Updates

New Sister Thea Bowman film open for viewing

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This is an official promotional poster for the documentary “Going Home Like a Shooting Star: Thea Bowman’s Journey to Sainthood.” The documentary will air on ABC stations nationwide beginning Oct. 2, 2022. (CNS photo/courtesy NewGroup Media). The film can also be viewed on the Diocese of Jackson’s YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/SisterTheaFilm

By Joanna Puddister King
JACKSON – A new documentary from NewGroup Media and the Diocese of Jackson, Going Home Like a Shooting Star: Thea Bowman’s Journey to Sainthood, presents the riveting life of Sister Thea Bowman, an African American Catholic Franciscan Sister who used her powerful gifts to educate and challenge the church and society to grow in racial inclusivity. Her skills of preaching, music, and teaching moved many Catholics to begin to confront their own racism while she urged her African American brothers and sisters to claim their gifts and share their “fully functioning” personhood. Thea worked tirelessly to proclaim this message until her untimely death from breast cancer in 1990.

The film features interviews and commentary from her family, Sisters in community, colleagues, friends, and former students. Input from African-American scholars, clerics and bishops will speak to the ongoing issue of systemic racism in the church and country. Extensive use is made of archival media that portrays Thea in action–photographs, film, video and audio recordings recorded in locations of significance to her life.

The program title is drawn from a quotation attributed to Sojourner Truth. When Thea was asked what she wanted said at her funeral, she answered, “Just say what Sojourner Truth said: ‘I’m not going to die. I’m going home like a shooting star.’”

The film, part of the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission’s fall documentary season, began airing on ABC stations nationwide on Oct. 2, 2022. As of Oct. 11, the following Mississippi stations have scheduled showings of the film: WLOX Biloxi – Oct. 16 at 1 p.m.; and WAPT Jackson – Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. Contact your local ABC affiliate station for additional dates and times.

The film can also be streamed on the Diocese of Jackson’s YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/SisterTheaFilm. The film is free to view, with donations requested to the Cause for Sister Thea Bowman.

The film makes a strong connection between Thea’s Gospel call for justice, love and unity and the current effort of Black Lives Matter activists and efforts to combat systemic racism. Many in the film cite Thea’s voice as an influence on their ongoing efforts to achieve social and racial justice.

Production of “Going Home Like a Shooting Star: Thea Bowman’s Journey to Sainthood” was made possible with funding from the Catholic Communications Campaign of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, as well as support from various foundations and congregations of U.S. men and women religious.

Youth

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VICKSBURG – Lydia Nettles and Father Rusty Vincent donated blood to help save lives through a blood drive for Mississippi Blood Services. Blessings to all the Flashes family who participated in this life-saving event. (Photo by Lindsey Bradley)

COLUMBUS – At Annunciation School, chess club members practice their skills ahead of their first competition. (Photo by Logan Waggoner)

JACKSON – PreK-3 students at St. Richard School harvested vegetables from their class gardens and made their own salsa. Pictured is Oliver Metzger adding cilantro to the mix. (Photo by Tammy Conrad)
MADISON – The Jr. Bruins and the Jr. Flashes face off in a game on Monday, Sept. 26 on Bill Raphael Field at St. Joseph School. The teams are made up of fifth and sixth graders at St. Anthony, St. Richard and St. Francis Xavier Schools. (Photos by Joanna Puddister King)
MADISON – Cheerleaders perform in a pep rally at St. Anthony School on Thursday, Sept. 29. (Photos by Joanna Puddister King)

Blessing of the pets

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CLARKSDALE – St. Elizabeth held their blessing of the pets on Thursday, Oct. 6. (Photo by Catelin Britt)

NATCHEZ – Father Aaron Williams blesses pets in the St. Mary Basilica prayer garden on Oct. 2. (Photo by Regina Mardis)

CLINTON – Greta Nalker holds Valentine the snake while Father Lincoln Dall and Hunter Yentzen pet him after Blessing of the Pets at Holy Savior. (Photo by Lacey Nalker)

SOUTHAVEN – Matthew made sure that both of his pups received a blessing from Father Timothy Gray, SCJ at Sacred Heart. (Photos by Laura Grisham)
Lucy seems more interested in posing for a picture than her blessing from Father Gray at Sacred Heart.

VICKSBURG – Father Rusty Vincent blesses Jennifer Nelson’s cat “Merle;” while Syd Johnston with his dog wait in the background at St. Paul parish.(Photo by Connie Hosemann)

Reflections on St. Martin de Porres and racial reconciliation

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Reflections on Life
By Melvin Arrington

Martin de Porres, the first black saint of the Americas, knew bigotry and racial discrimination firsthand. Born in 1579 in Lima, Peru, he was the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman and a black woman from Panama. He and his sister Juana were socially stigmatized for being of mixed race. For many years their father refused to acknowledge them as his children, mainly because of their dark skin. Lacking his support, they spent their childhood in poverty.

Discrimination based on race has a long and shameful history. Unfortunately, our country appears in several chapters of that history, with our state comprising an entire chapter of its own. During my childhood, there was no meaningful social interaction between the races, so I was blissfully ignorant of the struggles of people of color.

OXFORD – A stained glass window at St. John the Evangelist Church depicts St. Martin de Porres. Columnist, Melvin Arrington writes the column “Reflections of Life,” this week he reflects on his childhood in segregated Mississippi and the life of this very special saint. (Photo courtesy of Melvin Arrington)

I grew up in the 1950s in the Northwest section of Jackson on a little street off of Northside Drive. This was during the era of separate facilities for schools, hotels, restaurants – everything. And this included housing. There were five houses on my street, all occupied by white families. Adjoining my house, the fifth one, was a huge, overgrown vacant lot functioning as a barrier separating whites from the black families that lived on the other side of it. Families on the two ends of the street didn’t socialize in any way; it was as if they lived on separate planets. I knew there were boys my age who lived beyond that weedy field, but we couldn’t play together. That was just the way things were.

As an illegitimate, mixed-race child, Martin de Porres faced a bleak future because of the way things were during his era. At age 12 he had the good fortune to became apprenticed to a barber-surgeon (a person skilled at bloodletting), an experience that taught him about medicine and how to care for the sick. At 15 he had a vision of Mary, who told him to go to the local Dominican friary and ask to be admitted. He did so, and the Order accepted him as a lay helper, the most he could expect given his color and lack of social standing. In 1603, after serving nine years, he was finally allowed to take full vows as a friar.

Martin worked in the kitchen, laundry, and infirmary and also distributed alms to the poor. Always willing to do any menial chore, he was assigned the task of sweeping floors, earning him the nickname Brother Broom. People also called him Martin of Charity because of his love and passion for service. In addition to devoting much time to caring for the sick and the poor, he founded an orphanage, and took on the task of tending to black slaves brought from Africa, because they had no one to care for them. He even set up a shelter/hospital for stray dogs and cats. Martin never judged a person by his race or social class; in looking at someone in need, he only saw Jesus.

Martin had the gift of healing, sometimes performing an instant cure just by walking into a sick person’s room. Like his good friend, Rose of Lima, he often experienced mystical ecstasy during prayer. Other gifts included the ability to levitate and also to be in two places at once (bilocation). It was said that any room where he went to pray would become filled with light. Another rare talent was his ability to communicate with animals. According to one well-known story, he taught a dog, a cat, and a mouse to eat from the same bowl at the same time.

The beloved Brother Broom died in 1639, surrounded by the Dominican friars. All of Lima turned out to mourn his death. Pope John XXIII canonized him in 1962. His feast is Nov. 3. He is the patron of barbers, hairdressers, black and mixed-race peoples, and social justice. This black saint, who endured the bitter realities of racial prejudice and discrimination and struggled throughout his life to bring diverse peoples together, is also our patron of racial reconciliation.

In Oxford, one of the stained-glass windows at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church honors St. Martin de Porres. Fittingly, the window was placed in the southeast corner of the building facing University Avenue at precisely the spot where, in the fall of 1962 (the year of Martin’s canonization), U.S. Marshals lined up to begin escorting James Meredith to the Ole Miss campus. After several failed attempts to gain admission to the University, Meredith ultimately enrolled following a night of rioting that left two dead and hundreds injured. All of this bloodshed resulted from the state’s refusal to allow Meredith, an African American U. S. Air Force veteran and native Mississippian, to enroll in one of its institutions of higher learning.

Our state has made much progress since that incident. By way of illustration, here is the rest of my story. In my early thirties, I accepted a teaching position at Ole Miss and moved with my family to Oxford. One day, while having lunch at a civic club meeting, I met an African American gentleman who was a high-ranking administrator at the University. In talking, we discovered we had grown up in the same city and even in the same part of town! When we learned that we had actually lived on the same street, we were shocked! As a child he had lived on the other side of that infamous vacant lot! We had long ago been neighbors and yet, because of segregated housing, we had never met until that day at the civic club. My new-found friend should have been someone I grew up playing baseball with. As a child, we had been deprived of each other’s friendship because that was “the way things were.” Today, when my friend tells our story, he calls it a “Mississippi story.”

St. Martin de Porres, you taught the dog, the cat and the mouse to get along with each other. Pray for us that we might learn how to treat everyone with dignity and respect and live in peace with all our brothers and sisters, regardless of race. Amen.

(Melvin Arrington is a Professor Emeritus of Modern Languages for the University of Mississippi and a member of St. John Oxford.)

Pope meets group that prepared text for next phase of synod

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By Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis personally expressed his thanks to the four dozen people who read through hundreds of reports about the listening phase of the Synod of Bishops and, after 12 days of prayer, reflection and discussion, drafted a working document for the continental stage of the synod process.
The pope welcomed the cardinals, bishops, priests, religious and lay participants to the Vatican Oct. 2, the last day of their work.

This is the official logo for the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Originally scheduled for 2022, the synod will take place in October 2023 to allow for broader consultation at the diocesan, national and regional levels. (CNS photo/courtesy Synod of Bishops)

At the heart of the work were the 112 syntheses submitted by national bishops’ conferences from around the world, as well as syntheses from the Eastern Catholic churches, religious orders, church organizations and movements, offices of the Roman Curia and individuals. Each of the 25 people appointed to the drafting committee read a dozen reports before joining the others in Frascati, outside of Rome, Sept. 21.

“We come to you at the end of a unique and extraordinary ecclesial experience that has made us aware of the richness of the fruits that the Spirit is awakening in the holy people of God,” Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, told Pope Francis, according to the synod office.

“We truly feel a sense of awe at the wonders God is working in his church,” the cardinal said. And, returning home, members of the drafting group “will be able to say that the church offers itself as a home for all, because the experience of synodality that we are living leads us to ‘widen the space of the tent’ to truly welcome everyone.”

Neither the Vatican press office nor the synod office said whether the pope made any remarks to the group.

Prior to writing the first draft, participants met in a succession of small groups ordered, for example, by geographic region or ecclesial status. They even spent time in all-male or all-female working groups, identifying key themes in the national reports, praying about voices that seemed to be missing and noticing tensions or suggestions.

After reading, discussing and correcting the draft, they were joined by the bishops who are members of the Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops. The council approved the document, which will be published in late October, according to the synod general secretariat.

The document will be the subject of prayer and discussion at continental assemblies, which are scheduled to be held between January and March 2023.

According to the synod office, “The intent of the continental stage is to deepen our discernment on what has emerged from the previous stage of local and national listening, with the aim of formulating open questions more accurately and to better substantiate and flesh out the insights coming from the local churches.”

Although they are being called “continental assemblies,” the gatherings are more aligned with regional bishops’ conferences. Six assemblies – which are to include bishops, priests, religious and laypeople – are planned: Europe; Latin America and the Caribbean; Africa and Madagascar; Asia; Canada and the United States; and the Middle East, including the Eastern Catholic churches.

St. Luke, saint of many talents – Feast day Oct. 18

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Stewardship Paths
By Julia Williams

JACKSON – Christianity has a saint for everything, literally everything. Not only is St. Luke one of the Four Evangelists, and therefore one of the most important saints, but he is also the patron saint of artists. Commonly, saints are patrons to several things and Luke is no exception. In fact, he was a physician, hence he is considered their patron saint as well.

St. Luke appears to also have been a capable historian, recording careful details about the many people and places visited by Jesus and His Apostles. Many biblical scholars study this Gospel to understand the historical context of Jesus and first-century Judaism.

For iconographers, St. Luke is revered as the first (according to tradition) to write an icon of the Blessed Mother. In iconography, the verb “to write” is used rather than “to paint,” as an icon is considered visual theology. The oldest painted images of Jesus and Mary are attributed to St. Luke, including Our Lady of Vladimir and Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Icons (like those painted by St. Luke) are important because they raise our hearts and minds to heavenly things. They are “windows” that open our hearts and remind us of the presence of God and His saints.

Lastly, stewardship is a major theme in Luke’s Gospel. Indeed, what emerges from Luke’s writings is a sophisticated theology of stewardship that is unique to his Gospel and not addressed so profoundly by other New Testament writers. St. Luke’s work was no small achievement, and through the centuries it has served the church well.

Excerpts: wordonfire.org; catholiccompany.com; catholicstewardship.com

St. Luke the Evangelist by Vladimir Borovikovsky; c. 1804-1809. (Public domain)

Briefs

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NATION
WASHINGTON (CNS) – Catholic immigration advocates are emphasizing that the Oct. 5 ruling by a federal appeals court – finding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is unlawful – sends another signal that permanent legislation is needed to protect young immigrants from deportation and put them on a path to U.S. citizenship. A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans affirmed a lower court’s ruling last year that said the Obama administration did not have the legal authority in 2012 to create DACA in the first place. This appeals court decision, similar to the ruling last summer from a federal judge in Texas, prevents the Biden administration from enrolling new participants in the program. The new court decision continues to leave DACA in limbo. It did not say the program had to completely shut down or stop processing renewal applications, but it leaves in place last year’s order from U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen that said DACA could continue only for current recipients with no new participants. The 5th Circuit also returned the case to the lower court asking the judge to review new DACA regulations the Biden administration announced in August and set to go into effect Oct. 31. “DACA, like asylum, the border – immigration policy writ large – doesn’t belong in the courts,” Dylan Corbett, executive director of Hope Border Institute, tweeted after the ruling was announced. “Congress and the White House need to pass legislation that honors our values, the rights and dignity of those who migrate, and the contributions of those who make America home.”

WASHINGTON (CNS) – A federal court in Indiana sided with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and one of its Catholic high schools in a lawsuit filed by a former guidance counselor who said her contract was not renewed because of her same-sex union. The Sept. 30 ruling in Fitzgerald v. Roncalli High School and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, relied on previous Supreme Court rulings that have emphasized a ministerial exception protecting a religious school’s hiring and firing practices from government intrusion. The recent decision echoes a nearly identical ruling from a year ago based on a lawsuit filed against the same school and archdiocese from another school counselor whose contract was similarly not extended due to her same-sex union. The decisions in both cases were issued by U.S. District Judge Richard Young for the Southern District of Indiana. Young said the Indianapolis Archdiocese and its schools can select, retain or dismiss faculty according to their religious standards, something he also stressed a year ago. The current case involved Shelly Fitzgerald, former co-director of guidance at Roncalli High School for 15 years. Her employment was terminated in 2018 after she confirmed to the school that she was in a same-sex union and the school declined to renew her contract for the following year. School officials said her conduct was prohibited by the agreement she signed with the school.

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The refusal to help desperate migrants “is revolting, it’s sinful, it’s criminal,” Pope Francis said as he canonized a bishop dedicated to assisting migrants and a Salesian brother who had immigrated with his family to Argentina. “The exclusion of migrants is criminal. It makes them die in front of us,” the pope said Oct. 9, referring to the deaths of migrants and refugees crossing dangerous seas in search of freedom and a dignified life. At the beginning of the liturgy in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis formally recognized the holiness of St. Giovanni Battista Scalabrini, an Italian who founded the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo to care for migrants, and St. Artemide Zatti, an Italian immigrant in Argentina who became a Salesian brother, pharmacist and nurse. The prayers at the Mass included one for “those forced to leave their homeland,” and asking God to teach people to share “his welcoming gaze toward all people” and “heal the throwaway culture of indifference.” Pope Francis focused much of his homily on the day’s Gospel reading about the 10 lepers healed by Jesus and, therefore, allowed back into society. “When we are honest with ourselves, we realize that we are all sick at heart, all sinners in need of the Father’s mercy,” the pope said. “Then we stop creating divisions on the basis of merit, social position or some other superficial criterion; our interior barriers and prejudices likewise fall. In the end, we realize once more that we are brothers and sisters.” Pope Francis asked the estimated 50,000 people at the Mass to think about whether in their families, at work and in their parishes, they are willing to walk with others and listen to them, “resisting the temptation to lock ourselves up in self-absorption and to think only of our own needs.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – As thousands of people sat in the dark in St. Peter’s Square, they watched fish jump from the facade of the basilica, saw the word “no” form and dissolve three times and heard an actor reciting the part of St. Peter speak about the overwhelming love and mercy of Jesus. They also heard tenor Andrea Bocelli sing four songs, including “The First Noel” from the soon-to-be released Christmas album he made with his children Matteo and Virginia. The nighttime event Oct. 2 was the premiere of “Follow Me,” an eight-minute film about the life and faith of St. Peter. Using “video mapping,” images of St. Peter from the basilica’s collection and that of the Vatican Museums were turned into 3D video clips and projected onto the facade of the basilica, which is built over the presumed tomb of the apostle. The film was to be shown every 15 minutes between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. until Oct. 16.

Projected images detailing the life of St. Peter the Apostle are seen on the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Oct. 2, 2022. Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli sang for thousands in St. Peter’s Square as the Vatican inaugurated a two-week showing of a short film about the life of St. Peter. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

WORLD
FULDA, Germany (CNS) – The president of the German bishops’ conference demanded an apology from a Swiss cardinal at the Vatican over comments that brought up Germany’s Nazi past. Bishop Georg Bätzing, president of the German bishops’ conference, demanded an apology from Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, who seemed to compare what is underlying the German bishops’ Synodal Path process with a mistaken Christian ideology that underpinned the rise of Nazism. Cardinal Koch said he had been misunderstood. At the end of the German bishops’ plenary assembly Sept. 29, Bishop Bätzing said that, with his remarks, Cardinal Koch had “disqualified himself from the theological debate” about the Synodal Path. “If a public apology does not happen immediately, I will file an official complaint with the Holy Father,” Bishop Bätzing said. Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch apologized for offending people and said he never intended to imply that supporters of the German church’s Synodal Path were doing something similar to what a group of Christian supporters of the Nazis did in the 1930s. At a meeting Oct. 4 in Rome with Bishop Georg Bätzing, president of the German bishops’ conference, “Cardinal Koch expressly emphasized that it was completely far from him to want to impute the terrible ideology of the 1930s to the Synodal Path,” said a statement published the next day by the bishops’ conference. “Cardinal Koch asks for forgiveness from all those who feel hurt by the comparison he made,” the statement continued.

MEXICO CITY (CNS) – Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega blasted Catholic leaders as a “gang of murderers,” in comments amping up persecution of the church and scorning Pope Francis’ call for dialogue in the Central American country. In a fiery address, Ortega took aim at Nicaragua’s Catholic bishops for promoting democracy as an exit from the country’s political crisis, alleging without proof that they called on protesters to kill him during the 2018 protests – which his regime violently repressed. He called the bishops and Pope Francis “the perfect dictatorship,” then asked, accusatorially, “Who elected the bishops, the pope, the cardinals?” He continued in the Sept. 28 speech marking the 43rd anniversary of the National Police: “With what moral authority do they speak of democracy? Let them start with the Catholic vote. … Everything is imposed. It’s a dictatorship, the perfect dictatorship. It’s a tyranny, the perfect tyranny.” Catholic clergy in Nicaragua have remained mostly silent as Ortega – who won elections in 2021 after disqualifying and imprisoning opposition candidates – has persecuted priests and bishops speaking out on issues of human rights and democratic deterioration. The government also has closed church-run charitable and education initiatives, along with Catholic radio stations, and expelled priests and nuns, including the Missionaries of Charity. Ortega claimed in his comments that he was Catholic, but did not feel “represented,” partly because, “We hear talk of democracy, and they don’t practice democracy.”

Florida continues with rescue efforts after Hurricane Ian

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By Rhina Guidos
WASHINGTON – As authorities in Florida continued rescue efforts, Catholic parishes and dioceses in the U.S. moved rapidly to collect aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, and U.S. President Joe Biden said it could take years to rebuild what was destroyed.

Though Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm after wrecking swaths of Florida, it regained strength and regrouped as a hurricane before heading toward South Carolina.

Biden approved an emergency declaration to send federal help before it made landfall in Charleston Sept. 30. Residents of Florida and the Carolinas face a recovery estimated to cost tens of billions of dollars.
As of Oct. 2, at least 80 people were confirmed dead, and more than 1,600 people had been rescued in parts of southwest and central Florida.

The Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida, will hold a special collection at its parishes in October to help with the damage, including in the neighboring Diocese of Venice and is asking for others to help at https://www.dosp.org/disasterrelief.

“Our hearts are moved with compassion for all those who have suffered damage and destruction due to Hurricane Ian, especially our brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Venice,” St. Petersburg’s Bishop Gregory L. Parkes said of the diocese that suffered the brunt of the damage.

A flooded community in Fort Myers, Fla., is seen Sept. 29, 2022, after Hurricane Ian caused widespread destruction. (CNS photo/Marco Bello, Reuters)

At the Vatican Oct. 2, after reciting the Angelus prayer with people in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis said: “I am close to the populations of Cuba and Florida, afflicted by a violent hurricane. May the Lord receive the victims, give consolation and hope to those who suffer, and sustain the solidarity efforts.”

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called on Catholics and all people of goodwill to pray for those who lost their lives in the Caribbean and the southwest United States due to Hurricane Ian.

He urged prayers “for the comfort of their grieving families and communities” as well as prayers for those who have lost their homes and businesses. “May they find peace and comfort in God’s enduring love for us, even amid these most trying circumstances,” he said.

In a statement released late Sept. 30, the archbishop also prayed the emergency responders would be kept “from harm as they seek to bring relief, comfort and healing” to storm victims.

At a news conference Sept. 30, Biden told Floridians that the federal government would do all it could to help, particularly to rescue people and other recovery efforts.

He also announced that 44,000 utility workers were working to restore electricity for those left without power since the hurricane struck.

In preparing for Ian, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said it had coordinated with utility companies to make sure crews were prepared “to respond and restore power.”

As of Oct. 2, 590,000 people were still without power in Florida, but that figure was a significant reduction from the nearly 2 million who had no power immediately after Hurricane Ian struck.

“It’s not a crisis for Florida, it’s an American crisis,” Biden said during the news conference.

He said the situation on the ground was “far more devastating” than initially believed and “is likely to rank among the worst in the nation’s history.”

The president and first lady Jill Biden were visiting Puerto Rico Oct. 3 to see the devastation wrought by Hurricane Fiona, which slammed into the island a week before Ian hit Florida. The Bidens planned to visit Florida Oct. 5.

In the Diocese of Venice, Bishop Frank J. Dewane gave thanks via Twitter for those who prayed for people in the path of the Hurricane Ian.

“Damage is still being assessed, but it is clear that the devastation in the diocese is widespread,” he wrote. “There are several crews already at work throughout the diocese, and Catholic Charities is putting their local team into action. We are grateful for all those who have helped, and continue to help, during this difficult time.”

Catholic Charities USA is collecting donations at https://ccusa.online/Ian.

In Charleston, South Carolina, Bishop Jacques E. Fabre-Jeune offered Mass hours before the storm made landfall “for the protection of all people affected by Hurricane Ian and especially for our essential personnel working to keep us safe,” the diocese said on its Facebook page.

Ian hit close to 2:30 p.m. local time Sept. 30 as at Category 1 hurricane, flooding historic Charleston, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. The storm was later downgraded to a tropical storm as it hit North Carolina.

As the storm went through the Carolinas, about 850,000 people had no electricity but news reports said power was restored to more than half of them by the weekend.

(Editor’s note: The Diocese of Jackson will take up a second collection the weekend of Oct. 15-16 as a part of the Bishops Emergency Disaster Fund. The fund will be used to support immediate emergency needs and to aid in long-term rebuilding and recovery efforts.)

Featured photo…Double installation of Father Lincoln Dall …

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RAYMOND/CLINTON – Father Lincoln Dall receives a blessing from the small community of Immaculate Conception in Raymond. Pictured behind the altar are Father Lincoln, Bishop Joseph Kopacz, with Greta and Gage Nalker as alter servers. Second picture: Diaconate candidate, Hunter Yentzen carries the Cross during the procession, along with Father Lincoln, Bishop Kopacz, and Missal gift and basket bearers – Jason Rogers and Franz Barney. (Photos by Tereza Ma – More photos available at and Facebook @jacksondiocese)

Raymond

Clinton

Calendar of events

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
DIOCESE/GLUCKSTADT Diocesan Eucharistic Congress, Friday, Oct. 28-29 at St. Joseph Church in Gluckstadt. Featured speaker Father Ajani Gibson of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. This will be an evening and morning of prayer, adoration, spiritual talks and Mass. Details: visit https://jacksondiocese.org/calendar-event/diocesan-eucharistic-congress/.

GREENWOOD Locus Benedictus, “The Prison, the Warden and the Key to Freedom” event, Saturday, Nov. 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Featured presenters: “Mercy Beaucoup” – Cindy Scardina, Ann Roshto and Lynn Mondt. All are welcome. Event is free with love offering taken. Details: sign up on facebook, eventbrite or call (662) 299-1232.

NATCHEZ St. Joseph Monastery, “Falling More in Love with Jesus” Day of Recollection with special guest, Noel Delery on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch provided. To view itinerary, visit www.saintjosephmonastery.com. Details: RSVP to (601) 653-0914 or email mon.saintjoseph@ive.org.

TUPELO St. James, Annual Men’s Retreat, Nov. 18-20 at St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Ala. Retreat leader is Father Ben Cameron of the Fathers of Mercy. Retreat begins Friday evening and ends Sunday morning. Enjoy this weekend of prayer, rest and fellowship. Cost: $130 if sharing a room or $205 for a private room. Registration includes two nights of lodging, all meals and snacks. Details: David at (662) 213-3742.

PARISH, FAMILY & SCHOOL EVENTS
COLUMBUS Annunciation, Loaves and Fishes Annual Supper Fundraiser, Thursday, Oct. 20 from 5-7 p.m. in the Activity Center. Tickets: $15. Details: church office (662) 328-2927.

FLOWOOD St. Paul, MARC Prison Ministry Workshop, Saturday, Oct. 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Guests will hear success stories of former inmates, meet volunteers who are doing the work and learn more about areas of need. Lunch provided. Must RSVP by Oct. 19 at https://www.marcreentry.org/. Details: on website or call/text (601) 521-1331.

HOLY LAND Trip with Father Mark Shoffner to the Holy Land, June 30 – July 9, 2023. If you’ve wanted to go walk in the footsteps of Jesus and see the places of the Scriptures come to life, then now is the time to sign up. An exceptional moment to see Jesus in a whole new experience. Ten days, airfare, hotels, meals, tour guide, daily Masses in the Holy. Sites are all included in the cost. Details: https://www.catholicjourneys.com/shoffner/.

IRELAND Trip with Father Tommy Conway and Father Gerry Hurley, June 12-22, 2023. Details: visit https://bit.ly/IrelandwithFrTommyandGerry or call church office at (601) 992-9547.

JACKSON 42nd annual Squat & Gobble, Thursday, Nov. 10 at the Country Club of Jackson. All proceeds help victims of sex trafficking and domestic violence. Details: visit www.friendsforacause.com.

MADISON St. Francis, Homegrown Harvest Vocations Fundraiser, Saturday, Oct. 29 from 6-9 p.m. Details: visit https://bit.ly/HGHarvest2022.

MCCOMB St. Alphonsus, 100th Jubilee Celebration, Sunday Oct. 30. Musical program at 3:00 p.m.; Mass at 3:30 p.m. with fellowship meal following. Details: church office (601) 684-5648.

MERIDIAN St. Patrick, 23rd annual Variety Show, Dinner and Fashion Show, Saturday, Nov. 5 in the Family Life Center. Tickets on sale at school or parish office. Reserved $25; adults $10; and children 13 and under $5. Details: church office (601) 693-1321.

NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Annual Cemetery Procession at Natchez City Cemetery on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m. Procession begins at the Old Catholic Plot 1. Participants recite rosary to honor burials prior to 1861 as they process to Catholic Hill in the rear of the cemetery. All adults and youth are invited to join. Details: church office (601) 445-5616.

SOUTHAVEN Christ the King, Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser, through Sunday, Oct. 30 from 11-7 p.m. sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council #7120 (open at 12 p.m. on Sundays). Various sizes available, including specialty pumpkins. Details: church office (662) 342-1073.

TUPELO St. James, Rummage Sale, Saturday, Nov. 5 from 7:30-11a.m. in Shelton Hall. Details: call Kathy at (662) 322-2556.

YOUTH EVENTS
DIOCESE Two scholarships are available to college students in the Diocese of Jackson. The Bishop Brunini Memorial Scholarship was established to be used specifically for tuition assistance for undergraduate or advanced studies at any accredited Catholic college or university. There are no specific restrictions for the field of study.

The Stella Schmidt Memorial Scholarship was established to be used specifically for tuition assistance for advanced studies in theology or religious education at Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama.

Full and part-time graduate students are eligible to apply for the scholarship. If the recipient is currently enrolled in the Department of Faith Formation’s Pastoral Ministries Program and receives tuition assistance from the diocese and their school or parish, scholarship money can be used to offset the amount of tuition paid out-of-pocket by the individual.

The specific annual amount of the scholarships will be determined by the interest shown. Applications are due to the Department of Faith Formation by Dec. 1. For more information, please contact Fran Lavelle, director of the department of Faith Formation by email at fran.lavelle@jacksondiocese.org.

DIOCESE SEARCH Retreat – For Teens, By Teen, Jan. 13-15, 2023 at Camp Wesley Pines in Gallman. Details: email abbey.schuhmann@jacksondiocese.org.

GREENVILLE St. Joseph, Saints Mass, Sunday, Oct. 30 at 9 a.m. Begins with Mass led by youth. After Mass, brunch held in parish hall. Be sure to have children dress as their favorite saint. Rosary and balloon rosary release after brunch. Details: church office (662) 335-5251.

JACKSON St. Richard, An Evening with Moms and Daughters with Kari Kampakis, Sunday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy an evening with author and speaker Kari Kampakis as she shares Scripture-based wisdom for girls (seventh grade and up) and their mothers, covering topics from friendships, identity, social media, dating and more. Tickets $5 each or max $20 per family. Purchase at https://bit.ly/STRKariEvent – Register by Oct. 21. Details: church office (601) 366-2335.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. Catholic Heart Workcamp 2023, July 23-29. For those entering eighth grade and up. Details: visit https://heartworkcamp.com/

SAVE THE DATE
DIOCESE Save the date: #iGiveCatholic on Giving Tuesday Nov. 28. Join Catholics in this nation-wide day of giving.

JACKSON St. Richard School, Krewe de Cardinal set for Feb. 10. Call for tickets and sponsorship opportunities. Details: school office (601) 366-1157.

MADISON St. Anthony School, Starry Night Gala, Friday, Dec. 9. Details: school office (601) 607-7054.

MEMPHIS 40 Days for Life, Vigil at Outside Choices, 1203 Poplar Ave. from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Nov. 6. Details: email info@memphiscoalitionforlife.org or visit 40daysforlife.com/memphis.

OLIVE BRANCH Queen of Peace, Tie Dye for Jesus, Sunday Nov. 13 at 3 p.m. All are welcome. Event begins with an appetizer/dessert potluck. Sign up in the Commons area with your name and shirt size. Donations welcome. Details: church office (662) 895-5007.

RIPLEY St. Matthew, 1st annual Christmas Bazaar, Nov. 18 and 19. Crafters wanted: tables available for $30. Begin making your crafts or preparing a food booth now. Details: Call Geraldine at (216) 867-8007.

TRUNK OR TREATS/FALL FESTIVALS
BROOKHAVEN St. Francis, Trunk or Treat and Fall Festival, Wednesday, Oct. 26. Details: church office (601) 833-1799.

CLARKSDALE St. Elizabeth, Trunk or Treat and Canned Food Drive, Sunday, Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. Come dressed in costume to trick-or-treat and win baked goods from the cake walk. Details: church office (662) 624-4301.

CLEVELAND Our Lady of Victories, Halloween Carnival, Sunday, Oct. 30 from 6-7:30 p.m. Details: church office (662) 846-6273.

COLUMBUS Fall Festival/Trunk-or-Treat by Annunciation, FUMC and St. Paul’s Episcopal, Sunday, Oct. 30 from 4-6 p.m. on College Street. Enjoy food, fun, games and costume contest. Details: church office (662) 328-2927.

FLOWOOD St. Paul, Trunk or Treat, Saturday, Oct. 22 at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy great food and games. Details: church office (601) 992-9547.

GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph, Reb Beans & Rice Dinner and Trick or Treat Activities, Sunday, Oct. 30 at 5:30 p.m. in the parish hall. Plates include Red Beans & Rice, bread and salad. Cost is $7 or hot dogs and chips for $3; dine-in or carry-out. Come enjoy dinner and let your children have fun in costumes with Trick or Treat activities for all. Details: church office (601) 856-2054.

GREENWOOD CYO Halloween Carnival/Spaghetti Supper, Monday, Oct. 24. Tickets $15; Spaghetti Supper available drive-through, carry-out or dine in beginning at 4:30 p.m. Carnival booths begin at 5:30 and bingo at 6:30 p.m. Details: church office (662) 453-3980.

GRENADA St. Peter, Fall Festival, Sunday, Oct. 30 from 4-6 p.m. in the family life center. Enjoy bingo, cake walk and chili supper. Bingo prizes and cakes needed for cake walk. Details: church office (662) 226-2490.

JACKSON St. Richard School, CardinalFest, Sunday, Oct. 23 from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Enjoy games for the kids and food and music for the whole family. Admission fee is $20 and includes meal, unlimited games, petting zoo and cake walk ticket. Details: school office (601) 366-1157.

MADISON St. Joseph School, Trunk or Treat, Thursday, Oct. 27 from 5-6:30 p.m. for ages under 12. Details: school office (601) 898-4800.

MCCOMB St. Alphonsus, Treats in the School Yard event, Wednesday, Oct. 26. Details: church office (601) 684-5648.

MERIDIAN St. Patrick, Halloween Carnival, Saturday, Oct. 22 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Family Life Center. Enjoy games, haunted house and more. Details: church office (601) 693-1321.

NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, Trunk or Treat, Thursday, Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. Open to families and children through fourth grade. Details: church office (662) 445-5616.

OLIVE BRANCH Queen of Peace, Halloween Family Bash/Trunk or Treat, Saturday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. Costume contest, trunk decorating contest, bonfire, food, games and more. Details: church office (662) 895-5007.

PHILADELPHIA Holy Rosary, Trunk or Treat, Sunday, Oct. 30. from 4:30-7 p.m. at the parish hall. Costume contest, pumpkin carving contest, mummy wrap contest. Food and treat bags for all children and youth. Details: parish hall (601) 656 2800.

OLIVE BRANCH Queen of Peace, Trunk or Treat, Saturday, Oct. 22. 6 p.m. Details: church office (662) 895-5007.

SOUTHAVEN Christ the King, Fall Festival, Saturday, Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Enjoy international food, basket raffle, silent auction, entertainment and more. Details: church office (662) 342-1073.

TUPELO St. James, Fall Fest, Wednesday, Oct. 26 from 5-8 p.m. Enjoy trunk or treat, carnival games, cake walk and more. BBQ available for $10/plate. Dress as your favorite saint for the saint procession. Details: church office (662) 842-4881.

YAZOO CITY St. Mary, Witch Way Yazoo. St. Mary will participate in the event trunk-or-treat on Saturday, Oct. 29.

St. Mary, All Souls/All Saints Party, Sunday, Oct. 30 from 11:30 am. to 1 p.m. in the parish hall. Details: church office (662) 746-1680.

VICKSBURG Catholic Schools, Spooky Sprint 5k run/walk, 1 mile fun run and carnival, Oct. 29. Details: visit https://bit.ly/SpookySprint2022