About St. Dominic · Kingsport, Tennessee
St. Dominic Catholic Parish is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Knoxville located at 2517 John B. Dennis Highway in Kingsport, Tennessee. With roots going back to the first Mass celebrated in Kingsport in 1914, the parish was formally established in 1941 and named in honor of the Dominican friars who originally served the community. Today the parish serves over 1,000 registered families, including a growing Hispanic community, offering Mass in English and Spanish each week along with a Catholic school, a thriving Rosary garden, and dozens of lay ministries.
- Established
- 1941
- Patron
- St. Dominic de Guzmán
- Rector
- Father Michael Cummins
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville
Why belong here
St. Dominic offers the full rhythm of parish life — daily and Sunday Mass (with a weekly Spanish Mass at 12:30 PM), Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays and throughout Lent, a robust Religious Education and youth program, and a Catholic school — all grounded in the parish's stated mission to 'love God and one another; to grow as disciples; and to strengthen our community through prayer, worship, and service.' With 1,000+ registered families, dozens of lay ministries (from the Knights of Columbus to a Sister Parish in Malawi), and a beautiful Rosary garden on campus, the parish offers a welcoming place both for long-time Catholics and newcomers to put down roots in Kingsport.
Mass times at St. Dominic
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Confession offered — see the parish Confession page on saintdominickpt.org for the current weekly schedule
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration every First Friday (organized by Fr. Emmanuel Massawe A.J.)
- During Lent: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament several days each week (coordinated by Tony Messina)
History of St. Dominic Parish
Catholic life in Kingsport began in the spring of 1914 when Father Emmanuel Callahan celebrated the first Mass in the city, ministering to scattered families — many of them Irish railroad workers — across Upper East Tennessee. For nearly thirty years, local Catholics had no church of their own, gathering in an Elks Hall and in rented rooms above a hardware store and restaurant. Kingsport was a mission of Johnson City, served by Dominican Fathers since 1916, and the parish took its name from that order.
- 1914 — First Mass in Kingsport celebrated by Father Emmanuel Callahan, O.P.
- 1940 — Cornerstone laid for the first St. Dominic church on Center Street
- April 20, 1941 — First church dedicated by Nashville Bishop William L. Adrian
- 1945 — Diocesan priests assume responsibility; Father Leo Baldinger is the first diocesan pastor
- Sept. 14, 1974 — Milton Robelot ordained as the parish's first permanent deacon
- Feb. 19, 1983 — Original Center Street church destroyed by fire; Masses move to the 'cafegymtorium'
- Aug. 8, 1987 — New church on John B. Dennis Highway dedicated on the feast of St. Dominic
- Oct. 2001 — Groundbreaking for $1.8 million Parish Life Center (with Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz and Father Charlie Burton)
- Sept. 14, 2002 — Parish Life Center dedicated by Bishop Kurtz
- Aug. 14, 2016 — 75th anniversary Mass with Bishop Richard F. Stika; mayor proclaims 'St. Dominic's Catholic Church Day'; Rosary Garden of the Archangels blessed
Mass & Worship Schedule
St. Dominic celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish each week, with a Saturday Vigil and four Sunday Masses plus daily Mass Monday through Friday and a First Saturday Mass in the chapel. The parish website lists links to current schedules for Mass, Confession, and Adoration.
- Saturday Vigil: 5:30 PM (English)
- Sunday: 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 5:30 PM (English) and 12:30 PM (Spanish)
- Mon, Wed, Fri: 8:15 AM in the Church
- Tues, Thurs: 8:15 AM at the School (moved to Church when school is not in session)
- Wednesday: additional 5:30 PM Mass
- First Saturday: 8:15 AM in the Chapel
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish offers year-round formation for every age and stage. Children's Liturgy of the Word runs during Sunday Masses. CCD (Religious Education) meets Sunday mornings for grades PreK-6. The Youth Ministry serves grades 6-12 with both middle school and high school tracks, and the parish has active Adult Faith Formation, OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) for those discerning Baptism or full communion with the Church, and Young Adult Ministries.
- Children's Liturgy — Jennifer Mize
- CCD (PreK-6) — Sunday mornings 10:45 AM-12 Noon — Rosa Mondragon
- Youth Ministry (Grades 6-12) — Sunday AM 10:45-Noon; High School PM 6-8; Middle School Wed PM 6:30-8:30 — Jessica Davison
- Adult Faith Formation — Giannine Morris
- OCIA — Bonnie Vega
- Young Adult Ministries — Bonnie Vega & Erica Rager
St. Dominic Catholic School
St. Dominic Parish School is the parish's Catholic elementary school, sharing the Kingsport campus and closely connected to parish life. The school maintains its own website at saintdominiccatholicschool.com and is supported by the parish Home and School Association.
- Principal: Bonnie Saleh (423-245-8491)
- Home and School Association: Tonya Bingham
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music ministry is split across multiple choirs serving the parish's different Sunday Masses, with an additional Hispanic choir serving the 12:30 PM Spanish Mass. Liturgical ministries and the parish Liturgy Committee (chaired by Fr. Michael Cummins) coordinate the broader work of sacristans, servers, lectors, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.
- Choir (Sunday Evening Mass) — Susan Woodruff & Jeanne Ubaldini
- Choir (Praymakers, 9:30 Mass) — Angela Davenport
- Choir (Hispanic, 12:30 Mass) — Carlos Hernandez
- Liturgical Ministries — Jessica Davison
- Liturgy Committee — Fr. Michael Cummins
- Altar Ministry — Sheila Eanes
Parish Life & Community Groups
St. Dominic is a large and busy parish with a deep bench of lay-led groups. From the Knights of Columbus and Cursillo to Bereavement, Marriage Encounter, and Senior Ministry, there is something for nearly every interest and life stage.
- Knights of Columbus (Council #Aldo J. Zazzi) — Kevin Musser
- Cursillo — Betty MacDougall
- Marriage Encounter — Bob & Janel Lange
- Bereavement Ministry — Mary Lukach & Janet Evans
- Senior Ministry — Amy Makemson
- Newcomers Ministry — Erica Rager
- Martha & Mary — Chris Terry
- That Man Is You (TMIY) men's group — Deacon Frank Fischer
- Women's Welcome Weekend retreat
Outreach & Charity
St. Dominic extends its reach well beyond its own campus, both locally and internationally. The parish maintains sister-parish relationships with communities in Malawi and Montana, supports St. Vincent de Paul for direct service to the poor, runs an Angel Tree giving program at Christmas, and supports a Parish Nurse ministry. The parish has also hosted the annual Catholic Men's Conference for the diocese.
- Sister Parish in Malawi — Ken Martin
- Sister Parish in Montana — Tucker & Tina Davis
- St. Vincent de Paul — John Cruz
- Angel Tree — Chris Terry
- Parish Nurse — Delores Bertuso
- Catholic Men's Conference (hosted at St. Dominic)
Hispanic Ministry
The parish proudly serves Kingsport's growing Hispanic Catholic community with a weekly Spanish Mass on Sundays at 12:30 PM, a dedicated Hispanic choir, and broader outreach coordinated by Deacon Humberto Collazo. The parish mission statement explicitly names reaching out 'to those in need' and demonstrating support 'for all, as children of God.'
- Sunday Spanish Mass — 12:30 PM
- Hispanic Choir — Carlos Hernandez
- Hispanic Ministry — Dcn. Humberto Collazo
Clergy & Staff
St. Dominic is currently served by a pastor, associate pastors, and four permanent deacons, alongside parish office staff. Sacramental emergencies (Anointing of the Sick, Last Rites) are handled by calling the parish office; after hours, the answering service routes true sacramental emergencies directly to a priest's cell phone.
- Pastor — Father Michael Cummins
- Associate Pastor — Father Steve Helmbrecht
- Associate Pastor — Father Anselm Edu
- Father Bede Aboh
- Fr. Emmanuel Massawe A.J. (Eucharistic Adoration)
- Deacon Bob Lange
- Deacon Frank Fischer
- Deacon Humberto Collazo
- Deacon Steve
- Parish Office — 423-288-8101 — [email protected]
Contact & Visiting
St. Dominic Catholic Parish is located at 2517 John B. Dennis Highway in Kingsport, Tennessee. The parish office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 AM to 3 PM; on Wednesdays the staff is available by appointment only. The parish encourages anyone interested in learning more to explore its many ministries or to introduce themselves after Sunday Mass.
- Address: 2517 John B. Dennis Hwy, Kingsport, TN 37660
- Phone: 423-288-8101
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 9 AM – 3 PM; Wed by appointment
- Sacramental emergency line available 24/7 via the office phone prompts
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Emmanuel Callahan, O.P.1914 (first Mass in Kingsport)
Legendary circuit-riding priest who planted Catholic life in Upper East Tennessee.
- Father M.Q. Goldrick, O.P.1940s
Dominican who built St. Dominic's first church on Center Street; cornerstone 1940, dedicated April 20, 1941.
- Father Leo Baldingerfrom 1945
First diocesan priest assigned to St. Dominic.
- Father Charlie Burtonlongtime pastor; groundbreaking Oct. 2001
Oversaw groundbreaking and 2002 dedication of the $1.8 million Parish Life Center with Bishop Kurtz.
- Father Michael Cumminspresent (as of recent parish reporting)
Current pastor; led 2nd annual Catholic Men's Conference at St. Dominic in March 2023.