The Diocese of Jackson is a

Latin Church The Latin Church () is the largest autonomous () particular church within the Catholic Church, whose members constitute the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Catholics. The Latin Church is one of 24 Catholic particular churches and liturgical ...

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Its ecclesiastical jurisdiction includes the northern and central parts of the state, an area of . It is the largest diocese, by area, east of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. The Diocese of Jackson is a

suffragan diocese A suffragan diocese is one of the dioceses other than the metropolitan archdiocese that constitute an ecclesiastical province. It exists in some Christian denominations, in particular the Catholic Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandr ...

of the

Archdiocese of Mobile ''Former names: Apostolic Vicariate of Alabama and the Floridas (1825-1829), Diocese of Mobile (1829-1954; 1969-1980), Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham (1954-1969).'' The Archdiocese of Mobile (Latin: ''Archidiœcesis Mobiliensis'') is a Latin Church ...

. The bishop of Jackson, as of 2023, is Joseph Kopacz.

History

1600 to 1837

The first Catholic priests in Mississippi were French

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

and Capuchin missionaries who accompanied the La Salle, Marquette, and d'Iberville expeditions in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1787, three priests, McKenna, White, and Savage, arrived in

Natchez Natchez may refer to: Places * Natchez, Alabama, United States * Natchez, Indiana, United States * Natchez, Louisiana, United States * Natchez, Mississippi, a city in southwestern Mississippi, United States ** Natchez slave market, Mississippi * ...

from Spain and erected three missions in the vicinity. These missions disappeared after the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...

ceded the area to the new United States in the early 19th century. The

Mississippi Territory The Territory of Mississippi was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that was created under an organic act passed by the United States Congress, Congress of the United States. It was approved and signed into law by Presiden ...

was originally under the jurisdiction of the

Diocese of Louisiana and the Two Floridas The Archdiocese of New Orleans (; ; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical division of the Catholic Church spanning Jefferson (except Grand Isle), Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, and Washingto ...

. In 1826,

Pope Leo XII Pope Leo XII (; born Annibale Francesco Clemente Melchiorre Girolamo Nicola della Genga; 2 August 1760 – 10 February 1829) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 28 September 1823 to his death in February 1829. ...

moved the new state of Mississippi into the Vicariate Apostolic of Mississippi. The pope named Bishop Louis-Guillaume-Valentin DuBourg as the vicar apostolic.

1837 to 1860

In 1837,

Pope Gregory XVI Pope Gregory XVI (; ; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in June 1846. He had adopted the name Mauro upon enteri ...

elevated the vicariate to the Diocese of Natchez, encompassing all of Mississippi. He named Reverend John Chanche, president of St. Mary's College in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

as the first bishop of Natchez in 1840. At his arrival in Mississippi, Chanche found one priest in the diocese, Brogard, who was there only temporarily. Chanche set to work building a diocesan infrastructure. The first Catholic church in Vicksburg, St. Paul's, was built in 1841. In 1842, Chanche laid the cornerstone of the

Cathedral of Our Lady of Sorrows The Cathedral of our Lady of Sorrows, also called ''Cathedral of Mary Mother of Sorrows'', () is a Chaldean Catholic cathedral located in Baghdad, Iraq, dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. Consecrated in 1898, it is the seat of the Chaldean Catho ...

, designed by Robert Long Jr. After the Vatican transferred the diocesan see to Jackson, this became St. Mary's Basilica. In 1847 the

Sisters of Charity Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity in their name. Some ''Sisters of Charity'' communities refer to the Vincentian tradition alone, or in America to the tradition of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (whose sisters are also of ...

of Emmitsburg, Maryland, came to Natchez and established Saint Mary's Orphanage. During his tenure as bishop, Chanche built 11 churches, with a team of 11 priests and 13 attendant missions. Chanche died in 1853. Bishop James Van de Velde was named as the second bishop of Natchez by

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

in 1853. However, after only 23 months in office, Van de Velde died in 1855 of yellow fever.Biographical Sketch of Bishop James O. Van de Velde, S. J.
, St. Mary Basilica Archives. Accessed April 13, 2009. The next bishop of Natchez was Bishop William Elder, appointed by Pius IX in 1857. At the time he arrived in Natchez, the diocese had eleven missions (churches), nine priests and 10,000 Catholics.

1860 to 1900

After the occupation of Natchez in 1864 by the Union Army during the American Civil War, Elder refused an order from the military government to compel his parishioners to pray for the US president. Elder was then arrested, tried, convicted, and jailed briefly in

Vidalia, Louisiana Vidalia is the largest city and the parish seat of Concordia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,299 as of the 2010 census. Vidalia is located on the west bank of the Mississippi River. The city of Natchez, Mississippi, lie ...

. Elder wrote an appeal from prison to President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

. Elder explained that his refusal was not based on politics, but on the authority of the Catholic church to regulate its church services. The Federal Government ordered Elder's release from prison on August 12, 1864.''Character Glimpses of Most Reverend William Henry Elder, D.D.,'' published by Frederick Pustet & Company, New York and Cincinnati, 1911 In 1878, a yellow fever epidemic broke out in Natchez. Ministering to the sick, Elder caught the disease. He survived but lost six diocesan priests. When he left the diocese, there were 41 churches, 25 priests, six religious houses for men, five convents, 13 parish schools and 12,500 Catholics. Elder was named coadjutor archbishop for the

Archdiocese of Cincinnati The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cincinnati () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church that covers all of the dioceses in the State of Ohio. As of 2025, the archbishop of Cincinnati is Robert Casey. T ...

in 1880 by

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

. In 1881,

Francis Janssens Francis August Anthony Joseph Janssens (October 17, 1843 – June 9, 1897) was a Dutch-born American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of New Orleans from 1888 to 1897. He previously served as Bishop of Natchez from 1881 to 1888. Bi ...

from the

Diocese of Richmond The Diocese of Richmond () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in Virginia in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese of the metropolitan Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, Archdiocese of Balti ...

was appointed the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Natchez by Leo XIII. During his tenure, Janssens completed construction on the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city sits on the Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana), Pearl River and is locate ...

, which had commenced forty years earlier. The pope named him archbishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 1888. St. Joseph School was founded in Greenville in 1888. In 1889, Leo III appointed

Thomas Heslin Thomas Heslin (April 17, 1847 – February 22, 1911) was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Natchez in Mississippi from 1889 until his death in 1911. Biography Early life One of seve ...

of the Archdiocese of St. Louis as the new bishop of Natchez. St. Mary's Church in Vicksburg, serving the African-American community, was founded in 1906, with half of the funding coming from Sister Katherine Drexel.

1900 to 1960

When Heslin died in 1911,

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X (; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing Modernism in the Catholic Church, modern ...

named John Gunn as bishop of Natchez. Upon Gunn's arrival, the diocese contained 75 churches, 46 priests, and 17,000 Catholics. He then began extensive pastoral visits to all the parishes and missions throughout the diocese, which covered nearly 47,000 square miles. Gunn received significant assistance from the

Catholic Church Extension Society Catholic Extension (also known as the Catholic Church Extension Society) is a national fundraising 501(c)(3) organization which supports and strengthens poor mission dioceses across the United States. They provide funding and resources to diocese ...

, and incorporated the diocese in 1918. He became known as the "Chapel Builder"; by the time of Gunn's death, the diocese had grown to 149 churches and over 31,000 Catholics. After Gunn died in 1924,

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI (; born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, ; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939) was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 until his death in February 1939. He was also the first sovereign of the Vatican City State u ...

appointed Richard Gerow of the Diocese of Mobile as the next bishop of Natchez. During his 43-year tenure, Gerow oversaw an extensive renovation of St. Mary's Cathedral, held biannual clerical conferences, and worked to established

Confraternity of Christian Doctrine The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) is an association established in Rome in 1562 for the purpose of providing religious education. In modern usage, it refers to the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., which owns the copyright on t ...

programs in every parish of the diocese. He moved the

episcopal see An episcopal see is the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, making it synonymous with ''diocese'' ...

of the diocese to Jackson in 1948. On December 18, 1956, the Vatican renamed the Diocese of Natchez to the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson.

1960 to 1980

In 1963, Gerow condemned the assassination of civil rights activist

Medgar Evers Medgar Wiley Evers (; July 2, 1925June 12, 1963) was an American civil rights activist and soldier who was the NAACP's first field secretary in Mississippi. Evers, a United States Army veteran who served in World War II, was engaged in efforts ...

Mound Bayou, Mississippi Mound Bayou is a city in Bolivar County, Mississippi, Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,533 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, down from 2,102 in 2000. It was founded as an independent black community in ...

, saying, "We need frankly to admit that the guilt for the murder and the other instances of violence in our community tragically must be shared by all of us." The following year, Gerow ordered Catholic primary schools in the diocese to admit students to the first grade "without regard to race." In 1965, Gerow ordered the

desegregation Racial integration, or simply integration, includes desegregation (the process of ending systematic racial segregation), leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws ...

of all grades in Catholic schools, in order to "bring our practice into full conformity with the teachings of Christ." Gerow retired in 1967. The next bishop of Natchez-Jackson was Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Brunini, appointed by

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

in 1967. He was the first native Mississippian to serve in that post. During his tenure, Brunini was an outspoken advocate of the American Civil Rights Movement; he once declared, "We as religious leaders can't blame the politicians if we don't do our job first." He co-founded and served as the first president of the Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference. In 1977, Paul VI erected the Diocese of Biloxi, removing the southern counties of Mississippi from what was now called the Diocese of Jackson. Coat of arms of the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson

Coat of arms of the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson

1980 to present

When Brunini retired in 1984,

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

named William Houck from the Archdiocese of Mobile to serve as bishop of Jackson. Houck retired in 2003 and John Paul II appointed Joseph Latino of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodoux that same year. He instituted the Office for Protection of Children. Latino retired in 2013. As of 2023, the bishop of the Diocese of Jackson is Joseph Kopacz from the

Diocese of Scranton The Diocese of Scranton () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in northeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It is a suffragan see of Archdiocese of Philadelphia, established on March 3, 1868. ...

, named by

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

in 2013. In October 2019, the diocese was sued by Arie Mattheus de Lang, its former financial director. Lang claimed that the diocese fired him in 2018 when he complained about its budget practices and a potential conflict of interest involving Kopacz. The diocese said that Lang was terminated due to performance issues.

Sexual abuse

Kenneth, Thomas and Francis Morrison Jr., three brothers from Jackson, sued the diocese in June 2002. They claimed that they had all been sexually abused as minors by Reverend George Broussard during the 1960s and early 1970s. The brothers said the alleged abuse took place at St. Peter's Church behind the altar, at the

rectory A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, p ...

and at a family lake house. After two of the boys told their father about it, he reported the abuse to the diocese in 1973. The diocese then allowed Broussard to remain at St. Peter's for another 18 months. He left public ministry in 1975. Mark Belenchia and a man identified as John Doe sued the diocese in July 2002, saying that they had been sexually abused as teenagers by two diocesan priests. Belenchia accused the priest Bernard Haddican of sexually abusing him, after plying him with cigarettes and alcohol. Doe said that he was sexually assaulted by Reverend Paul Madden during a 1973 trip to Ireland. A judge dismissed the two cases in 2003, saying that they had passed the

statute of limitations A statute of limitations, known in civil law systems as a prescriptive period, is a law passed by a legislative body to set the maximum time after an event within which legal proceedings may be initiated. ("Time for commencing proceedings") In ...

. In 2006, the diocese settled lawsuits with 19 sexual abuse victims for $5 million, with an average payout of over $250,000 per victim. The Morrison brothers were included in this settlement. In 2020, the media reported that La Jarvis D. Love claimed that he was sexually abused by Brother Paul West at a Franciscan primary school in

Greenwood Green wood is unseasoned wood. Greenwood or Green wood may also refer to: People * Greenwood (surname) Settlements Australia * Greenwood, Queensland, a locality in the Toowoomba Region * Greenwood, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth ...

. Love in early 2019 accepted a $15,000 financial settlement from the Franciscan Order. In August 2019, Love's three cousins, Joshua Love, La Jarvis Love and Raphael Love, also accused West of sexually abusing them in the mid-1990s. In August 2020, West was extradited from

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

to Mississippi to face trial on sexual abuse charges against La Jarvis D. Love. West was convicted in April 2022 of

sexual battery Battery is a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact, distinct from assault, which is the act of creating reasonable fear or apprehension of such contact. Battery is a specific common law offense, although the term is used more gen ...

and gratification of lust and sentenced to 45 years in prison.

Demographics

The first cathedral of the Diocese of Natchez was St. Mary's in Natchez, whose cornerstone was laid by Bishop Chanche in 1842. The current seat of the Diocese of Jackson is the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson. In 1998, St. Mary's was designated as Saint Mary Basilica. The diocese encompasses an area that is overwhelmingly

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

. Only about 2.6% of the residents in the diocese are considered Catholic (about 52,000 Catholics out of a total population of nearly 2 million). The diocese contains 74

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

es and has 79 priests.

Bishops

Portrait of archbishop william henry elder thomas eakins

Vicars Apostolic of Mississippi

Louis William Valentine DuBourg Louis William Valentine DuBourg (; 10 January 1766 – 12 December 1833) was a French Catholic prelate and Sulpician missionary to the United States. He built up the church in the vast new Louisiana Territory as the Bishop of Louisiana and ...

(1825–1826)

Bishops of Natchez

# John J. Chanche, P.S.S. (1840–1852) #

James Oliver Van de Velde James Oliver Van de Velde, SJ (April 3, 1795 – November 13, 1855) was a Belgian-born Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Natchez from 1853 to his death. He was a member of the Jesuits. Van de Velde previously served as Bishop of Chica ...

, S.J. (1853–1855) #

William Henry Elder William Henry Elder (March 22, 1819 – October 31, 1904) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Natchez from 1857 to 1880 and as Archbishop of Cincinnati from 1883 until his death. Biography Early life and education Willia ...

(1857–1880), appointed Archbishop of Cincinnati #

(1881–1888), appointed

Archbishop of New Orleans The Archdiocese of New Orleans (; ; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical division of the Catholic Church spanning Jefferson (except Grand Isle), Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, and Washingto ...

(1889–1911) #

John Edward Gunn John Edward Gunn (15 March 1863 – 19 February 1924) was an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Natchez from 1911 until his death in 1924. Biography Early life and ordination The oldest of eleven children, John ...

, S.M. (1911–1924) #

Richard Oliver Gerow Richard Oliver Gerow (May 3, 1885 – December 20, 1976) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson in Mississippi from 1924 to 1967. Biography Early life Richard Gerow was born ...

(1924–1956), title changed with title of diocese

Bishops of Natchez-Jackson

# Richard Oliver Gerow (1956–1967) # Joseph Bernard Brunini (1967–1977), title changed with title of diocese

Bishops of Jackson

# Joseph Bernard Brunini (1977–1984) # William Russell Houck (1984–2003) #

Joseph Nunzio Latino Joseph Nunzio Latino (October 21, 1937 – May 28, 2021) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Jackson from 2003 to 2013. Early life and career Joseph Latino was born on October 21, 1937, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He at ...

(2003–2013) # Joseph R. Kopacz (2014–present)

Former auxiliary bishops

* Joseph Bernard Brunini (1957–1967), appointed Bishop of Jackson *

Joseph Lawson Howze Joseph Lawson Edward Howze (born Lawson Edward Howze; August 30, 1923 – January 9, 2019) was an American Catholic prelate who served as the first Bishop of Biloxi from 1977 to 2001. He was the first openly Black Catholic ordinary of a U.S. ...

(1973–1977), appointed Bishop of Biloxi * William Russell Houck (1979–1984), appointed Bishop of Jackson

Other diocesan priests who became bishops

Bernard Francis Law Bernard Francis Cardinal Law (November 4, 1931 – December 20, 2017) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church who, among other offices, served as Archbishop of Boston from 1984 to 2002. Originally considered an influential voice a ...

, appointed Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau in 1973; future Cardinal * Ronald Paul Herzog, appointed Bishop of Alexandria in 2004

Schools

Elementary and high schools

* Cathedral High School – Natchez * St. Joseph Catholic School

– The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...

Greenville * Vicksburg Catholic - St. Aloysius

Vicksburg

Middle and high schools

St. Joseph Catholic

Madison

References

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Catholic Diocese Of Jackson Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Mobile Catholic Church in Mississippi Culture of Jackson, Mississippi 1837 establishments in Mississippi

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...