April 7, 2019, ET Catholic, A section

April 7

| 2019

VOL 28 NO 4

IN THIS ISSUE OF HOPE OF A PRIEST HOME B1 VIOLINS A4 HEART A4 WELCOME Instruments that survived Incorrupt heart of St. Bishop Stika greets faithful who are joining the Church at Easter

John Vianney will be in Diocese of Knoxville

Holocaust are valuable lesson to students

He dwells among us ......................... A2 Parish news ....................................... B3 Diocesan calendar ............................ B4 Columns ............................................. B8 Catholic schools ............................. B10 La Cosecha ............................Section C

A gift of the fullness of the priesthood

Bishop Richard F. Stika marks a decade of his episcopate as he becomes the diocese’s longest-serving bishop

By Bill Brewer

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Third bishop of Knoxville Bishop Stika waves to those attending his ordination-installation March 19, 2009.

STEPHANIE RICHER

n celebrating the 10th anniversary of his ordination and installation as the third bishop of Knoxville, Bishop Richard F. Stika recalled one of the first questions he was asked by the media when he was introduced in Knoxville in March 2009: what major initiative was he going to undertake as the new bishop of Knoxville?

His reply was brief and to the point: to teach about Jesus.

Ten years later, his mission hasn’t changed.

On July 1, Bishop Stika will become the longest-serving of the Diocese of Knoxville’s bishops. After a decade of leading the Church in East Tennessee, he is reflective of his ministry and is looking ahead to a diocese that is 30 years old.

On the day of his 10th episcopal anniversary, Bishop Stika, who is no stranger to social media, offered this observation on Facebook: “On this day, March 19, 2009, I was given the gift of the fullness of the priesthood by Cardinal (Justin) Rigali and ordained the bishop of Knoxville. The Mass was celebrated with 5,500 people in attendance, along with over 100 priests and numerous deacons and 35 bishops.

My co-consecrators were Archbishop Kurtz and my great mentor, the late Bishop Robert Shaheen. God has blessed me these 10 years and I look to many more!”

As the 61-year-old shepherd of the Diocese of Knoxville begins his second decade of ministry and service, he thanks all members of the diocese for their support of the Church and his request of them is simple.

“Please pray for me and the diocesan leadership. And if I have offended anyone, if I have disappointed anyone, if anyone has ever thought I have not listened to them, I apologize. It’s important to continue praying for me. One of my policies when I receive letters from people is I call them up. They’re always surprised. My goal is to always try to be approachable and be the face of Jesus. If I have failed anyone, I apologize for that,” he said.

Bishop Stika also shared his

Jesus, I Trust In You Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrates the first Mass in the new Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on March 3, 2018. thoughts on the first 10 years of his episcopate and what he sees lying ahead as the Diocese of Knoxville approaches its 31st anniversary.

Q. When you were a young priest, did you ever see yourself as a bishop?

A. No. I can remember that leading up to my ordination, some people said that since I have a degree in business and marketing maybe some day I would be working in Church administration. It was unusual at that time to have a college degree in business administration.

My usual response was ‘no, I want to be a parish priest like the priests I grew up with.’ I was blessed because the first five years I was a parish

priest I was fulltime at Mary Queen of Peace Parish. It had a busy school, a large school, about 700 students. It was a very active and social parish. I had good priests to live with.

I was happy. But as I closed in on five years, I knew I would be up for a transfer because that was the norm in St. Louis. Archbishop (John L.) May called me and assigned me to work in the youth office as the spiritual director. I think at the time in St. Louis, we had about 47,000 kids. I wasn’t part of the normal operations; I was the spiritual director — the contact between the youth office and the archbishop’s office. From then on, I was always involved in specialized ministry.

I think I’ve had great training to be Bishop continued on page A8

High fives Bishop Stika interacts with Sacred Heart Cathedral students following Mass.

Go Vols Bishop Stika dons a Vols cap as he holds his first press conference in January 2009 at the Chancery.

Diocese receives Vatican OK to exhume Fr. Ryan’s remains Servant of God’s body will be relocated to Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul as part of sainthood process

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he cause for sainthood for Father Patrick Ryan continues to move forward, with the Vatican giving its approval last month for the exhumation of Father Ryan’s remains and relocation to the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga.

Bishop Richard F. Stika announced the approval by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on March 22. The permission allows Father David Carter, rector of the basilica, and Deacon Gaspar DeGaetano, who

serves at the basilica and is the vice postulator for the cause for Father Ryan, to move ahead with plans to exhume Father Ryan’s body, which is interred in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chattanooga.

“Our diocese, for our short history and small size, we’ve had Sts. Peter and Paul recognized by the Vatican as a basilica. This is very special.

Father Ryan’s cause for sainthood is another example of the holiness that can be found here. Why do we canonize somebody? Because this per-

son is now offered by the Church as a role model. We don’t make them a deity. We say this is a guy who took care of Catholics and non-Catholics in an area that wasn’t very Catholic at the time. And he risked his life to pray with people and to give people comfort by extending any kind of health care that he was able to provide, knowing that he would likely catch yellow fever himself,” Bishop Stika said.

“He didn’t bail on people. He stuck around to provide comfort

By Bill Brewer

and care. His actions were similar to those first responders and firefighters who risked, and in many cases, lost their lives on 9/11. When people were understandably afraid and running out of the World Trade Center, firefighters were running up into those buildings knowing that they might not come back down. Father Ryan’s actions were heroic in a similar way. He could have left Chattanooga when he was surrounded by illness, but he chose to stay to help Fr. Ryan continued on page A13

He dwells among us

by Bishop Richard F. Stika

The place of our identity

Christ must have his proper place in the sanctuary of our temple — in our heart’s center Today, I must stay at your house.

— Luke 19:5

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hese beautiful words of Jesus to Zacchaeus the tax collector are words that He repeats to us every day. For by virtue of our baptism, each of us is a house of God, His holy temple.

And it is in the intimacy of our home, in our heart as the solemn place of encounter with our Lord, that Christ wishes to dwell in, in ever closer union with us. For only when our heart is a sacred place of communion with Christ are we able to know who we are and what we are to do in life.

The Mass, then, is where we learn our true identity and become most fully who we are.

In our society today, there is such a terrible crisis of identity— so many people who don’t know who they are and are desperately searching to discover an identity and purpose that gives meaning to their life. And if people don’t know who they are, then they also don’t know how to act either, for purpose in life is tied to identity.

There are so many who seem to be wanderers with no real destination. And while some may defend this as just being a “free spirit,” a road to nowhere eventually deadends in emptiness and despair.

Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen felt the reason so many people suffer from depression in our modern age is because they “are in

Follow Bishop Richard Stika on Twitter @bishopstika and Facebook for news and events from the diocese. a fruitless and constant search for the infinite in the finite, for God in carnality.” Despite all the technological marvels and the magnifying of the material and sensual, people seem more unhappy and sad than ever.

But it would seem, no matter the age, the painful experience of seeking one’s identity is the same.

More than 1,600 years ago, St. Augustine described his own painful search for identity and purpose: “I was seeking for you outside of myself, and I failed to find the God of my heart.” Such are those who try to find their identity in something outside of themselves, for “Our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

God created us in His image and wants us to have the fullness of life in Him. And just as the tabernacle of our churches with our Eucharistic Lord must have its proper place within the sanctuary, so, too, must Christ have his proper place in the sanctuary of our temple—in our heart’s center. Only then will our house be a “house of prayer” (Matthew 21:13) that God can fill with His peace (Haggai 2:9). God’s presence must never be pushed to the periphery of our churches or our hearts.

The Mass is where we discover and become most fully who we

April Prayer Intentions “For doctors and their humanitarian collaborators in war zones, who risk their lives to save the lives of others.”

–– Pope Francis “As we continue our preparation to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, please remember to pray for all of our parish priests and pastors who this month will come together in unity with their bishop to renew their priestly vows at the annual Chrism Mass. And also please pray for those people who will be received into the Church as new Catholics at Easter Vigil Masses this month.”

–– Bishop Stika

Upcoming Virtus training sessions are set across the Diocese of Knoxville

A2 n APRIL 7, 2019

are—it is the home of our identity—it’s where our identity is most fully revealed to us, nourished and made whole. And that is because, in paraphrasing the Second Vatican Council, “It is Christ Jesus who fully reveals to us who we are and makes our supreme vocation clear.”

If Jesus says to us, “Today, I must stay at your house,” He also says to us, “In your house, I shall celebrate the Passover….” (Matthew 26:18). If the Mass is to be celebrated, it must above all be celebrated within our heart.

When we come to Mass, we should bring the hunger and thirst of our heart as expressed in so many Psalms: “My soul is longing and yearning for the courts of the LORD. My heart and my flesh cry out to the living God” (Psalm 84:3).

Particularly during the offertory, we bring these yearnings of heart, our whole being and our complete self-surrender to the altar to be joined with the gifts of bread and wine to be offered.

This moment truly decides our active participation in the Mass, where we decide to no longer belong to our self but to instead give our self totally to God. We should be like the Samaritan woman who brings her empty earthen water jar and asks Jesus for “living water” that she might

not thirst (John 4:15), remembering that Jesus also thirsts for us.

We should be like those who say to Jesus with open hands, “Give us this bread always” that we might receive the One who is the “Bread of Life” (John 6:34-35).

Only when our heart is a sacred place where we make our offering of self in the Mass to be joined and offered in the perfect and acceptable offering of Christ to God Our Father can we truly be said to be “Eucharistic.” Only then can we learn to make of our every day a series of offertories and to “live our Mass” in our love of God and neighbor.

Zacchaeus, we are told, received the Lord “with joy.” By welcoming Christ into his home, Zacchaeus’ heart was transformed and so was his gift. May the joy of receiving Christ into your heart in every Mass allow Christ to also rejoice as He did with Zacchaeus saying, “Today salvation has come to this house…. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19: 9-10).

And as you approach to receive our Eucharistic Lord, may the words of the centurion echo in your heart, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed” (Matthew 8:8).

Because love is unitive, we have our true identity in our communion with Christ. ■

Bishop Stika’s calendar of upcoming events n April 1-3: Installation of Bishop David P. Talley as the sixth bishop of Memphis n April 3: 6:30 p.m., confirmation at St. Bridget Church in Dayton n April 4: 5 p.m., annual memorial Mass and banquet for the KDCCW convention at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge n April 5: Relevant Radio interview n April 6: 11 a.m., confirmation for St. Teresa of Kolkata Church and St. John Paul II Catholic Mission n April 7: 10 a.m., confirmation at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Erwin n April 7: 3 p.m., Polish Mass at the Cathedral of

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he Diocese of Knoxville’s program for the protection of children, youth, and vulnerable adults is offered around the diocese.

The seminars are required for

www.di o k no x .o rg

the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus n April 7: 5 p.m., tour of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus for the International Catholic Stewardship Council Region V meeting n April 11: 6 p.m., confirmation at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga n April 14: 9 a.m., Palm Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus n April 16: 7 p.m., Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus n April 18: 7 p.m., Holy Thursday Mass of the Last Supper and washing of the feet at the Cathedral of the

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus n April 19: 7 p.m., veneration of the Holy Cross at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus n April 20: dusk, Easter Vigil at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus n April 21: 11 a.m., Easter Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus n April 23: 1 p.m. CDT, Gov. Bill Lee meeting with the Catholic bishops of Tennessee n April 26-27: ordination to the holy priesthood of Glenmary Missioners in Cincinnati n April 28: 11 a.m., confirmation at St. Therese Church in Clinton

parish and school employees and regular volunteers in contact with children and vulnerable adults. The following training sessions are scheduled: n Basilica of Sts. Peter and

Paul, Chattanooga, 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 23 n St. Dominic Church, Kingsport, 1 p.m. Saturday, April 27; 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, June

Schedule continued on page A14

Virtus continued on page A14

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APRIL 7, 2019 n A3

Bishop Stika welcomes catechumens, candidates home More than 225 people will enter the Catholic Church in East Tennessee at Easter Vigil Masses

By Bill Brewer

BILL BREWER (2)

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istory may have been made twice March 9-10 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

For the first time, the Rite of Election of Catechumens and Call to Continuing Conversion of Candidates services were held in the new cathedral, where more than 225 individuals were welcomed into the Catholic Church by Bishop Richard F. Stika.

And also for the first time, one of those candidates was a native of Hancock County who attends St. James the Apostle Church in Sneedville.

Brian Kephart grew up in the Southern Baptist faith in Sneedville, and after work took him to New Orleans following high school he was introduced to the Catholic Church.

“A friend who was Catholic invited me to Mass in New Orleans. I knew right then I was home. I felt the love and decided to look into the faith,” Mr. Kephart said.

Mr. Kephart’s life journey eventually led back to Hancock County, where Father Bart Okere is pastor of St. James the Apostle. He also is pastor of nearby St. Henry Parish in Rogersville.

Mr. Kephart feels at home at St. James, a small parish with about 25 members. He said he is the first convert from the parish to join the Catholic Church, something of which he is especially proud.

“I’m so thankful God has led me on this journey.

It’s going to be my journey for the rest of my life,” he said. “I will never be able to thank God and Jesus enough for my life and my faith.”

Although he is coming into the Church at the Easter Vigil, Mr. Kephart already is active at St. James the Apostle. He said each Sunday after Mass the members gather to discuss affairs of the parish.

He said the small but active membership has modest plans to upgrade the church, a converted commercial building.

“We don’t have a bathroom, so that’s one of the areas we want to address. We’re also repairing and expanding out the roof. I put up $5,000, and a St. Henry parishioner gave us a blank check,” said Mr. Kephart, who is 37. “God is working in our church.

We are growing and planning to expand. St. James is a nice little parish, and Father Bart is selfless.”

Mr. Kephart gives praise to the Holy Spirit and St. Mary for the gifts the parish is receiving, and he feels a part of the parish’s growth. “My journey has just begun.”

Bishop Stika emphasized to the newest members of the Catholic Church in East Tennessee who will enter the Church during Easter Vigil Masses that the Holy Spirit will always lead them on their faith journey and to remember that their parish and the cathedral are their home.

“I want to offer you a warm welcome to the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the mother church of all the Catholic churches in East Tennessee. We celebrate with you, we bless you, we pray for you, and we pray together as we offer our prayers to Jesus and to His Father through Christ.

All signed up Sister Elizabeth Wanyoike, ESM, presents the Book of the Elect from St. John Neumann Church in Farragut for Bishop Richard F. Stika to sign during a March 10 Rite of Election ceremony.

We pray for the Holy Spirit to be upon us so that we always might be enlightened in our faith,” Bishop Stika said. “The Holy Father, Pope Francis, often reminds us that the Church is actually a hospital for sinners.”

“As we gather together, let’s acknowledge the fact that Christ is indeed with us, for where two or three are gathered in His name, He is present,” the bishop added.

Bishop Stika told the candidates and catechumens that the cathedral was like the county seat for all the parishes, akin to a Camera ready Bishop Stika greets candidates and catechumens courthouse in the middle of town. during a Rite of Election ceremony March 9 at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

“The cathedral is like the county seat for 51 parishes scattered ing authority of the bishop. throughout all of East Tennessee. Although it’s our “But the main focal points are there behind me: new cathedral, it’s like what my mom used to call the crucifix, the altar of sacrifice, and the taberour home place,” he said. nacle. They reveal the Eucharist, which is what we He pointed out the detailed elements of the cabelieve Jesus taught the apostles. Take and eat all thedral, such as the pulpit where the Word of God of you, for this is my Body. He didn’t say this repis proclaimed, the St. Mary and St. Joseph chapels resents my Body. He said this is my Body,” Bishop on either side of the sanctuary, the images of Sts. Stika said. “In the same way he took the cup and Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and other saints said again, ‘take this cup all of you and drink from that adorn the cathedral dome that remind us of it, for this is the cup, the chalice of my Blood.’ our heritage, our faith, and the cathedra, or the “And we have the tabernacle, which holds the chair where the bishop sits, a symbol of the teachHome continued on page A7

Incorrupt heart of St. John Vianney to be in Diocese of Knoxville

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he incorrupt heart of St. John (Jean) Vianney, a major relic of the patron saint of parish priests, is coming to the Diocese of Knoxville on May 23 as part of its pilgrimage to the United States.

The Knights of Columbus, who are entrusted with the relic on its national tour, have worked with Bishop Richard F. Stika to bring the incorrupt heart of St. John Vianney to the diocese.

The relic will arrive at the Cathedral

of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus at 7:30 a.m. on May 23, with a Mass with students and faculty of Sacred Heart Cathedral School following at 8:05 a.m.

At 9 a.m. on May 23, public veneration of the relic will begin at the cathedral followed by daily Mass at noon.

Following Mass, public veneration will commence again. Then at 7 p.m., evening prayer and recitation of the rosary with clergy, religious, and laity will take place. Veneration will end at 8 p.m.

Confession will be available throughout the day.

The Shrine of Ars, France, entrusted to the Knights of Columbus the relic for the national tour from November through early June.

The Knights of Columbus has said it welcomes the special opportunity to offer for veneration the major relic of the patron saint of parish priests, whose holiness and integrity is a model for clergy and laity.

St. John Vianney is internationally known for his priestly and pastoral work in his parish in Ars. He died in 1859. When his body was exhumed, it was found to be incorrupt, and it is enshrined in Ars. His still intact heart was later removed.

Pope Pius XI canonized him in 1925 and proclaimed him patron saint of parish priests in 1929. His incorrupt body and heart are displayed at his shrine in Ars. ■

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TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C A TH OLI C

Fr. Jacques Philippe shares his devotion to prayer in Lenten retreat French priest and author gives five days of reflection in diocese on cultivating a deeper relationship with God

By Bill Brewer

BILL BREWER (2)

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he more the prayer is simple, the better it is.

That succinct lesson underscored Father Jacques Philippe’s Lenten retreat for the Diocese of Knoxville, providing spiritual sustenance for those hungering for his unique charism — writing and preaching around the world on prayer, peace of heart, and God’s love. His talks were held at All Saints Church and the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

His message, like the devotion to prayer he fervently espouses, has grown in popularity, and his books are increasingly considered classics of modern Catholic spirituality.

And that message was delivered one-on-100 with an ease of understanding like a favorite parable, allowing retreat-goers to savor every point Father Philippe emphasized through his interpreter, Sister Magdalit Bolduc, who also is a member of the Community of the Beatitudes.

Part of Father Philippe’s allure is his everyman — and every-woman — approach to deepening a relationship with God. Father Philippe advances the theology that every person holds the love of God in his or her hand and can instantly converse with God through prayer.

The French priest explained that we all face daily challenges that present obstacles to growing closer to God. But he challenged those attending his three-day retreat, as well as those attending his two conferences wrapped around the retreat, to rise above the noise and distraction of daily life to cultivate that deeper relationship with God. “Our Father knows our secrets. God has a unique relationship with each of us,” Father Philippe said. “We do not live enough of the love of God. The goal is to know more of the Father. We all have demands on time, but we must give a minimum to God. We always find reasons not to pray, but God gave us the grace to be faithful. It is difficult to give a lot of time to prayer. God does not ask the same thing of everyone. Where is the place of God in my life? Is God first?”

He encouraged his audience to find a rhythm to their faith and be faithful to it.

He urged them to devote time every day to prayer, but he cautioned them against setting the faith bar so high they will routinely fail to reach it.

Father Philippe’s message was laden with mercy and understanding for those who must overcome personal and professional stumbling

Peace of heart Father Jacques Philippe of the Community of the Beatitudes and his translator, Sister Magdalit Bolduc, also of the Community of the Beatitudes, lead a Lenten retreat for the Diocese of Knoxville at All Saints Church. blocks to grow closer to God. Reminding all that no one but God is perfect, Father Philippe challenged his Catholic followers to take simple steps toward a stronger faith.

“There is a beautiful mystery.

God wants to communicate Himself to us. He wants to talk to our heart. He wants to transform us day after day. I think faithfulness to prayer is really an important element for that, to be able to welcome God more deeply into our hearts and into our lives,” Father Philippe said. “I think there’s Popular writer Mary Brig with The Paraclete Bookstore sells really a calling from the Holy Spirit, from God, that is addressed books by noted retreat leader and author Father Jacques to all Christians, to all the Church, Philippe during his five-day retreat in Knoxville Feb. 28-March 4. to be more faithful to prayer.”

Father Philippe has authored several books, Four of those who anxiously awaited Father with more than 1 million copies sold in 24 Philippe’s signature on the books they bought languages. The Paraclete Catholic bookstore drove 10 hours from Arkansas to see the offered his books for sale at the retreat and French priest in person. conferences, and he signed many of his works Mary Jo Lewno, Sharon Robinette, JeanRetreat continued on page A15 for those in attendance.

Pope reaches out to migrants, Muslims in trip to Morocco

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

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oving from ideals and principles to concrete examples, Pope Francis met in Morocco with Muslim men and women studying to be prayer leaders and preachers and with dozens of migrants assisted by Caritas.

A religious faith respectful of others and care for migrants were key themes in Pope Francis’ speech at his arrival ceremony in Rabat on March 30. After meeting privately, Pope Francis and King Mohammed VI went to a school the king founded to counter violent strains of Islam by training imams and “murshid,” men and women preachers and spiritual guides.

And the pope ended his day at the Rabat Caritas center for migrants, a facility providing special care to women, unaccompanied minors and others among the most vulnerable of the estimated 80,000 migrants currently in Morocco. Neither the pope nor the king gave a speech at the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams, Morchidines and Morchidates. Instead they listened.

Aboubakr Hmaidouch, a 25-yearold student born in France, said the terrorist attacks there inspired him to study Islam more seriously. At the institute, he said, “the training is inspired by a doctrine that takes into account practical life and culture, and that accepts diversity; a dogma based on moderation and reaching a middle ground, but also on a spirituality that unites you to God and his creatures through the bond of love.”

Hindu Usman, a woman from Nigeria, told the pope and king that terrorism and anti-Christian violence in her country is fueled by a faith “founded on passion, rather than knowledge,” but that thanks to her education in Rabat, “I will be able to

TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C A T HO L I C

argue and convince (people) that religion is for peace and goodness, that a believer is only accountable before God (and) that women are equal with men in their rights.”

At the Caritas center, the pope continued the reflection he began earlier in the day as the king formally welcomed him to Rabat.

The pope had described Morocco as a “bridge between Africa and Europe,” and most of the 80 migrants the pope met at the Caritas center had set off from their homes hoping to cross that bridge and make a new life in Europe.

Pope Francis had called for “a change of attitude toward migrants, one that sees them as persons, not numbers, and acknowledges their rights and dignity in daily life and in political decisions.”

“The issue of migration will never be resolved by raising barriers, fomenting fear of others, or denying assistance to those who legitimately aspire to a better life for themselves and their families,” the pope had said.

Meeting the migrants, he insisted that “no one can be indifferent to this painful situation” of so many millions of migrants around the world. It is “a wound that cries out to heaven,” he said.

Abena Banyomo Jackson, a migrant from Cameroon, told the pope he left his home in 2013 hoping to get to Europe to find work and help his family. “After crossing Nigeria, Niger, and Algeria, I arrived illegally in Morocco.”

He tried to reach Spain but was unsuccessful, so he spent time in the informal migrant settlements in the forests and in the cities until he met a priest. “He welcomed me into his home, the Church, and gave me a new breath,” and a job, helping other migrants. Finally, in 2016, he received a Moroccan residency permit thanks

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Morocco continued on page A18 www.di o k no x .o rg

APRIL 7, 2019 n A5

Summit emphasizes global nature of abuse crisis, need to put victims first Pope Francis convenes Vatican meeting on child protection and the clerical abuse scandal

CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA

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he clerical sexual abuse crisis has caused “serious scandal” in the Catholic Church and in society “because of the dramatic suffering of the victims, as well as the unjustifiable lack of attention to them” and attempts by Church leaders to cover up the crimes of the guilty, Pope Francis said.

Speaking to the public, including dozens of abuse survivors, after his midday recitation of the Angelus Feb. 24, the pope promised measures to ensure children would be safe in the Church and that the crime of abuse would stop.

The pope’s remarks came just an hour after he concluded the Vatican’s Feb. 21-24 summit on child protection and the clerical abuse scandal.

In his talk concluding the summit, Pope Francis said the Catholic Church would focus on eight priorities: n The protection of children; n “Impeccable seriousness” in dealing with clerical sexual abuse; n Genuine purification and acknowledgment of past failures; n Improved training for priests and religious; n Strengthening and continually reviewing the guidelines of national bishops’ conferences; n Assisting victims of clerical sexual abuse; n Working to end the abuse and exploitation of children and young people online; and n Working with civil authorities to end sex tourism.

The summit brought together Pope Francis and 190 church leaders — presidents of bishops’ conferences, the heads of the Eastern Catholic churches, superiors of men’s and women’s religious orders, and Roman Curia officials — for four days of listening to speeches, survivors’ testimonies, discussions in small groups, a penitential liturgy, and Mass.

Summit in session Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Pope Francis, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago, and television reporter Valentina Alazraki of Televisa meet with bishops and cardinals from around the world attending the summit on the protection of minors in the Catholic Church at the Vatican on Feb. 23.

In addition to the handful of survivors who spoke at the summit itself, dozens of survivors from around the world gathered in Rome in solidarity with one another and to speak to reporters and to individual bishops. Twelve representatives of the survivors were invited to meet Feb. 20 with the summit’s organizing committee.

As the bishops met with the pope inside the Vatican’s synod hall, the coalition Ending Clerical Abuse, which brought 40 survivors from 21 countries to Rome, organized vigils and a march to St. Peter’s Square.

The survivors’ groups were, in general, not satisfied with the summit and insisted the time to talk about the reality of abuse was long passed; it was time for action.

The summit, though, seemed designed more to ensure that every bishops’ conference around the world recognized the gravity of the problem, even if in their country very few cases of clerical sexual abuse had been reported.

Addressing the summit Feb. 23,

Nigerian Sister Veronica Openibo, congregational leader of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, called out bishops, particularly in Asia and Africa, who dismiss the abuse crisis as a Western problem. She cited several personal experiences she confronted while counseling men and women who were abused.

Church leaders cannot think they can “keep silent until the storm has passed,” Sister Openibo told them.

“This storm will not pass by.”

Preaching at the closing Mass, Australian Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane warned his fellow bishops that they would be called to account for what they did and what they failed to do to stop the abuse and assist the victims.

For too long, he said, bishops and Church leaders tried to protect the Church’s reputation and not the Church’s children.

“We have shown too little mercy, and therefore we will receive the same, because the measure we give will be the measure we receive in return,” he said. “We will not go

Pope: ‘spiritual combat’ must be part of fight against sex abuse

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

T

o fight clerical sexual abuse, the Catholic Church must have clear laws and procedures, but it also must engage in “spiritual combat,” because it is obvious the devil is at work, Pope Francis said.

After the Vatican summit on abuse in February, the pope said he read a newspaper article that said he had “washed his hands and blamed the devil” for the abuse crisis.

Speaking to reporters March 31 on his way back to Rome from Morocco, the pope said stopping abuse requires a multi-pronged approach, including prayer and penance.

Pope Francis said that is why he asked the U.S. bishops not to vote in November on a new code of conduct for bishops and new procedures for handling allegations raised against bishops. Instead, he asked the bishops to have a retreat and wait until after the February summit to decide how to move forward.

Some things, like the abuse crisis and child pornography, he said, “cannot be understood without the mystery of evil.”

“We in the Church will do everything to end this scourge,” the pope said.

In his address at the end of the summit, he offered concrete measures to be followed, but he also recognized that there is a danger the Church would focus exclusively on laws and norms and would forget the spiritual weapons of prayer and penance “to defeat the spirit of evil.

That is not washing your hands.”

Pope Francis said his 2018 letter to the bishops of Chile regarding the abuse crisis there and the letter he wrote to the U.S. bishops at the beginning of their retreat in January both looked at the “human, scientific,” and legal aspects of the crisis as well as the spiritual aspect.

A6 n APRIL 7, 2019

The U.S. bishops’ proposals for a code of conduct and a third-party reporting system, he said, “were too much like that of an organization, methodological, and — without their meaning to — neglected the second dimension, the spiritual.”

The laity and everyone else must be involved, he said, but “the Church is not a congregationalist Church. It is the Catholic Church where the bishop must take control of this as the pastor. The pope must take control of this. And how should he do this? With disciplinary measures, with prayer, with penance, with self-examination.”

Pope Francis was asked specifically about the case of French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, who was found guilty in early March of covering up abuse and was given a six-month suspended sentence. He offered his resignation to the pope, but the pope declined to accept it.

Responding to a reporter’s question, the pope said while the cardinal awaits the appeal of his conviction, it would be a violation of “the presumption” of innocence to accept his resignation.

During the inflight news conference, the pope also responded to questions about interreligious dialogue, religious freedom, and migration.

Pope Francis said his trip in February to the United Arab Emirates and his trip to Morocco were opportunities to demonstrate the Catholic Church’s commitment to interreligious dialogue. Asked what, concretely, had been accomplished, the pope responded that “now there are blossoms, the fruit will come later. But the flowers are promising.

We mustn’t give up.”

He also insisted that every religion, Catholicism included, had members who are intransigent and against dialogue, people who “live on bitter memories of past struggles

By Catholic News Service unpunished.”

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, Philippines, gave the first formal talk of the gathering Feb. 21, providing a theological reflection on the meaning of Christ’s wounds and on the obligation of the world’s bishops to recognize how they have inflicted wounds on Christ’s beloved children.

Touching those wounds and begging for forgiveness is an essential part of a bishop’s mission, he said.

Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta, adjunct secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and longtime investigator of clerical abuse cases, outlined for participants the necessary, mandatory steps they must take when an allegation is made.

He insisted on making the victims a priority, but also used his talk to suggest that the “stewardship of prevention” includes helping the pope choose candidates for bishop appointments.

“Many demand that the process be more open to the input of laypeople in the community,” Archbishop Scicluna said, a request later echoed by Sister Openibo.

When a priest or bishop or layperson is asked to comment on a potential candidate, the archbishop said, “it is a grave sin against the integrity of the episcopal ministry to hide or underestimate facts that may indicate deficits in the lifestyle or spiritual fatherhood” of the candidate.

Later, summit participants debated particular measures, such as a mandatory requirement that abuse allegations be turned over to police. Archbishop Scicluna insisted involving local police and other authorities was important, especially because while bishops exercise spiritual authority over their priests, they have no actual “coercive measures — and we don’t have Summit continued on page A18

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Pope continued on page A18 w ww.di o k no x .o rg

TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C A TH OLI C

Bishop David P. Talley installed as Memphis diocese’s new shepherd Former Diocese of Alexandria bishop, auxiliary bishop of Atlanta is the Diocese of Memphis’ sixth leader

Home continued from page A4

Eucharist, which is Jesus. So any time you go to a Catholic church, understanding that the Eucharist is always the Eucharist. It doesn’t cease to be in its divinity. So when you come to pray, there is Jesus.”

He also pointed to the large sanctuary lamp hanging above the altar that signifies Jesus is present as the Body of Christ gathers together.

“All of you are here by your choice.

All of you are at a moment in your life when you are responding to God. You have chosen to respond to Jesus and God in this particular moment in your life,” the bishop said. “Maybe you were baptized in another faith tradition, but Jesus is inviting you to this Eucharist. To believe. When we receive the Eucharist, what is our response? ‘Amen.’ What does that word mean? ‘I believe.’”

He emphasized that the catechumens and candidates are joining the Church, which is a hospital for sinners.

And he acknowledged they are coming into the Church at a time when the Church itself is calling for healing.

“My challenge to you who are becoming Catholic. Don’t be like so many cradle Catholics who were born and raised in the Church. They can get lazy and take their faith for granted,” Bishop Stika said. “I challenge them. Don’t think just because somebody pours water on your head, or anoints you with chrism, or tells you ‘welcome to the Church’ that it’s all over. It’s a journey.

“And it’s like the GPS. You can think you’re at a place and wonder why. But you’re kind of lost until you look deeper. God is talking to you. Jesus is reaching into your heart. Please, never shut that out. Keep focused on Jesus and God. That is my prayer for you.”

CNS PHOTO BY RICK MUSACCHIO/TENNESSEE REGISTER

B

ishop David P. Talley, named

by Pope Francis on March 5 to be the next bishop of Memphis, said that being at a news conference on the day of his appointment marked his fifth visit to Memphis.

“The next time, I come to live with you and love with you and serve with you and to be a part of God’s church with you,” he said.

Bishop Talley was installed as the sixth bishop of Memphis on April 2 during a Mass concelebrated by Bishop Richard F. Stika. Cardinal Justin Rigali attended in choir.

Bishop Talley, 68, had headed the Diocese of Alexandria, La., since 2017. He was named coadjutor in 2016 and automatically succeeded Bishop Ronald P. Herzog when he retired. The former auxiliary bishop of Atlanta was the first native-born Georgian to serve as a bishop in the Atlanta Archdiocese.

Bishop Talley’s new appointment came just over four months after Pope Francis forced Bishop Martin D. Holley to step down as bishop of Memphis.

Joining Bishop Talley at the news

Introducing Tennessee’s newest bishop Bishop David Talley wears a University of Memphis cap March 5 as he is introduced as the bishop of Memphis at the Catholic Pastoral Center in Memphis. conference was Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, who was named apostolic administrator of the diocese after Bishop Holley’s resignation in October.

Archbishop Kurtz said Bishop Talley brings to Memphis a “wealth of experience” as pastor and bishop, Sister Anna Marie McGuan, RSM, director of the Office of Christian Formation for the Diocese of Knoxville, said more than 225 catechumens and candidates have gone through Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults programs at their parishes in the 2018-19 RCIA year. She is very encouraged by that number.

“The growth of the Church in East Tennessee has been steady over the past several years; our number of new Catholics, including those already baptized and those who are not, hovers around 220,” she said.

Bishop Stika has said adult faith formation is an emphasis of his ministry, and the Office of Christian Formation is working closely with all parishes to make the Catholic Church in East Tennessee welcoming to everyone.

Bishop Stika and Sister Anna Marie are encouraged by the strong numbers of candidates and catechumens, especially at a time when the Catholic Church is dealing with issues like the abuse scandal.

“I was glad to see that, in the midst of the abuse scandal, the number of those joining the Church did not decrease. I think this alone testifies to the fact that the truth in and of itself is compelling. People understand that there are saints and sinners in the Church, and you don’t join the Church because of another person, no matter how good he or she is,” Sister Ana Marie said.

“You join the Church because you believe in Jesus Christ and that He Himself founded the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church upon Peter the Apostle. We are still in communion with Peter to this day, despite sins and scandals over the centuries.

Those are painful, for sure, but they do not alter the fact that the Church is beautiful, God is beautiful and good,

and “most importantly, he brings the heart of a pastor and a sterling reputation as a good shepherd.”

Bishop Richard Stika and Cardinal Rigali congratulated Bishop Talley on his new assignment.

“Cardinal Justin Rigali and I offer our prayers and best wishes to

By Catholic News Service

Bishop Talley on his appointment by Pope Francis as the bishop of Memphis. I have known Bishop Talley for quite some time, and I believe the Diocese of Memphis is receiving a great gift in his appointment as bishop there. Bishop Talley is a man of remarkable faith and compassion.

I look forward to working with him and Bishop Spalding of Nashville as we continue to build the Catholic Church in the great state of Tennessee,” Bishop Stika said.

Bishop J. Mark Spalding of the Diocese of Nashville also gave his congratulations.

“It’s a wonderful appointment for the Diocese of Memphis, and I can’t wait to work with him on the issues concerning the state of Tennessee,” Bishop Spalding said.

Born Sept. 11, 1950, in Columbus, Ga., Bishop Talley was raised a Southern Baptist and decided to become a Catholic while a student at Auburn University in Alabama. He was received into the Church when he was 24.

He was ordained a priest of the Atlanta Archdiocese in 1989.

Memphis continued on page A18

Right at home Brian Kephart (red tie) of St. James the Apostle Parish in Sneedville joins others coming into the Church from St. Henry Parish in Rogersville as they are greeted by Bishop Richard F. Stika on March 9. and He desires us to be in communion with Him,” she added. “It is God who draws people into communion, and it is God who will make them

saints. We have to keep praying for each other, that each one of us can respond to God’s grace fully, so that each one of us can become saints.” ■

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APRIL 7, 2019 n A7

enumerated those.

JIM WOGAN

Bishop continued from page A1

a bishop because I’ve seen different aspects of it: fulltime parish work, administration work with young adults, vocations. Eventually I was moved to the cathedral, where I was in charge of all the ceremonies at the cathedral while still working with the vocations office.

And then 25 years ago in January 1994, I was appointed the secretary to Cardinal Rigali, the new archbishop of St. Louis. So, I had beautiful, wonderful experiences working with him. During my nearly 10 years working for the archdiocese in those capacities, secretary, chancellor, or vicar general, I visited all the parishes in the archdiocese and was able to coordinate Pope John Paul II’s visit and be involved in all kinds of other activities. It was a wonderful time in St. Louis.

I was able to assist Cardinal Rigali as the archbishop worked through major financial issues, which he was able to correct and return the archdiocese to solid financial footing. A former seminary building in the archdiocese was refurbished to house the headquarters for the diocese and was renamed after Cardinal Rigali.

Everybody smile Bishop Stika joins the diocese’s Hispanic community to celebrate the V Encuentro initiative at Knoxville Catholic High School in October 2017. meetings, events, in the secular world and not just in the Catholic world. It’s very impressive. And we have this wonderful mix of people from other parts of the country who have moved here. Some of our parishes really reflect that, like Fairfield Glade and St. Thomas the Apostle.

Our presbyterate is very international. We have priests from Ireland, Africa, South America, and even Texas. I’ve increased the international makeup of our presbyterate, and now we have a priest from Poland. I think that is a beautiful thing. I tell people that because the Church is universal, and a lot of times if you are in an area that is only staffed by people whose families originated from Europe, you can get stuck in that mentality.

But here, the beauty of the culture of Africa and South America, and their languages, are something we have in our priests and deacons. It’s just a reflection of who we are as an international Church. We are the Church of the world.

Q. Who are the individuals who were key to your formation as a priest?

A. Monsignor (Boyd A.) Sullivan, who was the pastor of my boyhood parish. He was fundamental. Then there was Bishop Robert Shaheen, who was the pastor of St. Raymond’s Maronite Church in St. Louis, who eventually became their (Maronites’) bishop. He was very fundamental.

And then there was his boss at the time, Archbishop Francis Zayek — two Maronite bishops. All three, who are now deceased, were very, very fundamental to me in terms of me eventually going into the seminary.

Since my ordination, I have a very close friend, Father James Swift, who is a Vincentian, long experienced in seminary work and a former provincial for the Vincentians who now is the rector for Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas. And then I would say Cardinal Rigali. Cardinal Rigali is like a father to me. We’ve been together 25 years this year.

Q. After you arrived in the Diocese of Knoxville, what did you see that needed immediate attention?

A. I drove here from St. Louis, and I had already known for a month that I was going to be the bishop here. But it was not announced for a month.

On my way I stopped and had dinner with Archbishop Kurtz in Louisville.

Then I drove on in, arriving late at night, and I got a hotel room.

The next day I met with Deacon Sean (Smith) in my old house (the original bishop’s residence), and Monsignor Al (Humbrecht). We then had dinner. And then the announcement on Jan. 15. Normally, soon-to-be bishops go back to their diocese and officially arrive at their new assignment a couple of days before (their ordination). But I had some free time and I stayed here for a week. I wandered through the diocese and visited different parishes and priests and schools. I got a flavor of the diocese.

I was coming from an area, St. Louis, where Catholics are the predominant religious community, 26 percent, to a place where the Catholic Church is a small entity, a minority.

My thought process was that everybody had been Catholic, but here, not so much.

What really impressed me was the fact it was a young diocese, at the time it was only 20 years old. I had been here for the 10th anniversary of the diocese on a quick visit with Cardinal Rigali for the celebration.

Immediately, I witnessed the warmth, the openness, and the beauty of what it means for a diocese that is a minority — how strong their faith was.

Here, people in some ways really have to witness to their Catholic values to show their identity. I saw small parishes and large parishes. Everyone welcomed me with open arms.

People have asked the difference between St. Louis and Knoxville.

The South and the Midwest values are very similar, except here I notice people are not as hesitant to pray at A8 n APRIL 7, 2019

A. There had been no bishop here for 18 months. A bishop is important to a diocese and I believe the diocese had begun to fracture a bit.

One priest described it as the priests went into their own teepees and closed the doors. Everybody was just doing their own thing. They knew what the general direction was because Archbishop Kurtz gave good direction. Everybody was working together but it was starting to fragment a little bit. That was important to address, and I’ve been doing it for 10 years. One of my mantras is we do together what we can’t do by ourselves.

Part of that is to build a greater sense of unity in terms of we’re not the Church just in the Knoxville area, or the Tri-Cities area, or the Chattanooga area. We’re one Church. That’s why I always initially say that I am the bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville.

Then usually in the same conversation I say I’m the bishop of the Catholic Church in East Tennessee, just to emphasize that it’s not just the metropolitan area of Knoxville.

Also, we immediately began to look at the finances. The finances were strong, but there also was some concern with the Bishop’s Steward-

Q. The next question was to identify key successes you’ve experienced over the past 10 years, but you just

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Q. What was your first impression of the Diocese of Knoxville after arriving here?

ship Appeal, what is now called the annual Bishop’s Appeal.

For about 10 years it averaged in the mid$900,000 range. The very first thing I did was gather together with the priests to hear what they had to say because they are the local leaders.

We began to plan how to bring in more dollars so that we could do more work in terms of ministering to people. Now, this year, the Bishop’s Appeal has raised $2.4 million. That increase is only over about six years.

I always believe that if you present to the people the needs and they make sense, then the people will respond, and they have. The Sunday collections, even in the environment then in terms of business and the markets when I first came in 2009 — we were suffering from the Great Recession — contributions seemed to go up every year.

I wanted to look at the idea of vocations to the priesthood in which the entire diocese has been working together. I’ve ordained in 10 years now, with Mark Schuster coming up, 18 men to the priesthood. In looking at the deacons, we’ve had one deacon class to address the importance of the permanent diaconate. We’re continuing to look at that.

I believe in the power of contemplative prayer, so one of my priorities was to bring in a contemplative community to pray for the needs of the diocese. We now have the Handmaids of the Precious Blood in the diocese.

Also, we have worked to develop a stronger presence of consecrated men and women religious. As part of that, the Dominican Sisters returned to the school they founded — Notre Dame High School, founded also by Father Patrick Ryan, who, God willing, someday will be a saint in the Church.

We also have the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich., and the Evangelizing Sisters of Mary from Africa, who established their first house in the United States in our diocese.

All these different combinations of religious life, the diaconate, vocations to the priesthood, strengthening finances, and strengthening the ongoing formation of our current priests are among the goals we’ve worked to achieve.

Naming rights Bishop Stika officially changes the parish name to St. Teresa of Kolkata in September 2016 to mark Mother Teresa’s canonization. Joining him are St. Teresa pastor Father Steve Pawelk, GHM, left, and Deacon Sean Smith. www.di o k no x .o rg

A. The diocese is growing in population, in vocations, and our finances are good. They can always be better.

We’ve reorganized Catholic Charities because we expanded too much too fast. We’ve had to pull back a bit so we can be excellent at what we do as opposed to good but stretched too thin. I also saw a need for a retreat center, some place we can call home, that came to us through the great gift of the late Dr. John Grady and his wife, Carol. Now we have this beautiful facility in Benton. And, of course, we have the cathedral, which we’ve talked about for a long time and built it to last hundreds of years.

Q. Was a cathedral a top concern when you arrived, the fact that we didn’t have a dedicated cathedral?

A. No. I heard from Monsignor (Xavier) Mankel that when the diocese started, he went to the bishop and said we can start planning for a new cathedral. The bishop at the time said no, we first have to build a diocese.

Then there was another study done years later during Archbishop Kurtz’s time that raised the same question as they were getting ready for the first capital campaign in the history of the diocese. The response was we needed to build the diocese.

When I first came, the issue came up again. I saw it as a long-term goal, not an immediate goal. But the parish itself had outgrown the then current facility, and they were strangled by a lack of a parish hall. They were outgrowing the church. In order to allow the parish to grow, things had to be done for their facilities. Sacred Heart might even be the largest parish now.

Q. Is it possible now in the United States or anywhere in the world to build a cathedral?

A. Maybe for a while. They built a new cathedral in Raleigh, which they really needed. At one point, I think their cathedral was the smallest in the country. In some dioceses, what they do when they have a cathedral that becomes too small, they build another cathedral (often in another city) and call the older cathedral a co-cathedral to honor its presence. In a lot of the larger dioceses, they built these big cathedrals.

It’s only dioceses that were created in the last 50 years that had to go with parish churches. A number of places are restoring their older cathedrals.

Boston is right now because it is over 100 years old. I’m just happy to say that we did (build our cathedral).

Q. What would you like to see in the next 10 years that you didn’t get to see in the first 10 years?

A. I think I’ve seen everything that I’ve wanted to do. What I would like to emphasize more now is … I have a great concern about the world. The amount of people who do not practice faith; the amount of divorces that happen in the world; the fragmentation and break-up of families; the lack of a moral center. In New York City, they recently instituted a new policy for birth records that identifies male, female, or other.

In our country there is so much fragmentation among the base and the political parties. The Democrats on a national level are so pro-choice.

And so many of their platforms are really against what we believe as the Catholic Church. I think the Republicans have a very poor record on immigration, and I think both parties have a very poor record on fiscal responsibility. We’re $22 trillion in debt. Down the line there’s going to be a come-to-Jesus talk with the nation.

Here in the diocese, I would emphasize in the next two years Catholic education and adult formation.

We have a couple of generations that were poorly catechized. Also, maintaining good financial stability with our schools and parishes, and continued emphasis on vocations as well.

We have a number of priests in their 60s, including myself. In 10 years they will be in their 70s and retired. So we must make sure there Bishop continued on page A9 TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C A TH OLI C

10 years a bishop

Bishop continued from page A8

Q. Is the Diocese of Knoxville facing the same challenges as other dioceses in the country?

A. You know what one of the beauties of Knoxville is? We’re facing some of the challenges of where the population has been moving, which is the South and the West. So the Catholic Church is growing in the South and in the West. But in a lot of places in the South and in the West, their growth is huge and they’re always playing catch-up.

If you look at Phoenix, there are over a million Catholics. Even Tucson.

In Atlanta there are over a million Catholics now. They’ve really been pushing to get more churches built, more schools built, really stretching their personnel.

Where here it’s a nice, steady growth. And so we’re able to plan without over-leveraging ourselves. I like that we’re growing. Thirty years ago, we were 33,000 Catholics. Now we’re officially at 70,000, and if you look at the people who aren’t on the books but who we minister to, we’re way over 100,000.

I see a great, great, great future for the diocese here in East Tennessee. We have three population centers: the Tri-Cities, Chattanooga, and Knoxville. And then we have smaller communities. But there is a lot of our environment in East Tennessee that are lakes and mountains that will never be developed.

Somebody once told me that one day maybe we’ll be at 200,000 to 300,000 Catholics.

Who knows. It depends on a lot of things. But we are growing. And I think we are growing at a nice, steady rate, but nothing that causes us to be stressed out by rapid growth.

We can plan ahead in a very logical and good way.

STEPHANIE RICHER

DAN MCWILLIAMS

number of guys in seminary. When I came we had nine. We went up to 22. Then we were back at nine. Now, we’re at 13 to 14. If we had this flood of vocations, for one it would stress us out financially because the average cost to educate a seminarian is $45,000 a year.

The other aspect is we only have 51 parishes, and only a certain number of parishes can handle a certain number of priests.

Even though I wish we had another 10 seminarians, again slow growth in vocations is important, as long as we can replace the people we have.

My goal is to have two priests in each high school, and then priests at the college campuses. We can expand that ministry to areas where there are other institutions like Maryville and Carson-Newman. If I had another 10 priests, I could do so much more.

Maybe in parish work but also in other specialized ministry.

Q. Do you think the Diocese of Knoxville will always be considered a mission diocese?

A. A mission diocese, according to Catholic Extension, has a Catholic population that is less than 10 percent of the general population. I hope so. They help us out. Plus I think there’s a mentality that it’s good to be considered a “mission” diocese because I think it makes you work harder.

You can become complacent when you are the majority. There’s more than 70 dioceses in the United States that are considered mission dioceses.

Yes, I think we will always continue to be.

Q. Are there additional areas in East Tennessee where you think the Catholic Church can grow, whether it be in specialized outreach like the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic or new parishes?

A. On Feb. 2, I dedicated the new St. Teresa of Kolkata Church in Maynardville. And on Sept. 29 I blessed the new building for St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Erwin. They will continue to grow like many of our parishes have.

I can possibly see a new church in the Chattanooga area, where there has been explosive growth around Ooltewah. That’s been talked about for a long time. We’re starting to seriously look at acquiring some property there with the expansion of Volkswagen and other development. And then maybe in the Pikeville area, there’s a possibility of establishing a church.

The Church follows the population.

We don’t build and they come. We go with them. I do think in the next 15 years or so some of our smaller church buildings are going to have to be replaced with larger facilities.

They’re growing. In the beginning, we build what we can afford and then we expand. Eventually, you have to look at the cost of expansion versus the cost of building something new.

Knoxville Catholic High School would like to have additional space for fine arts and a gym. Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga has been running a deficit and has some debt that I hope to start addressing this year. Our high schools are in excellent shape in terms of leadership, and I’m very pleased with that. Our grade schools are, too. There’s always turnover with teachers, and we have two principals who are retiring this year, so we’ll have to address that.

And there’s the possibility of another Vietnamese parish. There’s a community growing in the Chattanooga area. They would love to be able to rent a building. Right now I’m working on additional help for them in terms of Vietnamese clergy.

Q. Speaking of Chattanooga, it has to be very gratifying to see the work that

Q. Do you expect the diocese to continue seeing a growing number of men join the priesthood and diaconate?

A. Yes. We have a steady TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C A T HO L I C

Left: Cardinal Justin Rigali and Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz celebrate the ordination and installation of Bishop Stika on March 19, 2009, at the Knoxville Convention Center.

Below left: Bishop Stika presides at the ordination of Michael Hendershott to the priesthood at Sacred Heart Cathedral in June 2015.

Below right: Bishop Stika celebrates Mass at the dedication of the new Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on March 3, 2018.

Bottom: Bishop Stika is joined by Father Tom Charters, GHM, in celebrating Mass in the new St. Michael the Archangel Church building in Erwin in September 2018.

ARCHIVE PHOTO

are good and competent guys to take their place. We need to continue reaching out if there is a religious community that is a good fit, I would like to see that.

The Church does well when it is counter-cultural. When you become too much a part of the culture you begin to take on negative aspects of that culture.

Around Christmas and probably for much of this year I’m talking about creep, how so much of the secular world has creeped into the Church.

An example would be the whole idea of Christmas, when people rested and looked forward to Christmas.

Now, people aren’t looking forward to Christmas because of all the work.

That is the shifting from a holy day to a holiday. That is just one aspect.

Another part of the creep is morality. There is pro-choice, but abortion is an abomination before God. It’s the killing of children. But in our society, we use terms like embryo or fetus because we don’t want to say human.

We want to discount the fact that this is a human life.

We can do better to plan for marriages, to help people see how serious of a commitment this is. The divorce rate is close to 60 percent now in the first five years of marriage.

And I really like the term intentional discipleship. A priest or a deacon can preach all he wants from the pulpit about faith and a relationship with God. But unless all of us, everybody in the Church — lay person, cleric, everybody — unless we are willing to witness Jesus, we will fail in our ministry. Mass means dismissal. Take what you’ve been fed in the Eucharist and go out and make a difference teaching about Jesus.

At my very first press conference in Knoxville somebody asked me what my goal will be, what will guide me. I said to teach Jesus. I hope that’s what I’m doing. One of my other mantras is to be the face, the voice, the hands and feet, the smell, and especially the heart of Jesus, to be consistent and holistic in that approach.

has gone into the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. What are your thoughts on the basilica?

A. First, it’s a historic structure. Sts. Peter and Paul and Immaculate Conception are the two oldest parishes in the diocese. And they’re both beautiful, older churches. The basilica was well taken care of. Monsignor George Schmidt took good care of that building. He had been sick the last couple of years he was pastor there before he died.

Now, Father David Carter has this great enthusiasm, and the parish is growing, the outreach is growing. I don’t want to say we renovated or remodeled the church. We restored it to how it looked in the past with some different nuances. I consecrated the altar there in December. It’s a beautiful church with beautiful stained-glass windows. It’s a beautiful parish.

It’s become the home for those who enjoy the more traditional music, which is fine. The Church is a big tent.

All the parishes in Chattanooga, some of their buildings need to be renovated or restored because they’re getting to be 50-60 years of age. A place like Soddy-Daisy, they’ve been talking recently about a parish center. They have a beautiful piece of property there where Monsignor Al Humbrecht is.

Other parishes in the diocese are looking long term, looking to increase with a parish hall or adding on to a school. As an example, St. Joseph School. We had to reorganize it to make it a regional school. The school enrollment has been growing every year, and now they have a good number there. They recently added a new gym and new classroom space. And there are other schools.

Sacred Heart Cathedral School, where we spent a lot of money beginning to renovate in the first phase. St. John Neumann added some facilities, and All Saints. In Seymour, Holy Family has added a new parish center. In Athens, St. Mary has added a new parish center and new offices.

In the Chattanooga area, again Holy Spirit Parish in Soddy-Daisy is looking at doing something. St. Augustine in Signal Mountain has spent a lot of funds restoring the church and adding on, too. St. Jude, I just signed a contract to renovate their bell tower.

There are things going on in terms of maintaining older buildings and building new structures. The Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich., I think for the first time in their existence they actually built their own convent in the Diocese of Knoxville. They own the convent; I donated the property.

They saw something beauti-

BILL BREWER

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Bishop continued from page A9

Appreciating Divine Mercy After Bishop Stika celebrated Mass at the Church of Divine Mercy in November 2014, he joined the Vietnamese Catholic community in the parish hall for food, fun, and photos. Divine Mercy is one of several Diocese of Knoxville parishes founded under Bishop Stika.

ful about this diocese. Normally, they would inherit a convent from another community or get a house and restore it.

Q. Are there other keys to growing the diocese?

A. There are parallel pieces here. One is re-catechizing Catholics. Thirty-five percent of Catholics believe that if they go to Mass twice a month they are faithful Catholics. We see huge numbers at Christmas and Easter.

I believe there were some beautiful things that came out of the Second Vatican Council, and there were some things that never were actually acted upon. I think there were some mistakes in terms of liturgy. They tried to do too much with too little time and with very little education. Evangelization to re-catechize, to teach the faith to those who are Catholic by baptism but maybe not by practice.

The second is to make sure that those who have a desire to be Catholic feel a warmth and an openness from the Church to join us at the Eucharist. It’s all about the Eucharist.

Other faith communities have great formation programs. They have liturgies and they have their dogmas.

Some I would disagree with in some of the directions they are going, such as same-sex marriage, abortion, and some pretty big theological differences. But for us, it’s about the Eucharist.

When I first entered the seminary in 1979, the advice we were given and advice I heard from other people was every day you need to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament. And you don’t have to talk much; just spend time with Jesus. I’ve made that a part of my priesthood. It’s nice to have my own chapel at the house; we have a chapel at the Chancery as well. And I usually go to the cathedral every day and spend some time there.

What makes us different from other faith communities? Theology, ecclesiology, but basically it’s the Eucharist.

In this day and age you read on blogs and websites like Facebook and Twitter where people say “the (priest

sexual abuse) scandal shocks me so much. I’m leaving the Church because of what people have done.”

A couple of times I’ll throw something out there, and I’ll say if you leave the Church, you leave the Eucharist. You’re punishing yourself.

You’re not punishing me. The Eucharist is Jesus, and if you don’t believe that, then you’re really not Catholic.

Sometimes people will say, “I’m not going to church anymore because that priest looked at me funny, or that priest said something, or that priest ignored me.” You don’t go to church because of the priest. You go to church because of God. You can fall into this mentality as a Catholic that I’ll just pray at home.

You can’t pray at home in terms of the Eucharist because the Eucharist through the hands of the priest is this great miracle. So, if you’re angry and leave the Church, you’re only hurting yourself if you believe in the Eucharist. And if you can leave so easily, I guess you don’t believe in the Eucharist, the miracle of the Body and Blood of Jesus.

Q. Will the Catholic Church get beyond the abuse scandal?

A. Right now, we’re in that drip, drip, drip stage of reports coming out. We are dealing with the past. We really are. Most of the abuse cases happened before 2002. If you look at the number of current abuse cases reported since 2002, it’s nil. All the work, all the effort that we have put into place in terms of seminary formation, screening of candidates, vigilance, has been successful to make sure a child is not abused or a vulnerable adult.

This is not just a Catholic problem.

This is happening in other faith traditions. We’re the largest Church in the world and we’re international, so that’s what we’re facing. We will never stop being vigilant. But I think the safe-environment procedures we’ve put in place are the right things to do.

If we need to fine tune them, we will.

Most cases pre-existed 2002. I’ve been dealing with this since 2002 and even before. There are a lot of people who think the Church should be punished, and they will never accept the fact that we are changing because the drip, drip, drip of the past is here.

We’re not facing it here, but I used to have this discussion with SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused

by Priests) in St. Louis, where SNAP is headquartered. Some people would like us to kick priests out of the priesthood and not support them or have anything to do with them. My thought on this, and this is a disagreement I have with SNAP, if you have a priest who has been a priest for a

JIM WOGAN

A. I hope not. People ask me that.

I guess there’s this mindset when you’re in a smaller diocese that at some point you earn your points and they move you to a larger diocese.

I guess that’s true in some places.

When you are ordained a bishop, part of the regalia you wear is a ring that symbolizes the marriage of the bishop to the diocese. That’s the whole point of it — the relationship.

If they asked me to move, under obedience I would have to consider it.

But I do have health issues, my heart and my diabetes, and I think this is a good fit for me. Over the years and now, I don’t even think about moving. Would I want to be asked?

That’s a question I ask myself. To go to a larger place? Sure, it might be a personal stamp of approval from the pope to go to a bigger place. More challenges. And that would be nice. I always kid people that I use my diabetes and my heart disease to the best of my ability to stay here.

I love East Tennessee. I think the people generally like me and the priests respect me. I try to listen. This is my home. Rocky Top. Why would I want to leave?

BILL BREWER

Q. Do you think you will ever be moved from the Diocese of Knoxville?

On the air Knoxville radio talk show host Hallerin Hilton Hill and Bishop Stika discuss the Diocese of Knoxville on Mr. Hill’s show in August 2018. while and he has no other sense of what he can do in life and you completely cut him loose, he’s out there.

And if you completely cut him loose, he’s not accountable unless he’s been convicted of something. He’s a free person to wander around the world.

Some people would love that. They say, “I’m not going to pay for a priest who’s done this.” But the flip side of it is if he is dependent on the Church, even in a minimal way, for housing, for a little bit of salary or stipend, and insurance, then he’s beholden to the person in charge. He’s dependent, and with that dependence there’s also control. At least I would know where he’s at and what he’s doing, and he’s accountable to me as opposed to completely cutting him loose and then he does it again, and again, and again.

Maybe eventually he’s caught, arrested, and put in jail. But think of all the people he might have abused until that point. That’s a huge discussion.

One of the things I would love to emphasize is that in the diocese we had the Bill Casey situation a few years ago. I addressed it immediately.

We cooperated with legal authorities and we followed the process we have.

At the end of it, we were praised by the district attorney in Sullivan County and the Knoxville newspaper, which had a Sunday editorial that said “bishop restores confidence.”

It’s not because I was some exceptional person; it’s because I followed the announced process the diocese had in place. We have since tightened it up. Fortunately, we’ve had no other cases. There was another priest who was pulled out of ministry, Steve LaPrad, but it was never a legal matter. He died a few years ago.

Right now, if people are worried about where their money is going, the diocese is not paying out any costs, no lawsuits, because there are no cases. There are some people who are disenchanted with the Church, and

I get these letters, not many, saying they will no longer contribute to the Church. They think they’re punishing me or they’re punishing the pope, or Archbishop (Theodore) McCarrick, or some other bishop. They’re not.

If they’re not giving to their parish, the impact is on the schools, on Catholic Charities, on formation of young adults, on the viability of our parishes.

Even with this drip, drip, drip of abuse cases, the Catholic Church continues to feed the poor, heal the sick, to educate, care for the dying.

The Church still is functioning here in this diocese and all over because it’s made up of good people, and we continue to do the things we should do as the Church. But it’s real and it’s important to keep the pressure on the Church because we are people.

But the Church continues to do the good things it’s always done. So, if a person says they’re not going to give to the Church anymore, the impact will be felt by people in need, by children, by the programs we promote to safeguard children.

I want to reassure the diocese that the money they’re giving on a Sunday or to the Bishop’s Appeal or to other charitable works that go through the diocese is impacted.

Most of the money that goes through the diocese impacts the parishes. The Bishop’s Appeal — it all goes back into the parishes one way or another.

Q. Have there been any failures while you’ve been bishop?

A. I made a commitment 10 years ago that I would learn Spanish. Right after I came to East Tennessee, I went to Texas for a summer course. And then one weekend after that I went to visit a friend who had a blood disorder, kind of like leukemia, and that is when I got sick, had a heart attack, and almost died.

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JIMMY DEE

STEPHANIE RICHER

Greeting and meeting Bishop Stika greets faithful who were attending the Eucharistic Congress in September 2013 at the Sevierville Convention Center. The congress, attended by 5,000 people, marked the Diocese of Knoxville’s 25th anniversary.

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Historic gift Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz of Poland presents Bishop Stika and the Diocese of Knoxville with a stole worn by St. Pope John Paul II. The relic is in the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus next to the statue of the pope, who established the Diocese of Knoxville in 1988.

www.di o k no x .o rg

TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C A TH OLI C

A. I was late in coming to an un-

derstanding of Twitter and Facebook, and now I’ve just started on Instagram. Those are the only three that I’m involved in. The pope really pushed the fact that bishops should use every means possible to evangelize.

And in the history of the Church, look at what the Gutenberg Bible did.

It opened a whole new window for the Church to teach the Gospel. After I had been bishop here a couple of years I started on Facebook and Twitter. I hardly ever used them.

And I have a confession. Most of the time when I would go to Facebook I was spying on my nieces and nephews. But I never posted. We were friends and I would see what was going on in their lives. I just wanted to see what was going on in their lives and other people. And then I jumped into it.

For the most part on Facebook and Twitter, in the early days, I would post about parish visits and activities.

Cardinal (Sean) O’Malley blogs every day about his day. To me, it’s just easier to post photographs and little quips about where I’ve been or what I was going to be doing.

I love politics. I grew up with it in St. Louis. My hobby is presidential history and I love history. Most of the time when I watch TV, I watch anything that has to do with history.

I read three types of books: mystery novels, history and historical biographies, and spiritual books.

I look around the world, and as a religious leader there are great concerns I have about society and the future. I started getting a little more political, not in terms of favoring this party or that party. I would take shots at both parties because I think TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C A T HO L I C

STEPHANIE RICHER

First service Bishop Stika leads the first service in the still-unfinished Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on March 25, 2017, to bless the cornerstone for the cathedral.

DAN MCWILLIAMS

High-level blessing Bishop Stika blesses the cross that sits atop the dome of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus as it was being put into place.

Written in concrete Bishop Stika and Father David Boettner show off their handiwork after placing their signatures in wet concrete during cathedral construction in May 2015. unfortunately the leadership of our nation today is not concerned No. 1 about the United States.

It’s concerned No. 1 about the party and to get re-elected. So I would make comments about different things. Most of the time my comments were based on historic fact. But there are trolls out there and people who like to attack. There are also good people out there who use it.

My goal was always to get people to think. I think our present leadership in the United States is atrocious across the board. I think they are more interested in getting re-elected and reaching out to their base. For instance, the president has made some good judicial picks. And I agree with those. The judicial system balances out politics. The House, the Senate, and the presidency change. But the judiciary, as it interprets the Constitution, balances it out.

President Trump’s actions on the wall and immigration are incorrect.

I think he wants to get re-elected as does everybody. I have more issues with the Democrats. I look at the party platforms of both when they run for president. That’s how I evaluate things.

The Democrats are very, very, very pro-choice. Some states want to adopt unrestricted abortion from the moment of conception until birth. Late term? No problem. Partial birth? No problem. In New York, that legislation was proposed by Gov. Cuomo, who says he is Catholic. And there are some who want to make it illegal to be pro-life. Under some interpretations, if you say you are pro-life, that could be interpreted as hate speech if you follow that logic, which a lot of people are.

On social media, I would dip into the political realm a little bit to get people to think. I would never say you vote for this or you vote for that.

During the election year, I threw

out things that people should think about. But people would misinterpret them as I’m siding with one party or the other. That was never my intention.

And there were Catholic issues that I would post out there, such as when the pope reclassified capital punishment, which I’ve always been against. I’ve ministered to people on death row. He did that and I made the simple statement that I was glad he did that. The bishops of Tennessee have made statements against capital punishment. I was attacked all over the place by a segment that said how dare I say that and not know the difference between church and state. Or on immigration, don’t you know the difference between church and state?

My goal was to share with them in a balanced way a thought process, to think it out and not just knee-jerk it out. I’m a religious leader, so as long as I don’t tell people how to vote. At some point in the Chancery, a lot of my staff — people I work with — were saying they were getting complaints about how dare the bishop say those things. I came to the conclusion that you never change anybody’s mind on Facebook or Twitter. You don’t. Everybody is dead set. You can change somebody’s mind in a direct conversation. On social media, a lot of people just hide behind their handles and their goofy names. Mine is Bishop Stika.

I use social media, but I’ve pulled back in some areas unless it’s absolutely necessary. Abortion I won’t. I refuse because it has been the beginning of the slippery slope for a lot of moral issues that we have today.

I remember I got in trouble one time because I said I never believed the United States is the greatest country that ever existed. I believe we’re the most successful. How can we be this great country that was founded on the principles of slavery? Or the

way we’ve treated Native Americans.

That’s not a great thing. We had people that we owned and most of the treaties we had with the Native Americans we never lived up to.

But if you don’t know history, as most Americans seem not to anymore, you don’t understand the big picture. People have knee-jerk reactions: how do you say the United States is not a great country? Well, how do you define a great country?

It’s how you take care of people; it’s how you live with each other.

But we’re a successful country.

We’re a wealthy country. We have impact, more so since World War I. But we’re losing a lot of our values.

And that concerns me.

But in terms of social media, I’ve pulled back a bit. I read a lot of it. I’m dismayed at some of the websites that people follow, Catholic websites that I think are very divisive, mean spirited, and full of hate. The Ku Klux Klan claimed to be Christian; they had cross-burnings. They weren’t Christian. The Know Nothing Party in the 19th century was anti-Catholic.

They were attacking the Catholic Church in the name of Christianity.

Social media is important. But I think now it’s becoming a cesspool that encourages arguments and divisiveness. It’s not a healthy place.

It’s about freedom of speech, but in the general realm of the world there are limitations on freedom of speech.

Facebook and especially Twitter are filled with hate.

Q. Do you think 10 years from now you still will be on social media?

A. Yes, if it’s helpful. I’m going back to posting about when I visit parishes and congratulations to parishes, parishioners, and diocesan organizations. I won’t refrain from Church-related issues. I think that is important.

People say, “Well, you’re getting political.” Is caring for immigrants a political or a moral issue? Abortion?

Capital punishment? Those are all moral issues. So, I won’t hesitate on those.

My comment now to people who question the separation of church and state: I ask them if they know what amendment that is. Have you read the Constitution? Do you understand the Bill of Rights? Many of them don’t. Separation of church and state?

“They should take away your taxexempt status!” No. The Catholic Church is balanced, I think. Many other faith communities bring in political candidates on a Sunday and have them preach. But we’re the big institution.

Q. How would you describe your impact on the Church in East Tennessee?

STEPHANIE RICHER

Q. What is your take on social media — the good and the bad from both a general and personal perspective?

STEPHANIE RICHER

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When I returned to the diocese, I never went back to school for Spanish. I don’t think I have the language gift that many people have. And I’m 61.

I can stumble now through Mass in Spanish, but I’m very self-conscious.

So, a personal commitment for me is to at least be comfortable celebrating Mass in Spanish. That’s a failure.

There is no school to be a bishop.

Well, there is bishop’s boot camp where you go to Rome for three weeks when the Holy Father first appoints you. I was in administration for a long time in St. Louis. And now I’ve been here 10 years. I’m still learning what it means to be a bishop. If I think I know everything, I’m dead to growth.

I’m very comfortable being with myself, but I love being with other people, too. Being in a smaller diocese, you get to know people better.

In New York with 3 million Catholics, how do you know the people, how do you know the priests? Here, I know the people although I’ve never been great with names. I don’t know why. Faces I recognize.

I’m at a disadvantage because more people know me by name than I know them. I want to continue getting to know people in the diocese.

One thing I’m working to improve this year is visiting with our seminarians. Our vocations directors go to the seminaries and visit with our seminarians. Maybe with all that has been going on, I haven’t.

Beginning this year, I’ve been visiting with our seminarians at their seminaries. I need to know our seminarians better. I think they’re comfortable around me, but as with laypeople, there’s a natural tendency to be stand-offish around me.

My goal every year, and I fail at that, too, is to spend more time at the high schools and grade schools. I was great at that, especially at sporting events, in the beginning, but with everything else that has been going on that went by the wayside. But I’ve recommitted myself to that.

My goal as a bishop, and I guess it was as a pastor, is for people to know that I’m a priest or the bishop and that they have respect for my office.

I think automatically you get respect for your person from a majority of people. But my goal is to never be unapproachable. I want to be able to relate to folks.

Diocesan hard hats Bishop Stika and Father David Boettner gather with crews building the cathedral for a group photo during construction in July 2016. www.di o k no x .o rg

A. When I first arrived in the diocese, the priests were trying to figure out if I was conservative or liberal.

At the first luncheon right before I was ordained, one of our priests sat with my closest friends in the priesthood from St. Louis. They said he was quizzing them trying to find out if I was a liberal or a conservative.

My goal was always for the priests to never know. On some issues, I would be considered more traditional.

I hope I’m always orthodox. A lot Bishop continued on page A12 APRIL 7, 2019 n A11

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Upon this rock Bishop Stika and Cardinal Rigali in Rome in October 2015 asked Pope Francis to bless the dedication stone for the new cathedral. place behind the altar and not off to the side. That was a big liturgical discussion.

What did Jesus say: “My house is a house of prayer.” One of the difficulties, I think, for some of our parishes is that before Mass it is so noisy you could never pray. You see this especially at weddings. And then after Mass the same thing. So many of our parishes have beautiful narthexes and parish centers. That’s where you build another sense of community. There are a lot of values that we need to recapture that have been lost.

Those are things that I’m addressing with the priests. I’ve given a reflection on how I’ve seen the Church during my lifetime. I was baptized in 1964. I went through grade school in the 1960s with the Vietnam War and the 1970s when a lot of silliness happened in the Church in terms of clown Masses and polka Masses. OK, we went through that. Now we’ve grown up again.

A priority to me is really good liturgy, good preaching, good music, a sense of prayer in where we gather together. Also, a sense of charity, so

DEACON PATRICK MURPHY-RACEY

of our priests like to wear cassocks.

Some like to wear them more than others. I have no issue with that.

That’s a traditional part of our dress.

Unfortunately, after the 1960s a lot of things were thrown out. It’s supposed to be a sign of simplicity unless you wear a thousand other cassocks. I tell the guys I’m comfortable wearing blue jeans and a sweatshirt. And I’m comfortable wearing a cassock and everything in between. You’re not defined by what you wear. You’re defined by who you are.

I remember telling a priest once in St. Louis when I was vicar for priests, he always wore his cassock, but he wasn’t a great priest in terms of dealing with people. He was arrogant and standoffish. I told him the cassock doesn’t make the priest, the priest makes the cassock.

You can dress up like a priest and have the title, but if you don’t have the heart of St. John Vianney or a willingness to be of service and if you’re expecting people to treat you differently by placing you on a pedestal because of the title you hold, then you really aren’t a priest in the truest sense of the word. You can dress up. I can dress up like a police officer but that doesn’t mean I’m a police officer.

In all dioceses in the United States, there’s a tension — and hopefully it’s a healthy tension — between some of the guys ordained in the ‘60s, ‘70s, and even the ‘80s and the guys ordained more recently. Hopefully it’s a healthy tension and not a division.

I’m speaking in broad terms here.

There are a lot of things we discarded in the ‘60s that were kind of tragic.

We’ve destroyed a lot of beauty in terms of artwork in churches to simplify it, things like statues and icons.

A lot of that went out the window, and now it’s coming back in the window. Even Bishop Robert Barron in his series Catholicism talks about beauty and how it elevates.

My goal with our churches has always been that they elevate the mind and the person as soon as you walk in and also to be a place of prayer.

I’ve asked all of our churches to place the tabernacle in the most prominent

L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO

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Mentor and friend Bishop Stika watches as Cardinal Rigali is interviewed by the media at All Saints Church prior to the March 2013 papal conclave.

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that when we leave Mass we bring with us the command of Jesus to teach the faith.

Some of the things I’m proud of what we do are Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, the Ladies of Charity, the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, the Knights of Columbus, and KDCCW. To me, they go hand in hand, and they’re just excellent. I’m also asking parishes to form a St. Vincent de Paul Society if they don’t have one. It’s a spiritual entity but it also takes care of immediate needs of people.

And so many of our parishes have food pantries or they cooperate with other faith communities in food pantries. They have these great outreaches in Elizabethton and Crossville.

The charity aspect of who we are as a Church and the evangelization desire is a direct outcome of Mass, especially to be sent forth.

And one of the great lessons for this diocese is having Cardinal Rigali present with us. This year marks 25 years since he was installed as archbishop of St. Louis, which began my journey with him. We used to always kid that when he retired he was going to come live with me. But neither one of us ever thought that would be in Knoxville.

Having him live with me is just a great joy. I can share things with him. I know he’s like my dad, and I think he treats me like a son. I seek advice from him. I’ve learned a great deal from him about the universal Church. I love his stories about the popes and his experiences as a papal diplomat.

And he always tells me, “Whatever I can do to help the diocese, I’m willing to do.”

Over the years he’s saved some money and he’s given most of his money now to the building of the cathedral — a huge sum. He’s been a great blessing.

The past 10 years have been a great 10 years. I don’t want to celebrate the fact that it’s my 10th anniversary as much as I do that we work together and do together what we can’t do by ourselves. We’re not at a perfect place. We’re always going to have challenges. But we face them together. ■

TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C A TH OLI C

Community service is the focus of Catholic Charities dinners

Fr. Ryan continued from page A1

people,” the bishop added.

Father Carter said a tomb will now be built and placed inside the basilica to contain the historic priest’s remains according to canon law. He said once relocation is ready, a small group of Catholic clergy and professionals skilled in disinterment, such as a coroner, funeral home staff, and the cemetery superintendent, will guide the exhumation and relocation process.

Exhumation of remains typically is done as part of the cause for sainthood to establish the identity of the sainthood candidate and ascertain the condition of the candidate’s remains.

If there is no evidence of corruption of the body, as has been recorded in a number of cases, the incorrupt body adds to the cause of the candidate’s sainthood.

“His body will be exhumed. We have to see what it will look like. He will be re-vested and entombed at the basilica. Moving Father Ryan to the basilica will give people an opportunity to pray with him to God,” Bishop Stika said.

Father Ryan was pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish from 1872 to 1878.

He died at the age of 33 in the yellow fever epidemic of 1878 that swept through Chattanooga. As thousands of Chattanooga residents fled the city to escape the contagion, Father Ryan remained to serve those stricken with the illness and contracted it himself.

In 1886, when his remains were reburied in Mount Olivet Cemetery on Priests’ Mound, one of the largest funeral corteges ever witnessed in Chattanooga accompanied Father Ryan’s body to Mount Olivet. He was remembered for his courage and selfless sacrifice in helping others.

Bishop Stika on June 14, 2016, signed a decree officially establishing the Diocese of Knoxville as the petitioner in the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of Rev. Patrick J. Ryan. The bishop requested and received endorsement for advancing Father Ryan’s cause for sainthood from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops during the USCCB’s 2016 fall general assembly.

To further the cause, Father Carter TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C A T HO L I C

listening to someone and giving back.

We all have it inside of us,” she said Ms. Farley spoke of her high school English teacher who introduced her to the school’s TV studio, leading to her career in television.

“She walked me to that classroom, and I was hooked. She changed me completely….It just took that act, that act of going above and beyond, of reaching out. That is service to me.

“I realized that this career, this gift God gave me to tell stories and to listen to people and to have them welcome me into their home and find a way to tell these stories….You learn so very quickly that you have the power to help in so many ways,” said Ms. Farley, who gives her time to help emcee events for local nonprofits or train nonprofits in using media to best share their services in the community.

She challenged others to find how they can best serve as well.

“So I want you to think about, what is your gift? Some of you may not know yet….But think about what your gift is, and ask yourself each and every day, am I using it to help others? Am I using it to make our community better? Because it’s something really simple that we all have the power to do.”

The 37th Annual Catholic Charities Dinner in Chattanooga was held March 28 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Mr. Wogan emceed.

Uptown Big Band provided live music.

Ralph Christiana, a member of the board of trustees at Catholic Charities, welcomed those attending.

“Each of you is here to support our neediest of neighbors, and for that we are all so grateful. To serve the least among us takes a community of likeminded people, hearts that are open to give and help, and steadfast faith that we can, will, and truly are making a difference,” he said.

Bishop Stika led the opening prayer,

Father Patrick Ryan n Pastor: Sts. Peter and Paul

Parish, Chattanooga, 1872-1878

n Status: Servant of God n Born: 1845 in County Tip-

perary, Ireland

n Died: Sept. 28, 1878, in

Chattanooga during yellow fever outbreak n Buried: Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chattanooga n Cause for Sainthood: Contact Vice Postulator for the Cause for Father Patrick Ryan, Deacon Gaspar DeGaetano, 423-2661618, or deacongaspar@me.com “The just shall be in everlasting remembrance.” –– Inscription on Fr. Ryan’s grave

is serving as the episcopal delegate and Deacon DeGaetano is the vice postulator. Father John Orr, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Athens, has been named the cause’s promoter of the faith as required by the Vatican and will act as “devil’s advocate” in reviewing the cause and any reasons Father Ryan shouldn’t be canonized.

The basilica has appointed a historical commission to document a history of Father Ryan that must be submitted as part of the sainthood cause.

Once Father Ryan’s remains have been moved to the basilica and the historical report is submitted, a diocesan tribunal must gather testimony about the life and virtues of Servant of God Patrick Ryan. This documentary, or diocesan, phase of the process culminates with the ultimate decision

by Bishop Stika as to whether heroic virtues of Servant of God Patrick Ryan have been demonstrated.

This documentation is presented to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, which begins the Roman phase of the process. A Vatican official is appointed to shepherd the cause through the Roman phase. The official brings the report on Servant of God Patrick Ryan to a theological commission, which votes for or

Honoring community service Kristen Farley of WATE-TV, shown with Bishop Richard F. Stika and Cardinal Justin Rigali, received the Pope Francis Service Award from Catholic Charities of East Tennessee on March 14.

Celebrating life Notre Dame High School student Augusta Westhoff received the Pope Francis Service Award from Catholic Charities of East Tennessee on March 28 for her volunteer work with Catholic Charities’ Pregnancy Help Center in Chattanooga. Bishop Stika was on hand to congratulate her.

JANELLE HILL

T

he annual Catholic Charities of East Tennessee dinners, held in Knoxville and Chattanooga, enhanced their content this year with additions of a silent auction, live music, and dancing.

But the most substantial change was bringing the focus of the evening onto the Pope Francis Service Award, presented to an honoree who displays generous service in the community.

The 34th Annual Catholic Charities Dinner in Knoxville, dubbed “An Emerald Occasion,” was held March 14 at the Knoxville Hilton. Jim Wogan, communications director for the Diocese of Knoxville, emceed the event. The Scruffy City Syncopators provided live music.

Bishop Richard F. Stika led the opening prayer.

Lisa Healy, interim director of Catholic Charities, spoke about the importance of Catholic Charities, listing each of its nine programs and how they affect the lives of clients. Videos from clients let them share their stories and their experiences with Catholic Charities.

“It touches my heart to see the support we have for the Lord’s work that is providing human dignity and justice for those in need in East Tennessee,” Ms. Healy said.

Kristen Farley, news anchor at WATE-TV, Channel 6, was presented with the Pope Francis Service Award for her inspiring heart for service in the community.

Ms. Farley acknowledged the people who reached out to support and inspire her, and how that gesture of being there for one person is the root of service.

“When I think of giving back, I think it’s a lot more simple than people think. It doesn’t have to be a grandiose gesture or a million dollar check—I know you want the million dollar check, Bishop—but it can just be as simple as being present and

By Emily Booker

COURTESY OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF EAST TENNESSEE

Fundraisers held in Knoxville, Chattanooga to raise awareness of CCETN programs in East Tennessee

and Ms. Healy spoke on the importance of Catholic Charities and each of its programs.

Augusta Westhoff, a senior at Notre Dame High School, was presented with the Pope Francis Service Award.

Miss Westhoff created the annual Mums for Moms event, which raises

money for CCETN’s Pregnancy Help Center.

Miss Westhoff spoke of how she was raised with pro-life values. In 2010, her mother was pregnant with a daughter diagnosed with Trisomy-18 and not expected to live long past

against the cause for sainthood based on the documentation. If their vote is yes, a recommendation of a Decree of Heroic Virtues is sent to the pope, whose decision is final.

“When the diocesan inquiry concludes, the Vatican will determine if the cause is meritorious and then hopefully declare Father Ryan venerable,” Father Carter said. “Everything we’re doing is going through diplomatic channels, the diplomatic pouch from the papal nuncio to Bishop Stika.”

Once the person’s heroic virtues have been recognized by the Holy Father, he or she is declared venerable.

The remaining step before beatification is the approval of a miracle.

In the meantime, Father Carter said work can now move ahead on completing Father Ryan’s tomb, which will be placed in the basilica nave underneath the 14th Station of the Cross, where Jesus is laid in the tomb.

He and Deacon DeGaetano hope the exhumation of Father Ryan’s remains can take place in late June, but an official date has not been set.

“When he died, he left Chattanooga as a hero and he should come back as a hero. There was a procession a mile long with 100 carriages or more at his death,” Deacon DeGaetano said.

“This is really good news we have to share. He was a local hero, not just for the Catholic community, but for the entire Chattanooga community.”

The cause for sainthood for Father Ryan has so far been an interesting journey.

Before the Vatican’s approval, a Hamilton County Chancery Court had to give the Diocese of Knoxville permission to exhume Father Ryan’s remains. Chancellor Jeffrey Atherton on Jan. 14 granted a petition by the diocese for permission to have the remains disinterred.

The sainthood cause raised a few legal eyebrows because there was no clear statutory procedure in Tennessee to exhume the body of a priest a diocese hopes to canonize.

Typically in probate cases, only a decedent’s next of kin can petition a court or government agency for permission to exhume remains.

But since Father Ryan has no living

relatives and there were no clear legal guidelines in Tennessee for requests to exhume a body for possible sainthood by unrelated individuals or religious organizations, the Hamilton County Department of Health sought legal clarification.

In a lawsuit filed Nov. 9, the Diocese of Knoxville petitioned Hamilton County Chancery Court for an order requiring the health department to issue the exhumation permit.

In an unusual move and to apparently add levity to the precedentsetting decision, Chancellor Atherton took the bench Jan. 14 and promptly played the old song “Dem Bones Dem Bones Dem Dry Bones” over the courtroom speakers before hearing the diocese’s petition.

“He said, ‘far be it from me to stop the cause for sainthood,’” said Deacon DeGaetano, who attended the hearing. “Much of what he (Chancellor Atherton) does is routine, but he was looking forward to hearing this first-of-its-kind case.”

Terrance Jones, a basilica parishioner and Chattanooga lawyer who is assisting the church and diocese in legal matters pertaining to the cause, explained that the Hamilton County Department of Health wasn’t fighting the diocese’s petition, it was only seeking answers to questions and concerns that state law didn’t address.

“What is so unique about Father Ryan is that he was part of the parish of Sts. Peter and Paul and started what is now known as Notre Dame High School.

“He is already a Servant of God, recognized for his holiness by the diocese, and there is now an investigation into other aspects of his life, which hopefully, at some point, the pope will declare him venerable. The next stage is with a miracle — to be beatified, which according to local custom now is done in the diocese, so it will likely be celebrated in Chattanooga, if he is eventually beatified.

A cardinal from Rome would visit our diocese for the beatification. This would bring much national and world attention. Then, perhaps one day, he will be canonized,” Bishop Stika said. ■

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CCETN continued on page A15

APRIL 7, 2019 n A13

Funeral Mass celebrated for Fr. Michael Jennings

In Brief Sacred Heart Parish mourns death of John T. O’Connor II A funeral Mass for longtime Sacred Heart Cathedral parishioner and Diocese of Knoxville attorney John T. O’Connor II was celebrated Feb. 14 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Father David Boettner was the Mass celebrant, with Monsignor Bob Hofstetter, Father Arthur Torres, and Father Marcin Gladysz concelebrating.

Deacons Sean Smith and Walt Otey also served at the Mass. The burial was in Calvary Cemetery.

Mr. O’Connor, born July 19, 1935, passed away John T. O’Connor Feb. 10 at his home at the age of 83. He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas A. and Esther D. O’Connor and was a grandson of former Knoxville Mayor John T. O’Connor.

Mr. O’Connor had a successful law practice until his retirement in 2010.

He served as Knoxville Bar Association president in 1984 and was the recipient of the KBA’s highest honor, the Governors’ Award, in 2013.

Mr. O’Connor was an active member of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus for more than 50 years, where he served as a cantor, choir member, and in various ministries. He received the Benemerenti Medal from Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 for his service to the Catholic Church as well as the Immaculata Award in 2010 from the Diocese of Knoxville for his service to the Church and the diocese.

Mr. O’Connor served as chairman of the board of Knoxville Catholic High School, on the board of the American Red Cross, and as a longtime member of the Knights of Columbus Council 5207 and a Sir Knight in Assembly 1083.

Mr. O’Connor, who was preceded in death by his brother, William, is survived by his wife of more than 54 years, Betsy; sons, John (Jen) and Matt; daughter Mary Virginia Costello (Vince); and four grandchildren, Paul, Patrick, Regan, and Connor. He also is survived by sister Patsy Greer, brothers David O’Connor and Daniel O’Connor (Rena), sister Esther Shogren (Paul), sister-in-law Nannette O’Connor, and several nieces and nephews.

The family requested that memorials be made to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral, 711 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville, TN 37919.

Sr. Margaret Marie Hofstetter, former president of St. Catharine College, dies

By Dan McWilliams

F

ather Michael Jennings, who served for many years as pastor of Blessed Sacrament in Harriman and St. Henry in Rogersville, died Friday, Jan. 25, in Rogersville. He was 76.

Michael Thomas Jennings was born Nov. 3, 1942, in Bryn Mawr, Pa. He graduated from Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, D.C., in 1961, and St. Mary’s College in St. Mary, Ky., in 1965. Following his formation at The Catholic University of America, he was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Patrick A. O’Boyle on May 17, 1969, at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, for the Archdiocese of Washington.

Father Jennings served in various assignments in the Archdiocese of Washington from 1969 until he moved to Harriman in 1986. He was appointed pastor of Blessed Sacrament, St. Ann in Lancing, and St. Thomas the Apostle in Lenoir City in August 1986 and served the faithful there until September 1997.

During this same time, he served as chaplain at the prison in Wartburg, known then as Mor-

Virtus continued from page A2

Dominican Sister of Peace Margaret Marie Hofstetter, 97, died Jan. 27 at Sansbury Care Center in St. Catharine, Ky. Sister Margaret Marie, a native of Nashville, was in her 72nd year of religious life. She ministered in teaching and educational administration, pastoral ministry, and in leadership of her community.

In the Archdiocese of Louisville, she was a teacher and principal of St. Dominic School in Springfield, Ky., from 1946 to 1954. She served as president of St. Catharine College in St. Catharine from 1969 to 1975.

Sister Margaret Marie also served on the leadership team of the Dominican Sisters from 1988 to 1992.

Survivors include a sister, Dominican Sister of Peace Adrian Hofstetter, a brother, Monsignor Robert Hofstetter of the Diocese of Knoxville, and several nieces and nephews.

The funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 31 at the Sansbury Care Center Chapel. Burial was in the St. Catharine Motherhouse cemetery.

Memorial gifts in Sister Margaret Marie’s memory may be sent to the Dominican Sisters of Peace, Office of Mission Advancement, 2320 Airport Drive, Columbus, OH 43219-2098.

Notre Dame High School seeks dean of academic affairs Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga is accepting applications for the position of dean of academic affairs for 2019-20.

Candidates should have a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and a minimum of five years teaching experience. Previous administrative experience is preferred.

Interested applicants may send a resume and letter of introduction to Notre Dame president George Valadie at valadieg@myndhs.com.

The mission of Notre Dame High School is to share the Catholic faith in an environment that fosters spiritual growth and academic excellence and embraces religious, academic, cultural, and economic diversity.

Ladies of Charity-Knoxville names new members Ladies of Charity Knoxville has announced that during its Solemn Reception Mass on Jan. 30 eight women were received into Ladies of Charity. Peggy Brown, Polly Burch, Joan Easterly, Patti Gibson, Bonnie Larsen, Lisa McElligott, Mary Phillips, and Barbara Stahl are now members of the Knoxville charitable service organization. ■

A14 n APRIL 7, 2019

Diocese of Knoxville priest served several parishes from 1986-2013

18; 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21; 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19; 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 5 n All Saints Church, Knoxville, 1 p.m. Saturday, May 4; 9:30 a.m.

Schedule continued from page A2

n April 30: 11 a.m., Presbyteral Council meeting at the Chancery n May 1: 7 p.m., confirmation at St. Patrick Church in Morristown n May 4: 5 p.m. CDT, confirmation at St. Alphonsus Church in Crossville n May 5: 11 a.m., confirmation at St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga n May 6: 7 p.m., confirmation at St. Mary Church in Johnson City n May 7: 11 a.m., Mass and lunch with Catholic school leaders in Kingston n May 8: 5 p.m., Mass for Region V Youth and Young Adult Ministry n May 10: 10 a.m., diocesan Finance Council meeting at the Chancery n May 10: 7 p.m., confirmation at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland n May 11: 1 p.m., confirmation at All Saints Church in Knoxville n May 12: 10 a.m., confirmation at St. Mary Church in Athens n May 12: 4 p.m., Sending of the Neophytes at the Cathedral of

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gan County Regional Correctional Facility.

Father Jennings was then appointed pastor of St. Henry and St. James the Apostle Parish in Sneedville in August 1997. He remained there until his retirement from active ministry in August 2013.

Father Jennings was incardinated into the Diocese of Knoxville in 1991, Fr. Jennings where he remained in ministry until his death.

He was preceded in death by his parents, George E. Jr. and Virginia Louise Owen Jennings; sister, Mary Cumberland; and brothers, Joseph Jennings and Matthew Jennings.

He is survived by his brother, George Earl Jennings III and wife Ruthanne of Tehachapi, Calif.; sister-in-law, Monica Jennings, of Cape Coral, Fla.; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

The funeral Mass was celebrated on Thursday, Jan. 31, at St. Henry Church in Rogersville. Bishop Richard F. Stika was the principal celebrant and homilist.

Online condolences may be left at www.broomefuneralhome.com. ■ Tuesday, June 18 n St. Therese Church , Clinton, 6 p.m. Monday, May 6; 9 a.m. Saturday, May 11 n St. Mary Church, Johnson City, 1 p.m. Saturday, May 18 ■ the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus n May 14: 11 a.m., general priest meeting at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart parish hall n May 15: 6:30 p.m., confirmation at St. Mary Church in Gatlinburg n May 17: 5:30 p.m., Mass of thanksgiving and silver jubilee of Father Gilbert Diaz at Holy Family Church in Seymour n May 18: 9 a.m., Knoxville Catholic High School graduation n May 18: 1 p.m., visit with SEPI Hispanic young adult gathering n May 18: 5:30 p.m., confirmation at St. Augustine Church in Signal Mountain n May 19: 2 p.m., Notre Dame High School graduation n May 21: 7 p.m., confirmation at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus n May 22: 6 p.m., confirmation at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa n May 23: events surrounding veneration of St. John Vianney relic at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus n May 24-June 4: pilgrimage to Poland ■

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nine Hart, and Carolyn Barnett have been in a Bible study group at Christ the King Parish in Little Rock for about 15 years. As the 15-member group’s studies have branched out to include renowned Catholic authors, they discovered Father Philippe and have read four of his published works.

“We first heard of him through a priest in our parish. He asked us if we had read anything by Father Jacques Philippe, and we said no.

We read spiritual books, so we then chose one of his titled Searching for and Maintaining Peace. We just all loved the book. Everyone in the group loved it. So someone in the group suggested reading another one of his books,” Ms. Barnett said. “So we now have done four of his books.”

Ms. Robinette said the group was looking for a silent retreat and had seen where Father Philippe leads retreats.

“I said, well, let’s see if he is doing any near us. We found one in Knoxville. Really, more than the four of us were interested in coming. Several of the others couldn’t because of scheduling problems.

But we came,” Ms. Robinette said.

“And it was well worth it,” Ms. Lewno added.

Ms. Lewno explained that as the study group read Father Philippe’s works, they would re-read passages together and then take time to underline many of his statements.

“With his books, we decided to re-read his chapters together because almost every other line is something that one of us wanted to underline. His talks are very similar to that. I was writing down what I considered little gems like ‘prayer is like opening the gates of heaven to let God come into your life.’ The way he says things can be so concise, yet he’s saying things you haven’t thought of before,” Ms. Lewno said. “It was like seeing his books live to me.”

She noted that the group had fun traveling together, which made the trip that much more enjoyable.

It was the first retreat the group had ever traveled to. They hope to do so again.

“Actually, we hope to get him scheduled to come to our parish.

It might be difficult to get him on our schedule, but he has a lot to share. He’s sharing what God has given him and what he has gathered by being with God,” Ms. Hart said.

They agreed that Father Philippe’s teachings reinforced Scripture for them.

Retreat-goers were from far and near.

Lisa Healy savored every moment of the retreat, excited by the opportunity to grow in faith with others who shared her interest in Father Philippe.

The interim executive director of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee said she knew of Father Philippe’s strong reputation for spirituality but she had not read any of his books.

“He is a person who has a personal relationship with God through his life and especially through prayer. He was an excellent presenter, bringing love and humor in his message. He spoke with humility and authority; his message was of faith, hope, and love. The greatest being love,” Ms. Healy said.

“He imparted to me that the Father is seeking us in prayer, and He wants to open heaven up to each of us. To pray — this act TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C A T HO L I C

“In just 123 days, Isabel transformed my family. She drew all of us in, and in turn drew us all to each other, brightening, softening, and maturing our childish hearts and calling us to be children in the way she was: an entirely innocent being, a direct source of Christ’s love, and a soul completely beautiful in its simplicity.”

— Augusta Westhoff away.”

“In just 123 days, Isabel transformed my family. She drew all of us in, and in turn drew us all to each other, brightening, softening, and maturing our childish hearts and calling us to be children in the way she was: alone is a great sign of faith on our part. Meeting God in prayer allows God to reveal to me who I am, and He reveals Himself to me. He reveals His love and mercy,” she added.

One of many remarks by Father Philippe that stood out to Ms. Healy was when he said one of the most important things during prayer is the “attitude of the heart.” She agreed that this is what makes a good prayer.

“The attitude of the heart must be an act of faith, an act of hope, and an act of love,” she said. “Putting yourself in contact with God in prayer, this alone is enough as the act of faith. An act of hope — when we pray, we expect something from God. This is important to ‘lean on God’ for everything. To hope in Him. And love — faithfulness to devoting time for the Lord, to pray each day, is a solid act of love.”

Ms. Healy said she looks forward to participating in another retreat led by Father Philippe. In the meantime, she is reading his books and she finds them to be excellent.

One of her favorite quotes of the weekend was from St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower, who said, “I cannot fear the God that has made himself so small for me.”

“He spoke about the different kinds of prayer and the fruits of prayer. These are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. One of the fruits that I love to experience is the peace of the Lord in my heart. This is a great gift,” said Ms. Healy, who attended Father Philippe’s conferences and retreat.

Sister Mary Charles Mayer, RSM, facility coordinator and delegate for the religious for the Diocese of Knoxville who organized Father Philippe’s visit, is glad East Tennessee parishioners were exposed to Father Philippe’s teachings.

“The feedback that I received from those that attended the conferences was overwhelmingly positive. I had asked him to bring a translator, since I had had some difficulty with his heavy French accent the first time I heard him speak, and it made a world of difference. Sister Magdalit Bolduc, one of the Sisters in the same community, the Community of the Beatitudes, was excellent in how well she translated and worked with Father,” Sister Mary Charles said. “The conferences just flowed back and forth between the two of them. I think it was an overwhelming success and I am so happy that he finally did come.”

Much of Father Philippe’s retreat and conferences were built on prayer and how regular conversations with God are the foundation to a solid faith.

Father Philippe pointed out that while we are all in this world, we don’t have to be of this world.

“Obviously we have to be informed. We have to know what is going on in the world. But I think there is something much more necessary. We don’t need just information. We need presence, someone who is with us and can guide us and give us His strength,” he said.

“And that is one of the aspects of prayer that is so beautiful.

Faithfulness to prayer is for us the means that is so important to find peace, that peace that only God

an innocent being, a direct source of Christ’s love, and a soul completely beautiful in its simplicity,” she added.

Augusta’s dedication to pro-life issues inspired her to help mothers who choose life, which led to the annual Mums for Moms event that has

been a valuable fundraiser for the Pregnancy Help Center.

“God has blessed each one of you with fantastic gifts and capacity for change, and the first step towards heaven, towards His will, is to offer those gifts to others. We were made for something so much greater than ourselves, and the selfless way in which the people of Catholic Charities and all of you bear that cross for others gives young people like me an incredible role model to follow,” she said. ■

BILL BREWER (2)

CCETN continued from page A13

birth. It was recommended that she abort the child, but she refused.

“Discovering your baby sister wouldn’t live to see her first birthday kind of makes you grow up fast, and I promised myself I would be the greatest big sister I could,” Miss Westhoff said. “With all my other siblings I had always been the loud, bossy one who knew everything, but something in Isabel’s fragile, precious frame changed my disposition. I would hold her, and all my childish tendencies just slipped

In good company Father Jacques Philippe is joined by, from left, Sister Teresa Mary Kozlovski, RSM, Sister Timothea Elliott, RSM, Sister Magdalit Bolduc, Sister Mary Charles Mayer, RSM, Sister Marie Blanchette, OP, Sister Grace Dominic, OP, Sister Anne Miriam Crouche, RSM, Sister Elizabeth Wanyoike, ESM, and Sister Restituta Nyinoweitu, ESM, at the Lenten retreat he led.

Fans from Arkansas Father Jacques Philippe meets with members of a Bible study group from Christ the King Parish in Little Rock, Ark., who drove to Knoxville to attend his retreat. The members are Carolyn Barnett, Mary Jo Lewno, Sharon Robinette, and Jeannine Hart.

can give us. That peace that Jesus has promised to us,” he added.

Father Philippe’s words resonate with audiences around the world, and he has found a loyal group of faithful in the United States. He explained that he did not believe his vocation would take the evangelistic turn that it has when he joined the then recently founded Community of the Beatitudes in 1976 at the age of 29.

He spent several years in Israel studying Hebrew and the Jewish roots of Christianity and in 1981 began studying theology and canon law in Rome. He was ordained a priest in 1985 and began serving the Community of the Beatitudes as a spiritual director, working in the formation of priests and seminarians of the Community.

He returned to France in 1994 to take more of a leadership role in the Community as well as lead retreats.

In recent years, he has devoted himself primarily to spiritual direction and preaching retreats.

The Community of the Beatitudes is an ecclesial family of consecrated life founded in 1973 in Montpellier, France, composed of priests and men religious, sisters and women religious, deacons, seminarians, and laypeople who model the early Christian community through the common life, sharing of goods, voluntary poverty, and an intense sacramental and liturgical life.

The community was recognized in 2002 by the Holy See as an association of the faithful. It has 50 houses in 30 countries and counts among its members 190 brothers, of which 110 are priests; 310 consecrated sisters; and 350 lay members.

Father Philippe said about eight years ago he began leading U.S. retreats through the Community of the Beatitudes’ parish in Denver and that interest in his retreats

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and books has been building since then. He tries to visit the United States twice a year.

His nine books have sold more than 1 million copies in 24 languages.

“After I was ordained a priest and had written a book, I received many invitations to speak around the world. Then about eight years ago I first spoke in the United States. I have many more invitations to speak now than I did 20 years ago,” Father Philippe said.

“I am more free now to travel and write books. I’m just following the call of God,” he added.

The course God has laid out for him isn’t one he anticipated.

While he always felt called to help people, he said he never planned to travel or write. And he never expected the response he has received to his writings and retreats.

“There is a need and a thirst.

People need something personal, not impossible or a burden, but the Good News. That does not mean the Gospel is not demanding. It is encouragement for people. We are not alone. We can rely on God’s faithfulness and love,” he said.

And Father Philippe is a priest who practices what he preaches.

He said what keeps him going is prayer.

“I try to practice what I preach as much as possible,” he said. “It is very important to understand the Gospel as a grace from God.” The one message he hopes will resonate with his audiences and readers is: the biggest gift we can give to people is the gift of prayer.

He wants to give people a desire to pray so they can be guided by God and receive God’s graces.

Father Philippe’s visit to the Diocese of Knoxville was his first.

He spoke in Nashville about three years ago at the invitation of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation. ■ APRIL 7, 2019 n A15

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JANUARY FEBRUARY WINNERS

OF THE 2019 SCHOLARS LEADERS SAINTS CALENDAR RAFFLE

JAN 1 | Mary S. Lovely

FEB 1 | Colleen Eddy

JAN 2 | Lydia Jurand

FEB 2 | RuthAnn Ranker

Knoxville Catholic High School

St. Joseph School

Sacred Heart Cathedral School

St. Dominic School

JAN 3 | Kyle Walker

FEB 3 | Amy Bentley

St. Joseph School

St. Joseph School

JAN 4 | Jason Fender

FEB 4 | Carol Pettit

Knoxville Catholic High School

Holy Ghost Church

JAN 5 | Carol Dawson

FEB 5 | Joseph W. Tuttle

Purchased from Diocese of Knoxville website

St. Francis of Assisi Church-Fairfield Glade

JAN 6 | John Bellamy

FEB 6 | Alice Conrad

St. Dominic School

St. Jude School

JAN 7 | Notre Dame High School

FEB 7 | Royce Rohling

Notre Dame High School

St. Jude School

JAN 8 | St. Joseph School

FEB 8 | James Pelant

St. Joseph School

St. John Neumann School

JAN 9 | Adam & Christina Walker

FEB 9 | Father Christopher Floersh

Knoxville Catholic High School

Notre Dame High School

JAN 10 | Brad Moncla

FEB 10 | Knoxville Catholic High School

St. Dominic School

Knoxville Catholic High School

JAN 11 | Joe Aboumoussa

FEB 11 | Ruth MacDougall

St. Joseph School

Our Lady of Perpetual Help School

JAN 12 | Cindy Biasella

FEB 12 | Gary Locke

St. Joseph School

St. Albert the Great Church

JAN 13 | Keefe Plumbing Co.

FEB 13 | Ann Barrowclough

Our Lady of Perpetual Help School

St. Mary School-Johnson City

JAN 14 | Rudy Escher

FEB 14 | B. Rex Rodgers

Knoxville Catholic High School

Our Lady of Perpetual Help School

JAN 15 | Renee Benoit

FEB 15 | Johnny Schaad

St. Mary School-Oak Ridge

Sacred Heart Cathedral School

JAN 16 | Carol Manhard

FEB 16 | Kathy Knapper

St. Mary School-Johnson City

St. John Neumann School

JAN 17 | Keefe Plumbing Co.

FEB 17 | Edgar DeLeon

Our Lady of Perpetual Help School

St. Teresa of Kolkata Church

JAN 18 | Kathryn Floyd

FEB 18 | Jared King

St. John Neumann School

St. John Neumann School

JAN 19 | June W. Bellofatto

FEB 19 | Janessa Craig

St. Mary School-Oak Ridge

Knoxville Catholic High School

JAN 20 | Donna Maloney

FEB 20 | Randall Johnson

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St. Thomas the Apostle Church

St. Dominic School

JAN 21 | Helena Ordonez

FEB 21 | Beverly Parham

Notre Dame High School

St. Joseph School

JAN 22 | Elizabeth Campbell

FEB 22 | Maureen Neuner

St. Joseph School

St. Jude School

JAN 23 | Johnny Schaad

FEB 23 | Elizabeth Evans

Sacred Heart Cathedral School

St. Jude School

JAN 24 | Jackie Barbarette

FEB 24 | Diannah Eagle

Good Shepherd Church

Knoxville Catholic High School

JAN 25 | Michac Gaut

FEB 25 | Deacon Bob Lange

Sacred Heart Cathedral School

St. Dominic School

JAN 26 | Kathryn Enge

FEB 26 | Meg Murray Nutz

St. Mary School-Oak Ridge

St. Jude School

JAN 27 | Mary Jane Locke

FEB 27 | Cammie & Erik Hunt

St. John Neumann School

St. Jude School

JAN 28 | Amy Steuver

FEB 28 | Sieglinde Wallis

St. Joseph School

JAN 29 | Michelle Krukowski Notre Dame High School

JAN 30 | Angie Jostes Knoxville Catholic High School

JAN 31 | Craig & Amy Bunzey Notre Dame High School

A16 n APRIL 7, 2019

Notre Dame High School

thank you

FOR SUPPORTING DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE SCHOOLS This year, calendar sales raised more than $100,000 for tuition assistance for our 10 schools.

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TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C A TH OLI C

CONGRATULATIONS

MARCH APRIL WINNERS

OF THE 2019 SCHOLARS LEADERS SAINTS CALENDAR RAFFLE

MAR 1 | Patricia Halliday

APR 1 | Adam & Christina Walker

MAR 2 | Joseph W. Tuttle

APR 2 | Ryan Taylor

St. Dominic School

Knoxville Catholic High School

St. Francis of Assisi Church-Fairfield Glade

Purchased from Diocese of Knoxville website

MAR 3 | Tommy Carter

APR 3 | Helen Wilder

Knoxville Catholic High School

St. Mary School-Oak Ridge

MAR 4 | Joseph Reed

APR 4 | David Shivinsky

St. John Neumann School

St. Joseph School

MAR 5 | Betty Jean Conner

APR 5 | Elizabeth Mercado

Notre Dame High School

Notre Dame High School

MAR 6 | Daryl Johnson

APR 6 | Vicki Sikora

St. Joseph School

St. Dominic School

MAR 7 | Jeannette Trombley

APR 7 | Tommy Carter

St. Mary School-Johnson City

Knoxville Catholic High School

MAR 8 | Whitney Bradfield

APR 8 | Jay Young

St. Joseph School

St. John Neumann School

MAR 9 | Mike & Joan Gates

APR 9 | Kyle Walker

St. John Neumann School

St. Joseph School

MAR 10 | Jessie Rollins

APR 10 | Milli Warren

St. Dominic School

Sacred Heart Cathedral School

MAR 11 | Marsha Lesko

Purchased from Diocese of Knoxville website

MAR 12 | Tonja Castaneda-Sweat Knoxville Catholic High School

MAR 13 | Steve Robinson

APR 12 | Karen Smith

Our Lady of Perpetual Help School St. John Neumann School

MAR 14 | Kyle Walker

APR 14 | Janet Harrigan

St. Joseph School

St. John Neumann School

MAR 15 | Joseph Jernigan

APR 15 | Larry Parks

St. Dominic School

Notre Dame High School

MAR 16 | Sieglinde Wallis

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Knoxville Catholic High School

APR 13 | Patrick O’Brien

Knoxville Catholic High School

APR 16 | Michael Parker

Notre Dame High School

Purchased from Diocese of Knoxville website

MAR 17 | Jenny Peters

APR 17 | Dorris Pace

St. Joseph School

Our Lady of Perpetual Help School

MAR 18 | Marvin Hagey

APR 18 | Bonnie Saleh

St. Dominic Church

St. Dominic School

MAR 19 | Janet Harrigan

APR 19 | Dennis Mynatt

St. John Neumann School

Knoxville Catholic High School

MAR 20 | Bennett Cox

APR 20 | Monsignor Bob Hofstetter

Knoxville Catholic High School

Good Shepherd Church

MAR 21 | Shirley Hutchins

APR 21 | Jessica Shepherd

St. Dominic School

St. Jude School

MAR 22 | Karen Latham

APR 22 | Dennis Call

Knoxville Catholic High School

Notre Dame High School

MAR 23 | Torchbearer Fund

APR 23 | St. Joseph School

St. Dominic School

St. Joseph School

MAR 24 | Karen Hicks

APR 24 | Art Clancy III

Notre Dame High School

St. Joseph School

MAR 25 | Sisters of Mercy

APR 25 | Ore & Rosa Pumariega

St. Joseph School

Knoxville Catholic High School

MAR 26 | Torchbearer Fund

APR 26 | Amy Nypaver

St. Dominic School

St. Dominic School

MAR 27 | James Sittniewski

APR 27 | Danny Pendergrass

Sacred Heart Cathedral School

St. Jude School

MAR 28 | Jennifer Rodgers

APR 28 | Renee O’Connor

Our Lady of Perpetual Help School

St. Joseph School

MAR 29 | John Schenk

APR 29 | Stacy Anderson

Notre Dame High School

Knoxville Catholic High School

MAR 30 | Charles Anderson

APR 30 | Dale Hurley

All Saints Church

St. Joseph School

MAR 31 | Juan Parlo V. Tabang

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Notre Dame High School

TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C A T HO L I C

APR 11 | Michele Halstead

This year, calendar sales raised more than $100,000 for tuition assistance for our 10 schools.

www.di o k no x .o rg

APRIL 7, 2019 n A17

Morocco continued from page A5

to a program by the king to regularize the migrants present in the country.

The way a country treats migrants and refugees says something about what its people think is “the value of each human life,” the pope said.

“Every human being has the right to life,” he said. “Every person has the right to dream and to find his or her rightful place in our common home.

Every person has a right to a future.”

Economic indicators alone cannot measure a nation’s progress, he said.

“It depends above all on our openness to being touched and moved by those who knock at our door. Their Memphis continued from page A7

Bishop Talley received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Auburn University and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Georgia. He worked as a social worker for several years before becoming a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, studying at St. Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Ind. He also has a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He was presiding over confirmations Feb. 9 when he received a call from Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio, Bishop Talley said at the news conference.

When Archbishop Pierre informed him of his new appointment, “I was in shock. I said yes immediately to the Holy Father and his nuncio. But I

faces shatter and debunk all those false idols that can take over and enslave our lives; idols that promise an illusory and momentary happiness blind to the lives and sufferings of others,” he said. “How arid and inhospitable a city becomes, once it loses the capacity for compassion,” it becomes “a heartless society....”

Pope Francis repeated his frequent appeal to the global community to do more to assist poor countries so people do not feel forced to migrate and to expand the pathways that would allow migrants and refugees to move to a new country legally and safely.

Until that happens, he said, “the

emergency of irregular migration has to be met with justice, solidarity, and mercy,” adding that “forms of collective expulsion, which do not allow for the suitable treatment of individual cases, are unacceptable.”

Governments, churches, and other institutions also must do more to help newcomers and longtime residents get to know each other and learn about each other’s cultures. When people know nothing of the other, he said, it is natural to “raise barriers to defend ourselves,” but people of good will should fight the temptation to be “conditioned by fear and ignorance.”

Celebrating Mass with members of

Morocco’s tiny Catholic community, Pope Francis praised them for the many ways they “bear witness to the Gospel of mercy in this land.”

At the Mass March 31 in an arena at Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, the pope honored the way that Catholics, although much less than 1 percent of the population, reach out to help their Muslim brothers and sisters and the thousands of migrants who pass through, hoping to reach Europe.

“I encourage you to continue to let the culture of mercy grow, a culture in which no one looks at others with indifference, or averts his eyes in the face of their suffering,” he said. ■

was reeling,” Bishop Talley said.

“I had been in Alexandria for two-and-a-half years and we were just getting our wings. He heard my shock,” the bishop added, and Archbishop Pierre suggested he call Archbishop Kurtz, who is the metropolitan for the province of Louisville, which includes the three dioceses of Tennessee and the four Kentucky dioceses.

“From that day, he’s done everything he can to support me and prepare me for this day. So publicly today I want to thank Archbishop Kurtz,” Bishop Talley said.

Bishop Talley also thanked Pope Francis and Archbishop Pierre. “He loves our bishops,” he said of the apostolic nuncio.

The new Memphis bishop said he had not yet visited the Memphis

grave of Sister Thea Bowman, who is being considered for sainthood, “But I will.”

He also pledged to visit the National Civil Rights Museum in the Lorraine Hotel, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968.

“From the time I was a tiny little Baptist boy, Dr. King was a hero of mine,” Bishop Talley said. “He was then, he is now. He is a mentor for me about how you take the Gospel into the streets to bring about justice.”

Bishop Talley takes over a diocese demoralized after the two-year tenure of Bishop Holley, who was forced to resign by Pope Francis for mismanagement.

According to a report in the Commercial Appeal, Memphis’ daily newspaper, Bishop Talley promised

to begin healing the diocese by listening.

The paper quoted him as saying, “Usually, when people have gone under crisis or stress and it’s held in and not expressed, there is tension and stress in that. I don’t come here to fix anything. We have a Savior and He brings us together. My work is to be one instrument of His.” The Diocese of Memphis comprises 10,682 square miles. Out of a total population of over 1.5 million, about 60,320, or 4 percent, are Catholic.

The Diocese of Memphis was established in 1971, carved out of the Diocese of Nashville, which before then included the entire state of Tennessee. The Diocese of Memphis includes the western third of the state, roughly between the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers. ■

structure in place to deal with bishops accused of abuse or of negligence in handling abuse claims.

His “metropolitan model” of accountability would rely on the metropolitan archbishop of a Church region receiving claims made against a bishop and conducting an initial investigation with the help of qualified lay experts before turning the information over to the Vatican for further action.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops currently is investigating the possibility of such a model.

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, who is president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, told Catholic News

Service Feb. 24 that it would be up to the full body of bishops to decide how to proceed, but he would not be surprised if they came up with a proposal that would combine a metropolitan-level system with a lay board to assist the metropolitan.

“In our proposals, the work of the laity will be to collaborate,” which is something all the speakers at the summit emphasized, Cardinal DiNardo said. “We want to make sure the laity are involved” in a way that would give them a level of independence to investigated claims against bishops while, at the same time, making it clear the board is acting on behalf of the Church.

In her presentation to the summit

Feb. 22, Linda Ghisoni, a canon lawyer who serves as a consultant for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and is undersecretary for laity at the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, urged the pope to consider a revision of the “pontifical secret” covering canonical procedures and trials of clerics accused of abuse.

Ms. Ghisoni’s suggestion was echoed by others, who insisted that while the accused have a right to a presumption of innocence and victims have a right to anonymity, the names of clerics found guilty of abuse, the crimes of which they were found guilty, and their punishments should be made known, at least to the victims who brought the case.

German Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising, who spoke to the bishops about the importance of transparency, including in allowing police and prosecutors access to diocesan records, agreed with Ms. Ghisoni. He said he saw no convincing reason why the “pontifical secret” should apply “to the prosecution of criminal offenses concerning the abuse of minors.”

One of the stronger presentations on transparency was the meeting’s last speech, delivered by Mexican television journalist Valentina Alazraki.

Journalists are not the enemy of the Church, she said, unless members of the Church are abusing children or covering up such abuse. ■

President Donald Trump is trying to complete along the U.S.-Mexican border.

“Those who build walls will end up being prisoners in the walls they’ve built,” he said. “The builders of walls, whether they are razor wire or bricks, will end up being prisoners.”

A Spanish reporter, he said, recently brought him a piece of razor wire. “Sincerely, I was bothered and when he left I cried. It just never entered my mind” that someone would design a fence that would tear the flesh of someone who tried to climb over it.

“This is not the way to resolve the serious problem of migration,” the pope said. “I understand a government with this problem is holding a hot potato, but it must resolve it humanely. ... I saw that razor wire and I couldn’t believe it.”

Asked about Catholics who vote for politicians espousing strict anti-immigrant policies, Pope Francis said most of them “are a bit taken by the fear that is the normal

preaching of populists.”

But, “fear is the beginning of dictatorship,” he said, pointing to the example of the end of Germany’s Weimar Republic and the “promises and fear” that led to Adolf Hitler’s election and the rise of Nazi Germany. “Let’s learn from

history.”

Pope Francis also insisted that European and other countries around the world that sell the weapons that lead to war cannot then refuse to accept the migrants and refugees fleeing the fighting and the poverty and hunger that go with war. ■

Pope continued from page A6

and seek war” more than peace.

In response to a question about the many Muslim-majority countries where freedom of worship is respected, but legal or social pressures prevent Muslims from converting to Christianity, Pope Francis insisted freedom is a concept that grows over time.

In fact, he said, there are still Catholics who strongly oppose the Second Vatican Council’s teaching on religious freedom and its insistence that even non-Christians have a right to follow their consciences.

In many so-called Christian countries, he added, doctors and other medical personnel do not have a legal right to conscientiously object to euthanasia, for example.

“Removing freedom of conscience is the first step to losing the freedom of religion,” he said.

Another reporter asked Pope Francis about the wire fence, topped with razor wire, that separates Morocco from two Spanish enclaves and about the wall U.S. A18 n APRIL 7, 2019

CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA

Summit continued from page A6

any nostalgia for the coercive measures of the Inquisition” — to force priests to cooperate with investigations and obey when punishment has been imposed.

Throughout the summit, bishops and other speakers tried to identify attitudes and issues that have contributed to the Catholic Church’s sex abuse crisis; repeatedly they pointed to “clericalism,” and especially an attitude that allows priests and bishops to think that they were somehow special and above the law and common human decency.

To understand the full depth of the crisis, Colombian Cardinal Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogotá said Feb. 21 bishops must stop looking at outsiders as the cause of the damage within the Church and recognize that “the first enemies are within us, among us bishops and priests and consecrated persons who have not lived up to our vocation.”

Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, India, told the gathering Feb. 22 that, as members of the College of Bishops, each bishop in every part of the world has a responsibility to root out abuse everywhere and that each bishop has a moral obligation to “point out honestly to our brother bishops or priests when we notice problematic behavior in them.”

Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago, one of the summit organizers, told the gathering he believed the Catholic Church needed a new

In conclusion Pope Francis speaks at the conclusion of a Mass in the Vatican on the final day of a meeting on the protection of minors in the Catholic Church on Feb. 24.

Sr. Regina

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