About St. Francis Xavier · Wiggins, Mississippi
St. Francis Xavier Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Wiggins, Mississippi, belonging to the Diocese of Biloxi. The faith community serves the Catholic faithful of Wiggins and the surrounding Stone County area along Mississippi's Gulf Coast pine-belt region, with its church located on East Central Avenue. According to GCatholic the parish was established in 1914, and today it is led by Father Michael A. Marascalco, who also pastors the parish's two mission churches: St. Lucy Mission in Lucedale and Holy Trinity Mission in Leakesville. The parish celebrates Mass in English in the Roman (Latin) Rite and offers regular weekday and weekend Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
- Established
- 1914
- Patron
- St. Francis Xavier
- Rector
- Fr. Michael A. Marascalco
- Diocese
- Diocese of Biloxi
Why belong here
St. Francis Xavier offers a faithful, family-sized Catholic community rooted in the Diocese of Biloxi, with a full weekly schedule of Masses, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and regular times for Confession. The parish extends its ministry across a broad stretch of south Mississippi through its mission churches in Lucedale and Leakesville, giving newcomers an opportunity to worship in a setting where the pastor and parishioners know one another by name. Anyone in the Wiggins area looking for an English-language Roman Catholic parish with traditional devotions, sacramental life, and small-town warmth will find St. Francis Xavier a welcoming home.
Mass times at St. Francis Xavier
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (and one hour before Mass)
Adoration times
- Thursday: 5:00 AM – 4:45 PM
Parish Identity & Patron Saint
St. Francis Xavier Parish takes its name from St. Francis Xavier (1506–1552), the Jesuit missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus who is celebrated as one of the great missionary saints of the Catholic Church. His feast day is observed on December 3. The parish's devotion to its patron reflects the missionary spirit that has shaped the Catholic presence in south Mississippi since the parish's founding in 1914.
- Patron: St. Francis Xavier
- Feast day: December 3
- Parish established: 1914
- Diocese: Diocese of Biloxi
Pastor & Staff
The parish is served by Fr. Michael A. Marascalco, who is also pastor of the parish's two mission churches. Fr. Marascalco was ordained as part of the USCCB's Class of 2012 and can be reached through the parish office at (601) 528-1393 or by email at [email protected].
- Fr. Michael A. Marascalco – Pastor
- Phone: (601) 528-1393
- Email: [email protected]
Mission Churches
In addition to its main church in Wiggins, St. Francis Xavier Parish shepherds two mission communities in neighboring counties. These missions bring the Sacraments and Mass to Catholics in rural communities who otherwise would have limited access to a parish church.
- St. Lucy Mission – Lucedale (George County)
- Holy Trinity Mission – Leakesville (Greene County)
- All three communities are cared for by Fr. Michael A. Marascalco.
Visit & Contact
Visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Francis Xavier. The parish church is located at 1026 East Central Avenue in Wiggins, Mississippi. Anyone planning a first visit or needing sacramental assistance is invited to call the parish office during the week.
- Address: 1026 East Central Avenue, Wiggins, MS 39577-9607
- Phone: (601) 528-1393
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://stfxstl.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Michael A. Marascalco
Current pastor; also pastor of St. Lucy Mission, Lucedale, and Holy Trinity Mission, Leakesville.
- Fr. Michael A. MarascalcoJanuary 2015 – January 2018
Per St. Clare Waveland parish timeline, Fr. Marascalco previously served as pastor there January 2015–January 2018 before being assigned to St. Francis Xavier.