History of Saint Mark the Evangelist Church

The first Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in the Birmingham area was built in 1905 in theThomas Station location near the area of Ensley, Alabama. Reverend John B. Canapa was the pastor of this church. As parishioners moved away from the area, the congregation declined, and Saint Mark was closed in 1997. The original building still remains and can be seen at 1010 16 th Avenue West, East Thomas, Alabama. Upon the closing of Saint Mark, the remaining parishioners were promised that a new Saint Mark would be built in Birmingham. Much of the interior was removed with plans to install it in the future church.
 


The new Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church was announced to be built south and east of Birmingham, and on May 23, 1999, the Feast of Pentecost, Bishop David Foley with concelebrant Fathers Patrick Murphy, Brian Egan and Crescenzio DeFazio celebrated the first Mass in Greystone Elementary School with the members of this newly formed church. Father Patrick Murphy was appointed as first pastor.








Father Murphy organized a building committee to begin to consolidate design concepts for the new structure. The church was to be built in the form of a cross, known in architectural language as cruciform. The ceiling of the structure is 57 feet high, and the bell tower reaches 105 feet. It was designed to seat 1020 worshipers.

Father Murphy died on September 16, 2000, before the new church took its form.

 
Father Patrick Cullen was appointed pastor on December 8, 2000. He continued the construction to its completion, and he celebrated Saint Mark’s first Mass on August 10, 2003. Bishop Foley celebrated the formal Dedication and Blessing on September 16, 2003.










 
As of July 2006, Father Joseph Culotta was appointed pastor of Saint Mark the Evangelist Parish. 


On July 1, 2011, Sister Theresa (Terry) Bretthauer, a Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity, joined Saint Mark as Pastoral Associate.


As of August 1, 2018, Sister Madeline Contorno, Benedictine Sister from Sacred Heart Monastery in Cullman, AL joined Saint Mark as Pastoral Associate