St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church sits on Chimney Rock Boulevard in the Countrywood subdivision of Cordova, the eastern Shelby County community that anchors the Memphis metro area. Sharing its campus with St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School, the parish has ministered to Cordova families for more than thirty years and welcomes newcomers of every background into a busy schedule of Masses, religious education, youth ministry, and outreach. Its identity is shaped by a multilingual character: the liturgy is offered in English and Spanish, while key pages of the parish communications are also available in Vietnamese and Filipino.
A Parish in the Countrywood Neighborhood
Driving directions from every major approach to Cordova point to the same short turn onto Chimney Rock Boulevard. From Walnut Grove and Germantown Parkway, the route runs four miles north on Germantown Parkway before turning right onto Chimney Rock. From Stage Road and Germantown Parkway, the parish is 1.5 miles south on Germantown Parkway with a left turn onto the same street. Travelers coming off I-40 at Germantown Parkway (exit 16) head south, turn left onto Chimney Rock Boulevard, and find the church on the right. The parish office shares the campus and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closing for lunch between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m.
Mass Through the Week
Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Saturday at 8:15 a.m. and Monday through Friday at noon. The Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 p.m. opens the weekend, followed on Sunday by Masses at 7:15 a.m., 8:45 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. The 12:30 p.m. Sunday Mass is celebrated in Spanish, giving the parish's growing Spanish-speaking community a regular weekly liturgy of its own. A Saturday morning Mass at 8:15 a.m. fills out the rest of the week. Schedules for the clergy and quarterly schedules for lay ministers are posted and updated as priests and volunteers rotate through their assigned Masses.
Confession Times
The sacrament of Reconciliation is offered on Saturday afternoons from 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. and on Sunday mornings from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. These set times run alongside the regular Mass schedule so that families preparing for First Communion, Confirmation, or simply seeking the sacrament during Advent and Lent can find a regular weekly opportunity.
The Seven Sacraments
The parish's sacramental life follows the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. Its statement on the sacraments echoes the Catechism: the whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments, which nourish and strengthen the faithful as they express and fortify faith.
Parents wishing to baptize an infant or young child must be registered members of the parish and attend a Baptism Preparation Class before a date is set. Classes are held on the second Tuesday of each month in Spanish and the third Tuesday in English, both at 7:00 p.m. in room 113 of the Parish Life Center. Individual baptisms are scheduled on the first Saturday of the month at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and 11:00 a.m. Group baptisms, with no more than three families, are scheduled on the third Saturday at 9:00 a.m. Godparents must be practicing Catholics at least sixteen years old who have themselves received Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist and whose marriages, if applicable, are recognized by the Church. Adult and school-age baptisms are arranged through the OCIA program.
Reconciliation (Penance), First Holy Communion, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, and Holy Orders round out the parish's sacramental preparation. Funerals are scheduled through the parish office, and the parish has published guidance on the Catholic Church's position on cremation and the proper disposition of cremated remains.
Becoming Catholic: OCIA
Adults interested in the Catholic faith - whether unbaptized, baptized in another Christian tradition, or already Catholic and seeking First Communion or Confirmation - take part in the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. Formal OCIA sessions run from early September through Easter on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in room 108 of the Parish Life Center. Inquirers are welcome at any time of year, and the parish invites anyone curious about Catholicism to contact the OCIA team. School-age children needing age-appropriate formation before entering the Church are referred to the parish religious education program.
Parish Religious Education for Children
Parish Religious Education, known locally as PRE and as Catecismo in Spanish, serves Catholic children from four-year-old kindergarten through eighth grade whose families do not send them to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School or another Catholic school. Public school, private non-Catholic school, and homeschooled students attend PRE classes on the parish grounds.
First Communion preparation is a two-year process beginning in first grade: one year of formation followed by a year of receiving the sacrament. Confirmation preparation is likewise two years, beginning in seventh grade. Children who have missed their traditional sacramental year can be brought up through dedicated classes for older students, including teens. Catholic school students at St. Francis of Assisi or another Catholic school receive their religious education during the regular school day but must register with the religious education office to receive First Communion and Confirmation during their sacramental years. The program depends on volunteer catechists, assistant catechists, and parent or teen volunteers, all of whom complete the Empowering God's Children safety program.
Youth on Sunday Evenings
Two youth groups meet on Sunday evenings during the school year in the Parish Life Center, room 105. EDGE, the middle school youth group for sixth through eighth graders, and Life Teen, the high school youth group for ninth through twelfth graders, gather together after the 5:00 p.m. Mass and continue until 7:45 p.m. The format blends talks, games, skits, videos, and small-group discussions, with field trips for fellowship, outreach, and service. The schedule focuses on the spiritual, emotional, and social needs of teens, and announcements are shared through the parish bulletin, the parish calendar, and the youth group's social media. Youth Minister Ryan Rosenfield coordinates the program.
Scouting and Athletics
St. Francis is the chartering organization for Cub Scout Pack 457, which includes dens for boys and girls in kindergarten through fifth grade. Den meetings typically run twice a month from September through May, with the whole pack gathering on the fourth Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Life Center. Boy Scout Troop 457, also chartered by St. Francis, gets scouts in sixth grade and up outdoors at least once a month for camping, canoeing, and hiking, with weekly Monday meetings in the St. Francis School cafeteria at 6:45 p.m.
St. Francis School sponsors year-round athletics with two divisions: a non-competitive program for children ages four, five, and six, and a structured Parochial Athletic Association league for grades one through eight. Children enrolled either at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School or in the parish's PRE program are eligible to play, with full registration details and schedules posted through the school at sfawolves.org.
Music at Mass
Music ministry at St. Francis includes several choirs and ensembles. The traditional choir sings at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass every week from September through Pentecost, including Advent, Christmas, Holy Week, and Easter, with classical four-part choral music under Music Director Chelsea Negray. The St. Cecilia Funeral Choir sings at funerals only, rehearsing briefly before each service and welcoming anyone willing to serve. Cantors lead the sung prayer at Mass as primary vocal leaders, and the Bells of St. Francis handbell choir performs on special occasions. The Hispanic choir leads the music ministry at the Sunday Mass in Spanish, rehearsing on Friday afternoons.
Liturgical Ministries
Volunteers of every age and background keep the liturgies running. Acolytes - young people in fourth grade and older - assist the priest after training and parental permission. Lectors proclaim the readings and occasionally the Prayer of the Faithful, with diocesan training required. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are laypeople designated to assist with distributing Communion, who must be at least eighteen, practicing Catholics, and diocesan-trained. Hospitality ministers and ushers greet parishioners and visitors, assist with seating, take up the collection, hand out bulletins, and tidy up after each Mass. Sacristans care for sacred vessels, altar linens, and other liturgical items. Ministers to the Sick bring the Eucharist to homebound, hospitalized, or nursing-home parishioners, completing diocesan training and parish certification.
Social Ministries and Outreach
The parish's social ministries turn faith outward into the wider Memphis community. The Timothy J. Coyle Council 9317 of the Knights of Columbus gathers on the first Monday of each month for a 5:45 p.m. rosary and 6:15 p.m. meeting in room 108 of the Parish Life Center. The Kitchen Angels provide meals and support to parishioners during illness or after the death of a loved one. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul responds to needs within parish boundaries - food, clothing, shelter, medical care, utilities, and other bills - without regard to race, color, or creed, and sponsors a charitable dining room downtown and an Angel Tree at Christmas.
Through Room at the Inn, area churches rotate as host for the Ozanam Center on Monroe Avenue, providing shelter, a hot dinner, showers, and beds during the coldest and hottest months of the year. The Prison Ministry sends volunteers to celebrate Mass and visit men and women at the Federal Correctional Institution. The Homeless Ministry sends teams twice a month to prepare and serve a meal at the Missionaries of Charity shelter for women and children. The Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers on the second and fourth Thursday at 10:30 a.m. in room 111 to knit and crochet prayer shawls, baptismal blankets, hats, and scarves. The Rosary Makers Guild meets Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. in room 111 to craft rosaries for the parish, the wider community, missions, and the armed forces. The St. Joseph Men's Prayer Group meets Saturday mornings at 6:45 a.m. in room 111, and Good Friends, a social group for adults fifty and older, gathers for dinner and a speaker on the fourth Sunday from September through May at 6:30 p.m. in room 108.
Communications, Giving, and the School
The parish keeps in touch through Flocknotes email and text updates, a parish bulletin, and an active presence on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Online giving is available through the parish's Vanco giving portal, and FORMED provides Catholic movies, audio books, and courses for parishioners free of charge. Adult faith formation includes a Monday-night women's Bible study from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in room 112 of the Parish Life Center from September through May, and a Monday-night Bible study meeting from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the St. Francis/St. Clare room of the church building.
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School, known by its Wolves mascot, partners with the parish in faith formation, athletics, and community life. Pastoral leadership is shared among Pastor Rev. Carl Jude Hood, Parochial Vicars Rev. Horst Lorenz, Rev. Chris Rusin, and Rev. Joseph Peter Nguyen, and Deacons Norman Alexander, Bill Davis, Mick Hovanec, and Tony Rudolph. The parish staff includes Director of Religious Education Yineska Hidrobo, Youth Minister Ryan Rosenfield, and Music Director Chelsea Negray, alongside parish operations and communications staff who keep the busy Cordova campus running through every Mass, class, and service project of the week.