Category Archives: Diocesan News

In memoriam: Sister Marise Barry, OP

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Sister Marise Barry, OP

SINSINAWA, Wis – Sister Marise Barry, OP, died Feb. 6. The funeral Mass was held at the Dominican motherhouse,
Feb. 15, followed by burial in the Motherhouse Cemetery.
Sister Marise made her first religious profession as a Sinsinawa Dominican Aug, 5, 1951, and her perpetual profession Aug. 5, 1954. She taught for 19 years and served as principal for five years and in congregation leadership for six years. Sister Marise worked in the social service field for 21 years as social worker, therapist, and counselor. She served in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, New York, Alabama, the District of Columbia, Mississippi and Massachusetts.
In the Diocese of Jackson, Sister Marise served as a social worker at DePorres Health Center in Marks, 1981-1987.
Sister Marise was born May 25, 1931, in Chicago, the daughter of Willard and Catherine (Garrity) Barry. Her parents and a brother, John Barry, preceded her in death. She is survived by nephews and her Dominican Sisters with whom she shared 67 years of religious life.
Memorials may be made to the Sinsinawa Dominicans, 585 County Road Z, Sinsinawa, WI, 53824-9701 or online at www.sinsinawa.org/donate

Emergency expansion lights up St. Dominic campus

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – St. Dominic Hospital is expanding and updating its emergency department. Hospital leaders sponsored a celebration of the project Tuesday, Feb. 12. Work has already begun, so organizers had to get creative with this event. In lieu of a groundbreaking, hospital, community and diocesan leaders were invited to light up twirling red emergency lights as an official kick-off to the overall project.
The department has gone from seeing 45,000 to 60,000 patients annually in a few short years. The expansion will sit in a space once occupied by the original chapel and an office building. When opened in mid-2020, it will feature, 20 patient rooms, two trauma treatment areas, an exam room, onsite imaging and rooms specifically for mental health. Once the expansion is ready, the existing department will be renovated to match the layout and flow of the new center, adding another 16 rooms and one more exam room.

JACKSON – Work has already started on an expansion to the St. Dominic hospital emergency department.(Photo by Maureen Smith)

The current location had some challenges such as a lack of a dedicated emergency traffic lane and parking. These will be addressed with the expansion. Work is well underway. Those gathered for the celebration could see out of the tent onto a deep hole where infrastructure for the new building will be put into place.
St. Dominic Health Services president Claude Harbarger outlined the project in his opening remarks and welcomed the dignitaries on hand including Bishop Joseph Latino, Bishop Emeritus for the Diocese of Jackson, who blessed the site and the people who will work there. Sister Dorothea Sondgeroth, associate executive director for the St. Dominic Health Services Foundation gave the invocation.
The foundation has raised $7.5 million, but continues to seek $2.5 million for the $10 million it will take for the whole project. Donors can use the St. Dominic donation page on its website, https://payment.stdom.com, and select the Emergency Department Campaign to give to the project.

Parish event calendar

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

BROOKSVILLE The Dwelling Place, Seven Last Words of Christ, March 22-23. The retreat will examine selected reflections by several prominent voices within the church, among them Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Bishop Robert Barron and Father James Martin. Presenter: Melvin Arrington, parishioner of Oxford St. John and a retired professor of Spanish. He is a student of the life and writings of Venerable Archbishop Sheen. Begins with dinner at 6:30 Friday and concludes mid-afternoon on Saturday. Donation: $100. Details: (662) 738-5348 or email dwellpl@gmail.com for more information.
COVINGTON, Louisiana, Married Couples Retreat, March 16-17, at St. Joseph Abbey Christian Life Retreat Center. Come away for rest and spiritual strength and nourishment. Going on a Married Couples Retreat does not mean that something is failing but rather it is a falling into the graces of our Lord. Suggested donation: $275 per couple. Details: www.faithandmarriage.org or call (504) 830-3716.
CULLMAN, Alabama, Benedictine Sisters Retreat Center, Flannery O’Connor: suffering and redemption in the life and literature of a great world writer, Tuesday, March 12. In the more than 50 years since her death from Lupus at the age of 39, Flannery O’Connor’s literary and spiritual legacies have continued to grow. The retreat will acquaint newcomers with a complete overview of her life and work. Presenter: David King, professor of English and Film Studies at Kennesaw State University. He has published and presented widely on Catholic artists and writers and enjoys sharing the richness of the Catholic aesthetic and intellectual tradition. Cost: $30, includes lunch. Details: (256) 734-8302, retreats@shmon.org or www.shmon.org.
METAIRIE, LA, the Southern Regional Conference of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, “The Spirit of Truth: Signs Wonders and Miracles” on Friday-Sunday, March 29-31 beginning at 7 p.m. and concluding with 11 a.m. Mass. It will be held at the Copeland Tower Suites and Conference. All priests, religious brothers and sisters, deacons and their families are invited to attend at no charge, but pre-registration is requested. Details: (504) 828-1368 OR info@ccrno.org or www.ccrno.org.

PARISH, SCHOOL AND FAMILY EVENTS

AMORY St. Helen, Book Discussion Group will read The Rent Collector by Cameron Wright Monday, March 11, at noon in the parish hall. Everyone is invited to read the book and plan to join the discussion. Details: church office (662) 256-8392.
FLOWOOD St. Paul, Women’s Guild Lenten Day of Reflection, “Refreshing the Body, Mind and Soul” Saturday, March 23, 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Deadline to register is March 18. No cost, suggested donation for Domestic Violence Shelter. Details: wgstpaul@gmail.com or Renee Gosselin (601) 966-5452; Linda Rainey (601) 212-9802; Cheryl Marsh (860) 823-7878 or Renee Carpenter (601) 214-9457.
GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph, Yoga Classes continue each Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. The cost is $7 each class and is donated back to the parish. Details: Teresa Speer at (769) 233-1989.
GRENADA St. Peter, Lenten Retreat, Saturday, March 16, begins at 9 a.m. and ends with 6 p.m. Mass. Bishop Sam Jacobs, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Houma Thibodaux, will be the special speaker. Details: church office (662) 226-2490.
JACKSON St. Richard, Yoga classes focused on basics through foundation poses to promote flexibility, balance and a more relaxed body. This session will have a special focus on awareness of the core muscles. Classes continuing to meet Fridays from 9 – 10:15 a.m. in the Chichester Room on the following dates: March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and April 5. The cost is $8 per class. Proceeds go to the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Richard. Checks can be made out to St. Vincent de Paul. Details: claudiaaddison@mac.com or (601) 594.3937.
MADISON St. Francis of Assisi, Fat Tuesday Pancake Supper, Tuesday March 5, at 5:15 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Youth are needed to cook and serve. All monies raised will go to benefit their youth group activities. Details: church office (601) 856-5556.
MERIDIAN Catholic Community of St. Joseph and St. Patrick, Mardi Gras Party hosted by Knights of Peter Claver and Servants of Mary, Saturday, March 2, 6-10 p.m. Adults only please. Details: church office (601) 693-1321.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Adult Sunday School is currently studying Robert Barron’s series The Mass. Details: Karen Verucchi at (601) 870-5388.
PEARL St. Jude, Women’s Retreat, Saturday, March 9, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Retreat Directors: Fran Lavelle, diocesan director of Faith Formation, and Father Lincoln Dall. Morning prayer, adoration, and the sacrament of reconciliation will be a part of the day. Forgiveness, reconciliation, and learning from the saints will be our themes. All women are invited. Details: Call the parish office to register in advance: (601) 939-3181.
SOUTHAVEN Christ the King, Mark’s Gospel live, Friday, March 15 at 7 p.m. A first century story of love and healing. Solo performance by Father Joseph Morris. Details: church office (662) 342-1073.
TUPELO St. James, North Mississippi Journey of Hope with special guest Father Burke Masters. Meet and greet Thursday, April 25, luncheon, Friday, April 26, 12–1 p.m. Father Masters is a former Mississippi State baseball player and current chaplain of the Chicago Cubs. This free luncheon will showcase the great work that Catholic Charities does in Mississippi. Meet and greet is $25, luncheon is free, but reservations are required. Details: To be a table captain for the event, go to https://catholiccharitiesjackson.org/joh/ or (601) 326-3714 or (601) 326-3758.
YAZOO CITY St. Mary, course on the Book of Revelation, Thursdays from 1-3 p.m. in the Parish Office. Please remember to bring your Bible to class. Details: (662) 746-1680.

YOUTH BRIEFS

JACKSON St. Richard, The St Richard Special Kids Parish Ministry will be hosting a Spring Art Show on Saturday, April 6, from 5-7 p.m. in Foley Hall. Pieces from the “Through Their Eyes” photography collection, a new series of saint icons, candles, as well as ceramic pieces will be available for purchase. Details: church office (601) 366-2335.
MADISON St. Francis of Assisi, Movie night, Friday, March 1. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the movie “I Can Only Imagine” starts at 6:45 p.m. Bring your favorite tailgating chair. Pizza, popcorn and nachos will be provided. Details: church office (601) 856-5556.

40 Days founder to speak at Mississippi kickoff event

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JACKSON – Shawn Carney, the national president of the peaceful, prayerful, effective 40 Days for Life project, will tell the story of this groundbreaking effort in Jackson on March 6. Carney will be speaking at 40 Days for Life Kickoff, which is set for 6 p.m. at 2903 North State Street in Jackson, the site of the state’s last abortion clinic.
“People in Jackson have made extraordinary sacrifices to expose the abortion industry and to protect pre-born children and their mothers from abortion,” Carney said. “I’m honored to be able to join these folks in prayer. Their efforts illustrate why we’re seeing historic changes – more mothers choosing life, more abortion workers experiencing conversions and leaving the abortion industry, and more abortion centers closing their doors for good.”

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin – Shawn Carney, president and founder of 40 Days for Life, at right in stocking cap, speaks at a 2018 event. Carney will speak at the kickoff to the prayer vigil to end abortion in Jackson on March 6. (Photo courtesy of 40 Days for Life)

“We are tremendously pleased that Shawn will be here to support our 40 Days for Life effort,” said Barbara Beavers, spokesperson for the local 40 Days for Life campaign in Jackson. “He’s an energetic, enthusiastic speaker and we know he will be an inspiration.”
Jackson is one of 6,020 communities around the world conducting simultaneous 40 Days for Life campaigns from March 6 through April 14.
40 Days for Life is an intensive campaign that focuses on 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion, peaceful vigil at abortion facilities, and grassroots educational outreach. Since 40 Days for Life began, 15,256 mothers have chosen life for their children; 186 abortion workers have quit their jobs; and 99 abortion centers where 40 Days for Life vigils have been held have gone out of business.
Carney led the first-ever 40 Days for Life campaign outside a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Bryan/College Station, Texas in 2004 and has helped coordinate more than 20 national 40 Days for Life campaigns that have engaged communities coast to coast – and internationally.
Planned Parenthood recognized the effectiveness of Carney’s efforts when it labeled Bryan/College Station “the most anti-choice place in the nation.” Following more than a dozen 40 Days for Life campaigns at that location, Planned Parenthood closed that abortion center in the summer of 2013.
To learn more about 40 Days for Life, visit: www.40daysforlife.com. For information about the Jackson campaign, visit: www.40daysforlife.com/Jackson-2
For assistance or for more information, please contact Barbara Beavers at plm@prolifemississippi.org or 601-956-8636.

Mississippi moves toward more restrictions while other states expand abortion

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By Jacob Comello
WASHINGTON (CNS) – Since the end of January, the legislatures of New York, Virginia and other states have made headlines by approving or introducing policies that relax abortion restrictions, even in the third trimester and during labor.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Mississippi passed a pair of bills that would prohibit abortions as soon as a fetal heartbeat is detected — which can be as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant indicated earlier this year he would sign such a bill into law.
Similar bills are making their ways through the legislatures in five other states, mostly in the Southeast.
Last year the state passed one of the most restrictive laws in the nation to ban abortions after 15 weeks, but that ban was halted by a federal judge. State Attorney General Jim Hood said at that time he would appeal to have the law reinstated.Pro-Life Mississippi immediately praised the passage of the bills. “We thank all our representatives and senators who helped on the Mississippi Bill HB732 and SB2116 to ban abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected. We pray that others will check their heart and see the importance of saving lives in Mississippi,” organization president Laura Duran wrote in a press release.
Now New Mexico is one step closer to passing a similar bill that loosens the state’s already liberal abortion laws and would erase virtually all abortion restrictions in the event that the landmark Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade is overturned.
The “Decriminalize Abortion Bill,” or H.B. 51, has now made its way through the New Mexico House of Representatives, receiving the body’s overall approval in a 40-29 floor vote Feb. 6 after being confirmed by several committees. It is now headed for the Senate, where it will be the subject of further debate and another vote.
According to the Santa Fe New Mexican daily newspaper, there are three main parts of New Mexico’s pre-Roe abortion law that would be invalidated by the act: a prohibition that makes abortion a felony; language that permits abortions in some circumstances as determined by a physician, such as rape or threat to a mother’s life; and an opt-out provision for hospitals or providers that register moral or religious objections to performing the procedure.
Most of these were invalidated already by Roe v. Wade or the New Mexico Court of Appeals, giving New Mexico some of the laxest abortion policy in the country.
But if Roe v. Wade is eventually overturned, this state law would ensure that abortion would be available on-demand in New Mexico.
In multiple statements, the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops has condemned the bill and urged Catholics in the state’s three dioceses to take action against it.
In one statement released before H.B. 51 had passed the House Judiciary Committee, the bishops criticized the bill as a whole but especially the portions that would be in effect even without a Roe v. Wade repeal. For example, as per the Jan. 31 release, “H.B. 51 guarantees that parents will NOT be involved in their minor daughter’s abortion,” which the bishops see as extremely damaging and opening the door to abuse.
Additionally, in that statement the bishops lamented the lack of protections for doctors who object to abortion on moral or religious grounds: “H.B. 51 strips away the only explicit conscience protection for doctors and other medical professionals that protect them from being forced to participate in abortions. … Medical professionals should not have to worry that the state of New Mexico and private companies could have the power to force them to choose between their faith and their profession.”
The statement included statistics collected from the New Mexico Alliance for Life, which seemed to demonstrate that the principles of the bill are not attuned to New Mexican opinion. Included were claims that “67 percent of New Mexicans support parental involvement in a minor’s abortion” and that “70 percent of New Mexicans oppose allowing abortions after five months up to birth.”
After H.B. 51 had cleared the House, the bishops released another statement, again denouncing the elimination of religious protections, which would be enforceable without a Roe overturn: “Two parts of the statute are not void by the U.S. Supreme Court and are enforced. We oppose H.B. 51 and urge our legislators to protect the conscience of our health care workers and protect women by maintaining the conscience clause and requirement of the doctor.”

McCarrick removed from priesthood, convicted of abuse

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By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis has confirmed the removal from the priesthood of Theodore E. McCarrick, the 88-year-old former cardinal and archbishop of Washington.
The Vatican announced the decision Feb. 16, saying he was found guilty of “solicitation in the sacrament of confession and sins against the Sixth Commandment with minors and with adults, with the aggravating factor of the abuse of power.”
A panel of the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith found him guilty Jan. 11, the Vatican said. McCarrick appealed the decision, but the appeal was rejected Feb. 13 by the congregation itself. McCarrick was informed of the decision Feb. 15 and Pope Francis “recognized the definitive nature of this decision made in accord with law,” making a further appeal impossible.

Former Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington, arrives for the Jan. 1, 2017, installation Mass of Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, N.J. On Feb. 16, 2019, Pope Francis confirmed the removal from the priesthood of McCarrick. Even though the decision was not unexpected, the news cast a somber mood over the faith communities in the dioceses and archdioceses where he had served. (CNS photo/Bob Roller)

By ordering McCarrick’s “dismissal from the clerical state,” the decision means that McCarrick loses all rights and duties associated with being a priest, cannot present himself as a priest and is forbidden to celebrate the sacraments, except to grant absolution for sins to a person in imminent danger of death.
The only church penalty that is more severe is excommunication, which would have banned him from receiving the sacraments. The other possible punishment was to sentence him to a “life of prayer and penance,” a penalty often imposed on elderly clerics; the penalty is similar to house arrest and usually includes banning the person from public ministry, limiting his interactions with others and restricting his ability to leave the place he is assigned to live.
McCarrick’s punishment is the toughest meted out to a cardinal by the Vatican in modern times.
McCarrick’s initial suspension from ministry and removal from the College of Cardinals in 2018 came after a man alleged that McCarrick began sexually abusing him in 1971 when he was a 16-year-old altar server in New York; the Archdiocese of New York found the allegation “credible and substantiated” and turned the case over to the Vatican.
At that point, in June, then-Cardinal McCarrick said he would no longer exercise any public ministry “in obedience” to the Vatican, although he maintained he was innocent.
In late July, the pope accepted McCarrick’s resignation from the College of Cardinals and ordered him to maintain “a life of prayer and penance” until the accusation that he had sexually abused a minor could be examined by a Vatican court.
In the weeks that followed the initial announcement, another man came forward claiming he was abused as a child by McCarrick, and several former seminarians spoke out about being sexually harassed by the cardinal at a beach house he had in New Jersey.
Since September, McCarrick has been living in a Capuchin friary in rural Kansas.
The allegations against McCarrick, including what appeared to be years of sexual harassment of seminarians, also led to serious questions about who may have known about his activities and how he was able to rise to the level of cardinal.
At least two former seminarians reported the sexual misconduct of McCarrick to their local bishops as far back as the 1990s. The Archdiocese of Newark and the dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton made a settlement with one man in 2005, and the Diocese of Metuchen settled with the other man in 2007.
A spokeswoman for the Diocese of Metuchen told Catholic News Service in August that both settlements were reported to the Vatican nuncio in Washington. The two archbishops who held the position of nuncio in 2004 and 2006 have since died.
Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, who served as nuncio in Washington from 2011-2016, made headlines in mid-August when he called for Pope Francis to resign, claiming the pope had known of allegations against McCarrick and had lifted sanctions imposed on McCarrick by now-retired Pope Benedict XVI.
The former nuncio later clarified that Pope Benedict issued the sanctions “privately” perhaps “due to the fact that he (McCarrick) was already retired, maybe due to the fact that he (Pope Benedict) was thinking he was ready to obey.”
In an open letter to Archbishop Vigano released in October, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops since 2010, said that in 2011, “I told you verbally of the situation of the bishop emeritus (McCarrick) who was to observe certain conditions and restrictions because of rumors about his behavior in the past.”
Then-Cardinal McCarrick “was strongly exhorted not to travel and not to appear in public so as not to provoke further rumors,” Cardinal Ouellet said, but “it is false to present these measures taken in his regard as ‘sanctions’ decreed by Pope Benedict XVI and annulled by Pope Francis. After re-examining the archives, I certify that there are no such documents signed by either pope.”
Cardinal Ouellet’s letter was published a few days after the Vatican issued a statement saying that it would, “in due course, make known the conclusions of the matter regarding Archbishop McCarrick.”
In addition, Pope Francis ordered “a further thorough study of the entire documentation present in the archives of the dicasteries and offices of the Holy See regarding the former Cardinal McCarrick in order to ascertain all the relevant facts, to place them in their historical context and to evaluate them objectively.”
The Vatican statement said it is aware “that, from the examination of the facts and of the circumstances, it may emerge that choices were made that would not be consonant with a contemporary approach to such issues. However, as Pope Francis has said: ‘We will follow the path of truth wherever it may lead.’ Both abuse and its cover-up can no longer be tolerated, and a different treatment for bishops who have committed or covered up abuse, in fact, represents a form of clericalism that is no longer acceptable.”
McCarrick had been ordained to the priesthood in 1958 for the Archdiocese of New York. James, the first child he baptized after ordination, claimed that from the time he was 11 years old and for some 20 years, McCarrick sexually abused him.
In 1977, McCarrick was ordained an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of New York and, in 1981, St. John Paul II named him the first bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen, New Jersey. Five years later, he became the archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, and in November 2000 St. John Paul named him archbishop of Washington, D.C., and made him a cardinal early in 2001. McCarrick retired in 2006.
At least three other cardinals have been accused of sexual abuse or impropriety in the past 25 years. In the 1990s Austrian Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer was forced to step down as archbishop of Vienna and eventually to relinquish all public ministry after allegations of the sexual abuse and harassment of seminarians and priests; he died in 2003 without having undergone a canonical trial.
Pope Benedict XVI forced Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien to step down as archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh in early 2013; after an investigation, Pope Francis withdrew his “rights and duties” as a cardinal, although he retained the title until his death in March 2018.
Australian Cardinal George Pell, facing charges of abusing minors, has been on leave from his post as head of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy since mid-2017; he reportedly was found guilty of some charges in December, but the court has imposed an injunction on press coverage of the trial. Pope Francis told reporters he would not speak about the case until the court proceedings have run their course.

Great expectations: Vatican abuse summit has key, realistic goals

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By Carol Glatz (CNS)
VATICAN CITY – All eyes and ears will be on the Vatican during an unprecedented gathering set for Feb. 21-24 to discuss the protection of minors in the Catholic Church.
When Pope Francis announced the international meeting in September, it sparked an optimistic note that the global problem of abuse finally would be tackled with a concerted, coordinated, global effort.
The breadth of the potential impact seemed to be reflected in the list of those convoked to the meeting: the presidents of all the world’s bishops’ conferences, the heads of the Eastern Catholic churches, representatives of the leadership groups of men’s and women’s religious orders and the heads of major Vatican offices.
But the pope tried to dial down what he saw as “inflated expectations” for the meeting, telling reporters in January that “the problem of abuse will continue. It’s a human problem” that exists everywhere.
Many survivors and experts, too, have cautioned that it was unrealistic to assume such a brief meeting could deliver a panacea for abuse and its cover-up.
So, what should people expect from the four-day meeting? The following five points hit the highlights:
1. It will be first and foremost about raising awareness, including that the scandal of abuse is not a “Western” problem, but happens in every country.
To make that point clear, the organizing committee asked every participating bishop to sit down with a survivor of abuse before coming to Rome and hear that “Me, too,” from a person of his own country, culture and language.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, who is moderating the meeting, said there would be between 160 and 180 participants. He told reporters Feb. 12 to expect the presidents of about 115 bishops’ conferences, a dozen heads of Eastern churches, prefects of Vatican congregations directly involved with Vatican norms regarding abuse and negligence, eight delegates from the men’s Union of Superiors General, 10 delegates from the women’s International Union of Superiors General, three members of the pope’s Council of Cardinals who are not presidents of their bishops’ conference and four members of the organizing committee.
Everyone invited will be expected to learn what his or her responsibilities are as a leader or a bishop and to know the church laws and procedures that already exist to protect the young.
2. Organizers hope that by listening to victims and leaders who have learned things the hard way, participants will be inspired to adopt a culture of accountability and transparency.
Hearing what abuse and negligence have done to people has the power to transform the listener, “to truly open the mind and heart,” Jesuit Father Hans Zollner told reporters Feb. 12.
Just to be sure those voices are heard, the meeting will also feature testimonies from survivors from countries where the reality of abuse is still largely ignored, said the priest, an abuse expert who is part of the meeting’s organizing committee.
He said the word “accountability” doesn’t even exist in many languages, which often means that culture might lack a clear or coherent understanding of this key concept.
For that reason, the summit will devote a day to discussing accountability and “what structures, procedures and methods are effective” and viable in the Catholic Church, he said.
Church leaders must know what the norms are, he said, but the meeting also will stress that the procedures themselves “will not magically solve a problem.”
For example, he said, it was “a source of delusion” for U.S. Catholics when the 2002 Dallas Charter did not fix everything.
In fact, the meeting will not be about producing any documents, but pushing people to take the needed steps toward greater transparency and accountability, Father Lombardi said.
Those steps already are spelled out, he said, in Pope Francis’ 2016 document, “As a Loving Mother,” on the accountability of bishops and religious superiors.
“It must be put into practice effectively,” he said, adding that he was “convinced and firmly hope that this meeting will give a push in that direction.”
3. There will be a kind of “parallel assembly” as large numbers of survivors and advocacy groups converge on Rome to call for greater accountability, action and reform.
A variety of events are planned, including an evening “Vigil for Justice” near the Vatican and a “March for Zero Tolerance” to St. Peter’s Square, but a major focus will be media outreach and getting the voice and recommendations of laypeople and victims – many who had gone unheard for years – listened to.
4. Pope Francis will be present throughout the meeting, which will include plenary sessions, working groups, prayer, a penitential liturgy and a closing Mass.
In letters to the bishops of Chile and the United States, Pope Francis has made clear what he thinks the church needs to do to respond to the abuse crisis.
Administrative solutions involving new policies and norms are not enough, he has said.
He told Chile’s bishops that abuse and its cover-up “are indicators that something is bad in the church body.”
Therefore, they must not only “address the concrete cases,” but also “discover the dynamics that made it possible for such attitudes and evils to occur.”
Those attitudes are driven by the temptation “to save ourselves, to save our reputation,” he told the Chilean bishops.
In his letter to the U.S. bishops, he warned against the tendency to play the victim, to scold, discredit, disparage others and point fingers.
5. Expect the meeting to be one critical step along a very long journey that began decades ago and must continue.
Further measures will be taken after the meeting, Father Zollner has said. For instance, a task force made up of child protection experts “will probably be instituted in the various continents” to help bishops create, strengthen and implement guidelines.
The different “teams” of the task force should be able to help “for years to come to measure the success of this exercise of realizing own’s own responsibility, even on the global level, in the face of public expectations,” he told the Vatican newspaper in January.
Even though the church is well aware of larger, related problems of abuses of power, conscience and abuse and violence against seminarians, religious women and other adults, the meeting will focus exclusively on protecting minors from abuse, Fathers Zollner and Lombardi said.
The idea is that the attitude and spirit needed to protect the most vulnerable of the church’s members are the same that will protect and promote respect for the integrity and dignity of everyone.
In fact, Father Lombardi said, “I see this as a test of the profundity of the reform” of the church called for by Pope Francis.
In other words, the pope wants people “to examine how we live out our mission, with what coherence and how we can convert our attitudes, both in regard to our attention and compassion for those who suffer, as well as our consistent witness to the dignity of children, of women, and so on.”

(Contributing to this story was Cindy Wooden in Rome.)

Abuse prevention expert offers training

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By Maureen Smith
MADISON – Dr. Monica Applewhite, an internationally recognized expert in abuse prevention, offered a day-long training to teachers, principals and diocesan employees on Monday, Jan 4 at St. Joseph High School. The following two days she was set to offer workshops to the priests and lay ministers.
Applewhite has spent 25 years studying how organizations can prevent child abuse and train their employees to create safer environments for young people and vulnerable populations.

MADISON – Monica Applewhite answers questions from local broadcast media during a break in her presentation.

During Monday’s workshops she told the history of child abuse prevention law and cultural attitude. She also spoke about the different kinds of abusers in society. The afternoon focused on peer-to-peer abuse.
The training was too close to deadline for full coverage, but look for an expanded story on Appewhite in an April edition of Mississippi Catholic dedicated to Child Abuse Prevention Month.

MADISON – Almost 500 teachers, administrators and support staff from schools across the Diocese of Jackson joined diocesan staff and employees Monday, Feb. 4, at St. Joseph School for a da-long workshop on child abuse prevention. (Photos by Maureen Smith)

 

Catholic School students join national celebration

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Catholic Schools across the Diocese of Jackson celebrated national Catholic Schools Week Jan. 27 – Feb. 1. Each school community hosted celebrations of their own – but they all connected to the national theme: “Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.” A winter storm forced two schools, Columbus Annunciation and Natchez Cathedral, to close for a day, but most were able to celebrate with their communities.
One of the largest events of the week was a rally held at the state capitol. Students from Jackson and Madison attended the rally to show off the impact Catholic schools have on the state of Mississippi. Speakers included Bishop Joseph Kopacz, School Superintendent Catherine Cook, Father Nick Adam, parochial vicar at St. Richard Parish and Father John Bohn, who is the canonical supervisor of Jackson St. Richard and Madison St. Joseph Schools.

JACKSON – Senator Walter Michel (R) Ridgeland, reads the Catholic Schools Week proclamation from Governor Phil Bryant on the steps of the state Capitol Thursday, Jan 31. The Madison St. Joseph band provided music and students from Jackson and Madison attended the rally. (Photos by Maureen Smith)

At Capitol, Jackson

At Capitol, Jackson

At Capitol, Jackson

At Capitol, Jackson

At Capitol, Jackson

At Capitol, Jackson

At Capitol, Jackson

VICKSBURG – Bishop Joseph Kopacz and Catherine Cook, superintendent of Catholic Schools, joined administrators at Vicksburg Catholic School and retired Father PJ Curley for a ceremony to rename the library after retired pastor Father Tom Lalor (center). (Photo by Mary Margaret Halford)

Vicksburg

Vicksburg

COLUMBUS – Patrick Doumit, a seventh-grader at Annunication School, boxes lunches as part of a massive service project. Annunication partnered with soup kitchen, Loaves and Fishes, to pack and deliver sack lunches for their lunches-to-go program to be distributed on the weekends when the soup kitchen is not open. Each bag included a pasta meal, bottle of water and breakfast bar. Each student donated and packed five bags each for a total of 1,004 bags. According to Loaves and Fishes president, Pam Rhea, this is the largest donation of lunches-to-go that the program has ever received. Students delivered this huge donation via the school bus on Thursday, January 31. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)

GREENWOOD – Sister Annette Kurey helps St. Francis of Assisi students prepare the gifts at Mass on Sunday, Feb. 27. Students served at the Parish Mass to kick off Catholic Schools Week. (Photo by Maureen Smith)

Greenwood

Greenwood

Greenwood

Greenwood

Greenwood

Greenwood

Greenwood

In Greenwood the students from St. Francis of Assisi school combined their Catholic Schools Week kickoff Mass with a celebration for the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, several of whom are on staff at the school. The order, based in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. The motherhouse has asked each community of sisters to mark the anniversary in some special way. At Mass on Sunday, Jan. 27, students took on liturgical roles by proclaiming the word, singing and serving at the altar. Sisters Annette, Kathleen and Judith hosted an open house in their convent after Mass and people came out in droves to thank and celebrate their Sisters. (See page 16.
Greenville St. Joseph kicked off the week Monday by celebrating a $300,000 gift to the school from the estate of Father Richard Somers, former pastor. Father Somers left the money to the school community in his will. “We at St. Joseph Catholic School are appreciative of Father Somers’s love of Catholic Education, especially here at St. Joseph Catholic School in Greenville,” said principal Steve Wies.
Jackson St. Richard school showed off it’s science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and math (STREAM) program Tuesday night when families were invited to participate in STREAM projects together. Families made slime, operated robots and helped with other projects after everyone shared a meal.
Vicksburg Catholic School celebrated retired priest Father Tom Lalor by naming the high school library after him. Father Lalor was on hand for the dedication, part of a day of celebration at the school. Students at Columbus Annunciation Catholic School packed more than a thousand lunches for their local food bank.
Natchez Cathedral students also hosted a food drive, although their week was cut short by a day because of bad weather.
Each day at Madison St. Anthony day was focused on appreciating some part of the school community. The students and staff appreciated their parish, the clergy, their parents and their community helpers.
Clarksdale St. Elizabeth students got to invite special guests, such as grandparents or parents to each lunch with them during the week.
Southaven Sacred Heart students heard about different vocations in life from a priest, a religious sister and married couples. They also hosted their traditional “Hope Chain,” where students purchase paper chain links. On Friday, Feb. 1, the students hear about local charities and vote on which one should receive the proceeds from the chain.
Meridian St. Patrick school took their celebration to the streets – hosting a parade from the school to city hall where the mayor read a proclamation for Catholic Schools Week.
Academic excellence takes center stage at Jackson Sister Thea Bowman School, where honor roll and academic honors were presented after school Mass on Wednesday.
Catholic Schools Week is part of a national celebration. “Young people today need Catholic education more than ever,” said Bishop Michael C. Barber of Oakland, California, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Catholic Education. He also stressed that “being rooted in faith does not endanger the academic quality of Catholic schools, but in fact is their very motivation for excellence in all things.”
In a statement released for the observance, he said: “Following Christ’s example of loving and serving all people, Catholic schools proudly provide a well-rounded education to disadvantaged families, new arrivals to America and to all who seek a seat in our schools. Since the inception of Catholic schools in our country, we have always sought to welcome families of all backgrounds while maintaining our principles and teaching in a spirit of charity.”
Nearly 1.8 million students are currently educated in 6,352 Catholic schools in the United States.
Since 1974, National Catholic Schools Week has been the annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States, sponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association and the USCCB’s Secretariat of Catholic Education. Schools typically observe the annual weeklong celebration with Masses, open houses and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members.

Sister Rita Goedken retires after ‘walking the talk’

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By Diane Herring
MORTON – For the past 10 years, Sister Rita Goedken has been the face of Morton’s Excel Community and Learning Center (ECLC). In mid-December she returned to Dubuque, Iowa, and the Sisters of St. Francis. As a person who admits she does not like heat and humidity, when asked how she came to be in Morton, Sister Rita gives an answer that could be a lyric to a country song.
“Each person has a limited number of years to ‘walk the talk,’” she says, referring to committing to giving back to and serving the community. She not only “talks the talk” but “walks the walk” as well.
Joining the community of the Sisters of St. Francis, Dubuque 55 years ago, Sister Rita has served in areas from Wisconsin to Oregon and from Michigan to Mississippi.
Born in Petersburg, Iowa and reared on a farm in a community she describes as, “very rural, smaller than Morton.”
“I had 11 brothers and sisters,” she says. “We grew up on a 160-acre farm where we raised chickens, dairy cattle and hogs. It is, I think, the root of my passion to take care of the earth.”
Trained as a teacher, having majored in history and minored in math, she taught in Iowa and Oregon and worked in pastoral administration in Michigan and Wisconsin. She served eight years to the leadership committee of Sisters of St. Francis.
She adds, “While serving on the leadership team, our community studied water issues. The Sisters commissioned us to come up with a project, one that all Sisters of St. Francis could support. As a result, Sister Water Project (SWP) was developed in 2006 and focuses on water, providing clean drinking water in areas where the need is the greatest, where it would benefit the poorest of the poor.”
“The SWP is active in Honduras and Tanzania,” Sister Rita says. “In Tanzania the SWP has completed 203 wells. All 203 are operative. In Honduras the SWP has collaborated with other entities to bring safe drinking water to remote villages that currently don’t have access to it.”
In the mid-1990’s the Franciscan Sisters decided to establish missions in low-income areas with multicultural populations. Morton is one of the sites selected. Sister Rita had been here to visit, and something sparked.
“It was just the place I needed to be,” she says.
So, Sister Rita came to Morton where she has helped the ECLC Excel to grow and serve.
“The first Franciscan Sisters to work in Morton came in 1999,” says Sister Eileen Hauswald, Director, ECLC. “Sisters Nona, Camilla, and Terri worked with local volunteers and implemented the initial programs, like the Faith in Action meal deliveries to elderly and shut-ins and the after-school tutoring for children and summer day camps. “Pnykii McDougle was a student at ECLC Summer Day Camps growing up and now, as a student majoring in education at Mississippi State University, is a teaching assistant in the after school tutoring program. She says, “Sister Rita is an inspiration to me.”
“Most people will speak of Sister Rita’s work ethic and they would be right,” says Claudia Rowland, Teacher Coordinator. “But I will remember her love of history. I’ll miss her very much.
Looking back, Sister Rita says, “When I came to Morton there was a recession but people in Morton came in and supported the center and our work. Today there is more life in town. Wonderful people come into the center and volunteer time, talents and materials, all gratis. ‘I would like to see everybody from every tribe, tongue and nation represented in our community come and participate in our programs and services. I’ve met a host of generous, competent, wonderful people. For each I am grateful. It is the people I will miss and remember.”
For 10 years Rita Goedken has walked the walk and talked the talk, managing to inspire volunteers to join her on the journey. Morton and Scott county will miss her.

(NOTE: It is requested that no gifts be given, however, contributions to Excel or the Sister Water Project would be appreciated and received in honor of Sister Rita.)
(Diane Herring is a member of the Excel Center Advisory Board.)