About Christ the King · Daphne, Alabama
Christ the King Catholic Church is a large Roman Catholic parish in Daphne, Alabama, on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay, in the Archdiocese of Mobile. Tracing its roots to 1895 and the Italian colonists who built the Church of the Assumption, the parish was formally established under the name Christ the King in 1937 and now serves more than 1,900 families. The campus includes the 1993 church, a perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel (dedicated in 2013), the parish school (founded 1950), and the historic original sanctuary now called Assumption Hall.
- Established
- 1895 (parish roots); 1937 (renamed Christ the King)
- Patron
- Christ the King
- Rector
- Rev. Johnny (Fr. Savoie)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Mobile
Why belong here
Christ the King offers one of the most active Catholic lives on Alabama's Eastern Shore: weekend Masses broadcast live, a Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel with over 400 weekly guardians, more than 30 ministries spanning children, youth, adults, family life, liturgy, outreach and stewardship, and a Pre-K through Grade 8 Catholic school on the same campus. Rooted in the Italian Catholic heritage of Daphne and now serving over 1,900 families, the parish combines small-town warmth with the breadth of programs — Life Teen, Edge, RCIA, Knights of Columbus, Prison Ministry, Ecumenical Ministries pantry, the parish library, the Pilgrim Mary program, and the annual Festa Italiana — that newcomers can plug into immediately.
Mass times at Christ the King
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Perpetual (24 hours) — Blessed Sacrament Chapel
History of Christ the King Parish
Christ the King's story stretches from 1895 to today. Land was purchased in Daphne in June 1895 and the first church, the Church of the Assumption, was built by Italian colonists; Father Angelo Chiariglione, a Scalabrini missionary from Torino, became the first resident pastor in 1898. On October 24, 1937, Bishop Thomas Toolen blessed the cornerstone of a new sanctuary and the parish was renamed Christ the King under Father James Loftus. Father Denis Gray opened Christ the King Catholic School in September 1950, staffed by the Sisters of Loretto. A new, larger church was dedicated on November 22, 1993, and on March 10, 2013, the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel was added.
- 1895 — Land purchased in Daphne for a Catholic church
- 1898 — Church of the Assumption completed; first resident pastor Fr. Angelo Chiariglione, CS; Queen Margherita of Italy's gift of vestments
- 1925 — Rectory built under Fr. Manuel Campodonico
- 1937 — Parish renamed Christ the King; cornerstone blessed by Bishop Thomas Toolen, Oct. 24
- 1949–1950 — Christ the King Catholic School opened under Fr. Denis Gray
- 1970 — Festa Italiana begins (still held annually)
- 1975 — Parish Council established
- 1993 — New church dedicated on the Feast of Christ the King, Nov. 22
- 2013 — Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel dedicated, March 10
Sacraments
The parish prepares Catholics for the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, First Communion, First Reconciliation, Confirmation), celebrates Marriage and Anointing of the Sick, and welcomes adults through the RCIA process. Parents and engaged couples contact the Parish Office at 251-626-2343.
- Baptism
- First Communion / First Reconciliation
- Confirmation
- Marriage — by appointment through the parish office
- Anointing of the Sick
- RCIA for adults and children
Christ the King Catholic School (PreK–8)
Founded in 1950 under Father Denis Gray and staffed at first by the Sisters of Loretto, Christ the King Catholic School is administered through Christ the King Parish and is fully accredited by AdvanceEd. It serves approximately 550–600 students in PreK 3 through 8th grade, with average class sizes of 12 (PreK 3), 17 (PreK 4) and 27 (K–8). Pre-K through Grade 4 each have full-time teaching assistants; Grades 5–8 share assistants. Enrichment classes include Library, Technology Lab, Art, Music, and World Language (Spanish). The Presentation Sisters of Lismore, Ireland staffed the school from 1972 until Sr. Maureen Nolan's retirement in 2008.
- Opened September 5, 1950 — four classrooms, 122 students in Grades 1–8, four Sisters of Loretto
- Sisters of Loretto 1949–1972; Presentation Sisters (Lismore, Ireland) 1972–2008
- PreK 3 and PreK 4 added in January 2017
- Current principal: Mrs. Jackie Garlock; Assistant Principal: Mrs. Caitlen Babb
- Director of Advancement and Admissions: Mrs. Amanda McCallum
- Athletic Director on staff; Extended Care program
- School phone: 251.626.1692
- Accredited by AdvanceEd; student-teacher ratio ~13:1
Parish Ministries & Faith Formation
Christ the King maintains more than 30 ministries across Children, Youth, Adults, Family Life, Liturgy and Worship, Stewardship and Development, Outreach, and Religious Education. Adult faith formation courses run each summer; youth ministry runs Life Teen (the Sunday 4:30 PM Mass) and EDGE for middle-schoolers; the Knights of Columbus Father Ryan Council 2737 serves the parish; the parish library is open Sunday mornings and by keycard during the week.
- Life Teen — Sunday 4:30 PM Mass; Youth Minister Dillon Stein / Katlyn Wing ([email protected])
- EDGE (middle school) — birthday-bundle drives for Catholic Social Services
- Summer Adult Faith Formation Courses — facilitator Steve Coppejans
- Knights of Columbus Father Ryan Council 2737
- Parish Library — Sundays 8:00 AM–1:00 PM; keycard from Parish Office; contact Laura Guarisco ([email protected])
- Pilgrim Mary home visitation (Cheryl Miller, 251-490-2803)
- Ladies Soldality / Burse Club / ACCW
Outreach & Charity
The parish has an active social-outreach footprint on the Eastern Shore, partnering with Ecumenical Ministries (a Baldwin United Way agency), Catholic Social Services, and the Mobile County Metro Jail through its Prison Ministry.
- Ecumenical Ministries pantry — CTK stocks the pantry each June; needs include canned meats and non-stamp-eligible items
- Prison Ministry — collects toiletries, Bibles, underwear, t-shirts, socks for Mobile County Metro Jail
- EDGE Birthday Bundles for Catholic Social Services (cake mixes, frosting, candles, tablecloths, gift bags)
Italian Heritage & Festa Italiana
Christ the King keeps Daphne's Italian Catholic roots visible in its life. The parish descends from the Italian colonists who built the original Church of the Assumption in 1895, and in 1970 the Ladies of Christ the King organized the Festa Italiana — an annual festival still held today that funds the Ladies Soldality, the Burse Club, and the ACCW.
- Festa Italiana — annual festival since 1970
- Queen Margherita of Italy's 1898 vestments still on display in the church vestibule
- Original 1895-era sanctuary preserved as 'Assumption Hall'
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Angelo Chiariglione, CS1898–1909
Scalabrini missionary from Torino, Italy; first resident pastor. Built the Church of the Assumption with the early Italian colonists.
- Father Manuel Campodonico1925
Built the rectory during his pastorate.
- Father James Loftus1937
Pastored the parish when Bishop Thomas Toolen blessed the cornerstone of the new church and the parish was renamed Christ the King on October 24, 1937.
- Father Denis Gray1949–1950
Realized the long-held dream of a parochial school; Christ the King Catholic School opened September 1950.
- Father Matthew O'Connor1993–present
Oversaw the completion and dedication of the new church in 1993; led the parish to over 1,900 families and the dedication of the Perpetual Adoration Chapel in 2013.
- Father Johnny Savoie2023–present
Installed as pastor by Archbishop Rodi at the 11:00 AM Mass on July 16, 2023; previously, Father Gabriel Mills was farewelled in June 2024.