About Our Lady of the Rosary · Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi
Our Lady of the Rosary is the Roman Catholic parish serving Keesler Air Force Base, located in Biloxi, Mississippi. It is one of the Catholic worshipping communities under the 81st Training Wing Chaplain Corps, alongside Protestant, Gospel, and LDS services that share Triangle Chapel and the Medical Center Chapel. The parish is administered under the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and is listed with the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi, whose bishop has visited the base to familiarize himself with its mission and faith programs. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 10:30 AM in Triangle Chapel, with weekday Masses offered in the Medical Center Chapel.
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Rosary
- Rector
- Rev. (Maj.) Ruben (Reuben) Covos — 81st Training Wing Catholic Chaplain
- Diocese
- Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (with pastoral connection to the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi)
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Rosary welcomes the Keesler military community — active-duty Airmen, permanent-party service members, students in training, dependents, and retirees — into a tight-knit Catholic worship life at the heart of the 81st Training Wing. Sunday Mass in Triangle Chapel and weekday Masses in the Medical Center Chapel are tied into a broader chapel program that includes religious education, counseling, retreats, and chaplain-led support, so Catholics on base can practice their faith without leaving the installation.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Rosary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 11:30 AM–12:00 PM (Blessed Sacrament Room, Triangle Chapel)
- Anytime by appointment (call the Religious Education Office at 228-377-4859)
Adoration times
- Blessed Sacrament Room available Mondays (per schedule notes)
About Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Parish
Our Lady of the Rosary is the Catholic worshipping community at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. While the base chapel program is run by the 81st Training Wing Chaplain Corps under the U.S. Air Force, the Catholic parish falls under the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, with a pastoral relationship to the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi. The parish is one of several faith communities sharing Triangle Chapel and the Medical Center Chapel, alongside Protestant Community and Gospel services, an LDS Service Member Branch, and other recognized traditions.
- Parish: Our Lady of the Rosary
- Location: Bldg 7402, Ploesti Drive, Keesler AFB, MS 39534
- Diocese: Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA
- Pastoral link: Catholic Diocese of Biloxi
Clergy & Chaplain Staff
Catholic ministry at Keesler is provided by U.S. Air Force chaplains assigned to the 81st Training Wing and the 81st Medical Group. The current Catholic chaplain is Major Ruben (Reuben) Covos, who serves as a wing chaplain and was prominently featured at the Feb. 28, 2025 Larcher Chapel grand reopening. The Catholic Diocese of Biloxi lists Fr. Covos as assigned to Our Lady of the Rosary Parish. A 2017 base tour by Bishop Kihneman was led by then-Catholic chaplain Father Jacob Matthew Smith of the 81st Medical Group.
- Rev. (Maj.) Ruben (Reuben) Covos — 81st TRW Catholic Chaplain
- Rev. (Maj.) Jacob Matthew Smith — 81st Medical Group Catholic clergy (2017)
Worship Locations on Base
Because Keesler is both a major training installation and home to the 81st Medical Group, Catholic Masses are intentionally split between two chapels so they are accessible to trainees in the Triangle dormitory area and to patients, staff, and families at the medical center.
- Triangle Chapel — Sunday Mass, Reconciliation
- Medical Center Chapel — Most weekday Masses
- Blessed Sacrament Room — Monday weekday Mass and prayer
- Larcher Chapel (reopened 2025) — Interfaith worship, Airman Ministry Center, chaplain offices
Religious Education & Pastoral Support
The chapel staff offer religious education, counseling, seminars, and classes for local and visiting military members and their families. The Religious Education Office (228-377-4859) is the main point of contact for sacramental preparation, faith formation, and scheduling priestly ministry appointments.
- Religious Education Office: 228-377-4859
- Pastoral counseling and seminars
- Sacramental preparation and faith formation
Interfaith Chapel Community at Keesler
Our Lady of the Rosary shares Keesler's chapel footprint with a robust interfaith community. Protestant, Gospel, LDS, and other recognized faith groups all worship on the installation, and the renovated Larcher Chapel includes an interfaith chapel designed to accommodate diverse religious traditions — making Keesler one of the few bases to host designated Norse Pagan and Wiccan worship alongside the Catholic parish.
- Protestant Community Service — 9:00 AM Sunday, Triangle Chapel
- Gospel Service — 12:00 PM Sunday, Triangle Chapel
- LDS Service Member Branch — 1:00 PM Sunday
- Designated Norse Pagan and Wiccan worship groups
Larcher Chapel & Airman Ministry Center (2025)
After a three-year, $4.4 million renovation, Larcher Chapel reopened on Feb. 28, 2025 as a multipurpose sanctuary and community hub for permanent-party Airmen. In addition to chaplain offices and an interfaith chapel, the facility includes an Airman Ministry Center with gaming consoles, a movie room, and a music studio — a space built to support resilience and connection away from the dorms. Catholic chaplain Maj. Reuben Covos spoke at the reopening, calling it the kind of space he wished he had had as a young Airman.
- Reopened: Feb. 28, 2025
- Renovation cost: $4.4 million
- Airman Ministry Center: gaming, movie room, music studio
- Interfaith chapel and chaplain offices on site
Contact & Visiting the Parish
Because the parish is on an active military installation, access is controlled. DoD ID cardholders can enter freely; those without a military ID should arrange base access at the Visitor Center before attending Mass or other services.
- Chaplain's Office phone: 228-377-2520
- Religious Education Office: 228-377-4859
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: keesler.af.mil Chaplain's Office fact sheet