About St. Stephen · Old Hickory, Tennessee
St. Stephen Catholic Community is a Roman Catholic parish in Old Hickory, Tennessee, just east of Nashville, within the Diocese of Nashville. The parish serves roughly 1,800 households and offers a robust schedule of daily and Sunday Masses, including a Saturday Vigil, three Sunday Masses, a Wednesday evening Mass, and a Friday noon Mass, with the 8:30 AM Sunday Mass livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. The parish operates a full sacramental and faith-formation program — baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, marriage, RCIA, and Anointing of the Sick — together with ministries for children, youth (EDGE and Life Teen), adults, and outreach to those in need.
- Established
- 1942
- Patron
- St. Stephen (the Protomartyr)
- Rector
- Father Zachaeus Kirangu
- Diocese
- Diocese of Nashville
Why belong here
St. Stephen is a generational parish with deep roots in Old Hickory — founded in 1942 to serve Catholic families in the old du Pont company town — and today welcomes about 1,800 households from across Nashville's eastern suburbs with a full sacramental life, daily Mass, livestreamed Sunday worship, and a uniquely active stewardship of lay ministers. Whether you're seeking strong faith formation for children (EDGE middle-school program and Life Teen) and Confirmation preparation, outreach through the Elizabeth Ministry to moms and families, or simply a priest and deacons who know your name, St. Stephen offers the rhythms of a neighborhood Catholic parish with multiple Sunday Masses that fit any schedule.
Mass times at St. Stephen
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM (immediately following the 6:00 PM Mass)
- Saturday: 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM (before the 5:00 PM Vigil Mass)
- By appointment — call the parish office at 615-758-2424
About St. Stephen Catholic Community
St. Stephen Catholic Community is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Nashville serving Old Hickory, Tennessee — and the broader eastern Nashville suburbs including Hermitage and Mt. Juliet — with Mass celebrated multiple times each week and a full sacramental and formation program. The parish describes itself as a vibrant community of approximately 1,800 households, anchored in its 1942 founding and its dedication to St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and on Fridays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM; after-hours sacramental emergencies are directed to 615-288-4462 or 615-288-4397.
- Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Nashville
- Founded July 1, 1942 by Bishop William L. Adrian
- Roughly 1,800 registered households
- Office phone: 615-758-2424
History & Patron
St. Stephen traces its origins to the Catholic families who settled in the company town of Old Hickory, built by the E.I. du Pont Company to house workers at its nearby powder plant along the Cumberland River. As the Catholic community grew through the first decades of the 20th century, Bishop William L. Adrian, the Seventh Bishop of Nashville, gave it physical boundaries and named the new mission St. Stephen on July 1, 1942. The patron — St. Stephen — is venerated as the Protomartyr, the first Christian martyr, whose feast the universal Church celebrates on December 26. The Diocese of Nashville formally honors St. Stephen as the patron of St. Stephen Church in Old Hickory.
- Roots in the E.I. du Pont Company town of Old Hickory
- Established by decree on July 1, 1942
- Bishop William L. Adrian, Seventh Bishop of Nashville, founded the parish
- Patron: St. Stephen the Protomartyr (feast day December 26)
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Stephen runs an extensive Faith Formation program for children and youth that mirrors the rhythm of the parish liturgical calendar. Classes meet Sunday evenings from 6:15 to 7:30 PM, September through May. Sacramental preparation is integrated into the program: First Reconciliation and First Eucharist are typically received after two years of formation (1st and 2nd grade), and Confirmation is a two-year journey beginning in 7th grade, with the sacrament conferred in 8th grade each spring on the Bishop's schedule.
- PSR classes Sundays 6:15–7:30 PM, September–May
- First Holy Communion & Reconciliation — two-year preparation in 1st and 2nd grade
- Confirmation preparation — 7th and 8th grade youth, sacrament in spring
- Adult Confirmation inquiries — contact Scott Goudeau
- RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) — contact parish office
Youth Ministry — EDGE & Life Teen
St. Stephen's middle-school ministry, EDGE, gathers 6th through 8th graders around the Gospels, the sacraments, and the works of mercy. The high-school ministry, Life Teen, continues that formation through the teen years. Each year the two programs partner for an Urban Plunge — a day-long service trip from Hermitage into downtown Nashville that puts students face-to-face with the seven Corporal Works of Mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, visiting the imprisoned, and burying the dead at Nashville's historic Calvary Cemetery. Sites visited include a youth prison, a clothing closet, Room in the Inn, and McKendree Health Care Center.
- EDGE: middle-school faith formation and youth ministry for grades 6–8
- Life Teen: high-school youth ministry
- Annual Urban Plunge — downtown Nashville service day
- Summer middle-school camp at Hidden Lake, Dahlonega, GA (late June / early July)
- Social activities: corn maze, Nashville Sounds game, laser tag, ice skating
- Director of Religious Formation: Greg Karn
- Director of Youth Ministry: Angie Bosio — 615-758-2424 ext. 113
Elizabeth Ministry
The Elizabeth Ministry is an outreach of St. Stephen Catholic Community that follows the example of Mary and Elizabeth by walking with women through the joys, challenges, and sorrows of family life. Ministers with similar life experiences offer personal visits during and after pregnancy, while other team members provide meals, prayer, and practical assistance. The ministry exists to honor life, cherish children, encourage families, uphold the sanctity of marriage, and build community.
- Monthly gatherings — 3rd Monday of January, March, May, September, November at 7 PM in the MPR
- 'Mom Time' free babysitting — 3rd Tuesday of the month, 8 AM to noon, for ages Newborn–5
- Babysitters are Diocese of Nashville Safe Environment certified
- Director: Theresa Bradley — 615-579-4341
- Visitation Coordinator: Carole Miller — 570-269-6094
Liturgical Ministries
Lay Catholics in good standing who have received Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist and are 18 or older may be trained and commissioned as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. The parish welcomes registered parishioners to this ministry after a brief training and commissioning. The parish also relies on musicians and singers who serve the weekend Vigil and Sunday Masses.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC) — coordinator Deacon Steve Molnar, 615-604-6059
- Requirements: registered parishioner, training session, commissioning
- Sacred Music / Choir serves Sunday and Vigil Masses
Stewardship
The parish's ministries-and-stewardship page frames lay involvement as the lifeblood of parish life — from EMHC to youth ministry to the Elizabeth Ministry and beyond. The parish encourages parishioners to discern their gifts and to connect with one of these ministries.
- Time, talent, and treasure discernment
- Stewardship contact via the parish office
Sacraments
St. Stephen celebrates all seven sacraments with clear preparation paths for each. Parents attend a baptism-preparation class the third Tuesday of each month in the Worship Center before their child's baptism. Children in 2nd grade prepare for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist after two years in Faith Formation. Confirmation is a two-year journey for 7th and 8th graders, with the sacrament conferred by the Bishop each spring. The sacrament of Marriage begins with contacting the parish office soon after engagement; St. Stephen priests or deacons can officiate, and reception space is available. The sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick can be arranged through the parish office during business hours, with after-hours sacramental emergencies directed to dedicated phone lines.
- Baptism — parents' class 3rd Tuesday, 7:00 PM, Worship Center. Contact Mary Karn, 615-758-2424
- First Eucharist & First Reconciliation — 2nd grade
- Confirmation — 8th grade (spring). Youth contact: Greg Karn; adult contact: Scott Goudeau
- Confession — see Reconciliation schedule
- Anointing of the Sick — call parish office; after-hours line 615-288-4462 / 615-288-4397
- Matrimony — contact office soon after engagement
Clergy & Staff
He is assisted by Fr. Patrick Kibby (recently reassigned as Senior Priest at St. Henry Church in Nashville, while retaining his role as Vicar for Priests for the Diocese of Nashville). The parish is also served by permanent deacons, including Deacon Tom Samoray and Deacon Steve Molnar (who coordinates the EMHC ministry). Lay staff coordinate Faith Formation (Greg Karn), Youth Ministry (Angie Bosio), and the Elizabeth Ministry (Theresa Bradley and Carole Miller).
- Senior Priest in residence: Fr. Patrick Kibby (former pastor, Vicar for Priests)
- Deacon Tom Samoray
- Deacon Steve Molnar — EMHC coordinator, 615-604-6059
- Director of Religious Formation: Greg Karn
- Director of Youth Ministry: Angie Bosio, 615-758-2424 ext. 113
- Elizabeth Ministry: Theresa Bradley (615-579-4341), Carole Miller (570-269-6094)
- Baptism prep contact: Mary Karn, 615-758-2424
Visit & Contact
St. Stephen Catholic Community sits at 14544 Lebanon Road in Old Hickory, Tennessee, just east of Nashville. The parish office is open Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and on Fridays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Mass is offered daily (see schedule) and the sacrament of Reconciliation is heard on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons.
- Address: 14544 Lebanon Road, Old Hickory, TN 37138
- Phone: 615-758-2424
- Office hours: M–Th 9:00 AM–4:00 PM; F 9:00 AM–1:00 PM
- After-hours Sacramental Emergency: 615-288-4462 or 615-288-4397
- Website: http://saintstephencommunity.org/
- Facebook: saintstephencommunity
- YouTube: live-streamed 8:30 AM Sunday Mass
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Patrick Kibby1997–1999, 2009–2020
Ordained July 1, 1984 at the Cathedral of the Incarnation; twice pastor of St. Stephen; also served as Rector/Pastor of the Cathedral of the Incarnation and as Associate Pastor at St. Edward, Holy Rosary, St. Joseph in Madison, and the Cathedral.
- Rev. Davis Chackaleckel, M.S.F.S.2020–present (6-year term)
Member of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales; ordained November 9, 1980 at St. Raphael Cathedral.