About St. Joseph · Fort Mitchell, Alabama
St. Joseph Parish is a bilingual (English and Spanish) Catholic community in Fort Mitchell, Alabama, situated in the community area known as Holy Trinity in rural Russell County. The parish worships in a former seminary chapel built in the 1920s by the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity (S.T.), a religious congregation founded by Father Thomas Augustine Judge, C.M. Today the parish continues Judge's vision that 'Every Catholic is an Apostle,' and together with its mission church, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Clio (the only all-Hispanic Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Mobile), serves the rural wiregrass region near the Georgia border.
- Established
- 1926
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Odel Medina, S.T.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Mobile (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mobile)
Why belong here
St. Joseph is both a parish and a birthplace: it is rooted in nearly a century of missionary Catholic life in rural Alabama and continues the founding vision that every baptized Catholic is called to be an apostle in everyday life. Worship is offered in both English and Spanish, the parish runs a Sunday School and a Child Development Center, and through its mission church — Our Lady of Guadalupe in Clio, the only all-Hispanic Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Mobile — it reaches across language and culture in service of the people of Russell County.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment — contact the church office at 334-855-3148
Adoration times
- Holy Hour after the Friday 7:00 p.m. Spanish Mass
Parish History & Heritage
St. Joseph Parish sits on the same land where Father Thomas Augustine Judge, C.M., a Vincentian priest, established a seminary in the early twentieth century to train missionaries for the rural South. The 1,400-acre property was acquired on September 29, 1920 through a $5,000 gift from Mrs. Mary K. Walker. The chapel was first used for Mass on Christmas Eve 1926 and was consecrated by Bishop Thomas J. Toolen on January 10, 1927. When the seminary moved to Monroe, Virginia, in the 1960s, St. Peter Claver Church — which had served the local community — was relocated into this chapel, giving rise to St. Joseph Parish as it is known today. The Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, born on this ground, were recognized by Rome in 1929 and now number over 140 priests and brothers in the U.S. and Latin America.
- Founded on the legacy of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity (S.T.)
- Chapel consecrated January 10, 1927 by Bishop Thomas J. Toolen
- Parish identity took shape in the 1960s after the seminary's relocation
- Continuing Father Judge's motto: 'Every Catholic an Apostle!'
Our Clergy & Staff
The parish is served by members of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity (S.T.). Father Odel Medina, S.T., serves as Pastor (Párroco), and Father Luis de La Cuadra, S.T., serves as Vicar (Vicario). Carla Abney is the parish Office Manager. The parish is also home to members of the broader Missionary Cenacle Family — laity, vowed religious, and priests from a number of countries — who share in the life and mission of St. Joseph's.
- Rev. Odel Medina, S.T. — Pastor / Párroco
- Rev. Luis de La Cuadra, S.T. — Vicar / Vicario
- Carla Abney — Office Manager ([email protected])
Religious Education & Child Development Center
Beyond weekend worship, St. Joseph Parish offers Sunday School (Catecismo) for the formation of children in the faith, and operates a Child Development Center that serves local families in the Fort Mitchell area. These programs reflect the parish's commitment to evangelization and formation across generations, rooted in Father Judge's missionary vision.
- Sunday School / Catecismo
- Child Development Center
Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission, Clio
St. Joseph Parish shares its life and mission with Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Clio, Alabama — described as the only all-Hispanic Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Mobile. The mission extends the parish's bilingual, missionary outreach into the surrounding region and is a living expression of Father Judge's call to bring the Gospel to those most in need.
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission — Clio, AL
- Only all-Hispanic Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Mobile
- Annual Mañanitas and Feast Day Mass — December 12 (5:00 a.m. Mañanitas, 6:00 p.m. Mass)
Missionary Cenacle Family & Outreach
St. Joseph's identity is rooted in the Missionary Cenacle Family — a community of laity, vowed religious, single, married, priests, young and old, men and women from different countries, temperaments, and histories, who share Father Judge's vision: 'Every Catholic called to be a missionary in their daily lives, making God's Reign of joy and peace a reality for all.' The parish supports this wider missionary family through prayer, hospitality, and stewardship.
- Missionary Cenacle Family
- Prayer Request ministry
- Online Giving program (501(c)(3) tax-deductible donations)
Visit, Contact & Office Information
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Joseph Parish. The church office is open weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and the parish can be reached by phone or email. The community encourages visitors to share their experience on social media using the hashtag #stjohtal.
- Address — 1444 Highway 165, Fort Mitchell, AL 36856
- Phone — (334) 855-3148
- Email — [email protected] / [email protected]
- Office Hours — Weekdays, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Social hashtag — #stjohtal
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Thomas Augustine Judge, C.M.1920s (founder)
Vincentian priest who founded the seminary at Holy Trinity and inspired the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity; first pastor of St. Joseph's.