May 7, 2023, ET Catholic, B section

Parish ministries live out call of Laudato Si’

Pope Francis’ encyclical inspires East Tennessee Catholics ‘to achieve climate and ecological justice’

Care for our common home.”

This phrase was made popular by Pope Francis in his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, in which the pope both encourages the faithful to practice good stewardship toward the earth that God has given and criticizes the abuse of natural resources and the poor.

Pope Francis writes: “The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change. The Creator does not abandon us; He never forsakes His loving plan or repents of having created us. Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home” (Laudato Si’, paragraph 13).

Laudato Si’ Week is celebrated May 21-28 this year, and parishes in the diocese are embracing the call to care for the environment.

All Saints Parish, Knoxville

The Creation Care Team meets at All Saints Church at 1 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month.

“Our team started about two years ago,” said Connie Brace. “We grew out of a person by the name of Beth Hunley here in town who was interested in climate issues…. Beth has a group that is called Catholic Response to Climate Change, and it’s been meeting on Zoom.”

As people gathered for the monthly Zoom calls, it became evident that several of the individuals were from All Saints Parish.

“We decided to go ahead and form a parish group that was willing by then to meet in person and start trying to develop activities at the parish level,” Mrs. Brace said.

The main theme of the group became promoting Laudato Si’ and “the whole idea that concern about the climate and the earth is a Catholic social-justice issue,” Mrs. Brace

said, noting that they were influenced by the organizations Laudato Si’ Movement and Catholic Climate Covenant.

Laudato Si’ Movement’s mission is “to inspire and mobilize the Catholic community to care for our common home and achieve climate and ecological justice, in collaboration with all people of good will,” according to its website.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops helped to form Catholic Climate Covenant in 2006 and “helps U.S. Catholics respond to the Church’s call to care for creation and care for the poor,” its website states.

Mrs. Brace said that their group has “gone a lot of different directions” in the last two years.

“We started out just doing bulletin inserts, quoting from Laudato Si’ and trying to encourage people to think about what is in this encyclical,” she said.

The group has done several activities to support its mission: praying the rosary with the theme of climate care; praying the Ecological Stations of the Cross; Earth Day activities, such as distributing seeds; volunteering on river or street trash cleanups; presentations on recycling and composting; and celebrating the ecumenical Season of Creation with displays in the parish narthex.

“We’ve involved the Girl Scouts, we do the blessing of the animals— just every place that we could make a fingerprint, we have tried,” said team member Denise Clark.

The group also showed a viewing of “The Letter,” a film that “tells the story of a journey to Rome of frontline leaders to discuss the encyclical letter Laudato Si’ with Pope Francis,” according to its website. “The Letter” can be viewed for free on YouTube.

Another action item that the ministry has undertaken is an energy audit for both the parish and Knoxville Catholic High School, which

shares a campus with the church.

“We understood that having an energy audit would be one of the steps that our Creation Care Team would want to take in our general plan, which we’re just formulating at this point,” Ms. Clark said. “The energy audit, I was aware, was available through the TVA engineer as long as we could obtain funding from the utility agency.”

“At the same time I asked for the high school, because we want to get youth involved in the climate-care movement and because we figured the high school has rather great energy needs, given all the different activities that they have at all different hours, weekends, etc.,” she con-

By Gabrielle Nolan

tinued. “So we obviously wanted to save energy where possible.”

The TVA engineer did a tour of both facilities and is currently preparing a report “to make suggestions as to energy savings, equipment that needs to be replaced, which perhaps could become EnergyStar equipment, and any other measures that might be taken,” Ms. Clark noted.

Mrs. Brace shared that while climate-change issues may be very popular in the newspaper, most people do not connect it to their faith.

“People’s awareness may be real high, but I think maybe linking that

Bilingual stories teach children about virtues

Francesca Follone-Montgomery lives a life of creative improvisation that has seen her write four books

Francesca Follone-Montgomery, OFS, likes to adapt the expression, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

“I say, make a lot of things: lemon cream pie, lemon cookies,” she laughed. “Whatever inspiration, be creative, make life like a jazz improvisation. I got so much more out of life being able to improvise a little bit, with the help of God.”

Mrs. Montgomery, a parishioner at All Saints in Knoxville, has lived a life of creative improvisation.

Originally from Italy, Mrs. Montgomery was born in Florence and grew up in Florence and Pisa.

She moved to the United States in 1998, wanting to be a jazz singer and write a book about the American composer and pianist George Gershwin. Instead, God had different plans.

She lived in Washington, D.C., for 10 years, where she met and married her husband, Paul, and worked at various jobs, from a center for international studies to a military medical center.

Mrs. Montgomery and her family moved to Knoxville in 2008, where for a time she worked at the Paraclete Bookstore. For over 10 years, she has taught Italian at the University of Tennessee.

And her latest endeavor? Writing children’s books.

When Mrs. Montgomery celebrated her 50th birthday last summer, she looked at her life and pondered her accomplishments.

“I always had the idea that we’re called to spread the Gospel somehow in our actions or words,” she said. “So I thought whatever I was telling my son when he was little, in those stories, maybe that was worth sharing. So that’s where the idea came about.”

Her son, Anthony, is now 18 and going off to college soon. When Anthony was a child, she would tell him stories from his pillowcase.

“I reached out to the pillowcase and pretended that it was a magic pillowcase that would give me the story,” she said.

“This past year, we were wondering about the next chapters in our lives, and he said to me, ‘Mom you need to do something with your life that brings you joy.’ And so I thought, OK, what about those stories? I remember what joyful times in my recent adult life it was to tell

Stories continued on page B3

By Gabrielle Nolan

Laudato Si’ continued on page B2

Praying for our common home Connie Brace and Deacon Tim Elliott prepare to pray the Ecological Stations of the Cross at All Saints Church.

GABRIELLE NOLAN

and her books Francesca Follone-Montgomery, OFS, poses with her four books.

to their faith is a missing link,” she said.

“Catholic social teaching gives us the responsibility of taking care of not only the earth but also the poor, and that is what the creationcare movement has as its basis,” Ms. Clark said. “Our earth has been damaged, mostly by what people have done to it, and industry, and so we need to begin to right that wrong. And that’s why we do what we do.”

“We really are doing all of this for the next generation, which is the one who will benefit from it or who will have a very, very difficult time with life because of it,” she continued.

Mrs. Brace noted that it is not easy to change habits, but people, in an act of faith, can try to become “conscious and aware of each action and how it impacts the earth.”

“Every decision about what we buy and the products that we use, for me it’s a daily struggle because I still buy things that are wrapped in plastic,” Mrs. Brace said “But I am at least to the point where I think about it and see that as a responsibility of being a good Catholic Christian, is to have a level of awareness about all of my actions.”

“There’s a lot of people out there who are living a whole lot better than I am, and more sustainably.

So it is, it’s kind of a daily battle to change habits that have been well engrained,” she shared.

Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Alcoa

The Care for Creation Ministry meets at Our Lady of Fatima Church at 3 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of the month.

The group began after Father Peter Iorio, pastor at Our Lady of Fatima, preached on Laudato Si’ during the Season of Creation in 2021.

“He had a bulletin announcement inviting anyone in the parish who was interested in learning about Laudato Si’ to come to a meeting that week, and those of us who came and stayed started working from there,” said Liz McCachren.

“This teaching and ministry are most important, because they highlight the main teachings of our Lord Himself,” Father Iorio said. “We have a responsibility to love our neighbors as ourselves. In this totally connected and interdependent world in which we live, ‘neighbor’ has an all-encompassing definition. Jesus always went to the margins and cared for those people who were poor in body, mind, and spirit.”

“Jesus was constantly, in the line of the prophets of Israel, calling the people to repent/change their ways,” he continued. “The call for conversion is ongoing. Our call to conversion is biblical. We have become blind just like people of faith throughout Judeo-Christian history. Prophets called them and us to change our ways. Our way of life

has become excessive. We consume much more than we need while the greatest amount of members in the human family do not have enough to even live.”

Father Iorio said that the Catholic faith is “incarnational.”

“To me that means that everything that God created has value. We have a responsibility to care for everyone and all life. The principles of Catholic social teaching give us a framework and inspiration for this ministry,” he said.

Several activities have been implemented by the group: educational messages in the bulletin, chapterby-chapter presentations on Laudato Si’ for parishioners, a faith and science presentation on creation, educating people on recycling and composting, and planting a native tree on the parish grounds during the Season of Creation.

Additionally, the group has completed its own TVA audit for the parish campus and has already received the recommendations for energy-saving changes.

“We are in the process of having to replace our HVAC,” said Bill Christensen. “We’ve gone through the whole process of getting quotes from different people and finding the most green way to do that. We’ve decided on changing over to dual-fuel units, which are heat pumps, but also if it gets really cold a gas component will kick in. It uses less gas that way than if it was just a straight gas furnace-type thing.”

The group also showed a presentation of “The Letter,” which Ms. McCachren recommends watching in order to better understand Laudato Si’.

“[‘The Letter’] is a beautiful, sad, but inspiring film,” she said.

Mary Tankersley became a Laudato Si’ animator after a six-week program with the Laudato Si’ Movement organization.

“I participated in live webinar presentations, committed to do readings, watched instructional videos, wrote reflections, shared thoughts and ideas, and performed a capstone project of my own design,” she said. “We, the Laudato Si’ Animators, have all pledged to bring the Laudato Si’ message to life in our own communities through actions, writings, and prayer.”

Ms. McCachren says that the ministry approaches everything “with a foundation of prayer.”

“We are inspired by our pope and his reverence for God’s creation, meaning not just our earth but the people that God has created and the poor, who suffer more from climate change than anyone else. So we approach every meeting with prayer and everything we do in prayer,” Ms. McCachren said.

For Ms. McCachren, her Catholic faith is “essential” to her ministry work.

“I don’t think I could have the hope that we continue to have that it’s not too late and that we can

make up for our society’s and all of the developed nations’ neglect of the environment,” she said. “I know there are people who say it’s too late; my faith says no, it’s not. It gives me hope, and I think it keeps us from getting political as well. We’re doing this because the pope has asked us to, and because we know what God wants, and that’s our rock.”

“I think the pope has really given us good direction in this, and I be-

lieve that it is so important,” Vicki Christensen said.

“I realized how… what we do and how it affects the poor, that they are the first ones to feel the effects of how we purchase things, how we purchase commodities, the changes that our countries are contributing to, and I think that a very important and a faith-filled objective is to try to do what we can,” she continued. “Even though it’s just one person, it does make a difference.”

Ms. Tankersley echoes that call with the words of Pope Francis in Laudato Si’: “All it takes is one good person to restore hope!”

“Over decades of being a parishioner at Our Lady of Fatima and serving in different capacities, I find this Care for Creation Ministry to be the most meaningful and crucial,” Ms. Tankersley said.

“It has truly taught me a different way to think and live, and to have more gratitude for the blessings of God’s creation, His mastery, and what we were provided as stewards. I now see all other church activities through the lens of creation care. I do think each individual parish should offer a Creation Care ministry for parishioners to learn these crucial truths and to see what can be accomplished together. The Laudato Si’ Action Platform for Parishes is a great start!”

For more information, visit laudatosimovement.

or

covenant.org

‘We really are doing all of this for the next generation’ Members of the All Saints Parish Creation Care Team pose for a photo after their meeting March 15 at the church.

Planting hope Mary Tankersley and Father Peter Iorio of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa plant a black tupelo tree near the outdoor Stations of the Cross.

Faith and science Jim Holtslag presented a talk called “Creator and Creation” to Our Lady of Fatima parishioners in winter 2022.

COURTESY OF ELIZABETH MCCACHREN (2)

you stories when you were little, to be with you. So he said, ‘Well, write them,’” she laughed.

Her series of children’s books focus on four different virtues:

• The Song is about joy and “tells how a little bird becomes aware that in her heart is all the strength needed to fight fear and find gratitude.”

• The Plan is about hope and “reveals a very important and surprising plan.”

• The Journey is about faith and “describes the journey of a little creature searching for something, or rather someone, and how he gradually discovers that what he was looking for was already in his heart.”

• The Friend is about love and “tells the story of a little bud who discovers the importance of sharing God’s love.”

The books, which are bilingual in English and Italian, also serve as coloring books for children.

“The English part of the book has the illustrations in color, and the part in Italian has the illustration in black and white so the children can enjoy coloring if they choose to,” Mrs. Montgomery said.

“I was a pretty good writer in

Italian,” she said. “Now, of course, English is not my native language, so I need a lot of editing. I figured if I start with children’s stories, the language should be fairly simple, and maybe I could handle it.”

“Starting with children’s stories, yes, there is a simple language, but also why not? We are all children of God, right, we are not adults of God, which means we’re all in a growth spurt hopefully,” she continued. “We’re in a growing journey, on a growing journey, and I think that with faith, hope, love, and joy we can grow because we should be open to God’s plans for us.”

Mrs. Montgomery said her books are an opportunity to do two things.

“One is to give back, to thank all the people in my life who have brought Christ to me and brought me closer to God, and the second reason would be to hopefully share God with others,” she noted.

“I felt a little bit of a call trying to do these, and I think there might be more books to come; I’m discerning which one is the next,” she said. “Hopefully this is the beginning of something, but even if it were to lead me to these four children’s stories, hopefully they can help others understand, especially

when you’re little and trying to figure out about things, knowing that God loves you and you are on a journey, He has a plan for you, He’s your friend, and if you’re grateful your heart may feel like singing. Why not tell the kids that and help them focus on God? This world we live in certainly needs all the help we can give.”

Her faith has been inspired by family and friends.

“My parents were very devout Catholics and my grandparents, too,” Mrs. Montgomery said. “And my godparents were amazing people of great faith.”

Mrs. Montgomery is a third order Franciscan, and her books always contain a thank you to her Franciscan brothers.

“Being from Italy and not having family here but just my husband, Paul, my father- and mother-in-law, I just thought, wow, I feel at home every time I go to this Franciscan meeting,” she said, noting that becoming a Franciscan was a “spiritually enriching journey.”

“I got more and more drawn into it, and I realized, the Franciscans, that what we’re called to do is bring the Gospel to life and life to the Gospel, is kind of our motto. So with

this book the idea is to start from a Gospel verse and bring it to life for the kids to understand it. And that’s another characteristic of these books,” she said.

As for those lemons and plans for the future?

“I’m just trying to figure out every day what the Lord is calling me to do next,” said Mrs. Montgomery. Her books are published by Xlibris US and can be purchased on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. n

Notre Dame CCW members dress as favorite saints

Members of the Council of Catholic Women at Notre Dame Parish in Greeneville enjoyed sharing information on their favorite saints during their March meeting. From left are Louanne Lucius, Charlotte Smith, Judy Collins, Janet Murphy, and Linda Johnson, potraying St. Lawrence, John the Baptist, St. Teresa of Kolkata, St. Isidore, and St. Anthony.

St. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga held its annual Easter egg hunt following the 11 a.m. Easter Mass. Children were split into two groups to go out and pick up hundreds of Easter eggs prepared by the youth of the parish. Much fun was had by all of the children racing to find eggs and receiving chocolate treats and balloons from the Easter Bunny, who also posed for pictures with everyone who wanted a photo. The parish thanked Myrtle Englert and Dot Durr and the rest of their team for planning the event.

St. Henry Parish celebrates St. Patrick’s Day St. Henry Parish in Rogersville celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with a dinner in the parish hall hosted by the Knights of Columbus. On the menu was corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and a wide variety of desserts including Bailey’s Irish Cream Mousse Cake. St. Henry pastor Father Bart Okere is in the spirit as a leprechaun. He is pictured with Katie Wiegand (left), who sings in the choir, and Suzanne Molinalli, volunteer coordinator.

St. Henry Knights honor family of the quarter

The Knights of Columbus of St. Henry Parish in Rogersville recognized Gregory and Karen Smith as their family of the quarter for April, May, and June for their support both of the parish as volunteers and the Knights and their commitment to Catholicism. Gregory is Council 8860’s secretary and director of the Faith in Action for Community, and he is also a church usher. Through his work as director, the Knights held a successful Coats for Kids distribution and children’s Christmas party, where he appeared as Santa Claus. Most recently, Gregory was half of a culinary duo that braved the wind and rain cooking for the St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Karen has volunteered at fundraisers and assisted with the children’s Christmas party and works in the community as a substitute teacher. The Smiths raised their three children in the Church and are now proud grandparents of John, Alexi, Conner, and Taylor. Grand Knight Robert McDaniel is pictured with St. Henry pastor Father Bart Okere.

Francesa Follone-Montgomery, OFS

St. Stephen Parish holds Easter egg hunt

NANCY POWELL (2)

St. Bridget Knights host St. Patrick’s Day party Parishioners at St. Bridget in Dayton enjoy a St. Patrick’s Day party hosted by the Knights of Columbus on March 18. Pat and Barbara Bisson (top photo) got into the theme along with Herman and Sharon Osborne, Jim and Louise Ganss, and Chris Hill.

COURTESY OF JANET SPRAKER (2)

COURTESY OF NANCY CLARK

COURTESY OF BILL HEWITT

COURTESY OF BILL HEWITT

Chattanooga Deanery

St. Bridget, Dayton

Three individuals were received into the Church, and one was confirmed at the Easter Vigil. Sixteen youth were confirmed April 19 by Bishop Richard F. Stika, and six received their first Holy Communion on May 3. Receptions for both the confirmation and first Communion classes were hosted by the St. Bridget’s Women’s Council.

The second annual Harry “Bunky” Jones Golf Tournament, sponsored by Knights of Columbus Council 11424, was held April 20 at Dayton Golf & Country Club with more than 50 golfers participating. Proceeds will benefit several local charities.

The Women’s Council will hold a bake sale on Mother’s Day weekend May 13 and 14. Goodies will be on sale following the 5:30 p.m. Mass on Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The Women’s Council will award the Service Award & Scholarship to the winning high school senior following the 10 a.m. Mass on Sunday, May 28.

St. Jude, Chattanooga

The parish will celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the priestly ordination of associate pastor Father Alex Waraksa with a potluck luncheon at noon Thursday, May 25.

A Mass in memory of deceased Knights of Columbus was held April 24 at the church, followed by a parish social.

Knights Philip Paul Breen Council 8576 thanked parishioners, visitors, guests, pastoral and school staff, and fellow Knights who made this year’s Lenten fish fries a big success. More than 200 attended one dinner, which was a council record.

The Knights saluted recent families of the month John and Annamay Feurer, Naino and Nolie Leo, and Gary and Teri Gabor. The council, as part of the national Knights’ Aid and Support After Pregnancy program, recently made a $500 donation to the Catholic Charities of East Tennessee Pregnancy Help Center.

St. Mary, Athens

The parish congratulated the recipients of the St. Mary Scholarship for 202324: Abbey Borden, Yu Lee, Noah Dahle, Michael Folgelgren, Madlen Conley, Emma Blackledge, Chloe Miller, Diana White, Katie-Grace Reynolds, Victor Medrano, Bryce McKenzie, Violet Roe, Kylie Hicks, Christin Casey, Cayden Hennessee, Reagan Lock, Braeln Mora, Allie Sewell, and Justin Baker.

St. Mary thanked Gail Buckley, Holly and Bill Gates, Ann Julian, Marie McCartney, Christine Martens, Teresa Riggin, and Thelma Pikciunas for their help in giving the rectory a spring cleaning.

Those who can help with vacation Bible school, set for Monday through Thursday, June 19-22, are asked to call Debbie Forsythe at 865-297-6350 or Sue Granger at 423-506-7836 or sign up on the clipboard at the VBS table in the narthex.

Newcomers: Roselyn Martin, Guadalupe Parra, Marie Medina, Leni Parra, Jayla Corona

St. Stephen, Chattanooga

All women of the parish are invited to attend the Ladies Recognition Tea, which will begin with Mass at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 13, in the large parish hall. The tea, which honors women for their character, courage, and commitment, will follow in the small parish hall. An RSVP is required for both the Mass and the tea; call Sherry in the parish office at 423892-1261, extension 4, by June 5. Recommended attire is “party casual,” and a hat and gloves are appropriate.

The Knights of Columbus’ Ladies Auxiliary thanked everyone who supported the Pat Wright Layette Baby Shower on April 13 that helped the bassinet program at the Ladies of Charity thrift

Anniversaries: Clarence and Pat Bodnar (59), Gino and Jeannie Bennett (57), William and Mary Apps (54), Art and Dena Vonwerssowetz (45)

Cumberland Mountain Deanery

Blessed Sacrament, Harriman

The Knights of Columbus will host their Mother’s Day brunch after the 10:30 a.m. Mass on May 14.

A parish ministry fair took place after the vigil Mass on April 29 and the 10:30 a.m. Mass on April 30. Representatives of each ministry that needed volunteers took part in the fair.

St. Ann, Lancing

Deacon Vic Landa baptized Bruno Romero Hutson, son of Charles and Connie Hutson, on April 16.

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade

The parish’s prayers go out to former Deacon Keith Farber as St. Francis of Assisi remembers his inspiring, powerful talks about Jesus and His love. Deacon Keith and his wife, Fritzie, have moved to West Virginia.

At the last Council of Catholic Women meeting April 12, speaker Arlene Webb spoke about sharing the faith with children and grandchildren.

The Knights of Columbus held a fraternal-benefits presentation April 23 on “Preparation for End of Life and After.”

The parish group called Muffins for Mary met April 28 and welcomed speaker Paul Simoneau, diocesan director of Justice and Peace. His talk was on the “Icons of the Most Holy Rosary.” This meeting was part one and will continue with part two at 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 31, in the parish hall.

The Social Action Ministry is busy with plans for an Art Fair and Silent Auction at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 20, in the parish hall in honor of guest Father Glenn Meaux of the Kobonal Mission in Haiti. For information, call Mary Lampugnano at 504-371-2479.

Anniversaries: John and Jean Sohnly (70), Norm and Judith Charest (63), John and Anna Moyer (63), John and Barbara Coye (62), Raymond and Barbara Clark (61), Jim and Anita Renick (59), Terry and Nancy Allen (59), Norm and Carol Adams (58), Bob and Kathy McCone (58), David and Sally Kowalski (56), Charles and Dolores Gruet (55), David and Corinne Bain (54), Arthur and Deborah Stockwell (54), Dennis and Rosemarie Robak (53), Phil and Lyn Rogers (52), Victor and Deborah LaPorte (50), Steve and Chris Nagy (50), Tom and Pat Racklyeft (45), Stephen and Ruth Ann McColley (35), Mike and Mary Spitler (30), James and Tara Olson (30), Jeremy and Kathy Donley (20), Roger and Judith Kenyon (15), Sten and Laura Lindwall (15), Brian and GeriAnne Mason (10)

St. John Neumann, Farragut

The Knights of Columbus held a parish buffet breakfast May 7 to raise funds for an ultrasound machine for Catholic Charities of East Tennessee’s Pregnancy Help Center. At the time of the breakfast, the Knights had raised about two-thirds of their $19,000 target. The total of $19,000 is half the cost of an ultrasound; by reaching that target, the local council can petition the national order for a match. For more information, contact Richard Tabler at 865-7426121 or Richard.tabler@icloud.com.

The SJN Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society collected food in late April to benefit the Ladies of Charity emergency-assistance program.

Five Rivers Deanery

Holy Trinity, Jefferson City

As the CCD year came to an end, the parish thanked the teachers and student volunteers who helped children grow in their faith. They included Mia

Parish notes continued on page B8

in Lancing Bishop

Bishop confirms 17 at Notre Dame Church

Seventeen students received the sacrament of confirmation at the 5 p.m. Mass on April 15 at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville, with Bishop Richard F. Stika presiding. Concelebrating the Mass was Notre Dame pastor Father Joseph Kuzhupil, MSFS, and Deacon Wil Johnson assisted. From left are (seated) Alexa Gonzalez Rodriguez, Lucy Martin, Pilar Galarza, Morelia Munoz, Zaleiny Vazquez, Eliza Girton, Cynthia Ozbun, Natalia Ozbun, and Emily Vazquez, and (standing) catechist Brenda Litchfield, Sarai Galarza, Samuel Abelson, Andrew Abelson, Caleb Dilks, Father Kuzhupil, Bishop Stika, Deacon Johnson, Dash Lawson, Caleb Martin, Maxwell Abelson, Meghan Durante, and catechist Tyonia Burns.

St. Francis-Fairfield Glade congratulates three couples celebrating 70, 50 years

St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade congratulates three couples who are celebrating major wedding anniversaries this spring.

John Edward and Jean Margaret (Spenthoff) Sohnly are celebrating their 70th anniversary May 29. They were married at St. Charles church in Toledo, Ohio, with Father John Horrigan officiating.

Their children are Richard D. of Perrysburg, Ohio; Michael J. of Renton, Wash.; and Suzanne D. Sohnly, deceased; and they have five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Mr. Sohnly retired from Unison Industries in Jacksonville, Fla., and Mrs. Sohnly from the Toledo Hospital. They moved to the Glade in 2005.

They will celebrate their anniversary prayerfully and with a little “spirits.” Their 70-year “love story” began with a black eye—from a snowball he threw at her to get her attention. He left the next day for the Air Force at 20 while she went to school with a big “shiner” at 16. Letters of apology followed as did years of corresponding. They were married with the help of both families, and she still wears the birthstone garnet ring he once gave her.

Mike and Becky Countess celebrated their 50th wedding anniver-

sary April 14. They were married at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Haubstadt, Ind., with Father Michael Allen officiating.

Their daughters are Julie Countess of Nashville and Wendi Davis of Martinsville, Ind., and they have four grandchildren.

Mr. Countess retired from the state of Tennessee and Southern Group of State Foresters and Mrs. Countess retired from the Sumner County, Tenn., Board of Education. They moved to the Glade in August 2022. The Countesses will celebrate their anniversary in Scotland.

Victor and Deborah LaPorte celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary May 5. They were married at St. James Church in Arlington Heights, Ill.

Their children are Katherine (Kate) Wagener and Victor Joseph (VJ) LaPorte, both of Arlington Heights, and Daniel LaPorte of Gilberts, Ill. They also have 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Mr. LaPorte retired from the National Elevator Industry and Mrs. La Porte from the Buffalo Grove and Greenbrook Montessori schools. They moved to the Glade in 2020, where they will celebrate their anniversary. They love retirement and especially the Glade. n

Bishop visits St. Ann

Richard F. Stika visited St. Ann Church in Lancing for Sunday Mass on March 12. In the top photo, the bishop is pictured with the Morgan County parish’s pastor, Father Michael Sweeney.

Bishop Richard F. Stika will ordain seminarians Bo Beaty, Daniel Herman, and Michael Willey to the transitional diaconate at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 3, at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The three will continue their studies at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Indiana and are on track to be ordained priests in 2024.

Bishop Richard F. Stika will ordain Deacons Joseph Austin, Neil Blatchford, and Andrew Crabtree to the priesthood at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 10, at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. “This is a joyous time for me personally and for all the faithful of the Diocese of Knoxville, and it is especially fulfilling for Deacons Joseph Austin, Neil Blatchford, and Andrew Crabtree, who will be ordained priests on that special day,” Bishop Stika said. All three men were ordained transitional deacons by Bishop Stika in 2022.

Bishop Richard F. Stika will confer the sacrament of confirmation on adults from around the diocese at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 28. Any adult (18 and over) who has had the sacraments of baptism, first Holy Communion, and reconciliation but has not been confirmed can receive the sacrament on this date. Interested candidates should call their parish office for more information. Learn more on the diocesan Christian Formation page at dioknox.org/adult-confirmation

Singers, choir directors, organists, clergy, and others interested in sacred music are invited to the eighth Southeastern Summer Sacred Music Workshop, to be held midday Friday, July 28, through Saturday, July 29, at Mary Our Queen Church in Peachtree Corners, Ga. The workshop is an ideal opportunity for participants to learn Gregorian chant or improve their chant skills and to prepare and sing polyphonic music for Mass Saturday afternoon. Presentations will include the history and purpose of Gregorian chant, what the Church teaches about sacred music, improving parish music programs on a limited budget, free online sources of liturgical music, and more. Cost of the workshop, including all materials, is $100 per person. Cost rises to $110 on May 31. Online registration is available now. Southeastern Sacred Music is a chapter of the Church Music Association of America. For more information, visit southeasternsacred music.com/ or e-mail olmchoirs@ gmail.com

A Be Loved Retreat sponsored by Regnum Christi of Knoxville is set for the weekend of June 9-11 at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center, 250 Locke Lane in Benton. Guided by the Be Loved team, participants will have a deep, personal experience of God, grow in self-knowledge, and gain new tools to continue flourishing. Cost is $299 per person. Register at forms. gle/WDCpFGBp1jdm1HmV6. Those with questions should e-mail regnum christi.knoxville@gmail.com

Knoxville Catholic High School is offering a variety of summer camps in sports and other areas in May, June, and July. Camps include baseball and boys basketball camps, a Lady Irish Future Stars girls basketball camp, a Lady Irish volleyball camp, boys and girls soccer camps, and a Lady Irish lacrosse camp, as well as camps in softball, cheerleading, robotics, math, dance, and band. Two theater camps will meet and work toward a performance at the end of each camp. The Irish Arts Junior Theatre Co. (rising first through sixth grades) will present Disney’s Jungle Book Kids, and the Irish Arts Theatre Co. (rising seventh through 12th grades) will present Legally Blonde Jr. To learn more, visit knoxvillecatholic.com/camp-irish/ or e-mail camps@knoxvillecatholic.com

Knoxville Catholic High School alumni now playing in the National Football League will co-host the Catholic Legacy Football Camp from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 8, on Hollin Field at Blaine Stadium on the KCHS campus. The camp is open to rising kindergartners through eighth-graders.

Harrison Smith of the Minnesota Vikings (a member of the KCHS class of 2007), Amari Rodgers (’17) of the Houston Texans, and Cade Mays (’18) of the Carolina Panthers, along with other NFL players and Fighting Irish coaching staff, will teach fundamentals essential to playing football at a higher level. Campers will take part in speed and agility drills and learn all aspects of being successful on the field. Boys and girls are welcome. Campers should wear cleats if possible and bring money for concessions and merchandise for an autograph session. Cost is $75. Check-in is at 8:30 a.m. Sign up at kchs.ticketspice.com/ football-camp

Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga will be hosting sports and STEM summer camps from May 30 to June 15. Camps are offered in dance and cheerleading, basketball and wrestling (each co-ed), volleyball, and golf (co-ed). Age groups for the sports and STEM events vary by camp but range from rising kindergartners to rising eighth-graders. Aftercare from noon to 4 p.m. and lunch will be offered for morning-session campers May 30-June 2 and June 5-9. Visit www.myndhs.com/athletics/summer-camps for details on the camps and aftercare. For more information, contact camp coordinator Jill Webb at webbj@myndhs.com or 423-6244618, extension 1011.

Catholic Charities of East Tennessee is offering a Rachel’s Vineyard healing retreat, for those experiencing emotional or spiritual difficulties from a past abortion, from May 26-28 at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton. You can learn more about Rachel’s Vineyard on the CCETN website at ccetn.org/project-rachel

For more information, contact Sandi Davidson at sandi@ccetn.org or call or text 865-776-4510. Complete confidentiality is honored at all times.

The Healing Ministry at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa offers healing prayers every third weekend of the month for anyone who has a physical, emotional, or spiritual need. Individual healing prayer will be offered in Spanish in the church immediately following the 7 p.m. Saturday Mass in Spanish, and prayer will be offered in English in the chapel immediately following the 11 a.m. Sunday Mass. Call Toni Jacobs at (561) 315-5911 if you have any questions.

The Diocese of Knoxville is taking a group of teens to Steubenville St. Louis Mid-America, hosted by the Archdiocese of St. Louis in Springfield, Mo., from July 7-9. The Steubenville youth conferences exist to bring highschoolers into a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. The 2023 theme is “Refuge.” “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest”—Matthew 11:28. For information on costs or registration, visit dioknox.org/events/steubenvillestlouis. The diocese will be heading to Steubenville St. Louis Mid-America on July 7 from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga (meeting time is 7:15 a.m.). Price (all-inclusive) is $395 per person. Chaperone price (allinclusive) is $295 per person. Priests attend for free. More info can be found at steubenvilleconferences.com/ events/stl1/

A young adult and seminarian summer social is planned for noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 15, at Immaculate Conception Church in Knoxville. Young adults (ages 18-35) are invited to join Diocese of Knoxville seminarians for food and fellowship. Download a flyer at dioknox.org/events/young-adultand-seminarian-summer-social. To RSVP or learn more, contact vocations office manager Beth Parsons at bparsons@dioknox.org

Young adults ages 18 to 35 who cannot travel to Portugal for World Youth Day are invited to take part in a Stateside World Youth Day set for the weekend of Aug. 4-6 in Washington, D.C. Travelers will stay at the Washington Retreat House. They will leave early on the morning of Friday, Aug. 4, and return late Sunday night, Aug. 6.

Calendar continued on page B8

Bishop celebrates confirmation at St. Joseph the Worker Church

On Divine Mercy Sunday, April 16, Bishop Richard F. Stika confirmed 11 youth at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Madisonville. Pastor Father Julius Abuh (pictured at left above) concelebrated. In his homily, the bishop gave examples of three saints: St. Maximilian Kolbe, Pope St. John Paul II, and St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, each of whom faced difficult decisions, criticism, and, in one case, death in their service to God and the Church. “A Christian goes beyond what makes them comfortable,” the bishop said, “but Jesus said, ‘I will be with you always, until the end of time.’ He also promised to send us the Holy Spirit.” After the post-Communion prayer, Father Abuh thanked Bishop Stika and welcomed him once again “to the best Catholic Church in Monroe County” with a great applause from his parishioners. He continued: “It is the best because it is the only Catholic church in the midst of the 56 others listed in the county’s phone book.” The celebration continued with a giant cake and covered dishes in the parish hall. Bishop Stika spent time with the newly confirmed candidates and their families. Bibles were presented by the Knights of Columbus, and the candidates posed for pictures with their new Bibles and Bishop Stika. Those confirmed were Valentina Aguilera Mora, Savannah Brown, Denio Jimenez Cisneros, Jose G. Jimenez, Yahir Luna, Bruno Serrano Corona, Aurora Singer, Forrest Singer, Mateo Rodriguez, Belinda Rocio Mora, and Ruby Villagomez Robles.

Students from Franklin, Tenn., visit St. James the Apostle Parishioners of St. James the Apostle in Sneedville welcomed 52 eighth-grade students from St. Matthew School in Franklin, Tenn., on April 23 along with members of their faculty and the principal. The students were in Sneedville on their annual pilgrimage, where they volunteer in a carnival for the county. St. Matthew principal Tim Forbes said the carnival was very well-received with much participation and hard work by all the students. While students attended Mass at St. James, they served as readers and altar servers for pastor Father Bart Okere. The Knights of Columbus of Council 8860 at St. Henry Parish in Rogersville provided a bag meal with a sandwich, snack, and drink for students and faculty as they continued their journey on to Charlotte, N.C.

Easter sacraments conferred at St. Elizabeth Church Catechumen Todd Boyer of St. Elizabeth Parish in Elizabethton received the Easter sacraments at the Easter Vigil Mass on April 8 from pastor Father Dennis Kress, assisted by Deacon Rich Carner. Todd’s sponsor is his wife, Amanda Boyer.

A mother who raised problem-solving kids

Sometimes

I’ve never met the woman, though I’d like to. Her name is Sarah Joyce Stuart. And according to Google, my go-to source for most stuff I don’t know, she’s the one writer my wife quotes more than any other.

the children would take turns in being the ‘least happy child’ in the family

the other reports of a sick kid or worse—a child that’s been excluded or left out by others.

Things do get better and smiles do return; however, until then … she suffers right along with them.

graduating until next semester?”

When that call ended, I told my wife, “Oh, you don’t even have to ask—I’m driving down there tomorrow. She needs to see my face.”

“Well, I was gonna say, ‘Don’t kill her.’”

Mom stuck her head in the door and scolded me, “George! You’ve got to be quiet! You’re scaring the other patients out here.”

I suppose Nancy’s ever-after would be more secure if she routinely cited Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. But no, it’s this 72-year-old author from New England.

It’s ironic because Nanc has never read any of her books, columns, or commentaries that I know of. And to be honest, I doubt she even knows she’s quoting her. But I can’t tell you how often she repeats, lives by, and holds dear this one thought:

“A mother is only as happy as her least happy child.”

Happy Mother’s Day!

I don’t know if it’s true for most moms or even other moms, but it’s true for the one in our house.

I have no way of knowing how incredibly wonderful motherhood is. I know fatherhood is pretty dang awesome, but I’ll be the first to admit the bonds that tie aren’t the same.

I’m happy when they’re happy, but she absolutely relishes when one of our girls—we have three—calls or texts with good news. Sometimes it’s the big deal sort of updates: a new job, a new house, a big bonus.

At other times, it’s nothing more than the little joys of life. Their kids got a good report card, or their husbands surprised them with an unexpected date night.

When it comes to the not-so-nice stuff, I don’t want them to struggle or suffer, either. But even if life is good for two of our three, it’s the daughter in pain that sets the bar for how much joy my wife allows herself to feel on any given day.

I’m guessing she’s not alone.

Whatever it is, it’s usually legit. One could be stressed from work, another might have money worries,

But to be honest, every now and again their unhappiness can be a bit of an over-reaction.

I remember a phone call from our middle child, Meg, when she was in college. She reached out to her mom just about the time we were settling into bed for the night.

I could tell from our end that life was amiss—it apparently involved a boy, and try though she might, Nanc couldn’t seem to talk her down.

When the call ended, my wife sat straight up with great urgency, “George, you have to go up there. You have to check on her. She’s a mess.”

“Come on, Nanc, be reasonable, it’s a 10-hour drive, and it’s 11 p.m.”

“But she needs us. You have to go.”

“Why don’t we see how she is in the morning before I drive a thousand miles?”

I’m probably a bad dad for falling asleep while Nanc endured what amounted to eight hours of fitful catnapping.

She did manage to wait until mid-morning before calling back to check in.

“Meg, how are you doing?”

“Fine. Why?”

“Why? What are you talking about? You called last night. We talked for 30 minutes. You were miserable. I told your father he had to drive up there.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m good. A bunch of us went to the bar later and everything’s fine. Thanks for calling. I gotta run to class. Talk to you later.”

Though I have to tell you we had an entirely different family dynamic when our oldest called to say, “I didn’t do well in one of my classes, so will you tell everyone I won’t be

My own mom is no longer with us. The woman raised four of us, mostly by herself, on an income for one. It was the most amazing of the many miracles I attribute to her.

And though she never quoted Ms. Stuart, I’m sure she lived her life by the same credo:

“A mother is only as happy as her least happy child.”

She was 87 when she passed with all of us well advanced in our own adult years, yet we never stopped taking turns being that “least happy child.”

Regardless of what she was feeling on the inside, our mom took a bit of a different approach. At least outwardly.

Perhaps it was a generational thing.

Perhaps it was because she didn’t have a partner to tell, “You have to go up there. You have to check on them. They’re a mess.”

Or perhaps it was a felt need to raise independent children who could become their own problem-solvers.

But her approach to our whining seemed to be something more akin to, “Buck up, sister.”

She worked as office manager for our family doctor when I had badly twisted my ankle. With X-rays completed, she came to the waiting room and offered, “You’ve broken four bones in your foot. We’re going to lunch now, and the doctor will set it when we get back.”

Skipping over such things like pain pills and numbing shots, he just shoved my foot into position for slapping on a plaster cast. I in turn let out a scream, several of them in fact.

I’m not saying her heart wasn’t hurting for her “least happy child”—I’m just saying compassion has a variety of shapes and sizes.

I can’t help but imagine what Mary felt.

She wasn’t entirely sure how she even came to be a mother, much less the mother of her Savior.

Still, she was His mom. And even though she knew He was the Son of God, the Son who already knew what infinite joy could be, she, too, could only be as happy as her least happy child.

They no doubt shared in the miraculous days—literally—when she’d seen Him heal the sick and raise the dead. When the throngs fell at His feet. When the crowds sat mesmerized in rapt attention.

Attention to her boy.

But there were also those other days at the end, when He begged his Father to “remove this cup.”

He had already changed the world forever; His death would save it for all eternity, but for the moment, His unhappiness was heart wrenching.

Imagine hers.

Happy Mother’s Day to all those women who love their children— those they carried, those they adopted, those in their classroom, and those who keep a watchful eye on the latch-key kids down the street.

Happy Mother’s Day to moms everywhere. To the good ones and those who tried to be.

Happy Mother’s Day. Enjoy 24 hours of much-deserved happiness.

Dear God—We ask your blessings on those who dream to become moms. There’s never enough love in the world. Amen. ■

George Valadie is a parishioner at St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga.

The Church cannot accommodate the culture

The Catholic Church must challenge the culture with the truth of God’s revelation in Christ

Whether it is justified or not, there is no question that Catholics who desire to reconsider or who even demand changes in some of the Church’s centuries-old teachings, particularly on moral matters related to sexuality, have felt emboldened by the papacy of Pope Francis to push the doctrinal envelope in hopes that the Holy Father and the Church will embrace their positions.

Catholics dedicated to those centuries-old teachings are regularly rebuked by their “progressive” confreres for failing to fall in line with what is claimed to be the Church’s new attitude toward sex, marriage, and a host of other moral matters inspired, they insist, by Pope Francis. It sometimes comes as a shock for these “progressive”-thinking Catholics, then, and even more so to their allies in the secular media, when Pope Francis makes a statement supportive of the Church’s traditional teachings.

This is nowhere more evident than in the controversies surrounding the German Synodal Way. The Catholics of Germany, led (or followed?) by many of their bishops, are demanding that the Church reconsider or change her teachings on many aspects of sexual morality and on matters of Church governance.

They are calling for the ordination of women to the priesthood, the ordination of married men to the priesthood, the acceptance of homosexual sexual acts, the acceptance of same-

sex marriage, and for the laity to have more say in who is chosen to be a bishop. These demands reflect changes in governance, sacramental theology, and sexual morality contrary to what the Church has practiced and taught for centuries, sometimes from the earliest decades of her existence.

Letters to the Church in Germany calling on them to step back from the precipice of heresy and schism have been sent from English-speaking bishops around the world, from Nordic bishops, and from Polish bishops. Pope Francis himself has warned against the German Church separating itself from the universal Church.

These seem to have had little impact on Germany’s intent to revolutionize Church morals, or on others who seem confident that the forces of social, cultural, and political pressure will inspire the Church to change her teachings. That is not going to happen, for as much as German and other “progressive” Catholics insist that the faithful have not embraced the Church’s teachings on homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and a priesthood restricted to men, the reality is that they are speaking largely of their own flocks in the West, and even there it is limited.

Many Catholics in Africa, South America, and Asia—and even many in the West—have embraced the Church’s teachings on these matters and have no desire to change them.

It seems the Catholics in Germany regard themselves as the only Catho-

lics in the world—or the only Catholics who count. Since they have not embraced these teachings, it must be that the entirety of the faithful has not done so. How arrogant! How Euro-centric! Of course, the real reason the Church in Germany needs to be called back to the faithful proclamation of the Church’s countercultural teachings is not simply that they manifest a different set of priorities than those of most Catholics in the world, but for the basic reason that they are true, that they represent the revelation of God given to us in Christ and through His Church.

It needs to be clear that efforts to change Church teachings on moral matters do not represent the development of doctrine, as much as their proponents might insist. They represent a break from Church teaching, a rejection of what the Church has taught as God’s revelation to us. The goal of that break is nothing other than accommodation to the contemporary culture of the West. Proponents will insist that the Church must change in order to recapture the imaginations of modern men and women, who are supposedly leaving the Church in droves. Nothing could be further from the truth.

It has long been established that those who leave a church because that church does not teach what they believe do not return to that church once that church has changed its teachings. They demand change, but they do not “reward”

the church that changes with their renewed presence or support. No, they remain outside, demanding even more changes.

The list is long of those churches in the Christian tradition who have surrendered the integrity of their doctrine for the sake of accommodating the culture. None of these churches have experienced a rebound in membership after they changed their teachings.

The Catholic Church must never change her doctrines to accommodate the culture for two reasons:

• First, it will not work. Those demanding change will not return to the Church or stay in the Church (even as much as they can be said to be in the Church). They will remain outside demanding even more changes.

• Second, it is not for the Church to accommodate the culture. It is for the Church to challenge the culture with the truth of God’s revelation in Christ. How can the Church do that if she abandons that revelation?

It is not for us to change the truth, as if we could. It is for us to speak the truth with passion and conviction—to proclaim God’s revelation in all circumstances for the sake of our salvation and that of the whole world.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all. ■

Deacon Bob Hunt is a husband, father, grandfather, and parishioner at All Saints Church in Knoxville.

Thoughts and Prayers for the Faithful by Deacon Bob Hunt

Encountering God in the Liturgy by Father Randy

Stice

‘The new covenant in my blood’

What did Christ mean by those words, and why does the covenant require His blood?

When Jesus gave the chalice to his disciples at the Last Supper, he told them, “This chalice is the new covenant in my blood” (1 Corinthians 11:25). This raises several questions. Why does He refer to a covenant? What does He mean by the “new” covenant? And why does it require His blood? In this month’s column I want to answer these three questions.

First, what is a covenant? In the ancient Near East culture of the Old Testament, “covenants between human beings existed in the forms of treaties, agreements, contracts, marriages as well as friendships.” Unique to the Bible, however, was the revelation of “a covenant between divine and human partners.” 1 God’s covenants with individuals (e.g., Noah, Abraham) and with Israel were not agreements between equals “but a pure gift of God. By this gift of His love, God bridges every distance and truly makes us His ‘partners.’” 2

When God led Israel out of Egypt into the desert, he bound himself to his people with a covenant on Mount Sinai. “From the covenant of Sinai onwards, this people is ‘His own,’ and it is to be a ‘holy nation,’ because the name of God dwells in it.” 3 The Sinai covenant is recounted in Exodus chapters 19-24: God manifested His glory on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19), gave the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), and stipulated the requirements of the covenant (Exodus 21-23), concluding with the promise of his blessings. The ratification of

the Mosaic covenant, described in Exodus 24, consisted of three actions: the reading of the covenant, a sacrifice that sealed the covenant, and a sacrificial banquet that completed the sacrifice. First, Moses recorded the words of the Lord (verse 4) and read the book of the covenant aloud to the people (verse 7). Then he built an altar, sacrificed young bulls “as communion offerings to the LORD” (verse 5), splashed the altar, a symbol of God, and the people with the blood, symbolically uniting God and His people by the blood of the same victim, and told them, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words” (verse 8). Blood was an essential element because “the life of the flesh is in the blood…it is the blood as life that makes atonement” (Leviticus 17:11). Finally, Moses ascended Mount Sinai with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 elders, where “they ate and drank” (verse 11).

According to St. John Paul II, the three elements of the Mosaic covenant prefigured the definitive covenant in Christ’s blood. “By analogy with the Covenant of Mount Sinai, sealed by sacrifice and the sprinkling of blood, the actions and words of Jesus at the Last Supper laid the foundations of the new messianic community, the People of the New Covenant.” 4 On the night of his betrayal, Jesus gathered His apostles in the Upper Room, washed their feet, and gave them the “law” of the new covenant: to love one another as he loved them. He celebrated the Last Supper with them,

instituting the Eucharist. He gave the apostles His body under the appearance of bread. He then gave them the chalice of His blood with these words: “This chalice, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20). The essential elements from Exodus 24 have now been definitively fulfilled by Christ: the covenant is proclaimed, sealed with the blood of the pure sacrificial victim, and consummated by a sacred banquet. This covenant is the definitive gift of God’s love that “bridges every distance.”

This leads to our second question: What does Jesus mean by a new covenant? This refers to the new covenant God promised through the prophet Jeremiah. “I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah….I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:31, 33). The New Testament explains that this prophecy was fulfilled by the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 10:12-18). And finally our third question: Why the reference to blood? The sprinkling of blood that accompanied the Mosaic covenant prefigured Jesus pouring out His blood of “the new and eternal covenant,” the words of consecration spoken by the priest over the chalice. This is the blood that really and truly unites us to God.

The three elements that we identified in the Mosaic covenant and saw fulfilled at the Last Supper form the basic structure of the Mass: the covenant is announced in the Liturgy of

the Word, the sacrifice of the covenant is renewed in the Eucharistic Prayer, and the covenant reaches its consummation in eucharistic communion.

“When we receive Him in Holy Communion,” says Pope Francis, “we renew our covenant with Him and allow Him to carry out ever more fully His work of transforming our lives.” 5 It is important to note that these distinct parts are integral and inseparable. “The celebration of Mass in which the word is heard and the Eucharist is offered and received forms but one single act of divine worship.” 6

Every time the Mass is celebrated, the new covenant that Christ instituted at the Last Supper is renewed and we are changed. “The renewal in the Eucharist of the covenant between the Lord and man, draws the faithful into the compelling love of Christ and sets them on fire.” 7

1 Pontifical Biblical Commission, The Bible and Morality: Biblical Roots of Christian Conduct, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2008, no. 17

2 Pope Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini, 22

3 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2810

4 John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 21

5 Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exsultate, 2018, no. 157

6 Lectionary for Mass, 10

7 Sacrosanctum Concilium, 10 ■

Father Randy Stice is director of the diocesan Office of Worship and Liturgy. He can be reached at frrandy@dioknox. org.

St. Stephen hosts 15th annual golf tournament

On a beautiful, foggy but ultimately sunny and dry morning of April 15, St. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga held its 15th annual golf tournament at Brainerd Golf Course. A record number of 82 golfers teed it up to raise more than $7,000 for parish ministries. Above, St. Stephen pastor Father Manuel Pérez hits one of the three honorary tee shots to start the tourney. At top-right is the first-place team of (from left) Chris Murphy, Sam Eberle, Jon Reinert, and Joe Reinert, which posted a score of 13 under par. At bottom-right, John Vannucci, Dot Durr, and Sharon Vannucci watch while Mike Durr sinks his putt.

Daily readings

Monday, May 1: Acts 11:1-18; Psalms 42:2-3 and 43:3, 4; John 10:11-18

Tuesday, May 2: Memorial of St. Athanasius, bishop and doctor of the Church, Acts 11:19-26; Psalm 87:1-7; John 10:22-30

Wednesday, May 3: Feast of Sts. Philip and James, Apostles, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; Psalm 19:2-5; John 14:6-14

Thursday, May 4: Acts 13:13-25; Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27; John 13:16-20

Friday, May 5: Acts 13:26-33; Psalm 2:6-11; John 14:1-6

Saturday, May 6: Acts 13:44-52; Psalm 98:1-4; John 14:7-14

Sunday, May 7: Acts 6:1-7; Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19; 1 Peter 2:4-9; John

14:1-12

Monday, May 8: Acts 14:5-18; Psalm 115:1-4, 15-16; John 14:21-26

Tuesday, May 9: Acts 14:19-28; Psalm 145:10-13, 21; John 14:27-31

Wednesday, May 10: Acts 15:1-6; Psalm 122:1-5; John 15:1-8

Thursday, May 11: Acts 15:7-21; Psalm 96:1-3, 10; John 15:9-11

Friday, May 12: Acts 15:22-31; Psalm 57:8-10, 12; John 15:12-17

Saturday, May 13: Acts 16:1-10; Psalm 100:1-3, 5; John 15:18-21

Sunday, May 14: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21

Monday, May 15: Acts 16:11-15; Psalm 149:1-6, 9; John 15:26–16:4

Tuesday, May 16: Acts 16:22-34; Psalm 138:1-3, 7-8; John 16:5-11

Wednesday, May 17: Acts 17:15 and

17:22–18:1; Psalm 148:1-2, 11-14; John 16:12-15

Thursday, May 18: Acts 18:1-8; Psalm 98:1-4; John 16:16-20

Friday, May 19: Acts 18:9-18; Psalm 47:2-7; John 16:20-23

Saturday, May 20: Acts 18:23-28; Psalm 47:2-3, 8-10; John 16:23-28

Sunday, May 21: The Ascension of the Lord, Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47:2-3, 6-9; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20

Monday, May 22: Acts 19:1-8; Psalm 68:2-7; John 16:29-33

Tuesday, May 23: Acts 20:17-27; Psalm 68:10-11, 20-21; John 17:1-11

Wednesday, May 24: Acts 20:28-38; Psalm 68:29-30, 33-36; John 17:11-19

Thursday, May 25: Acts 22:30 and 23:6-11; Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11; John 17:20-26

Friday, May 26: Memorial of St. Philip Neri, priest, Acts 25:13-21; Psalm 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20; John 21:15-19

Saturday, May 27: Acts 28:16-20, 30-31; Psalm 11:4-5, 7; John 21:20-25; vigil for Pentecost, Genesis 11:1-9; Psalm 104:1-2, 24, 35, 27-30; Romans 8:22-27; John 7:37-39

Pentecost Sunday, May 28: Acts 2:111; Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23

Monday, May 29: Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, Genesis 3:9-15, 20; Psalm 87:1-3, 5-7; John 19:25-34

Tuesday, May 30: Sirach 35:1-12; Psalm 50:5-8, 14, 23; Mark 10:28-31

Wednesday, May 31: Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Zephaniah 3:14-18; Isaiah 12:2-6; Luke 1:39-56 n

JOHN VANNUCCI

NANCY POWELL NANCY POWELL

Pilgrimage sites will include the St. John Paul II Shrine, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America, and more. A Diocese of Knoxville seminarian, Daniel Herman, will join the group as a spiritual guide. Cost is $150 per person and includes lodging, transportation, two breakfasts, and pilgrimage materials. Travelers should bring extra cash for lunches and dinners out as well as for any donations they would like to make at the holy sites. Register, view a pilgrimage flyer, and see links to the websites of the two shrines and the monastery at dioknox. org/events/wyd-stateside-pilgrimage

For more information, contact Brittany Garcia at bgarcia@dioknox.org or 865-776-9635.

The Diocese of Knoxville Youth Ministry Office is offering the Reach Summer God Camp for all rising seventh- and eighth-graders July 24-27 and the Discover Summer God Camp for all rising fifth- and sixth-graders July 27-29, both at Adventure Ocoee in Ocoee, Tenn. Campers will be staying in air-conditioned bunkhouses. God Camp activities will include lake day inflatables, a water park (with wave pool, lazy river, and giant water slide), a high ropes course, an adventure race, outdoor sports, bonfires with s’mores, prayer services, skits, crafts, the celebration of Mass, team-building activities, group games, and time to simply enjoy camp. Some more camp highlights include four square, basketball, volleyball, capture the flag, and some surprise activities planned by the leaders. Youth at the camps can make new friendships, enjoy the great outdoors, and grow in their relationship with the God who created them. To register, download a camp flyer, or view medical-release and code-of-conduct forms and an Adventure Ocoee waiver, visit dioknox.org/ events/reach-camp-2023 or dioknox. org/events/discover-camp-2023

Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga is currently accepting applications for the 2023-24 academic year. Apply by visiting www.myndhs.

Parish notes continued from page B4 Ladner, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten; Mark Pettinati, first grade; Carolyn Rosato, second grade (first reconciliation and Holy Communion); Andy Ladner, third and fourth grades; Jenny Withem, fifth and sixth grades; Karen Booker, seventh and eighth grades; Karin Collins and Jamie Roberts, ninth through 12th grades; aides Jenny Giardiello and Chloe Prosak; and director of religious education Cindy Giardiello.

The parish again awarded the Ken Schroer Memorial Scholarship this spring.

Holy Trinity thanked Jefferson County High School students in the ServiceLearning class for volunteering at the church April 12. Alex Miranda, a senior and member of Holy Trinity, was the student project leader and spoke with pastor Father Jim Harvey and members of the church to set up the service activity. Lani O’Connor, their teacher and also a Holy Trinity parishioner, was excited that her students wanted to lend a hand at the church. Students painted the 17 pillars at the church and three benches, and they enjoyed working with Dave Orzechowski and Jamie Roberts, who prepped everything and supervised.

Holy Trinity’s Lenten meals raised $2,741 to held fund its feeding of those who help with the Appalachian Ministries summer building projects.

Newcomers: Bob Cosgrove, Michael and Barbara Leis, William and Dee Dee Paolercio

Notre Dame, Greeneville

The Hispanic ministry held a Mexican food sale May 6 in honor of Cinco de Mayo.

First communicants: Kody Ivan Cedillo, Olivia Reese Hodge, Jaylene Ramirez Hernandez, Robert Franklin Miller, Genesis Sarai Sanchez, Emma Scarlett Shortridge

Anniversary: Joseph and Susan Maloney (40)

com and submit an online application. Contact Lisa Costello at 423-624-4618 or costellol@myndhs.com with any questions.

A Picture of Love retreat for engaged couples is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Sept. 22 and 23, at St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga. This marriage-preparation program is a supplement to a couple’s marriage formation with their parish priest or deacon.

Picture of Love explores the joys and challenges of living out the sacrament of matrimony with special focus on the importance of inviting Jesus to be the center of marriage and family life. The program will help each couple gain insights into their relationship as well as give them practical ideas and tools to help smooth their journey and become the “Picture of Love” to one another.

Meeting times are 6:45 to 10 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Cost is $150 per couple. Payment is due two weeks before the weekend.

For a registration form, visit dioknox. org/events/picture-of-love-retreat

Also at the website are three exercises: a personality test, a “love language profile for couples,” and a fillable budget worksheet. Couples are asked to complete the exercises in advance and bring them to the retreat—see the website for more details.

An Engaged Encounter weekend is set for Saturday, Sept. 30, at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa. Catholic Engaged Encounter is a weekend to plan for a sacramental marriage. It is designed to give couples an opportunity to talk privately, honestly, and intensively about their prospective lives together—their strengths and weaknesses; desires, ambitions, and goals; their attitudes about money, sex, children, and family; and their role in the Church and society—in a guided format. Cost of the weekend is $205 per couple, which includes a certificate good for a $60 discount on the couple’s marriage license in Tennessee. To receive a $60 discount, couples must attend a marriage-preparation weekend within one year of purchasing the

St. Elizabeth, Elizabethton

Parishioner Lilo Duncan has been named one of Milligan University’s 2023 Leaders in Christian Service for serving as a Christian leader who integrates her faith into her daily life.

The Evangelization Team from St. Elizabeth organized a seder meal for 45 parishioners in the parish hall on Holy Thursday. The traditional seder plate served included parsley, horseradish, celery, a hard-cooked egg, charoset, unleavened bread, and roasted lamb. The festival meal plate was grilled chicken, green beans, roasted potatoes, and cheesecake bites. East Tennessee folk dancers performed five traditional Jewish dances during the 1 1/2-hour event.

During Advent and Lent, the Knights of Columbus conducted food drives for Assistance and Resources Ministries (ARM) of Elizabethton as well as collections of baby items (diapers, wipes, formula, blankets, baby clothes, and such) for Catholic Charities of East Tennessee’s Pregnancy Help Center.

The Knights also conducted the Campaign for People with Intellectual Disabilities (“Tootsie Roll Drive”) in April at the Elizabethton Walmart. Money from that campaign is earmarked for specialeducation classes in Elizabethton and Carter County schools.

Several couples have celebrated special anniversaries during the latter months of 2022: Steve and Suzanne Hummel (40), Jack and Delores Arnett (60), John and Ruth Rodenhauser (50), Jimmy and Lisa Townsend (15), Jim and Janet Hunt (60), Patrick and Mercedes Burke (30), Joe and Debbie Alexander (45), David and Mary Bush (40), and Bob and Judy Kilby (20). Those in the early months of 2023 include Garrett and Evelyn Artz (25), Patrick and Fanessa Schneider (15), Matt and Kathleen Grubb (20), and Bill and Elaine Pate (55).

St. Patrick, Morristown Knights of Columbus Council 6730 will

license. To register for a weekend or learn more, visit knoxville.engaged encounter.com or call Leslie Consoli at 865-803-6790.

A pilgrimage to Poland with Father Martin Gladysz is scheduled for July 17-26. The group will spend a day in Warsaw visiting the sites before continuing on to Czestochowa, where pilgrims will visit the Jasna Gora Monastery, the Treasury, and the famous icon of the Black Madonna, to which many miracles have been attributed. They will visit Wadowice, the hometown of Pope St. John Paul II, and visit his childhood home, and visit the church where he was baptized. They will visit the Shrine of Divine Mercy and visit St. Faustina’s convent chapel and her tomb, and have a tour led by one of the Sisters. Another visit will be to Europe’s oldest salt mine, which UNESCO has listed as a World Heritage Site. The mines are a unique place where many generations of Polish miners have created a world of underground chambers and decorated chapels carved out of salt, including the famous Chapel of St. Kinga. The group will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Ludzmierz, the Niepokalanow Sanctuary, and the Franciscan Monastery, linked with St. Maximilian Kolbe, and have a chance to visit Auschwitz, where St. Maximilian Kolbe died a martyr. Other sites visited will be Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, a popular pilgrimage place for Pope St. John Paul II, and Zakopane, in the highlands of Poland, and the group will enjoy a peaceful river trip through the beautiful towering cliffs. Father Gladysz is from Krakow and is excited to be leading this pilgrimage to his homeland of Poland. For more information, contact Lisa Morris at 865-5671245 or lisam@select-intl.com

Join Father Alex Hernandez on a pilgrimage walking the Camino to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, from Aug. 29 to Sept. 8. Upon arrival in Santiago de Compostela, pilgrims will be met by their tour guide and depart for Sarria, the last point at which a pilgrim can start the journey and still complete the 100 kilometers needed to claim the compostela. The journey will follow a

hold its annual Big Boys Toys Yard Sale on Friday, Aug. 18. Donors are asked to hold on to their items until the sale or bring them to the church. Call Mike Leonard at 423-353-0844 to make arrangements. For assistance in picking up and hauling items, call or text Dave Lande at 423-273-0976, Dan Pelligrin at 504-441-8177, or James Mach at 865475-1999. All proceeds will go toward upgrading the facilities and grounds at the church.

St. Patrick recently founded a Social Activities Committee to plan and host parish events.

Anniversaries: Luis and Carmen Crespo (64), Dan and Marion Byron (58), Michael and Marjorie Sandlock (51), Michael and Dawn Gibson (30), David and Yesenia Barboza (20), Kevin and Jennifer Dempsey (20), Brayan Lopez-Simeon and Melissa Ortiz (5), Ben and Kamryn Schnurbusch (5)

Smoky Mountain Deanery

Holy Ghost, Knoxville

The parish’s annual Easter Saturday Party took place April 15 on the field behind the church and featured an Easter egg hunt, field games, an “Emmaus cakewalk,” a soccer game, Vespers, campfire food, an Easter bonfire, Divine Mercy vigil sundaes, and music.

A Lenten retreat led by Father Joseph Hamilton, a former classmate of Holy Ghost associate pastor Father Michael Hendershott, was held April 3-5 in Henkel Hall.

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville

Paulist Fathers president Father René Constanza visited IC and St. John XXIII during Holy Week. He took part in the Good Friday service at IC.

The Knights of Columbus inducted their newest members May 7.

The parish thanked the IC Bees for their gift of $100 from the proceeds of

pilgrim path that has existed since the ninth century. Mass and confession will be available daily. Cost is $4,199. To register, call 508-505-6078. To view full details and an itinerary, visit dioknox. org/events/pilgrimage-to-santiagode-compostela

Father Bill and Sherri McNeeley are leading a Holy Land pilgrimage Sept. 13-22 with an optional post-tour to Rome from Sept. 22-26. Places visited will include Tel Aviv, Caesarea, Stella Maris, Nazareth, Tiberias, Cana, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, Mount Tabor, Jericho, Jerusalem, Temple Model, Ein Karem, Bethlehem, Bethany, the Dead Sea, the Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Mount Zion (Upper Room), the Western Wall, the Via Dolorosa, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. For more information, including pricing and a daily itinerary, visit www. pilgrimages.com/frmcneeley or contact Danielle at danielle@206tours. com or 800-206-8687.

A pilgrimage to Greece, including a four-day Aegean cruise, is set for Sept. 18-29. Join Glenmary Father Steve Pawelk “In the Footsteps of St. Paul” as pilgrims visit the places where St. Paul preached the Gospel—Thessaloniki, Philippi, Corinth, and Athens— and visit the Meteora Monasteries. The Aegean cruise stops on the islands of Mykonos, Santorini, Crete, Rhodes, and Patmos and will also visit the ancient city of Ephesus, featuring some of the most magnificent excavations in the world, and visit Mary’s house. For more information, contact Lisa Morris at 865567-1245 or lisam@select-intl.com

Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at noon each Sunday at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville; every Sunday at 8 a.m. at St. Mary Church in Athens; at 2 p.m. each Sunday at St. Mary Church in Johnson City; at 6 p.m. most Thursdays at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge; and at 11:30 a.m. every Sunday at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. For more information, visit www.Knox LatinMass.net n

their recent quilt show. More than 100 people came to vote for their favorite quilts.

The Ladies of Charity held an Easter basket fundraiser March 25 and 26 at IC. The Ladies thanked IC parishioners for their help in raising $1,638 through the event to help those in need.

First communicants: Charlotte Johnson, Charlee Smith, Celia McKenzie, William Zengel, Zane Denson

St. John XXIII, Knoxville

A parish appreciation dinner May 5 recognized all St. John XXIII volunteers, including readers, eucharistic ministers, music ministers, Sunday School teachers, Sunday Supper volunteers, VolAwakening staffers, VolCatholic executives, and more. Nancy Brennan Strange provided live music for the dinner.

The St. John XXIII Social Ministry Committee met in person for the first time in two years April 15 to plan the coming year. Pastor Father Don Andrie, CSP, met with seven members of the committee. Members agreed that their role is to encourage parishioners, informing them about Catholic Social Teaching and promoting collaboration with other parishes and religious organizations to serve those in need.

St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville

The Knights of Columbus presented a Silver Rose prayer service in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe on May 3.

The Knights will conduct their annual spring flower sale May 13 and 14.

Blessed John Paul II Council 15585 of the Knights gave a “Protecting Your Financial Future” presentation April 19.

Items are being accepted for the Knights’ fall yard sale. The Knights can make arrangements for picking up items. Call Ed Harless for more information at 423-494-4761. n

Notre Dame students accepted into Governor’s School

Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga congratulated three students for being accepted into highly competitive Governor’s School programs. (Pictured from left) Lena Nguyen will attend the School for Humanities at the University of Tennessee at Martin, Ayden Dant will attend the School for Integration of Biological and Statistical Sciences at East Tennessee State University, and Jonathan Polickoski will attend the School for Arts at Middle Tennessee State University.

Luke Smith leaves KCHS boys basketball program after one year

Knoxville Catholic head basketball coach Luke Smith is resigning his position as coach and personal finance teacher effective at the end of the 2022-23 school year.

In his one season at the helm of the basketball program, Mr. Smith’s Fighting Irish team went 20-8 and was defeated in the state tournament. Mr. Smith, a former Irish player, will be pursuing a coaching position at the collegiate level.

Mr. Smith said, “I am unbelievably grateful to Knoxville Catholic for giving me the opportunity to lead their basketball program. It was an honor getting to work with the players, teachers, and adminis-

Knoxville Catholic announces Sedes Sapientiae award-winners

Knoxville Catholic High School recently named Paul Liulevicius and Kate Pettinger as recipients of the Sedes Sapientiae Award, the highest honor the school confers on its graduating seniors.

This award, voted on by the faculty and the administration, is presented to two seniors who best epitomize loyalty, service, scholarship, and authentic Christian leadership.

Jesus Christ is the Wisdom of God the Father. He took flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and, seated upon her knee, He grew in wisdom, age, and grace. Mary made a fitting throne for the Lord, and thus she is the Sedes Sapientiae, the Seat of Wisdom.

In naming the school’s highest award for Mary, Seat of Wisdom, Knoxville Catholic seeks both to honor the Mother of God and to encourage students to take her as a model of Christian life. The recipients of the award are students who, in the eyes of the faculty, best demonstrate the supernatural faith, hope, and charity that marked Our Lady’s life on earth and that denote true wisdom. n

tration at Knoxville Catholic. I am especially thankful for the relationships I have formed over the past year with the current players and coaches. Knoxville Catholic will always be a special place to me, and I cannot wait to see their continued success in the future.”

Knoxville Catholic athletics director Jason Surlas said, “We wish Coach Smith all the best in his future endeavors, and we are grateful for his efforts with our team this past year. We will be opening our search for our next boys basketball coach immediately. We believe this is a premier job in East Tennessee, and we are eager to find the next leader for our program.” n

Notre Dame STEM students receive grant

Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga is preparing students for opportunities in STEM thanks to a recent grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority and Bicentennial Volunteers Inc. The grant provides resources that will allow science classes to build a pollinator’s garden with a gravity-fed cistern system that will help the local environment.

St. Mary-Oak Ridge students honored at school science fair

St. Mary School in Oak Ridge held its annual science fair recently. Scientists and community members from Oak Ridge and the surrounding labs came to judge the projects completed by sixth- through eighth-grade students. Students presented their experiments to the judges and conversed about their process. The firstplace winner was Celeste Gallo with her H20 filtration project. Second place was awarded to Morgan Snyder. Third place went to Gabriel Hadid McCallum, and fourth place went to Madly Hillman. Honorable mentions were awarded to Izzy Bodle and James Lutz. All six students represented St. Mary School at the Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair. From left above are James Lutz, Izzy Bodle, Madly Hillman, Gabriel Hadid McCallum, Morgan Snyder, Celeste Gallo, science teacher Denise Miller, and St. Mary principal Sister Mary John Slonkosky, OP.

French students at Notre Dame make winning commercial

Several of teacher Emily Whitson’s French students at Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga who are in the French Honor Society participated in the American Association of Teachers of French National French Week Media Contest for 2022. Three groups made three different commercials highlighting the diversity of the French language throughout the world. One group placed in the top 20 (No. 16) in the nation for its French commercial. The winners are (from left, front row) Hannah Widerkehr, Meredith Wilson, Riley Share, and Eva Whitson, and (second row) Paul Hoang, Wilson Hagen, Lucas Nguyen, and Alejandro Quintero.

St. Jude students help make Easter baskets for families in need

Members of St. Jude School in Chattanooga, the Ladies of Charity, the St. Jude Rosary Group, and the Council of Catholic Women gathered March 7 to assemble more than 300 Easter baskets that were donated to families in need and used as a fundraiser for the Ladies of Charity. Above, Kyle Verro makes a basket. The Ladies of Charity of Chattanooga works with organizations throughout the city to provide needed assistance for utilities, food, medicine, housing, clothing, and other expenses for marginalized individuals and families. St. Jude students and parishioners collected baskets, toys, stuffed animals, bubbles, coloring books, and many other items. McKee Foods assisted in providing treats for the baskets. Every student in grades pre-K4 through eighth, assisted by the individuals in the groups listed, had the opportunity to make a basket for someone in need. The Reta Rogers Easter Basket Project was founded by Joni Hotchkiss in 2006. What started out as a small idea has grown into one of the Ladies of Charity’s largest fundraisers. The project was named after the late Reta Rogers, an active volunteer who insisted that every basket contain a sweet treat for each child to enjoy. When Mrs. Hotchkiss gave up the project, it was adopted by St. Jude School.

Paul Liulevicius

Kate Pettinger

COURTESY OF KATHLEEN ETHERTON PRESTON

COURTESY OF MEAGHAN REDNER

Honors abound for NDHS, KCHS basketball teams

Postseason honors have flowed in for the basketball teams at Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga and Knoxville Catholic High School. Notre Dame junior Cole McCormick (top photo) was named to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association all-state team after helping lead the Fighting Irish to a state runner-up finish. Cole was named to the Chattanooga Times Free Press Best of Preps team, and NDHS boys head coach Jonathan Adams was named Best of Preps coach of the year. Knoxville Catholic junior Sydney Mains and sophomore Deondrea Lindsey (bottom photo) were named finalists for Miss Basketball and Mr. Basketball in Division II, Class AA. KCHS was the only school to have double nominees for the awards. Sydney, who was state-tournament MVP after leading the Knoxville Catholic girls to their first state title, and Deondrea, along with KCHS girls senior Jazmin Williams, also made the TSWA all-state team. KCHS girls head coach Travis Mains won the Pat Summitt Coach of the Year Award for Division II-AA.

St. Mary-Oak Ridge holds pet-food drive

The student council at St. Mary School in Oak Ridge recently held a pet-food drive to benefit the Shelter Animal Rescue Group (SARG) of Oak Ridge. Marsha Sega, a SARG volunteer as well as a retired St. Mary School teacher, spoke at a student council meeting asking the students’ help in collecting pet food for SARG. Students were encouraged to bring in pet food during the week of Valentine’s Day. Then on Valentine’s Day, an out-of-uniform day was given to students who donated a dollar, with the proceeds going to SARG. SARG gives out cat and dog food at the Clinton Senior Center as well as through the St. Joseph’s Food Pantry at St. Mary Church.

CCETN pregnancy coordinator visits students

Chasity Gaylon, pregnancy coordinator for Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, visited with sixth-graders at St. Mary School in Oak Ridge on March 27 to talk about the Pregnancy Help Center and how students can practice the respect for life in daily life. Last Christmas, the school sponsored a collection drive for baby needs to donate to Choices Resource Center and the Pregnancy Help Center. Ms. Gaylon came to receive the items collected for her center. In visiting the school, she shared how the items help pregnant women. She also brainstormed with the students about ways they can show help to mothers and children.

Notre Dame swimmers take part in state meet

Nineteen athletes, many of whom are pictured above, represented Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga at the recent Tennessee Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association state meet in Knoxville. The boys 200-yard freestyle relay team of Nate Jungels, Ben Flasch, Joseph Myers, and Benjamin Jungels as well as Vincent Porter in the 100 breaststroke and Henry Flasch in the 100 backstroke all advanced to the finals.

St. Joseph students advance to state in Knights’ free-throw contest

The Knights of Columbus council at Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville hosted the annual basketball free-throw competition at St. Joseph School. The following St. Joseph students advanced to the regional competition held in the gym at St. Mary School in Oak Ridge: Albeiro Ceballos, Nathan Allen, Caleb Bales, Logan Allen, Rhealee Haunhorst, and Olivia Mallidis. The St. Joseph students competed in Oak Ridge with students from St. Mary and St. John Neumann School in Farragut. Nathan, Caleb, Logan, and Rhealee then advanced to the state tournament held at St. Rose of Lima School in Murfreesboro, where each finished second in their age groups in the state. The Knights thanked the students for their participation and St. Joseph principal Andy Zengel and athletics director Lindsay Rakes for their support.