Gulf Pine Catholic

10 Gulf Pine Catholic • August 18, 2023 Letter to the Bishop From Most Reverend Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D., Ph.D. Bishop of Jackson Dear Bishop Kihneman, Please extend my heartfelt gratitude for the generous response of the faithful of the Diocese of Biloxi toward tornado relief in Rolling Fork and the surround- ing Delta communities in the Diocese of Jackson. The amount raised through your diocesan network, including Catholic Charities, was just under $40,000. This is a remarkable outpouring of solidarity between our two dioceses, the Catholic Church in Mississippi. The work of rebuilding continues in the impacted communities, and those on the ground in the relief and rebuilding efforts will be there well into the future. Time, talent, and treasure have been pouring in from all over the nation provid- ing practical help and inspiring hope for the residents who lost so much. The faithful of the Biloxi diocese understand all too well that natural disasters can destroy communities overnight, but the rebuilding happens over years. May the Lord Jesus continue to inspire our diocesan families to be beacons of hope for all Mississippians, in ordinary and extraordinary times. In the Lord’s Holy Name, ? Joseph R. Kopacz Bishop of Jackson Letter to the Bishop From Maurice H. Sands, Executive Director Black and Indian Mission Office Your Excellency, Thank you for your support of the Black and Indian Mission Collection. Your contribution in the amount of$25,169.31, which we received on 07/25/2023, is a blessing to the entire Church in the United States. Here at the Mission House, we continue to be led by the missionary spirit of St. Katharine Drexel as we fulfil our mission of supporting the evangelization and pastoral care of our African American, Native American, and Alaska Native brothers and sisters. The Black and Indian Mission Collection, established as the first National Collection at the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1884, has proven itself to be a very successful vehicle for the sharing of the resources of the Church’s members to provide for the needs of our AfricanAmerican and Native American, and Native Alaskan brothers and sisters. The Black and Indian Mission Office is pleased to use the funds we receive through the Collection to provide grants that support evangelization and minis- try programs in dioceses across the United States. The grace of the Holy Spirit and the charity of the people of God, enable the continuation of the work of evangelization and ministry in our Native American and African American communities. Please continue to encourage your clergy, religious, and laity to strengthen our efforts through the offering of their daily prayers, financial offerings, and other forms of spiritual and material support. I am most grateful to you and the people of your local church for your gen- erosity. Please do not hesitate to contact me personally to let me know how the Black and Indian Mission Office can better assist you in your role of chief shep- herd of the people the Lord has entrusted to your care. With assurance of my prayers for the Lord to bless you and the people of your Diocese, I am, Yours respectfully in Christ, Fr. Maurice H. Sands When the real Jesus is declared, I said, hearts are set on fire. My next talk took place the following day in a charming auditorium at the Univer- sity of Lisbon. At the invitation of the Vatican Dicastery on Education and Culture, I had been asked to address a group of teachers, professors, and administrators on the topic of Catholic education. Taking my cues from St. Bonaventure and St. John Henry Newman, I argued that Christ the Logos must stand at the heart of the circle of university disciplines and that he does so noncompetitively, not compromising the integrity of the other subjects, but rather making them more luminous and beautiful. I was particularly moved by the eagerness and enthusiasm of the young scholars and aspiring teachers who listened to me that afternoon. Then, that evening, I gave an extended homily at the Benediction service offered to over 12,000 young Americans who had assembled in a large park in the northern section of Lisbon. The weather was perfect, the mood was festive and yet prayerful, and when the Eucharist was brought forth, a very moving silence fell over the mas- sive throng. I spoke to the young people about proclaiming the real Christ and not a watered-down simulacrum. When the real Jesus is declared, I said, hearts are set on fire. I concluded my remarks that night with the reminder that, though our culture is obsessed with safety, a religion that places before our eyes on a regular basis the image of a man nailed to a cross is not a religion that puts a high premium on safety! The Church is not interested so much in keeping us safe as preparing us for spiritual adventure and the embrace of our mission. My fourth presentation was the next day at a gorgeous church in downtown Lis- bon. Five hundred or so young people were packed into that space for one of the of- ficial dialogue-catecheses. This year, Pope Francis wanted the bishops not simply to speak to the youth but to enter into conversation with them. My formal discourse was on the true nature of freedom. In the presence of an eerily lifelike statue of John Paul II perched against the side wall, I told the crowd that authentic freedom is not doing what one pleases but instead the disciplining of desire so as to make the achievement of the good first possible and then effortless. As obvious examples, I laid out the pro- cess whereby one becomes a free speaker of a foreign language or a free player of the piano or a free golfer. In all of those cases, freedom is tantamount to the interioriza- tion of the relevant disciplines, laws, and practices -- and most certainly not to mere liberty or license. I very much enjoyed the subsequent discussion I had with a panel of young people. Our topic was social media, and I was not altogether surprised to hear that their assessment was decidedly more negative than positive. The fifth and final talk was a session with a large group of well over a thousand. At the Pope’s request, this gathering was to be more contemplative than instructional. Thus, there was a Eucharistic procession and Benediction, and afterward, I spoke on the nature of prayer. I emphasized that prayer is best construed as a conversation between friends, involving both talking and listening, both words and silence. I made the practical recommendations that they should take up the Rosary and the Jesus Prayer and should make a daily Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament a priority. In the midst of my pilgrimage, I made a visit to the Shrine at Fatima, located about an hour and a half outside of Lisbon. I found it to be one of those curiously radioac- tive places -- like Lourdes, like Chartres, like Jerusalem -- a spot where heaven and earth seemed to meet. Particularly moving to me were the tombs of the two shepherd children -- Jacinta and Francisco -- that are located in the basilica, not far from the little grove of trees where the Mother of God spoke to them in 1917. I will admit that the week was a tad grueling: lots of speeches, lots of walking, enormous crowds of people everywhere. But it was exhilarating as well, and full of grace. Bishop Robert Barron, bishop of Los Angeles, is founder of the global ministry, Word on Fire and the Francis Cardinal George Professor of Faith and Culture at the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein. Word of Fire From page 7 Pray for all those who are suffering from the results of hurricanes, earthquakes, and war, including Ukraine. Pray for peace on earth!