History of St. Paul

In early 20 ^th century Athens, visiting priests held services in a small chapel named St. Henry at the corner of Coleman Ave. and Brown’s Ferry Rd. By the late 1920s, the chapel closed and parishioners traveled to St. Ann in Decatur for Mass, crossing the river by ferry. In the 1940s, church services were again held in Athens, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Hatchett.

In 1959 the church purchased property and built a small mission church. In 1967 the church purchased the adjacent property, and in 1970, Bishop Vath decreed the establishment of St. Paul Parish. The parish built a rectory with space for offices and religious education classes.

To accommodate the growing congregation, a new church building was erected in 1992, a new parish hall in 1996, and a new rectory in 2004. Most recently in 2016, the parish built a two-story Religious Education building with offices. The original church now houses our chapel and gift shop.

Over the years, St. Paul has flourished and become a vibrant, faith-filled parish adapting to the growing needs of its family. We welcome everyone with open arms and warm hearts.