Diocesan History and Geography

Welcome to the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi, serving 17 southern counties of Mississippi since 1977. The Diocese of Biloxi encompasses  the southern Mississippi counties of Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lamar, Lawrence, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Stone, Walthall and Wayne. The diocese is part of the ecclesiastical province of Mobile and is populated with approximately 58,000 Catholics from the Alabama-Mississippi state line to the lower Mississippi-Louisiana state line and extending north of Laurel into Jones and Wayne counties.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Biloxi was established on March 1, 1977, when it was split from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson.

In ceremonies at Nativity BVM Cathedral. June 6th 1977, Bishop Joseph Lawson Howze, D,D., was installed as first bishop of the diocese.

Bishop Thomas J. Rodi was ordained and installed Bishop of Biloxi, July 2 2001.

Bishop Roger P. Morin was installed as the third bishop of Biloxi on April 27th, 2009.

Bishop Louis F. Kihneman III was ordained and installed as the Bishop of Biloxi on April 28, 2017 at Nativity of the BVM Cathedral, Biloxi. 

The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Biloxi, Mississippi, serves as the Episcopal see.

The Administrative Office of the Diocese of Biloxi is located at 1790 Popps Ferry Road, Biloxi, MS 39532