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New earthquake hits Turkey and Syria, killing 6; death toll from earlier quake rises to 47,000

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By Dale Gavlak

AMMAN, Jordan (OSV News) – A new earthquake struck the border area between Turkey and Syria the night of Feb. 20, sparking fear and anxiety for people already bereft and for those helping them since the Feb. 6 temblor. Six people were reported killed in the new quake.

With a magnitude of 6.4 and centered in the southern Turkish city of Antakya, the new earthquake shook the ground two weeks after a massive quake killed more than 47,000 people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes.

Catholic aid workers were rushing badly needed humanitarian help to the victims of Turkey and Syria’s deadly earthquakes, but with this latest earthquake to strike, they expressed concern over the lasting impact of loss for those deeply traumatized.

A woman is carried out by rescuers from the site of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, Feb.7, 2023. A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked areas of Turkey and Syria early Feb. 6, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing thousands. (OSV News photo/Dilara Senkaya, Reuters)

Andrea Avveduto, a psychologist on the ground in northwest Syria and director of communications for Pro Terra Sancta, told OSV News that “everyone is so afraid.”

“It’s a very dramatic situation, especially for children,” Avveduto said of his organization’s work in Aleppo in northwest Syria. “We are sending a group of psychologists specialized in post-traumatic stress to Syria because children are experiencing much trauma.”

“Children don’t want to sleep or go to the bathroom alone and insist that their parents stay close by. They become very afraid when they hear any loud noise and they want to cling to their parents,” Avveduto told OSV News.

He told the story of a 6-year-old Ibrahim, a blind boy, who was very terrified by the impact of the first earthquake. Everything crumbled around him. Sand was in his mouth and dust filled his nose. Ibrahim also tasted blood and then, as he reported, there was silence, followed by the sound of rain.

And yet, Ibrahim “immediately ran to our center, seeking shelter, food and some comfort,” Avveduto said of the boy who managed to escape the devastation.

Besides the more than 47,000 people killed in the Feb. 6 quake, thousands more have been injured. Many say they are terrified at night, unable to sleep and fearful.

Pro Terra Sancta, based in Jerusalem, Rome and Milan, supports the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. Since the start of the war in 2011, it has aided Franciscan fathers in Syria by opening four emergency centers in Damascus, Latakia, Aleppo, Knayeh and Yacoubieh, the latter places are found in northwest Syria.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have any information from the Franciscan friars in the villages of Knayeh and Yacoubieh. The communication lines are very bad, and we’ve had great difficulty trying to contact them,” Avveduto explained. Adding to the woes of these predominantly Christian villages has been the presence of Islamist militants who are in control there.

Avveduto also expressed concern for villagers in Tulul and some other areas in the northwest facing a double disaster, as some villages have been deluged with water by the collapse of local levees due to the aftershocks.

“We know there is also a huge problem due to flooding. We think there are people under the destroyed buildings that have drowned,” Avveduto said.

“Meanwhile, we are looking for people still trapped underneath the collapsed buildings in Aleppo. Our emergency center provides food, blankets and medicines, and the needs are growing. We have more than 4,000 people daily coming for hot meals in Aleppo and … Latakia,” he said of those displaced.

Some 2,500 are sheltering in the Terra Sancta College in Aleppo. First aid kits, blankets and clothes are being distributed.

Italian Cardinal Mario Zenari, apostolic nuncio in Syria, warned that “the worst thing that could happen to Syria … is to be forgotten.”

Cardinal Zenari underscored the dire circumstances Syrians face saying that already “there are more than 13 million Syrians who have been affected by the war and require humanitarian assistance.” The cardinal shared his remarks with AVSI, an international humanitarian organization.

Cardinal Zenari has supported AVSI’s Open Hospitals, an initiative to address Syria’s health crisis by providing medical care for those living in poverty and aiding three nonprofit hospitals in Syria. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Catholic Health Association and private individuals provide financial support.

An earthquake survivor holding a child sits by a collapsed building in Hatay, Turkey, Feb. 10, 2023. The powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked areas of Turkey and Syria early Feb. 6, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing thousands. (OSV News photo/Umit Bektas, Reuters)

AVSI has treated the injured, and provided warm meals and clothing, shoes and blankets to families in shelters and camps set up after the earthquake.

These organizations along with the U.S.-based Salesian Missions have set up disaster relief funds to aid quake survivors and are requesting financial support.

“Some families took refuge in our house in Aleppo. They arrived with only the clothes they had on. Their homes are not in good condition because of the war, and they feel safer with us,” explained Father Alejandro León, superior of the Salesian Province of the Middle East, from Kafroun, near Homs and the Lebanese border.

The Salesians said in a statement that they are aiding the displaced as much as possible despite severe shortages of electricity and fuel affecting Syria. “The population is really having a difficult time,” said Salesian Father Pier Jabloyan, provincial delegate for social communication.

Internally displaced Syrians who had escaped to the rebel-held areas of northwest Syria during the 12-year conflict have criticized the slow international response to bringing rescue equipment as well as medical and other relief aid to the region. Medical facilities are reported to be close to collapse there.
Now, more than 140 trucks loaded with supplies from six United Nations agencies have crossed into northwest Syria, mainly through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey, but also through two other crossing points, which were previously closed.

Miracle rescues have taken place mainly in Turkey, where the enormous death toll has made it the worst disaster in modern Turkish history. Many people in both Syria and Turkey remain unaccounted for.

Meanwhile, several thousand Syrian refugees sheltering in Turkey have returned home to Syria’s conflict zone to check on relatives after the earthquakes. Turkish authorities are allowing them to spend up to six months in the rebel-held northwest without losing the opportunity to return to Turkey.

Aid groups say that survivors will need months of humanitarian aid, medical and psychological support to help rebuild their lives.

Emotional LA sheriff details arrest of suspect in shooting death of Bishop O’Connell; motive remains unclear

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By Pablo Kay and Tom Hoffarth
LOS ANGELES (OSV News) – A 61-year-old Hispanic man was taken into custody the morning of Feb. 20 by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies as the prime suspect in the murder of Auxiliary Bishop David G. O’Connell of Los Angeles.
LA County Sheriff Robert G. Luna announced at a news conference Monday afternoon local time at the Los Angeles County Hall of Justice in downtown LA that citizen tips led to the 8:15 a.m. arrest of Carlos Medina, the husband of a housekeeper who had worked at Bishop O’Connell’s home in Hacienda Heights, after an all-night search.

Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David G. O’Connell is pictured speaking with parishioners outside St. Frances X. Cabrini Church in Los Angeles July 19, 2015. According to local news reports, Los Angeles County sheriffs found him dead of a gunshot wound at his home Feb. 18, 2023, and his death has been ruled a homicide. An investigation was under way for a suspect and motive. A native of Ireland, he spent most of his four decades as a priest ministering in the inner city of Los Angeles. He was 69. Editors: This cutline has been updated to reflect new details about the bishop’s death. (OSV News photo/CNS file, John Rueda, The Tidings)

Bishop O’Connell, a native of Ireland who spent most of his 43 years as a priest serving in LA’s inner city, was found dead in his home on the afternoon of Feb. 18.
The next day, the LA Sheriff’s department announced that Bishop O’Connell’s death was being investigated as a homicide.
Luna established a timeline based on the work of detectives that indicated that at 7 p.m. Feb. 19 a tip was received linking Medina to the murder.
“They were concerned he was acting strange (and) irrational, and made comments about the bishop owing him money,” Luna said of the tip from the informant.
The tipster also said Medina had left his residence in Torrance and was headed for the Central California area.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna comforts Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez while he speaks during a Feb. 20, 2023, news conference after the arrest of 65-year-old Carlos Medina, the suspect in the murder of Auxiliary Bishop David G. O’Connell. Bishop O’Connell was found dead of a single gunshot wound Feb. 18 at his home in Hacienda Heights, a neighborhood east of Los Angeles. (OSV News photo/Victor Alemán, Angelus News)

After obtaining an arrest warrant, police began a search of Medina’s home. Another tip at 2 a.m. Feb. 20 indicated that Medina had returned home, and LA Sheriff’s Carson Station deputies were dispatched to the scene. Medina refused to come out of his residence when asked to surrender, Luna said.
The original search warrant was amended so Medina’s house could again be searched. A tactical team dispatched again called for Medina’s surrender, and he was then taken into custody around 8:15 a.m. without further incident.
Luna said two firearms were recovered and are being tested to see if they were used in the murder.
In an emotional press conference, Luna said “my heart grieves” for the death of Bishop O’Connell, based on all the calls of support he received in the investigation over the last 48 hours.
“This man, this bishop, made a huge difference in our community,” said Luna. “He was loved. It is very sad that we are gathered here today about this murder.”
Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, one of the speakers at the press conference, stopped several times during his remarks to collect himself. At one point, Luna put his arm around his shoulder to comfort him.
“On behalf of our entire community, I want to share thanks for your professionalism and sensitivity,” Archbishop Gomez said of the investigation. “It is a sad and painful moment for all of us. Let us keep praying for Bishop Dave and his family, just as he prayed for law enforcement officials.”
Archbishop Gomez Feb. 19 called on Catholics to pray for the late bishop and those investigating his death.
“We continue to pray for Bishop Dave, and for his family in Ireland, and we pray for law enforcement officials as they continue their investigation into this terrible crime,” he said at a Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels that morning.
Sheriff Luna confirmed a deacon who worked with Bishop O’Connell was the first to find him in his home. The deacon went to check on the bishop after he didn’t show up to a meeting that morning, then dialed 911. Bishop O’Connell was found in his bed with at least one gunshot wound. No firearm was recovered at the home, nor was there a sign of forced entry, Luna said.
After interviewing neighbors, Luna said surveillance video showed a vehicle had pulled into Bishop O’Connell’s driveway – a dark-colored compact SUV – which was later linked to the car his housekeeper had used.
Luna emphasized their investigation has not confirmed anything about a financial dispute between Medina and Bishop O’Connell, only that that information came from a witness.
“Our investigation continues … to get a better picture of what happened here,” said Luna. “The detectives will go out and validate.”
Luna added that not all information from the investigation will be revealed yet, as “keeping the integrity of the investigation is a priority,” he said. “The next step is to present all of the evidence and try to get a criminal prosecution (filed against) Medina.”
Bishop O’Connell was originally from Brooklodge, Glanmire, in County Cork, the largest county in Ireland. He studied for the priesthood at the former All Hallows College in Dublin and was ordained to serve in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1979.
Bishop O’Connell was named an auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles by Pope Francis in July 2015. Since then, he had served as episcopal vicar for the San Gabriel Pastoral Region, one of the LA archdiocese’s five regions.
During his time as auxiliary bishop in Los Angeles, evangelization, pastoral care for immigrants, and ensuring the future of his region’s Catholic schools were all top priorities for Bishop O’Connell, who believed that “parishes and schools are powerful instruments of transformation of people’s lives and of neighborhoods.”
Before being named a bishop, he was well-known for his pastoral work in south LA – where he served as pastor of four different parishes  – in the years before and after the 1992 Rodney King riots. He played a key role, along with other local faith leaders, in bringing together communities already suffering from gang violence, poverty and drugs, while working to restore trust between community members and law enforcement.

(Pablo Kay is editor of Angelus News, a publication of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Tom Hoffarth also writes for Angelus News.)

Briefs

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NATION
GROSSE POINTE FARMS, Mich. (OSV NEWS) – Tears were shed, words of consolation were shared, and memories were cherished the evening of Feb. 14 during two emotional prayer vigils to honor the memory of three Michigan State University students whose lives were cut short during a shooting on the East Lansing campus one night earlier. Two of the students, Brian Fraser and Alexandria Verner, belonged to Catholic parishes in Metro Detroit, while the third, Arielle Anderson, was a much-loved graduate of Grosse Pointe North High School. Father Jim Bilot led hundreds of mourners at St. Paul on the Lake Parish in Grosse Pointe Farms in a prayer vigil that featured a picture of Fraser, 20, a Michigan State sophomore and 2017 graduate of the parish school, surrounded by candles in the sanctuary. “We come to pray, and that is the most important and most powerful thing that we could do at this time,” Father Bilot said. Deacon Christopher Stark led a livestreamed rosary from the parish, while a candlelight vigil took place at Clawson City Park, attended by community members, teachers, students and staff from Clawson High School, where Verner graduated in 2020.

PHILADELPHIA (OSV News) – An unexploded pipe bomb found Feb. 19 near railroad tracks behind St. Dominic Catholic Church in Philadelphia was likely not meant to target the parish, pastor Father Edward T. Kearns told OSV News. “I don’t think it was in connection to us,” said Father Edward T. Kearns, pastor of St. Dominic parish in. “It was behind us, not on our property, (but) on the other side of the railroad tracks … 100 yards from my church.” The pipe bomb posed a potential threat to the Philadelphia freight line at a time when the U.S. is still grappling with the catastrophic impact of a Feb. 3 freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. At the same time, Father Kearns said he plans to meet with staff about increasing security at the church. “I don’t think (anyone) is out to get us,” Father Kearns told OSV News. “But you never know these days. There’s so much anger in the world.”

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – During Black History Month in February, Catholics are being invited to register to attend this summer’s National Black Catholic Congress, which over the years has made history of its own. The National Black Catholic Congress XIII will be held July 20-23 at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside the District of Columbia. It marks the third time the Washington area has hosted the gathering, and each of those times, key participants included noted figures in U.S. Catholic history. Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory – the archbishop of Washington who was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis in 2020, becoming the first African American cardinal in history – will give the opening keynote speech and celebrate the opening Mass. Early registration for the National Black Catholic Congress XIII ends Feb. 28 and regular registration ends July 15,. For more information, including a schedule of events, and to register, go online to nbccgathering2023.org.

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Tradition is a source of inspiration for seeking out new paths to take with Jesus and for avoiding the traps of stagnation or impromptu experimentation, Pope Francis said. “Jesus is himself the way, and therefore, both in the liturgical journey (of Lent) and in the journey of the synod, the church does nothing other than enter ever more deeply and fully into the mystery of Christ the savior,” the pope said in his message for Lent, which begins Feb. 22 for Latin-rite Catholics. Released by the Vatican Feb. 17, the text of the pope’s message focused on seeing Lenten penance and the synodal experience both as arduous journeys that lead to the wondrous experience of Christ’s divine light and splendor. “To deepen our knowledge of the Master, to fully understand and embrace the mystery of his salvation, accomplished in total self-giving inspired by love, we must allow ourselves to be taken aside by him and to detach ourselves from mediocrity and vanity,” the pope said. “We need to set out on the journey, an uphill path that, like a mountain trek, requires effort, sacrifice and concentration,” he said. “These requisites are also important for the synodal journey which, as a church, we are committed to making.” “During any strenuous mountain trek, we must keep our eyes firmly fixed on the path; yet the panorama that opens up at the end amazes us and rewards us by its grandeur,” Pope Francis wrote. The text of the pope’s message in English is online at https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/lent/documents/20230125-messaggio-quaresima.html.

WORLD
DAVID, Panama (OSV News) – Pope Francis has expressed sorrow for the victims of a bus crash in Panama, which claimed the lives of 39 migrants transiting the Central American country. In a Feb. 16 telegram to Cardinal José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuán of David, Panama – whose diocese includes the site of the crash – Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said: “The Holy Father has received with deep sadness the news of the bus accident … in which several migrants have lost their lives and others were injured.” The tragedy occurred in the early morning hours of Feb. 15 in the western Panama province of Chiriquí. Panama’s immigration director Samira Gozaine told reporters the bus had entered a camp for migrants and the driver was turning the vehicle around when it slid down an embankment. The driver was among the victims, Gozaine said. The deaths were a tragic reminder of the perils faced by migrants traveling through Central America and Mexico on their journey toward the U.S. border.

In memoriam: Father Liam Francis Pentony

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JACKSON – Rev. Liam Pentony, PE entered eternal life on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023 at Silver Stream Nursing Home in Duleek, Co. Meath, Ireland. Father Pentony was 94 years old and celebrated 67 years in priestly life.

Born on Nov. 25, 1928 in Brittas, Dunleer Co. Louth, Ireland, Father Pentony enrolled at St. Mary’s School in Knockbeg and then St. Patrick’s College in Carlow. He was ordained for the Diocese of Jackson (nee Natchez) after completing his seminary studies on June 5, 1955.

Arriving in the diocese on Oct. 5, 1955, when the Diocese of Jackson was known as the Diocese of Natchez, Father Pentony was assigned to St. Paul’s Church in Vicksburg by Bishop R.O. Gerow. In 1958, he served as an assistant in Clarksdale at St. Elizabeth parish.

Moving south, Father Pentony was assigned as pastor of St. Joseph parish in Woodville on July 1, 1964. After spending three years in Woodville, Father Pentony was then assigned as pastor of St. Peter parish in Grenada in 1967 by Bishop Joseph Brunini.

In 1969, he was assigned as pastor of St. Therese parish in Jackson for six months before his assignment at St. Joseph parish in Moss Point on July, 1, 1969, only a month and a half before Hurricane Camille struck causing immense damage to the coastal region of the state.

After three and a half years in Moss Point, Father Pentony was assigned as pastor of Immaculate Conception parish in Laurel on Jan. 15, 1973. While in Laurel, the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson was divided, with the southern counties being reorganized as the Diocese of Biloxi in March of 1977.

After serving in Laurel, in 1981 Father Pentony was assigned to Sacred Heart parish in Hattiesburg, serving until he was moved from the Diocese of Biloxi to the Diocese of Jackson in 1982.

Father Pentony was then appointed administrator for St. James parish in Tupelo on Jan. 14, 1983 and then incardinated and appointed as pastor in September of 1984 by Bishop William Houck.

From Tupelo, Father Pentony was assigned as pastor of St. Francis parish in Brookhaven for a period of nine years before retiring from the Diocese of Jackson and moving to Ireland in 2001, where he served in the parish of Darver and Dromiskin for another sixteen years.

Father Pentony was a much loved brother to Clare, Seamus, Tom, Sile and Lily. He will be sadly missed by his brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.

A wake service was held at McGeough’s Funeral Home Jocelyn Street, Dundalk (A91WX66) on Saturday, Feb. 11.

A Funeral Mass was held on Sunday, Feb. 12 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Tenure. Father Pentony is buried in Monasterboice Cemetery.

The Mass can be viewed online at https://www.churchservices.tv/monasterboice.

In memoriam: Sister Dorothy Ann Kundinger

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La CROSSE, Wis. – Sister Dorothy Ann Kundinger, Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, 81, died on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, at Hospice Ministries in Ridgeland, Mississippi, where she had been chaplain for many years. She was in her sixty-second year of religious profession. She made first profession of vows on Aug. 12, 1961.

Dorothy Agnes was born on Oct. 8, 1941 in Auburndale, Wisconsin to Joseph and Martha (Bayerl) Kundinger.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in English from Viterbo College (University) and an MS in Education from Xavier University, Cincinnati.

The first 26 years of her ministry were spent as a middle grade and junior high teacher. She taught in Wisconsin at Platteville (1962-65), Blessed Sacrament School in La Crosse (1966-70 and 1977-79) and Dodgeville (1973-77) also serving as principal.

In 1979, Sister Dorothy Ann moved to Holy Child Jesus School in Canton, Mississippi where she taught junior high for 10 years. During her time in Canton, Sister Dorothy Ann became a companion to Sister Thea Bowman, an FSPA who gained prominence as a teacher, musician and civil rights activist to the African American community. She traveled across the country with Sister Thea, until Sister Thea eventually succumbed to cancer in 1990.

After Sister Thea’s death, Sister Dorothy Ann remained in Canton as a volunteer hospice worker, ministering to people with HIV/AIDS. In 1993, she moved to Jackson, Mississippi where she served as chaplain and hospice worker, providing care for people with HIV/AIDS at Grace House.

Sister Dorothy Ann is survived by her religious community, her brother Thomas (Diana), Marshfield, Wis., her sisters Patricia Kust, Bellingham, Washington, Kathleen Kundinger, San Jose, California, Elizabeth Hocking, Washington, D.C., her sister-in-law Dolores Kundinger, Marshfield, Wisconsin and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother James.

There was a wake service for Sister Dorothy Ann on Monday, Feb. 20 at Mary of the Angels Chapel in La Crosse. A Mass of Christian Burial was held at Mary of the Angels Chapel on Tuesday, Feb. 21. Sister Dorothy Ann is buried at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, La Crosse.

Memorials may be sent to Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, 912 Market Street, La Crosse, WI 54601-4782.

Calendar of events

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PARISH, FAMILY & SCHOOL EVENTS
COLUMBUS Annunciation, Blood Drive, Sunday, March 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Bank First parking lot. Sign-ups available soon.

GREENVILLE St. Joseph, 113th annual Spaghetti Dinner on Sunday March 5, 8 a.m to 1 p.m. at St. Mary’s Parish Hall at Our Lady of the Lake Church in Lake Village, Arkansas. Cost: $15 adults/$10 children. Dinner includes noodles, red gravy, meatballs, italian salad, lemon dessert and bread. Details: limited reserved tables and individual dine-in tickets. For dine-in call (214) 533-0227 or (870) 489-2883.

HERNANDO Holy Spirit, Cocktails and Catholicism, Friday, March 10 at 7 p.m. in church gym. Join us for a presentation by Deacon Ted Schreck “Where do you find hope? Jean Valijean’s life changed in a moment.” Details: sign up at https://bit.ly/March2023CocktailsCatholicism.

JACKSON St. Richard, Men’s Prayer Breakfast with Bishop Kopacz, Monday, April 3 at 7 a.m. in Foley Hall following Mass at 6:30 a.m. Details: contact Anthony at (601) 573-8574 or eanthonythomas@gmail.com.

MADISON St. Joseph School, 17th annual Bruin Classic Golf Tournament, Monday, March 27. Register or sponsor a hole by visiting https://bit.ly/17thStJoeGolfTournament. Details: email danacaskey15@gmail.com.

St. Joseph School, Egg My Yard Fundraiser, For Madison County residents only. Order your pre-filled eggs to be hidden in your yard the night before Easter. Book your spot today. Orders due by March 24. Cost: 30 eggs $30; 50 eggs $45; 70 eggs $60. Proceeds benefit St. Joe cheer programs. Order at https://bit.ly/StJoeEggMyYard2023. Details: email sjcheer@stjoebruins.com with questions.

MADISON St. Catherine’s Village, Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group, meets fourth Wednesday of each month from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Campbell Cove building. Lunch provided. All are welcome. Details: call to RSVP (601) 856-0123 or email cynthia.armstrong@fmolhs.org.

MCCOMB St. Alphonsus, St. James Lenten Mission, Sunday, March 5 at 7 p.m. through Wednesday, march 8 at 6:30 p.m. “Behold, I Make All Things New,” presented by Jim Murphy, a Catholic missionary and evangelist. Mission schedule: March 5 at 7 p.m.; March 6, 7 and 8 at 6:30 p.m. Reconciliation held on Wednesday, March 8. Supper will be served in Liguori Hall at 5:30 prior to the Mission Monday through Wednesday.

MERIDIAN Travel with Father Augustine to Italy and France, Sept. 9-19. Trip includes stops in Rome, Tuscany, Florence, Assisi, Venice, Italy and Lourdes, France. cost is $4,999 – airfare and all included. Details: contact (855) 842-8001 or register online at proximotravel.com.

MEMPHIS 40 Days for Life, Feb. 22 – April 2. Vigil location at Memphis Center for Reproductive Health, 1203 Poplar Ave. Details: Sarah at (901) 450-5433 or sarah@memphiscoalitionforlife.org.

PHILADELPHIA Holy Rosary, Lenten Mission (for Holy Rosary, St. Therese and St. Catherine) with Father Dennis Berry, ST, March 9-11. Thursday and Friday at 6:30 p.m. with Mass and Saturday at 5 p.m. followed by potluck supper in the parish hall. Details: church office (601) 656-2880.

RIDGELAND Catholic Charities, Sleep Safe Event, Friday, March 17 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Event for expectant women, couples, fathers and caregivers on awareness of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Free giveaways and resources with guest speaker. Event at 731 S. Pear Orchard Rd, Ste. 51, Ridgeland. Details: Register at https://bit.ly/March17SleepSafeEvent or call (601) 355-8634.

SOUTHAVEN Christ the King, Forgiveness Walk, Tuesday, March 21 from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Walk is a silent meditative prayer journey reflecting on our own need for forgiveness and need to forgive. Opportunity to stop at nine different stations each with its own theme to read a short scripture passage and reflect on questions. Details: church office (662) 342-1073.

SAVE THE DATE
COLUMBUS Annunciation School, Draw Down and Art Auction, Friday, April 14 at the Trotter Convention Center from 6:30-11 p.m. Adults only (21 and up). Event includes dinner and open bar.

JACKSON 17th Annual Sister Thea Bowman School Draw Down, Saturday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the multi-purpose building. Details: school office (601) 352-5441.

MADISON St. Francis, Rock Railway VBS express, June 19-22 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. All pre-K4 through fourth graders are invited.

MERIDIAN St. Patrick School, Countdown scheduled for April 21. Grand prize $5,000. Tickets on sale soon!
DIOCESE Join us in honoring 2023 Bishop Chanche service award winners. Adult awards presentation and Mass, Saturday, March 4 at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Jackson. Youth award presentation will be during the closing Mass at DCYC in Vicksburg on Sunday, March 5.

SPECIAL LENTEN NOTICE
Abstinence: Catholics abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 22, 2023) and Good Friday; and also on Fridays during Lent; however, Bishop Joseph Kopacz has granted a dispensation from the requirement of abstaining from meat on Friday, March 17, 2023 in honor of the Feast of St. Patrick, as on this feast day various cultural dishes with meat are traditionally served. The dispensation is granted with the condition that those who take advantage of the dispensation will substitute another profound act of penance, such as prayer and alms giving to mark this day. Norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding on Catholics from age 14 onwards.

Fasting: Catholics fast (eating one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal) on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 22) and Good Friday (April 7). Catholics 18-59 years old are bound by this obligation.

Estudiantes de intercambio de Brazil en comunidad del Colegio Sagrado Corazón en Southaven

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Por Laura Grisham

 SOUTHAVEN – La comunidad del Sagrado Corazón se despidió de sus estudiantes brasileños de intercambio durante el último fin de semana de enero. Según todos los informes, su tiempo en los Estados Unidos fue demasiado corto. Las cuatro alumnas, Alice, Joana, Luisa y Maria, junto con su maestra, Mariane, son de São Luiz en Brusque, una escuela patrocinada por los Sacerdotes del Sagrado Corazón.

Los alumnos de la Escuela del Sagrado Corazón (SHS) son amigos por correspondencia de alumnos de São Luiz desde hace varios años. Como parte de la comunidad educativa de Dehonian, los estudiantes también pueden conectarse con escuelas POSH en los Estados Unidos y en otras partes del mundo a través de Zoom en varios momentos del año.

Mientras visitaban a los estudiantes de SHS, las niñas de Brasil quedaron fascinadas por todas las cosas nuevas y diferentes, pero lo que es más importante, formaron un vínculo a través de un idioma universal compartido, amor y hermandad.

Recorrer el Museo Nacional de Derechos Civiles en Memphis fue un regalo especial para los estudiantes brasileños de intercambio en la Escuela del Sagrado Corazón en Southaven. Los estudiantes brasileños pasaron el mes de enero asistiendo a clases y vinculándose con sus amigos por correspondencia estadounidenses. Se muestran en la imagen estudiando una de las muchas exhibiciones. (Fotos por Laura Grisham)

Las niñas asistían a clases regulares los días de semana con sus contrapartes del Sagrado Corazón. Aunque muchas actividades durante el día escolar aquí y en el extranjero son similares, existen algunas diferencias sutiles. “La secuencia de las clases y la vida cotidiana en la escuela son muy diferentes a las nuestras en Brasil. Por ejemplo, no almorzamos en la escuela. Las clases terminan a las 12 p.m. La mayoría de nosotros regresamos a casa y almorzamos con nuestras familias. Ha sido una gran experiencia comer en la escuela,” dijo Luisa.

Otra diferencia que las chicas encontraron curiosa fue el cambio de clases. “En el Colégio São Luiz, en Brasil, no hacemos intercambio entre habitaciones; nos quedamos todo el período en nuestro salón de clases”, explicó Alice. “¡Es muy agradable ponerse de pie y moverse entre las aulas!”

La escuela Sagrado Corazón recibió a las niñas con los brazos abiertos. La camaradería entre los estudiantes dehonianos fue instantánea. Los estudiantes estaban particularmente entusiasmados con las cruces dehonianas en los uniformes brasileños y preguntaron si esto podría incorporarse a los uniformes del Sagrado Corazón en el futuro.

Durante su estadía de un mes, el equipo de São Luiz pudo experimentar mucho de la comunidad dehoniana de Mississippi, incluida la celebración de Misa en varias de nuestras parroquias y el recorrido por muchas de nuestras instalaciones. Pudieron reunirse con estudiantes de la escuela Holy Family, recorrer la oficina principal de Sacred Heart Southern Missions, Walls Food Pantry y el vecindario de Dehon Village. Las niñas también echaron una mano en dos distribuciones móviles de alimentos y ayudaron a servir comidas en el Garden Café. “Nos encantó ser parte de la despensa móvil de alimentos y de la cena en el Garden Café”, dijo María. “Se sintió tan bien ser parte de la comunidad y ayudar a la gente. ¡Esa es una idea que vamos a proponer en casa!”

Su tiempo en el país también estuvo lleno de todo tipo de actividades especiales, como ver las luces del zoológico de Memphis, asistir a un partido de baloncesto de la escuela secundaria local e ir a Memphis para recorrer el Museo Nacional de Derechos Civiles. A las niñas también se les presentó algo muy familiar para muchos de nosotros: un Walmart Supercenter.

Una de sus primeras excursiones fue a Graceland para celebrar el cumpleaños de Elvis Presley; El Rey del Rock n Roll habría cumplido este año 88 años. Lamentablemente, durante su estancia en nuestro país, su única hija, Lisa Marie Presley, falleció inesperadamente. Si bien a los estudiantes visitantes les hubiera encantado haber ido a su funeral, una visita temprano en la mañana a la tumba de Lisa más adelante en la semana les dio la oportunidad privada de enviar una oración y despedirse.

Los estudiantes brasileños de intercambio participaron en varias Misas y actividades religiosas, incluida la Fiesta de la Epifanía, y visitaron muchos sitios históricos y de interés en Southaven y Memphis, incluida Graceland para celebrar el cumpleaños de Elvis Presley.  Luego de su visita al Museo Nacional de los Derechos Civiles en Memphis, Tennessee, detuvieron para una foto afuera del Motel Lorraine, donde fue asesinado Martín Luther King, Jr.

Durante su estadía, los invitados brasileños pudieron degustar todo tipo de cocina, con paradas en un Waffle House, un Wendy’s y el exquisito Peabody Hotel. A lo largo del mes recibieron una gran dosis de sabor local cuando varias familias de la comunidad de la escuela del Sagrado Corazón organizaron cenas, dando la bienvenida a las niñas a sus hogares.

Cuando se les preguntó acerca de su tiempo aquí en los Estados Unidos, la respuesta de cada uno de los estudiantes de intercambio fue la misma: “¡Todo ha sido genial! Estos días aquí en Southaven estarán en nuestra memoria para siempre”.

Sin duda estas jóvenes han dejado una huella imborrable en el corazón de todos aquí. Como dijo uno de nuestros padres con tanta elocuencia: “Hay momentos en nuestras vidas en los que Dios entrega regalos especiales e inesperados justo en la puerta de tu casa. Como nunca antes había experimentado programas de intercambio, no estaba seguro de cómo funcionaría dentro de nuestro sistema escolar. ¡Me encontré con tal amor incondicional y apertura! La cultura y el lenguaje universal de bondad que trajeron estos estudiantes y maestros siempre será parte de mí. Me siento honrada y agradecida de haber conocido a tan dulces amigas… ¡y sé que no estoy sola! Dios es muy bueno y este es un ejemplo de su amor perfecto trabajando a nuestro alrededor todos los días”.

(Laura Grisham es la gerente de comunicaciones de Sacred Heart Southern Missions en Walls).