About St. Thomas the Apostle · Long Beach, Mississippi
St. Thomas the Apostle is a Roman Catholic parish in Long Beach, Mississippi, on the Gulf Coast. Founded in 1905 by the Vincentian Fathers (Congregation of the Mission) and made a parish in 1915, the community today belongs to the Diocese of Biloxi and worships in a church rebuilt after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The parish is full-service: it offers four Sunday Masses (including a 5:30 PM Life Teen Mass), daily weekday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays and Fridays, the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Wednesdays and Saturdays, a vibrant Life Teen / Edge youth ministry, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Knights of Columbus Council 4898, faith formation, and a wide range of parish groups serving over 1,700 families on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
- Established
- 1905
- Patron
- St. Thomas the Apostle
- Rector
- Fr. Louis Lohan, C.M. (Vincentian; long-serving pastor)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Biloxi
Why belong here
St. Thomas the Apostle offers a full sacramental life — four Sunday Masses including a youth-focused Life Teen Mass, daily weekday Masses, Wednesday and Friday Eucharistic Adoration, and regular Confession — along with a deep bench of ministries for every age and stage of life. From Life Teen and Edge (grades 6–12) and religious education for Pre-K through 5th grade, to adult faith-sharing like Lectio Divina and the Men's Bible Study, to service through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Knights of Columbus Council 4898, parishioners find concrete ways to grow, serve, and belong. The parish also hosts beloved fellowship traditions like the monthly KC Breakfast, Lunchkins, the Quilters, and the Good Shepherd Showcase, making it a true community hub on the Long Beach waterfront.
Mass times at St. Thomas the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM (in the Office before the 6 PM Adoration Chapel Mass)
- Saturday 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM
- Also by appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (in the Adoration Chapel, Office Complex, 1st Floor)
- Friday 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM (in the Adoration Chapel, Office Complex, 1st Floor)
Parish History
The parish was established in 1905 when the Vincentian Fathers accepted Bishop Thomas Heslin's invitation to found a mission on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The original 13-altar church was dedicated July 19, 1905, and the Vincentians also built St. Thomas Villa, a 40-room retreat house on forty Gulf-front acres. The mission became a parish in 1915 with Father Joseph Hagar, C.M., as first pastor; St. Thomas Elementary School opened in 1922 staffed by the Daughters of Charity. The Diocese of Biloxi assumed governance in 1993. After Hurricane Camille (1969) and Hurricane Katrina (2005), the congregation rebuilt both times, rededicating the current facilities in February 2011.
- 1904 — St. Mary's Seminary of Perry County, MO, purchases the Thomas family land
- 1905 — Church dedicated July 19 with 13 altars and 500 seats; St. Thomas Villa built nearby
- 1915 — Mission elevated to parish by Bishop John Gunn; Father Joseph Hagar, C.M., first pastor
- 1922 — St. Thomas Elementary School opens (Daughters of Charity)
- 1969 — Original church destroyed by Hurricane Camille
- 1972 — New church dedicated
- 1981 — Diocese of Biloxi purchases the property from the Vincentians
- 1993 — Vincentians cede parish to the diocese; Fr. Louis Lohan named pastor
- 2002 — Parish Life Center dedicated; historical marker erected
- 2005 — Centennial celebrated July 3; Hurricane Katrina destroys all buildings Aug. 29
- 2008 — Rebuilding begins
- 2011 — Church and facilities rededicated in February
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is served by a Vincentian pastor and a parochial vicar, supported by parish office staff, a youth minister, a director of religious education, a music director, and many volunteers. Meetings with Fr. Braxton can be scheduled through his Calendly link.
- Fr. Louis Lohan, C.M. — Pastor
- Fr. Braxton Necaise — Parochial Vicar (frbraxtonsaintthomaslb.org)
- Kaitlynn Snow — Youth Minister (228-236-4899, [email protected])
- Annie Nguyen — Baptism class coordinator (832-794-5309)
- Catherine McIntyre — Women's GIFT retreat contact (228-864-3120)
- Stella Wolf — Lunchkins coordinator (228-760-0591)
- Darlene Barry — Good Shepherd Showcase (404-630-6624)
- Tammy DiLorenzo — Ladies Auxiliary Knights of Columbus (228-596-3372)
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Religious education for Pre-K through 5th grade meets Sunday mornings. For 6th through 12th grade, the parish uses the Life Teen / Edge model — a large-group, interactive format — in place of traditional classroom catechesis. Sacramental preparation for Confirmation is integrated into the Life Teen program, with 11th graders meeting for special classes roughly two months before the ceremony. Life Teen at St. Thomas launched in March 2000 and is now celebrating 25+ years, having impacted more than 1,500 young people.
- Pre-K–5 Religious Education — Sunday mornings
- Edge (6th–8th grade) — Sunday evenings after the 5:30 PM Mass
- Life Teen (9th–12th grade) — Sunday evenings after the 5:30 PM Mass
- Confirmation prep — through the Life Teen program, 11th grade special classes
- Baptism Class — last Saturday of the month, 9:30 AM, Religious Education Center
Adult Faith & Fellowship
Adult parishioners can grow in faith and friendship through a wide range of small groups, studies, and traditions. Weekly gatherings like Lectio Divina and the Men's Bible Study offer scripture and reflection, while the Quilters, Lunchkins, Young at Heart Line Dance, and KC Breakfast build intergenerational community.
- Lectio Divina — Wednesdays after Mass, REC Library
- Men's Bible Study — Thursdays (except 3rd), 6 PM, REC Library
- Quilters — 2nd & 4th Tuesday, 9:30 AM
- Lunchkins — 2nd Wednesday, 11:30 AM (summer break)
- Young at Heart Line Dance — 2nd Wednesday, 5:15–7:00 PM
- Love Your Neighbor — 1st Sunday of the month
- Silent Women's Retreat — annual, William Kelley Retreat Center, Bay St. Louis
Outreach & Service
The parish takes seriously its call to serve neighbors in need — both within the parish family and in the wider Long Beach community. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul operates a parish office for direct aid, and the Knights of Columbus Council #4898 (with its Ladies Auxiliary) supports parish life and local charities. A Prayer Chain lifts up the sick, hospitalized, and homebound, and the parish asks members to identify themselves as Catholic and St. Thomas parishioners upon hospital admission so that visitation can be arranged.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Mon & Thu 9:30 AM–12:30 PM
- Knights of Columbus Council #4898 — 1st & 3rd Thursday, 7:00 PM
- Ladies Auxiliary K of C — 3rd Thursday, 7:00 PM
- KC Breakfast — 3rd Sunday, 8:00–11:00 AM (no breakfast in Lent)
- Prayer Chain — [email protected]
- Hospital Visitation — call parish office 228-863-1610
Liturgy & Music
The Music Ministry supports the parish's liturgical life with choral and small-group accompaniment for weekend and Life Teen Masses, and offers opportunities for parishioners to serve through the choir. Interested musicians can contact [email protected].
- Choir & Music Ministry — small-group practices per Choir Director
- Life Teen Mass — 5:30 PM Sunday
- Charismatic Mass — 6:00 PM Wednesday
- Contact: [email protected]
Sacraments
St. Thomas the Apostle celebrates all seven sacraments. Parents expecting a baptism attend a monthly class; Confirmation is prepared through the Life Teen program; first Reconciliation and First Eucharist are part of the Religious Education curriculum; Anointing of the Sick and pastoral visits to the homebound and hospitalized are coordinated through the parish office.
- Baptism — class last Saturday monthly, 9:30 AM
- Confirmation — through Life Teen, 11th grade
- Eucharist — Mass daily; Adoration Wed/Fri
- Reconciliation — Wed 5 PM, Sat 3:15 PM, by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — call the parish office
Get Involved — Around the Parish
From the Good Shepherd Showcase (open the first weekend of April, May, and Sept–Dec) to the KC Breakfast, to a vibrant music ministry and praying for one another's needs, there are many ways to plug in. The parish encourages newcomers to introduce themselves, sign up for the Prayer Chain, and consider joining a ministry or study group.
- Good Shepherd Showcase — first weekend of April, May, Sept–Dec
- KC Breakfast — 3rd Sunday monthly
- Prayer Chain — [email protected]
- Parish office — 228-863-1610, [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph Hagar, C.M.1915–
First pastor when the mission was elevated to parish status by Bishop John Gunn.
- Fr. Louis Lohan, C.M.1993–
Named pastor when the Vincentians ceded the parish to the Diocese of Biloxi in summer 1993; led the parish through Hurricane Katrina and rebuilding; still associated with the parish community.