Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church moves to newly built home for parishioners

After years of work and planning, Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church on Kiln-Delisle Road in Harrison County welcomed parishioners home on Christmas Eve.

After ten years, Father Paddy Mockler and the parishioners of Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Pass Christian are worshipping in their new home, but they didn’t go very far from where they’ve spent the last decade. They’ve moved next door. “Back in 2011, they put three churches together, St. Stephen’s, St. Ann’s, and St. Williams, and they built a multi-purpose building with a view that would become the parish center and this would become the church. We were in there for some time, about 10 years, and here we are now in a new church.”

Father Paddy says years of fundraising and donations helped build the church and if you take a look around, you’ll find the handiwork of some parishioners, including David Niolet, who is the chairman of the building committee.  “I’ve been a woodworker for some time, but never made anything of significant pieces of furniture. My wife, Mae, volunteered me to try and build the altar, the ambo, and the table for the tabernacle. I decided it would be a good challenge.”

One piece you can’t miss is the painting that stands tall, front and center, also done by a parishioner. “The man that did the painting, he got 12 of our guys to dress up as apostles and then he took their picture and painted them from the picture. He found Jesus on the golf course in Alabama and he said I want to take your picture, so I can paint you and that’s where he found Jesus.”

Over the last five decades there have been significant decreases in the number of priests in the United States, leaving thousands of parishes without resident priests, but for Father Paddy, he says it is a way of life he’s glad he chose. “Honestly, I’m a priest of 42 years. I love it. If I had to do it all over again, I would do it again. I have no regrets. I love every day and I hope I can keep doing it for a long time to come.”

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