About St. Thomas Aquinas · Cookeville, Tennessee
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church is a vibrant Roman Catholic parish in Cookeville, Tennessee, serving approximately 650 families across Putnam, Overton, and Jackson counties in the Upper Cumberland region. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Nashville and offers Mass in both English and Spanish, including a daily 8:00 AM weekday Mass and a full Sunday schedule. Currently led by Fr. Vimal Backiyaraj, C.P. (a Passionist priest), the parish is home to University Catholic at Tennessee Tech (UCAT), a robust religious education program for children, and a wide network of lay ministries including the Knights of Columbus, Daughters of Isabella, and the Saint Thomas Outreach Program (STOP) for local families in financial need.
- Established
- 1951
- Patron
- St. Thomas Aquinas
- Rector
- Fr. Vimal Backiyaraj, C.P.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Nashville
Why belong here
St. Thomas Aquinas offers a full Catholic life in both English and Spanish, with a busy weekly Mass schedule (three Sunday Masses, daily 8 AM Mass, and a Saturday Vigil), Saturday confessions, and an open weekday chapel for personal prayer. The parish runs a complete faith formation program for children (K–8), sacramental preparation over two years, OCIA for adults and children, the Totus Tuus summer program, and University Catholic (UCAT) for the many students from nearby Tennessee Tech. Outreach is concrete and local: the Saint Thomas Outreach Program (STOP) helps Putnam, Overton, and Jackson County neighbors with rent, mortgage, and utility bills, and the Haiti Ministry extends that charity internationally.
Mass times at St. Thomas Aquinas
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM to 3:50 PM
- Thursday: 4:30 PM to 5:20 PM (when UCAT TN Tech is in session)
Adoration times
- Chapel open Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (designated chapel entrance doors; wooden doors locked for entry)
Parish History
Catholicism came to Putnam County, Tennessee, in the 1930s through the family of William P. Morris. A priest from Harriman traveled to Cookeville to celebrate Mass in the Moran family home on the fifth Sunday of each month. By the late 1960s the small community of 43 families had grown enough to plant mission parishes across the Upper Cumberland — Crossville, Sparta, Smithville, and Celina. Today St. Thomas Aquinas serves roughly 650 families spread across three counties, and remains a bilingual parish with strong campus ministry at Tennessee Tech.
- 1930s: William P. Morris family brings the Catholic faith to Putnam County
- Late 1930s–1940s: Monthly Mass celebrated in the Moran family home
- Christmas Eve 1950: First Mass in the basement of the new church building
- May 6, 1951: Parish dedicated; Fr. Joseph Julius installed as first pastor with 11 founding families
- Late 1960s: Parish helps establish missions in Crossville, Sparta, Smithville, and Celina
- Mid-1990s to 2001: Registered families grow from ~200 to 400+
- Today: Approximately 650 families served across Jackson, Overton, and Putnam counties
Patron Saint: St. Thomas Aquinas
The parish is named for St. Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225–1274), the Dominican priest, philosopher, and theologian known as the Angelic Doctor and patron of students and Catholic schools. His feast day is celebrated on January 28, commemorating the 1369 translation of his relics to Toulouse, France, by order of Pope Urban V. The parish invokes his patronage in its identity as a community that values both faith and reason — and one that welcomes the many students of nearby Tennessee Technological University.
- Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
- Patron of students and universities
- Feast day: January 28
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is served by Fr. Vimal Backiyaraj, C.P., a Passionist priest, as Pastor, alongside a Parochial Vicar. A lay staff of about ten ministers and coordinators handles faith formation, sacred music, youth ministry, campus ministry, communications, facilities, and bookkeeping. The full directory with phone extensions is published on the parish's Ministry Team page.
- Fr. Vimal Backiyaraj, C.P. — Pastor (ext. 103; [email protected])
- Parochial Vicar
- Violeta Juan — Director of Faith Formation (ext. 105)
- Jackie Vester — Director of Sacred Music (ext. 306)
- Youth Ministry Director (ext. 106)
- Christopher Sittig — UCAT Coordinator of Campus Ministry (ext. 107; [email protected])
- Anna Schwartz — Communication Coordinator (ext. 108 / ext. 216 for bulletin)
- Gabby Reed — Bookkeeper (ext. 102)
- Sarah Anderson — Receptionist
- Facilities Director
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Thomas Aquinas offers a comprehensive, parish-centered faith formation program serving every age — adults, young adults, teens, and children — with formation rooted in Scripture, Church teaching, and the sacraments. The parish provides free access to the Catholic streaming service FORMED (parish code 'Saint Thomas Aquinas Cookeville').
- Adult Faith Formation: seasonal and year-round Bible study and faith-sharing groups
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults): offered in English and Spanish for adults seeking to become Catholic
- OCIA adapted for Children age 7+ needing Baptism
- Children's Religious Education for K–8 in Aquinas Hall (education building)
- Sunday K–4 and First Sacraments prep: 9:15–10:15 AM
- Wednesday 5th–8th grade and Confirmation prep: 6:30–8:00 PM
- 2-year Sacramental Preparation for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation
- Totus Tuus — one-week summer catechetical program (Vacation Bible School-style) for students entering 1st grade through high school
- Free parish access to FORMED Catholic streaming
Youth & University Ministry
The parish invests heavily in the young. Its Youth Ministry runs the Life Teen program for teenagers, while University Catholic at TN Tech (UCAT) reaches the large student body of nearby Tennessee Technological University with weekly fellowship, meals, faith sharing, and discussion.
- Life Teen — high-school youth ministry
- UCAT — University Catholic at TN Tech; meets Thursdays at 6:00 PM in Fellowship Hall for a meal and discussion, plus other events
- Totus Tuus summer program for incoming 1st grade through high school
Parish Organizations & Fellowship
Parishioners stay connected through both longstanding Catholic fraternal organizations and parish-grown fellowship ministries. The Coffee & Donut Ministry welcomes visitors and members after the Sunday 8:00 AM Mass in the Parish Hall, while the Welcome Committee helps newcomers feel at home. The annual Fall Festival brings the parish together for food, games, and music.
- Knights of Columbus
- Daughters of Isabella (Catholic women, age 16+)
- Lay Salvator
- Bereavement Committee (meals for grieving families and out-of-town guests)
- Coffee & Donut Ministry (after Sunday 8:00 AM Mass in Parish Hall)
- Welcome Committee
- Fall Festival (annual parish-wide event)
Outreach & Charity
The parish takes the Works of Mercy seriously. Its signature outreach is the Saint Thomas Outreach Program (STOP), which provides one-time financial assistance for rent, mortgage, or utility bills to neighbors in Putnam, Overton, or Jackson County. Internationally, the Haiti Ministry raises funds and provides goods and services to impoverished communities in Haiti.
- STOP (Saint Thomas Outreach Program) — temporary rent/mortgage/utility assistance
- STOP in-person interviews: Tuesday 10:00–11:15 AM in the Fr. McGivney Room, Parish Hall
- STOP help line: (931) 526-2575 ext. 250 (voicemail; responded to within ~48 hours)
- Haiti Ministry — fundraising and material support for communities in Haiti
- Bereavement Committee — meals and practical help for grieving families
Communications & Parish Life
The parish communicates through a weekly bulletin, the myParish app (for announcements, Mass reminders, and Confession reminders), the parish website, and its Facebook page. Bulletin announcement requests are due to the Communications Coordinator by noon on the Tuesday before the weekend.
- Weekly parish bulletin (requests to [email protected])
- myParish app — Catholic engagement and reminders
- Parish website: stacookeville.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/stacoookeville
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joseph Julius1951 (founding)
First pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas; served the 11 founding families at the parish's dedication on May 6, 1951.