St. Rose de Lima Catholic Church

The history of St. Rose de Lima Church and school are interrelated, and it goes back over one hundred years. In 1868, the first school in Bay St. Louis for African Americans opened with twenty-four black children in attendance. It was a two-story white building, originally located on Second Street. On August 28, 1925, the school became St. Rose de Lima Church. St. Rose de Lima is still an active church and parish. The church is home to a nationally renowned Southern Gospel Choir, and its altar features a mural of an African Christ figure rising before a live oak tree. Tours are by appointment only.