About Sacred Heart Chapel · Battles Wharf, Alabama
Sacred Heart Chapel is a small historic Catholic summer chapel sitting right on the shore of Mobile Bay in the Battles Wharf community of Baldwin County, Alabama. Built in 1876 on land that had been gifted to Bishop John Quinlan of Mobile, it is served by St. Lawrence Catholic Parish in nearby Fairhope and is open only between Memorial Day and Labor Day each year. The modest white chapel seats about 250 people, yet summer Sunday Masses have drawn more than 400 worshippers, some of whom arrive by boat and dock at the chapel's pier. Beyond its role as a beloved place of summer Mass and Holy Communion, it is widely known as "The Little Chapel by the Bay" and one of the most popular wedding chapels on the Eastern Shore.
- Established
- 1876
- Patron
- Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Steve Williams (Pastor of St. Lawrence Catholic Parish, which serves Sacred Heart Chapel)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Mobile (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mobile)
Why belong here
Sacred Heart Chapel is a beloved Eastern Shore summer church where generations of Baldwin County families have worshipped together. If you spend summers on Mobile Bay, you'll find a warm Sunday-Morning Catholic community that fills the pews (and the lawn when it overflows) at 8:00 am and 10:00 am from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Many parishioners arrive by car, others tie up at the chapel's pier or at Torbert's, and the sacred setting on Mobile Bay makes every visit feel like a small retreat. For those drawn to a historic setting for the Sacrament of Marriage, it is one of the most photographed and frequently-requested wedding chapels on the coast.
Mass times at Sacred Heart Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confessions are heard at the main parish church, St. Lawrence (370 S. Section St., Fairhope), on Saturday 4:30–5:00 PM, or by appointment. Sacred Heart Chapel does not list its own confession schedule — contact the parish office (251-928-5931).
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration is observed at the main parish church of St. Lawrence on First Fridays, 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM.
Sacred Heart Chapel — The Little Chapel by the Bay
Sacred Heart Chapel is the summer mission chapel of St. Lawrence Catholic Parish in Fairhope, Alabama. It sits on the bluff above Mobile Bay in the historic Battles Wharf community of Point Clear. The little white chapel was built in 1876, making it one of the oldest Catholic sanctuaries still in regular use on the Alabama Gulf Coast, and it has been the summertime spiritual home of Eastern Shore Catholic families for more than a century.
- Built 1876 on land gifted to Bishop John Quinlan
- Open only from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend
- Seats 250; Sunday Masses sometimes draw 400+
- Served by St. Lawrence Catholic Parish, Fairhope
History of Sacred Heart Chapel
The chapel's history is intertwined with the broader Catholic story of the Eastern Shore and with the youth-ministry work that has grown up around it. From its 1876 founding through the long life of Camp Cullen and the modern era of Holy Spirit Hall, these grounds have served the same dual mission: weekend worship in the chapel, and formation of young people during the summer months.
- 1876 — Land at Battles Wharf is gifted to Bishop John Quinlan of Mobile
- By 1880 — Sacred Heart Chapel stands on the bluff above Mobile Bay
- c. 1900 — Bishop Edward Allen opens the property's house for use by children in summer
- 1937 — Msgr. Thomas Cullen founds Camp Cullen, the Diocese of Mobile's children's summer camp on these grounds
- 1973 — Camp Cullen closes; property later hosts a migrant children's summer program until 2005
- May 8, 2016 — Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi blesses and dedicates Holy Spirit Hall, a new youth retreat center on the same grounds
- Today — Sacred Heart continues as a beloved summertime Sunday Mass chapel and a year-round wedding venue
Weddings at Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart Chapel is one of the most-requested Catholic wedding venues on the Alabama coast. Reservations are handled by Holy Spirit Ministries, Inc., the nonprofit that manages the chapel and the adjoining Holy Spirit Hall retreat center. The chapel is available for weddings from early March through late November, but scheduling, deposit, and fees run year-round.
- Reservations: 6 months to 1 year in advance through Holy Spirit Ministries, Inc.
- Phone for weddings: (251) 433-4138 — Email: [email protected]
- Address for wedding inquiries: 352 Government Street, Mobile, AL 36602
- One wedding per Saturday; times 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, and 7:00 PM
- $1,500 total fee; $750 non-refundable deposit; priest/deacon's fee separate
- Catholic ceremony required; at least one fiancé must be a baptized Catholic
- Capacity: 250 guests; air conditioning included (no heating)
- No musical instruments or sound equipment; flowers may be left for Sunday Mass
Holy Spirit Hall — A Sister Ministry on These Grounds
Holy Spirit Hall is the modern youth retreat center that shares the Sacred Heart property. Dedicated in 2016 by Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi, it carries forward the long tradition of summer youth ministry that began with Camp Cullen and continues Sacred Heart's vocation to serve families and young people on Mobile Bay.
- About 14,700 square feet of indoor space plus 6,000 square feet of covered porches
- Sleeps up to 176: 80 girls, 80 boys, and 16 chaperones
- Dining hall, commercial kitchen, showers, restrooms, and bay-view porches
- First retreat held in July 2016 — a Hispanic discernment retreat
- Sister chapel/Sacred Heart remain the chapel of first resort for Sacraments of Marriage
The Mother Parish — St. Lawrence Catholic Parish, Fairhope
Sacred Heart Chapel is a mission of St. Lawrence Catholic Parish in Fairhope. During the cooler months the faithful of the Eastern Shore keep their parish life at the larger church on South Section Street, and during the summer the parish extends its worship life out onto the bay at Sacred Heart.
- Address: 370 S. Section Street, Fairhope, AL 36532
- Phone: (251) 928-5931 • Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stlawrencefairhope.com
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Mobile
Parish Staff (St. Lawrence Parish — which serves Sacred Heart)
The parish staff at St. Lawrence Catholic Parish — including the clergy who celebrate the summer Masses at Sacred Heart Chapel — was published on the parish contact page. Sacred Heart wedding ministry is handled separately through Holy Spirit Ministries, Inc.
- Rev. Fr. Steve Williams — Pastor (ext. 102)
- Rev. Fr. Martin Irudayanathan, H.G.N. (ext. 103)
- Rev. Mr. Francis Zeiman — Deacon
- Morgan Parker — Parish Secretary (ext. 101)
- Susie Blackinton — Bookkeeper (ext. 106)
- Donald Paul Maddox — Director of Parish Faith Engagement
- Maggie Picicci — Events Coordinator (ext. 107)
- Stephen Sylvester — High School / Junior High Youth Director (ext. 110)
- Todd Sylvester — Projects Manager (ext. 109)
- Barry Little — Adult Education & RCIA Coordinator (ext. 108)
- Lise Galle — Director of Family Ministry & Evangelization (ext. 105)
- Jimmy Jones — Music Director (ext. 107)
- Genny Parrish — Media & Communications (ext. 112)
- Drew Donovan — Sacristan (ext. 114)
- Amy Duncan — Children's Religious Education (ext. 113)
Ministries of the Parish
While Sacred Heart Chapel itself focuses on summer Sunday Mass and weddings, the wider parish of St. Lawrence offers a robust selection of formation and fellowship ministries that all parishioners — and summer worshippers at Sacred Heart — are welcome to join.
- Family Ministry & Evangelization
- Adult Education / RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Children's Religious Education, K–5th Grade
- Junior High Youth Ministry
- High School Youth Ministry
- Music Ministry
- Annual St. Lawrence Christmas Bazaar Fundraiser
- Sacred Heart Wedding & Hospitality volunteers (summer)
Getting to Sacred Heart Chapel
Sacred Heart Chapel is on Alabama's Scenic Highway 98, the coastal road that runs the length of the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay. Drivers turn off Battles Road about 2½ blocks in, on the left (water) side. Boaters have long tied up at the chapel's own pier — or at the nearby Torbert's landing — for Sunday Mass.
- Address: 18673 Scenic Highway 98, Battles Wharf (Point Clear), AL 36532
- From Fairhope: take Scenic 98 south along Mobile Bay
- Road access: About 2½ blocks off Battles Road, water-side (left) of Scenic 98
- Boat access: chapel pier, or Torbert's nearby
- On-site parking; air-conditioned Holy Spirit Hall on the grounds provides modern facilities
- Active Memorial Day weekend – Labor Day weekend only