Joseph Bernard Brunini

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]

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]

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]

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]