About St. Francis of Assisi · Brookhaven, Mississippi
St. Francis of Assisi is a Roman Catholic parish in Brookhaven, Mississippi, in the Diocese of Jackson, serving the Catholic faithful of Lincoln County and Franklin County. The parish is led by Father Manohar 'Mano' Thanugundla and offers Mass in English, Spanish, and monthly in Vietnamese, reflecting the multicultural reach of its ministry in south-central Mississippi. Liturgical life is centered on a Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning schedule, weekday Masses with the rosary, and a lively program of faith formation for children and youth. With an active CYO, Knights of Columbus council, religious education, and ongoing outreach, St. Francis presents itself as a small but devoted parish family shaped by the Prayer of St. Francis and a missionary impulse to evangelize and serve.
- Established
- 1858
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Rev. Manohar 'Mano' Thanugundla (Rev. Vijaya Manohar Reddy Thanugundla)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi is a multicultural parish family where English, Spanish, and Vietnamese Catholics worship together under the patronage of one of the Church's most beloved saints. It offers daily Mass with the rosary, Eucharistic adoration, Friday Stations and Divine Mercy in Lent, a strong faith formation program for ages 3 through high school, an active CYO youth ministry, and a Knights of Columbus council that hosts parish-wide events like Breakfast & Bingo. Newcomers and visitors are welcomed into a small community committed to the Prayer of St. Francis: 'Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.'
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM
- Sunday 8:30 AM
- or by appointment
Adoration times
- Fridays in Lent: 3:45–5:15 PM — Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
About St. Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi parish is commissioned by Christ to continue his saving mission in Lincoln County and Franklin County, Mississippi. Following the example of St. Francis, the parish offers itself in union with Christ 'who humbled himself so we might share in his divinity.' Faithful to the Roman Catholic tradition, it dedicates itself to worshiping God through the Church's liturgy and prayer and to sharing the Gospel with all God's people. The parish explicitly asks the Holy Spirit to empower it for the formation of parishioners in the Catholic faith, the evangelization of those who wish to join the Church, and the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.
- Motto / parish theme: 'Lord, make me an instrument of your peace' (Prayer of St. Francis)
- Jurisdiction: Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi
- Pastor: Rev. Manohar 'Mano' Thanugundla
History of St. Francis
Catholic life in Brookhaven stretches back to 1858, when Father Frederick Muller arrived and identified the need for a church. Father Francis Pont purchased land for the church, but was transferred before a cemetery could be acquired. In 1863, Bishop William Henry Elder of Natchez purchased two acres from Milton J. and Sarah Whitworth for $200; the cemetery sits between Monticello and Cherokee Streets across from Rose Hill Cemetery. A church building was completed in 1866, and the parish's first recorded burial was 15-year-old Barbara Becker. Bishop Richard Oliver Gerow celebrated his first Mass as Bishop of Natchez here on November 14, 1924, before being installed the next day at St. Mary Cathedral. The parish today continues this 160-year-old Catholic presence under the Diocese of Jackson.
- 1858 — Father Frederick Muller arrives in Brookhaven
- 1863 — Bishop William Henry Elder purchases two acres for the cemetery
- 1866 — Church building completed
- First burial: Barbara Becker (daughter of Pierre and Susanna Huber Becker)
- Founding families: Beckers, Grants, Connollys, McGraths, Naltys
- 1924 — Bishop Gerow's first diocesan Mass at St. Francis
- January 5, 2019 — Father Mano's first Mass at St. Francis of Assisi
Pastoral Staff
The parish is currently led by Father Manohar 'Mano' Thanugundla, a priest from Warangal, India, ordained in 2005 and assigned to St. Francis in January 2019 after brief stints at St. Francis in Madison and St. Peter's (now St. Francis) in Grenada. He holds degrees in mathematics and political science and previously served in India as a pastor, school principal, and associate college principal. Supporting him is a small but dedicated lay staff serving the parish office, religious education, and youth ministry.
- Father Mano Thanugundla — Pastor
- Eileen Neal — Office Administrator
- Emily Phillips — Director of Religious Education (DRE)
- Ange'le Bartholomew — Youth Minister
- Sue Junkin — ParishSoft Assistant
Other Devotions
Devotional life centers on the daily rosary before weekday Mass, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Eucharistic Exposition, and Stations of the Cross in Lent. The parish also observes the Blessing of the Backpacks at the start of the school year and celebrates a first-Sunday-of-the-month Youth Mass with student lectors, ushers, and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist.
- Rosary — Tue/Wed/Thu 11:50 AM
- Divine Mercy Chaplet — Fridays in Lent at 3:00 PM
- Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament — Fridays in Lent 3:45–5:15 PM
- Stations of the Cross — Fridays in Lent 5:30 PM
- Youth Mass — first Sunday of each month
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Francis is available for children ages 3 through high school, with classes held each Wednesday from September through mid-May. The evening begins with a shared meal at 5:30 PM, followed by class from 6:00 to 7:15 PM. First Communion and Confirmation candidates also meet on Sundays from 5:30 to 7:00 PM, on top of the Wednesday formation, as both are required to receive the sacraments. The annual Vacation Bible School (most recently themed 'SCUBA adventures') and a parish Family Canoe Trip round out formation offerings.
- Faith Formation for ages 3 through high school
- Wednesday evenings: dinner 5:30 PM, class 6:00–7:15 PM
- First Communion & Confirmation Sunday class 5:30–7:00 PM
- Vacation Bible School (annual)
- Family Canoe Trip
Youth Ministry (CYO)
The Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) gathers every other Sunday evening from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. A Junior CYO serves grades 7–12 with occasional Sunday-afternoon sessions. Recent events have included a 'Back to Youth Lock In' and the first-Sunday-of-the-month Youth Mass, in which students serve as ushers, lectors, and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist.
- CYO — every other Sunday 5:30–7:00 PM
- Junior CYO — grades 7–12
- Annual Youth Lock-In
- Youth-led first-Sunday Youth Mass
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Beyond formation and youth ministry, St. Francis is sustained by an active Knights of Columbus council (recently hosting a parish-wide Breakfast & Bingo), a Pastoral Council that meets monthly, and a broad complement of liturgical volunteers. Sunday bulletins regularly list lectors, commentators, altar servers, ushers, greeters, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, and musicians who serve at each Mass.
- Knights of Columbus
- Pastoral Council
- Lectors and Commentators
- Altar Servers
- Ushers and Greeters
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Choir and Music Ministry
Sacraments
Arrangements for the sacraments are made through the parish office by appointment with Father Mano. Baptisms are scheduled individually; couples preparing for marriage are asked to contact the office at least six months in advance. Children preparing for First Communion and Confirmation attend both Wednesday formation and a Sunday class.
- Baptism — by appointment with Fr. Mano
- Marriage — at least six months' notice; appointment with Fr. Mano
- First Communion — required formation (Wednesday + Sunday)
- Confirmation — required formation (Wednesday + Sunday)
Contact, Office & Location
The parish office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM and can be reached at (601) 833-1799 or [email protected]. The church sits at 227 East Cherokee Street, Brookhaven, MS 39601. Driving directions: from I-55 or US-51, take Brookway Boulevard east, turn right at the Cinema 4 theater onto Cherokee Street, pass the post office, and continue through four traffic signals; the sanctuary is on the north (left) side of Cherokee Street and the parish center on the south (right) side.
- Office hours: Tuesday–Friday 9:00 AM–3:00 PM
- Phone: (601) 833-1799
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stfrancisbrookhaven.org
- Address: 227 East Cherokee St., Brookhaven, MS 39601
- Facebook: St. Francis Brookhaven
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Frederick Muller1858 (arrival in Brookhaven)
Identified the need for a Catholic church in the Brookhaven area.
- Father Francis Pontmid-19th century
Purchased land for the church before being transferred.
- Rev. Manohar 'Mano' ThanugundlaJanuary 2019–present
Current pastor; came from India via St. Francis in Madison and St. Peter's in Grenada; offered his first Mass in Brookhaven on January 5, 2019.