By Maddie Moravek

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church (OLS), in Homewood, Alabama, boasts a long history of being just as dedicated to its faith as it is to its community. The parish was established in the 1880s on Birmingham’s Southside and initially met in members’ homes before building it first church where the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Bartow Arena now stands. After a fire destoryed the building in the late 1940s, the congregation relocated to Homewood. If you are looking for a faith community that values tradition, families, and a relationship with God, OLS is a wonderful place to foster that.

The church building is beautifully designed to focus the congregation on God by making the altar and sanctuary lighter and brighter than the rest of the space. A bronze statue of Mary holding the crucified Christ is on the wall behind the altar and is accompanied by angels on either side. The gorgeous stained-glass windows that depict the seven sorrows of Mary show the love and dedication that was put into the building. The outside of the building is modern yet comforting. It reads as a place that would be comfortable to explore new ideas and a faith journey without adding any pressure. Nestled in Homewood just across the street from the public library, OLS is set up to function as a key part of the community. In the parish bulletin are listed several opportunities for service and bonding. These include setting up for events at the school, preparing for Vacation Bible School, and golf outings. OLS is committed to creating opportunities for individual and group growth for a strong faith.

A Community of Tradition

OLS follows the standard and traditional Catholic order of service. The service opens with a greeting from the priest and is then followed by a series of prayers, readings, and hymns. The homily is given by the priest based on the key scripture reading of the day. Father Bob Sullivan is an excellent speaker and engages the congregation in his analysis and interpretation of the scriptures. The focus of masses at OLS is the receiving of the eucharist. The service is designed to focus the individual on preparing their mind, body, and soul to receive the eucharist. This is done through intentional prayer in standing and kneeling positions and skillfully chosen weekly hymns that connect with the scripture and message. In the Catholic faith they believe in and practice transubstantiation, the belief that upon the words of institution spoken by the priest the bread and wine become the actual body and blood of Christ. This is the holiest part of the service, the crux of the mass. The entire service is focused around this holy moment where the congregants may receive the body and blood of Christ, a reminder of the sacrifice that he gave for humanity. Shortly after receiving the sacrament of the eucharist, the mass will end. This further emphasizes the theological goal of the service being the sacrament.

Eucharist is one of the seven sacraments in the Catholic church and every mass is focused on its celebration, serving as a constant connection between the individual and God. The services are heavily focused on strengthening the connection between the individual and God, there is only a short moment for the sign of the peace as the focus of the service is on God. This attention to detail in creating intentional moments to connect with Christ focuses the individual on inner peace and prayer throughout the service and makes for a truly beautiful time of prayer. The service is designed to create a sense of inner peace leading up to the reception of communion and it certainly achieves that goal. Even during other parts of the service, it all points towards the eucharist that will be received at the end of the Mass.

Family at the Heart of Mass

The community at OLS is dedicated to one another. As you enter the service, you will notice families all greeting one another. Kids will all sit together and happily giggle in the pews while their parents excitedly talk about their weeks.

Leading up to the beginning of the service, the energy in the sanctuary builds and builds as more and more people arrive, eager to worship with each other. This is a community that values family and that is reflected in the way that even the priest interacts with the children. As Father Bob Sullivan processes at the beginning of the service he will stop along the way and bless the children and babies that sit at the end of the aisles. This small intentionality speaks volumes of the kindness and care that the community holds for one another.

The presentation of the gifts for the eucharist further emphasize this, as they are often presented by a family. Kids and parents beam the entire walk up, bursting with excitement to be involved in the service and engage in their faith. Additionally, OLS has operated a pre K-8 school since 1896. The children and families that attend the school are deeply rooted in the community and have a strong foundation in their faith. Through the education they offer at their school, they give the attendants a meaningful faith journey that the children explore all week amongst their peers and on the weekends with their families at mass.

The congregation moves, sings, and speaks as one in a way that unites the attendants in their pursuit of the Lord while at the same time fostering a valuable personal relationship with Christ. From its founding in the 1880s, OLS has been built on the close connections of the congregants and this is very clearly a tradition that has continued. The structure of the traditional format of Catholic services has strengthened the community’s bond as they go through the service together while they each individually pursue the growth of their own faith.

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church
Address: 1728 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, AL 35209
Services Observed: Sunday Worship 9:30 March 30th, Online Services April 2nd and 6th
Website: https://ourladyofsorrows.com/
Video Archives: https://www.youtube.com/@ourladyofsorrowshwd
Affiliation: Roman Catholic Church
Parish established: 1887

References

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church – Homewood, AL. Accessed March 31, 2025. https://ourladyofsorrows.com/.

“Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church.” Bhamwiki. Last updated April 9, 2025. https://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Our_Lady_of_Sorrows_Catholic_Church

“Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School” Bhamwiki. Last updated December 8, 2022. https://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Our_Lady_of_Sorrows_Catholic_School

Maddie Moravek ‘25 was a student in Christian Worship: History & Theology in Samford University’s Department of Biblical and Religious Studies in spring 2025.