ABOUT OUR PARISH

About US

Humble Beginnings

The first Catholics in the Douglas, Georgia area can be traced back to about 1900. During these early years, Masses were celebrated in parishioner' homes before the first Catholic Church in Douglas was built. Bishop Gerald P. O'Hara dedicated Douglas's first Catholic Church, Saint Paul, on Ward Street, July 17, 1938. Saint Paul's first parishioners were primarily of Lebanese, Irish and European decent.

The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Eastern American Province, officially received jurisdiction of the parish in 1939 and served in Douglas and its missions until 1991. Priests from the Diocese of Savannah took over the parish in 1991. Additional missionary assistance came from the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement, who served the Parish from 1960 through 1997.

Growing Through Change

During the 1990's, the number of Hispanic parishioners coming into the area saw a beginning of a new phase of the parish life, with Masses being offered in Spanish and English. Saint Paul's number of parishioners grew, and in the late 1990's a decision was made to build a larger church facility to accommodate the needs of the growing Catholic community in the area. In 2006, Bishop J. Kevin Boland dedicated the new Saint Paul Catholic Church, located on Highway 441 South in Douglas.

Looking to the Future

The much needed space for religious education classrooms, adminitrative offices, social hall and day chapel was granted By Bishop Gregory J. Hartmayer in July of 2018, with construction beginning in early 2019 and completed in 2021.