May 1, 2022, ET Catholic, A section by Diocese of Knoxville

May 1

| 2022

VOL 31 NO 9

IN THIS ISSUE THE HEALING A B1 FEEDING A14 EASTER A4 LEARNING MULTITUDE Even in season of joy, NEW LANGUAGE English classes transform lives

we must love those who are suﬀering

KDCCW hosts mealpacking event for countries

He dwells among us ......................... A3 Parish news ....................................... B4 Diocesan calendar ............................ B5 Columns ............................................. B6 Catholic schools .......................... B9,10 La Cosecha ............................Section C

Faith in the risen Lord Holiest week of the year arrives as Bishop Stika celebrates Chrism, Easter Masses

alling it a “great joy” at one Mass, Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrated the liturgies and services of Holy Week: Palm Sunday, the Chrism Mass, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, the Good Friday service, the Easter Vigil, and an Easter Sunday morning Mass, all at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. More than 50 catechumens and more than 130 candidates came into the Church at the Easter Vigil across the diocese.

Do you believe in miracles? Deacon Ken Conklin may help you decide By Dan McWilliams

Easter continued on page A13

DR. KELLY KEARSE

Chrism Mass

At the Chrism Mass on April 12, Bishop Stika blessed the holy oils used in the Church throughout the year, and he heard diocesan priests make their annual renewal of commitment to priestly service. More than 70 priests and 25 deacons took part in the Chrism Mass, the 14th for Bishop Stika as the Diocese of Knoxville’s shepherd. Principal concelebrants were Cardinal Justin Rigali, cathedral rector and vicar general Father David Boettner, vicar general Father Doug Owens, and diocesan deans Father Michael Cummins, Father Peter Iorio, Father Mike Nolan, and Father Brent Shelton. Deacon Sean Smith was deacon of the Word, and Deacon Ken Conklin served as deacon of the Eucharist. Diocesan seminarians were among the altar servers. “One of my favorite Masses to celebrate besides ordination is the Mass of the Holy Chrism, and I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time,” Bishop Stika said. “So, it’s with great joy that we gather together as priests, deacons, and religious, people from different places in this diocese, to celebrate the Mass of the Holy Chrism. For it is a foundational thing for our Church, an activity, something so beautiful because it reminds us of the priesthood, it reminds us of people coming into the Church: baptized and confirmed, and all the oils that we bless and the chrism that I consecrate. This is special for the diocese as we gather together.” In his homily at the Chrism Mass, Bishop

By Dan McWilliams

The waters of baptism Bishop Richard F. Stika baptizes a young adult during the Easter Vigil Mass on April 16 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. During the Mass, four people were baptized, and 24 catechumens and candidates entered the Catholic Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

hose attending the Chrism Mass on April 12 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus beheld a miracle standing before them. Deacon Ken Conklin served as deacon of the Eucharist at the annual liturgy, an act no one more than six months ago thought he would be able to make. Deacon Conklin was ordained a permanent deacon at his home on Sept. 25 by Bishop Richard F. Stika, months earlier than his class of 2022 deacon candidates, who are scheduled to be ordained June 11. In September, Deacon Conklin was in hospice care during a battle with cancer that he had fought since 2018. Bishop Stika at the Chrism Mass suggested that Servant of God Father Patrick Ryan of Chattanooga might deserve credit for Deacon Conklin’s miraculous Miracle on page A16

Diocesan schools achieve reaccreditation Diocese of Knoxville system meets standards set by international, national agencies

KATHY RANKIN

iocese of Knoxville Catholic Schools have once again passed a rigorous accreditation review process. This process ensures that diocesan schools meet the standards established by the National Standards and Benchmarks of Excellence for Effective Catholic Schools issued by the National Catholic Educational Association and Cognia, an international accrediting agency. The announcement came on April 27 after meetings took place at the Chancery in Knoxville April 25-27. “I am thrilled to share that our system of Catholic schools has met the standards for reaccreditation,” said Dr. Sedonna Prater, superintendent of Catholic Schools. While addressing colleagues, pastors, school leaders, faculty, and the Catholic school communities, Dr. Prater stated: “This success is due to the significant contributions each of you have made in our educational ministry throughout this continuous improve-

Passing the test The Diocese of Knoxville’s 10 schools have been reaccredited by national and international accreditation agencies, which means the schools have met the highest standards for educational excellence. ment journey! The work that you do daily to realize our mission of preparing scholars, leaders, and saints is affirmed and deeply appreciated.” The Accreditation Focus Review consisted of virtual meetings through

Cognia, and the Focus Review Team consisted of superintendents, associate superintendents, and principals from Catholic schools in the dioceses of Charleston, S.C., Evansville, Ind., and Miami.

By Gabrielle Nolan

Those who participated in the accreditation process contributed through surveys, panelist interviews, and initiative presentations. This review comes five years after the previous accreditation review, when the diocese was accredited as a system in 2017. “As a system, the Catholic schools office is responsible for conducting internal quality assurance reviews of the schools, ensuring that advancement goals are developed from a deliberate analytical review of data, stakeholder input, and a preponderance of evidence, and leading the system in the creation of goals for continual advancement and improvement,” Dr. Prater said. “The accreditation validates our schools as schools of distinction and assures that our students can attend colleges and universities,” she continued. “The process encourages and promotes a unified approach to continue to advance our schools.” While the official report from the Schools continued on page A18

Global Catholics, Diocese of Knoxville, too, get ready for World Youth Day 2023 By Bill Brewer

lthough the event is still more than a year away, Catholics around the globe are preparing for World Youth Day 2023. And the Diocese of Knoxville is part of that contingent. The world’s largest gathering of Catholic young people will take place Aug. 1-6, 2023, in Lisbon, Portugal. Cardinal Manuel Clemente, the Patriarch of Lisbon, said everyone hopes that “WYD might be a time of evangelization for all.” World Youth Day was established by Pope John Paul II in 1985. The weeklong gathering usually attracts hundreds of thousands of young people. The international event is typically held on a different continent every three years with the presence of the pope. Pope Francis announced at the closing Mass of the last international World Youth Day in Panama City in January 2019 that the Portuguese capital would host the global Catholic gathering of young people in 2022. World Youth Day in Lisbon

was initially scheduled for August 2022, but the Vatican postponed the event by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Holy Father will again lead the youth attending the Lisbon event. Lisbon, a city of 505,000 people, is around 75 miles from Fatima, one of the most visited Marian pilgrimage sites in the world. A report on “European Young Adults and Religion,” published in 2018, found that Portugal has one of the highest levels of weekly Mass attendance among young people in Europe. The bishop overseeing prepara-

tions for World Youth Day 2023 has said the event will be an opportunity to renew hope in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. “I wish WYD Lisbon 2023 to be from and to all the people and that it can mean an opportunity to renew the hope in the post-pandemic period,” Bishop Américo Manuel Alves Aguiar said. And now the world also prays for an end to the war between the Ukraine and Russia, which has forced thousands of Ukrainian residents to become refugees in surrounding countries. In the Diocese of Knoxville, prepa-

Sr. Regina

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

rations are underway for a World Youth Day 2023 pilgrimage, which is being organized by Brittany García, director of the diocesan Office of Youth, Young Adult, and Pastoral Juvenil Ministry, and Paola Wolaver, coordinator of young adult ministry for the diocesan Office of Youth, Young Adult, and Pastoral Juvenil Ministry. Mrs. Wolaver said the 10-night trip will leave the diocese on July 28, 2023, and return on Aug. 8, 2023. The closing Mass for World Youth Day 2023 is Aug. 6 and will be led by Pope Francis. Diocese of WYD 2023 continued on page A12

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

May Prayer Intentions “We pray for all young people, called to live life to the fullest; may they see in Mary’s life the way to listen, the depth of discernment, the courage that faith generates, and the dedication to service.” –– Pope Francis “Let us continue to pray for the people of Ukraine and the archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Kyiv, who recently conveyed his appreciation of our prayers and generosity during a meeting with him. Let us pray for the protection of people everywhere, and especially for the citizens of Ukraine, who are confronted with the pains of war and threats to their very existence. May God grant these innocent people safety and peace, and may leaders everywhere recognize that the true path to a better world is through Jesus. Amen.” –– Bishop Stika

DIOCESE PROCEDURE

FOR

KNOXVILLE

REPORTING

SEXUAL

ABUSE

Anyone who has actual knowledge of or who has reasonable cause to suspect an incident of sexual abuse should report such information to the appropriate civil authorities first, then to the bishop's office, 865.584.3307.

he 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

KnoxDiocese

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

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platform contains all three elements of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Safe Environment Program: n Annual review of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Policy and Procedures Relating to Sexual Misconduct; n CMG Connect Safe Haven training program to be completed every five years; n Criminal background check to be completed every five years. In compliance with the Diocese of Knoxville’s Safe Environment Program, all affiliates require that volunteers and employees complete the requirements prior to working and/or volunteering in a parish, school, The Paraclete, or through Catholic Charities and/or St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic. Go to https:// dioknox.org/safeenvironment on the Diocese of Knoxville website for more information. ■

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NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE PUBLISHER

EDITOR

Bishop Richard F. Stika Bill Brewer COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

bbrewer@dioknox.org ASSISTANT EDITOR

Jim Wogan Dan McWilliams

jwogan@dioknox.org THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC (USPS 007211) is published monthly by The Diocese of Knoxville, 805 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville, TN 37919-7551. Periodicals-class postage paid at Knoxville, TN. Printed by the Knoxville News Sentinel. THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC is mailed to all registered Catholic families in East Tennessee.

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A2 n MAY 1, 2022

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

He dwells among us

by Bishop Richard F. Stika

A plea for mercy God has given us through St. Faustina a most powerful weapon—the Chaplet of Divine Mercy “O give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.” — Psalm 136:1

wenty-two years ago, on April 30, 2000, St. John Paul II canonized the first saint of the third millennium—Sister Mary Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938). In his homily for her canonization, he emphasized the words of Jesus recorded in her Diary: “Humanity will not find peace until it turns trustfully to Divine Mercy” (n. 300). With all that is happening in the world, with evil seemingly growing more and more powerful every day, God has given us through St. Faustina a most powerful weapon: the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Next to the rosary, no other devotion is more needed and helpful in combatting evil. Of all the prayers we can offer God, none is greater nor more powerful than that of the holy sacrifice of the Mass. Though Christ’s sacrifice upon Calvary was offered once in time, His sacrifice is eternally offered to the Father in the heavenly liturgy of which our early Mass is a participation. And by virtue of our baptism, and the offering we make of ourselves in the Mass, we are united to His most perfect offering to the Father—a sacrifice of adoration, thanksgiving, atonement for sin, and petition (the four ends of the Mass). What makes the Chaplet of Divine

Mercy so unique and powerful, then, is that it echoes the “Great Doxology” of the Mass—that most sacred moment that concludes the Eucharistic Prayer when the priest lifts up the paten and chalice with Christ’s sacrificial offering and prays, Through Him, and with Him, and in Him, O God, Almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever!” When we pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with its two main prayers, we extend, in a certain sense, the sacred action of the Doxology beyond the Mass and into our day and week: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world (prayed on the “Our Father” bead of the rosary). For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world (repeated 10 times on the “Hail Mary” beads). Just as our participation in Mass calls for the exercise of our “baptis-

mal” priesthood, which enables us to participate in the sacred Liturgy as members of Christ’s Mystical Body, so, too, we further exercise our “common” priesthood when we pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. When we pray the Chaplet, we are essentially uniting ourselves to all the Masses celebrated throughout the world and bring the fruit of Christ’s sacrificial offering—Divine Mercy—into our day and week, for our good, for the blessing and benefit of the Church, for the souls in purgatory, for the conversion of sinners and of the whole world. This is why the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is so powerful. This is how we live our Mass beyond its Sunday celebration. And as powerful as this prayer is, it is especially so for the dying, for the heavenly Father told St. Faustina that, When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person… unfathomable mercy envelops the soul, and the very depths of My tender mercy are moved for the sake of the sorrowful Passion of My Son (Diary, 811). Additionally, Jesus tells St. Faustina that when the following prayer, which forms part of the

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Chaplet’s introduction, is prayed “with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner,” He will bless them with the grace of conversion: O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in you (Diary, 186-187). The Chaplet also encourages us to receive God’s mercy into our own heart in a deeper way so we can in turn better extend His love and mercy to others in our corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Our plea for God’s mercy must always translate into deeds of mercy. Finally, Jesus promised St. Faustina that, “The souls that say this Chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and especially at the hour of their death.” We all long for peace in our hearts, in our marriages, in our families, in our society, and in our world. We all need God’s mercy and to be the instruments of His mercy to others. How I hope you will daily pray this most powerful Chaplet of Divine Mercy and exercise in a far greater way your baptismal priesthood and become more and more the face, the hands, and the heart of Jesus to others. What greater antidote do we have in these times of turmoil and fear than Divine Mercy? To learn more about Divine Mercy, visit www.thedivinemercy.org. ■

Bishop Stika’s schedule of Masses and public events These are some of Bishop Stika’s upcoming public appointments: n Monday, May 9-Friday, May 13: aspirant retreat for permanent deacon candidates at St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Ala. n Sunday, May 15: 10 a.m. confirmation Mass at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. n Sunday, May 15: 4 p.m. Sending of the Neophytes Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. n Wednesday, May 18-Thursday, May 19: bishops province meeting in Louisville, Ky. n Saturday, May 21: 10 a.m. confirmation Mass at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland. n Saturday, May 21: 5 p.m. confirmation Mass at St. Alphonsus Church in Crossville. n Sunday, May 22: 11 a.m. confirmation Mass at St. Mary Church in Gatlinburg. Bishop Stika’s public schedule continued on page A22

‘The Wall That Heals’ Vietnam veterans memorial visits the Diocese of Knoxville Bishop Stika delivers remarks, Benediction at public event to mark the mobile tribute’s stopover

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

JIM WOGAN

ishop Richard F. Stika spoke at and gave the Benediction for a ceremony April 21 at “The Wall That Heals,” a traveling three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington, D.C., that arrived in Knoxville that week. The wall came to Lynnhurst Cemetery on April 19 and remained there until April 24. Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, and U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett of Knoxville were among the dignitaries attending the ceremony, along with dozens of veterans. Capt. Bill Robinson of the U.S. Air Force, retired, was the keynote speaker. In his closing talk, Bishop Stika said, “I think we pray today and every day for the gift of peace. We pray for those who are survivors but especially for the families who have lost loved ones.” Bishop Stika prayed that “as we gather together as brothers and sisters this day, as we see this wall of healing that reminds us that people gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we might be able to gather together here in this place and places throughout the world to celebrate the gift of freedom, we pray that they may be at peace, that their sins may be forgiven, their gift of life and kindness may be rewarded. May those who look upon these names in this particular memorial be so moved to be people also of gratitude, where they might not know the names on this wall but

Saluting our veterans Bishop Richard F. Stika is shown with retired Air Force Capt. Bill Robinson at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial traveling wall in Knoxville on April 21. surely they celebrate the gift that they have been given, the gift of freedom.” Capt. Robinson is the longest surviving enlisted prisoner of war in American history, spending more than seven years in captivity. “I am honored to join you today in this tribute to our veterans,” he said in his keynote. “With respect and gratitude, we simply say thank you. Without veterans, there would be no United States of America. They answered our nation’s call and by their service have kept America strong, protected our way of life, and preserved the freedom we enjoy today.”

Capt. Robinson added that “the stories of service and sacrifices of our Vietnam veterans and families we hope will be long remembered. Some lived out a full life after their service, living the American dream. Others had their lives shortened from the scars of war. The ones on this wall gave their tomorrows so ‘we the people’ could enjoy ours. We honor them. We thank them. Most important, we remember them and their families.” The captain paraphrased John 15:13. “‘No greater love does one have than to lay down his life for another.’ No one here set out to be

w ww.di o k no x .o rg

By Dan McWilliams

heroes,” he said. “Our country called. We answered that call and proudly served, doing our part for a free world while fighting those who would enslave mankind.” More than 7 million families “carry the scars of the Vietnam War today,” Capt. Robinson said. “Many wait every day for a full accounting of their sons, husbands, brothers, fathers, family members, and friends to come home,” he said. “We as a nation must never give up that fight until all are accounted for.” Bishop Stika had attended a similar ceremony when the wall previously visited Knoxville. “A few years ago, I was able to lead a prayer and visit with people and just be touched by all the names, but not so much just the names, the lives behind those names, and the family members and such,” he said. “To sit next to Capt. Robinson, a hero, today was an immense honor for me.” The thousands of names on the traveling wall make an impact, Bishop Stika said. “Having never served in war or a battle and only watched war movies on TV, a lot of times those movies are for entertainment,” he said. “Here you see the reality of the situation. My brother Bob, who was in Vietnam, never spoke about the war, which is so true for so many veterans because you can’t imagine the horrors of what that’s like. He’s 10 years older than me. In September he’ll be 75.” ■ MAY 1, 2022 n A3

Bishop Stika, Cardinal Rigali meet with Ukraine archbishop Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church leader invites U.S. bishops to visit war-torn nation By Jim Wogan

JIM WOGAN

he leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has experienced the horrible impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine in grotesquely vivid ways. In early April, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk was called to pray before mutilated bodies found in a mass grave in the city of Bucha. Photos of the carnage believe caused by the Russian army left the world outraged. On April 27, from the relative security of his home located in a war zone, Archbishop Shevchuk spoke to more than 100 U.S. bishops during a video call. He spoke about the atrocities of the war and the challenges his nation and the Catholic Church in that region face as the fighting continues. “The very possibility right now, two months after such an invasion, to talk to you, I consider a miracle,” His Beatitude told Bishop Richard F. Stika, Cardinal Justin Rigali, and others in attendance. Major Archbishop Shevchuk said that before the invasion, he was warned that the Russian military had him listed as a target for assassination. “I was person No. 2 to be killed in the capital of Ukraine,” he said, leaving the U.S. bishops to presume that he was seen only slightly less important than the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as a potential threat. “Right now, we are discovering mass graves with so many young people killed there. It is something unseen (since) the end of World War II. People are asking why? Why is this happening? We can be sure that the war in Ukraine, conducted by Russians, is a colonial war. They consider us as a rebel colony of Russia,” the major archbishop said. The invasion of Ukraine began Feb. 24. Many outside observers

Prayers for Ukraine Bishop Richard F. Stika and Cardinal Justin Rigali, joined by more than 100 U.S. bishops via video call, talk with the leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, about conditions in war-torn Ukraine. were expecting a quick Russian victory and the capitulation of its capital, Kyiv. But fierce and courageous Ukrainian resistance stymied what appeared to be a disorganized and unprepared Russian army. The Russian strategy has since shifted to overpowering other parts of the country, and the war continues to claim lives and disrupt families. “They issued a special instruction to the Russian troops about how they should treat Ukrainians,” the major archbishop said. “It was horrible to discover that according to the instructions, to be Ukrainian, to declare yourself a Ukrainian is a crime, and because of that crime you are supposed to be executed. “Many witnesses who survived the Russian presence in the neighborhoods in the capital of Ukraine were telling (horrific) stories. Russian troops would go door by door, asking who you are and what kind of profession you are performing. If you are a teacher, you should be

executed because you are educating Ukrainians. If you are the mother of a Ukrainian soldier, you are supposed to be executed because you are a Nazi. If you are an artist, a painter, a cantor, you are supposed to be executed because you are developing the Ukrainian national culture. So, we as a nation are supposed to disappear.” Major Archbishop Shevchuk told the U.S. bishops that in the eyes of Russia, “the unique crime that Ukrainians committed against Russia is to be Ukrainian.” The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is in full communion with Rome, and with more than 5 million members it is the second largest Catholic Church in the world, behind the Latin Church. Major Archbishop Shevchuk was appointed its spiritual leader in 2011. His appointment was confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI. At 51, he remains one of the youngest prelates in the Catholic Church.

The one-hour video discussion included questions and allowed an opportunity for Bishop Stika and Cardinal Rigali to participate from a conference room at the Chancery while the major archbishop was more than 5,200 miles away in Kyiv. “Beatitude, greetings from Knoxville, Tennessee,” Bishop Stika said. “I am here with Cardinal Justin Rigali, and I remember a number of years ago that we had dinner together with the committee on Eastern Europe, and I asked a priest who was traveling with you how long (Ukraine) would be free from Russia (after the breakup of the Soviet Union), and he said about 10 years. “I want you to know that our small diocese, we are about 3 percent Catholic, and we estimate that we have raised about $350,000 to send to you. We are also flying the Ukraine flag in front of our cathedral and Chancery. I just want you to know that in small dioceses like ours here in Tennessee that we are praying for you and supporting you, and we will continue to do so,” Bishop Stika said. “Your Excellency, I am deeply touched,” replied the major archbishop. “(Your) dimensions may be small in the eyes of humans, but your love and your solidarity is great in the eyes of God. So, on behalf of suffering Ukraine, I take this opportunity to thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Bishop Stika assured the leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church that he would extend his gratitude to the faithful of the Diocese of Knoxville for supporting Ukraine through a series of special collections taken at diocesan parishes in March. Around $94,000 raised by parishioners at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus has already been sent to the St. John Paul II Shrine in Krakow, Poland, for its Ukraine continued on page A22

Diocese of Knoxville English classes transform lives Local, international learners benefit from lay ministry that is growing in numbers

A4 n MAY 1, 2022

COURTESY OF CHESTER PUN-CHUEN

t is a common human experience to travel to a foreign country and not understand the language. Tourists fumble through basic vocabulary as they try to communicate their thoughts to the locals. But when someone arrives in a new country with the intention to resettle there, the language barrier can become an overwhelming obstacle to securing a job, finding medical care, going to school, and forming new friendships. Access Cultural Diversity is an independent lay ministry in the Diocese of Knoxville that provides classes for English-language learners so that individuals can effectively communicate in their families, jobs, and communities. The Knoxville-based ministry is led by Chester Pun-Chuen, a longtime parishioner at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. “We’re not here to laugh at you, or we’re not here to demean you because you don’t speak the language. We’re here to work with you,” Mr. Pun-Chuen said. “We aim to provide a life-changing experience, which will help their skills to fully function in North America.” Classes range from introductory English to beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The four main objectives are to listen, speak, read, and write with confidence. Mr. Pun-Chuen noted that these classes are titled English Language Learners (ELL) instead of English as a Second Language (ESL), since many participants “speak three, four, or more languages; it’s not the second language.” The program is now in its fourth year and has served over 300 students since its inception. While most students are local to Knoxville, others in Tennessee join Zoom sessions from Chattanooga, Johnson City, and Nashville. Still others join online from around the

Multilingual learners Students learning English take part in a recent Diocese of Knoxville English Language Learners class at Sacred Heart School. country—Florida, New Jersey, or Kentucky. The growing program now has participants joining from abroad, including international students from Mexico, France, Haiti, Brazil, Colombia, and Moldova. “People outside the country learned it from relatives here in our parish and also from our former students who are still continuing in the program,” Mr. Pun-Chuen said. “Access Cultural Diversity has really reached out to the world with this program as a ministry from the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,” he noted.

Answering the call

Father David Boettner, rector of the cathedral, contacted Mr. PunChuen in 2018 to ask if he could assist a refugee from Burundi who was hoping to attend Mass, to which Mr. Pun-Chuen agreed. As it turned out, the refugee’s neighbors, a mom with four children, were also Catholic and need-

ing a way to attend Mass. Mr. Pun-Chuen and his wife, along with volunteers from the St. Vincent de Paul Society, began to drive the two families to Mass every weekend. Support then came to these families in the means of donated clothing, groceries, and furniture for their apartments. However, Mr. Pun-Chuen realized that the material items were only temporary solutions. “The kids were still struggling to speak English, but the kids were beginning to pick up the English language because they were going to school,” Mr. Pun-Chuen said. “I was particularly concerned about the mom because the kids were translating for the mom.” Mr. Pun-Chuen began researching how to teach the family English. He took a two-day ESL certification training program with Knoxville Internationals Network (KIN), a nonprofit that aims to educate and employ internationals in the area,

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By Gabrielle Nolan

as well as equip churches to assist internationals. Mr. Pun-Chuen was dropping off donations at the Ladies of Charity in Knoxville and crossed paths with Susan Unbehaun, the executive director. He approached her about the possibility of starting English classes in the building. “She said, ‘Oh perfect!’” Mr. PunChuen recalled, noting at that time Mrs. Unbehaun had already been contacted by Knox County Schools asking for an English program. She invited Mr. Pun-Chuen to join for the meeting. “I said OK, I don’t know anything about this... I didn’t know what I was getting into exactly,” Mr. PunChuen said. The entire second floor of Ladies of Charity was chosen as the classroom space, and eight students registered for the first class in June 2018. “I started recruiting friends, teachers, or retired teachers from Our Lady’s Guild at Sacred Heart, and they all kind of helped out, and it all started there,” Mr. Pun-Chuen said. “I had about maybe six ladies that joined me, and we taught in class at 9:30 in the morning on Tuesdays at Ladies of Charity.”

A new mission

What he thought would be a onetime project “snowballed,” Mr. PunChuen said. Students that enrolled in the entry-level class continued on to the next level, while a new entry-level class was formed. “The key to this was building trust,” he said. “The key is not really giving them the ability to be perfect English speakers, but building the level of confidence in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, the four factors.” “If they don’t trust you, especially Access continued on page A9 TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

The shroud, or not the shroud? That is the question KCHS chemistry teacher Dr. Kelly Kearse leads presentation on the Shroud of Turin

DAN MCWILLIAMS

r. Kelly Kearse of Knoxville Catholic High School offered “Reflections in Faith and Science,” a talk April 6 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on the Shroud of Turin and the technologies employed to authenticate whether it could be the burial cloth of Jesus. Dr. Kearse is a chemistry teacher at KCHS who has presented at several shroud conferences, most recently in Canada in 2019, and has visited the shroud in Italy. “I first became aware of the shroud in the 1980s,” he said. “I was in college. I was working at a grocery store. I saw a magazine in a rack when I was on break one day. I kind of flipped through there. I was interested in it, but it was sort of a casual interest. It pretty much stayed a casual interest throughout the years. I read a couple of paperback books about it, watched a few TV shows, ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ and that kind of stuff.” As he became more and more interested in the shroud, “having a background in immunology, the bloodstains kind of stood out to me most. The more I learned about it, it was like the more questions I had about it,” he said. His presentation at the cathedral included slides featuring his original research, but he stressed that he has not directly experimented with shroud samples. “Is the shroud real or not?” he asked. “The answer to that is, for some people, it is real. Some people believe it’s a miraculous icon, that it’s an imprint of the physical body of Jesus. Others think it’s just a hoax that was created during the medieval era at a time when relic trade was really booming. I think each person really has to make up his or her own mind where they think that question of authenticity lies.” Pope St. John Paul II had a strong devotion to the shroud, Dr. Kearse said.

Making sense of it all The statue of St. John Paul II serves as a backdrop for Dr. Kelly Kearse as he gives a presentation on his research on the Shroud of Turin on April 6 in the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The pope had a strong devotion to the shroud, believed by many to be the burial cloth for Jesus. “For the believer, what counts above all is that the shroud is a mirror of the Gospel. The shroud is an image of God’s love as well as human sin. ... The imprint left by the tortured body of the Crucified One, which attests to the tremendous human capacity for causing pain and death to one’s fellow man, stands as an icon of the suffering of the innocent in every age.”” — Pope John Paul II “‘For the believer, what counts above all is that the shroud is a mirror of the Gospel,’” he quoted the Holy Father as saying. Dr. Kearse’s talk at Sacred Heart covered 10 points: why it is called the Shroud of Turin, how long the Catholic Church has owned the shroud, what the Catholic Church says about the shroud, physical characteristics of the shroud, what the Gospels say about the shroud, scientific investigation of the shroud, “didn’t carbon-14 dating show that the shroud is a fake,” bloodstains on the shroud, recent findings about the bloodstains, and how the image was created. On the first point, Dr. Kearse said the shroud “is located in the Ca-

thedral of John the Baptist in Turin, Italy. When it’s not on public exhibition, which is most of the time—it usually just comes on public exhibition every 25 or 30 years—it’s in a specially designed glass case, and there’s a cloth over it.” Dr. Kearse saw the shroud in 2015 along with some 2 million other visitors to Turin. The Church has owned the shroud only since 1983, when the last king of Italy died and willed the shroud to the popes. “The Catholic Church has owned the shroud for just about 40 years, and that’s it. Before then, it had always been privately owned,” Dr. Kearse said. The KCHS teacher detailed the

By Dan McWilliams

history of the shroud before 1356, which is when an unbroken chain of custody started. The shroud moved from France to Italy in 1578 and has been there ever since. Regarding what the Church says about the shroud, “the Catholic Church has never come out one way or another and said the shroud is real or the shroud is not,” Dr. Kearse said. “The official position is this: it’s an object of veneration. It’s worthy of love and honor. It can certainly enhance someone’s faith, but by no means should someone’s faith depend entirely upon it.” The shroud’s physical characteristics were detailed by Dr. Kearse. “You can see a kind of imaging event has taken place. Because of the way the cloth was wrapped around the body, you have this sort of double, back-to-back, head-tohead image formation,” he said. “The real thing looks like this: it’s a little bit over 14 feet long. It’s a little bit under 4 feet wide. It’s attached to a backing cloth to help support it. It’s made of 100 percent pure linen. It’s woven in a herringbone three-to-one pattern with a Z twist. What’s significant about the weaving pattern is it’s been suggested it might be representative of a relatively high-end cloth in first-century Jerusalem.” The shroud contains burn holes from fires over the years and water stains from water to put out the fires. The shroud also resembles a photographic negative, Dr. Kearse said. Modern-day pathologists conclude, he added, that “it’s the body of a male, height approximately 5-10, estimated 175 pounds [figures which correspond to Jewish male skeletons excavated from that time]. Some pathologists believe that the body appears stiffened, so there may be signs of rigor mortis visible, and you have to break the rigor to bring the arms down. The chest apShroud continued on page A7

New science dates shroud to time of Christ’s death

Italian scientist reveals findings from X-ray research method to determine age of the cloth’s fibers

n Italian scientist is claiming a new technique using X-ray dating shows the holy Shroud of Turin to be much older than some scientists have stated, and that it does in fact coincide with Christian tradition by dating back to around the time of Christ’s death and resurrection. Working with a team of other researchers, Liberato De Caro of Italy’s Institute of Crystallography of the National Research Council in Bari used a “Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering” method to examine the natural aging of cellulose that constitutes a sample of the famous linen cloth. They concluded that their peerreviewed research shows the holy shroud is compatible with the hypothesis that it is much older than seven centuries old—the conclusion reached in 1988 using carbon dating techniques—and is around 2,000 years old. Dr. De Caro, who has been investigating the holy shroud for 30 years, explains more about the discovery, why he believes the X-ray technique is superior to carbon dating for determining the age of fabric fibers, and discusses other recent discoveries that also point to the holy shroud’s authenticity. Q: Dr. De Caro, could you share in layman’s terms your findings regarding the holy Shroud of Turin? A: The Shroud of Turin is the most important relic of Christianity. According to Christian tradition, it is the burial shroud that would have wrapped the body of Jesus after his crucifixion. For about 30 years, I have been using investigative techniques on the scale of atoms, in particular through X-rays, and three years ago TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE PHOTO/PAUL HARING

By Edward Pentin National Catholic Register

A strong belief Pope Francis touches the case holding the Shroud of Turin after praying before the cloth in 2015 at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy. we developed a new method for dating samples taken from linen fabrics. A macroscopic example of a fabric microfiber is like that of a bundle of spaghetti: at first, they all have the same length, but if you subject the bundle to accidental shocks, the more the shocks increase, the more the spaghetti breaks. As the number of shocks increases, always of the same intensity, the average length of the spaghetti decreases over time, until it reaches a minimum length. A similar thing happens to the polymer chains of cellulose which, like spaghetti but with a section on the scale of a billionth of a meter, gradually break over the centuries due to the combined effect of temperature, humidity, light, and the action of chemical agents in the environment in which they are found. Natural aging depends only on ambient temperature and relative humidity. We have therefore developed a method to measure the natural aging of flax cellulose using X-rays and then convert it into time elapsed since fabrication.

The new dating method, based on a technique called Wide Angle X-ray Scattering, was first tested on linen samples already dated using other techniques, on samples that had nothing to do with the shroud, and then applied to a sample taken from the Shroud of Turin. Q: How long did your research take and has it, or will it be, peer reviewed? A: The research started in 2019 but then the pandemic regrettably caused delays. We finally applied the new X-ray dating technique to a sample of the Shroud of Turin, and the findings of the research were published in the international journal Heritage after about a month of preparation and revision, during which our work was evaluated and peer reviewed by three other independent experts and the journal’s editor. The research also has been highlighted on the website of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche [Italy’s National Research Council]. The study was carried out in the X-ray laboratories of the Institute

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of Crystallography of the National Council of Research (Bari, Italy), in collaboration with Professor G. Fanti of the University of Padua. Q: Has the Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering method been used before? A: The first published paper from 2019 demonstrated the reliability of the new X-ray dating technique on a series of samples, taken from linen fabrics ranging in age from 3000 BC to 2000 AD. The sample of the Shroud of Turin should be much older than the approximately seven centuries indicated by the radiodating carried out in 1988. Q: How accurate are the methods you’ve used compared to the carbon-dating methods previously used, particularly the research used in 1988? A: In 1988, carbon-14 dating [also called radiocarbon dating, a method of age determination that depends upon the decay to nitrogen of radiocarbon] of samples taken from the shroud by three separate laboratories indicated that it should only be about seven centuries old. Therefore, according to the results of the radio-dating, the shroud wouldn’t be an authentic relic since it is from the medieval period. However, fabric samples are usually subject to all kinds of contamination, which cannot always be controlled and completely removed from the dated specimen. About half the volume of a natural fiber yarn is empty space, interstitial space, filled with air or something else, between the fibers that compose it. Anything that gets in between the fibers must be carefully removed. If the cleaning procedure of the sample is not thoroughly performed, carbon-14 dating is not reliable. This may have been the case in 1988, as confirmed by experimental evidence showing that when movScience continued on page A7 MAY 1, 2022 n A5

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DAN MCWILLIAMS

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pears expanded, and the abdomen appears to be distended—that’s consistent with someone who has had trouble breathing. The body appears to have been scourged. There are wounds corresponding to crucifixion, and there is a post-mortem or after-death wound in the right chest cavity. “You have all these indications that you have a crucifixion victim, but it’s known that thousands of people were crucified throughout history. How do you know that this might in fact represent Jesus?” Each of the four Gospels talks about the burial cloth. Matthew states that Joseph of Arimathea wrapped the body in fresh linen, Mark that it was wrapped in a cloth, Luke that it was wrapped in a shroud, and John that it was wrapped in a linen cloth according to the burial custom of the Jews. Scientific investigation of the shroud largely relies on the work of the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) conducted more than 40 years ago, Dr. Kearse said. “STURP was composed of over 40 scientists, and they did about 122 hours, or five days straight, of examination. . . . trying to get as much data as they could,” he said. “‘We thought we’d find a forgery and we’d be out of there in half an hour,’ they said. Most of them thought it was just a free trip to Italy. They had two ideas going in— No. 1, it’s a painting, very quickly ruled out. No. 2, it’s a scorch, and somebody used a hot metal statue to make it—also eventually ruled out.” STURP in the 1980s concluded in part that there were no methods known that could account for the formation of the image, Dr. Kearse said. “The image was an ongoing mystery; the problem remains unsolved—unsolved in the early ’80s when they wrote it and still un-

A point of emphasis Dr. Kelly Kearse, who teaches chemistry at Knoxville Catholic High School, has been researching the Shroud of Turin for years. solved in 2022,” he said. Carbon-14 dating, according to a 1988 headline, said that the shroud was shown to be a fake made from 1260 to 1390, Dr. Kearse said, but he added that scientists at that time didn’t take samples from the best part of the shroud for experimentation. “Even some of the scientists directly involved in the carbon-14 dating, in hindsight they said this is probably worth a redo, although whether that will be done or not is something that remains to be determined,” he said. On the shroud’s bloodstains, Dr. Kearse said people want to know “No. 1, is blood really present? Is the red stuff blood? Is the red stuff paint? What is it? No. 2, if you have blood on the shroud, is it human blood? Is it animal blood? Blood from a male, blood from a female? Is there any way to tell whose blood it is?” STURP determined that hemoglobin was present in the shroud, Dr. Kearse said, but several followup studies to determine the species of blood haven’t reached the peer-reviewed scientific level of publication, including a theory that

the blood is shown to be of human origin, from a male, and is type AB. A determination of human blood in shroud samples is not conclusive, Dr. Kearse said, because albumin from some animals is similar to human albumin—animals that were not included in the original studies. “The blood is most correctly classified as species unknown. Based on what we now know, it really takes us back to square one,” Dr. Kearse added. Complicating claims the DNA is from a male, he said, is the fact that thousands of people handling the shroud over years could have left their DNA on it. “Regarding tests to determine blood type, it could be AB, but I really don’t think there’s any solid scientific evidence to back that up,” Dr. Kearse said, adding that eucharistic miracles’ blood type is often AB, claims that suffer from similar scientific issues. While the blood on the Shroud of Turin is red, Dr. Kearse said that his experiments with human and animal samples containing high levels of bilirubin show that the redness of blood doesn’t last over the course of weeks or months, that

ing from the periphery towards the center of the sheet, along the longest side, there is a significant increase in carbon-14. In short, we are dealing with two dating techniques—radiocarbon and X-ray—which have very different results. In such cases, when two different techniques do not agree on a date, caution is required before final conclusions are reached. The technique of dating linen by X-ray is nondestructive. Therefore, it can be repeated several times on the same sample. Considering the results of medieval dating obtained by carbon-14, and those obtained by WAXS analysis, which show compatibility with 2,000 years of history, it would be more than desirable to have a collection of X-ray measurements carried out by several laboratories, on several samples, at most millimetric in size, taken from the shroud. The technique using X-rays requires very small tissue samples, with linear dimensions even smaller than 1 mm, and this is an advantage compared to radio-dating, which usually requires much larger samples and is destructive, since only one measurement of the carbon-14 content can be made on the same sample. Q: What is your view on other theories that are said to prove the authenticity of the holy shroud, for example botanical evidence found in 1999, or radiation caused by an earthquake that induced the image on the shroud? A: The documented history of the shroud spans seven centuries and all of it located in Europe. Based on the results of radio-dating, the shroud would be seven centuries old and has always been in Europe. However, the earlier study of pollen trapped in its fibers had already shown a consistent presence of pollen from the Middle East, in particular from the ancient region of Palestine, as if the shroud had been in that geographical area and not in Europe for a significant period of its history. In order to be more certain about the pollen, we could go back to analyzing the shroud with the aim of understanding in which geographical areas it might have been. In fact, our study has shown that dating depends on the average secular temperature of the geographical region in which the linen artefact was preserved. The presence of pollen or minerals typical of some regions and not of others could help clarify its “hidden history,” its presence in other geographical regions characterized by much higher temperatures than those in Europe. The Shroud of Turin challenges science, and each new piece of research could clarify part of the complex puzzle this relic represents. For example, the shroud’s image has yet to find a definitive explanation from those who have studied it, an explanation shared by the entire scientific community. It TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

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Analyzing the evidence This is a contrast enhanced facial image from the Shroud of Turin that is on display as part of an exhibit at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. “Mystery and Faith: The Shroud of Turin” opened at the museum on Feb. 26 and runs through July 31. is as if a photographic plate had been imprinted by radiation. By studying the traces left on the plate, one tries to trace the nature of the radiation and its properties. The same could be done for the shroud’s image. For this reason, the idea that a neutron flux could have enriched the linen fabric of the shroud with carbon-14, distorting its radio-dating, dates to 1989. One of two short contributions, one by T. J. Phillips, also published in the journal Nature, begins with these words: “If the Shroud of Turin is in fact the burial cloth of Christ, contrary to its recent carbon-dated age of about 670 years (Nature 335, 663; 1988 and 337, 611; 1989), then according to the Bible it was present at a unique physical event: the resurrection of a dead body. Unfortunately, this event is not accessible to direct scientific scrutiny.” Therefore, if, from a scientific point of view, one rejects a priori to investigate the hypothesis of the resurrection and the traces that it could have left on the linen cloth, it is necessary to go in search of natural phenomena that, by chance, could have caused a consistent flow of neutrons, so as to change the isotopic abundance of carbon-14 of the shroud — as the hypothesis of the earthquake, to which you refer, proposes. At this point, one has to ask: do we have evidence anywhere else in the world of at least one scientifically verified case in which a natural phenomenon has changed the isotopic abundance of a chemical element? Q: Is there such evidence? A: Yes, an answer to this question can be found at Oklo, a uranium deposit near Franceville, southw ww.di o k no x .o rg

it turns brown. The scientific basis for the redness of the shroud blood remains unknown. “Could the shroud blood have been directly added by a forger or transferred from a body?” Dr. Kearse asked. “It’s been suggested that the shroud shows evidence of clotted blood transfer. That’s based on some of these STURP studies that were done under ultraviolet light.” His own experiments show that there are multiple routes that can achieve the same results, studies which led to a new method to study blood serum in modern forensics. On how the image was created, Dr. Kearse said that “it’s really easier to say what the shroud image is not than to say what it really is. Several people have tried to create a copy of the shroud. Many of the results, to be quite honest, are pretty lousy. Some of them are OK, but whenever you get them under a microscope there always seems to be something that just doesn’t line up. To date, the shroud is not thought to be a type painting or rubbing and not thought to be a type of bas-relief. It’s not believed to be a high-heat scorch or a primitive photograph.” Scientists have tried to recreate the image, Dr. Kearse said, by hitting linen with a super-quick burst from a laser that colored the linen, and they have also speculated that the shroud image was an electrical one that came out of the body. Dr. Kearse also presented some recent work on natural image methods. The last slide in Dr. Kearse’s presentation may have been the most revealing, containing a quote from historian John Walsh: “It is either the most awesome and instructive relic of Christ in existence, or it is one of the most ingenious, most unbelievably clever products of the human mind and hand on record. It is either one or the other; there is no middle ground.” ■

east Gabon, from which the fuel for French nuclear power stations is extracted. At enrichment plants, the concentration of uranium-235 in the ore extracted from the mines is always checked to ensure it is of natural origin. The proportion of uranium-235 in relation to all possible isotopes is fixed, and is also the same for lunar samples and meteorites. In June 1972, a shipment arrived at Pierrelatte in France with a lower than natural composition, so much so that the authorities were alerted, and a scientific investigation began, which lasted several months. It was discovered that in the past, in 17 strands of the deposit, the right conditions had been created so that the neutrons emitted in spontaneous fissions of uranium, slowed down by the water circulating in the deposit, could reproduce a chain reaction that locally reduced the natural isotopic abundance of uranium-235. What does this example show? That sometimes, even in nature, very special conditions occur which, due to a combination of factors, make what has happened truly unique and unrepeatable. Therefore, wisdom should teach us to be very humble, respectful, and prudent when studying natural phenomena, before coming to definitive conclusions that may sometimes be hasty and therefore wrong. Obviously, this is all the more true when it comes to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a unique event in history, which countless people believe. At least caution is warranted out of respect for this faith. Q: How significant are your findings for the Church, and will the Vatican be involved in trying to authenticate them? A: The Archdiocese of Turin more than the Vatican could be interested in this kind of research. In fact, in 2002 some threads were already taken from the shroud and kept by the Archdiocese of Turin for future scientific studies. It would be enough to take 1-mm-long samples from these threads, combine them with other linen samples taken from other ancient fabrics of known date, and involve several laboratories in a dating experiment using the technique we have developed that uses X-rays. It could also be carried out as a blind experiment, that is, without laboratories knowing which samples are taken from the shroud compared with those taken from other linen fabrics, to avoid any possible bias in the data analysis by the authors of the research. Q: Will you be doing more work on the holy shroud to further authenticate its true date? A: It all depends on the possibility of having new samples to analyze. In any case, besides the shroud, there are other important linen relics traditionally associated with Jesus, for example, the Sudarium of Oviedo or the Veil of Manoppello, which I have also studied in the past. This new dating technique is only in its infancy. It could, for example, also be extended to fabrics made from other plant fibers. ■ MAY 1, 2022 n A7

GABRIELLE NOLAN

Speaking truth through Scripture Melissa Foley leads the Lenten Evening of Reflection at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut. Mrs. Foley spoke to about 100 women and shared healing stories from her prayer sessions with clients.

Melissa Foley leads Lenten talk, prayer for women at St. John Neumann Church By Gabrielle Nolan

m I worth dying for? Women of the diocese were presented with this question at a Lenten evening of reflection at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut on Mar. 31. Nearly 100 women gathered inside the church for a talk, worship music, and adoration. The talk was given by guest speaker Melissa Foley, a retreat director, prayer minister, and founder of the healing ministry Loved Already. “We are so excited to bring Melissa Foley to the Diocese of Knoxville to share with women her charism of healing,” said Carolyn Krings, a parishioner at St. John Neumann and a member of Regnum Christi, the group that organized the event. “This evening is happening because of our own acknowledgment of heavy burdens being carried ourselves and by women over the years,” Mrs. Krings said. “It seems to have gotten heavier for many of us through the pandemic. I believe we need to be released from the chains we have been harboring.” Mrs. Foley is not a counselor or health professional but rather a trained inner-healing minister. She was trained at the John Paul II Healing Center in Tallahassee, Fla., as well as Resurrected Life Ministries in Atlanta. She also has appeared on the global Catholic broadcasting network EWTN. Her resources include a book, podcast, events, and free one-onone prayer sessions. Based out of Cumming, Ga., Mrs. Foley lives with her husband and three children. “I pray with people,” she said. “It’s pretty much what I spend my time doing, whether people come to my house, or I meet them via Zoom. I meet people all over the world every day, and I’m invited into places in their lives, in their hearts, that might be painful for them.” “I have been praying for you since I was invited,” Mrs. Foley said at the beginning of her talk. “It’s exciting to be here because tonight we’re going to talk about am I worth dying for? So, what I’d like to do is to take you with me into a few of these healing stories, the things that I see every day,” Mrs. Foley said. “I want to give you a glimpse into how God loves. You’re probably going to learn some new truths about who God is. It also might expose some things that you believed about God that are not true.” Through various stories of working with different clients, Mrs. Foley discussed three lies that many people often fall prey to. n Lie No. 1: God doesn’t know me. A young woman came to a prayer session to discuss a scary event in her life that led to posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. She felt bound by her experience and regularly froze in her actions until she experienced

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a profound healing. “The truth comes from Psalm 139:1… ‘You search me, Lord, and you know me.’ That’s the truth,” Mrs. Foley said. “So, God created you and knows and allows you to choose Him, OK, but at the same time He calls you back.” She encouraged the women to reflect on where God is present in their daily scenarios. “He knows you. He knows every second of every day that you’ve been alive, He’s been with you. He knows the people, the places, the dates, the time, the scenarios, how you felt, and how He felt about you,” she continued. n Lie No. 2: God won’t be there when I need Him. In a prayer session with a young man, he admitted that Jesus was not present in his interior place of prayer, a place he described as a cabin in the woods. Yet, during the session, he realized someone was knocking at the door. It was Jesus, waiting out in the rain and waiting for the man to let Him into his heart. Mrs. Foley recited a verse from the Book of Revelation: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with Me.” “You have to open the door,” she said. “He’s not going to barge into your situation.” “Not only does He desire to be invited, but He actually needs to because of our freedom,” she continued. “He won’t go places that we tell Him not to go in our hearts. How would your life change if you knew that Jesus was waiting on you? Where in your life right now is He on the other side of the door?” n Lie No. 3: God can’t forgive me. “I personally used to believe that there was some kind of scale that God weighs sin on,” Mrs. Foley shared. “That some sins drastically outweighed others, like some sins were harder for God to forgive. Well, God decided to give me a whole big lesson on how He forgives.” Mrs. Foley shared a story of how she experienced three backto-back prayer sessions with clients who all struggled with the same sin. “I remember that first session, I witnessed the person crying out to God for forgiveness for an atrocious sin,” she said. “What I saw changed my heart forever. I watched God the Father run to this person. I remember being shocked at how effortless God forgives.” And that bountiful love and forgiveness happened in the next two sessions as well. “The Father knows your story, he knows your unmet needs, your wounds, the areas that you need forgiveness for,” Mrs. Foley said. “You know, the thing is, we feel shameful or filthy, and that just deters us from going to the Father, but it makes Him come running! So, where sin abounds, grace Melissa Foley continued on page A21 www.di o k no x .o rg

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UTK students consider Catholic law society

Bishop Stika meets with group looking to form a faith-based legal organization on campus

By Jim Wogan

JIM WOGAN

he University of TennesseeKnoxville could be the next college campus to host a Catholic legal society for students. While the idea is still in its early stages, Bishop Richard F. Stika met recently with seven students from UTK to discuss the idea for a Catholic student legal society there. The 90-minute discussion took place over lunch at the Chancery on April 6. The meeting was initiated by Bishop Stika, although the idea belongs to the students themselves. “We came to propose this idea and to tell Bishop Stika what we have been up to, and how it has been going so far. He was very supportive,” said Jake Valete, a secondyear law student at UTK and the spokesperson for the group. Mr. Valete said the group, which has been meeting informally, has grown to include 11 UTK students. Mr. Valete became Catholic last year after going through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. He is a parishioner at Holy Ghost in Knoxville. “It is really just a group of people we happen to know in law school and who are Catholic, and we just get together once in a while to talk through the moral issues of the things we are studying and how to comport our practice in the future with that,” Mr. Valete said. The University of TennesseeKnoxville lists hundreds of student organizations on its website—22 of which are devoted to law. None are connected to the Catholic faith.

Faith in the law Bishop Richard F. Stika met with law students from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville recently to discuss the possible formation of a Catholic law society for students there. Pictured (L-R) with Bishop Stika are Richard Rounds, first year; Luis Urrea, second year; Berkley Mason, first year; Cofield Hilburn, third year; Sam Nelson, third year; Jake Valete, second year; and Brendan Walsh, second year. “There are a number of Catholic student law organizations on college campuses all over the country, and we’d love to have one here in Knoxville, at the state’s flagship university,” Bishop Stika said. “I think it would be a good fit and also would be a great resource—allowing students a forum or a place to discuss the law and how it interacts with our faith.” The students believe getting Bishop Stika’s buy-in is important. “As we realize that we want to do something that reaches across parish boundaries, across school

boundaries, and elsewhere, it has been kind of intimidating for me, at least, to think, how do you even go about that? So, Bishop Stika’s support is important,” Mr. Valete said. “(This meeting) took a lot of weight off my shoulders. I am feeling a lot more encouraged and to know that there is support out there, to know there are people who see the need for this kind of thing who I haven’t even met yet. It is really encouraging. “It is very important to me to know that we have the support of

refugees or internationals, you’re a complete stranger to them and they don’t open up,” Mr. Pun-Chuen explained. “Once you build that level of trust, then they’re engaging, and that’s where it becomes easier and easier for them to pick up the language process.” The young organization managed to survive through the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. “When COVID hit us in March of 2020, we had to stop the program because we couldn’t do the in-person classes. It was unfortunate,” Mr. PunChuen said. The teachers did not want to abandon their students, so during a twoweek hiatus Mr. Pun-Chuen explored virtual options that could work to continue the program with his ELL students. “In fact, when COVID hit… Knoxville International Network considered us the largest ELL online program in the area,” he continued. “We were the very first ones to apply the Zoom platform while the others had stopped. I believe the approach to our program has found the chemistry to people wanting to learn a new language by building their level of confidence in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.”

The language of evangelization

Mr. Pun-Chuen noticed that many other English classes in the area are being offered at churches. “Most of them are using this method or program to entice [people] to come to their church. We are the only Catholic ministry right now that’s offering the ELL program,” he said. Mr. Pun-Chuen explained that there is no pressure for the students to learn about the Catholic faith or join a parish, but instead classes occasionally discuss Christmas or important feast days to learn about American traditions and culture. “I didn’t want to alienate any of our other non-Catholic internationals,” he said. “But through example, and through deeds, they know we are Catholics.” “It gives us the opportunity to do Christ’s work, welcome the stranger. And that’s what we’re doing,” Mr. Pun-Chuen noted. Currently, all the teachers for the ELL classes are Catholic. Linda McDermott taught at schools in Philadelphia and Baltimore beTH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

COURTESY OF CHESTER PUN-CHUEN

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Leading the class Sacred Heart Cathedral parishioner Chester Pun-Chuen uses an English Language Learners workbook as he leads classroom instruction via Zoom on his computer. fore moving to Knoxville 25 years ago, and then became involved as a volunteer at Sacred Heart Cathedral School and Knoxville Catholic High School. “I love being with people,” Mrs. McDermott said. “I feel really confident in teaching. I love to plan the lessons… I love teaching.” Mrs. McDermott knew Mr. PunChuen from volunteering at Sacred Heart Parish, and he invited her to join the ELL team at its beginning in 2018. Throughout her time volunteering, she has been an encourager, primary teacher, and curriculum coordinator. Currently, she teaches an advancedlevel class for individuals who are in the workforce and want to improve their English. “I touch on grammar a lot in my class, sentence structure and how that sentence structure helps them to speak clearly and in full sentences,” Mrs. McDermott said. “I really see such a difference with the people that I have been teaching over the years,” she continued. “We have three students that I’ve had since the beginning of our classes, and they’ve progressed so much in their confidence level.…They’re in the workforce now.” Not only is teaching a passion of Mrs. McDermott’s, but it also strengthens her faith. “A lot of these people need just a little encouragement and just loving on them,” she said. “When you

see other people and you put life in perspective of how lucky we are here in the United States…you see these people that they’ve come here for a better life.”

‘I had a dream’

One such student is Philomene Musabyeyezu, a Rwandan refugee who came to the United States in 2012. In 2018, she heard an announcement at Holy Ghost Parish in North Knoxville about Mr. Pun-Chuen’s ELL classes and decided to enroll. She attends those classes today. “It helped me very much. It helped me to help others,” Ms. Musabyeyezu said. Ms. Musabyeyezu is fluent in Swahili, and her growing English skills allowed her to act as a translator between the Swahili and English communities at Holy Ghost, where Mass is celebrated in Swahili on the fourth Saturday of each month. “I try to connect them like a coordinator. I try to translate them,” she said. “So, if they have something they need, I help them to talk to Father (Bill) McNeely (Holy Ghost pastor) or any people.” Besides being a member of the Swahili choir, Ms. Musabyeyezu is an active member of the jail ministry, using her English skills to share the Gospel to those imprisoned. “We go to visit the prisoners, then we share the Word of God, the readings, the Gospels, prayer…some peo-

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the Church, and that we are not stepping on anyone’s toes, and that I have channels and access to make sure I am not going to cause any problems for anyone or go against the wishes and the needs of the hierarchy,” Mr. Valete added. Right now, the Catholic law students at UTK meet informally—at lunch or after classes at a local bar. Discussion can cover a lot of topics—academics, sports, social life, and yes, faith. “I’d say faith-based stuff always comes up. Law always comes up, and personal stuff. More than anything, up to this point our meetings have been helping each other feel not so alone. Any way that we can do that (is good). I have been trying to help get it together. Everyone else has been great. They’ve been doing a lot,” Mr. Valete said. Officially, the group doesn’t have a name. They’ve been using St. Thomas More, the patron saint of lawyers, as a “placeholder” until they can adopt something official. Several college campuses around the country have a St. Thomas More society for law students. Mr. Valete said the group’s meeting with Bishop Stika came up randomly. “It was on a whim. I was at the Rite of Election this year; my brother and my sister-in-law were in the process of converting. They actually just got confirmed, and there was a line to go up to meet the bishop. I decided to hop in line and get a blessing from Bishop Stika in this endeavor and he invited us over to lunch,” Mr. Valete noted. ■ ple do the preaching,” she noted. “[Philomene] is one of my star students…she has come so far,” said Mrs. McDermott, noting how Ms. Musabyeyezu accomplished her goal of writing a book. “When I came here, I was with a little bit of English, but I had a dream to write my book and also I want to help the people,” Ms. Musabyeyezu said. “My book is called My Journey, My Miracle. It was in my mind to write my story for my kids and my grandkids,” Ms. Musabyeyezu explained. “I wrote this book because I wanted to let my kids and my grandchildren know where I came from and my story. Additionally, I wanted them to know about my journey and my miracles living life as a refugee.”

Working toward the future

Several organizations partner with Access Cultural Diversity to provide support or spread the word about class registration. Some of these organizations include Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, Bridge Refugee Services, Knox County Schools, and Knoxville Internationals Network. Due to limited funding, Mr. PunChuen largely relies on word-ofmouth recommendations instead of advertising. Donations totaling $3,390 from sponsors and friends have provided free classes to 113 students. “[Chester has] a really big heart and he has done an exceptional job,” Mrs. McDermott said. “Our program has grown so much from the beginning… We have some wonderful, wonderful people that have been along this journey with us, too.” One semester of classes costs $30 and includes a workbook. Classes are held once a week on Tuesdays at Ladies of Charity, or Saturdays at Sacred Heart Cathedral School from 9:30-11 a.m. The spring semester runs from January to April, which is followed by a summer reading program from June to August. The fall semester begins in September and ends in December. For those who may be interested in volunteering their time toward the ELL classes, there is a need for encouragers, especially those who speak Spanish. Contact Chester Pun-Chuen at knox2150@yahoo.com for more information. ■ MAY 1, 2022 n A9

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Cross Catholic Outreach Engaged in Life-Transforming Outreach to the Poor of Ghana Offering up a glass of clean water will satisfy a child’s immediate thirst, but it takes much more than that to end the crisis that produced that need. To create true and lasting improvements in a child’s life takes a significant commitment — and a generous heart. This is the steadfast belief of Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, a leading Catholic ministry working with Church leaders worldwide to end water scarcity problems in the developing world. He is calling on compassionate Catholics throughout the U.S. to stand with him in that mission of mercy. “There are incredible Catholic missions working on this problem in Ghana, Zambia and other countries of Africa, but they can’t achieve their ambitious plans without public support,” he said. “We must work together to get the job done.” Why is Cavnar so adamant about solving water problems in developing communities? Because lives are at stake, he says. “About every 15 seconds a child in a developing country dies from cholera or some other waterborne disease. The cause is usually contaminated water from a murky stream, an improperly dug well or an open cistern teeming with bacteria or parasites,” Cavnar explained. “That must grieve God — and it should motivate us to act on his behalf. When we

Cross Catholic Outreach and its U.S. benefactors have already installed scores of simple hand-pump wells in Ghana and other African countries, and with public support, they hope to do more. These wells produce an abundant supply of safe water.

step forward to support Church missions focused on ending this suffering, we show poor families that God is aware of their pain and is moving to provide relief. We become God’s instrument of mercy, and he is glorified when lives are saved.” Health risks are not the only problem poor families face because of water scarcity. When a community does not have its own well — which is often the case

in some African nations — the women and children must walk for miles over rough terrain each day to find and collect their water from a remote source. Even when they are successful in this daunting task, the water they collect can be risky to use because most of these groundwater sources are tainted. (See related story on opposite page.) “It is an incredible challenge for these families, and when they suffer with those hardships day after day, week after week, it can drain them of all hope,” continued Cavnar. “Life is no longer something to be celebrated and enjoyed. It becomes a trial and a daily struggle for survival.” To address this need, Cross Catholic Outreach drills wells, installs pumps and encases the wells so they will protect the quality of the water. Drilling the wells to a depth determined by hydrology experts ensures they will continue to supply clean water even during the hottest season of the year, when sub-standard wells are known to dry up. “It is important to do the job to a high professional standard and to provide sturdy pumps at each location because our goal is to have these water systems serve generation after generation, providing safe water for many years to come,” Cavnar explained. “We also work with the diocese and the communities to create water committees at each well location. These local leaders play a critical role in managing the use of the well and ensuring it remains

in good condition. They also set up a community fund to cover the cost of any repairs that become necessary. These additional steps also help extend the water system’s effectiveness and longevity.” While the donors who help Cross Catholic Outreach fund these water projects appreciate the care the ministry takes with its work, it is the impact of providing water to poor families that appeals to them most, Cavnar says. “Many of our donors are aware of the terrible fatalities caused by waterborne diseases, especially among children,” he said. “They value life, and they want to make sure the vulnerable are protected. Giving to support water projects achieves that goal, but it also produces other important benefits because it supports the Church’s educational goals and helps families lift themselves out of poverty by eliminating the burden of searching for and collecting water.” Readers interested in supporting Cross Catholic Outreach’s many relief programs to help the poor can contribute through the ministry brochure inserted in this issue or send tax-deductible gifts to Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC01994, 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 or write “Monthly Mission Partner” on mailed checks to be contacted about setting up those arrangements.

Cross Catholic Outreach Delivers Impact With Each Donated Dollar The Bible encourages believers to put their faith into action by giving to others and having a generous heart. So it’s no surprise that those who take their faith seriously seek out charitable organizations that align with Catholic social teaching and have a track record of success. Cross Catholic Outreach is known for its long-standing record of blessing the poor in developing countries — and its commitment to sharing its results with supporters. “We want as much of the donor’s dollar as possible to reach the poor, and the best way to do that is to empower the

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Church leaders and programs already working in the trenches in countries like Haiti, Guatemala, Kenya and the Philippines,” explained Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach. This financially responsible approach allowed the ministry to successfully take on 318 projects in 32 countries during the 2021 fiscal year, with an astounding 95.38 percent of donations going directly to serve the poor. The ministry highlights its impact in a special section of its website located at CrossCatholic. org/impact. There, donors can learn how cash grants and material

aid have benefited children and families around the world by providing nutritious food, clean water, safe homes, Catholic education, disaster relief and much more. “For example, Cross Catholic Outreach took on the surge in global hunger by taking on 92 food-related projects in 18 countries. Thanks to our supporters, we delivered more than 20 million protein-rich meals to help children and families grow healthy and strong,” Cavnar elaborated. Other successes include blessing 96,417 people with clean, safe

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water; building, repairing or upgrading 391 homes for 2,270 people; sponsoring academic scholarships for 4,531 students; and shipping $17.1 million in supplies to survivors of natural disasters. Donors also funded agricultural projects, medical care, microenterprise, and care for orphans and vulnerable children. “These Works of Mercy have transformed lives and communities in amazing ways,” Cavnar said. “I am deeply grateful for every gift, and I ask for continued prayers as Cross Catholic Outreach pursues new ventures in the decades to come.”

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Church Is Positioned to Solve Water Crisis in Ghana and Seeks Support From American Catholics

Murky ponds and streams are often the only water sources available to poor families in Ghana. While the sediment may settle at the bottom of a container and leave what appears to be clearer water at the top, this does nothing to eliminate the bacteria and parasites that often make families ill. Church leaders believe the solution is to provide communities with safe water wells.

While other African nations often suffer from a lack of water, Ghana’s main problem is polluted water. This can be a serious issue because families unfamiliar with the dangers posed by unseen parasites and waterborne illnesses often draw their water from ponds and other murky sources that seem safe but contain contaminants that can kill. “For these poor families, collecting water can be like playing Russian roulette — the person drawing the water never knows if the drink they are about to take will be safe or put them at risk of death,” confirmed Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, a trusted Catholic ministry working to solve water contamination problems in Africa and beyond. “When communities are often uneducated about the risks of unsafe water, they are particularly vulnerable. They have an urgent need for water to drink, bathe and cook, so they collect what they need without fully understanding the ways unseen pollution or parasites can enter their system and cause serious illnesses. The children are often the ones who suffer most because their bodies aren’t able to ward off illness or cope with the diarrhea and fevers that follow.” Cavnar went on to explain why Ghana has an especially serious problem with water contamination. “Deforestation has contributed to the problem, but the largest source of pollution is small-scale, illegal gold mining,” he said. Ghana is Africa’s largest

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producer of gold, and it is estimated that about 35 percent of the precious metal comes from these illegal, small-scale operations. Pollution from the mining process has contaminated water sources across Ghana with toxic heavy metals such as mercury and lead. These heavy metals are difficult to filter out even with using a water treatment facility, and they certainly cannot be boiled out by families collecting the polluted water. In Ghana’s rural areas, just 11 percent of the population has access to safely managed drinking water. In urban areas, the increase in water pollution coupled with rapid population growth has led to poor water, sanitation and hygiene practices. Just 13 percent of Ghana’s 31 million people have access to safely managed sanitation services, and 22 percent don’t have access to basic hygiene services like hand-washing facilities with soap and water. “The leading cause of death for children under the age of 5 in SubSaharan Africa is cholera and other waterborne illnesses that stem from either inadequate water sources or a lack of education about water safety and proper sanitation,” Cavnar confirmed. “That’s a tragedy because safe water systems and educational programs can be made available if we are willing to fund the work. No child should have to suffer or die when water challenges like these are solvable.” Statistics back up Cavnar’s views and confirm the dangers unsafe water poses in poor

communities. The illnesses caused by contaminated water do lead to frequent diarrhea and subsequent poor nutritional absorption, which has caused Ghana’s high rate of child stunting (17.5%). For families dependent on heavy metal-polluted water, high levels of mercury and lead cause serious and permanent damage to the brain, nervous system and kidneys that leads to developmental delays and learning difficulties and can even be fatal. Additionally, because women and girls are overwhelmingly responsible for fetching water for their families, they are also often the most affected by waterborne illnesses and heavy metal poisoning. Fortunately, Catholic Church leaders in Ghana are working with Cross Catholic Outreach and its U.S. donors to provide solutions to all of these challenges. By constructing wells in waterscarce communities, the Church wants to safeguard the health of families and children and relieve families of the many hours they waste collecting water and combating the illnesses caused

by unsafe water. It is a goal that Cavnar says will have far-reaching benefits for individuals, families and communities. “Many of the areas we want to help have been locked in a cycle of poverty for generations due to the absence of easily accessible, safe water. Community members who spend hours searching for and gathering water have been unable to participate in other activities that benefit the community as a whole, like starting a new business or encouraging children to obtain an education. By changing just a single factor — water — a community can break the cycle and begin the journey toward a more prosperous future,” he said. “Our goal now is to inform American Catholics about the benefits of Cross Catholic Outreach’s water programs and gain their support of our mission. If we work together, we can provide the poor with dependable water sources and end the suffering caused by thirst and waterborne illness. As I said before, this is a solvable problem, so we need to rally behind the Church and help provide a solution.”

How to Help To fund Cross Catholic Outreach’s effort to help the poor worldwide, use the postage-paid brochure inserted in this newspaper, or mail your gift to Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC01994, PO Box 97168, Washington, DC 20090-7168. The brochure also includes instructions on becoming a Mission Partner and making a regular monthly donation to this cause. If you identify an aid project, 100% of the donation will be restricted to be used for that specific project. However, if more is raised for the project than needed, funds will be redirected to other urgent needs in the ministry.

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MAY 1, 2022 n A11

New Paulist priest finds hidden joys in ministry Fr. Richard Whitney ‘juggling’ first year of priesthood, service on UT campus

that opens me up to people who are looking for relief in every different way: spiritual, personal, cultural.” “People feel comfortable talking to priests,” he said. “And so, just the amount of pain that’s in the world has really struck me more than anything else, I think.” COURTESY OF FATHER RICHARD WHITNEY

aulist Father Richard Whitney describes his first year of priesthood as a “whirlwind.” “I don’t know that I’ve ever known time to fly by so happily before or in my life,” the 53-yearold priest said. “It’s been a year of growth, a year of wonder, a year of exploration, and a year of really hidden joys.” Father Whitney was ordained on May 22, 2021, at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in New York City, which is the motherhouse for the Congregation of St. Paul (CSP). He arrived for his assignment in Knoxville on July 1, where he serves as the associate pastor at St. John XXIII University Parish, located on the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville. Although a diocesan parish, St. John XXIII has been staffed by the Paulist Fathers since 1973. In Father Whitney’s role, he supports the pastor in the events, functions, and day-to-day operations of the parish, in addition to celebrating Masses and hearing confessions. He also is the Catholic chaplain at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. “We have a thriving parish, in addition to students,” Father Whitney said. “We have a number of people who have been here for quite some time, including some who have been here since the founding of our parish 52 years ago.” He continued that “connecting with them and maintaining relationships” in the parish was a part of his role as well as working “to help students realize how impor-

By Gabrielle Nolan

A priest’s personality

Campus teamwork Father Richard Whitney, CSP, center, is shown with St. John XXIII Parish members in 2020 during a FOCUS conference in Phoenix. From left are Nathalie Ndigaya, Corinne Schnadelbach, Michael Buell, and Payton Burnett. tant that transition is into becoming an adult Catholic, where the faith really needs to become one’s own and not what one necessarily grew up with.” Father Whitney continues to be impressed with the “remarkable experience I hadn’t expected moving into campus ministry of the infectious energy of young Catholics, and how that really brings great hope to my world as well.” “They’re wonderful, and I adore everybody here that’s part of our parish,” he continued. “They’re just a remarkable group of young men and women, and I’m fascinated to see what they will do in the years to come.” When he reflected on his biggest

surprises during his first year of priesthood, two things came to Father Whitney’s mind. “I think the first surprise came about a week after I arrived here. The pastor went on vacation, and two days later the ceiling fell in in the main worship space. I sent a picture to my formator saying, ‘Six years and we never talked about this once,’” he recounted while laughing. The second surprise was a bit more poignant. “The amount of need that’s in the world, I think, has really hit home for me in this past year,” he said. “Because now that I’ve been privileged and gifted to be able to wear a collar and call myself a priest,

Father Whitney likes to call himself an “outgoing introvert.” “What tends to shock everybody, I admit this to… I’m about as introverted as you can get and not be a turtle,” he said. “I am not the life of the party when I’m not here.” His favorite hobbies include activities he can do by himself: reading on the porch, dabbling in video production, and juggling. Yes, juggling. “I love to juggle,” Father Whitney shared. “I have a lot of juggling toys. I used to do some juggling performing on the street in (Washington,) D.C., never very good at it. But it was great fun, and it’s always fun to throw things in the air. One of my goals this year is to get back to, more or less, performance shape.” “I’ve got machetes, but I can’t remember how to throw them yet. Torches are pretty easy, just don’t grab the bright end,” he quipped. More than a fun hobby, though, juggling also has helped Father Whitney. For a few years, he was an addiction counselor while working on his master’s degree in counseling psychology. Paulist continued on page A21

St. John XXIII Parish (finally) marks 50th anniversary By Jim Wogan

WYD 2023 continued from page A2

Knoxville pilgrims will have an extra day in Portugal before returning to Knoxville. The pilgrimage is open to young adults ages 18-35. Anyone outside that age range who is interested in going on the pilgrimage should contact Mrs. García or Mrs. Wolaver at the Diocese of Knoxville Chancery. Mrs. Wolaver explained that the pilgrimage, which has a base price of $4,349 per person, will leave from Knoxville. The first 10 people registering for the full travel package will receive $300 to $350 off the full package. The cost per person includes airfare, two nights in Fatima, eight nights in Lisbon, and the World Youth Day 2023 registration fee, according to Mrs. Wolaver. Registration for the trip begins this A12 n MAY 1, 2022

JIM WOGAN

t took longer than expected, but parishioners of St. John XXIII last month finally marked the 50th anniversary of their parish’s dedication—52 years after it happened. The COVID pandemic stalled the original plans for the Catholic community’s jubilee by two years, but the delay didn’t mask the enthusiasm for those who attended a dinner gathering on April 8. The dinner was officially titled “50th Anniversary, Take Two.” “Two years ago, everything was set, and we were going to have this big celebration,” said Father Don Andrie, CSP, pastor of St. John XXIII. “Then in the middle of March 2020 everything shut down. We said, well if things work out for 2021, we could celebrate 51 years as a parish, but it just kept going.” By the spring of 2022, COVID was starting to wane and restrictions on parish celebrations were lifted by Bishop Richard F. Stika. That’s when John XXIII party-planners jumped into action to make the golden anniversary gathering happen this year. “This is the largest parish event since coming back (from COVID),” Father Andrie said. “We did start last fall with a turkey bingo. We had a lot of students and young adults,

Happy golden anniversary Bishop Richard F. Stika converses with members of St. John XXIII Parish during a parish celebration on April 8. but not too many of our older parishioners because they were still being careful back then. We also did our Mardi Gras, which had a lot of students and almost no parishioners. This is the first gathering with a large number of parishioners coming back again.” Golden anniversaries are a big deal, even though this year’s celebration was the 52nd anniversary marking the parish’s dedication Mass in April 1970, celebrated by then-Bishop Joseph A. Durick. John XXIII, like all East Tennessee parishes, was in the Diocese of Nashville back then. The parish has been led by the

Paulist Fathers since 1973. Moving the golden anniversary to a new date—two years down the road, forced more than a few adjustments. Father Andrie pointed out that Father Bob O’Donnell, CSP, had purchased two large, helium-filled gold balloons—a 5 and a 0, to highlight the 50th anniversary back in 2020. “They gradually started to deflate. So, we had to get new ones for this celebration,” Father Andrie said with a laugh. St. John XXIII is a unique parish in the Diocese of Knoxville. It is situated in the heart of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville cam-

month. Fundraising will be a key component of the pilgrimage, which is part of the youth and young adult ministry of the diocese. Mrs. García “We will be having meetings over the next year to plan the pilgrimage and provide fundraising tools,” Mrs. Wolaver said. “We really want to prepare our pilgrims with the spirituality of fundraising so that this is a more meaningful experience, and they can present the intentions of those who donated to their cause at World Youth Day.” Mrs. García and Mrs. Wolaver are hoping for strong interest in the

pilgrimage, and they already are working to get the word out. “We’re hoping to attract a group of at least 15 to 20, but there is no minimum and no maximum,” Mrs. Wolaver Mrs. Wolaver said. “We want to encourage all people interested to look into this. We want this to be an open and inclusive experience for our diocese.” Payments from each pilgrim for the trip will go to Dube Travel of Auburn, Maine, which is coordinating World Youth Day 2023 travel arrangements with the diocese. Dube will not close registration for the trip until the travel company’s last payment deadline.

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pus, which means it attracts many young, college-aged worshipers at Masses and other parish events. It also has a well-established and dedicated group of full-time members who make sure the parish operates in the way of a traditional parish. The dinner celebration included a video presentation by Dr. John Prados, a professor emeritus of the University of Tennessee and a founding member of John XXIII. Its history dates to the establishment of a Newman Club on the UTK campus in the 1930s. By the 1950s, a Catholic center was in place. Ground was broken in 1968 for the current church building. Father Charlie Donahue, CSP, was appointed pastor of the parish in 2009 when the canonization process for Pope John XXIII was moving forward. The parish was then known as Blessed John XXIII. A few years later, when Father Donahue left for another Paulist assignment in 2014, the church had been renamed St. John XXIII to reflect the elevation of the Holy Father as canonized in the Catholic Church. Father Donahue returned to Knoxville last year to become pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish. He has fond memories of leading the John XXIII Parish and attended the belated 50th anniversary St. John XXIII continued on page A21

An initial “sneak peek” meeting about the pilgrimage was set for May 10 with a representative from Dube Travel. Dube will hold a preparation retreat for all pilgrims in July 2023. Information on the pilgrimage can be found at www.dioknox.org/ wyd2023 and includes registration information, frequently asked questions, updates, video, and photos. Mrs. Wolaver explained that in addition to visiting Lisbon, the Diocese of Knoxville pilgrims will take part in a candlelight procession, Stations of the Cross, the village of the three children, and the chapel of apparitions while in Fatima. “We’re really excited about this pilgrimage because it brings Catholics from around the world together to worship and to have fellowship, which is a pretty unique opportunity,” Mrs. Wolaver said. ■ TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

JIM WOGAN

BILL BREWER

DAN MCWILLIAMS JIM WOGAN

Celebrating Easter Upper left: Bishop Richard F. Stika breathes on the chrism to invoke the Holy Spirit during the Chrism Mass. Upper right: Bishop Stika begins the Easter Vigil Mass around the holy fire outside the cathedral. Lower left: Bishop Stika reenacts one of Jesus’ last acts by washing the feet of believers inside the cathedral during Holy Thursday services. Lower right: Bishop Stika is joined by diocesan seminarians at the Chrism Mass. Easter continued from page A1

Stika addressed many of his remarks to his brother priests. “When you are a seminarian or when you are a priest who remembers his days in the seminary, there are these two terms that we speak of the identity of a priest: to act in the person of Christ and to be another Christ,” he said. “That’s why at Mass we can say, ‘Take this, all of you, and eat. This is my body.’ We do so as Christ. The same in the sacrament of reconciliation or confession: ‘I absolve you of all of your sins.’ And other moments, too: the anointing of the sick and such. To act in the person of Christ and to be another Christ. It’s the foundational aspect of the ontological change that has occurred in the soul of a priest: to be another Christ.” The bishop said in the past year he has been reflecting “a lot” on that last point. “As I look at the Scriptures, the Gospels, it always seems that Jesus does three things when he enters a town: He preaches, He feeds, and He heals. If we look at that in our ministry, we teach, and that which we teach is what the Church believes. We reflect on the Scriptures before we preach, and we pray over them so that we might authentically be able to convey the message of God to the people who stand or sit or people that we interact with, to preach. And as St. Francis of Assisi said, sometimes you can even use words. That’s the witness of who we are as priests, who knelt before the bishop—it depends on what era you are from— and through the laying on of hands, changed, authentically changed in an ontological sense. Same with the diaconate and in the case of the cardinal and I, our episcopal consecration, to preach and to teach—they go hand in hand.” “And we can only do that effectively if we actually live that out so that we can witness, so that we study, so that we pray over those readings, and to heal. . . . I would ask my brother priests, do you see that in your life, in the ordinary moments of your life; life is busy, when you might not be feeling better, when you might be challenged by that particular personality of another person? It’s a good thing to reflect on throughout the course of the year, to see if all of us, the cardinal and myself, all of us, and even the deacons—do we authentically represent Christ, to heal, to break open the Word, and to preach authentically?” Bishop Stika spoke of the renewal of priestly promises that takes place during the Chrism Mass. “To say yes, that you will faithfully proclaim the Church as it is taught, that you will seek to be in union with each other and to be in union with me, that we work together, that we strive together, to build the kingdom TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

of God in East Tennessee,” he said. “And that can be challenging. You might disagree with each other. You might disagree with me. You might disagree with the teachings of the Church. And yet that’s what we are called to, and in a very practical way, that’s what we get paid for. Because the people need that; in fact, the Church demands that of each of us. And that’s why this is such a mystical moment in our day, to once again make a pledge of that which we did on the day of our ordination, when we were all ordained priests.” The bishop then addressed the assembly that filled the cathedral. “But what does that mean for you lay folks and religious? You, too, are called to do the same thing: the priesthood of the laity, to witness to Jesus, in an authentic way, to teach the message of Jesus, to preach the message, my words, how we treat each other, and how we speak to each other, and even how we disagree with each other,” he said. “And sometimes that’s in a literal sense ... to heal broken families and broken relationships in a broken world, a world right now in which we hear what happened in New York on a subway, the devastation in Ukraine, what’s going on in Sudan or Yemen or Syria, or all the places the media has forgotten about and yet still represents a broken world. Even in our cities of Knoxville or Chattanooga or whatever town or municipality we might be called to preach and to teach and to heal. The beauty of a diocese, as I’ve said so often, we do together what we can’t do ourselves, cooperating with the grace of God to build, to cooperate, to love and to serve. “Today that’s demonstrated in a very powerful way in the renewal of commitments by the priests . . . to renew, to seek forgiveness of maybe those that you have wronged, my brother priests and deacons. And today in a very spectacular way, as we prepare for this weekend and for the course of the year, when we welcome people who wish to be joined together in what happens on this altar, to be nourished by the Holy Eucharist. And God forbid we ever take that for granted, that gift of Jesus. And for the priests, that prayer: let this be my first Mass, my last Mass, my only Mass. To participate with Jesus, as we offer the Eucharist, as we bring healing to other people.” The bishop mentioned the oil of catechumens and the oil of the sick, which he blessed at the Chrism Mass. “The oil of the sick reflects what Jesus did when he entered a home, when he entered a village or a city: the healing presence of Jesus. How strange it was the last couple of years [with the pandemic] with the space suits and the masks and all the protective devices and rooms. And I give credit to our priests, who were will-

ing because their health would allow it, to go into those situations to be another Christ, to act in the person of Jesus.” Bishop Stika also consecrated the chrism that night. “The consecration of the chrism, in which we invite, demand, plead that the Holy Spirit might be enfleshed in that chrism, that holy chrism that will be used for baptisms and confirmations and ordinations. The Holy Spirit manifests itself in that chrism,” he said. To the assembly, the bishop said, “all of you, who represent the entire Diocese of Knoxville, 70,000-plus, to all the parishes that you come from: thank you for being here today, because you represent people of faith. Never be afraid to intentionally witness the faith that has been given to you, to another, for God is always with us.” To his fellow priests, he said, “the commitments you made in ordination, to work with the bishop, to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, to be true persons acting in the presence of Jesus. Remember that when you get that call late in the night ... to be with somebody and to bring them comfort, to anoint them, to hear their confessions, whether it’s a person you enjoy to be with or it’s a person when you see them it’s like fingernails on chalkboards. . . . To know that the sacraments that we as priests are privileged to celebrate bring life so that every confession, every Mass, every anointing, every conversation with another: let them see Jesus, let them continue to see Jesus in your lives, especially in this world that is broken, that is hurting, that is in pain. They want to see Jesus, for all of us—they want to see Jesus. We see that in the Scriptures: ‘I want to see Jesus.’ “And so today, as we celebrate priesthood, as we celebrate people coming into the Church, let us also be reminded that we’re never by ourselves, for there is Christ, there is the Holy Spirit, there is God. And so let us rejoice this night, this night of the Holy Chrism, for God has brought us all together in this moment of mystery, in this moment of faith.” In the renewal of commitment to priestly service, Bishop Stika 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

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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 bishop 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.” Bishop Stika asked those in the pews to “pray also for me [and for Cardinal Rigali], 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 Servant of all.” In the procession of oils, Monsignor Al Humbrecht brought forward the balsam for the chrism. Father Michael Sweeney and Father John Orr presented the oil of the catechumens. Father Michael Maples and Father Mike Creson brought up the oil of the sick. Father Alex Hernandez and Father Matthew Donahue, representing two of the most newly ordained priests, brought forward the sacred chrism. The bishop blessed the oils of catechumens and the sick. He consecrated the holy chrism by breathing over it, praying that the Holy Spirit would be present in the oil. In his closing remarks, he thanked “my brother priests.” “Maybe I don’t say that enough, but we are really blessed with a wonderful diocese, a growing diocese, across the board in so many ways. And that would not be possible without all the work that you do: the work that other people might know about, but all the things that are behind the scenes, the phone calls and the messages, just the willingness to go beyond yourself, to be truly Christ to other people,” he said. Bishop Stika added that “we are in a culture that’s not real helpful to faith, and yet why are we growing? We’re growing because of the work that you do and your staffs and all the people who are your co-workers in Christ. Just know of my gratitude. . . . I just want to say thanks and keep up the good work, all the things that you do, and to my brother deacons the same thing. I appreciate everything that you do. To all my sister and brothers in Christ in this diocese, I say thanks as well. We do together what we can’t do by ourselves. I just want you to know of my gratitude. To the religious and the sisters who are here and if there are any religious brothers, and to my brother, Cardinal Rigali . . . I say thank you for your witness to the faith.” The bishop then asked all of the seminarians to join him at the head Easter continued on page A16 MAY 1, 2022 n A13

Easter healing Even in the season of joy, we must still love those suffering By Claire Collins

Column

aster, the Church’s great season of joy, is here. The Gloria has returned, our homes are decorated with plastic eggs, and bright floral colors decorate the pews of our churches. For my family, the joy of Easter also has a somber tone. For it was in the early hours of Easter morning 11 years ago that my father succumbed to brain cancer and was invited into his eternal home. How scriptural it was for my dad to pass then, for it was Jesus who rose from the dead and completed his conquering over sin and death in the early hours of the morning on the first Easter. Juxtaposed with Easter was the preparatory season of Lent, a season which reminded us that “we are dust, and to dust we shall return.” It was a time of penance, deeper prayer, and an overall reminder of who God is and what He wants to do in our lives, no matter what we were experiencing. While suffering and death are in no way comfortable topics to discuss, Lent was a reminder of the reality that we all experience them in one way or another. And although we are now in a season of great rejoicing, these realities are still true for us, even during Easter. Anyone reading this has probably suffered greatly in their lives in some capacity. No matter how much we have experienced suffering, it always seems to take us by surprise when someone we love is encountering it. We wonder what to do, what to say, what is too much, what is not enough? The Church, in Her wisdom, offers us some concrete ways that we can mimic the life of Christ in our own lives, types of almsgivings that we can continue to practice beyond the season of Lent. These “works of mercy” give us very specific ways that we can imitate Jesus and be love to one another as we journey together. Many of them

Claire Collins is shown with her husband, Andrew, and sons Joe, 2, and Frank, 2 months. have to do with encountering and serving the people around us who are suffering. One in particular stands out: “comfort the sorrowful.” “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This famous quote by St. Teresa of Kolkata is a great reminder for us that if we want to change the world, our families and our communities are the places where we should start. So, we need to ask ourselves, who are those afflicted in our midst? How can we love them; how can we be Jesus to them in their seasons of suffering?

The Divine Physician is at work

When we consider how God might be inviting us to “comfort the afflicted” in our lives, we need to remember firstly that He is the one ultimately at work. We can trust what he is doing and how he is working, even if it doesn’t seem to make sense to us or the person suffering. It is not our job to provide them with all the answers or to remove them from their trial, because God is allowing it. We can trust that His desire to care for them is greater than any comfort we can provide.

One of my favorite titles for God is “the Divine Physician.” It is a reminder that God is Healer and that He is always in the business of bringing greater wholeness to our lives through His healing work. His grace is medicine for our souls, and He knows what procedures our hearts need in order to survive into eternity. While God does not cause suffering, He allows it and can always bring a greater good out of it. In years of reflecting on my own journey of grief, I can attest to so many ways that God has taken the suffering my dad endured, and that we subsequently endured because of losing him, and brought great goodness and healing from it. All of this is to say, we need to remember that God is the ultimate healer in our lives and in the lives of those suffering around us. We are merely His instruments, pencils in His hand as St. Teresa of Kolkata so famously said. All we are being called to do through our actions, gifts, and words is bring those suffering around us closer to the Divine Physician so that He can do the real work.

Do what you can

When my dad was diagnosed with cancer, the outpouring of support from the community around us was unbelievable, and even overwhelming at times. No small act went unnoticed by our family, and while it was hard to receive sometimes, we were forever impacted and grateful for others’ generosity. We’ve all been given many strengths uniquely different from those around us. The beautiful orchestration of the Body of Christ allows for each to give according to his or her gifting. 1 Corinthians 12 speaks so eloquently of the Church: our dependence on one another, our mutual experience of one another’s sufferings and joys, and the need each of us has to use our gifts. Healing continued on page A15

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DAN MCWILLIAMS

EMILY BOOKER

GABRIELLE NOLAN

Holy Week scenes

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DR. KELLY KEARSE

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GABRIELLE NOLAN DR. KELLY KEARSE DOROTHY CURTIS

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Healing continued from page A14 Some of us may be called to serve the material needs of those afflicted in our lives. In the face of suffering, even the easiest of chores and tasks can be a burdensome load to carry. We can help alleviate those burdens by meeting these needs to the degree that we can. This can take many forms. A gift card or a home-cooked meal. Cleaning their house or doing yard work. Bringing flowers to their home. A monetary gift or donation to help the person’s financial needs. If you know the person well, you can gift them something personal and intentional. You can even do these things on a large scale—a meal train, a GoFundMe or other donation service, or another organized project. When my dad was sick, a friend got together a group of women to redecorate our back patio. This area became an oasis for my mom and is still to this day a place of peace, a reminder of the love of God and our community. Maybe we are being asked to serve the emotional needs of those suffering in our lives. We can be a listening ear or a loving presence, even if no words are spoken. We can remember specific dates, like birthdays or anniversaries of a loved one’s death, and help celebrate or memorialize them. We can check in, ask for updates, or just send a quick meaningful message letting the person know we are thinking about them. When I met my mentor in college, I told her about my dad and his passing. He was buried not far from the campus, and on the anniversary

of his death, she asked if we could go there and pray with a few close friends while we watched the sunrise. She brought coffee for us, and we prayed morning prayer together. It is still such a beautiful memory for me and really showed me how much she, and the friends who gathered with us, loved and cared about me. Meeting someone’s spiritual needs is something that all of us are capable of doing. The Church offers so many forms of prayer: the Mass, the rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and much more that can help be a form of intercession for the person in need. Spiritual bouquets are a beautiful way to gather the prayers of the community in a tangible form. When my dad was sick, we received prayer blankets that were covered in prayer as they were being made. A distinct memory I have from when my dad was sick was a rosary gathering that was held for my family. Many friends and members of the community gathered at the cathedral and prayed for us. There also was the opportunity for those gathered to write small notes that were given to me later. I still have those notes and hold them very dear.

those around us to remain with us. You might know that the true meaning of compassion is to “suffer with.” Keeping this in mind, we must be willing to enter into the suffering of those we love who are experiencing challenging seasons. We must mourn with them, weep with them, listen to and hear them. We must continue to show up for them, say their loved ones’ names, and never forget the suffering they endure. Suffering and grief are odd experiences. There is no manual for how to experience them. Often the emotions can be overwhelming and can hit at unexpected times. The person may not want to talk or be around others and at the same time feel totally alone and isolated. This is why, for us considering how we can best love those around us, we must remember that the most important thing we can do is continue to be there for them and be available to them. We must be willing to be rejected, ignored, or seemingly unappreciated. We must remember that we are not loving for our own glory, but for love of the other. All we can do is keep offering, keep trying, and keep loving.

Keep showing up

The hope of Easter

“My soul is sorrowful even unto death. Remain here and keep watch with me” (Matthew 26:38). These words spoken by Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane are echoed in the cry of every suffering heart. Whether or not they realize it at the time, someone suffering, and every one of us in every season of our lives, need

The beautiful reality that awaits us at the end of every Lent is the reminder that there is no crucifixion without a resurrection. Though God allows our suffering, he always desires to bring it to fulfillment in this life or in the next. We are reminded during Lent of our mortality, but we are reminded on Easter, and through-

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out this great season, of the reality that suffering and death are conquered and do not have the final say. As time has passed, our family has experienced great healing from the loss of my dad. We can’t help but smile when someone tells us they miss him, shares a story or memory with us, remembers being touched by watching our family as he suffered. But we also have continued to live our lives and make memories, do things together as a family, and honor my dad’s memory. You never really “move on” when you suffer in any way or for any reason. But what God can do with our suffering is take those wounds and bring glory to them. We read in the Gospels that the resurrected Jesus still had the nail marks and pierced side present in His risen body. It was Christ’s wounds that gave Thomas the ability to believe in the resurrection. In the same way, God can also make our wounds a source of His glory, bringing hope, light, and peace to us and those around us. When we seek to comfort the afflicted in our lives, we must remember that their healing is a journey and do the best we can to play the role that God is calling us to in that process. We must seek to be attentive to their needs and meet them with care and intentionality. We must be willing to enter into their suffering with them and continue to love them throughout their journey. And in the end, we are called to be reminders to them of the hope that Jesus is always offering and the healing that He desires to bring them. ■ MAY 1, 2022 n A15

DAN MCWILLIAMS (2)

‘A long and miraculous journey’ Left: Bishop Richard F. Stika recognizes Deacon Ken Conklin at the beginning of the Chrism Mass on April 12 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Right: Deacon Conklin, who served as deacon of the Eucharist at the Chrism Mass, gives Communion to a parishioner attending the Holy Week Mass. Miracle continued from page A1 recovery. “There is a man in this cathedral who did not think he was going to be here for the Mass of Chrism. I ordained Ken at home in September because the doctors were saying he had only a couple weeks to live,” the bishop said at the beginning of Mass. “That was 50 pounds ago. I truly, truly, truly believe in miracles, and I believe maybe through the intercession of Father Ryan. Ken was just accepted into the chaplain program for the Knoxville Police Department.” Bishop Stika’s next statement produced a long round of applause for Deacon Conklin. “I just want you to give thanks to almighty God today for Deacon Ken being here with us,” he said, then added to the deacon: “Don’t cry, because then I’ll cry. OK, back to

work.” Deacon Conklin said that “it’s been a long and miraculous journey” to the Chrism Mass. “Prior to my going into the diaconate, I was just an average guy. I went to church Easter and Christmas and whenever I could,” he said. “I was at a Bible study, and there was a woman who was in the Order of Carmelites, and I prayed to the Holy Spirit over her. And she said later, ‘Ken, your guardian angel was trying to tell me something.’ I joked around and said, ‘Tell him I said hi.’ Two weeks later, I saw her again, and I asked her, ‘What’s this about?’ She said, ‘Well, I prayed, and your guardian angel was saying that you are in danger.’ So, I’m thinking, oh, my gosh, my soul is in danger, so I go to confession, I meet with a priest, I do all the things I need to do. And my spiritual journey started

then. It started sinking in.” That led to the medical diagnosis that would change his life. “Two months later, I was up in Kentucky having lunch with my daughter, and there was a doctor in the restaurant. That night, the doctor called my daughter and said, ‘Your dad needs to see a doctor right away,’” Deacon Conklin recalled. “So I went to the doctor, and they told me to get to the hospital right away. I was short two units of blood. They took out my left kidney and a foot of small intestine. “So, I’m trying to piece together: was my soul in danger, was my body in danger? Through my study I’ve learned they’re connected. They are connected, and my suffering is my cross that I need to carry, and I accept that wholeheartedly. And the covenant I made with God right from the beginning was, ‘As long as

you keep me here, I’ll continue to do your work.’ So, in the diaconate I help as many people as I can. As a chaplain for the Knoxville Police Department, I help as many people as I can.” And was it a miracle? “It sure is a miracle,” he said. “Through all the prayers I’ve received with my family and my wife, it’s just amazing. Attitude is so important. I always put goals in front of me, like the diaconate. Through the five years I’ve been dealing with the cancer, I was going for the diaconate every month, studying. Then the Police Chaplain Academy, I saw that as another challenge. I finished it. I’m actually going through now working with a mentor, an experienced chaplain. He’s showing me around, meeting people, and in May I officially start wherever I need to be.” ■

Easter continued from page A13 of the altar steps. The seminarians’ images are on posters that are distributed around the diocese. “These are the people who are part of those posters. . . . These are the faces that are on those posters,” Bishop Stika said. “These guys come from various backgrounds. We’ve got computer geeks and military. A.J. Houston here, he’s a 1st lieutenant in the Army. We’re going to get him, and then the military archdiocese is going to get him. He’s not only going to serve the people of God here but also the people of God in a ministry that is so necessary to the Archdiocese of Military Services, which is the largest diocese in the world.” The bishop said “we are blessed” with the young men studying for the priesthood. “How about if you continue to pray for them and to be with them? Also this year I’m going to ordain 24 permanent deacons.”

My Blood, given for you. It’s just the craziest thing. But sometimes crazy is good, because we see it as one way, and God sees it as another way. We might see it as crazy and chaotic, but God sees the reality,” he continued. Bishop Stika offered some pastoral insight for those entering the Church at the cathedral, sharing with them the prayers and plight of all Catholics, and continuing on the theme that faith is crazy. “To my sisters and brothers who will now join us in our Church at the sacrifice. Did anybody ever tell you that you are crazy to join those Catholics? They like fish. They honor saints. They pray to statues. They listen to a guy from Argentina named Francis. It has scandal. Why?” he asked. “I’m sure that’s a question that you have asked yourself. Probably all of us have asked that question. Then why do we follow this Church? It’s because of what we do at that altar. Sacrifice. Sacrifice to Jesus day in and day out. The sacraments of baptism, confirmation, the beautiful sacrament that so many people ignore: confession. The fact that we are not God, and we make mistakes. In this day and age, we don’t like to admit that.” The bishop explained to those entering the Church that they would be receiving the Eucharist for the first time, something that separates Catholics from other faiths because Catholics know the Eucharist is the Real Presence of God. “It’s not a symbol for us. It’s Jesus. That’s crazy. The Real Presence is shared by 1.4 billion Catholics around the world. You won’t get to know them all. But all you need to do is meet one person of faith, and you will know them all. Faith is crazy, you know? “I pray this night will always be special to you. I pray that the Lord will continue to bless you, and that your eyes may be opened to the love of God, even in those moments when you turn from Him, when you make those mistakes that we call sin, and when you wonder, like Isaiah and David, about all the craziness of faith. Faith, indeed, is crazy. But in actuality it’s reality because it’s God,” Bishop Stika said.

said, “We welcome you all today as we celebrate this great feast of Easter.” In his homily at the Easter Mass, he again expounded on his theme of faith being crazy. “We come together and we worship a God who we cannot see, and yet we know He exists. How? Look around—creation, Genesis, people who give their lives in charity and in kindness, who try to live the Golden Rule or the Ten Commandments or the Beatitudes. It’s the craziest thing. Isn’t it crazy to turn the other cheek? That is just crazy. Or as Catholics, the thing that separates us from our Protestant brothers and sisters, we believe that the Eucharist, the Mass, really is the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Why? Because He said to us on that Passover night, ‘This is My Body, this is My Blood, given for you. Do this in memory of me.’ And so now for thousands of years, that’s what we celebrate. Baptism and the other sacraments—it’s all circled around the Eucharist. And it’s crazy to believe that that is the body and blood of Jesus, but aren’t other things kind of crazy? Have you ever fallen in love? It makes you crazy, especially when it goes from infatuation to love itself.” Faith “is like walking into a room that’s completely dark,” Bishop Stika said. “We don’t know what’s there. We might see the light of Jesus. We might hear the invitation of Jesus, who wants to be one with us.” The bishop referenced a traditional artwork of Jesus in a garden knocking on the door. “If you really look at it, there’s no doorknob on the outside of the door. The only way that Jesus can get into that house is if somebody on the other side opens the door, and that’s faith,” he said. “Jesus is with us. The risen Jesus is with us, and He’s just waiting for us to open the door and leave it open, because He wants to be with us. He wants to walk with us. He wants to push us. He wants to challenge us, and there are going to be other times He might even carry us along the way. He wants us to know His Father, the creator of everything. He wants us to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, so that we might be willing to take a risk and go beyond ourselves, to witness our faith.” Most things in a broken world “do not bring us solace, and for the

most part they don’t work. Faith is simple. It’s to believe,” Bishop Stika said. He spoke of how he once considered buying a flashy stereo receiver. “Sometimes we in our lives, we like the flash,” he said. “We like the gizmos and the dials and the colors, but it doesn’t make it any better in terms of sound. That’s the invitation of faith to all of us. It’s as simple as this: to believe in Jesus. But also, what does that mean? To go beyond ourselves. To be intentional in our witness to others that we do believe in Jesus, that we go out of our way weekly to honor God in the Eucharist, to be nourished and fed so that the emptiness of our life can be transformed. Give it a shot, my dad used to say. “Today, we celebrate Easter, and we’ve seen the sufferings of Jesus these last few days. Last night as we have welcomed in this diocese almost 200 people who now have joined us at the Eucharist, either baptized or received into the Church . . . Let us always know that we have been given a gift, a gift of faith that will make us crazy at times, because we want to control, we want to understand. But sometimes the gift of faith that comes to us from God is just receiving it.” After the homily, Bishop Stika led the assembly in the renewal of their baptismal promises, and he blessed them with holy water. Bishop Stika asked the faithful if they “renounced Satan and all his work and all his empty promises” and if they believed in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit,” to which they replied, “I do.” In his closing remarks at Mass, the bishop reminded people “not to forget God loves you. That’s why Jesus came into the world. That’s why we have this church, this community of faith, in order to understand what God is asking us to do on an individual basis.” He then gave an apostolic blessing to the assembly. “There’s a special prayer that only the bishop can grant a couple of times a year. It’s called the apostolic blessing. It means that if you go to confession and receive the Eucharist and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, you get a special grace, a special blessing. I’m going to do that after Mass, so it’s kind of a neat thing. I want to wish you all a happy Easter.” ■

Easter Vigil

Bishop Stika celebrated Easter Vigil Mass on April 16 at the cathedral, where three young men and a young woman were baptized. Following their baptisms, Bishop Stika confirmed 24 catechumens and candidates as they entered the Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. In his Easter Vigil homily, Bishop Stika told the story of two peers of Jesus’ Apostles, Isaiah and David, who stood by passively and watched the events of Jesus’ ministry unfold, from persuading fishermen to become fishers of men and His miracles, to Jesus entering Jerusalem and His crucifixion on Calvary before His resurrection. “Faith is crazy. You can’t taste it. You can’t bottle it. You can’t ignore it. The call of Jesus, the resurrected Jesus, the suffering Jesus, the Jesus who is the Son of God who guaranteed that God the Father loves everyone with His mercy. And Jesus, who knows so much about the human condition, also knows that we make mistakes. We can feel alone. We can feel confused, especially in 2022, with war, famine, political problems, troubles in our streets, troubles in our families, troubles in our hearts,” the bishop said. “The gift of Jesus because He said I will never abandon you. The gift of the Eucharist. Do this in memory of Me, for this is My Body, this is A16 n MAY 1, 2022

Easter Sunday Mass

Bishop Stika celebrated the 9 a.m. Mass on Easter Sunday at the cathedral. In his opening remarks, he

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Disney charm tarnished over political activism, critics say Entertainment giant faces growing criticism because of its increasingly polarized presence

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“Look, I love @Disney. The wokeness is just too much. My wife and I are out. Most of our friends are out, too. We don’t want our kids exposed to any of what’s going on before they’re even teens. #DisneyDoBetter you’re better than all of this. Stay G Rated. Stop with the woke.””

By Meghan Schultz National Catholic Register

isney’s quintessential fairy tales have charmed decades of families — but its increased institutional political activism has soured many. While the simplicity of the entertainment company’s renaissance era contributed to its beauty and narrative mastery, capturing the hearts of families with movies like the recordbreaking Beauty and the Beast, parents are beginning to reject Disney’s media due to its increasingly politicized presence. Disney president Karey Burke recently released a video statement announcing her support for having “many, many, many LGBTQIA characters in our stories,” with the goal of a minimum 50 percent of characters being of an “LGBT” orientation and racial minority. After backlash from political progressives because of what was deemed an insufficient response against Florida’s new Bill 1557 “Parent Rights in Education,” Disney announced the establishment of an “LGBTQ+ task force,” led by Walt

— A concerned parent Disney Studios’ senior vice president of communications Paul Roeder and Disney Parks’ experiences and products senior vice president of global marketing Lisa Becket. The task force will “enlist the help of experts to develop a concrete plan to ensure Disney is ‘a force for good’ for LGBTQ+ communities, especially children and family.” Bill 1557, which has been inaccurately disparaged by progressive critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, is intended “to reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children.” “Look, I love @Disney. The wokeness is just too much. My wife and I are out. Most of our friends are out, too. We don’t want our kids exposed to any of what’s going on before they’re even teens,” wrote a concerned parent. “#DisneyDoBetter

you’re better than all of this. Stay G Rated. Stop with the woke.”

Polarizing content

The communication of ideas through media targeted specifically toward children, softening its delivery through hilarity and animation, has become a growing concern for parents, as well as blatant partisanship and activism by corporations whose main audience is children. Sue Domen, a Catholic mother to three daughters, isn’t looking forward to telling her youngest that she plans to cancel their family’s subscription to the company’s premium video-streaming service, Disney+. “It saddens my heart because so many memories of all three girls were of singing Disney songs, and we all loved seeing those classic tales and going to the parks,” Ms. Domen told the Register. “But actively

promoting confusion is absolutely unacceptable. Confusing one about their own identity, I think, is such a diabolic and damaging ideology.” Disney is projecting particular ideologies onto viewers through a history of trust, Ms. Domen said. From a faithful Catholic perspective, she finds it to be nefarious and damaging to young people and their development. “As a corporation that has built its home empire upon the magic and innocence of childhood, it’s all the more grievous,” Ms. Domen added. “So many families do not want this content from Disney.”

Disney takes a political side

Disney’s recent attacks against Florida’s new legislation were prompted by criticism of its earlier decision not to engage with the heated national debate the bill has engendered. The major highlights of the parental-rights-in-education bill include requiring procedures that notify students’ parents of changes in services provided to the students or their mental, emotional, physical health, Disney continued on page A20

Finding ‘Father Stu’ Popular actor Mark Wahlberg says ‘Father Stu’ found him, not the other way around

ark Wahlberg, the Catholic star of the new movie “Father Stu,” has been hitting the interview trail to support the film. He’s got skin in the game, as he’s one of the movie’s producers, financing “Father Stu” largely with his own money. Not that it was his idea to make “Father Stu.” Rather, the film found him instead. Mr. Wahlberg went back to his native Boston for a guest appearance on “The Greg Hill Show” on WEEI-FM to tout “Father Stu.” In an April 5 interview that was aired April 6, Mr. Wahlberg said it was on a Saturday when he met two priests from Good Shepherd Parish in Los Angeles who met him after hearing confessions for a 5 p.m. dinner—“the old guy dinner,” said the 50-year-old actor. “All of a sudden Father Ed starts pitching me on this movie,” Mr. Wahlberg said. “And I’m (thinking), ‘Why is he pitching me on this movie? Doesn’t he have a job?’ ... It dawned on me this is something I should be paying attention to ... to

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By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service

Art imitates life Actor Mark Wahlberg stars in a scene from the movie “Father Stu,” which has been released by Columbia Pictures. take Father Stu’s story and bring it to the world.” Father Stu’s story, in short, is that of an impulsive renegade who quits an amateur boxing career in Montana to become a movie star in Hollywood. He meets an attractive woman and becomes a Catholic for her. But a near-death experience convinces him the priesthood is his true calling. As he nears ordination, he is stricken with an ultimately fatal dis-

order. But he was ordained nonetheless in 2007 and served as an example of unshakable faith, even in infirmity, until his death in 2014. “Probably people thought, what was I thinking? But you know, I prayed about it and every time I did, I just got the affirmation that I need to be making this movie. This movie is a film that is important. It’s gonna touch people, and like I said earlier, I think the film chose me,” Mr. Wahl-

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berg said in an episode of “Conversation with Cardinal Dolan,” broadcast on SiriusXM’s The Catholic Channel. “So, it’s one of those things where I’m like, OK, I’m having lots of success, I have this platform, what am I using it for?” the actor added. In response to an observation by the show’s host, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, Mr. Wahlberg said Father Stuart Long is still inspiring him long after filming has wrapped on the movie. “He’s still very much hard at work today and challenging me constantly to do more and to do better,” Mr. Wahlberg said. “I’ve got pictures of him kind of in my office where I usually do most of my work, and every time I glance over, if I’m in a conversation or something, he’ll remind me how I need to be approaching the situation.” “I’ve always talked about my faith, which is good and fine and dandy, and people know that,” Mr. Wahlberg told Bill McGarvey in an interview for America magazine, which posted the article April 6. “But then at the same time, you’ve got to kind of put your money where your mouth is.” That’s exactly what Mr. Wahlberg ‘Father Stu’ continued on page A20 MAY 1, 2022 n A17

St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic on display in Knoxville budget address By Bill Brewer

Schools continued from page A1 Focus Review Team will be shared in one month, the team did provide commendations and recommendations during the concluding meeting on April 27. Examples of commendations include: n The diocesan schools office maximizes opportunities by utilizing national and local community partners to enhance leadership programs. n Strong academic performance reflects the commitment to meet the needs of all learners. n Training sought out through the Latino Enrollment Institute at the University of Notre Dame has brought great ideas and enthusiasm for increasing Latino enrollment in

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t. Mary’s Hospital was again a center of activity on April 22 when the city of Knoxville and mayor Indya Kincannon gathered hundreds of city and Knox County officials for the annual state of the city address and luncheon. The original hospital building, which opened in 1930 and closed in 2018, served as the backdrop for the VIP luncheon, and the Sisters of Mercy who operated the hospital for decades were recognized for their longtime service in providing health care to area residents. And to illustrate the continuing legacy of St. Mary’s ministry in the community, the Diocese of Knoxville’s St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic and its staff were on hand to give visible evidence that the Catholic Church still is providing medical care to those most in need. Mayor Kincannon recognized the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic staff, including Martin Vargas, executive director of the mobile clinic; Beth Ann Arrigo, the clinic’s nurse manager; Sister Mary Luke Feldpausch, RSM, clinic assistant; and Sister Joan Miriam Nelson, RSM, a

Mayoral support Knoxville mayor Indya Kincannon, center, visits the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic on April 22 following the mayor’s state of the city address on the site of the former St. Mary’s Hospital. The mayor recognized the mobile clinic and its staff for continuing the legacy of St. Mary’s Hospital. Shown with the mayor, from left, are Bruce Fisher, Beth Ann Arrigo, Sister Maria Juan Anderson, RSM, Sister Mary Luke Feldpausch, RSM, Sister Joan Miriam Nelson, RSM, and Martin Vargas. clinic assistant who will be studying nursing at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Also recognized was Sister Maria Juan Anderson, RSM, executive secretary for Bishop Richard F. Stika.

“St. Mary’s holds a special spot in the hearts of so many Knoxvillians,” Mayor Kincannon said, asking attendees with a show of hands how many of them were born at the former St. Mary’s Hos-

the schools. The following recommendations are required by the diocesan schools to act upon, and within two years the schools will provide evidence back to Cognia on the results: n Develop rationale and prototype for consistent board structure and implementation differentiated for elementary and secondary schools. n Develop a consistent salary structure for each region, and funding for tuition assistance for staff children, to assist in the recruitment and retention of teachers. n Expand marketing and development efforts to include outreach to alumni, cultivation of community partners, grantsmanship, and other opportunities for resource acquisition.

Assisting Dr. Prater throughout the process was Jamie Goodhard, the accreditation project coordinator and a former principal of St. Jude School in Chattanooga. “I would like to especially thank Mrs. Jamie Goodhard,” Dr. Prater said. “Over the past two years, through her coordinated efforts with the schools office, the schools, and the school leaders, she has collected, analyzed, and presented all the relevant data necessary to support our strategic growth actions and illustrate system compliance with the National Standards of Effective Catholic Schools.” Dr. Prater also acknowledged the participation of the pastors and clergy members who “gave of their time to be a part of our panelist interviews;

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pital. Many hands were raised. “These memories are important, and that’s why we have carefully preserved the original (hospital) building and many of the memorials.” “I also want to take a moment to thank the Sisters of Mercy, who —on this very dedicated St. Mary’s— day 92 years ago. Their legacy continues with a mobile clinic parked here today that brings health care to underserved people across East Tennessee,” she added. “Thank you, Sisters, for all of your work, for being with us here today, and for sharing your stories with us.” The mayor delivered her address on the grounds of the city’s new Public Safety Complex, which is on the site of the former Catholic medical center off Huron Street at Woodland Avenue in North Knoxville. The Public Safety Complex is to open by the end of 2022 and will be the new home for the Knoxville Police and Fire departments, City Court, Pension System office, and E-911 backup operations. Also on the former St. Mary’s Medical Center campus are Lincoln Memorial University’s nursLegacy continued on page A22

they noted the tremendous commitment to our schools by all stakeholders that was clearly evident through the presentations and interviews.” “A very special thank you is extended to Bishop [Richard F.] Stika and diocesan leadership for their continued support of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Knoxville,” Dr. Prater said. “The review team was extremely complimentary of the extensive stakeholder involvement.” The Diocese of Knoxville schools system includes: two high schools, and eight schools that are preschool through eighth grade. Schools are located in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Kingsport, Johnson City, and Oak Ridge. For more information, visit www.dioknox.org/schools. ■

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D.I.S.C.O.V.E.R The Diocese of Knoxville

Catholic Schools

y l t n e r ! Cur g n i l l o Enr

Preparing Scholars, Leaders, & Saints

www.dioknox.org/schools Knoxville. Oak Ridge. Chattanooga. Tri-Cities. www.dioknox.org/schools

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Funeral Mass held for Sr. Maris Stella Mogan

Sister of Mercy served at St. Mary’s Medical Center, appeared with Peyton Manning in TV ads

COURTESY OF THE KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL

ister Maris Stella Mogan, RSM, who served for nearly two decades at St. Mary’s Medical Center and helped launch Peyton Manning’s successful second career in advertising, died April 18 after an extended illness. She was 90. Sister Maris Stella passed away at Mercy Convent in Nashville. She was a Sister of Mercy for 68 years and held positions in education in many Catholic schools in Tennessee. She also served at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Knoxville as the patient/family liaison in the emergency room from 1988 until her retirement in 2006. In her role while serving at St. Mary’s Medical Center, Sister Maris Stella was called on to visit with Mr. Manning, who at that time was the starting quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers and was in the hospital recovering from a football injury. From that encounter grew a friendly relationship, with the two sharing an easy rapport that translated to the TV screen. Following his recovery, she teamed with Mr. Manning in several award-winning commercials promoting the excellent care patients received at St. Mary’s, the hospital she so greatly loved. In the commercials, Sister Maris Stella is usually seen running

Must see TV Sister Maris Stella Mogan, RSM, appears in a television commercial for St. Mary’s Medical Center with former University of Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning in the late 1990s. The groundbreaking ads promoted the hospital with a lighthearted tone and were the foundation for popular television ads Mr. Manning has gone on to make. long distances to catch and return passes from Mr. Manning. In one ad, Manning throws the football over a building, Sr. Maris Stella where the pass is caught and returned with equal strength by Sister Maris Stella. “Miracles are possible,” the commercial tagline says. “Be careful, sister” Mr. Manning

calls out as she scurries down a walkway. “Thank you,” Sister Maris Stella says politely, while never slowing down. ”I don’t know about this,” Mr. Manning tells the camera, as he launches a pass over a building. “Did she catch that?” Viewers hear Sister Maris Stella saying “coming back atcha!” as the football is returned over the building. The commercials were very popular with TV audiences and

“There is immense pressure to toe the company line. However, the reality is that those drawing attention to this issue are in the minority,” Mr. Castillo said. “The Disney cast members who support the parental rights defended by H.B. 1557 far outnumber those who are protesting against it.”

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did after a first script failed to grasp the essence of the real-life Father Stu. He told WEEI he went to talk to Mel Gibson for advice. “Mel had made ‘The Passion of the Christ,’ a love letter to the Lord, so I wanted to get his opinion on what it was like for him—all the pros and all the cons.” Mr. Gibson wound up playing Bill, Father Stu’s dad; Mr. Wahlberg said Mr. Gibson was his first choice for the part. “So we attracted the likes of Mel, and Jacki Weaver (as Stu’s mother), and Malcolm McDowell (as his seminary rector). ... They all wanted to bring Father Stu’s voice to the big screen,” Mr. Wahlberg said. He recalled when he went with the A20 n MAY 1, 2022

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or well-being, as well as the school’s “ability to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for the student.” “Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards,” the bill states. The bill does not prohibit any form of casual discussion within the classroom. Disney CEO Bob Chapek, when addressing the negative response the company originally received after not specifically addressing Bill 1557, initially tried to sidestep the issue. “As we have seen time and again, corporate statements do very little to change outcomes or minds, he said in a March 7 memo to Disney staff. “Instead, they are often weaponized by one side or the other to further divide and inflame. Simply put, they can be counterproductive and undermine more effective ways to achieve change.” But later that month, following intensified criticism from “LGBT” activists, the corporation released a statement explicitly denouncing the bill, stating that it “should never have passed and should never have been signed into law.” “Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that,” the statement said. “We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida

also proved to be a very effective public-relations effort for the medical center. Sister Maris Stella was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Helen Mogan; her siblings, Dr. Edward Mogan, Dr. Joseph Mogan, Catherine Childs, Dr. Thomas Mogan, John Mogan, and Sister Thomasetta Mogan, RSM. She is survived by her niece, Cathy Childs Matteson (Michael), along with numerous other nieces and nephews. Always attentive to the needs of others, Sister Maris Stella had a special concern for the poor and homeless and was known as an “angel of Mercy.” After she retired, Sister Maris Stella continued to help people in need, always remembering them in prayer. She contributed significantly to the community life at Mercy Convent. Her commitment to God was reflected by the motto in her ring, “Thy Will Be Done.” Sister Maris Stella is now reunited with her beloved sister, Sister Thomasetta Mogan, RSM, who died Jan. 21, 2021. They were special blessings in the lives of all who met them and are remembered for their smiles, kindness, and loving concern for others. A private funeral was held at Mercy Convent in Nashville followed by burial at Calvary Cemetery, also in Nashville. ■

‘Terrible miscalculation’

Opposed to the attitude of executives, in an open letter released a few days before the statement, anonymous Disney employees described how the company’s political stance has caused the alienation of some workers. They called Disney “an increasingly uncomfortable place to work” for those “whose political and religious views are not explicitly progressive.” “Our work contributes to a fountain of wonder that inspires joy, awe, and delight in guests and audiences of all ages,” the letter began. “We love our jobs because we get to share the wonder of life and human experience with millions of people worldwide.” The employees chronicled how

they watch quietly as their employer attacks their beliefs and how those who speak up become villains. Their progressive colleagues aggressively insist the company announce its strong opinions on legislation as well as demanding that employees who disagree face consequences. “Our more conservative customers will feel similarly unwanted. You can only preach at or vilify your audience for so long before they decide to spend their money elsewhere,” they continued. “Disney shouldn’t be a vehicle for one demographic’s political activism.” Disney employee Jose Castillo, currently a Republican candidate for Florida’s Congress, recently spoke about the existence of a “silent majority” hidden within Disney that supports Bill 1557.

Mr. Castillo described Disney’s disapproving statement as a “terrible miscalculation.” Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, identified that Disney’s actions have offended people of all faiths. “Walt Disney must be flipping over in his grave,” Mr. Donohue told the Register. “He founded Disney so that it would be a great entertainment mega-structure for children and families. Now, they’ve taken the line of a minority of well-organized people on the left who have their own political agenda, and they’re succumbing to that.” The company should go back to making kids happy, he said, and remain uninvolved in laws on either side of the political aisle. “We never thought the day would come when the corporations would turn against us,” Mr. Donohue said. “It has long been the case that you see anti-Catholicism in the media, in the artistic community, amongst activist groups and nonprofit organizations.” “What is new is that you now have the Fortune 500 signing on, along with the military and the health profession,” Mr. Donohue explained. “Corporations would never, ever go against traditional moral values, but now because they’re afraid of being boycotted, maligned, or intimidated, they’re succumbing. They know better, but they’re succumbing.” ■

real-life Father Stu and his father and Father Ed—whose surname was never mentioned in the WEEI interview—to see “The Fighter,” a 2010 film that garnered Mr. Wahlberg a Best Actor Oscar nomination. Coming out of the theater, “everybody was shadowboxing and stuff,” Mr. Wahlberg said, but “it was personal” for Father Stu and Bill Long, Father Stu’s real father, who was wheeling his son out of the theater. The priest was in a wheelchair by then. “It was personal to them, they could see that family dynamic in the film. That’s what we were going for tonally (in ‘Father Stu’),” the actor said. “If you could compare it to anything, you could compare it to ‘The Fighter.’ Cause there’s lots of dysfunction, but

there’s plenty of humor and heart and that’s inspiring.” Mr. Wahlberg told America “Father Stu” should appeal to all audiences despite its protagonist wearing a Roman collar. “Tough grace and tough mercy are what Stu earned through his suffering and through his work and giving back,” Mr. Wahlberg said, adding the movie means to display “the importance of redemption and rooting for people to change and grow as opposed to turning our backs on them.” Mr. Wahlberg said his intent is to “give people hope and encourage people to pursue their faith, whatever that is.” And he clued in WEEI listeners as to how he gained 30 pounds to show Fa-

ther Stu gained weight as his muscles atrophied. “When I did all the weight-gaining for this movie, people thought, ‘Oh, how fun, you get to put on 30 pounds.’ I wasn’t eating Wahlburgers all day,” he said. (The actor and his brothers Donnie, also an actor, and Paul, a chef, own the Wahlburgers restaurant chain.) “I went to this doctor, who was supposed to be, like, ‘I’m the guy who knows how to do it the healthy way.’ And I was just eating stuff you wouldn’t want to eat once in a day, never mind eating seven, eight times a day for six weeks,” he explained. The regimen, he said, included olive oil. “You can soak it in rice and all that stuff,” Wahlberg said, “but I just chugged it down.” ■

Disney debate Opponents and supporters of Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law are seen outside Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., on April 16. The law prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity for students in kindergarten through third grade. The Disney Corp., which opposes the law, and other critics have dubbed it the “Don’t Say Gay” law. and across the country.”

Employees push back

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GABRIELLE NOLAN

Melissa Foley continued from page A8

abounds all the more. Although God the Father recognizes our sin, He sees His child first. At all times, He sees you as His child first.” The evening concluded with adoration and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, led by Deacon John Krepps from St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City. Deacon Krepps read the story of the hemorrhaging woman from Mark’s Gospel. When the woman touched Jesus’ cloak, she was cured of her affliction. Deacon Krepps invited each of the women to come forward and kneel before the Eucharist to touch the humeral veil surrounding the monstrance and present their needs to Jesus. “When priests or deacons bless the people with the monstrance, they cover their hands with the ends of the veil so that their hands do not touch the monstrance as a mark of respect for the sacred vessel and as an indication that it is Jesus present in the eucharistic species who blesses the people and not the minister,” Deacon Krepps said. Worship music resounded through the church as nearly every woman in attendance stood in line to approach the monstrance.

Jesus loves you Deacon John Krepps, wearing the humeral veil, holds the monstrance as women approach the Blessed Sacrament for personal prayer. “I just loved the personal encounter with Jesus and just how intimate it felt to be able to go up and bow in front of him,” said Kodi Schutte-Rogers, a parishioner at St. Thomas the Apostle. “It’s not something we get to do every day, and I don’t get to adoration often because I work and I have a busy life, and so just to be able to have that experience tonight was just very impactful for me,” she said. For many of the women in attendance, it was their first expo-

sure to Mrs. Foley’s ministry. “I was curious about today, and I’m so happy that I came,” said Zulay Pickering, a parishioner at All Saints in Knoxville who also teaches Spanish at St. John Neumann School. “I was kind of tired, I wanted to go home, and I was like, no let me just peek,” Mrs. Pickering shared. “Then I went over to Seton Hall, and there were so many people. It was like, whoa, this is bigger than I thought.” “When I came in the church,

celebration. “The university-parish model, when introduced, was kind of an experiment,” Father Donahue said. “It has been a very successful model, as its flourishing can attest. “The late Dr. Ruth Queen Smith was instrumental in lay leadership and evangelization during a crucial time for John XXIII. She helped acclimate the FOCUS team, before, during, and after their arrival. The model of mutual support she built is still in use today,” he added. FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, has a presence on the UTK campus through the St. John XXIII Parish as well as at the Catholic Center on the UT-Chattanooga campus. In addition to Father Andrie and Father Donahue, other clergy attendees at the celebration included Bishop Stika, Father Richard Whitney, CSP, associate pastor of St. John XXIII, Father O’Donnell, and Deacon Patrick Murphy-Racey. Bishop Stika shared time with college students

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Colorful clergy From left, Bishop Richard F. Stika is joined by Paulist priests Fathers Don Andrie, Charlie Donahue, Richard Whitney, and Bob O’Donnell at St. John XXIII Parish’s 50th anniversary party on April 8. and young adults in attendance, as well as older, more established parishioners who, in many cases, have a direct connection to the establishment of John XXIII as a parish. “Some of the original parishioners, obviously

they have brought a lot to this parish, and we always minister to them and appreciate their leadership here,” Bishop Stika said. “The history you see here tonight, the displays with photos and documents, some of the people who are here wrote those words and took those pictures, they have lived the life of this parish. “Then you have the students. And yes, sometimes there can be differences, but there is a wonderful positivity to a parish like this. There is a blending that takes place. The students who are here during the school year, and the permanent parishioners who are around all year, both are vital to the life of this parish. I am so pleased that the Paulist Fathers are here because they have a lot of experience working on college campuses and managing a parish like this. Their leadership is so important.” Next year, St. John XXIII will celebrate its 53rd anniversary just a year after celebrating its golden anniversary. It’s a unique distinction for one of the diocese’s unique parishes. ■

A journey back to God

Born in Boston, Father Whitney

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“I noticed that people who were able to embrace their spiritual nature were able to heal much more fully, completely, and easily than those who either weren’t exposed to spirituality or wanted nothing to do with it,” he shared. “The analogy I often use is back when I was building scenery (for theater), I’d gotten to a point where I was pretty good at budgeting how long it would take to build certain things,” he continued. “Then I learned how to juggle, and the next project, which I budgeted four hours, took only about two and a half. “On reflection, I realized that by learning how to juggle, I forced myself to acknowledge and use the left side of my body, which was new; I’m very right dominant. Embracing our spiritual nature is kind of like that experience.” As for his own spiritual nature, Father Whitney enjoys his alone time to enter into prayer in the great outdoors. “My favorite way to pray is probably sitting alone in nature at dawn or sunset,” he said. “That sense of grandeur and the remarkable scope of God’s creation is just all in front of us and that there’s no escaping it.” “When we’re outside, I find that God’s creation is much more enriching, layered, wonderful, and stimulating throughout the day. And that’s been a real joy about being in Knoxville, is the beauty all around us all the time,” he said. Father Whitney shared that he also appreciates the later wake-up call at sunrise. “The fact that we are so much farther west than we were in Boston, dawn arrives at a much more civilized hour,” he said. “Oh, it’s delightful.”

Catholic brotherhood Father Richard Whitney, CSP, center, is shown during his novice year at seminary with fellow seminarians, who are now priests, as they prepare to attend the canonization Mass for Father Junipero Serra. and his family moved around a bit due to his father’s career in the military building and fixing ships. “I was born and raised in a very Catholic family…and fell away from the Church at a fairly early age, suffering from primarily depression and a couple of learning disabilities,” he shared. “And so I was angry at God for making me different and stepped away from the Church quite vehemently.” Father Whitney attended high school in Alexandria, Va., and began college at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. “I started at Catholic University in 1987 as an acting student and dropped out pretty quickly because I decided that the work backstage was steadier and more fun anyway,” he explained. “At the time, D.C. was exploding in the theater scene.” “For those of us who liked working backstage, there was plenty of work. It was almost all backstage; I only had a couple of professional on-stage roles,” he said. Father Whitney shared that he “picked up a couple of pretty nasty addictions in my late teens that car-

ried through until I got sober” at the age of 37. “I was told fairly early on, for cases like me, the fastest, easiest way to get sober and stay sober is to find God,” he said. “And at that point, being all about fast, cheap, and easy, I went to try to find God, which brought me back to the faith of my childhood. And I came back to church and found a wonderful community at St. Paul’s in Cambridge.” Life started to fall back into order for Father Whitney, and he was feeling “very happy.” “There was this little tickle in the back of my head in my early 40s of, there’s something that could be happening here, but I don’t know what it is because for the first time life is going well, and I have a community, I have a church, I have a job, everything’s fine—what am I looking for?” He read a story about permanent deacons being ordained in Boston, and an idea ignited. “I thought, ‘Oh well that’s what needs to happen, I need to look into becoming a permanent deacon,’” he said.

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I was like, I feel in heaven! … I thought everything fitting together was phenomenal,” Mrs. Pickering said, noting that Mrs. Foley’s work “really is incredible.” For Mrs. Foley, her impression of all the women in attendance was that they were beautiful and open-minded. “I think that was what made it so grace-filled, because [God] can go where the doors are opened,” Mrs. Foley said. “So, it was, I think, a really grace-filled moment, and I feel like the women encountered Him. It felt like they just really met Jesus, like met Him in the Eucharist. So, that makes me happy, always.” “My hope always is for Our Lord to heal. There’s actually very little that I do,” Mrs. Foley continued while laughing. “And so really, all my hope falls onto Him and, what He did tonight for each one of those women, I mean we will never know,” she said. “And they may not even ever know until they’re in heaven someday. But the point is, really, not necessarily for us to know but to have faith, to know that He is absolutely at work.” To learn more about Melissa Foley and her ministry, visit LovedAlready.com. ■

Around that same time, Father Whitney was stage managing a play for a friend. The play happened to be performed in the Paulist Fathers’ basement. “That’s how I met the Paulist Fathers,” Father Whitney recounted. “And the Paulist Fathers brought a joy to the liturgy that I hadn’t known could exist. It’s almost as if everybody was very excited to share Mass and sacraments all the time. It was lovely.” He talked to the Paulists’ vocations director, learning that they do not ordain deacons. So instead, Father Whitney decided to pursue the priesthood. “I came to the realization that, you know, I can answer the call to the priesthood or not, either one is fine so long as I keep Jesus and his teachings at the forefront of my life,” he said. As fate would have it, Father Whitney returned to Catholic University of America, some 30 years after leaving it, as a philosophy student studying in the seminary. “With the Paulists, I have great expectations and hope because the guys that we have are just so inspiring in so many ways and come from so many different backgrounds,” Father Whitney said. He noted that a lawyer, published author, medical doctor, cancer biologist, and schoolteachers are currently enrolled in their seminary. “These are people who have seen the world, and some of whom have really successful careers, and yet still chose to step back, re-enter a dorm to live while they go to school in their 30s, late 20s, so they can become priests,” Father Whitney explained. “God’s Spirit is still moving through us, and if we can find ways to listen to that, great things happen,” he said. “I adore all of my Paulist brothers deeply, and that gives me great hope for the future.” ■ MAY 1, 2022 n A21

East Tennessee Catholic News Ukraine continued from page A4

Ukrainian refugee-relief efforts. A decision on where to forward the rest of the diocesan donations will be determined soon. “I have a Polish and Bohemian background,” Bishop Stika told the major archbishop. “I hope to visit the Ukraine someday.” “You are all welcome to Ukraine,” Major Archbishop Shevchuk said. Bishop Stika is a member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops subcommittee on the Church in Central and Eastern Europe and says that discussions are underway to have committee members visit the Ukraine with the guidance of the U.S. State Department. “It’s all very preliminary, but it would be a good opportunity to see firsthand, the faith of the people of Ukraine and how that has carried them through this tragedy,” Bishop Stika said. “We know war is terrible and that Russia’s aggression, as His Beatitude said, is aimed at claiming the sovereignty and identity of the Ukrainian people.” “For many years I worked in the holy see, so I have some realization of what is at stake” Cardinal Rigali told Major Archbishop Shevchuk. “I am very happy to be here with Bishop Stika to show our gratitude to you for making this opportunity with the American bishops Legacy continued from page A18

ing and dental colleges in the former Magdalen Clarke Tower, a $40 million private investment that will create educational opportunities for hundreds of nursing and dental students each year. The city is planning new housing on the north end of the campus, which the city cleared to accommodate future private redevelopment. The iconic St. Mary’s Hospital building, which has been carefully protected and preserved, will anchor that redevelopment. On the south end of the campus, the city and county will be jointly converting the 25,000-square-foot former St. Mary’s Ambulatory Surgery Center into an urgent-care and behavioral-health facility. As part of the budget address program, the city of Knoxville put together a video of historic photos from St. Mary’s Hospital dating to its earliest days. Mr. Vargas was appreciative of the city’s efforts to recognize the Sisters of Mercy legacy and how it extends to the work the mobile clinic now is doing across the Diocese of Knoxville. “It was an amazing experience to be with the Sisters of Mercy at an event with the city of Knoxville honoring the legacy of St. Mary’s Hospital. St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic is a direct part of that legacy, and it is awesome that the city thought

possible.” Despite the good will and support, the major archbishop still paints a painful picture of what is taking place in his country. He told stories of deportations to Russia, and crimes that included the sexual abuse of infants. “It is beyond sanity,” he said. “The invasion...it is a blasphemy against God. “Just today, I came back from the southern part of Ukraine, and I saw 2,000 people in line to receive food. I saw the refugees who were coming to the church just for a piece of bread. I would say the major challenge and preoccupation with our Church is how to save human lives,” he added. “I am very proud of the courage of my bishops and my priests who remain with their flock who have stayed (despite) the bombs. I am very proud of my monks and nuns (in the east) who are under the Russian occupation, experiencing persecution, violence, and all kinds of suffering. Many people are dying, not because of bombs and rockets, but because of hunger,” he continued. Two days after the video call, on April 29, Russia resumed its attack on Kyiv by firing rockets in a section of the city not far from the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ. ■ the use of that facility will be part of the story,” Mr. Vargas said. “With the Legacy Clinic, our legacy doesn’t live behind us. It lives ahead of us. In a city like Knoxville, where St. Mary’s Hospital meant so much to the community, it’s great that the city is now part of that legacy, and it will endure,” he added. Mr. Vargas noted that St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic is encouraged by Lincoln Memorial University’s presence on the former St. Mary’s campus, where it will operate nursing and dental colleges in the building that used to be the Magdalen Clarke Tower. “It’s tremendous that LMU will be part of the legacy by educating the next generation of health-care providers on the site where St. Mary’s began. Education is part of the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic fabric, and it’s great to see LMU be part of that fabric on the same spot the Legacy Clinic sprang from,” he said. The St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic continues to grow its presence in East Tennessee and soon will add the Helenwood community in Scott County to its regular stops. Helenwood will become the seventh community served, joining Washburn and Rutledge in Grainger County, Crab Orchard in Cumberland County, Athens in McMinn County, Decatur in Meigs County, and Gatlinburg in Sevier County. ■

Sr. Mary Jane Herlik, OP, who served in Chattanooga, dies Sister Mary Jane (Querin) Herlik, OP, of the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa died April 4. Professed in 1950, she taught in the following schools: Visitation, Chicago; St. Patrick, Ottawa, Ill; St. Patrick, Madison, Wis.; Trinity, River Forest, Ill.; Bishop Lynch, Dallas, where she also served as co-principal; and Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga from 1978-1982. Sister Mary Jane also served as pastoral minister at St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga from 1982-1986 and at St. Joseph Parish in Marietta, Ga. During these two ministry opportunities, she began working with people affected by Sr. Mary Jane HIV/AIDS and their loved ones, offering spiritual care and support. Noticing in the early 1980s that some medical personnel and clergy were afraid to enter hospital rooms of those dying of AIDS, she said, “I felt I was being called to minister to those dying with AIDS.” She was a founding member of the Atlanta Archdiocesan AIDS Task Force and served as coordinator at Sacred Heart Southern Missions in Walls, Miss., and in St. Petersburg, Fla., with Catholic Charities and as a volunteer in the area. Sister Mary Jane advised people to “squeeze some joy out of every day, live with a grateful heart, and always trust in a loving God.”

Funeral Mass held for William Gaines ‘Bill’ Fogarty William Gaines “Bill” Fogarty Sr., age 95, of Farragut, passed away peacefully April 11 in his home. Mr. Fogarty, who was born Aug. 11, 1926, was a faithful member of St. John Neumann Church. He attended Central High School in Knoxville before being inducted into the U.S. Army in the fall of 1944, serving as a paratrooper with the 11th Airborne Division in World War II. After proudly serving his country, Mr. Fogarty attended Maryville College, where he played football. Mr. Fogarty is preceded in death by his devoted wife of 50 years, Peggy Lawson Fogarty, and their daughter, Nancy Fogarty, of Charlotte, N.C.; parents, John Fogarty Sr. and Grace Fogarty; brothers, John Fogarty Jr. and Fred Mr. Fogarty Fogarty; sisters, Mary Fogarty Cooper, Margaret Fogarty Beaty, and Joanne Fogarty Hohenberg. Surviving to cherish his memory is his loving wife of 20 years, Shirley McWilliams Sanders Fogarty; Bill’s and Peggy’s children, Jackie Fogarty Corbett, and husband Bill, of Charlotte; William “Bill” Fogarty Jr. and wife Trish, of Maryville; Cindy Fogarty Maxfeldt, of Knoxville; grandchildren; Kristen Corbett Hucks and husband Matt; Brooke Fogarty Montjoy and husband Jack; and Austin Fogarty; four great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. Mr. Fogarty officiated high school football for over 20 years until he retired in 1971 to watch his son play high school football. He became an avid golfer, and he continued playing into his 90s. Mr. Fogarty started his career in the clothing business in the late 1940s. In 1979, he opened Bill Fogarty’s Men’s Fashions along with son Bill Jr. in downtown Knoxville. A funeral Mass was held on April 22 at St. John Neumann Church, with Father Joe Frowin Reed serving as celebrant. Interment was in Tennessee Veterans Cemetery on Lyons View Pike in Knoxville with full military honors by the U.S. Army and Volunteer State Veterans Honor Guard. Memorials and donations in Mr. Fogarty’s honor may be made to St. John Neumann Church in Farragut or a charity of your choice. ■ Bishop’s schedule continued from page A3

n Wednesday, May 25: 10 a.m. diamond jubilee Mass at the Handmaids of the Precious Blood monastery in New Market. n Saturday, May 28: 5 p.m. confirmation Mass at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville. n Sunday, May 29: 10 a.m. dedication Mass for new church building for St. John Paul II Catholic Mission in Rutledge. n Sunday, May 29: 4 p.m. ordination of transitional deacons at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. n Sunday, June 5: 4 p.m. diocesan adult confirmation at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. n Monday, June 6-Thursday, June 9: annual diocesan priest convocation in Knoxville. n Saturday, June 11: 10 a.m. ordination of permanent deacons at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. n Monday, June 13-Friday, June 17: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops spring assembly in San Diego. ■

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