St. Peter Church Celebrates 175 Years!
St. Peter Catholic Church has been serving the Memphis community for the past 175 years and has a rich history of meeting the spiritual and physical needs of the people in West Tennessee. As the people of St. Peter continue their journey of faith, we are celebrating this milestone with yearlong events open to the public and want to invite you to join in this celebration!
St. Peter holds the distinguished honor of being the oldest Roman Catholic Church in West Tennessee, founded in 1840 and pastored by the Dominican Order, officially called the Order of Preachers, since 1846. Our faith is based on the Dominican four pillars of spirituality – prayer, study, community and preaching.
We are committed to serving our neighbor as part of our Christian calling. Guided by the spirit of the Gospel and the Dominican tradition, we strive to use our time, talent, and treasure to help meet the spiritual and physical needs of our greater community.
Please join us as we joyfully celebrate our past and continue our faith journey!
Jeremy C. Parks, host of LPBC Radio Show, interviews Fr. Augustine DeArmond
on St. Peter and its impact on the Memphis community.
Next Upcoming Events:
Saturday, October 3
Tours of Magevney House & Church
1:00 – 4:00 PM
A Cherished Legacy from the St. Peter Church Collection & Archives
4:00 – 7:00 PM
Opening of exhibit in Parish Hall
Wine & Cheese reception after Mass
October 3 & 4 – ROSARY SUNDAY
175th Anniversary of St. Peter Church
St. Peter Anniversary Choir & Cantors; Brass quartet & tympani on Sunday
Reception following 5 PM, 8:30 AM & 11 AM Mass
A Cherished Legacy
October 3 – December 13
As part of St. Peter’s 175th Anniversary, we opening the exhibition, “A Cherished Legacy” with two receptions on Saturday October 3 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and Sunday, October 4 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. “A Cherished Legacy” features fine liturgical objects, original letters and documents, and ecclesiastical artifacts depicting the church’s rich, unique history. Among the many special items on view will be the portrait of St. Peter pastor, Father J.A. Kelly O.P., widely remembered as a hero of the yellow fever epidemics in Memphis 1873-1879; a ciborium marked “W. J. Feeley Co.”, one of the country’s most prominent jewelers and silversmiths during the late 1800s; and a sterling censer engraved “Offering of Sunday School Children, 1898.”
In addition, the Magevney House and St. Peter will be open for tour on Saturday, October 3 from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. The first Catholic Mass was celebrated in the parlor of the adjacent Eugene Magevney House, the oldest house in Memphis. The church building itself dates to 1855 and is the design of noted Irish-American architect Patrick Charles Keely. A pioneer of the Gothic Revival style in the United States and Canada, Keely created over 600 churches during his lifetime. St. Peter features Keely’s signature octagonal, crenellated towers at the entrance and has stained glass windows dating from 1899 designed by Franz Mayer and made in Munich, Germany.
All members of the community are invited to the historical tour and the exhibition which are free and open to the public.
October 21
Vigil – Feast of St. John Paul II Chez Dominique prayer, dinner, guest speaker 6:00 PM
Sunday, December 6
Christian Brothers High School Band Concert, 4 p.m.
Celebrating the historical ties between Christian Brothers and St. Peter Church during this anniversary year!
Reception following. Free and open to the public.
Monday, December 7
Memphis Men’s and Women’s Chorale Annual Holiday Concert, 7:00 p.m.
Reception following. Free and open to the public.