July 3, 2022, ET Catholic, A section

July 3

| 2022

VOL 31 NO 11

IN THIS ISSUE IT TO OF A11 TAKING A4 LADIES THE STREETS CHARITY GATHER Knox group hosting national assembly

Eucharistic procession in the public square

BIRTHDAY B1 HAPPY HANDMAIDS

East Tennessee religious order marks milestone

He dwells among us ......................... A3 Parish news ....................................... B4 Diocesan calendar ............................ B5 Columns ............................................. B6 Catholic schools ............................. B10 La Cosecha ............................Section C

Diocese’s permanent diaconate grows 23 men are ordained by Bishop Stika at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

By Dan McWilliams

Hand to hand Left: Bishop Richard F. Stika places his hands on those of Chad Shields, who was ordained to the permanent diaconate for the Diocese of Knoxville. Assisting is seminarian Daniel Herman.

Below: Bishop Stika and Cardinal Justin Rigali are pictured with the 2022 class of permanent deacons for the Diocese of Knoxville.

Meet the new deacons on pages 16-17.

DR. KELLY KEARSE (2)

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n a historic day for the Diocese of Knoxville, Bishop Richard F. Stika ordained 23 men to the permanent diaconate June 11, the diocese’s third such class since the first in 2007.

Bishop Stika used the word “spectacular” to describe the standing-room-only Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the word might also have applied to the sight of the 23 men lying prostrate before the altar during the Litany of the Saints, or to the procession one-by-one as each man went forward for the laying on of hands and the prayer of ordination.

Several of the new deacons, interviewed afterward, called the Litany of the Saints the most powerful moment of the Mass for them as they completed their journey of more than five and a half years from the beginning of their studies to ordination.

Concelebrating the ordination Mass were cathedral rector Father David Boettner, Father Peter Iorio, Father Michael Cummins, and Father Doug Owens. Cardinal Justin Rigali attended in choir. Miracle man Deacon Ken Conklin, the 24th member of the deacon class, who was ordained last fall when it was thought he was dying of cancer, was deacon of the Word at the ordination of his fellow men. Deacon Vic Landa was deacon of the Eucharist. Deacon Walt Otey was master of ceremonies. More than 30 priests and more than 30 of the already-ordained permanent deacons took part in the Mass.

“There is nothing more spectacular than when a cathedral is filled, filled with friendship and love and faith,” the bishop said in his opening remarks. “For we gather together in the name of Our Lord Jesus to give fitting homage to God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to be with these men and their families as they make a commitment of service and witness to the Diocese of Knoxville and to the greater Church scattered throughout the world. In the name of his Eminence, I welcome you all to this special moment, this shine of the Diaconate continued on page A14

U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service and Katie Yoder, Shannon Mullen Catholic News Agency

I

n a 5-4 decision June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its nearly 50-year-old ruling in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion in this country.

The court’s 213-page opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was not totally unexpected due to the leak of an opinion draft in May. The ruling emphasizes that there is no constitutional right to abortion in the United States.

The Dobbs case focused on Jackson Women’s Health Organization, an abortion clinic in Mississippi that challenged the state’s law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

The court’s reversal of its longstanding abortion ruling brings abortion policy decisions to the state level. At least half of states plan to ban or restrict abortions

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE PHOTO/EVELYN HOCKSTEIN, REUTERS

Majority of justices reverse nearly 50-year-old decision that made abortion legal in every U.S. state

Judicial reaction Pro-life demonstrators in Washington, D.C., celebrate outside the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24 as the court overruled the landmark “Roe v. Wade” abortion decision in its ruling in the “Dobbs” case on a Mississippi law banning most abortions after 15 weeks. with this decision in place, and 13 states, including Tennessee, have trigger laws put in place set to ban abortions right away upon Roe’s reversal.

“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the court’s majority opinion. Planned Parenthood v. Casey is the 1992 decision

that affirmed Roe. Justice Alito was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. Dissenting in the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade were Chief Justice John Roberts as well as Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan.

The separate vote to uphold Mississippi’s abortion restriction was 6-3, with Chief Justice Roberts voting with the majority of justices Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Coney Barrett.

In the separate opinion, Chief Justice Roberts said he would not have overturned the court’s Roe decision.

Justice Alito, writing for the majority, said: “The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision, including the one on which the defenders of Roe and Casey now chiefly rely—the Abortion continued on page A6

Kentuckian’s post-hurricane help spurs ‘Cajun Chefs’ to aid tornado victims

By Elizabeth Wong Barnstead Catholic News Service

T

hose who have experienced a natural disaster are all too familiar with the timeline of public response.

“The media, people come ... then everyone pulls out,” said Sarah Hayden-Thomas, who brought a team—dubbed the “Cajun Chefs”—from Louisiana to assist western Kentucky tornado relief efforts.

“But nothing’s changed” when everyone leaves, said Ms. HaydenThomas. “We’re still broken.”

Ms. Hayden-Thomas grew up in western Kentucky and today resides in St. Amant, La. Her southeastern Louisiana region was devastated by Hurricane Ida in 2021, and as someone who has lived through multiple hurricanes and floods, she knows what it is like to receive a torrent of support from across the country in the early days—only to be forgotten in a matter of months.

“We’re very familiar with disas-

Sr. Regina

CNS PHOTO/SARAH HAYDEN-THOMAS VIA THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC

Diocese of Owensboro continues recovery efforts for western Kentucky areas devastated by December storms

Feed the need Sarah Hayden-Thomas, right, is seen with two of her fellow Cajun Chefs from Louisiana on April 7 during their trip to Dawson Springs, Ky., to feed people involved with tornado recovery in western Kentucky. ters,” Ms. Hayden-Thomas said in a phone call with The Western Kentucky Catholic, newspaper of the Diocese of Owensboro.

Yet they’re also familiar with in© 2022 Handmaids of the Precious Blood

credible kindness.

After Hurricane Ida swept through the region, her parish, Holy Rosary in St. Amant, was impacted by the generosity of a man

from Kentucky who drove down with a packed trailer of supplies to help Holy Rosary with its recovery efforts.

The stranger arrived and departed without any fanfare, and did not even leave his contact information.

So, when tornadoes devastated western Kentucky during the night of Dec. 10, Ms. Hayden-Thomas thought about how best to help her native state. She remembered the compassionate Kentucky visitor who had driven hundreds of miles to lend a hand.

“People asked me, ‘What can we do to help?’” she said.

Ms. Hayden-Thomas reached out to her cousin, Father Carl McCarthy, pastor of Christ the King Parish in Madisonville, Ky. Christ the King was one of the western Kentucky parishes that served as a tornado relief hub immediately after the storms.

“Because of that kindness (of the Kentucky visitor), crossing all boundaries and coming to us, Tornado continued on page A18

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

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

Visit their website, nunsforpriests.org, and sign up for the FIAT newsletter.

July Prayer Intentions “We pray for the elderly, who represent the roots and memory of a people; may their experience and wisdom help young people to look toward the future with hope and responsibility.”

–– Pope Francis “Let us pray that our hearts are filled with compassion, kindness, and mercy, and that we display the joy of our Catholic faith through good words and deeds, especially now, with so much quarrel and conflict surrounding us.

Let us pray in thanksgiving for all our blessings, and for peace in our homes, our nation, and around the world.”

–– Bishop Stika

DIOCESE PROCEDURE

FOR

OF

KNOXVILLE

REPORTING

SEXUAL

ABUSE

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

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

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

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

Each part of the video is immediately followed by a brief questionnaire to further develop understanding.

Education is a key

FOLLOW US

KnoxDiocese

element of the Safe Environment Program.

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

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

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

The CMG Connect

STAY CONNECTED

WATCH UPDATES

dioceseknoxville

A DVERTISE IN THE EAST TENNESSEE C AT H O L I C

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platform contains all three elements of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Safe Environment Program: n Annual review of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Policy and Procedures Relating to Sexual Misconduct; n CMG Connect Safe Haven training program to be completed every five years; n Criminal background check to be completed every five years.

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

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

CHECK US OUT knoxdiocese

> CONTACT US AT 865.584.3307 OR bbrewer @ dioknox.org.

> FIND US AT dioknox.org.

NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE PUBLISHER

EDITOR

Bishop Richard F. Stika Bill Brewer COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

bbrewer@dioknox.org ASSISTANT EDITOR

Jim Wogan Dan McWilliams

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

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A2 n JULY 3, 2022

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

He dwells among us

by Bishop Richard F. Stika

The strength to serve Deacons serve the many hungers, corporal and spiritual, of God’s children a successor to the Apostles, deacons are configured to Christ, who made Himself the “deacon” or “servant of all.” And through the sacramental grace of holy orders, they are “strengthened” to serve as Jesus did, as one who came “not to be served but to serve” (Matthew 20:28).

The deacon’s ministry is “a service to the bishop” as his helper and as his arms of charity within a community. They serve the priests in helping with the discipleship of God’s people, with administration, and the needs of the parish community.

Not by bread alone. To serve as Christ did, Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that “He who does not give God gives too little. We always give too little when we only give material things.” And this is because we are not just corporal beings but something far more—we are a composite of body and soul.

And particularly in our day, people are not just hungering for bodily nourishment and care but especially for spiritual help and nourishment. Pope Benedict XVI says to separate one from the other in our service of charity is “an impoverishment of love.”

For “often, the deepest cause of suffering is the very absence of God.” Therefore, we who feast at the table of the Word and of Christ’s Body have special responsibility to provide not only for the corporal needs of the poor, but also their spiritual needs. For we

“The cup of salvation I will raise; I will call on the name of the Lord.

My vows to the Lord I will fulfill before all His people!”

— Psalm 116:13-14

A

nswering the call. One of the great blessings of a bishop and successor to the Apostles is that of ordaining men called by God to the priesthood and permanent diaconate. And in just the past several weeks, 26 men have been elevated to the dignity of the altar—23 as permanent deacons, and three transitional deacons who, God willing, will be ordained to the priesthood next year.

And as the priesthood exists for the Eucharist, the diaconate exists to help bring Jesus to all of God’s children in their many hungers, corporal and spiritual. What the priest makes present upon the altar of the Mass, the deacon is called to make present upon the many altars of the hearts of those he is called to serve.

Called to serve. We find the diaconate at the very beginning of the Church when the Apostles selected “seven reputable men… [and] laid their hands on them” for the ministry of service—”to serve at table” (Acts 6: 1-6).

Deacons are ordained, “not unto the priesthood, but unto the ministry” of the Word, altar, and charity. Deacons serve at the tables of the Word and of Christ’s Body so that they might unite them with the table of the poor—so that Jesus might truly “recline at table” with all whom He came to save. The table of the Church and the table of the poor must always be one table.

The strength to serve. Through the laying on of hands of a bishop,

are not a Church of “either/or,” but of “both/and.” That is why the Church’s “works of mercy” are both corporal and spiritual.

Feeding the hungers of body and soul. To give food of both earth and of heaven, the works of mercy, corporal and spiritual, must be treated and paired as a unity.

For there is a need for bread, and the Bread of Life; for water and Living Water; for clothing and to be clothed in Christ; for shelter and the Father’s House; to comfort the sick and for God’s merciful love; to visit the imprisoned and to bear crosses with love; and to pray for the living and for the souls in purgatory. This is how “the deacon brings the Church to the poor and the poor to the Church.” As St. Teresa of Kolkata (Calcutta) emphasized, “Never separate Jesus in the Eucharist and Jesus in the poor.”

Pray and work. But to be the face, the hands, and the heart of Jesus in their ministry of charity, deacons especially need to be continually renewed in the strength of Christ through a strong prayer life and Eucharistic devotion.

That is why, among the promises they make in their ordination, they “resolve to guard and increase the spirit of prayer … [and] to celebrate faithfully the Liturgy of the Hours with and for the people of God and indeed for the whole world.”

This is why I stressed in my homily at the ordination of our new deacons that their life is best guided by the motto of St. Benedict and

Follow Bishop Richard Stika on Facebook for news and events from the diocese.

his order—”Pray and Work.” As Pope Benedict XVI says, “Prayer, as a means of drawing ever new strength from Christ, is concretely and urgently needed…. Time devoted to God in prayer not only does not detract from effective and loving service to our neighbor but is in fact the inexhaustible source of that service” (God is Love, 36).

Ministry of the Word. A deacon’s daily prayer should prepare and lead them to serve at the table of the Word. And because, when the Gospel is proclaimed, it is the very voice of Christ our Bridegroom that we hear, it is proper that those who have been ordained and configured to Christ the Head lend their voice in proclaiming His Gospel to His bride: the Church and all the baptized.

And since a deacon, in a special way, is a “sacramental sign of Christ the servant,” his ministry of the Word also extends to being the voice of Christ to those he serves. Though deacons cherish the opportunity to offer a homily as a part of their ministry of the Word, their most important homily is that which they give as the face, the hands, and the heart of Jesus in their works of mercy.

Ministry of the altar. During the Mass, the Church teaches that though a deacon does not celebrate the mystery of the eucharistic sacrifice as the priest does, he does represent the people of God at the altar and helps the faithful “to unite their lives to the offering of Christ.”

And additionally, “in the name of Christ Himself, he helps the Church to participate in the fruits of the Sacrifice” (Congregation for Clergy, Directory for the Ministry and Life Bishop continued on page A18

Bishop Stika’s schedule of Masses and public events These are some of Bishop Stika’s upcoming public appointments: n Sunday, June 26: 9:30 a.m. Mass to install Father Miguel Velez as pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Morristown. n Wednesday, July 6-Saturday, July 9: summer gathering with seminarians at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton. n Saturday, July 16: 4 p.m. Mass at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Madisonville to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Father Julius Abuh’s ordination to the priesthood. n Monday, Aug. 1: celebration for Father Dennis Kress for his 20th anniversary as pastor of St. Elizabeth Parish in Elizabethton. ■

Precious signs of life

Catholic Charities of East Tennessee receives funding for ultrasound equipment

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

GABRIELLE NOLAN

C

atholic Charities of East Tennessee will be the first Catholic organization in the area to receive an ultrasound machine from the Knights of Columbus.

“I just want to say, on behalf of Catholic Charities, that this has been a long time coming… It’s monumental,” said Lisa Healy, executive director of CCETN. Mrs. Healy received a check for $19,065 from the Knights of Columbus on April 29 at Catholic Charities’ Knoxville offices at 318 N. Gay St. Presenting the check to Mrs. Healy and her staff was Michael Stahl, professor emeritus in the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Mr. Stahl previously served as the president of Catholic Charities’ board in 2016 and 2017 and is also a trustee with the Knights of Columbus.

“This was a desire and a hope for the board years and years ago, and it’s taken a lot of years to get this to come to fruition,” Mrs. Healy said.

“But I would tell you between Mike (Stahl) and Sandi (Davidson), this is a longtime dream and a long time working on getting ultrasound to Catholic Charities.”

With the funds now in place, the ultrasound machine will be pur-

‘It’s monumental’ Michael Stahl (left), a trustee with the Knights of Columbus, presents a check from the Knights to Catholic Charities of East Tennessee on April 29. CCETN staff receiving the check are Lisa Healy (center), Paul Ritter, and Sandi Davidson. chased at a later date when CCETN is ready to move forward.

Sandi Davidson, Pregnancy Service Program leader with CCETN, noted that the Knights “have provided numerous ultrasound machines to other pregnancy centers, but none of them identify as a ‘Catholic’ organization.”

The donation comes from Knights of Columbus Council 15706 at All Saints Parish in Knoxville.

Henry Usey, Grand Knight of Council 15706, credits the robust re-

lationship between the council and their priests for a successful fundraising effort.

“We’re blessed with a great relationship between our pastor, that’s Father Doug Owens, and our chaplain, that’s Father Alex Hernandez,” Mr. Usey said.

“I have to thank our pastor, I have to thank our chaplain, and Mike (Stahl), and my brother Knights because it’s a group effort,” he continued. “It’s not just one individual that makes everything happen. It’s

w ww.di o k no x .o rg

By Gabrielle Nolan

from the cooperation of us and even, to an extent, the diocese.”

“One of the attractive things about the ultrasound is the statistic that once a pregnant lady hears the heartbeat, the odds of her still getting an abortion are dropped dramatically,” Mr. Usey said.

The Knights’ fundraiser for the ultrasound machine was “one of the easiest fundraiser efforts I’ve ever been involved with,” Mr. Stahl said.

Thirty-four individuals—most of whom were Knights but others who were All Saints parishioners—donated money to this pro-life cause.

“It was an ad hoc fundraising effort,” Mr. Stahl said. “As former associate dean of the college of business, I’ve raised money more than once before. This was relatively easy.

It came together in 90 days from when we started raising money until the check [was presented].”

“It was a privilege to be in the right place at the right time and help people donate,” he continued.

Mr. Stahl explained that there was also a second check that aided in the funding of the ultrasound machine.

“In addition to that, there was a $13,000 check from Supreme, which is the national organization for the Knights of Columbus,” he said.

The Supreme Council, which is based in New Haven, Conn., Ultrasound continued on page A19 JULY 3, 2022 n A3

Diocese is site of national Ladies of Charity convention Knoxville association is hosting 2022 assembly, which is meeting for first time since COVID

By Bill Brewer “This is the first time Knoxville has hosted it. We’ve been postponing this since 2019 because of COVID. ... For me, it’s the opportunity to share our organization with the LCUSA community. For the people visiting, showing them that we have a strong Catholic community here is important as well as sharing what we do.”

I

n a first for the Diocese of Knoxville, the Ladies of Charity will host the 2022 national convention of the Ladies of Charity USA Aug. 25-27.

The LCUSA National Assembly, themed “Seeing Christ in the Faces of Those We Serve,” will gather in person for the first time since 2019.

The convention will be held at the Crowne Plaza Downtown Knoxville, with Immaculate Conception next door serving as a host church along with the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Guest speakers who will address the assembly include: n Father Patrick J. Griffin, CM, who serves as executive director for the Vincentian Center for Church and Society at St. John’s University; n Charles Levesque, president and executive director of Philadelphiabased Depaul USA, which offers homeless and disadvantaged individuals the opportunity to develop independent lives through its services;

— Susan Unbehaun Ladies of Charity-Knoxville executive director n Derrick Furlow Jr., a University of Tennessee graduate and a motivational speaker who shares his experiences of growing up playing sports amid a life of adversity to serve those who currently and formerly played sports. He has been on the board of Scarecrow Foundation, a Knoxvillebased nonprofit that raises funds and volunteers to fight hunger; n Father Ragan Schriver, Ph.D., who is an associate professor of practice in the University of Tennessee College of Social Work and directs the school’s master’s degree in social work program. He also serves as a special

assistant to the president of Catholic Charities USA; n Chester W. Pun Chuen, who is program director of Access Cultural Diversity that promotes the English Language Learners Program at Ladies of Charity-Knoxville. Mr. Pun Chuen, a native of Manila, Philippines, has an international business background through his work in the shipping industry; n Rev. Bruce Spangler, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Volunteer Ministry Center, a nonprofit organization devoted to ending and preventing homelessness in Knoxville. Rev.

Spangler is the former pastor of West View United Methodist Church, Washington Pike United Methodist Church, and Central United Methodist Church in Knoxville and St. Elmo United Methodist Church in Chattanooga.

Registration for the convention begins on Aug. 25, with a LCUSA board meeting scheduled as well as a noon Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus followed by a tour of the cathedral.

On Aug. 26, the day begins with a rosary at Immaculate Conception followed by the opening Mass celebrated by Father Richard Gielow, CM, LCUSA spiritual adviser, with Father Tim Sullivan, CSP, associate pastor of Immaculate Conception, concelebrating the Mass. Bishop Richard F. Stika will then welcome those attending the convention during opening ceremonies. An LCUSA Showcase of Projects will include the Ladies of Charity-Chattanooga’s Layette Program.

Guest speaker presentations will Assembly continued on page A5

Putting the mettle to the pedals Ladies of Charity ministries now include a bicycle program for those needing transportation

By Bill Brewer

BILL BREWER (4)

I

f you’re wondering what to do with that old bicycle that’s taking up space in the garage or rusting out in the yard, the Ladies of Charity have just the solution.

Repurpose it for someone who needs to get around but can’t afford personal or public transportation.

The Ladies of Charity have started an outreach ministry to provide people with very little or no income a way to get around town. If those needing a bicycle will give a few volunteer hours to the social-services ministry, they can receive a fully operational bike at no cost that they can use to possibly get to work or other places they need to reach.

All that’s needed are donations of bicycles, preferably in riding condition. But bikes that are in rough condition can either be repaired to be operable or used for spare parts.

Thanks to a new team of volunteer bicycle repairmen from Knights of Columbus Council 645, bikes that can be repaired will be ready for the streets.

Susan Unbehaun, executive director of the Ladies of Charity in the Diocese of Knoxville, explained that the bicycle program’s mission is to provide a low-cost transportation alternative for those who need it and to foster a sense of community and fellowship among the program volunteers.

Mrs. Unbehaun added that “cycling is a healthy physical activity, and encouraging the public to take advantage of the many bicycle paths in Knox County is one way we can share our resources.”

The city of Knoxville has been encouraging bicycle riding as an alternative to private and public transportation. The city has even created bicycle lanes along many Knoxville streets to make sure cyclists can safely travel alongside vehicle traffic.

The Ladies of Charity program

Class is in session Above: Bicycle specialist George Bronner (green shirt) leads a class on repairing bikes for members of Knights of Columbus Council 645. The Knights are working with the Ladies of Charity to provide bicycles for those in need. Below: Council 645 members take notes during the April 19 tutorial on bicycle repair at the Ladies of Charity's Knoxville facility. was conceived in March 2021 with a “what can we do?” brainstorming session with members of Council 645 at Immaculate Conception Church. Between April and October 2021, Ladies of Charity bicyclerepair program volunteers met 26 times to learn how to repair bikes— a total of 342 volunteer hours.

Mrs. Unbehaun noted that recipients from the program must volunteer service hours at the Ladies of Charity before they can receive a bicycle.

Between April and October 2021, there were 31 applications for bicycles and 17 were given out, and the 17 people who received bikes gave 102 volunteer hours to the Ladies of Charity, according to Mrs. Unbehaun.

In addition, 42 bicycles were sold through the Ladies of Charity Thrift Store to generate funds to purchase bike supplies.

Mrs. Unbehaun relies on Ladies of Charity volunteers, Council 645 members, and a bicycle-repair expert to lead the mobile ministry.

George Bronner is the experienced technician who is educating the bicycle-repair team on the techniques and tools needed to master bike repairs.

“You guys are like a pit crew,” Mr. Bronner told the men volunteering to patch tires, adjust chains, tighten brake wires, and recalibrate gears

during an April repair tutorial.

Mr. Bronner has had a passion for bike-riding for much of his life. The 30-year-old technician got back into bike-riding in 2015 while he was living in Phoenix.

“I’ve always been a rider, and I worked at Greenlee’s bicycle shop and received my technical training there. There is no bicycle I’m not trained to work on,” Mr. Bronner said, noting that the Ladies of Charity bicycle-repair program doesn’t work on three-speed internal hub bicycles because they are so outdated.

Mr. Bronner was involved in a similar bicycle-repair program in Phoenix.

“I go for the camaraderie. In my mind it’s more of a bike club than a bicycle class. I enjoy being around people with a common interest,” he said.

Mr. Bronner credited the men from Council 645 for stepping up and taking an interest in the unique ministry. He said some of them have experience while the others are quickly picking up the repair skills.

After taking a break over the winter months, the ministry went back into action in April.

Mrs. Unbehaun said there are plans to move the ministry from inside the Ladies of Charity warehouse at 120 W. Baxter Ave. in Knoxville to a specially designed workshop on the Ladies of Charity site.

The Ladies of Charity are working with Joseph Construction to design a bicycle shop that will allow ease of access for riders and the bike repairmen.

“This program is in its infancy.

But you don’t know what it can become,” Mrs. Unbehaun said. “The Knights are excited to see what it is becoming and knowing it’s going to be more permanent.”

She noted that many in need of the bicycles can’t afford the cost Bicycles continued on page A5

Figuring it out Above left: Knights of Columbus Council 645 members get hands-on experience repairing bicycles, which are being distributed by the Ladies of Charity to those needing transportation. Above right: Part of the Ladies of Charity facility at 120 W. Baxter Ave. in Knoxville has been set aside to collect bicycle parts and discarded bicycles that are repaired and put back into action.

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

Susan Unbehaun, executive director of Ladies of Charity-Knoxville and a member of the LCUSA board of directors, said the local chapter is planning for 250 LCUSA National Assembly attendees.

Mrs. Unbehaun noted that Knoxville was to host the 2020 National Assembly before it was canceled.

“This is the first time Knoxville has

hosted it. We’ve been postponing this since 2019 because of COVID. We would have hosted it in August 2020 or August 2021. We’ve been trying to get the annual convention here since 2018,” she said.

Mrs. Unbehaun is excited to showcase East Tennessee to the National Assembly attendees who will be coming from around the country and

highlight the work Ladies of Charity does in Knoxville and Chattanooga.

She pointed out that Ladies of Charity-Chattanooga will be highlighting one of its programs that is in partnership with local hospitals.

Ladies of Charity from Nashville and Memphis also will be taking part.

“For me, it’s the opportunity to share our organization with the LCUSA community. For the people visiting, showing them that we have a strong Catholic community here is important as well as sharing what we do,” she said.

Among the Ladies of Charity ministries in East Tennessee that Mrs. Unbehaun is looking forward to highlighting are the Emergency Assistance Program, KnoxConnect, which helps people get birth certificates and photo identification needed to secure a job, and the layette ministry and partnership with hospitals in Chattanooga.

Ms. Unbehaun said anyone or any organization interested in being an sponsor or underwriter for the LCUSA National Assembly 2022 can contact her at 865-247-5790 or ladiesofcharityeap@locktown.org. ■

Troy Cantrell, immediate past Grand Knight of Council 645 and a Ladies of Charity volunteer who is a leader in the bicycle ministry, said the program has been able to get up and running through the donation of bikes from Angelic Ministries, a Ladies of Charity neighbor, and from Greenlee’s, which has provided tools and parts.

“It’s really been an interesting process. We have learned a lot,” Mr. Cantrell said. “Working here, I’ve had people ask me if they can get a bike to get to work.”

“One kid wanted to get a bike to give to his brother. But it’s not just kids who need transportation. One gentleman was in his 40s or 50s,” he added.

The new ministry is among many carried out by the Ladies of Charity and its army of volunteers. Others include emergency assistance, Mary’s Cradle for new mothers and mothers-to-be, food assistance, rent and utility assistance, clothing assistance, medicine assistance, a thrift store, and a Remote Area Medical clinic it hosts annually. ■

continue Aug. 27 following the rosary and a prayer service. A Ladies of Charity USA business meeting also is scheduled, where the president’s and treasurer’s reports will be given and elections will be held. A closing Mass will be held at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus followed by the LCUSA National Assembly banquet at the Crowne Plaza.

In a letter to Ladies of Charity members around the country, LCUSA national president Peggy Keene urged members to arrive in Knoxville early to see the sights and sounds of East Tennessee.

“The time has come when we will be able to come together to pray, gather some interesting information, share our thoughts, enjoy each other’s company, and have some good hearty laughs with all our friends, old and new,” Ms. Keene said. “We are now all living in some extremely challenging times and are carefully watching how we spend our money. The Assembly Committee has been working very hard to make this trip as economically feasible as possible.”

Bicycles continued from page A4

of bus fare, adding that one of the first users wanted access to the Ladies of Charity to fix his own bike.

That’s when Council 645’s Ron Cross first discussed the idea with Mrs. Unbehaun.

“The first year was about teaching our own guys how to fix bikes,” she said.

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

BILL BREWER

Assembly continued from page A4

Volunteers University of Tennessee-Knoxville chancellor Donde Plowman, right, and UTK students volunteer at the Ladies of Charity facility in Knoxville.

Ladies of Charity ministries attract volunteers from all parts of the community.

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JULY 3, 2022 n A5

Assessing the impact Parishioners react to Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade

Abortion continued from page A1 Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment.”

U.S. Catholic bishops who have supported a reversal of Roe immediately reacted positively to the court’s decision that comes at the end of this year’s judicial term.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called the decision a “historic day in the life of our country, one that stirs our thoughts, emotions, and prayers.”

“We pray that our elected officials will now enact laws and policies that promote and protect the most vulnerable among us,” said the June 24 statement by Archbishop José H. Gomez, USCCB president, and Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

Those on both sides of the issue were outside the court when the ruling came down and continued to gather in force throughout the afternoon with posters, bullhorns, hugging, and shouting.

Crowds have been outside the court—blocked off now by security fencing—for days, anticipating this decision, just as they were when a draft of the opinion was leaked on May 2.

The Dobbs opinion is very similar to the leaked draft that called Roe “egregiously wrong from the start.”

Justices Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan wrote a joint dissent that emphasized the significance of the court’s previous decisions on this issue.

They added, “Whatever the exact scope of the coming laws, one result of today’s decision is certain: the curtailment of women’s rights, and of their status as free and equal citizens.”

They also noted that their dissent “with sorrow—for this court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have A6 n JULY 3, 2022

THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC

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atholic congregations and prolife supporters throughout East Tennessee are rejoicing following a June 24 U.S. Supreme Court decision that reversed nearly 50 years of government-mandated abortions in every state.

In an opinion agreed upon by five Supreme Court justices, all five of whom are or have been Catholic, and opposed by four, two of whom are Catholic, the high court ruled that there is no constitutional right to abortion in the United States despite what a majority of justices decided in 1973 in the landmark Roe v. Wade case.

Diocese of Knoxville churches responded with prayer services, prayers of thanksgiving, rosaries, and adoration in faithful response to the momentous ruling.

The decision, based on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, effectively undoes the legal precedent for abortion established in Roe and essentially upheld in 1992 in the case of Planned Parenthood v.

Casey. The Supreme Court in Roe and Casey decided there is a constitutional right to an abortion in the United States.

The impact on abortion in East Tennessee was almost immediate.

Knoxville’s only remaining abortion facility, the Knoxville Center for Reproductive Health, has on its website a poster that says, “Important Notice.

Due to the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, we will be suspending all abortion services at Knoxville Center for Reproductive Health (KCRH) while we assess the continued legality of abortion in Tennessee.

All abortion appointments will be canceled until further notice. . . .”

Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi announced June 28 it is suspending abortions in Tennessee. An abortion facility in Bristol, Tenn., facing the Supreme Court's decision and one of just two abortion facilities currently operating in East Tennessee, announced after

Giving thanks Tennessee Right to Life president Stacy Dunn, center, meets with the media June 24 at the state Capitol in Nashville. Mrs. Dunn was joined by pro-life supporters, including state lawmakers, to discuss the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court's reversal of the "Roe v. Wade" decision on Tennessee laws.

“This is a victory for democracy. For the first time in almost 50 years, the voters and their elected representatives will have control over this issue rather than unelected judges, and we applaud that.

This decision will allow our Tennessee laws to reflect our Tennessee values that unborn children should be protected by law and that every person deserves the right to be born.’””

— Stacy Dunn president of Tennessee Right to Life the Supreme Court decision that it is instead opening an abortion location across the state line in Bristol, Va. Before the Roe reversal, two abortion facilities operated in Knoxville, although one burned down on Dec. 31. Besides the Bristol operation, there are two in Nashville and three in Memphis. There is no abortion facility in Chattanooga.

Refusing to accept Roe v. Wade Tennessee Right to Life, a statewide organization that has promoted the sanctity of life “from conception to natural death in all ages and stages” since shortly after the 1973 Roe ruling, received news of the historic

reversal with jubilation and relief.

In a press conference held by Tennessee Right to Life immediately after the court handed down its opinion, Stacy Dunn, president of the nonprofit association, called the decision “a victory for democracy.” She was joined by several state lawmakers and pro-life supporters, as well as Will Brewer, TRL legal counsel and legislative liaison.

“This is a historic moment that we have been fighting for and working toward since our organization was founded in the wake of Roe,” said Mrs. Dunn, who is a member of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville. “This is a victory for democracy. For the first

By The East Tennessee Catholic time in almost 50 years, the voters and their elected representatives will have control over this issue rather than unelected judges, and we applaud that.

This decision will allow our Tennessee laws to reflect our Tennessee values that unborn children should be protected by law and that every person deserves the right to be born.”

“Those of us active in the pro-life movement today stand on the shoulders of those who in 1973 refused to accept Roe v. Wade and legalized abortion as the settled law of the land. They started and continued those efforts that have brought us to this victory today,” she added, noting that since 1973, more than 63 million children nationally and more than half a million statewide have lost their lives because of Roe v.

Wade.

“Tennessee Right to Life has worked hard for this day. We are grateful to God first of all. All glory belongs to Him. We are also grateful for pro-life voters who for several years now have elected pro-life super majorities in the state House and Senate—men and women who respect the sanctity of human life. It is through their cooperation and efforts that Tennessee has been able to pass some of the most protective measures in the nation," she continued.

Mrs. Dunn pointed out that after living under what Justice (Samuel) Alito called one of the egregious legal decisions in our nation, the Supreme Court has corrected itself “and will now allow these most important issues of life and death to be dealt with as our state legislators and our citizens see fit.”

The leaders of the Catholic Church in Tennessee, Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville, Bishop J. Mark Spalding of Nashville, and Bishop David P. Talley of Memphis, issued a joint statement on June 24 thanking the Supreme Court “for its careful consideration of the constitutional issues surrounding abortion.” In their statement, they emphasized the Church’s Roe reaction continued on page A9

today lost a fundamental constitutional protection.”

The point of viability

When the court announced last year that it would take this case, after considering it more than a dozen times since 2020, the justices said they would review only one of the three questions presented to them: “Whether all previability prohibitions on elective abortions are unconstitutional.”

That point of viability—when a fetus is said to be able to survive on its own—was a key point in this case, because the Supreme Court had consistently ruled that states cannot restrict abortion before 24 weeks, or when a fetus could survive on its own.

A friend-of-the-court brief submitted by the USCCB stressed that abortion is not a right created by the Constitution and called it “inherently different from other types of personal decisions to which this court has accorded constitutional protection.”

Referring to the court’s major abortion decisions, the brief also warned that if the Supreme Court “continues to treat abortion as a constitutional issue,” it will face more questions in the future about “what sorts of abortion regulations are permissible.”

The opinion in the Mississippi abortion case is widely seen as the Supreme Court’s most highly anticipated and consequential ruling since Roe. It not only overturns Roe but also Casey.

“Abortion presents a profound moral question. The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each state from regulating or prohibiting abortion. Roe and Casey arrogated that authority," the opinion states. "We now overrule these decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected representatives."

Sacred Sites & Scenic Sights A Pilgrimage Through

Switzerland Fr. Michael Maples, Spiritual Director 11 Days –April 17-27, 2023

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Joe and Lynn Zahnen In Honor of Eli, Olivia, Will and Henry

by Bill and Deedee Hansen In Honor of all birth mothers who place their babies in an adoptive home In Honor of Joan and Louis Cyr by Joan Altobelli En Honor de un bebe by Guillermo Moran Bautista In Honor of Frances Danos by Janel Bell In Honor of Gavin Blakely by Pete Blakely In Honor of Jim Bludworth by the Bludworth Family In Honor of Helen Freeh by Kathy Bracic In Honor of Pearl Bush by Bush Family In Honor of Tony Chapman by Joan Chapman In Honor of Clarence G. Charles

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by John and Gail-Marie Walter In Memory of Barbara Leedom and Cecile Jevgrafovs

by Chris Watson In Memory of Baby West by Jimmy and Janet West In Memory of Amy and Joe by Joe and Lynn Zahnen BILLBOARD SPONSORS Wallace Memorial Baptist Church St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church Cathedral of The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Chapel/Hope Resource Center Park West Church First Lutheran Church Holy Ghost Catholic Church Holy Trinity Catholic Church Knights of Columbus Blessed John Paul II Council, Madisonville Tennessee Right to Life St. Nektarios Orthodox Church West Park Baptist Church In Loving Memory of Orville and Dolores Fisher St. Mary’s Catholic Church CCW and Knights of Columbus Berean Bible Church Blount County Pregnancy Resource Center A Pro Life Friend Grace Lutheran Church St. John Neumann Catholic Church Knights of Columbus Council 3832, Our Lady of Fatima Church RIO Network of Churches Our Lady of Fatima Church Respect Life Committee Black Oak Heights Baptist Church Calvary Knoxville All Saints Catholic Church Trinity Community Church Barry and Margaret Walsh and Family

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”

Jeremiah 1:5

Tennessee Right to Life, Knox County Chapter proLIFEknox.org • 865-689-1339 • trlknox@prolifeknox.com

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JULY 3, 2022 n A7

Four Herods

Herods of every age continue their assault against the sanctity of life, the conscience, and the Church

“In the days of Herod. ...”

— Luke 1:5

A

seemingly endless battle. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade on the great solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I have been particularly struck by the dramatic scene captured in a small statue depicting the urgent flight of the Holy Family to Egypt after the birth of Jesus.

Mary, seated on a donkey, protectively cradles the infant Jesus in her arms as St. Joseph, casting a worried look behind him, leads them in their hasty escape from the murderous rampage of Herod.

It is the dark drama of the Herods of every age who wage a relentless war against the weak and vulnerable that St. John Paul II called the “culture of death.”

Four Herods. In the Church’s calendar with its seasons celebrating the mystery of our redemption—from the birth of Christ to His Passion and Resurrection, to the beginnings of the infant Church—four tragic figures stand out. Each of them bears the name of “Herod” of the Herodian family dynasty.

And each represents, in a particular way, the

Abortion continued from page A6

The decision does not ban or criminalize abortion, nor does it recognize an unborn child's constitutional right to life. But in one breathtaking stroke, the court’s action sweeps away entrenched legal barriers, created and strictly enforced by the federal judiciary, that for decades have blocked states like Mississippi from heavily restricting or prohibiting the killing of unborn children in the womb.

In the process, the decision ushers in a new era of abortion politics in the United States, with the battleground now shifting to state legislatures. Those democratically elected bodies are now free to debate and regulate abortion as they see fit, as happened throughout American history before the Supreme Court federalized the issue.

“An entirely new pro-life movement begins today. We are ready to go on offense for life in every single one of those legislative bodies, in each statehouse, and the White House,” Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life American president Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a June 24 statement. “Over the next few years we will have the opportunity to save hundreds of thousands, even millions, of lives by limiting the horror of abortion in many states."

President Joe Biden, a Catholic who ardently supports legalized abortion, called the court's opinion “a tragic mistake.”

“It's a sad date for the country, in my view, but that doesn't mean the fight is over,” President Biden said. He called for Congress to codify Roe and the legal framework it created into federal law, a virtual end-around the Supreme Court decision that would keep abortion legal in the United States.

Acknowledging widespread anger and disappointment at the court's decision, President Biden called for demonstrations to remain peaceful, saying, “Threats and intimidation are not speech.“

Catholic bishops respond

The June 24 ruling marks a watershed moment for the Catholic Church and the wider pro-life movement in the United States, which have painstakingly sought Roe’s reversal since the landmark 7-2 decision was handed down on Jan. 19, 1973.

“America was founded on the truth that all men and women are created equal, with God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Archbishop Gomez of Los Angeles and Archbishop Lori of Baltimore said in their joint statement following the opinion's release.

“This truth was grievously denied by the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized and normalized the taking of innocent human life," the Catholic A8 n JULY 3, 2022

By Bishop Richard F. Stika “culture of death” and its assault upon the sanctity of life, upon traditional marriage and family, and the Church. They are like the “four horsemen” of the Apocalypse that continuously wage war upon God’s people, creating spiritual famines, poisoning souls with the plagues of sin, and with the human disasters that ultimately follow upon the rejection of God’s sovereignty and plan for the world (cf. Revelation 6:1-8).

Pan-demon-ium. It’s plain for all to see now: the demonic rage of supporters of the culture of death. It would seem, as I reflected upon in my previous column, “The mystery of iniquity,” that pandemonium has indeed been unleashed—literally, “all demons.” And the many Herods of our day are venting the devil’s “great fury” (Revelation 12:12).

Bookends of the culture of death. Of the Herod dynasty, we are probably most familiar with two:

bishops continued. "We thank God today that the Court has now overturned this decision.”

“Today’s decision is also the fruit of the prayers, sacrifices, and advocacy of countless ordinary Americans from every walk of life.

Over these long years, millions of our fellow citizens have worked together peacefully to educate and persuade their neighbors about the injustice of abortion, to offer care and counseling to women, and to work for alternatives to abortion, including adoption, foster care, and public policies that truly support families,” the statement continued.

“We share their joy today, and we are grateful to them. Their work for the cause of life reflects all that is good in our democracy, and the pro-life movement deserves to be numbered among the great movements for social change and civil rights in our nation’s history.”

In Tennessee, Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville joined Bishop J. Mark Spalding of Nashville and Bishop David P. Talley of Memphis in offering their own joint statement on the ruling.

“Together as the bishops of Tennessee, we thank the United States Supreme Court for its careful consideration of the constitutional issues surrounding abortion and we express our encouragement that it has ruled in favor of the right to life of the unborn.

“Arguments before the court made it clear that our ever-expanding scientific knowledge has identified the fact that everything essential for a growing human life is present from the moment of conception. Only time and nourishment are necessary to bring that life forward, created in the likeness and image of God with the human dignity enshrined by the Creator in each of us as His children.

“We pray for all those facing pregnancies, both planned and unplanned, and we pledge to redouble our efforts to support mothers, fathers, and children at every state of life.”

Herod the Great, who ruled at the time of Christ’s birth, and his son, Herod Antipas, who governed the region of Galilee at the time of Christ’s Passion. They are the personification of the alpha and the omega—the beginning and the end—of the “culture of death.” For they represent all who attack the sanctity of life, from conception to natural death.

Herod the Great. It was Herod the Great who renovated and enlarged the Temple of Jerusalem and added greatly to the city’s beauty. But he was an evil man, and though he was a great builder, his efforts were not for the greater glory of God, but only for growing his earthly power, no matter the cost.

Such was his pride that the thought of bowing before an infant bearing a heavenly crown sparked his “furious rage” and led to the slaughter of the Holy Innocents (Matthew 2:1-18). All those who legislate, fund, promote, and protect abortion, and do the same for assisted suicide and euthanasia, take upon themselves the name of Herod the Great.

Healing for those who mourn their decision.

Fear is the very air that the culture of death depends upon and labors to create. And for every Herods continued on page A10

the path of a woman seeking an abortion of a nonviable fetus.”

Mississippi’s Gestational Age Act, the subject of the Dobbs case, directly challenged both decisions, because it bans abortion after 15 weeks, well before the point of viability.

“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have inflamed debate and deepened division," the new opinion states.

“It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives,” the opinion continues.

Justice writes own opinion

In his opinion concurring in the

judgment, Justice Roberts called for a narrower ruling.

“The Court’s decision to overrule Roe and Casey is a serious jolt to the legal system—regardless of how you view those cases," his opinion reads. “A narrower decision rejecting the misguided viability line would be markedly less unsettling, and nothing more is needed to decide this case.”

“My point is that Roe adopted two distinct rules of constitutional law: one, that a woman has the right to choose to terminate a pregnancy; two, that such right may be overridden by the state’s legitimate interests when the fetus is viable outside the womb,” Justice Roberts added at another point.

“The latter is obviously distinct from the former. I would abandon that timing rule but see no need in this case to consider the basic right,” he concluded. ■

Pilgrimage to

ireland & scotland

Catholic Roots ...Christian Cousins

with Fr. Mike Nolan

12 Days

June 12-23, 2023

Decision akin to leaked draft

The outcome of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization came as little surprise, since the final opinion substantially resembled a draft written by Justice Alito in February that was leaked to the press.

In Roe v. Wade, the court ruled that states could not ban abortion before viability, which the court determined to be 24 to 28 weeks into pregnancy. Nearly 20 years later, the court upheld Roe in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. This 1992 ruling said that while states could regulate pre-viability abortions, they could not enforce an “undue burden,” defined by the court as “a substantial obstacle in www.di o k no x .o rg

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KDCCW food-packing service project presented to pope

By Emily Booker

Roe reaction continued from page A6

teaching that life begins at conception and is created in the likeness and image of God. The Catholic Church in Tennessee since 1973 has been active in supporting life, preaching the Church’s teachings on the sanctity of life as well as the wrongs of abortion.

And East Tennessee Catholics have for decades been active in Marches for Life, 40 Days for Life vigils, and sidewalk counseling outside of abortion clinics to minister to mothers and their unborn children.

Taking action Shortly after the Supreme Court decision was released, Gov. Bill Lee announced that Tennessee would immediately take steps to enforce state laws restricting abortions.

“Today’s landmark Supreme Court decision marks the beginning of a hopeful new chapter for our country,” Gov. Lee said. “After years of heartfelt prayer and thoughtful policy, America has a historic opportunity to support women, children, and strong families while reconciling the pain and loss caused by Roe v. Wade.

We have spent years preparing for the possibility that authority would return to the states, and Tennessee’s laws will provide the maximum possible protection for both mother and child. In the coming days, we will address the full impacts of this decision for Tennessee,” Gov. Lee said.

As Tennessee Right to Life was holding its press conference in the old Tennessee Supreme Court Chamber in the state Capitol, Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III announced that he will notify the Tennessee Code Commission that Roe v.

Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey have been overruled, and the state asked the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals to remove an injunction and rule that Tennessee’s heartbeat abortion law can go into effect as soon as possible. The appellate court agreed and removed the injunction on June 28.

This law, which was signed by Gov. Lee on June 19, 2020, bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected or if a person seeking an abortion does so based on the race, sex, or Down syndrome diagnosis of a fetus. The law was quickly enjoined by the 6th Circuit amid a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups.

Attorney General Slatery also said on June 24 that in 30 days, after the judgment is issued on his request to the 6th Circuit, the 2019 Human Life Protection Act should take effect in Tennessee.

“This law fully restores the state’s pre-Roe v. Wade protections for women, girls, and unborn children upon the overturning, in whole or part, of Roe v. Wade. The law prohibits abortion except to protect the life of the mother.

“To state the obvious, Dobbs is a momentous decision. Our republic is founded on the rule of law. Accordingly, we give respect and deference TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

COURTESY OF VATICAN MEDIA

A

key project of the Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women has received the accolades of Pope Francis.

On June 11, the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO) Executive Committee met with the Holy Father. The committee presented the pope with two gifts demonstrating the spirituality and service of its member organizations around the globe, which includes the U.S. National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW).

The first gift was a spiritual bouquet listing the number of Masses, rosaries, and hours of adoration pledged for the pope’s intentions

by Catholic women’s organizations all over the world.

The NCCW offered 9,162 rosaries, 5,058 Masses, 2,397 hours of adoration, 2,681 divine mercy novenas, and 1,500 Hail Marys.

The second gift was a booklet that highlighted service projects from each region. The Knoxville

Front-row recognition Pope Francis receives gifts demonstrating the spirituality and service of WUCWO members, including the U.S. NCCW and the Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.

Diocesan Council of Catholic Women’s recent meal-packing project was one of two chosen to represent North America.

In March, the KDCCW hosted a meal-packing event at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus for Cross Catholic Outreach, preparing more than 50,000 nutri-

ent-rich meals for the hungry in developing countries.

Hundreds of people from across the Diocese of Knoxville donated their money and time to preparing the meals, which were then sent to children and families in Haiti and Guatemala.

This project was highlighted in

to the Court on occasions when its decisions align and support our state laws, and in cases when a decision might be contrary to Tennessee state law and what the majority of Tennesseans want, as was the case with the 2015 Obergefell decision,” Mr. Slatery said, referring to the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges that a fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples.

“Most importantly, after nearly 50 years, today’s decision gives the people of Tennessee a say on what the Court called ‘a profound moral issue,’” Mr. Slatery added.

is gone,” Congressman Fleischmann continued.

Among the lawmakers joining Mrs. Dunn at the Tennessee Right to Life press conference were William Lamberth, state House Republican Majority Leader, Senate Republican Majority Leader Jack Johnson, Rep. Susan Lynn, and Rep. Scott Cepicky.

Rep. Lynn sponsored the Human Life Protection Act in 2019, also known as the trigger bill because it triggers the restoration of Tennessee’s protections for women, girls, and unborn children in the event Roe v. Wade is overturned.

After giving their statements, Mrs. Dunn and Mr. Brewer answered questions from several media outlets that covered the press conference.

Reaction in East Tennessee Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally of Oak Ridge, who attends St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge, applauded the ruling, which once again makes abortion a states’ rights issue.

“This decision is a huge win for the cause of life. For too long, abortion policy in this nation has been controlled by the federal judiciary. Now, once again, the voters of the individual states will have the ability to make policy through democratic means,” Lt. Gov. McNally said in a statement posted on Twitter.

“In Tennessee, the voters have already made their views known through the passage of a constitutional amendment that makes clear that no right to abortion is contained in our constitution. With passage of our trigger law and a comprehensive heartbeat bill, Tennessee’s General Assembly has been well prepared for this day. Very soon the pro-life voters of Tennessee will finally see their policy preferences enshrined in law. A great day for the cause of life and the state of Tennessee,” he added.

U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Chattanooga, who attends the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, believes the majority opinion corrects a misinterpretation of the U.S. Constitution by the Supreme Court in 1973.

“Today is a momentous and historic day for our Republic. Forty-nine years ago, in 1973, the Supreme Court twisted our Constitution to create the right to abortion that has never existed in the Constitution. With today’s ruling, the egregious and wrongly decided Roe v. Wade decision and 1992’s Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision have been struck down, and the question of abortion goes back to the states and the people where it belongs,” Congressman Fleischmann stated June 24.

He represents the Third Congressional District, which includes areas of Hamilton, Bradley, Polk, McMinn, Monroe, Roane, Morgan, Scott, Anderson, Campbell, and Union counties—much of the Diocese of Knoxville.

“Since 1973, over 63 million innocent babies have been killed because of Roe. Beginning today, every unborn child has the chance to live as our Creator intended. I am proud that Tennessee will lead the way to protect life in our state now (that) Roe

Understanding the impact Mr. Brewer, who also attends Holy Ghost Church, urged the public to read the Supreme Court opinion and

w ww.di o k no x .o rg

the May 2022 edition of The East Tennessee Catholic.

The other service project selected from North America was the Lincoln, Neb., Diocesan Council of Catholic Women’s pro-life diaper drive, which collected over 172,000 diapers.

WUCWO represents nearly 100 Catholic women’s organizations in some 50 countries and promotes the presence, participation, and responsibility of Catholic women in society and the Church.

Last fall, the KDCCW leadership was considering service projects in which the entire diocese could participate. Around that same time, Cross Catholic Outreach reached out seeking partners for a project to provide food in Haiti.

The National Council of Catholic Women has partnered with Cross Catholic Outreach since 2010, and NCCW and KDCCW member Patty Johnson let Cross Catholic Outreach know the Council of Catholic Women would be willing to help. ■ understand what it says rather than “buy in to the misinformation that’s out there by multiple sides.”

He highlighted the court findings that the right to abortion “is not deeply rooted in the nation’s history and tradition. The court also says that just as with the nature of the (1973) court’s error, much like the infamous decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, Roe was also egregiously wrong and on a collision course with the Constitution from the day it was decided.”

In Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court ruled in 1896 that racial segregation laws did not violate the U.S. Constitution as long as the facilities for each race were equal in quality, a doctrine that came to be known as “separate but equal.” That decision has been roundly criticized and debunked as racist. The high court reversed this decision on May 17, 1954.

“This (Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Roe reaction continued on page A10

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JULY 3, 2022 n A9

THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC

Legal clarification Will Brewer (at podium), legal counsel and legislative liaison for Tennessee Right to Life, answers media questions at the state Capitol about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to reverse “Roe v. Wade.”

Reflecting on the decision Paul Simoneau, who has led pro-life efforts for the Diocese of Knoxville as its director of justice and peace, Mr. Simoneau was grateful and reflective about the ruling.

“For those who have especially participated in our 14 40 Days for Life campaigns since 2007, having kept vigils before three separate abortion facilities in Knoxville over the years, the news of the Supreme Court decision was particularly joyous. We are indeed blessed in Tennessee by those who saw this day from afar and charted a very difficult path so that our state would be ready for this day,” Mr. Simoneau said.

“Though not the case in many other states, we can rejoice in Tennessee because of the efforts of a lot of incredible people. Here, I think especially of former Rep. Bill Dunn and his wife, Stacy, president of Tennessee Right to Life. The long journey from amending the state Constitution through SJR-127/Amendment One in 2014 to the Human Life Protection Act of 2019 of which they were instrumental, is what gives us the ability to rejoice today,” Mr. Simoneau continued, noting that support for pro-life efforts is as important now as it ever has been.

“Of course, there is still so much more to do; the fight is not over—far from it. And our vote for life will continue to remain critically important. We certainly cannot say enough about the heroes who work in our pregnancy help centers, particularly

Herods continued from page A8 woman who has been overwhelmed by fear and had an abortion, there is a heart in need of the healing love and mercy of Christ. How blessed we are to have those who help post-abortive women to find the healing and peace their hearts cry out for, such as through the ministry of Rachel’s Vineyard.

Son of Herod the Great. Herod Antipas, like his father before him, also put innocent life to the sword—St. John the Baptist. His offense was that of defending the truth of the sanctity of marriage.

But before ordering the execution of God’s prophet, Herod Antipas put to the sword another prophet—his very own conscience. For though Herod Antipas knew John the Baptist to be a “righteous and holy man” and “liked to listen to him” (Mark 6:20), he still ordered his execution.

God’s prophet. A well-formed conscience, a lifelong task, permits the “voice of God” to resound loudly within the sanctuary of our heart in order to discern between that which is of God from that which is false and evil.

But false prophets, who echo Satan’s lies, are ever enticing us with the deadly promise of Herod Antipas, “Ask for anything you want and I give it to you” (Mark 6:22). And like the prophet Elijah, who was accused of being a “disturber of Israel” (1 Kings 18:17), the Church, too, as God’s prophet in the world, is accused of being a “disturber” of the conscience of people. If the Church suffers persecution, it is because it must always witness to the truth of God, and of man and woman.

Stewards or masters of life? When Jesus, following his arrest, stood before Herod Antipas, bound and degraded, Herod could find nothing from his questioning of Him to give value to Christ’s life. So, he handed him over to those who would crucify Him (Luke 23:8-11). Proponents of assisted suicide and euthanasia do the same: they assign a utilitarian value to life and argue that “quality of life” outweighs the “sanctity of life.”

But those who declare themselves to be the masters of life who determine life’s worth, and who A10 n JULY 3, 2022

those of Catholic Charities.

Their services are going to be called upon even more now, and there are going to be more mothers who will need Mrs. Morris our help and support. So, this incredible victory also brings the added responsibility of helping mothers in need,” he said.

Mr. Simoneau’s partner in diocesan pro-life efforts, Lisa Morris, didn’t think she would see Roe v. Wade reversed in her lifetime.

Mrs. Morris, who has worked with Mr. Simoneau in leading the diocese’s 40 Days for Life vigils and other prolife initiatives, remarked that it was a gift from heaven that the historic decision was announced on the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and on the birthday of March for Life founder Nellie Gray.

“I am so grateful for the wisdom and courage of the five justices who reversed this decision, which was wrong from the beginning so many years ago on so many levels. I always said I would love to see Roe v Wade overturned in my lifetime, but I didn’t think I would. I’ve been active in the pro-life movement about 25 years, and (June 24) was truly a miraculous and glorious day as our nation came one step closer to protecting and cherishing God‘s precious gift of life,” Mrs. Morris said.

“My prayers continue for a conversion of heart for all to choose life, for all the innocent lives lost, and for healing for those whose hearts have been broken by the tragedy of abor-

COURTESY OF PAUL SIMONEAU

Roe reaction continued from page A9 Health Organization) decision returns this issue to the states. It returns this issue to democracy. And for those who claim to be pro-choice, this is the ultimate choice: the choice to lobby, to vote, to influence legislative bodies across this country,” Mr. Brewer said, echoing the justices. “Here in Tennessee, we are blessed with the legislators we have and the leadership we have that show the compassion and mercy and love to both the woman and the child.”

Mr. Brewer thanked legislators in the Tennessee House and Senate and Gov. Lee and his administration for their pro-life support and for advancing legislation that protects women and children.

“This decision affects existing law in Tennessee and where we go in the immediate future,” he noted, underscoring the fact that the Supreme Court decision immediately impacts Tennessee’s heartbeat law and the Human Life Protection Act. “In the state of Tennessee, we have two laws currently on the books that this directly affects. The first law is commonly known as the heartbeat bill. It is a pre-viability ban that begins at six weeks gestation. That law has been enjoined by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. Attorney General Herb Slatery has filed a motion to remove that stay in light of today’s opinion. We expect that the 6th Circuit will grant that motion swiftly, and beginning almost immediately, abortion will be prohibited in this state from six weeks on,” Mr. Brewer said.

He explained that with the Human Life Protection Act, or trigger law, 30 days after the Supreme Court’s judgment has been officially entered, abortion in Tennessee will be prohibited in all cases except when the life of the mother is at risk.

“We have worked for years on this.

Abortion is the issue that gets the attention. But we, as an organization, have worked closely with crisis pregnancy centers and adoption agencies in our communities and other resources throughout this state to make sure that if a woman chooses the life of the child that they are both met with love and compassion for the best possible future for that child,” Mr. Brewer said. “We look forward to effecting positive legislation to ensure that every child is loved in this state.”

He cited the critical support Gov. Lee and his wife, Maria, give to adoption programs in supporting children in Tennessee.

The culture of life A figurine called “The Flight to Egypt” illustrates the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt shortly after the birth of Jesus to save the Christ Child’s life. attempt to silence God’s prophet in the world, the Church, bear the name of Herod Antipas.

Grandson of Herod the Great. Herod Agrippa I, like his grandfather, who sought to have the infant Jesus put to death, sought to put the infant Church to the sword.

Emboldened by public approval, Agrippa I “laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the Church to harm them,” and had “James, the brother of John, killed by the sword” (Acts 12:1, 2). Those who villainize the Church and persecute it for its witness to the Gospel truth take upon themselves the name of Herod Agrippa I. Praying for the Church persecuted. When Agrippa I had Peter arrested (Acts 12:3-11), it was through the “earnest prayer…made to God by the Church” that he was liberated from his shackles www.di o k no x .o rg

tion,” added Mrs. Morris, a Sacred Heart Cathedral parishioner. “My heart is filled with joy and hope as we begin this new and beautiful era of post-Roe. Thanks be to God and all the people who have persevered over the decades to bring this moment to fruition. Now, we will work state-bystate for a conversion of heart for all in every state to choose life and make abortion unthinkable.”

Appearing on the podcast Indie Thinker with Reed Uberman on June 25, Tennessee Right to Life of Greater Chattanooga president Candy Clepper said that while she hoped it would happen, she, too, didn’t think she would see the end of court-mandated abortion in her lifetime.

“First and foremost, to God be the glory. This is His fight, and we are soldiers in His army,” Ms. Clepper said. “The prayers of so many people are the No. 1 thing that has brought us to where we are today.”

Ms. Clepper also is grateful to those pro-life supporters who began the effort 49 years ago and continued until the next generation stepped up.

That effort has been effective in Chattanooga, where she noted there has not been an abortion facility for about 30 years. “By and large, Chattanooga is a pro-life place."

Angel Brewer, who was first introduced to the pro-life movement as a freshman at Knoxville Catholic High School in 1976 and is now the treasurer for Tennessee Right to Life, is not only rejoicing about the reversal of Roe v. Wade and offering prayers of thanksgiving, she also is grateful for all the “prayer warriors” from all faiths who have joined in the effort.

Protestants have joined Catholics in taking on the fight against the “culture of death,” Mrs. Brewer said, adding, “Through the years, we have had so many of our Protestant pro-life volunteers tell us, ‘the Catholics have always carried this issue.’”

“Abortion really is a generational issue. It is a tragedy to think of the generations of lives lost in the last 49 years, and 66 million lives. It is also generational in that our parents led us to this cause for life, and we have led our children and grandchildren to it. My parents were very active in the local pro-life movement and involved all of their children in it,” she continued. “Now their children and children’s children are involved and celebrating the Supreme Court decision together. Deuteronomy 30:19 tells us, ‘I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live.’” ■

by the angel of the Lord.

Likewise, we must never stop praying, not only for the innocent and persecuted that they might be “rescued…from the hand of Herod,” but also for sinners and even those guilty of capital crimes on death row.

Great-grandson of Herod. The fourth to bear Herod’s name, Agrippa II, represents all who tolerate the Church if only it will limit what it preaches and keep it locked behind church doors.

It was Agrippa II who responded to St. Paul’s witness, saying, “A little more, Paul, and you will make a Christian out of me” (Acts 26:28).

But his loyalty to the politics of Rome and its ways, and his friendship with Caesar quickly scattered the seeds of the Gospel in his heart before they could germinate. Those who want the Gospel censored of all that conflicts with their politics and morals and say “we are without sin” (1 John 1:8) take upon themselves the name of Herod Agrippa II. Where are we heading? The culture of death continues to press its deadly agenda.

How long, then, will it be before we become like Canada or some European countries that tolerate the Church only so long as it does not witness publicly about its moral teachings and the truth of the human person? When it is considered a “hate crime” to speak out in defense of the sanctity of life, the truth of human sexuality and traditional marriage, or conscience rights, we know we are living in “the days of Herod.”

Catholic author Dr. Peter Kreeft observes that “once ‘God is dead’ to any society or ideology, so is His image of man…. When any culture says no to God, it says no to life…, and becomes a culture of death.”

The mission of the Church continues. When told that Herod wished to kill him, Jesus replied, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose’” (Luke 13:32). And so, too, must the Church, though the demons rage. ■ TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

Jesus in the public square Corpus Christi celebrated with eucharistic procession through downtown Knoxville

By Bill Brewer

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

BILL BREWER (2)

T

he questions and comments were many, and they were spoken by people from all walks of life.

“What is that?”

“Who is this?”

“What are they doing?”

“Why are they doing this?”

“Look Mommy, it’s a parade!”

“What’s a eucharistic procession?”

Some 250 Catholics took part June 18 in a Corpus Christi eucharistic procession that weaved its way through downtown Knoxville from Holy Ghost Church to Immaculate Conception Church, through a crowded Market Square and Old City, and back to Holy Ghost.

The 3.5-mile walk incorporated Diocese of Knoxville priests, a deacon, altar servers carrying the processional cross and thurible burning incense, Knights of Columbus, volunteers holding the canopy covering the monstrance containing the Holy Eucharist, and the lay faithful, who prayed the rosary, sang hymns such as “O Jesus, We Adore Thee” and “Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All,” and recited the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Litany of the Most Precious Blood in English, Spanish, and Latin.

It was one of several Corpus Christi eucharistic processions held in the Diocese of Knoxville June 18-19 as part of the solemnity of Corpus Christi in the Catholic Church. A number of those processions were held on church grounds.

While the route for the downtown procession was crowded with vehicles and pedestrians enjoying near-perfect weather on Father’s Day weekend, there were no incidents between those processing and the public.

In fact, onlookers greeted the procession with curiosity, courtesy, respect, and even reverence.

The eucharistic procession was escorted through downtown Knoxville by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, which provided two deputies in vehicles with emergency lights flashing. An AMR ambulance followed the procession in case anyone needed medical attention along the way, and a 15-passenger van also trailed the procession for anyone needing a respite from the walk.

Father Bill McNeeley, pastor of Holy Ghost, was one of four Diocese of Knoxville priests leading the procession. He was joined by Father Michael Hendershott, associate pastor of Holy Ghost, Father Dustin Collins, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Johnson City, and Father Julian Cardona, associate pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City. Deacon Gordy Lowery, who serves at Holy Ghost, assisted in the procession.

Father McNeeley explained that the procession with the eucharistic Lord was to celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ and a launch of the National Eucharistic Revival, a three-year initiative sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

According to the USCCB, the Church has withstood scandal, division, disease, and doubt throughout human history: “But today we confront all of them, all at once. Our response in this moment is pivotal. In the midst of these roaring waves, Jesus is present, reminding us that He is more powerful than the storm. He desires to heal, renew, and unify the Church and the world. How will He do it? By uniting us once again around the source and summit of our faith: the Holy Eucharist. The National Eucharistic Revival is the joyful, expectant, grassroots response of the entire Catholic Church in the United States to this divine invitation.”

Downtown bound A eucharistic procession leaves Holy Ghost Church along Central Street for downtown Knoxville on June 18. Some 250 people took part in the 3.5-mile procession through downtown Knoxville with a stop at Immaculate Conception Church for adoration.

The procession began inside Holy Ghost, where the exposition of the Holy Eucharist took place.

The priest incensed the Eucharist. The Pange Lingua and Adoro Te Devote were sung. Father McNeeley carried the monstrance at the front of the procession. Once outside the church, the canopy bearers protected the Eucharist as the procession began. The concelebrating priests and the deacon led the canopy, or baldachino.

Along the route, as the priests alternated carrying the monstrance, songs were sung, and prayers were made.

The monstrance containing the Holy Eucharist was taken inside Immaculate Conception Church and placed on the altar, where adoration took place for about 30 minutes. The procession then exited Immaculate Conception and made its way through downtown and then back to Holy Ghost, where Benediction inside that church concluded the procession.

The procession took about three hours to complete.

Father McNeeley was excited about participation in the procession, how it went, and reaction to it along the way.

“It was fantastic. We had a terrific turnout,” he continued. “We filled the church three times. It was really beautiful, and it shows how our parishes and our diocese are truly evangelical. We are bearing faithful witness to Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In all that we do, we give Him the praise and the glory, and that’s what is at the heart and soul of a eucharistic procession—to carry Jesus out into the world, and as He instructed us, to go make disciples of all nations.

“It’s been an honor to be able to do that and to have so many people step up to help that. We also thank the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, which provided us escorts.

Everything just went wonderfully.

I couldn’t be happier.”

Among the participants were Rose Alenius-Spencer from Abingdon, Va., and her sister and brother-in-law, Karin and Cabell Finch, of Tampa, Fla. Ms. Alenius-Spencer, who attends the Latin Mass at St. Mary Church in Johnson City on Sundays and Christ the King Church in Abingdon during the week, explained that she drove to Knox-

ville to be in the procession and suggested to her sister and brother-in-law, who were traveling to Knoxville, that they take part, too.

Mr. Finch is a Knoxville native, and he and his wife often visit family in Knoxville and attend the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus while in town.

“I came down here just for this.

It was beyond anything I’ve ever done. My mom is from Bogotá (Colombia), and she talks a lot about the processions they always did down in Bogotá when she was a girl. In churches I’ve been to, the procession is always around the church, but I’ve never been in a procession that actually went through town, especially a town that was so busy and so full of people,” Ms. Alenius-Spencer said.

“We witnessed so amazingly. I hope Jesus is happy with us today.

I’m just full of joy and love and happiness right now,” she added.

Mrs. Finch noted that the eucharistic procession was especially poignant for her and her

husband because members of her husband’s family are buried in Old Gray Cemetery in downtown Knoxville, which the eucharistic procession passed on its June 18 route.

“I thought this eucharistic procession was magnificent. I felt blessed and safe. I know there were a lot of prayers involved.

We had stopped to attend Mass in Atlanta, and they were praying for the safety of everyone who was participating in a eucharistic procession this weekend. I felt lifted, and I really felt that we were proclaiming that Jesus is Lord,” Mrs. Finch said.

“People fell silent in Market Square very respectfully as we passed through. We were in a very large crowd where anything could have happened. But I felt entirely safe and blessed and lifted. This really magnifies this hour of power we should do every week to a new level,” she continued.

Mr. Finch said a eucharistic procession is something he’s only seen on television. However, participating in one was a new sensation.

“The experience was amazing. I never imagined I would be participating in one. During the procession, there was a lot of communion with deceased members of my family,” he said, adding that the procession also passed by the Episcopal church where his parents were married. “When we were singing as we processed down Gay Street and in Market Square was especially sublime as people who were watching were moved and fascinated with our group as we were evangelizing.”

As the procession traversed the streets of North Knoxville and downtown, people were watching from upper-floor windows of their residences, from their vehicles, from sidewalks and sidewalk vendor stands.

Market Square was congested with people who were shopping at the weekly farmers’ market, and the streets were bustling with traffic. At two points, the procession crossed under Interstate 40.

As the procession entered teeming Market Square, Knights of Columbus and altar servers had to courteously move the secular congregation to the side to create a path for the Real Presence and the lay faithful to get through.

And as the procession prayed and sang as it passed by a Central Street food truck park, the pop song “Walkin’ on the Sun” by the band Smash Mouth was accompaProcession continued on page A20

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Readers interested in supporting Cross Catholic Outreach education programs and other outreaches to the poor can contribute through the ministry brochure inserted in this issue or send tax-deductible gifts to Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept.

AC02107, PO Box 97168, Washington, DC 20090-7168. The ministry has a special need for partners willing to make gifts on a monthly basis. Use the inserted brochure to become a Mission Partner or write “Monthly Mission Partner” on mailed checks to be contacted about setting up those arrangements.

Dedicated Catholics Make Major Impact on Poverty

by Serving as ‘Mission Partners’ Consistency and reliability have always been recognized as important character traits in American culture, and most of us bring up our children to uphold those values, especially in the workplace. We do that because we know consistency and reliability produce stability and help us weather the unexpected storms in life.

The same is true when it comes to charity, according to Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach. That is why his ministry cherishes its Mission

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Partners — donors who have committed to monthly giving.

“Mission Partners represent the foundation of our ministry,” he said. “Their commitment to helping the poor on a monthly basis gives us a steady, reliable way to serve. Without them, the missions we support in the developing world would never know whether they could rely on us to help with long-term projects, and it would be much more difficult for us to respond to disaster situations. When we can depend on the support of Mission

Partners, we can move forward confidently and take on every challenge that’s put before us.”

Because monthly giving is so important to Cross Catholic Outreach’s work overseas, the ministry makes it as easy as possible for its donors to become Mission Partners. That option is included on appeals, on the charity’s website and in the brochures it distributes at Catholic parishes and in Catholic newspapers.

“Ultimately, we ask people to become Mission Partners because

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monthly giving has a huge impact on the priests, religious sisters and Catholic lay leaders working in the trenches, fighting to end hunger and alleviate poverty,” Cavnar said. “When they face an unexpected crisis or a natural disaster strikes, the missions know they can come to us for help because our Mission Partners have provided the resources needed to overcome those immediate challenges. We can make decisions in a matter of hours and send help within days — and the poor are blessed as a result.”

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RIGHT PAGE

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

American Catholics See Education as Key to Helping Poor Children Escape Generational Poverty

For more than 20 years, Cross Catholic Outreach has been helping Catholic missions in developing countries expand their educational outreaches to the poor.

Children who could not read or write have been blessed incredibly by these programs, and many have since gone on to college — breaking free of the cycle of poverty that had plagued their families for generations.

Even before the American colonies became a sovereign nation, civic leaders began to explore new ideas that would create a brighter and more prosperous future for their descendants. One of the goals they pursued involved establishing a more accessible public education system. The first taxpayer-supported public school was opened in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and it offered access to free education as early as 1639.

“...people are getting involved because they want poor boys and girls to have the same blessings their own children or grandchildren enjoy.”

Jim Cavnar, President Cross Catholic Outreach

Hundreds of years have passed since then, but the importance of accessible education has remained a vital part of the American dream — and this view is just as sacred to Church leaders working to better the lives of the poor in developing countries. In fact, many priests and religious sisters firmly believe education is the best way to free families from hope-draining poverty.

“You might assume the priests and religious sister working in impoverished communities overseas are focused only on fighting hunger and providing safe water — and they are working

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

hard to address those urgent needs — but they are just as eager to educate poor children because that’s the best way to break the cycle of poverty and put families on an upward trajectory in life,” explained Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, one of the leading Catholic ministries working to alleviate poverty in the developing world. “The only thing stopping these Church leaders from doing more is a lack of funding and resources. If we American Catholics help them, they can address the education problem — and do much more.”

Cavnar added that his ministry has received a lot of support for educational outreaches in recent years, and he commends compassionate Catholics in the U.S. who are making that need a priority. It is their support that ensures Church missions succeed.

“Some of these people are getting involved because they want poor boys and girls to have the same blessings their own children or grandchildren enjoy,” Cavnar said. “Others are familiar with the saying, ‘Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.’ They take that idea to heart and know that education will have a lasting impact. Ultimately, both groups of donors value education because it restores the dignity of a person and opens doors to opportunity. When it is offered through the Church, it can have a life-transforming spiritual impact as well.”

Cavnar speaks from experience.

He has been involved in Catholic international relief and development work for more than 30 years and has seen its impact in developing countries firsthand. In fact, Cross Catholic Outreach and its American donors have blessed the poor through educational projects in more than 20 countries over the years, and thousands of children have benefited dramatically.

“When educational options are so severely limited — as is often the case in very poor communities — many children grow up illiterate and have very few opportunities to better their lives. As those kids grow up and have families of their own, that terrible cycle of illiteracy and poverty often continues from one generation to the next,” Cavnar said. “When we provide the poor with education, we can break that trend and create a cycle of blessings in its place. Our efforts help children escape the slums, and when they do, those young people often lift their parents and siblings out of poverty too. As educated kids become adults, they also make educating their own children

a priority, and the good cycle we created continues.”

As with the other humanitarian efforts it supports — feeding programs, water system installations, housing initiatives and the like — Cross Catholic Outreach achieves its successes in education by empowering Catholic missions already working in areas of great need. According to Cavnar, this resourcing of the Church’s existing work is both wise and effective.

“The dioceses, priests and religious sisters we empower are perfectly positioned to help the poor. They just lack proper funding, supplies and equipment,” he said. “When compassionate American Catholics donate to Cross Catholic Outreach, we can supply those resources, and that makes the most of the in-country missions’ existing facilities and staff. It’s a very cost-effective way of helping the poor, and one of the projects we are working on now is focused on improving educational opportunities in Ghana, Africa.”

(See the related story on the opposite page.)

How to Help To fund Cross Catholic Outreach’s effort to help the poor worldwide, use the postage-paid brochure inserted in this newspaper, or mail your gift to Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC02107, PO Box 97168, Washington, DC 20090-7168. The brochure also includes instructions on becoming a Mission Partner and making a regular monthly donation to this cause.

If you identify an aid project, 100% of the donation will be restricted to be used for that specific project. However, if more is raised for the project than needed, funds will be redirected to other urgent needs in the ministry.

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JULY 3, 2022 n A13

DR. KELLY KEARSE (2)

diamond that we call the Diocese of Knoxville.”

The rite of ordination began after Deacon Conklin proclaimed the Gospel. Diocesan chancellor Deacon Sean Smith called forth each candidate individually, and each answered “present.” Deacon Tim Elliott, diocesan director of the diaconate, told Bishop Stika that the candidates “have been found worthy.”

“Relying on the help of Our Lord God and Our Savior, Jesus Christ, we choose these our brothers for the order of the diaconate, thanks be to God,” Bishop Stika replied.

In his homily, the bishop said those filling the cathedral “represent the thousands of people who belong to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville in East Tennessee—big parishes, small parishes, missions. But we’re here at the invitation of the Church, at the invitation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and in some ways at the invitation of St. Paul VI, who reinstituted the office of the diaconate in 1977. For a long time, it was part of the road to priesthood, and so my brother priests and the cardinal and myself were all in that moment when we, too, can remember being ordained a deacon.”

Bishop Stika referred to a retreat he attended with the deacons shortly before their ordination.

“We gather together this day to witness a change in these men, an ontological change through the laying on of my hands that has existed for centuries. I had a delightful time about a month ago of spending an entire week with these men,” he said. “I don’t know if they saw it as good as I did because they had to listen to me, but to experience these men and to experience the stories that they told, what brought them to this moment when all of a sudden they said, ‘I do. I am present. I am here,’ whether it was as engineers or military, scientists, laborers, transportation industry—whatever it might be, they present a totality of themselves to the Church, to all of us, for this is indeed a sacred time.

“In a few moments I’m going to be asking them questions about faithfulness, about prayer, about celibacy—nope, nope, not celibacy.

I’m sorry about that. That was a few weeks ago [at the ordination of transitional deacons]. Maybe the wives might like that; I don’t know.

Then at some point we’re going to invoke the saints to be with us, the Church of Knoxville, and then the laying on of hands and the presentation of the Scriptures, the vesting—what a wonderful time.”

The bishop said he had been researching online for Church documents related to the diaconate.

“I kind of strayed off from the documents to some words of St. Benedict that I think sum it all up: ‘To pray and to work.’ To me that’s the diaconate, that’s the priesthood, that’s the episcopate,” he said. “That is true for all of us, but to pray and to work. You’re going to make commitments to pray with the Church and for the Church, in the Liturgy of the Hours, before the Blessed Sacrament, leading people in your parishes to pray, praying with your family, and then having that ongoing conversation with God. To be at the liturgy, the Eucharist, the summit of what we do as a Church, to assist the minister or the priest or the bishop. To bury the dead, to baptize, to witness. Powerful things: prayer and work.

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Diaconate continued from page A1

“But also work—you all have jobs or you might be retired and you have joined the honey-do club, when your wife says, ‘Honey, please do this and please do that.’

And you might be called to do other things in the diocese—hospital ministry, formation, catechetical instruction, RCIA, whatever it might be. Prayer and work—if you miss one or the other, it’s incomplete, for we cannot be deacons, we cannot be priests, we cannot be a bishop without the gift of prayer, the ongoing conversation with God, for without that your work as a deacon will be empty. It will be empty and confusing. You might become a human robot, just doing the actions.”

Bishop Stika told the deacon candidates to “always remember that what you do, especially in the liturgy, is sacred because it’s of God, but also you are called to lead people to God. One of those things associated with the diaconate is charity. In the early Church, the presbyters were busy doing all kinds of things, and they knew something was missing, so the evolution came of the presbyterate, the episcopate, and the diaconate. The permanent diaconate for so many centuries was lost.”

Becoming clergy is an ontological change, the bishop said.

“What a beautiful thing that is.

Never forget God has chosen you to do something significant. Not to be placed on a pedestal, not to give orders to everybody else but to be a servant,” he said. “Sometimes that word ‘servant’ is misunderstood, for we don’t live in a world of servants, unless you’re wealthy and you might have a valet or something. But to be a servant, to be open to the invitation of Christ in charity, in prayer, and in work, to help build the kingdom of God on this earth that He has given to us.”

Bishop Stika mentioned the study courses the 23 men had at the Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton.

“I admire you men and your families because many of you

have fulltime jobs, and during those courses at the retreat center, some had to drive a long distance one way and the other way for a weekend,” he said. “But the thing I admired about this class, and I’ve probably said it about other classes: you’re friends. There’s a unity and an enjoyment, no hesitancy to speak your mind. And that part of your formation, led by Deacon Tim Elliott, whom I’m so grateful for, and the other formators, those who came to instruct and to share the gift of Scripture, sacrament, liturgy, even canon law, has made you who you are today.

“More so now, you’re a public person. And people will watch, and they will listen. Give them the kernel of truth, the kerygma, when you preach, not your own opinion, but when you preach as you have studied the Scriptures and then brought together life experiences to proclaim Jesus and the teachings that are articulated by the magisterium. Respect and obedience. …

The obedience is not to the bishop.

In some ways, yes. ‘Hey, I want you to go here or go there.’ The obedience is to the Church—magisterial teaching, the Scriptures, reflection, prayer, charity—that’s what the Church asks you to do. It does, and Christ demands it. So, in a few moments I’ll pose these questions to you, and hopefully you’ll all say, ‘I do’ or ‘I am.’ I know Father David Boettner behind me, the rector here at the cathedral, his question is, ‘Are we taking up a collection today?’ That’s a practical question.”

The bishop thanked the deacons’ families.

“To the wives, thank you. To the families, thank you. They always say that the first seminary is in the home. To the wives and to the family, you have been part of the formation of these men. And if your parents are here or brothers and sisters, siblings, the same is true. So that’s why today the Church of the Diocese of Knoxville, the Catholic Church of East Tennessee, rejoices for this moment of history, now the

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third class of the permanent diaconate. God bless you and be with you and fulfill you, and know He has chosen you for this moment, and you have said yes. Amen.”

Before the elect made their promises to the bishop, the diocese’s shepherd made one observation as he saw the 23 men filling the area around the altar steps.

“We’re going to need a bigger cathedral, I think,” he said.

The candidates pledged before Bishop Stika “to be consecrated for the ministry of the Church by the laying on of [the bishop’s] hands and the gift of the Holy Spirit”; “to discharge with humble charity the office of the diaconate, so as to assist the priestly order and to benefit the Christian people”; “to hold fast to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience, as the Apostle says, and to proclaim this faith by word and deed according to the Gospel and the Church’s tradition”; “to guard and increase the spirit of prayer proper to your way of life and, in keeping with this spirit and the circumstances of your life, to celebrate faithfully the Liturgy of the Hours, with and for the people of God and indeed for the whole world”; and “to conform your manner of life always to the example of Christ, whose Body and Blood you will handle at the altar.”

Each candidate in turn then placed his hands in those of Bishop Stika, promising “respect and obedience to me and to my successors.”

The Litany of the Saints followed, as each candidate lay prostrate before the altar steps, praying for the saints of the Church to pray for them.

“Let us pray, dearly beloved, that God, the Almighty Father, will in His mercy pour out the grace of His blessing on these, His servants, whom He is pleased to receive into the sacred order of the diaconate,” the bishop said before the litany began.

The candidates then went forward individually for the laying on of hands and the prayer of ordination. The newly ordained deacons were then vested, by a priest or deacon friend, with a stole and dalmatic. Each new deacon then went forward to the bishop and formally received the Gospel book. “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach,” the bishop told each man.

In his closing remarks at Mass, the bishop thanked the families of all the new deacons as well as Deacon Conklin.

“For you guys, remember, Ken was the first one to be ordained in your class, so he’s the dean,” the bishop said, drawing a round of applause.

“I also want to thank Deacon Tim Elliott, who has been working so hard with these young men. It’s been a long process. Typically, to be ordained a priest, you go to seminary nine months of the year. These guys, over five and a half years, have given a weekend plus all the study involved, plus going through COVID and illness and all kinds of other things. It just shows their fortitude and their courage and their willingness to be of service to you, God’s people, to all the people that you represent as well.”

Two of the men ordained (Bob Denne, son Robert; Joe Herman, son Daniel) have sons who are in the seminary, the bishop said.

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us is a very powerful thought.”

Deacon Rafael Pubillones talked about finally seeing ordination day come.

“I had a hard time holding back my tears, especially when we were prostrated and the Litany of the Saints was being chanted for us. I wasn’t the only one—I was able to hear other brothers sniffling” during the litany, he said.

Deacon Pubillones’ inspiration was “several people, specifically those who had asked me if I had considered the diaconate, who were priests, who were deacons, who were sisters, and of course family.

I’ve been telling them specifically today that I’m here because of them,” he said.

The weekends of study were not a toil for him, he added.

“Actually, I just love it—I couldn’t wait for the weekends, because for me it wasn’t homework per se because I love to read and I loved to read what I was reading,” he said.

Father Ray Powell, his pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City, was the vestor for Deacon Pubillones.

“He is one of my many mentors,” the new deacon said.

Deacon Pubillones retired from the Air Force after serving 27 1/2 years, then worked for Lockheed Martin for five years, where he was a business development manager in Washington, D.C., before moving to Tennessee in 2008. The most no-

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Diaconate continued from page A14 “Someday the deacon will have to call their son Father,” he said.

Newly ordained Deacon Bob Hunt, a columnist for The East Tennessee Catholic who works as a registered nurse, called it “a glorious feeling” to be ordained.

“I’m so excited. I’m eager to get started, eager to tell people about Jesus,” he said. “That’s why I’m doing this. That’s why I’ve wanted to do this. That’s why I’m here, and I’m hoping that God will give me the grace to do that and do it well.”

His inspiration during study “was the opportunity to serve the Church in formal ministry. There’s nothing I like better than getting up in front of people and telling them about Jesus. That’s what I want to do. The other men in the group, it was just wonderful getting together every month with two dozen other men who love Jesus, love the Church, and want to do good things with their lives,” Deacon Hunt said.

The long days of study seemingly had no end in sight.

“I almost hoped they wouldn’t end because we enjoyed them so much and the fellowship among the brothers,” Deacon Hunt said.

“I’m glad the day is finally here, and I think all of us are ready to hit the ground running.”

Father Bill McNeeley, pastor of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville, vested Deacon Hunt.

“He’s a good family friend. We have been good friends for 15 years at least,” the new deacon said. “He presided at the wedding of both my daughter Bernadette and my daughter Genevieve, and he baptized my grandbaby. We have lunch almost every month, so he’s a good family friend.”

The most notable moment of the Mass for Deacon Hunt was “bishop’s prayer that in receiving this divine commission may we receive divine assistance to fulfill it,” he said.

Deacon David Duhamel, a transportation security project manager at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, said that seeing ordination day come brought a sense of “relief after five years of hard work” and that it was “very humbling.”

His inspiration during all of that time was “my family. My wife, Anna, and my seven kids,” he said.

Regarding the years of study for the diaconate, Deacon Duhamel said, “There were times when it was questionable” whether they would ever end, “but through my fellow deacon candidates, they were my good friends, we walked together and it was very successful.”

Father Richard Armstrong vested him. “He was my spiritual director throughout the diaconate,” Deacon Duhamel said.

The most powerful moment of the Mass for Deacon Duhamel “was certainly lying on the floor in humility,” he said.

Deacon Chad Shields called his ordination “surreal.”

His inspiration through a time of “highs and lows” before ordination came from his spouse.

“My wife has been not just a support but a large reason why I’m Catholic to begin with,” he said. “A lot of prayer, a lot of listening to mentors, people who gave words of encouragement to stick with it and just trying to do the due diligence of discerning.”

With two young children, who keep him busy with homeschooling while he also runs a farm, Deacon Shields said, “I’m reminded of how fast time goes, and in some ways I wish that [the study time] was longer.”

His vestor was Deacon Patrick Murphy-Racey. “He was my spiritual director,” Deacon Shields said.

His most notable moment of the ordination was “probably the Litany of the Saints,” he said. “Especially as a convert, one of the wonderful things about Catholicism is the sense of community in our faith, and lying on the floor and considering how many brilliant minds and wonderful hearts have gone before us to give us the Church that we know today and that they are genuinely praying for

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table moment of the Mass for him “had to be when we prostrated,” he said.

“You’re prostrated, you have your forehead leaning on your hands, and all kinds of things are going through your mind: what has happened, what you think will happen; for example, will I be a worthy follower of St. Stephen, our first deacon and first martyr?”

Having 23 men ordained with Deacon Conklin being present as the 24th member of the class “was a pretty amazing feat,” Deacon Elliott said.

Every corner of the diocese will receive a new deacon, he noted.

“They are getting spread out across the diocese, and they all have assignments to do,” Deacon Elliott said. “They’ve got lots going on.

Every one of them is going to be participating in parishes across the diocese, and they have other things to do within those parishes as well.

They got their orders today.”

All 23 men had their wives present for the ordination.

“They all did,” Deacon Elliott said, calling that fact “absolutely” a blessing. “They’ve been with them for this whole journey, along with their family, their kids, everything, so, yes, it’s a great blessing.”

Most of the new deacons studied for five and a half years, but some were in a discernment period for about six months before that, making the journey six years, Deacon Elliott said.

“I told them at the very beginning that this was going to be the fastest five and a half years that they ever went through, and I think if you ask them they’ll tell you that, and it was just as fast for me,” he said. “There’s two full years of Scripture that they study, and then they go into theology for about two years and then the practicum stuff for about a year and a half.”

Bishop Stika after Mass said there were about 1,200 people in the cathedral for the ordination.

“All the parishes in one way or another seemed to be represented and from all the nooks and crannies of East Tennessee,” he said. “My life as a bishop, through apostolic authority, to be able to ordain is always a blessing.”

The diocese now has the deacon class of 2022 to go with those of 2007 and 2012, and it now has more than 100 permanent deacons.

“This is now our third class of deacons, and in that first class and even a couple in the second, guys are starting to retire,” the bishop said. “We’re going to be starting another class maybe in a year, so it’s just being replenished time and time again.”

Bishop Stika spoke of saying the prayer of ordination individually for 23 men.

“The laying on of hands is always significant because it’s so much a part of our ritual of ordinations and then the prayer of consecration and then watching them get vested, giving them the Gospel book—all of these things are very important and a real blessing for me to be able to be a part of the process,” he said. ■

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Meet the Diocese of Knoxville’s newest deacons

By Emily Booker Photos by Dr. Kelly Kearse

B

ishop Richard F. Stika on June 11 ordained 23 men for the permanent diaconate in the Diocese of Knoxville. One member of this class,

Ken Conklin, was ordained a deacon last September.

This is the third class of permanent deacons ordained in the diocese since it was founded in September 1988.

The addition of 24 men in the past year brings the number of permanent

deacons serving in the Diocese of Knoxville to just over 100, and they serve in parishes throughout the diocese.

They carry out their ministry “in imitation of Christ the servant and impelled by the spirit of charity” and

they are “entrusted with the unique responsibility of bringing Christ to every corner of society,” according to the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations.

Here are the diocese’s newest deacons:

Deacon David Anderson Hometown: Boonville, Ind. Current residence: Townsend Wife: Elizabeth Occupation: retired electrical engineer Parish: Holy Cross, Pigeon Forge Ministry: “I pray that [my ordination] shows as an example for others but especially for my family of putting God first in their lives. Wonderful things can happen in your life when you turn it all over to God.”

Deacon Shawn Ballard Hometown: Panama City, Fla. Current residence: Farragut Wife: Ann Occupation: retired U.S. Navy Parish: St. John Neumann, Farragut Ministry: “I am excited for the opportunity to serve the people of East Tennessee and to lead them into a deeper relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Deacon Jim Bello Hometown: Baton Rouge, La. Current residence: Chattanooga Wife: Christina Occupation: vice president of outpatient rehabilitation Parish: Holy Spirit, Soddy-Daisy Ministry: “I want to show those who don’t yet understand the personal love Our Father offers that there is a path to accepting this intimacy. I want to deepen my own intimacy with Jesus by knowing him in those same people I am privileged to serve.”

Deacon Peter Chiaro Hometown: Philadelphia Current residence: Clinton Wife: Jean Occupation: retired nuclear engineer Parish: St. Therese, Clinton Ministry: “Being a deacon will allow me to more directly serve members of our faith; to help those in need, especially those who are searching for or needing help with life’s issues.”

Deacon Humberto Collazo Hometown: Kingsport Current residence: Kingsport Wife: Lucy Occupation: chemist, research scientist Parish: St. Dominic, Kingsport Ministry: “It is an honor and privilege to be able to work together with the clergy, the members of our Catholic faith, and friends and family and being able to contribute to the salvific mission of our diocese.”

Deacon Roberto Cortes Home country: Mexico Current residence: Philadelphia, Tenn.

Wife: Maria Occupation: mushroom grower Parish: St. Thomas the Apostle, Lenoir City Ministry: “My thoughts and hopes of being a deacon for the Diocese of Knoxville are to serve the Lord and His Mystical Body in any way He may need me.”

Deacon Eric Dadey Hometown: Johnstown, Pa. Current residence: Sevierville Wife: Debbie Occupation: college professor, department chair Parish: Good Shepherd, Newport Ministry: “My desire is to let everyone know and especially those individuals most troubled, that God loves them unconditionally, to demonstrate the truth of our Catholic faith, and to bring everyone to the greatest gift on earth, the Eucharist.”

Deacon Bob Denne Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa. Current residence: Knoxville Wife: Dianna Occupation: manager, Nuclear Demand Services Parish: All Saints, Knoxville Ministry: “Growing up with one foot in the Roman Rite and one in the Byzantine Rite, I understand the need to help the priest pray. I also believe there is a need to help those that are not clergy to pray; to pray through and in the good and bad times, and to be available to all those in the parish and beyond, being ever mindful of my first vocation: being married to my wonderful wife, Dianna.”

Deacon Leon Dodd Jr. Hometown: Nashville Current residence: Maryville Wife: Ellen Occupation: Quality Management Systems - Aerospace Parish: Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa Ministry: “As deacon, I hope to facilitate Call & Gifted workshops on the spiritual gifts and charisms to enable the Body of Christ to proclaim the Gospel.”

Deacon Dave Duhamel Hometown: Bedford, Mass.

Current residence: Oak Ridge Wife: Anna Occupation: international security project manager Parish: St. Mary, Oak Ridge Ministry: “As I became more involved in my church…the greater my desire to serve others grew. I realized that God was asking more of me. Now I seek to serve God as one of His ‘workers in the vineyard.’”

Deacon Wade Eckler Hometown: Poland, N.Y. Current residence: Chattanooga Wife: Denice Occupation: electrical engineer Parish: Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Chattanooga Ministry: “I would like to encourage people through my example and words to love the deposit of faith that we have received from the Apostles and live it out.”

Deacon Michael Gray Hometown: Elizabethton Current residence: Elizabethton Wife: Renee Occupation: sheriff deputy Parish: St. Elizabeth, Elizabethton Ministry: Prison ministry “My hope is that the Church will continue to grow in love with Christ and focus our heavenly goal.”

Deacon James Haselsteiner Hometown: Chicago Current residence: Johnson City Wife: Cheryl Occupation: retired, health-care financial management Parish: St. Mary, Johnson City Ministry: “To me, being a deacon is to be a prayerful servant leader—serving at the altar, the people of the parish, and within the community.”

Deacon Joe Herman Hometown: Mountain City Current residence: Mountain City Wife: Lucia Occupation: president/ owner of Danny Herman Trucking Inc. Parish: St. Anthony of Padua, Mountain City Ministry: “I hope to be able to grow on this pilgrimage and pray that the Holy Spirit will lead me to be a servant that will bring glory to God and His Church.”

Deacon Bob Hunt Hometown: Arlington, Va. Current residence: Knoxville Wife: Margaret Occupation: registered nurse Parish: All Saints and Holy Ghost, Knoxville Ministry: “I hope to use my gifts in teaching and writing to share the Good News of Jesus and make myself available to meet the many human needs of others.”

Deacon Henning “Vic” Landa Hometown: Piura, Peru Current residence: Clinton Wife: Susan Occupation: performance auditor, retired U.S. Marine Corps Parish: Blessed Sacrament, Harriman Ministry: “I was longing for charity and how to repay God for all the good He had done in my life. This longing led me to true charity and placed me on the path to the diaconate.”

Deacon Greg Larson Hometown: Grafton, N.D. Current residence: Knoxville Wife: Linda Occupation: retired, radioactive waste management Parish: St. John Neumann, Farragut Ministry: “Being a deacon means to me to be a servant of God and be the bridge between the people of the parish and the clergy, to spread the Word of God, and reflect God’s love that is within each of us.”

Deacon Patrick Nakagawa Hometown: Honolulu Current residence: Knoxville Wife: Martha Occupation: quality assurance Parish: All Saints, Knoxville Ministry: “It will be an honor to be able to have all my actions in service to God.”

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Deacons continued from page A16 Deacon Agustin Ortega Hometown: Moroleón, Guanajuato, Mexico Current residence: Lenoir City Wife: Veronica Occupation: maintenance Parish: St. John Neumann, Farragut Ministry: “To me it will be the greatest accomplishment of my life to serve the people of God.”

Deacon Rafael Pubillones Hometown: Guantánamo, Cuba Current residence: Loudon Wife: Michele Occupation: retired U.S. Air Force, business development manager Parish: St. Thomas the Apostle, Lenoir City Ministry: “I hope to be a humble servant, to be a worthy follower of St. Stephen, our first deacon and first martyr, and to never forget these hallowed words: ‘Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.’”

Deacon Chad Shields Hometown: West Palm Beach, Fla. Current residence: Tazewell Wife: Nicole Occupation: farmer Parish: Christ the King, Tazewell Ministry: “I hope to remain open to God’s calling as it pertains to any specific areas of concentration within my overall diaconate ministry. Any and all service is rooted in my local community’s needs.”

Deacon Salvador Soriano Home country: El Salvador Current residence: Knoxville Wife: Cristina Occupation: carpet installer Parish: All Saints, Knoxville Ministry: “For me to become a deacon is something very big in my life, and I will give all of myself to serve the Lord.”

Deacon David Venesky Hometown: Syracuse, N.Y. Current residence: Knoxville Wife: Mary Occupation: commercial laundry repair technician Parish: Holy Ghost, Knoxville Ministry: “I am humbled to be ordained a deacon as it is an honor to serve our Catholic Church in ministry. I think it is doing what I was called to, and it makes me feel accomplished.”

Deacon Ken Conklin Ordained on Sept. 25 Home state: New Jersey Current residence: Dandridge Wife: Diane Occupation: entrepreneur Parish: All Saints, Knoxville Ministry: “One of the most incredible things about Ken, and Diane for that matter, is they understand what the word hope means. Through all of this [Deacon Ken’s cancer diagnosis and recovery], they’re very practical, but they’re also very grounded in that hope and in their Catholic faith.” — Deacon Tim Elliott, diocesan director of the Diaconate and Deacon Formation. ■

Study provides ‘detailed snapshot’ about state of permanent diaconate in the United States

By Catholic News Service

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

DEACON PATRICK MURPHY-RACEY

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n the Catholic Church, permanent deacons “are entrusted with the unique responsibility of bringing Christ to every corner of society,” said the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations.

They carry out their ministry “in imitation of Christ the servant and impelled by the spirit of charity,” said Bishop James F. Checchio of Metuchen, N.J. He made the remarks on the unique role deacons have in the Catholic Church in a statement issued June 2 with the results of an annual survey that provides a portrait of the permanent diaconate in the United States.

“By virtue of their ordination, deacons witness to Christ in the workplace, within their families and among the members of their community, especially the poor,” Bishop Checchio said. “The Church is grateful to all permanent deacons who extend Christ’s mercy and healing to all those in need.”

Conducted for the USCCB by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University since 2005, the study provides a detailed snapshot of the state of the permanent diaconate in the United States.

Findings include the percentage of active versus nonactive deacons; the archdioceses/dioceses and eparchies with the largest number of permanent deacons; sociocultural demographics; and ministerial involvement.

With contact information provided by the National Association of Diaconate Directors and CARA’s Catholic Ministry Formation database, CARA contacted the 183 dioceses and eparchies in the United States that have an active permanent diaconate office and formation program.

Of this total, 141 responded to the survey for an overall response rate of 77 percent. Some of the major findings of the report follow: n Responding archdioceses/dioceses with the largest number of permanent deacons include Chicago, 804; Los Angeles, 498; and Joliet, Ill., 497. Adjusting for Catholic population size, Latin-rite dioceses with the lowest ratio of Catholics per permanent deacon include Lexington, Ky., 477 Catholics per deacon; Amarillo, Texas, 547; Rapid City, S.D., 678; Pueblo, Colo., 681; and Anchorage, Alaska, 699. n The 138 Latin-rite archdioceses/dioceses that responded to this question report a total of 16,765 permanent deacons, both active and not active. The three eparchies that responded reported a total of 36 permanent deacons. “Extrapolating to include archdioceses/dioceses and archeparchies/eparchies that did not respond to the survey,” the report said, “it can be estimated that there were as many as 20,888 permanent deacons in the United States in 2021-2022.” n Latin-rite archdioceses/dioceses reported having 11,746 permanent deacons active in ministry. The three eparchies reported 31 active permanent deacons. “Extrapolating to include

Ready to bring Christ to every corner of society The Diocese of Knoxville’s newest permanent deacons prostrate themselves during the Litany of the Saints in their June 11 ordination at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The 23 men have been assigned to parishes and have begun their ministries.

“By virtue of their ordination, deacons witness to Christ in the workplace, within their families, and among the members of their community, especially the poor. The Church is grateful to all permanent deacons who extend Christ’s mercy and healing to all those in need.”

— Bishop James F. Checchio chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations arch/dioceses and arch/eparchies that did not respond to the survey,” the report said, “it can be estimated that there are 14,586 deacons active in ministry in the United States in 2021-2022, or about 70 percent of all permanent deacons.” n During the 2021 calendar year, 458 new permanent deacons were ordained in the archdioceses/dioceses that responded to the survey. At the same time, 512 deacons retired from active ministry and another 393 deacons died. “As is the case with priests in the United States, there are not enough new permanent deacons being ordained to make up for the numbers who are retiring from active ministry and dying each year,” the report said. n Close to all active permanent deacons — 95 percent — are at least 50 years old. About a fifth, or 20 percent, are in their 50s; two-fifths, 41 percent, are in their 60s; and about another twofifths, 36 percent, are 70 or older. n Nine in 10 active permanent deacons, or 93 percent, are currently married; 4 percent are widowers; and 2 percent have never been www.di o k no x .o rg

married. n Seven in 10 active permanent deacons, or 72 percent, are non-Hispanic whites. One in five active permanent deacons, 21 percent, is Hispanic or Latino; 3 percent are Asian or Pacific Islander; and 2 percent are African American. n Among permanent deacons who are financially compensated for ministry, one in five (19 percent) is entrusted with the pastoral care of one or more parishes; one in four (25 percent) works in other parish ministerial positions, such as director of religious education or youth minister; and one in seven (15 percent) works in parish non-ministerial positions, such as administration, business, and finance. n Seven in 10 active permanent deacons (67 percent) have at least a college degree. One in seven (14 percent) has a graduate degree in a field related to religion or ministry. n Nearly all dioceses and eparchies (98 percent) require an annual retreat of deacons. On average, three in four (75 percent) deacons participate in the retreat. Four in five responding archdioceses/dioceses (83 percent) provide couples retreats for deacons and their wives. Nine in 10 archdioceses/dioceses (86 percent) provide annual gatherings of deacons in addition to or apart from a retreat. n Nine in 10 archdioceses/dioceses (94 percent) have a minimum-age requirement for acceptance into the diaconate formation program — with the minimum age ranging from 28 to 60, with a median of 33.

The full study, “A Portrait of the Permanent Diaconate,” can be found online at https://bit.ly/3mhEyqP. ■ JULY 3, 2022 n A17

Pope: Catholics need better understanding of the Mass

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

leave us alone to search out an individual supposed knowledge of the mystery of God. Rather, it takes us by the hand, tohe “sense of mystery” and awe gether, as an assembly, to lead us deep Catholics should experience at within the mystery that the Word and the Mass is not one prompted by Latin sacramental signs reveal to us.” or “creative” elements added to the cel“Consistent with all action of God,” ebration, but by an awareness of the sache said, the liturgy leads people into the rifice of Christ and His real presence in mystery using symbolic actions and signs. the Eucharist, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis acknowledged that some “Beauty, just like truth, always enpeople claim that in reforming the liturgy genders wonder, and when these are and allowing celebrations of the Mass in referred to the mystery of God, they lead the language of the local congregation it to adoration,” he wrote in an apostolic has somehow lost what is “meant by the letter “on the liturgical formation of the vague expression 'sense of mystery.'” people of God.” But the mystery celebrated and comLiturgical understanding A priest holds the Eucharist in this Titled Desiderio Desideravi (“I have earmunicated, he said, is not about “a mystephoto illustration. The "sense of mystery" and awe Catholics nestly desired”), the letter was released rious rite. It is, on the contrary, marveling June 29 on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. should experience at Mass is prompted by an awareness of the at the fact that the salvific plan of God sacrifice of Christ and His Real Presence in the Eucharist, Pope has been revealed in the paschal deed of The title comes from Luke 22:15 when, before the Last Supper, Jesus tells His dis- Francis said in a document released June 29.

Jesus.” ciples, “I have earnestly desired to eat this The liturgy uses “things that are the Passover with you before I suffer.” the reform,” the Holy Father said. exact opposite of spiritual abstractions: bread, In the letter, Pope Francis insisted that CathThe liturgical books approved by “the holy wine, oil, water, fragrances, fire, ashes, rock, olics need to better understand the liturgical pontiffs St. Paul VI and St. John Paul II,” he fabrics, colors, body, words, sounds, silences, reform of the Second Vatican Council and its said, “have guaranteed the fidelity of the regestures, space, movement, action, order, time, goal of promoting the full, conscious, active, form of the council.” light,” he said. and fruitful celebration of the Mass.

Although the post-Vatican II Mass is celThose concrete things proclaim that “the “With this letter, I simply want to invite ebrated in Latin and dozens of vernacular lanwhole of creation is a manifestation of the love the whole Church to rediscover, to safeguard, guages, he said, it is “one and the same prayer of God, and from when that same love was and to live the truth and power of the Chriscapable of expressing her (the Church’s) manifested in its fullness in the cross of Jesus, tian celebration,” the pope wrote. “I want the unity.” all of creation was drawn toward it.” beauty of the Christian celebration and its nec“As I have already written, I intend that this However, Pope Francis wrote, the words essary consequences for the life of the Church unity be re-established in the whole Church of and gestures and symbols to be used are only not to be spoiled by a superficial and forethe Roman rite,” he said, which is why in 2021 those approved by the Church. shortened understanding of its value or, worse he promulgated Traditionis Custodes (Guard“Let us be clear here: every aspect of the celyet, by its being exploited in service of some ians of the Tradition), limiting celebrations of ebration must be carefully tended to—space, ideological vision, no matter what the hue.” the Mass according to the rite used before the time, gestures, words, objects, vestments, “The priestly prayer of Jesus at the Last Second Vatican Council. song, music—and every rubric must be obSupper that all may be one judges every one The bulk of the pope’s new letter focused served,” he wrote. Otherwise, the celebrant of our divisions around the bread broken, on helping Catholics learn to recognize and or ministers risk “robbing from the assembly around the sacrament of mercy, the sign of be astounded by the great gift of the Mass what is owed to it; namely, the paschal mysunity, the bond of charity,” he said. and the Eucharist and how it is not simply a tery celebrated according to the ritual that the While his letter offered what he called a weekly “staging” or “representation” of the Church sets down.” “meditation” on the power and beauty of the Last Supper but truly allows people of all Pope Francis said “the non-acceptance of Mass, Pope Francis also reiterated his convictimes and all places to encounter the crucified the liturgical reform” of Vatican II, as well as tion of the need to limit celebrations of the and risen Lord and to eat His body and drink “a superficial understanding of it, distracts us liturgy according to the rite in use before the His blood. from the obligation of finding responses to the Second Vatican Council.

And, the pope wrote, it is essential to recquestion that I come back to repeating: How “We cannot go back to that ritual form ognize that the Mass does not belong to the can we grow in our capacity to live in full the which the council fathers, cum Petro et sub priest or to any individual worshiper, but to liturgical action? How do we continue to let Petro (with and under Peter), felt the need to Christ and His Church. ourselves be amazed at what happens in the reform, approving, under the guidance of the “The liturgy does not say 'I' but 'we,' and celebration under our very eyes?”

Holy Spirit and following their conscience as any limitation on the breadth of this 'we' is al“We are in need of a serious and dynamic pastors, the principles from which was born ways demonic," he said. “The liturgy does not liturgical formation,” he said. ■ CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE/BOB ROLLER

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And within the tiny drop of water that he adds to the wine in the chalice, the offering of all the faithful is contained—their life, vocation and work, their prayers and blessings, sufferings and crosses, joy and sorrows.

And in anticipation of the great mystery of transformation that is about to occur during the consecration, the deacon (or the priest in his absence) silently prays, “By the mystery of this water and wine, may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled Himself to share in our humanity.” Oh, that all the faithful would reflect on what this means! But that is especially what deacons should help the faith-

Bishop continued from page A3

of Permanent Deacons, 28).

This is an extremely important part of a deacon’s ministry at the altar, and one that requires on his part an ever-deeper immersion into the mystery of the holy sacrifice of the Mass. It also requires a deeper appreciation of how the faithful are to exercise their baptismal priesthood in the offering they should make of themselves in the Mass.

A drop of water. When a deacon assists the priest during Mass as the “Deacon of the Cup,” his is no small part. For in his person, he represents the faithful at the altar and, in a sense, gathers the offering they make of themselves during the offertory.

ful to understand.

The Great Doxology. This is why, when the gifts and the altar are incensed by the deacon, the faithful are also incensed! For each of us, by virtue of our baptism, are a holy temple and our heart a spiritual altar upon which we offer ourselves to God. And during the consecration, our poor offering, through the Holy Spirit, is united with Christ’s sacrifice and offered to the Father with the glorious words of praise, “Through Him, and with Him, and in Him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever. Amen!”

Go forth! Having received Christ,

A18 n JULY 3, 2022

CNS/SARAH HAYDEN-THOMAS/THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC

Tornado continued from page A2

we wanted to do something to give back,” said Ms. Hayden-Thomas.

With permission from her pastor, Father Joseph Vu, she started putting out word to neighboring parishes about doing something to help.

Their “mission trip,” as they called it, became a collaborative project by parishioners of St. Teresa of Avila Parish and St. Mark Parish in Gonzales, La., and St. John the Evangelist Parish in Prairieville, La. Local Knights of Columbus and other Catholic organizations became involved as well.

Ms. Hayden-Thomas told Father McCarthy that she wanted to bring the team not in the immediate aftermath but in the months to follow.

The priest suggested that they come during western Kentucky’s spring break week from April 4-8, since volunteers would be converging on the area to help with recovery.

From that point on, the Louisiana parishioners plotted out the cooking and food prep details to feed hundreds of volunteers.

A team of 16 people traveled up to western Kentucky, where they served hearty Cajun fare out of a drive-through tent at the Dawson Springs Community Center in Dawson Springs, Ky.

Give and you shall receive Some of the Cajun Chefs from Louisiana organize packages of cookies on April 6 during their trip to Dawson Springs, Ky. On April 5, they provided 603 servings of jambalaya; on April 6, they provided 575 servings of chicken and sausage spaghetti; on April 7, they provided 700 containers of gumbo and 150 pounds of barbecue chicken; and on April 8, they provided 525 servings of shrimp chowder.

Ms. Hayden-Thomas said the Cajun Chefs also delivered 80 plates a day to people displaced by the tornadoes who have been staying at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park in Dawson Springs.

Ms. Hayden-Thomas said the experience “just felt like you were helping your neighbor.”

“We know what it’s like to be shell-shocked, to rebuild time and time again,” she said.

Ms. Hayden-Thomas’ journey came full circle when one of the Dawson Springs recovery volunteers, Kim Gilliam, happened across the very man from Kentucky who had helped Holy Rosary with its hurricane relief.

Kim Gilliam connected Ms.

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the Bread of Life, in Holy Communion, the deacon dismisses us with one of several formulas that all begin with the word “Go….” Now we must go out into the world and live our Mass!

We must obey the command of Jesus, whose “heart was moved with pity” for the “vast crowd” of those hungering for what only God can satisfy, saying, “Give them some food yourselves” (Matthew 14:14,16).

Like the life and ministry of the deacon, we, too, must go to the table of the poor, and from the “pyx” of our heart, like that which contains the consecrated hosts, give Christ to others in all that we do. ■ Hayden-Thomas with the man, and the two later chatted on the phone.

Ms. Hayden-Thomas asked the man why he helped at their Louisiana church and if he was Catholic.

He told her he wasn’t Catholic but that he knew someone, who knew someone, who knew someone else—who told him about Holy Rosary and how it was helping people after the hurricane. That’s how he decided to drive down to help her church.

And, “five months later a group of Catholics came (to Kentucky) in response to someone who wasn’t even Catholic,” said Ms. Hayden-Thomas, reflecting on the ecumenical nature of their trip, such as getting to stay at the nondenominational church in Madisonville.

She said evangelizing through witness is important to her: “Let there be something about us that someone says, ‘They have something I don’t, and I want to find it.’”

The Cajun Chefs “offered what they had and who they are, and it was appreciated,” Father McCarthy said. “That’s how it is with God’s love once you’ve experienced it.

They were sharing something they knew, which was food. They gave what they had to give—and isn’t that what we are all called to do?” ■ TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

Mountaintops or holler bottoms?

God is as present in the mundane as He is in the most extraordinary moments

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ave you ever been to a big retreat, a Catholic conference, or had a largerthan-life spiritual encounter that left you forever changed?

Often deemed “mountaintop experiences,” these moments can be incredibly impactful for opening someone’s soul to the grace of God. But what happens when the moment ends and you return back to your ordinary life?

Is God as present now, in the mundane and everyday moments, as he was then?

When we come down from the mountaintop and return to the ordinary routine of life, we can start to forget what it was like to be so very close to God. We forget the resolutions we might have made in those big moments of grace, slip back into old habits, and start to question whether we really encountered God in the first place.

The odd and wonderful thing about this, however, is that God does not wait to come to us only in big and extravagant moments (though he does tend to come in those moments as well) and then abandon us. It is also in the ordinary, everyday, somewhat boring experiences of life that God is so very present.

And it is in these ordinary life events, too, that God wants to show up in big ways and do incredible things.

When the Word of the Lord comes to Elijah in a cave, Scripture says that God was not present in the violent wind or the earthquake or the fire, but in the “light silent sound” (1 Kings 19:12).

Though the Lord is capable of doing great and mighty deeds, he also is gentle, tender, and meek.

When a soul is in a state of grace, His presence is characterized by peace in the discernment of spirits, while the evil spirit is characterized by fear and anxiety.

God uses the most ordinary, hidden, and unassuming moments of our lives to reveal Himself and His love to us, and He is inviting us to be ever present to Him so that we can be aware of these realities. Throughout salvation history, we can see God using ordinary means to reveal His love and to invite others to believe in and follow Him. When God became man, He came not as a mighty king or ruler, not as some “other” being, but as a human, as an infant. The most humble and vulnerable of all of humanity, easily overlooked and forgotten in society, He grows as a small child dependent fully on his mother and father “in wisdom and in grace” as Scripture tells us (Luke 2:52).

He makes Himself seemingly ordinary, just like every other human, His divinity hidden behind flesh for the overwhelming majority of His life.

After He begins His public ministry, He continues to use very unassuming moments to bring about His great work. When He calls Andrew, Peter, James, and John to follow Him, He comes to them in the place where they spend many hours every day: their job catching fish.

Would they have been expecting to meet their Messiah in such a familiar and normal scene?

He later calls to Peter from the shore as Peter and the other Apostles are fishing following the resurrection, and Peter is so overcome to recognize the Risen Lord that he jumps into the water and swims to shore.

Jesus elevates the routine job of fishing for these men and makes it one of the most memorable and important experiences of their lives; it is the place where these men were called and chosen.

It’s not just the Apostles who experience this.

Jesus meets the woman at the well on her usual outing to get water. He meets the blind beggar, Bartimaeus, in the place where he sits and begs

Ultrasound continued from page A3

matched 50 percent of the cost of the ultrasound machine.

“They have a strong, strong prolife ethic. They have placed 1,500 ultrasound machines throughout the country to date. … This is the first one at Catholic pregnancy centers in East Tennessee,” Mr. Stahl said.

Mrs. Healy said the Knights of Columbus are “an incredible Catholic organization and so supportive of Catholic Charities.”

Initially, there was a conversation around placing an ultrasound machine inside a Catholic Charities clinic, possibly in the former headquarters. However, a fire caused by arson on Nov. 28 left the CCETN building on Dameron Avenue unusable until rebuilt.

“So in lieu of starting with a clinic, we’re going to start with a mobile van, which will house the ultrasound,” Mrs. Healy said. “We can meet clients where they’re at in all different counties.”

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Column

Claire Collins, shown with her husband, Andrew, and sons Joe, 2, and Frank, 2 months, is a freelance writer whose columns appear in Radiant Magazine.

We can love our families, change diapers, clean our homes, and serve our spouses, children, parents, and siblings knowing that these specific vocations are how God has ordained that we experience holiness.

We can go to our jobs every day asking God how He is calling us to love and serve our coworkers and to bring about the kingdom through our work. every day. Those in His hometown cannot believe He is doing the miracles He does because, well, they know Him and they know who He is.

So, how could He, the son of the carpenter, possibly be the Messiah? Jesus sits down for meals with sinner and Pharisee, entering fully into the human experience as the God-man.

Jesus also refers to Himself as many seemingly ordinary things—a gate, a vine, water, a shepherd. In our churches today, we see many ordinary materials—marble, stone, wood, paint, bread, wine.

And yet it is God who takes these very ordinary and humble substances and makes them holy.

As we can see, God is a God of elevating the ordinary, of making the simple sacred. If it is true that Jesus is capable of making the ordinary into something much more, then how does He want to do that with our lives? Should we have the eyes to see, we can become aware of the many opportunities we have to see God in the most menial of tasks and circumstances, serve Him with greatness, and have our lives radically changed by Him in the process.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux knew this well. She was known for articulating the “Little Way” of holiness. She didn’t think she was capable of the same great things the saints did for God, so she was determined to find the “elevator” that would lift her up the stairs of perfection that she could not climb herself.

She would fold napkins and set the table in the convent as if she was doing it for Our Lord Himself, seeing in each Sister she served the opportunity to serve Christ.

And she was convicted that this was the holiness she was being called to. She allowed her ordinary, everyday experiences to be elevated into something holy and sacred for the Lord.

And for that she was made a doctor of the Church.

Still wrestling with a heart seeking God and a love for many worldly pleasures, St. Augustine tripped and dropped his Bible while on a walk in a garden.

He heard a child’s voice say, “take up and read,” and as he did, he found the following verse from the letter to the Romans, “Let us walk properly, as in the day; not in revelry and drunkenness, not in licentiousness and lewdness, not

Mrs. Healy noted that obtaining the ultrasound first “really is the beginning of a longer campaign.”

The van itself will cost over $250,000. Additional funding will allow staffing of a nurse manager and training for the new services.

“There will be a volunteer medical doctor who will review records and make sure that the program is run properly,” Mrs. Davidson explained. “A part-time nurse manager will train and oversee the daily operations… trained volunteer nurses will also be trained to do limited ultrasounds.”

CCETN has applied to work with Save the Storks, a nonprofit organization that aims to “empower women with compassion, education, and holistic care,” according to its website.

Save the Storks contracts with a car manufacturer to create a “Stork Bus,” allowing pregnancy centers to grow their reach and meet more women throughout their communities.

The clinic van’s features will in-

in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:13-14).

And upon reading this verse, recognizing its particular application to his own life, he changed everything. A simple stumble and an awareness of the presence of God led to one of the most influential conversions in human history.

St. Teresa of Calcutta also knew well the power of the humble and ordinary circumstances of life. As she encountered the poorest of the poor in India, she received a deeper call from God to go and love them, to take care of their sicknesses and wounds and to be with them even in the moment of death.

This was no glorious gesture, but one that would, by these people’s standards, make her an outcast in society. Ironically, it instead made her famous around the world and a household name, even for those with no faith at all.

“There is something holy, something divine hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of you to discover it.” St. Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei, is a champion for the great realities hidden in our ordinary days.

He points us to this truth that all of us are invited to see God doing incredible things every day, should we open our eyes to see.

It is not just the great saints who get to experience this—the ordinary moments of life being elevated into something so much more. It is true for us, too.

We can love our families, change diapers, clean our homes, and serve our spouses, children, parents, and siblings knowing that these specific vocations are how God has ordained that we experience holiness. We can go to our jobs every day asking God how He is calling us to love and serve our coworkers and to bring about the kingdom through our work.

We can suffer with courage and hope, sacrifice out of love even in the smallest of ways, and bring joy rooted in love of God to those we encounter every day.

In The Book of the Foundations, St. Teresa of Ávila writes this encouragement that has been making its way through many of my Catholic circles.

She says, “...but when obedience calls you to exterior employments (as, for example, into kitchen, amidst the pots and dishes), remember that Our Lord goes along with you….”

She knew that, even in the most humble of duties, God is there present with us, making them holy and sanctifying us through them. Brother Lawrence’s Practice of the Presence of God also reveals this beautiful secret: that God is present everywhere in every moment of our days, just waiting for us to make the space to recognize it.

Sometimes it can be discouraging to read the lives of the saints or to look out into the world and see the great things others are doing. Am I supposed to be doing all of those things, too?

Maybe you are. But we cannot know if we aren’t, first and foremost, doing the simple and ordinary tasks with great love and faithfulness.

We’ll never know where God is calling if we aren’t trying to open our minds and hearts to His promptings every day.

We can see so many places where God wants to show up in the ordinary—doing the dishes, taking care of those in need, in our stumbles and failings, in our day job, in the midst of our daily duties, in our simplest and greatest needs. It is different for each of us.

But with the eyes of faith and prayer, aided by the grace of the sacraments, we can all be made more aware of how God is already working big things in these little ways. And when we recognize His voice, we can have the faith to follow where He is leading. ■

clude a bathroom, refrigerator, privacy curtain, air conditioning and heating, security monitor, cameras, and an easy-to-clean interior.

The van will house the portable ultrasound machine, a television to show the client images, and a laptop to record client information.

Esaote, the producer of the portable ultrasound machine, is an Italian company that produces and sells equipment for medical diagnostics.

“It is the only ultrasound provider that does not sell to abortion providers,” Mrs. Davidson noted.

Once a plan is finalized with Save the Storks, CCETN will pursue the fundraising necessary to accomplish its goals.

“I want everybody to know that [the Knights] are ready and waiting to help us,” Mrs. Healy said. “We get a lot of support from the Knights at all the different councils.”

By the end of the 2022 calendar year, CCETN will offer a variety of services for women and families in

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By Claire Collins

any and every circumstance: n 24-hour helpline; n Six pregnancy help centers to provide education on pregnancy and parenting; n Ultrasound testing to allow women to see their babies; n Material assistance, such as diapers and formula; n Testing for sexually transmitted diseases; n Community referrals; n Adoption services; n Project Rachel, which provides post-abortion healing and recovery.

“Catholic Charities will bring the full support, as much as we can bring… for the children and building the family. That’s what we’re about, is how do we build a family, how do we save the children?” Mrs. Healy said. “When you enter a center here, in between now and the next year, we’ll have that full complement of services.”

For more information, visit www. ccetn.org. ■ JULY 3, 2022 n A19

BILL BREWER (7)

Making Christ present Scenes from a June 18 eucharistic procession through downtown Knoxville show how the Real Presence of Jesus was walked through the public square, taking a similar path as Jesus during His ministry. Some 250 faithful escorted the Eucharist along a 3.5-mile route.

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nying them on a loudspeaker. Such were the sights and sounds for Jesus in the marketplace.

Father Hendershott said parishioners suggested various routes through downtown that the procession could take, and the route chosen was one that public parades use incorporating Gay Street.

When asked if he would like to repeat the eucharistic procession through downtown Knoxville, Father Hendershott issued a resounding “YES!” “We want to bring Our Lord in the Most Blessed Eucharist into the streets so that He might be known and loved by all people. Many who have never seen the Holy Eucharist were exposed to Our Lord’s eucharistic presence for the first time,” Father Hendershott said, indicating that a sequel may be in the offing.

“Priests and lay faithful alike are already asking for it to be an annual event and to keep the same date, the Saturday before Corpus Christi.

People who could not come expressed their desire to come next year,” he noted.

Father Collins echoed the sentiments of Father McNeeley and Father Hendershott after helping take Christ into the public square.

“I thought this was a very successful, wonderful day. It’s great to see so many people out praying and spreading the Lord and bringing Him into the streets of Knoxville. Hopefully this is something we’ll see recurring year by year,” Father Collins said. “There were very crowded streets, and everything went well, and everyone was reverent.”

Father Collins is familiar with eucharistic processions, having witnessed them as a seminarian who visited Guatemala one A20 n JULY 3, 2022

year during Corpus Christi.

“It’s very nice to finally see such a thing here in Knoxville,” he continued.

Mary C. Weaver, a Holy Ghost parishioner who helped coordinate music and chant for the sidewalk liturgy, was energized by the procession despite the 3.5-mile trek in 85-degree temperature.

“I thought it was beautiful to be able to take Jesus into the public square and to be able to sing beautiful songs that we sang in English and Latin.

It’s a form of witness. I think people could see, even if they didn’t know what we were doing, that it was something religious and that we were joyful. It was pretty swell,” Mrs. Weaver said. “I have a young friend who said that it was one of the five coolest things she’s done in her life.”

Mrs. Weaver was a bit apprehensive about negative reactions to the procession, but those didn’t happen.

“No one cursed or shouted. And it was wonderful to have such a big turnout on a hot day,” she pointed out, adding that she looks forward to another eucharistic procession.

Blayne Cowan, a Holy Ghost member who helped organize the procession, said organizers persevered in meeting logistical challenges to make the procession happen.

“It could not have gone any better. ... Because traffic was flowing and Gay Street wasn’t closed

down, the amount of people we were able to witness to was immensely more,” Mr. Cowan said.

“I had prepared myself and others for hecklers and such, but we were gladly welcomed with respect as people got out of the way, listened to the chant, and watched.”

Mr. Cowan was moved by the reverence the procession elicited.

“I’ve been to the farmers' market so many times, but I have never seen that many people go quiet.

You could hear the singing echoing off the buildings as the procession parted the Red Sea of people and the column of incense billowed into the air,” he said.

Mr. Cowan, who assisted the procession in cassock and surplice, observed that one onlooker, who watched as incense was placed in the thurible, which prompted the thurible to begin smoking, remarked, “How is this even legal?”

“God wanted this to happen and there is zero doubt about it. I look forward to a grand revival of faith and being able to take thousands

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of people through downtown Knoxville in order to glorify God and witness to those who have no faith or have fallen away,” he said.

Jimmy Dee, of the Knights of Columbus and Holy Ghost, who was an organizer of the procession, said participation was more than he anticipated.

“It went beyond expectation. The number of people participating was far greater than I suspected would show up. But what was more impressive was the overall ambience of everything that happened and the way the community focused on the Eucharist,” Mr. Dee said.

“It was incredible the way the Holy Spirit planned this out for us. We were being approached by numerous people as we processed asking us what we were doing. We were getting a lot of attention, and there was a lot of love and support, with people doing the sign of the cross as we went by, and that’s the sign we are looking for,” he also said.

Mr. Dee and Father McNeeley were moved by fallen-away Catholics who were inspired by the eucharistic procession and vowed to return to the Church.

“Inscribed above the doors of Holy Ghost Church are the words, ‘Go forth therefore, and make disciples of all nations.’ That is what we did today. One couple told me how they had fallen away from the Church a few years ago. The husband said, ‘I’m taking this as a sign that the Lord is calling us back to church.’ That makes it all worthwhile,” Father McNeeley said when the procession ended. ■ TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

High court sides with coach in public school prayer case Justices: post-game prayers do not violate speech, religion provisions despite what board claimed

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n a 6-3 vote June 27, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a former high school football coach had the right to pray on the football field after games because his prayers were private speech and did not represent the public school’s endorsement of religion.

“The Constitution and the best of our traditions counsel mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression, for religious and nonreligious views alike,” said the court’s majority opinion, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan dissented.

The court’s majority opinion also emphasized that “respect for religious expressions is indispensable to life in a free and diverse republic—whether those expressions take place in a sanctuary or on a field.”

It said the case focused on a government entity seeking to “punish an individual for engaging in a brief, quiet, personal religious observance doubly protected by the free exercise and free speech clauses of the First Amendment” and that the “Constitution neither mandates nor tolerates that kind of discrimination.”

Joseph Kennedy, former assistant coach at Bremerton High School, outside of Seattle, said his postgame prayers on the field cost him his job.

The coach had been told by school district officials to stop saying these prayers on the 50-yard line, and he refused. When his contract was not renewed, he sued the school for violating his First Amendment rights.

During oral arguments in late April, several justices emphasized that private speech is still private and protected by the First Amendment, even if it takes place on public grounds.

But others pointed out that this private prayer on the field also could seem coercive because players could feel like they should participate.

An attorney for the school district argued that the coach’s prayers violated the Constitution’s establishment clause, which is often cited to prohibit prayer in public schools, but the court’s majority didn’t see that way.

They said the coach’s actions “did not come close to crossing any line one might imagine separating protected private expression from impermissible government coercion.”

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE PHOTO/COURTESY OF FIRST LIBERTY INSTITUTE

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service

A constitutional right to pray Joe Kennedy, former assistant coach at Bremerton High School outside of Seattle, is seen in this undated photo. In a decision on June 27, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Coach Kennedy had a constitutional right to pray at the 50-yard line after his team's games.

New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty, said the court’s decision “to prevent the forced expulsion of voluntary prayer from public life is a major victory.”

His reaction was issued in a June 27 news release by Becket, a religious liberty law firm, which filed an amicus brief in this case on behalf of the USCCB. The court’s ruling, coming at the end of the term, did not follow its previous reliance on its 1971 decision in Lemon v. Kurtzman, often called the “Lemon test” used to determine if a law violates the First Amendment.

The test has three elements: The law must have a secular purpose, can neither advance nor inhibit religion, and must not foster excessive entanglement between church and state.

The dissenting justices found fault with the majority not using the test, saying the move “rejects long-standing concerns surrounding government endorsement of religion.”

“Official-led prayer strikes at the core of our constitutional protections for the religious liberty of students and their parents,” Justice Sotomayor wrote in her dissent, joined by justices Breyer and Kagan.

“This decision does a disservice to schools and the young citizens they serve, as well as to our nation’s long-standing commitment to the separation of church and state,” Justice Sotomayor added.

She also pointed out that the Supreme Court “consistently has recognized that school officials leading prayer is constitutionally impermissible.”

Kelly Shackelford, president, CEO, and chief counsel for First Liberty Institute, the Texas law firm that represented Coach Kennedy, called the ruling a “tremendous victory for Coach Kennedy and religious liberty for all Americans.”

Paul Clement, former U.S. solicitor general, who argued Coach Kennedy’s case, said: “After seven long years, Coach Kennedy can finally return to the place he belongs—coaching football and quietly praying by himself after the game.”

But him “quietly praying” does not accurately describe the coach’s postgame prayers, according to Justice Sotomayor.

She wrote in her dissent: “To the degree the court portrays petitioner Joseph Kennedy’s prayers as private and quiet, it misconstrues the facts. The record reveals that Kennedy had a long-standing practice of conducting demonstrative prayers on the 50-yard line of the football field.”

She said he also consistently invited others to join him and for years led student athletes in prayer at the same time and location, details which she said the court ignored.

For Richard Garnett, Notre Dame professor of law and director of the Notre Dame Program on Church, State, and Society, the ruling affirmed that public employees

do not lose their right to religious expression in the public square.

He said a key feature in the decision was that the court “finally made clear and explicit the fact that the so-called Lemon test is, and has long been, abandoned.

No longer are courts and litigators required to engage in abstract speculations about the possibility that official actions might cause hypothetical observers to perceive ‘endorsements’ of religion.”

Professor Garnett, who filed an amicus brief in this case, said the court’s ruling “will provide much needed clarity and consistency to an area of law that has been notoriously confused and inconsistent.”

Becket’s brief had asked the court to strike the Lemon test and said this opinion did just that by confirming “Lemon has long been dead and that the establishment clause is understood through America’s history and tradition of religious pluralism.”

Or as William Haun, senior counsel at Becket, put it: “Scrubbing religious expression from the public square, based on nothing more than offense, is as unnatural as it is unconstitutional.”

This case was the fourth religious rights case for the court this term. The court also: n Allowed spiritual advisers to pray with death-row inmates during executions; n Said a Christian group was discriminated for not being allowed to fly its flag in a Boston plaza; n Ruled parents in Maine could use public tuition grants to send their children to religious schools. ■

Missionaries of Charity expelled by Nicaragua president Daniel Ortega

By David Agren Catholic News Service

T

he Missionaries of Charity have been expelled from Nicaragua, the latest in a series of attacks on the Catholic Church and its ministries from the Central American country's increasingly repressive government.

The order of sisters—founded

by St. Teresa of Kolkata, known popularly as Mother Teresa—operates a home for abandoned adolescents, a home for the elderly, and a nursery for low-income families in Nicaragua.

Several Catholic leaders reported and tweeted news of the expulsion on June 28. Nicaraguan media reported the Sisters' exit as part of a crackdown on nongovernmental organizations by the ruling Sandinistas.

Auxiliary Bishop Silvio José Baez of Managua, currently based in Miami due to safety concerns, tweeted, "It saddens me that the dictatorship has forced the (Sisters) ... to abandon the country.

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

Nothing justifies depriving the poor of charitable attention. I'm a witness to the loving service the Sisters provide. May God bless them."

Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega and his allies have increasingly persecuted the Catholic Church and civil society. The president, who won re-election last year in polls considered rigged by opponents and outside observers, is concentrating power; he continues to hold political prisoners and has closed outlets for political expression.

A Missionaries of Charity Sister in Nicaragua reached by the Spanish publication Alfa y Omega said: "At the moment we cannot carry out our work. They stopped us." She said the Sisters had no additional information other than what they had read in the media.

She also added tersely, "We can't talk via this telephone."

Nicaraguan news outlet Confidencial said a report from the interior ministry alleges the Missionaries of Charity "failed to comply with its obligations." ■ www.di o k no x .o rg

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The Diocese of Knoxville

Catholic Schools

Scholars

Leaders

Saints

Congratulations to our Graduating Classes of 2022!!!!

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