About Christ the King · Fulton, Mississippi
Christ the King is a Roman Catholic mission church in Fulton, Mississippi, serving the small Catholic population of Itawamba County in northeast Mississippi. It is a mission of St. James Parish in Tupelo within the Diocese of Jackson, with Saturday Vigil Mass celebrated weekly by Father Albeenreddy Vatti, who travels from New Albany, under the pastoral oversight of Father Lincoln Dall, pastor of St. James and Vicar General of the diocese. The mission worships in a historic two-story brick building at 100 East Main Street that has been a church site since 1878, first erected by Methodist layman Malachi Cummings and later acquired by the Catholic Diocese of Mississippi in 1968 through the efforts of the Glenmary Home Missioners and the Catholic Extension Society.
- Established
- 1968
- Patron
- Christ the King
- Rector
- Reverend Lincoln Dall (Sacramental Minister, as pastor of St. James, Tupelo)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jackson
Why belong here
Christ the King offers small-parish warmth in a historic setting — a tight-knit congregation of about 35 families that prides itself on frequent potluck dinners, shared celebrations after Mass, and everyone pitching in to fill any role that needs filling. Because the building itself is a Mississippi historic site with roots going back to 1878 and a deliberately interdenominational heritage, members worship in a place with a uniquely deep local story. The mission's pastoral staff — including the celebrated Father Albeenreddy Vatti and longtime Pastoral Associate Joan Shell — combine the accessibility of a mission with the stability of being cared for by the larger St. James Parish in Tupelo and the wider Diocese of Jackson.
Mass times at Christ the King
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM (before Mass) or by appointment
History of Christ the King Mission
The site at the corner of East Main and North Clifton Streets has been a place of Christian worship since 1878, making it one of the oldest church sites in Itawamba County. Methodist layman Malachi Cummings, affectionately known as 'Uncle Mac,' paid to build the first one-room frame church on the lot after a wealthier member declined to contribute more than five dollars. In 1880 Cummings deeded the property to the Methodist Conference for $50 with the understanding that it would serve all denominations — for many years it was the only church in Fulton. The current two-story brick building replaced the original wooden structure in 1930. After the Methodists built a new facility in the mid-1960s, the vacant brick church was purchased by the Catholic Diocese of Mississippi on July 13, 1968, through the combined efforts of the Glenmary Home Missioners and the Catholic Extension Society. Bishop Joseph Brunini of the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson formally dedicated the new mission on October 27, 1968. On April 18, 2014 the Mississippi Department of Archives and History erected an official 'Early Church Site' historical marker on the front lawn, and the dedication ceremony was deliberately interdenominational — with a retired Methodist minister presenting the history — in keeping with the building's 135-year ecumenical heritage.
- 1878 — First frame church built by Malachi Cummings
- 1880 — Deeded to the Methodist Conference for $50, with the understanding that all denominations could worship there
- 1930 — Original wooden building replaced with the current two-story brick structure
- mid-1960s — Methodists build a new facility; brick church sits largely vacant
- July 13, 1968 — Purchased by the Catholic Diocese of Mississippi for $20,000 via Glenmary Home Missioners and Catholic Extension Society
- October 27, 1968 — Bishop Joseph Brunini dedicates the new Catholic mission
- April 18, 2014 — 'Early Church Site' historical marker erected by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History
Clergy & Pastoral Staff
As a mission of St. James the Greater in Tupelo, Christ the King is pastorally cared for by the pastor of St. James, currently Reverend Lincoln Dall, who also serves as Vicar General of the Diocese of Jackson and as pastor of St. Christopher in Pontotoc. The Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated by Father Albeenreddy Vatti, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in Madison and Administrator of St. Francis of Assisi in New Albany. Father Vatti, originally from the Diocese of Warangal in India, met Blessed Teresa of Calcutta as a child and was present at her canonization in Rome in 2016; he was incardinated into the Diocese of Jackson in 2025. The Pastoral Associate, Joan Shell, coordinates religious education, Mass preparation, the food ministry, and Bible study, and in 2025 was honored with the Bishop Chanche Medal for her service to the mission.
- Rev. Lincoln Dall — Sacramental Minister; pastor of St. James, Tupelo; Vicar General, Diocese of Jackson
- Rev. Albeenreddy Vatti — Celebrant of the weekly Saturday Vigil Mass
- Joan Shell — Pastoral Associate (Bishop Chanche Medal 2025)
Glenmary Home Missioners & the Mission's Origins
Christ the King owes its Catholic existence to the Glenmary Home Missioners, a society founded in 1939 to establish a Catholic presence in the rural and small-town United States. Glenmary missioners first arrived in Mississippi in 1965, founding missions in West Point and New Albany, and over the next several decades established or staffed twelve missions across the state — including Fulton, Ripley, Amory, Ackerman, Eupora, Bruce, and Houston. Father Joe Dean and Father Bob Rademacher were among the first to build integrated faith communities in the heart of the national civil rights movement; several of these missions were the first integrated congregations in their counties. At Fulton, Glenmary worked with the Catholic Extension Society to purchase the historic brick building in 1968. Glenmary's formal era in Mississippi ended on June 29, 2014, when the last three Glenmary missions were returned to the Diocese of Jackson; Father Bob Dalton, the last Glenmary priest in the state, departed in August 2019.
- Glenmary Home Missioners founded 1939; arrived in Mississippi in 1965
- Purchased the Fulton brick church July 13, 1968, with the Catholic Extension Society
- Established or staffed 12 missions across Mississippi
- Fulton's Catholic mission formally returned to diocesan care; last Glenmary priest left Mississippi in August 2019
Parish Ministries & Community Life
Despite its small size, Christ the King offers a full range of parish ministries — done, as the parish itself says, 'on a smaller scale.' Religious education classes serve two to four children in each level, and the recent RCIA class welcomed one catechumen; Vacation Bible School averages about ten children daily. The food ministry, Bible study, and Sunday school are coordinated by Pastoral Associate Joan Shell, and the music ministry is led by members such as Betty Clayton. After-Mass dinners and parish parties are a regular feature of community life, and the congregation is small enough that 'everyone rarely says no when asked to fill in for a missing member' — a hallmark of mission-church fellowship.
- Religious education / Sunday school
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Vacation Bible School
- Food ministry
- Bible study
- Music ministry
- Liturgical / Mass preparation ministry
- Parish dinners and social gatherings after Mass
The Building & the 2014 Historical Marker
The mission's two-story brick building at 100 East Main Street, originally erected in 1930 to replace Malachi Cummings's 1878 frame church, was adapted for Catholic worship after the 1968 purchase. On April 18, 2014, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History erected an 'Early Church Site' marker at the corner of East Main and North Clifton Streets, officially recognizing the site as a Mississippi historical landmark. The dedication ceremony was a model of the building's ecumenical identity — Methodist Minister Glyn Wiygul presented the history, Betty Clayton led the congregation in 'Amazing Grace,' and Father Albeenreddy Vatti blessed the marker.
- Two-story brick building constructed 1930
- Listed on Mississippi historical marker program (2014)
- Corner of East Main Street (Mississippi Route 178) and North Clifton Street
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Clement Borchers1968
Pastor of St. Francis, Aberdeen; instrumental in initiating the purchase of the Fulton church and presided at the first Saturday Eucharists after the 1968 acquisition.
- Glenmary Home Missioners1965–2019 (in Mississippi overall)
The Glenmary Home Missioners established and staffed the Fulton mission from its Catholic inception in 1968 through the early 2010s; the order's era in Mississippi formally ended June 29, 2014, with the last Glenmary priest in the state (Father Bob Dalton, Houston) leaving in August 2019.
- Reverend Albeenreddy Vatti2016–present (celebrant at Christ the King)
Originally from the Diocese of Warangal, India, and met Blessed Teresa of Calcutta as a child. Drives weekly from St. Francis of Assisi, New Albany, to celebrate the 4:30 PM Saturday Vigil Mass. Incardinated into the Diocese of Jackson in 2025.
- Reverend Lincoln DallSacramental Minister
Pastor of St. James the Greater, Tupelo, the mission church to which Christ the King belongs; also serves as pastor of St. Christopher, Pontotoc, and as Vicar General of the Diocese of Jackson.