June 2, 2019, ET Catholic, A section

June 2

| 2019

VOL 28 NO 5

IN THIS ISSUE JOYFUL NOISE LOVE STORY HEART B1 ABagpiper A8 AMission A5 SACRED makes music leader follows St. Jean Vianney relic makes pilgrimage to the diocese

desire to join Religious Sisters of Mercy

for Diocese of Knoxville events as her lay ministry

He dwells among us ......................... A2 Parish news ....................................... B3 Diocesan calendar ............................ B4 Columns ............................................. B8 Catholic youth ................................. B11 La Cosecha ............................Section C

St. Patrick Parish celebrates 60th anniversary

Morristown parishioners turn out in full to fete church’s history, pastor’s silver jubilee

A

Do this in memory of Me Father Patrick Brownell celebrates Mass May 19 at St. Patrick Church in Morristown.

Concelebrating were Father Alex Waraksa, Monsignor Patrick Garrity, and Father Stephen Krugel. Deacon Jim Fage assisted.

Below: Monsignor Garrity presents Father Brownell with a Celtic ring to mark Father Brownell’s 25th anniversary of priestly ordination. ever met when I visited this diocese.

I’m not from here—so when I came to kick the tires, as it were, to see whether I really wanted to make this my home, the very first priest I met was Monsignor Garrity, and I still came!” Father Brownell said.

“He was principal of Knoxville Catholic High School, and that’s been now 29 years. Probably within months after I was ordained, another friend entered my life, and that is Father Stephen Krugel. Father Krugel is a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford, Conn. We’ve been in contact now for 25 years.

And of more recent note, my good

Love is a main ingredient

Those friends included one of his predecessors as pastor of St. Patrick.

“Monsignor Garrity, who I met 29 years ago, the very first priest I

St. Patrick continued on page A14

DAN MCWILLIAMS

BILL BREWER

double celebration took place at St. Patrick Church in Morristown on May 19.

The parish turned 60 years old in May, and its pastor of six years, Father Patrick Brownell, marked the 25th anniversary of his priestly ordination in the same month.

Father Brownell celebrated the anniversary Mass with three priests concelebrating: Monsignor Patrick Garrity, former pastor of St. Patrick for 13 years and the priest in charge when the parish built its current spacious church in 2002; Father Alex Waraksa, assisting priest for Hispanic Ministry at several Five Rivers Deanery parishes; and Father Stephen Krugel, a friend of Father Brownell. Deacon Jim Fage assisted, and Rita Nagy proclaimed the readings.

Father Brownell preached the homily, while longtime parishioner Richard Hidalgo and Monsignor Garrity spoke at the end of Mass on the history of the parish.

When Father Brownell looked into the assembly at Mass, he saw his father, Paul, many friends, and hundreds of parishioners.

“One of the things that has been important to me is friends and family,” he said. “I think with the exception of Father David Boettner, who is pastor of the cathedral in Knoxville—you can understand why he’s not able to be here this morning; he’s got lots of Masses at the Cathedral of Sacred Heart in Knoxville— all my friends are here today.”

By Dan McWilliams

Brother priests who became military chaplains reunited in burial ceremony Fathers Robert and Frank Brett now laid to rest together in Arlington National Cemetery

By Dennis Sadowski/Catholic News Service

CNS PHOTO/TYLER ORSBURN

A

mid the pomp and ceremony that marks a military burial, Father Francis Brett was reunited after more than 50 years with his younger priest brother at Arlington National Cemetery.

The former Vietnam War-era Army chaplain and priest of the Diocese of Knoxville was laid to rest April 24 in the same grave as his brother, Father Robert Brett, who died in a bunker in Vietnam in 1968 while serving as a Navy chaplain.

About 100 family members and friends witnessed the ceremony that reunited the brothers from a large Irish Catholic family from the Philadelphia neighborhood of Grays Ferry.

Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville attended as well, offering a few words of remembrance for the priest, who was known as Father Frank.

Timothy Lawson, a cemetery spokesman, told Catholic News Service that staff historians could not confirm whether the Brett siblings are the only decorated Catholic military chaplains buried together in the sprawling burial ground outside

On behalf of a grateful nation Bishop Richard F. Stika shares a reflection during a graveside service for Father Francis “Frank” Brett on April 24 on Chaplains Hill at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C. The cremated remains of Father Brett, a priest of the Diocese of Knoxville and longtime Army chaplain, were buried in the same gravesite of his brother, Father Robert Brett, a Navy chaplain who was killed while serving in Vietnam in 1968. of Washington, D.C., but said such an arrangement was “unique” and “highly unusual.”

Edward Rouse, the priests’ oldest

nephew and a Marine Corps veteran, called the ceremony that included a 21-gun salute “the appropriate rendition of honors for two men who

served God and country.”

“We expect our clergy to be heroic,” Mr. Rouse said, “and a lot of the time they can’t live up to it. These men lived up to it.”

Mr. Rouse told CNS that he applied for the burial of “Uncle Frank,” his godfather, in January 2018 after his death a month earlier at age 86 of soft-tissue sarcoma. Cemetery officials approved the request in August and scheduled the ceremony for April 24.

The solemn ceremony began under a blue sky decorated by a few wispy clouds as the United States Army Band marched toward the cemetery’s shaded Chaplains Hill, where dozens of military chaplains of different faiths who served in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War are buried.

The sound of a single drummer set a somber tone for the procession, which included a horse-drawn caisson carrying the cremated remains of Father Frank Brett.

The band assembled in formation in an open area nearby as the caisson Chaplains continued on page A11

He dwells among us

by Bishop Richard F. Stika

Intoxicating joy What a different world it would be if Catholics lived with the joy of the new wine They have had too much new wine.

— Acts 2:13

T

he mocking reaction of some toward the Apostles following the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost speaks to a beautiful truth of Christian living that the saints describe as “sober intoxication.” For it was St. Paul who said, “Do not get drunk on wine…, but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18).

What a different world it would be if Catholics lived with the joy of this new wine!

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who declared “God is dead,” perhaps came to this conclusion because of the observation he made of Christians of his day — “They have no joy.” St. Teresa of Avila observed something similar in her religious community when she said, “God protect me from gloomy saints.” What a tragic thing to be said of any Catholic whose outward life should be a reflection of their heart’s joy in Christ.

When I think of someone I know who always seems to express the joy of Christ in his heart, I think of my dear friend Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York. His episcopal motto—Ad Quem Ibimus, “To Whom Shall We Go?” (Jn 6:68)— is well chosen for it directs people to look to Christ for what they are searching for in life. “To whom shall we go…” for the joy we long to have in our hearts?

Though I take pleasure in watch-

ing a Cardinals baseball game and eating foods I probably shouldn’t, and find happiness in a good winning streak and especially a World Series championship, joy is something far beyond even these. I am reminded of this joy every time, by virtue of my office as a bishop, when I lay hands upon those to be confirmed or ordained and invoke the Holy Spirit upon them. As a bishop, this is my special joy.

But joy is intimately connected to our ongoing conversion in Christ and is therefore a demanding joy.

Here I think of the rich young man’s encounter with Christ who went away sad after Jesus told him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.

Then come follow me” (Mt 19:21).

He was invited to follow Christ but departed in sadness to follow his own path because he valued and loved the finite treasures of Earth more than the promise of a far greater treasure and love.

But even people who have given their lives to following Christ experience obstacles to joy in their daily spiritual journey, even in the small choices we must make. St. Teresa of Kolkata noted this among her sisters, saying, “When I see someone sad, I always think she is refusing something to Jesus.” Indeed, joy necessarily means a deeper praying of Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane—“Not my will but yours be done” (Lk 22:42).

June Prayer Intentions “That priests, through the modesty and humility of their lives, commit themselves actively to a solidarity with those who are most poor.”

–– Pope Francis “Let us pray that we come to a fuller understanding of God’s love for us through our devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, whose feast day we celebrate in June. Please also pray for Deacon Mark Schuster, who, after years of study and prayerful discernment, will be ordained as a new priest in the Diocese of Knoxville. We pray that the Holy Spirit will fill Mark with joy and reverence as he begins his service to the Catholic Church in East Tennessee. Please pray for all of our diocesan seminarians, especially Alex Hernandez and Zach Griffith, who will be ordained as transitional deacons this month, one of the final steps on their journey to the holy priesthood.”

A2 n JUNE 2, 2019

–– Bishop Stika

To be sure, there is sadness to the degree that we withhold anything from Christ, or worse, seek our fruitfulness apart from Him. This was the grave sin of Adam and Eve who sought a fruit apart from their communion with God. But Jesus reminds us, “Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). As such, frustration and sadness are but the natural consequence of searching for divine fruit among the sterile fields of the material and earthly. And as Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen says, “To a man who has never rooted the soul in the Divine every trouble exaggerates itself.”

St. Paul tells us that joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and lists it immediately after the first and most essential fruit—love (see Gal 5:22). Joy is caused by love and the consequence of joy is peace. Who of us would not want in their relationship with Christ the fruits of love, joy, and peace?

And let us not forget the other fruits that St. Paul and the Church remind us of: patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity.

These fruits come from a divine seed that Christ Jesus sows, for He is the gardener of souls (cf. Jn 20:15), and it is the Holy Spirit who makes our field fertile and capable of receiving the seed and giving it growth. But for our field to flower and produce its fruit, the Holy Spirit needs our consent and cooperation.

So a great question to ask of ourselves is, “What kind of soil am I?” Any reflection on joy, therefore, will benefit tremendously by a prayerful reading of Matthew 13, as well as John 15-17. Jesus wants His joy to be in us that our “joy may be complete” (Jn 15:11) and our fruitfulness abundant, “a hundred, or sixty, or thirtyfold” (Mt 13:8).

In your examination of conscience, which should be a daily discipline, ask the Holy Spirit to help you to see more clearly what keeps you from experiencing the fruitfulness that Christ longs for us to have.

A laudable practice that I recommend is to reflect upon the 12 fruits of the Holy Spirit, listed above, as you prepare for the sacrament of confession.

Among the beautiful titles the Church celebrates in honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of my favorites is “Cause of Our Joy.” For if sadness entered our world through Eve’s disobedience, Christ Our Joy enters into our hearts through Mary’s total “yes” to God’s love.

As it was Mary at the Wedding at Cana who told Christ, “They have no more wine” (Jn 2:3), so, too, she asks Christ to give us the wine of His joy—the “fruit of the vine” that becomes “our spiritual drink” in every Mass.

In the beautiful prayer Anima Christi, we pray, “Blood of Christ, inebriate me.” May you drink to intoxication of this most wonderful wine! ■

Bishop Stika’s calendar of upcoming events n June 8: 11 a.m., ordination of Rev. Mr. Mark Schuster to the priesthood at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus n June 8: 5 p.m., reopening of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Knoxville n June 9: 11:30 a.m., confirmation at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City n June 9: 4 p.m., diocesanwide adult confirmation at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

T

n June 10-14: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Spring General Assembly in Baltimore n June 15: 11 a.m., ordination of Zachary Griffith and Alexander Hernandez to the Order of Deacon at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus n June 16: confirmation at Holy Family Church in Seymour n June 20: 10 a.m. CST, Catholic Public Policy Commission board meeting

n June 22: 5 p.m., confirmation at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville n June 23: 11 a.m., Mass at St. Therese Church in Clinton n June 27: 7 p.m., Sacred Heart of Jesus Novena Mass with the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters in St. Louis n June 29: 5:30 p.m., confirmation at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga n June 30: 9 a.m., Mass Calendar continued on page A18

Upcoming Virtus training sessions are scheduled

he Diocese of Knoxville’s program for the protection of children, youth, and vulnerable adults is offered around the diocese. The seminars are required for parish and school employees and regular volunteers in contact with children and vulnerable adults.

The following training sessions are scheduled:

www.di o k no x .o rg

n All Saints Church, Knoxville, 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 5 n St. Alphonsus Church, Crossville, 1 p.m. Sunday, June 9 n Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, Chattanooga, 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, June 26 n St. Dominic Church, Kingsport, 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 11; 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21; 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19;

6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5 n St. Thomas the Apostle Church , Lenoir City, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, June 18 n St. Therese Church, Clinton, 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 19 n St. Michael the Archangel Church, Erwin, noon Sunday, June 23 n St. Mary Church, Oak Ridge, 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 5 ■

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That look and smell Neophytes are sent forth with a fresh perspective to share their newfound faith with the masses

By Bill Brewer

BILL BREWER (2)

D

o you all smell?”

And with that risky query that begs a certain amount of self-awareness among those being questioned, Bishop Richard F. Stika sent the Diocese of Knoxville’s newest members out into East Tennessee to proclaim the Gospel.

The Mass and Sending of the Neophytes service May 12 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was the final phase for the 2018-19 class of RCIA participants that marks the completion of their conversion and a beginning of their faith journey as Catholics.

Many of the 225-plus catechumens and candidates who entered the Diocese of Knoxville at the Easter Vigil joined Bishop Stika for the Mass and ceremony, in which he welcomed them into the fullness of the Holy Spirit and gave them a collective “hug.”

Bishop Stika asked those new to the faith gathered for the Mass why they had a new appearance from when he spoke to them as a group during the Rite of Election ceremonies in March. He answered that they now are filled with the Holy Spirit after receiving their first Holy Communion at Easter Vigil.

“You look different from the last time I saw you.

Maybe some of you were not yet baptized. But now you are. Some of you were not yet received into the fullness of the Catholic Church, to receive the Eucharist and the other sacraments. But now you have,” he said. “You see, a lot of that isn’t a physical thing. It’s not on your forehead, and you don’t have a glow about yourself, but hopefully there is something different about you today because you’ve received the Eucharist, the body and the blood and the soul and the divinity of Jesus Christ, that which makes us Catholic.”

The bishop noted that centering our lives on the altar reminds us of when we hear the words “take and eat and take and drink all of you for this is my body, this is my blood given for you,” which should make us different.

“Did you ever hear the adage you are what you eat? If that is true, then I would have a White Castle hanging around my neck,” he said, drawing laughs. “We are what we eat. We know that when we eat something, it can make us more thin or maybe not as thin. Or if you’re like me, a diabetic, and you’re tempted to eat something that has a lot of sugar, an hour or two later you know it. You are what you eat.”

To give a more theological emphasis to his nourishment point, he then reminded them that “now you can receive Jesus in the Eucharist,” which nourishes us spiritually, making us one with Christ.

Bishop Stika also pointed out that the neophytes are joining the Church at a time of turmoil, both within the Church and from external forces around the world.

Even so, the U.S. Catholic Church welcomed

Go forth and spread the Good News Bishop Richard F. Stika gives rosaries to the neophytes who have just entered the Church. Assisting him are Deacons Frank Fischer and Barry Maples.

Pray for us A young neophyte prays with her new rosary at the Sending of the Neophytes Mass on May 12 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. more than 37,000 new faithful at Easter, which blunts the criticism that the Church’s membership is dwindling amid the priest sex abuse scandal as well as attacks on Christianity and freedom of religion.

As dioceses across the country reported tripledigit—and even quadruple-digit—gains in membership at the Easter Vigil, the Diocese of Knoxville continued a multi-year trend in the hundreds as the Church in East Tennessee continues to grow.

Criticism of the Church has been felt locally in

recent days, prompting Bishop Stika to respond to an April 23 USA Today story that concluded the Catholic Church is at a crossroads.

In a May 12 column, the bishop said that after reading a USA Today story on the front page of the Knoxville News Sentinel on April 23 that also ran in other newspapers across the country he was compelled after much reflection and prayer to respond to the statement posed by the News Sentinel in the story headlined “Catholic Church at a crossroads.”

“The Catholic Church, founded by St. Peter at the direction of Jesus shortly before His crucifixion, and grown at great risk by His apostles who evangelized through the power of the Holy Spirit, now includes more than 1.2 billion faithful followers of Christ around the world,” Bishop Stika wrote.

“The Catholic Church has been at many crossroads in its 2,000 years of existence. Throughout history, we have survived violent and even subtle persecution at the hands of others—both individuals and governments. Our Church was founded on the teachings of Christ, and we value our sacred worship traditions, which remain true to His word even after 20 centuries.”

The bishop went on to write, “The Church is also human, and throughout our history we have made human mistakes that are egregious and regrettable. I, personally, have apologized on behalf of the Church for the sin of clergy abuse. Church leaders did not do enough to address these evil acts when they were made aware of them decades Neophytes continued on page A8

Human Life Protection Act becomes state law after much debate

G

ov. Bill Lee on May 10 signed the Human Life Protection Act into law, which poises the state to immediately restore protective prolife statutes in the event the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision making abortion legal in every state is reversed.

The new law marks a shift in pro-life legislative strategy during the 2019 legislative session. Earlier in the session, a bill that would have banned abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected

enjoyed strong support in the General Assembly and across the state.

However, “heartbeat” laws have been struck down by courts across the country, and state pro-life leaders asked lawmakers to table the heartbeat bill and instead support the Human Life Protection Act. The heartbeat bill passed the House easily early in the Tennessee legislative session. Two pro-life Republicans joined Democrats in killing the Hu-

man Life Protection Act in the House Health Subcommittee. But through the leadership of assistant majority leader Ron Gant, the HLPA was brought up for a recall motion in the House Health Committee.

A recall motion requires a majority of full committee members to recall a dead bill from the subcommittee and bring it up for a vote in the full Health Committee. The House Health Committee voted to recall the HLPA and then passed it

overwhelmingly the next week and sent it to the House floor, where it was passed resoundingly.

In the meantime, the Senate leadership heard the concerns of Tennessee Right to Life and the Catholic bishops of Tennessee over the heartbeat bill’s constitutionality, prompting the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote to send the heartbeat bill to a summer study committee, where it will be studied HLPA continued on page A13

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

Sacred heart Exposition of relic of St. Jean Vianney, patron saint of priests, draws faithful from across Diocese of Knoxville

By Bill Brewer

BILL BREWER (2)

S

t. Jean Vianney is just what the faithful ordered.

Well, it was actually the Knights of Columbus and Bishop Richard F. Stika who arranged for the incorrupt heart of the patron saint of priests to visit the Diocese of Knoxville on May 23 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

But for faithful like Antonio Ibarra and his wife, Ofelia, who live in Kingston and are parishioners at St. Thomas the Apostle in Lenoir City, the effort to get to the cathedral after work and in time for veneration was well worth it.

The Ibarras, who were among the last ones to see the relic before veneration closed at the cathedral, are spiritually uplifted by the humble saint who devoted his life to helping average people strengthen their faith.

“He has taught me that God is not always looking for the richest or smartest. He looks for people who are charitable. And his devotion to confession made an impact on me,” Mr. Ibarra said. “I asked St. Jean Vianney to help me grow stronger in my faith.”

Zoe Ballew and Zulay Navarro-Pickering spent the day at the cathedral in prayer and veneration.

They echoed the Ibarras in saying how moved they were that God uses common, humble people to do great things.

“Someone like him can give themselves so full to help Jesus for the salvation of the world.

Thanks to them we may be saved,” Ms. Ballew said.

Added Ms. Navarro-Pickering, “People are hungry for spiritual healing. So many people were here in veneration all day long. It was incredible.”

The physical heart, contained in an ornate and secure reliquary, was on display at the steps leading to the cathedral sanctuary for daylong veneration.

Bishop Stika began the day celebrating Mass for Sacred Heart Cathedral School students, who had the first opportunity to venerate the 19th-century French priest.

Bishop Stika then celebrated noon Mass at the cathedral with the major relic in place. More than two dozen diocesan priests concelebrated the Mass, and Cardinal Justin Rigali was in choir. They were joined by more than a dozen deacons and women religious.

The incorrupt heart attracted a steady stream of faithful throughout the day as they advanced in line, two by two, to kneel at the reliquary

Patron saint of priests A procession of diocesan priests files by the sacred heart of St. Jean Vianney on May 23 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, where the major relic was present for veneration. The Diocese of Knoxville was one of more than 150 U.S. sites visited by the relic. and pray. Veneration continued and confessions were heard until an evening rosary concluded at 8 p.m.

In greeting a nearly full cathedral at the noon Mass, Bishop Stika reminded the faithful that they were celebrating holiness, the holiness of a priest who lived centuries ago, but is called on now more than ever to intercede for priests and the Church at a time of great need.

In beginning his homily, Bishop Stika told the congregation that as they welcomed the saint’s heart, Incorrupt heart Faithful from around the Diocese of Knoxville it was on the feast of St. Jean stood in line at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus for Vianney, Aug. 9, in 2004 that he and Monsignor Bill Gahagan had the opportunity to pray for the intercession of St. Jean Vianney. heart bypass surgery.

In describing Father Vianney, Bishop Stika during their priesthood, was called on to transsaid he answered his bishop’s call to bring his form a parish and community in need of love priesthood to Ars, France, a small town that and healing. had forgotten God and a parish church that was “He was willing to give his life for his people. falling apart.

I think we honor him today in many different Saint continued on page A18 Father Vianney, as happens with many priests

Catholic clergy respond to California confession legislation Catholic News Agency

I

f California moves forward with its proposed law trying to force priests to violate the seal of confession, it is not just Catholicism but all religions that will suffer, a Dominican priest said in a recent op-ed for USA Today.

Writing on April 28, Father Pius Pietrzyk, assistant professor of canon law at St. Patrick Seminary in Menlo Park, Calif., warned that “If this bill passes, no religion is safe.”

“If a core principle deeply ingrained in Catholic tradition and doctrine can be wiped away this easily by the state, no fundamental rights of religion or conscience are safe,” Father Pietrzyk said.

The proposal, California Senate Bill 360, would seek to require priests to violate the sacramental seal of confession in suspected cases of child abuse or neglect.

More than 40 professions, including clergy, are already covered by state law requiring them to notify civil authorities in cases of suspected abuse or neglect of children.

Current law provides an exemption for “penitential communications” between an individual and their minister if the requirement of confidentiality is rooted in church doctrine.

Sen. Jerry Hill (D-Calif. 13) introduced the proposed legislation in February, saying, “The law should apply equally to all professionals who have been designated as mandated reporters of these crimes — with no exceptions, period. The exemption for clergy only protects the abuser and places children at further risk.”

In his op-ed, Father Pietrzyk asserted that the bill is “nothing less than an attempt to jail innocent priests.”

While the purpose of mandatory

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

reporting statutes is good, he said, “there is no evidence that forcing priests to disclose cases of abuse learned of in the confessional would have prevented a single case of child abuse.”

Instead, he said, “There is every reason to believe the elimination of the privilege would mean that perpetrators would simply not bring it to confession.”

The bill would force a priest who hears in the confessional about sins regarding sexual abuse to choose to “face possible imprisonment or to betray that confidentiality and violate his deepest conscience and the laws of God and the Roman Catholic Church.”

“I know priests all along the theological and ideological spectra, none of them would ever consider breaking the seal of the confessional,” Father Pietrzyk said.

The Catholic Church holds that confession is a critical sacrament, allowing penitents to receive the grace of Christ and forgiveness of their sins, the priest explained.

“Although the priest acts as an instrument, confession is fundamentally about the encounter of the penitent Christian with God; he admits his sins to God and through the priest receives God’s absolution.

It is a privileged moment in which a person reveals the deepest part of his conscience to God.” The Church teaches that the “seal of confession” is inviolable and cannot be changed by human authority, because its origin is in divine revelation, Father Pietrzyk said. A priest who intentionally violates the seal commits a mortal sin and incurs an automatic excommunication.

“The Catholic Church holds that the information received by the priest in confession does not belong to him. It belongs to God alone,” he

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JUNE 2, 2019 n A5

Bishop Richard F. Stika Cardinal Justin Rigali Adams Family Akerman & Cortese Family Wally Anderson Nick & June Antonas Fredy Arellano y Familia Irene Atkins Barnes Family Lori Beckleheimer Elinor Bedard Beldyk Family Bob & Roxy Benning Gary & Robin Bevins Birge Family The Blackorby Family Tom & Linda Bolen Edwin & Edwina Booth Richard & Sue Boughner Brace Family Bill & Angel Brewer Gerald Brimer & Family The Brimi Family John & Elizabeth Bunker Timothy & Ginger Burke Jan Byers Mr. & Mrs. David Campbell & Family Troy & Jackie Cantrell Colleen & Larry Carignan Cindy & Ray Chan Lynn & John Christ Mr. & Mrs. Art Clancy III and Family The Art Clancy Jr. Family Collette Family Robert, Ian, Lorien Collins Mark & Rita Cook Kathleen Cooksey John & Janet Cooper Jorge Coronel The Cox Family Lonnie & Pam Crosby Marimar Cruz Pete & Cindy Cunningham Ricardo de Leon Michael & Micky DiMeo Arnold Domestico Duane & Debbie Donahoo Family Donahue Family The Doogans Rev. John Dowling Darrell & Julie Drouhard & Family Bill & Stacy Dunn Daniel, Mary Amber, Samuel & Peter Dunn Marieta Davenport & Paul Dunn III Paul & Mary Dunn Peter, Susannah & Thomas Dunn Sarah Dunn Kathryn Elaine Enge Jerry & Suzanne Erpenbach Barbara Evans Sica & Charlotte by Heri Fernandez Family Jo Anne Fluet Frederick Family Kenneth & Maureen Fricke Fuller Family Julia Gartseff John & Deborah Geppi Gleason Family The Goedicke Family Claudia Gonzalez Rosario Gonzalez The Goodwin Family Graff Grams Family Matthew & Lydia Greiner & Family Maurice & Jeanne Guinn Kathy Hackworth Zac, Elizabeth, Anna, John William & Josephine Hargett Heisel Family Hellmann Family Hendershott Family Steven A. Hensley Beverly Heun Hillesheim / Einsiedel Families Ken & Theresa Hodak Beverly Hoffmeister Keith Hood Pam Hoskins John & Annette Hough Peggy Humphreys Robert Humphries Ryan, Leslie, Will & Caroline Hunse Rick & Jean Hutchison Victona Ibairg Nick & Amy Iverson Family Suzanne Jardet Anna Joldersma Richard, Bunnie, Andy, Kathryn, & Amberlee Jones, PJ & Tori Millington Mike & Peggy Kennedy The Kimutis Family Charles Kite & Family Jim & Mary Kois Ron & Delores Kopp Kosnikowski Family

David & Barbara Koss Family Nancy Lamberson Don & Mary Layton Leisy / Manning Families Ana Leon Mark & Jennifer Long Jesus Perez Lopez William, Regina & William Edward Lovelace Deacon Gordy & Fran Lowery Paula Lynch Mangers Family Larry & Donna Martin Martinez - Leos Angela Maxwell Rose Mayfield McGivney Family Janet & Tony McGuire McKenzie Family Ken & Ellen McWhirter Maria Medina Meiners Sandra H. Miles Montgomery Family Gina Moore Juan Morales Julie & Keith Murray Larry & Dorothy Newman Pat Niemann The O’Briens The O’Hara Family Emily Ohmes Lawrence O’Rourke John & Lenore Pacitti & family Pacitti Family Jack & Kathy Passafiume Pawlak Cathy Peacock Pat Pennebaker Phil & Carol Perkins The Perraults Stan & Ellen Pickering Pickering Family Bernet Poczobut David & Patty Powers Carole Price - Sacred Heart Parishoner Roger & Gim Punzalan Bill and Judy Rabensteine Josette & Stanley Rabun Sid & Ida Randall Bill Renaud Gladys Rivera Bob Rutkowski Arturo Sanchez y Amanda Leon Tim & Donna Scripa & Family The Sellers Family Erik & Susan Sharp Bill & Barbara Shero Paul & Ruth Shipp Don & Gretchen Showman Norma Spejewski St. John Paul II Catholic Mission St. Teresa of Kolkata Catholic Church Dan & Beth Stainforth Alice M. Stephens Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Stevens John & Therese Stovall Adrienne & Bob Swindeman Mary Thacker Toman Family Caitlin Trombly Robert C. Varagona The Venafro Family Daniel Viera Julius S. von Clef, III MD Patiricia Owens von Clef, MD John & Gail Marie Walter Jenny Watson Patrick & Penny Westrick & Family The White Family George & Andrea Wignall Betty Williams William C. & Mary Wilson Carmen Ortiz Zepeda Piotr & Joanna Zolnierczuk ChurChes and OrganizatiOns: All Saints Catholic Church Beaver Dam Baptist Church Berean Bible Church Black Oak Heights Baptist Church Blount County Supporters of Life Blount County Pregnancy Resource Center Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Chapel & Hope Resource Center Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church First Lutheran Church Grace Lutheran Church Holy Ghost Catholic Church Holy Trinity Catholic Church Knights of Columbus Our Lady of Fatima 3832 Knoxville Baptist Tabernacle Our Lady of Fatima Council of Catholic Women Our Lady of Fatima Respect Life Committee Park West Church, Young at Heart, RVs for Less, Wisman Family Park West Church Dutch Valley

RIO Network of Churches St. John Neumann Catholic Church St. Mary’s Catholic Church St. Thomas the Apostle Church St. Teresa of Kolkata Catholic Church St. John Paul II Catholic Mission Trinity Community Church & Marble City Baptist Church Wallace Memorial Baptist Church West Park Baptist Church in hOnOr OF: All birthmothers who made the arrangement to place their babies in an adoptive home.

May peace be with them all by Ginger Davis All Mothers by Nadine Freeh All Mothers by Regis Loffman All Saints Parish by Fr. Doug Owens Angelica Ramos by Reyna and Mercedes Ann Gerlach by Pete Gerlach Batriz Trego Trego y Blanca Segura

by Freddy Beatrice Appiah by Fr. John Appiah Bernaldina Guzmas by Familia Diaz Romero Beulah Armetta by Tona Neal Brunilda Marin Valera by Violeta Mercado Carmelina Ramos by Amilcar Cedillo Carmen Suarez by Lucia Correa Carol Delius by the Robson Family Carol Grady by Brad & Alice Handley Catherine Suitor by Dollie Alden Cielo Cardona by Fr. Miguel - her cutest Dawn Gerlach by Pete Gerlach Dollie Hoskins by Pam Hoskins Edward & Irene Roy by Rick & Norma Mathieu Edward Allen by Chris Allen Elizabeth Ann Meyer & Dolly Jean Eilerman

by Mike & Theresa Eilerman Elizabeth by Hamling Family Elizabeth Swierzowski by Duane & Nancy Quayle & Family Ellen C. Pickering by Judy Pickering Elva Hernandez by Rocio Leon Ermila Miranda Gonzalez

by Jaime Vargas and Familia Esmeralda Saldana Pacheco & Soleda Gonzales by Veronica Loredo Esperanza Reyez by Elva Hernande Father Doug Owens

by David & Susan Thompson Fenis Price by William C. Price Fr. Doug Owens by All Saints Parish Gerald Brimer & Family Gladis de Cornejo by Dory Cornejo Gladys Zimmer by Marlene Guerinot Ines Garzon by Blanca and Gloria Segura Inmaculada Ensenat by Sofia Vila Iuz Nelly Gozman - Maria Teresa Lesmes Janet Yousif by Mona Jeanette Simmons & Teresa M. Simmons

by Jace H. Simmons Jennifer, John, Kathryn & David by Mom Joy Winter Juana Calderon by Gladis de Cornejo Kim Pichiarella by Larry Pichiarella Louraine Thew by Robert M. Thew Lucia Gonzalez by Coral Getino Macaria Camacho by Maria Parra Magdalena Morquecho by Juvenal Granados Manuela Duarte by Rolando Duarte Margaret Magner

by Mary & Frank Dale Family Margarita Gomez & Josefina Granados

by Rigoberto & Janie Granados Maria del Carmen Sanchez

by Delfina Rodriguez Michelle Minello by Brandon Miriam Mangers by her thankful children Mis Padres by Familia Rosas Mrs. Hazel Brimi by Bob & Connie Brimi My 7 Grandchildren by Ann R. Johnston Nan O’Hara by Thompson Family Omi Lin by her loving family Oralia Parra by Saira Hercules Orville & Dolores Fisher by Orville Fisher Our Families by Fred & Nell Rachide Patricia von Clef by Kristen von Clef Pattie Rose Oliver Prisciliana Cornejo by Leticia Hernandez Reina Zambrano by Veronica Ramos Reyna Romero by Esposo e Hijos Rita Welsh & Lucille Copeland

by Dan & Nora Welsh Rocio Leon by Hijos y Hijas Shauna Sullins by Kathy Pittman Shea Kraeplin & Judy McDonough

by Janel Bell Stacie Ann Best by Bill & Judy Best Sweeney Family by John & Wilda Sweeney Teresa Vargas Gonzalez by Esperanza Castro Theresa Koesler by Juliana M. Koesler Therese Ocmond by Marsha O. Martin Tony & Habibi Mamone by Fricke Family Tracy, Samuel, Alexis & Kenneth

by Deacon Gordy & Fran Lowery Veronica Ramos by Saira Hercules Victoria Gomez by Olivia Colin

in MeMOrY OF: Adrienne Brown by Daryl E. Brown Aggie Hope by Kristen von Clef Alice Boughner by Eloise Perry All Aborted Babies by Gail Taylor All Aborted Babies

by Richard & Natalie Tabler Alphonse & Loretta Mathieu

by Rick & Norma Mathieu Angela Escamilla by Jorge Hercules Anna May Freeh by Helen A. Freeh Annetta P. Armetta by Tona Neal Bob Hansen by Bill & Deedee Hansen Boyce Ray by Fran Ray Carmen Vengivar by Gladis de Cornejo Cecile Martin by Marsha O. Martin Charlotte & Ed Phillips

by Jennie & Tom Johnson & family Chris Stone by Sue & Walter Stone Conzuelo Ortega Daniel Koelsch by Koelsch Family Scott by Susan Sharp Daphne I. Birch by Anita C. Muratore Deanna Quayle

by Duane & Nancy Quayle & Family Deceased Russos, Lowerys, Tandles, Hinkles

by Deacon Gordy & Fran Lowery Dick & Cristine by William C. Price Donna & Lena by Lynn & Tony Venafro Dorothy Schuster & Martine Manthey

by Schuster Family Dr. Robert J., Barbara, William & Paul

by Bob & Connie Brimi Elizabeth by Colette Souder Elizabeth Clancy Ellen Joy Clancy Ellen Mee by Ann Hill Elvira Rubio Esther & Joseph Ganci by Briggs Filgardo Ecaldre by the Lloyd Family Frances Danos by Janel Bell Francisca Rojas by Maria de Avila George & Ruth Grant by Peggy Burnette Gertrude & Hope by Mary & Bob Blackorby Grace V. Frawley by Jean Payne Helen & Tiffany by Sheila H. Murphy Herman L. Hannel by Jean Hannel Holly Pichiarella by Larry Pichiarella Jack Hancock by Miriam Zimmermann James F. Shular

by J.E. Shular (Sevier County) James Vann Johnston, Sr.

by Patricia Johnston Jane Long & Margaret Brace

by Jim & Connie Brace John Brimer by Virginia & Gerald Brimer Julia by Anna & Mike Jugan Katie Rupert by Christy Jones Kody Law by Bob & Jean Fox Larry DeWine by Kathy DeWine Laura Blalack & Lucille Donahoo

by Duane & Debbie Donahoo Libby Burkhart by Darrell Burkhart Lori Mitrulerich by Pat Nakagawa Marcelina Gomez by Macaria Camacho Margaret Guerinot by Marlene Guerinot Margaret J. Owens by von Clef Family Margaret Mary Santa Paola Margaret Thew by Robert M. Thew Marge Brown by Pam Hoskins Maria Araujo by Juan de Avila Maria Trinidad Ramirez by Veronica Ortega Mariann Thuesen Marie, Leonard, Keith Lehman

by Letha Lehman Martha Moore by Moore Family Mary Borowiak and Hattie Suchomski

by Suchomski Family Mary Pasquini by Jace H. Simmons Michael & Annie Danko by Patricia Danko Michael Chandler by Anne Chandler Michael Thomas by John & Maureen Toman Mom & Dad by Monica Hansen Nicole Woncki by Carolyn Barber Olga Odina Doblado by Karen Servellon Otto & Helen Kopp by the West Family Our Mothers by Lou & Dot LaMarche Patrick J. McCleary by Julie McCleary Pechak & Bokan Family by Bokan Family Phyllis Anne Ide & Marge C. Brown

by Mike & Theresa Eilerman Phyllis Ide by Pam Hoskins Rachel Dawson by Cindy Dawson Robert Hanlon by Carla Hanlon Rose Anne Ward by Bill & Kitty Menhinick Ruth Surdyka by Ted & Cindy Surdyka Salud Morraz by Fernando Chavez Sandra Robson by the Robson Family Sophia Henderlong by Eileen Wells Stephen D. Miller by Jeanne Miller Sweeney Family

by John & Wilda Sweeney Ted Denning The Families of Mark & Jocelyn Brodd Virginia Macher by Christine Williams Wayne Traffas by Charles Walden Wilma Vallone by James Vallone Wilson Powers by Rita L. Powers

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A6 n JUNE 2, 2019

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

Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund now assisting diocesan parishes Home Campaign program makes first distribution of funds to 12 Church ministries that help communities

I

t has been five years since the most ambitious capital campaign in the history of the Diocese of Knoxville began as a mission to strengthen and grow the Catholic Church in East Tennessee.

The Home Campaign helped build the diocese’s new cathedral, a project that received global acclaim. However, construction of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was actually one of five overall components of the Home Campaign.

“The cathedral received a lot of attention, and rightfully so, but the Home Campaign was intended to be more than that,” Bishop Richard F. Stika said.

“We definitely needed a cathedral, but when we brought the idea for the campaign to pastors around the diocese, they requested a wider vision.

Based on their input, the Home Campaign became that, a diocesan-wide effort to grow and strengthen parishes, to fund charity and education, and to give our priests a retirement with dignity,” Bishop Stika added.

The Home Campaign started in August 2014 with four parishes leading the way: All Saints, Knoxville; Sacred Heart Cathedral, Knoxville; St. John Neumann, Farragut; and the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, Chattanooga. It took two years to complete parish participation in the campaign.

“While the Home Campaign officially ended in 2016, the results of the campaign continue to bear fruit all across the diocese today,” said John Deinhart, director of Stewardship and Strategic Planning for the Diocese of Knoxville. “The pledges that were made a few years ago are having a profound and positive impact on our parishes and ministries every day, and they will continue to for many years to come.”

One of the campaign’s components, the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund, was created to accelerate charitable outreach at the parish level. In May, the fund’s board of trustees an-

nounced distributions totaling $51,500 for 2019.

“These are the first distributions made by the Pope Francis Fund, so it’s very significant for that reason,” Mr. Deinhart said. “We hope that these grants will have an accelerating effect for parishes, helping to add to their efforts. This is just the start. The process was new for us and for the parishes. Moving ahead, we hope to be able to distribute at least $100,000 per year to parishes for their charitable projects.” he said.

The matching grants were capped at $5,000. The board of trustees approved 12 requests submitted by parishes for 2019. n The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus: ($1,500) The cathedral parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society is creating a community garden on land currently located at the Catholic Charities of East Tennessee office on Dameron Avenue in Knoxville.

The intent is to provide a garden for an area that is considered low income, and where the homeless and

hungry tend to gravitate, offering fresh vegetables to those in need. n St. Albert the Great, Knoxville: ($3,000) The St. Albert the Great Corporal Works of Mercy Committee coordinates seasonal opportunities assisting children participating in the Mountain Arts Program in Newcomb, Tenn. The parish provides supplies annually to prepare children with new backpacks and other items for the new school year.

With matching funds from the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund, the parish is increasing the number of backpacks and supplies offered.

Additionally, the parish will provide back-to-school food baskets and new items of clothing for participating children. n St. Mary, Gatlinburg: ($4,000) The St. Mary Social Action Committee serves the poor and offers resources that provide stability to families in the Gatlinburg area.

With matching funds from the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund, the committee is expanding the distri-

U.S. Church leaders favor new rules on sexual abuse reporting

By Carol Zimmerman Catholic News Service

U

.S. church leaders welcomed the norms issued by Pope Francis May 9 giving clear direction to the global Catholic Church about reporting abuse and holding Church leaders accountable, saying it confirms what they already have in place and also gives them a way forward.

The document, which among other things, requires all Catholic priests and women religious to report sexual abuse by clergy and Church leaders and provides whistleblower protection for those making allegations, was described as a “blessing that will empower the church everywhere to bring predators to justice,” said Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Other bishops echoed his sentiment, issuing statements and speaking out on Twitter about their gratitude for the pope’s action.

Several said that the norms directly address needed improvements to the Church’s response to abuse by requiring all dioceses around the globe to establish a public, accessible, and reliable system for reporting crimes of clergy sexual abuse and any coverup of abuse within one year.

New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan described the norms as a sign of the pope’s “desire to institute reform, promote healing, and ensure justice” and said they were a “muchneeded and tremendously important step forward for the Church universal.”

For U.S. Church leaders, the pope’s willingness to hold bishops as well as priests accountable was important in light of their own efforts this past year. They have been dealing with the fallout associated with the release of a Pennsylvania grand jury report last summer detailing hundreds of allegations of abuse over a 70-year TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C A T HO L I C

period and the defrocking of one of their own earlier this year — Theodore McCarrick, a former cardinal and retired archbishop of Washington, D.C. — in the wake of credible abuse allegations.

Last fall, U.S. bishops had planned to vote on their response to the clergy sex abuse crisis during their general assembly in Baltimore, but they didn’t do so at the urging of the Vatican, which had asked them to wait until after the February summit on clergy abuse with the pope and presidents of the bishops’ conferences around the world.

Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley said the pope’s document, Vos estis lux mundi (You are the light of the world), was a fulfillment of Pope Francis’ pledge at the Vatican’s February summit on protection of minors to provide “concrete measures” to respond to the clergy sexual abuse crisis in the Church.

At the end of the February meeting, the Vatican promised to provide direction for how bishops and religious superiors should handle abuse allegations and how they should prepare the relevant documents for the doctrinal congregation when an accusation is found to be credible.

Now that the global Church has the required steps they need to follow in front of them in terms of abuse response, U.S. Church leaders are determined to discuss their implementation of the norms at their upcoming June meeting in Baltimore.

Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich said in a May 9 statement that the new rule “validates many of the procedures already in place in the Archdiocese of Chicago and in the United States” but it also “provides a framework for the bishops in this country to adopt measures at our June meeting that will both implement the pope’s executive order and address the issue of holding everyone

By Jim Wogan

bution of food and hygiene delivery bags and is assisting Latino families with life skill classes, assistance to attend English classes, and to help them better understand the need for personal documents and how to retain them as well as information to assist with health-care needs. n St. Alphonsus, Crossville: ($5,000) St. Alphonsus Community Services and parishioners volunteer time and money to the local Bread of Life Mission, which provides meals and shelter for those in need. St. Alphonsus will expand its current volunteer efforts to help cover the cost of providing meals and will coordinate with volunteers to serve meals.

With matching funds from the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund, the parish estimates it can now provide $200 per week to purchase food items for those in need. n St. Teresa of Kolkata, Maynardville: ($5,000) St. Teresa of Kolkata helps those in need in Union and Grainger counties by assisting with utility bills, rent, and other special requests such as household items.

With matching funds from the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund, the parish will expand its current outreach to assist with larger medical bills as well as items for children such as new winter coats, school supplies, and children’s beds. n Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Chattanooga: ($5,000) The parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society is the only one of its kind in the Chattanooga area. It serves those in need by assisting with housing, water, electricity, and food requests. Need is assessed through in-person home visits, with 977 people served last year.

The parish has been unable to meet all requests in previous years. OLPH will use matching funds from the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund to expand its reach. n Church of the Good Shepherd, Newport: ($5,000) The St. Vincent Trust continued on page A15

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JUNE 2, 2019 n A7

Postulant-to-be shares a love story that promises to change her life Notre Dame student professes commitment to Jesus, Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma as she declares her vocation

BILL BREWER

E

rica Pereira is changing her relationship status.

And what a relationship she now is in.

On Aug. 1, the University of Notre Dame student, who has spent the past two years in the Diocese of Knoxville doing mission work, will enter the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich., as a postulant.

In doing so, she fulfills a dream of committing herself to Jesus for a lifetime of ministry in service to Him. She gushes when speaking His name, listing a number of personal encounters with Him that assured her He was the one.

“This is a love story. This is a response out of love,” Ms. Pereira shared in telling her vocation story. “Our natural desire is marriage. But is God calling you to a supernatural relationship? As a religious, you are an image of Christ’s relationship with His Church. You are his bride as the Church is His bride.

“And he makes it very clear when there is so much joy and peace. It’s like how did you know you were supposed to marry your wife or husband? There’s so much peace and joy in that. Since He’s created my heart to love Him this way, that is where my joy will be because Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.”

Ms. Pereira explained that her

Following her heart Erica Pereira, who has spent the past two years working with young adults in the Diocese of Knoxville, will be entering the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich., as a postulant this summer. parents have played a big part in her Christian formation, especially her father, who was Catholic and introduced her to the faith as a very young girl. Her father, who immigrated to the United States from Nicaragua in the 1970s, died from cancer at the age of 47 when she was just 16. Her mother was born in Canada, and her maternal grandparents are from Great Britain.

“My dad’s death was a turning point for me in my faith experience. That was an own-it moment.

When he passed away I encountered God’s loving care through

ents that in one way or another serve Neophytes continued from page A4 ago. We continue to bear the shame of as the teachings of Jesus,” he said. these transgressions. Church leader“Hopefully my leadership over the ship in the United States, especially past 10 years in the Diocese of Knoxsince 2002, has demonstrated a firm ville has stimulated a sense of a call commitment to correcting these past to holiness. Do you know where I lomistakes. cate a lot of my spiritual energy, and “The News Sentinel article cited a re- who I pray for every time I pray? The cent Gallup poll showing an increase people I’m supposed to smell like. in the number of Catholics who say Because you teach me by your comthey are mitment to considering the Church, leaving the your comChurch due mitment to to the abuse the world in crisis. Anwhich we ecdotally, it live, a comalso shared mitment—a the views sense of of some purpose— around the that is country given to us who have to remind expressed us that we uncertainty are called about why to love, to they concare for, to tinue to Hear our prayer People attending the Sending of accept the worship as the Neophytes Mass kneel and pray during Com- goodness Catholics. munion for the new Catholics being sent forth. of other Remarkably, people. despite the murky picture painted That’s what we celebrate when we by this article, I remain encouraged celebrate the gifts and graces of the by the strength, resolve, and faithfulsacraments.” ness of the Church and the millions The bishop pointed out that we of Catholics who fill the pews during all want to get to heaven and that the celebration of Mass in the United God does not want us to fail in any States each week. Our Church is alive endeavor. and vibrant and continues to grow.”

“Genesis reminds us that we’re all Nowhere is that growth more evicreated in the image, the likeness of dent than in the Diocese of Knoxville, God. But Jesus, during the time that which has been recognized for an he walked on Earth—during those 33 explosion of Catholic faith, evidenced years—he witnessed people. He witby new parishes and a new cathedral nessed the interaction of people. He in addition to healthy numbers of listened and watched, listened and converts. watched. He knew that it is difficult to Speaking to the neophytes, Bishop be a human many times when we’re Stika emphasized that as they are faced with difficulties and tragedies now one with the Church, he is one and challenges that seem insurmountwith them. And as their shepherd, able. That’s why Jesus promises the he will watch over them and pray gifts of the Holy Spirit,” he continued. for them as they go forth to witness Noting that the neophytes are now about Jesus Christ. confirmed, he said they will celebrate He referred to the day’s Gospel Pentecost, when a gust of wind came reading from John 10:27-30: “My upon people who were nervous and sheep hear my voice: and I know fearful because they felt their humanthem, and they follow me. And I give ity, yet when they received the Holy them life everlasting; and they shall Spirit they left the Upper Room and not perish forever, and no man shall greeted the world in the name of pluck them out of my hand. That Jesus. which my Father hath given me, “I do believe in the depths of my is greater than all: and no one can heart that one of the fruits of the Holy snatch them out of the hand of my Spirit is you being here today. You see, Father. I and the Father are one.” the Church has survived a lot. It’s alHe then noted that Pope Francis, ways confronted with something beearlier in his pontificate, said a bishop cause humans can really mess up. It’s should smell like the sheep. part of our condition. Yet the Church “Do you all smell? Hopefully you survives, and proclaims, and believes, smell of grace, charity, of compassion, and teaches the teachings of Jesus, love, forgiveness. All of those ingredi- especially teaching of the Eucharist A8 n JUNE 2, 2019

the family and friends who supported us. I realized that wow, God wants a relationship with me.

He wants to love me and I want to love him,” she said.

After high school, Ms. Pereira attended Notre Dame as an undergraduate, earning a bachelor’s degree in theology and psychology.

She will receive a master’s degree in theology from Notre Dame at the end of June after completing the two-year Echo program, which forms lay leaders for service in the Church.

As part of the Echo program, as the Second Vatican Councils says is the greatest form of worship that exists for us—it is the summit. That’s what we celebrate today.

“I welcome you to the Diocese of Knoxville, to the Catholic Church, to people who express their faith throughout East Tennessee and the world. For Mass is celebrated, sometimes on the hood of a jeep in Afghanistan, or in the coldest place in the world in Siberia, or somewhere in the desert. Every moment of every day somewhere the great sacrifice that we call the Eucharist, the holy Sacrifice of the Mass is celebrated because of the commission of Jesus—do this in

w ww.di o k no x .o rg

By Bill Brewer

she worked in the Diocese of Knoxville Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry. She was joined in the diocese by two classmates: Casey de Franceaux, who has served as a middle school religion teacher at Sacred Heart Cathedral School, and Kasey Ross, who has assisted with youth ministry and catechesis at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City.

It was the first time Notre Dame’s Echo program has been in the Diocese of Knoxville, and Ms. Pereira believes that was another example of God at work in her life.

Although she had never been in East Tennessee, the Diocese of Knoxville piqued her interest as an Echo destination.

“Knoxville was my first choice because I had never lived in the South before, and I was looking for a new adventure. Also, I love to hike and it was near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” she said.

Her appointment to Knoxville set in motion a series of events she is confident God laid before her on her path to religious life with the Religious Sisters of Mercy.

Born in Philadelphia, the 24-year-old has lived in Brazil, spent time in Santiago, Chile, and speaks Spanish fluently. Her family now lives in Midland, Mich.

While her Midland home is 37 Postulant continued on page A17

memory of Me,” he said.

Bishop Stika then commissioned them as Jesus commissioned all of us, to be the face, the heart, the hands, and the feet of Jesus, and to see in others the presence of God. “I’m one with you. Pray for me as I pray for you. Pray for the world.

Pray for the Catholic Church that is persecuted throughout the world, where churches are destroyed and people are killed because they believe in Jesus. Be open to Jesus’ love. Be open to the Holy Spirit. Pray for the intercession of the angels and saints, especially in the name of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” he concluded. ■

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

Bishop Stika ordains priests for Glenmary Home Missioners Father Aketch, Father Toboso will serve in dioceses of Knoxville and Nashville for the Cincinnati-based religious order

B

Confession continued from page A5

explained. “For that reason, a priest is absolutely — meaning there are no exceptions — forbidden from revealing the sins of a penitent.”

This belief is foundational to Catholic teaching, which existed for centuries before the United States was founded, the priest noted. And it has long been upheld by courts and civil authorities.

In 1813, Father Pietrzyk said, the New York Court of General Sessions stated, “To decide that the minister shall promulgate what he receives in confession, is to declare that there shall be no penance; and this important branch of the Roman Catholic religion would be thus annihilated.”

In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged, “The priest-penitent privilege recognizes the human need to disclose to a spiritual counselor, in total and absolute confidence, what are believed to be flawed acts or thoughts and to receive priestly consolation and guidance in return.”

Given the religious and historical context of the seal of confession, California’s proposal should alarm all Americans, Father Pietrzyk said.

“To force individuals to choose between the most sacrosanct part of their religious beliefs and imprisonment is what the Bill of Rights was entirely meant to avoid.”

California lawmakers will vote on the amended bill that still would require priests to violate the seal of confession in certain limited circumstances. An amended text of the bill passed the Senate appropriations’ committee May 16.

The bill, as amended, would require priests to report to law enforcement knowledge or suspicion of child abuse gained from hearing the sacramental confessions of other priests or co-workers.

The bill originally would have required California priests to violate the seal of confession anytime they gained knowledge or suspicion of TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C A T HO L I C

mega, Kenya. He is the fourth of eight children. His mother provided a constant example, the family valued community prayer, and his brother introduced him to altar serving. As a young boy, Father Toboso looked up to a missionary priest from Ireland who served in Kakamega. Despite the struggles of missionaries, the priest was a role model, in part inspiring him to pursue missionary life.

Early in the ceremony, Glenmary president Father Chet Ar-

tysiewicz called the then-deacons forward. When he announced their names, they replied, “present.” Bishop Stika expanded on that moment in his homily.

“Everything you are. Everything you have been. Every experience that is a part of your life; family and friends from different parts of the world, in one dramatic moment were contained in that word, ‘present,’” Bishop Stika said.

“Because now you present yourselves before the Church, to be of service for the Church. And not as a building, but service of the Church as the living body of Christ,” he added.

The Rite of Ordination saw the men answer questions about their willingness to take on the obligations of priesthood, kneel before the bishop to make promises of obedience, lie prostrate on the floor while invoking the prayer of the saints, and the laying on of hands by Bishop Stika. The assembled priests, which included Glenmarians and others who came to support the ordinands, then laid hands as well.

Fathers Toboso and Aketch removed their deacon’s vestment and were vested as priests. The bishop anointed their hands with sacred chrism oil and presented them with a chalice and paten as symbols of their new office. After the sign of peace, the Mass continued with the newly ordained joining as concelebrants.

Following communion a choir sang “Moyo Wangu Wamtukuza Bwana,” which is Swahili for “My Heart Glorifies the Lord.” The congregation clapped along as the newly ordained priests were joined by others in a dance as is commonly seen in Kenya worship.

The new priests concelebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving together Sunday at St. Matthias Church in Cincinnati before returning to the missions.

To learn more about the Glenmary Home Missioners, visit Glenmary.org. ■

abuse in that country.

The Royal Commission report suggests that there should be no exemption from abuse reporting for religious confession. While the commission’s executive summary states that “the practice of the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) contributed... to inadequate institutional responses to abuse,” it does not provide data detailing the frequency of that contribution.

Sen. Hill’s office did not respond to follow-up questions about that report, or about whether the senator considers attorney-client privilege,

which is not challenged by the bill, to represent a potential problem of equal proportions.

Archbishop Gomez, for his part, called Catholics and lawmakers to try other approaches to fighting the child abuse in California.

“Even as amended, SB 360 remains an unacceptable violation of our religious freedoms that will do nothing to protect children. As a Catholic community, let us continue to work with lawmakers for a bill that truly advances our shared goals of fighting the scourge of child sexual abuse in our society,” he wrote. ■

JOHN STEGEMAN/GLENMARY HOME MISSIONERS (2)

ishop Richard F. Stika added two men to the ranks of the holy priesthood on April 27, priests whose first assignments for the Glenmary Home Missioners will be in Tennessee.

The Diocese of Nashville and the Diocese of Knoxville, which has a long-standing relationship with Glenmary and its mission of starting churches in rural areas, will be the first homes for Father Charles Aketch and Father Richard Toboso.

Glenmary is a Catholic society of priests and brothers based in Cincinnati that serves parts of Appalachia and the South where the Church is not yet well established.

The society serves three parishes in the Diocese of Knoxville.

While they will serve parishes in Tennessee for a time, their ordinations took place hundreds of miles from the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville.

Father Toboso will serve as associate pastor at St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish in Maynardville, and Father Aketch will fill the same role at Holy Family Parish in Lafayette in the Diocese of Nashville.

Bishop Stika presided at the ordination Mass, which was celebrated at St. John Neumann Church in Cincinnati.

Glenmary Father Steve Pawelk, pastor of St. Teresa of Kolkata and St. John Paul II Catholic Mission in Rutledge, arranged a charter bus that carried more than 70 parishioners from Maynardville and Rutledge to the ordination.

Also attending were Glenmary Father Tom Charters, pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Erwin; Glenmary brothers Craig Digmann, Ken Woods, Tom Sheehy, and Joe Steen, who serve in East Tennessee; Father Bart Okere, pastor of St. Henry Parish in Rogersville and St. James the Apostle Parish in Sneedville; and Deacon Larry Rossini, who serves at St. Teresa of Kolkata. Glenmary lay missioner Kathy O’Brien of Erwin attended as well.

During his homily, Bishop Stika

Brothers in Christ Bishop Richard F. Stika presides at the ordination of Father Charles Aketch and Father Richard Toboso April 27 in Cincinnati.

The new Glenmary Home Missioners priests will serve in Tennessee. spoke to the ordinands and faithful, exhorting them to help each other.

“In the name of the people of God you are now called to serve, teach us. Witness to us. Help us to believe deeper and deeper,” he said. “And to the people of God, pray for these your brothers, that they might be successful. Success as a priest means to grow in holiness and maybe one day become a saint.”

The newly ordained priests have come a long way to serve in the U.S. Home Missions. Father Aketch and Father Toboso made their way from Africa to the United States to carry out their ministry.

Father Aketch is from Kisumu, Kenya, where he learned to value community life from living with his parents and seven siblings. He attended Mass regularly with his grandmother, whose faith served as a strong example. After training for some years with another Catholic community, he found a passion for Glenmary’s way of missionary life and started over, desiring to serve the people of the rural South and Appalachia in the United States.

Father Toboso grew up in a strong Catholic family in Kakachild abuse from hearing the confession of any penitent.

In a May 20 statement, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles said the bill remains “an unacceptable violation of our religious freedoms that will do nothing to protect children.”

As amended, he said, “SB 360 still denies the sanctity of confession to every priest in the state and to thousands of Catholics who work with priests in parishes and other Church agencies and ministries.”

According to Angelus News, more than 1,300 people contacted California state senators before the May 16 hearing on the bill, encouraging senators not to require priests to violate the confessional seal. Gomez expressed gratitude for those calls.

Clergy in California are already required to report knowledge or suspicion of child abuse in most circumstances, though penitential conversations like sacramental confession are exempted, as are other kinds of privileged conversations, including those covered by attorneyclient privilege.

Sen. Hill has claimed that “the clergy-penitent privilege has been abused on a large scale, resulting in the unreported and systemic abuse of thousands of children across multiple denominations and faiths.”

The senator has claimed that such abuse has been revealed through “recent investigations by 14 attorneys general, the federal government, and other countries.”

In response to questions from Catholic News Agency about those investigations, Sen. Hill’s office provided two resources to CNA. One was a news article from PBS reporting that several states have undertaken investigations into clerical sexual abuse, but not explicitly mentioning abuse of the sacrament or seal of confession.

The other was a 2017 report from Australia’s Royal Commission, appointed to investigate child sexual

By John Stegeman

Welcome to the order of priests Bishop Stika greets Father Charles Aketch and Father Richard Toboso during their ordination Mass for the Glenmary Home Missioners.

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JUNE 2, 2019 n A9

God’s joy is abundant as KDCCW holds annual convention in Oak Ridge Fr. Dan Whitman, keynote speaker Kelly Wahlquist encourage diocesan women to be God’s joyful witness to the world

Pope continued from page A7

in the church accountable.”

The U.S. bishops have a boilerplate to begin further work in response to the abuse crisis, but they also know from the pope’s document that they are hardly alone in directly confronting this problem.

A10 n JUNE 2, 2019

EMILY BOOKER (2)

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eflecting God’s Joy was the theme of the Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women’s 30th annual convention, and joy was visible among the women attending.

The convention was held April 4-5 at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge.

Father Dan Whitman, pastor of Notre Dame Parish in Greeneville who also serves as the KDCCW spiritual adviser, celebrated the opening Mass on April 4. Concelebrants were Father Joseph Brando, Father Ron Franco, CSP, and Father Robert O’Donnell, CSP. Deacon Gary Sega served as deacon of the Word. The young people’s choir of St. Mary’s provided music.

“Christ wants us to be a joyful people of God,” Father Whitman said in his homily. “We cannot reflect what we do not have. How are we going to allow that joy to enter our hearts, let it be a part of our lives and our choices?”

He encouraged the women to find joy in Christ so that they may reflect it to others.

“So in the two days we have together, enjoy each other’s company and friendship, and take it home and be a change in the parish, my family, my friends, my neighborhood, my school. Everywhere you go, be a joyful witness of Jesus,” he said.

At the end of Mass was a remembrance of deceased women of the CCW in the diocese from the past year. Each deanery president held a candle as names of the deceased were read. A banquet was held in the school gymnasium where Father Whitman was presented an oversized check that showed the number of volunteer hours women in the dio-

Tapping in to the Holy Spirit Keynote speaker Kelly Wahlquist gives her address to the Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women at the group’s annual convention in Oak Ridge in April.

Paul and Minneapolis.

She is the founder of WINE, a ministry that aims to invigorate Catholic parishes through inspiring, supporting, and nurturing women and by equipping and mobilizing women as intentional disciples of Christ.

“Evangelization is about love,” she said.

In service to God Father Dan Whitman, spiritual “It’s about loving the adviser for the KDCCW, and KDCCW past pres- Lord your God with all ident Karen Vacaliuc present a check for service your heart, all your soul, hours the organization has contributed. and all your strength, and loving that person cese have given, totaling 394,136. right across from you Keynote speaker Kelly Wahlquist enough to share that love.” spoke to the women on “Why the Women, Ms. Wahlquist said, are Church Needs WINE: Women in the made “radically relational,” with New Evangelization.” gifts that facilitate relationships. This Ms. Wahlquist is an author and makes each woman equipped to speaker from the Archdiocese of St. share her story with others and meet Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, N.J., pointed out on Twitter May 9 that the pope’s new rule reflected his belief “that a worldwide problem demands solutions that apply to the whole church” and “having this new law already available in seven languages is a good start!”

Susan Reynolds, assistant professor of Catholic Studies at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, echoed this view.

She said the norms “offer a global response to a global crisis,” noting that one of the challenges of February’s Vatican summit on abuse was

www.di o k no x .o rg

By Emily Booker

others where they are.

“We have to meet people where they’re at and tell them what God has done for us. How did the Holy Spirit change your life when you were sobbing on the floor in the middle of the night? How did Jesus come to you when you were suffering?

How? We have to tell people that.

Tell people your story. People love to hear a story,” she said.

She encouraged women to grow in their trust of the Holy Spirit and dive into Scripture.

Women played a large role in salvation history and in evangelization, she pointed out. God came into the world incarnate through his mother, Mary. Elizabeth was the first person to proclaim the incarnation when she exclaimed, “Who am I, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Mary Magdalene was the first person to proclaim the resurrection when she said, “I have seen the risen Lord.”

“So I want to encourage you to tap into this, to recognize you have been given an incredible mission,” Ms. Wahlquist said.

“You’ve been given great gifts in order to accomplish that, just in being a woman, that you are radically relational, and that you do have these gifts. Tap into the Holy Spirit, call on him to help you. Go to Scripture.

Fall in love with the Lord so you can share him with the people you are sitting next to,” she added.

She concluded by encouraging the KDCCW. “Ladies, pray to the Holy Spirit to impregnate you with that spirit of the Gospel, because right now, more than ever, the world needs women in the New Evangelization for such a time as this.” ■ that for years “clergy sexual abuse has been erroneously regarded by many in the church as a Western problem” with Church leaders in many parts of the world saying clergy sexual abuse was “simply not occurring in their countries or regions.” ■

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

Abby Johnson film arrives Unplanned in Diocese of Knoxville Catholic protagonist of popular book and movie delivers pro-life message at St. Mary Church in Athens

in February 1968 after he turned down a seat on a transport helicopter, allowing a soldier who was carrying mail to go on ahead of him.

Mr. Rouse said his uncle had decided he would wait for the next transport but that moments after the helicopter left the bunker was attacked. Eight men died when a mortar exploded.

Soon afterward, Father Frank Brett volunteered for the Army.

Father Frank Brett was ordained in 1959 at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville before settling in East Tennessee to teach at Knoxville Catholic High School. He also served at Sacred Heart and Immaculate Conception parishes in Knoxville and at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa and as a hospital chaplain before beginning his military career by being assigned to the battlefield in Vietnam in 1969 and 1970. Leaving the war zone, he was assigned as a chaplain around the world.

For his military service, Father Frank Brett received the Bronze Star for valor. He also received the Legion of Merit, the Army Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

Father Robert Brett was ordained in 1963 and began his ministry in Bedford, Ohio. He taught high school for several years but decided to join the Army chaplaincy after hearing of the dangers the troops faced in Vietnam. He graduated from Naval Chaplaincy School and Center in Rhode Island in 1967 and was sent to the battle front.

After his death, Father Robert Brett

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

EMILY BOOKER (2)

Chaplains continued from page A1

stopped. After several minutes, band members began a rendition of “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty” as members of an honor guard removed the box with Father Frank Brett’s remains and carried it to a table at the foot of the hill.

Other members of the honor guard ceremoniously unfolded an American flag, holding it above Father Frank Brett’s remains as prayers were offered by Father Matthew Whitehead, an Army chaplain, and Augustinian Father Daniel McLaughlin, a family member from Philadelphia.

Bishop Stika followed, offering words of reflection that described Father Frank Brett’s commitment to country and to education in the Diocese of Knoxville.

After a closing prayer, the flag was refolded and presented to family members to conclude the ceremony.

Afterward, Bishop Stika told CNS he wanted to attend the ceremony because of Father Frank Brett’s deep connections with the Church in East Tennessee.

“He taught for a long time at our high school,” the bishop said, “and he is still remembered with great fondness and affection by so many of the students that he taught.”

Bishop Stika credited Father Frank Brett for designating that his estate would benefit Catholic education in the diocese and enable young people from poor families to attend Catholic school.

“So he continues his work in education,” the bishop said.

Father Frank Brett retired as a lieutenant colonel in the Army in 1998 after a 30-year career that found him serving in Okinawa; Texas; Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.; Hawaii; Florida; the Netherlands; and Germany.

He entered the military chaplaincy, following in the footsteps of his younger brother, Father Robert Brett, who voluntarily entered the Navy in 1967, much to the chagrin of his mother.

After retiring from the Army, Father Frank Brett returned to Knoxville to minister at a parish.

Mr. Rouse earlier told The East Tennessee Catholic newspaper that “Uncle Bob” originally was buried at the Marist seminary in Penndel, Pa., which he had attended, before his body was moved to Arlington in 1998.

Father Robert died at age 32 in a bunker during the battle of Khe Sanh

Sharing her story Abby Johnson delivers a talk April 11 at St. Mary Church in Athens about her experience as a Planned Parenthood official and her conversion of heart to be a staunch supporter of pro-life efforts.

Greetings from East Tennessee Bishop Richard F. Stika and Father John Orr, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Athens, welcome Abby Johnson and thank her for sharing her pro-life story.

been told by family and friends that abortion was an option.

“When she found out she was pregnant and she went to family and friends and people in her church looking for advice, looking for support, for help in this very difficult situation, many of them told her, “‘Well this is

the one time when abortion is OK. This is that one exception.’ But she very graciously responded, ‘It’s either a baby all of the time, or it’s a baby none of the time.’ She had to continually remind people that God doesn’t make mistakes,” Ms. Johnson said.

Unplanned continued on page A12

On to Chaplains Hill The caisson of Father Francis “Frank” Brett is carried to Chaplains Hill at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C., on April 24. The cremated remains of Father Brett, a priest of the Diocese of Knoxville and longtime Army chaplain, were buried in the same gravesite of his brother, Father Robert Brett, a Navy chaplain who was killed while serving in Vietnam in 1968. was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Legion of Merit. A building at the Rhode Island chaplaincy school is named in his honor.

The legacy of Father Frank Brett lives on in East Tennessee after two of his nephews presented a check for $265,000 from the late priest’s estate to go toward tuition support in the Diocese of Knoxville.

Mr. Rouse, Father Brett’s oldest nephew, and his younger brother Tim Rouse presented the check to the diocese in November 2018, and the funds are being used for scholarships for children who are underprivileged to go to diocesan schools. ■ Contributing to this story was Dan McWilliams, assistant editor of The East Tennessee Catholic.

THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC ARCHIVE PHOTO

hear.”

Unplanned, which came out this spring, is based on Ms. Johnson’s story as a former Planned Parenthood worker turned pro-life advocate. The movie gained mainstream audience attention and box-office success despite the obstacles of an R-rating for its detailed and realistic depictions of abortions and lack of support from the mainstream movie industry.

According to Father John Orr, pastor of St. Mary Parish, the movie theater in Athens was not planning to show Unplanned until pro-life groups arranged a one-night showing on both screens.

“It was sold out,” he said.

Ms. Johnson’s story of conversion to the pro-life movement resonates with people, and she uses her story to help draw others to the movement.

“I’ve always been very vulnerable and honest with the way that I talk, so people already felt like they knew me just from reading my book [Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader’s EyeOpening Journey Across the Life Line], and it’s probably a little more so now with the film out. They are seeing this very intimate display of my life, and seeing it visually probably just creates even more of that feeling of closeness,” Ms. Johnson explained.

That vulnerability and honesty was evident at the luncheon, where Ms. Johnson shared from her own experiences.

At the time of the luncheon, Ms. Johnson was 33 weeks pregnant with her eighth child. One of her children joined her family through adoption, she explained. The birth mother had

CNS PHOTO/TYLER ORSBURN

T

he movie Unplanned made an unscheduled appearance at Athens’ movie theater this spring. And it was a one-night sensation when the film’s real-life champion, pro-life author and speaker Abby Johnson, brought her message on creating a culture that values all human life, including children in the womb, to the town.

Ms. Johnson, who is Catholic, was in Athens at the invitation of pro-life supporters of all faiths who enthusiastically greeted her message and the movie about her life.

She spoke to a full house at the Full Circle Luncheon April 11 at St. Mary Church in Athens, which opened with the attendees singing “How Great Thou Art.” Bishop Richard F. Stika welcomed Ms. Johnson and the film that has received widespread support as well as opposition.

“St. Mary here in Athens is always a very hospitable parish, is always open to welcoming people of all faith traditions as I do today,” he said.

He prayed, “Father, we gather together on this beautiful day that you have given to us. In some ways it’s also a very sober day in which we are reminded of an evil and abomination that exists in our world and especially in our country. But the resurrection promises us life itself, that we, like Jesus, can triumph over sin and evil.

“We pray that through the intercession of the angels and saints, but especially through Jesus, that this country might once again turn away from evil and turn toward you, Father. We also pray for Abby, who shares a message that the world so desperately needs to

By Emily Booker

Chaplains Brett n Rev. Robert

Raymond Brett Chaplain Lieutenant, U.S. Navy Vietnam Born: Jan. 3, 1936 Died: Feb. 22, 1968

n Rev. Francis

Xavier Brett Chaplain Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army Vietnam Born: March 11, 1931 Died: Dec. 18, 2017

FR. FRANK BRETT

n Ordination: Father Robert

In memory Father Frank Brett in 2000 shows a rubbing he made with his brother’s name from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. He and his brother are laid to rest together at Arlington National Cemetery. www.di o k no x .o rg

Brett was ordained to the priesthood in 1962. Father Frank Brett was ordained to the priesthood in 1959 n Home: The brothers were raised in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Grays Ferry n Buried: The brothers are buried in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., on Chaplains Hill

JUNE 2, 2019 n A11

Knights of Columbus elect Michael McCusker as next State Deputy Former Immaculate Conception parishioner to succeed Tracy Staller of Holy Family Parish in Seymour

ANDY TELLI/TENNESSEE REGISTER

M

ichael McCusker followed the example of his grandfather and his fellow parishioners at Immaculate Conception Church in Knoxville into the Knights of Columbus.

“They were always a presence,” Mr. McCusker said of the Knights.

His grandfather had been a Knight in Philadelphia, and “I wanted to be like him and the guys at Immaculate Conception.”

His path has taken him to the order’s highest office at the state level. Mr. McCusker, a parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi Church in the Memphis suburb of Cordova, is the State Deputy-elect of the Tennessee Knights of Columbus.

He was elected during the Knights’ state convention, held May 3-5 at the Franklin Marriott at Cool Springs Hotel in Franklin. Mr. McCusker will succeed Tracy Staller of Holy Family Church in Seymour, who is finishing his two-year term in the office.

“I love the camaraderie,” Mr. McCusker said of the Knights, the largest organization of Catholic lay men in the world. “It has replaced for me that bond I had with my brothers in the military.”

Mr. McCusker, who is an assistant district attorney for Shelby County, retired as a major after serving 21 years in the Tennessee Army National Guard, including a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Mr. McCusker joined the Knights at 18 years old and rose to the office of Deputy Grand Knight of Council 645 in Knoxville while still a college student. After college he moved to Memphis to attend law school.

He transferred his membership to Council 9317 at St. Francis of Assisi Church and again rose through the ranks to become Grand Knight of the council, which at the time was the largest in the state.

At the urging of past State Deputy Bob Rounsefell, Mr. McCusker ran for state office, rising through the state offices of warden, advocate, treasurer, and secretary before his election as the next State Deputy.

“Bob Rounsefell was my mentor.

Still is my mentor,” Mr. McCusker said. “He’s the one who told me I

Taking up the mantle Outgoing State Deputy Tracy Staller, left, congratulates State Deputy-elect Michael McCusker at the Tennessee Knights of Columbus state convention in Franklin May 3-5.

Mr. Laufenberg

Mr. Markiewicz

needed to be a state officer.”

Mr. McCusker will be installed as the State Deputy by Supreme Knight Carl Anderson during the organizational meeting of state deputies in New Haven, Conn., this month.

One of the priorities for Mr. McCusker will be to maintain the momentum of recruiting new members that has been generated under Mr. Staller’s term.

He noted that the recruiting success has come during a time when the Catholic Church is under attack and facing many problems.

“The state this year has 605 new members,” Mr. McCusker said. “In

Mr. Pelton

Mr. Zwissler

times so bad for the Catholic Church, we had 605 men step up wanting to be part of the faith.”

The key to the success has been helping men deepen their relationship with Christ, according to Mr. McCusker.

“Tracy has done a great job of being Christ-centered” in the Knights’ programming, he said.

Mr. McCusker wants councils to be service-oriented but also evangelizers of the Catholic faith.

The approach the state has adopted under Mr. Staller’s leadership has fit well with the international order’s Faith in Action program,

As Knights, what are we first and foremost? We’re Catholic.

Every day I try to grow closer to Christ. If that’s my goal, putting Him first is what I have to do in my life and that’s what we have to do first as Knights because that’s the goal of every man on this journey.

— Tracy Staller

A12 n JUNE 2, 2019

designed to integrate Knights more deeply into the life of their parishes, Mr. McCusker said.

“We fully embraced it,” Mr. McCusker said of the Faith in Action program. “We saw it as an opportunity to help … men strengthen their faith life and re-energize them in their parish and family. We did that by making it all about faith.”

Mr. McCusker plans to reorganize the structure of the recruitment efforts. Instead of appointing separate recruitment and retention chairs, he plans to create a membership office with a staff that will address recruitment and retention so efforts are better coordinated.

He also will concentrate on building a strong programming team “so it’s not just one guy doing all the work.”

Mr. McCusker wants to improve communications within the order.

“We’re going to find a better way to communicate with the Hispanic community about why it’s important to be a member of the Knights of Columbus,” he said, making the case that the Knights can help them build “a strong foundation of faith for them and their family.”

Mr. McCusker’s duties in the District Attorney General’s Office changed June 1 when he became the office’s liaison with the Memphis Police Department, helping them as they build cases, as well as serving as the liaison with community groups. The new responsibilities give him more time to devote to his work with the Knights, he said.

Mr. McCusker’s wife, Theresa, also is an assistant district attorney in Shelby County. They have two children, Joseph, 15, and Meredith, 12.

Elected with Mr. McCusker were state officers: Fred Laufenberg of Council 16088 of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Fairfield Glade as State Secretary; Bill Markiewicz of Council 4572 at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland as State Treasurer; Eric Pelton of Council 8576 at St. Jude Church in Chattanooga as State Advocate; and David Zwissler of Council 9317 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Cordova as State Knights continued on page A17

EMILY BOOKER

Unplanned continued from page A11

The birth mother made plans for the baby to be adopted, but just two weeks before her due date the family backed out because of a prognosis that the baby might have hearing damage.

Another family was called and turned down the baby because he was biracial.

Ms. Johnson heard about this woman through a friend and felt called to step in and accept this child.

Two weeks later, Ms. Johnson and her husband flew out to meet their new son. They named him Jude.

“I have to think there were times when she felt very desperate,” Ms. Johnson said of the birth mother. “Her innocent, unborn child was being rejected three times in the womb, before he was even born: once because of how he was conceived, then again because of a possible hearing deficiency— which he doesn’t even have, by the way—and again because of the color of his skin. When I think about Jude, I think about his life and truly what a miracle it is that he’s with us today.”

Ms. Johnson worked at Planned Parenthood for eight years. It was a desire to help people, to provide health care to low-income women, that led to her working there.

“It was really what I didn’t know that led me in the doors of the abortion industry,” she said. “And I truly believe that it is what women in our society today do not know that also leads them in the doors of these abortion facilities. It’s what they don’t know about their bodies, their fertility, their unborn child, the abortion procedure itself, and it’s really about what they don’t know about the radical mercy of Christ that leads them in those doors.”

Yet the longer she was in the industry the more she grew from naively believing that working for Planned Parenthood helped women to understanding that Planned Parenthood is a business focused on profit and fulfill-

By Andy Telli/Tennessee Register

Signing day Abby Johnson signs copies of her popular book “Unplanned,” which was made into a movie that has been shown across the country. ing quotas.

It was while assisting with an ultrasound-guided abortion and seeing a baby struggle for life that she realized she could no longer support such a system.

“That’s what actually caused me to say, ‘I cannot do this anymore. I can no longer pretend that there is no humanity in the womb, that this baby doesn’t matter, that his life doesn’t matter, that it’s OK to separate a woman from her unborn child,’” she said.

“So I ended up leaving and then working to help expose what’s taking place in abortions. I think there’s a lot of ignorance surrounding abortion in our society today, but I also think there’s a desperate desire for understanding on the issue of abortion. I think people are seeking truth.”

She challenged those attending to work toward making a difference, to reach out to women in crisis to offer support and hope, and to counter a society that doesn’t value families, God, or truth. Women who believe they have options and support and men “who step up to be involved fathers

create an environment that reduces the desire for abortions.”

“I believe that one of the primary antidotes to abortion is fatherhood. But we live in a society today where about half of young men in homes across the country do not have fathers in the home. So how do they learn how to be the man that God has called them to be if they don’t have somebody modeling that for them? How do they learn to be a father, a husband, a protector, provider, if nobody is showing them how to do that?” Ms. Johnson asked.

“This is where I think the Church has significantly failed, because we haven’t done a good enough job of drawing these young people to us and providing mentorship for them, being that strong role model in their life. And because we haven’t done that, we’ve allowed society to handle it. And guys, that has been the biggest failed experiment of our time.”

“I believe the answer to these societal ills that ail us, these dilemmas that ail us, is sitting right here in church.

But we have to be the hands and feet of Christ to get them done,” she

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continued.

The luncheon event was organized

by Sue Gallagher, a parishioner at St. Mary in Athens. Parishioners and other members of the community had the opportunity to learn more about the Full Circle Medical Center for Women in McMinn County and meet Ms. Johnson.

“Full Circle does a lot of work here in McMinn County, and the parish supports it,” Father Orr said.

Julie Ladd, executive director of Full Circle, gave an update on the work the center does. The center provides women medical services regarding reproductive health as well as counseling, parenting classes, abortion recovery, health education, and referrals for community resources. Full Circle does not offer nor refer for abortions.

The center had its mobile clinic set up at St. Mary Church so luncheon attendees could learn more about its work. The clinic, which travels to Athens, Sweetwater, and Tellico Plains, includes an ultrasound machine to help women understand how their child is developing in the womb. Like Ms. Johnson, Full Circle believes more knowledge about women’s bodies, pregnancy, and child development will help people understand the value of life at its earliest stages.

“It was wonderful having Abby Johnson come to Athens and share her story,” Father Orr said following the luncheon. “We have to continue to spread the pro-life gospel.”

No one experiencing emotional or spiritual difficulties from a past abortion is alone. There is hope and healing. Catholic Charities of East Tennessee offers regular Rachel’s Vineyard healing and recovery retreats. Complete confidentiality is honored at all times.

For more information, contact Sandi Davidson at 865-776-4510 or sandi@ ccetn.org. ■ TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C A TH OLI C

over the summer by legal experts to examine and see if it can be amended and made constitutional.

Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville, Bishop J. Mark Spalding of Nashville, and Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, then-administrator of the Diocese of Memphis, expressed their doubts about the heartbeat bill.

Instead, the bishops pledged their support for the Human Life Protection Act that was introduced in the legislature on Feb. 13.

Bishop Stika and Bishop Spalding met with Gov. Lee in Nashville on April 23 to discuss various issues.

In contrast to heartbeat bills that have been struck down in each state where they have passed, the Human Life Protection Act mirrors statutes in other states that have been on the books for years without legal challenge, according to Brian Harris, president of Tennessee Right to Life.

Such laws establish that

upon the reversal of Roe v. Wade, in whole or part, a state’s protective pro-life statutes will be immediately restored, which is key in Tennessee, where pre-Roe v. Wade abortion regulations were stripped from state law books in the 1980s.

Mr. Harris said similar protection acts have existed for years in Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, and South Dakota without legal challenge.

Another was recently passed in Arkansas, and others have been debated in Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.

“As states like New York prepare for the overturn of Roe v. Wade by passing laws to remove any restrictions for abortion, Tennessee also seeks to prepare for that eventuality by ensuring that we have in place protections for our children, women, and girls,” Mr. Harris previously said.

He noted that there is hope Roe v. Wade will be struck down or amended, allowing the HLPA to go into effect.

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Meeting the governor Bishop Richard F. Stika engages in discussion with Gov. Bill Lee during a meeting he and Diocese of Nashville Bishop J. Mark Spalding had with the governor in Nashville on April 23. Joining Bishop Stika were Father David Boettner, vicar general and rector of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, and Deacon Sean Smith, chancellor.

U.S. Supreme Court observers believe the chances are stronger that justices will review Roe v. Wade in light of the number of states passing more restrictive abortion laws, which

are drawing legal challenges.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey last month signed into law a comprehensive abortion ban, and the state of Georgia last month passed a heartbeat bill.

Abortion clinics in Tennessee are reporting increases in business from women who are traveling across state lines from Alabama and Georgia to terminate their pregnancies. ■

Thank you to the sponsors of the 11th Annual Ladies of Charity Golf Tournament

Dr. Carol Akerman, DPM All Saints Social Action Committee Covenant Health Denark Construction Erika Fuhr Jerry & Lois Harkenrider Home Federal Bank Lexus of Knoxville Lexus of Knoxville - Nordehl Unbehaun Mast General Store Merit Construction North Knoxville Business & Professional Association Patriot Investments Pilot Corporation Tomand Pat Shannon Stowers Machinery Foundation, Inc. The Trust Company of Tennessee Vinyard Floor Covering Co. FOOD & BEVERAGE SPONSORS Barberitos Cantina Dunkin' Donuts Fanatic Brewing Company PRIZE SPONSORS Aubrey’s Connor Concepts Game Improvement Golf Mast General Store Williams Creek Golf Course TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C A T HO L I C

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friend Arthur Collins is visiting here today from Chattanooga. Arthur has been good at giving me often a lay perspective on things.”

Father Brownell has been to five parishes, three of them as pastor.

“Two things I’ve come to learn as a priest: there is no bad parish,” he said. “A parish is made up of people and buildings, some of them in better repair than others, some of them with more financial resources than others, some of them with larger staff than others, but a parish is made of people, and people are people. So I have come to learn in 25 years there is no such thing as a bad parish.

“The other thing that I think I have learned in my priesthood is bloom where you’re planted. Take whatever the parish gives you, whatever the circumstances, and bloom— make something out of it. And so that has been my philosophy: no matter where I’ve been, I have tried to bloom where I’ve been planted.

One of the very first things that I do, and I think every pastor should do, is get to know his people and for the people to get to know him.”

St. Patrick now has 1,100 families, many of them arriving during Father Brownell’s tenure.

“I believe that this parish has done a lot of blooming in the past six years,” he said. “From the early days, when you were renting a room I believe downtown near the courthouse, to when in 1959 you built the first new church there and a teeny tiny rectory for the first pastor.

“To all of this that Monsignor Garrity was able to do and more recently the completion of the basement underneath us. The parish has grown not only physically but in the sheer number of people, and it seems like every week I am welcoming new people, new parishioners who have moved here. I tell people, get involved. This is a vibrant parish. If a ministry doesn’t exist that you would like to be a part of, then make it part of your mission to begin that ministry, and you will find the support from me.”

Father Brownell said he looked at how groups of the parish, such as the English choir, the Hispanic choir, children, and RCIA, all coexist.

“That is the hope of a pastor: that a multicultural congregation is coming together as one family. There are multiple cultures here, but there is only one parish,” he said.

The Diocese of Knoxville’s priestly ranks grew considerably in 1994.

“The year I was ordained, which was 1994, was somewhat of a bumper year for priest ordinations,” Father Brownell said. “At that time we probably had about 30 priests, maybe 35, in the entire diocese, and the bishop ordained five new priests: Father Gilbert [Diaz] in January, me May 21, Father David Boettner on May 28, and then Father Tom Moser and Father Sean Poland.

“Five priests were ordained for this little bitty diocese. Four of us 25 years later are still in active ministry, and I think those are very good odds.

One of the things that contributes to that is the support brother priests give each other and the support and generosity of people such as yourselves in supporting their pastors.”

Another ingredient is important, too, Father Brownell noted.

“And it is the love, which is mentioned in the Gospel today, when Jesus says, ‘Love one another, and that is how people will know who you are.’ I think it is that love that you have shown me, and the other pastors who have been here, that has kept me a healthy and a happy priest. And I want to continue to be a healthy and happy priest, and so I will need you and my brother priests and my family and my friends, to continue to help me and maybe one day, it might be possible, I can stand somewhere and celebrate my 50th anniversary as a priest,” he said.

City Hall confessions, VW rifle

St. Patrick Parish’s early days, dating well back into the 20th century, saw Masses celebrated in private homes and then later in the dining room of the Kingmyer Hotel, the Coca-Cola Bottling Co., and eventually City Hall. Mass was celebrated there A14 n JUNE 2, 2019

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Praising the preparers Father Alex Waraksa shares a convivial moment on May 19 with St. Patrick parishioners as they join together for lunch on the parish grounds to celebrate the parish’s 60th anniversary.

Fun and fellowship St. Patrick Parish youth were treated to train rides and inflatables as part of the parish’s 60th-anniversary celebration May 19. until 1958, and first pastor Father Albert Siener heard confessions in the hallway of City Hall.

Dreams of a church building took flight Feb. 13, 1956, when a five-acre tract of land on Knoxville Highway (later Andrew Johnson Highway) was purchased from Mary Graves Baker of Knoxville for $12,000.

Father Bernard Niedergeses became pastor, and fundraising and construction meetings were held in the home of Dr. Stephen Bencho, the first parish-council president, in Jefferson City. By then there were 107 Catholics in Morristown.

Ground was broken Aug. 25, 1958, and on St. Patrick’s Day in 1959 the first Mass was celebrated in the new church. St. Patrick Church was dedicated May 27, 1959, by Monsignor George J. Flanigen.

Bishop Joseph A. Durick installed Father Luzerne Schnupp as the first resident pastor in September 1965.

Mr. Hidalgo, in recalling the early days of the parish when he and wife Valerie arrived in the city, said Morristown “looked like Mayberry to us when we first got here.”

St. Patrick has had 13 pastors, Mr. Hidalgo said.

“The first two I did not know: Father Siener and Father Niedergeses,” he said, adding that Father Schnupp was the parish shepherd when he first came.

“Father Schnupp had a wonderful custom,” Mr. Hidalgo said. “We’d have daily Mass, and [at the end of Mass] he’d have the blessing and he’d look at us and say, ‘OK, the coffeepot’s on,’ and we’d go in the rectory and have a cup of coffee with the few people who would come, and then we were on our way to work.”

Mr. Hidalgo was part of “a very small men’s club, about four or five members. I went to the first meeting, and they were in the process of planning the Mardi Gras, which was a big fundraiser. That was a big casino that they put downstairs in Madonna Hall, which was rather tiny, and somehow we’d fit 250 people down there.” Father Schnupp moved on, and St. Patrick received a new pastor.

“Father Schnupp was succeeded

by Father Fidelis Ryan, called Frank Ryan, who came from Memphis,” Mr. Hidalgo said. “He really liked

coming to your home and having dinner and falling asleep because he didn’t like staying in the rectory too much.

“He had two cars. He had a Volkswagen Beetle, and it was outfitted with snow tires and chains. He had a .22 rifle in there. He had kindling wood in the backseat. He had pork and beans. I said, ‘Why that?’ He said, ‘It’s wintertime. It snows too much. I have to go to Newport. I swore I would give my life to the Lord—I just don’t want it to be in Newport.’”

Father Bill Nolan followed Father Ryan.

“Father Nolan had been a Trappist monk at the monastery in Conyers, Ga.,” Mr. Hidalgo said. “His claim to fame: he believed in five-minute homilies. He believed in five-minute homilies,” Mr. Hidalgo repeated, with a meaningful glance at Father Brownell, to the delight of his audience.

In 1973 “we welcomed Father Sterling McGuire,” Mr. Hidalgo said.

“Father McGuire was instrumental in getting the Knights of Columbus started. We inaugurated our council with 35 charter members.”

Father Louis Junod succeeded Father McGuire.

“Father Junod is responsible for our parish center,” Mr. Hidalgo said.

“Now, Valerie and some of her girlfriends did not like Father Junod.

One day he told them there were no dogs in heaven, and they just did not approve of that; they did not like him at all after that.”

Canada native Father Greg Boisvert, AA, came next to St. Patrick.

“He had been a physics teacher. He is responsible for all these stainedglass windows,” Mr. Hidalgo said.

A baseball enthusiast took the parish reins next.

“In 1987, Father Joe Brando came here. He was a Brooklyn Dodger fan,” Mr. Hidalgo pointed out. “He always talked about the Dodgers in all his homilies. He said he learned to really fervently pray when the Dodgers were in the World Series.”

Father Philip Thoni, an Army chaplain like Father Brownell, served as the next St. Patrick pastor.

“Father Thoni had been an athlete as a young man,” Mr. Hidalgo said.

“He would take on all the kids in ping pong. He’d put one hand be-

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hind his back, and he’d kill ’em all.”

Mr. Hidalgo paused to salute one of his listeners: longtime parish housekeeper Mary Wilson, who for a quarter of a century served most of St. Patrick’s pastors. Mrs. Wilson, also a former Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women president, received a round of applause from the assembly.

“She did everything for the priests,” Mr. Hidalgo said. “She became Catholic as a result of being here all this time. Whenever priests come from out of town, they always make a point to go by and see her.”

Father Thoni was followed by Father Michael Sweeney.

“Father Sweeney used to have the evening Masses on Wednesdays during Lent,” Mr. Hidalgo said. “He would have extended homilies. He did not know Father Bill Nolan. He would also have Q-and-A’s. They were really interesting. There were wonderful homilies. It was wonderful to pass through Lent with him there.

“One of the big things he had to do was, he was tasked with building a church in Jefferson City. When he finished building Holy Trinity Catholic Church, we lost 134 parishioners who are now at Holy Trinity. They’re a growing parish, and of course so are we.”

Then-Father Garrity arrived in 1997.

“One of the greatest things Father Garrity did was bring his mom to live with us here in Morristown after his dad passed away,” Mr. Hidalgo said. “We all fell in love with Sylvia Garrity.”

During Father Garrity’s tenure “we saw Deacon Bob Smearing become a deacon,” Mr. Hidalgo said.

“Father Junod was responsible for another deacon who is with us this morning, Deacon Jim Fage, who at age 32 1/2 became the youngest deacon in the Diocese of Knoxville.”

Father Brownell “came to lead us in our faith journey” in 2013, Mr. Hidalgo said. “He’s been an Army chaplain for 13 1/2 years. He was deployed to Iraq in the summer of 2007 to the summer of 2008, and then he was deployed to Kuwait in 2011.

“He was born in Germany. He’s a vegan. That’s how he lost all his hair.

You notice Paul, his father, is in the front row—he is not a vegan. He has all his hair. He goes once a week to the barbershop.”

That prompted a hearty laugh from the congregation.

Father Brownell’s mother passed away earlier this year.

“We were all saddened by the loss of Father’s mother—we called her Wally Brownell,” Mr. Hidalgo said.

“She was from Germany. Father Patrick speaks fluent German. When Father Patrick was a teenager, he would ask his mom for money in German, and then he’d go ask his dad for money in English. Now he’s asking all of us for money.”

Tending to a growing parish

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de Paul Society at Good Shepherd is using matching funds from the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund to respond to the needs of the poor of Cocke County on a year-round basis.

In previous years the parish had to limit the amount of help it could provide due to depleted funds.

With help from the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund, Good Shepherd is increasing assistance for clients’ utility bills, rent, motel costs for the homeless, and for food and gasoline. n St. Anthony of Padua, Mountain City: ($5,000) The St. Anthony Bread food pantry is a parish ministry that provides Johnson County families with groceries each month. The food pantry will use matching funds from the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund to initiate an additional program focused on families with children.

The parish plans to add a nutrition program for children that will provide an additional bag of child-friendly, healthy food options that children can prepare themselves. The bag will contain fresh produce and dairy items.

The parish expects 120 families to sign up for the program. n St. Dominic, Kingsport: ($3,000) The St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Dominic assists with utility bills after in-person visits and assessments of need. The parish also refers clients to other agencies when needed.

New ministry opportunities with matching funds from the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund will assist clients who are in need of dental work

Community gardening Volunteers prepare a garden for the community surrounding Catholic Charities of East Tennessee’s offices in Knoxville. and with outreach to the community to help fill the gap for those who are out of work. n St. John Paul II Catholic Mission, Rutledge: ($5,000) This rural Catholic mission will use matching funds from the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund for Mercy House, which provides direct service to the poor by offering food baskets and clothing.

Additional funds will meet needs for work shoes, furniture, and clothing.

The matching funds will also expand the Hands of Christ Food Pantry, which offers food vouchers, turkey giveaways at the holidays, and food baskets to local agricultural workers. Matching funds will assist in expanding outreach and re-stocking the food pantry shelves.

n St. Mary, Johnson City: ($5,000) The St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Mary helps pay for critical living expenses such as rent, mortgage or utilities, and diapers and food for families without resources. With additional funding through the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund, the society is expanding its network of support.

It also has identified a potential need to assist veterans in the Johnson City community. n St. Patrick, Morristown: ($5,000) The St. Patrick Catholic Church Samaritans provide help to Hamblen County residents and to St. Patrick parishioners by paying a portion of their utilities or rent, and offering food gift cards for local grocery stores that may help with food and/or gasoline.

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basement offices that were much needed—expanded the area, a lot of meeting rooms for lots of groups, including our teenagers. There’s a nursery downstairs,” Mr. Hidalgo said.

He added that “we’re very happy that Father Patrick is here. He along with all the other pastors who have preceded him had one mission: to guide us all on the right way to salvation. . . . They’ve just loved us, and we’ve loved them in return. . . we’re very, very glad that Father Patrick Brownell is our pastor,” he concluded, leading to a round of applause for the silver jubilarian.

Monsignor Garrity arrived at St. Patrick when the parish was in its original church, whose nave survives in the form of the daily Mass chapel in the new church, and he guided the transition to the current building.

“Five days ago I celebrated my 43rd anniversary as a priest, on May 14, and I realized I spent over 25 percent of my priesthood here in Morristown at St. Patrick,” Monsignor Garrity said.

He said, “I remember exactly” how his St. Patrick experience began, when Father Boisvert asked him to fill in for a weekend.

Nobody came for confession when Father Garrity was there that weekend, and that led him to test out a loudspeaker by the windows, with disastrous results.

“I got bored sitting in there, and I thought, ‘Well, I’ll get out and walk around a little bit,’” Monsignor Garrity said. “They’d just put the windows in a few years before . . . to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the parish. There was a little box on the wall, kind of like you’d find in Europe, that said, ‘The Story of the Windows,’ and you had to push the button. I thought, ‘Well, maybe I’ll hear a little bit about the windows.’

“So I pushed the button, and it started: ‘Window one,’ and it went on and on and on. ‘Window two.’

People were arriving for Mass. ‘Window three.’ I go, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7—there were like 14 windows. I’m like, ‘Oh, God.’ I’d end up having to turn the PA system off and scream the whole Mass because no one knew how to turn the thing off. That was my first experience at St. Patrick.”

Mr. Hidalgo told the future monsignor that he will “baptize, marry, and bury us.”

“It’s that kind of experience that a pastor has that helps make a parish his family,” Monsignor Garrity said.

As St. Patrick’s old church was bursting at the seams with overflow crowds, Monsignor Garrity consulted Johnson Architecture, which had designed the new Knoxville Catholic

A festive atmosphere Performers entertained St. Patrick parishioners with authentic dance and music as part of the anniversary celebration.

High School.

“I asked them to come up with an idea of what we could do to expand our worship facility. We presented this, if I remember right, at the fall fest of ’99,” Monsignor Garrity recalled. “We had a picture of what we thought we might want to build. We started raising funds.

“When Bishop [Joseph E.] Kurtz came as the second bishop of Knoxville, I got to him before he was ever ordained a bishop and I said, ‘You have to come to Morristown and help me raise money.’ He said, ‘OK.’ At our very first meeting to solicit gifts for the new parish, Bishop Kurtz came and spoke, and that kicked off the Vision 2000 campaign.”

One of those overflow gatherings attended Monsignor Garrity’s silver jubilee.

“My 25th ordination anniversary was May of 2001, and we celebrated in the old church,” he said. “That same weekend on Sunday afternoon, we broke ground for the new church.

Shortly thereafter we had a big procession after Mass one Sunday and took everything out of the old church and took it down to the parish life center, which for 18 months became our church.

“I never thought we’d be there that long, until we finally dedicated this church in October of 2002. And it’s been a great ride for St. Patrick ever since, under the guidance of Father Joseph [Hammond] and Father Patrick. It continues to grow. The Hispanic community continues to grow, and I’m happy to see that the communities are beginning to merge together and become one, more and more.”

Monsignor Garrity, like the current pastor did with him, also recalled their first meeting.

“I remember very clearly the day

Reunion of friends Mary Wilson, seated, former housekeeper for the St. Patrick Church rectory, reunites with longtime friend Carol Bednarzyk. that he came as a prospective seminarian for the Diocese of Knoxville and sat across from me in my office at Catholic High,” the former St. Patrick pastor said, referring to the original high school on Magnolia Avenue in Knoxville. “Do you remember the first rectory you lived in in the diocese? We met that spring, and that summer you came to live with me in a little bitty house of about 900 square feet behind Catholic High. We got to know each other really well.”

Monsignor Garrity said “one of the things I learned about him very early on: he has a very eclectic taste in music. He had some woman on a disc …. He’d have his bedroom door closed, and I’d hear this”—and Monsignor Garrity emitted a long wail—“I thought he was killing a cat in there.”

The monsignor also shared a mem-

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With matching funds from the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund, the St. Patrick Samaritans plan to increase the assistance they provide, particularly in extreme circumstances and for larger expenses if the need arises.

The application process for parishes to receive grants started in February.

“This is more than just a beginning,” Bishop Stika said. “The Pope Francis Fund is a significant part of the Home Campaign, and it demonstrates the commitment of our diocese, our priests and religious, and especially our parishioners who answered the call to grow all of the charitable efforts in the diocese.”

Mr. Deinhart pointed out that more than 9,000 people made pledges to the Home Campaign. Overall, the Home Campaign raised $45.3 million, with nearly $22 million projected for noncathedral-related components, including charity, education, parish projects, and priest retirement.

“I’d like to thank all those who gave so much of themselves to make this campaign a great success, from the leadership provided by our priests and parish staffs, to the parish volunteers, and most importantly to all the donors and benefactors who provided their financial support for these important initiatives. Their efforts will have a profound effect for the diocese for years to come,” Mr. Deinhart said. ■ (In future issues, The East Tennessee Catholic will profile other components of the Home Campaign and how they’ve impacted parishes and the diocese.) ory of Mrs. Wilson, the housekeeper.

“I had a fish named Father Fred.

I went on a vacation. He used to sit on the dining-room table. She killed it. She bought another one just like it and didn’t think I’d know the difference. I could tell.”

Monsignor Garrity’s parents gave him a Celtic cross ring for his 25th anniversary, and he returned the gesture for his successor.

“As a pastor of St. Patrick celebrating your 25th anniversary just like I did, I’m going to give you a Celtic cross gold ring, just like me,” Monsignor Garrity said.

“It fits,” Father Brownell said after trying it on.

After Monsignor Garrity spoke, Mr. Hidalgo announced that the Hispanic community had given Father Brownell a Logan’s Steakhouse gift card, and the parish at large gave him a silver anniversary clock, which he unwrapped before the congregation.

Following Mass, Mrs. Wilson thought back on the pastors she worked under.

“I always think of all these priests I’ve served, and I think of them as disciples of Jesus. I feel like that has made a pathway to heaven for me,” she said.

The 60th-anniversary celebration meant a great deal to her, she said.

“I can’t even tell you. It’s just great, because I have been handicapped by a stroke . . . and I’ve missed a lot of Masses. To be here today, I can’t explain it.”

Father Waraksa was pleased with the anniversary gathering.

“It’s a great joy to be here and to celebrate with the people and all that God does among them and to see their talents develop, see them receive sacraments, and see them grow together as a multicultural community,” he said.

St. Patrick is an anchor for the Morristown-area Catholic community, Father Waraksa said.

“It’s very important for the Lakeway area,” he said. “It’s the largest parish and has the most ministries in it. Other people come here for certain retreats we host, especially things like marriage preparation and Search retreats for the youth.”

The church, which has an active Hispanic ministry, became a ministry center following an ICE raid in April 2018 that saw 97 area immigrant workers detained and their families left in limbo.

“That helped to bring the parish together, too, to see people in their time of need and to see them more as people rather than maybe their legal status or their race or where they’re from,” Father Waraksa said. ■ JUNE 2, 2019 n A15

Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Concert Series The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was the setting May 4-5 for a Knoxville Opera indoor concert of sacred music and an outdoor performance of Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. The performances were sold out both days.

The Knoxville Opera Chorus presented a sacred music concert with selections from Verdi, Rossini, and Mascagni during the first half of the production. Then the action turned outside to the front steps of the cathedral, where the opera company delivered a riveting performance of Cavalleria Rusticana, which is set on the steps of a Sicilian cathedral.

Brian Salesky was the music director and conductor and Don Townsend was the chorus master.

The cathedral choir, directed by Glenn Kahler, performed in the opera company production.

Photos by Bill Brewer

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Warden.

Mr. Staller’s term as the Knights’ Tennessee State Deputy has been highlighted by the state’s success in recruiting new members.

“So far this year we’ve been leading the U.S. and Canada” in the percentage of its recruitment goals, said Mr. Staller, a member of Council 12961 at Holy Family Parish in Seymour.

“We’ve focused on putting Christ at the center of everything we do as Knights,” Mr. Staller said.

“We found that’s what most Catholic men have been hungry for. It’s what they’ve been looking for.

“It’s lit things on fire,” he added. “It’s been amazing.”

The seed of Mr. Staller’s efforts was in a comment by Mr. Anderson, the Supreme Knight, who said, “If we want to attract new members we have to become the men that other men wish to be like.”

“As Knights what are we first and foremost?

We’re Catholic,” Mr. Staller said. “Every day I try to grow closer to Christ. If that’s my goal, putting Him first is what I have to do in my life and that’s what we have to do first as Knights because that’s the goal of every man on this journey.”

To do that, the Tennessee State Council, under Mr. Staller’s leadership, developed the Strengthening Our Parish Home program.

“Many of us take our faith from a consumer point of view rather than being a participant,” Mr. Staller said. “That’s not what we’re called to do,

we’re called to participate.

“I started thinking It’s the same problem we have with our order,” he added. “They weren’t participating in the order. If we want to be better Catholics we have to put Christ at the center. That fixes both of the issues in our Church and in our order.”

The five steps of the Strengthening Our Parish Home program are: n Serve God by partnering with your pastor. n Anchor your council and parish in the sacraments. “That is the source of the grace that allows us as Catholics to do the work we as Knights want to do,” Mr. Staller said. n Embrace our common priesthood. In baptism, every Catholic is called to be a priest, prophet, and king by living holy lives, professing God’s truth, and governing our world according to God’s will,

Mr. Staller said. “Ordained priests have to do what only they can do. We as Catholics have to help them.” n Help foster a positive image of our priests. The importance of that step hit close to home last summer as the Church was buffeted by reports of clergy sexual abuse in Pennsylvania and other places, Mr. Staller said. n Turn to God for his help through prayer. The State Council partnered with the Handmaids of the Precious Blood in New Market, Tenn., whose apostolate is to pray for priests. “We asked the Handmaids to write for us two novenas for our priests.

One was prayed at the start of Advent and one at the start of Lent, two of the busiest and hardest times for priests,” Mr. Staller said. “We prayed that the Holy Spirit would give them what they needed to get us through that time.”

A jurisdiction in Canada has contacted Mr. Staller for information about the novenas so they can use them, he said.

As councils started implementing the program, Mr. Staller said, many that had been shrinking or stagnant started coming back to life. “Councils that had not recruited members in years were in the first half of the year recruiting their quota for the entire year,” he said.

“To me the greatest thing, the thing that is the most edifying, is we’re seeing men in our parishes stand up and be the Catholic men they’ve always been called to be,” Mr. Staller said. ■

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COURTESY OF THE RELIGIOUS SISTERS OF MERCY OF ALMA

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miles from the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma’s motherhouse, Ms. Pereira had never heard of the religious community until she first met a Religious Sister of Mercy in Knoxville, where the order has a convent and has placed a dozen or more religious sisters since coming into the diocese nearly 10 years ago.

“I couldn’t believe they were from Alma. They are 50 minutes from my home in Midland. They are two farm roads away, literally two turns,” she noted.

Once she was introduced, Ms. Pereira felt an immediate connection, which came through the crosses the sisters wear, which symbolize the light of Christ and the misery of mankind. Each sister is called to be at the conversion point of the light and the misery.

And any passing thoughts she had previously about becoming a religious began to linger.

“I want to be that light of Christ in the misery of mankind because there is so much thirsting and suffering for the love of Christ, and I want to be that light and show His love to others,” she said. “I also really admired how they earn higher-level degrees. So they strive to serve at the highest level, and I know that God has given me this gift of intelligence that I can use for His service.”

Another connection Ms. Pereira discovered with the Religious Sisters of Mercy is with the order’s foundress, Venerable Catherine McAuley, whose father died when she was very young, too.

As she looks back, Ms. Pereira realizes her vocation journey began the summer before her junior year in college when, as she served as a mentor to high school students, she “encountered the radicalness of the self-giving love of God in Christ.”

“I realized if God is calling me to give of myself completely in the way He had given Himself to me, that is where my life and joy would be found,” she recalled.

Then a more serious discernment shift happened in Knoxville six months into her two-year Echo program as she had been praying with the Religious Sisters of Mercy and attending on occasion their holy hour. At a friend’s urging, she attended a diocesan women’s retreat led by Sister Anna Marie McGuan, RSM, who is the director of Christian Formation for the diocese.

“At this retreat, it was like a light switch went off in me. I was struck by the beauty of how she had completely given herself to the Lord, and she had a peace and joy that I wanted,” Ms. Pereira recalled about Sister Anna Marie.

“I knew that whatever she had I wanted.”

The morning after the retreat ended, Sister Anna Marie asked Ms. Pereira if she had ever considered religious life.

The joy of serving God Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich., gather for a group photo. The sisters’ joy and charism are what attracted Erica Pereira to the religious community.

“I was dumbfounded how the Holy Spirit was moving. I had told no one about my thoughts during the retreat. I had been praying with them for seven months and I wondered why they had never said anything before. I really appreciate the freedom they gave me in this discernment,” she explained.

Sister Anna Marie simply said, “It’s a beautiful life,” prompting Ms. Pereira to simply respond, “I know.”

“That was it. I couldn’t concentrate on anything else the rest of the day. I was so excited that God was calling me to discern more deeply,” she said, adding that Sister Anna Marie told her the next step was to begin discerning with religious orders God had put in her path. And while she was familiar with some orders, “I told her I definitely wanted to discern with the RSMs because I really admire the work they do and their love for the Lord, and their joy.”

That put into place a more serious look into the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma.

Then Ms. Pereira described the third part of her discernment decision, which occurred in November when she went on a vocations visit to the Religious Sisters of Mercy motherhouse in Alma.

“My heart was really burning inside of me. I went into the chapel at the motherhouse one of the nights I was there and told Jesus how much I loved the sisters and loved their charism. He said to me, ‘You need to love Me first’ and told me I needed to make Him more of the foundation of my life because without Him religious life makes no sense,” she said.

She dived deeper into her prayer life after returning from that visit and made Jesus the foundation of her peace.

After Thanksgiving, she was in the adoration chapel at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus when Jesus placed a pink flower in her mind’s eye.

“The flower was so delicate that I didn’t know what to do with it, so I gave it to Mary to keep safe under her mantle. Right after this I was at the Religious Sisters of Mer-

cy convent in Knoxville for holy hour and there were pink flowers at the foot of Mary in the chapel. I thought ‘I see Jesus.’ I asked Jesus to continue to purify my desires so that they align with His and to continue to make it clear to me,” Ms. Pereira said.

The following night she was writing in her journal and asked Jesus what He desires of her. Before she could finish writing the sentence she heard deep within herself Jesus say “You. I desire you.”

“So, I thought that’s it. I was filled with so much awe and gratitude. How could the Lord desire me because I am so in need of His mercy and so helpless. But that’s the mystery of His merciful love,” she said. “The only response is to give myself completely to the one who has given me everything.”

Ms. Pereira understands that a religious life will not be without challenges. But she feels she now has the wherewithal to handle any adversity because it will only strengthen her relationship with Jesus.

“There is this depth of peace, but that doesn’t mean it’s without challenges. But when I’m walking with the Lord, those challenges are a deeper invitation to trust in Him,” she said.

Ms. Pereira described the process by which she will enter the Religious Sisters of Mercy. The first step was a letter from her re-

Sr. Regina

questing entrance. Her letter was long and outlined how she reached her decision. She then was sent an application packet to fill out that included questions such as why do you want to enter religious life.

Her answers were 25 pages long.

Letters of recommendation followed as did medical information. Once all the information was returned to Alma, she went to Alma for a psychological evaluation similar to ones seminarians receive. It was administered by sisters of the order who are psychiatrists. After returning to Knoxville, she received a call two days later informing her she had been accepted followed by a formal letter of acceptance.

That letter was accompanied by a list of what she will be able to take when she enters the community and what she will need to leave behind.

She was a little excited to know she can take more things than she first thought.

She will be trading in her favorite jeans, top, and sandals for a postulant outfit (skirt and blouse), and she will be bringing other clothes with her to Alma, too.

She’ll also be bringing everyday shoes, winter boots, rain gear, and any books she will need.

She will be leaving behind her cellular phone, television, and most other personal electronic devices.

“I can bring a watch, but no jewelry and no makeup except for some cosmetic things like hair conditioner,” she said, noting that it is an eight-year process from entering as a postulant to professing final vows.

She realizes that all the trappings of single life now no longer apply.

She is spoken for.

“It’s such a long process to grow in understanding of the life and to continue that discernment. The Lord really provides the grace to do this. There is a depth of peace that I haven’t experienced before.

When I received my acceptance letter, it really felt like my soul was at rest. Now, because of this change, I realize my search is over.” ■ © 2019 Handmaids of the Precious Blood

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. You also can learn about praying for priests and adopting them.

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JUNE 2, 2019 n A17

TMA honors St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic

In Brief Glenmary Home Missioners elect new leadership team Father Dan Dorsey, 68, was elected president of Glenmary Home Missioners during the society’s Chapter of Elections May 6-10 at St. Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad, Ind. Glenmary’s president leads a three-person executive council consisting of himself and two vice presidents. Elected to serve with Father Dorsey were Father Aaron Wessman, GHM, as first vice president, and Brother Larry Johnson, GHM, as second vice Fr. Wessman, left, Fr. Dorsey, center, Brother Larry president.

Father Dorsey, a native of St. Louis, is returning to the office of president after serving in that post from 2003 to 2011. In the interim, he has served as co-director of Glenmary’s novitiate program. Father Dorsey also served as first vice president from 1999 to 2003. He succeeds Father Chet Artysiewicz.

First vice president Father Wessman, 37, begins his first term on the council after serving as pastor of Holy Spirit Church in Windsor, N.C., since 2017. Father Wessman, who grew up in Cokato, Minn., made his final oath with Glenmary in 2011 and was ordained in 2012. He also has served as an associate in the Diocese of Knoxville at Glenmary-led Catholic missions in Union and Grainger counties.

Brother Larry, 66, was re-elected as second vice president after serving in that role since 2015. He has been involved in youth and social outreach ministry. Brother Larry is from Cleveland, Ohio, and has served Glenmary in Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, and Kentucky in his more than 40 years as a missioner. The new executive council’s term runs through 2023.

Glenmary Home Missioners, also known as the Home Missioners of America, are a Catholic society of priests and brothers based in Cincinnati who, along with co-workers, are dedicated to serving the spiritual and material needs of people living in mission counties throughout Appalachia and the South.

The Glenmary Home Missioners currently lead the parishes of St. Teresa of Kolkata in Maynardville and St. Michael the Archangel in Erwin as well as the Catholic mission St. John Paul II in Rutledge.

Br. Silas Henderson, SDS, named executive director of Tucson-based Jordan Ministry Team Brother Silas Henderson, a member of the Society of the Divine Savior (the “Salvatorians”) was named April 8 the executive director of the Jordan Ministry Team, a collaborative initiative of the Salvatorian Family of priests, brothers, sisters, and lay members.

The Jordan Ministry Team was established by the Salvatorians to serve in the Diocese of Tucson in 2001 and provides faith formation and education programs for parishes, Catholic schools, lay ministers, and deacons in a region covering more than 42,000 miles in southern Arizona.

In his work as executive director, Brother Silas will Br. Silas oversee program development, fundraising efforts, and staff formation, as well as continue his work as a catechist, formator, and retreat leader. The Jordan Ministry Team is named in honor of Venerable Father Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan, who established the Salvatorian religious community in Rome in 1881.

Brother Silas (Shawn) Henderson is a native of Oak Ridge and was a parishioner of St. Mary Church there. A graduate of Clinton High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Joseph Seminary College in St. Benedict, La., and a master’s degree in theological studies from St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Ind. Brother Silas later served in parish ministry in Louisville, Ky., and as the managing editor for Abbey Press Publications and Deacon Digest Magazine. Brother Silas is currently a candidate for the ecumenical doctor of ministry degree at Catholic Theological Union of Chicago and is the author of four books and numerous articles and reflections that have appeared in U.S. and U.K. Catholic publications.

Brother Silas became a member of the Society of the Divine Savior in 2016. To learn more about the work of the Jordan Ministry Team, visit www.JordanMinistry.org. ■

Medical association cites diocesan free clinic for advancing public health

T

he Tennessee Medical Association has honored St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation of East Tennessee with its Community Service Award, which recognizes people or organizations that contribute significantly to the advancement of public health in their respective communities.

St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation is the parent organization of the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, which provides free medical care to uninsured and underinsured residents in rural areas of the Diocese of Knoxville.

The clinic was nominated for this award by the Knoxville Academy of Medicine. Sister Mariana Koonce, RSM, the clinic’s medical director, was in Nashville May 18 to receive the award on behalf of the clinic.

The Diocese of Knoxville established the St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation to provide support for the

health-care ministry begun by the Sisters of Mercy with the opening of St. Mary’s Hospital in 1930.

With the support of Bishop Richard F. Stika, the St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation provided funds for the purchase of the St. Mary’s Legacy mobile clinic in 2013. After beginning to see patients in January 2014, the clinic now travels approximately 100 miles per week to extend the healing ministry of Jesus to East Tennessee.

The clinic sees patients weekly in Crab Orchard, Gatlinburg, Washburn, Decatur, Athens, and Rutledge.

The Tennessee Medical Association also recognized The Bridge in Nashville and Levi’s Legacy in Bristol with Community Service awards.

The Tennessee Medical Association is the state’s largest professional association for physicians. ■

Saint continued from page A5

“But all are gifted in one way or another. Some are beautiful and outstanding preachers, and some could put dead people to sleep. And everything in between,” he noted.

He pointed out that some priests particularly enjoy working with youth, while others prefer to work with older people; some prefer teaching; some are introverted while others are extroverts.

“But all had a moment in their life when they believed, and the Church believed, that they were called by Jesus, just like Jesus called the Apostles, to love, to pray for, to believe in, and to build community,” the bishop continued.

Bishop Stika mentioned Monsignor Bob Hofstetter, who has been ordained a priest for 65 years, “which is three years longer than I have been around. A very wise priest.” He also singled out Cardinal Rigali, who was ordained in 1961, and Deacon Mark Schuster, who will be ordained to the priesthood on June 8.

“And all the ones in between, backgrounds that are different, people like you, as we thank God for the example of St. Jean Vianney,” Bishop Stika said. “You know what a saint is in my definition? A person who really realizes that he or she truly is a sinner.”

The bishop observed that conditions for Christians around the world are in some ways akin to St. Jean Vianney’s era, with religious persecution spreading along with a culture of death.

“And now the abuse crisis. Do you know how Jean Vianney won back the people of his town? One priest to one person. And that’s how we can rebuild the Church that is so dented these days. The way we do it is one person to one priest. One at a time. Please allow them to be another Christ to you.

Please allow them to act as your personal Christ,” he said.

Bishop Stika also had some pastoral guidance for the priests and deacons in attendance.

“Treasure the gift of ministry and service and the ability to offer sacrifice ... the gift of the Eucharist,” he said. “So we pray this day for the intercession of St. Jean Vianney for more vocations for this diocese, for religious communities, and for dioceses around the world, a world that is becoming in some ways more secular. Pray for priests. And as Jean Vianney would want us to do, pray for each other, so we can truly build that kingdom on a hill ... so that the Church can continue, which it will.” ■

ways, but one is that confessions were heard before Mass and confessions will be heard following Mass today. Tradition tells us that he would hear confessions on a daily basis for hours upon hours upon hours.

“There are times when he would wrestle with the devil because the devil recognized in him a threat.

Because he saw a priest who was willing to give his heart for his people.”

Bishop Stika explained that is why Father Vianney is the patron saint of diocesan priests. And he expressed gratitude to the Knights of Columbus, who have been entrusted with the heart of St. Jean Vianney on its pilgrimage throughout the United States.

The Shrine of Ars, France, entrusted to the Knights the relic for the national tour.

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

Pope Pius XI canonized him in 1925 and proclaimed him patron saint of parish priests in 1929. His incorrupt body and heart are displayed at his shrine in Ars. The reliquary encasing the heart was at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in the Diocese of Nashville on May 22 for a one-day visit. It was traveling to the Diocese of Raleigh after leaving Knoxville.

“It is continuing its journey.

Why? I think the Knights of Columbus recognize the fact that as the Church is hurting this year in the United States and other parts of the world, its good and faithful priests are also hurting in the United States and throughout the world. Men who have given their lives to hear confessions, to celebrate the sacraments, to be a friend, to try to be saintly, to be a challenge to all of us,” the bishop said.

Bishop Stika confided to the congregation that he hopes their visit is deeper than seeing the incorrupt heart of a saint. He hoped they would pray for priests during their personal pilgrimage to the cathedral.

“Maybe you are here to pray for your parish priest or to pray for the priesthood of Jesus Christ,” Bishop Stika said. “Men who are human, just like you and me.”

He reminded the faithful that priests come in “different sizes and shapes, different ages, different hair colors, different personalities and temperament.”

Calendar continued from page A2

and celebration of Father Tom Moser’s 25th anniversary of ordination to the holy priesthood at St. Catherine Labouré in Copperhill n July 1: 10 a.m., Catholic Charities of East Tennessee board meeting at the Chancery n July 7: 8 a.m., confirmation at Shepherd of the Valley Church in Dunlap n July 17: dedication of the A18 n JUNE 2, 2019

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Christ Cathedral in the Diocese of Orange in California n July 21: 11 a.m., confirmation at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Mountain City n July 28: 10 a.m., Mass and burning of the mortgage and celebration of the parish’s 55th anniversary at St. Henry Church in Rogersville n July 30: 7 p.m., diocesan Pastoral Council meeting at the Chancery ■ TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C A TH OLI C