About St. Francis of Assisi · Townsend, Tennessee
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church is a small parish in Townsend, Tennessee, nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, and a member of the Diocese of Knoxville. Originally established as a summer mission in 1961 to serve Catholic tourists and the handful of local Catholic families in Townsend, it was elevated to full parish status in 2010 under Bishop Richard Stika and is now led by its first resident pastor. The community worships in a former Methodist church on the Little River, celebrates Mass in English with daily and weekend schedules, and is sustained by a robust lay apostolate including the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Council of Catholic Women, OCIA, religious education, and an active music and pastoral care ministry.
- Established
- 2010
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Rector
- Rev. Antonio Giraldo
- Diocese
- Diocese of Knoxville
Why belong here
St. Francis of Assisi offers a close-knit Catholic community in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains, with daily Mass Monday through Friday (no Wednesday Mass) and welcoming weekend Masses, all in English. Parishioners are drawn by active lay ministries — including the local Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conference (founded 2013), the Council of Catholic Women, OCIA, religious education for children, an active music/liturgy team, a Columbarium, and a Pastoral Care ministry — plus devotion to the rosary before every weekend Mass. It is a parish where newcomers are personally welcomed by ushers, invited to register, and quickly woven into the life of a small but devoted Catholic family.
Mass times at St. Francis of Assisi
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 3:00 – 3:40 p.m. (Church confessional)
- Sundays 8:15 – 8:40 a.m. (Church confessional)
- By appointment: call 865-448-6070
Our Story — A History in Three Eras
The parish's own website tells its story as a history in three eras, beginning long before the mission church was rented in 1960. The first era (1904–c.1920s) was the Catholic community organized around the Shea brothers and Father Emmanuel Callahan's school on Happy Top Hill and monthly Mass in the Shea home. The second era (1960–1990) saw the founding of Saint Francis of Assisi Mission as a summer chapel for Catholic tourists, with sacred vessels gathered from other dioceses and the original altar crafted by Bishop William Adrian. The third era (1991–present) brought the first resident clergy — Father Joseph Julius and Deacon Michael Nestor — and culminated in Bishop Richard Stika's 2010 elevation of the mission to a parish and the 2012 appointment of Father J. B. Shelton as the first resident pastor.
- 1904 — Catholic school founded on Happy Top Hill by Father Emmanuel Callahan for the Shea brothers' Little River Lumber Co. workers
- June 18, 1961 — First Mass celebrated in the rented former Methodist church; over 50 non-Catholics attended
- 1961 — KKK plot to burn the church averted by Methodist minister Rev. Perry Tanksley's anti-intolerance sermon
- 1991 — Father Joseph Julius and Deacon Michael Nestor become first resident clergy in Townsend
- Spring 2010 — Mission elevated to parish status by Bishop Richard Stika; Father Bede Aboh named first pastor
- Summer 2011 — 50th anniversary of the reestablishment of the mission
- 2012 — Father J. B. Shelton named first resident pastor
- 2013 — Local St. Vincent de Paul Conference chartered
Tennessee Catholicism and the Diocese of Knoxville
The parish is in East Tennessee's Diocese of Knoxville, founded in 1988. The parish's history page traces the broader story of Catholicism in the state — originally one statewide diocese with Bishop Richard Miles sent to Nashville in 1838 to lead a fledgling flock with only a few hundred Catholics, no churches, no schools, and only his saddle bags for a chancery. That 'make success out of adversity' spirit, the page argues, became the hallmark of Tennessee Catholicism. The parish community has endured its own periods of anti-Catholic hostility through the years, including the Ku Klux Klan's mid-twentieth-century activity and earlier Know-Nothing-Party influence in state politics, and continues to grow thanks to 'courageous laymen, religious, and the ever-present help of kind neighbors.'
- Diocese of Knoxville, founded 1988
- Bishop Richard Stika is the current ordinary
- Our Lady of Fatima Church, Alcoa, is the founding parish from which the mission was carved
Parish Staff
The current parish staff, as listed in the parish bulletin, is led by Father Antonio Giraldo as Pastor, with Deacon Jim Schmall serving in OCIA and Deacon Michael Nestor continuing his longstanding ministry. Two office managers (Katrina Allocco and Lesa Schmall), a bookkeeper, a liturgy/music director, a director of religious education, and a wide bench of ministry leaders round out the team.
- Pastor — Fr. Antonio Giraldo
- Deacon — Dc. Jim Schmall (OCIA)
- Office Managers — Katrina Allocco & Lesa Schmall
- Bookkeeper — Kathleen Halligan
- Liturgy / Music Director — JoAnne Romer-Aylward
- Director of Religious Education — Julie Dew
- Pastoral Care — Suzie Fay (423-829-5466)
- Social Media / Website — JoAnne Romer-Aylward
- Art & Environment — Michele Girard & Norene O'Donnell
- Gardens & Grounds — Ilene Rainwater
- Facilities — David Girard
- St. Clare Gift Shop — Camilla Sorrell
- Columbarium — Bob Eberhardt
Faith Formation & OCIA
Faith formation for both adults and children is central to parish life. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), led by Deacon Jim Schmall, welcomes adults seeking baptism, confirmation, or reception into full communion with the Catholic Church. A separate Director of Religious Education, Julie Dew, oversees programming for children, and an Adult Education / RCIA program (previously led by Bruce Boudin) supports ongoing catechesis for the wider parish.
- OCIA — Deacon Jim Schmall
- Religious Education (children) — Julie Dew
- Adult Education / RCIA — Bruce Boudin (historical)
Parish Ministries & Organizations
The parish runs an unusually rich lay apostolate for its small size, organized around the Parish Ministry Team and Parish Associations. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is the flagship charitable arm; the Council of Catholic Women, liturgical, music, usher, art-and-environment, gardens, facilities, and gift-shop ministries round out parish life.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — St. Francis of Assisi Conference (Debbie Eberhardt, 865-312-0141)
- Council of Catholic Women — Ilene Rainwater
- Ushers — Paul Czerniewski ([email protected], 847-877-7347)
- Welcoming, Events & Socials Team
- St. Clare Gift Shop
- Mission Team / mission trips
Society of St. Vincent de Paul — St. Francis of Assisi Conference
Founded in 2013 in response to Bishop Stika's request to grow the Society to every parish in the Diocese of Knoxville, the parish's SVDP conference serves the underserved in Townsend and the surrounding area. Members meet twice monthly to grow spiritually in friendship and to see 'the face of Jesus in all we serve.' Assistance is funded by member contributions, donor generosity, and local financial grants.
- Food pantry
- Seasonal outreach at Easter, Christmas, and Thanksgiving
- Financial assistance to fill gaps for those with nowhere else to turn
- Sponsorship and participation in local food distributions
- Meets 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month at 5:00 p.m. in the Parish Resource Center
- Assistance line: 865-312-0141
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven sacraments, with published policies on Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and Reconciliation. Couples are asked to contact the parish office at least six months before a wedding; families seeking Baptism must be registered parishioners and attend the Baptismal Prep Class; those entering the hospital or facing serious illness are encouraged to request Anointing.
- Baptism — Baptismal Prep Class required; family must be registered
- Marriage — contact office minimum six months in advance
- Anointing of the Sick — contact pastor
- Reconciliation — Saturday 3:00–3:40 p.m., Sunday 8:15–8:40 a.m., or by appointment
Devotions, Faith Conversations & Pastoral Care
Beyond the Mass schedule, the parish nurtures ongoing spiritual life through the praying of the Rosary 35 minutes before each weekend Mass, a Pastoral Care Ministry that reaches out to the homebound and hospitalized, and a monthly faith-and-coffee conversation group called Holy Grounds that meets on the third Friday of each month at 6:15 p.m. in Shea Hall. A lending library inside the Parish Resource Center — also called Holy Grounds — supplements these offerings.
- Rosary — 35 minutes before each weekend Mass
- Pastoral Care Ministry — Suzie Fay, 423-829-5466
- Holy Grounds (conversation group) — Third Friday, 6:15–7:30 p.m., Shea Hall
- Holy Grounds Lending Library — Parish Resource Center, organized by Joyce Welsh
Facilities: Parish Resource Center, Shea Hall, Columbarium & Gift Shop
Beyond the church building itself, the parish maintains a Parish Resource Center (PRC) used for SVDP meetings, the lending library, and ministry gatherings; Shea Hall, which hosts the Holy Grounds conversation group and other events; an on-site Columbarium under the care of Bob Eberhardt; and the St. Clare Gift Shop run by Camilla Sorrell. The Gardens & Grounds (Ilene Rainwater) and Facilities (David Girard) teams care for the property.
- Parish Resource Center (PRC)
- Shea Hall
- On-site Columbarium
- St. Clare Gift Shop
- Gardens & Grounds team
- Facilities team
New Parishioners
The parish explicitly invites newcomers to register: 'We are so pleased that you are interested in joining our parish!' Newcomers are encouraged to pick up a registration form from an usher, complete it, and place it in the collection basket. The parish also asks current parishioners to keep their contact information up to date through the parish office via email, mail, or phone.
- Pick up a registration form from an usher
- Place the completed form in the collection basket
- Or contact the parish office at 865-448-6070
Visit, Contact & Bulletin
The parish is located at 7717 River Road, Townsend, TN 37882, off Highway 321 directly behind the BB&T bank. The parish office can be reached at (865) 448-6070 or by email at [email protected], and weekly bulletins (including the most recent Mass and Confession schedule) are posted online. Bulletin announcements can be emailed to [email protected] by Tuesday at noon.
- Address: 7717 River Road, Townsend, TN 37882
- Phone: 865-448-6070
- Email: [email protected]
- Bulletin submissions: [email protected] (Tuesdays by 12:00 p.m.)
- Website: StFrancisTownsend.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Bede Aboh, Ph.D.2010–2012
First pastor of the parish after Bishop Stika elevated the mission; childhood survivor of the Biafran War and scholar. Began the third round of renovations.
- Father J. B. Shelton (Rev. James Brent Allen Shelton)2012–
First resident pastor of the new parish; tasked with leading the community's transition from mission to fully developed parish. Earlier listed as Parochial Administrator.
- Father Antonio Giraldocurrent
Current pastor, listed on parish bulletin staff roster.