className="history-text"> Back in the 1930’s, William P. Morris and his family first brought the Catholic faith to Putnam County, Tennessee. Within a decade, other Catholics and a priest from Harriman would come and say Mass in the Moran family home on the 5th Sunday of the month. Early in the 1950, construction began on the original church building. The first mass was celebrated in the basement of that building on Christmas Eve, 1950, since the church itself was not quite finished. St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church was dedicated on May 6, 1951, with Fr. Joseph Julius as its first pastor and a membership of 11 families.
The Catholic population increased to approximately 43 families by the late 1960’s and because of the continued growth of the Catholic faith in the Upper Cumberland area, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish was instrumental in helping establish mission parishes in Crossville, Sparta, Smithville and Celina. All of them, except for Celina, have by now grown into self-sustaining parishes. In the mid 1990’s there were about 200 Catholic families in the area and that number rapidly grew to over 550 registered families by 2001.
Currently, our parish serves about 900 families. The parish boundaries include all of Clay, Jackson, Overton and Putnam counties and is incredibly diverse. The area is slated to grow by many new jobs in the area and it continues to expand as well through Tennessee Technological University and growth in its medical service.
Native of Fortaleza - Ceará - Brazil
Before entering the religious life, Fr. Chris studied scientific sciences hoping to be a veterinarian doctor. He worked in the clothing industry as a supervisor for quality control and in health care as an assistant administrator for the Center of Image of a private hospital.
Fr. Chris entered the religious life in 1994. He was sent to Italy for a three year formation and then went back to Brazil. In 2000, he was sent to Jamaica W.I. as a Missionary where he stayed until 2011. From 2003 to 2009, he attended St. Thomas Aquinas Pontifical University in Rome where he obtained his degrees in Philosophy and Theology with a Magna cum Laude score. He temporarily left Religious Life in January 2011 and returned to Brazil to attend to family exigencies. Fourteen months later he was invited by the Most Rev. Bishop David R. Choby to join the Diocese of Nashville and in April 2012, Fr. Chris joined the Diocese. He was ordained to the sacred diaconate in April 2013 and to the Sacred Priesthood in July 2014. Father Chris spent the time before coming to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, as seminarian, deacon and parochial vicar at the Immaculate Conception Parish in Clarksville TN.
He loves hiking, dogs, cooking, wine and beer. His favorite biblical citation, which became his priestly motto is "I know my Redeemer lives" from the book of Job
931-526-2575
931-526-2575
Monday-Saturday at 8:00 AM
Tuesday at 6:00 PM
Saturday 5:00 PM (Vigil Mass)
Sunday 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM - English
Sunday 12:30 PM - en Español
Saturday at 9:00 AM & 4:00 PM or by appointment
Monday-Friday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Sunday Closed
All are invited to pray the Rosary every 1st Saturday at 4:30 PM
