About St. Rose de Lima · Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi
St. Rose De Lima Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, belonging to the Diocese of Biloxi. Its roots go back to a Catholic school for African American children that operated in 'The Bay' as early as 1868 under Our Lady of the Gulf parish, and the parish itself was formally established on August 28, 1926, when Bishop Richard O. Gerow dedicated its first church. The parish is widely recognized as one of the oldest Black Catholic communities on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and is listed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops among parishes with a strong Black Catholic presence. Today it remains an active parish known for a celebrated Southern Gospel Choir and a striking mural of an African Christ rising before a live oak tree at the altar.
- Established
- 1926
- Patron
- Saint Rose of Lima
- Rector
- Rev. Anil Thomas, S.V.D.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Biloxi
Why belong here
St. Rose de Lima welcomes parishioners into a deeply rooted African American Catholic community with more than a century of history on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Worshippers encounter a warm liturgical home — bilingual in English and Spanish — anchored by a famous Southern Gospel Choir and an inspiring altar mural of the African Christ. With active faith formation for children and youth, RCIA, a baptism program, marriage preparation, a pastoral council, and a parish stewards team, it is a parish where families can grow in faith, serve one another, and pass on the legacy of a remarkable Black Catholic tradition.
Mass times at St. Rose de Lima
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM (also reported as 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM before the Vigil Mass)
Adoration times
- Wednesday after the 7:30 AM Mass until 12:00 PM
Our Story — More Than a Century of Faith on the Gulf Coast
St. Rose de Lima's roots reach back to 1868, when a small Catholic school for African American children was already operating in Bay St. Louis under Father Henry LeDue's Our Lady of the Gulf parish. Over the next half-century the school passed through the care of the Sisters of St. Joseph and, in 1921, into the hands of the Divine Word Missionaries (S.V.D.), whose mission was to provide Christian education and to foster vocations among African Americans. A series of dedicated S.V.D. priests — Fathers Aloysius Heick, Matthew Christmann, and Francis Baltes — built the school, brought in the Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit in 1924, and opened St. Rose de Lima High School in 1925. The parish became independent of Our Lady of the Gulf on August 28, 1926, and Bishop Richard O. Gerow dedicated the new church on November 14, 1926 — the same building in which the parish worships today.
- 1868: Catholic school for African American children documented in 'The Bay' under Our Lady of the Gulf.
- 1885: Sisters of St. Joseph assume direction of the school.
- 1921: Divine Word Missionaries (S.V.D.) arrive and take responsibility for the school.
- 1924: Four Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS) arrive as full-time teachers; enrollment jumps from 65 to 155.
- 1925: St. Rose de Lima High School opens — the first African American high school in Bay St. Louis.
- August 28, 1926: St. Rose de Lima Parish is canonically established.
- November 14, 1926: Bishop Gerow dedicates the new church with eleven priests.
- 1968: St. Rose de Lima High School closes due to declining enrollment and financial pressures.
The 1926 Church and Its African Christ Mural
The church the parish still uses today was dedicated by Bishop Richard O. Gerow on November 14, 1926, with eleven priests concelebrating and forty-two parishioners receiving First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Inside, the altar is dominated by an extraordinary mural of an African Christ figure rising before a live oak tree — a powerful image of faith rooted in the Black Catholic identity of the Gulf Coast. The original rectory, a remodeled house purchased shortly after the church's dedication, is still in use as well.
- Church building: dedicated November 14, 1926 by Bishop Richard O. Gerow, S.V.D.
- Altar mural: African Christ rising before a live oak tree.
- Rectory: original remodeled house, still in use.
St. Rose de Lima High School (1925–1968)
For more than four decades, St. Rose de Lima High School was a beacon of Catholic education for African Americans along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Opened in 1925 as the first high school for African Americans in Bay St. Louis and the surrounding towns, it quickly grew. Under Father Joseph Holken, S.V.D. (pastor from 1935), the school built a gymnasium, enlarged its playground, installed a new sanitary system, and reached peak enrollment — 236 pupils in 1939, with the high school alone holding 51 students against 19 at the local public high school in 1943. Despite this proud legacy, dwindling enrollment and financial pressures forced the school to close in 1968, ending a tradition of Catholic education for African Americans that had shaped the region for generations.
- Opened 1925 on Necaise Avenue.
- Staffed by Divine Word Missionaries and Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit.
- On the list of approved Negro schools under Father Holken's pastorship.
- Closed 1968.
Faith Formation & RCIA
St. Rose de Lima walks adults and children through the sacraments and the Catholic faith through its Religious Education program, RCIA team, Baptism Program, and Marriage Preparation. The parish secretary and Baptism, Marriage, and Religious Education coordinators are all listed on the staff page, and couples are asked to contact the office at least six months before a wedding.
- RCIA Team — led by Rev. Anil Thomas, S.V.D.
- Religious Education — Joan Thomas and Gwen Lawyer.
- Baptism Program — Darlene Lee.
- Marriage Preparation — couples to contact the office at least 6 months before the wedding date.
Youth Ministry & Music
The parish invests in its young people and in the musical traditions that define its worship. Rhonda Labat leads Youth Ministry, and the parish is widely recognized as home to one of the best Southern Gospel Choirs in the country.
- Youth Ministry — Rhonda Labat.
- Southern Gospel Choir — acclaimed regionally and nationally.
Parish Leadership & Staff
St. Rose de Lima is shepherded by its pastor and supported by a Parish Secretary, a Pastoral Council, a Parish Stewards Team, and a number of ministry coordinators whose names appear on the parish staff page.
- Pastor: Rev. Anil Thomas, S.V.D.
- Parish Secretary: Chari Lee (with Janita Cole and Laura Maurice).
- Pastoral Council: President Piter Bowman; Vice-President Dianne Frederick; Marriage Preparation liaison.
- Parish Stewards Team: William & Tanya Washington.
- Parish Hall Rental: Glenda Schornick.
- Custodian and other support roles listed on srdla.org.
Getting Involved
Beyond Mass and the sacraments, parishioners are invited to serve through the Pastoral Council, Parish Stewards Team, RCIA, Religious Education, Youth Ministry, the Baptism Program, and the parish choir, or by renting the parish hall for community events through Glenda Schornick.
- Pastoral Council and Parish Stewards Team.
- RCIA Team, Religious Education, Youth Ministry, Baptism Program.
- Southern Gospel Choir.
- Parish Hall Rental — contact Glenda Schornick.
Visit Us
St. Rose De Lima Catholic Church is located at 301 South Necaise Avenue, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi 39520. The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, and can be reached at (228) 467-7347 or [email protected]. The parish also maintains a Facebook page at facebook.com/SaintRoseDeLimaBSL.
- Address: 301 S. Necaise Ave., Bay St. Louis, MS 39520.
- Phone: (228) 467-7347.
- Email: [email protected].
- Website: http://www.srdla.org/
- Facebook: facebook.com/SaintRoseDeLimaBSL.
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Henry LeDue1859–1897
Pastor of Our Lady of the Gulf, ran the early Catholic school for African American children that would become St. Rose School.
- Father Aloysius Heick, S.V.D.1921
First Divine Word Missionary resident in Bay St. Louis.
- Father Matthew Christmann, S.V.D.1922
Acting principal of St. Rose School while also establishing the local seminary.
- Father Francis Baltes1923–1931
Head of St. Rose School; brought the Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit in 1924; opened St. Rose de Lima High School in 1925; oversaw the building of the church dedicated Nov. 14, 1926.
- Father John Hoenderop, S.V.D.from Nov. 27, 1931
Succeeded Father Baltes as pastor.
- Father Joseph Holken, S.V.D.from Jan. 14, 1935
Built the gymnasium, enlarged the playground, installed a new sanitary system; led the school through its peak enrollments.