By Joanna King and Tereza Ma
CRANFIELD – For Ronnie Patterson, celebrating the 110th anniversary of St. John the Baptist Mission meant returning to a place that has been part of his life for 68 years.
“Being here brought back some good old feelings, you know, from when I was a kid,” Patterson said.
Those memories were part of the celebration as Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz joined the community for an anniversary Mass Sept. 20, honoring more than a century of Catholic faith at the small mission church.
Patterson grew up attending St. John the Baptist. Although family responsibilities have taken him in different directions and he does not get to the church as often, his affection for it remains strong.
“I love it with a passion,” he said. “I sure do.”
For John Grady Burns, a member of Holy Family Parish in Natchez who also attends the Cranfield mission, the anniversary was an opportunity to celebrate a community that holds a special place in his life.
“It’s a very special place. It’s both religious and spiritual and it’s beautiful here,” Burns said. “It’s a great small community and it really means the world to us that the bishop was here for the 100th and again for the 110th anniversary.”
The mission’s history reflects the determination of Catholics in rural southwest Mississippi to sustain their faith. Josephite Father Matthew Morrissey began serving Holy Family in 1901 and traveled into surrounding communities to reach Catholics who could not easily attend Mass in Natchez.
His encounters with the Fleming family in Cranfield led to plans for a church. After years of fundraising, Father Morrissey and older African American members of the Fleming family built it on land donated by a local Catholic identified in the historical account as Mrs. Boggart.
Bishop John Gunn dedicated the church Sept. 3, 1916. Cranfield was one of four missions associated with Holy Family under Father Morrissey. St. John the Baptist is the last surviving mission of those four.
During the anniversary homily, Bishop Kopacz invited the congregation to consider how faith continues to call Catholics to service today.
Drawing on the lives of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Paul, he reflected on conversion, peace and the ways an encounter with Christ can transform a person’s life. He described St. Francis’ embrace of people with leprosy as a turning point that redirected a life of privilege toward love and service.
The bishop also reflected on the Gospel parable of the workers in the vineyard, emphasizing God’s continuing invitation to salvation and the responsibility of believers to respond.
“He does not want to see us idle on his behalf,” Bishop Kopacz said. “He wants to see us really working on his behalf, and God does not cease to work.”
That work, he explained, includes deepening love for the Lord, caring for the poor, helping people build lives of dignity and caring for creation. He encouraged those gathered to inspire and support one another along the path of salvation.
Father Anthony Okwum, SSJ, pastor of Holy Family in Natchez and St. John the Baptist in Cranfield, expressed gratitude to everyone who helped make the anniversary celebration possible.
“Your presence, prayers, love, and support made this special occasion truly meaningful and joyful,” he said.
Father Okwum offered special thanks to Bishop Kopacz, priests who previously served the mission, visiting clergy, religious, parishioners and the many volunteers and supporters who contributed their time, talents and resources.
“We thank God for His faithfulness throughout the years and for the beautiful community of faith He has blessed us with,” Father Okwum said. “May God continue to guide and strengthen our mission church as we move forward together in faith, hope, and love.”
