Ten years of faith, growth, and God's mercy

Ten years ago, in the heart of a rapidly growing community in North Alabama, a group of faithful Catholics answered a call, responding to an overcrowding at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. “When in your lifetime,” asked one of the charter members, “has God blessed you with the opportunity to begin a new church for His glory?” 

Following Bishop Baker's announcement in 2016 establishing a new parish within the Diocese of Birmingham, families from near and far came together with a shared vision: to create a place where faith could flourish, families could grow, and lasting bonds of community could be formed.

From that vision, Most Merciful Jesus Catholic Parish was born. In the beginning, daily Masses were celebrated in the rectory garage and weekend Masses offered at a local, public elementary school, which continued while a multi-purpose metal building was being constructed. 

Through countless volunteer hours and sacrificial generosity, parishioners built a multi-purpose hall that has faithfully served as the parish’s place of worship, center for ministry, home for Catholic education, and gathering space for fellowship and community life. When the multi-purpose building was completed for Mass, all the faithful had to offer were folding chairs and concrete floors, but people still came! Together, guided by the Holy Spirit, the parish not only built the facility, but also paid for it in full, demonstrating commitment to one another and to God's mission.

What began with just a few families quickly grew to 175 and has since grown into a vibrant parish community of more than 600 active members and over 50 active ministries. The rapid growth is also evidenced by the burgeoning enrollment in Faith Formation classes. Registration for classes has almost tripled and numbers are still on the rise. 

A dream becoming a necessity

For the past decade, the parishioners of Mercy Parish have prayed, sacrificed, and saved while dreaming of a permanent church where the growing parish family could worship together and continue serving the community.

With the current space no longer able to accommodate the tremendous growth, a larger church is essential to continue nurturing the parish, expanding the ministries, and welcoming future generations into the faith community.

Over the past two years, parish leaders have worked closely with the parish family, architects, and builders to design a beautiful new church that will welcome new members. 

A community united in purpose

Even while plans were being developed, the parish community remained hard at work.

For the past three years, parishioners have faithfully prayed Rosaries daily for the success of the new church. School-age children have participated in the Kid's Mite program, bringing loose change each week to Faith Formation classes as a tangible expression of their faith and generosity. The youth have organized car washes, assisted with bake sales, and enthusiastically contributed to the effort.

Parish-wide events and numerous fundraising activities, such as the Annual Bless Fest Craft Festival, Night at the Races, and golf outings, have united the entire community around the shared mission of building a new church. 

Every prayer offered, every dollar donated, and every hour volunteered has moved the parish one step closer to their goal.

Building for future generations

The design for the new church has a very traditional and ecclesiastical style in various elements such as the rose windows and gabled chapel. When completed, the new church will host over 900 parishioners and have the capacity to exceed seating for 1,200 people. The ultimate vision is the church will become the cornerstone of a larger campus master plan and will continue to develop over time.

Many generous parishioners have already committed to ten-year pledges through the capital campaign, Together We Build: Faith in Action. Others who were unable to make long-term commitments have faithfully supported the project through regular gifts. The generosity enabled the parish to secure additional funding support from the Diocese of Birmingham. However, a financial gap remains. 

A historic milestone

On Sept. 27, Bishop Raica will lead a ceremonial groundbreaking. As construction is scheduled to begin following the groundbreaking in late fall, the parish extends an invitation to the broader North Alabama Catholic community to support the parish’s project. The parish asks for prayer and, if possible, a financial contribution. For information, please contact the Capital Campaign Committee by e-mail at CC@mercyparish.church.