About St. Mary · Rome, Georgia
St. Mary's Catholic Church is the largest Catholic parish in northwest Georgia, serving over 1,700 registered families from its prominent location at 911 North Broad Street in downtown Rome, Georgia. Founded as a parish in June 1929 and rooted in Catholic worship in the area dating back to the 1870s, it is the mother Catholic church of Rome and the seat of the Northwest Deanery of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta. The parish runs St. Mary's Catholic School (K–8), a Hispanic ministry, faith formation, youth ministry, music and liturgical ministries, and a broad outreach network; its granite Gothic-inspired church on Broad Street is a recognizable landmark on the Rome skyline.
- Established
- 1929
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Father Paul Porter
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers one of the most complete Catholic experiences in northwest Georgia: a landmark granite Gothic-inspired church on North Broad Street with daily and weekend Mass, Eucharistic adoration and regular confessions, a thriving K–8 Catholic school, robust faith formation from childhood through adults, an active youth ministry, a Hispanic ministry serving Spanish-speaking parishioners, choirs and a pipe-organ music program, plus outreach through St. Vincent de Paul and other service groups. Its combination of historic architecture — including the 1930 Italian marble high altar, stained glass and a steeple added in 1998 — and a parish of more than 1,700 families makes it an unusually warm, multigenerational community for anyone seeking a full sacramental and pastoral life in the Rome area.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday after the 12:10 PM Mass (per parish website)
- Saturday 4:00 PM (typical parish schedule; verify on parish site)
History of St. Mary's Catholic Church, Rome
Catholic worship in the Rome, Georgia area predates the parish by centuries: a Mass was celebrated near the three rivers as part of Hernando de Soto's 1540 expedition, and from the 1740s into the post-Civil War era small groups of Catholics gathered in the home of Colonel D.S. Printup whenever a missionary priest passed through. By the 1870s about 30 Catholics were living in Rome; with donated land and donated labor they built a simple wooden church on Court Street (now East First Street) that Bishop Gross dedicated in 1874. That little church served for nearly 60 years before the growing community outgrew it.
- First Catholic Mass near Rome: 1540 (de Soto expedition)
- First church in Rome dedicated by Bishop Gross: 1874
- Parish canonically established: June 1929
- Present church dedicated by Bishop Michael Keyes: March 15, 1931
- Debt on present church paid off: 1936
The Present Church Building
Built in 1930–1931 for $30,000 and designed by a Benedictine monk-architect from Belmont Abbey, North Carolina, St. Mary's is a granite structure inspired by Gothic forms and monastic simplicity. The exterior carries a large crucifix over the entrance, the bishop's coat of arms, and the Latin inscription 'Venite Adoremus.' In 1998 the church was dramatically expanded: transepts doubled seating capacity, the long-deferred stained-glass windows were installed, the original bell-tower / steeple plan was finally completed, a new pipe organ was installed, and a Parish Center was added.
- Architect: Benedictine monk from Belmont Abbey, NC
- Style: Gothic-inspired, monastic simplicity, granite exterior
- Cost of original construction: $30,000
- 1998 expansion: transepts, stained glass, steeple, organ, Parish Center
- Inscription: 'Venite Adoremus' (O come let us adore)
The High Altar and Art
The most striking liturgical treasure of St. Mary's is its Italian marble high altar, originally built in 1930 for the student chapel of Campion Jesuit High School in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. When that chapel was closed, the altar was saved from destruction: St. Mary's purchased it in 1995, it was dismantled, catalogued and shipped to Rome, and in 1998 marble artisans reassembled it in the church. The Last Supper is intricately carved into its lower half. For many years the church also hung a large 16th-century oil painting of the Madonna and Child above the altar — a gift of Princess J. Eugenia Ruspoli of Rome, Italy, sister of Berry College founder Martha Berry. The painting and two companion oils now hang in the Parish Center.
- Italian marble high altar, originally built 1930 for Campion Jesuit High School (Prairie du Chien, WI)
- Acquired by St. Mary's: 1995; installed: 1998
- Last Supper carved in lower half of altar
- 16th-century Madonna and Child oil painting by Princess J. Eugenia Ruspoli, displayed in Parish Center
St. Mary's Catholic School
St. Mary's School was founded in 1945 by Father McCarthy and was originally housed in an elegant ante-bellum home overlooking the Oostanaula River. The Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan staffed the school at its opening, when 51 students enrolled. Under Father John McDonough, assigned as pastor in 1959, a modern school facility was built at a cost of more than $300,000 and opened in 1961 with nearly 200 students. The school continues as the parish's K–8 Catholic school and a cornerstone of parish life.
- Founded: 1945 by Father McCarthy
- Original site: ante-bellum home overlooking the Oostanaula River
- Original staff: Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan
- Present school building opened: 1961 under Father John McDonough
- Levels served: K–8
Parish Staff
St. Mary's is currently led by Father Paul Porter as Pastor, with Father Salomon Garcia serving as Parochial Vicar and Deacon Stuart Neslin assisting. Frank Blaydes is the parish seminarian. Cheryl Guldenschuh serves as Director of Pastoral Care; Brianna Aguilar is Coordinator of Faith Formation; Maria Lopez-Santizo is Hispanic Ministries Coordinator; the parish also retains a Music Director, an Assistant Music Director, a Director of Communications, a Business Manager, a Receptionist, and a Parish Maintenance lead.
- Pastor: Father Paul Porter
- Parochial Vicar: Father Salomon Garcia
- Deacon: Stuart Neslin
- Seminarian: Frank Blaydes
- Director of Pastoral Care: Cheryl Guldenschuh
- Coordinator of Faith Formation: Brianna Aguilar
- Hispanic Ministries Coordinator: Maria Lopez-Santizo
Faith Formation, Youth and Hispanic Ministry
Faith Formation at St. Mary's is coordinated by Brianna Aguilar and serves parishioners of all ages — from children's First Communion and Confirmation preparation through adult RCIA and ongoing study. A Youth Minister leads the parish's middle and high school ministry, and Hispanic Ministries, under Maria Lopez-Santizo, accompanies the growing Spanish-speaking community with its own Spanish Mass, formation and fellowship. Together these ministries anchor the parish's outreach to more than 1,700 families.
- Faith Formation: Coordinator Brianna Aguilar
- Youth Ministry: staffed Youth Minister
- Hispanic Ministries: Coordinator Maria Lopez-Santizo
- Spanish Mass: Sundays, 1:00 PM
Music and Liturgy
Music is integral to worship at St. Mary's, where a Music Director and an Assistant Music Director lead the parish's choirs and ensembles. A new pipe organ was installed as part of the 1998 renovation, and the expanded sanctuary — with the Italian marble high altar, freestanding altar and pulpit — supports the full range of Catholic liturgical celebration.
- Music Director (parish staff)
- Assistant Music Director (parish staff)
- Pipe organ installed: 1998
Visiting and Contact Information
St. Mary's is located at 911 North Broad Street, Rome, Georgia 30161, with on-site parish parking. The parish office is open Monday–Thursday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM; the main phone number is (706) 290-9000 and the fax is (706) 295-1717. Visitors are warmly welcomed to any Mass and invited to greet the parish family when they come.
- Address: 911 North Broad Street, Rome, GA 30161
- Phone: (706) 290-9000
- Fax: (706) 295-1717
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu 9 AM–4 PM; Fri 9 AM–1 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph Cassidy1930–c.1936
First resident pastor of St. Mary's, sent in 1930 by Bishop Michael Keyes; oversaw purchase of the Broad Street site, sale of the old 1874 church, and construction of the present granite church dedicated March 15, 1931. A legendary figure in Georgia Catholic history.
- Father Gradyc.1936–c.1945
Assigned to St. Mary's c. 1936; by that year the parish had paid off the entire debt on the new church, a remarkable accomplishment for so small a parish.
- Father McCarthyc.1940s
Substituted for Fr. Grady during his military tours and founded St. Mary's School in an ante-bellum home overlooking the Oostanaula River in 1945, served by the Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan.
- Father Pat Connell1950s
Beloved pastor of the 1950s; under his pastorate the parish grew to nearly 200 families with the arrival of the General Electric Company.
- Father John McDonoughfrom 1959
Assigned as pastor in 1959; built the present St. Mary's School at a cost of more than $300,000; it opened in 1961 with nearly 200 students.
- Father Rafael Carballosa
Listed among the pastors in the parish's historical narrative.
- Father Valery Ak [surname partial in source]
Mentioned in the parish's historical narrative; full surname not verifiable from the available text.
- Father Paul Porterpresent
Current pastor (as of the parish website).