2026 Diocese of Nashville Priest Assignments Announced
Saint Matthew to Welcome Father Father Anthony Stewart; Father Tran to become Pastor of Saint Patrick in McEwen.
Bishop Mark Spalding announced new priests assignments for the Diocese of Nashville. This includes Father Tran being transferred to serve as Pastor of Saint Patrick Church in McEwen. Saint Matthew will welcome Father Father Anthony Stewart.
Father Tien Tran has served at Saint Matthew since November 2021. Prior to Saint Matthew he served at St. Joseph Church in Madison, St. Philip Church in Franklin, Holy Trinity Church in Hohenwald, Christ the Redeemer Church in Centerville, and St. Cecilia Church in Waynesboro. You can read about his journey to becoming a priest in the Tennessee Register here.
Father Anthony Stewart is currently serving at Saint Henry. He was ordained a priest in 2018 and has served as an Associate at Holy Family, Pastor at Mother Theresa, and an Associate at Saint Henry. You can get to know him more through his conversion story featured in the Tennessee Register and Knights of Columbus Magazine feature here.
Additionally, Rev. Mr. James Grossheim will be appointed Chaplain of Pope St. John Paul II Preparatory School and Chaplain of the Catholic Youth Office, in residence at Our Lady of the Lake Church upon his Presbyteral ordination on Friday, June 12, at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Incarnation.
Deacon Grossheim’s last official day assigned to Saint Matthew is Thursday, June 11. Father Tran and Father Simpson will begin their new assignments on Monday, June 29.
Please keep them, along with all the priests of our diocese, in your prayers.
These assignments are effective June 29.
Receptions
Saint Matthew will host receptions as follows:
- Rev. Grossheim – Sunday, June 14, 9:30-10:45 a.m. in the Cohan-Hansom Building
- Father Tran – Sunday, June, 28, 9:30-10:45 a.m. in the Cohan-Hansom Building
- Father Anthony – A reception for Fr. Anthony will be announce in the coming months
Please keep them, along with all the priests of our diocese, in your prayers. A full list of priest assignments for the Diocese of Nashville can be found at nashvillecatholic.org.
A Message from Father Tran
Dear Friends in Christ,
As many of you know, I will soon be leaving Saint Matthew Parish and School after serving this wonderful community for more than four and a half years. Farewells are never easy, and I will be leaving with a heart full of gratitude, love, and countless cherished memories.
Serving as your priest has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. Together we have celebrated the Holy Mass, welcomed new life through Baptisms, witnessed marriages, mourned the loss of loved ones, taught our children, and journeyed together in faith through both joyful and difficult times. I am deeply grateful for your kindness, prayers, friendship, and support throughout these years.
To our school families, faculty, and students: thank you for allowing me to be part of your lives and your faith journey. Your joy, energy, and witness to Christ have been a constant source of inspiration to me.
Although I will be leaving Saint Matthew Parish and School, the bonds we share in Christ remain. Please know that I will continue to keep all of you in my prayers, and I humbly ask that you remember me in yours as well.
May the Lord continue to bless this parish and school abundantly in the years ahead. May Mary, Mother of Our Lord, and Saint Matthew pray for us.
Thank you once again for the privilege of allowing me to serve you.
With gratitude and prayers in Christ,
Fr. Tran
A Message from Deacon Grossheim
Dear Friends,
When I first arrived at Saint Matthew last June, I began a transition from one way of life to another. I was completing a period of six continuous years of living and studying 500 miles away from home, and I knew that Saint Matthew would be my landing pad as I returned home to Tennessee. From the day I arrived, you all welcomed me in as one of your own. I even remember one moment last summer when I realized, for the first time in a long time, that I had begun to feel at home. At some point along the way, Saint Matthew had become home, my first home as a cleric.
I began my life as a cleric at Saint Matthew, and my first baptisms and funeral were here. Here I became attuned to the rhythm of parish and school life, lived with you through good times and bad, and here I have made friendships I cherish. It has been a privilege to get to know you and to work with your children. Thank you for taking me in and letting me walk with you, and for everything you’ve taught me along the way. I am so grateful to God for the gift that Saint Matthew has been to me personally and in my formation for the Priesthood.
Upon my ordination to the Priesthood, Bishop Spalding has assigned me as Chaplain to Pope John Paul II Preparatory School and Chaplain of Faith Formation for Youth and Young Adults for the Diocese. Thank you for the ways you have challenged me and strengthened me for this assignment. I’m sorry to leave Saint Matthew, and I will miss this wonderful community, but I’m also excited to begin my life as a priest immersed in the lives of young people in our diocese. I know that God has wonderful things in store for me, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to serve Him as a priest.
Please know of my continued prayers for all of you, and please continue to keep me in your prayers as I begin this new ministry, that I will be a good and holy priest.
Yours in Christ,
Dcn. Grossheim