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' .CATHOLIC : ACTIONS OF : ,;THE , SOUTH; , » '
Natch ezr, CenteiVni
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^Pascagoula Section Negroes Worshipped in White Churches Before M|56uildmg of Church in ,1907. by Josephites; Original Church, Burned in Fire, Replaced- by Present Edifice in 1917
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JyjRev.Josepli E. McKee, S. S. J.
;^J^Tljei;’earliest reference to Col-jg.oredr£atholics at Pascagoula is to ipbe found in. a letter written just ;;V after,': his arrival in the town by - *Rev.i-,Joseph Wise to, Bishop El-v-,der an April,. 1873. “The Negro '•population.'seems to be generally yGathblic,” he says, “and I intend 'J tO: devote a great part -of my time them.”- In 1883 St. Peter’s .Jchaptel at. Kreoletown served the ^needs'/of the Negro community,
^though the records indicate that /Colored Catholics also attended ‘i’Stella. Maris chapel on the beach 'as well as the main church of Our;Lady of Victories. In 1887,
JTathfcr Victor Bally held weekly services at St. Peter’s and Stella Maris. The Colored attendance at Stella Maris in 189a numbered 25 people; in 1896, 35, and in 1897,
,70. in 1900, 84 Colored attended
Mother Duchesne Visitor at, Natches
toine Blanc. Father I according to Mother Duel: a difficult time of it, bi as best he could to carr; ministry and to help th
St. Peter's church, Josepliite parish for Negro Catholics, located at Pascagoula. It was dedicated in 1920.
a school for the Colored children, liam Murphy succeeded Father A notice in the local press about Kelly in 1910. In 1914 Rev. John that time says: “Catholics wish to Gaffney was appointed assistant purchase "a lot on which to build to Father Kelly. The need for a Colored school.” The school was an adequate school to house the finally erected on a lot north of increasing number of pupils be-the present church of Our Lady came urgent, so a two-story build
The city of Natchez has the honor of having harbored and sheltered one of the most notable figures in the religiotfs history of the Mississippi valley, a woman
who stands out prominently in the who often stopped off at annals of first decades of the while voyaging up and c American domination in the ter- river. Mother Duchesne ritory of Louisiana. This was tined to meet Father IV Venerable Mother Philippine Du- again, but under tragic chesne, foundress of the American province of the Religious of the Sacred Heart. The honor is all the more important "because of the fact that Mother Duchesne has been proposed for beatification and has -already been declared Venerable.
Bishop Dubourg, the second Bishop of the Diocese of Louisiana, had. been in Europe for spme time, collecting funds and various articles tc> provide for his very poor diocese, and gathering together priestb and ecclesiastical students to come to his diocese and . take up work. He also wanted to have Sisters to teach in schools
which he was eager to establish, fear of taking on victims Fortunately he directed his steps plague. Accordingly, Mothe to the religious house of the Re- chesne decided to go down t ligious of the Sacred Heart, not Orleans, hoping she would 1 long before founded by St. Sophie better chance of getting a bo Barat. It was there that Bishop ing up the river.
Dubourg met Mother Philippine Duchesne. The chronicles state that Mother Duchesne was cured oi' an old ailment on the spot, God granting her this so that she might carry out her long cherished wish a doctor. He advised her to ■ of taking up missionary work in New Orleans as soon as she c distant Louisiana.	.
Was to Return At the Bishop’s direction, she came to New Orleans with a small band of zealous co-workers, land
stances.
The voyage downstream sumed and Mother Duches her way through the ba Louisiana and by ox cart 1 her destination, Grand Cot( mission there having be filled, she decided to ret Missouri, where further w< direction of the new establi were awaiting her.
Upon reaching, with her companion, Theresa Pratt river landing town of Plaqi she learned that a yellow epidemic was raging dowr and that boats would not : Plaquemine going upstrea
At New Orleans, as .befor Ursuline nuns were generous to her and little Theresa, Mother Duchesne’s health wa and, alarmed, the Ursulines (
as he feared she would cor the dread fever.
Fever Breaks Out Mother Philippine left at the river steamer, Hecla, a
ing on Louisiana soil on the feast that soon became a horror
of the Sacred Heart, 1818. The little group stayed a short time at New Orleans, then went on up'the Mississippi river to Missouri w.here Duchesne founded St.
’ . of Victories and opened its doors under the direction of Sister Eulalia to 30^ pupils in January, 1883.
Josephites Come Bishop Janssens. purchased a I'new site on the • northwest • side t'jat the. church in 1888 . and the..
'‘school was transferred to it. For- new church and rectory had re- tract land at Grand Coteau,'did so with ho attention. One•> ty-three pupils, attended it .in 1891 placed the old opes.. ,Irr the mean- • near6peIolisas, .La., he asked-the tim, a jn&t who was stricken,
ing was erected.
In 1915, Rev. M. J. O’Neil was appointed to the pastorate.	A dis-	Mol.her
astrous fire destroyed St.	Peter s	claries convent, Florrissant, Mo.'
t?i rectory in . August, The,Bishop was eager, to have a	----	------------------
1917. Plans-- were immediately	school, for girls in lower	Louisiana	almost,	ignored .and	those
made to rebuild. Befoie	long a	ancj when a pious lady	donated a	passed	on,	victims	of	the	plaj
r'h anH rppfnrv haH re- ,	.	-	,	s	-	,	^	J	.	j.	_	A	V.	j____.m. ui________*■: —	*
The long voyage up the m\ river began. Yellow fever b out among the .passengers Mother Duchesne herself foi valiantly against the contam tion that sought to get its i upon her. The sick on board v
Xos'cplx^lEmmett1 ‘.Vincent, S.w SI J.V' borh^iGer-
ninahtowri. ^Philadelphia? 'Pa;;: . ra^6i-XC	*.*:>■	who	was the superior or tne little'-tne up-river trip, me captain,
i;,stucUed'*at':st. Mary’s scmiri-J.-i‘;:Fr0“1 4.902 .to 1911,- Sister Eulalia Colored youth of .the parish. Sis- band sent Sisters to' begin the new;mate;’.apd one of the passengi par^Balttmorc, Md.f'ordained^.was;.in;charge> of -the- undertak- ter Stanislaus was m charee
;tJune^3^';1925, af Cathedral, ....
'■■■■■•■■	to	the	j;
sue- ■
;*BaltInjoje, 'Md.; ■ came to iwfdioce^e^bcjtober 1,*19S1; 5'cpfisive •?appointment, October skl,-(.1931,vSt. Peter’s church, :!,';Pascagpula, pastor.''
'"W itVlA.T- /■I**' '	^
was
ing.	•
; On January 12, 1907, the Jos-'ephite Fathers . took over the Catholic Negro work in the city. Rev. S. J. Kelly,'. S. S. J., was ap-'pointed to organize the new Negro parish. A .suitable location was donated by' the Ernest fain-
ter Stanislaus was in charge oi*r this school in 1915, when the pupils enrolled numbered 28 boys and 67 girls. The school' attendance. - today numbers more than 100 pupils.
Church Dedicated
died.;'.
Finally, Mother Duchesne coi no longer stave off the clutches the fever. By the time the, padc wheel river boat had chugged ; way to the bluffs of Natchez, si prostrate with the fever.. Tl
school.
In July, 1822, Mother Duchesne decided to go down herself to the new convent at Grand Coteau, La.
She took with her a Sister and a novice and had for traveling qom-
panion a young girl, Theresa ,-------------------	----------	------. -
On the Vigil of Pentecost,- 1920, prattp, daughter of a-family were _ crew decided to rid themselves-/V=- *,..»• - j	.,-1,,. . - .	,	.	•	.	,	..	.	.- ...	,	„	Bishop Gunn dedicated the new great benefactors .to the- Sisters. • the fever victim lest. the rest i
about .one mile from r5sca,” St. Peter’s church. .	On the way down river, the boat the ship crew and passengers su<
^^?5ffi‘l,,J^P,^«?;^§?T>Went--to.-Mass :goula..on the Old - Spanish -.Trail. In 1921 Father Younkin came stopped at Natchez, so Mother Du- cumb. Accordingly, when the boi atj>SWPeter. s,-m Kreoletown. A Here Eather Kelly built a smaH and remained until 1924. He chesne and her companions while tied up at the Natchez landinj "'^eP''2J5 and house, wlhich served as a school, carried on the good work of his waiting for the boat to resume its Mother Duchesne and hSr youn oi ir	n	sAfter a .brief period a much larg-, predecessors. During his time in journey, visited the town.- They charge, Theresa, were unceremon
StelSpMans &s well as the Col- er building was erected to serve Pnscaeonla he said Mass twice a	...
oredi.Catholic: school.	'	as	a	mission	center. In due time
^ as Col- er building was erected to serve Pascagoula he said Mass twice a saw g- church and went to visit iously put off the boat, oredi.Catholic school.	' as a mission center. In due time month, in Moss Point. He pro- it but foun -	-	-	■	-	-	--	-
■^Whe^'llthe < Sisters. of the Holy * a church was ready jto serve the cured pews for the church and jan church.
month, in Moss Point. He pro- bu|- found it was a Presbyter- ' And now, Mother Philippine • -n „ i' j	-	-x	r,-	i	:‘or	,^n	ian church. Eventually she saj^s, Duchesne found herself in a crit
+m ^ascag°ula needs °f the community. . Bishop finished the work that, Father they found the small wooden cha- ically sick condition on the. land-Jf	^	1	foii7	O Ne:il haii begun.	pei which served Natchez at the ing at Natchez and having in hei
rhiMHr^	niVnc	t	white	,to	St.	Peter,on December^, 1907. In 1925 Father Lyons was ap- time; the precursor 0f the present care a young girl. She felt sick
■ cn»; .they laid plans to build Rev. John Albert and Rev. Wil- pointed pastor and remained un- Cathedral of Our Lady of Sorrows, .enough to die, but she courage-
tu .1928. He had the buildings There they met Father Constari- ously fought illness and despair, painted and it 15 said that he him- tine Maenhaut, the pastor, a.young praying fervently for some way: self painted the church, with the prjest who had' been ordained but out ‘of her dilemna. To niake
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jt (Oliliyatunt”
wm wyT* *
-
; /\ S-HURCH OFFERING system, designed to co-^HiU^' ordinate,:; Church and . home .». to inspire lay V|:; . .interest ,in the material side of Church welfare ... to ^i^'sub^ljze. Church finances.,. to relieve, the parish \\rivii priest' of money worries ... to dispense with' pulpit pleading...., to simplify the problem . of Church and ^J'^Parpchial School expansion. ;
;^^JT Complete details and samples furnished 11 1 ill. to Parish Priests, upon re’quest.^.j.	J] ..
M	Q	U	Cf	U felfcl S H liNiGl dc Q .s
help of one of the men 9f the allulI> parish. He was very kind to those just taken the place of Father An who were sick and very good to	r
the people of the parish. '
Father Reichmeyer came next, in 1929, and remained until 1931.-'
By the strictness . of his life, he edified everyone with whom he came in contact. ■	1
Father McKee came in OctoBer,,
1931, and is still the- pastor. Today the Catholic Negro congregation at Pascagoula numbers 500 people.
CHARITY SISTERS
WHO GAVE LIVES: ,
IN DUTY; LISTED,
Since the days of Bishop Chan-, che, when vthe- first Sisters of Charity took up work in the'Dio-, cese of Natchez, many of these heroines of St. Vincent de Paul have .given up their lives in heroic and se'lf-sacrificing service. Given v below is a list of the Sister? of Charity who, according to the an-, nals, up to 1925,. have died in the diocese:
■; Sister.-Mary Gallagher, September 1 5, 1853; Sister “Chrysostom'
Fitzgerald, September 7,. 1853; Sister Mary .Floririe Egan, March 15,
. 1855; Sister Rosanna Morgan, May 27,	1877; Sister Mary Thomas
.MacSyviggan,-September,. 22, 1877;
Sister Mary.. Jane iHogg; Autniet -k
a short time before and who had matters worse, Natchez people flat-
(Continued-on Page 54)
Ordained in May, 1934 ;
il
i&i'S
-tl
Wito.fi
The first four Negro nrip**-