Father Darrell Kelly, SVD
Father Darrell “Chuck” Kelly, SVD, died May 7, 2026, after a lengthy illness in Bay St. Louis.
Born Oct. 8, 1961, in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, he attended St. Gabriel School and Immaculate Conception High School. He studied at Mississippi Valley State University, served in the U.S. Army, including during Operation Desert Storm, and later worked as a correctional officer with the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
After converting to the Catholic faith, Father Kelly discerned a vocation to the priesthood. He attended Divine Word College, completed his novitiate with the Divine Word Missionaries and studied at Catholic Theological Union. He was ordained May 28, 2005, in Techny, Illinois.
His assignments included Notre Dame Parish in St. Martinville, Louisiana; Holy Ghost Parish in Jackson; and Our Mother of Mercy Parish in Fort Worth, Texas. Despite significant health challenges, he continued to serve faithfully in ministry.
Funeral services were held May 13 at St. Augustine Parish in Bay St. Louis, with burial and full military honors.
Father Gerald Joseph Peterson
Father Gerald Peterson, 96, a Glenmary Home Missioner for 73 years, died May 13, 2026, in Cincinnati.
A native of Loretto, Kentucky, Father Peterson joined Glenmary as one of its earliest members and was part of the second novitiate class in 1952. He earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Vanderbilt University and later studied Spanish in Mexico to better serve immigrant communities.
Throughout his ministry, he served in Appalachia, Virginia; Georgia; Tennessee; Alabama; and Mississippi. From 2001 to 2013, he ministered in Pontotoc, Mississippi, serving local Catholics and the broader community.
Known for his creativity and concern for those in need, Father Peterson helped establish transportation, housing, childcare, health-care and food programs in mission communities. Fellow Glenmarians remembered him as a tireless missionary dedicated to evangelization and service.
He is survived by his twin sister, Geraldine. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated June 3 in Cincinnati.
Sister Mary Elisa Bauman, RSM
Sister Mary Elisa Bauman, RSM, died May 16, 2026, at Catherine’s Residence in St. Louis. She was 88 and had been a Sister of Mercy for 70 years.
Born Mary Louise Bauman on Nov. 2, 1937, in North Little Rock, Arkansas, she entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1955 and professed perpetual vows in 1961. She earned degrees in education and English and devoted much of her religious life to Catholic education.
Sister Elisa taught at schools in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Mississippi, including Our Lady Academy in Bay St. Louis. She also served as principal and administrator at Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock, Mercy Cross High School in Biloxi and Our Lady Academy.
After retiring from education, she remained active in the Bay St. Louis community before moving to St. Louis in 2022. She is survived by four nieces, members of her Mercy community and many friends. Funeral services were held privately, with a memorial Mass and burial planned in Little Rock.
Meyrl Schmit
Meyrl Schmit, a former priest of the Diocese of Jackson, died April 27, 2026, at age 87.
Born April 20, 1939, in Detroit, Michigan, he later served as a priest in the Diocese of Jackson and subsequently taught as an adjunct professor at community colleges in Illinois.
He is survived by his wife, Carolyn. Funeral services were held June 12 in Bryant, Indiana, with burial in the parish cemetery.
