By Staff Reports JACKSON – The Diocese of Jackson’s Office of Catholic Education recently completed a major milestone with its system reaccreditation review conducted by Cognia, Inc., from April 8–10, 2025. The review was led by Dr. Michael Bratcher, Cognia’s Director of Accreditation Services and the national liaison for Catholic school accreditation. His extensive experience and expertise in evaluating Catholic institutions made him especially well-suited to assess our system’s distinct governance structure, Canonical foundations and deeply rooted Catholic identity.
JACKSON – On April 8, Father Joe Tonos, Father Gerry Hurley, Father Albeen Vatti and Father Kevin Slattery met with executive director of Catholic Education Karla Luke and Dr. Michael Bratcher, director of accreditation services for Cognia. The Diocese of Jackson received a score of 389 out of 400 by Cognia for outstanding efforts of educators and administrators, who are committed to excellence and mission-driven service. (Photo by Tereza Ma)
Unlike public or independent schools, Catholic school systems require evaluators who understand the unique relationships between pastors and principals, the influence of Canon Law, and the integral role of faith in daily instruction. Dr. Bratcher’s presence marked a significant response to longstanding requests for accreditation professionals who can truly appreciate these complexities.
The Office of Catholic Education was evaluated across four primary domains: Culture of Learning, Leadership for Learning, Engagement of Learning, and Growth in Learning – encompassing 30 rigorous standards. These areas, designed with the student as the central stakeholder, were assessed through surveys, performance data and in-depth classroom observations.
Cognia accreditation is internationally recognized for its high standards and emphasis on continuous improvement. The Diocese of Jackson first earned this prestigious system-wide accreditation in 2019. Under this model, every school in the diocesan system shares in the accreditation status, promoting consistency, excellence and accountability throughout.
Following this year’s engagement review, the Diocese of Jackson received an Index of Educational Quality (IEQ) score of 389 out of 400 – an exceptional result that stands 93 points above Cognia’s global network average of 296. This achievement reflects the outstanding efforts of diocesan Catholic school educators and administrators, who remain committed to excellence and mission-driven service.
Karla Luke, executive director of Catholic Schools said that to achieve a score of this caliber means diocesan school systems are solid, the best practices are imbedded in operations and instruction, and the diocesan Catholic school system is continuously striving for improvement.
“I am so very proud of the efforts of our Catholic School community in the entire Diocese of Jackson. I would like to thank our teachers and administrators for consistently delivering such high-quality education to our students,” said Luke.
The diocese extends special thanks to the leadership team that helped prepare for the review: Mary Arledge (Vicksburg Catholic Schools), Kimberley Burkley (Cathedral Catholic School), Dr. Dena Kinsey (St. Joseph Catholic School, Madison), and Office of Catholic Education staff members Rachel Patterson and Virginia Hollingsworth.
“With this outstanding reaccreditation behind them, diocesan leaders look forward to sharing more exciting developments in Catholic education in the months ahead,” said Luke.
From the Archives By Mary Woodward JACKSON – With all the excitement about electing our new pope and having that new pope be from the United States, I started thinking about all the popes who have had a connection to our diocese. In looking back to our establishment, 14 popes including Pope Leo XIV, have been in office – 10 Italians, one Pole, one German, one Argentine, and one American. How cool is that?!
Our diocese was established on July 28, 1837. The pope of that time was Gregory XVI, who was the supreme pontiff from 1831 to 1846. Not only would he have established our diocese, but he also would have appointed the first bishop, which usually comes along with the establishment of a diocese. His initial 1837 appointment went to a priest from Pittsburgh, who declined the opportunity to come to the frontier and build an entire diocese from the ground up.
Photo from Bishop R.O. Gerow’s seminary scrapbook of Pope St. Pius X working at his desk in 1904. (Photo courtesy of archives)
Since they did not have email or fax capabilities in 1837, it took until 1841 for the Diocese of then Natchez to get its shepherd in the person of John Joseph Marie Benedict Chanche, SS. In our diocesan archive we have the original papal decreeing of establishment of the diocese and the papal bull appointing Bishop Chanche. We have the bulls for most all of our bishops down in the vault.
Following Gregory XVI, Pope Blessed Pius IX (1846-1878) appointed Bishop James Oliver VandeVelde, SJ, first to Chicago in late 1848, then to Natchez in 1853, to succeed Bishop Chanche who had died unexpectedly in July 1852. Bishop VandeVelde died of Yellow Fever in 1855 and Blessed Pius IX appointed Bishop William Henry Elder to succeed him in 1857.
Bishop Elder’s Bull is signed on the back by the consecrating bishops – Archbishop Francis Kenrick of Baltimore, Bishop John McGill of Richmond, and Bishop James Frederick Wood of the titular see of Antigonea. Antigonea was an ancient diocese that had been suppressed. At that time, Bishop Wood was co-adjutor to Philadelphia. Auxiliaries and Co-Adjutors are given a titular see because every bishop needs a diocese.
An interesting note about the Titular See of Antigonea is that 100 years after Bishop Ward, an auxiliary bishop of Krakow, Poland was named its bishop. That bishop was Karol Wojtyła future Pope St. John Paul II, who appointed Bishop William Houck in 1978 and Bishop Joseph Latino in 2003 as our ninth and tenth bishops respectively. St. John Paul II ordained Bishop Houck to the episcopacy on May 29, 1979, in Rome. There is one more signature on Bishop Elder’s bull and it is quite a treasure. The Bishop of Philadelphia was present and signed the bull beneath the other three. This was none other than St. John Nepomucene Neumann, CSsR.
Pope Leo XIII (1878 – 1903), from whom the new pope Leo XIV takes inspiration and his name, appointed Bishop Francis Janssens in 1881 to succeed Bishop Elder, who had been appointed by Leo XIII as Archbishop of Cincinnati in 1880. Subsequently, Bishop Janssens was appointed as Archbishop of New Orleans by Leo XIII in 1888. Bishop Thomas Heslin was then appointed by Leo XIII as our fifth bishop in 1889.
In 1903, Pope St. Pius X was elected. St. Pius X would have been the pope while Bishop Gerow was in seminary in Rome from 1904-1909. As a seminarian, then Richard Gerow and his class met with St. Pius X. St. Pius X appointed Bishop John Edward Gunn, SM, to be the sixth Bishop of Natchez in 1911. Benedict XV succeeded St. Pius X in 1914. It is interesting to note that two Benedicts, the XVth and the XVIth, served the office beautifully from 1914 – 1922 and 2005 – 2013, but neither appointed a bishop for our diocese.
After Bishop Gunn’s death in February 1924, Bishop Gerow, mentioned above, was appointed by Pope Pius XI (1922 – 1939). In late 1956, Pope Pius XII (1939 – 1958) appointed Bishop Joseph Brunini, our only homegrown bishop, as auxiliary to Natchez. Soon after this, Pius XII would have approved the renaming of the diocese to Natchez-Jackson in 1957.
When Bishop Gerow retired at age 81 in 1966, he was the first bishop to retire while in office. Pope St. Paul VI (1963 – 1978) then appointed Bishop Brunini as the eighth bishop of the diocese in 1968. Bishop Brunini had been serving as apostolic administrator since Bishop Gerow’s retirement in 1966.
St. Paul VI would have been the pope to divide Mississippi into two dioceses by splitting the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson into the Diocese of Jackson and the Diocese of Biloxi in 1977. St. Paul VI had appointed Bishop Joseph Howze as auxiliary in 1972. When the diocese was divided, St. Paul VI appointed Bishop Howze as the first Bishop of Biloxi.
Pope St. John XXIII (1958 – 1963) was too busy with his aggiornamento and calling the Second Vatican Council to name any bishops for our diocese. Pope Blessed John Paul I served only one month in 1978 from August to September.
Pope Francis (2013 – 2025) appointed our current chief shepherd, Bishop Joseph Kopacz, who will turn 75 in September of this year. God willing, it will be up to Pope Leo XIV to appoint our next bishop sometime after that.
Habemus papam!
(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)
Announcement of Pope Leo XIV at Catholic Schools across the diocese
The election of a new Pope is a momentous event in the Catholic Church, and it reflects the unity and diversity of the global community. It was heartwarming to see students come together to witness this historic moment, share their thoughts, and discuss what it might mean for our faith and the world.
SOUTHAVEN – The level of excitement at the announcement that the newly elected pope was an American was evident in the faces of many students at Sacred Heart School. Left to right, front: Sergio Aurioles, Lucas Delgado and Benjamin Baskin. (Photo by Bridget Martin)JACKSON – St. Richard students applaud at the annoucement of Pope Leo XIV. (Photo by Celeste Saucier)GREENVILLE – Principal Craig Mandolini awaits announcement of the new pope along with St. Joseph students during lunch. (Photo by Nikki Thompson)JACKSON – Pre-K students at Sister Thea Bowman School await the announcement of the next pope. (Photo by Christopher Payne)MADISON – St. Anthony third graders didn’t want to miss a historic moment while on a field trip to the Petrified Forest, so they viewed the announcement of Pope Leo XIV from their teacher’s cell phone! (Photo by Anne Cowger)NATCHEZ – Cathedral School second grader, Jack Ryan jumps up in applause for Pope Leo XIV – the first American pope. (Photo by Brandi Boles)MADISON – Students at St. Joseph School eagerly await the announcement of the new pope on Thursday, May 8. Many students of Catholic schools throughout the diocese followed the papal conclave awaiting white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. (Photo by Dr. Dena Kinsey)COLUMBUS – Middle school students at Annunciation took lunch in classrooms so they could hear the moment that a new pope was announceed to the world. (Photo by Jacque Hince)
By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, the Chicago-born prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis, was elected the 267th pope May 8 and took the name Pope Leo XIV.
He is the first North American to be elected pope and, before the conclave, was the U.S. cardinal most mentioned as a potential successor of St. Peter.
The white smoke poured from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel at 6:07 p.m. Rome time and a few minutes later the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica began to ring.
About 20 minutes later the Vatican police band and two dozen members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard marched into St. Peter’s Square. They soon were joined by the marching band of the Italian Carabinieri, a branch of military police, and by units of the other branches of the Italian military.
As soon as news began to spread, people from all over Rome ran to join the tens of thousands who were already in the square for the smoke watch. Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri was among them.
French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, protodeacon of the College of Cardinals, appeared on the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at 7:12 p.m. He told the crowd: “I announce to you a great joy. We have a pope (‘Habemus papam’),” saying the cardinal’s name in Latin and announcing the name by which he will be called.
Pope Leo XIV, the former Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, waves to the crowds in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican after his election as pope May 8, 2025. The new pope was born in Chicago. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)
Ten minutes later, the new Pope Leo came out onto the balcony, smiling and waving to the crowd wearing the white papal cassock, a red mozzetta or cape and a red stole to give his first public blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world).
The crowd shouted repeatedly, “Viva il papa” or “Long live the pope” as Pope Leo’s eyes appeared to tear up.
“Peace be with you,” were Pope Leo’s first words to the crowd.
“My dear brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave his life for God’s flock,” he said, praying that Christ’s peace would enter people’s hearts, their families and “the whole earth.”
The peace of the risen Lord, he said, is “a peace that is unarmed and disarming.”
Signaling strong continuity with the papacy of Pope Francis, Pope Leo told the crowd that God “loves all of us unconditionally” and that the church must be open to everyone.
“We are all in God’s hands,” he said, so “without fear, united, hand in hand with God and with each other, let us go forward.”
He thanked the cardinals who elected him, apparently on the fourth ballot of the conclave, “to be the successor of Peter and to walk with you as a united church always seeking peace, justice” and together being missionary disciples of Christ.
Telling the crowd that he was an Augustinian, he quoted St. Augustine, who said, “With you I am a Christian and for you a bishop.”
“Together we must try to be a missionary church, a church that builds bridges and always dialogues, that is always open to receiving everyone like this square with its arms open to everyone, everyone in need,” he said.
The new bishop of Rome told the people of his diocese and of the whole Catholic Church, “We want to be a synodal church, a church that journeys, a church that seeks peace always, that always seeks charity, that wants to be close to people, especially those who are suffering.”
After asking the crowd to recite the Hail Mary with him, Pope Leo gave his first solemn blessing.
Cardinals over the age of 80, who were not eligible to enter the conclave, joined the crowd in the square. Among them were Cardinals Seán P. O’Malley, the retired archbishop of Boston; Donald W. Wuerl, the retired archbishop of Washington; and Marc Ouellet, retired prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. A longtime missionary in Peru, the 69-year-old pope holds both U.S. and Peruvian citizenship.
La Repubblica, the major Italian daily, described him April 25 as “cosmopolitan and shy,” but also said he was “appreciated by conservatives and progressives. He has global visibility in a conclave in which few (cardinals) know each other.”
That visibility comes from serving as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops for the past two years, he was instrumental in helping Pope Francis choose bishops for many Latin-rite dioceses, he met hundreds of bishops during their “ad limina” visits to Rome and was called to assist Latin-rite bishops “in all matters concerning the correct and fruitful exercise of the pastoral office entrusted to them.”
The new pope was serving as bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, when Pope Francis called him to the Vatican in January 2023.
During a talk at St. Jude Parish in Chicago in August, the then-cardinal said Pope Francis nominated him “specifically because he did not want someone from the Roman Curia to take on this role. He wanted a missionary; he wanted someone from outside; he wanted someone who would come in with a different perspective.”
In a March 2024 interview with Catholic News Service, he said Pope Francis’ decision in 2022 to name three women as full members of the dicastery, giving them input on the selection of bishops “contributes significantly to the process of discernment in looking for who we hope are the best candidates to serve the church in episcopal ministry.”
To deter attitudes of clericalism among bishops, he said, “it’s important to find men who are truly interested in serving, in preaching the Gospel, not just with eloquent words, but rather with the example and witness they give.”
In fact, the cardinal said, Pope Francis’ “most effective and important” bulwark against clericalism was his being “a pastor who preaches by gesture.”
In an interview in 2023 with Vatican News, then-Cardinal Prevost spoke about the essential leadership quality of a bishop.
“Pope Francis has spoken of four types of closeness: closeness to God, to brother bishops, to priests and to all God’s people,” he said. “One must not give in to the temptation to live isolated, separated in a palace, satisfied with a certain social level or a certain level within the church.”
“And we must not hide behind an idea of authority that no longer makes sense today,” he said. “The authority we have is to serve, to accompany priests, to be pastors and teachers.”
As prefect of the dicastery then-Cardinal Prevost also served as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, where nearly 40% of the world’s Catholics reside.
A Chicago native, he also served as prior general of the Augustinians and spent more than two decades serving in Peru, first as an Augustinian missionary and later as bishop of Chiclayo.
Soon after coming to Rome to head the dicastery, he told Vatican News that bishops have a special mission of promoting the unity of the church.
“The lack of unity is a wound that the church suffers, a very painful one,” he said in May 2023. “Divisions and polemics in the church do not help anything. We bishops … must accelerate this movement toward unity, toward communion in the church.”
In September, a television program in Peru reported on the allegations of three women who said that then-Bishop Prevost failed to act against a priest who sexually abused them as minors. The diocese strongly denied the accusation, pointing out that he personally met with the victims in April 2022, removed the priest from his parish, suspended him from ministry and conducted a local investigation that was then forwarded to the Vatican. The Vatican said there was insufficient evidence to proceed, as did the local prosecutor’s office.
Pope Leo was born Sept. 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the Augustinian-run Villanova University in Pennsylvania and joined the order in 1977, making his solemn vows in 1981. He holds a degree in theology from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and a doctorate from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
He joined the Augustinian mission in Peru in 1985 and largely worked in the country until 1999 when he was elected head of the Augustinians’ Chicago-based province. From 2001 to 2013, he served as prior general of the worldwide order. In 2014, Pope Francis named him bishop of Chiclayo, in northern Peru, and the pope asked him also to be apostolic administrator of Callao, Peru, from April 2020 to May 2021. The new pope speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese and can read Latin and German.
Pictured are Hannah and Mario Villasenor, parishioners of St. Therese Church in Jackson. The couple have found joy and purpose in assisting other couples prepare for the sacrament of matrimony through working with the Office of Family Ministry as presenters at Engaged Encounter. Both express gratitude for support given through the Catholic Service Appeal to assist family ministry throughout the diocese. (Photo courtesy of Hannah and Mario Villasenor)
When Hannah and Mario Villasenor, parishioners at St. Therese Catholic Church in Jackson, signed up for an Engaged Encounter weekend before their wedding in October 2021, they never imagined they would one day be a presenting couple.
“We thought someone would call us once we had been married long enough or had somehow become good enough at marriage,” Hannah laughed. “So, when Debbie Tubertini, from the Office of Family Ministry, reached out and asked us to present, we were honestly surprised. We did not think she meant us!”
Their first weekend as a presenting couple was in April 2023. Since then, Hannah and Mario have found joy and purpose in sharing their story with other engaged couples preparing for the sacrament of marriage.
“We remember what it felt like to sit in those chairs, listening to the presenters and thinking, ‘Wow, they really have it all figured out,’” said Mario. “Even though they told us they were not experts, it sure seemed like they were.”
Now as presenters, Hannah and Mario strive to offer something different and authentic. “We want the couples to take what resonates and use it in their own relationships,” Mario said.
“There’s no such thing as a perfect marriage – just two people choosing every day to love and serve one another the best they can.”
Beyond helping others, the experience has deepened their own relationship. “It’s a chance to pause, reflect on our own marriage, and grow. We leave each retreat reminded of why we said yes in the first place,” according to Hannah.
Hannah and Mario expressed gratitude to those who support the Catholic Service Appeal, “Your gifts are changing lives,” Mario said. “They’re helping couples build strong, faith-filled foundations for their future. If you have not yet given, we hope you will consider it. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference.”
KNEADING FAITH By Fran Lavelle I remember the day that Pope Francis was elected. I was still working at St. Joseph in Starkville serving as the campus minister. We had a television in the parish center lounge that the staff had on to watch the live coverage. I remember crying when they announced his name. In the photographs and television coverage that followed, I remember being taken by his eyes and his infectious smile. What I did not know at the time was how much his papacy would influence my ministry.
It is said that whatever is not transformed is transferred. Transferring supports a “that’s the way we have always done it” mentality and leaves no room for new ideas or ways of being. Transformation requires a continuous and intentional evaluation of the welfare of an organization. Pope Francis was intentional to his core. His desire to lead from the center instead of the top allowed him to model what he expected from his clerics. He invited the clergy to smell like the sheep. He chose to stay close to the poor and marginalized and demonstrated simplicity and humility.
Fran Lavelle
I have been known to joke that we were basically the same person, Jesuit educated with a Franciscan spirituality, and we share the same name. But seriously, finding ways to emulate his life has not been lost on me. Out of many there is one major way in which he influenced my ministry and my life. He taught me the value and importance of synodality as a pathway for transformation.
My first experience with synodality was in 2018 when Pope Francis called a synod of bishops on “Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment.” The papal exhortation, Christus Vivit, the final document summarizing the work of that synod, was published in 2019. It was an invitation to the young church and those of us who accompany them to take a long look at how we are in relationship with God and one another. Pope Francis called on adults who form youth in the church to first exercise the “apostolate of the ear” – that is to be first, a listener. He said, “Attentive and selfless listening is a sign of our respect for others, whatever their ideas or their choices in life,” quoting from Christus Vivit 292.
He was demonstrating how to journey with the young church as they discover God’s deep seeded love for them. “Rather than being too concerned with communicating a great deal of doctrine, let us first try to awaken and consolidate the great experiences that sustain the Christian life. In the words of Romano Guardini (from Christus Vivit 212), “when we experience a great love … everything else becomes part of it.”
Unpacking the wisdom of the Synod for Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment helped prepare me for my role a few years later when Pope Francis called for a universal Synod on Synodality.
The Synod on Synodality was an opportunity for the people of God to pray together and ask of ourselves as individuals and within our church community where we are being called by the Holy Spirit in our journey of faith. It was the Pope’s desire to hear from all demographics, all ages, all people. This reflected his belief that the workings of the church is not a clandestine process that happens behind closed doors. Pope Francis asked church leaders to open wide their arms, ears and their hearts to hear the prophetic voice of God’s people.
Since the conclusion of the Synod process, the diocese has been intentional in animating what we heard from our synodal listening. A Pastoral Reimagining process was launched in 2023 whereby every parish in the diocese was given an opportunity to reflect on where they were and articulate a plan to get them where they want to be. Those plans were collated by deanery and a reimagined vision for each deanery was set forth.
To further reflect our understanding of what we heard, a full-time young adult and campus ministry coordinator for the diocese was hired in response to a call for greater leadership for that demographic. Additionally, in response for a call for greater lay formation, the Bishop William R. Houck Center for Lay Formation is being established to provide lay people with easy access to formation opportunities. The work continues to unfold. The Synod on Synodality was the pebble in still water that continues to create ripples in our diocese and around the world.
There is much to appreciate in his years as our Holy Father. He gave us so much to reflect on … be it how we recovered from the pandemic, faced the sin or racism, addressed poverty, considered care for our common home, or care for those on the periphery. Through it all synodality was at the core of his ministry. In the Jesuit tradition to see, judge and act – Pope Francis created opportunities for dialogue rather than dictates. We are a better church for his leadership. I am eternally grateful for how his vision helped form my own.
(Fran Lavelle is the Director of Faith Formation for the Diocese of Jackson.)
FROM THE HERMITAGE By sister alies therese Mother Teresa commented, “Everywhere there is suffering, but there is also a great hunger for God and love.” Gotta go for that, and as we welcome the ‘Pope named Bob’ as our shepherd, I suspect the tension between the two will continue to be addressed. One way Pope Francis left us, not long before his passing, was his charge to artists. As we move into this new era, let us not forget how critical beauty is!
At White Night in St Peter’s, Papa Francis told artists, “the responsibility of artists is to make beauty shine.” He included all sorts of artists … writers, dancers, musicians and painters, among many, and he set a bar for happy hearts. There is much suffering, and there is much hunger, and one way these are addressed is through the arts. That Pope Francis charged artists with the ‘responsibility’ of ‘making beauty shine’ is no small assignment. Most countries have a national arts something or other that shares culture and beauty … some nations restrict how they share it. Even the poorest of nations have marvelous works of art that lift the spirits of their families and peoples and share with others the joy of their culture.
Francis suggested that “artists must help humanity not to lose its way … to be witnesses to the revolutionary vision of the beatitudes … not only creating beauty but also ‘revealing the truth and goodness hidden within the folds of history giving voice to the voiceless.’” Over centuries, artists, builders and designers have left behind impressions and monuments, pots and aqueducts, which have stood the test of time. We saw a lot of Rome as the conclave met … buildings, statues, paintings … all telling stories that the artists wanted us to remember. The scriptures were announced, and we were reminded of the functionality of buildings and also the ways they brought exquisite beauty and harmony to the scene.
Francis continued, “We need artists to help us ask questions about time and purpose … are we pilgrims or wanderers? Does our journey have a destination, or are we directionless?” What demanding questions for people with great insight and courage. It takes both for a person to function as an artist … partly because the criticism can be high enough to cancel them out! No, he asks artists to show us the way forward … to move us beyond selfishness to sharing. If you notice, the conductor has his/her back to the applause. The conductor caresses and encourages the musicians and takes care that they make the music beautiful. Her/his responsibility is to share that joy with listeners so that their hearts might light up and their anguish be set free.
“We must learn,” he said, “to discern between the chaff scattered by the wind from what is solid like trees planted by streams of water (Ps1).” The artist leads us in at least two ways … outward toward the universe (into the 6-20 trillion galaxies and their swirls of old and new designs of stars) and/or down deep into our hearts where we are touched to grow and create. Ecclesiastes reminds us that “God has made everything beautiful in its time.” When the writer says ‘everything’, I have to remind myself that everything means just that … difficulties as well as successes, hard times as well as times of ease. Our God, the greatest of artists, has created for us such beauty and wonder that we can never, even in the longest of lifetimes, take it all in. We are grateful as well to those who can draw our attention to it through their creativity, sharing in these gifts of God. And Paul in Ephesians reminds us that we are indeed God’s work of art … and no artist wants his/her art to be trashed or considered less than. Francis would want us to remember that as we learn to treat one another with greater dignity and respect.
I imagine the era of Pope Leo XIV to be one of learning even more how to care for one another and let us thank Pope Francis for his invitation and charge to artists to make beauty shine.
Blessings.
(sister alies therese is a canonical hermit who prays and writes.)
GUEST COLUMN By Deacon Ted Schreck As I look back over the years since my ordination to the permanent diaconate in June 2016, I recall so many wonderful memories and some difficult times as well. Actually, my journey began years earlier. My baptism was when I was 10 days old back in December 1969; however, when I think about what led more immediately to my call, I think of the time from 2011 when my older brother Mike was ordained as a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. I watched my brother and his family for the years of his formation and was blessed to be present for his ordination. To say the least, this made a lasting impression on me.
SOUTHAVEN – Deacon Ted Schreck baptizes a new child into the faith as a part of his duties as a permanent deacon for the Diocese of Jackson. (Photo courtesy of Deacon Ted Schreck)
In 2009-2010, I began earnestly considering my own call to consider making an application for the permanent diaconate formation program. At that time, we in the Diocese of Jackson had not had any formation classes for permanent deacons in a very long time. However, while I was watching my brother’s call coming to fruition at his own ordination, I was being encouraged to consider my own call especially among my brother deacons serving in the Diocese of Memphis where I was working both at Memphis Catholic High School and Middle School and at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in East Memphis.
So, the discernment process for me continued in earnest. I wanted to know for myself that I was not seeking some title or specific affirmation for my service in the church. When we finally had an information session at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Batesville, Mississippi, I welcomed the words from the presenters that the call was “not about you,” but about answering God’s call for his church and his people. This realization that my call to consider the permanent diaconate was not about me, but about seeking to do God’s will in my community was what I needed.
I learned a lot about myself as I reflected on my spiritual autobiography and began to share with friends and long-time neighbors from years previous that I was seriously considering this call to become a permanent deacon. The amazing thing that I heard from these friends and family members was “It’s about time … I’ve seen the servant in you for years.” Talk about God showing others our gifts and we ourselves not recognizing those gifts.
To fast forward, I loved (for the most part) my years of formation with my cohort from the Diocese of Jackson and the men (and their wives) from the Diocese of Memphis. I truly experienced being stretched and formed. I recognized strengths within me and some weaknesses as well. I have to say that while the information and knowledge gained was very important, I grew the most I believe through walking with my brothers through the formation process. We each experienced joys and sorrows over that 5-year period. But we stood together, and we laughed and we cried together.
One funny story that we like to look back on from time to time is when I parked my vehicle at St. James in Corinth to ride along with my brothers from St. Joseph in Starkville up to a retreat at St. Meinrad in Indiana. You may know that Corinth (in the New Testament – the home of the Corinthians) is in modern day Turkey. Well, on that day as I parked my vehicle at St. James in Corinth, I met some not-so-friendly wild “turkeys” that the priest at that time was raising on the church property.
Finally, after five years of formation, I and my brother deacons arrived at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Jackson for our ordination. I remember so many different feelings and joys on that day. The very next day as I returned to Christ the King parish in Southaven for the first Mass after our ordination, I had the opportunity to preach the homily for the first time. Understandably, I wanted to include thanks to my family and my fellow parishioners who had walked along this journey with me. Several parishioners asked me not to make them cry every time I preached like they did that day as I remembered my mother who had passed away many years prior.
So, what have these last almost nine years brought about in my life as a husband, brother, dad, grandfather and deacon? I have celebrated over 75 baptisms, 18 weddings, 4 presentations, 29 funerals, and many opportunities to walk alongside families from very different cultures. And, I have grown with each individual, couple and family I have encountered.
This growth has primarily come through my ability and desire to listen and to connect with others. Each day, I pray that God gives me the strength and the courage to be a better husband, a better father/grandfather/brother, a better friend and a better deacon. And he keeps on answering that prayer beyond my wildest expectations. I’ve certainly made my share of mistakes, but I am truly blessed to get to listen to and connect with more and more people in the six parish communities which I serve and in other parish communities when I have been invited to offer Advent or Lenten reflections.
In my case, I was working in a Catholic school throughout my years of formation and then worked at another Catholic elementary school as the director of development even after my ordination. In early 2022, I took a further step outside my comfort zone and joined the parish staff for the six Catholic parishes of Northwest Mississippi which are served by the Priests of the Sacred Heart as the director of evangelization. I say that this was outside my comfort zone as I considered which qualifications I did not possess (or my weaknesses). But I have been beyond blessed as I pursued this work especially in adult faith formation, OCIA, sacramental preparation, and so much more. I believe that any real success that has come through trusting in God’s will and pursuing my strengths (more than focusing on my weaknesses).
What’s next? I know that there is so much work to do in helping God’s people draw closer to Him and closer to His church. That’s where my focus is! I just pray that I allow God to use me as he sees fit. My goal is to continue to grow as a Man of God, to be faithful to my family, and to fulfill my baptismal promise. Amen!
(Deacon Ted Schreck is the director of evangelization for the Catholic Parishes of Northwest Mississippi. He can be reached at nwms.evangelization@gmail.com. To learn more about the permanent diaconate visit https://bit.ly/JacksonDiaconate.)
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV’s devotion to St. Augustine, his life and ministry as a member of the Augustinian order and his focus on the church unity are reflected in his episcopal motto and coat of arms. When he appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica shortly after his election May 8, he introduced himself as “an Augustinian, a son of St. Augustine.”
And he explained that the cardinals who elected him “have chosen me to be the Successor of Peter and to walk together with you as a Church, united, ever pursuing peace and justice, ever seeking to act as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, in order to proclaim the Gospel without fear, to be missionaries.”
His episcopal motto is, “In Illo uno unum,” or literally “In the One, we are one.”
Vatican News explained that the phrase is taken from St. Augustine’s “Exposition on Psalm 127,” where he explains that “although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one.”
Pope Leo XIV’s coat of arms with his episcopal motto, “In Illo uno unum,” literally “In the One (Christ), we are one,” is seen in an image published by the Vatican Secretariat of State May 10, 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
As a cardinal, he told Vatican News in 2023, “As can be seen from my episcopal motto, unity and communion are truly part of the charism of the Order of St. Augustine, and also of my way of acting and thinking.”
“I believe it is very important to promote communion in the church, and we know well that communion, participation and mission are the three keywords of the Synod” of Bishops on synodality, he said. “So, as an Augustinian, for me promoting unity and communion is fundamental.”
His shield, now topped by a miter instead of the red galero hat on the shield of cardinals, is divided diagonally into two. The upper half features a blue background with a white lily or fleur-de-lis, symbolizing the Virgin Mary, but also his French heritage.
The lower half of the shield has a light background and displays an image common to the religious orders named after and inspired by St. Augustine: a closed book with a heart pierced by an arrow.
Vatican News said, “This is a direct reference to the conversion experience of St. Augustine himself, who described his personal encounter with God’s word using the phrase: ‘Vulnerasti cor meum verbo tuo’ – ‘You have pierced my heart with your Word.’”
By Maria Wiering (OSV News) – As the Catholic Church welcomes its first American pope, here are 10 things to know about Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert F. Prevost.
Chicagoan. Pope Leo was born Sept. 14, 1955, and grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago. His father, Louis Marius Prevost, was an educator, and his mother, Mildred Martínez, was a librarian. He has two older brothers, was active in his childhood parish and his brother John says he is a White Sox fan. His family is reportedly of French, Italian and Spanish origin, with Creole heritage on his mother’s side. He loves the sport of tennis and plays regularly.
Cosmopolitan. While American, Pope Leo has a global perspective, having lived most of his adult life in Peru and Rome. Based on his assignments, it appears that he has spent less than five years combined living in the United States since his priesthood ordination in 1982.
Augustinian. He is a member of the Order of St. Augustine, a religious order that dates to 1244 and was founded to live the spirituality of early Christians. The order considers St. Augustine, a fifth-century theologian, philosopher and bishop of Hippo, its father. Before ordination, Pope Leo attended St. Augustine Seminary High School in Holland, Michigan, and Villanova University near Philadelphia, both Augustinian institutions. Augustinians are mendicant, meaning that they traditionally survive on begging or their own work, do not hold property and do not spend their life in a single location. Pope Leo is the first Augustinian to assume the chair of Peter, and the second member of a religious order to do so in nearly two centuries – the first being the first Jesuit pope, Pope Francis.
Canonist. Pope Leo is a canon lawyer, having received his licentiate and doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, also known as the Angelicum, in Rome. He wrote doctoral thesis on “The role of the local prior in the Order of Saint Augustine.” For nearly a decade he served the Archdiocese of Trujillo, Peru, as its judicial vicar, which oversees the diocesan tribunal. During that time he was also a professor of canon, patristic and moral law in the San Carlos e San Marcelo Major Seminary.
Leader. Pope Leo has an impressive range of leadership experience. After several pastoral and seminary formation roles in Chicago and Peru, he was elected in 1999 to oversee his order’s province in Chicago, and then two years later, he took the helm of the order worldwide. He was reelected for a second six-year term, ultimately holding the Rome-based position for 12 years. Then, in 2014, Pope Francis appointed him to oversee the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, a role he held for nine years and that included a year-long stint as the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Callao, Peru, whose see city is nearly 500 miles south of Chiclayo. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him as prefect of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Bishops, which oversees the appointments of bishops worldwide.
Baby boomer. At age 69, Pope Leo is seven years younger than Pope Francis was when he was elected in 2013, and nine years younger than Pope Benedict XVI when he was elected in 2005. He is 11 years older than St. John Paul II, who was 58 at his 1978 election.
Socially minded. His name is an apparent nod to Pope Leo XIII, who led the church from 1878 until 1903 and is especially known for his 1891 encyclical “Rerum Novarum,” or “On the Condition of the Working Classes.” That document responded to the state of the industrial society at the end of the 19th century and cemented Pope Leo XIII’s position as the modern father of Catholic social doctrine. Pope Leo XIII also composed the popular St. Michael prayer, penned an 1879 encyclical calling for the rooting of Christian philosophy in the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, and issued an 1899 apostolic letter condemning “Americanism,” a worldview he feared was held by American prelates that bolstered American values such as pluralism and individualism to the detriment of Catholic teaching.
Peace bearer. Pope Leo’s first words to the world were “Peace be with you” on a balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica overlooking masses of people in the square. “Beloved brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who has given his life for the flock of God,” he continued. “I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, reach your families, to all people, wherever they may be, to all peoples, to all the earth. … It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally.”
Polyglot. Pope Leo speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese, and he reads Latin and German. He gave his first greeting May 8 in Italian but switched to Spanish to greet the faithful of his former Diocese of Chiclayo before giving the “urbi et orbi” blessing in Latin. On May 9, he began his first public homily with English but preached most of it in Italian.
Successor of Peter. On his first full day as pope May 9, Pope Leo preached before the College of Cardinals who elected him, speaking of an exchange between Jesus and St. Peter, the first pope. He called the church “an ark of salvation sailing through the waters of history and a beacon that illumines the dark nights of this world. And this, not so much through the magnificence of her structures or the grandeur of her buildings – like the monuments among which we find ourselves – but rather through the holiness of her members.”
