About St. Francis of Assisi · Booneville, Mississippi
St. Francis of Assisi is a small Roman Catholic parish in Booneville, Mississippi, located at 721 North College Street in Prentiss County. A member of the Diocese of Jackson, it serves as the Catholic anchor for the rural communities of northeast Mississippi and is closely tied to the surrounding mission parishes — it is pastored together with St. James in Corinth and the mission of St. Mary in Iuka. The community gathers for a bilingual (English–Spanish) Sunday Mass and a Friday weekday Mass, sustained by a lay ecclesial minister, a School Sisters of Notre Dame sister, and visiting clergy from the diocese.
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Reverend Joseph Le (Sacramental Minister, effective July 1, 2025)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jackson
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi offers a close-knit, bilingual Catholic community in rural northeast Mississippi, gathering for a Sunday morning liturgy that welcomes both English and Spanish speakers, alongside a weekday Friday Mass for those seeking an additional devotion in the week. Supported by the Diocese of Jackson and the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND), the parish is an accessible spiritual home for Catholics in Booneville, Corinth, Iuka and the wider Prentiss County area — a place where families, students, and longtime residents alike can find the sacraments, prayer, and fellowship typical of a parish family.
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM (Bilingual English/Spanish, per Catholic Church Directory)
- By appointment (per Diocese of Jackson parish finder)
Parish Identity and Location
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Parish is located at 721 North College Street in Booneville, Mississippi, the seat of Prentiss County. The mailing address is P.O. Box 654, Booneville, MS 38829-0654, and the parish can be reached by phone at (662) 728-7509 or by email at [email protected]. The parish is officially listed on the Diocese of Jackson parish finder under its maiden patron, St. Francis of Assisi, whose feast is celebrated on October 4 each year.
- Street address: 721 North College Street, Booneville, MS 38829
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 654, Booneville, MS 38829-0654
- Phone: (662) 728-7509
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stfrancisbooneville.net/
- Parish patron: St. Francis of Assisi (feast day October 4)
Diocese and Pastoral Care
The parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, which lists it as one of several St. Francis of Assisi parishes in the state (others being in New Albany, Aberdeen, Madison, and Shaw). Pastoral care for the Booneville church is shared with neighboring parishes: it is administered together with St. James Parish in Corinth and St. Mary Mission in Iuka, a common arrangement for small rural Catholic communities in northeast Mississippi.
- Diocese: Catholic Diocese of Jackson
- Bishop: Most Reverend Joseph R. Kopacz, DD
- Sister parishes: St. James (Corinth) and St. Mary Mission (Iuka)
- Pastor across the cluster appointed July 1, 2025: Rev. Joseph Le
Clergy and Staff
Per the Diocese of Jackson parish finder, the Booneville parish has been served by a Sacramental Minister, a pastor who oversees the multi-parish cluster, and a lay ecclesial minister from the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Most recent diocesan announcements list Rev. Joseph Le, previously the sacramental minister here, as the new pastor of the cluster effective July 1, 2025.
- Rev. Joseph Le — Sacramental Minister / cluster pastor (appointed July 1, 2025)
- Rev. Vijaya Manohar Reddy Thanugundla — Pastor (per current Diocese of Jackson parish finder)
- Rev. Mario Solórzano — Sacramental Minister (per Diocese of Jackson parish finder)
- Sister Jane Wand, SSND — Lay Ecclesial Minister
- Pastoral Minister (historic): Sheila Przesmicki
Community and Connections
As a small rural parish, St. Francis of Assisi depends on strong ties with its sister communities in Corinth and Iuka and on lay leadership, including a School Sisters of Notre Dame sister who serves in lay ecclesial ministry. The bilingual Mass reflects the changing demographics of northeast Mississippi and welcomes Spanish-speaking Catholics throughout the area.
- Sister-parish cluster with St. James (Corinth) and St. Mary Mission (Iuka)
- Lay ecclesial ministry by a School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) sister
- Bilingual liturgical presence (English/Spanish) on Sundays
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Vijaya Manohar Reddy Thanugundla
Listed as Pastor on the Diocese of Jackson parish finder (pre-2025 assignment).
- Reverend Richard Smith
Listed as Pastor on older Catholic Directory entries, with Sheila Przesmicki as Pastoral Minister.
- Reverend Joseph Le2025–
Appointed Sacramental Minister of Booneville St. Francis Parish (and its mission St. Mary in Iuka) and pastor of St. James, Corinth, effective July 1, 2025 per The Mississippi Catholic.