Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • October 11, 2024 11 228-539-9800 www.RiemannFamily.com Gulfport Pass Christian West Jackson County Biloxi Long Beach Hancock County Healing Mass for Married Couples BY DEACON JUSTIN MITCHELL Director of Marriage and Family Life On September 27, Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church, in conjunction with the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi, sponsored a Healing Mass for married cou- ples. The Healing Mass was an opportunity for cou- ples, who had good marriages to celebrate their success, and for those who were struggling to have an opportunity to put their issues at the “Foot of the Cross.” There were seven couples from throughout the Diocese who attended at various states of suc- cess in their marriages, and some would be consid- ered relatively unsuccessful. The beauty of the Mass was that it emphasized the beauty and the power of the Sacramental Grace provided by Matrimony. It took them away from the human struggles which pushed them apart to the spiritual gifts that got them together. The Mass displayed the salvific beauty of the essence of love exemplified through matrimony. The strong marriages got stronger because of the “reconnection in faith” that the prayers said over them conveyed. The couples left the prayer session after Mass holding hands and joyful. All of those who were struggling, were pleased because the Mass was not a therapy session, but a celebration of what the couples originally saw that brought them togeth- er. There were no judgments levied or discussions about who was right or wrong. Just an opportunity to reconnect with the presence of God. What was special was the courage that the strug- gling couples displayed and the joy they had with each other upon leaving. We don’t know if they are going to stay together, but they all left with a sense of hope for a better outcome and the opportunity, through the power of God, to continue fighting for the marriages they were in. Father Rofinus Jas, SVD prayed over every cou- ple and anointed them. It was a deeply moving and very spiritual event. We are planning on doing this Healing Mass for married couples quarterly, so be on the lookout in your parish bulletins for the next date. Yours in Christ, Deacon Justin Mitchell. The pastoral council members are making some very important decisions on how best to allocate resources and identifying priorities that will enable the Church to continue to grow and flourish. We also met with choir directors, including youth choirs. They are facing similar challenges in that some of the parents are not supportive. The choir directors mentioned that they have a challenge with recruiting kids and having them show up. They shared that the young people who participate fully are committed in giving of their time and their tal- ents to share the Gospel through song. Even though they are facing some of the same challenges we face, the faith is very much alive in the city chapels and in the ran- chos. Much of this was ignited initially by the good ministry of Father Patrick Quinn and with the support of the Dioceses of Jackson and Biloxi. From our own diocese, in addi- tion to Msgr. Michael Thornton, Father Louis Lohan and Father Paddy Mockler have served in our Saltillo mission. San Miguel Parish is very for- tunate currently to have two priests -- Father David Martinez and Father Miguel Ángel Sifuente, who work very well together ministering in the chapels and the ranchos. The vibrancy of faith that began with Father Quinn continues today because of the good works and ministry of the priests, religious sisters, and the people themselves, who continue to build upon that firm foundation that was laid by the people of Mississippi, who so generously gave of their time, talents, and treasure. Our continued support is cru- cial to their ministry at San Miguel Parish and in the outlying ranchos. Visiting the ranchos incurs a lot of wear and tear on the vehicles that travel on these often rocky roads, which I can verify! The combina- tion of gasoline and vehicle maintenance is very expensive. The ministry we continue at the mission in Saltillo is what the Holy Fathers have been asking us to do: to be missionary disciples, to go forth and share the Good News of Jesus Christ! SEE BISHOP’S SPANISH COLUMN, PAGE 8 Bishop’s Column From page 3 Pope prays for collaboration: ‘Priests are not the bosses of the laity’ BY JUSTIN MCLELLAN Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY ( CNS ) -- Every Christian, whether a layperson or member of the clergy, has a vital role to play in advancing the mission of the church through collaboration, Pope Francis said. “We priests are not the bosses of the laity, but their pastors,” he said in a video message for his October prayer intention: “For a shared mission.” Christians are called to follow Jesus not with “some people above others or some to one side and the rest to another side, but by complementing each other,” the pope said in the message released by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network Sept. 30. “We are community. That is why we must walk together on the path of synodality.” The network posts a short video of the pope offering his specific prayer intention each month, and members of the network pray for that intention each day. In addition to coinciding with the month that includes World Mission Sunday , the pope’s message was delivered as 368 members of the Synod of Bishops began a two-day retreat ahead of the second session of the synod in Rome. The synod, focusing on synodality, gathers bishops and other experts from around the world to discuss how to create a more listening church. Pope Francis suggested that a bus driver, a farm- er or a fisherman might wonder what role he or she can play in the church’s mission of evangelization. But “what all of us need to do is to give witness with our lives. Be co-responsible in mission,” he urged. “The laity, the baptized in the church, are in their own home, and they must take care of it. So do we priests and consecrated people,” the pope said. “Everyone contributes what they know how to do best.” “We are co-responsible in mission, we partici- pate and we live in the communion of the church,” he said, asking for prayers so that the church may “continue to sustain a synodal lifestyle in every way, as a sign of co-responsibility, promoting the partici- pation, communion and mission shared by priests, religious and laity.”