Q.1   When was the New Parish location on Segers Rd bought?     

 A.1   The Diocese purchased the 25 acres on Segers Road in 2013.  

       

Q.2   What were the financial resources that Mercy Parish had at the beginning of the new parish?

A.2   Mercy Parish began its journey with a gracious $500K commitment from St John’s, plus $40K per year for three years from the Diocese.

 

Q.3  What are the general plans for starting Mercy Parish and when?

A.3    We began the initial build-out of the multi-purpose building on Segers Rd in late summer/early fall 2016 and moved into the building in time for Easter of 2017.  Prior to that, we celebrated Mass on Saturdays and Sundays at Mill Creek Elementary School, and during select weekdays at the parish rectory.

 

Q.4 Why are you building a multi-purpose building (MPB) first?

A.4   We are beginning a new parish.  The expense of building a parish church would present a debt far too large for a small, growing parish to undertake.   We had resources to build the initial phase of the MPB and this enabled the parish to begin its journey on its new property.  The MPB accommodates Mass and parish life activities under one roof until the capital campaign program allows the parish to build its church.   

 

Q.5 When and where did Mercy Parish celebrate its first weekend and weekday Masses?

A.5  Mercy Parish began to celebrate weekend Mass at Mill Creek Elementary School in Madison on July 2,  2016.  Saturday Masses were at 5:30pm and Sunday Masses were held at 8:30am and 11:30am with confession from 3:30-4:30pm on Saturday .  Saturday Masses moved to  a 5:00pm start with the beginning of the school year.  Daily Masses were held at the rectory until Easter of 2017 when daily Masses moved to the MPB.

 

Q.6  What about a rectory for Father Joy?

A.6  A rectory was procured for Father Joy at 11232 Dove Drive in Madison, approximately 1.2 miles from the Segers Road property.

 

Q.7 When did registration as a parishioner at Mercy begin?

A.7 Formal registration began in July 2016.

 

Q.8 Is there a Catholic school for my children to attend?

A.8 Registered parishioners of Mercy Parish may send their children to St John’s Catholic School at the parishioner tuition rate.  The school’s website is www.stjohnb.com. This is in keeping with the philosophy that St John's and Mercy Parish are two parishes working together to support the Madison Catholic community.

 

Q.9 Where will my children attend Religious Education (RE)?

A.9 Religious Education is held in the classrooms of the Mercy Parish MPB every Sunday of the school year. For the latest information, visit the Faith Formation page.

 

Q.10 What activities can I participate in that were provided by St. John's in the past?

A.10 You can continue to attend all activities at St John’s that are not offered at Mercy Parish.   Initially, activities of Mercy Parish will be focused on Liturgy and Family life.  These will be developed as we are able to develop sufficient membership and leadership to support a particular activity.  Additional ministries will be initiated in time as the parish and associated parish needs grow.  At some point, Mercy Parish ministries will encompass a full range of ministries similar to St John’s.   In the meantime, Mercy Parish parishioners are encouraged to continue to attend the activities at St John’s.  This is in keeping with the philosophy that St John's and Mercy Parish are two parishes working together to support the Madison Catholic community.

Q.11 How can I get involved?

A.11 By filling out the Time and Talent survey on our website on the Time & Talent page under Welcome.  Your interests will be recorded, and you will be called upon once ministries are formed and volunteers are needed.

 

Q.12  Do parishioners that register with Mercy Parish automatically leave their old parish?  Will our old parish be notified?

A.12   You should be registered with only one parish.  So, yes, do notify your current parish when you register with Mercy Parish so that you can be taken off their rolls.  This will ensure things like collection envelopes, etc., are no longer printed or provided for at the old parish.   

 

Q.13 Can a person belong to two parishes, receive two sets of envelopes, etc?  Can we have split families (husband in one parish & the wife in another)?  

A.13  The preference is that a family register with one church.   But there is no prohibition if a husband/wife/family desires to be registered in two parishes.  However, if a family is registered across two parishes, there is a normal tithe/ministry obligation to support each parish accordingly.  

 

Q.14 Who is a Charter Member or Founding Member?

A.14 A Charter Member or Founding member is one of the original members when an organization was founded; that is, one who becomes a member when the organization received its charter.  For Mercy Parish, it was decided by the Parish Coordination Committee (PCC) that those registered between July 1 and October 31, 2016 will be considered Founding/ Charter members.
 

Q.15 Does Mercy Parish have a Facebook page?

A.15 Yes we do.  Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/mercycatholicparish/

 

Q.16 How can I make a financial donation?

A.16 Donations in the form of checks may be made out to “Most Merciful Jesus Catholic Church” and sent to 10509 Segers Road, Madison, AL 35756. 

 

Q.17 Who do I contact with questions?

 

A.17 You may contact a member of the Parish Pastoral Council by clicking on the Pastoral Council link at the top of the page, and a directory of the PC members will appear.  You can then click on the link to email any of the members. You may also send an email to the parish_office@mercyparish.church

 

Q. 18 I recently moved to the area - what church should I attend?

A.18 The simple answer is, you can attend any parish, as it is a matter of your personal choice. Your choice is not driven by boundaries or proximity.  

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