About Annunciation of the Lord · Decatur, Alabama
Annunciation of the Lord Catholic Church is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic parish in Decatur, Alabama, the only Catholic parish in Morgan County. Formed in 1998 by Bishop David E. Foley through the merger of the historic St. Ann parish (founded 1871) and Holy Family Mission in Hartselle, the parish today numbers more than 1,000 families — roughly 60% Spanish-speaking — making it the sixth-largest parish in the Diocese of Birmingham. The parish sits on a 34-acre campus at 3910 Spring Avenue SW, where worship is currently celebrated in a multi-purpose room alongside Saint Ann Catholic School and the perpetually open St. Joseph Chapel, while a long-awaited permanent church building is in the planning stages under the "Building Bridges, Building Faith" capital campaign.
- Established
- 1998
- Patron
- Annunciation of the Lord (the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Father Tom Ackerman
- Diocese
- Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama
Why belong here
Annunciation of the Lord welcomes Catholics of every language and background — about 60% of its 1,000+ families worship in Spanish — into a single parish family centered on the Eucharist, with six weekend Masses, daily Masses in English and Spanish, and the rare gift of perpetual Eucharistic adoration in St. Joseph Chapel. The parish offers a classical Catholic school (Saint Ann, founded 1955), a robust OCIA/RICA process for adults becoming Catholic, a vibrant Knights of Columbus council, St. Vincent de Paul, multiple prayer groups and Hispanic apostolates, and an active youth ministry — all on a spacious 34-acre campus with room to grow as the parish builds its long-awaited permanent church.
Mass times at Annunciation of the Lord
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:15 PM – 4:45 PM
- Saturday 6:15 PM – 6:45 PM
- Monday 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM
- Monday 5:15 PM – 5:45 PM
- Tuesday 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM
- Tuesday 6:15 PM – 6:45 PM
- Wednesday 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM
- Wednesday 6:15 PM – 6:45 PM
- Thursday 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM
- Friday 11:15 AM – 11:45 AM
- Friday 6:15 PM – 6:45 PM
- Also by appointment — call the parish office at 256-353-2667
Adoration times
- Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in St. Joseph Chapel (24 hours a day)
- Open access available daily 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Sign up for a holy hour or to substitute: contact Alma Uriostegui at 938-257-5294 or [email protected]
Parish History
Catholic life in Morgan County, Alabama began in 1871, when St. Ann was established as a mission of Our Lady of the Shoals Parish in Tuscumbia. The mission took twenty years to build its first church (on Vine Street in Decatur), then a larger one on Johnson Street and Fourth Avenue, completed in 1906. Holy Family Mission in Hartselle followed, building its own parish hall and classrooms in 1993. In 1998, Bishop David E. Foley merged St. Ann and Holy Family into a single parish — Annunciation of the Lord — to better serve Catholics across Morgan County. The land on the present Spring Avenue campus was purchased in 2000, and the first Mass in the new facilities was celebrated in 2003. More than twenty years later, Mass is still offered in the multi-purpose room while the parish saves for a permanent church. In 2020, parishioners completed St. Joseph Chapel — a perpetual-adoration chapel paid for entirely through their donations, labor and Kermés fundraisers.
- 1871 — St. Ann established as a mission of Our Lady of the Shoals (Tuscumbia)
- 1891 — first church built on Vine Street, Decatur
- 1906 — larger church completed at Johnson Street and Fourth Avenue
- 1955 — Saint Ann Catholic School founded
- 1977/1980 — Holy Family Mission organized in Hartselle under Father O'Donoghue; church building begun 1980
- 1993 — Holy Family parish hall and classrooms completed
- 1998 — Bishop Foley merges St. Ann and Holy Family to form Annunciation of the Lord
- 2000 — land for current Spring Avenue campus purchased
- 2003 — first Mass celebrated in current multi-purpose room
- 2020 — St. Joseph Chapel built; perpetual adoration established
- 2025 — 'Building Bridges, Building Faith' capital campaign underway for permanent church
Clergy and Staff
Annunciation of the Lord is currently pastored by Father Tom Ackerman (effective July 1, 2025), who also serves as Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Birmingham. He is assisted by Parochial Vicar Father Max Gallegos and four permanent deacons: Deacon Patrick Lappert, Deacon Rick Chenault, Deacon Javier Ramirez and Deacon Lou Sciaroni.
- Father Tom Ackerman — Pastor (ext. 120)
- Father Max Gallegos — Parochial Vicar (ext. 131)
- Deacon Patrick Lappert — 256-303-8509
- Deacon Rick Chenault
- Deacon Javier Ramirez
- Deacon Lou Sciaroni — Parish Council liaison (256-309-8318)
- Father Charles Merrill — Pastor until July 1, 2025; now Retired Priest Status
- Maria Quinlivan — Secretary (ext. 101)
- Ashleigh Russell — Marketing Director
- Alex Harvill — Financial Assistant
- Jan Gile — Vocation Ministry / Bible Studies / OCIA / Seven Sisters Apostolate (ext. 148)
- Liz Schroer — Director of Religious Education
- Elvira Esparza — Hispanic Ministry Coordinator (ext. 107)
- Alma Uriostegui — Youth Minister & Saint Joseph Perpetual Adoration coordinator (ext. 108)
- Christian Wolf — Music Director
- Nancy Carlisle — Operations Coordinator
- Anne Chandler — Rosary Group leader
Mass and Liturgical Schedule
Annunciation offers one of the most bilingual liturgical schedules in the Diocese of Birmingham, with six Masses each weekend in English and Spanish, plus daily Mass Monday through Friday and a First-Saturday Mass. Confessions are heard every day, and the parish maintains the rare gift of perpetual Eucharistic adoration in its St. Joseph Chapel.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM (English) | 7:00 PM (Spanish)
- Sunday: 7:30 AM (E) | 9:30 AM (S) | 11:15 AM (E) | 1:00 PM (S)
- First Saturday: 8:00 AM
- Weekday Masses Monday–Friday in both English and Spanish (see mass_times)
- Daily confessions plus by appointment (call 256-353-2667)
- Perpetual adoration, St. Joseph Chapel — 24/7, open access 8:00 AM–9:00 PM
Faith Formation and Becoming Catholic (OCIA / RICA)
Adults seeking Baptism, Confirmation or full communion with the Catholic Church are welcomed through the parish's OCIA (English) and RICA (Spanish) programs. Family-of-Faith religious education, parent catechists and a robust Youth Group round out faith formation for children, teens and parents.
- OCIA (English) — contact Dr. Jeremiah Russell 256-283-6878, Alex White 256-654-7561, Deacon Lou Scaroni 256-309-8318, or Jan Gile ext. 148
- RICA (Spanish) — Elvira Esparza (ext. 107) or Don Santos 256-642-9867
- Family of Faith / Familia de Fe (Liz Schroer) — Religious Education and Parent Catechists; coordinators Orbelin Dominguez (256-221-4927) and Salvador Cervantes (256-340-0854)
- Youth Group / Grupo Juvenil (Alma Uriostegui, ext. 108)
- Children of Mary / Hijos de Maria (Alma Uriostegui, ext. 108)
- English Bible Studies (Jan Gile, ext. 148)
- Vocation Ministry Team / Equipo de Pastoral Vocacional (Jan Gile, ext. 148)
Parish Apostolates and Groups
The parish maintains both English/Bilingual and Hispanic-only apostolate rosters, covering prayer, fellowship, formation, charity and parish governance. A sampling: the Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, Seven Sisters Apostolate, St. Joseph's Men's Prayer Group, the Rosary Group, Pescadores de Cristo charismatic prayer group, Cursillistas/Ultreya, Sagrada Familia pre-marriage preparation, and the New Church Building Committee shepherding the 'Building Bridges, Building Faith' campaign.
- Knights of Columbus / Caballeros de Colón — Will Sciaroni, 256-309-9734
- St. Vincent de Paul — Brenda Holman
- Seven Sisters Apostolate / El Apostolado de las Siete Hermanas — Jan Gile (ext. 148)
- St. Joseph's Men's Prayer Group / Grupo de Oración San José — Deacon Patrick Lappert, 256-303-8509
- Rosary Group / Grupo de Rosario — Anne Chandler, 256-353-8006
- Pescadores de Cristo (Carismatic Prayer Group) — Fridays 7–9 PM — Santiago Alonzo 256-642-6305 / Francisco Mendez 256-566-4558
- Cursillistas / Ultreya Parroquial — Fridays 7–9 PM — Luis Romero 256-227-9148 / Francisca Saavedra 256-345-0118
- Escuela de Dirigentes — fourth Saturday of each month, 9 AM–12 PM — Antonio Lara 256-321-5216 / Cristina Rendon 256-556-5063
- Sagrada Familia — Hispanic pre-marriage courses — Maria Serrano 256-466-1850 / Ruben Pascual 256-654-5630
- Kermés Committee — Byron de la Cruz 256-621-4369 / Ever Aviles 256-345-0818
- New Church Building Committee — Frank Adamsky, 256-476-3896
- Parish Council / Consejo de la Parroquia — Deacon Lou Sciaroni, 256-309-8318
- Finance Council / Consejo Financiero — Mark Maloney, 256-353-7826 ext. 226
Saint Ann Catholic School
Founded in 1955, Saint Ann Catholic School is a co-ed Catholic, classical academy serving students from Early Learning through 6th Grade on the Annunciation of the Lord campus. The school relocated with the parish to 3910 Spring Avenue SW in 2003 and now occupies a state-of-the-art facility on 34 spacious acres. Saint Ann seeks to cultivate intellectual and moral virtue while pursuing academic excellence in a joyful, Christ-centered environment with small class sizes, an outdoor classroom/garden, and a recently redesigned library. The school is a short walk from the parish church.
- Grades served: Early Learning through 6th Grade
- Phone: (256) 353-6543
- Address: 3910 A Spring Ave. SW, Decatur, AL 35603
- Pedagogy: classical Catholic education
- School Board contact: Ken Rolling, 256-353-6543 ext. 202
'Building Bridges, Building Faith' — New Church Campaign
Even with six weekend Masses, the parish's multi-purpose room is no longer sufficient to house its more than 1,000 families. Bishop Steven Raica has granted Annunciation permission to build a permanent church to seat roughly 1,000 people, at an estimated cost of close to $16 million. The parish has set a five-year goal to raise the first $8 million needed before construction begins. Following the model that built St. Joseph Chapel, the campaign relies heavily on Kermés fundraisers — parish fiestas with food, music and fun — alongside traditional pledges. Deacon Lou Sciaroni has noted that even when parishioners do not share a language, 'we all worship the same God and carry a desire to give Him glory through our worship and our work.' The campaign is named 'Building Bridges, Building Faith' to reflect that unity.
- Proposed seating: ~1,000
- Estimated cost: ~$16 million
- Campaign goal: raise $8 million in 5 years
- Campaign name: 'Building Bridges, Building Faith'
- New Church Building Committee contact: Frank Adamsky, 256-476-3896
Getting Involved and Contact
Parishioners and visitors can contact the office Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM–4:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM–noon. A dedicated spiritual-emergency line is staffed outside office hours. The parish invites new and returning Catholics alike to join one of its many apostolates — from the Knights of Columbus and St. Vincent de Paul, to the Hispanic prayer groups and English Bible studies — or to begin OCIA/RICA on the path to full communion with the Catholic Church.
- Parish office: 256-353-2667 — [email protected]
- Spiritual emergency: 256-558-4246
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 8 AM–4 PM | Fri 8 AM–12 PM
- Address: 3910 Spring Avenue SW, Decatur, AL 35603
- Facebook: facebook.com/AnnunLord
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Charles Merrilluntil July 1, 2025
Most recent pastor before 2025; granted Retired Priest Status by Bishop Raica effective July 1, 2025
- Father Tom AckermanEffective July 1, 2025
Named pastor of Annunciation of the Lord Parish (and Resurrection Chapel in Moulton) by Bishop Raica, effective July 1, 2025