About Diocese of Jackson
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson (Dioecesis Jacksoniensis) is a Latin Church diocese serving the northern and central 65 counties of Mississippi. Originally erected in 1837 as the Diocese of Natchez, it is the largest Catholic diocese by area east of the Mississippi River (about 37,643 sq mi) and a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Mobile. Today the diocese encompasses 89 parishes and missions, 18 Catholic schools and learning centers, and is led from the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in downtown Jackson. Its mission is to 'proclaim Jesus as Savior by living the Gospel, so that all people may experience the crucified and risen Lord.'
- Bishop
- Joseph R. Kopacz
- Established
- 1837
- Cathedral
- Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle (Jackson, Mississippi)
- Territory
- Sixty-five counties of northern and central Mississippi, from Woodville to Corinth, Vicksburg to Meridian, Paulding to Southaven — about 37,643 square miles (97,490 km²), the largest diocese by area east of the Mississippi River
- Parishes
- 89 parishes and missions (74 parishes as of the 2013 Official Catholic Directory)
- Province
- Archdiocese of Mobile (Ecclesiastical Province of Mobile; transferred from New Orleans in 1980)
About the Diocese of Jackson
The Diocese of Jackson is one of two Latin Catholic dioceses serving Mississippi (alongside the Diocese of Biloxi) and a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Mobile. Its territory covers 65 counties — the northern and central two-thirds of the state — and is administered from the Chancery at 237 E. Amite Street in downtown Jackson, adjacent to the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. According to the diocese's own count there are 89 parishes and missions plus 18 Catholic schools and learning centers; the most recent Official Catholic Directory reports 74 parishes and roughly 52,900 Catholics in a general population of about 2.2 million. The diocesan mission statement reads: 'To proclaim Jesus as Savior by living the Gospel, so that all people may experience the crucified and risen Lord.'
- 65 counties, ~37,643 sq mi — largest diocese by area east of the Mississippi River
- 89 parishes and missions; 18 Catholic schools and learning centers
- Approximately 52,900 registered Catholics (2013)
- Suffragan of the Archdiocese of Mobile (Province of Mobile since 1980)
- Founded as the Diocese of Natchez on July 28, 1837
History of the Diocese
Catholic life in Mississippi predates the diocese: the Vicariate Apostolic of Mississippi was erected in 1826 and was raised to the Diocese of Natchez in 1837. Bishop John Chanche (1840–52) built the first diocesan infrastructure, and seven successors — Van de Velde, Elder, Janssens, Heslin, Gunn, Gerow and Brunini — shaped it across the 19th and 20th centuries. The see moved from Natchez to Jackson in 1948, the name became Natchez-Jackson in 1956, and in 1977 the southern counties were detached to form the Diocese of Biloxi, with the see renamed Jackson. Eleven bishops have served since 1837.
- 1826 — Vicariate Apostolic of Mississippi erected
- 1837 — Diocese of Natchez erected by Pope Gregory XVI
- 1948 — Episcopal see transferred from Natchez to Jackson
- 1956–57 — Renamed Diocese of Natchez-Jackson; St. Peter's elevated to co-cathedral
- 1977 — Diocese of Biloxi erected; diocese renamed Diocese of Jackson
- 1980 — Transferred to the Province of Mobile
The Bishop
Most Reverend Joseph R. Kopacz, Ph.D., is the eleventh Bishop of Jackson. Pope Francis announced his appointment on December 12, 2013, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and he was ordained and installed at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle on February 6, 2014, before a standing-room-only congregation of more than 25 bishops and abbots. A priest of the Diocese of Scranton before his appointment, Bishop Kopacz chose the episcopal motto 'Fiat Lux' ('Let There Be Light'). He has continued the work of his predecessor bishops, created new initiatives in evangelization and intercultural ministry, and in 2018 opened the canonization cause of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman.
- Bishop since February 6, 2014
- Motto: 'Fiat Lux'
- Opened Sister Thea Bowman sainthood cause in 2018
- Celebrated the closing of the diocesan phase of the Bowman cause on February 9, 2026
Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle
The Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle is the mother church of the diocese and the seat (cathedra) of the bishop. The first Catholic church in Jackson — a frame building at Court and President Streets — was dedicated by Bishop Chanche on August 23, 1846, and was destroyed by Sherman's troops in 1862. A second structure also burned. The present modified-Gothic brick church, designed under Father Charles Oliver, was dedicated by Bishop Thomas Heslin on June 3, 1900 (Pentecost Sunday). It features stained-glass windows after Raphael and Murillo regarded as among the finest in the United States, a 119-foot bell tower, and a Venetian-glass facade mosaic of Christ the Good Shepherd added by Bishop Brunini in the 1960s with the inscription 'There shall be one flock and one shepherd.' The Rieger pipe organ from Austria (1987) is dedicated to Bishop Brunini, and the Cathedral Center addition was dedicated by Bishop Houck on June 28, 1998. A total renovation in 2009 (including copper-and-slate re-skinning of the steeple after damage from Hurricane Katrina) was carried out by Conrad Schmitt Studios.
- Address: 123 N. West St., Jackson, MS 39201
- Phone: 601-969-3125
- Designated cathedral in 1977; co-cathedral from 1957
- On the National Register of Historic Places
- Rieger-Kloss organ (Austria) dedicated to Bishop Brunini (1987)
Co-Cathedral: Basilica of St. Mary, Natchez
St. Mary in Natchez was the original cathedral of the diocese — its cornerstone was laid by Bishop Chanche in 1842, and it was designed by architect Robert Long Jr. After the see moved to Jackson the church was elevated to the rank of minor basilica in recognition of its historical significance. Today the parish maintains part of the diocesan archive, offers tours, and remains an active worship site in the Diocese of Jackson.
- Address: 105 S Union Street, Natchez, MS 39120
- Phone: 601-445-5616
- Original Cathedral of Our Lady of Sorrows (1842)
- Houses part of the diocesan archive
Chancery and Other Diocesan Buildings
The Diocesan Chancery at 237 E. Amite Street in downtown Jackson is the administrative headquarters of the diocese. The Georgian-style building, designed by architect James T. Canizaro and built in 1947, is a recognized Jackson landmark and sits adjacent to the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. The Carmelite Monastery on Terry Road has been home to cloistered Carmelite Nuns since 1951, in the tradition of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross.
- Chancery: 237 E. Amite Street, Jackson, MS 39201
- Designed by James T. Canizaro, 1947
- Carmelite Monastery: 2155 Terry Road, Jackson, MS 39204 — since 1951
- Catholic Charities service center at 731 S. Pear Orchard Rd., Ridgeland
Catholic Schools and Learning Centers
The Diocese of Jackson Office of Catholic Education supports 18 schools and learning centers across the diocese, with a stated mission 'to foster centers of learning that are rooted in Gospel values and Catholic teachings as we pursue academic excellence in a safe and caring environment.' The office maintains accreditation standards, strategic planning, tuition-assistance programs, and a school finder to help families locate Catholic education near them. Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School in Jackson is named for the Servant of God whose canonization cause is underway.
- Office of Catholic Education — Executive Director Joni House
- 18 schools and learning centers across the diocese
- Elementary schools include St. Richard, St. Anthony, Annunciation, Cathedral Elementary, Holy Family (Columbus), Vicksburg Catholic – St. Francis Xavier Elementary
- Early Learning Centers: Assisi, St. Paul, St. Richard, Sisters of Mercy
- Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School (Jackson) — named for the Servant of God
- St. Joseph Academy (1870) — oldest continuously operating school in the Jackson area
Offices and Ministries
The chancery staff is organized into several departments that serve parishes, schools and agencies across the diocese. The Office of the Bishop includes the bishop himself, vicar general, chancellor, judicial vicar, and vicar for priests; Faith Formation/Schools covers Catholic Education, Faith Formation, Family Ministry, Intercultural Ministry, Protection of Children, Young Adult and Campus Ministry, and Youth Ministry; Stewardship & Development houses the Catholic Foundation and Catholic Service Appeal; Temporal Affairs handles accounting, payroll, benefits, human resources, facilities and ParishSoft; Communications spreads the faith through media and publishes the Mississippi Catholic newspaper.
- Office of the Bishop (Vicar General Lincoln Dall, Chancellor, Judicial Vicar Jeffrey Waldrep, Vicar for Priests)
- Faith Formation & Catholic Education (Office of Faith Formation, Family Ministry, Intercultural Ministry, Protection of Children, Youth and Young Adult/Campus Ministry)
- Stewardship & Development (Catholic Foundation, Catholic Service Appeal)
- Temporal Affairs (Accounting, Payroll, Benefits/HR, Facilities, ParishSoft)
- Ecclesiastical Affairs (canonical, legal, liturgical)
- Communications & Mississippi Catholic
Catholic Charities of Jackson
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Jackson is the diocese's principal social-services arm, with the mission to 'be a visible sign of Christ's love by helping those who are unable to help themselves; the poor and vulnerable, especially children, women, and families.' Services include maternity care, foster care for emotionally disturbed and refugee children (about 80 in foster care at any given time), Hope Haven home-based and residential services, two Domestic Violence Centers, two Rape Crisis Centers, Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services, Family Life Ministry, refugee resettlement, Children's Mental Health programs, housing for low-income families and the elderly, and a Migrant Support Center providing direct legal representation for immigrants. Branch offices operate in Natchez and Vardaman.
- Headquarters: 731 S. Pear Orchard Rd., Ste. 51, Ridgeland, MS 39157
- Phone: 601-355-8634
- Migrant Support Center — direct legal representation in immigration cases
- Vardaman Office — after-school tutoring and emergency assistance
- Services for all people regardless of religion, race, color or country of origin
Sister Thea Bowman — Cause for Canonization
Servant of God Sister Mary Thea Bowman, F.S.P.A. (1937–1990) was a Yazoo City-born, Canton-raised African-American Catholic who became the only Black member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. She was the first African-American woman to address the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, founded the diocese's Office of Intercultural Awareness, taught in Catholic high schools and colleges, and served on the faculty of Xavier University's Institute of Black Catholic Studies. Bishop Kopacz opened her diocesan canonization cause in 2018; the diocesan investigation — more than 40 witnesses, 15,000+ pages of documents — was formally closed with a Mass and sealing ceremony at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle on February 9, 2026. Ten boxes of testimony and writings were shipped to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican.
- Born in Yazoo City, raised in Canton, Mississippi
- Only African-American member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration
- First African-American woman to address the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Cause opened by Bishop Kopacz in 2018
- Diocesan phase closed February 9, 2026 — now at the Vatican for review
- Patroness of the diocese's intercultural ministry
Notable Bishops and Their Legacies
Two of the first six bishops of Natchez — William Elder and Francis Janssens — were promoted to archdioceses (Cincinnati and New Orleans respectively). Bishop John Gunn earned the nickname 'Chapel Builder' for nearly doubling the number of churches in the diocese. Bishop Richard Gerow's 43-year tenure (1924–1967) moved the see to Jackson and laid the institutional groundwork for the modern diocese. Bishop Joseph Brunini, the first native Mississippian to lead the diocese, is remembered for his civil rights leadership and his installation of the Venetian-glass facade mosaic at the cathedral. Bishop Houck and Bishop Latino are both buried alongside their predecessors next to the cathedral.
- Bishop Elder — later Archbishop of Cincinnati
- Bishop Janssens — later Archbishop of New Orleans
- Bishop Gunn — the 'Chapel Builder' (75 → 149 churches)
- Bishop Gerow — moved see to Jackson; 43-year tenure
- Bishop Brunini — civil rights leader; co-founder of the Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference
- Bishop Latino — established the Office for the Protection of Children
