Humble Beginnings

St. Alphonsus parish was founded in the last 1940's by a small group of forward looking women who were determined to have a Catholic Church in Cumberland County. Masses were first said, by priests who occasionally traveled here from Harriman, in the home of Mrs. Marge Hall. In 1954, the first weekly Mass was offered by Father James Murphy in an "upper room" of the old Crossville Play Center in the City Hall Building. Several other priests, mostly from Harriman and Cookeville, served the needs of our parish during those early years. 

The original St. Alphonsus Church was built in 1961 for a cost of approximately $35,000. The first rectory, located across the street from the church, was purchased in 1975. During the previous year, to accommodate our first resident pastor, Fr. John Schroder, S.J., a house was rented for his use as rectory, for Sunday C.C.D. classes, and for parish socials. 

By 1980, even though some parishioners had joined the new St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade, our congregation had grown and was in need of more space. Plans were developed and ground breaking for the $330,000 building project took place on April 18, 1982. 

On July 31, 1983, The Most Reverend James D. Niedergeses, Bishop of the Nashville Dioceses, to which we belonged at that time, dedicated the new church. This addition to the building including an enlarged social hall, allowed for the conversion of the original area to parish offices and classrooms for Religious Education. It was expected to meet the needs of the parish until the year 2000. 

By 1997, it was apparent that we were once again outgrowing our space. In March 2002, after several years of planning, we broke ground for our current facility on the 27 acre property we had purchased in 1990. The Parish Life Center, which was built for a cost of approximately $2,200,000 including furnishings, was blessed on May 27, 2003, by The Most Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, DD., Bishop of Knoxville. 

Our congregation has grown from 30 members in 1961 to over 700 today and we continue to see familes join our church family.