About St. Anne · Newton, Mississippi
St. Anne Catholic Church is a small mission parish of the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, located at 608 Decatur Street in Newton. Tracing its roots to a church built in 1873 by Father Louis Valley and dedicated as Corpus Christi, the present-day mission was rededicated in honor of St. Anne on November 29, 1931 by Bishop Richard Gerow, with funding from the Catholic Church Extension Society. With about 30 members, St. Anne is currently served as a mission of St. Michael Parish in Forest by Rev. Adolfo Suarez-Pasillas and offers Saturday Mass in English, alongside confession by appointment.
- Established
- 1873
- Patron
- St. Anne (mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Reverend Adolfo Suárez-Pasillas
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi
Why belong here
St. Anne offers the rare gift of an intimate, family-sized Catholic mission where the small congregation of about 30 members knows one another and worships in a 1931 church that still bears its original stained-glass character. As a mission of St. Michael Parish in Forest, it connects visitors to a wider cluster of historic East Mississippi parishes — Forest, Paulding, and Centro Católico in Morton — with weekly Saturday Mass in English, confession by appointment, and occasional evening Mass-and-study nights coordinated by parish contact Teresa Bunty. It is a meaningful stop for anyone tracing the deep Catholic missionary history of Newton County, which stretches back to French Jesuit outreach to the Choctaw in 1726 and to Father Louis Valley's 1873 Corpus Christi church.
Mass times at St. Anne
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment
History of St. Anne Catholic Church, Newton
The Catholic story of Newton begins not in 1931 but in 1726, when French Jesuit missionaries penetrated the territory of present-day Newton County to minister to the Choctaw. Those missions were abandoned after France ceded the Mississippi territory to England. Organized Catholic life returned in 1872, when Father Louis Valley added Newton to a circuit of missions that included Lake, Forest, Marion and Enterprise. By June 1873 Valley had built and named the first Catholic church in town, Corpus Christi. As the Catholic congregation dwindled, the Corpus Christi lots were eventually sold to a Presbyterian family, who donated the land to what is now the Presbyterian Church on the same site, and the original church building was converted to a private residence before being torn down. For decades afterward, priests from Paulding, Tucker and Meridian visited Newton to celebrate Mass in private homes.
- 1726 – French Jesuits minister to the Choctaw in present Newton County
- 1872 – Fr. Louis Valley adds Newton to his missions
- 1873 – Corpus Christi church built in Newton
- After Corpus Christi closes – priests from Paulding, Tucker, Meridian visit to offer Mass in homes
- Early 1930s – Catholics of Newton reorganize and plan a new church
- November 29, 1931 – Bishop Richard Gerow dedicates new St. Anne church (built for $2,000 via the Catholic Church Extension Society)
Architecture and Building
The current St. Anne church is a small mission church built in 1931 at a reported cost of $2,000, financed by a donation from the Catholic Church Extension Society. No architect or formal style is documented in the parish's published history. Its most distinctive features are the stained-glass windows: those along the sides were obtained in 1980 from the Convent of the Sisters of Mercy in Jackson during a renovation led by pastor Rev. Remigius Kozak, while parishioners donated the front and back windows. A new pulpit, pews, sanctuary chairs, heating and air conditioning were also installed in 1980, and the exterior was painted and re-roofed. A second refurbishment in 2017 under Rev. Joe Dyer added new carpeting, fresh paint inside and out, new doors, a new roof, and removed the old chimney.
- 1931 church funded by Catholic Church Extension Society ($2,000)
- 1980 renovation under Rev. Remigius Kozak
- Stained-glass windows acquired from Sisters of Mercy Convent, Jackson
- 2017 refurbishment under Rev. Joe Dyer (carpet, paint, doors, roof, chimney removed)
Pastoral Leadership and Cluster
St. Anne has long been served as a mission of larger parishes rather than by a resident priest. From 2021 onward it has been clustered with St. Michael Parish in Forest (founded 1956), St. Michael Parish in Paulding (founded 1843, the second-oldest Catholic parish in Mississippi), and Centro Católico in Morton, all under one pastor. Rev. Adolfo Suárez-Pasillas was appointed to lead this cluster effective August 25, 2021. He is assisted by Deacon John Pham. Before him, Rev. Norbert Zilamba served the cluster from February 2018, and before that Rev. Joe Dyer served as pastor for 12 years before retiring in February 2018. Earlier pastor Rev. Remigius Kozak directed the 1980 renovation. The very first Catholic presence in Newton is credited to missionary priest Fr. Louis Valley, who built Corpus Christi in 1873.
- Fr. Louis Valley – 1872–1873 (built Corpus Christi)
- Rev. Remigius Kozak – directed 1980 renovation
- Rev. Joe Dyer – approximately 2006 – February 2018 (12 years; 2017 refurbishment)
- Rev. Norbert Zilamba – February 2018 – August 2021
- Rev. Adolfo Suárez-Pasillas – August 25, 2021 – present
- Deacon John Pham assists
Mass and Sacraments
St. Anne currently offers Saturday Mass at 12:00 PM in English, with confession available by appointment. A Tuesday-evening Mass and study group is held at 5:30 PM on a when-scheduled basis, with parish contact Teresa Bunty (601-507-6419). Because St. Anne is served by a cluster priest, schedules for weekday or holy-day Masses are coordinated with St. Michael Forest and the other cluster parishes and can be confirmed by calling the parish number (601-469-1916) or the Diocese of Jackson Parish Finder.
- Saturday Mass – 12:00 PM (English)
- Tuesday 5:30 PM Mass & study group (when scheduled)
- Confession – by appointment
- Contact: Teresa Bunty – 601-507-6419
Parish Life and Ministries
St. Anne's small flock of about 30 members gathers for Mass and for religious education in a nearby house purchased in the early 1970s specifically for parish gatherings and faith formation. The mission belongs to a pastoral cluster that reaches beyond Newton to Forest, Paulding, and Morton's Centro Católico, providing opportunities for fellowship, sacramental preparation, and occasional liturgies in English, Spanish and Vietnamese as arranged by the cluster priest.
- Religious education (held in parish house purchased in early 1970s)
- Parish fellowship and gatherings
- Cluster ministry with St. Michael Forest, St. Michael Paulding, Centro Católico Morton
Visiting Newton and Surroundings
Newton, the seat of Newton County in east-central Mississippi, offers visitors a glimpse of small-town Southern life. The site of the original 1873 Corpus Christi church is now occupied by the local Presbyterian Church. The present St. Anne Catholic Church stands a short distance away at 608 Decatur Street. Travelers to St. Anne often combine a visit with trips to nearby Forest (St. Michael Parish) and Paulding (St. Michael, founded 1843 and one of Mississippi's oldest Catholic communities), as all three are served by the same cluster pastor.
- 608 Decatur Street, Newton, MS 39345
- Nearby: Forest (St. Michael) and Paulding (St. Michael, est. 1843) served by same pastor
- Original Corpus Christi (1873) site is now the local Presbyterian Church
Diocese of Jackson
St. Anne is a mission of the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi. The diocese was originally erected as the Diocese of Natchez in 1837, renamed the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson, and finally became the Diocese of Jackson in 1977. It is led by Bishop Joseph Kopacz, who in December 2023 celebrated the 180th anniversary Mass at St. Michael in Paulding with the cluster pastor. The diocesan Parish Finder lists St. Anne's current Mass and confession schedule and is the parish's primary online directory.
- Diocese of Jackson – https://jacksondiocese.org
- Bishop Joseph Kopacz (current diocesan bishop)
- Diocese founded 1837 (as Diocese of Natchez)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Louis (Fr. Louis) Valley1872–1873
Missionary priest who added Newton to his circuit of missions and in June 1873 built and named the first Catholic church in Newton, 'Corpus Christi.'
- Priests from Paulding, Tucker and Meridian (visiting)after Corpus Christi closed – early 1930s
No resident priest; traveling priests offered Mass in private homes.
- Bishop Richard Gerow (dedicator)dedication: November 29, 1931
Bishop of the Diocese of Natchez-Jackson who dedicated the new St. Anne church.
- Rev. Remigius Kozakserving 1980
Directed the extensive 1980 renovation that brought stained-glass windows from the Sisters of Mercy in Jackson, new pulpit, pews, sanctuary chairs, heating and air conditioning, plus exterior repaint and re-roof.
- Rev. Joe Dyerapproximately 2006 – February 2018 (12 years)
Retired February 2018; oversaw a second major refurbishment in 2017 (new carpet, paint, doors, roof; old chimney removed).
- Rev. Norbert ZilambaFebruary 2018 – August 2021
Succeeded Rev. Dyer; celebrated Mass in English, Spanish and Vietnamese at the cluster parishes while schedules were being finalized.
- Rev. Adolfo Suárez-PasillasAugust 25, 2021 – present
Appointed pastor of St. Michael Parish in Forest together with its mission St. Anne in Newton, St. Michael in Paulding, and administrator of Centro Católico in Morton.