Our Mother of Mercy

Welcome to Our Mother of Mercy Mission

Our Mother of Mercy Mission is the Catholic mission church of Anguilla, Mississippi, a small farming community in the Mississippi Delta's Sharkey County. As a mission of the Diocese of Jackson, it gathers the local Catholic faithful — along with visitors and seasonal Delta residents — for one Sunday Mass each week and serves as a spiritual home for a faith community whose roots in the town go back to the early 1900s. Despite its modest size, the mission maintains a regular sacramental schedule and is supported by priests from neighboring parishes.

History of the Mission

Catholic faith in Anguilla dates to 1904, when Our Mother of Mercy was established as a mission in the Delta town. Parish histories archived at the University of Notre Dame document the community from 1904 to 1986. For many years the mission was served from All Saints Church in nearby Belzoni; the late Father James Brendan O'Riordan, an Irish-born priest of the old Diocese of Natchez-Jackson, was among those who cared for the Anguilla faithful during his pastorate of All Saints. Today the mission is served from St. Mary in Yazoo City and All Saints in Belzoni. On January 27, 2024, the community celebrated its 100-plus-year anniversary with Bishop Joseph Kopacz and Father Panneer Selvam Arokiam, a fitting milestone for a Delta mission that has endured for over a century.

• 1904 — Mission established in Anguilla, MS (per Notre Dame parish-history archives).
• Mid-20th–early 21st c. — Administered as a mission of All Saints, Belzoni.
• Rev. James Brendan O'Riordan served All Saints and Our Mother of Mercy; retired January 2009; died October 13, 2012.
• January 27, 2024 — 100-plus-year anniversary Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Kopacz with Father Panneer Selvam Arokiam.

Pastoral Care & Clergy

Because Our Mother of Mercy is a mission rather than a parish, it does not have a resident pastor; it is shepherded by priests of neighboring parishes in the Diocese of Jackson. According to the diocese's Parish Finder, Rev. Kent Bowlds (pastor of St. Mary, Yazoo City) is listed as pastor with pastoral care of the mission, and Rev. Panneer Selvam Arockiam (pastor of All Saints, Belzoni) serves as sacramental minister. Together they ensure that Sunday Mass, the sacraments, and pastoral visits are available to the Anguilla community.

• Rev. Kent Bowlds — Pastor (primary pastorate: St. Mary, Yazoo City)
• Rev. Panneer Selvam Arockiam — Sacramental Minister (pastor of All Saints, Belzoni)
• Parish office contact line: (662) 746-1680 (St. Mary, Yazoo City)

Sacraments

As a mission of the Diocese of Jackson, Our Mother of Mercy celebrates the Sunday Eucharist and offers Reconciliation before Mass or by appointment. Baptisms, marriages, First Communion, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and other sacramental needs are typically coordinated with the mission's pastoral team through St. Mary, Yazoo City, or All Saints, Belzoni. Parishioners should call the parish office at (662) 746-1680 to make arrangements.

• Eucharist — Sunday 8:15 AM
• Reconciliation — before Mass or by appointment
• Baptism, Marriage, First Communion, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick — by arrangement through the parish office

Connect & Contact

Parishioners and visitors can stay in touch with Our Mother of Mercy Mission through its Facebook page, where Mass times, special events, and pastoral announcements are posted. For phone inquiries, the mission shares its office line with St. Mary in Yazoo City. The mission's mailing address is on Jefferson Street in the small town of Anguilla in Sharkey County.

• Facebook: facebook.com/anguillacatholic
• Phone (office): (662) 746-1680 — St. Mary, Yazoo City
• Address: 119 Jefferson Street, Anguilla, MS 38721
• Diocese: Diocese of Jackson — jacksondiocese.org