About St. Michael the Archangel · Auburn, Alabama
St. Michael the Archangel is a Roman Catholic parish in Auburn, Alabama, part of the Archdiocese of Mobile. Located at 1100 N. College St., the parish serves Auburn University students, faculty, and the wider East Alabama Catholic community, including a growing Korean, Hispanic, and international population. With approximately 1,400 registered families and over 70 active ministries, the parish runs the only Catholic school within roughly 50 miles (PreK-3 through 6th grade) and supports Auburn Catholic Campus Ministry out of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati Chapel at 342 N. College St. Its stated mission is 'To bring Christ to Auburn' through a lived sacramental life, forming disciples and cultivating a thriving Catholic community.
- Established
- 1966 (as St. Michael the Archangel; Catholic presence in Auburn since 1912)
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Michael L. Farmer
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile
Why belong here
St. Michael the Archangel offers the richness of a large, diverse parish with a small-town feel: a historic circular sanctuary and a brand-new parochial school, daily Mass in English plus a 12:30 p.m. Sunday Mass in Spanish and a Korean Mass on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays. With 70+ active ministries — including OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), the One Cup international outreach, St. Vincent de Paul's children's programs, faith formation, and a robust Auburn Catholic Campus Ministry — newcomers, converts, families, students, and internationals all find a place to worship, serve, and belong.
Mass times at St. Michael the Archangel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM @ St. Michael
- Tuesday 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM @ Frassati Chapel (342 N. College St.)
- Wednesday 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM @ St. Michael
- Thursday 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM @ Frassati Chapel (342 N. College St.)
- Friday 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM @ St. Michael
- Saturday 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM @ St. Michael
- Also available by appointment — email the priest directly.
Adoration times
- Monday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM @ St. Michael (includes Divine Mercy Chaplet)
- Tuesday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM @ Frassati Chapel (342 N. College St.)
- Wednesday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM @ St. Michael
- Thursday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM @ Frassati Chapel
- Friday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM @ St. Michael
- Saturday 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM @ St. Michael
- First Friday: Exposition begins after 8:00 AM Mass; ends with Benediction at 5:45 PM
- 40-Hour Adoration (Tues 6:45 PM through Thurs 5:45 PM) at Frassati Chapel
- 80-Hour Adoration at Frassati Chapel follows the Auburn University academic calendar (Mon 9:00 AM through Thurs 6:00 PM)
Welcome & Mission
The parish's stated mission is 'To bring Christ to Auburn. Through a lived sacramental life, we form disciples and cultivate a thriving Catholic community.' The about page describes St. Michael as a vibrant Catholic community of more than 1,400 registered families with over 70 active ministries, representing a wide variety of ages, backgrounds, and experiences, and explicitly welcomes new visitors, those returning to the faith, and those inquiring about Catholicism. The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, and an online inquiry form is available for newcomers.
- Mission: 'To bring Christ to Auburn.'
- Vibrant community with 70+ active ministries
- Parish office: Mon–Fri, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
- Online inquiry form for newcomers on the About page
History of the Parish
Catholicism came to Auburn in 1910 with the Vincentian Fathers' founding of St. Mary's Mission in Opelika; Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Auburn was dedicated November 10, 1912. By the early 1960s Auburn's Catholics had outgrown the old church, and in 1964 the Vincentians signed an agreement with Archbishop Thomas J. Toolen to build a new, larger church that would unite the city's two Catholic communities under the patronage of St. Michael the Archangel. The new circular sanctuary, designed by Auburn architecture professor Dr. E. Walter Burkhardt, FAIA, was dedicated on September 29, 1966. The parish marked its centennial in 2012 with a comprehensive history co-authored by Msgr. William J. Skoneki and historian Richard A. Hall, PhD.
- 1910 — Vincentian Fathers open St. Mary's Mission in Opelika
- Nov. 10, 1912 — Sacred Heart Catholic Church dedicated in Auburn
- 1964 — Vincentians and Archbishop Toolen agree to build a new church
- Sept. 29, 1966 — New St. Michael the Archangel church dedicated
- 2012 — Parish centennial; centennial history published
Sacrament Schedule — Locations
Worship happens at two sites: the main St. Michael the Archangel Church at 1100 N. College St., and Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati Chapel at 342 N. College St., which supports Auburn Catholic Campus Ministry and hosts Tuesday and Thursday evening Masses, Confessions, and Adoration. The parish also partners with St. Mary of the Mission to celebrate the Sunday 12:30 PM Spanish Mass at the main church.
- St. Michael Church — 1100 N. College St.
- Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati Chapel — 342 N. College St.
- St. Mary of the Mission — Sunday 12:30 PM Spanish Mass, at St. Michael
Parish Devotions
Beyond Mass and Confession, the parish keeps a regular schedule of traditional Catholic devotions. The Miraculous Medal Novena and Rosary are prayed Monday mornings after the 8:00 AM Mass, with additional school-year Rosaries on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings. The Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed during Monday's adoration hour. Korean Cursillo and a Contemplative Prayer Group meet periodically.
- Miraculous Medal Novena — Mon 8:30 AM
- Rosary — Mon 8:45 AM, Wed/Thu/Fri mornings (school schedule)
- Divine Mercy Chaplet — Mon 5:00 PM
- Korean Cursillo Group
- Contemplative Prayer Group
Parish Ministries & Outreach
The parish website highlights more than 70 active groups and ministries. Outreach to the wider community runs through the St. Vincent de Paul conference, which focuses on the wellbeing of children: sponsoring the Food Bank of East Alabama Backpack Program, an annual Children's Coat Drive, and a School Supply Drive. The 'One Cup Ministry' welcomes international families into active parish life. OCIA (formerly RCIA) forms adults entering the Church, and the Auburn Catholic Campus Ministry supports the university's ~5,000 Catholic students.
- St. Vincent de Paul — Backpack Program, Coat Drive, School Supply Drive
- One Cup Ministry — international outreach
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Children's Faith Formation (PreK-3 through 5th grade)
- Auburn Catholic Campus Ministry
Wellbeing of Children (SVdP)
The parish's St. Vincent de Paul conference focuses specifically on the wellbeing of children in the community. Volunteers sponsor children through the Food Bank of East Alabama Backpack Program, assist with packing the backpack bags, sponsor an annual Children's Coat Drive for low-income and foster children, and run a School Supply Drive to help poverty-level children get the supplies they need. The parish continued serving meals to children throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Food Bank of East Alabama Backpack Program
- Annual Children's Coat Drive
- Annual School Supply Drive
St. Michael Catholic School
Located at 1100 N. College Street, St. Michael Catholic School is a PreK-3 through 6th grade parochial school and the only Catholic school within roughly 50 miles of Auburn. About 100 students attend, with class sizes typically 16–18 in lower grades and 18–20 in upper grades. Principal Debbie Brooks leads a staff that includes Eliza Karsten, Sharon Torbert, and Ariel Goodman (PreK-3/4), and elementary teachers Audrey Martine (K), Kate Gulsby (1st), Victoria Olney (2nd), Jennifer Donahoo (3rd), Michelle Young (4th), Morgan Mendiola (5th), and Lori Grubbs (6th), along with specials teachers in art, music, PE, Latin, and library (Kim Pennisi). Students attend weekly Mass together and participate in the Atrium faith-formation program; teachers are trained in Orton-Gillingham instruction for students with dyslexia. The school's mascot, the Crusaders, was unveiled at the end of the 2024–25 school year, drawing on Ephesians 6 and the patron St. Michael.
- PreK-3 through 6th grade, ~100 students
- Principal: Mrs. Debbie Brooks
- Weekly student Mass
- Atrium faith formation program
- Orton-Gillingham trained for dyslexia support
- Mascot: Crusaders (unveiled 2024–25)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Thomas MacDonald, C.M.1912–1943
Vincentian; founded Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Auburn and St. Mary's Mission in Opelika.
- Rev. Patrick Doran, C.M.1944–1960
Vincentian; began acquiring the Magnolia Street property.
- Rev. Joseph Konen, C.M.1961–1972
Vincentian; oversaw design and construction of the new St. Michael the Archangel church, dedicated 1966.
- Rev. John E. Hurley, C.M.1973–1974
- Rev. August H. Englert, C.M.1975–1977
- Rev. Eugene F. Sheridan, C.M.1978–1980
- Rev. Martin J. McGeough, C.M.1981–1984
- Rev. Michael J. Kennedy, C.M.1984–1991
- Rev. Henry M. Bradbury, C.M.1991–1996
Last Vincentian pastor in the published succession.
- Rev. Stephen M. Staff1996–2000
- Rev. Msgr. James S. Kee2000–2001
- Rev. J. Francis Sofie2001–2005
- Rev. Msgr. William J. Skoneki2005–
Co-author of the parish's centennial history (2012); served as Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Mobile.
- Rev. Msgr. Michael L. Farmer
Current pastor; ordained 1995 for the Archdiocese of Mobile; former Vicar General of the Archdiocese.