About Diocese of Birmingham
The Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama (Latin: Dioecesis Birminghamiensis in Alabama) is a Roman Catholic diocese serving northern Alabama, erected on June 28, 1969, by Pope Paul VI when he split the former Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham. It is a suffragan diocese in the Ecclesiastical Province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mobile. The mother church is the Cathedral of Saint Paul in downtown Birmingham, and the diocese is internationally notable as the home of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), the world's largest Catholic media network, founded by Mother Angelica at Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Irondale. Covering 39 counties across 28,091 square miles of north and central Alabama, the diocese serves roughly 113,000 Catholics in 54 parishes under the leadership of Bishop Steven J. Raica.
- Bishop
- Steven J. Raica
- Established
- 1969
- Cathedral
- Cathedral of Saint Paul, Birmingham, Alabama
- Territory
- 39 counties in northern and central Alabama: Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Colbert, Coosa, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marengo, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Randolph, St. Clair, Shelby, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, and Winston.
- Parishes
- 54
- Province
- Archdiocese of Mobile (Ecclesiastical Province of Mobile)
About the Diocese of Birmingham
The Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama serves the Catholic faithful across 39 counties in the northern and central parts of the state, encompassing 28,091 square miles. Since its erection in 1969, the diocese has grown to include 54 parishes, three Catholic high schools, and an extensive network of parish elementary schools. Its seat is the Cathedral of Saint Paul in downtown Birmingham, and it is internationally known as the home of EWTN, the Eternal Word Television Network, founded by Mother Angelica in 1981.
- Established June 28, 1969 by Pope Paul VI
- Split from the former Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham
- Suffragan of the Archdiocese of Mobile since 1980
- Patron: Saint Paul the Apostle
History of the Diocese
Catholicism in Alabama dates to 1702, when Henri Roulleaux de la Vente became the first resident priest in Mobile under French colonial rule. After the territory changed hands among France, Britain, Spain, and finally the United States, Pope Leo XII erected the Vicariate Apostolic of Alabama and the Floridas in 1825, which Pope Pius VIII reconfigured in 1829 as the Diocese of Mobile. The Birmingham area remained part of Mobile for 135 years until Pope Paul VI erected the Diocese of Birmingham on June 28, 1969. The diocese has been led by five bishops: Joseph Vath (1969–1987), Raymond Boland (1988–1993), David Foley (1994–2005), Robert Baker (2007–2020), and the current bishop, Steven Raica (2020–present).
- 1702 – First resident priest in Mobile
- 1825 – Vicariate Apostolic of Alabama and the Floridas erected
- 1829 – Diocese of Mobile erected
- 1969 – Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama erected; St. Paul's becomes the Cathedral
- 1980 – Diocese of Mobile elevated to metropolitan archdiocese
Bishops of Birmingham in Succession
Five bishops have shepherded the diocese since its founding. The Most Reverend Joseph Gregory Vath was installed in 1969 and served until his death in 1987; he was the only bishop to die in office and is interred in the Cathedral courtyard. His successors each brought distinct pastoral priorities, and three have already been laid to rest with memorial presence at the Cathedral. Bishop Steven J. Raica, the current bishop, was appointed by Pope Francis on March 25, 2020 and installed in June 2020.
- Bishop Joseph Gregory Vath (1969–1987)
- Bishop Raymond James Boland (1988–1993)
- Bishop David Edward Foley (1994–2005)
- Bishop Robert Joseph Baker (2007–2020)
- Bishop Steven John Raica (2020–present)
Cathedral of Saint Paul
The Cathedral of Saint Paul is the mother church of the diocese, located in downtown Birmingham. The parish was first established in 1872 as a small wooden-frame church, and the present Victorian Gothic brick building, designed by Chicago architect Adolphus Druiding, was completed in 1893. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 along with its school building, the Cathedral has undergone multiple renovations, including major exterior work completed in 2015, refinished floors and new pews in 2019, and a new pipe organ installed in 2021.
- Original wooden church built in 1872
- Current building designed by Adolphus Druiding; completed 1893
- Designated cathedral when diocese erected in 1969
- Added to National Register of Historic Places in 1982
- Three bishops buried in the Cathedral courtyard
EWTN and the Catholic Media Presence
The Eternal Word Television Network, headquartered in Irondale within the diocese, is the world's largest Catholic media network and one of the diocese's most internationally recognized institutions. Founded in 1981 by Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare nun, EWTN grew from humble origins — Mother Angelica and her sisters famously raised seed money by selling handmade St. Peter's Fishing Lures — into a global broadcaster reaching more than 145 countries in multiple languages. The diocese's relationship with EWTN has at times been marked by tension; Bishop David Foley's 1999 decree restricting celebration of the Mass ad orientem was widely interpreted as a response to EWTN's liturgical influence.
- Founded 1981 by Mother Angelica at Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, Irondale
- Broadcasts in multiple languages to 145+ countries
- Mother Angelica Live became EWTN's signature program
- Mother Angelica resigned as chair/CEO in 2002; died 2016 in Hanceville
Mother Angelica and the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament
Mother Angelica (Rita Antoinette Rizzo, 1923–2016) arrived in Birmingham in 1957 at the invitation of Archbishop Thomas J. Toolen and founded Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Irondale in 1962. She later founded the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville (Cullman County) in the late 1990s after a vision during a trip to Bogotá, Colombia. The Shrine remains a major Catholic pilgrimage destination within the diocese, and Mother Angelica is interred in a crypt there.
Catholic Schools in the Diocese
The Diocese of Birmingham operates an extensive network of parish elementary schools and three Catholic high schools: John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham, Holy Family Cristo Rey High School in Birmingham, and St. John Paul II Catholic High School in Huntsville. Prince of Peace Catholic School in Hoover, which opened in 2000, has grown to become the largest Catholic school in the diocese with more than 485 students. The diocese partners with five Scholarship Granting Organizations — Scholarships for Kids, C2 Opportunity Scholarships, Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund, Renaissance Scholarships, and Rocket City SGO — to provide tax-credit scholarships up to $10,000 to qualifying K-12 students under the Alabama Accountability Act of 2013.
- John Carroll Catholic High School, Birmingham
- Holy Family Cristo Rey High School, Birmingham
- St. John Paul II Catholic High School, Huntsville
- Prince of Peace Catholic School, Hoover (largest in diocese)
- 5 Scholarship Granting Organizations partnered with the diocese
Catholic Charities and Communities
Catholic Charities and Communities of the diocese oversees a range of social-service and pastoral apostolates funded through the annual Catholic Charities and Communities Appeal. Its flagship disability ministry, Nazareth House, provides individualized religious education, sacramental preparation, liturgy, and advocacy for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Birmingham and Huntsville, largely through high-school student volunteer catechists. Catholic Family Services, another arm, traces its origins to 1903 when the Daughters of Charity opened St. Thomas on the Hill orphanage in Birmingham's East Lake neighborhood, evolving over a century into a counseling, adoption, and foster-care agency serving people of all faiths.
- Nazareth House — apostolate for persons with intellectual/developmental disabilities
- Catholic Family Services — counseling, adoption, foster care
- Funded through the annual Catholic Charities and Communities Appeal
Liturgical and Sacramental Resources
The Office of Divine Worship publishes Diocesan Particular Calendar and Special Observances for each liturgical year and a full set of Christian Initiation resources, including planning guides for catechumens and candidates, a flowchart for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, directives for the Rite of Election and the Call to Continuing Conversion, Confirmation protocols, and Master of Ceremonies instructions. The diocese also publishes rites for the Installation of a Pastor.
- Diocesan Particular Calendar (2022–2023 and later years)
- Christian Initiation Planning Guides for catechumens and candidates
- Confirmation Procedures and Protocols
- Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion directives
- Installation of a Pastor rites
Diocesan Directory and Communications
The diocesan directory at bhmdiocese.org/directory lists parishes, schools, and diocesan offices. The diocese communicates with the faithful through its official website, parish bulletins, and the diocesan publication. The Victim Assistance Coordinator can be reached at [email protected] or 205-597-9058 to report incidents of sexual abuse or misconduct.
- Chancery: 2121 3rd Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203
- Mailing: P.O. Box 12047, Birmingham, AL 35202-2047
- Phone: (205) 838-8322
- Victim Assistance: [email protected] / 205-597-9058
Territory and Statistics
The diocese covers 39 counties in northern and central Alabama — the largest land area of any Catholic diocese in the state. As of 2023 the regional total population was approximately 3,187,797 with a Catholic population of 113,241 (3.5%), organized into 54 parishes. Bishop Raica leads the diocese in communion with Pope Leo XIV and the metropolitan Archbishop of Mobile, Thomas John Rodi.
- 39 counties; 28,091 square miles
- 54 parishes
- Catholic population: ~113,241 (3.5%)
- Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Mobile
