About St. Joseph · Port Gibson, Mississippi
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish in the small Mississippi River town of Port Gibson, Mississippi, situated within Claiborne County and belonging to the Diocese of Jackson. The parish is one of the oldest Catholic congregations in the state, with roots that trace back to the 1840s when the present Gothic Revival church was built to serve the local Catholic community, including many enslaved and free Black families on the surrounding plantations. Today the parish continues to celebrate weekly Mass, offers the sacraments, and serves the small but devoted Catholic population of Port Gibson and the surrounding countryside, including outlying missions such as St. Paul in Hermanville.
- Established
- 1849
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Marvin Gyasie, SVD
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jackson (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a small, tight-knit Catholic parish rooted in nearly 175 years of worship in the Mississippi Delta town of Port Gibson. Members worship in one of the most visually striking small churches in the state — a Gothic Revival sanctuary whose cobalt-blue stained glass and hand-carved walnut furnishings make a Sunday Mass genuinely memorable. The parish offers weekly Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass, weekday Mass several days a week, the sacrament of Confession before Mass and on request, and is served by a Society of the Divine Word (SVD) pastor, making it a welcoming spiritual home for Catholics in Claiborne County and the surrounding rural area.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before Mass and on request
History of St. Joseph Parish
St. Joseph is one of Mississippi's oldest Catholic parishes. The cornerstone was laid in 1849 and Bishop William Henry Elder of the (then) Diocese of Natchez formally blessed the completed Gothic Revival church in 1863. According to Mississippi Preservation tradition, the church was commissioned by Elvie Moore, daughter of Rezin Bowie, who wanted her enslaved workers to be able to attend Mass; she raised the money among friends, prompting her embarrassed husband to simply pay for the building himself. The parish and its Black Catholic community are documented in a 1849–1987 history held in the University of Notre Dame Archives. By the early 2010s the parish had launched a Building Fund to restore the leaking roof and water-damaged interior, with matching support from the Diocese of Jackson.
- Cornerstone laid 1849
- Blessed by Bishop William Henry Elder, 1863
- Parish history 1849–1987 (Notre Dame Archives, MS Port Gibson – St Joseph)
- Restoration Building Fund active c. 2012, c/o Father Faustin, P.O. Box 1012, Port Gibson, MS 39150
Architecture & The Blue Glow
St. Joseph is a brick Gothic Revival church designed and crafted in the mid-19th century. The central entrance features a grand transom with plate tracery, and blind arches decorate the wooden upper portion of the two-stage central tower. Inside, vivid cobalt-blue stained glass windows bathe the sanctuary in an ethereal blue light — the feature the church is best known for. The altar, the six-panel walnut communion rail, and the wooden trusses were carved by Daniel M. Foley, an Irish-born master carpenter living in Port Gibson by 1860, along with his son (locally said to have been only about 16 at the time). The building is listed in SAH Archipedia.
- Style: Gothic Revival, brick
- Cobalt-blue stained glass windows
- Six-panel walnut communion rail, altar, and wooden trusses by Daniel M. Foley & son
- Two-stage central tower with blind arches
- Grand transom with plate tracery over central entrance
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
St. Joseph is currently served by Reverend Marvin Gyasie, SVD, a member of the Society of the Divine Word missionary congregation. In recent years the parish was served by Norbertine Father Faustin Misakabo, OPraem, who oversaw the early phases of the church's restoration before leaving the Diocese of Jackson in June 2019.
- Rev. Marvin Gyasie, SVD — current pastor
- Father Faustin Misakabo, OPraem — pastor through June 2019
Outlying Mission
The parish family of St. Joseph includes St. Paul Mission in Hermanville, Mississippi, which extends the parish's reach into the surrounding rural area of Claiborne County.
- St. Paul Mission, Hermanville, MS
Visiting & Contact
St. Joseph Catholic Church is located at 411 Coffee Street in the historic downtown of Port Gibson, Mississippi, 39150. The parish office can be reached by phone at (601) 437-5790. The parish maintains a simple Weebly website and a YouTube presence used to share Mass and parish content.
- Address: 411 Coffee Street, Port Gibson, MS 39150
- Phone: (601) 437-5790
- Website: stjosephportgibson.weebly.com
- Diocese: Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Faustin Misakabo, OPraemthrough June 2019
Norbertine (Premonstratensian) priest who served the parish and left the Diocese of Jackson in June 2019 after many years of dedicated service, during which time he oversaw the early phases of the church's restoration.