South AlabamaLatin Mass Society

South Alabama Latin Mass SocietyThe Mass of the Ages

Reverence, beauty, tradition, and Gregorian chant — the traditional Roman liturgy, offered every Sunday in Whistler, Alabama.

Sundays at 2:00 PM St. Bridget Catholic Church  ·  Whistler, Alabama Holy Hour, adoration and confessions from 1:00 PM
Request Information Attending for the First Time

Where & When

Every Sunday

St. Bridget Catholic Church
3625 W. Main St.
Whistler, Alabama 36612
  1. 1:00PM Holy HourAdoration of the Blessed Sacrament, with confessions heard by Fr. Saucier until 1:45.
  2. 2:00PM Traditional Latin MassThe Roman Rite according to the Missal of 1962 — in Latin, with Gregorian chant and an English sermon.
  3. AfterMass Refreshments — first Sunday of the monthStay a while and meet the people you have been kneeling next to. Newcomers especially.
  • ParkingFree on the church grounds and along the street.
  • NewcomersAlways welcome. No experience with Latin required — see Your First Visit.
Get Directions
The front entrance of St. Bridget Catholic Church in Whistler, Alabama

St. Bridget Catholic Church — Whistler, Alabama

“The most beautiful thing this side of heaven.”
Fr. Frederick Faber, of the Mass
A priest at the altar with servers kneeling during the Traditional Latin Mass

What is the Traditional Latin Mass?

The liturgy that formed the saints.

The Traditional Latin Mass — also called the Vetus Ordo or the Mass of the Ages — is the ancient liturgy of the Roman Rite, codified after the Council of Trent and offered today according to the Roman Missal of 1962.

It is the Mass that was prayed in this country before 1969, and in substance for many centuries before that. It is the Mass of St. Thomas More and St. John Vianney, of the Irish and German and Creole families who built the little churches of south Alabama, and of nearly every canonized saint of the Western Church.

Its character is unmistakable the moment you walk in: the priest and the people face the same direction, toward the Lord; the prayers are chanted or spoken in Latin; long stretches are prayed in silence; and everything — the vestments, the chant, the gestures, the altar itself — is ordered toward the worship of God.

Ad Orientem

The priest stands at the head of the congregation and faces the altar with them — not a performance directed at the people, but a sacrifice offered to God on their behalf.

Latin & Chant

The unchanging language of the Roman Church, carried by Gregorian chant. The readings and the sermon are given in English.

Sacred Silence

The Canon of the Mass is prayed quietly at the altar. The silence is not a gap in the liturgy — it is the heart of it.

Reverence

Holy Communion is received kneeling at the altar rail and on the tongue, an ancient sign of what — and Whom — is being received.

Beauty

Flowers, candles, incense, polished brass, embroidered vestments. Nothing is too good for God, and beauty teaches what arguments cannot.

Continuity

The same words, in the same order, that Catholics in Mobile County heard a century and a half ago — and that Catholics in Rome heard long before that.

Your First Visit

Come as you are. Nobody expects you to know what you're doing.

Every single person in the pews was a first-timer once, and most of them were lost for a while. Here is everything you actually need to know.

01

Come early if you can

From 1:00 there is a Holy Hour — the Blessed Sacrament exposed, with Fr. Saucier hearing confessions until 1:45. You are welcome to any part of it. The church is quiet: people are praying, not visiting.

02

Take a hand missal

Missals or booklets with the Latin and English side by side are usually available at the back. They tell you exactly where you are in the Mass. You can also follow along on a phone app — just silence it first.

03

Don't worry about the postures

There is a good deal of kneeling, and the cues aren't always obvious. Watch the person next to you and follow along. If you get it wrong, no one minds.

04

Dress as you would for something that matters

Modest Sunday clothes. Many women wear a chapel veil; it is a custom, not a requirement, and you will not be looked at strangely either way.

05

Holy Communion

Received kneeling at the altar rail, on the tongue. As at any Catholic Mass, it is for Catholics who are in a state of grace and have kept the one-hour fast. If that isn't you today, simply remain in your pew — that is a perfectly normal thing to do.

06

Bring your children

Families with small children are a normal part of this congregation. Noise happens. Come anyway.

07

Expect silence

During the Canon the priest prays quietly. Nothing has gone wrong. Use the time to pray along in your missal, or simply to be still.

08

Ask us anything first

If you'd rather know what you're walking into, send us a note. Someone will answer you personally, and can meet you at the door if you like.

Ask a Question

St. Bridget's, Whistler

A church older than the century that forgot this liturgy.

The land was deeded to the church by Jacob and Mary Magee on August 25, 1864. The first church went up in 1867, and the building that stands today — along with its rectory — was raised in 1874.

The historical marker on the lawn notes one more thing: the famous railroad engineer Casey Jones was baptized here on November 11, 1886.

It is a plain white wooden church in a small Mobile County community, and it has been standing there, largely unchanged, for a hundred and fifty years. It is a fitting place for a liturgy that has done much the same.

The South Alabama Latin Mass Society is not affiliated with St. Bridget Catholic Church. We are simply grateful the Mass is offered here.

The historical marker for St. Bridget's Catholic Church
Servers and faithful at the Traditional Latin Mass

Who We Are

A lay society, and nothing more.

The South Alabama Latin Mass Society is a group of Catholic families and individuals in the Mobile area who love the traditional liturgy and want their neighbors to be able to find it.

We are not clergy. We hold no office. What we do is straightforward: we let people know when and where the Traditional Latin Mass is offered in south Alabama, we help newcomers walk through the door for the first time, and we support the Mass where it exists — printing flyers, taking photographs, spreading the word, and showing up.

Right now there is one Sunday Mass available to us in the area, at St. Bridget's in Whistler. That is a great deal more than nothing, and we would like to see it grow.

Please note: The South Alabama Latin Mass Society is an independent lay association. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or speaking for St. Bridget Catholic Church, the Archdiocese of Mobile, or any parish, religious order, or ecclesiastical authority. Nothing on this site should be taken as an official statement of the Church. For matters concerning the parish itself, please contact the parish directly.

Ways to Help

Come to Mass

The single most useful thing anyone can do. A Mass that is well attended is a Mass that continues.

Tell someone

Most Catholics in this area have never been told the Traditional Latin Mass is available to them. Share the flyer, or share this page.

Lend a hand

Servers, singers, and people willing to help with outreach are always needed. Let us know what you can do.

Stay in Touch

Request More Information

Questions about the Mass, about attending for the first time, about joining the society, or about helping — send them here and a real person will write back.

What would you like to do?

Never been to a Latin Mass and not sure what to expect? Ask. Someone will meet you at the door if you'd like.

We will only use this to answer you and, if you ask for it, to send occasional news about the Mass.
We do not share or sell anyone's information.

Thank you.

Your message is in. Someone from the society will write back to you personally — usually within a day or two.

In the meantime: Mass is Sundays at 2:00 PM at St. Bridget's, 3625 W. Main St., Whistler. Come as you are.