Saint Mary Catholic Church Gatlinburg, Tennessee
We have been spending the week in Gatlinburg with family. We went to Palm Sunday Mass at St. Mary Catholic Church. A sweet church with a lot of heart. We were so pleased to see it quite full at 9am. When you come to Gatlinburg you know the singing is going to be top notch. What a beautiful gift it was to hear the cantors.
According to their website the parish began Easter Sunday 1935. “The 64 steps that led up the hill to St. Mary’s Chapel served as a penitential pilgrimage to the handful of local parishioners and visitors who gathered there.” What a fascinating piece of history! If you have ever been to Gatlinburg then you will very much understand how climbing 64 steps can be penitential! They go straight up! The Gothic-Design stone church was built in 1953. It is part of the Diocese of Knoxville, TN. Over the years the Catholic population has increased requiring an expansion to the buildings. If you happen to be in Gatlinburg you can stop by to see this darling parish nestled in the heart of the Smokey Mountains.
Happy Palm Sunday!
The Small Pencil Catechist 