Most Merciful Jesus Catholic Parish started with Mass in a garage, then moved Sunday services to a school cafeteria.
Ten years later, the Madison parish is getting ready to build a church of its own.
Bishop Steven J. Raica of the Diocese of Birmingham will join founding pastor Father Joy Chalissery, parishioners and guests Sunday, Sept. 27, for a groundbreaking at the parish campus on Segers Road. The ceremony is set for 12:30 p.m., following the 11:30 a.m. Mass.
For the parish, it marks a milestone a decade in the making.
“This groundbreaking is so much more than the beginning of a construction project,” Father Joy said. “For 10 years, our parishioners have prayed, served, sacrificed and trusted in God’s providence. We began as a small parish family without a permanent church, but we had tremendous faith and a willingness to work together. On September 27, we will put shovels in the ground with grateful hearts, knowing that we are building not simply for ourselves, but for generations of Catholics who will call Mercy Parish their spiritual home.”
Most Merciful Jesus was established in late 2015 during the Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis. Its first Mass was held in March 2016.
In those early days, weekday Masses were held in the rectory garage. Weekend Masses were held in the cafeteria at Mill Creek Elementary School.
The parish eventually bought 25 acres along Segers Road and broke ground on a multipurpose building in 2016. That building was paid off during the height of the pandemic and has served as a sanctuary, classroom, meeting space and fellowship hall.
The parish now has more than 600 registered families, compared with about 175 when it was founded. More than 50 ministries are active at the parish and in the surrounding community.
The new church is planned with traditional Catholic design features, including a gabled chapel, rose windows and warm wood. It is expected to seat about 900 people, with room for up to 1,200.
It also is just the first part of a larger campus plan that eventually could include education space, a columbarium and other facilities.
The project’s first phase includes site work and the main level of the two-story church and chapel. Parish leaders estimate that portion will cost about $20 million and are raising money through the Faith in Action Capital Campaign.
The parish hopes to raise half the amount needed in order to secure a matching loan from the diocese.
Raica has pointed to the Madison project and a similar project at Annunciation of the Lord in Decatur in his 2026 diocesan annual report, calling them responses to the growing Catholic population in North Alabama.
The Most Merciful Jesus church will be the first new Catholic church built in the region in about two decades.
“Breaking ground for a new church is a visible expression of something much deeper — the faith of a people and their hope for the future,” Father Joy said. “The growth of Most Merciful Jesus Parish is a wonderful sign of the vitality of the Catholic faith in North Alabama. This new sacred space will be a spiritual home where generations will encounter Christ, celebrate the Sacraments and be sent forth to share His mercy with the wider community.”
Following the groundbreaking, the parish will hold a community picnic with lunch, live music from the Mercy 5 band and activities for families.
Zachary Austin is a writer for 256 Today. You can contact him at [email protected].
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