About St. Joseph The Worker · Bainbridge, Georgia
St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church is a Roman Rite parish in Bainbridge, Georgia, in Decatur County, serving the Catholic faithful of southwest Georgia since 1877. It is one of the oldest Catholic mission communities in the region, currently led by Father Tomas Beroch as Pastor, and shares ministry with Incarnation Catholic Mission in nearby Donalsonville. The parish worships in English, Spanish, and bilingual liturgies, celebrating eight Masses per week across both worship sites, and offers regular confession, Eucharistic adoration, and nocturnal adoration. It belongs to the Diocese of Savannah (Albany Deanery) and serves a multigenerational, multilingual congregation in a historically rural part of the diocese.
- Established
- 1877
- Patron
- St. Joseph the Worker (Saint Joseph, foster father of Jesus and husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, patron of workers and artisans)
- Rector
- Father Tomas Beroch
- Diocese
- Diocese of Savannah (Albany Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Joseph the Worker offers a rare combination in southwest Georgia: a historic Catholic parish (founded 1877, with the current church dedicated in 1958) that genuinely worships in three modes — English, Spanish, and bilingual — with three Sunday Masses, a Wednesday evening Spanish Mass, daily Mass several days a week, and an active adoration schedule that includes weekly Eucharistic adoration, First Saturday adoration, and a monthly nocturnal adoration. The parish also welcomes Bainbridge State College students through a dedicated Newman-style outreach, serves families connected to the area's agricultural and military heritage, and shares ministry with Incarnation Catholic Mission in Donalsonville, making it the spiritual hub for Catholics across Decatur and surrounding counties.
Mass times at St. Joseph The Worker
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM (also by appointment)
- Sunday: 3:00 PM (Domingo)
- Wednesday: 5:30 PM (Miércoles)
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM (Miércoles)
- First Saturday of the month: 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM (Solo el Primer Sábado del mes)
- Nocturnal Adoration: every 3rd Saturday of the month, 9:00 PM through Sunday 6:30 AM (Adoración Nocturna cada 3er sábado del mes)
Parish Identity and Patron
St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church is the Roman Catholic parish serving Bainbridge and Decatur County in southwest Georgia. It is named for Saint Joseph venerated as the patron of workers and artisans, the foster father of Jesus and husband of the Virgin Mary, whose feast is observed on May 1. The parish is one of the oldest Catholic mission foundations in southwest Georgia, with roots going back to 1877.
- Patron: St. Joseph the Worker
- Feast Day: May 1
- Established: 1877
- Diocese: Savannah (Albany Deanery)
- Pastor: Father Tomas Beroch
History of St. Joseph the Worker
Catholic worship in Bainbridge began in 1877 when the missionary priest Rev. Charles Clement Prendergast purchased a small lot at Water and Independent Streets and converted a former schoolhouse/Episcopal church into a chapel. Two Swindell brothers and their sisters (especially Miss May, later Mrs. T.D. Dugan of Quebec) supplied lumber from the family mill on the Flint River. The first Mass was offered in Bainbridge about 1881; Bishop William H. Gross of Savannah visited in 1882 to administer Confirmation. After Father Prendergast's death in 1898 the mission was sustained by occasional visits from Rev. Henry Schlenke of Columbus. In 1936 Father Thomas I. Sheehan became the first resident pastor of Thomasville Catholic Parish, with care of the Bainbridge mission; later Thomasville pastors included Fathers Joseph G. Cassidy (1939), Michael Manning (1940), and John J. O'Shea (1945).
- 1877 – Fr. Charles Clement Prendergast founds the mission
- 1881 – First Mass celebrated in Bainbridge
- 1882 – Bishop William H. Gross visits for Confirmation
- 1898 – Death of Fr. Prendergast; Fr. Henry Schlenke takes occasional visits
- 1936 – Fr. Thomas I. Sheehan named first resident pastor of Thomasville Catholic Parish
Franciscan Era and the 1958 Church
In December 1952 the Franciscan Fathers of the New York Province were entrusted with the nine-county Thomasville territory. Father Hilary Deck, OFM, was the first Franciscan pastor of St. Joseph's in Bainbridge, succeeded in 1956 by Father Finian Kerwin. The original chapel was by then too small for the growing congregation, many affiliated with the Bainbridge Air Force Base, so a new church was built on land extending from Randolph to Middleton Street between Alice and Ramsay Streets. The current church, dedicated November 30, 1958 by Bishop Thomas McDonough, seats about 144 adults and features heartwood furnishings, brick walls with the Stations of the Cross, stained-glass windows, a sacristy, parochial hall, kitchen, and a priest's room.
- 1952 – Franciscan Fathers of the New York Province take over the territory
- 1952–1956 – Fr. Hilary Deck, OFM (first Franciscan pastor)
- 1956 – Fr. Finian Kerwin, OFM
- Nov. 30, 1958 – Present church dedicated by Bishop Thomas McDonough
- Capacity: ~144 adults
Architecture and Building Features
The present-day St. Joseph the Worker church is a mid-century Catholic worship space completed in 1958. The altar rail, ceiling beams, pews, and confessional are made of varnished heartwood. The side walls are brick and bear the Stations of the Cross, while the auditorium area is lit through stained-glass windows. A rear sacristy connects to a parochial hall with kitchen and toilet facilities, plus a room for the visiting priest. The entire building is heated and air-conditioned for the hot, humid southwest Georgia climate.
- Heartwood altar rail, beams, pews, and confessional
- Brick side walls with the Stations of the Cross
- Stained-glass windows in the auditorium section
- Sacristy, parochial hall, kitchen, toilet facilities, priest's room
- Fully heated and air-conditioned
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish runs a Faith Formation / Religious Education program (catequesis) for parish families, preparing children and adults for the sacraments. With a substantial Hispanic population, faith formation is offered in both English and Spanish to support sacramental preparation, ongoing catechesis, and family life.
- Faith Formation / Religious Education (catequesis)
- Sacramental preparation in English and Spanish
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
Hispanic Ministry and Spanish-Language Life
Because of the parish's bilingual and trilingual worship life, the Hispanic community of Bainbridge is fully integrated into parish life. There is a 1:30 PM Sunday Mass entirely in Spanish, a 7:00 PM Wednesday Mass in Spanish or bilingual form, and bilingual Masses on Saturday evening (Donalsonville) and Sunday morning. The parish's website and bulletin are also published bilingually (English/Spanish).
- Spanish-language Mass Sundays 1:30 PM
- Wednesday 7:00 PM Spanish/bilingual Mass
- Bilingual bulletins (Boletines)
- Confession and adoration offered in both languages
College Outreach (Bainbridge State College)
Through a Newman-style outreach, the parish welcomes students, faculty, and staff of Bainbridge State College (now part of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College) to the sacramental and social life of the parish. The parish describes itself as 'the Catholic faith community of St. Joseph Catholic Church, here in Bainbridge,' and offers 'many opportunities for you to join us for the Sacramental life, as well as social activities.' The contact for the college ministry is Abbie Byron-Goslin ([email protected]; parish office 229-726-3752).
- Newman Connection outreach to Bainbridge State College
- Contact: Abbie Byron-Goslin, [email protected]
- Parish office: 229-726-3752
Incarnation Catholic Mission, Donalsonville
St. Joseph the Worker shares pastoral ministry with Incarnation Catholic Mission in nearby Donalsonville, GA (Seminole County). The mission is staffed from Bainbridge and offers a bilingual Saturday Vigil Mass at 7:00 PM and a bilingual Sunday Mass at 8:30 AM on the first Sunday of each month, serving Catholics in the surrounding rural communities.
- Incarnation Catholic Mission, Donalsonville
- Saturday Vigil: 7:00 PM bilingual
- First Sunday of the month: 8:30 AM bilingual
- Pastored from St. Joseph the Worker, Bainbridge
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
Father Tomas Beroch serves as Pastor (Párroco) of St. Joseph the Worker and the Incarnation Mission. An Argentine-born priest ordained in Rome (Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, June 2010) and incardinated in the Diocese of Savannah, he was appointed by Bishop Stephen D. Parkes as Parochial Administrator effective July 1, 2022, having previously served as Parochial Vicar of Sacred Heart Church, Warner Robins. He is fluent in Spanish, Italian, and English.
- Pastor: Father Tomas Beroch
- Appointed July 1, 2022 by Bishop Stephen D. Parkes
- Diocese of Savannah (Albany Deanery)
Visit, Contact, and Practical Information
Visitors and parishioners are warmly welcomed. The parish website notes: 'Welcome to our parochial website. Please, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us. May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you and keep you in his grace!' The parish office is reachable by phone at 229-726-3752, and confessions or meetings can be arranged by appointment. The church is located at 1207 Randolph Street, Bainbridge, GA 39819 (Decatur County).
- Address: 1207 Randolph Street, Bainbridge, GA 39819
- Phone: 229-726-3752
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stjoebainbridge.diosav.net
- Deanery: Albany (Diocese of Savannah)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Charles Clement Prendergast1877–1898
Missionary priest from Savannah who founded the Bainbridge Catholic mission in 1877; purchased the original chapel lot; died in 1898.
- Rev. Henry Schlenkeafter 1898
Of Columbus, GA; made occasional visits to Bainbridge at the request of Miss May (Mrs. T.D. Dugan) until the mission was linked to Albany.
- Fr. Thomas I. Sheehan1936–
Appointed July 1, 1936 as first resident pastor of Thomasville Catholic Parish, whose territory included Decatur County and the Bainbridge mission.
- Fr. Joseph G. Cassidy1939–
Thomasville pastor with care of the Bainbridge mission.
- Fr. Michael Manning1940–
Thomasville pastor with care of the Bainbridge mission.
- Fr. John J. O'Shea1945–
Thomasville pastor with care of the Bainbridge mission.
- Fr. Hilary Deck, OFMDecember 1952–1956
First Franciscan (New York Province) pastor of St. Joseph's, Bainbridge; took over in December 1952 when the Franciscans were entrusted with the Thomasville parish and its nine-county territory.
- Fr. Finian Kerwin, OFM1956–
Succeeded Fr. Hilary Deck in 1956; oversaw planning and construction of the present 1958 church.
- Rev. Tomas Beroch2022–present
Appointed by Bishop Stephen D. Parkes effective July 1, 2022 as Parochial Administrator of St. Joseph the Worker Church, Bainbridge and Mission; subsequently named Pastor. Previously Parochial Vicar of Sacred Heart Church, Warner Robins.