About Holy Angels · Dyersburg, Tennessee
Holy Angels Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish serving Dyersburg, Tennessee, and the surrounding rural communities of northwest Tennessee. Located in the Diocese of Memphis (in the Northern Deanery), it was established in 1938 and ministers to roughly 140 households / 353 registered parishioners from its home on Tucker Street. The parish is distinguished by its bilingual schedule (English and a weekly Sunday Spanish Mass), a daily Mass six days a week, a 13-priest pastoral lineage dating back to its founding pastor, and unique facilities including a columbarium and a 'cry room' with video monitors — small in seating (about 130) but 'large in spirit.' It is also the founding/supporting parish for the Ave Maria mission in nearby Ripley.
- Established
- 1938
- Patron
- The Holy Angels (Guardian Angels)
- Rector
- Rev. Patrick G. Hirtz
- Diocese
- Diocese of Memphis (Catholic Diocese of Memphis)
Why belong here
Holy Angels offers a remarkably full sacramental life for a parish of its size — daily Mass six days a week, a weekly Spanish Mass, First Friday Sacred Heart and First Saturday Immaculate Heart of Mary devotions, and regular Reconciliation — alongside a Catholic community that explicitly welcomes both longtime families and newcomers, including through its RCIA program for those seeking to become Catholic and a renewal track for non-practicing Catholics. The parish runs Parish Religious Education for children, a music ministry under director Sarah Jean, a parish bulletin edited by Cathi Shea, and unique on-site facilities like a columbarium for inurned remains and a cry room with video monitors so families with small children can still participate. Whether you are an English-speaking lifelong Catholic, a Spanish-speaking family in the region, or simply visiting the Dyersburg area, Holy Angels is described by its own pastor as a parish with 'a long history and large spirit.'
Mass times at Holy Angels
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
- Sunday: 8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- 1st Saturday: Mass, Exposition and Benediction at 8:15 AM
Welcome to Holy Angels Catholic Church
Holy Angels is a small Catholic parish in Dyersburg, Tennessee — a community of about 140 households (roughly 353 parishioners) in the Northern Deanery of the Diocese of Memphis. The parish's mission statement describes it as 'a Catholic Community of faith joining past, present and future members on a journey with Christ to the Father. Through worship, stewardship, evangelization and works of charity, we strive to more perfectly image God, who is love.' Despite a seating capacity of only about 130, the parish offers daily Mass six days a week and bilingual Sunday liturgy.
- Mass 6 days a week
- Weekly Spanish Mass on Sundays at 11:30 AM
- First Friday and First Saturday devotions
- On-site columbarium and cry room
Parish History
Holy Angels Church was established in 1938 in what was then the Diocese of Nashville, and the first pastor was the Rev. William G. Neidert. Early Masses were celebrated in the basement of the still-unfinished church building. The cornerstone was laid in 1939 and construction was underway in 1940, with the church dedicated in 1946. By 2014 the parish had grown to about 250 families / 600 parishioners and celebrated its 75th anniversary with a year of monthly themed activities, a guardian-angel keepsake, and special remembrances for mothers and fathers. Fr. Robert J. Stellini was the parish's 13th pastor at that anniversary milestone.
- 1938 — Parish established; Fr. William G. Neidert first pastor
- 1939 — Cornerstone laid
- 1940 — Construction underway
- 1946 — Church dedicated
- 1971 — Becomes part of the new Diocese of Memphis
- 2014 — 75th anniversary celebrated
Parish Staff and Clergy
Holy Angels is led by its pastor, Rev. Patrick G. Hirtz, supported by a small staff and a committed volunteer corps. The Diocese of Memphis parish directory lists no deacons currently appointed to the parish.
- Rev. Patrick G. Hirtz — Pastor
- Abbey Madeksho — Administrative Assistant ([email protected])
- Andy Madeksho — Director of Religious Education & Youth ([email protected])
- Mary Alyce Fiechtl — Finance
- Sarah Jean — Music Director ([email protected])
- Theresa Durbin — Office Manager (under Fr. Stellini)
- Dan Freidhof / Darrell West — Maintenance
- Cathi Shea — Music coordinator, bulletin editor, floral arrangements (under Fr. Stellini)
- Neal Durbin — Guitarist for Sunday Mass
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Holy Angels offers a complete faith-formation track for adults and children, including RCIA for those seeking to become Catholic (held on Wednesday evenings), a renewal program for non-practicing Catholics, and Parish Religious Education (PRE) for the children of the parish.
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, Wednesday evenings
- Renewal program for non-practicing Catholics
- Parish Religious Education (PRE) for children
- First Communion and Confirmation preparation through PRE
Music and Liturgy
Music is an active part of parish life. Sarah Jean serves as Music Director, with Cathi Shea coordinating music and editing the bulletin, and Neal Durbin providing guitar for the Sunday Mass. Floral arrangements are also part of the parish's liturgical environment.
- Music Director: Sarah Jean
- Music Coordinator / Bulletin Editor: Cathi Shea
- Guitarist: Neal Durbin
Facilities: Columbarium and Cry Room
Holy Angels maintains two distinct on-site facilities that set it apart from most small West Tennessee parishes. Its columbarium provides inurnment niches for the cremated remains of the faithful, and the cry room allows adults with young children to participate in Mass via video monitors.
- On-site columbarium — one of the few in West Tennessee; niche dimensions ~11.25" W × 11.125" D × 10.75" H, with room for two urns
- Cry room — equipped with video monitors so parents can see and hear Mass
Ave Maria Mission, Ripley
Since 2024 Holy Angels has served as the sacramental mother parish for Ave Maria Catholic Church in Ripley, Tennessee. Fr. Patrick Hirtz was appointed Sacramental Minister of Ave Maria on September 1, 2024, and on April 1, 2025 the mission was formally transferred from being a mission of St. Alphonsus in Covington to Holy Angels in Dyersburg.
- Ave Maria Catholic Church, Ripley, TN — sister mission of Holy Angels
- Fr. Patrick Hirtz named Sacramental Minister, September 1, 2024
- Formally transferred to Holy Angels, April 1, 2025
Diocese of Memphis — Northern Deanery
Holy Angels belongs to the Catholic Diocese of Memphis, which was erected on January 6, 1971 from the western Tennessee counties of the former Diocese of Nashville. The parish sits in the diocese's Northern Deanery. The diocesan offices are located at The Catholic Center, 5825 Shelby Oaks Drive, Memphis, TN 38134.
- Diocese of Memphis (erected 1971)
- Northern Deanery
- Most Reverend David P. Talley — current Bishop
- Most Reverend J. Terry Steib, S.V.D. — Bishop Emeritus (1993–2016)
Plan Your Visit
Holy Angels is located at 535 Tucker Street, Dyersburg, TN 38024. Visitors coming from I-155 should take Exit 13 South onto Hwy. 78 / Lake Rd., continue south past the Hwy. 51 intersection, and turn left at the second traffic light onto Tucker Street; the church will be on the right. Pastoral Care emergencies after office hours should be directed to 731-589-8302.
- Address: 535 Tucker Street, Dyersburg, TN 38024-3873
- Parish Phone: (731) 287-8000
- Pastoral Care Emergency: (731) 589-8302
- Office Hours: Mon / Wed / Fri, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM and 1:30–4:30 PM
- Website: http://www.holyangelscc.com
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William G. Neidert1938–
First pastor; arrived in 1938; celebrated Mass in the church basement before the building's 1946 dedication.
- Rev. Robert J. Stellini
13th pastor of Holy Angels; serving as pastor at the parish's 75th anniversary in 2014; previously led the parish for at least five years. Retired to Villa Vianney, Cordova, TN (Diocese of Memphis records).