Gulf Pine Catholic

Volume 37 No. 9 www.biloxidiocese.org December 27, 2019 Catholic there for our Bishops, especially remembering Bishop Howze and Bishop Morin. At St. Peter’s Basilica, I cele- brated Mass for all our priests and deacons, alive and deceased. At St. Mary Major, I cele- brated Mass for the Religious of our diocese, our families, married couples and the diocesan staff. At St. Paul Outside the Walls, I celebrated Mass for our schools, parishes and parishio- ners, and our ministries of evenagelization and catechesis. It was very deeply moving at the tomb of St. Paul. The experience of celebrat- ing Masses with the bishops of Region V provided wonderful opportunities to get to know them and pray with them. The clergy, religious and laity of the diocese were present to me in prayer and I lifted all of you up during each of the Masses. The Holy Father has asked that we make disciples togeth- er and baptize all nations. I look forward to sharing more about my visit in the next edition of the Gulf Pine Catholic . This is the first of a three-part series on Bishop Louis F. Kihneman III’s ad lim- ina apostolorum visit to Rome, which took place Dec. 1-7. Bishop Kihneman traveled to Rome with the bishops of Region V, which includes the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky. He was accompanied by Msgr. Dominick Fullam, Vicar General for the Diocese of Biloxi. BY BISHOP LOUIS F. KIHNEMAN III An ad limina apos- tolorum is a visit to the door of the apostles. We generally do that every five to seven years. This was my first ad limina apostolorum visit as bishop of Biloxi. It’s meant as a pilgrimage for the bishop of the diocese on behalf of the people of the diocese. We went, specifically, to visit the Successor of St. Peter, Pope Francis. The whole experience was moving and pow- erful. Our visit with the Holy Father was almost Bishop Kihneman recounts first ad limina apostolorum visit to Rome as Bishop of Biloxi Pope Francis greets Bishop Louis F. Kihneman of Biloxi, Miss., during a meeting with U.S. bishops from Regions IV and V making their "ad limina" visits to the Vatican, Dec. 3. The regions include the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia, the Archdiocese for the Military Services, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. CNS photo/Vatican Media three hours of very personal and spirit-filled dialog with him. Each of the dicasteries we vis- ited were very good moments of sharing in the ministry and pastoral care of our people of God. I was deeply moved by our Masses at the four major basilicas. At each, there were special moments. At St. John Lateran, the Church of Pope Francis, the Altar and the Holy Father’s chair were a call to Faith. I celebrated Mass