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 congregation is worshiping on Saturday evenings at Grace Lutheran Churchl in Long Beach. EYC is meeting in conjunction with St. Peter's By-the-Sea Episcopal Church and Christ Church (Bay St. Louis). The church office opened on December 1, 2005 in an office trailer on Johnson Rd. across from Oreck in the Long Beach Industrial Park.
What remains of our physical property? The Altar Guild had 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.
What remains of St. Patrick's? Our congregation, our rector David Knight, our Deacon Lynne Hough, our Senior Warden Linda McCulloch, our Junior Warden Lisa Crain, our vestry, and our organist Sandy Murray. Worship continues at St. Patrick's weekly service where we are joined by volunteers from all over the country who have come to the Coast to help. Christian Ed, choir, and Jr. and Sr. High EYC are meeting again. Planning and the administration of the church continue. A Planning Committee is underway and will make recommendations this fall (2006) to the vestry on hiring an architect, site location, and our future mission and ministry. Overwhelming and humbling support of our church, our parishioners, and our community has come from sister churches throughout the U.S. and from our Diocese.
