Bishop John Chanche arrived in Natchez in May of 1841 to take possession of the newly created Diocese of Mississippi. Jackson, the capital of the state was a hastily built frontier village, only 20 years old.
During the 1830’s and 40’s, the Mississippi Legislature granted plots of land to various religious groups for the purpose of building churches. Thus, Jackson’s Catholics built a “neat frame building” at the intersection of Court and President Streets, then at the heart of Jackson’s business district. On August 23, 1846, Bishop Chanche dedicated the church to St. Peter the Apostle.
During the next 15 years, Bishop Chanche and his successor, Bishop James Van de Velde would die of wilderness diseases and Bishop William Elder would begin his long and noble service to the diocese. In 1862, when war came to Jackson with General Sherman’s first raid, the frame church was destroyed by fire, forcing the congregation to meet in homes, City Hall and the Fire Station. With the capitulation of Vicksburg, July 4, 1863, Federal troops returned to Jackson. Drunken soldiers desecrated the chapel at the Fire Station, destroying vestments, even stealing the chalice. Despite the hardships of the times, the St. Peter congregation sent almost $1,000.00 to Natchez for the care of orphans, many of them made homeless by the war.
Post-Civil War years saw Jackson Catholics, under the leadership of Father William Huber, build a large frame church on the site of the present rectory. The Sisters of Mercy came from Vicksburg in 1870 to establish St. Joseph Academy, built near “The Ravine”, present-day Lamar Street. This school, antecedent of St. Joseph Catholic School, now in Madison, holds the distinction of being the oldest school in continuous operation in the Jackson area.
Father Charles Oliver, St. Peter’s first American-born pastor, built the present church, of modified Gothic design, dedicated by Bishop Thomas Heslin on June 3, 1900, Pentecost Sunday. Father Oliver’s tenure, which continued until his death in 1914, saw the installation of the stained glass windows (copies of paintings by Raphael and Murillo), regarded as being among the finest examples of such art in our country. The 1867 frame Church was donated to the newly-Formed Holy Chost Parish in 1908. The building was pulled on logs by mules to its new home on Cloister Street.
Under Monsignor Patrick O’Reilly, the present-day rectory was built and the Carrera marble altars, from the same quarry used by Michelangelo, were installed. Another legacy of Monsignor O’Reilly was the formation of lay organizations, including the Knights of Columbus.
The years following World War II saw the growth of the Catholic population of Jackson, necessitating the formation of a number of new Jackson parishes. The facade of St. Peter was completed with the addition of the two side entrances. In 1948, Bishop Richard Gerow transferred the Diocesan headquarters from Natchez to Jackson, forming the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson.
The first Mississippian to serve St. Peter as pastor was Monsignor Joseph Brunini, installed in January 1957. A month later, St. Peter Church was elevated to the rank of Co-Cathedral by the Holy See. Upon Bishop Gerow’s retirement in 1968, Bishop Brunini was installed as our eighth bishop. Under his leadership, the Diocese of Biloxi was organized with Bishop Joseph Howze, the first 20th century African-American bishop in the United States, as its first bishop. St. Peter was then designated the Cathedral of the Diocese of Jackson.
A reminder of the commitment to unity that marked Bishop Brunini’s tenure during a time of racial conflict can be seen in the Venetian glass mosaic he had installed on the facade of the Cathedral. The design features Christ the Good Shepherd, surrounded by figures representing the continents of the world, with this inscription, “There shall be one flock and one shepherd.”
The Reiger pipe organ, honoring Bishop Brunini, was dedicated in 1988. The Cathedral Center, designed to mesh seamlessly with the Gothic church, was dedicated by Bishop Houck on June 28, 1998.
Bishop William Houck, a native of Mobile, Alabama succeeded Bishop Brunini and was installed on June 5, 1984 and was followed by New Orleans native Bishop Joseph Latino, who had spent most of his priesthood serving in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodeaux. Bishop Latino was installed as 10th Bishop of Jackson on March 7, 2003. During his term the Cathedral went through an extensive renovation in 2009 while Fr. Jeffrey Waldrep was Rector. He retired in December 2013. Both Bishops were active in their retirements and continued to serve willingly. They helped with various needs around the diocese and remained mainstays of the Catholic Community in the Diocese of Jackson.
Bishop Houck died on March 9, 2016 and was buried next to the Cathedral Chruch following a Mass of Christian Burial on March 17, 2016. Bishop Latino died on May 28, 2021 and was buried next to his brother Bishops following a Mass of Christian Burial on June 9, 2021.
Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz was appointed by Pope Francis to lead the Diocese on December 12, 2014, and was ordained the 11th Bishop of Jackson on February 6, 2014. His Episcopal motto is "Fiat Lux," or "Let There Be Light."