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History of DeLisle and Its Missions
Louis. Comte de L’Isle was sent to explore the bay and gave his name to the first bayou he entered. Finding other streams he called the largest one Riviere des Loups, then Bayou Acadien and finally Bayou Portage. This is approved by all who have studied the matter carefully and has the approval of Rowland & Co., of the archives of Mississippi at Jackson.
The first priest whose name is recorded as visiting this spot was Rev. S. Buteux, of Bay St. Louis, who attended it from 1848 to 1850. Mass was then said in a private family at Rotten Bayou. If you ever visit the present church of DeLisle the Pastor will show you with pride a small copper bell which this early missionary used to carry around with him in those
days of long ago.
i
No mention is made of the mission in the directories from 1851-1866, it was attended then from Pass Christian.
The record of baptisms in the archives of the present parish of DeLisle start with August 1869 and up to April 16, 1871 are recorded in French by Rev. H. A. DeMorangies. To retrace our steps a few years and explain the fact that the mission was not mentioned in the directories from 1851 to 1866 we find Bishop Elder writing on April 19, 1866 at the close of the civil war to Father Pont of Pass Christian: “I am glad to hear of the good disposition at Wolfe River but much grieved at not being able to take advantage of them. I have no priest to send there.” Father Georget, coming to Pass Christian about Jan. 5, 1868, attended Wolf River. The next name we meet in the years of long ago is that of the well known Father Le Due. In a letter Bishop Elder wrote to Fr. Leduc of Bay St. Louis on April 6, 1872, the Bishop congratulates Fr. Le Due on his successful work at Wolf River. On Nov. 14 the same year, Father Leduc writing to Bishop Elder states that Wolf River is suffering for want of a priest and ought to be attended regularly. This want was supplied by the appointment of the first resident priest of Wolf River in the person of Rev. Theo. Meerschaert, whose entries in the parish record start with Dec. 8, 1872 and end with August 21, 1874. Needless to say Rev. Theophile Meerschaert became the first Bishop of the diocese of Oklahoma City in 1905.
History of DeLisle and Its Missions
This first pastor of Wolf River humorously remarked that hoped to change the wolves of Wolf River iEto lambs. Jan. 7, 1874 Father Theo. Meerschaert wrote to Bishop El mentioning that a church had been built there. This is first record of a church at Wolf River.
Going back to the church records, a perfect guide of 1 tory, we find the entries from Jan. 6, 1875 to March 11, 1 are signed by Fr. Leduc of Bay St. Louis. Between tir the place was visited by Father Oberti from Pass Christ and Father Dutto of Bay St. Louis. From 1881 to 1886 Fat Aloysius Van Waesberghe, stationed then at Jordan River, corded the baptisms and in 1882, gives the name of the miss as Wolftown in place of Wolf River.
The second resident pastor of the church was Father phonse Ketels who resided there from 1886 to 1890. In 1 he bought a good size lot with a house for $250. In 1880 m tion is made that the church is found too small for the cong gation. Father Ketels was moved to Canton and later beet pastor of Biloxi. Before leaving Wolftown he built a chu at Cuevas in honor of St. Lucy and it was dedicated on C 12, 1890 by Bishop Heslin being the first of many missi of this Catholic center. It is also worthy of note that Bis! Jansens dedicated a little chapel named Our Lady of G Counsel on Nov. 4, 1887, and it was also attended by Fat Ketels and built by him.
Father Henry Mortier replaced Father Ketels, resid first at the Kiln and later at De Lisle, where his name pears from 1894 to 1896. On Sept. 13, 1896 Father Mor was transferred to Ocean Springs, Miss., and on the same Father R. J. Sorin was promoted from assistant at Bay Louis to pastor of Wolftown and its missions.
Here it is noted that there are marriage records at Lisle from 1887 to the present time with a few blank interv
In the 38 years of residence at De Lisle and its missii Father Sorin built the following churches and chapels:
DeLisle, one in 1897, destroyed by fire February 24,
1935. Rebuilt 1905. Henry Saucier, a small chapel