General Information

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church was founded in 1974, and moved to its current location in 1986. With over 2700 Families, St. John's serves the people of Madison County, Alabama in the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama.

General Information

• Altar Flowers-Altar Flowers can be donated in memory of a loved one or to mark a special anniversary. Please contact the Parish Office at 256-722-0130 to schedule a weekend or for more information. 

• Annulments-If you are divorced and would like to pursue an annulment of your previous marriage or would like some information concerning annulments, please contact Deacon Dan Laurita at 256-722-7929 x112 or deacondan86 "at" gmail.com

• Baptisms-In order to have a child baptized at St. John’s, parents need to be registered members of St. John’s and attend the Baptism Preparation Class ( meets the last Wednesday of the month in the All Purpose Room at 5:30 pm.) Baptisms are scheduled for the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month at 1:00 p.m. 

• Becoming Catholic-OCIA Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (formerly known as RCIA) is a program designed to help adults learn more about the Catholic Faith or prepare to become Catholic. If you are not baptized: Classes will be on most Sundays from 1:00pm to 2:30pm, August through May. If you have been baptized in a different Christian Denomination, or have been baptized Catholic but have not received all the Sacraments of Initiation (Eucharist and/or Confirmation): Classes will be on Thursday evenings from 7pm to 8:30pm.  Please contact the OCIA coordinator by email at ocia "at" stjohnbchurch.org or CLICK HERE for more information.

• Bulletin Notices-The weekly bulletin, along with our weekly eNews Newsletter, are our primary means of parish communications. Bulletin space is limited to parish and ministry events. Items to be considered for publication in the bulletin can be submitted by email to parishoffice@stjohnbchurch.org . Notices must be submitted no later than noon on Friday the week before they are to appear. Announcements are generally limited to twice per event and may be edited for space.

• Change of Contact Information-Please notify the Parish Office if you are planning to or have recently moved, changed phone numbers or changed your email address. By ensuring that we have your most current contact information you will be able to stay up to date on all of the latest parish news and will continue to receive your weekly offertory envelopes and the 'One Voice' Diocesan Newspaper.

• Confirmation-Students preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation are required to have three years of active participation in the religious education program (grades 6, 7 and 8) or have attended a Catholic School or an approved Catholic Home School Program. At St. John’s Parish Confirmation Prep occurs during a student’s ninth grade year. For more information CLICK HERE.

• First Communion-Children preparing for First Communion must have two years of active participation in the religious education program (grades 1 and 2) or have attended Catholic school, or an approved Catholic Home School Program. First sacraments are celebrated in the 2nd grade. You can CLICK HERE for more information. Families with children older than second grade who would like their children prepared for these sacraments should contact the Director of Religious Education.

• Funerals-If you need to arrange for a Funeral Mass for the recently deceased, please call the parish office at 256-722-0130.

• Godparents, Witnesses, and Sponsors-Have you been asked to be a Godparent? A Confirmation Sponsor? A Best Man or Maid of Honor? Many churches will request a letter or certificate be provided that states you are a Catholic in good standing and capable of fulfilling these important roles. Please contact the parish office to request such a letter.

• Joining the Parish-Registration Forms and Welcome Packets are available after any weekend Mass at the Welcome Desk. You may also stop by the parish office. Office Hours The Parish Office is open Monday-Thursday, 8:00 am-4:00 pm and Friday 8:00 am-1:00 pm. The office is closed for most Federal Holidays and operates on an abbreviated schedule over Christmas and Easter.

• Marriages-Engaged couples desiring to be married at St. John’s should contact Deacon Dan Laurita at least six months prior to the anticipated wedding date. It is recommended that couples make contact with the parish at the very beginning of their engagement to ensure an orderly and reflective preparation process. Preparation will involve three areas: documents, spiritual formation, and preparing for the ceremony.

• Mass Intentions-Mass intentions are available for parish weekday Masses for the repose of the soul of a deceased loved one or on the occasion of a serious illness. The person for whom the Mass is offered is remembered in a special way by name in the Prayers of the Faithful, and their name is printed in the parish bulletin among the Mass Intentions listed for the week they will be remembered. If you would like to have a loved one remembered at a parish Mass, please contact our parish office to schedule an available time. Masses can be scheduled within six months of the current date.

• ​​​Prayer Requests-St. John’s publishes a list in the bulletin each week of all those who are ill and have requested our prayers. If you would like to add your name or the name of a loved one to this list, please contact the Parish office. We cannot publish any names without family consent. 

• Reserving a Room-As parishioners of St. John’s, we are committed to being good stewards of our facilities, keeping them in a well-maintained condition and welcoming our families to use these facilities to carry out our mission of supporting the Catholic faith. Together we take care of our beautiful buildings and church grounds. Help us by sharing in our commitment to Stewardship. The use of St. John’s facilities is restricted to appropriate Church and School-related activities. The Parish Hall is available to rent for Wedding and Anniversary celebrations. Please call the parish office to inquire.

• Sick/Hospital Visit-Please call the parish office, 256-722-0130, if there is an emergency or if you or a loved one are about to have surgery, are in the hospital or nursing home, or have become homebound. The Anointing of the Sick is a healing sacrament available to the young and old, the chronically or terminally ill, and also offered prior to surgery.