Holy Rosary Catholic Church

03/25/2026

The clothing closet is in need of men's clothing in specific sizes and excellent condition. Pants sizes 30-36 waist for tall men and size large T-shirts and other men's shirts are particularly in demand. Donations can be dropped off at Holy Rosary Food Pantry on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 10am and 12pm, or pickup can be arranged by emailing [email protected].

12/01/2025

We are honored to be featured in the One Voice!

Holy Rosary Food Pantry

10/29/2025

Our food pantry volunteers have been working hard to meet increased demand. Today we served 117 people with food boxes. The average is 80 families served per day. As SNAP (food stamp) benefits are suspended in Alabama, we anticipate increased need. You can help! Here are our immediate needs:

1. Pray for our ministry, volunteers, and food recipients.

2. 100 loaves of bread is needed for THIS Friday morning (10.31). Someone can donate money by tomorrow morning and we can purchase. OR drop off bread at the pantry on Friday 7am-9am.

3. Next week: We anticipate running out of frozen meat next week. Financial donations for frozen meat are welcome and needed.

If you can help with #2 or #3, comment here or message us!

4. On-going support of pantry.

To donate, mail or drop off checks to Holy Rosary Catholic Church (note food pantry in memo) 7414 Georgia Rd. Birmingham, AL 35212. Drop off M, W, Friday 10-12.

To volunteer, email [email protected]

09/20/2025

Rest in peace, Father Tojiera.

"The morning of the murders, Father Tojeira spoke with reporters, telling them that his fellow priests had been 'assassinated with lavish barbarity.'...

Father Tojeira was deeply critical of American investigators for pressuring Ms. Cerna, the witness to the murders, to change her story in an effort to protect the Cristiani government. (American officials denied that they had done so.) He was also suspicious of apparent foot-dragging by the American Embassy in holding the perpetrators to account. ...

'As the provincial, he was the moral, human and political leader,' she added. 'He took on Cristiani, the military and the U.S. He was thrust into it, and he led the effort with great courage.'

Five of the six murdered priests were Spanish — as was Father Tojeira — and in 2008 Spain revived the case against the Salvadoran military, indicting 19 officers.

Only one came to trial, since the others were still living in El Salvador and the country’s Supreme Court refused to extradite them. In 2020, Father Tojeira testified in a Spanish court against the lone defendant, Inocente Orlando Montano, who was a vice minister of defense at the time of the killings. He had been living in the United States and was extradited to Spain by American authorities.

Mr. Montano was sentenced to 133 years in prison. The judges, endorsing Father Tojeira’s appraisal, concluded that the Salvadoran military had 'plotted, planned, agreed on and ordered' the murder of the priests."

As the Jesuit leader in Central America, he pushed for justice when six priests were shot to death in the midst of El Salvador’s civil war.

01/19/2025

The Food Pantry and Clothing Closet are closed Monday, January 20 for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday.

01/01/2025

We celebrated the Feast of the Solemnity of Mary and rang in the new year with a full church at 8:30 mass. We welcome you to join our church family for a visit this year!

09/19/2024

These parishioners in the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama are doing what seems impossible for a small church.

With just 50 volunteers, Holy Rosary Catholic Church feeds over 800 people a month with life-sustaining groceries. But their work doesn’t stop there—their soccer program is keeping youth off the streets and on the right path!

Read about the work of this faith community, a finalist for our Lumen Christi Award: https://cathext.in/3YOUvt5

08/27/2024

Volunteers like Clemencia Robledo work hard to feed their neighbors in Gate City, a long-troubled neighborhood in Birmingham, Alabama. Clemencia knows that every box of food distributed empowers them to lead fulfilling lives.

“You cannot use anything in your body, not even your mind or spirit, if your belly is not fed,” she said.

Read more about Holy Rosary Catholic Church, a Lumen Christi Award finalist, and their enduring love for this community.

08/08/2024

We are so proud of our many volunteers and donors in being recognized as finalists for the Lumen Christi Award, and thankful for all the work they do for the people of Gate City.

https://www.catholicextension.org/stories/as-grocery-costs-rise-this-alabama-parish-pantry-puts-food-in-their-belly-then-in-their-soul

For the past 133 years, Holy Rosary Parish has been a beacon of hope and companionship in the long-troubled neighborhood of Gate City in Birmingham,

06/21/2024

Holy Rosary Food Pantry is a nominee for the national Pax Lumen award!

“Holy Rosary Catholic Church, founded 132 years ago by immigrant steel and glass factory workers, has evolved into a diverse community embodying the Catholic faith in their ministry to serve the poor. Holy Rosary serves the Gate City neighborhood—one of the poorest neighborhoods in Birmingham—where many families live on fixed incomes. The church offers a food pantry that feeds more than 670 families twice each month. Each day this vital community fixture does God’s work nourishing people physically and spiritually.

Holy Rosary’s food pantry is one of the largest in Birmingham. A 19 percent rise in prices and the expiration of federal pandemic safety nets has exacerbated financial hardships for many Gate City residents, creating increasing dependence on the food pantry for life-sustaining groceries and basic supplies.

The pantry’s building houses a new cooler, an assembly line for food storage and an active clothing and material supply area. Holy Rosary Food Pantry remarkably served nearly 2,000 people last December alone.

The volunteers discover joy through service, motivating them to give of their time each day. One volunteer, Cassandra Palmer, said the food pantry is a rewarding experience for her, knowing she is impacting lives. ‘As a retired teacher, volunteering gives me an opportunity to remain active, to give of my time, talent and my treasure. I know I can’t help everybody, but it gives me joy to be able to help somebody. I feel that God uses us to reveal His ability to provide for His creation.’

Coach Allen Murphy, a full-time pantry employee, formerly led youth programs ranging from sports to reading and tutoring sessions. Youth today have opportunities through the pantry organization to participate in a soccer league program at Holy Rosary and hear advice from role models like Coach Murphy. What has kept Coach Murphy going? Providing a safe environment for youth to develop positive behaviors and skills to keep them away from joining gang violence surrounding them.

‘I tried to instill something in them: to be positive in life,’ Coach Murphy said.

Many Gate City kids that grew up attending Holy Rosary have gone into fulfilling jobs. One woman works for the health department in Birmingham. Another woman, who participated in the parish’s soccer program, now works as a manager for NorthStar Soccer Ministries. This organization uses soccer as a ministry tool to instill self-confidence and social skills among urban youth in Birmingham who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to participate in a sports program.

Holy Rosary Food Pantry goes beyond providing physical nourishment—it embodies the essence of Catholic social teaching, promoting the common good and fostering a community where all are welcome and cared for. Dedicated volunteers serve each day with genuine love for their neighbor. Volunteer Tracy Bragg sums it up perfectly: ‘The food pantry has been the greatest gift from God. This community, both volunteers and clients, is often a glimpse of God’s kingdom, and you can see the sincerity and goodness of each person.’”

Since its inception in 1978, the Lumen Christi Award, presented by Catholic Extension Society, has been given to people who radiate and reveal the light

11/22/2022

Fr Vu took Fr Balta Pentareddy, the new administrator of St. Barnabas Parish & Holy Rosary Parish, to the bank to change out the names. Welcome, Fr Balta! 🤝