Joseph Bernard Brunini

Joseph Bernard Brunini (July 24, 1909 – January 7, 1996) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Jackson from 1967 to 1984.

His Excellency, The Most Reverend Joseph Bernard Brunini
Bishoo of Jackson Titular Bishop of Axomis
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Diocese	Jackson
Predecessor	Richard Oliver Gerow
Successor	William Russell Houck
Other post(s)	Titular Bishop of Axomis
Orders
Ordination	December 5, 1933 by Francesco Marchetti Selvaggiani
Consecration	January 29, 1957 by Richard Oliver Gerow
Personal details
Born	July 24, 1909 Vicksburg, Mississippi, US
Died	January 7, 1996(1996-01-07) (aged 86)
Education	Georgetown University Pontifical Urbaniana University Catholic University of America
Coat of arms

Biography

Early life

Joseph Brunini was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, the sixth child of John and Blanche (née Stein) Brunini.^[1] John Brunini was the son of Italian immigrants and worked as a lawyer, founding the law firm Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes (now Brunini, Attorneys at Law^[2]); Blanche Brunini was Jewish.^[3]

After attending St. Aloysius High School in Vicksburg, Joseph Brunini studied at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1930.^[1] He then furthered his studies in Rome at the Pontifical North American College and the Pontifical Urbaniana University, earning a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree in 1931.^[1]

Priesthood

While in Rome, Brunini was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Natchez by Cardinal Francesco Selvaggiani on December 5, 1933.^[4]

Following his return to the United States, Brunini completed his graduate studies at the Catholic University of America and later obtained a Doctor of Canon Law in 1937.^[1] He then returned to Mississippi and was named a curate at St. Mary's Cathedral in Natchez, where he became rector in 1943.^[1] He was raised to the rank of privy chamberlain in 1944, and served as chancellor (1941–1951) and vicar general (1951–1957) of the diocese.^[1] He was made a domestic prelate in 1948 and pastor of St. Peter's Cathedral at Jackson in 1949.^[5]

Auxiliary Bishop of Natchez-Jackson

On November 28, 1956, Brunini was appointed auxiliary bishop of what was then the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson and Titular Bishop of Axomis by Pope Pius XII.^[4] He received his episcopal consecration on January 29, 1957, from Bishop Richard Gerow, with Bishops Charles Greco and John Morkovsky serving as co-consecrators.^[4] In addition to his episcopal duties, he continued to serve as vicar general and pastor of St. Peter's Cathedral.^[5]

Bishop of Natchez-Jackson and Jackson

Following the resignation of Bishop Gerow, Brunini was named the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson by Pope Paul VI on December 2, 1967.^[4] He was the first native Mississippian to serve in that post.^[5] During his tenure, he was an outspoken advocate of the civil rights movement; he once declared, "We as religious leaders can't blame the politicians if we don't do our job first."^[3] He co-found and served as the first president of the Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference.^[5]

The Diocese of Natchez-Jackson was changed to the Diocese of Jackson on March 1, 1977, with Brunini remaining as its bishop.^[4]

After sixteen years as Bishop of Jackson, Brunini retired on January 24, 1984.^[4] Joseph Brunini died while attending a conference in Convent, Louisiana, on January 7, 1996, at age 86.^[5]