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The rest of ordinary time

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On Ordinary Times
By Lucia A. Silecchia

Whenever someone asks how I am, one of my most frequent replies is “Good, but busy.” That is rarely more true than it is in September’s back-to-school season.

For those whose lives ebb and flow with the school year, as does mine, autumn bursts into our lives with a rapid increase in the events, activities, gatherings and obligations that will again fill our days.

For those whose days are not directly driven by school life, there is still something about the fall that brings a rapid new rhythm to life as parish activities, clubs, sports teams and community events get underway after a hiatus. Indeed, after the past two years, this return to community life seems to have an extra urgency about it.

Lucia A. Silecchia

The rapidly filling pages of my calendar are welcome to me since I like the busy-ness of life. Yet, there is also much to be said for the wisdom of rest.

The commandment to “keep holy the Sabbath,” and the Biblical traditions of sabbaticals and jubilees are reminders that time is sacred. In a particular way, they are a reminder that there are certain times that deserve to be safeguarded from the demands of our daily lives.

The Catholic Church proclaims the dignity of the work, the value of labor and the importance of treating workers with respect and concern for their well-being and that of their families. A critical demand of church leaders through the decades has been ensuring that workers are free on the Sabbath to worship God and to be with their loved ones. As St. John Paul II wrote in Laborem Exercens, his encyclical on human work, workers have a “right to rest” that “involves a regular weekly rest comprising at least Sunday.” This Sunday rest from work would allow the worker to meet obligations to God on a day of worship.

He went on to say that “man’s work too not only requires a rest every seventh day, but also cannot consist in the mere exercise of human strength in external action; it must leave room for man to prepare himself, by becoming more and more what in the will of God he ought to be, for the rest that the Lord reserves for his servants and friends.“

These words are worth considering as life fills up again. As demands on our time increase, it is tempting – and can often even feel necessary – to treat Sunday just like any other day. This would let us catch up in a fast-paced world and not fall behind in what seems to be a constant seven-day whirlwind of shopping, working, answering emails and doing the work that just did not get done in the six workdays of the week.
School sports and similar activities – good as they may be in their own right – split families apart on Sundays as they race in different directions. Sunday can all too easily become merely the start of the new work week.

Yet maybe the start of the new season of busyness is a time to resolve to keep Sundays holy, to keep them sacred, and to appreciate the wisdom of a God who rested on the seventh day.

In a paradoxical way, this season of new busy-ness is launched with Labor Day, the civic (but not meteorological!) end to summer. Since 1894, when President Grover Cleveland signed a bill establishing our national Labor Day, it has been celebrated as a federal holiday honoring the contributions of workers to the social and economic life of the nation. One of the most significant achievements of the secular labor movement was the drive toward the 5-day work week. This should, in theory, free modern laborers for the worship and re-creation of a Sabbath rest. Yet, in a sad irony, we often surrender this freedom to the temptations to many things that creep into our Sundays.

Maybe this year, as I watch the pages of my calendar fill up, I will take a special look at those things with which I fill my Sundays to see if they honor God and serve my loved ones. I also hope to do so with appreciation for the ability to do so … something that I know so many do not have.

I hope you will have the chance, too, to celebrate Sundays as a slice of the extraordinary that comes to each week of our ordinary time.

(Lucia A. Silecchia is a Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Faculty Research at the Catholic University of America. “On Ordinary Times” is a biweekly column reflecting on the ways to find the sacred in the simple. Email her at silecchia@cua.edu.)

In memoriam: Father Schifano, SCJ

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HALES CORNERS, Wis. – Originally from Colorado Springs, Father Jim Schifano, SCJ, passed away on Aug. 29 at the age of 77. It was only two weeks before that he celebrated his 50th anniversary of vows with the Priests of the Sacred Heart. Before pursuing his vocation, Father Jim served in the US Army; he was at the rank of sergeant when he was discharged in 1967.

Father Jim completed his theological studies at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology and later served at the seminary from 1978-1990. However, his first assignment as a priest was at Divine Heart Seminary in Donaldson, Indiana.

Besides his many years serving at the seminaries and in the monastery community, Father Jim also did pastoral ministry, first at St. Matthew parish in Houston (1977-78). After over 20 years at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology, Father Jim returned to Houston, where he briefly served at Christ the Redeemer parish (1990-91) and then back at St. Matthew’s for five years.

In 1997, Father Jim joined the SCJ community in Mississippi, where he ministered for three years at St. Gregory parish in Senatobia and Sacred Heart parish in Walls. From 2004-2007, he served at St. Joseph’s parish in Holly Springs. Father Jim’s final assignment before retirement was with the Sacred Heart Community in Pinellas Park, Florida.

At the time of his death, he was a member of the Sacred Heart Community at Monastery Lake. Please keep Father Jim, his family and local community in your prayers.

In memoriam: James Joseph Tomek

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CLEVELAND – James Joseph Tomek, 76, passed away Aug. 30, 2022, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The youngest of three children, he was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, to Joseph and Anne Tomek. Raised in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, his parents afforded him a private school Jesuit education, sending him to St. Cecilia High School and St. Peters College in Jersey City. His love of literature drew him to study at Duke University where he received a Ph.D in French literature and philosophy. His specialty was 20th Century and his dissertation on the films of Jean Cocteau was directed by Dr. Wallace Fowlie. During that time, he met and married Yvonne Bryan Tomek in Durham, North Carolina, and then embarked upon a career of teaching French and English at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi in 1972 and served until his retirement in 2015.

At Delta State, he was the recipient of the University Foundation Teaching Award and also Teacher of the Year Award in the Division of Languages and Literature and was awarded membership into ODK, a Leadership Honor Society. He received grants to study French literature at summer long NEH Colloquiums in Stony Brook, Dartmouth, Iowa City and Chicago. Writing and delivering numerous papers at national conferences was of interest to him, and he collaborated in writing the books, Windows After Matisse with Terry Everett and Mary Anne Rosse and Fast French with Anne-Marie Bryan and Yvonne Bryan Tomek, a grammar book that he used for several years in his teaching. A philosopher, sports enthusiast, and poet, he often contributed to the literary journal, Tapestry, enjoying the fellowship of annual Fall unveilings and readings in Dockery, Mississippi.

Having always been interested in theology, he decided to pursue a Master’s Degree in Theology from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, while still teaching French and English. He would attend classes in Jackson, Mississippi every Saturday for six years, while arduously contending with a battle of cancer. He graduated in 2009, receiving highest honors in his Oral Exams, which were open to the public for attendance. He was a devout life-long Catholic, and often attended daily Mass and served as lector and assistant in the RCIA program for incoming Catholics at Our Lady of Victories Church in Cleveland. He often led Little Rock Bible studies for those who wished to study the Bible in depth. He was a life-time member of the Knights of Columbus.

In 2010, he was invited by the Bishop Latino to lead Sacred Heart Church in Rosedale, as the Lay Ecclesial Minister every Sunday morning, where he would deliver scriptural breakout reflections, administer Communion and handle business affairs of the church. He enjoyed this mission very much as well as the relationship he made with the parishioners. With fondness for movies, harking back to his dissertation days, he wrote a column for Mississippi Catholic newspaper, entitled “Theology at the Movies” that explored religion as it is evidenced in international movies.

His greatest joys were with his family and friends with whom he loved to play golf, tennis, baseball, go swimming, play cards and watch sports. He was particularly fond of watching New York Yankees baseball, reminding himself of the many afternoons he attended Yankee Stadium during his youth with his family. If he had not had a career in literature, he could have very well loved being a professional baseball announcer.

He lamented having outlived many of his best friends which included Bill Sullivan, Terry Everett, Martin Bond, Ted Solomon, John Tatum, Leroy Morganti, Diane Stewart, Bonnie Horton and his trusted lawyer, Robert Johnston.

His is preceded in death by his parents; his sister Barbara Tomek Maffei; his brother, Joseph Tomek; and nephew Thomas Tomek.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Yvonne Bryan Tomek; son Matthew Tomek (Renee) of Memphis; daughter Genevieve Tomek of Cleveland, Mississippi; and his grandsons, Jacob Jones and Renny McKnight of Cleveland, Mississippi.

He also leaves behind his sister-in-law, Jean Tomek, his brother-in-law Stephen Maffei, as well as his nephews and nieces, Richard Tomek (Sherri), Laura Tomek Campbell (Doug); Nancy Tomek Deasey (Bob); Stephen Maffei (Janet), Matthew Maffei (Lori), Joseph Maffei (Stephanie), and their beloved children.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in his name to Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church in Cleveland.

Assumption parish, new stained glass

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NATCHEZ – In early 2019, Assumption embarked on a mission to change over existing windows to stained glass windows. This was the mastermind of Donnie Verucchi (now deceased). It was to be done solely by donations from the parishioners. The first window (a circular omen in the choir loft) was installed in August of 2019 and our last one was installed in May 2022. In all, the parish did a total of 29 windows all with donations from parishioners. The work was commissioned Pearl River Glass Studio of Jackson. This was a labor of love for Assumption parish. The church welcomes all to come visit and admire the beautiful stained glass windows. (Photo by Vickie Stowers)

Retreat master Gunn rides rails west

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward

JACKSON – In these From the Archives articles I have chronicled a lot about Bishop John Edward Gunn, SM, sixth bishop of our diocese. In this installment I would like to bring to light that Bishop Gunn was a highly sought-after retreat master. Bishops around the country would recruit him to give retreats to the clergy of their diocese.

Therefore, here is a description of his journeys across the country by train in August of 1918. World War I was still raging, and forest fires had been ravaging the western United States. It sounds vaguely familiar in some respects, but also gives a unique view of the development of the Northwest.

“On August 1st I went to Vicksburg where I remained a few hours, taking the night train to Memphis from there. I got the Chicago train at six twenty, reaching the Auditorium on August 2nd. There I heard of the birth of Roy McCanna’s baby – long expected, much prayed for and the most welcome youngster that ever appeared in Wisconsin. I phoned my congratulations from Chicago, and I was requested to stop over on my way to St. Paul to baptize the youngster, which I did on Saturday, August 3rd.

Burnsville train depot, circa 1910. Bishop John Edward Gunn traveled the country via train, as he was a highly-sought after retreat master. (Photo courtesy of Tishomingo County Historical and Genealogical Society Photo Collection)

“I left the same night for St. Paul’s and reached the Marists on Sunday, August 4th. I called to see Archbishop Ireland and found him in a dying condition in his new home on Summit Avenue. The Catholics of St. Paul had purchased the finest house in the city and donated it to the Archbishop. He was brought into it, put to bed and he actually never saw the house that was his own.

“I left for St. Cloud on August 5th and went to St. John’s College, the Benedictine Monastery, where I was booked to preach a retreat for the clergy of the Diocese of St. Cloud. I started in on Monday and ended on the following Friday. Bishop Busch of St. Cloud was persuaded by Archbishop Ireland to get me to give the retreat, owing to war conditions which were painfully acute in that section of Minnesota.

“Practically all the Priests and nearly 90% of the Catholics of St. Cloud were pro-German. The Bishop, of German Extraction, was very American and this created a natural state of war or at least of ill-feeling between the Catholics and the Bishop. I was supposed to smooth things out and while the Priests resented a retreat in English, one of the first every given in that language in the diocese, still they treated me very well.

“St. John’s College was a place worth seeing. The community was very large, the Monastery grounds covered 1000 acres, the monks were farmers as well as priests and the place was as near ideal as could possibly be imagined.

“There was a lake in the center of the property which was so thickly stocked with fish that it was almost a crime to throw in a hook and line. It was not fishing – it was slaughter.

“I left St. Cloud satisfied with myself and I think left the Bishop and his priests pretty well satisfied and came to St. Paul where I stopped at the Ryan Hotel. I spent the night of August 10th with the Marists on Cedar Street and helped them out on Sunday and left Sunday night over the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul for Seattle.

“On the train, I met Archbishop Messmer of Milwaukee, and we exchanged a lot of thought between Milwaukee and Spokane. The Archbishop had put his parish church under interdict and excommunicated three or four Polish priests on the day on which we met, so I think he was looking for shelter.

“The trip from St. Paul to Seattle was over some of the wildest parts of America. There was not a town of any importance after leaving Minneapolis. The Rockies were not as wild further South.

“The one thing that was a novelty to me was to go through a country that had been a raging furnace for over two years and a half and defied the power of the United States to put out the forest fires. The country showed the ruins of fire and looked as sad a spectacle as could be imagined.

“On the trip, I saw for the first time a railroad actually controlled and propelled by electricity. The big Mountain engines could not do the work and tremendous electric power houses were installed all along the line and engines equipped to suit. We zig-zagged around the Mountain and took a day to travel a bee line distance of thirty or forty miles. The trip was pleasant as we reached Seattle on August 14th.”

In my opinion, bishops are not always appreciated until years after their tenure. Bishop Gunn certainly had his moments during his time in office that caused consternation among clergy and faithful, but we are very fortunate to have his diary to share his adventures in the early 1900’s from his unique perspective. Now, more than 100 years later time sheds light on the wisdom of his actions.

In our next installment, we will continue this journey with Bishop Gunn as he shares his keen wit and intellect across the country.

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Labor Day statement: Building a just economy for women and families

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By Bishop Paul S. Coakley, Archbishop of Oklahoma City, Chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development

Sept. 5, 2022 – The church often looks at the well-being of society through the lens of the well-being of the family. As Pope Francis said during his visit to the United States in 2015, “We cannot call any society healthy when it does not leave real room for family life. We cannot think that a society has a future when it fails to pass laws capable of protecting families and ensuring their basic needs…”1 This Labor Day, let us reflect on how we can build a more just economy by promoting the welfare of working families through both charitable works and through advocacy for improved policies such as expanding the Child Tax Credit and passing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Advancing these two policies would have a profound impact on family stability, especially for families who are financially vulnerable.

Some recent reports have found the economy is returning to a pre-pandemic norm with regards to unemployment rates.2 However, other reports demonstrate that, while wages are rising, much or all of the increases are lost to inflation, which affects low-income families the most and puts our economy in a precarious position.3 I pray that government leaders who deal with inflation may have prudence in addressing its complexities and challenges.

A worker uses a shovel at a highway construction site in Stony Brook, N.Y., Aug. 30, 2022. Labor Day, observed Sept. 5 in 2022, is an annual U.S. holiday that celebrates and recognizes the contributions and achievements of American workers. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

But pre-pandemic norms were far from perfect. Even before current economic uncertainties, women – especially women of African descent and Latina women – earned less than their male counterparts, including when doing the same work with the same qualifications. They filled the majority of direct care jobs, experiencing increased risk of injury, high stress, and exposure to illness while earning low wages.4,5 They were the majority of caretakers for their loved ones, yet many lacked adequate family and medical leave policies. These and other economic challenges continue to affect working families and children.
This is also the first Labor Day since the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade. The ruling is an incredibly significant step towards healing the deep wounds of abortion and protecting all preborn human life. But our aim as Catholics has always been, and remains, to build a society in which abortion is unthinkable. This unique moment necessitates a society and an economy that supports marriages, families, and women; it demands that all of us reach across political aisles and work diligently to reframe social policies in ways that are pro-woman, pro-family, pro-worker and, thus, authentically pro-life.

One of the USCCB’s policy priorities this Congress has been supporting the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). There is currently no federal law requiring employers to provide short-term, reasonable accommodations to pregnant women in the workplace and the PWFA would do so. Common requests include being able to carry a bottle of water, a stool for jobs that involve long periods of standing, or lighter duty for jobs that entail heavy lifting. Women in low-wage and physically demanding jobs, disproportionately held by women of color, are regularly denied these simple accommodations and terminated or forced to take leave without pay.6 A number of states already have laws like this in place; however, pregnant women in every state should be protected by these standards. No woman should be forced to risk her or her child’s health, miscarriage, preterm birth, economic security or losing insurance benefits just because she requests a short-term, reasonable, pregnancy-related accommodation. The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed this bill with strong, bipartisan support. Now, with a short time left in this current legislative session of Congress, we urge immediate Senate passage of this proposal that would make the workplace safer for women and their preborn children. Hundreds of Catholics who participated in this year’s Catholic Social Ministry Gathering advocated for this bill in meetings with their U.S. Senators and we encourage Catholics to continue doing so through the advocacy center on the USCCB website.

The USCCB has also been actively advocating in favor of expanding the Child Tax Credit (CTC). In 2021, the CTC provided financial relief for families who were having difficulty making ends meet. Families largely spent this money on food, energy bills, housing payments and other basic needs. With rising inflation, continuing to expand this tax credit would be critically helpful to families forced to choose between buying food and filling up their gas tanks. Congress should move forward with a CTC proposal that has no minimum income requirement, includes families with mixed immigration status, is available for the year before birth, and is offered to every child – regardless of the size of the family. The CTC was enormously effective at reducing child poverty in 2021 and we should not regress from this progress.

Additionally, the USCCB supports federal paid leave policy, just wages, and the right to organize. We have long called for a system in which the whole of society enjoys fundamental human needs including nutrition, affordable housing, education, and health care. These common goods cannot be achieved through individual efforts alone, but require the collaboration and cooperation of everyone, and the exclusion of no one.

Just as significant as federal policy, there is much work that can be done locally to advance the dignity of work. For example, there are always opportunities to volunteer to help struggling families, such as with Catholic Charities. Additionally, the efforts of labor unions have helped union workers fare better during the pandemic than non-union workers, as they were more likely to maintain their pay and their jobs. To this end, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development supports organizations that work on low-wage workers’ rights and training, in an effort to eliminate labor trafficking and related workplace abuses such as wage theft.

Finally, in writing this Labor Day reflection, I am reminded of Monsignor George Higgins, who passed away 20 years ago this year. He was a fervent advocate of economic justice for all, working closely with unions and union organizers, including Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers, and received many awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was the director of what was then called the Social Action Department of the bishops’ conference and, in fact, wrote or was consulted on the U.S. Catholic bishops’ Labor Day statements for decades. Inspired by him, let us continue his good work in building a just society for all. May the spirit and example of Monsignor Higgins inspire us, that we might have the wisdom to build up justice and improve the lives of workers and their families as he did throughout his life.

1 Pope Francis, Prayer Vigil for the Festival of Families (Sept. 26, 2015). Apostolic Journey – United States of America: Prayer vigil for the Festival of families at the B. Franklin Parkway (Philadelphia, 26 September 2015) | Francis (vatican.va)
2 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Situation Summary (Aug. 5, 2022). https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
3 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Cost Index Summary (July 29, 2022). https://www.bls.gov/news.release/eci.nr0.htm
4 PHI. Direct Care Worker Disparities: Key Trends and Challenges (Feb. 8, 2022). https://www.phinational.org/resource/direct-care-worker-disparities-key-trends-and-challenges/
5 PHI. Workplace Injuries and the Direct Care Workforce (April 20, 2018). https://www.phinational.org/resource/workplace-injuries-direct-care-workforce/
6 A Better Balance. Long Overdue: It is Time for the Federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (May 2019). https://www.abetterbalance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Long-Overdue.pdf

St. Vincent de Paul – Stewardship way of life

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Artwork: Saint Vincent de Paul; Jean Leon Gerome; c. 1847; Public Domain

Stewardship Paths
By Julia Williams

JACKSON – St. Vincent de Paul’s holiness had a heart for the poor and was dedicated to the service of those suffering from poverty. He founded the Vincentians and the Daughters of Charity, and over the course of time established many local charitable groups, urging members to see Christ in the poor and attain holiness in their service.

St. Vincent placed service to the poor above nearly every activity in his life. He would maintain: “When you leave your prayer to care for a sick person, you leave God for God. To care for a sick person is to pray.”

His humility and generosity have propelled Christians to greater charity for centuries. Many parishes today have a St. Vincent de Paul Society, or other parish ministries, which carries on the work for the poor.

The feast day of St. Vincent de Paul is Sept. 27, which is the date of his passing in 1660. He is the patron saint of all charitable works.

St. Vincent practiced the seven Corporal Works of Mercy, which are obvious expressions of stewardship.
• Feed the hungry
• Give drink to the thirsty
• Clothe the naked
• Welcome the stranger
• Heal the sick
• Visit the imprisoned
• Bury the dead

A life lived in concern for others is perfect stewardship. Taking care of all God’s creation is the stewardship way of life.

Excerpts: simplycatholic.com

Hispanic leaders first to complete LIMEX program in Spanish, part of ‘learning community’

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By Berta Mexidor
TUPELO – Certificates of Continuing Education in Theology and Ministry from Loyola University in New Orleans was presented to a group of twelve Hispanic leaders from deanery five, after a four-year period of study and perseverance, at a special Mass on Saturday, Aug. 27 at St. James parish in Tupelo.

Traveling from New Orleans for the special presentation were assistant professor and director, Tracey Lamont, Ph.D. and director of the Loyola Institute Program for the Extension of the Ministry (LIMEX), Thomas Ryan, Ph.D. The Mass in honor of these dedicated Hispanic leaders was celebrated by Father Timothy Murphy, concelebrated with Fathers Henry Shelton and Mario Solorzano, and assisted by Deacon Carlos Solá. Loyola University New Orleans offers master’s and certificate programs to lay ecclesial ministers (LEMs), as well as parish leaders.

TUPELO – Danna Johnson, who also holds a masters from Loyola, is a LEM at Immaculate Heart of Mary Houston and coordinator of LIMEX. She thanked leaders for the opportunity to serve them. (Photo Berta Mexidor)

Certificate awardees include Raquel Thompson, Maria de Jesus Hernandez, Alejandro Lopez and Yolanda Chavez of St. James Tupelo; Magaly Heredia, Mariano Hernandez, Luis Rosales, Teresa Perez and Bernardo Sorcia of St. James Corinth; Luis Gordillo of St. Christopher Pontotoc; Eduardo Padilla of St. Matthew Ripley; and Maria Cecilia Leon of St. Helen Amory. Each were sponsored by the office of Diocesan Faith Formation.

The group also received Loyola Institute’s Kairos Award for Ministry last May during the Loyola College of Nursing and Health Honors graduation ceremony. The Greek word kairos means a ‘…full spirit when people and circumstances come together in an extraordinary way to fulfill God’s will in the world.”

Facilitating the group was Danna Johnson, who earned a masters from Loyola in 2019 and is now a LEM at Immaculate Heart of Mary Houston. Sisters Carol Ann Prenger, SSND of Ripley, and Jane Wand, SSND of Booneville were also supportive and motivating the group, accompanying them along the way.

In his homily, Father Mario said that studying theology for four years is a great achievement, but that in the case of lay people, unlike priests, the task is double because in addition to studying it “…you all put it into practice the days in their lives as families, at work, and in their communities. That is why you see faith in a different way,” and he urged them to use the knowledge gained even more.

Father Tim explained that LIMEX has helped groups from Natchez to Tupelo. “A large part of the funding for the translation of the materials into Spanish was provided by the family of Betty Montgomery. She was an early supporter of LIMEX, with a Ph.D. in English, who was tragically killed in an accident in Tupelo about 10 years ago,” said Father Tim.

The LIMEX program came to Tupelo in 2008. Dr. Len Pinkley, a LIMEX pioneer, recalled in his speech the support he received and the enduring friendships created in the group, made up of six members of the Tupelo community, including one non-Catholic. Dr. Pinkley also paid tribute to departed members, including the late Betty Montgomery.

Speaking to the group of twelve leaders, Father Tim says with admiration that after they “…studied together for three years, they are the first to complete the certificate in Spanish.” Father Tim concluded saying that these twelve leaders “…are a great story of overcoming, commitment, evangelization and collaboration.”

Dr. Lamont commended the graduates for their commitment to the program and thanked the parish of St. James and the Diocese of Jackson for the collaboration. “Our educational partnership has been a blessing for Loyola,” she said.

When speaking to those who were her students, she also commended them for having “helped each other on a long and arduous road” where they also learned to overcome the challenge of dialoguing and criticizing with respect.

“You have engaged each other in authentic dialogue, critical reflection challenge, and affirmation. Truly, you have earned the right to call yourselves a learning community,” said Dr. Lamont.

Hispanic leaders were presented with certificates from the LIMEX program.

Ending isolation for the deaf: ministry director promotes independence and inclusion

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By Catholic Extension

BILOXI – Start with your open right hand, palm face out, shoulder high. Move your right arm to the left, gently, like a mother gathering her children. Crossing your chest, touch the side of your right hand to your left shoulder.

Then raise both hands to the sky, the left hand slightly higher than the right, a silent show of praise. With your closed hands, a horizontal line just above the head, forming an altar, gracefully extend your fingers and pull your hands apart, like birds taking flight.

This is how to sign the words “Our” and “Father” — a hand that crosses the heart, open hands raised to the sky, just above the head, gracefully acknowledging the God space in which we always dwell.
Helen Keller once said, “Blindness separates people from things. Deafness separates people from people.”
The isolation that deafness brings is almost unimaginable for the hearing, who have no idea what the deaf have to go through to participate in a hearing world. Gregory Crapo, director of the de l’Epee Deaf Center in Biloxi, Mississippi, knows this well.

Gregory Crapo, director of the de I’Epee Deaf Center in Biloxi, is a finalist for Catholic Extension’s 2022-2023 Lumen Christi Award. The award is Catholic Extension’s highest honor given to people who radiate and reveal the light of Christ present in the communities where they serve. (Photo courtesy of Diocese of Biloxi/Gulf Pine Catholic)

Community is key
The ministry was established in Biloxi in 1977 by Daughter of Charity Sister Dolores Coleman. Since 2003, Crapo has served as the center’s director. Today, Crapo and his staff of three promote independence and inclusion in the community for the deaf, hard of hearing and disabled. Catholic Extension has supported the ministry for more than 30 years.

Community is the key word. Community is the only way to end the isolation that deafness brings.
This ministry is as expansive as it is innovative. Crapo and his staff provide interpreting services for the Diocese of Biloxi and its neighbors. Universities and hospitals utilize these services, as do teachers, police and the court system.

Providing interpreters is just a small part of de l’Epee’s mission. The center creates a community in which the deaf and hard of hearing have all the activities and services a hearing community would have.
Crapo has led the expansion of a wide array of social services including American Sign Language (ASL) classes, a food pantry, transportation and emergency services during extreme weather, such as hurricanes.
Young people go on field trips, participate in dances and attend retreats. They receive educational services from academics to religious instruction. Camp D.E.A.F. (Deaf Enabled to Associate for Fun and Friendship) offers five days of recreational activities for children ages 5 to 14. Older teens and young adults trained in ASL serve as camp counselors and are drawn further into empathy and mission. An outside prayer grotto is being planned to help young people know that the call to pray is always and everywhere.

From debt to expansion
When Crapo first arrived, the center was struggling with debt. His leadership has enabled de l’Epee to become debt free, financially stable and in a position to grow its mission. Its outreach is at an all-time high. More and more deaf and hard-of-hearing people are moving into the area for the center’s services.
The ministry is reaching an expanded population through a new branch called The Tabitha Project, which will serve the blind, deaf-blind and people with special needs. Crapo also helped establish a clinic that provides eye surgeries to people in need.

Bishop Louis Kihneman III of Biloxi said, “Greg has been challenged with expanding our established ministry to people of all disabilities while understanding the differences in each area of need.”
Crapo said that the Catholic faith comes alive in sign language. He believes that the sign for “Jesus Christ” is the most powerful. It is the symbol for “king” with a C hand shape and the third finger of each hand touching the opposite palm representing Jesus’ wounds. Crapo says, “Working with our most vulnerable populations is the best way to walk in Jesus’ footsteps.”

In a thank-you note to our donors, Crapo wrote, “Your commitment to Catholic Extension allows us to make our community a better place and is a great inspiration, helping ensure that the staff and volunteers of de l’Epee can provide critical assistance when needed.”

There are those who take advantage of the deaf. Crapo believes that trust building is the most important part of his ministry because such wounds can only be healed through love and in community. Crapo’s trust in God’s love animates his ministry. De l’Epee is truly God’s space.

So, start with a hand that crosses the heart, open hands raised to the sky, hands just above the head, gracefully praising the God space in which we always dwell.

(Catholic Extension is honored to share the accomplishments of Gregory Crapo, a finalist for the 2022-2023 Lumen Christi Award. Visit this page to read other inspiring stories from this year’s finalists: https://www.catholicextension.org/lumen-christi-award/lumen-christi-award-finalists.)

Beyond a synod process to a synodal church …

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Kneading Faith
By Fran Lavelle

I have been calling for a lay revolution for years. Before anyone calls the Vatican to have me arrested for inciting an insurrection against the church let me be very clear about what I mean.

I am not asking for a lay revolution against the church; rather one within the church in collaboration with the ordained and consecrated. For generations upon generations religious sisters and brothers catechized our children, Father made sick calls to the hospital and nursing homes. Father gave instructions for those seeking to come into the church. He also prepared couples for marriage. Lay people had roles as cooks, housekeepers and janitors, but the heavy lifting of ministry was undertaken by clergy and religious.

In the past nearly 60 years since Vatican II we have seen a sharp decrease in the number of clergy and religious serving the church. Perhaps the laity has not been empowered or encouraged to do so, but it the Synod made it clear that everyone must take part in undertaking the work of the church. The ordained and religious can no longer shoulder that responsibility alone. The lay revolution I am speaking of is for us, the laity, to step up to the plate and take responsibility for our faith and the ministries of the church in a transformational way. We have looked to the leadership of the church to tell us what to do.

The listening sessions for our Synod demonstrated that we, the laity, know what is needed to move beyond a transactional faith. People around this diocese asked for better faith formation of both youth and adults, you asked for an end to partisan politics, you asked for greater unity, you asked for healing. You asked that we do a better job keeping the young church engaged and active.

All that we heard, all that the faithful are seeking is within our grasp. There are more programs, podcasts, video series, websites and resources than one could ever have imagined. We do not need better resources. We do not need a better textbook for education our children in the faith.

We need to call on the Holy Spirit to fill us with a passion to use the resources and tools that we have been given and become leaders within our parishes and communities. What we are in need of are doers of the Word. We need people to say in earnest, “Here I am Lord, I come to do your will.”

How do you become a transformational leader in the church? If you see a need, talk to others in your community about what they see. Get input from people who do not look like your or think like you. If the need is validated, develop a plan. Take your plan to the parish council or your pastor/LEM.

Often parishioners come to the church office to bring up a need to the pastor but do not have constructive ideas on how to address the issue. I am not advocating that we all act like urban cowboys and bust up the pastor’s office hell bent on doing what we want. I am suggesting that when we see a need, develop solutions, seek input, listen to others and present a well-formed plan for addressing the issue. We have clutched our pearls for far too long. We have looked to the clergy or someone else to address the issues facing the church.

I have a plaque in my office that says. “Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.” If we want vibrant, dynamic, communities of faith we have to be dynamic and vibrant people of faith. Multiply the success of your parish community. Be a part of the solution. Step up. Show up. Share the journey.

(Fran Lavelle is the Director of Faith Formation for the Diocese of Jackson.)