In 1937 there was only one Catholic Church in the metropolitan area of Chattanooga; Sts. Peter & Paul Church on Eighth Street downtown. Bishop William L. Adrian of Nashville sent Fr. J. Harold Shea, and layman to select a site for a second parish.  The present site on South Moore Road was chosen because of its elevation, local transportation access and location in a growing suburb.  In order to secure enough land for the church and school an entire farm of 40 acres had to be purchased.    

     The property contained a very old white farm house, a dilapidated yellow tenant house, a variety of out buildings, an orchard, and four enormous oak trees all over one hundred years old.  Aside from all this, the new pastor, Fr. J. Harold Shea, had only the promise of help form loyal Catholics in the city and the enthusiasm of the 100 families in the new parish.  Fr. Shea asked that the new parish be named in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in thanksgiving for his return to health from illness some years before.    

     Fr. Shea arrived in the city July 1, 1937.  A meeting was held in the farm house and the men and women in attendance gazed in dismay at the old-fashioned buildings.  They discussed which should be built first, a church or a school.  It was finally decided to build a church and rectory first and to repair the farm house of a convent and school.  Mr. John Stagmaier was made chairman of the committee for the new church.   

     A meeting of men from Sts. Peter & Paul and Our Lady of Perpetual Help was held July 13, 1937 to organize a fund-raising drive for the new church.  A letter was sent out on July 15th asking for the cooperation of all Catholics in Chattanooga in this effort.    

     Fr. Shea made arrangements to hold services at Brainerd Junior High School until the church could be completed.  The first Mass in the parish was celebrated in that school auditorium on July 18, 1937.  A picnic was given on the church property in August 1937 to raise funds.  Until the rectory could be finished, Fr. Shea rented a house at 101 S. Moore Rd., but much of his time was spent changing a very old dwelling into a combined convent and school.           

     Bishop Adrian arranged to have the school administered and taught by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Four sisters arrived in Chattanooga on August 26, 1937, a little hesitant about their reception in the South but filled with enthusiasm for their work.  They came prepared for a life without modern conveniences in what they had been told was an old farm house.  They were surprised to find electric lights and an electric stove and were completely put at ease by the local Southern hospitality.  They tried to overlook such matters as windows that failed to keep out the wind, a furnace that smoked and a roof that sometimes leaked.  The first registration for school was held on September 2, 1937.

     Ground breaking for the Church was held July 5, 1938, with Monsignor Francis Sullivan lifting the first spade of earth and delivering the homily.  Bishop Adrian officiated at the laying of the cornerstone, blessing the stone and marking a cross on all sides.  In a box beneath the stone Fr. Shea placed copies of the daily newspaper, a copy of the Catholic newspaper, The Tennessee Register, a booklet about T.V.A., coins of various denominations, papers listing the officials of the church in 1938 form Pope Pius on down, another list of civil authorities form President Franklin D. Roosevelt to minor officials in Chattanooga and a Dictaphone record of the voices of the choir.           

     While work continued on the church, a small barracks-like building was being erected. This building was called the Community Hall.  On May 8, 1938, the first Mass was said in the Community Hall along with the first celebration of First Holy Communion for the parish.  The beautiful church of Our Lady of perpetual Help was completed in eight months, and blessed on September 8, 1938. 

       Following WWII, the main school building and convent were designed and construction was completed in 1948. Property owned by the parish in the surrounding neighborhood was sold to fiancé this project. 

     Our Lady of Perpetual Help School is a state approved, Diocese certified, and SACS accredited Catholic school providing an education that fosters the growth and affirmation of each person’s lifelong relationship with God. The Sisters of Charity, BVM, with lay teachers, continued to serve the school until the summer of 2003.  Currently, lay teachers educate our children from Pre-K 3 through the eighth grade.           

     The building and grounds have been extensively renovated and added to over the years.  In 1956 the balcony was added to the church, the covered walkway connecting the chu4rch and school was built, and the vestibule was enlarged.  At the same time the school added four classrooms and the cafeteria size was doubled.  A football field and stadium enhanced the sports program, which began in earnest when Stagmaier Gym was built in 1953.           

     In 1987, parish needs dictated more space.  The Parish Life Center and a third school building that included a library were added to the campus. Meeting rooms, a parish library and parish offices completed this phase of major capital improvement so Our Lady of Perpetual Help.    

     In 2005, the first two capital projects of the Growing in faith Together (GIFT) Capital Campaign were complete; the renovation of Madonna Hall and the overhaul of the athletic field bleachers and meeting space.  By June 2008 the third and final phase of the campaign was completed: Holy Family Hall.  This expanded gathering space for our church building and was dedicated to the people of the parish in June by Fr. Michael F. Nolan.           

     We now celebrate our 85th Anniversary of the founding of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish. We look forward to many more anniversaries as we fondly remember and give thanks for all the men and women whose vision and faith over the years created such a strong and lasting foundation for our church and school.

 501 South Moore Road   Chattanooga, TN 37412   (423) 622-7232