Category Archives: Diocesan News

Lumen Christi Award finalists examples of ‘how to change world’

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CHICAGO (CNS) – Catholic Extension’s finalists for its Lumen Christi Award – including the nominees for the Diocese of Jackson – show “what can happen when we build up and strengthen Catholic faith communities in the poorest parts of the United States,'” said Father Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension.
“If we all follow their examples, we can change our world,” the priest said.
Lumen Christi is Latin for “Light of Christ.” The award honors an individual or group who demonstrates how the power of faith can transform lives and communities.
The finalists, announced Sept. 12, include three “Dreamers,” young people who are beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program; two women religious and an order of religious sisters; the lay coordinator of an immigrant parish in Puerto Rico; the principal of the only Catholic school in the 25-county Diocese of Lubbock, Texas; and a priest who was orphaned when his police officer father was killed in the line of duty.
Another finalist is not an individual but a diocesan ministry – the Office of Hispanic Ministry of the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi.
The Lumen Christi Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Chicago-based national organization, which raises and distributes funds to support U.S. mission dioceses, many of which are rural, cover a large geographic area, and have limited personnel and pastoral resources. Among other things, funds help build churches and assist with seminarians’ education and training for other church workers.
The dioceses served by Catholic Extension nominate individuals and programs for the award.
The list of the finalists for the 2018-2019 Lumen Christi Award follows:
– Randy Tejada, Diocese of Caguas, Puerto Rico. At age 21, Tejada has already been serving as pastoral coordinator at his parish, an immigrant community facing many challenges, for five years. He has helped lead the chapel’s restoration with scarce resources, coordinates youth ministry for the diocese and, since the devastation of Hurricane Maria, he is helping in recovery efforts. Known as the “soul of the community,” he wants to engage laypeople to serve migrants, children and other marginalized sectors of society.
– “Dreamers” Efren, Mariana and Sebastian, Diocese of El Paso, Texas. Efren is a parishioner of Sacred Heart Church, just yards from the border, where he coordinates religious education for youth. Mariana, 16, is a youth minister and catechist at a local parish. Sebastian works with Hope Border Institute’s Leadership Academy to inspire young immigrants through faith. “They represent a young, active and engaged church who are changing the face of faith communities, in El Paso and beyond.”

GREENWOOD – Members of the Hispanic Ministry team accompanied Catholic Extension visitors on a tour of worksites in the Delta this August, including this farm. The purpose of the visit was for priests from urban areas to experience Hispanic ministry in a rural setting. (Photo by Berta Mexidor)

– Hispanic ministry of the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, which covers more than 37,000 square miles and is home to about 54,000 Hispanics. Currently, about 5,000 of them are connected to the Catholic faith and the diocesan ministry wants to reach more. Assisted by two Guadalupan Missionary Sisters of the Holy Spirit, Christian Brother Theodore Dausch has been involved with Hispanics for 20 years and coordinates the Office of Hispanic Ministry. Masses in Spanish have tripled in the past 25 years and are now being offered by 27 parishes.

Brother Ted Dausch, CFC, leads the team in the Diocese of Jackson. (Mississippi Catholic file photo)

– Sister Marie-Paule Willem, Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Sister Willem has been a Franciscan Missionary of Mary for more than 60 years, serving in South America and in the Southwest region of the United States. Her focus is on social justice issues for the poor, particularly with immigrants, bringing them comfort, tutoring them and helping prepare them for citizenship in this country. The diocese, which shares a border with Mexico, is more than 65 percent Hispanic. As parish administrator at San Jose Mission Church on the Rio Grande, she serves 200 families and works with Hispanics at Holy Cross Parish in Las Cruces, whose Spanish Mass is standing-room only. She also launched a ministry for women incarcerated at a detention center that now serves 60 women weekly.
– Msgr. Jack Harris, Diocese of Little Rock, Arkansas. Since his ordination in 1974, Father Harris has been a teacher, coach and pastor, but his biggest outreach is prison ministry. “This seed was planted early,” said Catholic Extension, when his father, a Little Rock police officer, was killed in the line of duty before he was born. His appreciation for the victim’s viewpoint has helped him to forge bridges between the incarcerated, their victims and their families. He has spent the last 14 years as chaplain to death-row inmates at a supermax prison. Twice a week, Father Harris drives 250 miles to visit nearly 500 men who are locked down for 23 hours a day in a one-man cell. He talks and prays with them and offers Mass and confession.
– Christine Wanjura, Diocese of Lubbock, Texas. A former teacher, Wanjura is the principal at the only Catholic school in the 25-county diocese. She never turns away a child who wants a Catholic education. She also wants the school to reflect the demographics of the primarily Hispanic diocese. Students come from as far as 70 miles away and even with a modest tuition, most receive financial aid. During her tenure, enrollment has grown by 20 percent. .
– Franciscan Sister Phyllis Wilhelm, Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin. For more than 40 years, Sister Wilhelm has served Ojibwe Native Americans in the farthest reaches of north Wisconsin. Since 2008 she has been pastoral associate of historic St. Mary Parish in Odanah, which is part of the Bad River Band of Ojibwe. Sister Wilhelm has worked to build community, incorporating Ojibwe traditions into the liturgy, fostering a group of Native women who are reclaiming the traditional beading craft, and increasing participation and lay involvement in all aspects of parish life.
– The Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George, Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma. For 32 years, the sisters have served the school and church of St. Catherine on Tulsa’s west side, which is surrounded by low-income neighborhoods and poor families, some of whom are refugees. They are elementary and middle school teachers at St. Catherine School, assist the parish and work in the community, run a Catholic girls club, serve meals to the residents and promote religious vocations throughout the diocese.

St. Peter’s first bilingual Mass

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By Michael Liberto
GRENADA – St. Peter Parish in Grenada celebrated the first bilingual Mass Sunday, September 16. Redemptorist Father Scott Katzenberger came from his community residence in Greenwood to celebrate the Mass. A fiesta followed in the parish hall.
The celebration was a cooperative effort between the St Peter Parish Council, the Redemptorist priests from Greenwood, the outreach committee and the social committee.
Mass began at 6 p.m. followed by a festive meal celebration in the family life center. The diverse group was welcomed and enjoyed the delicious meal and fellowship together.
Special thanks to those who prepared the meal and the festive decorations.

Gathering for mission: dialogue as a way forward

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Finding true common ground takes work, a commitment to be open and a willingness to change. These were some of the messages 70 priests, deacons and lay ministers took away from a day-long workshop offered in Jackson by the Catholic Committee of the South’s “Gathering for Mission” program on Tuesday, Sept. 18. The Catholic Committee of the South is a network of bishops, other church leaders, field workers and organizations across the South who all work with people on the margins of society. The committee put together the Gathering for Mission project in response to Pope Francis’ call for more true dialogue in the church.
A team of facilitators is traveling from diocese to diocese to offer clergy and church leaders training in the difference between debate and dialogue, deep listening and the process of entering into true dialogue. Bishop Joseph Kopacz serves on the Catholic Committee of the South. The Diocese of Jackson is one of the first in the nation to host a Gathering for Mission workshop. Prior to the stop here, the team presented the exercise to more than 200 priests in the Archdiocese of Atlanta as well as offering it at Mundelein Seminary in Indiana.
Participants were on the move all day – changing tables between each lesson and discussion. Early in the day, Patrick O’Neill spoke about how getting to know someone prior to a dialogue can dramatically impact the outcome. “One of my favorite exercises was when those at the table shared what their own name means and their favorite place on Earth and why,” said Deacon Ted Schreck. “My heart traveled with the other table members from rural Missouri to India to Millsaps College to New Orleans to Canada and Michigan. All of these took us to an awareness and reminder to encounter our parishioners and everyone we meet. We are all very busy and sometimes the business side of the Church pulls us away from being with Jesus’ people,” he continued.

JACKSON – Father Raul Ventura, Father Tim Murphy, Lorenzo Aju Father Vijaya Manohar Reddy Thanugundla and Father Darnis Selvanayakam listen to a presentation on the process of dialogue at St. Dominic’s Tulouse Center on Tuesday, Sept. 18. (Photos by Maureen Smith)

Father Michael O’Brien shares a reflection at the workshop with the pastors at his table, Fathers Noel Prendergast, Joseph Dyer and Anthony Quyet.

Leslye Colvin, communications coordinator for Gathering for Mission, said that opening exercise can be powerful. “When you are in a room full of people there is an energy present. Early on, we ask a question, it’s a simple question, but it touches people in a profound way,” said Colvin. “You can feel the energy in the room change because people want to share – they are waiting their turn and want to hear others peoples’ stories. The room is on fire with that energy,” she added. Once people feel connected to the other participants, “from that safe place, the day unfolds,” Colvin explained.
The five-year project has the lofty goal of openng the possibility of transforming church leadership in the U.S. and Canada. The group believes true dialogue and open sharing are the keys for the church to move forward. True dialogue, according to the training, calls each person involved to re-evaluate their assumptions and actions and calls on both parties to be willing to change their attitudes or behaviors in search of common ground. “In some ways, it reminded me of the professional workshops that I have attended in the corporate world over the past 25 years but this one gave us the opportunity to explore issues specific to the Church in the Catholic Diocese of Jackson,” said Deacon Schreck, who traveled from Southaven for the day.
“We want to strengthen discipleship and also feed individual disciples on their own faith journey and I believe both these instances are a way to promote the gospel of Christ and reduce the number of barriers in society,” said Colvin.
Glenmary’s Commission on peace, justice and the care for creation partnered with the Catholic Committee of the South for this project. Organizers hope to bring the workshop to every diocese they can.

‘God has not abandoned us,’ says survivor of clergy sex abuse

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By Maria Wiering
ST. PAUL, Minn. (CNS) — At a Holy Hour service Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Cathedral of St. Paul, a survivor of clergy sexual abuse told the congregation that God has not abandoned the church now.
“My fellow Catholics: During this abuse crisis, have any of you wondered where God is, and how he is feeling? I have,” he said. “I came to the conclusion that God has not abandoned us. In fact, I believe he is crying right along beside us.”
The abuse survivor, who wished not to be named publicly, was introduced by Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis only as “a vibrant defender of our church and of the faith.”
He spoke at the beginning of a “Holy Hour of Reparation and Prayers for Healing” held in response to the sexual abuse crisis in the church. More than 700 people, including many families with young children and dozens of priests of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, attended the hourlong service. Archbishop Hebda presided over the liturgy along with Auxiliary Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens.
The liturgy included exposition of the Eucharist and the praying of the seven “penitential psalms” for healing for abuse victims and survivors and healing in the church. The service coincided with the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, a feast day that acknowledges Mary’s suffering during her son’s crucifixion and death.
In his homily, the archbishop asked for prayers for abuse survivors, “that through the intercession of Our Lady of Sorrows, they might receive the healing that only Christ can bring, might recognize our sorrow and deep shame as sincere, and might contribute as they are able to the transformative change that we need as a local church.”
When the survivor addressed the congregation, he thanked Archbishop Hebda for leading the church through “very difficult times” and he thanked the archbishop and Bishop Cozzens for “tirelessly navigating the damaging effects” of abuse.
He also told the priests, deacons, religious brothers and sisters and seminarians that they are on the front lines daily in helping people heal but he acknowledged they can also be misjudged for the deeds of those who have abused others.
The survivor said those who represent the church should be prepared for negative reactions, but they should also know how important it is to be “open, listening and striving to learn and understand what a victim of abuse feels like and how their lives were affected.”
Be willing to let victims express their anger and fear, he told them, and understand their difficulty in trusting others and sometimes God.
He also encouraged all Catholics to show compassion and patience with clergy abuse victims, and to understand that it may take decades for them – and the church – to heal. And to victims, he said, “words cannot begin to describe the feelings and effects of abuse that we have suffered.” 
While all abuse is evil, he said, “what is distinctive about clergy abuse is that it often affects one’s belief in God and our church.” He said that abuse, however, “does not have to destroy” a person’s life, and that “there is help from a God who loves us and is with us.”
When he finished his remarks, he and Archbishop Hebda embraced.
Claudith Washington, 72, said her belief in the power of prayer compelled her to attend the service.
“When I realized that there was an opportunity for us to gather as a huge community, I just couldn’t miss it,” she told The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. “It’s like, I’ve got to be there to beg for God’s mercy. I believe it will make a difference, I believe it will strengthen the archbishop, I believe it will clarify where we need to go to fix things. For me, it was a concrete action. We’ve been suffering so much, this is a concrete action. We can do something.”
The survivor’s question – where was God? – stuck with her. “My faith makes me know God is in everything we suffer every day,” said Washington, a parishioner of St. Richard in Richfield.
Hearing from an abuse survivor was “one of the best blessings” of the service for Cathedral parishioner Dorothy Kenney, because it made clergy sex abuse concrete.
Overall, the Holy Hour was “very prayerful, very peaceful and the people there, their hearts were really in it, and really asking Our Lady of Sorrows to heal our Church,” said Kenney, 88. “I could just feel that.”

(Wiering is editor of The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.)

Festival celebrates immigrant cultures

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By Maureen Smith
TUPELO – On Saturday, September 15, St. James Parish hosted Hispanic Heritage Day which included music, dance, food and a friendly fund-raising competition for the title of Hispanic Queen. The celebration gathered more than 300 people from the parishes of deanery five.
“Our Parish of St. James, began to have this celebration in 2005 for the Independence Day of Mexico. The objective of this event was to spend a family afternoon and share our traditions, with music, dancing – without missing our typical Mexican snacks. Over the years this event has grown a lot and more people have joined,” said Raquel Thompson, coordinator for Hispanic Ministry for St. James. Latinos from New Albany St. Francis, Corinth St. James the Less, Ripley St. Matthew, Pontotoc St. Christopher and the host parish joined in by offering a display of costumes, bringing a dance or musical group, food and drinks typical of their homeland.

“We, as Hispanics in the United States, are proud to share a little of our cultures, customs and traditions that go beyond folk dances, food, etc., so this year we organized it at the deanery level,” explained Thompson. “The goal was to have a meeting of communities to share our faith, promote unity, family integration, inspire our youth and feel the joy of brotherhood that unites us as Latino brothers and sisters in this country, who has welcomed us and feel at home, although we are far from our land,” she continued.
Katia Cruz acted as emcee for the day. At the end of the celebration organizers named a “Hispanic Queen,” conferred on the girl who collected the most money through selling snacks throughout the event. The ladies wore costumes from the countries of origin of their parents. In a short interview with four of the participants, the common denominator was their desire to help their church and therefore their community. Joselyn Acosta, Karen Ruedas, Lorena Benavides and Kaelen López all have dreams for the future as an accountant, nurse and lawyer. The money raised will help all the parishes in the deanery. In the end Kimberly Huerta of New Albany St. Francis was elected as Hispanic Queen 2018, with second place for Daniela Pérez of Corinth and third place for Carolina Acosta of Tupelo.

(Berta Mexidor, Katia Cruz and Raquel Thompson contributed to this story. See more photos in this week’s Catolico.)

Listening sessions

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In an effort to advance the healing process and to support our commitment to transparency, Bishop Joseph Kopacz is sponsoring a series of listening sessions open to the community. There will be four sessions to accommodate people all across our Catholic community.

Franciscan Sister Dorothy Heiderscheit will be the facilitator at each session. She is CEO of Southdown Institute of Toronto, Canada. Southdown Institute was founded specifically to address the needs of religious and clergy around mental health and addiction. Sister Dorothy served as a therapist and director of Family Ministry at Catholic Charities of Jackson from 1987 to 2000.

Before you come, we ask that you read the diocesan statement addressing what we do when abuse is reported, what we have done in the past and what we are doing now to prevent abuse in the Diocese of Jackson. It can be found here: https://jacksondiocese.org/2018/09/a-reason-for-hope-the-diocese-of-jacksons-commitment-to-our-children/

We also ask that you submit questions in advance in writing here: https://jacksondiocese.org/contact/ Use the subject “Listening Sessions.”

A Spanish interpreter will be available at each session.

Thursday, Oct. 4, Tupelo St. James Parish, 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 5, Cleveland Our Lady of Victories Parish, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 6, Madison St. Francis of Assisi Parish, 11 a.m.

Sunday, Oct. 7, Natchez St. Mary Parish, 4:30 p.m.

Feast day fiesta at St. Matthew

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RIPLEY – Members of St. Matthew Parish in Ripley celebrated their patron saint on Saturday, Sept. 22. The actual feast is celebrated worldwide on Sept. 21.
Matthew, the evangelist and apostle was a tax collector for the Romans. He coverted to Jesus and after the resurrection, Matthew preached for years in Judea and in nearby countries. San Mateo (in Spanish) is credited for being a patron of bankers and is represented with a book.
The celebration started with Mass, but included dancers from Tupelo St. James Parish who came to share a traditional Aztec drama- dance. “Los Matachines,” usually dance in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The dance represents the fight of good versus evil. At the end good is the winner.

(Katia Cruz contributed to this story)

RIPLEY – Above “Los Matachines,” dancers from Tupelo St James Parish. For more than ten years this group has offered traditional Aztec dance performances around Mississippi. With 40 members including young and adults, the group came to bring color and music to the celebration for the Feast Day of St. Matthew. (Photos courtesy of Madeline Hale)

In right photo: Father Jesuraj Xavier accepts the gifts from the dancers during the Mass. (l-r)Carriying flowers Sindy Vázquez and her mother, Rosario Gonzalez, Brithney, Yaire López and Alma Diaz, the last two are current leaders of the dancers.

Principals explore Beatitudes at annual gathering

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Catholic School principals and Early Learning Center directors gathered in Jackson on Wednesday Sept. 12, for a day of reflection and discussions. Stephanie Brown, coordinator for school improvement, led a discussion that focused on mission and mindset and how these connect to the Catholic identity theme for the year, living the Beatitudes. The principals and directors gather several times a year for professional as well as spiritual development and to address administrative business.

JACKSON – Jo Anne Heisterkamp, elementary principal of Greenville St. Joseph School, answers a quiz question during the principal’s meeting in Jackson. (Photos by Maureen Smith)

Principals and directors downloaded a classroom participation app and engaged in a friendly quiz competition during their meeting in Jackson. Cathedral’s Norm Yvon won the quiz game.

Holly Springs school celebrates 70th anniversary with alumni, friends, students

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By Laura Grisham
HOLLY SPRINGS – This year, St. Mary’s/CADET/Holy Family School celebrates 70 wonderful years of education.
During Labor Day weekend, several hundred alumni and educators gathered to celebrate. No doubt it was also a grand undertaking for those on the reunion committee, and in particular, chairman Vincent Smith (Class of 1981).
Two years after World War II ended, Sacred Heart Father Paul Frichtl, bought an old abandoned school building in Holly Springs and began to make enough repairs to make the building usable. In 1948, the St. Mary School for African American children opened.
The following year, four School Sisters of St. Francis arrived to work with him. When St. Mary’s began, eighth grade was the highest level offered. Another grade was added each year until all 12 grades were available. In 1954, the first seniors were graduated from St. Mary’s High School.
In 1969, St. Mary’s merged with St. Joseph’s to form C.A.D.E.T. (Christian Aided Development Through Extraordinary Training). CADET Child Care Center opened in 1974 with 25 children and CADET High School closed. A new computer lab was installed for students in 1995, and with that, CADET changed its name to Holy Family School in order to provide a stronger Catholic identity.
“Seven decades have brought about many changes in our world and in our schools, but the commitment of Sacred Heart Southern Missions (SHSM) and the Priests of the Sacred Heart to educating hearts and minds remains steadfast,” said Fr. Jack Kurps, SCJ, executive director of SHSM.

Above, a pep squad of current Holy Family Students cheered on those attending the reunion during a Friday night meet-and-greet. At right, Sr. Cathy Mauge, OSF, and Cathedral Pryor Wilkins at the picnic on Sunday.

“Our school has been and remains a sanctuary for children, where they are safe and receive guidance, discipline and love. Our students receive a quality education — a firm foundation not only in academics, but also in Christian values and respect for one another.”
Friday evening, guests were treated to a meet and greet, complete with tasty food and jazzy entertainment. The Holy Family Pep Squad greeted alumni with cheers and acrobatics to begin the evening. Beta Club members offered tours of the building.
The next day alumni volunteers cleaned out the school’s basement. Much to the delight of current Principal Clara Isom, two dump trailers of trash were removed. Equally hard work was being performed upstairs as members of the reunion committee set up and decorated for the banquet scheduled for later in the evening.
Nearly 200 former students, teachers and principals attended the gala Saturday night. The evening began, as does every event, with a prayer. Several alumni addressed the gathering, sharing fond memories.

HOLLY SPRINGS –The reunion chior had the crowd on its feet singing ‘Oh Happy Day’ at a Sunday morning worship service to celebrate Holy Family School’s 70th anniversary during the Labor Day weekend. (Photos by Laura Grisham)

Former Cadet principal, Sister Sheila Kloss, OSF, was the guest speaker for the night. Traveling all the way from California for the event with another former CADET educator, Sister Cathy Mauge, OSF. She greeted attendees with heartfelt enthusiasm. Citing the gospel, “’Lord, it is good for us to be here. This is a sacred place.’ All of us and many others over the years made this a sacred place by coming together to live, to learn, to love.”
Sunday began in earnest with a rousing worship service. Prayers, scripture and hymns filled every corner of the school gymnasium. The Reunion Choir and Rev. Catherine Robinson Willett had everyone on their feet with “Oh Happy Day.”
Services ended prior to noon, giving those in attendance just enough time to don their blue reunion t-shirts and some comfortable shoes before attending a closing picnic.

(A longer version of this story appeared in the Sacred Heart Southern Missions newsletter.)