This is the third in a series of articles about historic chuches of Hancock County. This month we move out into the county and take a look at the Church of the Annunciation located on the Kiln-Delisle Road in Kiln.
I must begin with a disclaimer. In reviewing the various rather sketchy sources for this article, I found conflicting dates and names. Accordingly, some readers may find themselves in disagreement with certain facts reported herein. If that be the case, I urge the reader to contact the Historical Society and report the disputed fact and, if validated, a correction will be printed in a future edition of this newsletter.
The community of Kiln was formerly known simply as the Jourdan River Settlement because of its location on the Jourdan River about 15 miles from what is now Bay St. Louis. This area is likely one of the oldest Catholic settlements in this part of the state of Mississippi. Choctaw and Muskhogean Indian families inhabited this area before white settlers began to reside in the early 18th century. The early white settlers in this area were mainly of French descent and to a lesser extent, Spanish. The early missionaries to this area were mostly Jesuits who resided either in Mobile or New Orleans. The earliest records pertaining to this area are to be found in the Cathedrals of Mobile, New Orleans and Biloxi.
After its establishment and when the Diocese of Natchez had sufficient priests, Bishop Chanche, on July 31, 1847, requested that Father Louis Buteaux take charge of the Jourdan River, Pearl River, Wolf River, and Pass Christian settlements as missions of Shieldsboro, as Bay St. Louis was formerly known. Father H. LeDuc succeeded Father Buteaux who regularly visited the Jourdan River settlement area as best he could. The trips were made by boat or on horseback. His annual report in 1860, indicates that the Jourdan River mission was attended by him once every six weeks and that a chapel was being constructed. At this time the Catholic population amounted to about 300 with a slightly lesser number scattered around the outlying territory.
In 1869, Father H.A. DeMorangies came to the area and began assisting Father LeDuc and soon thereafter took charge of the settlement at Jourdan River and its missions. Father LeDuc, in writing to the bishop in 1870, says: “Father Demorangies is well and doing his best; he travels continually in the rivers (i.e., Jourdan River, Pearl River, and the Wolf River, this territory being known as ‘The Rivers,’ or ‘Three Rivers’)…the congregation is so poor, the dear Father has now a good horse.”
Also in 1870 a new school building opened its doors on the Jourdan River followed soon thereafter by a church building allowing for futher organization of the spiritual and material foundations of the area. In 1871 Father Demorangies left the area for another church in Holly Springs. An elderly priest by the name of Father Florient succeeded him for some months when, forced by ill health, he resigned and Father LeDuc resumed the responsibility of attending the missions until the arrival of a resident priest at Jourdan River.
When Father Schmitt arrived about 1880, he conducted the first Catholic School (St. Mary’s) in the Jourdan River community, serving as its headmaster and using the church building as a schoolroom. Records reflect that initial attendance was 11 boys and 17 girls. The school, however, was short lived as it was demolished to make room for a new church building, called Annunciation Church, that built and dedicated on almost the same site in 1886. It is believed that this church may well be the majority of the present day structure.
In the years following , there seemed to be quite a turnover of priests. It was not until the year 1891, when Father Henry Mortier was appointed to take charge of Annuciation and its missions, that he was referred to as “Pastor” for the parish. He, like his predecessors, was responsible for multiple missions throughout the northern and western parts of Hancock County.
Around 1900 Father Chauvin began his term as pastor and remained until 1919 when Father A.C. Denis assumed responsibilites as pastor. Father Denis, born in Liege, Belgium, was remembered by many parishioners as a man who lived a very frugal lifestyle, enduring many lean years during the Depression. He travelled to the mission churches in his Model T-Ford and apparently never quite mastered the English language. Father Denis served the church until 1947, when the Divine Word Missionaries, S.V.D., from St. Augustine Seminary in Bay St. Louis, took over attending to the parish. Shortly afterward, the Trinitarian order of priests took over administration of the parish.
In 1963 Annunciation School was established with the help of Sisters from an order associated with the Trinitarians called the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity. By 1974 Annuciation School had as many as 188 students with a faculty of four Sisters and four lay teachers. The school continued to operate until 1984 when declinging enrollment and financial problems brought about its closure.
Aside from some minor renovation in the 1960’s, the most significant renovation to Annuciation Church occurred in 1985 when side wings were added to accommodate a growing congregation. That same year the church was also completely redone inside and out.
Today Annunciation Church, under the pastorate of Father John Noone, serves 341 families in the area. Hurricane Katrina took its toll on Annunciation, but, because of its relatively high location, its primary damage came from the wind. Because of its location, many families in the community took refuge there during the storm. Hancock County and FEMA have also used part of its parish hall and classrooms since the storm for various disaster related offices.
(The information for this article was taken from a variety of sources including the Sea Coast Echo, Catholic Action of the South, and The Concise History of Annunciation Parish by Father Henry McInerney. The author also wishes to thank two folks from the Annunciation Church office, Tammy Schneider and Lola Liuzza, for their gracious help.)