St. Mary's:

Our History, Our Future

Founded in 1867, St. Mary's is the oldest Catholic elementary school in Alabama. In the 1890's the Sisters of Mercy were brought to St. Mary Parish by the by Reverend M.F. Filan and the sisters wasted no time "setting up shop" at the back of the church, teaching school children their ABCs.

In 1908 Major Patrick Hannon gave land to St. Mary's especially for the school. The Sisters of Mercy building was built on this land and became the new school and convent. When the building was ready, the classrooms in the back of the church were taken out, the church was extended and extra pews were added to hold the fast-growing congregation of St. Mary's.

Sister Columba, St. Mary's first principal and her assistants, Sister Philomena and Sister Annunciata would be proud today to see the preservation of their hard work. The school flourishes and the ninety-four year old Sisters of Mercy building, now known as the Parish Center, has been restored, its historical architecture preserved, and its facilities modernized.  Funding for the first and second floor renovations was made possilbeb throught the 2000 "Celebrating the Past...Building the Future" Capital Campaign".  The top floor, now home to St. Mary's Middle School was made possible through parish investments in the future growth of the school.  These investments are to be funded by the 2009 "Our Faith, Our Hope, Our Future" Capital Campaign.

The First Floor

In 1909, the first floor served as the cafeteria for St. Mary students. Over the years after the Sisters of Mercy left as adminstrators in the late 70's, this space was only used for storage and became in great disrepair.  After a complete overhaul made possible by the 2000 Capital Campaign, the first floor is now bright and comfortable. The windows have been renovated to let in natural light, illuminating the seven spacious rooms, one office, children's restrooms and laundry facilities. Plaster walls have been added, and the concrete floor sealed. New lights, plumbing, heating and air conditioning have also been added. These spaces now encompass the preschool, the parish youth center and the ministry of Our Sister's Closet, and is home to various parish and school functions.

The Second Floor

The original wood floors on the second floor had been covered by asbestos tiles and carpeted. The asbestos tiles were safely removed, the carpeting taken away, and the original flooring was sanded and finished. The floors are now beautiful.

Plywood paneling, that once concealed the original plaster walls, was removed and the plaster repaired and painted. The original trim has been repaired and new trim installed to match the existing woodwork.

During the 1950's the original windows had been replaced with metal frames. Today period replica windows are in place.

Boarded up for many years, the Old Shell Road entrance has been made fully functional, making all six entrances to the building operational.

New Home for Middle School, The Third Floor

Through the support of St. Mary Parish, the third floor of the Sisters of Mercy Building was completely restored to make room for St. Mary's Middle School.  Brought back to its glory days, this floor once again serves as classrooms overlooking the beautiful campus and church of St. Mary's.  The restorations were made in order to add additional space to meet the ever growing enrollment.