NATCHEZ &045;&045; Father Michael Saah-Buckman is working simultaneously through three phases at Holy Family Catholic Church.

To reach his overall goal of growth, Saah-Buckman said the first step is to appreciate the situation.

Holy Family doesn’t fit the pattern he’s used to. St. Francis Xavier in Baton Rouge, his previous church, was larger. Holy Family makes up for what it lacks in size with seniority. Many of its members have been attending all of their lives, upwards of 60 years.

The churches he serves, Natchez, Fayette and Cranfield, also have old facilities and some old equipment.

But he appreciates the continuity age offers.

The next step, he said, is evaluation.

&uot;You begin to look and see how to make it work,&uot; he said. &uot;The challenge is how to keep the school growing and how to keep the church growing.&uot;

And the last phase is growth.

With about 300 families attending services and programs now, a successful family day and increased school enrollment, the plan is under way.

The first family day in May featured more than 1,000 plates served to church families and friends free of charge. A second family day is in the works for coming months.

Holy Family Catholic School added third-grade this year, something it has offered in the past but not last year. And pre-kindergarten enrollment is up. So far 98 students are registered for the school that had 78 last year.

Saah-Buckman started at the church in late September. A native of Ghana, his first American job was in New Orleans.

During his time in the South he’s seen numerous similarities between his native culture and the Southern way.

&uot;It’s not much different,&uot; he said. &uot;The food is basically the same. The recipes are the same, it’s just put together differently and called something else. When you peer beneath the facades, the cultures are pretty much the same.&uot;

The Cranfield church has between 20-30 families, and the Fayette group has about 90.