in a number of locations throughout the area. The priests, Fathers Patrick Keyes, Ted Dorsey, Scott Kastenberger, and another priest plan to arri ve in mid-August.

The order reformulated its provinces in 1996 as part of a long-term ministry plan. “Part of our formulation of a new province was to establish mobile teams that would be able to work in a diocese for a short term commitment to work in an area of pressing pastoral need that the ordinary structures of the diocese have not been able to reach, or have not been able to reach sufficiently,” explained Father Keyes, the team leader.

Keyes

“Working with the office of Hispanic Ministry for the USCCB and later the Diocese of Jackson, we feel called to work in the Delta. In the past ten years the Hispanic presence in the Delta has increased dramatically and the diocese has begun to reach out to the Hispanics in the area. We believe that we will be able to complement and strengthen the ministry that has already begun,” he added.

Brother Ted Dausch, CFC, head of the Office of Hispanic Ministry, welcomes the resources this collaboration can offer. “It is estimated that in our diocese we have more than 40,000 Hispanics. Of this number, more than 80 percent are baptized Catholic. We are in contact with approximately 6,000 of our fellow Catholic Hispanics, which means there are more than 30,000 we don’t know. This is a source of great pain for me, personally,” said Brother Dausch.

Father Keyes went on to introduce his team. “I participated in a similar ministry of the Redemptorists of the Denver Province in the Diocese of Dodge City, Kansas. I was ordained in 1989 and have worked in Hispanic Ministry in Denver, Chicago and Liberal, Kansas. I also served as a missionary in Brazil working along the Amazon River in Northern Brazil.

Katzenberger

I currently live in New York City where I am the director of our Redemptorist Seminarians.  I will be joined by Father Scott Katzenberger, who was ordained in 1996 and has worked in parishes in New Orleans, and Houston. He has also worked as a missionary in Mexico and he currently serves as assistant Pastor at the Redemptorist Parish in Whittier, California, near Los Angeles,” said Father Keyes. The youngest member of the Redemptorist team is Fr. Ted Dorcey, ordained just last year. Fr. Ted studied Spanish in Cochibamba Bolivia and for the past year he has worked at our Redemptorist Parish in Houston, TX. A fourth priest will be named later.

“In this process, we need your prayers,” said Brother Dausch. “This is not just the work of the Redemptorists, the Office of Hispanic Ministry nor just the diocese, but the mission of the church and ultimately, the mission of Christ,” he added.

JACKSON – St. Therese School will close at the end of this academic year due to low enrollment. Parents got word of the closing in a letter from St. Therese principal Carol McWilliams sent home the week of May 5. The school opened in August of 1959 in what was then a booming post-war neighborhood in South Jackson. The population has declined in recent years as has enrollment. The school served children in pre Kindergarten – sixth grade.

“This decision was not made hastily or without first considering the alternatives. I met with the pastor, Father Norbert, the superintendent of Catholic Schools and the chief financial officer of the Diocese of Jackson to discuss the implications of declining enrollment and what actions could be taken to continue the operations of the school,” wrote McWilliams in her letter to families.

We have tried to ensure that your child(ren) received a quality education while keeping tuition as low as possible. The current economic situation has hit St. Therese hard. The parish does not have sufficient income to fund the school. And, despite our best efforts to obtain outside funding, it is unfortunately not enough to cover the rising costs of operating our school,” she continued.

She closed her message with praise and a request for prayers for the many people who are part of the community. “Both St. Therese and the Diocese of Jackson sincerely appreciate the individuals and families who have supported the mission of Catholic education and the operation of this school for the last 55 years. Throughout its history, St. Therese School has created generations of Christians and academically enriched citizens,” wrote McWilliams.

Earlier this spring, McComb St. Alphonsus School also announced that it would close at the end of the year.

Sister Jacqueline Marie Merz, SSND
CHATAWA – Sister Jacqueline Marie Merz, SSND, died on Sunday, May 4, at St. Mary of the Pines retreat center. She was born on Feb. 18, 1936, in Effingham, Ill. She professed her first vows in 1956.
Sister Merz held masters degrees in economics, business education and theology and served  in schools in Illinois, Missouri and Louisiana before becoming the associate director of religious education for the Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth.
Sister also served on a North American Spiritual Development team and was the provincial leader for her order for two terms. In Mississippi she served as the administrator of St. Mary of the Pines and was a pastoral assistant in Gluckstadt where she was also a founding member of the Notre Dame Education Center in Canton.
She retired to Chatawa in 2011. Her parents preceeded her in death. She is survived by her two sisters and nieces and nephews. Father Brian Kaskie celebrated her funeral Mass on Wednesday, May 7. She is buried in the Chatawa Cemetery. Memorials can be made to St. Mary of the Pines, Chatawa, MS, 39657.

Sister Bettean McDermott, SMSM
SOUTHAVEN – Sister Betteann McDermott, SMSM, (formerly, Sister Mary Noelita), program coordinator for Sacred Heart Southern Mission (SHSM)HIV/AIDS ministry, died the afternoon of Monday, May 5.
Sister McDermott made her first vows as a Missionary Sister of the Society of Mary (Marist Missionary Sisters) on Feb. 2, 1954. Her early ministerial assignments were in Fiji, where she taught and ministered for 23 years. She then went to Memphis where she was part of parish ministries until 1989.
In 1997, She returned to the Mid-South, where she served in positions of leadership at Memphis St. Patrick Catholic School and Parish until joining SHSM in 2005 to run the HIV/AIDS outreach program.
In February of this year, Sister celebrated her 60th jubilee of consecrated life. The community celebrated a funeral Mass on Friday, May 9, at Memphis St. Patrick Parish.

St. Mary of the Pines
Eight-day retreats – Cost is $640
Five-day retreats – Cost is $400
Weekend directed retreats – $160

Directed Retreats. The resident retreat director is Sister Dorez Mehrtens, SSND. During 2014, she is available for directed retreats on the following dates: May 29-June 5, June 11-18, July 3-9, Aug. 18-26, Sept. 2-9, Sept. 24-Oct. 3, Oct. 6-13, Nov. 10-18, and Dec. 1-10.

To schedule a retreat contact Sister Dorez, 601-783-0411 or 601-810-7758 (cell).
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. Suggested donation: $65 per night. Financial assistance for any retreat is available upon request.

Conference Retreat: “Come, Taste and See the Good Things of the Lord,” June 15-20. This retreat will utilize our senses through prayer, imagery, and ritual to fully “taste and see the good things of the Lord.” Suggested donation is $425. Scholarships are available. Details: Sister Helen Roper, 601-783-0801, retreatcenter@ssndcp.org, www.ssndcentralpacific.org.
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
“Be Still and Know that I am God,” June 4-8, July 2-6, July 31-Aug. 5. Two, three or five day retreat. Come for some time personally adapted to your needs. It is a time of quiet and prayerful reflection primarily using scripture.

Retreats are scheduled at specific times but retreatants  are welcome to come privately any time that is convenient to the person. Three hermitages (small cottages) are available.

Contact: The Dwelling Place, 2824 Dwelling Place Road, Brooksville, MS, 39739, 662-738-5348, www.dwellingplace.com.

Benedictine Center
“Still Green with Fruit: Flourishing in One’s Older Years,” Wednesday, May 21, from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. What are the hidden graces of old age that prepare us for the final surrender of our life on earth?  How might we, as the psalmist writes (92:15), continue to “bear fruit even in old age.”

This retreat will be based on the book by Emilie Griffin, “Green Leaves for Older Years.” Sister Kathleen Gallas will direct the retreat. Cost is $30, includes lunch.
“Finding God in Every Nook and Cranny,” Saturday, June 7, from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. The director, Sister Melannie Svoboda, will lead prayerful reflection on discovering God in the particular circumstances of our lives. Cost is $30, includes lunch.

Eight-Day Intensive/Post Intensive Centering Prayer retreat, June 24-July 1. Intensive: An in-depth retreat for those experienced in Centering Prayer.  The retreat will facilitate entrance into a more profound level of spiritual practice in an atmosphere of silence, solitude, and community, designed to assist participants in entering a more intimate relationship with God. Videotapes of Father Thomas Keating’s Spiritual Journey course will be viewed.

Post-Intensive: A next step into a profound silence and stillness to facilitate a more intimate union with God. An Intensive Centering Prayer experience is a prerequisite of the Post-Intensive.
Contact: Benedictine Sisters, 916 Convent Road, Cullman, AL 35055, (256) 734-4622, shmon@shmon.org.

WILLWOODS COMMUNITY
Married Couples Retreats, June 21-22, July 19-20, Aug. 23-24, Sept. 20-21, and Nov. 1-2, at Joseph Abbey Christian Life Center in Covington, La. Each retreat will be led by peer married couples and a priest.
Contact: Jason Angelette, 504-830-3716, jangelette@willwoods.org or visit www.faithandmarriage.org. Suggested donation of $275 per couple is requested but not required. Pre-registration deposit, which is part of the donation, is $50.

Paula Fulton appointed Lay Ecclesial Minister of Sacred Heart Church, Louisville, effective June 1, 2014.
+Joseph R. Kopacz
Bishop of Jackson

St. Joseph High School Fine Arts Dept. is hosting a BENEFIT CONCERT this Friday, May 9^th at 7 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center.   The money raised will benefit storm victims in Fr. Lincoln Dall’s parish of St. James and other areas impacted by the recent tornado damage.  It will be an evening of variety performances from the St. Joe School Choir, Band, Jazz Band, Faculty Staff and other talents, as well as local elementary school choirs and church choirs.  The evening promises to be fun and entertaining  and all for a worthy cause.  Please come out and support our diocese in need!  Tickets are $5.00 each.  (Additional donations are accepted and appreciated.)    The ticket booth will open at 6 PM.  The auditorium will open at 6:30 PM.  

JACKSON – Downtown Jackson hosted the annual Knights of Columbus State Convention April 25-27. More than 250 knights and ladies auxiliary members gathered at the Marriott for fellowship, continuing formation and celebration.

The theme for this year’s convention was “Honoring Our Chaplains.” Father Bob Higginbotham, state chaplain for the KCs and pastor of D’Iberville Sacred Heart Parish, celebrated a Friday morning Mass for the cause of Father Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus. State officers and the convention coordinating team participated in the Mass. Participants arrived throughout the day and in the evening enjoyed a dinner at the hotel.

One of the more moving moments of the convention was the reading of the necrology at the Saturday morning Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Kopacz. The necrology consists of the names of knights and ladies auxiliary members who have died since the last convention. State Secretary Jim McCraw read the names of more than 130 people as  a candle was lighted for each one. The ceremony took place at the beginning of the the liturgy so that the 200 plus gathered could remember their friends and family in prayer throughout the Mass.

After business meetings and workshops during the day, the Saturday evening banquet commenced with the introduction of dignitaries and the presentation of colors followed by the singing of the national anthem.
Four Bishops were in attendance – Bishop Joseph Kopacz, who offered the opening prayer, Bishop Roger Morin of the Diocese of Biloxi, and Bishops Emeriti Joseph Latino and William Houck. Awards were given to individuals and councils who had achieved various honors over the past year.

The knights presented checks to Bishop Kopacz and Bishop Morin for seminarian education and pro-life activities. This year the knights in the Diocese of Jackson raised more than $50,000 for seminarian education.

On Sunday morning Bishop Morin celebrated Mass for the Second Sunday of Easter also known as “Divine Mercy” Sunday. In his homily, Bishop Morin spoke of the canonizations of now Sts. John XXIII and John Paul II by Pope Francis, which had happened earlier in the day in Rome, and the need to continue to work for justice and peace in the world. He thanked the knights for their ongoing work in support of the church on the local, national and international level.

TUPELO – St. James Parish experienced major damage from the rash of tornados that swept across the state on Monday, April 28. The church, offices and center suffered roof and other damage.

According to Father Lincoln Dall, pastor of St. James, a tree now occupies his office. Many businesses familiar to parishioners in Tupelo were destroyed, including Vanelli’s Restaurant.

As of press time the Deanery V confirmation scheduled for May 3, at St. James was still expected to be celebrated in the parish life center. A final decision was to be made on Wednesday, April 30, after emergency personnel restored power to the facility.
Other areas around the diocese suffered major damage due to a reported dozen tornados which touched down across Central and Northeastern Mississippi.

Winston County and the city of Louisville was hit very hard with unfortunately several fatalities reported. Even the local hospital was not spared from nature’s wrath. Sacred Heart Church did not sustain damage, however, two parish families lost their homes during the outbreak of violent weather.

Columbus Annunciation School was closed on Tuesday, April 29, because of lack of power. Debris littered the property, but buildings only sustained minor damage.
As another round of storms was predicted for Tuesday afternoon, the diocese has asked the faithful to keep those affected by the storm in their prayers and to continue to pray for safety from violent weather during this spring.

By Father Jeffrey Waldrep
(Editor’s note: Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Montessori-based way for children to experience scripture and learn about their faith. The U.S. Association responsible for training teachers said the purpose of the program is “to assist the involvement of children and adults in a common religious experience in which the religious values of childhood, primarily those values of contemplation and enjoyment of God, are predominant.”

Instructors learn about the program by embracing it themselves. All of the work is done in a special place called an atrium where children may find an altar just their size  with everything a priest would use to celebrate Mass or a model of sheepfold, shepherd and sheep so they can experience the story of the Good Shepherd. They immerse themselves in the Word of God and do their own work.

Six parishes and three schools use Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Only a few instructors go through the rigorous multi-level training to become Level III catechists. One of them is Stacy Wolf, director of faith formation for Pearl St. Jude Parish.
On Sunday, Feb. 23, Bishop Kopacz visited the Atria at Pearl St. Jude. Father Jeffrey Waldrep, pastor, submitted this reflection on the visit.)

Stacy Wolf and I took the Bishop around not only to meet the children, but also to introduce him to this engaging form of catechesis that has transformed religious education for the children of St. Jude. Wolf with a brief explanation of the Good Shepherd program and how it is used in the religious formation of children from three to 12 years old. In the Level I Atrium (three to five year olds) children were settling before Mara Villa led the them in the singing of “Hail Mary, Gentle Woman.”

In the Level II Atrium (six to nine year olds) one group was delving deeper into the 23rd Psalm while another was pondering the Parable of the Good Shepherd with the Wolf and Hireling. A third group was working with Denise Vincent, mother of Deacon Rusty Vincent, on the Synthesis of the Mass. Bishop Kopacz, Wolf and I joined as the children explained the work from the paten and chalice to the gestures of epiclesis, offering and the sign of peace. Then the bishop and I engaged the children as they chose personal works. Josie, a first grader, was working with a Pin Map of Israel when I bent down to work with her. She showed me Bethlehem, the town where Jesus was born, and exclaimed to Mrs. Wolf “Father Jeffrey did a work with me!”

The tour concluded with the Level III Atrium (10-12 year olds), where the children were engrossed with their personal work for the day. Many were working on personal missals, using the atrium’s Roman Missal, which consists of a drawer compartment containing prayer cards for each part of the Mass. Jonathan, a fifth grader, explained that his group was working with the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard and that he had learned that all people should be treated equal.

We at St. Jude are proud of the more than 75 children in our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Atria led by eight catechists assisted by seven parents any given Sunday. It was a blessing not only to share our program with the Bishop, but also to see the excitement of the children in having the opportunity to share what they are learning about the Lord.