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Cux £ady, the Qidf Catfio£ic Qftwtch 228 South ffieacfi Situd.,
Slay, St. £mua, MS 3952C (228) 467-6509
Internet: www.olgchurch.net email: olgchurc@bellsouth.net
Dear Family and friends of O.L.G.
Since the beginning of the parish in 1847, our parish has stood as a beacon of faith, hope and love to the Catholic and surrounding communities in Bay St. Louis.
If the brick walls could talk, they would speak about a century of stories of faith that were formed, nourished and celebrated. They have and continue to journey with people from the cradle to the grave. They have listened to happy times and sad times; new beginnings and often pre-mature endings.
Down through the years, people have gathered amid these hallowed walls to speak of their life’s journeys. They have come to pray, to thank, to receive strength for the days, weeks, months and years ahead.
Visitor and parishioner alike have marveled at her beauty; her elegant and rich stained glass windows. They have journeyed with Jesus through a series of Stations dotted along its sheltering walls. They have gazed prayerfully at a marble altar where, daily, the miracle of the Eucharist takes place.
We have withstood fires and hurricanes over the years and still survive because of the resilience of our people. The unnamed hurricane of 1947 impacted our community and its memory is still vivid in the older generation. Hurricane Camille visited us in 1969 with winds over 200 miles per hour. Gradually, we rebuilt our lives and community in its aftermath. Our latest visitor was Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. Her fury lashed at our shores and our lives and brought our community to its knees. Waves of 30 feet washed away most our buildings, our belongings and some of our lives.
Following Hurricane Katrina, we continue to rise from its ashes of devastation with the help of thousands of volunteers from around the country who came to bring us their labors, their gifts, their skills, their time and their blessings. Their presence and support allowed us to continue to believe in the goodness of humanity and in our determination to rebuild our lives and our community. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to them.
May this history in word and picture of Our Lady of the Gulf Church inspire you. May it remind you of how deeply we are intertwined with the generations past and the generation yet to come. And may it guide you on your own unique journey through life to the fullness of life in God.
Peace,
Fr. Michael Tracey, Pastor September 2008
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