Nativity B.V.M Elementary Principal passes away

For the past 27 years, Sister Mary Jo Mike has made her presence felt as principal of Nativity BVM School in Biloxi. Sister Mary Jo passed away this morning.

Nativity of the Blessed Rector Dennis Carver said, “Sister Mary Jo had several very special and humorous interests. One of them was that she loved Mardi Gras and not just Mardi Gras in Biloxi, she loved to go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.”

Mardi Gras, football, the Minnesota Vikings: these are some of the things that Sister Mary Jo Mike loved the most, aside from her students.

Sister Mary Jo, principal of the Nativity BVM Elementary School, passed away Wednesday morning, leaving behind a legacy that can’t be matched. “She’s been with the Cathedral Parish for a number of years and those years have been a period of great prosperity for our school and I’m very grateful to her community, her Franciscan sisters for letting her stay for so many years in Biloxi.”

Following her first principal position in Ohio, Sister Mary Jo came to Biloxi to interview at the Nativity BVM Parish, immediately falling in love with the school and community.

For the last 27 years, Sister Mary Jo roamed the halls, making sure to be a part of every student’s life, helping to guide them as they grow up. “Sister Mary Jo has been a kind of, I guess you can say, ‘mother goose’ to many children over the past 27 years.”

Students were planning on returning to school on Thursday, however in light of the news, both school days have been cancelled so that students and their families can attend the services.

A visitation for Sister Mary Jo will be held at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Thursday, January 3^rd from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. A mass of Christian burial will take place on Friday at 10 a.m. at the cathedral church.