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Bishop Thomas Heslin established Hattiesburg as a parish in January 1900 and named Father Sylvester Griemel as the first pastor. In March of 1900, the small frame church burned to the ground. By summer's end, a new church had been built as well as a four-room rectory, on Southern Avenue behind the church. In October 1900, Father Griemel opened the first Catholic school, using the sacristy of the church and the rectory for classes. His sister, Miss Anne Griemel, was principal. Thirty five students were enrolled. Sisters of Mercy arrived in September 1902. Sisters M. Ambrose Street, Clementine Phelan and Agatha Stewart were the first Sisters to be sent by the Mother Superior of the Vicksburg Sisters of Mercy to staff the Hattiesburg convent and school which had been prepared for them. The enrollment numbered 50 pupils. For many years, the Sisters of Mercy carried on with increasing success the cause of Catholic Education in the city. On September 8, 1902, the Sisters of Mercy were invited by the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad to take charge of their hospital, which had just been erected. Sisters M. Nadeline Clinch, Dominic Collins, and Leontine Donovan composed the staff which labored successfully for three years in the new undertaking, training some of Hattiesburg's first registered nurses. This hospital later became the old Methodist Hospital located at the south end of Bay Street. Ill health forced Father Griemel to retire, and Father Patrick O'Reilly became pastor in 1906. Father O'Reilly enlarged both the convent and school, providing accommodations for boarding students. Father O'Reilly was transferred to St. Peter's Church in Jackson in 1914. Father Joseph Enis became pastor of Sacred Heart and served over 18 years until 1933. The crowning achievement of his long and unremitting toil was the erection of the present church building in 1927, at a cost of $65,000 on a spacious and attractive site donated by lumberman Joseph Semmes. Father Cornelius Mulvihill became pastor in 1933, and was succeeded by Father Leo F. Fahey in 1941. Father Fahey initiated a $200,000 fund raising drive for a new school, but was named Bishop of Baker City, Oregon in 1948. Monsignor John J. Igoe, pastor 1948-1953, was to build the new brick school in 1951. When Monsignor Igoe was struck and killed by a train in 1953, Monsignor John T. Martin succeeded him. Monsignor Martin acquired the land where the parish center now stands on which a new convent was constructed and acquired the playground behind the convent. While Monsignor Martin was pastor a new gymnasium was built in 1954 and the present office building (built as a rectory) in 1959. When Monsignor Martin was transferred to St. James Church in Gulfport, Monsignor Michael McCarthy became pastor from 1967 until 1971, and was to be followed by Monsignor James McGough. In 1977, Monsignor McGough was appointed the first Chancellor to the newly formed Diocese of Biloxi. Bishop Joseph L. Howze was the first Bishop of Biloxi. Father Ronald Herzog was administrator of the parish in 1977, then pastor from 1978 until 1980, when Father Liam Pentony was appointed pastor. Monsignor John Scanlon arrived as 12th pastor of Sacred Heart Parish on September 10, 1982. Monsignor Scanlon died in June 1995. Farther George Murphy succeeded Monsignor Scanlon, and is the present pastor. Since Father Murphy has been pastor, the old rectory has been remodeled and is now being used as an office building. A home has been purchased on Walnut Street one block south of the church, which is now the rectory. As of this writing in October 1999, the Sacred Heart Parish Family has grown to approximately 1100 families, one of the largest in the Diocese of Biloxi. |
The first Catholic church in