A Parish at the Heart of Northeast Tennessee
St. Mary's Catholic Parish sits on East Lakeview Drive in Johnson City, where more than 1,500 registered households gather each week around the Eucharist. With 19 Masses celebrated every weekend and weekday in English, Spanish, and Latin, the parish is the largest Catholic community in northeast Tennessee and the anchor of the Church in this corner of the state. Its roots, however, run deeper than its present campus. The Catholic presence in East Tennessee traces to a year-long effort by Father William Roham in 1789, but the parish itself took shape under the missionary travels of Father Emmanuel Francis Callahan, who made the city his headquarters because of its rail connections and, in 1902, purchased a chapel on Walnut Street that he dedicated to St. Francis de Sales.
From Mount St. Mary's to a Church on Lakeview Drive
The story of St. Mary's is woven through the railroads, mills, and population booms of East Tennessee. In 1905, Father Callahan bought the Old Burrow Hill Estate between Main and Market Streets for $8,500. The small wooden house on the hill overlooking Market Street became Mount St. Mary's, the city's first Catholic church. When the Dominican Fathers of St. Joseph took responsibility for the parish in 1916, the name was changed to St. Mary's.
The expansion of the rayon mills in Elizabethton during the early 1920s brought more Catholic families into the area. Despite the Great Depression, funds were raised to build a Gothic brick church, which was dedicated on February 8, 1931. Two Sunday Masses soon became necessary, and the priest also oversaw mission churches in Elizabethton, Kingsport, Greeneville, Rogersville, and Erwin.
The parish's growth continued. St. Mary's School opened in 1931 under the Sisters of Mercy from Nashville, struggled, closed, reopened, and was eventually rebuilt under Father Michael Snider. A new school was dedicated on October 17, 1954. By the 1970s, the church on Market Street was straining at the seams, and in October 1980, the parish purchased property on Lakeview Drive. A multi-purpose center was completed in 1990, and construction of the present church began in 1999. Bishop Joseph Kurtz dedicated the new worship space on December 2, 2000. When the Diocese of Knoxville was formed in 1988, St. Mary's was already the largest parish in northeast Tennessee, and it has grown since to 1,525 registered households representing some 4,054 parishioners.
A Pastor's Welcome
Father Dustin Collins, a Johnson City native who grew up in nearby Jonesborough, invites newcomers to make this community their own. Ordained by Bishop Stika on June 2, 2012, after seminary at Conception Seminary College and Saint Meinrad, Father Collins previously served at St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge and Our Lady of Fatima Parish before coming home. He also serves as chaplain to the Diocesan Committee on Scouting. In his welcome letter he writes, "I personally want to welcome you and your family to our parish community. I know this to be a community of faith that has a lot to offer your family. Most of all we center ourselves upon Christ who is present with us in the Most Holy Eucharist."
Mass in English, Spanish, and Latin
St. Mary's offers a daily rhythm of Masses that reflect the diversity of its congregation. Weekday Masses are celebrated Monday through Friday at 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM, with another Mass on Saturday morning at 8:30 AM. The Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at 5:00 PM, and four Sunday Masses follow: 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM in English, 12:00 PM in Spanish, and 2:00 PM in Latin. An average of about 1,711 people attend Mass each week.
Services are livestreamed through the parish's YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person. Worship aids, the weekly bulletin, and announcements are available through the printed bulletin in the gathering area and through the WeConnect parish mobile app.
Confession and Perpetual Adoration
The sacrament of Reconciliation is offered several times each week. Wednesday confessions are heard at 6:00 PM. Saturday confessions are heard at 9:00 AM and 4:30 PM, and on Sunday mornings a priest is available in the confessional half an hour before each Mass at 7:30, 9:30, 11:30, and 1:30. Confessions end when the line finishes or five minutes before Mass begins. Appointments can also be made by request through the parish office.
Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except during the Easter Triduum, in a chapel next to the school kitchen. Adorers can take a scheduled weekly hour or come at irregular times; an access code is required for entry. The parish teaches that "the Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith," and is always seeking adorers willing to keep watch with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
The Seven Sacraments
St. Mary's celebrates the full sacramental ministry of the Catholic Church. Infant Baptism is offered to registered parishioners who complete a preparation class (required for first-time parents); at least one practicing Catholic in good standing must serve as godparent. Children older than seven who have not been baptized receive Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation together at the Easter Vigil.
First Communion is ordinarily received in second grade and Confirmation in fifth grade, with separate half-day retreats required for each. Marriage preparation requires counseling sessions, an Engaged Encounter Weekend, and a meeting at least four months before the wedding. The Anointing of the Sick is available to those facing surgery, serious illness, or declining health and does not require the recipient to be near death. Holy Orders for the priesthood and diaconal ministry are discerned through the diocesan vocations office.
Funerals are coordinated through the parish office and ordinarily are not celebrated on Sundays or during the Paschal Triduum. The parish also coordinates Quinceañera Masses for young women who have received the sacraments of initiation and have attended Youth Ministry for at least a year. Three-year-old child presentations are celebrated only at the Saturday 8:30 AM Mass or the Sunday 12:00 PM Mass.
Faith Formation for Children and Youth
Children's Faith Formation (CFF) meets on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:45 PM in the parish school for students in pre-K through fifth grade. Classes follow a structured calendar that runs from late August through early May, with breaks for fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring. A Safe Environment class called Circle of Grace is part of the program. The final class each year is a hot dog party hosted by the Knights of Columbus. A full sacramental preparation program accompanies CFF, with separate classes for Baptism (for children over 7), First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation.
Youth Ministry gathers middle and high school students on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the lower level of the church. The program centers on apologetics, Scripture, the Sacraments, and practical Catholic living, with overnight lock-ins, nationally accredited conferences, trips to shrines, and participation in the March for Life. Additional offerings include Young Men's and Young Women's Retreats, the Steubenville Youth Conference, and the Appalachia Service Project Retreat.
Becoming Catholic
St. Mary's walks with adults seeking full communion with the Catholic Church through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, now called OCIA. Sessions are offered in both English and Spanish, with reception of the sacraments at the Easter Vigil. The parish also welcomes baptized Catholics who have been away from the practice of the faith and wish to return, as well as non-Catholic spouses who want to understand the Church their family practices. Children of catechetical age who have not received Baptism or First Communion follow a parallel process and are received at the Easter Vigil as well. A Fast Track program prepares baptized adults who already have a basic knowledge of the faith for First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
Feeding Bodies and Spirits in Johnson City
St. Mary's reaches beyond its walls through several long-standing outreach ministries. The parish Food Pantry serves more than 300 households each month through a drive-through distribution on the first and third Saturdays. The Pantry also supplies group homes for women transitioning from homelessness and substance abuse, women who have experienced domestic violence, residents of a low-income senior apartment community, and international students at East Tennessee State University.
The parish's local conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul provides direct financial assistance to individuals and families struggling with basic living expenses, helping with rent, utilities, and other necessities. In the most recent fiscal year, SVDP provided more than $106,000 in aid to 545 people in need.
Through its Twinning Program, St. Mary's supports the Visitation Hospital in Petite Riviere de Nippes, Haiti, regularly sending funds to support medical care for the local community. The parish also takes part annually in the Walkathon and supports the March for Life, 40 Days for Life, and Tennesseans For Life campaigns.
St. Mary's School
St. Mary's School is the parish's largest ministry, serving 161 students in a Catholic environment where faith, knowledge, and character are woven together. The school first opened in 1931 under the leadership of the Sisters of Mercy from Nashville. The current school building was dedicated on October 17, 1954, under the pastoral leadership of Father Michael Snider. Becky Frye leads the school as principal, supported by a faculty and a parish community that surrounds each student with prayer, worship, service, and Catholic formation. The parish contribution to the school is partially offset each year through the Tennessee Educational Freedom Scholarship Program.
Music, Liturgy, and the Wider Parish Family
Dolores Fredericks serves as Director of Music and Liturgy, shaping the prayer life of the parish through sacred music, choirs, and liturgical planning. A retired music educator and lifelong parishioner, she coordinates the musical offerings at weekend and holy day Masses. The parish also maintains a flower arrangement program where donations of $30 or more can dedicate flowers in honor or memory of a loved one, with the intention acknowledged in the corresponding Sunday bulletin.
The Young Adult Ministry serves parishioners between 18 and 35 with social gatherings and faith-based events throughout the year, with information shared via a GroupMe chat. The Society of St. Mary Catholic Women (SMCCW) supports women's fellowship and the ministries of the parish. The Knights of Columbus continue their long-standing work of service, charity, and faith formation, including providing treats at CFF events. A prayer chain called Praying Warriors offers intercessory prayer for those in need.
Parish Councils and Governance
Two bodies established by the Code of Canon Law help guide the life of the parish. The Parish Pastoral Council advises the pastor on programs, policies, and parish growth, and fosters unity and full participation among parishioners, staff, and organizations. The Parish Finance Council brings prayerful attention to the financial decisions that shape parish life. Members of both councils advise the pastor but do not direct parish governance. Parish Discussion Sessions are held periodically to gather input from parishioners.
Joining the Parish
New parishioners can register through the parish office, and registration packets are available for download. Online giving is available through WeShare, and contributions can also be mailed to the parish office, dropped off in person, or placed in the collection basket at worship using the monthly packet of envelopes printed with each family's name and address. A drop box on the wall to the left of the parish office door accepts donations outside of office hours.
The parish shares its life through several channels: a printed bulletin available in the gathering area or by mail through Parishes Online, the WeConnect mobile app, the weekly Sentinel newsletter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and an outdoor church sign used for community-wide events. Bilingual announcements, forms, and policies are offered in both English and Spanish.
Practical Notes for Visitors
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and on Friday from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The mailing address is 2211 East Lakeview Drive, Johnson City, TN 37601, and the parish phone number is 423-282-6367. Wireless hearing assistance devices are available from the ushers before Mass for those who need them. Low-gluten hosts can be requested by joining the celebrant's communion line and informing the priest. The parish celebrates 19 Masses each week in English, Spanish, and Latin; the Spanish Mass is celebrated on Sundays at 12:00 PM, and the Latin Mass at 2:00 PM. Children of all ages are welcomed at every liturgy, and the Children's Faith Formation program begins in pre-K. The parish encourages modest dress appropriate to Catholic worship.