About St. John Paul II · Gainesville, Georgia
St. John Paul II Catholic Mission is a bilingual Roman Catholic mission church in Gainesville, Georgia, serving the growing Catholic community of Hall County from a 27,000-square-foot church on Browns Bridge Road. A mission of St. Michael Church in the Archdiocese of Atlanta, it offers Mass in both English and Spanish, sacramental preparation, religious education, and outreach through a food bank and thrift store. The mission began as the St. John Paul II Pastoral Center, was elevated to mission status by Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory in 2015, and moved into its own dedicated worship space in 2018.
- Established
- 2010
- Patron
- St. John Paul II
- Rector
- Rev. Roberto Herrera Castañeda (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Atlanta
Why belong here
St. John Paul II Mission welcomes worshippers in both English and Spanish, with multiple daily Masses that fit working and family schedules, bi-lingual confession on Saturday and Friday afternoons, and a thriving religious education program. The community is shaped by its bilingual identity, deep Hispanic roots, and a spirit of practical outreach—its long-running food bank and thrift store continue to serve Hall County. The 2018 church on Browns Bridge Road was literally built for this growing congregation, and visitors are warmly invited to celebrate Mass and find a place in its life.
Mass times at St. John Paul II
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 4:30–5:30 PM (Bi-lingual)
- Saturday 3:30–5:00 PM (Bi-lingual)
Mission, Identity, and Welcome
St. John Paul II Catholic Mission proclaims itself "WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST," welcoming worshippers in both English and Spanish from across Hall County and the broader North Georgia region. The mission is a worship community of the Archdiocese of Atlanta and began its life as an outreach of St. Michael Church in Gainesville, one of the largest parishes in the archdiocese with more than 6,500 registered families.
A Bilingual Catholic Community
From its earliest days as a pastoral center, St. John Paul II has been a primarily Spanish-speaking worship community with bilingual staff and offerings. Masses are celebrated in both English and Spanish, confessions are heard bi-lingually on Friday and Saturday afternoons, and the website (and main navigation) is offered in English and Spanish. The mission's patron, St. John Paul II, was chosen in part for his special relationship with the Latino world.
History
The St. John Paul II Pastoral Center was dedicated in 2010 on Shallowford Road to serve Hispanic Catholics living in a heavily Hispanic enclave of apartments near downtown Gainesville. Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory elevated the center to a mission on June 24, 2015, with Father William Canales named as the full-time administrator. The mission outgrew its storefront location, and a new 27,000-square-foot church was dedicated on an 18-acre Browns Bridge Road campus on August 18, 2018.
- 2010 – St. John Paul II Pastoral Center dedicated on Shallowford Road
- 2015 – Elevated to mission status by Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, June 24, 2015
- 2018 – New church on Browns Bridge Road dedicated by Archbishop Gregory, Aug. 18, 2018
- Father William Canales named first full-time administrator (2015)
Founding Pastor: Father William Canales
Father William Canales, a native of Nicaragua, was ordained to the priesthood in 2000 at the Cathedral of León and later served as dean of the minor seminary of San Ramón Nonnato (2001–2004) and temporary pastor of St. James the Apostle Church in Telica. He arrived in the Archdiocese of Atlanta in 2006 when the archdiocese welcomed Latin American priests to serve growing Hispanic ministries, initially providing annual spiritual renewal programs at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Carrollton. He was a speaker for the Spanish-language track at the archdiocesan Eucharistic Congresses in 2011 and 2012, and is credited with doing the groundwork that made the mission and its new church possible.
The New Church Campus (2018)
The 27,000-square-foot worship building was designed by Smith Boland Architects and built by Lusk Commercial Contractors (completion July 2018, project value $5,238,000). It was one of the first three projects funded through the Archdiocese of Atlanta's Special Projects Program, an outgrowth of the 2015 Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan, and sits on an 18-acre parcel that can accommodate further growth.
- Worship space for up to 2,000 people
- Four classrooms
- Commercial kitchen
- Four offices
- Two reconciliation rooms
- Cry room
- Chapel
Mass and the Sacraments
Mass is celebrated multiple times a day, six days a week, in English and Spanish. Bi-lingual confessions are offered on Friday and Saturday afternoons before the evening Masses. Religious education for children (the school of religion) and English-language classes round out the sacramental and faith-formation offerings.
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Since its time as a pastoral center on Shallowford Road, St. John Paul II has offered a school of religion program for children and English-language classes for adults in the community. The new 2018 church includes four classrooms to support this continued catechetical work, which the Archdiocese Special Projects Program cited as demonstrably overcrowded during the funding application.
- School of Religion (children's religious education)
- English language classes (adults)
Outreach: Food Bank and Thrift Store
From its earliest days at 622 Shallowford Road, the mission operated a thrift store and a community food bank to serve the surrounding neighborhood. Outreach to the materially poor has remained a defining mark of the community as it has grown into its larger Browns Bridge Road campus.
- Thrift store (originally on Shallowford Road)
- Community food bank (originally on Shallowford Road)
Getting Involved
The parish invites newcomers to register ("Join Our Parish"), supports Online Giving for tithing and offerings, and operates a WhatsApp text line (678-355-7322, text only) for quick communication. The parish office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and Sundays from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM (closed Mondays).
- Join Our Parish (registration)
- Online Giving
- Parish office: Tue–Fri 9 AM–7 PM; Sat 9 AM–1 PM; Sun 10 AM–1 PM
- WhatsApp text line: (678) 355-7322
Contact, Location, and Practical Info
The mission is located at 2410 S. Smith Rd SW, Gainesville, GA 30504, near the intersection of Browns Bridge Road and McEver Road. The parish phone line is (770) 532-6772, with fax (770) 534-8213, general email [email protected], and a WhatsApp text line at (678) 355-7322.
- Address: 2410 S. Smith Rd SW, Gainesville, GA 30504
- Phone: (770) 532-6772
- Fax: (770) 534-8213
- Email: [email protected]
- WhatsApp (text only): (678) 355-7322
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William Canales2015 – c. 2020s
Nicaraguan priest ordained in 2000; first full-time administrator after the mission was elevated by Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory on June 24, 2015. Had served as parochial vicar at St. Michael Church, Gainesville, since 2006, and laid the groundwork for the new church campus.
- Rev. Roberto Herrera Castañedacurrent (as of Archdiocese directory)
Listed by the Archdiocese of Atlanta as Administrator of St. John Paul II Catholic Mission, Gainesville.