About St. Mary · Elberton, Georgia
St. Mary Mission is a small Roman Catholic mission church located at 155 Forest Avenue in Elberton, Georgia, in the heart of the state's famous granite-quarrying region. As a mission of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in nearby Hartwell, it is served by the same pastor and parish staff and belongs to the Archdiocese of Atlanta. The parish holds Sunday Mass at 11:00 AM, weekly Thursday worship, and offers a Spanish-language Mass on first Thursdays, together with religious education for children and sacramental preparation for adults preparing to enter the Church.
- Established
- 1941
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Father Tuan (John) Pham Nguyen
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Atlanta (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Atlanta)
Why belong here
St. Mary Mission is a close-knit Catholic community tucked into Elberton, Georgia — a place where Mass is celebrated with care in both English and Spanish and where every family is known by name. Children are welcomed into K–12 religious education on Sunday mornings, adults preparing for the Church journey through OCIA (RICA in Spanish), and the parish offers sacramental preparation for Baptism, Marriage, and First Sacraments. Worship is supported by the Elijah Cup vocations ministry, a growing team of trained altar servers, and the wider Sacred Heart of Jesus staff in Hartwell — all reasons that a new family or visitor will quickly feel at home here.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
History of St. Mary Mission
Catholic life in Elberton predates the present church building. In the 1930s the small community — about fifty families, many of them Italian stonecutters working the local quarries — worshipped in homes and at the American Legion Hall. A penny postcard to the Vatican, written in Italian after a quarry worker died without a priest, prompted an anonymous donor to fund a church. The granite-sided building at 155 Forest Avenue was dedicated on 23 November 1941 and has served as a mission ever since — first under St. Joseph in Athens, then St. Joseph in Washington, and since 2014 under Sacred Heart of Jesus in Hartwell.
- Founded as a mission by 1930 (GCatholic)
- Current church dedicated November 23, 1941
- Originally a mission of St. Joseph, Athens; later St. Joseph, Washington
- Administration transferred to Sacred Heart of Jesus, Hartwell, July 1, 2014 (decree of Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory)
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Mary Mission shares its pastor and support staff with Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Hartwell. The parish staff serves both communities from the Hartwell office at 1009 Benson Street.
- Pastor: Father Tuan (John) Pham Nguyen
- Deacon: Barry Phillips
- Business Manager: Belinda Thayer ([email protected])
- Church Secretary: Charlotte Carter ([email protected], 706-376-4112)
- Director of Religious Education: Shannon Jones ([email protected])
- Assistant Director of Religious Education (St. Mary's Mission): Teresa Menendez ([email protected])
- Records / Sacramental Coordinator: Nancy Stoehr ([email protected])
Mass & Service Schedule
The mission celebrates Sunday Mass at 11:00 AM. On the first Thursday of each month, two Masses are offered — one in English at 5:30 PM and one in Spanish at 7:00 PM. The remaining Thursdays feature a Communion Service in Spanish at 7:00 PM. During Lent, Stations of the Cross are prayed after both Thursday Communion Services.
- Sunday Mass — 11:00 AM (English)
- First Thursday Mass — 5:30 PM (English)
- First Thursday Mass — 7:00 PM (Spanish)
- Other Thursdays — 7:00 PM Spanish Communion Service
- Lent: Stations of the Cross on Thursdays after Communion Services
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious education for children in grades K–12 meets on Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 AM, coordinated through Teresa Menendez, the Assistant Director of Religious Education for St. Mary's Mission. Volunteers are welcome.
- K–12 Religious Education: Sundays 9:30–10:30 AM
- Contact: Teresa Menendez, [email protected]
- Albanian Servers trained October 2025
Becoming Catholic — OCIA / RICA
Adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church — whether unbaptized, baptized in another Christian tradition, or baptized Catholic seeking First Communion and Confirmation — journey through OCIA (English) or RICA (Spanish). Classes meet Sunday mornings from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM, September through April.
- OCIA / RICA classes: Sundays 10:30 AM–12:00 PM, September–April
- Contact: Deacon Barry Phillips, 706-376-4112, [email protected]
Sacraments
St. Mary Mission prepares parishioners for Baptism, Marriage, and the sacraments of initiation through its faith-formation programs. Sacramental records and scheduling are handled by Nancy Stoehr at the shared parish office in Hartwell.
- Baptism — schedule at least one month in advance with Nancy Stoehr ([email protected])
- Marriage — 6 to 12 months of preparation including clergy meetings and pre-marital counseling; contact Nancy Stoehr
- Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation for adults — through OCIA/RICA
- First Sacraments for children — through Sunday Religious Education
Parish Ministries
Parishioners are invited to participate in ministries that strengthen the small community — from vocations prayer to serving at the altar.
- Elijah Cup Ministry — families sign up to take the cup home for a week of prayer for priestly and religious vocations
- Altar Servers — training launched October 12, 2025
- Catechist ministry — honored each year on Catechetical Sunday
- Religious Education volunteers (K–12)
The Building & Accessibility
The church is a small granite-sided building on Forest Avenue, finished in 1941, in keeping with Elberton's heritage as the 'Granite Capital of the World.' A new wheelchair ramp has been added to welcome those with mobility needs.
- Style: small granite-faced church, 1941
- Accessible entrance via wheelchair ramp
- Setting: residential Forest Avenue in Elberton
Visit, Mail, and Contact
St. Mary's physical address is 155 Forest Avenue, Elberton, GA 30635. Because it is administered from Sacred Heart of Jesus, all mail, offerings, and records are handled through the Hartwell parish office at 1009 Benson Street, Hartwell, GA 30643. The office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, and can be reached at 706-376-4112 or [email protected].
- Church address: 155 Forest Avenue, Elberton, GA 30635
- Mailing address: St Mary's Mission C/O Sacred Heart of Jesus, 1009 Benson St, Hartwell, GA 30643
- Parish office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Phone: 706-376-4112
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Tuan (John) Pham NguyenCurrent (as of the parish website)
Also Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus, Hartwell. Ordained 07/01/2006 according to the Archdiocese of Atlanta clergy directory; speaks English and Vietnamese.
- Father Rafael A. Castaño FernandezEffective July 1, 2014
Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus in Hartwell, named first administrator of St. Mary Mission after its transfer from St. Joseph, Washington.