Christ the King Parish
Fr. Peter DeBoer was appointed on August 10, 1945, to organize what would become Jackson's third Catholic parish, and the second in the city for Blacks -- Christ the King.The roots of Christ the King parish arise from Holy Ghost parish. At this time, Jackson was growing rapidly. Even before the end of World War II Bishop Richard Gerow, with a new parish for Blacks on his mind, was inspecting lots on Lynch St. because the area was developing into a thriving Black residential area. On October 6, 1944 the bishop and Fr. Joseph Eckert, SVD, agreed to buy lot 12 on Lynch St. and to split the $8,000 purchase price between them.
From the beginning, Christ the King was envisioned as a diocesan parish. But at this time, it was a home only to a grove of stately oaks. Behind the site were a brickyard and a pond. The frame parsonage of a black Protestant preacher occupied the spot where the rectory now stands. But this parcel did not come with the initial land purchase. A few other houses had gone up nearby, and it was clear that the entire area was becoming increasingly urbanized, but the roads were still entirely unpaved, and there were many vistas in the area of open fields.
Fr. DeBoer was no stranger here. As an assistant at Holy Ghost parish he had taught church history to 11th and 12th graders, some of whom were now adults making the move from Holy Ghost to the new Christ the King. He was originally from Yazoo City where he had been successful in founding St. Francis parish. Bishop Gerow had great confidence in him, and it was a confidence well placed. Fr. DeBoer would remain at Christ the King through 1957, and was well known for his frequent home visitations, his leadership abilities, his charity, and his fondness for the beautiful German Shepherd dogs he raised and sold.
On October 13, 1945, the parish was officially "born." Bishop Gerow set about collecting funds as did Fr. DeBoer. From the American Board of Catholic Missions (ABCM) and the Negro and Indian Mission Board, the bishop raised $10,000. On a trip to Wisconsin, Fr. DeBoer raised $1,000. It was a strong start.
Plans were made to build the front portion of the church building you see today, designed by Jackson architect Jack Canizaro. A school building was designed and built as well, and Fr. DeBoer began negotiating with the Sisters of St. Francis of Milwaukee to staff the school. The lot was cleared of underbrush and due to someone's foresight several of the old oaks were spared, a fact the contemporary visitor to Lynch St. now appreciates. With volunteer help the first parish structure -- a "doll's house" of a rectory, went up. It was a 20-by-20 garage apartment with room beneath it for two cars. Downstairs were an office, kitchen and dining room, each miniscule. The upstairs housed a living room and a bedroom for the priest.
Despite their understandable reluctance to leave their old parish (Holy Ghost), the new parishioners found themselves growing interested, and then -- one by one -- enthusiastic about the new parish. Work was coming along nicely throughout the entire neighborhood. Roads were being blacktopped and the entire area was "growing up" with homes and stores. On October 26, 1947, Bishop Gerow dedicated the church to Christ the King amid a large and enthusiastic crowd composed of visiting clergy, parishioners and friends from Holy Ghost. Among the earliest families present at Christ the King were the Filyour Bankstons, the Hansel and M.K. Browns, Doris Allison, the Cornelius Turners, the Albert Odins, the H.H. Boutins, the Floyd Levys, the Jim Collums, the Andersons, Hall, and Howard families.
Most prominent among all these families were the Filyour Samsons. The Sampsons had moved from Louisiana in the 1930s to become staunch members of Holy Ghost parish. They were an unusual family for Jackson -- Mr. Sampson, as head chef at the Robert E. Lee Hotel, was one of the few blacks in town to supervise whites. This caused some degree of racial tension when he was first hired for that position. The Sampsons were also "cradle Catholics" -- which was also unusual in these early days of Mississippi's black apostolate. Long before the days of RCIA, the Sampson family had "stood up" for many wishing to become Catholic. This was so much the case that they were often referred to as godparents to half the parish! Parish records document their heavy involvement during these formative years. The first parish wedding was that of one of the Sampson daughters. The first infant Baptism was their grandson.
One of the Sampson legacies to the parish is the tradition of hospitality -- of sharing meals together. This reflected the extremely sociable nature of the congregation. Parish wide dinners are frequent. Coffees and cookies are served after every weekend Mass. Mr. Sampson, and "Big Juan" John Mora, an immigrant from Mexico and famous local restaurateur. Both often prepared these parish meals, including specialties such as "smokes," sausage sandwiches doused with hot sauce and a dab of coleslaw. Mr. Sampson's specialty was gumbo, and he often would stay up all night on Saturday preparing a steaming vat of it to be served the next day.
The early 1950s saw the parish reach such milestones as the first confirmation, held in December 1951, and the coming of the Franciscan sisters in 1954. The first principal was Sr. Gratian Kieser. But the arrival of the Sisters did not herald the beginning of Christ the King school. A kindergarten program had been initiated earlier, but the school itself was not inaugurated until 1957. This same year also saw the dedication of the convent (until this time the Sisters had resided in two of the eight classrooms) and the arrival of Fr. Mark Figaro, SVD, successor to Fr. DeBoer. During his tenure, the school, which had been adding a grade each year, graduated its first eighth grade class, and the new cafeteria auditorium was built for just under $50,000. Remembered today as a champion of social justice, Fr. Figaro was succeeded by Fr. John Gasper, SVD, a vigorous preacher and the last of the society's pastors at Christ the King.
The Ladies Auxiliary was organized during the term of Fr. Figaro, and the Franciscan sisters were replaced by the Missionary Servants of the Holy Spirit. In these years, a terse, sad note was entered in Bishop Gerow's 1963 file: "…visit Mrs. Medgar Evers at the time of the murder of her husband…offer prayers…" This serves as a poignant reminder that the Evers children were students at Christ the King school.
While a number of parishioners and pastors participated proudly in the civil rights struggles during the 1960's no one was more visible than Ms. Doris Allison, who made many speeches championing human rights all over the United States.
The appointment of Fr. Joe Mercier in 1964 was a milestone that signified Christ the King had become a diocesan parish. Fr. Mercier was famous as an excellent cook, and encouraged the community through frequent parish socials. He fostered the development of lay leadership which prepared the way for the formation of the first parish Council during the time of his successor, Msgr. Charles Hunter, who was assisted by Frs. James Gilbert and Larry Watts.
"He set us on fire" was the way one parishioner described the ministry of Fr. Larry Watts, who succeeded Msgr. Hunter in 1967. Fr. Watts' seven years at Christ the King are the years of a man in a hurry. The present rectory was built, a broad-based hospital ministry initiated, a Newman Club organized at Jackson State University, and home ministries encouraged. The Newman Club became especially notable for its charity to the city's very poorest children and a ministry to inmates at Whitfield Penitentiary.
Fr. Watts rode horses with the young people, visited countless homes, knew everyone by name, and instituted an offertory ceremony for the very smallest parish children. He was no musician, but that did not deter him from playing the guitar, teaching guitar lessons, and singing the folk Mass music with all his heart. A good many people did not even know he was sick. His ministry was faithfully assisted by Mr. and Mrs. Sampson who had moved in as caretakers. They kept him fed and comfortable and assisted him in entertaining his friends. There was grief all over the city when he was transferred in 1974.
His successor was his good friend, Fr. Joe Dyer, the second black pastor at Christ the King. Fr. Dyer continued and accelerated the traditions of the parish, particularly the socials and parish meals. He convened the first parish-wide convention, held at the Holiday Inn Southwest. But his major contributions were in religious education and Liturgy.
Through the efforts of Sister Lois Mousel, OSF, pastoral associate from 1978 through 1984, comprehensive religious education programs were organized. Innovations in Liturgy and worship gave birth to the contemporary gospel "Kingdom Choir" which performs the original compositions of gifted young Tyrone Armstrong, one of Fr. Watts' former guitar students.
With Fr. Dyer's transfer to Holy Family in 1985, Christ the King found itself embarked upon rough seas. A measure of the resiliency of the congregation can be taken in its responses to these challenges. Fr. Chuck Siebenand resigned in August 1986 after only 10 months as pastor to take a leave of absence. He was succceeded by Fr. Don DeMeules. The new pastor was an older vocation. In 1980 after a career teaching in Junior College, he decided that God was calling him to the priesthood. When he joined the parish, challenges awaited him. The convent had been rented out for a number of years, but in January 1986 the tenant, the Early Education Center, informed us that they would not renew their lease. After an unsuccessful search for an appropriate tenant, the parish decided to swallow the loss of substantial revenue and convert the convent into a much needed parish center. This move proved to be extremely successful.
But before the congregation could congratulate itself, the recent crisis in Jackson's parochial schools surfaced. Under the leadership of Sr. Janita Curoe, BVM, Christ the King school persevered as the only Jackson Catholic school serving a nursery school population. The junior high and upper elementary school grades were whittled away several years ago.
During the late 1980s Christ the King parish has made the adjustments brought on by rapid leadership changes. In 1992 Norbertine priests first came to Christ the King. Fr. Richard Chiles, O. Praem., has been pastor since 1992, with Fr. Andrew Cribben, O.Praem. assisting him from 1994-1998 and Fr. Jeremy Tobin, O. Praem., assisting since early 1999.
Under the leadership of Fr. Chiles, parish has almost doubled in size, so much so that it was evident that a much larger worship space was required. Fr. Chiles organized the parish effort to expand the building, and on September 13, 1998 a new worship space was dedicated at Christ the King. This space doubles the interior of the church building, but that is not its most striking characteristic. The orientation of the congregation is now centered toward the altar, surrounding it, as natural light from skylights and stained glass windows cascades into the space. The choir is at one end of this space, with the baptistry at the other. The baptistry is a flowing waterfall. The space between the new worship area and the older church area is now a sanctuary for the Holy Eucharist, as well as a space for families attending the Liturgy with younger children. Strikingly modern, strikingly hopeful and upbeat. The former nave has become the gathering space.
The new worship space is reflective of the congregation of Christ the King, which looks forward with hope, enthusiasm, and a spirit of family reminiscent of early Christian communities. What once seemed like a loss of revenue from a tenant departing the former convent has turned into a substantial gain in terms of community spirit. Parish wide conventions continue, after Mass refreshments and meals continue, there is a substantial and highly organized food distribution program for the needy (with no questions asked), and a sustained commitment to community service by the parishioners. An exciting history . . . an even more exciting future!