About St. Patrick's...
History
Founded in 1961, the original church was a remodeled wood frame house near downtown Long Beach, which was completely destroyed by Hurricane Camille in 1969. After Harold Toop pulled a delicate alabaster statuette of the
Blessed Virgin unscathed from the mud and wreckage of the sanctuary, the congregation vowed to rebuild the church. Less than a week later a wedding was held on the steps of the church which were the only recognizable structure left.
The church was rebuilt as a masonry structure on the same site in 1970 and remained there until the land was sold in 1989. The new facilities were built approximately one mile west of downtown Long Beach on U.S. Highway 90 and was dedicated on September 15, 1991. The statuette of the Blessed Virgin was displayed in a continuously illuminated niche behind the alter as a symbol of the church's physical and spiritual perseverance.
St. Patrick's main building was a quaint wooden structure nestled under live oaks at the south end of seven acres of property on the Mississippi Sound. Its cruciform sanctuary had sky blue walls and a vaulted ceiling. Its numerous windows offered soft natural lighting and glimpses of the Mississippi Sound and the surrounding landscape.
In 1998 an outdoor chapel was dedicated in a shady wooded setting just north of a small stream that separated the main building complex from the rest of the church's property. The outdoor chapel was used for special services and was an open area available to anyone for prayer and quiet self reflection. The church's office was located in an addition to the main building at 452 West Beach Blvd. The Bryan Youth Cottage and outreach youth building were located at 603 Magnolia Street at the north end of the church's property adjacent to the St. Patrick's City Park.
On August 29, 2005, our facilities on U.S. Highway 90 were one of six Mississippi Episcopal church facilities destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The storm left between 1/3 and 1/2 of the families in our congregation without homes. The congregation gathered the Sunday after the storm at Grace Lutheran Church in Long Beach for Holy Eucharist. The Altar Guild saved the statue of the Virgin Mary which survived Hurricane Camille, as well as altar linens. The children's altar used during the 9 AM service was found on surrounding property as was the top to the altar. Much of the outdoor chapel survived the storm. Many of the beautiful live oaks that surrounded the church survived the storm.
In May 2007, property was purchased on Cleveland Ave. in an area that was not affected by storm surge during Katrina. This summer (2007) the congregation is in the midst of planning a multipurpose building. While we are rebuilding, Coast Episcopal School and the MS Lutheran Episcopal Services outreach center, Camp Coast Care, have offered us a home base. Our weekly worship services are held in the Camp Coast Care building where we are joined by volunteers from all over the country who have come to the Coast to help. Planning and the administration of the church continue in an office trailer located behind the gym at Coast Episcopal School.
Overwhelming and humbling support of our church, our parishioners, and our community continues to come from sister churches throughout the U.S. and from our Diocese.
To follow news about the design for our new property, building plans, and to read our self-study, go to our "Building Updates" page under "Rebuilding."
