Mission of St. Francis of Assisi Church, Jefferson
Mission of St. Francis of Assisi Church, Jefferson29 Highland Dr., Sparta
http://stfrancesofrome-sparta.org
Sunday Mass: 11:15 a.m. (English), 2 p.m. (Spanish)
Local Catholics proved to be an industrious group during the 1960s before the church was built, with Masses celebrated in the Sparta Community Center, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, private homes and even the cafeteria of a shoe factory. The current church is among the diocese’s larger missions, with more than 160 registered families, including a vibrant and active Hispanic Catholic community.
Mission of St. Lucien Church, Spruce Pine
Mission of St. Lucien Church, Spruce Pine2085 N.C. Hwy. 105, Linville
Mass: 11 a.m. Sunday
In 1987, then-Bishop John F. Donoghue gave his approval for building to begin at St. Bernadette. Special emphasis was placed on capturing the beauty of the North Carolina mountains in and at the church. The exterior was created in part with stone from the Linville area, and the sanctuary’s rear wall was fashioned of glass to allow a view of Grandfather Mountain and its famous mile-high swinging bridge.
