St. Paul

Originally this book was entitled "St. Paul Parish - Jubilee 3" and it still has all of the pages that were included in that issue. I am most thankful to Father Ron Herzog for his having permitted me to participate with the other residents and parishioners who were heavily engaged with all the events and ceremonies that celebrated the Catholic Faith Sesquicentennial in 1997. Having read just about every book and reference that had been available pertaining to Pass Christian's history and having had access to nearly 200 category files that Billy Bourdin had arduously assembled on subjects, events, and people of the Pass, I relished the six month involvement in furthering my research into the renown community affairs. Having already written numerous articles and several books about the Pass, I was pleased to render a "labor of love" at that time. The material gathered from the earliest historic incidents were garnered primarily from three documented resources: Catholicity on Mississippi, compiled by Bishop Richard Oliver Gerow, printed in 1939; The Story of the Sisters of Mercy in Mississippi, 1860-1930, by Mother Mary Bernard, printed in 1931; and The Catholic Church in Mississippi, 1837-1865, by James J. Pilar, printed in 1964. Most of the other information was sifted from newspaper clippings amassed in the Billy Bourdin Historical Collections which produced some interesting material to work with. And, gratefully, most of the photographs came from parishioners who faithfully responded to the call to browse through their atttics and closets. Billy Bourdin had a teeming selection and Kathleen Becnel had a shoebox-full. Sister Emmanuel was enormously helpful in sending archival photographs and material from the Sisters of Mercy based in Vicksburg. And I am most grateful for the several sessions with Nap Cassibry who provided additional material and insight to some of the research endeavors performed. As for the addendum of new information pertaining to Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath as it affected Pass Christian and its people, much of this was gleaned from my website on Pass Christian and continuing news media accounts as to what followed in the razing of St. Paul Church.