VICKSBURG – More than 300 youth from across the Diocese of Jackson gathered March 20-22 for the Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference (DCYC) at the Vicksburg Convention Center, embracing the theme “Rise Up.” The weekend featured keynote presentations, small group sessions, games, Mass, Reconciliation, Adoration and a high-energy concert with Catholic hip-hop artist Joe Melendrez and DJ Code.
“This weekend is about helping our young people encounter Christ in a real and personal way and giving them the confidence to rise up and live their faith,” said Abbey Schuhmann, diocesan coordinator for the Office of Youth Ministry.
The conference concluded with Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Kopacz and the presentation of the Bishop Chanche Youth Service Awards to 12 youth from around the diocese.
Can you solve it?
Youth react during a group game at DCYC, using emoji clues to identify moments from Scripture. Can you solve the emoji clue above?Bishop Joseph Kopacz is pictured with Bishop Chanche Youth Award recipients, from left, Cheyenne Vrbicky of Holy Cross, Phildelphia; Jessie Torres of Sacred Heart, Greenville; Gabriel Theunissen of St. Joseph, Greenville; Edwin Sebastian of St. Michael, Forest; Amenia Rozzelle of St. Alphonsus, McComb; James Ross of St. Joseph, Meridian; Dori Paczak of St. Jude, Pearl; Arely Gomez of St. Patrick, Meridian; Alexander Glass of St. Francis, Madison; Kameron Fox of Holy Ghost, Jackson; Hayden Bell of St. Paul, Vicksburg; and Anna Christine Antici of St. Joseph, Gluckstadt.
COLUMBUS – Annunciation student Weston Thomas tries to catch a snowflake during a surprise snowfall in Columbus on March 16. (Photo by April Moore)NATCHEZ – Cathedral first-grade students Caroline Hall and Connor Ryan paint rainbows with a pot of gold during an art lesson with local artist Kate Lee Laird. (Photo by Brandi Boles)JACKSON – Students in Ms. Riley’s PreK3 class participate in an airport-themed lesson, claiming tickets, passing through “TSA” and boarding a classroom “flight” as part of a transportation unit. (Photo by Celeste Saucier)SOUTHAVEN – Sacred Heart PK4 student Evo smiles while planting a flower in the school garden. (Photo by Sister Margaret Sue Broker)MADISON – Noah Harris, a seventh-grader at St. Joseph School, prepares the ground for new plants. Harris and other Bruin tennis players spent part of April 4 sprucing up flower beds on campus.St. Joseph student journalists pose with awards earned at the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association spring 2026 convention at the University of Mississippi. The group won 26 awards, including high school Newscast of the Year for “Bruin News Now” and middle school Newscast of the Year for “JV Bruin News Now.” Back row (l-r): John Harris, Davis Hammond, Mary Alice Foster, Ellery Skipper and Addison Olier; fourth row: Liv Hager, Ashleigh Mason, Alex Hood, Branson Payne and Robert Ostrenga; third row: Calese White, McKenzie Cummings and Noah Sanders; second row: Jason Buckley, Reid Hager and Sawyer Helms; front row: Audrey Young and Thierry Freeman. (Photos by Terry Cassreino)CLINTON – Liam Gonzalez-Miranda and Adam Martino Jr. collect eggs with Father Lincoln Dall during the Holy Savior Easter egg hunt on March 29. (Photo by Jessica Martino)PEARL – Father César Sánchez washes the feet of parishioners during the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St. Jude on April 2. Altar server Olinsser Villafranca collects towels. (Photo by Tereza Ma)JACKSON – St. Richard School second-graders Marilee Nelson, Winn Nicholas and Leland Parkinson participate in the school’s “Living Stations,” a long-standing Holy Week tradition. (Photo by Celeste Saucier)YAZOO CITY – Children at St. Mary’s Catholic Church learn to make crosses from palms distributed at Palm Sunday Mass. (Photo by Babs McMaster)JACKSON – Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz speaks with E’Mori King, Morghan Pryor and Keelan King – students from Holy Family School in Holly Springs attending Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle.Chancellor and archivist Mary Woodward speaks to sixth-grade students from Catholic schools across the Diocese of Jackson about the history of the diocese and the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle following the Chrism Mass on March 31.Students from Annunciation Catholic School gather before attending the Chrism Mass on March 31 and greet former principal Joni House. (Photos by Tereza Ma)
JACKSON – Two students from Catholic schools in the Diocese of Jackson have been named finalists in the 71st Annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Jack Williams, of St. Joseph Catholic School in Madison, and Elizabeth Bednar of St. Aloysius/Vicksburg Catholic School received the prestigious academic honor, which recognizes high-achieving students nationwide. The National Merit Scholarship Program, established in 1955, is an annual academic competition for recognition and college undergraduate scholarships. About half of the finalists will earn National Merit Scholarships and the title of Merit Scholar.JACKSON – St. Richard School students Thomas Morisani, Max Nasif, Anthony Morisani, Jay Leblanc and Ethan Orsborn receive ashes from Father Andrew Bowden during Ash Wednesday Mass at the Father Brian Kaskie Chapel as students and families mark the beginning of Lent. Father Andrew served alongside his father, Deacon Mark Bowden. (Photo by Celeste Saucier)MERIDIAN – First-grader Myles Oswalt watches as St. Patrick School principal Rob Calcote tastes “green eggs and ham” during a classroom activity inspired by the Dr. Seuss classic. (Photo by Helen Reynolds)JACKSON – (Right) Students at Sister Thea Bowman School perform a mime dance during the school’s annual Black History program on Feb. 27. (Photo by Deacon Denzil Lobo)MADISON – Members of the St. Joseph School dance team pose at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, during the National UDA Dance Competition in January. Front row, from left, are coach Leslie Ann Harkins, Addyson Russell, a sophomore; Talia Ramos, a senior; Katie Venable, a junior; Cate Anderson, a junior; and Lilli Venable, a freshman. Back row, from left, are Gypsy Macias, a senior; Ollie Cook, a junior; Zaniah Purvis, a senior and captain; M&M Williams, a senior and captain; and Emma Williams, a freshman. The competition marked the squad’s first appearance at the national event. (Photo courtesy of school)GREENVILLE – St. Joseph students Fletcher McGaugh, left, and Julius McCullum work through a geometry problem on congruent triangles. (Photo by Nikki Thompson)NATCHEZ – Cathedral School third-graders Annie Lofton, Oli Trotter, Savanna Mitchell, James Cooper and Caroline Roberts dress as historical figures while presenting the school’s Presidents Day program Feb. 13. (Photo by Brandi Boles)MADISON – Charles Dukes, a student at St. Anthony School, completes a portrait of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA following a fourth-grade field trip to the Mass of Thanksgiving and the closing of the diocesan phase of her cause for canonization. (Photo by Kati Loyacono)COLUMBUS – Annunciation Catholic School students in the Kindergarten Krewe toss beads during a Mardi Gras-style parade. Pictured are Sydney Graham, Avynn Clapper, Kensi Beth Paine and Juliana Dimino. (Photo by Jacque Hince)SOUTHAVEN – Fourth-graders at Sacred Heart School participate in the “Sacred Heart School Medical Center,” a hands-on activity for their human body systems unit. Students rotate through stations exploring topics such as cells, bones and other body systems. (Photo by Sister Margaret Sue Broker)
FLOWOOD – Students at St. Paul Early Learning Center listen to award-winning author Cindy Allison Bell, a Madison resident with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Bell, a mother of three grown sons and grandmother to twin boys, draws on her Christian background to write about celebrating unconditional love and the people God places in our lives. (Photo by Wendi Murray)
By Joanna Puddister King GALLMAN – High school juniors and seniors from across the Diocese of Jackson gathered at Camp Wesley Pines near Hazlehurst Jan. 16–18 for the annual diocesan SEARCH Retreat. SEARCH is a Catholic youth retreat modeled after the Cursillo retreat for adults, designed specifically for high school juniors and seniors who desire to deepen their faith and relationship with Christ.
A retreat “for teens, led by teens,” SEARCH is an experience like none other, with a strong focus on vocations. It engages youth in a special way and calls them to live out their Catholic faith in a bold, real, active and healthy way.
“Much of what happens in the retreat is kept a mystery, but a few things are certain – you will have fun, you will be challenged to grow in your faith, and chances are you will make a few new friends,” said Abbey Schuhmann, coordinator of the Office of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Jackson.
The retreat team is primarily made up of a youth staff of teens who have previously attended a SEARCH retreat. Once a teen attends a SEARCH weekend, he or she has the opportunity to apply to staff future retreats, Schuhmann explained.
While the teens lead the retreat, adult leaders and clergy serve largely behind the scenes. Deacon Will Foggo assisted throughout the weekend and led adoration and benediction, helping guide the teens in prayer and worship. Seminarians Joe Pearson and Henry Haley were also present, offering witness talks and spending time with participants to share about vocational discernment and life in seminary.
The SEARCH model gives youth the opportunity to demonstrate and carry out servant leadership. The retreat would not be possible without the support of adult volunteers who have served in this ministry for many years.
“We are especially grateful to Ann and Jeff Cook for continuing to serve as volunteer adult SEARCH coordinators,” Schuhmann said. “Without their dedicated service, this ministry would not be where it is today.”
The SEARCH ministry continues to grow in the diocese, with each retreat welcoming new participants into what has become a strong and enduring SEARCH family.
MADISON – Older toddlers at the Early Learning Center at St. Francis of Assisi in Madison sit together during a classroom activity. (Photo courtesy of school)MADISON – Seniors McKenzie Cummings and Thierry Freeman, both students at St. Joseph Catholic School in Madison, anchor the award-winning, student-produced weekly newscast Bruin News Now on location in Nashville. Junior Jason Buckley mans the camera. Cummings, Freeman and Buckley were among a group of St. Joseph journalism students who attended the national high school journalism convention sponsored by the Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association Nov. 13–16. (Photo courtesy of school)MERIDIAN – Eric Yoeun, left, and Maura Lane Owen, first-grade students at St. Patrick School, practice the Mass on Nov. 11, 2025. (Photo courtesy of school)VICKSBURG – St. Al Senior Briley Lott reads with her kindergarten buddy, Rykira Bradford, during a fall buddies gathering. (Photo courtesy of school)NATCHEZ – Senior Grayson Gay and first-grade student Noah Loyed play bingo together at Cathedral School. (Photo courtesy of school)CLARKSDALE – First-grade students at St. Elizabeth School pose with members of the Clarksdale Fire Department during a Blue Mass on Sept. 11, offering prayers for first responders and all who help keep the community safe. (Photo courtesy of school)GREENVILLE – St. Joseph High School students John Paul Rogers, Jacob Powers, Santo Borganelli and Jada Hicks take notes during a music appreciation class. (Photo courtesy of school)SOUTHAVEN – Students at Sacred Heart School participate in the opening procession for the celebration of Mass, with Ben Baskin serving as cross bearer alongside altar servers Michael Lickteig, left, and Gustavo Bermudez. (Photo courtesy of school)HOLLY SPRINGS – Holy Family School students engage in hands-on coding activities as part of a classroom lesson. (Photo courtesy of school)MADISON – St. Anthony School fifth-grade students Josephine Klar and Patrick Harris conduct a chlorophyll experiment during a science class in Mrs. Moorehead’s laboratory on Sept. 11. This moment reflects school community because curiosity, collaboration and inquiry are at the heart of St. Anthony’s learning and STEM centered curriculum. (Photo courtesy of school)JACKSON – Charles Speech walks with students at Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School, including Haniel and Hanry Chia, Ja’Kayla Davis, Eliel Cattenhead and Zachary Gordon. (Photo courtesy of school)JACKSON – Students at St. Richard Catholic School present a whole-school Advent program directed by Andrew Ladd on Dec. 19. (Photo courtesy of school)COLUMBUS – James Thomas, a student at Annunciation School, looks through a microscope during an ACS STREAM Day activity. Students rotate through hands-on stations, including examining cheek cells under a microscope. (Photo courtesy of school)
NATCHEZ – A Cathedral School student pauses at the Nativity scene during a special school Mass at St. Mary Basilica on Jan. 7. (Photo by Brandi Boles)CLINTON – Holy Savior Parish children portray the Nativity during a Christmas program presented at Mass. (Photo by Janeth Mazy)COLUMBUS – Annunciation Catholic School second-grader Boone Morgan works on a watercolor project. Students later added biblical affirmations to their artwork as reminders of God’s love. (Photo by Jacque Hince)
By Gina Christian (OSV News) – Thousands of youth and young adults across the nation were assured of God’s love – and encouraged to respond to his call in their lives – during an annual gathering spanning three cities, with Pope Leo XIV delivering a special recorded message to participants.
“Be open to what the Lord has in store for you,” the pope said in a video address to those attending the SEEK 2026 conference.
This year’s conference took place Jan. 1-5 at three event locations – Columbus, Ohio; Denver; and Fort Worth, Texas – drawing an estimated 26,000 participants in total for talks and workshops on encountering Jesus Christ. The schedule included daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, the sacrament of reconciliation and fellowship.
Attendees cheer Jan. 3, 2026, at the SEEK26 conference in the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Denver. Young Catholics and attendees of all ages were invited to embrace the conference’s theme inspired by St. Pier Giorgio Frassati: “To the Heights,” This year SEEK the Jan. 1-5 conference was being held in Columbus, Ohio, and Fort Worth, Texas, in addition to Denver. (OSV News photo/courtesy FOCUS)
Among the numerous conference speakers were Father Mike Schmitz, Matt Fradd, Chris Stefanick, Sister of Life Mary Grace and Sister Josephine Garrett, a sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth.
In his Jan. 4 keynote address, Curtis Martin – founder of conference sponsor FOCUS, an international Catholic missionary outreach which serves at more than 200 college campuses in the U.S., Mexico and Europe, as well as at some 20 parishes – told attendees that God “wants to dance with” them.
Martin stressed the transformative power of God’s love, which enables those infused with it to in turn become missionary disciples, able to “go love the world.”
SEEK 2026 centered on the theme “To the Heights,” a favorite exhortation of the recently canonized St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, an avid mountaineer and patron of young adults.
Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus reflected in his homily at the SEEK 2026 opening Mass in that city Jan. 1 that the conference’s timing and its 2026 theme harmonized well.
“The mighty God descended from the starry heaven and became a child so that we might go up to heaven, ‘toward the heights,’ as Pier Giorgio Frassati might say,” Bishop Fernandes said.
In his pre-recorded video message to the SEEK attendees, which was posted along with a transcript to the Vatican website, Pope Leo also appeared to echo St. Frassati’s sentiment, urging SEEK attendees to reflect on the call of the first two disciples of Jesus as detailed in John 1:35-51.
The pope said that St. Andrew and the other disciple – initially followers of St. John the Baptist – pursued Jesus, whose first recorded words in John’s Gospel were a question posed to the two: “What do you seek?”
Jesus “directs this same question to each one of you,” said the pope, adding, “The answer is found in a person. The Lord Jesus alone brings us true peace and joy, and fulfills every one of our deepest desires.” The pope’s message deeply resonated with Jetzemany Rincon, 22, who was among the 16,000 SEEK participants in Columbus.
“When I saw the pope come on, I started crying because I realized that he has such a big Church … and he was able to center down,” Rincon, a member of the Columbus Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Star of the New Evangelization parish, told The Catholic Times, the newspaper for the Columbus Diocese.
Discerning one’s God-given vocation was a core element of SEEK 2026, with Sister Catherine Rotterman of the Felician Sisters of North America, who was on hand at the Fort Worth gathering, saying the conference enables young adults to see themselves as part of a “much bigger Church.”
“SEEK helps them dream of where God might be leading them,” Sister Catherine told North Texas Catholic, the newspaper serving the Diocese of Fort Worth.
At the Denver gathering, archdiocesan vocations director Father Jason Wallace described SEEK as an opportunity for young people to “set themselves aside and put God first” to discover what he has created them for.
“God created some people to be married, he called some people to be priests; so it’s not so much what I want to do, it’s what God created me to do,” Father Wallace told Denver Catholic, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Denver. “That was in his mind from all eternity, what he created me for.”
Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver, who celebrated the conference’s Jan. 1 opening Mass in that city, highlighted Mary as the model for developing a profound relationship with Christ, and discerning his will for one’s life.
“If we ponder that within our hearts and open our hearts to that truth of who we have become in Baptism, we will only grow in a deeper encounter and deeper intimacy with Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit, putting our confidence in them,” said Archbishop Aquila. “And pondering in our own hearts what it means to be a disciple, what it means to be a beloved son, a beloved daughter of the Father, to receive our true identity. Not an identity founded in the world, but an identity that is given, bestowed upon us by a God who loves us and wants us to be with him forever.”
Four-time SEEK attendee Angelina Roa, who teaches at St. Rita Catholic School in Fort Worth, described the conference as an ideal way to begin 2026, deepening both faith and fellowship.
“Going to SEEK starts off the year with Jesus,” she told North Texas Catholic. “It’s inspirational to be in the room with so many Catholics.”
(Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Contributing to this report were Hannah Heil of The Catholic Times/Diocese of Columbus; André Escaleira, Jr., and Jacqueline Gilvard Landry of Denver Catholic/Archdiocese of Denver; and Susan Moses of North Texas Catholic/Diocese of Fort Worth.)
MERIDIAN – Students at St. Patrick School participated in a Eucharistic procession Dec. 11, followed by adoration in St. Patrick Church. Led by Father Carlisle Beggerly, the procession began at the church and moved through the school halls, where students knelt in reverence. (Photo by Helen Reynolds)VICKSBURG – (Right)Bishop Joseph Kopacz blesses the door at St. Paul Parish on Dec. 7, assisted by Father Rusty Vincent and two altar servers. (Photo by Connie Hosemann)PEARL – Students took part in St. Jude Parish’s second Advent Mass, led by youth. Altar server Gabe Sullivan and reader Kinzie Hall served during the liturgy. (Photo by Tereza Ma)JACKSON – Sixth graders at St. Richard School organized their annual Christmas Store, the “Manhattan Mall,” giving residents of Manhattan Nursing Home a festive shopping experience. Families donated gifts so residents could shop for loved ones and leave with wrapped presents for the holidays. (Photo by Celeste Saucier)SOUTHAVEN – Sacred Heart School student Jack B. places a holly leaf on the Advent wreath as the Pre-K 4 class learns about the meaning of the Advent season on Dec. 2, 2025. (Photo by Sister Margaret Sue Broker)JACKSON – Students at St. Richard Early Learning Center listen as Joni House, executive director of Catholic education for the Diocese of Jackson, reads to them during the National Catholic Educational Association’s “Bright Lights in Catholic Education” tour on Tuesday, Dec. 9. (Photo by Tereza Ma)JACKSON – Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School students Eliel Cattenhead (PreK3) and Micaela Martinez Contreras (PreK4) share what they are learning with teacher Barbara Davis during the National Catholic Educational Association’s “Bright Lights in Catholic Education” tour, led by NCEA President Dr. Steve Cheeseman and principal Chris Payne, on Dec. 9. (Photo by Tereza Ma)MERIDIAN – Students in grades five through eight at St. Patrick School perform “The Kings of Swing” as part of their Christmas production, The Christmas Chronicles. (Photo by Helen Reynolds)PEARL – St. Jude Parish Sunday school teacher Christina Overton leads her Atrium III class in a lesson about the Mass. (Photo by Tereza Ma)
Diocesan Catholic Schools witness historic digital encounter with Pope Leo XIV
SOUTHAVEN – Students at Sacred Heart School watch a livestream of the National Catholic Youth Conference, using guided questions to follow along and discuss afterward. Younger students enthusiastically called out answers during the presentation. (Photo by Bridget Martin)
MADISON – Sixth graders at St. Anthony School watch as Pope Leo XIV engages with young people during a historic live digital encounter at NCYC. (Photo by Kati Loyacono)
COLUMBUS – After school Mass, Father Jeffrey Waldrep joined first graders Colin Baucom, Jason Hood, Harrison Barranco, Huff Morgan and Luke Thomas for a game of four square at Annunciation Catholic School. (Photo by Jacque Hince)VICKSBURG – On Nov. 6, 2025, joined by Father PJ Curley, Father Mario Solórzano and Father Rusty Vincent celebrated a Spanish Mass at St. Francis Xavier Chapel for the St. Aloysius Spanish II class. Students read, responded and participated in Spanish, with several Spanish I students also taking part. (Photo by Vivian L. Velazquez)VICKSBURG – At the Sisters of Mercy Early Learning Center’s annual Balloon Parade, teachers Alexa Eb and Marisha Davis walk with one-year-old students Millie Moody, Beau Brock, Anderson Parker and Ryland Miller. James Hyland is pictured at right with his mother, Liz Hyland. (Photo by Shannon Bell)JACKSON – During the St. Richard School Veterans Day program, veteran Bob Metzger is pictured with his grandchildren, Oliver and Hadley Metzger, who attend the school. (Photo by Gina Metzger)
SOUTHAVEN – During Sacred Heart School’s “Living Museum of Saints” on Oct. 31, a student portraying St. Thérèse of Lisieux (B.J.) shares her story with classmates dressed as Mary (Vivian) and St. Clare (Maddie). (Photo by Sister Margaret Sue Broker)JACKSON – St. Richard School invites families to join the First Friday Rosary in the Father Brian Kaskie Chapel on campus. This event serves a special opportunity for parents and families to pray together, spend time with students, and experience the faith-filled spirit that makes our school shine. Pictured: Caroline Compretta and son, Andrew Compretta. (Photo by Celeste Saucier)
JACKSON – At St. Richard Catholic School’s Halloween celebration, sixth graders led Pre-K students trick-or-treating through the halls. (Above) Teacher Sheila Foggo high-fives students as they pass her classroom. (Left) JD Poole and Drue Beal visit older students who handed out candy to the youngest trick-or-treaters. (Photos by Celeste Saucier)
