St Mary's Catholic Church
St Mary's Catholic Church, Gatlinburg
St Mary's Catholic Church
St Mary's Catholic Church
5
Full view
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Best nearby
Restaurants
137 within 3 miles
Cherokee Grill
4,677
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Steakhouse • Vegetarian Friendly
Log Cabin Pancake House
3,672
410 ft$$ - $$$ • American • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
Crocketts Breakfast Camp
5,410
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
Old Dad's
780
0.2 mi$ • American
Flapjack's Pancake Cabin
1,603
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
Bennett's Pit BBQ
4,358
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Cafe
Big Daddy's Pizzeria
1,592
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • American • Pizza
Smoky Mountain Brewery
5,914
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Pizza
The Melting Pot
1,260
0.2 mi$$$$ • French • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
The Peddler Steakhouse
3,384
0.3 mi$$$$ • American • Steakhouse • Vegetarian Friendly
Attractions
129 within 6 miles
Ole Smoky
12,956
0.2 miDistilleries
Sugarlands Distilling Company
30,364
0.3 miDistilleries
Gatlinburg Convention Center
297
0.2 miConvention Centers
Sugarland Cellars
2,945
0.2 miWineries & Vineyards
Bootleggers Homemade Wine
797
0.2 miWineries & Vineyards
Smoky Mountain Art
51
0.1 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks
7D Dark Ride Adventure
391
0.2 miAmusement & Theme Parks
Hollywood Star Cars Museum
1,424
0.2 miSpeciality Museums
Gatlinburg Space Needle
1,243
0.2 miObservation Decks & Towers
Elk's Plaza
14
0.1 miShopping Malls
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
162 reviews
Excellent
133
Very good
25
Average
2
Poor
1
Terrible
1
bettek
96 contributions
Whenever we travel, we like to go to Mass at the local churches. This was a very nice little church in the middle of town. We were surprised that they did any singing; at home we do not sing now because of COVID. But everyone wore masks and they did social distancing and hand sanitizers. You can use their parking lot during the week, at only $5 per day we chose to do that instead of the city lots. Figured the church could use the money and we didn't mind walking a little farther.
Written November 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
James T
41 contributions
Couples
We attended Mass in this lovely little Catholic Church on Sunday morning. The priest and parishioners were so friendly and welcoming.
Also, you can park all day for $5 in their parking lot as long as it is outside normal mass times (Sat. 4 pm through Sun. Noon). That’s the best deal for parking anywhere in Gatlinburg!
Also, you can park all day for $5 in their parking lot as long as it is outside normal mass times (Sat. 4 pm through Sun. Noon). That’s the best deal for parking anywhere in Gatlinburg!
Written July 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
speechpath70458
Slidell, LA15 contributions
This is one of the few Catholic Churches in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area. I'm from Southeast Louisiana hand have at least 5 Catholic Churches less than 20 minutes from my house. We were thankful to have found, so we could attend Mass. Please help support them. They also have parking during non Mass times. Unfortunately we witnessed a couple park right before Mass and not put money in for their parking space.
Written October 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Tom
Mishawaka, IN5 contributions
We just arrived into town and attended Saturday evening Mass. The church was small and very nice. The buildings and grounds were immaculate. We enjoyed Mass and the atmosphere. We will return here for worship on our next return trip.
Written July 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
daisyferret1
Bear, DE27,779 contributions
Couples
My husband and I passed this church several times when we used to stay at the Sidney James Mountain Lodge on Historic Nature Trail during vacation. A couple of times we thought about attending Sunday Mass. Finally, this year we were able attend the 9am mass on Sunday July 3, 2011. We arrived around 8:45am to find the church almost completely empty. However, over the next 15 minutes the place began to fill up.
While we waited for Mass to start, I took notice of the inside of the church. It is a pretty modern church on the inside. So there are not any amazing marble pillars, intricate details in woodwork, stained glass windows or anything like that. However, the inside is still beautiful. The walls are painted a pale blue & the wooden pews are made out of a light colored wood. This gives the place a nice airy feeling. There are pretty substantial sized lighting fixtures hanging from the ceiling & provide lots of light. The windows to the church are just regular windows, but each window had a small stained glass panel hanging inside it. At the front by the altar, there is a beautiful painting of a dove with its' wings spread, almost floating in the clouds. Above the altar, there is a huge wooden cross & to the right of the altar is a small table with votive candles. Beside the altar, there is another small chapel, that attaches to the main chapel. This accommodates more parishioners. In the back of the church, there is a small church gift shop.
Our Pastor on July 3rd was Rev. Joseph J. Brando. We felt that his sermon was done rather well. We enjoyed his story about the people who were carrying rocks to build a church. Each person had a different answer when asked what they were doing. In the end, we appreciated the story of how each person had a different outlook on life & the importance of what they were doing. The summary of the story was that God will give you rest, when everything in your life is complete. It was a really nice story that related to our Mass. In addition to the story, we also appreciated that Rev. Brando made ALL the visitors feel welcome. He asked the local parishioners raise their hands & there were only a handful there. It showed HOW much this Catholic church depends on the visitors for its' attendance. Another nice touch to this Mass, was the singing & song selection. There was no organist or choir this day, but there was a gentleman that lead us in song. He had a really beautiful & powerful voice that was such a delight to hear. My favorite part of the song selections, was in the end when whole church rejoiced in singing America the Beautiful in honor of July 4th. It was really beautiful! In total, the Mass lasted about 45 minutes. At the end of Mass, Rev. Brando suggested that we all stop in the gift shop in the back of the church. He reminded the visitors that starting the following week (Sun. July 10th, 2011) that they would be offering donuts & refreshments after the 11am Mass. He said this would give the parishioners a chance to mingle, talk and get to know each other.
After Mass, we did visit the gift shop. It is a TINY gift shop, but they had lots of nice items crammed into that small space. They had a church cookbook, a black bear nativity set, statues, rosary beads, crosses, post cards, Christmas ornaments and MORE. We purchased a nice wooden cross and the church's cookbook. The clerk told us that it has local recipes in it from the local parishioners & their families. I thought about purchasing the black bear nativity set since it was REALLY cute. Later I saw a set that was NOT even half as nice for THREE times the price at the Christmas Place. So, I know the prices at the church are VERY reasonable! Maybe next time I'm in town, I will see about getting one of those Nativity sets.
On our way out, we ran into Rev. Brando who chatted with us for a few minutes & thanked us for attending his Mass. He seems like a really shy, quiet spoken and gracious person. We really enjoyed meeting him and attending his service. After talking with him for a few minutes, we made our way around back to take a peek at the small garden area (behind the parking lot) with the blessed mother statue. It really is a beautiful church from the stone exterior to the airy interior & beyond into the garden area. We would recommend this church to anyone seeking a nice Catholic Mass in the Gatlinburg area.
While we waited for Mass to start, I took notice of the inside of the church. It is a pretty modern church on the inside. So there are not any amazing marble pillars, intricate details in woodwork, stained glass windows or anything like that. However, the inside is still beautiful. The walls are painted a pale blue & the wooden pews are made out of a light colored wood. This gives the place a nice airy feeling. There are pretty substantial sized lighting fixtures hanging from the ceiling & provide lots of light. The windows to the church are just regular windows, but each window had a small stained glass panel hanging inside it. At the front by the altar, there is a beautiful painting of a dove with its' wings spread, almost floating in the clouds. Above the altar, there is a huge wooden cross & to the right of the altar is a small table with votive candles. Beside the altar, there is another small chapel, that attaches to the main chapel. This accommodates more parishioners. In the back of the church, there is a small church gift shop.
Our Pastor on July 3rd was Rev. Joseph J. Brando. We felt that his sermon was done rather well. We enjoyed his story about the people who were carrying rocks to build a church. Each person had a different answer when asked what they were doing. In the end, we appreciated the story of how each person had a different outlook on life & the importance of what they were doing. The summary of the story was that God will give you rest, when everything in your life is complete. It was a really nice story that related to our Mass. In addition to the story, we also appreciated that Rev. Brando made ALL the visitors feel welcome. He asked the local parishioners raise their hands & there were only a handful there. It showed HOW much this Catholic church depends on the visitors for its' attendance. Another nice touch to this Mass, was the singing & song selection. There was no organist or choir this day, but there was a gentleman that lead us in song. He had a really beautiful & powerful voice that was such a delight to hear. My favorite part of the song selections, was in the end when whole church rejoiced in singing America the Beautiful in honor of July 4th. It was really beautiful! In total, the Mass lasted about 45 minutes. At the end of Mass, Rev. Brando suggested that we all stop in the gift shop in the back of the church. He reminded the visitors that starting the following week (Sun. July 10th, 2011) that they would be offering donuts & refreshments after the 11am Mass. He said this would give the parishioners a chance to mingle, talk and get to know each other.
After Mass, we did visit the gift shop. It is a TINY gift shop, but they had lots of nice items crammed into that small space. They had a church cookbook, a black bear nativity set, statues, rosary beads, crosses, post cards, Christmas ornaments and MORE. We purchased a nice wooden cross and the church's cookbook. The clerk told us that it has local recipes in it from the local parishioners & their families. I thought about purchasing the black bear nativity set since it was REALLY cute. Later I saw a set that was NOT even half as nice for THREE times the price at the Christmas Place. So, I know the prices at the church are VERY reasonable! Maybe next time I'm in town, I will see about getting one of those Nativity sets.
On our way out, we ran into Rev. Brando who chatted with us for a few minutes & thanked us for attending his Mass. He seems like a really shy, quiet spoken and gracious person. We really enjoyed meeting him and attending his service. After talking with him for a few minutes, we made our way around back to take a peek at the small garden area (behind the parking lot) with the blessed mother statue. It really is a beautiful church from the stone exterior to the airy interior & beyond into the garden area. We would recommend this church to anyone seeking a nice Catholic Mass in the Gatlinburg area.
Written July 15, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Chris P
Walker, LA39 contributions
Family
We went to Sunday Mass at St. Mary's and it was a wonderful experience! The community was very welcoming as it is comprised of very few actual parishioners, most of the support for the church operation comes from donations from tourists.
Written June 3, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Terrye916
Loretto, TN32 contributions
Couples
We have visited here a few times and just love the amazing Indian priest. He is so easy to understand and gives a very moving homily. We will return to this quaint little church when we return. We like the 7 PM mass on Saturday night.
Written September 9, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
dobbydoo
Herndon, KY100 contributions
We have been attending Mass here for 6 to 8 times a year for about 25 years. The parish is small but very friendly, and extremely gracious to visitors. The stained glass Stations of the Cross hang in front of the windows and are beautiful. If you are looking for a friendly gracious Mass, this is your place!!!!
Written February 1, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Bill W
Bensenville, IL17 contributions
Couples
7pm Saturday night mass was packed with mostly tourists. Beautiful little church. Has a gift shop which is open after mass. The church is always open so you can drop in anytime. Nice mass; the priest is very nice & has a good sense of humor.
Written August 12, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Julie E
Missouri City, TX103 contributions
We went to the 11:00 Mass and it was prefect for us. The singer at Mass was wonderful. We felt very welcome and at home, as we always do when attending a Mass in whatever town we are vacationing.
The church building was quaint and very nicely appointed, and I might add their A/C was working well.
The church building was quaint and very nicely appointed, and I might add their A/C was working well.
Written September 7, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
blueXjello
Clayton, GA383 contributions
What makes this church historic?
traveler8932018
Raleigh, NC1 contribution
It looks like a normal church built around 1953 except somebody in the later 20th century remodeled the inside for complete practicality. There's nothing inside worth seeing on it's own. I have no idea how it got a 5 star rating other than people happy about the people they met. It's not all that historic and it's not all that interesting, unfortunately. This is was a complete fail for Tripadvisor for us.
Ana R
Jax
What time is mass on Easter Sunday .
Fosbachtru
The Cincinnati Region40 contributions
According to the St. Mary's church website, Easter Mass times are (on 3/27) 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm
Ana R
Jax
How far is the church from wesgate resort
Fosbachtru
The Cincinnati Region40 contributions
I checked Google Maps, it says 10 min drive, 2.8 miles.
Is the church wheelchair accessible?
csi782
Birmingham, AL20 contributions
Hello, I was just vacationing in Gatlinburg, and attending the church for Sunday Mass. I do not recall if it was or not. The front entrance if I remember correctly had steps. There was a side entrance I think, but dont recall if it was wheelchair accessible. They do have a website; as that is how I found the church and they may be able to tell you.
What are service hours
cwbeanblossom
Pigeon Forge, TN150 contributions
Weekend Schedule:
Saturday Vigil Mass for Sunday – 5:30 pm
Sunday – 8:00 am, 10:00 am and 12 noon
Spanish Mass – Sunday 2:00 pm
Signing for the Deaf: 4th Sunday 12:00 pm
Child care for children under 5 is available during the 10 and 12 o’clock Sunday Masses in the Chapel Nursery
My husband and I are celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary on Monday the 15 of June. We are staying in a cabin 2 1/2 miles from Gatlinburg. I wanted to suprise him and renew our vows. Is this something that could be arranged. Thanks Lori Brooker. 740-516-3417.
2013CTB
Atlanta, GA190 contributions
You need to check with the Parish. This isn't a "Wedding Chapel", but a regular church. You'll probably need to be Roman Catholic as well.
Frequently Asked Questions about St Mary's Catholic Church
- Hotels near St Mary's Catholic Church:
- (0.03 mi) Holiday Inn Express Gatlinburg Downtown, an IHG Hotel
- (0.06 mi) Courtyard by Marriott Gatlinburg Downtown
- (0.11 mi) Holiday Inn Club Vacations Smoky Mountain Resort, an IHG Hotel
- (0.11 mi) The Gillette
- (0.07 mi) Summit Manor Condominiums
- Restaurants near St Mary's Catholic Church:
- (0.08 mi) Log Cabin Pancake House
- (0.08 mi) Bones BBQ Joint
- (0.12 mi) Smoky Mountain Brewery
- (0.08 mi) Bearland Grill & General Store
- (0.15 mi) Cherokee Grill