Mississippi Catholic is starting work early on this year’s Graduation Special. If a student in your parish is the Valedictorian or Salutatorian of his or her high school or if someone in your parish is receiving a special honor, we would like to include them in the edition. Similarly, if your parish honors its graduates, we would love a photo with names and schools for this edition. Send all information to Maureen Smith, editor at maureen.smith@jacksondiocese.org by Friday, May 25.
BILOXI – Mississippi’s Knights of Columbus gathered on the coast for their 114th annual convention the last weekend of April this year. Bishop Joseph Kopacz joined Bishop Louis Kihneman of Biloxi to concelebrate a memorial Mass at St. Michael Church. Diocese of Jackson chaplain for the Knights, Father Scott Thomas, joined them.
Among the honors the Diocese of Jackson councils brought home, Bill and Carolyn O’Connor of Clinton Holy Savior Parish are the family of the year for the state. The couple serve in multiple ministries at their parish and are known for their willingness to do whatever is needed.
The convention gives the knights a chance to participate in workshops and trade ideas as well as renew their commitment of service to the church.
By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Five priests in the Dio
cese of Jackson will mark significant anniversaries of ordination in 2018. Father Noel Prendergast marks 60 years as a priest on June 7, Msgr. Elvin Sunds was ordained 45 years ago on August 5, Fathers Kent Bowlds and Tim Murphy are celebrating 25 years and Father Lincoln Dall was ordained 10 years ago on May 31.
Father Prendergast’s photo from when he first arrived in Mississippi. (Diocese of Jackson Archives)
Father Prendergast was born in Kilkenny, Ireland in 1934. He was ordained in St. Patrick’s Church in Carlow in 1958 and arrived in the then Diocese of Natchez Jackson that fall. He grew up with six brothers and one sister. Two of his brothers became priests. One stayed in their home diocese and another went to Africa as a missionary. The other siblings became farmers. Father Prendergast still goes home to visit his great-grand nieces and nephews.
When he arrived in Mississippi, starting his ministry at Biloxi Blessed Nativity Parish, the church was on the cusp of Vatican II and the state was just starting to see the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement. Father Prendergast said he and his brother priests had to listen and be patient as history took its course.
The priests got updates on Vatican II as the council progressed. “Our bishops were very supportive, Bishop (Joseph) Brunini and Bishop (Oliver) Gerow. Bishop Brunini would go over to Vatican II and come back after two or three months over there and tell us what went on. Then then we had workshops to prepare ourselves for what was coming out of Vatican II. It was all very helpful,” he said.
Father Prendergast went on to serve at Jackson St. Mary, Natchez Assumption, Columbus Annunciation, Vicksburg St. Michael, Yazoo City St. Mary and St. Francis and Clinton Holy Savior as well as at the mission in Gulfport. These days he is retired in Clinton. He helps out at Holy Savior, offering Masses when the pastor is out of town, between playing golf and visiting with friends.
Holy Savior will celebrate Father Prendergast’s anniversary on Monday, June 18, with Mass at 6 p.m. followed by a reception. All are welcome.
JACKSON – Msgr. Sunds, with Secretary of State Delbert Hoseman, opened the 2016 Mississippi Legislative session with prayer. He was often at the capitol advocating for Catholic Charities. (Mississippi Catholic File Photo)
Msgr. Sunds said he can hardly believe he is celebrating 45 years of priesthood. Although born in Nebraska, he was raised in Iowa where he attended Catholic schools. After high school, he went to seminary. He was not convinced he had a vocation, but “had a feeling this is what God wanted me to do.” Msgr. Sunds always tells young men they don’t have to go to seminary with their minds made up. Seminary, he said, helps men discern their call and acquire the skills they will need to do the job. “After all, as they say, God does not call the enabled, he enables the called,” he said.
When he advises young men who believe they have a vocation, Msgr Sunds urges them to “pray. Really listen to the Lord. He’s not going to whisper in your ear, but he will tug at your heart.” He took a year off during his seminary formation to be sure he was following the right path. He was serving in New York when he met some priests from Mississippi. “They were very involved in social ministry and serving the poor and I thought ‘that’s the kind of priest I want to be,’” said Msgr. Sunds. He returned to seminary and asked to be ordained for the Magnolia state.
He started on the coast, serving at Biloxi Sacred Heart before coming to Jackson for the most significant part of his career, working for 19 years at Catholic Charities. He was the director of the agency for 16 of those years. He left Charities and served as the Vicar General of the Diocese for 10 years. In parishes, he served at Jackson Holy Family, Meridian St. Patrick and St. Joseph and currently serves as pastor of Jackson St. Therese.
JACKSON – Father Kent Bowlds celebrates Mass with Bishop William Houck at St. Richard Parish in this 2001 photo. (Mississippi Catholic file photo)
Father Kent Bowlds will mark 25 years of the priesthood this June. The Kentucky native moved to Jackson with his parents, four sisters and one brother, when his Dad’s job was moved here. He was in seventh-grade so he finished school at St. Joseph School.
“I started thinking about priesthood in my junior or senior year of high school, and I think an important factor was all of the priests I had known — from Father Mitchell in Kentucky, who was young and down to earth, to Fathers Eddie Balser, Joe Dyer, Elvin Sunds, and others who helped me grow in faith, perhaps without their ever realizing it, while also being themselves with their unique personalities,” wrote Father Bowlds in an email to Mississippi Catholic.
Father Kent was not convinced of his vocation so he went to college and started a career. “After graduation I worked at Mississippi Public Broadcasting for ten years. I enjoyed that immensely but the idea of priesthood had never entirely gone out of my mind. I was ready for a change and after some good spiritual direction I decided the only way to truly discern was to enter seminary and was accepted by the Diocese of Jackson. In seminary the discernment continued and the call to priesthood solidified,” he wrote.
He worked as vocations director for the Diocese of Jackson for a number of years, so Father Kent has spoken to many young men about vocations. He urges them to have courage and be open. “And it’s important not to pray in a total vacuum, ‘just me and God,’ but also to consider all sorts of things, such as what others are saying about him, what his experiences tell him, where he finds himself naturally drawn, etc. A good spiritual adviser, also, will not try to talk someone into the priesthood, but can help one figure out what God could be saying,” he explained. “Some men think, ‘I might want a family someday’ — which doesn’t necessarily mean they are not called to priesthood. A desire for family can also indicate a generous spirit and an openness to long term commitment, qualities that are also essential for priesthood.”
He served at Madison St. Francis of Assisi, Meridian St. Patrick and St. Joseph, Clarksdale St. Elizabeth and Immaculate Conception, Jackson St. Richard and Holy Family, Crystal Springs St. John and Hazelhurst St. Martin as well as his current parish of Cleveland Our Lady of Victories.
Father Bowlds will celebrate his anniversary with a Mass and reception at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, June 22, at Cleveland Our Lady of Victories, Parish.
Also celebrating a quarter of a century of priesthood is Father Tim Murphy, pastor of Tupelo St. James and Pontotoc St. Christopher, ordained Nov. 27, 1993. “I was ordained by Bishop (William) Houck at Glenmary in Cincinnati. It was a wonderful privilege,” said Father Murphy, who was born in New Jersey.
He came to the diocese as a Glenmary Home Missioner in 1991. He was working with the Glenmary research center out of Atlanta as part of the order’s Commission on Justice. At that time, the Glenmarys had founded and were staffing several missions and parishes in the state including Amory St. Helen, Fulton Christ the King and West Point Immaculate Conception.
When the Glenmarys left in 2015, he was incardinated into the diocese. Father Murphy has always served in some of the diocese’s rural locations, often caring for more than one community at a time. He said he came to Mississppi “by the grace of God.”
His postings include Amory St. Helen, Fulton Christ the King, Aberdeen St. Francis, Houston Immaculate Heart of Mary, Okolona St. Theresa, Pontotoc St. Christopher and Bruce St. Luke.
“I am very happy to be here and I am grateful for the mission and to be a part of it,” said Father Murphy.
TUPELO – Father Lincoln Dall brought the tradition of the Camino del Santiago to St. James Parish. Wearing his pilgrim’s shell, he walks a pilgrimage to the parish in 2015. (Mississippi Catholic file photo)
Ten years ago, the diocese welcomed Father Lincoln Dall to the presbyterate. Dall was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was a lay missionary for eight years in Canada, Ecuador and the U.S. before he ended up in a teaching corps in Greenville. He joined Sacred Heart Parish. “I had been looking into the priesthood and they encouraged me,” he said of the parish community. He went to Sacred Heart Seminary in Wisconsin where he “had the most wonderful experience possible,” said Father Dall. “It encouraged me and nurtured me.” He was ordained on May 31, 2008.
Father Dall said he tells young men they don’t have to be 100 percent sure to attend seminary. “Just listen to where God is calling you and don’t be afraid to take little steps,” he advised.
Father Dall has made a number of pilgrimages – including several to the Camino de Santiago, or Way of St. James in Spain. He said the first one he made helped him discern his vocation. “Sometimes, you don’t understand what is happening while you are on the pilgrimage and you come home and unpack it – sometimes even years later,” he said. He started a pilgrimage at Tupelo St. James Parish to celebrate the parish’s patron.
Father Dall has served at Jackson St. Richard, Yazoo City St. Francis and St. Mary, Belzoni All Saints and Tupelo St. James. He is currently pastor of Pearl St. Jude Parish.
GREENWOOD – Saturday, April 21, the Office of Hispanic Ministry and Pastoral Juvenil Hispana gathered a small group of Hispanic youth and young adults from Tupelo, Jackson, Canton, Greenville and Greenwood for a vocations event. The gathering, held at Locus Benedictus Retreat Center, is part of the office’s response to the Pastoral Plan and Encuentro process showing that vocations is an issue important to the community.
“We had a guest speaker from Argentina to help us understand the pros and cons of the millennial generation and how knowing ourselves can best guide our discernment process. In the afternoon, a vocational panel shared their experiences and witness, said Veronica Lopez, coordinator for young adult ministry for the office.
“The panel was composed of a married couple, religious brother, Franciscan friar, religious sister, Cesar Sanchez, a seminarian of the diocese, a lay woman committed to single life and a Redemptorist priest,” she continued. This group represents a whole spectrum of different vocational opportunities and helped the young people see that they can explore different paths.
All of the talks were framed around how the Paschal Mystery has the potential to ignite in each person an authentic call to vocation, which may be different for each person. Participants were encouraged to ask any questions they might have and to contribute to the conversation.
Roberto Zapata from the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle said he was encouraged to hear that God has a vocation planned for each person. “What amazed me was that each of us who attended shared different viewpoints and we came together more as young audlts,” he said.
Byron Lopez from Canton Sacred Heart Parish said he feels more prepared now to speak about vocations in his home community. “I left with a wider knowledge about vocations that I can share with other people so that they too have knowledge about their vocations. I am aware that it can help them enormously,” he said. Fellow Sacred Heart parishioner Dulce Basurta said she enjoyed hearing how each person lives out their faith through their vocation in their day-to-day lives.
Most of the participants commented that they appreciated the variety of vocations shared. The Office of Hispanic Ministry hopes to offer other vocational events in the coming months.
By Maureen Smith
ABERDEEN – St. Francis Parish honored one of the Glenmary missioners who helped plant and nurture the seeds of the Catholic Community there by naming the parish hall after Brother Terry O’Rourke. A new sign went up April 27. Brother Terry O’Rourke died on March 10, 2017, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He served as a Glenmary Missioner for 58 years, many of those in Mississippi.
Parishioner Bob Seymour said Brother Terry built the original parish hall at St. Francis. That building burned 12 years ago, but the mark Brother Terry left on the community is indelible.
ABERDEEN – St. Francis named the parish hall in honor of Bro. Terry O’Rourke, a beloved Glenmary and member of the community. The sign was finished on Friday, April 27. (Photo by Bob Seymor)
“The idea came up at the parish council meeting in April. It had been a year since he passed away and we thought this would be a good thing to do. The parish council presented the idea to the parish and everyone loved it,” said Seymour. He remembers Brother Terry and Father Tim Murphy started a food bank out of the garage of the parish hall. That operation, known as Loaves and Fishes, is not its own non-profit with a grocery store and its own delivery truck.
Although much of what Brother Terry did was visible, he also helped in small, quiet ways. Seymour said he always helped cook Wednesday suppers, played horseshoes with a group of retirees and, in his spare time, helped train service dogs for other people to use. “Seemed like he always had a dog here. Even when he moved into the retirement home he had a dog,” said Seymour.
By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – On Tuesday, April 24, Catholic Charities of Jackson and Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) offered a unique training at Grenada St. Peter Parish with Bobbie Lison of Catholic Charities in Green Bay, Wis. Lison is a national trainer for “Your Money, Your Goals,” (YMYG) a set of financial empowerment tools. The idea is to give some specific problem-solving resources to just about anyone who works with people in need, especially social workers and case workers.
“This program is not meant to turn people into certified financial health counselors, but to provide them with tools and resources,” said Lison. “Say you are a mental health counselor and you can tell a client is stressed. When you ask why, they tell you payday lenders are calling and calling and they don’t know what to do. You can dip into these materials to find what you need to help,” she said.
Danna Johnson, who runs the Catholic Charities Office in Vardaman went to a training in YMYG a couple years ago and has been using the lessons with her clients.
Daughter of Charity Sister Mary Walz works at the Lexington Medical Clinic as a social worker. This may not seem like the kind of place to offer financial advice, but she says YMYG is an amazing resource for her. “I thought I was going to get a specific curriculum to follow, but this is better, because no matter what setting you are in, you can use this workbook to tailor your response.” she said. Sister Walz explained that when people come to the clinic she tries to spend a few minutes with them before their appointment with medical staff. She asks what their top stressors are. Many times the answer is money. “Finances can affect you – including a worry that you won’t be able to pay your clinic bill.”
Rather than try to steer her clients into a class, she can get specific information about their challenge and she and the client can tackle it together. “This program has modules to address different things, savings, repairing your credit, things like that,” she explained. One workbook asks clients to list all their bills and when they are due along with income. Seeing the information on paper can help people prioritize what to pay first, what resources may be available for shortfalls and it may help them see ways they can better manage their money. “This is very practical in helping someone line up their wants and needs. It is done in a very user-friendly model and is sensitive to the reality of people struggling with finances,” said Sister Walz. She said some clinic staff members want to go through the exercise for themselves.
The Consumer Federal Protection Bureau (CFPB) created Your Money Your Goals and partnered with Catholic Charities USA and other community service organizations to get it up and running across the country. CCUSA has three trainers who travel the country offering workshops like this one, usually for Catholic Charities staff members. At the Grenada training, other organizations were invited, including the president of the St. Vincent de Paul conference in Jackson, a representative of CHANGE Amory and someone from Canopy Children’s Solutions in Tupelo. “This gave us an opportunity to network because it brought together people from the Delta and North Mississippi who are in ministry who wouldn’t normally know one another,” said Dorothy Balser, coordinator for Parish Social Ministry for Catholic Charities of Jackson.
Each participant got a binder full of modules with lessons and exercises they can use with their clients, but the CFPB offers even more material on its website. Some material can be downloaded or ordered from the agency. To see the material go to www.consumerfinance.gov and search for Your Money, Your Goals.
Claude Harbarger
By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Catholic Charities will honor two healthcare leaders at this year’s Bishop’s Ball, set for Saturday, June 9, at the Jackson Country Club. During the evening event, Claude Harbarger and Lester Diamond will be honored with the Samaritan Award. Harbarger is the president of St. Dominic’s Health Services while Diamond is the president of St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital.
The Samaritan Award highlights the work of individuals whose support of Catholic Charities has made a lasting impact on the organization and community. Diamond and Harbarger are ever-present at Catholic Charities events and work with other community partners to advance the work of Catholic Charities in the community. John Lunardini, COO of Catholic Charities explained that the board felt the men provide a model of how community organizations can work together to amplify their positive impact.
“Their leadership running a faith-based healthcare system has greatly enhanced the quality of medical services provided to the community. And, their support of Charities through the St. Dominic Foundation has enabled us to serve many more people in a more diverse capacity throughout the state,” said Lunardini.
Harbarger, a Huntsville, Ala., native worked with hospitals in Georgia, Florida and Tennessee before coming to Jackson in May, 1987 as Senior Vice President of Professional Services for St. Dominic Hospital. He was named president of the hospital in 1991 and served in this role for 20 years. In January, 2012, Harbarger began serving as President of St. Dominic Health Services. He serves on a number of regional and national healthcare boards as well as being active at his church, First Presbyterian of Jackson, and in the local community. He and his wife Karis live in Jackson.
St. Dominic Health Services, sponsored by the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois, is the parent organization operating St. Dominic Hospital, St. Catherine’s Village, Madison Health Services and Community Health Services–St. Dominic, Inc., which incorporates the outreach services of The Club at St. Dominic’s, New Directions for Over 55, St. Dominic Community Health Clinic and the Care-A-Van screening program.
Lester Diamond
Diamond was actually born at St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital, but was raised in Millington, Tennessee. He worked in Texas and Georgia before he came back to Jackson to be vice-president of St. Dominic’s North Campus. He continued to move up through the ranks at the hospital before becoming president in 2012.
He and his wife, Gina, have three children and are active members of Jackson St. Richard Parish. St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital is a 535-bed acute-care facility in Jackson. It traces its history to 1946, when the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Ill., purchased the Jackson Infirmary in the center of the city. The infirmary was the foundation for a health system that today includes the acute care hospital, a continuing care community, and a full range of outpatient and community services.
Sister Dorothea Sondgeroth, associate executive director of the St. Dominic Health Services Foundation, has worked closely with both men. “Claude (Harbarger) and Lester (Diamond) both outstanding leaders at St. Dominic’s are worthy of recognition as recipients of the Catholic Charities Samaritan award. Both define the role of a Samaritan as they inspire St. Dominic’s 3,500 employees to reach out to help others through their words and actions while they themselves serve others without counting the cost,” she said.
Bishop Joseph Kopacz will give the awards to Harbarger and Diamond. “This provides us with the opportunity to direct the spotlight onto the mission and long-standing service of the Saint Dominic Health Care System in Mississippi. During their tenures these two have advanced the mission of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield ‘to provide compassionate care and hope as a healing ministry of the Catholic Church,’” said the bishop.
“As a member of the Board of Directors of the Saint Dominic Health System, I am privileged to experience first-hand their leadership, professional expertise and Gospel commitment to the advancing the state of healthcare across the South, and in particular for many years in the St. Dominic Health Care System.”
Tickets to the Bishop’s Ball are $85 per person. The evening includes dinner, live and silent auctions and dancing to live music. Call Catholic Charities to purchase tickets call Julie O’Brien at (601) 326-3714 or email at julie.obrien@catholiccharitiesjackson.org.
Invitation
SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
BROOKSVILLE Dwelling Place Retreat Center, private or directed retreats, June 8-16 or July 14-21 (schedule 3, 5 or 8 days within this block of time). Donation: $90 per day. Director: Clare Van Lent, founder. A directed retreat is a personally guided prayer experience following the Spiritual Exercises adapted to your needs. Enjoy a time of solitude and prayerful reflection primarily using Scripture. Meet daily with the director for guidance and mutual discernment. Join the community in daily Worship. Details: (662) 738-5348 or dwellpl@gmail.com.
John of the Cross – Hope in Our Darkness, June 22-23. Though John of the Cross lived in the 16th century, he has left us a treasure in understanding the spiritual life and leading others in growth in prayer. As we struggle with the normal dry spells in prayer, John gives us deeper insight into that darkness and dryness, encouraging us in our desire for an ever-deeper relationship with God. He urges us to carve out silence in the midst of all the noise in our culture. Presenter: Father John Bohn, pastor of Jackson St. Richard Parish, a long-time student of Saint John of the Cross. Donation: $100. Details: (662) 738-5348 or dwellpl@gmail.com.
PARISH, SCHOOL AND FAMILY EVENTS
AMORY St. Helen, English as a second language class meets Fridays, 10 a.m., at the parish hall. Details: (662) 256-8392.
CLARKSDALE St. Elizabeth, Dutch luncheon at the Ranch sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary, Tuesday, May 15, at 11:30 a.m. Details: Joyous Sbravati at (662) 624-6185.
CLEVELAND Our Lady of Victories, Ladies Bible Study will be studying the book “Walking with Purpose.” Resumes Wednesday, June 6, at 6 p.m. Details: Jenifer Jenkins (662) 846-6273.
HERNANDO Holy Spirit, Pentecost celebration, Sunday, May 20 at 4 p.m., Special celebration for all six parishes. Details: church office (662) 429-7851.
Open House for new chapel and hall that is being renovated, Sunday, June 10, 10:30 – 1p.m. Details: church office (662) 429-7851.
JACKSON The president of the National Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Ralph Middlecamp, will be speaking at St. Richard Parish on Thursday, May 24, at 4:30 p.m. in Glynn Hall. His topic is the strategic plan of the National St. Vincent de Paul Society in the United States. All are welcome. Details: George Evans, 601-707-3218.
PEARL St. Jude Parish international Pentecost celebration. Saturday, May 19, 5:30 p.m. Stations representing peoples’ countries of origins will feature food and cultural heritage representations. The party is open to all and celebrates the founding of our church. Please note Mass will be at 4 p.m. this day. Details: (601) 939-3181.
YOUTH BRIEFS
GREENVILLE St. Joseph School, Color Me Cured – 5K Color Run Run/Walk for Aries Cotton, a St. Joe student, Thursday May 31, at 5:30 p.m., Benny Strazi Football Field. Special pricing on early registration by May 16. Details: school office (662) 378-9711.
Mini Cheer Camp, June 4-6, 8 – 11:30 a.m. Ages 3-12 years. Cost: $50 per camp, includes T-shirt if registered by May 21, snacks and drinks. Details: Perlita Dixon (662) 378-9711.
Tennis Camp, June 18-20. Mark Apartments Tennis Courts, 481 Cyress Lane, Greenville. Camps for 4-6 years, 7-9 years, 10-12 years and 13 years and older. Cost: $40 due with application to ensure place at camp. Details: school office (662) 378-9711.
Football Camp, June 4-6, 8-11 a.m. St. Joseph School Field House, coach John Baker.
Basketball Camp, June 4-6 12 noon – 3 p.m., St. Joseph School Gymnasium, Coach James Hunter.
Softball Camp, June 11-13, 8-11 a.m., St. Joseph School Softball Field, Coach Billy Ainsworth.
Soccer Camp, June 25-27, 8-11 a.m., St. Joseph School Practice Field, Coach Craig Mandolini.
Above four camps are for 5-12 years, boys and girls. Cost: $50 per camp. Includes T-shirt if registered by May 21, snacks and drinks. Details: school office (662) 378-9711.
HERNANDO Holy Spirit, Christian Service Initiative – Putting Mercy in Motion. June 3-8 for girls and June 17-22 for boys. For youth currently in high school to spend the week at Sacred Heart Southern Mission’s Volunteer House in Walls, helping clients in need with odd jobs. Deadline is May 20. Details: church office (662) 429-7851.
MADISON St. Francis of Assisi, Class of 2018 Senior appreciation Mass and reception on Sunday, May 20, 5 p.m. Reception to follow. Details: (601) 856-5556.
PEARL St. Jude, Homework mission experience for youth, June 27-30. Instead of traveling out of this community for a trip this summer, our youth will have a mission experience in our own backyard, reaching out to our parish, our community and the diocese. It will include service work, spiritual reflection and a lot of fun. Details: church office (601) 939-3181.
POSITION AVAILABLE
JACKSON Mississippi Catholic seeks Spanish Language content manager/office manager. Reporting to the Director of Communications, this position oversees content for Mississippi Catolico, the Spanish language paper for the diocese, as well as providing translation services as needed. The candidate must be fluently bilingual. Limited travel. Experience with writing and photography beneficial. The office manager for the department of communications is responsible for the day-to-day business operations. This includes managing the subscription database, billing, record-keeping and office maintenance. Candidate will also provide some clerical support for the office of vocations. Application deadline: June 1. Send resumes, writing samples to editor@mississippicatholic.com.
El programa “Hands ON + Hearts IN” (Manos ENCIMA + Corazones DENTRO) brinda experiencias en Holly Springs, Mississippi de discernimiento de una semana para mujeres que están considerando la vida como hermanas católicas. No hay costo para los participantes. Las próximas experiencias están programadas para el 7 al 11 de mayo, del 21 al 25 de mayo, del 20 al 24 de agosto y del 10 al 14 de septiembre.
Durante cinco días completos, las mujeres estarán acompañadas por hermanas de varias órdenes para proporcionar servicios prácticos a los necesitados como tutoría de niños, ayudar en una despensa de alimentos, limpieza de hogares para personas mayores, reparar casas dañadas o sirviendo comidas en un comedor de beneficencia.
Todas vivirán en comunidad durante la semana, compartiendo oración, cocina, reflexiones, orientación y mucha diversión. Los solicitantes deben registrarse un mes antes del inicio de un programa específico. Acompañados por los Ministros de Vocaciones, la experiencia de lunes a viernes ofrece una oportunidad práctica para ayudar a los necesitados mientras se discierne la vida como una hermana.
Para obtener más información sobre esta oportunidad de discernir la vida como hermana, contáctese con Hermana Sharon Glumb, SLW sglumb@slw.org; 847-577-5972 ext. 233 (oficina); 601-291-6738 (celular).Campamento Católico
junio 17- 23 niños/as 8 – 11 años
El campamento está ubicado cerca de Amory, Mississippi e incluye Misa diaria, natación, arte, música, juegos y deportes.
Para más información, favor llame al padre Tim Murphy, 662-304-0087 e-mail: catholiccampms@juno.com
JACKSON – Hermana Lourdes Gonzalez, MGSpS, celebró su 25° aniversario de vida consagrada con una misa y una fiesta animada en la parroquia de Santa Teresita el domingo, 8 de abril.
En la misa, la Hermana Lourdes renovó sus juramentos mientras sostenía la Vela Pacual. Después de la misa, la comunidad se reunió en el centro parroquial para una fiesta. El salón estaba decorada con girasoles, la flor favorita de la hermana. Una banda de mariachis tocó y todos incluido el pastor Msgr. Elvin Sunds y la hermana bailaron toda la tarde.
Hermana Lourdes es parte de la comunidad de Misioneras Guadalupanas del Espíritu Santo que viven en Brandon. Ella trabaja como ministra pastoral en Santa Teresita.
JACKSON – Hermana Lourdes Gonzalez, MGSpS, baila en la celebración de su 25º aniversario de vida consagrada en la parroquia de Santa Teresita. (Foto de la hermana María Elena Méndez)
