About St. Margaret Queen of Scotland · Albany, Louisiana
St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland Catholic Church is a historic parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge serving the eastern portion of Livingston civil Parish in southeastern Louisiana — including the communities of Albany, Springfield, Holden, Killian, and Hammond. Rooted in a 19th-century Hungarian settlement, the parish grew out of the Strawberry Farmer Catholic community that built its Gothic Revival church themselves in 1910–1912. Today it is a vibrant, growing community of more than 900 registered families that worshipes at the original 1910 church and at its mission chapel, St. Thomas the Apostle in Springfield.
- Established
- 1910
- Patron
- St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland
- Rector
- Rev. Paul A. Gros
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge
Why belong here
St. Margaret offers the rare combination of a small, deeply rooted historic faith community and the energy of a rapidly growing parish. Members worship in a 1910 Gothic Revival church on the National Register of Historic Places, served by a resident pastor and parochial vicar alongside two deacons, with daily Mass Tuesday through Friday and Sunday Masses at both the Albany church and its mission chapel of St. Thomas the Apostle in Springfield. The parish runs weekly Eucharistic Adoration, a young-adult 'Rooted' ministry, a Respect Life ministry, marriage prep, music ministry, and active outreach — including the dramatic 2016 flood response that sheltered stranded motorists on I-12. With more than 900 registered families, St. Margaret is large enough to offer real programs but small enough that newcomers are quickly drawn into the life of the community.
Mass times at St. Margaret Queen of Scotland
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Adoration times
- Wednesday 7:30 AM – 8:00 PM (Eucharistic Adoration)
Our Parish: St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland
St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland Catholic Church is a Christian family in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge, called to be a sign of Christ's presence in eastern Livingston civil Parish — serving the communities of Albany, Springfield, Holden, Killian, and Hammond. With more than nine hundred officially registered families, the parish describes itself as 'steeped in a rich history that stands at the precipice of yet another chapter of change, development, and growth.' The parish's mission is to proclaim the Word, celebrate faith through meaningful liturgy and the sacraments, strengthen families, form young people, and serve those in need.
A Hungarian-Catholic Heritage
St. Margaret's identity is rooted in the Hungarian Settlement (Árpádhon) founded just south of Albany in 1896 by Adam Mocsary, Julius Bruskay, and Tivador Zboray, workers at the Charles Brackenridge Lumber Company. Hungarians from northern industrial cities and mining towns poured south to buy cut-over timber land, working the mill by day and their new farms at night, with strawberries as the cash crop. The first Masses in the settlement were celebrated in the Immigration House, a multi-purpose worship and community hall built by Brackenridge for both Catholics and Presbyterians.
- Founded 1896 by Hungarian mill workers
- Known as the largest rural Hungarian settlement in the U.S.
- First Masses in the Immigration House built by Brackenridge
Building the Church (1909–1912)
In 1909, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Juhasz donated roughly twenty acres for a church, and Archbishop James Herbert Blenk of the Archdiocese of New Orleans approved the parish's erection. Construction began in 1910, with lumber donated by Brackenridge and the Thomas Lumber Company of Springfield and labor donated by strawberry farmers who built on weekends. The structure was used for services before completion, and the solemn blessing took place on September 8, 1912. The founders wanted to name the parish for their beloved Margaret of Hungary, but since she was not yet canonized (1943), the parish was placed under the patronage of St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland — herself, ironically, of Hungarian birth.
- Land donated by the Juhasz family, 1909
- First timber laid 1910; used for Mass before completion
- Solemn blessing September 8, 1912
The Religious Orders Who Served St. Margaret
In its early decades the parish had no resident pastor — priests traveled the five miles from the Benedictine monastery at Gessen (Rosaryville) on horseback or by horse-drawn buggy. Over time, four distinct groups shepherded the congregation: the Benedictine Fathers (1905–1912), the Dominicans (1912–1920), the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (1920–1984), and diocesan priests of Baton Rouge (1984–present). In 1927 a community of consecrated women — the Missionary Catechists, Servants of the Eucharist — was founded on the parish grounds; this group was later amalgamated into the Eucharistic Missionaries of St. Dominic and ultimately subsumed into the Dominican Sisters of Peace.
- Benedictines (1905–1912)
- Dominicans (1912–1920)
- Oblates of Mary Immaculate (1920–1984)
- Diocesan priests of Baton Rouge (1984–present)
Mother Church of Livingston Parish
From 1927 onward, St. Margaret served as the Mother Church of Livingston Parish, accepting responsibility for four mission churches: Immaculate Conception in Denham Springs (now the largest parish in the Diocese of Baton Rouge), Sacred Heart in Livingston (now a chapel of Immaculate Conception Parish), St. Mary in Bear Island (now part of St. Stephen the Martyr Parish, Maurepas), and St. Thomas the Apostle in Springfield. St. Thomas remains today as the parish's only active mission chapel.
- Immaculate Conception, Denham Springs
- Sacred Heart, Livingston
- St. Mary, Bear Island
- St. Thomas the Apostle, Springfield (still active)
The 2015 Master Plan and 2019 Rededication
In 2015, under the leadership of Father Jamin David, the parish acquired an additional 5.05 acres east of the original campus as the first phase of a five-phase master plan to address growth. A 2018 capital improvement plan totaling $2.1 million restored and beautified the parish buildings, including the historic Gothic Revival church, and from 2012 to 2017 the rectory and Hall of Saints were fully renovated. Bishop Michael Duca rededicated the restored church on November 17, 2019. A future phase envisions a new worship space, with the 1910 church then serving as a chapel for weddings, funerals, Eucharistic Adoration, and daily Mass.
- 2015 land acquisition begins master plan
- 2018 capital improvement plan ($2.1 million)
- Rededicated by Bishop Michael Duca, November 17, 2019
- Future phase: new worship space; historic church as chapel
Hurricane and Flood Response (2016)
When severe flooding devastated the Greater Baton Rouge area in 2016, St. Margaret and her parishioners sprang into action: they sheltered thousands of motorists stranded on Interstate 12, distributed emergency financial assistance including gift cards, cleaning materials, food, and over 1,000 sheets of sheetrock to flooded parishioners, and gave away about $350,000 in furniture to flood victims. The event became one of the defining chapters of the parish's recent life.
- Sheltered thousands of I-12 motorists
- Over 1,000 sheets of sheetrock distributed
- $350,000 in furniture given to flood victims
Parish Ministries & Faith Formation
The parish runs a variety of ministries designed to form parishioners of every age and stage, including a Music Ministry, a Respect Life Ministry, a Marriage Preparation Ministry, the 'Rooted' Young Adult Ministry, a Homebound Ministry that brings Communion to the sick and elderly, ongoing faith formation and religious education for the parish's young people, and a Coffee & Donuts fellowship after Mass. Eucharistic Adoration every Wednesday anchors the spiritual life of the parish.
- Music Ministry
- Respect Life Ministry
- Marriage Preparation Ministry
- Rooted Young Adult Ministry
- Homebound Ministry
- Faith Formation / Religious Education
- Coffee & Donuts fellowship
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Paul A. Gros, who also serves as Chaplain of St. Thomas Aquinas Diocesan Regional School in Hammond, together with a Parochial Vicar. Two deacons assist: Deacon William L. Corbett (who also serves the St. Thomas the Apostle Chapel in Springfield) and Deacon Timothy T. Messenger, Sr. (who is also Chaplain at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women).
- Rev. Paul A. Gros — Pastor; Chaplain, St. Thomas Aquinas Diocesan Regional School
- Rev. Kumar Raja Kolakani — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon William L. Corbett — Deacon Assistant; serves St. Thomas Chapel
- Deacon Timothy T. Messenger, Sr. — Deacon Assistant; Chaplain, Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women
St. Thomas the Apostle Chapel, Springfield
St. Thomas the Apostle Chapel in Springfield is the surviving mission church of the four that once fell under St. Margaret's care. It hosts the 8:00 AM Sunday Mass and is served by the parish's pastor and Deacon William L. Corbett. The chapel is located at 31718 Main Street, Springfield, LA 70462.
- 31718 Main Street, Springfield, LA 70462
- Sunday Mass at 8:00 AM
- Served by St. Margaret's pastor
Visit, Contact & Directions
St. Margaret is located right off of I-12 at Exit 32, on Catholic Hall Road. The parish mailing address is P.O. Box 100, Albany, LA 70711, while the physical address is 30300 Catholic Hall Road, Hammond, LA 70403. The parish office can be reached at 225-567-3573 or 225-567-2031. Paved parking is available on the redeveloped parochial grounds following the 2018 capital improvements.
- I-12 Exit 32, Catholic Hall Road
- Mailing: P.O. Box 100, Albany, LA 70711
- Physical: 30300 Catholic Hall Road, Hammond, LA 70403
- Phone: 225-567-3573 / 225-567-2031
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Anthony
Traveled by horse and buggy from Rosaryville (the Benedictine monastery at Gessen) to celebrate Mass before a resident pastor was assigned.
- Benedictine Fathers1905–1912
First religious order to administer the parish; based at the Rosaryville/Gessen monastery.
- Dominican Fathers1912–1920
Firmly established the parish in its early decades.
- Oblates of Mary Immaculate1920–1984
64-year tenure that shaped the parish community.
- Very Rev. Jamin S. David, J.C.L., V.G.
Led the parish's five-phase master planning initiative beginning in 2015; later became Director of Priest Mentoring for the Diocese of Baton Rouge.
- Rev. Paul A. Gros
Current Pastor; also Chaplain of St. Thomas Aquinas Diocesan Regional School, Hammond.