About St. Paul · Pass Christian, Mississippi
The Chapel of St. Paul is a small chapel and historic worship site in Pass Christian, Mississippi, now part of Holy Family Parish in the Diocese of Biloxi. It was built by Bishop Roger Morin after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 as a memorial to the St. Paul Parish that stood on the Pass Christian waterfront for over 150 years. The chapel is a quiet space of prayer and meditation in the heart of Pass Christian, gathering salvaged pieces of the pre-Katrina St. Paul Church and the former Our Lady of Lourdes Church into a single sacred place, and is used for scheduled weekday Masses as well as baptisms, weddings, funerals, and other religious celebrations.
- Established
- 1850
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Fr. Mike Austin (Rev. Michael P. Austin)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Biloxi
Why belong here
The Chapel of St. Paul offers a rare opportunity to pray in a piece of living coastal Catholic history — every stained-glass window, statue, altar, and fixture was salvaged from the predecessor St. Paul and Our Lady of Lourdes churches after Hurricane Katrina and refurbished into a unified memorial chapel. As part of Holy Family Parish it is served daily, hosts two weekly Masses, Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays, a Tuesday evening Novena and Mass, and is regularly used for baptisms, weddings and funerals — making it both a quiet retreat and an active place of sacramental life on the Pass Christian waterfront.
Mass times at St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm
- Sunday: 4:00 pm
- Friday: 8:30 am – 9:00 am
Adoration times
- Monday: 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm (Holy Family)
- Thursday: after 8:00 am Mass – 5:00 pm (Chapel of St. Paul)
History of St. Paul Parish and the Chapel of St. Paul
Catholic worship at Pass Christian began in 1844, when Father Guillame Labbe built the town's first Catholic Mission Church. In May 1850 Father Antoine Paul Guerard became Pass Christian's first resident priest and built a fine church for the community; the Catholic cemetery was established around the same time. The original building was lost to the February 1876 downtown fire that destroyed the church and 14 neighboring buildings, and a new St. Paul church was completed in May 1879. Bishop Edward Gunn made Pass Christian his residence from 1915 to 1923, deepening the parish's diocesan ties. The post-Hurricane Camille (1969) St. Paul Church on East Beach was the parish's home until Hurricane Katrina washed ashore on August 29, 2005 and heavily damaged both the church and its school.
- 1844 — First Catholic Mission Church built by Father Guillame Labbe
- 1850 — Father Antoine Paul Guerard, first resident priest; builds the first parish church
- 1876 — February fire destroys the church and 14 neighboring buildings
- 1879 — New church completed in May
- 1915–1923 — Bishop Edward Gunn resides at Pass Christian
- 1969 — Hurricane Camille damages St. Paul Church; rebuilt as the post-Camille church
- 2005 (Aug 29) — Hurricane Katrina heavily damages St. Paul Church and school
- Nov 2005 — Bishop Thomas J. Rodi merges St. Paul and Our Lady of Lourdes into Holy Family Parish
- Jan 8, 2006 — Founding celebration Mass of Holy Family Parish
- Jan 25, 2014 — New Holy Family Church dedicated on Menge Avenue
The Chapel of St. Paul — A Living Memorial
The Chapel of St. Paul was built by Bishop Roger Morin as a presence of the St. Paul Parish that stood on this Pass Christian beachfront property for over 150 years. It was designed as a quiet space of prayer and meditation in the heart of Pass Christian, gathering salvaged pieces of the past into one sacred place. Bishop Morin directed that its exterior recall the pre-Hurricane Camille St. Paul Church, so the chapel reads visually as a continuation of the parish's history even though every element inside is reused.
- Exterior designed to evoke the pre-Hurricane Camille St. Paul Church
- Stained-glass steeple window survived Hurricane Camille and was refurbished by a parishioner
- Stained-glass nave windows (from the post-Camille church) refurbished in Gothic style
- Marble Altar, Ambo and Baptismal Font recovered from St. Paul after Katrina
- Statues of Mary, Joseph and the Sacred Heart of Jesus refurbished from the pre-Katrina church
- Light fixtures refurbished from Our Lady of Lourdes church
- Risen Christ statue (from over the post-Camille altar) now on the back wall over the nave exit
Holy Family Parish — Parish Staff and Clergy
The Chapel of St. Paul is served by the clergy and staff of Holy Family Parish. The pastor is Fr. Mike Austin (Rev. Michael P. Austin), with Parochial Vicars Rev. Jude Thadde and Rev. Bosco Puthiyakunnel also listed by the Diocese of Biloxi. Deacon Bill Vrazel assists, and the parish is supported by a lay staff handling religious education, youth ministry, music, accounting, sacramental records, and the parish bulletin.
- Pastor: Fr. Mike Austin (Rev. Michael P. Austin)
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Jude Thadde
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Bosco Puthiyakunnel
- Deacon: Bill Vrazel
- Accountant: Ken Austin
- Administrative Assistant: Joanna Whaley
- Religious Education Director: Linden Williams
- Youth Ministry: Brandi Burge
- Music Ministry: Khara Molsbee (Holy Family Youth Band)
- Sacramental Records / Bulletin: Renna Spears
Ministries and Faith Formation
Holy Family Parish runs a full faith-formation program for children and youth alongside its music and sacramental ministries. The parish works in close partnership with the adjacent St. Vincent de Paul School on Menge Avenue, the new parish campus dedicated in 2014.
- Religious Education for children (Director: Linden Williams)
- Youth Ministry — EDGE and LifeTeen programs (Brandi Burge)
- Music Ministry — adult choir and Holy Family Youth Band (Khara Molsbee)
- St. Vincent de Paul School (co-located with Holy Family on Menge Avenue)
- Baptism, Wedding and Funeral preparation
Diocese, Location and Contact
Holy Family Parish and the Chapel of St. Paul belong to the Diocese of Biloxi. The parish office is at 22342 Evangeline Road, Pass Christian, MS 39571, and is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Masses are also live-streamed on YouTube until further notice.
- Diocese: Catholic Diocese of Biloxi
- Address: 22342 Evangeline Road, Pass Christian, MS 39571
- Phone: 228-452-4686
- Fax: 228-452-5488
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Live-stream: YouTube (Holy Family Parish channel)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Antoine Paul Guerard1850
First resident priest of Pass Christian; built the original St. Paul church.
- Father Dennis J. Carver2000–2005 (St. Paul); 2005 founding pastor of Holy Family Parish (combined)
Appointed pastor of St. Paul in 2000; appointed founding pastor of Holy Family Parish in November 2005 following Hurricane Katrina; officially retired in 2022.
- Fr. Mike Austin (Rev. Michael P. Austin)current
Current pastor of Holy Family Parish, which includes the Chapel of St. Paul.