Province
of MOBILE
I have visited both Alabama cathedrals in recent years. I saw both Mississippi cathedrals about 25
years ago, but was not able to visit either.
I also recently visited the basilica in Natchez.
Pope John Paul II established the Province of Mobile in 1980. The Province consists of the Archdiocese of Mobile
and three dioceses in the States of Alabama and Mississippi
Map of the Province
Alabama
Catholic History of Alabama
Spanish explorers came to what is now Alabama as early as
1519, followed by the French and the English.
The first permanent settlements would not come until almost two
centuries later when two French brothers, Pierre and Jean Baptiste Le Moyne,
founded settlements near the Gulf Coast , including Mobile Alabama was established in Mobile Alabama
became part of the United
States Territory of Mississippi
in 1798, which included Alabama Alabama
The Diocese of Mobile was renamed the Diocese of
Mobile-Birmingham in 1954 and in 1969, Pope Pius VI created a separate Diocese
of Birmingham. Pope John Paul II created
the Province of Mobile
in 1980, raising Mobile
Archdiocese of Mobile
The Archdiocese of Mobile consists of 28 counties in
southern Alabama. The archdiocese has 71,000 Catholics (4 percent of the total
population) in 75 parishes.
Bishops of Mobile
Michael Portier (1795-1859), Vicar Apostolic of the
Vicariate of Alabama and the Floridas (1826-1829) and first Bishop of Mobile
(1829-1859).
- Born in France and ordained a priest in 1818 for the Diocese of St. Louis.
When he first came to Mobile, Portier found that he was the
only priest serving 6,000 Catholics (French, Spanish, German, and
African-Americans) in three parishes—in Mobile, St. Augustine, Florida , and Pensacola ,
Florida
John Quinlan (1826-1883), Bishop of Mobile (1859-1883).
·
Born in Ireland and ordained a priest in 1852
for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Bishop Quinlan led the Diocese during the troubled days of
the Civil War and ministered to soldiers of both sides after the Battle of
Shiloh. After the war, he repaired
damaged church buildings and was able to establish several new parishes,
including the first Catholic parishes in Birmingham, Huntsville, Florence, and
Decatur. He invited Benedictine monks
from Pennsylvania
Dominic Manucy (1823-1885), Bishop of Mobile (1884).
·
Born in Florida and ordained a priest in 1850
for the Diocese of Mobile.
·
Also served as Vicar Apostolic of Brownsville,
Texas (1874-1884 and from 1884-1885).
Manucy was serving as Vicar Apostolic of Brownsville, Texas,
when he was appointed Bishop of Mobile.
He retained responsibility for Brownsville, however, and after only
eight months as Bishop of Mobile, he resigned.
He planned to return to his assignment in Brownsville, but died in 1885
prior to his return.
Jeremiah O’Sullivan (1842-1896), Bishop of Mobile
(1885-1896).
- Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 1868.
Bishop O’Sullivan built the towers for the Cathedral of the
Immaculate Conception and restored financial stability to the Diocese. He traveled extensively throughout the
Diocese and established many new churches and schools. He died in 1896.
Edward P. Allen (1853-1926), Bishop of Mobile
(1897-1926).
·
Born in Massachusetts and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of Boston in 1881.
Bishop Allen built many new churches, schools, and other
institutions, including some to replace those destroyed by a 1906
hurricane. He also built hospitals in
Mobile, Birmingham, and Montgomery. He
ministered to the needs of African Americans by inviting the Josephite Fathers
to establish missions and created St. Joseph’s College and a fraternal
organization—the Knights of St. Peter Claver—for African American men. The number of Catholics in the Diocese
increased from 20,000 to 50,000 during Allen’s time as Bishop, due in part to
immigrants coming to work in the Birmingham steel mills and others coming to
work at the newly established Maxwell Air Force Base at Montgomery. He died in 1926.
Thomas J. Toolen (1886-1976), Bishop of Mobile
(1927-1954) and Bishop of Mobile-Birmingham (1954-1969). (The Diocese was renamed in 1954 and was
split into separate dioceses—Mobile and Birmingham—in 1969.)
·
Born in Baltimore and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Mobile in 1910.
Bishop Toolen oversaw the Church in Alabama during a period
of great growth, especially near Huntsville.
He established McGill-Toolen High School in Mobile and built 69 new
parishes and 154 new churches. He became
the first and only Bishop of Mobile-Birmingham with the personal title of
Archbishop in 1954. He built several
churches and other institutions for African Americans and opened St. Martin de
Porres Hospital in Mobile in 1950 with an integrated staff. He desegregated Diocesan schools in 1964 and
invited Mother Angelica and her Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration to establish
a religious community in Alabama in 1957.
This eventually led to the founding of the Eternal Word Television
Network. He also established a Diocesan
Catholic Charities organization to serve the poor during the Great
Depression. He retired in 1969 at which
time Alabama was split into the Diocese of Mobile and the Diocese of
Birmingham. Toolen served 42 years as
Alabama’s bishop—the tenth longest tenure in a single diocese for any U.S.
bishop.
John L. May (1922-1994), Bishop
of Mobile (1969-1980).
- Born in Illinois and ordained a priest in 1947 for the Archdiocese of Chicago.
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of Chicago (1967-1969) and Archbishop of St. Louis (1980-1992).
Bishop May implemented the Vatican
II changes including those related to the Liturgy and Sacraments. He established a Diocesan pastoral council, a
permanent diaconate program, and a Eucharistic ministry program. He established a retirement program for lay
Diocesan employees and provided them with a better health insurance
package. May established a youth
ministry, a pro-life office, and a marriage preparation course. He built several new parishes, especially in
rural areas, and sought to improve adult faith formation and Christian-Jewish
relations. Bishop May was appointed Archbishop
of St. Louis in 1980.
Archbishops of Mobile
Oscar H. Lipscomb (1931- ), first Archbishop of Mobile (1980-2008).
·
Born in Mobile and ordained a priest in 1956 for
the Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham.
I have no information about Archbishop Lipscomb, other than
that he retired in 2008.
Current Archbishop
Thomas J. Rodi was appointed Archbishop of Mobile by Pope
Benedict XVI in 2008. He was born in New
Orleans in 1949 and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New Orleans in
1978. He previously served as Bishop of
Biloxi (2001-2008).
The Cathedral
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Many Christians believe that humans are born into sin—known
as original sin. This sin is erased
through baptism and the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Catholics believe that Mary, through the
grace of God, was conceived without the stain of original sin—the Immaculate
Conception. She was given the honor
because of her role as the Mother of God.
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8.
Let us pray, [That through the prayers of the sinless Virgin
Mary, God will free us from our sins.] Father,
You prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy mother of your son. You let her
share beforehand in the salvation Christ would bring by his death, and kept her
sinless from the first moment of her conception. Help us by her prayers to live
in your presence without sin. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your
Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and
ever.
Mobile’s (and Alabama’s) first Catholic Church was founded
in 1703 and was dedicated to Our Blessed Mother under the title of Notre Dame
de Mobile. It was renamed the Church of
the Immaculate Conception in 1781. When
Michael Portier came to Mobile in 1826 as the first bishop, he made Immaculate
Conception church his Cathedral. This
small wooden church (about 1000 square feet) burned the next year. Construction of the current Cathedral began
in 1835 and was completed in 1850 at a cost of more than $80,000. It was
designed by Claude Beroujon in a Roman basilica style and is 90 feet wide and
162 feet long. Pope John XXIII
designated the Cathedral as a minor basilica in 1962. Basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a
church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical
importance, or significance as a center of worship.
All pictures were taken by me.
The Cathedral has two towers with steeples rising 103 feet
above the entrance (both were rebuilt after an airplane struck them during
World War II). The front portico
is supported by eight Doric style columns.
The Cathedral is made from brick, stone, granite, and wood. The Cathedral’s vaulted coffer ceiling is
decorated with fleur-de-lis, representing Mobile’s French heritage, and
shamrocks, representing the Trinity and Mobile’s Irish heritage. Carrera marble floors were installed for the
aisles and pine floors under the pews.
Much of this interior work was done by the Conrad Schmitt Company of
Wisconsin in 2003. The Cathedral has a
bronze baldachin over the main altar (made of Italian marble). A bronze sculpture of the Risen Christ rises
above the baldachin. The Cathedral’s pipe
organ was made by the Wicks Organ Company.
The Cathedral has 12 large (30 feet by 12 feet) stained
glass windows in the nave. These were
made by the Franz Mayer Company of Munich, Germany, and were completed in
1910. The windows depict scenes from the
New Testament, specifically the role of Mary in the life of Jesus. Examples include the Annunciation, the
Visitation, and the Nativity and descriptions are found on the Cathedral’s
website. There are many smaller windows
as well. One of the prettiest is located
in the Reconciliation Room and shows the Baptism of Jesus by John the
Baptist. A window near the choir loft
depicts St. Cecelia.
All pictures were taken by me.
The
Cathedral’s website is mobilecathedral.org and the Archdiocese’s website
is mobilearchdiocese. The Cathedral,
which seats 1,000, is located in downtown Mobile and has three weekend masses.
Diocese of Birmingham
The diocese consists of 39 counties in northern
Alabama. The diocese has 95,000
Catholics (3 percent of the total population) in 55 parishes.
Bishops of Birmingham
I don’t have much information on the Bishops of Birmingham
other than from Wikipedia.
Joseph G. Vath (1918-1987), first Bishop of Birmingham
(1969-1987).
·
Born in New Orleans and ordained a priest for the
Archdiocese of New Orleans in 1941.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese
of Mobile-Birmingham (1966-1969).
Bishop Vath died of a heart attack in 1987.
Raymond J. Boland (1932-2014), Bishop of Birmingham
(1988-1993).
·
Born in Ireland and ordained a priest in 1957
for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.
·
Also served as Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph,
Missouri (1993-2005).
According to Wikipedia, Bishop Boland rebuilt John Carroll
High School, renovated St. Paul’s Cathedral, served on the Boards of the
Eternal Word Television Network and the Notre Dame Graduate School of Theology
in New Orleans. Along with Archbishop Lipscomb of Mobile, he issued
a Pastoral Letter on the implications of Poverty in Alabama and a provincial
statement on the impact of Religious Fundamentalism. He was appointed Bishop of Kansas City-St.
Joseph, Missouri, in 1993.
David E. Foley (1930- ), Bishop of Birmingham (1994-2005).
·
Born in Massachusetts and ordained a priest in
1952 for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Richmond,
Virginia (1986-1994).
According to Wikipedia, Bishop
Foley issued a decree in 1999 prohibiting priests in his Diocese from
celebrating Mass in the pre-Vatican II ad orientem position (literally
"to the east", with people and priest facing in the same direction)
under most circumstances. Although the
decree never specifically mentioned the Catholic television network, The
Eternal Word Television Network, most thought it was directed at EWTN. Bishop Foley retired in 2005.
Current Bishop
Robert J. Baker was appointed Bishop of Birmingham by Pope
Benedict XVI in 2007. He was born in Ohio
in 1944 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida in
1970. He previously served as Bishop of
Charleston, South Carolina (1999-2007).
The Cathedral
Cathedral of St.
Paul
St. Paul, originally known as Saul, persecuted the early
church, but was converted to Christianity by a vision of Jesus. He spread the message of Christ to
communities throughout much of the Roman Empire ,
becoming the Apostle to the Gentiles.
Many of his letters to early Christian communities have been retained in
the New Testament. He was beheaded in Rome
You are the vessel of election,
Saint Paul the Apostle, the Preacher of truth in the whole world. Pray for us,
Saint Paul the Apostle that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting
God, who, of Thy divine mercy, instructed Thy blessed Apostle Paul what he
should do that he might be filled with the Holy Spirit; by his admonitions
directing us and his merits interceding for us, grant that we may serve Thee in
fear and trembling and so be filled with the comfort of Thy heavenly gift.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Above the main entrance is a statue of Christ. Inside the cathedral are more statues
including those of the Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, St. Paul, and St. Anthony of
Padua. Beautiful stained-glass windows
feature several themes, including the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate
Heart of Mary, the Assumption, the Good Shepherd, the Holy Family, St. John the
Evangelist, St. Paul, and St. Patrick.
Ten granite columns support the Gothic vaults and arches. The dome above the sanctuary features a
window with a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
The main altar is made from Italian white marble and Mexican onyx. Two angels appear beside the altar. The cathedral also has a Moller pipe organ
that was installed in 1986.
The Cathedral website is stpaulsbhm.org and the Diocesan
website is bhmdiocese.org. The Cathedral is located in downtown Birmingham and has
three weekend masses.
Mississippi
Catholic History of Mississippi
Spanish explorers were the first Europeans to come to what
is now Mississippi Mississippi River the
following year. LaSalle claimed the
whole Mississippi River delta area for France
in 1682 and the French built colonies along the Gulf
Coast around 1700 and established Fort Rosalie
(Natchez Mississippi
became part of the State of Georgia
after the American Revolution and became the Territory of Mississippi United
States acquired the southeastern portion of Mississippi from Spain
in 1813 and four years later Mississippi
French and Spanish missionaries worked in Mississippi
throughout the 18th Century serving Catholic communities at Natchez , Vicksburg , and
along the Gulf Coast ,
and attempting to convert the local Natchez , Yazoo , Choctaw, and Chickasaw tribes. Some of the missionaries were martyred in
their attempts to convert the Native Americans to the Faith. After Mississippi
became part of the United
States
Pope Pius VII created the Vicariate Apostolic of Mississippi
and Alabama (headquartered in Mobile) in 1822—Joseph Rosati was appointed vicar
apostolic, but he declined the appointment and it was later withdrawn. Pope Leo XII established a separate Vicariate
Apostolic of Mississippi in 1825. Mississippi Gulf
Coast (Biloxi
and Bay Saint Louis), along the Mississippi River (Natchez ,
Vicksburg , and Port Gibson), and near Jackson (Jackson , Camden Northern Mississippi —by 1900 there were only about six
parishes in that part of the State.
The name of the Diocese of Natchez was changed to the
Diocese of Natchez-Jackson in 1956 and became the Diocese of Jackson in
1977. Pope Paul VI created the Diocese
of Biloxi in 1977.
Diocese of Jackson
The diocese consists of 65 counties in north and central
Mississippi. The diocese has 48,000
Catholics (2 percent of the total population) in 73 parishes.
Bishops of Natchez
John J. Chanche, S.S. (1795-1852), first Bishop of
Natchez (1840-1852).
·
Born in Baltimore and ordained a Sulpician priest
in 1819.
Bishop Chanche served as president of St. Mary's
College in Maryland prior to being named the first Bishop of Natchez in
1840—three years after the Diocese was established. When he first arrived in Natchez in 1841,
there were only two other priests in the state—in Natchez and Vicksburg. As bishop, he brought more priests to the
Diocese and built almost 10 new churches, including St. Mary’s Cathedral in Natchez
James O. Van
de Velde, S.J. (1795-1855), Bishop of Natchez (1853-1857).
·
Born in Belgium and ordained a Jesuit priest in
1827.
·
Also served as Bishop of Chicago (1848-1853).
Unfortunately, Van
de Velde broke his leg three months after his arrival in Natchez. Shortly thereafter, he contracted yellow
fever and died two years later. Despite
his short tenure as bishop and his poor health, Bishop Van de Velde was able to
establish two schools, complete the cathedral in Natchez, repair some church
buildings, and establish a college.
William H. Elder (1819-1904), Bishop of Natchez
(1857-1880).
·
Born in Baltimore and ordained a priest in 1846
for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
· Also served as coadjutor archbishop of
Cincinnati (1880-1883), and Archbishop of Cincinnati (1883-1904).
Bishop Elder presided over the Church in Mississippi during
the Civil War. At the beginning of the
War, there were 10,000 Mississippi Catholics served by 18 priests and attending
Mass in 13 parishes and 28 missions. In
1864, a Union general, whose Army occupied Natchez, ordered that all church
services include prayers for the success of the Union Army. Bishop Elder, who had tried to remain neutral
during the war, refused to allow this.
He was arrested by the Army and imprisoned for about three weeks. He was released upon appeal to President
Abraham Lincoln. He ministered to
victims of a yellow fever epidemic that struck Mississippi in 1878 and
attempted to meet the spiritual and temporal needs of freed slaves after the
Civil War. By 1880, there were 12,500
Mississippi Catholics, 19 priests, 48 churches, and 15 schools. Bishop Elder was named coadjutor archbishop
of Cincinnati in 1880 and became Archbishop of Cincinnati in 1883.
Francis A. Janssens (1843-1897), Bishop of Natchez
(1881-1888).
·
Born in Holland and ordained a priest in 1867 in
Belgium.
·
Also served as Archbishop of New Orleans (1888-1897).
Bishop Janssens built churches and schools, including a
parish for African-Americans in Natchez—there were about 1,500 African-American
Catholics in Mississippi—and a mission for the Choctaw Indians. He also paid off the debt on St. Mary’s
Cathedral in Natchez and established mission schools to evangelize
African-Americans. He completed
what is now St. Peter’s Cathedral in Jackson.
Bishop Janssens was appointed Archbishop of New Orleans n 1888.
Thomas Heslin (1845-1911), Bishop of Natchez (1889-1911).
·
Born in Ireland and ordained a priest in 1869
for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Bishop Heslin sought to evangelize African-Americans and he
established half a dozen African American parishes—administered by the Society
of St. Joseph and the Society of the Divine Word. He also invited Mother (now Saint) Katharine
Drexel to establish a school for African-Americans. He opened other parishes and invited the
Brothers of the Sacred Heart to start a boy’s school in Natchez. Bishop Heslin died in 1911, possibly from
pneumonia following a fall from a mule cart.
John E. Gunn, S.M. (1863-1924), Bishop of Natchez
(1911-1924).
·
Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for Society
of Mary in 1890.
Bishop Gunn established three dozen new churches and chapels
(with help from the Catholic Church Extension Society) and a seminary for
African-Americans. By 1924, there were 31,000
Catholics in Mississippi served by 149 parishes, missions, and chapels, and a
solid Catholic educational system. Bishop
Gunn was known for his oratorical skills.
He was poisoned at a dinner in Detroit in 1915 by a German spy—he
survived but four others did not. Bishop
Gunn led the Diocese through the First World War and the Spanish influenza
epidemic. Bishop Gunn died in 1924 from
a heart attack.
Bishops of Natchez-Jackson
Richard O. Gerow (1885-1976), Bishop of Natchez
(1924-1956) and first Bishop of Natchez-Jackson (1956-1967).
·
Born in Mobile and ordained a priest in 1909 for
the Diocese of Mobile.
Bishop Gerow established many new parishes and schools to
keep up with the growth of Catholicism in Mississippi. He also began to integrate Mississippi
Catholic schools in the mid-1960s. He
built three hospitals, a lay retreat house, held biannual clerical retreats, and
began a Diocesan newspaper. He
encouraged the formation of Catholic organizations, such as the Knights of
Columbus, the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, and the Catholic Youth
Organization. He was also an historian—he
wrote books and articles on Southern Catholic history. He moved the headquarters of the Diocese to
Jackson in 1948 because of the large growth in the number of Catholics in
Jackson. He became the first Bishop of Natchez-Jackson
in 1956 and he retired in 1967. Bishop
Gerow served as Mississippi’s Bishop for over 43 years—the sixth longest tenure
in a single diocese for any U.S. bishop.
Bishops of Jackson
Joseph Brunini (1909-1996), Bishop of Natchez-Jackson
(1967-1977), and first Bishop of Jackson (1977-1984).
·
Born in Vicksburg and ordained a priest for the Diocese
of Natchez in 1933.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Natchez-Jackson
(1957-1967).
Bishop Brunini was the first Mississippian to lead the
Diocese. He implemented the decrees of
the Second Vatican Council, including the creation of parish councils and adult
education programs. He sought greater
involvement by the laity, expanded services to those in need often through
federal programs, and better relations with other religious organizations—he
served as the first president of the Mississippi Religious Leadership
Conference. He also advocated for the
civil rights of all Americans, regardless of color, and completed the
integration of Diocesan institutions. He
retired in 1984.
William R. Houck (1926-2016), Bishop of Jackson
(1984-2003).
·
Born in Mobile and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Mobile in 1951.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Jackson (1979-1984).
Houck established the RENEW program in the diocese to
promote spiritual renewal. He gave more
control of the Diocese to the laity and increased the roles for women. He also promoted evangelization efforts
locally and nationally. One of his local
evangelization efforts was an AIDS hospice.
He was appointed president of the Catholic Church Extension Society in
2001. He retired as Bishop of Jackson in
2003.
Joseph Latino (1937-
), Bishop of Jackson (2003-2013).
·
Born in New Orleans and ordained a priest for
the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 1963.
Bishop Latino devoted his ministry to fostering
Gospel-based social justice initiatives, lay leadership, and vocations. He established procedures to protect children
from abuse and led the Diocese through the new English translation of the Roman
Missal. Bishop Latino retired in 2013.
Current Bishop
Joseph R. Kopacz was appointed Bishop of Jackson by Pope Francis
in 2013. He was born in Pennsylvania in
1950 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1977. He previously served as pastor and vicar
general for the Diocese of Scranton.
The Cathedral
St. Peter, originally known as Simon, was the first apostle
chosen by Jesus. Peter is frequently
mentioned in the New Testament, and we know that he was a fisherman by trade,
that he was married, that he was the leader of the apostles, and that he often
tried the Lord’s patience. After the
Ascension of our Lord, Peter became the leader of the early church, eventually
going to Rome to become the first Bishop of Rome
All powerful Father, you built your Church on the rock of
Peter’s confession of faith. May nothing
divide or weaken our unity in faith and love.
San Salvador Catholic church was established in Natchez in
1788, but burned in 1832. When Bishop
Chanche arrived in Natchez in 1841, he used Mechanics Hall as a temporary
cathedral. Work began on St. Mary’s
Cathedral (now the Basilica of St. Mary) in 1842 and it opened in 1843. St. Peter’s Church
was founded in Jackson St. Peter’s was destroyed during the
Civil War and the current Gothic-Revival building was completed in 1900. St. Peter’s
became the co-Cathedral for the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson in 1956 and the
Cathedral for the Diocese of Jackson in 1977.
From the cathedral website.
The building is made of brick and
has a 120-foot high steeple. The
Cathedral stained-glass windows depict scenes from the Life of Christ, Our
Blessed Mother, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and St.
Patrick. A circular window depicts Our
Lady of the Thumb. This is based on a
painting by Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato which show the Blessed
Mother’s face with a thumb peeking out of her veil. The Cathedral’s pipe organ is a two-manual,
26 rank organ made by Rieger Orgelbau of Austria.
All pictures are from the cathedral website.
There are pictures of the
Cathedral on its website, cathedralsaintpeter.org. Also see the Diocese’s website at jacksondiocese.org. The Cathedral is located in downtown
Jackson and has four weekend masses—including one in Spanish.
Also in the
Diocese is its original Cathedral, the Basilica
of St. Mary in Natchez. Shortly after
his arrival in Natchez in 1841, John Chanche, the first Bishop of Natchez,
started to build a Cathedral for his diocese.
The red brick, Greek Revival church was dedicated in 1843 and served as
a cathedral for the Diocese until 1977. The beautiful interior of the basilica
features 16 stained glass windows, twelve of which were designed by Tyroler
Glassmalerie of Germany in the late 1800s and the other four by Emil Frei of
St. Louis in 1961. The altars, communion
rail, Bishop’s chair, and screens are made from Carrara marble in Italy. The Basilica also features intricate carved
woodwork and a painting of Mary looking up at her Son, Jesus, on the
cross. The church was designated a minor
basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1999. Basilica
is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s
antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of
worship. The Basilica’s website is
stmarybasilica.org.
Diocese of Biloxi
The diocese consists of 17 counties in southeastern
Mississippi. The diocese has 60,000
Catholics (7 percent of the total population) in 43 parishes.
Bishops of Biloxi
I have very little information on the Bishops of Biloxi.
Joseph L. Howze (1923-
), first Bishop of Biloxi (1977-2001).
·
Born in Daphne, Alabama, converted to
Catholicism in 1948, and ordained a priest in 1959 for the Diocese of Raleigh,
North Carolina.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of
Natchez-Jackson (1973-1977).
Bishop Howze, a convert to Catholicism, was the first
African-American Bishop in the United States since the 1800s. He established a parish for Vietnamese
Catholics. Bishop Howze retired in 2001.
Thomas J. Rodi (1949-
), Bishop of Biloxi (2001-2008).
·
Born in New Orleans and ordained a priest in 1978
for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
·
Serves as Archbishop of Mobile (since 2008).
Bishop Rodi was named Archbishop of Mobile in 2008.
Roger P. Morin (1941- ), Bishop of Biloxi (2009-2016).
Roger P. Morin (1941- ), Bishop of Biloxi (2009-2016).
·
Born in Massachusetts and ordained a priest in 1971
for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
·
Served as auxiliary bishop of New Orleans
(2003-2009).
Bishop Morin retired in 2016.
Current Bishop
Current Bishop
Louis Kihneman III was appointed Bishop of Biloxi by Pope Francis
in 2016. He was born in Louisiana in 1952
and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1977. He previously served as a pastor and as vicar
general for the Diocese of Corpus Christi.
The Cathedral
The Cathedral
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral
Little is known for sure about the birth of Mary, the Mother
of Jesus. Her parents are thought to be
named Joachim and Anna (or Anne) and she was probably born in either Nazareth or Jerusalem
O Virgin immaculate, who by a
singular privilege of grace was preserved from original sin, look in pity upon
our separated brethren, who are nevertheless your children, and call them back
to the center of unity. Not a few of them, although separated from the Church,
have kept a certain veneration for you; and do you, generous as you are, reward
them for it, by obtaining for them the grace of conversion. You were conqueror of the infernal serpent
from the first instant of your existence; renew even now, for it is now more
necessary than ever before, your ancient triumphs; glorify your divine Son,
bring back to Him the sheep that have strayed from the one fold and place them
once more under the guidance of the universal Shepherd who holds the place of
your Son on earth; let it be your glory, O Virgin who destroys all heresies, to
restore unity and peace once more to all the Christian people.
The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was
established in 1843—the first parish on the Mississippi Gulf
Coast New Orleans
The Cathedral has a single square tower that was originally
meant to support a steeple. It now
houses a four-faced clock and bell. The
clock was made by the Seth Thomas Company of New York and the bell was made in
Baltimore. The tower also holds chimes
that were installed in 1984.
The Cathedral has 14 ceiling frescos in the nave. Two depict Christ’s Sacred Heart and His
Crown of Thorns. The two frescos above
the choir loft show Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music and musicians, and
Pope Gregory I, who introduced Gregorian chant to humankind. The other 10 frescos depict saints. The Cathedral’s pipe organ is a 22-rank Wicks
organ installed in 1980.
The Cathedral also has 24 major stained-glass windows (and
30 smaller ones). All of the windows
were purchased in Europe and were installed between 1906 and 1943. Some were made by the Munich, Germany, firm
of Reis and Reis. The five windows above
the main altar depict the Life of Christ from the Annunciation to His
Ascension. Above the side altars are
windows depicting Mary, Queen of All Saints and St. Anthony of Padua. The six windows on the east side and seven on
the west side show Jesus, Our Blessed Mother, and several saints. Window over the side doors depict Jesus and
Our Mother of Sorrows. The window in the
choir stairway shows Mary as the Immaculate Conception. The largest window is a rose window above the
choir loft.
The Cathedral website is nativitybvmcathedral.org and has a
video tour. The Diocesan website is biloxidiocese.org. The Cathedral is located in downtown Biloxi
and has five weekend masses. The parish elementary
school has an enrollment of 190.
The website http://www.neworleanschurches.com, also has pictures of the cathedral in Jackson and the basilica in Natchez.
The website http://www.neworleanschurches.com, also has pictures of the cathedral in Jackson and the basilica in Natchez.
Update to the Province of Denver
Steven Biegler was appointed Bishop of Cheyenne by Pope Francis
in 2017. He was born South Dakota in
1959 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota, in 1993. He previously served vicar general of the
Diocese and as pastor of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
