October 2008 - Sister Alies Therese
As pastoral coordinator of not one, but two churches in Mississippi (St. John Neumann and St. Mark's), Sister Alies Therese is one busy sister. She's also one grateful sister, who absolutely depends on the small stipend Catholic Extension faithfully sends.
As she says: "The donors of Catholic Extension keep the doors open. We use your gift for so many practical things we'd never be able to do otherwise, especially our ministry to the children."
Thanks to Catholic Extension Mission Partner donations, Sister Alies is able to offer this small community a vibrant summer kids program that is open to everyone. In fact, 3 in 4 children are not regular attendees at the church. But they have found a safe place to learn about God and perhaps discover faith for the first time.
The stipends are also used to buy confirmation books. Five children are in the process of studying for their confirmation next April. Six more are preparing for their First Communion. The children wouldn't get the practical tools to learn their lessons without help from Catholic Extension.
This is a poor area. The unemployment rate is twice that of the national average, with 65 percent of the 9,500 people in the county having only a high school education or less. Wages are usually just above minimum and the job outlook for the county is bleak. Many from both Webster and Choctaw counties are traveling 60 miles one way to a factory to chop fish because it's the only thing available.
St. John Neuman is a small mission church of about 65 families with about 25 children. They worship in a county with about 1% Catholics. They have no resident priest, only a sacramental minister to visit once a Sunday. She and her pastoral minister, Lorenzo Aju, are in charge of the religious education.
Sister Alies and everyone else present at St. John Neumann and St. Mark's are doing a good job despite their meager resources. They're teaching the children what it means to be Catholic. In addition to their lessons, every second Sunday of the month, it's the children who serve at the Mass, share the readings and take up the offering. Children at St. John Neumann are taught early to put their faith into action.
It's a lifelong journey of faith these children are stepping into. And it's made possible by your generous support of missioners like Sister Alies.
Catholic Extension helps support many missionaries like Sister Alies Therese who work hard to bring God's comfort to America's poor and struggling Catholics. Will you consider helping them with a gift today?
Please donate now securely. Thank you.
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