About St. Michael · Heron Bay, Alabama
St. Michael is a small Catholic mission church in the coastal community of Heron Bay (Coden) in southern Mobile County, Alabama, administered together with St. Philip Neri Parish in Belle Fontaine (Theodore). Both parishes belong to the Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile and share a single pastor, one parish office, and a combined schedule of Masses and ministries. St. Michael offers a Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 PM and a Sunday Mass at 10:00 AM, and its life is shaped by its fishing-village heritage on the road to Dauphin Island. The mission continues a Catholic presence on the Bayou La Batre / Heron Bay peninsula that dates back to the 1890s.
- Established
- 1941
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Fr. Daniel Good, JCL
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Mobile
Why belong here
St. Michael is a welcoming, family-sized Catholic mission with deep roots in the Heron Bay / Coden fishing community and an easy, low-key atmosphere — its own website literally invites 'hypocrites, sinners, saints, and normal people.' Parishioners can worship at a Saturday Vigil or Sunday morning Mass, receive the sacraments (baptism, marriage, RCIA, confirmation) through the combined St. Philip / St. Michael program, and pitch in through ministries like St. Michael's Altar Sodality, the Knights of Columbus, the Frassati Youth group, RCIA, and the Blessing Box food ministry.
Mass times at St. Michael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment with Fr. Dan; drop by the rectory any time (parishes share one priest, so confessions are normally offered at St. Philip — published time: Sunday 3:00–4:00 PM at St. Philip)
Our Story
Catholic life on the Heron Bay peninsula began in 1895 with Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, built as a mission of the Cathedral. That church was destroyed by the 1906 hurricane. A replacement, St. Timothy Church, was built in 1909, and around 1928 it became a station of Bayou La Batre. In 1940 the Edmundite Fathers assumed responsibility for the area's spiritual care, and on the feast of the Epiphany in 1941 the first Mass was celebrated in the new St. Michael Church, a building that also served as a school and community hall. Today St. Michael is a mission of St. Philip Neri Parish within the Archdiocese of Mobile.
- 1895 — Our Lady Star of the Sea Church built as a mission of the Cathedral
- 1906 — Our Lady Star of the Sea destroyed by hurricane
- 1909 — St. Timothy Church built as a mission
- c. 1928 — St. Timothy becomes a station of Bayou La Batre
- 1940 — Edmundite Fathers take over spiritual welfare of the area
- 1941 — First Mass celebrated in St. Michael Church on the feast of the Epiphany
Liturgical Schedule at St. Michael
St. Michael's Mass schedule is intentionally simple. The mission offers a Saturday Vigil Mass and one Sunday Mass, while daily Masses and additional Sunday Masses are celebrated at the partner parish of St. Philip Neri in Belle Fontaine. Confession is offered at announced times and by appointment with Fr. Dan.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 4:00 PM at St. Michael
- Sunday Mass — 10:00 AM at St. Michael
- Daily Masses and additional Sunday Masses — at St. Philip Neri, Theodore
- Confession — Sunday 3:00–4:00 PM at St. Philip, plus by appointment with Fr. Dan
Parish Staff and Clergy
St. Philip and St. Michael share one pastor, Fr. Daniel Good, JCL. Fr. Dan is a Canon Lawyer who manages the marriage section of the Archdiocesan Tribunal, is a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, and serves as State Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus and as an assistant chaplain for the Mobile Police Department and Mobile Fire-Rescue. He also teaches the deacon candidates for the Archdiocese and writes a weekly Gospel reflection for the parish website.
- Fr. Daniel Good, JCL — Pastor (since January 2018)
- Mary Kathryn Ladnier — Confirmation Program (11th grade)
- William Brady — Grand Knight, Knights of Columbus
- Frank and Louise Gardner — Blessing Box coordinators
Ministries and Organizations
The two parishes share a single ministry roster. St. Michael's own signature group is St. Michael's Altar Sodality, which cares for the cleaning of the church, the linens, and the seasonal decorating for feast days. The Frassati Youth group serves students in grades 7–12, and the Knights of Columbus council meets the third Monday of the month in the Parish Hall at St. Philip.
- St. Michael's Altar Sodality — cleaning, linens, feast-day decorating
- Frassati Youth — parish youth group for grades 7–12
- Knights of Columbus — meets third Monday at St. Philip Parish Hall
- RCIA — Monday nights at St. Philip, Annex
- Confirmation Program — 11th grade, run by Mary Kathryn Ladnier
- Blessing Box — daily-stocked food box for those in need (St. Philip campus)
- Captivating Coffee Club — weekday breakfast fellowship after Mass at St. Philip
Faith Formation and the Sacraments
Children are always welcome at Mass — the parish page famously reassures parents that 'God put the wiggle in your child.' Baptism is celebrated for the children of registered parishioners, with preparation through the parish office. Confirmation is conferred in the 11th grade, and the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) meets on Monday nights at St. Philip for adults exploring the Catholic faith. Fr. Dan's role on the Archdiocesan Tribunal makes marriage preparation and tribunal matters a particular strength of the parish.
- Baptism preparation through the parish office
- Confirmation in 11th grade (Mary Kathryn Ladnier)
- RCIA — Monday nights at St. Philip
- Marriage preparation through Fr. Dan Good