MS SC514

Mourns the passing of Right Reverend Duncan Montgomery Gray, Jr., who died on July 15, 2016, at age 89, and was a civil rights advocate and retired Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi.

Recognizes Gray's role as Rector of St. Peter's Church in Oxford during the 1962 University of Mississippi integration crisis, where he called for calm amid violence following James Meredith's court-ordered admission.

Notes Gray's service as Bishop for 19 years (1974-1993), supporting significant church changes including the ordination of women to the priesthood, and his work with the Committee of Conscience in Meridian rebuilding African-American churches firebombed by the Ku Klux Klan.

Extends the sympathy of the Legislature to Gray's surviving family, including four children, 11 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.

Directs that the resolution be presented to Gray's family, forwarded to the Mississippi Diocese of the Episcopal Church, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.