Updates

A campaign to send a hug

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By Sister Constance Veit, LSP
Summer is usually a lot of fun in our retirement homes. The elderly enjoy getting outdoors for picnics, gardening and community outings, especially when they include a stop for ice cream.

Sister Constance Veit, LSP

Not so this year! As summer wears on with no end to the pandemic in sight, the mandated social isolation is beginning to take a serious toll on our elderly residents.
In many of our homes, the residents have been living in forced isolation in their rooms since late March. Direct contact with family and friends has been forbidden for the last five months. While people from many walks of life have been incredibly generous in sending messages to our residents and helping us to provide for their physical needs, and we have been able to use technology to ensure screen contact between the elderly and their loved ones, screen time cannot fully replace person-to-person connections with loved ones and socialization with fellow residents.
The longer the pandemic lasts, the more concerned I am about the isolation of the elderly. It’s bad enough for our residents, but I can’t even begin to imagine how lonely it is for seniors who live by themselves, especially in rural areas and regions that lack adequate internet service – an estimated half of all Americans lack high-speed internet service at home – or for those unfamiliar with technologies many of us take for granted.
Since the beginning of the pandemic celebrities of all types have reached out online to lift our spirits and remind people that we are all in this together. “Alone together” has become a popular catch-phrase, but what about the 50 percent of Americans – including many seniors – who lack internet access and who are especially vulnerable to the scourge of loneliness?
I’m afraid that the marginalization of frail seniors could become the new normal. A recent study carried out by the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that both economic damages and loss of life from COVID-19 might best be limited by “a simple targeted policy that applies an aggressive lockdown on the oldest group and treats the rest of the population uniformly.”
The NBER working paper (May 2020) states that gains from “targeted policies” can be substantially increased by combining them with additional measures such as increasing the “social distance” between the oldest group and the rest of the population, reducing visits to older relatives and segregating the times when different demographic groups can go to grocery stores and pharmacies.
Such measures are referred to as a form of “protective custody” intended to protect the elderly.
After seeing our Residents suffer through five months of lockdown, concepts such as “targeted policies” and “protective custody” make me cringe. Surely our society can do better than this for our seniors!
Feeling the weight of these issues, I happened upon a recent tweet of Pope Francis. “The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that our societies have not organized enough to make room for the elderly, with just respect for their dignity and fragility. Where you don’t care for the elderly, there’s no future for the young,” he wrote.
And then I read our Holy Father’s message to young people on July 26, the feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus. He asked the young to perform “a gesture of tenderness towards the elderly, especially the loneliest, in their homes and residences, those who have not seen their loved ones for many months.”
“Dear young people,” he said, “each one of these elderly people is your grandparent! Do not leave them by themselves. Use the inventiveness of love, make telephone calls, video calls, send messages, listen to them and, where possible, in compliance with the healthcare rules, go to visit them too. Send them a hug.”
Taking up our Holy Father’s challenge, the Vatican has launched a campaign entitled “The elderly are your grandparents.” It invites young people to be inventive and do something concrete for older people who are vulnerable to loneliness. The campaign is associated with the hashtag #sendyourhug.
Let’s evaluate our own attitudes and behaviors during this difficult time, asking ourselves if we are sensitive to how our actions might adversely affect the wellbeing of others, and if we could do more to safely reach to the most vulnerable.
Let’s get inventive and find ways to make sure that our elders never feel marginalized or forgotten, no matter how long the pandemic lasts!

(Sister Constance Veit is the director of communications for the Little Sisters of the Poor.)

Saying goodbye to St. Francis was something Nosser never thought she would do

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(Editor’s note: re-printed with permition from The Vicksburg Post)
By Anna Kate Doiron The Vicksburg Post
VICKSBURG – “I couldn’t wait to tell people I worked at St. Francis. I don’t think I’ll ever say goodbye.”
After 41 years, Shelley Nosser is retiring from her job as a teacher at St. Francis Xavier and saying “goodbye.”
“I was home from college for spring break and applied for a teaching job at St. Francis. I didn’t go anywhere else. Sister Rosamond interviewed me and I ended up getting that job before I finished my senior year of college,” Nosser said. “What’s so funny is it was the fourth grade at St. Francis, and I am still in fourth grade.”
Shelley graduated from Vicksburg High School and later studied at the University of Southern Mississippi. The presence of prayer at St. Francis, she said, was the reason she was drawn to it and never wanted to leave.
“Number one, you feel the love when you walk in the door. I was in Heaven,” Nosser said. “I think when you can start a day off with God, with prayer, the day can’t get messed up too much.”
Out of the fear of safety for her mother due to COVID-19, Shelley decided to retire a few years earlier than intended.

VICKSBURG – Shelley Nosser decided recently to retire from teaching at St. Francis Xavier School after 41 years. (Photo by Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post)

“I just could not take that risk of bringing something home to her. Your family comes first,” Shelley said. “She’s an angel from Heaven. Anything good in me comes from her and daddy.”
This decision was not made lightly. Shelley reminisced on 41 “beautiful” years of teaching and how she began dreaming of becoming a teacher while playing school as a little girl. Her two older sisters were teachers as well.
Nosser’s impact on students did not stop in the classroom. Years later, as seniors from St. Aloysius made their final walk down the St. Francis hallway, or even as the children of former students approach fourth grade, those who had Ms. Nosser make a point to tell her about the effect she had on their lives when they were 10 years old.
St. Aloysius graduate Sam Andrews remembers her strong faith in God playing a big role in her success.
“At the end of the day, when you walked out of Ms. Nosser’s classroom, you left feeling better than when you got there. In my opinion, that’s why she’s been so successful,” Andrews said. “She took the time to listen to and understand each student.”
Other former students hear the news and beg her to stay so their child can have the same experience they did all those years ago. Teaching the children of former students has been one of the most enjoyable parts of her job.
“It’s so meaningful to them to think, ‘Oh my Mama had this lady. Oh she must be old,’” she said.
Nosser began working at St. Francis when the school was located on Cherry Street. Her classroom was next door to the second-grade classroom of Martha Amborn. Twelve years later, the school moved to Grove Street, and the two were assigned to fourth grade. They have been ‘joined at the hip’ ever since.
“She is my sister at heart. When you have a partner that you work with as well as we worked together, the kids are the ones that benefit from that,” Nosser said.
She said she woke up every day, excited to go to work.
“I was just so proud to be there. I couldn’t wait to tell people I worked at St. Francis,” she said.
She laughed as she talked about students’ infatuation with her trademark lipstick. Each day as lunch ended, she applied her lipstick.
“They loved to see the lipstick on the napkin, and when I would put my lipstick on, they knew it was time for recess,” she said.
Years later, she now has a collection of items given to her with lipstick or a pair of lips on them.
Nosser said that since making the decision to leave, it feels like part of her heart is missing. Days that were once filled with lesson plans and grading papers will now be filled with new activities. If she had it to do all over again, she still would go back to that day she interviewed with Rosamond.
“Once you see those beautiful little faces, it just falls into place. Knowing that you’re gonna be their leader, you’re gonna be the one to help them grow,” she said. “When they know you care and love them, the sky is the limit for what they will do. I don’t think I’ll ever say goodbye to that school.”

(Anna Kate Doiron is an intern writing for The Vicksburg Post and Vicksburg Living. She is a graduate of St. Aloysius and attends the University of Mississippi.)

Catholic Charities pandemic assistance totals nearly $400 million

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By Dennis Sadowski
CLEVELAND (CNS) – Scott Milliken has seen a lot of people come through the doors at the Father English Center’s food pantry during his years as CEO of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, but not like the numbers since the coronavirus pandemic hit in March.
“We are feeding more people than ever,” he said.
Whereby in a typical month before the pandemic the program served between 5,000 and 7,000 people, agency statistics showed, the numbers rose significantly in the spring. In April it was 11,000, in May 21,000 and in June 25,000.
In terms of quantity, the amount of food distributed between March and July totaled 940,000 pounds, far beyond a typical month before COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, arrived. Milliken estimated the food to be worth about $1.6 million.


Milliken said the agency has seen demand for short-term utility payment and rental assistance and other needs skyrocket by 60% a month from pre-COVID-19 times. Since March the agency has distributed $1.8 million – on average about $1,500 per household.
The agency leader doesn’t expect things to change any time soon, especially since the July 31 end of the temporary unemployment benefit of $600 per week that was included in legislation passed early in the federal response to the pandemic.
“The increase just on Monday (Aug. 3), the phone was just ringing off the hook of people who need services,” Milliken told Catholic News Service. “They’re worried about losing their homes. Their worried about feeding their families.”
The response in the Paterson Diocese is part of nearly $400 million in emergency aid and services that Catholic Charities agencies nationwide have provided since March in response to the pandemic-induced economic recession.
“There are a lot of food and housing-related issues being met,” Dominican Sister Donna Markham, CEO and president of Catholic Charities USA, said.
Information gathered over the last two weeks by the umbrella agency for U.S. Catholic Charities operations showed that the clients seeking assistance comprise a broader demographic than low-income and poor households that traditionally walk through the doors.
Sister Markham said that among the 50% to 70% increase in the number of clients are people from middle-class families who lost their jobs as the pandemic surged during the spring. “And they are trying to figure out how they are going to eat and pay their rent or mortgage,” she told CNS.
Similar requests are being made beyond Catholic Charities, Sister Markham added.
“The whole charitable sector is being stretched to the limit. How long can that be sustained without some significant government support?” she asked.
Some of the need has been met by corporate donors and small companies that have stepped in to provide food in particular.
Sister Markham said elsewhere corporations such as Golden West Food Group in California and the Idaho-based Albertsons grocery store chain have provided millions of dollars in food donations.
At Catholic Charities of San Antonio in Texas, requests for food jumped from between 300 and 400 families per week to an average of 3,500 per week from April through June, said Antonio Fernandez, the agency’s president and CEO.
“It’s just never-ending,” he told CNS Aug. 4.
Through Aug. 1, the operation had distributed 490,000 pounds of food, much of it donated from grocery stores and corporate partners, Fernandez said. Agency staff members are planning to distribute food to 5,000 people – another 70,000 pounds –Aug. 8.
Food is just one area that has seen a sharp rise in demand. Rising numbers of people have sought legal services, assistance with income tax filing, emergency shelter and counseling, Fernandez said. Overall, the added needs have cost slightly more than $10 million, according to agency statistics.
Elvira Ramirez, executive director of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Stockton, California, said the rising number of cases in the largely agricultural region the agency serves has led a burgeoning need among military veterans and working families who face losing their homes.
“They are coming from all different directions. It’s definitely because of COVID that existing problems are getting worse. And now it’s about working families who are getting behind and their ability to support their families,” Ramirez said.
“It’s mostly agricultural and restaurant workers and domestic workers. It’s people who were probably on the edge and living paycheck to paycheck,” she said.
The agency has received support from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as well as local foundations to meet the increased need. However, Ramirez wonders how long the funds will last as the pandemic resurges in California.
Despite the difficulties, the agency leaders are maintaining a positive attitude.
“I tell our folks, ‘Let’s not get overwhelmed. Let’s see how we can help,’” Ramirez said.
Milliken in New Jersey said he sees “light in the people” who provide assistance as well as those seeking help.
“The people that we’re serving, they know that people care. There’s light in people who are providing donations to use so we can do what we do. There’s light in the staff. They’re essential employees. Our staff is on the front lines feeding and helping people, putting their own lives at risk, too,” Milliken said.
“Everybody’s worried, but there’s light in the good people of the world. The history of Catholic Charities has shown we come together as people and as a church to help those who need help.”

Called by Name

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I hope you have enjoyed getting to know our seminarians over the past several issues of the Mississippi Catholic, we still have two more men to feature, starting with Will Foggo this week. Our seminarians are getting back to their academic commitments this month as they return to study at St. Joseph Seminary College and Notre Dame Seminary. St. Joseph is where most of our men start out their studies and then everyone goes to Notre Dame for their graduate work in Theology.

Father Nick Adam

But this summer our men were spread throughout the diocese engaging in pastoral work and getting to know priests around the area. This was one of the greatest gifts of the “Tour de Priest.” I was able to spend time with a few of our men as they engaged in a different part of their formation. I spent a good while in Starkville with Carlisle Beggerly and listened as he delivered a very impressive reflection in the context of evening prayer and did the same in Jackson with Andrew Bowden.

Prior to their return to the seminary, our seminarians and I gathered in Natchez for some time to build community amongst ourselves. I am so pleased with the men who are in formation for our diocese as I believe they are authentically seeking God’s will in their lives and only that. In my mind now the calendar turns over and I look to the future. Who is the next young man who wants to respond to the mysterious call the Lord has placed on his heart? That call that says: “you need to see if priesthood is for you, I want you to go and see.” I’m in the midst of scheduling out the rest of my year. I’ll be visiting schools in person and via Zoom/YouTube/WhateverElseINeedToUse and traveling to parishes and campuses around the diocese. But I could always use more help. The best thing you can do is pray for more vocations, but if you want to do one more thing, tell a young man you admire that they would make a good priest, and encourage them to get in touch with me. They can go to www.jacksonpriests.com to find out all they need to know and send me an email or give me a phone call.

We have six men in the seminary, and they are a great gift, let’s continue to call forth more men to consider this path, a path that leads to answers, a path that leads to challenge, a path that the Lord could be calling them to take.

Vocations Events

Friday, October 9, 2020 – First annual Homegrown Harvest Gala and Fundraiser (virtual)

Email nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org if interested in attending this event.

Calendar of events

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
MAGNOLIA St. James Mission, you are invited to embark on a journey towards faith and racial healing sometime in the first week of Sept. via Zoom meetings. It is an opportunity to further and deepen our desire to follow the way of Jesus. This program is not specifically Catholic. It is universal. All are welcome. The program is not about religion; it is about human dignity and respect. If you are interested, please call or email. Details: Chris Ingrassia (301) 266-0433, gracie_eddie@yahoo.com. Website is: https://justfaith.org/faith-and-racial-healing/.
NEW ORLEANS Charismatic Renewal of New Orleans (CCRNO). Speakers will be Deacon Larry and Andi Oney, internationally known speakers and authors. The theme is “The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory” and will focus on the call of the Lord to us now. The morning will include praise and worship, preaching and prayer. Registration is $25 per person. Special price for youth ages 18-30, $10. Register online at www.ccrno.org no later than Wednesday, Aug. 26, 12 p.m. On-site registration will be accepted. Masks and distancing will be observed. Details: Visit www.ccrno.org or call CCRNO at 504-828-1368 for more information.
VIRTUAL Department of Faith Formation Fall Faith Formation Virtual Series. The theme this year is “Rise!” Aug. 22 at 10 a.m. Roy Petitfils presents “Rise to Reality;” Aug. 24 at 10 a.m. Katie Prejean McGrady presents “Rise to the Journey;” and on Aug. 25 at 10 a.m. Deacon Art Miller presents “Rise to Hope.” Details: Contact Fran Lavelle at fran.lavelle@jacksondiocese.org or register at https://jacksondiocese.org/offices/faith-formation/.

PARISH, SCHOOL AND FAMILY EVENTS
CLARKSDALE Catholic Community of St. Elizabeth, Choosing Christ in the World/Lightworks, Tuesdays 12-1 p.m. (via parish Zoom) and ends Nov. 10. It is a program of prayer for spiritual growth based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola and designed to help you deepen your prayer life and your relationship with the Lord. Class size is limited to small group. Details: church office (662) 624-4301.
CLEVELAND Our Lady of Victories, Sunday School is planning to begin Sunday, Sept. 13. This year pre-registration is required to make sure all guidelines/procedures are met. If you prefer to teach at home, we will provide materials. Details: church office (662) 846-6273 or www.olvcleveland/contact to register.
GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph, Germanfest 2020 cancelled. After consultation with the diocese, conversations with Father Kevin and our Germanfest Chairperson Eric Price, and much prayer, we have made the very difficult decision to cancel Germanfest this year. Due to uncertainties surrounding the COVID pandemic, the escalating numbers of illness, and the necessity of close and sustained contact during preparations, as well as the need to protect our parishioners and our visitors, we feel it is the best decision we can make at this time.
JACKSON St. Richard, Coffee and Creed, Sundays at 9:15 a.m. in Glynn Hall. Please wear a mask. Details: church office (601) 366-2335.
MADISON Bishop’s Cup Golf Scramble will be on Tuesday, Sept. 1 at the Lake Caroline golf course. Details: Contact Julia Williams at 601-960-8481 or julia.williams@jacksondiocese.org. Visit https://one.bidpal.net/bishopscup2020/welcome for more information and to register.

YOUTH BRIEFS
MADISON St. Francis of Assisi, Youth programs are not cancelled, just delayed and coming back late Sept. with a different look. For now, the Life Teen YouTube channel offers several options for youth: Summit Teaching, for studying the upcoming Sunday readings in small groups of friends; Lectio Live, reflections on the Sunday readings and Here’s the Thing, Catholic takes on current happenings. Details: church office (601) 856-5556.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, JCYO (7th-8th grades, not 6th grade at this time), Scavenger Hunt Sunday, Aug. 23, 5:30-6:30 p.m. It will be teams of three hunting for … you have to come to find out. Water will be provided (no meals at this time). There will be prizes for the winners.
CYO (9th-12th grades), Wednesday, Aug. 19, 6-7 p.m. “Be Still” – this is something new in the Family Life Center. Pizza and drinks will be provided. It is not a class or program. Participating students will receive service hours. Sunday, Aug. 23, 7-8 p.m., Scavenger Hunt (see JCYO for description); Wednesday, Aug. 26, 6-7 p.m. (see above description); Sunday, Aug. 30, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Local Mission Work Camp was very fruitful this year to those who served and those who were served. We are pairing up with a few members of the Knights of Columbus and CYO parents to continue our mission work. Details: church office (601) 445-5616.

LIVE STREAMING
In person Masses are now open at many parishes within the Diocese of Jackson. Check with your local parish for details and follow guidelines in place for attendance.
Some parishes are still offering live streaming options via Facebook live and YouTube to bring Mass to the faithful.
The obligation to attend Mass continues to be dispensed, so if you do not feel safe attending, or have an underlying health condition, or feel sick, please stay home. Be safe and stay vigilant!

Meet William Foggo

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Will Foggo is entering his first year of seminary formation. He recently graduated from Mississippi State University.

William Foggo

Home parish: St. Paul, Flowood.

Background: I am from Brandon, MS. I grew up in Brandon and went to school at St. Richard in Jackson and St. Joe in Madison. I went to college at Mississippi State. I have lived my whole life in Mississippi.

What is your vocation story? Who influenced you and why?
I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school all the way through high school. I had never thought about becoming a priest. I first felt a desire for priesthood when I was a senior in high school. When I was in college, that desire grew. I began to notice signs that God may be calling me to priesthood. The feeling of a call to priesthood became so great that I couldn’t ignore it, so I decided to enter the seminary.

What draws you to diocesan priesthood? And to the Diocese of Jackson?
I like the idea of serving those who helped me to grow in my own faith. I want to bring Christ in a real way and minister to my friends and family.

What are your hobbies/interests?
I enjoy playing guitar and listening to music. I also enjoy camping, hiking and being outdoors. I also enjoy cooking, though I am not very good!

Who is your favorite saint and why?
I have many favorite saints, but I have always felt close to St. Joseph. He was a quiet, humble and compassionate man. He is my Confirmation saint and I have always been inspired by his quiet humility. He is a great example of a good, Catholic man.

Do you have a favorite devotion?
I really enjoy praying the rosary. I really like meditating on the mysteries of Christ’s life while asking Our Lady for her intercession. It is a very powerful prayer and spiritual weapon. I also love spending time with our Lord in Eucharistic adoration. I enjoy getting to pray face to face with our Lord.

What is something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I studied mechanical engineering at Mississippi State for three years.

Who is your favorite sports team? The New Orleans Saints.

What advice do you have for those discerning a vocation?
I would say to go to the Sacraments. Go to Reconciliation and Mass. Seek Jesus in the Eucharist. Pray the rosary and ask Our Lady for her intercession. Talk to a spiritual director or your parish priest. Speaking with someone else helps to see the path more clearly.

Where can people send you a personal note?
You can mail a note to St. Joseph’s Seminary College at 74576 River Rd. Covington, LA 70457.

Sacraments

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Mississippi Catholic will publish Sacrament pages in upcoming editions.
This means we need First Communion and Confirmation photos.
Due to COVID-19, we understand there may not be group shots,
so individual pictures are accepted.
email to: editor@jacksondiocese.org
Please include, full names, parish, date and name of sacrament celebration and name of photographer, if possible.

CLINTON – Holy Savior, First Communion, Wednesday, June 17. Front row, (l-r): Paige Galloway, Daniel Kieffer and Hunter Verret. Middle row, (l-r): Addie Threadgill and Piper Behan. Back row, (l-r): Nora Melancon, Father Thomas McGing and Dakota Bennett. (Photo by Charlie O’Clair)
MADISON – Chance Pittman celebrated his First Communion at St. Francis of Assisi on Saturday, July 25. (Photo by Steve Pittman)
NATCHEZ – (Above) St. Mary Basilica, Confirmation, Tuesday, July 14. Front row (l-r): Chase Kaiser, Ayden Rojo, Clayton Devening, Liam Blackburn, Mia Romero, Rose Schwager, Ryan Skates, Nathan Gaude and Lesley Martinez.
Back row (l-r): Parochial Vicar Father Mark Shoffner and Pastor Father Scott Thomas. (Photo courtesy of St. Mary Basilica)

Youth news

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Youth work camp at Cathedral school

NATCHEZ – On Monday and Tuesday, July 20 and 21, a group of CYO members and adult sponsors worked to beautify the Cathedral School flower beds and playground sites for the approaching opening of school.
Thirty-five youth along with nine adults did a fantastic job sprucing up the property. The youth engaged in multiple jobs throughout the week.

NATCHEZ – Jag Gilfoil and Ryan Carney work on the rose bushes in front of Seton Hall at Cathedral school.
Meredith Lessley trims the bushes near the Cathedral school gym.
CYO students pull weeds on the Cathedral elementary school playground.(Photos by Carrie Golden Lambert)

VBS is a treasure in Madison

On July 13, the first day of home Vacation Bible School, Emerson and Harper Schuhmann dig in to their treasure chests of materials for the week. (Photo by Abbey Schuhmann)
Presleigh and Harlee Kate Nassar are showing their Welcome Holy Spirit door hangers and treasure chest snack crafts on the last day of VBS. (Photo courtesy Nassar family)

Office of Education moves forward with back-to-school plans

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By Stephanie Brown
JACKSON – In recent weeks, many public-school districts have released their plans for returning to school in August. Some districts have even made the difficult decision to delay the start of school or provide only distance learning for the beginning of the year. After careful thought and consultation with healthcare officials and school administrators, schools in the Catholic Diocese of Jackson plan to move forward with the option of an in-person return for families. In making this decision, the Office of Education evaluated the feasibility of social distancing and other mitigation strategies in our schools. They also worked closely with local administrators to assess the individual circumstances of each community.
In addition to thorough research and planning for returning to school, administrators are also working with families who are not yet ready to return in-person. The Office of Education has taken many of the lessons learned from the term of virtual learning in the spring and believe they have made significant improvements in what the schools can offer in a virtual environment. These measures include fully licensed Zoom accounts for all of our classroom teachers as well as multiple training opportunities for all teachers on the Learning Management System offered through FACTS.
Even if a family is not prepared for a physical return to campus, they will still be included in the school community through virtual learning. Each of our Catholic school families provide unique gifts, talents and perspectives that help strengthen our school communities, and the diocese values the opportunity to serve all of them.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges for educational leaders in all schools, both public and private. All leaders must make the decisions that they believe are in the best interest of their school communities, and we must recognize that what is best for one community may not be best for others. With this in mind, the Office of Education has been working side-by-side with school administrators to determine the best course of action for each community. While the office has provided guidelines, school administrators know their communities best. All decisions regarding school re-opening plans have been made collaboratively with representatives from the Office of Education, the Diocesan Task Force, and local administrators.
At this point, the Office of Education believes offering an on-campus experience with the proper mitigation strategies in place is the best course of action for school communities. While there is no way to guarantee 100% protection, the diocese believes that their schools are well-prepared to welcome students in a safe, healthy, and caring environment. As with any decision or situation during our current reality, the diocese recognizes the need to revisit and reevaluate our decisions regularly. If the determine is made that alternative plans are needed for any of the diocese schools, the school administrator will share those plans with as quickly as possible.
“We cannot thank our families enough for their continued support and confidence in our schools’ ability to provide a high-quality educational experience. This responsibility is not one that we take lightly, and families can rest assured that our commitment to the well-being of community members is ongoing,” said Catherine Cook, superintendent of education.
If anyone has questions about a school’s plan for re-opening, please contact the school’s office. Additionally, COVID-19 Response page on the school section of the diocese website contains multiple resources for a safe and healthy return to school at https://schools.jacksondiocese.org.