Gulf Pine Catholic

2 Gulf Pine Catholic • September 17, 2021 D iocesan E vents September 25 St. Vincent de Paul Society Friends of the Poor Walk OCEAN SPRINGS -- The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP), a nonprofit organization that helps those living in poverty, will sponsor the Annual Friends of the Poor Walk/Run on Sat., Sept. 25, to benefit those in our community that need help with rental assistance and most utilities. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. and the “Walk” will begin at 9 a.m. with the Boy Scouts of Troop 211 lead- ing the way. It will be on the East (Ocean Springs) side of the Biloxi/Ocean Springs Bridge. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (www.svdpusa. org) is a national and international, nonprofit, Catholic lay organization who offers a variety of programs and services, including home visits, housing assistance, disaster relief, education and mentoring, food pantries, dining halls, clothing, assistance with transportation, prescription medication, and rent and utility costs. Over the past year, SVdP provided over $3.4 billion in tan- gible and in-kind services to those in need, and helped more than 5.4 million people regardless of race, reli- gion, or national origin. All proceeds and donations from the event will directly benefit the people in the Ocean Springs/ Jackson County area served by our St. Alphonsus Conference of SVdP. Anyone interested in learning more, wishing to participate online, or would like to make a donation, can visit ( www.fopwalk.org ) or they can call the Rectory at (228) 875-5419 or ask any mem- ber of the SVDP St Alphonsus Conference. Please come out and Walk with us and Troop 211 for this year’s SVdP’S “Friends of the Poor Walk” on Sat. the 25 of Sept.! September 25 SPEAK Women’s Retreat BILOXI -- SPEAK (Sisters Praying Encouraging and Aspiring to Know God), faithfully invites all women to attend an upcoming retreat. Father Godfrey Andoh and members of our prayer group will be pre- senting… Filled with Grace -- Understanding and Living the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Sat., Sept. 25, at Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos Church in Biloxi, 365 Lameuse St., 8 a.m.- 6p.m. This retreat is free to attend. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Freedom” ― 2 Corinthians 3:17 Please contact Cherie Prentiss at (228) 365-4017, cmprentiss@att.net or Amiee Gautreaux at (337) 296- 5987, gautreaux7family@yahoo.com . October 2 Our Mother of Sorrows Parish $2,500 Virtual Drawdown BILOXI -- Our Mother of Sorrows Parish will have a virtual $2,500 drawdown on Sat., Oct. 2, at 6 p.m. Tickets are $50 each. It will be live-streamed on Facebook ! We will also have a Silent Auction. Items will be on display in the parish hall beginning Sept. 17. All items will also have a “Buy It Now” price. If you would like to purchase tickets please call the office at (228) 435-0007. October 2 & 9 St. Ann (Lizana) Altar Society Yard Sales LIZANA -- Yard sales will be held Sat., Oct. 2 & Sat., Oct. 9 om 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Ann Church, 23529 Hwy 53, Gulfport (across om Fazzio’s). October 15 Annual Mass of Wedding Anniversaries BILOXI -- This year’s Mass will take place on Sun., Nov. 7, at 2 p.m. at the Nativity B.V.M. Cathedral. Couples celebrating 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, or 70 years of marriage or more in 2021 are welcome to attend. Registration forms are available in the church. The form may be returned by mail to 1790 Popps Ferry Road, Biloxi, MS 39532, attention Deacon Karl Koberger, fax to (228) 702-2178, or email to kko- berger@biloxidiocese.org. Deadline for registration forms is Oct. 15. November 20 Eagle Catholic Fall Raffle HATTIESBURG -- The Eagle Catholic Fall Raffle will be held Sat., Nov. 20, 6-9 p.m., at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 3117 West 4th Street. Tickets are $100 per ticket. Each ticket admits two adults. Ten percent of the proceeds will go to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, 50 percent will go to Eagle Catholic and 40 percent will be set aside for prize money. There is a minimum $5,000 grand prize, as well as $1,000 and three $500 prizes. Winners need not be present. For more information, contact Marianne Schmidt: (832) 274-5325/usmcath- olic@gmail.com December 5 & 6 Holy Family Parish Mission PASS CHRISTIAN -- Jon Leonetti will lead a mission at Holy Family Church Dec. 5-6, 6:30-8 p.m. each night. There will be a penance service on Dec. 7, 6:30 -8 p.m. Leonetti is a nationally known Catholic speaker, best-selling author and radio host who conveys a message of lasting fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Through Jon’s keynote presentations and parish mis- sions, thousands of Catholics each year discover the freedom Christ offers by way of his life and love. Jon believes that our deepest longing for happi- ness and wholeness is fulfilled in the encounter with Jesus Christ. Through prayer, the Sacraments, family life, and the help of Mary and the saints, Jon wants to cultivate an intimate relationship with Jesus, and help others do the same. Leonetti Three dead, others evacuated from Louisiana housing ministry after Ida BY RHINA GUIDOS Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Three residents of a housing ministry belonging to the Archdiocese of New Orleans were found dead following the wrath of Hurricane Ida, which left a slew of Louisiana residents trapped in their homes and without electricity days after its Aug. 29 landfall. In the days after the hurricane, authorities rescued hundreds of residents of Christopher Homes, part of the archdiocese’s senior living ministry that helps the elderly and those with physical disabilities rent afford- able homes in the New Orleans area. But during the rescues, city officials expressed concerns about why residents of the buildings had not been evacuated. “Residents are independent living tenants with leases, and before storm season, all residents were required to provide a personal evacuation plan to prop- erty management,” said a Sept. 6 statement on the Christopher Homes website. “Without a mandatory evacuation order, Christopher Homes could not close the buildings for Hurricane Ida.” The website said Christopher Homes “manages 21 apartment complexes with nearly 2,500 apartment units.” The ministry said 268 residents were evacuated from six of the properties with help from civil authori- ties, but it didn’t say when. The agency said it had requested help immediately after the hurricane passed, though none came until after the first discovered death of one of its residents on Sept. 3, the website said. The staff was “saddened by the deaths of three resi- dents in properties in Orleans Parish,” the statement said, giving thanks “for the care and compassion of the staff who stayed behind to help the residents who chose to stay.” SEE LA HOUSING MINISTRY, PAGE 14