Archbishop John F. Donoghue presided Jan. 29 as muddy Georgia clay was blessed and spades full were turned by dignitaries and parishioners from the oldest to the youngest. The church will be set in a pecan grove. The building will include six classrooms and a social hall in addition to the sanctuary.
Future plans call for a rectory and school.
Father Michael Redden, pastor of the mission, hopes the new church will be dedicated this fall. St. James is currently a mission of St. Augustine in Covington. Among those joining the ceremony were Madison Mayor Bruce Gilbert, Father Chet Artysiewicz, Glenmary pastor of Christ Our King in Greensboro, and Father John Farrelly, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Milledgeville. The first Mass was celebrated in Morgan County in 1967 in a kindergarten building with three families present, according to a parish history. Later Mass was celebrated for 16 years in an Episcopal church.