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 New Year!
It’s hard to believe we’re into another year: 2012!
I hope you all had a blessed and wonderful Advent and Christmas season. We certainly did here at St. Peter!
I imagine that most of you have put away your Christmas decorations. We are in the process of doing so this week after Epiphany. Our church will look curiously bare, without the manger scene, green wreaths, and red poinsettias on the altar. We enter a period of Ordinary Time between the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord and Ash Wednesday, February 22. These six weeks help us to settle in to hear the Gospel of Jesus’ life and ministry. This year we focus on the Gospel of Mark in the Catholic Church.
It’s a busy time for us. We begin a new study of the popular book by James Martin, S.J., “My Life with the Saints” on Sunday mornings, beginning January 8. Martin tells the stories of many saints and other holy men and women in the church who have influenced his life.
On January 20, we’ll have a lot of fun with our annual parish Trivia Night. Teams of six will come together to test our knowledge on various categories. Our theme in 2012 is “Trivia by the Dozen.” Registration information can be found on the website.
Stewardship is a theme we consider in church throughout the year. In the fall we ask parishioners to make an annual financial pledge to the church. On the weekend of February 11-12, we will host our annual Festival of Ministries. Parishioners will be able to find out more about the variety of our ministries, from liturgical ministries, to outreach, to educational and community building ministries for all ages, from children to seniors. Stewardship is not just about making a financial contribution to the parish, but serving God’s people in a variety of ways. Stop by to see what you would like to become involved with this year.
This month, St. Peter announces a new partnership with nearby Holy Names School, one of the Jubilee Schools of the Diocese of Memphis. We look forward to inviting our parishioners to serve the students and their families in this neighboring school. Many parents make a great sacrifice in order that their children may receive a Catholic education. In the upcoming weeks, we will learn more about ways we can assist the children of Holy Names School.
Ash Wednesday is February 22. Once again we will begin the season of Lent with our very popular Fish Fry after the 6:00 PM Mass. Mark your calendar!
May God bless you all with a holy, happy, and peaceful 2012!
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Tom Condon, OP
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.
| + N O T I C E +
Myrtle Shreve - Mother of Debbie Estabrook
Jack Taylor - Brother of Charlie Taylor
Betty Bouton - Mother of Ann Jackson
ANOINTING OF THE SICK
Available during ALL Masses this weekend- Saturday, February 4th during 5:00PM Mass and Sunday, February 5th during 8:30AM and 11:00AM Masses.
ADULT FAITH FORMATION
Sunday, February 5th
9:45AM / Choir Room
Join us as the study of "My Life with the Saints" by James Martin SJ continues with Jennie Latta. This Sunday we will continue to learn about the life of Pope John XXIII "Vicar of Christ." Please bring your copy with you to class. The extra copies of the book are in and will be available for purchase. Click Here for editorial and customer reviews from amazon.com- // Another review
WEEKLY BULLETIN
Click to download PDF file.
February 5, 2012
Bulletin Archives
Ministries SCHEDULE
Click to download PDF file.
FEBRUARY 2012
MARCH 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.
|
