MS Moments 306 Father Peter Quinn - Deacons of Defense

Published: March 30, 2012, 1:48 p.m.

Father Peter Quinn was the priest of Hattiesburg\u2019s only black Catholic Church, Holy Rosary, during the Civil Rights movement.\xa0 Taking a leadership position in the movement made him a frequent target. He was protected by a group called the Deacons of Defense.

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\xa0Quinn recalls being shot at as he left Vernon Dahmer\u2019s house one evening. He also recounts when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. took a nap at his home ten days before his assassination.