Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • November 22, 2024 15 Ministries of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi Ministries From page 14 We are proud to promote St. Francis de Sales, the patron saint of the deaf, with his medal and prayer card, available at the Deaf Center. The 1/8th mile Stations of the Cross walking path is available weekdays for anyone wishing to experience. Father James Smith, our chaplain, is available for counseling and reconciliation in both sign and voice. Our digital ministry has grown and promotes all the happenings at de l’Epée, but most importantly contributes to the journey for Intentional Discipleship. Our mailing list is over 825 strong and growing each day. To receive communications, please drop a note to delepee@deafcenter.org to subscribe. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The Tabitha Project Director: Greg Crapo The Tabitha Project is the newest ministry devoted to Good Works and Acts of Mercy. To provide spiritual well- being, promotion of inde- pendence and inclu- sion in the communi- ty for all God’s chil- dren with special needs. The Tabitha Project is modeled after a faithful Christian woman named Dorcas (or Tabitha, in Aramaic). Her life was one spent in service towards those who were less fortunate. Tabitha was committed to good works and gave alms to the poor. Service provided is one-on-one support for such issues as teaching communication skills to deaf/blind, training congregations on how to be a welcoming and understand- ing church, giving families with special needs the support and provisions they require to participate with their spiritual family and providing resources for each individual circumstance that having a special need can create. Using adaptive kits to assist children with special needs for sacrament preparation. Searching for and finding families that don’t have a spiritual home and helping them find one where they will thrive. Counseling is available for families learning about the journey with special needs. Teams are being built within each parish to continue the mission and promote education among the congregation in the best way to support some- one that has a special need. If you would like a speaker at your parish Mass to advance this ministry, ask your parish office to contact us at saintta- bithaproject@gmail.com or contact us yourself to become a part of this vital ministry. Our motto continues to: Never ask a person to ‘overcome their disability’. Love them because of the way God made them, not despite it. Office of Marriage and Family Life Director: Deacon Justin Mitchell One of the most beautiful events you can attend or partici- pate in is the tradi- tional Catholic Marriage ceremo- ny. In order to take the vows, which are so explicitly spelled out in scripture, you must PREPARE appropriately for this most magnifi- cent event. At this time, if you are considering getting married at any parish in the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi, here are some steps to follow. First, contact the parish that you want to get married in. There are many Churches in the diocese, and if you are not regularly attending one, you should start by finding a church home. Secondly, are you a Catholic in good standing in the Church. Have you at least received the Catholic Sacraments of initiation, Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist? Do you believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist? The Glorious Beauty of Catholic Marriage is that it allows the married couple to fulfill the promises of Christ and to propagate the society with the strength of a man and a woman living as one. But, in order to understand this Holy Union, marriage preparation is ESSENTIAL. There is no accident that the very first public miracle performed by Jesus was at a wedding feast. Yes, Jesus, His disciples and His mother were at a joyous celebration, and to keep the joy flowing, Jesus performed His first public miracle, the miracle of changing the water into wine. And not only that! The last words uttered by our Blessed Mother in Scripture at the wedding feast were, “Do whatever He tells you.” The best way to know what the procedures are for marriage prep is to go to the parish that you would like to get married in and ask to schedule an appointment with the priest or the deacon. There actually is a Diocesan-wide marriage prep procedure in place. If you would like to see the policy, you can actually go on the website for the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi at biloxidiocese. org and go to the tab for Family life. Though we have a structure for marriage prep, it is not a “cookie cutter” approach. So it is important to find out what the procedure is for each parish. If you have any other questions, please contact, me, Deacon Justin Mitchell, the Director of Marriage and Family Life at (228) 702-2107. I am sharing with you some of the “best practices and observations” made by deacons in the diocese to assist with marriage preparation. Deacon Steve Beckham, who operates from St. Francis in Wiggins, St. Lucy in Lucedale and Holy Trinity in Leaksville States, “We have only about 5-6 marriages in the ten years I have been here. The last few the pastor took full responsibility for and only hands me problem cases. We have so little of sacramental requests around here he takes care of all of it.” Deacon Karl Koberger states, “I have only prepared one couple for mar- riage in my 11 years as deacon. My priest always likes to do the weddings and we have couples who do the program chosen by our pastor. The only one I did probably 10 years ago was a wedding that I celebrated at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Long Beach. I think the program is “for better forever” that a spon- sor couple goes through.” SEE MINISTRIES, PAGE 16