Cead Mile Failte — A Hundred Thousand Welcomes!
Thank you for visiting our website. We invite you to pray and worship with us here at St. Paul in Flowood! Please visit us often and stay in touch with us!
Jesus invites each of us to a personal relationship with Him. We hope to be a great companion to you on your journey of faith! For contact information of individual staff members, please see the “Contact Us” tab. Below you will find helpful information regarding our parish, our diocese, and the worldwide Catholic Church. I invite you to peruse all the sections on our website to learn more about what we have to offer.
You can also visit us on FaceBook and on YouTube!
Sincerely, Fr. Gerry!!
Fr. Gerry Hurley was born January 25, 1952 in Cork City, Ireland. He was greatly influenced by the priests around him and answered the call to the priesthood, himself. He graduated from Carlow College and was ordained on June 12, 1976. He earned a Master of Science from Mississippi State University in 1993.
While visiting Dioceses in the U.S., Fr. Gerry made a trip to Mississippi and decided to make this his home. He has served the Diocese of Jackson his entire career including St. Paul Vicksburg, St. Joseph Greenville, Diocesan Youth Director, St. Richard Jackson, St. Joseph Starkville, Annunciation Columbus, St. Jude Pearl, and St. Paul Flowood.
Our St. Paul logo was designed by fellow parishioner Lori Brechtel, a graphic designer. Lori put great thought and detail into its design. She began by seeking out a symbol of our church that would be readily identifiable to all of our members — the circular, quartered round window on our building.
The yellow, starburst portion represents the light of Christ that blinded Paul, and that light which we show to each other among our congregation, and others. It is “bursting” from the confines of our own church and radiating into the world. The red portion represents the sin of Paul, and of all of us, despite which we can still be used by God. The green and blue portions represent the outside world, and remind us of what we see out of the actual window.
The letter “t” in our name resembles a dagger or sword, which is another reference to Paul’s former life, and also the verse in Hebrews about the Word of God being sharper than any double-edged sword.
With the logo, we become more than just “that Catholic church on Highway 25.” We become an effective instrument to spread the Gospel in our community, with the same passion as the saint for which we are named.
St. Paul Catholic Church was established on June 1, 1978 by Bishop Joseph B. Brunini of Jackson, to serve the Catholic community of Rankin County, Mississippi. The native Mississippian pastor, Reverend Edward Tarsi celebrated the first Mass at St. Paul Catholic Church in a trailer housed on the property of the St. Mark United Methodist Church. A new Rectory was purchased on Bellegrove Blvd. for its resident pastor.
In 1980, the fledgling parish purchased 10 acres of land along Highway 25 for a permanent structure and moved to a temporary church structure on Grant’s Ferry Road.
On July 12, 1982, the ground-breaking ceremony for the new church on the Lakeland Drive property was held with Bishop Brunini, Father Tarsi, and parish leaders all wielding shovels.
In 1984, St. Paul’s parishioners moved into their permanent home, an elegantly modernistic church designed by the acclaimed late Sam Mockbee of the architectural firm, Goodman & Mockbee. St. Paul Catholic Church was formally dedicated on June 19th by both Bishop William Houck and Bishop Joseph B. Brunini, the now retired Bishop of Jackson. The temporary dwelling on Grant’s Ferry Road was relocated and annexed to the new church to facilitate the St. Paul Religious Education classes. It was replaced by the St. Paul Learning Center in 1990, which serves as a full-time day care and preschool on weekdays.
The growing parish, now a flourishing community, sponsored an extensive building campaign in the early 2000’s for a place to congregate and socialize. The construction of a beautiful new Family Life Center designed by the architectural firm of JH&H Architects was completed in 2003 and formally dedicated by Bishop Joseph Latino on July 11, 2004. St. Paul Catholic Church will continue to grow as it has in the past, ever expanding its pastoral and communal activities.
Today St. Paul Catholic Church is the spiritual home for over 800 families in North Rankin County, Mississippi, serving the cities of Flowood and Brandon, and surrounding communities. The priest and lay community are dedicated to supporting and nurturing the growth of members of all ages and at all levels of spiritual maturity. A warm and hospitable environment in which to worship, St. Paul Catholic Church continues to expand its offerings to provide its parishioners with the environment, study programs, and prayer support needed to live a holy life. Our is mission to “Live as the Body of Christ.” We do this by our commitment to Hospitality, Prayer, Ministry, and Discipleship.
St. Paul Catholic Church has been blessed with many wonderful pastors.
~ 1978: Father Edward Tarsi, a Mississippi native, was appointed as the first pastor on August 1, 1978. He served 7 years at St. Paul.
~ 1985: Father Edward Balser, a Mississippi native, was appointed pastor on September 20, 1985.He served 12 years at St. Paul.
~1998: Father Brian Carroll, a native of Ireland, was appointed pastor on January15, 1998. He served 12 years at St. Paul. On August 22, 2002, Father Carroll celebrated the 40th anniversary of his Ordination to the Priesthood and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was instituted at St. Paul.
~ 2003: Father Pat Smith was appointed associate pastor on December 20th.
~2010: Father Gerard Hurley replaced Father Carroll as pastor on February 1, 2010. A native of Ireland, Father Hurley came to Mississippi in 1976. He continues to serve as pastor to date.
St. Paul Church Office
Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Phone: 601-992-9547
Fax: 601-992-9972
Email: office@spaulcc.org
Address: 5971 Hwy 25 Flowood MS 39232
St. Paul Early Learning Center
Phone: 601-992-2876
Email: stpaullearningcenter@gmail.com
Website: http://saintpaullearningcenter.com
Address: 5969 Hwy 25 Flowood MS 39232
Catholic Diocese of Jackson
Phone: 601-969-1880
Website: http://jacksondiocese.org/
Address: 237 E Amite Street Jackson MS 39225
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Website: http://www.usccb.org/
The Holy See Pope Francis
Website: vatican.va
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In today’s Gospel, Jesus says: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
I will be honest—while these words can sound comforting, there were times when I thought them also a bit of a joke—the not-so-funny kind. What part of “take up your cross daily” is restful? Or “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect?” Or “go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature?” Saint resumes are rarely short.
Yet over the years, I’ve come to see what I could not earlier: the yoke is the rest. To allow ourselves to be yoked to Jesus—to labor only with Him and for Him—is the ultimate rest. What does this mean? ... See MoreSee Less
"Know" Rest for the Weary - SpiritualDirection.com
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SPIRITUALDIRECTION- explores Catholic spiritual direction advice and how a deeper relationship with the spiritual aspect of being human being based on the wisdom's of the Bible, Church and the saints ...Comment on Facebook
Please join us for Mass this morning @ 10am, followed by a Holy Hour of Adoration.
We also have our Parish Penance Service tonight @6pm. We have several priest from around the Diocese coming to to hear confessions. ... See MoreSee Less
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Please join us for our parish-wide Penance Service Monday, December 16th @ 6pm.
The Sacrament of Confession is deeply rooted in Sacred Scripture. This Sacrament of God’s mercy is vital for the soul and bears great fruits and blessings when we are properly disposed and prepared. Here are ten Biblical meditations for making a good confession. ... See MoreSee Less
Ten Biblical Meditations for Making a Good Confession
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One of the greatest blessings and gifts that flow out of the Sacred Heart of Our Lord is a mercy that is expressed most deeply through the Sacrament of Confession. This Sacrament is also sometimes cal...Comment on Facebook
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"Every Holy Mass, heard with devotion, produces in our soul marvelous effects, abundant spiritual and material graces which we cannot fathom. It is easier for the earth to exist without the sun than without the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!" Padre Pio - 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory
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She prophetically incarnated the intrinsic unity between love of God and love of neighbor. She was clear where that synthesis came from: living a truly Eucharistic life.
“The time you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the best time that you will spend on earth.”
She begged the archbishop, “One thing I request of you, Your Grace, is to give us all the spiritual help we need. If we have Our Lord in the midst of us, with daily Mass and Holy Communion, I fear nothing for the sisters nor myself. He will look after us. But without him I cannot be. I am helpless.”
“People ask,” she confessed, “Where do the sisters get the joy and the energy to do what they are doing?” She replied, “The Eucharist.” At the 1976 Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia, she elaborated on that source of power: “To be able to live this life … we need our life to be woven with the Eucharist. That’s why we begin our day with Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. With him, we go forward.”
She spoke of the benefits: “Nowhere on earth are we more welcomed or loved than by Jesus in Eucharist. When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you. When you look at the Sacred Host you understand how much Jesus loves you now."
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Truth!