LAMAR COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) – Ten years ago, members of Saint Fabian Catholic Church gathered for their first mass at the Lake Serene clubhouse.

Today, Saint Fabian can boast of about 1,000 members, proving that it’s not necessarily all about where one starts..

“We started out at Benedict Day School for the first six years,” said the Rev. Tommy Conway. “Then, in 2019, we built this building and we’ve grown ever since.”

Prior to its opening, plans for the church had been in the works for 40 years, as clergy members noticed the growth of Lamar County.

The parish’s current home sits on a gift from a local resident, Richard Fabian McCarthy, after whom the church is named.

“We received 25 acres as a gift,” Conway said. “The bishop at the time was Bishop Roger Morin. He’s now deceased, but he decided it was time for a church on the west side of Hattiesburg.”

Sunday’s mass not only recognized and worshiped God, but shone a light on those who had been there from the beginning

Take Joseph and Hayley Thrash, the first couple to be married at Saint Fabian.

“I was a cradle Catholic,” Joseph Thrash said. “I went to Sacred Heart, downtown, then I went to Saint Thomas for a long time.

“When we heard about Saint Fabian, we were thrilled, obviously, because we live out here. I live probably a mile from the building.”

While Thrash has noticed the rapid growth over the years, he said he still feels a strong sense of community.

“When you’re there every Sunday, you don’t see it as much,” Thrash said. “But when somebody takes stock of it, and everyone stand up who was at the first mass., it’s overwhelming in a great way.”

Conway said there are plans to continue the church’s expansion, particularly for the church’s youth.

“I think next will be classrooms and offices, classrooms, for our ‘Faith Formation,’ and then, some offices as well.” Conway said.

Conway said the expansion should cost around $1 million, with the work done in a year.

Watch the Original Broadcast News Story: https://www.wdam.com/2024/01/22/saint-fabian-catholic-church-celebrated-its-10th-anniversary-sunday/