About St. John the Baptist · Montgomery, Alabama
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic parish located at 543 South Union Street in Montgomery, Alabama, within the Archdiocese of Mobile. Founded in 1908 as a mission chapel for the local African American Catholic community, it is one of the oldest Black Catholic parishes in the city. The parish offers daily and Sunday Masses, regular confession, Eucharistic adoration, and serves as the host site for Catholic campus ministry at nearby Alabama State University.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Reverend Charles Samuel Hirudayam, H.G.N.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Mobile (Metropolitan Archdiocese)
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist offers a rare and historic Black Catholic worship home in the heart of Montgomery, with a daily Mass schedule, multiple Sunday Masses (including evening), regular reconciliation, and First Friday/First Saturday Eucharistic adoration. The parish is also the home of Catholic Campus Ministry for Alabama State University, making it a welcoming spiritual home for students and faculty as well as longtime residents. Its long tradition of outreach — including a soup kitchen and clothing drives — and its roots in the Civil Rights Movement give it a distinctive mission of faith and service.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 5:30 PM – 6:20 PM
- Thursday 5:30 PM – 6:20 PM
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Adoration times
- Wednesday 5:00 PM – 6:20 PM
- Friday 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM (First Fridays)
- Saturday 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (First Saturdays)
Parish History & Heritage
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church was organized in 1908 as St. John the Baptist Catholic Mission Chapel, founded through the efforts of the St. Joseph Society — an organization devoted exclusively to African American Catholic ministry — and administered by the Archdiocese of Mobile. Reverend D.J. Rice served as its founding priest from 1908 to 1918. The parish completed a striking Spanish Mission Revival-style church in 1914, and over the decades it became one of Montgomery's most significant Black Catholic institutions, anchoring a parochial school, a convent staffed by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, and a tradition of civic engagement that included leadership in the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
- Founded 1908 by the St. Joseph Society
- First pastor: Rev. D.J. Rice (1908–1918)
- Spanish Mission Revival church built 1914 (dedicated May 3, 1914)
- Parochial school opened in the early 1910s
- Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament staffed the school
- High school added by the 1950s
- New church building constructed in the late 20th century
Architecture
The original 1914 sanctuary was a classic example of Spanish Mission Revival architecture, built for $15,000 and dedicated on May 3, 1914. The parish also built a two-story convent on the grounds to house the teaching sisters. The current sanctuary was constructed in the latter part of the twentieth century on the historic South Union Street site.
- Spanish Mission Revival style (1914)
- Two-story convent for the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament
- Four classrooms on the second floor of the older church
Catholic Campus Ministry at Alabama State University
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is the host parish for Catholic Campus Ministry at Alabama State University. The ministry welcomes all students, faculty, and staff — Catholic or exploring — and offers Sunday Mass at 10:00 AM in the main church as well as weekday noon Masses at the Priest's Residence Chapel (2052 West Fairview Ave., Montgomery, AL 36108). It is one of the Catholic campus ministry sites serving the eight Catholic parishes in the Montgomery area.
- Sunday Mass — 10:00 AM at St. John the Baptist
- Weekday Masses — Noon, Mon–Fri, at the Priest's Residence Chapel (2052 W. Fairview Ave.)
- Contact: Fr. Richard Myhalyk — [email protected], (334) 327-0509
Outreach & Charity
Outreach to the surrounding Montgomery community has long been part of the parish's identity. As early as 1991 the parish operated a soup kitchen serving neighbors in need and coordinated distributions of shoes, clothing, and blankets. This ministry continues the parish's broader tradition of service rooted in its history as a Black Catholic anchor in the city.
- Soup kitchen for the surrounding community
- Shoes, clothing, and blanket drives
- Connection to the wider Catholic outreach network across Montgomery's eight parishes
Parochial School
St. John the Baptist founded a parochial school in the early 1910s to provide Catholic education to local African American children. Instruction ran from first through eighth grade, taught initially by religious sisters. By the 1950s the school had grown to include a high school. The four classrooms on the second floor of the older church and a first-grade room on the ground level served the students for many years.
- Parochial school founded early 1910s (K–8)
- Taught by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament
- High school added by the 1950s
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently served by Reverend Charles Samuel Hirudayam, H.G.N. (Heralds of Good News) as pastor, with Fr. Richard Myhalyk associated with the Alabama State University Catholic campus ministry based at the parish. Reverend D.J. Rice served as the founding priest from 1908 to 1918.
- Rev. Charles Samuel Hirudayam, H.G.N. — Pastor
- Fr. Richard Myhalyk — Campus Ministry
- Rev. D.J. Rice — Founding Pastor (1908–1918)
Visit, Location & Contact
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church stands at 543 South Union Street in Montgomery, Alabama. Visitors are warmly welcomed to daily and Sunday Masses, confession, and adoration. The parish office can be reached at (334) 327-0509.
- Address: 543 South Union Street, Montgomery, AL 36104
- Phone: (334) 327-0509
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stjohnbchurch.org
- Priest's Residence Chapel: 2052 West Fairview Ave., Montgomery, AL 36108
Civil Rights Legacy
During the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955–1956, St. John the Baptist was home to several key civil rights activists, including Dr. Richard Harris and Georgia Theresa Gilmore (a graduate of the parish school). Members of St. John attended and helped organize the mass meetings of the Montgomery Improvement Association that sustained the thirteen-month protest and helped change American history.
- Dr. Richard Harris — parishioner and activist
- Georgia Theresa Gilmore — alumna of the parish school and MIA supporter
- Parishioners supported MIA mass meetings during the Bus Boycott
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend D.J. Rice1908–1918
Founding priest of the parish, organized by the St. Joseph Society.