WASHINGTON D.C. (CNS) – Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, of Kansas City, Kan. and Chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities, celebrated the launch of Respect Life Month with a statement. Archbishop Naumann encouraged Catholics discouraged by attacks on human life to “hold fast to Christ, our Hope.” Archbishop Naumann’s full statement follows: “Although we must cherish, protect, and defend human life year-round, the Catholic Church in the United States sets aside each October as Respect Life Month. This year’s theme, “Christ Our Hope: In Every Season of Life,” is particularly suited for our times. While attacks against human life seem to grow ever more numerous and callous, we know that Christ has conquered sin and death. Through our Christian hope in the Resurrection, we are given the grace to persevere in faith. Jesus asks us to be as leaven in the world, to bring His light to the darkness. Our daily activities take each of us to places only we can go, to people only we will meet. May we allow Christ to renew and strengthen us, that He may work through us in each moment of every day. Be assured of my prayers for you and for our common efforts to bring about a world in which every life is cherished. And so, together, may we hold fast to Christ, our hope.” New parish resources have been developed around the theme of “Christ our Hope” and are available at www.usccb.org.
By Monsignor Elvin Sunds JACKSON – One day a pastor was giving his fourth-grade religion class a tour of the church. As they went through the church, he pointed out the altar, tabernacle, pulpit, crucifix, baptismal font, book of Gospels, etc. He explained the significance and importance of each. Finally, at the end of the tour he said there was one more very important item. He pointed to the exit sign at the main door of the church. He explained that if what we celebrate for one hour on Sunday morning does not make a difference in how we live the rest of the week, we have missed the purpose of our Sunday worship. As we exit the church, we cannot leave at the door what we celebrate in the Mass and read in the Scriptures. Our faith is not meant to be confined to the four walls of the church building. It is meant to be lived every day outside the walls of the church. We find the same message in the Gospels. After giving us the Beatitudes Jesus says we are the light of the world. We must let our light shine before all “so that they may see the goodness in your acts and give praise to your heavenly Father” (Mt. 14-16). Likewise, in the Epistle of James (2:14-24), we read that faith without action is lifeless and worthless.
The Faith in Action Team of the Diocese of Jackson seeks to help Catholics and Catholic parishes put their faith into action. It supports the efforts of Catholic Charities to encourage and assist parishes in putting faith into action through service to the community especially to the marginalized and vulnerable. The Faith in Action Team also identifies and prioritizes issues that have an impact on human life and dignity in the diocese. It seeks to educate Catholics on those issues and solicit their support in addressing the issues. A major activity of the Faith in Action Team of the Diocese of Jackson is organizing the annual Catholic Day at the Capitol. At the Catholic Day at the Capitol, Catholics gather to witness to our Catholic values concerning issues impacting the population of our state, especially the vulnerable and marginalized of the state. One to three priority issues are identified and addressed each year. Materials are developed to inform Catholics of these issues and how our Catholic values speak to the issues. This year’s Catholic Day at the Capitol is scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, 2020. More information will be provided in the months ahead. The Faith and Action Team is composed of volunteer laypersons, religious and clergy from around the diocese. Membership is open to all that desire to actively live their Baptismal call to be a “Visible sign of Christ’s love” to all, especially to the vulnerable and marginalized in our midst. The team meets monthly at the Jackson office of Catholic Charities. For more information on how you or your parish can be part of the Team or work with the Team, contact elvin.sunds@jacksondiocese.org.
By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Too many Christians today are “as long as” Christians, obeying God “as long as” God and the church meet their conditions and criteria for what is acceptable, just and righteous, Pope Francis said. The “conditions Christian,” Pope Francis said, says things like: “‘I am a Christian as long as things are done this way.’ ‘No, no, these changes aren’t Christian.’ ‘This is heresy.’ ‘This won’t do.’ Christians who place conditions on God, who place conditions on the faith and the action of God.” Celebrating an early morning Mass Oct. 8 in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the pope focused on the day’s first reading from Jonah, noting how the prophet first refused to do God’s bidding, was swallowed by a whale, obeyed God when given a second chance and ended up angry with God because God did not destroy the city of Ninevah. Jonah was “stubborn” about what he thought faith was, the pope said. But “the Lord was stubborn in his mercy. He never leaves us. He knocks at the door of our hearts until the end.” Jonah, the pope said, “is the model of those ‘as long as’ Christians, those Christians with conditions.” Placing conditions on God and on the church, he said, encloses Christians “in their own ideas and ends up in ideology. It’s the awful journey from faith to ideology. And today there are many people like this.” Such Christians, he said, are afraid “of growth, of the challenges of life, the challenges of the Lord, the challenges of history” and instead stick to “their first convictions.”
Pope Francis and bishops leave the morning session of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon at the Vatican Oct. 8, 2019. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
“They prefer the ideology to faith,” he said, and they move away from the community because “they are afraid to put themselves in God’s hands and prefer to judge everything from the smallness of their hearts.” The Vatican News report on the pope’s homily included no mention of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon or the controversy surrounding it, including accusations that some of the statements in the synod working document are heretical. Pope Francis said God’s decision not to carry out his threatened punishment of Ninevah reveals “the Lord who draws near to all realities, who is not disgusted. Things don’t disgust the Lord. Our sins don’t disgust him. He draws near just as he drew near to the lepers and the sick because he came to heal and to save, not to condemn.”
By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Synod of Bishops for the Amazon is a time of reflection, dialogue and listening to the needs and sufferings of indigenous people, Pope Francis said. “The Holy Spirit is the primary actor in the synod. Please, do not kick him out of the room,” the pope said, opening the gathering’s first working session Oct. 7. Speaking off-the-cuff, the pope said he was saddened to hear a “sarcastic” remark from a synod participant about an indigenous man wearing a feathered headdress who presented the offertory gifts at the synod’s opening Mass Oct. 6. “Tell me: What difference is there between having feathers on your head and the three-cornered hat worn by some officials of our dicasteries?” he asked, eliciting applause from synod participants. Instead of becoming a series of reductive discussions that only undermine “the poetry” of indigenous people and their cultures, he said, the synod is a way for the church to walk with them “under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.” The synod was not called to “invent social development programs or museum-like cultural guardianships or pastoral actions in the same noncontemplative style that leads to actions that give counter signs,” the pope said. “We come to contemplate, to understand, to serve the people, and we do it by following a synodal path,” he said. “We do it within the synod, not in roundtables, not in conferences and hidden discussions. We do it within the synod because a synod is not a parliament.” The first full day of the synod began with a prayer service in front of the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica with members of indigenous communities standing arm-in-arm with cardinals and bishops singing as they waited for Pope Francis.
People participate in a prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica at the start of the first session of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon at the Vatican Oct. 7, 2019. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
When the pope arrived, he led the invocation of the Holy Spirit’s assistance with the chanting of “Veni, Creator Spiritus” (“Come, Holy Spirit”) before processing with the large group from the basilica to the synod hall. In his speech, the pope said it was important that the church stand with the people of the Amazon and steer clear of ideologies and “ready-made programs that attempt to ‘discipline’ the Amazonian peoples, discipline their history and their culture.” Ideologies, he said, are a “dangerous weapon” that can lead the church toward a pretentious attitude that reduces the understanding of indigenous people and their cultures to “categories of ‘isms'” and prejudiced name-calling. The pope also encouraged synod participants to reflect, to listen with humility and to speak with courage, “even if you are embarrassed.” Like at the Synod of Bishops on young people last year, he said, there will be a time of silent reflection after every four speeches in the synod hall. “Someone told me, ‘It’s dangerous, father, because they are going to fall asleep.’ The experience at the synod on young people, where we did this, was the contrary. They usually fell asleep during some of the interventions and would wake up in the silence,” he said, drawing laughter from participants. Highlighting the importance of responsible journalism in reporting the synod accurately, the pope urged participants to act with prudence when speaking to the press, adding that the synod “can be ruined a bit” by members speaking too freely with reporters. Pope Francis said this often leads to forming two synods: one inside the Vatican and one outside. “There is the inside synod that follows the path of Mother Church, of caring for the processes, and the outside synod that, due to information given flippantly and given with imprudence, causes those who inform to commit errors,” the pope said.
COLUMBUS – Annunciation 8th graders, Patrick Doumit and Jules Gallo assist special guest, Kathryn Davis who specializes in stained glass, make their class art project for our upcoming Art Auction fundraiser on Nov. 8. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)
High fives
GREENVILLE – Father Aaron Williams and second grader Charles Beckham celebrate with high fives after the Mass of our Lady of Sorrow at St. Joseph school on Sept. 16. (Photo by Nikki Thompson)
Exploring space
VICKSBURG – Fifth grade students Caroline Ponder and Tyler Roberts were able to explore the solar system in the XR (Extended Reality) Lab. With the addition of the new lab, students are able to go on field trips to the most inaccessible corners of the universe. Vicksburg Catholic School is the “Campus of the Future.” (Photo by Lindsey Bradley)
Patriot Day in Southaven
SOUTHAVEN – Mona Giannini, grandmother of a Sacred Heart graduate and of two current students, spoke to first grade students, Jillian Encarnacion and Kamilla Enriquez Giron about the work of EMTs as the school celebrated 9/11 Day, now known as Patriot’s Day. Students could wear red, white and blue as a way of showing pride in our country on this day of remembrance. Father Greg Schill also talked of our faith in God on good days as well as bad ones. At the end of his homily he talked about the strength it sometimes takes to “Step up to the Plate.” After Mass, Principal Bridget Martin talked to children about practical ways to step up to the plate in our everyday school lives. (Photo by Sister Margaret Sue Broker)
Fiesta at Columbus
COLUMBUS – Annunciation school, celebrated the end of a thematic unit on Mexico with a Fiesta which included authentic food, dances and games. (Photos by Katie Fenstermacher)
A Blue Mass is a Mass celebrated annually in the church for those employed in the field of public safety, which includes police officers, firefighters, corrections officers and paramedics. In the United States, the Blue Mass tradition began in September 1934, when Father Thomas Dade of the Archdiocese of Baltimore formed the Catholic Police and Fireman’s Society. That year, the first Blue Mass was celebrated for police officers and firefighters. The name comes from the traditional uniform color associated with law enforcement. The church also celebrates special occasion Masses known as Red Masses and White Masses. A White Mass is for those in the health care profession, while a Red Mass is for those who seek justice (judges, attorneys, law professors, law students and officials in the legislative and executive branches). The Masses get their names from the traditional colors worn by each respective group. The color white for lab coats worn by doctors and nurses, while the Red Mass gets its name from the English tradition of red as the academic robe or hood color for those with law degrees.
CLARKSDALE – St. Elisabeth students give high-fives to Coahoma county first responders following the school’s Blue Mass and reception.
CLARKSDALE – St. Elisabeth school Pre-2 teacher, Katelyn Willis and student, Carson Smith visit with a first responder on Thursday, Sept. 12. (Photos by Mary Evelyn Stonestreet)
SOUTHAVEN – Students and staff at Sacred Heart school wore red, white and blue for Patriots Day on Sept. 11. The day began with Mass, celebrated by Father Greg Schill, SCJ. His homily focused on encouraging students to step up when they see an injustice and to help others. (Photo by Laura Grisham)JACKSON – St. Richard school hosted a Patriot Day Blue Mass, honoring all policemen, firemen and paramedics on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The service began with singing “This Little Light of Mine” and ended by singing “God Bless America” as a congregation. First responders received a special blessing by Father Nick Adam during Mass and then were treated to a special breakfast where they were given pocket crosses, prayer cards and a pocket St. Michael to carry with them while on duty. Pictured – Leighton Webb looks up at his dad, Stephen Webb. The second gentlemen is a Ridgeland Police Officer. Standing next to him, is St. Richard parishioner Justin Lancaster. (Photo by Meredith McCullough)
By Joanna Puddister King JACKSON – Bargain hunters descended on the Carmelite Monastery off Terry road on Saturday, Sept. 7 to find treasures and deals donated by those in the greater Jackson area, who support the close-knit community of Carmelite nuns.
The sale, usually conducted once per year, was extended into a second Saturday on Sept. 14 due to the generosity of donations that poured in. “There was an amazing influx of donations, clothing, books, shoes, toys, kitchen ware, furniture and more,” said Sister Mary Jane Patricia of the Resurrection.
“We really appreciate the generosity of all who donated. And for all the volunteers who came and helped us during the sale.”
Funds raised from the yard sale are going to much needed house repairs for the Carmelite community. Sister Mary Jane said the funds raised only partially covered the cost of repairs needed.
The Monastery has been a quiet hermitage for the Carmelite nuns since 1951 and the home dates back to 1820. The nuns pray for the intentions of the people of the diocese and raise funds through their gift shop located on the property. To learn more about the community, visit www.jacksoncarmel.com.
(Editor’s Note: Frank Vollor is currently an attorney in Vicksburg. He felt moved to write a response to recent allegations of unfair treatment leveled against the Diocese of Jackson. His letter appeared in the Greenwood Commonwealth on Sept. 7 and the Clarion Ledger on Sept.15.
Contrary to the insinuation that the Catholic Church tried to cover up sexual abuse and was insensitive to the plight of the poor in the Clarion Ledger’s Sept. 5, 2019 article “Greenwood Man Struggles Still After Clergy Abuse,” the Catholic Church, in fact, aggressively pursued full disclosure of any abuse and attempted to provide spiritual, psychological and educational needs of the poor. In 1998, I was the Fitness Review Officer for the Diocese of Jackson when allegations of sexual abuse were first brought against Franciscan Brother Paul West by Rapheal Love, the brother of Joshua K. Love, the subject of the article. Paul West was the principal of St. Francis School in Greenwood. I was asked to be the Fitness Review Officer on a volunteer basis because I had experience as an attorney prosecuting abuse cases and had helped establish the Child Abuse Prevention Center in Warren County. In 1998, Rapheal Love first reported inappropriate touching and conduct by Brother Paul West to Brother Don Lucas. Brother Don Lucas in turn reported to others, who reported the allegation to me. I immediately contacted the Mississippi Department of Human Services who has an interest in child abuse cases. In addition, I reported the alleged abuse to the Greenwood police department. I have documents from the police department showing receipt of this abuse report. I then confronted Brother Paul West who strongly denied the allegation. Even though Paul West was never prosecuted, indicted, tried or convicted and no judicial determination of abuse by civil authorities was made, the diocese proceeded as if the allegations were true. Brother Paul West was removed as principal and left Greenwood. He left the Franciscan order shortly thereafter. The diocese offered the entire Love family a liaison minister to meet their spiritual needs. In addition, the diocese offered professional psychological evaluation and counseling to Rapheal and the Love family to meet their psychological needs. At first, this psychological counseling was accepted by the Love family, but subsequently refused because they stated they were doing well. After the reported abuse, the Diocese Review Committee authorized personal interviews to determine if there were additional allegations. The Diocese then arranged for an independent psychologist to conduct six workshops at St. Francis school. The workshops were age appropriate spanning four years old through 8th grade with visual aids including proper boundaries and where to seek help if boundaries are violated. These workshops where Joshua Love attended school did not reveal any further allegations of abuse. The diocese also sent a letter to all parents who had recently withdrawn their children from the school asking for their reasons and complaints. Again, no further abuse was identified. When new allegations were made in 2018, 20 years later, I was not the Fitness Review Officer, but the official statement of the diocese indicates that the Franciscan Order of which Paul West was a member in 1998 is providing counseling, urged Joshua to have an attorney review any settlement, and settled with him. Again, that same year in 2018, the Diocese made public and published in the papers the new allegation as credible along with others. The Catholic Church aggressively pursued the allegations of sexual abuse and compassionately ministered to the families involved. The statements and insinuations concerning coverup and failure to hold church leaders accountable in that article are not true. – Frank Vollor, Attorney at Law
The Diocese of Jackson is committed to ensuring that children served by the church are not at risk of sexual abuse by the Church personnel. Diocesan policies and procedures currently in place seek to protect, enhance and, in some cases, restore the trust that our faith calls for between agents of the Church and the children and adolescents entrusted to our care. The Diocese of Jackson wishes to encourage any victim of sexual abuse by a member of the Catholic Clergy to come forward and begin the healing process. We encourage any victim to contact Valerie McClellan, Victims Assistance Coordinator at 601-326-3728.
By Joanna Puddister King NATCHEZ – On Sept. 11, as the choir sang “Jerusalem, My Happy Home,” a sea of priest and deacons in white clerical vestments passed down the center aisle of St. Mary Basilica to pay respects to their brother in Christ, Father Alfred “Al” Camp at a memorial Mass. Father Al passed at the age of 87 on Sept. 1 at St. Dominic hospital in Jackson.
Led by Bishop Joseph Kopacz, hundreds from around the state and the numerous parishes and schools in which Father Camp served, gathered to celebrate a man known for his faith, wisdom, knowledge, humor and service to Catholic schools.
Father Gerry Hurley, pastor of Flowood St. Paul, delivered a homily that celebrated the life of Father Camp, with anecdotes full of humor and love of Christ.
“We gather today for two reasons. To celebrate our faith and hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and to celebrate our hope and faith in the resurrection of Father Al Camp,” said Father Hurley.
“Alfred Camp certainly believed in that faith and hope in the resurrection and he was very keenly aware that was where he was proceeding. The second reason we come together is to celebrate the life of this distinguished man.”
After delivering a summary of Father Camp’s service to the priesthood, Father Hurley noted Father Camp’s immeasurable commitment to Catholic education. “This was his life, this was his passion, this was his vocation,” Father Hurley said of Father Camp’s enduring interest in education.
Father Camp began his life of service as a priest and educator at Vicksburg St. Paul and St. Aloysius school in 1968. He served as teacher and principal of St. Aloysius until 1992, when he was named pastor of St. Mary Basilica in Natchez, where he served until 2004. During that time, he was often present in the halls and supportive of Natchez Cathedral school.
Father Hurley shared stories of Father Camp, including his efforts and humor after a fire at St. Aloysius school, his big green Pontiac and how much he enjoyed ice cream with a big dollop of cool whip. The highlight being a conversation between Father Hurley and Father Camp on his wish to donate his body to science.
“A few years ago [Father Camp] said to me ‘I’m going to donate my body to science … I want them to see how a real man has lived,’” to which the crowd in the pews laughed heartily. Father Hurley continued, “Then he said ‘Not really. I want them to figure out what made me tick. Because I’ve been trying to figure it out for all these years myself.’”
“We know that what made him tick was the spirit of God in him,” said Father Hurley. “He had that spirit. He was an unrelenting and boundless spirit of love and devotion and faithfulness and friendship and care for others.”
In addition to the memorial Mass at St. Mary Basilica, celebrations of Father Camp’s life were held in Vicksburg, Madison and in Ohio with family. On Oct. 25, a “Tailgate for Fr. Camp” will be held in Vicksburg before the St. Aloysius home football game against Natchez Cathedral. More details will be posted on Vicksburg Catholic Schools Facebook page in the coming weeks.
By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Catholic Church will endure, despite the frailty and sins of its members, because it is God’s project, Pope Francis said. Continuing his series of audience talks about the Acts of the Apostles and the early Christian community Sept. 18, Pope Francis looked at the story of Gamaliel, a Pharisee who tried to teach members of the Sanhedrin a key aspect of “discernment,” which is not to rush to judgment, but rather to allow time for something to show itself as worthy or not. As recounted in Acts 5, Gamaliel told the Sanhedrin not to execute the apostles for preaching Christ, “for if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” “Every human project can initially drum up consensus, but then go down in flames,” the pope said. But “everything that comes from on high and bears God’s signature is destined to endure.” “Human projects always fail, they have a (limited) time, like we do,” he said. “Think of the great empires. Think of the dictatorships of the past century; they thought they were so powerful and dominated the world, and then they all crumbled.”
Pope Francis greets pilgrims as he arrives for his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Sept. 18, 2019. The Catholic Church will endure, despite the frailty and sins of its members, because it is God’s project, Pope Francis said during the audience. (CNS photo/Yara Nardi, Reuters)
The most powerful governments and forces today also “will crumble if God is not with them because the strength human beings have on their own is not lasting,” the pope said. “Only the strength of God endures.” The history of Christianity and of the Catholic Church, even “with so many sins and so many scandals, with so many ugly things,” illustrates the same point, the pope said. “Why hasn’t it crumbled? Because God is there. We are sinners and often, often, we give scandal,” but “the Lord always saves. The strength is God with us.” The story also shows just how much courage the presence of the Holy Spirit brings, the pope said. When Jesus was arrested, the disciples “all ran away, they fled,” but after the Resurrection, when he sent the Spirit upon them, they became courageous. Pointing to the 21 Coptic Orthodox beheaded on a beach in Libya in 2015, Pope Francis said the same courage is still seen today in martyrs, who continued to repeat the name of Jesus even as their fate becomes clear. “They did not sell out their faith because the Holy Spirit was with them.” In the Acts of the Apostles, Gamaliel tells the Sanhedrin that if Jesus was an imposter, his followers eventually would “disappear,” the pope said, but “if, on the other hand, they were following one who was sent by God, then it would be better not to fight them.” The “wait and see” attitude of Gamaliel is a key part of discernment, Pope Francis said. “His are calm and farsighted words,” part of a process that urges people to “judge a tree by its fruits” rather than acting hastily, the pope said. Pope Francis asked people at the audience to join him in praying that the Holy Spirit would “act in us so that, both personally and as a community, we can acquire the habit of discernment” and learn to notice God acting in history and in our brothers and sisters.
