Carolyn Terry, a parishioner of St. Paul’s, Picayune, and an award-winning artist, found inspiration for her recent photos in the stories of rebuilding she found among the churches of the Diocese of Mississippi.

“I was so impressed after learning of the history of many that rebuilt after much destruction and disasters,” she says.

Those photos are now the subject matter of her just-released book, The Endurance of the Spirit: Mississippi Episcopal Churches.

Much of the rebuilding that inspired her happened in the aftermath of the Civil War, a theme she found while photographing the interiors of churches.

“Many of the stained-glass windows were installed not only to honor family members,” says Terry, “but in the spirit of reconciliation after the Civil War to honor the dead from both North and South.”

In some cases, however, that rebuilding process was all too present, like the one currently underway for the people of Chapel of the Cross,

Rolling Fork, whose church was destroyed in a tornado last year. As Terry assembled the photos she took of 95 churches across the state for the book, she decided it only appropriate to donate a portion of the proceeds to that parish in its hour of need.

Bishop Brian Seage penned some remarks to celebrate the publication of Endurance.

“This book is a visual celebration of the spiritual heritage that resonates within the walls of these Episcopal churches,” he says, “and it serves as a timeless tribute to the holy moments shared by the faithful throughout Mississippi.”

The book is available for order from Terry. She can be contacted at cterryphoto@bellsouth.net.