First Mass in Kingsport in 1914 by Fr. John Callahan, ‘the Horseback Priest’

Service by Dominicans from Johnson City, beginning in 1916

Masses held Elks Hall, Dobyns-Taylor Hardware, Mayflower Restaurant (smell of cooking onions for breakfast), Mays News and Fruit Stand

Fr. M. Q. Goldrick, O.P. built the old St. Dominic Church in 1940, the cornerstone was laid in November 1940, Bishop Adrian dedicated the church on April 20, 1941 – capacity 250, size 90’ X 45’, with a basement – the church was named St. Dominic in honor of the Dominican Fathers who had been and were serving the Kingsport catholic population

First diocesan pastor was Fr. Leo Baldinger in 1945; first resident pastor was Fr. Thomas Woodley in 1948

St. Dominic School began in 1945 utilizing the basement of the church, a wooden structure was then built; then, in 1951 the present school was dedicated; in 1968 the gymnasium was added.

On February 19, 1983, the old church was gutted by fire (later sold and demolished on July 25, 2000); the school gymnasium was then used for liturgy until 1987

The new/present church was dedicated on the feast of St. Dominic on Saturday, August 8, 1987, by Bishop Niedergeses, Bishop of Nashville; Fr. Bill Casey was the pastor.

We are presently building a new Parish Life Center which we plan to dedicate in August of 2002.

Our Jubilee Arch tells some of the story of St. Dominic Church: symbols for the liturgical year, including specific feasts and saints, symbols of the civil calendar year, symbols representative of parish organizations and ministries; we intend to preserve the arch in our Parish Life Center