About St. Paul · Vicksburg, Mississippi
St. Paul Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Vicksburg, Mississippi, belonging to the Diocese of Jackson and worshipping at 713 Crawford Street, where the current church building opened in February 1957. The parish's roots stretch back to 1839–1841, when it was established by the area's first resident priest and gathered its first Catholic community in a frame church on Walnut Street. Today St. Paul offers a full schedule of daily and weekend Masses, monthly Eucharistic Adoration, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), a Children's Church program, a middle- and high-school Youth Group, and a range of liturgical ministries such as lectors, extraordinary ministers, altar servers, ushers, and choir.
- Established
- 1849 (first church dedicated); current church building 1957
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle (parish name)
- Rector
- Rev. Rusty Vincent
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jackson (Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi)
Why belong here
St. Paul Catholic Church is a welcoming downtown Vicksburg parish rooted in Catholic life on the Mississippi River since 1839. Daily and weekend Masses are paired with regular Confession times, monthly Eucharistic Adoration, a Children's Church during the 10:30 Sunday Mass, an active Youth Group for grades 7–12, and an RCIA process for adults exploring the Catholic faith — giving parishioners of every age a clear way to worship, learn, and serve together.
Mass times at St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 2:30–3:30 PM
- Sunday: 9:30–10:00 AM
- Or by appointment (call the parish office at 601-636-0140)
Adoration times
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament — second Wednesday of each month at 5:30 PM
History of St. Paul Catholic Church
Catholic life in Vicksburg may date back to 1642, when priests accompanying De Soto's expedition are thought to have passed the present site of the city. The first resident priest, Rev. M. D. O'Reilly, arrived in 1839 and built the community's first frame church on Walnut Street by 1841. The Gothic church that followed on the corner of Crawford and Walnut — dedicated October 14, 1849 — served the parish for more than a century before a tornado damaged it beyond repair in 1953. The cornerstone for today's St. Paul Catholic Church was laid in 1956, and the first Sunday Mass in the new building was offered on February 10, 1957.
- 1841: First frame church erected on Walnut Street between South and Crawford
- 1847: Lot on the northwest corner of Crawford and Walnut purchased for a larger church
- 1849: Beautiful Gothic church dedicated on October 14
- 1953: Tornado damages the Gothic church so severely it must be demolished
- 1956: Cornerstone laid for the present church
- 1957: First Sunday Mass offered in the new church on February 10
Becoming Catholic — RCIA
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is offered to anyone wishing to learn more about the Catholic faith. It is required for any adult who wishes to be brought into the Church — both unbaptized catechumens and already-baptized candidates. All are welcome; inquiries can be sent to [email protected] or made by phone at 601-636-0140.
- Open to catechumens and baptized candidates
- Contact: [email protected] or 601-636-0140
Religious Education for Children (Grades K–7)
St. Paul partners with neighboring St. Michael's Catholic Church in Vicksburg for Parish School of Religion (PSR) classes. In addition, Children's Church is offered during the 10:30 Sunday Mass for children who have not yet made their First Communion — adult leaders help them engage with the weekend's Scripture readings. Every summer the parishes of Vicksburg hold a combined Vacation Bible School, and an at-home VBS experience is also recommended for families. Children who have received First Communion are warmly invited to serve as liturgical ministers (Lector, Altar Server, Choir Member, Cantor, Eucharistic Minister, Usher, Sacristan).
- Parish School of Religion (held at St. Michael's Catholic Church, Vicksburg)
- Children's Church during the 10:30 Sunday Mass
- Combined Vacation Bible School with other Vicksburg parishes
- Blessed Is She at-home VBS option
- Liturgical ministry roles open to First Communicants: Lector, Altar Server, Choir, Cantor, Eucharistic Minister, Usher, Sacristan
- VIRTUS Protecting God's Children training required for staff and volunteers in children's programs
Youth Group (Grades 7–12)
St. Paul's Catholic Youth Group is open to any and all students in grades 7 through 12. The group meets in Farrell Hall (825 Crawford St.) for games, fellowship, and formation in the faith, with the regular meeting time on Sundays from 4:00 to 5:30 PM. Specific meeting dates are listed in the Weekly Bulletin and the Parish Calendar.
- Open to grades 7–12
- Sundays, 4:00–5:30 PM, in Farrell Hall (825 Crawford St.)
- For high-school volunteers assisting with Children's Church, service hours are available
Liturgical Ministries
St. Paul invites parishioners to take active roles in the liturgy through a variety of ministries. Coordinators are listed for each role; most are organized through Mitch Faucheux in the parish office, with music coordinated by Organist Karen Harrison.
- Lectors — read at Mass (contact Mitch Faucheux, parish office)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — distribute the Body and Blood of Christ
- Altar Servers — serve the altar at Mass
- Ushers — welcome and assist at Mass
- Choir / Cantor — music ministry (contact Karen Harrison, [email protected])
- Children's Church leaders for the 10:30 Sunday Mass (contact Mary Katherine Ellis, [email protected])
- Sanctuary Flowers — donate floral arrangements for the ambo or high altar (contact Cynthia Montalbano or the parish office)
- Sacristan
Parish Staff
The parish is served by a small staff under the leadership of Pastor Rev. Rusty Vincent. The staff page lists both clergy and lay staff who keep the parish's daily operations, music program, finances, and faith-formation work running.
- Fr. Rusty Vincent — Pastor
- Karen Harrison — Organist
- Office Manager (staff page)
- Beverly — Office Assistant
- Janis — Bookkeeper
- Charles Hahn — Maintenance Manager
- Ashley Roesch — Faith Formation (FF)
Diocese of Jackson
St. Paul Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi. The parish operates within the diocese's safe-environment policies, using VIRTUS Protecting God's Children training for clergy, religious, lay employees, and volunteers involved with children's faith-formation programs. St. Paul was designated a Jubilee Church during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2016.
- Jurisdiction: Diocese of Jackson
- Diocesan safe-environment training: VIRTUS Protecting God's Children
- Designated a Jubilee Church for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Michael D. O'Reilly1840–1846
First resident priest in Vicksburg; built the first frame church
- Rev. Stephen H. Montgomery1847–1852
- Rev. R. B. Hardy1853–1857
- Rev. J. O'Connor1858–1859
- Rev. Francis Xavier Leray1860–1874
- Rev. John McManus1874–1878
- Rev. Herman Oberfeld1879–1881
- Rev. Henry Picherit1882–1899
- Rev. F. McConkey1900–1904
- Rev. J. J. Mallin1905–1917
- Rev. John Prendergast1919–1941
- Rev. D. J. O'Beirne1942–1960
- Rev. Michael McCarthy1958–1967
- Rev. Eamon Mullen1967–1970
- Rev. Michael Glynn1970–1977
- Msgr. Joseph Koury1977–1981
- Rev. John Egan1981–1991
- Rev. Thomas McGing1991–2003
- Msgr. Patrick Farrell2003–2013
- Rev. Tom Lalor2013–2018
- Rev. Rusty Vincent2018–Present
Current pastor