About Holy Spirit · Soddy Daisy, Tennessee
Holy Spirit Catholic Church is a Roman Latin rite parish of the Diocese of Knoxville serving the Soddy-Daisy community in northern Hamilton County, Tennessee, just north of Chattanooga. The parish was founded in 1999 with 49 families, celebrated its first Mass on September 12, 1999, and broke ground on its current 12,000-square-foot church on Dayton Pike in 2003. Today it ministers to more than 300 families under pastor Monsignor Al Humbrecht, who succeeded founding pastor Father Mike Creson in 2010, and offers daily and Sunday Masses, First Friday adoration, Saturday confessions, a CCD religious education program, RCIA, and an active community outreach footprint through the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, Angel Tree, and other local service ministries.
- Established
- 1999
- Patron
- Holy Spirit
- Rector
- Monsignor Al Humbrecht
- Diocese
- Diocese of Knoxville
Why belong here
Holy Spirit offers a close-knit Catholic community where formation is a priority and the Eucharist is the center of parish life, with daily Mass, First Friday adoration, and Saturday confession making weekly worship accessible. Its ministries reach both inward — CCD, RCIA, choir, Little Flowers and Blue Knights for children — and outward through the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, Angel Tree, Back-to-School Supply Drive, Sack Pack weekend meal program for North Hamilton County Elementary, hygiene drives for Soddy Daisy Middle School, and a monthly meal for Catholic students at the UTC Newman Center. It's a parish that traces its identity to a clear Catholic mission, a strong Marian devotion among its founders, and a pastor known for spiritual formation, hospitality, and service to the poor.
Mass times at Holy Spirit
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:45 PM – 5:15 PM in the Church
- Other days/times by appointment through the parish office (423-332-5300)
Adoration times
- First Friday: 6:30 AM – 12:00 PM (begins after the 6:00 AM Mass; sign-up sheets in the Narthex)
Parish History
Holy Spirit was planted in 1999 after a demographic study in the early 1990s identified Soddy-Daisy as the natural site for a new Catholic parish in northern Hamilton County. Bishop Anthony J. O'Connell asked Father Mike Creson to start the community; the first Mass was celebrated on September 12, 1999, in borrowed space at First Presbyterian Church of Soddy-Daisy, and 46 acres were acquired between Dayton Pike and Highway 27. The current church was built in 2003 for about $1.6 million, and the parish grew from 49 founding families to more than 300 by its 20th anniversary in 2019.
- Founded 1999; first Mass September 12, 1999
- Founding pastor: Father Mike Creson (1999–2010)
- Current pastor: Monsignor Al Humbrecht (2010–present)
- Church groundbreaking July 15, 2003; Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz named the parish 'Holy Spirit'
- 20th anniversary Mass concelebrated by Bishop Richard F. Stika on September 21, 2019
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Monsignor Al Humbrecht, pastor since 2010 and a priest for more than 54 years. Deacon Jim Bello assists at the parish while also serving as the Director of Christian Formation for the Diocese of Knoxville. Holy Spirit is supported in faith formation by Jeanne Ferrere (CCD) and in adult initiation by Deacon Bello.
- Pastor: Msgr. Al Humbrecht
- Deacon: Jim Bello (also Diocesan Director of Christian Formation)
- CCD Coordinator: Jeanne Ferrere (920-279-0034)
- RCIA Contact: Deacon Jim Bello (423-596-0181)
- Parish office: 423-332-5300
Sacramental Preparation
The parish prepares Catholics of all ages for the sacraments of initiation, marriage, and healing. Parents begin baptism by meeting with Msgr. Al and attending a baptismal preparation class; older children are formed through CCD; adults enter the Church through RCIA; and couples begin wedding planning at least four months in advance.
- Baptism — call the office to meet with Msgr. Al; class required
- First Communion, Reconciliation, Confirmation — CCD program (Jeanne Ferrere)
- R.C.I.A. — meets September through Easter (Deacon Jim Bello)
- Marriage — four-month advance notice through the parish office
- Anointing/Ministry to the Sick — call 423-332-5300
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Spiritual formation is central to Holy Spirit's mission — Msgr. Humbrecht has said 'everything else flows from that.' Children are formed through the CCD program in First Communion, Reconciliation, and Confirmation, while adults journey through RCIA from September to Easter each year. Children's groups such as Little Flowers and Blue Knights round out parish catechesis.
- CCD (children's religious education)
- R.C.I.A. (adult initiation)
- Little Flowers and Blue Knights (children's faith/character groups)
- FORMED on-demand (parish access code K96KZJ)
- Choir and liturgical ministry teams
Community Outreach and Charity
Outreach is woven into parish life and serves both local neighbors in Soddy-Daisy and the wider Church. Through partnerships with local schools, the Salvation Army, and Cross Catholic Outreach, parishioners feed children, stock food pantries, supply backpacks, and send Christmas gifts to children in developing countries. The parish also supports Catholic students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga through a monthly meal ministry at the Newman Center.
- St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry (Mike Grosso)
- Sack Pack weekend meals at North Hamilton County Elementary (Kelli Richardson)
- Hygiene product drives for Soddy Daisy Middle School
- Back-to-School Supply Drive (four local elementary schools)
- Angel Tree Ministry with the Salvation Army (Shirley Willard)
- Box of Joy for children in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, El Salvador, and other countries
- UTC Newman Center monthly meal ministry (Irene Gruter)
- Home Place lunches and fellowship
Knights of Columbus and Parish Groups
Holy Spirit Council 14079 of the Knights of Columbus was chartered at the parish in 2006 and now numbers more than 90 members, with Msgr. Al Humbrecht serving as council chaplain. The parish also benefits from an active choir, a Parish Council, and the many volunteers who make formation and outreach possible.
- Knights of Columbus Holy Spirit Council 14079 (est. 2006)
- Parish Choir
- Parish Council
- Liturgical Minister teams
Live Stream and Online Faith Resources
For parishioners at home or on the road, Holy Spirit live-streams the 10:30 AM Sunday Mass on its YouTube channel. The parish also subscribes to FORMED, giving every household free access to Catholic e-books, talks, videos, and small-group study materials using parish code K96KZJ.
- YouTube live-stream of 10:30 AM Sunday Mass
- FORMED on-demand (code K96KZJ)
- Parish website with up-to-date bulletins and schedules
Looking Ahead
Building on 25+ years of growth, Holy Spirit has identified two major projects on its horizon: a parish life center to accommodate growing groups and ministries that no longer fit in the church basement, and a new columbarium to serve the Catholic community of northern Hamilton County. Pastors past and present credit the parish's vitality to a strong sense of community, robust lay involvement, and a continuing commitment to spiritual formation.
- Planned parish life center
- New columbarium for northern Hamilton County Catholics
- Continued growth in CCD, RCIA, and adult formation
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Mike CresonJuly 1999 – 2010 (10½ years)
Founding pastor; appointed by Bishop Anthony J. O'Connell in 1998; led the parish from its first Mass on Sept. 12, 1999, through the groundbreaking for the church building in 2003 and the growth from 49 founding families to more than 300.
- Monsignor Al Humbrecht2010 – present
Succeeded Father Creson; was dean of the Chattanooga Deanery at the time of the parish's founding; longtime priest (ordained 54+ years), Knight of Columbus (53+ years), twice elected diocesan administrator, and appointed a Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis during the 2016 Jubilee of Mercy.