About St. Agatha Catholic Church · Bay Minette, Alabama
St. Agatha Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Bay Minette, the county seat of Baldwin County, Alabama, belonging to the Archdiocese of Mobile. The parish serves roughly 150 families in a rural stretch of the Gulf Coast region, offering a Sunday morning Mass, a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Wednesday weekday Mass, and Saturday confessions. Its story begins in a private home in 1943, grew into a mission church in 1946, and became an independent parish in 1974 under Father Thomas Weise.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- St. Agatha
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Mobile
Why belong here
St. Agatha is a warm, family-sized Catholic parish of more than 150 households in northern Baldwin County, where everyone knows one another and newcomers are welcomed by name. It offers the full rhythm of parish life — Sunday Mass, weekday Mass, Saturday confessions, Bible study, a crafters' ministry, and outreach — and serves as the Catholic presence nearest Coastal Alabama Community College – Bay Minette. For Catholics in Bay Minette and the surrounding rural area, it is the local church home where sacraments, fellowship, and service come together.
Mass times at St. Agatha Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:45 PM – 5:55 PM (or by appointment)
History of St. Agatha Parish
The Catholic life of Bay Minette traces back to 1943, when Fr. Jim Loughlin's postcard from Daphne announced the first regular Sunday Mass at the Lemerise home on September 26, 1943. St. Agatha was formally established as a mission in 1946 under St. Robert Parish in Atmore, with Father John Horgan as the founding pastor. The first church building — a small cinder-block church at Hand Avenue and 10th Street — was completed in 1951 with help from the Catholic Church Extension Society of America, and was dedicated on February 17, 1952 by Bishop William O'Brien and Bishop Thomas Toolen.
- 1943 — First regular Sunday Mass celebrated at the Lemerise home by Fr. Jim Loughlin, September 26, 1943.
- 1946 — St. Agatha established as a mission of St. Robert Parish, Atmore; Father John Horgan, pastor.
- 1951 — Small cinder-block church built on Hand Avenue & 10th Street; first Mass celebrated July 22, 1951.
- 1952 — Church dedicated February 17, 1952 by Bishop William O'Brien (Extension Society) and Bishop Thomas Toolen.
- 1974 — St. Agatha became an independent parish on November 20, 1974, with Father Thomas Weise as first pastor.
- 1978 — New parish hall constructed.
- 1982 — Church remodeled.
- 2001 — Parish hall enlarged and remodeled.
- Today — Over 150 families worship and serve through the parish.
Parish Ministries & Programs
Although a small parish, St. Agatha offers a handful of regular gatherings for prayer, study, and fellowship.
- Bible Study — Monday evenings, 5:30 PM–6:30 PM, weekly
- Crafters for a Cause — Tuesdays, 10:00 AM–11:00 AM, weekly
- Newman Connection outreach to students at Coastal Alabama Community College – Bay Minette
Parish Leadership & Clergy
St. Agatha is staffed as a mission-style parish within the Archdiocese of Mobile. The parish's published history names the foundational clergy who shaped it from the first Mass in 1943 through its establishment as an independent parish in 1974. The current pastor is not listed on the publicly indexed pages reviewed.
- Fr. Jim Loughlin — celebrated the first regular Sunday Mass in Bay Minette, September 26, 1943
- Fr. John Horgan — pastor of mother church St. Robert, Atmore; oversaw St. Agatha as a mission from 1946; celebrated first Mass in the new church in 1951
- Fr. Thomas Weise — first pastor of St. Agatha as an independent parish (1974)
Parish Campus
The parish sits on Hand Avenue in Bay Minette, with a small cinder-block church (built 1951, remodeled 1982) and a parish hall that has been expanded in two stages (1978 and 2001). The original church was placed about a block from the Lemerise home where the parish's first Masses were celebrated.
- Church — small cinder-block building, 1951; remodeled 1982
- Parish Hall — built 1978; enlarged and remodeled 2001
- Corner of Hand Avenue and 10th Street, Bay Minette, AL
Community & Outreach
St. Agatha describes itself as a 'vibrant faith community' with opportunities for sacraments, fellowship, and service. The parish serves as the Catholic presence closest to Coastal Alabama Community College – Bay Minette, welcoming students, faculty, and staff through the Newman Connection.
- Nearest Catholic parish to Coastal Alabama Community College – Bay Minette
- Newman Connection outreach to college students, faculty, and staff
- Community Bible Study and crafters' ministry for fellowship
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Jim Loughlin1943
Celebrated the first regular Sunday Mass in Bay Minette at the Lemerise home on September 26, 1943.
- Fr. John Horgan1946–
Pastor of the mother church, St. Robert Parish in Atmore, who oversaw St. Agatha as a mission; celebrated the first Mass in the new St. Agatha church on July 22, 1951.
- Fr. Thomas Weise1974
First pastor of St. Agatha when it became an independent parish on November 20, 1974.