By Joanna Puddister King
JACKSON – For Father Will Foggo, the path to priesthood has always been marked by the people and communities that helped shape his faith.

On Saturday, May 16, those communities came together at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle as Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz ordained the lifelong Diocese of Jackson Catholic to the priesthood.

Family members, friends, priests, deacons, seminarians and parishioners filled the cathedral to witness a moment years in the making for the St. Paul Flowood parishioner who attended St. Richard School in Jackson, graduated from St. Joseph School in Madison and later discerned his vocation while active in Catholic Campus Ministry at Mississippi State University.

In his homily, Bishop Kopacz reflected on the gift of faith and the work of the Holy Spirit in calling men to serve the church. He noted that a vocation is never formed in isolation, but through families, parish communities and seminary communities that help discern and affirm God’s call.

“We continue the work of the Lord,” Bishop Kopacz said, pointing to Christ’s mission of teaching, proclaiming the Gospel, healing, blessing and gathering people into communities of faith.

Addressing the newly ordained priest, the bishop referenced St. Paul’s encouragement to Timothy: “Let no one have contempt for your youth.”

“Today is not contempt,” the bishop said. “There’s great joy.”

That joy became especially evident near the end of Mass when Bishop Kopacz announced Father Foggo’s first assignments.

As is customary, the bishop explained that newly ordained priests enter a period of “vocational synthesis,” integrating priestly ministry into daily life after years of seminary formation.

For the next few months, Father Foggo will serve as parochial vicar pro tempore at St. Joseph Parish in Starkville, the same parish community where he served as a transitional deacon following his ordination to the diaconate in November.

The announcement drew enthusiastic applause from the congregation.

Then came a second announcement from Bishop Kopacz.

Beginning Sept. 1, Father Foggo will become parochial vicar at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Madison.
The cathedral erupted in even louder cheers.

“We’re very happy about the support that you’ve had in the presbyterate and among the people of God,” Bishop Kopacz said.

The following morning, Father Foggo celebrated his first Mass as a priest at his home parish, St. Paul Catholic Church in Flowood.

The homilist for the Mass was Deacon Scott Beslin, a seminary classmate and friend who was later ordained a priest for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux on June 6. Reflecting on the Feast of the Ascension, Beslin reminded the congregation that Christ’s ascension was not the end of His work, but the beginning of the church’s mission.

Turning to the newly ordained priest, Beslin reflected on the responsibilities that now lay before him.
“Through your hands, heaven touches earth,” he said before pausing and adding, “No pressure.”

The church erupted in laughter, including Father Foggo himself.

Beslin continued by speaking of the responsibilities of priestly ministry, including preaching the Gospel, shepherding souls, celebrating the sacraments and being available to God’s people.
Despite the humor, he emphasized that priestly ministry does not depend on a priest’s own strength alone.

“None of this depends on you alone,” Beslin said. “It is Christ who lifts you. Christ who works through you. Christ who will be faithful through you.”

Yet some of the most memorable moments came after Communion.

Thanking those gathered for their prayers and support, Father Foggo explained the tradition of the maniturgium, the cloth used to wipe the sacred chrism from a priest’s hands after ordination.

Tradition holds that the cloth is presented to the priest’s mother and buried with her as a symbol of her offering her son to God.

Turning unexpectedly to his parents, Sheila and John Foggo, Father Foggo revealed that he had not told them what was about to happen.

“I’d like to give that to my parents right now,” he said.
The congregation responded with sustained applause as he presented the maniturgium to his mother. He then presented his father with the stole that will be used when he hears his first confession, another tradition symbolizing the gift of a son offered in service to the church.

The emotional moment served as a fitting conclusion to a weekend that celebrated not only the ordination of a new priest, but also the many people, parishes and communities that helped nurture his vocation.

(Photos from Father Foggo’s Ordination and First Mass can be found at jacksondiocese.zenfoliosite.com)

By Joanna King
JACKSON – A new diocesan initiative focused on strengthening lay leadership and faith formation across the Diocese of Jackson is taking shape through the newly established Bishop William R. Houck Center for Lay Formation, an effort church leaders say grew directly out of listening sessions held during the diocesan Pastoral Reimagining process.

Led by the diocesan Office of Faith Formation under the direction of Fran Lavelle, the center is designed to provide accessible formation and ministry training opportunities for parish and school leaders, catechists, youth ministers and other lay leaders throughout the diocese.

“The absolute best part of my ministry is working with people,” Lavelle said. “The second-best part of my job is looking at ways to better serve our parishes and schools, especially concerning faith formation.”
Lavelle said the idea for the center emerged after parish and deanery listening sessions identified the need for stronger lay leadership formation.

“Better formation for lay leaders was one of the clarion calls from both individual parishes and the deaneries,” she said. “When you ask people how the Church can better serve them, it is important to act on what you hear.”

An advisory committee formed in late 2024 began reimagining how the diocese could support lay ministry and leadership development. That process ultimately led to the creation of the Bishop William R. Houck Center for Lay Formation.

The center is named in honor of former Bishop William R. Houck, who served the Diocese of Jackson from 1984 to 2003 and was widely recognized for his commitment to Catholic education, evangelization and lay ministry. During his tenure, Houck served as chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Evangelization, which published the landmark 1992 document, Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States. The document, still used today, continues to encourage Catholics to embrace the mission of discipleship.

“Bishop Houck was an esteemed educator and a devoted advocate for lay ministry,” Lavelle said. “His vision and voice laid the foundation for lay leadership training in the Diocese. It is our hope to expand his vision to provide high-quality formation and training at every parish, mission and school.”

According to the center’s website, its mission is “to provide lay leaders in the Diocese of Jackson training and formation with emphasis in catechetical, pastoral and ecclesial applications.”

The initiative is built around three foundational pillars: education, evangelization and the development of well-formed lay leaders. The website notes that ongoing formation in Scripture and Catholic teaching helps disciples live out their call, while strong parish communities depend on prepared leaders who can serve with “knowledge, confidence and compassion.”

Unlike a traditional diocesan institute, the Houck Center is not housed in a physical building. Instead, it operates as an online resource hub hosted through the diocesan website. Participants can access diocesan workshops, online courses, ministry resources and leadership development opportunities in a variety of ministry areas.

“We really wanted something accessible to people no matter where they live in the diocese,” Lavelle said. “This is about meeting parish leaders where they are and helping them continue to grow in confidence and faith.”

Current areas of formation include campus ministry, catechist training, family ministry, intercultural ministry, liturgy, OCIA, prison ministry, youth ministry and young adult ministry, along with leadership training opportunities for pastoral councils and parish ministry teams.

One of the center’s first major initiatives is a redesigned Pastoral Ministries Workshop, a longtime diocesan leadership program that has now been restructured to better accommodate busy parish volunteers and ministry leaders. Previously offered as a four-year program requiring participants to attend a weeklong summer session each year, the workshop has been reformatted into a more flexible intensive weekend model.

“The length of time to complete the old program, along with the difficulty many volunteers had getting away for an entire week, made us realize we needed a more accessible format,” Lavelle said. “We wanted to preserve the richness of the formation while making it realistic for people serving in parish ministry.”
The new two-year program consists of six four-hour sessions focused on prayer, theology, pastoral leadership and practical ministry skills. Courses will be offered concurrently in English and Spanish, reflecting the diversity of the diocese and the center’s emphasis on broad accessibility.

This year’s workshop topics include the foundations of Catholic pastoral ministry, pastoral identity and spirituality, and communication and relationship-building in ministry. Participants will explore themes such as servant leadership, intercultural communication, conflict transformation and spiritual practices that sustain ministry.

Lavelle said the workshop is intended not only for new ministers and catechists, but also for experienced parish leaders seeking renewed formation and support.

“Our primary goal is to provide a foundation in Catholic pastoral ministry through prayer, theology, practical skills and reflection,” she said.

This year’s workshop will be held July 31-Aug. 2 at Eagle Ridge Conference Center in Raymond. Registration is open through July 10. More information about the Bishop William R. Houck Center for Lay Formation can be found at jacksondiocese.org/bishop-houck-center-for-lay-formation.

(For questions on the Center or the upcoming Pastoral Ministries Workshop, contact fran.lavelle@jacksondiocese.org.)