Editor’s note: Bishop Joseph Kopacz serves on the International Justice and Peace committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He and others will be traveling to the Holy Land this month. Please pray for peace in our world and take a moment to read the full text of Pope Leo XIV’s message for World Day of Peace at https://bit.ly/49piqTt.
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert F. Prevost, smiles as he appears at the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican following his election as pope May 8, 2025. The new pope was born in Chicago. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)
By Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The “confrontational” tone dominating both global and national politics is “deepening instability and unpredictability day by day,” Pope Leo XIV wrote in his message for World Peace Day.
“It is no coincidence that repeated calls to increase military spending, and the choices that follow, are presented by many government leaders as a justified response to external threats,” he wrote in the message for the Jan. 1 observance.
But peace must be protected and cultivated, Pope Leo said. “Even when it is endangered within us and around us, like a small flame threatened by a storm, we must protect it.” Throughout the coming year, Pope Leo will give visiting heads of state signed copies of his message, which was released by the Vatican Dec. 18, and Vatican ambassadors will distribute it to government leaders in the countries where they serve.
(Read the entirety of Pope Leo XIV’s message for World Day of Peace at https://bit.ly/49piqTt)
Each January the seminarians and Bishop gather for an Epiphany Party to celebrate the birth of the Savior. This has been a fun tradition that began when I ran out of time one year to get everyone together before Christmas. It ended up working out well because Epiphany falls after all the busyness of the days leading up to Christmas and New Year’s, and the seminarians are still on break. I am grateful to my assistant in the Vocations Office, Debra Padula, who has been the ‘party planner’ in the Vocations Office for many years now. Debbie has done a great job creating fun traditions that our guys look forward to each year. She really goes for it with the Epiphany theme, helping us proclaim that Jesus is King while keeping everything to a very strict budget. The best tradition, I think, are the crowns from Burger King that she has for all the guests. The crowns are specially decorated with the diocesan seal taped to the front. It’s a fun gag and it sets a great tone for the evening.
Father Nick Adam
This is one of our core events that are held each year that help to foster fraternity among our men. I’m especially happy when I see them ‘coming early and staying late’ when we have events. This means that they enjoy each others’ company and are forming bonds that will last beyond their years in seminary. In a diocese that is so spread out, it is important that we provide our seminarians with opportunities to build fraternity and actively show them how to do it. Our men do this on their own as well. Each spring a group of guys will head up to Starkville to see a Mississippi State baseball game and spend the weekend at St. Joseph Parish. They also go to concerts together in the New Orleans area while they are in school, and they are very intentional about a weekly meal together as diocesan brothers.
Each summer we hold a convocation with all of our seminarians over a few days deep in the woods at a great deer camp that is donated to us by parishioners here in the diocese. These official events only work if our men understand the importance and the urgency of building bonds of friendship and trust with one another. I’m grateful to say that ‘they get it,’ and they are very intentional about this part of the their preparation for priesthood. I know it will serve them well when they enter into ministry, and they’ll be able to lean on one another for support and encouragement when the going gets tough!
(Father Nick Adam is Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Jackson. He can be contacted at nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.)
By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The world is not saved by threatening violence or by judging, oppressing or getting rid of others, Pope Leo XIV said.
“Rather, it is saved by tirelessly striving to understand, forgive, liberate and welcome everyone, without calculation and without fear,” the pope said during Mass on Jan. 1 in St. Peter’s Basilica for the feast of Mary, Mother of God, and World Peace Day.
Therefore, at the beginning of a new year with “new and unique days that await us, let us ask the Lord to help us experience at every moment, around us and upon us, the warmth of his fatherly embrace and the light of his benevolent gaze,” he said in his homily.
The Mass marked the 59th World Day of Peace celebrated by the church. The pope’s message for the world day, published in December, was dedicated to the humble, “unarmed and disarming” peace of the risen Christ who loves unconditionally.
Thousands of people were present in the basilica for the celebration on New Year’s Day, including young people dressed as the three kings who visited Jesus. A figurine of the infant Jesus was before the altar, in keeping with the Christmas season of celebration, and an image of Our Lady of Hope was to the side of the main altar as a sign of the Jubilee of hope, which will end Jan. 6.
In his homily, Pope Leo reflected on the mystery of Mary’s divine motherhood, which “helped give a human face to the source of all mercy and benevolence: the face of Jesus.”
By being born of Mary in a grotto, he said, “God presents himself to us ‘unarmed and disarming,’ as naked and defenseless as a newborn in a cradle.”
Pope Leo XIV receives the offertory gifts from children dressed as the Magi during Mass for the feast of Mary, Mother of God, and World Peace Day in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Jan. 1, 2026. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)
“He does this to teach us that the world is not saved by sharpening swords, nor by judging, oppressing or eliminating our brothers and sisters,” he said. Rather, the world is saved by seeking to understand, forgive, free and welcome everyone with love.
“Thus, at the dawn of the new year, the liturgy reminds us that for each of us, every day can be the beginning of a new life, thanks to God’s generous love, his mercy and the response of our freedom,” Pope Leo said. “It is beautiful to view the coming year in this way: as an open journey to be discovered.”
“Indeed, through grace, we can venture forth on this journey with confidence – free and bearers of freedom, forgiven and bringers of forgiveness, trusting in the closeness and goodness of the Lord who accompanies us always,” he said.
Overlooking St. Peter’s Square after Mass, Pope Leo urged Christians to help usher in “an era of peace and friendship among all peoples.”
“The Jubilee … has taught us how to cultivate hope for a new world. We do this by converting our hearts to God, so as to transform wrongs into forgiveness, pain into consolation, and resolutions of virtue into good works,” he said.
The Son of God also illuminates “the consciences of people of goodwill, so that we can build the future as a welcoming home for every man and woman who comes into the world,” he said.
“The heart of Jesus, therefore, beats for every man and woman; for those who are ready to welcome him, like the shepherds, and for those who do not want him, like Herod,” he said.
“His heart is not indifferent to those who have no heart for their neighbor: it beats for the righteous, so that they may persevere in their dedication, as well as for the unrighteous, so that they may change their lives and find peace,” Pope Leo said.
IN EXILE By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI I once lived in community for several years with an Oblate brother who was wonderfully generous and pious to a fault. But he struggled to pick up symbol and metaphor. He took things literally. For him, what the words said is what they meant!
This caused him considerable confusion and consternation when each day praying the psalms we would pray for Jerusalem and Israel and would occasionally pray for the demise of some other nation. Coming out of prayer, he would ask: “Why are we praying for Jerusalem? For Israel? What makes those places more special in God’s eyes than other cities and other countries? Why does God hate some countries and cities?”
We would try our best to have him understand that these names were not to be taken literally, as places on a map, but rather as symbols. Wisely or unwisely, I would sometimes say, “Brother, whenever you read the word ‘Jerusalem’ or ‘Israel’, just take that to mean the ‘church’, and whenever a nation or a city is named that God seems to hate, take that to mean that God hates sin.”
We might smile at his piety and literalism, but I’m not sure we don’t all still struggle with our own literalism in understanding what in fact the scriptures mean by words like Jerusalem, Israel, Chosen people, and God’s elect. Indeed, as Christians, what do we mean with the words Christian, Church, and Body of Christ?
For whom are we praying when we pray for Jerusalem and Israel?
What we see in scripture is a progressive de-literalizing of names and places. Initially, Israel meant an historical nation, Jerusalem meant an historical city, the Chosen People meant a genetic race, and God’s elect was literally that nation, that city, and that genetic race. But as revelation unfolds, these names and concepts become ever more symbolic.
Most parts of Judaism understand these words symbolically, though some still understand these words literally. For them, Jerusalem means the actual city of Jerusalem, and Israel means an actual strip of land in Palestine.
Christians mirror that. Mainstream Christian theology has from its very origins refused to identify those names and places in a way where (simplistically) Jerusalem means the Christian Church and Christians are the Chosen Race. However, as is the case with parts of Judaism, many Christians, while de-literalizing these words from their Jewish roots, now take them literally to refer to the historical Christian churches and to its explicitly confessing members. Indeed, my answer to my Oblate brother (“Jerusalem means the church, Israel means Christianity”) seems to suggest exactly that.
However, the words Church and Christianity themselves need to be de-literalized. The church is a reality which is much wider and more inclusive than its explicit, visible, baptized membership. Its visible, historical aspect is real, is important, and is never to be denigrated; but (from Jesus through the history of Christian dogma and theology) Christianity has always believed and taught clearly that the mystery of Christ is both visible and invisible. Partly, we can see it and partly we can’t. Partly it is visibly incarnated in history, and partly it is invisible. The mystery of Christ is incarnate in history, but not all of it can be seen. Some people are baptized visibly, and some people are baptized only in unseen ways.
Moreover, this is not new, liberal theology. Jesus himself taught that it is not necessarily those who say ‘Lord, Lord’ who are his true believers, but rather it’s those who actually live out his teaching (however unconsciously) who are his true followers. Christian theology has always taught that the full mystery of Christ is much larger than its historical manifestation in the Christian churches.
Kenneth Cragg, a Christian missionary, after living and ministering for years in the Muslim world, offered this comment: I believe it will take all the Christian churches to give full expression to the full Christ. To this, I would add, that it will not only take all the Christian churches to give full expression to the mystery of Christ, it will also take all people of sincere will, beyond all religious boundaries, and beyond all ethnicity, to give expression to the mystery of Christ.
When my pious Oblate brother who struggled to understand metaphor and symbol asked me why we were always praying for Jerusalem and Israel, and I replied that he might simply substitute the word Church and Christianity for those terms, my answer to him (taken literally) was itself over pious, simplistic, and a too-narrow understanding of the mystery of Christ. Those terms Church and Christianity, as we see in the progressive unfolding of revelation in scripture, must themselves be de-literalized.
For whom are we praying when we pray for Jerusalem or for Israel? We are praying for all sincere people, of all faiths, of all denominations, of all races, of all ages. They are the new Jerusalem and the new Israel.
(Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is a professor of spirituality at Oblate School of Theology and award-winning author.)
Things Old And New By Ruth Powers The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord ends the Christmas season and provides ample food for meditation for us on Baptism, the first of the sacraments and our initiation into the Body of Christ. Baptism is a sacrament which is incredibly rich in meaning and in the grace it bestows, but I want to focus on one particular aspect of it for now: that by initiating us into Christ’s body, the Church, Baptism gives us a share in His three roles of Priest, Prophet, and King.
Ruth Powers
Although this phrase is not found verbatim in the Bible, application of these three roles to the person of Jesus is found throughout the Scripture, prefigured in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the new. They also refer to the ministries of Christ shared by ordained priesthood – to sanctify (through the sacraments), to teach, and to rule. In the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium and later in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the three roles are also applied to the laity. By our baptism, we are called to express these ministries in ways specific to the lay state, an idea sometimes called the priesthood of all believers. This idea is found in 1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” So, what are we called to do to live this calling?
What is the role of a priest? Primarily it is to offer sacrifice, especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and to intercede for his people. We can share in this role not only by prayer and participating in the Mass, but also by presenting our daily life, both blessings and hardships, as a spiritual offering to God. We pray for others and the world, making sure not to neglect Jesus’ command to pray for our enemies. We can also strive to make our lives an example that will draw others to closer relationship with God. Do we do this? Are we not only striving to grow closer to God ourselves, but is our life the kind of example that will lead others, especially nonbelievers, to God? If we profess to follow the two great commandments of love God and love neighbor, do we actually do so openly and actively, or do we love only selectively?
The prophet is one who speaks God’s truth, including being willing to speak truth to power. In order to speak God’s truth, we must first know what that truth is. Do we take the time to actually study and meditate on the word of God, listening also to the guidance of the magisterium of the Church, or do we cherry-pick interpretations to fit our preconceived prejudices or the talking points of a political party or social group? To be a prophet is to be willing to speak up for God’s truth even if what we say will be unpopular or uncomfortable. Remember that we “speak” prophetically through our actions as well as our words. We are called to make our entire lives a witness to the life of God within us, working always for ongoing conversion in our own lives so that our lives may be an example of conversion to others. As a paraphrase of one of the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi says, “Preach the Gospel always. Use words if necessary.”
Finally, there is the role of King. This is the Old Testament image of the king where he was both leader and, more importantly, servant of his people. Christ gives us the ultimate example of this kind of kingship at the Last Supper where he washes the feet of the apostles and commands them to do likewise. We are to live the baptismal role of King through humble service to others, following Jesus’ example. We are called especially to use the talents, graces and gifts God has given us to advance His reign on earth through working to establish justice in our families, our communities and the world.
(Ruth Powers is the program coordinator for the Basilica of St. Mary in Natchez.)
ORDINARY TIMES By Lucia A. Silecchia On the Feast of the Epiphany, the 2025 Jubilee Year came to a close as the Holy Doors in Rome were sealed once again. I am sorry to see the Jubilee Year come to an end. I did not visit Rome this year. I did not attend any special Jubilee events. Despite much attention paid to the Jubilee in Catholic media, I did not give it much deep thought as the months of 2025 passed by so quickly.
Yet, I am sorry to see the Jubilee Year end because of its beautiful theme: “Hope does not disappoint.”
In inadvertently dreary headlines, I have recently read reports that “The year of hope has ended …” or words of similar effect. That these reports greet us at the start of a new year seems a particularly unfortunate juxtaposition. If there is anything that should fill the start of a new year, it is the spirit of hope.
At times, though, it seems that hope is in short supply for all too many people and for all too many reasons. Whether it is disillusionment with politics, unease about finances, disappointment about careers, concerns about health, fears about local and international peace – or the lack thereof, angst about relationships, worries about health, or dissatisfaction about how life is unfolding, so many report a lack of hope about the future, both their own and that of their communities. In a particular way, even young people with their whole lives ahead of them can also fall prey to a lack of hope when they look toward their own futures and do not see good things for the years that lie ahead.
I wonder, then, if the start of a new year is a time to think, once again, about the importance of hope. Yes, a year with hope as its central theme may have ended. Yet, the message that “hope does not disappoint” is a timeless one, as relevant in 2026 as it was when St. Paul first wrote those words to the Romans of his day. He explained further that the reason hope does not disappoint is “because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5) What a beautiful thought with which to start the new year!
In these cold January days, we often wish each other “happy new year.” Certainly, happiness, joy, good health and dreams fulfilled are all wonderful things that, with a full heart, I wish to my loved ones in the cards I send, the texts I type and the phone calls I make.
Yet, I wonder if it might be wiser to wish loved ones a “hopeful new year.” In this, there is recognition that as a new year dawns we have no idea how it will unfold or what will lie ahead for ourselves, our loved ones and our world. We may have plans, but we have no promises. We may have goals, but we have no guarantees. We may look back on 2026 as the best year of our lives or the most challenging – or somewhere in between. Now, though, at the threshold of the new year, what will be is hidden from our view.
Nevertheless, one thing that we can wish for each other and pray for each other is an abundance of hope. It is hope that can bring solace to those who face the new year with trepidation. It is hope that can animate the joy of those who face the new year with eager anticipation. It is hope that can calm all of us who know we do not know what lies ahead.
The one thing that we do know, with certainty, is that God has poured, is pouring and will continue to pour His love into our hearts, just as St. Paul announced so long ago. It is from this love that springs the hope that can fill our hearts as a new year we begin.
So, to you and yours, I wish you a hopeful new year!
(Lucia A. Silecchia is Professor of Law at the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law. Email her at silecchia@cua.edu.)
Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) and running back Roman Hemby (1) celebrate on the podium after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff on New Year’s Day at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. The Hosiers defeated Alabama 38-3. (OSV News photo/Mandatory Credit: (OSV News photo/Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images via Reuters)
NATION BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (OSV News) – As he waited for the announcement of who would win the Heisman Trophy – awarded to the best college football player of the year – Dominican Father Patrick Hyde turned to one of his fellow friars and said, “I have never been so invested in the outcome of an award.” After all, Father Hyde has become a big fan of Fernando Mendoza, the star quarterback of the football team at Indiana University in Bloomington, where the priest serves as pastor of St. Paul Catholic Center on the school’s campus and where Mendoza has attended Mass. Father Hyde not only celebrates the football player that Mendoza is, he also appreciates the person Mendoza is and the way the quarterback embraces his faith in God. So, when Mendoza was announced as the winner of the Heisman on Dec. 13 in a ceremony in New York City, Father Hyde rejoiced with the other friars watching the event on television. His speech was also an all-inclusive thank-you to all the people who have made a difference in his life, starting with the way he has begun nearly every post-game interview this season. Mendoza thanked God, his family, team and community. “This moment is an honor. It’s bigger than me,” he said.
BEL AIR, Md. (OSV News) – Well before he was a University of Maryland transfer who used his final year of college football eligibility to become a major success story as a running back at Indiana University, Roman Hemby said he owed much credit to John Carroll School in Bel Air for instilling vital Catholic values that guide him today. Hemby, a Maryland graduate who grew up in Edgewood, is one of numerous transfers who have turned the 2025 Indiana Hoosiers into a No. 1-ranked, unbeaten (13-0) powerhouse. The Hoosiers entered the College Football Playoff as its No. 1 seed. “I had the utmost faith that things would work out. The atmosphere at John Carroll let me know that God had a plan for me,” said Hemby.
VATICAN ROME (CNS) – Pope Leo used his first New Year’s address to the diplomatic corps Jan. 9 to strongly defend marriage, family life and the unborn, urging nations to prioritize the protection of life over policies he called harmful to human dignity. Speaking in English to diplomats accredited to the Holy See, the pope said abortion “cuts short a growing life” and fails to welcome life as a gift. He reaffirmed Catholic teaching on marriage as the exclusive and indissoluble union of a man and a woman, saying this bond grounds the vocation to love and to life. Pope Leo warned that families face growing marginalization and increasing fragility, brought about by various circumstances, including domestic violence and social pressures. He criticized the use of public funds for abortion, including cross-border efforts to access what he called the “so-called right to safe abortion,” and strongly rejected surrogacy and euthanasia. Instead, he said, society and governments “have a responsibility to respond concretely to situations of vulnerability” and offer solutions and “policies of authentic solidarity.” The pope said a society truly progresses only when it safeguards every human life, from conception to natural death.
WORLD BETHANY BEYOND THE JORDAN, Jordan (OSV News) – Catholics from across Jordan and around the world gathered Jan. 9 at the site of Jesus’ baptism on the Jordan River to celebrate Epiphany, marking the place the Catholic Church recognizes as the beginning of Christ’s public ministry. Clergy from multiple Eastern and Western Catholic rites joined in the liturgy, renewing a global call for pilgrims to visit one of Christianity’s most sacred sites. The celebration included Mass at the newly consecrated Catholic Church of the Baptism of Jesus Christ, inaugurated by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, in January 2025. Despite cloudy skies, rain paused during the Mass – a moment the faith leaders called a sign of blessing in water-scarce Jordan. Church officials highlighted Jordan’s unique role in Christian history, noting it is the only country visited by four popes. Leaders also voiced hope for renewed peace in the region and invited pilgrims worldwide to encounter faith as a journey rooted in baptism, reconciliation and hope. Bishop Iyad Twal, patriarchal vicar of Jordan, told reporters that some calm and peace has returned to neighboring Palestine and Gaza. He said Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, was heartened during a recent visit to the coastal enclave to see “a genuine determination to begin new life with optimism.”
BOGOTÁ, Colombia (OSV News) – The Catholic bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean have expressed their pastoral closeness to the people of Venezuela, following a Jan. 3 U.S. military intervention that saw the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and claims of a temporary takeover of the country before Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president. In a Jan. 5 letter, the bishops of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council, known as CELAM, shared what they called a “simple, fraternal and hopeful” message marking the Epiphany of the Lord – an event that reveals “a God who is close to his people, who walks with them, illuminates the darkness, and opens new paths even when everything seems uncertain.” In their letter, the bishops said they “share and embrace with a profound pastoral sense the words of Pope Leo XIV, who spoke about the situation in Venezuela and reminded us that the good of the people must always be above any other consideration.” The bishops stressed, “We want to reiterate that you are not alone. CELAM walks with you and with the Venezuelan people, encouraging every effort to build bridges, heal wounds, and advance reconciliation, without excluding anyone. The Church is called to be an open house, a space for encounter, and a serene voice that inspires hope, even in the midst of difficulties.”
The staff at Mississippi Catholic is looking forward to a busy and productive 2026 As always, we invite participation from faithful from across the diocese. Please submit your stories, photos and events so we can include them in the paper, as time and space allow. The publication schedule for 2026 follows:
Friday, Jan. 16 Friday, Jan. 30 Friday, Feb. 13 Friday, March 13 Friday, April 17 Friday, May 15 Friday, June 19 Friday, July 17 Friday, Aug. 21 Friday, Sept. 18 Friday, Oct. 16 Friday, Nov. 20 Friday, Dec. 18
Look for special sections this year marking Catholic Schools Week, Graduations and the Sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation.
Send submissions to editor@jacksondiocese.org. Submit information three to four weeks before or within one week after an event. Again, due to space constraints we will not be able to publish all information received. Visit the paper online at www.mississippicatholic.com.
The staff at Mississippi Catholic thank you – our readers – for your prayers and support. We wish you a blessed New Year.
By Gina Christian (OSV News) – Thousands of youth and young adults across the nation were assured of God’s love – and encouraged to respond to his call in their lives – during an annual gathering spanning three cities, with Pope Leo XIV delivering a special recorded message to participants.
“Be open to what the Lord has in store for you,” the pope said in a video address to those attending the SEEK 2026 conference.
This year’s conference took place Jan. 1-5 at three event locations – Columbus, Ohio; Denver; and Fort Worth, Texas – drawing an estimated 26,000 participants in total for talks and workshops on encountering Jesus Christ. The schedule included daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, the sacrament of reconciliation and fellowship.
Attendees cheer Jan. 3, 2026, at the SEEK26 conference in the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Denver. Young Catholics and attendees of all ages were invited to embrace the conference’s theme inspired by St. Pier Giorgio Frassati: “To the Heights,” This year SEEK the Jan. 1-5 conference was being held in Columbus, Ohio, and Fort Worth, Texas, in addition to Denver. (OSV News photo/courtesy FOCUS)
Among the numerous conference speakers were Father Mike Schmitz, Matt Fradd, Chris Stefanick, Sister of Life Mary Grace and Sister Josephine Garrett, a sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth.
In his Jan. 4 keynote address, Curtis Martin – founder of conference sponsor FOCUS, an international Catholic missionary outreach which serves at more than 200 college campuses in the U.S., Mexico and Europe, as well as at some 20 parishes – told attendees that God “wants to dance with” them.
Martin stressed the transformative power of God’s love, which enables those infused with it to in turn become missionary disciples, able to “go love the world.”
SEEK 2026 centered on the theme “To the Heights,” a favorite exhortation of the recently canonized St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, an avid mountaineer and patron of young adults.
Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus reflected in his homily at the SEEK 2026 opening Mass in that city Jan. 1 that the conference’s timing and its 2026 theme harmonized well.
“The mighty God descended from the starry heaven and became a child so that we might go up to heaven, ‘toward the heights,’ as Pier Giorgio Frassati might say,” Bishop Fernandes said.
In his pre-recorded video message to the SEEK attendees, which was posted along with a transcript to the Vatican website, Pope Leo also appeared to echo St. Frassati’s sentiment, urging SEEK attendees to reflect on the call of the first two disciples of Jesus as detailed in John 1:35-51.
The pope said that St. Andrew and the other disciple – initially followers of St. John the Baptist – pursued Jesus, whose first recorded words in John’s Gospel were a question posed to the two: “What do you seek?”
Jesus “directs this same question to each one of you,” said the pope, adding, “The answer is found in a person. The Lord Jesus alone brings us true peace and joy, and fulfills every one of our deepest desires.” The pope’s message deeply resonated with Jetzemany Rincon, 22, who was among the 16,000 SEEK participants in Columbus.
“When I saw the pope come on, I started crying because I realized that he has such a big Church … and he was able to center down,” Rincon, a member of the Columbus Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Star of the New Evangelization parish, told The Catholic Times, the newspaper for the Columbus Diocese.
Discerning one’s God-given vocation was a core element of SEEK 2026, with Sister Catherine Rotterman of the Felician Sisters of North America, who was on hand at the Fort Worth gathering, saying the conference enables young adults to see themselves as part of a “much bigger Church.”
“SEEK helps them dream of where God might be leading them,” Sister Catherine told North Texas Catholic, the newspaper serving the Diocese of Fort Worth.
At the Denver gathering, archdiocesan vocations director Father Jason Wallace described SEEK as an opportunity for young people to “set themselves aside and put God first” to discover what he has created them for.
“God created some people to be married, he called some people to be priests; so it’s not so much what I want to do, it’s what God created me to do,” Father Wallace told Denver Catholic, the news outlet of the Archdiocese of Denver. “That was in his mind from all eternity, what he created me for.”
Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver, who celebrated the conference’s Jan. 1 opening Mass in that city, highlighted Mary as the model for developing a profound relationship with Christ, and discerning his will for one’s life.
“If we ponder that within our hearts and open our hearts to that truth of who we have become in Baptism, we will only grow in a deeper encounter and deeper intimacy with Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit, putting our confidence in them,” said Archbishop Aquila. “And pondering in our own hearts what it means to be a disciple, what it means to be a beloved son, a beloved daughter of the Father, to receive our true identity. Not an identity founded in the world, but an identity that is given, bestowed upon us by a God who loves us and wants us to be with him forever.”
Four-time SEEK attendee Angelina Roa, who teaches at St. Rita Catholic School in Fort Worth, described the conference as an ideal way to begin 2026, deepening both faith and fellowship.
“Going to SEEK starts off the year with Jesus,” she told North Texas Catholic. “It’s inspirational to be in the room with so many Catholics.”
(Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Contributing to this report were Hannah Heil of The Catholic Times/Diocese of Columbus; André Escaleira, Jr., and Jacqueline Gilvard Landry of Denver Catholic/Archdiocese of Denver; and Susan Moses of North Texas Catholic/Diocese of Fort Worth.)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, Saturday, Jan. 17 at 1 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Peter, Jackson. Theme is “Beholding the Dream” with speaker Dr. William Jemison. Details: email amelia.breton@jacksondiocese.org.
HERNANDO – Holy Spirit, Millions of Monicas – Praying with confidence for our children, each Monday from 5-6 p.m. in the church. Join with other mothers and grandmothers as we pray for our children’s faithful return to the church. Details: church office (662) 429-7851.
JACKSON METRO AREA – Theology on Tap, Feb. 3 with speaker, Ann Cook; March 3 with speaker, Mary Woodward. Meet at Blaylock Photography, 117 N. Wheatley, Ridgeland at 7 p.m. Details: amelia.rizor@jacksondiocese.org.
OXFORD – Diocesan Campus Ministry Winter Retreat “Radical Grace: Living the Gospel Upside Down,” Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church. Cost: $20 – Registration deadine is Jan. 23. Come and be renewed! Details: amelia.rizor@jacksondiocese.org.
OXFORD – St. John the Evangelist, “Beloved Sons” Men’s Conference, Saturday, Feb. 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m in the parish hall. Event features Joe Heschmeyer, speaker for Catholic Answers and host of the Shameless Popery podcast; and Dr. Mario Sacaca, marriage counselor and host of the Always Hope podcast. Tickets $50. Details: register at https://stjohnolemiss.flocknote.com/signup/238790.
St. John the Evangelist, “Beloved Daughters” Women’s Conference, opening potluck on Feb. 6 from 6-8 p.m. and conference on Saturday, Feb. 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Event features Catholic speaker, Devanie Cooper. Cost: $35 and includes light breakfast after Mass and a catered lunch. Details: register at https://stjohnolemiss.flocknote.com/signup/238779.
PARISH & YOUTH EVENTS CLINTON – Holy Savior, Annual Garage Sale, Saturday, Jan. 31 from 7 a.m. to noon. Details: church office (601) 924-6344.
FLOWOOD – St. Paul, “Back to 80’s” $10,000 Drawdown, Saturday, Jan. 31 in the Family Life Center. Cost: $150/admits two. Details: https://bit.ly/StPaul80sDrawdown2026.
GREENWOOD – St. Francis, Mardi Gras Ball, Saturday, Feb. 14 from 7-11 p.m. at the Andrew McQueen Civic Center. Cost: $45/person. Details: (662) 453-0623.
JACKSON – Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary Court #199, Annual Mardi Gras Ball, Feb. 7 at Fondren Hall from 7-11 p.m. Cost: $40/person. Attire: “after five.” Details: Christ the King church office (601) 948-8867.
JACKSON – St. Richard, Krewe de Cardinal Mardi Gras Ball, Saturday, Feb. 7 at the Westin Jackson. Details: visit https://bit.ly/4pGfEAc for more info.
MADISON – St. Joseph School, Annual Draw Down, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at Reunion Country Club. Details: school office (601) 898-4800.
MADISON – St. Francis, Mexican Fiesta Parish Dinner, Wednesday, Jan. 21 starting at 5:15 p.m. in the Family Life Center. Youth will serve your choice of a nacho bar or hotdog and chips, plus dessert and drink. Cost: $7/person or $25 per family. Proceeds benefit the Saltillo Mission. Details: church office (601) 856-5556.
NATCHEZ – Basilica of St. Mary, Rectory Open House, Saturday, Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. Wear your best purple, gold and green to celebrate Mardi Gras! Details: church office (601) 445-5616.
