Gulf Pine Catholic

14 Gulf Pine Catholic • November 22, 2024 Ministries of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi Ministries From page 13 Young adult ministry also known as our Frassati Fellowship has continued to grow this year. At the beginning of the year, we had a group of young adults go through the nine-week series, Rescue Project . From there and other parish leaders, a leadership team of six young adults came together to plan and vision what young adult ministry looks like in the Diocese of Biloxi. We had a praise and worship night in October followed up with a time of fellowship all held at St. Michaels in Biloxi. We have gathered bonfires, pumpkin painting, and most recently just had a sunset retreat in Pass Christian. We had talks, reflec- tion time, discussion and closed the night with Eucharistic Adoration outside at sunset. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Office of Education Director: Jennifer Broadus Over the past year, the fourteen Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Biloxi have experienced remarkable growth and achievements. Our schools serve over 4,000 students, supported by a dedi- cated team of more than 500 faculty and staff. Last school year, we held three retreats for our faculty and staff, focusing on building leadership teams and unified, mission-centered Catholic schools. These retreats provided valuable time for prayer, reflection, collaboration, and shared vision-building. We continue focusing on our core mission: forming intentional disciples of Jesus Christ. The academic achievements of our students reflect the dedication of our families, students, faculty, and staff, with test scores consistently surpassing both state and national averages. Diocese of Biloxi students achieved an impressive average ACT score of 23.9, well above the national average of 19.5 and the state average of 17.6. Our diocesan schools recently completed a comprehensive five-year accreditation review with Cognia , a global nonprofit that accredits schools meeting rigorous standards in learning environments, resource management, and leadership. With this achievement, all schools in the Diocese of Biloxi are now accredited by Cognia , in addition to the Mississippi Department of Education. Our continued goal is for our students to leave our schools as empowered scholars and committed disciples, ready to follow Jesus and make a positive impact on the world. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Catholic Charities of South Mississippi Diocesan Director: Jennifer Williams I am pleased to present the Catholic Charities of South Mississippi Community Impact Report for January 2024 through September 2024. In all Catholic Charities of South Mississippi served a total of 481,501 individu- als and distributed $458.740.15 in assistance. Here is a breakdown of what we accomplished: • 162 people received document translation to assist with obtaining work • 1,754,837 pounds of food distributed, feeding 567,498 people • 464 infants received items to keep them healthy and safe • 4 women received confidential pregnancy testing • 429 Seniors received social service coordination • 6 families received adoption services, including adoption searches and home studies • 90 families received disaster case management; $6,932 in disaster assis- tance provide • 2,213 households received case management, goal setting, and budgeting education • 31 people continued to live independently through our Representative Payee Program • 529 individual, marriage, and family counseling sessions provided • 105 families remained housed and 1,333 families’ utilities remained on due to $444,885 in direct assistance • Finally, Mercy Cross Day Center opened in Biloxi on May 28. 316 guests registered, 45 onsite lots assigned, 589 showers provided, 315 loads of laun- dry. We are happy to say that 70 individuals moved out of homelessness. We also purchased 13 bus tickets and assisted with 7 deposits. If you or someone you know needs assistance, please call (228) 701-0555. For more information, to volunteer or donate, please see visit catholiccharitie- sofsouthms.org. Tax deductible donations may also be mailed to 1450 North Street, Gulfport, MS 39507. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> de l’Epée Deaf Center Director: Greg Crapo de l’Epée Deaf Center continues as the quiet jewel in the Diocese of Biloxi. Honoring our founder, Sr. Dolores Coleman D.C., we continue the mission to provide spiri- tual well-being, promo- tion of independence and inclusion in the community for the deaf, hard of rearing and disabled. de l’Epée provides qualified interpreters to bridge the gap between the deaf and hearing communities. This past year, we provided over 3,700 hours of communication and over 4,500 hours of service, giving equal access in medi- cal, educational, legal, work and religious settings 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Teaching sign language on a quarterly basis and one-on-one tutoring pro- vided new opportunities to over 100 individuals and families for interaction with feaf family, friends, and co-workers. As a national testing sight for interpreters, hosting CEU workshops, and providing intern work opportunities for interpreting students, de l’Epée leads the way in promoting the need for more and better skilled interpreters. Supported by volunteers, de l’Epée hosted three summer youth camps for both deaf and hearing children, ages 5-16. Camps benefited 75 plus families with learning and association opportunities. Our Faith Formation continues to thrive with monthly events including: Signed Way of the Cross, creative prayer workshops and signed Mass in our chapel. Interpreters are available at several churches within the Diocese and not just Catholic. SEE MINISTRIES, PAGE 15