March 5, 2023, ET Catholic, A section

Bishop’ s Appeal reaches $3 million

Key funder of Diocese of Knoxville ministries hits historic benchmark

By Jim Wogan

The Bishop’s Appeal for Ministries, a vital source of annual funding for diocesan works of mercy, formation, and outreach, set a record in 2022—surpassing the $3 million mark for the first time in diocesan history.

“Support of the appeal in 2022 has been astonishing,” said Deacon Hicks Armor, director of stewardship and strategic planning for the Diocese of Knoxville. “The fact that parishioners have always understood our mission has been, quite frankly, humbling and fulfilling.

“We owe a great debt of gratitude and thanks to the parishes, the priests and deacons who communicated our message, and of course the parishioners who heard our call and supported the appeal.”

With the 2023 Bishop’s Appeal for Ministries now underway, the official total for the 2022 appeal won’t be settled until sometime in late March, after all receipts are reviewed. The stewardship office, which oversees the annual campaign, says “gifts received” have now surpassed $3 million, with some commitments still outstanding.

“Absolutely amazing for a diocese our size,” Bishop Richard F. Stika said. “The appeal has grown almost every year since I have been here, and it’s not me. It has been the hard work of our stewardship office over all these years that has allowed this to happen. Each year, they have formed a message, one that clearly defines who we are as a Catholic Church, and it’s been uplifting to see parishioners across the diocese respond the way they have, each year, to support our work.”

Growth is nothing new for the Bishop’s Appeal for Ministries. In 2010, one year into Bishop Stika’s episcopacy in Knoxville, the appeal raised $920,000. It surpassed $1.2 million in 2013. By 2019, the appeal reached $2.7 million. Last year, the annual Bishop’s Appeal for Ministries raised $2.9 million.

“We’ve come a long way since 2009,” Bishop Stika said. “We might be a small diocese, but

we are doing great things. The growth of the appeal has allowed us to expand the work our ministries do, ministries like Catholic Charities of East Tennessee. It helps keep our St. Mary’s mobile medical clinic on the road. It helps fund seminarian education and continuing formation for our priests. And it allows us to shape the lives of children and young adults in our faith. We get a lot done with the $3 million that our parishioners give us,” Bishop Stika said.

Catholic Charities of East Tennessee

Last August, Catholic Charites of East Tennessee announced the resumption of an Adoption Services program, allowing women facing an unplanned pregnancy a life-saving option

for their child.

“While adoption was suspended in 2014, the idea was to really bring it back and create a complete circle of service around the women that we serve,” said Lisa Healy, CCETN executive director. “We started to talk about adoption with the board about three years ago. It has taken us about 18 months to put the whole program together.”

Having adoption services through Catholic Charities is welcome news to Darlene and Terry Leitz, who adopted two sons through Catholic Charities decades ago.

“We got called on a Friday night saying Christopher was born and we were supposed

Fostering eucharistic renewal

Author, theologian Dr. Timothy O’Malley discusses Becoming Eucharistic People

By Gabrielle Nolan

The Diocese of Knoxville has begun its efforts to support the National Eucharistic Revival, which formally launched on June 19 on the feast of Corpus Christi. Two years of diocesan and parish renewal will culminate with a National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis July 17-21, 2024.

The diocese is hosting local parish events such as retreats, eucharistic revivals, and presentations on the Eucharist.

Dr. Timothy O’Malley returned to his home diocese to discuss his latest book, Becoming Eucharistic People: The Hope and Promise of Parish Life, at All Saints Church in Knoxville.

More than 120 adults attended the presentation inside the West Knoxville church, which took place on Jan. 28. The event was a response to the National Eucharistic Revival,

a movement in the United States to restore understanding and devotion to the mystery that is the Eucharist. The revival is sup -

ported by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Dr. O’Malley is on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops execu -

tive committee for the Eucharistic Revival.

“[The book] was written precisely to the ends of helping the Eucharistic Revival in the Church in the United States but doing so not just in such a way that tells people things about things, as I think a lot of people do,” Dr. O’Malley said.

“Part of the revival’s purpose it’s certainly sort of teaching more things about the Eucharist, right, but it’s a sort of renewal of the Church according to not merely bureaucracy or strategic planning but really the heart of our faith, which is the self-giving love of Christ, which is given in the sacrament of the Eucharist,” he said.

“And so it’s an invitation for parishes in particular to think about what it would mean to participate in the revival in a significant way, to become ever more what we receive in the Eucharist, the love of Christ poured out for

Bishop's Appeal in action

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd leader Mary Flores helps children at All Saints Parish in Knoxville understand the liturgy and other elements of the Mass.

Becoming eucharistic people Dr. Timothy O'Malley signs a book for a woman attending his presentation on the eucharistic renewal on Jan. 28 at All Saints Church. The Diocese of Knoxville has begun observing the Eucharistic Revival.

JIM WOGAN

How to pregame your Lent

Understanding the liturgical (and non-liturgical) celebrations of the Lenten season

By Mary Farrow Catholic News Agency

Sunday, Feb. 5, was Septuagesima Sunday, followed by Sexagesima Sunday on Feb. 12, and Quinquagesima Sunday on Feb. 19, which is the last Sunday before Shrovetide, which culminates in Shrove Tuesday — more popularly known as Mardi Gras.

If all but the last of those holidays sounds foreign to you, you are likely not alone — they haven’t been officially a part of the Roman Rite’s liturgical calendar since the 1960s, after the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

These strange-sounding days once marked a period of preLenten preparation and feasting that is still observed by some rites within the Catholic Church and other Christian traditions.

“Septuagesima is kept in the personal ordinariates established

Sr. Regina

by Pope Benedict XVI for former Anglicans, now within the full communion of the Catholic Church,” said Father James Bradley, a priest from the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsing-

ham in the United Kingdom.

“Septuagesima is still marked in the older Anglican prayer books and is part of the Anglican patrimony preserved by Divine Worship: The Missal , used by the

ordinariates,” Father Bradley said.

Pre-Lent Sundays

Septuagesima is the ninth Sunday before Easter, or the third Sunday before Lent. The name comes from the Latin word for 70th, since the Sunday falls roughly within 70 days of Easter Sunday. The succeeding Sundays are also named for their distance from Easter: Sexagesima (60) and Quinquagesima (50). Quadragesima Sunday (40) is the first official Sunday of Lent.

Septuagesima Sunday is also symbolic of the 70 years of Babylonian captivity.

“Whilst Lent mirrors the 40year exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, to freedom in the Promised Land, Septuagesima mirrors the 70 years of the Babylonian captivity. Both lead from captivity to freedom and so also point to salvation won for us by Christ: freedom from slavery

How to sign up and qualify for Diocese of Knoxville’s safe-environment program

The Diocese of Knoxville has implemented the CMG Connect platform to administer the Safe Environment Program, which replaces the former Safe Environment Program (VIRTUS “Protecting God’s Children”).

element of the Safe Environment Program

The Handmaids of the Precious Blood in 2022 celebrated their Diamond Jubilee: 75 years since their founding in 1947; 75 years of prayer and sacrifice for priests. Did you know you can receive weekly cartoons and short reflections and news from the Handmaids of the Precious Blood? Visit their website, nunsforpriests.org, and sign up for the FIAT newsletter.

March Prayer Intentions

“We pray for those who have suffered harm from members of the Church; may they find within the Church herself a concrete response to their pain and suffering.”

“Dear God, we profess our love for you. We pray that our hearts and minds are open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit— so that, through us, others will come to understand and believe in the gift of eternal life given to us through the passion and resurrection of your son, Jesus. Amen.”

Bishop Stika

DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE

PROCEDURE FOR REPORTING SEXUAL ABUSE

Anyone who has actual knowledge of or who has reasonable cause to suspect an incident of sexual abuse should report such information to the appropriate civil authorities rst, then to the McNabb Center victim's assistance coordinator, 865.321.9080.

CMG Connect is a web-based platform that will assist in ensuring that all employees and volunteers who are in a position of trust with children and vulnerable adults within Diocese of Knoxville schools and parishes are trained to recognize behavior patterns of potential abusers and provide pro-active measures for preventing abuse in any context.

“Safe Haven-It’s Up to You” is a three-part video that provides vignettes of real-life situations to educate the viewer about methods of grooming, desensitization, bullying, and neglect, all of which can lead to abuse.

Each part of the video is immediately followed by a brief questionnaire to further develop understanding.

Education is a key

All clergy, employees, contracted school personnel, volunteers, members of groups and organizations over the age of 18 who work, volunteer, or participate in any capacity are required to complete the diocesan Safe Environment training and a criminal-background check before they can begin employment, volunteer, or participate with ministries, groups, and organizations affiliated with the Diocese of Knoxville.

In addition, the mandatory renewal training must be completed every five years and a new background check submitted before the five-year expiration of prior training.

The Diocese of Knoxville Safe Environment compliance training and renewal training is a condition of employment and for volunteer ministry in the Diocese of Knoxville.

The CMG Connect

platform contains all three elements of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Safe Environment Program:

n Annual review of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Policy and Procedures Relating to Sexual Misconduct; n CMG Connect Safe Haven training program to be completed every five years; n Criminal background check to be completed every five years.

In compliance with the Diocese of Knoxville’s Safe Environment Program, all affiliates require that volunteers and employees complete the requirements prior to working and/or volunteering in a parish, school, The Paraclete, or through Catholic Charities and/or St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic

Go to https:// dioknox.org/safeenvironment on the Diocese of Knoxville website for more information ■

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NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE

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COMMUNICATIONS

DIRECTOR Jim Wogan jwogan@dioknox.org

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Pope Francis

© 2023 Handmaids of the Precious Blood

Our Lenten journey Paulist Father Jim Haley, right, celebrates Ash Wednesday Mass on Feb. 22 at St. Therese Church in Clinton. Assisting Father Haley is St. Therese Deacon Peter Chiaro.

BILL

He dwells among us by Bishop

Richard

F. Stika ‘ Watch and pray’

Satan despises the practice of making a daily examination of conscience, for it serves to punish him

“Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

— James 4:7-8

Knowing one’s weaknesses . During the deadliest war in American history—the Civil War—smuggling along the dividing lines of the North and South grew into a large criminal enterprise offering many lucrative opportunities to profit off of the war.

One day, a riverboat captain was approached by a man and offered a large sum of Confederate money if he would transport a large load of contraband. When the captain quickly but politely refused, a larger amount was offered, but this time it was in Union dollars.

The captain briefly paused, but again politely refused the offer. Sensing the captain might be weakening, the man offered an even larger sum, but this time in gold. At this offer, the riverboat captain quickly drew his pistol and pointed it at his tempter and said, “Get away from me—you’re getting too close to my price.”

What we value most . It is said that everyone has a price. Perhaps. But like the riverboat captain, there is wisdom in knowing what it is so as to better guard against falling into sin, particularly mortal sin—that which we choose to sell our life of grace in Christ for. For Judas, it was 30 pieces of silver.

But since all of us are subject to temptation, we must be steadfast to “watch and pray” with Christ, to participate in His watchfulness against the tempter’s deceit and tactics (Matthew 26:15, 41). God’s warning, tragically ignored by Cain, are words we must always remember: “Sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master” (Genesis 4:7).

Interior battle . There’s something of a civil war that rages within each of us. It is the spiritual struggle between good and evil, light and darkness. And St. Paul clearly explains the nature of this struggle, reminding us that “We do not wrestle against flesh

and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). In reflecting upon the mystery of iniquity, the Second Vatican Council observed that:

The whole of human history has been the story of dour combat with the powers of evil, stretching, so Our Lord tells us, from the very dawn of history until the last day. Finding ourselves in the midst of the battlefield, we have to struggle to do what is right, and it is at great cost to ourselves, and aided by God's grace, that each of us succeeds in achieving our own inner integrity.

Know thy enemy . Though worded somewhat differently in past centuries, Hollywood can be given some credit for a rare nugget of truth worth repeating: “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist” (from “The Usual Suspects,” 1995).

And if there is no devil, it easily follows that sin is only what we decide it should be. As Pope Pius XII observed 75 years ago, “The evil of this civilization is the loss of the sense of sin.” But as Dr. Peter Kreeft stresses, “All sin is from Hell…. All evil is from Hell. Where else could it be from? ( Back to Virtue , 95).

Know thyself . Behind every temptation, at its very core, we find its author—Satan— who knows our weaknesses better than we do. And because he does, he works hard to exploit them whenever he can, particularly when we neglect our prayer.

Bishop Stika’s schedule of Masses and public events

These are some of Bishop Stika’s upcoming public appointments:

n Saturday, March 4, 8:05 a.m.: Scout Mass and breakfast at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

n Saturday, March 4, 5 p.m.: Confirmation Mass at Immaculate Conception Church in Knoxville

n Saturday, March 11, 2 p.m.: Mass for Men's Conference at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport

n Sunday, March 12, 9 a.m.: Mass at St. Joseph Church in Norris

n Monday, March 13-Tuesday, March 14: Gathering for international priests at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton

n Sunday, March 19: Bishop Stika celebrates the 14th anniversary of his episcopal ordination

n Tuesday, March 21: Tennessee Catholic Conference quarterly meeting at the Pastoral Center in Nashville

n Wednesday, March 22: Catholic Day on the Hill, state legislature in Nashville ■

This is why it is so important to know our weaknesses and to be vigilant “with” Christ our strength. And an indispensable way to acquire this essential spiritual self-knowledge is by making a daily examination of conscience—an “examen.”

Daily examen . Satan hates when we make a good examination of conscience each day. Why? Very simply, because it helps to expose our faults. And like his “greatest trick,” Satan doesn’t want us to recognize the gravity of our sins and to ask for God’s mercy and help.

The examen reveals to us where we have echoed Satan’s Non serviam to God—“I will not serve”—in choosing to sin in our selfishness instead of dying to ourselves for love of God and neighbor. And the longer we go without exposing our faults to God’s mercy, the more we allow the garbage of selfishness and sin to build up within us.

Garbage trucks for the soul . Among the various gates of ancient Jerusalem, one was particularly important—the “Dung gate” (Nehemiah 3:14). And like all cities, garbage must be frequently collected and taken out of the city to be buried or burned. Otherwise, it will rot, attract rats and foul insects, and become a breeding ground for deadly diseases.

Making a daily examen with a good act of contrition is like collecting up the trash and taking it to the garbage truck. But if our sin is mortal, we need the deep cleansing of sacramental confession. And the daily examen should also increase our desire for frequent confession and the sacramental grace it provides.

Five simple steps . While there are various ways to make a daily examination of conscience, St. Ignatius popularized five easy steps in his “Spiritual Exercises” that provide us the essential framework:

1. Recall and give God thanks for the day’s blessings;

2. Ask God for the grace to know your sins and to purify your heart’s desire of what is sinful;

Bishop continued on page A12

Diocese of Knoxville Easter celebrations

Lent is underway in the Diocese of Knoxville following Ash Wednesday Masses on Feb. 22.

As the Lenten season leads the Catholic faithful to Easter, it is important to know the upcoming liturgical celebrations that mark the beginning of Eastertide.

n Holy Week: April 3-9.

n Chrism Mass: Tuesday, April 4, 6:30 p.m., Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

n Holy Thursday: April 6.

n Good Friday: April 7.

n Easter Vigil: Saturday, April 8, at dusk.

n Easter Sunday: April 9. ■

‘Peacemaker’ Bishop David O’Connell killed at LA home

By Pablo Kay OSV News

During his seven years as auxiliary bishop in Los Angeles, Bishop David G. O Connell made many friends and a strong impression among his brother bishops.

The native of County Cork, Ireland, was one of three priests named auxiliary bishops for Los Angeles by Pope Francis in July 2015. The pope was known to refer privately to the future bishops then-Father O Connell, then-Father Robert E. Barron, a Chicago-born media evangelist, and then-Monsignor Joseph V. Brennan, an LA priest, as Archbishop Gomez ’ s triplets. ”

In his often emotional remarks about Bishop O ’ Connell in the days since Bishop O Connell ’s Feb. 18 murder, LA Archbishop José H. Gomez has described him as “ a man who loved Jesus Christ and gave his whole life to following Jesus, to being his friend, and to helping others to find Jesus. ”

And in interviews with Angelus , the archdiocesan news outlet, bishops from around the country and even across the pond in

England expressed admiration for Bishop O ’ Connell ’ s energetic faith, his ability to work with all types of people, and his kindness.

If you had to write a play about his life, it would be ‘A Man for All Seasons, ’ ” said Bishop Brennan, who left LA in 2019 to lead the Diocese of Fresno, Calif. “ He was 'all things to people, ’ as

St. Paul described his mission. ”

Bishops O ’ Connell and Brennan were ordained priests for the Los Angeles Archdiocese a year apart in 1979 and 1980.

“ I remember thinking, here ’ s this great Irish guy, hope he does well, ” said Bishop Brennan, who also is of Irish descent. Little did I know he was already working

circles around us native guys, just in terms of totally immersing himself in the community.

Bishop Brennan said that Bishop O ’ Connell had a special way of “ making everyone feel that he was a kindred spirit to them, from community organizers to law enforcement officials.

“

And he was, ” Bishop Brennan added. But Dave was never a chameleon. He was never pretending to be any of these things. He did it because he was genuinely interested in everyone, wanting to love everyone.

Bishop Barron, who now heads the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota, said he was “ absolutely devastated by the news of Bishop O ’ Connell ’ s death.

“ He was a man of enormous kindness, dedication, good humor, and Gospel simplicity, Bishop Barron told Angelus “ I always came away from meetings with him feeling more alive, more confirmed in my faith. I will miss him tremendously.

Bishop O ’ Connell served in the archdiocese for all of Cardinal Roger M. Mahony ’ s 25 years as archbishop of Los Angeles.

Follow

Making a daily examen with a good act of contrition is like collecting up the trash and taking it to the garbage truck.

O'Connell continued on page A9

Mourning a peacemaker Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David G. O'Connell is pictured speaking with parishioners outside St. Frances X. Cabrini Church in Los Angeles in 2015. Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies found Bishop O’Connell dead of a gunshot wound at his home on Feb. 18, and his death has been ruled a homicide.

OSV NEWS PHOTO/CNS FILE, JOHN RUEDA, THE TIDINGS

Bishop Stika leads East Tennessee faithful into Lent

Ash Wednesday Mass celebrations mark beginning of Easter countdown

By Emily Booker

Ash Wednesday on Feb. 22 marked the beginning of Lent, the 40 days of penance and prayer as the Church spiritually prepares for Easter.

Although not a holy day of obligation, Ash Wednesday is one of the most highly attended holy days in the Church as the faithful come to start the Lenten season with Mass and the imposition of ashes.

It was a packed house at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus during the noon Mass, celebrated by Bishop Richard F. Stika, with the pews inside at capacity as well as the parking lots outside the cathedral.

Churches around the diocese reported strong attendance for the annual liturgical celebration.

In his homily, Bishop Stika encouraged people to use the season as an opportunity to acknowledge and turn away from their sin, which keeps them from Christ.

“One of the definitions of a saint that I have seen, time and time again, is a saint is a person who recognizes that they are a sinner. And doesn’t that make sense? Because if we don’t understand that we are tainted by sin, how can we be saved?” he asked.

The bishop said that even seemingly small sins and habits draw us farther from God.

“We make decisions about our life, and then those decisions lead to sin. Most of the sins we commit are kind of simple, and yet they can change us.

“How about the white lie? The white lie—you say it quickly, say it doesn’t matter much, but then they begin to pile up and up, and then they begin to encircle; it’s like a wall. Because we began to believe that it’s OK.”

In recognizing those sins, he said, we can break our bad habits and turn toward better habits that will lead us closer to God.

“They say it takes 14 days to create a habit, a good habit or a bad habit. Just say for 14 days in a row if we decide to say the rosary, go to Mass every day, [pray the] Stations of the Cross, be kind, charitable, compassionate. If we really make an effort to do that, then it’ll become a positive, good habit that will carry on throughout the year,” the bishop advised.

By Hannah Brockhaus Catholic News Agency

In his message for Lent 2023, Pope Francis encouraged Catholics to listen to what Jesus wants to tell them through the Scriptures and through others.

Pope Francis said during a Mass to mark the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22, that what matters is the truth and the love that God sees, not what is superficial, showy, and self-centered.

Lent is the time, he said, “to proclaim that God alone is Lord, to drop the pretense of being self-sufficient and the need to put ourselves at the center of things, to be the top of the class, to think that by our own abilities we can succeed in life and transform the world around us.”

“How many distractions and trifles distract us from the things that really count! How often do we get caught up in our own wants and needs, lose sight of the heart of the matter, and fail to embrace the true meaning of our lives in this world,” he said.

“Lent is a time of truth, a time to drop the masks we put on each day to appear perfect in the eyes of the world,” he added, and to

The three pillars of Lent— almsgiving, prayer, and fasting —offer ways for the faithful to turn their focus back on loving God and loving others.

Regarding fasting, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together do not equal a full meal.

The norms on fasting are obligatory to Catholics from age 18 until age 59, excluding the physically or mentally ill and including individuals suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes as well as women who are pregnant or nursing.

In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of ab -

stinence from meat. The norms on abstinence from meat are obligatory to Catholics from age 14 onwards.

Bishop Stika noted how abstinence from meat on Fridays is intended to be a penitential act, yet sometimes, people lose sight of its meaning.

“So, now we eat fish on Friday, and we eat lobster, right? Those people that love fish, they love Fridays in Lent,” he said, referring to the various fish fries or seafood specials offered during the season.

But, he said, it is important to engage the season of Lent with the right intentions, that is, living in a way that brings people closer to God.

“These different practices— almsgiving, prayer, fasting

—are an invitation to us to simplify our lives,” Bishop Stika explained.

“The Church invites us to participate in something special. For the next number of weeks, it’s not just about fish fries or spring break. The Church invites us to a section of the year that allows us to focus on sins less and focus on Jesus more.”

After the homily, Bishop Stika blessed the ashes, made from burning the palms used in last year’s Palm Sunday Masses. The ashes symbolize grief and repentance of sins.

This liturgical exercise was repeated at every diocesan church and Catholic mission.

People received the ashes in a shape of a cross on their forehead and were then told “Repent, and believe the Gospel,” or “Remember you are dust, and to dust you will return.”

The ashes are sacramentals, so unlike the holy sacraments, anyone is welcome to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday, even the unbaptized. That might be one reason Ash Wednesday is such a popular holy day, as people from all walks of life, at all stages in their spiritual journey, seek a sign of repentance and hope.

As Bishop Stika noted, it is a season of invitation.

During the Eucharistic Revival now underway in the Diocese of Knoxville and around the country, several East Tennessee parishes are holding Lenten retreats with a special emphasis on the understanding and love of the Eucharist. Visit dioknox.org/ revival to see a list of Eucharistic Revival events.

Also, this year, the memorial of St. Patrick falls on Friday, March 17. It is well known that St. Patrick’s Day is a day of convivial celebration for many American Catholics.

Therefore, Bishop Stika has issued a dispensation decree stating: “On Friday, March 17, 2023, all Catholics of the Diocese of Knoxville, by my authority, are dispensed from the abstinence obligation (can. 87 §1). It is not required that anyone make use of this dispensation. Those who do wish to make use of it are encouraged to abstain from meat on some other day as part of their penitential practices and to engage in some additional act of prayer, service to the poor, or almsgiving.” ■

to Jesus’

compel us to remain in our usual places and our often repetitive and sometimes boring routines, during Lent we are invited to ascend ‘a high mountain’ in the company of Jesus and to live a particular experience of spiritual discipline — ascesis — as God’s holy people.”

Pope Francis said one of the ways Jesus speaks to us is through the Word of God, which we can hear at Mass.

But if one cannot attend Mass during the week, it is a good idea to still read the daily readings of the liturgy, the pope encouraged.

“reject lies and hypocrisy. Not the lies and hypocrisies of others, but our own.”

Pope Francis, dressed in the purple vestments of the Lenten season, celebrated an Ash Wednesday Mass at Rome's Basilica of Santa Sabina.

Using the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration as a launching point, Pope Francis addressed both the journey of Lent and the Catholic Church’s ongoing Synod on Synodality in the message released Feb. 17.

The pope recalled “the command that God the Father addresses to the disciples on Mount Tabor as they contemplate Jesus transfigured. The voice from the cloud says: ‘Listen to Him.’”

“The first proposal, then, is very clear: We need to listen to Jesus,” he said. “Lent is a time of grace to the extent that we listen to Him as He speaks to us.”

“During this liturgical season,” he continued, “the Lord takes us with Him to a place apart. While our ordinary commitments

“In addition to the Scriptures, the Lord speaks to us through our brothers and sisters, especially in the faces and the stories of those who are in need,” he added.

Pope Francis’ second suggestion for Lent was to confront the difficulties of ordinary life, remembering that Lent is a period that leads to Easter.

“Do not take refuge in a religiosity made up of extraordinary events and dramatic experiences, out of fear of facing reality and its daily struggles, its hardships and contradictions,” the pope said.

“The light that Jesus shows the disciples is an anticipation Pope continued on page A15

Lenten blessing Pope Francis blesses a woman at the end of his weekly general audience on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22, in the Vatican audience hall.

Ash Wednesday Above: Bishop Richard F. Stika places ashes on those attending the noon Mass on Feb. 22 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. He is accompanied at left by Deacon Fredy Vargas. Below: Bishop Stika gives a tour of the cathedral following the noon Ash Wednesday Mass to eighth-grade students from St. Cecilia Academy in Nashville. Accompanying the students, who had just received their ashes during the Mass, are Sister Maria Caeli Parmeter, OP, Sister Lucia Marie Siemering, OP, and teacher Jonathan Owen.

Cathedral ministry persists during Haiti crisis

Outreach volunteers hope to return to Haitian town of Boucan-Carré

By Jim Wogan

Buried beneath the pile of newspaper headlines that vividly describe the ongoing calamity and anarchy in Haiti, a volunteer ministry of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus continues its work to improve the lives of hundreds of people living in the remote village of Boucan-Carré.

The cathedral’s Haiti Outreach Program started more than 20 years ago, and since then its supporters have helped build schools, hospitals, churches, and other vital infrastructure there.

The program also provides tuition for students in Haiti and financial support for teachers and clergy.

In the past, program volunteers from the cathedral and other parishes have been able to visit Haiti in person. Those trips have been suspended while the western Caribbean nation deals with internal strife, including natural disasters and political violence.

In December, Matt Webster, president of the Haiti Outreach Program, was a guest on the “Inside the Diocese of Knoxville” podcast. He spoke about the current situation in Haiti and how the ministry keeps moving forward despite the recent challenges. The interview has been edited for space and clarity.

To what extent can you keep up with what's going on in Haiti?

That’s a great question. I think historically this mission was the volunteers who could travel to Haiti and then see the impact of what they are doing and talk to the people and talk to the children and the mothers and the teachers and really see the impact. Since 2019, we have really had no representation from our mission able to travel. It’s just not safe, so we rely on our key folks down there.

We have a doctor, Dr. Olgenn Octave. We have Father (Michelet) Lamarre. They are the two major points of contact. Father Lamarre really acts as the financial fiduciary there. We send money down on a frequent basis, and he distributes that to the places that we have to fund, to the teachers and the parish and the medical clinic.

So, those are the two major points of contact. I am in frequent e-mail communication with them.

Does the information you get from them replicate what the media is saying about the situation there?

Well, the media focus is on Port-au-Prince, the capital of the country, where it is just anarchy. There is no other word to describe it. We are a little remote from there, so it's not quite as intense. But what we’re experiencing now is the movement of goods and finances even from Portau-Prince into Boucan-Carré is becoming a little riskier for our folks.

Our leadership won’t go to Port-au-Prince. There are roadblocks; nobody is off-limits, including priests, for the gangs. So, we’re a little distant from it, and only in the last six months has it really escalated in our area. The challenges are with gangs, where our folks are getting more nervous. Up to that point, they were like everything’s fine here, but that seems to be deteriorating as the gangs try to position themselves throughout the country.

Where is the community that you are working with located? We call it the Diocese of Hinche. It’s more central, and the community is called Boucan-Carré. And then our clinic is in a very, very remote area called Bouly. It's only accessible by foot and

donkey, which is nearly a six-hour hike into that community.

There is nothing like that in this country (United States), where a community exists that is six hours from a main highway. That’s just the way Haiti is. And there’s a church there, and there is a medical clinic there, and then they live off the land, and we try to support that community.

Tell us about the Haiti Outreach Program at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

We have roughly 10 active volunteers. But there are 20 years of volunteers who stay involved and are curious, and we communicate with them through mail groups and newsletters.

We do three major fundraisers a year. One is called a student sponsorship, and it is our most significant fundraiser, and we ask members of our parish to help support children at the schools, and their donation covers their uniforms and their tuition, a meal, paying for the teachers, infrastructure; we have a primary school and a secondary school, and those require maintenance, and so we raise a substantial amount of money to maintain that element of the education side.

The mission really has three pillars. We call them the mind, body, and spirit. The mind is the education aspect, so we have roughly 1,000 children we’re educating a year. The body would be the medical clinic that is in the remote area of Bouly. And the spirit, we have a parish, St. Michel, with a priest and a congregation. So, mind, body, and spirit are the three foundational things we try to support.

How did this ministry get started?

It’s a spectacular story. It’s probably the most

Time to worship

Left: Children of St. Michel Parish participate in Mass at a new chapel built on the foundation of a chicken coop

Below: The Haiti Outreach Program helps fund education for roughly 1,000 children in the town of BoucanCarré. Students line the stairs at Ecole St. Michel.

rewarding part of what we do. Go back 20-plus years when Sacred Heart had the idea of what was called “twinning” with a parish in Haiti. You select a parish and do what you can to support that parish.

We now fast-forward to today, and we’ve got two large schools. We have a medical clinic in that area. We have teachers, and we have staff. We now have a bank in the community, and we have some road structures. We have what we would call “retail” to support some of the families that live there and to support the schools and the parish.

So, what has happened, is it has really become an economic stimulus for that little community in the middle of Haiti. It has created a community and an economy because we continue to invest there, and people continue to come there to take advantage of that investment.

Haiti is not that far from Knoxville. I mean, it’s closer than Seattle.

It’s unbelievable how close it is to the United States and how bad a condition it’s in. To be that close to this country and still be in the condition that it's in, and, in fact, connected to that same body of land is the Dominican Republic, which is a thriving economy.

It’s the same island. There is a clear border, and when that border stops it just becomes a sad story. It’s very unfortunate.

Given that, how closely are you monitoring newspapers to keep up with what’s going on?

We rely on the feedback of the priest, as I said. It doesn’t take much to read about what is going on. Anytime we see, like the New York Times article, we share that with our entire organization.

We have a following of 1,500 people on a mail group, and it’s kind of a sad state of affairs, but we rely on our priest and our doctor who are probably the key leaders there to calibrate us on how serious it is within the area we are in.

Do you partner with other parishes?

There are two other churches, one is in St. Louis, and one is in Richmond. They also have twinned with St. Michel. We collaborate.

One of them is interested in capital investment. While we spend the vast majority of our funds to maintain the infrastructure that we have, the schools, the hospital, and the teachers and the pay, this particular church, St. Anselm in St. Louis, they focus on capital investment.

Interesting story, the church there was in disrepair. It was in a very unsafe condition. It was leaking; structurally it was in tough shape. St. Anselm wanted to build a new church.

The challenge of building a new church is what do you do when you knock the church down, and for a period of time there is nowhere to go?

So, we uncovered, they called it a chicken coop. It was once designed as a chicken coop to produce revenue for the church there. That was abandoned. So, it was this dilapidated structure that St. Anselm reconditioned to a temporary chapel. They are preparing to build a new church now.

The other (parish) in Virginia is a little smaller. As they raise money, they send those funds to us, and we put that directly into education at their direction. We do the financial side for them because it's complicated. It’s complicated to move money from here to there.

How long have you been involved?

We are new to Knoxville, came here in 2018. I was recently retired and wasn’t ready to sit on a couch. (Cathedral rector Father David Boettner) and the bishop are very passionate about this mission. So, (Father Boettner) asked me to get involved.

I feel like the business side of what we do is very much in check. We can ask our donors for money, and we can deploy that correctly and safely in Haiti and know that it’s being done correctly. We have plenty of metrics. I ask lots of questions. I ask for reports back. We share those with our donors. I would say the business side of what we do is very much in a good place.

The sad part about it was the excitement of going to Haiti and seeing the people and seeing the

Building faith Workers demolish an old structure once used to house chickens and begin building a new chapel for Masses at St. Michel Parish in Boucan-Carré. Haiti continued on page A8

Transitional deacon ordained in Mexico City

Bishop Stika presides at special Mass for Renzo Alvarado Suarez, who will join diocese

By Beth Parsons

Celebrations occurred across several countries as the Diocese of Knoxville gained a new transitional deacon. On Jan. 22, Deacon Renzo Alvarado Suarez was ordained by Bishop Richard F. Stika at Seminario Hispano de Santa Maria de Guadalupe in Mexico City.

In attendance from Deacon Alvarado’s home country of Colombia were his mother, Abigail Suarez de Alvarado, and a close family friend, Itala Caiafa. Participating in the Mass from Knoxville, in addition to Bishop Stika, were Father David Boettner, vicar general and rector of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus; Father Arthur Torres, associate vocation director for the Diocese of Knoxville and pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Chattanooga; and Deacon Sean Smith, chancellor for the Diocese of Knoxville.

Knoxville seminarian Abrahan da Silva, who studies at Seminario Hispano with Deacon Alvarado, also attended along with priests and seminarians from the Mexico

to the promised land of heaven,”

Father Bradley said.

Septuagesima Sunday traditionally marked the beginning of some of the more somber practices that characterize the season of Lent — it was the day when the saying or singing of “Alleluia” would be suspended until Easter, and the first day that priests would wear penitential purple vestments. The last alleluias would traditionally have been sung after Vespers the previous night.

In ordinariate communities, the “goodbye” to the Alleluia takes place on the Sunday before Septuagesima, when the hymn “Alleluia, Song of Gladness” is traditionally sung, Father Bradley said.

“This is an English translation of an 11th-century hymn, wishing ‘farewell’ to the Alleluia, which disappears from the liturgy until Easter, replaced instead by a Tract [verses typically of the Psalms sung instead of the ‘Alleluia’],” he said.

“The idea of ‘burying the Alleluia’ for the length of these penitential seasons is taken one step further in some places, where a depiction of the Alleluia is literally buried until the chanting of the great Paschal Alleluia during the Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter,” he added.

Septuagesima was also, in the early Church, the beginning of the Lenten fast, since according to the old liturgical calendar, Thursdays and Saturdays, in addition to Sundays, were days that Christians would not fast.

“Just as Lent today begins 46 days before Easter, since Sundays are never a day of fasting, so, in the early Church, Saturdays and Thursdays were considered fastfree days. In order to fi t in 40 days of fasting before Easter, therefore, the fast had to start two weeks earlier than it does today,” Catholic author Scott P. Richert noted in a 2018 article for ThoughtCo

Farewell to meat, cheese, fun

Septuagesima Sunday traditionally kicks off a season known by various names — Septuagesimatide, or Carnival (typically the name for more worldly celebrations during this time), or ShroveTide (particularly in Anglican traditions). The point of the season, Father Bradley said, is to prepare well for Lent.

“St. Paul VI is said to have described the progressive move toward Lent in Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima, like church bells that call the faithful to worship, 15, 10, and 5 minutes before Mass,” Father Bradley said.

City seminary. Many others were able to watch the live-streamed Mass.

The procession started outside of the seminary chapel, appropriately named Our Lady of Guadalupe. The chapel is used by the seminarians to pray the Liturgy of the Hours and attend daily Mass.

The rite of ordination followed the Gospel reading, where Deacon

“Each week in the lead-up to Lent is a nudge that the great and holy fast is around the corner, and our preparations for this should intensify.”

These days were also practical for Christians in pre-refrigeration days — they would use the preLenten season to use up the rich, perishable foods such as meat and cheese that they had in their house before Lent began, and the unused foods would spoil, Michael P. Foley, Catholic author and associate professor of patristics at Baylor University, noted in a 2011 article.

Days of preparation for Lent are also found outside the Roman liturgical traditions, Father Bradley said.

“For example, in the East Syrian liturgy (as celebrated by the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church), the week before Septuagesima is marked by Moonnu Nombu, which recalls Jonah remaining three days in the belly of the whale. Moonnu Nombu is a short three-day fast, in preparation for the coming major fast of Lent.”

In Byzantine and Orthodox traditions, they even have designated “meatfare” and “cheesefare” Sundays, which focus on clearing the house of meats and dairy, respectively.

“Similarly, in Russia and other Slavic countries, the week before Lent is called ‘Butter Week’; in Poland it is called ‘Fat Days,’” Mr. Foley noted.

Carnival is the term for the more festive, worldly events associated with the pre-Lenten season and is celebrated throughout the world with parades, parties, and feasts. Still, the word itself is Catholic in origin, coming from Latin carnem levare ( carnelevarium ), which means “withdrawal” or “removal” of meat, according to The Easter Book by Father Francis X. Weiser, SJ.

The intensity of some Carnival celebrations comes from the intensity of the fasting of old, which was much more restrictive than it is today, Father Weiser noted.

“The intensity of this urge, however, should not be judged to stem from the mild Lenten laws of today but from the strict and harsh observance of ancient times, which makes modern man shiver at the mere knowledge of its details. No wonder the good people of past centuries felt entitled to ‘have a good time’ before they started on their awesome fast,” he said.

“Carnival music” has Spanish, Portuguese, Native American, and African infl uences and is typically associated with the regions of the Caribbean and Brazil, which has some of the largest Carnival celebrations in the world.

Alvarado was called by name to stand before the bishop, to which he replied, “present.”

Bishop Stika began his homily by recounting the last words of Pope Benedict XVI, “Jesus, I love you.” The bishop went on to say, “and just a few moments ago when Renzo said ‘present,’ in a way, he said the same thing because that word ‘present’ means that he brings his

“Though it varies from country to country, Carnival music has a common origin in bidding a fond farewell to fun before the 40-day fast of Lent,” Mr. Foley noted.

One last chance: Mardi Gras

The last day before Ash Wednesday, the offi cial start of Lent, is called Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday, depending on the country or region.

“Mardi Gras” is French for Fat Tuesday, the biggest celebrations of which in the United States take place in New Orleans, with parades and parties on Bourbon Street and throughout the city.

Besides being the last day to clear the house of indulgent foods, it is also traditionally the last day

whole life to this moment.”

The bishop’s homily focused on new responsibilities for Deacon Alvarado: “to be a witness to the people you serve in acts of charity and kindness, nourish them in catechetical teaching, witness a marriage and bury the dead, pray the Liturgy of the Hours, and live a life of celibacy.”

Bishop Stika shared that the ordination rite includes a “beautiful taking of yourself and giving of yourself to the Church.”

“We will hear the Litany of the Saints, in which you abandon yourself to the Church and ask for their prayers, the Church triumphant, those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith,” Bishop Stika said. “Pray for those who brought you to this moment: the first seminary of your mother, father, and family, and all your friends, and all those people who prayed for vocations; pray for them.”

Bishop Stika concluded his homily by telling the priest-in-training that after the post-ordination Mass reception, “Your work continues.

Deacon continued on page A10

to clear the soul from sin before the start of the Lenten season. According to Father Weiser, the name “Shrove Tuesday,” typically more common in Anglican areas, was thus called because it was a day to be “shriven from sins.”

The ubiquitous pancake breakfasts, most often associated with parish breakfasts sponsored by the Knights of Columbus in the United States, may also have their origins in Shrove Tuesday, as pancakes were a traditional English food served on the day to rid the house of any last sugar, butter, and eggs.

Lent this year, which began on Feb. 22, ends on Holy Thursday, April 6. Good Friday is April 7, and Easter Vigil is Saturday, April 8, with Easter Sunday on April 9. ■

MIGUEL ANGEL AVILA SIERRA

Lent continued from page A2

Hands to heaven Bishop Richard F. Stika performs the rite of ordination for Deacon Renzo Alvarado Suarez, kneeling, in Mexico City.

Neighbors helping neighbors

St. John Neumann Parish participates in Habitat for Humanity building project

By Gabrielle Nolan

People say home is where the heart is, and a lot of heart went into a Habitat for Humanity build co-sponsored by St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut.

The project, which involved about 10 parish volunteers, benefits an Army veteran and his wife.

Parishioner Laurel Howanitz initiated the project for the parish.

“I am just all about using your talents that God has given you,” Mrs. Howanitz said. “I just felt like this was something that I could bring to the parish. … Habitat was such a great organization, and I just really felt like it would be a win-win for both.”

“Watching other people volunteer and build this house, it’s just priceless,” she added.

Mrs. Howanitz, who lives in Tennessee and Virginia, has a home in Farragut that is walking distance from St. John Neumann Church.

“We have moved so many times. … This is the second time we’ve been back in Knoxville,” she explained. “I love everything about St. John Neumann.”

‘A perfect marriage’

Once back in Tennessee, a friend of Mrs. Howanitz asked her in 2018 if she was interested in being on the board for Knoxville’s Habitat for Humanity. “So, I got involved in Habitat and I soon realized that … Habitat was the most well-oiled machine with the best volunteers, the best purpose.”

Participating in multiple Habitat builds, she watched various churches be involved each year.

“I kept thinking, ‘Oh there’s no Catholic church, or there’s no Catholic diocese, or there’s no Catholic presence.’ … I would watch these other churches get involved, and they would be so joyous,” she noted.

“I know it sounds corny, but I would watch their volunteers come out and do this Habitat project, and … they would see the changes that it would make in people’s lives,” she continued.

success and seeing (our volunteer) doctors go to work with the children and the mothers; talking to the families and having them smile about how much we mean to them.

That is what is missing, and it’s so sad that we can't do that. Even Father David, a priest, is uncomfortable. In fact, there is a state mandate: do not to travel to Haiti. There are massive amounts of kidnapping. We just have to tell folks to stay here, and we are just going to wrestle through it as long as we need to, and one day we will be back down there.

What have you learned about the early days of the ministry and how have you grown over that time?

There has been a lot. Let’s start with medical. That is probably the most visible and the one that is easy to get our arms around. Infant mortality was a significant problem, and it still is throughout the country. I don’t know the percentages, but I know that history tells us that we have made dramatic improvements in infants being born healthier than they were in this remote area of Haiti. And that is a result of people long before me, (Dr.) Jordan Pyda, (Dr.) Dean Mire, Billy Stair, those who made those trips over and over again and helped build that clinic.

We just completed a solar-panel installation (to generate electricity), which is necessary for the government to provide vaccines because those must be refrigerated. That’s a big milestone now that we can get vaccines into that community. We launched a prenatal nutritional program. We had a parishioner who was interested in that area.

So, what that means is that pregnant mothers are often lacking in nutrition. Of course, that affects the pregnancy, and that affects the birth of the child, and that just perpetuates medical problems generation after generation.

So, we focused on prenatal nutri-

Mrs. Howanitz said it was “a natural progression on how the two ideas came together.”

“It’s a perfect marriage because my other

tion, meaning while these women are pregnant, can we give them supplemental assistance so that they are more healthy and therefore the child is more healthy? Not just medicine, infant nutrition. So, we are trying to get more preventive versus reactive.

On the educational side, we have two great school facilities there, and we track how the kids do on their standardized testing. (They) do pretty good on a national level. I'd say (they’re) in the top quartile, but we need to get better with our education. That is what will pull Haiti out of where they are. Intelligent, young Haitian kids that say, “I want to make a difference.” Of course, the parish, a new church is just exciting. That is a top priority for the priest there, Father Lamarre. He is all about wanting to get that church built, as most priests are.

Any hope that you can get down to Haiti soon?

We will probably go in a back door. We probably will not go through Port-au-Prince. We will come in another way, perhaps through Mirebalais, which is a larger community with an airport. Or we potentially come in through the Dominican Republic. We were very close to doing that a few months back, and certainly I want to go.

We will have people on the ground there that hopefully and safely can get us to and from. Father David loves going down there as well, and when he is ready to go, I guess I will go with him and see what it's all about. I won’t go until he is ready because he will take a lot more risk than I will with it.

God bless you for all the work you are doing. Thank you.

Listen to the podcast episode at dioknox.org/podcasts. Learn more about the Haiti Outreach Program at https://haitioutreachprogram.org/. ■

love is getting Catholics to feel good about being Catholic and getting involved,” she said.

“It’s great for our parish to have a really good project where they can give back, and maybe it’ll create teamwork and unity and all that kind of good stuff. That was really the whole driving force behind it,” she added.

“There’s a number of things we do, like all the parishes, to serve the community,” said Patrick Wade, director of development for St. John Neumann Church and School. “So, this was obviously a great one … a unique one in that it wasn’t something that we regularly do.”

The makings

of a Habitat home

Multiple organizations work together on a house build to form what is called a covenant partnership.

“We all share in the funds that need to be raised and contributed and the volunteer labor,” Mr. Wade said. Habitat continued on page A11

Construction team Top: Habitat for Humanity volunteers from St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut carry a roof truss for placement on a house under construction in Knoxville's Carter community. Above: from left, mortgage bankers Edna Price and Jennifer Green join Patrick Wade of St. John Neumann Parish; homeowners Bridget and Robert; and Father Joe Reed, pastor of St. John Neumann, outside of the newly built home.

Haiti continued from page A6

COURTESY OF HABITAT FOR HUMANITY (2)

Diocesan educators’ in-service is first in 3 years

The East Tennessee Catholic

More than 350 Catholic school educators from the Diocese of Knoxville ’ s 10 schools gathered Feb. 21 at Knoxville Catholic High School to do something they haven’t been able to do in nearly four years — meet in person for an in-service session.

It was the first in-person in-service meeting for the diocesan schools faculty since the fall of 2019.

The theme for the day was “Be who God intends you to be and you will set the world on fire: Keeping a Catholic Vision in a Secular Age. ”

Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrated Mass for the educators and commissioned them in their Catholic school educational ministry.

Diocesan Schools superintendent Dr. Sedonna Prater gave opening remarks about the past three years, focusing on the Catholic school mission, the calling to be Catholic school educators, and the source of the education ministry.

The educators met for grade-level and department-level meetings. Admissions personnel and development directors, counselors, special education teachers, and all other special areas also met to discuss best practices within the grade levels or content areas, to talk about new curriculum resources, and to share ideas.

Lead teachers from across the diocese led the department-level meetings.

Cardinal Mahony recalled that his entire life and ministry were devoted to his people, those who were poor, powerless, and on the margins of society, ” praising Bishop O ’ Connell ’ s ability to bring people together and to work to overcome differences and build trust and understanding.

He also said that Bishop O Connell had made it clear that he never wanted to be moved away from Central and South Central LA ” when it came to his parish assignments.

Bishop Brennan agreed that Bishop O ’ Connell would often express privately that “ he didn't want to be anywhere else. He loved that ministry, he loved those people. ”

Among current American bishops, there are two other Bishop O Connells, including Bishop David M. O ’ Connell of Trenton, N.J.

The third, Auxiliary Bishop Mark W. O ’ Connell of Boston, first met LA s Bishop O Connell at “ Baby Bishop School, ” the unofficial name of a multi-day course for new bishops held at the Vatican.

He was a truly humble and holy man, ” Bishop Mark W. O ’ Connell told Angelus

The 58-year-old said the pair called each other cousins, since they shared not only a last name but also family roots in County Cork.

His LA counterpart later recruited him to serve on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops ’ Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, where he made an impression as “ a very strong advocate for the poor and for the dignity of every human person. ”

Auxiliary Bishop Tim E. Freyer of the neighboring Diocese of Orange, Calif., was another one of Bishop O ’ Connell's recruits to the subcommittee.

“ We had a number of challenging issues to discuss, and I marveled at how he kept the conversation rooted in prayer, focused on how to best help the poor, and would bring us to consensus, ”

Bishop Freyer recalled.

Bishop Freyer said that he would bump into Bishop

O ’ Connell on walks during silent retreats for bishops, and Bishop

O ’ Connell would be either praying the rosary or the Liturgy of the Hours.

“ I found that he was a man of deep faith, was very thoughtful and joyful, ” he said.

Phoenix Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo A. Nevares remembers Bishop

O ’ Connell's episcopal consecration at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Sept. 17, 2015, as a “ very Spirit-fi lled event. ”

MARY HANNAH MACCURDY

Back together again Diocese of Knoxville educators meet in person for the first time in more than three years at Knoxville Catholic High School on Feb. 21

One of the guest presenters was Elisabeth Sullivan from the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education. Mrs. Sullivan’s presentations were: “Let Them be Born in Wonder: Two Ways of Seeing,” “Cultivating the Imagination Through Picture Study,” and “On the Deeply Human Things: Seven Foundations of Pedagogy.”

Father Randy Stice, director of Liturgy and Worship for the Diocese of Knoxville, also gave

In meetings of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops through the years, Bishop O Connell struck him as a “ gentle ” colleague with “ great insights. ”

Bishops Nevares and O ’ Connell shared dinner at the U.S. bishops ’ fall meeting in Baltimore last November.

“ I knew him to be a very special person, a real brother, ” said Bishop Nevares. I consider myself lucky and privileged to have known such a wonderful Christian. ”

Auxiliary Bishop John Sherrington of Westminster, England, taught as a young priest at Bishop O ’ Connell ’ s alma mater, the former All Hallows College in Dublin, Ireland, during the 1990s.

Future priests destined for Southern California were still being formed there, and then-Father Sherrington wanted some firsthand experience of ministry in the City of Angels.

In the summer of 1991, he arrived to help at St. Frances X. Cabrini Church in South Central LA while the pastor, then-Father David O ’ Connell, took some vacation time.

I realized very quickly the love that the people had for him, and his passion for justice, ” Bishop Sherrington said.

Bishop O Connell already had made a reputation for his efforts to reconcile rival gangs in his parish neighborhood.

And he also was pushing for the cleanup of a toxic dump near the parish at the time, Bishop Sherrington recalled.

The arrangement worked out so well that Bishop O Connell invited the English priest back to St. Frances the next two summers. Almost two decades later, Bishop Sherrington was named a bishop in his native England in 2011, four years before his old friend.

“ When (O ’ Connell) was appointed a bishop by Pope Francis, I thought this is the sort of priest who for Pope Francis is a priest of the peripheries. A priest who goes the extra mile, who ’ s on the edge of situations, living out the Gospel and living out the message of Christ, ” Bishop Sherrington said.

Bishop O ’ Connell ’ s funeral Mass was March 3 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. On March 2, there were public viewing hours for the bishop, followed in the evening by a vigil Mass for Bishop O ’ Connell at the cathedral.

On March 1, a memorial Mass organized by the San Gabriel Pastoral Region, which Bishop O’Connell oversaw as the region’s episcopal vicar, was celebrated at St. John Vianney Church in Hacienda Heights, a Los Angeles suburb.

Bishop Brennan from Fresno of-

a presentation called “Jesus — From the Gospels to the Mass. ”

Dr. Prater said Father Stice’s session was so popular it had to be presented twice.

Diocesan educators were also called to give presentations, including Michelle Dougherty of St. John Neumann School in Farragut, Debbie Houbre of St. Joseph School in Knoxville, and Amy Evans of St. Mary School in Oak Ridge, on serving students with special needs and best practices for accomplishing that.

Valerie Hanks, academic dean at Sacred Heart Cathedral School, spoke about using Star assessment data for data-driven instruction, and Sarah Day, also of Sacred Heart Cathedral School, discussed supporting English language learners with comprehensible input.

“As Catholic school educators, we are called to be faithful Christian disciples and to accompany our students on the path to discipleship. It is my hope that the sessions in this in-service inspired and bolstered our educators in their ministry,” Dr. Prater said.

Dr. Prater thanked the Diocese of Knoxville schools personnel for choosing to be a Catholic school faculty member and for again being dedicated to “prepare scholars, leaders, and saints.”

“I hope time with colleagues provided renewal and shared understanding for our educators, and I hope they left with an increased commitment to live out their vocation as Catholic school educators,” Dr. Prater added. ■

fered some thoughts on Bishop O’Connell’s legacy. We need to channel our inner Dave O ’ Connell, defender of life everywhere, ” Bishop Brennan said. “ We need to be tenacious when it comes to reaching out to folks, as Pope Francis keeps telling us. Dave actually did it: going out to the people who are unwelcome, marginalized, on the peripheries.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Feb. 22 that the suspect arrested in the shooting death of Bishop O ’ Connell has been charged with murder.

Carlos Medina, 61, was taken into custody the morning of Feb. 20 by Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies as the prime suspect in

the shooting death of the bishop, who was found dead in his home in Hacienda Heights on the afternoon of Feb. 18.

“ This was a brutal act of violence against a person who dedicated his life to making our neighborhoods safer, healthier, and always serving with love and compassion, ” Mr. Gascón said in a statement. “ As Catholics around Los Angeles and the nation start the holy season of Lent, let us reflect on Bishop O ’ Connell ’ s life of service and dedication to those in greatest need of our care.

“ Charging Mr. Medina will never repair the tremendous harm that was caused by this callous act, but it does take us one step closer to accountability, he added. ■

11

O'Connell continued from page A3

Pope Francis on World Day for Consecrated Life: Women, men religious have a ‘special role’ in the Catholic Church

By Hannah Brockhaus Catholic News Agency

On the 27th World Day for Consecrated Life, Pope Francis recalled the special role religious Brothers and Sisters have in the Catholic Church.

“In the People of God, sent to bring the Gospel to all people, you consecrated men and women have a special role,” the Pope said in a written message for Feb. 2.

This special role, he continued, stems “from the special gift you have received: a gift that gives your witness a special character and value, by the very fact that you are wholly dedicated to God and his kingdom, in poverty, virginity, and obedience.”

Pope Francis’ message was read at the beginning of a Mass for consecrated men and women in Rome’s St. Mary Major Basilica on Feb. 2.

Pope Francis usually celebrates a

For all that information you have gathered will witness to others the simple phrase: Jesus, I love you.”

After the homily, Deacon Alvarado stood before the bishop, who questioned him to declare his intent to undertake the office of deacon before the people of God. The deacon responded “I do” to each question. Immediately following came the promise of respect and obedience to the bishop, where Deacon Alvarado knelt before Bishop Stika, placing his hands in the bishop’s hands. Afterward, he laid prostrate before the bishop as seminarian Abrahan da Silva sang the Litany of the Saints.

Once the ordination prayer was completed, the new deacon received the vestments of a diaconal stole and dalmatic. Father Torres vested Deacon Alvarado.

Once vested, Deacon Alvarado knelt before Bishop Stika to place his hands upon the Book of the Gospels, to which Bishop Stika said, “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.” Rising once more to kneel before the bishop, he approached Bishop Stika for the laying on of hands and prayer of ordination.

The gifts were brought forth for Communion by Deacon Alvarado’s mother and family friend.

At the conclusion of Mass, Bishop Stika offered his thanks to Deacon Alvarado’s mother and those who watched from home, for the beautiful music, and the hospitality of the seminary.

A reception was held, hosted by the seminary, following the ordination Mass. Deacon Alvarado visited with the guests and gave blessings to those in attendance.

He also gave a speech in which he thanked the Diocese of Knoxville’s Vocations Office “for believing in me, for accompanying me in this process”; his formators; his spiritual director; his pastor at his parish assignment, “an angel of God”; the “beautiful people” who work at the seminary; his brother seminarians; and the people of the Diocese of Knoxville.

“I chose the right one,” he said about joining the Diocese of Knoxville.

Deacon Alvarado’s first Mass as a deacon was on Jan. 23 at the seminary. The Gospel reading of the day read, “But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.”

In Deacon Alvarado’s homily, he shared, “What has filled my heart with happiness the most throughout my process of formation and since I began my ministry has not been the putting on of my vestments, the image of me serving at the altar, or the feeling of status that I have acquired at the ecclesiastic or social level.”

“What has truly moved me the

special Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica to mark the World Day for Consecrated Life but was unable to do so this year because the day fell in the

middle of his Jan. 31–Feb. 5 trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.

The Feb. 2 Mass in St. Mary Ma-

jor was celebrated by the prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Consecrated Life, Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, who read the pope’s message to those present.

“When you hear this message from me, I will be on mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and I know that I will be accompanied by your prayers,” the Pope said. “In turn, I want to assure you of mine for the mission of each of you and your communities.”

“All of us together are members of the Church,” he continued, “and the Church is in mission from the first day, sent by the Risen Lord, and will be so until the last, by the power of His Spirit.”

The theme of the 2023 World Day for Consecrated Life is “Brothers and Sisters in Mission.”

The Catholic Church celebrates the World Day for Consecrated Life every year on Feb. 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also

of St. Juan Diego, the apparitions, and the community’s response to Mary’s visit. The original basilica, built in 1709, is now a museum. The new basilica, which houses the tilma, was built in 1979.

Near the basilica is a statue of Mary, marking the site of the second apparition on the day St. Juan Diego changed his path to visit his sick uncle and avoid an encounter with the Blessed Mother. At the site of the statue, water flows where a well opened under the feet of Mary after her appearance. Continuing along the path, the Chapel of Los Indios (the Chapel of the Indians) is the site of St. Juan Diego’s home and final resting place.

Inside the Chapel of Los Indios is an image of the saint above the main altar. The original ruins of his humble home are attached to the side of the chapel and can be viewed from inside the chapel.

The group, led by Deacon Alvarado and seminarian da Silva (who are the farthest geographically of all Diocese of Knoxville seminarians), returned to Mexico City, where they visited the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven. Building for this cathedral began in 1571 and features many architectural and art periods, including Baroque, Gothic, and Neoclassical.

The choir stalls are still in active use by the priests, auxiliary bishops, and archbishop, who is Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mexico. The dark, intrinsically detailed carved wood included scrollwork and carvings of numerous saints. The cathedral also includes works of art, religious relics, crypts, and 16 chapels.

most is the knowledge that evil can leave the hearts of those who are found to be possessed by it. Through my preaching of the Word of the Lord, and goodness, the presence of Jesus can reign in their lives instead,” he said. “The purpose of my vocation is to proclaim Christ, and to tell the world that it is worth it to follow Jesus. My heart is very happy to know that I can proclaim this with all the strength I have through my ministry. I look forward to doing this at a much deeper level through the priestly ministry.”

Bishop Stika celebrated the Mass in which Deacon Alvarado preached.

In beginning his ministry, Deacon Alvarado proclaimed the Gospel, served at the altar, at the Communion rite announced, “Let us offer each other the sign of peace,” and at the concluding rite exclaimed, “Go in peace.” Ms. Suarez de Alvarado and Ms. Caiafa, seminarians, and those traveling from the Diocese of Knoxville were present.

Prior to the ordination, the group from Knoxville visited the National Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The tilma of St. Juan Diego with the

image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is on display at the basilica. Three moving sidewalks run below the image for visitors to view and ask for Our Lady’s intercession. Our Lady’s image is displayed high enough to be seen during Mass as well.

Pilgrims from all over gather in the basilica to see the Blessed Mother, and Mass is celebrated every hour on the hour from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily (and starts at 6 a.m. on Sunday). Flowers are brought to Our Lady all day, lining the walls of the sanctuary. Flags from each country where Our Lady is patroness also hang just outside the sanctuary. Confession is available, as are the blessing of religious items, and a Catholic gift shop.

From the basilica, the group walked from Mexico City up Tepeyac Hill to the Capilla del Cerrito, the Chapel of the Little Hill, at the site of Our Lady’s first apparition to St. Juan Diego. The “hill” is actually an elevation of more than 8,300 feet.

The chapel originally was built in 1666 and includes traditional architecture. The chapel walls are lined with paintings that narrate the story

The chapels surround the interior with different devotions unique to the Mexican culture, such as “Señor del Veneno” the Lord of Poison, a black crucifix. Dating from the 18th century, the bishop of that time prayed at the crucifix as he entered the cathedral.

However, there were those who wished the bishop would die. They put poison on the feet of the wooden Jesus, knowing that the bishop would kiss the feet when he was done praying. The bishop did as always and kissed the feet, but he did not die. Instead, the Jesus sculpture turned black. The number of faithful who venerate him now is so great that the crucifix was moved to the altar at the entrance of the cathedral, the altar of forgiveness.

The cathedral, like many other structures in the downtown area, is sinking as the downtown was built on what used to be a giant lake. A pendulum hangs on the center aisle of the cathedral to measure the shifting foundation. ■

Beth Parsons manages the Diocese of Knoxville’s Office of Vocations and attended the ordination Mass for Deacon Renzo Alvarado Suarez

CATHOLIC

NEWS SERVICE PHOTO/VATICAN

MIGUEL ANGEL AVILA SIERRA(2)

International ordination Top: Deacon Renzo Alvarado Suarez lies prostrate during his ordination to the transitional diaconate in Mexico City. Above: Bishop Richard F. Stika is with Deacon Alvarado, the new deacon's mother, Abigail Suarez de Alvarado, right, and a close family friend, Itala Caiafa The ordination was at Seminario Hispano de Santa Maria de Guadalupe.

Deacon continued from page A7

What does the Church teach about sports gambling?

By Kenneth Craycraft

Our Sunday Visitor

The Super Bowl in February and the NCAA Tournament this month are about more than just who wins or loses on the football field or basketball court.

Over the course of these and other sporting events, hundreds of millions of dollars change hands through wagers on winners, losers, point spreads, and any number of so-called “prop” bets—wagering on such things as which team wins the coin toss, who scores the first touchdown, or makes the first quarterback sack, or hits the first three-point shot.

Indeed, many people watch the games less for the entertainment value of watching the athletes than for the adrenaline of placing bets on the outcomes. Rooting interest is based on wagering rather than school or team spirit.

While this betting was once limited to a couple of states (or waged illegally), recent states’ laws have made legal sports wagering far more accessible. Online sports betting through downloadable phone apps has dramatically increased the number of wagers, as well as the dollar amounts that change hands.

In-person sports betting is now legal in almost half the states. Some 20 states now permit mobile betting to one degree or other. Betting lines from various gambling sites are now integrated into pregame shows, mid-game updates and post-game analysis. And the amounts of money in question are massive.

An estimated $300 million was bet on the 2021 Super Bowl alone. Since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down federal bans on sports betting in 2018, some $100 billion has been wagered legally on all sports.

All of which raises an important question for the Catholic: Is any of this morally acceptable? Can a Catholic licitly gamble on the outcome of sporting events (or various occurrences within the events)?

And if so, what are the limits to such activity?

This is the kind of question that doesn’t yield an easy “yes” or “no” answer. The question of the relative moral status of gambling is a highly contingent one, requiring the application of principles of Catholic moral life to a variety of different scenarios, yielding varying answers.

And these answers fall along a continuum, rather than on one side or the other of a bright line. Rather than asking if it’s good or evil, we must ask whether (and if so, how) sports wagering can be part of a moral life ordered toward the good.

The Church does not consider

gambling to be intrinsically immoral. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, in part: “Games of chance (card games, etc.) or wagers are not in themselves contrary to justice. They become morally unacceptable when they deprive someone of what is necessary to provide for his needs and those of others” (No. 2413).

This means that it is possible for sports wagering to be consistent with the good, but it is not necessarily so in every situation. And, the Catechism, cautions, “The passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement.”

Strictly as entertainment, it would be difficult to distinguish casual gambling (such as on the big game, series, or horse race) from other kinds of entertainment spending such as ball games, a round of golf, amusement parks, or similar innocent pastimes. It is Gambling continued on page A22

from page A8

A Habitat home can range from $150,000 to $175,000, but a covenant partnership is responsible for funding $55,000 of that cost.

“That does help cover a large part of the construction costs,” said April Timko, director of marketing and communications for Knoxville Habitat for Humanity. “St. John Neumann is one of four covenant partners on the particular house” that was built.

“The covenant partnership helps by providing the volunteers to be out on the build site and build the house itself, along with the future homeowner,” she continued.

The first day of building, called blitz day, begins with a concrete slab and ends with all exterior walls in place. Volunteers contribute to a variety of tasks, such as building exterior walls, mounting roofing and siding, painting, and installing cabinets and trim work. Specifically trained volunteers take care of electrical work, and subcontractors put in flooring.

Potential homeowners apply through Habitat for Humanity to be selected for a home build.

“Once they are accepted into the program, they invest hundreds of hours of sweat equity,” Ms. Timko said. “That’s through taking classes in our home-ownership education program.”

“They also get sweat equity through building their home, as well, and volunteering on other people’s houses,” she continued. “Once they have built their home and they move in, they purchase that house with an affordable 30year mortgage.”

A unique neighborhood

Typically, a Habitat build consists of one single-family home. However, the St. John Neumann house is part of a larger Habitat neighborhood, called Ellen’s Glen.

“This neighborhood is located in East Knox County in the Carter community,” Ms. Timko said. “Ultimately, it will be home to 35 families. It consists of three-, four-, and five-bedroom homes with one-car garages.”

“Ellen is actually the Knoxville

Habitat for Humanity founder,” Ms. Timko said. “We started doing work in that neighborhood in getting it developed and everything around 2020, which was our 35th anniversary. It’s been really cool to say that we’ve been building 35 homes to celebrate 35 years.”

On one of the build days, Mrs. Howanitz had the opportunity to meet with some of the future homeowners, who also volunteer in the home-building process.

“I ended up talking to all the different people and all the different homeowners that were out there, just about how they felt,” Mrs. Howanitz said. “What came across was the fact that they’re going to be able to help each other. They’ll be able to babysit for each other, or if they have questions about other things, that they’re all going to be there right together. So, it’s such a great idea.”

“It’s building strength and stability with families that are right here working hard in our communities. ... It’s building generations,” Ms. Timko pointed out.

The dedication date for the completed home was Jan. 21, when the family received the keys to their new home. Father Joe Reed, pastor of St. John Neumann Parish, led prayer for those in attendance.

“It was a real privilege for our parish to participate in building this home,” Father Reed said. “The fact that the home is for an Army veteran and his wife made the experience even more meaningful. St. John Neumann once said, ‘As Christ has His work, we, too, have ours; as He rejoiced to do His work, we must rejoice in ours also.’ Helping build this home was more than joyful work; it was a reflection of our faith and an opportunity to build up the kingdom of God, as we are called to do.”

Interested parishes can easily become involved with Habitat for Humanity at any time.

“All they have to do is reach out to us,” Ms. Timko said. “There are so many opportunities that there’s going to be a fi t no matter what they’re able to do physically or monetarily.”

“I do encourage anyone in the

Catholic community to get involved,” she continued. “We have so many people from the different parishes that are volunteering as individuals. I think it would just be amazing to see more people come

out in groups and really all get to experience the amazing, life-changing experience it is.”

For more information, visit Habitat for Humanity’s website at habitat.org ■ with

October 16-26,

Jordan Extension:

And you gave me shelter Left: Habitat for Humanity volunteers from St. John Neumann Parish place an exterior wall for a house under construction in Knoxville's Carter community. Right: Army veteran and new homeowner Robert earns some sweat equity working on his new Habitat for Humanity house Habitat continued

Basketball Sisters now play for God

By Linda Reeves OSV News

Divine intervention may be the only explanation for how two college teammates graduated, ventured off on different career paths miles apart, and then, 40 years later, ended up on the same journey in Miami, both wearing habits.

“I think we met at the first practice on the basketball court,” said Pauline Sister Irene Regina, reflecting back to college days at St.

Mary’s University in San Antonio, where she first met Carmelite Sister Margaret Ann Laechelin.

The two are rekindling their friendship after Sister Irene was assigned to the Pauline Book and Media Store in Miami. Sister Margaret Ann is principal of Miami’s Archbishop Coleman Carroll High School. Sister Irene’s move to Miami marks the first time the two women have lived in the same town and in visiting distance since college days. “We were freshmen and both

Sisters Irene Regina

and Margaret Ann

looking forward to playing college basketball,” said Sister Irene about that fall semester back in 1979 when Mary Hoernschemeyer from St. Louis and Brenda Laechelin from San Antonio met.

They both had landed basketball scholarships. Sister Irene came from an all-girl high school, Ursuline

Academy in St. Louis, where she played softball, basketball, and volleyball. She took photos for the yearbook and wrote for the newspaper.

Sister Margaret Ann attended East Central High School, a large public school in San Antonio, where she was involved in basketball and track. She made high marks, took honors classes, and was a sports editor for the school paper. Both were from Catholic families, tall, athletic, and loved the game of

Sisters continued on page A13

Seminarians bond over hoops, prayer, and Mass

By Jay Copp OSV News

The outcome of the championship game near Milwaukee was in doubt until the final seconds of overtime. Clutch shooting, crisp passing, and a swarming defense finally enabled St. Francis de Sales, the home team, to prevail over St. Paul of Minnesota 51-48.

Never in doubt was the postgame ritual the rite that followed each of the 24 games of the 12-team basketball tournament. After the traditional handshake line between the teams, players from the St. Francis and St. Paul seminaries intermin-

Religious continued from page A10

gled around the center court circle, knelt, and bowed their heads in saying an impromptu prayer or the Hail Mary. Seminary basketball is just basketball, and something else, too. Sports are celebrated for bonding teammates. The 2023 De Sales Invitational, hosted by St. Francis de Sales Seminary, bonded players on competing teams.

In its third year, the tourney brought together 150 seminarians for three days in late February. The seminarians ate together, shared dormitory accommodations, and prayed together at vespers and Hoops continued on page A22

known as Candlemas or the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The day of prayer was established by Pope John Paul II in 1997.

In his message, Pope Francis said the mission of consecrated men and women is enriched by the unique charisms of their communities, in addition to the fundamental gift they have each received.

“In their stupendous variety, [charisms] are all given for the edification of the Church and for its mission,” he said. “All charisms are for mission,

Bishop continued from page A3

3. Examine your thoughts, words and deeds of the day;

4. Ask God for forgiveness;

5. Resolve to amend your life with the help of God’s grace, and pray an act of contrition.

Grace of vigilance . It is always recommended to conclude our examen with the Lord’s Prayer. For when we pray, “And lead us not into temptation,” we ask for God’s help to resist choosing “the way that leads to sin”—we ask for the “grace of vigilance,” which is necessary for the protection or “custody of heart,” and for “proper Spirit of discernment and strength” to not yield to temptation ( Catechism of the Catholic Church , nos. 2846, 2849, 2863)

Resistance training . Remember, while temptation is itself not a sin unless we consent to it and open the door of our heart to act on it, our struggle to resist it actually helps to strengthen us spiritually and build up our fortitude.

Athletes, such as sprinters and weightlifters, know the great value of “resistance training.” The principle is very simple—you strengthen your muscles and build endurance by making them work against something that offers resistance, such as weights.

The same essentially applies to the effects of “resisting” temptation. God permits temptation because by resisting it, we grow stronger in holiness than if He were to shield us completely from it.

Turning temptation into Satan’s punishment . But consider this. Because our temptations can actually serve our greater sanctification, Satan’s temptation of us can turn into a terrible affliction for him.

Father Chad Ripperger, a noted exorcist and author of books on the subject, explains, “Just as Satan is now stuck tempting man as a punishment for having enticed

Keeping God in the game Players and coaches from St. Francis de Sales Seminary in the Milwaukee Archdiocese and St. Paul Seminary in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis gather in prayer and solidarity after the championship game of the 2023 De Sales Invitational near Milwaukee. The tournament brought together 150 seminarians for three days in late February.

and they are precisely so with the incalculable richness of their variety; so that the Church can witness and proclaim the Gospel to all and in every situation.”

He prayed that the Virgin Mary would obtain for consecrated men and women the grace to bring the light of Christ’s love to all people. He also entrusted them to Mary Salus Populi Romani the title of a Byzantine Marian icon housed in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

In his homily at the Mass, Archbishop Carballo, who is a religious in the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor, said “we want, especially on this

men to fall, so the demons of the air are stuck af flicting man so they might be better. Demons become the instrument of man’s betterment, and that afflicts them” ( Dominion , 426-7).

Gaining from our weaknesses . While we may think of our spiritual weaknesses only in their negative sense (and that is what Satan wants), they should instead be understood as the very avenue for God’s grace to work in us, as St. Paul explains.

In asking God to take away a “thorn in the flesh” that he struggled with, God replied to St. Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me” (2 Corinthians 12:9) St. Augustine . In conclusion, I offer St. Augustine’s reflection on the temptation of Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11). May you ponder these words of wisdom so as to be more attentive in watching and praying with Christ.

“In Christ you were tempted, for Christ received His flesh from your nature, but by His own power gained salvation for you; He suffered death in your nature, but by His own power gained life for you; He suffered insults in your nature, but by His own power gained glory for you; therefore, He suffered temptation in your nature, but by His own power gained victory for you. If in Christ we have been tempted, in Him we overcome the devil.

Do you think only of Christ’s temptation and fail to think of His victory? See yourself as tempted in Him, and see yourself as victorious in Him. He could have kept the devil from Himself; but if He were not tempted He could not teach you how to triumph over temptation. ” ■

day, to say our thanks to the Lord and, using the words of Mary, the consecrated woman par excellence, sing our Magnificat to him who is the Good, the All Good, the Supreme Good.”

God, he said, “has made us sharers in a beautiful inheritance and a mission no less beautiful: that of representing in us the historical form of the obedient, poor, and chaste Jesus.”

“Let a song of thanksgiving rise from our lips and from our hearts, today and always, because Jesus has bent over our littleness and has given us the grace to follow Him in the various forms of consecrated life, despite our littleness,” he said. ■

OSV NEWS/COURTESY OF JOSEPH GLATCZAK

basketball. They hit it off right from the start.

“We could talk about anything,” said Sister Irene in an interview with Florida Catholic Media, a multimedia communications services provider in Florida. “We were dedicated Catholics and would go to daily Mass together on campus. Even on road trips, the two of us would go to Sunday Mass. Our coach was Catholic, and he always found a nearby Catholic church for us.”

Both were excited to be part of the school’s class of 1983 and the Lady Rattlers.

“We easily became friends,” said Sister Margaret Ann. “We shared almost everything. She shared her meal card with me, and I gave her a set of keys to my car. We did not talk a lot about God or our faith. We just lived it together.”

On the court, both women played the post position and often had to play opposite each other during practices.

“We were co-captains — her brains and my brawn,” said Sister Irene jokingly. “She is the reason I became such a good player. Many times, we had to practice against each other, with all the elbowing and bruising that goes with that, and we’re still friends.”

They helped each other with their game.

“She was an amazing basketball player. She was strong under the basket and played with great determination. I was not the athlete. I was more of the student of the game,” said Sister Margaret Ann.

The Lady Rattlers won two games and lost 18 that first year, but the losses did not dampen the women’s spirits. “By the time we were juniors,

it was completely reversed,” said Sister Margaret Ann.

In their final year, the girls were the only seniors on the team, and both were selected by the coach to serve as co-captains. Then their relationship became even closer.

The doctors discovered a malignant tumor near Sister Margaret Ann’s third rib, and reports were not good. During a long surgery, the medical team removed the tumor along with half of her second, third, and fourth ribs.

“Sister Irene was a huge help,” said Sister Margaret Ann. “She helped me think about living and not so much about preparing to die. With Sister Irene’s help, one month after surgery, I played — really just made a showing. Sister was the strength I needed. She really helped me carry the cross.”

Sister Irene initially majored in engineering but switched to physical education thinking it was a better fit, but not aiming at a specific career. Upon graduation, she returned home to look for a job.

“I remember being interviewed for a job at a Catholic high school,” she said. “The religious sister interviewing me took me over to the convent. I thought that was funny because I was interviewing for a job, not a convent.”

Sister Margaret Ann initially majored in math but switched several times before settling on English. “I decided to be a basketball coach and teacher. I had done some coaching with young children and really enjoyed it.”

ball and taught English for four years in large public high schools.”

Sister Irene continued her search. She found out the Archdiocese of St. Louis was holding its first vocation retreat for young women. That’s where she met the Daughters of St. Paul — also known as the Media Nuns.

“I felt like the congregation was a perfect fit. I didn’t find a job, I found a community,” she said.

She entered Nov. 1, 1983, in Boston and took her first vows in 1987, with her good friend cheering her on.

“She may have had an inkling that I would enter religious life,” said Sister Irene about her teammate. “Near the time we graduated, she told me that our coach wasn’t worried about my future. He told her that I would probably be a pilot or a Sister, and that either way I’d be close to God.”

Sister Margaret Ann continued coaching and teaching — her dream jobs — at public schools but felt something missing. She continued to discern God’s will. “I wanted to do and be whatever He had created me to do and be.”

When some of the students in her school asked her to start a Bible class, she knew God was answering her prayers and working in her life. “My principal was willing to permit it as long as it was low key,” she said.

vows in 1993, with her good friend there lending support.

Sister Margaret Ann has served at Archbishop Carroll High for seven years, and during her tenure her dedication to her students and the school community has not gone unnoticed. The former Lady Rattler gained fame in 2017 when a video of her cutting down trees in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma went viral, amassing more than seven million views on Facebook. Her followers nicknamed her “the chainsaw nun.”

Her popularity continued after another video surfaced of her and her religious Sisters showing off their basketball skills in support of the Miami Heat. The Globetrotters spotted the video and made her and her team players honorary picks during their draft.

As one of the Media Nuns, Sister Irene’s ministry has taken her to Anchorage, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Cleveland, Toronto, New York City, Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, and now Miami.

Both women remain active and go on the courts from time to time to shoot a few hoops.

“A good friend is a gift from God,” Sister Irene said. “Even though we didn’t see each other for long stretches of time, just knowing that someone is out there praying for you and hoping for your good is a boost. As religious Sisters, we spur each other on to holiness.”

After graduating, she landed a job at Troy State University in Troy, Ala. “I was able to coach college basketball and get a master’s degree in 11 months. I then returned to San Antonio and coached high school basket-

Her Bible class was packed, the students engaged and interested. “It was the hunger for truth, goodness and beauty that I saw in their eyes that brought me to ask God what I needed to do to best help them. I knew that God had created me to be a religious Sister.”

She visited the Carmelites of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, and after discerning, made her first

“We started as teammates on the basketball court, and now we are religious Sisters — truly Sisters — helping each other on the road to heaven,” said Sister Margaret Ann. “Now our goal is much more than a basketball trophy. Someday we will spend eternity together in God’s heavenly court.” ■ April

Sisters

DEACON SCOTT MAENTZ DR. KELLY

DAN MCWILLIAMS

CASEY KEELEY

of Easter glory, and that must be the goal of our own journey, as we follow ‘Him alone,’” he said. “Lent leads to Easter: the ‘retreat’ is not an end in itself, but a means of preparing us to experience the Lord’s passion and cross with faith, hope, and love, and thus to arrive at the resurrection.”

Pope Francis compared the journey of Lent and the Church’s ongoing Synod on Synodality to a “strenuous mountain trek.”

While we hike up the mountain, we must keep our eyes on the path before us, but at the top, we are rewarded by the beautiful panorama that confronts us.

“So, too, the synodal process may often seem arduous,” he said,

“and at times we may become discouraged. Yet what awaits us at the end is undoubtedly something wondrous and amazing, which will help us to understand better God’s will and our mission in the service of His kingdom.”

The Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announced Feb. 17 that it will hold a communication campaign based on Pope Francis’ Lenten message.

Beginning on Ash Wednesday, the dicastery will present every week, via its website, a new “step” on the journey of Lent.

The campaign, “With Him on the mountain: Lenten penance and the synodal journey,” will include reflection questions based on

Scripture passages and the pope’s message.

“The Lenten journey of penance and the journey of the synod alike have as their goal a transfiguration, both personal and ecclesial,” Pope Francis said. “A transformation that, in both cases, has its model in the Transfiguration of Jesus and is achieved by the grace of his paschal mystery.”

The pope also spoke about the newness of Christ and his fulfillment of the ancient covenant.

“In a similar way, the synodal journey is rooted in the Church’s tradition and at the same time open to newness,” he said. “Tradition is a source of inspiration for seeking new paths and for avoiding the opposed temptations

of immobility and improvised experimentation.”

Pope Francis said a Lenten penance “is a commitment, sustained by grace, to overcoming our lack of faith and our resistance to following Jesus on the way of the cross.”

“To deepen our knowledge of the Master, to fully understand and embrace the mystery of His salvation, accomplished in total self-giving inspired by love, we must allow ourselves to be taken aside by Him and to detach ourselves from mediocrity and vanity,” he encouraged. “We need to set out on the journey, an uphill path that, like a mountain trek, requires effort, sacrifice, and concentration.” ■

Pope continued from page A4

DR. KELLY KEARSE

DR. KELLY KEARSE

DEACON SCOTT MAENTZ

DAN MCWILLIAMS

EMILY BOOKER

DEACON SCOTT MAENTZ

EMILY BOOKER BILL BREWER

DEACON SCOTT MAENTZ

Faith, family, and football

Vols athletics icon Gus Manning remembered as someone filled with all three blessings

By Bill Brewer

The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was steeped in orange Feb. 20 for the funeral Mass of longtime University of Tennessee Athletics Department icon Charles A. “Gus” Manning, who died Feb. 12 at the age of 99.

Family, friends, co-workers, and admirers filled the cathedral to pay their respects to a Volunteer for Life who was the last remaining direct link in the athletics department to legendary Tennessee football coach Gen. Robert R. Neyland. Many were wearing orange and white.

Mr. Manning played football at Tennessee for Gen. Neyland following World War II, and the young Marine veteran and Knoxville native was then hired by the general as an assistant, which began a career spanning more than 50 years in collegiate athletics for the University of Tennessee.

The University of Tennessee campus is where Mr. Manning lived out his professional and faith lives.

Father Eric Andrews, CSP, was the funeral Mass celebrant. As associate pastor (2000-2003) and then pastor (2003-2009) of St. John XXIII University Parish and Catholic Center on the UT campus, Father Andrews was for nearly 10 years a priest central in Mr. Manning’s faith life. Mr.

Renewal continued from page A1

the life of the world.”

Originally from Maryville, Dr. O’Malley previously attended Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa.

He is now the director of education at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. Additionally, he is the academic director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy and holds an appointment in the theology department at the Catholic college.

He both researches and teaches in the subjects of liturgical-sacramental theology, marriage and family, catechesis, and spirituality.

In addition to Becoming Eucharistic People , Dr. O’Malley has authored other books, including Real Presence: What Does it Mean and Why Does it Matter? ; Lift Up Your Hearts: Liturgical Formation in the RCIA ; and Off the Hook: God, Love, Dating, and Marriage in a Hookup World

For Dr. O’Malley, the Eucharist permeates his daily life.

“I’m a theologian so I spend a lot of time writing on the Eucharist; [ Becoming Eucharistic People ] is my third book on the Eucharist,” he said.

His relationship with the Eucharist is both in his study and in his parish life.

“I go to Mass, and I go to my parish, right, that’s my life, to be sort of shaped by my parish and just regularly attending Mass,” Dr. O’Malley said. “I think that’s what shapes me most; it’s attending there and entering into communion with our Lord. I think it shapes my daily life; you know, I’m a teacher, but I’m also a dad and a husband, and the Eucharist should shape the totality of our lives, not just as a private exercise apart from everything else.”

Dr. O’Malley said he hoped his talk would be an invitation for self-reflection.

“Renewal starts with the individual, right, rather than with that person or that person, whether we’re talking about a bishop or a priest, renewal starts here,” he said. “It starts with you. So, how are people going to participate in this renewal over the coming years?”

He began his presentation with sharing why eucharistic renewal is important.

“Eucharistic renewal, as I hope to show today, is integral to the Church, it’s a constant process. The Church must become ever more what she receives in the Eucharist: the love of Christ poured out for the life of the world,” Dr. O’Malley said.

“I think the task of this Eu -

Manning attended St. John XXIII for decades. Father Andrews now serves in New York City. Paulist Fathers Don Andrie, pastor of St. John XXIII Parish, and Robert O’Donnell, St. John XXIII associate pastor, concelebrated the Mass. Deacon Patrick Murphy-Racey of St. John XXIII served as deacon of the Word and Eucharist.

To begin his homily, Father Andrews excused his chasuble, his outer vestment, which included a crimson band, alluding to the similarity to University of Alabama team colors. He quickly pointed out that Deacon Murphy-Racey was more appropriately attired. Deacon Murphy-Racey’s dalmatic vestment was white, and his stole included a large, orange Power T that is synony-

mous with UT sports.

Father Andrews didn’t disappoint some in the congregation who have come to associate his homilies with singing. He launched into “Rocky Top” and led the cathedral in a verse of the rousing Tennessee Vols fight song to set the scene.

It was a fitting segue into his homily on the life and times of Mr. Manning, “our friend, our loved one,” as Father Andrews described him.

The Paulist priest pointed out that much of the liturgy reflected Mr. Manning.

“Welcome to the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. It’s a nice cathedral, but it’s no Neyland Stadium, you have to admit,” Father Andrews said smiling. “But Gus wanted us to be here this day because he wanted to make sure there was room for everyone. St. John XXIII on the university campus would have been a little bit cramped, so we’re glad you are here and can spread out. Those of you in the back row can even come closer.”

“But the people in the back row are most like our friend Gus, who would always sit in the very last chair. He was the last one into church and the first one out after receiving the holy Eucharist. There was always something more to be done on the UT campus, even in retirement,” Father Andrews continued. “The Cushman was always waiting, in the fire lane, ready for him to get back

comes a new way of living our whole life, each particular moment of which is lifted up since it’s lived as part of a relationship with Christ and as an offering to God.”

Dr. O’Malley noted that people do not go to Mass to be “good people,” but rather to “enter to total union with God.”

“That’s your vocation, your destiny, and it starts now,” he said. “Yes, it’s heaven, but it’s more than heaven; it starts now. Every part of your life lifted up and offered back in love now.”

Throughout his presentation, Dr. O’Malley focused on each phrase of an antiphon by St. Thomas Aquinas, whose feast day it was.

The antiphon, O Sacrum Convivium , was written by the Dominican friar for the feast of Corpus Christi.

It reads:

“Eucharistic renewal, as I hope to show today, is integral to the Church, it’s a constant process. The Church must become ever more what she receives in the Eucharist: the love of Christ poured out for the life of the world ”

— Dr. Timothy O'Malley

“O sacred banquet/in which Christ is received/in which the memory of His passion is renewed/the mind is filled with grace/and a pledge of future glory is given to us. Alleluia.”

“It’s a very beautiful text, and it summarizes the totality of the eucharistic mystery,” Dr. O’Malley said.

charistic Revival … is to foster the kind of culture where the Church becomes ever more what the Church is called to be. It’s to become more Church, a communion of love that keeps alive the memory of salvation offered by Jesus Christ, empowering men and women to live in union with Christ in the world,” he said.

Dr. O’Malley said that his book is intended to help people think about “creating and fostering and building culture.”

Chapter topics within his book include:

n What is Eucharistic Culture?

n A Culture of Eucharistic Reverence

n A Culture of Integral Eucharistic Formation

n A Eucharistic Popular Catholicism

n A Culture of Eucharistic Solidarity

“We in the United States in particular tend to view renewal as something that should happen right away,” he said. “Culture takes time to build; it takes time to build a culture in our Church, in our parishes. Culture is essential. It’s linked even to the word cult, worship. And culture, to cultivate, right, to grow, to become the kind of space where love, divine love, is made manifest.”

Dr. O’Malley asked, “how do you foster such a eucharistic culture?”

“The task of each of you is to

evangelize culture. … It doesn’t mean just condemning things, but it means renewing, getting to the heart of a particular place, announcing the Gospel in that place, in that time, with all of its particularities.”

Halfway through his hour-long presentation, Dr. O’Malley gave participants time to reflect on the following questions:

n Think about a time when you experienced the Church as a source of Christ’s eucharistic love, a love given unto the end. What happened?

n What would All Saints and the Church in East Tennessee need to do (or to do more fervently) to live out of this eucharistic communion?

Dr. O’Malley highlighted that when attending Mass, people bring everything to the Eucharist: their worries and disappointments, sickness and struggles, discernments and big decisions.

“God can transform your history, your humanity, and does so throughout the totality of life. Every moment, that’s why you keep going back to Mass,” he said, noting that Mass is not just a learning experience that we can stop attending once we know the format

“I’ve got a task, to receive love but also to become love, to let my whole life be shaped by the eucharistic mystery,” Dr. O’Malley continued.

“Worship pleasing to God be -

Following the presentation, All Saints associate pastor Father Alex Hernandez led a eucharistic procession with children from the parish. All present were invited to a holy half-hour of eucharistic adoration inside the church.

Jamie Horning, an All Saints parishioner, attended the event because of her love of learning.

“I like to hear things from different people, especially around Christ and the Eucharist, and so it just inspired me when I saw the book, and then I heard we were going to have the actual author of the book come speak,” she said.

“I enjoyed that he spoke about the Eucharist as a community and a communion and a family, and that he spoke about the love of God and how He’s always with us,” Ms. Horning said.

Pat Stapleton, another parishioner at All Saints, said that Jesus inspired him to come.

“Just getting to know and understand the Eucharist better, and how I can help others get to know and understand the Eucharist better,” he said.

Mr. Stapleton described Dr. O’Malley as “lively and down-toearth,” noting that he enjoyed his presentation.

The message that stood out to him the most: “The end of it all is love,” Mr. Stapleton said.

To learn more about the Eucharistic Revival, visit dioknox.org/ revival ■

A Spirit-filled presentation Dr. Timothy O'Malley gives his presentation on eucharistic renewal to Diocese of Knoxville faithful at All Saints Church on Jan. 28.

Manning continued on page A18

Gus Manning

COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE

GABRIELLE NOLAN

Paul T. Dunn III

Paul Theodore Dunn III, 60, of Knoxville, passed away on Feb. 21 in Huntsville, Ala., following a brief illness.

A funeral Mass for Mr. Dunn was celebrated on Feb. 25 at Holy Ghost Church, where he was a lifelong member. Father Bill McNeeley was the Mass celebrant, and Father Michael Hendershott served in choir.

Deacon Gordy Lowery served as homilist and deacon of the Word. Deacon Scott Maentz served as deacon of the Eucharist.

Mr. Dunn was a graduate of St. Joseph School and Knoxville Catholic High School, class of 1980. He was voted “Most Spirited” by his senior class.

Mr. Dunn spent most of his adult life working for Tennessee Right to Life. He put many projects into action that still exist to educate the community about the issue of life. We believe that Paul III was welcomed into paradise, not only by the martyrs and the angels, but also by the millions of unborn children that he valiantly fought for whose voices were never heard on Earth, but who join him now in singing praise to their Creator. Rest in peace, Paul III. We are glad that you were born.

Mr. Dunn is survived by his wife, Marieta Dunn; parents, Paul T. Dunn Jr. and Mary Kuster Dunn; brothers, Bill (Stacy), Frank (Christy), David (Diannah), and Peter (Susannah) Dunn; sisters, Rita (Mark) Cook, Sarah Dunn, Gina (Scott) Martin, and Rebecca Bush; and several nieces and nephews.

Interment was at Lynnhurst Cemetery in Knoxville following the funeral Mass. Pallbearers were Andrew Cook, Rob Graham, Daniel Dunn, Thomas Dunn, Joey Dunn, and David Dunn Jr.

Donations in Mr. Dunn ’ s memory may be made to Tennessee Right to Life, P.O. Box 5218, Knoxville, TN 37928, Holy Ghost Catholic Church, 111 Hinton Ave., Knoxville, TN 37917, or St. Joseph School, 1810 Howard Drive, Knoxville, TN 37918.

Dr. Patricia Davis-Wiley

Dr. Patricia Davis-Wiley, fondly known as “Pattie,” passed away unexpectedly on Jan. 23.

A funeral Mass for Dr. Davis-Wiley was held on Feb. 3 at St. John XXIII University Parish and Catholic Center in Knoxville, with Paulist Father Don Andrie serving as celebrant and Paulist Father John Ardis concelebrating.

A private inurnment was at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Dr. Davis-Wiley was born to Eleanore and Richard Petty Davis on Feb. 26, 1949, in Long Beach, Calif. Both her parents had careers in the U.S. Navy, so the family lived in several states, including Minnesota, Illinois, and California.

Dr. Davis-Wiley was educated in parochial schools, graduating with honors from the Academy at San Luis Rey, Calif. Earlier degrees from the University of California, the Université of Montpellier (France), and the University of Houston were the initial steps in her vocation as an educator of educators. Most of her professional life was dedicated to her passion, teaching.

Prior to arriving at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, she taught teacher education classes at the University of Houston, French at Baylor University, and French and Spanish in three high schools in Texas. She taught and was eventually a tenured professor at the University of Tennessee for 40 years. She actively and enthusiastically presented at international, national, regional, and state professional organizations in both World Languages and English as a Second Language.

Dr. Davis-Wiley received numerous awards including three University of Tennessee awards for teaching and service: the UT Alumni Outstanding Teacher Award, the L. R. Hesler Award for Excellence in Teaching and Service to the University of Tennessee, and the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Faculty Adviser.

Among Dr. Davis-Wiley's interests were scuba diving, international travel, gourmet cooking, linguistics, world cultures, and music, in particular the organ. She played for church services at Mission San Luis Rey in California and more recently at St. John XXIII.

Dr. Davis-Wiley married Stephen Wiley while in Houston, and from that time Pattie and Steve lived life to its fullest for 42 years. She also held her extended family close, including numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Donations may be made in Dr. Davis-Wiley ’ s memory to the Paulist Fathers or St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic.

Martha Anne Otero

Martha Anne Otero, LMSW, age 67, of Concord Farragut, passed away on Jan. 6.

Mrs. Otero was a social worker, program director, educator, an advocate for young children and young women, a devout Catholic, a volunteer, a devoted wife, wonderful mother, and a grandmother adored by her two granddaughters.

Mrs. Otero also was a free spirit, with a sparkle in her eye, quick wit, and playful sense of humor who never met a stranger. She was born March 16, 1955, in Valencia County, N.M., and she was the daughter of Manuel and Viola Otero. As the second youngest child in the family, Mrs. Otero grew up on the MO bar Ranch in the El Cerro community of Los Lunas, with her two brothers and two sisters. She spoke fondly of her memories as a young girl sitting at her grandfather s apple trees with her siblings, the Manzano Mountains in the background, and listening to her abuelo tell stories about growing up while they enjoyed freshly cut apple slices.

After graduating from Los Lunas High School, Mrs. Otero attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where she majored in special education. At UNM, she met her husband, Timothy Welch, and they were married in 1975. The next year they moved to Knoxville.

Mrs. Otero continued her studies at the University of Tennessee, earning a bachelor s degree in an individualized program with an emphasis on Hispanic health care in the United States. She received her master ’ s degree in social work in 1985 and served as a Licensed Master Social Worker. She counseled clients in educational, medical, and family settings, and provided counseling and social work services at several public and private schools.

She also was a social worker at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital and was a program director for several private social service organizations, assisting families during difficult situations. She also provided services for children with special needs as service coordinator for Tennessee Early Intervention Services at the University of Tennessee.

Mrs. Otero received one of her proudest titles, Mom, when daughter Whitney was born in 1987. She became a grandmother in 2018 when her first granddaughter, Gracie, was born, soon followed by Anna in 2020.

Mrs. Otero was a proud 31-year survivor of stage IV metastatic breast cancer. She faced this disease with determination, driven by her faith and desire to see her young daughter grow up. She was a tireless advocate for breast cancer survivorship, volunteering in a variety of capacities with several institutions and serving for a time on the Knox County American Cancer Society board of directors.

Mrs. Otero was a faithful member of St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut.

In addition to her parents, Manuel and Viola, Mrs. Otero was preceded in death by her oldest sister, Georgia Otero Kirkham, and brother-in-law, Rex Kirkham. She is survived by her husband, Timothy Welch; daughter, Whitney Morelli; son-in-law, Dominic Morelli; and two granddaughters, Gracie Morelli and Anna Morelli.

She also is survived by her two brothers, Jerry Otero (Madalyn) and Roberto Otero (Gayla), sister Pamela Otero (Rocky Hill), and many nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, Peralta, N.M., on March 18.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, St. John Neumann Church in Farragut, or Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, in Peralta, N.M.

Blanche Mackay

Blanche Mackay, age 97, of Knoxville, passed away Feb. 5.

Mrs. Mackay volunteered at Ladies of Charity, was a board member of the Council of Catholic Women, and active in AARP and Newcomers Club.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Mackay. She is survived by her children, Bob, Chris, Greg (Kate), Ken (Carol); grandchildren Anthony Morciglio, Ryan, Patrick (Isabella), and Hannah; and great-grandson, Jonathan Morciglio.

A funeral Mass was held at St. John XXIII University Parish and Catholic Center on Feb. 18 with Father Eric Andrews, CSP, serving as the celebrant.

Donations in Mrs. Mackay’ s honor may be made to Ladies of Charity, 120 W. Baxter Ave., Knoxville, TN 37917.

Adrienne Mary Swindeman

Adrienne Mary Swindeman, 84, died peacefully on Feb. 6, with her family at her side.

Born Adrienne Mary Dwyer in Sydney, NSW, Australia, she spent her early years living in country towns and the Blue Mountains of NSW. She attended the University of Sydney and was a librarian with the Public Library of New South Wales in the state Department of Agriculture library.

Mrs. Swindeman met her husband, Robert Walter Swindeman, while he was working for the Atomic Energy Commission in Australia on loan from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She and Bob were married in Lane Cove, Australia, and moved to Oak Ridge, where they raised their family and lived happily for almost 60 years.

Mrs. Swindeman was an active member of St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge, where she served as president of the Council of Catholic Women and as an officer of the St. Veronica’s Guild. She also was involved in many other groups and organizations, including Church Women United, her Bible study group, Meals on Wheels, Recording for the Blind, Camp Fire Girls, Oak Ridge Jr. Playhouse, and several bridge clubs.

She considered her greatest achievement to be the nurturing of faith in her children and grandchildren, which had been handed down through the generations by her parents and grandparents.

Mrs. Swindeman is preceded in death by her parents, Jim and Jessie Dwyer; daughter-in-law, Jessica Swindeman; and dogs, Barry, Dudley, and Barney.

She is survived by beloved husband, Bob Swindeman; sister, Margaret Dwyer of Sydney, NSW; brother, Jim Dwyer of Sydney, NSW; children, Catherine Swindeman Hilty and husband, Jim, of Summerville, S.C., John Swindeman and wife, Elizabeth, of Knoxville, and Michael Swindeman and wife, Lisa, of Liberty Township, Ohio; and grandchildren, James, Elena, Jackson, Isabelle, Evelyn, Peter, Julia, Emily, and Thomas.

A funeral Mass for Mrs. Swindeman was celebrated at St. Mary Church on Feb. 11. An inurnment was held March 4 at Oak Ridge Memorial Park.

Donations in Mrs. Swindeman's memory may be made to St. Mary Catholic School at http://school.stmarysoakridge.org or Catholic Charities of East Tennessee at https://ccetn.org/ donate

Ron Mauer

Ronald (Ron) Joseph Mauer, age 88, of Knoxville, passed away peacefully at home on Jan. 30.

A funeral Mass with military color guard was held Feb. 11 at All Saints Church. Graveside services for Mr. Mauer were held at Highland Memorial Cemetery.

Mr. Mauer was a son, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was born in Ohio on July 19, 1934. He attended schools near every university across the country where his father coached. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

Mr. Mauer served his country in the U.S. Army in the 11th and 82nd airborne divisions while being stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C. His service to his country was his greatest duty and he remained a reservist. After being honorably discharged, he returned to the University of Florida and graduated.

After working with construction firms and for Ford Motor. Co. in Michigan, Mr. Mauer eventually returned to Knoxville and worked for more than 30 years in the Knox County Codes Department as chief plans examiner.

Mr. Mauer had many accomplishments, including being a state of Tennessee certified building inspector, influential in the startup of Knox County Construction Board of Appeals, SBCCI Seismic Design Committee, IBC Committees, Advisory Committee for Pellissippi State, Knoxville Technical Society member and past president, and was an East Tennessee Building Officials Association member and past president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary.

Mr. Mauer is preceded in death by his parents, Coach John W. and Grace L. Bapst (Pabst) Mauer, brother Jack, wife of over 50 years Sue M. Spence Mauer, and many friends. He is survived by oldest daughter and wingman Michelle (Bill), daughter Maureen (Bob); grandchildren and great-grandchildren Susanne (Christopher), “his son” John, Ashley, Mitchell Joseph, Lily, and Will. His animals were his world.

Mr. Mauer requested that contributions be made to Knox County Codes Dept., Attention: Bart Rountree, Memo: ETBOA Ron Mauer Scholarship, 400 Main St., Suite 547, Knoxville, TN 37902. ■

Mr. Dunn

Mrs. Otero

Dr. Davis-Wiley

Mrs. Mackay

Mrs. Swindeman

Mr. Mauer

Manning continued from

to the field to do what needed to be done.”

Father Andrews said he and Deacon Murphy-Racey “called an audible, changed the game plan” and altered the Gospel reading selection at the last minute before Mass.

“We needed something that was a little more appropriate for our friend, Gus. Enter through the narrow Gate 16 (a reference to the main gate at Neyland Stadium). I picked this Gospel, why? Because it was short. Gus didn’t like things going too long. Point one,” he said.

“Point two, if you were to work at a major football and athletics enterprise for over 50 years, serving 11 head football coaches and eight athletics directors, and you keep your faith to the very end. That is something. That is amazing and not done often,” he added.

Father Andrews repeated the Gospel (Matthew 7:13) he chose for the funeral Mass, “the wide road leads to destruction, but enter through the narrow gate; enter through with faith and hope, always looking to the future, always having Jesus at your side, you will make it to the end, surrounded by friends and loved ones, confident on your last days that you are going to be connected always with everyone. You have entered through the narrow gate. You have competed well. You have finished the race, as St. Paul would say. You have succeeded. And God is planning for you.

“So, we’re here to give thanks to God for Gus Manning, for the many ways he’s touched all of our hearts. He treated the guy sweeping the floor and the guy in the head coach’s office with the same respect and dignity that God has given each one of them. And more importantly, he always kept himself right in line with what was needed and with what God was calling him to do, a very, very narrow line to walk. But he walked it so well. That is why, I think, the gate was given in his honor by Peyton Manning.”

Gate 16 at Neyland Stadium is the main entrance into the stadium. Legendary Vol Peyton Manning, who wore the No. 16 jersey as quarterback for the football team, donated $3.5 million to the Tennessee football program and the Peyton Manning Scholarship Endowment in April 2015. Gate 16 was named the Gus

Manning Gate. He served in the UT athletics department for 64 years in positions ranging from sports information director to associate athletics director and special consultant to the athletics director.

Father Andrews described Gus Manning as “the holy spirit of football” who worked backstage to make things happen. “You don’t know where he is or where the Cushman is going, but something is happening.”

Mr. Manning was widely known for riding in his Cushman motorized delivery cart around the UT campus.

Father Andrews remarked that much of the success of UT athletics was built on the shoulders of people like Gen. Neyland and Gus Manning, who were always looking forward, working hard, and demanding excellence.

“So, that gate, which you all enter into with joy, may it always remind you of the type of person that made that happen. One who was always fun and flexible, but who always demanded perfection, who always held people higher, and who was always there to accompany them,” he said, noting that the hardest part will be knowing Mr. Manning won’t be present after 99 years in Knoxville and on the UT campus.

Father Andrews recalled that soon after he arrived on campus, a former football player implored him to remember that on Rocky Top, there is “faith, family, and football.”

Faith, family, and football are all one, he continued, pointing out that they are all interconnected.

“There’s not a ranking. It’s just the way life is lived,” he said. “Gus saw all of you as his family, as his football family, and all of that wrapped in the faith of Jesus.”

Father Andrews advised the congregation that despite how they revere Mr. Manning, “we cannot afford sainthood on Gus at this moment. It’s just not our way. … It’s a work in progress. But Gus has always been faithful and close to the Lord. And he shared love that the Lord gave him with you so generously. I have a funny feeling he may be very close at that gate if not through it already. And if he does not need our prayers today, I know he will send them back to us in abundance.”

Father Andrews made a point to thank Mr. Manning’s family and friends for remaining close to him

during his final years and to the staff at the Nursing Center at Little Creek in West Knoxville, where Mr. Manning stayed.

He then closed his homily by leading the congregation in a verse of “The Tennessee Waltz,” which the UT Pride of the Southland Band plays after every home football game, in memory of Mr. Manning.

“Gus, thank you and bless you. May you lead us through that narrow gate to the eternal banquet, of which we pray you are already enjoying. God bless. And ‘Go Vols,’” Father Andrews concluded.

Among those attending the funeral Mass were longtime friends and associates of Mr. Manning, including former Lady Vols athletics director Joan Cronan, former Lady Vols basketball head coach Holly Warlick, legendary Vols quarterback and former assistant athletics director Condredge Holloway, former Vols sports information director Bud Ford, former Tennessee and Minnesota Vikings football standout Tim Irwin,

and Pilot Corp. founder Jim Haslam, who attended UT with Mr. Manning and worked with Mr. Manning in athletics department functions.

At the time of his death, Mr. Manning still was listed on the UT Athletics Department directory as “Consultant Athletics Director,” which illustrates how much he is revered

In remembering Mr. Manning, the UT Athletics Department released a statement that said:

“The impact Gus Manning made on the evolution of Tennessee athletics' internal operations—much of which was done behind the scenes and away from the spotlight—was no less significant than the contributions of iconic names such as Neyland, Nathan W. Dougherty, Joan Cronan, Doug Dickey, and Pat Summitt.”

The Manning family received an outpouring of sympathy from friends and supporters.

“This is a tremendous loss,” longtime friend and former Tennessee

Manning continued on page A19

page A16

'I finished the race, I have kept the faith' Top left: A young Gus Manning serving as sports information director for the University of Tennessee athletics department in the early 1950s. Top right: Mr. Manning is pictured with former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning. Above left: Father Eric Andrews, CSP, leads congregants in a verse of "Rocky Top" during Mr. Manning's Feb. 22 funeral Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Above right: Deacon Patrick Murphy-Racey wears a stole emblazoned with the University of Tennessee Power T to commemorate Mr. Manning while serving at Mr. Manning's funeral Mass. Right: Mr. Manning sits in his Cushman motorized cart that he was widely known for driving to get around the University of Tennessee-Knoxville campus.

BILL BREWER

BILL BREWER

football coach and administrator Phillip Fulmer said. “We’ve lost a major piece of Tennessee history. Gus Manning is an icon. His personality and humor made him a pleasure to be around. And his historical knowledge about all that makes Tennessee athletics special was second-to-none. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

According to his biography, Mr. Manning was “A colorful personality with an unlimited supply of humorous stories, Gus Manning was always a popular after-dinner speaker at civic clubs and sports banquets. A quintessential Volsports fan, Gus attended 608 consecutive football games, stretching from 1951 to 2003. At one time he had a string of 71 years attending home games dating back to the opening game of 1946 until 2017.

“A native of Knoxville, Gus attended Rule High School, where he was voted the best all-around athlete. After serving in the Marine Corps during World War II, Gus entered UT and was a walk-on for the 1947 Tennessee football team and also played baseball for the Vols, earning a letter in 1948. Gus graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1950.

“Hired by Gen. Robert R. Neyland as sports information director in 1951, Gus was employed by the UT athletics department until his retirement in 2000, after which he has continued in a part-time capacity as a consultant to the athletics director. He has served as sports information director, administrative assistant, and senior associate athletics director, with his work covering all aspects of athletics department operations.”

According to the UT Athletics Department, Mr. Manning was recognized widely for his work, including being inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1994, receiving the TSSAA Football Officials’ 50-year award in 2002 and being a member of that organization’s Hall of Fame, and he was selected in the inaugural class of the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame in 2006.

He was named national business manager of the year in 1989 by the College Athletics Business Managers Association as well as serving as president of the Southeastern Conference sports information directors and president of the SEC business managers.

In 1998, he received special recognition from the Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2019 he received the Pat Summitt Ignite Greatness Award.

However, according to the athletics department, his crowning moment, among many, was in 2015 when Gate 16 was named for him. The gate is only a few feet away from a statue honoring his mentor, Gen. Neyland.

Mr. Manning may perhaps be best known for his career-long friendship with former UT sports information director Haywood Harris and his broadcasting reports on UT sports. For more than 56 years, Mr. Manning was associated with Knoxville radio station WIVK through his Vol Sports Reports on football and basketball. He also served for 49 years as co-host with Mr. Harris on the WIVK show “The Locker Room,” the longest continuously running radio sports program in the nation.

Mr. Harris died in 2010, and since then “The Locker Room” has continued with Mr. Manning and Mr. Ford.

“The Locker Room” completed its 62nd season last fall. Mr. Manning and Mr. Harris also were co-authors of two books: Six Seasons Remembered: The National Championship Years of Tennessee Football, and Once a Vol, Always a Vol

“No doubt Gus Manning was a true legend not only at Tennessee but also in the Southeastern Conference and national athletic circles. He was a principal figure in the growth of UT athletics as we know it today,” Mr. Ford said.

“For me personally, Gus was bigger than life and was responsible for me being hired at the UT Athletics Department. I had the great privilege to witness his ability as an administrator firsthand and spent many hours traveling with him to UT sporting events all across the South,” Mr. Ford added. “His recall of Gen. Neyland, football and basketball games, and stories during his days was amazing. But to Gus, I was affectionately ‘just his paper boy from the neighborhood and not a very good one at that.’ For me, it was a most fortunate title, and I will always be grateful to have had a career opportunity at UT and be mentored by two great men in Gus Manning and Haywood Harris.”

In addition to playing for the Vols when Mr. Manning served in the athletics department, Judge Tim Irwin for years attended St. John XXIII Catholic Center with Mr. Manning.

“I was 17 years old when I first stepped foot on UT’s campus, and Gus Manning was entrenched as the man to see about all things tickets. We went to church together for many, many years at John XXIII. I don’t think he ever missed church. And I know he never missed a UT football game. It’s kind of special

to see all of our old buddies here today gathered in a Catholic church to recognize Gus’ life,” said Judge Irwin, who serves as Knox County’s Juvenile Court judge.

“It’s very fitting that all of these old ball players, coaches, and administrative staff that loved him in his job could be here with his church family who loved him in his Church. I would consider Gus a pillar of East Tennessee Catholics,” Judge Irwin added.

Mr. Manning's survivors include son and daughter-in-law, Sammy Joe and Meg Cifers Manning of Knoxville; grandchildren, Chad (Clare) Manning of Nashville, Joe Manning, and Elizabeth Manning (fiancé Alex Snyder) of Knoxville; great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Rose (Rosie) Manning of Nashville; a brother-in-law, A. J. Bussell, of Oak Ridge; special niece, Kathy Manning; and several other nieces and nephews.

The Mannings are an Irish Catholic family who settled in Knoxville in the 1800s and began attending Immaculate Conception Church in the 1860s, according to niece Kathy Manning, who is a member of Immaculate Conception.

“Gus lived geographically in Sacred Heart Parish, but he was at home at John XXIII Parish with his

university friends,” Ms. Manning explained, noting that Mr. Manning was the youngest of eight children raised in Knoxville’s Mechanicsville community. “That was a very Irish neighborhood within walking distance to Immaculate Conception Church.”

Mr. Manning, born in 1923, went to Knoxville Catholic High School on Magnolia Avenue but was recruited away along with his brother Frank to attend Rule High School in their neighborhood because they were star athletes, his niece said.

Mr. Manning served in the Pacific in the Marines during World War II, and when the war was over, he returned home to attend UT on the GI Bill, she noted. He walked on as a football player, where he was coached by Gen. Neyland, who had been an Army officer also serving in the Pacific.

After Mr. Manning’s playing days, Gen. Neyland hired him to join the UT athletics department. Ms. Manning said one of her uncle’s first jobs was to keep scouts of opposing teams from “spying” on Tennessee football practices.

She described his work through the years at UT as “his dream job.”

“And he lived the dream. How many of us get to say we’ve done that?” she said ■

Manning continued from page A18

A legendary legacy Top left: A young Gus Manning is shown with his mentor, former Tennessee football coach Gen. Robert R. Neyland. Top right: Mr. Manning, holding a briefcase full of money for players' post-game meals, celebrates as Vols wide receiver Larry Seivers catches the winning touchdown pass against Clemson in 1976. Above left: Mr. Manning is pictured with Vols quarterback legends Condredge Holloway and Peyton Manning at Neyland Stadium's Gate 16, named for Mr. Manning. Above right: Mr. Manning with, from left, Bud Ford, Haywood Harris, and former Congressman Jimmy Duncan at the White House in 1999.

to pick him up Sunday. So, boom, Sunday afternoon we’re driving down to Catholic Charities and driving home with this child,” Mrs. Leitz said.

A few years later, the couple adopted a second child, Matthew, through Catholic Charities. They were present when Catholic Charities of East Tennessee announced that adoption services would resume as an extension of CCETN’s Pregnancy Help Center.

“This whole thing seems like we’ve come full circle. Who knew that when we adopted these boys 34 years ago, and 26 years ago, and then do this, [it] is such a love letter to our boys and thanksgiving to God,” Mrs. Leitz added.

Christian formation

Coming off a successful career in health-care administration, Deacon Jim Bello is now getting a crash course in how to lead faith formation in the Diocese of Knoxville. On the day he was ordained last June, Deacon Bello was appointed director of Christian Formation for the diocese.

In the weeks that followed, he started an assessment of training needs and program development for parishes.

Since then, Deacon Bello has been able to visit parishes where adult faith formation, Bible study classes, and new programs like the “Catechesis of the Good Shepherd” for young children are flourishing.

“A big part of my job is looking at what parishes do well and then organize it in such a way that it would be available to other parishes, too,” Deacon Bello said. “There are several parishes right now that stand out as having good faith formation programs. I see the Office of Christian Formation as being a resource for the parishes to help them get to where they want to be.”

The Easter Vigil Mass offers a moment to witness the growth of the diocese, when new Catholics are welcomed into the Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) each year.

One of the final steps of that process, the Rite of Election, took place at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus over two days in late February. More than 200 people from across the diocese participated.

“We have so many parishes that have become very good at evangelization…and they are bringing

people into our diocese,” said Deacon Bello. “People are becoming Catholic from other denominations or from having no faith at all … and that’s really where the Office of Christian Formation can step in and say, now let us help you with the resources that we have to catechize. So, we’ve evangelized these people and now we have to teach them what the Catholic Church teaches.”

Clergy formation

God willing, transitional deacons Joseph Austin, Neil Blatchford, and Andrew Crabtree will be ordained as priests in the Diocese of Knoxville this summer.

The path to the priesthood takes a lot of prayer, perseverance, study, and, yes, money.

“The cost to educate a seminarian is roughly $40,000 per year, if not more,” Bishop Stika said.

“We have 13 seminarians at various stages of study. So, it takes an enormous financial commitment on the part of the diocese to form our future priests. These are men who will serve in our parishes. While many of our ministries benefit our parishes, seminarian and clergy formation are probably the most visible,” Bishop Stika added.

In 2023, clergy and seminarian formation will receive the largest contribution from the Bishop’s Appeal for Ministries $835,000. That amount covers just a portion of the total cost to educate diocesan seminarians.

Youth, young adult, and college campus ministries

In February 2022, more than 1,100 people were in Knoxville for a regional faith conference hosted by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS).

More than 90 percent of the attendees were college students. While the 2022 regional confer-

“We have so many parishes that have become very good at evangelization ... and they are bringing people into our diocese. People are becoming Catholic from other denominations or from having no faith at all ....

ing and actions of the abortion industry.”

St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic

Eight days a month, the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic rolls into communities across East Tennessee that have one thing in common: a critical need for health care.

“I was a type-2 diabetic, so it was pretty important that I get medical care quickly,” said Teresa Garcia, a patient who found her way to the clinic’s stop in Athens last summer. “I was a health-care professional, so I’ve been there, I know what it’s about.”

ence in Knoxville wasn’t funded by the diocese, the diocese does provide substantial financial support for FOCUS chapters on two of its college campuses: the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and UT-Chattanooga.

“College life is challenging, not just academically, but even more so socially,” Bishop Stika said. “We provide our children a solid faith foundation, and then many of them go off to college where they don’t have the same Catholic opportunities that they had through their home and parish. Our commitment to having a Catholic presence on all of our major college campuses—including at ETSU in Johnson City, where we also have a Catholic Center—is so important.”

Additionally, the Office of Youth, Young Adult, and Pastoral Juvenil sponsors dozens of pilgrimages, classes, and faith events each year.

Office of Justice and Peace

With the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end the constitutional protection for abortion, the battleground for the protection of the unborn has reverted to state legislatures. In Tennessee, a law went into effect in August 2022 that bans abortion except in certain limited instances. The Tennessee General Assembly is now considering a change to that law, which could open the door for more abortions.

“Our Office of Justice and Peace has been active in defense of life at every stage, from birth to natural death,” Bishop Stika said. “It has helped guide us and supported messaging to our governor on the death penalty issue, and it has been very active on the abortion issue. With prayer vigils and a peaceful presence at abortion sites around East Tennessee, we have been able to counter the messag -

Ms. Garcia had lost her job. Without insurance, and facing serious medical concerns, she turned to the clinic for muchneeded assistance.

“You come here, and they don’t treat you like you’re somebody off the street. They treat you like a person, and you count. I just feel safe here when I come.”

Bishop Stika established the clinic in 2013 with funds from the sale of Mercy Health Partners. It began its first community visits in 2014, and since then has expanded its outreach to include a stop each month at the Catholic Charities Pregnancy Help Center location in Scott County.

“Tennessee is second in the nation in rural hospital closures. We’ve come to Helenwood to serve the needs of the medically uninsured and to help fill the void that hospital closures have created here,” said Martin Vargas, executive director of St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic

In addition to Athens and Helenwood, the clinic also makes visits to Crab Orchard, Decatur, Gatlinburg, Knoxville, Rutledge, and Washburn.

Reflecting on success

March can be a challenging time to focus on the success of the 2022 Bishop’s Appeal for Ministries. Officially, the appeal ended on Feb. 28. In the meantime, the appeal for this year, 2023, has already started.

“We hope the message comes through loud and clear,” Deacon Armor said. “We want to thank those people who supported the 2022 Bishop’s Appeal for Ministries, and we want them to be aware that they have allowed us to reach a new and substantial record ($3 million). Because of that success, we have increased some of the ministry funding levels for 2023. We want everyone to know that we’re grateful, and that the appeal’s growth is translating into growth for those ministries.

Appeal continued from page A1

Catholic Charities of East Tennessee Terry and Darlene Leitz adopted sons Christopher and Matthew with the assistance of Catholic Charities decades ago. Since then, their family has expanded to include grandchildren.

Clergy formation Transitional deacons Andrew Crabtree, Joseph Austin, and Neil Blatchford are spending their final weeks at seminary before their expected ordination to the priesthood in the Diocese of Knoxville in June.

Christian formation Father Douglas Owens, a vicar general of the diocese, calls on students with questions about the Mass and the priesthood during evening religious education classes at All Saints Church.

St. Mary's Legacy Clinic Patient Teresa Garcia and Sister Celeste Mary Poche, RSM, an advanced nurse practitioner, stand outside the St. Mary’s mobile medical clinic during a visit to Athens in 2022.

— Deacon Jim Bello, pictured left in the pulpit as Bishop Stika welcomes new Catholics during the 2023 Rite of Election

JIM WOGAN (4)

Mass.

“We’re all competitive young guys. It’s great we can do what we did as kids,” said Matt Heeder from Moreau Seminary in Notre Dame, Ind. “But the camaraderie and brotherhood meant a lot.”

The seminary teams came from afar. Among them were St. John’s from Boston, Notre Dame from New Orleans, St. Vincent de Paul from Boynton Beach, Fla., and KenrickGlennon from St. Louis. The players had much more in common than a love of hoops.

“Basketball is a great excuse to get together. You get to know your brothers in Christ. You realize we are all part of the Church, whether you are from Boston or wherever,” said Alex Becker, a St. Francis seminarian who attended the games as a fan. “We get together so we can encounter the Lord. That’s why we go on retreat. That’s why we go on pilgrimage. That’s why we play sports.”

Mirroring the popularity of basketball at Catholic universities, basketball has been a longtime staple at seminaries. The sport is cheaper, safer, and more accessible than football. It’s both a recreational outlet for future priests and a celebration of the dignity of the full person, physicality included.

permissible to spend disposable income on these amusements, consistent with principles of justice and charity. Indeed, such leisurely pursuits are an important aspect of a full life. The neurons that are fired by the thrill of the hole-in-one or the successful wager on the World Series do not seem to be morally distinguishable.

Of course, no money should be spent on such amusements if they deprive another of what is due. But that’s true, for example, whether the money is spent on greens fees or a bet on the Kentucky Derby. (Of course, a bet is placed on the hope—but not realistic expecta-

Several seminaries host tournaments for seminary teams. St. Francis is particularly well-equipped for hosting. Many of the games were at the sparkling campus gym used as a practice facility by the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks for 30 years until 2017. The other games were held at the rumpled, cramped, delightfully old-fashioned Miller Gym, where an imposing brick wall looms one foot from the baseline.

tion—of a return. But for our purposes, we will assume that most bets are losers.)

The axiom that one should not bet more than one can afford to lose is probably not a high enough bar for Catholics.

Rather, one should not bet more than is consistent with the good of the family and the broader common good. Again, that applies to any entertainment dollar, not just the one waged on the outcome of March Madness.

Of course, this entire discussion must be bracketed by the problem of addiction. Gambling, like other stimulants, releases endorphins that give the risk-taker a feeling of

The games were not only spirited but well-played. Two or three players on most teams clearly had competed in high school and could knock down a three-pointer or weave through the defense for an acrobatic layup. Others had a knack for the game.

“It’s pretty impressive play by guys who study and pray all day,” said Megan Heeder, Matt’s sister, who attends nearby Marquette

exhilaration. For the vast majority of people, this is controllable. For those whom it is not, it is probably sinful to indulge at all.

The analogy to drug or alcohol addiction is close, if not practically exact. It is not sinful, per se, to consume alcohol. But for the person who knows he is an alcoholic, it probably is. Put another way, for the nonaddict, both imbibing and betting can be ordered toward the good in certain circumstances; for the addict, neither ever can.

Finally, on an issue like this, the consciences of two Catholics may come to two different but equally valid conclusions. A Catholic may, in good conscience, believe that any

University.

The games were notable for the sportsmanship. Players helped up opponents from the floor, didn’t complain over foul calls, and even pointed in respect when an opponent blocked a shot or made a difficult basket. The games were competitive, not cutthroat. The play was physical, never macho. Teams passed the ball cleverly without showboating.

The post-game prayer circle sometimes also was an occasion for saluting an opponent. After a tough loss, Peter Schirripa, a talented, coolheaded floor general for St. John’s, clapped in the direction of his opponents and said, “A well-played game.”

His coach was similarly complimentary.

“That’s a very disciplined team. They play well as a team,” said Coach Patrick Nee of St. John’s after losing in an early round to St. Francis de Sales. But being outscored did not mean all was lost.

“We talked about we’re winners just by being here. There is a real brotherhood to this tournament,” Coach Nee added. “It took real physical commitment by our players. They were running up a hill at 5 in the morning. It’s hard to explain, but that’s something that makes you holier.” ■

gambling where it is pure chance is sinful because it is wasteful. Another might come to the opposite conclusion, based on the reasoning above. This is one of those not infrequent areas where the teaching of the Church might lead to different outcomes for two different people, based on the good-faith formation of the consciences of both. The Church does not condemn gambling; but neither does it condemn those who make a conscientious decision that they cannot gamble. ■

The Assurance of Peace, Quiet Reflection, & Prayer

A spiritual exercise Players from St. Francis de Sales Seminary in the Milwaukee Archdiocese and St. Paul Seminary in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis battle for a loose ball during the championship game of the 2023 De Sales Invitational near Milwaukee. The tournament brought together 150 seminarians for three days in late February.

Kenneth Craycraft is the James J. Gardner Family Chair in Moral Theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and School of Theology in Cincinnati.

Gambling continued from page A11