This article originally appeared in the May 2004 Boost-A-Month Club Newsletter

Seeds Take Root in Mississippi Mission
Jettie H. Pettit

Amy Giorgio, founding pastoral coordinator of the Catholic Community of Bruce, Miss., assists Bishop William Houck, then bishop of the Jackson Diocese, during the blessing of the community's new worship space in 1999.

On the left side of the road, about 500 feet west of the only red light in Bruce, Miss., stands a yellow brick building which once served as the Calhoun County Health Department. Since 1999, another kind of health department has been located in this building—a department that administers spiritual medicine and healing for the soul. A large sign on the front lawn proudly proclaims this to be “St. Luke’s Catholic Church,” the only Catholic church in a county that is overflowing with Protestant churches of every denomination (roughly 200, sprinkled more closely than poppy seeds on a bun).

The entire history of this church could never be told, since there are no records of the first Catholic families who lived in this area. In fact, until the late 1970s, Catholic believers were very much like the members of the early church—keeping quiet about their faith for fear of persecution.

In 1978, thanks to a grant from Glenmary Home Missioners, several Sisters of Charity from Nazareth, Ky., moved into the county and began a quiet, but very visible revolution. They integrated themselves into the community as teachers, caregivers and good neighbors. But more importantly, they brought about a change in the way people viewed Catholics. They were joyful, friendly and ventured into parts of town that long-standing citizens avoided.

Perhaps most importantly, they gathered the scattered Catholics together and began to teach them about being “community.”

With the help of Glenmary priests from Houston, Miss., Word and Communion services were held. Several Spanish Masses were also celebrated at the fire station in Calhoun City. The seeds for a Catholic Church were sown during the sisters’ time, but it would be almost two decades before the first fruit was produced.

By the fall of 1984, the Sisters of Charity had left as quietly as they had arrived. Some of the Catholics continued to attend Mass at parishes in surrounding counties, some watched the Mass on television, and some worshiped with other denominations. But now there was a difference: They knew each other and shared the hope among themselves that some day they could worship together as a local Catholic Church.

That wish was filled in 1995 when a Catholic community was formed after a year-long chain of events which led to the formation of a committee whose task was to choose a Glenmary pastoral coordinator. Representatives from the Diocese of Jackson, Glenmary and the Catholic community in Bruce chose Amy Giorgio in 1995.

The first public worship service was held on December 12, 1995, in the chapel of the black funeral home in Bruce. There were more than 100 people present. Glenmary Father François Pellissier and a layperson led the congregation in a combined Spanish and English recitation of the rosary.

A second gathering was held one month later. Again, close to 100 people attended. After this service, Catholics began meeting in the Bruce Community Building (September–December 1996). The community then found, rented and renovated a local building to serve as a regular worship space.

On Halloween 1998, with a grant and generous contributions from both Catholics and non-Catholics, the community moved into the building it now occupies. The dedication took place in 1999.

Twenty years after the arrival of the first Catholic sisters (who were met with suspicion and even open hostility), acceptance and welcome was granted to this Catholic community.

Amy Giorgio left Bruce in 2000. It was in the interim between Glenmary pastoral coordinators that the Catholic community learned what it really meant to be Church. A strong core of members was forged to ensure that the local church would continue and grow. They began to live the message of Vatican II by being one of those “small faith communities upon which the larger Church is founded.”

When Glenmary hired Sister Mary Jean Morris as the community’s new pastoral coordinator in 2001, she found a congregation that was united and strong in its purpose.

The membership continues to grow, with five candidates enrolled in RCIA and several others who are entering the inquiry stage. Lapsed Catholics are coming back. Hispanic families, a vital part of the workforce in the county, are also returning to the Church. St. Luke offers various programs to help them attain citizenship or learn English. The CCD program is flourishing, and new programs are being offered to extend outreach to local hospitals, nursing homes and jails.

If one word could describe this community of believers, it would be optimism. This is strongly felt in this quote from a St. Luke parishioner: “One day, what began as a small mission will be a large church with strong roots, many members, and much fruit. Our history has only just begun.”

Jettie H. Pettit is a parishioner of St. Luke Catholic Church in Bruce, Mississippi.