Our Lady of the Mount

Welcome & Parish Identity

Our Lady of the Mount describes itself as 'a welcoming Roman Catholic parish situated atop Lookout Mountain, Georgia,' and a faith community of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Together with its mission church, St. Katharine Drexel in Wildwood, OLM provides a spiritual home for families and single Catholics across Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama. Father Mark Thomas extends a formal greeting to visitors on the parish's welcome page and frames the parish as a sacramental community centered on the Eucharist — 'the source and summit of our faith.' Travelers passing through the Southern Appalachians are explicitly invited to attend liturgies or pray in the always-open chapel.

History of the Parish

The parish traces its origins to 1947, when Catholics on Lookout Mountain asked the Redemptorist Fathers for Sunday Mass. The Redemptorists purchased a former gambling casino on the mountain and turned it into a chapel — that building later became the parish's social hall. The mission was served from St. Gerard Majella in Fort Oglethorpe, and of the Redemptorist's three Lookout Mountain-area missions (Lookout Mountain, LaFayette, and Griffith, GA), the Lookout Mountain community was the most successful. The Archdiocese of Atlanta formally established the parish on November 18, 1984. The last Redemptorist priest left the Atlanta Archdiocese in 2005, after which diocesan clergy took over pastoral leadership.

• 1947 — Redemptorists purchase a former gambling casino and convert it into a chapel
• 1984.11.18 — parish formally established as Our Lady of the Mount
• 2005 — last Redemptorist departs Atlanta; Archdiocese assumes direct pastoral care
• Original 1947 chapel becomes the parish social hall

Saint Katharine Drexel Mission

Saint Katharine Drexel is the mission church of Our Lady of the Mount, located at 140 New England Road, Wildwood, GA 30757. It hosts the Sunday 11:30 AM Mass, the Wednesday 5:00 PM daily Mass, and Wednesday 4:00 PM confessions. After the 11:30 AM Mass on the last Sunday of each month, parishioners gather for a potluck lunch in the mission hall.

• Address — 140 New England Rd., Wildwood, GA 30757
• Sunday 11:30 AM Mass
• Wednesday 5:00 PM Mass / 4:00 PM Confessions
• Monthly potluck after the last-Sunday Mass

Faith Formation & Youth Ministry

Parish Religious Education runs Sunday mornings from 10:00 to 11:00 AM, September through May, with a liturgically based program for K–5th graders. Middle-school youth use the EDGE program; high-school youth use Life Teen. The program emphasizes learning through doing and acts of service. Aimee Braman coordinates faith formation and can be reached at [email protected] on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9 AM – 1:30 PM.

• K–5th grade — liturgically based religious education, Sun 10:00–11:00 AM
• Middle school — EDGE program
• High school — Life Teen program
• Coordinator: Aimee Braman ([email protected]), Tue/Wed 9 AM–1:30 PM

Adult Faith Formation

Beyond the children's program, OLM offers a variety of ongoing adult studies. Various studies are held during the school year corresponding to the liturgical seasons, typically after the 9 AM Sunday Mass. A Women's Bible Study meets Tuesday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 AM, with the study topic changing every 6–8 weeks.

• Seasonal studies after the 9 AM Sunday Mass
• Women's Bible Study — Tuesdays 9:30 – 11:30 AM

Outreach & Charity

OLM runs two signature works of mercy. The Hot Meals Ministry prepares home-cooked meals every Monday from 1:00 to 3:30 PM in Shuler Hall for area tent-community residents; volunteers can sign up for a slot or drop in to help. The Prison Ministry sends Catholic mentors into Walker State Prison in Rock Spring, GA, visiting specific inmates about twice a month, with carpooling arranged from the parish. The parish also participates in the Archdiocese of Atlanta's Capital Campaign (currently in 'Wave One,' ending September 30, 2026).

• Hot Meals Ministry — Mondays 1:00–3:30 PM in Shuler Hall
• Walker State Prison Ministry — mentors visit ~2x/month, carpool from OLM
• Contact Father Mark (706-841-1836) or Dick Crotteau (423-505-4602) for prison ministry
• Archdiocese of Atlanta Capital Campaign — 'Wave One' through Sept. 30, 2026

Men's & Women's Groups

Parish life includes a Men's Group that gathers for dinners in Shuler Hall and a Men's Bible Study. The Women's Bible Study meets Tuesday mornings. Both groups are advertised through the parish's main page and bulletins and are open to all parishioners.

• Men's Group dinners in Shuler Hall
• Men's Bible Study
• Women's Bible Study — Tuesdays 9:30–11:30 AM

Memorial Garden

OLM maintains a Memorial Garden with seasonal workdays scheduled by the parish. Past sessions have included Tuesday evening workdays at 5:30 PM, concluding with food, drinks, and fellowship. The workdays are open to everyone and help keep the garden maintained.

• Seasonal Memorial Garden workdays (typically Tuesday evenings)
• Open to all parishioners; food and fellowship included

Staff & Contact

Father Mark Thomas serves as pastor; a June 2025 parish announcement celebrated his 10th anniversary of ordination (ordained June 27, 2015). Mary Voges served for 13 years as the parish's Pastoral Associate before departing in 2024. Aimee Braman ([email protected]) coordinates religious education and youth ministry and can be reached in the parish office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 AM to 1:30 PM.

• Pastor — Father Mark Thomas (ordination anniversary June 27)
• Faith-formation coordinator — Aimee Braman ([email protected])
• Pastoral Associate — Mary Voges (13 years of service, departed 2024)
• Office phone — (706) 820-0680

Visiting & Mountain Setting

OLM actively welcomes travelers passing through the Southern Appalachians, including visitors to nearby attractions such as Lookout Mountain attractions and Cloudland Canyon State Park. Many seasonal visitors attend Mass while staying in the Chattanooga area. The parish's chapel is always open for private prayer, and the Saturday Vigil Mass is the most convenient weekend option for visitors.