From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – This week I am highlighting a neighbor to the south of us – Archbishop Joseph F. Rummel, who was Archbishop of New Orleans from 1935 to his death in November 1964. His tenure runs almost parallel to our own Bishop R.O. Gerow (1924-66).

In talking with our Bishop Emeritus, Joseph Latino, who grew up and went to seminary during the Rummel years, Bishop Latino shared some insight into the life of the archbishop saying he was very much committed to ending segregation even in the face of strong push back from Catholic community and business leaders. An interesting timeline develops beginning in 1949.

It seems in 1949, Archbishop Rummel canceled an outdoor liturgy when city officials would not allow African American Catholics to participate. In 1950 he had “White” and “Colored” signs removed from churches. Rummel mandated an end to the practice of making African American Catholics receive Communion last in 1953. These measures met with resistance from laity and clergy.

To ground his efforts solidly in Catholic theology, Rummel issued a letter to be read in all parishes Feb. 11, 1956. Now Rummel was famous for his long letters to be read to parishioners at Sunday Masses, but this one rocked the entire archdiocese. The letter was laying groundwork to integrate the archdiocesan school system. In the letter Rummel gives three main points quoted below courtesy of the Archdiocese of New Orleans Archives.

“Racial segregation is morally wrong and sinful ‘because it is a denial of the unity and solidarity of the human race as conceived by God in the creation of man in Adam and Eve. Male and female He created them and breathed into them the spirit of life and commanded them to increase and multiply and fill the earth. Throughout the pages of the Old Testament and the New there is constant recurrence of this truth, that all mankind has in Adam and Eve one common father and mother and one common destiny, namely, to serve God in this world and find eternal happiness with Him in the world to come.

“Racial segregation is morally wrong and sinful because it is a denial of the unity and universality of the Redemption. The Eternal Son of God, Christ Jesus our Lord, came into the world to redeem and save all men, to die for all men on the cross, to make the life of grace available through the Church and the Sacraments for all men, to embrace all men in His Mystical Body on earth and in the life of glory in heaven. Racial segregation would draw the color line across the inspiring plan of the Redemption and thus sin against the divine providence. the love and the mercy that conceived and carried out the wonderful Mystery.

“Racial segregation is morally wrong and sinful because it is basically a violation of the dictates of justice and the mandate of love, which in obedience to God’s will must regulate the relations between all men. To deny to members of a certain race, just because they are members of that race, certain rights and opportunities, civic or economic, educational or religious, recreational or social, imposes upon them definite hardships and humiliations, frustrations and impediments to progress which condemn them to perpetual degradation which is only a step removed from slavery. Such indignities are grievous violations of Christian justice and charity, which cannot be justified in this modem age of enlightenment and loudly proclaimed democracy.”

Rummel concludes the letter aware of opposition by calling for calm and prayer: “May we likewise unite in prayer that the decision, when made, will be accepted in the spirit of Christian charity and justice and in that unity of mind, heart and will, which must always characterize the family of God. This is a problem which should be worked out not in an atmosphere of wrangling or contention or discord or hatred but in a spirit of conciliation and with a desire to achieve peace through justice and charity. Prayer and calmness of spirit are much needed in all our hearts, and for these we plead in the name of the Divine Prince of Peace…”

Despite warnings of possible excommunication, local Catholic political, business and community leaders formed opposition groups to combat Rummel’s move to push for integrated Catholic schools in 1957. They even appealed to the Vatican but were rebuffed by the Holy See. Rummel was even the recipient of a burning cross on the front lawn of the archbishop’s residence.

Ultimately, three leaders were excommunicated, but the opposition continued and delayed the integration plans of Rummel. One reason for delaying was the recognition that white Catholics would leave Catholic schools if integrated and go to the public schools which were not yet integrated. So, archdiocesan leaders advised Rummel to wait to integrate Catholic schools until the public schools integrated in 1960.

In listening to Bishop Latino talk about his memories of all the events, he lamented the fact Archbishop Rummel suffered greatly from the intolerance and disrespect, but admired Rummel’s steadfastness in his mission in the face of that suffering. Latino even remarked that the church missed an opportunity to make a bold statement to the world by bestowing Rummel with the red hat of a Cardinal – honoring a man with principles like rails of steel from which he did not waiver.

In future articles, we will explore the integration of Catholic schools in our diocese which has a similar path though I am not aware of any excommunications. We also will throw in some more insights from our Emeritus.

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

From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – June 12, 1963, is a date that every Mississippian should remember for it was on this day that Medgar Evers was gunned down outside his home in Jackson upon returning home at night after meetings of the NAACP. It was just before midnight of June 11. Evers was the local Field Secretary and was a target of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).
Normally, Evers’ routine upon arriving at home was to walk around the front of his car and into his house, thus putting the car between himself and the darkness where someone could be hiding. That fateful night because of items in the back of the car to be unloaded he went the opposite direction and a gunman shot from the bushes and killed him.
One of the bullets went through Evers’ body through the window of the house and into the kitchen. He bled to death in his driveway in front of his wife and children. The driveway still holds the stain of his blood. Byron de la Beckwith was convicted of the crime some 30 years later. Evers is buried in Arlington National Cemetery as he was a veteran of WWII.
During this same time, the diocesan priests and Bishop Gerow were on retreat in Bay St. Louis. Word of the assassination arrived there later that morning. The following accounts are taken from the diary of Bishop Gerow. It was a very volatile time.

“While everything is going so beautifully here at the retreat, currently, it is not going so well in Jackson in reference to the race question. I got news over the radio that today Medgar Evers, who has been the Field Secretary for the NAACP, and who, according to Father Gasper, was a fine, honest and respectable gentleman, was murdered. This murderer shot him at a distance when he was going from his automobile to his home. So far, the identity of the murderer is not known. I know that this is going to cause much trouble.”
As a point of information, the Evers sent their children to Christ the King Catholic School because they felt they would be safer there.
Bishop Gerow writes on June 14, 1963: “Naturally, the city is very much upset over the assassination of Medgar Evers. Up to this time, I have refrained from making any public statements in the newspaper. However, now the time has arrived for some sort of statement, so with the help of Father Law and Bill Minor, one of our fine Catholic newspapermen in the city, we drafted a statement and sent it to the local newspapers…and gave it to the national press and radio. Then as an act of charity…we visited the wife of the murdered man.”
“The assassination of Medgar Evers is certainly a shocking and saddening occurrence in our community and is more meaningful than the death of one man. I personally extend my heartfelt sympathy to the wife and children of Mr. Evers and convey to them my blessing and assurance of my prayers.
“I am saddened when I review the events of recent days and weeks. As a loyal son of Mississippi and a man of God, I feel in conscience compelled to speak out in the face of the grave racial situation in which we now find ourselves.
“This problem is unmistakably a moral one. We need frankly to admit that the guilt for the murder of Mr. Evers and the other instances of violence in our community tragically must be shared by all of us. Responsible leadership in some instances has been singularly lacking.
“I entreat our leaders and men of good will of both races to find some common ground on which to build a civic order based on human dignity and a concept of justice under God’s law. Rights which have been given to all men by the Creator cannot be the subject of conferral or refusal by men.
“The Declaration of Independence of this great nation has given us the proper attitude in this regard, in the words, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’
“Our conscience should compel us all to acknowledge the deep moral implications of this problem, and to take some positive steps towards recognizing the legitimate grievances of the Negro population. In the name of our common faith in God the Father let us all join together in prayer that the clouds of hate and fear may be pierced by the light of justice and fraternal love.”
Bishop Gerow received hate mail and phone calls from people, including Catholics, around the state and country for his visit to Mrs. Evers and for his statement. To one of these who expressed dismay that Bishop Gerow had visited Mrs. Evers, he replied: “I did it; I wanted the world to know it, and I was proud of the fact that I had done it because the family had suffered a tremendous injustice and it was really a national disgrace.”
The words of Bishop Gerow’s statement if put in modern terms would be very fitting to today’s climate. It seems we really are still in a climate where we need the cloud of hate and fear to be pierced by the light of justice and love.
Next issue a visit to New Orleans…

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

From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – This week I thought I would share some photos of the diocesan archives vault. This space was built into the ground floor of the diocesan chancery building during its construction in 1947.

Bishop R.O. Gerow moved the bishop’s office to Jackson from Natchez and brought most of the files with him. Our archives have documents dating back to the 1780s and has some books that date back farther than that.

To be honest we have one of the most complete archives of Mississippi history in the state albeit a history through the unique lens of the development of the Catholic Church in the region. The collection is a national treasure.

As a meticulous historian who knew the importance of maintaining proper records and information, Bishop Gerow, assisted by various chancellors along the way, built this comprehensive collection we have in the vault over a period of 42 years.

He kept a detailed diary as did his predecessors of the daily events in the life of the church as he lived them. His diary is several thousand pages typed up neatly and bound in volumes. His last entry details his retirement in 1966.
He also oversaw the indexing of his predecessors’ papers and correspondence along with all the official acts of the office of bishop and the diocesan church.

These photos show the enormous amount of work he did and the work that continues today. The vault is stacked to the ceiling and records since 1966 are slowly being indexed for future research. There is a great need for space and the vision is to one day have a building for the diocesan archives that can serve as a research center and small museum for educational purposes. Right now, we manage the best we can with the allotted space for our treasure. And we hope one day to be able to better share that treasure in a more appropriate environment.

Until then, I hope you will continue to appreciate the history we share in the space provided in this column.

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

From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – The tear of a woman bears all the pains of the world. I do not remember the movie where I heard this, but I do remember how this quote struck me. March is Women’s History Month, so I would like to highlight some of the women who have made great contributions to our diocesan church quietly behind the scenes and on the world stage.

We already read about Madame Felicitê Gireaudeau in earlier columns, who was a towering figure in the early Catholic community in Natchez – known for her acts of charity and resilience. In the 1840s, Bishop John Joseph Chanche invited the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul affectionately called the Sisters of Charity, to establish an orphanage for girls in Natchez. The Sisters arrived in 1847 and began St. Mary’s Asylum, which took in girls whose parents had either died or could no longer care for them.
The Sisters were known for their distinctive white cornettes and for the acts of charity they performed throughout the community. Antoinette Thomas, who served in the diocesan tribunal for many years, grew up with the Sisters and often was called upon to iron the cornette with a bucket of starch applied with a paint brush.
It would require a tome larger than Aquinas’s Summa to describe the enormous contributions made to the diocese by these and countless other Sisters throughout the history of our diocese – Mercy Sisters, Carmelites, Dominicans, Ursulines, Holy Spirit Sisters, and a myriad of others. We will save that for another time.
Of course, Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA, comes to mind in a large way due to her tenacity, grit and grace. She inspired people all over the world because she saw them, challenged them to be the best person they could be, and loved them.

Sister Thea’s canonization cause continues to gather steam. Here is a beautiful quote that encapsulates her faith: “We unite ourselves with Christ’s redemptive work when we reconcile, when we make peace, when we share the good news that God is in our lives, when we reflect to our brothers and sisters God’s healing, God’s forgiveness, God’s unconditional love.”
Some may not know that Sister Thea obtained her doctorate in letters from Catholic University of America in 1972. Her dissertation was on St. Thomas More entitled: “The Relationship of Pathos and Style in a Dyalogue of Comforte Agaynste Tribulacyion: A Rhetorical Study.” That is quite a topic and included studies in the Olde English style. She spent time researching this topic at Oxford University in England.
Sister Thea also was an expert on William Faulkner, speaking and appearing often at the annual Faulkner Conference in Oxford. We frequently think of religious women as kind-hearted women who came among us to serve in schools and parishes. We do not realize how highly educated these women were and are.

In 1982, Sister Anne Brooks, SNJM, obtained a doctor of osteopathy (DO) degree and set about to find a place to serve the underserved in America. She settled on starting a clinic in 1983 in Tutwiler, Mississippi, one of the poorest areas in the United States. The small Delta town’s water tower is painted with “Welcome to Tutwiler, Mississippi: Where the Blues Was Born.”
Dr. Brooks, a true osteopathic physician who embodies the holistic approach to medicine, has given that corner of our diocese a place where people on the margins can receive quality health care. An average year for her included seeing over 8,500 patients where one out of three live in poverty and seven out of 10 walk in the door with no way to pay for care.
She retired in 2017 after securing a partnership for the clinic with the local hospital, Tallahatchie General in Ruleville.

Sister Trinita Eddington, OP, has served her entire 60-plus year vocation as a Dominican here in Jackson at St. Dominic Hospital. The following information from the St. Dominic website gives an account of her ministry.
“Sister Trinita’s nursing background began in 1953 when she enrolled in the St. Dominic School of Nursing after making the profession of vows. With this, Sister Trinita began fulfilling her dream to care for the sick. She became a registered nurse in 1957.”
She helped establish St. Dominic Community Health Clinic for the homeless in Jackson. “treating hundreds of low-income and homeless individuals in the Jackson area through the St. Dominic Community Health Clinic. In addition to providing medical care as a nurse practitioner, as clinic director, Sister Trinita is also responsible and accountable for the overall administration, direction and operation of the clinic.”
Our diocesan chancery and Catholic Charities are filled with extremely competent and dedicated lay women of faith who everyday quietly leave their mark on this corner of God’s kingdom by serving as true disciples of Christ. I cannot name one without leaving out dozens. They serve tirelessly through challenges and adversity to achieve great things – often with a tear bearing the pains of the world. Pray for us.

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

From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – Before I begin this week’s article, let me say that having watched the storming of the U.S. Capitol last week by an incited mob, this brutal moment is now a part of our collective memory and a part of our history. How it is recorded will be a complicated and challenging task.
When we get beyond the rawness of this shock, how will we process it and how will we remember it? That is yet to be seen. History is indeed messy.
For now, let us turn to some more of our diocesan history. This week we will see how memory influences history as I begin a two-part article on French New Orleans Natchez connection.
In his book, Cradle Days of St. Mary’s, written in 1941, Bishop Richard O. Gerow, bishop of the diocese from 1924-1966, captures the early history of Catholic Natchez. He chronicles the days leading up to the establishment of the then Diocese of Natchez in 1837 and then carries the story forward through the early bishops.

The book is a treasure trove of how the church survived those days, and it features many of the people who helped establish the Catholic community. In the chapter entitled “Bishop Chanche Comes to Natchez,” Bishop Gerow highlights Madame Felicité Girodeau, who had come to Natchez from New Orleans with her husband Gabriel in 1802.
The Gireaudeau’s (proper spelling) were very active in the Catholic community and served as godparents in several of the baptismal records for both slaves and free. Mr. Gireaudeau served on the board of the Roman Catholic Society of Natchez. Sadly, he died in 1827 without receiving the last rites of the church as there was no priest assigned to the town at that time.
After Gabriel’s death, Madame Gireaudeau offered her parlor as a place for Mass when priest’s were sent to tend to the flock prior to Bishop John Joseph Chanche’s arrival in 1841. According to “Cradle Days” Madame Gireaudeau let Bishop Chanche, also of French decent, occupy one side of her house for several weeks until a house could be procured for him.
Allow me to share Bishop Gerow’s description of Madame Gireaudeau:
An interesting personage in the Catholic life of Natchez during this time was Madame Felicitê Girodeau, who had come to Natchez from Louisiana in 1802. She was a woman of education and culture, and above all, a devout Catholic.
Her husband, Gabriel Girodeau, who had kept a jewelry store on Main street and whose name is prominent in the record book of the minutes of the Roman Catholic Society of Natchez (he was for a time its president), had died in 1827, leaving her in comfortable circumstances but without children….
Of an active and charitable disposition, Madame Felicitê was present at all extraordinary occasions – in sickness, as an angel of kindness; at marriages; at births, and at deaths – whenever she could lend a helping hand. In all things pertaining to the church she had a prominent part, and her slaves – Betty, Alexandrine and Anne – attended to the cleaning and care of the Cathedral for many years….

These slaves she treated kindly, and long before her death she made them free: they, however, continued to live with her as before….
At a later date (1859) Bishop [William Henry] Elder, realizing that Madame Girodeau could furnish information regarding the early history of the little congregation at Natchez, which information would be interesting to future generations, requested her to tell him the outstanding events. Accordingly, in her presence and at her dictation, the Bishop wrote eight pages of notes, which have been useful in the writing of this present history. She died on January 11, 1862.
Much of this account and description was taken from memories shared by an older resident of Natchez who recalled her childhood memories of Madame Gireaudeau. What an amazing woman! From the description given would you ever think that Madame Gireaudeau was a Free Woman of Color? Why was it left out of the memories? Did the one remembering know? Does it matter?
Considering the subject of this series, yes it does matter and in the second part of this article we will encounter the unique social custom of the “one drop designation” and the fascinating connection between the colony of Saint Domingue, New Orleans, Baltimore and our diocese.
To be continued …

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

By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – In last week’s article on the sacramental records of slaves recorded in the early days of our diocese, we talked about the beautiful handwriting that documented the sin of slavery. We talked about the records reflecting slaves with only a first name having been stripped of their ancestral names and given European names.
This week we will look at some actual records and see the different levels and phraseology of defining the particular condition of that person and his or her “family.”
It is important to note that baptism is essential to the Catholic Church. Normally, in our Catholic baptismal rite parents freely present their child to the church for baptism. They choose Godparents for their child and gather with the priest or deacon around the font.
The gathered community of parents and Godparents in these records also had another set of individuals present – owners or overseers on behalf of the owner. Several of these rites occurred in the homes of the owners.
The thought of who presented the child or who asked for the baptism in these records can spark some interesting dialogue. Did the parent(s) ask for the baptism or did they even have a choice? Did the owner (who also might have been one of the parents) ask for it out of some sense of obligation to their ingrained Catholic theology to baptize so that the child if it died prior to baptism did not end up in “limbo?” Did the priest ask for this out of a dedication to his ministry in the salvation of souls?
What we do know is that as Catholics, we have a very strong commitment to baptism. This beautiful sacrament in which we die to sin and are reborn into the life of Christ is the foundation of our sacramental life in the church.
Therefore, it does on one level demonstrate a recognition that the one to be baptized has a soul and that baptism is conferred to remove that stain of original sin and initiate him/her into life in Christ. Even though the individual was considered property, there was still a recognition of his or her inherent worth and humanity and the need for the sacrament to be conferred.
And yet I still wonder what might have gone through the mind of the person meticulously recording these records in standard format where the word slave and the color of the skin were included as an identifying factor. Again, remember that, sadly, slavery at this time was a cultural and legal institution. Many Catholics owned slaves.

So, as you read through these records think about the beauty of the handwriting (example provided) and the desire to have a person initiated into Christ and the church through baptism. But on the other hand contemplate the immense gravity and evil of the phrase “slave of.”
I am going to start with a record from Spanish Colonial times. These are written in Spanish. The parents, Chere (father) and Genoveve (mother) of the girl are the same – both are slaves. What is interesting is Chere is a “slave of” Don Juan Rodriguez and Genoveva is “slave of” Madame Forman.
On the day of February 5, 1797, I, Don Francisco Lennan, priest of the Parish of the Savior in the city of Natchez, baptized and placed the holy oils on a girl of the color brown who was born on January 8, 1794, daughter of Chere, mulatto slave of Don Juan Rodriguez, and Genoveva, slave of Madame Forman; having conferred the sacred rites and prayers on this girl given the name Sara; Godparents were Simon de Arze and Maria Gertrude to whom I instructed on their spiritual kinship and have signed this: Francisco Lennan
It turns out that Madame Forman brought four to be baptized that day – two (Sara and Maria) from Chere and Genoveva; one named Thomasa described as a brown girl and daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth, both slaves of Madame Forman; and another Sara described as black and the daughter of Peter, slave of Madame Forman, and Judith, slave of Madame Paten.
The following record is from 1820 in Natchez and was written in English:
The underwritten testifies to have baptized in the Roman Catholic Church in the City of Natchez on the 26th of March 1820 a negro girl belonging to Gabriel Gireaudeau to whom the name Sophy was given; she was old seven years and had for Godfather Martial Pomet and for Godmother Virginia Gireaudeau.
Antoine Blanc, rector
We will have an article about the Gireaudeau family next edition. Antoine Blanc went on to become the first Archbishop of New Orleans.
From 1864, we have the following entry written by Bishop William Henry Elder, Bishop of the diocese from 1857 – 1880. This record reflects the pastoral care of the sick and again the foundational theology of baptism in that these individuals were in danger of death and the Bishop wanted to make sure they had received baptism. We will explore Bishop Elder’s time in a future article as well.
April 1 – At the smallpox hospital near Natchez, I baptized privately without ceremonies for in danger of death the following colored persons:
Joe aged 40 years
John Carter of [Peggy]
Henry Harrison of [Ocilia] – 56 years conditionally
The last two records shared are from the sacramental register of then Immaculate Conception Parish (now Sacred Heart) in Sulphur Springs (Camden). In these records a slave is denoted with a blank line after the first name is given.
The first record details an infant baptism that defines the infant as “servant.” This four-month-old baby was already destined for servitude. Since the Godmother is not given a last name, we can deduce she too was a slave.
The second example lists 15 slave children belonging to a Colonel Llyod of Maryland. They are listed in one record but they each are given a number in the register by listing them as 25-39 in the margin of the book.
Elizabeth____
In the year eighteen hundred and fifty four on the fourth day of June, Rev. C. Courjault baptized an infant named Elizabeth, born in February, same year, servant of Cornelius O’Leary of Madison County, Mississippi, Godmother Becky.
J.M. Guillou
Pastor
25-39
Servants
Col. Lloyd
In the year eighteen hundred and fifty four, on the twenty fourth day of July, Rec. C. Courjault baptized the following children, Servants of Col. Lloyd of Maryland, on his plantation under the care of John Hargan Esq.
Bernard – John – Meletiana Mary – Louisa – Henry – Noah – Amos William – John Marion – William – Edward – Amalh – Alice – Eliza Ann – Sally Ann – Louisa Ann. John Hargan, Esq., stood Godfather for all the above.
J.M. Guillou
Pastor
Our hope in the diocesan archives is to one day have the resources to digitize these records and make them accessible online for researchers to further discover and understand the dynamic tension between faith and culture during the time of slavery in Mississippi. Our archives are a gateway to that understanding and we are committed to broadening opportunities for study and open dialogue about this tension. We hope you will be able to reflect more on this topic and prayerfully seek opportunities to discuss this with others in a spirit of solid openness.
To be continued …

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