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2A-THE SEA COAST ECHO—THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 198$
OLG purchases St. Joseph property
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BY D.C. HARVTLL
After nearly 20 years of trying, Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis Wednesday reacquired the property adjoining the church and on which the St. Joseph’s Academy had stood.
According to files on the property, going back over 100 years, the church originally owned most of the just-over-seven-acres parcel and had deeded it to the Sisters of St. Joseph for the operation of the academy in 1869.
Since the academy closed in 1967, the church had attempted to regain the property with no success until Tuesday.
The sisters offered the property to the church in 1983 at $450,000 with a 10-day deadline. The property subsequently was purchased by The St. Louis, Ltd.
The property came into the hands of Merchants Bank in March of this year when it foreclosed on a loan made on the property by the company.
The property carries strong emotional ties for many OLG parishioners who attended the a church parking area and a parish center.
The church, which currently serves 1450 families, must provide one-half of the $350,000 purchase price, to be matched
academy, and those interested in preserving a shrine located near Bay Catholic Elementary on Second Street.
The academy’s gym, which had allegedly had become the site of Satanic activities, was almost completely destroyed by fire on September 7.
The Shrine of Our Lady of the Woods was erected by the founder of the church, Father Stanislaus Buteaux in 1847.
Merchants Bank President W.R. Allison met with the Reverend Peter Mockler and fundraising committee members on the property Tuesday afternoon to turn over the deed.
“We are very pleased to make this transaction with the church,” Allison said.
According to Mockler the church purchased the property "in'order to get the grotto (the shrine) back, to construct a science lab for Our Lady Academy,
by the local diocese.
At this time the’ church does not have the amount of the full purchase price and will continue to raise the balance owed the bank, according to Fundraising Co-chairman Mike Haas Sr.