About St. James the Apostle · Sneedville, Tennessee
St. James the Apostle is a small Roman Catholic parish in Sneedville, the county seat of Hancock County in upper East Tennessee. It is part of the Diocese of Knoxville (Roman-Latin rite) and is consistently described by the diocese's own newspaper, the East Tennessee Catholic, as easily the smallest parish in the diocese, with typical Sunday Mass attendance of only about 8 to 12 people. The parish is administered together with St. Henry Parish in nearby Rogersville and currently shares a pastor (parochial administrator) with that parish. The church itself sits along Highway 33 north of the Sneedville town center, in a converted building that long served another purpose before being fitted out as a worship space with folding chairs rather than pews.
- Established
- 1981 (as a mission of St. Henry Parish; previously a mission of St. Patrick, Morristown)
- Patron
- St. James the Apostle
- Rector
- Father Tim O'Toole (Parochial Administrator, appointed June 2025; a priest of the Diocese of Palm Beach, Fla., ordained 1989)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Knoxville
Why belong here
St. James the Apostle is a small, close-knit Catholic community in rural Hancock County where, as parishioner Joe Greenleaf puts it, 'instead of sending a missionary to Africa, our parish has a missionary who has come from Africa.' Worship is intentionally simple — folding chairs, a converted storefront along Highway 33, and a regular congregation of about 10 to 12 — but it is faithful and growing: the parish welcomed six people into the Church at Easter 2023. Visitors, returning Catholics, and anyone curious about the Catholic faith are warmly welcomed, and the parish works hand-in-hand with St. Henry Parish in Rogersville (about 25 miles away) and the local Knights of Columbus Council 8860 for support, fellowship, and outreach to Sneedville and surrounding communities.
Mass times at St. James the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Thursday 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Third Thursday only)
Parish Overview
St. James the Apostle is a Roman-Latin rite Catholic parish in the Diocese of Knoxville, located on Highway 33 north of Sneedville in rural Hancock County, Tennessee. The East Tennessee Catholic has repeatedly described it as the smallest parish in the diocese, with Sunday Mass attendance that has hovered between roughly eight and twelve people in recent years. Despite its size, the parish remains an active and welcoming Catholic presence in a county where Catholics are a small minority among predominantly Protestant neighbors.
- Type: Parish (Roman-Latin rite)
- Diocese: Knoxville
- Deanery: Five Rivers
- Typical Sunday attendance: 8–12
- Approximate membership (2019): about 25
History & Background
St. James began as a mission of St. Patrick Parish in Morristown. In 1981, when the Greeneville-area mission was elevated to parish status and named St. Henry in Rogersville, St. James was reassigned to become a mission of St. Henry. From that point on, St. James and St. Henry have been administered together and have shared a pastor. The worship space itself is a converted storefront — formerly a liquor store — along Main Street / Highway 33, fitted out with folding chairs and modest heating and cooling rather than a purpose-built sanctuary.
- Pre-1981: mission of St. Patrick, Morristown
- 1981: became mission of newly established St. Henry Parish, Rogersville
- Building: former liquor store converted into a church
- No permanent pews; folding chairs are used
Mass & Worship Schedule
Because St. James is so small, Mass and other devotions are scheduled only a couple of times each week. The published schedule (per diocesan and aggregator listings) shows Sunday Mass at noon and a weekday Mass once a month on the third Thursday at 3:00 PM. Eucharistic Adoration is offered on the same third Thursday immediately before that Mass.
- Sunday Mass: 12:00 PM
- Weekday Mass: Thursday 3:00 PM (Third Thursday only)
- Eucharistic Adoration: Thursday 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Third Thursday only)
- Reconciliation, Baptisms, Weddings, Anointing of the Sick: by arrangement with the pastor
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
St. James is currently cared for as part of a two-parish cluster with St. Henry in Rogersville. Father Tim O'Toole, a priest of the Diocese of Palm Beach, was named parochial administrator of both parishes in June 2025. Previous shared pastors of St. Henry and St. James include Father Bartholomew 'Bart' Okere (2019–mid-2024, a Nigerian priest and Tennessee state Knights of Columbus chaplain), Father Joe Campbell (2015 until his death on Oct. 20, 2016), and — for the summer of 2024 — Father Michael Cummins of St. Dominic, Kingsport, who celebrated Masses at both parishes in the interim.
- Current Parochial Administrator: Father Tim O'Toole (since June 2025)
- Previous pastor: Father Bartholomew 'Bart' Okere (2019–June 2024)
- Interim: Father Michael Cummins (summer 2024)
- Earlier pastor: Father Joe Campbell (2015–Oct. 2016)
Parish Life & Ministries
Although it is tiny, St. James runs an active religious-education program led by parishioner Joe Greenleaf as Director of Religious Education, and it draws strong support from the local Knights of Columbus Council 8860 in Rogersville. The Knights have set up outdoor tents and sound systems for overflow crowds, hosted receptions, and helped with community outreach. Parishioners also speak openly about welcoming non-Catholic neighbors — at one Sunday Mass celebrated by Father Okere, a Lutheran congregation was even using St. Henry (the parish's sister church) for its own 4–5 PM Sunday service, an example of the friendly ecumenical spirit in the area.
- Religious Education / RCIA — Director Joe Greenleaf
- Knights of Columbus Council 8860 (Rogersville) — Grand Knight Bill Hewitt, Warden Stephen Derosia
- Parish fellowship and community outreach in Sneedville and Hancock County
Sacraments
Sacramental preparation is handled through the pastor, who serves both St. James and St. Henry in Rogersville. Couples are asked to begin marriage preparations several months ahead and to take part in the marriage-preparation program; parents are expected to prepare in advance for their child's Baptism; and the Anointing of the Sick is available on request. Reconciliation (confession) is generally arranged through the pastor; the St. Henry parish in Rogersville publishes Wednesday confessions from 4:15 PM until Mass time.
- Baptism: parental preparation required, arrangements made in advance
- Matrimony: several months of preparation plus the marriage-preparation program
- Anointing of the Sick: upon request
- Reconciliation: by arrangement; or Wednesday 4:15 PM at St. Henry, Rogersville
Visits & Notable Moments
In April 2022, St. James received an unexpected crowd when the entire eighth-grade class of St. Matthew School in Franklin, Tennessee, traveled to the area on a mission trip. About 50 students, teachers and parents attended the noon Sunday Mass, which was celebrated outdoors under a tent erected by the Knights of Columbus Council 8860 with an outdoor speaker system. The visitors also partnered with a Lebanon, Tennessee, group to run a community carnival at the old Sneedville High School and helped with work projects for Sneedville residents.
- April 24, 2022: 50 students from St. Matthew School (Franklin, TN) attended noon Mass
- Knights of Columbus Council 8860 hosted an outdoor tent and reception
- Students also helped with a community carnival and service projects in Sneedville
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Bartholomew 'Bart' Okere2019–June 2024
From Nigeria; also pastor of St. Henry, Rogersville; Tennessee state Knights of Columbus chaplain.
- Father Michael CumminsSummer 2024 (interim)
Pastor of St. Dominic, Kingsport; celebrated Masses at St. Henry and St. James while a new assignment was arranged.
- Father Tim O'TooleJune 2025–present
Parochial administrator; priest of the Diocese of Palm Beach ordained 1989; previously ministered in the Five Rivers Deanery at St. Mary Johnson City, St. Dominic Kingsport and St. Anne Bristol.
- Father Joe Campbell2015–Oct. 20, 2016
Died Oct. 20, 2016 after a lengthy illness; remembered as the diocese's 'gentle giant' — 6 ft 8 in. — who also celebrated boat Masses on Tellico and Norris lakes.