About St. Peter · Memphis, Tennessee
St. Peter Catholic Church is the oldest Roman Catholic parish in West Tennessee, founded in 1840 in downtown Memphis on the corner of Adams Avenue and B.B. King Boulevard. Served continuously by Dominican Friars since 1846, the parish embodies the four pillars of Dominican spirituality — Prayer, Study, Community, and Preaching — and shares its grounds with the St. Martin de Porres National Shrine & Institute. The present Gothic Revival church, designed by eminent 19th-century architect Patrick Charles Keely and completed in 1855, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains one of the oldest surviving buildings in Memphis.
- Established
- 1840
- Patron
- St. Peter (the Apostle)
- Rector
- Rev. Scott O'Brien, O.P.
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Memphis (Western Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Peter offers a rare combination in Memphis: a downtown, historic parish grounded in nearly two centuries of Catholic life and over 175 continuous years of Dominican preaching and witness. With daily Mass in the St. Martin de Porres Shrine Chapel, lively Sunday liturgies including a Family Mass and Children's Liturgy of the Word, active adult faith formation (book clubs, lecture series, pastor's forums), OCIA for those exploring the Catholic faith, youth ministry for grades 7–12, and tangible outreach through the Sandwich Ministry and Angel Tree, there is a genuine place to pray, learn, serve, and belong.
Mass times at St. Peter
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Friday: 11:30 AM (St. Martin de Porres Shrine Chapel)
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM (Church)
Parish History
Founded in 1840 as the first Catholic parish in West Tennessee and entrusted to the Dominican Order in 1846, St. Peter grew from a modest brick church (30 × 70 feet, completed 1843) into the mother church that seeded St. Agnes Academy, St. Peter Orphanage, and Christian Brothers University. The present Gothic Revival sanctuary was built 1852–1855 around the original walls and dedicated in 1858. The parish has endured yellow fever plagues, fires, and the rise and fall of downtown Memphis — and continues daily to worship in one of the city's oldest surviving buildings.
- 1840 – Father Michael McAleer named first pastor
- 1841 – Block 409 of original Memphis conveyed to Bishop Miles
- 1842–43 – First brick church built
- 1846 – Dominican Order takes charge; Fr. Joseph Sadoc Alemany, O.P. arrives (later first Archbishop of San Francisco)
- 1852–55 – Present Gothic Revival church constructed
- 1858 – Church dedicated by Bishop Miles
- 1873 – Rectory built
- 1891 – Crystal Room and former chapel added
- 2001 – Three-story addition with classrooms, parish hall, choir room (handicapped accessible)
- St. Martin de Porres National Shrine established on-site
Architecture & Worship Space
Patrick Charles Keely, the 19th-century architect responsible for hundreds of Catholic churches in North America, designed St. Peter in the Gothic Revival style. Vaulted ceilings and upward-thrusting arches give the sanctuary its soaring vertical feel, while stained-glass windows narrate events in the life of Christ and several saints. A Casavant Organ rises from the choir loft, leading congregational and choral singing.
- Architect: Patrick Charles Keely
- Style: Gothic Revival with vaulted ceilings
- Stained glass: life of Christ and saints
- Instrument: Casavant Organ (choir loft)
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Dominican Heritage & Four Pillars
Served continuously by Dominican Friars since 1846, St. Peter embraces the four pillars of Dominican spirituality — Prayer, Study, Community, and Preaching — in its pastoral mission. Parish programs such as the Adult Faith Formation lecture series, the Pastor's Forum during Lent, book clubs on saints and spiritual writers, and the A Biblical Walk through the Mass study reflect the Order's strong commitment to intellectual and spiritual formation.
- Prayer — daily Mass, Rosary on Zoom, devotions
- Study — adult lecture series, book club, pastor forums
- Community — socials, parish feast day, Coffee & Donuts
- Preaching — Sundays, daily Mass, OCIA instruction
St. Martin de Porres National Shrine & Institute
Housed in the chapel added during the 2001 expansion, the St. Martin de Porres National Shrine & Institute honors the 16th-century Dominican brother who is the patron saint of social justice. The Shrine is open daily for prayer and sponsors various events throughout the year. Daily Mass at 12:05 PM is celebrated in its chapel.
- Location: on the parish campus, accessed from the B.B. King gate
- Phone: (901) 578-2643
- Website: www.stmartinshrine.org
- Open daily for prayer
- Honors St. Martin de Porres, O.P., patron of social justice
Adult Faith Formation
Adult Faith Formation meets Sunday mornings at 9:45 between the two Sunday Masses and ranges across book clubs on saints (St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Teresa of Avila, Edith Stein, St. Catherine of Siena), pastor-led forums for Lent, studies of papal documents, and topical series such as 'Science, Creation, and the Fall' and 'A Biblical Walk through the Mass' over the summer. The Parish Book Club gathers once a month in the Conference Room with a Zoom option.
- Sunday Mornings at 9:45 between the Masses
- Book Club (monthly Sunday mornings)
- Pastor's Forum for Lent
- Studies on papal documents (e.g., Dilexi Te)
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for Adults
Becoming Catholic (OCIA)
St. Peter welcomes inquirers through OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults — the new name, since 2025, for the former RCIA). Sessions meet Wednesday evenings in the Parish Hall, beginning with dinner and fellowship at 6:30 PM, followed by prayer and teaching from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. The OCIA team also helps adult Catholics who were baptized but never confirmed, and provides information for interfaith couples considering Catholic marriage.
- Wednesday evenings: dinner 6:30 PM, session 7:00–8:30 PM
- Open to inquirers — no obligation to join
- OCIA Director: Christina Klyce ([email protected])
- Adult Confirmation preparation available
Children, Teens & Family
Young families are well supported: a nursery is provided during Sunday Masses, Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered each Sunday during the 11:00 Mass for children ages 3–10, and a monthly Family Mass invites children and teens to serve as lectors and ushers while the Children's Choir sings during the Offertory. Youth in grades 7–12 gather at 9:30 on Sundays for Bible study and faith formation, with additional fellowship and service events through the month. Confirmation is prepared over a two-year process.
- Nursery during Sunday Masses
- Children's Liturgy of the Word at 11:00 Mass
- Monthly Family Mass with Children's Choir
- Youth Ministry (grades 7–12): Sundays at 9:30
- Two-year Confirmation preparation
- Teens serve as lectors, ushers, singers, greeters, Eucharistic Ministers (18+)
Outreach & Hospitality
Outreach is concrete and hands-on: the Sandwich Ministry provides meals, Angel Tree supports children of incarcerated parents at Christmas, and parishioners assist Catholic Charities. Hospitality is woven through the week with socials after the Saturday 5 PM Mass, coffee/donuts/fruit after the 8:30 Sunday Mass, and socials after the 11:00 Mass — along with dinners and receptions hosted by the Women's Guild and OCIA teams.
- Sandwich Ministry
- Angel Tree (Christmas outreach)
- Catholic Charities outreach
- Women's Guild (hosts, refreshments)
- Post-Mass socials and coffee
Liturgical Ministries to Join
Parishioners are encouraged to share their gifts through a wide range of liturgical roles — from Eucharistic Minister and Lector to Livestream Minister and Children's Liturgy of the Word leader. Cantors, choir members, sacristans, altar servers, ushers, and altar cleaners are all listed as Time and Talent sign-up options.
- Eucharistic Minister (incl. homebound/hospitalized)
- Lector, Usher, Sacristan, Altar Server
- Cantor / Choir
- Children's Liturgy of the Word Leader / Music Minister
- Livestream Minister, Altar Cleaners
Parish Staff
Beyond the four resident Dominican Friars, the parish is served by a small lay staff responsible for the parish office, faith formation, music, and accounting. The parish office is open Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
- Office Manager / Accountant — Cecilia Bryant ([email protected])
- Secretary — Lori O'Connor ([email protected])
- Director of Religious Education, Youth Group & OCIA — Christina Klyce ([email protected])
- Faith Formation Assistant — Heather McGuire ([email protected])
- Organist-Choirmaster — Jane Scharding-Smedley ([email protected])
Contact, Location & Accessibility
St. Peter is centrally located at 190 Adams Avenue at B.B. King Boulevard in downtown Memphis, with the parish hall entrance accessed through the courtyard gates. Free parking is available on Adams Avenue and across the street at 201 Adams; meters are free after 6:00 PM. Both the church and the St. Martin Shrine are disabled-access compliant.
- Address: 190 Adams Avenue, Memphis, TN 38103
- Phone: (901) 527-8282 | Fax: (901) 526-6882
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 8 AM–4 PM; Fri 8 AM–1 PM
- St. Martin de Porres Shrine: (901) 578-2643 — stmartinshrine.org
- Both buildings are handicap-accessible
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Michael McAleer1840–c.1846
First pastor, appointed by Bishop Richard Miles, O.P.
- Rev. Joseph Sadoc Alemany, O.P.1846–
Later became first Bishop of Monterey and first Archbishop of San Francisco