The Diocese of Jackson #1039

The Catholic Diocese of Jackson is considered a mission Diocese in the United States, with less than 3% of our Diocese being Catholic, one of the lowest percentages in the country. Our Diocese is geographically large and rural, being the largest Diocese in the area East of the Mississippi River. The funds we receive from our mission appeals are used in the following areas:

We help the small rural and inner-city parishes of our Diocese through our mission funds. One example of a parish receiving mission assistance is Christ the King in the city of Jackson, a historically African American parish. With a large elderly population, we use these funds to help reach out to the parishioners and to provide religious education and social events for them.

Another example is St Mary in Yazoo City, located in the Mississippi Delta, one of the poorest regions of the country, located right next to the Mississippi River. Yazoo City is a community that is dealing with extreme poverty and a declining population. Our mission funds will help that parish reach out to inactive members and to evangelize in the community.

We help fund prison ministry in our Diocese through the mission funds as well. We have weekly Masses for the men and women of the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in the city of Pearl, the largest state prison in Mississippi. Our ministry has grown tremendously in the past year at the prison, with up to 200 inmates attending Mass each week. We have had more than 20 inmates enter the Church in the past year. Our Catholic inmates also run a gardening program and a farmer’s market, where they are growing crops this year and teaching gardening skills to the inmates. We also served the large federal prison in Yazoo City, providing semi-monthly Masses for the inmates there. Our Catholic ministry funds these programs at these prisons.

Check out this video highlighting the tremendous efforts of our prison ministry!

Our ministry funds also help our Catholic schools. One example is Sister Thea Bowman School located in inner city Jackson which serves the African American community. This school is named after Sister Thea Bowman, an African American Franciscan nun who was from our Diocese and who has been named a Servant of God. Without subsidies and financial assistance, this inner-city school would not be able to operate and serve the African American population in Jackson, a vital resource for the community.

We thank you for being willing to collaborate with our missionary Diocese of Jackson, helping us fund these vital ministries.

Support the Diocese of Jackson #1039

You can support the Diocese of Jackson #1039 through your prayers and monetary donation by making a check payable to THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH, 3424 Wilshire Blvd 3rd Fl., Los Angeles CA 90010, memo #1039. You may also donate online by clicking the donate button. When making an online donation, reference #1039 in the Memo box. Your donation is tax-deductible as allowed by law.