About Our Lady of Chartres · Gulfport, Mississippi
Our Lady of Chartres is a Roman Catholic mission church in the rural Lizana area of western Harrison County, Mississippi, situated on Big Creek Road. Established in 1912, it has served as a satellite mission of St. Ann Parish (founded 1905) in Lizana/Gulfport for over a century. Together, the parish and mission serve more than 200 families within the Diocese of Biloxi. The mission gathers the faithful for a single Sunday morning Mass at 7:30 AM and is known for its close-knit community life, including fellowship events such as Senior Bingo after Mass.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- Our Lady of Chartres (the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Chartres)
- Rector
- Cuthbert "Cuddy" O'Connell
- Diocese
- Diocese of Biloxi
Why belong here
Our Lady of Chartres is a small, mission-style Catholic community tucked into the rural Lizana countryside where neighbors genuinely know one another. Worshippers gather for a single, intimate Sunday morning Mass at 7:30 AM, and the mission supplements that worship with warm fellowship events such as Senior Bingo after Mass. Together with the parent parish of St. Ann, it offers the full sacramental life of the Diocese of Biloxi — daily and Sunday Mass, weekly Reconciliation, First Friday Adoration, Religious Education/CCD for K–11th grades, CYO youth ministry, the Altar Society, the Bereavement Ministry, and the Lizana Light Ministry assisting local families with food, utilities, and medicine.
Mass times at Our Lady of Chartres
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays before the 5:30 PM Vigil Mass at St. Ann (typically 8:00 PM window per calendar)
Adoration times
- First Friday Adoration (offered at the parish per the WordPress site)
Welcome to Our Lady of Chartres Mission
Our Lady of Chartres is the mission church of St. Ann Catholic Parish in Lizana, Mississippi, located on Big Creek Road in rural western Harrison County. Established in 1912 and part of the Diocese of Biloxi, it gathers the Catholic faithful of the countryside for one Sunday morning Mass each week at 7:30 AM, followed by fellowship such as Senior Bingo. Together with its parent parish of St. Ann (founded 1905), the mission serves more than 200 families.
- Mission founded 1912
- Part of the Diocese of Biloxi
- Sunday Mass at 7:30 AM
- Parent parish: St. Ann, 23529 Highway 53, Gulfport, MS 39503
History of the Parish and Mission
Catholic life in the Lizana area dates to 1901, when Father René Sorin, then pastor of Our Lady of Good Hope in DeLisle, established a small mission church on land donated by community founder Henry Lizana. That original wooden mission was replaced in 1938 when Bishop Richard Gerow blessed a new structure on a Highway 53 lot. Seven years after the original mission was begun, Our Lady of Chartres was established in 1912 as a rural satellite mission to serve the wider Catholic population of western Harrison County, and it has continued that role continuously ever since.
- 1901 — Father René Sorin founds St. Ann mission on land donated by Henry Lizana
- 1905 — St. Ann Parish formally established
- 1912 — Our Lady of Chartres Mission established on Big Creek Road
- 1937 — Highway 53 lot purchased for the new St. Ann church
- 1938 — Bishop Richard Gerow blesses the new St. Ann church (July 17, 1938)
Our Patron — Saint Ann (Parent Parish)
While Our Lady of Chartres Mission takes its title from the Blessed Virgin Mary under the veneration of Our Lady of Chartres, the parent parish of St. Ann honors Saint Ann as patroness. The parish's patron page explains that Saint Ann is the Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ, traditionally believed to have been advanced in years when Mary was born and to have presented Mary at the Temple at age three. Devotion to Saint Ann is ancient in the East and became widespread in the West from the 16th century onward.
- Saint Ann — Feast Day July 26
- Name means 'gracious one; grace' (= Anne)
- Patroness of mothers, women in labor, expectant mothers, grandmothers, seamstresses, carpenters, childless people, and housewives
Pastoral Staff
The mission of Our Lady of Chartres is shepherded together with the parent parish of St. Ann. The current pastor is Rev. Cuthbert 'Cuddy' O'Connell, with Lacy Scarborough serving as Parish Administrator. Religious Education / CCD for K–11th grades is coordinated by Director of Religious Education Robert Lizana. The previous Parochial Administrator Pro Tem was Fr. Mike O'Connor, appointed by Bishop Roger P. Morin of Biloxi (noted on the parish's WordPress archive).
- Pastor: Rev. Cuthbert "Cuddy" O'Connell
- Parish Administrator: Lacy Scarborough
- DRE: Robert Lizana
- Emergency priest line: 228-234-6005
Pastoral History — In Memoriam
The parish website keeps a memorial page honoring clergy who have served and gone before us. Most prominently remembered is Rev. Peter Francis Mockler ('Fr. Pete'), November 4, 1948 – January 30, 2014, who served as Pastor of St. Ann Lizana and Our Lady of Chartres Mission during two tenures (1980–1988 and 2001–2014) and gave 40 years of priestly ministry throughout the Diocese of Biloxi.
- Rev. Peter Francis Mockler ("Fr. Pete"), 1948–2014, Pastor 1980–1988 and 2001–2014
Sacraments and Devotions
Through St. Ann Parish, Our Lady of Chartres Mission families have access to the full sacramental life of a Catholic parish: Sunday and weekday Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation weekly before the Saturday Vigil, and First Friday Adoration. The parish also coordinates Baptisms, Marriages, Anointing of the Sick, and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) for adults seeking to enter the Church.
- Reconciliation (Confession) weekly at St. Ann
- First Friday Adoration
- RCIA
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick via the parish office
Religious Education and Youth
Faith formation for children and youth is offered through the parish Religious Education / CCD program, which meets on Sundays from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM at the St. Ann Education Building for students in K through 11th grade, under the direction of DRE Robert Lizana. The Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) further serves young people in two divisions — Jr. CYO for 5th through 8th grade and Sr. CYO for 9th through 12th grade — providing social, educational, recreational, and athletic activities that build moral character, self-esteem, and leadership.
- Religious Education / CCD: K–11th grade, Sundays 10–11 AM
- Jr. CYO: 5th–8th grade
- Sr. CYO: 9th–12th grade
Parish Ministries and Outreach
Our Lady of Chartres and St. Ann share a rich network of lay ministries that serve both the church and the wider Lizana community. The Altar Society cares for the altar, linens, and priestly vestments. The Lizana Light Ministry provides food, utilities, and medicine assistance to those in need on Fridays from 9 AM to 12 PM. Project Hope & Compassion is an ecumenical outreach linking the parish with Christians and churches across many denominations.
- Altar Society — meets 2nd Sunday after 9 AM Mass at St. Ann
- Church Cleaning (rotating schedule)
- Lizana Light Ministry (Fri 9 AM – 12 PM)
- Bereavement Ministry
- Men's & Women's Club (parish socials)
- Project Hope & Compassion (ecumenical outreach)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Peter Francis Mockler ("Fr. Pete")1980–1988 and 2001–2014
Beloved former pastor of St. Ann Parish and Our Lady of Chartres Mission, remembered on the parish In Memoriam page; served 40 years as a priest (Nov. 4, 1948 – Jan. 30, 2014).
- Fr. Mike O'Connor
Previously appointed by Bishop Roger P. Morin of Biloxi as Parochial Administrator Pro Tem of St. Ann Parish and Our Lady of Chartres Mission (noted on the older WordPress site).