Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • November 22, 2024 17 Ministries of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi Ministries From page 16 The paper’s mission is to inform readers of the latest local, national and international Catholic news. The Gulf Pine Catholic is also a valuable tool for formation in the Catholic faith, with regular commentary from Pope Francis and Bishop Louis F. Kihneman III. Other contributors include Deacon Ralph Torrelli, who writes a column on the Sunday Scriptures, and Father Tad Pacholczyk, Ph.D., Senior Ethicist with the National Catholic Bioethics Center. In the past year, the Gulf Pine Catholic provided coverage of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which traveled through the Diocese of Biloxi in June, and the National Eucharistic Congress, which took place in Indianapolis in July. This year also marked the rollout of a new website, gulfpinecatholic.com , which has enhanced our efforts to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in a world that needs it now more than ever. The Office of Communications also produces an annual directory of Catholic churches, schools, offices and ministries. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Office of Social Media Director: Paul Blanchard Our team in the Office of Social Media Outreach has been finding ways to share photos, news, and events through social media, our websites: biloxidiocese.org , biloxi.smugmug.com, and gulfpinecatholic.com . A new submission process that lets people submit stories and photos right from our website has been growing in popularity. Implementing the Friday Updates Newsletters to all registered parishioners’ emails has been immensely helpful and we average a 65% open rate to nearly 14,000 emails. Our primary goal is to make sure no matter where you look, you’ll find a pathway to discipleship. We’re also developing ways to better intercommunicate between depart- ments, parishes, and schools to ensure consistency. A lot of things are happen- ing around our diocese and sometimes they all happen at the same time. This has caused us to pilot different data driven solutions to find what works best for our target audiences. Better calendar collaboration and event coordination is a goal we’re moving toward as we examine the ways in which we’ve always done things. Please keep us in your prayers; you are in ours. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hispanic Ministry Director: Father Daniel Martinez PatiÑo The Hispanic population of the Diocese of Biloxi has gradually increased in the last two decades. Two external ele- ments have helped its growth: Hurricane Kat- rina and migra- tion, especially migration stemming from Covid-19, when people of more populous states, such as New York and California, arrived searching for cheaper rent and to acquire cheaper housing. Another vital element has been the accompaniment of their leaders. In 1998, two sisters with the Missionaries of the Infant of Good Health arrived in the diocese. They began by accompanying the few families that were situ- ated throughout the diocese. They also supported the priests that had been in the mission of Saltillo, Mexico, as well as a bilingual permanent deacon. After Hurricane Katrina, many Hispanic, people came to work and made this area their home. In 2006, the first Hispanic priest was ordained. Between 2009 and 2015, four additional Hispanic priests were ordained. Currently, there are: • Three Hispanic religious nuns who function as Directors of Religious Education -- Sister Marivel Witrago , Sister Maria de Jesus , and Sister Claudia Reyes (Sisters of the Holy Infant of Jesus) • Two Hispanic permanent deacons • Four Hispanic diocesan priests • Two Bilingual, religious priests of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) • Two diocesan priests who are bilingual and work with the Hispanic community in their parishes • Six Hispanic permanent diaconate candidates who will be ordained next year • Two additional Hispanic candidates for the permanent diaconate pro- gram who are scheduled to be ordained at a later date Spanish Masses are currently being offered at Immaculate Conception Parish in Laurel, Sacred Heart Parish in Pascagoula, St. Rose de Lima Parish in Bay St. Louis, Blessed Seelos Parish in Biloxi, St. John the Evangelist Parish in Gulfport, Sacred Heart Parish in Hattiesburg, St. Alphonsus Parish in Ocean Springs. St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Picayune, Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Biloxi, and St. Bernadette Parish in Waynesboro (first and third Sunday of the month).There is also a bilingual Mass at St. Lucy Mission in Lucedale. We offer regular evangelization retreats which provide spiritual growth to our youth, adolescents, men, women, and married couples. Unfortunately, this year, one of the retreat locations that the Hispanic Ministry normally uses is temporarily closed due to renovations. We were unable to find a suitable alternate location locally because the numbers that we manage are between 100 and 120 people, As a result, we had to find a retreat center outside our diocese and were forced to postpone previously scheduled retreats. The Hispanic Ministry contributes to the parishes in the organization of festivals and that is vital for the parishes that have financial difficulties. The affluence of our culture and our folklore is offered in our festivals and is integrated into the same faith that we profess.