A ministry of faith, friendship and education

KNEADING FAITH
By Dr. Fran Lavelle, D. Min.
September has always been a month of change and transition as we move from the heat of summer into cooler autumn days. This September, another transition will occur. After 33 years of dedicated service in Catholic education, Karla Luke is retiring. My kind but plain-spoken friend of 11 years (like Elvis) has left the building.
I’ve worked in the diocese since July 1999 and in the chancery since October 2014. The transition from parish to diocesan ministry has its challenges. The move from working in a parish to working in the chancery changed the rhythm, flow and perspective of what I do. It also gave me the opportunity to meet and work with new people. There are people in life that, when you meet them, you just know they are going to remain with you for the long haul. That was the case when I met Karla Luke. Karla has served as the executive director for the Office of Catholic Education since 2020. When I started at the chancery, she was an assistant to the director.

Fran Lavelle

A lot of living happens in 11 years – especially considering that many people spend more time with co-workers than with their own family. Karla and I have loved and supported one another through difficult situations in our ministries and personal lives. We’ve shared milestones, heartache and a lot of holy laughter. Beneath the ministry, miles and smiles deep in the DNA of our friendship lies a great love for our faith and for God’s people. Karla is dedicated to the mission of Catholic education, but even more so to the mission of Jesus Christ. That dedication fuels everything she does.
Our offices have a natural connection, since the students Catholic schools serve often come from families engaged in parish ministries. Maintaining a solid working relationship with the Office of Catholic Education has always been a priority of mine. That priority has been easy to uphold, since each person who has served in that office during my time has been a dedicated, passionate and Christ-centered educator. Karla is no exception.
What I most admire about Karla is her resolute consistency, especially when it comes to policy. Following policy in educational systems is vital to the success of a school or system. Upholding policy, however, does not have to come at the expense of being fair, professional and kind. It takes a special kind of person to hold that tension and remain balanced. When the devastating impact of the early days of the pandemic raged, Karla drew on her leadership skills and applied her science background to make decisions that kept our schools, students, staff and faculty safe. People did not hold back in criticizing the decisions at the time, but she remained focused on policies that prioritized safety.
A heavy dose of compassion is also a hallmark of her leadership. I have witnessed Karla’s compassion time and again – whether it was a colleague going through a difficult time or a principal or faculty member in need of an advocate, Karla steps up every time. Sometimes people are not asking to be fixed, just heard. Karla is a pro at what Pope Francis has called the “apostolate of the ear.” That intentional listening made her excel in her role.
There are hundreds of stories worthy of retelling. The memories I will cherish most are the everyday encounters we have shared. When Karla begins a sentence with “Look …” you know you’d better listen. One of two things will happen when “look” leads: either you will laugh hysterically or you will learn an important lesson. If sass and finesse had a vibe, it would be Karla’s “look.” Sometimes “look” is accompanied by “y’all,” which means the ensuing laughter or lesson will be extra.
It has been a privilege to call Karla a colleague. The greater gift is calling her my friend. In fact, we identify more as sisters. I know God will continue to use her many gifts to bless her corner of the world. And I know I am a better person for having her in my life.

May there always be work for your hands to do.
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine upon your windowpane.
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near to you, and
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
– Traditional Irish Blessing

(Dr. Fran Lavelle is the director of faith formation for the Diocese of Jackson.)

KnitWits ministry weaves prayer and love into every stitch

By Joanna Puddister King
VICKSBURG – Every Thursday morning, the fellowship hall at St. Michael Catholic Church fills with quiet conversation, prayer and the steady click of knitting needles. That’s when the parish’s KnitWits ministry gathers to create hats, scarves, blankets and other handmade gifts for people in need across Mississippi.
Formed several years ago by parishioners, the group now numbers about 15 members from St. Michael, St. Paul Parish in Vicksburg, St. Edward Parish in Tallulah, Louisiana – and even one Baptist friend.
“They are such a loving group of ladies,” said Father Robert Dore, pastor of St. Michael. “What they create with their hands becomes an expression of faith, generosity and care for others.”

VICKSBURG – Handmade hats, scarves and blankets line the tables at St. Michael Church. The KnitWits ministry gathers weekly to knit and crochet items that are donated to clinics, shelters and families across Mississippi. (Photo courtesy of Father Robert Dore)

The KnitWits meet from 10 a.m. to noon for prayer, fellowship and crafting. They pray for the community, for the world, and for the people who will receive their gifts.
Jessica Ryan leads the group, recording prayer requests and organizing projects. This year they are making blankets for 72 children in the foster care system, including 12 in Vicksburg and 60 in the Jackson metro area.
The ministry also makes cap and scarf sets for shelters and rehab centers, toys and baby blankets for pregnancy resource centers, and shawls and lap blankets for the homebound or those recovering from illness. When an infant is baptized at St. Michael, the KnitWits provide a handmade receiving blanket.
Parishioners support the effort with donations of yarn and funds, helping the group expand its reach. In the past year, the KnitWits produced hundreds of items: afghans, shawls, hats, toys and fidget pads for clinics, hospices, shelters and pregnancy centers across the state. Their Christmas project alone supplied 80 hat-and-scarf sets each to St. Joseph Hospice and Belmont Gardens Rehabilitation.
Through every stitch, the KnitWits remain faithful to their mission: to knit together love, prayer and service.

Hurricane Katrina 20th anniversary a call to racial equity, justice, say bishops

By Gina Christian
(OSV News) – The 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina marks a call to “renew our commitment to racial equity and justice in every sector of public life,” said two U.S. Catholic bishops.
Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell Jr. of Washington, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on African American Affairs, and retired Auxiliary Bishop Joseph N. Perry of Chicago, chairman of the USCCB’s Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, issued a joint statement Aug. 26 reflecting on the tragedy.
The hurricane, one of the five deadliest in U.S. history, struck the nation’s Gulf Coast Aug. 29, 2005, as a Category 3 storm, with 120-140 mph winds and stretching 400 miles across the coast. At one point, the storm became a Category 5, but weakened before striking land.
Katrina made multiple landfalls, inflicting what the National Weather Service called “staggering” damage and loss of life, particularly in Louisiana and Mississippi. A total of 1,833 were killed by the storm, which at the time caused some $108 billion dollars in damage, according to NWS.
New Orleans was ravaged by the storm, with at least 80% of the city flooded by Aug. 31, 2005, NWS noted on its website, adding that the impact was “heightened by breaks in the levees that separate New Orleans from Lake Pontchartrain.”
Compounding the damage were key failures in governmental response, and in their statement, Bishop Campbell and Bishop Perry said that “despite the scale of devastation, it took days before the federal government responded with aid.”

A statue of Jesus stands amid rubble near a destroyed grotto outside St. Michael Church in Biloxi, Miss., Sept. 12, 2005, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Aug. 29, 2025, marks the 20th anniversary of the deadly storm, which made landfall in the Gulf Coast region, inflicting “staggering” damage and loss of life, particularly in Louisiana and Mississippi. A total of 1,833 were killed. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)

More broadly, they observed, Hurricane Katrina “threw into stark focus the deep racial and socio-economic disparities across various sectors, including environmental justice, systemic housing inequality, and disaster response.”
The bishops pointed out that “some of the most catastrophic damage occurred in neighborhoods like the Ninth Ward, a predominantly Black neighborhood, which was under so much water that many of the residents had to take refuge in their attics and on their rooftops to avoid the rising tides.
“Today, we pray with those who still suffer from the loss of family and friends and whose very identities were affected,” said the bishops.
They also noted that the storm resulted in “the loss of irreplaceable items handed down through generations such as photos, videos, diaries, genealogical records, documents, and other mementos that are an essential means of sharing a person’s existence, history, and culture.”
In addition, said the bishops, “many residents were unable to return home because gentrification caused their former neighborhoods to become unaffordable.
“Disparities, rooted in historical and structural racism, intensified the suffering of many Black residents,” they said.
The hurricane and the response missteps “revealed the fragility of our cities to natural disasters and the reality of poverty among the most vulnerable in our country,” the bishops noted.
Bishop Campbell and Bishop Perry extolled the “powerful witness of the Catholic Church” that countered the “inadequate governmental response” to Katrina, citing the work of Catholic Charities USA and its local agencies, the USCCB’s Catholic Campaign for Human Development and Catholic Home Missions Appeal, the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Knights of Columbus.
The two bishops stressed the “dire need for equitable investments in climate resilience and preparedness,” amid storms intensified by climate change.
“Katrina revealed how quickly entire communities can be overlooked, their cultures erased as neighborhoods vanished – taking with it cherished cultural spaces and historic landmarks,” said Bishop Campbell and Bishop Perry.
They added that two decades later, “many still struggle to rebuild intangible bonds,” with “ongoing mental and physical injuries” still evident today, while the “gap between the wealthy and poor continues to grow.”
Concluding their statement, Bishop Campbell and Bishop Perry said, “Let us join together, as one community, responding to the call to be leaven for the world. As church, let us be a lifeboat in the flood waters of injustice.”

Minneapolis pastor recalls heroism amid tragedy at school Mass shooting

By Joe Ruff and Josh McGovern
MINNEAPOLIS (OSV News) – For the first time since the Aug. 27 attack by a shooter who killed two children and wounded at least 21 more victims at an all-school Mass where he was presiding at Annunciation Catholic Church, Father Dennis Zehren publicly described his attempt to save the children.
“If I could have got between those bullets and the kids,” Father Zehren said, his voice breaking with emotion at an Aug. 30 news conference outside Annunciation elementary school.
“That’s what I was hoping to do. … the doors were barred, shut on the outside by the gunman,” said Father Zehren, Annunciation’s pastor. “We tried to get out. I think some of the fathers would have gone out there and gang-rushed him if they could have, and I would have been right there with them.
“But I think by that time, the damage was done,” and the shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Father Zehren said.

Father Dennis Zehren, pastor of Annunciation Church in Minneapolis, becomes emotional as he speaks to the media Aug. 30, 2025, about the recent shooting at the church. The shooter opened fire with a rifle through the windows of the church and struck children attending Mass Aug. 27 during the first week of school, killing two and wounding at least 21 others. (OSV News photo/Tim Evans, Reuters)

“It’s a difficult memory,” Father Zehren said. “It just was loud (the gunshots). It just kept coming, and my first instinct was to just rush toward where the bullets were coming from. There were some fathers who were heading in the same direction, and I was on the phone with 911 just hoping to peek out the window to see which direction (the shooter) might be going in. So I could give them some help. But it was a flurry, and like I said, it seemed to keep coming.”
The news conference took place before the first parish Mass – held at the Annunciation Catholic School’s auditorium instead of the now-desecrated church – since the shooting. The school is steps away from the church.
Identified as Robin Westman, the suspected shooter was a former Annunciation student, then known as Robert Westman, whose mother had been previously employed by the school. Westman fired from three guns through Annunciation’s stained-glass windows around 8:30 a.m. during the first all-school Mass of the PreK-to-eighth-grade school’s academic year. Westman died by suicide in the parking lot.
Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis joined Father Zehren at the news conference, at one point placing his hand on the priest’s shoulder in support. The archbishop concelebrated the Mass that followed.
The archbishop and Father Zehren opened the news conference describing the importance of the Mass to the Catholic faith. The fact that Annunciation parish would hold a public Mass so soon after the church shooting might surprise some, the archbishop said.
“And yet it’s so important for us in our Catholic tradition for Masses, where we most experience God’s presence and God’s love,” Archbishop Hebda said. “And it’s the place where we come together to be a community.”
Father Zehren said the Mass is what the parish community needs.
“This is why we’re here,” he said. “They just want to be together. They want to pray. They want to help and do anything they can.
“Mass is the heart of what we do,” Father Zehren said. “The Mass is not just a worship service. Because we recognize that as Catholics … we enter into the paschal mystery of Jesus.”
That mystery is presented to the community each time a Mass is celebrated, the priest said.
“Whenever we gather at Mass, we are re-presented with Jesus … at the Last Supper. We are presented with his suffering … with his dying, and … with his rising from the dead,” Father Zehren said.
Asked about the impact of the church attack occurring during a Mass, Father Zehren said he would be “reflecting on that for the rest of my life.”
“I will never be able to unsee,” Father Zehren said. “But in addition to the sorrow and the terror, we know that Jesus was there with us. … Jesus comes to the depths of what we are going through. That’s where he brings the healing and the salvation for whatever we go through.”
Attending the Mass with his family was Sean O’Brien, an Annunciation alumnus and parent who said he was at the Aug. 27 Mass in the back of the church with his 2-year-old daughter, Molly, when shots rang out. His son Emmett, an Annunciation preschooler, was in the basement. His other children, fourth-grader Conor and first-grader Finley, were sitting with their classmates.
“I saw a shaft of light going through the window and that’s when I knew we were being attacked,” O’Brien said.
“I grabbed my daughter, and we went behind a pillar. … When the shooting stopped, we said, ‘OK, who needs help?’ And we did what we could.’”
O’Brien, 37, said he rushed to an injured student and remained there until the police came.
“There were people taking action that were motivated by the love they felt for the people around them, from the very moment things started,” he said. “And that’s only going to continue and get stronger.”
Sean’s wife, Mallory, said she learned that Finley was with her eighth-grade buddy, in a school tradition where older students accompany younger students to school Masses.
“They held hands all the way to the school” as students were evacuated, Mallory O’Brien said.
The O’Briens expressed gratitude that no one in their family was injured. And with service and community in mind, they are helping others where they can.

Parishioners arrive for the first Mass at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis Aug. 30, 2025, following a deadly shooting at the adjacent church Aug. 27. The shooter opened fire with a rifle through the windows of the church and struck children attending Mass during the first week of school, killing two and wounding 21 others. (OSV News photo/Tim Evans, Reuters)

“We’ve really been getting together all week ever since Wednesday (Aug. 27),” Sean O’Brien said after the Mass. “The best thing for us has been to be together with the people that we love in this parish and in this community. … To be here, to be together again, really means a lot. There’s no place we’d rather be.”
At Mass in the school’s auditorium the following day, Father Zehren talked about the immense help parishioners and neighbors, community responders and others have provided one another. He compared it to the book of Exodus passage in which Moses lifted his arms and hands in prayer, and when he wearied, the Israelites fell back in battle. When Moses held up his arms, they prospered in the fight.
“That’s what we’ve been experiencing in so many ways around here. All of you. All of our neighbors, all of our community, police, first responders, they’ve been a rock underneath us,” he said Aug. 31. “And they will continue to be a rock for us. There (are) so many people who will be continuing to hold up our hands in prayer.”

(Joe Ruff is editor-in-chief and Josh McGovern is a reporter for The Catholic Spirit, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.)

Annunciation Church to be reconsecrated before Mass there resumes

By Maria Wiering
ST. PAUL (OSV News) – Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis will be reconsecrated before it again holds Mass after an Aug. 27 shooting during a Mass for schoolchildren left two children dead and 18 other victims wounded.
“The church does make provision” for reconsecrating a church building after a desecration, Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda told OSV News Aug. 28. “I’ve never had to do that, but I think it will be an important time. Here, where the church is still a crime scene and where there’s been substantial destruction, I think it’s probably going to be a while before we’re able to do that.”
While there are other places on the campus of Annunciation Catholic Church and Annunciation Catholic School that could hold Mass in the interim, “my understanding is that the church’s tradition is that no Mass or sacrament would be celebrated in there until there is that rite of reconsecration,” Archbishop Hebda said.

A young woman walks past a memorial outside Annunciation Church in Minneapolis Aug. 30, 2025, which is a home to an elementary school and was the scene of a shooting. The shooter opened fire with a rifle through the windows of the school’s church and struck children attending Mass Aug. 27 during the first week of school, killing two and wounding 18 others. (OSV News photo/Tim Evans, Reuters)

Canon No. 1211 in the church’s law states, “Sacred places are violated by gravely injurious actions done in them with scandal to the faithful, actions which, in the judgment of the local ordinary, are so grave and contrary to the holiness of the place that it is not permitted to carry on worship in them until the damage is repaired by a penitential rite according to the norm of the liturgical books.”
“I’m grateful that I will have that privilege of doing that at some point,” Archbishop Hebda said, speaking at the archdiocesan headquarters in St. Paul. “The church has such wisdom even about human nature and the human person, and even to have a ritual that would help people in that time of need, I think, is very significant.
“You hope that it will be an opportunity, whenever that occurs, for some healing,” he added, noting that he will work with Annunciation’s pastor, Father Dennis Zehren, on appropriate timing for the ritual. “It would be a priority for me, as I know it is for him.”
A former student at the school whose mother also previously worked there, the shooter, identified as Robin Westman, fired from three guns through Annunciation’s stained-glass windows around 8:30 a.m. during Annunciation Catholic School’s first all-school Mass of the PreK-to-eighth-grade school’s academic year. Westman died by suicide in the parking lot.
Investigators are working through a hate-riddled online manifesto posted by the shooter and other evidence to determine a clear motive for the violence and why Annunciation was targeted.
Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10, were killed in their pews. Other victims, including 15 children and three adults in their 80s, were taken to nearby hospitals, including Hennepin County Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma center.
An extensive, spontaneous memorial of flowers, gifts and messages outside of the church includes tributes to Merkel and Moyski, as well as prayers for those injured and the school’s families.
Archbishop Hebda visited the school Aug. 27 and has since presided at several prayer services for the victims and the mourning community.
Annunciation Catholic Church was founded in 1922. Its parish school was founded by Dominican sisters the following year. The present church building was completed in 1962.

Fletcher loved his family, Harper was a ‘joyful’ big sister: Annunciation victims mourned

(OSV News) – Eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel “loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking and any sport that he was allowed to play.” Ten-year-old Harper Moyski was a “joyful” big sister, who was “bright” and “deeply loved.”
The parents of both children confirmed as victims of the Aug. 27 shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church issued their first statements in the aftermath, mourning the loss of their children.
Jesse Merkel, Fletcher’s father, said the hole left in his family’s hearts by his son’s death will never be filled, during an Aug. 28 press conference outside Annunciation School in Minneapolis.
In his remarks, Jesse Merkel said they would never be allowed to “watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming.”

Harper Moyski, 10, and Fletcher Merkel, 8, killed Aug. 27 in a shooting during a school Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minn., are pictured in this undated photo. (OSV News photo/courtesy Moyski-Flavin and Merkel family)

He also noted prayers for the family of Harper Moyski and of the other people affected by the shooting, and expressed gratitude for “the swift and heroic actions of children and adults alike” inside the church.
“We ask not for your sympathy, but your empathy as our family and our Annunciation community grieve and try to make sense of such a senseless act of violence,” Merkel said. “Please remember Fletcher for the person he was, and not the act that ended his life.”
Harper was a “bright, joyful, and deeply loved 10-year-old whose laughter, kindness, and spirit touched everyone,” her parents, Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin, said in a statement issued Aug. 28.
“Our hearts are broken not only as parents, but also for Harper’s sister, who adored her big sister and is grieving an unimaginable loss. As a family, we are shattered,” they said.
“While our immediate focus is on Harper and our family’s healing, we also believe it is important that her memory fuels action. No family should ever have to endure this kind of pain. We urge our leaders and communities to take meaningful steps to address gun violence and the mental health crisis in this country,” they continued.
“Harper’s light will always shine through us, and we hope her memory inspires others to work toward a safer, more compassionate world.”
Choking back tears, Fletcher’s father pleaded: “Give your kids an extra hug and kiss today.”
He said, “We love you, Fletcher, and you’ll always be with us.”

Amid ‘reverse migration,’ sisters in Mexico accompany migrants trapped by US policies

By Rhina Guidos
MEXICO CITY (OSV News) – It is difficult to know how many have passed by the mural at the shelter run by the Josephine sisters in Mexico City and shared the sentiment written on the wall: “Dreams travel on a train without fear of crossing borders.”
One of the dreams likely shared by the thousands who have passed through CAFEMIN, the sisters’ shelter for migrant women and families, is to get to the United States. It’s something some of them want so badly that it leads them to believe that U.S. President Donald Trump will change his mind about migrants and his policy toward them and let them into the country, said Sister María Magdalena Silva Rentería.
“I don’t think we’ll see that miracle, but we have to continue accompanying them because they have that hope,” Sister María Magdalena, the shelter’s executive director, told Global Sisters Report.
Along with other sisters and a team of collaborators, Sister María Magdalena accompanies and advocates for migrants traveling through the country, which used to be the last stop en route to the ultimate destination: the U.S.
But their mission has become much more difficult since Trump took office for a second term earlier this year, dismantling not only the legal paths many used to enter the U.S., but also cutting humanitarian aid for migrants.
“January 20 marks a whole new paradigm for the migrant world,” Sister María Magdalena said of the day Trump began his second term.
It affected not only migrants who were unable to move forward, but also those who help them, and it has been profound, Sister María Magdalena said.

Jesús Ricardo Rojas Romero, from Venezuela, sits with Mario Monroy, center, and Yesenia, also from Venezuela, in a migrant camp in Mexico City April 1, 2025. Monroy, outreach coordinator for CAFEMIN, a shelter for women and families, listens to the needs and now-shattered dreams of migrants who wanted to go north to the U.S. and now cannot go south, back to their country of origin, because of Mexico’s restrictions on migrants’ movements and their ability to work. (OSV News photo/Rhina Guidos, Global Sisters Report)

UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, announced in April the closure of four offices in Mexico after the Trump administration cut 60% of its budget; the International Organization for Migration also announced layoffs in the country due to cuts; and the U.S. Agency for International Development, which helped finance medical and psychological assistance for migrants, was effectively eliminated July 1.
Some of those organizations provided trained staff to help migrants suffering from exploitation, physical and sexual abuse, and those fighting human trafficking and other forms of violence, Sister María Magdalena said. Some helped migrants return safely to their home countries when they were deported, while others helped them find alternative places of refuge when they could not return.
Aid organizations’ absence has left places like CAFEMIN scrambling to meet needs that go beyond food, shelter and companionship provided by the sisters and other religious ministries.
In addition, in places like Mexico, a new phenomenon has emerged called “reverse migration,” referring to “migrants (who) abandon their journey to the U.S.-Mexico border and begin traveling south,” back to their country of origin, the Niskanen Center said in a report published in April.
Public information on the new flow of migrants is scarce, says the center, since many countries have not released figures on the number of people returning, but the phenomenon is evident in places such as CAFEMIN and a nearby migrant camp along the railroad tracks. That’s where Mario Monroy, outreach coordinator for CAFEMIN, listens to the needs and now-shattered dreams of those who cannot go north or south.
“We would already be there” in the U.S., said a young woman in the camp, who identified herself as Yesenia, a native of Venezuela, whose mother had secured an appointment through the CBP One app, which disappeared on Jan. 20.
The mobile tool was used during President Joe Biden’s administration to secure an appointment at U.S. ports of entry to start the asylum application process. Thousands of Venezuelans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans used it to enter the country safely while seeking refuge from political, economic and other problems in their home countries. But, like the flow of migrants, the app took a turn at the start of Trump’s new term and was renamed CBP Home, urging those who had used it to return to their countries.
Jesús Ricardo Rojas Romero, another Venezuelan from the camp, said he did not have the opportunity to present his case because he was never offered an appointment. And now, along with other migrants, he is stuck in Mexico City due to Mexico’s restrictions, which limit migrants’ movements and their ability to work.
In an attempt to appease the Trump administration and avoid increased tariffs, the Mexican government has cracked down on migrants trying to advance toward the U.S. border.
Authorities have rounded up groups of migrants in various parts of the country, even using military help to prevent them from heading north, Sister María Magdalena said. Unable to work or move, some migrants play music, ask for alms, sell food – anything to survive the day.
Monroy said he tells those new to working with migrants that the mission involves facing the cruelest side of humanity.
“Cruelty has shaped experiences and bodies. I tell the team that works with me that to face that human cruelty, you need to do it with kindness” toward the migrants, he said.
Monroy, who was injured while trying to protect migrants as authorities advanced with physical force toward a caravan, said he knows exactly who he’s defending – as do women religious like Sister María Magdalena who say they will not abandon the migrants, even if conditions worsen.
“Consecrated life will remain” with the migrants, Sister María Magdalena said. “They are the ones who will hold on no matter what happens, but this is bad,” she said.
Monroy said he once asked a sister at the shelter how she knew God existed, and she replied that she knew because God is love and she constantly sees acts of love in her ministry.
Monroy said that made him feel sorry for those in the U.S. who miss the opportunity to experience God in those acts of love found in serving those others don’t care about.
“She told me that God is an act of love and that in the end we will be judged by how much we love,” he said. “I would say to society in the United States that they are missing a great opportunity to love, they are missing a great opportunity to know God, because these people cling so much to life. They travel thousands of miles, country after country, looking to survive. They are not a burden,” he added.
It is true that there are obstacles that seem insurmountable, said Sister María Magdalena, who added that “the dream of reaching the United States is an impossible dream” at the moment.
But she believes in the wisdom of the people making that journey, and says it’s enough that they know why they made the decision to leave home.
Because of the environment of scarcity, those who accompany migrants will now face challenges that may lead them to discover new methods of helping that do not depend on the help of richer countries, she said.
“I say, then, bless Donald Trump for putting us in our place and making us see that we will have to address the issue of the sustainability of shelters so that we are not smacked by these situations,” she said, adding: “This is a complete change.”

Briefs

Gena Heraty, a longtime Irish missionary in Haiti pictured with a child in a 2012 photo, has been freed after nearly a month of captivity, the news agency Agenzia Fides confirmed Sept. 1, 2025. Heraty was among several people – including a 3-year-old child – taken in the early hours of Aug. 3 after gunmen breached the Saint-Hélène orphanage in Kenscoff, near Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince. (OSV News photo/courtesy NPH International)

NATION
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. (OSV News) – Law enforcement officials arrested an Alabama man after he allegedly made criminal threats against an Orange County church, and a cache of ammunition and body armor was found in his vehicle, authorities said Sept. 2. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said its investigators were contacted Aug. 28 by a priest “regarding suspicious, threatening emails” sent to the Norbertine order’s St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado Canyon. They said the suspect, Joshua Michael Richardson, 38, an Alabama resident, “first sent emails that were interpreted as threatening,” before visiting the church “in person and made additional threats.” The Diocese of Orange did not immediately respond to a request for comment from OSV News. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said its investigators and deputies “quickly located and detained Richardson for criminal threats,” and that they subsequently found body armor, high-capacity magazines, brass knuckles, and knives after searching his vehicle. “We are grateful to the authorities for their quick action in ensuring the safety of our parish community,” said Jarryd Gonzales, head of communications for the Catholic Diocese of Orange. Noting the recent mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic church, he added, “Our parishes and schools continue to strengthen security efforts.”

VATICAN
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV publicly called on the leaders of Sudan’s warring factions to negotiate an end to the violence and to ensure aid can reach desperate civilians. A day after sending a telegram of condolence for people who died when heavy rains triggered a landslide in a remote area of Sudan, the pope publicly called for peace and for prayers Sept. 3 at the end of his weekly general audience. “Dramatic news is coming from Sudan, particularly from Darfur,” Pope Leo said. “In el-Fasher many civilians are trapped in the city, victims of famine and violence. In Tarasin, a devastating landslide has caused numerous deaths, leaving behind pain and despair. And as if that weren’t enough, the spread of cholera is threatening hundreds of thousands of people who are already exhausted.” The pope called on “those in positions of responsibility and to the international community to ensure humanitarian corridors are open and to implement a coordinated response to stop this humanitarian catastrophe.”

WORLD
JERUSALEM (OSV News) – As the Israel-Hamas war nears the two-year mark, Catholic leaders have headed to Jerusalem, the Palestinian West Bank and Israel on a pastoral visit. The delegation is headed by Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, who serves as vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari, president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association-Pontifical Mission; and members of the Knights of Columbus, including Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly and Supreme Secretary John A. Marrella. In a Sept. 2 press release issued by CNEWA-Pontifical Missions, Msgr. Vaccari said the visit was meant to provide accompaniment and solidarity with those suffering from the war, sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 invasion of Israel. “The Gospel compels us to witness, to stand in solidarity with all those who suffer at the hands of terror, war and famine, to answer the question put to Jesus in the Gospel of St. Luke, ‘And who is my neighbor,’” said Msgr. Vaccari. “By visiting the church of Jerusalem, from which our faith has spread throughout the world, we hope to communicate to our suffering sisters and brothers of our unity in resolve and purpose in assisting them in their time of Golgotha, as we work together to seek justice and advance the cause of lasting peace.”
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (OSV News) – An Irish missionary held hostage in Haiti has been freed after nearly a month in captivity. Gena Heraty, who has served in Haiti for three decades, was taken on Aug. 3 when armed men stormed the Saint-Hélène orphanage near Port-au-Prince. Heraty and several others, including a 3-year-old child with disabilities, are now safe and receiving medical and psychological care. Agenzia Fides, a news branch of the Dicastery for Evangelization, confirmed the release Sept. 1. Heraty leads the orphanage, part of an international network serving vulnerable children across Latin America. Her family expressed “deep gratitude” for the global prayers and efforts that secured her release, while asking for privacy as she recovers. Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris had called for her immediate release, praising her lifelong dedication to Haiti’s poor when she was kidnapped. The abduction highlights the worsening crisis in Haiti, where gangs control most of the capital and millions face severe hunger. Church leaders warn that escalating violence is crippling ministry and humanitarian work. Between the beginning of April and the end of June, armed violence in Haiti has killed 1,520 people and injured 609 more, according to a new report on human rights in Haiti which was released on Aug. 1 by the U.N.nuclear-free future.

Calendar of Events

SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
DIOCESE – Cathedral of St. Peter, Prayer Service in Solidarity with Dreamers and Migrants, Thursday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. Details: Sister Amelia Breton at amelia.breton@jacksondiocese.org.
Cathedral of St. Peter, Remembrance Mass, Saturday, Sept. 20 at 10:30 a.m. Join us for a special Mass for those who have experienced the loss of a child from pregnancy through adulthood. Details: Debbie at debbie.tubertini@jacksondiocese.org.
Diocesan Young Adult Pilgrimage to St. Mary Basilica in Natchez, Nov. 8. Register by Nov. 1. Cost $25. Fee does not include transportation, meals or optional overnight stay. Details: https://jacksondiocese.flocknote.com/signup/222556 or email amelia.rizor@jacksondiocese.org.
FLOWOOD – St. Paul, “Mold and Make Me” Women’s Retreat, Oct. 17-19 at Our Lady of Hope Retreat Center. Join Father Anthony Quyet and discover how to see the finger of God in our everyday lives. Register by Sept. 21. Details: finance@spaulcc.org.
GREENWOOD – Locus Benedictus, “Healing From Abortion” 12 week program (begins Sept. 2), each Tuesday at 6 p.m. Details: to register call (662) 561-6018-1232 or email t.lambert0814@gmail.com.
GLUCKSTADT – St. Joseph, Millions of Monicas – Praying with confidence for our children, each Tuesday from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the church. Join with other mothers and grandmothers as we pray for our children’s faithful return to the church. Details: email millionsofmonicas@stjosephgluckstadt.com.
JACKSON – St. Richard, An Evening with Mary, Thursday, Oct. 16 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in Foley Hall. All ladies are invited for a special evening with speaker Kimberly Harkins on “My Year with Mary.” Details: RSVP by Oct, 10 to bulletin@saintrichard.com.

PARISH & YOUTH EVENTS
CLARKSDALE – St. Elizabeth, Parish Fair, Tuesday, Sept. 23 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Fun for all with spaghetti dinner and more! Details: church office (662) 624-4301.
FLOWOOD – St. Paul Early Learning Center, Annual Golf Tournament, Friday, Sept. 19, tee off at 1 p.m. at Bay Pointe Golf Club. Registration opens at 11 a.m. Details: register at https://bit.ly/3Jn4XlS or stpaullearningcenter@gmail.com.
JACKSON – St. Richard, Special Kids Golf Tournament, Thursday, Oct. 9 at Deerfield Golf Club in Canton. Details: visit https://saintrichard.com/specialkids for more information.
St. Richard, Cardinal Fest and Chili Cookoff, Saturday, Oct. 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the football field. Enjoy food, music, games, art and more! Details: purchase your tickets here https://bit.ly/StRCardinalFest2025.
MADISON – St. Francis, Parish Mission “Hope and Pilgrimage,” Oct. 26-27 from 5:30-7:45 p.m., with speaker and author Joan Watson. All are welcome. Please RSVP. Details: church office at (601) 856-5556.
OLIVE BRANCH – Queen of Peace, Golf Tournament, Sunday Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. at the Wedgewood Golf Club. Cost: $125/player. Details: Tim at (901) 515-8598.
Queen of Peace, Wild West Six Parish Roundup, Sunday, Sept. 28, begins will Mass at 3 p.m. followed by games, activities and wraps up with dinner at 6 p.m. Bring the whole posse! Details: church office (662) 895-5007.
Queen of Peace, Blood Drive, Sunday, Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Appointments encouraged. Walk-ins welcome. Visit www.donors.vitalant.org and use the code queenop or call Nina at (901) 518-6426.
SOUTHAVEN – Christ the King, Yard Sale, Sunday, Sept. 21 after 11 a.m. Mass. Stop by for a bargain!
SOUTHAVEN – Christ the King, Fall Festival, Saturday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Join us for food, games, music and more! Details: church office (662) 342-1073.