About Our Mother of Mercy · Pass Christian, Mississippi
Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church is a small but historic Roman Catholic parish in Pass Christian, Mississippi, on the Gulf Coast. Founded in 1911 as St. Philomena Mission for the local African-American community, it is the oldest Black Catholic church in Pass Christian and among the oldest Catholic churches on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Today the parish is served by the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) and is celebrated for its Gospel choirs, warm preaching, and active community ministries including the Knights of Peter Claver, the SVD Laity Mission Partners, and a weekly Bingo night. The parish received an official Mississippi historical marker in 2022 honoring more than a century of Catholic life, education, and hurricane survival on the coast.
- Established
- 1911
- Patron
- Our Mother of Mercy (originally St. Philomena)
- Rector
- Rev. Rofinus Jas, S.V.D.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Biloxi
Why belong here
Our Mother of Mercy is a small, spirit-filled parish with deep Mississippi Gulf Coast roots — the oldest Black Catholic community in Pass Christian and now home to a multi-racial family of believers. Visitors are welcomed into a congregation known for lively Gospel choirs, faithful preaching, daily 7:00 AM Mass, Saturday Vigil, and a full calendar of ministries including the Knights of Peter Claver, the SVD Laity Mission Partners, the parish CYO, and a popular weekly Bingo night. The parish also has a remarkable global outreach, currently sponsoring the construction of its sister church, Saint Catherine's, in Muslim-majority Indonesia — proof that a small parish can still have a very big mission.
Mass times at Our Mother of Mercy
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM (30 minutes before Mass)
- Saturday: 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM (30 minutes before Mass)
- Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Adoration times
- Sunday: 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
History of Our Mother of Mercy Parish
Our Mother of Mercy traces its roots to a 1909 Josephite decision to make Pass Christian one of a chain of Black Catholic missions along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The mission was begun by Father Severinus Wiersma, built under Father Samuel Kelly, and dedicated as St. Philomena in 1911 by Bishop Edward P. Allen of Mobile. Renamed Our Mother of Mercy in 1961, the parish has weathered two catastrophic hurricanes and now carries an official Mississippi historical marker honoring more than a century of faith, education, and community life.
- 1909: Mission begun by Father Severinus Wiersma, S.S.J.
- 1910–1911: Father Samuel Kelly designs and builds the original church; foundation laid Sept. 5, 1910; dedicated March 26, 1911.
- 1919–1947: Father Stephen Sweeney serves 27 years, building the school and convent.
- 1921: School opens under the Sisters of the Holy Ghost of San Antonio, Texas.
- 1947: Father George J. Strype testifies before U.S. Senate on voter suppression of Black parishioners.
- 1961: Parish renamed 'Our Mother of Mercy' on May 24 after Vatican ruled St. Philomena was never a confirmed saint.
- 1965: Father Philip McLoone launches a nationally modeled Head Start Program.
- 1969: Hurricane Camille floods the church halfway up the altar.
- 2001: Major interior renovation for the 90th anniversary.
- 2005: Parish survives Hurricane Katrina.
- 2022: Mississippi historical marker unveiled on the 111th anniversary.
Devotions & Other Services
Beyond Mass and Confession, Our Mother of Mercy hosts a Tuesday Rosary, an evening SVD Laity Phone Conference Rosary, Thanksgiving Mass, and a Memorial Mass for deceased family members. The parish also runs a popular weekly Bingo night that is one of its chief social fundraisers.
- Tuesday Rosary at 10:00 AM
- SVD Laity Phone Conference Rosary at 7:00 PM (Meeting ID 720 740 9863, Passcode 3657425#)
- Thanksgiving Day Mass
- SVD Laity Memorial Mass for deceased family members
- Thursday Bingo Night — doors open 5:30 PM, Early Bird 6:30 PM, regular Bingo 7:00 PM
- Annual parish Bazaar (held every year since 1973)
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Although small in numbers, Our Mother of Mercy runs an unusually energetic set of ministries. The SVD Laity Mission Partners (a lay branch of the Society of the Divine Word that meets at the parish) and the Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary are central to parish life. The parish CYO, founded in 1984, continues to anchor youth ministry, and the Gospel choirs are a beloved feature of every liturgy.
- SVD Laity Mission Partners
- Knights of Peter Claver
- Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary
- Parish CYO (Catholic Youth Organization)
- Gospel choirs
- Bingo Committee
Global Mission: Sister Parish in Indonesia
Under Father Rofinus Jas, SVD, a native of Indonesia, Our Mother of Mercy has adopted Saint Catherine's Catholic Church in Indonesia as a sister parish. The church is being built in a region where roughly 87% of the population is Muslim, and the small Mississippi parish raises money for its construction through events such as a Drawdown Raffle. It is a striking example of how a historic Black Catholic parish on the Gulf Coast now reaches across the world.
- Sister church: Saint Catherine's Catholic Church, Indonesia
- Drawdown Raffle fundraiser (drawing scheduled January 17, 2026)
- Tickets / information: Gail Barnes, (228) 234-5294
School, Convent & Historic Buildings
St. Philomena Mission launched a Catholic school on September 5, 1921, staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Ghost of San Antonio, Texas, with a convent financed by Bishop John Edward Gunn of Natchez. By 1966 the school had 130 students in eight grades and four classrooms. The regular school closed in 1967 due to a lack of religious instructors, and the original brick school building (the Father Sweeney Memorial School, 1950) still stands on the property and is used today as the Parish Hall. The 1910 Rectory, bought by Father Sweeney for $800, is also still in use.
- Sisters of the Holy Ghost of San Antonio, Texas — original teaching Sisters (from 1921)
- Father Sweeney Memorial School — brick building, 1950, now Parish Hall
- 1910 Rectory — still in use
- Original 1911 church — still standing as the only unchanged originally structured Catholic church on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Clergy & Staff
Our Mother of Mercy is currently led by Father Rofinus Jas, S.V.D., of the Society of the Divine Word, with the assistance of Deacon Justin G. Mitchell. The parish sits within the Diocese of Biloxi, whose Catholic schools, parishes, and ministries it links to through its parish website.
- Rev. Rofinus Jas, S.V.D. — Pastor
- Deacon Justin G. Mitchell
Visit & Contact
The parish welcomes visitors at 216 Saucier Avenue, at the corner of Saucier Avenue and East Railroad Avenue in Pass Christian. Office calls and inquiries can be made at (228) 452-4573 or by email. Newcomers, returning Catholics, and visitors to the Gulf Coast are warmly invited to worship with the parish family.
- Address: 216 Saucier Avenue, Pass Christian, MS 39571
- Phone: (228) 452-4573
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://ourmotherofmercy.church/
- Facebook: Our Mother Mercy Catholic Church Pass Christian
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Severinus Wiersma, S.S.J. (Josephite)1909–1910
Sent December 1, 1909 to begin the mission; performed nine baptisms before being called away.
- Father Samuel Kelly, S.S.J. (Josephite)1910–1911
Designed and built the original St. Philomena church; foundation laid Sept. 5, 1910; dedicated March 26, 1911 by Bishop Edward P. Allen.
- Father Luke Plunkett (Josephite, Mill Hill, England)1911–1919
Previously a missionary in Africa for 16 years; reported a congregation of about 100.
- Father Stephen Sweeney1919–1947
Longest early tenure (27 years); built the school and convent; died October 1947.
- Father George J. Strype1947–c.1954
Testified before U.S. Senate committee on voter-rights suppression of his Black parishioners.
- Father John Rottmann1954–1958
Also served St. Stephen's, DeLisle.
- Father John J. Murphy1958–1963
Reported on the 50th (Golden) Jubilee in 1961.
- Father Philip McLoone1963–1972
Founded a nationally modeled Head Start Program in 1965; led parish through Hurricane Camille (1969); returned 1975.
- Father Alphonse Riley1972–1974
Launched the parish 'Bazaars' in 1973.
- Father John Ellord1974
- Father Robert Bowen1977–1979
- Father Joseph Brown1979–1980
- Father Cornelius Sexton1980–1986
Founded the parish CYO in 1984 with advisors Otis Gates and Theresa Atkinson.
- Father Vincent Keenan1986–1990
Reported 75th-anniversary totals: 750 baptisms, 955 First Communions, 421 confirmations, 335 marriages since 1911.
- Father Joseph Calamari1990–c.1997
- Father John Olsomc.1997
First Josephite priest from Nigeria; oversaw roof repairs and installation of new stained glass windows.
- Father Bartholomew Endslow1998–c.2016
Celebrated his 50th anniversary in God's service while at the parish; led the 90th-anniversary interior renovation in 2001 and guided the parish through Hurricane Katrina. Longest-serving pastor in parish history at 18 years.
- Rev. Rofinus Jas, S.V.D.c.2022–present
Current pastor; member of the Society of the Divine Word, from Indonesia; installed as pastor with parishioner celebration documented on the parish website.