The first black bishop in the 20th century to head a U.S. diocese.
Bishop Joseph Howze (1923–2019) was the first African-American bishop in the 20th century to head a Roman Catholic diocese in the United States. The bishop led and integrated an all-white parish in Raleigh, North Carolina in the 1960s. In 1977, he was selected to head the diocese in Biloxi, Mississippi. Bishop Howze had the honor of introducing Pope John Paul II at a church meeting at the Superdome in New Orleans.
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Died: Wednesday January 9, 2019 (Who else died on January 9?)
Details of death: Died at the age of 95 in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
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Bishop Howze on the foundation of his ministry: “Love is eternal. Faith and hope are for this life only. Everything else is bound with weakness and imperfections of the present state. Our foundation is love.” —At the ceremony when he was appointed head bishop in Biloxi
What they said about him: “While we are saddened by the death of Bishop Joseph Lawson Howze, we rejoice in his life. He loved the Diocese of Biloxi and prayed unceasingly for its continued success. He had a genuine concern for the salvation of souls.” —Biloxi Bishop Louis F. Kihneman III said in a news release following his death
Full obituary: Sun Herald
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