26 Gulf Pine Catholic • July 11, 2025 Two coast Catholics earn Pro-Life Mississippi honors BY CHRIS SPEAR Isabella Kerner, a senior at Our Lady Academy and parishioner at Our Lady of the Gulf, recently won the 2025 Joyce Caracci scholarship from Pro-Life Mississippi. Abby Robinson, a senior at East Central High and parishioner at St. Ann in Hurley, earned finalist status in the scholarship competition, which was open to rising and current college students across the state. Pro-Life Mississippi (PLM), a nonprofit organization, works to educate and equip all Mississippians to value life through outreach, advocacy, prayer, and service. The scholarship is named in honor of PLM benefactor Joyce Caracci, a Neshoba County native who contributed tirelessly to pro-children causes through her career in health care. Kerner, who lives in Pass Christian, is enrolled at Mississippi State starting this autumn. Showing an appreciation of life in all its forms, not just human, she plans to major in animal sciences at MSU with the goal of becoming a veterinarian. In her application for the scholarship, Kerner reflected on her experiences at the 2024 March for Life in Washington, DC. “It is so beautiful that this [pro-life] cause brings so many people together,” she wrote. “I had goosebumps just thinking about the true power we have as Christians to voice for the voiceless.” PLM presented the scholarship to Kerner as part of the OLA senior awards ceremony on May 6. Robinson, a Moss Point resident who also plans to attend Mississippi State in the fall, was a finalist for the scholarship. She plans to study Civil Engineering at MSU and pursue a career as a project civil engineer. In her application, Robinson emphasized that pro-life goes beyond protecting infants. She pointed out that today’s teenagers often struggle to maintain their dignity in the instant, impersonal online world that often grades their worth solely on social standing and physical attractiveness: “It is easy for teenagers to negatively feed their bodies with these false ideals and struggle mentally,” Robinson wrote. That struggle helped motivate her to join the diocesan Spirit Movers Team, which is geared towards leading retreats for middle- and high-schoolers. “[I] encourage teenagers to embrace their uniqueness and enable them to learn their individual value and purpose in life.” In their writings, both young ladies recognized life as divine grace, intended ultimately to bring as many people as possible into God’s enfolding love. “Life is a gift and each person in it contributes to the beauty of life’s adventures,” Robinson said. Kerner agreed: “All life is precious in all forms, because it is the greatest possible gift from God... There is no bigger success than Heaven – and there is no better goal than sainthood.” Isabella Kerner receiving the Joyce Caracci scholarship check from Pro-Life Mississippi. School Mass and Eucharistic procession St. Vincent dePaul’s second graders led a special school mass on Friday, May 16. It was the first time they all received Holy Communion together as a class. The students came dressed in their First Holy Communion outfits and then led the school in a Eucharistic Procession. The procession was throughout the grounds of Holy Family Parish. The school’s newly elected Pope Vincent II took place in the procession as well. What a special way to remember how much Jesus loves us. Branson Sumrall (Pope Vincent II) and Deacon Bill Vrazel before the canopy with Fr. Mike Austin and the Blessed Sacrament. Some second graders on the right waiting for the procession to get to the second stop; first graders on the left. St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School, Long Beach St. Vincent de Paul hosted a conclave at school while the real conclave was happening at the Sistine Chapel. Fifth and sixth grade boys dressed as Cardinals all day at school, wearing red capes and red zucchettos. They met each day for about 45 minutes with Fr. Mike Austin from Holy Family Parish. They prayed together and after two days and two different votes, they elected a pope. Each day, the whole school gathered outside to watch for white or black smoke. After seeing the white smoke on the second day, Branson Sumrall, a sixth grader, was elected “Pope Vincent II.” Branson is a member of St. Thomas the Apostle in Long Beach where he serves the altar and is a member of Edge, the junior high Lifeteen program. Conclave Branson (Pope Vincent II) riding the “pope mobile” through the gym.
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