We are praying for safe travels for all our friends and parishioners, especially during the busy vacation season! May God keep you safe, secure and free from harm.

Please continue to pray for a vacation that is enjoyable, restful, interesting and restorative for our hard-working, beloved Pastor, and for his safe journey home. Amen!

Saturday, June 9 at The Country Club of Jackson. Tickets are $85 per person.

A message from the Carmelite Gift Shop: We, the Carmelites of Jackson, Mississippi are praying for the RCIA candidates coming into the Church at Easter. We invite you to visit our gift shop for all occasions especially for First Communion and Confirmation. We are offering 50% off all previous First Communion merchandise and 75% off on all past holiday merchandise. location: 2155 Terry Road in Jackson; phone: (601) 373-3412; hours: Mon-Friday 9-4, Saturday 11-3.

Patsy Lou Ridings Robertson, age 81, passed away on Sunday, February 4th. Visitation will be held Wednesday, February 7 at Breeland Funeral Home in Canton, MS from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. Mrs. Robertson's funeral mass at Sacred Heart will be Thursday, February 8 at 10:00 a.m., and she will be laid to rest next to her husband in Lena, Mississippi at Farm Rest Cemetery Mrs. Robertson was preceded in death by her husband, Clyde Robertson and her parents, Vernon Burette Ridings and Mary Anna Ridings, and sister, Bonnye Ruth Peel. Mrs. Robertson is survived by her thirteen children. Suzanne Whittington (Robert), Mark Robertson (Jo), Tommy Robertson, Vernon Robertson (Karmen), Mary Carol Patrick (Steve), Ramona Moss (Kenny), Anthony Robertson (Diana), Melanie Irby (David), Julie Armstrong (Russell), Maria Stewart (Jeb), Shilah Craig (Jimmy), Jacob Robertson, and Joseph Robertson (Shana). She also is survived by two sisters: Jolene Pearl of Michigan and Judith Freeman of Ohio; one brother, Gene Ridings of Missouri; nineteen grandchildren; twenty-three great grandchildren. Pallbearers and honerary pallbearers are Matthew Purvis, Jonathan Purvis, Ryan Purvis, Nick Robertson, Will Moss, Sam Irby, Luke Craig, John Bryant Stewart, Dane Robertson and Kole Craig. "Throughout her life, she maintained a sweet and simple demeanor that won the trust and hearts of many, who even now are being changed by her witness of constant nurturing love and faith. Her signature gift of joy, shown through her constant smiling, laughter, and joking around, will never be forgotten. She was known for being a wonderful mother above all, and a wonderful grandmother as well. Her constant love will live forever in the hearts of those around her, and they will be eternally grateful for that love."

Thomas Gaddis Hegwood, Jr., of Pascagoula, known as Tommy, died Thursday, January 4, 2018, at the age of ninety-one. He had been a resident of Pascagoula for eighty-five years. Tommy was the widower of Mamie Jean Anderson Hegwood and the only child of Thomas Gaddis Hegwood, Sr., and Katherine Beall Hegwood. Tommy graduated from Pascagoula High School in 1945 and went immediately into the U. S. Army in the final months of World War Two. He began training for an amphibious invasion of Japan, but the war ended abruptly following Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and he was sent to Yokohama with the Army of Occupation. Tommy had an innate mechanical ability, could figure out how anything worked, and quickly rose to became a sergeant in charge of the motor pool for that district of Japan. Upon returning stateside, Tommy remained in the Army Reserves throughout the Korean War. He worked at Ingalls and, as he would later say, "followed construction" at various worksites in Mississippi and Louisiana. It was during this time that he met Jean, his soon-to-be wife, who had come to Pascagoula from Columbia during the booming war years and was working at the post office. They married on December 17, 1949, a marriage that would last until Jean's death on July 18, 2015. Tommy and Jean loved to socialize with friends and would have wonderful times together all along the Mississippi Gulf Coast during its heyday in the Fifties and Sixties. Tommy and Jean soon had a son, Martin, and a daughter, Elizabeth, within two years of each other, and Tommy decided he should stay close to home in Pascagoula and quit moving from jobsite to jobsite. He also wanted to be his own boss, so he thought of ways to open his own business. He decided that Pascagoula was large enough to support a second florist, so, with absolutely no knowledge of the floral business, he opened Hegwood's Flowers in 1957. He would prove to be a hard worker and a fast learner – he had to be, since a third child, Katherine, would come in 1959 -- and he would go on to become a two-time president of the Mississippi Florists and Nurserymans' Association. Tommy grew up boating, hunting, and fishing on the lakes, bayous, and marshes of the Pascagoula River delta. He was also an expert small boat handler and sailor who knew every inch of the Mississippi Sound. He loved boats and had more fun fixing up old boats than he did actually taking them out on the water. The lure of the water proved too great for him to resist, and in his early sixties he leased out his florist, bought a shrimp boat, and began shrimping along the coasts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. He would operate his boat, the Frances Ann, until he was in his seventies. He was an organizer and president of Mississippi Professional Fishermen, a short-lived group that lobbied for issues affecting the commercial fishing industry. Tommy was a life-long Baptist, a man of strong faith who served as deacon in the First Baptist Church of Pascagoula. He had a beautiful tenor voice, loved to sing, and was a member of the choir at First Baptist. In later years, he began attending Parkway Baptist Church. Tommy was a kind, gentle, and cheerful man who made friends quickly. It can truly be said of Tommy Hegwood that he was always a friend in time of need. Tommy is survived by a son, Martin (Linda) Hegwood of Canton, and two daughters, Elizabeth Ann "Liz" Smith of Oxford and Katherine "Kat" (Neal) Graham of Germantown, TN. He leaves five grandchildren: Eliza (Andrew) Ueltschey of Jackson, William Maurice "Reece" Smith, IV of Oxford, William Thomas Hegwood of Canton, Mary Katherine (Charles) Jones of Oxford, and Albert "Al" Graham of Germantown. He also leaves two great-grandchildren: Thomas Farrell Ueltschey and Elsie Louise Ueltschey, both of Jackson. Funeral Service will be Saturday, Jan 6, 2018, 10:00 am, at O'Bryant-O'Keefe Funeral Home in Pascagoula. Friends may visit one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at Machpelah Cemetery in Pascagoula. You can send condolences to his family at www.obryantokeefe.com

The story of Christ’s birth has been told and retold so many times it could have lost its luster generations ago. But it hasn’t - not even close. If anything, in this world of war, famine and natural disasters, holding on to something as simple and as singularly important as the Nativity story is a necessity to our faith. And perhaps nowhere on earth is the Nativity story told with more flourish and faith-based exuberance than in the annual celebration of Las Posadas, a tradition held throughout Mexico and Guatemala. The roots of Las Posadas stretch deeply into Latin culture. It originated in Spain, but it’s been a yearly celebration throughout Mexico for over 400 years. The tradition commemorates Mary and Joseph’s difficult journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a warm place to stay the night. (Posadas is Spanish for “the inns”). Beginning on December 16 and ending nine days later, on December 24, Las Posadas commemorates the nine months of Mary’s pregnancy. Each night, one family agrees to house the pilgrims. And so it begins: At dusk, a procession of the faithful takes to the streets with children often dressed as angels and shepherds. Religious figures, images and lighted candles are a part of the festivities. The group representing the Holy Family stands outside a series of houses, singing songs, asking for lodging. They are refused time and again until the group reaches the designated house. Finally, the travelers are permitted to enter. Prayer and song continue in the home, and festive foods are shared. The tradition continues each evening with a different house as the chosen Posadas. The last night -Christmas Eve - usually features a midnight Mass. The nine days of Las Posadas are more than just a feel-good tradition: They deepens faith and strengthens ties within the community at a most holy time. Just as Mary and Joseph faced the cold weather and cold innkeepers that night, participants brave the elements in bringing their love for the Christ Child to their streets. Las Posadas isn’t about being somber and still during Christmas: It’s about pilgrims and a pilgrimage, rousing song, prayer and deep faith, all of it in motion. In the Catholic Diocese of Jackson, Las Posadas has grown in popularity, and the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle has been holding Las Posadas for several years. At Sacred Heart we will proudly host a community celebration of Las Posadas on Saturday, Dec. 23 at 6:30 p.m., to gather us all together to experience what Joseph and Mary went through, and to remind us of the struggles of our Latino parishioners and of the gifts that they bring with them to share in their new, adopted country. This will be a family event and all are invited and encouraged to participate.

On Saturday, December 2, 2017, six couples received the Sacrament of Matrimony through Fr. Mike and pastor of Holy Child Jesus Fr. Raul Ventura at Sacred Heart during a 2 1/2 hour mass. May God bless them all through the many years of their marriages!

There is a box in the sacristy containing 20 additional copies of Msgr. Flannery’s book. You can just pick up a copy and give a check ($15 per copy) to Fr. Mike or mail to the church office. Please make checks payable to "Tidewater Press".

A moving slideshow created by St. Paul Catholic Church in memory of Fr. Noonan.

A message from Fr. Mike - Fr. Noonan will lie in repose at Sacred Heart from 4:00 pm Saturday July 8 until 1:30 pm Sunday July 9. This is a prayer vigil to give everyone an opportunity to say farewell and spend quiet time with Fr. Noonan before his body is returned to his home in Ireland. Fr. Noonan's casket will remain on the altar, the church will remain open and a parishioner will stay in attendance the entire time. All of Fr. Noonan's friends in the community are welcome to join us at mass Saturday at 5:15 pm and Sunday at 9:30 am & 11:30 am (in Spanish). Come to Sacred Heart at any time between 4:00 pm Saturday and 1:30 pm Sunday to spend time in prayer with our beloved friend.

Fr. Noonan was loved by so many and will be greatly missed but we are thankful that he is released from pain and is in the loving arms of our Heavenly Father. May his Soul Rest in Peace. The arrangements for Father Noonan are as follows: Funeral Mass will be Friday, July 7, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. at St. Paul, followed with a reception in their Family Life Center. Interment will be in Ireland. St. Paul Catholic Church 5971 Highway 25 Flowood, Mississippi 39232 (We sent a message to St. Paul and Monica Walton thanked us for our offer to help with the reception. St. Paul's Coordinator will be contacting us Wednesday, if anyone wants to assist?)