Category Archives: Diocesan News

Meet Ryan Stoer

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In preparation for our Homegrown Harvest Gala in the fall, which will benefit the Diocese of Jackson Office of Vocations, over the next several weeks we will feature a Q&A with one of our seminarians. This week, meet Ryan Stoer who is entering his fourth year of formation.

What is your home parish?
St. Richard, Jackson

Ryan Stoer

What is your background?
I was born In San Diego, and I have lived in Ohio and New Mexico. I graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from New Mexico Tech. I had a few job offers after I graduated, but I ended up taking a job which required a security clearance. My parents had moved to Mississippi while I was in college, so I stayed with them as I waited for my clearance. During this time of waiting, I was told that I should consider the priesthood.

What is your vocation story? Who influenced you and why?
My vocation story is relatively simple. All it took was a single question. But, before I get to that question, I will give you a little of my background.
For much of my life, I considered success the highest goal. I did well at almost everything I tried. In high school I graduated as the salutatorian and I did well at swimming. I practiced and strived for perfection in academics, sports, and in everything where anyone had any expectation from me. I was at the top of my class at college, had everything paid for by scholarships, and had three job offers when I graduated. Two of those jobs would have started the day after I graduated, but I chose the one which required a clearance, so that I could come back to Mississippi, and help my Mom who had cancer at the time.

The clearance should have taken six months, but as new politicians and other civil servants were given clearance after the 2016 election, it took longer. I started applying to other engineering jobs, yet did not hear back from any of them.

Finally, one day, I was fed up, and went to confession. I told the priest everything I had done, he gave me absolution, and then he told me that God loves me and then asked me a question. He asked, “Have you ever considered being a priest?”

In response, I told him, “No, I want to have a normal life. I want to have a wife and kids, and I want a normal job.” Then I left. But what he said had stuck with me.

Afterwards, I talked to a Deacon at St. Richard Jackson and told him of my experience, and he helped me pray and discern what I should do. After a few months, I decided to enter the seminary.

A week after I entered, I received a phone call that said “Your clearance has come through, we expect you to report to work next week.” They told me all my benefits, my salary, and where I would live. I never thought that I would tell them no, and that I had started a new path towards the priesthood, but that is what I did.

That priest was Father Frank Cosgrove. For my entire life, everyone had looked up to me for what I did, and how well I did it. I was praised for my good grades and other successes, but no one, had ever looked at me, knowing only my sins, and told me that I was loved, simply because I am me. No one had called me out to think beyond success toward God. I think it was the first time I had felt the gaze of God and thought about something other than my own desires, and it became the foundation for my discernment.

What draws you to diocesan priesthood? And to the Diocese of Jackson?
What Father Frank did for me, I want to do for others. I want to enter into people’s lives: their joys and sorrows, their trials and triumphs, and show them that God loves them. I desire to bring God to them in the sacraments. I want to embody Christ and bring him into the practical matters of everyday life. I want to show that God enters into the suffering and evil, not simply to get rid of it, but to truly redeem it and bring out an even greater good. I would like to be a priest so that I can encourage others to develop their relationship with God, so that they can find lasting peace and fulfillment in the love that only God can give. I would like to do this in the Diocese of Jackson, because that is where I experienced God’s abundant love for me.

What are your hobbies/interests?
I like to swim, play tennis, go to the gym, read, watch movies, and hike.

Who is your favorite saint and why?
My favorite saint is St. Lawrence. He was my confirmation saint. I picked him because he was funny. He was martyred by being roasted on a grid iron. As he was being roasted, he said “I am well done on this side. Turn me over!” As a teenage boy, I thought it was great that he could come up with a funny remark, even as he was being tortured. But as I grow older, I find the remark that caused him to be killed much more inspiring. The prefect of Rome told Deacon Lawrence to bring the wealth of the Church to him within three days. Lawrence, took the treasures of the Church, gave it to the poor, and brought the poor, lame, and widowed with him as he told the prefect, “These are the treasure of the Church.” I admire St. Lawrence for his courage, humility, and humor, and he inspires me to remember what is truly important.

Sister Thea Bowman: national witness to possibility of racial harmony

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Sister thea cAUSE
By Father Maurice Nutt
Recently a fellow priest friend told me that a parishioner called him because she was troubled by the way that George Floyd was being hailed as a saint by the media. “He wasn’t a saint,” she quipped. The priest replied, “No, he wasn’t a saint, but neither are you and I, we are all sinners in need of God’s grace and forgiveness.”

Father Maurice Nutt

We’ve watched the excruciating video of an apprehended 46-year-old African American man by four Minneapolis police officers, hand-cuffed face down on the ground as one of the police officers relentlessly pressed his knee into his neck for eight minutes and forty-six seconds. Floyd in anguish cried out, “Please, I can’t breathe” to no avail and became unconscious and died of asphyxiation. Moments after George Floyd’s murder and continuing on today protests have erupted globally in cities large and small. The protesters have been multiracial and intergenerational indicating that they are united in their quest for justice and racial harmony. The demands for racial justice and equality, an end to racial violence, and police reform have reverberated incessantly.
No, George Floyd was not a saint, but he remains a symbol of something much more insidious: the sin of racism. This sin is an ever-present reminder that some people and institutions who have economic, social, cultural, political power and privilege deliberately or unwittingly subjugate and oppress those who do not enjoy equal power and privilege. Some social and economic advances notwithstanding, racism and discrimination continues to plaque the vast majority of people of color in our nation.
Systemic racism has been present in our country since 1619, the year that enslaved Africans were brought to the shores of what would eventually become the United States. Thus, for four-hundred years African Americans have fought for justice and equality: a fight that has never been fair nor equal. Four hundred years marked by the era of slavery, Reconstruction, “Jim Crow” segregation, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Black Lives Matter Movement. The struggle has been for the respect of their humanity and recognition as being created in the image and likeness of God — like all humanity. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Protest is the language of the unheard.” Protest is also the language of those who are tired of fighting and want the dominant culture to hear and to understand.
The voices crying out for the eradication of racism are not only being heard from the voices of the protesters on our city streets but from religious women and men, priests, laity, theologians, Bishops, and even from Pope Francis. Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago said, “People of color suffer discrimination and indignities not only from racist individuals, but from the very structures erected by our society that were meant to protect the vulnerable.” Pope Francis instructs us, “We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life.” And still there is yet another voice of one who walked and worked among us and continues to call us to intercultural appreciation and racial reconciliation, Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA. Here is her testimony: “I can be a bridge over troubled water. I can take you by the hand and take you with me into the black community. I can walk with you into your community, and if I walk with you into your community, I don’t enter as a stranger, I walk as your sister.”
We have a Mississippian who was a national witness to the possibility of racial healing and reconciliation. Sister Thea believed that we all must work to tear down the walls of racial division in our segregated and polarized society and church by making the effort to truly be in contact with one another: to get to know another’s story, their joys, sorrows, hopes and dreams. She was emphatic that the church as the Body of Christ must first confess her sin of racism, make amends and come to a place of healing and reconciliation. Then and only then can the church be a leader in racial healing globally. Sister Thea said: “May the Spirit within us and among us inspire us to keep on keeping on, in our homes and families, in our communities and in our church. May the Spirit inspire us, and may we share our spiritual and cultural gifts with the church and with the world. We’ve come this far by faith. Can’t turn around.”
Sister Thea, pray for us!

(Father Maurice J. Nutt, C.Ss.R. is a Redemptorist Missionary. Reverend Dr. Nutt’s areas of research and interests include pastoral theology, homiletics, African American culture, and the intersectionality of the church and the work of justice.)

Bishop, other religious leaders call for change to Mississippi flag

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By Joanna Puddister King
JACKSON – On June 11, Bishop Joseph Kopacz and a group of religious leaders from all different faiths gathered on the steps of the Cathedral of St. Peter to rally for the removal of the Mississippi state flag with its Confederate battle flag image. The movement comes about with the renewed focus on race relations in the wake of George Floyd’s death and in response to the peaceful protests by Black Lives Matter Mississippi at the Governor’s Mansion on June 6 by the community members present who called for the removal of Confederate symbolism in the state.

Working Together Mississippi, who organized the rally, is the state’s most diverse coalition of faith and civic institutions. The group believes that the state and country stand at an historic moment in the work of repentance from American’s sin of slavery and systemic racism. The current Mississippi State flag with the Confederate battle flag at its center conveys a message and history that the group rejects.

Mississippi is the only state whose flag still contains the confederate battle flag since Georgia changed its flag in 2003. In 2001, Mississippians voted in favor of keeping the current state flag.

JACKSON – Bishop Joseph Kopacz speaks at a rally organized by Working Together Mississippi for the removal of the Mississippi state flag. Many faith leaders were gathered for the event. Pictured behind Bishop Kopacz are Rachel Glazer representing the Jewish community, Reverend Stephen Cook of the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church, Bishop Ronnie Crudup of the Fellowship of International Churches, Father Lincoln Dall and Bishop Joseph Campbell of the South Central Diocese – Church of Christ (Holiness) USA. (Photo by Joanna Puddister King)

At the start of the rally at the Cathedral of St. Peter, Bishop Kopacz said the mission for the event was to be “one strong voice in opposition to the current state flag.”

“We are looking to push [the flag] to be removed and be replaced by a flag that truly represents who we are in Mississippi and the 21st century.”

Bishop Kopacz also talked to the gathered press and on-lookers about the story of Joshua and Israelites and marching around the city of Jericho. “If you recall the way those walls came down, they had a long, long shout and that wall came tumbling down,” said Bishop Kopacz.

“So, our voices are strong to make sure that the flag comes down and that again this noble mission be accomplished with something that is so much better for our state at this time.”

The faith leaders gathered for the event represented many Christian denominations, as well as Jewish, Islamic and Muslim religious leaders.

Rachel Glazer, representing Jackson’s Jewish community, said “As the modern lynching’s of black people by police have risen to the forefront of the national consciousness, we can no longer claim that this issue is merely one of historical significance. To be complacent on this issue is to be complicit.”

Bishop Ronnie Crudup, Sr. of New Horizon International Church told the crowd, “By not changing the flag we are saying to the world, nothing has changed.”

He called upon State leadership “to let the world know, as well as the citizens across Mississippi that it’s a new day in Mississippi. It is a time of change.”

Overall, the church leaders present were not focused on what the Mississippi state flag would be changed to, but rather getting the current one down.

“Give us a flag that all of us can all be proud of,” urged Bishop Joseph Campbell of the Church of Christ (Holiness) of the South-Central Diocese. “For me, the Confederate flag is like a large splinter that in my hand every time I see it.”

Rachel Glazer reminded those present that we are all created in God’s image. “The confederate battle emblem on the Mississippi state flag is a mockery of that divine spark. It celebrates the dehumanization of non-white and non-Christian people. We cannot stand idly by while the blood of our neighbors is smeared on the flag over the very building where we expect those leaders to act in all of our best interest.”

Bishop Brian Seage of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi said, “We come together to ask Governor Reeves, Lieutenant Governor Hosemann and Speaker Gunn to come together and remove a symbol that has been a source of division.”

Only hours after the religious leader’s rally, Senators David Blount and Derrick Simmons introduced a resolution to let lawmakers vote to get rid of the Mississippi state flag.

On the other hand, Governor Tate Reeves believes that the flag should only be changed by a vote by the people. He was quoted at his daily briefing on Monday, June 8 stating with regard to a change to the Mississippi state flag, “that if and when [the people] want to change the flag that will be a decision they can make.”

Reverend Jason Coker of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Mississippi said that many call the Confederate battle flag history and said that many in his own family and friends hold tight to the current flag, calling it “their heritage.” Reverend Coker says, “But I have to look at my children every day and hope for a better Mississippi. It comes at a point in crisis – do you choose family, or do you choose justice?”

He says that question is upon us now and urged legislators to tap into the best parts of themselves and “into the bedrock of our Christian faith when Jesus was asked the greatest commandment in the entire Bible. Jesus said love God and love your neighbor.”

Reverend Coker says that the time to love our neighbors is here. “Our current flag does not represent over 40% of the state we live in and it doesn’t offer any hope for our future,” said Reverend Coker. “I hope we can come together … and find a group of people to create a new symbol for us. A symbol that doesn’t look backwards, but a symbol that looks forward in hope. Not just for me, not just for us, but for our children and their children.”

At the close of the rally, Bishop Kopacz thanked all for coming together to share their powerful voices on the steps of the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle and said it was a “proud moment for all” and for the Catholic Diocese of Jackson.

“We are all together. One heart, one mind and one voice.”

Faith in action evident at St. Anne Carthage after August ICE raids

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By Dorothy Balser
Father Odel Medina and one of the parish volunteers, Edgar speak about how St. Anne’s Carthage parishioners live out the calling of their faith on behalf of the “least of these.” (Matthew 25)

CARTHAGE – In Spring of 2020 a volunteer works to pack personal care supplies for those in need through the parishes relief ministry. (Photo courtesy of St. Anne parish )
  1. What does it mean to you personally to put your Faith into Action?
    Edgar: First, I thank God for everything I have received from him. We are happy because many people are helping us. What we have is faith to help others. Thanks be to God that we are members of the church and the church is teaching us how we can help others.
    Until four years ago, I was not very close to the church. After I began to come to church more regularly, I was invited to be in a group. We have something like a parish council in our church called Directiva. Every year they have an election. When the election came, the people chose me as the president. I was very surprised and at the beginning I was afraid. “Why did they choose me?” But I give thanks for that experience. I have grown in a deeply spiritual way.
  2. In general, how does St. Anne’s show faith in action?
    Father Odel: I believe we are in a moment to be aware of God. You think that you believe, you have to show how you live your life. People are already aware that your faith must be in action. If somebody is in need, they know everybody. They try to help each other. If they can do it by themselves, they will do it. But if it is something bigger, the community will coordinate more in response. We have many different cases and the biggest experience was last year with the ICE raids. It was not only the Hispanic people but also the English-speaking parishioners that responded and asked me how they can help and contribute. They put their faith in action. And now, during this pandemic, we are all trying to assist people who got the virus. People at our parish have not only helped members in the parish, but their faith moved them to help anyone that was sick by bringing things to their door. I also suffered from the coronavirus and it was amazing how much they showed care for me by bringing things to my door. I witnessed how they cared, not just for me but for many others.
  3. Describe one or two of the ministries at St. Anne’s where faith in action is seen.
    Edgar: The Hispanic Relief Ministry started with the ICE raids. Father Odel called me to be part of the team. We did not have the experience to be a committee or to distribute the help we were receiving. But, thanks to Father Odel we were able to get organized to use the aid we were receiving to provide this help. In the beginning, we thought that nobody from outside wanted to help us. But I have come to realize – thanks be to God – there are many people that care about what we are doing at St. Anne’s. Although we are migrants, people are helping us and we are able to help people with rent, utility bills and food for their table. In my case, I could not say no. I myself am a migrant and I do not know what will happen tomorrow, so I was able to help right away.
  4. What impact has this faith in action ministry had on the people served and on those involved in the ministry?
    Father Odel: The people that serve have become more aware of how to put their faith in action. The ICE raid crisis made them more aware, more active, and more generous with their lives. The first person that responded to help the people affected by the raids was himself affected by the raid. He came to me and said even though we were affected, we need to do something. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, they reached out to help others.
    The people who have been served feel less isolated. The church has been like an oasis for them. They know the church is supportive. Helping the people has made the church more credible.
  5. What challenges have you faced in developing this ministry and what kept you going in spite of the challenges?
    Father Odel: The ministry began in the midst of a crisis, a migration raid, and this brought a lot of fear, pain and sadness, so the challenge was to respond in times of crisis, for people the church was the only refuge where they could feel safe. Thanks to the help of many people around the country and Catholic Extension, families could be assisted.
    What has kept us in spite of the challenges is the word of God that tells us that he will always be with us. Besides, the support could be said at the national level for this ministry, in economic terms.
  6. What suggestions do you have for people (or parishes) that aren’t sure how to put their faith in action?
    Father Odel: First, as St. James says, faith without deeds is a dead faith. (James 2:14-26) Having faith, praying, talking with God will lead you to an action, the fruit of prayer. So, listen to what God is saying to you and asking for. And don’t be afraid he will give you the gifts.

(Witnesses of Faith in Action ministries in the Diocese of Jackson are featured each month. If you’d like to see your parish, school or group featured, contact editor@jacksondiocese.org.)

In memorium: Sister Antoninne Thoma

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MILWAUKEE – Please remember in prayer Sister Antonienne Thoma, OSF, 86, who died May 30 at the Sacred Heart retirement and health care home in Milwaukee. Sister celebrated her 70-year Jubilee earlier this year.
Born in Danville, Illinois, Sister Antonienne received a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Alverno College in Milwaukee, a Master of Arts degree in Special Education from DePaul University in Chicago and a Master of Pastoral Studies from Loyola University in Chicago.

Sister Antonienne Thoma, OSF

Serving with Sacred Heart Southern Missions (SHSM) for more than nine years, Sister Antonienne began volunteering with SHSM in 2005 by helping Sister Adelia Milligan in the Hernando social service office. Her assistance proved invaluable and she was soon brought on board permanently as receptionist/office assistant. She, along with Sister Adelia, a fellow School Sister of St. Francis, retired in 2015.
During her 70 years in religious life, Sister Antonienne spent most of her time in the Central United States. She previously served in Illinois, Ohio, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin, where she worked in many areas, including education, pastoral care and administration, and as a disability diagnostician and ministry director for her community of the School Sisters of St. Francis.
A funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Joseph Chapel in Milwaukee for Sister Antonienne on Friday, June 5. Due to the precautionary measures that have been taken by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to protect the health and safety of all persons in response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, the service was closed to all but the Celebrant and Liturgical Ministers. However, there are plans to have a gathering of remembrance for Sister Antonienne at a later date.

Meet Carlisle Beggerly

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In preparation for our Homegrown Harvest Gala in the fall, which will benefit the Diocese of Jackson Office of Vocations, over the next several weeks we will feature a Q&A with one of our seminarians. This week, meet Carlisle Beggerly, who is entering his fourth year of formation.

Carlisle Beggerly

What is your home parish?
Immaculate Conception, West Point

What is your background? (Where are you from, how did you end up in Mississippi, etc.)
I was born in Jackson. I grew up in Florence. I now live in West Point. I have lived most of my life in Mississippi.

What is your vocation story? Who influenced you and why?
I grew up Protestant. In college, I read St. Augustine’s Confessions. This led me to seek out the church to which he belonged. I entered the church after instruction from Father Bill Voller in Hattiesburg. I felt a call to priesthood from the beginning of my conversion. I spent about a year and a half with a religious order. However, I did not feel it was the right fit for me. I left and went to law school, but continued to feel a calling to priestly life. After completing law school and working for awhile, I entered seminary for the Diocese of Jackson.

What draws you to diocesan priesthood? And to the Diocese of Jackson?
I am very much a son of Mississippi and Jackson Diocese. I want to minister to the people who have helped form me through the years. My family and friends also live here and I want to be near them in the future.

What are your hobbies/interests?
I paint religious icons. I also play the piano. Hagiography (writings about the lives of saints) is one of my favorite things to study. I also enjoy reading and music.

Who is your favorite saint and why?
I have many favorite saints. Different saints have assisted me at different periods of my life. St. Stanislaus Kostka is probably my favorite at the moment. He overcame many seemingly impossible obstacles in his formation for religious life and endured to a happy death. I find his intercession very powerful at this point in my discernment.

Do you have a favorite devotion? What draws you to this devotion?
I have a fascination with relics. For Catholics, the body and the soul are essential for salvation. I like praying before these physical reminders of the saints since they were temples of the Holy Ghost. I also like meditating on the fact that the holy relics will be restored to the glorified bodies of their owners after Christ’s Second Coming.

What is something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I was an exchange student to Japan when I was in high school.

Who is your favorite sports team?
Manchester United.

What has been the most rewarding part of being a seminarian? And the most challenging?
The most rewarding part of being a seminarian is having my day revolve around prayer. The Eucharist truly is the source and summit of my life in formation. This is a great blessing. The most challenging aspect of formation is probably the length of time in formation. Six years is a very long time.

What advice do you have for those discerning a vocation?
Go to Jesus in the Eucharist. Stay close to Mary and Joseph. Seek the help of the Saints and Angels, especially your Guardian Angel.

Where can people send you a personal note?
I will be at St. Joseph’s in Starkville this summer or you can mail a note to me at Notre Dame Seminary.

Bishops Joint statement on HB 1295

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By Most Reverend Louis F. Kihneman and Most Reverend Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
JACKSON – We, the undersigned, Most Reverend Joseph R. Kopacz, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Jackson, and Most Reverend Louis F. Kihneman III, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi, are writing on behalf of the Catholic Church throughout Mississippi with regard to HB 1295, The Life Equality Act. This bill seeks to protect unborn lives from discrimination in the womb on the basis of race, sex, and disability. We believe in the legal protection of these classes as they are equal in the eyes of our Creator. We seek to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ by caring for the most vulnerable among us.

Our Catholic Charities are very active in supporting pregnancy resource centers, adoption, racial reconciliation, disability rights, and family assistance needs in Mississippi. We will continue to serve those in need while advocating for the preservation of life at all stages. It would be detrimental to our Church’s mission, as well as to the common good of our State, to be silent on matters of human life and discrimination.

The Church’s steadfast stance on the protection of preborn human lives has biblical support, e.g., the words of Psalm 139, declaring that each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made, knit in our mothers’ wombs. But even if one does not acknowledge the Bible, the truth that the womb of a pregnant woman contains a unique human life cannot be denied. This truth ought to be reflected by our Mississippi legal system without prejudice.

We thank you for your attention to this critical bill that is before you. As we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of John Paul II’s Evangelium Vitae, Gospel of Life, The Church reflects deeply on our duty to protect the “least of these” in our society. May the Holy Spirit enlighten your deliberations and decisions to choose wisely on behalf of all people of Mississippi.

Together in Faith: Reopening our churches

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https://jacksondiocese.org/2020/05/together-in-faith-re-opening-our-churches/

Current Liturgical Directives and allowances AS OF MAY 18
• The faithful are dispensed from the Sunday Obligation until further notice.
• Livestreamed Masses may ONLY be celebrated with no congregation present
• No public distribution of Holy Communion – such as drive-thru distribution in the parking lot.
• Sacraments and Rites that are allowed:
• Reconciliation – masks and social distancing of six feet required
• Baptism – must be Outside of Mass with 10 or less people present
• Matrimony – must be Outside of Mass with 10 or less people present
• Funerals – Graveside only with 10 or less peo- ple present
• RCIA Elect and Candidates may be received into the church in gatherings of 10 or less.
• Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament may occur in the church with 10 or less present at one time. Masks and social distancing are required. Adora- tion may also be held in the parking lot if people remain in their cars and can maintain proper so- cial distancing.

General Directives BEGINNING MAY 30, 2020
• Bishop Kopacz will continue to dispense all the faithful from the Sunday Obligation to participate in Mass until further notice.
• The public celebration of Mass will begin on the Solemnity of the Feast of Pentecost at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 30.
• Home Masses: At this time, Masses may not be celebrated in private homes or properties of parishioners. This places everyone at risk.
• The sacraments and rites currently in place are continued with proper social distancing. (See above)
• First Holy Communion and Confirmation celebrations may begin August 1, 2020.
• Bishop Kopacz has delegated individual pastors to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation for the remainder of 2020.
• If a candidate will be moving away prior to August 1, pastors may confer the sacrament individually for this family in the church.
• Social distancing will be kept in accord with the state and local health recommendations and local ordinances.
• Each parish and mission should have a plan in place by May 25, for re-opening that includes seating map, training of ushers and hospitality ministers in the plan, a method for parishioners to sign up for Mass, and a communique sent to parishioners explaining the plan.
• Parish Mass schedules may be expanded to accommodate the faithful but taking great care not to spiritually bankrupt clergy with too many celebrations – a maximum of two vigils on Saturday evening and four masses on Sunday.
• Choir and Ensemble singing and practices are suspended until further notice.
• Livestreaming of Mass may continue. Additionally, livestreaming to overflow crowds in parish centers or gyms on parish campuses though not ideal for participation will be allowed during this time.
• These directives may not encompass every minute detail. The overriding maxim is: use common sense. According to health officials, this virus will linger in our communities for longer than we can project. Stay safe and be vigilant!

THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST & COMMUNION RITE
• The gifts of bread and wine should be brought to the altar from the credence table in the sanctuary. There is no offertory procession involving congregation members.
• For the offertory, baskets will not be passed in the pews. An offertory station can be used, run by the ushers. Baskets should be sanitized before and after Mass.
• Exchanging the sign of peace should not involve physical contact.
• Distribution of the Precious Blood continues to be suspended.
• Distribution of Holy Communion will be in the hand. Distribution on the tongue is suspended. Medical personnel have emphasized that saliva is one of the worst fluids for transmission.
• Preferably, younger priests and/or younger Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion in good health should distribute communion.
• The use of gloves to distribute Holy Communion is no more effective than distributing with the bare hand. Indeed, gloves would have to be changed for each communicant. Use of tongs or other instruments would, likewise, come into contact with each communicant’s hands.
• The Communion Rite is an essential and unmovable element of the Order of Mass. It is not to be celebrated after Mass.
• Masses may not be celebrated in private homes or properties of parishioners.

Safety and Hygiene: The Duty of Every Individual
• Those who are sick or symptomatic should stay home! This includes clergy!
• Vulnerable individuals, those 65 and older or with underlying health conditions, should continue to shelter in place. Families with vulnerable individuals are encouraged to continue to take special precautions.
• We would like for parents to consider the vulnerability of infants, toddlers and small children during this time, considering not bringing them to Mass or to perhaps bring them to a Mass during the week that is less attended rather than one of the busier weekend Masses.
• Wash hands at home and use hand sanitizer upon entering the church.
• Face masks are mandated for all assembly members over the age of two.
• Pastors must use face masks in proximity to parishioners, especially during the distribution of communion.
• Pastors and LEMs should make every effort to clearly communicate good hygienic practices and liturgical alterations to their parishioners prior to May 30, in light of continuing public health concerns.

Faith in action at Holy Family Jackson

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By Dorothy Balser
Corinne Anderson speaks about how Holy Family parish in Jackson lives out the calling of their faith on behalf of the “least of these.” (Matthew 25)

  1. What does it mean to you personally to put your Faith into Action?
    I always try to give back to others. My grandmother often quoted the Bible to me when she was helping others. I can hear her saying over and over “to whom much is given, much is expected.” So, I kind of got that from her. It’s important that I try to give back.
    When Father Xavier came to Holy Family in 2014, he introduced us to the Norbertine principles. The one I latched onto is something called “self-emptying service,” which is a willingness to cede one’s personal advantage for the good of the community – particularly as expressed in the generosity and discipline required to participate in the structures that support community life. Well there it was – the personal good of the community, the generosity, the structure that supports community life – that’s what Catholicism is all about.
  2. In general, how does Holy Family parish show faith in action?
    Since I came to the parish in 1979, there has been a core group of parishioners trying to do outreach. We began by ministering to people within the parish, making sure we touched base with people we didn’t see often. Then sometime early on, we realized we could not continue just ministering to ourselves. We needed to reach out to the community around the church, which is predominantly African American. Many of the apartment complexes around the church were opportunities for us to reach out with Bible school and summer sessions we had for youth.
  3. Describe one or two of the ministries at Holy Family parish where faith in action is seen.
    Many people in our parish are involved in faith in action ministries. Besides myself, people that have consistently helped the ministries grow are Joyce Adams, Ann Pullum and Gladys Russell. One of the ways we have reached out is through the faith formation and liturgy committees joining together to adopt the local Green Elementary School. We started taking little packets of school supplies to the school and began inviting students to our Black History Month program at church. We had a youth choir and a boy’s dance group and their parents also came to participate, most of whom are not Catholic.
    The other ministry is our food pantry. The diocese sent out a call for proposals to do various faith-building activities in the community. I called the project “going beyond boundaries: witnessing and focusing on life and dignity of the human person” and it was accepted by the pastoral council. So, it has become our theme to go outside the boundaries of the church.
    A number of the people we talked with across the street at the senior citizen’s complex became our first group to work with. As we started talking with them, we found out they have many food needs because their money runs out about a week before their check comes each month. So, we had the idea to see if we could get a little help to establish a food pantry and at least work with them. Funds from the diocesan mission grant provided part of the start-up money for that program. We then reached out to the apartments next door that have people with low-income, and the ministry continued to grow. There are now three apartment complexes within a mile of the church where we serve people from the food pantry. We reported to the parish what we were doing and soon started what we call a “20-20 club.” We found that we could work with the Mississippi Food Network to get most of the USDA food for free, but other necessities that are not on the USDA list, like jiffy, beans, etc. are supported by the 20-20 club, which is 20 people paying $20 per month to help pay for the $450 in extra food supplies.
    We started small with one of the closets in the parish hall and Cowboy Maloney gave us a good deal on some freezers. Now we serve about 40 to 50 families each month. We are still operating during the pandemic using a drive-through method and last month we served 111 families, which was a total of 159 individuals.
  4. What impact has this faith in action ministry had on the people served and on those involved in the ministry?
    People at the senior citizen’s home across the street see us as part of their family. They used to call us “that Catholic church across the street.” Now I hear them talking about “Holy Family” and referring to people by name. In terms of the community, we start in the morning with a prayer that we make sure we treat every person as if he or she is a special member of the family. We have conversations in our committee meetings about how we want to make sure each of us is letting them know we are here to help, and we want to be part of their extended family. There are parishioners and also non-Catholics that have joined us through an “each-one-bring-one” invitation, many who come religiously because they see we are doing good things here and they want to help. There is a lot to do and they are a tremendous help with picking up and unloading food from the food network, packing frozen or dry food items, delivering food and keeping a count for the reporting.
    We adopted the Norbertine self-emptying principle as one of our marching mantras. So, the community social outreach piece and witnessing through evangelization became part of our “reaching beyond boundaries.” We started with a core group of senior citizens in the parish that decided they could do this ministry as their self-emptying service. Now younger members of the parish are involved as well as members of the youth group that come periodically and earn community service points for school. The ladies guild is also involved by donating about 100 gift bags a year as a way of letting people know about Holy Family without pushing church on them. Some of the people we serve have asked us “what time are your services?” and so we’ve made a few new friends at Holy Family.
  5. What suggestions do you have for people that are not sure how to put their faith in action?
    I would suggest for people that want to do something to first ask, “How can we evangelize? How can we witness?” My grandmother always talked about reaching out to the community and to meet and get focused in one direction. If you don’t have a particular goal or direction, then you can talk a thing to death. I would also say go to the pastoral council meetings, which should be open to everyone, even if you are not a member of the council. See what leadership is talking about for the direction of the parish. Then talk with the people that might have the inclination to serve on a broader scale and will roll up their sleeves to get busy and let the community know we are truly a universal church.
    A suggestion for us as a church is that in order to get people in the parish involved, we have to do a better job of communication. We have to find ways to make sure people know what social outreach projects we have and to continue putting it out there on a regular basis – tell people what you’re doing, what your goals are and how we must reach out to the broader community. We can no longer just go to Mass and go home.
JACKSON – On distribution day in April, the food pantry coordinating team at Holy Family Jackson gathers to review drive-through distribution assignments prior to the arrival of clients. (Photo by Veronica Russell)

(Witnesses of Faith in Action ministries in the diocese of Jackson are featured each month. If you’d like to see your parish, school or group featured, contact the Parish Social Ministry office at psm@ccjackson.org.)

School Sisters of St. Francis celebrate Jubilee

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MILWAUKEE, Wis. – More than three dozen School Sisters of St. Francis of the United States Province will celebrate milestone anniversaries of service as women religious this year. In addition, one lay woman in associate relationship with the community will celebrate her 40-year Jubilee and two lay women their 25-year Jubilees.
These are the sisters celebrating Jubilee this year who have served in the Diocese of Jackson.

Sister Frances Kloewer (75 Years)

Sister Frances Kloewer was born in Harlan, Iowa. She received a bachelor of science degree in education at Alverno College in Milwaukee and a master of science degree in education from the University of Nebraska in Omaha.
In the Diocese of Jackson, Sister served as principal and teacher at Christ the King School in Jackson (1957-1966), taught at St. Francis School in Yazoo City (1967-1970) and taught at Holy Family School in Jackson (1970-1972).
Other service: In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister taught at Immaculate Conception School, Chicago (1948-1957). In the Diocese of Des Moines, she ministered in Earling as a teacher at St. Joseph School (1978-1990), library media specialist (1991-2000) and substitute teacher and volunteer (2002-2012) at Shelby County Catholic School. In the Archdiocese of Omaha, she taught at St. Patrick School in Fremont (1972-1975) and at St. John the Baptist School in Petersburg (1975-1978), and served as a volunteer at New Cassel Retirement Center in Omaha (2012-2019). In the Diocese of Joliet, Sister taught at St. Alphonsus School in Lemont (1966-1967). In the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, sister served in the mailing department for the Seraphic Press at St. Joseph Convent, Milwaukee (1947-1948).
Sister currently resides at Sacred Heart in Milwaukee.

Sister Dorothy Hegemann (70 Years)

Sister Dorothy Hegemann was born in Howells, Nebraska. She received a bachelor of arts degree in mathematics from Alverno College in Milwaukee.
In the Diocese of Jackson, sister taught at St. Mary School in Holly Springs (1954-1958) and at St. Francis High School in Yazoo City (1958-1959).
Other service: In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister taught at Alvernia High School, Chicago (1959-1960). In the Diocese of Dubuque, Sister taught at Rudolphinum High School in Protivin, Iowa (1966-1968). In the Diocese of Lincoln, Sister taught at Aquinas High School in David City, Nebraska (1968-1974). In the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Sister taught at St. Joseph High School, Kenosha (1960-1962). She also ministered at Alverno College, Milwaukee, as a teacher (1981-1987), instructional services math coordinator (1987-2012), and math tutor (2012-2013). In the Diocese of Omaha, Sister taught at Ryan High School in Omaha (1962-1966) and Archbishop Bergan High School in Fremont (1974-1981).
Sister currently resides at St. Joseph Center in Milwaukee.

Sister Antonienne Thoma (70 Years)


Sister Antonienne Thoma was born in Danville, Illinois. She received a bachelor of science degree from Alverno College in Milwaukee, a master of arts degree in special education from DePaul University in Chicago and a master of pastoral studies from Loyola University in Chicago.
In the Diocese of Jackson, Sister served as office assistant at Sacred Heart Southern Missions in Hernando (2006-2015).
Other service: In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister taught at Holy Angels School in Chicago (1959-1961), served as a diagnostician at St. John of the Cross School in Western Springs (1973-1978), and was assistant principal at St. Jerome School in Chicago (1978-1979). Sister also served as a learning disabilities teacher at Our Lady of the Wayside School in Arlington Heights (1979-1984) where she also served as a pastoral associate (1984-1988 and 1989-1991), and as director of care and outreach (1988-1989). Sister served as ministry director in Chicago for her congregation’s United States Province (1998-2003). In the Diocese of Joliet, Sister taught at St. Liborius School in Steger (1961), and at St. Raphael School in Naperville (1961-1965) where she also served as principal (1965-1968). She taught at St. Luke School in Carol Stream (1969-1970), and at St. Walter School in Roselle (1970-1972). In the Diocese of La Crosse, Sister served as chaplain at St. Joseph Hospital in Marshfield, Wisconsin (1993-1998). In the Diocese of Madison, Sister served as chaplain at Meriter Hospital in Madison (1992-1993). In the Diocese of New Ulm, Sister served as a homemaker and librarian at Japanese Martyrs Convent in Leavenworth, Minnesota (1954-1958). In the Archdiocese of Omaha, sister served as homemaker at St. John the Baptist Convent in Fordyce, Nebraska (1952-1954). In the Diocese of Rockford, she served as homemaker for Madonna High School in Aurora, Illinois (1951-1952).
Sister currently resides at Sacred Heart in Milwaukee.

Sister Catherine Mauge (60 Years)

Sister Catherine Mauge was born in Chicago, Illinois. She received a bachelor of arts degree in music education and liturgy from Alverno College in Milwaukee.
In the Diocese of Jackson, Sister served at CADET School, Holly Springs, as musician (1969-1990) and religious education coordinator (1975-1990).
In the Archdiocese of Chicago, Sister served as musician for St. Bernardine School in Forest Park (1963-1965) and at Holy Angels School in Chicago (1965-1969). In the Diocese of San Bernardino, she served as a private music teacher and organist in Idyllwild (1991-2007) and currently serves as musician at the Idyllwild Center for Spiritual Living in Hemet, California (2012 to present).
Sister resides in Idyllwild, California.