Sacraments 2023
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Category Archives: Diocesan News
Sacred calling answered, Beggerly ordained as new priest for diocese
By Joanna Puddister King
JACKSON – Homegrown seminarian, Carlisle Beggerly was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Jackson on May 27 at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson, where family, friends, priests, deacons, fellow seminarian and supporters from around the diocese were present for the joyous occasion.
Growing up in Florence, Beggerly had a profound spiritual awakening during his college years. Influenced by St. Augustine’s Confessions, Beggerly embarked on a quest to find the church to which Augustine belonged, ultimately leading him to the Catholic faith. Under the guidance of Father Bill Voller in Hattiesburg, Beggerly received instruction and embraced Catholicism, sensing a calling to the priesthood from the very beginning of his conversion.
After spending time with a religious order, Beggerly realized it was not the perfect fit and decided to pursue a different path. Even upon completing law school at Mississippi College, the call to priestly life continued to resonate within his heart.
After moving to West Point and joining Immaculate Conception parish, Beggerly made the decision to enter seminary for the Diocese of Jackson, drawn by a deep desire to minister to the people who influenced and shaped his life.
After the Liturgy of the Word during the Mass of ordination for Beggerly, Bishop Joseph Kopacz called upon his worthiness and testimony was given by Father Nick Adam, director of vocations for the diocese.
“Relying on the help of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, we choose this man, our brother, for the order of the priesthood,” said Bishop Kopacz to applause from those gathered for the occasion.
During the Rite of Ordination, Bishop Kopacz anointed Beggerly’s palms with holy chrism. Afterward, his hands were wrapped in a binding cloth. At his first Mass of Thanksgiving at his home parish of Immaculate Conception West Point, Beggerly explained a tradition that sometimes accompanies the ritual.
“The cloth symbolically represents the ropes that were tied around our Lord,” explained Beggerly. “And it also serves a practical reason in that it cleans the oils off your hands,” he said to laughs from the pews.
Beggerly went on to explain a custom that some priests continue today, in presenting their mothers with the cloth.
“It is custom to give this piece of cloth or maniturgium to the mother of a priest as a gift, so that she is buried with it and presents it to our Lord and says, ‘I have given You my son as a priest,’” Father Beggerly told those gathered at his home parish.
Welcoming his mother forward to receive the gift, those gathered smiled and applauded the special tradition they witnessed.
As a self-described “son of Mississippi,” Father Beggerly looks forward to ministering to the people who have helped form him through the years. His first assignment will be with the Catholic community in Meridian at St. Patrick and St. Joseph beginning July 1.
Ordination
(Photos by Michael Barrett and Joanna Puddister King)
First Mass
(Photos Joanna Puddister King)
Seminarian takes next step towards priesthood,Stovall ordained to transitional diaconate
By Joanna Puddister King and Tereza Ma
JACKSON – In a momentous ceremony held at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle on May 20, Tristan Stovall was ordained to the transitional diaconate for the Diocese of Jackson, marking a significant milestone in his journey towards the priesthood. Surrounded by family, friends and members of the diocese, the ordination of Stovall was a joyous occasion filled with faith, hope and celebration of vocations.
Deacon Stovall’s path to the diaconate began in the red clay hills of Neshoba County, where he first encountered Catholicism, being fascinated with the funeral of Pope St. John Paul II as a young boy. At the age of 15, his interest and thirst for knowledge of the Catholic faith grew when he attended Mass for the very first time at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. After that experience the young Baptist knew then that he “had to become Catholic.” This journey ultimately led him to convert to Catholicism in 2014, where he was received into full communion with the church.
Throughout his faith journey, Stovall’s desire to dedicate his life entirely to God grew stronger, and the example of the saints, particularly St. Catherine of Siena, played a significant role in his discernment. Drawn to the care of souls, he felt a calling to the diocesan priesthood, which he believed was his specific ministry within the church.
The ordination ceremony itself, was presided over by Bishop Joseph Kopacz, who bestowed the sacrament of Holy Orders upon Stovall. As the faithful witnessed the laying on of hands and the prayers of consecration, the solemnity of the moment resonated with all present, feeling the commitment that Stovall felt within his heart.
The next day, Deacon Stovall was able to take part in his first Mass of Thanksgiving at Holy Cross Philadelphia with Father Augustine Palimattam Poulose on the Feast of the Ascension, filled with family, friends and parishioners.
“It was a beautiful experience preparing for ordination after seven years of seminary and then preparing for [my] first preaching on Ascension,” said Deacon Stovall. “It’s like a culmination of so many years of preparation.”
With his ordination to the transitional diaconate, Deacon Stovall now stands on the threshold of priesthood, embracing his role as a servant-leader within the church. As a deacon, Stovall will be an ordinary minister of Baptism, and will be able to preside at weddings, assist the priest at Mass, proclaim the Gospel and preach, as well as preside at wakes and funeral services.
Of those responsibilities, preaching is the thing that Deacon Stovall says he is most looking forward to this coming year. “The ministry of the Word is [one of] the primary things I’m going to focus on … and also the ministry of charity … becoming more attuned to people’s needs in the parish and talking with them and spending time with them.”
Currently, Deacon Stovall is in Cuernavaca, Mexico – outside of Mexico City – with Father Nick Adam and several other seminarians, taking part in a language immersion program to better serve the Hispanic community in the diocese. After returning from the program, Deacon Stovall is assigned to the Basilica of St. Mary in Natchez with Father Aaron Williams this fall before returning to seminary, and ultimately continuing his journey to the priesthood.
Ordination:
First Mass
Pastoral Assignments
Effective July 1, 2023, I hereby announce the following appointments:
Rev. Carlisle Beggerly appointed parochial vicar of St. Patrick and St. Joseph Parishes, Meridian;
Rev. Jofin George appointed pastor of Holy Cross Parish, Philadelphia; and sacramental minister to Sacred Heart Parish, Louisville;
Rev. Justin Joseph appointed parochial vicar of St. James Parish, Tupelo;
Rev. Cesar Sanchez appointed pastor, St. Jude Parish, Pearl.
Effective July 24, 2023, I appoint:
Rev. Stephen Okojie, Administrator Pro Tempore, St. Therese Parish, Jackson; St. Stephen Parish, Magee; and sacramental minister to the Carmelite Monastery.
Most Reverend Joseph R. Kopacz
Diocese of Jackson
Diocese announces“Pastoral Reimagining” process
By Joanna Puddister King
JACKSON – The Diocese of Jackson has a new initiative that will focus on renewing and reimagining parishes across the diocese. The one-year “Pastoral Reimagining” process, that will begin on Pentecost Sunday, will focus on parishes and missions across the diocese taking a more direct and intentional look at the reality of their communities in the spirit of the Synod of Synodality in the aftermath of the pandemic.
“We are allowing the Holy Spirit to bless and guide us in our willingness to cooperate with God’s grace in a spirit of renewal,” writes Bishop Joseph Kopacz in his column for Mississippi Catholic on the reimagining process.
The theme from the process is from Ephesians, “There is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism and one God and Father of all.” (Ephesians 4:5-6)
Thinking about the Synod process undertaken in the diocese and throughout the world, Bishop Kopacz noted that the church is at a crossroads locally and globally. With that, an extensive demographic review of the diocese will be a part of the “Pastoral Reimagining” process.
“Without a doubt [it] will enrich the local conversations,” said Bishop Kopacz.
There will be four stages of the pastoral reimagining process over the course of the year, running from Pentecost this year to Pentecost 2024.
The first stage will run from Pentecost through August 2023, with each pastor or LEM establishing a pastoral reimagining committee and having the committee view four ecclesiology video sessions and answer a series of questions designed to guide conversation on who we are as a church, says Fran Lavelle, director of faith formation for the diocese and member of the core team who will be working on the pastoral reimagining process.
The four video sessions, led by Bishop Kopacz will focus on the four marks of the church: one, holy, Catholic and apostolic; and will be available for anyone to view on the diocese website, along with discussion questions.
Stage two, will include each parish undertaking a parish assessment that includes the current situation at the local parish, the growing edges, the areas that are diminishing, the opportunities for collaboration with other parishes in the area, and other local realities.
With this stage, demographic information will be prepared for each parish, including sacramental data, local economic data and more, says Lavelle.
The third stage will focus on each deanery working though challenges and reviewing the growing edges and diminishing areas of ministry within the deanery.
“The goal is to gain a realistic perspective of the health and well-being of the deanery within the setting of the individual parishes,” Lavelle says.
The final two stages will include a period of discernment on reports from the six deaneries in the diocese and a pastoral letter from Bishop Kopacz, concluding with a diocesan celebration at Pentecost 2024.
“Calling upon the Holy Spirit, we pray that each parish will be encouraged, as well as challenged to be whom God calls us to be,” says Bishop Kopacz.
Sister Sheila Griffin, OP celebrates jubilee
SINSINAWA, Wis. – Sister Sheila Griffin, OP, will celebrate her 70th jubilee in 2023. A Mass will be held Sunday, Sept. 10, for her and 11 other Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters celebrating 70 years. Her religious name was Sister Johanna.
Sister Sheila’s home parish is St. Patrick, Shieldsville, in the St. Paul and Minneapolis Archdiocese. She is the daughter of the late Jack and Kathryn (McGuiness) Griffin and graduated from Bethlehem Academy, Faribault. Sister Sheila’s ministry has been dedicated to education and social outreach, mainly in the South.
In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister Sheila taught at St. Giles, 1953-1960, and Sts. Faith, Hope and Charity, Winnetka, 1968-1972. She served as provincial councilor for the Southeast Province of the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa while living in Chicago, 1984-1988.
In the Diocese of Rockford, Sister Sheila was co-principal and taught at Nativity BVM, Menomonee, 1979-1980.
In the Diocese of Jackson, Sister Sheila volunteered with the Glenmary Missions, Houston, 2006-2008.
In the Diocese of Madison, Sister Sheila helped open and taught at St. Dennis, Madison, 1960-1963, and St. Cecilia, Wisconsin Dells, 1963-1968, where she was also principal.
In the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Sister Sheila was principal and teacher at Father Benedict Justice School, Kansas City, 1980-1984.
Currently, Sister Sheila is living in community with her Dominican Sisters.
If you would like to honor Sister Sheila on her jubilee, go to the Sinsinawa Dominicans’ website at www.sinsinawa.org/jubilee.
Happy Ordination Anniversary
June 1
Father Anthony Okwum, SSJ
Holy Family, Natchez & St. Anne, Fayette
June 2
Father Guy Wilson
Holy Child Jesus, Canton & Sacred Heart, Camden
June 4
Father Joe Tonos
St. Richard, Jackson
Deacon Jeff Artigues
St. Joseph, Starkville
Deacon Denzil Lobo
Christ the King, Jackson
Deacon John McGinley
St. Joseph, Starkville
Deacon John McGregor
St. Jude, Pearl
Deacon Ted Schreck
Catholic Parishes of Northwest MS
June 6
Father PJ Curley
Retired
Father Daniel Gallagher
Retired
June 7
Father Noel Prendergast
Retired
Father Kevin Slattery
St. Therese, Jackson
June 8
Father Thomas Delaney
Retired
June 9
Father Juan Chavajay
Sacred Heart, Canton
June 10
Father Robert Dore
St. Michael, Vicksburg
June 11
Msgr. Patrick Farrell
Retired
Father Thomas Lalor
Retired
June 12
Father Kent Bowlds
Our Lady of Victories, Cleveland
Father Frank Cosgrove
Retired
Father Gerry Hurley
St. Paul, Flowood
June 13
Father Mike O’Brien
Retired
Father Mario Solorzano
St. James the Less, Corinth
June 14
Msgr. Mike Flannery
Retired
Father Tom McGing
Retired
Father David O’Connor
Retired
June 15
Father David Szatkowski, SCJ
Catholic Parishes of Northwest MS
June 16
Father Jeffrey Waldrep
Annunciation, Columbus
June 18
Father Anthony Quyet
Retired
June 26
Deacon David Gruseck
Annunciation, Columbus
June 27
Father Andrew Nguyen
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Greenwood
Father Cesar Sanchez
St. James, Tupelo
Father Marco Sanchez, ST
St. Anne, Carthage & St. Therese, Kosciusko
July 16
Deacon Mark Bowden
St. Jude, Pearl
Deacon Dien Hoang
Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, Jackson
Deacon Wesley Lindsay
Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, Jackson
Deacon John Pham
St. Michael, Forest
Deacon David Rouch
St. Michael, Vicksburg
Deacon Tony Schmidt
St. Paul, Flowood
Calendar of Events
SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
CHATAWA Marian Servants, Annual “Speak Lord I’m Listening” Retreat, Friday, July 14 at 7 p.m. till Sunday, July 16 at 12 p.m. at the Our Lady of Hope Retreat Center. This retreat will give you the techniques to pray and meditate on the scriptures to deepen your relationship with the Lord. Father Bill Henry will preside. Cost: $300 (includes housing and meals); or $200 for commuters (includes meals). Register by July 7. Husbands and wives welcome. Details: contact Charlene at (601) 276-5954.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Catholic Charismatic Renewal Conference, July 21-22 at John Carroll Catholic High School at 300 Lakeshore Parkway held by the Diocese of Birmingham. Conference theme is “Victory in Jesus” and will feature Father James Blount, with Father Eric Gami and Teresa Ragusa, a miracle COVID survivor. Father Blount is an internationally known healing ministry priest of the Society of Our Lady of the Trinity (SOLT) of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Registration $25 for individuals and $65 for family of three or more. All are welcome! Details: Sally Smith at (205) 983-4150 or mustardsally14@gmail.com. To register visit www.catholiccharismaticrenewal.org.
WASHINGTON D.C. Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage, Sept. 30 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Join with Catholics from around the country to seek the intercession of Our Lady. Hear life-changing talks; celebrate Mass and pray the rosary. For more information visit rosarypilgrimage.org.
PARISH, FAMILY & SCHOOL EVENTS
BATESVILLE St. Mary, Rummage Sale, Aug. 4-5 at the parish center. You are welcome to start bringing your gently used items to the center. Details: parish office (662) 563-2273.
HERNANDO Holy Spirit, Cocktails and Catholicism, Friday, July 14. Featured speaker is Father Dennis Schenkel of the Diocese of Memphis on “Talking the Talk and Walking the Walk: Evangelizing as a Catholic.” Details: church office (662) 895-5007.
NATCHEZ St. Mary, Thursday Night at the Movies; June 29 “Father Stu,” July 13 “The Shack,” and July 27 “The Scarlet and the Black.” Suitable for adults and older teens. Soft drinks, snacks and popcorn available for small donation. No admission fee, donations to Miss-Lou Pregnancy Center accepted. Details: church office (601) 445-5616.
RIDGELAND Catholic Charities, Back to School Giveaway, Friday, July 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free school supplies, games and food provided. Register at https://bit.ly/CCSchoolSupplyGiveaway23 Details: marsha.burton@ccjackson.org.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL & YOUTH EVENTS
BATESVILLE St. Mary, VBS, July 14-16 at the parish center. Volunteers needed. Details: Robin at (662) 934-8170.
BROOKHAVEN St. Francis, “Stellar” VBS, July 16-19 from 5:30-8 p.m. Launch kids on a cosmic quest where they’ll have a blast shining Jesus’ light to the world. Volunteers needed. Details: call Emily at (601) 757-0579.
GREENVILLE St. Joseph, VBS for grades K to fifth grades, July 16-18 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at St. Joe High School. Visit stjosephgreenville.org to register or volunteer. Details: Alyssa at (662) 820-0868.
MERIDIAN St. Patrick, Hero Hotline VBS, June 26-30 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the parish center. All children entering Kindergarten through sixth grade welcome. Registration fee $10 but no child will be turned away. Register at catholiccommunity.mycokesburyvbs.com. Details: church office (601) 693-1321.
St. Patrick, Chronicles of Narnia youth movie nights, July 5, 12 and 19 at 5:30 p.m. in the Father Vally Room. Details: church office (601) 693-1321.
NATCHEZ St. Mary, “Stellar” VBS, July 17-22, evening hours to be announced. Details: church office (601) 445-5616.
PEARL St. Jude, VBS – Family Style, June 28, July 5 and 12th from 6:30-7:30 p.m. We will have picnic supper, Bible story, crafts, inside and outside fun and games. Mass at 6 p.m. Target audience is Kindergarten through fifth grade and their families. No charge, canned good donations welcome. Details: to attend please contact Kathleen so we know how many to prepare for – (601) 939-3181.
REMINDERS/NOTICES
JOB OPENINGS Catholic schools across the diocese have a variety of positions open. Please visit https://jacksondiocese.org/employment for an opportunity near you.
INDIANAPOLIS Eucharistic Congress, July 17-21, 2024. Registration is now open. See what Our Lord has in store for this next chapter for the Catholic Church in United States. Purchase tickets at https://bit.ly/3ydav9Q. Details: EucharisticCongress.org.
NASHVILLE Billings Ovulation Method Teacher Training, Oct. 19-21. Learn the science of fertility in order to monitor reproductive health and wellness. Cost: $750. Details: events.boma-usa.org.
NATIONAL BLACK CATHOLIC CONGRESS GATHERING, July 20-23 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Join with other Black Catholics and those who minister to Black Catholics for a celebration of faith and culture. Details: nbccongress.org.
WORLD YOUTH DAY: LISBON 2023 Event for young Catholics ages 16-35, though all are welcomed to attend in Lisbon, Portugal. For more information visit: https://www.lisboa2023.org/en/.
ENGAGED ENCOUNTER WEEKENDS July 14-16 and Oct. 27-29 at Camp Garaywa in Clinton. Please register at www.jacksondiocese.org/family-ministry.
INDIANAPOLIS National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC), Nov. 16-18, 2023 at the Indiana Convention Center. This distinctly Catholic three-day conference will include opportunities for spiritual growth, prayer, learning and service. For more information, visit ncyc.us.
St. Vincent de Paul conferences form helping hands for Rolling Fork
By Joe Lee
JACKSON – Donovan Guilbeau, who installs power lines for Southern Electric Corporation and has seen many destructive tornadoes and hurricanes over four decades, said the EF-4 storm that ravaged the Mississippi communities of Rolling Fork and Silver City on March 24 caused the worst damage he’s ever seen.
“This reminded me of the Nagasaki bomb going off in World War II. It took my breath away,” said Guilbeau, a St. Richard parishioner is a long-time member of the St. Richard of Chichester Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVDP), a national organization dedicated to feeding, clothing, and healing individuals and families in their time of need. “The damage and 26 lives lost were in a very concentrated area, and I knew we had to do something.”
Guilbeau has business associates who own property in the Rolling Fork area, and his wife has family nearby. In trying to assess what he could do to help, he turned to the St. Richard of Chichester Conference, one of five SVDP conferences in the District Council of the Diocese of Jackson (the others are St. Martin de Porres at Christ the King, St. Therese Conference, St. Joseph Conference at St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Greenville and St. Elizabeth of Hungary at Annunciation Parish in Columbus).
“I’m the St. Richard conference’s field representative for Rolling Fork and Silver City,” Guilbeau said. “Once the site was secured by the local police and the fire department, Tommy Jordan, a fellow St. Richard conference member, and I invited Carrie Robinson, president of the District of Jackson Council, to go with us.
“In this case, the news media did not blow the destruction out of proportion. I became a news reporter of sorts for SVDP, telling them what we were seeing on the ground.”
Robinson, a member of Christ the King Parish, said that all five SVDP conferences in the Jackson council eagerly came together: food and clothing was delivered from the Greenville conference, and financial assistance from the Columbus conference was provided to St. Helen’s Catholic Church in Amory to support nine families that suffered tornado damage the same weekend as the Rolling Fork storm hit.
“I ordered 875 hygiene kits from Disaster Services Corporation, which is the SVDP service arm,” Robinson said. “SVDP deployed case workers for a period of two weeks and began assisting residents of Rolling Fork and Silver City.
“The St. Richard conference donated $10,000 toward the relief efforts, which made it possible for us to serve one hot meal a day to 500-700 people for those two weeks. We also received a Rapid Response Grant from SVDP for $5,000, and a $5,000 grant from Isagenix Foundation.”
The grant money has gone toward Walmart gift cards, which have been handed out to storm victims in amounts of $25 and $50 to purchase food, clothing and other basic needs. But Dianne Clark, the Southeastern U.S. Disaster Rep for SVDP, said that one of the best things volunteers can do is listen to the victims’ stories and encourage them to talk.
“Each time you relate what you went through, it gets a little easier to talk about. Don’t keep it bottled up inside,” said Clark, who is based in Bradenton, Florida, and has seen plenty of hurricane damage in her decade-plus of SVDP service. “We’ll talk 20-30 minutes with each person to let them get things off their chests.
“It’s especially difficult if you’ve lost family members – there was one man on crutches who told us he’d just lost his mother and grandmother. Another woman said she and her husband lived in a mobile home, and her husband climbed on top of her to protect her. They survived, but the woman was horrified to find that when she looked over at the site where her sister’s mobile home was, it was gone. The sister’s body was found later, unfortunately.
First Baptist Church of Rolling Fork became a central feeding and recovery location for disaster survivors in the immediate aftermath of the storm.
“Pastor Britt Williamson was bringing in counselors to help the victims when we were there,” Clark said. “It’s so important to get children to open up as well as the adults. We give candy to them, try to get them to talk. They’re deeply impacted by what they’ve gone through.”
The inclination by so many goodhearted people once they learn of horrific storm damage is to organize drives to deliver food, clothing, supplies and even furniture. Some even hop in their cars and drive straight to the disaster site, eager to offer whatever help they can.
But despite the best of intentions, those spontaneous acts of generosity can create additional problems. Clark pointed out that when truckloads of furniture and clothing are sent at the very beginning of the recovery, there’s often nowhere to put them because homes and buildings have been destroyed.
“There’s an urge to go in and provide resources without asking,” Robinson said. “The greatest thing we can do is allow those in need to have some dignity, and say to them, ‘We are not the experts. Tell us how we can help you. What is it that you need?’”
Robinson just led a team of volunteers from the St. Richard and Christ the King conferences to Silver City on May 18 to partner with the Mississippi Department of Health and Human Services.
“DHS asked if we could help them feed the residents,” Robinson said. “They’re doing outreach for seniors and the disabled whose services – such as Meals on Wheels – were disrupted because of the storm. We purchased burgers, beans, chips and drinks to serve lunch, and we were also there to find out if there were additional needs from residents, such as those still without electricity.”
Guilbeau and SVDP volunteers all over the Jackson Council will gladly continue to help out in Rolling Fork and Silver City as long as it takes, and in whatever ways are needed – including through spiritual nourishment.
“We have a project called Home in a Box that provides furniture to homes that are being rebuilt,” he said. “The short-term need was for feeding; the long-term need is to rebuild. This is long-haul healing.”
“When we met with Pastor Williamson, he indicated that a lot of Rolling Fork residents are renters,” Robinson said. “Going forward, one of the needs will be to see how we can assist them in moving from renting to home ownership, which creates more stability in the community.
“But the most important thing we’ve done for our friends there – and the most important thing we can continue to do – is pray for them.”
To learn more about SVDP, visit svdpusa.org.
Diocese announces “Pastoral Reimagining” process
By Joanna Puddister King
JACKSON – The Diocese of Jackson has a new initiative that will focus on renewing and reimagining parishes across the diocese. The one-year “Pastoral Reimagining” process, that will begin on Pentecost Sunday, will focus on parishes and missions across the diocese taking a more direct and intentional look at the reality of their communities in the spirit of the Synod of Synodality in the aftermath of the pandemic.
“We are allowing the Holy Spirit to bless and guide us in our willingness to cooperate with God’s grace in a spirit of renewal,” writes Bishop Joseph Kopacz in his column for Mississippi Catholic on the reimagining process.
The theme from the process is from Ephesians, “There is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism and one God and Father of all.” (Ephesians 4:5-6)
Thinking about the Synod process undertaken in the diocese and throughout the world, Bishop Kopacz noted that the church is at a crossroads locally and globally. With that, an extensive demographic review of the diocese will be a part of the “Pastoral Reimagining” process.
“Without a doubt [it] will enrich the local conversations,” said Bishop Kopacz.
There will be four stages of the pastoral reimagining process over the course of the year, running from Pentecost this year to Pentecost 2024.
The first stage will run from Pentecost through August 2023, with each pastor or LEM establishing a pastoral reimagining committee and having the committee view four ecclesiology video sessions and answer a series of questions designed to guide conversation on who we are as a church, says Fran Lavelle, director of faith formation for the diocese and member of the core team who will be working on the pastoral reimagining process.
The four video sessions, led by Bishop Kopacz will focus on the four marks of the church: one, holy, Catholic and apostolic; and will be available for anyone to view on the diocese website after Pentecost.
Stage two, will include each parish undertaking a parish assessment that includes the current situation at the local parish, the growing edges, the areas that are diminishing, the opportunities for collaboration with other parishes in the area, and other local realities.
With this stage, demographic information will be prepared for each parish, including sacramental data, local economic data and more, says Lavelle.
The third stage will focus on each deanery working though challenges and reviewing the growing edges and diminishing areas of ministry within the deanery.
“The goal is to gain a realistic perspective of the health and well-being of the deanery within the setting of the individual parishes,” Lavelle says.
The final two stages will include a period of discernment on reports from the six deaneries in the diocese and a pastoral letter from Bishop Kopacz, concluding with a diocesan celebration at Pentecost 2024.
“Calling upon the Holy Spirit, we pray that each parish will be encouraged, as well as challenged to be whom God calls us to be,” says Bishop Kopacz.