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Black Catholic education in diocese “Cradle Days” – part II

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – When I was in the eighth grade at Bailey Junior High in Jackson, this is what I was taught in American History class about the cause of the Civil War: The people of the South enjoyed importing shoes from France as they liked nice shoes. Massachusetts was home to a large shoe-making industry and wanted to sell shoes in the southern market. To force southerners to buy Massachusetts-made shoes, the government imposed high tariffs on imports from France. This angered southerners; so southern states seceded from the United States and formed the Confederacy.
There was never any mention that slavery was the cause of the Civil War. Even though all the key leaders in the South continually based their secession on maintaining the way of life in the South with slavery at the forefront, our eighth-grade class was taught that it was about shoes.
At the same time (1978-80), we were being taught this “white-washed” version of history, a controversial new textbook was being written and proposed for use as a textbook for ninth grade Mississippi History curriculum. “Mississippi: Conflict and Change,” edited by James Loewen of Tougaloo College and Charles Sallis of Millsaps College, gave a clear history of the state, especially in addressing difficult subjects such as slavery and lynchings. The textbook was not accepted for use in Mississippi school curriculum due largely in part to a graphic photograph of the lynching of a black man.
This reflects how history can be manipulated systemically to make it more palatable, especially considering at that time 97% of Bailey’s students were black. By rejecting the tough history in Conflict and Change, the board of education continued to present softened history to students throughout the state.
Having prefaced with 20th century education, let us journey back to 19th century Natchez education. Last issue we discussed early efforts by Bishop John Joseph Chanche and Bishop William Henry Elder to educate slave children in the afternoons in the rectory in Natchez. We continue that theme this week as we journey through the Civil War and into post war education efforts and the establishment of a school.
The custom of having slave children attend catechism classes in buildings on the church grounds continued throughout the Civil War. After the Emancipation Proclamation was given by President Lincoln in 1863 at Gettysburg, several thousand slaves, now emancipated by the proclamation, gathered in and around Natchez since it was occupied by Union troops.
We find the following letter from Bishop Elder to the Propagation of the Faith Society from early 1864 addressing the conditions in Natchez:
The proclamation of liberty caused several thousands of Negroes to gather in and around Natchez. And, although the military authorities provided them as well they could with shelter and food, yet great numbers of them sickened and died – and they are still dying every day. Almost all that we could get an opportunity to see were well disposed to receive the teachings of the Church and glad to be baptized, and we have been occupied, sometimes one and sometimes three of us, a part of almost every day, preparing them for death. Personally, I had the happiness of baptizing more than five hundred during the sickly period last fall.
After the war in 1868, Msgr. Mathurin Grignon, who had arrived in Natchez from France at the end of Bishop Chanche’s tenure as bishop, and was now Vicar General of the diocese, began a school in the church basement for Catholic children who were former slaves. According to “Cradle Days of St.

Msgr. Mathurin Grignon was born in Brittany, France on Nov. 29, 1822. He served under Bishop John Joseph Chanche, Bishop James Oliver Van de Velde, Bishop William Henry Elder and Bishop Francis August Janssens for the Diocese of Natchez. In 1868, he established the Society of the Holy Family to help support the poor among the Black Catholic community in Natchez. Grignon served St. Mary Cathedral, now Basilica, for over thirty-seven years, longer than any clergymen to date.

Mary’s,” Msgr. Grignon taught catechism to the children and hired teachers for other subjects. In 1868, he established the Society of the Holy Family to help support the poor among the Black Catholic community in Natchez.
Hoping to fortify the school with Sisters as teachers, Bishop Elder wrote to the Oblate Sisters of Providence in 1873 promising a house for the Sisters and a playground close by for the children to play. The Oblates were unable to fulfill Bishop Elder’s request however and the school enrollment dwindled.
A description of the school in 1878 is included in “Cradle Days” as: The basement of the Cathedral was divided into two large rooms. The one nearer Union street was vacant; the other was used as the schoolroom. The teacher in 1878 was a Mrs. Sarah Daigle, whose piety made quite a profound impression upon the children. … When Mrs. Daigle fell into ill health, the account continues: the school was moved from the basement of the church to the brick building just south of the Bishop’s Residence. This school was taught by Miss Beauvais and then for a short time by Miss Hammond.

Francis August Janssens was appointed the fourth Bishop of Natchez in 1881 by Pope Leo XIII. He served the Diocese from 1881 until 1888, when he was appointed Archbishop of New Orleans. Catholic education was a hallmark of his time in Mississippi. When he arrived in 1881, there were 15 schools; when he left for New Orleans seven years later, there were 26. (Photos courtesy of Diocese Archives)

When Bishop Elder was named Archbishop of Cincinnati in 1880, Bishop Francis Janssens was appointed the new bishop for Natchez. He, too, was committed to providing a school for Natchez’s Black Catholic community. Enrollment in the early 1880s was 25 students.
Bishop Janssens arranged for the Sisters of Charity, who were staffing St. Joseph School for white girls, to teach in the school. Here is a quote from his diary dated Oct. 4, 1886: Today, the Colored School was opened by the Sisters of Charity in the lower room of the house next to our residence. The number of pupils the first day was 24. Sister Mary Elizabeth and Sister Louise were the teachers.
By the end of 1886, the enrollment was up to 15 boys and 35 girls. The school was named St. Francis. In 1887, the school was flourishing with 65 students. The building had to be adjusted to fit all the students. A room on the second floor of the building became a classroom for the older girls.
The evolution of education for Black Catholics in Natchez from the establishment of the diocese, through the Civil War and into the 1880s does reflect a dedication on the part of the early bishops and pastors to evangelize in this community. As we move forward in exploring this ministry, we will see it evolve even further as a parish is established in Natchez for African Americans in 1890 under Bishop Thomas Heslin.

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

Black Catholic education in diocese “Cradle Days” – part 1

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – When I think back about my 12 years in the Jackson Public Schools, I remember the many classmates and teachers who were a part of my education. I began the first grade when JPS implemented integration completely.
In the third grade, Harry Reasoner of “60Minutes” visited my classroom at Power Elementary. His crew filmed us all morning and he talked to us about integration and how well it was going in JPS. Apparently, we were a model school district because people from around the world would visit to see how we did it. I guess people were expecting riots as in previous situations, but that did not happen. And so, we got to meet Harry Reasoner and our classroom was showcased on a national broadcast for a total of 15 seconds.
I give this introduction because for the next two columns we will be looking at education. This week we will look at early attempts at educating slave children once the diocese was established and Bishop John Joseph Chanche had arrived in 1841. Next week will focus on how history was taught to me in JPS.
I will preface by saying I am again using “Cradle Days” written by Bishop Gerow and his Chancellor Msgr. Daniel O’Beirne, who did most of the research for the book. History can be recorded in various ways only to be further researched and adjusted later when more resources become available. When using direct quotes and transcripts of letters, I will use the original language of the book using terms such as “negro” and “colored.”
From “Cradle Days” we read that after Bishop Chanche’s arrival in 1841 he wrote the following letter to the Archbishop of Vienna in an attempt to gain some funding for his fledgling diocese from The Leopoldin Society.
I have begun a mission amongst the Negroes. On my arrival here there were only two who called themselves Catholic; at present many frequent the Sacraments. They are given an instruction twice every Sunday and from 150 to 200 are present and are preparing themselves for baptism.
According to “Cradle Days” evangelizing and educating the local African American children was a mission he held very dear because he assigned a priest, Father Francois “to the special care of the Negroes.” In 1844 again seeking funds, Bishop Chanche wrote to the Propagation of the Faith Society in Paris the following description of his mission:
It would be very important for religion in the country here that we would have zealous Priests who would be willing to give themselves entirely to the instruction of the Negroes. … I have already commenced one of these missions near Natchez, and I have every reason to be hopeful.
In the baptismal records of the 1840s there is evidence that when clergy and Bishop Chanche were travelling to faraway places such as Jackson and Yazoo City, slaves were baptized on plantations. This ministry would have most likely continued under Bishop James VandeVelde, our second bishop (1853-55), but his short tenure and untimely death leaves him out of this section of “Cradle Days.”

Bishop William Henry Elder photo from his early days as Bishop, possibly in the 1860s. (Photo courtesy of archives)

Bishop William Henry Elder, our third bishop (1857-80), continued the commitment to evangelizing and educating the slave community in the Natchez area. In the 1860 announcement books from St. Mary’s, we find:
Your prayers are required for the repose of the soul of Sam – colored servant of Mr. Owens. He died this morning, after having received the Sacraments and other rites of the Church.
Also, from 1861 we read:
Colored persons, especially those old enough for their first communion ought to attend in church this afternoon at 3½.
A more telling announcement comes in May 1862, when an earnest appeal is made to the “masters and mistresses to arrange the work of those under their care in such a manner that they may have an opportunity of coming to instruction,” which would be held in the rectory.
I find the use of the phrase “under their care” interesting. Was it a way of appealing to the goodness in the person who owns another person to entice them into letting them be educated? Was it a way to guilt people into doing what was right?
Earlier language from Bishop Chanche’s same letter quoted above sent to the Propagation of the Faith in 1844 is phrased:
The Negroes are inclined to religion and they have not the permission to go outside the limits of the plantation. The good which would be done would be a permanent good. Besides, the good would reflect upon their masters. When these would see the change that would be produced in their slaves they could not but esteem a religion which could produce such effects, and esteem would lead them to embrace it.

NATCHEZ – Perspective view of south and west elevations in 1936 of 311-313 Market Street (Parish House) where classes might have taken place. (Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington DC)

In reading through this chapter entitled “Colored Catholics in Natchez” from the lens of today, the language and phrasing are very difficult to swallow. But I began to wonder if church leadership was trying to make something good out of something really bad. Was there a genuine concern for the souls of these enslaved people? Since slavery was an accepted institution at that time in that place, were the actions of the bishop and his priests carefully calculated so as not to offend their slave-owning parishioners and lose financial and spiritual support?
These letters and announcement books, language and phrasing aside, does seem to reflect concern for the dignity of the human person and a recognition of that individual as God’s creation.
Next time we will explore a little more of Bishop Elder’s actions during and after the Civil War and we will meet Msgr. Mathurin Grignon, rector, administrator, vicar general.

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

Youth news

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COLUMBUS – Annunciation celebrated Catholic Schools Week with their annual “In Our Nation Day Parade” around the school block. Students wore patriotic clothing and played instruments. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)
JACKSON – St. Richard students (top row sixth grade, bottom kindergarten and in pews fourth grade) performed a special presentation for Bishop Joseph Kopacz during Catholic Schools Week Mass on Wednesday Feb. 3. (Photo by Vanessa Cochran)
GREENVILLE – On Feb. 3, St. Joseph students – ChaKoreia Holmes, Jasmine Ross and Maxwell Washington – paid a visit to the Washington County Convention Center to pass out goodie bags to the National Guard. This was a small gesture of thanks for all that they are doing during the pandemic. (Photo by Nikki Thompson)

Madame Gireaudeau highlight of early diocese “Cradle Days” – part II

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From the Archives
By Mary Woodward
JACKSON – Recently, I participated in a DNA ancestry test using one of those kits involving sending one’s saliva to a lab. The results came back saying I am 100% European ancestry with the majority being Scottish. This was no surprise to me since my paternal grandfather’s cousins were all Cunninghams, McMillans and Carlisles. The rest of me is a mix of Irish, English, Welsh, German and Norwegian. That last one actually was a surprise.
I start with this to remind readers that I write from a white perspective and am attempting to offer a historical account from our diocesan archives on race and the growth of the Catholic community in our state. Again, the hope is to be honest and spawn some interesting dialogue based in this unique setting. I find myself at times struggling to find the right way to phrase things, so if something comes across as offensive, I apologize.
Last week we left off with the account of Madame Felicité Gireaudeau, the grand dame of Catholic Natchez in the early and mid-1800s being described as a free woman of color.

Bishop R. O. Gerow

Bishop Gerow’s account from the eyewitness gives a beautiful rendering. His account even revealed she had freed her slaves, but they chose to remain with her. After further research by the St. Mary Basilica Archives crew, we now know Madame Gireaudeau’s own will tells another story. Upon her death, she bequeaths her “slaves” to a dear friend in Natchez.
At the end of the last article, I asked why the fact that she was a woman of color was left out of the description given by the eyewitness interviewed by Bishop Gerow. Initial responses could be that this was not known by the witness or perhaps it was not important to define her ethnicity – what was important was her catholicity. The Catholic community in Natchez which had had great prominence during Spanish rule now found itself under English Protestant influence and prejudice. Perhaps, the tight-knit Catholic community took solace in their Catholic identity and did not dwell on race.
A second response could be Bishop Gerow’s book was written in the late 1930s. The tenor of the time was much different in terms of race. The “one drop rule” was in full force and the witness was a product of her upbringing. As we know history is written subjectively.
According to Wiley’s Online Dictionary, “the one drop rule is a social rule of racial classification by which those with any degree of black ancestry are categorized as black. The rule is uniquely American and can be traced to the slave era as an effort by whites to maintain white supremacy. During the Jim Crow era, the rule was codified into state laws to formally define blackness in order to subjugate anyone with black ancestry.”
Let me interject a brief account of a complex, difficult history that many will remember from eighth-grade history class. In 1492, after a long journey at sea, Christopher Columbus spotted an island from his ship and named it La Isla Española (ultimately Hispanola). In order to mine the gold he sought for Spain, he and those that followed enslaved the local island population.
In a little over 100 years those indigenous peoples were wiped out due to imported European diseases, hard labor in the mines and/or abuse. The Spanish conquerors then began to bring slaves from neighboring islands who met the same fate.
With the mines exhausted, the Spanish turned the colony over to French colonists, who settled mainly on the Western end of the island and began to import slaves from Africa. By 1791 there were 500,000 slaves from Africa in Saint-Domingue, around 30,000 European colonists and around 25,000 “affranchis,” free persons of mixed race (Creole).

The “Old Parish House” of the Church of San Salvador built by order of the Spanish King in 1786. (Photos courtesy of archives)

The slaves of Saint-Domingue revolted in 1791 and many colonists fled to places such as Baltimore and New Orleans, which was still a French colony. Bishop Chanche’s parents fled to Baltimore from Saint-Domingue during the revolt and he was born there in 1795.
It is possible that Felicité Pomet Gireaudeau’s families could have at one time been in Saint-Domingue. I have not researched her that far back. Some census records have her being born at sea. Her tombstone has her being born in New Orleans.
Felicité and her husband, Gabriel, also a person of color, were married in St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans in 1817.
Emily Clark profiles Madame Gireaudeau in her contribution to Mississippi Women: Their Histories, Their Lives published in 2003. According to Clark, the sacramental register of their marriage tells it all. The original record was entered into the record for whites. The record has a notation below it reading: “this matrimonial act of Gabriel Girodeau with Felicité Pomet was recorded by error, improperly entered in this register since the said contractors are people of color.” Wow!
Therefore, many reactions are possible to the question why notation of color was left out of the story by the witness. Perhaps the witness did not want to reveal the heroism of a person of color; perhaps Bishop Gerow acted out of caution so as not to rock any boats; or perhaps neither one knew the Gireaudeau’s were in fact people of color.
In his book, Between the World and Me, TaNehisi Coates writes a letter to his son about being black in America. In it he talks of racism giving rise to race. He speaks of people who think they are white and explains that before they were white, they were Christian or European, but somehow that got lost in the struggle for power. This is the real ongoing struggle.
Therefore, perhaps we should look at this through that lens. Madame Gireaudeau lived in a time of cultural fluidity in early 19th century Catholic Natchez where for Catholics being Catholic was the point of importance. We really cannot offer a judgement against anyone involved in the telling of her story or of the Gireaudeau’s themselves. It is a story uniquely our own that holds us captive to our collective history.

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

Youth news

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MADISON – St. Anthony kindergarten students prayerfully gather around the advent wreath during morning Prayer and Pledge. Pictured from left: Mae McDaniel, Ellison Cole, Emma Kassinger, Seth D’Mello, Caroline Hammett, Kaitlyn Rottman, Lucy Sanders and Olivia Howell. (Photo by Keri Dare)

(First pic) Second grade St. Anthony students created volcanos in conjunction with their classroom lessons. Addy Griffin is filled with excitement as her volcano erupts. (Photo by Kati Loyacono)

JACKSON – (Above) St. Richard fourth grade student Samantha Cochran won the school Spelling Bee on Tuesday, Dec. 8. (Photo by Chelsea Hamilton)
COLUMBUS – Annunciation fourth grader, Miles Brignac, presents his science fair project Soil vs. Soil x 4. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)

Drive-in Mass services becoming a Sunday favorite at St. Jude parish

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By Joanna Puddister King
PEARL – During the COVID-19 crisis, parishes have had to get creative to keep doing the things they did pre-COVID and St. Jude parish in Pearl is no exception.
Tucked in the city of Pearl Pine Park subdivision, St. Jude parish has found great success holding drive-in Mass on Saturdays and Sundays.
“The idea for a drive-in Mass was thrown around by staff as a joke in the early spring as we discussed plans to resume the celebration of public Mass,” said Rhonda Bowden, director of liturgy and pastoral care at St. Jude. But the parish quickly figured out that they would not be able to accommodate the number of parishioners they normally expected at Mass.
“With a drive-in Mass, we could increase the number of congregants by 50% over in-church Mass. We felt like we had to give it a try,” said Bowden.
As for a drive-in set up, that is where things got interesting. A few years ago, a parishioner donated an old mobile home to the parish to refurbish into a Mardi Gras float. “The exterior was painted Mardi Gras green. It rolled through downtown Brandon this past February on its inaugural parade route,” said Bowden.
After trying to conduct drive-in Mass from the porch of the rectory the parish decided to try the float with the Mardi Gras decorations removed, of course, and it worked so well that it became the platform for Mass.
“One parishioner with telecommunication experience setup mics, a mixer and a transmitter that didn’t require FCC licensing. Another parishioner added an awning over the midsection of the trailer for protection from the sun and rain,” said Bowden.
The help didn’t end there. Another parishioner built steps and a handrail and a portable sacristy was set up with altar linens, sacred vessels, the Roman Missal and other items normally used at Mass.
“Through the experience of the past six months we have added a few other items to our portable sacristy that you won’t find in a church sacristy such as wasp spray, extra masks, traffic control flags and safety vests,” Bowden elaborated.
Having Mass outdoors also brings comedic challenges, parishioner Cathy Haden shared. “One Sunday … as [Father Lincoln Dall] was giving his homily, his cat … wanted his attention.”
After meowing loudly up on the outdoor platform and being removed a few times, the cat jumped in Father Lincoln’s lap, Haden recalled fondly.
It definitely takes more time and effort to pull everything together for a drive-in Mass but parishioners, like Hayden have grown to appreciate the change.
At first, she was resistant to even try drive-in Mass, but through the encouragement of other friends who “loved it,” Haden gave it a try.
“The first couple of times I went, I admit I wasn’t crazy about it. But … I grew to love it as much as my friends did.”
Hayden said that the changes the church has had to make to allow parishioners to attend Mass more safely “have been stressful … but I have found our own attitude has a lot to do with what we get out of it.”
Over the summer, faith formation coordinator Stacy Wolf utilized the parish drive-in setup for Vacation Bible School.
“I took the ideas for an in-person Sunday School series about King David and adapted them to fit a drive-in format,” said Wolf.
“It brought so much joy to look out and see the families singing … in their cars. My husband, Michael took great pride in coming up with voices for the Bible stories. … My son, Owen, was a huge help with passing out our bags filled with snacks and at home activities for the week,” said Wolf. “It was a lot of work, but something I don’t think I will ever forget. Such special and sweet memories.”

Attending drive-in Mass at St. Jude is simple. Congregants stop at the check-in station at the entrance of the parking lot. There they receive the bulletin and any handouts. They are then directed to a parking spot by the ushers. Once settled, they tune their radio to FM 101.1 to hear and participate in Mass. At communion time, congregants are asked to put on a facemask and sanitize their hands. They are directed to get out of their cars if they can. The ministers of communion come to each car to distribute the Precious Body of Christ. After receiving communion, attendees get back in their vehicles. When Mass is over, the ushers direct traffic out of the parking lot quickly and smoothly.
Bowden says, “The drive-in Mass format has been well accepted here at St. Jude. While I certainly miss the liturgical beauty of Mass in the church, it is sacrifice that I’m willing to make so that others can attend Mass. We have a great number of our older parishioners and those with underlying illnesses that come to the drive-in Masses that could not come to Mass indoors. It is also a good option for families with small children and those people that have a difficult time wearing a face mask for long periods of time. We have had quite a few regular visitors from other parishes that state they do not feel comfortable inside with others for more than a few minutes. Certainly, being surrounded by God’s own creations of nature adds beauty to the drive-in Mass, too.”
As an added bonus to the seasons, the St. Jude staff also try to decorate the trailer for the liturgical and calendar seasons. For Pentecost, the green sidewalls were covered with red tablecloths. During the fall, they put bales of hay, pumpkins, gourds and potted fall flowers. Recently, the trailer got a coat of purple paint for Advent and an Advent wreath.
Right now, with the dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases, all of the weekend Masses at St. Jude are conducted in drive-in fashion. Bowden invites anyone that is interested in coming to a drive-in Mass at St. Jude to join them at 4 p.m. on Saturdays, 8 a.m., 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. (Spanish) on Sundays. Just be sure to register by going to this link: https://signup.com/go/vyZbHGK.

(Photos by Rhonda Bowden, Tereza Ma contributed to this story.)

Vardaman group serves taste of the South at Thanksgiving

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By William Moore Daily Journal
VARDAMAN – Catholic Charities provided around 100 Thanksgiving dinners Thursday evening to migrant workers in Calhoun County.
For organizer Danna Johnson, it was much more than just giving away food.
“The beauty of this is how we can integrate a multicultural community through food,” Johnson said. “We wanted to make sure it was a traditional Southern meal – no beans, no tortillas.
“For many of the workers, it might be the first time they have ever eaten turkey.”
The event started last year when the group served meals to around 40 workers at the downtown Vardaman location and sent out another 15 meals. It was a way for several cultures to come together. A migrant worker said grace before the meal. A board member shared the story of Thanksgiving and the reasons behind the traditions of turkey and dressing.
Officials hoped the second year would be even bigger, but then the pandemic hit and forced this year’s event to become carry-out only.
To make sure as many of the workers as possible knew about the event, Johnson enlisted the help of Paola Diaz to get the word out. Diaz works for a company that brings the migrant workers in from Mexico, processes the immigration paperwork and allocates the workers to the various farms around the area.
“I work in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, and I love this place,” Diaz said.

Since she deals directly with the workers, Diaz was an integral part of getting the word out. She not only knew the rural county roads where the workers live, she was the ticket in the door.
“These people don’t go out much and avoid a lot of new places and new people,” Johnson said. “They are not used to coming to places they don’t know. If I went to the door by myself, they wouldn’t answer the door. When I showed up with Paola, we were welcomed in.”
So, the two women spent the last couple of weeks riding around county roads, letting the workers know that a special meal would be waiting for them, if they wanted it.
“The goal was to show them hospitality and many of the workers were actually working until noon today,” Diaz said.
Heidi Stephens, a retired teacher who helps with the Catholic Charities after school tutoring program, said they worked for several weeks to organize the event. Two local churches prepared the food.
“Last year, St. Christopher in Pontotoc did the food,” Stephens said. “This year, St. Christopher and St. James in Tupelo took care of the food.”
Some of the items were purchased while three different groups at the Tupelo church did the bulk of the cooking, including three men from the Knights of Columbus who cooked the turkeys.
While the meal is prepared by Catholic Services and most of the migrant workers are Catholic, the meal is not a religious event or church service.
“They don’t have time to go (to regular church services),” Johnson said. “They work every day when the crop is coming in, even Sundays and holidays.”
The event does help to introduce the workers to the church, but officials wanted to make it more about hospitality, with thanks to God present, but in the background.
“It’s a ministry of presence, we are not looking for recruits,” Stephens said. “It is good for the community to see an ecumenical project take off.”

(This story was reprinted with permission of the Daily Journal. Follow the author on Twitter @WilliamMoore_DJ, photos by Thomas Wells)