Diocese of Knoxville
The Diocese of Knoxville is a Roman Catholic diocese serving approximately 82,000 registered Catholics across 36 East Tennessee counties through 51 parishes, 10 Catholic schools, and affiliated charitable and healthcare ministries under Bishop Mark Beckman.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersKnoxville, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Diocese of Knoxville does
The Diocese of Knoxville is a non-profit Roman Catholic diocese serving approximately 82,000 registered Catholics across 36 counties and roughly 14,242 square miles of East Tennessee. Established on September 8, 1988 by Pope John Paul II and carved from the eastern portion of the Diocese of Nashville, it operates as a territorial division of the Roman Catholic Church under the governance of Bishop Mark Beckman, the fourth bishop (installed July 2024). The Diocese delivers its mission through an integrated network of 51 parishes and missions organized into four deaneries (Chattanooga, Cumberland Mountain, Five Rivers, Smoky Mountain), supported by 93 priests, 7 seminarians, 104 permanent deacons, and 48 religious sisters and brothers.
Its core products and services span Catholic education (8 K-8 foundational schools and 2 high schools), faith formation, sacramental ministry, charitable services via Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, mobile medical care through St. Mary's Legacy Clinic, and retreat services at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center. Digital engagement is delivered through DioKnox TV (YouTube), podcasts, the DioNotes weekly e-newsletter, online giving platforms, and live-streamed Masses, all built on the eCatholic website management platform — no proprietary technology or AI capabilities are evident. The Diocese also operates The East Tennessee Catholic newspaper, a tribunal for canonical legal matters, and is pursuing the Cause of Sainthood for Father Patrick Ryan through the Vatican.
The Diocese's business model is donation-driven rather than commercial. Revenue streams include weekly parish offertory collections across 51 parishes, the annual Bishop's Appeal for Ministries campaign, tuition from Catholic schools, and targeted stewardship donations to multiple trust funds (Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee, Catholic Education Trust Fund, St. Mary's Legacy Foundation, Priest Retirement Fund, etc.). Religious services are provided free of charge, and the Diocese operates under the spiritual authority of the Vatican and the canonical governance of the Universal Catholic Church with no private equity, venture, or public ownership. The Diocese is affiliated with multiple wholly-owned subsidiary ministries including Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center, St. Mary's Legacy Clinic, and St. Mary's Legacy Foundation.
Diocese of Knoxville firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Diocese of Knoxville
- Legal name
- Diocese of Knoxville
- Website
- https://dioknox.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- The Diocese of Knoxville is a Roman Catholic diocese serving approximately 82,000 registered Catholics across 36 East Tennessee counties through 51 parishes, 10 Catholic schools, and affiliated charitable and healthcare ministries under Bishop Mark Beckman.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Diocese of Knoxville industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Religious Organization
- NAICS
- Religious Organizations (8131), Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) (621111)
- SIC
- Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions) (BPAGAJAH), Christian Broadcasting (TV & Radio) (MPABALAA)
Keywords
Where Diocese of Knoxville is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Knoxville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Diocese of Knoxville business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Tithes and Offerings: The Diocese collects weekly offertory contributions from registered Catholics attending 51 parish and mission churches. Parish offertory collections form the primary revenue stream for parish operations and diocese-wide ministries.
- Catholic Schools Tuition: Revenue from tuition at eight foundational (K-8) schools and two high schools within the Diocese. Schools offer Catholic education with tuition support available.
- Bishop's Appeal for Ministries: Annual fundraising campaign supporting essential ministries across the Diocese. Donations support priest retirement, seminarian formation, permanent deacon formation, and various diocesan programs.
- Stewardship Donations: Donations to specific funds including Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee, Catholic Education Trust Fund, St. Mary's Legacy Foundation, Religious Sisters of Mercy, Priest Retirement Fund, and Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Diocese of Knoxville product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Diocese of Knoxville is a Roman Catholic diocese serving approximately 82,000 registered Catholics across 36 counties in East Tennessee. It delivers Catholic spiritual services through 51 parish and mission churches, operates 10 Catholic schools (eight K-8 and two high schools), runs charitable ministries including Catholic Charities of East Tennessee and St. Mary's Legacy Clinic, and provides faith formation, marriage and family life support, vocations promotion, and tribunal services. Revenue is generated through parish offertories, school tuition, and donations to various diocesan funds.
Product overview
The Diocese of Knoxville is a Roman Catholic diocese covering 36 counties in East Tennessee with approximately 82,000 registered Catholics. The diocese offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services centered on Catholic education, media/publishing, and faith formation. The core educational offerings include eight K-8 schools and two high schools, while the media portfolio encompasses The East Tennessee Catholic newspaper, DioKnox TV (YouTube), podcasts, and the DioNotes newsletter. The diocese also provides digital tools including Parish Finder, School Finder, and Online Giving platforms for parishioners. Faith formation services include Synod resources, Care of Creation programs aligned with Laudato Si', Christian Formation, Vocations Office support, and Marriage & Family Life resources.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DioKnox Media: Media platforms umbrella brand including DioKnox TV, podcasts, and the DioNotes newsletter
- DioNotes
- DioKnox TV
Products and services
- Catholic Schools (Diocesan Schools)
Companies that use Diocese of Knoxville
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Diocese of Knoxville technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Diocese of Knoxville partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Catholic Charities of East TennesseecoreAffiliated ministry serving the most needy in the community. One of the key affiliated ministries under the Diocese of Knoxville umbrella.
- Christ Prince of Peace Retreat CentercoreRetreat center providing a place to pray and reflect surrounded by natural beauty. Affiliated ministry offering retreat services to Catholics and others.
- St. Mary's Legacy CliniccoreMobile medical clinic visiting underserved areas of East Tennessee providing primary medical care. Part of St. Mary's Legacy Foundation established to continue the ministry begun by Sisters of Mercy.
- St. Mary's Legacy FoundationcoreFoundation providing direct support for Charity, Health Care and Education through Catholic organizations serving those in need in East Tennessee. Formed in 2011 to continue the ministry of St. Mary's Hospital opened by Sisters of Mercy in 1930.
- Tennessee Catholic ConferenceminorState-level Catholic conference representing Catholic interests in Tennessee. Affiliated organization working on Catholic advocacy and policy issues.
- USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)coreNational body of Catholic bishops. The Diocese participates in USCCB initiatives including America 250: From the Heart of Christ national consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (June 2026) and national synod process.
- Glenmary Home MissionerscoreReligious order that established St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish (elevated to full parish in 2014) and St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Erwin (elevated to full parish in 2018). Key partner in mission work in East Tennessee.
- Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of JesuscoreNew cathedral dedicated on March 3, 2018, replacing the former Cathedral of the Sacred Heart at 711 Northshore Drive. The principal church of the Diocese of Knoxville.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Diocese of Knoxville competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Diocese of Nashville: The Tennessee Catholic diocese from which the Diocese of Knoxville was carved in 1988. Operates the same mix of parishes, schools, charitable ministries, and tribunal functions across a similar Bible Belt geography, with a comparable Catholic population share.
- Diocese of Memphis: The third Roman Catholic diocese in Tennessee, serving West Tennessee. Operates the same parish-school-charitable ministry model in a Southern Protestant-majority region with comparable institutional scale and revenue structure.
- Diocese of Charlotte: Catholic diocese covering western North Carolina, a Bible Belt geography similar to East Tennessee. Operates parishes, schools, a Catholic Charities arm, and a Hispanic ministry program serving a comparable mix of urban and rural Catholic populations.
- Diocese of Savannah: Catholic diocese covering southern Georgia. Comparable in geographic dispersion across a largely Protestant region with a small Catholic population share; runs parishes, schools, and charitable ministries with similar operational scope.
- Diocese of Birmingham: Roman Catholic diocese covering the northern two-thirds of Alabama. Operates the same parish-network, school, and charitable-services model in a Deep South Bible Belt geography with comparable Catholic population density.
- Diocese of Jackson: Catholic diocese covering the state of Mississippi. A small-population diocese with similar Catholic-minority dynamics in a heavily Protestant region, operating parishes, schools, and charity ministries across a wide geographic footprint.
- Diocese of Lexington: Catholic diocese covering central and eastern Kentucky. Comparable scale and rural Bible Belt demographics, with a similar mix of parish churches, schools, and affiliated charitable and educational ministries.
- Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau: Roman Catholic diocese in southern Missouri and a small portion of Arkansas. Operates the same parish-school model across a predominantly rural, low-Catholic-population geography, making it structurally similar to the Diocese of Knoxville.
- Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee: Catholic diocese covering the Florida panhandle. Operates parishes and schools in a Bible Belt, low-Catholic-density region similar to East Tennessee, with comparable organizational scale and revenue model.
Broad incumbents
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB): National body of the Catholic Church in the United States. Sets policy, runs national initiatives such as America 250, and coordinates inter-diocesan programs including the Synod and abuse-prevention standards that the Diocese of Knoxville adopts and implements.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Diocese of Knoxville social profiles
Digital presenceDiocese of Knoxville financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Diocese of Knoxville leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Diocese of Knoxville subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Diocese of Knoxville funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Diocese of Knoxville M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Diocese of Knoxville
What does Diocese of Knoxville do?
The Diocese of Knoxville is a Roman Catholic diocese serving approximately 82,000 registered Catholics across 36 counties in East Tennessee. It delivers Catholic spiritual services through 51 parish and mission churches, operates 10 Catholic schools (eight K-8 and two high schools), runs charitable ministries including Catholic Charities of East Tennessee and St. Mary's Legacy Clinic, and provides faith formation, marriage and family life support, vocations promotion, and tribunal services. Revenue is generated through parish offertories, school tuition, and donations to various diocesan funds.
Is Diocese of Knoxville a public or private company?
Diocese of Knoxville is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Diocese of Knoxville founded?
Diocese of Knoxville was founded in 1988.
Where is Diocese of Knoxville based?
Diocese of Knoxville is headquartered in Knoxville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Diocese of Knoxville make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tithes and Offerings are the primary driver. The others are catholic Schools Tuition, bishop's Appeal for Ministries and stewardship Donations.
Who are Diocese of Knoxville's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Diocese of Nashville, Diocese of Memphis, Diocese of Charlotte, Diocese of Savannah, Diocese of Birmingham, Diocese of Jackson, Diocese of Lexington, Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau and Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Diocese of Knoxville have an API?
No public API is recorded for Diocese of Knoxville.
What industry is Diocese of Knoxville in?
Diocese of Knoxville's product category is Religious Organization. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAJAA, Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues), with a secondary code of BPAGAJAH, Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions). Its NAICS code is 8131 and its SIC code is 8011.