About Sacred Heart · Winona, Mississippi
Sacred Heart is a Catholic mission church located at 304 Jones Street in Winona, Mississippi, one of the older Catholic communities in north-central Mississippi with roots among German and Irish Catholic settlers dating back to 1901. It belongs to the Diocese of Jackson and is currently served by Franciscan (OFM) sacramental ministry alongside a Claretian (ST) missionary priest and a lay ecclesial minister who also coordinates Catholic prison ministry at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. The parish gathers for Sunday Mass in English, observes Holy Day vigils, and offers confession by appointment, and in 2016 it celebrated paying off its building loan three years ahead of schedule.
- Established
- 1901
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Reverend Joachim Studwell, OFM (Sacramental Minister)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jackson
Why belong here
Sacred Heart Mission is a small, mission-style Catholic community in Winona with deep roots among German and Irish Catholic families of the Mississippi Delta region. Worshippers come for a simple Sunday Mass in English, a tradition of confession by appointment, and a tight-knit parish life — and the parish is notable for extending its ministry beyond Jones Street through Catholic prison ministry at the Mississippi State Penitentiary (Parchman), coordinated from Sacred Heart by lay ecclesial minister Marvin Edwards.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment
Parish Identity and Diocese
Sacred Heart is a Catholic mission of the Diocese of Jackson, listed in the diocese's parish finder under parish ID 25796. Its mailing and physical address is 304 Jones Street, Winona, MS 38967-2238. As a mission (rather than a full parish), it is collaboratively staffed by religious-order clergy and diocesan support, with weekly worship offered in English and pastoral care coordinated by a lay ecclesial minister.
- Diocese: Diocese of Jackson (jacksondiocese.org)
- Parish ID: 25796
- Type: Mission
- Address: 304 Jones Street, Winona, MS 38967-2238
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
The mission is served by a Sacramental Minister from the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans, OFM), a missionary priest (ST — Missionaries of St. Paul / Claretians), and a Secular Franciscan (OFS) lay ecclesial minister. This hybrid staffing arrangement is typical of small missions in the northern Mississippi counties of the Diocese of Jackson.
- Reverend Joachim Studwell, OFM — Sacramental Minister
- Reverend Alexis Zuniga Velasquez, ST — Missionary
- Marvin Edwards, OFS — Lay Ecclesial Minister; Coordinator of Catholic Ministry, Mississippi State Penitentiary (Parchman)
- Betty Halik — Parish Council President (as of December 2016)
- Cathy Edwards — longtime parishioner / spokesperson
Mass and Sacramental Schedule
Sunday worship is offered in English, with the Diocese of Jackson parish finder listing a 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass and a 6:00 p.m. Holy Day Vigil Mass. Confession is available by appointment. The mission does not currently publish weekday Mass times through the diocesan finder.
- Sunday Mass: 10:00 a.m. (English)
- Holy Day Vigil Mass: 6:00 p.m. (English)
- Confession: By appointment
History
Sacred Heart Mission in Winona has its roots in the German and Irish Catholic community that organized in1901, according to the University of Notre Dame Archives' Parish Histories collection (record covering 1901–1987, filed under 'MS Winona — Sacred Heart Mission — German, Irish'). It was originally part of the Diocese of Natchez, became part of the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson in 1957, and has been part of the Diocese of Jackson since 1977. As one of the smaller Catholic missions in northern Mississippi, it has historically served a modest Catholic population and has been supported by religious-order clergy and lay ecclesial ministers.
- 1901: Catholic community of German and Irish descent organized as a mission in Winona
- Mid-20th century: Listed among the diocese's small missions under Bishop Gerow's tenure (1924–1967), during which the sacraments were brought to every parish
- 1957: Diocese of Natchez renamed Diocese of Natchez-Jackson; Sacred Heart comes under the renamed diocese
- 1977: Diocese of Jackson established as a separate entity; Sacred Heart placed under the Diocese of Jackson
- 2016: Building loan paid off three years early and new lighted parish sign dedicated (December 31, 2016)
- 2019: Lay ecclesial minister Marvin Edwards, OFS, writes publicly on prison ministry and restorative justice from the parish
Catholic Prison Ministry at Parchman
Sacred Heart Mission is the home base for Catholic prison ministry to the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. Lay ecclesial minister Marvin Edwards, OFS, also serves as Coordinator of Catholic Ministry, Parchman. In a 2019 article in the Mississippi Catholic, Edwards wrote that 'opportunities for prison ministry abound' and described prison ministry as integral to the parish's mission, addressing restorative justice, recidivism, and the dignity of incarcerated persons. The parish is also listed in the Diocese of Jackson's Catholic Prison Ministry parish roster.
- Coordinator: Marvin Edwards, OFS (Lay Ecclesial Minister, Sacred Heart Mission)
- Facility served: Mississippi State Penitentiary (Parchman)
- Diocesan liaison: Catholic Diocese of Jackson, Office of Catholic Prison Ministry (P.O. Box 22723, Jackson, MS 39225-2273)
Parish Stewardship and Loan Payoff
On December 31, 2016, following Sunday Mass, lay ecclesial minister Marvin Edwards and Parish Council President Betty Halik burned the parish building loan note. According to Cathy Edwards, the loan was paid off three years early as a result of 'hard work, several fund raisers and generous and dedicated members of Sacred Heart and the community of Winona.' The same celebration included the dedication of a new lighted sign for the parish property.
- Building loan burned: December 31, 2016
- Loan paid off three years ahead of schedule
- New lighted parish sign dedicated the same day
Contact and Visiting
The mission's primary contact information, as published through the Diocese of Jackson parish finder and third-party Mass-time directories, is the parish office phone number, an email associated with the lay ecclesial minister, and the Jones Street address. Visitors should call ahead for confession and to confirm Holy Day and weekday schedules, as the mission publishes only Sunday Mass and Holy Day Vigil Mass through the diocesan parish finder.
- Address: 304 Jones Street, Winona, MS 38967-2238
- Phone: (601) 594-8254
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocesan listing: https://jacksondiocese.org/parishfinder