OUR MISSION
The mission of the Eucharistic Community of St. Peter Catholic Church is the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ by sustaining our historic Dominican traditions and serving the needs of our parishioners and the greater Memphis community.
WELCOME TO ST. PETER
CATHOLIC CHURCH
A Ministry of the Dominican Friars
of the Province of St. Martin de Porres
Happy Easter!
Easter is such a glorious time of year. We celebrate the resurrection of Christ, God’s great victory over sin and death. It’s a time of year in which hope springs forth. Life is springing up all around us; the trees and flowers are in full bloom. In Memphis, the weather is usually very nice with cool nights and warm days, before the heat of the summer settles down upon us.
This Easter at St. Peter we celebrated the entrance of nine members into the Catholic Church. They have been journeying with us for some time now, and we’re glad to have them as full members. These nine people, along with new members throughout the world, are a sign of new life in the church, which some cynics have proclaimed as a dying institution. It’s not true! During the Easter season, we read the story of the spread of the early Church, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. We continue that growth 2000 years later.
There are many other great celebrations during this Easter season. On April 19, our young people will complete the sacraments of initiation as they receive the sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop Steib at the Cathedral. Then, a few days later, on April 22, we will celebrate First Communions. Our children will receive the Body and Blood of the Lord in their lives for the first time. I know our children and young people are excited as they prepare for these sacraments!
We celebrate our mothers on May 13, and give thanks to God for their love in our lives. We also honor our Mother Mary in a special way during the month of May, who continues to intercede for all her children. May also is graduation time. We recognize all our graduates, especially those graduating from high school, college, and those receiving advanced degrees. We thank God for their accomplishments, and ask that he bless all their future paths.
We will continue our adult faith formation classes this Spring, featuring the excellent DVD series “Catholicism” with Fr. Robert Barron. So many adults report that they don’t fully understand the teachings of the church. Fr. Barron’s series is an excellent way to learn, and they are beautifully filmed with locations throughout the world. Join us on Sundays from 9:45-10:45. You can join at any time, even if you haven’t been watching from the beginning.
The Easter season concludes on May 27, with the great feast of Pentecost. Once again, we will plan to celebrate with readings and prayers in different languages, recognizing the universality of the church.
May God bless you all with new life and hope during this Easter season!
Fr. Tom Condon, O.P.
Pastor
Please note: Our website is regularly updated with additional information and photos.
OUR HISTORY
St. Peter Catholic Church, located on the corner of Third Street and Adams in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, traces its origins to the fall of 1840 when Bishop Richard Miles, O.P., the first Bishop of Nashville, appointed Father Michael McAleer as the first pastor of St. Peter. Just one year after the first Catholic mass was celebrated in the parlor of the adjacent Magevny House, the parish opened its doors. The oldest Roman Catholic parish in the region; the present structure is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Memphis.
On October 29, 1841, John S. Claybrook, trustee of Judge John Overton's estate, conveyed block 409 of the original plan of Memphis to Bishop Miles. As a partial donation, the price was made a nominal $500.00, which was generously subscribed by a number of Protestant Memphians as a gift to the Catholic community. In the summer of 1842 a brick church, 30 by 70 feet, was begun. It was completed the following year, reportedly at a cost of $5000.00. Rev. Joseph Sadoc Alemany, O.P. was named the new pastor in 1846 and later became the first Provincial of United States Dominicans, then the first Bishop of Monterey, California, and, finally, was appointed as the first archbishop of San Francisco. The Dominican Order has served continuously at St. Peter since 1846.
Construction of the present church began in 1852 around the intact older original sanctuary and was completed in 1855. Once built, parts of the original church were dismantled and carried out the doors, piece by piece. The new church was dedicated by Bishop Miles in 1858.
With its vaulted ceilings, Gothic characteristics and upward thrusting arches, St. Peter Church is a historical masterpiece and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed by Patrick Charles Keely, an eminent architect, the church's beautiful, stained glass windows narrate the events in the life of Christ and several saints. The beauty of the church is magnified by the Casavant Organ located in the choir loft.
The church has had multiple expansions throughout its many years beginning with the construction of the present rectory in 1873, followed by the addition of the Crystal Room and former chapel in 1891. In 2001, a new 3-story building added six classrooms, parish hall with kitchen, choir room and other meeting facilities, all handicapped accessible.
A new chapel houses the national Shrine of St. Martin de Porres, a sixteenth-century Dominican and the patron saint of social justice. The Shrine is open daily for prayer and also sponsors various events throughout the year.
TODAY: St. Peter Church is a living monument to the Catholic faith, and stands in tribute to the brave Dominicans who, through their compassion and unwavering faith, willingly sacrificed their lives to nurse the victims of epidemics that besieged Memphis in the mid and late 1800's. St. Peter Church has a proud history thanks to the Dominicans and families who have helped to make our parish one of the outstanding historical milestones in Memphis.
St. Peter has grown from a handful of Catholics in its beginning years into a thriving, vibrant congregation of over 650 families. It is our hope that while celebrating the rich history of our parish, that we promote the promise of the future through an increased sense of family, fellowship, and faith.
| LITURGICAL MINISTERS UPDATE!
If you serve as a Lector, Usher, EM, Greeter and:
1. you do NOT wish to be scheduled for the next quarter (July/August/ September) - or
2. wish to serve at a different Mass time than presently - or
3. need to make any changes in your contact information -
please notify Brenda in the parish office no later than June 1:
bpryor5@bellsouth.net or (901)527-8282.
CURIOUS? Are you interested in learning more about the Catholic Church? Perhaps you’ve been thinking of becoming a member of St. Peter, or perhaps you are just curious about what Catholics believe. Please join us on Thursday, May 17 at 7:00 p.m., for an informational session. We’ll meet at in the upstairs Crystal Room Library, and all are welcome. Free parking with security is available in front of the church or in the lot across the street. If you’d like more information, e-mail Christina Klyce at cklyce@bellsouth.net.
CANTOR "Spring Training" Session
May 19/20 - following each Mass
For all CURRENT and PROSPECTIVE Cantors: Various aspects of this important ministry will be reviewed along with the introduction of new repertoire for the coming seasons. RSVP to Jane by May 10 so materials can be prepared. If unable to attend a session, please contact Jane for an alternate date: 527-8282, ext. 15 - or - mrsjane@bellsouth.net
ADULT FAITH FORMATION
Sundays in the Choir Room at 9:45AM through May 27th
"CATHOLICISM with Fr. Robert Barron"
Join us for this engaging and beautiful DVD series that uses the art, architecture, literature, music and all the treasures of the Catholic tradition to illuminate the timeless teachings of the Church. A Today Show interview
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
FR. PAUL'S REFERENCE PAGE
• 2/20/12 TAKE ACTION: Contact your US Representative--
MINISTRY SIGN-UP
"How can I repay the Lord for His goodness to me?"
(Psalm 116:12)
Our ministries offer a wide variety of ways to become involved in our parish, from offering opportunities for fellowship to ways of serving the needs of St. Peter and the greater community.
Click here for a list of ministries - please indicate which ministries you want to serve.
WEEKLY BULLETIN
Click to download PDF file.
MAY 13, 2012
Bulletin Archives
Ministries SCHEDULE
Click to download PDF file.
MAY 2012 JUNE 2012
LITURGICAL SCHEDULE:
Saturday: 5:00PM in Church Sanctuary
Sunday: 8:30 & 11:00AM
in Church Sanctuary
Weekdays: 12 Noon
Tuesday-Friday
in Shrine Chapel. Please use west entrance just off Third St.
Holy Days:
Call for schedule
Holiday Services:
Click here for schedule
Confessions:
Saturday: 4:20-4:45PM
(or by appointment)
Nursery:
Available during
8:30AM & 11:00AM Masses
9:45 -10:45
(& some special events)
Church Staff:
Click here for info & e-mail
Church Office:
Click here for info & e-mail
190 Adams Avenue
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 527-8282
Fax: (901) 526-6882
Hours: Monday-Thurs.
8:00AM-4:00PM
Friday: 8:00AM-Noon
St. Martin de Porres
Shrine & Institute
Phone: (901) 578-2643
Fax: (901) 578-3735
www.stmartinshrine.org
St. Peter Church and St. Martin Shrine are disabled access compliant.
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