About Most Holy Trinity · Augusta, Georgia
Most Holy Trinity is a historic Roman Catholic parish in downtown Augusta, Georgia, serving the faithful since 1810. It belongs to the Diocese of Savannah and is the mother church of Catholic life in the Augusta area — its missions include St. Joseph Church in South Augusta. The parish shares 720 Telfair Street with Immaculate Conception Catholic School (811 Telfair Street), its parish school founded by the Franciscan Sisters in 1902. The current church building was constructed 1857–1863 and is the oldest surviving Catholic church building in Georgia, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today the parish is led by Fr. Jacek Szuster and offers daily and Sunday Mass in English, plus a Spanish-language Mass on Sundays at St. Joseph Church.
- Established
- 1810
- Patron
- Most Holy Trinity (the Holy Trinity)
- Rector
- Rev. Jacek Szuster
- Diocese
- Diocese of Savannah
Why belong here
Parishioners at Most Holy Trinity worship in one of the oldest surviving Catholic sanctuaries in Georgia — an 1857–1863 Niernsee-designed National Register landmark in the heart of downtown Augusta — while participating in a faith community that goes all the way back to 1810. The parish offers daily and Sunday Mass in English, a Spanish Mass on Sundays at nearby St. Joseph, a long-running faith-formation program for children and youth, RCIA for adults, an active music ministry under Dr. Nancy Sutton, ministries to the homebound and to military members and veterans, and the historic Immaculate Conception Catholic School right next door. It is also a congregation with a deep record of charity — from the Yellow Fever epidemics of the 19th century to the present-day service organizations that meet at the parish.
Mass times at Most Holy Trinity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 11:30 AM – 12:00 noon
- Tuesday & Thursday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 noon (per Discover Mass listing)
- Tuesday / Thursday / Friday: 6:00 AM – 7:00 AM (per Discover Mass listing)
- Saturday: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- Saturday: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- Domingos (Spanish): 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM at St. Joseph Church
Adoration times
- Friday: 6:00 AM – 7:00 AM (Men's Holy Hour)
- First Friday: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
- Thursday: after the 12:15 PM Mass until 4:00 PM
History of Most Holy Trinity
Most Holy Trinity is one of the oldest Catholic congregations in Georgia, established in 1810 when the growing Catholic population of Augusta first required a resident priest. The first church (popularly known as St. Patrick's) was completed in 1814. By 1843 the parish had outgrown its building, and after the 1854 Yellow Fever epidemic the parishioners resolved to build the present sanctuary, designed by John Rudolph Niernsee. The cornerstone was laid July 19, 1857; the church was completed and consecrated in 1863, and the organ was installed in 1868.
- 1810 – parish established; first resident priest Rev. Dr. Robert Browne, 1809–1810
- 1814 – first church completed in Augusta
- 1839 & 1854 – church buildings serve as hospital and orphanage during Yellow Fever epidemics
- 1857–1863 – present sanctuary constructed to designs by Niernsee
- 1863 – building consecrated during the Civil War; marble altars run through Union blockade
- 1868 – Jardine organ installed
- 1963 – 100th anniversary celebrations, renovations under Rev. Ralph Seikel
- 1991–2004 – Rev. Allan McDonald; church nominated to National Register of Historic Places
- 1997 – listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRIS 97000250)
- 2006 – Georgia Historical Society historical marker erected
- 2025 – recognized as a Jubilee Church for the Holy Year
Architecture & The Historic Sanctuary
The current sanctuary is a twin-towered Romanesque / Round-Arch style brick basilica, designed in the Rundbogenstil tradition by John Rudolph Niernsee. Surviving mid-19th-century interior elements include a domical vault over the apse containing a mural scene from the life of Christ, the three Baltimore-marble altars, and stained-glass windows identified as significant examples of mid-19th-century Georgia decorative arts. The historical marker placed in 2006 by the Georgia Historical Society (marker 121-3) describes the building and its part in Augusta and Confederate history.
- Architect: John Rudolph Niernsee (1814–1884), Vienna-born
- Altars: three marble altars made in Baltimore by John P. Mullen
- Organ: historic Jardine organ, installed 1868, restored under Rev. Allan McDonald
- Designation: National Register of Historic Places, 1997
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Most Holy Trinity runs faith formation for children and youth on Sunday mornings from September through May, 9:15–10:15 AM. Adults preparing for full initiation into the Catholic Church (or baptized Catholics seeking Confirmation) go through the parish's RCIA program, which meets Sundays 4:00–5:00 PM in St. Francis Hall next door to the church. Bill Harper coordinates the parish's Over-50 Religious Education. Kylie and Andrew Murdison lead Trinity Youth Group and youth ministry. A deeper-adult mission has also been hosted at the parish, most recently a December 2024 mission on 'Work out Your Salvation' led by Fr. Wade L. J. Menezes, C.P.M., of the Fathers of Mercy.
- Children & Youth Faith Formation — Sundays 9:15–10:15 AM, Sept–May
- RCIA — Sundays 4:00–5:00 PM, St. Francis Hall
- Trinity Youth Group — Kylie & Andrew Murdison
- Over-50 Religious Education — Bill Harper
- Parish Mission 2024 — Fathers of Mercy
Immaculate Conception Catholic School
Immaculate Conception Catholic School at 811 Telfair Street is the parish school of Most Holy Trinity. It traces its history to 1902, when Franciscan Sisters opened a boarding school for girls in Augusta; in 1913 the African Missionary Fathers built and dedicated Immaculate Conception Church and Immaculate Conception Academy, and the Franciscan Sisters moved their students into the larger campus. Under Fr. Jacek Szuster — who was named Pastor of the Year by the NCEA in 2014 — Immaculate Conception became the first fully inclusive Catholic special-education school in the Diocese of Savannah, operating today as a Center for Individualized Student Learning with capped class sizes and individualized learning plans.
- Founded 1902 by Franciscan Sisters
- Address: 811 Telfair Street, Augusta, GA 30901
- Phone: (706) 722-9964 / Fax: (706) 722-9994
- Principal: Mrs. Allison Palfy ([email protected])
- First fully inclusive special-education Catholic school in the Diocese of Savannah
Aquinas High School
Aquinas High School (706-736-5516, [email protected]) is the parish high school of Most Holy Trinity and the only private Catholic high school in Augusta. It offers a college-preparatory curriculum with AP and Honors courses, daily Mass and prayer, retreats, campus ministry, and a wide range of extracurriculars including art, athletics, drama, French and Spanish clubs and Model UN.
- Phone: (706) 736-5516
- Email: [email protected]
- Website referenced in the parish bulletin
Music & Liturgy
The Music Department of Most Holy Trinity, led by Organist/Director of Music Dr. Nancy Sutton ([email protected]), sings regular Sunday Masses and parish liturgies. The choirs are particularly welcoming to new singers, especially in the tenor, bass and alto sections. Bill Harper serves as the parish's Director of Liturgy in addition to his role as Over-50 Religious Education Coordinator. The parish's historic Jardine organ, after which the church is sometimes described, was restored in the late 1990s and remains central to the parish's liturgical life.
- Director of Music / Organist — Dr. Nancy Sutton
- Director of Liturgy — Bill Harper ([email protected])
- Historic Jardine organ — installed 1868, restored
Pastoral & Outreach Ministries
Beyond the sanctuary, Most Holy Trinity runs a number of outreach ministries. The St. Elizabeth Ministry coordinates visits to hospitalized, homebound and care-facility parishioners and publishes the prayer list in the bulletin. The Military & Veterans Ministry (Tom Kiernan, 706-863-2134) prays for deployed parishioners and their families. Birthright of Augusta (706-733-5683) and Catholic Social Services of Augusta (706-722-3661) maintain parish connections. The parish hosts an Intercessory Prayer Line (Diana Plowman, 706-228-4271), blood drives with the Shepeard Blood Center, and many parish-school community-outreach partnerships with the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, the Wounded Warrior Project and St. John's Towers.
- St. Elizabeth Ministry (homebound/hospital outreach)
- Military & Veterans Ministry
- Birthright of Augusta, Catholic Social Services of Augusta
- Intercessory Prayer Line: 706-228-4271
- Blood drives (Shepeard Blood Center)
- Immaculate Conception community partnerships — Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Wounded Warrior Project, St. John's Towers
Parish Office & Practical Information
The parish office is at 720 Telfair Street, open Monday through Thursday 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM and Friday 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, closing for lunch from 12:15 to 1:15 each day. The mailing/contact address is 720 Telfair Street, Augusta, GA 30901. Bulletin is edited by Helen Griffin, and Fr. Jacek Szuster can be reached at the Priests' Residence at (706) 724-3086. The Diocesan Sexual Abuse of Minors Hotline is 1-888-375-5330.
- Parish Office: (706) 722-4944 / Fax: (706) 722-7774
- Emergency after-hours priest: (706) 922-7831
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 AM–4:30 PM; Fri 9:00 AM–3:30 PM
- Email Pastor: [email protected]
- Diocesan Sexual Abuse Hotline: 1-888-375-5330
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Dr. Robert Browne1809–1810
First resident priest; oversaw building of Augusta's first Catholic church (completed 1814)
- Rt. Rev. John Barry1830–1853
Later became the second Bishop of Savannah; famed for charity during the 1839 and 1854 Yellow Fever epidemics
- Father Abram J. Ryan
Served as pastor during and at the end of the Civil War; the 'Poet-Priest of the Confederacy,' editor of The Banner of the South
- Rev. Ralph Seikel1963
Pastor for the 100th anniversary of the present building; oversaw ~$40,000 in renovations
- Rev. William Simmons1971–1983
Started the fund for the restoration of the Jardine organ
- Rev. John O'Brien1983–1990
- Rev. Fred Nijem1990
- Rev. Richard Canty1990
- Rev. Allan McDonald1991–2004
Steered church's nomination to the National Register of Historic Places; oversaw restoration of the Jardine organ
- Rev. Daniel Munn1991–2006
- Rev. Brett Brannen2004–2005
- Rev. Tim Donahue2005–
Listed as pastor 2005–present in the parish's archive of pastors
- Rev. Jacek Szuster
Current pastor (as listed on parish staff page); in 2014 was named Pastor of the Year by the National Catholic Educational Association for his work at Immaculate Conception Catholic School