About Us

One hundred years of service to God in Roane and surrounding counties   1907-2007

The story of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church goes back to the year the city of Harriman, Tennessee was incorporated in 1891. That year a missionary priest, the Reverend J. Face, arrived to administer to the spiritual needs of the few Catholic families in the greater area. Father Face offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the first time in Harriman at the home of Mr. and Mrs., George Clark, the grandparents of Mrs. Frank Turbyville who was the mother of Jerry Turbyville and Louise Turbyville Shipwash who were long-time members of the Parish. In 1891 a Father Jacob also made several visits to Roane county.

In 1892 the Reverend Father John Larkin succeeded Father Face, remaining as the pastor to the small number of Catholics until 1900. It was Father Larkin who administered Harriman's first Catholic baptism to John Ferguson on February 15, 1892. John was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Ferguson. John’s sister was Mrs. Hazel Ferguson Margrave, mother of Jane Margrave Palko currently a member of the parish, and George Margrave who married Dale Peddicord Margrave currently a member of the parish. Many parishioners lovingly remember recently deceased Doris Carol French Pinkleton who was the daughter of Dorris Margrave French who was Hazel Ferguson Margrave’s daughter along with Jane and George.

In 1900 the Most Reverend Thomas S. Byrne, Bishop of Nashville, chose the strategically located City of Harriman as the headquarters of the Harriman Missions. Harriman, being a railroad center with trains going north, south, east and west, was considered by the bishop as an ideal center for a large missions field. He also chose a young priest from Knoxville, who had been ordained recently, to be the first pastor of the newly created mission. The young priest was the Reverend Father Emmanuel F. Callahan who loved mission work and also the hills and mountains of East Tennessee and, especially the mountain people.

He rejoiced in the mountains, loved them as no priest in the diocese's history ever had, loved the rough camper's life, loved his horse “Rebel”, knew and loved the incredible variety of trees and birds, loved the streams and their mists. Above all he loved the people, their dialect talk, their hospitality, most every­thing about them, and loved bringing God to them. Here is some prose from a journal of a trip in the mountains:

Monday: Rebs fed before dawn, and saddle and chapel bags packed. Mass at dawn, then boots and saddle and the rising sun shadows us riding south for the trail of Doe when it breaks through the Holston range of the Great Smokies. Noon finds us lunching by Tiger Creek. Rebs is busy with his "turkey" of oats. At twilight the Catholic families of Elk Park greet the soggarth, thirty miles done with horse and man prime. The peaks have been topped and the riv­ers forded. A long evening and a pleasant one at the home of John Bateman. But the altar must be arranged on the parlor bureau, cate­chism given, confessions heard, rosary and night prayers recited. The rule must be, early mass and an early saddle.
Tuesday: What a pleasure, morning after morning, to see every Catholic of the hamlet approach Holy Communion. As the mists break and fade before the opening day, Rebel and I are breasting the Smokies, traveling up through cloudland. As the smoky trail winds to the summit land, up from the sea of vapor comes a rim of fairy golden fire, and the sea becomes a vista of dancing light and color painted by the rising sun. In the distance the peaks of Grandfather and the Twin Blacks lift their hoary heads above the rising sun. We make Pianola early. After supper the non-Catholics come to see the altar and hear an explanation of the Catholic Lord's Supper.
Wednesday: Mass over, adieus said, we are off, on the down rail to the Falls of Linville. Dinner is a thing to be remembered, Linville trout, corn pone, honey-dew. Then down the slope. Here journey­ing along afoot with some sturdy mountain man, explaining the faith or the Bible, while Rebel meanders by our side…      

Thus it goes, a real slice of missionary life at the turn of the last century. He also wrote apologetic literature to explain the faith to those who expressed an interest.

When Father Callahan arrived in Harriman he found three Catholic families: Mr. and Mrs. George Clark Sr., Mr. and Mrs. George Clark Jr. and son, Gerald; Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Ferguson and their three children. Mr. and Mrs. Clay were also present. Father Callahan said Mass in the home of the George Clarks Sr. In April 1905 Fred Burke of Lindsay, Ontario, Canada, brought his family to Harriman to make their home, adding to the small Catholic community. The Burkes bought property on Margrave Street, East of the present church, and immediately built a home. Upon the completion of the Burke home. Father Callahan began saying Mass there and continued doing so until a church building was erected a few blocks down Margrave Street.

It was in 1906 that the Reverend Father Callahan pur­chased from Harry L. Durell six lots in block 105 of Margrave Street for a permanent Catholic church. (The land included the two lots to the west of the church as well as all the land the church now holds. Harry Durell lived just East of the church on the property now owned by Mr. and Mrs. George Lockett.) The nucleus of the parish at that time was four families.

Father Callahan and parishioners worked untiringly to build the small white frame church. The Catholic Extension Society and Father Callahan's brother George, a Knoxville business man, helped with financial assistance.

On December 29, 1907 the Church of the Blessed Sacrament was dedicated by Bishop Thomas S. Byrne. The members of the parish and guests processed with the Bishop around the church as he dedicated it and blessed the grounds. Among the guests was Harry Durell from whom the land was purchased and who that year became mayor of Harriman.

Mass was celebrated in the Harriman church once a month, but later on the second and fourth Sundays. When Father Callahan stayed in Harriman, he slept on one of the wooden pews. From Harriman, Father Callahan traveled by train to Sunbright where he was met at the station by a horse and buggy and taken to Deer Lodge where he celebrated the Mass at the home of a Mr. Kbszuski. During his pastorate, mission churches were built at Deer Lodge and at LaFollette. During his travels on the rough early roads in and out of Harriman, he broke down three horse-drawn buggies.

During the early days Mrs. Fred Burke prepared the children of the parish for their first Holy Communion and for Confirmation. Since the pastor could not be there but a few days at a time, Mrs. Burke also taught the boys their Latin and the manner of serving Mass. There was no organ in the church during the early days of the mission. Mrs. Burke taught the children, who came to her home every Sunday, how to sing the hymns. She also conducted a catechism class each Sunday afternoon.
Father Callahan was succeeded by the Reverend Father Patrick S. McGuire. During his pastorate in 1910, the Blessed Sacrament Rec­tory was built. This building is now used as the parish religious education center.

In 1910 two Polish families settled near Harriman on small farms, and three years later the Czechoslovakian family of John Babinshak came to settle on a farm near Webster, a few miles northeast of Harriman proper. With Mr. Babinshak came two married daughters and their families. One daughter was Julia Babinshak who was married to Andrew Palko. Among there eleven children were Joe, Edward and Clement Palko, of Blessed Sacrament parish. Their sister Cecilia Palko married Toni Malenovsky. Their daughter is Katie Malenovsky, who is a current member of the parish as well. With these additions to the Catholic community, there also were a few families who came from Rockwood, from Oakdale, and even Dayton. Sometimes the so-called Costello travelers, or traders, would find their way to the little mission church, enlarging the congregation considerably.

The women of the parish formed an Altar Society and have always been an indispensable part of the parish structure and leadership. On cold days the men would take turns getting to the church early and firing the stove so the church would be warm for Mass. Altar servers would take turns serving the Mass and hand cranking the pump organ that was donated to the church. Mrs. Hazel Ferguson Margrave was the organist.

On Wednesday night, July 31, 1957, during the pastorate of Father Henkel 1950-1957, a new, modern Blessed Sacrament Chur­ch building was blessed and dedicated by the Most Reverend William L. Adrian, bishop of Nashville. The red brick structure with a gray crab orchard stone, front was erected on the same site of the frame building completed in 1907.

The $70,000 new church structure was begun in 1954. After the old church was torn down, the Catholic parishioners worshiped in Harriman's city auditorium in the Municipal and Utility Building until a fire in August 1956 gutted the auditorium. Despite flames and intense heat, which warped bar-joists and beams, the altar missal, containing the Sacred Scriptures, left on the temporary altar on the stage, went through the entire fire undamaged.

At the time of the fire, the basement of the new church had been completed, and Mass was celebrated there until the new church could be completed approximately a year later. The first Mass in the new completed church was said the first of June 1957.

The Harriman Record, August 1, 1957, described the new church this way:

The new church is of a modern design of red brick with a gray crab orchard stone front. A large stone Cross reaches from the double door almost to the point of the roof. Behind the Cross is a round window of blue glass.
A Cross also stands on the point of the roof above the door. Three windows on each side of the church are of blue and amber colored glass.
The interior of the church includes a sanctuary, which seats about 275 with a balcony at the back of the sanctuary, just above the front door. A cry room where mothers can take their babies and still see and hear the service is located to the left of the front door. The entrance to a full basement is to the right of the front door. The basement includes kitchen facilities and will serve as a social hall.

       
At the time of the dedication, the church had grown to have in all about 65 families, and Harriman was the Catholic mission center for eight counties - Roane, Anderson, Morgan, Rhea, Cumberland, Putnam, Campbell and Scott. Father Henkel arranged his schedule so as to offer Mass in at least two towns each Sunday. Later, the parish would also serve Fentress county.

In 1979 a new rectory was built in the back yard of the church. A parking lot was created there as well. The old rectory, which was built in 1910, was renovated by parishioners to serve as the parishes first Religious Education Center. Until that time, catechism classes were held in Blessed Sacrament hall which was divided by moveable partitions which still serve the parish today. Classes were also held in the church pews and the cry room.

Blessed Sacrament parish has grown in recent years. In 1997 there were 140 registered families in the parish. In 2007, there were almost 250 families. This growth has been fueled by families moving into the parish and by many converts to the faith.

 As a result of the need to support the parishes extensive mission activity in the surrounding counties, the lots surrounding the church were sold. In response to a growing need to provide parking to parishioners, the owners of the property behind the church was approached about selling the field adjacent to their home. The Townsend family was willing only to sell their entire holding. On May 23 of 2002 the parish re-purchased the land along with a house that had been placed there. The purchase price was just over $134,000 with an additional $2,000 in closing costs. The house was renovated by parishioners to serve as an “Annex” to the Religious Education Center. The sloping field immediately behind the church was excavated to establish parking areas with an additional 100 spaces. The task required the movement of 6,000 square yards of dirt. The renovation of the Annex and the parking lots cost $69,000 and was under the direction of John Andriulli and Dana Peterka. The renovations to the annex were done principally by Dana and Sally Peterka.

In 1997 the newly appointed pastor, Father Michael Sweeney, looked to one of the oldest families in the parish for help in building upon the grand tradition of strong catechesis. Having grown up in the parish where Catholics were few and often called upon to defend their faith, he wanted the help of someone who knew the challenges from a first-hand basis. He asked Greg and Becky Palko to be co-directors of the parishes’ religious education program. They have served the Church selflessly and admirably from that day until the present.

Also in 1997 a decision was made to renovate the nave and sanctuary of the church. When the 1968 changes were made after the Second Vatican council, the original altar was reduced in size and moved to the left side of the sanctuary to support the tabernacle. A new marble altar was constructed and a wood backdrop covered the back wall.

The five-year project began in 1998. The decision was made to honor the 1907 origins of the parish by designing the interior in an antique style. Tennessee cedar and white marble were chosen for the altar, ambo, baptismal font and triptych behind the altar. The altar is composed of the body of the original altar and the original altar stone. The two wings of the triptych hold back-lit stained glass reminiscent of the Blessed Sacrament. The tabernacle is centrally located beneath a near life-size crucifix dating from the turn of the last century. The stained glass windows in the nave and elsewhere show the patron saints of the mission churches cared for by the pastors and supported by the parishioners of Blessed Sacrament Church through the years. The circular window in the choir loft is in honor of Christ the King. The windows reflect an older classical style. The stations of the cross were replaced with larger colored stations dating from the same era. The hand carved Blessed Mother statue was refurbished to its original beauty and the matching statue of Saint Joseph was retrieved from a parishioner’s home where it had been held in safe keeping for many years. It too was refurbished as was the statue of the Sacred Heart which has graced the back of the church for many years. The antique crucifix, and statues were extensively repaired and painted in lifelike hues while the stations were masterfully refurbished by Mariann D’Alessandro. The statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was beautifully refurbished by Margaret Thew. The sanctuary received a new slate floor and new presider and server’s chairs. Wood trim, and carpeting completed the nave. The new interior of the church was dedicated by Bishop Joseph Kurtz on the feast of Corpus Christi in 2003.

The population of Roane county has the potential to grow considerably in the coming years. In planning for the future, the leadership of the parish realized the church could accommodate only so much growth. Numbers beyond that threshold would require a relocation. It was determined that if a relocation became necessary it should be toward the Midtown area of the county. Property in that area was appreciating quickly and the larger tracts were becoming scarce. The decision to act was made. A 38.4-acre tract of land was purchased from Mr. and Mrs. Steve Patterson on April 18, 2006 at a cost of $235,000. The property, with a 6in. water line and sewer hookup, was valued at $461,000 by an independent appraiser. It is located at the end of Midtown Lane off Highway 70 just East Roane County Park. There are no plans at this time to sale the present church and build a new structure on the highway 70 property. The property is viewed as a type of insurance policy. It will be there if the parish needs it.

In 2006 Blessed Sacrament was blessed to receive the gift of a large church organ that had served the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for 25 years. The “new” organ replaced the much smaller instrument that had been in Blessed Sacrament’s choir loft for almost fifty years. At that time the choir loft was renovated as well. Both projects were under the guidance and direction of Mr. Mike Humphreys.

Among the achievements listed by mem­bers of the Church of the Blessed Sacrament is the fact that three members born of the parish lived out their lives in the service of God as holy religious. Miss Julia Palko (Sister Mary Martin) and Miss Mary Palko (Sister Mary Michael) entered the Dominican Order of St. Cecilia in Nashville, and Miss Mary Burke entered the Sisters of Mercy Convent. Michael Sweeney was ordained to the priesthood and is currently serving as pastor of Blessed Sacrament as well as two of its mission parishes. Saint Ann in Lancing and Saint Christopher in Jamestown.

Blessed Sacrament has served as the mother Church for eight mission parishes that continue to thrive today. Saint Ann in Lancing (originally Deer Lodge), Our Lady of Perpetual Help in LaFollette, Saint Joseph in Norris, Saint Therese in Clinton, Saint Jude in Helenwood, Saint Thomas the Apostle in Lenoir City, Saint Brigid in Dayton, Saint Christopher in Jamestown. Additionally, Blessed Sacrament served the mission parish of Sacred Heart in Newcomb, Tennessee for many years. The mission was closed in 1967 in support of Saint Boniface Church just across the Kentucky line.

The pastors of Blessed Sacrament Church have historically served the needs of those incarcerated in the State Prisons located in Morgan County. The Catholic inmates look forward to the celebration of Holy Mass on a regular bases. The catechetical efforts undertaken among state prisoners have resulted in many conversions to the faith in recent years.

Not only has this faith community been extraordinary generous in the support and encouragement of the surrounding mission parishes and prisons but the generosity of Blessed Sacrament parish has been a mainstay for the entire Christian community throughout Roane county. The Catholic faithful have been leaders in charitable efforts of every description throughout these many decades. Local social agencies have grown to rely upon the faithful of Blessed Sacrament in their efforts to assist the poor and needy.
The future is full of promise for Blessed Sacrament Church. Building upon the great traditions of the past, this faith community has embarked upon the new millennium with great hope for the future. While we pray at every Mass for the Lord to come, we realize that our responsibility in the interim is the building of the Kingdom of God. We take seriously our baptismal commissioning to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to all. The challenges of the future are exciting. We trust that the Lord will continue to nourish and strengthen us in the Holy Eucharist so that we might continue to proclaim the truth of The Most Blessed Sacrament.

Chronology of pastors for Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church – Harriman, Tennessee

Father Jacob and Father J. Face cared for the pastoral needs of Catholics in the area 1891 to 1892. The Reverend Father John Larkin assumed the responsibility from 1892 to 1900. The Reverend Father Emmanuel F. Callahan served 1900-1913 being named the first pastor of Blessed Sacrament upon its establishment in 1907. Then there was the Rev. Patrick McGuire 1913-1917; the Rev. J. V. Cunningham 1917-1918; the Rev. J. A. Murphy 1918-1924; the Rev. J. E. Campbell 1924-1929; the Rev. J. J. Lynskey 1929-1930; the Rev. F. W. Strange 1930-1932; the Rev. J. C. Riltenhouse 1932-1934; the Rev. C. P. Murphy 1934-1937; the Rev. W. K. Graw 1937-1940; the: Rev. John A. Welsh 1940-1943; the Rev. Leo Baldinger 1943-1945; the Rev. Dan Richardson 1945-1949; the Rev. Leon Englert 1949-1950; the Rev. A. J. Henkel 1950-1957; the Rev. Joel Wiggs 1957-1966; the Rev. John E. McMurry 1966-1969; the Rev. A. Richmond Gill 1969; the Rev. William Nolan 1970-1971; the Rev. James U. LoPresto 1971-1974; the Rev. John Schroder 1974-1976; the Rev. Edward J. McKeown 1976-1986; the Rev. Mike Jennings 1986-1997; the Rev. Michael Sweeney (native son of the parish) 1997- present.

AS CATHOLICS WITH MUTUAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS, WE GATHER AS A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS IN ROANE COUNTY AT BLESSED SACRAMENT CHURCH.

We will make it our mission as a faith community to serve God and each other by providing an environment that fosters the development of personal faith, growth, and spirituality.

We commit ourselves to a total religious education and formation program.

We express our belief in the sacredness of all human life by ministering to the needy and reaching out to our neighbors at large. In this way we become a conscious voice as evangelizers in our respective communities.

We will search for common ties with those who profess no faith, or have grown weary of the practice of it; hoping always that our parish can become a place where everyone is invited, whatever their faith.

We acknowledge the Parish Pastoral Council as the listeners and facilitators in assisting all parishioners in their faith development.

                                

The dexter side of the arms displays a counterchanged cross bottany in red, symbolizing Christ's passion, bllod and sacrifice, and in white symbolizing Christ's purity and innocence. The design on the dexter side also reflects a design found on the arms of the State of Maryland, the first English Catholic presence in the United States. The sinister side of the arms displays a blue ground with a gold chalice and a radiant Eucharistic Host above it. The blue of the field of the sinister side represents the infinite nature of the sky, or heaven, with the Eucharistic chalice and Host displayed in gold, symbolizing their precious nature. The entire arm is to symbolize, on the dexter side, Christ's innocence and sacrifice in blood resulting, on the sinister side, in Christ's gift of the Eucharist given to humankind for all eternity.

The arms of Blessed Sacrament Parish of Harriman, Tennessee, is blazoned (described in medieval terms) as follows:

Arms: Per Pale:Quarterly Gules and Argent a Cross Battony throughout counterchanged; Azure above a Chalice and a Glory Or charged with a Cross Humetty Gules.

Motto: Ave Verum Corpus (Hail the True Body of Christ)