RIPLEY – Several dozen teenagers from several area parishes attended a retreat at St. Matthew Parish offered by the National Evangelization Team (NET) on April 21. NET teams travel across the country to lead Catholic retreats for young people. (Photo by Madeleine Hale)
JACKSON – Bishop Joseph Kopacz, center, gathers visitors and staff for a blessing at the new Catholic Charities Hope Haven Residential facility on Friday, April 13. Hope Haven hosted an open house to celebrate their new residence, which will allow them to double their capacity. Hope Haven is a temporary shelter where teens in crisis and their families can get help to start the path to healing. The organization is still looking for supplies including sheet and comforter sets, exercise equipment and toiletries. Contact Kim Thomason to donate at 601-397-2224 or kim.thomason@catholiccharitiesjackson.org. (Photos by Tereza Ma)
By Monsignor Michael Flannery
SALTILLO, MEXICO – On Thursday, April 12 Bishop Joseph Kopacz and I began our annual visit to the mission in Saltillo, Mexico. The highlight of this year’s visit was a side-trip for the diaconal ordination of Adolfo Suarez Pasillas in his home parish in Aguascalientes.
Fathers David Martinez and Evelio Casarubias, the priests of the mission, met us at the airport to bring us on the 70-mile drive to Saltillo in time for 6 p.m. Mass at Divine Mercy Church, dedicated by Bishop Kopacz two years ago. After Mass, a delicious meal was served honoring our arrival.
The following morning (Friday), we were on the road at 7 a.m. to visit the ranchos (mountain villages), accompanied by five altar servers and three musicians. Our first stop was the village of San Francisco to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation. Seldom, if ever, do the mountain villages see a bishop. Under normal circumstances, a villager must travel to the cathedral church for confirmation, bringing family and sponsors with him/her and maybe stay overnight. Therefore, bishop’s visit is a great savings for the families. After confirmation, we all shared a big breakfast with the villagers and newly confirmed.
In the course of that day we left the State of Coahuila into State of Zacatecas, visiting the villages of Jalapa, Anima, Sabanilla, Garambullo and Tapon. Tapon is the most remote village and takes six hours of travel to get there. Most of the way follows a bouncy trail, traveling approximately five-to-seven miles an hour. Our last stop of the day was el Rancho el Cuervo, a famous hunting camp where the gracious host had prepared a delicious meal. In all, it was a full day for Bishop Kopacz, having celebrated three ceremonies of Confirmations, four celebrations of the Word and Holy Communion and one blessing of the villagers.
Saturday, Bishop Don Raul Vera, bishop of Saltillo, joined Bishop Kopacz to bless the cornerstone of a new church, San Jose. The blessing took place outdoors under an improvised shade. The excitement of the 200 villagers was amazing. They participated in the Mass with great reverence and enthusiasm. The reality of having their own worship space was within view. Bishop Vera preached the homily. He spoke of cooperating with the bishops of Texas and the Mexican bishops whose dioceses were adjacent to the U.S. border. This newly-formed group of bishops were in the process of drafting a letter to President Trump pleading with him not to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Bishop Kopacz, paraphrasing Pope Francis, spoke of building bridges such as the bridge which the Dioceses of Biloxi and Jackson has had with the Diocese of Saltillo for 49 years.
After Mass, we travelled on to Presa San Pedro for the celebration of Confirmation for villagers from La Rosa, La Purisima and La Ventura. Again, it was a great festival of faith. Before leaving, Bishop Kopacz made a home visit to a lady who suffered from cerebral palsy. She was now 24 years of age and weighed no more than 45 pounds. She had never spoken and only made guttural sounds. The family was very appreciative of the bishop’s visit.
On Sunday morning, back in Saltillo, we had a Mass at 9 a.m. at Divine Mercy Church including several baptisms, and a breakfast with the senior citizens. After the meal we joined a procession four blocks from the church led by Aztec dancers, who were on their way to the largest Mass of the day at 1p.m. Again, Bishop Kopacz was the main celebrant, accompanied by Bishop Vera. Celebrations continued until 11p.m. Bishop also visited the grave of Father Patrick Quinn, the founder of the mission and a local seminary during his weekend in Saltillo.
On Tuesday we were off to Aguascalientes for the ordination. After a rehearsal we shared a meal with Adolfo’s delightful family. On Wednesday morning Adolfo showed us the historic sites of Aguascalientes. The town was making extensive preparations for the three-week Fair of San Marcos, an annual festival attended by several million people from all over Mexico. This musical festival is an unbroken tradition for 190 years. Locals allege more beer would be consumed over the three-week period of the fair than during the remainder of the calendar year.
The Mass of ordination took place in Adolfo’s home town of Jesus Maria at the parish church of Jesus of Nazareth at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 18. Bishop Kopacz presided over the Mass with a packed church of an estimated 500 people, another 400 had gathered in the courtyard. The support from the parishioners was incredible. The vicar general of the Diocese of Aguascalientes welcomed Bishop Kopacz to the diocese.
He remarked that the parish of Jesus of Nazareth was the most spiritual parish of the whole diocese. The Diocese of Aguascalientes ordains an average of 12 priests per year and presently has enough of a surplus that some of their priests are serving in other areas of Mexico. In fact, the vicar mentioned sharing some priests with the Diocese of Jackson.
Father Kent Bowlds, pastor of Cleveland Our Lady of Victories parish, where Adolfo has served, made the trip for this joyful event. He gave the testimonial of readiness of the candidate. After the ordination we adjourned to a nearby salon where we were greeted by a Mariachi band and the celebration continued until 11 p.m. When he returns to Jackson, Deacon Suarez Pasillas will be assigned to Jackson St. Therese Parish for the year before he is ordained a priest.
In all, it was a packed week, a tremendous experience of faith-sharing and a great blessing for all participants. On our trip home, Bishop Kopacz was already making plans for his return journey in the coming year when he will hopefully bless the newly constructed church of San Jose and participate in the golden jubilee of the foundation of the Saltillo Mission. The good work begun by Fr. Patrick Quinn, the founder of the Saltillo Mission still continues in its outreach to the poor.
(Editor’s note: More extensive coverage of Deacon Adolfo’s ordination will appear in the June 29 edition of Mississippi Catholic along with all ordination for this year.)
(Msgr. Michael Flannery is a retired priest for the Diocese of Jackson. He has written a book about the Saltillo mission, available at Madison St. Francis Parish.)
Palm Sunday
Pearl, St. Jude Parish photos by Rhonda Bowden
Carthage, St. Anne Parish photos by Sister Maria Elena, MGSpS
Chrism Mass
Jackson, St. Peter photos by Tereza Ma ans Maureen Smith
Holy Thursday
Pearl, St. Jude Parish photos by Tereza Ma
Good Friday
Jackson, St. Therese Parish photos by Elsa Baughman
No Catholic Church offers Mass on Good Friday. Instead, they may have stations or veneration of the cross.
Easter Vigil
Jackson, St. Peter photos by Maureen Smith
GREENWOOD – Sixth-grader Daniel Varges (right), shares unleavened bread with Father Joachim “Kim” Studwell, OFM, during a Seder meal at St. Francis of Assisi School on Wednesday, March 28. (Photo by Cherrie Criss)
The Way of the Cross, also known as Stations of the Cross, is a powerful reflection on the passion of Christ. This year, Mississippi Catholic received photos from youth groups and schools all across the diocese who offered their communities a live reenactment of the stations. Not all the photos would fit in the printed version, so more are posted to galleries on the website: www.mississippicatholic.com.
As the Easter season progresses, please remember to send your First Communion and Confirmation photos to editor@mississippicatholic.com for inclusion in the Spring Sacraments issue.
COLUMBUS – Annunciation School eighth-grader Ren Kitko, carries the cross as Jesus during live stations of the cross for the school community. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)
NEW ALBANY – Cody Carson depicts Christ as the youth of St. Francis of Assisi Parish lead an outdoor live stations of the cross. They started the tradition in 2012, inviting anyone of any faith to join in this memorial of Christ’s passion.
This year, two-dozen parishioners participated in the event. (Photo by Claudia Murguia)
MERIDIAN – Pilate questions Jesus as St. Patrick School first graders, performed a live Stations of the Cross Wednesday, March 28, for the school. (Photo by Mary Yarger)
GREENVILLE – Live stations of the Cross are a tradition for middle-schoolers at St. Joseph School. In left photo, Jesus falls the second time. (Photo by Missi Blackstock)
PEARL – St. Jude Parish youth participated in Stations of Cross led by Father Lincoln Dall, the front row is Molly, Katie, Jack, and Charlotte Riordan. The next row back is Craig Millette and John and Mary Beth VanLandingham. (Photo by Tereza Ma)
By Kristian Beatty
Full STEM ahead! March and April have been exciting for several students across the Diocese of Jackson! Students from Greenville St. Joe, Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School, St. Richard Catholic School, and St. Anthony Catholic school attended and won awards at science fairs held in Jackson and Pearl, MS. Many students started working on their science fair projects in the Fall of 2017 and had to win at their school science fair to move on the next level. Congratulations to all the students who participated at the MAIS Overall Science Fair and the MSEF Region II Science Fair.
JACKSON – A student from Madison St. Anthony school answers questions for a judge at the MSEF Region II Science Fair on Thursday, March 22, at Jackson State University. Schools from across the diocese brought home honors from similar events around the state in March and April.
Wednesday, April 4: St. Joseph Catholic High School (Greenville) students attended the MAIS Overall Science Fair at the Muse Center in Pearl, MS.
3rd place: Mary Patton Meyer, Dorian Rice, Avery Cole, Kamiya Clark, Carsen Mansour, McKenzie Sandifer
1st place: Eli Williamson, Sarah Tonos, Mikayla Dotson
Best of Fair ($200 prize): Eli Williamson
Thursday, March 22nd: Sr.Thea Bowman Catholic School (Jackson), St. Richard Catholic School (Jackson) and St. Anthony Catholic School (Madison) students attended the MSEF Region II held at Jackson State University in Jackson, MS. The following students placed in their categories out of 482 students according to Kristy Love-Kendrick- JSU Region II Science Fair Director:
Sister Thea Bowmen Catholic School had 14 students participate and 8 of those students won awards.
Organic Chemistry
Malick Yedjou – 1st place
Botany
Synia Means – 1st place
Medicine and Health
Alexander Mason – 1st place
Inorganic Chemistry
Charis Ngong – 2nd place
Ashleigh Mason – 3rd place
Physics and Astronomy
Cobe Williams – 4th place
Computer Science and Math
Jon Burse – 5th place
Special Energy Smart Award sponsored by the MS Development Authority:
Malick Yedjou
St. Richard Catholic School had 17 students participate and 3 of those students won awards.
Behavioral science
Mary Margaret Martin-4th
Carrington Fowler-5th
Microbiology
Turner Brown-2nd
St. Anthony Catholic School had 47 students participate and 27 of those students won awards.
Class 1 Awards
Ella Eatherly- Class 1 Overall Individual Best of Fair
Animal Sciences
John Harris – 2nd Place
Susannah Harmon- 4th Place
Behavioral & Social Science
Abby Stringer-1st Place
Madelyn Rodrigue-2nd Place
Biochemistry
Josie Ricotta-5th Place
Botany
Samantha Naegele-3rd Place
Earth & Environmental
Katie Ann Venable-1st Place
Inorganic Chemistry
Ella Eatherly-1st Place
Microbiology
Miller Franklin-1st Place
Jack Kosek-2nd Place
Organic Chemistry
Emily Loyacono-3rd Place
Ellie Latour-4th Place
Class 2 Awards-
Class 2 School Award: St. Anthony Catholic School
Animal Sciences
Stella Williams-1st Place
Carolina deLange-2nd Place
Biochemistry
Maria deLange-3rd Place
Botany
Isabelle Zevallos-5th Place
Computer Science & Math
JJ Tice-2nd Place
Earth & Environmental
Jennings Kimbrell-2nd Place
Inorganic Chemistry
Iliana Blount-2nd Place
Tyler Stovall-4th Place
Medicine & Health
1st- Eliza Rowlett-2nd Place
Microbiology
Stella McCarty-1st Place
Annsley Maynor-4th Place
Kate Kosek-5th Place
Organic Chemistry
Emerson Erwin-3rd Place
Sophie Sosa-5th Place
Physics & Astronomy
Cameron Moody-1st Place
(Kristian Beatty is development director for Madison St. Anthony School.)
By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Renovations at the rectory for the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle caused quite the buzz in downtown Jackson during the second week of March. The restoration crew had to call in a beekeeper to remove a five-foot tall hive from one of the columns on the rectory porch. The operation drew news crews and concern from bank employees next door, but was completed smoothly and safely. Rectory staff and reporters even got to take home sections of honey comb.
Traci Avalon, office manager for the rectory, said she has known the bees had a hive in the column for a decade, but since they didn’t seem to bother anyone and she knows bees are endangered, she left them alone. When it came time to renovate, she included bee removal in the bid process. “I told them I did not want the bees destroyed. I know some beekeepers and I knew they can be moved,” she said.
Durable Restoration, a sister company to Durable Slate, took on the project. The company worked on the cathedral renovation several years ago and has done a lot of work in churches. Jacob Lammers, a public relations vice president for Durable Restoration, said this is not the first time the company has worked with a beekeeper to remove a hive. While beekeeper Michael Everett from Magee led the effort, Durable Slate employees donned protective bee-suits and did the heavy-lifting.
Workers drilled holes in the column and used a camera to precisely locate the hive. Then, they carefully cut the wood around the hive to remove a whole section from the column, bringing with it 10-years worth of honeycomb, honey and insects. “As bees build a nest, they continue to make it go down every year. They start at the top and as they have space they will go down. The column was about 20 inches inside and the bees have 3/8 of an inch crawl-space so they will suspend the combs and build from there,” Everett captured the queen bee and drew the workers out to her. The whole operation, started in the late afternoon, took about three hours. He guessed there was about 50 pounds of honey in this hive.
“These were Italian bees, a three-banded Italian. They were yellow with little black rings,” Everett explained. He has been a beekeeper for 13-years. He used to work in construction so he uses his knowledge of how structures are built to find creative ways to remove bees. These days he raises his own queen bees and helps with the occasional hive removal. He said as long as the bees are moved more than one mile from their original location, they will not return to their old nest. The cathedral bees will have a new home at the Mississippi State University Agricultural Experiment Station in Crystal Springs where they will pollinate local crops and continue to make honey.
Avalon said she will extract the honey from the comb she got and put it up for auction at the St. Peter Ministry Fair later this spring.
Bishop Joseph Kopacz
By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
For pilgrims who visit the Holy Land, at whatever point on the compass the pilgrimage begins, the goal and culminating experience are the arrival in Jerusalem. This is precisely the path of salvation that the Gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John describe in their narratives of the Lord Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. His public ministry unfolded in Galilee and flowed southward like the Jordan River in the direction of Jerusalem.
We followed this Gospel corridor on the recent pilgrimage sponsored by the Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulcher. At first, we settled in at the Sea of Tiberius in northern Israel, the location of Nazareth, Capernaum, Cana, the Sermon on the Mount and the Transfiguration, before turning southward toward Jerusalem. Although the region is wracked by hatred, violence and periodic outbreaks of deadly hostilities, a consistent reality is that pilgrims are always welcome. Obviously, this is the pragmatic thing to do, but this is also a sign of the abiding respect and good will that many in Israel and Palestine, Jews and Muslims alike, have for the ancient Christian Churches.
Without a doubt, for the Christians who tragically are diminishing in number across the Jerusalem Patriarchate, the mother Church of all Christianity encompassing Israel, Palestine and Jordan, the presence of the pilgrims is critical for their survival. “The pilgrimages are a form of sustenance for the survival of thousands of families.” (Leonardo Cardinal Sandri: Congregation of the Oriental Churches: Good Friday Appeal Letter) I do not know the total annual financial impact of the pilgrims who come from across the globe, but it is substantial. However, we can quantify the money that is collected each year from the Good Friday Holy Land collection.
Last year Catholics throughout the United States, including the Diocese of Jackson that raised ore than $32,000, contributed more than $20,000,000 to the mission and ministries of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. From this largesse the faithful of the Holy Land were able to renovate and restore the Churches of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
Recently, a conflict erupted when the Jewish Jerusalem Municipality, with an impending vote in the Knesset, was about to encode in law oppressive taxation upon the Christian Churches with the possibility of foreclosure and seizure of properties if assessments were not paid. The Christian traditions who oversee the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Orthodox, Armenian, Catholic, responded with the temporary closure of this holiest of sites of the Lord’s crucifixion and burial. (Their statementis posted on www.mississippicatholic.com with this column.)
This sparked an international response and the Knesset canceled the vote, at least for now. Naturally, Christians would not and should not embark on a Crusade in the classic sense, but spiritual and economic muscle do matter. The generosity, prayers and attention of many Catholics and other Christians on Good Friday and throughout the year make a difference. Why should we be concerned? “The Christian faith had the first impulse from the mother Church in Jerusalem which has a special vocation to live the faith in a multi-religious, political, social and cultural context, nothing less than keeping the memory of our Redemption alive.” (Cardinal Sandri)
Of course, it is not only a matter of preserving the ancient sites, but also of fostering the universal mission of our crucified and risen Lord through the modern day ministries of the Churches fighting to survive and thrive. Cardinal Sandri writes: “Notwithstanding the challenges and insecurities, the parishes continue their pastoral services with a preferential attention for the poor. We hope against hope, that the schools serve as a place of encounter between the Christians and the Muslims, where they prepare a future of mutual respect and collaboration, the hospitals and clinics, the hospices and meeting centers continue to welcome the suffering and those in need, refugees and displaced, persons of all ages and religions, struck by the horror of war. A great number of them schooling-age, who appeal to our generosity to resume their scholastic life and dream of a better future.” In his letter Cardinal Sandri elaborates upon the plight of many Christians throughout the region. “Our attention goes to the small Christian community in the Middle East, which continues to sustain the faith among the displaced persons from Iraq and Syria and among the refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. The Pope’s World Day of Peace was directed to the refugee crisis. ‘In a spirit of compassion let us embrace all those fleeing from war and from hunger, or forced by discrimination, persecution, poverty and environmental degradation to leave their homeland.’ Most Iraqi Christians and Syrians want to return to their own land where their houses were destroyed, with schools, hospitals and churches devastated. Let us not leave them alone.”
We know that the Lenten journey is not a solitary act, but an itinerary of solidarity by which each one of us is called to pause, and like the Good Samaritan, accompany our brethren who for many reasons find it difficult to stand up and continue their journey. This is clearly the reality in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East and we pray that the Good Friday collection will raise up our Christian sisters and brothers.
We are blessed to be able to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, once in a lifetime perhaps, but once a year during Holy Week we can make a spiritual pilgrimage through prayer and generosity to be in solidarity with many undergoing persecution and hardship. Please be generous.
JACKSON – Thursday, March 1, the relics of St. Padre Pio were on display in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. Bishop Joseph Kopacz wrote about him in this week’s column on page 3. People from across the area came to venerate the relics and participate in a special Mass in his honor that evening. They shared with Mississippi Catholic production manager Tereza Ma what the relics meant to them.
“Being in the presence of St. Padre Pio’s relics was so breathtaking. He has always meant a lot to me ever since I read about him in my religion class and learned about his stigmata. Later, my love for St. Padre Pio grew even more as I learned about his healing ministry, miracles and powers in the confessional. All which proved his great love of God,” said 13-year-old Leah Munoz, a member of Pearl St. Jude Parish. “One of my most prized possessions is a small statue of St. Padre Pio that I keep by my bed, which my grandmother bought me eight years ago. Today, I was able to take it and touch it to Padre Pio’s glove. Now my statue is a genuine third-class relic,” she added.
“I have been following him for quite some time. He is such a great saint. He did so many things. I wish I was able to go to him for confession because to be able to read souls and for him to be able to help people in that way – it would have been wonderful,” said Maureen Murphy.
Luciano Lamonarca is the founder of the St. Padre Pio Foundation. He is leading the tour across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Lamonarca is from the “heel” of Italy’s boot, where St. Pio ministered. Devotion to the saint is pervasive there.
Lamonarca himself called upon the saint for intersession after his wife suffered a series of miscarriages. They are now proud parents to a son.
“Traveling with the relics, you feel a blessing, when there are people who come from around the state or come from other states just to touch the relics for a few days while I have access to them all the time, so how blessed am I? When I travel with the relics I am not afraid. This sense of calm and protection always follows me,” he said.
By Tom Tracy
MIAMI (CNS) – The head of Catholic Relief Services told several hundred Hispanic leaders from the U.S. Southeast recently that they are a vital part of the church’s future “global voice” and missionary discipleship.
“The statement you see on signs all the time now is ‘when you see something, say something,’ and to be a missionary disciple it is ‘when you see something, do something,'” said Sean Callahan, president and CEO of CRS, the U.S. Catholic Church’s overseas relief and development agency.
“We need to be seen as the doers, and there is a great opportunity right now for the Catholic Church to come together and be more of a force for right and for justice in a country of people who want justice,” he said.
Callahan, a 28-year veteran of CRS in his second year of leadership at the Baltimore-based agency, spoke Feb. 23 to more than 340 mostly Hispanic leaders gathered from among some 30 dioceses that are part of the Southeastern Regional Encuentro comprising church’s episcopal regions V and XIV.
A delegation from the Diocese of Jackson attended, taking with them the results of parish-level and diocesan gatherings identifying the priorities of the Diocese of Jackson. One of the delegates, Danna Johnson from Pontotoc St. Christopher Parish, said faith formation remains critical.
“In the area of ‘leadership development and pastoral training,’ the strategy that was identified as a region is to increase programs of pastoral formation for Latinos in both languages (English and Spanish) or more, depending on the needs of each parish,” said Johnson. “The online theological education program in Spanish CAMINO and in English STEP from the University of Notre Dame is one of the most successful pastoral programs in the region. Dioceses from South Carolina and Lexington, Kentucky, have implemented these programs and are getting great results. I am excited that this regional strategy is connected with one of the priorities of Pastoral Plan of our Diocese of Jackson, which is ‘the life-long formation of intentional disciples,'” Johnson added.
Groups from all across region five met in Miami February 22-24 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish’s sprawling complex just west of Miami International Airport.
Since 2015, CRS has been one of four major sponsors of the encuentro, which is described as the most important and comprehensive initiative in Hispanic ministry ever undertaken by the Catholic Church in the United States. The initiative involves an estimated 1 million pastoral leaders, 175 dioceses and numerous church organizations, parishes and lay ecclesial movements.
Now that parish- and diocesan-level encuentros have taken place, regional encuentros will be going on around the country through June. What has been an overall four-year process of reflection and action will culminate with the U.S. Catholic Church’s Fifth National Encuentro, or “V Encuentro,” to be held Sept. 20-23 in Grapevine, Texas.
The U.S. church’s First National Encuentro was in 1972. For the upcoming V Encuentro, 163 dioceses and archdioceses and more than 2,500 parishes across the country are involved.
Callahan told the Florida Catholic, Miami’s archdiocesan newspaper, that the gathering in South Florida represented a significant moment of encounter for CRS and U.S. Hispanic Catholic leadership, and that CRS is interested in listening as the encuentro participants discuss and define their future role as Hispanic Catholics in America.
“This is the first encuentro we have been so involved with this intimately,” he said. “As we have seen the U.S. becoming more and more Hispanic, we thought it would be important for us to understand what people feel the direction of the church should be, and then how can we be a part of it,” he said.
“And one of the strengths (of this partnership) is bringing the voice of the American people overseas to people in difficult situations and letting people know that they are not alone and that people here care about them and share that solidity,” he said of the work of CRS. “We want to see where that part of the church comes out in this encuentro process.”
“In many cases, people are being forced out from where they are, and our job is to allow people to stay where they want to stay with safety and security for their family with the right to employment,” he said. “The Northern Triangle is one area that we really want to intervene and reduce violence and give people other opportunities,” Callahan said of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
Venezuela, he added, is a key country where there is a lot of turmoil, the inflation has gone up, the people are in a dire situation, “and so we work with Caritas International and Caritas Venezuela as a lead organization so we can provide greater assistance to the people of Venezuela,” he said.
CRS now works in some 110 countries and assists 137 million people annually, he noted, adding that large scale migration trends from Africa into Europe will continue to be a source of humanitarian challenges in the coming decades.
(Tracy writes for the Florida Catholic, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Miami.)
