10 Most Beautiful and Awe-Inspiring Churches and Cathedrals in Mississippi

Located in the southeastern United States, Mississippi is known for its proximity to the Mississippi River, which defines the state’s western border with Louisiana. The river carried French missionaries to the area beginning in the 15th and 16th centuries, where they planted early seeds of Christianity and established some of the first churches in the Magnolia State. Keep reading to learn about the 10 most beautiful cathedrals and churches in Mississippi.

1. First Baptist Church, Jackson

First established in 1837-1840, the First Baptist Church in Jackson is a beautiful example of neo-Gothic architecture. The church faced significant obstacles in the years after its founding. Yellow fever made a fatal sweep through the congregation, and the church was used as a hospital by both Confederate and Union forces during the Civil War.

Today, the First Baptist Church has enough space to seat 3,500 people and boasts ceilings that reach staggering heights of 60 feet. It is located near the Mississippi State Capital Building, where its distinctive appearance and stained glass windows attract the attention of passers-by.

2. First Presbyterian Church, Port Gibson

The First Presbyterian Church in Port Gibson is easily recognized by its distinctive steeple that features a 10-foot golden hand pointing toward the sky. The congregation placed a hand to commemorate Zebulun Butler, First Presbyterian Church’s first full-time pastor, who frequently emphasized his sermons by pointing a finger toward the sky.

The church’s current structure was built in 1859, and it is the second-oldest Presbyterian church in the Old Southwest.

3. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral, Jackson

Located in downtown Jackson, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral was established in 1839, and its current structure was erected in 1903. Featuring Gothic Revival style architecture, this church features a large sanctuary with a vaulted ceiling, pipe organ, and many stained glass windows.

St. Andrew’s has played an important role in Jackson’s history. Parishioners at the church established the state’s first Boy Scout Troop and supported the establishment of the region’s first African-American mission at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in West Jackson. The church also housed the area’s first independent school, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, which opened in 1947.

4. St. Mary Basilica, Natchez

Built over a span of 40 years, construction on St. Mary Basilica was completed, and the church was consecrated in 1886. Builders constructed this church in the Gothic Revival style, and it features sixteen stained glass windows, three marble altars, and Italian marble screens.

From 1886 to 1977, the structure served as the home of the Cathedral of Natchez Diocese. When the diocese relocated to Jackson in 1977, St. Mary became the community’s church.

5. Sacred Heart Church, Grand Gulf

Originally constructed in Rodney in 1868, the Sacred Heart Church now stands at the Grand Gulf Military Monument Commission. It is one of the last churches in Mississippi featuring Carpenter Gothic-style architecture.

In the 1870s, the church housed a school for the Rodney community, although the church’s congregation dwindled to a mere seven people as the town’s population declined into the 1950s. The structure was relocated to Grand Gulf in 1983, where it is now a nondenominational church and a space for community groups to meet.

6. St. Clement’s Episcopal Church, Vaiden

St. Clement’s Episcopal Church is Vaiden’s smallest church, and it is also Mississippi’s smallest Episcopalian Mission. The congregation has not grown past 50 members since its construction in 1876. The original plan for St. Clement’s Episcopal Church was made in 1859, but construction was delayed due to the Civil War and an outbreak of yellow fever.

7. Christ Church, Church Hill

The congregation of Christ Church was first formed around 1820. The current structure is the church’s third building, and its construction was completed in 1858. They designed the church in the Gothic Revival style, and it still retains many of its original features today.

The church is one of the last remaining structures in Mississippi with a working hammer-beam roof. The original pipe organ remains, although it has been inoperable for years. The church’s marble font, pews, and chairs have been preserved, along with much of its exterior structure.

8. St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Lexington

This church was first constructed in the late 1880s but burned down in 1894 on Christmas Eve. When workers rebuilt St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in 1899, they installed the church’s original bell in the new building.

Builders fashioned the church in Gothic-style architecture with a distinctive red, steepled roof and lancet-style windows.

9. Chapel of the Cross, Madison

The Chapel of the Cross dates back to 1852. Its Gothic Revival architecture is evident in the bell tower, arched entrances, and tall windows. Enslaved people performed much of the church’s construction, using local clay to cast the bricks.

During the Civil War, the Confederate army melted the church’s bell to make bullets. Following the war, neglect plagued the church for decades, and the Diocese of Mississippi ultimately declared it extinct in 1904. Restoration efforts began in 1976; today, the church has an active congregation.

10. The Little Church, Iuka

The Little Church features Carpenter Gothic-style architecture with lancet-style stained-glass windows, a steep roof, and distinctive siding. James B. Cook designed the church, also known as The Church of Our Savior. Workers completed construction on the church in 1873. In 1985, a group of Iuka citizens purchased the church to ensure its preservation. They completed the Little Church’s complete restoration, placing it on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.