About St. Joseph · Florence, Alabama
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a parish in Florence, Alabama, situated on the landmark known locally as Catholic Hill at 203 Plum Street. Serving Florence and the wider Shoals area of northwest Alabama since 1898, the parish is home to St. Joseph Regional Catholic School and runs an active Catholic Campus Ministry for students at the University of North Alabama. Weekday Masses, Saturday Mass, four Sunday Masses (including a Spanish Mass and a student-focused 5:00 pm Mass), daily confession, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, OCIA classes, youth and young-adult ministries, a Hispanic Ministry, music and prayer ministries, and outreach through the St. Vincent de Paul Society shape its daily life. The parish describes itself as 'a beacon of faith, hope, and love' that extends Christ-centered outreach to UNA students, the regional Catholic school, and the broader Shoals community.
- Established
- 1898
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Charles Deering
- Diocese
- Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers the full rhythm of Catholic sacramental life on Florence's historic Catholic Hill — four Sunday Masses (including a Spanish Mass and a 5 pm student Mass), daily weekday Masses, three weekly confession slots plus a monthly Musical Holy Hour, and weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays. Beyond the pews, parishioners find a place in OCIA, youth and young-adult ministry, a vibrant Hispanic Ministry, music and prayer ministries, a Catholic Campus Ministry serving University of North Alabama students, and outreach through the St. Vincent de Paul Society and Helping Hands. Anchored by St. Joseph Regional Catholic School and rooted in this community since 1898, the parish is both a centuries-old landmark and an active, growing family of faith.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 4:00–5:15 PM
- Thursday 5:30–6:30 PM
- Saturday 3:00–4:30 PM
- 1st Friday of the month during Holy Hour following the 7:15 AM Mass
- 1st Saturday of the month during Holy Hour following the 7:15 AM Mass
- 1st Thursday of the month during Musical Holy Hour 7:00–8:00 PM
Adoration times
- Every Thursday 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- 1st Thursday Musical Holy Hour 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- 1st Friday 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
- 1st Saturday 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Our Story and Catholic Hill
St. Joseph Catholic Church traces its roots to the 1870s, when Florence's Catholics met for worship in private homes and were visited by priests from our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Tuscumbia. In 1878 Abbot Benedict Menges, OSB, of St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman announced his intention to found a church and school here; the city of Florence later deeded the parish its present hilltop site, known throughout the community as Catholic Hill. The original wooden church served for seventy-five years before being replaced by the present brick church in 1974, and the parish has been the principal religious and educational center for Catholics across the Shoals ever since.
- 1872 — Benedictines found St. Michael's at St. Florian
- 1878 — Abbot Menges announces plan to found Florence church/school
- 1889 — Frame church erected on property given by Mrs. Lena Peters
- 1898 — First full-time priest, Fr. Gammelbert Brunner, OSB
- 1902 — Bishop Edward Allen dedicates the church (June 8)
- 1974 — Present brick church completed
Clergy, Staff, and Parish Office
The parish is served by a pastor and a deacon, supported by a small office and ministry staff who handle faith formation, music, liturgy, youth ministry, and parish administration. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Friday 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM; after-hours sacramental emergencies are handled through the pastor's emergency line.
- Pastor: Fr. Charles Deering — [email protected] (ext. 5)
- Deacon: Rev. Greg Beam — [email protected]
- Parish Secretary: Brenda Bruce — [email protected] (ext. 4)
- DRE / Bookkeeper: Kim Kroeger — [email protected] (ext. 6)
- Director of Music: Brittany Bandstra — [email protected]
- Liturgical Assistant: John Foust — [email protected] (ext. 8)
- Youth Minister: Ana Castillo — [email protected] (ext. 7)
- Parish office: (256) 764-3303
- Sacramental emergency line: 256-284-7178
Faith Formation and OCIA
Anyone interested in learning more about the Catholic Faith is welcome at OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, the current name for the process formerly known as RCIA). Sessions meet in-between the morning Masses in the Fireside Room and run as a fall class and a spring class, each session about an hour long. A Spanish Adult Sacrament Class is also offered Sundays at 10:30 AM.
- OCIA Coordinator: Elizabeth Mokulis — [email protected]
- OCIA classes: Sundays 9:15–10:15 AM in the Fireside Room
- Spring session begins January 5
- Spanish Adult Sacrament Class: Sundays 10:30 AM
- Contact: parish office, (256) 764-3303
Youth, Young Adults, and Hispanic Ministry
St. Joseph runs a full life-of-faith program for its teens and young adults: a Youth Group with weekly Wednesday Youth Nights, retreats, conferences, summer camp, and fundraising, all coordinated by a CORE Team of volunteer leaders. The Young Adults ministry meets Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM in the Youth Room for Bible study, plus monthly gym/sports nights. The Hispanic Ministry hosts Spanish Mass on Sundays at 12:30 PM and a Thursday Spanish Mass at 7:00 PM, and gathers for ministry meetings during the week.
- Youth Director: Ana Castillo — [email protected] (ext. 7)
- Spring Retreat, Summer Camp, Summer Conference, Fall Retreat, Diocesan Youth Encounter
- Young Adults Bible Study: Wednesdays 6:30 PM, Youth Room
- Young Adults gym/sports nights (monthly)
- Hispanic Mass: Sunday 12:30 PM and Thursday 7:00 PM
- Hispanic Ministry meetings
Catholic Campus Ministry at UNA
St. Joseph's Campus Ministry serves students of the University of North Alabama with a dedicated Sunday-evening Mass at 5:00 PM, followed by a free meal in the Parish Hall. The 5:00 PM Mass is now a permanent part of the parish schedule, and students are encouraged to serve as lectors, singers, and greeters. CCM also keeps a 1st-and-3rd-Tuesday campus Mass at Stone Lodge and a weekly Tuesday Bible study in The Commons.
- Sunday 5:00 PM Mass (followed by free student meal)
- CCM meetings Sundays after the 5 PM Mass in the Parish Hall
- 1st & 3rd Tuesday Mass on campus at Stone Lodge 6 PM
- Tuesday 7 PM Bible study in The Commons
- Contact Kim Kroeger at [email protected]
- Web: www.unaccm.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/groups/unaccm
- Instagram: @unacatholiccampus
Music and Prayer Ministry
The parish's Music Ministry, led by Director of Music Brittany Bandstra, seeks to 'enrich hearts and minds, uniting all in praise and bringing the beauty of God's word to life through song,' and supports both English and Spanish Masses as well as the monthly Musical Holy Hour. The Prayer Ministry, anchored by parish Bible studies and prayer groups, provides space for shared scripture, prayer, and reflection to deepen faith and encourage Gospel living.
- Director of Music: Brittany Bandstra ([email protected])
- Monthly First-Thursday Musical Holy Hour 7–8 PM
- Bible studies (Lisa DuPuis small group; Janet Woods Bible Study)
- Sunday rosary and other devotional prayers during adoration
Outreach: St. Vincent de Paul and Helping Hands
St. Joseph puts faith into action through the St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVdP), which distributes donated non-perishable food items to the hungry in the Florence community through a brown wicker hamper in the church vestibule, and through Helping Hands, a parish group that meets on the third Sunday after the 8:00 AM Mass to serve together. Donation lists (canned goods, boxed meals, peanut butter, etc.) are published in the bulletin.
- SVdP food drive — non-perishable donations in the vestibule hamper
- Helping Hands — meets 3rd Sunday after 8:00 AM Mass; contact Kim Oliver (256-415-8520)
- Suggested items: canned vegetables, fruit, tuna, chicken, beans, soups, pasta, rice, peanut butter, cereal
St. Joseph Regional Catholic School and Liturgical Ministries
A parish-run school — today St. Joseph Regional Catholic School — has been part of St. Joseph since the very beginning, growing from the original 1889 frame structure that doubled as church and school through Fr. Paul Koehler's 1950s–1960s expansion (added school wings, parish hall, and a modern convent) into its present form. Liturgical lay ministries at Mass — Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Altar Servers, Greeters/Ushers, and Gift Bearers — are open to men, women, and young adults and are coordinated through the Liturgical Assistant.
- St. Joseph Regional Catholic School (on / near parish grounds)
- Lectors, EMHC, Altar Servers, Greeters/Ushers, Gift Bearers
- Contact Liturgical Assistant John Foust to volunteer: [email protected] or 256-483-8774
- Altar Society (monthly schedule published in bulletin)
Get Involved and Connect
Whether you are a long-time parishioner, a newcomer, or a college student at UNA, St. Joseph lists many ways to plug in — from OCIA and Bible studies to youth and young adult small groups, choir, the Hispanic Ministry, SVdP, Helping Hands, CORE Team, and lay liturgical roles. Sunday Mass is live-streamed for those unable to attend, and the parish bulletin (published online) carries the week's schedule of sign-ups, devotions, and volunteer needs.
- I'm New page: stjosephflorence.org/i-m-new
- Bulletin: stjosephflorence.org/bulletin
- Online giving via the parish website
- Live-streamed weekend Mass on Facebook and YouTube
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Gammelbert Brunner, OSB1898–1907
First full-time resident priest at St. Joseph; built the rectory that served as the pastor's home until the 1970s.
- Rev. Henry Watson1930s
One of three pastors during the 1930s.
- Fr. Alfred Trottman1930s
One of three pastors during the 1930s.
- Fr. Anselm Spitzer1930s
One of three pastors during the 1930s.
- Fr. Isidore FussneckerWWII era
Made pastoral outreach to the African-American community during World War II.
- Fr. Paul KoehlerLate 1950s onward
Oversaw the first major building campaign — added wings to the school, a parish hall, and a modern convent.