FATHER JON CHALMERS
Pastor
Fr. Jon Chalmers passionately believes that love of God and love of neighbor have a constitutive relevance in the Church, especially to offer education and healthcare to nurture health, healing, and holiness. As Executive Vice President of John Carroll Catholic High School and Pastor of Prince of Peace Catholic Church, he has particular interest in how the past informs the future, the conversation between nature and culture, and redemptive responses to social challenges.
Fr. Chalmers served as Associate Pastor at Prince of Peace from July 2021-July 2022 and during that time he came to know and love the parish. He was named Pastor of Prince of Peace by Bishop Steven Raica effective July 2022. Prior to his time at Prince of Peace, he was Pastor of Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Gate City where he served for the prior four years. Fr. Chalmers also serves as Executive Vice-President of John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham.
Fr. Jon grew up outside of Pittsburgh, PA; finished high school in New Jersey; and started college in Chicago. A series of wildly improbable events brought him to Alabama for what he thought would be a brief visit. Now almost thirty years later, he has found a welcoming home and several vocations in Alabama. Fr. Jon finished his undergraduate degree at The University of Alabama and then worked with the university for another 12 years. In his last role there, he was Director of the Program for Rural Services and Research where he worked with communities throughout Alabama in public education, economic development, arts, and community health.
As a graduate of Yale Divinity School and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, he has also served as president of Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School from 2015-2021 and worked in Catholic healthcare in the areas of mission leadership, formation, spiritual care, and bioethics.
Formerly an Episcopal priest, Fr. Jon received a dispensation from the obligation of celibacy from Pope Benedict XVI and was ordained in 2012. As such, he is the only married priest in the Diocese of Birmingham. He is the husband of Margaret, a civil and canon lawyer who is Moderator of the Diocesan Tribunal, and the father of teenage sons, David and Thomas.
Fr. Jon has a passion for old roads, old houses, local history, and wilderness trails. He is a 2020 graduate of Leadership Birmingham.
Fr. Chalmers grew up outside of Pittsburgh, PA; finished high school in New Jersey; and started college in Chicago. A series of wildly improbable events brought him to Alabama for what he thought would be a brief visit. Now almost thirty years later, he has found a welcoming home and several vocations in Alabama. Fr. Chalmers finished his undergraduate degree at The University of Alabama and then worked with the university for another 12 years. In his last role there, he was director of the program for rural services and research. Along the way, Fr. Chalmers completed a master’s degree in education at Harvard University and worked with communities throughout Alabama in public education, economic development, arts, and community health. Prior to his appointment as president of Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School in 2015, Fr. Chalmers worked in Catholic healthcare in the areas of mission leadership, formation, spiritual care, and bioethics.
As a graduate of Yale Divinity School and formerly an Episcopal priest, Fr. Chalmers received a dispensation from the obligation of celibacy from Pope Benedict XVI and was ordained in 2012. As such, he is the only married priest in the Diocese of Birmingham. He is the husband of Margaret, a civil and canon lawyer, and the father of David and Thomas. Fr. Chalmers has a passion for old roads, old houses, local history, and wilderness trails. He is a 2020 graduate of Leadership Birmingham.