About St. Thomas Aquinas · Citronelle, Alabama
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish is a small Roman Catholic mission parish serving the rural community of Citronelle in northern Mobile County, Alabama. It belongs to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mobile and offers Sunday Mass, a Saturday Vigil, and a midweek Wednesday Mass along with Eucharistic Adoration and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The parish is currently pastored by Reverend John Coghlan, who shepherds this and other small parishes in the area, and the congregation maintains a historic property known as Aquinas House (built 1899) for parish gatherings and charitable outreach.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- St. Thomas Aquinas
- Rector
- Reverend John Coghlan
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mobile
Why belong here
St. Thomas Aquinas offers a warm, faithful Catholic community for the rural faithful of Citronelle and northern Mobile County, with a manageable three-Mass weekly schedule (Saturday Vigil, Sunday morning, and Wednesday) plus Eucharistic Adoration and regular Confession times. The parish is deeply rooted in its small-town setting, maintains the historic Aquinas House for parish life and outreach to needy children, and is shepherded by Rev. John Coghlan of the Archdiocese of Mobile. Visitors and newcomers are welcomed into a parish that combines traditional Catholic devotion with the close-knit character of the Citronelle community.
Mass times at St. Thomas Aquinas
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:00 AM – 8:20 AM (before Mass)
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:20 PM (before Vigil Mass)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 11:00 AM – 11:25 AM (followed by Mass)
Parish Identity
St. Thomas Aquinas is a Roman Catholic parish of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mobile, located in the small town of Citronelle in northern Mobile County, Alabama. The parish is named for St. Thomas Aquinas, the great medieval Doctor of the Church, whose feast is celebrated on January 28. It is identified in the Archdiocese of Mobile's parish finder and in GCatholic's directory under Church ID 29990.
- Patron: St. Thomas Aquinas
- Feast Day: January 28
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Mobile
- Formally organized: 1946
- GCatholic Church ID: 29990
History of the Parish
The parish was formally organized in 1946 and has served the Catholics of Citronelle and the surrounding rural area of northern Mobile County ever since. It is a 501(c)(3) religious organization under the group exemption of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In 2009 the parish expanded its campus by purchasing Aquinas House, a home originally built in 1899 just down the street from the church, restoring and furnishing it through parishioner donations.
- Founded 1946
- Purchased Aquinas House in 2009
- Aquinas House originally built in 1899
Aquinas House
Located at 1995 State Street, just a short distance from the church at 8025 State Street, Aquinas House is the parish's historic gathering and outreach property. Acquired in 2009, the 1899 home was furnished through donations from parishioners and made its first public appearance during the December 2009 Citronelle Woman's Club Christmas Tour of Homes. It is also the setting for the parish's annual Christmas gift program for needy children of the parish.
- Address: 1995 State Street, Citronelle, AL
- Built 1899
- Purchased by parish in 2009
- Used for parish gatherings and Christmas outreach to children
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently served by Reverend John Coghlan as pastor. Father Coghlan also shepherds other small parishes in northern Mobile County, including St. Cecilia in Mt. Vernon and St. Theresa in West Mt. Vernon, reflecting the archdiocese's clustering of small rural parishes under a single pastor.
- Reverend John Coghlan — Pastor
Parish Life & Outreach
Although a small rural parish, St. Thomas Aquinas maintains an active presence in the broader Citronelle community. Each Christmas the parish opens Aquinas House to the wider town through the Citronelle Woman's Club Christmas Tour of Homes, and parishioners fill the home's rooms — including a children's room and a Blue Room decorated in stoneware, crystal, and a white feathery tree — with gifts for needy children of the parish.
- Christmas Tour of Homes participation
- Christmas gift program for needy parish children
- Parishioner-donated furnishings at Aquinas House
Visit, Location & Contact
The church is located in downtown Citronelle, easily reached from Highway 45 N. From the traffic light at Hwy. 45 N and State Street, turn east toward downtown and continue about 1.5 blocks; the church will be on the right. Parishioners and visitors may call the parish office at (251) 866-7505 for current information.
- Address: 8025 State Street, Citronelle, AL 36522
- Phone: (251) 866-7505
- Archdiocese listing: mobarch.org/parishfinder
- Directions: From Hwy. 45 N & State Street light, east 1.5 blocks