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St. Claire's Church, Waveland
ST. CLAIRE'S CHURCH
WAVELAND
THE original name of Waveland was Chukapullo, meaning "bad point,” the Indian name for ‘‘rock-a-chaw” or sand spur. Until some years ago Waveland wras included in the district of Bay St. Louis. It is 48 miles from New Orleans on the Louisville fcf Nashville railroad, and extends for five miles along the Gulf coast. During the summer months many residents of New Orleans come to enjoy the pleasures of this summer resort.
The parish of St. Claire at Waveland is now in its 18th year and is therefore young, as parishes go in the Diocese of Natchez. Rev. S. Buteux, pastor of Bay St. Louis from 1847 to 1860, visited occasionally the Catholics in this section of the diocese. Rev. H. LeDuc succeeded him in 1860 and remained in charge of Bay St. Louis and its missions until 1898. Father LeDuc built St. Claire’s church at Waveland in 1881. Emile Carriere, then president of the Citizens Bank of New Orleans, donated SI000 for the purpose. The church was dedicated the following year, and on July 15, 1883, Bishop Janssens blessed the new bell. The Catholic community at that time numbered 175 persons. At first, Mass *as celebrated in the new church occasionally on Sundays, and liter on one Sunday in each month. In 1898 Rev. F. Blanc .became pastor of Bay St. Louis, and, from that time on, regular Sunday services were held by priests from the Bay.
Waveland became a parish on July 1, 1919, and Bishop Gunn appointed the present incumbent, Rev. M. J. Costello, as pastor.
hrough the efforts of the Bishop the grounds adjoining the <hurch were purchased from the Jesuit Fathers and a rectory was “>!t thereon. The church had been enlarged to practically double 0riginal size in 1905. Since 1919 over $12,000 has been extended in paying off the debt on the rectory, improving it, renting the church and improving the grounds. The increase each r ln summer visitors from New Orleans, 90 per cent of whom
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