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Gulf Pine Catholic. Diocesan 10th Anniversary issue September 4, 19871
iedicated the present church to the sacred Heart on April 25, 1926. Father \.C. Denis, pastor of the Kiln parish vhich had assumed responsibilities for /idalia in the early 1920s, oversaw the lew church’s construction.
Sacred Heart Mission was transferred
0	the care of Father Francis Waters at Jzana in 1939. Priests serving the mis-;ion from Lizana through 1967 when sacred Heart Parish was established, in-:luded Father Michael Fox, Father jregory Johnson (since designated nonsignor), Father Lacy Green, Father Morgan Kavanagh, Msgr. Gregory Ken-ledy and Father Lorenzo Diamond.
Father William “Bill” Vollor was lamed pastor of the new parish when >acred Heart was established on June 1, 967. He resided in a small room off the :hurch sanctuary until 1968 when jarishioners built the present rectory.
In the early 1970s, Father Vollor and
1	few parishioners attended a Cursillo veekend at Regina Coeli in Covington, .a., and began making plans to use the )ld vacant Dedeaux Schooi.. which was ocated next dooru> the church ancLhad jeen deeded to Sacred Heart in I960, for
a Cursillo Center. After renovation, the school, known today as the “Dedeaux Hilton,” was the site for the Cursillo Movement of South Mississippi’s first Cursillo weekend in April 1973.
A mobile home, acquired by the parish in 1973, and the old school cafeteria serve today as a Cursillo and parish office.
In 1980, Father George Murphy became Sacred Heart’s second pastor and spiritual director of the Cursillo Movement. He spearheaded the restoration of the Cursillo Center.
Under the leadership of Father Anthony Arguelles, who served at Sacred Heart from August 1983 until 1986, much-needed repairs and renovations were completed in the church, which had been damaged during August 1969’s Hurricane Camille.
Msgr. Joseph Mercier was appointed pastor at Sacred Heart and spiritual director of the Cursillo Movement in 1986 and continues to serve the parish’s 211 families and the many active participants of the Cursillo Movement.
Msgr. Joseph Mercier