Author Archives: Mary Woodward

History layered on history

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – As of this writing, I am recovering from the Ole Miss Rebels losing to the Miami Hurricanes in the Fiesta Bowl last night in Arizona. Ole Miss had a historic run playing for a spot in the college football national championship game. I know everyone has their favorite school and team, but it is exciting that a team from our state reached such a high level on the national sports scene.

Several of my nieces and nephews went to Ole Miss, and we currently have one there and one playing in the band at Mississippi State, so our family is very diverse when it comes to college sports among other things. I went to Millsaps, so I like to see everyone do well.

WATER VALLEY – St. Patrick Parish in Water Valley is shown in January 1940, when it served as the central parish for Catholic mission communities across north Mississippi. (Photo from archives)

Back in the early part of the 1900s, Oxford was not the sports or Catholic epicenter it is today. The thriving town of Water Valley was the central parish of that region. From Water Valley came Grenada, Oxford, and Holly Springs. All these were missions of Water Valley.

In October of 1941, Bishop Richard Gerow made a visit to that region after picking up Bishop William O’Brien, president of the Catholic Church Extension Society in Chicago, at the “airfield” in Memphis. Bishop O’Brien was coming down for the dedication of St. Peter’s in Grenada. Extension had supported the building of the church there.

The plan was to stay the night before the dedication at the rectory in Water Valley with the pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Father Cletus Manon. If you haven’t been there, Water Valley is about halfway between Grenada and Oxford on Hwy 7. It’s the Coffeeville exit just north of Grenada off I-55. Make sure you stay close to the speed limit on that stretch.

Back to the story. After arriving at the rectory, the men devised who would sleep where in the quaint structure. Because he would be celebrating the Mass at the parish the next morning before going over to Grenada, Bishop Gerow decided to take the small bedroom closest to the church.

In his diary, he offers an interesting tale about the situation:

“As I was preparing to go to my room, the housekeeper very timidly approached me and with a look of anxiety in her eye said to me, ‘I hope you will be able to sleep in that room tonight’; and when I inquired as to the cause of her anxiety, she told me that the room was haunted.

“She told me that at night strange noises were heard in this room that had disturbed others who had attempted to sleep there. I assured her that I was not afraid of haunts, and that I was very glad that I had been assigned to this room rather than one of the other Bishops.

“When I entered the room to prepare for the night, I had the theory that there was probably some loose furniture or some loose article in the room that in the still of the night might be caused to vibrate when trucks would pass by the house.

“Accordingly, I examined the furniture and the articles in the room but found nothing there that might indicate a tendency to rattle on vibration. So, I went to bed and went to sleep. During the course of the night, I heard the knocks and creaking that she had spoken about, and it was not long before I readily discovered the cause of it.

“During the heat of the day preceding, the timbers of the room had expanded, and now in the chill of the night they were contracting, and this contraction of the timbers was the cause of the knocking and the creaking and the weird noises about which the housekeeper had spoken.

“So now having satisfied myself definitely as to the nature of the spooks, I went back to sleep. The following morning, I told her of my discovery, and, while she did not exactly want to doubt the word of a bishop, nevertheless I don’t think that I thoroughly convinced her.”

During his stay in Mississippi, Bishop O’Brien visited Oxford and celebrated Mass for the Catholic students at Ole Miss. It was then that he along with Bishop Gerow saw the need for a church building in Oxford.

After almost passing out when Father Manon told everyone the good Bishop from Extension had promised $50,000 toward building a church there, Bishop O’Brien ended up pledging $10,000 from Catholic Extension. A few years later, Bishop O’Brien was back from Chicago to celebrate the dedication of St. John Church in Oxford.

This is a great story that reminds us of our connection with Catholic Extension and how they have helped and continue to help our diocese grow and spread the Good News. I imagine at the dedication of the new St. John’s 80+ years ago, the students let out a boisterous “Hotty Toddy” for Bishop O’Brien to take back with him to Chicago.

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Jubilee year bus pilgrimage inspires hope

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – On a crisp November Saturday, a group of 27 pilgrims boarded a bus in front of St. Peter Cathedral bound for Mobile, Alabama to participate in the Archdiocese of Mobile’s annual Black Catholic History Month celebrations. The pilgrims were all charter members of the newly launched Sister Thea Bowman Guild.

The pilgrimage bus makes an unexpected stop outside Seminary, Mississippi, after a mechanical issue delayed the group’s journey to Alabama. Rather than dampen spirits, the delay became an opportunity for fellowship as pilgrims shared grits and conversation at a nearby Ward’s, turning an inconvenience into a moment of community. (Photo by Mary Woodward)

Several months ago, archdiocesan officials in Mobile had invited our diocese to participate in their annual celebrations to promote the cause for canonization of Sister Thea and invite collaborative efforts among the two dioceses going forward around her cause. This invitation grew into the formation of the official guild for Sister Thea’s cause, which early next year will be the main point of contact for actively supporting her cause prayerfully and financially.

As we rolled down Highway 49, guild members anticipated a first stop at historic Africatown just outside Mobile. Africatown is the site where descendants of the last ship carrying slaves entered the United States illegally in 1860. The Atlantic slave trade had been banned since 1808, but in 1860, 110 slaves were smuggled into the Mobile Bay and partially up the Mobile River on the Clotilda, which was burned and sunk shortly after its arrival to conceal any evidence of its cargo.

Unfortunately, on the outskirts of Seminary, our bus broke down and the pilgrimage was delayed waiting for repair. Serendipitously, we coasted into the parking lot of the local Ward’s and spent the next two hours getting to know one another over grits, biscuits, burgers and fries. Guild members came from Greenville Sacred Heart Parish, Vicksburg St. Mary Parish, Jackson Holy Ghost and Christ the King Parishes along with a smattering of other locations in the diocese. We even had a communications person come down from LaCrosse, Wisc., to cover the event for the FSPAs, Sister Thea’s religious order.

Soon enough we were back on the road, but the delay caused us to miss Africatown so that we could make it to the hotel and change for the archdiocesan event at Prince of Peace Parish. The celebration included a vibrant program of prayer, music and the sharing of stories about Sister Thea by several who knew her and whose lives were greatly influenced and inspired by her.

Following the program, Archbishop Mark Rivituso of Mobile celebrated Mass with Father Tony Ricard serving as homilist. Father Ricard, a priest from New Orleans, gave an incredible witness in word and song of the journey of African American Catholics throughout history, including Sister Thea’s profound contributions to that journey.

At the very end of the Mass, I was asked to share a few words on Sister Thea’s Cause and the new guild. It was a great honor to be standing before such a vibrant gathering of faith, hope, and love. I assured the congregation that Sister Thea’s cause was in the hands of some incredibly dynamic scholars who were hoping to have everything ready to send off to Rome very soon. We will have more details on that in January.

After Mass, our group enjoyed dinner on the grounds of Prince of Peace listening to a jazz band and mingling among the parishioners and others from around Mobile then headed back to the hotel for some rest.

The next morning, we made a quick visit to the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, a short walk from the hotel in Downtown Mobile. The cathedral parish was founded in 1703 and has been on that spot since then though not the original building. It is a beautiful worship space, and our pilgrims appreciated a chance to offer some prayers of thanksgiving before boarding the bus bound for Montgomery. Fortunately, the ride up to Montgomery did not involve any unexpected stops and we made it to our first stop, the Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Sites, in good time.

The EJI Legacy Sites include the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park. If you have never been, you need to go. It is an outstanding, comprehensive, and heart-wrenching encounter documenting the Black Experience in our country.
One could spend days trying to take in all the interactive exhibits, artifacts, and information. On the EJI website, Forbes Magazine describes it this way: “With each person who visits the Legacy Museum, who faces these wounds of our past and is moved to change, we move one step closer to healing.”

After several hours at the Legacy Sites, we headed to the City of St. Jude Parish in Montgomery. This parish is historic for it becoming a city within the city of Montgomery offering on its grounds educational opportunities, medical and social services to the community, and refuge to Civil Rights workers and those who participated in marches in Selma and Montgomery.

The afternoon program featured music and prayer and witnesses to Sister Thea’s dynamic strength and faith by those who knew her. Once again Father Ricard shared his vibrant message of African American Catholics and Sister Thea’s legacy.

The parish kindly provided us with food for our journey home as we made our way to our bus and the long ride home to Jackson.

Reflecting on the whole weekend, we encountered the rich and deep faith of our church in a unique and profound way. It was an honor to be a part of this journey of hope with such an inspiring group of people from our diocese. We are already thinking of future adventures.

To learn more about Sister Thea’s Cause and the Guild, visit our website at: https://www.jacksondiocese.org/thea-bowman

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Chancery adds to architectural district

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
On my drive to the Diocesan Chancery building each morning, I am fortunate not to have to use the interstate. I can drive through two historic Jackson neighborhoods, past museums and the last of some of the original Jackson business buildings to get to my office downtown.

Leaving my house, I pass Eudora Welty’s house, which is now a museum dedicated to her life. The small window on the second floor is where she sat and typed up her wonderful stories. Soon the famous or infamous “Jitney 14” is on my left. This is where Miss Welty shopped among a myriad of characters who would stop at Parkins pharmacy next door to have an egg salad sandwich or a burger and a milkshake.
Further down the road I pass the old White House, a former boarding house that served great Saturday lunches and is now an eclectic coffee and small batch bakery known as Urban Foxes. Two blocks later I see Carter Jewelers off to the right and the New Capitol Building, which is called new even though it is more than 100 years old because the original Capitol Building still stands.

Bishop Gerow prays on roof of the diocesan chancery building in Jackson on Dec. 12, 1948. On right, the dedication plaque for the diocesan chancery building located in the Smith Park Architectural District of Jackson.

Straight in front of me is that Old Capitol. On the way up to it on the left, I pass three amazing buildings housing the State of Mississippi’s history – the Mississippi History Museum, the Civil Rights Museum, and the William F. Winter Archives. I appreciate how the history museum and archives building are classic architecture that sandwich the unique contemporary architecture of the Civil Rights museum. The whole complex works and graces that block with its formidable presence.

Between these buildings and the Old Capitol stands the War Memorial building. Turning onto Amite Street, I can see the clock on the Lamar Life building over on Capitol Street. This is one of Jackson’s coolest buildings architecturally along with the Standard Life building further down. Complete with gargoyles on the upper ridge, the Lamar Life building is a tribute to Gothic Revival style. The Standard Life building is a masterpiece in Art Deco design. Once homes to business endeavors, both are now residential and mixed use.

Driving down Amite Street I now enter the Smith Park Architectural District, an area of downtown encompassing all these unique styles of architecture. Smith Park itself is one of the oldest continually used public parks in the country. It dates back to 1838. The area is part of the national register of historic places.

Workers pour concrete for the second floor of the chancery building at 237 East Amite Street in January 1947.

The reason I mention all these is because our diocesan cathedral, cathedral rectory, and chancery office are all located in and are a part of this historic district. The southwest corner of Amite and West Streets is where the cathedral rectory and the chancery sit. Across Amite on the northwest corner is the Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary.

Finished in 1900, this current building is the third St. Peter’s parish church. The first was built in 1846 and located eight blocks to the south and burned in the Civil War. The second was finished in 1868 and sat where the rectory and chancery now sit.

Once the new brick church across the street was completed, the second wood-framed church was used as a gathering center for the KCs and other parish events. In 1913, Rev. Aloysius Heick, SVD, came and loaded the second church on mule carts and took it several blocks north to become the first Holy Ghost church.

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Path to sainthood filled with reams of details

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
With the arrival of November – Black Catholic History Month – I wanted to give an update on the canonical process for Sister Thea Bowman’s cause for canonization. The process is in full swing and the historical commission, postulator, and myself as chancellor/archivist are getting down to the minute details of formatting pages, indexing materials and verifying sources.

The hope is to have all this completed by the end of the year so that in February we can officially close the diocesan phase of the process with a Mass and sealing of the Acts ceremony. Then we will send two copies of the Acts to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. Once this happens, the Roman Phase begins where everything in the Acts is reviewed by experts at the Vatican.

Sister Thea Bowman appears with a choir in this undated photo from the diocesan archives.

As mentioned above, the small details of bringing the Acts together involve strict formatting, numbering thousands of pages for corresponding index sections, and transcribing dozens of audio interviews. Margin widths, five-digit page numbers, consistent source citations all are part of the work of the historical commission and chancellor. Truly, it is a labor of love for all involved.

In completing much of this work, we have involved all types of resources and technologies. Artificial Intelligence has been a big help in formatting many of the sections. I have been amazed at how AI can assist in this process by very accurately transcribing audio files. Naturally, we must read through and make sure various terms such as “convent” do not get transcribed as “covid,” but AI has been a big help.

So, as I was contemplating what to write today, I thought let me see how AI would write a column about Sister Thea’s cause. In the sidebar is what AI produced when I asked that very question.

Reading the story from ChatGPT, I see the beauty and the dangers of AI. It can produce a lovely column and facilitate efficient transcriptions, but it can induce laziness and complacency in the human spirit – quite antithetical to Sister Thea Bowman.

This was an experiment, and I pledge that this will be the only time I use AI to write this column.
Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, pray for us.

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)

What AI wrote

Walking with Sister Thea: A milestone in her cause for canonization

During Black Catholic History Month, the Diocese of Jackson continues to celebrate the legacy of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA. Progress continues in the cause for her canonization, as the diocese works diligently to complete the final steps of the diocesan phase before sending the Acts to the Vatican for review.

By ChatGPT
As the church continues her journey toward recognizing holy witnesses from our own time and soil, the Cause for Beatification and Canonization of Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA, stands as a remarkable sign of grace and hope. Across the nation, and particularly within our Diocese of Jackson and among the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, the life and legacy of this extraordinary woman continue to inspire discipleship, unity, and joyful faith.

Sister Thea Bowman – teacher, evangelizer, scholar, singer, and prophetic voice – taught us that holiness blooms in every culture and vocation, and that the Gospel is most powerful when shared with authenticity, music, truth and love. She invited the church to “walk together, children, and don’t get weary.” Those who encountered her knew they were in the presence of a soul deeply rooted in God’s love and aflame with missionary zeal.

Current progress in the cause
Today, her cause is moving steadily and prayerfully forward. Over the past several years, the diocesan team has worked diligently to gather testimony, review personal writings, authenticate historical records, and interview those who knew Sister Thea personally. This stage – known as the diocesan inquiry – is a painstaking and sacred process, ensuring that every aspect of her life and virtues is examined with integrity and reverence.

Witness interviews, archival research, and historical documentation have formed a rich tapestry of evidence regarding Sister Thea’s heroic faith, enduring joy amidst suffering, and fearless commitment to the dignity of every person. The final steps of this diocesan phase are underway, and once complete, the documentation will be sealed and sent to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in Rome.

A Call to Prayer and Participation
As we move forward, the faithful are encouraged to pray through Sister Thea’s intercession. Many already turn to her for healing, encouragement and strength. Stories of grace continue to surface – testimonies of hope, reconciliation, and renewed faith inspired by her witness.

The church invites us not simply to admire holy people, but to imitate them. Sister Thea once said, “I come to you as a Black woman … a Catholic … a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration … and I come to you in love.”

May we, like her, bring all that we are to Christ and to one another.

Looking Ahead with Hope
The road to canonization is long, but every step is filled with prayer, discernment and joyful expectation. We trust that the Holy Spirit is guiding this work, and we are grateful for all who support the cause through prayer, pilgrimage, testimony, research and devotion.

May Sister Thea’s song continue to echo in our hearts and in our church. And may the day come when the universal church proclaims what so many already know – that Sister Thea Bowman is a saint among us.

Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, pray for us.
Walk with us.
And help us sing a new church into being.

October highlights American archives

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
American Archives Month is national celebration led by the United States National Archives every October to promote the importance of archives in preserving cultural heritage and historical records. It’s a time when archives nationwide open their doors to highlight their collections, showcase stories, and celebrate the value of public records.

For the past five years through this column, we have been highlighting in various ways our diocesan archives. We have shared sacramental records dating back to the 1790s, stories from the travels of our bishops at home and abroad, our diocesan connection to the Gulf South region, unique characters and historical tidbits. A huge thank you to Bishop Richard Oliver Gerow who meticulously maintained our collection for more than 40 years.

Our archive collection is full of American history and church history. We currently are in a clean and reorganize mode. Papers and artifacts are getting a new look. Therefore, the vault is closed to any outside professional research at this time.

As much as we would like to allow visits to the archives, it simply is not the nature of the beast. Visits to our archive collection are reserved for professional scholars researching historical topics for dissertations and journal publications. We do not allow independent genealogical research among our records or the well-intentioned history buff.

With that understanding, we have tried to break open some of our cherished history for you to give you an image of how our Catholic faith has developed over the past 300 years in this little corner of God’s Kingdom. So, in celebration of American Archives Month let me feature a few of our favorite images from the collection.

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Photos essential to archival documentation

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward

While flipping through Bishop Richard Gerow’s Reminiscences I came across a photo he took of the exterior of his home parish church in Mobile. The photo is from the Conti Street side near the rear of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

Bishop Gerow grew up in the shadows of the Cathedral in the heart of Downtown Mobile. He was baptized, received first communion, confirmed and ordained a bishop there. His family lived a few blocks from the historic church, and he served Mass there almost daily as a young boy before heading off to college and ultimately seminary in Rome.

An avid photographer, Bishop Gerow took photos throughout his life and his photo collection in our archives has helped document the history of early 1900s Mobile and Rome and all places in between where he travelled. He captured the churches, people, buildings, and other various slices of life in our diocese from 1924 – 1966 during his tenure as chief shepherd in Mississippi.

Photos are essential tools in archival work to document and date the history of a particular time and location through visual images. This is one of the more fun parts of archival research.

This particular photo of the exterior of his beloved Mobile Cathedral shows the beauty of the structure in black and white, but something one would never really notice is a small magnolia tree halfway down the side of the church. The photo dates to around 1910 after Bishop Gerow’s return to Mobile from Rome following his ordination to the priesthood in 1909.

If you travelled to Mobile today, that little starter tree is still there. Now, it rises majestically to the roof line of the church and spreads its massive network of limbs throughout this section of the cathedral gardens.

I have heard many people walking past it wondering aloud how old the tree might be. Because we have the 1910 photo, we can better answer that question by saying it is at least 115.

I took a photo of the tree in September 2023, while I was waiting to be freed from the cathedral garden after I had been locked inside the gate on a Friday afternoon. The light was still good, and I tried to capture the centenarian and its sprawling limbs.

The planter of the tree is long gone and unknown to me. Perhaps there is some record of it in the Mobile archdiocesan archive. This magnolia is a wonderful testament to the proverb that the one who plants a tree for others in the future to enjoy its shade has begun to understand the meaning of life.

That tree has shaded many young men on their way to ordination. It has provided a backdrop for countless marriage proposals in the gardens it towers over. And it provides shade for so many on hot summer days.

The Mobile magnolia has journeyed from a small bundle of potential to a wise elder gracing the grounds of history. Bishop Gerow certainly would be impressed and happy to see it now.

More from Bishop Gerow’s Reminiscences next time. In the meantime, enjoy the shade as we transition into the fall of the year.

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)

MOBILE – A circa 1910 photo taken by Bishop Richard Gerow (above) shows a newly planted magnolia tree, circled in red, outside the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. More than a century later, the same tree (left) now towers to the roofline, shading the cathedral gardens. (Archive photo from the Diocese of Jackson Archives; recent photo by Mary Woodward)

Exhibit brings back memories of Katrina

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
Recently, I assisted in setting up for the Bishop’s Ball, Catholic Charities’ annual fundraiser. This year the event was held at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson, a wonderful complex featuring the state’s history from prehistoric times to the present, and a whole building devoted to the civil rights movement.

During a break from setting up, I went upstairs to view a special exhibit on Hurricane Katrina. Aug. 28 marks the 20th anniversary of the catastrophic storm that claimed more than 1,800 lives and caused more than $125 billion in property damage. The exhibit was a collection of photographer Melody Golding’s work enlarged for the space and various items salvaged from the storm that are part of the Mississippi Archives and History Collection.

BILOXI – In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Bishop William Houck, then president of Catholic Extension, presents a check to Archbishop Thomas Rodi of Mobile (bishop of Biloxi at the time) to support recovery efforts amid the widespread devastation along the Gulf Coast. (Photo from archives)

Also included were displays of facts and figures and one interesting list of “Things We Learned.” On this list were simple realizations such as: “We can all ride in one car”; “A bag of ice is better than a sack of gold”; “Any brand of coffee will do”; and “Your neighbor is part of the family.”
Thinking back to 20 years ago as we approach the anniversary, I remember all the moving parts the diocese and Catholic Charities coordinated in the aftermath of that devastating storm. I remember all the hotels and shelters in Jackson being filled with Gulf Coast refugees fleeing the path. I remember taking blankets, pillows and Bibles to the Coliseum in downtown Jackson, which was serving as a shelter and was unprepared for the number of people who arrived.

I remember watching the helicopter flyover of the Coast on my battery-operated mini TV the morning after the storm and thinking, this is not real. I remember dragging a 10-foot turret from the cathedral’s steeple into the bishops’ burial ground to keep it safe from copper thieves.

I remember making a trip down to the Coast a few months after the storm with Bishop William Houck, who was then serving as president of Catholic Extension in Chicago. He was bringing prayers, greetings and a check to the Diocese of Biloxi, which suffered immense damage from the tidal surge, flooding and winds of Katrina.

There are so many memories that the entire World Wide Web could not hold them. As I was preparing for this column, I went through some of the old press releases we had done as part of the ongoing disaster recovery plan – one that came together on the fly because no one ever expected something such as Katrina.

Here is one of those releases that shows the many moving parts mentioned above:

Catholic Diocese of Jackson/Catholic Charities Jackson
September 2005

Schools:

  • The diocesan Catholic school system has taken in 585 displaced students.
  • Parents have not been charged enrollment fees or tuition.
  • Schools, through community outreach, are providing uniforms, school supplies and backpacks free of charge.
  • We have established a Diocesan Katrina Relief Education Fund to assist schools incurring additional expenses to serve displaced students.

Rural areas:

  • Catholic Charities and the Diocese of Jackson have “adopted” the rural areas around Hattiesburg in the Diocese of Biloxi.
  • Facilitated with St. Thomas Catholic Church in Hattiesburg for the church to become a FEMA distribution site.
  • Diverted many trucks with emergency supplies to this site for distribution.
  • Provided a mobile truck to deliver supplies to rural communities.
  • Helped Purvis set up a FEMA site.
  • Currently serving hard-hit small communities including Foxworth, Columbia, Bassfield, Sumrall, Seminary, Mize, Moselle, Eastabuchie, Richton and Laurel.

Jackson distribution warehouses:

  • 40 Boling Street: The state of Mississippi under Gov. Haley Barbour has taken control of this site, which was previously coordinated by the Seventh-day Adventists and Catholic Charities. Ships sorted bulk, palletized items only.
  • 1425 Ridgeway Street: The state has asked Catholic Charities to coordinate this second warehouse to take unsorted goods, sort and palletize them, and ship them to Boling Street for distribution to needy areas.
  • Ellis Avenue: We have our own warehouse with funds donated by the Knights of Malta to store items such as school supplies temporarily so they may be sent to our newly bulging schools.

Parish efforts:

  • Shelters for evacuees as well as power company workers.
  • Pastoral visits to shelters.
  • Provided laundry service to shelters.
  • Mass was offered at the Coliseum shelter for Catholics staying there.
  • Parish dinners and breakfasts have been taken to shelters, and people in shelters have been brought to the churches for Mass and hospitality.
  • Surveying temporary housing options.
  • Emergency food pantries set up.
  • Helping individuals and families set up homes with supplies.
  • Assisting evacuees still in hotels with food and rent assistance.
  • Hosting relief volunteers in private homes of parishioners.

As I read through this list, I remember how well everyone worked together under incredibly difficult circumstances. Tempers did flare at times because it was very hot and there was no power for weeks, even as far north as Jackson, but those flare-ups were met with understanding and forgiveness.

Collectively, we remembered that “we can all ride in one car.”

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Young Gerow experiences Roman studies, history

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
We left off last time with Richard Gerow, the young seminarian describing his “camarata” or cohort of classmates in Rome at the North American College.

Here is a recap: “I was assigned to a camarata composed entirely of new arrivals except for the Prefect in charge and the Beadle, the assistant Prefect. Our Prefect …was Bill Farrell – one of the older seminarians who was to be to us as a father of the family. Our Beadle …was John Hardeman of Tennessee. John knew every nook and corner in Rome.”

Bishop Richard Gerow captured this photo of the Colosseum during his time studying in Rome in the early 1900s. The image comes from his personal photo scrapbook preserved in the diocesan archives. (Photos courtesy of archives)

He goes on to identify two key classmates in the group, Samuel Stritch who would go on to become archbishop of Milwaukee and ultimately cardinal archbishop of Chicago; and James Griffin, who would become bishop of Springfield, Illinois, and a co-consecrator of Bishop Gerow in 1924 in Mobile. Members of the camarata developed lifelong friendships through the unique bond of seminary life.

In his volume of reminiscences, Bishop Gerow further chronicles his studies and daily routine as a seminarian. His room at the seminary was on the second floor overlooking the Piazza Pilotta, a smaller square in Rome, at the other end of which was the Gregorian University. Furnishings in the room included a bed, desk, chair, bookshelf, basin and pitcher, and a few odds and ends. “That was all; yet, that was sufficient to supply my simple needs,” writes Gerow.

The camarata would rise at 5:30 a.m. and be in chapel for prayer and Mass by 6 a.m. A light breakfast of Italian bread, butter and coffee was next, followed by making the bed, and at the sound of the bell heading off to the Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide, a Catholic seminary established in 1627 by Pope Urban VIII to train missionary priests. Familiarly known then as the Propaganda College, it is now better known as the Pontifical Urban University, or simply the Urbano.

Seminarians attend a lecture at the Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide in Rome, where Bishop Richard Gerow studied in the early 1900s. This photo, taken by Gerow during his time at the seminary, is labeled “Checchi’s Class at the Propaganda” and preserved in his personal scrapbook.

Bishop Gerow and his cohorts would walk the six to eight-minute walk taking in the various sights and sounds of early 1900s Rome. Each day they would walk past the Trevi Fountain and other locales to get to their classes. At the Propaganda, they were joined by seminarians from all over the world, each identifiable by their uniform colors – “Greeks in blue, Armenians in black.”

To back up a little: Prior to departing from Mobile, young Gerow consulted with Mobile Bishop Edward Allen on whether he should begin theology classes or take a year to acclimate by taking philosophy classes, which he had taken at Mount St. Mary College. Bishop Allen, in his wisdom, left it up to his young seminarian to decide, and Gerow chose to acclimate in philosophy.

This decision proved very smart for him, as the classes at the Propaganda were 50-minute lectures in Latin – two in the morning and two in the afternoon. “I can readily see now the advantage of my not starting off in theology because although he speaks clearly and enunciates beautifully, yet my ear being unaccustomed in the foreign language can pick up a word or a short phrase here and there, but to follow the continued line of thought is impossible. Here is where I must make up by studying from a book the matter which he treats,” Gerow remarks.

It was at the end of the class day that the camarata would venture out to fully explore the ancient and historic sites of Rome in what was dubbed the “walk period.” Each day they would have an hour-and-a-half walk exploring the narrow cobblestone streets of the Eternal City. On free days, the walk period extended to three hours. The only requirement of the walks was that they stop in a church and spend 10 minutes praying in the Blessed Sacrament chapel.

“During my time as a student in Rome, automobiles had not yet made an appearance. … Pedestrians and donkey carts all used the same right of way. Here we meet a man carrying on his head an abundance of vegetables. There a donkey cart with boxes and other containers. …

“A little further on we notice a man carrying on his head a great load of tin ware tied together with strings. While we were looking at him the main string broke and the tin ware was seen crashing and rolling in all directions. Naturally, we expect from the ebullient Italian disposition an expression of disgust with probably a few words thrown in which are not used in polite company, but no, to our utter amazement we see him pause for a moment and then we hear from him these soothing words, ‘Pazienza, Pazienza,’ [patience, patience] as he starts to gather his fleeing pots and pans.

“Soon we come to the Tiber. This river flows in three wide curves through the heart of the city. It is crossed by many bridges affording communication between the two sides. In the olden days, this river served as a means of transporting commercial goods to and from the city of Rome. Today, however, it is not.

“Now it is time for us to make our 10-minute visit before the Blessed Sacrament, so we pick a church which we are to pass on our way home and there we make our visit.”

Bishop Gerow’s Roman adventure reminds me of my time studying in Rome, except for the no cars part. What an amazing experience for him at such a time in history!

Tune in next time for some new old adventures from the archives…

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Bishop Gerow’s memories shed light on Roman seminary

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
While I was in the diocesan archive vault a few days ago searching for an original copy of an agreement established with one of the religious orders serving in our diocese, I came across another historical document of great interest.

The archive vault is a small room on the ground level of our chancery building. It houses most of the permanent and historic paper records of our diocese. Inside the vault is a floor safe that holds these original contracts and agreements mentioned above along with the papal bulls of appointments of our bishops and their wills.

Bishop Richard Gerow is pictured in his seminarian days at the North American College in Rome.

In the safe I found the document for which I was looking, but I also discovered Bishop Richard Gerow’s (1924-1966) ordination certificate from June 5, 1909. It is a large parchment with all the information from that Saturday in June 116 years ago. He was ordained at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome by Pietro Cardinal Respighi, whom the certificate identifies as the Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome.

Bishop Gerow studied at the North American College in Rome. In his recollections about his early years, he talks about coming home to Mobile in 1904 after graduating from St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Discerning God’s call for him, he approached his bishop and spiritual father, Edward Patrick Allen, about entering the seminary.

In the recollection, Bishop Gerow states he was expecting to be sent back to “the Mount” as they called St. Mary’s, but Bishop Allen had other plans. The good bishop told young Richard he would be going to Rome to complete his seminary training.

The North American College (NAC) was founded in 1859 as a place for seminarians from the United States. At that time [and now] Rome housed seminaries from countries all over the world. One could identify the seminary by the uniform of the student. Bishop Gerow describes the NAC uniform as a black double-breasted cassock with blue buttons and blue piping off center down the right.

The idea for the NAC came from the U.S. bishops of the 1850s. They wanted to establish a seminary in Rome where students could experience all that the Eternal City had to offer – history, art, churches, spirituality, and opportunities to learn about the church from countries around the world.

The bishops approached the pope of that time, Blessed Pope Pius IX, with the idea and pledged to provide support and funding from all over the U.S. Blessed Pius agreed and procured a stately building for the endeavor in the center of Rome on the Via dell’Umilitá. Bishop William Henry Elder, our bishop in 1859, was able to raise almost $2,500 for the establishment of the seminary, which was not a small sum of money in those days.

So, 45 years later, young Richard Gerow found himself on a ship to Rome to begin his journey to the priesthood. In those days when a young man went off to the NAC, he most likely would not come home until his studies were completed. So off he went for five years. After eight days at sea, he first landed in Ireland, the birthplace of his mother, where he spent several days touring around including kissing the Blarney Stone, before making his way down through the continent to Rome.

He describes arriving at Via dell’Umilitá where he was met and carted off to the summer residence for NAC students at the Ville Santa Catarina outside Rome near Castel Gandolfo. The Villa was purchased by the American bishops in the 1890s to give seminarians a place outside of Rome to rest from their studies, nurture their vocation in quiet prayer, and develop fraternal bonds that would last a lifetime. While at the Villa, Gerow was fitted for his NAC “uniform.” He received a hand-me-down cassock for daily use and the tailor fitted him for a new cassock to wear on special occasions.

“Alfredo, the shoemaker, was called to take my measure for a pair of shoes such as were worn by students in Rome,” Gerow writes in his reminiscence.

Pictured is Bishop Richard Gerow’s ordination certificate from June 5, 1909. The document can be found in the diocesan archives among other historical documents and photos. (Photos courtesy of archives)

After his 10 days at the Villa, Gerow and the other NAC seminarians returned to Rome to settle in and begin their studies for the semester. He writes: “Soon the summer vacation at the Villa came to an end and the student body returned to the city of Rome to be ready for the opening of classes. New camaratas [cohorts] were organized and assigned to their quarters.”

“I was assigned to a camarata composed entirely of new arrivals except for the Prefect in charge and the Beadle, the assistant Prefect. Our Prefect … was Bill Farrell – one of the older seminarians who was to be to us as a father of the family. Our Beadle … was John Hardeman of Tennessee. John knew every nook and corner in Rome.”

Bishop Gerow’s story gets more and more fascinating so I will end here and pick up with more next time. Ci vediamo dopo …

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)

Habemus episcopum

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – With all the excitement about electing our new pope and having that new pope be from the United States, I started thinking about all the popes who have had a connection to our diocese. In looking back to our establishment, 14 popes including Pope Leo XIV, have been in office – 10 Italians, one Pole, one German, one Argentine, and one American. How cool is that?!

Our diocese was established on July 28, 1837. The pope of that time was Gregory XVI, who was the supreme pontiff from 1831 to 1846. Not only would he have established our diocese, but he also would have appointed the first bishop, which usually comes along with the establishment of a diocese. His initial 1837 appointment went to a priest from Pittsburgh, who declined the opportunity to come to the frontier and build an entire diocese from the ground up.

Photo from Bishop R.O. Gerow’s seminary scrapbook of Pope St. Pius X working at his desk in 1904. (Photo courtesy of archives)

Since they did not have email or fax capabilities in 1837, it took until 1841 for the Diocese of then Natchez to get its shepherd in the person of John Joseph Marie Benedict Chanche, SS. In our diocesan archive we have the original papal decreeing of establishment of the diocese and the papal bull appointing Bishop Chanche. We have the bulls for most all of our bishops down in the vault.

Following Gregory XVI, Pope Blessed Pius IX (1846-1878) appointed Bishop James Oliver VandeVelde, SJ, first to Chicago in late 1848, then to Natchez in 1853, to succeed Bishop Chanche who had died unexpectedly in July 1852. Bishop VandeVelde died of Yellow Fever in 1855 and Blessed Pius IX appointed Bishop William Henry Elder to succeed him in 1857.

Bishop Elder’s Bull is signed on the back by the consecrating bishops – Archbishop Francis Kenrick of Baltimore, Bishop John McGill of Richmond, and Bishop James Frederick Wood of the titular see of Antigonea. Antigonea was an ancient diocese that had been suppressed. At that time, Bishop Wood was co-adjutor to Philadelphia. Auxiliaries and Co-Adjutors are given a titular see because every bishop needs a diocese.

An interesting note about the Titular See of Antigonea is that 100 years after Bishop Ward, an auxiliary bishop of Krakow, Poland was named its bishop. That bishop was Karol Wojtyła future Pope St. John Paul II, who appointed Bishop William Houck in 1978 and Bishop Joseph Latino in 2003 as our ninth and tenth bishops respectively. St. John Paul II ordained Bishop Houck to the episcopacy on May 29, 1979, in Rome.
There is one more signature on Bishop Elder’s bull and it is quite a treasure. The Bishop of Philadelphia was present and signed the bull beneath the other three. This was none other than St. John Nepomucene Neumann, CSsR.

Pope Leo XIII (1878 – 1903), from whom the new pope Leo XIV takes inspiration and his name, appointed Bishop Francis Janssens in 1881 to succeed Bishop Elder, who had been appointed by Leo XIII as Archbishop of Cincinnati in 1880. Subsequently, Bishop Janssens was appointed as Archbishop of New Orleans by Leo XIII in 1888. Bishop Thomas Heslin was then appointed by Leo XIII as our fifth bishop in 1889.

In 1903, Pope St. Pius X was elected. St. Pius X would have been the pope while Bishop Gerow was in seminary in Rome from 1904-1909. As a seminarian, then Richard Gerow and his class met with St. Pius X.
St. Pius X appointed Bishop John Edward Gunn, SM, to be the sixth Bishop of Natchez in 1911. Benedict XV succeeded St. Pius X in 1914. It is interesting to note that two Benedicts, the XVth and the XVIth, served the office beautifully from 1914 – 1922 and 2005 – 2013, but neither appointed a bishop for our diocese.

After Bishop Gunn’s death in February 1924, Bishop Gerow, mentioned above, was appointed by Pope Pius XI (1922 – 1939). In late 1956, Pope Pius XII (1939 – 1958) appointed Bishop Joseph Brunini, our only homegrown bishop, as auxiliary to Natchez. Soon after this, Pius XII would have approved the renaming of the diocese to Natchez-Jackson in 1957.

When Bishop Gerow retired at age 81 in 1966, he was the first bishop to retire while in office. Pope St. Paul VI (1963 – 1978) then appointed Bishop Brunini as the eighth bishop of the diocese in 1968. Bishop Brunini had been serving as apostolic administrator since Bishop Gerow’s retirement in 1966.

St. Paul VI would have been the pope to divide Mississippi into two dioceses by splitting the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson into the Diocese of Jackson and the Diocese of Biloxi in 1977. St. Paul VI had appointed Bishop Joseph Howze as auxiliary in 1972. When the diocese was divided, St. Paul VI appointed Bishop Howze as the first Bishop of Biloxi.

Pope St. John XXIII (1958 – 1963) was too busy with his aggiornamento and calling the Second Vatican Council to name any bishops for our diocese. Pope Blessed John Paul I served only one month in 1978 from August to September.

Pope Francis (2013 – 2025) appointed our current chief shepherd, Bishop Joseph Kopacz, who will turn 75 in September of this year. God willing, it will be up to Pope Leo XIV to appoint our next bishop sometime after that.

Habemus papam!

(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)