April 7, 2024, ET Catholic, A section

Paulists celebrate 50 years in Knoxville

Religious order remains committed to ministry in East Tennessee

By Gabrielle Nolan

On March 9, the members of Immaculate Conception and St. John XXIII parishes had two reasons to celebrate. Not only were the Paulist Fathers marking 50 years of service in the Diocese of Knoxville, but the order also announced that it is looking forward to maintaining its presence within the diocese for years to come.

“Thank you all for ministering with us for these past 50 years in Knoxville,” said Paulist president René Constanza. “You have the DNA of the Paulists in you; you know who we are. And so it gives me great pleasure to say that our presence and ministry here in Knoxville is not over, and we continue looking forward to many more years.”

A message released by the Paulist Fathers in February indicated that Paulist priests would be removed from some parishes the order staffs around the country due to the order’s aging priest popula -

Ad multos annos! Priests of the Paulist Fathers celebrated the order's 50th anniversary in the Diocese of Knoxville March 9-10. The Paulists who took part in the anniversary celebration were from left, Fathers Jim Haley, Tim Sullivan, Michael Kallock, Joe Ciccone, Richard Whitney, Ron Franco, René Constanza, Charlie Donahue, Jerry Tully, Rich Andre, Donald Andrie, Robert O'Donnell, Eric Andrews, and Deacon Dan Macalinao

tion and an estimated shortage of active-ministry priests within the next 10 years.

A March 13 press release from

the Paulist Fathers confirmed the fact that their presence would remain in Knoxville. Instead, the Paulists announced their depar-

ture from Newman Hall Holy Spirit Parish in Berkeley, Calif., as well as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.

The press release also announced that “three of the worshiping communities served by the society will transition from a model of being staffed by two full-time, active Paulist priests to being served by one full-time priest, assisted by local Paulists in senior ministry.”

One of these communities is Immaculate Conception Parish in Knoxville.

A weekend to rejoice

For the March 9-10 weekend, Paulist priests who previously served at either Immaculate Conception or St. John XXIII parishes returned to celebrate the various Masses at each church.

The Paulists’ celebration event took place at The Foundry, an event venue near downtown Knoxville. Although the celebration took place during Lent, it

Singing the goodness of the Lord

Archbishop Fabre celebrates Chrism Mass to begin Holy Week observances

By Dan McWilliams

Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre addressed most of his Chrism Mass homily to his brother priests of the Diocese of Knoxville as a sign of their unity as one presbyterate, “hoping and praying that all the grace and peace of this Mass, this celebration of priesthood, be yours in great abundance . . . even as we fervently pray for a new shepherd, a new bishop, for this wonderful diocese.”

The Chrism Mass took place on March 25, a Monday this year to allow Archbishop Fabre—apostolic administrator of the diocese—to celebrate the same liturgy with his Archdiocese of Louisville faithful the next night. The Mass before a filled Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was one of many Holy Week events throughout the diocese from Palm Sunday on March 24 to Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday services March 30 and 31. The week included the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday and the Good Friday service, as well as Tenebrae services at several churches.

Nearly 400 people entered the Church in East Tennessee at Easter Vigil Masses around the diocese. That included 126 catechumens, who received the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and first Holy Communion at the vigil, and 262 candidates, already-baptized Christians who received the sacraments of confirmation and first Communion at the vigil. “My dear friends in Christ, what an honor and a joy it is for me to join you for this Chrism Mass here in the Diocese of Knoxville as we enter fully into this Holy Week,” Archbishop Fabre said in his greeting. “As you know, this Mass is a sign of our union and unity as a diocese, as a presbyterate—a sign of our union and unity with the universal Church. And in this Chrism Mass, we bless the oils that will be used throughout the Diocese of Knoxville for the coming year. The Lord truly desires to encounter us in word and sacrament,

so let us therefore go forth to meet Him.”

The archbishop also heard the priests’ renewal of their commitment to priestly service at the annual liturgy.

Archbishop Fabre was the principal celebrant of the Chrism Mass. Principal concelebrants were cathedral rector Father David Boettner; moderator of the curia Father Doug Owens, also pastor of All Saints Parish in Knoxville; Father Michael Cummins, pastor of St. Dominic in Kingsport; and Father Michael Nolan, pastor of St. Thérèse of Lisieux

in Cleveland.

Consecrating the chrism

Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre consecrates the sacred chrism during the Chrism Mass on March 25 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Archbishop Fabre also blessed the oils of the sick and the catechumens during the Chrism Mass liturgy. Sixty-five priests and 39 deacons took part in the Mass and more than 30 men and women religious were present.

Assisting deacons were two diocesan seminarians: Deacon Michael Willey, who was deacon of the Word, and Deacon Bo Beaty, who was deacon of the altar. Both, along with Deacon Daniel Herman, will be ordained priests by Archbishop Fabre on June 8 at the cathedral. Deacon Hicks Armor and Deacon Walt Otey were masters of ceremonies.

An additional 65 priests from throughout the diocese concelebrated, and 39 deacons attended. More than 30 men and women reChrism Mass continued on page A10

GABRIELLE NOLAN

Too few in the pew

Gallup Poll says only 30 percent of adults regularly attend religious services

By Gina Christian OSV News

The pews may have been a bit more crowded at Mass this Easter. But on balance, regular church attendance in the United States continues to decline across the board, particularly among Catholics.

Gallup Poll results released on March 25 show that just three in 10 U.S. adults attend religious services regularly, 21 percent every week and 9 percent almost every week.

A reported 11 percent attend religious services about once a month, while 25 percent seldom and 31 percent never attend.

The survey was based on cell and landline telephone interviews from a number of Gallup polls conducted in 2021-23 among 32,445 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Topping the list of the most ob-

Sr. Regina

servant adherents are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the Mormon Church), with two-thirds saying they attend church weekly or almost weekly.

The Handmaids of the Precious Blood this year celebrate the 77th year since their founding in 1947; more than three-quarters of a century of prayer and sacrifice for priests. To receive weekly cartoons and short reflections and news from the Handmaids of the Precious Blood, visit their website, nunsforpriests.org, and sign up for the FIAT newsletter.

April prayer intention for the role of women

“We pray that the dignity and immense value of women be recognized in every culture, and for the end of discrimination that they experience in different parts of the world.”

Pope Francis

Twenty years ago, “an average of 42 percent of U.S. adults attended religious services every week or nearly every week,” according to Gallup.

The polling fi rm also observed that “among religious groups, Catholics show one of the larger drops in attendance (over the past two decades), from 45 percent to 33 percent, while there are slightly smaller decreases among Orthodox (9 percentage points) and Hindu followers ( 8 points).”

Gallup said the general decline in religious service attendance among U.S. residents “is largely driven by the increase in the percentage of Americans with no religious affi liation 9 percent in 2000-03 versus 21 percent in 202123 almost all of whom do not attend services regularly.”

At the same time, “Muslim and

Forty-four percent of Protestant and nondenominational Christians attend services regularly, followed by 38 percent of Muslims and 33 percent of Catholics. Gallup said that “majorities of Jewish, Orthodox, Buddhist, and Hindu Americans say they seldom or never attend religious services.”

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

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

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

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

Education is a key

element of the Safe Environment Program

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

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

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

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

n Annual review of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Policy and Procedures Relating to Sexual Misconduct;

n CMG Connect Safe Haven training program to be completed every five years;

n Criminal background check to be completed every five years.

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

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

© 2024 Handmaids of the Precious Blood

Mass Mob People pray during Mass in April 2016 at Holy Redeemer Church in Detroit. The Mass was the site of a "Mass Mob" event, an evangelization effort aimed at boosting regular Mass attendance.

Catholic convert-soccer star scores one for moms and babies

Charlotte professional player glorifies God, and it's apparent in game against Knoxville

By SueAnn Howell National Catholic Register

Iadmit I don’t know much about soccer, but when Catholic convert and professional soccer player Clay Dimick scored a thrilling goal late in his team’s home opener March 16 against One Knoxville SC. I jumped and screamed like all of his supporters—especially because I knew it was more than just for kicks for the Charlotte Independence team captain.

Mr. Dimick took to the field at Memorial Stadium that night wearing cleats specially designed to showcase MiraVia, our local nonprofit that provides a safe haven for pregnant college students and a source of hope for moms in the community—a cause that is dear to him—as part of the “Cleats for a Cause” initiative.

The soccer phenom, who was adopted, told me, “My birth mom was also a college student when she gave birth to me, and seeing MiraVia bless so many mothers and children in such a similar situation was truly special.”

Designed by artist Jaylin Roman, we were in awe as Clay’s cleats shone under the bright stadium lights, showcasing vibrant shades of Marian blue, MiraVia’s logo with an eightpointed gold star, and the words “A Miraculous Way for Moms,” giving a nod to our apostolate’s name, which means, “Miraculous Way” in Latin.

Alumnus of MiraVia’s home turf

The soccer player is an alumnus of Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C., where our college residence has been welcoming pregnant college students for more than a decade. He played soccer for Belmont Abbey, attending the college from 2013-16, when MiraVia’s residence was new.

He met several MiraVia moms in his time at the abbey, including Grace Mitchell, one of MiraVia’s moms who graduated from Belmont Abbey and the college-residence program who now works at our residence, mentoring current student moms.

“When we met, he shared a little about his story of being adopted and how beautiful it was that I had chosen life for my son. He even got a little emotional,” Mrs. Mitchell shared with me.

They ended up becoming close friends over the years. Mrs. Mitchell is now married, and Dimick is mar-

ried with two sons—and he and his wife are Mrs. Mitchell’s youngest child’s godparents.

Mr. Dimick told me he is encouraged by the way the Benedictine

monks of Belmont Abbey and the college community have responded to the student moms who, over the years, have hailed from nine different states and 12 colleges.

“I think the way Abbot Placid Solari, the monastic community, and the [Belmont] Abbey family welcomes the young mothers at MiraVia is … Christ’s love exemplified. The way the whole community rallies around these brave and wonderful mothers is very encouraging,” he said.

Abbot Placid, Belmont Abbey College’s chancellor, expressed similar sentiments to me when our residence celebrated its 10th anniversary, saying, “I am very happy with the outreach of our monastery and college communities in supporting MiraVia. A commitment to the sanctity of human life needs to include effective programs to meet the needs of vulnerable women facing unplanned pregnancies. This is especially the case with young college women.”

A conversion of heart

Mr. Dimick admitted to me that, during his time in college, he was focused on soccer and enjoying college life. “I was not Catholic at the time; in fact, I was not even sure what the Catholic Church was or believed in. During my time at the Abbey, I came to know Jesus and his Church on a deeper level,” he said.

He had such a conversion of heart that, just after graduating, he entered the Catholic Church. “I could not be more grateful for the truth being revealed to me,” he emphasized.

When asked about Mr. Dimick, Bill Thierfelder, president of Belmont Abbey College, said, “Clay Dimick is a champion in body, mind, and soul! His education, and especially his formation, at Belmont Abbey College, helped him to become the man and athlete of virtue that he is today.”

“The remarkable talent, sacrifice, and fidelity of John Keating, our head men’s soccer coach, was a major reason Clay excelled on and off the field of play,” Mr. Thierfelder explained.

“John talked the talk and walked the walk as a devout Catholic husband, father, and coach, which inspired Clay to look where John was looking: at Jesus Christ. Clay’s conversion to Catholicism was due to God’s grace and mercy, which placed John Keating in his life, and I am counting on Clay to pay it forward,” Mr. Thierfelder said.

A17

Pope Francis and conclave secrecy: Did Holy Father violate confidentiality?

By Father Raymond J. de Souza National Catholic Register

In an interview book released in Spanish, Pope Francis revealed details, including voting results, from the 2005 conclave. Did the Holy Father violate the obligations of conclave secrecy?

Yes and no. It’s an issue that sheds light on a wider issue in the Church, namely, the limits of law on papal power.

Pope Francis revealed that “Ratzinger was my candidate” in 2005, but that there was a group attempting a “complete maneuver,” in which votes for Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio would block Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.

“They were using me, but behind them they were already thinking about proposing another cardinal. They still couldn’t agree on who, but they were already on the verge of throwing out a name,” Pope Francis told Spanish journalist Javier MartínezBrocal for the book The Successor Excerpts were published by the Spanish newspaper ABC on Easter Sunday. The book has not been released in English. Regarding the strict confidentiality of what goes on in a conclave, Pope Francis said that while cardinals are sworn to secrecy regarding conclave proceedings, “the popes have license to tell it.”

Is that correct? Or is it a version of what former president Richard Nixon infamously told British television host David Frost, “When the president does it, that means it is not illegal”?

The conclave is governed by the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis , promulgated in 1996 by St. John Paul II and amended by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 and 2013. Regarding secrecy, the cardinals in the conclave must swear the following oath: “In a particular way, we promise and swear to observe with the greatest fidelity and with all

persons, clerical or lay, secrecy regarding everything that in any way relates to the election of the Roman Pontiff and regarding what occurs in the place of the election, directly or indirectly related to the results of the voting; we promise and swear not to break this secret in any way, either during or after the election of the new Pontiff, unless explicit authorization is granted by the same Pontiff ...” (53). It would thus seem that Cardinal Bergoglio, who took the oath in 2005, swore not to “break this secret in any way, either during

or after the election.” The only permission to do so would have to come from the “new Pontiff,” namely Benedict XVI. Thus, given his comments in The Successor , the reader must assume that Pope Francis got “explicit authorization” from Benedict at some point after the 2005 conclave.

The text of Paragraph 53 makes it clear that it is the “new Pontiff” who can grant authorization about the conclave in which he was elected. Thus, Pope Francis is right that he “has license” to speak about the 2013 conclave in which he was elected. But about 2005, he does not, on a plain reading of Paragraph 53, unless he received authorization from Benedict.

It would be unremarkable if Benedict did give that authorization. The anomaly of the “two popes” may well have led Benedict to grant Francis authority to speak about the conclave of 2005 in addition to the right he already had to speak about the 2013 conclave. One can easily imagine a situation in which a reigning pope may wish to discuss something about a prior conclave that is relevant to a matter at hand. In the case of authorization from Benedict, it would have been helpful if The Successor made

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE PHOTO/PAUL HARING

The successor Pope Francis, right, greets retired Pope Benedict XVI during an encounter for the elderly in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Sept. 28, 2014.

GOALLLLLLLLLLLLL! Clay Dimick, captain for the Charlotte Independence professional men's soccer team, and his teammates celebrate his hard-won goal late in the season home opener March 16. Charlotte lost to Knoxville 2-1.

COURTESY OF NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER/SUEANN HOWELL

Fan support Grace Mitchell, her husband, Joseph, and their youngest child, Ava, cheer on their friend Clay Dimick during the Charlotte Independence home opener against One Knoxville SC on March 16. Soccer continued on page

Being a vessel for God ’

New

By Gabrielle Nolan

Most Christians are familiar with the male prophets of the Bible, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, or Malachi. But how many know about their female counterparts?

Daughter, Hear My Call: A Study of Women Prophets in the Bible by Emily Booker aims to highlight the stories of these remarkable women found in sacred Scripture.

The Bible study, which Ms. Booker self-published in February, is sold at The Paraclete, 417 Erin Drive on the campus of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, and through Amazon.

Ms. Booker has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Tennessee Tech University and a master of liberal arts degree in community studies from East Tennessee State University. She currently serves the Diocese of Knoxville’s communications office as a digital media producer.

“I’ve always enjoyed writing,” she shared. “I have a background in journalism, and I’ve always written on the side. So, I have a lot of writing background, but this is my first book.”

A convert from Protestantism, Ms. Booker was raised Presbyterian and joined the Catholic Church in 2012. She is a parishioner at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville

“The Eucharist is definitely what drew me to the Church, belief in the Eucharist and that reality,” she said. “I take a lot of comfort in the fact that there’s this lineage of tradition that we can trace back to Christ. … I’ve always had a deep faith in Christ, though. I was raised in a really strong faith. Jesus has al-

ways been really close to me.”

In 2020, Ms. Booker began leading a weekly women’s young adult Bible study group at the cathedral.

“There were a lot of new people at the time, there was a big time of transition, and we were trying to decide what to study,” she said. “We were having difficulty because a lot of the Bible studies we had available didn’t really suit the needs of what the group wanted. We didn’t want to do a video series because we liked being able to get together and discuss the content as we went. A lot of the other books weren’t very focused on actually studying the Bible, and we wanted to learn a lot more about the Bible.”

Ms. Booker decided to do her own research and condense notes from various books into a Bible study she could present to her group.

“So, I kind of had a layout, a format that later became this

book, from that Bible study,” she explained.

The Bible study proved successful as it began to spread among other young women.

“One of the girls from that study went to Texas for grad school, and she borrowed that study and led it there. And one of her girls went to grad school somewhere else, and also wanted to lead it, and that’s when she reached out to me and was like, you know we’re sharing this around and … it’s kind of gaining traction being passed around, so maybe you should flesh it out more. Because it was just my notes for me and her. She was like, maybe you should flesh it out more and publish it, so that’s how this past year I started fleshing it out and went toward publishing it,” Ms. Booker said.

The book invites readers into the stories of Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, Esther, Judith, Anna, and Philip the Evangelist’s four daughters.

Each chapter includes a verse from Scripture, historical context for the female prophet, recommended Scripture readings, a reflection, discussion questions, and a prayer.

Ms. Booker chose the various women prophets for her book after conducting research from both Jewish tradition and the Bible. She relied on several books during the formation of her study, including The Female Prophets of the Bible by Debra Moody Bass and Women Prophets of the Old Testament by Kieran Larkin.

“ Women Prophets of the Old Testament had a list and talked about how in the Jewish culture there are some women they consider prophets that are explicitly named prophets in the Bible, like Sarah,” she said. “So, I had that list from what Jewish tradition has as some of their prophets that aren’t explicitly named prophets, and then there are also people who are explicitly named prophets, like Anna. So, I had a list of all those women.”

“There are a few that I didn’t include in the book, like Isaiah’s wife, just because I didn’t feel comfortable enough that I had enough background, or it wasn’t as interesting to the group when we just kind of had to pare it down for 12 weeks for our study,” Ms. Booker continued. “So, we chose the women from either a theme listed in Jewish tradition in regards to the Old Testament women, or explicitly named as a prophet in the Bible.”

The Bible study is not an overtly Catholic one, though it makes references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and includes the Book of Judith, which is not in-

Book continued on page A22

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GABRIELLE NOLAN

Hearing their call Emily Booker shows her new book, "Daughter, Hear My Call: A Study of Women Prophets," which has recently been published. The book serves as a Bible study and is growing in popularity with Catholic and Protestant congregations. The book is available at The Paraclete and on Amazon.

Annual retreat caters to Catholic health-care professionals across diocese ‘ Bring healing at every level ’

By Gabrielle Nolan

Catholic health-care professionals attended a Lenten retreat on Feb. 17 hosted at the Chancery in Knoxville by the local Catholic Medical Association St. Gianna Guild.

The retreat, titled “Walking Lent with the Divine Physician,” included talks, Mass, confession, lunch, adoration, and a special presentation by the pro-life organization Her PLAN.

Father Adam Royal, parochial vicar at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City, serves as the chaplain for the guild and presented three talks for the retreat.

Christ the Sacrament

In Father Royal’s first talk, “Christ the Sacrament,” he referenced Mark 1:29-31, which is the story of Jesus healing Simon Peter’s mother-in-law from a fever.

“I think this is a very important passage, especially for us as Catholics, because I think a lot of our sacramental theology itself flows from this one passage, and that can often surprise us,” he said.

“So, we look at that scene at the base level, it seems like most any miracle that Jesus performs,” Father Royal continued. “He points out to them there’s someone sick and suffering, He goes in, He fixes the problem, and everybody kind of moves on. There’s something else going on in this scene: Jesus does something here that He does not always do. And that is, He reaches out, He grabs her by the hand, and picks her up. That’s a very powerful kind of scene. Jesus doesn’t have to do that. He doesn’t have to be near someone to heal them. He can heal them

Healing for the healers Father Adam

from anywhere that He wants. We remember that fact at every Mass when we say that prayer, ‘Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.’”

Father Royal said that grabbing someone by the hand is a “distinctively human act.”

“It’s something that really kind of touches us at a different level that we don’t always experience,” he said. “It reassures us of the presence of another person, and that’s important in a moment of suffering. If you think about suffering and illness, it’s a very isolating experience. Think back to the last time you were sick. You couldn’t convey to the people around you exactly what was going on within you. No matter how hard you try, you can’t get them in the midst of that suffering, and you really want to, which is something somewhat unique to suffering.”

Father Royal mentioned how easy it is to think only about

U.S. Church faces changes as bishop appointments stall

By Michael R. Heinlein OSV News

Change looms on the horizon for the American hierarchy.

And the anticipation continues to build as the appointment of Latin Church bishops in the United States has seriously stalled out over the last year or so.

With Milwaukee Archbishop

Jerome E. Listecki turning 75 on March 12, there are now 19 dioceses 12 with bishops serving past retirement age and seven vacancies in the U.S. Latin Church awaiting the appointment of a diocesan bishop, also called an “ordinary” in the Church’s law.

Only one Latin Church ordinary has been appointed in the last six months, in addition to the appointment of five auxiliary bishops in the same time one of whom was Bishop Jeffrey M. Monforton, a Detroit Archdiocese auxiliary bishop who headed the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio, from 2012 to 2023.

The last year has seen an early end to a number of episcopal tenures in the United States, as several active diocesan bishops retired early or died prematurely.

Bishop Peter M. Muhich, 62, bishop of Rapid City, S.D., since 2020, died of cancer on Feb. 17.

Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, 63, bishop of Houma-Thibodaux, La., for just under a year, died Jan. 19 of an unspecified liver disease diagnosed not long before his death.

In addition to Bishop Monforton, there also have been premature departures for a few other diocesan bishops within the last year.

Bishop Richard F. Stika retired from leading the Diocese of Knoxville in June 2023 at age 65 owing to health complications. He also faced two lawsuits accusing him of

mishandling sexual abuse accusations in his diocese.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland, 65, bishop of Tyler, Texas, since 2012, was removed from office on Nov. 11 after an apostolic visitation following the bishop’s social media posts in May accusing Pope Francis of “undermining the deposit of faith.”

The sole appointment of a Latin diocesan ordinary in the past six months was announced in Portland, Maine, on Feb. 13, where Bishop-designate James T. Ruggieri, a pastor in the Diocese of Providence, R.I., will be ordained a bishop in May.

There are 12 American diocesan bishops who remain serving as ordinaries past 75, the age bishops are required by Church law to submit their resignation to the pope. Four of the 11 are metropolitan archbishops, including Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley of Boston and Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory of Washington, D.C.

In 2024, the American episcopate will see 15 ordinaries reach retirement age, eight of whom are metropolitan archbishops, including two cardinals: Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago and Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of GalvestonHouston. And 2025 is set for 14 American diocesan ordinaries to reach retirement age, six of whom are metropolitan archbishops, including Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York and Archbishop Roberto O. González Nieves of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

It is not uncommon that bishops remain in office for a year or two after reaching 75. Questions emerge about how healthy it is for a diocese to have a lame duck bishop in office too long, though,

Bishops continued on page A16

Jesus’ divinity rather than His humanity.

“He’s beginning the process of healing just by reaching out and touching her. He's touching her at a human level,” he said. “And yes, His divinity is fully present with Him, but He’s fully human, too. And when He goes to a life and tries to offer healing to them, He reaches them at every level of who they are. And in that moment when she’s lying in bed sick and probably feeling very isolated and alone, unable to offer her experience to those around her, Christ reaches out His hand and begins to take on some of her burden as well. That’s where the healing starts for her, and it doesn’t end there, of course. He picks her up, and this is where the divinity kicks in, and the fever flees; He gives her the healing that she so desperately wants.”

Father Royal said that when Christ steps into a situation combining His humanity and divinity, the best way to look at that

is “Christ is a sacrament in those moments.”

“He is the central point for the divine and human realms to intersect and become perfectly united together, and that’s what He is carrying to His every encounter,” he explained. “That’s what He’s offering to Simon’s mother-in-law in this moment, is the sacrament. He’s bringing to her healing not only at a human level, at every aspect of who she is body and soul, but He’s bringing also divine healing into that moment.”

Not only does Christ solve the problem at the surface level, but He goes to the root of the problem, Father Royal noted.

“When Christ is offered to us in the Eucharist or any other sacrament, He’s going to go a lot deeper. He’s going to go down to where the real problems are and try and bring healing in those places. That’s what He brings to us. And I think it's what we have to begin to see as our own ministries, in a sense, especially as healers. That’s what you want to do. Your job, what you’re paid for, is to fix some kind of surface-level issue, whatever they’re complaining about. But as Christians, as those who follow Christ, your real role is to bring healing at every level in the same way that He did. So, we have to remember that when we go to encounter people, no matter what they’re saying, there’s a whole lot more going on. That when they’re lying there, they are suffering, they are alone, they are isolated. They want to share that with you, they want you to help them carry that burden in that moment in addition to everything else that you have to do for them.”

Heal continued on page A23

GABRIELLE NOLAN

Royal, parochial vicar at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City, delivers the message to Diocese of Knoxville health-care professionals during a Lenten retreat on Feb. 17 hosted at the Chancery by the local Catholic Medical Association St. Gianna Guild.

Why Water? Understanding the Importance of Providing Safe Water to Haiti’s Poorest Families

In Haiti’s rural communities, water is often collected from murky ponds or other contaminated sources. It can be tainted with animal waste or teeming with bacteria and harmful parasites. For the poor, who must rely on this water, one drink can lead to serious illnesses, and infants and very young children are at the greatest risk.

Few of us think about water much. We want some, and we turn a tap. We drink it, and we expect to feel refreshed. Water isn’t something we worry about, and with good reason. We are blessed to have safe, clean water at our fingertips.

Unfortunately, millions of families in developing countries — Haiti among them — are far less fortunate. For them, water must be found, it is rarely clean, and it can pose serious dangers if they don’t take precautions before drinking it. This is because poor families often rely on collected rain or murky streams — water sources that are almost inevitably contaminated with bacteria and parasites that cause disease.

“That is why Father Glenn Meaux has made providing safe water to the people of Kobonal, Haiti, a priority,” explained Jim Cavnar, CEO of Cross Catholic Outreach, one of the largest Catholic charities serving in Haiti. For years, Cavnar’s ministry has partnered with Kobonal missionary Fr. Meaux to address the plight of the poor in Haiti by funding feeding programs, housing projects, educational outreaches, water projects and more. “It may surprise some American

Catholics, but providing safe water can literally be a lifesaving measure in a remote community. In fact, one of the first projects we did with Fr. Meaux involved capping a spring to bring clean water to a town that had lost a tragic number of children to illnesses caused by contaminated water,” Cavnar said. “Fr. Meaux had seen them carrying a child’s coffin down the hillside and was shocked to learn local families were losing babies and toddlers to unsafe water every month. He contacted us to see whether something could be done, and we rallied support from American Catholics to fund the water project he needed. This gift to the community has probably saved dozens of lives since then.”

The impact of unsafe water goes further, affecting older children and adults too, according to Cavnar. “When an older child becomes ill, he or she often misses school. And sick adults can find it difficult to work steadily and secure a stable income. These may not seem like serious problems, but as sick days mount, the impact can be devastating. Children fall behind in their classwork or drop out of school entirely, losing the opportunities for advancement

that an education can bring. Their parents struggle to make ends meet, sometimes even finding it impossible to provide food each day. Once that downward spiral begins, it can lead to families falling into extreme poverty — and a real sense of hopelessness.”

Fortunately, modern technology can provide a solution if funding is available. Well-drilling rigs can be secured to reach safe water sources underground, and hand or solar pumps can be used to make water stations functional even when electricity isn’t available.

“We have had a lot of experience solving water scarcity problems and developing water delivery systems in remote areas,” Cavnar said. “The technology and skills are available if we can get the funding for the project work involved. That is why we are seeking support from American Catholics to help Fr. Meaux with his latest project — installing three new freshwater wells and repairing several other wells in his area.” (See story on opposite page.)

As Cavnar has said, managing major water projects is one of Cross Catholic Outreach’s areas of expertise, and he remains confident Fr. Meaux’s wells will be built, benefiting families who

pray for a safe drink.

“I believe we’ll succeed because Catholics in America often rally to accomplish missions of mercy like this,” he said. “They are eager to help others, particularly those with an urgent need. What matters to them is that their donations are used wisely and will produce an important, tangible benefit for the poor. They support water projects such as this one because they understand the value of safe water. They would want that for their own families, and their hearts go out to poor parents who must give their sons and daughters contaminated water to drink. I believe they will want to end that suffering and support a committed Catholic leader like Fr. Meaux.”

Readers interested in supporting Cross Catholic Outreach water programs and other outreaches to the poor can contribute through the ministry brochure inserted in this issue or send tax-deductible gifts to Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC03072, PO Box 97168, Washington, DC 20090-7168. The ministry has a special need for partners willing to make gifts on a monthly basis. Use the inserted brochure to become a Mission Partner.

Cross Catholic Outreach Introduces Catalog of Merciful Gifts To Provide Families With Unique Easter Almsgiving Options

The long-held tradition of almsgiving during Easter has always been a blessing to Catholic households. But there have been times when families longed for ways to extend their compassion to international communities, where the ravages of poverty are often more extreme. We know those needs exist. The challenge is in finding a way to connect U.S. Catholics with families and communities in dire need.

This year, the respected relief and development ministry Cross Catholic Outreach has offered a solution — its Easter Catalog of international mercy projects that need funded. Through the catalog, individuals, families and parishes can build homes, provide meals to combat malnutrition, sponsor educational scholarships for poor children, address urgent medical needs, and undertake many other acts of compassion — all under the supervision of respected Catholic leaders in the countries being served.

The opportunities listed in

the catalog span the globe, including missions of mercy in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Africa, and beyond.

“Just imagine the excitement of your children or grandchildren knowing they can help give another child a safe, new home,” said Michele Sagarino, president of Cross Catholic Outreach. “It’s so important as parents that we teach our little ones the importance of almsgiving and being God’s helpers here on earth. It’s a lesson that will bless them for a lifetime,

and it also will forever change the life of a person in need.”

This unique Easter Catalog is easy to access. Readers will find a link for it at the ministry’s website (CrossCatholic.org), or they can reach it directly by entering the web address CrossCatholic.org/ Easter.

“Easter gifts are a great way to share joy and love with family and friends,” said Sagarino. “Why stop there when we can share Christ’s light with the world?”

U.S. Catholics Rally Behind American Priest to Provide Safe Water in Rural Haiti

When Father Glenn Meaux and his missionary team arrived in Kobonal, Haiti, in 1989, he was deeply disturbed by the magnitude of poverty he saw there. Hardly anyone in this remote area owned the land their fragile huts occupied. No one grew gardens or raised animals. Very few employment opportunities existed for the unskilled, uneducated population, meaning very few families were able to earn money to buy food.

Currently, one of the mission’s main focuses is to bring clean water to the people of Kobonal, ending the need for families to collect unsafe water from remote sources.

Still, Fr. Meaux’s heart breaks every time he sees a mother or child living in a dilapidated hut or gathering water from a murky stream.

“There was no agriculture, there was no irrigation system, there was literally no hope at the time.”

Fr. Glenn Meaux Kobonal Haiti Mission

During the rainy season, women and children would gather water from the plentiful streams and rivers — but the water was visibly tainted. During the dry season, people resorted to digging holes in the sand in order to find water.

In addition to suffering from hunger and thirst, the people were starving for spiritual guidance. Entrenched in superstition, few had ever heard the name of Christ.

“There was no agriculture, there was no irrigation system, there was literally no hope at the time,” Fr. Meaux recalled.

This is the challenging ground in which the Kobonal Haiti Mission took root. And over the course of 35 years, the mission has worked marvels, helping hundreds of families improve their lives.

“Fr. Meaux has already given the best years of his life to the people of Haiti (see story on opposite page), but he always has his eyes forward, looking for the next thing he can do to help relieve the people’s suffering and increase their opportunities in life,” explained Jim Cavnar, CEO of Cross Catholic Outreach, a leading Catholic relief and development ministry that has partnered with Fr. Meaux for more than two decades. “Many people are aware of the wonderful things he’s done to address urgent needs, but his ultimate goals are to help break the cycle of poverty in this part of Haiti, lead families to Christ, and forever change the future for those he serves.”

Fr. Meaux stated his objectives even more simply.

“As Catholics, we must extend our hands to help our brothers and sisters in need,” he said.

“Women and children are often tasked with finding and collecting water, and the murky streams they draw from aren’t fit for animals, much less people,” Cavnar said. “At Cross Catholic Outreach, we work on many projects like this, obtaining donations from U.S. Catholics to pay for the equipment and organize the construction efforts involved. Our current goal is to help Fr. Meaux put in three clean-water wells and repair several existing wells. If we can accomplish this, it will positively impact 569 adults and 1,906 children who currently face the greatest challenges to their health and well-being. The people in these villages will use the water not only for drinking and cooking but also to sustain important gardens they depend on for food and income.”

According to Cavnar, the wells

will make use of freestanding hand pumps, and the families in each community will choose a leader to oversee and perform maintenance on the equipment. Each well will have a cement wall around it for security, and it will be available daily during specific hours of operation. The water will be free, but the benefiting families will be encouraged to contribute a token amount to a community fund that can be tapped whenever repairs are needed on the wells. Contributing in this way will give families a sense of ownership and pride in their community.

“Anticipation is mounting for this project, and volunteers have already stepped forward to offer their help with the construction of the wells. Now, all that’s needed are the funds for drilling, purchasing pumps, constructing a pump house to store supplies, and training community members to handle maintenance of the new facilities,” Cavnar said. “Our goal now is to make American Catholics aware of the project and gain their support.”

ABOVE: In Haiti’s rural communities, poor families are often forced to collect drinking water from unsafe sources, and they can suffer serious illnesses from waterborne parasites and diseases as a result. BELOW: Fr. Meaux has a plan to provide safe water, and American Catholics can support his efforts through contributions to Cross Catholic Outreach.

Chesterton Academy hires deputy headmaster

Jared Kimutis to teach, oversee student body, assist with faculty in new role

By Gabrielle Nolan

Knoxville’s Chesterton Academy of St. Margaret Clitherow, an independent Catholic high school in the classical tradition, has hired Jared Kimutis as deputy headmaster for the school.

In his role as deputy headmaster, which is classical terminology for assistant principal, Mr. Kimutis teaches, assists, and oversees the student body, helps with the formation of faculty, and oversees public relations, admissions, and donor relations.

“I’m teaching three different courses at the school,” said Mr. Kimutis, who accepted the appointment in January. “I’m teaching theology to the whole student body, and I love that. My training is in theology. I had started my college studies in engineering, and so I have a geometry course and a science-introduction to physics course that I’m teaching at the school right now. The long-term plan will be for me to focus on the theology in terms of teaching.”

Mr. Kimutis earned his undergraduate degree at Franciscan University of Steubenville, receiving a bachelor’s degree with a double major in theology and catechetics and a minor in Spanish. He later received a master’s degree in dogmatic theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn., as well as a master’s degree in educational leadership from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity (at Chesterton),” Mr. Kimutis said. “I’ve heard it said your whole life is preparation for the next step, and this certainly feels like that in a really profound way, that the Lord’s

been preparing me for this opportunity through my own upbringing, my attendance at Catholic schools growing up, and then also especially my time at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, where I studied theology and catechetics.”

Previously, Mr. Kimutis taught religion for 12 years at Knoxville Catholic High School from 2011-23.

“I have immense gratitude for my time there and for the students that I was privileged to teach and the faculty members that I was privileged to be friends with,” he shared. “And I also served as religion department chair for a few years at Knoxville Catholic High School and also assistant academic dean. I was a freshman class disciplinarian and student council moderator. So, all of those experiences really prepared me well for my current role.”

Mr. Kimutis felt called to teach high school-aged children because his own faith was ignited in high school after receiving the sacrament of confirmation. While

he saw many of his friends participate in the “party culture” common in public schools, he sought to grow closer to Jesus.

“So, I thought, wow, if I could reach high school-age students when they’re at this point, this pivotal point of making the choice for themselves about really following Jesus and being a lifelong disciple of Christ, I thought if I could influence even one student to follow Christ more closely for the rest of their life during their high school age, that it would all be worth it,” Mr. Kimutis said. “If one student makes it to heaven because of some kind of role that I’ve played, some kind of witness I’ve provided, I feel like that’s totally worth it.”

“I really do feel called to this age, and that’s why I’m so, so grateful to have had the privilege at Knoxville Catholic and now at Chesterton to be teaching high school students, such an exciting time of life where they’re really finding themselves and hopefully asking God who they’re created to be,” he con-

tinued. “They each have unique gifts and talents, and no two saints are exactly alike, and it’s really beautiful to watch the journey, especially watching from freshman year to senior year. Students change so much, and the hope is that they’re changing in good ways and for the better, that they’re growing.”

Mr. Kimutis is passionate about the combination of education and Catholicism.

“Education is meant to help someone have a more full experience of life, and one of my favorite quotes from Scripture is Jesus, it’s John, chapter 10, verse 10. He says, ‘I came so that they may have life and have it in abundance.’ So, real education is preparation for life. Even more, it’s preparation for eternal life, and eternal life begins here on earth, and then on into eternity with Jesus forever in heaven. And so, I believe that blend of Catholicism and education, the two have to go together. I believe genuine education is formation in becoming a saint. I heard that Pope John Paul II said that education is the single greatest ministry in the Church. That’s a strong quote from a strong saint,” Mr. Kimutis shared. “And so, what we’re doing in Catholic education is helping that fire of God’s love of the Holy Spirit in the souls of our students to be lit and to be guarded and to be increased.”

Mr. Kimutis is a parishioner at All Saints in Knoxville and is inspired by liturgical living, daily prayer, frequenting the sacraments, and his devotion to St. John Bosco, a patron of schoolchildren and youth.

“St. John Bosco is one of my favorite saints, and I would encourage anyone to learn more

Academic and fun Jared Kimutis, new deputy headmaster for the Chesterton Academy of St. Margaret Clitherow in Knoxville, leads Chesterton students in music at the school's facility on Rutledge Pike. The Chesterton Academy will be moving to a new classroom facility at 217 Fox Road in West Knoxville for the 2024-25 school year.

Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women

Invites you to join us for a Mass

of Remembrance

At the Mass of Remembrance each woman of the diocese who died between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024 is called by name. All are welcome to attend, especially the family and friends of the deceased women. www.kdccw.org

Friday, April 26, 2024

5:00 pm at All Saints Parish

620 N. Cedar Bluff Road, Knoxville, TN

We’d love to hear from YOU!

President Michelle Peckham… michelle.kdccw@gmail.com

-Chattanooga Deanery CCWTreasurer Pam Wilcoxon…pam61259@gmail.comCumberland Mt Deanery CCWPresident Karen Marabella-Miller…Kmiller068@yahoo.com

is:

-Five Rivers Deanery CCWPresident Kathy DeAngelis…krdeangelis@yahoo.com

-Smoky Mt Deanery CCWPresident Patricia Forde…patrforde@gmail.com

Holy Week in the Diocese of Knoxville

continued from page A1

ligious were present, including the Benedictines of Divine Will and the Benedictine Daughters of Divine Will, two contemplative communities who relocated from Italy to Blount County. They were welcomed into the diocese canonically in December 2022. Pat Stapleton and Blanca Palacios proclaimed the readings at the Chrism Mass.

Also attending were the Knights and Ladies of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. They included Alan and Sally Sefton, who are Knight and Dame Commanders of the pontifical Order of St. Gregory the Great.

The music ministry, led by cathedral director of music and liturgy Glenn Kahler, featured organist Dr. Byong Suk Moon and numerous cantors and instrumentalists.

Archbishop Fabre began his Chrism Mass homily by quoting from the responsorial psalm sung moments before.

“I am intrigued by the responsorial psalm antiphon that we just sang together: ‘forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord,’” he said. “On the surface, temptation might cause us to be apprehensive or even refuse to proclaim these words after the challenges that we have faced during past years.”

The archbishop cited the COVID-19 pandemic; ongoing wars in Ukraine, the Holy Land, Sudan, and “other places where there is no peace”; “growing international tensions between nations of the east and west”; “attacks against the dignity and sanctity of human life, such as abortion, racism, capital punishment, and homelessness”; natural disasters in

Receive the Holy Spirit Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre consecrates the sacred chrism during the Chrism Mass on March 25 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The archbishop breathes into the sacred chrism vessel to recall the spirit of God moving over the face of the waters at creation and Jesus' resurrection appearance to the disciples, where He breathed on them. Assisting Archbishop Fabre are seminarians A.J. Houston, right, and Michael Willey.

Tennessee and around the nation and world; and “increasing inflation, staggering grocery prices, and other economic and financial concerns.”

“After all these difficulties,” he added, “after the pain, after the stress, after the struggle, after the social unrest, we might ask the question: how can we forever sing the goodness of the Lord?”

Archbishop Fabre provided an answer.

“Our answer to this question roots itself in our very presence here today as people of faith, as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ,” he said. “Assuredly, the Lord’s continued faithfulness to each of us despite trials urges us to sing the goodness of the Lord now, always, everywhere, and forever. Our

very presence here indicates our recognition that the Lord is with us, and the Lord never leaves us to face any challenge alone.”

As people of faith in the local Church, “I am delighted that we gather on this Monday of Holy Week as the body of Christ, come together as the people of God, and celebrate this Chrism Mass,” the archbishop said. “However, there is an additional joy in my heart today as we also gather for this Chrism Mass as a presbyterate, as priests who serve the Diocese of Knoxville. As brother priests, we gather for this Mass that is so significant for our priesthood and us. Indeed, my dear brother priests, in our coming together, and even with all that you have faced as mentioned,

I do hope that we can join with the psalmist and proclaim, ‘forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.’”

The Chrism Mass “is of particular importance as an outward expression of our union and unity with Jesus Christ, and of our union and unity as bishops, priests, deacons, religious, seminarians, and lay faithful as a local Church and a diocesan family,” Archbishop Fabre said.

“During this Mass, we again bless the three sacred oils used for sacramental anointing throughout our diocese for the coming year. We consecrate the sacred chrism, which takes its name from Jesus Christ, and is used at anointing in baptisms, confirmations, and ordinations of priests and bishops. We bless the oil of the sick, which at the end of earthly life strengthens one for the journey through death to life, or brings courage, hope, peace, and, according to God’s will, healing, to those who are ill in body or mind. Finally, we bless the oil of the catechumens, which gives strength to catechumens who are being born again in the sacraments of initiation. May all who are anointed with these oils know the nearness of Jesus Christ to them in the sacraments they are receiving, be reminded that they are an important part of our local Church family, and always be able and willing to ‘sing the goodness of the Lord.’”

The archbishop said that after his homily, the priests would renew the promises “they made on the day of their ordination. Tonight, my dear brother priests, we will together renew these promises that unite us to the Lord as His priests and unite us to one another as brother priests and

Chrism

continued on page A11

GABRIELLE NOLAN

Father Joseph Austin and Father Peter Iorio wash the feet of parishioners on Holy Thursday at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa, just as Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.

Deacon Fredy Vargas and Father Jhon Mario Garcia prepare to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus GABRIELLE NOLAN

Father David Boettner lights the Paschal candle at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus to begin Easter Vigil Mass.

DR. KELLY KEARSE COURTESY OF ST. ALPHONSUS PARISH

The altar is bare at St. Alphonsus Church in Crossville.

Stations of the Cross at Calvary Cemetery in Knoxville on Good Friday.

BILL BREWER COURTESY OF FR. JULIUS ABUH/ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER

The light of Christ is represented at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Madisonville during Easter Vigil Mass.

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Mass

Chrism Mass

Chrism

Archbishop Fabre then shifted the focus of his homily. “Holy Thursday and the Chrism Mass are times particularly close to the heart of the priesthood, and therefore on this joyous occasion of gathering for the celebration of this Mass, and begging for the indulgence of others gathered, I would like to address my words now to you, my brother priests,” he said.

The archbishop quoted from the evening’s Gospel reading, Luke 4:16-21, in which Christ quoted from Isaiah 6, which was the first reading in the Chrism Mass.

“‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me,’” Archbishop Fabre said. “All of us here—bishop, priests, deacons, and laity—have been anointed by the Lord. At our baptism and confirmation, we were anointed with sacred chrism for the strength to live the Gospel message. The Lord anointed each of us, my brother

priests, in an additional way. On the day of our ordination as priests, our hands were anointed, palms up, with sacred chrism to set us apart for a particular reason. On the day of our priestly ordination, God Himself sent us in the power of His Spirit, for a particular mission.

continued from page A10 Chrism Mass continued on page A12

“In our first reading today, the prophet Isaiah’s words ring especially true to the nature of our priestly mission. Isaiah states that we were ‘... sent to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the bro-

BILL BREWER

Preparing for the risen Christ at St. Albert the Great Church in Knoxville.

The "Exsultet" is sung during Easter Vigil Mass at St. John XXIII Catholic Center on the University of Tennessee-Knoxville campus. DEACON PATRICK MURPHY-RACEY

Easter Vigil baptism by Father David Boettner at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

DR. KELLY KEARSE

Father Adam Royal, right, and Deacon Rafael Pubillones lead the Palm Sunday liturgy at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City.

JIM WOGAN

Living Stations of the Cross at St. Thomas the Apostle Church. BILL BREWER

Living Stations of the Cross at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport.

Living Stations of the Cross at St. Patrick Church in Morristown. EMILY BOOKER

Living Stations of the Cross at St. Alphonsus Church. COURTESY OF ST. ALPHONSUS PARISH

Living Stations of the Cross at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Erwin. COURTESY OF ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL PARISH

Living Stations of the Cross at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church by students from Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Chattanooga.

COURTESY OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP SCHOOL bishop.

Mass

kenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and release to prisoners. To comfort all who mourn, to give an oil of gladness in place of mourning, a glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit.’ Jesus tells us in our Gospel, quoting Isaiah, that He brings this prophecy to fulfillment. Jesus is the One who does this definitively, forever and always.”

The priests and he were “anointed in Jesus’ name. We are priests of Jesus Christ,” the archbishop said.

“There is great responsibility given to us in the anointing we have received. In our humble service of the Lord, the anointing we have received works a very real grace in the lives of those entrusted to our pastoral care. We see, through our priestly ministry, God healing the brokenhearted and bringing liberty to captives. We see, through our priestly ministry, comfort brought to those who are mourning. We see, through our priestly ministry, those with a listless spirit receiving the glorious mantle from God Himself. With particular regard for the difficulties mentioned at the beginning of this homily, we have all seen the ways that God has continued to work in the lives and the hearts of His people despite difficult circumstances, circumstances, dear brother priests, that you did and continue to respond to with great innovation, effort, pastoral care, and grace.”

Archbishop Fabre said that the priests “cannot ignore the reality of what this anointing also offers to each one of us as a priest—personally.”

“Our first reading from Isaiah goes on to state, ‘You yourselves shall be named priests of the Lord, ministers of our God. I will give them their recompense faithfully, a lasting covenant I will make with them,’” the archbishop quoted. He continued: “Before all else, the anointing that we have received configures us to Jesus Christ in a very particular, covenant relationship. This anointing unites us so closely to the person of Jesus that we act in the person of Jesus Christ in a very real way. In persona Christi—words that I am sure we have all heard before, but whose full weight and importance we will never deserve or be able to exhaust completely.

“My dear brother priests, I invite you to feel the weight of these words. In a powerful and real way, you represent Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has united Himself to you so closely that you act in His person, not just as an abstract theological concept that we learned about in seminary, but as a tangible, lived, experienced reality in your life. Your words are Jesus’ words. Your presence conveys Jesus’ presence. And, yes, while Jesus does do this so that you can bring His presence to those to whom you minister, Jesus also does it for you. He wants you to know just how deeply He desires this union with you. . . . Let us never forget the anointing that the Lord signed and sealed us with on the day of our ordination as a priest, and let us always strive to live as worthy recipients of such great love and grace given to us by Jesus Christ.”

Ordination does not “make us better or more important than any other follower of Jesus Christ,” the archbishop said. “Our ordination does not set us above those whom we serve, but it does set us apart in a special way for ministry, for the grace of priesthood received in a life of service to others.”

Archbishop Fabre said he is “drawn to the words of the Mass where a priest takes Jesus’ words as his own: ‘This is My body given for you. This is My blood poured out for you.’ As I so often say these words, I think of the people gathered in the congregation—Jesus gives His body and blood for them, and I, too, as a priest of Jesus Christ, through Him, with Him, and in Him, give my entire self in service to them and for their sake. My brother priests, as we pray these words later in this Mass, I invite you to hear Jesus saying them personally to you individually as well. Jesus gives His body for you, dear priests. Jesus pours out His blood for you, dear priests. In the areas of weakness, in the times of brokenness, Jesus nonetheless gives it all for you, my brother priests. Jesus chose you to

be His priest. He chose you to act in His person, and He chose you to be intimately united to Him in the totality of your lives.

“Acting from a renewed experience of this identity as priests of Jesus Christ, we can truly witness the ways the Lord will bring glad tidings to His people, heal the brokenhearted, and set His people free. May this reality penetrate our priestly hearts more deeply as we join in this Chrism Mass, and understand anew why we can truly proclaim, ‘forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.’

The archbishop said to the priests that “it has truly been a real grace to come to know you, to serve you, to serve with you, and to work with you in the Lord’s vineyard here in the Diocese of Knoxville, and he thanked the priests “for accepting me as you have as one sent temporarily to serve here.”

Closing his homily by addressing all present, the archbishop said “as the anointed of God and rooting ourselves in the promises made to us in the death and resurrection of the Lord that this Holy Week celebrates, despite all challenging circumstances, may we all forever proclaim the goodness of the Lord! Amen.”

In the renewal of commitment to priestly service, Archbishop Fabre asked the priests “are you resolved to renew, in the presence of your bishop and God’s holy people, the promises you once made? Are you resolved to be more united with the Lord Jesus and more closely conformed to Him, denying yourselves and confirming those promises about sacred duties toward Christ’s Church which, prompted by love of Him, you willingly and joyfully pledged on the day of your priestly ordination? Are you resolved to be faithful stewards of the mysteries of God in the Holy Eucharist and other liturgical rites and to discharge faithfully the sacred office of teaching, following Christ the Head and Shepherd, not seeking any gain, but moved only by zeal for souls?” The priests responded “I am” to each question.

The archbishop then addressed the

assembly, asking them to “pray for your priests, that the Lord may pour out His gifts abundantly upon them and keep them faithful as ministers of Christ, the High Priest, so that they may lead you to Him, who is the source of salvation.” Archbishop Fabre asked those in the pews to “pray also for me, that I may be faithful to the apostolic office entrusted to me in my lowliness and that in your midst I may be made day by day a living and more perfect image of Christ, the Priest, the Good Shepherd, the Teacher, and the Servant of all.”

After the balsam for the chrism and the oils were brought forward, Archbishop Fabre blessed the oil of the sick and the oil of the catechumens. He mixed the balsam and oil of the chrism, then breathed over the chrism, praying that the Holy Spirit be present, and he said the consecratory prayer over the chrism.

At the end of Mass, the archbishop said “It’s been a unique pleasure and a real honor to be here to celebrate this Chrism Mass with you. Thank you very much for your presence. I get to do it again tomorrow night in Louisville. Please know of the prayers of the wonderful people of Louisville for you. I ask your prayers for them. I pray that this Holy Week will be a time of grace and peace for you as we draw near to Jesus Christ and journey with Him again through His passion, death, and resurrection. Please know that, though I will not be here for the services of the Triduum—I will be in Louisville—you will certainly be remembered in my prayer before God. And if during these days you have an extra prayer, please pray that prayer for me. Thank you very much for your faith and for being here tonight.

Archbishop Fabre then asked the faithful to “join me in thanking our beloved priests for their priestly ministry.”

A 20-second ovation followed.

To begin the procession of the oils, senior priests Father Thomas O’Connell—who celebrated his 60th anniversary of priestly ordination in December—and Father Michael Woods brought forward the balsam

for the chrism. The oil of the catechumens was presented by catechumens Ric Alvillar of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa and Alexander Wied of St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut. The oil of the sick was brought forward by Alan Sefton and Ann Simoneau, assisted by seminarian Daniel Cooper and James Meadows. The sacred chrism was presented by the diocese’s most recently ordained priests, Father Joseph Austin, Father Neil Blatchford, and Father Andrew Crabtree. The gifts were presented by Lizzie Morris and Beth Parsons.

Father Woods and Father O’Connell brought forward the balsam for the chrism for the second year in a row.

“It was just a tremendous honor. I’ll be ordained 58 years in June, and I rejoice—like the archbishop said in his homily tonight—I rejoice in the Lord always,” Father Woods said.

When Fathers Austin, Blatchford, and Crabtree brought forward the chrism, it was accepted at the altar steps by Deacons Beaty and Willey.

“Every year, the newly ordained priests take up the chrism,” Father Blatchford said. “It’s always a beautiful image because we hand it off to the transitional deacons who are to be ordained this coming year in a couple months. It’s a beautiful image of brotherhood, especially tonight for the Chrism Mass.”

The Chrism Mass this year was Father Blatchford’s first as a priest.

“I thought it was a wonderful thing, especially when we said the Eucharistic Prayer together and I could hear all my brothers’ voices, and that we’re united with Christ and how we follow the archbishop’s voice, who is our leader,” he said.

Mother Gabrielle Marie Breaux, mother superior and foundress of the Benedictine Daughters of Divine Will, said this year’s Chrism Mass was the community’s first in Knoxville after their move from Italy.

“It was beautiful. It was a beautiful Mass,” she said. “The music was gorgeous. The archbishop gave a beautiful homily. Everybody was just fantastic. The people are so friendly and lovely here.”

Some 12 sisters and five brothers from the two Benedictine communities, including postulants and aspirants, attended the Chrism Mass, Mother Gabrielle Marie said.

“We have about four aspirants, people who want to join,” she said. “We don’t have enough space. We’ve outgrown the little house we’re in right now, so we’re hoping to get a monastery soon. It’s a good problem,” she added with a laugh.

Cathedral parishioner Margaret Walsh was present for the Chrism Mass.

“I thought it was absolutely beautiful. It’s just a joy to go to these every year,” she said. “This is probably the second or third one I’ve been to.”

Mrs. Walsh’s family attended the Mass with her, including her husband, Barry; her daughters, Kate, Erin, and Reagan; her sons, Luke and Liam; her brothers-in-law, Mike and Patrick; and a daughter’s friend, Shane.

“Our family is going to the entire Holy Week [at the cathedral] because it’s just so beautiful,” she said.

A striking feature of the Chrism Mass is the concluding doxology of the Eucharistic Prayer, when all the concelebrants say, “Through Him, with Him, and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever.”

Normally, the faithful attending Sunday or weekday Masses hear perhaps only one to three priests say the concluding doxology. At this year’s Chrism Mass, nearly 70 priests made the cathedral echo with those words.

“The doxology is always a beautiful thing to sing together as priests,” Father Blatchford said. “It’s just that joy of priesthood that Christ gives each individual priest, but united in this one Mass in concelebration. It makes it just so pretty.”

Mrs. Walsh said the doxology impacted her because “it was all of them” saying it.

“It was amazing because you could just feel the presence and the energy. It was just incredible,” she said. ■

The light of Christ Parishioners at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus light candles as part of the Easter Vigil, whose liturgy is the longest of the year

DR. KELLY KEARSE

Lighting the way Sister Mary Simone Haakansson, RSM, left, and Sister Joan Miriam Nelson, RSM, enter the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus at the beginning of the Easter Vigil Mass on March 30.

DR. KELLY KEARSE

Catholic Charities holds Golden Gala event

Major state grant announced at fundraiser for programs

By Jim Wogan

Catholic Charities of East Tennessee celebrated 35 years of service in the Diocese of Knoxville with more than 350 guests at its Golden Gala fundraising dinner at Bridgewater Place event center in Knoxville, which was held on March 7

CCETN supporters, including clergy, religious order members, state Sen. Becky Duncan Massey, and hundreds of others, filled tables from front to back inside the large Kingston Room. “I am so grateful for those who came to support our mission at Catholic Charities, especially our parishes and our partners in the community,” said Deacon David Duhamel, CCETN executive director. “We didn’t have much time to put this together, but our staff, including Kelcee Gomillion, did a tremendous job making it happen, and the evening successfully brought our message of hope to a lot of people. This was my first large development event with Catholic Charities, so I didn’t know what to expect. But everyone, and I mean everyone, mentioned how positive the event was. I am grateful for the turnout.”

Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, who was appointed apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Knoxville last June, was unable to attend due to obligations in his home Archdiocese of Louisville. But the archbishop offered a four-minute message and blessing via four large video screens inside the dining room.

Among the priests attending were Father John Orr of St. Mary Parish in Athens, Father Don Andrie, CSP, of St. John XXIII University Parish in Knoxville; Father Neil Blatchford of St. Mary

in Oak Ridge; Father Charlie Donahue, CSP, of Immaculate Conception in Knoxville; Father Peter Iorio of Our Lady of Fatima in Alcoa; Father Joe Reed of St. John Neumann in Farragut; and Father Tim Sullivan, CSP, of Immaculate Conception.

Deacon Duhamel served as emcee for the evening weaving in a message of hope when describing Catholic Charities programs, acknowledging guests, introducing speakers, and

Pope Francis changes bishops in Charlotte; health cited as reason

By Daniel Payne Catholic News Agency

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Diocese of Charlotte, N.C., Bishop Peter Jugis and appointed a new prelate to take his place, the Vatican announced on April 9.

The Holy Father “has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the Diocese of Charlotte, United States of America, presented by Bishop Peter Joseph Jugis,” the Holy See Press Office said in an announcement.

Bishop Jugis, 67, had served as the bishop there since 2003. The Charlotte bishopric encompasses about 20,000 square miles and includes more than 500,000 Catholics.

The Vatican said 63-year-old Monsignor Michael Martin, OFM Conv, has been appointed to replace Bishop Jugis as the leader of the southern U.S. diocese.

Monsignor Martin, a Baltimore native, was ordained a priest in 1989 and has served at a variety of roles in New York, Maryland, and North Carolina, including as the director of the Duke University

Catholic Center.

He was most recently a parish priest of St. Philip Benizi in Jonesboro, Ga.

The Catholic News Herald, the official newspaper of the Charlotte Diocese, said in an announcement that Bishop Jugis had retired “due to health limitations.”

“Bishop Jugis submitted his request for retirement to Rome last June, saying a chronic but nonlife-threatening kidney condition made it difficult for him to preside over lengthy liturgies and travel across the 46 counties of the expansive diocese,” the News Herald said.

Bishop Jugis “will serve as administrator of the diocese until May, when Bishop-elect Martin is installed,” the newspaper said, after which he “will continue to assist the diocese as bishop emeritus.”

Monsignor Martin told the newspaper that he was “amazed and humbled that the Holy Father has faith in me to call me to serve the people of western North Carolina.”

“I am excited to get to know you

Charlotte continued on page A16

making one of the big surprise announcements of the night.

“CCETN has been awarded a Tennessee Strong Families Grant to help expand its pregnancy services program in 2024,” he announced to those in attendance. “The use of these funds will focus on strengthening families in underserved areas in rural counties.”

The grant program is one facet of Gov. Bill Lee’s $600 million Strong Families Initiative, which included $20 million in the state’s 2023-24 budget to create an innovative grant program to improve access to maternal health care and boost critical resources for expecting mothers by supporting local nonprofit organizations and pregnancy centers across the state.

“Our expansion for family support and maternal-care efforts include enhanced offerings to underserved rural communities and crisis response to mothers, children, and families facing pregnancy throughout East Tennessee,” Deacon Duhamel said. “These expanded opportunities will promote long-term stability and healthy pregnancy, child, and family development.”

Following dinner, Knoxville radio and television personality Hallerin Hilton Hill brought his message of hope to attendees by sharing personal stories that have impacted his life and career. Other speakers included Catholic Charities of East Tennessee board president Richard Consoli and former board president Mike Stahl.

The evening’s program also included two special honors.

Kim Cook was presented with the CCETN Golden Key Award. She is the program coordinator for Columbus Home Assisting Parents, which CCETN continued on page A17

BOOK SIGNING

Deacon Bob Hunt

Will be signing copies of his book Thy Word:

Fri/Sat May 24/25 1-3 p.m.

Celebrating Catholic Charities Deacon David Duhamel, executive director of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, addresses those attending the organization's Golden Gala on March 7 at Bridgewater Place event center in Knoxville. Deacon Duhamel is joined on the dais by Richard Consoli, Catholic Charities board president.

JIM WOGAN

Paulists continued from page A1

appropriately happened on the weekend of Laetare Sunday, where the Church rejoices in Easter’s near arrival.

“To be here to celebrate 50 years is a joy,” Father Constanza said. “Thank God it’s this Sunday, which is Laetare, a joyful Sunday to be here to celebrate in thanksgiving to God for the ministry and the presence of us Paulists here.”

Father Charlie Donahue, CSP, pastor of Immaculate Conception, was the emcee for the event.

Father Donahue noted that this year actually marks the 51st anniversary for the Paulists in Knoxville, but the celebration was moved from last fall because of the University of Tennessee football schedule.

“I do want to take a moment, too, to just thank you for your community, thank you for the blessings you’ve continued to be for the Paulists,” he said, referring to the East Tennessee community. “I am lucky enough to have been pastor at both John XXIII and Immaculate Conception, and it’s given me just a real beautiful insight into you all and our whole community and how it all mixes together.”

Father Donahue, who entered the Paulist novitiate in 1999 and was ordained in 2005, said it is wonderful to have “a local church home in the parishes entrusted to us in this diocese and to be brother priests with the wonderful priests serving in Knoxville.”

In response to the Paulists’ ministry remaining in Knoxville, Father Donahue noted that the Paulists’ history “is filled with expansions and withdrawals of foundations in cities all over the U.S. We go as we are able, where we are sent, and where we are welcomed.”

“While the Paulists have our special charism and apostolate, we are fellow tenants in the vineyard with so many others here doing the great work of living out our vocations that give glory to God and service to our neighbors and help one another to grow in faith,” he continued. “We are grateful to the good folks of the Diocese of Knoxville for welcoming us all through our time here. As they say: Ad multos annos !”

Two videos played during the celebration event, highlighting various parishioners from Immaculate Conception and St. John XXIII, who shared their positive experiences with the Paulist-led parishes over the years.

Afterwards, the Paulist priests who served at the two Knoxville parishes were able to give their remarks on the celebration.

Father Michael Kallock, CSP, who serves as the novice director at the Paulists’ seminary in Washington, D.C., was among the first Paulists to come to Knoxville in 1973.

“As I understood it, the Paulists wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the vibrant group, small group, that established John XXIII, built John XXIII,” Father Kallock shared. “Three years later, the board of directors interviewed various communities to take John XXIII, and they chose the Paulist Fathers. And so we’re very grateful for that. I wouldn’t be a priest here today, 50

“The Paulist priests are wonderful. They really minister to everyone. They are so welcoming of everyone. They provide such energy and share God's Word to a tee through their own experiences, and they share so much of themselves. ... They truly share God's love. ... I see Jesus in them ”

— Jackie Owen, St. John XXIII parishioner

director

and maybe now, there’s not a high percentage of Catholics in Tennessee and in the area,” he said. “Our community is about giving a Catholic presence in different areas of the country where there’s not as many Catholics. This area has grown, and a lot of people have come in from other parts of the country. I used to call this the bestkept secret of the Paulist Fathers, eastern Tennessee.”

Father Kallock believes that life as a priest is a “wonderful life.”

“My favorite passage of Jesus is, ‘I’ve come that you may have life and have it more abundantly,’” he shared. “And so there’s a real joy in serving the people, following Jesus; it’s life-giving. I can’t imagine a better life than I’ve had as a Paulist priest.”

Father Eric Andrews, CSP, who served in Knoxville for nine years, said it was “overwhelming to hear all the reflections of folks about how much they have benefited from our ministry.”

“I hope that my brothers and I really stop to give thanks for the blessings of this community of faith and the support that we get. It really is sustaining,” he said.

Father Andrews believes that the Paulist Fathers and Knoxville make a good fit.

“I think the Paulist Fathers are evangelizers. And I think the Catholic community in Knoxville is made up of evangelizers,” he shared, noting that the Paulists also have a mission to non-Catholics.

“This is a place where there are so few Catholics. It’s just a natural for us. We love being able to dialogue with our other Christian brothers and sisters in the neighborhood. But we also support our own Catholic brothers and sisters to share their faith broadly in an area where sometimes they know that is a challenge,” Father Andrews said.

Father Ron Franco, CSP, who serves at the Paulists’ motherhouse in New York City, said it was wonderful to be back in Knoxville.

“I spent 10 very happy years here,” he said. “I would say in my 28 years as a priest, they were my 10 happiest. So, it’s a thrill to be back here. I love Immaculate Conception Parish. I love Knoxville. And it’s just great to be here. … There’s never been a Paulist who came here who didn’t like it here. And we are looking forward to remaining here for any number of years to come.”

Father Rich Andre, CSP, served in Knoxville from 2012 to 2016, first as a deacon and then as a priest.

years I’m a priest, if it wasn’t the way you helped form me. It’s really a dialogue. … I like to say I’m only as good a priest as the people I serve because you serve me so much more. So, it’s great to be back at John XXIII and Immaculate Conception.”

Father Kallock said it was “very moving” to return to Knoxville for the celebration, and he was “surprised how many of these people remembered me, and how many of these people go back to the original John XXIII congregation.”

“I think one of the things then,

“When I saw the hills and the green and the flowers, flowering trees on Thursday, I almost started to cry. And I thought, it will always be home sweet home to me,” he shared. “Thank you so much for teaching me how to be a priest. I will never ever be able to repay you for the gift of such a loving and supporting community in these years, and it’s always so good to be back here.”

Father Jerry Tully, CSP, said he had a “very happy six years serving” at Immaculate Conception.

“You all made me feel very welcome from the first day that I walked through the doors of the

Paulists continued on page A25

A history of the Paulist Fathers in Knoxville

By Dan McWilliams

Before the Paulist Fathers assumed care of Immaculate Conception in Knoxville in 1973, the city’s oldest parish—founded in 1855—stood in danger of closing as its downtown neighborhood was beset with urban blight, and the number of Mass-goers had been dwindling for more than 15 years.

IC’s St. Mary School, which had been in operation for more than a century and housed a convent for the Sisters of Mercy who taught there, closed in 1970 as its building had become unsafe. But shortly after the Paulists infused new life into the parish, urban renewal came to downtown in the mid-1970s. A realignment of streets made Commerce Avenue disappear and with it the old IC rectory. A new rectory was constructed in 1975

on the site of the school and convent, which had been demolished the year before, and this building today houses the IC parish offices. The Paulists now live in two houses on East Scott Avenue.

The Paulist Fathers took over from diocesan priests at both IC and St. John XXIII parishes in Knoxville at the same time, and in March celebrated their 50th anniversary in Knoxville. Bishop Joseph A. Durick of Nashville asked the Paulist Fathers to staff the two parishes because of a shortage of diocesan priests in East Tennessee, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported on Aug. 18, 1973.

St. John XXIII was established in 1967 on the University of Tennessee-Knoxville campus, and its Catholic Center worship space, which it still uses, was dedicated in 1970.

Many Paulist priests have served at both IC and St. John XXIII over the last five decades.

The first Paulist pastor at IC was Father Thomas Connellan, who served from 1973 to 1976. Longtime pastors and associates at IC include Father Robert Stulting (1978-86), Father Wilfred Brimley (1987-95), Father Rick Walsh (1995-2002), Father Joe Ciccone (2005-10), Father Jerry Tully (201016), and Father Ron Franco (2010-21)

Father George Helmich was the first Paulist associate pastor at IC in 1973 and later served as pastor from 1976 to 1979. Father Tom Tavella served at IC as an associate from 1988 to 1995 and as pastor from 1995 to 1998. Father Tim Sullivan has been the associate at IC since 2016.

One of the longest-serving pastors at IC is Father Jim Haley, who served from 1979 to 1987 and again from 1998 to 2004. He continues to serve the downtown parish as its priest in residence.

History continued on page A25

GABRIELLE NOLAN

Praying for you Above: Father Charlie Donahue, CSP, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Knoxville, leads Paulist priests in prayer for the people of the Diocese of Knoxville during an anniversary celebration at The Foundry in Knoxville. Below: Paulist Fathers president Father René Constanza celebrates Mass at Immaculate Conception Church on March 9. Concelebrating the Mass are, from left, Paulist Fathers Tim Sullivan, Jerry Tully, Charlie Donahue, Joe Ciccone, Ron Franco, and Jim Haley.

GABRIELLE NOLAN

BILL BREWER

Back where it all began Father Michael Kallock, CSP, gives the homily during Mass at St. John XXIII University Parish in Knoxville on March 10 as part of the Paulist Fathers' 50th anniversary serving in the Diocese of Knoxville. St. John XXIII in 1973 was one of the first assignments for Father Kallock, who now serves as the director of novices for the Paulists as well as

of the Paulist Associates. The March 10 Mass was celebrated by Paulist president Father René Constanza, seated, who was assisted by Paulist Deacon Dan Macalinao, also seated.

Building a culture of life

Diocesan faithful represented at Pro-Life Day on the Hill

The East Tennessee Catholic

As the Tennessee General Assembly prepares to adjourn the 2024 session this month, pro-life supporters in the Diocese of Knoxville hope lawmakers will adopt into law the Underage Abortion Trafficking Act that would strengthen efforts to tackle human trafficking.

This bill would prohibit the concealing, recruiting, or harboring of a minor for the purpose of procuring an abortion without parental consent.

Their hopes were buoyed earlier this month when lawmakers in the House and Senate passed the Baby Olivia bill, which requires public schools to implement a family-life curriculum that teaches students about the humanity of the unborn child, including showing a video outlining gestational development of the child.

The Baby Olivia bill now goes to Gov. Bill Lee, who is expected to sign the measure into law.

Both bills were explained and discussed on March 19 in Nashville, where Tennessee Right to Life sponsored Pro-Life Day on the Hill. Also discussed were issues surrounding in vitro fertilization, which has been a recent topic in the news and with Pope Francis.

Pro-Life Day on the Hill draws pro-life supporters from across the state to the capital, where they gather for a luncheon, hear speakers, are briefed on pro-life legislation, and meet with senators and representatives.

Groups of Diocese of Knoxville parishioners were included in the more than 200 people who took part in the annual event, which was held at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.

Among them were Curt and Kay Sheldon of Alexian Village in Signal Mountain; Marc Aramian and Veronica DiPippo of the Basilica of

THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC

The Sheldons, who now live in Alexian Village but also maintain ties to Loudon County, met with Rep. Lowell Russell, who represents parts of Loudon and Monroe counties, and Rep. Patsy Hazelwood, who represents part of Hamilton County as part of Pro-Life Day on the Hill.

“Both were receptive to us. The meeting with Rep. Hazlewood was very brief as she was on her way to a meeting. She initiated a discussion about her perception of a need to allow exceptions for rape and incest. We countered by pointing out to her that rape and incest are tragic events, but that there is still a God-given life at risk that needs to be protected. We told her that all unborn children, even those resulting from rape or incest, should have their lives protected,” Mr. Sheldon said.

The Gospel of life

“Rep. Russell had time for us to have a more lengthy meeting. He seems to be very much in the prolife corner. He asked us about IVF (in vitro fertilization). We told him that even embryos created in a laboratory are human children and deserve protection. We discussed that the embryos destroyed in the Alabama case were rightly determined to be children and should have been better protected,” Mrs. Sheldon added.

The Alabama Supreme Court in February issued a ruling declaring that embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) should be considered children. The ruling stems from a case involving the unintentional destruction of frozen embryos in an Alabama fertility clinic.

While Mrs. Sheldon has participated in previous Pro-Life Days on the Hill, Mr. Sheldon said it was his first experience, and he was “pleasantly surprised” at the ease of access to elected officials and the courtesy with which they were received by the lawmakers and their staffs.

Front line of abortion conflict is on Tennessee-Virginia border

By Bill Brewer

Bristol has become an unlikely front line in the U.S. abortion debate as the nation’s leading moral conflict plays out in a city divided by more than the TennesseeVirginia state line.

It’s where the region’s faithful are facing a new reality in the fight for life.

Catholics and Protestants in Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee are joining together to support pro-life efforts as Tennessee continues to ban abortion while Virginia is embracing the practice and is welcoming women to cross its state line to terminate pregnancies.

St. Anne Parish in Bristol, Va., sponsored a Lenten 40 Days for Life, which began on Feb. 14 and concluded on March 24. 40 Days for Life is a national group that organizes vigils in U.S. communities to campaign against abortion.

From Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday, members of several faith communities gathered at the corner of Gate City Highway and Osborne Street in Bristol to show and voice support for life. The site is next to an abortion facility that opened on the Virginia side of town only weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and the state of Tennessee almost immediately banned all abortions on demand. The abortion facility had been located about a mile away on the Tennessee side of town.

Among the Diocese of Knoxville churches represented during the 40 Days for Life were St. Dominic in Kingsport, St. Mary in Johnson

" Prayer is what will win this battle. And the battle is fierce down here. When we are praying for the end of abortion here in Bristol, we’re praying for a whole region since people from eight states come to Bristol seeking abortions."

— St. Anne Parish member Angie Bush

City, and St. Anthony of Padua in Mountain City, whose members recall that not too long ago Bristol’s only abortion facility was located in Tennessee. They would gather on sidewalks in front of that abortion building at the corner of Slaughter Street and W. State Street and take part in vigils and rosaries, praying for an end to abortion.

When the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark June 2022 ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which held that the U.S. Constitution does not confer a right to abortion, thus striking down the 39-year-old Roe v. Wade decision, abortion on demand was banned statewide in Tennessee due to strong pro-life legislation that had been passed in the state legislature.

As a result, Bristol’s lone abortion facility was forced to close, albeit temporarily, while another location was secured about a mile away on the Virginia side of Bristol. Bristol Women’s Health now operates at 2603 Osborne St., across the street from the Hard Rock casino and hotel now in business and under construction on Gate City Highway.

On Palm Sunday, Angie Bush of St. Anne led a group of faithful from Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee in praying for an end to abortion in Bristol to conclude the 40 Days for Life vigil.

“This is such a heartbreaking issue. Articles and videos from the past two years illustrate the bro-

kenness that the evil of abortion is bringing to Bristol, our state, and our country. And the brokenness I am referring to doesn’t even include the death of approximately 150 innocent lives each month,” Mrs. Bush said.

“Why is 40 Days for Life important in Bristol and Virginia? The

a life-changing event

All Saints Catholic Church

May 22, 7-9 p.m. , Bristol continued on page A21

Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Chattanooga; Orville Fisher, Paulette Croteau, and Peggy Burnette of St. Mary Parish in Athens; Dr. Michelle Brewer of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus; and Dot

LaMarche of St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut. The Catholic parishioners spent part of their day in the Cordell Hull building, where the House and Senate members’ offices are located.

Catholics for life Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, seated, is visited in his capital office in Nashville by Diocese of Knoxville pro-life supporters, from left, Curt Sheldon, Peggy Burnette, Marc Aramian, Kay Sheldon, Paulette Croteau, and Orville Fisher. The Sheldons are residents of Alexian Village in Signal Mountain; Ms. Burnette, Ms. Croteau, and Mr. Fisher attend St. Mary Church in Athens; and Mr. Aramian is a member of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. Lt. Gov. McNally is a member of St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge.

Creative team Veronica DiPippo, center, and Marc Aramian of Crunch Entertainment discuss their pro-life film work during Pro-Life Day on the Hill Life continued on page A18

‘It ’s just so easy not to have children ’

Economist: Addressing freefalling fertility rates requires changing hearts, policies

By Maria Wiering OSV News

For plummeting worldwide fertility rates to change course, people must find courage to “do the hard thing” of raising large families, and that courage comes from faith, said Dr. Catherine Ruth Pakaluk, an economist at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. “We live in a society that it’s just so easy not to have children,” said Dr. Pakaluk, author of Hannah’s Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth, published March 19 by Regnery Gateway.

Dr. Pakaluk’s research based on open conversations with college-educated women who have five or more children indicates that religious faith is a major motivator for having children. She said this shows an importance to change people’s hearts about the value of children something Christians have historically done as they converted pagan cultures.

Dr. Pakaluk’s book coincides with a published report by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle showing nearly all countries worldwide will fall below replacement fer-

Charlotte continued from page A13

and to listen to the ways in which together we can respond to the call of the Holy Spirit to be disciples of Jesus,” he said.

Bishop Jugis, meanwhile, said in the report that “as difficult as it is for me to leave this position that I love, I am confident that God has a plan in bringing us Bishop-elect Martin, and I will do everything I can to support his ministry.”

“It has truly been the joy of a lifetime to serve as bishop for the people of our diocese, and I believe Bishop-elect Martin will find that to be true for him as he gets to know the faithful of our diocese and sees firsthand our many ministries that are dedicated to sharing the love of Christ in our communities,” Bishop Jugis said.

The News Herald said last year that the diocese has witnessed “unprecedented growth” over the last few decades. In 2019, confirmations in the diocese topped 5,000 for the first time. In 2023, meanwhile, dioc-

Chesterton continued from page A8

about him. His life is just miraculous; there are so many miracles that happened throughout his life and his ministry,” he said. “It’s such a blessing, our school is blessed to have a relic of St. John Bosco. … They say that instead of you finding saints, they say that saints find you, and certainly St. John Bosco has found me.”

Beginning this fall, Chesterton Academy of St. Margaret Clitherow will operate from its new location at 217 Fox Road in West Knoxville. The school currently holds classes at 5919 Rutledge Pike.

“I would ask for people to come and see,” Mr. Kimutis shared. “We’re blessed at Chesterton to have amazing faculty members who are witnesses of following Christ, of being disciples of Christ, and the joy of following Christ. And the faith really is, it’s caught not taught. I think if you

Bishops continued from page A5

tility levels in the next 75 years. By 2100, the fertility rate in 97 percent of countries is forecasted at below replacement levels, with 155 of 204 countries and territories (76 percent) projected to hit that mark by 2050. Fertility rates in the United States have generally been below replacement level since about 1971.

The total fertility rate a popula-

A change at the top Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Diocese of Charlotte Bishop Peter Jugis, left, and appointed Monsignor Michael Martin, OFM Conv, to succeed Bishop Jugis.

esan schools posted record enrollment of more than 8,000 students.

Over the course of Bishop Jugis’ bishopric, the number of Catholics in the diocese “more than doubled to an estimated 530,000,” the News Herald reported.

The diocese recently announced, meanwhile, that it would build a new cathedral in Charlotte, having outgrown the original cathedral built in 1939. ■

tion’s average number of children born to a woman over a lifetime—has fallen globally from 4.84 in 1950 to 2.23 in 2021. About 54 percent of countries are already below 2.1, the generally accepted replacement level, with no projected rebound, according to the IHME report.

The Lancet, a science journal that published the IHME report on March

20, said the data “warn that national governments must plan for emerging threats to economies, food security, health, the environment, and geopolitical security brought on by these demographic changes that are set to transform the way we live.”

The IHME report was based on data from the institute’s Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2021, which is described as “the single largest and most detailed scientific effort ever conducted to quantify levels and trends in health” with thousands of collaborating researchers worldwide. The research was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It confirms previously identified trends but with greater precision, based on “innovative, more accurate forecasting methods grounded in real-world evidence,” according to the IHME. The United Nations Population Fund, for example, titled its 2023 report “The Problem With ‘Too Few,’” noting that populations continue to rise in all regions of the world with the exception of Europe. However, populations in Central, South, and Southeast Asia; Latin America and the Caribbean; and

Fertility continued on page A17

East Tennessee Catholic News

Christian Formation Office welcomes Kelly Deehan

The Diocese of Knoxville’s Office of Christian Formation welcomes Kelly Deehan as its new part-time assistant director.

A native of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Ms. Deehan earned a bachelor’s degree in theology and religious studies from the Catholic University of America.

She first came to Knoxville through the Echo Program at the University of Notre Dame, where she earned a master’s degree in theology in 2021.

Ms. Deehan is an experienced parish and campus minister and brings with her a love of whole-family faith formation, catechist development, and teaching prayer and spirituality. She also will continue as the assistant director of faith formation at All Saints Parish in Knoxville.

St. Mary’ s Legacy Clinic seeking volunteer assistance

The St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic is grateful for all the support it receives. The clinic currently is in need of volunteer assistance in the following areas: Vietnamese translators, volunteers interested in assisting with the cleaning of the mobile clinic, volunteers interested in assisting with the office phone calls, and volunteers with an accounting background or background in maintenance.

Contact Brianna Vinyard, St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic volunteer coordinator, at bvinyard@smlcares.com, or call the office at 865-212-5570 if you are interested in joining the clinic’s mission. ■

“We're blessed at Chesterton to have amazing faculty members who are witnesses of following Christ, of being disciples of Christ, and the joy of following Christ. And the faith really is, it's caught not taught. I think if you come and see, you'll sense the joy that is in our school and the presence of Christ.”

— Jared Kimutis, Chesterton Academy deputy headmaster

come and see, you’ll sense the joy that is in our school in the presence of Christ.”

Mr. Kimutis noted that the three hallmarks of a Chesterton Academy school are joyful, Catholic, and classical.

“I have experienced that sense of joy from my first visit to the Knoxville campus,” he said.

“While I was interviewing, I was able to attend some of the classes and be at the school, and just the sense of true joy pervades the school in such a beautiful way in

not to mention what kind of leadership vacuum can be created when a diocese is left vacant too long.

The man at the center of the appointment of new bishops is Cardinal Christophe Pierre, 78, apostolic nuncio to the United States. Widely respected by American bishops, who are often characterized as critical of the current pontificate, Cardinal Pierre was named a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023. Cardinal Pierre’s new standing as a member of the College of Cardinals puts him on equal footing with the American members of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops Cardinal Cupich and Cardinal Joseph

the students, in the faculty, in the parents, and the board members. It’s really a beautiful community to be a part of.”

“Our students and faculty really enjoy coming to school each day. That spirit of joy fills the school,” Mr. Kimutis continued. “The school is classical, but it’s not stuffy. I think there’s a lot of misperceptions about classical. Really, it’s teaching you how to think, it’s giving you tools like a toolbox so you can be successful in all kinds of different areas

W. Tobin of Newark, N.J., who are typically regarded as part of a progressive minority of the U.S. bishops. This is largely what accounts for, in the minds of veteran Church-watchers, as a largely moderate, non-ideological series of appointments.

The flurry of appointments expected across U.S. dioceses in the next few years comes amid reports that more than a third of the candidates asked to accept the nomination to the episcopacy are rejecting the appointment. There is no question the clergy sexual abuse crisis would be a serious factor in this, but so, too, is the changing landscape of ecclesial life. U.S. bishops today are broadly presiding over decline as pews

of life. And it’s wisdom that has been there through the ages that sometimes has been kind of lost in some modern educational facilities and things. But our students are receiving a fantastic education and having a lot of fun.”

In addition to monetary donations, Mr. Kimutis said the school is “open to any kind of support.”

“If there are people that have expertise in different backgrounds, education we’ve had some folks offer to come in to guest lecture,” he said. “If there’s opportunities for field trips or excursions in the area; if there’s people working in different industries if they feel like our school, our students would benefit from coming to see their workplace or things like that, we’re definitely open to making those connections.”

For more information on Chesterton Academy of St. Margaret Clitherow, visit knoxchesterton.com ■

empty, resources dwindle, and the ecclesiastical institutional footprint shrinks, not to mention a decrease in candidates for the priesthood and religious life and ever-growing divisions in the Church.

It also remains to be seen if U.S. dioceses might be restructured, with possible mergers and suppressions on the docket. Such changes could usher in new models of episcopal ministry over time, and the current generation of bishops would be laying the framework for that now. It’s possible that in the future, episcopal ministry could look much more hyper-local, with bishops as pastors of regions much smaller than what now comprises a typical diocese. ■

OSV NEWS PHOTO/COURTESY OF STEPHANIE KOCH

A growing family Stephanie and Michael Koch of Chesapeake, Va., are shown with their children, Declan, 7, Killian, 5, and newborn twins, Keegan and Keira. The Koch family is bucking the trend of declining birth rates.

COURTESY DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE

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North America are projected to reach their “peak sizes” by 2100.

Economists warn that falling fertility rates are expected to weaken national economies and innovation, push people to stay in the workforce longer, foster fierce competition for immigration, and thin family networks, resulting in widespread isolation and loneliness.

The United States currently has a total fertility rate around 1.64. It is projected to decrease to 1.52 by 2050 and 1.45 in 2100. In 1950, the U.S. rate was 3.08. By 2050, South Korea, Puerto Rico, and Taiwan are projected to have the world’s lowest fertility rates, all under 1 percent; Bhutan, Maldives, and Puerto Rico are projected to have the world’s lowest rates in 2100.

Meanwhile, the total fertility rates in “low-income regions” such as sub-Saharan Africa are expected to continue to fall, with many dipping below replacement rate, but still remain higher than the global average. By 2100, the share of the world’s births are predicted to double in low-income regions from 18 percent in 2021 to 35 percent. Forecasts for 2100 see half of the world’s children being born in sub-Saharan Africa.

“We are facing staggering social change through the 21st century,” said the IHME’s Stein Emil Vollset, the report’s senior author, in a media statement. “The world will be simul-

CCETN continued from page A13

serves Blount, Sevier, and Grainger counties, and has worked in the field of child abuse prevention for 38 years and with Catholic Charities for 32 years, providing in-home services to families, improving family function, increasing child wellbeing, and keeping children safe.

“Every organization has ‘that’ employee who has been steadfast in their service and is a historian of sorts … the go-to person. Kim is that person,” Deacon Duhamel said.

Regis Loffman was presented with the CCETN Volunteer Spotlight Award. She is a parishioner at All Saints in Knoxville and began volunteering in May 2021 in CCETN’s

Conclave continued from page A3

that more clear.

taneously tackling a ‘baby boom’ in some countries and a ‘baby bust’ in the others. As most of the world contends with the serious challenges to the economic growth of a shrinking workforce and how to care for and pay for aging populations, many of the most resource-limited countries in sub-Saharan Africa will be grappling with how to support the youngest, fastest-growing population on the planet in some of the most politically and economically unstable, heat-stressed, and health system-strained places on earth.”

A 2023 story in The Economist said the fertility rate’s trajectory may lead to the first time the world’s population (currently around 8.1 billion) has declined since the Black Death, the 14th-century plague that killed 30 percent to 50 percent of Europe’s population.

While some positive trends may be associated with lowering birth rates, such as an increase in women’s education or lower impact on human land use, “overall the effects will be very challenging to deal with,” said economist Lyman Stone, a research fellow at the Virginiabased Institute for Family Studies and chief information officer of the population research firm Demographic Intelligence.

Data show public-policy changes alone are unlikely to reverse the direction of what has been termed a looming fertility “collapse,” but they

administrative offices. She continued her volunteer efforts when CCETN moved to temporary offices near downtown Knoxville after an arson fire gutted the Dameron Avenue headquarters in November 2021.

“Although her primary role is as an administrative volunteer … Regis has gifted her time with the Pregnancy Help Center, Hope Kitchen, and served on planning committees for the Race for Kids 5K and Family Walk…,” Deacon Duhamel said.

Attendees were entertained by Knoxville native and Nashville recording artist Emily Wyrick, who performed before and at the conclusion of the Golden Gala dinner. ■

What if there was no “explicit authorization,” though? St. John Paul’s constitution includes this:

“I further order the Cardinal electors, graviter onerata ipsorum conscientia , to maintain secrecy concerning these matters also after the election of the new Pope has taken place, and I remind them that it is not licit to break the secret in any way unless a special and explicit permission has been granted by the Pope himself” (60).

That paragraph suggests that “the Pope,” pure and simple, can grant permission—to himself or others. There is no reference to the “same Pontiff,” as appeared in Paragraph 53. So it can be read that the pope can authorize any elector to speak about any conclave. Thus, for example, John Paul could have authorized an elector to speak not only about the October 1978 conclave in which he was elected, but also the August 1978 conclave that elected Blessed John Paul I

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One shining moment

Debbie Capen, executive director of MiraVia, was with me at the home opener with Mrs. Mitchell and her family, members of our staff, and friends of the nonprofit, as well as people from the Belmont Abbey College community, cheering our player on. “All of us at MiraVia were deeply moved by Clay’s generous support of MiraVia,” Ms. Capen said. “Not only is he sharing this mission with others, but now the women we serve will feel supported and encouraged in a whole new way when they see him playing for each of them.”

Poll continued from page A2

Jewish Americans have shown slight increases in religious service attendance over the past two decades,” said Gallup, with the former rising from 34 percent to 38 percent and the latter from 15 percent to 22 percent.

may help couples who want to have several children achieve it, Mr. Stone said. In the United States, studies indicate a growing gap between the at least two children most women say they want, and the fewer than two children they actually have, he said.

“This isn’t a product of a longspan expansion in human freedom,” he said. “The reality is that in almost every country around the world, people continue to say that they want two or more children. So, if we’re headed to a society, a world where everybody’s having 1.6 (children) on average, which is what they forecast for the long run, that’s a society where globally a huge share of people are not having families they want to have.”

People with a “more pessimistic” outlook express lower fertility desires than those who are more optimistic, and they are less likely to have fewer children than they said they wanted, Mr. Stone said.

“Negative outlook on life is definitely one factor shaping falling fertility and undershooting fertility desires,” he said. “There’s also evidence although it’s more limited that undershooting fertility desires is associated with less happiness in life. … People tend to be happiest when they get what they want.”

Pope Francis repeatedly expresses concern about declining fertility rates, including at an annual conference last May addressing Italy’s

declining birth rate, in which he linked low rates with lack of hope.

“The birth of children, in fact, is the main indicator for measuring the hope of a people,” Pope Francis said. “If few are born, it means there is little hope. And this not only has repercussions from an economic and social point of view but also undermines confidence in the future.

“A change in mentality is needed; the family is not part of the problem, but part of its solution,” the pope added.

Dr. Pakaluk, the director of social research and associate professor at Catholic University of America’s Busch School of Business, said it is easy for Christians to take for granted the cultural value of children, but the historical practices of exposure and child sacrifice, and current cultural attitudes supporting abortion, contradict that narrative. To counter that view, she encourages people of faith to speak about the value of their children, “reclaiming a sense of truth about the child.”

“I don’t think that birth rates will recover anywhere without this. It’s really pivotal,” said Dr. Pakaluk, a Catholic with eight children and six stepchildren.

Christians are “actually holding the thing that can most move the needle, but it requires us to have the creativity to see past the normal levers of cultural power,” she said. “I think about it as a kind of Gospel of life.” ■

John Paul never spoke about voting results in the October 1978 conclave, but he did relate two details. First, that, during the voting, Cardinal Maximilien de Fürstenberg, former rector of the Belgian College where a young Father Karol Wojtyła had stayed, approached him to say, “ Magister adest et vocat te ”—“The Teacher is here and calling you” (John 11:28). Second, that Blessed Stefan Wyszynski, primate of Poland, told him, “If you are elected, you must take the Church into the third millennium.”

In the case of Pope Francis, it is safe to consider that his revelations about the conclave of 2005 were lawful.

A related issue arises: What if they were not? No one can judge the Roman pontiff, and he is the supreme legislator in the Church. Is it thus the case that it is impossible for a pope to break Church law?

The pope can change the law, but if he breaks it without changing it, then the act remains contrary to the law—even though no one is able to enforce it.

The matter has been raised recently because

“When he scored the goal, it definitely felt like a ‘God smile,’” Mrs. Mitchell remarked. “He gifted Clay, and Clay has made an active effort to give back to his Catholic community, and it was just a beautiful thing to experience his big goal. MiraVia was such a gift to me, and it made me emotional seeing him score while wearing cleats that support a cause so near and dear to my heart.”

I asked Clay what it meant to him to be able to put MiraVia in the spotlight at the team’s home opener.

“To wear this pair of cleats dedicated to MiraVia is a unique chance to glorify God and bring light to a

Gallup predicts that “church attendance will likely continue to decline in the future, given younger Americans’ weaker attachments to religion.”

Among 18- to 29-year-olds, 35 percent say they have no religious preference or affiliation, with 32

the Holy Father often concelebrates Mass without being vested appropriately for a concelebrant (he has not been the principal celebrant at a public Holy Mass for some time). Now, it is possible that Pope Francis has given authorization to change the law in this regard and not published it, so his liturgical practice would be lawful. The difficulty, though, with secret laws is that they appear to others to claim that “if the president does it, it’s not illegal.”

Analogies apply at the diocesan level, too. Canon law does provide for recourse against bishops acting contrary to law. In the moment, though, given that a bishop is “vicar of Christ” in his diocese, there is little anyone can do should he choose to act contrary to law. Recourse comes after and can be cumbersome and time-consuming. That issue has contributed in recent years to an erosion of trust between bishops and their priests.

Revelations in The Successor may be of greater or lesser interest. But it is safe to consider them legal. The Church does have a single supreme legislator and remains a society of laws ■

special organization,” he said. “It is important for me to use the platform God has blessed me with to glorify God and also use it as an opportunity to support organizations that I truly believe in. I am truly honored and humbled to be able to represent MiraVia and everything they are doing.”

Play a part in MiraVia’s mission

Do you know a pregnant college student? MiraVia is currently accepting applications. More information on the programs, including volunteer opportunities, and gently used baby items accepted, is available online at MiraVia.org ■

percent identifying themselves as Protestant and just 19 percent as Catholic. Regardless of their affiliation or lack thereof, young adults are “much less likely” as a whole to attend religious services, with 22 percent eight points below the national average doing so.

Playing with a purpose Clay Dimick donned specially designed cleats

the home opener against Knoxville to promote the MiraVia home that serves college moms as well as mothers in the local community.

According to Gallup, the trends it observed in this poll “are consistent with other Gallup indicators of religious beliefs and practices, including the importance of religion to Americans and formal membership in churches and other houses of worship.” ■

at

JIM WOGAN

A golden gathering Attendance was strong for Catholic Charities of East Tennessee's Golden Gala fundraiser on March 7.

The couple said they were impressed by guest speaker Dr. Marc Newman of the Speaker for Life organization and by Will Brewer, Tennessee Right to Life legal counsel and lobbyist, who gave a legislative update for the attendees.

The Sheldons said they support both bills supported by Tennessee Right to Life, noting about the Baby Olivia bill that “the information about the unborn baby could influence the lives of these students for many years to come.”

Ms. Croteau said the event inspired her to return, especially since her representatives were attending to legislative business and weren’t available to speak to her.

“I attended the meeting on the hill to become better informed on the issues being considered for legislation,” Ms. Croteau said. “The keynote speaker was very informative and engaging. And I especially liked our pro-life lobbyist for putting the issues before us in clear language. I find it difficult to understand the language used to write the bills. I have always been for pro-life issues but have not been very politically active. I do vote in all elections but have always been confused. This helped to clarify how I want to vote.”

“I had never been to the offices of the elected officials and was a bit saddened when some were still in session, therefore I could not meet them personally. That fact gives me incentive to go back another time,” she added. “My thought on both pieces of legislation is I’m in favor of both. I strongly believe that parents want the best for their children, and parents should be the only ones to give permission or to deny permission for their girls to obtain any medical or non-medical procedure.

“I firmly believe in the sanctity of life from the moment of conception, and all life must be revered and protected. As for the legislation requiring all schools to teach the humanity of the unborn persons, which also must include the gestational development of the unborn child, all humanity is sacred from conception to natural death and should be treated as such.”

Mr. Fisher, who is active in the Diocese of Knoxville’s pro-life community, said standing up for life is high on his list of priorities.

He regularly takes part in rosaries prayed in front of the Planned Parenthood location in East Knoxville and has been involved in the recent Lenten 40 Days for Life campaign led by St. Anne Parish in Bristol, Va., and other churches in Upper East Tennessee.

“I attended Pro-Life Day on the Hill because it’s important to stay current on everything and support Tennessee Right to Life. I also appreciated the opportunity to meet some of our state government leaders,” Mr. Fisher said. “The talk by Dr. Newman was the day’s highlight. He included the strongest language I’ve heard since the Mississippi Dobbs decision about the people who feel they must bring abortion back to Tennessee.”

Mr. Fisher believes it is also important to be active in pro-life matters to preserve what has been gained in the state legislature. He would like to see attendance at Pro-Life Day on the Hill continue to grow.

“I’m glad TRL is proposing additional legislation. Our pro-life laws will be attacked from every angle, so it’s important to strengthen them in every way possible. An effort to get factual information on pre-born babies’ development in front of young people is especially important,” he shared.

Mrs. DiPippo and Mr. Aramian, Catholic filmmakers (www. crunchent.com) who are active in the pro-life community, were among the event’s speakers and talked about their latest work, a commercial touting life for Tennessee Right to Life that will be aired statewide and also a film called “He Named Him Adam,” which tells the true-life story of Chattanooga’s Regina Block. This faith-based feature film is about the power of Jesus Christ in healing postabortive women.

Ms. Block is now the executive

THE EAST

director of the National Memorial for the Unborn in Chattanooga.

Mrs. DiPippo and Mr. Aramian said they attended Pro-Life Day on the Hill to support Tennessee Right to Life and the pro-life cause as well as to tell people about their new film and pro-life commercial.

They were especially inspired by Dr. Newman’s talk.

“Fortunately, our senators are very pro-life. But it’s extremely important for us who support pro-life measures to support our lawmakers because Big Abortion is funding attacks on them to get them to change their votes. One legislator said he gets 500 pro-abortion calls or e-mails to every pro-life one. Our notes of support or calls or visits mean the world to these tireless representatives of the people of my district. I must do my part to help them stay the course,” Mr. Aramian said.

Mr. Brewer and Stacy Dunn, president of Tennessee Right to Life, told the audience that so far this year there have been more than 17,500 fewer abortions in Tennessee since the Dobbs decision.

Mr. Brewer explained that the 2023 legislative session was the first one after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 landmark decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which was “kind of a brave new world of what to expect.” He reminded those in attendance that last year several Republicans in addition to Democrats pushed exceptions that would have weakened Tennessee’s Human Life Protection law, an abortion ban considered the strongest in the country.

“An independent government study came out a couple of months ago that said in the six months following Tennessee’s abortion ban being put into place, there were an additional 2,500 lives added to the birth rate in Tennessee. So, we know that those are not 17,545 abortions going elsewhere. Those are lives being saved in Tennessee, and we are proud of that. We have worked very hard to not let exceptions into our law that would create gaping loopholes for abortions to happen,” Mr. Brewer told the group.

In explaining the Underage Abortion Trafficking Act, Mr. Brewer said this legislation is generating a lot of attention for some lawmakers.

“There has been a lot of media outrage about this bill. There has been a lot of misinformation about this bill. There’s been a lot of propaganda about this bill,” he said.

He calls the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jason Zachary and Sen. Paul Rose, a “parental-rights bill.”

“It isn’t prohibiting anyone from getting an abortion as long as that minor has their parents’ consent. What it is making sure doesn’t happen is an overzealous uncle or a best friend or a best friend’s parents take your child out of state to get an abortion without your knowledge as a parent,” Mr. Brewer pointed out. “If the clinic at your child’s school is not even allowed to give your child a Tylenol tablet, then children certainly shouldn’t be allowed to be taken out of state for abortions.”

And he noted that the misinformation is practically viral.

“Another misconception is that this bill is prohibiting people from traveling out of state. First of all, it isn’t prohibiting anyone from traveling out of state. It’s just with parental consent. Second of all, it never mentions the term out of state. This bill only bans travel within the state without parental consent. What we all know is that you can’t travel out of state without first traveling in state,” he explained.

Mr. Brewer credited the Baby Olivia bill sponsors, Rep. Gino Bulso and Sen. Janice Bowling, as well as former state Rep. Bill Dunn, “who had the idea years ago to include curriculum in schools that would recognize the unborn.”

“He (former Rep. Dunn) had always talked about a bill like this. His philosophy is that we teach students about slavery. We teach students about the Holocaust. We teach that those were times when certain groups of people were not granted personhood. They were thought of as less than persons. But now we teach about these people, and it just seems grotesque to us that there was ever such a time that this kind of thinking happened. Well, we now think of unborn children in the same way. They are thought of as less than people. So, anything we can do to educate children, students, the public that these are people with equal rights to personhood as you and I is always a good thing,” Mr. Brewer said.

Mr. Brewer acknowledged that the recent Alabama Supreme Court decision on IVF was controversial, but said, “That was truly a victorious moment for us because we know that fertilized embryos are children, and they do deserve those protections.”

Also among the speakers was Rep. Jason Zachary, who represents part of Knox County in the General As-

sembly. He was first elected to the Tennessee House in 2015.

He said Tennessee has gone from being a destination state for abortions to after 15 months since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, more than 17,000 babies’ lives have been saved with Tennessee’s Human Life Protection Act, which became law in 2019.

“And as I’ve said multiple times, we have the strongest pro-life legislation in the country. But the enemy is never going to slow down in coming after our children. We have to be vigilant. We have to stay on guard,” Rep. Zachary said.

He also cited the statistic that 51 percent of abortions now are being performed with pills, and minors are among that 51 percent.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our work is not done. We have to stay vigilant. We have to stay the course no matter the opposition,” said Rep. Zachary, who shared that for the first time in his five terms in office protesters recently picketed him during Sunday services at his church in West Knox County.

“That is just another example of why we don’t back up; we don’t back down. We just press forward. … The pushback is intense, but we keep pushing forward. And we need your support. We need your continued prayer. We need your engagement,” he said.

He credited former Rep. Dunn and his wife, Stacy, for their tireless leadership in supporting life across the state.

Mrs. Dunn told the participants that this year’s theme for Pro-Life Day on the Hill was “Building a Culture of Life.”

“This means a lot of different things. It means passing legislation like the Human Life Protection Act, which has already saved more than 17,000 children from being aborted in our state since June 2022. It means caring for the vulnerable moms and their unborn children like our wonderful pregnancy centers do every day. It means educating our communities about the humanity of the unborn child and the beauty of life in all its ages, stages, and conditions. And it means helping the mothers who are grieving a child lost to abortion,” Mrs. Dunn said.

“It means making commercials and movies and using your gift of music to build a culture of life. And it means being a family like the St. John family from Paris, Tenn. The St. John family is this year’s Tennessee Right to Life Hometown Hero,” she added.

The St. John family operates Sweet Jordan’s, a Paris bakery and ice cream shop that is staffed by individuals with special needs. The motto of the West Tennessee business is “focusing on abilities, not disabilities.” “Poppa” Jordan St. John, who is the adult son of owners Brad and Tommie St. John, is the face of the business. Jordan was born with Down syndrome.

Mrs. Dunn explained that “the St. John family is building a true culture of life at their business by staffing it with men and women with special needs. In turn, these women and men are able to share their talents, their skills, their joy, and their love with others. … The St. Johns share such sweetness with others, not only with those they employ but with every person who walks through their doors.”

“We want to honor Sweet Jordan’s and the St. John family for being amazing community leaders and sweetening their community with love and life and for building a beautiful culture of life right here in Tennessee,” she said.

Tommie and Brad St. John, Jordan’s mother and father, thanked Tennessee Right to Life and the audience, with Tommie St. John saying, “We’re humbled and honored to be a part of God’s plan. Jordan had less than a 5 percent chance of survival. I found out when I was four months pregnant that he had Down syndrome. We were 19 and 20, newlyweds, and we had a lot of people tell us that we were naïve and didn’t understand what we were getting into, and that we should end the pregnancy. We knew better,” she said, trying to

hold

Building a culture of life "Poppa" Jordan St. John lifts the Hometown Hero Award he received from Tennessee Right to Life on March 19 in Nashville during Pro-Life Day on the Hill. Joining Jordan on the dais are his father, Brad St. John, his mother, Tommie St. John, center, and Tennessee Right to Life president Stacy Dunn.

Outspoken Dr. Marc Newman of Speaker for Life, delivers the keynote address at Pro-Life Day on the Hill on March 19 in Nashville. Dr. Newman warned that pro-abortion supporters are intent on undoing pro-life gains.

back tears. “And Jordan is changing lives today because of that. We are so thankful and honored to get to be his mom and dad.”

Jordan then addressed the audience, asking “how is everybody doing?”

“I am blessed and honored. Sept. 1 is our seventh anniversary (in business). Dreams do come true. ‘Field of Dreams’ is my favorite movie, and as they say in the movie, ‘if you build it, they will come,’” Jordan said.

Mrs. Dunn recognized Mrs. DiPippo and Mr. Aramian for creating the new pro-life commercial that is to be aired around Tennessee.

“We continue to believe that building a culture of life means putting truth and beauty into our communities. The media has decided to try and portray Tennessee and our Human Life Protection Act as a bad thing. The idea behind this ad was to reinforce that it’s a good thing to live in a state that protects the precious gift of life in all its ages, stages, and conditions. I think this ad captures that beautifully,” Mrs. Dunn said. “Building a culture of life in our state isn’t easy work. And it takes all of us using the skills that we have. Every pro-life person has a part to play in this culture-building work. But sometimes, at any given point, we may not feel quite qualified or equipped with the right tools for the job.”

But she said when everyone joins in to build a culture of life, they make a difference in the lives of the unborn.

Legendary race car driver Darrell Waltrip spoke to the audience and shared how he and his wife of 55 years, Stevie, have supported the pro-life cause.

Mr. Waltrip, a Daytona 500 winner as well as a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who won more than 80 races before he retired and became a national television racing broadcaster, said he was addressing the group out of respect for his wife, who is a staunch pro-life advocate.

“I’m excited about being here with you. … Just so you know, the reason I’m here is because Stevie wanted me to be here. She has been against abortion ever since there has been abor-

“An independent government study came out a couple of months ago that said in the six months following Tennessee's abortion ban being put into place, there were an additional 2,500 lives added to the birth rate in Tennessee. So, we know that those are not 17,545 abortions going elsewhere. Those are lives being saved in Tennessee. ... We have worked very hard to not let exceptions into our law that would create gaping loopholes for abortions to happen.”

— Will Brewer, Tennessee Right to Life legal counsel

tion. She wanted me to come here and share a little bit with you folks, pray with you folks, sing the National Anthem with you folks, and just be here with you. I’m glad I’m here.”

In introducing Dr. Newman, Mrs. Dunn said the guest speaker was there to help equip, motivate, and inspire the group in building a culture of life.

Dr. Newman is a communications trainer, an incisive pro-life apologist, and the president of Speaker for Life, a training firm dedicated to equipping pro-life advocates with publicspeaking skills. The former California resident now lives in East Tennessee and is a retired University of California-Irvine communications professor. “Folks, we are in a battle. I can’t tell you how happy I am to live in the great state of Tennessee, where I was able to move and live among people who share my values regarding the sanctity of human life,” Dr. Newman said. “We have the Human Life Protection Act. And that is great. But the enemies of life, they have Tennessee in their sights. And I need to let you know, the enemies of life, they fully intend to prevail over you.”

Angel Brewer, executive director of Tennessee Right to Life’s Knox County chapter, pointed out that TRL rebranded the event for 2024 from Pro-Life Women’s Day on the Hill to Pro-Life Day on the Hill because “the issue of life is one that men and women, young and old alike, understand and support.”

And continuing to reference California, he said that state also is creating a telehealth network where California abortion doctors can be accessed via phone or Internet by women in pro-life states. Pregnant mothers can then be prescribed abortion pills by these telehealth doctors without ever being examined by a doctor.

Dr. Newman then shared that governors of more than 20 states have formed a pro-abortion alliance to try and strengthen the grip abortion has on much of the country.

“California is proudly at the forefront of recruiting, educating, and employing the next generation of abortionists. These states want to forgive student loans and offer tax credits to people to relocate to their states for abortion-access reasons. It’s mind-blowing,” he said.

“I have to impress upon you how important it is to understand that this is the world view of the abortion industry. And this is precisely, if given the opportunity, what they fully intend to turn you into. That is their goal. They are not very shy about what they intend to do,” he added. “It is abortion on demand.”

He encouraged the group to support efforts to turn pro-abortion states like California, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, and Virginia into prolife states that are like Tennessee “Be a contender for life. … Are we going to sit here, happy that our children are protected and yet not do enough to consistently push back against our opponents so that those people in other states can recognize that having a pro-life ethic is not only achievable but that you can maintain it?” he told the group. He said states like Illinois are even funding mobile abortion units, vans that drive around the state terminating pregnancies, and California is promoting itself as an abortion destination by placing billboards in other states.

“So, why does this matter?” he asked. “Well, it matters because human lives matter. And human lives matter because human lives are created in the image of God. And as a nation, we have forgotten that.”

“We work to protect life in all its ages, stages, and conditions, and it was good to see so many people from across the state come together to celebrate life,” Mrs. Brewer said. “This event is important. It is important to keep our grassroots folks engaged in what is happening in our legislature. The process of writing, proposing, and sponsoring a bill takes many months, if not years, and it is easy to get lost in that process. But our elected officials need to and want to hear from the people at home who put them in office. Our elected officials are faced with so many issues; it is important to keep the issue of life at the top of their proverbial pile.”

While the annual event is also a celebration of life, Mrs. Brewer emphasized that there still are many challenges confronting pro-life efforts in Tennessee, even with Roe v. Wade reversed.

“It would be great to think with Roe overturned and abortion illegal in our state that we could all focus our attention on another important issue. The abortion industry has proven that they are not going to give up. They are losing millions of dollars. A group of mostly outof-state plaintiffs is trying to get the Human Life Protection Act, our life-saving law, enjoined and then reversed right now,” she said.

“If they succeed, babies will die again, and mothers will be forever changed. We cannot let that happen. Our most vulnerable citizens are counting on us to remain vigilant. Our mission is to protect all life, from conception to natural death. We are fighting a culture that finds death a convenient answer to inconvenient circumstances. God is the author of all life, and only He can write the ending,” she noted. ■

Sister Adamarie Kost, RSM

Sister Adamarie (Cecilia) Kost, RSM, passed peacefully into God’s arms on March 8 at Mercy Convent in Nashville.

Sister Adamarie was the daughter of Charles Franklin and Ada Vester Kost. She was born in Nashville on Sept. 27, 1937. She graduated from Cathedral High School and entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1956. She received her bachelor’s degree from Our Lady of Cincinnati College and her master’s degree in education from Memphis State University.

Sister Adamarie is survived by her Sisters of Mercy, numerous and beloved nieces and nephews, and her devoted friend, Kay Brogle.

Sister Adamarie was preceded in death by her parents and her eight siblings: Francis (Joe) Biggs, Catherine (Buddy) Gentry, Doris (Masne Allen) Bennett, Florence (Bill) Midget, Lois (Marvin) Fox, Jody Kost, Mary Helen (Donald) Meadows, Vivian (Joe) Tucker; by her nephew, John Vincent Gentry; a niece, Dawn Tucker; and great nephews, Kane Gentry and Steven Yates.

Sister Adamarie was a Sister of Mercy for 68 years. She served in numerous ministries, including as an elementary school teacher in Nashville and Memphis, and in hospital chaplaincy and social work in Cincinnati.

In 1982, she returned to Tennessee and became administrator of Catholic Charities of Chattanooga. In 1990, she was appointed coordinator/administrator of the Sisters of Mercy at St. Bernard Convent and later at Mercy Convent in Nashville.

In 1995, Sister Adamarie became the founding executive director of the Lester Tune Home Place in Chattanooga, a housing ministry for people living with HIV/AIDS. In Sister’s own words, “The work at the Home Place was the ministry where I most felt I was following the call of Catherine McAuley (foundress of the Sisters of Mercy), caring for the most vulnerable and abandoned by society in that time period.”

Among Sister Adamarie’s activities beyond ministry was being named Queen of the Kudzu Ball in Chattanooga in 1987. Sister Adamarie also entertained many gatherings across the state impersonating Minnie Pearl. After hearing Sister Adamarie’s taped performance, Minnie Pearl said, “Sister was the best impersonator I ever heard.”

When Sister Adamarie retired, she moved to Mercy Convent in Nashville. During her years at Mercy, she participated in many activities and ministered to the Sisters in the infirmary. She enjoyed calling bingo for them. She prayed daily for the spiritual and temporal needs of the employees who loved and cared for her.

A funeral Mass was celebrated for Sister Adamarie on March 14 at Mercy Convent in Nashville. Father Jim Vick, pastor of St. Bridget Parish in Dayton, was the Mass celebrant. The burial service took place at Calvary Cemetery in Nashville.

Willard Wright

Willard M. Wright, of Knoxville, passed away on Jan. 17 at the age of 81.

Mr. Wright, who was a faithful Catholic and member of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, was a family man and U.S. Army veteran. He retired from Bell Telephone Co. after 35 years of dedicated service in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

He tirelessly pursued the genealogy of the Wright family all the way back to 1707 in Glasgow, Scotland

Mr. Wright always will be remembered for his love of family, work ethic, and faith. He was preceded in death by his parents, Willard and Edith Wright; brothers Bill and Garry Wright; and sister Brenda Driver.

Mr. Wright is survived by and will be deeply missed by his beloved wife of over 55 years, Theresa Wright; daughter Stacy Schreiber and husband Ed; son John M. Wright and wife Laura; granddaughters Chelsea Demasi and husband Vincent, Sofia Wright, and Gabriella Wright; great-grandson Giorgio Demasi; sister, Linda Wright Bell of Florida; aunt, Audrey DePriest of Virginia; and other extended family and friends.

A funeral Mass for Mr. Wright was celebrated on Jan. 26 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, with Father David Boettner serving as the celebrant.

Burial for Mr. Wright with service and military honors was at the East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery in Knoxville on Jan. 29. Donations in Mr. Wright’s memory can be made to Wounded Warriors Project at support.wounded warriorproject.org

Marcia Ann Hartman

Marcia Ann Hartman, age 83, of Lenoir City, passed away on Feb. 22.

Mrs. Hartman was a member of St. John Neumann Church in Farragut. She retired from Covenant Health after 30 years. She loved to travel and spend time with her family.

Mrs. Hartman was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas J. Hartman; father, Albert Marinacci; and mother, Helen Marinacci.

She leaves behind to cherish her memory sons Mike Hartman and John Hartman; daughters Kim Hartman-Poulin, Kristy Hartman, Tracey Hartman-Myer, and Gail Hartman; 11 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

A funeral Mass for Mrs. Hartman was celebrated on Feb. 26 at St. John Neumann Church, with the burial following the funeral Mass at Berry Highland West Cemetery.

Rita Le’Cuyer Powers

Rita Darlene Le’Cuyer Powers left this world into the arms of her Savior on Feb. 19 peacefully surrounded by family.

Mrs. Powers was born at home in Bradley, Ill. on Aug. 28, 1928, to Paul and Thelma Le’Cuyer. She soon moved to Kankakee, Ill., where she graduated as valedictorian of St. Patrick High School. She went on to graduate from St. Mary College of Nursing in Rochester, Minn., as the first college graduate of her family.

Mrs. Powers met her husband Wilson “Bill” Powers while working as assistant head nurse on the neurology floor at the Mayo Clinic. Their 60year marriage produced five children.

Mrs. Powers, who was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, sister Linda, brother Joel, daughter-in-law Pam, and son-in-law Barry. She is survived by her children, Bill (Barbara), David (Patty), Nancy, Pete, and Andy (Dale); 14 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.

Though small in stature, Mrs. Powers was a community-service dynamo. She was a member of Ossoli Circle Women’s Club and was one of the founders of the Knoxville Girls Club, serving as president and board member. As a member of the Knoxville Academy of Medicine Auxiliary, she worked to pass seat-belt laws as well as the carseat loaner program for newborns.

Mrs. Powers was honored for her community service. She was the recipient of the Jefferson Award by the American Institute for Public Service and the Golden Rule Award by JC Penney. In 1984, she was honored as the First Lady of Knoxville by Beta Sigma Phi National Women’s Sorority.

Mrs. Powers enjoyed working in her yard and was a founding member of the Lakemoor Hills Garden Club. She loved Vols football and basketball and attended her last game at Neyland in 2021. Mrs. Powers developed an interest in tennis in her 50s and continued to play competitively into her 80s. She was a member of All Saints Parish.

A funeral Mass for Mrs. Powers was celebrated on Feb. 24 at All Saints Church, with the burial following at Berry Highland Memorial Cemetery. Donations in Mrs. Powers’ memory may be made to the Interfaith Health Center (www.interfaith healthclinic.org) or Catholic Charities of East Tennessee (ccetn.org).

George Straton Polos

George Straton Polos, age 78, passed away on March 10.

Mr. Polos was born in Houston on June 18, 1945. He enlisted in the Army in November 1965 during the Vietnam War. He was stationed in Panama and was honorably discharged in November 1971.

Mr. Polos graduated with a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Texas. He moved to California in the mid-1970s to work in the booming technology industry. He met his wife, Teri, in San Jose, Calif., on Jan. 2, 1984. They married on Dec. 1, 1984, and proceeded to have two lovely children.

dren, Melissa (Cody) Hale and Michael (Abigail) Polos; his beloved grandsons, Spencer and Straton Polos; a devoted brother, John C. Polos, and numerous cousins and dear friends.

A funeral Mass for Mr. Polos was celebrated on March 15 at All Saints Church, with Father Doug Owens serving as the celebrant.

Donations in memory of Mr. Polos may be made to St. Mary’s Legacy Mobile Clinic at smlcares. com

Dr. Philip Schaefer

Dr. Philip William Schaefer, 89, of Knoxville, passed away peacefully on March 11 with his family by his side.

A native of Baltimore, Dr. Schaefer was born on Feb. 16, 1935, to John and Caroline Schaefer and was raised with six siblings, Jack, Jim, Ed, Bob, Peggy, and Steve.

Dr. Schaefer leaves behind his wife of 65 years, Patricia; his children, Danny (Jennifer), Barbara (Glen), Michael (Christine), and Susan; and his grandchildren, David, Ben, Hannah, Connor, John, Matthew, Jessie, Tyler, and Tyson.

Dr. Schaefer

A funeral Mass for Dr. Schaefer was held on March 18 at All Saints Church in Knoxville. Donations in Dr. Schaefer’s memory may be made to Catholic Charities of East Tennessee.

Mary Frances Cloud Alderete

Mary Frances Cloud Alderete, age 72, of Knoxville, passed away on Jan. 26.

Mrs. Alderete was preceded in death by her parents, James and Frances Cloud; a daughter, Rosanna Maria Alderete; several siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. She is survived by her daughter, Frances Elena Alderete; and brothers, Edward Cloud and James Cloud Jr.

A funeral Mass for Mrs. Alderete was held on Feb. 5 at Holy Ghost Church. Interment at Calvary Cemetery followed the funeral Mass.

William Robert Fox Sr.

William Robert “Bill” Fox Sr. passed away March 7 after a hard fought battle with cancer.

Mr. Fox was born on Jan. 14, 1943, to Donald and Mary Pauline (Lynch) Fox, the youngest of their eight children.

Mr. Fox is survived by his loving family: son, William R. “Rob” Fox Jr. and daughter-inlaw, Elizabeth Ann (Kernica) Fox; son, Michael W. Fox; three adored grandchildren, Wesley Hatch, Arabella Rose, and Mavrick Tanner, who were the light of his life; sisters, Freda (Fox) Mulloy and Shirley (Fox) Parker-Sheffield; brother-in-law, Donald Roth; and dozens of nieces, nephews, and beloved family and friends.

Mr. Fox was preceded in death by his devoted wife, Levern (Samples) Fox; beloved daughterin-law, Melanie Dawn (Tackett) Fox; his parents, Donald and Mary Pauline (Lynch) Fox; in-laws, Wesley and Mary Elizabeth (Tippens) Samples; sister, Mary Jean and husband Thomas Morgan; brother, Donald Fox; sister, Pauline (Fox) Roth; sister, Donna (Fox) and husband John Wade; brother, James and wife Connie (Roach) Fox; brothers-in-law, John Mulloy, Bud Parker, and Clyde Sheffield; sister-in-law, Sally Roth; brotherin-law, Wayne Samples and his wife, Pat; nephews, Danny Wade, Paul Fox, Mike Mulloy, and Brian Roth; and special great-nephew, Jeff Dean.

Mr. Polos never met a stranger and loved helping people. He volunteered with the Diocese of Knoxville’s St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic. Besides his family, Mr. Polos’ passion was flying his 1946 Ercoupe. He loved to travel, and his favorite destination was the north shore of Kauai, Hawaii.

Mr. Polos was preceded in death by his parents, Charles J. Polos and Faye P. Polos. He is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Teri; his adoring chil-

Mr. Fox attended Catholic schools in Knoxville and enjoyed his many lasting friendships with his classmates throughout his life. He was a dedicated electrician with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 760 for over 60 years. Following the family tradition, he became an apprentice in 1964 and topped out as a journeyman wireman in 1969. During this time, he met and married his beautiful bride, Levern, and started his family. Over his career, he worked many jobs in the eastern United States. After retiring in January 2005, he enjoyed attending retiree lunches and meetings throughout his remaining years.

Mr. Fox was an avid gardener, as were many of his siblings. He could grow anything from a cutting and knew just about anything you ever needed to know about plants, flowers, and trees. He enjoyed his garden and sharing his knowledge with everyone.

Mr. Fox got along well with anyone he met and spent time with. He enjoyed cutting up with all on his patio over a drink. His cantankerous ways made him endearing and fun to sit and chat with. In his later years, his happiest times were spending time with family, especially his grandchildren. You never left time with him without a smile and a ton of laughs. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

A funeral Mass for Mr. Fox was celebrated at All Saints Church on March 16. Burial at Calvary Cemetery followed the Mass. ■

Sr. Adamarie

Mrs. Hartman

Mr. Wright

Mrs. Powers

Mr. Polos

Mr. Fox

Bristol abortion business is affecting the lives of people—children in the womb, pregnant mothers, fathers, and families—in the whole southeast region of the United States. 40 Days for Life is about reaching hearts one heart at a time. Changing hearts is something only God can do, and so we pray, and we fast, and we keep our hope in the One who can heal all things and make all things new, Jesus,” she added.

The group of about 25 holding vigil prayed, sang hymns, and waved to people in vehicles passing by, most of whom honked or waved in support. There were some motorists who shared their disagreement with the pro-life supporters by yelling, cursing, and hand gestures.

However, support greatly outnumbered opposition in this southwestern outpost of the Diocese of Richmond. Southwest Virginia is rich in the Catholic faith, with many parishes to prove that. But attitudes about abortion, which the Catholic Church teaches is morally, spiritually, and canonically wrong, differ widely between the southwestern and northern parts of the state.

“Prayer is what will win this battle,” Mrs. Bush said. “And the battle is fierce down here. When we are praying for the end of abortion here in Bristol, we’re praying for a whole region since people from eight states come to Bristol seeking abortions. So, it’s very important to have 40 Days for Life here to end this abortion stronghold here in Bristol.”

According to Mrs. Bush, the eight states whose residents are frequenting Bristol for abortions are Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Mrs. Bush shared that their prayers were answered in Bristol, Tenn., when abortion on demand was outlawed in 2022, forcing the only abortion facility to close. That’s when their prayers shifted down the street to the Virginia side.

She said a faith-based group had been praying for an end to abortion on the Tennessee side for at least 10 years before she got involved.

“We didn’t break vigil. We went right from the Tennessee side to the Virginia side. We’ve had a vigil consistently for about 15 years, whether or not I was leading it,” she said.

She feels like the 40 Days for Life vigil has gone well, and she is proud that St. Anne is growing its pro-life ministry.

She noted that St. Anne has received a grant from the Diocese of Richmond to support its pro-life efforts in Bristol.

Mrs. Bush explained that while Virginia has a pro-life governor in office, the state’s legislature is decidedly pro-abortion.

She said there are efforts underway in the legislature to have abortion enshrined in the state constitution.

She pointed out that while Southwest Virginia tends to lean pro-life, the state overall is influenced to a large degree by the pro-abortion northern two-thirds of the state.

“We are being affected by how people in northern Virginia feel about this. This is really a fight for life, not just for Southwest Virginia but for Northeast Tennessee. People are coming from Knoxville for an abortion here. They’re coming from Kentucky and West Virginia. It’s heartbreaking,” she said. “We’re not just fighting for Virginians. The laws in Virginia are going to affect several different states.”

She also said social media is a platform that women from all over are using to find out about abortion availability in Bristol.

Mrs. Bush, who is the mother of three adult sons, described 40 Days for Life as a unifying ministry, not only within St. Anne but also around the region and its faith communities.

“It’s not just a Catholic thing. 40 Days for Life draws us together as the body of Christ to speak for and be hands and feet of Christ and to be witnesses for Jesus,” she said.

“I met two women here who were fighting for life. I was here praying for an end to abortion as part of 40

"Abortion affects us all. There are no boundaries with states or nations. We're all part of God's kingdom, and this is a fight for all of us."

Days for Life, and two young women had driven up from Knoxville. One of them said she is part of a Facebook group of young women, and she noticed on the Facebook feed that women were discussing women’s issues, and they were telling each other that you can get an abortion in Bristol. So, the two young women come up periodically from Knoxville to witness for life here. I was blessed to meet them. It was our common baptismal bond that brought us here to speak for the truth of Jesus and the Gospel of life,” she added.

Tom Egan, a member of St. Mary Parish in Johnson City, said he was lending support to the Bristol 40 Days for Life campaign to prayerfully bring an end to one of the most “horrendous” issues in society.

“It’s a huge issue with violating God’s laws. And I totally am opposed to any type of action that ends life or changes God’s laws,” said Mr. Egan, who lamented the widespread opposition pro-life supporters face around the country.

“We are blessed to not have an abortion clinic in the Tri-Cities area in Tennessee. That’s why we are here. This is the closest place where abortions are done in our area,” Mr. Egan pointed out. He noted that at St. Mary Parish, the Council of Catholic Women and the Knights of Columbus partner to offer a novena for life.

“Prayers work, whether we pray individually or as a family or group. We should be here, but we can pray anywhere. God hears us anywhere,” Mr. Egan added.

The Bristol group expressed interest in lobbying Bristol elected officials to support designating Bristol as a sanctuary for life city.

Betty and Jim MacDougall of St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport also took part in the 40 Days for Life vigil to pray for an end to abortion.

“We are here to pray that abortion ends and that we stop killing little babies as well as pray for the moms who are pregnant to get the assistance they need to raise their children to be children of God,” Mrs. MacDougall said.

“I’m here because of the sanctity of life. As a practicing Catholic, I believe that life begins at conception and ends with natural death. We want to really support the 40 Days for Life movement,” said Mr. MacDougall, who is in the Knights of

Mr. Hanrahan expressed hope that what happened in Bristol, Tenn., will happen in Bristol, Va.

“That’s why we’re here. We closed that one after participating in this program. So, this gives us hope that this will be next. Prayers work,” he said.

Mrs. Bush was grateful that so many Protestant churches and Catholic parishes took part in the Bristol 40 Days for Life vigil, including a representation from the Diocese of Knoxville.

Orville Fisher, who lives near Maryville and attends St. Mary Parish in Athens, has been driving to Bristol regularly to participate in the Lenten 40 Days for Life vigil.

Actively supporting life, no matter the distance, is central to his faith.

“I realize how big the issue is, and I realize there are a lot more pro-life people than there are active pro-life people. I’m blessed to have time to get out there and do what I do,” Mr. Fisher said.

Mr. Fisher is grateful to St. Anne Parish, Mrs. Bush, and the people in the Bristol area as well as those in other parts of Upper East Tennessee for taking such an active stance for life.

“Here in Bristol, Va., we’re right next to Tennessee. So, the pro-life group up here is doing our work. They are doing the work of pro-life people in Tennessee by being here when the women from Tennessee come to the abortion business by standing, praying, and representing life. It’s important to recognize that abortion is a lot closer to us than we think,” Mr. Fisher said.

— Jim MacDougall

Columbus at St. Dominic.

Although they attend Mass in Kingsport, the MacDougalls said abortion affects everyone, regardless of parish boundaries or state lines.

“Abortion affects us all. There are no boundaries with states or nations. We’re all part of God’s kingdom, and this is a fight for all of us,” Mr. MacDougall said.

“And in Tennessee, they are now referring people to Bristol for abortions. Where we are, there is Hope House, and we help them, giving for moms who need car seats, outfits, diapers, and things like that. We have been supporting them financially as have groups we are in. But this (Bristol) is ground zero, where people are going to kill the babies. So, we want to be here and help support the people who are coming here and pray that God changes their hearts,” Mrs. MacDougall said.

Hope House is a maternity home and crisis pregnancy resource center in Kingsport whose motto is “We Care About Life.”

The MacDougalls said they have been supporting 40 Days for Life for over a decade.

“They are doing awesome work,” Mrs. MacDougall said about the pro-life organization.

Warren and Maryann Hanrahan and John and Karen Hoak of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Mountain City drove 100 miles round trip to be a part of the Bristol 40 Days for Life vigil.

For them, support for life is that important.

“We don’t come as often as we want to. We’re pretty far away. But we come as often as we can,” Mr. Hoak said.

Mrs. Hanrahan said someone has to speak for the babies.

“We want to be out and be the light that the world needs because you can’t do that being hidden. That’s why we’re here,” Mr. Hanrahan said.

“We’re also here to support the mothers who are in crisis pregnancies. We want to let them know that there is an alternative to going into that place (abortion facility),” Mrs. Hoak said.

Mr. Hoak added that they are praying for fathers, too, whether those men are suffering from the loss of a child or helped procure an abortion for a woman.

“We can all do our part to get out there sometime and be there when the women from Tennessee arrive at the abortion business,” he added. Mr. Fisher credited the faithful in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee for doing so much to promote and pray for life.

“To be able to operate a 40 Days for Life campaign up here shows a lot of commitment on the part of the people here,” he noted.

Paul Simoneau, Diocese of Knoxville vice chancellor who leads diocesan 40 Days for Life campaigns, is grateful to the volunteers who have actively prayed for an end to abortion in Bristol and believes their efforts resonate from the sidewalks to the pews and even to the halls of government.

“Though Tennessee was blessed to effectively outlaw abortion after Roe v. Wade was struck down, efforts to promote and protect the sanctity of life have become even more important—legislatively, for pregnancy and adoption centers like those offered by Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, and through programs to assist new mothers. But in the city of Bristol, with its main street marking the divide between Tennessee and Virginia, an abortion facility is but a relatively short few steps across the border. So, I am particularly grateful and edified by the incredible volunteers who have continued to keep their 40 Days for Life campaigns going in Bristol in order to pray, provide a public witness, and to offer counseling and assistance to women in crisis pregnancies,” Mr. Simoneau said.

“The importance of their ongoing efforts underscores the importance also of our legislative efforts in Nashville, where efforts to weaken and undo the Human Life Protection Act continue, even by some supposedly self-acclaimed pro-life Republicans. So, I thank our Lord for the good volunteers supporting the 40 Days for Life campaign in Bristol, Va., and Tennessee Right to Life in their efforts to protect the sanctity of the unborn from legislative efforts to permit their destruction,” he added.

And while the Lenten 40 Days for Life campaign came to an end in Bristol on Palm Sunday, that doesn’t mean the prayers, hymns, uplifting talks, waves, smiles, fellowship, and sidewalk Christian witness won’t continue.

Mrs. Bush is determined to keep praying for life.

“This isn’t going away, and neither are we,” she said. ■

BILL BREWER (2)

Praying to end abortion Above: Bristol 40 Days for Life participants gather for a photo at the site where they've held their Lenten prayer vigil across from the abortion facility in Bristol, Va. Below: Motorists passing by give shout-outs and blow their horns in support of those keeping prayer vigils on Palm Sunday in support of the sanctity of life.

A new walking pilgrimage culture?

National Eucharistic Pilgrimage organizer has plans for United States

By Maria Wiering OSV News

In March 2017, Will Peterson and his friend David Cable stepped out of Mr. Peterson’s front door in Lexington, Ky., to begin a pilgrimage. Their destination was the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemani, some 70 miles away.

The journey is 75 minutes by car along the Bluegrass Parkway, but the friends didn’t drive. Instead, with backpacks and hiking books, they walked the route, in rain and shine, relying on strangers’ hospitality along the way.

The experience led to Mr. Peterson and Mr. Cable in 2019 co-founding Modern Catholic

Book continued from page A4

cluded in Protestant canon.

“[The study] has sold well with some Protestant groups because I shared it with my friends, and I have Protestant friends, too,” Ms. Booker said. “Any Christian, I think, could pick it up and use it, and it’s been very well-received from some Protestant circles, and I know some women’s groups at Protestant churches that are going to do it, which I think is very interesting. I didn’t see that. And it’s also interesting because they are going to have to look up the difference between Catholic and Protestant canon when they get to the Book of Judith. … I just think that’s really interesting, and I’m really excited to hear back from them, what they think, because they’ve never been exposed to the story of Judith. ... It was something that I wasn’t exposed to until I was Catholic.”

“So, I’ve just been really pleased by how well-received it’s been. I know some women ministers who are Presbyterian who are leading Bible studies and are going to do this in the future, they’ve said. I’m really excited to hear back what their perception of it is,” she added.

Ms. Booker shared that the positive feedback she has received on her book makes her think maybe she was “meant to write it or put it out at this point in time .”

“I think there is a desire for that type of material, that type of study,” she said, noting that her original women’s group wanted to know more about different women in the Bible, as well as understand the Old Testament and salvation history better.

“This study was trying to combine those, and that’s why it goes chronologically because we kind of wanted to understand where are the people of Israel developing as we go. … We tried to tie that in through the specific women as well,” she explained.

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage will travel through the Diocese of Knoxville, stopping on June 24 at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, where parishioners will take part in an 11 a.m. Holy Hour, a noon Mass, and a eucharistic procession

Pilgrim, a Twin Cities-based nonprofit organizing the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage that begins in mid-May. Four groups of pilgrims will travel—mostly by foot—from routes beginning in the north, south, east, and west of the country, converging in Indianapolis ahead of the Na-

tional Eucharistic Congress

July 17-21.

The pilgrims will accompany a monstrance displaying the Eucharist the entire way, making their walk somewhat of an eight-week eucharistic procession through mountains, plains, cities, and countryside.

The undertaking is massive, but Mr. Peterson—Modern Catholic Pilgrim’s president— said he is working with pilgrimage coordinators in the 65 dioceses the pilgrims will pass through to secure their housing and meals, and to plan special events such as Mass and adoration wherever they stay.

Each route has been locally mapped out and

Pilgrimage continued on page A24

“I think the stories can speak for themselves, or the Holy Spirit can speak through those stories. I just wanted it to be a guide of here’s some context to help you read the Bible and some stories that might encourage you or you can relate to these women ”

— Emily

Booker, author of ‘Daughter Hear My Call: A Study of Women Prophets in the Bible ’

As Ms. Booker was compiling her Bible study, she was learning along the way. “The [prophet] I learned the most about, the one I was most surprised by because I didn’t know anything about her at all, was Huldah, who helped Josiah. They had found the lost law when the temple was being restored. So, she helped King Josiah rediscover the law of Moses after the temple had been desecrated, and Josiah was restoring the temple,” she said.

“Huldah was, as a prophet, able to clarify this is the law of Moses, this is what we should do now that we have it again. Josiah and some of the others were worried like, if we haven’t been following the law of Moses, is God going to punish us, but we didn’t even know what some of this said because it had been lost for some generations. And so she’s kind of able to guide them during that really big time of restoration,” she noted.

“I found that really fascinating that she was kind of like a Biblical scholar, you know a scroll scholar, Torah scholar” Ms. Booker continued. “The king, he asked for her; he was like, go find Huldah and see what she says about it, so she obviously had a reputation as an intellectual or as a prophet, someone that they could trust to discern that situation.”

Personally, Ms. Booker’s favorite female prophet is Hannah. “I’ve always had a fondness for

Hannah,” she said. “I think her lament and then her Magnificat are both beautiful expressions of faith, and so I’m always really fond of her story. I love studying her and talking about her, especially when you read those passages of her prayers and when you compare it to Mary’s Magnificat.”

For the women (and men) who read the Bible study, Ms. Booker hopes that it brings them to a closer understanding of the Bible.

“I didn’t want to put a lot of my opinions into it,” she said. “I wanted to just help have it be a guide to help you study the Bible either on your own or as a group; I wanted it to be able to work both ways to just explore, especially the Old Testament, that we might not always be as welleducated on.”

“I think the stories can speak for themselves, or the Holy Spirit can speak through those stories,” Ms. Booker continued. “I just wanted it to be a guide of here’s some context to help you read the Bible and some stories that might encourage you or you can relate to these women. That’s my hope, that it just helps people know these women better and know the Bible better.”

Ms. Booker thinks that to understand the Bible is “to be very rooted in the truth.”

“We’ve been given the Bible. Scripture and tradition are what our faith is based on. It’s how we know God, how God has told

us to know Him,” she said. “You don’t have to rely on what someone else tells you God is or how the Church is. You can go to the Bible and be like, here’s the sacred Word that has been passed down for generations, and the Church has approved it.”

“I think it’s good to be understanding of the very basics of our faith, but there’s also so much in the Bible you can never fully know it, so you can always return,” Ms. Booker continued. “So, I think you need to know the Bible to know the basics of the faith, but you also need to return to the Bible because you can always learn new things, and where you are personally God can tell you something different each time.”

In her Bible study, Ms. Booker asks readers if there are still prophets today, noting that baptized Christians have a role in Jesus Christ’s ministry as priest, prophet, and king.

Ms. Booker believes that some “might shy away from the term prophet.”

“I think sometimes we have the misconception of the term prophet, that it means someone that has like this gift of foretelling the future, and it’s a very specific idea,” she said. “That can be a prophecy, that’s a part of prophecy, but sometimes prophecy is telling truth in the present, speaking for God. That’s what a prophet is, being a vessel for God. And there are lots of different ways to do that. That’s part of this study, too, is the different ways God uses different women. … But we all have a gift of being a vessel for God in some way, and so it’s being open to however God wants to use you is the way you’re being a prophet. Being able to share His message with someone else is, you’re a messen ger for God, whatever message He has to use through you and wherever, whenever He wants to use you.” ■

Christ the Suffering

In his second talk, “Christ the Suffering,” Father Royal looked at a universal question: why do people suffer at all?

“God could readily create a universe in which we don’t experience such things, and yet here we are,” he said. “And to understand why we suffer, why we go through the things that we have to do, why you all have to be medical professionals, why the world needs you, we have to look back at the Garden of Eden.”

Father Royal noted that God created a perfect universe where everything seemed to work together, but “even having that kind of perfect universe, it seemed like [Adam and Eve] weren’t totally satisfied with it, and an option was presented to them to turn away from God, and they took it. And when they take that option, death then enters into the world. When death is in the world, everything begins to seem to just fall apart.”

“Death and suffering that we experience in this world is our fault,” Father Royal continued. “Not that we were there and we made the same choice, but we would have; we demonstrate that every day in our own failings and choices. We know we would have done it. And so in some sense we are responsible for all that we see around us, but sometimes we think, well, God, it feels like you went a little far with it, right. Did we really deserve this much suffering for that choice then? And to find even the beginnings of an answer to that, we have to turn to the Scriptures again. And one of the great figures in Scripture, just kind of asked God this question, Job.”

Father Royal briefly recounted the Book of Job, where the protagonist undergoes great suffering, such as losing his livestock and children and enduring physical ailments.

“Job goes through a lot. That man has a terrible life throughout the middle portion of that book,” he said. “And then finally towards the end he gets the opportunity to directly encounter God … when he gets his chance to talk to God, he just says to Him, ‘Why are you doing this? I don’t think that I personally deserve everything that’s happened here.’”

“And God’s answer to him is really unsatisfying,” Father Royal continued. “He just looks at him and says, ‘Can you tell me how the rain works? Can you tell me how these other things work? Do you understand anything about the universe that you live in Job?’ Job says no. ‘So, then you’re not going to understand my answer to this question either. You don’t understand anything about the world around you. How can you understand something this complicated? Something much more fundamental than the world.’ And there’s a certain truth to that, that can get us through a day sometimes, to just think, well, I’m not going to get it anyway. But it’s not the end. We know there is a reason for it; we know something about this has to make sense, and so we keep asking. We ultimately find that the best answer that we’re going to get is Christ Himself. And the Church gives us this answer every single year at the great feast of the resurrection, in the Easter Vigil.”

Father Royal pointed to the “Exsultet,” the proclamation of Easter. “When it looks back at our fall in Eden and it says, ‘O happy fault that merited for us so great a Redeemer,’ ultimately that is the answer to human suffering,” he said. “That when God created the universe, He could have created us such that we would not sin and that we would have lived in paradise forever, just freely enjoying it. But He permits sin in the world; He lets us fall, and He lets us fall foreseeing that He could show us His love in the fullest possible way, in Christ Himself. That’s ultimately why He allows this. He doesn’t want us to sin, don’t get me wrong. He’s not encouraging us to in order to save us. But He permits it for seeing that the good we’ll get back out of it is by far greater than the evil, the suffering that we un-

dergo in the process. That ultimately needing the Redeemer, allowing God to become incarnate in the world, to suffer for us, to die for us, demonstrates God’s love to us in a way that nothing else could. And there is nothing else greater for us in this life than to know how much God loves us. And so He shows us that in the flesh.”

Father Royal noted that when it comes to suffering, people often say “we want the healing, and we want God to just snap his fingers, end this, let me move back on with life.”

“But if the life we return to after that is the same one that we were experiencing before the suffering, then there was no point to it,” he said. “If we’re truly honest with people, they need something much deeper than just fixing the problem. Even Christ in His own life has some of that experience. Look at His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He says to His father, ‘If you will, if you can, take this suffering away from me.’ He experiences that same desire that we have. ‘Take this part away from me, and let’s find another option.’ But He ends His prayer with, ‘But not as I will, as you will.’ Recognizing that while yes, He doesn’t want to suffer, no one really does, but there can be a good in it. A good that by far outweighs whatever we’re experiencing in the moment. And so He submits Himself to the Father’s will in that moment. Many people are in that situation, they’re going to say I just want my problem fixed; I want my life back; I want everything to return, but that’s not really what they need in that moment. They need the same thing everyone needs: they need the healing that only Christ Himself can offer. They need to reevaluate their lives, to really look at the trajectory that they’re on and find healing at every level of who they are.”

Christ the Healer

Father Royal’s third and final talk, “Christ the Healer,” was presented in the Chancery chapel during eu-

there, to bring the healing to that person. Not just the healing of their body, as we said they’ll say they want, but the full healing, to help them realize that there is a better option. That sin and death and suffering, those things do not have to win in your life because Christ has conquered them if they’ll hand their lives over to Him. We can help by loving them and acting according to those graces. We can help bring them to that realization. Maybe not immediately and consciously in that exact moment; those actions make a difference. No one who experiences the love of God walks away unchanged. They always remember it.”

The chaplain said that it is a great honor for people to be members of Christ’s body and to carry Christ to every single person.

“I think we need to hold that with us, to remember that in every single encounter that eternity is in fact at stake. Not just ours, theirs. That we can offer them a healing much greater than anything they would ever dare to ask us for, if we simply respond to Christ in that moment,” he shared.

‘Come together to pray’

Katie Watson, a parishioner at Holy Ghost in Knoxville, is currently a nursing student at Pellissippi State Community College.

charistic adoration.

“Fundamentally, we do believe that when God takes on human flesh, He changes reality in some way,” he said. “He takes on the whole of the human condition and relates all of us to Himself. In the same sense that all of us bear something of the fault of Adam when he sinned, so also in Christ do we participate in His life in some way. Just as we’re all descended from Adam, when God comes into the world, we’re all now descendants of Him in a certain way.”

Father Royal presented the question: What is it that Christ wanted to change about our world?

“Why would He bother making everything different for us? It goes back to that idea of the Garden of Eden,” he explained. “He recognizes all that we lost, all that we suffer because of that choice that we made, and He wants to give it back to us. That’s why He does the things that He does in His ministry. You see Him going out liberating people from evil spirits, healing them, feeding them, taking care of them. He’s doing everything that He can to free them from the consequences that we inherited from original sin and give us back paradise. He wants His people to be free to experience the new creation, that new world.”

Father Royal stressed the idea that when someone shows love to another individual, it is God loving through them.

“They’re experiencing not just your love, they’re experiencing His love. They may not be fully aware of it, but they are. You touch them, they experience God touching them in the same way that Simon’s motherin-law did. Christ has truly changed our natures, and it’s up to us to realize it, to constantly live it out and make it more present,” he said.

“And so every one of us, when we’re going out and seeing people, and we’re seeing suffering, we should remember we’re looking at the consequences of our choices,” Father Royal continued. “But even so, Christ is calling us to be present

“I think it's so important to come together to pray together and to be able to speak freely about different struggles and issues and the joys and sorrows of being a Catholic physician and health-care worker.”

— Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, RSM, St. Mary's Legacy Clinic medical director

“By coming here today I learned about the St. Mary’s (Legacy) Clinic, and so I’m really interested in volunteering with them,” she said. “The priest that led the retreat, his wisdom was amazing and just the people that showed up and the questions and the conversation, it’s really been eye-opening to me. I look forward to working more with these people and learning more about it. It’s good for health care to just have God present in it and those connections you make with patients.”

Ms. Watson said her faith is what inspired her to pursue a nursing degree.

“The human connection of it, how important it is more than just the medical healing of it, but the spiritual connection between souls and just like being present with them, the empathy, the compassion,” she explained.

Lisa Padgett, a parishioner at All Saints in Knoxville, is a pediatrician.

“I’m a member of the Catholic Medical Association, and I felt this was a wonderful experience,” she said. “I appreciated the opportunity to attend Mass, attend confession, and attend eucharistic adoration. They had wonderful speakers that gave a Catholic take on this and a Catholic focus. I highly recommend it. It was a nice group of people from different aspects of health care and a nice networking opportunity, as well as Sister Mary Lisa and company did a fantastic job with organization. I’ll look forward to attending things in the future.”

Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, a Religious Sister of Mercy of Alma, Mich., serves as the president of the St. Gianna Guild.

“I think Father’s talks were very well-received and very helpful for everyone here. I especially liked how he really pointed out Christ’s healing ministry and how he helped us understand suffering in a whole new way. I think it opened up some great discussion among us,” she shared

“I think it’s so important to come together to pray together and to be able to speak freely about different struggles and issues and the joys and sorrows of being a Catholic physician and health-care worker,” Sister Mary Lisa continued. “And I think coming together helps build one another up; it helps to support each of us in our ministry and helps us to keep moving forward and to remember that we’re not alone, and that Christ is the one who ultimately strengthens us to help those in need.”

The St. Gianna Guild will host its next event on May 18, when Religious Sister of Mercy Mara Lester, who is a physician, will speak about addressing transgender ideology as a Catholic medical provider. To join the Catholic Medical Association and learn about upcoming events, contact Sister Mary Lisa at srmarylisa@almamercy.org ■

Getting in sync Above: Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, RSM, medical director for the St. Mary's Legacy Clinic, standing right, interacts with clinic volunteers, standing from left, Dr. Richard Rose, Dr. John Harris, and Dr. Thang Phan, as they update their phones. Below: Health-care professionals take part in the Catholic Medical Association St. Gianna Guild's Lenten retreat on Feb. 17 at the Diocese of Knoxville Chancery.

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traveled to ensure there are no unexpected obstacles, such as freeway walls or road construction. Local coordinators also are, when needed, working with local authorities to make large-scale processions possible. While smaller events are planned nightly, each weekend of the pilgrimage places the pilgrims in a city, where Mass, adoration, and other celebrations are planned.

In Minnesota, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, where Mr. Peterson now lives with his wife and son, is marking the pilgrims’ weekend in the Twin Cities May 24 with a five-mile procession from the University of St. Thomas—coincidently home to Modern Catholic Pilgrim’s office—down a historic avenue to the Cathedral of St. Paul, also designated the National Shrine of the Apostle Paul.

Part of the three-year National Eucharistic Revival underway, the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is by far the largest project Mr. Peterson and his small team have worked on. The central focus is small pilgrimages—sometimes

mere city blocks—that focus on local religious sites, such as parish churches.

Modern Catholic Pilgrim also organizes pilgrimages to established U.S. shrines that commemorate the country’s saints, including St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. John Neumann, and St. Junípero Serra, as well as places that honor the men and women who have saint causes underway, such as Father Augustus Tolton.

Mr. Peterson, 31, knows firsthand the power of a pilgrimage. A native of San Diego, Mr. Peterson spent Holy Week 2013 in Rome on a pilgrimage organized by the University of Notre Dame, where he was then an undergraduate. He experienced the tradition of eucharistic adoration in seven churches on Holy Thursday night, prayed with newly elected Pope Francis at the Colosseum on Good Friday, and attended Easter Mass at the Vatican.

“That was really where I encountered the Holy Spirit in a major way,” Mr. Peterson said.

He is a cradle Catholic, he said, but his Catholicism felt like a cultural expression, not true faith. That

changed in Rome.

Despite the week’s late nights and early mornings, “stepping out in the streets of Rome for that Easter Sunday was like lightning coming from my fingertips,” he said.

That energy continued after the trip, as he dove into writings by and about the saints and other influential Catholics, including Catholic Worker movement co-founder Dorothy Day and Gethsemani Trappist monk Father Thomas Merton, who wrote about the idea of what Mr. Peterson thinks of as “biblical hospitality,” in which Christians care for each other, including opening their homes for those needing a place to stay

Mr. Peterson connected those ideas to previous “proto-pilgrimages” he had done, like the time he took a train from Chicago to Ottumwa, Iowa, where he spent a weekend, sleeping one night under a tree and the next at the parish church. He planned a similar trip to Rugby, N.D., surprising a parish priest with his request for a place to stay.

Once the priest understood Mr. Peterson’s purpose, he offered a room

in the rectory.

“Merton talks about how we’re all naturally wanderers and wayfarers,” Mr. Peterson said. Those trips, he acknowledged, were a means of testing out whether biblical hospitality does—or can—exist in the contemporary U.S. Catholic Church. “I was glad to find it there,” he said

While many Catholics associate pilgrimage with trips to Jerusalem, Lourdes, France, or Rome, Mr. Peterson hopes Modern Catholic Pilgrim can simplify the idea and act of pilgrimage. With a prayerful disposition and intention, even a walk to watch the sunset and marvel at God’s majesty could be a pilgrimage, he said.

This spring, Modern Catholic Pilgrim events include a weeklong pilgrimage from New York City to the National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia in Philadelphia; a three-mile walk between two St. Paul, Minn., parishes to honor St. Joseph’s feast day; and a daylong pilgrimage from the U.S.-Mexico border to Sacred Heart Church in Coronado,

Pilgrimage continued on page A25

Calif., culminating in a Palm Sunday vigil Mass.

Last June, Mr. Peterson tested some aspects of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage in Indiana on an eight-day, 100-mile pilgrimage between the co-cathedrals in Fort Wayne and South Bend. As the group walked with the monstrance through Mishawaka, a little girl who had just received her first Holy Communion that spring spotted the pilgrims, ran into her room, put on her white dress, and joined the procession for a couple of blocks, taking the priest-chaplain’s hand.

“It’s knowing those moments and what is possible, I’m grateful for that,” Mr. Peterson said. “I think that’s going to be life changing, especially for the (National Eucharistic Pilgrimage’s) perpetual pilgrims, the young adults who will be walking the whole thing.”

Walking pilgrimages have a long tradition in Europe and the Holy Land. One of the best known is the Way of St. James, a network of pilgrimage routes that lead to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, where St. James the Apostle is buried. While Mr. Peterson hopes to someday undertake the Camino himself, he realizes those histori-

Immaculate Conception Church IC, located at 414 W. Vine Ave. in downtown Knoxville, was founded in 1855. The Paulist Fathers began serving there and at John XXIII University Parish on the Uni-

cal pilgrimages are out of reach for many U.S. Catholics. “For the rest of us,” he asked, “why not take part in this wonderful tradition? … Let’s highlight these sites in the United States that you can make a pilgrimage to; let’s create that biblical hospitality connection where you’ve got people who have that prayer charism of hospitality … and then let’s have young people experience that hospitality.”

Pilgrimages particularly appeal to young adults, including those who are spiritually seeking, Mr. Peterson said. Like hiking the Appalachian Trail, pilgrimages are challenging, have a low barrier to entry, few requirements beyond walking, and are open to people anywhere on their spiritual journey.

Young people want direction, purpose and authenticity, Mr. Peterson said. If someone says they find God in nature, “awesome,” he said. “Let’s go in nature, but let’s do it in this tradition. … Let’s have a very purposeful form of travel.”

It rained the first day of Mr. Peterson’s 2017 pilgrimage from Lexington to the Abbey of Gethsemani, but Mr. Peterson and Mr. Cable made it 20 miles, praying rosaries and reciting psalms along the way. Mr. Peterson had called ahead to

History continued from page A14

Father John McNassar was the first Paulist pastor at St. John XXIII, and the first associate pastor of the parish was Father Michael Kallock, ordained just three months before his August 1973 assignment to Knoxville.

Longtime priests at St. John XXIII include Father Charles Brunick (1977-85), Father Charles Cunniff III (1984-89), Father Terry Ryan (1995-2003), Father Eric Andrews (2000-09), current pastor Father Don Andrie, who has been serving there since 2014, and Father Bob O'Donnell, who served from 2016 to 2021 and has been a retired priest in residence there since 2021.

A few priests have served both of Knoxville’s Paulist parishes, including Father James Brucz, an associate at IC from 2002 to 2006 and at St. John XXIII from 2010 to 2011, and Father Charlie Donahue, who served as pastor of St. John XXIII from 2009 to 2014 and has been pastor of IC since 2021. Father Brucz also served as a temporary assistant at St. John XXIII in 1989-90.

Father Connellan came back to Knoxville in 2005 when IC celebrated its 150th anniversary. An anniversary dinner at the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Knoxville followed a Mass at IC celebrated by Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz, with Father

Paulists continued from page A14

church. The love that I experienced from all of you was really phenomenal, I just really was very touched by it, and you just made me feel at home,” he said.

“And if I may, just to put it out here to all of us and just reflect on a little bit here, tonight’s celebration really is another experience of Eucharist,” Father Tully shared. “We are all gathering here to break bread so to speak, to tell stories, and to realize how we have been blessed. We have all been blessed as the Paulists serving here at Immaculate Conception and John XXIII, and I’m sure listening to all of you, you have felt we have blessed you as well through our ministry, our concern, our care, our love for all of you. So, I just want to say to all of you, thank you so much. These past 50 years have been such a blessing to us, and may God grace us through the gift of the Holy Spirit with many more years of service to all of you as we all together continue this celebration

parishes to ask for overnight hosts, and they spent their first night cheering on the Kentucky Wildcats in March Madness with a middleaged Catholic couple.

“It was just beautiful—we just had a great meal, talked, learned about their family. They gave us a place to shower, a place to sleep. And then they sent us off the next morning,” Mr. Peterson said.

The next night their host took them out for pizza and talked about the Civil War history of his home. The third afternoon they outran a storm, seeking shelter in a State Farm Insurance office until they could connect with that night’s hosts.

“At State Farm, they’re like, ‘Those guys are crazy,'” he recalled with a laugh. But by the time they left, the people there had offered rides and a place to stay if needed. For Mr. Peterson, that connection is the point of a walking pilgrimage that relies on hospitality.

“In order to give hospitality, we need to learn to receive it,” he said. “We get to see how people are just living the faith. There’s that mutual reliance on others—having to rely on others and what that means, because we’re called to that as Christians, but our society doesn’t

like that. We’re supposed to be ‘self-reliant.’”

As the pilgrims approached the abbey on day four, they happened to be finishing Psalm 121. Bells were summoning the monks to midday prayer, so the friends dropped their packs and headed to the chapel. They walked in to hear the monks praying Psalm 122.

“That is the pilgrim’s prayer for Jerusalem,” Mr. Peterson said. “That is what Jesus Himself (was) saying when He got to Jerusalem for Passover.”

He was amazed at the coincidence, which He took as confirmation from God that He was where He was supposed to be at that moment.

The most powerful parts of pilgrimages are those Modern Catholic Pilgrim can’t plan: how the Holy Spirit works in pilgrims’ lives.

“It is so remarkable to slow down to encounter God at 3 miles an hour, and to make it so simple,” Mr. Peterson said. “Pilgrimages are simple, but not simplistic. What it all really boils down to is where are you going, and what are your intentions when you get there? You don’t need a Ph.D. You don’t need a theology background. … Any of us can do that, and trust that God answers and responds.” ■

Ciccone delivering the homily. Father Connellan spoke at the dinner and recalled that tenements in the same city block as IC in the pre-urban renewal era of 1973 included a building housing practitioners of the world’s oldest profession, who took advantage of one of the few working streetlights near the church to meet men arriving in cars.

Father Ciccone said that IC’s clock tower, which was newly lighted for the 150th anniversary, had been “lovingly baptized as Haley’s Halo.”

Paulist Fathers who have served in Knoxville have gone on to leadership roles with the community. They include Father Eric Andrews, who was president of the Paulist Fathers from 2014 to 2022.

Father Connellan served as the Paulists’ vice president from 1982 to 1990. Father John Ardis, an associate at St. John XXIII starting in 1990, left in 1994 to become the Paulists’ national vocation director.

The Diocese of Knoxville’s founding shepherd, Bishop Anthony J. O’Connell, played an important role in the Paulists’ local history. He ordained Father Andrews and Father Gilbert Martinez to the priesthood in May 1995 at the community’s mother church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York City. Bishop O’Connell also ordained Paul Reynolds as a Paulist deacon in September 1993 at IC, the first ordination of a Paulist to take place in the diocese.

and build God’s kingdom.”

Father Donald Andrie, CSP, the current pastor at St. John XXIII University Parish, said he really enjoyed the event and the opportunity to celebrate with parishioners.

“I think everyone did, and it reinforces how much we depend on each other to be able to do God’s work,” he said. “It was just so exciting to see not only the Paulists there but also the people who have been with us so long. And to know what all they do in so many ways.”

Noting the ministries the parishioners are involved in, such as social justice causes, the Ladies of Charity, and food pantries, Father Andrie said that “these are things that come out of what we can do together.”

“If we weren’t all together, none of that would happen,” he said. “We fit real well here, and they fit real well here, and they feel welcome. That’s one of the things I have always appreciated about the Paulists. You are welcome here first. OK, we can help you with your

Today, both of Knoxville’s Paulist parishes are going strong, with 409 families worshiping at IC and 353 families plus some 300-400 students at St. John XXIII. Each parish serves a diverse community, with parishioners of IC and the non-student families of St. John XXIII coming from a large area beyond the parish boundaries.

The Paulist Fathers have celebrated several anniversaries with their Knoxville parishes, anniversaries of both the community’s founding and the two parishes’ own milestones. Both parishes came together on May 4, 2008, for the 150th-anniversary celebration of the Paulists’ founding by Servant of God Father Isaac Hecker in 1858. Almost 1,100 of the faithful filled the Tennessee Amphitheater at World’s Fair Park for the sesquicentennial event.

At the 2008 celebration, then-Paulist Fathers president Father John Duffy said the support of the parishioners of both Knoxville parishes helped the Paulists “continue to read the signs of the times and meet the needs of the Church in the modern age, leading the Church and the Paulists to a future brighter than any past.” ■

Portions of this article relied on the “ The Church on Summit Hill,” a 1986 book by Immaculate Conception parishioner Laurence V. “Larry” Gibney.

life, too, but first you are just welcome. And that’s so nice.”

Jackie Owen, a parishioner at St. John XXIII, attended the event.

“The Paulist priests are wonderful,” she said. “They really minister to everyone. They are so welcoming of everyone. They provide such energy and share God’s word to a tee through their own experiences, and they share so much of themselves. And personally for me, I experienced a great sudden loss when my husband passed 15 years ago, and the current pastor at John XXIII at that time reached out to me. And even when he moved on to his new assignment a few months later, he still ministered to me across the miles. And then the new pastor, associates the ones that have come in following, they just are wonderful. They truly share God’s love. … I see Jesus in them.”

For more information on the Paulist Fathers and their ministry in the Diocese of Knoxville and across the United States, visit paulist.org ■

versity of Tennessee campus in 1973.

St. John XXIII University Parish St. John XXIII, located at 1710 Melrose Place on the University of Tennessee-Knoxville campus, was established in 1967 and its Catholic Center was dedicated in 1970.

COURTESY OF IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH