St. Bede the Venerable

History of St. Bede the Venerable

St. Bede's story begins in North Montgomery in the early 1900s, after a predecessor chapel was destroyed by fire around 1920. The first St. Bede Church was completed in 1925 as a mission of St. Peter of Montgomery, founded by Rev. Patrick Turner. It functioned as a mission for the Capitol Heights Catholic community until 1946, when Father Joseph G. McArdle was appointed the first pastor of the newly independent parish. The parish school opened in 1958, the current church was dedicated with its first Mass on Palm Sunday 1969, and the Family Life Center was opened in 2004. In 2025 the parish was designated a Jubilee Pilgrimage Site by Pope Francis.

• 1925 – First St. Bede Church completed as a mission of St. Peter parish (founder: Rev. Patrick Turner)
• 1946 – Became an independent parish under Father Joseph G. McArdle
• 1953 – Land purchased for future convent; 1958 parish elementary school opens
• 1962 – Convent built; later staffed by the Daughters of Charity
• 1968–69 – Current church and rectory completed; first Mass on Palm Sunday, March 30, 1969
• 1983 – New school library and Parish Hall dedicated
• 1988/1990 – Tetreault property purchased and converted into new rectory
• 2002 – Capital campaign launched for Family Life Center
• 2004 – Family Life Center opens (gym, ballroom, kitchen, Catholic Children's Ministry)
• 2025 – Named Jubilee Pilgrimage Site by Pope Francis

Parish Mission

St. Bede's published mission statement centers the parish on Eucharistic worship: 'St. Bede exists to form and lead its Catholic faithful into a deep life-giving communion with the Heart of Jesus Christ… the Eucharist is the source and summit of who we are, the People of God.' The community welcomes 'all men and women of good will who long to hear the voice of the Word made flesh and desire to know Him more perfectly, follow Him faithfully and serve Him with selfless love.' A Parish Pastoral Council provides governance and is documented in published guidelines.

Devotions

Annual and recurring devotions accompany the parish's Eucharistic life, including a Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus held June 3–11 in preparation for the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart.

• Novena to the Sacred Heart (June 3–11, in preparation for the national consecration)

Our Staff & Clergy

The parish is pastored by Fr. Alejandro Valladares, supported by parochial vicars and a full lay staff for faith formation, youth ministry, sacramental preparation, Hispanic ministry, food pantry and OCIA, administration and bookkeeping.

• Fr. Alejandro Valladares – Pastor
• Fr. Patrick Arensberg – Parochial Vicar
• Fr. Joseph Schultz – Parochial Vicar (listed on parish staff page)
• Deacon Joseph Phung
• Ingrid Bejarano – Coordinator of Religious Education
• Andrea Nemesszeghy – Coordinator for Youth, Sacraments, and Hispanic Community Liaison
• Cathleen Klusek – Coordinator for Food Pantry and OCIA-English
• Mara Maninang – Administrative Assistant
• Alice Smith – Bookkeeper

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Faith formation at St. Bede spans sacramental preparation, OCIA for adults, weekly Religious Education, and Spanish-language catechesis. The Archdiocese of Mobile requires a two-year sacramental preparation program for children; those seeking First Communion in 2026 must have been enrolled in 2025–2026. High school juniors and seniors may also receive Confirmation through a parish two-year program; teens 16 and older new to the parish should call the church office.

• Religious Education (Coordinator: Ingrid Bejarano)
• OCIA (English) – Mondays 6 PM, Aug–Easter (Coordinator: Cathleen Klusek)
• OICA Español – Catequesis – Sundays 3:40 PM, Aug–Easter
• First Reconciliation & First Communion – two-year preparation
• Confirmation – two-year preparation for teens
• Confirmation for high-school juniors/seniors – call parish office to enroll

Youth Ministry

The parish runs year-round youth programming for grades 7–12, meeting in the Family Life Center. Junior High (grades 7–8) gathers Wednesdays 5:30–7 PM (Aug–May), and High School (grades 9–12) gathers Wednesdays 6:30–8 PM (Aug–Jul).

• Junior High Youth (Grades 7–8): Wed 5:30–7 PM, FLC
• High School Youth (Grades 9–12): Wed 6:30–8 PM, FLC

Parish Groups & Organizations

A range of parish groups meet weekly or monthly — typically in the Parish Hall (PH) or Family Life Center (FLC) — providing fellowship, service and spiritual support for adults of all ages.

• Men of St. Joseph – Tuesdays 7 AM, PH
• Dorcas Society – Wednesdays 9 AM, PH
• Daughters of St. Ann – 1st Monday 12 PM, PH (Sept–May)
• Jarrow Club – 2nd Monday 10 AM, PH (Sept–June)
• Pastoral Council – 3rd Monday 6 PM, FLC Meeting Room

St. Bede Elementary School

St. Bede Elementary opened as the parish school in 1958 at the corner of Perry Hill Road and Atlanta Highway. The campus now operates as part of Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School, a regional K3–6 Catholic school system. The current principal is Laurie Gulley. Students enjoy an 11:1 teacher-student ratio and a robust program in art, library, computers, music, religion, P.E. and recess, with after-school care available. About 21% of students come from military families.

• Campus address: 3850 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery, AL 36109
• Campus principal: Laurie Gulley
• Grades: K3 through 6
• Teacher/Student ratio: 11:1
• Approximately 21% of students are from military families
• Religious education, art, library, music, computers, P.E., recess provided weekly
• After-school care available for an additional fee

Family Life Center & Catholic Children's Ministry

Opened in 2004 and funded by a successful capital campaign, the Family Life Center is the hub for parish sports, gatherings and youth programming. It houses the Catholic Children's Ministry at St. Bede (a child development center that grew out of the original St. Bede Child Center), a gymnasium, ballroom, full kitchen and meeting rooms.

• Opened 2004
• Catholic Children's Ministry (child development/daycare)
• Gymnasium – premier facility for parish sports events
• Ballroom & full kitchen for parish gatherings
• Meeting rooms used by Youth Ministry, Pastoral Council and parish groups

Outreach: Food Pantry

The St. Bede Food Pantry is an emergency food program for needy families in the Montgomery area. It is sustained by ongoing food donations from parishioners and regular purchases from the Montgomery Area Food Bank, and is coordinated by staff member Cathleen Klusek. The pantry also provides volunteer service opportunities for parishioners and confirmation candidates.

• Coordinator: Cathleen Klusek
• Supplemented by donations from parishioners and the Montgomery Area Food Bank
• Functions as an emergency food program for needy families

Getting Involved & Generations of Faith

St. Bede regularly launches capital and endowment campaigns to support its ministries. The 'Generations of Faith' capital campaign drew nearly double its $1.1 million goal, with proceeds directed to youth ministry and a growing Seminarian Formation Endowment.

• Generations of Faith capital campaign – raised nearly $2 million vs. $1.1 M goal
• Proceeds support youth ministry and Seminarian Formation Endowment
• Parish Pastoral Council provides lay governance (guidelines published on the parish site)

Location & Contact

St. Bede the Venerable is located on Atlanta Highway in mid-town Montgomery, sharing a campus with St. Bede Elementary School and the Family Life Center. The parish office can be reached by phone; sacramental record requests can be submitted via the parish website.

• Address: 3870 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery, AL 36109
• Office phone: (334) 272-3463
• Fax: (334) 272-3492
• Website: https://stbede.org/
• Languages: English and Spanish