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