Bishop John Joseph Chanche, SS, arrived four years later in May 1841 as the first bishop of the Diocese. There was no church building and only a handful of missionary priests to welcome him.
From that humble beginning 175 years ago, the Diocese of Jackson has grown into a region that encompasses 65 of the state’s 82 counties. It is home to 73 parishes, 16 missions, and some 45,000 registered Catholics.
Today we celebrate the accomplishments of the people who have built the Diocese and who remain focused on the great gift and mystery of the Holy Eucharist.
As we celebrate the history of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Jackson and the state of Mississippi, we can trace its clear links to definitive milestones in the nation’s history, as well. It also tells a story of cultural and ethnic diversity that characterizes Mississippi Catholics today.
The first Masses offered in that part of the New World that would later be the state of Mississippi were probably conducted as early as 1519 by Catholic priests traveling with Spanish explorers along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
1540 - Hernando DeSoto
Spanish soldiers led by Hernando DeSoto, marching across the southland in their quest for gold, entered Mississippi in 1540 and reached the banks of the Mississippi River in northwest Mississippi in 1541. This party included at least 10 priests at the outset. The ruthless Spaniards inflicted grave harm on the native people they encountered and unsuccessfully attempted to enslave and convert to Christianity.
After crossing the Mississippi Hernando de Soto was struck with fever. He died on May 21, 1542
In 1682, Rene-Robert Cavalier Sieur de la Salle descended the Mississippi as far as its mouth, claiming the entire river valley and its tributaries for France. He was accompanied by Recollect Father Zenobius Membre, who celebrated Easter Mass near present-day Fort Adams, the first definite record of a Mass on Mississippi soil.
The French began exploring the Gulf Coast. It was here that Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville and his brother, Jean Baptiste de Bienville, established the first settlement in Mississippi in 1699 near today’s Ocean Springs, known as Old Biloxi. Among the clergy with d’Iberville were Recollect Father Anastase Douay and Father Bordenave, probably the first priest to officiate at Mass for a colony of white settlers in Mississippi. Father Paul du Ru was also present in Old Biloxi and built a house of worship among the Houma Indians in 1700. There Father Jacques Gravier baptized an infant, probably the first baptism in Mississippi.
Bienville established Fort Rosalie on the Mississippi River in 1716, and the town of Natchez developed nearby. The first Catholic church in Mississippi was built by the French on a plateau below Fort Rosalie and above the river landing at Natchez. In 1718, the French brought the first enslaved Africans to Mississippi, forever shaping the development of the state and nation. By 1722, a French Catholic parish was established.
Spanish rule began in 1779 when the Governor of Spanish Louisiana, Bernardo Galvez, drove the British from West Florida. In 1788, a Spanish church dedicated to the Holy Savior (San Salvador) was built in Natchez at the center of the city. The church’s graveyard is the lot in Natchez on which today’s St. Mary Basilica and its rectory were built.
Although the Diocese of Natchez was established in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI, the first bishop, Thomas Heyden of Pittsburgh, declined the appointment. The new diocese embraced 47,000 square miles, encompassing the entire state of Mississippi. There was not one Catholic Church or resident priest. The last resident priest in Natchez was withdrawn in 1798 with the end of Spanish rule. It was not until 1841 that a Sulpician Father, John Joseph Chanche of Baltimore, accepted the appointment as the first Bishop.
The Diocese of Jackson had its origins with the establishment of the Diocese of Natchez by Pope Gregory XVI on July 28, 1837. Father Thomas Heyden of the Diocese of Pittsburgh was appointed the first bishop of the diocese in 1837, but he respectfully declined, thus leaving the newly established diocese as a sede vacante.
For four years Bishop Anton Blanc of New Orleans served as administrator. Finally, Bishop John Joseph Chanche, SS, arrived in May 1841 as the first bishop of the Diocese. There was no church building and only a handful of missionary…
Ordained in Baltimore in March, Bishop Chanche sailed to New Orleans and traveled by steamboat to Natchez. He arrived near midnight on May 18, 1841, and was greeted at the dock by a porter who carried his bags to a hotel.
In July 1852 while visiting with relatives in Maryland, Bishop Chanche contracted what is thought to have been cholera. He died and was buried in the Cathedral Cemetery in Baltimore. In January 2009, he was re-interred in the grounds of St. Mary Basilca in Natchez.
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| 1841-1852 — Auspice Maria Born: Oct. 4, 1795 – Baltimore Ordained a Priest: June 5, 1819 Ordained a Bishop: March 14, 1841 Died: July 22, 1852 Episcopal Motto: Auspice Maria |
Ordained in Baltimore in March, Bishop Chanche sailed to New Orleans and traveled by steamboat to Natchez. He arrived near midnight on May 18, 1841, and was greeted at the dock by a porter who carried his bags to a boarding house.
The next morning he addressed the Catholic congregants gathered at the Mechanics Hall. It was here they met for Mass, the small, red frame church of San Salvador having burned in 1832.
At the time Bishop Chanche arrived, the state had two priests—one in Natchez and one in Vicksburg. Catholic laity were scattered throughout the state, served by occasional visits from priests. In 1842, Bishop Chanche appointed Father Jean Claude Francois the first diocesan priest. He began the first missionary work among blacks in the state, visiting plantations, preaching, and baptizing enslaved converts.
In 1840, the year that Bishop Chanche received the papal bull appointing him Bishop, Natchez suffered a devastating tornado that killed 317 people and sank 60 boats. The city was also recovering from the panic of 1837, which had closed the banks. In the midst of rebuilding the economy and the town, the Natchez faithful pledged to build a Cathedral for the new Diocese. Although many in Natchez had enjoyed the prosperity made possible by the production of cotton, most Catholic congregants were not wealthy. Nevertheless, 248 people pledged $13,202. The cornerstone was laid in 1842, construction began, and the church was dedicated on Christmas Day 1843.
The cathedral, dedicated to the Sorrowful Heart of Mary, was not much more than a shell of a building to start. Burdened by debt, the cathedral was improved and furnished thanks to gifts from the Vatican and European royalty and in response to appeals by the Bishop throughout the nation and France. He even traveled to Cuba to try to regain church property lost when the Spanish regime ended.
Bishop Chanche was also instrumental in the establishment of the first Catholic school in Mississippi. This was an academy for young ladies, opened in Natchez in 1841 by three of his nieces. In 1847, the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul opened St. Mary’s Home for Girls, an orphanage and day school for young ladies and the first school in the state established by a religious order.
Financial difficulties continued to plague the new diocese, and in 1848 the cathedral was placed at auction. Father Blase Raho, the first vicar general, saved the cathedral by paying the debt while Bishop Chanche was in France appealing for funds. Father Raho also began a prison ministry in Natchez and across the river in Louisiana.
After attending the First Plenary Council of Bishops held in Baltimore in 1852, Bishop Chanche died unexpectedly at age 56. He was buried in Baltimore, the place of his birth, until in 2008 when his body was exhumed and reinterred at St. Mary Basilica in Natchez.
“In his person, Bishop Chanche was rather a tall and commanding figure, and prepossessing his his appearance. The grace and dignity with which he conducted the ceremonials of the church, on marked occasions, will be long remembered,” noted The Catholic Mirror, newspaper for the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Bishop Chanche’s obituary.
At the time of his death, he had established 11 parishes in Mississippi — in Paulding, Biloxi, Jackson, Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, Vicksburg, Sulphur Springs, Pearlington, Port Gibson, and Yazoo City — and plans were under way for four more.
For 124 years—1853-1977— Catholics in the state of Mississippi would be served by seven Bishops, survive war and natural disasters, respond to dramatic social and cultural changes, and enjoy significant growth.
In 1853, James Oliver Van de Velde, former president of St. Louis University, then serving as Bishop of Chicago, was transferred to Natchez by Pope Pius IX to become the second bishop of the Diocese.
During his short tenure, Bishop Van deVelde moved the bones from the original Catholic Cemetery located behind St. Mary’s to the City Cemetery in a section for Catholics called Old Catholic Hill. The original cemetery had become a cut through for foot traffic and wandering dogs. It was not good.
Bishop Van deVelde died of Yellow Fever on Nov. 13, 1855. He had come to Natchez in search of a milder climate than the one of Chicago. Unfortunatley that opened him up to mosquito born illnesses.
William Henry Elder, born in Baltimore, was ordained the third Bishop of Natchez in 1857. One of his first actions was to appoint Father Mathurin Grignon vicar general of the Diocese. He was a capable and energetic administrator who established a strong foundation on which the modern diocese was built.
St. Joseph Church in Port Gibson is one of the oldest churches in the diocese in continual use. The current structure dates to 1863. This parish is one of the original 11 established by Bishop John Joseph Chanche. The beams and altar rail were hand carved.
In January 1880, Bishop Elder was elevated to Co-Adjutor Archbishop of Cincinnati. He remained there until his death in 1904.
Francis August Janssens was appointed the fourth Bishop of Natchez in 1881 by Pope Leo XIII.
Bishop Janssens became the Archbishop of New Orleans in August 1888. He remained there until his death in 1897.
Father Thomas Heslin, a pastor in New Orleans, was named the fifth Bishop of the diocese by Pope Leo XIII. One of Bishop Heslin’s major initiatives was to evangelize and establish missions among African Americans.
The Brothers of the Sacred Heart arrived in Natchez to staff the boys school in 1894.
1853-1855
Born: April 3, 1795 – Belgium
Ordained a Priest: Sept. 25, 1827
Ordained a Bishop: Feb. 11, 1849
Transferred to Natchez: 1853
Died: Nov. 13, 1855
Episcopal Motto: Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam
In 1853, James Oliver Van de Velde, former president of St. Louis University, then serving as Bishop of Chicago, was transferred to Natchez by Pope Pius IX to become the second bishop of the Diocese.
Bishop Van de Velde arrived in Natchez at a tragic time — the outbreak of a yellow fever epidemic in the region, which killed some 750 people in Natchez and more than 7,800 in New Orleans. The former president of St. Louis University, Bishop Van de Velde moved quickly to continue the work of Bishop Chanche. One of his accomplishments was to gather the bones on the surface of the ground at the old Spanish cemetery and deposit them in a crypt under the sanctuary of St. Mary Cathedral. He also oversaw the installation of a slate roof on the cathedral.
Another milestone for the Catholic Church in Mississippi occurred in 1855 with the opening of St. Stanislaus College in Bay St. Louis by Father Stanislaus Buteux, pastor of Our Lady of the Gulf Parish. Five Brothers of the Sacred Heart served as the faculty.
Tragically, Bishop Van de Velde contracted yellow fever and died in 1855, as did 40 parishioners. Buried in the crypt beneath the cathedral, his remains were moved in 1874 to Jesuit Cemetery in Florissant, Missouri.
Bishop R. O. Gerow would write in Catholicity in Mississippi that Bishop Van de Velde “entered zealously upon the work of extending the kingdom of God in other portions of his diocese. Especially to be noted are his most successful efforts to induce the Sisters of St. Joseph of Bourg to open a school in Bay St. Louis.”
1857-1880
Born: March 22, 1819 – Baltimore
Ordained a Priest: March 29, 1846
Ordained a Bishop: May 3, 1857
Co-Adjutor Archbishop of Cincinnati – Jan. 30, 1880
Died: Oct. 31, 1904
Episcopal Motto: Faith Conquers the World
William Henry Elder, born in Baltimore, was ordained the third Bishop of Natchez in 1857. One of his first actions was to appoint Father Mathurin Grignon vicar general of the Diocese. He was a capable and energetic administrator who established a strong foundation on which the modern diocese was built.
Father Grignon, who also served as pastor of the cathedral, had come to Natchez to teach in the school established by Bishop Chanche. It was he who administered the last sacraments to Bishop Van de Velde.
Wanting to make a good impression on Bishop Elder, Father Grignon, the Sisters of Charity, and parishioners worked to improve the still unfinished interior of the cathedral, completing the woodwork and windows. By 1859, the task was completed.
Bishop Elder entrusted the running of the cathedral parish to Father Grignon while he traveled throughout the large Diocese to assist struggling parishes. At the same time, St. Mary Cathedral was also assisting missions attached to it in Grand Gulf, Port Gibson, Cedar Creek, Rodney, Fayette, Meadville, and Woodville.
D’Evereux Hall, an orphanage for boys, was opened in Natchez.
During Bishop Elder’s administration, the Civil War consumed the nation in violence and bloodshed for four years. Known as a saintly and scholarly man, Bishop Elder wrote to his father on the eve of the Civil War: “It is hard to tell what is to be the fate of the country. I have not enough of political sagacity to see what will be the course of events, nor what would be the fruit of the remedies proposed. . . . We can all unite in praying to God to guide and protect us.” Bishop Elder ministered to soldiers and celebrated Mass for the wounded throughout the war. He also ministered to a community of freedmen formed in Natchez by slaves who fled after the city was occupied in 1863 by federal troops.
Under Union occupation, the Bishop was expelled from Natchez and imprisoned in Vidalia, Louisiana, for refusing to pray for the United States government. Although the war ended in 1865, Union troops remained in Natchez until 1876.
Expanding their educational ministry in the Diocese, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart opened a school for boys in Natchez in 1865.
During the yellow fever epidemic of 1878, the Bishop personally ministered to victims and contracted the disease himself. He survived, but six diocesan priests were among the many who perished.
Bishop Elder was named Coadjutor of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 1880 and would later become Archbishop there. When he arrived in Mississippi there were nine priests, 11 churches, three educational institutions, one orphanage, and a Catholic population of 10,000.
When he left Mississippi, there were 19 priests, 42 churches, 12 schools for white children, three schools for black children, and a Catholic population of 12,500. Among the parishes established during this time was St. Alphonsus in McComb.
1881-1888
Born: Oct. 17, 1843 – Holland
Ordained a Priest for Richmond: Dec. 21, 1867
Ordained a Bishop: May 1, 1881
Archbishop of New Orleans: Aug. 7, 1888
Died: June 9, 1897
Episcopal Motto: God Is My Strength
Francis August Janssens was appointed the fourth Bishop of Natchez in 1881 by Pope Leo XIII.
During his administration he established a mission among the Choctaws at Tucker, creating a school staffed by three Sisters of Mercy. The Sisters of Charity began teaching African-American children in the original presbytery during this time. Bishop Janssens also dedicated St. Joseph School during his tenure.
Bishop Janssens focused on the completion of the cathedral, contracting for the building of the sacristy and installing a pipe organ. He replaced the picket fence with an iron fence. He hired artist A. Biorci to paint the Crucifixion over the main altar. With the completion of the cathedral and the retiring of its debt, the cathedral was consecrated on September 19, 1886. The following year, New Stations of the Cross and memorial windows were installed and a contract was let to fresco the interior.
In 1877, Father Grignon, after 37 years of service under three bishops, died, and Father Theophile Meerschaert was appointed vicar general. Father Meerschaert would later be named the first Bishop of the Diocese of Oklahoma.
In 1888, after seven years in Mississippi, Bishop Janssens was transferred to New Orleans to become Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. During his tenure, the diocese grew in mission churches, priests, and Catholics. Catholic education was a hallmark of his time in Mississippi. When he arrived in 1881, there were 15 schools; when he left for New Orleans seven years later, there were 26.
1889-1911
Born: April 1847 – County Longford, Ireland
Ordained a Priest for New Orleans: Sept. 18, 1869
Ordained a Bishop: June 18, 1889
Died: Feb. 22, 1911
Episcopal Motto: Jesus and Mary
Father Thomas Heslin, a pastor in New Orleans, was named the fifth Bishop of the diocese by Pope Leo XIII.
One of Bishop Heslin’s major initiatives was to evangelize and establish missions among African Americans. Bishop Heslin invited the Society of St. Joseph and the Society of the Divine Word to staff missions among black Mississippians.
In 1890 Holy Family Parish in Natchez was established as the first parish in the diocese dedicated to ministering in the African American community.
Mother Katharine Drexel was instrumental in building a school for the children of Holy Family in Natchez.
Among other churches established during Bishop Heslin’s tenure were Mary Immaculata in Merigold and Holy Ghost in Jackson.
During Bishop Heslin’s tenure, Father Meerschaert , pastor and vicar general, left to become bishop of the Indian Territory in Oklahoma. Father Patrick Hayden was named pastor at St. Mary in Natchez.
An addition was built to the presbytery and marble side altars were installed in the cathedral.
Bishop Heslin died after 22 years of service to the Diocese and was buried on Catholic Hill in the Natchez City Cemetery.
Bishop R. O. Gerow, writing in Catholicity in Mississippi, “Bishop Heslin was a man of prayer and deep, solid piety. Arising at an early hour each morning he spent the greater portion of an hour before the Blessed Sacrament in preparation for his Mass. . . .But in all his actions the honor and glory of God was his first thought.”
Bishop Heslin died on Feb. 22, 1911. He guided the diocesan church through the turn of the century. A few weeks prior to his death while visiting churches in East Central Mississippi, he met with an unfortunate accident. Apparently according to Bishop Gunn’s diary, Bishop Heslin was riding in a mule cart and it had stopped. He dozed off and when the driver got the mule going again, Bishop Heslin tumbled out the back of the wagon unbeknownst to the driver. the driver discovered his passenger was missing further down the road and went back to retrieve him finding him unconscious. Bishop Heslin was a tall man and the driver had great difficulty getting him back in the cart. Bishop Heslin most likely suffered a broken rib from this accident and may have ultimately succumbed to pneumonia.
Father John Gunn, a Marist priest, was appointed the sixth Bishop of Natchez by Pope Pius X in 1911. Bishop Gunn was known as a brilliant orator and for having tremendous energy. He cultivated the diocese’s relationship with Catholic Extension to help in the building of chapels throughout the state.
Father Richard Oliver Gerow of Mobile was appointed the seventh Bishop of Natchez by Pope Pius XI. He served for 42 years and saw a tremendous growth in the Catholic Church in Mississippi. Priests grew in number from 63 to 222, and churches increased
The Mississippi River overflowed its banks and flooded hundreds of thousands of acres in the Delta.
Sisters of the Holy Ghost staff Holy Family School in Natchez.
Father Peter Quinn served as chaplain in the army for American European forces during the Second World War.
In 1957, the Diocese of Natchez became the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson. St. Peter Church in Jackson became the Co-Cathedral.
In 1967, Joseph Bernard Brunini was named eighth Bishop of the Diocese and was installed the following year at St. Peter Co-Cathedral in Jackson, having been appointed Bishop in 1957 by Pope Pius XII.
In 1973, Joseph Lawson Howze was named Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson.
1911-1924
Born: March 15, 1863 – County Tyrone, Ireland
Ordained a Priest: Feb. 2, 1890
Ordained a Bishop: Aug. 29, 1911
Died: Feb. 19, 1924
Episcopal Motto: Show Thyself A Mother
Father John Gunn, a Marist priest, was appointed the sixth Bishop of Natchez by Pope Pius X in 1911.
Bishop Gunn was known as a brilliant orator and for having tremendous energy. He cultivated the diocese’s relationship with Catholic Extension to help in the building of chapels throughout the state.
He also helped found St. Augustine Seminary with the Society of the Divine Word in Bay St. Louis for the formation of African American clergy in 1923.
By the time of his death in 1924, almost every Catholic in Mississippi was able to reach one of these chapels for Mass at least once a month. Catholic churches grew from 75 to 149 during his administration, and Catholics grew in number from 17,000 to more than 31,000.
Bishop Gunn’s 13 years of service to the Diocese were marked by the difficult four years of the first World War and the ravages of Spanish influenza. The Bishop believed strongly in service to one’s country. “In life and death I am proud of three things: my Irish birth, my Catholic faith, and my American citizenship,” he said. “I tried to translate my love for all three into service and sacrifice,” he wrote in his will.
Bishop Gunn died in New Orleans in 1924 and is buried beside his fellow Irishman Bishop Thomas Heslin on Catholic Hill in the Natchez City Cemetery.
In his will he wrote, “I believe in God. I believe all He has said because He said it and because His infallible Church heard Him and told me what He said. I love Him with my whole heart and soul and strength and for His sake I love others.”
1924-1966
Born: May 3, 1885 – Mobile
Ordained a Priest for Mobile: June 5, 1909
Ordained a Bishop: Oct. 15, 1924
Retired: 1966 from active ministry
Died: Dec. 20, 1976
Episcopal Motto: In You, O Lord, I Have Hoped
Father Richard Oliver Gerow of Mobile was appointed the seventh Bishop of Natchez by Pope Pius XI. He served for 42 years and saw a tremendous growth in the Catholic Church in Mississippi. Priests grew in number from 63 to 222, and churches increased from 108 to 159.
His administration included the years of the 1927 Mississippi River Flood, Great Depression, World War II, the Korean conflict, and the Civil Rights Movement, including the tragic murder of Medgar Evers in Jackson.
Bishop Gerow oversaw the renovation of the cathedral sanctuary in celebration of the centennial of the Diocese in 1937. He was especially interested in ecumenism and is remembered for his Christian stand in the first days of school integration. He was a consummate historian and because of him we have a vast diocesan archive that is indexed in great detail. He was also an avid photographer and documented many church activities and events throughout the Diocese.
In 1948, the diocesan offices were moved to Jackson from Natchez.=
In 1957 the diocese was renamed the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson. That same year, Joseph Bernard Brunini was ordained a Bishop and named Auxiliary Bishop of Natchez-Jackson, with St. Peter the Apostle Church being elevated to Co-Cathedral of the Diocese.
Bishop Brunini attended all of the sessions of the Second Vatican Council in Rome beginning under Pope John XXIII on October 11, 1962, and closing under Pope Paul VI on December 8, 1965.
Bishop Gerow was the first bishop to retire in office in 1966.
Bishop Joseph Bernard Brunini
1968-1984
Born: July 24, 1909 – Vicksburg
Ordained a Priest for Natchez: Dec. 5, 1933
Ordained a Bishop: Jan. 29, 1957
Apostolic Administrator for Natchez-Jackson: July 11, 1966
Installed: Jan. 29, 1968
Retired: Jan. 24, 1984
Died: Jan. 7, 1996
Episcopal Motto: God and Neighbor
In 1967, Joseph Bernard Brunini was named eighth Bishop of the Diocese and was installed the following year at St. Peter Co-Cathedral in Jackson, having been appointed Auxiliary Bishop in 1957 by Pope Pius XII. Bishop Brunini is our only native Mississippi vocation to serve as bishop in our 175 year history.
In 1969, Hurricane Camille struck the Gulf Coast, destroying St. Paul Church in Pass Christian, St. Thomas Church in Long Beach, and St. Clare Church in Waveland, and extensively damaging other church structures. This challenge was one of many that Bishop Brunini undertook with strength and determination.
His administration was quite diverse — implementation of Vatican II, the continuing Civil Rights Movement, and the Vietnam War.
He oversaw peaceful school desegregation in Mississippi’s Catholic schools, and as a strong leader addressing such issues as ecumenism, evangelization, poverty, and social justice, Bishop Brunini helped form the interfaith Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference in 1970 and served as its first chairman.
Born: August 30, 1923, Daphne, Ala
Baptized in Catholic Church: December 5, 1948
Ordained a Priest: May 7, 1959
Ordained a Bishop: January 28, 1973
Auxiliary of Natchez-Jackson: – 1973-1977
Named First Bishop of Biloxi: March 8, 1977
Installed: June 6, 1977
Retired: June 6, 2001
In 1973, Joseph Lawson Howze was named Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson.
The Catholic Foundation was established by Bishop Brunini and 23 Catholic leaders from throughout the Diocese in 1973 to provide for the future financial security of parishes, schools, and other organizations under the auspices of the Diocese.
In 1977, the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson was divided to become the Diocese of Jackson, comprised of the northern 65 counties of the state, and the Diocese of Biloxi, made up of the southeastern most 17 counties of Mississippi. At that time, Bishop Howze became the first Bishop of the Diocese of Biloxi.
In 1979, two years after the Diocese of Jackson was formed, William Russell Houck was named Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Jackson. He was ordained at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome by Pope John Paul II.
In 1984, Bishop Brunini announced his retirement, and William Houck was installed as the ninth Bishop of Jackson at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle.
Bishop William Houck was one of 27 bishops ordained by Pope John Paul II on May, 29, 1979. The ceremony lasted 4 hours. He was auxiliary bishop for the Jackson diocese from 1979-1984 when he was installed on June 6, as the ninth Bishop of Jackson.
1984-2003
Born: June 26, 1926
Ordained a Priest for Mobile: May 19, 1951
Ordained a Bishop: May 27, 1979
Installed: June 6, 1984
Retired: Jan. 3, 2003
Died: March 9, 2016
Episcopal Motto: Proclaim Jesus Christ is Lord
Bishop William R. Houck became bishop in the Catholic Diocese of Jackson in 1979 when he was ordained by Pope – now Saint – John Paul II on May 27, at the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome. He served as Auxiliary Bishop to Bishop Joseph B. Brunini from 1979-1984. He was installed as the ninth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Jackson on June 5, 1984.
Bishop Houck was born on June 26, 1926 in Mobile, Alabama. He died on March 9, 2016 at the age of 89. He was the son of William R. and Mildred Blanchard Houck. He earned his S.T.L. from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland and his Master’s Degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington. He was ordained a priest on May 19, 1951 at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mobile, by Bishop Thomas J. Toolen.
Bishop Houck was an educator. He held teaching and school administrative positions in Pensacola, Florida (1951-57) and in Birmingham, Alabama (1957-79) with the exception of 1969-70, when he was Superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham. He was high school principal, Superintendent of Schools and Secretary for Education for the Diocese of Birmingham during the years of 1957-79. He served as Pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Birmingham from 1974-79.
Bishop Houck was presently a member of the Board of Governors of the Catholic Church Extension Society, the Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference, and the Board of Hospice Ministries, Inc.
Bishop Houck was a past board member of the International Liaison: U.S. Catholic Coordinating Committee for Lay Volunteer Ministry, the American Board of Catholic Missions Committee of the NCCB, and the Mississippi Governor’s Task Force on Infant Mortality. He was also a member of the Southern Ecumenical Coalition on Maternal and Infant Health, and President of Ecumenical Health Care Organization for Whispering Pines.
He was a past president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. He was also active in the National Catholic Education Association, Southern Association of Independent Schools and Accreditation of American Schools in Latin America.
Bishop Houck also served as Chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Evangelization, and was a member of the Committee on Laity, the Domestic Policy Committee on Peace and Justice, and Conference Nominations Committee.
Under his chairmanship, the Committee on Evangelization developed Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States. This document was issued in 1992 by the U.S. Catholic Bishops.
In May 2001 Bishop Houck celebrated his 50th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood. In September of that year, at the request of Cardinal Francis George, Pope John Paul appointed him president of the Catholic Church Extension Society in Chicago.
On January 3, 2003, Pope John Paul accepted Bishop Houck’s resignation as Bishop of Jackson and appointed Msgr. Joseph Latino as the 10th Bishop of Jackson. Bishop Houck continued to serve as president of Catholic Extension until 2007, when he retired and moved back to Jackson from Chicago.
Bishop Houck marked 25 years as a bishop in 2004, and 60 years as a priest in 2011. He remained active in church ministry up to his last days.
Bishop Latino devoted his ministry as bishop to fostering Gospel-based social justice initiatives, lay leadership, and vocations.
On March 9, 2016, Bishop Houck died at St. Dominic Hospital after a heart procedure. His Funeral Mass was celebrated on Thursday, March 17, by Archbishop Thomas Rodi of Mobile. Bishop Kopacz gave the homily. His grave is in the Bishops’ Cemetery next to the Cathedral, which he consecrated in 1998.
Bishop Joseph Nunzio Latino
2003-2014
Born: Oct. 21, 1937
Ordained a Priest for New Orleans: May 25, 1963
Ordained a Bishop: March 3, 2003
Episcopal Motto: That All May Be One
Joseph Latino, came to Mississippi from the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in Louisiana. When it was established, our diocese was placed under the care of the Diocese of New Orleans. Bishop Latino is our first native born New Orleanian to serve as our bishop.
Bishop Latino devoted his ministry as bishop to fostering Gospel-based social justice initiatives, lay leadership, and vocations. During his tenure the office for Protection of Children was established to help insure a safe environment for children in our churches, schools and communities. Under his leadership the church implemented the new English translation of the Roman Missal.
