About Sacred Heart · Knoxville, Tennessee
The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is the mother church and seat (cathedra) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee, located in the Bearden area of West Knoxville. The parish was erected on January 1, 1956 as Sacred Heart Parish, became the cathedral when Pope John Paul II created the Diocese of Knoxville in 1988, and was rededicated as a brand-new, 1,358-seat Renaissance Revival cathedral on March 3, 2018, built on the same 711 S. Northshore Drive campus. The cathedral parish runs Sacred Heart Cathedral School (a K-8 Catholic school of more than 600 students) and serves a large, multilingual congregation with regular Masses in English, Spanish, Polish, Tagalog/Filipino, and Korean.
- Established
- 1956
- Patron
- The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rector
- Rev. David Boettner (Rector, Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Knoxville (Roman Catholic)
Why belong here
Sacred Heart Cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Knoxville and one of the most demographically and liturgically diverse Catholic congregations in East Tennessee, with regular weekly Masses in English, Spanish, Korean, Polish, and Tagalog. The parish combines a downtown-quality cathedral — with its 2018 Renaissance Revival building, dome, and Casavant organ — with the warmth of a long-established parish school of more than 600 students, an extensive faith-formation program (Cathedral Kids, OCIA/RCIA, youth and young adult ministry), Stephen Ministry for the bereaved and homebound, and active liturgical ministries (altar servers, sacristans, communion ministers, music, video production). For a Catholic in Knoxville looking for both a vibrant worship life and a real community footprint, Sacred Heart offers the broadest calendar of devotions, social outreach, and sacramental preparation in the diocese.
Mass times at Sacred Heart
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesdays 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
- Saturdays 8:45 am – 9:30 am
Adoration times
- Wednesdays 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm (Adoration)
History
From a 1952 dream of a third Knoxville parish to a 2018 Renaissance Revival cathedral: the full timeline is above in the 'history' field. Key inflection points include the 1956 founding, the 1988 elevation to cathedral when Pope John Paul II created the Diocese of Knoxville, and the 2018 dedication of the new cathedral.
- 1952 — Decision to add a third Knoxville parish
- 1953 — Six acres of the Towle farm purchased on Northshore Drive
- 1956 — Parish erected January 1; school opens September 4; first Mass at midnight Christmas
- 1988 — Elevated to cathedral when Diocese of Knoxville erected
- 2015 — Groundbreaking for new cathedral (April 19)
- 2018 — New cathedral dedicated March 3 by Bishop Stika
Architecture & the New Cathedral
The 2018 Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was designed by McCrery Architects of Washington, D.C. with Knoxville firm BarberMcMurry Architects and built by Merit Construction. It is a cruciform Renaissance Revival church clad in Indiana limestone and buff Roman brick, crowned by a 147-foot zinc-clad ribbed dome inspired by the Duomo of Florence. The 28,000-square-foot worship space seats 1,358 and uses all four classical orders — Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite — throughout the interior and exterior. A Casavant Frères pipe organ (Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec) was installed in 2024.
- Architects: McCrery Architects (DC) + BarberMcMurry Architects (Knoxville)
- General contractor: Merit Construction
- Style: Renaissance Revival, cruciform plan
- Dome: 147 ft, zinc-clad ribbed, Florence-inspired
- Materials: Indiana limestone façade, buff Roman brick sides/rear
- Capacity: 1,358 seats (up from 580)
- Cost: $30.8 million
- Award: 2020 Palladio Award (Traditional Building magazine)
Art, Statuary & Sacred Furnishings
Inside the cathedral, decorative artists hand-painted canvases depicting 16 saints — the twelve apostles, St. Joseph, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Jesus Christ — that were installed in place. The statue of Christ stands 25 feet tall with a 17-foot arm span. A 15-foot rose window, hand-painted coffers on the ceiling, and Italian marble flooring complete the rich decorative program. A future bell tower and additional stained-glass windows are master-planned and will be added as funding allows.
- 25-foot statue of Jesus Christ with 17-foot arm span
- 16 saints depicted in hand-painted canvas artwork
- 15-foot rose window on the front façade
- Hand-painted ceiling coffers
- Italian marble flooring
- Master-plan bell tower (future)
Clergy & Staff
The cathedral is led by Rector Rev. David Boettner (ordained 1994; previously pastor of St. Mary Athens and St. Thomas the Apostle, Lenoir City). Associate pastors are Fr. Danny Herman (raised in Mountain City, TN), Fr. Diego Rivera, and Fr. Martin Gladysz. Three permanent deacons serve the parish: Deacon Walt Otey (also Chief Financial Officer), Deacon Fredy Vargas (bilingual Spanish/English), and Deacon Mike Mescall. Lay staff include COO Mary Mac Wilson, CFO/Deacon Walt Otey, Director of Music & Liturgy Glenn Kahler, Director of Communications Steve Coy, Director of Facilities Ryan Seaver, Director of Parish Events & Campus Security Scott Barron, Director of Evangelization & Catechesis, Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministry Cody Stiner, Organist Mike Mescall, Associate Organist Byong-Suk Moon, Parish Secretary Hilda Carrera-Rodas, Director of Development Christian Ratterman.
- Rector: Fr. David Boettner
- Associate Pastors: Fr. Danny Herman, Fr. Diego Rivera, Fr. Martin Gladysz
- Deacons: Walt Otey (CFO), Fredy Vargas, Mike Mescall
- Bishop: Most Rev. James Mark Beckman
Ministries & Faith Formation
The cathedral runs an extensive ministry program. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA/RCIA) meets Wednesday evenings for those seeking to enter the Church; Cathedral Kids provides Wednesday-night faith formation for K–8 children not in the parish school and is the vehicle for sacramental preparation. Stephen Ministry organizes trained lay Stephen Ministers for one-to-one, Christ-centered care for those in difficulty, including bereavement and divorce support. The parish also runs Children's Liturgy of the Word, youth ministry, young adult ministry, an annual parish retreat, and a women's ministry program.
- OCIA / RCIA — Wednesday evenings
- Cathedral Kids — K–8 faith formation, Wednesday nights
- Children's Liturgy of the Word
- Youth Ministry & Young Adult Ministry
- Stephen Ministry
- Bereavement & Divorce ministries
- Annual parish retreat
Liturgical & Music Ministries
Music and liturgy are coordinated by Director of Music & Liturgy Glenn Kahler, an accomplished arranger and composer in television and film who directs the 9:00 am Mass and the Sacred Heart Youth Choir. Mike Mescall serves as organist and Byong-Suk Moon as associate organist. The Cathedral also runs a multi-camera Video Production Ministry, led by Director of Communications Steve Coy, that livestreams daily and Sunday Masses.
- Director of Music & Liturgy: Glenn Kahler
- Organist: Mike Mescall; Associate Organist: Byong-Suk Moon
- Sacred Heart Youth Choir (9:00 am Mass)
- Video Production Ministry (livestream team)
- Altar Servers (4th grade and up)
- Sacristans, Communion Ministers, Ushers & Greeters
Sacred Heart Cathedral School
Sacred Heart Cathedral School has been on the same campus since September 4, 1956, when it opened with 132 students and five faculty members. It now enrolls approximately 605 students with more than 80 faculty and staff and serves as a parish-supported Catholic elementary school (K-8). The school sits within walking distance of the cathedral and is the primary vehicle for faith formation for parish children; Cathedral Kids provides parallel Wednesday-evening programming for public-school students.
- Founded September 4, 1956
- Original enrollment: 132 students / 5 faculty
- Current enrollment: ~605 students / 80+ faculty
- Sacramental prep for parish children
Outreach & Service
The Communion to the Sick ministry takes Holy Communion weekly to parishioners who are homebound or unable to attend Mass, and arranges priest visits for Anointing of the Sick or Reconciliation. Stephen Ministry extends ongoing lay pastoral care to those in crisis, and a Service Ministry Lead coordinates broader outreach. The parish also runs a Lenten Fish Fry most Fridays of Lent and Lenten Luncheons after the Wednesday noon Mass.
- Communion to the Sick (weekly)
- Stephen Ministry one-to-one care
- Service Ministry Lead
- Lenten Fish Fry (Fridays in Lent, except Good Friday)
- Lenten Luncheons (Wednesdays)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Edward (Monsignor) Dolan, P.A.1956–1972
Founding pastor. Negotiated the $1 million plan with Baumann & Baumann; celebrated first Mass in new church at midnight Christmas 1956.
- Rev. Joseph Julius1972–1981
Added gymnasium, classrooms, school library; facilitated founding of St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut.
- Rev. Robert Hofstetter1981–1987
Expanded school with kindergartens, science labs, computer labs, art department; known as spiritual director.
- Rev. Xavier Mankel1987–1997
In 1988 Sacred Heart was elevated to cathedral when Pope John Paul II erected the Diocese of Knoxville.
- Rev. Al Humbrecht1997–2010
Briefly diocesan administrator in 1999 between Bishop O'Connell's departure and Bishop Kurtz's arrival.
- Very Rev. David BoettnerFebruary 2010–present
Led 2011–2016 strategic plan and oversaw construction of the new 2018 cathedral.
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