The story of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in the Birmingham area begins in 1905, when the first parish was founded in the Thomas Station community near Ensley, Alabama. Under Reverend John B. Canapa, the parish served local families for many decades. Even as neighborhoods shifted and parishioners moved away, the original church building remained a beloved landmark. When the parish closed in 1997, members were promised that a new St. Mark would one day rise again, and many interior elements were preserved.

That promise began to unfold in 1999. A new St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church was announced for the growing communities south and east of Birmingham. On May 23—the Feast of Pentecost—Bishop David Foley, with Fathers Patrick Murphy, Brian Egan, and Crescenzio DeFazio, celebrated the first Mass of the new parish at Greystone Elementary School. Father Patrick Murphy became its first pastor.

Father Murphy formed a building committee and developed plans for a permanent church. The design embraced a traditional cruciform layout, with a 57-foot ceiling and 105-foot bell tower, seating more than a thousand worshippers. Although Father Murphy passed away in 2000 before construction was complete, Father Patrick Cullen continued the work and guided the project to its finish. He celebrated the first Mass in the new church on August 10, 2003, and Bishop Foley dedicated it that September.

The parish continued to grow under succeeding pastors. Father Joseph Culotta was appointed in 2006.

In July 2023, Father Justin Ward became pastor and leads the community today.

From its beginnings in a small Birmingham neighborhood to its flourishing parish of today, St. Mark the Evangelist has embraced renewal and steady growth. What began as a promise to a faithful remnant has blossomed into a thriving Catholic community—one that continues to serve, welcome, and joyfully share the mission of the Gospel.