To say St. Matthew School
eighth grade students Libby Helmer and Lydia Brunner were dominant during the cross-country season last fall, would be an understatement.
After sharing the top two spots in nearly every race hosted by the Diocesan Athletic Council and Harpeth Valley Athletic Conference, they capped off their incredible year with Helmer winning the middle school regional and state meets and Brunner finishing second in both.
Heading into the state championship, “I didn’t really know what would happen,” said Helmer, who is also a competitive swimmer. “I just wanted to see.”
At the mile mark, she and Brunner were in the top three.
“In the first mile, there were a lot of people out really fast,” Helmer said. “I know my pace. After the mile, I said, ‘OK, let’s see what I can do.’ It was our last eighth grade race.”
“It was really exciting,” Helmer said of winning the state championship. “I cried a little bit.”
“We crushed it,” said Brunner, who was the DAC and HVAC champion with Helmer finishing second in both races. “We pushed each other all season and definitely brought out the best in each other. It is a very
special friendship.”
In the state meet, Helmer and Brunner were part of a field of more than 300 runners from 32 schools, most of them big public schools, noted St. Matthew Athletic Director Josh Edmondson. “These two girls dominated middle school crosscountry this year in the state of Tennessee and battled each other in the process all season long,” he said. “I am very confident that the diocese has never seen anything like this before. They did all of this while being best friends.”
The pair led St. Matthew’s varsity team to a third-place finish in the team standings at the state meet, while the junior varsity team finished second in their state meet. In addition, the girls’ team finished the season as the DAC Champions, Regional Champions, and HVAC Runner-Up. “This girls’ team is the fastest I’ve ever coached,” said Stacy Brunner, the middle school head cross-country coach at St. Matthew and Lydia’s mother.
Helmer was St. Matthew’s first state champion, and the accomplishments of she, Brunner, and the rest of the team are part of a long line of success for the school’s crosscountry program, which was started by Mark Peters and others. “In total, St. Matthew has won 18 DAC championships, girls – 10 and boys – 8,”
Last fall, St. Matthew School eighthgrade students Lydia Brunner, right, and Libby Helmer consistently shared the top two spots in nearly every cross-country race hosted by the Diocesan Athletic Council Championships and the Harpeth Valley Athletic Conference. It then led to Helmer going on to win the middle school regional and state meets and Brunner finishing second in both.
said Edmondson.
“For years, our team motto has been ‘if you work hard, good things will happen,’” Stacy Brunner said. “Anything worth working for doesn’t
come easy. We tell the team, you run for the glory of God and for thanksgiving that you can participate in this sport. You run for your teammates and then for yourself,” she said. “It’s a very unique team atmosphere.”
“I really like the team environment,” said Helmer, who started running in fifth grade at St. Matthew. “I like doing sports with the school. It’s special to have someone at the same school that you can run with.”
“Being able to run and compete with a great friend has been such a highlight of the season,” said Brunner, who started running when she was in kindergarten at St. Matthew. She also plays basketball and soccer for the school.
This year, more than 140 students at St. Matthew participated in crosscountry, the most ever, Edmondson said. “We are a no-cut program and encourage all kids to come out. … We want to encourage our kids to (compete) for the people who attend Mass here, our fellow students, and our alumni. We’re trying to build a program not only when the students are here but one with lessons that last when they move on.”
Libby Helmer, the daughter of Joe and Tara Helmer, and Lydia Brunner, the daughter of Bob and Stacy Brunner, are both headed to Father Ryan High School next year.
From staff reports
Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer
Robin Hood spent time at St. Mary’s Bookstore in downtown Nashville on Saturday, Dec. 3, to sign copies of the “Diocese of Nashville: Family of Faith” for dozens of readers from across Middle Tennessee.
Nearly 125 people came from as close as Nashville and as far as St. Joseph, Tennessee, to get copies of the book signed by Hood.
The 240-page pictorial history book, featuring Hood’s original photography, showcases the 185-year legacy of architecture, service, and impact of every church across the diocese.
The Ladies of Charity filled 785 boxes with food for families in need this year as part of its annual Christmas Basket program.
Members of the organization and volunteers gathered at the Ladies of Charity Thrift Store in Nashville on Friday, Dec. 16, to fill boxes with bread, ham, eggs, produce, fresh fruit, spaghetti, tomato sauce, rice, crackers, peanut butter, jelly, beans, hot chocolate, sugar and other items.
Some of the food was donated, including by the area Catholic schools that held food drives, and some was purchased, said Sally
Holzapfel, who co-chaired the project this year with Kathleen Polis. Both women are parishioners at Christ the King Church in Nashville.
On Saturday, Dec. 17, representatives from parishes picked up their allotment of boxes to distribute to families in need before Christmas, explained Holzapfel.
The Ladies of Charity is an organization dedicated to serving all residents of Davidson County experiencing hardship in their lives with food or financial help. The organization, which is more than 110 years old, is open to all Catholic women.
For more information about the Ladies of Charity, visit ladiesofcharitynashville.org.
Bishop J. Mark Spalding has announced the following:
• The request of Deacon Michael Morris of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Springfield to enter retirement has
been accepted. His retirement from his diaconate appointment will be effective Jan. 1, 2023. Deacon Morris was ordained as a permanent deacon on June 9, 2014.
Hood, whose work has been featured in major expositions and publications across the country over the past 40 years, won the Pulitzer Prize for photography while a newspaper photojournalist in Chattanooga.
Along with Hood’s original photography, the book also includes the writing of Farrar Hood Cusamato and Whit Stiles. Cusamato and Stiles have authored numerous books, including one for the National Parks Conservation Association.
The book, designed by Jeff Carroll, a parishioner of St. Philip the Apostle Church in Franklin, was featured at the 2022 Southern Festival of Books earlier in October.
The book is available for purchase at St. Mary’s, Parnassus Bookstore in Nashville, Landmark Books in Franklin, and online at the diocese website – dioceseofnashville. com/family-of-faith/ – for $50 per copy.
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Ann Geist has been a fixture at St. Pius X Church and Classical Academy for the past 64 years, serving as the church organist as well as playing organ at the school’s daily Masses.
Earlier this year, Geist was recognized for her years of service to the St. Pius community during a diocesan teachers’ in-service day at Father Ryan High School.
“I was very shocked and wasn’t expecting it at all,” Geist said. “I just play at the church because I enjoy doing it.”
Geist, who learned to play the organ when she was in sixth grade, began at St. Pius at age 20 in 1958 when the parish first opened. “Our first pastor, Father Dan Richardson, asked me to be the church organist and I said, ‘Yes,’” she explained. “I’ve been there ever since.”
Recognizing Geist at the in-service was the idea of St. Pius principal Samantha Kaufman.
“Mrs. Geist and I have worked together for roughly a year and a half now. I love that she’s so committed to her faith and the St. Pius community,” Kaufman said. “We have Mass every day for our students at 8 a.m., and she’s always there. We collaborate with each other about ideas for special feast days and holi-
days and school celebrations. She’s such a kind and gentle person to be around. The kids here think of her as an extra grandmother.
“Typically, people who work for our schools are given recognition on five-year marks. But Mrs. Geist’s husband passed away earlier this year, so I thought this would be a good time to let her know how much we love her and appreciate her,” she added. “This year, there’s a Eucharistic revival happening in the Church, and we had adoration at the in-service. I told her about that and all the priests from around the diocese who were coming. She thought it was a great idea and accepted the invitation to go with me. When we recognized her there, she was trembling and tearing up. She had no idea it would be happening at all.”
Geist said she appreciates the recognition and loves her job and the St. Pius community.
“At my age, it feels nice to be needed and appreciated. I don’t play the organ for the recognition. I play it mostly on a volunteer basis because it’s what I love to do,” she said. “I’ve been a part of this community for such a long time, through many different pastors. My family and I always have been and always will be St. Pius people. It has a special place in my heart.”
VATICAN CITY. Pope Francis said he wrote a resignation letter in 2013, his first year in office, to be used in case he became physically or mentally impaired and unable to fulfill the duties of the papacy.
In an interview published Dec. 18, the day after his 86th birthday, Pope Francis said that during the time that Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone was Vatican secretary of state, a position he left in October 2013, he gave a resignation letter to the cardinal.
“I signed it and said, ‘If I should become impaired for medical reasons or whatever, here is my renunciation. Here you have it,’” the pope told the Spanish newspaper ABC
Pope Francis joked that now that the letter’s existence has been made public, someone will go after Cardinal Bertone and say, “Give me that piece of paper!”
But he also said he was certain Cardinal Bertone gave it to Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who succeeded him as secretary of state.
The interviewer also noted that Pope Francis had named several women as secretaries or undersecretaries of Vatican offices, but that he had not appointed a woman to lead a Vatican dicastery, although his reform of the Roman Curia says it is possible for a layperson to head a dicastery.
Pope Francis responded that he has been thinking of appointing a woman to lead “a dicastery where there will be a vacancy in
two years.” He did not say what office that was.
“There is nothing to prevent a woman from guiding a dicastery in which a layperson can be a prefect,” the pope said.
However, “if it is dicastery of a sacramental nature,” presumably like the dicasteries for the Doctrine of the Faith, for Bishops, for Clergy or for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, “it has to be presided over by a priest or a bishop,” the
pope said.
Asked if he worries about active Catholics who may feel neglected by the pope paying so much attention to people who feel far from the Church, Pope Francis responded, “If they are good, they will not feel neglected.”
But if they do feel shunned, he said, they may share the fault of the elder son in the biblical parable of the prodigal son, echoing his complaint to his father, “I’ve served
you for years and now you take care of him and don’t pay any attention to me.”
That attitude is, the pope said, “an ugly sin, one of hidden ambition, of wishing to stand out and be considered.”
Pope Francis also told ABC that he believes the Church is making progress “little by little” in tackling clerical sexual abuse and in becoming more transparent in handling the cases.
Asked what he would say to Catholics whose faith in the Church falters every time a new case is made public, the pope said, “It is good that you feel outrage about this. That leads you to act to prevent it, to make your contribution.”
“It doesn’t scare me,” the pope said. “If their faith is faltering, it’s because it is alive. Otherwise, you would feel nothing at all.”
Also Dec. 18, Italy’s Canale 5 television station aired an interview with Pope Francis in which he was asked about Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, when he began a prayer asking Mary to intercede for Ukraine and had to pause because he was crying.
War is “madness,” the pope said. “I tell people, please, don’t be afraid, but let’s cry a little bit. We should be crying today about these cruelties” that always go with war.
Pope Francis said he has met many children from Ukraine in the 10 months since Russia began the war. “None of them smile. Not one. They greet you, but they cannot smile. Who knows what they have seen.”
Cindy Wooden CNS
VATICAN CITY. Stopping to gaze at and perhaps pray before a Nativity scene is one of the best ways to remember the real meaning of Christmas, Pope Francis said.
“In its genuine poverty,” the pope said, “the creche helps us to rediscover the true richness of Christmas and to purify ourselves of so many aspects that pollute the Christmas landscape.”
On Dec. 3, Pope Francis met with the artisans who carved the 18-piece Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square; the donors of the white pine Christmas tree; the residents of a psychiatric rehabilitation center who, along with a group of students and grandparents, created the ornaments; and with representatives of the government of Guatemala, which set up another Nativity scene in the Vatican audience hall.
“Simple and familiar, the Nativity scene recalls a Christmas that is different from the consumerist and commercial Christmas. It is something else. It reminds us how good it is for us to cherish moments of silence and prayer in our days, often overwhelmed by frenzy,” Pope Francis told them during a midday gathering.
The group was scheduled to gather in St. Peter’s Square in the evening for the official unveiling of the Nativity scene and the lighting of the Christ-
mas tree. But a major rainstorm with a forecast for more caused the Vatican to move the evening festivities indoors, although hundreds of people were still in the square for the lighting.
Meeting with the donors, Pope Francis encouraged everyone to find some quiet time to spend before a creche at Christmas.
“Silence encourages contemplation of the child Jesus,” the pope said, and “helps us to become intimate with God, with the fragile simplicity of a tiny newborn baby, with the meekness of his being laid down, with the tender affection of the swaddling clothes that envelop him.”
“If we really want to celebrate Christmas,” he said, “let us rediscover through the crib the surprise and amazement of littleness, the littleness of God, who makes himself small, who is not born in the splendor of appearances, but in the poverty of a stable.”
To truly encounter Jesus, the pope said, people must meet him in the manger, leaving their own vanity and pretense behind.
“Prayer is the best way to say thank you before this gift of free love, to say thank you to Jesus who desires to enter our homes and our hearts,” he said. “Yes, God loves us so much that he shares our humanity and our lives.”
“Even in the worst moments,” the pope said, “he is there, because he is the Emmanuel, the God with us, the
light that illuminates the darkness and the tender presence that accompanies us on our journey.”
The lights on the Christmas tree, he said, are a reminder that Jesus came “to lighten our darkness, our existence often enclosed in the shadow of sin, fear, pain.”
But, the pope said, the tree also should make people think about the
importance of roots.
Like a tree, he said, only a person who is “rooted in good soil remains firm, grows, matures, resists the winds that shake him and becomes a point of reference for those who look upon him.”
The Christmas tree, Pope Francis said, is a reminder of the need to remain rooted in Christ.
VATICAN CITY. While 2022 finally saw the publication of Pope Francis’ constitution reforming the Roman Curia, the biggest news and the biggest changes in his ministry came from Russia’s war on Ukraine and from the pope’s own problems walking.
Knee problems forced the pope, who celebrated his 86th birthday Dec. 17, to postpone a planned trip to Congo and South Sudan in July, although he did make a major trip to Canada later that same month.
A few weeks before heading to North America, he had told the Reuters news agency that an inflamed ligament in his right knee caused him to limp, which made him walk badly and that, in turn, caused a small fracture.
The pope was complaining of knee pain in January and canceling public events already in February; by early May, he was arriving at audiences in a wheelchair.
As the year ended, he mostly used a cane to walk in public, but the wheelchair was a frequent alternative. And, at papal liturgies, it became the norm for him to preside over the Liturgy of the Word and give the homily, but have a cardinal or bishop preside over the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
As the pope’s step faltered, his cries for peace increased, although not without controversy and criticism.
Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, Pope Francis took the unusual step of leaving the Vatican to go to the Russian Embassy to the Holy See to plead for peace and offer the Vatican's services as a mediator. And, inviting bishops around the globe to join him, he solemnly entrusted and consecrated the Church, all humanity and “especially Russia and Ukraine” to the Immaculate Heart of Mary during a prayer service on March 25, in St. Peter’s Basilica.
But even as millions of Ukrainians –mostly women and children – fled and as evidence mounted of Russian war crimes, Pope Francis did not publicly condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin. That, along with his pleas for Russia and Ukraine to dialogue and negotiate peace, left many people, particularly Ukrainians, hurt that the pope seemed to somehow blame “both sides” for the war.
Journalists repeatedly asked Pope Francis to explain.
In late November, he told the Jesuit-run America magazine he did not think it was necessary to name names. “If you have a martyred people, you have someone who martyrs them.”
“Why do I not name Putin? Because it is not necessary; it is already known,” he said.
And, he said, “the position of the Holy See is to seek peace and to seek an understanding. The diplomacy of the Holy See is moving in this direction and, of course, is always willing to mediate.”
It was not until October that Pope Francis publicly said he was calling on “the president of the Russian Federation, begging him to stop this spiral of violence and death, also for the sake of his people.”
At the same time, Pope Francis appealed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “to be open” to any “serious peace proposals.”
Also in the area of diplomacy, in October, the Vatican renewed for another two years its agreement with China on naming bishops that are acceptable to both the communist government and the pope. But soon after, the Chinese government transferred a bishop without Vatican approval, drawing an unusual statement of “regret” from the Vatican that the assignment “did not take place in accordance with the spirit of dialogue existing between the Vatican and Chinese sides.”
In August, the pope created 20 new cardinals and led the entire College of Cardinals in a two-day meeting on the apostolic constitution “Praedicate Evangelium” (Preach the Gospel), which was the first major reform and reorganization of the Roman Curia since 1988.
Published in March and taking effect in June, the document merged some Vatican congregations and pontifical councils and raised the status of others – particularly the charitable office of the papal al-
moner. But mostly, it insisted the Roman Curia was a service organization meant to support the pope and local bishops in their efforts to promote the Church as a community of missionary disciples, sharing the Gospel and caring for all those in need.
The project had been a long one. Six months after taking office in 2013, Pope Francis set up his international Council of Cardinals to advise him and to help design the reform. They interviewed all the heads of Vatican offices, studied what each was doing and made dozens of proposals, going through various drafts and consultation periods before the final version was promulgated.
Also long in the making was Pope Francis’ trip to Canada to apologize to Indigenous communities for the ways Catholics and their institutions, especially residential schools, contributed to their suffering and to the stifling of their language, culture, and traditional spirituality.
The Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action in 2015 included a request that the pope make such an apology on the land of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. And representatives of the three groups came to the Vatican in March and April to share with the pope the stories of the survivors of residential schools and to recount the multigenerational trauma that came from the physical and emotional
abuse, the splitting apart of families, and the suppression of their people’s language and cultures.
Meeting Indigenous people in Edmonton, Maskwacis, and Lac Ste. Anne in Alberta, in Quebec City and nearby SainteAnne-de-Beaupré, and, finally, in Iqaluit, Nunavut, in the Canadian Arctic, Pope Francis repeatedly said, “I’m sorry.”
“The overall effects of the policies linked to the residential schools were catastrophic,” he said at Maskwacis. “What our Christian faith tells us is that this was a disastrous error, incompatible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Pope Francis made three other foreign trips in 2022: focusing on migrants in Malta and on interreligious dialogue and promoting human fraternity in visits to Kazakhstan and Bahrain.
Throughout the year, the pope continued to talk about the need for the Catholic Church to embrace “synodality,” a style of sharing the Gospel by listening to one another and to the Holy Spirit and making room for each of the baptized to accept his or her responsibilities as a disciple and welcoming the gifts of all.
Saying he did not want to rush the process of discerning how the Holy Spirit is calling the Church to grow in “synodality,” Pope Francis announced in October that the next assembly of the Synod of Bishops would take place in two sessions: October 2023 and October 2024.
Carol Glatz CNS
VATICAN CITY. The day after he turned 86, Pope Francis met with volunteers, family members and children receiving care from
a Vatican pediatric clinic.
The group of children receiving assistance from the Vatican’s St. Martha Dispensary, a maternal and pediatric clinic, were treated to a show by circus performers and to a large white
The pope thanked his guests for their visit and for a “day of joy that helps us prepare for Christmas.”
He also reminded everyone to not forget to pray for the children of Ukraine -- “so many children who suffer because of war and they suffer also in other places because of injustice.”
For nearly the last 500 years, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12 has remained one of the most popular devotions for Catholics. In 1531, Mary twice appeared to a man named Juan Diego, an Aztec convert to Christianity. She first appeared on Dec. 9, during which she requested a shrine be built on Tepeyac Hill, the very spot she appeared. But the archbishop of what is now Mexico City wanted a sign first. Mary provided that sign to Juan Diego on Dec. 12, when she asked him to collect flowers from the top of the hill in the dead of winter when nothing bloomed. Juan Diego found the flowers, collected them in his tilma (or cloak), and when he dropped them at the archbishop’s feet, an image of Mary was imprinted upon the fabric. That image is the one now venerated in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
Her growing popularity has led to her becoming not just patroness of Mexico and the Americas, but also the Diocese of Nashville. Her importance and what she represents has only strengthened through the years, and it’s proven each year in several parishes across Middle Tennessee, particularly by those with large Spanish-speaking populations.
“This feast day is important for uniting as many people from different parts of the world that we can, especially in our diocese with her being our patroness,” said Father Gervan Menezes, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Cookeville.
In celebration of the feast day, St. Thomas Aquinas held a nine-day novena from Dec. 3-11 with different communities and groups throughout the parish dividing up the days among them and taking charge of that assigned day. While slightly different each time, every day included praying the prayer of the novena and saying a rosary each night. To end the novena, everyone gathered at the church to sing the Mañanitas from midnight to 1 a.m. Dec. 12.
The celebration ended with Mass and fellowship on Dec. 12. During the homily, Father Menezes asked parishioners to remember three things.
First, Our Lady of Guadalupe is the “Mother of all” since she is patroness of the Americas.
Second, “God uses the small and humble to change the world,” he said, just as he did with St. Juan Diego. “But before we can change the world, we have to change ourselves,” he noted. “So, we must ask ourselves, ‘How can I allow myself to be transformed by God, so I can be the transformation for others?’”
Finally, Father Menezes emphasized the importance of the miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“Science cannot explain miracles. Miracles are when they take all that they know in science and they come to a point and say, ‘We can’t explain it,’” he said.
“We have miracles so we can strengthen our faith. The miracle of Guadalupe was just that – to strengthen the faith of the bishop and all those people who converted to the faith because of it.”
With these points in mind, Father
Menezes concluded, saying, “We are invited every day to experience the miracle of the Eucharist,” he said. “If we really are devout to Our Lady of Guadalupe, we must come to Mass every Sunday because she always points us to her son.
“It’s not just every 365 days, but every day that you’re called to engage in the faith,” Father Menezes said. “And make sure that we always have the understanding that Our Lady always leads us to Jesus.”
At the end of Mass, eight individuals
consecrated themselves to Jesus through Mary after completing the 33 Days to Morning Glory do-it-yourself-retreat by Michael E. Gaitley.
Sagrado Corazon Church held two days of festivities Dec. 11-12, which included indigenous dances in traditional costumes, a presentation of the apparition to Juan Diego, Mañanitas, and Masses, including one celebrated by Bishop J. Mark Spalding.
St. Philip the Apostle Church in Frank-
Continued on page 14
As the main portion of fundraising comes to an end with the Legacy of Faith, Hope, and Love Campaign, the Diocese of Nashville is closing in on its $50 million goal.
As of Thursday, Dec. 15, the campaign has raised $43,707,651.
It’s an accomplishment due, in large part, to the campaign cabinet members who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes for the last three years, said Ashley Linville, director of the Office of Stewardship and Development.
“None of this could’ve been done without having such a great cabinet,” said Ashley Linville, director of the Office of Stewardship and Development. “From the very beginning, even though we were in the throes of COVID-19 when we were looking to kick this off, this group was committed.
“They gave of their time, their talent, and their treasure. That group was the support early on that really helped get this campaign off the ground,” he said. “Then, they reached out to others and helped bring in those early gifts that really set the stage for the campaign as we moved into the parish waves” in the fall of 2021.
“That was so important. Because we were able to share how much we had already raised, I think parishioners saw the campaign in a much different light,” he said. “When you hear that $50 million goal, it seems scary, but when you’re able to see the progress that has already been made, it helps you realize that it is possible.”
The $50 million goal was daunting to cabinet members, too, at first.
“I thought it was too high. I really did,” said Lucy Blair, one of the campaign chairs. “I thought, ‘Oh my gosh. How are we ever going to make this happen? But, my husband, Marty said, ‘Lucy, we’ve got this. We can make this happen. You just have to believe and do it.’”
“I was not surprised by Bishop Spalding’s foresight and enthusiasm,” added Legacy Campaign Cabinet Member Greg Pope.
“But, given a lack of significant fundraising efforts in the past several years, I thought the goal was a bit aggressive. I would quickly come to understand the leadership team had clear vision, a compelling message, excellent staff and consultants, and most importantly true faith in God’s providence. This propelled us toward success.”
Now, seeing the near-end result, cabinet members said they’re amazed at the response of the Catholics of Middle Tennessee.
“I’ve just been amazed at how well the campaign has been received. The number is astounding to me,” Legacy Campaign Cabinet Member John Stockdale said. “In this time period, I just think it shows what people want for the future of our diocese, and it’s very exciting to me.”
“People have definitely responded,” added Chris Donnelly, a campaign cochair. “It’s unbelievable. “The pastors were vital, and they were also enthusiastic,” she added. “They understood the need and the benefit.”
The $50 million A Legacy of Faith, Hope and Love Campaign is a diocesan-wide fundraising initiative to build up endowments to support in perpetuity parishes, schools, ministries, vocations, and agencies of the diocese.
The Diocese of Nashville hosted a special dinner for major donors of the Legacy of Faith, Hope, and Love Campaign in gratitude for their support Tuesday, Oct. 18, in Bishop’s Hall at the Catholic Pastoral Center. As part of that thank you, each donor received a personalized copy of the “Diocese of Nashville: Family of Faith” history book and a rosary blessed by Bishop J. Mark Spalding. Clark Baker smiles as he clutches the history book.
The campaign was rolled out at churches across the diocese in three waves, with a different group of churches in each wave. Wave One and Wave Two are complete. Wave Three churches will finish up commitment weekends into the new year.
While the main fundraising portion will come to an end, Linville said one-on-one discussions with more potential donors will be had in hopes of reaching that $50 million goal.
Steier Group, a capital campaign fundraising firm out of Omaha, Nebraska, has assisted dioceses in similar campaigns all around the country. Corporate donations have covered the fees for Steier Group to assist the diocese in managing the campaign. Their work in Nashville ends Dec. 31.
The campaign cabinet was led by four chairpersons: Chris and Bubba Donnelly and Marty and Lucy Blair, who are all parishioners of St. Henry Church in Nashville.
When Bishop Spalding initially reached out to ask if the Donnellys would consider being chairpersons, “I felt like we could be of service,” Chris Donnelly recalled.
“We’re old Nashville Catholics, so we know the different families and the lega-
cies,” added Bubba Donnelly. “We know the people that have been involved in all these parishes, so we bring some institutional knowledge to the campaign.”
The Blairs also have a history with the diocese, particularly with their involvement in starting the annual Advancement of Catholic Education (ACE) Awards event to help revive the endowment, which helps provide tuition assistance to families who desire a Catholic education for their children but can’t afford it on their own.
“ACE is such a big thing for us. My parents sent my whole family to Catholic schools. I’m one of six children, and they had to sacrifice a lot to make that happen,” explained Lucy Blair. “It’s just very important to us to make that available to future generations.”
And knowing that Catholic education would receive the largest portion of the campaign funds, they knew they had to get involved, Marty Blair said.
Plus, “it’s hard to say ‘no’ to Bishop Spalding,” he said. “Bishop is so engaging and so dynamic, and he wants everybody to think about being part of something larger than just your parish.
“He’s just done a great job of addressing the needs head on, and he’s right at the forefront of everything that’s going on,”
Marty Blair continued. “He’s leading the charge for sure.”
It also helped to learn that they’d be partnering with the Donnellys.
“We were both very excited to have the opportunity to work with Chris and Bubba Donnelly,” said Marty Blair. “That’s who we’ve always wanted to be when we grow up.”
“They are two of the best, most special people that we know,” Lucy Blair added. “When Bishop said, ‘It’s going to be you and Marty, and Bubba and Chris,’ I thought, ‘We get to work with the dream team.’ They’re just so inspiring and just amazing people.”
Serving alongside the chairpersons were the campaign cabinet, which includes parishioners from churches throughout the diocese. They include: Dr. Carolyn and Clark Baker; Sandy and Francis Bedard; Linda and David Bohan; Betty Lou and James Burnett; Valerie and Brian Cooper, chancellor and chief operating officer for the diocese; Lynda Evjen; Elizabeth and John Gromos; Cathy and Mike Kelly; Lynn and William Krueger; Gino Marchetti; Rebekah and Greg Pope; Anita and Gregory Sandfort; Sally and Edward Stack; Jeanne and William Stejskal III; Valarie and John Stockdale; and Carol and Bill Whalen, Sr.
“I’ve been privileged to work in development and fundraising activities for many years, so when asked by the bishop and others to participate, it was an honor for me and my wife, Rebekah, to agree to serve,” said Pope, a parishioner of St. Matthew Church in Franklin.
“It was just a great opportunity to get involved,” added Stockdale, a parishioner of St. Edward Church in Nashville.
Now, as they reflect back at the work done, cabinet members agree that it was an all-around positive experience.
“I really enjoyed just getting to meet people, talk with people,” said Stockdale. “Hearing everybody’s concerns and wants and hopes was rewarding.”
“I found it a gift to participate and to work alongside friends,” added Pope. “The team worked well together. We had a good diversity of skill and talent and a spirit of solidarity.
“There is much unseen work in preparing for a campaign,” he continued. “It’s not a matter of randomly asking for gifts but being thoughtful before inviting participation, such as when to invite, who to invite, and how best to assist individuals and families in making a good and meaningful gift.
“Success requires a group of volunteers who trust each other deeply, and we were blessed to have that,” Pope concluded. “I was honored to be asked to participate and look forward to the future with great hope because we’ve raised much more than money. A renewed commitment to ministry, and a unified vision toward a bright future are but two of the many gifts that have come from the Legacy Campaign.”
Lucy Blair said it’s been a great way to get to know those they didn’t before.
“Watching everybody work together, it’s just been nice to see,” she said. “It’s not just parish to parish. It’s diocese wide.”
Chris Donnelly said the experience and the gifts working on the campaign brought only added to the theme of legacy.
“The campaign started a movement in the diocese to renew old relation-
Canadian and U.S. Catholics are convening in a series of online meetings through the end of January as part of Pope Francis’ ongoing call to synodality in the Church.
The gatherings are part of the continental phase of the synodal process in advance of the first session of the Synod of Bishops on synodality scheduled next year for Oct. 4-29 at the Vatican.
In October of this year, Pope Francis announced a second session for October 2024, saying he did not want to rush the process of discerning how the Holy Spirit is calling the Church to grow in synodality. Overall, 12 North American meetings are planned – up from the original 10 because of the high level of interest in both countries, according to the synodal process coordinators.
The meetings – seven in English, three in Spanish and two in French – will give participants the time to hear from one another in hour-long “listening circles.” They then will have the opportunity to discuss their hopes, desires, and concerns for another 90 minutes.
Similar gatherings are planned in six other regions of the world in the run-up to the synod.
They are being guided by the “Document for the Continental Phase,” a document released in late October echoing the themes that emerged from all the national syntheses of synod listening sessions
and the contributions of religious orders, Catholic movements, Vatican dicasteries, and nuncios from around the world.
Each continental group has until March 31 to submit a summary report to the Synod of Bishops, which will prepare the documents.
The regional representatives responsible for the continental phase met in Rome
Nov. 28-29. The gathering included a twohour meeting with Pope Francis the first day.
The pope encouraged the representatives to allow the Holy Spirit to guide the Church into the future, said Richard Coll, who attended the meeting and is coordinating the synodal process for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“(He) spoke with great conviction of the importance of synodality, of how walking together and listening to one another are of great importance ... that they should really permeate the entire spirituality of the Church going forward,” said Coll, executive director of the bishops' Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development.
In North America, the USCCB is collaborating with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to convene the dozen online gatherings.
Julia McStravog, a consultant to the U.S. bishops on the process, said sessions were scheduled to begin Dec. 14 and will run through late January. Finally, a team from both countries will convene Feb. 13-17 in Orlando, Florida, for a “writing retreat” to draft the document based on what was discussed in the gatherings. That document will be sent to the Vatican.
Overall, 990 people, chosen by Canadian and American bishops, will participate in the North American continental phase,
she said.
In advance of the continental phase, dioceses around the world spent nearly a year convening formal and informal listening sessions after Pope Francis announced the Synod on Synodality in October 2021. Thousands of local listening sessions gave Catholics and non-Catholics the opportunity to discern the Church’s role in the world.
In the U.S. alone during the 10-month diocesan phase, more than 30,000 listening sessions and informal gatherings involved an estimated 700,000 participants.
The listening sessions revealed that U.S. Catholics continue to feel wounded by the clergy abuse crisis, seek a more welcoming Church in which their “lived reality” is prioritized over rules and regulations, and desire lifelong spiritual, pastoral, and catechetical formation as disciples, according to the synthesis report submitted by the USCCB to the Vatican in August.
Participants in the process also expressed concern that the U.S. Catholic Church is deeply divided and that a lack of unity exists among the bishops, spoke of a desire to “accompany with authenticity” LGBTQ+ persons and their families, and voiced hope that laypeople’s gifts would be more widely utilized in a spirit of collaboration throughout the Church, the report said.
During Advent, the Tennessee Register is publishing a series of guest editorials on the theme “The Gift of a Child: An Advent Celebration of the Family.” This is the last of the series. Others will examine marriage and the gift of a child, motherhood, fatherhood, and the family. All are be available at tennesseeregister.com/gift.
Father Andrew Bulso
Not everybody loves grammar, but I do. I attribute that in large part to the excellent instruction I received from Mrs. Barbara Ohls who taught my seventh and eighth grade English classes at Overbrook School. Perhaps this reflection will draw others into a deeper appreciation of grammar. I suspect my fellow grammarlovers will enjoy it. My hope and prayer is that all my readers may be drawn into a deeper love of our Lord.
The phrase “the gift of the child” may be understood in two different ways. In the first sense, it expresses the fact that the Christ-child in Bethlehem is a gift given to us by the Father.
“A child is born for us, a son is given us” (Isaiah 9:6).
“God so loved the world that he gave his only son” (John 3:16).
For the grammar nerds out there, we might call this the “ob-
jective genitive,” to borrow a concept applied especially in Latin and Greek grammar. “Child” can be taken as the grammatical object of the noun “gift,” which derives from the verb “to give.”
In the second sense, however, we can understand the expression to mean that the child is giving a gift. In this sense, the phrase invites us to reflect on the gift that the child desires to offer us. “I came that they might have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Turning again to the grammar nerds, we might call this the “subjective genitive,” since now “the child” is taken to be the subject and “the gift” to be the object.
What I propose to you, dear readers, is that we see the first meaning especially in the crib and the second especially on the cross.
As we gaze tenderly at the infant Jesus in the manger, we recognize the great gift that the Father has given to us. There are many things that we desire in life: sustenance, wealth, success, fulfillment. “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (Matthew 6:32).
These immediate, tangible desires tend to steal our attention away from our deeper, intangible needs. Our heavenly Father, however, has already taken care of those, too. Perhaps the best gifts are the ones we do not expect. In the gift of the child, our Father has given us a most unexpected gift – and one that fulfills the deepest longing of our hearts.
Ave Crux, spes unica – hail the Cross, our only hope. The child himself offers us a gift; he offers his life for the salvation of the world. “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
The child whom we first contemplated as a gift in the crib now hangs from the cross giving every last bit of himself. If we doubt whether we can still call him a child – this fully grown man suffering unjust execution – we need only glance at his mother standing by. Yes,
indeed he is still someone’s child. (Whenever we find it difficult to see someone’s dignity, we need only remind ourselves that that person is someone’s child.) And just as Isaac cooperated in being offered by his father Abraham, so the Son cooperates in becoming a gift of the Father. The child gives himself.
The two meanings – objective and subjective, crib and cross – are brought together in the mystery of the Eucharist. The name Bethlehem means “house of bread,” and the manger that
served as the Divine Infant’s crib is nothing other than a feeding trough. Thus his birth in a stable in Bethlehem anticipates the bread that he would give us as a memorial of his Death and Resurrection – the bread that is truly his Body and Blood.
Through the grace of the Most Holy Eucharist, may all people everywhere come to know “the gift of the child.” Merry Christmas!
Jem Sullivan CNS
“Only when Christ is formed in us will the mystery of Christmas be fulfilled in us. Christmas is the mystery of this ‘marvelous exchange’: ‘O marvelous exchange! Man's Creator has become man, born of the Virgin. We have been made sharers in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share our humanity.’”
These words from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (526) invite us into the mystery of the Incarnation that the Church celebrates in the Christmas season.
An exquisite framed glazed terracotta sculpture titled “The Nativity” by the renowned Italian Renaissance master artist, Luca della Robbia, invites us to humble ourselves before the great mystery of God sharing in our humanity.
We join with Mary and
Joseph, the angels and the animals in the stable of Bethlehem in their awe and wonder at this marvelous exchange between God and humanity. And we sing praise for the gift of our sharing in the divinity of God who humbled himself to share in our humanity.
Groundbreaking art
Painted terracotta sculptures like this treasured work by Luca della Robbia were the creation of three generations of a family of artists whose work was groundbreaking in their day. Their signature large white relief figures were set against a sky-blue background framed by garlands of fruit, flowers, and animals in vibrant hues of green and yellow.
Luca della Robbia (1399/1400-1482) was a true Renaissance innovator who breathed life into clay by mixing baked terracotta with painting and glaze recipes for one-of-a-kind, expressive and long-lasting sculptures.
Family and art came together in the della Robbia workshop as Luca handed on his innova-
tive techniques to his nephew, Andrea della Robbia, who passed on the valued skills to his sons Giovanni, Girolamo, and Luca the Younger.
Even as their remarkable creations began to be admired widely and demand increased across Europe, the della Robbia artistic techniques remained a closely guarded family secret, along with the family owned clay bed near the Arno River in Florence.
No signatures were needed on della Robbia creations because no other Renaissance artist succeeded in imitating their stunning success.
Glory to God in the Highest
In a masterpiece from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, we see Mary and Joseph kneeling before the newborn Jesus, their eyes fixed in contemplation on the face of God revealed in their newborn son.
Mary’s face, full of grace, radiates light as she folds her hands in prayerful adoration before Jesus, her divine son. On the left, St. Joseph leans
on his staff as he ponders the mystery of Mary’s motherhood and the divine child he will name Jesus and serve as foster father and guardian.
Both figures are clothed in delicately folded robes that give a remarkable sense of depth to the scene. One can almost sense the warm breath of the two animals standing closely over the cradle of the child Jesus.
Luca della Robbia places the newborn Jesus as the figure closest to viewers. Nestled in a bed of green grass in a raised basket, the Christ Child is a lively, robust baby whose eyes look out to hold our gaze. Taking our place in the stable of Bethlehem, we contemplate the face of the incarnate God through the eyes of his mother Mary and his foster father, Joseph.
Above the figures of Mary and Joseph, a host of angels look down from a heavenly space marked out by a layer of sculpted blue clouds. The words of the angel’s hymn of praise, etched in gold into the frame above, resound in Latin:
“Gloria in Excelsis Deo.”
The artist invites us to encounter the newborn Jesus and join with full voice, mind, and heart in the Church’s hymn of Christmas praise to sing: Glory to God in the highest!
Columns and letters to the editor represent the views of authors alone. No viewpoint expressed necessarily reflects any position of the publisher, of any Tennessee Register staff member, or of the Diocese of Nashville.
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BACKGROUND. The Book of Numbers provides the first reading for the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God on Sunday, Jan. 1.
It is the fourth book, in sequence, of the first five books of the Bible, most often called by its Greek title, the Pentateuch, or in Hebrew, Torah. As is the case with the other four books, Numbers recalls the Exodus, the long, wearying, and frequently uncertain passage of the children of Israel from Egyptian slavery to the Promised Land.
Geographically, the setting is bleak and menacing. More than once, the Hebrews faced
Sunday, January 1, 2023
Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God
Readings:
Numbers 6:22-27
Galatians 4:4-7 Luke 2:16-21
Sunday, January 8, 2023
Epiphany of the Lord
Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6
Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 Matthew 2:1-12
death by starvation or thirst. They had no way of knowing which way to go. Repeatedly, God intervened to save them and to guide them, even after they had succumbed not just to sin but to idolatry.
In this passage, God instructs Aaron, the brother of Moses, the first high priest of Israel, and Aaron’s sons, to bless the people as a pledge of God’s love and protection.
For the second reading, the Church offers a section of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians. When this epistle was written, Christians were likely to be treated harshly, indeed brutally, to the point of being executed, since the Gospel of Christ stood utterly opposite prevailing Roman culture and law.
The epistle is reassuring and challenging. It called the Christians of Galatia to stalwart faith, insisting that a brilliant heavenly reward awaited loyalty to Christ.
St. Luke’s Gospel is the source of the final reading. Both Luke and Matthew reveal details of the birth of Jesus, and each has its own insights. St. Luke’s Gospel, however, especially is rich in its telling of those events surrounding the coming of the Son of God to human space and time as a human.
This reading concentrates on Mary, the mother of Jesus. References to her provide a glimpse into her very personality and her faith.
As the reading concludes, it
mentions the circumcision of Jesus. Circumcision is a surgical procedure performed on the genitalia of males. For Jews, its meaning was religious, and every Jewish male had to be circumcised. In Genesis, God ordered that Abraham and his male descendants be circumcised. The fact that Mary and Joseph saw that the infant Jesus underwent this procedure indicates their deep faith and total commitment to their role in preparing the child, in every human sense, for the messianic mission ahead. Also, the baby boy officially was given his name at this time, Jesus, meaning “savior.” It was taken from the name of Joshua, the disciple of Moses. Joshua led the Chosen People into the Promised Land.
The first day of January has no religious pedigree. In fact, it has pagan antecedents. Somehow, through time, it came to be the day on which Western Civilization calculated the beginning of a new year.
Some Christian societies once regarded March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, commemorating the conception of Jesus when literally God was made flesh, in the Incarnation, as theologians call it, as New Year’s Day, since the Incarnation began a totally new era in human existence.
Nevertheless, despite its
poor credentials, Jan. 1 is “New Year’s Day.” It is special, turning a page, opening a new period, a beginning. The Church gives important lessons in these readings for this new year in placing before us the example of Mary and Joseph, who carefully reflected on the fact of God in their lives, and their commitment to God, evidenced in their providing that Jesus
was circumcised according to Jewish religious law. They knew that Jesus had a special mission and that they had a special mission. We also have a special mission, to be one with Christ and to take the Lord to others.
If all goes well, we plan to drive to Florida in the spring for a visit with my brother and sister-in-law. My cousin will accompany us and share the driving responsibilities, and we have already reserved rooms at a motel close to my relative’s house. I have the confirmation and photos of the accommodations, which include breakfast each morning.
When the departure date grows closer, I will pack our bags, have the mail held at the post office, and leave our itinerary with our family. There will be many lists made and hours of planning involved, but it will be nice to get away.
With so many people traveling during the holidays, it
occurred to me that another journey was made nearly 2,000 years ago, and the circumstances were very different from those we now experience.
Joseph, of the House of David, in compliance with an order from Caesar for everyone to partake in a census, found himself forced to take his pregnant wife, Mary, to his birthplace of Bethlehem.
“In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.” (Luke 2:1-5)
The distance of 90 miles
from their home in Nazareth seems small by today’s standards, but they had no automobile, train, plane, or public transportation. That trip today would average an hour and a half, but for them it reportedly took four days to a week to travel that distance.
The journey began with their descent from the hills of Nazareth down into the smooth plains of the Jezreel Valley where many battles were waged, and Revelation tells us it is where the Battle of Armageddon will occur.
This easy leg of the journey probably took them a couple of days. Their rugged ascent from the valley, where there were hundreds of rows of olive trees, was perilous. There were thieves and wild animals to defend themselves against, and as Mary’s time grew closer, she became more uncomfortable. Riding on a donkey was not an easy thing to endure.
Joseph didn’t have fancy
running shoes or athletic clothing. He wore sandals and a tunic as they walked about eight hours each day. There was no GPS to guide them, and each evening they sought water from a spring or a well along the way. It is believed that they stopped at Jacob’s Well in Sychar, where Jesus met the Samaritan woman more than 30 years later.
I suspect Mary and Joseph slept on the ground and cooked their meals by an open fire as there were no fast-food drive-ins or designated rest areas. Despite his constant care and reassurances as they traveled every day, Mary must have grown weary and discouraged, but she accepted this as all a part of God’s plan.
When they finally arrived in Bethlehem, they tried in vain to secure a room, but due to the influx of other travelers in the city, nothing was available. Desperately tired and in need of some
sort of shelter, they accepted an offer to stay in a stable with animals for their roommates.
In this unlikely setting, Mary gave birth to the divine baby Jesus, laying him in a manger for his bed. “And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
(Luke 2:6-7)
As I reflect on the journey that Joseph and Mary made, I want to make room for the Baby Jesus to come into my surroundings. I don’t want to put him in a stable and let him sleep on a bed of hay. I want him to have the best accommodations I can offer to him within my home and my heart.
“Come, Lord Jesus, come.”
Copyright © 2022 Mary Margaret Lambert
Each year, the Knights of Columbus of Middle Tennessee indulge their sweet tooth at the Postulants Dinner and Dessert Auction to help the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation.
This year, the dinner and auction, which was hosted by the Knights of Columbus Council 9132 at Our Lady of the Lake Church in Hendersonville on Nov. 12, raised $27,000. The donation was presented to the Dominican Sisters on Thursday, Dec. 15.
The money will be used to help pay for the education of the Dominicans’ 18 postulants, said Sister Marie Hannah Seiler, OP, the congregation’s postulant mistress and the dean of the School of Education at Aquinas College.
The amount raised was the highest in the 27 years the event has been held, said Mike Porter of Knights of Columbus Council 9282 at St. Stephen Catholic Community in Old Hickory.
Representatives from Knights’ councils throughout Middle Tennessee are invited to the dinner. This year, 15 councils were represented by the nearly 200 people who attended.
People are asked to bring a home-
made dessert that is auctioned after the dinner, Porter explained. The highest bid this year was $2,100 for a cake.
On hand for the dinner and for the presentation of the donation at the Dominicans' Motherhouse were the 18 postulants who entered the community in August. This year’s class of postulants includes
Continued from page 8
lin also hosted two days of festivities Dec. 11-12. Celebrations included, living rosaries, traditional Aztec dances, a Mariachi band, Mass and more.
“For the Mexican culture, Our Lady of Guadalupe plays a very important role not only in our faith, but in our identity,” said Father Juan Carlos Garcia, associate pastor of St. Philip. “In her image, we see the image of two cultures coming together. Her appearance reflects that unity.
“Our Lady of Guadalupe allowed the Mexican people to embrace the Gospel of Jesus,” he continued. “In Mary, we recognize that she is not God, but in her womb, she carries God.
two from Australia, one from Brazil, and one from Germany, as well as 14 from throughout the United States, Sister Marie Hannah said. The Postulants Dinner and Dessert Auction is hosted by a different council each year. Next year’s dinner will be hosted by Council 4763 at St. Rose of Lima Church in Murfreesboro on Nov. 11, 2023.
“She continues to be recognized and embraced by many cultures in the Americas, regardless of their background,” he concluded. “When Our Lady of Guadalupe appears to them, they recognize her as someone special; they recognize that she is a messenger.
“In everything that we do, we try to highlight that special message that she brought. Every time we come to celebrate Mary, ultimately, we’re celebrating the greatest gift she gives us, which is her son, Jesus Christ.”
From staff reports
Five seniors at Father Ryan High School have accepted offers to participate in athletics in college. They are:
• Reagan Robinson, who will be a member of the women’s golf team at Washington University in St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri.
Robinson finished second in the Division II state tournament in 2022 after finishing third at the 2021 state tournament. She was also a member of the 2019 region championship team for Father Ryan.
Robinson, the daughter of Alicia and Chris Robinson, is a parishioner at St. Stephen Catholic Community in Old Hickory, and a graduate of Holy Rosary Academy.
Washington University competes in NCAA Division III as a member of the University Athletic Association.
• Caleb Coffey, who will be a member of the baseball team at Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky.
Coffey, an outfielder and pitcher for the Irish, was an honorable mention selection to the 2022 Division II East-Middle All-Region team.
The son of Angie and Eric Coffey, he is a parishioner at Holy Family Church in Brentwood and a graduate of St. Edward School.
Spalding University’s baseball team competes in NCAA Division III as a member of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
• Lawson Ryan, who has signed to play baseball for Christian Brothers University in Memphis.
Ryan is a pitcher for the Irish.
He is the son of April and Brandon
Ryan and a parishioner at St. Matthew Church and a graduate of St. Matthew School, both in Franklin.
Christian Brothers competes in NCAA Division II as a member of the Gulf South Conference.
• Parker Lynch, who has signed to join the women’s swim team at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.
As a swimmer for Father Ryan, Lynch has competed in the 200-meter medley relay, 50-meter freestyle and the 200meter freestyle relay events. She holds the Father Ryan records in the 200-meter medley relay, 50-meter freestyle and 200meter freestyle relay.
She is the daughter of Brandie and Michael Lynch, a parishioner at St. Matthew Church and a graduate of St. Matthew School.
Marshall University competes in NCAA Division I as a member of the Sun Belt Conference.
• Gwen Bakker, who has signed to join the women’s swim team at the University of Illinois in UrbanaChampaign, Illinois.
For Father Ryan, Bakker swam in the 200-meter medley relay and 100-meter breaststroke events. She holds the school records in both events.
Bakker is the daughter of Tamara and Matt Bakker. She attended Ravenwood High School before transferring to Father Ryan.
The University of Illinois competes in NCAA Division I as a member of the Big 10 Conference.
Continued
ships, which is the legacy, and it’s been renewed,” Chris Donnelly said. “That’s worth even more than the $50 million.
“We’ve loved every minute of it. It was just so exciting, and still is,” she added. “To see the bishop take over and bring the community together through this campaign, it’s been worth every amount of what we’ve done just to know we’re in great hands.”
Linville said there is a lot to reflect on since the campaign was first announced.
“As I reflect back on the last three years, I think about all the people I’ve gotten to know who have been so generous and just the friendships made,” Linville said. “We’ve had very engaged pastors, a lot of generous donors who have reconnected with the diocese, and we’ve also had a lot
of new donors be part of the campaign.
“Everybody has been excited to see what the future of the diocese could be. A lot of times, an endowment campaign isn’t overly exciting because you’re not building a building or something you can see,” he said. “But I think people have gotten excited because they know that this will help ensure the faith is around and strong for future generations.
“This campaign, it feels like it has brought the diocese together,” he concluded. “When I first started, that’s when a lot of the scandals were in the news, and it felt like there were a lot of people that were discouraged and rightly so. But over the last few years, there’s a much better sense of family, community, and truly a legacy of faith, hope and love.”
For more information, visit dioceseofnashville.com/legacy.
Andy Telli
Every Wednesday for the last six months, a handful of men have been gathering at St. Joseph Church in Madison once a week to remove cracked and split pews and kneelers, take them to their home workshops to repair them, and then reinstall them.
The crew has finally worked their way through the church and completed repairing the last pew, said Steve Pentecost, the Grand Knight of Knights of Columbus Council 3763, who has led the project.
The pews are original to the church, which was built in 1960. Many were showing cracks and splits, Pentecost said.
“There were about 90 supports that were broken and some of those had multiple breaks,” Pentecost said. “There were also about 12 cracked pew seats and many kneelers that needed care.”
The Knights in the parish, with the help of several other parishioners, took on the task of repairing all the damaged pews, which are made of oak.
The crew has put in close to 1,000 hours of work on the project, Pentecost said.
“I underestimated the time it would take for the work, but I assured our pastor, Father Jean Baptiste Kyabuta, that we would be finished by Christmas,” Pentecost said.
By taking on the project, the council saved the parish at least $20,000, Pentecost estimated. “Our guys just treated it as time and talent to the church. A bit of treasure in supplies too maybe.”
The Knights Council also paid $1,200 to have two handrails built and installed on either side of the altar to assist people climbing the steps to the tabernacle. Pentecost designed the moveable handrails to not only be stable but to prevent
drilling into the marble steps. Duck Welding of Nashville was the fabricator and painter.
The Knights and parishioners who have helped with the project include: Pentecost, Toby Werrbach, Bob Fogarty, Jim Droppleman, Ralph Juergens, Brian Kennedy, Dr. Pachavit Kasemsap, Jose Kurian, and Sergio Rodriguez.
VATICAN CITY. Pope Francis is writing to all the heads of state around the world, asking them to consider granting some prisoners clemency at Christmas.
The Vatican press office said Dec. 12 that the pope is asking government leaders to consider freeing or reducing the sentences of men and women they believe would benefit from such a gesture of mercy “so that this time marked by tensions, injustices and conflicts may be opened to the grace that comes from the Lord.”
The Vatican did not release a copy of the letter or explain what prompted it besides the approach of Christmas.
From his days as archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and continuing after his election to the papacy, Pope Francis has made a special effort to maintain regular
contact with prisoners, to meet them in Rome and on his trips around the world, and to phone and
write to them. At the end of his Angelus address Dec. 11, the pope gave a shout-out
to “the detainees in the Due Palazzi prison of Padua: I greet you affectionately!”
In 2016, a group of inmates from the Padua prison were allowed to visit Rome during the Holy Year of Mercy; the pope granted them a private audience in his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
Then, in 2020, Pope Francis asked the inmates that frequent the prison’s Catholic chaplaincy to write the meditations for his Good Friday Way of the Cross ceremony, which was held in St. Peter’s Square because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And, for most years of his pontificate, he has gone to a prison or juvenile detention facility on Holy Thursday to celebrate Mass and wash the feet of inmates.
Visiting the Gulf nation of Bahrain in November, the pope said the way a country treats prisoners “is a measure of the dignity and the hope of a society.”
