The establishment of Saint James Church was due in large measure to the foresight of one priest, Fr. Terence Kernan, O.S.B. For many years the chapel at Isle of Hope was a mission of Sacred Heart Church and was staffed by the Benedictines during the 1940's. With the postwar growth of the city, this enterprising priest recognized the need for a chapel closer to the newly developed suburbs. In 1949, with the permission of the diocese, land was purchased for the location of a new parish.

A surplus Air Force chapel was moved to the site and the first Mass at the Mission Chapel of Saint James the Less was celebrated on Christmas Day in 1949. The original chapel was razed in 1989 and the present church structure was built. Saint James was officially established as a parish on August 15, 1956 and Fr. John D. Toomey became the first pastor. In the succeeding decades many pastors have served the Saint James Parish and have moved on to assume other important duties in the diocese. The chapel at Isle of Hope was designated a Mission of Saint James. This historic chapel is now used for Mass on the first Sunday of each month.

In that same month and year, a dream became a reality. Saint James Catholic School opened as four Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, arrived and began their pioneering efforts in Savannah. Dedication of the school and convent took place in January 1957.

Our pride in the present and our hope for the future reflects an appreciation of the past and those priests, sisters, and lay people who have made Saint James a vibrant and important lifeline in the diocese and community.

Saint James the Less

St. James ChurchSaint James, sometimes called the Less, was a relative of Jesus, son of Alphaeus, and a cousin of Saint Jude. He is called the Less because he was called by Jesus after the other James, not because he was any less important. He wrote an epistle, which can be found in the New Testament. He became the first Bishop of Jerusalem and presided over the Church there while the other Apostles went forth preaching the Gospel. He is said to have led a prayerful life of penance. In the year A.D. 62, he was arrested by Jewish officials. He was thrown from the Temple roof. Badly injured, he was then stoned to death.