I am writing this article on January 19th, 2015 – Martin Luther King Day. We celebrate this as an American National Holiday in honor of this great Civil Rights Leader who gave his life to win voting rights for African Americans. The movie “Selma” is also playing in theatres at this time, which showcases the struggle of African-Americans to gain full voting rights in the state of Alabama, only 50 years ago this year! Much has happened in the last 50 years!
Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church
I would like to share a little of the history of the Sisters of Mercy from Birr/Nenagh convents who have ministered on the Gulf Coast since 1958. The first six Sisters arrived then to minister in Nativity Parish and especially in Nativity Elementary School. By 1960, we were well aware of segregation between black and white people in every segment of society, including Catholic Churches and schools. Black Catholics in Biloxi worshipped at Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church, located in the black section of town and were educated in Our Mother of Sorrows Grade and High Schools which were staffed by Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament from New Orleans and closed in 1967. Today those schools can boast that even in the midst of segregation and discrimination, they helped to create wonderful students, including a Bishop, several priests, Sisters and an educated Catholic laity. To this day there are numerous black Catholics in leadership positions along the Gulf Coast.
Sr. Mary Riordan on right with friends at soup kitchen
The Josephite priests staffed the parish until the 1990’s when they had to withdraw due to a lack of numbers. But the lay people stepped up to the plate and kept the parish going with the help of priests from neighboring Nativity Parish until the Redemptorist priests from the Denver Province came in 2005. Thanks to them and committed lay people, Our Mother of Sorrows parish is flourishing and people of diverse ethnic backgrounds worship there as one community.
What was Mississippi like in those days?
During the early 1960’s, we encountered black people in our school cafeteria, on the janitorial staff and in other work places where they held the menial jobs. They lived in segregated neighborhoods “North of the Tracks” where white people did not go. They were not served in restaurants, and could not use restrooms or water fountains for “whites only”. But that changed with the coming of people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and our local Physician and NAACP leader, Dr. Gilbert Mason who led a Wade-In on the Biloxi Beach. The Wade-In was the first incident and the first confrontation the Biloxi Police Department encountered in their desire to control the beach for white citizens and tourists. I recall the tension on that Sunday afternoon as all of our black people waded in the water on the front beach across from our convent.
1964 was a significant year for all of us when the Civil Rights Act was passed under the Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. This gave black people equal rights with whites in churches, schools, restaurants, businesses, etc. and had a big impact on our schools! I vividly remember the first day of integration in Nativity School, Biloxi in August 1965. One black family came and registered without incident. In 1967 Our Mother of Sorrows School closed and that brought many black families to grade and high schools, both Catholic and public.
1967 was another historical and significant year for Catholics and non-Catholics on the Gulf Coast. That year saw the establishment of the new Diocese of Biloxi which encompasses the southern 17 counties of Mississippi. Most significant was the appointment of Bishop Joseph Lawson Howze as the first Black Ordinary in the US. During his 24 years as Bishop he established and built up a very successful diocese and enabled our black Catholics to grow, not only in their faith but also in leadership positions in the diocese and civic organizations. Today we have black priests and deacons as well as very fine well educated black leaders in South Mississippi.
What is it like today?
It is both good and not so good for our black brothers and sisters here along the Gulf Coast. Looking in from the outside, it seems as if prejudice has worn thin as you see black and white people side by side in churches, places of business and recreation. But I believe that there is a new form of segregation today. It is between the educated and the non-educated: those who do not have equal opportunities in the work place, where they do not make enough money to feed and educate their families, and those who enjoy the best of everything.
There are so many young black people who do not have the ambition nor the means to be able to graduate from high school or go on to college. They get into drugs; girls get pregnant and others are involved with violations of the law which lands them in jail. They pay off their jail time by doing community service and then repeat the pattern. We had a personal experience with one of these girls a couple of years ago.
This young girl was guilty of a misdemeanor. She was arrested in her place of work and taken to jail. She needed $300.00 to be released and if she did not have it on that night she would lose her job. She called our house late at night and fortunately one of the Sisters was able to get the money. We drove to the jail, paid the fine and got her out. It was 11 pm so we were afraid to take her to her house. We called a cab and sent her on her way. I am sure that there are many such cases where the person cannot get the money and must remain in jail for a longer time. Thank God, because the Sisters were able to help, she did not lose her job.
I began this article by referring to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I would like to conclude with a quote from a current African American Scholar – Joyce Gillis Cruse (an adjunct Professor at Xavier and Loyola Universities, New Orleans). During another celebration of honoring Dr. King, she had this to say: “Dr. King’s vision is still in the process of coming true”. She went on to name some of the problems we still have: a low percentage of black voters, black teen homelessness, failing school systems, high crime rates and unemployment or jobs that do not pay a living wage. All this is very true of our black population in Mississippi and cries out for justice. So although we have come a long way since 1960, we have very long strides to take before our black people enjoy the same standard of living and educational advantages as their white brothers and sisters. May that day come soon.
Mary Riordan rsm
US Province
