About St. Jude the Apostle · Martin, Tennessee
St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church is a bilingual Roman Catholic parish serving the small city of Martin in northwest Tennessee, situated within the Northern Deanery of the Diocese of Memphis. Established in 1968, the parish has grown to approximately 575 parishioners from 210 households and serves both the local Martin community and the University of Tennessee at Martin through its Skyhawk Catholic Campus Ministry. With a Sunday schedule that pairs an English Mass with a fully Spanish liturgy, plus weekday Masses and Eucharistic Adoration, St. Jude is the spiritual home for a diverse Catholic population in Weakley County. Its longtime pastor, Very Rev. Carl Gregorich, V.F., leads the parish alongside Deacon Rodney Freed, who, with his wife Stacy, also directs the campus ministry at the adjacent UT Martin Newman Center.
- Established
- 1966 (as a mission); 1984 (elevated to parish status)
- Patron
- St. Jude the Apostle
- Rector
- Very Rev. Carl Gregorich, V.F.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Memphis
Why belong here
St. Jude the Apostle offers a warm, bilingual Catholic home in northwest Tennessee, where English- and Spanish-speaking families worship side by side at Sunday Mass. The parish combines the intimacy of a smaller community — about 575 parishioners across 210 households — with the energy of a thriving campus ministry serving the University of Tennessee at Martin through the new Newman Center. With daily and Sunday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, religious education for children and youth, OCIA for adults, and a music program led by Phillip Shelton and Jordan Reynolds, St. Jude provides ample ways to grow in faith and get involved.
Mass times at St. Jude the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM (during Eucharistic Adoration)
- Other times by appointment — call the church office at (731) 587-9777
Adoration times
- Wednesday 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM
Parish History
The Catholic presence in Martin, Tennessee began in 1966 when Fr. John V. Scola, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Union City, established a mission chapel for the Catholics of Weakley County. For nearly two decades the community was served as the St. Jude Chapel by missionary priests from Immaculate Conception, including Fr. William R. Regenold and, beginning in 1974, Fr. Paul W. St. Charles. On June 20, 1984, the mission was formally elevated to a parish, St. Jude the Apostle, and Fr. William F. Burke was appointed its first resident pastor. The parish now numbers about 575 parishioners from 210 households and sits within the Northern Deanery of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis.
- 1966 — St. Jude Chapel mission founded under Immaculate Conception, Union City
- 1971 — Falls under new Diocese of Memphis (Bishop Carroll T. Dozier)
- June 20, 1984 — Elevated to parish status; Fr. William F. Burke named first pastor
- Today — ~575 parishioners across 210 households, bilingual ministry
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Very Rev. Carl Gregorich, V.F., Pastor, who also serves as Dean of the Northern Deanery for the Diocese of Memphis. He is assisted by Deacon Rodney Freed, who serves as Communications director and as a campus minister. The parish staff and ministry coordinators include Stacy Freed (Director of Religious Education and campus minister), Claudia Campos (DRE), Alesia McDonough (Secretary/Bookkeeper), and Music Directors Phillip Shelton and Jordan Reynolds.
- Very Rev. Carl Gregorich, V.F. — Pastor
- Deacon Rodney Freed — Deacon, Communications, Campus Minister
- Stacy Freed — Director of Religious Education; O.C.I.A.; Campus Minister (UT Martin)
- Claudia Campos — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Alesia McDonough — Secretary/Bookkeeper ([email protected])
- Phillip Shelton — Music Director
- Jordan Reynolds — Music Director
Parish Office
The parish office is staffed Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and is closed on Fridays. Appointments for confession or pastoral needs outside of office hours can be made by calling (731) 587-9777.
- Monday – Thursday: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Friday: Closed
- Phone: (731) 587-9777
- Email: [email protected]
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Parish Religious Education (PRE) at St. Jude welcomes children from age four through high school and provides the catechetical foundation for the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation. Classes resume each fall (the 2025–2026 program began September 7), with a $40 per-student registration fee ($20 sacramental-prep fee, $120 family maximum). Online registration is available via the parish website, and in-person registration is held at the church after Sunday Masses. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (O.C.I.A.), the modern name for the RCIA process, is coordinated by Stacy Freed for adults seeking full communion with the Catholic Church.
- PRE classes for ages 4 through high school
- Sacramental preparation for Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation
- O.C.I.A. (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — contact Stacy Freed
- Registration: $40/student; $20 sacramental prep; $120 family maximum
Skyhawk Catholic Campus Ministry & Newman Center
Skyhawk Catholic Campus Ministry is a ministry of St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church that serves Catholic students at the University of Tennessee at Martin. Catholic campus life at UT Martin traces back to the Interfaith Center on Moody Street; in 2011 the pastor of St. Jude worked with parish members who were UT Martin faculty and university officials to have the ministry recognized as a registered UT Martin student organization. After years of meeting at the parish, Skyhawk Catholic opened its first-ever dedicated home in September 2024 — the Newman Center at 114 Hannings Lane, a former private residence purchased in November 2023 and renovated through 2024, blessed by Bishop David P. Talley. The Newman Center includes a chapel, study room, gathering space, dining area, and kitchen.
- Campus Ministers: Deacon Rodney Freed and Stacy Freed (UT Martin faculty)
- Sunday: Prayer, dinner, and Bible Study beginning at 4:30 PM
- Thursday: Prayer and fellowship at 7:00 PM
- Small groups, Catholic Conversations, game nights, movie nights
- Approximately 20 active student members
- Web: skyhawkcatholic.org
Music & Liturgy
Music at St. Jude is coordinated by Music Directors Phillip Shelton and Jordan Reynolds. The parish supports the sung liturgy at both the English and Spanish Sunday Masses and at weekday celebrations.
- Music Director: Phillip Shelton
- Music Director: Jordan Reynolds
Sacraments & Sacramental Preparation
St. Jude the Apostle prepares parishioners for the sacraments of Christian initiation — Baptism, Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation — through its Parish Religious Education program and the O.C.I.A. process for adults. Couples preparing for marriage and families seeking Baptism should contact the parish office to schedule preparation.
- Baptism — preparation through the parish office
- Reconciliation — Wednesday 4:30–5:15 PM and by appointment
- First Communion & Confirmation — sacramental prep via PRE
- Marriage — contact the parish office
- O.C.I.A. — for adults entering full communion
Getting Involved & Contact
Parishioners and visitors can connect with St. Jude the Apostle through Sunday Mass, weekday worship, Eucharistic Adoration, religious education, or the Skyhawk Catholic campus ministry at UT Martin. The parish is located at 435 Moody Avenue in Martin, TN, with office hours Monday through Thursday, 9 AM to 2 PM.
- Address: 435 Moody Avenue, Martin, TN 38237
- Phone: (731) 587-9777
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.stjudemartin.org
- Skyhawk Catholic: www.skyhawkcatholic.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. William F. Burke1984–
First resident pastor of St. Jude the Apostle when the mission was elevated to parish status on June 20, 1984