Saint Peter, LaGrange
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Parish History
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Photo by Michael Alexander, |
The parish was founded in 1936 at the urging of Father James E. King, pastor of St. Joseph in Athens and of the Northeast Georgia Missions, a responsibility that stretched from North Carolina to Alabama. The parish was to serve the Catholics of Troup, Meriwether and Heard counties.
An anonymous donor gave Father King $10,000 to start the church, stipulating only that it was to be named in honor of St. Peter.
The first Catholic church in the city of LaGrange and in Troup County was completed in April 1936 on Church Street. The brick structure included a bell tower and seating for 100. The first pastor was Father George T. Daly, who shepherded a flock that had longed for a permanent location since Mass began to be occasionally celebrated in the homes of local Catholics after the turn of the century.
The parish was passed from diocesan to Redemptorist administration repeatedly in the '40s and '50s. St. Peter's did not consistently have a priest in the rectory during this time. In 1956, with 55 families registered, it was transferred back to the Archdiocese of Atlanta for the final time.
A parish hall was added in 1962 and a major renovation and expansion of the original church was completed in 1969, doubling the seating. The current facility, which includes church, rectory, offices, parish activity center and classrooms was completed in 1988.
A mission was added to the parish community in the early years. Named St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Mission in 1975, the community includes Manchester and Warm Springs.