Set your hearts ablaze this August! Something BIG is happening in Chattanooga! "Fanning the Flame" is a deanery-wide, multi-weekend event inspired by the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress. Held at St. Jude Church Aug. 1 & 2, Aug. 9, and Aug. 17. Click for details and register for individual weekends or all three!
The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage will travel the country May 17 - July 16, 2024, culminating at the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. The Juan Diego route of the pilgrimage will stop at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul on Monday, June 24. At the Basilica, we will have a Tour led by Fr. Carter at 10:15am; a Holy Hour with Midday Prayer and reflections from the perpetual pilgrims from 11-11:50am, followed by Mass at 12pm. At 7:30pm there will be a Eucharistic procession starting at the Basilica and processing to the UTC Catholic Center for Benediction, followed by music and fellowship at the UTC Catholic Center until 10pm. Please plan to participate! Click for details and to access the registration.
Calling all women who appreciate our priests: A new Seven Sisters Apostolate for Basilica women is beginning. The Seven Sisters Apostolate is a call to strengthen the Church by ensuring that a Holy Hour is prayed each day of the week for the sole intention of a specific priest or bishop—a “holy wasting” (cf. Mt. 26:10) or lavishing of prayer for his deeper conformity to Christ. Click for more information.
Click to see our schedule for Lent, Holy Week, and Easter 2023 including Friday Adoration, Stations of the Cross, Fish Fry, and all the special liturgies during these high holy seasons. Also note the rules for fasting and abstinence.
We have a few spots left for women of all ages for a retreat Feb. 3-5 at the Bethany House in Dickson, TN! The title is Beyond the Noise and it will be led by Fr. Christopher Floersh. Afternoon walks, rosary, lectio divina, divine chapter, quiet time, holy hour, fellowship, and daily Mass. The Dominican Sisters pamper us with home-cooked meals and top-notch accommodations. Friday evening at 5 through Noon on Sunday (Central Time).
Our Blessed Virgin Mary Visitation Ministry is looking for volunteers to bring Holy Communion to homebound parishioners. Please contact Deacon Gaspar if you have an interest in this ministry. Training will be provided. Click to find out more.
The Diocese of Office of Vocations and The Office of Young Adult Ministry are hosting a discernment group for Catholic young women ages 18-35 starting August 30, 2022. Join the Religious Sisters of Mercy in discerning your vocation and finding your place in the Church. Click for details.
National Vocation Awareness Week will be celebrated in our country November 7-13, 2021. Please ask Our Lord for more dedicated, holy priests, deacons and consecrated men and women. May they be inspired by Jesus Christ, supported by our faith community, and respond generously to God’s gift of a vocation.
We have made special accommodations to support the need for social distancing during Holy Week. We plan to live-stream all the Holy Week liturgies. On Good Friday we will have two services. We will also celebrate a simultaneous spoken Mass in the parish hall on Easter Sunday to allow more people to attend in-person. Click for details and the full calendar.
ON SUMMER BREAK - During the school year, Fr. Carter has begun teaching a Men’s Vespers Schola on Friday afternoons at 4:30pm, open to anyone whose voice has changed into the lower octave. Sung Vespers in English follows at 5pm. Click for details.
We are conducting a comprehensive survey of the parish. This planning study follows an extensive process that helped produce our strategic priorities. Before we make any final decisions regarding proposed plans for our Basilica and our parish, we would like to hear from you regarding our needs and the possibility of conducting a major fundraising effort. Your feedback will enable us to determine potential support for several projects. Your input is valuable as we plan for the future of Sts. Peter and Paul.
Calling all women with a servant's heart! The Altar Ministry (previously known as the "Altar Guild") has been hosting information sessions and is currently looking for new members. To find out more, see the information on our Altar Ministry page, and contact Tia Yunker, our new Altar Ministry Coordinator.
Their food pantry at OLPH is most in need of: canned tuna, vegetables, and fruit, cereal, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, jelly, pasta and spaghetti sauce. Please place non-perishable food items in the basket in our Basilica church vestibule.
Our priests are now offering confessions for 30 minutes before every Mass except the 7am: the Saturday 5:30 Mass; the Sunday 9:00, 11:30, and 1:30 Masses; as well as before the 12pm Mass Mon-Fri. We are using the confessionals in the church. Please stand in line 6 feet apart (into the vestibule if needed) while waiting. When leaving the confessional, please disinfect the screen, kneeler, and any surface touched, with a wipe provided. Since disinfectant wipes are hard to find, if you have any wipes you can donate to help us offer confessions, please leave them in the confessional. Also, a new Confession resource page is now available on our website. Click to see our new Confession resource page.
Provisions and pastoral guidance on attending the Basilica for Mass, sacraments, meetings, and visiting the parish office are fully detailed on our Coronavirus page.