The History of Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
St. Francis of Assisi Church has experienced steady growth and has been blessed abundantly since its beginning from a group of dedicated families in 1976 to its present membership of 593 families. For those early parishioners, the feeling of a parish community began on November 27, 1976, when Father Gabriel Germann, from St. Alphonsus in Crossvillle, began celebrating Saturday evening Mass at the security building in Fairfield Glade. By June of 1977 (just seven months later), Mass attendance was over 100 people, and a new location needed to be found. In true ecumenical spirit, arrangements were made with the Fairfield Glade Baptist Church to rent their facility. St. Francis continued to use the Baptist Church until the parish center was completed in 1980.
In 1978, Father Germann died of cancer. A new pastor, Father Paul Koehler, came to St. Alphonsus. During the same year, Bishop Niedergeses established St. Francis of Assisi as a mission in Fairfield Glade. On September 20, 1978, a building committee headed by Frank and Mary Jane Kimball, was appointed by the St. Alphonsus Parish Council. In August of 1979, Fairfield Communities, Inc. donated 3.8 acres of land for a church.The first building of a three-phase project was to be a parish center. It was designed to serve as a church until needs and resources of the parish would dictate the building of a permanent church. Bishop Niedergeses dedicated it on October 5, 1980, with 200 people in attendance.St. Francis remained a mission parish until 1983. Father George Sheehan was appointed as the first resident pastor, giving it full parish status. By 1985 the new building was paid for, and the congregation numbered 93 families.Father Sheehan lived for two years in a Wilshire Heights condominium before a rectory which he could call “home” was built in 1986.
The parish continued to grow, as did the Catholic population of East Tennessee. In 1988, the Diocese of Knoxville was established with the Most Reverend Anthony O'Connell as the bishop. The new diocese included 36,000 Catholics and covered 36 counties.
By 1991, St. Francis was ready once again for a dedication Mass. This time it was for the sanctuary and the third phase of the original plan. Father Sheehan continued to serve the parish until his retirement in 1996.His replacement, Father Philip Thoni, a retired military chaplain, was welcomed by parishioners the same year.In 1998, Bishop O'Connell requested that we build a new rectory with increased living quarters. In compliance with this request, a new rectory was completed in September 1999. That same month, Father Thoni left the parish and was replaced by Father Greg Boisvert. Father Boisvert came to us from Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa and was the first priest to live in the new rectory. The former rectory was converted into the parish office building.The parish was blessed with the arrival of Deacon Mark Fredrick in 1992, Deacon Mark White in 1995 and Deacons Keith Farber and Joseph Solis in 2001. In August of 2002, Bishop Joseph Kurtz appointed Father Greg Neuzil as the fourth pastor of St. Francis of Assisi.On July 31, 2005, Father Neuzil retired. On August 1, 2005, a new pastor, Father Thomas Moser, arrived and took up the leadership reigns. Upon Father Moser's reassignment in November 2008, Father John O'Neill became parochial Administrator, and in May 2009 was named pastor by Bishop Richard Stika. Monsignor Thoni retired in 2009 and returned to the parish as priest in residence. Father John Dowling replaced Father O'Neill as pastor on February 1, 2010.In the meantime, our parish family continues to grow. As of January 1, 2012 our count stands at 593 households with 1,027 individual members. St. Francis of Assisi is also pleased to provide for the spiritual needs of many visitors who vacation in Fairfield Glade.