Category Archives: Featured

Clarksdale project aims to build, strengthen community health

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By Maureen Smith
CLARKSDALE – A year ago Henry White started work on an idea to turn the unused field behind Immaculate Conception Parish into a community garden. Today, seven acres are plowed and planted. A half-acre section of that is a model garden where anyone can learn how to plant their own container or raised-bed garden. The parish has already hosted a farmer’s market, secured several grants and services from local farmers and the plan continues to evolve and expand. It was part of a larger project spearheaded by a group he calls the “Community Engagers” to make the community healthier and establish relationships with the neighbors. White is a member of the parish’s Faith in Action team. He credits Immaculate Conception and St. Elizabeth as the core partners in his effort.
“Torrential rains may have delayed spring planting, nevertheless, relationship building and identifying resources became priority number one. With the generosity of Immaculate Conception and Ladies Auxiliary as well as donations received from people like you, Community Engagers launched several programs and activities that truly embraced the ideology of our mission: “forging ideas into opportunity, sustaining neighborhoods and community through action and service,’” wrote White in an emailed update to supporters.
Partners in the effort include Bowing Flowers’ farm, Catholic Charities and Alcorn State University. Grants have come from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the Porch Society, the Kathryn Donahue Foundation and Positive Change in Mississippi.
The project began with the establishment of a grow-room in the former school, where toddlers planted seeds and watched them sprout. While the seeds germinated 130 graduating seniors created the model garden as part of a service project. They transferred some of the seedlings into the beds and containers and helped care for them. In May, the group distributed more than 2,000 seedlings to individuals, families and first-time gardeners. White said he could see a sense of pride and renewed interest as members of the entire neighborhood participated in the plan to live healthier lives and grow some of their own food.
“Community Engagers is not just a community garden but a means of providing a sustainable food source that promotes nutritional awareness and overall health and wellness for the community. Henry (White) has a holistic approach to health and wellness – and is integrating the values of inclusiveness, diversity and culture through engagement with community members,” said Dorothy Balser, who works for Catholic Charities in north Mississippi and helped found the Faith in Action Team.
On July 2, the parish hosted a First Harvest Family & Friends Farmer’s Market. Community Engagers purchased locally and regionally sourced eggs, fruits and vegetables to sell at cost. White said the group hopes to be able to sell crops from the seven acres when they are harvested, but he wanted to introduce the idea of a farmer’s market to the neighborhood. He has started paperwork to be able to accept EBT cards for people who receive government assistance. He also hopes to organize volunteer groups to glean fields donated by local farmers to add to his inventory and distribute to people in the area who may need food. He will rely on local social service agencies to identify families in need.
The group is even sprucing up the former Immaculate Conception school building, which sits in front of the field, by painting murals on the walls. The students who planted and transferred seeds this spring have completed one of the murals on the garden side and White has asked for help from other locals to paint more.
White has his eye on more grant opportunities and always welcomes volunteers. Those interested in getting involved can contact him at (443) 939-0575.

Jubilee blessings abound

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CLARKSDALE –Sister Anne Brooks, SNJM, celebrated 60 years as a religious sister with Mass and a reception at Immaculate Conception Parish (Photos by Christine McDaniel)

MADISON – Father Al Camp, center, offers icing from his cake to a parishioner. Father Camp celebrated 60 years as a priest with a Mass and lunch at St. Francis of Assisi Parish on Thursday, May 25. (Photo courtesy Sallie Ann Inman)

CRYSTAL SPRINGS – Father Tom Delaney smiles as he leaves St. John church from his Mass to celebrate his 60th anniversary of ordination Saturday, June 24. (Photos courtesy of Eddie Howard)

YAZOO CITY – Father Panneer Arockiam, pastor of St. Mary, gives Bishop Kopacz a shawl as Bishop emeritus Joseph Latino looks on. Father Arockiam celebrated 25 years as a priest with a Mass and lunch on Sunday, June 11. (Photo courtesy of Diane Melton)

McCOMB –Father Brian Kaskie, flanked by Deacons Aaron Williams and Nick Adam, processes out of a Mass to celebrate his 25th anniversary of ordination on Tuesday, June 5 at St. Alphonsus. (Photo courtesy Lynn Toler)

Society of St. Andrew seeks volunteer gleaners

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON  – The Society of St. Andrew, also known as part of Mississippi’s gleaning network, is looking for a few good volunteers. The group connects farmers with unsold or unpicked crops to those who need food. It’s a simple concept with a complex structure behind it. Andy Lemmon is the state coordinator for the effort. He manages three groups: farmers who are willing to let volunteers glean their fields or process unwanted raw crops; volunteer groups willing to glean or clean and package food and the groups who prepare or distribute food for those who need it.

Gleaners sometimes pick or harvest crops, but may also be called to sort and package already harvested food.

Lemmon coordinated the distribution of almost three million pounds of food last year. Much of this food is crops left behind by commercial harvesting equipment. He has coordinators in different parts of the state so he can use help almost anywhere. Lemmon organizes volunteers to go pick those crops — anything from blueberries and tomatoes to turnips and sweet potatoes. He or another coordinator meets the group at 7:45 a.m. Groups usually wrap up and are back on the road by noon. Lemmon said this time frame works to beat the Mississippi heat and it’s a manageable for many of his volunteers, but he is willing to work with groups who may want to work at other times of the evening or afternoon.
Another option is processing food. Lemmon said he received several hundred pounds of blueberries last year. The farmer’s machines picked the berries, but Lemmon had to recruit volunteers to pick out the leaves and sticks and package the berries in containers for distribution. He sometimes gets pallets of sweet potatoes that need to be placed in 10-pound bags. This work can be done at a parish almost any time of day or evening.
If a group has a food pantry or feeding operation, they can often keep some or all of the food they glean. The point, Lemmon said, is to keep the food from being wasted.
Volunteers can also donate money to pay the overhead for the organization. The Society of St. Andrew supplies bags and containers for crops and has a handful of paid staff to coordinate all the work.
The group also makes an effort to help food recipients make the most of the food they get. When the society received 2,000 pumpkins from a farmer last fall, Lemmon knew they couldn’t just hand them out.

The Society of St. Andrew accepts a variety of crops from farmers and distributes them to people in need. The group is looking for more volunteers throughout the state. (Photos courtesy of Andy Lemmon)


“Earlier in the year, we coordinated several hunger relief agencies, churches and schools ahead of time to assist in this ‘Pumpkin Palooza.’ We distributed pumpkins to these agencies and groups all over the greater Jackson area. The plan was for the groups to bake the pumpkins into ready-to-eat treats. St. Andrew’s Episcopal School gave a recipe packet and a pumpkin to each student’s family in the first week of November. The families were asked to bake the pumpkin using one or two of the recipes provided. The turnout was better than expected! We have had to make multiple trips to deliver baked goods from the school to the local Salvation Army,” said Lemmon.
“Families who are struggling with food insecurity typically don’t have the culinary expertise to cook a pumpkin into a healthy, delicious recipe. For those struggling families that do know how to cook pumpkins, they often lack the financial resources to purchase the necessary extras like nutmeg, pecans, etc. Those are expensive additions to any recipe but are commonplace in pumpkin-based baked goods,” he continued.
Lemmon said he welcomes workers who just want a project, but he adds that gleaning has a spiritual aspect. He had his own moment of revelation while harvesting turnips in April. “The most important lesson I “gleaned” happened while we are all seated, near the end of the morning, in a small circle. As I sat there, it hit me like a tidal wave. We were all finished gathering and were now sorting the turnip roots gleaned. I saw the relationships forming and witnessed the heart of Christ. We were gathered, in the name of Christ, for the purpose of preventing food waste and preventing hunger for the needy in our communities. Matthew 18:20 was ringing in my ears like church bells. ‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am with them.’ I stepped back and listened and watched as this small group of volunteers and the farmer’s family bonded over their common purpose. We were able to rescue nearly 450 pounds of turnip roots during this event. That comes out to be a little more than 1,300 servings of food for just a few hours work with a handful of volunteers. Imagine if we had more volunteers?” asked Lemmon.
Lemmon keeps a schedule of weeks when groups can glean, but also needs people who can be available to help with an unexpected donation. Any parish interested in scheduling a service project or learning more about partnering with the Society of St. Andrew can contact Lemmon at (769) 233-0887 or my email, GleanMS@EndHunger.org or check out the group’s website, www.endhunger.org.

Youth

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Summer service close to home

SOUTHAVEN – Catholic Service Initiative is an annual event for the six parishes in northern Mississippi served by the priests of the Sacred Heart: St Gregory, Holy Spirit, Good Shepherd, Christ the King, Queen of Peace and St. Joseph. This year groups of teens, including a few from the neighboring Diocese of Memphis, stayed for a week at the Sacred Heart Southern Missions’ volunteer house in Walls so they could do service work. They were able to completely redo a roof for one family and begin work on a wheel chair ramp for another. The boys served one night at the Garden Cafe in Holly Springs which offers a hot meal to the working poor and homeless of the area. One of the pastors, Father Thi Pham, SCJ, was the chef for the night..  
The parishioners and Knights of Columbus of the parishes provided skilled workmen to help at the job sites, volunteer chaperones, food each night and transportation to and from the work/play sites. “CSI helps our teens realize that charity begins at home and that you do not have to travel across the country or to a foreign land in order to help. There are people in need in our own backyards,” wrote parishioner Donna Williamson.

 

WALLS –Above, left, teens from the six parishes stack new shingles on a roof they are repairing on a house. Above, Girls from the six parishes of northern Mississippi worked to help unload trailers of donations for those in need.  (Photos by Donna Williamson )

Colorful Vacation Bible School

GLUCKSTADT –The theme for St. Joseph Parish’s Vacation Bible School this year was Summertime Blast. Students learned about St. Teresa, St. Paul and Mary, Mother of the Church, while focusing on the Eucharist, the commandment to love one snother and the rosary. As part of the closing day organizers prayed a living rosary with the children. (Photos by Karen Worrell)

  

PHILADELPHIA –  Vacation Bible School for Holy Cross Parish ended in a mess for pastor Augustine Palimattam and his youth group as they made “human ice cream sundaes.” (Photo by Brett Moran)

Youth

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Vacation Bible school wraps up in Vicksburg

Vicksburg St. Michael

Vicksburg St. Michael

Vicksburg St. Michael

Vicksburg St. Michael

Vicksburg St. Michael

Vicksburg St. Michael

St. Richard Vacation Bible school: mighty fortress

Vacation Bible school

Madison Youth group gets drenched in summer fun

MADISON – John Paul Moorman and David Ames Richards, members of the St. Francis of Assisi Youth group, enjoyed Water Game Night on Wednesday, June 7, at the parish. The students were divided into green and blue teams and challenged to move water from one place to another in some unique ways. (Photo by Lindsey Binion)

Nicholas Hebert and Margaret Colson pass water from cup to cup to help their team win on Water Game Night at WOW! youth night at St. Francis. (Photo by Mary Catherine George)members of the St. Francis of Assisi Youth group, enjoyed Water Game Night on Wednesday, June 7, at the parish. The students were divided into green and blue teams and challenged to move water from one place to another in some unique ways. (Photo by Lindsey Binion)

Eagle Scout completes garden

FLOWOOD – St. Joseph Catholic High School graduate and Eagle Scout, Will Foggo, helps children at the St. Paul Early Learning Center place and fill a bird bath in the garden on school grounds. Foggo designed and built the garden for his Eagle Scout Project. (Photos by Jennifer Henry)

Will Foggo at St. Paul Flowood

Vatican releases survey prior to synod

By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – To involve young people in preparations for the Synod of Bishops on youth in 2018, the Vatican has released an online questionnaire to better understand the lives, attitudes and concerns of 16- to 29-year-olds around the world.
The questionnaire – available in English, Spanish, French and Italian – can be found on the synod’s official site: youth.synod2018.va/content/synod2018/it.html and is open to any young person, regardless of faith or religious belief.
The general secretariat of the synod launched the website June 14 to share information about the October 2018 synod on “Young people, faith and vocational discernment” and to link to an online, anonymous survey asking young people about their lives and expectations.
The answers to the questionnaire, along with contributions from bishops, bishops’ conferences and other church bodies, “will provide the basis for the drafting of the ‘instrumentum laboris,'” or working document for the assembly, synod officials said in January.
Young people from all backgrounds are encouraged to take part in the questionnaire because every young person has “the right to be accompanied without exclusion,” synod officials had said.
The list of 53 mostly multiple-choice questions is divided into seven sections: general personal information; attitudes and opinions about oneself and the world; influences and relationships; life choices; religion, faith and the church; internet use; and two final, open-ended questions. The write-in questions are an invitation to describe a positive example of how the Catholic Church can “accompany young people in their choices, which give value and fulfillment in life” and to say something about oneself that hasn’t been asked in the questionnaire.
Other questions ask about living arrangements; self-image; best age to leave home and have a family; opinions about education and work; measures of success; sources of positive influence; level of confidence in public and private institutions; and political or social activism.
The section on faith looks at the importance of religion in one’s life and asks, “Who Jesus is for you?” That question provides 16 choices to choose from, including “the savior,” “an adversary to be fought,” “an invention” and “someone who loves me.” It also asks which topics – promoting peace, defending human life, evangelization, defending truth, the environment – are the most urgent for the church to address.
The Vatican’s preparation for a synod generally includes developing a questionnaire and soliciting input from bishops’ conferences, dioceses and religious orders. This is the first time the Vatican’s synod organizing body put a questionnaire online and sought direct input from the public.

Pastoral Ministries workshop welcomes new class, graduates four

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By Fran Lavelle
LOUISVILLE – Another great week was had Lake Tiak O’Khata for the Pastoral Ministries Workshop. The workshop sessions, Mass, retreat opportunities and social time all provided a relaxed learning environment for catechists, parish leaders and those seeking to deepen their faith. This annual offering is part of the certification program for catechists offered by the Office of Faith Formation. Participants take classes together in a certain sequence in order to learn and form relationships and to support one another in their ministries.
A huge thanks to Bishop Joseph Kopacz, Father Kevin Slattery and Father John Bohn for celebrating Mass for us during the week. Many participants stated that being able to have Mass every day really added to the overall effectiveness of the week. This year included fifteen Year I participants, a big jump from years past. Their cohort certainly started strong and no doubt will finish strong.
We congratulate Rhonda Bowden of Pearl St. Jude Parish. Amy Brooks of Jackson St. Peter Parish, Dave Monts of Starkville St. Joseph Parish and Patti Greene of Canton Sacred Heart and Gluckstadt Parishes for completing the Pastoral Ministries program. Next year’s workshop is set for June 3-7, 2018. (Fran Lavelle is the Director of Faith Formation for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Creating culture of compliance, transparency, trust

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By Bishop Joseph Kopacz
In this week’s column I am highlighting our diocesan office for the Protection of Children to mark the 15th anniversary of the Catholic bishops’ Dallas Charter, also known as the Promise to Protect and the Pledge to Heal, promulgated in the midst of the sexual abuse crisis in 2002. This is in sync with the report to the Catholic bishops by the head of the National Review Board at our just finished conference in Indianapolis.
A summary of this report is included in this publication (see page 1) as well as the homily of Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta during the bishop’s Mass of Prayer and Penance at the Conference (see page 16). The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) wrote and promulgated the Charter in 2002 in order to hold accountable all Catholic dioceses, eparchies and religious orders serving in the United States with respect to their commitment to protect children and young people. Most recently, I was appointed to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ standing committee for the protection of children and young people and it is a privilege to serve this cause. During the last 15 years, the Diocese of Jackson has worked earnestly to create a culture of compliance and transparency to protect our children and young people as well as to provide the opportunity to heal for those who suffer from sexual abuse. Furthermore, all credible allegations are reported to law enforcement, whether or not the statutes of limitation have run.
What are we up against? By its very nature the demon of child sexual abuse feeds on secrecy, manipulation and lies and its deeds must be brought out of darkness into the light of truth, healing and hope. Wherever and whenever it occurs the abuse of minors is a crime and maintaining a steady state of vigilance on behalf of our children and young people is our diocesan standard. Those who have the urge to abuse minors are driven by their baser instincts and safe environments undoubtedly keep the wolf at bay. We can never become complacent. You might ask, what precisely is the Diocese of Jackson doing on a regular basis to cultivate a culture for safe environments?
The diocesan office for the protection of children, directed by Vicki Carollo, and under the auspice of our vicar general, Father Kevin Slattery, is accountable for achieving the goals of the Charter by participating in an annual audit performed by Stonebridge Business Partners. Stonebridge is contracted through the USCCB. The Diocese of Jackson has been found compliant with all articles of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People each year since 2003.
Each employee and volunteer working with children and young people receives a booklet containing the policy of the diocese with various components on the prevention of child abuse and procedures to be followed when reports of child abuse or sexual misconduct by church personnel are received.
Since October, 2002, the Diocese of Jackson has initiated criminal background screenings and safe environment training sessions for 14,647 adults. There are currently 4,934 active employees and volunteers working with children and young people in the diocese.
A criminal background screening is conducted prior to and during an applicant’s service. A criminal background rescreening is initiated every three years. All clergy, religious, employees and volunteers working with children and young people must complete the screening process and the Diocese of Jackson application. Applicants sign a form acknowledging they have read and understand the policy prior to beginning a ministry.
The Diocese of Jackson has designated that all new employees and volunteers working with children and young people participate in an initial safe environment training session facilitated by a diocesan trainer. Each new applicant is required to sign an attendance record of the training attended.
Beginning in September, the Diocese will implement VIRTUS’ Protecting God’s Children Awareness Program for new employees and volunteers. The program educates adults on how to better protect children from abuse. There are three training-the-trainer sessions scheduled in September.
All active employees and volunteers working with children and young people participate in VIRTUS’ web-based program. This online program consists of a monthly safe environment bulletin. The adult reads the bulletin, answers a multiple-choice question and submits the answer to VIRTUS. The bulletins provide invaluable knowledge and ongoing formation for the prevention of child abuse.
Children and young people in the parishes and schools are required to receive an annual age-appropriate safe environment lesson. The lesson is designed to help children keep themselves safe by providing the important skills they need to protect themselves from abuse. The lesson additionally provides dialogue between children and adults about keeping safe.
Each parish and school presents a parent information meeting annually. Parents have an opportunity to opt their children out from the safe environment lesson. Of course, we hope parents who decide to opt out will review the lesson material with their children on their own.
The Diocese of Jackson is committed to ensuring that no one being served by the church be at risk of sexual abuse or exploitation by clergy, religious or lay church personnel. The parishes and schools work very hard to stay in compliance with the Protection of Children program.
Recently, the Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection included our Protection of Children Electronic Communications Policy in the new “resource toolbox.” This is certainly an accolade for our program. The resources are shared with all Catholic dioceses in the United States.
Like a finely-tuned engine the above course of action has many moving parts and is only as strong as its weakest link or non-implemented step. Complacency and/or shortcuts can put a child or young person in harm’s way and this is a violation of trust. Striving for excellence with safe environments in all church related gatherings is our goal in the Diocese of Jackson.
To achieve this high standard, it takes the full and active participation of many throughout the diocese. Thank you to all who serve on behalf of our children and young people. These are God’s children, members of the Body of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit. May they thrive as members of our church.

Youth

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Annunciation students end year with song

COLUMBUS – Annunciation students won first place in the Blue Cross Blue Shield - Ready to Run Fun Run on April 22nd for having the most students participate in the Golden Triangle. On May 16th the organization presented $2000 to be spent on P.E. equipment. (Photos by Katie Fenstermacher)

 

Mother/daughter tea

By Carolyn Howard
GLUCKSTADT – The Ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus at  St. Joseph Parish hosted their first Afternoon Tea on Saturday, May 6, in the church hall.
Ladies of the parish, and many others, purchased tickets in advance and attended the formal tea party wearing pearls and fancy hats. The “little” ladies in attendance were particularly excited to be included in such a grand affair.
The ladies were treated to a menu offering savory tea sandwiches, a fresh array of baked items (including warm-from-the-oven buttermilk scones), and delectable sweet delights from the dessert course.
Proceeds from ticket sales, as well as donations made during the event, helped to raise more than $1,200 for Catholic Charities Adoptive Services including Therapeutic Foster Care and Brian’s Fund.
With the success of this day, the Ladies Auxiliary is already planning next year’s tea. 

Participants listen as a representative from Catholic Charities speaks about adoption and theraputic foster care. Those who attended could offer an addtional donation or gift to the program. (Photos courtesy of Carolyn Howard)

GLUCKSTADT – Servers present desserts at St. Joseph’s first Afternoon Tea fund-raiser for Catholic Charities.The event allowed ladies to dress up and enjoy an afternoon together.

Crown for Mary

GREENVILLE – Susannah Swindle crowns Mary at St. Joseph Parish on Sunday, May 7, during Mass. (Photo by Rayetta Serio)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GRADUATION 2017

MADISON – St. Joseph High School students Alex Bellan, Nick Louvier, Jason Price, Steadman Strickland, Holt stocket, Taylor Lyle, Nathan Landcaster, Chad Doiron, JoJo GrayLewis and Graham Hlavac put a twist on prom this year by wearing patterned suits to the dance. Photos posted to social media garnered nationwide attention and the young men were then featured on local broadcase outlets. “We all wanted to do something different for our last high school prom. The girls thought it would be a fun thing to do too. We all had a great time with our dates and enjoyed standing out with our crazy suits,” said Louviner. (Photos by Tammy Louvier)

MERIDIAN – on May 7th, the Catholic Community of Meridian honored graduating high school seniors at the 11 a.m. Mass at St. Patrick Church. The graduates were each given a gift and then introduced themselves to the congregation Pictured (left-to-right) are Kelly Bator (Meridian High), Virginia Pressly (MS School of Math/Science, Columbus), Madeleine Hodge (Lamar), Clancy Duggan (Lamar), Manny Routt (Meridian Home School), James Snowden (Lamar), Branson Acton (Lamar).
(Photo by John Harwell)

OXFORD – St. John the Evangelist Parish hosted a Baccalaureate Mass for high school graduates on Wednesday, May 24. Pictured left to right: Kolbe Leary; Carson Stinnet ; Ben Bianco; Zack Smith; Suzanna Cassisa. (Photo by Gene Buglewicz)

 

 

 

 

 

PEARL –St. Jude Parish high school graduates Baylee Walter, Austin Murillo and Shelby Chapman make 2017 with pastor Father Jeffrey Waldrep after the Mass honoring them. Honored, but not pictured are Timothy Tran, and Alek Demarest (Photo by Rhonda Bowden)

Young Catholic picnic

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OXFORD – Father Joe Tonos, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish, and Campbell Helveston, a member of the Young Catholics, chat at the Young Catholics annual picnic held on the church grounds Sunday, May. The gathering is the culmination of the Young Catholic’s program for the 2016/2017 school year. Young Catholics, with approximately 40 members, meet throughout the school year to study various aspects of the teachings of the Catholic Church, including discussions of current events, morality, faith formation and Bible study. (Photo, Jimmy Carr)

Restorers unveil frescoed chambers in the Catacombs of St. Domitilla

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By Carol Glatz
ROME (CNS) – Under a mown hayfield, whose dried-out stalks crunch underfoot, lies the four-level labyrinth of the early Christian Catacombs of St. Domitilla.
Ten miles of tunnels, carved out of soft volcanic tuff rock, snake and fork out in a dizzying number of different directions. Luckily, capsule bulbs of lights strung sparsely overhead work like Hansel and Gretel’s trail of breadcrumbs leading to the sought-after destination: two newly restored burial chambers not yet open to the public.
The sprawling catacomb complex has about 70 burial chambers, or cubicula, but only 10 have been restored, said Barbara Mazzei, who oversaw the restoration of the chambers’ frescoes.
She led a group of reporters to see the finished results May 30. They were unveiled by the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, which oversees the upkeep and preservation of more than 100 early Christian catacombs scattered all over Italy.
The Catacombs of St. Domitilla are believed to be the world’s oldest existing Christian cemetery and are among the largest in Italy with a total of some 150,000 burial spots.
The majority are small niches carved into the tunnel walls for poorer Christians; the niches were sealed with a slab of marble or walled up with brick. The round and sumptuously decorated cubicula rooms were built by wealthier families and trade cooperatives, whose members pooled their money for a more dignified resting place.
The newest restoration work was done on the chambers for the city’s bakers, who ran a lucrative state-supported industry of ferrying grain into Rome and making and distributing bread, which was considered something every Roman had a right to with a daily ration.
Bernardino Bartocci, president of the modern city’s association of bread makers, told Catholic News Service he attended the unveiling as a sign of how bakers continue to be and “have always been united as a group, like a big family.”
The importance and spiritual significance of bread is evident throughout Christian beliefs, he said, and the early Christian bakers proudly displayed the glories of their craft on the ceiling’s frescoes.
Pagan symbolism, such as depictions of the four seasons or a peacock representing the afterlife, together with biblical scenes are integrated without contradiction, Mazzei said.
The unifying motif is salvation and the deliverance from death as is underlined by the varied depictions of Noah in his ark welcoming back the dove, Abraham’s aborted sacrifice of Isaac, Jonah and the whale, and the multiplication of the fishes and loaves, she said.
Restorers used lasers to send pulses of precise frequencies to selectively remove specific substances –soot, algae and calcium carbonate – without damaging the color pigments and underlying surfaces, she said.
Despite the seven years of meticulous work to reveal the frescoes’ original splendor, restorers intentionally left the graffiti and autographs penned by visitors from the 1600s and 1700s.
The most prolific selfie-signature seen throughout the complex was “Bosio,” left by Antonio Bosio, a Maltese-born lawyer and scholar who discovered this and many more abandoned catacombs in Rome.
His intense exploratory spirit and stunning discoveries earned him the name, “the Christopher Columbus of the catacombs,” Mazzei said.
He also struck a new path for modern archaeology in which the focus switched from discovering pieces for collectors to understanding what those objects could have meant and disclosed about the past.
He also inadvertently revealed an abundant source of bones to feed the “martyr-mania” raging at the time, she said. He mistakenly believed the dead were all early Christian martyrs, when instead, they were simply devoted faithful who sought to be buried close to the site’s original two martyrs: Sts. Nereus and Achilleus.
While the bakers’ cubicula were to remain closed to the public, a small museum by the catacombs’ main entrance was to open in June to showcase marble busts, ornately sculpted sarcophagi and simple slabs marking the daily lives and legacies of some of the church’s early Christians.