About Immaculate Conception · Union City, Tennessee
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is a small Catholic parish located at 1303 East Reelfoot Avenue in Union City, Tennessee, serving the rural northwest corner of the state within the Diocese of Memphis. Established in 1891, the parish was originally attended by missionary priests and visiting pastors from neighboring parishes in Hickman, Kentucky and Humboldt, Tennessee before becoming an independent parish in 1939. Today the parish of roughly 225 households and approximately 596 parishioners worships at its current church, dedicated in 1961 on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and continues the faith tradition that first took root in Obion County in the 1860s.
- Established
- 1891
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Carl Gregorich
- Diocese
- Diocese of Memphis
Why belong here
Immaculate Conception offers a tight-knit Catholic community in rural northwest Tennessee with weekly Mass in English, regular Saturday confessions, and a 7:30 AM Sunday parish rosary. Parishioners can grow through youth and adult religious education, RCIA, the Knights of Columbus, the Ladies Guild, Hispanic Ministry, Liturgical Ministry, and a Music Ministry — plus the parish reaches out to the sick and homebound and visits those needing a meal after illness, surgery, or the birth of a baby.
Mass times at Immaculate Conception
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM (or by appointment — call the office)
Parish Overview
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is a small Catholic parish in Union City, Tennessee, part of the Diocese of Memphis. The parish has approximately 596 parishioners from 225 households and is located in the Diocese's Northern deanery.
History
Catholicism came to Obion County in 1866, and the parish was established in 1891 with a frame church built at 5th & Church Streets. In 1939 it was constituted a parish by Bishop William L. Adrian of Nashville, and in 1941 the Rev. M. Edward Dolan became its first resident pastor. The current church on Reelfoot Avenue was dedicated on August 22, 1961 (Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary), and in 1971 the parish joined the new Diocese of Memphis under Bishop Carroll T. Dozier.
- 1866 — First Catholic missionary activity in Obion County by Fr. William Hugh Garrigan
- 1867 — First Catholic family arrives in Union City
- 1891 — Frame Immaculate Conception Church built at 5th & Church Streets (seating 100)
- 1924 — Holy Angels in Dyersburg becomes a mission
- 1939 — Parish formally constituted by Bishop Adrian
- 1941 — Fr. M. Edward Dolan installed as first resident pastor
- 1961 — Parish school closes; new church dedicated August 22, 1961
- 1966 — St. Jude Chapel mission established in Martin, TN
- 1971 — Becomes part of the new Diocese of Memphis under Bishop Dozier
- 1983 — Bishop Carroll T. Dozier Parish Center dedicated
- 1984 — St. Jude the Apostle Mission becomes a separate parish
- 2021 — Fr. Carl Gregorich installed as pastor by Bishop Talley
Clergy & Staff
Immaculate Conception is served by Rev. Carl Gregorich as Parish Priest and Rev. Gabe Bouck as Associate Pastor. The parish staff includes a bookkeeper/receptionist who serves the Hispanic community (Leticia Maldonado) and a Director of Religious Education (Lillie Vallee). Earlier parish directories also list Teresa Vallee as Director of Religious Education and RCIA coordinator, and Isabel Avalos as Secretary/Bookkeeper.
- Rev. Carl Gregorich — Parish Priest
- Rev. Gabe Bouck — Associate Pastor
- Lillie Vallee — Director of Religious Education
- Leticia Maldonado — Bookkeeper / Receptionist / Habla Español
- Teresa Vallee — Director of Religious Education, PRE and RCIA
- Isabel Avalos — Secretary/Bookkeeper (per 2023 diocese directory)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
All texts used in classes at Immaculate Conception conform to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, have been reviewed by the USCCB, and are approved by the Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee.
- Youth & Teen Religious Education — Kindergarten through 12th grade, Sunday mornings 9:15 AM – 10:30 AM, September through May (contact Teresa Vallee)
- Adult Religious Education — Tuesdays 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, September through May (contact Lillie Vallee)
- Middle-school youth (grades 6–8) — meetings of fun, fellowship, and food
- High-school youth (grades 9–12) — meetings of fun, fellowship, and food
RCIA — Order of Christian Initiation for Adults
Adults who desire to be baptized, confirmed, and come into full communion with the Catholic Church are invited to RCIA. The class begins every September, runs as a discernment period with no obligation to join, and is coordinated by Teresa Vallee.
Sacraments
Immaculate Conception celebrates all seven sacraments. Children receive First Communion in the second grade and Confirmation in the eighth grade, each requiring two years of preparation in the parish Religious Education Program. Adults seeking Baptism, Confirmation, or First Communion are invited to contact the parish office at 731-885-0963.
- Baptism (infant and adult)
- Confirmation (8th grade after two years of preparation)
- Eucharist / First Communion (2nd grade after two years of preparation)
- Penance and Reconciliation (Saturday 3:15–3:45 PM, or by appointment)
- Anointing of the Sick
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- Holy Orders
Parish Ministries
Parishioners are invited to serve through liturgical, charitable, and fellowship ministries. The Liturgical Ministry — including Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, Lectors, and Altar Servers — is described by the parish as central to Mass. The Music Ministry welcomes volunteers who contact the office.
- Liturgical Ministry (Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Altar Servers) — contact Lillie Vallee
- Ministerio Hispano (Hispanic Ministry) — contact the church office
- Music Ministry — contact 731-885-0963
- Ministry to the Sick & Shut-In — contact the office with a name and address
- Altar Linens — monthly cleaning volunteers, contact Lillie Vallee
- Meals Ministry — for parishioners after illness, surgery, or the birth of a baby, contact Brenda
- Knights of Columbus
- Ladies Guild — contact Janell Geg
Devotions & Parish Life
Devotional life at Immaculate Conception centers on weekly Mass, the Sunday Parish Rosary, regular confession, and outreach to the homebound. A relic story connected to Blessed Martin de Porres — whose canonization the parish website commemorates — is also featured, recalling the miracle attributed to his intercession and the ministry of Fr. E. Gettelfinger.
- Parish Rosary — Sundays at 7:30 AM
- Communion visits to the Sick & Shut-In
- Relic / saint story — Blessed Martin de Porres
Visit & Contact
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM (closed Friday). The church is located on East Reelfoot Avenue opposite Baptist Memorial Hospital in Union City, Tennessee.
- Address: 1303 East Reelfoot Avenue, Union City, TN 38261
- Phone: 731-885-0963
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.icuctn.org
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM (closed Friday)
- Facebook: facebook.com/icuctn
- YouTube: channel/UCujMR8uFqMVkviBeiqt7w-w
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. M. Edward Dolan1939–1959
First resident pastor; built the rectory and established the parish school and convent staffed by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.
- Rev. Charles O'Donnell1959
Succeeded Fr. Dolan during transition period.
- Rev. William R. Nelson1959–1961
Served during the construction of the new church.
- Rev. E. O. Heymer
Served between Fr. Nelson and Fr. Murphy.
- Rev. James W. Murphy1959–1963
Closed the parish school in 1961; oversaw the 1961 groundbreaking and dedication of the current church on August 22, 1961.
- Rev. Coleman Ballinger1963
Succeeded Fr. Murphy.
- Rev. Patrick Heenan
Served after Fr. Ballinger.
- Rev. John V. Scola1963–1973
Established St. Jude Chapel mission in Martin, Tennessee in 1966; served Catholics of Lake, Obion, and Weakley counties.
- Rev. William R. Regenold1973–1974
Continued to serve Immaculate Conception and St. Jude Mission.
- Rev. Paul W. St. Charles1974–1980
Appointed June 25, 1974.
- Rev. William F. Burke1980–1984
Built the parish center dedicated January 16, 1983 as the Bishop Carroll T. Dozier Parish Center; first pastor of St. Jude the Apostle when it became a parish in 1984.
- Rev. Michael L. Stewart1984
Completed the parish center with permanent classrooms for religious education; named pastor June 20, 1984.
- Rev. Carl Gregorich2021–present
Formally installed as pastor by Bishop Talley on September 12, 2021.