About Our Lady of the Lake · Hendersonville, Tennessee
Our Lady of the Lake (OLOL) is a large, vibrant Roman Catholic parish in Hendersonville, Tennessee, serving more than 2,600 registered families in southern Sumner County. It belongs to the Diocese of Nashville and is one of the largest parishes in the diocese. The community worships at its current church on Stop Thirty Road — in view of Old Hickory Lake — which was dedicated in 1999 and significantly expanded in 2016. OLOL offers a full schedule of daily, weekend, youth, and Spanish Masses, an active faith-formation program, and a wide range of ministries, organizations, and outreach efforts that reflect its continuing growth.
- Established
- 1969
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Lake (Blessed Virgin Mary, in reference to Old Hickory Lake)
- Rector
- Fr. Austin Gilstrap (current pastor; ordained to the priesthood on June 12, 2015)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Nashville
Why belong here
OLOL offers the full sacramental life of a large, active Catholic community — multiple daily Masses, weekend Masses in English and Spanish, a Wednesday youth Mass in the school year, perpetual adoration, regular Reconciliation, and an extensive faith-formation program for children, youth, and adults. Families can plug into RCIA, Totus Tuus summer catechesis, Family Faith Formation, the Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, Moms Plus, Fidelis and Fraternus youth ministries, Seven Sisters Apostolate, and a Parish Council. The recently expanded 35,000-square-foot facility, including the 9,260-square-foot St. Joseph Hall (the largest meeting space in Sumner County), gives the parish room to host more than 2,600 registered families — and still welcome new ones.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Lake
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Friday: 5:30 AM and 8:15 AM
- Wednesday: 5:00 PM
- Saturday: 7:30 AM and 3:30 PM
- Sunday: 7:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM (in Spanish), and 5:00 PM
- Also available by appointment through the parish office
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration: Monday 10:00 AM through Saturday 2:00 PM
Parish History
Our Lady of the Lake was officially established on November 1, 1969, in response to the growing Catholic population of Hendersonville and Sumner County. The first Mass was celebrated by Father Joseph Wesley in February 1969 in an empty two-room schoolhouse off Rockland Road, with Bishop Joseph Durick appointing Father Edward Arnold to organize the new parish in June 1969. The parish community named the church for the nearby Old Hickory Lake. The first permanent home, a parish center on New Shackle Island Road, opened on May 31, 1972, with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Bishop Durick. Over the decades OLOL has grown from 250 founding families to more than 2,600 registered families and moved twice — to Knox Doss School in 1971 and to the present 31-acre campus on Stop Thirty Road, where the current church was dedicated by Bishop Edward U. Kmiec on August 21, 1999.
- Established November 1, 1969; founding pastor Fr. Edward Arnold
- First Mass celebrated by Fr. Joseph Wesley, Feb 1969, in a two-room schoolhouse off Rockland Road
- First parish home opened May 31, 1972, on New Shackle Island Road
- Current church on Stop Thirty Road dedicated August 21, 1999 by Bishop Edward U. Kmiec
- First associate pastor: Fr. James Black (1975)
- First deacons ordained from the parish: Thomas E. Bomkamp and John W. Myers (Dec 9, 1985)
- Forward in Faith capital campaign launched 2013; $9 million, 35,000 sq ft expansion dedicated August 15, 2016 by Bishop David Choby
- Namesake: Old Hickory Lake, which the campus overlooks
Parish Leadership & Pastoral Staff
OLOL is served by a pastor and associate pastors, supported by permanent deacons, a parish coordinator, directors of faith formation and music, and a full office and operations team. The pastor is assisted by an elected Parish Council.
- Fr. Austin Gilstrap — Pastor
- Fr. Justin Farr — Associate Pastor & Director of Faith Formation ([email protected], 615-338-3920)
- Fr. David Lee — Associate Pastor ([email protected], 615-824-3276)
- Deacon John Lammers ([email protected], 615-351-1031)
- Deacon Mike Rector ([email protected], 615-957-3275) — also Facility Manager
- Deacon Jim Carr
- Deacon Martin Torres ([email protected], 615-479-9804)
- Deacon Christian Hamrick — transitional deacon for summer; Nashville native, son of St. Edward parish, formation at the Pontifical North American College, Rome; expected priestly ordination August 2025
- Janeen Sweet-Salvanera — Parish Coordinator ([email protected], 615-338-3901)
- Ginger Lannom — Assistant to the Pastor ([email protected], 615-338-3908)
- Pam Melancon — Receptionist ([email protected], 615-824-3276)
- Andrea McGuire — Finance & Operations Coordinator ([email protected], 615-338-3906)
- Jennifer C. Harris — Director of Parish Life & Evangelization ([email protected], 615-338-3902)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at OLOL serves children, youth, and adults in English and Spanish. The parish offers Family Faith Formation, a youth faith-formation track, RCIA for those seeking full communion with the Catholic Church, ongoing Adult Faith Formation classes and seminars, and the Totus Tuus summer catechetical program for children.
- Fr. Justin Farr — Associate Pastor & Director of Faith Formation
- Heather Martin — Assistant Director of Family Faith Formation ([email protected], 615-338-3918)
- Esteban Cervantes Betancourt — Coordinator of Faith Formation for Youth ([email protected], 615-338-3903)
- Rocio Romo — Assistant Director, Family Faith Formation Latino ([email protected], 615-338-3904)
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Totus Tuus summer camp ($25/week for children)
- Adult Faith Formation classes and seminars year-round
- Family Faith Formation Registration for 2025–2026 opened June 1, 2025
Hispanic Ministry
The parish maintains an active Hispanic Ministry led by Elsa Ehinger, with Rocio Romo serving as Assistant Director for Latino Family Faith Formation. A weekly Spanish Mass is celebrated on Sundays at 2:00 PM, and Reconciliation in Spanish is offered at 1:00 PM on Sundays and 12:30 PM before the Sunday Spanish Mass.
- Elsa Ehinger — Hispanic Ministry Director ([email protected], 615-338-3911)
- Rocio Romo — Assistant Director, Family Faith Formation Latino
- Sunday Mass in Spanish: 2:00 PM
- Confession in Spanish: Sundays 1:00 PM
Liturgy & Music
OLOL offers a full daily and weekly Mass schedule in English and Spanish, perpetual Eucharistic Adoration from Monday morning through Saturday afternoon, and a live-streamed Mass option. Mitchell Price directs Music & Liturgy for the parish.
- Mitchell Price — Director of Music & Liturgy ([email protected], 615-338-3909)
- Live Mass stream available
- Perpetual Adoration Monday 10:00 AM – Saturday 2:00 PM
- Sanctuary center aisle tiled with Catholic symbols (completed fall 2014)
Parish Organizations & Ministries
OLOL supports a wide array of lay-led ministries, faith-sharing groups, and parish organizations that serve both parishioners and the wider Hendersonville community. Many of them — like the Legion of Mary, Knights of Columbus, and Moms PLUS — are referenced directly in the parish's own history and bulletins.
- Knights of Columbus — active council recognized for parish and community service
- Legion of Mary — visits the sick and homebound
- Moms PLUS — community and support for mothers
- Seven Sisters Apostolate — three OLOL groups pray a weekly Holy Hour each for a parish priest
- Fraternus and Fidelis — Catholic mentorship ministries for young men and young women (recently recruiting)
- Family Life ministry
- Welcoming Committee / New Members outreach (Rae Collier, 615-305-0465)
- Wedding Guild
- Nursery (Stephanie Bradley, Coordinator)
- Golden Guys & Gals — senior fellowship and bus trips
- Parish Council — elected body coordinating parish activities
Facilities: St. Joseph Hall & 2016 Expansion
The 2016 Forward in Faith expansion transformed OLOL's campus, adding 35,000 square feet of new space designed to echo the existing church architecture. The signature new space is St. Joseph Hall, named for the patron of OLOL and the spouse of the Blessed Mother.
- $9 million expansion completed 2016
- 35,000 sq ft added (15 new classrooms/meeting rooms)
- St. Joseph Hall: 9,260 sq ft, banquet seating for 600+, full-service commercial kitchen
- Largest meeting space in Sumner County
- Available for rental: weddings, banquets, meetings, and private events
- Improved traffic flow and parking across the campus
- Dedicated August 15, 2016 by Bishop David Choby and Fr. Eric Fowlkes; Mayor Scott Foster attended the ribbon cutting
Patronal Feast & Parish Life
OLOL regularly gathers for community celebrations, including its annual Patronal Feast Day (referenced as the parish's second annual celebration in recent summer announcements), concerts by Catholic musicians hosted by ministry groups like Fidelis, and seasonal events such as the parish's Summer Kickoff with live music and games.
- Annual Patronal Feast Day celebration
- Catholic singer-songwriter concerts hosted by Fidelis sisters
- Family Summer Kickoff with live music and games
- Totus Tuus summer camp week
- Parish Council and Family Life co-chairs help organize parish events
Visit, Register, and Contact
Visitors and newcomers are warmly welcomed at Our Lady of the Lake. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM, with limited Sunday hours, and the parish offers online registration for those wishing to join.
- Address: 1729 Stop 30 Road, Hendersonville, TN 37075
- Phone: (615) 824-3276; Fax: 615-824-7989
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu 10:00 AM–3:00 PM; Fri & Sat closed; Sun 9:30 AM–12:30 PM
- Online registration / information updates available via the parish website
- Welcoming Committee contact: Rae Collier, [email protected], 615-305-0465
- Live Mass stream available online
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Edward Arnold1969–1979
Founding pastor; appointed by Bishop Joseph Durick to organize the new parish in June 1969; led the move to Knox Doss School in 1971 and to the new parish center on New Shackle Island Road on May 31, 1972.
- Father John HenrickAugust 1979–1989
Second pastor; during his tenure Barbara Shinault became first parish coordinator and Sister Maria Edwards, RSM, joined the staff (fall 1980).
- Monsignor William S. Bevington (then Father Bevington)July 1989–2008
Third pastor; oversaw multiple associate pastors (Fr. Mark Hunt, Fr. Tomy Joseph, Fr. Luckas Arulappa, Fr. Jerry Strange) and the eventual move to the dedicated Stop Thirty Road church in 1999.
- Father Eric FowlkesJuly 2008–July 2020
Fourth pastor; led the parish through the Forward in Faith capital campaign and the 2016 $9 million expansion; final Mass celebrated July 26, 2020, before moving to the Cathedral of the Incarnation.