Debbie Snapp
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Saint Margaret Catholic Church is located at 156 E. Washington St., and has been a part of the Monticello community since 1917. At one time the church was located at 420 W. Washington St., in the building that is now the Monticello - Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce.
The church's pastor is Father Dominic Dat Tran. He is also pastor of the St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church in Madison.
St. Margaret's masses were documented to have been celebrated in the Monticello area as early as December of 1862 by Bishop Verot out of Savannah, Ga.
What would later become Saint Margaret Catholic Church began as a mission shortly before Christmas, during the cold winter of 1907.
At the time, congregants met in the Jefferson County Courthouse and there was only one practicing Catholic in Monticello at the time.
A few non-Catholic community members regularly attended, perhaps out of curiosity, as there were misgivings about Catholicism in the area at the time.
Masses were announced by the local sheriff ringing the courthouse bell, beckoning folks to Mass when the mission priest was in town to offer it.
The little congregation grew and in January of 1916, a deed was signed for the property on the northwest corner of Washington and Water Streets. Sometime in 1917, the construction on the little chapel was finished.
The chapel was dedicated to Saint Margaret, a Scottish princess dedicated to service to the poor and the mission became a parish in 1967.
In August of 1968, the parish was entrusted by the diocese of St. Augustine to the care of the Oblate of Mary Immaculate. The first confirmation was celebrated in January of 1972.
The sanctuary today was dedicated in October of 1974. The first confirmation in this space was celebrated in 1976 as a part of the newly formed Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, founded in 1975.
Since its beginning, Saint Margaret has been a place of love, family and community. Recent renovations have made it the beautiful faith home it is today.
One of the missions of the Saint Margaret Catholic Church is to provide parishioners with safe ways to connect with other churches and other Masses, ensuring God’s grace may touch the heart of every man and woman and lead them to Him.
In October of 2017, the Saint Margaret family and friends celebrated its centennial on the church grounds. A time capsule of family tokens was collected on this day and buried; to be opened in 100 years. A concrete slab was poured on top of the duck-taped, plastic time capsule container for safekeeping.
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