Jesse Pennington and Christopher Moses – Leaders at Holy Ghost Catholic Church

By Ivory Phillips

JA Contributing Editor

On Saturday, May 2nd, as members of Holy Ghost Catholic Church were busily preparing to celebrate the church’s 117 anniversary and the formal installation of its pastor, Rev. Vijaya Bhaskar Madanu, news quickly spread that long-time attorney Jesse Pennington had passed away peacefully at his home in south Jackson. Then, on Monday the 4th, news spread just as rapidly that long-time peace officer Christopher Moses had passed away.

Both men were not just well-known in the church. They were both “pillars of the church.” Pennington was the founding president of The Men’s Group at the church and served as something of the conscience of the Black History Committee, after having urged its revival 10 years ago. Moses was a member of the Knights of Peter Claver, an usher, a frequent lector, and was serving his third term as president of the Parish Pastoral Council. Both were generous with their time, talents and financial resources. 

Each will be sorely missed in the church and in the community. They were men of commitment from the earliest of time, desiring to serve their state and community. 

Moses was born and raised in west Jackson. After high school, he travelled to the famed Tuskegee University to further his education. Because of his commitment, he returned after graduation to serve his community. For more than two decades, he served in the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, rising to the rank of sergeant. He loved his work. The same skills and talents he used on the job as a Hinds County deputy sheriff, he volunteered to use for his church. This he did until his passing. 

Pennington was born and raised in rural Bolivar and Washington counties, until he fled to Chicago as a teenager to avoid being lynched for striking a white man. He remained out of Mississippi for years until after he had finished a stint in the military, graduated from college, and earned a law degree from Howard University. He then returned to the state as a civil rights lawyer with North Mississippi Rural Legal Services and an educator at Jackson State University. In those endeavors he toiled until his retirement.

Moses and Pennington both found their way to Holy Ghost Catholic Church as adults. Each found his place and was happy to serve until the end.