8 Gulf Pine Catholic • March 27, 2026 Father Dominic Njoku, S.S.J., pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Pascagoula, said he first encountered Father Norvel during his own formation. “I first got to know Father Norvel in 2012 when I was admitted to the formation program,” Father Njoku said. “He was there -- very humble -- speaking to us about the community and the great need to serve.” Father Njoku recalled a moment that left a lasting impression during his philosophy studies. “One experience that really stayed with me was when he came back to visit us,” he said. “He attended one of our choir rehearsals, where I was singing the Responsorial Psalm. For the first time -- and I think the only time -- a superior or formator asked me, ‘Can I correct you?’ I was surprised, and so were the other brothers.” After the rehearsal, Father Norvel offered gentle guidance. “After I finished, he gently offered his correction,” Father Njoku said. “It completely shifted the tone and improved the sound. That moment left a deep impression on me.” He said Father Norvel’s humility defined his approach to ministry and leadership. “He was a very humble man, always ready to listen,” Father Njoku said. “He never turned anyone away. Whenever brothers came to him with questions or needed clarification, he was always willing to help, pouring out his heart in his mission.” Father Njoku also offered words of consolation to Father Norvel’s family. “To his family, I know this is a difficult time of grief,” he said. “But I encourage them to reflect on the good he was able to do -- how he served God and saw Christ in those he ministered to. He traveled to many places, both within this country and beyond, all for the sake of Jesus.” “I hope that brings them some consolation: that he served Jesus faithfully, and now he is with Him,” Father Njoku said. Andrew “Jackie” Elly, former Supreme Knight of the Knights of Peter Claver and a parishioner of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Pascagoula, remembered Father Norvel as a powerful spiritual leader and community builder. Elly himself had been the 13th Supreme Knight of the Knights of Peter Claver -- mirroring Father Norvel’s role as the 13th Superior General of the Josephites. “He was a dedicated man of God and to his mission as a priest,” Elly said. “He was strong in that he Father Norvel Obit From page 1 fought for African American participation in the Church. I remember conversations with him when he visited -- back in the early ’70s, when we still had the old church. He came and brought gospel music to St. Peter’s. He created the gospel choir and introduced songs and hymns we had never heard before, and he got more people involved. To me, he was a galvanizer.” “Wherever he went, he brought people together, and people supported him in most places he went,” Elly said. Elly also recalled a story Father Norvel shared from his early priesthood. “I remember a story he told me about when he first became a priest,” Elly said. “His first assignment was in Natchez, MS. He spoke out in favor of the African American community, and he had to leave in the middle of the night because he was afraid someone -- like the Klan -- might harm him.” Elly said Father Norvel served as a role model for many. “I think he’s a role model,” he said. “While we only had one other person go into the priesthood -- Bishop Fisher -- he was still a role model. He also inspired several nuns. Wherever he went, people felt the Spirit. That’s what he gave to this parish -- the Spirit.” He also remembered Father Norvel’s determination in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. “I remember after Hurricane Katrina, when he came back,” Elly said. “I was one of the first people to see him. A cousin of mine and I were looking at the damage to the church when he arrived, looked around, and said, ‘Jackie, we’ve got to get this ready for church Sunday.’ “We took chairs out of the rectory and set them up between the destroyed church and the rectory, and we had Mass outside,” Elly said. “He was determined not to miss a beat, and we never missed a Sunday. After that, we moved to the east side of the church under a big tent, because more people came than you could imagine. When people heard we were having Mass, they came.” In a statement, Bishop Louis F. Kihneman III said Father Norvel’s ministry left a lasting impact on the Church. “Father William Norvel served the Church with deep faith, dedication, and pastoral care,” Bishop Kihneman said. “A native son of Pascagoula, he was a source of great pride for the Mississippi Gulf Coast and for the many communities he served throughout his priesthood.” Bishop Kihneman also noted Father Norvel’s role in mentoring future clergy. “Father Norvel also played an important role in the formation and mentoring of priests, including assisting in the formation of priests from Nigeria who would go on to serve the Church in the United States and beyond,” the bishop said. “His leadership, commitment to uplifting African American Catholic spirituality, and dedication to forming future priests will continue to inspire the faithful for generations to come.” Father Norvel’s funeral Mass was held on March 26 at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Pascagoula, with burial following at the parish cemetery. Josephite Father William L. Norvel, pictured in an undated photo, was the first African-American to lead the Baltimorebased St. Joseph’s Society of the Sacred Heart. Father Norvel, a forceful voice for Black Catholic identity who spent more than six decades challenging the institutional church to live up to its claim of being universal, died at age 90 March. OSV News file photo DEADLINE NOTICE News deadline for the April 10 issue is 4 p.m., Tues., March 31; ads are due by 10 a.m., Tues, March 31. Email news items & photos to tdickson@biloxidiocese.org. Please include a daytime phone number on all submissions. Questions? Call 228-702-2109 or 228-702-2127.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzEwNTM=