About St. Ann · Gulfport, Mississippi
St. Ann Parish is a small Roman Catholic parish in Lizana, an unincorporated community in western Harrison County served by the postal address of Gulfport, Mississippi. Founded in 1905 (with roots as a mission going back to 1901) and seated since 1938 at 23529 Highway 53, the parish is part of the Diocese of Biloxi and shares its worship life with the nearby mission church of Our Lady of Chartres, established in 1912 on Big Creek Road. Together the two churches serve more than 200 families across rural western Harrison County. The parish is staffed by Pastor Cuthbert "Cuddy" O'Connell and Parish Administrator Lacy Scarborough, with an emergency pastoral line published for hospital calls.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- St. Ann (Saint Anne), mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Cuthbert "Cuddy" O'Connell
- Diocese
- Diocese of Biloxi
Why belong here
St. Ann is a small, historically rooted rural parish where Mass is still celebrated in two churches — the 1938 Highway 53 church and the 1912 Our Lady of Chartres mission on Big Creek Road — and where families know one another by name. The parish offers the full rhythm of Catholic life (weekday Masses, Saturday Vigil, First Friday Adoration, RCIA, Bible study, a Youth Ministry, and the parish-run Lizana Light food-box outreach), all supported by an active lay community of more than 200 families. Visitors and newcomers are invited to register through the parish office and join in the sacraments and the parish's signature Catfish Festival fundraiser.
Mass times at St. Ann
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00–3:45 PM (before the Vigil Mass)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday Adoration (special liturgy observed at the parish)
Welcome & Parish Identity
St. Ann Parish presents itself on its website as 'a warm Catholic community serving Lizana, Mississippi' and as 'Our Community of Faith Founded in 1905.' The parish is part of the Diocese of Biloxi, which serves the seventeen southern counties of Mississippi, and together with its companion mission, Our Lady of Chartres, it ministers to more than 200 families in western Harrison County. Visitors are invited to join the parish family in the celebration of the sacraments and to register through the parish office.
- Pastor: Rev. Cuthbert "Cuddy" O'Connell
- Parish Administrator: Lacy Scarborough
- Emergency pastoral line (hospital): 228-234-6005
- Diocese: Biloxi
- Families served: 200+
Our History
The Catholic roots of Lizana reach back to 1901, when Father Rene Sorin, pastor of Our Lady of Good Hope in DeLisle, established St. Ann as a mission on land donated by the community's founder, Henry Lizana. The parish was formally constituted in 1905, and in 1912 it founded the mission church of Our Lady of Chartres on Big Creek Road to serve scattered Catholic families in the surrounding timber country. By the late 1930s the original frame church was failing; Bishop Richard Gerow purchased a new Highway 53 lot for $75 in 1937, and the present church was blessed on July 17, 1938. The parish has continued to mark Catholic life on the rural Gulf Coast through wars, the collapse of the lumber industry, suburban growth, and Hurricane Katrina.
- 1901 — mission established by Fr. Rene Sorin
- 1905 — parish formally founded
- 1912 — Our Lady of Chartres mission founded on Big Creek Road
- 1937 — Bishop Richard Gerow purchases Highway 53 lot for $75
- July 17, 1938 — present church blessed
- 2005 — Hurricane Katrina damages the parish along with 13 diocesan properties
Parish Ministries
St. Ann supports a small but active slate of ministries serving formation, youth, and those in material need. The parish website links directly to its Ministries page alongside parish registration and ACH giving. Beyond these listings, local sources document that the parish has historically organized the annual Catfish Festival as a signature fundraiser and community-building event over Memorial Day weekend.
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Bible Study
- St. Ann Youth Ministry
- Lizana Light Ministry — monthly food-box outreach to families in need
- Parish food pantry (listed through United Way partner resources)
- Parish Registration
- ACH Giving (electronic giving)
The Catfish Festival
The St. Ann Catfish Festival is the parish's signature annual fundraiser and one of the central community gatherings of Lizana. Originating in the early 1980s, paused in the 1990s, and revived in the early 2000s, it is held each Memorial Day weekend in late May and includes a softball tournament, live music, bingo, carnival rides, food stalls serving fried catfish plates and seafood gumbo, raffles with cash prizes up to $15,000, and a parade that draws families from across western Harrison County.
- Annual Memorial Day weekend event
- Softball tournament, live music, bingo, parade
- Fried catfish plates, seafood gumbo, funnel cakes
- Cash raffle up to $15,000
- Benefits St. Ann Parish activities
Our Lady of Chartres Mission
Founded by St. Ann Parish in 1912, Our Lady of Chartres Mission sits on Big Creek Road in the Lizana area of western Harrison County and serves as the parish's second worship site. It hosts Sunday Mass at 7:30 AM and is listed in the Diocese of Biloxi's records as a mission of St. Ann. The mission shares the parish's pastor, parish administrator, mailing address, phone, and website.
- Founded 1912
- Address: Big Creek Road, Gulfport (Lizana), MS 39503
- Sunday Mass: 7:30 AM
- Mission of St. Ann Parish, Diocese of Biloxi
Getting Involved
Newcomers are encouraged to register with the parish through the Parish Registration page on the website and to set up electronic giving through the ACH Giving program. Volunteers are needed across the parish's ministries — particularly for the Lizana Light food-box outreach, the Youth Ministry, and the annual Catfish Festival. Pastoral emergencies (including hospital visits) are handled through the dedicated line at 228-234-6005.
- Parish Registration (online form on parish website)
- ACH Giving (recurring electronic giving)
- Volunteer opportunities in ministries and the Catfish Festival
- Emergency pastoral line: 228-234-6005
Contact & Location
St. Ann Parish is located at 23529 Highway 53 in the Lizana community, addressed to Gulfport, Mississippi 39503. Parish offices are reached by phone at (228) 832-2560 and by email at [email protected]. Our Lady of Chartres Mission is located on Big Creek Road in the same area.
- St. Ann Parish — 23529 Highway 53, Gulfport, MS 39503
- Phone: (228) 832-2560
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.stannparishlizana.org
- Our Lady of Chartres Mission — Big Creek Road, Gulfport (Lizana), MS 39503
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Rene Sorin1901 (mission)
Pastor of Our Lady of Good Hope, DeLisle, who established St. Ann as a mission in 1901 on land donated by Henry Lizana.
- Father Noel Fannon (RIP)1968–1975
Irish-born priest; later retired to Ireland and died there on November 19, 2019, at age 82.
- Father Peter F. "Father Pete" Mockler (RIP)1980–1988 and 2001–2014
Born 1948 in Woodbrook, Newbridge, Co. Galway, Ireland; ordained June 10, 1973 for the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson; first director of the Diocese of Biloxi's permanent diaconate program; died at St. Ann, Lizana, on January 30, 2014.
- Father Mike O'Connor
Appointed by Bishop Roger P. Morin as Parochial Administrator Pro Tem of St. Ann Parish and Our Lady of Chartres Mission (recorded on the parish's older WordPress site).
- Father Khoa Phi Vo
Listed as pastor on at least one third-party Catholic directory (joinmychurch.com); appears to reflect an interim assignment between the Mockler era and the current pastor.
- Rev. Cuthbert "Cuddy" O'Connellpresent
Current pastor named on the official parish website.