Category Archives: Diocesan News

Bishop Kopacz tells court Plowshares action is rooted in Catholic teaching

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By Dennis Sadowski
WASHINGTON (CNS) – The seven Catholic peacemakers who entered a naval base to symbolically dismantle nuclear weapons-armed submarines acted from the primacy of conscience rooted in their faith, the bishop of Jackson, Mississippi, told a Georgia court.
Testifying as an expert witness on behalf of the Kings Bay Plowshares activists, Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz said their actions were consistent with long-standing Catholic teaching about the sinfulness of nuclear weapons.
The bishop took the stand during a Nov. 7 hearing before Magistrate Judge Benjamin Cheesbro of the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Georgia. The hearing was scheduled to present evidence explaining why the seven longtime activists entered Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay April 4.
The defendants include Elizabeth McAlister, 78, of Baltimore; Jesuit Father Steve Kelly, 69, of the Bay Area in California; Carmen Trotta, 55, of New York City; Clare Grady, 50, of Ithaca, New York; Martha Hennessy, 62, of New York, granddaughter of Catholic Worker co-founder Dorothy Day; Mark Colville, 55, of New Haven, Connecticut; and Patrick O’Neill, 61, of Garner, North Carolina.
The defendants are seeking to have federal charges of conspiracy, trespass, and destruction and depredation of property dismissed under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. They have argued in court filings that their action is protected under the law.
The seven entered the submarine base, the East Coast home of the Trident nuclear submarine, and during approximately two hours placed crime scene tape and spilled blood at different locales while posting an “indictment” charging the military with crimes against peace, citing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The Navy’s fleet of Trident submarines carries about half of the U.S. active strategic nuclear warheads, according to military experts.
Bishop Kopacz cited the U.S. Catholic bishops’ 1983 pastoral letter on peace and nuclear weapons, “The Challenge of Peace: God’s Promise and Our Response,” during his testimony.
He said the document allowed for the temporary possession of nuclear weapons only as a step toward disarmament, and that after more than 30 years that goal has not been achieved.
He described the seven as a “spiritual special ops team” working to make a change.
A day prior to his testimony, Bishop Kopacz told Catholic News Service he was supportive of such actions to rid the world of nuclear weapons although he would find it difficult to take such a step himself.
“I believe in what they do. I believe what they’ve done is a courageous witness and very prophetic,” he said.
The court also heard from Jeannine Hill Fletcher, professor of theology at Fordham University. She discussed papal encyclicals and the documents from the Second Vatican Council that “condemn” the use of nuclear weapons. She also addressed why actions of conscience, such as those of the defendants, are important in modern-day society.
Grady told CNS Nov. 8 that on the stand she explained her family’s background and the long history of work for peace and justice extending from their Catholic faith.
Protesting nuclear weapons, she said she told the court, was a natural extension of her faith practice and that her conscience guided her to act for peace.
“For me there’s a geography to our faith, and what I experienced in that courtroom was a Catholic revival because of our choice to act in a certain geography, the geography of the courtroom and all that is the Gospel. You could feel the energy from all of that,” she said of the hearing.
Father Kelly, who remained jailed, testified that the actions of the group amounted to preaching God’s word that nuclear weapons are “sinful.” He said the world faced a crisis because of the presence of such weapons.
Near the end of the daylong hearing, federal prosecutors called the commanding officer of the naval base to the stand. Capt. Brian Lepine described the importance of maintaining tight security at the base and the danger posed by anyone illegal entering the base perimeter.
After more than eight hours of testimony, Cheesbro said the hearing would be continued on a date still to be determined.

(Follow Sadowski on Twitter: @DennisSadowski)

Bishops give go-ahead to diocese’s Sister Thea Bowman sainthood effort

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By Mark Pattison
BALTIMORE (CNS) – The U.S. bishops gave their assent to the canonization effort launched for Sister Thea Bowman by the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi.
The assent, on a voice vote, came Nov. 14, the third day of their fall general meeting in Baltimore. The “canonical consultation” with the body of U.S. bishops is a step in the Catholic Church’s process toward declaring a person a saint.
Sister Bowman, a Mississippi native and the only African-American member of her order, the Wisconsin-based Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, was a widely known speaker, evangelizer and singer until she died of cancer in 1990 at age 52. She even made a presentation at the U.S. bishops’ spring meeting in 1989, moving some prelates to tears.
“The faithful in, and well beyond, the Diocese of Jackson,” have asked for her canonization process to begin, said Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz of Jackson, who became bishop of the diocese in 2014. “Even well before I arrived in Jackson, the requests were coming in.”
Sister Bowman, Bishop Kopacz said, was “an ambassador of Jesus Christ and an apostle of reconciliation,” adding she was “singing, teaching and inspiring until the very end.”
He noted that “the church embraced Sister Thea from her early years, but there were times when she felt like a motherless child.” It never deterred her, though, Bishop Kopacz said. “We pray that Sister Thea’s voice will be a beacon of hope” to victims of clergy sexual abuse.
Bishop Kopacz liberally sprinkled his remarks with quotes from Sister Bowman.
“We unite ourselves with Christ’s redemptive work when we make peace, when we share the good news of God within our hearts,” she once said. “We celebrate the presence and proclamation of the word made flesh. It is never an escape from reality,” she also said.
At another point, Sister Bowman told her audience, “Go! There is a song that will never be sung unless you sing it. … Go tell the world, go preach the Gospel, go tell the good news.”
Sister Bowman was a trailblazer in almost every role: first African-American religious sister from Canton, Mississippi; the first to head an office of intercultural awareness; and the first African-American woman to address the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Sister Bowman led the Jackson Diocese’s Office of Intercultural Awareness, taught at several Catholic high schools and colleges, and was a faculty member of the Institute of Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans.
She took her message across the nation, speaking at church gatherings and conventions, making 100 speaking engagements a year, but spreading cancer slowed her. Music was especially important to her. She would gather or bring a choir with her and often burst into song during her presentations.
In addition to her writings, her music also resulted in two recordings, “Sister Thea: Songs of My People” and “Round the Glory Manger: Christmas Songs and Spirituals.”
When Sister Bowman spoke at the U.S. bishops’ meeting in June 1989, less than a year before her death from bone cancer and confined to a wheelchair, she was blunt. She told the bishops that people had told her black expressions of music and worship were “un-Catholic.”
Sister Bowman disputed that notion, pointing out that the church universal included people of all races and cultures and she challenged the bishops to find ways to consult those of other cultures when making decisions. She told them they were obligated to better understand and integrate not just black Catholics, but people of all cultural backgrounds.
Catholic News Service reported that her remarks “brought tears to the eyes of many bishops and observers.” She also sang to them and, at the end, had them all link hands and join her in singing “We Shall Overcome.”
Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, who served as bishop of the Diocese of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands from 1985 to 1992, said Nov. 14 that Catholics in his former diocese “really revere Sister Thea and I’m really glad to see this coming to fruition.”
By the mid-1990s, Catholic schools in Jackson, Mississippi, Gary, Indiana, East St. Louis, Illinois, and Port Arthur, Texas, opened bearing Sister Bowman’s name.
She also was the focus of books, including 1993’s “Thea Bowman: Shooting Star – Selected Writings and Speeches,” 2008’s “This Little Light: Lessons in Living From Sister Thea Bowman,” and 2010’s “Thea’s Song: The Life of Thea Bowman.”
Redemptorist Father Maurice Nutt, observing the 20th anniversary of Sister Bowman’s death in 2010, said he believes the late nun is a saint. Though not officially canonized, “Sister Thea is canonized in the hearts of all who knew and loved her,” he said.

(Coverage of the planned Nov. 18 Mass at the Cathedral will appear in the next edition.)

Standards for bishop accountability discussed at USCCB meeting

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(Editor’s Note: This issue contains coverage of the key issues discussed at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ fall meeting in Baltimore.)
By Mark Pattison
BALTIMORE – A series of standards of episcopal accountability for bishops was formally unveiled Nov. 13 at the fall general meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore, but with the proposed standards not going to be voted on, interest in discussing them during the meeting’s public session Nov. 14 was low.

Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz of Jackson, Miss., speaks about the sainthood cause of Sister Thea Bowman Nov. 14 at the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore. (CNS photo/Bob Roller) See BISHOPS-THEA-BOWMAN-CAUSE Nov. 14, 2018.

The Vatican’s intervention, announced when the USCCB meeting began Nov. 12, asked that the bishops not approve any elements of their proposals to strength its policies on clergy sex abuse until they can be reviewed for their conformity to canon law and after the February meeting at the Vatican for presidents of bishops’ conferences worldwide.
“In our dioceses, there already exist codes of conduct,” said Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, Nov. 13. “In light of that, the focus became on how to build additional policy and best practices to hold ourselves accountable.”
Bishop Steven R. Biegler of the statewide Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was the only bishop to offer any commentary on the proposed standards.
Bishop Biegler said he had experienced parishioners and members of law enforcement and the legal community who have been “very critical of me,” adding they sense “favoritism toward the person who’s in power … which then shuns the victims.”
He added, “It’s not a theory that I have, it’s an experience I have. It’s a dynamic that if we don’t address it someplace …,” Bishop Biegler said, his voice trailing. “For reform in the church, it needs to be more than canon law. For reform in our lives as bishops, it needs to be more than canon law.”
The bishop, whose amendments were not accepted by the committee, noted the contradictory sense of responsibility. “I feel that we’ve failed to work with our co-responsibility with the laypeople,” yet “the bishop at the end of the day has to steer the ship,” he said. “We cannot dismiss ourselves of that responsibility.”
Cardinal Tobin told Bishop Biegler, “I thought that your content could distract from the other content in the draft,” but “I will take it home with me and read it for my own spiritual life.”
There are seven standards, which deal with: diocesan and eparchial codes of conduct; protection of children and young people; sexual misconduct with an adult by a bishop; sexual harassment of an adult by a bishop; responding to allegations of sexual abuse of minors, or of sexual misconduct with or harassment of adults by priests or deacons; reporting and resolving complaints against bishops; and further commitments to ensure integrity.
There also is an acknowledgment for each bishop to sign, according to a copy of the proposed standards obtained by Catholic News Service.
“As a bishop, I am called to imitate Christ, the Good Shepherd, as closely as possible – especially his humility. I am called to be in the midst of my people as one who serves,” it says. “Therefore, it is my solemn pledge to follow these Standards of Episcopal Conduct and to explore continually and engage additional means that will protect the people of God and allow the Gospel to be preached with integrity.”
The acknowledgment concludes: “I ask that all the faithful hold me to this pledge and to pray for me.”
“Power, prestige and honors cannot be the desires of a bishop; rather, he must do what is right and what will lead others to salvation,” the proposed standards say. “The effects of the abuse of power, especially in sexual matters, have come more and more to light. We acknowledge that some bishops have failed to stop such abuse, or to respond properly to such claims, by what they have done or failed to do.”
“In our codes of conduct, if not already clearly stated, we will make clear that the code applies to the bishop of the diocese or eparchy,” the proposed standards say.
It adds, “The principles and standards of the ‘Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People’ apply to bishops as well as to priests and deacons.”
The standards commit bishops to “continue to reach out to the victims/survivors of clergy sexual abuse and their families in support of their spiritual and emotional well-being. Realizing that we might not always be the best suited to offer such care, we will make every effort to help victims/survivors find the care and healing they need.”
Sexual misconduct with an adult by a bishop, the proposed document says, “is gravely sinful; it could also be a canonical or civil crime. … sins against the Sixth Commandment strike at the very dignity of a person and have absolutely no place in the life of a minister, most especially one who is a bishop.
“There can be no ‘double life,’ no ‘special circumstances,’ no ‘secret life’ that frees a bishop from practicing chastity. The bishop is called to chastity and continence,” it adds. Bishops would pledge to “set and maintain appropriate emotional and sexual boundaries in all our relationships – professional and personal.”
Similarly, “sexual harassment by a bishop is completely incompatible with his role as a servant for Christ and others, as well as the basic respect and dignity one person owes another,” the proposed standards say. “We will not engage in sexual harassment of any person. “We will not tolerate the sexual harassment of any person by others serving the church.”
In the realm of abuse allegations, it says, “Every bishop has the moral duty to see that people are protected and treated justly by those who minister in the name of the church.”
When it comes to reporting and resolving complaints about bishops, it says, “If a bishop is accused of the sexual abuse of a minor, the accused bishop is obliged to inform the apostolic nuncio. If a bishop has been named in a civil or criminal complaint regarding sexual misconduct with or harassment of an adult, he is likewise obliged to inform the apostolic directly.” This would also apply if he becomes aware of sexual misconduct or harassment by another bishop.
“The bishops will engage in regular periodic training in the best practices of management and human resources,” the standards say.
When it comes to proposing priest candidates for the office of bishop,” it adds, “we bishops will recommit ourselves to the highest standards by recommending only priests who are truly suitable for the episcopacy.”
Should the standards come up for a vote, they would require a yes vote from two-thirds of USCCB membership.

Diocesan Statement regarding financial investigation

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JACKSON – Federal agents served search and seizure warrants on the chancery office and on St. Joseph Parish in Starkville on Wednesday, November 7. Their investigation centers on the financial activities of Father Lenin Vargas. As of this posting, no charges have been filed.
On Saturday, Nov. 10, and Sunday, Nov. 11, Father Jeffrey Waldrep shared the following statement with the parishioners of St. Joseph in Starkville and Corpus Christi Mission in Macon:
Earlier before Thanksgiving the government began an investigation of the financial administration of Saint Joseph in Starkville. Saint Joseph Parish and the Diocese of Jackson are cooperating with the investigation. Pending the resolution of the investigation, Father Lenin Vargas will not engage in any public ministry, and has been removed from all pastoral and financial administration. In the interim, Father Jeffrey Waldrep, the pastor of Annunciation in Columbus, will serve as administrator and Father Rusty Vincent will be responsible for all pastoral ministry at St. Joseph, Starkville and Corpus Christi, Macon. The continued spiritual and financial well being of St. Joseph Parish and Corpus Christi Mission is of the utmost importance, and we will continue to aid you both in sound fiscal management of all of your resources. Let us pray with trust that the Lord Jesus will shepherd us through this difficult time of upheaval and uncertainty.
After receiving complaints, Bishop Joseph Kopacz ordered an internal accounting audit of the Starkville Parish’s finances. After Bishop Kopacz’ staff conducted the audit, the Diocese placed fiscal constraints on Father Vargas’ spending and found that he was violating diocesan policy concerning soliciting charitable donations and demanded that he stop these activities and conduct no further charitable fundraising without first informing the diocese of these planned activities. Federal law, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, better known as HIPPA, prohibits our discussion of Father Vargas’ medical condition — not only when we first learned of it, but also throughout the time period mentioned in the affidavit. In fact, HIPPA law continues to bind us today in that we can neither admit nor deny anything related to Father Vargas’ medical condition.
We ask that you pray for everyone involved as we continue to work toward a resolution.

Brunch honors national vocations week

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Members of St. Richard Parish packed Foley Hall Sunday, Nov. 4, after the 10:30 Mass for the Msgr. Glynn Seminarian Brunch. The Knights of Columbus cooked and offered speakers as a way to kick off National Vocations Awareness Week and raise money for seminarian education.
Dominican Sister Kelly Moline spoke about how even though her call to consecrated life came after she finished college and was already working with older adults, she believes her vocation was fostered by her rich family life.

 

Schools benefit from STREAM grant, training

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By Stephanie Brown
JACKSON – The Office of Education in the Diocese of Jackson has secured a $20,000 grant in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) -related training for teachers. The training will happen between now and December of 2019. This grant will automatically renew in 2020, providing and additional $20,000 worth of professional development workshops for teachers. The diocese is currently investigating additional funding opportunities for teaching supplies, meals and hotel accommodations for all participants. This work is aimed at removing all financial obstacles for teachers and individual schools, to ensure that they are able to focus solely on planning and executing exceptional lessons for their students.

COLUMBUS – JR Dowdle, Annunciation fifth grader, uses starburst candy to study the changes in rock during the rock cycle Problem Solving Process to complete a STREAM activity. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)

Any type of research on current trends in education will lead to the terms “STEM,” “project based learning,” “creative problem solving” and “college and career readiness.” In fact, a recent market research study conducted by Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities (FADIC) and National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), sought to explore what parents considered to be their top priorities when selecting a school for their children. According to the findings, the top three were encouraging individual and critical thinking, preparing children to successfully enter the job market, and preparing children for college. The staff of the Office of Education of the Diocese of Jackson hears this loud and clear, and is earnestly working to address all three of these areas and more.
There is no doubt that the trajectory of education has shifted away from straight rows of desks with pencil and paper to collaborative, noisy classrooms that are student-focused and interactive. Educators are now putting a stronger focus on how they equip our children to seamlessly integrate what they are learning with the world around them. While a number of terms or phrases can be used to describe this new style of teaching and learning, in Catholic education, STREAM, which stands for science, technology, religion, engineering, art, and mathematics is paving the way. This concept essentially takes the traditional model of STEM education and integrates it with the Catholic faith as well as the beauty and creative outlets of the arts.
In many ways, the ideals and objectives of STEM or STREAM initiatives are the same as the mission and goals of Catholic education. Catholic schools and educators recognize the dignity of each individual and value each child’s unique gifts and talents. Catholic educators understand it is their responsibility to help students further develop those gifts in service to God and their community. By utilizing the multi-sensory, hands-on teaching strategies of STREAM, diocesan schools give students a variety of outlets to deepen their knowledge, express themselves and most importantly acknowledge and even encourage the idea that there is not always one correct answer to a problem, especially in the real world for which these schools are preparing them.
While many schools have made strides toward a student-centered STREAM program, the Office of Education is now working to ensure that all schools are equipped with the resources and training they need to utilize this exciting and interactive way of teaching and learning. This effort includes two essential components: professional development and community connections.
Teachers need ongoing professional development to fully understand and implement the best practices that come with a STREAM program. In July 2019, the office of education plans to launch a STREAM Academy for educators from around the diocese. Plans for this programinclude an intensive multi-day summer training academy for a cohort of teachers, quarterly progress monitoring tools for implementing the strategies introduced in the summer and continued professional learning opportunities throughout the year on essential topics such as the engineering design process, project-based learning and many others.
The second component of an exceptional STREAM program is strong community relationships. One of the most essential components of a true STREAM program is the opportunity for students to apply their newly-acquired knowledge to real-life scenarios and make connections from what they are learning to the world around them. The Office of Education is in the process of constructing a small study of STEM professional organizations and companies as well as college and universities in this region to determine what skills they believe are most important for young graduates entering the workforce or the next level of education. Educators are also seeking to establish formal partnerships with STEM or STREAM -related organizations that would be willing to visit schools or host students on field trips to see what they are learning in action. Any company or educational institution interested in exploring the Partners in Education can contact Stephanie Brown at stephanie.brown@jacksondiocese.org.
As Catholic schools move forward in the 21st century, it is important that they remain true to the long-standing values of Catholic education – academic excellence, education of the whole child, and spiritual growth and formation for all-while also embracing new aspects of this ever changing world-the increased role of technology, instant global communication and higher-order thinking to address problems the world doesn’t yet know exist. Research indicates that students and graduates with strong backgrounds in STEM education will be the ones who shape the future and change the world, so why would Catholic schools not ensure that the added value of the R(eligion) and the A(rts) help shape the world for the better?

(Stephanie Brown is the Associate Superintendent for the Catholic Diocese of Jackson.)

Stewardship conference offers missionary inspiration

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By Christopher Luke
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – More than 700 parish, diocese and archdiocesan representatives explored the theme “Missionary Disciples: Stewards of the Gospel,” at the 56th annual International Catholic Stewardship Conference in Nashville, Oct. 28-31. Members of the Diocese of Jackson’s Stewardship and Development team were on hand to learn and to network with representatives from this diocese.
The International Catholic Stewardship Council (ICSC), which puts on the conference, is a professional organization recognized internationally as a source of educating, networking, and advancing the mission of stewardship in Catholic parishes.
The conference offers practical ways for parishes to understand and learn stewardship. Parish representatives get the opportunity to hear about successful strategies and tactics as well as tap into proven resources. Becoming a member of ICSC connects parishes to a network of churches who can explain their experience of living a life of stewardship.
Father Andrew Kemberling, Pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Denver, Colorado, reminded attendees at the start of the gathering, “you don’t know, what you don’t know.” Father Kemberling wanted those present to take advantage of each part of the conference. From the plenary addresses, the conference sessions, the strategic partners and exhibitors, and the opportunity to meet other individuals from other arch/dioceses throughout the conference.
In Session 33, “How Stewardship Helps Busy Families Evangelize,” Brian Niebrugge, Director of Stewardship and Annual Catholic Appeal for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Missouri, said “Stewardship is the form that faith takes when being practiced. Becoming a steward changes the way you act, think, and how you react in everyday moments.” This conference helps individuals explore practical ways to help people recognize their talents, gown in gratitude for they are and will be, and live their lives fruitfully as good stewards.
“As a new school business manager, I found the conference informative and relatable,” said Jessica Skipper of Jackson St. Richard School. “I came out of the conference with the knowledge to make our next steps in a forward direction. It was reassuring to see that our school in cooperation with the diocese and our parish are hitting and exceeding national benchmarks,” she added.
The conference offered a staggering 40 sessions each day on topics from planned giving and how to empower young adult stewards to the benefits of bilingual communications and strategic planning. Attendees could select a track of related sessions that best applied to their particular position or community. Tracks included: Introduction to Christian Stewardship, Stewardship Beyond the Basics, the Evangelizing Parish, Parish Business Managers and Administrators, Wisdom for Parishes, Catholic School Advancement and Fundamental Themes in Diocesan Stewardship and Development.
The next International Catholic Stewardship conference will take place in Chicago October 6 – 9, 2019. For information on the next conference, go to the ICSC website at www.catholicstewardship.com. The Diocese of Jackson’s Office of Stewardship encourages parishes to attend this conference. Contact Christopher Luke in the office to learn more about how the diocese can support parish-level efforts. Luke can be reached by phone at (601)960-8481 or email at christopher.luke@jacksondiocese.org.

(Christopher Luke is the coordinator for Stewardship for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Giving Tuesday gets faith-based makeover with #iGiveCatholic

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By Christopher Luke
JACKSON – For the third year in a row, the Catholic Diocese of Jackson is joining several dioceses around the country to host #iGiveCatholic on #GivingTuesday, the week after Thanksgiving. Participating parishes, schools, and Catholic non-profit organizations will have the opportunity to raise funds online for their own local needs. The Catholic Foundation has funded this program again this year by paying fees so local participants can concentrate on creative ways to appeal to donors.
#iGiveCatholic is a 24-hour online crowdfunding effort that is celebrated annually on Tuesday following Thanksgiving. The day was originally meant to counter the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday and was called a global day to make a difference. This day is known as Giving Tuesday around the nation. This program has been declared “the most successful Catholic crowdfunding event to date” by the National Catholic Register. This year, on November 27, more than two dozen dioceses will join together for the day. #iGiveCatholic isn’t just a fundraiser. It is also an opportunity for the Catholic community to affirm their faith as disciples of Jesus Christ and showcase all the good work the church and its parishes, schools and institutions does for the community at large.
In 2017, the campaign raised more than $3.6 million for the more than 600 participating parishes, schools, and nonprofits representing 17 dioceses across the country. At the close of the 24-hour giving period, the number of online contributions totaled more than 13,000 gifts from 29 states and six countries, including Afghanistan, Great Britain, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Honduras and Canada.
The goal last year was $3.5 million in gifts. A total of 37 Jackson Diocese organizations participated last year. The 14 churches, seven organizations, and 14 schools raised $91,999 dollars online from 651 donors during the 24-hour giving period. A total of $14,173 offline gifs was raised by 83 donors. Overall, the diocese raised $106,172 dollars.
This project allows Catholics to collectively help parishes, schools, and organizations achieve their goals, reach new donors, and have fun during the 24-hour giving period. Each participant identifies a specific project to which they will direct the money. Parishioners or students can make videos, share photos or do any crazy thing they want to tell their story and inspire donors.
Projects have ranged from repairs to church windows, repaving parking lots and building outdoor classrooms to longer-term projects that needed a boost. Many organizations post encouraging videos and graphics on their websites and social media pages in the days before the event to get out the message about the big day.
This year, #iGiveCatholic is partnering with the International Catholic Stewardship Council and Our Sunday Visitor to bring the campaign nationwide. “Also new this year, #iGiveCatholic is on a new platform, GiveGab, which offers improved customer service and an abundance of resources for organizations to be successful on giving day,” said Laurie Bariola, development director at Greenville St. Joseph School. Donors will now have the option to cover credit card and platform processing fees at the time they make their gifts. Donors can also offer gifts in advance of the campaign day from November 12 through 26.
In 2018, many newdioceses have signed up to join #iGiveCatholic including Boise, Idaho; Cincinatti, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; Juneau, Alaska; Marquette, Michigan; Salina, Kansas; San Diego, California; San Angelo, Texas; Sante Fe, New Mexico and the Archdiocese of Military Services. Returning from last year, New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Houma-Thibodaux, in Louisiana, both Mississippi dioceses; Austin and Lubbock Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Kansas City, Kansas; Mobile, Alabama; Helena, Montana; Knoxville and Memphis, Tennessee; Lexington, Kentucky and Paterson, New Jersey.
#iGiveCatholic works through an online platform at www.IGiveCatholic.org. From November 12-26, donors can schedule gifts to their favorite ministry via an advanced giving day option. If a donor wants to participate in the race on the day of the event, they can wait and visit the site on Nov. 27. They can also contact their charity of choice and make an offline donation, but should indicate that they want it counted in the #iGiveCatholic total.
Donors can find their charity by searching the #iGIveCatholic.org site. Each participant has its own page on the site. Donors can track how their parish, school, or ministry is doing throughout the giving day via the website leaderboards. The minimum donation is $25.00 and there is no maximum donation.
Let’s Give Catholic on November 27th.

(Christopher Luke is the Coordinator for Stewardship for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Charities, family ministry to offer grief workshops

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Through a partnership between Catholic Charities’ Parish Health Care Ministry and the Catholic Diocese of Jackson’s Office of Family Ministry, Bob Willis, artist, author, sculptor and grief specialist from Oklahoma City will present a series of half day workshops and discussions on grief and how to adapt to loss. Willis has offered these workshops to many different groups including healthcare professionals, caretakers as well as grief support groups at churches, hospitals and commuity centers.
The workshops are open to all throughout the Diocese who would like to participate. Three continuing education (CE) contact hours are available for nurses and social workers who attend the workshops. This is a wonderful opportunity for parishes, other churches, and organizations to come together and receive the proper training to help start a grief support group.
Workshops will be offered at the following locations/times:
Hernando Holy Spirit Parish, Wednesday, November 28, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Indianola Immaculate Conception Parish, Wednesday, November 28, 5:30-9 p.m.
Starkville St. Joseph Parish, Thursday, November 29, 12:30 – 5 p.m.
Gluckstadt St. Joseph Parish, Friday, November 30, 12 – 4 p.m..

To register, and for more details, please contact: Sister Pat Clemen, Coordinator of Parish Health Ministry at 601-213-6378, or via email: sisterpat.clemen@ccjackson.org, or Charlene Bearden, Coordinator of Family Ministry at 601-960-8487, or via email: charlene.bearden@jacksondiocese.org.

Renowned for her preaching, she took her message across the nation

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By Mark Pattison
WASHINGTON – The U.S. bishops will consider endorsing the sainthood cause of Sister Thea Bowman, the great-granddaughter of slaves and the only African-American member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, who transcended racism to leave a lasting mark on Catholic life in the United States in the late 20th century.
The request from Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz of Jackson – where Sister Bowman grew up and also where she ministered in her last years while taking care of her aging parents while subsequently fighting cancer herself – will be considered during the bishops’ Nov. 12-14 fall general meeting in Baltimore.
In ecclesiological terms, Bishop Kopacz is asking whether it is advisable to initiate the sainthood cause at the local level, which is required by a 2007 instruction from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Sister Bowman has been declared a “servant of God.”


“Consideration of the opportuneness of advancing the cause on the local level is an important expression of episcopal collegiality, and a helpful indicator of the servant of God’s ‘fama sanctitatis,'” or “odor of sanctity,” said a letter by Bishop Robert P. Deeley of Portland, Maine, chairman of the U.S. bishops” Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance.
The Jackson Diocese plans to celebrate a special Mass Nov. 18 at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, during which the edict that opens the investigation into her life will be read.
Sister Bowman was a trailblazer in almost every role: first African-American religious sister from Canton, Mississippi, first to head an office of intercultural awareness, and the first African-American woman to address the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Bertha Bowman was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi, the daughter of a doctor and a teacher. She attended Canton Holy Child Jesus School, and at age eight decided she wanted to become a Catholic. She knew by her early teenage years that she was called to consecrated life.
She studied at Viterbo College in La Crosse, Wisconsin, while preparing to enter the convent. She went on to study at The Catholic University of America in Washington. She returned to Canton to teach and inspire the people in her community.
Sister Bowman led the Jackson Diocese’s Office of Intercultural Awareness, taught at several Catholic high schools and colleges, and was a faculty member of the Institute of Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans.
Renowned for her preaching, she took her message across the nation, speaking at church gatherings and conventions, making hundreds of speaking engagements a year until spreading cancer slowed her. Music was especially important to her. She would gather or bring a choir with her and often burst into song during her presentations.
In addition to her writings, her music also resulted in two recordings, “Sister Thea: Songs of My People” and “Round the Glory Manger: Christmas Songs and Spirituals.”
When Sister Bowman spoke at the U.S. bishops’ meeting in June 1989, less than a year before her death from bone cancer and confined to a wheelchair, she was blunt. She told the bishops that people had told her black expressions of music and worship were “un-Catholic.”
Sister Bowman challenged that notion, pointing out that the church universal included people of all races and cultures and she challenged the bishops to find ways to consult those of other cultures when making decisions. She told them they were obligated to better understand and integrate not just black Catholics, but people of all cultural backgrounds.
Catholic News Service reported that her remarks “brought tears to the eyes of many bishops and observers.” She also sang to them and, at the end, had them all link hands and join her in singing “We Shall Overcome.”
That fall, the Thea Bowman Foundation was founded to support black Catholic education at all levels. In its first year, the foundation gave scholarships to 46 black students at U.S. Catholic colleges and universities. It also established an annual award for outstanding contributions to black Catholic education.
Less than a week before her death at age 52 in March 1990, she was announced as the winner of the Laetare Medal, awarded by the University of Notre Dame. Other honors included the American Cancer Society’s Courage Award, given at the White House in 1988, and U.S. Catholic magazine’s U.S. Catholic Award in 1989 for contributions to the advancement of women in church and society.
At her funeral Mass in Jackson, Father John Ford, a member of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity and a longtime friend of the nun who served as homilist, told the 1,000 mourners who packed the church: “We must find ways to imitate this woman. No other one is coming. We need to find ways to imitate Thea.”
In what was likely her last writing – a posthumously published column in Mississippi Today, the Jackson diocesan newspaper – she asked readers to observe Holy Week “see the Son of Man riding on an ass’ colt, to feel the press of the crowd, to be caught up in the ‘Hosannas,'” and then as Holy Week goes on, to “watch as Jesus is sentenced by Pilate to Calvary, to see him rejected, mocked, spat upon, beaten and forced to carry a heavy cross, to hear the echo of the hammer, to feel the agony of torn flesh and strained muscles, to know Mary’s anguish.”
By the mid-1990s, Catholic schools in Gary, Indiana, East St. Louis, Illinois, and Port Arthur, Texas opened bearing her name.
She also was the focus of several books, including 1993’s “Thea Bowman: Shooting Star – Selected Writings and Speeches,” 2008’s “This Little Light: Lessons in Living From Sister Thea Bowman,” and 2010’s “Thea’s Song: The Life of Thea Bowman.”
Redemptorist Father Maurice Nutt, observing the 20th anniversary of Sister Bowman’s death in 2010, said he believes the late nun is a saint. Though not officially canonized, “Sister Thea is canonized in the hearts of all who knew and loved her,” he said.

(Follow Pattison on Twitter: @MeMarkPattison)