“I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me.” — Matthew 25:35-36

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“The Religious Sisters of Mercy are an international community of Roman Catholic women religious vowed to serve people who suffer from poverty, sickness and lack of education with a special concern for women and children.” — Religious Sisters of Mercy

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“Our love for our brothers and the young people in our care radiates from the love Jesus has for us. Our dedication to others, marked by respect, kindness, and concern, will be a sign to them of the compassion of Christ.” — Brothers of the Sacred Heart

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“We commit ourselves to be Christ-like for others and to bring Christ to others through our ministries of spiritual formation and renewal, retreat work, pastoral ministry, Catholic education, care of the sick and elderly and other works related to these ministries.” — Sisters of the Holy Spirit

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And so it has been — for 150 years — that three Roman Catholic orders and their members have lived by the words of the Bible and the more modern words on their more modern channel of communication, the Internet.

Vicksburg is and has been blessed, indeed, to have these people here to turn out thousands of success stories noted in a commemorative magazine in today’s edition. Each and every Brother and Sister is to be commended and thanked. And each and every parent who so believed in the Catholic education that they sacrificed for their children’s education is to be commended and thanked.

Catholic education in Vicksburg has been and continues to be a signal of success for the whole city.

Thank you, Sisters and Brothers.