Honoring Mary's Legacy

St. Mary’s is a small parish with approximately 170 families. Despite its size, the parish is growing, with 50 young children eager to learn the faith.

Established in the 1950s, St. Mary Catholic Church in Toccoa, GA started as a small Mission church, known initially as Mary, Mother of Our Divine Savior. Catholics in the Toccoa area gathered in private homes, hotels, and even the American Legion Hall to celebrate Mass with visiting Mission priests. As the parish grew, so did the need for additional space. The old multi-purpose building became too small. The discovery of black mold in the priest quarters and office structure, led to its closure and left the parish with only its original building from the 1950s.

Unfortunately, the children do not have a proper place to meet. Classes are held outside, and the children sit wherever they can find space, an especially uncomfortable situation during the hot days and impossible when it rains. The parish is working on converting an old chapel into classrooms and repurposing an old space into a parish life center so the community can have somewhere to gather. There is much work to be done.

Father Henry needs assistance to complete the parish life center, classrooms, and outside spaces. While these new areas will be modest, the parish will be happy to finally have somewhere to gather as a parish community. The Saint Mary’s community has been generous within their means, but resources are limited. Currently, the pastor, Father Henry Pham does not have an office, and Deacon Rich Thibodeau uses a folding table as his ‘makeshift’ office.

St. Mary Parish Community

The new facilities will include a community space, adequate classrooms, and updated amenities, addressing long-standing needs for both educational and community functions. Funds raised in the mid-1990's for a future expansion project do not meet the needs of current construction costs. The $400,000 shortfall creates a significant financial challenge for this small parish.

The “Honoring Mary’s Legacy” (HML) committee has been formed to focus on reducing the debt from the construction shortfall. Your support can make a profound difference. Contributions to Saint Mary’s Honoring Mary’s Legacy Fund will directly assist in managing this debt and ensuring that The Saint Mary Parish community can fully utilize its new facilities. You can provide appropriate spaces for this faith-filled community.