Gulf Pine Catholic

2 Gulf Pine Catholic • January 6, 2023 DIOCESE OF BILOXI BULLETIN BOARD VOLUNTEERS ► Volunteer nurses needed! ~ Bethel Free Health Clinic announces an urgent need for volunteer nurses. Located in Biloxi near Keesler Air Force Base, Bethel Free Health Clinic is dedicated to providing primary medical care to adults in the Mississippi Gulf Coast community who have no health insurance. The clinic operates much like a primary care physician’s office, treat- ing patients with diabetes, hypertension, pulmonary disease, and many other com- mon conditions. Current clinic days/hours: Tues. and Thurs. mornings, 8-11 a.m., Friday after- noon, 1x monthly. We always welcome volunteers, both clinical and clerical; but we currently have a special need for nursing staff. If you are available, or know someone who might be, please contact the clinic at (228) 594-3640 or bethelkatclinic@ gmail.com , or contact board president, Kay Capelle, at (228) 617-0785. PARISH EVENTS ► St. Mary Church, Woolmarket, Jan. 7, First Saturday Devotion ~ All are invited to attend our First Saturday Devotion at St. Mary in Woolmarket on Jan. 7. We will begin with the praying of the scriptural rosary at 10 a.m. There will also be the hearing of confessions, meditation on the mysteries of the rosary as requested by our Lady of Fatima, and Holy Mass followed by a procession car- rying a statue of Our Lady and a banner to honor Mary from the church to Murray Hall where there will be a potluck lunch and refreshments. After lunch at 1 p.m., there will be a talk in the church by Patricia Talbot, widely known as “Pachi,” a visionary from Cuenca, Ecuador, who claims to have received numerous visits from the Blessed Virgin Mary with important messages for man- kind. In March 2009, at the request of the Archbishop of Cuenca, a summary of the messages was published with the Imprimatur of the Catholic Church. There will be books, rosaries, and statues available for sale in the vestibule of the church. ► Most Holy Trinity Church, Pass Christian, Jan. 10, 70th and last Irish Priests’ Reunion ~ The 70th Irish Priests’ Reunion will be held Jan. 10 at 6 p.m. at Most Holy Trinity Church in Pass Christian. Bishop Paul Dempsey of Achonry, Ireland, will be the main cele- brant and homilist. This will be the final reunion. Come and take part in this spe- cial event. All are welcome. ► Our Mother of Mercy, Pass Christian, Jan. 20, Our Mother of Mercy Healing Mass ~ Our Mother of Mercy Parish will host a Healing Mass on Fri., Jan. 20 at 5 p.m. The church is located at 216 Saucier Ave. Pass Christian. ► Our Lady of the Gulf, Bay St. Louis, Jan. 26-28, Sacred music presentation and workshop ~ Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church will be hosting two great events by Dr. Jennifer Donelson- Nowicka in January 2023! You will not want to miss this opportunity to be uplifted and inspired! January 26: The Role of Beauty in the Spiritual Life: Understanding and Praying with the Church’s Sacred Music: Thursday, 7 p.m., in the Church at Our Lady of the Gulf. This presenta- tion is FREE and open to all! January 27-28: Sacred Music Workshop for Musicians, Cantors, Choir members, Music Directors, and Clergy: Fri.-Sat. workshop fee is $40 and includes all workshop materials, dinner on Fr., lunch on Sat., and coffee and snacks both days. There will be a special Friday morn- ing session for music directors! Register today! Discover more details and register today to reserve your seat!! ► St. Stanislaus College, Bay St. Louis, Feb. 7, St. Stanislaus hosts robot adven- tures ~ St. Stanislaus Robotics, Infinity Science Center, and U.S. Naval Research Labs present “Robot Adventures – Hands-On Learning Experience.” This educational and hands-on robotics expe- rience is open to students in grades K-6. St. Stanislaus will host the adventure on Tues.y, Feb. 7, 6-7:30 p.m. Registration and more information: ststan.com/robot- adventures/ SCHOOL EVENTS Many people know the story of Al- coholics Anonymous founder Bill Wilson. Much less is known about Father Ed Dowl- ing, the Catholic priest who served as his spiritual sponsor. In the early-to-mid 20th century, Father Ed embodied the love of Christ not only to alcoholics, but to anyone who was suffering or marginalized: from African Americans to those with mental health issues to married couples in need of counseling. Author Dawn Eden Goldstein has done a deep-dive into Father Ed’s life to explore the personal suffering which grew his compassion -- and the deep faith that motivated his work. Her book is called “Father Ed: The Story of Bill W’s Spiritual Sponsor,” and we discussed it recently on “Christopher Closeup.” When Father Ed was 19 years old, before he entered the Jesuit seminary, his younger brother James died because of the 1918 flu pandemic. To make things worse, Father Ed suspected he might have given the disease to his brother, with whom he shared an especially close bond. Dawn said, “When you have a wound like that -- whether it’s grief or another kind of trau- ma, particularly trauma that hits you when you’re young -- it can make you question, ‘Does God exist? Does God care about me?’” As Father Ed’s faith grew deeper over the years through the practice of saying daily Mass and meditating in front of a cru- cifix, he believed that Jesus brought him a level of healing from his emotional wound. He also came to see the “suffering Christ in his suffering brothers and sisters” and made it a part of his mission to reach out to them. When Father Ed first encountered the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous , he felt God’s hand at work. The 12 Steps were based on Bill Wilson’s achievement of sobriety after a spiritual experience. He devised the Steps so that alcoholics could recognize “that they’re powerless over al- cohol and that only a higher power can re- lieve them of this great thirst for alcohol.” “Then,” continued Dawn, “what Bill discovered -- andwhat he passed on through the Steps -- was that he could only maintain his sobriety through…helping other alco- holics. I think Father Dowling must have recognized that this is also a very Christian idea: that our salvation is not meant only for ourselves…Every Christian has a mis- sion. This is part of the message of the Sec- ond Vatican Council. We have a mission to be Christ among others and to spread that fragrance of Christ wherever we go.” As he got older, Father Ed experienced an ever-worsening arthritis that was turn- ing his body to stone, as others described it. Getting around became quite painful, yet he always exuded joy amidst his suf- fering. Dawn interviewed several people who spent time with him and their recol- lections confirmed this point. She said, “What I picked up from them was that Father Ed…so loved people that he could not be unhappy when other people were around because he was interested in them. Even when they were going through diffi- cult times and he was suffering with them, he felt honored that they were sharing their lives with him…Every person he encoun- tered, whether it was the drunk just off the street or the high society person, they each felt that they were the most important per- son who Father Dowling saw that day.” In closing, Dawn hopes that Father Ed comes alive for readers of her book, ex- plaining, “If I could ensure that they en- countered Father Ed, then…they would encounter Christ through him and Christ’s healing.” Fr. Ed Dougherty, M.M., serves on The Christophers’ Board of Directors. For a free copy of the Christopher News Note, GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP, write: The Christophers, 5 Hanover Square, New York, NY 10004; or e-mail: mail@ christophers.org. Father Ed Dowling’s Ministry to Alcoholics Light One Candle Fr. Dougherty Pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood, to the diaconate, and to the religious life, especially in the Diocese of Biloxi