About St. Michael · Cedar Hill, Tennessee
St. Michael Catholic Church is a historic mission church nestled in the hills of Robertson County near the tiny community of Flewellyn and the unincorporated village of Cedar Hill, Tennessee, about 35 miles northwest of Nashville and roughly 10 miles south of the Tennessee-Kentucky border. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest Catholic church in continuous operation in the state of Tennessee and its original log structure is the oldest Catholic church building still standing in Tennessee. Today it operates as a mission of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Springfield, serving about 50 families, many of whom can trace their lineage back to the original founding families. The mission shares its parish office, staff, and sacramental schedule with Our Lady of Lourdes, with a single Sunday Mass at 8:00 a.m. celebrated at St. Michael.
- Established
- 1842
- Patron
- St. Michael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Siby Padinjaredath, C.P. (appointed pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes in Springfield, including St. Michael Mission in Cedar Hill, effective June 30, 2025, for a six-year term)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Nashville
Why belong here
St. Michael offers something rare in the American South: a small, multigenerational Catholic community whose roots reach back to the 1840s, where many current families descend from the original founders who bought the land from the Wessyngton plantation. Worshippers gather each Sunday morning in the oldest Catholic church building in continuous use in Tennessee, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and share a monthly parish breakfast, an active Altar Society, an outdoor feast-day Mass at the cemetery altar, and the broader life of Robertson County Catholicism through their twinning with Our Lady of Lourdes in Springfield. It is an ideal home for those who value liturgical tradition, historic sacred architecture, and a close-knit rural parish family.
Mass times at St. Michael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:30 AM – 7:55 AM (immediately before the 8:00 AM Mass)
History of St. Michael
St. Michael's origins lie in four Catholic families — the Byrnes, Redmonds, Traughbers, and Watsons — who settled near Turnersville in Robertson County between 1838 and 1840. In 1842 they bought one acre from the Wessyngton plantation for $5 and conveyed it to Bishop Richard Pius Miles, O.P., who dedicated the original 22-by-32-foot log meetinghouse on May 8, 1842, the Feast of the Apparition of St. Michael, when the site was a stagecoach stop between Nashville and Clarksville. Father Abram Ryan, the 'poet-priest of the Confederacy,' served here in 1864–65, and the parish operated the Saint Michael's Male and Female Academy boarding school from 1846 to 1855, founded by Fr. Louis Hoste.
- 1842 — original log church dedicated by Bishop Richard Pius Miles, O.P. on May 8
- 1846–1855 — Saint Michael's Male and Female Academy boarding school
- 1864–1865 — Father Abram Ryan, 'poet-priest of the Confederacy,' assigned
- 1934–35 — log walls sheathed in clapboard from the Glen Raven Episcopal church; T-shaped addition built
- 1942 — front bell tower added for the centennial; bell also from Glen Raven
- 1942 — Cardinal Samuel Stritch (Nashville native) celebrates the 100th anniversary Mass
- 1973, Aug. 10 — entered in the National Register of Historic Places (No. 73001817)
- 1992 — outdoor altar built in cemetery for the 150th anniversary using stones from the 1840s school
Architecture & Historic Building
The original 1842 log portion of St. Michael is still in use and is the oldest Catholic church building in Tennessee. In 1934–35 the log walls were sheathed in clapboard siding salvaged from the dismantled Episcopal church at Glen Raven, and a large addition gave the building its present T-shaped plan. A front bell tower was erected in 1942 to mark the centennial; the bell hanging in it came from the same Glen Raven church that supplied the siding. The roughly nine-acre property also includes the historic St. Michael Cemetery with its 1992 outdoor altar, built from stones recovered from the foundation of the original 1840s school.
- Original 1842 log structure (22 ft × 32 ft), oldest Catholic church building in Tennessee
- 1934–35 clapboard sheathing from Glen Raven Episcopal church
- 1935 T-shaped addition
- 1942 front bell tower and bell (both from Glen Raven)
- National Register of Historic Places since Aug. 10, 1973 (No. 73001817)
- Historic St. Michael Cemetery with 1992 outdoor altar
Feast Day & Annual Celebrations
Each year the parish gathers to honor its patron. A special feast-day Mass for St. Michael the Archangel is celebrated at 3:00 PM at the outdoor altar in the St. Michael Cemetery, followed by a barbecue cookout. The parish also gathers monthly for fellowship at St. Michael Hall and was featured in the Experience Robertson County heritage event in 2024, when visitors toured the historic church and cemetery.
- Sept. 29 — Feast of St. Michael the Archangel: 3 PM outdoor Mass at the cemetery altar, followed by a barbecue cookout
- Second Sunday of each month — parish breakfast at St. Michael Hall
- Experience Robertson County (annual county heritage day) — open house and cemetery tours
Parish Life & Ministries
St. Michael is a small, multigenerational community of about 50 families, many of whom can trace their lineage back to the original founding families of the 1840s. Lay leadership is organized through the St. Michael Altar Society and through shared faith-formation staff with Our Lady of Lourdes. The parish's Hispanic ministry and overall pastoral care are coordinated out of the Springfield parish office, where the pastor and deacon serve both communities.
- St. Michael Altar Society
- Monthly breakfast fellowship (second Sundays, St. Michael Hall)
- Lector ministry
- Religious Education / Faith Formation (shared with Our Lady of Lourdes; DRE Patricia Pullen)
- Bishop's Annual Appeal for Ministries participation
Clergy & Staff
St. Michael is pastored together with Our Lady of Lourdes in Springfield by the priest appointed to that combined parish. Father Anthony Lopez, who served as pastor through 2024 and into 2025, resigned in June 2025 for health reasons and was succeeded by Rev. Siby Padinjaredath, C.P. (a Passionist), effective June 30, 2025, for a six-year term. The shared parish staff includes a Director of Religious Education and a Finance Coordinator.
- Rev. Siby Padinjaredath, C.P. — pastor (since June 30, 2025)
- Rev. Anthony Lopez — former pastor (resigned June 2025 for health reasons)
- Deacon Mike Morris — parish deacon
- Patricia Pullen — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Mandee Johnson — Finance Coordinator ([email protected])
Cemetery & Outdoor Altar
The historic St. Michael Cemetery adjoins the church and is a focal point of parish life, especially for the annual September 29 feast-day Mass at the outdoor altar. The altar itself was built in 1992 to mark the church's 150th anniversary, constructed from stones salvaged from the foundation of the original 1840s St. Michael School.
- Outdoor altar built 1992 (150th anniversary) from original 1840s school foundation stones
- Sept. 29 feast-day Mass and barbecue at the cemetery altar
- Open for tours during Experience Robertson County heritage events
Diocese & Wider Church Context
St. Michael is a mission church within the Diocese of Nashville, which is led by Bishop J. Mark Spalding. The mission is twinned with Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Springfield, the only other Catholic parish in Robertson County. Bishop Richard Pius Miles, O.P., Nashville's first bishop, was the one who dedicated the original log structure in 1842.
- Diocese of Nashville
- Bishop: Most Rev. J. Mark Spalding
- Twinned with Our Lady of Lourdes, Springfield (the only other Catholic parish in Robertson County)
- Bishop Richard Pius Miles, O.P. — first Bishop of Nashville, dedicated the original 1842 log church
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Bishop Richard Pius Miles, O.P.1842
First Bishop of Nashville; dedicated the original log church on May 8, 1842
- Fr. Louis Hoste1840s
Founded and ran Saint Michael's Male and Female Academy boarding school near the church
- Father Abram Ryan1864–1865
Known as the 'poet-priest of the Confederacy'
- Cardinal Samuel Stritch1942
Native of Nashville; celebrant of the centennial Mass marking 100 years
- Rev. Anthony Lopez
Pastor who oversaw parish expansion at Our Lady of Lourdes and celebration of St. Michael's 182nd anniversary; resigned June 2025 for health reasons
- Rev. Siby Padinjaredath, C.P.2025–
Passionist priest appointed pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Michael Mission effective June 30, 2025, for a six-year term