St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows

You are now standing outside of the oldest extant church structure in downtown Nashville: St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows, which dates to 1847. Roman Catholic priests came to Tennessee from Kentucky in the early nineteenth century to visit Catholics around the state. They typically came twice a year to minister to followers, often holding meetings in Protestant buildings. This first Catholic parish was built in Nashville in 1830. Over the next seven years the Diocese of Nashville was established. 

Richard Pius Miles, O.P., the first Catholic Bishop of Nashville, is responsible for the construction of St. Mary’s Church. Miles arrived in Nashville in 1838 and remained here until his death in 1860. During his tenure, he ordained the first priest in Tennessee, established a seminary for boys, built a hospital and an orphanage, and grew the diocese to nearly 12,000 parishioners. Membership grew in the 1840s, in part, as a result of an influx of Irish immigrants to Tennessee to build bridges and railroads. In the face of anti-Catholic bigotry, Bishop Miles sought to build relationships with other faith leaders. In 1972, the Bishop was nominated for canonization when it was discovered that his body had miraculously not decomposed after 112 years.

St. Mary’s was designed by Adolphus Heiman, a German immigrant who designed several major Nashville buildings, including the State Asylum. Heiman chose a Greek Revival temple style for St. Mary’s, which features a gable front entrance with two fluted Ionic columns that support a classical pediment. Like many of the other churches downtown, St. Mary’s was used as a hospital during the Civil War. In 1926, the Nashville firm of Asmus & Clark renovated both the exterior and interior of St. Mary’s, finishing the west facade in local limestone and altering the original octagonal belfry. St. Mary’s celebrated its 170^th anniversary in 2017.

Remaining on the same side of the street, take a LEFT on Fifth Avenue North. Continue until you reach Church Street. The Downtown Presbyterian Church will be across the street on your left.