About St. Thomas · Lexington, Mississippi
St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish located at 200 Boulevard Street in Lexington, Mississippi, the seat of Holmes County in the Mississippi Delta. The parish belongs to the Catholic Diocese of Jackson and is currently administered by Franciscan Father Joachim Studwell, OFM ('Father Kim'), with Sunday Mass celebrated in English at 8:00 a.m. Worship takes place in a historic 1910 Gothic-vernacular church that is a contributing building within the Lexington Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Established
- c. 1910
- Patron
- St. Thomas the Apostle
- Rector
- Reverend Joachim Studwell, OFM (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Jackson
Why belong here
St. Thomas the Apostle is a faithful small parish in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, where worshippers are known by name and the community is built up by the personal investment of its members. It offers weekly Sunday Mass in English at 8:00 a.m., and is sustained by the pastoral care of the Franciscan friars of the Diocese of Jackson along with dedicated lay ministers such as coordinators and music ministers who care for both the historic church and the parish hall. For Catholics in Holmes County, it is a long-standing place of prayer, fellowship, and sacramental life within a tight-knit Delta town.
Mass times at St. Thomas
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Thomas the Apostle Parish
St. Thomas the Apostle is a small Roman Catholic parish in Lexington, Mississippi, the seat of Holmes County in the Mississippi Delta. It is part of the Catholic Diocese of Jackson and is currently administered by Franciscan Father Joachim Studwell, OFM ('Father Kim'). The parish celebrates one weekly Mass — Sunday at 8:00 a.m. in English — at its historic 1910 church on Boulevard Street.
History of the Parish
The parish has served Catholics in Lexington and surrounding Holmes County for more than a century. The present church building dates to c. 1910 and is documented as a contributing structure within the Lexington Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. The parish has long been shepherded by Franciscan friars of the Province of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- c. 1910 — present church constructed at 200 Boulevard Street
- 1910–present — Lexington Historic District listing recognizes the church as contributing building #11
- Pre-2016 — Franciscan sisters Margaret Held and Paula Merrill active in parish community
- August 2016 — Vigils held at St. Thomas following the deaths of Sisters Held and Merrill
- 2023 — Sam and Jamie Sample honored with the Bishop Chanche Medal for service to the parish
Architecture & Historic Building
The 1910 church is a modest one-story vernacular Gothic Revival building with a vinyl-sided exterior and a front-gabled pressed-metal shingle roof. A square steeple tower rises from the front of the building, capped by an octagonal spire and cross, with three Gothic-arched vents in the upper tower wall. A truncated-gabled vestibule addition sits in front of the original façade. The side elevations feature four bays each of Gothic-arched stained-glass windows, and there is a cutaway bay at the rear in the chancel. The building rests on a continuous brick foundation.
- Style: vernacular Gothic Revival
- Steeple: octagonal spire with cross atop square tower
- Windows: Gothic-arched stained glass, four bays per side
- Vestibule: truncated-gabled addition in front of original façade
- Heritage status: contributing structure, Lexington Historic District (NPS)
Clergy & Pastoral Care
St. Thomas the Apostle is administered by Franciscan (OFM) priests from the Province of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the same province that ministers at St. Francis of Assisi in Greenwood. The current Administrator is Father Joachim Studwell, OFM, affectionately known as 'Father Kim,' whose ordination anniversary is celebrated May 23.
- Reverend Joachim Studwell, OFM — Administrator (current)
- Father Greg Plata, OFM — former sacramental administrator (c. 2016)
Mass & Worship Schedule
The parish celebrates Mass once a week, in English, on Sunday morning. The Diocese of Jackson listing also indicates that Holy Days are observed 'as announced.' Visitors and parishioners are encouraged to call the parish office to confirm current schedules.
- Sunday — 8:00 AM (English)
- Holy Days — As announced
- Phone: 662-453-0623
Sacraments & Devotions
Published information on confession and adoration times for the parish is not currently listed on the Diocese of Jackson parish finder. The parish celebrates funerals and memorial Masses (as seen at the 2026 Mass of Christian Burial for longtime music minister Jamie Sample).
Parish Ministries & Lay Leadership
As a small Delta parish, St. Thomas the Apostle relies heavily on committed lay ministers. Music ministry has been a hallmark of the parish, with longtime Minister of Music Jamie Sample (1958–2026) serving as guitarist, vocalist, and church bookkeeper. Her husband Sam Sample served as parish coordinator, overseeing the upkeep of the church and the parish hall (the former rectory). Together they were awarded the Diocese of Jackson's Bishop Chanche Medal in 2023.
- Music ministry (guitar and song leading)
- Parish coordination and facility stewardship (church + parish hall/former rectory)
- Church bookkeeping
Community & Outreach
St. Thomas the Apostle is part of a broader Franciscan mission presence in the Mississippi Delta, sharing pastoral resources with St. Francis of Assisi in Greenwood. The parish regularly hosts community gatherings such as vigils and memorial services, drawing worshippers from across Holmes County and the wider Delta region.
- Vigil and memorial Masses (e.g., 2016 vigil for Sisters Held and Merrill drew 300+ attendees)
- Shared Franciscan mission network with St. Francis of Assisi, Greenwood
Visit, Contact & Location
St. Thomas the Apostle is located in the heart of Lexington on Boulevard Street, the same street as many of the contributing historic buildings in the Lexington Historic District. The parish mailing address and telephone are published through the Diocese of Jackson parish finder.
- Address: 200 Boulevard Street, Lexington, MS 39095-3531
- Phone: 662-453-0623
- Diocese page: https://jacksondiocese.org/parish/lexington-st-thomas/
- EIN (501(c)(3)): 93-2379187
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Greg Plata, OFM
Sacramental administrator of St. Thomas the Apostle during the period surrounding the 2016 deaths of Sisters Margaret Held and Paula Merrill; offered the homily at their memorial Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson.
- Reverend Joachim Studwell, OFMat least 2023–present
Listed as Administrator on the Diocese of Jackson parish finder and nominated Sam and Jamie Sample for the 2023 Bishop Chanche Medal. Ordained anniversary celebrated May 23. Also associated with St. Francis of Assisi, Greenwood, where he has served as pastor.