Recognize Most Pure Heart of Mary as a Catholic School Again – $40M 5y MPHMCC
March 3, 2026 Feast of St. Katharine Drexel (print PDF)
Most Reverend Mark S. Rivituso, Archbishop of Mobile
RE: Recognize Most Pure Heart of Mary as a Catholic School Again -
$40 Million 5 years Most Pure Heart of Mary Capital Campaign (MPHMCC)
Your Excellency,
In our 2022 change.org petition, we asked Pope Francis to help us keep the Josephite’s historic Black Catholic School Most Pure Heart of Mary (MPHM) open. We tried to attest to how Black Catholics have been rejected, cast out, alienated, extremely underserved in this Archdiocese throughout segregation and intensified racial discrimination after desegregation with the closing of most of our Black Catholic Schools in Parishes serving predominantly African American children — Catholic and non-Catholic — while expanding and promoting schools in predominantly White wealthy Parishes.
ST. KATHARINE DREXEL, who funded MPHM in 1902, said, “Nothing happens by chance.” It’s no coincidence that the first Principal, Faustin Weber, of the $20 million St. Michael High School, that opened in 2016, is a White MPHM alumnus; and the only Black student in St. Michael’s first Freshman Class of about 60 students was a Most Pure Heart of Mary Parishioner. Soon after the January 2022 announcement of the closing, Principal Weber, spoke highly of his experience at MPHM, where, in the seventh grade, he and three siblings were transferred from affluent, all-white St. Ignatius parish to MPHM. Weber retired from St. Michael a few months later but continued to speak highly of MPHM in his next position as President of Prince of Peace Catholic School (Plano, TX), “…Three (white) families did that,” he recalled. “Looking back, I think it was one of those pivotal moments for me in growing up and appreciating a different culture, building new friendships, getting me kind of out of my shell.” (by Jeff Miller, THE TEXAS CATHOLIC Nov. 25, 2022 https://texascatholic.com/faustin-weber-finds-joy-as-prince-of-peace-catholic-schools-new-president/
THE MPHM HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI,
led by the late Major General J. Gary Cooper, the first African American Marine commander to lead a combat infantry company in Vietnam, and first African American Ambassador to Jamaica; the late 23rd U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, the first African American Secretary of Labor; Karlos Finley, Executive Director of the Africatown Redevelopment Corporation (ARC) and Heart of Mary School Board Director; Lamar Lott, MPHM Alumni Association President; and many, many more alumni, family, and friends raised almost a half million dollars in about 1 month to keep MPHM Catholic School open. Then the Archdiocese said it was going to close due to lack of enrollment even though other schools with less enrollment were not being closed.
MPHM Alumna (Class of ‘65), the Honorable Alexis Herman, would not give up. Born on July 16 (Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel) in 1947 she had been advocating for MPHM since she was in High School there. She had secured donations from corporations, philanthropists, private donors worldwide, as well as sponsored students whose families couldn’t afford a Catholic education. She worked with Archbishop Emeritus Rodi (who also wanted to keep MPHM open) to compromise that the only way MPHM could survive was if it became an independent Catholic school but, could not be called Catholic. Our Black children were separated from their Josephite Parish family and exiled from the Archdiocese of Mobile.
The name was secularized to “Heart of Mary” and the image of Our Blessed Mother, the Black Madonna had to be removed. For the past 3 school years, our Black children could not participate in CYO Sports; were not included in any Catholic Week First Communion, Confirmation, Catholic Schools Week spotlight articles; were not invited to the Annual Blue Mass for first responders, Red Mass for the legal profession, or White Mass for the medical profession. Like during slavery, like during segregation, our children were abandoned by the Catholic Church that professes to love all.
That’s what I was praying about after the beautiful All Souls Day Catholic Cemetery Mass you celebrated Nov. 1st. It was so moving how as each name of who had passed to New Life in 2025 was slowly called, you walked toward their loved ones and embraced them to give them the white rose to place on their grave. After the Mass, Fr. Tom Weise, who had known Secretary Herman since she was at MPHM and worked with her over the years, gave me the white rose for her grave near the Mausoleum. We prayed about how sad it was that her name was not called. Her life had been celebrated for months after she passed on April 25th, Easter Friday. When I saw you and Msgr. Skoneki walking toward the Mausoleum, God put on my heart to ask you to give her a blessing. You said, “Yes” before I even told you her name had not been called. And you gave me permission to video your blessing for Fr. Weise and all of her loved ones and MPHM family (https://youtu.be/rraj3dcG3xc). Thank you again so much. Excluding the name of the Honorable Alexis Herman had hurt deeply and felt like one more example of the continuing abandonment of our Black Catholic Josephite Most Pure Heart of Mary School.
12th ANNUAL ROSARY WALK Jubilee 2025 Year of Hope.
But, that abandonment and exclusion of MPHM from our Archdiocese was never felt as strongly as when I decided to run an advertisement in our Catholic Week for our Dec. 13, 2025 12th Annual Rosary Walk of Mobile’s historic Downtown Parishes. I submitted the same flyer used for the previous 11 Rosary Walks, praying for: our Families (especially our children); Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic School; All Schools; Our Holy Father; Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart (S.S.J.) “Josephites”; Priests and Religious serving African American Communities.
We never secularized the name or removed the image of Our Blessed Mother, the Black Madonna, because I truly believed that in this 12th year of prayers, this Jubilee 2025 Year of Hope, our Blessed Mother would guide you to restore MPHM to the Josephites and recognize MPHM as the Catholic School it has been for over 120 years and will always be.
This was the response (with image) I received from Catholic Week, “…Our Vicar General had some notes about things that must be changed on the ad before we can publish it in The Catholic Week...
-Both items referring to Most Pure Heart of Mary School depicted in the bottom right corner would need to be removed since Pure Heart of Mary School is not a Catholic school anymore. Also, the reference to MPHM School in the prayer box needs to be removed. This is because we do not promote any non-Catholic institutions in the publication…”
The image of our Blessed Mother that identified MPHM for decades had to be removed and the school contact information removed as well. I questioned the removal of MPHM from the Prayer box…these are prayers!!! We pray for dogs, cats, the Ukraine, Russia, causes around the world but, we’re not allowed to pray for our Black children in the first school formed on this Bay of the Holy Spirit, funded by an American Saint, where future Saints have walked.
I was told I could not pray for Most Pure Heart of Mary Alumni either. I was allowed to pray for “Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church Children” which God knows does include all children — Catholic and non-Catholic — at our MPHM Catholic School and in our community. I was allowed to replace the MPHM contact info with the Heart of Mary Alumni Association contact but, then I was asked, “…what/where the donations for the Alumni Assoc. goes to?…” As per Mr. Lamar Lott, Alumni President, the checks going for scholarships paid directly to McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, satisfied Catholic Week requirements. I did say, I felt very uncomfortable asking Mr. Lott what the donations are used for—insinuating misuse of funds. I had never asked any organization, especially a Catholic one, how they would use our donations. Then I was informed that, “…Msgr. Skoneki has also asked that any publicizing etc. that is to be done at the walk itself reflects this updated graphic and information…”
We would not, nor could we afford the time or the money to reprint all of the flyers. So, for the first time in twelve years, the only Rosary Walk flyers at our Cathedral were the flyers I gave you after our Nov. 15, 2025 National Black Catholic History Month Mass we were blessed for you to celebrate at Prince of Peace.
BLACK CATHOLIC HISTORY MONTH Program & Mass - Prince of Peace Catholic Church Nov. 15 (https://youtu.be/bmTetgmPTsE?si=PLi07LP0749Apqf7) Rev. R. Tony Ricard, M.Th., Div., Director, Office of Black Catholic Ministries - Archdiocese of New Orleans, Homily ~1h:50 minutes.
Fr. Tony challenged us, “Right now, I want you to think about that one person in your life who at this very moment needs the presence of God…” I couldn’t think about 1 person… ever since the Mass, I’ve been thinking about all the MPHM Catholic School children who have been left out of this Archdiocese for the past 3 years. Our Black children left out of the Catholic Week school accomplishments and milestones… left out of the Archdiocesan Masses… not allowed to play CYO sports… separated from their Parish family. Their parents and grandparents yearn for them to have access to weekly Mass. Jesus said, "Let the children come to me and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
We keep Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic School Living and Beloved Alumni in our prayers. We recognized that there is no Black Catholic History in this Archdiocese without the contributions of the faith filled Josephite Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church and School.
MPHM ALUMNUS, Karlos Finley spoke about the history of Most Pure Heart of Mary in this WKRG Interview and said, “…I could never give back to Heart of Mary what it has given to me…” (The Heart of Mary is Still Beating - Karlos Finley - Faith Time https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PwDn8DEGAcI Oct 8, 2025). We pray that Archbishop Emeritus Rodi will recommend to you to recognize Most Pure Heart of Mary as the Catholic School that it has been for over 120 years, and the Catholic School that it will always be. Once our children are joined back with our Josephite Parish family, we can continue enriching as many lives as possible with the Catholic faith in our communities.
Our one goal is to make a Catholic education accessible and affordable to all. With your support, we will launch a $40 Million 5 years Most Pure Heart of Mary Capital Campaign (MPHMCC).
$40 MILLION 5 YEARS MOST PURE HEART OF MARY CAPITAL CAMPAIGN (MPHMCC).
We will ask the Josephites/Knights of Peter Claver (founded at MPHM)/Mobile Area Inter-Parish Council-Black Catholic Ministry to sponsor the Capital Campaign that we pray will be fully supported by our Archdiocese by including the MPHMCC as a choice in the Annual Catholic Charities Appeal.
That’s $5 million to renovate/restore Most Pure Heart of Mary Elementary School, and $35 million for Most Pure Heart of Mary High School closed in 1968 to force desegregation.
This is comparable to the $20 million campaign for a Student Center at McGill-Toolen and over $20 million campaign for St. Michael High School in 2016; as well as the $30 million Generations of Faith - Endowing Our Future with Hope campaign for seminarians; and $5 million campaign for a football field at St. Michael in 2020 — during a pandemic — when they barely had enough students for a football team.
RECOGNIZE MPHM AS A CATHOLIC SCHOOL AGAIN. Our 2022 petition stated: “…It was Bishop Edward P. Allen, ordained the fifth Bishop of Mobile in 1897 by Pope Leo XIII, who immediately asked the Josephites to come to serve Catholics of African descent. In 1899, Most Pure Heart of Mary was the first Parish and School established.”
Your Excellency, we are now praying you, ordained our third Archbishop in the Jubilee 2025 Year of Hope by Pope Leo XIV, will once again ask the Josephites to come serve all… Catholics and non-Catholics...especially of African descent. We have no doubt that when you ask them to return to our Parishes they served for over 100 years, they will come back.
WE ASK THAT YOU:
- please recognize MPHM as a Catholic School again and restore it to the Josephite Parish. Do not keep the children in exile any longer;
- please ask the Josephites to send a priest back to St. Joseph-Maysville so Fr. Wisdom, S.S.J. can concentrate on MPHM; as well as
- please ask the Josephites to return to Prince of Peace Parish, with Fr. Susai Regis David, H.G.N. remaining at St. Francis Xavier and Our Mother of Mercy as Pastor; and Fr. Augustin Iruthayasamy, IV Dei remaining at St. Peter the Apostle, Our Lady of Sorrows, and St. Theresa as Pastor; so Fr. Victor can concentrate on developing the all consuming programs of the Multicultural Ministry serving all our 14 Black Catholic Parishes and Missions and the Hispanic Ministry. The priests at all of our Parishes have always helped each other whenever needed. Fr. Victor would be able to celebrate Masses and attend programs at all 14 of our Black parishes, as well as Hispanic, Asian, etc., programs at Parishes throughout the Archdiocese;
- please ask Religious Orders to return to MPHM to help Principal JeKirra Johnson. There are Teaching Religious Orders looking for schools throughout the United States.
- please suspend the percentage of our donations that goes to the Archdiocese until our schools are reopened -- so all we raise will go into our day-to-day operations and reopening our schools;
- please suspend the tithing responsibility for parents and parishes that send their children to other parish schools. This financial requirement not only makes parents hard pressed to transfer to a parish with a school, it further erodes small parishes’ ability to meet basic financial responsibilities. Tithing to other parishes should only be a requirement if your parish has a school and you choose to attend the school of a different parish;
- please add the Most Pure Heart of Mary Capital Campaign (MPHMCC) to the Catholic Charities Appeal;
- please add the Black Catholic Ministry to the Catholic Charities Appeal. Ask Mrs. Elizabeth Levins, last Mobile Area Inter-Parish Council President, to restore IPC Members from all 14 Parishes and meet to recommend a Black Catholic Ministry Director to Fr. Victor Ingalls.
Recognizing Most Pure Heart of Mary as Catholic again, reopening the high school, welcoming all to experience the Josephite foundation and Franciscan charism, making a Catholic education affordable, will build all of our Parishes in our Archdiocese of Mobile to the Glory of God!
Your Excellency, when you recognize us as a Catholic School again, God will take care of the rest. We are asking everyone to donate directly to MPHM School (https://heartofmaryk8.org) as soon as possible, in memory of Secretary Alexis Herman, MGen. J. Gary Cooper, beloved Alumni, family and friends; or donate in honor of our loved ones and Alumni still with us.
WE WILL DONATE TO THE gofundme (https://gofund.me/353f131aa)
established by the phenomenal MPHM Principal JeKirra Johnson, whose faith and perseverance continues to keep MPHM growing. The goal set is $150,000 but we’re praying to exceed $1Million by April 25th, the first anniversary of the passing to New Life of Secretary Herman and the Feast of St. Mark, the Evangelist; even more by April 27, the second anniversary of the passing to New Life of MGen. J. Gary Cooper.
WE WILL APPEAL TO HIS HOLINESS, POPE LEO XIV to help us the way Pope St. John Paul II encouraged in his 1987 address to the Black Catholics in New Orleans, “…I am especially happy to meet you who make up the black Catholic leadership in the United States. Your great concern, both as blacks and as Catholics, is – and must always be – that all your black brothers and sisters throughout America may hear and embrace the saving and uplifting Gospel of Jesus Christ…”
He said “all” not just Black Catholics. He addressed the Bishops, priests, deacons,
“…evangelization … through the lives of lay people...“, and “…family is the first setting of evangelization,…I willingly join my voice to those of the bishops of your country who are encouraging you to give priority to the great task of evangelization, to be missionaries of Christ’s love and truth within your own black community…I express my deep love and esteem for the black Catholic community in the United States. Its vitality is a sign of hope for society…”
But most importantly, he stressed, “…Even in this wealthy nation, committed by its Founding Fathers to the dignity and equality of all persons, the black community suffers a disproportionate share of economic deprivation. Far too many of your young people receive less than an equal opportunity for a quality education and for gainful employment. The Church must continue to join her efforts with the efforts of others who are working to correct all imbalances and disorders of a social nature. Indeed, the Church can never remain silent in the face of injustice, wherever it is clearly present… 6. The Catholic Church has made a profound contribution to the lives of many members of the black community in this land through the gift of education received in Catholic schools. Because of the splendid commitment of dioceses and parishes, many of you here today have joined us at the Table of unity and faith as a result of the evangelization carried out in these institutions…”
From the Black Catholics he was speaking to, would descend the first American Pope less than 40 years later. In 2025, the Jubilee Year of Hope, Pope Leo XIV celebrated the 43rd anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood on June 19th, Juneteenth. It was already so providential that the first American Pope would be multi racial with immigrant and African blood from New Orleans… a descendant of slaves that built and fought for this Nation. It is no coincidence that he was ordained a Priest on Juneteenth. It is God’s sign to all that it was Divine Intervention that he would be Pope…the fulfillment of God’s Promise: “the last shall be first…” Pope Leo XIV may only have one drop of African blood in him but, all he needs is one drop… because that is the blood of Jesus. And the fact that the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ fell on Juneteenth in the first year of our Holy Father’s papacy, was confirmation.
POPE ST. JOHN PAUL II continued, “…Catholic schools have a special place in the work of spreading the Gospel of Christ. They are a great gift from God. Keep your Catholic schools strong and active. Their uncompromising Catholic identity and Catholic witness at every level must continue to enrich the black communities of this nation…” © Copyright 1987 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana (APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND CANADA - MEETING WITH THE BLACK CATHOLIC COMMUNITY OF NEW ORLEANS - ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II, “Lousiana Superdome” Stadium Saturday, 12 September 1987 https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/1987/september/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19870912_cattolici-new-orleans.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawLOLfJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHsVir-stkNJ-Re8WoN5nad01a-YQYa1_Dt0PWKapbA5L9RvYBrxKP2WmYRS5_aem__pSOPzoEHL2DXsDAbF-mRg
THE ARCHDIOCESE OF MOBILE made major changes to the Black parishes that had supported MPHofM remaining open... five non- and former Josephite Black Parishes in Mobile, 40 miles apart, were combined under one priest, Fr. Victor Ingalls, former Vocations Director, and first executive director for Multicultural Ministry, over Hispanic Ministry and Black Catholic Ministry. Fr. Victor was later named pastor over a sixth parish serving the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indian Tribe. The Black Catholic History Month Mass was no longer celebrated at our Cathedral-Basilica, no longer given the same reverence and respect as the Blue Mass, Red Mass, and other Archdiocesan Celebrations.
VOCATIONS AND SCHOOLS
Whenever I had the chance to see Fr. Victor when he served as Vocations Director, I would suggest, “If you want vocations, reopen our Catholic schools.”
This is nothing new. In 1989, Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA (12/29/37 - 3/30/90) said, “…being Black and Catholic means having come into the church because education opened the door to evangelization…Catholic Schools have been the primary instrument of evangelization within the Black Community…Black folks all over the Country are saying, ”…we need education…”” (speech to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Black spirituality with introduction by Most Rev. John H. Ricard, S.S.J., Superior General of the Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart (“Josephites”) Bishop Emeritus of Pensacola–Tallahassee, June 1989)
- Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA Speech to U.S. Catholic Bishops 1989
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SWGOKdTtYnI&pp=0gcJCZQKAYcqIYzv
The predominantly Black community where most of our Black Catholic Parishes exist have always been over 80% non-Catholic. They exist for evangelization. They exist to offer all children access to the Word of God, Our Father.
I AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO ARCHBISHOP EMERITUS RODI for everything he has done for us. The first “One Faith, One Family” Conference in 2014, is where I met St. Joseph – Spring Hill Ave. Parishioner, the late Margaret “Peggie” Craddock, Rosary Walk founder, at her “Our Lady’s Bookshelf” table. She had placed a Bookshelf filled with children’s books on Saints, in schools all over the Archdiocese, including Most Pure Heart of Mary. We immediately bonded through our mutual love for Catholic Schools, especially in Parishes serving African American communities.
Peggie received the initial permission from Archbishop Emeritus Rodi to have the Rosary Walk. When her health began to fail, she would ask him every year to ask someone to help me — and he did. Someone would contact me, saying, “Archbishop Rodi asked me to help you.” In 2018, for our 5th Annual Rosary Walk, it was our late Prince of Peace Deacon Marcene Emmett, Jr., President, Zone 1 Knights of Peter Claver; and Most Pure Heart of Mary Parishioner, Mrs. Elizabeth Levins, Mobile Area Inter-Parish Council President.
“This walk is praying for blessings on all schools, but especially for Most Pure Heart of Mary School in its struggle to remain open for its mission to all of the Blessed Virgin's children, Catholic or not, but in need of a good Catholic Christian education to help them to navigate life in this community, this country and the world, in order to make it a better place for everyone! This is my understanding of the walk. An additional goal is to pray for the return of schools to every parish. By praying for this we can be assured of our blessings for the future—our children. Evangelization will flourish, as well as the true path to Christ. The parents will follow the children. As adults we have a great responsibility. ...and the children will lead them...”
- Mrs. Elizabeth Levins, Mobile Area Inter-Parish Council President (3rd Annual Rosary Walk)
FR. TONY, BLACK CATHOLIC HISTORY MONTH MASS HOMILIST, (Nov. 15, 2025) said, “…our destiny can be found in our history. Our Black and Catholic history. We are a strong people, a people of faith. We've endured every lash, every attack, every police dog, every unjust law,… As Sr. Thea Bowman so proudly said, “We must remember who we are and whose we are.”… we are all children of God. We are co-heirs to the kingdom of heaven. … And that's why we have to faithfully come before our God and cry out on behalf of our community and of all of our families. Lord, with the same power of our ancestors claimed, the same hope that our elders marched with the same pride of our parents today… Two perfect illustrations of this could be found in the lives of the Venerable Henriette Delille and Servant of God, Sister Thea Bowman… Lord knows it was still illegal for them to even teach a Negro to read. But they would not and could not be stopped. Even though the law was against them, they had Jesus and God on their side.
“Henriette Delille's only writings were in a small prayer book that she had. Although it was in French, the English translation was simple, “I believe in God. I hope in God. I love, I want to live and die for God.”
“… Sister Thea was a self-proclaimed old folk's child since she was the only child of middle-aged parents... As a child, she converted to Catholicism… While addressing the bishops of our nation, Sister Thea challenged them to welcome all people to the table of mercy. She also challenged them to allow folks to bring their whole self to the church… “That doesn't frighten you, does it? I come to my church fully functional. I bring myself, my black self, all that I am, all that I have, and all that I hope to become. I bring my whole history, my tradition, my experience, my culture, my African-American song and dance… and responsibilities as a gift to the church.” In these powerful words, Sister Thea reminded our bishops that we bring a lot to the table from the African-American community and that we are not asking to be welcomed into someone else's house of worship. We come to OUR church, not the church of America, not the church of Europe or Asia, not even the church of Africa. We come to the church of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. A church that we've been a part of since Moses walked through the desert of Africa with the Queen of Sheba,… since Jesus, Mary, and blessed St. Joseph traveled to Egypt to escape the land of Herod since Jesus himself called Simon the Canaanite apostle. You see, black folks, people of African descent, have been a part of the church since God said, "Let us make man in our image of him, after our own likeness,” and we will be a part of this church until the day that Jesus returns to call us all to glory.
“You see, like Sister, our ancestors understood that we are not asking somebody to welcome us to their church. We're saying that this too is OUR church. We were here in the beginning and we will be here to the end. And I guess that's the part that just might frighten someone… God is listening to those who hunger and thirst. God is listening to those who are weeping. God is listening to his co-heirs…”
POPE ST. JOHN PAUL II concluded his 1987 address in New Orleans to the Black community with, “…In addition to the schools, others means of evangelization should also be given priority… The mass media are also a great gift of God’s Providence and should be fully utilized in the service of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. They can be of immense service to the millions of black people who long to hear the Good News of salvation proclaimed in ways that speak to their own heritage and traditions… At the first Pentecost, those present heard the Apostles speaking in their own languages. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we try in every age to bring the Gospel convincingly and understandably to people of all races, languages and cultures. It is important to realize that there is no black Church, no white Church, no American Church; but there is and must be, in the one Church of Jesus Christ, a home for blacks, whites, Americans, every culture and race… Dear brothers and sisters: your black cultural heritage enriches the Church and makes her witness of universality more complete. In a real way the Church needs you, just as you need the Church, for you are part of the Church and the Church is part of you. As you continue to place this heritage at the service of the whole Church for the spread of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit himself will continue through you his work of evangelization…”
Your Excellency, we were so blessed and uplifted when you wrote, “…The late Pope Francis addressed the entire Church, “For everyone, may the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus,”…I was blessed in 2019 to have had a papal audience…The Holy Father proclaimed who is his hope and ours, “the Lord, the Lord.” As Christians, no matter what crisis or challenge we face, we always have hope—for our hope is in Jesus. We always have hope, for Jesus is always with us…The Jubilee Year of Hope concludes on Jan. 6 with the feast of the Epiphany. Though the Jubilee Year comes to a close, hope continues. We celebrate our everlasting hope in Jesus and we are called to live that hope by fostering it in our world and being a sign of hope for our world…” (“Called to being a sign of hope for our world” From the Archbishop, Catholic Week December 12, 2025 p.3)
For 12 years, beginning with the first Rosary Walk in 2014, we have had hope in Jesus, through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother, the Black Madonna, and St. Joseph, Her Most Chaste Spouse, that Most Pure Heart of Mary will remain open and now, be recognized as the Catholic School that it has been for over 120 years, and will always be; and that affordable schools will be reopened in all Parishes, especially those serving predominantly African American communities.
"Just as we are in the Sight of God so let us be in the Sight of All!"
- St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (https://ocdsmobile.com)
We believe you do see us Archbishop Rivituso and Archbishop Emeritus Rodi. Please see our MPHM Black School children as Catholic as God Sees Them! The exclusion of MPHM from our Archdiocese and Catholic Week should end. We will appeal to His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV; His Excellency, The Most Reverend Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States; USCCB; and the National Black Catholic Congress to help us.
MPHM FIRSTS-BISHOP JOSEPH LAWSON HOWZE.
There are too many firsts to mention, throughout the history of MPHM School alumni, in Government, Military, Education, Business, etc., but none as incomparable as the firsts in vocations to the Priesthood, Religious, and the number of conversions to Catholicism Sr. Thea Bowman talked about. Some firsts are in MPHM recognize Catholic change 20260303-firsts.pdf. Most notable is Archbishop Emeritus Rodi’s predecessor, Bishop Joseph Lawson Howze, first Bishop of Biloxi (1977-2001) and the first dark-skinned U.S. Bishop.
His foundation was at MPHM and converted to Catholicism in his 20’s. When asked what prompted him to become a priest in an Oct. 28, 1999 interview with Bishop Howze, he credits Fr. Vincent Warren, S.S.J. responding, “He was a Josephite...And he did a lot for the black youth in those days...It was really because I had the example of Father Vincent Warren; I thought he was magnificent...when I was ordained a priest; he was still alive...” (“Oral history with Most Reverand Joseph Lawson E. Howze” Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage. F341.5 .M57 vol. 747, pt. 2 https://web.archive.org/web/20070929203831/http://www.lib.usm.edu/~spcol/coh/cohhowzej.html
Please recognize Most Pure Heart of Mary as the Catholic School it has been for over 120 years, and will always be. Please reopen all of our schools serving African American communities where all are welcome. We’re praying for both of you always.
“…With a joyful and a hopeful heart, I entrust you and the whole black community to the loving care of Mary, Mother of our Saviour. May she, who both listened to the word and believed in it, guide your lives and those of future generations of black Catholics within the one People of God, the one Mystical Body of Christ. Through her intercession may grace be to all of you "who love our Lord Jesus Christ with unfailing love" (Eph. 6, 23).” (from Pope St. John Paul II, …Address to the Black Catholic Community of New Orleans, Sept. 12, 1987)
Please, let all children pray.
Respectfully,
Collette Juzang Bookman
Here I am Lord; I come to do your will.
(Ps. 40: 8a and 9a)
_______________________________________
March 3, 2026 Feast of St. Katharine Drexel (firsts PDF)
Most Reverend Mark S. Rivituso, Archbishop of Mobile
RE: Recognize Most Pure Heart of Mary as a Catholic School Again -
$40 Million 5 years Most Pure Heart of Mary Capital Campaign (MPHMCC)
Your Excellency,
THE CATHOLIC WEEK is looking for story ideas. We’re praying as many as possible will email Josephite MPHM Catholic High and Elementary School stories to you (archbishop@mobarch.org) and to Rob Herbst (rherbst@mobarch.org)
Stories like Nov. 15, the 75th Anniversary of Sr. Genevieve of St. Teresa, O.C.D. entering the Carmelite Order, six months after graduating from Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic High School in 1950. So this is also the 75th anniversary of her Class of 1950 with 9 of the 42 students still living, now in their 90s. She was the first Mobilian to enter the Carmelite Order, joining the 11 nuns there, and had to get special permission from Bishop Toolen because she was African descent. She may also be the youngest, at 18 years old, to join in the United States.
By 2010, there were only four nuns left, all over 70 years old. They asked Archbishop Emeritus Rodi “…could another Carmelite community come to this place to keep it a place of prayer?” He literally searched the World and the Carmelite Monastery in Nha Trang, Vietnam truly blessed us with eight nuns willing to leave their homeland, their families, learn a new language to come pray unceasingly for us and the World. We will be forever thankful to Archbishop Emeritus Rodi for bringing them here. Sister Genevieve is also Asian descent. Wholly uniting our Vietnamese family in our Mobile Carmelite Community is proof of the universality of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
Archbishop Emeritus Rodi appointed Sr. Genevieve Vicaress of the Mobile Carmel serving as 5th Superior 2014-2015. She may be the first African American in the U.S. to serve as a Carmelite Superior. She is the oldest Jubilarian in our Archdiocese at 94 years old (born Feb. 11, Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes), celebrating 75 years praying for all of us constantly. She has always asked to continue to pray for and to all the Souls in Purgatory, especially those who attended Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Elementary and High Schools.
75TH CLASS REUNION. Last July, I was blessed to visit Sr. Genevieve while she was reunited with two of her classmates, Ms. Cassie Moore, (daughter of a devoutly Catholic family for generations) her friend since they were children at Josephite St. Peter Claver Catholic School; and Mrs. Lucile Holmes Giles, (now 93) who was the youngest in her class at MPHM Elementary and High Schools. Ms. Moore is the sister of the late Josephite Brother then Deacon, Alex Moore, who was ordained by Bishop John L. May from the initial class of permanent deacons for the then Diocese of Mobile. Deacon Moore illustrated the beautiful and informative Josephite Black history calendars and cards (josephites.org https://josephitepastoralcenter.org/ for years and whose artwork, portraits (i.e., Sr. Thea Bowman), and sculptures are in parishes and Catholic institutions around the world. Mrs. Giles, whose paternal Catholic family has been traced back to Spain, shared how her maternal grandmother converted their entire family of 10 children because of the mercy of a holy Josephite Priest at MPHM. She is a published author for Johnson Publishing Co., and freelance writer for Ebony Jr. Magazine. Her book, “Color Me Brown” 1963, illustrated by her late father, Louis F. Holmes, Sr., is now in the Smithsonian Museum of African American History, and in the archives of the University of South Alabama, was first used in the Chicago Public School System then other school systems throughout the United States.
Sr. Vencentia, O.P., MPHM 4th Grade teacher, contacted her father and told him a young boy in her class, Simmie Knox, was always doodling. She asked if he would volunteer to teach him art. He did! Mr. Knox (left simmieknox.com) grew up to be the first African-American commissioned to paint an official portrait of a Supreme Court Justice (Thurgood Marshall), the first to receive a presidential portrait commission (former President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hilary Clinton), and would paint the official portrait of the 23rd Secretary of Labor, MPHM alumna, Alexis Herman.
And stories like St. Peter Claver/Prince of Peace Parishioner, Mrs. Jacqueline Rice (Class of 1941) who turned 105 on Christmas Day 2025. When she turned 103, her daughter, Pam Donald Hutchinson (who was in the last MPHM Class of ‘68) did submit her Mother’s story to the Catholic Week of how her perseverance and faith got her through cancer, but it was rejected.
PLEASE PRAY FOR THEM, as they have constantly prayed for all of us all these years.
God, Our Father, please let them live on this side of life long enough to see our historic, beloved Most Pure Heart of Mary recognized as a Catholic School again. Please let them see the High School reopened, to again produce leaders that will shape the world with their Josephite Black Catholic faith foundation and perseverance.
We ask this in Your Son’s Holy Name, with the intercession of our Blessed Mother, the Black Madonna; and St. Joseph, Her Most Chaste Spouse. Amen
We pray there will be so many stories that an entire section can be created for the rich legacy of the students, teachers, Priests, Religious, and Saints that have been produced by this historic Parish. As Mrs. Meryl Ponquinette Foster said at the 2022 Pilgrim Servants of Mary Divine Mercy Celebration at Our Lady of the Bay, “It should be called the Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Leadership Academy; because we don’t just graduate students…we produce LEADERS!”
The conversions and vocations that have come out of Josephite MPHM and all of our Black Catholic Parishes have always been phenomenal — in spite of the fact that we’ve been often treated like we’re not wanted, and have had to beg to be Catholic. If allowed in the Church at all, we’ve had to sit in the last pews to make sure all white Catholics received Communion first; and walk at the end of the Christ the King procession.
Please, let all children pray.
Respectfully,
Collette Juzang Bookman
Here I am Lord; I come to do your will.
(Ps. 40: 8a and 9a)