[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki24\/roman-catholic-diocese-of-biloxi\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki24\/roman-catholic-diocese-of-biloxi\/","headline":"Roman Catholic Diocese of Biloxi","name":"Roman Catholic Diocese of Biloxi","description":"From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Mississippi, USA The Diocese of Biloxi is a Latin Church","datePublished":"2019-11-06","dateModified":"2019-11-06","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki24\/author\/lordneo\/#Person","name":"lordneo","url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki24\/author\/lordneo\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9645c498c9701c88b89b8537773dd7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9645c498c9701c88b89b8537773dd7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Enzyklop\u00e4die","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/wiki4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/download.jpg","url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/wiki4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/download.jpg","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/6\/62\/PD-icon.svg\/12px-PD-icon.svg.png","url":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/en\/thumb\/6\/62\/PD-icon.svg\/12px-PD-icon.svg.png","height":"12","width":"12"},"url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki24\/roman-catholic-diocese-of-biloxi\/","wordCount":2670,"articleBody":"From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaLatin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Mississippi, USAThe Diocese of Biloxi is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church that encompasses 17 counties in southern Mississippi in the United States. The diocese was erected on March 1, 1977, when it was split from the Diocese of Jackson. The Diocese of Biloxi is a suffragan diocese of the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Mobile, though for its first three years the diocese was in the province of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Biloxi, Mississippi, is the diocesan cathedral.Table of ContentsHistory[edit]1600 to 1977[edit]1977 to present[edit]Bishops[edit]Bishops of Biloxi[edit]Other diocesan priest who became bishop[edit]High schools[edit]Current schools[edit]Closed schools[edit]Sex abuse[edit]Accused clerics[edit]Lawsuits[edit]See also[edit]References[edit]External links[edit]History[edit]1600 to 1977[edit]The first Catholic priests in Mississippi were French Jesuit and Capuchin missionaries who accompanied the La Salle, Marquette, and d’Iberville expeditions in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1787, three priests, Fathers McKenna, White, and Savage, arrived in Natchez from Spain and erected three missions in the vicinity. These missions disappeared after the Spanish Empire ceded the area to the new United States in the early 19th century.[2]The Mississippi Territory was originally under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Louisiana and the Two Floridas.  In 1826, Pope Leo XII moved the new state of Mississippi into the Vicariate Apostolic of Mississippi. The pope named Bishop Louis-Guillaume-Valentin DuBourg as the vicar apostolic. In 1837, Pope Gregory XV elevated the vicariate to the Diocese of Natchez, encompassing all of Mississippi.  The Biloxi area would remain part of this diocese, succeeded by the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson, for the next 140 years.1977 to present[edit]Pope Paul VI erected the Diocese of Biloxi, with territory taken from the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson on March 1, 1977.[3] The pope appointed Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Lawson Howze of Natchez-Jackson as the first bishop of Biloxi. On July 29, 1980, Pope John Paul II elevated the Diocese of Mobile to a metropolitan archdiocese[4] and designated the Diocese of Biloxi as a suffragan of the new metropolitan see.  Howze retired in 2001 after 24 years as bishop of Biloxi.Auxiliary Bishop Roger Morin was named the third bishop of Biloxi by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.  In 2016, Morin resigned.As of 2023, the current bishop of the Diocese of Biloxi is Louis Kihneman III from the  Diocese of Corpus Christi.  He was appointed by Pope Francis in 2016.[5]Bishops[edit]Bishops of Biloxi[edit]Joseph Lawson Howze (1977\u20132001)Thomas John Rodi (2001\u20132008), appointed Archbishop of MobileRoger Morin (2009\u20132016)Louis Frederick Kihneman (2017\u2013present)Other diocesan priest who became bishop[edit]High schools[edit]Current schools[edit]Closed schools[edit]These two schools closed in 2007, replaced by St. Patrick Catholic High School.Sex abuse[edit]Accused clerics[edit]Several diocesan priests have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct involving minors. These cases go back to the founding of the diocese  in 1977. [6]Joseph A. Romansky: An extern priest from the Diocese of Cleveland, working in the Diocese of Biloxi from 1988 to 1992. Romansky was assigned to Our Lady of Fatima in Biloxi. Allegations were received March 16, 2022, involving a 9-year-old boy, occurring Spring 1989 in Biloxi. Romansky died July 3, 2004, before the allegations, meaning no action was taken by civil authorities in the priest’s lifetime.Vincent D. Dilalla: A diocesan priest from 1980 to 1983, and from 1988 to 1990. Dilalla was assigned to St. Alphonsus in Ocean Springs (1980-1981), and Nativity BVM in Biloxi (1981-1983). Allegations were received May 13, 2021, involving a 12-year-old boy, occurring Spring 1981 in Gulfport. Dilalla died November 2, 1990, meaning the priest died before any action could be taken by civil authorities.Jose Vazquez Morales: A diocesan priest ordained in 2008, working in Laurel, Hattiesburg, Wiggins, and Lucedale. Morales was caught abusing a 12-year-old boy when “the boy’s mother found the two engaged in a sexual act at the family’s home”. Morales was sentences to ten years in prison and his deportation was ordered. [7]Jerome J. Axton: A diocesan priest ordained in 1983, allegations received in 1989. The allegations involved an adolescent girl, with the misconduct occurring from 1985 to 1986 in Biloxi assumedly during Axton’s time at Nativity BVM Cathedral (1983-1988). The diocese notified the local district attorney, and Axton was ministry prohibited in 1992. Axton died on October 13, 2020, with no civil action taking place during his lifetime.Vincent The Quang Nguyen: An extern priest, accused of misconduct involving minor\/adolescent girls. The allegations were first received in 1989, with the misconduct taking place in Biloxi, during a timeframe where Nguyen was at St. Michael’s Church. The parents reported the misconduct to the Biloxi Police Department, and the district attorney and the diocese corresponded. Nguyen was ministry prohibited in the diocese in 1989.Any cases prior to 1977 are acknowledged by the Catholic Diocese of Jackson.Lawsuits[edit]McGowen v. Roman Catholic Diocese of Biloxi[8]Kinney v. Catholic Diocese of Biloxi, Inc.[9]Catholic Diocese of Biloxi, Inc. v. Sebelius[10]See also[edit]References[edit]^ “Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos Biloxi, MS”.^ Charles, Brother. “Natchez.” The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 26 February 2020 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.^ Diocese of Biloxi page on Catholic Hierarchy web site.^ Diocese of Mobile page on Catholic Hierarchy web site.^ “Pope Names Texas Priest as New Bishop of Biloxi, Accepts Resignation of Bishop Roger Morin | USCCB”. www.usccb.org. Retrieved May 30, 2021.^ “Credibly Accused Clergy Abuse”. Catholic Diocese of Biloxi. Retrieved 2023-04-01.^ Staff, WLOX (2016-05-16). “Former priest admits to molesting boy, 12”. WLOX. Retrieved 2023-04-01.{{cite web}}:  CS1 maint: url-status (link)^ “McGowen v. Roman Catholic Diocese of Biloxi”. Justia Law. Retrieved 2023-04-02.^ “Kinney v. Catholic Diocese of Biloxi, Inc., 142 So. 3d 407 | Casetext Search + Citator”. casetext.com. Retrieved 2023-04-02.^ Staff, Mississippi Press (2012-05-21). “Catholic Diocese of Biloxi files lawsuit against federal government”. Gulf Live. Retrieved 2023-04-01.{{cite web}}:  CS1 maint: url-status (link)External links[edit]Coordinates: 30\u00b024\u203243\u2033N 88\u00b055\u203240\u2033W\ufeff \/ \ufeff30.41194\u00b0N 88.92778\u00b0W\ufeff \/ 30.41194; -88.92778  "},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki24\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Enzyklop\u00e4die"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki24\/roman-catholic-diocese-of-biloxi\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Roman Catholic Diocese of Biloxi"}}]}]