Diocese of Knoxville

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.

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

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 industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAA

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAJAH

Faith-Based Healthcare Ministries (Hospitals, Clinics, Medical Missions)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYMPABALAA

Christian Broadcasting (TV & Radio)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Religious/Faith-Based Broadcasting

Keywords

• Catholic diocese services
• Religious education programs
• Catholic schools education
• Parish ministry services
• Faith formation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

Core 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)

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Catholic Charities of East TennesseecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated 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 CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRetreat 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 CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobile 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 FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation 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 ConferenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level Catholic conference representing Catholic interests in Tennessee. Affiliated organization working on Catholic advocacy and policy issues.
• USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational 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 MissionerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReligious 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 JesuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew 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

Direct 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

• Xtwitter.com/knoxdiocese
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCaJfLu91XfO9ChUXkAJBD6g
• Facebookfacebook.com/dioknox
• Instagraminstagram.com/knoxdiocese

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Diocese of Knoxville