First editor taps literary talents to bring diocesan paper to life

By Phyllis Hemann
Associate Editor

When The Southern Guardian debuted March 25, 1911, as the newspaper for the Diocese of Little Rock, Msgr. John Michael "J.M." Lucey agreed to become its first editor.

He was born in Troy, N.Y., Sept. 29, 1843, and moved to Arkansas as a child -- first to Rocky Comfort near Foreman and then Fort Smith. He went to school at St. Andrew College and Ward Academy, both in Fort Smith.

At 17, he joined the Fort Smith Rifles, Company A, Third Arkansas Infantry and fought in the Civil War until taken prisoner and later paroled in 1864.

In 1868, he graduated from St. John University in Fordham, N.Y. He studied for two years at St. Mary Seminary in Ohio, but was released because of his poor health and increasing deafness.

He returned to Fort Smith to recuperate, although he never fully regained his hearing.

His first foray in newspaper publishing came after he became principal at the public high school in Fort Smith. While there, he started a school paper in 1871, known as the Belle Grove School Journal.

Under Bishop Edward Fitzgerald, Msgr. Lucey finished his studies for the priesthood and was ordained in November 1872 at Immaculate Conception Church in Fort Smith. His first assignment came within a month and would be one he would hold until his death -- pastor of St. Joseph Church in Pine Bluff.

Pope Pius X made him a monsignor in 1903, becoming the first diocesan priest to receive the honor. He traveled around the world in 1902 and 1903. He then became vicar general for the diocese in 1907.

He was active in confederate veteran's organizations, often serving as chaplain. He helped found the Pine Bluff Colored Industrial Institute in 1889, which was the predecessor to St. Peter School. He was outspoken against lynching, which garnered him criticism in the Arkansas Gazette newspaper.

The Catholic Layman Association of Arkansas, founded in May 1910, elected him editor of the paper, which Bishop John B. Morris was committed to establishing for the diocese.

He was a prolific writer before becoming editor -- composing the history of the diocese in 1892, the history of Catholicism in Arkansas in 1908 and European immigration in 1911, both of which were published by the Arkansas Historical Association. He also kept a diary of his time as a soldier during the Civil War.

His world travels gave him a keen eye for foreign affairs, and he often wrote editorials and articles with a historical and world-view. In May 13, 1911, his commentary predicted the possibility of what eventually happened during the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II.

"The religion of the Japanese makes them fatalists and they face death with impunity when impelled by national pride or military glory. A war with either China or Japan would not be a walkover for the United States," Msgr. Lucey wrote.

He stepped down as editor of The Southern Guardian after six months because of the pressure that the travel and work put on his health, returning as pastor of St. Joseph.

Msgr. Lucey was prone to pulmonary problems since childhood, and he died June 20, 1914, after an extended illness in San Antonio, Texas. His funeral Mass was held in Pine Bluff and he is buried in Fort Smith.

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