About Holy Rosary · Birmingham, Alabama
Holy Rosary is a small, diverse Catholic parish serving the Gate City neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama, within the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama. Founded in 1889 as a mission of Saint Paul's Cathedral to serve Belgian and Irish immigrant workers at the Alabama Rolling Mill, it remains in its original hand-built wooden church — the oldest Catholic church building in Birmingham. Today the parish is known less for its size than for the scope of its social outreach: a Food Pantry that distributes roughly 3.5 tons of food each week and serves about 600 families a month, a Clothing Closet, a youth soccer program, and a long-running Salesian tradition of youth ministry rooted in Don Bosco's "oratory" model of prayer and play.
- Established
- 1889
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Holy Rosary
- Rector
- Fr. Doug Vu
- Diocese
- Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama
Why belong here
Holy Rosary is a small but unusually generous parish whose life radiates outward into the Gate City neighborhood through its Food Pantry (about 600 families served monthly, roughly 3.5 tons of food distributed each week), Clothing Closet, and youth soccer program. Worship is rooted in a historic 1889 wooden church where the Holy Rosary is prayed before each Mass, and the community gathers for potluck fellowship in the Parish Hall on the first Sunday of each month. For those drawn to a parish where word, sacrament, and service are lived together in a tight-knit, diverse community — and where more than 90% of income goes directly to neighborhood services — Holy Rosary offers a clear, hands-on way to live Catholic social teaching.
Mass times at Holy Rosary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By request / by appointment (4th Sunday of the month arrangements referenced on site)
History of Holy Rosary
Holy Rosary traces its origins to 1889, when Catholic families who had moved to the area to work at the Alabama Rolling Mill gathered for Mass in one another's homes as a mission of Saint Paul's Cathedral. Maclin Ross, president of the Gate City Land Company, bought three lots for one dollar for "church purposes" and deeded them to Bishop Jeremiah O'Sullivan; on that land the immigrant founders built a simple wooden church with a hand-carved altar to seat about 80 worshipers. Originally known as Red Gap and later Gate City, the neighborhood's Belgian and Irish parishioners were eventually joined by African American neighbors, making Holy Rosary one of the first truly integrated parishes in the area. On September 22, 1955, Archbishop Thomas Joseph Toolen erected the mission as its own parish and entrusted it to the Salesians of Don Bosco, who shaped its youth ministry for the next six decades. The Salesians were recalled in 2014 and the parish passed to diocesan administration under Fr. Bryan Jerebek, then Fr. George Maniangattu, then Fr. Jon Chalmers (2017, pastor 2018) and currently Fr. Doug Vu.
- 1889 — Mission of St. Paul's Cathedral established; church built by Belgian and Irish immigrants
- 1955 (Sept 22) — Erected as a parish under Archbishop Toolen and the Salesians of Don Bosco
- 1959 — Fr. Aloysius Trifari, SDB, builds St. Bernadette Church further west on Georgia Road
- 1973 — Salesians reopen former St. Clement's as St. John Bosco Parish; St. Bernadette is closed
- 1976 (March) — Building entered on the Alabama State Registry of Landmarks and Heritage
- 1986 — Br. Charles Todel, SDB, arrives and expands the youth oratory, food pantry and clothes closet
- 2014 (Feb 1) — Salesians depart; parish comes under the Diocese of Birmingham
- 2017 — Fr. Jon Chalmers becomes Administrator; named Pastor in 2018
- 2021 (Jan 20) — Ground blessing for new Food Pantry & Clothing Closet
- 2022 (Jan 16) — Fr. Doug Vu blesses the completed new facilities
- 2024 (Oct 6) — 135th anniversary; Bishop Steven Raica blesses the new buildings
Architecture and the Historic Church
The 1889 church is a small wooden Carpenter Gothic building, unusual in Birmingham for being a 19th-century wooden church that is still in regular liturgical use. Inside, the eye is drawn to the high altar and reredos, hand-carved from scrap wood by parishioner Alexander Walker — a stunning piece of folk carpentry that is even more remarkable when seen from behind. After the Second Vatican Council, the original altar and tabernacle were retained as the 'altar of repose,' with a free-standing altar and simple ambo added for the celebration of the Eucharist and Liturgy of the Word. The building was added to the Alabama State Registry of Landmarks and Heritage in March 1976.
- Oldest surviving Catholic church building in Birmingham
- Wooden Carpenter Gothic, originally seating about 80
- Hand-carved altar and reredos by parishioner Alexander Walker
- Listed on the Alabama State Registry of Landmarks and Heritage (March 1976)
Mass and Sacramental Life
The parish gathers for Sunday Mass at 8:30 am and a Thursday Rosary Mass at 8:00 am, with the Holy Rosary prayed in the church a half hour before each Mass. Confession is available by request, and arrangements for the sacraments (including baptism and marriage) are made through the parish office.
- Sunday Mass — 8:30 am
- Thursday Rosary Mass — 8:00 am
- Holy Rosary — 8:00 am Sunday, 7:30 am Thursday
- Confession by request
Parish Life and Fellowship
Holy Rosary describes itself as a small, diverse and vibrant community rooted in word, sacrament, and service. After Sunday Mass, parishioners gather for potluck and fellowship in the adjacent Parish Hall at 10:00 am on the first Sunday of each month; on other Sundays the Parish Hall hosts scripture readings, education, and discussion. The parish is supported by a Directory of Members and Volunteers, and more than 90% of its income goes directly to neighborhood services.
- First Sunday of the month — potluck and fellowship in the Parish Hall at 10:00 am
- Other Sundays — Scripture readings, education, and discussion
- Directory of Members and Volunteers supports lay leadership
- Twitter: @HolyRosaryBham
Food Pantry and Clothing Closet
Rooted in the Salesian-era emergency food service started by Brother Del Labonte and organized by Brother Charles Todel in the 1980s, Holy Rosary's Food Pantry is one of the most substantial in metro Birmingham. The pantry distributes roughly 3.5 tons of food each week and serves about 600 families a month — including fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy, bakery goods, and shelf-stable items. The adjacent Clothing Closet, long run by Ms. Jackson for over 30 years, distributes clothing, appliances, and sometimes even vehicles to families in need. In 2021 the parish broke ground on a purpose-built facility, blessed it on January 16, 2022, and on October 6, 2024 Bishop Steven Raica returned to bless the buildings during the parish's 135th anniversary.
- ~3.5 tons of food distributed weekly
- ~600 families served each month
- Fresh fruit & vegetables, dairy, bakery, shelf-stable items
- Clothing Closet offers clothing, appliances, and occasionally vehicles
- New purpose-built facility opened January 2022
Youth Ministry: Oratory, Soccer, and More
Holy Rosary continues the Salesian "oratory" model — a place to pray and play — through a youth oratory that has grown into an after-school program and a summer-long day camp. The parish also runs a youth soccer program, drawing on the same network of volunteers and lay missioners who keep the rest of the parish's ministries running.
- Youth Oratory (after-school program)
- Summer day camp
- Youth Soccer program
- Volunteer-driven; part of the Salesian tradition
Get Involved and Support the Parish
Holy Rosary's social apostolate is supported almost entirely by volunteers and outside benefactors. The parish seeks volunteers for the Food Pantry, Clothing Closet, soccer programs, and many other opportunities; financial contributions can be designated to the Food Pantry or to maintenance of the parish facilities. Because more than 90% of parish income goes directly to neighborhood services, even small contributions have a visible impact in Gate City.
- Volunteer with the Food Pantry or Clothing Closet
- Help with the youth soccer program
- Online donations via the parish website
- Checks may be mailed to the parish address
Visit Holy Rosary
The parish is located in the Gate City neighborhood of east Birmingham, at the meeting point of Crestwood, Woodlawn, and Irondale in Red Gap. Sunday Mass is at 8:30 am, with the Rosary prayed at 8:00 am, and the Thursday Rosary Mass is at 8:00 am with the Rosary at 7:30 am. The Parish Hall sits adjacent to the church, and the new Food Pantry and Clothing Closet are on the parish grounds.
- 7414 Georgia Road, Birmingham, AL 35212
- Phone: (205) 595-0652
- Website: holyrosarybirmingham.org
- Twitter: @HolyRosaryBham
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Aloysius Trifari, SDB1955–1968
First Salesian pastor; oversaw ~120 conversions and erected St. Bernadette Church (1959)
- Salesians of Don Bosco (collective leadership)1968–2014
Including Brother Del Labonte (emergency food service) and Brother Charles Todel (oratory, food pantry, clothes closet from 1986)
- Fr. Bryan Jerebek2014–2016
First diocesan Administrator after Salesians departed
- Fr. George Maniangattu2016–2017
Diocesan Administrator
- Fr. Jon Chalmers2017–2021
Administrator 2017, Pastor 2018; left to become Pastor of Prince of Peace Catholic Church, Hoover
- Fr. Doug Vu2021–present
Administrator/Pastor; blessed the new Food Pantry & Clothing Closet Jan 16, 2022