Members of the St. Mary Basilica archive committee prepared the casket for Bishop John Joseph Chanche Wednesday afternoon.

Chanche’s remains will be re-interred Saturday at a newly constructed monument behind the church. Members of the committee carefully transferred the bones of the first bishop of Natchez, into the handcrafted walnut casket my by trapist monks in Iowa. After placing the remains in the casket, two sets of vestments, one from a bishop in Baltimore and another from Jackson diocese Bishop Nunzio Latino were placed on top. Then the top of the casket was placed. The funeral mass for Bishop Chanche will be a St. Mary Basilica Saturday at 11 a.m.