About Our Lady of Sorrows · Birmingham, Alabama
Our Lady of Sorrows is a Catholic parish of the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama, located at 1728 Oxmoor Road in Homewood, a suburb of Birmingham. It is the second-oldest Catholic parish in the city of Birmingham, founded in 1887 by Father James A. Meurer to serve the area's German-speaking Catholic community. The parish operates Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School (PreK–3 through 8th grade) and offers a full sacramental and devotional life including weekend and daily Masses, Saturday confessions, First Friday and First Saturday devotions, and live-streamed liturgies via YouTube. The church building in Homewood was designed by Birmingham architect Charles McCauley, dedicated in 1960, and is known for its Seven Sorrows stained-glass windows and a Kenneth Jones pipe organ from Dublin, Ireland.
- Established
- 1887
- Patron
- Our Lady of Sorrows (the Blessed Virgin Mary, under her title of the Seven Sorrows)
- Rector
- Very Rev. Canon Walter Ptak (Pastor, per the parish's official staff directory)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama
Why belong here
Our Lady of Sorrows offers a rich sacramental rhythm — including a Vigil Mass on Saturday and five Sunday Masses (several livestreamed on YouTube), daily morning Masses Monday through Saturday, Saturday confessions, and First Friday and First Saturday devotions. Families with school-age children can take advantage of the on-campus Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School (PreK–3 through 8th grade, accredited by Cognia), and the parish supports faith formation through Family Discipleship and a Youth Discipleship program. A Director of Christian Service coordinates outreach, the music ministry is led by a Director and Assistant Director of Music and a Kenneth Jones pipe organ, and a Columbarium and Memorial Wall extend the parish's pastoral care beyond the grave. It is a parish with deep Birmingham roots — the second-oldest Catholic parish in the city — and a present-day campus serving the Homewood community.
Mass times at Our Lady of Sorrows
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Church
Parish History and Identity
Our Lady of Sorrows traces its origins to 1887, when Bishop Jeremiah O'Sullivan assigned Father James A. Meurer to found a parish for Birmingham's German-speaking Catholic workers — only the second permanent Catholic parish in the city after St. Paul's. The first wooden church was built in 1889 at the southwest corner of 14th Street and Avenue F; a redbrick replacement followed in 1903–1905. After a fire in March 1949, the community relocated to Homewood, where the present church was dedicated on January 17, 1960.
- Founded 1887 by Father James A. Meurer for German-speaking Catholics of Birmingham
- First wooden church built 1889 at 14th Street and Avenue F
- Redbrick church dedicated September 17, 1905 (Bishop Edward P. Allen)
- Relocated to 1728 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, after the 1949 fire
- Present church dedicated January 17, 1960; architect Charles McCauley
The Seven Sorrows of Mary and the Parish Name
The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows (the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary) was first granted to the Servite friars in 1668 and extended to the whole Roman Church by 1814. Although many churches bearing this name were founded by the Servites, the founder of Our Lady of Sorrows, Father Meurer, was not a member of any religious order; the parish history notes that the exact reason for the name remains unknown.
- The prophecy of Simeon
- The flight into Egypt
- The finding of Jesus in the temple
- The way of the cross
- The Crucifixion
- The taking down of Jesus from the cross
- The entombment
Building, Art, and Sacred Furnishings
The 1960 Homewood church is enriched by several distinctive artistic installations. A handmade pipe organ from the Kenneth Jones Company of Dublin, Ireland, was installed in 1985, and the Botti Studios of Evanston, Illinois, created the Seven Sorrows of Mary pictorial stained-glass windows, dedicated on the parish feast day, September 15, 1991. Seven crosses on the sanctuary's back wall mirror the seven sorrows.
- Handmade organ — Kenneth Jones Company, Dublin, Ireland (1985)
- Seven Sorrows stained-glass windows — Botti Studios, Evanston, Illinois (1990–1991)
- Seven crosses on the back wall of the sanctuary
- Chapel of Our Savior (new door blessed August 2007, honoring Ida Wilder and Mary Claire Brouillette)
- Columbarium and Memorial Wall (completed 2009)
Clergy and Parish Staff
The parish is shepherded by a pastor with the support of a priest-support clergy and a pastoral deacon, alongside a broad lay staff that supports faith formation, music, youth, business, facilities, and outreach ministries. The current staff roster, drawn from the parish's official directory, is listed below.
- Very Rev. Canon Walter Ptak — Pastor
- Rev. Paul Onyebuchi — Priest Support
- Deacon Michael Heard — Pastoral Support
- James Nordbeck — Business Manager
- Dr. Noriko Ernst — Director of Music; Esther Szafranski — Assistant Director of Music
- Erik Coules — Director of Family Discipleship; Grace Papa — Associate Director
- Tori Polhill — Director of Youth Discipleship
- Bridgid Holloway — Director of Christian Service
- Mary Sheltrown — Athletic Director
- Sue Siemiesz — Facilities Coordinator; Louie Baka & Sean DeWitt — Maintenance
- Chris O'Donnell — Technology Coordinator
- Patti Bair, Kim Dziewit, Karen Paterson — Administrative Assistants
- Shannon McLaughlin — Family Discipleship Admin Assistant
Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School
The parish school, located at 1720 Oxmoor Road next door to the church, began operation in 1951 with the school auditorium serving as the church for eight years until the new sanctuary was dedicated. Today the school serves children from Wee-K3 through eighth grade and is accredited by Cognia. The school's principal is Mrs. Katherine (Mary Jane) Dorn, and the curriculum pairs academics with religious education, music, art, technology, physical education, Spanish, and competitive sports, as well as a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program for ages 3–12 developed in October 2006. (Note: some parish-history pages identify the principal as 'Mary Jane Dorn'. The school's current staff directory also lists Mrs. Katherine Ambrose and Mrs. Andrea Allen — local leadership has included multiple administrators; most recent staff listings show Mrs. Katherine Ambrose.)
- Wee-K3 through Grade 8
- Accredited by Cognia
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (Atrium) program, ages 3–12
- Curriculum includes Art, Music, Spanish, Technology, PE, Library, Counseling
- Athletic programs
- School Mass: Thursdays during the school year
Faith Formation and Family Discipleship
The parish operates a Family Discipleship office led by Erik Coules (Director), with Grace Papa as Associate Director and Shannon McLaughlin as administrative assistant. Youth Discipleship for older students is coordinated by Tori Polhill. Children's religious formation follows the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd model, which has been part of parish life since October 2006.
- Director of Family Discipleship: Erik Coules
- Associate Director of Family Discipleship: Grace Papa
- Director of Youth Discipleship: Tori Polhill
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (Atrium) for ages 3–12
Music and Liturgy
The Music Ministry at Our Lady of Sorrows is directed by Dr. Noriko Ernst, with Mrs. Esther Szafranski as Assistant Director of Music. The parish's principal instrument is the handmade pipe organ installed in 1985 by the Kenneth Jones Company of Dublin, Ireland — a feature that supports traditional Catholic liturgical music at the parish's regular schedule of Masses, weddings, funerals, and devotions.
- Director of Music: Dr. Noriko Ernst
- Assistant Director of Music: Mrs. Esther Szafranski
- Kenneth Jones pipe organ (Dublin, Ireland, 1985)
- Sunday Masses include both traditional and livestreamed music
Outreach and Christian Service
Bridgid Holloway serves as Director of Christian Service, coordinating the parish's outreach and charitable efforts. The parish's long-standing community spirit is visible in the parish traditions that stretch back more than a century — from the early Altar Society (Mrs. Frank Anthe, first president, 1887) and the Holy Name Society (founded January 1913) to the annual Bazaar (begun 1920) and the Fourth of July Festival (first held 1949 after the parish relocated to Homewood).
- Director of Christian Service: Bridgid Holloway
- Altar Society (since 1887)
- Holy Name Society Chapter (since January 1913)
- Fourth of July Festival (since 1949)
Sacraments and Pastoral Care
Through its clergy — including the Pastor (Very Rev. Canon Walter Ptak), Priest Support (Rev. Paul Onyebuchi), and Deacon Michael Heard (Pastoral Support) — the parish ministers the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. First Reconciliation and First Communion are prepared through Family Discipleship, and the parish maintains an on-campus Columbarium and Memorial Wall (completed 2009) for the burial of cremated remains, extending its pastoral care beyond death.
- Baptism
- First Reconciliation and First Communion
- Confirmation
- Matrimony
- Anointing of the Sick
- Confession (Saturday 3:00–4:00 p.m. in the Church)
- Funeral liturgies
- Columbarium and Memorial Wall (completed 2009)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father James A. Meurer1887–1906
Founder; assigned by Bishop Jeremiah O'Sullivan to serve Birmingham's German-speaking Catholic workers; built first wooden church in 1889; died February 12, 1906.
- Father Louis H. Galland1906
Second pastor; continued preaching in both English and German; died December 7, 1906.
- Father Malachi KitrickDec 1906 – Jan 1907
Temporary pastor.
- Father John O'Kelly1907–
Came from St. Aloysius, Bessemer; documented 651 infant baptisms in the parish's first 20 years.
- Father Edward F. Shea1929–1937
Pastor through the Depression years; oversaw continued bazaars and parish societies.
- Father John O'SullivanNov 1937 – Mar 1938
Temporary pastor after Shea's departure.
- Rev. Msgr. Martin M. Muller1989–2023
Assigned as Associate Pastor in 1983; named Pastor in 1989; served 35 years; led stained-glass and Columbarium projects; retired July 2023.
- Father Bob Sullivan2023–2025
Appointed pastor in July 2023 upon Monsignor Muller's retirement; subsequently granted a personal leave of absence, effective August 4, 2025.
- Father Kevin BazzelAugust 2025–
Named Parochial Administrator pro tempore by Bishop Steven Raica while continuing as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia of the Diocese of Birmingham.