Updates

Vatican reaffirms, clarifies church teachings on end-of-life care

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By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – With the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia in many countries, and questions concerning what is morally permissible regarding end-of-life care, the Vatican’s doctrinal office released a 25-page letter offering “a moral and practical clarification” on the care of vulnerable patients.
“The church is convinced of the necessity to reaffirm as definitive teaching that euthanasia is a crime against human life because, in this act, one chooses directly to cause the death of another innocent human being,” the document said.
Titled, “’Samaritanus bonus,’ on the Care of Persons in the Critical and Terminal Phases of Life,” the letter by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was approved by Pope Francis in June, and released to the public Sept. 22.
A new, “systematic pronouncement by the Holy See” was deemed necessary given a growing, global trend in legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide, and changing attitudes and rules that harm the dignity of vulnerable patients, Cardinal Luis Ladaria, congregation prefect, said at a Vatican news conference Sept. 22.
It was also necessary to reaffirm church teaching regarding the administration of the sacraments to and pastoral care of patients who expressly request a medical end to their life, he said.

A patient is pictured in a file photo chatting with a nun at Rosary Hill Home, a Dominican-run facility in Hawthorne, N.Y., that provides palliative care to people with incurable cancer and have financial need. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

“In order to receive absolution in the sacrament of penance, as well as with the anointing of the sick and the viaticum,” he said, the patients must demonstrate their intention to reverse their decision to end their life and to cancel their registration with any group appointed to grant their desire for euthanasia or assisted suicide.
In the letter’s section on “Pastoral discernment toward those who request euthanasia or assisted suicide,” it said a “priest could administer the sacraments to an unconscious person ‘sub condicione’ if, on the basis of some signal given by the patient beforehand, he can presume his or her repentance.”
The church’s ministers can still accompany patients who have made these end-of-life directives, it added, by showing “a willingness to listen and to help, together with a deeper explanation of the nature of the sacrament, in order to provide the opportunity to desire and choose the sacrament up to the last moment.”
It is important to carefully look for “adequate signs of conversion, so that the faithful can reasonably ask for the reception of the sacraments. To delay absolution is a medicinal act of the church, intended not to condemn, but to lead the sinner to conversion,” it said.
However, it added, “those who spiritually assist these persons should avoid any gesture, such as remaining until the euthanasia is performed, that could be interpreted as approval of this action.”
Chaplains, too, must show care “in the health care systems where euthanasia is practiced, for they must not give scandal by behaving in a manner that makes them complicit in the termination of human life,” the letter said.
Another warning in the letter regarded medical end-of-life protocols, such as “do not resuscitate orders” or “physician orders for life-sustaining treatment” and any of their variations.
These protocols “were initially thought of as instruments to avoid aggressive medical treatment in the terminal phases of life. Today, these protocols cause serious problems regarding the duty to protect the life of patients in the most critical stages of sickness,” it said.
On the one hand, it said, “medical staff feel increasingly bound by the self-determination expressed in patient declarations that deprive physicians of their freedom and duty to safeguard life even where they could do so.”
“On the other hand, in some health care settings, concerns have recently arisen about the widely reported abuse of such protocols viewed in a euthanistic perspective with the result that neither patients nor families are consulted in final decisions about care,” it said.
“This happens above all in the countries where, with the legalization of euthanasia, wide margins of ambiguity are left open in end-of-life law regarding the meaning of obligations to provide care.”
The church, however, “is obliged to intervene in order to exclude once again all ambiguity in the teaching of the magisterium concerning euthanasia and assisted suicide, even where these practices have been legalized,” it said.
Euthanasia involves “an action or an omission which of itself or by intention causes death, in order that all pain may in this way be eliminated.”
Its definition depends on “the intention of the will and in the methods used,” it added.
The letter reaffirmed that “any formal or immediate material cooperation in such an act is a grave sin against human life,” making euthanasia “an act of homicide that no end can justify and that does not tolerate any form of complicity or active or passive collaboration.”
For that reason, “those who approve laws of euthanasia and assisted suicide, therefore, become accomplices of a grave sin that others will execute. They are also guilty of scandal because by such laws they contribute to the distortion of conscience, even among the faithful.”
The letter also underlined a patient’s right to decline aggressive medical treatment and “die with the greatest possible serenity and with one’s proper human and Christian dignity intact” when approaching the natural end of life.
“The renunciation of treatments that would only provide a precarious and painful prolongation of life can also mean respect for the will of the dying person as expressed in advanced directives for treatment, excluding however every act of a euthanistic or suicidal nature,” it said.
However, it also underlined the rights of physicians as never being “a mere executor of the will of patients or their legal representatives, but retains the right and obligation to withdraw at will from any course of action contrary to the moral good discerned by conscience.”
Other aspects of end-of-life care the letter detailed included: the obligation to provide basic care of nutrition and hydration; the need for holistic palliative care; support for families and hospice care; the required accompaniment and care for unborn and newly-born children diagnosed with a terminal disease; the use of “deep palliative sedation”; obligation of care for patients in a “vegetative state” or with minimal consciousness; and conscientious objection by health care workers.

‘Together Strong: Life Unites’ is theme of March for Life set for Jan. 29

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By Kurt Jensen
The Sept. 10 announcement of the theme for the March for Life – “Together Strong: Life Unites” – made it clear the annual national event, in some form, will proceed next Jan. 29.
But details of how the march, rally and pro-life conference, which together have drawn as many as 100,000 participants in past years, will cope with COVID-19 self-quarantine restrictions in the District of Columbia were not part of the announcement.
Asked on EWTN’s “Pro-Life Weekly” program that evening about whether people should start making plans, Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, said: “You know, everybody has to make that decision on their own. You know, considering their own situations, et cetera.”

WASHINGTON – Pictured left to right, Cole Turner, Isabelle Comfort, Maggie Henderson and Alexia Balderas of the Catholic Campus Ministry of Mississippi State at the 2020 March for Life event. March for Life is set to take place on Jan. 29, 2021 with the theme ‘Together Strong: Life Unites.’ (Photo courtesy of Meg Ferguson)

She added, “But I certainly would be (making plans), and I obviously will be there this year. I think that standing for life and standing for inherent human dignity of every life from conception to natural death is all the more important this year when there is so much unrest, so much division in our country. We need to show that we are stronger together and that love and life unite us. They make us stronger.”
In July, Mancini had said “we will continue to discern throughout this year what steps should be taken,” regarding pandemic restrictions.
Social distancing and masks aren’t the issue. Washington health authorities require a 14-day self-quarantine for visitors “participating in nonessential travel” from high-risk areas. The quarantine is adjusted every two weeks, and as of Sept. 8, was extended to visitors from 30 states.
That’s a particular obstacle for the many high school and college groups who arrive on long-distance bus rides which have, over the decades, become the pulse of the event.
“If D.C. is still requiring a two-week quarantine for out-of-state travelers, I don’t see a way for us to attend,” said Ed Konieczka, assistant director of university ministry at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. “We are taking care of the details that we can, and recognizing which things are out of our control.”
The university typically sends around 200 students and staff members to the march, and in 2018, some 20 students flanked President Donald Trump in the Rose Garden at the White House when he addressed the Mall rally on a video link. This past January, Trump addressed the rally in person, becoming the first president to do so.
The alternative to a Washington trip, Konieczka said, will be a rally that day in Bismarck. “We have been approached by the Diocese of Bismarck with a request to coordinate efforts to have the biggest March for Life event ever at our state capital. We have a shared vision for a large event, where any of our students unable to travel to D.C. will join with members of the diocese.”
Planners of state marches face the same uncertainty. “Right now with COVID and the restrictions, we are playing it by ear in Chicago,” said Denise Zabor, office manager for Illinois Right to Life.
March for Life has taken place in Washington every January since 1974. It’s always held on a date near the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 rulings, Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, which legalized abortion on demand.

Pro-life advocates gather outside the U.S. Supreme Court Jan. 27, 2017, during the annual March for Life in Washington. Officials with the March for Life organization in Washington announced Sept. 10, 2020, the theme for the 2021 national rally and march marking the Roe anniversary will be “Together Strong: Life Unites.” The event will take place in some form Jan. 29. (CNS photo/Leslie E. Kossoff)

“I believe it’s the rallying point for all of pro-life America,” said Dave Bereit, the founder of 40 Days for Life, who co-hosted the theme announcement with Mancini.
The announcement video included a cameo from Vice President Mike Pence, a longtime supporter of the March for Life, who said: “Stand for life. Because life is winning.”
On Sept. 3, the Trump campaign, in a letter to a coalition calling itself “Pro-Life Voices for Trump,” cited how the president has been “transforming the federal judiciary” by appointing federal judges and Supreme Court justices “who would not legislate an abortion agenda from the bench.”
The letter also promised to work for the passage of what’s called the “pain-capable” abortion ban, which has criminal penalties for abortions performed when an unborn child is in at least the 20th week of gestation; supporters of the measure cite scientific research showing a fetus at that stage can feel pain. Passage has been blocked by House Democrats and the threat of a Democratic filibuster in the Senate.
Trump also expressed support for the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act sponsored by Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, which would codify an end to federal funding for abortion such as that received by Planned Parenthood.

(Editor’s Note: The March for Life website, https://marchforlife.org, provides visitors to the site a way to sign up for updates on the Jan. 29 event.)

U.S. dioceses press ahead with ‘Moms in need’ initiative during pandemic

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By Ann Rodgers
LOS ANGELES – Jada Fortunato was single, 19 and working her way through college when she became pregnant.
Statistically, that scenario often ends in abortion. Fortunato expected to sacrifice college to support her child. She didn’t have to make that choice, however, because a family friend told her about Mercy House, a support center for struggling families in the Archdiocese of Newark.
“Everyone was welcoming there,” said Fortunato, now 21, of North Arlington, New Jersey, as 2-year-old Giovanni babbled in the background. “When I was pregnant, I received assistance with food. And once I had the baby, I received a lot of help. I was getting formula, I was getting diapers, wipes, a car seat and one of those bouncy seats. I would definitely have struggled without their assistance.”

This logo is included in the materials for “Walking With Moms in Need: A Year of Service” from March 25, 2020, through March 25, 2021. The U.S. bishops are inviting the parishes in their dioceses to join in this national initiative, which Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said intensifies the church’s long-standing pastoral response to “the needs of women facing pregnancies in challenging circumstances.” (CNS photo/USCCB)

She was fortunate that someone in her circle told her where to find help. Because that connection is missing for many women with crisis pregnancies, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) created “Walking with Moms in Need: A Year of Service.”
The initiative calls for parishes to inventory local resources for pregnant women and young families, reach out in friendship to those who are marginalized, identify unmet needs, create solutions, and make sure parishioners know where to direct women and families in need.
“It’s the sort of thing everyone can get behind because it’s something that unites us,” said Kat Talalas, assistant director of pro-life communications at the bishops’ conference. “We love all people, we care for the vulnerable. It brings people together and helps us focus on something really important, regardless of where you fall on the spectrum of personal ideology.”
“Walking with Moms” was slated to launch March 25, the 25th anniversary of St. Pope John Paul II’s pro-life encyclical, “Evangelium Vitae” (“The Gospel of Life”).
The timing, it seems, could not have been worse. That month, much of the country went into lockdown due to the coronavirus. Parish activities shut down.
Some dioceses forged ahead, gathering information remotely. Others modified the initiative and many have suspended it until parishes are ready to move forward.
That’s all fine, because “Walking with Moms” was always intended to adapt to local situations, Talalas said. The secretariat of Pro-Life Activities has continued offering support, such as a COVID-related implementation webinar.
In the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Bishop David Walkowiak had just launched Walking with Moms when COVID struck.
“He sent the letter encouraging the priests to get involved and then everything — well, there was no follow up,” said D.J. Florian, director of the diocesan Office of Pastoral Services.
Next month, the diocese plans to pick up where it left off.
“October is a great time, with Respect Life Month already on the books,” he said.
For Charlene Bearden, coordinator of the Office of Family Ministry in the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, “Walking with Moms” answered her prayer for a ministry that would protect unborn children while supporting their mothers and families. A former corporate project manager with information technology skills, by February she had mapped a plan out for the diocese, customizable for each parish. Bishop Joseph Kopacz provided strong leadership.
“He is involved every step of the way. It makes a grand difference,” she said.
When COVID struck, Bearden worked from home on “Walking with Moms.” She sought intercession from Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, a champion of social justice who Bearden had known, and compiled a 76-page resource on available social services.
She is updating it and will soon survey all parishes about their ability to move forward.
“I was never tempted not to continue with this project,” she said. “I just had this passion that it was something that had to be done and it was more necessary now than ever. What is a pregnant woman thinking now, when a lot of pregnancy care places suspended their services? They are really in need and where can they go?”
In the Diocese of Pittsburgh, where Catholic Charities runs “Walking with Moms,” information-gathering also continued during lockdown, with help from a summer intern. Volunteers will continue the work.
“It meets a great need,” said Marion Ahlers, director of marketing and communications.
“It’s not difficult work and the payout — this may sound cliché, but the payout is eternal. It’s 15 minutes on the phone to understand what’s available, what services can be provided. It’s about getting information to people when they need it. And that’s huge.”
In addition to helping women and families, the inventory is helping Catholic Charities to identify unmet needs across the six-county diocese. “There isn’t a complete or consistent breadth of services across our region. We want to understand where the deficits are,” she said.
It is also strengthening the bond between Catholic Charities and parishes as parish leaders learn about the wide array of services the agency provides to anyone in need, she said.
In the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Gina Vides, the parish engagement strategist for the Office of Life, Justice and Peace, has seen the need for grassroots networking.
A few years ago, Vides discovered that a large parish with a robust pro-life ministry was unaware of a stellar crisis-pregnancy center just down the road. The parish had been so busy with its own activities that it took no notice.
“Networking is so important and ‘Moms in Need’ pushes for it,” she said.
After pursuing networking in Los Angeles for years, she has advice for others.
While the inventory of social services must be far broader than crisis-pregnancy centers, it’s essential to listen to the directors of those centers. Their insights are so valuable that the Office for Life, Justice and Peace meets with them quarterly, Vides said. The pregnancy center directors emphasize that pregnancy itself usually isn’t the main problem.
For instance, the majority of women who have abortions in California already have children. Their biggest concern is how to care for them.
“Some women are afraid to lose their jobs,” she said. “Single women with children have one or two jobs and you’re afraid to tell your boss that you’re pregnant. You need to understand that you have rights in the workplace.”
A woman with a crisis pregnancy “needs more than counseling. She needs wrap-around services for herself, her unborn child, and any other children that she has,” Vides said.
Many programs that help pregnant women don’t carry the “pro-life” label, she said. The St. Vincent de Paul Society, which is active in many parishes, is a prime example.
“If you think of ‘Moms in Need’ and you’re not thinking of St. Vincent de Paul, then let’s promote them,” Vides said. “They regularly assist families with rent, clothes, shoes, beds, cribs. If you need diapers or milk, you call St. Vincent de Paul.”
In the Archdiocese of Newark, where Fortunato received help through Mercy House, Cheryl Riley had just taken a call from a woman who was contemplating an abortion due to economic stress.
“That’s why Mercy House was founded. Finances should never be an excuse for an abortion in the Archdiocese of Newark,” said Riley, director of the archdiocesan Respect Life Office.
“They’re scared,” she said of the women who call. “How will I feed my baby? How will I get diapers? Sometimes they just need a package of wipes. That’s what we do.”
Mercy House will also step in with rental assistance and utilities. It provides bags of food, giving away 50 one day last week alone. If someone can’t get to Mercy House, Mercy House will send help to them. The staff also encourages parents — who typically aren’t married — to engage with a parish and have their babies baptized.
“Every parish knows that, if there is someone in need, they send them to us.”
Even as the lockdown lifts, Riley sees greater needs ahead. “We are going to see a lot of COVID babies,” she said.
While “Walking with Moms” is on pause in many dioceses, “COVID-19 has highlighted the great challenges for moms in need,” said Talalas, at the U.S. bishops’ conference.
“In many cases their situation got worse with the pandemic, at the same time that many agencies had to reduce services. There is an increase in demand for help and a greater need for parishes to coalesce around helping pregnant and parenting moms. We encourage parishes and dioceses and individuals to pick up the mantle for ‘Walking with Moms’ and make it a priority.”

Calendar of events

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SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

METAIRIE, La. Healing Mini-Conference, Nov. 13-14 at St. Angela Merici Church. Presenter: Sister Briege McKenna and is well-known for her ministry of praying for healing. She has authored a book entitled Miracles Do Happen, giving accounts of extraordinary healings she was witnessed. There will be three sessions: Friday night from 7-9:30 p.m.; Saturday morning 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Saturday night from 7-9:30 p.m. Cost: Adults – $15 per person per session; Youths (under 18) – $5 per person per session. Pre-registration is required. Because of social distancing, seating is limited to approximately 300. Details: www.ccrno.org, info@ccrno.org or (504) 828-1368.
NEW ORLEANS Our Lady of the Cenacle Retreat Center, Women’s Retreat, “Jesus the Christ: Wisdom, Beauty and Love in the Storm,” Oct. 23-25. The retreat begins with check-in from 3-6 p.m. on Friday and concludes after lunch on Sunday. Presenter: Sister Janet Franklin, a Sister of St. Joseph. She has been engaged in spirituality ministry for over 40 years. Cost: $350. Because of the special circumstances due to COVID-19, no deposit is required to register. Full payment will be collected upon arrival at the retreat center. Details: to register, contact Susan Halligan at (504) 267-9604 or https://www.neworleansretreats.org/retreats. If you need financial assistance, contact Kim Gandolfi at (504) 887-1420.
Our Lady of the Cenacle Retreat Center, Men’s Retreat – “Relying on Faith in Times of Struggle,” Oct. 30 – Nov. 1. The retreat begins with check-in at 3pm on Friday and concludes after lunch on Sunday. Presenters: Dr. Paul Ceasar and Darryl Ducote on finding hope and direction through insights from psychology and our beliefs. Because of the special circumstances due to COVID-19, no deposit is required to register. Full payment will be collected upon arrival at the retreat center. Details: to register, contact Susan Halligan at (504) 267-9604 or https://www.neworleansretreats.org/retreats. If you need financial assistance, contact Kim Gandolfi at (504) 887-1420.

PARISH, SCHOOL AND FAMILY EVENTS

CLARKSDALE St. Elizabeth, Trunk or Treat and Canned Food Drive, Sunday, Oct. 25 at 5 p.m. in the parking lot. All are welcome. Come dressed in your fun costumes and bring some canned food for the Clarksdale Care Station. Details: (662) 624-4301.
JACKSON St. Richard, Coffee & Creed meets on Sunday mornings at 9:15 a.m. in Glynn Hall. They are currently doing a retreat series from Archbishop Fulton Sheen. Please remember to wear a mask. Details: church office (601) 366-2335.
MERIDIAN Catholic Community of St. Joseph and St. Patrick, Due to COVID-19 and current safety guidelines, St. Joseph’s October fest is cancelled. We look forward to seeing everyone next year on the first Saturday of Oct. in 2021. Details: (662) 693-1321.
NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, to mark both Respect Life Month and to honor Mary’s request, Rosary for Life will be in the Basilica Prayer Garden across from the Family Life Center, Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 5:15 p.m. We will pray the rosary with special prayer intentions for the protection of life. In case of inclement weather, the rosary will be held in the Basilica. Details: church office (601) 445-5616.
St. Mary Basilica, Period of Inquiry: Getting Acquainted. They will meet on Thursdays, Oct. 15: Jesus Christ: True God and True Man; Oct. 22: Jesus Christ: Redeemer and Savior; Oct. 29 – The Holy Spirit; and Nov. 5 – Church: Nature and Mission. Individuals who seek to know more about the church are called inquirers. In many cases, they have been attracted to the church by a Catholic friend or spouse whose life has witnessed to the love, generosity and peace of Jesus. Details: church office (601) 445-5616.

YOUTH BRIEFS

GREENVILLE St. Joseph, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is back Sundays 9:15-10:15 a.m. in the CGS room in the parish hall. Class is for children 3-6 years old. Details: (662) 335-5251.
JACKSON Sister Thea Bowman School, 14th Annual Draw Down (done virtually), Saturday, Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m. Cost: $100 and optional second chance insurance for $20 per ticket. Grand prize: $5000. Proceeds will be used for instructional materials and operational expenses. Details: contact Shae Goodman-Robinson at (601) 352-5441 or principal@theabowmanschool.com for more information or to purchase a ticket.
MERIDIAN St. Patrick, the Youth Group (6th-12th Grades) meets every 2nd and 4th Sunday at 4 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Details: Angela Dove at (601) 693-1321 Ext 8 or angela@catholicmeridian.org.
St. Patrick School, The Parent School Association (PSA) is sponsoring a raffle and will be giving away a $250 Walmart gift card. Cost: tickets are $2 each. It is a great fundraiser to help the school. Drawing will be Friday, Oct. 16. You can purchase tickets from students, PSA members and the school or church office. Details: school office (601) 482-6044.

COVID-19 REMINDER

All over the age of two are required to wear a mask at Mass.
The obligation to attend Mass continues to be dispensed by Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, 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!

Youth news

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Mississippi history

COLUMBUS – Mrs. Moore’s fourth graders at Annunciation School worked to create a large timeline for Mississippi history events. (Photos by Katie Fenstermacher)

Learning is yummy

CLARKSDALE – Learning is fun (and yummy) in Mrs. Curcio’s first grade math class at St. Elizabeth School. Student Bowen Anderson sorts and graphs using skittles. (Photo by Mary Evelyn Stonestreet)

Southaven silly socks

SOUTHAVEN – Students celebrated the 73rd anniversary of Sacred Heart School with crazy sock and shoe day on Sept. 16. (Photo by Sister Margaret Sue Broker)

Field day fun in Natchez

NATCHEZ – On Sept. 13, St. Mary’s CYO members had some field day fun at Memorial Park behind St. Mary Basilica. (Photo by Carrie Lambert)

Sacraments

FLOWOOD – Mariah Grace Morris St. Paul Catholic Church received the Sacrament of First Communion on Aug. 9. (Photo by Jamie Morris)
GREENWOOD – Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, First Communion, Aug. 16, Left to Right: Orla Barnes with sponsor Jessica Barnes; Lucy Hicks with sponsor Meredith Brown; Michael Martin with sponsor David Grossman; Nate Slater with sponsor Mandy Skelton; Kittrell Smith with sponsor Javier Zapien; Britt Nokes with sponsor Barry Barth; Jack Stuckey with sponsor Daniel Smith; and Louis Brown with sponsor Matthew Hicks. (Photo by Caroline Stuckey)
LELAND – (right) St. James Parish, Confirmation, Sept. 10, Front row (l-r): Ellie Zepponi, Graci Pickell, Madison Henry, Hannah Lloyd and Lane Walker.
Back row: Reeves Polasini, Walker Zepponi, Leland Zepponi, Kaid Polasini and Brett Chustz. (Photo by Deborah Ruggeri)
CORINTH – St. James Parish, Confirmation, Aug. 15, Pictured are Ania Ambrocio, Andrew Ayala, Angela Fuentes, Eulises Cobos, Brisanda Luna, Julia Martinez, Kevin Posadas, Elizabeth Soliz, Luis Zuñiga, Jesus Robles, Oswaldo Mejia, Mateo Molina and Italy Molina.
(Photo by Josefina Preza)
CORINTH – St. James Parish, Laisha Sorcia received her First Communion certificate on Aug. 15 from Father Mario Solorzano. (Photo by Josefina Preza)
VICKSBURG – Jackson Fontenot and Elizabeth Theriot recently received the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Michael parish in Vicksburg. They are pictured with Father Robert Dore.
VICKSBURG – Jameson Piazza is all smiles after receiving his First Holy Communion at St. Michael from Father Robert Dore. (Photos by Caroline Stuckey)
MERIDIAN – Pictured left to right, Manning Miles, Matthew Heggie and Lauren Massey received their First Communion from Father Andrew Nguyen and Father Augustine Palimattam on Saturday, Aug. 1 at St. Patrick Parish. (Photo by John Harwell)
MERIDIAN – Ollie Holcomb received her First Communion at St. Joseph Parish from Father Augustine Palimattam on Sunday, Aug. 16. (Photo by John Harwell)
FLOWOOD – Tennyson Walker receives a certificate for his First Communion at St. Paul parish from Father Gerry Hurley on Sunday, Aug. 9. (Photo by Kimberly Walker)
FOREST – Morton’s Confirmation group at St. Michael Parish, Pictured left to right: Emily Ponce, Hugo Salazar, Diana Carrillo, Father Roberto Mena, ST, Catti Pérez, Iris Pérez and Marvin. (Photo courtesy of Father Roberto Mena, ST)

Happy birthday and many more …

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JACKSON – Bishop Joseph Kopacz celebrated a “big” birthday with staff at the chancery office on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
What he loves about being a Bishop in the diocese is “the opportunity to serve with many dedicated disciples, lay and ordained, throughout most of this amazing state in a variety of ministries.”
Bishop Kopacz has missed not being able to make as many pastoral visits during the ebb and flow of the pandemic, but in the meantime he has been doing more reading, cooking, cleaning and organizing at his home in NE Jackson. He also loves spending time with his 13 1/2 year old Labrador and, of course, an occasional round of golf!
Bishop Kopacz, we wish you abundant birthday blessings!
(Photo by Tereza Ma)

Two Catholic women judges top short list as possible Supreme Court nominees

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By Carol Zimmermann
WASHINGTON (CNS) – Two Catholic women judges are on the short list of possible candidates to fill the vacant Supreme Court justice seat after the Sept. 18 death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The judges are Amy Coney Barrett, a federal appellate court judge in Chicago, and Barbara Lagoa, a federal appeals court judge in Atlanta.
President Donald Trump told reporters the afternoon of Sept. 19, and rallygoers later that evening, that he intended to pick a Supreme Court nominee in the coming days, and it would likely be a woman.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, pledged hours after Ginsburg’s death that he would hold a vote on Trump’s nominee to fill the court vacancy despite blocking President Barack Obama’s nominee in 2016, after Justice Antonin Scalia’s death that February, because it was an election year.

Amy Coney Barrett is pictured in this undated photo. She is a judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, and a law professor at the University of Notre Dame. A Catholic, she is on President Donald Trump’s list of of potential nominees to fill the U.S. Supreme Court seat left vacant by the Sept. 18, 2020, death of Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (CNS photo/Matt Cashore, University of Notre Dame via Reuters)

To move Trump’s nominee through the Senate would require a simple majority vote. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has said that if he wins the election, he should be the one to nominate Ginsburg’s successor.
One of the first names to emerge as possible contender for Ginsburg’s seat – raised while mourners were gathered on the steps of the court chanting, “RBG!” – was Barrett, a 48-year-old who serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit Court, based in Chicago.
The judge, a former law professor at the University of Notre Dame and a mother of seven, is not an unknown. She was viewed as a potential candidate for the nation’s high court in 2018 after Justice Anthony Kennedy retired, a slot that was filled by Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Barrett, a former clerk for Scalia, was the focus of Senate grilling during her 2017 confirmation hearing to serve on the 7th Circuit, when she was asked about the impact her faith would have on her interpretation of the law.
When Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, asked Barrett if she considered herself an “orthodox” Catholic, Barrett said: “If you’re asking whether I take my faith seriously and am a faithful Catholic, I am. Although I would stress that my present church affiliation or my religious beliefs would not bear in the discharge of my duties as a judge.”

Florida State Supreme Court Justice Barbara Lagoa speaks at the 30th annual Red Mass reception of the St. Thomas More Society of South Florida in Fort Lauderdale Sept. 26, 2019. She was the first Hispanic woman to be appointed as a justice of the state Supreme Court and currently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. A Catholic, she is on President Donald Trump’s list of potential nominees to fill the U.S. Supreme Court seat left vacant by the Sept. 18, 2020, death of Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (CNS photo/Tom Tracy, Florida Catholic)

The other name that emerged as short-list contender for the Supreme Court – and quickly gained traction as a potential election boost for the Trump – was Lagoa, the 52-year-old Miami-born daughter of Cuban exiles.
Last year, Lagoa spoke at a Florida reception of the St. Thomas More Society after the annual Red Mass, which prays for lawyers and judges, at St. Anthony Church in Fort Lauderdale. She said her Catholic education instilled in her “an abiding faith in God that has grounded me and sustained me through the highs and lows of life.”
Lagoa, a judge of the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit, asked the audience if “one could be a strong advocate for one’s client and still be a Catholic?” She answered the question by saying faith was “more than going to Mass every Sunday, and to me at least, it means having a personal relationship with God that in turn informs how we treat others.”
She also gave the example of St. Thomas More and said he shows how legal professionals should not compartmentalize professional lives from spiritual lives to justify a lapse in faith or moral conviction.
“Perhaps it starts with reminding ourselves, even when it is hardest, of the dignity of each human being – even the most difficult opposing counsel – and it also starts with reminding ourselves that none of us are perfect and that we ourselves can contribute to or exacerbate a difficult situation,” she said.

Tom Tracy, who writes for the Florida Catholic, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Miami, contributed to this report.

Fe durante la pandemia: Tupelo Hispanic ministry provides strength to families struggling through the pandemic

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By Danny McArthur (Daily Journal)
TUPELO – For María Pérez, a member of the Hispanic Ministry at St. James Catholic Church in Tupelo, the ongoing pandemic has had a profound emotional toll.
Perez, who considers herself a very affectionate person, said being unable to interact physically with people has been incredibly difficult. For her, friends are family, and not being able to hug and talk to others has been a struggle. And the pandemic has made her husband, Salvador, incredibly anxious.

TUPELO – Members of St. James Catholic Church in Tupelo attend Spanish-language Mass. The Church has increased the number of services to accommodate social distancing. (Photo by Adam Robison, Daily Journal)

Faith, she said, is pulling them through.
“My faith has been the strongest, knowing that nothing is bigger than the Lord,” she said in Spanish. “Everything will pass except the love and compassion the Lord has for us.”
Faith guides the members of the St. James Hispanic ministry in nearly all aspects of their lives. It’s something the pandemic hasn’t changed.
Impact in the church
When the pandemic began, the church had to close its doors to in-person services. St. James Hispanic Community Coordinator Raquel Thompson said they began focusing on access. Services were recorded and posted on Facebook so families could participate from home.
“It affected a lot of the people spiritually to not be able to be in the church. I think it had a big impact,” Thompson said.
For associate pastor Father César Sánchez, who started at St. James on July 1, the church wants to show their congregation that they are never truly closed. As a priest, it was harder to celebrate and preach to a camera, but Sánchez saw it as an opportunity to take advantage of social media to reach more people than before.
“In these two months, July and August, from our point of view as a church, we never closed the church,” Sánchez said. “I told people; ‘the gospel is not closed. Even though you cannot come to the church, the church comes to you in your house by online and Facebook Masses’.”
Even once St. James reopened, it was important to keep everyone safe. Thompson has more than 250 registered families in her ministry and said the church overall ministers to over 400 families. There are also many families that do not register.
Services look different these days. Rather than having 300 to 400 people at Spanish Mass, attendance is limited to 150. There are also more Mass services on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday to cover spiritual needs. Aside from limiting the number of people inside at a time, they also began requiring masks and social distancing. Sanitation occurs between each Mass.
Socially distanced
Several church members cited feeling socially affected by COVID-19. For Oralio Martínez of Tupelo, the pandemic has affected her family mentally. She said she is grateful to God that her family has not suffered financially, although their lives have definitely changed.
“We have to be home, we can’t go anywhere,” she said in Spanish. “We’re scared to go out because there are so many people or where there’s a lot of gatherings. We’ve been very limited.”
Marco López said the change brought on by the pandemic has been drastic and difficult for a family accustomed to spending time together going to Mass, attending his grandson’s baseball games, or doing activities.
But the pandemic has also taught López the importance of spending time with his family. An employee of BancorpSouth, López said working at home during the pandemic has allowed him to spend more time with his wife, Verónica Salgado.
“We used to have gatherings, especially on Sundays after Mass with some of our friends, so not having that was an impact. For social distancing, we couldn’t do that … but what we couldn’t do with other families, we did with ours,” López said.
The family takes turns having Sunday Mass at home at either his home or with his daughter who lives in Shannon, and they have lunch at home together instead of going to a restaurant.
Role of faith
The church represents a bit of normalcy in strange and difficult times. Martínez recently sent her son back to school, saying it was important he have something familiar. She thinks it is more beneficial for him to return to school with his peers.
Sánchez said faith plays an important role in the Hispanic community and is the reason they have seen more people return to in-person services.
“They really need to pray and want to come to the church and pray because they know during this time, we need to increase our faith, our prayer,” Sánchez said.
López said what is getting his family through this time is prayer. Salgado began praying with the Divine Mercy Chaplet on Facebook Live with friends in March, and López said he believes it has brought them together and strengthened them.
“We overcame the situation of being at home and quarantining through prayer. We keep doing that … We’re almost six months into it and we fall in love more with that prayer,” López said.
For María Pérez, faith is the reason she sent her children back to school rather than distance learning. She admitted to feeling some initial anxiety about sending her kids back to school. But then, she thought about how returning to society, even a changed one, holds lessons for her children to learn.
The way through the pandemic, she said, is through caring for each other.
“I want my children to know that you cannot live in fear. No matter what happens, you must confront the situation,” Pérez said.
And have a little faith.
“Remember, centuries back, we’ve had epidemics and things like this, and people come out of them,” she said. “Have confidence in the Lord that this is permitted for a reason and to keep living your life and try to live your life as gracefully as you can.”

(This article was published by the Daily Journal of Tupelo on Sept. 6, 2020. Follow the author at danny.mcarthur@journalinc.com; Twitter: @Danny_McArthur_. Ana Acosta, Raquel Thompson and Berta Mexidor provided translations for this story.)

Catechists: commissioned to receive and share the faith

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By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
JACKSON – Catechetical Sunday, an annual event in the church that sets the theme for the year of faith formation, was observed last Sunday. This year’s theme is from St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, “I received from the Lord what I have also handed on to you.” Out of his personal relationship with Jesus Christ, St. Paul speaks emphatically that what he received from the Lord, is both the Eucharist and the content of the faith. All the baptized are invited to stir into flame the gift we have received, handed on to us through faith formation in our homes and in our churches. We are grateful to God for all catechists who embrace the church’s mission of faith formation and evangelization.

+Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz
+Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz

The recently promulgated Directory for Catechesis advances the Lord’s Great Commission with clarity “to make disciples of all nations.” It states that catechesis must be at the service of the New Evangelization so that every person may have a wide-open and personal access to the encounter with Jesus Christ.

St. John Paul II zealously taught that “the purpose of catechesis is communion with Jesus Christ.” The fruit of this communion is mission, a life well lived in service of the Gospel. Catechesis requires that we accompany those entrusted to us in the maturation of the attitudes of faith. “The church’s closeness to Jesus is part of a common journey: communion and mission are profoundly interconnected.”

The Directory for Catechesis further expounds that the church is called to proclaim and teach her primary truth which is the love of Christ because the essence of the mystery of the Christian faith is mercy incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth. Catechesis can be a realization of the spiritual work of mercy, “instruct the ignorant.” Catechetical action, in fact, consists in offering the possibility of escaping the greatest form of ignorance which prevents people from knowing their own identity and vocation in Jesus Christ. St. Augustine affirms that catechesis becomes the “occasion of a work of mercy” in that it satisfies “with the Word of God the intelligence of those who hunger for it.” By virtue of our baptism, the family, the church community and catechists are charged with the task to awaken that hunger.

The recently celebrated feast of St. Matthew on Sept. 21 illustrates this vision for faith formation. His first encounter with Jesus Christ was nothing less than a hunger awakened that was satisfied. The Venerable Bede, an English Saint of the 7th century, writes movingly. “Jesus saw the tax collector and because he saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him, he said “follow me.” This following meant imitating the pattern of his life, not just walking after him. There is no reason for surprise that the tax collector abandoned earthly wealth as soon as the Lord commanded him. Nor should one be amazed that neglecting his wealth, he joined a band of men whose leader had, on Matthew’s assessment, no riches at all. By an invisible interior impulse flooding his mind with the light of grace, Jesus instructed him to walk in his ways, being summoned from earthly possessions to the incorruptible treasures of heaven in his gift.” For the catechist and the catechized, we pray for a heart and mind open to those inner impulses, prompted by the light of grace, that enables one to respond to the merciful gaze and call of the Lord.

Amid the pandemic far too many are not experiencing catechesis and evangelization in the accustomed gatherings in the parish community. This is a challenge for families and programs, but it is not insurmountable. The domestic church in collaboration with parish leadership can cultivate the treasures and content of our faith in life-giving ways. The merciful gaze of Jesus Christ is present wherever two or three are gathered in his name.

Of course, the cornerstone of the treasury of our Catholic tradition and content of faith, is the Mass. The dispensation of the obligation to attend Mass in person is still in place, a necessary accommodation. Yet, all families and individuals are encouraged to attend Mass if health allows, either on the Lord’s Day or during the week. Rightly, we are vigilant to keep the virus on the outside looking in for the sake of our physical health. But even more so we must remain vigilant to nurture our relationship with Jesus Christ to remain strong spiritually and mentally to engage all that life throws at us.

With St. Paul we are committed to the mission that he articulates. “I received from the Lord what I have also handed on to you.” “May the God of endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other in accord with Christ Jesus.” (Romans 15:5)

Catequistas: comisionados para recibir y compartir la fe

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Por Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
El Domingo Catequético, evento anual en la iglesia, que establece el tema para el año de la formación de la fe, se celebró el domingo pasado. El tema de este año es de la carta de San Pablo a los Corintios: “Lo que yo recibí del Señor, les he transmitido”. De su relación personal con Jesucristo, San Pablo habla enfáticamente que recibió del Señor es tanto sobre la Eucaristía como del contenido de la fe.

Obispo Joseph R. Kopacz

Se invita a todos los bautizados a encender el fuego del don que hemos recibido, que nos ha sido transmitido a través de la formación de la fe en nuestros hogares e iglesias. Estamos agradecidos a Dios por todos los catequistas que abrazan la misión de la iglesia de formación de fe y evangelización.

El recientemente promulgado Directorio para la Catequesis declara con claridad la Gran Comisión del Señor, “de hacer discípulos en todas las naciones.” El Directorio afirma que la catequesis debe estar al servicio de la Nueva Evangelización para que cada persona tenga un acceso personal y abierto al encuentro con Jesucristo.

San Juan Pablo II enseñó con celo que “el propósito de la catequesis es la comunión con Jesucristo.” El fruto de esta comunión es una misión, una vida bien vivida al servicio del Evangelio. La catequesis requiere que acompañemos a quienes nos han sido confiados en la maduración de las actitudes de fe. “La cercanía de la iglesia a Jesús es parte de un camino común: la comunión y la misión están profundamente interconectadas”.

El Directorio para la Catequesis expone además que la Iglesia está llamada a proclamar y enseñar su verdad primaria, que es el amor de Cristo, porque la esencia del misterio de la fe cristiana es la misericordia encarnada en Jesús de Nazaret.

La catequesis puede ser una realización de la obra espiritual de la misericordia, “instruir al ignorante”. La acción catequética, en efecto, consiste en ofrecer la posibilidad de escapar de la mayor forma de ignorancia que impide a las personas conocer su propia identidad y vocación en Jesucristo. San Agustín afirma que la catequesis se convierte en “ocasión para una obra de misericordia” en cuanto satisface “con la Palabra de Dios la inteligencia de quienes tienen hambre de esta.” En virtud de nuestro bautismo, la familia y la comunidad de la iglesia, los catequistas tienen la tarea de despertar esa hambre.

La fiesta de San Mateo celebrada recientemente el 21 de septiembre ilustra esta visión para la formación en la fe. Su primer encuentro con Jesucristo fue nada menos que un hambre despertada que fue satisfecha. San Beda, El Venerable, un santo inglés del siglo VII, escribe conmovedoramente. “Jesús vio al recaudador de impuestos y porque lo vio con los ojos de la misericordia y lo eligió, dijo: ‘sígueme’.” Este seguimiento significó imitar el patrón de su vida, no solo caminar tras él. No hay razón para sorprenderse de que el recaudador de impuestos abandonara las riquezas terrenales tan pronto como el Señor se lo ordenó. Tampoco debería sorprenderse que, descuidando su riqueza, se uniera a una banda de hombres cuyo líder, según la evaluación de San Mateo, no tenía ninguna riqueza en absoluto. Por un impulso interior invisible que inundó su mente con la luz de la gracia, Jesús lo instruyó a caminar en sus caminos, siendo llamado desde las posesiones terrenales a los tesoros incorruptibles del cielo y su regalo.”

Por el catequista y el catequizado, oramos por un corazón y una mente abiertos a esos impulsos internos, impulsados por la luz de la gracia, que permitan responder a la mirada y llamada misericordiosas del Señor.

En medio de la pandemia, muchos no están experimentando la catequesis y la evangelización en las reuniones habituales de la comunidad parroquial. Este es un desafío para las familias y los programas, pero no es insuperable. La iglesia doméstica, en colaboración con el liderazgo parroquial, puede cultivar los tesoros y el contenido de nuestra fe de manera vivificante. La mirada misericordiosa de Jesucristo está presente allí donde dos o tres se reúnen en su nombre.

Por supuesto, la piedra angular del tesoro de nuestra tradición católica y el contenido de la fe es la Misa. La dispensa de la obligación de asistir a Misa en persona sigue vigente como una adaptación necesaria. Sin embargo, se anima a todas las familias e individuos a asistir a Misa si la salud lo permite, ya sea en el Día del Señor o durante la semana. Con razón, estamos atentos para mantener el virus “afuera mirando hacia adentro” por el bien de nuestra salud física. Pero aún más debemos permanecer atentos para nutrir nuestra relación con Jesucristo en permanecer fuertes espiritual y mentalmente para involucrarnos en todo lo que la vida nos depara.

Con St. Paul estamos comprometidos con la misión que él articula. “yo recibí esta tradición dejada por el Señor, y que yo a mi vez les transmití.” “Que el Dios de perseverancia y aliento les dé la buena actitud mental hacia el otro, Dios, que es quien da constancia y consuelo, los ayude a ustedes a vivir en armonía unos con otros, conforme al ejemplo de Cristo Jesús.” (Romanos 15:5)