About Our Lady of Guadalupe · Nashville, Tennessee
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church (Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe) is a Spanish-language personal parish in the Diocese of Nashville, Tennessee, located at 3112 Nolensville Pike on Nashville's south side. Established in 2007 as a mission of St. Edward Church and dedicated as the Diocese of Nashville's first independent Hispanic parish in December 2007 by Bishop David R. Choby, it grew out of St. Edward's long-running Hispanic ministry and worships in the repurposed former Radnor Baptist Church campus. The parish serves one of the largest Hispanic Catholic communities in the state, drawing around 4,000 people to its weekend Spanish Masses, and is currently pastored by Rev. Rodolfo Rivera, appointed in 2024.
- Established
- 2007
- Patron
- Our Lady of Guadalupe (Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe) — patroness of Mexico, the Americas, and the Diocese of Nashville; feast celebrated December 12 with Masses, Aztec dance, parish plays depicting St. Juan Diego, rosary, and mariachi
- Rector
- Rev. Rodolfo Rivera
- Diocese
- Diocese of Nashville (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the spiritual home for thousands of Spanish-speaking Catholics in Middle Tennessee, offering four Sunday Spanish Masses and a daily weekday Spanish Mass schedule in a single large South Nashville campus. It is rooted in a thriving faith formation program (catechism, First Communion, Confirmation, Bible study), celebrates the feast of its patroness with days of Aztec dance, parish plays, and mariachi, and serves as a hub for Catholic Charities' ESL classes and Hispanic Family Services — a true cultural and devotional anchor for Nashville's Hispanic Catholic community.
Mass times at Our Lady of Guadalupe
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Thursday 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration hours available — contact parish for current schedule
Parish Identity & Location
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church — Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe — is the Diocese of Nashville's first independent Hispanic Catholic parish, located at 3112 Nolensville Pike in South Nashville. It serves the Spanish-speaking faithful as a 'personal parish,' meaning parishioners come from across the diocese rather than defined geographic boundaries. The parish mailing and phone contact is (615) 333-8660 / [email protected].
- Address: 3112 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211
- Phone: (615) 333-8660; Fax: (615) 333-8636
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.nsdeguadalupe.org/
- Facebook: facebook.com/nsdeguadalupe.org
- Personal parish under the Diocese of Nashville
History & Founding
The parish is the fruit of St. Edward Catholic Church's Hispanic ministry, which began in the early 1990s under Father Joe Pat Breen. As the Latino Catholic population of South Nashville grew, the community was first organized in 2005 as a mission of St. Edward, then in 2007 purchased the former Radnor Baptist Church buildings on Nolensville Pike — funded largely by St. Edward parishioners and supplemented by grants from the Diocese of Nashville and the Catholic Extension Society. On December 12, 2007 — the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe — Bishop David R. Choby formally dedicated the parish as Tennessee's first independent Hispanic Catholic parish, with 550 families attending weekend Masses at the time. The campus has grown from a repurposed Baptist church into one of the largest Catholic parishes in Tennessee, drawing ~4,000 worshippers across four Sunday Spanish Masses.
- Mission status established: 2005
- Purchased former Radnor Baptist Church campus: 2007
- Dedicated as independent parish by Bishop David R. Choby: December 12, 2007
- Founding pastor figure: Father Joe Pat Breen (St. Edward pastor 1984–2014)
- Joined in 2024 by a second diocesan fully Spanish-speaking parish, Sagrado Corazón de Jesús
Patroness: Our Lady of Guadalupe
The parish takes its name from the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness not only of Mexico but of the Americas — and of the Diocese of Nashville itself. The feast is celebrated each year from approximately December 7 through December 12 with a full program of parish plays depicting the apparition to St. Juan Diego, Masses, Aztec dance, rosary, mariachi, and on the eve of the feast (December 11) a late-night Mass and mariachi, with the Bishop of Nashville presiding at the closing Mass on December 12.
- Feast day: December 12
- Multi-day celebration Dec. 7–12 each year
- Closing Mass on December 12 typically presided by the Bishop of Nashville
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
Our Lady of Guadalupe is currently led by Rev. Rodolfo Rivera, who was appointed pastor on July 1, 2024 for a six-year term by Bishop J. Mark Spalding. Father Rivera previously served as associate pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe itself from 2016 to 2018, then at Immaculate Conception in Clarksville (2018–2020) and as assistant priest at Sagrado Corazón (2020–2023). He became temporary administrator of the parish in September 2023 after Rev. Fernando Lopez returned to Mexico to seek laicization.
- Current pastor: Rev. Rodolfo Rivera (since July 1, 2024)
- Immediate predecessor: Rev. Fernando Lopez (administrator/pastor, departed 2023)
- Founding-era priests: Rev. Fernando Garcia (Colombia, Spanish-speaker) and Rev. Anthony Lopez (English-speaker serving in Spanish)
- Founding pastor figure at parent St. Edward: Rev. Joe Pat Breen
Sacramental Life
The parish prepares children and adults for the full sacramental life of the Church, including Baptism (with customary godparent (padrino) requirements — baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation certificates), First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage (via the parish Matrimonios process), and Reconciliation. Anointing of the Sick and sacramental assistance are available by contacting the parish office.
- Baptism — catechesis and sponsor documentation required
- First Communion
- Confirmation
- Matrimony / Marriage preparation
- Reconciliation (Wed/Thu/Sat 5:00–7:00 PM)
- Anointing of the Sick (by request)
Faith Formation & Catechesis
Religious education is a major part of parish life. Hundreds of children attend weekly catechism classes, with bilingual textbooks used in religious education and adult Bible study sessions that have been popular among parishioners since the parish's early years.
- Catecismo / Catechism for children (bilingual)
- First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Adult Bible study (long-running, popular)
Liturgy & Music
Liturgy is coordinated by a parish liturgical team, including a general coordinator of liturgy who organized the parish's first Eucharistic Congress in conjunction with the Feast of Corpus Christi, attended by more than 750 people. Music and Aztec dance (danza azteca) play a prominent role, especially during the December feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
- General coordinator of liturgy: Eduardo Hinojosa (organizer of the 2024/2025 Eucharistic Congress)
- Eucharistic Congress hosted on the Feast of Corpus Christi
- Aztec dance (danza azteca) ministry — featured at feast and major celebrations
- Closing-night mariachi during Feast celebrations
Outreach & Social Services
The parish campus is a hub for Hispanic family services in Middle Tennessee. Catholic Charities' English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes are conducted on-site, and diocesan Hispanic Family Services has been based at the parish. The site is also regularly used by the surrounding community for parish plays, processions and large-scale devotional events.
- Catholic Charities ESL classes on campus
- Diocesan Hispanic Family Services headquartered at the parish
- Pastoral outreach to recent immigrants and the Latino community across Middle Tennessee
Contact & Online Presence
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish by phone at (615) 333-8660, by fax at (615) 333-8636, or by email at [email protected]. The parish publishes a Spanish-language weekly bulletin and maintains a Facebook page at facebook.com/nsdeguadalupe.org along with its main website at nsdeguadalupe.org.
- Phone: (615) 333-8660
- Fax: (615) 333-8636
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.nsdeguadalupe.org/
- Facebook: facebook.com/nsdeguadalupe.org
- Weekly Spanish parish bulletin (8 pages)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Joe Pat Breen (Father Joseph Breen)Founding Pastor / St. Edward Pastor 1984–2014
Long-serving St. Edward pastor instrumental in establishing the Hispanic mission and Our Lady of Guadalupe as an independent parish; father of the Nashville Hispanic Catholic ministry.
- Rev. Fernando GarciaAssociate pastor at founding
Native Spanish speaker from Colombia; served at the parish's dedication.
- Rev. Anthony LopezAssociate pastor at founding
Native English speaker; mostly ministered in Spanish.
- Rev. Fernando LopezPastor until Sept. 2023
Returned to Mexico after seeking laicization; listed as Administrator in earlier joinmychurch/diocesan records.
- Rev. Rodolfo RiveraAdministrator Sept. 2023; Pastor July 1, 2024 – present
Ordained June 30, 2016 for the Diocese of Nashville; earlier served as associate pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe 2016–2018, at Immaculate Conception (Clarksville) 2018–2020, and at Sagrado Corazón 2020–2023.