About St. Joseph · Tuskegee, Alabama
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a historically Black Roman Catholic parish in Tuskegee Institute (Tuskegee), Alabama, founded in 1940 by the Josephite Fathers (S.S.J.) at the request of Bishop Thomas J. Toolen. The parish's roots go back to 1924, when about ten Catholics in Tuskegee — led by Mrs. Evelina Wilkerson — invited Josephite priests from St. John the Baptist in Montgomery to celebrate Mass in local homes and at the Tuskegee Institute and VA Hospital. St. Joseph is part of the Archdiocese of Mobile and continues its long Newman Center ministry to Tuskegee University students, faculty, and staff.
- Established
- 1940
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Mateusz (Matt) Rudzik
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Mobile
Why belong here
St. Joseph Catholic Church in Tuskegee is the spiritual home of a small, multigenerational Black Catholic community with deep roots in the education of students and care for the rural poor. The parish welcomes Tuskegee University students, faculty and staff through a long-running Newman Center ministry, gathers for Sunday and weekday Mass, and offers Eucharistic Adoration and the Rosary before Sunday Mass. Fr. Matt and Deacon Stanley Maxwell are readily available to parishioners, and confession is offered before and after every Mass.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 10:20–10:50 AM
- Available before every Mass and after every Mass
- By appointment — call Father Matt
Adoration times
- Sunday 10:30–10:55 AM (with recitation of the Holy Rosary)
History of St. Joseph Parish
Catholic life in Tuskegee began in 1924 when about ten Catholics, led by Mrs. Evelina Wilkerson, asked the Josephite priests at St. John the Baptist in Montgomery to come celebrate Mass. Until 1940, Mass was offered in private homes, the Home Economics Building on the Tuskegee Institute campus, and the Tuskegee VA Hospital, with the Daughters of Charity from St. Margaret's Hospital assisting with hymns and catechism. In 1940, at Bishop Thomas J. Toolen's request, the Josephite Fathers built the first St. Joseph Church and appointed Rev. Leo J. Farragher, S.S.J., as its first resident pastor. The parish's story is one of steady growth in buildings, organizations, and outreach, from the 1944 arrival of the Dominican Sisters and the founding of a Newman Center, through the 1977–78 construction of the current church, to the 2010–2012 renovations of the rectory and convent.
Founding and Early Years (1924–1940)
Before the church existed, traveling Josephite priests from St. John the Baptist in Montgomery celebrated Mass in homes, on the Tuskegee Institute campus, and at the VA Hospital. Daughters of Charity from St. Margaret's Hospital helped teach hymns and catechism on a periodic basis.
- 1924 — Mrs. Evelina Wilkerson invites Josephite priests from Montgomery
- ~10 Catholics in Tuskegee at the time of the request
- 1940 — Bishop Toolen asks the Josephites to build the first St. Joseph Church
Growth and the School (1944–1974)
The parish grew rapidly through the 1940s and 1950s, anchored by the arrival of the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, the opening of kindergarten in the church basement, and the founding of Sunday religious instruction and a Newman Center. A school (kindergarten through grade 8) grew up around the church; the first lay principal, Mr. Clima J. White, Jr., was hired in 1974.
- 1944 — Convent built with help from men at Tuskegee Army Air Base; four Dominican Sisters arrive
- 1944 — Nursery school and kindergarten open in the church basement under Sister Norina Daily
- 1945 — Five-room school building added; Newman Center founded for Tuskegee Institute students
- 1946 — PTA and Students Club organized
- 1947 — Holy Name Society and Legion of Mary established
- 1951 — Rectory built
- 1952 — Blessed Virgin Mary Sodality organized
- 1955 — Lay teachers begin to join the Dominican Sisters on faculty
- 1956 — Two classrooms added
- 1960 — Two classrooms and a cafeteria added
Building the New Church (1970s)
After decades in the original 1940 church, the community outgrew the building and began planning a new sanctuary. Ground was broken on April 17, 1977, and the new church was dedicated on June 11, 1978. The 1940 church became the Family Hall.
- 1970 — Parish Council formed
- 1972 — School Board established
- 1973 — Parish instrumental in founding the South Macon County Co-op at Warrior Stand (Campaign for Human Development funds)
- 1977 — Groundbreaking for new church, April 17
- 1978 — New church dedicated, June 11
- 1979 — Sons of St. Joseph established
Renovations and Recent Years (1989–Present)
From the late 1980s onward the parish invested in physical improvements: a steeple was added to the new church in memory of Dr. Elmer A. Taylor; the Family Hall kitchen, bathrooms, and HVAC were upgraded; a 14-passenger mini-bus was purchased in 2002 to transport Tuskegee University students and support parish activities; the rectory was renovated in 2010; and the convent was renovated in 2011–2012 and is now home to the Sisters of the Handmaid of the Holy Child Jesus. A canopy at the front of the church, a gift from a donor's estate, shelters attendees before and after Mass.
- 1989 — White steeple added in memory of Dr. Elmer A. Taylor (blessed December 31, 1989)
- 1990 — Family Hall renovation: enlarged kitchen, two bathrooms, central heat and air
- 2002 — 14-passenger parish mini-bus purchased
- 2010 — Rectory renovation with Archdiocese of Mobile loan
- 2011–2012 — Convent renovation; Sisters of the Handmaid of the Holy Child Jesus take up residence
- 2016 — Rev. Mateusz Rudzik appointed pastor
Shepherds of the Archdiocese of Mobile
St. Joseph has been shepherded under four successive bishops/archbishops since 1927. The parish shares the Archdiocese's wider pastoral mission with hundreds of sister parishes across southern Alabama.
- Bishop Thomas J. Toolen, D.D. — 1927–1976
- Archbishop John L. May, D.D. — Bishop of Mobile, then Archbishop 1969–1980
- Archbishop Oscar Hugh Lipscomb, D.D., Ph.D. (Emeritus) — 1980–2008
- Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi, J.D., M.Div., D.C., J.C.L. — 2008–present
Parish Ministries and Organizations
Parish organizations have shaped the life of St. Joseph since its earliest years, beginning with the PTA and Students Club in 1946 and the Holy Name Society and Legion of Mary in 1947. More recent additions include the Parish Council, School Board, and Sons of St. Joseph, while the parish's Newman Center has served Tuskegee University students since January 1945.
- Newman Center for Tuskegee University (since January 1945)
- Religious instruction / CCD for children
- St. Joseph PTA (1946)
- St. Joseph Students Club (1946)
- Holy Name Society (1947)
- Legion of Mary (1947)
- Blessed Virgin Mary Sodality (1952)
- Parish Council (1970)
- School Board (1972)
- Sons of St. Joseph (1979)
Newman Center at Tuskegee University
St. Joseph has hosted the Tuskegee University (formerly Tuskegee Institute) Newman Center continuously since January 1945. The parish welcomes all students, faculty, and staff to its Masses, sacraments, fellowship, and service opportunities. (Newman chaplain from 1970–1972 was Rev. Joseph Doyle, S.S.J.)
Outreach to the Surrounding Community
Since its earliest decades St. Joseph has also ministered to people beyond its Catholic membership — armed forces personnel stationed at Tuskegee Army Air Base, faculty, students and staff of Tuskegee Institute, and patients and staff of the Tuskegee VA Hospital. In 1973 the parish helped secure Campaign for Human Development funding for the South Macon County Co-op at Warrior Stand, a community initiative that has since grown into a rural summer school program. All of these services have been offered to people regardless of religious affiliation.
- 1940s — Spiritual care for service members at Tuskegee Army Air Base
- Ongoing ministry to Tuskegee Institute/University faculty, students, and staff
- Pastoral care of Tuskegee VA Hospital patients and staff
- 1973 — South Macon County Co-op, Warrior Stand (Campaign for Human Development)
- Rural summer school program for South Macon County children
Parish School (St. Joseph Catholic School)
Catholic education has been a defining ministry of the parish since 1944, when the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, arrived to open a kindergarten in the church basement. A full grade school (kindergarten through 8) followed, with the first lay principal hired in 1974. The original 1940 church was eventually repurposed to house classrooms. The school had closed before a fire (reported as a lightning strike) destroyed the historic former church building, per the Black Catholic Messenger's reporting; parishioners and the Archdiocese of Mobile rallied in response. Founded during the Jim Crow era, the school provided quality Catholic education for Black children in the Deep South when they were typically denied access to public and private schools attended by white students.
Buildings on St. Joseph Property
The parish's physical footprint has expanded steadily over nine decades. The original 1940 church is remembered as the Family Hall; the current sanctuary, dedicated in 1978, anchors the campus today.
- 1940 — First church
- 1944 — Convent
- 1945 — Five-room school building
- 1951 — Rectory
- 1956 — Two classrooms
- 1960 — Two classrooms and cafeteria
- 1978 — New church (current sanctuary, dedicated June 11, 1978)
- 1989 — White steeple added to the church
- 2002 — 14-passenger parish mini-bus
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently led by Father Mateusz (Matt) Rudzik with the assistance of Deacon Stanley B. Maxwell, who was ordained June 30, 2002 for the Archdiocese of Mobile. Visitors and parishioners are invited to call Father Matt to make an appointment for confession or pastoral needs.
- Rev. Mateusz (Matt) Rudzik — Pastor (since 2016)
- Deacon Stanley B. Maxwell — ordained June 30, 2002
Visit, Contact, and Directions
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed at Mass and at the parish's other offices of the week. The church is located on West Montgomery Road in the Tuskegee Institute area, convenient to Tuskegee University and the Tuskegee VA Hospital. Father Matt is available by phone to help make an appointment for confession, pastoral care, or sacramental needs.
- Address — 2007 W. Montgomery Road, Tuskegee Institute, AL 36088
- Phone — (334) 727-2710
- Newman Center line — (334) 727-0620
- Email — [email protected]
- Website — http://stjoseph-tuskegee.org/
- Diocese — Archdiocese of Mobile
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Leo J. Farragher, S.S.J.1940
First resident pastor; lived in rooms behind the sanctuary.
- Rev. Henry G. Bouchie, S.S.J.1947
- Rev. John O'Connell, S.S.J.1953
- Rev. Dominic Marchese, S.S.J.1958
- Rev. Alphonse O'Reilly, S.S.J.1964
- Rev. James Faherty, S.S.J.1965
- Rev. A.L. Flynn, S.S.J.1968
- Rev. Joseph Begay, S.S.J.1974
- Rev. Jeremiah Brady, S.S.J.1978
- Rev. David Frueh, S.S.J.1979
- Bro. James Foreman, S.S.J.1979
- Bro. Kenneth Howard, S.S.J.1983
- Rev. Dayton Salisbury, S.S.J.1985
- Rev. James Fallon, S.S.J.1988
- Rev. Joseph Calamari, S.S.J.1990
- Rev. William D. Hogan, S.S.J.1997
- Rev. Charles McNeice, S.S.E.2002
- Rev. Michael Screboth2003
- Deacon Stanley Maxwell2004
Parish Administrator.
- Rev. Alfred Umagu, M.S.P.2007
- Rev. Romanus Ezeugua, M.S.P.2012
- Rev. Stanley Deresienski, S.S.E.2012–2016
- Rev. Mateusz Rudzik2016–present
Current pastor.