About St. Alphonsus · Crossville, Tennessee
St. Alphonsus Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Knoxville serving Crossville and Cumberland County in the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee. The parish, named for St. Alphonsus Liguori, traces its roots to the late 1940s when visionary women began arranging for visiting priests from Harriman to celebrate Mass in local homes. Today, St. Alphonsus ministers to more than 400 families with a full weekend Mass schedule (including a Spanish-language Mass), daily Masses, faith formation for youth and adults, the Knights of Columbus, and the long-running St. Alphonsus Community Services (SACS) food pantry and financial-aid outreach. After worshipping for nearly two decades in a multipurpose parish life center, the congregation dedicated a brand-new 8,000-square-foot church on the same campus in September 2023, complete with a bell tower and cupola.
- Established
- 1961
- Patron
- St. Alphonsus Liguori
- Rector
- Father Adam Royal
- Diocese
- Diocese of Knoxville
Why belong here
St. Alphonsus is a welcoming, mid-sized Catholic family of more than 400 households in the heart of Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau, with a full weekend schedule of Masses in English and Spanish, daily weekday Masses, and a strong tradition of Eucharistic Adoration and sacramental Confession. Families can grow in faith through a robust Faith Formation program (Preschool–5th grade on Sunday mornings, EDGE/LifeTeen for grades 6–12 on Wednesday nights), sacramental preparation, adult faith formation, and OCIA (RCIA) inquiry sessions. The parish also runs St. Alphonsus Community Services (SACS), one of the area's most established food-pantry and emergency-assistance ministries, and hosts a Knights of Columbus council active in charity and fundraising. Worshipping now in a beautiful new dedicated church with a bell tower, the parish combines small-town warmth with the full sacramental life of the Roman Catholic Church.
Mass times at St. Alphonsus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:45 AM – 8:15 AM
- Sunday: 10:15 AM – 10:45 AM
- Sunday: 12:45 PM – 1:15 PM
- Tuesday: 7:30 AM – 8:15 AM
- Thursday: 7:30 AM – 8:15 AM
- Friday: 7:30 AM – 8:15 AM
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
- 1st Saturday: 7:30 AM – 8:15 AM
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 7:30 AM – 8:15 AM
- Thursday: 7:30 AM – 8:15 AM
- Friday: 7:30 AM – 8:15 AM
- 1st Friday: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- 1st Saturday: 7:30 AM – 8:15 AM
Parish History
St. Alphonsus Parish was founded in the late 1940s by a group of visionary Catholic women who arranged for visiting priests (primarily from Harriman and Cookeville) to celebrate Mass in private homes, beginning in the home of Mrs. Marge Hall. Father James Murphy began offering weekly Mass in 1954 from an upper room of the old Crossville Play Center inside the City Hall building. The original church was built in 1961 for about $35,000, and the first resident pastor, Fr. John Schroder, S.J., arrived in 1974 when a rectory across from the church was rented and later purchased in 1975. A $330,000 expansion was dedicated on July 31, 1983 by Bishop James D. Niedergeses of Nashville (then the parish's diocese). After Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz blessed the Parish Life Center in 2003, parishioners worshipped in the multipurpose space for the next twenty years while saving for a true church. The new ~8,000 sq ft church was dedicated Sept. 12, 2023 by Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre.
- Late 1940s – Parish origins; visiting priests celebrate Mass in homes, beginning with Mrs. Marge Hall
- 1954 – Father James Murphy begins weekly Mass in upper room of old Crossville Play Center / City Hall
- 1961 – Original St. Alphonsus Church built (~$35,000); 30 founding households
- 1974 – First resident pastor, Fr. John Schroder, S.J.; rectory rented, then purchased in 1975
- 1982 – Groundbreaking for expansion (April 18)
- 1983 – New church building dedicated by Bishop James D. Niedergeses of Nashville (July 31)
- 1990 – 27-acre future campus site acquired
- 2002 – Groundbreaking on Parish Life Center (March)
- 2003 – Parish Life Center blessed by Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz (May 27)
- 2021 – Groundbreaking for new dedicated church (Dec. 3) by Bishop Richard F. Stika and Fr. Mark Schuster
- 2023 – New church dedicated by Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre (Sept. 12); relics of St. Alphonsus Liguori and Blessed Stanley Rother installed in altar
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently served by Father Adam Royal as pastor (appointed April 4, 2025 by Bishop Mark Beckman) and Deacon Peter Minneci. Faith formation and music are led by named lay staff, and the parish office is staffed by a secretary and a bookkeeper. Office hours are Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Central Time.
- Father Adam Royal — Pastor (ordained June 4, 2016; previously associate pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Chattanooga; Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa; St. Thomas the Apostle, Lenoir City; chaplain for the diocesan CMA chapter)
- Deacon Peter Minneci
- Sara Carey — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Debbie Valley — Director of Youth Ministry
- Pauline O'Keeffe — Director of Faith Formation ([email protected])
- Mary Hewitt — Director of Music
- Bobbi Jacobson — Secretary
- Gladys Flynn — Accounting & Bookkeeping
Mass & Liturgy
St. Alphonsus offers a full weekend Mass schedule (including a Spanish Mass) along with daily Masses, regular Confession, and Eucharistic Adoration. The Sunday 8:30 AM Mass is livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel, and the church provides a WaveCAST hearing-assistance system during all Masses.
Liturgical Ministry
Parishioners serve as lectors, sacristans, ministers of Communion (EMHC), ushers, and altar servers. A published Mass Ministers Schedule is maintained, and new volunteers can contact Sara Carey (Director of Religious Education) to be trained and added to the rota.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC)
- Lectors / Readers
- Sacristans
- Ushers
- Altar Servers
- Music Ministry / Choir (Director: Mary Hewitt)
Faith Formation
St. Alphonsus offers lifelong faith formation: a robust youth program (Preschool–5th grade Sunday mornings; 6th–12th grade LifeTeen/EDGE Wednesday evenings), adult formation opportunities, and the OCIA process for those inquiring about or entering the Catholic Church. All adult volunteers working with youth must complete Safe Parish Training.
Religious Education (Preschool–5th Grade)
Religious education classes for Pre-K through 5th grade meet Sunday mornings from 9:45 AM to 10:45 AM; no early drop-off is allowed before 9:40 AM. The program uses the 'Creating Christ's Disciples' curriculum for 2nd–5th graders. Registration costs for the year are $40 for one student, $80 for two, and $100 family maximum, payable at the parish office or via the weekend collection.
- Pre-K to 1st Grade program
- 2nd–4th Grade — Creating Christ's Disciples
- 5th Grade — Creating Christ's Disciples (part of the Sunday program)
- Cost: $40 / 1 student, $80 / 2 students, $100 family maximum
- Director: Sara Carey ([email protected])
Youth Ministry — EDGE & LifeTeen (6th–12th Grade)
St. Alphonsus's Youth Ministry serves 5th through 12th graders every Wednesday evening from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM, combining fellowship, catechesis, prayer, service opportunities (altar serving, ushering, choir, Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics), and special projects like the Feast of All Souls luminary display and Lenten silhouette display. Youth have traveled on retreats and to national events including the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC), visiting Nashville, Atlanta, and Washington D.C.
- Wednesday evenings 5:30–7:30 PM
- Service: altar servers, ushers, lectors, choir
- Community service: Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, parish events
- Special projects: Feast of All Souls luminary display, Lenten silhouette display
- Retreats and trips: local, regional, and NCYC
- Director: Pauline O'Keeffe ([email protected])
Adult Faith Formation & OCIA
Adult faith formation opportunities are offered alongside the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), the Church's official path to the sacraments for the unbaptized, those seeking full communion, and Catholics who missed First Communion or Confirmation. Inquiry 'sneak-preview' nights are held in summer; OCIA sessions begin in mid-September, meeting Mondays 6:00–8:00 PM. Sponsors are always welcomed and receive training.
- OCIA inquiry preview nights in July and August (6:00 PM)
- OCIA classes begin Monday, September 14, 6:00–8:00 PM
- Contact: Sara Carey, [email protected]
- Adult faith-formation offerings also available
Sacraments
The parish prepares the faithful for and celebrates all seven sacraments. Catechesis for First Communion and Confirmation is offered through Faith Formation, while Baptisms, Marriages, and Anointing of the Sick are coordinated through the parish office.
- Baptism — preparation through parish office
- First Communion & Confirmation — via Faith Formation program
- Marriage — contact parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — contact parish office
- OCIA for unbaptized, those entering full communion, and Catholics needing First Communion/Confirmation
Outreach & Charity
St. Alphonsus runs one of the area's most established charitable outreach ministries, St. Alphonsus Community Services (SACS), supported by both St. Alphonsus and St. Francis of Assisi (Fairfield Glade) parishes. The parish also hosts a Knights of Columbus council active in local fundraising and charity.
St. Alphonsus Community Services (SACS)
SACS was founded in 1986 by Laura Brenn, Jane Aiken, and four other laywomen in the basement of the old St. Alphonsus Church. It moved to the 'Red House' in November 1991 and into its own dedicated building (blessed by Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz) in 2004. Today SACS serves over 2,700 households a year with food from the pantry every eight weeks and direct rent/utility payments (up to once per six months) to landlords and utilities — no religious affiliation required, only a photo ID and Cumberland County residency. It has dispensed more than $1 million in payments since inception and partners with FEMA, Volunteer Energy Cooperative, Middle Tennessee Natural Gas, and local agencies. About 30+ volunteers run the operation, currently under director Gerald Hengel.
- Food pantry — every 8 weeks (photo ID required)
- Rent/utility payments — up to once every 6 months, paid directly to landlord or utility
- Open Mon–Thu 10:00 AM–2:00 PM (food pantry closes at 1:30 PM); phone (931) 484-8074
- Location: first building on the left when entering the parish property
- No religious affiliation required to receive aid
- Annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive (2+ tons collected in 2022)
- Partners: St. Francis of Assisi Parish (Fairfield Glade), FEMA, Volunteer Energy Cooperative, Middle Tennessee Natural Gas Co.
Knights of Columbus
The parish's Knights of Columbus council serves the local community through service and fundraising, with a signature annual Charity Golf Tournament (held at Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain). The 2026 tournament is scheduled for June 27, 2026.
- Annual Charity Golf Tournament at Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain
- Silent auction, hole sponsorships, and door prizes
- Online registration/sponsorship forms available via the parish website
Facilities & New Church
The parish campus sits on a 27-acre site acquired in 1990 and includes the new dedicated church (dedicated Sept. 12, 2023), the older Parish Life Center (dedicated May 27, 2003 — formerly used as the worship space), and the SACS outreach building.
- New church — ~8,000 sq ft, 300 seats, cupola, bell tower, two transepts for future expansion
- Designed by architect Phil Adams of J&S Construction (also the contractor)
- Altar houses relics of St. Alphonsus Liguori and Blessed Stanley Rother
- Older Parish Life Center (Liguori Hall) next door — original worship space, now used for parish gatherings
- SACS building on the same campus
Visiting & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office at (931) 484-2358, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Central Time, or by email at [email protected]. Mass times, directions, and Confession/Adoration schedules are always listed on the homepage of stalonline.org.
- Address: 151 St. Alphonsus Way, Crossville, TN 38555
- Phone: (931) 484-2358
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Central Time
- Diocese: Diocese of Knoxville
- Live-stream: Sunday 8:30 AM Mass on the parish's YouTube channel
- WaveCAST hearing assistance available during all Masses
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father James Murphy1954–
Began offering weekly Mass in an upper room of the old Crossville Play Center (within the City Hall Building) in 1954; visiting priest from outside the area.
- Father John Schroder, S.J.1974–
First resident pastor of St. Alphonsus; a rectory across from the church was rented in 1974 and purchased in 1975.
- Father Jim Harvey
Pastor in early 2020s who led the parish through the planning phase for the new church; met with Bishop Stika on Feb. 23, 2021 to secure diocesan approval to resume the project.
- Father Mark Schuster2021–2025
Served as parochial administrator from July 1, 2021; formally installed as pastor by Bishop Richard F. Stika on Oct. 9, 2022; led groundbreaking Dec. 3, 2021 and dedication planning for the new church. Reassigned as pastor of St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut, effective April 4, 2025.
- Father Adam Royal2025–present
Ordained June 4, 2016; appointed pastor of St. Alphonsus effective April 4, 2025 by Bishop Mark Beckman.