Joseph Lawson Howze
Joseph Lawson E. Howze | |
|---|---|
| Bishop emeritus of Biloxi | |
| Archdiocese | Mobile |
| Diocese | Biloxi |
| Appointed | March 8, 1977 |
| Installed | June 6, 1977 |
| Term ended | May 15, 2001 |
| Predecessor | First Bishop |
| Successor | Thomas John Rodi |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 7, 1959 by Vincent Stanislaus Waters |
| Consecration | January 28, 1973 by Luigi Raimondi, Harold Robert Perry, and Joseph Bernard Brunini |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 30, 1923 Daphne, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | January 9, 2019 (aged 95) Ocean Springs, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Previous post(s) | Auxiliary Bishop of Natchez-Jackson |
| Motto | Unity of God’s people |
| Styles of Joseph Lawson E. Howze | ||
|---|---|---|
Reference style | ||
| Spoken style | Your Excellency | |
| Religious style | Bishop | |
Joseph Lawson Edward Howze (born Lawson Edward Howze, August 30, 1923 – January 9, 2019) was an
African-American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the first Bishop of Biloxi from 1977 to 2001, and was the first openly Black Catholic bishop of an American diocese
.
Early life
Howze was born in
public schools of Mobile, graduating from Mobile County Secondary School in 1944. Howze originally aspired to become a doctor and studied chemistry, biology, and physics. He graduated from Alabama State Branch Junior College in 1946. In 1948 he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Alabama State University
.
Howze converted to
Catholicism in 1948, taking the name baptismal name of Joseph.[1] He later entered the seminary for the Josephites, studying at Epiphany Apostolic College in upstate New York.[2] He then taught science in the public school system and was later hired to teach at St. Monica School in Tulsa, Oklahoma
, in 1952.
Catholic priesthood
After expressing a renewed interest in the priesthood, Howze was accepted to study for the
.On November 8, 1972, Howze was appointed
S.V.D., and Joseph Bernard Brunini serving as co-consecrators
.
When the Diocese of Biloxi was created in 1977, Howze was appointed its first bishop. He was the first openly Black bishop to head a diocese in the United States.
He retired June 6, 2001, and died January 9, 2019, in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, at the age of 95.[4]
See also
- Catholic Church hierarchy
- Catholic Church in the United States
- Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
- List of Catholic bishops of the United States
- Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops
References
- ^ "Past Bishops". Roman Catholic Diocese of Biloxi. Archived from the original on 2012-07-21. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
- ^ "Bishop Howze dies at 95; first priest of the Diocese of Charlotte to become a bishop". catholicnewsherald.com. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
- ^ "Bishop Joseph Lawson Howze". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
- ^ Joseph Lawson Howze's obituary
External links
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Biloxi Official Site
- Oral history with Most Reverend Joseph Lawson E. Howze, University of Southern Mississippi. Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage.
- National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus bio of Joseph Lawson Howze