CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF JACKSON
Jackson, MS
The Catholic Diocese of Jackson encompasses 65 of the 82 counties of Mississippi - from Corinth to Woodville, Meridian to Vicksburg, Southaven to Magee and McComb.
The diocese was established July 28, 1837, by Pope Gregory XVI as the 13th Catholic diocese in the country as part of the Diocese of Natchez and covered the entire state. We became the Diocese of Jackson in 1977 when the state was split into the dioceses of Jackson and Biloxi. The Diocese consists of 100 parishes and missions throughout the 65 counties. The current bishop, Joseph R. Kopacz, is the eleventh bishop of the diocese. Our first bishop was John Joseph Chanche of Baltimore.
The Jackson Diocese was 2016 recipient of the Cultural Heritage Digitization Award. View more information regarding the CHDA here.
Explore the Catholic Diocese of Jackson Collections
Bishop Richard Oliver Gerow Archive
Papers and letterbooks from Bishop Richard Oliver Gerow, Bishop William Henry Elder (the Civil War Bishop) and others, historic documents such as the papal bull establishing the diocese, and photographs that capture the culture and growth of the church and the state from the late 1800s.
These materials are presented online for educational purposes only. Images may contain copyrighted material. Use of these materials on websites, in exhibits, or in publications requires the permission of the Catholic Diocese of Jackson and/or the legal copyright holder. The user bears full responsibility for securing any and all appropriate permissions. Please contact the Catholic Diocese of Jackson for further information.