Category Archives: Diocesan News

Nine admitted to candidacy for permanent diaconate

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PEARL – Bishop Joseph Kopacz admitted nine men to candidacy for the permanent diaconate on Saturday, Sept. 8, during a Mass for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary at St. Jude Parish. The men and their families have spent a year in what is called aspirancy, spending time together in study, prayer and discernment. Candidacy is the next step in their five-year journey. They will continue with study and formation in hopes of being ordained for the diocese. Permanent deacons dedicate themselves to service to the church. The candidates are (l-r, not all faces visible) Mark Bowden, Dien Hoang, Kayed Jwainat, Wesley Lindsay, John Pham, David Rouch, Anthony Schmidt, and Edwin Wilson. (Photo by Rhonda Bowden)

Reason for hope: Diocese of Jackson’s commitment to our children

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The Diocese of Jackson has a plan and a team in place to prevent and to respond to allegations of sexual abuse against minors. The topic is a fresh wound in our Church since the release of a grand jury report out of Pennsylvania detailing a horrifying pattern of abuse and coverups in six dioceses in that state as well as revelations of years of abuse at the hands of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

Bishop Joseph Kopacz met with the priests, lay ecclesial ministers, permanent deacons and other pastoral leadership of the diocese in August to hear their concerns and yours. Your pastors passed along your anger, devastation, and prayers. We are grateful for all these emotions. Your anger is righteous, your devastation shows the depths of your faith and your prayers are much needed for the Church.
In response to those meetings as well as the many calls, emails and conversations chancery staff and pastors have had with you, the faithful, we want you to know what has been done, what we continue to do and what’s in store for the future. Bishop Kopacz describes this approach as having four aspects: our safe environment program, victims’ assistance, cooperation with law enforcement and transparency.
To start- an assurance of transparency: A handful of bishops across the U.S. are inviting their state Attorneys General to review their files. The Diocese of Jackson did that back in 2002. In response to both the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ pending Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, and a contemporary case being presented to the state attorney, diocesan leadership decided the best course of action was to be proactive. A member of the diocesan review board and the vicar general at that time reviewed an accounting of all known cases with staff at the attorney general’s office.
Since that time, all new credible allegations have been turned over to the district attorneys in the counties where the abuse is alleged to have happened.
The bishop has reviewed these cases in-depth in the last few weeks to make sure the diocese has done its due diligence in offering care to victims of abuse, reporting cases to law enforcement and informing local communities about cases. Bishop Kopacz will approach the current Mississippi Attorney General’s Office to offer review of all substantiated cases of the abuse of minors by clergy reported since the 2002 meeting.
Safe Environment:
Anyone who offers to volunteer at any parish, school, or institution affiliated with the Diocese of Jackson will first be asked to submit to a criminal background screening. Some 15,613 employees and volunteers have been vetted in this way since the diocese initiated criminal background screenings in 2004. If the screening is clear, the volunteer or employee will begin to receive training in how to recognize the warning signs of abuse, how to report it and how to protect the children in their care from predators.
The diocese uses a company called VIRTUS for safe environment training. It starts with a live-training session with a VIRTUS facilitator. Ongoing adult training continues every month in the form of an email with an article about the latest research or information on fostering safe environments in the Church, in the home, and in society. VIRTUS has developed both the lessons and the database management program used to show who is continuing to take their training and who is not compliant. There are about 4,600 adults currently active, including clergy, religious and lay employees.
Moreover, children are better informed now than ever before. This year, the diocese has implemented VIRTUS’ curriculum for children in parish religious education programs as well as the Catholic schools. In these lessons, children learn about safe and healthy boundaries and what they can do if someone tries to violate them in Church-sponsored programs, and in their daily lives. During the last fiscal year, 7,602 children received an age-appropriate safe environment lesson.
Vickie Carollo, the safe environment coordinator, and Fran Lavelle, director of faith formation, will visit every parish and school during this fiscal year to audit their participation in the Protection of Children program. Carollo has performed these audits since 2003 because we know that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
The Diocese of Jackson has had a policy to respond to credible allegations of sexual abuse since 1987, long before the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released the Charter. The early document was less detailed than today’s version but delineated the commitment of the diocese on responding to abuse, removing offenders, assisting victims, and promoting safe environment. The policy was revised in 1994 when an Independent Review Board of lay Catholics was established. This is a consultative body that assesses the credibility of all allegations of sexual abuse against minors and advises the bishop accordingly. This board remains an essential resource for Bishop Kopacz, as it was for Bishop Houck and Bishop Latino. The current board includes two psychologists, a physician and two professional business people.
Victim’s assistance:
When an allegation is made, it triggers a number of responses. First, if the victim is a child – even if the abuse is just a suspicion – the case is turned over to the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services and then to either Carollo’s office or the vicar general’s office.
In the case of an adult who comes forward years later, he or she is offered professional counseling at no cost. A victim does not need to give his or her name to the diocese to receive this service. Valerie McClellan is the victims’ assistance coordinator for the diocese. She can offer counseling based out of Jackson. If the victim lives out of state, she can arrange for a counselor in the victim’s community. The goal is to offer a healing opportunity to the victim and his or her family.
Likewise, McClellan will gather as much information about the abuse as possible and, with the victim’s consent, turn it over to the diocese. The vicar general, through the diocesan attorney, hires a private investigator to begin to look into the case and the accused is removed from active ministry or suspended while the investigator prepares a report for the review board.
The review board meets without the bishop present and votes on what actions to recommend to the bishop. When the allegation is judged to be credible the abuser is removed from ministry as soon as possible.
Cooperation with Law Enforcement:
If a case is deemed credible, the vicar general’s office will inform the district attorney in the county where the abuse happened. The bishop withdraws faculties from an ordained accused abuser at this time.
The vicar general’s office prepares a statement to be read at Masses or other parish gatherings in the communities where the alleged abuser has served. The statement will never name a victim, but will name the alleged perpetrator and encourage other victims to come forward. These statements are now also posted to the diocesan website.
Even if there are no active cases of abuse being investigated, each parish must regularly publish a statement encouraging victims to report abuse. A recent study indicates that it can take an average of 34 years for a victim to report abuse. This means the diocese must constantly offer the invitation for all victims to come forward.
For some perspective, since 2002, the Diocese has received nine credible reports of abuse. In all of these cases, the abuse happened 20 or more years prior to the report. The ministers reported were either deceased or already removed from ministry.

Transparency:
Most importantly, we want you to be assured of the Diocese’s commitment to transparency as we move forward. Since a group of lay journalists in Boston in 2002 exposed a pattern of abuse and cover-ups, the church has undergone a culture shift. In biblical language, this is metanoia which entails repentance and conversion, a change of heart, mind, and practice.
This horrible scandal prompted new social science research into the psychology of abusers and forced bishops to remove priests who were a danger to their flock.
What we now understand about abuse, it’s devastating impacts on individuals, families and whole communities is dramatically different than it was in the 20th century. Dioceses, parishes, and schools have a new paradigm for caring for those placed in their care, especially those most vulnerable to predators. Those same communities have resources for identifying abusers and protocols for removing them from ministry as quickly as possible.
That’s the good news.
The sad truth is there were predators in the Church. Piled on that is the fact that there were leaders in the church who were willing to protect their fellow clergymen rather than expose them or the Church to scandal. The Church must now face yet another reckoning.
The Diocese of Jackson has a team of people who share your anger, sorrow, concern and commitment to our Church and our children. The diocesan policy, including protocols for responding to allegations, is available on the website (link below) and in printed form by emailing Vickie Carollo at Vickie.carollo@jacksondiocese.org.
We are unflinching in our commitment to our promise to protect and pledge to heal as a serious part of our vocation. With the mind and heart of Jesus Christ we echo his words: “Let the children come to me for to such belong the Kingdom of Heaven.:”

Resources:
USCCB Charter:
https://usccb.org/issues-and-action/child-and-youth-protection/charter.cfm.
Office for the Protection of Children:
https://jacksondiocese.org/offices/child-protection/
Valerie McClellan: 601-326-3728

(Bishop Joseph Kopacz, Vicar General Father Kevin Slattery, Chancellor Mary Woodward, Safe Environment Coordinator Vickie Carollo and Director of Communications Maureen Smith collaborated on this statement. It is also posted to the diocesan website under Latest News.)

First day from across the Diocese’s Catholic schools

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COLUMBUS – Joseph Baumann, a second-grader at Annunciation School, August 6, gets right to work on the first day of class. All Catholic schools in the Diocese of Jackson are in session. In this back-to-school special edition, get updates on what's new for schools this year including improved curriculum, Catholic identity, character education in athletics and a service project idea that is still building momentum. Stories start on page 6. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)

MERIDIAN – Students in Melanie Pressly’s first grade class at St. Patrick School sing a song on their first day back to class. (Photo Virginia Pressly)

MADISON – St. Anthony students Sam Sosa and Campbell Stringer are happy to see each other the first day of school. (Photo courtesy Michele Warnock)

GREENVILLE – Middle school students work off some energy during the first Day of School at St. Joseph School. (Photo by Craig Mandolini)

MADISON – Sister Paula Blouin shows (l-r) Brandon Giuffria, Olanna Chima, Reed Hardy and Sydney Beard, students at Assisi Early Learning Center how to stir hot cheese grits to cool them off. (Photo courtesy of Sister Paula Blouin)

FLOWOOD – Students at St. Paul Early Learning Center find their faces on a classroom chart. (Photo courtesy Susan Irby)

MADISON – St. Joseph students get right to work. (Photo courtesy of Terry Casserino.)

JACKSON – Suzan Cox washes Alan Garrison’s feet at the St. Richard sixth grade commissioning ceremony. The graduating class hears the gospel where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. Teachers and administrators wash their feet and send them back to the school as servant leaders. (Photo by Wendi Shearer )

HOLLY SPRINGS – Holy Family principal Clara Isom high-fives students as they head for class with new backpacks. A Tunica business donated backpacks and school supplies to all the students. (Photo courtesy of Sandra Cirilli )

GREENWOOD – Students at St. Francis of Assisi School participated in the first school Mass of the year through liturgical dance and by acting out the gospel with celebrant Father Camillus Janas, OFM. (Photo by Jackie C. Lewis)

VICKSBURG – The Flashettes dance team and cheerleaders greet Kindergartener Kenneth and Pre-K student Allison Grogan as they walk into St Francis Xavier for their first day of school. (Photo by Kristi Smith)

JACKSON – Sister Thea Bowman students got right to work on their first day.(Photo by Deacon Denzil Lobo)

Curriculum review prompts revisions

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By Stephanie Brown
JACKSON – In the world of education, a teacher or professor’s curriculum serves as the road map for what will be taught in the classroom throughout the year. Curriculum standards outline goals for the year and dictate what a student should know and be able to do by the time they leave one grade to move onto the next. In recent years the topic of curriculum standards has gotten more attention with the emergence of Common Core, College and Career Readiness Standards, Next Generation National Science Standards, and several other sets of state and national standards. As the curriculum debate has grown, Catholic schools have been faced with a challenge. These schools need to both utilize standards that will academically prepare students for the future and more importantly develop a roadmap that is infused with Catholic identity, ensuring that Catholic schools are teaching the whole child by cultivating his or her academic, spiritual, emotional and physical growth.
Curriculum review is an ongoing process. And, when state and national standards are revised is prompts the Diocese to take an even closer look and consider if changes are necessary. In following the updates to the state curriculum standards, the Office of Education determined that it was time to revise and enhance the standards currently used in the Diocese of Jackson Catholic schools.
The evaluation of the current curriculum started at the local level last September. Administrators and teachers spent a professional development work day focusing on vertical alignment. A curriculum that is vertically aligned ensures that students are fully prepared to move from one grade to the next. It eliminates gaps or holes in the content covered, and eliminates any redundancies that may waste time unnecessarily repeating skills and topics covered during the previous year. While many skills require a certain amount of practice and maintenance from year to year, diocesan leadership wanted to ensure that the standards and skills continue to build on one another and dive deeper into critical thinking rather than simply implementing rote repetition.
Following this work day, all the information from each school was collected and reviewed. In February, educators from around the diocese came together to closely evaluate several state and national standards, data from students’ performance over the past three years and feedback from the professional development day in September.
Working in groups based on grade level and subjects, teachers made decisions regarding what to implement for students at each grade level. Teachers were given the freedom to look at the standards currently available and determine which standards they felt were both developmentally appropriate and rigorous enough to ensure students’ academic success.
Once an initial draft of curriculum standards was created for each grade and subject, the committees dove deeper into the standards seeking natural connections between the newly written standards and Catholic identity. The committees began identifying concrete ways to integrate Church teachings, scripture and overall spiritual development into other subjects.
The next meeting of the curriculum committees is scheduled for mid-September. The agenda for this meeting includes revisions of the first drafts, continued vertical planning and alignments and an even deeper focus on the integration of Catholic identity. The goal of this process is to provide Catholic school teachers, students and parents with a clear roadmap of learning that not only meets the academic standards of our public-school counterparts but exceeds the rigor of those programs. This roadmap is further enhanced with guidelines for the spiritual and emotional development of students.
Following our curriculum meetings in September, smaller committees will be used to “polish” the standards and begin crafting the final drafts to be used in the 2019-2020 school year. Many teachers have already begun the integration of these standards, and administrators look forward to a seamless transition from the current standards to the enhanced curriculum standards now under construction.
To help aid in this transition and improve the overall experience for our teachers and students, the Office of Education is looking into a variety of professional development opportunities. These events will help teachers fully understand the curriculum and discover fun and new ways to use them in their classrooms.
One initiative in the works is an inaugural STREAM (Science Technology Religion Engineering Art and Mathematics) Academy planned for teachers from across the diocese starting in the summer of 2019 and extending throughout the school year.

(Stephanie Brown is the coordinator for school improvement for the Office of Education.)

Beatitudes anchor Catholic identity for academic year

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By Karla Luke
JACKSON – Educators in the Diocese of Jackson’s Catholic schools and early learning centers, partner with families to form students in their faith. Catholic educators are entrusted by parents and families to provide a rich Catholic Christian environment by developing their own Catholic Identity, as well as, that of students and families. Catholic identity goes deeper than attending to the physical environment of the school or classroom by strategically placing pictures, statues and prayer tables. Don’t misunderstand. Those are extremely important, but they are only part of an ongoing development and formation of students in faith. Catholic educators use the tangible sacramentals (prayer tables, rosaries, holy cards, etc.) and traditions to cultivate the intangible: love for Jesus, love for others and a desire for service.
The Office of Catholic Education supports the development of Catholic identity each year with a theme, days of reflection and support materials. Each school integrates this in a way best suited to each learning community, but maintains the overall unity of the theme across the diocese. In the past, the school community of administrators, faculty and staff have accomplished this by studying Papal documents such as Evangelii Gaudium, the Bull of indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy as well as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Catholic Social Teachings and our the Diocese of Jackson’s Pastoral Priorities.
This year, the Office of Catholic Education has chosen to use the Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew to explore faith more deeply. The resource material for this study comes from Dan R. Ebener’s Blessings for Leaders: Leadership Wisdom from the Beatitudes (2012) and Pope Francis’s Gaudete et Exsultate. Administrators, teachers and staff explored it at gatherings at each school at which teachers wrote a prayer based on what they learned. The Office of Education will continue to offer support for the theme throughout the year.
The help of the Holy Spirit is essential in living out the Beatitudes because, to be quite honest, at first glance they contradict everything society declares right and desirable. As Christians strive for a deeper understanding, they find that Jesus is teaching what God means when he says in Lev 11:45, “Be holy because I am holy.” Pope Francis writes in Gaudete et Exsultate “The Beatitudes are like a Christian’s identity card. So, if anyone asks: ‘What must one do to be a good Christian?’ The answer is clear. We have to do, each in our own way, what Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount. In the Beatitudes, we find a portrait of the Master, which we are called to reflect in our daily lives.”
The Beatitudes are countercultural. This should not surprise anyone who has looked at Jesus’s life and teachings. He spent time with the poor, sick, lonely and tax collectors rather than hanging out with the “church” crowd. That’s just for starters. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is teaching THE WAY. Where society urges people to spend their time and use their gifts to acquire wealth and power for security, Jesus says security should be in God alone for He alone can give eternal life, [Mt 5:3]. Society rewards ambition and reveres those in authority, but Jesus teaches that meekness and humility are desirable in God’s sight [Mt 5:5]. The world demands people grab short-lived rewards declaring “YOLO” (that’s “you only live once” for non-millennials). This can cause people to run away from problems or to turn a blind eye to sadness and suffering. Jesus teaches his followers to share in each other’s suffering. In this, Christians are able to show compassion, empathy and to comfort their brothers and sisters in Christ [Mt 5:4].
In Blessings for Leaders, Ebener equates each of the Beatitudes with character qualities necessary for good leadership. As principals lead teachers and teachers lead students, the diocesan leadership team thought this would be a meaningful approach to studying the Beatitudes and integrating leadership qualities with the Church’s teachings. Ebener’s book focuses on two major events in Mathew’s gospel: the great invitation and the great commission. In the great invitation, all are invited to become disciples of Christ; to come, see, learn and follow. In the great commission, all are challenged to become apostles of Christ; to go, tell, teach and lead. As teachers of any subject matter, educators must first learn the content before they can lead a class. Teachers are the ‘apostles’ of their classrooms and schools. They must use the knowledge of the Catholic faith, spirituality and faith experiences to call their students and families to a rich faith experience and a deeper relationship with Christ and the Church.

(Karla Luke is the assistant superintendent of Catholic schools for the diocese.)

System-wide accreditation, school improvement enhanced Catholic identity in the works for 2018/2019

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By Catherine Cook
JACKSON – Classes are underway in all schools across the Diocese of Jackson. In this edition of Mississippi Catholic, readers can find updates on school accreditation, character education through athletics, how Catholic identity is being enhanced in every school, improvements being made to curriculum, news on school expansions and new administrators.
In addition to new faces, new administrators and new construction, the Office of Catholic Education has begun a system-wide accreditation process to have all 13 Catholic schools accredited by AdvancED, the accrediting agency formed by the merger of the PreK-12 school division of Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and North Central Association (NCA) Commissions on Accreditation and School Improvement in 2006 and later including the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) making it the largest association of educational professionals in the world. The Diocese of Jackson joins 52 (arch)dioceses and Catholic school systems from across the U.S. already accredited this way..
Stephanie Brown, coordinator of school improvement, is leading this process. Brown worked with the Office of Catholic Education last year on a part-time basis assisting with the ongoing curriculum review and initiating the AdvancED process and began in a full-time capacity in July. She comes to the education office from Madison St. Anthony School where she served as a teacher, the coordinator of religious education, and the assistant principal.
The diocese has a significant history with AdvancED through its affiliation with SACS. Many schools were accredited by SACS during the mid 1970s and 80’s. Natchez Cathedral, Madison St. Joseph and Vicksburg Catholic were accredited by SACS in 1975, Holly Springs Holy Family in 1978, Greenville St. Joseph in 1980, Columbus Annunciation in 1984, Southaven Sacred Heart and Jackson St. Richard in 2004, and Madison St. Anthony in 2012. The four remaining schools that have not been affiliated with AdvancED will be accredited through this system-wide process.
This accreditation process uses a set of rigorous research-based standards to examine individual schools, as well as, the diocese as a system to determine how well the schools and the diocese are meeting the needs of students. Continuous improvement is at the core of this process. All efforts in the accreditation review are directed toward examining data – surveys, achievement scores, classroom observation data, etc. for ongoing improvement of student outcomes. The standards are grouped within three domains: leadership capacity, learning capacity and resources capacity. Additionally, AdvancED partnered with the National Educational Association to incorporate the Catholic School Standards so that we can be assured that the uniqueness of Catholic education is recognized and supported.
The system-wide process began for Catholic schools here last spring with surveys sent to students, parents, and staff at each school.


The results of the surveys indicate that the parent ratings were slightly higher than the AdvancED network average, the middle/high school student ratings were slightly lower than the network average with staff and elementary student ratings slightly lower in some areas and slightly higher in other areas. While this is a cursory view of the diocese a deep dive into the data is available at each school location as reports provide ratings for each of the 53 questions within the five areas of focus. One report presents the five highest scoring items and the five lowest scoring items for each of the stakeholder groups. This data assists the diocese and each school in determining areas that need improvement and areas of strength on which to build. Principals and pastors have received a report of the survey results specific to their school. Once individual schools have determined their areas of focus for improvement we determine how the diocese can support those areas..
Another diocesan-wide effort is Play Like a Champion (PLAC) coordinated by Amy Lipovetsky who came to the diocese from Florida where she served as a district level athletic director. She and her family moved here in 2016, and she serves as youth director at Madison St. Francis of Assisi Parish and coaches middle school volleyball at Madison St. Joseph School. Lipovetsky works with all schools and parishes in our diocese that have athletic programs. Play Like a Champion Today: Character Education through Sports is rooted in Catholic teachings and traditions. The program places emphasis on coaching as a ministry and the role of sports in moral and spiritual development. PLAC provides resources for coaches, parents, and students including prayers and reflections, as well as, information bullying and hazing, handling failure and success and first aid, to name a few. Find out more at www.playlikeachampion.org.

(Catherine Cook is the superintendent of Catholic education for the diocese.)

Catholic Extension fact-finding mission highlights Hispanic ministry

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By Berta Mexidor
GREENWOOD – Catfish and zucchini have a common denominator in the southern cuisine: Latinos’ soul. Redemptorist Father Ted Dorcey noted this connection during a tour of farms he helped conduct for a group from Catholic Extension. There are four Redemptorists working with the Hispanic community in the Delta. Their ministry was one stop for the visitors who spent two days immersed in different aspects of Hispanic ministry in Mississippi.
The Redemptorists have been in this area for more than four years, serving Catholics in remote places, especially those working in industries with a schedule that might make it hard to attend Mass or receive sacraments.
During the encounter, Joe Boland, vice president of Catholic Extension explained the mission of their organization is to finance the best efforts of the Catholic church in U.S, as well as reaching out in special cases such as the Puerto Rico crisis, church construction in Cuba and seminarian support.
Timothy Muldoon, Director of Mission Education for Catholic Extension, explained that the purpose of this trip is provide a glimpse of the not well-known areas of the pastoral work. Muldoon is trying to connect, in this case, three priests from Chicago with the Mississippi Delta, from where African American families in Chicago came a generation ago.

INDIANOLA – (l-r) Father Ted Dorcey, Father Paul Seaman, Fran Lavelle, Father Sergio Romo; Joe Boland and Timothy Muldoon.in conversation with Adolfo Rojas. In the group photo also, Brother Ted Daush, Father Michael Mc Andrew and members of Catholic Extension team.(Photos by Berta Mexidor)

The priests, Fathers Sergio Romo from St Andrew, Paul Seaman of St. Clement and Francis Bitterman from St. Josaphat, all parishes in Chicago, were impressed by the circumstances and work of the Redemptorist mission in the Delta. Father Romo pointed out that there are great differences between his work in a metropolitan church in Chicago and an itinerant church with parishioners scattered throughout the Mississippi Delta.
Joining the members of the Catholic Extension team were representatives of the Diocese of Jackson including Fran Lavelle, Director Faith Formation, two Missionary Guadalupans of the Holy Spirit, Maria Elena Méndez and Maria Josefa García, who are both coordinators for Hispanic Ministry for the diocese, and Father Kevin Slattery, vicar general.
Lavelle noted that the diocese serves 95 parishes and missions in a state where Catholics are a minority are scattered throughout the territory. In the Delta the Redemptorist are reaching many Latino families but this is not enough. The diocese’s Hispanic ministry team is constantly on the road to support work in parishes and missions throughout the diocese.
As a part of the excursion, Father Dorcey invited the visitors to the zucchini harvest at one farm and a catfish plant, where many Mexicans are seasonal workers under the work visa program. All the visitors and guests witnessed in firsthand the labor conditions and motivation of young migrants and their families working in Mississippi.
Adolfo Rojas, supervisor of the farm workers answered questions from the visitors, who were impressed by the faith of all the workers who keep their link with the church even after long hours of work.
Catholic Extension’s Karla Ortiz, manager of mission programs, Natalie Donatello, manager of parish partnerships and Rich Kalonick, senior manager of creative, who was shooting video and photos, were also part of the delegation.
After their Delta tour, the group also visited Carthage, Camden and Forest.

Team packs faith, joy, traditions for V Encuentro

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By Berta Mexidor
JACKSON – Latinos carry traditions, culture, languages and faith everywhere they go. It is a common trait among many Latino cultures and it will be on display this fall at the V Encuentro. “Encuentro” is a four-year sequence of parish gatherings to debate, collaborate and share experiences of what it means to be Hispanic and Catholic in the United States.
The “Encuentro” process was the U.S. Bishops’ effort to better understand and serve growing numbers of Hispanic Catholics who brought their music, food and faith traditions into the U.S. The first “Encuentro” was in 1972 and led to the creation of the national Office of Hispanic Affairs.
This multiple progression of encounters is organized starting in parishes going to regions and leading to a final national gathering every four years.The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (UCCB) has called 3,000 delegates from across the U.S for the national V Encuentro, pastoral encounter, to be celebrated in Grapevine, Texas on Se

Susana Becerril

ptember 20-23.
The Diocese of Jackson will have four delegates, all of them women: Susana Becerril, María Isamar Mazy, Danna Johnson and Sister María Elena Méndez, MGSpS, one of the coordinators for Hispanic Ministry for the diocese. The delegates will be led by Bishop Joseph Kopacz. Their voices will represent the Latino experience in Mississippi.
Sister Mendez said more than 500 people have participated in 23 parish teams and two diocesan meetings since the beginning of the process in this diocese.
“We will keep our commitment to work together, and our expectation is to update the national Hispanic plan and – at our return – to apply it in the parishes,” said Sister.
In their search for facilitators, Sisters Mendez and Maria Josefa Garcia, both MGSpS, and V Encuentro’s organizers found Susana Becerril. Becerril began creating small groups in the community of Cleveland Our Lady of Victories Parish. One of the groups included young-adults and adults, and Susana recalled it as a good experience because, regardless the difference of age, the bond created was great. Her family has been in Cleveland for more than seven years. Susana has four siblings and works two jobs to help them. This young lady has big expectations for the national V Encuentro. “I want to see the implementation of programs that can help Latino families in my community, training more facilitators and young initiatives.” Susana explained that around a 50 percent of the Latinos in Cleveland are not attending church activities, because of work schedule or lack of motivation. “We now have Mass in Spanish, and it helps, but I want to help to increase our impact,” Susana stated.

Danna Johnson

Danna Johnson is taking the messages from a dozen parishes to V Encuentro. Danna is working as coordinator of Hispanic Ministry in Deanery five, in the north part of the state. Coming from Honduras six years ago, she has accepted the challenges that every immigrant has, remarking that “only in church you find a spiritual refuge.” Danna brought her family’s Catholic traditions to Pontotoc and with time, hard work and faith she started answering her passion to serve. Starting as a catechist, she is now part of the deanery leadership team, working with faith formation, leadership, liturgy and all 12 parishes of Deanery five.
“Serving others, that is my conviction and my faith has been enriched. This job is a gift from God to me,” Danna said. She participated in the south regional Encuentro hosted in Miami earlier this year where she was impacted by the cultural diversity of the Latino community.
She believes the church ought to address the needs of youth in these challenging times. “All of us need an encounter with Christ and to be together in that journey” Danna concluded.

María Isamar Mazy

Mazy, from the Cathedral of St Peter the Apostle has been in U.S for 13 years. As a medical assistant at the University of Mississippi Medical Center she witnesses pain and the healing process. She got involved in Encuentro at the very beginning of this cycle of meetings. She works in youth ministry “There is a lot to do for the Latino community in Mississippi,” she said. “I like to help distribute information, gather opinions and implement programs to help Latino families and therefore the young generations,” she added
She hopes to bring home examples of successful programs implemented in other states for helping students go to college, family religious education and more. She appreciates the words of Bishop Kopacz, who addressed Mississippi’s delegates, because “it encourages me to continue with this work, … I feel that we have his support.” Reuniting with the diocesan team for this positive experience – she is betting this will be a healing experience. “I am very enthusiastic and ready to help grow this community,” she said.
In 2013, the Pope Francis released an apostolic exhortation called The Joy of the Gospel calling on the Catholic community to encounter one another and Jesus. Encuentro is just one way the Church can do this work. “I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy,” wrote the Pope. Danna, Isamar and Susana responded to this call and their happiness is filling their bags. Look for Encuentro coverage in upcoming editions of Mississippi Catholic.

La Oficina de Comunicaciones de la Diócesis añade un nuevo miembro

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Berta Mexidor

Por Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Las oficinas de Comunicaciones y Vocaciones de la Diócesis dan la bienvenida a Berta Mexidor como miembro de su equipo, el pasado julio. Nacida en Cuba, Mexidor ha radicado en Estados Unidos por 17 años. Ella estará coordinando el contenido en español de Mississippi Católico y el trabajo administrativo de la oficina de Vocaciones. Mexidor posee una variada experiencia que incluye ser cofundadora de la Agencia de prensa independiente “Libertad” y el movimiento de Bibliotecas Independientes en Cuba, ser profesora de economía y obtener una maestría en ciencias políticas. Refugiada política, se mudó a Mississippi en el 2005, un mes antes de la devastación del huracán Katrina, para continuar su trabajo con las bibliotecas en su país natal. Ha trabajado además como maestra de español y con estudiantes internacionales y ha traducido para diferentes agencias en el estado.
Su tesoro es ser madre de tres y abuela de dos. Ella es miembro de la parroquia de St. Paul en Flowood donde encontró acogida aún cuando no entendía la misa en inglés. Su fe, creciendo en un país comunista, se fortaleció más que debilitarse. “Jesús te encuentra incluso donde necesitas negarlo, en una isla comunista, bajo un régimen ateo”, afirmó. Fue bautizada como católica al nacer y años después la imagen de San Francisco fue ahogada intencionalmente en el océano de su pequeño pueblo, como demostración de la comunidad del desprecio por la fe.
Para Berta, los acontecimientos de la vida, tener hijos y el encuentro con su cruz la hicieron reconectarse con Dios, en un momento en que estaba prohibido leer la Biblia, y más tarde en la iglesia de San Gerónimo, en Las Tunas, ejerció su fe antes de emigrar. Ella tiene una especial devoción por Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre; y está agradecida por todas sus experiencias, en Cuba y en Mississippi. “Jesús me encontró hace mucho tiempo”, dice. Ahora ella reconoce que era él quien la sostenía durante las tormentas.

La misión de Extensión Católica destaca trabajo del ministerio hispano

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Por Berta Del Carmen Mexidor
GREENWOOD – El pez gato y los calabacines tienen un denominador común en la cocina del sur: alma latina. Esta conexión es notada por el Padre Ted Dorcey, uno de los padres Redentoristas durante una visita a las granjas, mostradas por él, a los visitantes de Catholic Extension (Extension Católica, por su traducción al español) Hay cuatro Redentoristas trabajando en el Delta con la comunidad hispana. El ministerio redentorista fue uno de los aspectos de interés, en esta visita de dos días de Extensión Católica, inmersos en el trabajo del Ministerio Hispano en Mississippi. Los redentoristas han estado en esta área por más de cuatro años, sirviendo a católicos en lugares remotos, especialmente aquellos que trabajan en industrias con un horario difícil para que los trabajadores asistan a misas o reciban sus sacramentos.
Durante el encuentro, Joe Boland, vicepresidente de Extensión Católica, explicó la misión de su organización para financiar los mejores esfuerzos de la iglesia católica en EE. UU. Boland también explicó que la misión se extiende a casos especiales como la crisis de Puerto Rico, el programa latinoamericano de intercambio de hermanas religiosas, la construcción de iglesias en Cuba y el apoyo a los seminaristas, entre otros.

INDIANOLA – (l-r) Father Ted Dorcey, Father Paul Seaman, Fran Lavelle, Father Sergio Romo; Joe Boland and Timothy Muldoon.in conversation with Adolfo Rojas. In the group photo also, Brother Ted Daush, Father Michael Mc Andrew and members of Catholic Extension team.(Photos by Berta Mexidor)

Timothy Muldoon, director de la Misión Educativa de Extensión Católica, explicó que el propósito de este viaje es proporcionar, a varios sacerdotes, información de las áreas no conocidas del trabajo pastoral. Muldoon intenta conectar, en este caso, a tres sacerdotes de Chicago con el Delta del Mississippi, desde donde son originarias familias afronorteamericanas radicadas en Chicago. Los sacerdotes Sergio Romo de la iglesia de San Andrés, Paul Seaman, de la iglesia de San Clemente y Francis Bitterman de St. Josaphat, todas en Chicago, expresaron estar impresionados por las circunstancias del trabajo y los resultados de la Misión Redentorista en el Delta. El padre Romo señaló que hay una gran diferencia entre su trabajo en una iglesia metropolitana en Chicago con la de una iglesia itinerante con feligreses dispersos por el Delta de Mississippi.
A los miembros de Extension Catolica se unieron representantes de la Diócesis de Jackson, incluyendo a Fran Lavelle, Directora de Educación Religiosa y Formación de Fe, dos Missioneras Guadalupanas del Espíritu Santo, María Elena Méndez y María Josefa García, MGSpS , el hermano Ted Dausch , coordinador del Ministerio Hispano y el Padre Kevin Slattery, Vicario General de la Diócesis
Lavelle hizo notar que la diócesis atiende 95 parroquias y misiones en un estado donde los católicos son minoritarios, pero que están dispersos por todo el territorio. Solo en el Delta, los Redentoristas están llegando a una gran cantidad de familias latinas, pero no es suficiente. El ministerio Hispano de la diócesis está constantemente recorriendo el estado para apoyar el trabajo de las parroquias y misiones de la diócesis.
Como parte de la incursión, el padre Dorcey los invitó a un lugar de cosecha de calabacines y a una planta de procesamiento del pez gato, donde muchos latinos, generalmente mexicanos, son trabajadores temporales bajo un programa de visas de trabajo. Todos los invitados y visitantes presenciaron, de primera mano, las condiciones laborales y las motivaciones de los jóvenes migrantes y de las familias que trabajan en Mississippi. Adolfo Rojas, supervisor de los trabajadores agrícolas respondió a las preguntas del grupo de Extensión Católica, quienes quedaron impresionados por la fe de los trabajadores en aras de mantener su vínculo con la iglesia, incluso después de largas horas de trabajo. Como parte de la delegación de Extensión Católica también estuvieron presentes Karla Ortiz, gerente de programas misioneros, Natalie Donatello, gerente de sociedades entre Iglesias (Parish Partnerships) y Rich Kalonick, gerente creativo, quien tomo fotos y videos.
Después de la visita al Delta, el grupo visitó además Cartago, Camden y Forest.