Capital Campaign
Capital Campaign
Capital Campaign - A New Church for Mercy Parish!
A Historic Moment for North Alabama: First New Catholic Church Built in over 20 Years
A Journey of Faith and Community
Ten Years of Faith, Growth, and God's Mercy
Ten years ago, in the heart of a rapidly growing community in North Alabama and responding to an overcrowding at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, a group of faithful Catholics answered a call. “When in your lifetime has God blessed you with the opportunity to begin a new church for HIS glory?” asked one of the charter members.
Following Bishop Baker's announcement in 2016 establishing a new parish within the Diocese of Birmingham, families from near and far came together with a shared vision: to create a place where faith could flourish, families could grow, and lasting bonds of community could be formed. From that vision, Most Merciful Jesus Catholic Parish was born. This opportunity has energized our entire parish family into action. In the beginning, daily masses were celebrated in the rectory garage and weekend masses offered at a local, public elementary school. This continued throughout the first year while a multi-purpose metal building was being constructed.
Through countless volunteer hours and sacrificial generosity, parishioners built a multi-purpose hall that has faithfully served as our place of worship, center for ministry, home for Catholic education, and gathering space for fellowship and community life – helping to connect our parish family. When our multi-purpose building was completed for Mass, all we had to offer were folding chairs and concrete floors, but PEOPLE STILL CAME! Within the span of a few hours, our worship space transforms into a social hall, large meeting space, adult education classroom and back to the seating configuration needed for Mass! Together, guided by the holy spirit, we not only built this facility, but we also paid for it in full – demonstrating our commitment to one another and to God's mission.
What began with just a few families quickly grew to 175 and has since grown into a vibrant parish community of more than 600 active members and over 50 active ministries. Our rapid growth is also evidenced by the burgeoning enrollment in our Faith formation classes. Registration for classes has almost tripled, and numbers are still on the rise. This growing population of youth and families with young children is a testament to the welcoming, faith-centered community at Mercy Parish.
During these first 10 years, our parish has become a beacon of faith and service throughout North Alabama. We have reached beyond our walls to serve our neighbors, comfort those in need, strengthen families, support our youth and seniors, provide faith formation for all ages, and share Christ’s love in countless ways. Every ministry reflects our commitment to living the Gospel not only on Sunday, but every day through acts of mercy. This extraordinary growth is a testament to the power of faith, dedication, and the spirit of service that defines our parish family.
A Dream Becoming a Necessity
For the past decade, we have prayed, sacrificed, and saved while dreaming of a permanent church where our growing parish family could worship together and continue serving our community. Today, that dream has become a necessity! Our current space can no longer accommodate the tremendous growth with which God has blessed us. A larger church is essential to continue nurturing our parish, expanding our ministries, and welcoming future generations into our faith community.
Over the past two years, parish leaders have worked closely with our parish family, architects and builders to design a beautiful new church that will welcome new members and serve our growing parish family for generations to come.
This project is about much more than bricks and mortar. It is about creating a welcoming spiritual home—a place where people can encounter God, build relationships, celebrate life's milestones, and grow in faith together.
A Community United in Purpose
Even while plans were being developed, the parish community remained hard at work.
For the past three years, parishioners have faithfully prayed rosaries daily for the success of the new church. Our school-age children have participated in the Kid's Mite program, bringing loose change each week to religious education classes as a tangible expression of their faith and generosity.
Our youth have organized car washes, assisted with bake sales, and enthusiastically contributed to the effort.
Parish-wide events have united our entire community around this shared mission, including:
Annual Bless Fest Craft Festival
Night at the Races
Golf Outings
Numerous fundraising and fellowship activities
Sacrificial giving/pledges.
Every prayer offered, every dollar donated, and every hour volunteered has moved us one step closer to our goal.
Building for Future Generations
The design for the new church has a very traditional and ecclesiastical style in various elements such as the rose windows and gabled chapel. As you enter the church, you will experience the embrace of a reverent, affectionate welcome. The inviting community atmosphere is family-friendly and highly functional. In addition, warm wood doors, sidelights, and transoms create a very open and traditional feel – allowing the space to blend seamlessly into its surrounding suburban setting. When completed, our new church will host over 900 parishioners and have the capacity to exceed seating for 1200 people.. The ultimate vision is the church will become the cornerstone of a larger campus master plan and will continue to develop over time.
Many generous parishioners have already committed to ten-year pledges through our capital campaign, Together We Build: Faith in Action. Others who were unable to make long-term commitments have faithfully supported the project through regular gifts. Their generosity has enabled us to secure additional funding support from the Diocese of Birmingham.
Even so, a financial gap remains. We are committed to building responsibly and will only construct what we can prudently afford. Some elements may need to be deferred until additional funds become available.
As construction is scheduled to begin in late fall 2026, we are extending an invitation beyond our parish family to the broader North Alabama Catholic community, charitable foundations, and all those who believe in the transformative power of faith.
A Historic Milestone
On September 27, 2026, Bishop Raica will join us for a ceremonial groundbreaking, marking a historic milestone in the life of our parish and the North Alabama Catholic community.
As we prepare for construction to begin shortly thereafter, we are both humbled and grateful for all that God has accomplished through our parish during these first ten years.
Our story is one of resilience, hope, sacrifice, and unwavering faith.
And this is only the beginning.
Join Us in Building a Legacy
As we write the next chapter of our story, we invite you to stand with us.
Together, we can build more than a church building—we can create a legacy of faith, worship, service, and community that will bless generations to come.
There are several ways you can support this mission:
Pray for the success of our parish and this project.
Register as a member of Mercy Parish Volunteer, Join a Ministry, Participate in Social Events.
Make a financial contribution utilizing the QR code below.
If you have any questions, please contact the Capital Campaign Committee by email at CC@mercyparish.church.
With God's grace and the support of generous people like you, we will build a place where all are welcome and where God's love will shine brightly for generations to come.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Your prayers, generosity, and support mean everything.
In March 2026, the Capital Campaign and Construction committees presented the latest status of the finances and the work with the architects on the building.
In September 2025, Father Joy kicked off our Capital Campaign Pledge drive. Below is a link to his presentation and the Q&A that followed. The first 19 minutes provide a history leading up to our pledge drive. The balance of the video is the Q&A session.
For more information:
