About St. Lucy · Lucedale, Mississippi
St. Lucy is a Catholic mission church in Lucedale, Mississippi, operating under the Diocese of Biloxi as a mission of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Wiggins. It serves the small Catholic community of George County on Mississippi's Gulf Coast, located at 125 Scott Road off Highway 63 south of town. Weekly Mass is celebrated in English, and the mission participates in regional liturgical events such as the Gulf Pine Catholic Diocese schedule.
- Patron
- St. Lucy (Lucia of Syracuse, c. 283–304 AD), virgin and martyr
- Rector
- Father Bernard Papania (installed as pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Wiggins, and St. Lucy Mission, Lucedale, on February 27, 2016, by Bishop Roger Morin)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Biloxi
Why belong here
St. Lucy offers a small, intimate Catholic worship community in Lucedale with weekly Mass, monthly Adoration, and the regular Sacrament of Confession. As a mission of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Wiggins, it is shepherded by an installed pastor and supported by regional diocesan ministries and schools, making it a welcoming rural parish for Catholic life in George County.
Mass times at St. Lucy
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM (Discover Mass listing)
- 30 minutes before Mass (masstime.us)
Adoration times
- Monday: 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
About St. Lucy Mission
St. Lucy is a small Catholic mission church in Lucedale, Mississippi, serving the Catholic faithful of George County. As listed by the Diocese of Biloxi and confirmed by GCatholic (Church ID 30125), the mission is administered from St. Francis Xavier Parish in Wiggins, with the same pastor shepherding both communities. The church is located at 125 Scott Road, just off Highway 63 south of the city center.
Leadership and Clergy
The mission shares pastoral leadership with St. Francis Xavier Parish in Wiggins under the Diocese of Biloxi. Father Bernard Papania was installed as pastor of both parishes on February 27, 2016 by Bishop Roger Morin during the Saturday Vigil Mass at St. Francis Xavier. Deacon Steven Beckham assists the parish family.
- Pastor: Father Bernard Papania (installed Feb. 27, 2016 by Bishop Roger Morin)
- Deacon: Steven Beckham
Parish Identity and Patron
The mission is named for Saint Lucy of Syracuse, an early Christian virgin and martyr (c. 283–304 AD) whose name shares a Latin root with lux, meaning "light." She is one of the few women mentioned by name in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I) and is the patroness of the blind. Her feast day, December 13, falls during Advent and is widely observed as Saint Lucy's Day.
- Patron: Saint Lucy of Syracuse
- Feast Day: December 13
- Patronage: the blind, martyrs, writers, Syracuse (Italy), and those with diseases of the eye
Holy Week and Liturgical Year
The mission participates in the Diocese of Biloxi's regional Holy Week schedule, with services that bring the rural mission together with neighboring parishes for the Paschal Triduum.
- Holy Thursday: 7:30 PM
- Good Friday: 3:00 PM
- Easter Sunday: 11:00 AM
- Other major feasts follow the diocesan calendar
Diocese of Biloxi
St. Lucy belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Biloxi, which covers southern Mississippi along the Gulf Coast and the Pine Belt region. The diocese publishes the Gulf Pine Catholic newspaper, in which St. Lucy's pastor installation and Holy Week schedule were formally announced.
- Diocese: Diocese of Biloxi
- Mother parish: St. Francis Xavier, Wiggins
- Installing bishop (2016): Bishop Roger Morin
Visit and Location
The mission is located about a mile south of downtown Lucedale. Visitors traveling south on Highway 63 should turn onto Scott Road at the Singing River Electric Company corner; the church sits at the end of the street.
- Address: 125 Scott Road, Lucedale, MS 39452
- Landmark: Singing River Electric Company on the corner
- Phone: (601) 947-9968
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Bernard Papaniainstalled Feb. 27, 2016
Installed by Bishop Roger Morin as pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Wiggins, and St. Lucy Mission, Lucedale, at the Saturday Vigil Mass at St. Francis Xavier; Deacon Steven Beckham was present.