AL HJR614

Recognizes St. Mary of the Visitation Church as the oldest Catholic Church in North Alabama, with its cornerstone laid on October 13, 1861, by Bishop John Quinlan from Mobile.

Notes that Catholics began settling in the Huntsville area after Alabama achieved statehood in 1819, and in the early 1830s Bishop Michael Portier commissioned priests to survey the region and identify a suitable location for a church near Huntsville with approximately 30 families.

Construction began in July 1861 and was delayed due to the Civil War, but the church has remained in the same location for 150 years and served as a mother church for developing numerous other churches in the region.

Commends the devotion of St. Mary of the Visitation Church members who have provided religious and educational services to maintain the church and serve the Huntsville community as a tremendous asset for 150 years.

Adopted by the House on May 25, 2011, and by the Senate on May 31, 2011.