Diocesan archives offer rich resource for researcher studying school integration

Bishop Oliver Gerow

By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – Catholic Extension is usually lending a helping hand to dioceses, parishes and schools, but this year, the Diocese of Jackson was able to offer its own help to the organization. Timothy Muldoon, director of mission education for Extension, spent a couple days in Mississippi doing research in the diocesan archives for a project on the work of the Church in the Civil Rights Movement.
He is working on a written treatment of “the process that led to the desegregation of Catholic Schools.” His project focuses on the late 1950s through 1964. He came to Mississippi for two reasons, its preeminent place in the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the rich detail offered in the archives here. “My interest is in the fact that the Diocese of then Natchez-Jackson was a place where we had the high-profile murders of Emmett Till and Medgar Evers that cast a spotlight on the state and the diocese,” said Muldoon.
During that time, Bishop Oliver Gerow shepherded the diocese. Bishop Gerow was a photographer and historian as well as being the leader of the local church — keeping a daily diary of his activities and thoughts and creating an index of diocesan history from the founding of the diocese up to his episcopacy. “He had, clearly, a keen sense of preserving history. This is not somebody who did it in a catch-as-catch can way. He was very meticulous,” said Muldoon.
Bishop Gerow worked to unite other faith leaders at the time to soothe racial tensions and bring about reform without violence. Archivist Mary Woodward said his files are some of the most popular among researchers. “We have had several people come and do this topic so we know where everything is so it’s easy. Bishop Gerow has an index that goes all the way up through his time, 1966. His diary has an almost daily account of what went on and in there is a lot of history you don’t get in the history books such as the early efforts of the Episcopal, Methodist and Catholic bishops trying to do something in Jackson to address the racial divide. Meeting with black pastors in different places – having lunch at the Walthall and how Rabbi (Perry) Nussbaum got involved. A lot of that is the flavor behind the history that we have because of Bishop Gerow,” said Woodward.
Researchers are welcome in the archives, but they need to submit a written request to Woodward and they should be working on a specific project, usually an academic one. Genealogists are not able to access these archives, although there is someone families can pay to look up sacramental records. Many of the documents here are originals and not for public viewing. Woodward usually pulls exactly what a particular researcher will need before they arrive to save time and preserve the precious documents.
Bishop Gerow carefully planned and executed school integration in Catholic schools throughout the state. “Bishop Gerow had this sense that you can’t just have a mandate to integrate,” explained Muldoon. “He was concerned with the safety of black congregants. He didn’t want to issue a fiat. He said ‘we have to move carefully,’” Muldoon added. While he was pastoral, Bishop Gerow did sometimes have to draw the line. “We had several incidents of parishioners not being as friendly as they should be and (the archives show) how the bishop reacted to them in terms of telling them ‘this is how it is and if you are going to make people feel unwelcome you can’t receive communion until you go to confession to me,’” said Woodward.
This research is “the perfect focal point for telling the broader story of what was happening in the Catholic Church at that time and what was happening in the nation at that time,” said Muldoon. He explained that examining the phenomenon of segregated parishes can be politically charged so putting it in context is important. There is a difference, he explained, between a segregated parish and a segregating parish. “Individual parishes provided a point of integration into the larger church for many immigrant communities,” he said. Muldoon spoke to Mississippi Catholic from an office in Chicago just a few blocks from four or five different parishes with separate ethnic communities attached to them.
“Initially, parishes provided an integrating community of like-minded people. Black parishes provided cover, for shelter,” he said. He also pointed out that cultural differences do not make parishes less Catholic. “There is a critical difference between homogeneity and Catholicity. It is not about making everyone the same or making them do the same thing,” he said.
Muldoon hopes to complete his writing and find the right spot to publish it in the next few weeks. Watch Mississippi Catholic for publication details.
While he was in the state, he took the opportunity to visit several parishes supported by Extension, including Camden Sacred Heart, Newton St. Anne and a stop at Sister Thea Bowman’s home in Canton. He posted a reflection called “11’o clock on Sunday Morning” about the vibrant community in Camden on the Catholic Extension Website here

 

Historic documents receive climate control

By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – The diocesan archives is getting a new climate control system to assist in maintaining the historical documents and artifacts it houses. The vault where the archives has been stored since Bishop Richard Gerow brought the historical records from Natchez to Jackson in the late 1940s is located on the ground floor of the diocesan chancery

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William Johnson of Upchurch pulls wire as part of the installation process for the Archives’ new climate system. (Photo by Mary Woodward)

office in Downtown Jackson. The vault has never had its own climate system and depended upon the overall building system to keep it regulated.
Archives should be kept at a constant temperature and dryness. The ideal for archive preservation, according to Forrest Galey of the Mississippi State Department of Archives and History, is a constant temperature of 60 degrees and 40 percent humidity.
“The most important condition for archive preservation is providing a stable environment,” Galey said. “Humidity is the enemy of paper and other artifacts. Mold will grow very quickly on paper in a humid environment,” she added.
A new HVAC system based on zones was installed  in the chancery office building by Upchurch Services Company. Due to structural and mechanical issues, the archives was not able to be zoned. Therefore, a smaller system, which cools and dehumidifies was added in the vault itself. Moisture is drained into a front flower bed. The entire archives had to be covered to protect it from the dust created by drilling through 10 inches of concrete.

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William Johnson (left) and Jeffery Williams of Upchurch Services install the new inverter and drain for the diocesan archives’ climate control system. (Photo by Mary Woodward)

Now the system will be monitored in order to maintain a constant and stable environment for diocesan historical and sacramental records. The diocesan archives holds original documents dating to the 1790s when the Spanish governed Natchez and its surroundings. These sacramental records written in Spanish and signed by early pioneer clergy from Ireland are maintained in the vault along with microfilm records of all the parishes from the beginnings of the diocese.
Parishes keep the actual registers on site, but the diocese microfilms these books every 10 years for long term records management. Because of TV shows such as “Who Do You Think You Are?,” the archives has seen a growing interest in genaeolgical research.
The diocesan archives retains a professional researcher to assist those seeking their ancestors through these records. Dr. William Ashley Vaughan is available to trace family histories back to the late 18th century. These requests must be submitted  in writing and are processed as they come. Dr. Vaughan charges a fee for his time.

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The new dehumidifier/cooling equipment sits above a section of the diocesan archives. The entire archives was covered while the equipment was installed. (Photo by Mary Woodward)

Because the archives functions mainly as records retention for the church, the archives is open only to researchers working on doctoral dissertations, masters theses and various historical projects. Our biggest research topics are for the church in the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. From this one is able to see the broad spectrum of materials in the archives.
We recently hosted a young man from the National University of Ireland in Galway who was writing his dissertation on antebellum Irish immigration in the dioceses of Charleston and New Orleans. He spent three days pouring over original documents and correspondence from Bishop William Henry Elder’s papers.
Again, all research requests must be submitted in writing with a basic outline of materials sought. It often takes several months to complete requests.

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Diocesan director of archives, Mary Woodward, removes plastic sheeting used to cover the archives during the installation of a new climate control system. (Photo by Contyna McNealy)

If you are seeking your own sacramental records or more recent ones, please contact the parish where you were baptized or married. It is much easier for them to get you a copy than for us to do that. Due to privacy issues and identity theft please be prepared to provide identification in order to receive records.
For genaeology or for historical research send all requests to: Diocesan Archives, P.O. Box 2248, Jackson, MS 39225-2248; or email to chancery@jacksondiocese.org. Requests should include contact information with telephone, mailing address, and email.