About St. Mary · Iuka, Mississippi
St. Mary Mission is a small, warmly welcoming Catholic community in Iuka, Mississippi, rooted in Tishomingo County life since the 1860s. Now a mission of St. James the Less Parish in Corinth, it gathers parishioners and visitors for the Saturday evening vigil Mass and a mid-week service in an intimate, remodeled sanctuary on Eastport Street. The parish is known for its close-knit spirit and long-standing outreach through the Helpful Samaritan Food Pantry, hospital chaplaincy, and local Catholic Social Service ministry.
- Established
- 1869
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (St. Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph Le (appointed pastor of St. James, Corinth, and its mission St. Mary in Iuka, effective July 1, 2025)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jackson
Why belong here
St. Mary offers a small-town Catholic family where newcomers are greeted by name, the liturgy is accessible, and faith is lived through service to neighbors in need.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By request
History
Catholics have lived in Tishomingo County since the 1860s; an 1861 letter asked Bishop William Henry Elder to build a church in Iuka. By October 1869 land, lumber, gravel, and $500 were gathered for a frame church with brick columns, but it was destroyed by a tornado in March 1871 before it could be dedicated. A second church was built and dedicated in 1950, but it later had to be demolished. In February 1979 Father Kenneth Stoll, SCJ, began celebrating weekly Mass for local Catholics at the Episcopal church, and the community later worshiped in a house at 113 E. Eastport Street. Sacred Heart Southern Missions purchased the property at 205 E. Eastport Street and remodeled it into a sanctuary, fellowship hall, and offices; the building was dedicated on November 21, 1999. In 1983 St. Mary's became a mission of Booneville, Mississippi, and it is now served as a mission of St. James Parish in Corinth.
Sacraments & Services
- Baptism
- Eucharist
- Reconciliation
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick
- Funeral rites
- Confessions available by request
Ministries
- Helpful Samaritan Food Pantry
- Hospital Chaplaincy Program
- Iuka Catholic Social Service
- Youth group
- Community service
Contact
- 205 E Eastport Street, P.O. Box 651, Iuka, MS 38852
- Phone: 662-423-9358