The history of St. Rose Parish goes back over one hundred years. According to the findings made by His Excellency, Most Rev. Richard O. Gerow, S.V.D., in his book “Catholicity in Mississippi”, there was an elementary Catholic religion school in “The Bay” as early as 1868 which was attended by the Colored. Possibly, the school had been operating even earlier than 1868 but there seems to be no written record about it. St. Rose de Lima is still an extremely active church and parish. Home to one of the best Southern Gospel Choirs in the country, its altar features an extraordinary mural of an African Christ figure rising before a live oak tree.