The new face of Catholic Charities

Father Ricardo Phipps, who was just named the director of Catholic Charities for the Catholic Diocese of Jackson, brings something to the position that his predecessor didn’t have: He’s a priest.

Phipps also brings an impressive resume that includes a Ph.D. in counseling education from the University of Mississippi, as well as 10 years of pastoring in parishes around Mississippi.

“Father Ric will be the face of Catholic Charities as a Catholic priest, and that is an added blessing to promote the Charities brand to the community at large,” said Bishop Joseph Kopacz, who oversees the Jackson diocese and appointed Phipps to the position.

“He is very committed to the agency’s mission of being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ on behalf of many in need in the metropolitan area and throughout Mississippi,” Kopacz said.

“His administrative skills will be very valuable in leading an agency with a large staff responsible for multiple millions of dollars over an array of services and ministries. His doctoral studies are a natural fit for the work of Charities.”

Originally from Natchez, Phipps graduated from the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science and earned an undergraduate degree from Rice University in 1996. His seminarian studies began at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, continued at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., and concluded back at Notre Dame, where he finished in 2002.

“I think one of the things that’s really important is a strong connection between Catholic Charities and the individual parishes,” said Phipps, who began as director on Aug. 3.

“But it’s only as strong as the people sitting in the pews in terms of volunteering and financial donations. As a pastor, I think I have some insights from a social justice standpoint about how people want to get involved and how to build those connections.”

Phipps spent three years as an associate pastor at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Madison before the diocese moved him into Jackson to pastor at both Christ the King and St. Mary. Since then he has pastored in New Albany (while completing his doctorate at Ole Miss), Clarksdale, and back in Jackson at Christ The King — he continues to serve as the full-time priest at that parish.

“He was great. He’s a natural leader,” said Father Francis Cosgrove, the pastor at St. Patrick in Meridian, who was senior priest at St. Francis in Madison when Phipps joined that parish in 2002.

“He’s very dedicated to the church but also dedicated to needy people, which is what Catholic Charities is all about,” Cosgrove said.

“He’s a good servant leader — friendly, but decisive. He was just out of the seminary when he joined us at St. Francis — he was there three years — and he was outstanding. The people loved him. They saw beyond his color and saw goodness and sincerity and competency.”

“I’m just grateful to Bishop Kopacz for the opportunity,” Phipps said. “We have a lot of African-Americans involved in the diocese. So much of the services Catholic Charities provides are for the people in the city of Jackson. I bring a consciousness and some insights from my own experiences growing up in Natchez and pastoring in Jackson about empowering people of color.

“A lot of the services are geared toward helping people get to the point where they can help themselves. In terms of partnerships with community organizations across the board, I think I have some connections there and can help build those relationships.”

Catholic Charities works closely with victims of rape and domestic violence, those who suffer from addictions to alcohol and drugs, and refugees and immigrants as they attempt to assimilate into society.

“We’re helping veterans reacclimate. We’ve been at the forefront of disaster relief for Hurricane Katrina and smaller-scale disasters through rebuilding homes and businesses,” Phipps said. “We have counseling services for children and adults that have been affected by trauma. We have immigration services (geared toward) helping the government with documentation.

“Part of our vision for the future is to see how we can reach beyond Jackson and make sure areas with service gaps have support, have their ears and eyes open to needs that crop up.”

“Father Ric came highly recommended from (his) fellow parishioners, fellow priests, and from Bishop Kopacz,” said Raff, who has spent 29 years with Catholic Charities and the last 15 as director.

“There was a search committee comprised of the (Catholic Charities) executive board of directors that interviewed him, and there were some very strong candidates. But he stood out with his background in ministry, education, and clinical work.”

Phipps said the typical length of service for the director of Catholic Charities, given that he’s a priest, is six years, with a second six-year term to be served pending approval.

“I hope to get around to different parishes (in the diocese) and make sure parishioners are aware of what services are being offered — and to let them know what they can do to support Catholic Charities. I plan to get out as often as I can,” he said.

“Father Ric’s background in ministry, education, and clinical work — in addition to his care and concern for all of God’s children — makes him especially suited to the work of Catholic Charities,” Raff said.

“I’m convinced the agency will thrive under his leadership, and that we’ll continue to carry out our ministry of health and hope for many Mississippians, especially the poor and vulnerable.”

Visit Catholic Charities online at www.catholiccharitiesjackson.org.