About Saint William · Saint Simons Island, Georgia
St. William Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish on St. Simons Island, Georgia, part of the Diocese of Savannah and a member of the Valdosta-Brunswick Deanery. The parish was established in 1929 on a stretch of Frederica Road that has hosted Catholic worship since the 16th century, when Franciscan friars ministered to the Guale people at the Mission San Simeon. Today St. William serves a growing coastal Georgia congregation with weekend and daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, a full Faith Formation program for children and youth, and a remarkable roster of parish ministries, devotions, and outreach efforts.
- Established
- 1929
- Patron
- Saint William of Vercelli (1085-1142), Italian hermit and founder of the Congregation of Monte Vergine (the Williamites)
- Rector
- Very Reverend Mark Van Alstine, V.F. (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah (Valdosta-Brunswick Deanery)
Why belong here
St. William is a coastal Georgia parish with deep historical roots — built on land where Franciscans first brought the Gospel to the Guale people in the 1500s — and an unusually active lay life for a community of its size. The parish offers daily Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction, a full Faith Formation program from Pre-K through high school, RCIA, multiple adult Bible studies, men's and women's groups, a St. Vincent de Paul conference, a twin-parish ministry, and dozens of devotional and service ministries. Newcomers are personally contacted by the Welcome Committee, which delivers a parish directory, calendar, and Welcome Packet — a tangible sign that this is a community that knows its members by name.
Mass times at Saint William
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 4:30–5:15 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Tuesdays 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM in the church
- Benediction beginning at 5:45 PM, followed by the 6:00 PM Tuesday evening Mass
History of St. William Catholic Church
Catholic presence on St. Simons Island goes back to the 1500s and began as a missionary effort to the local Guale Indians. By 1590, Franciscan Friars had established missions along the southeast coast of Georgia, including one at San Simeon, which the Guale called Mission Asao. After the 1597 martyrdom of the Franciscans — remembered today as the Georgia Martyrs — the Catholic community on the island worshipped in private homes for centuries. In 1929, Bishop Michael J. Keyes officially opened St. William's Chapel on Frederica Road, funded by a $5,000 gift through the Catholic Church Extension Society, designed by architect Cormac McGarvey, and built on land purchased from Miss Bonnie Ross. The chapel was enlarged to seat 298, and in 1968 St. William acquired parish status and assumed Darien's Nativity Chapel as a mission. The present larger church on the same road was dedicated by Bishop Raymond W. Lessard on September 14, 1986; the Parish Hall was remodeled and expanded in 1996.
- Founded December 1929 as St. William's Chapel
- Acquired parish status in 1968
- Current church dedicated September 14, 1986 by Bishop Raymond W. Lessard
- Pilgrim Cross (celebrating 500 years of evangelization in the Americas) housed here since 1992
- Parish Hall remodeled and expanded in 1996
Who Was St. William?
The parish is named for Saint William of Vercelli (1085–1142), an Italian hermit and abbot who founded the Congregation of Monte Vergine, also known as the Williamites. Born in Vercelli, Italy, William rejected family wealth and the vanities of the world, devoted himself to prayer and penance, and traveled to France where he lived as a hermit. His uncle Guillaume de Nevers, an Archdeacon, supported his vocation. His feast day is June 25, and a statue in his honor is venerated in the parish.
- Saint William of Vercelli (1085–1142)
- Italian hermit and founder of the Williamites (Congregation of Monte Vergine)
- Feast day: June 25
Staff and Clergy
The parish is led by Very Reverend Mark Van Alstine, V.F., as Parochial Administrator, and is assisted by Reverend Emmanuel Antwi, Parochial Vicar. The lay staff includes a Parish Administrator, Director of Faith Formation, Director of Music, Parish Engineer, and three Office Support staff.
- Very Rev. Mark Van Alstine, V.F. — Parochial Administrator
- Rev. Emmanuel Antwi — Parochial Vicar
- Stacey Bristol — Parish Administrator (912-638-2647)
- Nicolaus Schmitz — Director of Faith Formation (912-638-2651)
- Maroun Azar — Director of Music (912-357-2330)
- Jim Spaeder — Parish Engineer (912-638-2647)
- Claire Kempton, Ann Mallon, Laura Nies — Office Support
- In Memory: Rev. James Preston Holloway, III (d. July 11, 2024)
- In Memory: Msgr. John Anthony Kenneally
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish runs a multi-stage Faith Formation program for children, youth, and adults, supported by its own Education Office. Programs include weekly religious education classes, RCIA, youth retreats, Vacation Bible School, and adult formation opportunities.
- Elementary (Pre-K through 5th Grade)
- Middle School (6th–8th Grade)
- High School (9th–12th Grade)
- Youth Retreats
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Creed (continuing formation)
- First Reconciliation and First Communion preparation
- Adult Bible Study
- Dinner & Doctrine
- Monday Morning Marthas
- Tuesday Morning Women's Study Group
- Men's Bible Study
- Protecting God's Children / VIRTUS (safe-environment training)
- Annual VBS (e.g., 'Rainforest Falls — VBS 2026!')
Parish Ministries, Devotions, and Outreach
St. William maintains an unusually broad ministry roster for a parish of its size, spanning spiritual, liturgical, charitable, and social activities. The Music Ministry includes both choir and handbells, with weekly rehearsals. Outreach efforts include the parish St. Vincent de Paul conference, Manna House, a Twin Parish Ministry with St. Joseph, a Widowed Ministry, and a Bereavement ministry. Devotional offerings include Adoration, the Divine Mercy Devotion, the First Saturday Devotion, the Seven Sisters Apostolate, and a Spiritual Direction ministry. The Grotto Religious Goods Shop offers faith items to parishioners and visitors.
- Adoration, Altar Server, Liturgical Ministries
- Music Ministry — Choir (Wed 6:30 PM rehearsal) and Handbells (Thu 1:00 PM rehearsal)
- Bereavement, Widowed Ministry, Primetimers (seniors)
- Bloomers, Coffee & Doughnuts, Hospitality Committee, Welcome Committee
- Council of Catholic Women (CCW) — annual Spring Fling Bazaar
- Divine Mercy Devotion, First Saturday Devotion, Seven Sisters Apostolate
- Sew & So (sewing ministry), Spiritual Direction
- St. Vincent de Paul, Manna House, Outreach, Twin Parish Ministry (St. Joseph)
- Parish Pastoral Council, Grotto Religious Goods Shop
Sacraments
St. William prepares parishioners for and celebrates all seven sacraments, with dedicated preparation tracks for first sacraments, marriage, and the anointing of the sick. Funeral arrangements are coordinated through the parish office, and the parish maintains a columbarium for the inurnment of cremated remains (e.g., Fr. Jim Holloway).
- Baptism
- Reconciliation (First Reconciliation and ongoing)
- First Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage
- Annulment
- Anointing of the Sick
- Funeral Arrangements
- On-site columbarium
Live Streaming and Online Giving
The Saturday 5:30 PM Vigil Mass is livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel, StWilliamonSSI (also listed as StWilliamonSSIGA), and is available afterward for on-demand viewing. Parishioners and visitors can also register online, request a Welcome Packet, and support the parish financially through the Online Giving portal on the parish website.
- Saturday 5:30 PM Vigil Mass — livestreamed on YouTube (StWilliamonSSI)
- YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFTah7mkVbXU3YMBu9c00Jg
- Online Giving available via stwill.net
- Parish Registration form available on stwill.net/new-comers
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Peter McOscarprior to 1929
Pastor of St. Francis Xavier in Brunswick who secured additional capital to help purchase the Frederica Road property and build the original chapel.