Gulf Pine Catholic

12 Gulf Pine Catholic • December 27, 2019 SALTILLO -- The Dioceses of Jackson and Biloxi celebrated 50 years of service to the mission of Saltillo from July 11-15, 2019, with golden jubilee celebrations around the mission. Bishop Joseph Kopacz, Dr. Charles Caskie and Msgr. Michael Flannery represented the Diocese of Jackson and Bishop Kihneman, Msgr. Michael Thornton, Father Sergio Baldaras, Terry Dickson (editor of Gulf Pine Catholic ) and photographer Juliana Skelton represented the Diocese of Biloxi. On July 11, the group flew to Monterrey, Mexico, and were met by Father David Martínez Rubio and Father Evelio Casarubias Rodríguez, then traveled 70 miles to Saltillo and the church of San Miguel, the mis- sion center. Bishop Kihneman is no stranger to Saltillo as he spent his first year of priesthood assigned to Saltillo (1997-98). At the time, he was a priest of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, which had a mission in Saltillo at Arteaga. Bishop Kihneman was a frequent visitor to Perpetual Help Parish which was the mission center at the time. After getting accommodated at San Miguel, the group traveled to Divine Mercy Church in the colony Fuentes del Pedregal, for a concele- brated Mass with retired Bishop of Saltillo, Bishop Francisco Villalobos. After Mass, followed a pageant with several scenes performed by the parishioners which included a re-enactment of the Last Supper, the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, the breakfast meal at the Sea of Galilee where Peter made his triple profession of his love of the Lord, the commissioning of the apostles to go and teach all nations and a final scene of Father Quinn responding to his vocational call to become a priest. The group rose early on July 12 for departure to the ranchos of Ejido Notillas, San Jose, Garambullo and Sabinilla. At each village the bishops offered their blessing to the people. An effort was made to make it to the most distant village El Tapon, but unfortunately the dirt road was washed out, due to heavy rain. The group returned to Garambullo where Mass and First Holy Communion were celebrated at noon-time. After Mass, the group returned to Saltillo and a concelebrated Mass at Perpetual Help Church which had been the center of the Saltillo Mission for 29 years. Bishop Kihneman preached a homily on his memories of Father Quinn, “In my first year of priesthood, 1977, I accepted an assignment in Saltillo. The first priest to greet me was Father Quinn. Instantly, I knew I was in the presence of greatness. ..." "Because of Father Quinn’s identity with the people of the villages, I came to identify better my own vocation and calling as a priest. Because of his influ- ence, I returned to visit the mission for many years. My experience of coming to Saltillo taught me a great lesson of what my ministry as a priest and later Golden jubilee celebrations abound in Saltillo – Continued on page 13 –