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Forrest General Chaplains to Host Monthly Clergy Prayer Breakfast

HATTIESBURG- Forrest General’s Pastoral Services staff will host their monthly clergy prayer breakfast on Thursday, February 17 in the Elm Room at the hospital from 7:45 until 8:45 a.m.

Breakfast for all officially registered members of the local clergy will be complimentary, courtesy of Forrest General. All members of the clergy should present their yellow clergy registration card to receive their breakfast. If you are a member of the clergy and do not have a card, please see the Information Hostess at the hospital front desk prior to breakfast to register.

This month, Dr. Clint White, Neonatologist, will attend to discuss the new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit coming to Forrest General Hospital.  At the conclusion of each meeting, attendees will form small groups for prayer. The hospital’s Pastoral Services staff hopes that these meetings will assist area clergy in meeting the spiritual needs of congregations and the community.

All clergy members are asked to call or email to RSVP for the breakfast by contacting Brian Williamson, coordinator of Forrest General’s Pastoral Services, at 601-288-4227 or BAWilliamson@forrestgeneral.com.

Filed under: Hattiesburg, Religion, BAWilliamson@forrestgeneral.com, Clergy, Forrest, Forrest General, Forrest General Hospital, Hattiesburg

Catholic Schools Celebrate Legacy of Monsignor Joseph Mercier

Catholic Schools Week is January 30 – February 5, and all across the country Catholic schools are celebrating the positive contributions that the schools, their students, and graduates bring to the nation.

Sacred Heart Catholic School (SHCS) is no exception. Our local Catholic School has been a cornerstone of the Catholic community, as well as downtown Hattiesburg, for over 110 years. Many people have seen their lives blessed by Sacred Heart Catholic School and the high level of service provided to the local community. One graduate of Sacred Heart Catholic School, Monsignor Joseph Mercier, continues to support Catholic education.

“Monsignor Mercier became an ordained priest in 1955 and has continued to serve the Catholic community in numerous roles for over 55 years,” stated Andy Mercier, Monsignor’s nephew. “The extended Mercier family is very proud of Monsignor Mercier having served the Catholic Church and the youth of the diocese for so long and we are grateful to be able to establish seed money for this fund in his honor”

Monsignor Mercier has been deeply involved in the education of Catholic youth as the majority of his assignments connected the church and Catholic schools. He has taught at three Catholic high schools in Mississippi, and while he served at Sacred Heart parish, he also served the Catholic students at the University of Southern Mississippi as chaplain of the Newman Club on campus.

Mercier served as assistant pastor at St. Mary, Jackson; Nativity BVM Parish, Biloxi; St. John the Evangelist, Gulfport; and Sacred Heart Parish, Hattiesburg. He was also the pastor of Christ the King and of Holy Family in Jackson; Sacred Heart, Pascagoula, St. John the Evangelist, Gulfport; and Sacred Heart Parish, Dedeaux, where he also served as director of the Cursillo Movement of South Mississippi. Mercier also served on the Diocesan Board of Consultors, Clergy Council, Diocesan Liturgical Commission, Personnel Board, Synodal Examiner, and Parish Priest Consultor. In addition,

Although Monsignor Mercier is retired, his ministry with the Cursillo Movement and his availability to help out at parishes keep him active in the diocesan community.

“Monsignor Mercier has touched the lives of thousands of parishioners and students throughout his years of service to the Catholic community,” stated Brian McCrory, principal of Sacred Heart Catholic School.

“I am confident in saying on behalf of all priest in the diocese that we are proud for Monsignor Mercier to have this perpetual fund established in his honor” stated Father Ken Landry of Sacred Heart Church. “He is a priest we all should like to emulate for his dedication to the church and his fellow priest.

“I have worked with him for 25 years and have seen God work miracles through him. He is an extraordinarily dedicated Christian and priest,” stated Father Tommy Conway, the priest of St. Thomas Catholic Church.

For his unwavering dedication to the future of the Catholic faith and to honor Monsignor Joseph Mercier, an Endowment was established at The Greater PineBelt Foundation. This Endowment will provide financial assistance to students and funding for specific projects that benefit the students of Sacred Heart Catholic School.

Anyone also wishing to honor Monsignor Mercier can do so by making a tax-deductible donation to The Greater PineBelt Community Foundation and marking “Catholic Education Fund” in the memo line. Please mail your donation to 1507 Hardy Street, Suite 208, Hattiesburg, MS 39401.

For more information about the PineBelt Foundation, please visit www.PineBeltFoundation.org, www.Facebook.com/PineBeltFoundation or call 601.583.6180.

Filed under: Church, Featured, Hattiesburg, K-12, Religion, Andy Mercier, Catholic Education Fund, education, Greater PineBelt Community Foundation, Greater PineBelt Foundation, Hattiesburg, Joseph Mercier, Ken Landry, Sacred Heart Catholic School, Tommy Conway, University of Southern Mississippi

WILLIAM CAREY UNIVERSITY STAFF AND STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN MISSION TRIP TO KENYA

Students and staff from William Carey University, in collaboration with a local Christian rock band called Flight From Below, participated in a mission trip to Kenya, Africa, from December 26, 2010, to January 9, 2011. The WCU participants were Tammy Dossett, the administrative assistant for the academic affairs office; and students Stephanie Pendergrass of Hattiesburg, Whitney Hunt of Franklinton, LA, and Daniel Maqueda of Hattiesburg, who is also a member of Flight From Below. Maqueda’s aunt, Amy Hurst McKelvey, is an alumna of WCU and missionary in Kenya. She invited the band to come to Kenya to perform and requested that a team from WCU accompany them to help with the children during a Bible conference for missionaries and Christian relief workers.

The eight-member team that participated in the mission trip to Kenya pose in the airport before leaving on December 26, 2010. (left to right) Mark Wheat, Flight From Below’s drummer and a Presbyterian Christian High School student; Chandan Bangar, Flight From Below’s guitarist and a Northeast Jones High School student; Whitney Hunt, a WCU student from Franklinton, LA; Daniel Maqueda, Flight From Below’s bassist and a WCU student from Hattiesburg; Marshall McKellar, Flight From Below’s vocalist and a Belmont student; Stephanie Pendergrass, a WCU student from Hattiesburg; Tammy Dossett, the administrative assistant for the academic affairs office at WCU; and Misha Nielsen, a USM student.

WCU sponsored Dossett for the trip, and each of the other team members participated in various fundraisers to raise sponsorship, most of which involved assistance from local churches. The team served in a variety of ways in Kenya, beginning with teaching Vacation Bible School for missionary children whose parents were at the conference. Next, the team served in Maasai Land near Tanzania, by leading worship in two different churches and ministering to children at an area school. Before the team even left the U.S., they raised money for a mission project in Maasai Land, and the money was donated to a building project that will serve as a school for local children during the day and a Bible college at night.

The team also visited children at an aids orphanage before going to the last mission project in the Kibera slum. In Kibera, the group led activities for local children and met some of the children’s needs in various ways. One team member assisted a young man with medical treatment. Another team member gave his guitar to one of the music leaders to enable him to continue ministry in the Kibera children’s club. Additionally, others paid for one year of tuition for needy students, and for their supplies.

Filed under: Church, Featured, Hattiesburg, Religion, William Carey, Amy Hurst McKelvey, Daniel Maqueda, Hattiesburg Mississippi, Kenya, Maasai, Stephanie Pendergrass, Tammy Dossett, Whitney Hunt, William Carey University

WILLIAM CAREY UNIVERSITY STUDENT SERVES AS INTERPRETER IN PASTOR’S CONFERENCE IN LIMA, PERU

Pavel Urruchi, a senior religion major and Spanish minor from Lima, Peru, served as the interpreter for the Pastor’s Conference in the Baptist Churches in Lima, Peru January 3 – 7, 2011.

Dr. Mark Tolbert, associate professor of Evangelism and pastoral ministry at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS), and Dr. Chuck Kelley, president of NOBTS, led the conference.

Urruchi’s wife Leah is the interim assistant Baptist Student Union director at WCU.

(left to right) Dr. Chuck Kelley, president of NOBTS; Pavel Urruchi, a religion major from WCU; Dr. Mark Tolbert, associate professor of Evangelism and pastoral ministry at NOBTS; and Phil Calvert, an IMB missionary with American Peoples Affinity Group, gather for a meeting with some Peruvian church leaders before the Pastor’s Conference in Lima, Peru

Filed under: Featured, Hattiesburg, Religion, William Carey, baptist student union, doug kelley, Lima, mark tolbert, New orleans baptist theological seminary, Pavel Urruchi, Peru, Religion/Belief, wcu, William Carey University

Forrest General Chaplains to Host Monthly Clergy Prayer Breakfast

HATTIESBURG- Forrest General’s Pastoral Services staff will host their monthly clergy prayer breakfast on Thursday, January 20 in the Elm Room at the hospital from 7:45 until 8:45 a.m.

Breakfast for all officially registered members of the local clergy will be complimentary, courtesy of Forrest General. All members of the clergy should present their yellow clergy registration card to receive their breakfast. If you are a member of the clergy and do not have a card, please see the Information Hostess at the hospital front desk prior to breakfast to register.

This month, Curt Burge, D. Min., CPE Diplomate, College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy will attend to discuss Preparing for Ministry and Clinical Pastoral Education. At the conclusion of each meeting, attendees will form small groups for prayer. The hospital’s Pastoral Services staff hopes that these meetings will assist area clergy in meeting the spiritual needs of congregations and the community.

All clergy members are asked to call or email to RSVP for the breakfast by contacting Brian Williamson, coordinator of Forrest General’s Pastoral Services, at 601-288-4227 orBAWilliamson@forrestgeneral.com.

Filed under: Medical, Religion, Brian Williamson, Clergy, Clinical pastoral education, Curt Burge, Forrest General, Hattiesburg, Religion/Belief

WCU BSU Partners New Testament Baptist Church for HubServe

William Carey University’s Baptist Student Union (BSU) united with New Testament Baptist Church on Saturday, November 13, to participate in a HubServe clean-up project to beautify the neighborhoods surrounding the university campus. HubServe is one of BSU’s programs designed to offer students service opportunities in the Hattiesburg area. There were approximately 100 people participating in the event on November 13, with about 60 of the participants from WCU and 40 from New Testament.

(left to right) Anthony McDuffie, a deacon at New Testament Baptist Church, and WCU students Jamie Holmes of Tylertown; Vincent Kirkland of Laurel; and Subhi Talal Younes of Picayune all participated in HubServe clean-up project

Filed under: Featured, Hattiesburg, Religion, William Carey, baptist student union, hubserve, new testament baptist, wcu, william carey

Missionary from Bangladesh Speaks at William Carey University

Dr. Mark Caldwell, Dean of Cooper School of Missions and Biblical Studies, and Dr. Don Odom, Dean of the Winters School of Music, listen intently to Sandford Subash Bhowmik, a missionary from Bangladesh, as he tells about his work with the International Mission Board.

Sanford Subash Bhowmik, a graduate of Nizamuddin College in Bangladesh and Philippines Baptist Theological Seminary in Baguio City,  spoke at William Carey University recently. Bhowmik and his wife, Maryana, have served as missionaries establishing and training churches over the past 27 years.

Maryana led her husband, a former Hindu, to the Lord in 1980, and since then he has worked as an evangelical missionary in various parts of the world. In 1983, he began his missionary work as a church planter in Bangladesh; first in Gopalgonj and then in the Jessore District. In 1994, he moved to New York to serve as a pastor for the Metro New York Baptist Association. He then worked as a multi-language church planting missionary with the Baptist Convention of New York from 1999-2007.

Since 2007, the Bhowmiks have been working with the International Mission Board (IMB) in South Asia. IMB is an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention, claiming more than 40,000 churches with nearly 16 million members.

The couple live their life by Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” The Bhowmiks have two children, Prodip and Popy, and two grandchildren, Shiloh and Lydia.

Filed under: Church, Featured, Hattiesburg, Religion, William Carey, Bangladesh, Christianity, International Mission Board, Sanford Subash Bhowmik, Southern Baptist Convention, William Carey University