Blue Masses honor First Responders

PEARL – St. Jude Parish offered a Blue Mass on Thursday, September 27. The parish hosted a reception after the Mass. Blue Masses are a Catholic tradition to pray for first responders. (Photos by Rhonda Bowden)

MERIDIAN – St. Patrick School held its annual Blue Mass Thursday, Sept. 27. Many first responders including policemen and EMTs in the Meridian and Lauderdale County area attended. A reception was held after the service in the Family Life Center. (Photo by Celeste Saucier)

 

St. Patrick students offer peace

MERIDIAN – St. Patrick School students sing a song during their Pinwheels for Peace program on Friday, Sept. 21, which is the International Day of Peace. Fourth, fifth and sixth grade students gave speeches on what peace means to them and students made pinwheels for peace which they displayed outside the school.  (Photo by Celeste Saucier)

Preparation for confirmation

MADISON – The current confirmation class at St. Francis of Assisi parish participated in the signing of the cenus during the entrance ritual for Mass on Sunday, Sept. 30. This is part of the formation process before confirmation. Pictured (l-r) Chase Crawford, Julie Clayton, Emily George, Leigh Ann Peroni, Anna Roberson, Zenowia Wendel, Taylor Smith and Michelle Glorioso. (Photos by Melissa Smalley)

 

 

Parish Fair traditions hold steady at St. Elizabeth

CLARKSDALE – The St. Elizabeth Parish Fair celebrated 71 years of fun, school and parish commitment and community-wide participation Tuesday, Sept. 18.
A program from the third fair in 1940 indicates that Father Geoffrey O’Connell first proposed the event. Early fairs included a raffle for a bale of cotton, a barbecue night and the signature meatball and spaghetti supper as well as “nickleodian dances, competitive games and a cake and candy sale,” reads the program.
Currently the fair has one overall chairperson with many chairmen in charge of numerous game booths, horse rides, a silent auction, and the famous delicious “Delta Italian” spaghetti dinner – topped, of course, with yummy meatballs made by the ladies of the parish.
These days, cash has replaced cotton in the raffle. Ticket-holders vied for a $10,000 pot and numerous other prizes.
The Fair’s “coming together” takes months of planning and organizing, ordering booth prizes, cooking and praying for good weather.

CLARKSDALE –Maci and Ellie Kate Flaut enjoy an evening horse ride during the St. Elizabeth Parish Fair Tuesday, Sept. 18. The evening of fun, food and games raises money for the school and parish. (Photos courtesy of Dawn Spinks.)

Will Young decides what to do next at the fair as students play carnival games for big prizes. Stuffed animals are some of the favorites.

 

St. Joseph stages ‘Curious Savage’

MADISON – St. Joseph School students will present their fall production, “The Curious Savage,’ the first weekend in November. The play, set in a sanatorium, tells the story of wealthy widow Ethel Savage and her greedy relatives, who hope to prove she’s insane to get their hands on her fortune. The action draws in the current residents of the sanitorium and leaves the audience wondering who really has lost their mind.
Students not only perform in the show, but work on the backstage crew, in the lightbooth and do publicity. The poster for the show was designed by St. Joseph junior Aislinn Boggan. The show opens Friday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. with a second show Saturday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. and a closing matinee show Sunday, Nov. 4, at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased from https://www.stjoebruins.com/.

Rehearse, St. Joseph fall production, ‘The Curious Savage.’ (Photo courtesy of Joy Dodson)

Blue Mass at St. Richard honors first respondents

JACKSON – On Wednesday, Sept. 12, St. Richard School participated in a 70-year old Catholic tradition by blessing and praying for first responders at a “Blue Mass.” Above, local officers, deputies, paramedics and firefighters receive their blessing. At right, fourth-grader Aiden Wheatley reads scriptures at Mass. After Mass, the Knights of Columbus provided a breakfast for the guests.(Photos by Wendi Shearer)