St. Mary’s Supports Parish Destroyed in Tornado

On April 1, 2023, St. Mary’s in Jasper had a parish clean-up day. The night before a powerful storm system ripped through north Mississippi and Alabama leaving a path of destruction including the town of Rolling Fork, Mississippi where the Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church was destroyed. As the folks of St. Mary’s cleaned and beautified their church they thought of their brothers and sisters across the state line who were, no doubt, that very same morning cleaning up the rubble of their church.

In solidarity with them the clean-up crew resolved to be part of the recovery. Later that month the vestry decided to send a sizable check to the Diocese of Mississippi to assist in the rebuilding effort in Rolling Fork.

St. Mary’s in Jasper has been without a rector for a year and yet their parish remains vital and committed to loving their neighbors in and beyond their community. They are a living witness to how the Lord works through a congregation bonding them to one another as they love and serve the world reminding us of the encouraging word of the Apostle to “not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart (Gal. 6.9).”

This month St. Mary’s welcomes Rev. Paul Elliott who will begin serving as Interim Rector and will assist in the present mission and ministry of the church and in their preparations for the future.

-The Rev. Geoff Evans, Canon to the Ordinary

Those words, spoken by the Rev. Greg Proctor, part-time rector of Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, reflect the frame of mind of the small congregation he has served for 10+ years. After much prayer and deliberation, they have decided to try and rebuild the church, and are working with an architect.

After the EF-4 tornado passed through Rolling Fork on March 24, the sacristy, the altar, and an entry to the nave were all that was left of the 99-year-old church. The entry that remains is going to be preserved and included as part of the new design for the nave, and serve as a reminder of what they lost, and also of what they have been given.

He then expressed gratitude for the generosity of the St. Mary’s congregation. “The commandment to love God and love your neighbor have been shown as people have come together to help. Even in the midst of chaos like this, God continues to be with us and strengthen us.”