Catholicism in the South: Choctaw Catholics

If the Deep South is the Bible Belt and Mississippi is it's buckle, then we have a pretty good vantage point for observances of Southern Catholicism. In this region, we're seeped in the evangelical persuasion of Christianity (something with which I'm very personally familiar), so it's often easy to forget that the very first European settlers and Christian missionaries in the Deep South were Catholics (gasp!). In fact, Catholicism has the longest continuous history of any organized religious tradition in the South (we've been here since 1513!). This is the latest in a series of posts which highlight Catholicism in the South.

Since the subject of this post (Mississippi Choctaws) are largely home in Neshoba County, I have to begin with an aire of regret. Because it ends today. Well, tonight, really - midnight to be exact. I'm happy to say that I've attended at least once in my life. But another year has passed without my return. The week is unique. It's really, really hot (as all Mississippi summer events tend to be) but the fact that everyone is sweating and fanning themselves tends to add to the sense of camaraderie. There is the "fair" aspect for sure - replete with a midway, games,  rides (the safety of which I never can completely trust - thanks Mom), and lots of fried food. But that is not why people go to the Neshoba County Fair. Instead, the fair is just a unique experience - one more piece of the patchwork quilt that is Mississippi.

Reagan speaks at the Fair in 1980.

Many families have cabins on the fairgrounds and they'll happily invite you onto their porch for a glass of sweet tea and conversation (they don't call it Mississippi's Giant House Party for nothing). But in an election year like this, the main focus at the Neshoba County Fair is politics. Heck, the Fair is as legendary for its stump speeches as it is for its harness racing and the fairgrounds' Founders Square buzzes with as many politicians as mosquitos (and that's saying alot). Ronald Reagan gave his first speech as the Republican nominee for president in 1980 at the Fair.

So, I missed the Neshoba County Fair again. Oh well. It wasn't for a wont of being there. One day (I've vowed to myself) I'll return and I'll take my kids to experience that event like no other. And, truth be known, I've never quite gotten over my love of politics, though I'm more of a watcher than a doer these days. And a love of Mississippi politics makes the Fair into something like a Mecca for political junkies like me. So, my desire to go back is not wholly a selfless one of sharing the experience with my kids... I sort of enjoy it myself. Lord willing, I will return some other year. And I'll shake hands and mingle and listen to stump speeches, sweat a lot and drink sweet tea. But I won't ride the rides.

That's all well and good, you might be thinking, but what, exactly, does the Neshoba County Fair have to do with Southern Fried Catholicism... or with religion at all? Well, the Fair itself does actually have religious roots. It started in 1889 as the Coldwater Fair - a camp revival. What was a camp revival? Essentially, it was a meeting of evangelical Christians for a number of days where families would stay in tents and attend worship services outdoors. These camp revivals were especially known for hymn-singing and were meant to draw the local population in to a religious experience and in to a relationship with Christ. This new fair was immensely popular and eventually grew into the Neshoba County Fair. Now, over 120 years later, it still draws families from far and wide though its purposes are certainly more social now, than religious. But there certainly are outreach and missionary foundations for the Fair.

Choctaw bead work.

But the Neshoba County Fair wasn't the first annual fair in the area. That honor belongs to the Choctaw Indian Fair - an annual tradition rooted in the Choctaws' "new corn ceremony" each summer. It, too, is still an annual event, taking place the week before the Neshoba County Fair. The local Choctaw Indians would certainly have been invited to attend the early camp revivals in Neshoba County but that was not the first efforts to woo them to the Christian cause. In fact, Choctaws were the target of many Christian missionary efforts throughout the years. Like many Mississippians, I have some Choctaw ancestry, so I have an affinity for Choctaw history.  Interestingly, the precursors to the Choctaws and their then-chief Toscalusa are recorded as leading an army against the earliest Spanish (not to mention Catholic) explorer in the region, Hernando De Soto, as he and his men moved through present-day Alabama in 1540.

Choctaw altar boys from Holy Rosary Mission, c. 1910.

A Catholic missionary priest with Mississippi Choctaws in front of Holy Rosary Mission, c. 1934. Notice that the children are holding a picture of Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American to be beatified by the Catholic Church.

Throughout the centuries, Catholic missionaries made efforts (with some small success) to convert the Choctaws to Catholicism. Under the leadership of French Jesuit missionaries from New Orleans, small groups of Mississippi Choctaws embraced Catholic Christianity during the 18th century. In 1818 the American Board of Foreign Missions sent the first Protestant missionaries to the Choctaws, with the Methodists sending missionaries in the 1820s and the Baptists in the 1830s.

In 1883, the Catholics restarted their missionary efforts to the Choctaws by founding Holy Rosary Mission in Tucker, Mississippi (just south of Philadelphia). The mission was founded by a Dutch priest named Bartholomew Bekkers. Over the years, the Catholic missionary efforts led to the establishment of two more missions (St. Catherine's at Conehatta, Miss. and St. Therese in Pearl River, Miss.). Today, all three missions are run by the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity.

Holy Rosary Catholic Church today. Tucker, Mississippi.

Martha: DRAGON SLAYER

"Hey, little buddy. I won't hurt you. Just gonna sprinkle you and then these French men will bludgeon you. But when the French bludgeon, it's usually with a glove and across the face. So I dunno."

Today's saint is St. Martha (sister of Mary and Lazarus). She is known traditionally as the patroness of hospitality and cooks (Lk10:38-42). But in true Catholic tradition, we can't just let that be the end-all-be-all of this special lady's story. No. Not only is she a friend of Jesus, a witness to the raising of Lazarus from the dead and a faithful believer in Christ's divinity but she's also known in Gallic circles for something else. Something very cool.

In the 13th Century, a bold and fanciful book of saintly legends called the "Lives of the Saints"  or"The Golden Legend" became popularized. In the book, many medieval legends of the saints were told and some of those stories are around today. For a complete day waster, you can see most of the book online and choose as many esoteric, spooky, cool saint stories as your heart's desire. Martha's story takes place in France. Right. She left her little home in Bethany and went to France. Just go with it.

Here's the legend:

There was that time upon the river of Rhone, in a certain wood between Arles and Avignon, a great dragon, half beast and half fish, greater than an ox, longer than an horse, having teeth sharp as a sword, and horned on either side, head like a lion, tail like a serpent, and defended him with two wings on either side, and could not be beaten with cast of stones ne with other armour, and was as strong as twelve lions or bears;(Oh come on...12 lions OR bears? There's like a total difference between the two..which is it?) which dragon lay hiding and lurking in the river, and perished them that passed by and drowned ships.

A NOM NOM NOM NOM!

He came thither by sea from Galicia, and was engendered of Leviathan, which is a serpent of the water and is much wood, and of a beast called Bonacho, that is engendered in Galicia. And when he is pursued he casts out of his belly behind, his ordure, the space of an acre of land on them that follow him, and it is bright as glass, and what it toucheth it burneth as fire. To whom Martha, at the prayer of the people, came into the wood, and found him eating a man. (Ha..busted)

And she cast on him holy water, and showed to him the cross, which anon was overcome, and standing still as a sheep, she bound him with her own girdle, and then was slain with spears and glaives of the people. (Dang...heckuva conversion story doncha think?)

The dragon was called of them that dwelled in the country Tarasconus, whereof, in remembrance of him that place is called Tarasconus, which tofore was called Nerluc, and the Black Lake, because there be woods shadowous and black.(Why can't we have good words like 'shadowous' anymore?)

And there the blessed Martha, by licence of Maximin her master, and of her sister, dwelled and abode in the same place after, and daily occupied in prayers and in fastings, and thereafter assembled and were gathered together a great convent of sisters, and builded a fair church at the honour of the blessed Mary virgin, where she led a hard and a sharp life. She eschewed flesh and all fat meat, eggs, cheese and wine; she ate but once a day. An hundred times a day and an hundred times a night she kneeled down and bowed her knees.(Guess that put a cramp in the whole 'baking' and 'mopping' thing.)

The dragon became known as the Tarrasque and has been featured in parades, novels and (nerd alert) DnD style gaming. For those who care, Martha's use of holy water deals 2d4 points of damage to an undead creature or an evil outsider. Each such creature within 5 feet of the point where the flask hits takes 1 point of damage from the splash.

Just saying.

Who was Archbishop Pietro Sambi?

Most of the Catholic sites online announced that Archbishop Pietro Sambi died today. Even though every human passing deserves some reflection and prayer, what is so special about this man?

A brief obituary reads:
Archbishop Pietro Sambi, whom Pope Benedict XVI appointed Apostolic Nuncio to the United States in 2005, has died following complications from lung surgery. He was 73.
Ordained a priest in 1964 and a bishop in 1985, Archbishop Sambi served as Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Burundi (1985-91), Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Indonesia (1991-98), and Apostolic Nuncio to Israel and Cyprus, as well as Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine (1998-2005).
Archbishop Sambi’s tenure saw the appointment of Cardinal Donald Wuerl as Archbishop of Washington (2006) and the appointments of five other prelates to archdioceses that traditionally have cardinals: Archbishop Edwin O’Brien of Baltimore (2007), Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit (2009), Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York (2009), Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles (appointed coadjutor in 2010), and Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia (2011).
Archbishop Sambi’s funeral will take place on August 6 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.
http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=11182

Senator John Kerry receives Communion from Archbishop Sambi in 2006

Archbishop Sambi infuriated some and thrilled others (and sometimes alternatively so). He was known at the prelate who gave Eucharist to pro-choice presidential candidate John Kerry and the one who helped install Bishop Timothy Dolan, outspoken on anti-abortion issues, as the Archbishop of New York.

For those of us who are blissfully ignorant of ecclesiastical politics, the term "Apostolic Nuncio" may be unfamiliar.
The role of the Apostolic Nuncio, however, is an important one. He is the ambassador for the Vatican and facilitates communication between the Vatican and the USA. He is also key in the appointment of bishops.

The USCCB site explains Archbishop Sambi's role:

The nuncio is the Vatican’s ambassador to the United States.  (The United States and the Holy See have had full diplomatic relations since 1984.)  Like other ambassadors, Archbishop Sambi represents the Holy See’s views on various issues to the U. S. government.  In addition, he acts as a liaison between the Holy See and the Church in the United States.  He announces the appointment of new bishops and often attends their ordination or installation as the Vatican’s representative.

The Nuncio's facebook page tells us more about his role in "bishop making":

Archbishop Sambi (l front) seated next to Cardinal George of Chicago at Mundelein Seminary

The nuncio also fills a central role in the appointment of bishops to episcopal offices in the country, and is the official responsible for making the announcement of an episcopal appointment.

It's an incredibly challenging position and is made even more difficult because those who serve the office are usually Roman insiders and not from the country they live in. However, they do work in conjunction with bishops and advisors from the country and dioceses they serve and that does create a creative tension between the Church of Rome and the local church.

We need to Plank more

Kudos to The Crescat.

Gay Marriage: An ethicist speaks

The latest debate in the USA concerning the "Defense of Marriage Act" and it's possible repeal is hot in Congress now and will continue.

The Catholic voice is not silent concerning the "Defense of Marriage". It has been presented in various forms from the very sober and rational to the heated and ridiculous. And, of course, it has been applauded and attacked from many sectors.

It's an incredibly deep and conflicted subject. I'm speaking of "sexuality" in general. It's not easily dismissed or answered in a few words. Each of us is "sexual" and our faith has something to say about sex specifically in light of the transmission of life. Sex is procreative before anything else.

I ran across this piece today from Australian-Canadian ethicist, Margaret Somerville. It lays out fairly well the position of the Church but strays away from being overtly religious. By no means is it perfect but it is worth a look. Here's a bit of it that is food for thought:

"... children have an absolute right to be conceived from natural biological origins, that is, an untampered-with ovum from one, identified, living, adult woman and an untampered-with sperm from one, identified, living, adult man. This, I propose, is the most fundamental human right of all.
Children also have valid claims, if at all possible, to be reared by their own biological parents within their natural family. If not raised by them, they should know who their parents and other close biological relatives are. And society should not be complicit in depriving children of a mother and a father. We must consider the ethics of deliberately creating any situation that is otherwise."

The tomb of St. Philip rediscovered?

St. Philip was one of the original apostles of Christ. The Gospel of John records the calling of Philip thus:

The next day, Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him: 'Follow me.'

Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathaniel and told him, 'We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.'

'Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?' Nathaniel asked.

'Come and see,' said Philip. 

Philip took Jesus at his word and he, indeed, followed him... all the way to the cross. Tradition holds that after a life of preaching the Gospel in modern-day Greece, Syria and Phrygia, Philip was crucified in the city of Hierapolis around the year 80.

Earlier today, archaeologists in Turkey announced that they have located the long-lost tomb of St. Philip. Pretty cool stuff. You can read more about the find here.

St. Christopher --- still a saint

Yesterday, July 26th, was the feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne (aka Anna), Mary's parents and Jesus' grandparents. Fr. Joe had a nice writeup on the origins of the feast. Since my youngest daughter's name is Anna, yesterday was her name day, so that day is certainly on my spiritual radar as a Catholic. But it is also the feast day of one of my other favorite saints - perhaps yours too - ... St. Christopher.

Now, many Catholics are confused about this guy. Many were told by over-zealous but under-informed teachers or catechists that St. Christopher was somehow "demoted" or "is no longer a saint." Not true. Here is what happened:

According to tradition, Christopher was killed as a martyr for the Christian faith in the year 251 at Lycia, in modern-day Turkey. Little is known, in the way of historical facts, about his life. Pious legends record that he was born to pagan king and a Christian mother and that his birth name was Reprobus. As an adult, he was a very tall and strong man, and though at first a soldier, he converted to Christianity after listening to the preaching of local hermit named Babylas. Reprobus wanted to serve the most powerful of all, and he came to believe that that was Christ the Lord.

After converting to Christianity, Reprobus retreated to the wilderness where he lived in a hut next to a river, spending his days as a hermit in prayer and, when needed, helping people to cross the river. One day, the story goes, he was summoned to help a small child cross the river. He hoisted the young boy onto his shoulder and proceeded to wade into the water but as he did, the child grew heavier and heavier. At one point, Reprobus feared both he and the child would drown, but he finally made it to the other side. The child then revealed himself as Jesus and he explained that heaviness was due to the weight of the sinful world which he bore.

Eventually, Reprobus became known as Christopher (which means "Christ-bearer") and he was martyred for his Christian faith. He is best known today as the patron saint of travelers. His image was often found in medieval churches. In fact, according to one study, images of St. Christopher were particularly popular in pre-Reformation English churches. In fact, only the Virgin Mary had more recorded images than Christopher.

Now, where did the confusion about St. Christopher's "status" among modern Catholics come from? Well, in 1969, the calendar of the Roman Church was revised by Pope Paul VI. In the revision, an effort was made to remove the feast days of saints whose biographies were traditional rather than provably historic. In other words, saints about whom the Church had very little or no historical evidence, were removed from the universal Church calendar. However, they were not "de-canonized" or proclaimed to no longer be considered saints.

St. Christopher is still very much a saint and is still a very popular one. So, go ahead and keep that St. Christopher medal in your car or kiss the holy card in your Bible. St. Christopher intercedes for us at the heavenly throne and he encourages us all to be "bearers of Christ." St. Christopher, pray for us!

Super

I still salivate when I hear a spinner rack. It creates problems at the sunglass section of Walgreens.

I make no secret about my torrid love for the American comic book. It is a wellspring of endless desire that began when I was a mere lad, seeing a pulp fiction novel in the window of the "Five and Dime" in Leland, my senses went into overload and I've been hooked ever since.

Comic-con moment:Wolverine, mutant and funnel-cake eater, poses with Stan Lee,
originator of the X-Men and father of Marvel Comics. See what I miss when I don't go to Comic con?

I've often thought about going to the comic convention that is the mutha-of-all-comic book conventions. The Nerd Mecca known as San Diego Comic Con. It was this past weekend, and even though I didn't attend, I watched it on tv and listened on the radio. Oh, and I heard about the budget hearings and all that blah blah too but...did you know that HAWKEYE IS GONNA BE ON THE AVENGERS AND WHEDON IS DIRECTING? WOOOOOOT!!! ahem. Sorry.

So this item caught my eye today. Seems Pope Benedict is getting his own graphic novel. Officially, it's not a "comic book". It's manga. Manga is the Japanese art form that is like comic book art but the stories and the layouts are totally different. And, well, mostly girls like them. Little girls. Or those teenage girls with blue hair and thick framed glasses and Hello Kitty t-shirts.

THE POPE IS BIG! MECHA POPE!

Of course, this offering is for the World Youth Day crowd so maybe some boys will like it too. And not just the boys who wear Hello Kitty t-shirts but like boy-boys. Like real comic book loving boys. Who have regular haircuts and normal glasses and wear...umm...Green Lantern t-shirts.

The author, an American named John Lin, says of this book:
“I was born and raised Catholic. However, after high school, I started drifting away from my faith, getting caught up with what the world wants ... and what the world thinks will make me happy — recognition, wealth, career, etc. However, after attending World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, Australia, I realized that while those worldly things are good, focusing my life just on these things didn’t make me any happier. That’s when I started to take my faith more seriously. “My spirituality is based on my ultimate purpose in life — to know, love and serve God. Following Jesus Christ is not meant to be easy, but there is a joy and peace that exists when living a life based on his teachings — to love one another as he loves us, to defend the life and dignity of every human being, to be a person for others.”

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/graphic-catechesis/#ixzz1TF4ROTdN

When I was young, comics were a part of the Catholic experience. There were comics that were aimed at teaching children about the Mass and liturgy. Like this bit from an illustrated catechism.

Kids, you may see good ol' Fr. Paul up there but think of him as a bleeding, heart-burning version of the lead singer from "My Morning Jacket". Or I think that's what the caption said.

 The illustrated comics made the faith and all of its complex mysteries more accessible to children and young people. I paid better attention to big pictures with a few words. Still do. Which may explain a lot.

Not manga but a REAL COMIC BOOK

 There were comics that also were about the Saints. Even comics about St. Francis and John Paul II. By MARVEL comics no less!

And Francis was all "UHHHH" and Jesus was all "Pyew! Pyew! Pyew!" like zapping him.

In this truly visual era, maybe it's not such a bad idea to have a (girly) manga book for kids to read. The layout of manga is fast-paced and a bit technical. It still holds kids to reading something in print, so maybe there's some good to it. A perfect connection to literacy in the iGeneration*! It may be better catechesis than a thousand homilies or even this blog. Who knows? I may even pick up a copy myself. When I get my blue hair dye.





*I just made that term up "iGeneration". It's kinda cute, right?

Growing in Grace

Holy Spirit parish in Hernando, Miss. here in the Diocese of Jackson is celebrating its golden anniversary this year. The Memphis Commercial Appeal did a nice story on the celebration:

Here's Christine Greer's recipe for success for the 50-year anniversary celebration next Sunday at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Hernando: "There'll be a lot of food. You've got to have food. Feed 'em and they'll come," says the secretary-bookkeeper and parishioner at the church on the prominent hill west of Interstate 55 at 545 East Commerce St.


Of course, fellowship and joy at seeing some long-lost faces are part of the menu too.


Greer came to the church a quarter-century ago as its first employee; greeting her then was the church's volunteer secretary, Rose Powell, a communicant who has shared the whole Holy Spirit history.


"I got paid and Rose didn't, but she loved me just the same," Greer says.


Both are busy helping organize the anniversary of the laying of the original church's cornerstone with a gathering at the Family Life Center from noon to 2 p.m. Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m.


"I think I'm the only one left who was around when the church was dedicated" -- back on July 2, l961, Powell said. "The rest have all died or moved away."


The pastor is Rev. Robert Tucker; associate pastor is Rev. Greg Schill, a native of San Antonio, Texas, who was just ordained in May.


"I just got here, and this is just a wonderful thing to be part of," says Schill, giving the busy parishioner-planners plenty of room.


The seed took a while to sprout, but now for a half-century Holy Spirit has been a tower of the community, firmly rooted in history and service on its hill. From about a dozen families when Powell came, it's grown to more than 360 families -- about 800 people, Greer said. "There were just 62 families when I came 25 years ago."


"We're inviting everyone in the community regardless of church affiliation to come and celebrate with us," Powell said.


The church practices what it preaches: It's involved with an interfaith group of 15 area churches that meets monthly on common issues.
She and Greer hope the event will be a reunion of sorts: "We're sure many people will be coming, along with a lot of our former priests."


Holy Spirit's own story springs from the Hernando community's earliest days.The history goes back to the first known Roman Catholic settler in the area, Col. Felix LaBauve, who came in 1838. He is known for having left a large endowment to the University of Mississippi for the education of orphan boys of DeSoto County. In addition, he left land to the Diocese of Mississippi to build a church in the area. LaBauve died in 1897.
After land on what was then Holly Springs Road was acquired, Holy Spirit Church was built on the east side of what became West Commerce Street.In 1983, an education building was completed and in 1994 the large Family Life Center was erected. The center was used for Sunday masses as the parish grew, "but little did we know that it was where mass would be celebrated for the next 14 years," Powell said.


After much talking, giving and praying, the present, larger church was built and dedicated in 2008.
In frames large and small, "the longtime dream of Col. LaBauve and many people came to be on our beautiful sloping hill," Powell said.


For more information, call Holy Spirit at (662) 429-7851.-- Henry Bailey: (901) 333-2012


Long journey
As there wasn't a Roman Catholic priest in the Hernando area for decades, the faithful more than a century ago had to travel for Sunday mass to Memphis, a long trip in those horse-and-buggy days.


In 1891, Mr. and Mrs. Robertson Yates moved from Memphis to the Hernando area. The nearest priest was in Water Valley, and Mrs. Yates had him come to their home to celebrate mass.


As the number of communicants grew, it became impractical to have services in homes, and permission was received to use an unused Episcopal church on Church Street as a mission church for Catholics.


Following the loss of the church by fire, Catholics asked for and were granted permission to use the large upstairs courtroom in the DeSoto County courthouse for services. Then finally in 1961 came the chance for a real church home.

As many of our readers know, this area of Mississippi has been booming in population over the past decade or two. Parishes such as Holy Spirit and Christ the King in Southaven, Miss. were once very small but now are some of the largest parishes in the state thanks largely to urban flight from nearby Memphis. There are also vibrant Hispanic populations in this region.

As mentioned in a previous post, the Catholic Church is growing throughout the South and Mississippi is no exception. While our diocese has traditionally considered itself to be "mission territory" for the Church, I suggest that a change in outlook and practices could cause Catholicism to boom in our state. Truth is potent and highly attractive. If it is presented and lived out boldly, joyfully and without compromise, it draws people in. We should take a note from Bl. John Paul II who encouraged us to live out a New Evangelization. And we should learn lessons from our evangelical brothers and sisters, making sure that in all things, we are bold and that we live out our Catholic faith without reserve.

Let us aim to serve the poor in humility - let us do good. Let us worship unabashedly as Catholics, according to our tradition, not our creativity - let us worship in beauty. Let us preach the Gospel in both words and in deeds, boldly - let us serve the truth. "The good, the beautiful and the true."

At World Youth Day in 2008, Pope Benedict pointed out that "life is a search for the true, the good, and the beautiful." In other words, all men have an innate attraction to what is good, beautiful and true. The Catholic faith, when lived without reservation, best displays the fullness of all three. So, when we live out our faith, we cannot help but to attract others to the light of Christ. These ideals are ancient and time-tested and, if lived out with God's help, would lead to a bountiful growth of our Catholic faith here in our region.

Congratulations to our friends at Holy Spirit in Hernando!  May the next 50 years bear witness to a loving, bold and deep-seeded Catholic faith in Hernando and throughout our state. With a sure foundation, may we all labor to produce a rich harvest for God's kingdom. God's grace is sufficient.

Joachim and Anna: NOT IN THE BIBLE! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA???!

Joachim and Anna standing on the "root of Jesse". Burgos Cathedral, Spain.

Today's feast is in honor of Joachim and Anna, the parents of Mary. The story of Joachim and Anna is not contained in the Bible as we know it. Their story is told, however, in one of the apocryphal (hidden) books of the Bible "The Infancy Narratives of James". This narrative also includes the idea of Joseph being an older widower and Mary being raised in a temple by the priests of Israel.

Catholics do believe "all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" (2 Tim 3:16). One may not deviate in faith from those things that are in the canonical (accepted) Bible nor translate the Scripture in such a way that is against the tradition of the Church.

The story of Mary's parents in the Infancy Narrative was probably based on years of oral tradition (stories passed on through generations) and later written down. The book was written anywhere from 140AD to 170AD.

A Catholic can be in good standing and not believe the story of Anna and Joachim or believe as tradition and history have dictated. A Catholic must believe Mary had human parents. Which is not so hard to do, really.

NASCAR Prayer

I'll add this site to the growing viral agent that has passed this on.

Now, from the canonical source:

And to answer Dean Reardon, "No. I will never be invited to NASCAR to  give the invocation. Not because my prayers aren't Ferrell based but because the Catholic Church does not permit priests to have red-hot smoking wives."

Saints for Sinners

If you're looking for a Catholic gift with a Southern fried flair, you definitely need to check out saintsforsinners.com. They've taken the ever-popular patron saint medals and added a kick: they're hand-painted and fired... And pretty darn cool.

Over the past few years they've grown in popularity far beyond the confines of their native New Orleans. So, check them out and make sure to tell them that Southern Fried Catholicism sent ya!

Kyrie eleison.

 

Please pray for the people of Norway today.

"It is good to be here in the sunny south..."

So said Francis Xavier Seelos, the now-beatified Redemptorist priest when he was arrived in New Orleans in 1866. Indeed, it seems that many modern-day Catholics would agree.

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Sardis, Mississippi.

Recent statistics released by the Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership project show that while the number of Catholic priests and parishes has continually dropped in the U.S. over the past decade, the number of American Catholics has risen. This means that the average size of American Catholic parishes is growing, along with the number of weekend Masses offered at these parishes.

The 1964 research blog of Georgetown Univ. takes combines this information with recent census data which proves that the population of the U.S. is moving West and South (the so-called Sun Belt states). Once-bustling industrial states in the North are drying up as southern and western states grow by leaps and bounds. Michigan even went so far as to lose population at the last census (the only state to do so).

It should come as no surprise, then, that the Catholic Church is experiencing its greatest growth within our country in western and southern states. (You might say that Southern fried Catholicism is becoming more and more mainstream).

Once-thriving parishes in the population-impoverished regions of the North and Midwest are being merged and shuttered to match the changing demographics. But what will happen to the Church in the South, where there have never been many Catholic parishes? It's an interesting question to ponder and the 1964 blog predicts a building boom in Catholic churches in the region over the next century:

An equally challenging question for the Church is how will it address the needs for all the Catholics in areas where there really never was a “local” neighborhood parish? As we have shown in a previous post, there are not a lot of dioceses building new parishes in areas where the Catholic population moved and is growing strongly. I understand there are challenges to building a new parish including capital campaigns, planning commissions, architects, and construction companies to deal with. This was all I imagine much easier to do in the 19th century. But a parish building boom will likely be needed in the U.S. Sun Belt in the 21st century.

The migration trends I note above are long-term but just look at the short-term effects below of the recession on mobility for two counties. The top image is for those leaving (red) and coming to (black) the county which includes the city of Cleveland in 2008 (the source is IRS data and the image is generated from Forbes). The bottom image shows the same for the county including the city of Atlanta. As one can see some of Cleveland’s population loss has been Atlanta’s gain (note we do not know the religion of any of the individuals in the IRS data).

In 2001, the Archdiocese of Atlanta had more than 320,000 Catholics, 131 active diocesan priests, and 77 parishes (note in 1991, the Archdiocese had 176,000 Catholics and 65 parishes). Moving a decade ahead, the diocese now has 900,000 Catholics, 141 active diocesan priests, and 87 parishes. Thus, the number of Catholics increased by 181% in the last decade but the number priests only increased by 8% and the number of parishes by 13%. This means the number of Catholics per parish in the Archdiocese has grown from 4,156 in 2001 to 10,345 in 2011. Ten new parishes have been added to accommodate 580,000 additional Catholics. I certainly do not mean to sound critical in any way of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. In fact this Archdiocese is one of the few that has added significant numbers of parishes in recent years. Thus, even where the needs are recognized and growth is occurring, the arch/dioceses doing the most to focus on new construction still tend to be a bit behind the pace of the rapidly changing distribution of the Catholic population in the United States.

As a young, non-Catholic Christian growing up in small-town Mississippi, one of my strongest impressions of Catholics was that many of them were not from the South. Statistically speaking, this youthful observation is proving to have been providential. But these non-Southern Catholics moving into our "neighborhood" in the coming years will (Lord-willing) raise their children as Catholics in the "sunny south."

And what an exciting thought it is, to imagine a future American Catholicism infused with a healthy dose of  evangelical excitement for the Faith, a good-natured gentility and charm, topped off with a literary wit that could burrow into popular thought and imagination, seeding the minds of countless future generations with an admiration of the apostolic Faith.

Flannery O'Connor would certainly approve and that is a Southern fried Catholicism to which we can all aspire!

'Mission complete, Houston.'

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" (Psalm 8:3-4)

On the front lines

I recently came across a piece about Catholic military chaplains. I highly recommend giving it a read. As my brother-in-law is currently serving a second tour in Afghanistan (with a wife and two young daughters at home), the gravity of all service members' sacrifice hits home. We should all be grateful to the men who serve as chaplains on the front lines, ministering to the men and women fighting for us.

You might also want to check out one of our previous posts on military chaplains because there are some cool pictures.

Above is a picture of Father Emil Kapaun celebrating Mass on the hood of an army Jeep during the Korean War. He was named in 1993 a Servant of God, the first step on the road to sainthood. You can read more about Fr. Kapaun in the piece above.

Great story

Here's a touching story about a Moorhead, Miss. man named Lucas, seeking out the Lord the best way he knows how in the Delta. For you fellow blues fans, Moorhead is the home of "where the Southern crosses the Yellow Dog". Make sure to watch the video. Good stuff.


---------------
Addendum from Fr. Joe: I hyperlinked the epitaph concerning Moorehead just to give folks an idea of what the Southern  and Yellow Dog are! Also, students, Moorehead is the home of the noted USC (University of Sunflower County) aka: Mississippi Delta Community College. Good pre-Ole Miss jumping point for a lot of Deltans.

Catholicism in the South: Barriers broken

If the Deep South is the Bible Belt and Mississippi is it's buckle, then we have a pretty good vantage point for observances of Southern Catholicism. In this region, we're seeped in the evangelical persuasion of Christianity (something with which I'm very personally familiar), so it's often easy to forget that the very first European settlers and Christian missionaries in the Deep South were Catholics (gasp!). In fact, Catholicism has the longest continuous history of any organized religious tradition in the South (we've been here since 1513!). This is the latest in a series of posts which highlight Catholicism in the South.

I was recently in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi for my job. As I always do, I sought out the "sights" in my spare time and, in the process, came across the story of Joseph Bowers and the St. Augustine Seminary of Bay Saint Louis.

On August 22, 1953, Joseph Oliver Bowers made history. He was consecrated as a Roman Catholic bishop in the church of Our Lady of the Gulf in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi. He was, of course, not the first Catholic bishop to be consecrated in the state. What was revolutionary about his consecration was that Bishop Bowers is a black man. Yes. That August day witnessed the first consecration of a black man to the office of Catholic bishop on US soil. And it happened in the seaside parish church of a small Mississippi town.

Bishop Bowers in 2010.

Today, Bishop Bowers, at 101, is one of the world's oldest bishops (the third-oldest, to be exact; Bishop Antoine Nguyen Van Thien of Vietnam is the oldest, at age 105). Bishop Bowers resides on the small Caribbean island of Dominica. He was born on the island in 1910. He felt a call to the priesthood at an early age and in 1928, he moved to the US to attend seminary at St. Augustine Seminary in Bay Saint Louis, Miss.

Originally founded in 1920 in Greenville, Miss. by the Divine Word Missionaries, St. Augustine was moved to Bay St. Louis in 1923. Its purpose was to train African American men to become priests because, like many schools at the time, the Catholic seminaries in the US did not accept blacks. St. Augustine was the first US seminary to accept African Americans.

Bowers graduated from St. Augustine and was ordained a priest in 1939. He served until 1952 as a priest with the Divine Word Missionaries. In January of 1953, Bowers was appointed bishop of Accra in Ghana, West Africa. He was consecrated a bishop by Cardinal Francis Spellman, Archbishop of New York in a Mass at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Bay Saint Louis. He was the first black man to be ordained a bishop in the US.

Fr. Augustus Tolton

It should be noted that Bishop Bowers was not the first man with African ancestry to be ordained a bishop in the US. In 1875, James Augustine Healy was named bishop of Portland, Maine. Healy was of mixed-race ancestry: his father was Irish and his mother was a mulatto. Bishop Bowers was also not the first black priest in the US. That distinction belongs to Father Augustus Tolton, who was born into slavery in antebellum Missouri and was ordained to serve the Catholic diocese of Quincy, Illinois in 1886.

In many ways, it seems appropriate that Mississippi should be the place where the first black bishop was ordained on US soil. It is the embodiment of the American South and the South was home to many milestones in African American Catholic history. Here are a few other interesting Southern stops in African American Catholic history:

1565: Slave and free blacks help to found the Spanish settlement of St. Augustine, Florida - the first permanent European settlement in the US.

1842: Sisters of the Holy Family, the second religious order founded for black women, is founded in New Orleans by Henriette Delille and Juliette Gaudin.

1909: The Knights of Peter Claver is founded in Mobile, Alabama to provide a fraternal and mutual aid organization for black Catholic men.

1916: The Franciscan Handmaids of Mary, a new religious order founded to teach black children, is founded in Georgia as a reaction to the state legislature's efforts to criminalize the education of blacks by white teachers.

(Edited to add links, 1/23/2012 - Brad)

And another...

In the flurry of posts re: Archbishop Chaput being named archbishop of Philly, we completely neglected one other piece of bishop-naming with much more of a Southern impact: Today, in addition to the aforementioned appointment of Archbishop Chaput, Pope Benedict also accepted the resignation of Bishop Kevin Boland of Savannah, Georgia and appointed Father Gregory Hartmayer as the new bishop of that diocese.

Interestingly, both Archbishop Chaput and bishop-elect Hartmayer are Franciscans, though they are in different branches of the order. Chaput is a Capuchin Franciscan while Hartmayer is a Conventual Franciscan. The difference between the two branches is nominal and can be traced to splits within the followers of St. Francis through the centuries.

The Diocese of Savannah is one of two Catholic dioceses in Georgia (the other is the Archdiocese of Atlanta). It covers roughly the southern half of the state and is comprised of 54 parishes and 25 missions, with about 75,000 Catholics. (thanks Wikipedia!) Until this morning's announcement, Fr. Hartmayer served as pastor of St. John Vianney parish in Little Springs, Ga.

"Do not allow someone to be transferred from one city to another, abandoning the people who have been entrusted to him, going to another Church because of ambition, contrary to what was established by our Fathers."

As many of the church-arazzi are excited about the appointment of Bishop Chaput to Philly, I am reminded of an issue that came out some time ago concerning the assignment of bishops.

"In an interview published in the latest edition of the Italian magazine '30 Giorni,' Cardinal Bernardin Gantin made a revolutionary proposal: "In principle, once appointed to a specific see, a bishop should remain there forever."The African Cardinal knows very well what he is talking about. He is Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals and, from 1984 to 1998, was prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, the Vatican organism which helps the Pope in the appointment of successors to the apostles in a great part of the world. In mission territories, this task is carried out by the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. In the Eastern Catholic Churches, the bishops are chosen by other methods.
"When he is appointed, the bishop must be a father and a pastor before God and to the people. And when one is a father, one is so forever. Therefore, in principle, once appointed to a particular see, the bishop should remain there forever. This must be clear. The relation between a bishop and his diocese is akin to matrimony and, according to the evangelical spirit, indissoluble. The new bishop must not have other personal plans," the most distinguished Cardinal of the Catholic Church said.
With these statements, Cardinal Gantin added weight to the same proposal made by Cardinal Vincenzo Fagiolo to L'Osservatore Romano last March 27.
"A bishop cannot say, 'I am here for two or three years and later I shall be promoted because of my ability, talents and gifts...' " Cardinal Fagiolo said that on one occasion a bishop requested to be transferred to a more important diocese because "he had already done everything that had been requested of him."
It is a principle which in the early years of the Church was strictly observed. '30 Giorni' published a letter dated 380 written by Pope Damasus to the bishops of Macedonia in which he said: "Do not allow someone to be transferred from one city to another, abandoning the people who have been entrusted to him, going to another Church because of ambition, contrary to what was established by our Fathers."
At present, the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops is preparing the Synod for the whole Church in the year 2000, whose theme will be, precisely, the figure of the bishop. Therefore, it must not be coincidental that two such competent Cardinals have made this proposal at this time"
http://www.ewtn.com/library/Theology/ZBISHOPS.HTM
and more: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1141/is_30_35/ai_54830714/

Pope Benedict meets with Cardinal Gantin. The cardinal died in 2008.

Although this was forever and a pope ago, I still think the question has merit. A bishop is a "spiritual father" of his priests. It is to the bishop that a man makes vows or promises to be "obedient and celibate". With such a risky sacrifice and the rapid decline in priestly support,a priest relies on his relationship with his bishop for direction and identity. Arguably, a "here-today, gone-tomorrow" bishop culture creates a lack of confidence in a diocese and, consequently, in vocations to the priesthood.

"Gantin said that once at the end of an episcopal ordination he heard the cry "Ad altiora!" -- a Latin expression meaning "on to higher things." Gantin said, "This also worried me deeply."
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1102844.htm

Dioceses also reflect that, especially when a bishop comes only to step up to the next "best thing". If he's unwilling to invest in a diocese because he's not going to be there too long, then it falls into disrepair. There is also a sense of ennui among the diocese when they get the idea that the bishop is just using them as a waiting room or a career step. Dioceses tend to react with grassroots movements that may run contrary to the structure of the Church or out and out disobedience which resembles in some way trusteeism. Consequentially, we also can see this when men are ordained bishop just a few years shy of their required retirement age (75).

"I give you the keys of the kingdom. There's a spare in the fake stone next to the door if you lose them."

 When Jesus appointed Peter as "the first pope"or bishop, he called him "rock" (Mt 16:18-19). A rock is strong, solid, steady and immovable. There may be a reason for that.

It's pronounced "sha-POO"

Archbishop Charles Chaput

As had been speculated for a couple of days now, Pope Benedict formally announced this morning in Rome that he has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Justin Rigali as archbishop of Philadelphia. To take his place, the pope has named Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver.

This is a big development because it signals a further shift in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in the US towards strong but kindly leaders who are both very orthodox and unafraid to speak the truth in the public sphere. You may remember that two years ago, Archbishop Timothy Dolan was appointed to lead the Archdiocese of New York and earlier this year, another Benedictine appointment, Archbishop Jose Gomez, took over the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The appointment of Archbishop Chaput to Philadelphia (another important archdiocese), is the latest move in this direction.

Three years ago, Archbishop Chaput penned a book about living out the values of the Gospel without compromise in our society. It's called Render Unto Caesar. I haven't read it yet, but it made the New York Times best seller list. In honor of today's announcement, it is going to be my first iBook purchase and the first book I read on my new iPad. :-)

In all seriousness, please pray for Archbishop Chaput and for all of our bishops, that they will lead the faithful with grace, charity, dignity, and steadfast devotion to the Truth. And, by the way: his name is pronounced "sha-POO."

Coming this Fall...

The Fall semester is right around the corner(!), and CCM is working on a couple of new events that you'll definitely want to check out. For now, planning is still in progress and details are being worked out. More to follow...

Rosary-cize
We are hoping to offer an opportunity for students (and anyone else) to get fit spiritually and physically by getting a regular walk around a local city park or area while praying the Rosary. More to come!

Veritas Retreat
The name comes from the Latin word for "truth." We'll spend a weekend in October on retreat answering Pilate's famous question: "What is truth?" Full of surprises, this will be one retreat you will NOT want to miss.

Since we're all on a soccer kick...

(Bad pun intended)

Even though the US Women's team lost to Japan in the World Cup, we've got another soccer-related story to pass on.

Some of you might remember reading/hearing the story of Chase Hilgenbrinck (pictured at right), a defender for the New England Revolution. He was a rising star in Major League Soccer. Suddenly, he left his promising soccer career behind in 2008 to pursue a call to the Catholic priesthood.

At first, the sports world was all abuzz with his story. He was giving out interviews left and right and became quite famous for what many in the secular world saw as a foolish decision. But then, just as suddenly, he dropped out of public view. He stopped doing interviews and quickly disappeared from the news cycle. Here is an update on his story.

(hat tip to Fr. Matthew Simmons)

Warming up again

Not the temperatures around here (Lord knows they surpassed "warm" looong ago!.... be thankful if you've gone to Canada for the summer). Not the temps, but the posting here on SFC. I've taken quite the summer break in posting but Father Joe has kept the ship afloat. But we're warming back up to give you your regular daily dose of SFC.

Let's start our time back together with a prayer for the Catholic Church in China. What's going on there? Well, here's an explanation in a nutshell:

Since taking power of the country in 1949, the Communist Party in China has allowed the Catholic Church to operate only with close government supervision. Under Communist Chinese law, Catholics must worship within parishes of the state-approved Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA), which does not accept the primacy of the Bishop of Rome (i.e. the Pope). As you can imagine, this is a problem.

There are an estimated 12 million Catholics in China. Since the beginning of this situation, many Chinese Catholics (bishops, priests and laypeople) have refused to cooperate with the CCPA. As a result, these Catholics have been oppressed by the government and many have been subjected to long prison sentences, torture and, in some cases, even martyrdom. The Chinese Catholics who have remained loyal to the Pope and have refused to join the CCPA have set up a vast underground network within China. Some estimate that as many as two thirds of Chinese Catholics are members of an underground Catholic parish.

In 2007, Pope Benedict and the Vatican began new efforts at normalizing the situation of Catholics within China and at normalizing relations between the Vatican and the Chinese government. The major problem is that in current discipline, only the Pope can appoint bishops within the Church. But the CCPA insists on appointing its own bishops with or without papal approval.

For a while, it looked like increased cooperation between China and the Vatican would yield positive results. The CCPA began to appoint bishops only after consultation with the Vatican. But this system has broken down in recent months and the CCPA has again begun appointing new bishops without any consultation with the Vatican.

The war of words has gotten pretty ugly in this situation and there is no doubt that prayer is needed. Today, please take a moment to pray for our brother and sister Catholics in China. Pray that they all will soon be able to worship together in the open, in freedom and in visible unity with all of the Church.

3 Words

 I and Love And You (The Avett Bros)
Load the car and write the note.
Grab your bag and grab your coat.
Tell the ones that need to know.
We are headed north.
One foot in and one foot back.
But it don’t pay to live like that.
So I cut the ties and I jumped the track.
For never to return.
(R)
Ahh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.
Are you aware the shape I’m in?
My hands they shake, my head it spins.
Ahh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.

When at first I learned to speak.
I used all my words to fight.
With him and her and you and me.
Ahh, but it's just a waste of time.
Yeah it’s such a waste of time.
That woman she’s got eyes that shine.
Like a pair of stolen polished dimes.
She asked to dance I said it’s fine.
I’ll see you in the morning time.
(R)

Three words that became hard to say.
I and Love and You.
What you were than I am today.
Look at the things I do.
(R)
 
Ahh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.
Are you aware the shape I’m in?
My hands they shake, my head it spins.
Ahh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in.
Dumbed down and numbed by time and age.
You’re dreams that catch the world the cage.
The highway sets the travelers stage.
All exits look the same.
Three words that became hard to say.
I and Love and You.
I and Love and You.
I and Love and You.

The Avett Brothers (who have played Oxford's Double Decker before) are the latest alt.country band to hit the airwaves. Scott and Seth Avett are the actual "brothers" but the band consists of some other very accomplished and manic musicians. I saw these boys on "Austin City Limits" one night and the performance was so horribly grotesque and disturbing that I could not turn away. They remind me of punk rock progenitors such as The Violent Femmes and even the Stooges.

The song, "I and Love and You" is enigmatic in that it could be a paen to an old flame, a friend, or just about anyone. Some fans say that Scott Avett (aka: the "cute" one) wrote this for them. Regardless, the final line tells us that three words became "hard to say": "I" and "Love" and "You".

For some reason, this particular song reminds me of the summer before I went to college. Maybe because it tells of a leaving for "north" (I went a little north but mostly east for my freshman year. No more to be said at this time) and some references to leaving others behind. From the day of graduation throughout the summer, everything was about saying goodbye to someone or something. Friends were taking off early. Some friends were marrying soon. One change after another.

I didn't think much of it then but now looking back, I wish I had told some of those folks "I love you" ( in word or gesture). I think sometime of the people who are now gone who were un-thanked or un-farethewelled.

Whoever you are, when you go to the next step of your life, be sure to say "goodbye" and even "I love you". It's difficult I suppose because it means a part of us will remain with the person or place.

Truth is, spoken or not, that part will always be there. We may as well tell those we leave it with why.

RAWWWWWWWWWWWWWR!!! SMACKDOWN!

SMACKDOWN: v. 1) to destroy an opponent or opponents by any means, ie: fists, legs, teeth, toilet bowl, ring that shoots fire, etc. 2) to intimidate weaker persons by exhibiting very traditional male aggression, ie: talking tough, hitting with fists, headbutting, strutting around with no shirt in tightpants and eye-makeup.

 Recently, a very popular priest who was known nationally for years as laying the smackdown on liberals, gays, heretics, feminists, fornicators, liars, lazy priests, corpulent rich people, abortionists, pedophiles, and any other perceived abomination against the TRUE ORTHODOX FAITH was found to be...well...some or most of the above.

I hate that anyone gets their laundry aired out in the public sphere. Even if they ask for it, I hate it. I hated when a recent Twitter scandal brought down publicly a government official and I hate it now for this priest.

I also hate with almost the same intensity the abuse of power that can be at play with leaders. This abuse, in my opinion, doesn't generate just from the person but by tapping into the zetigeist of a particular audience. It can be so strong that if you share in the profession of such a person and are not saying or doing what they are doing, then maybe you're "weak" or...gasp..."unorthodox". If you do say or do something that is in line with the charismatic "leaders" agenda then you may be "coming around" or  you are "laying the smackdown". And yes, this is usually from the more ULTRA-conservative or neoconservative voices.*

I've been either a "liberal" (I saved the emails and letters to remind myself) or I've been a "real priest" (haven't saved many of those). Not too thrilled with either description. And, a quick review of what is required of a priest, neither "deconstructing the church for a new era" nor "hating people who are different" is in my job description. Wow, taking a month vacation is though..huh, that's kinda cool.

As a point of interest, before Cardinal Josef Ratzinger became Pope, he had a fan club on the internet. This was the official slogan:

 And since he's become the Holy Father, the smackdown-dealing-papal-rottweiler has been marketed differently:

As said upon his election, the Papal Rottweiler is now the German Shepherd.

Anyway..in light of all this, here's a very good piece by Fr. Longnecker (who sometimes unfairly gets the SMACKDOWN title) that speaks to the situation. The comments in his combox after illustrate my point.

http://gkupsidedown.blogspot.com/2011/07/look-for-little-ones.html










*I hold that there is no such thing as a Catholic who is not "conservative". We all have a tradition so that means we are conservative to some degree. It's those who want to hold on to everything and let nothing go that I call ULTRAcons or neocons. I can develop this further but that's for another day.