Fr. James Clark · pastor since April 2026 · still the chancellor
Holy Rosary Catholic School · 4841 Park Avenue · August 2026
Darren Mullis ran this school for 23 years. On August 19 they sent a letter with no reason. This is the new priest.
Sign the petitionOfficial petition on Change.org · not the parish · not the diocese
Put Darren Mullis back as principal of Holy Rosary Catholic School, 4841 Park Avenue, Memphis. Until you do, we will not tithe here and we will not attend here. We will take our families to a parish where the priest knows the people.
HRFB-001 14′ × 48′ bulletin · East Memphis · not posted
Rams
Holy Rosary Fights Back
They took our
principal.
23 years. No reason.
Where they go up
The first boards go on the roads the school, the parish, and the diocese already use.
Until Darren is back
Go to Mass. Just not here. Find a parish where the priest knows the people. If you pledged to capital improvement here, ask that gift back and take it with you.
East Memphis · August 2026
A letter. Darren is “departing.” No reason. He’s been principal since 2003.
The parish and Catholic Schools of Memphis told the Commercial Appeal it was confidential. Families were already standing at the Catholic Center. The Daily Memphian put the protest in metro.
Fr. Clark takes the parish and keeps chancellor and judicial vicar. August 19: Darren is out.
“Confidential is not an answer.”
He grew up here. Ram through eighth. CBHS ’86. Came home, taught, ran youth and religion, then they made him principal. Betty Ann. Their kids. The man in the hallway.
Learning Lab, Quest, ANGEL, The Learning Center — those are rooms with children in them.
Read it yourself
August 19. Leadership at Holy Rosary to the parents. Families posted it. The Commercial Appeal printed two sentences. They did not print a name at the bottom.
Darren Mullis will be departing from Holy Rosary School as our principal, and we wish him the very best moving forward.
He has an opportunity to continue to serve in the Catholic Schools of Memphis, and we hope that he will pursue that opportunity as his service to our school has been greatly appreciated.
Signed: not printed. The paper called the sender “leadership at Holy Rosary.”
Two days later the parish and the schools office spoke as one.
We understand that people may have questions, but Darren Mullis’s departure from Holy Rosary is a confidential personnel matter that we are not able to discuss.
We respect Darren’s privacy, continue to wish him and his family well, and keep them in our prayers. At the same time, we remain focused on supporting the Holy Rosary community and providing stability and continuity for our students and families as we move forward together in faith.
If you have the rest of the August 19 letter — especially the signature — that is the page they did not want in the paper. We will put the name on this site.
The chain
No newsroom has printed “this person fired him.” Diocesan policy for a parish school principal still names the offices. Holy Rosary is a parish school. These are the people in those offices.
Pastor of Holy Rosary since April 24, 2026. Still chancellor and judicial vicar.
Diocesan policy 207: a parish-school principal “shall be notified in writing, by the pastor, of non-renewal of contract.” The Aug 19 letter came from “leadership at Holy Rosary.” The Aug 21 statement came from the Parish. Call him.
President / CEO, Catholic Schools of Memphis
We can only allege he had a part in taking Darren. No newsroom has printed that he made the call. He is president of Catholic Schools of Memphis. His office is the other half of the Aug 21 “confidential” statement. The bishop hired him after a 2024 steering committee that included Darren Mullis. The office Darren helped stand up is now the office with nothing to discuss.
His wife, Rena Fay, is Enrollment Coordinator at Holy Rosary Catholic School — Administration, on the school’s own staff directory, 4841 Park Avenue. Same family. A desk inside this parish school. A desk over the diocesan schools office. That is a family with both keys. Call it nepotism or call it a conflict. It is sitting in the building.
He coached Rams baseball, basketball, and soccer at this school. The diocese published that their six children have attended Catholic schools here. Those kids were Rams. This community took that family in. If he helped push Darren out of the hallway, that is a betrayal of this parish — not a personnel footnote.
Do not call his wife. Do not call his children. Call him.
Superintendent of Catholic Schools
Policy: the superintendent is notified of a parish principal’s non-renewal. He evaluates diocesan principals; the pastor evaluates parish principals. The Catholic Schools Office is the other half of the joint statement.
Bishop of Memphis. 5825 Shelby Oaks Drive.
Appoints the pastor. Hired the schools president. Families stood at his Catholic Center on Aug 21. He can put Darren back.
Director of Human Resources, Catholic Diocese of Memphis
Policy 207: “All terminations must first be reviewed by diocesan legal counsel through the Human Resource Director.” She is on the paperwork whether they say so or not.
Rhiannon Thomas is the interim. First-grade teacher. Former principal at Incarnation. Leave her alone. She did not send that letter.
Fr. James Clark
Pastor / chancellor
901-767-6949 hrpastor@holyrosarymemphis.org
Bishop David Talley
5825 Shelby Oaks Drive
901-373-1200 Catholic Center
Dr. Chris Fay
Catholic Schools of Memphis
901-373-1221 chris.fay@cc.cdom.org
Nic Antoine
Superintendent
901-373-1219 nic.antoine@cc.cdom.orgUntil Darren is back
If you pledged or gave to Holy Rosary’s capital improvement, ask that money returned. Take it to another Catholic parish or school. Fill in the brackets. This is a request.
Pastor: hrpastor@holyrosarymemphis.org · Parish office: churchoffice@holyrosarymemphis.org · 901-767-6949
Darren Mullis Holy Rosary · Holy Rosary principal fired Memphis · Holy Rosary Fights Back Tennessee · reinstate Darren Mullis · Fr James Clark Holy Rosary pastor · Bishop David Talley · Catholic Diocese of Memphis · East Memphis Catholic school · Holy Rosary Rams Park Avenue