Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • November 29, 2019 7 The Official 2020 Directory of the Diocese of Biloxi $10 Place Your Order Now! To receive your copies, you must pre-order. Deadline for pre-orders Jan. 2, 2020. Delivery February 2020! Directory includes information about diocesan ministries and services, parishes, Mass schedules, schools, priests, deacons, seminarians, sisters, and brothers. Mail coupon & check to: Gulf Pine Catholic, 1790 Popps Ferry Rd., Biloxi, MS 39532 NAME _____________________________________________________ ADDRESS __________________________________________________ CITY________________________ STATE_________ ZIP___________ No. of directories ordered _______ Amount enclosed______ Make checks ($10 per directory) payable to: Gulf Pine Catholic clip & mail # 11-29-19 Bishops Assembly Roundup From page 3 “Let’s begin anew,” he said, at the close of his ad- dress, veering away from prepared remarks, and quot- ing St. Augustine. The cardinal, who suffered a mild stroke earlier this year, did not elaborate on specifics of the abuse crisis in the church, particularly highlighted this past year, but spoke of the bishops’ continued work of transparency related to dealing with the crisis. He said the abuse mea- sures adopted by U.S. bishops at their meeting last June are “only a beginning. More needs to be done.” At the start of the meeting, Bishop Earl A. Boyea of Lansing, Michigan, asked for an update on the Vatican’s report on the McCarrick situation, which many of the bishops, by voice vote, also said they wanted to hear. In a brief presentation, Boston Cardinal Sean P. Living Large From page 4 “Alyssa has taught Scott and I, and all of her younger siblings more than I could have ever imagined, and she hasn’t spoken a word in over 22 years!! I cry every time I think of this -- it’s just too incredible for words. She is such a testament and witness for the value and power of every life -- it’s so counter cultural in our world which values money, power, intelligence, accomplishment, etc.. I can hear the choir of angels and the saints saying to her with God, “Well done good and faithful servant!”’ Bravo my friend! You have inspired so many. LIVE MAS! Michele Pisciotta is a retired obstetrician and gynecologist who heads up the Diocese of Biloxi’s Pro-Life Ministry and Natural Family Planning education initiative. She can be contacted at gulfpinecatholic@biloxidiocese.org . O’Malley told the bishops the Vatican has not yet pub- lished a report about its investigation of now-defrocked former U.S. Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, but a re- port could be ready by Christmas, or in the new year. He said he and other bishops at the Vatican for their recent “ad limina” visit said they were “anxious to re- ceive the Holy See’s explanation of this tragic situation, how he could become an archbishop and cardinal, who knew what and when.” He also stressed that the “long wait has resulted in great frustration on the part of bish- ops and our people and indeed a very harsh and even cynical interpretation of the seeming silence.” In a presentation on gun violence, Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, said Catholic clergy and lay leaders can play a role in bringing together people along the rural-urban divide to build understanding of the need for sensible policies that can end the scourge of gun violence. The bishop, who is chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Develop- ment, outlined the USCCB’s long-held stance of the need for “common sense” legislation that governs the availability of guns. But he also said it was time for people to come together so that there is greater under- standing of how gun violence affects urban communi- ties in particular. He told Catholic News Service that the USCCB’s work on the legislative front was important, but that a pastoral response to gun violence was needed. “It’s time for a different approach,” he said. In a new approach for the bishops’ pro-life efforts, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, invited his fellow bishops to devote a year of ser- vice to pregnant women starting next March. He said Catholic par- ishes can be one of the first places a woman facing an unexpected or challenging pregnancy can turn to for assistance rather than think of seek- ing an abortion and they could offer a variety of support services to wom- en who may be thinking about whether to carry their child to term. The bishops also voted for a new sixth edition of of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ existing Program of Priestly Formation for U.S. Dioceses ; be- fore it can be implemented, it must first receive a “rec- ognitio,” or approval, from the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy. They approved a text translation to be used in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults and OKd close to 300 new hymn texts for the Liturgy of the Hours. The three-day meeting wrapped up Nov. 13 with a presentation by Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of Houma- Thibodaux, Louisiana, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, who spoke about the ongoing work of the committee, highlighting the lis- tening sessions that have taken place around the coun- try. The bishops also heard presentations about Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services and the Catho- lic Legal Immigration Network, or CLINIC. Anna Gallagher, CLINIC’S executive director, told the bishops about her organization’s extensive work at the border which she said was “just a drop in the bucket” for all those who need help. She noted that in parishes and Catholic social service programs people are “rightly worried” about workplace raids, threats of deportation, family separation and the potential loss of Temporary Protected Status and DACA. In her report on Catholic Charities USA, Dominican Sister Donna Markham, CEO and president, told the bishops the agency’s healthy housing initiative is col- laborating with diocesan Catholic Charities programs, parishes, local funders and Catholic health care systems to on a program gram to address chronic homelessness and guiding people into permanent housing, while sav- ing millions of dollars in health care costs. Bishop Gregory J. Mansour, who heads the Epar- chy of St. Maron in Brooklyn, New York, gave a report on Catholic Relief Services as its board chairman. He highlighted the organization’s work around the world, saying it works to ensure that Catholic values underlie its relief and development work. At the meeting’s close, Archbishop Gomez thanked outgoing president Cardinal DiNardo for his “excellent service to this body and to the church.” Contributing to this report was Rhina Guidos, Mark Pattison and Dennis Sadowski.