About St. Vincent de Paul · Tallassee, Alabama
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Parish is a small, family-style Roman Catholic mission parish located at 620 Gilmer Avenue in Tallassee, Alabama. Sitting on the main thoroughfare (Gilmer Avenue is both Alabama Highway 14 and Highway 229) in a small town between Montgomery and Auburn, the parish serves a wide stretch of rural Elmore and Tallapoosa counties within the Montgomery Deanery of the (Metropolitan) Archdiocese of Mobile. Sunday morning Mass is typically well attended, and the parish is known for its intimate congregation, faith-formation programming for both children and adults, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and a beloved summer 'Church in the Pines' outdoor Mass near Kowaliga Marina on Lake Martin.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Rector
- Rev. Matt Rudzik
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mobile (Montgomery Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Vincent de Paul offers the warmth of a small, close-knit Catholic community in the heart of Tallassee, with daily and weekend Mass, a Spanish-language vigil on the first Saturday of each month, weekly Eucharistic Adoration with Rosary, and a faith-formation program for both children (Sunday School) and adults. Parishioners also enjoy the unique summer tradition of 'Church in the Pines,' an outdoor Mass at Kowaliga Marina on Lake Martin, which reflects the parish's missionary reach across rural Elmore and Tallapoosa counties.
Mass times at St. Vincent de Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:20 PM – 3:50 PM (or by appointment)
- Sunday: 7:20 AM – 7:50 AM (prior to Mass)
- Sunday: 10:00 AM – 10:20 AM (prior to Mass)
- Wednesday: 7:20 AM – 7:50 AM (prior to 8 AM Mass)
- Thursday: 7:20 AM – 7:50 AM (prior to 8 AM Mass)
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (begins with Rosary; confessions available after Rosary)
- Thursday: 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM (begins with Rosary; confessions available after Rosary)
History & Founding
St. Vincent de Paul was brought into being through the initiative of a wealthy Tallassee woman, Mrs. Mildred W. Blount, who reached out to Bishop Fulton J. Sheen in the early 1950s and was told he would preach the first Mass if she built a church. With land donated by the Blounts along Gilmer Avenue and Vincentian mission priests going door-to-door, the parish was born — Sheen preached the first Mass in 1954, the church (and adjoining rectory) was built in 1955 in an Old World French style, and it was consecrated that same year. The parish entity itself dates to 1946 in IRS records.
- Founded as a Catholic mission in the early 1950s; parish entity organized in 1946
- First Mass celebrated in 1954 with Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
- Church and adjoining rectory built and consecrated in 1955
- Old World, French-style architecture
- Land donated by Colonel Roberts and Mildred Blount along Gilmer Avenue
- Vincentian missionaries founded the parish
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Matt Rudzik, supported by an elected Pastoral Council chaired by Andy Lacey and a Finance Council chaired by Jan Bianchi. Parish administration is handled by Ann Harper, Secretary/Bookkeeper, and faith formation is coordinated by Kerry Campbell for adults, with Kristen Davis coordinating the Sunday School program.
- Rev. Matt Rudzik — Pastor (cell 251-599-4597; email [email protected])
- Andy Lacey — Pastoral Council Chairman
- Jan Bianchi — Finance Council Chairman
- Ann Harper — Secretary/Bookkeeper (334-207-5610)
- Kerry Campbell — Adults Faith Formation Coordinator
- Kerry Campbell — Sunday School Coordinator
- Parish Office — (334) 283-2169
Church in the Pines — Summer Mass at Lake Martin
From the end of May through August, the Saturday evening Vigil Mass moves to the outdoor 'Church in the Pines' near Kowaliga Marina on Lake Martin, in Eclectic, AL 36024 — about 17 miles north of Tallassee on AL-229. The 6:00 PM outdoor Mass is a beloved summer tradition for lake-area parishioners and visitors; in case of bad weather it relocates back to St. Vincent de Paul in Tallassee at 6:30 PM.
- Outdoor Saturday Vigil Mass at 6:00 PM
- Location: Church in the Pines, near Kowaliga Marina, Eclectic, AL 36024
- ~17 miles north of Tallassee on Alabama Highway 229
- Weather backup: moves to St. Vincent de Paul at 6:30 PM
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Vincent de Paul runs faith formation for every age. Children gather for Sunday School at 9:00 AM between the two Sunday Masses (paused during the summer), and adults have their own formation program coordinated by Kerry Campbell. The parish's catechetical mission complements its Sacramental schedule and weekly devotions.
- Sunday School for children (9:00 AM Sundays; off in summer)
- Adult Faith Formation program (Kerry Campbell, coordinator)
- Sacramental preparation tied to the parish Mass schedule
Parish Councils & Administration
Lay leadership is exercised through the Pastoral Council (chaired by Andy Lacey), which advises the pastor on parish life and mission, and the Finance Council (chaired by Jan Bianchi), which oversees the parish's temporal affairs. Day-to-day parish administration is run out of the Parish Office on Gilmer Avenue by Ann Harper, Secretary/Bookkeeper, with the Pastor's cell phone serving as an after-hours contact.
- Pastoral Council — Andy Lacey, Chairman
- Finance Council — Jan Bianchi, Chairman
- Parish Office — Ann Harper, Secretary/Bookkeeper
- Office phone: (334) 283-2169
- Pastor cell: 251-599-4597
Visit, Location & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can find St. Vincent de Paul at 620 Gilmer Avenue in Tallassee, on the main thoroughfare (Gilmer Avenue is also Alabama Highway 14, intersecting Highway 229). The parish office can be reached at (334) 283-2169 or [email protected], with live-streamed Masses occasionally available via the parish's Facebook page. Because Sunday morning Mass is well attended, arriving early is recommended.
- Address: 620 Gilmer Avenue, Tallassee, AL 36078
- Office: (334) 283-2169
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.stvincent-tallassee.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StVincentTallassee/
- Located on AL-14 / AL-229, north of Barnett Blvd.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Msgr. F. Charles TroncaleOctober 2011 – (until recent transition)
Celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood while serving as pastor of St. Vincent de Paul; also referenced in connection with Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Montgomery.
- Rev. Matt RudzikCurrent pastor
Listed as current Pastor on the parish staff page; cell 251-599-4597; email [email protected].