About Our Lady of the Lake Mission · Counce, Tennessee
Our Lady of the Lake is a Roman Catholic mission parish located at 10645 Highway 57 in Counce, Tennessee, in the Pickwick Lake area of Hardin County. Established in 1959, it is a mission church of St. Mary Parish in nearby Savannah, TN, and together the two share one pastor and one parish staff serving the Catholics of Hardin County. The mission is part of the Diocese of Memphis (Catholic Diocese of Memphis) and offers a Saturday Vigil Mass, Sunday Mass, and weekday Masses, as well as Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration. The parish mailing address and parish offices are operated out of St. Mary's in Savannah (2315 Pickwick Street).
- Established
- 1959
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Lake (the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Rev. Tojan Abraham, M.C.B.S.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Memphis (Catholic Diocese of Memphis)
Why belong here
Our Lady of the Lake offers the small, intimate setting of a mission church with weekend and weekday Masses, Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning liturgies, Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays and First Fridays and Saturdays, and the regular availability of Confession before Mass. Because it is served by the same pastor and staff as St. Mary's in Savannah, parishioners benefit from a wider Catholic community across Hardin County while still worshipping in a country setting near Pickwick Lake. Local outreach includes the Back Pac Ministry, which provides food for children in the community.
Mass times at Our Lady of the Lake Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:15 PM – 5:25 PM (before Vigil Mass)
- Sunday 7:45 AM – 7:55 AM (before Mass)
- Or by appointment – call parish office at (731) 925-4852
Adoration times
- Wednesday 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM (immediately following the 6:00 PM Mass at St. Mary's; mission also has adoration)
- First Friday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (with Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus)
- First Saturday 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM (with Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary)
About Our Lady of the Lake Mission
Our Lady of the Lake is a Roman Catholic mission parish in the small community of Counce (Pickwick), Tennessee, in Hardin County. Established in 1959, it is a mission of St. Mary Parish in nearby Savannah and shares the same pastor and parish staff. The mission sits on Highway 57 about two and a half miles south of Pickwick Dam, near Pickwick Lake, and offers weekend Masses, weekday Masses, Reconciliation, and Eucharistic Adoration. It belongs to the Southeastern Deanery of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis.
- Established 1959
- Mission of St. Mary Parish, Savannah, TN
- Diocese of Memphis, Southeastern Deanery
- Located 2½ miles south of Pickwick Dam on Hwy. 57
Parish Staff and Clergy
Our Lady of the Lake Mission is served by the pastor and parish staff of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Savannah, Tennessee. The current pastor is Rev. Tojan Abraham, M.C.B.S.
- Rev. Tojan Abraham, M.C.B.S. – Pastor
- Brooke Short – Parish Secretary and Accounting (St. Mary's)
- Dana Spindler – Music Director and Youth Ministry
- OCIA (formerly RCIA) Team – Order of Christian Initiation of Adults
- Diana Phillips – Director of Religious Education (DRE)
Ministries and Outreach
Our Lady of the Lake runs and participates in several ministries together with the parent parish. The most visible local outreach is the Back Pac Ministry, which supplies weekend food for children in the community. Liturgical ministries such as lectors, altar servers, and ushers serve each weekend Mass at the mission.
- Our Lady of the Lake Back Pac Ministry (food for children in need; contact Donna Woodside, 901-486-5307)
- Lectors, Altar Servers, and Ushers at weekend Masses
- Christian Assistance Ministry (sugar donations; collection bin in the Commons area)
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Religious Education / Youth Ministry
- Online giving (Abundant – text OLLCC to 73256)
Visiting and Joining the Parish
Visitors are warmly welcomed at either of the two worship sites of the combined parish. Our Lady of the Lake offers a small, quiet country setting for Mass and prayer, while St. Mary's in Savannah offers additional Masses (including a Spanish Mass on the 2nd and 4th Sundays) and the parish offices. New parishioners can register by contacting the parish office at (731) 925-4852.
- Weekend Mass at Our Lady of the Lake – Sat 5:30 PM Vigil, Sun 8:00 AM
- Weekend Mass at St. Mary's Savannah – Sat 4:00 PM Vigil, Sun 10:00 AM
- Spanish Mass at St. Mary's – Sun 12:30 PM (2nd and 4th Sundays)
- Online giving via Abundant (text OLLCC or SMCC to 73256)