Southern Cross

05/29/2026

“A menudo considero que los miembros de la sociedad más olvidados son los encarcelados. Esto se debe probablemente a que muchos no los consideran parte de la sociedad; han sido confinados al olvido para pagar por sus crímenes. Sin embargo, la verdad es que los encarcelados, incluso aquellos que han cometido crímenes atroces, si forman parte de la sociedad. Sus crímenes no disminuyen ni borran su dignidad humana.”
—“La Gracia de Dios detrás de las Rejas” por Padre Pablo Migone

Padre Pablo Migone es el Vicario para el Avance de la Misión de la Diócesis de Savannah y el párroco de Corpus Christi en Pooler y Our Lady of Lourdes en Port Wentworth.

Lea la columna de Padre Pablo en el número de mayo de 2026 de la Southern Cross, southerncrosssav.org/columns/gods-grace-behind-bars-la-gracia-de-dios-detras-de-las-rejas

This article is also available in English!

05/27/2026

Pope Leo XIV is inviting Catholics around the world to join him in praying a rosary for peace on May 30.

The Holy Father is set to pray the rosary live from the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens at 7 p.m. Rome time. Monsignor Walter R. Rossi, rector of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., will join Pope Leo in praying the rosary with a simultaneous livestream at 1 p.m. ET.

You can read the full article on the Southern Cross Newswire at southerncrosssav.org/newswire/national-international-news/vatican-announces-global-rosary-for-peace-with-pope-leo-xiv

05/27/2026

Day 3 of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage began in Georgia on Tuesday – the second day of a 142-mile pilgrimage through the Diocese of Savannah, a day devoted to walking in the footsteps of the Georgia Martyrs, scheduled for beatification in Savannah on Oct. 31, the first beatification in the southern U.S.

You can read the full article, by Southern Cross contributor Beverly Willett, on the Southern Cross Newswire at southerncrosssav.org/newswire/national-international-news/national-eucharistic-pilgrimage-honors-georgia-martyrs-ahead-of-historic-beatification

Este artículo no está disponible actualmente en español.

05/26/2026

“‘I think the Holy Spirit wants you to be the grant writer for the food bank,’ was not what I had been expecting to hear. I was meeting with my spiritual director, the founder of Golden Harvest Food Bank. I had just asked him if he thought I should apply for a promotion where I was working as a customer service rep for a phone company. I had no fundraising experience.”
—“Conversion at the Margins” by Nathan Krupa

Nathan Krupa lives near Augusta and blogs about fundraising at thealmoner.com and the spiritual life at nathankrupa.com. He raises money to feed the hungry and has published two books, Letter of the Almoner and Demoniac, which are available on Amazon.

Read his full article in the May 2026 Southern Cross or online at southerncrosssav.org/articles/conversion-at-the-margins

05/22/2026

“I often consider that the most forgotten members of society are the incarcerated. This is likely because many do not consider them part of society anymore – they have been confined to oblivion to pay for their crimes. The truth, however, is that the incarcerated, even those who have committed heinous crimes, are very much part of society. Their crimes do not diminish or erase their human dignity.”
—“God's Grace Behind Bars” by Fr. Pablo Migone

Fr. Pablo Migone is Vicar for Mission Advancement for the Diocese of Savannah and pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes, Port Wentworth, and Corpus Christi, Pooler.

Read his full column in the May 2026 Southern Cross or online at southerncrosssav.org/columns/gods-grace-behind-bars-la-gracia-de-dios-detras-de-las-rejas

¡Este artículo también está disponible en español!

05/21/2026

Monsignor Fred Nijem was a longtime contributor to the Southern Cross.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace.

Monsignor Fred J. Nijem passed away on May 16. He was a priest of our diocese for 58 years.

There will be a rosary at Sacred Heart, Warner Robins, on Friday, May 22, at 6 pm, and Mass at Sacred Heart on Saturday, May 23, at 10:30 am.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace.

diosav.org/diocesan-news/item/reverend-monsignor-fred-joseph-nijem

05/19/2026

“I've considered myself a Christian since age eight, when I professed faith in Jesus at the Baptist church where I grew up. But when I entered OCIA in 2017, I still had much to learn. One thing in particular puzzled me: How did Catholic Church teaching on the sanctity and dignity of human life from conception to natural death square with its recognition of the death penalty? Turns out, the Church had been grappling with the same question.”
—“Thou Shalt Not Kill: Catholicism and the Death Penalty” by Beverly Willett

Beverly Willett is an author, former lawyer, and divorce reform advocate. Her book Disassembly Required: A Memoir of Midlife Resurrection is a story about rebuilding one's life after divorce. She has written about marriage and divorce for many publications, including The New York Times, USA Today, America, and First Things.

Read her full article in the May 2026 Southern Cross or online at southerncrosssav.org/articles/thou-shalt-not-kill

05/18/2026

The Vatican announced Monday that Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical will be published on May 25 with the title “Magnifica Humanitas.”

Pope Leo will speak at a presentation for the release of the social encyclical – a papal letter to the Church – at 11:30 a.m. Rome time (5:30 a.m. Eastern time) on May 25 in the Vaticanʼs Synod Hall.

The Vatican also confirmed that the full title of the encyclical is “Magnifica Humanitas: On the Protection of Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” “Magnifica Humanitas” is Latin for “magnificent humanity.”

Read the full article on the Southern Cross Newswire at southerncrosssav.org/newswire/national-international-news/vatican-to-publish-pope-leo-xivs-first-encyclical-may-25

Puede leer este artículo en español en southerncrosssav.org/newswire/national-international-news/el-vaticano-publicara-la-primera-enciclica-del-papa-leon-xiv-el-25-de-mayo

05/15/2026

“The Gospel according to Matthew contains a remarkable passage concerning the risen and ascended Christ's coming in glory, on the Last Day, to judge the living and the dead [25:31-33]. ... These words are challenging for us who have been baptized into the flock of the Good Shepherd.”
—“On Prison Ministry” by Fr. Douglas K. Clark, STL

Fr. Douglas K. Clark, STL, is retired and pastor emeritus of St. Matthew, Statesboro.

Read his full column in the May 2026 Southern Cross or online at southerncrosssav.org/columns/on-prison-ministry

05/14/2026

The Facebook profile shown below is a fake account!

Please report it if you see it, and ignore any messages or friend requests you may get from this account. Bishop Parkes' only official page is facebook.com/bishopstephendparkes

***

¡El perfil de Facebook que se muestra a continuación es una cuenta falsa!

Por favor, denúncielo si lo ve, y ignore cualquier mensaje o solicitud de amistad que pueda recibir de esta cuenta. La única página oficial de Facebook del Obispo Parkes es facebook.com/bishopstephendparkes

05/13/2026

A Filipino-American priest of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception (MIC) is inviting Catholics around the world, beginning May 13, the feast of Our Lady of Fátima, to enter into a 153-day spiritual crusade: to pray the full rosary every day until Oct. 13 “for the salvation of souls.”

You can read the full article on the Southern Cross Newswire at southerncrosssav.org/newswire/national-international-news/priest-invites-catholics-around-the-world-to-pray-the-full-rosary-for-153-days

Este artículo no está disponible actualmente en español.