About Our Lady of Sorrows · Memphis, Tennessee
Our Lady of Sorrows is a bilingual (English/Spanish) Roman Catholic parish in the Frayser neighborhood of North Memphis, Tennessee, belonging to the Catholic Diocese of Memphis. The parish was formally organized in 1938 by Franciscan friars to serve the scattered Catholic families of Frayser and Rugby Hills, and was originally known as the Church of Our Sorrowful Mother before being renamed in 1949. Today the parish is pastored by Fr. Rubén Villalon-Rivera, who leads a community of about 325 households (≈853 parishioners) that worships in both English and Spanish each Sunday, runs an attached parish school (PK3–8), and offers the full range of sacraments plus faith formation, youth ministry, choirs, and a long tradition of Adoration and Eucharistic devotion.
- Established
- 1938
- Patron
- Our Lady of Sorrows (Our Sorrowful Mother / Nuestra Señora de los Dolores)
- Rector
- Rev. Rubén Villalon-Rivera
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Memphis (in Tennessee)
Why belong here
Our Lady of Sorrows is a warm, bilingual parish where English- and Spanish-speaking families worship side by side at weekly Sunday Mass (9:00 AM English, 11:00 AM Spanish) and grow together through religious education for children, an active youth group, the OCIA (RCIA) process for adults, two parish choirs, and strong Eucharistic devotion with weekly Adoration and First Friday all-day Adoration. A parish school (PK3–8) sits on the same campus at 3690 Thomas Street, and outreach such as the ministry to the sick and homebound and the Spanish prayer group Inmersos en Cristo makes it easy for newcomers to put their faith into action.
Mass times at Our Lady of Sorrows
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
- Thursday: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Spanish)
- By appointment — call parish office 901-353-1530
- Heard in English and Spanish
Adoration times
- Thursday: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (English)
- Thursday: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Spanish Holy Hour)
- 1st Thursday of the month: 7:00 PM Cenacle of Our Blessed Virgin Mary (Holy Hour, Rosary & Confession)
- 1st Friday of the month: 9:30 AM – 8:30 PM (all-day Adoration)
Welcome & About Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish in the Frayser neighborhood of North Memphis, in the Catholic Diocese of Memphis (Western Deanery). Pastor Fr. Rubén Villalon-Rivera invites visitors, returning Catholics, and those exploring the faith to make the parish a 'home' where they can grow spiritually, put faith in action, and share their gifts as disciples of Christ. The parish worships in both English and Spanish each Sunday, runs a parish school, and serves approximately 325 households (about 853 parishioners).
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) parish community
- Western Deanery, Catholic Diocese of Memphis
- Approximately 325 households / 853 parishioners
- Flocknotes text-message updates available
Parish History
Catholic ministry in Frayser began with a 1912 sick call by Fr. Samuel Stritch (later Cardinal) and Fr. James Whitfield, who found Italian truck-farming Catholics isolated from the Church. After Masses began at the Poor Clare Monastery, Fr. Natalis Wellner, O.F.M., organized the new territorial parish in the summer of 1938. The first combination church-and-hall was dedicated as the Church of Our Sorrowful Mother on August 20, 1939. Renamed Our Lady of Sorrows in 1949, the parish grew rapidly: the crypt was dedicated in 1950, the main church above it opened in 1957, and by 1959 there were 2,400 parishioners. The parish weathered a period of decline and school consolidation, then renewed under Fr. James Martell (2000), Fr. Bryan Timby (2006–2021), and the current pastor Fr. Rubén Villalon-Rivera (since July 1, 2021).
- 1912 — First Catholic ministry in Frayser by Fr. Samuel Stritch and Fr. James Whitfield
- 1938 — Fr. Natalis Wellner, O.F.M., organizes the parish
- 1939 — Dedication of the original Our Sorrowful Mother church on Highway 51
- 1944 — Six acres purchased on Highway 51 for a future school
- 1949 — Parish renamed Our Lady of Sorrows; crypt built and dedicated Jan. 19, 1950
- 1957 — Main church above the crypt opens March 17, dedicated April 30 by Bishop Adrian
- 1959 — New convent occupied November 7
- 2000 — Fr. James Martell becomes eighth resident pastor; stained-glass windows installed; first Spanish Mass
- 2006 — Fr. Bryan Timby begins 16-year pastorate
- 2021 — Fr. Rubén Villalon-Rivera installed as current pastor (July 1)
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is pastored by Fr. Rubén Villalon-Rivera, who was born in Morelia, Mexico, attended minor seminary in Morelia (2006–2009), served as associate pastor at St. Louis Church and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Memphis, and was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Memphis in June 2017. He is assisted by Permanent Deacons Henry P. Littleton and (per the October 2025 diocese directory) Marcotulio Gonzalez. Lay staff include secretary Brenda Plessinger, bookkeeper Wanda Rivera, music director Jorge Ossa González, and maintenance lead Armando Macario.
- Rev. Rubén Villalon-Rivera — Pastor
- Deacon Henry P. Littleton — Permanent Deacon
- Deacon Marcotulio Gonzalez — Permanent Deacon (per Oct. 2025 diocese directory)
- Brenda Plessinger — Parish Secretary / Adult Formation (English) / Altar Guild
- Wanda Rivera — Bookkeeper / Accounting / Pastoral Council President
- Daniel Sanchez — PRE
- Jorge Ossa González — English Choir Director / Music Director
- Krissna Vazquez / Gabriel Flores — Spanish Choir
- Armando Macario — Maintenance / Grounds
- Antonio Rocha — Adult Formation (Spanish)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Our Lady of Sorrows runs a Parish Religious Education (P.R.E.) program for children in grades K–12, with sessions on Wednesdays 6:30–8:00 PM (September–May) in the school and Sundays 10:00–11:00 AM in both English and Spanish. The parish also offers the O.C.I.A. (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults — the new name for the RCIA process) every Wednesday at 6:30 PM for adults seeking baptism, full communion, or completion of initiation sacraments, led in English by Brenda Plessinger and in Spanish by Antonio Rocha.
- P.R.E. — Wed 6:30 PM and Sun 10:00–11:00 AM (English & Spanish, K–12)
- O.C.I.A. (RCIA) — Wed 6:30 PM, youth room, English & Spanish
- Adult Faith Formation — Brenda Plessinger (English), Antonio Rocha (Spanish)
Sacraments
The parish website has dedicated pages for the seven sacraments, with detailed theology and practical information for Baptism, Matrimony, and the OCIA process. Couples wishing to marry at OLS must meet with the pastor at least six months in advance; at least one party must be Catholic, and the consecrated parish building is reserved for Catholic worship — outdoor weddings and non-Catholic events are not permitted. Baptism registration forms are available on the website, and Anointing of the Sick is arranged through the parish office.
- Baptism — registration form and catechesis required
- Confirmation / First Communion / First Reconciliation — through P.R.E.
- Matrimony — 6-month preparation; Catholic requirement; parish-supplied Wedding Guidelines
- Anointing of the Sick — call parish office
- OCIA / RCIA — Wednesdays 6:30 PM
Music & Liturgy
Music at Our Lady of Sorrows is bilingual and led by two parish choirs. The English Choir rehearses and sings at 8:00 AM Sunday Mass, directed by Jorge Ossa González, while the Spanish Choir serves the 10:00/11:00 AM Spanish liturgy under Gabriel Flores / Krissna Vazquez. Both choirs welcome new voices and instrumentalists, and Saturday devotions include the 3:00 PM Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the 3:30 PM Rosary before the Vigil Mass.
- English Choir — Sundays 8:00 AM (choir loft), Director: Jorge Ossa González
- Spanish Choir — Sundays 10:00 AM (choir loft), Director: Krissna Vazquez / Gabriel Flores
- Saturday 3:00 PM — Chaplet of Divine Mercy
- Saturday 3:30 PM — Rosary
Parish School
Our Lady of Sorrows School is the parish's own PK3 through 8th-grade Catholic elementary school, located on the same campus at 3690 Thomas St., Memphis, TN 38127 (phone 901-358-7431). The school grew alongside the parish through the 1950s, when the student body reached 400, and remains a central part of the parish's ministry of education to the children of Frayser and the surrounding neighborhoods.
- Our Lady of Sorrows School — PK3 through Grade 8
- Address: 3690 Thomas St., Memphis, TN 38127
- Phone: 901-358-7431
Youth, Outreach & Devotional Life
Beyond the Mass schedule, Our Lady of Sorrows offers an active youth ministry, a Spanish evangelization prayer group, and outreach to the homebound. The Youth Group (Grupo Juvenil) meets Sundays at 6:00 PM in the youth room. Inmersos en Cristo gathers every Friday at 7:00 PM in the church for Adoration and praise. Eucharistic ministers regularly bring Holy Communion to homes, hospitals, and assisted-living centers, and a Vocations Committee cultivates a culture of vocations to the priesthood, consecrated life, and sacramental marriage.
- Youth Group (Grupo Juvenil) — Sundays 6:00 PM
- Inmersos en Cristo — Fridays 7:00 PM (Spanish)
- Ministry to the Sick and Homebound
- Vocations Committee
- Vacation Bible School / Fiesta de los Niños (annual, ages 4–10)
- Altar Guild / Damas del Altar — 1st Saturday 8:30 AM
- Spanish Ushers / Ujieres
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Natalis Wellner, O.F.M.1938–1942
Founded and organized the parish; celebrated dedication Mass for the original combination church/hall on Aug. 20, 1939.
- Fr. Lucius Hellstern, O.F.M.from January 1942
Acquired the six-acre school site on July 11, 1944 for $2,800.
- Fr. James Martell2000–2006
Eighth resident pastor; installed etched and stained-glass windows; began offering one Sunday Mass in Spanish.
- Fr. Bryan Timby2006–2021
Longest-tenured pastor in parish history at 16 years.
- Fr. Rubén Villalon-Riverafrom July 1, 2021
Current pastor; born in Morelia, Mexico; ordained priest in the Diocese of Memphis in June 2017.