Welcome to Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church!
Nestled on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we continue to serve the needs of the Catholic community and wider community in the city of Bay St. Louis for over 165 years.
Many in our community trace their roots to Europe, most notably France and Italy. We live in a community that is a place apart with its Southern charm and slow pace of life; a place where neighbor is neighbor to each other and are often related to each other.
We have withstood fires and hurricanes over the years and still survive because of the resilience of our people. The unnamed hurricane of 1947 impacted our community and its memory is still vivid in the older generation. Hurricane Camille visited us in 1969 with winds over 200 miles per hour. Gradually, we rebuilt our lives and community in its aftermath. Our latest visitor was Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. Her fury lashed at our shores and our lives and brought our community to its knees. Waves of 30 feet washed away most of our buildings, our belongings and some of our lives.
Following Hurricane Katrina, we continue to rise from its ashes of devastation with the help of thousands of volunteers from around the country who came to bring us their labors, their gifts, the skills, their time and their blessings. Their presence and support allowed us to continue to believe in the goodness of humanity and in our determination to rebuild our lives and our community. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to them.
Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church, established in 1847 for the Glory of God and the Salvation of Souls (Matthew 6:20).