Gulf Pine Catholic • January 16, 2026 3 Gulf Pine Catholic (ISSN No. 0746-3804) January 16, 2026 Volume 43, Issue 8 The GULF PINE CATHOLIC, published every other week, is an official publication of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi. Editorial offices are located at 1790 Popps Ferry Road, Biloxi, MS 39532. Periodical postage paid at Gulfport, MS. —POSTMASTER— Send address changes to: The GULF PINE CATHOLIC 1790 Popps Ferry Road Biloxi, MS 39532 —PUBLISHER— Most Rev. Louis F. Kihneman —EDITOR— Terry Dickson —PRODUCTION/ ADVERTISING — Shirley McCusker —BILLING — Shirley McCusker —CIRCULATION— Robin Peeler —OFFICEHOURS— 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday —PHONE NUMBERS— Editor: 228-702-2126 Production/Advertising: 228-702-2109 Billing: 228-702-2109 Circulation: 228-702-2100 —EMAIL— News: tdickson@biloxidiocese.org Production / Advertising: smccusker@biloxidiocese.org Billing: smccusker@biloxidiocese.org Circulation: rpeeler@biloxidiocese.org —OFFICEAND MAILINGADDRESS — 1790 Popps Ferry Road Biloxi, MS 39532 —WEBSITE— www.gulfpinecatholic.com —SUBSCRIPTIONS — Subscription rate is $18 per year. When changing address, renewing or inquiring about a subscription, customer should include a recent address label with old address and new address. Allow three weeks for changes of address. —DEADLINES for JAN. 30— News copy and photos: Due JAN.20, 4 p.m. Advertising: Completed Ad and/or copy due JAN. 20, 10 a.m. Bishop Kihneman’s Schedule Jan. 13 Pilgrimage to Holy Land -23 Jan. 25 Mass/Rosary Rally/Walk for Life, Nativity BVM Cathedral, Biloxi, 2 p.m. Jan. 28 Installation Mass for Bishop Mario Avilés, Corpus Christi, TX Jan. 30 Mass & School Visit, Nativity Elementary, Biloxi, 9 a.m. Jan. 31 Mass/Altar Server Awards, Our Lady of the Gulf, Bay St. Louis, 11 a.m. BY BISHOP LOUIS F. KIHNEMAN III Bishop of the Diocese of Biloxi The Feast of the Epiphany, which we celebrated earlier this month, represents the dawning of salvation and the powerful manifestation of God’s love. The Book of the Prophet Isaiah was written about 700 years before the birth of Jesus. In the 60th chapter, Isaiah proclaims, “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come; the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” He is referring to the new city of Jerusalem. What a powerful statement. Indeed, God’s glory is shining upon us today, and the Holy Spirit continues to be present in many forms. This leads us to an important question: are we open to the Epiphany in our own lives -- the dawning of salvation within us? Isaiah continues, “See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; but upon you the Lord shines, and over you appears His glory.” The Lord is shining on every single one of us in a very real way. Jesus is truly present to us. It can be easy to think that we have never Bishop Kihneman Following the Star: Living the Epiphany in our lives and relationships experienced an Epiphany moment, yet our baptism was our first Epiphany. It was the first time we encountered Jesus, the first time we were touched by the Light of Christ in a real and transformative way. Even if we do not remember it clearly, it was a true Epiphany moment. Likewise, the first time we received the Sacrament of Reconciliation -- and every time since -- can be considered an Epiphany moment. IntheSacramentofReconciliation, the Lord allows His grace to shine upon us, especially in those areas of our lives that need healing and forgiveness. Each confession is an offering we bring to the Lord: humility, honesty, and a sincere desire to begin again. It is essential that each time we approach the sacrament, we bring the Lord everything -- the good, the bad, and the ugly -- and allow His light to shine upon it all. That light brings healing, peace, and forgiveness. Another profound Epiphany moment occurs at our Confirmation. Confirmation is truly a moment of revelation, when the Holy Spirit comes upon us and the Savior of the world comes to dwell within us. It is awe-inspiring to realize that Jesus is the Word spoken at the beginning of time, through whom all creation came into being. Through Him we are created, through Him we are brought to faith, and through Him we are united to God in a deeply personal way. This is a life-changing gift -- and one that calls for a response: offering our lives, our faith, and our willingness to be witnesses of His light. As life unfolds, the Sacraments of Marriage and Holy Orders also become Epiphany moments, times when the Light of Christ enters our lives in deeply personal and vocational ways. This raises an important question for all of us, whether married or single. What Epiphany moments have occurred in our marriages or in our single lives? How has the Light of Christ entered our relationships? What needs to happen for that light to shine more fully? For married couples, this may mean offering the gift of patience, forgiveness, faithfulness, and self-giving love. For those who are single, the question is much the same: how do we allow the Light of Christ to shine through us to our families, coworkers, classmates, and friends? For children, how can you bring the Light of Christ to your parents through respect, kindness, and love? In the Gospel of Matthew (2:1–12), we hear the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in the story of the Magi, who followed a star to Christ. They brought gifts -- gold, frankincense, and myrrh -- not because the Christ Child needed them, but because love always responds with a gift. We, too, are modern-day Magi. What is the star we are following? That star must be Jesus Himself. And like the Magi, we are called to offer Him gifts: our time, our prayer, our trust, our obedience, and our love. From there, we are invited to bring those same gifts to others -- our spouses, families, friends, coworkers, and classmates -- in ways that glorify God and reveal His love. Another powerful Epiphany moment can be found in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, a sacrament that is very dear to me. It allows us to encounter the Lord in moments of weakness, suffering, and difficulty. When I was named your bishop nine years ago, I returned home to Corpus Christi to pack before moving to Biloxi. When I went to say goodbye to my doctor, he told me instead that I had a serious stomach condition and needed to be hospitalized. SEE BISHOP’S COLUMN, PAGE 7
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