Set in the Bearden neighborhood of West Knoxville at 711 S. Northshore Drive, the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is the mother church of the Diocese of Knoxville and one of the largest and most diverse Catholic parishes in East Tennessee. More than 3,200 families, totaling roughly 9,500 members, gather on the parish grounds each week for Mass in five languages, faith formation for every age, an attached K-8 school, and a wide range of outreach programs that reach from Bearden to Haiti. The new Cathedral building, completed in 2018, anchors a campus that also includes the parish school, a chancery, a gymnasium, a columbarium, and a 24-hour adoration chapel.
From Bearden Farmland to the Diocese's Mother Church
The story of Sacred Heart begins in 1952, when Knoxville's Catholic leadership decided the city needed a third parish to serve its growing Catholic population. Bishop William L. Adrian of Nashville, Very Reverend Joseph P. Follman (Dean of East Tennessee), and Reverend Christopher P. Murray, pastor of the Church of the Immaculate Conception, identified the Northshore Drive corridor because it had access to public utilities. In 1953, six acres of the William Towle farm were purchased for $25,000. The late Monsignor Edward Dolan, who had succeeded Father Murray as pastor of Immaculate Conception, negotiated contracts with Baumann and Baumann Architects and Emory and Richards General Contractors to build the entire complex of church, school, rectory, and convent for $1 million.
The parish became an independent entity on January 1, 1956, with 199 families. Monsignor Dolan was appointed its first pastor and took up residence in one finished room of the school on July 18, 1956. He moved into the completed rectory in November of that year and celebrated the first Mass in the new church at midnight on Christmas, 1956. Sacred Heart School opened on September 4, 1956, with 132 students and five faculty members; today the school enrolls 605 students and more than 80 faculty members.
Growth followed. Father Joseph Julius, pastor from 1972 to 1981, oversaw construction of the gymnasium, new classrooms, and a school library; he also helped launch what would become St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut. Father Robert Hofstetter, pastor from 1981 to 1987, expanded the physical plant with kindergartens, science labs, computer labs, and an art department. Father Xavier Mankel, named pastor in 1987, received news the following year that the church had been designated the Cathedral of the newly created Diocese of Knoxville, with Bishop Anthony J. O'Connell ordained as its first ordinary.
In February 2010, the Very Reverend David Boettner was named Pastor and Rector. He appointed a Transition Team to gather a "State of the Parish" report and then led the Parish Pastoral Council through a five-year strategic plan for 2011-2016 focused on Facilities, Faith Formation, Communication, School, and Unity in Diversity. A new Cathedral building replaced the 1956 church and opened in 2018. Today the Very Reverend Michael Cummins serves as Rector after being installed by Bishop Mark Beckman in August 2026.
Six Weekend Masses in Five Languages
The Cathedral is known across East Tennessee for the breadth of its weekend liturgy schedule. On Saturday the parish offers the 8:05 am Daily Mass and the 5:00 pm Vigil Mass. On Sunday, four regular Masses fill the morning and early afternoon: 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm in Spanish. Two more languages are added monthly. The Polish Mass is celebrated at 3:00 pm on the first Sunday of each month, and the Filipino community gathers for a Tagalog Mass at 3:00 pm on the second Sunday. The Korean Catholic Community hosts Mass in Korean at 6:30 pm on the third Saturday of each month, followed by a Korean dinner in the Shea Room.
Weekday Mass is offered Monday through Friday at 8:05 am and 12:00 pm. Confessions are heard every Wednesday from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm and every Saturday from 8:45 am to 9:45 am. Adoration with Benediction follows confessions on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm, and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is prayed in the Cathedral every Friday at 3:00 pm.
The Sunday 9:00 am and 11:00 am Masses, the 8:05 am Daily Mass, and the 1:00 pm Spanish Mass are livestreamed on YouTube, allowing shut-ins, college students, and travelling parishioners to remain connected. Recordings are accessible through the parish's YouTube channel.
Clergy and Staff
The Cathedral is pastored by the Very Reverend Michael Cummins, who was appointed Rector in 2026 and installed by Bishop Mark Beckman in August of the same year. Father Cummins, ordained in 1995, also serves as Vicar of Priests for the diocese. A native of Johnson City, he holds a Licentiate in Sacred Theology and is a long-time volunteer at the wolf habitat at Bays Mountain Park who has visited forty national parks. He also serves as a writer for The Alternate Path blog.
Three associate pastors round out the presbyteral team. Father Danny Herman grew up in Mountain City, Tennessee, in the predominantly Baptist community of southern Appalachia. Father Diego Rivera was born in La Ceja, Colombia, in 1979 and was ordained in 2014; he served as a parish priest in Brazil for four years before joining the Diocese of Knoxville. Father Vinod Joseph Kanattu, MSFS, a member of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales, joined the parish with broad pastoral experience from his religious congregation. Bishop Mark Beckman, the fourth Bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville, was ordained on July 26, 2024.
Three permanent deacons assist at the parish. Deacon Walt Otey also serves as the parish's Chief Financial Officer, bringing decades of corporate experience to his oversight of the office manager, bookkeeper, and school business manager. Deacon Mike Mescall was ordained in 2013 in the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana and serves alongside his wife Jackie. Deacon Fredy Vargas ministers at both English and Spanish Masses.
Mary Mac Wilson serves as Chief Operating Officer. Other ministry leaders include Cody Stiner (Director of Evangelization and Catechesis), Christian Ratterman (Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry), Glenn Kahler (Director of Music and Liturgy), Sarah-Clementine Mire (Associate Director of Music), Connor Cain (Director of Information Technology), Scott Barron (Director of Parish Events and Campus Security), Steve Coy (Director of Communications), and Tom Greer (Director of Facilities). The parish office is staffed by Hilda Carrera-Rodas (Parish Secretary), Michelle Horton (Office Manager), and Sandra Portocarrero Cubas (Receptionist).
Getting to Mass: Directions, Parking, and Accessibility
From the west, the parish is reached by taking I-40 East to the Papermill Road / Northshore Drive exit and following Northshore Drive through the Kingston Pike light for half a mile; the Cathedral sits on the right just past Baum Drive. From the east, I-40 West to the Papermill Road exit, a left onto Papermill, then another left onto Northshore Drive brings visitors to the same campus.
Parking is available on the south side of campus behind the gym and in the upper Chancery lot, and on the north side in the new lot by the school entrance canopy, as well as at designated businesses along Erin Drive such as People's Bank and Emert, Mitchell and Hill. Handicapped-accessible parking is provided in both the north and south lots adjacent to the Cathedral, with step-free entry through the side doors. Golf cart shuttles are available to and from the church, with volunteer drivers recruited through the Parking Assistance Ministry.
Childcare during Sunday Masses is offered in the two-year-old room, accessible from the playground side of the preschool. Parents can sign children in, meet the staff, and leave a contact number; the nursery is open Sundays from 8:45 am to 12:15 pm and there is no charge for the service. Contact Bethany Jancek for details.
Sacred Heart Cathedral School and the Cathedral Academy of Music
Sacred Heart Cathedral School, which opened in 1956 with five teachers and 132 students, today serves 605 students from preschool through eighth grade with more than 80 faculty members. The school is led by Principal Valerie Hanks, a 27-year Catholic educator who holds a Master's in Education from the University of Tennessee and a certification in Catholic School Administration and Leadership from Loyola Marymount University. Assistant Principals Kendall Doogan and Mark Amrein support academic programs, while Taylor Castillejo serves as Director of Development and Natalie Fei as Director of Admissions.
In August 2025 the school introduced the Cathedral Academy of Music, a comprehensive performing arts curriculum offered in partnership with the parish's Office of Music and Liturgy. Students in LE/K-8 take classes in music theory, vocal and choral studies, instrumental training, piano and organ, music technology and production, and theatrical arts. Combined ensemble rehearsals meet weekly before school at 7:00 am. The Academy also offers a Theatre Summer Camp and supports Cathedral-wide performances, including the Cathedral Concert Series.
The Academy's mission extends beyond the school walls: it provides professional training for directors, conductors, cantors, accompanists, choir members, and administrators across the Diocese of Knoxville, supporting liturgical music at the parish and diocesan levels.
A Cathedral of Many Choirs
Music at Sacred Heart is led by Director of Music and Liturgy Glenn Kahler, who oversees the cantors, music ministers, and directors of the parish's choirs, and who also directs the 9:00 am Mass and the Sacred Heart Youth Choir. Associate Director of Music Sarah-Clementine Mire, a soprano and educator who also serves as the parish's Director of Theatre and Performing Arts, Associate Organist, and Cantor, brings international training and a master's degree from the University of Tennessee to her work. Associate Organist Ryan Seaver, a recent graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, first discovered his love of the organ as a middle school student accompanying school Masses at the Cathedral and now also serves as a teacher in the Cathedral Academy of Music.
Each weekend Mass is served by its own ensemble. The 9:00 am choir blends Gregorian chant with contemporary settings of classical sacred music. The 11:00 am choir brings a more contemporary sound with a wide range of instruments. The 5:00 pm Saturday ensemble is composed of youth and young adults who serve as worship leaders-in-training. The 1:00 pm Spanish Mass is supported by a vibrant Hispanic choir. Cantors lead the assembly and proclaim the psalms at every liturgy.
Becoming Catholic: OCIA
Each year men and women from many backgrounds enter full communion with the Catholic Church through the parish's Becoming Catholic program, rooted in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). Classes meet Wednesday evenings in English in Cathedral Hall and in Spanish in three classrooms, with the catechumenate described as more than a "new member class" - a spiritual journey through belief in Jesus, repentance and conversion, and preparation for the sacraments of initiation.
Faith Formation for Every Age
Cathedral Kids, the parish's faith formation program for children in kindergarten through eighth grade, meets on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm during the school year. The program centers on basic Bible stories, the Apostles' Creed, a virtue of the month, a saint of the month, and basic Catholic devotions such as the Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, and the Stations of the Cross. Registration is $50 per child ($150 for three or more children). Children preparing for First Reconciliation and First Communion enroll in Cathedral Kids unless they attend Sacred Heart Cathedral School.
The Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered every Sunday during the 9:00 am and 11:00 am Masses. Children ages 4 through second grade are invited to process to Cathedral Hall after the Opening Prayer to hear the Sunday readings proclaimed from the Children's Lectionary and to share in a simple profession of faith and prayers of intercession before returning to their families at the Presentation of the Gifts.
Summit, the middle school youth ministry, meets on Wednesday evenings. Antioch, the high school youth ministry, gathers in the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Center on Sunday evenings from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Antioch evenings combine food, praise and worship, games, a talk, and small group time; registration is open to any high school student. Cathedral Young Adults maintains active GroupMe chats for general fellowship, men, women, and Catholic singles in the Knoxville area.
Adult faith formation offerings such as Walking with Purpose, ENDOW (a small-group study rooted in St. John Paul II's teachings on the dignity of women), and Theology of the Body meet throughout the week at varying times. Walking with Purpose's "Ordering Your Priorities" study meets Mondays at 6:00 pm in the Art Room and Tuesdays at 9:00 am in the Shea Room. ENDOW small groups study the Gospel of Luke during eight weekly sessions. Theology of the Body, a nine-week study of Christopher West's "Theology of the Body for Beginners," meets Wednesdays at 6:30 pm in the school.
Stephen Ministry and Pastoral Care
Stephen Ministry organizes trained congregation members, called Stephen Ministers, to provide one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people in the parish and community who are facing life difficulties such as illness, grief, or loss. Each Stephen Minister typically carries one care receiver at a time, meeting weekly for about an hour. A separate Bereavement Ministry works alongside Stephen Ministry to support families after a loss, and the Funeral Planning process begins with a single 30 to 45-minute family meeting with Director of Music and Liturgy Glenn Kahler and Director of Parish Ministries Scott Barron.
The Anointing of the Sick is available upon request for anyone who is ill, facing surgery, chronically ill, or suffering from a terminal illness, and may be received again if a new illness arises. Homebound parishioners may arrange a lay minister visit for Holy Communion through the parish office. Stephen Ministry can be reached at 865-888-4050.
Marriage, Divorce, and Family Life
The Marriage Course, a series of seven sessions for couples at any stage, addresses communication, conflict resolution, forgiveness, and the influence of family. The course is built around leading experts, practical teaching, and stories from around the world. The Divorced Ministry offers support, education, and an annulment resource list for those whose marriages have ended, drawing on the parish's conviction that "divorced people are not excommunicated from the Church, and they should never be treated as such" - a quote from Pope Francis featured prominently on the ministry's page. The Children's Liturgy of the Word, Antioch high school youth program, and Cathedral Kids all engage families with children at every stage.
The Divine Mercy Adoration Chapel and the Columbarium
The Cathedral's Divine Mercy Adoration Chapel is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as a quiet holy place for contemplation, prayer, and reflection. Visitors enter the campus via the south entrance, park in the lot adjacent to the columbarium or behind the chancery, and find the chapel along the driveway just behind the school gymnasium. The door is always open.
The Cathedral's columbarium, located behind the South transept, returns the parish to the ancient tradition of burial on church grounds. Niches are surrounded by a contemplative garden of benches, concrete pavers, and water features. Inquiries about purchasing a niche go to Director of Parish Ministries Scott Barron.
Knights, Ladies of Charity, and Men's and Women's Guilds
The Knights of Columbus Council 5207 is a council of Catholic men over 18 who serve Sacred Heart and the wider community. The Ladies of Charity of Knoxville manage a thrift shop and an emergency assistance center that handles emergency requests for food, clothing, housing, utilities, and medical needs.
The Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) brings together ten women's guilds including St. Clare (young women and mothers who support the preschool), St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (whose members, ranging in age from 50 to 80+, support the school), St. Gerard (which supports the parish and Catholic Charities of East Tennessee and helps decorate the Cathedral at Christmas), St. John of God (Hispanic community women who assist with the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and visit the sick), St. Martha (which supports the Haiti mission), the Our Lady of the Mountains Rosary Guild, the Flower Ministry, St. Therese Guild (young women in their 20s and 30s), the Wedding Ministry, and St. Zita's (women who clean the Cathedral in contemplative prayer). St. Joseph's Society invites all Cathedral men to Bible study and fellowship throughout the year.
Fly Fishers of Men
Fly Fishers of Men (FFOM), founded in 2017, has grown to more than 150 members. The group holds an annual men's retreat on the Hiwassee River at the Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center, organizes quarterly fellowship meetings, offers Fly Fishing 101 classes and casting lessons, and runs fly-tying fellowship groups. Members have organized fishing pilgrimages of 20 men to Missoula, Montana, floating the Clark Fork, Bitterroot, and Blackfoot rivers under the spiritual direction of Father David Boettner. The group welcomes every skill level and expects only a genuine interest in fellowship, the outdoors, and a willingness to learn.
Reaching Out: Haiti, the Food Pantry, and Pro-Life
The Haiti Outreach Program is the parish's link with its sister parish, St. Michel, in Boucan Carré, Haiti. With the help of volunteers and donations, the committee ensures that impoverished children receive daily nourishment, clean water, medical supplies, and health care. Opportunities to visit and serve in Haiti are offered periodically, along with ongoing fundraising efforts.
The FISH Food Pantry is a county-wide program that supplies food to those in need. Sacred Heart parishioners deliver food to families on the third Friday of each month and supply the food for the cooperative pantry in May. The Pro-Life Ministry witnesses to "God's Gift of Life from conception to natural death" through prayer, education, and outreach. The Prayer Blanket Ministry crafts blankets and shawls that are blessed by the priest at Mass and given to anyone in need of love and prayers. The parish also operates a Jail Ministry, with lay ministers visiting those in detention.
Hispanic Ministry and the Cathedral's Diverse Communities
Because Hispanic ministry and the Cathedral's diverse communities are central to the parish's identity, the Cathedral invests deeply in Spanish-language formation. The 1:00 pm Spanish Mass is supported by a dedicated Hispanic choir, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, lectors, and ushers. OCIA in Spanish meets on Wednesday evenings, and Cathedral Kids welcomes Spanish-speaking families. The Parish Council of Catholic Women includes St. John of God, a guild of Hispanic women who meet twice a month. Cathedral Young Adults includes a Hispanic Young Adults community, and Deacon Fredy Vargas serves both English and Spanish Masses.
The Cathedral Concert Series
The Cathedral Concert Series, a program of the Diocese of Knoxville Music Commission, provides free and low-cost performances by local, regional, national, and international sacred and classical ensembles. Recent concerts have featured the Scruffy City Orchestra performing Nordic repertoire and the Amadeus Concert Ensemble in "PIANO PASSIONS," a program ranging from Vivaldi and Koželuch to Falla, Turina, and Granados with Taiwanese pianist Dr. Chih-Long Hu as soloist. Sponsorships help fund the series.
Joining the Parish, Giving, and the Parish App
Newcomers are invited to register through the Family Registration Form on the parish site. Online Stewardship allows parishioners to make recurring gifts by the week or to remember the parish in their wills. The Cathedral is also active on Facebook (SacredHeartCathedralKnoxvilletn), Instagram (@SacredHeartKnox), X (formerly Twitter, @shcathedralknox), and YouTube (SacredHeartCathedralKnoxvilleTN). The myParish app brings Mass times, the bulletin, and other parish resources to a smartphone. Daily readings and Formed (parish code 51a20b) are free for parishioners. The Hallow prayer app is offered through a parish partnership, with on-boarding support available from Christian Ratterman.
Safety and the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults
The Cathedral participates in the Diocese of Knoxville's CMG Connect safe-environment training to ensure that all employees and volunteers in positions of trust with children and vulnerable adults are trained to recognize behavior patterns of potential abusers and to provide proactive measures for preventing abuse. The Diocese of Knoxville's procedures for reporting sexual abuse are listed on the parish site; the diocesan Victim's Assistance Coordinator can be reached at 865-321-9080. Reports involving a bishop can be made through ReportBishopAbuse.org or (800) 276-1562.
Facilities and Campus
The Cathedral campus includes the Cathedral itself, Sacred Heart Cathedral School, the parish office, the Chancery, several convents, a rectory, the gymnasium, the pavilion, the Shea Room, a cafeteria, the 600 Cafe, and athletic fields. Spaces are available for ministry events, weddings, sporting events, performances, family reunions, and other public events approved by the pastor, with usage fees listed on the parish site. The Cathedral is open daily from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, and the Divine Mercy Adoration Chapel is open around the clock. Main office hours run Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.