Our Church

The current church building was designed in Country Gothic style by the architect Mr. Otis Gatlin of Gatlin & Hudson. Ground breaking was held on February 18, 2007. Holy Eucharist was first celebrated in the church and the building was dedicated on November 16, 2008 by Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi. The cost of the building and its furnishings, including altars, pews, bells and organ, was $5.2 million. It is about 12,000 square feet and can accommodate up to 650 people.

Upon entering through the main door, you come into a large vestibule where parishioners are encouraged to gather for fellowship before and after Mass. On the floor you will see a beautiful gothic tile medallion. Most gothic style churches have a stained glass medallion above the main doors. Having such a window custom designed was cost prohibitive so our pastor chose to incorporate the medallion in the vestibule floor. On the west wall of the vestibule is the parishioner information area. It has various written and audio media available to all to assist all in cultivating their Catholic faith and strengthening their relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. In the south west corner of the vestibule is the sacristy where the priest and all of the altar servers prepare for Mass. Just east of the sacristy entrance is the nursery which doubles as the bride’s room for weddings. During Sunday’s 10:30 Mass, parents can leave there children age 2 and under in the care of Volunteers that have received the Archdiocese of Mobile Child Protection Training. Each family will be given a vibrating pager so that Mom and Dad can be contacted if there are any troubles during Mass. There are lots of toys to keep the little ones entertained and a beautiful mural painted by our parishioner Jessica Kinsey to provide them with visual stimulation.

On the east wall of the vestibule are all of the memorial plaques for the church, and portraits of the Mobile Diocese Archbishop, Most Reverend Thomas J. Rodi and the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger. The portraits were painted and donated by our parishioner, Anthony Van Arsdale. In the south east corner are . . .

If you turn around and look back at the main doors before entering the processional hall, you will see the only two stained glass windows from the former church building that were used in the new construction on each side of the main entrance. They are of our patroness St. Margaret of Scotland and the Crucifixion. Both windows were created and donated by our parishioner Mike Juvenal.

Directly across from the main entrance are the doors to the processional hall. The processional hall is where all who are about to enter the nave or worship area have the opportunity to transition from the fellowship found in the vestibule to the prayerful silence appropriate for worship. On the east wall of the hall you will see the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue. The First Friday of every month, the congregation is invited to gather around the statue for the Litany of the Sacred Heart after the 8:30 Mass. On the west wall is a statue of St. Margaret Queen of Scotland offering her crown and kingdom to the Lord. On a sign above the doors leading to the nave is a sign to gently remind all that enter that prayerful silence is expected.

Upon entering the Nave, the first thing you see is the Sanctuary. In the center of the Sanctuary are the Crucifix and the Tabernacle housing the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, the Holy Eucharist. The Crucifix is made of wood and was carved in Italy; the corpus on the cross is six feet tall. The tabernacle is surrounded by a wood canopy that mimics the roof of the church. The Altar in front of the Tabernacle, the six sided Baptismal Font and pulpit on the left side of the Sanctuary, and the Ambrose, (priest’s chair,) on the right were all custom designed incorporating the Gothic arch of the windows into the ornamentation of each piece. These pieces had to be redesigned because the carboard models of the original furniture design did not appear to be large enough when it was placed in the church.

On the left side of the Sanctuary is a shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The congregation is invited to participate in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin every Wednesday evening before the 5:30 Mass. On the right side of the Sanctuary is a shrine to Saint Joseph. At least once each month, there is a Litany of St. Joseph celebrated after a morning mass.

The three rows of pews in the nave and all of the custom furniture in the Sanctuary was obtained from Sauder Worship. The beautiful custom wood work seen throughout the church was done by local craftsmen at EJ Builders. The brass adornments, including the Tabernacle, candlesticks and processional cross, came from Chicago. Our stunning floor was generously donated anonymously by one parish family and is made of Ironwood, the densest wood known. The holy water fonts and the beginning of Mass bells at the main nave entrance along with the Stations of the Cross on the east and west walls of the naive were brought over from the old church building.

On the rear wall of the worship area are the choir loft, the confessional and four shrines housing the following statues from west to east:

St. Teresa

Our Lady of Guadalupe

The Infant of Prague

St. Anthony

The most impressive features of the main worship area are the twelve stain glass windows which depict the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. Click here for a more in depth description of the windows.