About Nativity of Our Lady · Darien, Georgia
Nativity of Our Lady Catholic Church is a small mission community in Darien, Georgia, in McIntosh County, served by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah. The mission is administered by St. Francis Xavier Parish in Brunswick, with which it shares pastors, staff, and sacramental records, and it also partners with St. William's Parish on St. Simons Island. Established in 1945 on land donated by the Dean family, it stands on a site tied to one of the oldest Catholic presences on the Georgia coast — nearly 500 years — and today its grounds host the principal outdoor monument to the Georgia Martyrs, the five Franciscan friars killed in 1597. The church offers a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Sunday morning Mass with reconciliation, and a Holy Day Mass.
- Established
- 1945
- Patron
- Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Fr. Mark Van Alstine
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah
Why belong here
Nativity of Our Lady offers a faithful Catholic home on the Georgia coast where Sunday Mass with reconciliation, Saturday Vigil Mass, and Holy Day liturgies are celebrated in an intimate mission setting. Because the mission is administered alongside St. Francis Xavier in Brunswick and St. William's on St. Simons Island, parishioners are connected to a wider Catholic community across coastal Glynn and McIntosh counties. The grounds are also home to the principal monument honoring the Georgia Martyrs, the five Franciscan friars killed in 1597 whose Cause for Canonization the Diocese of Savannah is pursuing — a unique spiritual patrimony that links every parishioner to nearly 500 years of Catholic witness in Darien.
Mass times at Nativity of Our Lady
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:15 PM – 4:45 PM (or by appointment)
- Sunday: 9:15 AM – 9:45 AM (or by appointment)
History of Catholicism in Darien
Catholic life in the Darien area dates back nearly 500 years. In 1526, two Dominican friars accompanied Conquistador Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon from Santo Domingo to Sapelo Sound to establish a colony that lasted only three months. Franciscan missionaries who followed established more substantial missions and worked closely with the native Guale people. According to the 1845 Catholic Directory, Darien was already listed as a mission served by priests from St. John the Baptist Church in Savannah (now the cathedral of the Diocese of Savannah, established 1850). The 1899 Catholic Directory first lists the mission as 'Nativity of Our Lord,' attended every second Sunday, and around 1912 Mass was being celebrated in the home of the Dean family on 'The Ridge' — now part of The Ridge Historic District on the National Register.
- 1526: Dominican friars arrive at Sapelo Sound with Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon.
- 1845 Catholic Directory: Darien listed as a mission.
- 1897: Marist Fathers take over spiritual care of Brunswick and surrounding area.
- 1899: Mission first listed as 'Nativity of Our Lord.'
- c. 1912: Mass celebrated in the Dean family home on 'The Ridge.'
Founding of Nativity of Our Lady (1944–1945)
In 1944, Mrs. Frank Dean and Paul J. Varner donated land to Most Rev. Gerald P. O'Hara for the construction of a new church. In 1945 the altar was consecrated and dedicated to Marion Leo Dean, a son of the Dean family in whose home Mass had originally been celebrated, who died on the SS City of Atlanta when it was torpedoed by a German submarine off the coast of Cape Hatteras. The dedication ceremony was officiated by Rev. Msgr. James E. Moylan, Administrator of Savannah-Atlanta, together with the general pastor of territory, Rev. Philip Hasson, SM. Construction was directed by Rev. Leo F. Ziebarth, SM, Assistant Pastor, and the church was described at the time as a 'modern replica' of the Spanish missions that had been established along the coast. Living quarters, which later became meeting rooms, flank the sacristy.
- 1944: Land donated by Mrs. Frank Dean and Paul J. Varner.
- 1945: Altar consecrated; church dedicated.
- Marist Fathers (SM) directed the year-long construction.
- 1952: Wooden Madonna and Child sculpture carved from a tree trunk, gifted to the church by a friend of Fr. Ziebarth.
The Georgia Martyrs
The five Franciscans known as the Georgia Martyrs — Fray Pedro de Corpa, Fray Blas de Rodríguez, Fray Miguel de Añon, Fray Antonio de Badajoz, and Fray Francisco de Veráscola — were killed in the 1597 Juanillo Rebellion at and around the Spanish mission of Tolomato, believed to have been close to present-day Darien. The Diocese of Savannah is pursuing a Canonization Cause of Sainthood for them; Bishop Raymond W. Lessard formally opened the Cause on February 22, 1984, and the Holy See formally recognized their deaths as martyrdom in 2025. In 1997, Nativity of Our Lady hosted a celebration to educate parishioners about Fray Pedro de Corpa and Companions; local artist Marjorie Lawrence created a sculpture of the five martyrs that now hangs in St. William's Parish on St. Simons Island. On October 9, 2021, Bishop Stephen D. Parkes, Archbishop Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM Conv., and Bishop Emeritus Kevin Boland installed and dedicated a new outdoor monument to the Five Friars of Georgia on the Nativity of Our Lady grounds — a sculpture by internationally renowned Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz. The mission in Darien has been chosen by the diocese as the principal formal site of veneration for the martyrs.
- Cause for Beatification opened by Bishop Raymond W. Lessard on February 22, 1984.
- Martyrdom formally recognized by the Holy See in 2025.
- 1997 celebration hosted at Nativity of Our Lady.
- Timothy Schmalz monument dedicated on parish grounds on October 9, 2021.
- Pilgrimage site for the Five Friars of Georgia.
Leadership & Staff
Nativity of Our Lady Mission is administered by St. Francis Xavier Parish in Brunswick, which also works closely with St. William's Parish on St. Simons Island. The current pastor, Fr. Mark Van Alstine, succeeded Fr. Timothy McKeown in July 2024. He is assisted by Parochial Vicar Fr. Juan Carlos Castillo, two deacons — Deacon Terry Mermann and Deacon Chris Sadowski (the latter serving as Director of Faith Formation) — and Office Manager/Secretary Nadine Crosby. The mission maintains its own pastoral and financial councils, but much of the administrative work is done at the parish office of St. Francis Xavier in Brunswick, and all sacramental records are kept there.
- Pastor: Fr. Mark Van Alstine (since July 2024)
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Juan Carlos Castillo
- Deacon Terry Mermann
- Deacon Chris Sadowski — Director of Faith Formation
- Nadine Crosby — Office Manager/Secretary
Administration & Relationship to St. Francis Xavier, Brunswick
Because Nativity of Our Lady is a mission rather than an independent parish, administrative and sacramental life is closely tied to St. Francis Xavier Parish in Brunswick. The mission has its own pastoral and financial councils, but most administrative work is done at the parish office of St. Francis Xavier and all sacramental records are kept in Brunswick. St. William's Parish on St. Simons Island is a third member of this collaborative grouping along the lower Georgia coast. The Mission belongs to the Valdosta-Brunswick Deanery of the Diocese of Savannah.
- Deanery: Valdosta-Brunswick
- Year Established (as Nativity of Our Lady mission): 1945
- Administered by St. Francis Xavier Parish, Brunswick
- Cooperates with St. William's Parish, St. Simons Island
Visit Us & Contact
Nativity of Our Lady welcomes visitors and newcomers. The parish office can be reached by phone or email, and the church is located on North Way (Highway 17) in Darien. Pilgrims to the Georgia Martyrs monument will find it on the church grounds.
- Address: 1000 N. Way Street (Hwy. 17), Darien, GA 31305
- Phone: (912) 437-4750
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://nativitydarien.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Msgr. James E. Moylan1945
Administrator of Savannah-Atlanta; officiated at the dedication of the church and consecration of the altar.
- Rev. Philip Hasson, SM1945
General pastor of the territory; participated in the dedication ceremony alongside Msgr. Moylan.
- Rev. Leo F. Ziebarth, SM1944–1945 (construction)
Assistant Pastor of the Marist Fathers; directed the year-long construction of the church building on the Dean–Varner donated land.
- Franciscan Friars1988–2014
Care of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Brunswick — and, by extension, the Nativity of Our Lady mission in Darien — was turned over to the Franciscan Friars in 1988.
- Fr. Timothy McKeownJuly 2014 – July 2024
First Diocesan pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish and, by extension, Nativity of Our Lady Mission; during his tenure the Timothy Schmalz Georgia Martyrs monument was dedicated on the mission grounds in 2021.
- Fr. Mark Van AlstineJuly 2024 – present
Succeeded Fr. Timothy McKeown as pastor.