JACKSON – Parishioner of St. Paul Flowood, Monica Walton, didn’t envision her 2022 Advent Reflection booklet she made and shared with friends and family would lead to the publishing of her first book, but it did.
Earlier this year, Sunrise Press rose out of Dogwood Press, a small but traditional publishing house headed by Joe Lee, parishioner of St. Francis of Assisi Madison. Walton said even though Lee’s publishing house was focused on mystery and suspense fiction, he was Catholic and thought she would get his perspective even though she was hesitant to do so. As chance would have it, Lee was “sufficiently intrigued” with Walton’s pitch and he ended up creating Sunrise Press, a subsidiary of Dogwood Press that considers faith-based works of fiction and nonfiction for publication.
The 2023 edition of “Advent Reflections for this Day” – the very first book published by Sunrise Press – is a unique and thoughtfully crafted resource for individuals seeking a more profound connection to the Sacred Word during the busy Christmas season. Walton’s book offers a weekly focus on the Sunday Gospels, allowing readers to dive deeper into the spiritual meaning of Advent without the pressure of daily readings. One of the standout features of this book is the inclusion of “Modern-Day Parables,” original stories created by Walton that draw parallels between the Gospel passages and contemporary situations. Walton says that the parables provide fresh perspectives on the Scripture, making it even more relevant to our daily lives.
The decision to create a weekly Advent reflection, as opposed to a daily one, lies in Walton’s experience with the face-paced nature of the Advent season, often causing people to lose sight of its true significance. She explained, “Sometimes it feels like you can’t catch up if you get behind a few days. I wrote the book with myself and other busy people in mind.”
“Advent Reflections for this Day” contains four Sunday Gospels, followed by Walton’s unique contemporary parables, three thought-provoking questions to consider how the reader might respond in similar situations, and three suggestions on how to live out the Gospel’s message during that particular week. The emphasis is on personal reflection, with no right or wrong answers. As Walton puts it, “It’s about thinking, ‘how can I be the best I want to be.’”
Bishop Joseph Kopacz enjoyed Walton’s Advent reflections, sharing news of the book’s release with pastors across the diocese, saying that the book is “strongly recommended for parishes as well as individuals who look to further their walk with God, and to prepare for the coming of the Lord.”
While the book is suitable for people of any Christian denomination, it is predominantly Catholic, specifically focusing on Year B of the Catholic Liturgical Calendar. Walton plans for editions covering Year A and B if her publisher agrees. She has a wealth of her “Modern-Day Parables” to draw from for future offerings, having written over 100 of them with no shortage of inspiration.
Walton encourages readers to start the book the week of Nov. 27, as the first Sunday of Advent falls on Dec. 3. This year, the Advent season is a bit shorter, with the fourth week ending on Christmas Eve, explained Walton.
“Advent Reflections for this Day” is available for purchase at various local bookstores, including Lemuria (Jackson), Lorelei Books (Vicksburg), Book Mart and Café (Starkville), Impression Books (Flowood) and Pass Christian Books (Pass Christian and Gulfport). For those who prefer online shopping, the book can also be ordered at dogwoodpress.com at a cost of $8.95.
By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – A report summarizing discussions at the assembly of the Synod of Bishops said the church may need more welcoming pastoral approaches, especially to people who feel excluded, but also acknowledged fears of betraying traditional church teachings and practices.
Among the topics addressed in the report were clerical sexual abuse, women’s roles in the church, outreach to poor and the concept of “synodality” itself.
The assembly, with 364 voting members – 365 counting Pope Francis – met in working sessions six days a week Oct. 4-28 after a three-day retreat outside of Rome. They were scheduled to join the pope Oct. 29 for the assembly’s closing Mass.
After the voting on the synthesis concluded, the pope said he wanted to remind everyone that “the protagonist of the synod is the Holy Spirit.” He briefly thanked the synod officers and joined members of the assembly in giving thanks to God.
Pope Francis gives his blessing at the conclusion of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops’ last working session Oct. 28, 2023, in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
The assembly’s discussions set the stage for a year-long period of reflection that will culminate in the second and final synod assembly in late 2024 on the same topic. The 41-page synthesis report, voted on paragraph-by-paragraph Oct. 28, described its purpose as presenting “convergences, matters for consideration and proposals that emerged from the dialogue” on issues discussed under the headings of synodality, communion, mission and participation.
Every item in the report was approved by at least two-thirds of the members present and voting, synod officials said. They published a complete list of the votes.
Within the synod topics, members looked at the role of women in the church, including in decision making, and at the possibility of ordaining women deacons. The report asked for more “theological and pastoral research on the access of women to the diaconate,” including a review of the conclusions of commissions Pope Francis set up in 2016 and 2020.
The paragraph, one of several on the theme of women deacons, was approved 279-67, which was more than the needed two-thirds support but still garnered among the highest negative votes.
Among members of the assembly, the report said, some thought the idea of women deacons would be a break with tradition, while others insisted it would “restore the practice of the Early Church,” including at the time of the New Testament, which mentions women deacons.
“Others still, discern it as an appropriate and necessary response to the signs of the times, faithful to the Tradition, and one that would find an echo in the hearts of many who seek new energy and vitality in the church,” it said. But, the report added, some members thought that would “marry the church to the spirit of the age.”
The paragraph on how different members explained their support of or opposition to women deacons also was approved by more than two-thirds of the voting members, but it received more negative votes than any other item, passing 277 to 69.
Assembly members also discussed pastoral approaches to welcoming and including in the life of parishes people who have felt excluded, including the poor, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ Catholics and Catholics whose marriages are not recognized by the church.
The synthesis report did not use the term “LGBTQ+” or even “homosexuality” and spoke only generally of issues related to “matters of identity and sexuality.”
Jesuit Father James Martin, a synod member involved in outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics, told Catholic News Service, “From what I understand, there was too much pushback to make using the term ‘LGBTQ’ viable, even though it was contained in the ‘Instrumentum Laboris,'” or synod working document.
“This opposition came up often in the plenary sessions, along with others who argued from the other side, that is, for greater inclusion and for seeing LGBTQ people as people and not an ideology,” he said. The synthesis said that “to develop authentic ecclesial discernment in these and other areas, it is necessary to approach these questions in the light of the Word of God and church teaching, properly informed and reflected upon.”
“In order to avoid repeating vacuous formulas, we need to provide an opportunity for a dialogue involving the human and social sciences, as well as philosophical and theological reflection,” it added. The divergences in the assembly, it said, reflected opposing concerns: that “if we use doctrine harshly and with a judgmental attitude, we betray the Gospel; if we practice mercy ‘on the cheap,’ we do not convey God’s love.”
Still, it said, “in different ways, people who feel marginalized or excluded from the church because of their marriage status, identity or sexuality, also ask to be heard and accompanied. There was a deep sense of love, mercy and compassion felt in the Assembly for those who are or feel hurt or neglected by the church, who want a place to call ‘home’ where they can feel safe, be heard and respected, without fear of feeling judged.”
The report emphasized the “listening” that took place on the local, national and continental levels before the assembly and the “conversations in the Spirit” that took place during it, which involved each person speaking in his or her small group, other participants at first commenting only on what struck them, silent reflection and then discussion.
In several places throughout the report, assembly members insisted that greater efforts must be made to listen to the survivors of clerical sexual abuse and those who have endured spiritual or psychological abuse.
“Openness to listening and accompanying all, including those who have suffered abuse and hurt in the church, has made visible many who have long felt invisible,” it said. “The long journey toward reconciliation and justice, including addressing the structural conditions that abetted such abuse, remains before us, and requires concrete gestures of penitence.”
Members of the assembly said the process helped them experience the church as “God’s home and family, a church that is closer to the lives of her people, less bureaucratic and more relational.”
However, it said, the terms “synodal” and “synodality,” which “have been associated with this experience and desire,” need further clarification, including theological clarification and, perhaps, in canon law. Some participants, it said, questioned how an assembly where about 21% of participants were lay women, lay men, religious and priests could be termed a Synod of Bishops.
The report also acknowledged fears, including that “the teaching of the church will be changed, causing us to depart from the Apostolic faith of our forebears and, in doing so, betraying the expectations of those who hunger and thirst for God today.”
In response, though, assembly members said, “We are confident that synodality is an expression of the dynamic and living tradition.”
“It is clear that some people are afraid that they will be forced to change; others fear that nothing at all will change or that there will be too little courage to move at the pace of the living tradition,” the report said.
“Also,” it added, “perplexity and opposition can sometimes conceal a fear of losing power and the privileges that derive from it.”
Members of the assembly described the synodal process as being “rooted in the tradition of the church” and taking place in light of the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, particularly its emphasis on “the church as Mystery and People of God, called to holiness.”
Synodality, they said, “values the contribution all the baptized make, according to their respective vocations,” and thus “constitutes a true act of further reception of the Council.”
The report also insisted the purpose of synodality is mission.
“As disciples of Jesus, we cannot shirk the responsibility of demonstrating and transmitting the love and tenderness of God to a wounded humanity,” the report said.
Throughout the synod process, the report said, “many women expressed deep gratitude for the work of priests and bishops. They also spoke of a church that wounds. Clericalism, a chauvinist mentality and inappropriate expressions of authority continue to scar the face of the church and damage its communion.”
“A profound spiritual conversion is needed as the foundation for any effective structural change,” it said. “Sexual abuse and the abuse of power and authority continue to cry out for justice, healing and reconciliation.”
In place of her “From the Archives” column, archivist and chancellor Mary Woodward requested to run this story from Gulf Pine Catholic on the centennial celebration of St. Augustine Seminary in honor of Black Catholic History Month.
By Terry Dickson
BAY ST. LOUIS – St. Augustine Seminary, the first seminary in the U.S. to train Black men for the priesthood, celebrated its centennial Oct. 29 with a special Mass on the seminary grounds.
Originally established by the Divine Word Missionaries as the Sacred Heart Preparatory Seminary in 1920 in the Mississippi Delta city of Greenville, the seminary relocated three years later to Bay St. Louis, located on the Gulf of Mexico between New Orleans and Biloxi.
On May 23, 1934, four men – Anthony Bourges, Maurice Rousseve, Francis Wade and Vincent Smith – were ordained to the priesthood at St. Augustine. Between its inception and closure in 1968, the seminary produced numerous priests, nine of whom later became bishops, including Joseph Bowers, SVD; Harold Perry, SVD; Carlos Lewis, SVD; Raymond Caesar, SVD; Joseph Francis, SVD; Curtis Guillory, SVD; Dominic Carmon, SVD; Leonard Olivier, SVD; and Terry Steib, SVD.
Prior to celebrating the centennial Mass of St. Augustine Seminary, Bishop Emeritus Terry Steib, SVD, of Memphis enjoys a chat with (l-r) Bishop Louis Kihnemann of Biloxi, Archbishop Shelton Fabre of Louisville, and Archbishop Thomas Rodi of Mobile.
Bishop Steib, bishop-emeritus of Memphis, was principal celebrant of the Mass, which was concelebrated by 11 bishops, including Archbishops Thomas Rodi of Mobile; Gregory Aymond of New Orleans; Shelton Fabre of Louisville; Bishops Louis F. Kihneman III of Biloxi; Michael Duca of Baton Rouge; Douglas Deshotel of Lafayette; Anthony Taylor of Little Rock; and Guillory, bishop-emeritus of Beaumont.
“One hundred years ago on Sept. 16, 1923, the House Chronicle of St. Augustine Seminary described the formal opening day of the seminary as a ‘red-letter day in the annals of St. Augustine Mission House in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.’ It was the day of dedication of this new mission house and, in the history of the Catholic Church among the Colored people of America, the day of the of the opening of the portals of the first seminary for young men of their race with a vocation to the priesthood, a day that will be long remembered as an epoch-making forward step,” said Bishop Steib.
“Now, one hundred years later, today is another red-letter day because we are celebrating the centennial year of this seminary, 100 years of preparing young Black men for the priesthood right here at St. Augustine. It is indeed and has been an epoch-making time. We celebrate and we praise God for this epoch-making time. We give thanks for the St. Augustine Seminary, a building that stood majestically and tall for over 75 years, a building where high school seminarians lived and studied, where African American students were trained and formed as they discerned a call to be priests and Divine Word Missionaries, despite the odds. We celebrate proudly how many religious teachers dedicated their lives to educating and forming these young men, how many religious brothers and laity worked and ministered here on this sacred ground 25 to a 100 years ago despite the odds.”
Bishop Steib imagined that, if the minor seminary building were still standing erect and could speak, it would mention how proudly the hundreds of alumni who graduated from here moved on. “If the oak trees and the pine trees and the magnolia trees that have weathered the storms and hurricanes of past centuries and are still growing, the tress that sheltered the students over the years and are still growing could speak, they would say, ‘Look at all the hundreds who graduated from here, all who went to the novitiate and took vows and were ordained here, look at the first African-American priests to be ordained here – Father Bourges, Father Rousseve, Father Smith and Father Wade. They stood tall in the midst of segregated times. They were the men who stood tall, who served the Lord in some trying times. These are men who are role models for us.”
“How thankful are we that St. Arnold Jannsen, founder of the Divine Word Missionaries, would take to heart his own desire to proclaim the Gospel where it was not yet viable and dare to train African Americans to make it possible. How thankful are we that the (Society of the Divine Word) continues to proclaim the Gospel by calling forth vocations from all nations to serve in this Southern province.”
Father Paulus Budi Kleden, superior general of the Society of the Divine Word who traveled from Rome to take part in the centennial celebration, said although the seminary “has lost its function as a center to train African American candidates for the priesthood, its legacy remains.”
“It is a permanent call to fight against all kinds of segregation and discrimination, which, like a virus, can quickly enter a person or group without being fully aware of it and affects our way of thinking, judging and acting,” he said.
“In this sense, celebrating the 100th anniversary of St. Augustine Seminary is a privileged moment for all the members of the SVD to recommit ourselves to live and promote interculturality, which is our heritage, commitment and mission. The seminary stands for the Society’s dedication to actively participate in the efforts to eradicate the discrimination of race, religion, nationality, culture, and sexual orientation. At the same time, it calls for all of us to remain firm and consistent in this mission,” Kleden concluded.
“I think a second point to that is that seminaries be more welcoming, but also be sensitive to the different cultures of the people entering the seminary,” said Bishop Curtis Guillory. “One of the many things that we learned here at Divine Word Seminary was, first of all, acceptance of our culture and to see the beauty and the contributions of that culture. With that, we were not only able to be in the midst of other cultures but also learn from them and they from us.”
(Terrance Dickson is communications director and editor of the Gulf Pine Catholic for the Diocese of Biloxi.)
JACKSON – In 1973, Bishop Joseph Brunini called a group of community leaders together from across the diocese to form The Catholic Foundation. Fifty years later, on Tuesday, Oct. 24, the Foundation gathered for its golden anniversary celebration and annual membership meeting at the Country Club of Jackson. The event celebrated half a century of community service and included heartfelt tributes to key figures who played pivotal roles in the Catholic Foundation’s journey.
Among those acknowledged was Msgr. Thaddeus Harkins, who worked closely with Bishop Brunini in shaping the Foundation during its early years. Joe Rice, president of the Catholic Foundation, acknowledged Msgr. Harkins, stating, “Msgr. Harkins was the self-proclaimed historian of the Foundation. He understood and appreciated the mission from the outset.”
Another remarkable figure celebrated during the event was Jack Geary, the founding president of the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Jackson. Geary, who passed away in the week before the anniversary celebration, served as chairman of the investment committee and was a member of the executive committee. Rice made special mention of Geary’s significant contributions, saying, “he was a mentor to many of us. We learned so much from Jack. We learned not only a lot about the securities industry but more importantly, how it pertained to doing the Lord’s work.”
Unable to attend the event was Lewis Mallory, the last living member of the original group that created the Foundation with Bishop Brunini. Rice said that Mallory’s perspective on the growth of the Foundation is unique and inspiring; calling him one of the biggest influencers in his adult life.
“He’s just been a wonderful inspiration both professionally and spiritually; and I’m eternally greatful to know him,” said Rice.
JACKSON – Joe Rice, president of The Catholic Foundation, leads a toast in celebration of 50 years of service at the annual foundation membership meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at the Country Club of Jackson. (Photos by Joanna King)
As the anniversary event unfolded, Rice shared his vision for the Foundation’s future. Reflecting on the incredible growth and progress over the last 50 years, he stated, “I think the Foundation has evolved and, God willing, will continue to evolve in years to come. We have grown in ways that Bishop Brunni and Msgr. Harkins could never have imagined in the 1970s.”
Indeed, the Foundation’s transformation from its humble beginnings into a force for community support with over $56 million in assets and 400 trusts is a testament to the tireless efforts of its founders and over 600 dedicated members.
This forward-looking perspective underscores the Catholic Foundation’s commitment to adapt to the changing needs of the community and the evolving landscape of Catholic ministries. As the Foundation continues to serve the community and support the mission of the church, its ability to embrace change and innovate will be vital in ensuring its continued success.
Chuck Adams, who served on the executive committee of the Catholic Foundation in the early to mid-1980s and as president for over 20 years, provided a valuable insight into the Foundation’s early years and its remarkable journey.
Reflecting on his time in service, Adams shared his memories of the Foundation’s early days. He emphasized, “At first, there was no real staff. It was all about trying to come up with a vision for how a foundation would work in a mission diocese.”
In those formative years, the Catholic Foundation faced unique challenges, including limited resources and a mission-driven approach to serving the community. Adams highlighted the importance of laying the groundwork, stating, “The first 18 years laid the foundation. We didn’t have a lot of money, but it planted all the seeds that are bearing fruit today. At the end of those first 18 years, we had $2 million in assets.”
This period of growth and development set the stage for the Catholic Foundation’s remarkable journey over the last five decades. Adams expressed his sentiments about his long-lasting involvement, saying, “It’s been a pleasure to be associated with the Catholic Foundation as long as I have.”
His enduring commitment to the Foundation, along with the dedication of others like Lewis Mallory, has been instrumental in shaping the organization into what it is today – a pillar of community support benefiting numerous parishes, schools and Catholic ministries.
As the Catholic Foundation celebrates its 50th anniversary, it stands as a testament to the dedication and vision of individuals like Bishop Brunini, Msgr. Harkins and Jack Geary, who laid the foundation for the organization’s mission-driven success. The Catholic Foundation’s journey from vision to fruition is a remarkable testament to the power of perseverance, community support and a strong commitment to the values and mission of the Catholic Church.
Chancery staff members stand for recognition for their contributions to various ministries across the diocese at the Catholic Foundation’s 50th anniversary celebration and membership meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 24.
Bishop Joseph Kopacz offered his words of encouragement during the celebration. He emphasized, “It takes many people to make this work … Again, the promise of the future is there before us. … As long as we seek the Kingdom of God first, everything else will follow.” He expressed his gratitude by saying, “I’m grateful to be here for this milestone.”
Bishop Kopacz’s presence and inspirational words reaffirm the Catholic Foundation’s mission and its dedication to serving the community. As the Foundation celebrates 50 years of community service and looks ahead to the future it does so with the blessings and encouragement of the church’s leadership, including the chancery staff of the diocese, and especially, executive director of the Catholic Foundation and Stewardship and Development director of the diocese, Rebecca Harris, said Bishop Kopacz.
“The Catholic Foundation’s 50th anniversary celebration is not just a reflection on its remarkable history but also a promise of an even brighter future, built on the legacy of dedicated individuals, visionary leaders and a commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of those it serves,” said Harris.
(If you would like to learn more about the Catholic Foundation and become a member contact Rebecca Harris at rebecca.harris@jacksondiocese.org or call (601) 969-1880. Membership fees and fundraisers aid in covering administrative costs of the Catholic Foundation Office and allows 100% of the annual distributions to go directly to beneficiaries – schools, parishes and Catholic ministries.)
PHILADELPHIA – Youth gathered for a Halloween party at Holy Rosary parish. (Photos by Father Bob Goodyear)TUPELO – St. James Tupelo’s Children Choir sang their hearts out at the 9:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, Oct. 29. (Photo by Michelle Harkins)
TUPELO – A group of three photos depict community fun at St. James parish’s annual trunk or treat event. (Photos by Michelle Harkins)
PEARL – St. Jude youth enjoy pumpkin activities on Wednesday, Oct. 25. (Photo by Tereza Ma)FLOWOOD – Youth enjoy a fun-filled trunk and treat event on Saturday, Oct. 28 at St. Paul parish. (Photo by Tereza Ma)FLOWOOD – The St. Anthony Eagles sixth grade team pulled out a huge victory against Jackson Prep on Thursday, Nov. 2. (Photo by Joanna King)MADISON – The St. Joe Bruins faced-off against Presbyterian Christian School of Hattiesburg at Bill Raphael Field on Friday, Oct. 13. (Photos by Joanna Puddister King)JACKSON – Townes and Finn Crews were all smiles at the annual St. Richard Catholic School Pre-K Harvest Festival. Each year the sixth graders volunteer with the Pre-K students and throw them a fun themed festival to celebrate the return of Fall. (Photo by Chelsea Dillon)PEARL – St. Jude youth group work on rebuilding a “Jenga” block set on youth day on Saturday, Oct. 21. (Photo by Lauren Roberts)
By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D. The Feast of All Saints is the portal at the beginning of November that invites all of the living members of the church to transcend time to see the Cloud of Witnesses that surround the throne of the Lamb in Heaven. The lives of the holy ones reveal God’s ultimate plan for us in eternity, and a well-defined pathway for this life to reach the goal.
In the book of Revelation, the heavenly vision is comprised of a “vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands.” (7:9) What a great gift of hope the apostle John has given to the church for every generation until the Lord comes again.
In manifold ways the Lord Jesus molded all of the saints in their uniqueness into his image and likeness. Among this number, too great to count, are the six African American causes for canonization. They are remarkable women and men whom God called out of the darkness of slavery and unforgiving segregation into the light of sanctity and dignity. They are Mother Mary Lange, Father Augustus Tolton, Mother Henriette DeLille, Pierre Toussaint, Julia Greeley, and, of course, our own Servant of God, Sister Thea Bowman. They are outstanding witnesses of faithful discipleship for the universal church and even more so throughout November which is dedicated to Black Catholic History.
We know that the church was insnared in the evils of slavery and its aftermath, and for this we are called to repentance and the light of a new day. This month we also want to celebrate the church as a loving mother who nurtured the seeds of faith, hope and love through loving service and education within many African American settings.
St. Paul’s words to the Thessalonians is the paradigm for the church as the beating heart of Christ. “Brothers and sisters: We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children. With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well, so dearly beloved had you become to us. You recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery. Working night and day in order not to burden any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.” (1Thessalonians 2:7-9 and 13)
This was Sister Thea’s experience when the religious brothers, sisters and priests shared their lives in the manner that St. Paul describes. “I was drawn to examine and accept the Catholic faith because of the day to day lived witness of Catholic Christians who first loved me, then shared with me their story, their values, their beliefs; who first loved me, then invited me to share with them in community, prayer and mission. As a child I did not recognize evangelization at work in my life. I did recognize love, service, community, prayer and faith.”
Last weekend on Saturday at the outset of Black Catholic History month, I participated in a parade, walkabout and program in Jonestown, Mississippi in honor of the late Sister Kay Burton, SNJM, a sister of the Names of Jesus and Mary. This religious community was founded by Eulalie Durocher in 1843 in Quebec, Canada. Sister Kay had overseen the development of various Jonestown community services and programs during her thirty years of ministry. The gift is that they continue through local leadership among this generation of Christian collaborators.
On Sunday I participated in the Women’s Day Program sponsored by the Holy Ghost Ladies Auxiliary. Our diocese was fully immersed in the quest for justice and peace in the late Jim Crow years and Civil Rights era, a reality that was gratefully acknowledged during the program. All of this is to say that along with the six Black Catholic women and men on the path of canonization, there are countless other Black Catholics here in our diocese and throughout our nation who are now witnessing, serving, teaching, and evangelizing because the gift they once received continues to flourish.
The participants at the Synod that recently concluded in Rome at the end of October had representation from nearly every county in the world, or as we proclaim, from every nation and tribe, people and language. For them and for all of us may the Holy Spirit deepen our commitment to unity, participation and mission. With St. Paul and Sister Thea, may the beating heart of Christ direct our steps in this life and enflame our vision for the promise of eternal life.
There are different ways of being excluded in life.
Earlier this year, one of my older brothers died. By every indication he had lived an exemplary life, one lived mainly for others. He died much loved by everyone who knew him. His was a life lived for family, church, community, and friends.
Giving the homily at his funeral, I shared that, while he almost always brought a smile, a graciousness, and some wit to every situation, underneath he sometimes had to swallow hard to always do that. Why? Because, even though through his entire adult life he gave himself to serving others, for much of his life he didn’t have much choice in the matter. Here’s his story.
Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
He was one of the older children in our family, a large second-generation immigrant family, struggling with poverty in an isolated rural area of the Canadian prairies where educational facilities weren’t easily available at that time. So, for him, as for many of his contemporaries, both men and women, the normal expectation was that after elementary school (an eighth-grade education) you were expected to end your school days and begin to work to support your family. Indeed, when he graduated from elementary school, there was no local high school for him to go to. Making this more unfortunate, he was perhaps the brightest, most gifted mind in our family. It’s not that he didn’t want to continue his formal education. But, he had to do what most others of his age did at that time, leave school and begin working, giving your entire salary over every month to support your family. He did this with good cheer, knowing this was expected of him.
Through the years, from age sixteen when he first entered the work force until he took over the family farm in his mid-thirties, he worked for farmers, worked in construction and did everything from operating a backhoe to driving a truck. Moreover, when our parents died and he took over our farm, there were a number of years when he was still pressured to use the farm to support the family. By the time he was finally freed of this responsibility, it was too late (not radically, but existentially) for him to restart his formal education. He lived out his final years before retirement as a farmer, though as one who found his energy elsewhere, in involvement in ongoing education and lay ministries programs where he thrived emotionally and intellectually. Part of his sacrifice too was that he never married, not because he was a temperamental bachelor, but because the same things that bound him to duty also, existentially, never afforded him the opportunity to marry.
After I shared his story at his funeral, I was approached by several people who said: That’s also my brother! That’s also my sister! That was my dad! That was my mother.
Having grown up where this was true of a number of my older siblings, today, whenever I see people working in service jobs such as cooking in cafeterias, cleaning houses, mowing lawns, working in construction, doing janitorial work and other work of this kind, I am often left to wonder, are they like my brother? Did they get to choose this work or are they doing it because of circumstances? Did this person want to be a doctor, or writer, a teacher, an entrepreneur, or a CEO of some company, and end up having to take this job because of an economic or other circumstance? Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing demeaning or less-than-noble in these jobs. Indeed, working with your hands is perhaps the most honest work of all – unlike my own work within the academic community where it can be easy to be self-serving and mostly irrelevant. There’s a wonderful dignity in working with your hands, as there was for my brother. However, the importance and dignity of that work notwithstanding, the happiness of the person doing it is sometimes predicated on whether or not he or she had a choice, that is, whether or not he or she is there by choice or because factors ranging from the economic situation of their family, to their immigrant status, to lack of opportunity, have forced them there.
As I walk past these folks in my day-to-day life and work, I try to notice them and appreciate the service they are rendering for the rest of us. And sometimes I say to myself: This could be my brother. This could be my sister. This could be the brightest mind of all who was not given the opportunity to become a doctor, a writer, nurse, a teacher or a social worker.
If in the next life, as Jesus promised, there’s to be a reversal where the last shall be first, I hope these people, like my brother, who were deprived of some of the opportunities that the rest of us enjoyed, will read my heart with an empathy that surpasses my understanding of them during their lifetime.
(Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is a theologian, teacher and award-winning author. He can be contacted through his website www.ronrolheiser.com.)
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis asked Mary to look mercifully upon the human family, “which has strayed from the path of peace,” and entrusted to her protection the world’s regions and nations at war. “Queen of Peace, you suffer with us and for us, as you see so many of your children suffering from the conflicts and wars that are tearing our world apart,” the pope said during a prayer service for peace in St. Peter’s Basilica Oct. 27.
“At this dark hour this is a dark hour, mother we submerge ourselves in your luminous eyes, we entrust ourselves to your heart, sensitive to our problems,” he said, looking at an icon of Mary.
With a black-beaded rosary in hand, Pope Francis prayed with cardinals, bishops and delegates of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops, recalling Mary’s strength and initiative from several Gospel scenes the visitation, the wedding feast at Cana, Jesus’ passion and resurrection.
“Now, mother, once more take the initiative for us, in these times rent by conflicts and waste by the fire of arms,” the pope said. “Teach us to cherish and care for life each and every human life! and to repudiate the folly of war, which sows death and eliminates the future.”
Pope Francis asked Mary to “touch the hearts of those imprisoned by hatred, convert those who fuel and foment conflict.”
Pope Francis prays the rosary for peace in St. Peter’s Basilica with members of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican Oct. 27, 2023. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)
“Queen of all peoples, reconcile your children, seduced by evil, blinded by power and hate,” he said.
The pope also asked her to care for the victims of war: children, the elderly and isolated, the sick and wounded and those forced to abandon their homeland and loved ones due to conflict.
“To you we consecrate our world, especially those countries and regions at war,” the pope said without naming any particular nation or region. “To you we consecrate the church, so that in her witness to the love of Jesus before the world, she may be a sign of harmony and an instrument of peace.”
Present on the altar was icon of Mary, “Salus Populi Romani,” which has been present on the stage of the Vatican audience hall where the assembly of the synod on synodality has been held.
Among the cardinals present for the ceremony was Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, the pope’s Ukraine peace envoy and a synod delegate. Ambassadors to the Holy See from many nations also attended.
On the eve of the last working day of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Pope Francis asked Mary to “help us preserve unity in the church and to be artisans of communion in our world.”
“Make us realize once more the importance of the role we play,” he said, “strengthen our sense of responsibility for the cause of peace as men and women called to pray, worship, intercede and make reparation for the whole human race.”
After Pope Francis’ prayer for peace, the Eucharist was exposed on the basilica’s main altar and a moment for silent prayer in adoration was observed.
Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, led benediction, blessing the people gathered in the basilica by making the sign of the cross with the monstrance, praying “let us adore with living faith the holy mystery of your body and your blood.”
In early November , I spent a few hours speaking to some of the senior theology classes at St. Joseph School in Madison. I spoke with the students much more about prayer than I have in the past. Many people want to do God’s will, but they don’t know how to discover God’s will.
We can only understand what our call from God is, in an affirmative way, if we come to the Lord in silent prayer and develop a relationship with him. Pope Benedict XVI said that ‘young people, if they know how to pray, can be trusted to know what to do with God’s call.’ What a powerful statement! But it is true! Once we understand how to enter into a living dialogue with the Lord, then he can speak to us and we can speak back to Him. One of the first steps of entering into deeper prayer is understanding who we are in Christ. In other words, who we are as baptized Christians and members of the church.
Through our baptism we are given an exalted position before the Lord. We are made sons and daughters of our heavenly Father. Like any good father, the Lord wants to help guide us along our way. He wants to see us reach our full potential, and he wants to support us as we strive to reach that potential. But many people struggle to experience a true, living relationship with God. This is why it is so important that we are rooted in a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is only in Christ that we are sons and daughters of the Father, and so it is in Christ that we can form a relationship with the Holy Trinity.
Our confirmation seals us in the grace of our baptism, and is another way that God generously pours forth grace into our hearts as the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit are made manifested in our acts of virtue. With the frequent reception of communion and regular visits to reconciliation, we are well on our way to deepening our relationship with the Lord.
But personal prayer is a must if we are going to discover God’s will for us. When we enter into prayer we have to enter into silence. We live in a world full of distractions, and so to step away from those distractions is our first step in prioritizing God above all things. The Scriptures are a powerful well-spring of prayer. When we read the Word of God, we begin to realize that we are not alone. Faithful people throughout the ages have struggled with their relationship with God, and with others, and this is related again and again in the Scriptures. In our next issue I will discuss how we pray with the Scriptures. Please share this article with a young person in your life and encourage them to develop a life of personal prayer.
