About St. Aloysius · Bessemer, Alabama
St. Aloysius Catholic Church is a historic parish in Bessemer, Alabama, founded in the fall of 1886 by Italian and Irish immigrants who settled to work in the local rolling mills. Now located on Academy Drive just off I-20/59, the parish belongs to the Diocese of Birmingham and serves more than 400 registered families with weekend Masses in both English and Spanish. Its sister-parish school, staffed for over eighty years by the Sisters of Mercy, educated generations of Bessemer children from 1912 until it closed in 2018.
- Established
- 1886
- Patron
- St. Aloysius Gonzaga
- Rector
- Fr. Reju Pynadath (Parish Administrator; awaiting new priest assignment July 2026)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Birmingham
Why belong here
St. Aloysius is a 140-year-old Bessemer parish with deep immigrant roots, a bilingual weekend schedule (English and Spanish), and an active lay life spanning the Knights of Columbus, a Hispanic Ministry, Men's Society, Holy Family and Mother of Christ women's groups, a Music Ministry with choir and cantors, a Prayer Group, and Fire of the Spirit. The parish has served its community through fire, relocation, and the recent closure of its century-old school, and remains a welcoming home for more than 400 families who gather each weekend at its Academy Drive campus just off I-20/59.
Mass times at St. Aloysius
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 – 4:00 PM
Parish History
Saint Aloysius was organized in the fall of 1886 by the Italian and Irish immigrants of Bessemer, with Rev. Patrick A. O'Reilly offering the first Mass in the Montezuma Hotel. After a fire at the hotel, Associate Pastor John Daley celebrated Mass in Leonard's Grist Mill on 5th Avenue North until land was deeded by the Bessemer Land Company on January 25, 1888. The parish grew through the leadership of successive pastors, the establishment of a parish school in 1900 under the Sisters of Mercy, the construction of a brick school in 1912 and a brick church in 1924, and a devastating 1989 fire that led to the parish's relocation to Academy Drive and the dedication of a new church at Christmas 1992.
- First Mass: fall 1886 in the Montezuma Hotel by Rev. Patrick A. O'Reilly
- Land deeded January 25, 1888 by the Bessemer Land Company on 5th Avenue North / 17th Street North
- First resident pastor: Rev. Joseph A. Wright (appointed 1899)
- Sisters of Mercy arrived late 1900; served the school for 81 years
- Brick school built 1912 by Fr. Malachi E. Kitrick — first of its kind in North Alabama
- Brick church built 1924 by Fr. Michael Hourican
- Fire destroyed church December 21, 1989
- New church completed in time for Christmas services 1992 on Academy Drive, just off I-20/59
- St. Aloysius School closed in 2018 after 106 years of Catholic education
Parish Priests and Clergy
The parish website records a succession of more than a dozen priests who have shaped St. Aloysius since 1886. The current administrator is Fr. Reju Pynadath, who has returned to India after five years of service; a new priest assignment is anticipated in July 2026. Notable figures from the parish's history include its founder Rev. Patrick A. O'Reilly (later pastor of the Cathedral of Saint Paul and founder of Saint Vincent's Hospital and the East Lake Orphans Home), longtime pastor Rev. Francis T. Coyle (1938–1971), and Rev. Gerald Holloway, who also served as Chaplain of the University of Alabama football team since 2003.
- Fr. Reju Pynadath — current Parish Administrator; awaits new priest assignment July 2026
- Rev. Gerald Holloway — Pastor since 2019; UA football chaplain since 2003
- Rev. Louis Giardino — appointed 1988 by Bishop Raymond Boland
- Rev. Desmond Regan and Rev. Gerard Kitts, OSB — late 1970s–late 1980s
- Rev. John H. Stack — successor to Fr. Coyle
- Rev. Francis T. Coyle — longest-serving priest, 1938–1971
- Fr. Michael Hourican — built brick church 1924
- Fr. Malachi E. Kitrick — built brick school 1912
- Rev. Joseph A. Wright — first resident pastor (1899)
- Rev. Patrick A. O'Reilly — founder, offered first Mass 1886
Parish Staff
The parish is currently led by Parish Administrator Fr. Reju Pynadath and supported by a small bilingual staff handling parish administration, Hispanic Ministry leadership, and bookkeeping.
- Fr. Reju Pynadath — Parish Administrator
- Gabriel Lopez — Líder del Ministerio Hispano (Tel: 205-434-7169)
- Yolanda Farias — Secretary (Tel: 205-424-2984; [email protected])
- Gabriel Arellano — Pastoral Associate (Tel: 205-765-2936)
- Ginna Lopez — Sub-coordinador del Ministerio Hispano (Tel: 205-424-2984)
- Jennifer Richardson — Bookkeeper (Tel: 256-443-4407)
Parish Ministries
St. Aloysius has a broad lay apostolate of more than nine named ministries and groups, reflecting its bilingual character (Hispanic Ministry) and traditional parish life (Men's Society, Holy Family, Mother of Christ, Knights of Columbus, Music Ministry, Altar Guild, Prayer Group, and Fire of the Spirit).
- Hispanic Ministry — bilingual outreach and liturgy
- Music Ministry — choir and cantors supporting English and Spanish Masses
- Altar Guild — care of the sanctuary and liturgical appointments
- Holy Family Altar Guild — women's Christian fellowship and community service
- Mother of Christ — women's parish group
- Knights of Columbus — Catholic fraternal service organization
- Men's Society — men's parish fellowship
- Prayer Group — communal prayer and devotion
- Fire of the Spirit — parish renewal group
St. Aloysius School (1912–2018)
St. Aloysius School was a cornerstone of parish life for 106 years. The Sisters of Mercy staffed the school from late 1900 until 1981 — more than eighty years of service — and Catholic men and pastors continually invested in buildings, including the 1912 brick building that was the first of its kind in North Alabama. The school operated at the new Academy Drive campus after the 1992 relocation and was celebrated in 2012 with a centennial gala and a $100,000 fundraiser for school improvements. The school closed in 2018.
- Founded 1912 (school); Sisters of Mercy arrived late 1900
- First brick school of its kind in North Alabama (1912)
- 100th anniversary celebrated in 2012 with gala and $100,000 fundraiser
- Closed in 2018 after 106 years
Notable Parishioners and Clergy
St. Aloysius has produced and welcomed church leaders of national significance. Parishioner Joseph A. Durick directed the CCD summer religion classes in 1935 and was later consecrated Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Mobile in 1955 — the first American bishop of Slovak origin, the first priest elevated to the episcopate in the Cathedral of Saint Paul, and the first named Auxiliary for the diocese; he later became Bishop of Nashville. Pastor Rev. Gerald Holloway also served as Chaplain of the University of Alabama football team since 2003.
- Joseph A. Durick — CCD director 1935; Auxiliary Bishop of Mobile 1955; later Bishop of Nashville
- Rev. Gerald Holloway — UA football chaplain since 2003
Visit and Contact
Parishioners and visitors are invited to weekend Masses on Saturday at 4:30 PM and Sunday at 9:30 AM (English) and 12:00 PM (Spanish). The parish office can be reached at (205) 424-2984 or [email protected].
- Address: 751 Academy Dr., Bessemer, AL 35022
- Phone: (205) 424-2984
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.staloysiuscc.org
- Diocese: Diocese of Birmingham (Bishop Steven John Raica)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Patrick A. O'Reilly1886 (founder, first Mass)
Later pastor of the Cathedral of Saint Paul; founder of Saint Vincent's Hospital and the East Lake Orphans Home.
- Rev. John Daleyafter 1886 fire at the Montezuma Hotel
Associate Pastor; began offering Mass twice each month in Leonard's Grist Mill on 5th Avenue North.
- Rev. Joseph A. Wright1899
First resident pastor; brought the Sisters of Mercy to staff the parish school in late 1900.
- Fr. Malachi E. Kitrickaround 1912
Replaced the old frame school with a modern brick building, the first of its kind in North Alabama.
- Fr. Michael Hourican1924
Erected a brick church beside the school.
- Rev. Francis T. Coyle1938–1971
Served the longest tenure of any priest at St. Aloysius; retired 1947 due to ill health and remained as Pastor Emeritus assisting his successor until shortly before his death in 1971.
- Rev. John H. Stackafter 1947
Successor to Fr. Coyle.
- Rev. Desmond Reganlate 1970s–late 1980s
Saw the parish grow and prosper.
- Rev. Gerard Kitts, OSBlate 1970s–late 1980s
Associate Pastor under Fr. Regan.
- Rev. Louis Giardino1988
Appointed pastor by Bishop Raymond Boland; shepherded parish through 1989 fire and 1992 relocation to Academy Drive.
- Rev. Gerald Holloway2019
Also served as Chaplain of the University of Alabama football team since 2003.
- Fr. Reju Pynadathcurrent Parish Administrator
Returned to India after five years of service; parish anticipates a new priest assignment in July 2026.