GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 1: Eastern United States
Mississippi: MS-5

Holy Rosary Indian Mission 
10131 Holy Rosary Road 
P.O. Box 37 
Philadelphia, MS 39350

Phone: 601-656-2880

 

Hours: See website

Access: See website

Copying facilities: Unknown

 

History: Holy Rosary Mission, Philadelphia, Neshoba County, Mississippi, has been a predominantly Native American (Choctaw) parish in the Diocese of Jackson (Archives: Jackson, Mississippi).

1883-1884 Father B.J. Bekkers visited the Choctaw Indians of Tucker, Neshoba County, now also known as rural Philadelphia, Mississippi
1884-1911 Father Bekkers established and administered Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Mission (Choctaw), Tucker
1885-1906 Father Bekkers added a day school staffed by the Sisters of Mercy (then St. Francis Xavier Convent, Vicksburg, Mississippi (Archives: Belmont, North Carolina)
1900-1905 Rosminians [Institute of Charity] (Archives: Peoria, Illinois) administered Holy Rosary
1905-1922 A diocesan priest administered Holy Rosary
1906-1944 Holy Rosary school continued with a lay teacher
By 1915 Many Choctaw Indians had moved to the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma; however, several families later returned to Tucker, Neshoba, and nearby counties
1922-1932 The Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Archives: Arlington, Virginia) administered the religious education ministries at Holy Rosary and Tekakwitha House
1932-1946 Jackson diocesan priests administered Holy Rosary
1934-1944 Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity (Archives: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) administered the religious education ministries at Tekakwitha House
1946-present Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity (Archives: Silver Spring, Maryland) have administered Holy Rosary
1970-1980 Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity administered the religious education ministries

Diocesan and religious congregation priests from Holy Rosary attended the following Native American (Choctaw) missions and stations:

1903-1916 (mission destroyed by fire) Forest mission station, Scott County
1914-1923 Lake station, Newton and Scott Counties
1923-1944 Standing Pine station, Leake County
1944-present St. Catherine Mission (Choctaw), Conehatta
1945-1950 Pearl River station, Neshoba County
1950-1970 St. Francis de Sales Mission, Pearl River, Neshoba County
1973-present St. Theresa Mission, Pearl River, Neshoba County

 

Holding of Catholic records about Native Americans:

Inclusive dates: 1880s?-ongoing

Volume: Several volumes

Description: Sacramental records (e.g. baptisms, marriages, burials) for Native American parishioners of Holy Rosary Mission and its missions and stations.

 

Unless otherwise noted, the repository on this page holds (or held) the records described here and they are not held at the Marquette University Archives.

new2006/rev2008-2020