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By MARIE LANGLOIS Daily Herald Staff Writer
Bishop John Maury Allin of ■ Jackson will dedicate the new I Christ Episcopal Church in Bay i St. Louis at special ceremonies i Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock.
! lie will be assisted by the Rev.
. Charles R. Johnson, rector.
; The old church, erected in ■1890 on North Beach, was de-I stroyed by Hurricane Camille in | August 1969 and out of the rubble and debris left in its wake, the new church has arisen.
General chairman for the i dedication is Rene de Montlu-zin. The reception committee is composed of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Shadoin, Mrs. C. R. i Johnson, Mrs. E. N. Spence,
| Mrs. Don McCulloch, Mrs. Susie ' Weston and Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Kellogg.
Music will be presented by he Ecumenical choir under direction oE Mrs. John F. Me-, .Aenna, and the Coast Episcopal I High School choir under the I direction of Mrs. Toy Tedford.
The church history has been compiled by William Gaudet, Rene de Montluzin snd Mrs. Jessie Cowand.
Sheildsborough, now known as Bay St. Louis, was the site where records show the very first Episcopal services were held as far back as 1838, principally through the efforts of the Domestic Missionary Society. However, it was not until 1851 I before regular services began I when Bishop Green confirmed 'two persons, assisted by the i Hev. Thomas S. Savage of Pass ’hristian. In 1858, a small group " communicants was organized } St. Luke’s Church and ad-\ted to the dioccse. Two , -vys later, in 1880, a church
| fronting the Bay was completed at a cost of S2.000. A rectory also was built with donated materials. The Rev. Thomas Ozanne described this first church as a "neat” Gothic structure. Then came the Civil War and both the church and rectory were destroyed and title to the land was lost.
One woman, Miss Hettie Crowell, took it upon herself to reorganize a few remaining Episcopalians in the area and Christ Church was established in 1889. at her home on north beach. The first wedding was held in the church in 1901, that of Miss Paul Von Gohren and W. W. Jenks. In 1901, Christ Church was admitted to the diocese as a mission. In 1904, Christ Church was moved on rollers down Dunbar avenue to the more central location, the corner of North Beach and Carroll avenue.
Christ Church was consecrated on July 8, 1913; in 1938 a parish house was erected and in 1947, three Sunday school classrooms were added. In 1948, the Rev. Charles R. Johnson came from Jackson as priest-in-charge of the mission, and in 1950 with 134 registered communicants, Christ Church was granted parish standing. In the same year, Christ Episcopal School was started by the rector and the following year, a seven-and-half acre site at 912 South Eeach was purchased for a school-church complex and in 1956 a new brick school building was completed. In 1962 the McCulloch wing was added, doubling its size. Brick residences were built for the rector and the curate and in 1969, Coast Episcopal High School was established.
s After the storm on Aug. 17, ; 1969, demolished Christ Church I along with the high school, a ; twisted cross remained as the i only reminder of what once had j been.
This joyous Easter season, a new Christ Church has arisen and is dedicated to the glory of God and stands as a symbol of God’s indestructible spirit with-| in his People.