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In 1948 Bishop William Adrian of the Nashville Diocese designated the Camden area as a mission of St.Patrick\u2019s Church in McEwen,Tenn. Services were held once a month in the home of Mr. and Mrs. John L.Mitchell by Fr. William B. Grannis. As the congregation grew facilities had to be found.<\/p>\n
The late Mr. Smothers of Camden, operator of the Dixie Theater, offered the use of his building which was used until the church was completed in 1950.<\/p>\n
The present structure was dedicated in 1950 by Bishop Adrian. The original cost was $28,000, of which $10,000 was donated by the Church Extension Society of Chicago. The mortgage was paid off in six years.<\/p>\n
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For 15 years St. Mary\u2019s remained a mission of St. Patrick\u2019s. Then in 1965 it became a mission of Holy Cross in Paris, Tenn. The Diocese of Memphis was formed in 1971 and included all the Tennessee counties west of the Tennessee River.<\/p>\n
The Most Reverend Carrol Dozier, first bishop of Memphis, made St. Mary\u2019s a parish in January 1981 and sent Fr. Richard Gantert to be its first pastor. The congregation built a two story addition to the church to house their new priest. Additional meeting rooms and an office were built on the first floor and an apartment on the second.<\/p>\n
Bishop Dozier formally dedicated St. Mary\u2019s Church as a parish in September 1981. The parish includes Benton, Carroll and parts of Humphreys Counties.<\/p>\n