About Saint Francis Xavier · Brunswick, Georgia
Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church is a parish of the Catholic Diocese of Savannah located in Brunswick, Georgia, on the state's southeastern coast in Glynn County. The parish traces its origins to 1868 when a small frame chapel was built facing Egmont Street, and it has grown into a community of about 600 families with a parochial school serving preschool through eighth grade. The parish serves the wider coastal Georgia region including a vigil Mass on Jekyll Island and a Spanish-language Sunday evening Mass for the Hispanic community.
- Established
- 1868
- Patron
- Saint Francis Xavier
- Rector
- Fr. Mark Van Alstine
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Savannah (Valdosta-Brunswick Deanery)
Why belong here
Saint Francis Xavier is a warm, multigenerational Catholic community of roughly 600 families on coastal Georgia's Golden Isles, offering daily and weekend Masses in both English and Spanish, year-round faith formation for children and adults, a vibrant high-school youth group, and a thriving parish school grounded in the Sisters of St. Joseph tradition. With weekly Confession before each Mass, a strong Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference that operates a food pantry and thrift store serving Brunswick, and ministries reaching out to Jekyll Island and surrounding communities, it is an ideal place for newcomers and longtime residents to grow in faith through worship, education, and service.
Mass times at Saint Francis Xavier
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 – 4:45 PM
- Wednesday 6:15 – 6:45 PM
- Sunday 7:45 – 8:15 AM
- By appointment through the parish office
- Communal celebrations twice a year during Advent and Lent
Parish History
Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Brunswick, Georgia, traces its origins to 1868, when a small frame chapel facing Egmont Street was built on land donated by a non-Catholic family, the Darts. The present church was dedicated by Bishop Gross on April 27, 1884. Catholic life in the area, however, stretches back much further: Spanish missionaries labored in coastal Georgia from 1566 to 1742, and visiting priests said Mass for the du Bignon family on Jekyll Island from the late 1700s onward, with Brunswick's few Catholic families — mostly French and Irish — gathering for Mass in the du Bignon home on Union Street after 1844. In 1897 the parish and southeast Georgia missions were entrusted to the Marist Fathers (Society of Mary), whose leadership shaped decades of parish life.
- 1566–1742: Spanish missionaries in coastal Georgia, predating English colonization.
- 1791: Jekyll Island purchased by the du Bignon family, who hosted visiting priests for Mass.
- 1844: du Bignon family relocates to Brunswick; Mass offered at their Union Street home.
- 1868: Original frame chapel built on the Darts-donated site.
- April 27, 1884: Bishop Gross dedicates the present church.
- 1893: Father Hennessey ministers through Brunswick's yellow fever epidemic.
- 1897: Marist Fathers assume charge of the parish and southeast Georgia missions.
- 1899: New rectory built at a cost of $2,100.
- 1900: Parish school (originally St. Joseph's School) opens with the Sisters of St. Joseph.
- 1924–1953: Pastors build and dedicate St. William (St. Simons Island), Nativity of Our Lady (Darien), St. Joseph (Jesup), and a school in Waycross.
- May 7, 2023: A new 30,000-square-foot parish school building is dedicated.
Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by its pastor with the assistance of a parochial vicar, two permanent deacons, and a dedicated lay staff. The Director of Faith Formation also serves as a permanent deacon, and the school principal leads the parish school ministry.
- Pastor: Fr. Mark Van Alstine
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Juan Carlos Castillo
- Director of Faith Formation: Deacon Chris Sadowski
- Permanent Deacon: Deacon Terry Mermann
- Office Manager: Ann Buebel ([email protected])
- Hispanic Ministry Director: Nalleli Garcia
- Principal, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School: Annemarie Marr
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Children's Faith Formation (CFF) at St. Francis Xavier is a systematic program for children from kindergarten (age 5) through 8th grade, teaching the Holy Scriptures and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Parents are recognized as the first and primary religious educators; the parish partners with them to help children love, know, and serve Jesus Christ. CFF meets on Sundays during the school calendar year from 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM at the school; the deadline to register is October 1 to be eligible to receive sacraments that year.
- Children's Faith Formation (CFF) — Sundays 9:30–10:45 AM at the school, K–8th grade.
- Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) — for unbaptized adults, Christians seeking full communion, and Catholics needing First Communion or Confirmation; Mondays 7:00–8:30 PM from September through Pentecost; the 2025–2026 year begins September 8, 2025, at 7:00 PM in the narthex.
- Sacrament preparation includes an additional form and parent meetings specific to each sacrament.
- Children must have one year of faith formation (CFF or Catholic school) with at least 70% attendance before the year of preparation.
- Contact: Deacon Chris Sadowski at (912) 265-3249, ext. 305.
Sacraments
Sacrament Preparation at St. Francis Xavier is described as 'a wonderful and special time in the lives of the faithful.' The parish helps individuals and families prepare for Baptism, First Communion and First Reconciliation, and Confirmation, with the Catechism of the Catholic Church's teaching that the faithful must be 'well disposed' to receive the Lord's grace (CCC, 1098).
- Baptism — for infants and children under 8, celebrated at a Sunday Liturgy or after Mass; preparation class required; older children and adults enter via OCIA.
- First Communion & First Reconciliation — prepared through second-grade CFF.
- Confirmation — prepared in ninth grade, celebrated in the spring by the Bishop.
- Confession (Reconciliation) — Saturday, Wednesday, Sunday, plus Advent/Lent communal celebrations and by appointment.
Youth & Family Ministries
The High School Youth Group gathers students from across the parish for fellowship, faith, and fun on Wednesday afternoons and evenings during the school year, combining snacks, homework time, group activities, dinner, a spiritual lesson, and Holy Mass at 7:00 PM in the St. Joseph Family Center (the former school). Parents can get more information through Deacon Chris via email or by calling the parish office.
- High School Youth Group meets Wednesdays during the school year beginning at 3:30 PM in the St. Joseph Family Center.
- Activities include snacks, games, homework time (3:30–4:30), group activities (4:30), dinner (5:15), spiritual lesson (6:00), and Holy Mass at 7:00 PM.
Hispanic Ministry
Saint Francis Xavier maintains an active Hispanic Ministry led by Nalleli Garcia, the parish's Hispanic Ministry Director. A Spanish-language Mass is celebrated each Sunday at 6:00 PM, and the ministry coordinates outreach, fundraising, and formation for the parish's Spanish-speaking faithful.
- Sunday Spanish Mass at 6:00 PM.
- Hispanic Ministry Director: Nalleli Garcia.
- Fundraising and community events supporting parish life.
Outreach: Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Saint Francis Xavier and St. William Catholic Church together operate a local conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The conference provides financial assistance for utilities and other housing-related needs, distributes food through the SVdP Food Pantry, and runs the SVdP Thrift Store located at 1217 Newcastle Street. The work of the conference is supported by financial donations and non-perishable foods, clothing, small appliances, furniture, and other goods from parishioners.
- SVdP Thrift Store: 1217 Newcastle Street, Brunswick.
- Food Pantry distribution: Thursdays 10:00 AM – 12:00 noon at the pantry door on Grant Street.
- Volunteer opportunities include processing donations, distributing food, and counseling clients.
- Contact for volunteering or help: Paula Donovan through the parish office at (912) 265-3249.
Parish School
St. Francis Xavier Catholic School serves students from Preschool through 8th grade, sharing the Catholic educational tradition begun by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1900. The school opened with 60 to 70 pupils in a former boarding house on the corner of Richmond and Howe Streets, was renamed St. Francis Xavier School in the 1950s to honor the parish, and is now housed in a brand-new 30,000-square-foot, two-story building dedicated on May 7, 2023, with classes beginning in August 2023. The school principal and staff continue the Sisters of St. Joseph's charism of graduating capable, confident, and caring students.
- Founded in 1900 as St. Joseph's School by Reverend P.J. Luckie, S.M., and the Sisters of St. Joseph.
- Renamed St. Francis Xavier School in the 1950s.
- New 30,000-square-foot, two-story building dedicated May 7, 2023; first classes August 2023.
- Principal: Annemarie Marr.
- School website: www.sfxcs.org.
Contact, Locations & Hours
The parish maintains three locations in downtown Brunswick: the church on Newcastle Street, the parish office on Howe Street, and the Formation Center on Richmond Street. Office hours are Monday through Thursday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon.
- Church: 1120 Newcastle Street, Brunswick, GA 31520 — (912) 265-3249
- Parish Office: 405 Howe Street, Brunswick, GA 31520 — (912) 265-3249, [email protected]
- Formation Center: 1116 Richmond Street, Brunswick, GA 31520 — (912) 265-3249
- Jekyll Island Vigil Mass: Jekyll Island United Methodist Church, 503 Riverview Drive, Jekyll Island, GA 31527
- Office hours: M–Th 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM; F 9:00 AM – 12:00 noon
Becoming a Parishioner
Newcomers can register by stopping by the parish office at 405 Howe Street, emailing Ann the Office Manager, or picking up a registration form at the back of the church and returning it in the collection basket, by mail, or in person. Parishioners can also opt in to parish text messaging by texting SFX150 to 84576 and following the prompts.
- Register in person at the parish office (405 Howe Street) or at the back of the church.
- Email Ann Buebel: [email protected].
- Text SFX150 to 84576 to sign up for parish text messages.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. W.A. McCarthy1885–1888
Traveled to outlying districts, celebrating baptisms at Willacoochee, Alapaha, St. Mary's, Darien, and Doboy.
- Father Hennessey
Stayed in Brunswick through the 1893 yellow fever epidemic, ministering to victims regardless of creed.
- Marist Fathers (Society of Mary)1897 onward
Took over Saint Francis Xavier and the southeast Georgia missions in 1897.
- Pastors between 1924–19531924–1953
Built and dedicated St. William on St. Simons Island, Nativity of Our Lady in Darien, St. Joseph's in Jesup, a school in Waycross, and began the convent.
- Rev. Paul Burkort, S.M.
Razed the old church, rectory and hall; built the new church; acquired Richmond Street from the city; and had Reynolds Street paved.