Spanish Fort parish established in 2018 has home for Mass with new parish center

By ROB HERBST
The Catholic Week
SPANISH FORT — Parishioners of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos Parish in Spanish Fort now have a home. 
Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi blessed and dedicated their new parish center on April 3 at 31122 U.S. Highway 31, which will be their home for Mass for the considerable future. The parish is the newest in the Archdiocese of Mobile, established in 2018. Before the dedication, Sunday Mass was celebrated at Prodisee Pantry. 
“It was truly a wonderful day,” said pastor Fr. Jim Cink, who has served as the parish pastor since its inception. “I was very conscious of the many who got us to the day of blessing. While it has taken a lot of planning and effort, the parishioners have made the four years easy by their enthusiasm for this new parish and their willingness to participate.”
The facility is a parish hall, but feels like a church. According to Fr. Cink, the facility seats 500 for Mass and 320 for banquets. 
It has a modern gothic style with six arches inviting people into the building. Windows fill the 14,000-square foot facility with natural light. The hall also includes a large narthex and foyer for gathering and a complete commercial kitchen, administrative center and meeting rooms.
“We specifically designed it to look like a church,” Fr. Cink said. “The people of the parish wanted to go to Mass in a place that looked and felt like a church in the five to eight years we will need before building a much larger parish church. … All who attended the first Mass and blessing were most complimentary saying ‘if they didn’t know better, they would think this is the new church."
He added “I have been a part of the project from the beginning and even for me, the building surpassed my own expectation as far as scope and beauty.”
The parish has grown since its inception. It began with about 200 families. It has grown to 320 families, according to Fr. Cink. 
He expects to add another 100 families this year and hopefully grow to nearly 900 families by 2028.
As far as plans for a permanent church, that’s a few years down the road. 
“We do not want to rush into building the permanent church not knowing how big we are actually going to grow,” he said. “We should know better in the next few years the size and direction we will take and begin to plan a church that seats between 1,000 and 1,200. 
“It’s all in God’s work and plan and I’m just happy to be a part of this parish’s growth and future.”