LOUISVILLE – Members of Sacred Heart Parish participated in a community-wide luncheon in mid-February to make money for “Good News Bible Clubs,” an after-school program taught in private and public schools in Winston county. Above, Linda Veazey, Carol McAdory and Theresa Bridges dish out the offerings from Sacred Heart’s table. (Photo by Paula Fulton)
Louisville good news club
By Alí and Patricia López
HAZELHURST – The Catholic community of St. Martin of Tours selected the lifelong formation of intentional disciples as the Pastoral Priority on which they want to focus. Bishop Joseph Kopacz launched the priorities in 2016 and invited parishes and missions to select one or two they felt would strengthen their community.
Members of the mission planned and executed a retreat for the Hispanic community who attends the Mission of Saint Martin of Tours in Hazlehurst. The retreat was performed February the 3 – 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eighty seven people attended the retreat during both days (35 couples and 17 singles).
The speakers, who were invited to conduct each one of the lectures, came from South Bend, Indiana. With a very profound spirituality and knowledge of the themes treated during the retreat, two married couples shared the Kerygma – the apostolic proclamation of salvation through Jesus Christ. Víctor Rodríguez and his wife Luguety de Rodríguez; Oscar Cortez and his wife Yomir de Cortez, shared themes such as, the love of God, sin, salvation, faith and conversion and the Holy Spirit.
Other topics from the Kerygma that were presented and discussed in this retreat included: the role of Hispanic women in the Catholic Church, Why be Catholic?, and formation of a Christian community.
The retreat ended with a Mass celebrated by Father Henry Shelton. At the end of the retreat, the participants had the opportunity to share their experiences during the retreat and were invited to be more proactively involved in different services offered at the mission.
Franciscan Sister of the Holy Family Pat Clemen
By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Franciscan Sister of the Holy Family Pat Clemen said she feels like she has come full circle as she starts her new position as Catholic Charities’ coordinator for Parish Health Ministry. Sister Clemen has worked in healthcare her entire career, but almost always in the public sector. Her most recent job was as a quality control director for a home health agency, training home health nurses and auditing paperwork as well as making some home visits herself.
Her religious community provides grant money to Catholic Charities to support a human trafficking awareness program. Dorothy Balser oversees both the human trafficking and parish health ministry. One day the women were chatting and Balser mentioned that Charities was going to need a new director for the parish health ministry. Sister Clemen said the timing was perfect.
“It was really just amazing,” said Balser. “It seemed the timing was right; she had the passion and interest and we had the space. I think she will be able to provide a broader view for the whole diocese and build on what Ann Elizabeth (Kaiser, the previous director) had been doing,” Balser continued.
“My first task is to meet with parishes – maybe starting at a deanery level – to educate them about what the parish health ministry program is and what a Faith Community Nurse (FCN) is,” said Sister Clemen. She said many parishes have programs, but she would love to see it continue to spread.
Sister Clemen is getting in touch with the more than a dozen FCNs already in the diocese as she recruits more. “The focus of a community health nurse is the intentional care of the spirit,” said Sister Clemen. “I do believe Faith Community Nurses are valuable to a parish. I see them using a blend of spirituality and wellness prevention as part of a holistic model. They would offer prevention, support and navigation,” she added. Lay volunteers could assist with much of the work so a parish without an FCN could still have a health ministry. Sister Clemen’s office has resources and can help train and coordinate a ministry or the certification of an FCN.
The ministry might look different in different parishes. Some FCNs might offer lectures on disease prevention or basic health screenings. Other communities might put together a team to offer wellness activities such as a walking club. In still other settings, FCNs might help someone navigate the healthcare system, helping them find resources such as a living will or education about the disease process. The program uses a set of indicators to help communities and individuals evaluate their overall wellness.
“My mission statement for myself is to promote health and wellness and prevent disease in mind, body and spirit for all those we serve,” said Sister Clemen. She is grateful to St. Dominic Hospital for the grant that makes the program possible. Balser and Sister Clemen met with the founder of the Parish Health Ministry program, Mary Patterson, and Sister Dorothea Sondgeroth, OP, of St. Dominic Foundation, to talk about the grant and the future of the program. Sister Dorothea told the group she would like to see all parishes have access to this idea of holistic healthcare.
Sister Clemen would love to hear from any pastor or lay ecclesial minister interested in establishing a parish health ministry by phone at 601-213-6378 or email at sisterpat.clemen@catholiccharitiesjackson.org.
Father Roberto Mena, ST
Upon the recommendation of the Father Michael K. Barth, General Custodian of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, Father Roberto Mena, ST, is appointed to serve as part of the missionary ministry of the Sacred Heart Cenacle in Camden; and as Sacramental Minister for Forest St. Michael Parish and its missions, Morton St. Martin and Newton St. Anne, effective February 12.
Deacon Edwin Santos
Upon the affirmation of good standing by Father Bryan Jerabek, Chancellor of the Diocese of Birmingham, Deacon Edwin Santos is appointed to minister to Forest St. Michael Parish and Morton St. Martin Mission, effective February 5.
NATION
Florida school shooting an act of ‘horrifying evil,’ says Miami archbishop
MIAMI (CNS) – Miami Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski urged community members to come together “to support one another in this time of grief” after a shooting rampage Feb. 14 at a Broward County high school left at least 17 people dead. “With God’s help, we can remain strong and resolute to resist evil in all its manifestations,” the archbishop said in a statement. “May God heal the brokenhearted and comfort the sorrowing as we once again face as a nation another act of senseless violence and horrifying evil.” In a late-night telegram to Archbishop Wenski, Pope Francis assured “all those affected by this devastating attack of his spiritual closeness.” “With the hope that such senseless acts of violence may cease,” he invoked “divine blessings of peace and strength” on the South Florida community. Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called for prayer and healing and urged all work for a society “with fewer tragedies caused by senseless gun violence.” Law enforcement officials identified the shooting suspect as 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, who had been expelled for disciplinary reasons from the school where he opened fire, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
U.S. bishops who’ve seen gun violence up close call for end to ‘madness’
WASHINGTON (CNS) – Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput knows all too well the pain left behind after incidents like the 2018 Valentine’s Day shooting that has so far taken 17 lives at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. As archbishop in Denver, he took part in the funerals of Catholic high school students killed by fellow classmates at Columbine High School almost two decades ago. The Feb. 14 Florida killings, which authorities suspect were perpetrated by Nikolas Cruz, a former classmate of many of the dead, seemed to bring back the pain of April 20, 1999. “I sat with the parents of children murdered in the Columbine High School massacre, and buried some of their dead,” Archbishop Chaput said in statement released a day after the Florida high school shootings. “Nothing seems to change, no matter how brutal the cost. Terrible things happen; pious statements are released and the nation goes back to its self-absorbed distractions.” The Washington Post reported Feb. 15 that an analysis of online archives, state and federal enrollment figures, and news stories revealed that “more than 150,000 students attending at least 170 primary or secondary schools have experienced a shooting on campus” since the massacre perpetrated by senior high school students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold at Columbine.
Archbishop: Church’s Christian anthropology is basis for social teachings
INDIANAPOLIS (CNS) – The Catholic response to today’s widely debated societal issues – from abortion to immigration to racism – must be rooted in the church’s fundamental teaching about human dignity and the “destiny of the human person,” said the archbishop of Indianapolis. In a pastoral letter addressed to the clergy, religious and lay Catholics of central and southern Indiana issued Feb. 14, Ash Wednesday, Archbishop Charles C. Thompson said he explores a number of issues widely debated in society from the perspective of Christian anthropology, which he described as “the way Christians view human dignity and the end or purpose of human society.” Catholics’ response to issues such as immigration, abortion, racism, religious liberty and drug abuse, Archbishop Thompson said, should be “deeply rooted in the church’s understanding of the origin, nature and destiny of the human person as revealed in Jesus Christ. Where we come from, who we are and where we are headed as individuals and as diverse communities of people,” he noted, “determines our rights and responsibilities in human society.”
WORLD
South African bishops: Zuma’s resignation was long overdue
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) – Jacob Zuma’s resignation as president of South Africa is long overdue, the country’s bishops said, noting that his scandal-plagued presidency fostered corruption and dereliction of duty at all levels of government. “The fact that Mr. Zuma has been allowed to hold on to the highest position in the land despite long-standing and overwhelming evidence of his unfitness for office has done immense harm to our country’s international reputation, to its economy and, especially, to its poorest and most vulnerable citizens,” said the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference. Zuma, 75, resigned Feb. 14 after nine years in office. In a televised address to the nation, he said he disagreed with the way the ruling African National Congress had pushed him toward an early exit, but would accept its orders. Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa was confirmed as president until 2019 general elections. While for some Zuma’s resignation “may be a painful event, we call on all to accept his decision as part of our democratic process,” the bishops’ conference said in a statement issued by its president, Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town.
VATICAN
Vatican denies report Pope Benedict has degenerative disease
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Vatican denied that retired Pope Benedict XVI has a degenerative neurological disease or paralyzing condition after his brother, 94-year-old Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, told a magazine that Pope Benedict had a debilitating disease. In an interview published Feb. 13 in the German weekly entertainment magazine, Neue Post, Msgr. Ratzinger said Pope Benedict suffered from a nerve disease that was slowly paralyzing him. “The greatest concern is that the paralysis could eventually reach his heart and then everything could end quickly,” Msgr. Ratzinger was quoted as saying. “I pray every day to ask God for the grace of a good death,
Sister alies therese
Millennial reflections
By Sister alies therese
Lent has begun and we celebrate the glorious season of weeping. What? Really? Yes, and it will end with Easter where we challenge all the death-dealing we have pronounced evil and emerge on the other side of Holy Week weeping for joy!
What makes us weep? What moves the heart so profoundly that we cannot hold back the tears? I have wept at the deathbed of a young boy; in our torn community after an F4 tornado devastated us; at the awesomeness of the stars; at Pope Francis in Chile ministering to the women in prison or the people of the Amazon in Peru, and certainly in the face of my own sin and thoughtlessness. Continue reading
Father Jerome LeDoux, SVD
Reflections on Life
By Father Jerome LeDoux, SVD
Though the following thoughts seem only clerical in nature, they pertain to every human being. When taken into ourselves and absorbed as part of us, a column, sermon, task and all human endeavors take on a life to themselves, becoming as much a part of us as the air we breathe and the nourishment we ingest. While others must speak from their own unique experience, I personally find that I am not doing a thing right until I become totally immersed in the task at hand, so that it becomes an extension of me. That ipso facto elevates it to the wonderful nosebleed realm of meditation, creative imaginings and expectations.
So how about that? Whatever we do can become a special meditation, firing our juices of imagination, creativity and outreach to our sisters and brothers. Take a column, for example. Little seems to click or flow until something locks into my thoughts and feelings. Almost as if a switch were turned on, the things that I have been reading, the things that people have been saying and doing blend together.
Like the ingredients of a delicious meal or the components of an exquisite symphony, meditation combines everything into a fine creation and rendition. One knows whether a given column or talk will resonate with others by asking oneself, “Does it speak to me, resonate with me, move me to good and higher things? Does it ring a bell for me? That is what a preacher/speaker/writer wants to know at the zero hour. If it does, bells will be ringing for the audience at some level as well.
There are, of course, techniques for composing, writing, speaking formally or informally, making eye contact with each person in a small group or large crowd, convincing each person that you are addressing her or him alone, storytelling in a spellbinding way and interacting with audiences of many varieties and origins. All those things are wrapped up into one when they have become completely part of us. This is not a grandiose view of ourselves and our capabilities. It merely states that we are at our best and most convincing when we give what is uniquely ourselves.
Are these the mere ramblings of a weathered curmudgeon, or, we would hope, of a seasoned seeker hoping to become a savant with many treasure troves?
The latter is indeed what we hope for ourselves and for everyone else. Far from being mere ramblings, we would like to have all the reflections, meditations, imaginings and creations of each person grow out from the very Gospel of God that Romans 1:16 tells us “is the power of God unto salvation.”
This is a paradigm for the laity, for religious and clergy alike, for we all have very similar reactions to words, actions and challenges. Nevertheless, Saint Thomas Aquinas observes how individual we are, “Quidquid recipitur, ad modum recipientis recipitur.” “Whatever is received, is received according to the disposition of the recipient.” Who we are, what we are, how we are, is a composite that determines how we react to and interact with everyone and everything. We are all so very different and, notwithstanding, so very similar to each other. We are wonders, laughing at ourselves as we strive to be the top of the tip and the tip of the top.
No one comes to us, panting to watch us impersonate or imitate some great speaker, a scintillating performer, a wise counselor or engaging, livewire friend. Had people wanted that, they would have gone to check the great ones out. But no! What they come to see and hear are the low-level, everyday people that we are, in whose presence they have no fears or anxieties, they can drop all their defenses, they can let themselves go, they can laugh themselves silly, they can cry their hearts out, they can play the fool and be their little old selves without fear of criticism or rebuke.
Another variant of all this is expressed by Paul as he goes a step further in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” This involves a favorite theme of ours, the good intention, that turns all that we do into spiritual gold, silver and precious stones. Even as we are involved in turning a column, sermon or any kind of task or chore into a meditation, an intimate part of our very selves, we can crystallize all of it into a glorious offering to God by dedicating it to God in the morning and throughout the day.
I certainly hope this does not sound like complicated, convoluted ramblings. The last thing in the world that we need is more complications in our lives. Honestly, I believe that all these thoughts are easy to remember and understand because they are closely related and interlock with each other. Perhaps we can remember them most easily by saying, “In whatever you think, say or do, be all you can be.”
“God is love, and all who abide in love abide in God and God in them.” (1 John 4:16)
(Father Jerome LeDoux, SVD, has written “Reflections on Life since 1969.)
By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Bishop Joseph Kopacz watched as 43 catechumens signed their names to the book of the elect in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle Sunday, Feb. 18. The Rite of Election is part of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) a program of formation and catechesis people go through when they decide to become Catholics.
JACKSON – Zemaree Hampton of Meridian St. Joseph Parish grins as she meets Bishop Kopacz after she signed the book of the elect. Her sponsors Brenda Wilson and Frank Washington accompanied her to the rite.
At the rite, a catechumen’s sponsor and catechist attest to his or her intention to become Catholic and thier committment to conversion of heart, those who have not been baptized sign the book of the elect, pledging their fidelity. Those who are already baptised, the candidates, come forward for a special blessing. The celebration is always held the first weekend of Lent as the catechumens and candidates go through their last, intense period of preparation before receiving sacraments at Easter.
More than 130 people from parishes across the diocese turned in their names as candidates this year. Not all could come to the cathedral. Some parishes celebrate the completion of the rite at their liturgies on the same weekend.
See more photos online at www.mississippicatholic.com.
Thursday, March 1, 11:30 a.m. – Mission Mississippi Governor’s Leadership Luncheon, Jackson Convention Complex
Thursday, March 1, 5 p.m. – Closing Mass, Relics of St. Pio of Pietralcina Centennial Tour, Jackson, Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle
Saturday, March 3, 8:15 a.m. – First Five Saturdays devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, Gluckstadt St. Joseph Parish
Saturday, March 3, 5 p.m. – Mass and dinner, High School Confirmation Retreat, Camp Garaywa, Clinton
Sunday, March 4, 9 a.m. – Mass of Installation of Father Pradeep Kumar Thirumalreddy, Sardis St. John
Sunday, March 4, 10:30 a.m. – Mass of Installation of Father Pradeep Kumar Thirumalreddy, Batesville St. Mary
Sunday, March 4, 12:30 p.m. – Mass in Spanish, Batesville St. Mary
Monday, March 5, 6 p.m. – Notre Dame Seminary Chancellor’s dinner, Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans
Only public events are listed on this schedule and all events are subject to change.
Please check with the local parish for further details
Obispo Joseph Kopacz
Por Obispo Joseph Kopacz
El viernes pasado por la noche regresé de mi peregrinación por la Tierra Santa, patrocinado por los Caballeros y Damas del Santo Sepulcro. Después que las telarañas de las 15 horas de vuelo progresivamente han sido barridas por la bendición de un buen sueño y de encontrarme ya en mi hogar, puedo ver que las lecturas bíblicas del primer domingo de Cuaresma son un puente entre mi experiencia en la Tierra Santa y el comienzo del sagrado tiempo de la cuaresma. El tema del bautismo fue primordial en el primer domingo de Cuaresma de este año, como escuchamos en la primera carta de Pedro, reflexionando sobre la gran inundación en el tiempo de Noé. “Noé y su familia fueron salvados a través del agua. Esto prefigura al bautismo, que los salva ahora. No es una eliminación de la suciedad del cuerpo, sino un llamamiento a Dios para una buena conciencia a través de la resurrección de Jesucristo”.
Inmediatamente antes de que Jesús fuera dirigido hacia el desierto por el Espíritu Santo, en el Evangelio del domingo pasado, fue bautizado por Juan en el Río Jordán y revelado como hijo predilecto de Dios. En el transcurso de 40 días en el desierto, en soledad y comunión con el Padre celestial, pero sin estar protegido de los asaltos de las tentaciones, Jesús fortaleció su identidad como hijo predilecto de Dios. Al salir del desierto, inmediatamente comenzó a caminar a grandes pasos, proclamando el reino de Dios y el llamado a reformar nuestras vidas y a creer en el evangelio, nuestro ritual del Miércoles de Ceniza, sellado por nuestro Amén. Uno de los momentos más intensos de la peregrinación a la Tierra Santa fue nuestra reunión en el Río Jordán. No estamos hablando de un rio del tamaño del Rio Mississippi, sino de una gran corriente de agua que fluye del Mar de Galilea, en el norte, hacia el Mar Muerto en el sur. Sin embargo, tiene un profundo significado para todos los cristianos, como el lugar donde el ministerio público de Jesús brotó del corazón de Dios.
La historia de Noé y el diluvio es una poderosa historia de fe, como sabemos, pero no podemos situar estos eventos en el espacio y en el tiempo. Por otro lado, el Río Jordán es real, el ministerio de Juan el Bautista es histórico, y Jesús es el único a quien Juan preparó el camino. A través de los ojos de la fe y el deseo de renovar nuestro pacto del bautismo en la muerte y resurrección de Jesucristo, nosotros los peregrinos nos paramos a la orilla del Jordán y profesamos nuestra fe. Seguidamente se hizo el Rito de la Aspersión con el agua marrón del río, genuinamente, pero también remilgadamente por la posibilidad de poder tragar algo de esta agua. Alrededor de nosotros, un flujo constante de peregrinos vino a renovar su bautismo, o ser bautizados por primera vez en las aguas fluyentes. Un rápido vistazo alrededor de las pasarelas y las riberas del río reveló la presencia de discípulos de las tradiciones ortodoxas y de las denominaciones evangélicas y bautistas que estaban de pie en el río celebrando la inmersión completa. Estaban en el río mientras estábamos por el río. Una gran diferencia física, pero en cualquiera de los rituales es la fe que tenemos en el Señor Jesús y en su llamada a vivir como sus discípulos lo que está en el corazón de la cuestión. ¿Van a cambiar nuestras vidas cuando sea necesario una vez que el agua se evapora?
Este momento de gracia ocurrió aproximadamente a mitad de la peregrinación que comenzó en Galilea, en el Mar de Tiberias, donde pudimos salir y visitar Nazaret, el lugar de nacimiento de María y el lugar donde Jesús vivió oculto antes de su ministerio público. Capernaúm también fue parte del circuito del norte donde estuvimos, en el sitio de la sinagoga donde Jesús inició su ministerio público formal predicando, enseñando, expulsando demonios, sanando a la suegra de Pedro, y perdonando los pecados del paralítico cuyos amigos lo bajaron por el techo a la casa de Pedro al cruzar la calle de la sinagoga. Todo ello ocurrió después de que Jesús anunció el Reino y la llamada a la penitencia. Los descubrimientos arqueológicos y sitios de excavación de la segunda mitad del siglo XX han autenticado los relatos evangélicos de la sinagoga y la casa de Pedro en Capernaúm.
De vuelta al río. Después de la renovación de nuestra alianza bautismal en el Río Jordán, volvemos nuestra mirada a Jerusalén y a los últimos días de la vida de nuestro Señor que conocemos como el Domingo de Ramos y la Semana Santa, que conducen a la muerte y la resurrección del Señor. Esta segunda mitad de la peregrinación también incluyó visitas a Jericó y Betania, el sitio de la comunidad de los Esenios en Qumran y el Mar Muerto. Solamente las fotos, cientos y cientos de ellas, algunas de las cuales envié por Twitter después de cada uno de los eventos del día, me proporcionarán muchos momentos de reflexión y beneficio espiritual durante la Cuaresma.
Con la Iglesia y en nuestra vida personal, el Señor nos llama a cada uno de nosotros durante esta peregrinación de 40 días a apartarnos del pecado y creer en el Evangelio, para recordar que somos polvo y á polvo hemos de regresar, y que al final hay tres cosas que permanecen, la fe, la esperanza y el amor, y la mayor de todas ellas es el amor. Que nuestra oración intencional de la Cuaresma, el ayuno y la limosna, nos lleven a valorar las cosas que realmente importan en Cristo Jesús, descartando las que no sirven, y sabiendo profundamente que nuestra ciudadanía está en el cielo. Somos los hijos amados de Dios en Jesucristo, y que podamos vivir en los plenos pasos del maestro.
