We in the Diocese of Jackson are grateful to be part of the Mission Cooperative in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Thank you for your gracious welcome. In the Diocese of Jackson, Catholics are a small minority in the middle of the Protestant Bible Belt. The Diocese has 72 parishes, and 19 mission stations serving a little over 48,000 Catholics across 65 of Mississippi’s 82 counties, the largest area of any diocese east of the Mississippi River, approximately 38,000 square miles.

Mississippi has the highest poverty rate of any state in the nation, and coupled with the fact the Catholic presence is only 2-3% of the state’s population a sizable number of our rural parishes are small with limited resources. The Mission Cooperative funding stream is primarily directed toward our smaller rural parishes, who inform the diocese of specific needs each year. This additional support can be applied to ministries that impact worship, evangelization, catechesis, and social outreach, or at times special projects to address facility needs. 

On the other hand, for decades, the Diocese of Jackson has served a sizable population of Hispanic Catholics, the majority of whom work in low-income jobs in agriculture, in the poultry industry, or the service sector. Twenty-seven of our 72 parishes have a Hispanic ministry with a weekly Mass in Spanish. The Hispanic presence has enlarged and enriched our parishes, especially regarding time and talent. We are so grateful to God for their presence in our state and in the church. However, adequate financial resources often fall short to meet the needs in our growing multi-cultural parishes of immigrants and migrants. These parishes are likewise assisted through the Mission Cooperative. Sustainability and growth are imperative because our Hispanic Catholics are heavily recruited by the dominant Protestant culture throughout Mississippi. 

Unique to Mississippi, nearly forty percent of the general population in our state is African American, and the Catholic Church has been a voice for racial justice and reconciliation since the Civil Rights era, Our traditional Black parishes are small and aging and the Mission Cooperative funding is often directed toward their needs. Our Catholic schools began educating African Americans in 1847, and at this time our diocesan school system has some of the most diverse populations in the state. We continue to educate children and young people who otherwise would not have access to quality education, and several of our schools depend upon the Mission Cooperative to enhance current technology and essential services.

I and our diocesan leadership offer our sincere gratitude for your invitation to be part of the Mission Cooperative in order to tell our story. May the Lord continue to bless us during this Jubilee Year of Hope, and may we hold one another faithfully in prayer.

-Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz