Renowned journalist Cokie Roberts, lifelong Catholic, dies at age 75

By Carol Zimmermann
WASHINGTON (CNS) – Cokie Roberts, a broadcast journalist and political commentator who spoke publicly about her Catholic faith and her admiration for the Sacred Heart sisters who taught her, died Sept. 17 due to complications from breast cancer. She was 75.
Roberts, who died at her home in Bethesda, Maryland, was an Emmy award-winning reporter, author and frequent keynote speaker at Catholic college graduations. She was described as “a true pioneer for women in journalism,” by James Goldston, president of ABC News, her longtime employer. He said her “kindness, generosity, sharp intellect and thoughtful take on the big issues of the day made ABC a better place and all of us better journalists.”
She was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame and was listed one of the 50 greatest women in the history of broadcasting by the American Women in Radio and Television. She also was named a “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress in 2008.
Roberts started her radio career at CBS and in 1978 began working for NPR covering Capitol Hill, where she continued to work as a political commentator until her death. Roberts joined ABC News in 1988 and during her three decades there, she was a political commentator, chief congressional analyst and co-anchor with Sam Donaldson of the news program “This Week” from 1996 to 2002.
She was born in New Orleans in 1943 with the full name Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs and was nicknamed “Cokie” by her brother.
Roberts attended Catholic schools in New Orleans and Bethesda, run by the sisters of the Society of the Sacred Heart. During her career, she also wrote eight books, including a book with her husband, Steve Roberts, also a journalist, called “From This Day Forward” about their interfaith marriage. Steve is Jewish.

Cokie Roberts, a Catholic, who was the daughter of politicians and grew up to cover the family “business” in Washington for ABC News and NPR over several decades, died at age 75 Sept. 17, 2019, in Washington of complications from breast cancer. She is pictured at Georgetown University in Washington April 4, 2014. (CNS photo/Phil Humnicky, Georgetown University)

Cokie Roberts’ roots are both political and Catholic. She is the daughter of Hale Boggs, the former Democratic House majority leader and representative from New Orleans, who died in a plane crash in 1972. Her mother, Lindy, was elected to fill his seat and served nine terms. Lindy Boggs, who died in 2013, was appointed U.S. ambassador to the Vatican in 1997, a post she held until 2001.
Over the years, Roberts addressed big Catholic gatherings including those of the National Catholic Educational Association, Catholic Charities USA and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.
In a 2014 interview with America magazine by Mercy Sister Mary Ann Walsh, who died the following year, Roberts said: “There is no way to talk about my faith absent the Society of the Sacred Heart. The women who were my teachers and remain my dear friends mean the world to me. They took girls seriously in the 1950s – a radical notion, so there was never any ‘grown-up’ need to reject them, only to thank them – and they keep the faith.”
When asked about her family’s Catholic and Democratic background, Roberts said it’s “an interesting balancing act in all kinds of ways to try to convince people that I am a fair-minded journalistic observer while coming from a family that has been strongly identified for many decades both politically and religiously.”
She said she also had made clear her “continuing commitment to Catholicism – as opposed to many who say, ‘I was raised Catholic.'” She said she didn’t think she had been “discriminated against officially” as a Catholic woman, but she also answered the question about this with her own question: “Are there people in this society still who think that to be a believer is to be a little bit simpleminded? Sure. And to be a Catholic, still a little simpler still? Yes,” she said.
That didn’t stop her though from being public about the role of faith in her life and in others’ lives.
During a 2009 LCWR meeting in New Orleans, she told the sisters that their vitality extends beyond their numbers and can best be seen in the lasting effects they have had on students and others they are serving.
“You wonderful, holy, awe-inspiring women – you women of spirit – have taught us well. Your teaching will go on, constantly creating a better world for the people of God, corralling the chaos to create a better quality of life for others that you can be proud of.”
She also praised the church’s efforts to help the poor at a 2006 Catholic Charities USA convention in Minneapolis where she said: “It seems to me that your issues are actually the ones that Jesus talked about.” She also challenged the conference participants to educate parishioners about the “option for the poor,” a Catholic social teaching that puts the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.
A funeral Mass was held Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C.
Roberts is survived by her husband, her children, Lee and Rebecca, and her six grandchildren.
A statement released by her family said she will be missed “beyond measure, both for her contributions and for her love and kindness.”

(Follow Zimmermann on Twitter: @carolmaczim.)

Connecting in the fostering world

By Joanna Puddister King
JACKSON – Everyone has a story to tell and speaker CJ Fox spent time on Tuesday, Sept. 17 telling hers to a group of social workers, therapist, foster parents and Catholic Charities employees at the Jackson Medical Mall in an effort to help those in attendance connect in a more meaningful way to foster children.
Fox shared some staggering statistics at the event. Only 30% of foster children graduate from high school, while less than 1 % graduate from college. At least 66% end up dead or homeless within the first year of transition out of foster care and 80% of prisoners were once in foster care.
“There is a huge disconnect in the system. Biological parents, the kids … we’ve got to communicate better,” said Fox. “It’s imperative that we all figure out a way to work together to change these odds.”
The odds are something Fox has witnessed firsthand. She began to tell the crowd about an eight-year-old girl and her story of abuse, neglect and fear. Before long, the child was in foster care and moving from home to home. As the story telling went on, Fox noticeably began to change the pronoun she was using from “she” to “I.”

JACKSON – Speaker CJ Fox tells her foster care story to attendees of Catholic Charities in-service event on foster care. (Photos by Joanna Puddister King)

She was telling her story.
After one group home she stayed in, Fox ended up with a foster family who gave her a home and taught her how to read, as she was so behind academically. The family spent time with her and played with her, something that had not happened often before.
“They never asked ‘What’s your story?’ They just loved me where I was,” said Fox. “And I was a hard kid to love. I was anxious. I was nervous all the time. I was short-fused. I would cry if I couldn’t get something right.”
Fox thought they were a family until one day she thought she was being taken to school, but instead she was taken to a courthouse. She was afraid. “Nobody is telling me what is going on … social workers, my Dad was in the back of the room, Mom was up front, cops were all around and a judge,” said Fox.
She urged those in the crowd, “if you can make it developmentally appropriate for the child just try to talk to them about what’s going on. These are the things that are happening, but no matter what happens … it’s all gonna be ok.”
By age 16, Fox had been moved about 30 times. The last foster mom that took her in encouraged her to go to college. Something that seemed unobtainable. But Fox obliterated the odds and eventually graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in education.
Fox attributes some of her success to sports. “I played every sport that I possibly could. If you can encourage your kids to get involved in some sort of sport, band, honor choir or what ever it looks like for that particular kid. Get them in a group to make them feel safe,” said Fox.
“The most important thing was every time I had an encounter with someone that believed in me. They believed in me more than I believed in myself.”
Fox also told the crowd that she has God to thank for guidance as well. One day while studying at Mississippi State, she was walking back to her dorm after history class, which took her past an old abandoned pool behind McCarthy gym.
“There was no water in it. It was just cracked and broken,” said Fox. While walking, Fox was thinking about her life and asked God, “Why me? What did I do? When am I gonna catch a break? … I’m tired.”
God answered. “He said because I have bigger plans for you. … He said that to me in that moment and instantaneously I look to my right and I see a tree growing out of the side of the pool,” said Fox.
“Somehow this tree is making it. … It had broken through the cement and stretched its branches to the sky for life. And I heard, ‘be the tree.’”
So, despite the odds, Fox persisted. She has been a teacher, a mentor, a volunteer, a financial service rep, a sales director, a speaker, the founder of two organizations (the Anunda Project and Unify Human:Kind, the recipient of the community SHEro award and the author of Obliterate the Odds.

Attendees at Catholic Charities “Connecting in the Fostering World” in-service at the Jackson Medical Mall have a dialogue with CJ Fox and others on the foster care system and how all parties can work together for the betterment of every child.

In addition to her story and tips on how to bridge communication gap with foster children, Fox did activities with the group of social workers, therapist, foster parents and Catholic Charities employees present. The group did a “love language” exercise and got into small groups to discuss situations that may arise involving the best interest of foster children.
Crisis intervention speciality, Andrew Cambell of Hope Haven home-based services was present at the event. During the group discussion, he offered his opinion that “professionals need to come together so they can collaborate and talk, so that when you are working on a case with a child, you won’t retraumatize [the child].”
Cambell said that a lot of times in the foster system that a child “has given that same information over and over. And the child is tired of it.”
Fox closed the event by thanking all in attendance for being so willing to go on the journey with her and she left with the words that “you can’t reach, rescue or restore every child that is out there, but you can make a difference in the life of one and that is good enough.”
To learn more about CJ Fox and how to determine your role in foster care, visit her Facebook page, Obliterate the Odds.

Echegaray cardenal, Henri de Lubac y Vaticano II

Obispo Robert Barron

Por Obispo Robert Barron
La semana pasada falleció el cardenal Roger Etchegaray. Quizás el suyo no era un nombre familiar, pero este hombre muy decente hizo una contribución sustancial a la vida de la Iglesia, sirviendo en varias capacidades diferentes a lo largo de los años y colaborando estrechamente con el Papa Juan Pablo II. Tuve el privilegio de conocerlo a mediados de la década de 1990, cuando visitó el Seminario Mundelein donde yo era profesor de teología. El Cardenal quería dirigirse a la comunidad, pero su inglés era un poco inestable, así que traduje para él. Pero recuerdo que su sonrisa y su gozo evidente en el Señor no necesitaban ninguna traducción.
La primera vez que vi a Roger Etchegaray fue algunos años antes, en un día extraordinario en la Catedral de Notre Dame en París: el funeral del legendario teólogo Henri de Lubac. En ese momento, como estudiante de doctorado de tercer año, me dirigí a Notre Dame, con la esperanza de poder participar en la misa del funeral. Cuando me acerqué a la puerta, un agente de seguridad me detuvo y me preguntó: “Est-ce que vous êtes membre de la famille? (¿Eres miembro de la familia?),” “Non,” respondí. Luego me preguntó: “¿Est-ce que vous êtes theologien? (¿Eres un teólogo?). ”Con cierta inquietud, dije:” Oui (Si), ”y rápidamente me guió a una posición privilegiada cerca del frente de la Catedral.
Al sonido profundo de las campanas de la Catedral, el sencillo ataúd de madera de de Lubac fue llevado por el pasillo central. Noté, cuando pasó por mi posición, que el ataúd estaba coronado por la birreta roja del cardenal de Lubac. Al final de la misa, el cardenal Etchegaray se levantó para hablar en nombre del Papa. Leyó un hermoso homenaje de Juan Pablo II, y luego compartió la siguiente anécdota. Poco después de su elección al papado, John Paul vino a París para una visita pastoral. Hizo una parada especial en el Institut Catholique de Paris para reunirse con teólogos y otros académicos católicos. Después de sus comentarios formales- continuó Etchegaray – Juan Pablo II levantó la vista y dijo: “¿“Où est le pere de Lubac? (¿Dónde está el padre de Lubac?) ”El joven Karol Wojtyla había trabajado estrechamente con de Lubac durante el Vaticano II, específicamente en la composición del gran documento conciliar Gaudium et Spes. De Lubac dio un paso adelante y, Etchegaray nos dijo que el Papa Juan Pablo II inclinó la cabeza ante el distinguido teólogo. Luego Etchegaray, volviéndose hacia el ataúd, dijo: “Encore une fois, au nom du pape, j’incline la tête devant le pere de Lubac (Una vez más, en nombre del Papa, inclino la cabeza ante el padre. de Lubac).“
Esto es mucho más que una historia encantadora, porque sobre la reverencia de Juan pablo II por Henri de Lubac hay una historia muy interesante de relevancia continua para nuestro tiempo. De Lubac fue el defensor más destacado de lo que llegó a llamarse la nouvelle theologie (la nueva teología). Apartándose del Tomismo estricto y bastante racionalista que dominó la vida intelectual católica en la primera mitad del siglo XX, de Lubac y sus colegas se volvieron con entusiasmo a las Escrituras y a las obras maravillosas y multifacéticas de los Padres de la Iglesia. Este regreso a las “fuentes” de la fe produjo una teología que fue espiritualmente informada, ecuménicamente generosa e intelectualmente rica, y que puso a de Lubac “al fuego (hot water)” a un nivel considerable con el establecimiento académico y eclesial de esa época. En el apogeo de sus poderes, durante la década de 1950, fue silenciado y se le prohibió enseñar, hablar o publicar. Rehabilitado por el Papa Juan XXIII, de Lubac desempeñó un papel fundamental en el Vaticano II, influyendo decisivamente en muchos de sus principales documentos. Es completamente correcto decir que este defensor de la reforma del Concilio Vaticano II no era amigo del conservadurismo católico preconciliar.
Sin embargo, en los años inmediatamente posteriores al Concilio, Henri de Lubac se impacientó con el liberalismo católico, liderado por figuras como Hans Küng, Karl Rahner y Edward Schillebeeckx, que estaba superando los textos del Vaticano II y que se acomodaba demasiado fácilmente con la cultura ambiental, perdiendo su union con el cristianismo clásico.
Y así, junto con sus colegas Hans Urs von Balthasar y Joseph Ratzinger, fundó la revista teológica Communio, que era un contrapeso a la revista Concilium, que publicó los trabajos de los principales liberales. Fue esta escuela de Communio, ese camino intermedio entre ambos, el conservadurismo y el liberal rechazo del Vaticano II, algo que Juan Pablo II abrazó con entusiasmo. Si usted busca una evidencia clara de que el Papa polaco favoreció este enfoque, no busque más allá del Catecismo de 1992, que está lleno del espíritu de la nouvelle theologie (la nueva teología), y del hecho de que Juan Pablo II honró especialmente a los tres fundadores de Communio, haciendo a José Ratzinger jefe de la Congregación para la Doctrina de la Fe y nombrando cardenales a de Lubac y a Balthasar.
¿Se exhiben hoy los rechazos del Vaticano II de parte de la izquierda y de la derecha? Simplemente vaya usted al espacio de los nuevos medios católicos y encontrará la pregunta fácilmente respondida. Lo que aún es muy necesario es la actitud de Lubac: profundo compromiso con los textos del Vaticano II, apertura a la conversación ecuménica, disposición a dialogar con la cultura (sin ceder) y reverencia por la tradición sin sofocar al tradicionalismo. Quizás podría invitarlo a usted a reflexionar sobre ese gesto y esas palabras del cardenal Etchegaray que aprendí hace muchos años: “Una vez más, en nombre del Papa, inclino la cabeza ante el padre de Lubac.”

(El obispo Robert Barron es autor, orador, teólogo y fundador de Word on Fire, un ministerio global de medios de comunicacion – Wordonfire.org)

Bishop calendar

Sunday, Sept. 29, 10:30 a.m. – Feast of St. Therese, Kosciusko St. Therese
Saturday, Oct. 5, 5:15 p.m. – EOHS Mass, Feast of Holy Mary Queen of Palestine, Jackson Cathedral of St. Peter
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 12 p.m. Catholic Charities Journey of Hope, Jackson Convention Center
Thursday, Oct. 17, 5 p.m. Catholic Charities Purple Dress Run, Jackson The District at Eastover

Only public events are listed on this schedule and all events are subject to change.
Please check with the local parish for further details

Cardinal Etchegaray, Henri de Lubac and Vatican II

Bishop Robert Barron

By Bishop Robert Barron
(Editor’s note: Bishop Joseph Kopacz is on vacation at press time. His regular column will return in our Oct. 11 edition.)
Recently, Cardinal Roger Etchegaray passed away. Perhaps his was not a household name, but this very decent man made a substantive contribution to the life of the Church, serving in a number of different capacities over the years and collaborating closely with St. Pope John Paul II. I had the privilege of meeting him in the mid 1990s when he visited Mundelein Seminary, where I was serving as professor of theology. The Cardinal wanted to address the community, but his English was a bit shaky, so I translated for him. But I recall that his smile and evident joy in the Lord needed no translation whatsoever.
The first time I ever laid eyes on Roger Etchegaray was some years before that, on an extraordinary day in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris: the funeral of the legendary theologian Henri de Lubac. A third-year doctoral student at the time, I had made my way to Notre Dame, hoping against hope that I might be able to participate in the funeral Mass. As I approached the door, I was stopped by a security agent who asked, “Est-ce que vous êtes membre de la famille? (Are you a member of the family?)” “Non,” I responded. Then he inquired, “Est-ce que vous êtes theologien? (Are you a theologian?)” With some trepidation, I said, “Oui,” and he promptly directed me to a prime position near the front of the Cathedral. To the tolling of the deepest bells in the Cathedral, the simple wooden coffin of de Lubac was wheeled down the middle aisle. I noticed, as it passed by my position, that it was topped by de Lubac’s red cardinal’s biretta.
At the close of the Mass, Cardinal Etchegaray rose to speak on behalf of the Pope. He read a beautiful tribute from John Paul II, and then he shared the following anecdote. Soon after his election to the papacy, John Paul came to Paris for a pastoral visit. He made a special stop at the Institut Catholique de Paris to meet with theologians and other Catholic academics. After his formal remarks, Etchegaray continued, John Paul II looked up and said, “Où est le pere de Lubac? (Where is Father de Lubac?)” The young Karol Wojtyla had worked closely with de Lubac during Vatican II, specifically in the composition of the great conciliar document Gaudium et Spes. De Lubac stepped forward and, Etchegaray told us, Pope John Paul bowed his head to the distinguished theologian. Then, turning to the coffin, Etchegaray said, “Encore une fois, au nom du pape, j’incline la tête devant le pere de Lubac (Once more, in the name of the Pope, I bow my head before Father de Lubac).”
This is much more than a charming story, for upon John Paul’s reverence for Henri de Lubac hangs a very interesting tale of continuing relevance to our time. De Lubac was the most prominent proponent of what came to be called la nouvelle theologie (the new theology). Departing from the strict and rather rationalist Thomism that dominated Catholic intellectual life in the first half of the twentieth century, de Lubac and his colleagues turned with enthusiasm to the Scriptures and to the marvelous and multifaceted works of the Church Fathers. This return to the “sources” of the faith produced a theology that was spiritually informed, ecumenically generous and intellectually rich — and it got de Lubac in considerable hot water with the academic and ecclesial establishment of that time. At the very height of his powers, throughout the 1950s, he was silenced, prohibited from teaching, speaking or publishing. Rehabilitated by Pope John XXIII, de Lubac played a pivotal role at Vatican II, decisively influencing many of its major documents. It is altogether correct to say that this champion of the reforming Second Vatican Council was no friend of pre-conciliar Catholic conservatism.
However, in the years immediately following the Council, Henri de Lubac became impatient with the Catholic liberalism, led by such figures as Hans Küng, Karl Rahner and Edward Schillebeeckx, which was pushing past the texts of Vatican II, accommodating itself far too readily with the environing culture and losing its mooring in classical Christianity. And so, along with his colleagues Hans Urs von Balthasar and Joseph Ratzinger, he founded the theological journal Communio, which was meant as a counterweight to the journal Concilium, which published the works of the leading liberals. It was this Communioschool, this middle path between both a conservative and liberal rejection of Vatican II, that John Paul II enthusiastically embraced. If you seek clear evidence that the Polish Pope favored this approach, look no further than the Catechism of 1992, which is filled with the spirit of the nouvelle theologie and to the fact that John Paul specially honored the three founders of Communio, making Joseph Ratzinger head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and naming both de Lubac and Balthasar Cardinals.
Are both left-wing and right-wing rejections of Vatican II on display today? Just go on the Catholic new media space and you’ll find the question readily answered. What is still very much the needful thing is the de Lubac attitude: deep commitment to the texts of Vatican II, openness to ecumenical conversation, a willingness to dialogue with the culture (without caving in to it), reverence for the tradition without a stifling traditionalism. Perhaps I might invite you to muse on that gesture and those words of Cardinal Etchegaray that I took in many years ago: “Once more, in the name of the Pope, I bow my head before Father de Lubac.”

(This article first appeared at WordOnFire.org. Bishop Robert Barron is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.)

Parish calendar of events

SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT
BROOKSVILLE The Dwelling Place, Transitions and Transformation, Oct. 11–13, begins with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Am I in transition in retirement, in my workplace, my family, my residence, my relationship or health? The weekend will explore these issues. Facilitators: Dr. Francis Baird, LPC, who has a private counseling practice in Columbus and Starkville and Clare Van Lent, MA CSp., Dwelling Place Director. Donation: $180. Details: (662) 738-5348 or email dwellpl@gmail.com.
HOLLY SPRINGS Hands–ON + Hearts–IN is a program is to assist women who are discerning a call to consecrated life through hands-on service to the needy throughout north Mississippi. Monday – Thursday, Oct. 21–24. This program, coordinated by the Sisters of the Living Word, is a collaborative effort between the Chicago Archdiocesan Vocation Association (CAVA) members and Sacred Heart Southern Missions (SHSM). The hospitality team will be the Sisters of the Living Word. They previously will be offering the meals and a comfortable home base for the prayer and discernment aspects of the experience. Details: contact Sister Sharon Glumb, SLW at handsonheartsin@gmail.com or (847) 577-5972 Ext# 233.
METAIRIE, La. Catholic Charismatic Renewal of New Orleans (CCRNO), Torrent of Grace, An Evening of Worship, Sunday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Benilde cafeteria, 1901 Division Street. The evening features “Overshadow Me” with Sean Tobin, composer and worship leader from Los Angeles. The sole purpose of this gathering is to seek God, to worship and experience the presence of the Holy Spirit. Everyone is invited who desires to spend an evening with prophetic, spirit–filled music and praise. There is no charge, but a love offering will be received. Details: www.ccrno.org; info@ccrno.org or (504) 828-1368.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. National Catholic Singles Conference, Oct. 25–27. Join hundreds of single Catholics from across the country at the Diocese of Nashville Catholic Pastoral Center. The weekend includes talks by dynamic speakers (Sr. Helena Burns, Dr. Kerry Cronin, Damon Owens and David Clayton) as well as music, social events, prayer, food, fellowship and more. Space is limited. Enter promo code NASH19 for a $20 discount. Details: For more information and to register visit www.NationalCatholicSingles.com. or call Mirjana Northrop at (512) 766–5798 or email natcatsingles@gmail.com.
PEARL St. Jude – The Marian Servants of Jesus, the Lamb of God, invites you to a “Come and See” open house, Tuesday, Oct. 8, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. An opportunity for you to learn about the Marian Servant Community. Details: Contact Teresa Preuss (601) 906–1338, tepreuss@yahoo.com, or Maureen Roberts (601) 278–0423 mmjroberts@gmail.com.
STANTON, Tenn, Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend, Oct. 25–27 at Our Lady Queen of Peace Retreat Center. Details: Norman and Barbara Sobota at (901) 373-7030 or email sobota@bellsouth.net.

PARISH, SCHOOL AND FAMILY EVENTS
ABERDEEN St. Francis, Adult Bible Study, Tuesdays at 11 a.m. Studying the Gospel of John. Details: church office (662) 813-2295.
BATESVILLE St. John, Knights of Columbus are holding a Rummage Sale, Friday, Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 2 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please donate any clean, unbroken, gently used items that you no longer need. Details: church office (662) 563-2273.
BROOKHAVEN St. Francis, 153rd Francis Fest (formerly known as Parish Picnic), Sunday, Oct. 6, Mass at 10 a.m., Lunch, bingo, games and jumpers for the kids. Details: church office (601) 833-1799.
OLIVE BRANCH, Queen of Peace, Prayer and Worship Course taught by Sister Emily, Thursdays, Oct. 3 until Nov. 21 at 6:45 pm. The focus of the classes will be a better understanding of the liturgy and of various prayer forms. The texts that will be used are Introduction to Christian Worship, third edition and We Worship: A Guide to the Catholic Mass. Details: ctksemily@aol.com or the church office (601) 895–5007.
JACKSON St. Richard, Evening with Mary, Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. in Foley Hall. KC Williams, local artist, and Suzan Cox will team up to show the different ways people picture our Blessed Mother. The evening is a time for women to listen to speakers and share a dessert and conversation. There is no cost. Deadline to register is Oct. 4. Social begins at 6 p.m. with speakers starting at 6:30 p.m. Details: Suzan Cox at (601) 366-2335 or cox@saintrichard.com.
MADISON St. Francis of Assisi, Father Nick Adam, Parochial Vicar at Jackson St. Richard, will be discussing “The Power of Silence,” Monday, Sept. 30 and Tuesday, Oct. 1. In our society, our access to silence is pretty much zero. We are constantly bombarded by noise of one kind or another. But in order to encounter the Lord Jesus Christ, we have to make room for silent prayer so we can hear the Lord’s call above all the noise. These nights will include Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction, along with a meal. Details: church office (601) 856–5556.
MERIDIAN Catholic Community of St. Joseph and St. Patrick, October Festival 2019, Saturday, Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Includes health fair, hispanic cultural dishes, fun games for children, escape room for teens, country store and white elephant store (7 a.m. to 12 p.m.). Fish and rib plates $10; Rib slabs $20. Details: (601) 938–1337 or (601) 227-1199 to make donations (no clothing please).
VICKSBURG St. Paul will host a six-week adult catechesis program, The Mass, where Father Rusty Vincent will outline each part of the Mass, its Scriptural foundation and the reasoning behind responses and gestures. It will start Wednesday, Sept. 25th at Farrell Hall. Meals are served for $5. If you would like to attend, please email Rebecca Weatherford at faithformation@stpaulvicksburg.org. or church office (601) 636-0140.

YOUTH BRIEFS
JACKSON Sister Thea Bowman School, registration is underway for the 2019–20 school year. If you are looking for a solid academic education rooted in Gospel values serving grades PreK3 – 6th grades. Details: Shae Goodman-Robinson, principal at (601) 506-8998 for more information.
MADISON St. Anthony, Open House and Fall Festival, Saturday, Nov. 2 from 2-5 p.m. There will be games, carnival food and hayrides. Details: school office (601) 607-7054.
RIDGELAND St. Francis of Assisi, Senior Bible Break, Wednesdays from 6-7 p.m. at M7 Coffee House, 111 North Wheatley Street in Ridgeland, for all 12th graders for scripture sharing and fellowship. Bring a Bible and friends are welcome. Details: church office (601) 856-5556.

IN MEMORIAM
Long-time resident of Vicksburg, Sister Mary Fatima Starks, died Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Mobile, Alabama. A Sister of Mercy for 72 years, she was 90 years old.
Sister Fatima ministered in education, as a teacher and principal at schools in Mississippi, Louisiana, Illinois and Pennsylvania. Of her 60 years in active ministry, all but 3 years were spent serving the people of Mississippi. She gave over 30 years of service to Vicksburg Catholic school. Most recently, before moving in 2016 to the Convent of Mercy in Mobile, she served as a volunteer at St. Francis Xavier Elementary School in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
A funeral Mass was celebrated Monday, Sept. 23 at Corpus Christi church in Mobile. Sister Fatima’s burial took place at Cedar Hill cemetery in Vicksburg, Tuesday, Sept. 24.

Tome nota

Vírgenes y Santos. Celebraciones
Santa Teresita del Niño Jesús. Martes 1ro octubre
Santos Ángeles de la Guarda. Miércoles 2 de octubre
San Francisco de Asís. Viernes 4 de octubre
Virgen del Rosario. Patrona de Guatemala. Lunes 7 de octubre.
Virgen del Pilar y Nuestra Señora de la Concepción Aparecida. Patrona de Brazil. Sábado 12 de octubre.
Día del Descubriento de América. Columbus Day. Lunes 14 de octubre.
Santa Teresa de Jesús. Martes15 de octubre.
Día de San Juan Pablo II. Martes 22 de octubre.
San Antonio Maria Claret. Jueves 24 de octubre.
San Judas Tadeo. Lunes 28 de octubre.
Diócesis
Encuentro Provincial de Mobile (con las diocesis de Alabama y Mississippi), sábado 12 de octubre, de 8 de la mañana a 5 de la tarde, en Saint Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 2605 Spring Hill Ave, Mobile, AL 36607
Convocatoria
Encuentro Diocesano de comunidades hispanas del noreste de Mississippi.
“Habla Señor, que tu siervo escucha”
St James Tupelo
Octubre 19 de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m.
Esta es una oportunidad de Encuentro y Formación, en la que todas las comunidades Católicas Hispanas están llamadas a participar.
Conferencista principal: Alejandro Siller-Gonzales, del Instituto Congar de San Antonio, TX y miembro del Equipo Pastoral del Mexican-American Cultural College (MACC).
Invitado especial: Jesus Rodríguez, Cantante Católico con dos producciones discográficas. “Perdóname” en el 2013 y “Para Sobrevivir” en el 2016. Es el autor del tema del Encuentro Diocesano: “Háblame Señor”. El Encuentro culminará con la Santa Eucaristía a las 3 p.m.

Septiembre 15 – Octubre 15 Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana

USCCB “Una propuesta para reducir el número de admisiones de refugiados a los Estados Unidos a menos de 30,000 “sería totalmente contrario a nuestros valores como un país de inmigrantes”, dijo el presidente de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos (USCCB) y el presidente del comité de migración de USCCB.”(CNS)

Catholic Relief Services ” Honramos las contribuciones de las comunidades Hispana y Latina en este mes,
resaltando la diversidad, cultura y tradiciones”
hispanicheritagemonth.gov

“La Biblioteca del Congreso, La Administracion de Archivos Nacionales, National Endowment for the Humanities, La Galeria Nacional de Arte, El Servicio Nacional de Parques, La Institucion Smithsonian y el Museo de Estados Unidos Memoria del Holocausto se unen para tributar a generaciones de Hispano Americanos que han influenciado positivamente y enriquecido a nuestra nacion y sociedad.” Siga todas las actividades en este website

Manos para hacer la obra de Dios

PARA DAR Y RECIBIR DONACIONES

FOREST y MORTON – Iglesia Católica San Miguel,
Hermanas Obdulia y María Eugenia: 601-469-1916
CARTHAGE – Iglesia Católica Santa Ana, Padre Odel Medina: 601-267-7190
CANTON – Iglesia Católica Sacred Heart: Blanca: 601-859-3749
MORTON – Centro Católico Excel Community Center: 601-732-1800
JACKSON – Caridades Católicas: 601-355-8634

PARA INFORMACION
En Facebook, Apoyo Latino en Mississippi, Mississippi Resiste

ACCESO A ABOGADOS ESPECIALISTAS EN INMIGRACION
Caridades Católicas: Matthew Young llamando al número: 601-948-2635,
o a la dirección de correo electrónico: matthew.young@ccjackson.org.
Visite la página de Catholic Charities in Jackson para más información
Línea Comunitaria patrocinada por ACLU Mississippi,
MIRA y El Pueblo: 978-993-3300