About St. Teresa of Avila · Grovetown, Georgia
St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church is a Eucharistic community in Grovetown, Georgia, in the Augusta Deanery of the Diocese of Savannah. Founded in 1968 by Bishop Gerald Frey, the parish has grown from about 70 families worshipping in a house on Crane Ferry Road to nearly 1,600 registered families on its present 44-acre Columbia Road campus, dedicated in 2005 by Bishop Boland. It is one of the most culturally diverse parishes in the region, offering Mass in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese, along with an active faith-formation program for children and adults, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), and more than a dozen parish ministries and outreach groups.
- Established
- 1968
- Patron
- St. Teresa of Avila
- Rector
- Fr. Timothy (Tim) McKeown
- Diocese
- Diocese of Savannah (Augusta Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Teresa of Avila is a large, multicultural parish that combines the resources of a thriving community—more than a dozen ministries, a robust K–7 faith formation program, OCIA for adults, the Knights of Columbus, the Council of Catholic Women, community outreach through the St. Vincent de Paul thrift shop and more—with the warmth of a parish that still calls its roughly 1,600 families its own. Whether you worship in English, Spanish, or Vietnamese, you can find daily Mass, perpetual adoration, rich devotions, sacramental preparation, and small-group life that draws on the Carmelite spirituality of its patroness. It is the kind of parish where newcomers are met by name and where the same families that worshipped in a Crane Ferry Road house in 1968 still help build the future on Columbia Road.
Mass times at St. Teresa of Avila
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Weekdays: 30 minutes before each Mass (8:00–8:25 AM and 5:30–5:55 PM)
- Wednesday (Spanish): 6:30–7:30 PM (no confession before the evening Mass)
- Saturday: 3:00–4:00 PM
- Sunday (Spanish): 1:00–1:45 PM
- By appointment: call the Parish Office at 706-863-4956
Adoration times
- Monday–Friday: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Monday: 6:30 PM – 10:00 PM
- Wednesday: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM (Spanish)
- All-Night Adoration: Last Friday of the month, beginning Friday at 6:45 PM through Saturday at 6:00 AM
Parish History
Bishop Gerald Frey established St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church and Parish on September 3, 1968, with the first Mass celebrated September 29 of that year in a house at 3327 Crane Ferry Road. That house served as worship space, parish office, parish hall, and rectory for founding pastor Fr. Roy Cox and about seventy founding families. In December 1969 the community moved to a T-shaped multipurpose building on Pleasant Home Road, which Bishop Frey dedicated in January 1970. The parish continued to grow through the 1970s, and in 1979 Columbia County officially transferred from the Archdiocese of Atlanta to the Diocese of Savannah, raising enrollment to about 350 families.
- 1968: Parish established by Bishop Gerald Frey; first Mass on Sept 29 in a house on Crane Ferry Road
- 1969: Move to T-shaped multipurpose building on Pleasant Home Road (dedicated Jan 1970)
- 1979: Columbia County joins the Diocese of Savannah
- 1983: Eight classrooms added for religious education (15th anniversary)
- 1987: New 750-seat church dedicated by Bishop Lessard on Oct 11
- 1993: 25th anniversary; Parish Center/Gym and Rectory blessed
- 2002: 44.47 acres purchased on Columbia Road
- 2004: Ground broken for new campus (March 7)
- 2005: Current church and campus dedicated by Bishop Boland on Sept 18
- 2008: 40th anniversary celebrated
- 2018: 50th anniversary of the parish
Clergy and Pastoral Staff
The parish is currently served by pastor Fr. Timothy (Tim) McKeown and two parochial vicars, Fr. Francisco Gamboa and Fr. Clement Apeior, together with eight deacons. Fr. McKeown is a native Augustan, ordained July 5, 1997 in Savannah, who returned to the Augusta Deanery in 2024 after assignments at Saint Joseph in Macon, Blessed Sacrament and Saint Francis Cabrini in Savannah, Saint Matthew in Statesboro, three years as Vice Rector of the North American College in Rome, and ten years on the Georgia coast. The retired deacon Joseph Soparas is also listed among parish clergy.
- Pastor: Fr. Timothy (Tim) McKeown
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Francisco Gamboa
- Parochial Vicar: Fr. Clement Apeior
- Deacons: Ray Adriano, Kerry Diver, Danny Craig, Glenn Garrison, Bob Kepshire, Joseph Soparas (Retired), David Wilkie
Devotions and Prayer Life
The parish maintains a robust devotional calendar rooted in traditional Catholic piety. In addition to weekday adoration and the monthly All-Night Adoration, regular devotions include a Rosary for Life after Friday morning Mass, the Divine Mercy Chaplet after Friday evening Mass, the Sacred Heart of Jesus devotion on First Friday, the Immaculate Heart of Mary devotion on First Saturday, a Saturday-vigil rosary, and a rosary after the last-Sunday 9:00 AM Mass in the Day Chapel.
- Rosary for Life — Fridays after morning Mass (except First Friday)
- Divine Mercy Chaplet — Fridays after 6:00 PM Mass (except First Friday)
- Sacred Heart of Jesus — First Friday after 8:30 AM and 6:00 PM Masses
- Immaculate Heart of Mary — First Saturday after 8:30 AM Mass
- Saturday Vigil Rosary — 4:00 PM
- Last-Sunday Rosary — after 9:00 AM Mass in the Day Chapel
Sacraments
St. Teresa's sacramental ministry covers the full life of a Catholic. First Holy Eucharist is typically received in May of a child's 2nd-grade year, after two years of preparation and reception of First Reconciliation. Confirmation is a two-year program celebrated in the spring of the 9th-grade year, with the date set by the Bishop and pastor. Couples requesting matrimony must contact a parish priest at least six months in advance; the parish hosts one of four Augusta-Deanery Pre-Cana sessions each year (April 24–25, 2026). Adults seeking full initiation enter through the OCIA program, which meets weekly on Thursdays from September through the Easter Vigil.
- Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, Matrimony
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — Thursdays, September through the Easter Vigil; contact Deacon Danny Craig at 706-738-7457
- Marriage: six months' notice required; Pre-Cana offered in April each year
- First Reconciliation and First Communion: 2nd-grade two-year preparation
- Confirmation: 8th–9th-grade two-year preparation
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish runs a year-round Faith Formation program (August–May) for children in Kindergarten through high school, with classes on Sundays for grades 3–5 (9:00–10:30 AM) and grades 6–8 (5:00–6:30 PM), plus the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children (RCIC) for children grades 3–8 who have not yet been baptized or received First Communion. The parish also operates a Catechetical Institute for adult catechists, using the Franciscan University Franciscan at Home online program together with Echoes of Faith Plus, and offers formation tracks required by the Diocese of Savannah for those who catechize or teach in Catholic schools and parish programs.
- Children's Faith Formation (Grades K–7)
- RCIC for children grades 3–8
- Confirmation Preparation (Grades 8–9, two-year)
- Catechetical Institute — Basic Certification via Franciscan at Home / Echoes of Faith Plus
- Summer Faith Formation, VBS, All Saints Trunk-or-Treat Festival
OCIA — Becoming Catholic
OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) at St. Teresa of Avila is described by the parish as a journey rather than a requirement. It welcomes non-Catholics curious about the faith, Christians from other traditions, and Catholics who have not yet received all the Sacraments of Initiation. There is no fee and no obligation; completing the interest form does not commit anyone to becoming Catholic. Sessions for 2026–2027 meet Thursday evenings from September through the Easter Vigil on March 27, 2027. Deacon Danny Craig coordinates the program and the parish is always looking for sponsors to walk alongside candidates.
- Weekly Thursday evenings, September through the Easter Vigil
- Open to non-Catholics, other Christians, and Catholics completing initiation
- No fee, no obligation to continue
- Contact: Deacon Danny Craig — 706-738-7457
Parish Life Ministries
Parish Life ministries are the social and fellowship heart of St. Teresa's. The Council of Catholic Women (CCW) — active since November 1968, when the parish was founded — meets on the second Sunday of each month in the Parish Life Center (excluding May, June, and July) and hosts events such as the annual June Yard Sale. The Knights of Columbus Terence Cardinal Cooke Council #8495 meets on the second Monday of each month, 7:00–9:00 PM, in the Activity Center. Additional parish-life groups include the St. Teresa of Avila African Ministry and Couples for Christ.
- Council of Catholic Women (CCW) — President Pat Harrington, 706-833-0679; meets 2nd Sunday at 2:00 PM (PLC #1 and #2)
- Knights of Columbus — Terence Cardinal Cooke Council #8495; Grand Knight Jon Deeter; meets 2nd Monday, 7:00–9:00 PM
- St. Teresa of Avila African Ministry
- Couples for Christ
Community Outreach and Charity
Through its Community Outreach ministries, the parish maintains a presence in the wider Augusta-area community. The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shop, the parish's St. Vincent de Paul conference, and partnerships with other local agencies are among the visible signs of this ministry. Other outreach efforts fall under the parish's Stewardship and Parish Outreach umbrellas.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — Thrift Shop (Philomena Mooney, 706-737-8286)
- St. Vincent de Paul parish conference
- Parish Outreach ministries
- Stewardship ministries
Contact, Location, and Visiting
St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church is located at 4921 Columbia Road, Grovetown, GA 30813, in Columbia County just west of Augusta. The Parish Office is in the Parish Life Center and is open Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM–4:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM–3:00 PM. The main parish phone is 706-863-4956, with an after-hours emergency line at 706-288-6114 reserved for true life-or-death emergencies that cannot wait until the next office day. Visitors can also watch Mass live on the parish's livestream for the 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM (Spanish) Sunday Masses, plus the 5:00 PM Sunday Mass.
- Address: 4921 Columbia Road, Grovetown, GA 30813
- Phone: 706-863-4956; Emergency after hours: 706-288-6114
- Parish Office (Parish Life Center): Mon–Thu 8:00 AM–4:00 PM, Fri 8:00 AM–3:00 PM
- Livestream Masses: Sun 9:00 AM, 2:00 PM (Spanish), 5:00 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Roy Cox1968–
Founding pastor; led the parish from its first Mass in a house on Crane Ferry Road with about 70 families.
- Rev. Mike (Michael) Ingram2011–
Installed by the Bishop of Savannah on July 24, 2011; previously pastor of Holy Spirit Church in Macon and parochial vicar at St. Anne's, Columbus. Led the parish through major building projects; an Augustan and Aquinas High School alumnus.
- Fr. Timothy (Tim) McKeown2024–present
Current pastor; ordained July 5, 1997 in Savannah; native Augustan returning to the Augusta Deanery after 27 years.