St. Mary’s Parish- The Year in Review

“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”     -Saint Mother Teresa

Our parish embodies a vibrant and ever-growing Catholic community, filled with faithful members who generously offer their time, talents, and resources in service to God and one another.

Our parish gathers regularly to worship, celebrate achievements, and support one another during times of loss. Each day, we can attend Mass, participate in the sacraments, engage in private prayer at the adoration chapel, and enhance our faith through small prayer groups, and in-person and online Bible studies.

Youth Ministry and Vacation Bible School provide valuable opportunities for young people to expand their knowledge and strengthen their faith. Additionally, our school offers a comprehensive immersion in the Catholic education tradition.

Our Saint Vincent de Paul chapter assists our parishioners and neighbors with their financial burdens, and the food pantry provides nutritious food to those who are hungry. Our lower level serves as a space where English language skills are taught, and the Twinning Program provides funds for health care services in Haiti.

On September 27, 2024, our parish was called to assist when Hurricane Helene unleashed its fury upon our region, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Nearby communities suffered heartbreaking loss of life and widespread devastation of homes and property. Despite the church’s lack of electricity, St. Mary’s parishioners sprang into action!

Catholic Charities of Knoxville identified our church as a designated drop off location for food and clothing donations and provided a full-time employee to assist with the work. Donations of food, water, baby items, clothing, blankets, and other necessities arrived from across the country. St. Mary’s volunteers came together and unloaded planes, tractor trailers, and personal vehicles containing supplies from throughout the United States. Catholic Charities of Raleigh provided hygiene products, tarps, blankets, school supplies, and a box truck to facilitate daily deliveries to Mountain City and Erwin for distribution to affected individuals.

The lower level of the church was organized as a warehouse-type facility to allow victims to personally select needed items while volunteers delivered items in bulk to the broader community. Bishop Beckman visited to see our remarkable operation in action.

The love, work, care and compassion of our parishioners was an extraordinary example of what we can accomplish together! Sharing His merciful love and serving His people with compassion!

Parish Statistics

Church

Registered Households……………………………………….1,522

Number of Parishioners………………………………………4,076

Average Weekly Mass Attendance……………………….1,585

Contributing Households……………………………………….567

Infant Baptisms……………………………………………………….39

Minor Baptisms……………………………………………………….11

Adult Baptisms………………………………………………………….6

Confirmations…………………………………………………………56

First Communions…………………………………………………..44

Marriages………………………………………………………………..15

Deaths…………………………………………………………………… 18

Faith Formation Enrollment…………………………………….87

Becoming Catholic- Children…………………………………..12

Becoming Catholic- Adults………………………………………24

Vacation Bible School Attendees…………………………….60

Vacation Bible School Volunteers……………………………10

School

PreK3-8th Grade…………………………………………………..176

Catholic………………………………………………………………..104

Non Catholic………………………………………………………….72

Youth Ministry

6th-8th Grade……………………………………………………….53

9th-12th Grade……………………………………………………..52

Parish Statistics

Church

Registered Households  (1,522)

Number of Parishioners  (4,076)

Average Weekly Mass Attendance  (1,585)

Contributing Households (567)

Infant Baptisms (39)

Minor Baptisms (11)

Adult Baptisms  (6)

Confirmations (56)

First Communions (44)

Marriages (15)

Deaths  (18)

Faith Formation

Enrollment  (87)

Becoming Catholic- Children  (12)

Becoming Catholic- Adults  (24)

Vacation Bible School Attendees  (60)

Vacation Bible School Volunteers (10)

School

PreK3-8th Grade (176)

Catholic  (104)

Non Catholic  (72)

Youth Ministry

6th-8th Grade (53)

9th-12th Grade  (52)

Notes on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Financial Report

Sincere gratitude is extended for the continued generosity and financial support from the parish community. These donations and contributions are essential to advancing the mission, supporting those in need, and sustaining the programs and ministries that allow us to share and live out our faith! The parish remains dedicated to the responsible stewardship of its resources. To ensure transparency, we provide an annual financial report. The FY 2025 financial report is prepared on a cash basis and provides a comprehensive account of receipts and expenses associated with the church, school, and ministries.

The parish reported a net income of $477,862, a significant increase from $100,153 in the previous year. This increase is mostly attributable to lower capital improvement expenditures, a diocesan directed payroll change, and school endowment receipts and related gains which were restricted from use for operational expenses.

The most significant year-to-year difference is a reduction in plant and parish operation expenses. This decrease is attributed to the absence of major renovations in FY 2025, whereas approximately $410,000 was spent on the church lower-level construction project in FY 2024.

Following the completion of significant lower-level renovations in prior years, the parish focused attention on essential smaller-scale projects which significantly decreased the overall plant and parish operation expenses. These projects included the installation of a modern security system enabling remote access and monitoring of church doors; the conversion of the Nursery into a multipurpose room; improvements to the confessional to enhance accessibility for all; ongoing maintenance of the aging HVAC system; the relocation of three storage sheds which increased parking capacity; and the removal of outdated and unused items from the campus.

In January 2025, the diocese consolidated its payroll operations, implementing a monthly billing system for parishes. As a result of this transition, only eleven months of payroll are reflected in the current year’s financial report, which has caused an understatement of expenses by $148,000.

The David Arwood Educational Endowment Fund, established in honor of our former principal, received $108,950 in donations this year. In accordance with IRS and diocesan regulations, these funds are restricted from use for operational expenses. Excluding both contributions and earnings from the endowment, overall total receipts would decrease by $143,315.

Incorporating the payroll and endowment changes into the financial report reduces the FY 2025 net income by $291,315, resulting in a more accurate net income of $186,547 for the period.

Our Ministries and Outreach Programs

Our parish outreach ministries stand as pillars of compassion and generosity to uplift the broader Johnson City community. Through heartfelt service, these ministries transform lives and foster hope where it is most needed. Volunteers extend a helping hand to families facing hardship, seniors striving for dignity, and individuals journeying toward recovery and stability.

Parishioners not only share resources, but also their time and empathy, bringing light to those in darkness. By answering the call to serve, our ministries embody the mission of faith in action, inspiring others and reminding us that compassion is a virtue.

Food Pantry

The food pantry provides assistance to over 275 households each month. The majority of individuals are served during drive-through distributions, which occur on the first and third Saturday of every month. In addition, the pantry supports a low-income senior citizen residential community, recovery homes for women, a homeless shelter, and a group of international students from ETSU. St. Mary’s parishioners contribute non-perishable food items and the donations are particularly substantial during Lent, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The pantry receives weekly donations of meat, produce, deli, and bakery products from the Johnson City Food Lion and Fresh Market, while Second Harvest provides USDA items without fees and staple foods at reduced prices.

This year, the pantry secured an $18,000 matching grant from the Diocese of Knoxville to serve our community as well as a $3,600 grant from Food Lion to purchase fresh produce.

Parishioners also make financial contributions, enabling pantry volunteers to purchase essential food items. These collective efforts are increasingly important, as demand for pantry services continues to rise. Factors such as inflation and reductions in government food benefits have left many community members without sufficient resources to adequately feed their families.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP)

Our chapter of Society of St. Vincent de Paul is highly active and their services are in constant demand. Volunteer caseworkers meet with individuals in need and provide financial support for basic living expenses, especially rent and utilities. During the fiscal year, SVDP received a $5,000 matching grant from the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund and $77,200 in donations from parishioners. SVDP also participates in the Melting Pot program administered by Good Samaritan, providing 170 bagged lunches to the Johnson City homeless population on the fourth Thursday of each month.

We greatly appreciate the dedication, skills, and generosity demonstrated by our parishioners in supporting our outreach programs. If you wish to become more actively engaged with a particular ministry, please contact the church office for further information.

St. Mary’s Catholic School : Anchored in Love since 1911

St. Mary’s School (SMS) is a vibrant Catholic learning community, rooted in the teachings of Christ and guided by love, acceptance, and compassion. Since its founding in 1911, SMS has remained steadfast in its mission to educate the whole child—spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and socially—while fostering a constant commitment to service, academic excellence, and Gospel values.

As a Christian learning environment, SMS encourages students to be lifelong learners with compassionate hearts and a deep dedication to serving others. Anchored in love, we seek to form young minds grounded in faith, driven by curiosity, and inspired to lead with kindness.

Serving students from Pre-K3 through 8th grade, SMS is proud to be the largest ministry of our parish. This year, we welcomed 173 students from 115 families, reflecting the beauty of our universal Church. Our diverse student body represents five continents and speaking six languages beyond English—Spanish being the most common—enriching our community and deepening our shared understanding as children of God.

Our dedicated team of 33 employees works tirelessly to ensure a nurturing and academically rigorous environment where character formation is as vital as intellectual growth. A great deal of time, effort, and resources are invested in our school, because we believe today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders in faith.

SMS is funded through tuition, fees, donations, fundraising events, and generous support from the parish. In FY 2025, the church contribution to the school was $323,796, ensuring that we continue to provide high-quality Catholic education.

Our community came together in numerous fundraising efforts, including the 39th Annual Auction, themed “Saturday Night Fever,” which transformed the school gym into a lively 1970s disco and raised $41,900. In May, our students raised $17,300 through the annual Walk-A-Thon, with support from sponsors, friends, and family.

Additionally, the David Arwood Educational Endowment Fund received $108,950 in donations which will be invested to provide financial assistance to families seeking a Catholic education.

Through faith, service, and academic excellence, SMS continues to thrive as a Christ-centeredcommunity where students are formed to become compassionate, faithful leaders for the future.

Stewardship Prayer

Praised are You, O God, our loving Creator and Giver of all good gifts.

Bless our parish, strengthen our faith and grant us the spirit of Christian stewardship so that we may give generously of our time in worship and prayer, our talent, and our treasure to the spread of Your Kingdom here in our Church and throughout the world.

This we ask through Jesus Christ,

Your Son, our Lord,

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God forever and forever.

Amen.