Aug. 2, 2015, ET Catholic by Diocese of Knoxville

This issue

He dwells among us ................ 2 Diocesan calendar ................. 15 Deanery news ........................ 16 La Cosecha ......... center pullout

The East Tennessee

Catholic schools......................22 Columns...................................30 Virtus training...........................33

August 2, 2015 Volume 24 Number 6 Bishop Richard F. Stika

News from The Diocese of Knoxville • Visit us at dioknox.org or etcatholic.org

Basilica at 125 Sts. Peter and Paul marks anniversary

Knights in action Knights of Columbus recognized statewide

Higher standards Diocesan schools seek new accreditation

‘How could it happen?’

Bishop Stika offers message of faith, forgiveness as Chattanoogans mourn deaths of servicemen

Mass continued on page 8

STEPHANIE RICHER

n outpouring of sympathy and prayer has embraced the Chattanooga community and the families of five military men who were slain last month by a gunman who opened fire on an armed forces recruiting center and a naval reserve facility. Parishioners of the Basilica of Sts. Pe”The challenge for ter and Paul in downtown Chattanooga, all of us is how do only a few miles from we respond to that the sites of the shootevil in our own ings, filled their church lives. ... If we are Sunday, July 19, for people of faith, no the 9 a.m. Mass, where matter what that Bishop Richard F. Stika faith might be ... delivered words of if we believe, then spiritual guidance and the challenge for comfort to a city tryall of us is to be the ing to make sense of a face of faith in our senseless act just three response.” days before. –– Bishop Stika The solemn Mass began with a Marine Corps honor guard processing down the sanctuary aisle as the Navy Hymn, Eternal Father, Strong to Save, filled the basilica.

By Bill Brewer and Jim Wogan

Honoring those who gave all A U.S. Marine Corps honor guard processes down the aisle at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, where they presented the colors and stood at attention during a July 19 Mass, at which Bishop Richard F. Stika gave a homily about the tragic shooting deaths of four Marines and a sailor on July 16 at a military facility in Chattanooga.

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

He Dwells Among Us

by Bishop Richard F. Stika

Bishop’s schedule

Given up for you

These are some of Bishop Stika’s public appointments:

God calls us to be good stewards of all creation, beginning with a human ecology

etting our hands dirty can be a good thing, especially when it’s the result of working in a garden. Anyone who follows me on Facebook knows how much I enjoy working in my garden on my days off. There is something refreshing and spiritual about getting down close to the earth and in helping the soil to become fruitful. But these are not the only gardens in life to be tended and cared for. The media was abuzz with the release of Pope Francis’ document On Care for our Common Home, which speaks to the importance of caring for the environment. Unfortunately, the media has a way of highlighting parts outside of their context. But no matter where you might stand on the subject of global warming, the essence of the document is about stewardship of the earth that must not exclude the primacy of a human ecology. For we are all of the earth (Genesis 2:7), and we must cultivate and care for not only the earth beneath our feet to bring forth its fruit, but also to cultivate and care for the earth of our being and that of oth-

Diocesan policy for reporting sexual abuse

Follow Bishop Stika on Twitter @bishopstika and on Facebook for news and events from the diocese ers if we are to bring forth the many fruits of holiness. It’s about the interrelatedness of our care for the garden of the earth and the garden of our communion with God that each person’s life represents. Jesus is the new Adam and the divine Gardener—He is the Vine and we are the branches that are to bear fruit in abundance for the good of others (John 15:1). And to be good stewards of God’s creation, we must above all be good stewards of God’s garden in each of us. When we say “grace” before meals we give brief thanks to God for the participation of all of creation that echoes in its unique ways the very words of Jesus’ offering up of His body and His blood for us, “… given up for you.” Whether it is the fruit of the earth and the vine, or the milk and meat from a cow, the fish from the sea, the cotton for our clothing, the wood of the forest, or the minerals and fuel mined

from deep below that serve our material needs, all of creation echoes those immortal words, “given up for you.” Stewardship begins with these words. But as Pope Francis sadly notes, ours has become a “throwaway culture.” Think of the many “throwaway” materials used once and discarded today—plastic bottles and cutlery, Styrofoam cups and plates, and paper towels to name but a few items. We like the convenience because it alleviates us of the need for any responsibility for their care— they are just tossed in the garbage when they have served their brief purpose. And think of how much material that is recyclable that goes instead to the garbage heap. When we place a greater value on something, we tend to care for it better. But in our utilitarian culture, human life today is also seen as cheap and disposable. This is particularly true of those who exist closest to the “garden tomb” (John 19:41) due to their weakness and vulnerability. These are the unborn in the womb, the poor and needy, the elderly, and even those on death

The East Tennessee

Aug. 3-5: 133rd Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention in Philadelphia Aug. 11: Province meeting in Louisville Aug. 14: Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich., vow renewal with first and final vows in Alma, Mich. Aug. 19: Senior leadership meeting at Chancery Aug. 22: Memorial Mass and banquet of Fleur de Lis at St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga Aug. 26: Opening Mass of the Holy Spirit at Knoxville Catholic High School with blessing of classrooms and visit with students Aug. 27: Opening Mass of the Holy Spirit at Notre Dame High School with blessing of classrooms and visit with students Aug. 29: Celebration of Marriage Mass at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville Sept. 4: Mass and diocesan in-service ■

Bishop continued on page 35

Bishop Richard F. Stika Publisher

Bill Brewer Editor

Dan McWilliams

Assistant editor Anyone who has actual knowledge of or who has reasonable 805 S. Northshore Drive • Knoxville, TN 37919 cause to suspect an incident of The Diocese of Knoxville sexual abuse should report such The East Tennessee Catholic (USPS 007211) is published bi-monthly by The Diocese of Knoxville, 805 S. Northshore Drive, information to the appropriate Knoxville, TN 37919-7551. Periodicals-class postage paid at Knoxville, Tenn. Printed on recycled paper by the Knoxville News Sentinel. civil authorities first, then to the The East Tennessee Catholic is mailed to all registered Catholic families in East Tennessee. Subscription rate for others is $15 a year bishop’s office, 865-584-3307, or in the United States. Make checks payable to The Diocese of Knoxville. the diocesan victims’ assistance coordinator, Marla Lenihan, 865Postmaster: Send address changes to The East Tennessee Catholic, 805 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville, TN 37919-7551 Reach us by phone: 865-584-3307 • fax: 865-584-8124 • e-mail: webmaster@dioknox.org • web: dioknox.org 482-1388. ■

2 August 2,, 2015

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Basilica still stands as a community beacon after 125 years Sts. Peter and Paul marks historical milestone as it looks forward to a bright future

By Dan McWilliams

The East Tennessee Catholic

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Making plans Father David Carter, rector of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, displays plans for the renovation of the ba-

silica’s sanctuary following a Mass on June 28 marking the 125th anniversary of the church building.

especially in this Chattanooga area, but especially because the Holy Father himself, Pope Emeritus Benedict, recognizes this beautiful edifice as a minor basilica of the Catholic Church. And actually very few are in existence throughout the whole world compared with the amount of churches.” The basilica’s stained-glass windows depict events in the lives of St. Peter and St. Paul. “This beautiful church is dedicated in memory of St. Peter and St. Paul, the two foundations of the early Church, two men who at times didn’t seem to like each other a whole lot,” Bishop Stika said. “But God doesn’t pick perfect people, does he? He picked St. Paul, who persecuted the early Church. . . . And then we’ve got Peter. Of any apostle who ever got

himself into trouble with Jesus, it was Peter.” As the basilica parish “looks into the future with bright promise and hope, know that it’s not so much about me or you or even Francis, the pope—it’s about Jesus,” the bishop said. “It’s about gathering together around this table, this altar, to once again celebrate the sacrifice of the Mass.” At the end of Mass, Father Carter expressed gratitude to Bishop Stika for his presence. “Thank you, bishop, for being here and celebrating this Mass with us on this historic occasion, the 125th anniversary of the dedication of Sts. Peter and Paul. Bishop Stika, you along with your brother bishops constitute the college of apostles in their succesBasilica continued on page 25

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

DAN MCWILLIAMS

here was much to celebrate at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul on June 28. The basilica community gathered for Mass with Bishop Richard F. Stika to mark not only the 125th anniversary of its church building (1890-2015) but also the 10th anniversary of the ordination to the priesthood of its rector, Father David Carter. The Mass was on the vigil of the solemnity of the parish patrons. “Where were you 125 years ago?” Bishop Stika asked. “We were in the hands of God. This parish had its beginnings in a place where people could gather together to worship their God, to be nourished by the Eucharist, to witness the great miracle of the sacraments, and especially to be loved by God as we return that love to him. “So as we gather together this day, in a special way we remember all the benefactors and all those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith, members of this basilica parish.” Monsignor George Schmidt, the parish’s retired longtime pastor, attended the Mass and the dinner following. Bishop Stika in his opening remarks led a round of applause for Monsignor Schmidt. Concelebrants were Father Carter, Father David Boettner of Sacred Heart Cathedral, Father John Dowling of Holy Ghost in Knoxville, newly ordained Father Scott Russell of Sts. Peter and Paul, and Father Santiago Gassin, a visiting priest from Spain. During his homily, Bishop Stika led another round of applause, this time for Father Russell, ordained a priest just the day before. The bishop opened his homily by saying “what a great joy it is, for today this evening we sing a song of thanksgiving to Almighty God for the existence of this parish and this church, which we not only recognize as something very important and vital to the Catholic Church in East Tennessee,

Anniversary hijinks Bishop Richard F.

Stika has a little fun with Father David Carter at the anniversary reception for the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. August 2, 2015 4

Knights of Columbus elect new officers and honor councils Diocese of Knoxville is well-represented with delegates, honors at statewide level

he Tennessee State Council of the Knights of Columbus earlier this year elected new state officers and honored councils across the state for outstanding activities serving their church, parish and community. Steve Comm, who started with the Knights as a member of Council 8354 at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church in Antioch, was elected state deputy at the annual state convention, held May 1-3 in Franklin. He succeeds John Park of Council 9586 at St. Edward Church in Nashville. His election left him with “a sense of humility, a sense of awe,” Mr. Comm said. “I have my work cut out for me. The previous state deputies have positioned the state where it’s going to be easier for me than it could have been because of their hard work and dedication.” Other state officers elected at the state convention were: Tracy Staller, state secretary, Council 12961, Holy Family Church, Seymour; Mike McCusker, state treasurer, Council 9317, St. Francis of Assisi Church, Cordova; Fred Laufenberg, state advocate, Council 8152, St. Francis of Assisi Church, Fairfield Glade; and Bill Markiewicz, state warden, Queen of Heaven Council 4572, St. Thérése of Lisieux Church, Cleveland. Father John Orr, associate pastor at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville, was named state chaplain for the Knights and will serve until June 2017. Activity award winners include: ■ Council Activity of the Year: Council 15196 at Holy Spirit Church in Memphis. This council sponsored the Holy Cow Steak Cookoff, which is its largest fundraiser of the year and brings the church and local community together. Teams compete in a steak cooking contest, judged by local celebrities. The community can buy tickets for a steak dinner cooked by The East Tennessee Catholic

By Andy Telli

Mr. Comm

Mr. Staller

the teams. The event also includes live music, kids games, family fun and a silent auction. ■ Community Activity of the Year: Queen of Heaven Council 4572 at St. Thérése of Lisieux Church in Cleveland. Since 1990, the Three Kings Feast, sponsored by the council, has been an annual December event of St. Thérése of Lisieux Church to share the joy of the Christmas season with the needy of the community. The Feast includes a holiday meal prepared by council members. The event included a visit by St. Nicholas; all children were given an ageappropriate gift, and each family received a blanket, all donated by parishioners. ■ Culture of Life Activity of the Year: Philip Paul Breen Council 8576 at St. Jude Church in Chattanooga. This award recognized the council’s work providing leadership and support for the campaign to pass Amendment 1 to the Tennessee State Constitution, which restored the state Legislature’s authority to regulate the abortion industry. The council distributed 750 “Vote Yes on 1” yard signs throughout the community. Council members volunteered outside polling places, provided rides to the polls for parishioners during the early-voting period, and distributed information about the campaign to parishioners. ■ Church Activity of the year: Marian Council 4563 at St. Rose of Lima Church in Murfreesboro.

Mr. McCusker

Mr. Laufenberg

Council members and their families spent a day cleaning up, repairing and refreshing the Murfreesboro convent for the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation who teach at the parish school. Among the work completed during the one-day event were cleaning gutters, washing walls, pressure washing outdoor furniture, pulling weeds from flower beds, mulching and planting new trees and flowers, repainting tables and chairs, repairing a few household needs, removing dead tree limbs and clearing a riverbank area in the back yard. ■ Family Activity of the Year: Father Hugh A. Swift Council 3431 in Winchester. Project Helping Hand was started by the council, which includes parishioners at Good Shepherd Church in Decherd, to support widows and clergy in the parish, including performing minor maintenance activities as needed for nine widows and one retired priest. Council members also cut up a 150-year-old oak tree that was felled by lightning and delivered the wood to the retired priest who uses firewood as his only source of heat during the winter; helped a widow living on a 120-acre farm clean up four brush piles and removing several large trees after a severe wind storm; and delivered the wood from the widow’s farm to the retired priest who now has enough wood to heat his home for several years. ■ Vocations Activity of the Year:

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

Mr. Markiewicz

Father Orr

Council 8241 at St. Christopher Church in Dickson. After Father Michael Fye, a thirddegree member of Council 8241, was ordained in July 2014, the council organized a large Agape Celebration Dinner, held after he celebrated his first Mass at his home parish. A Fourth Degree founding charter member of the council requested that his ciborium be held in trust and be presented to the first priest ordained from the parish. The request was fulfilled and the ciborium was presented to Father Fye during the dinner. The dinner also celebrated the lives and sacrifices of members of religious orders. The council invited priests and religious sisters from the local area and youth were encouraged to discuss a life of vocation with those attending. ■ Youth Activity of the Year: Council 7447 at St. Catherine Church in Columbia. Council members were involved in numerous activities through the year to support Special Olympics. The Council donated more than 500 man-hours and more than $3,000 to King’s Daughters School and the Impact Center in Columbia. The council spent several more thousands of dollars providing meals for Special Olympics Area 6 Spring Games, monthly pizza parties, Special Olympics district and state soccer and bowling tournaments, a cookout and a Christmas party. The highlight of the year came

Knights continued on page 7 August 2, 2015 5

Holy Ghost hosts Bishop Johnston for 25th ordination anniversary Former Diocese of Knoxville priest and chancellor celebrates Mass with Bishop Stika, Cardinal Rigali served as an associate pastor at the North Knoxville church. Bishop Johnston also is a former chancellor for the Diocese of Knoxville and moderator of the curia. Bishop Johnston was the first transitional deacon ordained for the Diocese of Knoxville and the second priest ordained. He entered the priesthood June 9, 1990, at Holy Ghost. Holy Ghost was filled for Bishop Johnston’s anniversary Mass, with his family, priest friends, and numerous parishioners on hand for the celebration, which continued at a reception downstairs in Father Henkel Hall far into the evening. Bishop Richard F. Stika, Cardinal Justin Rigali, Bishop David P. Talley—auxiliary bishop of Atlanta and

a seminary friend of Bishop Johnston—former longtime Holy Ghost pastor Monsignor Xavier Mankel, current Holy Ghost pastor and longtime Bishop Johnston friend Father John Dowling, and more than a dozen priests from around the diocese were in attendance at the anniversary Mass. The first priest ordained for the diocese, Father Alex Waraksa, was present along with another early diocesan seminarian, Father David Boettner, a vicar general and rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral who succeeded Bishop Johnston as moderator of the curia. The Mass was emceed by Father John Orr, associate pastor of Holy Ghost. Deacon Sean Smith, who succeeded Bishop Johnston as chancellor Anniversary continued on page 27

SCOTT MAENTZ

ishop James Vann Johnston Jr. returned home June 30. The bishop, who for seven years has led the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau, Mo., celebrated Mass at Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville to mark his 25th anniversary in the priesthood. “As we come here tonight, we gather to give thanks for the gift of the priesthood, and we realize that the evening that our Lord gave us the gift of the priesthood, he also gave the Church the gift of the Holy Eucharist,” Bishop Johnston said. “And so what more fitting way to give thanks for the Lord’s many gifts than by celebrating the Eucharist.” Holy Ghost is Bishop Johnston’s home in many ways. He was baptized and confirmed there and later

By Dan McWilliams

A familiar wave Bishop Johnston greets Diocese of Knoxville parishioners at Holy Ghost Church as he processes from Mass June 30.

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Knights boost donations to help intellectually disabled across state MR Foundation supports agencies in Tennessee through fundraising efforts like Tootsie Roll drives

fforts to revitalize fundraising for the Tennessee Knights of Columbus’ MR Foundation, which supports agencies across the state that serve people with intellectual disabilities, are starting to pay off. “It has taken awhile to turn the ship but it’s started to turn,” said John King, president of the board for the MR Foundation and a member of Tim Coyle Council 9317 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Cordova. “It’s headed in the right direction. I’m very excited about the future.” In the past, Knights of Columbus councils across Tennessee would hold annual Tootsie Roll drives, often soliciting donations for the MR Foundation outside large retail and grocery stores. “The problem we have is most of your big box stores don’t allow us to collect on the Thanksgiving Day weekend,” the largest shopping weekend of the year and a popular time for councils to have their Tootsie Roll drives, King said. So the MR Foundation asked councils to consider holding other types of events to raise money. The foundation’s officers also asked all the councils to hold at least one event on the same weekend, with the hope that all the activity would raise awareness among Catholics and the general population about the Knights’ efforts to support Knights continued from page 5

when the council arranged for a free day at the Maury County Fair for children with special needs. Council members worked with the Maury County Fair Board, fair vendors, Maury County School System and King’s Daughters School to organize the event, which was attended by more than 250 children. ■ Knight of the Year: Mike WiedeThe East Tennessee Catholic

By Andy Telli

people with intellectual disabilities, King said. “Last year’s program was successful,” King said. “Total collections are up over last year. I’d like to think we’ve turned the corner.” Last year, councils collected $168,900 for the MR Foundation and increased that total this year to $190,000, King said. Councils implemented several new fundraising events. One of the most successful was Council 9282 at St. Stephen Church in Hermitage, which received an award during the state convention last spring for the best new idea. Last August, the Knights held a free cookout for St. Stephen parishioners after the Saturday evening Mass and invited players and officials from the Challenger League, a program of the Mount Juliet Little League that gives children and adults with intellectual disabilities the chance to play baseball. The next morning, the Knights offered parishioners free sausage biscuits and another opportunity to meet the Challenger League players and officials. “We wanted to let parishioners

know this is where your money goes,” said Bill Walsh, the deputy grand knight of Council 9282. The event also helped to put a human face on the effort, said Grand Knight Bob Young, whose daughter is a former player in the Challenger League. The goal was to let St. Stephen parishioners know “these are some real life people, come out to meet them,” he said. The event raised about $1,200 in donations for the MR Foundation. The council followed that with a poker tournament for parishioners, which raised about $3,600, Young said. The final event of the year was the annual Tootsie Roll drive with council members collecting donations and handing out Tootsie Rolls after the weekend Masses. The drive raised another $1,200, which pushed the council’s total to $6,000 for the year, an increase over the $5,400 raised the year before, Young said. “The parish responded very well,” Walsh said. Council 9282 plans to hold the same three events in the coming year as well. The MR Foundation is asking all councils to do at least one event on or near the feast day of St. Christina, the patron saint of those with intellectual disabilities, which is on July 24, King said, “so the state is unified in doing something together for the MR Foundation.” The foundation also is suggesting

councils conduct their Tootsie Roll drives the first weekend in August, which is a tax-free weekend for families buying supplies and items for the new school year. “Tax-free weekend is a great weekend,” King said. “It’s one of the busiest days of the year for retailers.” After councils turn in their donations to the MR Foundation, they can designate one or more agencies that serve people with intellectual disabilities to receive half of the money donated. The other half is distributed by the MR Foundation in the form of grants, which often are used to help support the various homes for the intellectually disabled that are sponsored by the Knights across the state. Grants also have been used to help pay for vehicles that agencies use to transport their clients between their homes and their jobs or appointments. “We want people to be aware of the Knights of Columbus’ efforts and to contribute,” King said. ■

mer of Council 3431 in Winchester. Mr. Wiedemer is an active member of the council and parishioner at Good Shepherd Church in Decherd. He helped lead efforts to support passage of Amendment 1 in November. ■ Family of the Year: Walter and Tracy Szyperski and three adult children, Kayla, 25, Kelsey, 21 and Kyle, 21, of Council 7447 at St. Catherine Church in Columbia.

The family helps with a variety of Council activities throughout the year, and all are active parishioners at St. Catherine. They are involved as eucharistic ministers, ushers, and readers, and in the parish’s prison ministry. Tracy is a member of the parish council, coordinating the parish picnic serving nearly 500 members of the community each year and is an RCIA sponsor. ■ Lifetime Achievement Award:

John King, Council 9317 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Cordova. Mr. King has been a Knight for more than 30 years, and has been involved in the council as an officer and also with the Deacon Lee R. Hurst Fourth Degree Assembly 2183. He currently is president of the MR Foundation, which supports the efforts of agencies that serve people with intellectual disabilities across Tennessee. ■

Last year, councils collected $168,900 for the MR Foundation. The total this year is $190,000.

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

“Last year’s program was successful. Total collections are up over last year. I’d like to think we’ve turned a corner.” — John King, MR Foundation board president

August 2, 2015 7

8 August 2,, 2015

A message of hope Bishop Richard F. Stika delivers his homily to members of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul on Sun-

day, July 19, three days after the shooting that killed four Marines and a sailor in Chattanooga.

sister, or a brother, or a father who received the news just a few days ago that their son, who they might have thought was safe because they were not in Iraq or Afghanistan. If they were not in harm’s way, how could they have been killed in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the heart of the South? “How could it happen?” Bishop Stika asked. “My sisters and brothers, evil happens in places where so often we least expect it to be; not on a battlefield so many thousands of miles away, but in our own backyards, in our own families, in our own situations.” The FBI still is investigating the incident in which a young Chattanooga man identified as the gunman, Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez, 24, was shot and killed Mass continued on page 29

STEPHANIE RICHER

The liturgical procession included Bishop Stika, who celebrated the Mass, which was concelebrated by Father David Carter, rector of the basilica, Father Gilbert Diaz, pastor of Holy Family Church in Seymour, and Father Colin Blatchford, basilica associate pastor. Delivering his homily to a congregation that included veterans and their families, Bishop Stika sought to comfort a community grieving from the deaths of four Marines and a Navy sailor who served in Chattanooga: Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, Lance Cpl. Squire “Skip” Wells, Staff Sgt. Tony Ward, Sgt. Carson Holmquist, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith. Bishop Stika opened his homily by referencing the July 16 tragedy “in this great community of Chattanooga.” “On that day, evil was made manifest in an individual, who interrupted the lives of a community, but in a very special way interrupted the lives of five people and their families and their loved ones as well as those involved in military service, especially the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps, and all Americans,” he said. Bishop Stika told the congregation they live in a world of great confusion, in a world at times in trouble, just as in years past, such as the 1930s and 1940s in Europe when evil crept into society. “You know, for all of us, Jesus reminds us of love and mercy. And sometimes it’s hard to understand in our hearts when our lives are taken by an act of evil. Jesus so often talks about forgiveness and mercy, and turning the other cheek. Yet, just a few days ago that would be a very hard principle to live if you’re a member of the Marine Corps, or the Navy, or the Air Force, or the Army, the Merchant Marine, the Coast Guard, or an employee of the United States; or a mother, or a

STEPHANIE RICHER

Mass continued from page 1

Words of comfort Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, left, his wife, Brenda, and

military veterans listen to Bishop Richard F. Stika give a homily on the tragic shooting July 16 in Chattanooga that killed five servicemen.

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Diocesan school system seeks AdvancED accreditation Each diocesan school to take part in initiative that recognizes quality education programs around the country

BILL BREWER

hen Bishop Richard Stika appointed Sister Mary Marta Abbott, RSM, as superintendent of diocesan schools in 2011, he instructed her to make unification of all 10 Catholic schools a priority. Bishop Stika felt the schools operated as separate entities rather than as a cohesive group in the mission of Catholic education in the Diocese of Knoxville. With this directive, Sister Mary Marta over the past four years has been working to achieve a greater sense of unity with all of the schools through numerous efforts involving Catholic identity, catechetical training, Catholic school leadership, curriculum development, instructional implementation, professional development, collaboration, teacher evaluation, and policy revision. During the upcoming school year, each diocesan school will conduct an internal self-analysis and study linked to the AdvancED Standards for Quality Schools and the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools. The 10 schools currently are accredited by the state of Tennessee Board of Education, and nine of the schools also are accredited by the international accrediting agency AdvancED.

Making the grade Sister Mary Marta Abbott, RSM,

interacts with students at St. Mary School in Johnson City. The diocesan school system is working to become accredited through AdvancED Standards.

With diocesan accreditation through AdvancED, the schools will be closer to achieving Bishop Stika’s goal of unity. As a candidate for diocesan (District) ac-

By Sedonna Prater

creditation, each school will review student performance data, stakeholder perceptions data, and operational and organizational structures and conduct an internal self-evaluation of that school’s alignment to both sets of standards. Schools will identify strengths in performance, opportunities for improvement, and threats to achieving success. Each school community will develop a school-level strategic improvement plan. After this has been thoroughly reviewed and analyzed, executive summaries will be completed, and the diocese’s Catholic Schools Office, along with the diocesan executive improvement team, will review trends and patterns to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement for all the schools. This also will culminate in a unified strategic plan for schools across the diocese to go along with the individual school strategic improvement plans. In the spring of 2017, the Catholic Schools Office will host a quality-assurance team of Catholic school educators largely consisting of superintendents or curriculum directors from Catholic school systems across the nation. An external review team will visit all the schools Accredit continued on page 13

Educators participate in workshops for instructional excellence Restoration of Title IIA funds will allow diocesan schools to increase professional development activities

s Diocese of Knoxville schools prepare for students returning from summer break, school administrators and teachers are completing training in a series of workshops aimed at enhancing teacher quality and instructional effectiveness in the classroom. In April, all private schools across Tennessee were informed that over several years the state used the wrong formula to calculate Title IIA funds to non-public schools, resulting in a shortfall in allocations. Private schools in the state learned that each school would receive the correct allocation for the 2015-16 fiscal year, and additionally would receive a payback allocation over the next four years. Under Title IIA, local The East Tennessee Catholic

public education systems are required to provide equitable services for private school teachers and other educational personnel for professional development. Title IIA is the former Eisenhower Professional Development law that was reauthorized under the No Child Left Behind federal education program. NCLB Title IIA says all nonpublic schools are eligible to receive funds for the purpose of increasing achievement of students by helping schools and districts improve teacher and principal quality and by ensuring that all teachers are highly qualified. Catholic school leaders immediately began addressing several professional development goals related to diocesan-wide school improvement

initiatives and individual school initiatives. Schools in the diocese are preparing to become district accredited in 2017 through AdvancED, an international accrediting agency. As part of this process, the schools conducted an initial self-assessment this past school year to identify strengths and potential areas for growth. Also completed this past year was a site analysis at each school to establish a baseline foundation for future needs assessment purposes and to provide a rationale for professional development goals. In addition, an organizational cultural inventory assessment through the Pacific Institute was completed on every diocesan school this past school year to assist school leaders in identifying

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

By Sedonna Prater and addressing cultural assumptions that could impede performance. All the information collected has been analyzed, and professional development goals have been created. To increase integration of technology and learn alternative instructional strategies for whole-group and lecture-style instruction, all diocesan schools will participate in a ProjectBased Institute at Knoxville Catholic High School on Sept. 4. Educators will be involved in training with three educational consultants who are experts in their areas. Anthony Johnson, an Apple Distinguished Educator, will share his innovative method that uses technology to transform instruction, not just as a glorified tool. Brandy Excellence continued on page 13 August 2, 2015 9

Ladies of Charity takes time out for some Summer Shenanigans Event serves as fundraiser, launch of capital campaign to upgrade Knoxville office/warehouse facility

10 August 2,, 2015

PHOTOS BY SCOTT MAENTZ

he Ladies of Charity of Knoxville set aside their work aprons June 28 and opted for an evening of shenanigans — all for a good cause. And what a night it was at the annual Helping Hands and Generous Hearts fundraiser, called “Summer Shenanigans.” A sold-out crowd of 130 attendees gathered, and for the first time the Ladies of Charity fundraiser was held at the nonprofit organization’s facility at 120 W. Baxter Ave. “It was a lot of work having it in the warehouse, and everyone’s help was appreciated to make it happen,” said Pat Murphy, who co-chaired the event. The summer festivity gave everyone a chance to tour the facility, see the food pantry and clothing voucher area, and shop in the thrift store. Having the fundraiser in the warehouse saved the Ladies of Charity 7 percent in costs while increasing revenue by 33 percent over last year, according to Susan Unbehaun, executive director of the Ladies of Charity. Geri Sutter, event co-chair, said she was grateful to work with Kreative Events planners Karen Massey and Elizabeth Thomas. “Their expertise in party planning led to a tastefully decorated and coordinated evening of activities. The silent auction favorite was a dinner for eight from All Occasion Catering. Joe and Erika Fuhr had the successful bid and look forward to a catered night in, and their daughter was the lucky bidder on the beautiful quilt donated by Plum Lake Quilts,” Ms. Sutter said. With DJ Dan Murphy playing all the favorites, guests were dancing and mingling throughout the night. Polka dancing, a sing-along, and wine-tasting kept the crowd entertained, while Massey called out silent auction advice. Ladies of Charity volunteer Earl

Helping hands and generous hearts Some of the people attending the Ladies of

Charity annual fundraising event tour the North Knoxville facility.

a location and design of the elevator. “The elevator will improve access

By East Tennessee Catholic staff to the 4,600 square feet of completed office and meeting space on the second floor of the facility and give Ladies of Charity the opportunity to review the current emergency assistance services and perhaps add a service in the future,” Mrs. Unbehaun said. In addition to program offerings, the Ladies of Charity membership would benefit immediately from an elevator to improve access to all general meetings and social functions. Longtime members and supporters of Ladies of Charity Hazel Brimi and Shirley Nicholson were in attendance at the fundraiser and were recognized for their past leadership and support. Mrs. Brimi reflected on the early years of the Ladies of Charity, when the operation was located in a closet.

Charity continued on page 14

Ladies of charity Christine Maentz

(left) and Debbie Donahoo enjoy the festivities at the Summer Shenanigans fundraiser for the Ladies of Charity.

Schliesman led the invocation. And volunteers Sharon Dinwiddie and Michael Ricciardi shared some insights on the Ladies of Charity mission and current grants. Mrs. Unbehaun announced a capital campaign for a new elevator to serve the two-story office and warehouse facility. The elevator cost is projected at $100,000, and a committee was formed to begin discussions with an engineering firm about The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

dioknox.org

The East Tennessee Catholic

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

August 2, 2015 11

Old Holy Ghost Church to get new life through Home Campaign Past remains vital to parish’s future as proceeds from fundraising effort go to restore original building

12 August 2,, 2015

BILL BREWER

oly Ghost Church is one of East Tennessee’s most identifiable Catholic landmarks and is a vital place for worship and fellowship. For nearly 90 years, the massive limestone structure and its adjoining bell tower have dominated the view over North Knoxville’s Central Street district. The parish has played a key role in the growth of Catholicism in East Tennessee, and even after a century it remains one of the busiest parishes in the Diocese of Knoxville—with no fewer than 18 Masses celebrated each week in English, Spanish and Latin. It’s a vibrant community and its pastor wants to make sure it stays that way. “We have so many Masses, we want to make sure people still have that flexibility here, that they still have that opportunity to have a liturgy celebrated in a very reverent way and also in an architecturally beautiful setting, lifting up the spirit,” said Father John Dowling. “But, as we’ve seen around the country, that doesn’t necessarily sustain a parish.” Holy Ghost has a membership of more than 600 families. While the church is beautiful, indoor activities beyond Mass are confined to the church basement. The competition for space is challenging, and scheduling wedding receptions, social meetings, adult and religious education classes, meals and other worship gatherings is tight. Some elements of the parish family are being squeezed out. “Especially our young people, they need a place for youth groups as well so they can call our parish property their home instead of often times meeting five miles away,” Father Dowling said. To help sustain and grow a community that has been around since 1908, Father Dowling and a committee of parish leaders got creative and ambitious. As part of their Home Cam-

By Jim Wogan

Side-by-side Father John Dowling (left), pastor of Holy Ghost Parish, and Father John Orr, Holy Ghost associate pastor,

stand outside the original Holy Ghost Church building, built in 1908. The newer Holy Ghost Church building is seen beside.

paign effort, Holy Ghost will renovate its original church—built in 1908 and located next to the current church, which was built in 1926. The original Holy Ghost has been used for various activities over the years, including a Ladies of Charity thrift store until the Ladies of Charity’s recent move to nearby Baxter Avenue. But after 107 years, the building needs serious renovation— especially on its upper floor, which is uninhabitable. With hard work and funds generated from the Home Campaign, Father Dowling and Holy Ghost parishioners hope to turn their original church into a parish social hall, one that will accommodate all the activities of a parish that has grown and diversified over the past few decades. Father Dowling was an associate pastor at Holy Ghost from 1987-1997. “When I left about 20 years ago there were no Hispanics in the parish. Now we have a huge portion of

our parish that’s Hispanic and is very, very active. So that’s the direction Holy Ghost is taking, and we want to be all-inclusive. “We also have members who have come recently to Holy Ghost from Africa and who have settled here. We want to minister to them. We have the Asian community and the traditional members of the parish who have put a lot of time, talent, treasure, and sweat into the building—sustaining this gorgeous church. The people of this parish are proud of the beauty of this church and again, the liturgy, and the reverence that is displayed in the liturgy. We hope that we can grow it.” Holy Ghost parishioners have pledged more than $943,000 in that effort, far surpassing their initial parish goal of $738,000. Additional pledges are expected, according to Father Dowling. Under the campaign, the parish will keep 50 percent of its initial goal and no less than 75 percent of the funds

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

raised beyond that. According to the formula, Holy Ghost is on target to generate at least $520,000 for its own projects. The remainder will benefit diocesan efforts with the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund, the Catholic Education Trust Fund, priest retirement and the new Sacred Heart Cathedral project. While there were initial questions about helping fund a new cathedral, Father Dowling said once the entire scope of the Home Campaign was explained, parishioners understood the benefits and possibilities the campaign presented—for a cathedral and for every other parish. The cathedral project is budgeted for $25 million. Diocesan parishes collectively have been asked to contribute $4.5 million of that amount. The remainder is being funded through outside donations and through the Sacred Heart Cathedral parish, which

Holy Ghost continued on page 26 dioknox.org

Parishes hold benefit concerts for Colombia youth, elderly Impoverished in Marsella, surrounding area to receive benefits from One Heart, One Mission led by Father Giraldo

ive Diocese of Knoxville parishes have joined to hold benefit concerts for those in need in Marsella, Colombia. Successful benefit concerts were held in July for One Heart, One Mission, a ministry to Marsella. The concerts were held by St Thérése of Lisieux in Cleveland, St Thomas the Apostle in Lenoir

City, Holy Trinity in Jefferson City, St John Paul II Catholic Mission in Rutledge, and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Church in Maynardville, and received good response. The mission, led by Father Antonio Giraldo, originated in 2005 and has benefited from a growing number of volunteers over the last 10 years. This

Excellence continued from page 9

use this information to develop a comprehensive, customized teacherevaluation system for schools in the diocese that focuses on authentic classroom data from frequent formal and informal classroom observations, professional coaching, teacher mentoring, and student engagement and performance. With the additional Title IIA allocations, each school also will be able to focus on school-wide professional development needs. Title IIA funds allocated to the 10 Diocese of Knoxville schools for professional development exceed $164,000 for this fiscal year. By law, this revenue is not

Kerbow will provide inspiring and energizing literacy strategies for problem-based learning, and Camryn Pinner will focus on strategies to promote higher levels of student cognition. Also, school administrators and lead teachers are participating in five instructional effectiveness workshops that began in July and continue through November on evidencedbased strategies of effective instructional practices, peer coaching/ mentoring, and use of student performance data to make instructional decisions. Principals and school leaders will Accredit continued from page 9

over a three-day period, review data submitted, conduct classroom observations, and analyze diocesan and school data to determine levels of compliance to the standards and whether the diocese should be granted accreditation through AdvancED as a Catholic school system. If the team recommends diocesan accreditation for the diocese the Diocese of Knoxville will join 52 Catholic dioceses across the nation recognized as a Catholic school system accredited by AdvancED. The state of Tennessee recognizes AdvancED as a higher accrediting agency, so the diocese will automatically maintain accreditation through the state Department of Education. An internal quality assurThe East Tennessee Catholic

ance plan also will be established so that internal review teams can assess and evaluate each school for alignment to the Diocesan Assurances of Quality in years to come. “I have asked Sedonna Prater, director of curriculum and instruction, to facilitate the process and internal work with the schools. She and I have been meeting with a representative of the diocesan steering team for the past year,” Sister Mary Marta said. On July 27, 33 school leaders and teachers representing all diocesan schools participated in intensive training in the AdvancED technical protocol and training in the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools. They began work this year in collecting and analyzing the data. All of the

year, 316 food bags were distributed to needy families in the South American region where work can be scarce this time of the year. One bag contains enough food to feed a family of four for about a month. The mission team also visits and prays with the elderly and poor in homes and remote areas surrounding Marsella,

and a Bible school for 200 children is held over a three-day period. The concerts featured Esteban Salazar Duque, a talented 23-year-old singer from Marsella, who discovered his love of music when he was 8 years old and started attending classes at the House of Culture in Marsella.

Mission continued on page 14

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy as to Students Diocese of Knoxville Catholic Schools admit students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the schools. Diocese of Knoxville Catholic Schools do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of their educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. ■

given directly to individual schools but is allocated to the local education system, which authorizes pay-

ment for materials and services used only for professional development of teachers and principals. ■

schools will be seeking input and feedback from their respective communities later in the fall through surveys concerned with stakeholder perceptions on Catholic identity,

student performance and organizational effectiveness. More information will be coming about the progress of diocesan accreditation in the months ahead. ■

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

August 2, 2015 13

Charity continued from page 10

Mrs. Nicholson was at the fundraiser with her son, Chuck Nicholson, and was recognized for her support. “Summer Shenanigans was the perfect theme for a night of smiles, laughter, meeting and greeting, trying to outbid your friends for silent auction items and just plain fun. We wish everyone could have been here to see for themselves what a group of hard-working volunteers can do to make a happening event possible!” said Ladies of Charity board president Nancy Scheurer. “At the end of the night, people lingered over the last bit of wine, and took the tables down, and with smiles on their faces, they thought having the event at the Ladies of Charity was a good decision, one they will remember for a long time. I want to thank everyone for all the ‘helping hands and generous hearts’ that made this year’s event memorable,” Mrs. Unbehaun said. ■ Mission continued from page 13

Esteban has volunteered to provide music for the Bible school since 2007 and has developed a close relationship with members of the mission team. He said he wanted to give the concerts to give back for the aid the mission has brought to the people of his hometown. Esteban’s classical voice training at EAFIT University in Medellín, Colombia, has allowed him to perform in international competitions in Helsinki, Finland, and Pardubice, Czech Republic. He also sings in Montecarlo, a male quartet that performs music ranging from classical to contemporary. After graduation in December he plans to attend graduate school, where he hopes to receive his master’s degree in music theory. He said if it is God’s will, he will be able to study in North America. The next mission to Marsella is planned for June 2016. For more information about the mission, contact oneheartmarsella@gmail.com. ■

14 August 2,, 2015

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

dioknox.org

Diocesan calendar by Dan McWilliams The annual Diocesan Youth Mass and Evening Celebration is set for Saturday, Aug. 29. The Mass will be held at Immaculate Conception Church in downtown Knoxville. Registration opens at 3:30 p.m.; the Mass will begin at 4. This year’s celebration includes a dinner party and dance on the sixth floor of the Sunsphere. Cost is $35 for the evening celebration, which is open to high school youth ministry students and their chaperones. Space is limited to the first 149 people. For more information, call Al Forsythe at 865-806-1343. Bishop Richard F. Stika will celebrate three bilingual Masses throughout the diocese in honor of the sacrament of marriage. Couples will have the opportunity to renew their vows during Mass and continue to celebrate with family and friends at a luncheon following Mass. Masses for 2015-16 are at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville (register by Friday, Aug. 21); 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at St. Augustine in Signal Mountain (register by Monday, Nov. 30); and 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016, at a Cumberland or Smoky Mountain deanery location to be determined (register by Friday, Jan. 22). Register by the due date and receive free gifts from the Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment, a commemorative certificate, and a professional photo with Bishop Stika. Contact Marian Christiana at mchristiana@dioknox.org or 423-892-2310 or Karen Byrne at kbyrne@dioknox.org or 865-584-3307 for more information. A workshop presented by a nationally known faith formation speaker from the Center for Ministry Development, designed for any adult (clergy or laity) with a desire to better transmit the faith in the family, in school, for sacramental preparation, faith formation, service ministry, or youth ministry, is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at St. John Neumann School in Farragut. This workshop will share effective The East Tennessee Catholic

ways in which parish communities are engaging parents and helping families grow in faith together. You will learn about resources for supporting parents and family faith at home and in the parish. Resources will be available for purchase during the workshop day. Register online by Oct. 2 at http://tinyurl.com/ KnoxFamily or visit dioknox.org/calendar. Cost is $54 (includes workshop materials, lunch, and refreshments). For more information, contact Al Forsythe at 865-806-1343 or aforsythe@dioknox. org. The annual White Mass, in which Bishop Richard F. Stika will invoke the blessing of the Holy Spirit upon all those serving in the health-care profession, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Church of Divine Mercy, 10919 Carmichael Road in Knoxville. Monsignor Al Humbrecht will be spiritual director of a 14-day diocesan pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Feb. 14-27, 2016. Pilgrimage visits include Jerusalem and the Old City, Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Temple Mount and Wailing Wall; St. Peter in Galicantu, where Jesus spent the night of his captivity; Judgment Hall of Pilate and the Via Dolorosa; Bethlehem and Ain Karem; Jericho, Masada, the Dead Sea; Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Cana, Tabor, Mount of Beatitudes and much more. Full package costs $3,299, including air fare from Atlanta, superior pilgrim accommodations, most meals and sightseeing tour fees. Airport taxes, security fees, fuel surcharges and tips are an additional $933. Final payment is due 90 days before departure (Nov. 4). For information contact Sister Albertine Paulus at 865-207-4742 or smaevang@yahoo.com. Land-only pricing is available. A retreat sponsored by the Beginning Experience of East Tennessee ministry, for those whose marriage ended through the death of a spouse, separation, or divorce, is set for Aug. 28-30 at the Carson Springs Retreat Center in Newport. For more details, contact

Maria Curd at 423-943-2301 or maria. curd31@gmail.com or Marian Christiana at 423-892-2310 or mchristiana@ dioknox.org. Download a registration form at dioknox.org/marriage-preparation-and-enrichment; click on the B.E.E.T. link under Loss and Healing on the right-hand side of the page. Visit www.beginningexperience.org for information about the weekend. The Diocese of Knoxville Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment is developing a support group for married couples experiencing infertility. The support group will meet in the Knoxville area. Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive a child after one year of trying. The most recent data indicates that as many as one in six couples experience infertility within their marriage. If you are experiencing infertility, either from a known or unknown condition, and are looking for support, contact Marian Christiana at mchristiana@dioknox.org. A Retrouvaille Weekend, for those seeking to rebuild their marriages, is scheduled for Aug. 28-30. For confidential information about or to register for the weekend, call 800-470-2230 or 615-523-0631, e-mail nrv3043@gmail. com, or visit www.HelpOurMarriage. com. Search 49, a Search for Christian Maturity retreat for juniors and seniors in high school, will be hosted by Notre Dame Parish in Greeneville from Friday, Oct. 30, through Sunday, Nov. 1. Cost is $60. For more information, contact Deacon Jim Fage at 423-748-2836 or jfage@dioknox.org. The St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic is able to receive donations through the AmazonSmile program. Visit the link http:// smile.amazon.com/ch/46-2331706 and click on the “start shopping” icon, and 0.5 percent of the price of eligible items will be donated to the Legacy Clinic. A Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend is scheduled for Aug. 14-

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

16 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Knoxville West/Cedar Bluff hotel, 216 Peregrine Way. The program will be led by Father Joe Brando of the Diocese of Knoxville and Roger and Annie Borrello of the WWME Georgia-Tennessee Encounter Ecclesial Team. For more information, call 678-242-WWME. Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at 1:30 p.m. each Sunday at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville; at 3 p.m. on first and third Sundays at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland; at 3 p.m. on second and fourth Sundays at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Madisonville; and at 3 p.m. on the first and third Sundays at St. Mary Church in Johnson City. A Missa Recitata (low Mass) in the ancient form of the Roman Rite is normally offered every Monday morning at 7 a.m. at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. A Missa Cantata (sung high Mass) in the ancient form of the Roman Rite is normally celebrated at 5 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. The next two Missa Cantata celebrations are at 5 p.m. Aug. 23 and Sept. 27: the 13th and 18th Sundays after Pentecost. A potluck dinner will be held in the Varallo Parish Hall following each Mass. All are invited. The St. Thomas the Apostle Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic Mission located at 2304 Ault Road, Knoxville, TN 37914 meets for Divine Liturgy each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. All services are in English. Call Father Richard Armstrong at 865-584-3307 or visit www.saintthomasknoxville.org/ for details. Holy Resurrection Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Mission has Divine Liturgy celebrations at 9:30 a.m. Sundays at the old Holy Ghost Church, 1031 N. Central St. in Knoxville. For times of holy-day services or for more information, visit www.knoxbyz.org or call Father Thomas O’Connell at 865-256-4880. ■ August 2, 2015 15

Chattanooga Deanery calendar Knights of Columbus Council 610 is collecting items for its White Elephant Yard Sale at the annual Labor Day picnic on Sept. 7 at Camp Columbus. For pick-up or drop-off information, contact

Parish notes: Chattanooga Deanery

Brent France at 423-505-1068 or francebrent@gmail.com, or John Chrnalogar at 423-544-1562. Proceeds support the council’s charitable activities throughout the year. ■

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Chattanooga OLPH will be starting a new outreach to engaged couples, Witness to Love, in August. The program is not a replacement for the marriage-preparation process but is an addition to it.

St. Jude, Chattanooga The chairs in the parish life center have a new look thanks to Carroll Shipley, Jean and Paul Trudel, and John Naum. They spent many hours changing the upholstery on 83 chairs. In commemoration of Father Charlie Burton’s 35th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood (July 11), parishioners were invited to attend Mass on July 9 and a potluck lunch afterward. The Knights of Columbus sponsored an ice cream social after the 10:30 a.m. Mass on July 26. Proceeds benefited the Knights’ MR Foundation, which assists persons with intellectual disabilities.

COURTESY OF DENNIS LOWE

The parish vacation Bible school, “Fishing With Our Father,” was a huge success with nearly 100 children and dozens of volunteers participating.

First Communion at St. Stephen On May 3 St. Stephen Parish held first Holy Communion for the youth, attended by family and friends. Following first Communion, the Ladies Auxiliary held a reception. Above, the children are pictured with St. Stephen pastor Father Manuel Pérez.

St. Mary, Athens The St. Mary Fall Festival is set for Sunday, Sept. 13. Special-collection “Fall Festival” envelopes will be placed in the narthex for donations to help offset some expenses incurred for the event. Winners of the St. Mary Education Program scholarships for 2015-16 are Julia Fioravanti, Matthew Fioravanti, Carson Ford, Alaynna McCormick, Analise McCormick, Dallas Moser, Haley Ouellette, Joseph Pascarella, and Nathan Reed. The Kimball baby-grand piano in the sanctuary was donated by Karen Dickhut, a parishioner, choir member, and CCD teacher.

COURTESY OF HEATHER WILSON

St. Stephen, Chattanooga

Youths confirmed at St. Augustine Cardinal Justin Rigali presided at the sacrament of confirmation recently at St. Augustine Church in Signal Mountain. Pictured are (from left, front) Alyssa Neuhoff, Eleanor Seal, Cardinal Rigali, Georgia Ann Ervin, Taylor Luthringer, and St. Augustine pastor Father Joseph Kuzhupil, MSFS, and (back) Raymond Rodriguez, Reid Mitchell, David Rowin, Brian Johnson, Rachael Menke, Katrina Biancofiore, Emelyn Dunavin, and Kevin Cecil.

16 August 2,, 2015

A mission trip to Mexico with World of Hope for rising juniors and seniors in high school and adults is being planned for fall break. For more information, call Alicia at 423-933-4301.

Anniversary: Michael and JoAnne Jobe (30)

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Cleveland The Military Support Group’s annual Motorcycle Show and Yard & Bake Sale are scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 22, on the church campus. Motorcycle registrations are $5 each, and sign-up begins at 9 a.m. Door prizes will be awarded throughout the day. The accompanying Yard & Bake Sale fundraiser runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and tables can be rented for $10 each. Set-up is Friday from 3-6 p.m. All proceeds from the event support cards and care package costs for St. Thérèse military members stationed abroad. A Rosary for the Unborn will be offered Aug. 17 and every third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. in the church. ■

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

dioknox.org

Cumberland Mountain Deanery calendar

Parish notes: Cumberland Mountain Deanery

For those wishing to take English as a Second Language classes for the first time at All Saints Church in Knoxville, registration, testing, and placement will occur on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The classes will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays in the religious-education building from 7 to 8:30 p.m. for 15 weeks in the fall. If you did not complete the course last year, you must register and test on Aug. 18 only. If you did complete the course last year, and wish to learn more, arrive on Aug. 20 for orientation and placement. Cost is $10 to buy a book. Child

All Saints, Knoxville Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University is coming to All Saints Parish on Aug. 17. The program teaches participants how to reach their financial goals. The nineweek course will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Mondays. For more information, contact Alan Sieve at gasieve@gmail.com or Gerardo Boquin at gboquin@gmail.com. Cost is $100.

Blessed Sacrament, Harriman Parish neophytes Katlin Cruz, April Foust, and Billy McCoy presented the gifts at the Mass for the Sending of the Neophytes on May 31 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Aaron Tapley received the $1,000 Mary Murphy Scholarship from the Council of Catholic Women.

care will be provided for children under 10 years of age. For more information, contact Mike Stahl at mstahl@utk.edu or 865-748-0991. The Knoxville Frassati Fellowship for Young Adults ages 18-35 meets Thursdays at 7 p.m. at the Chancery, located at 805 S. Northshore Drive next door to the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Other events and activities are planned. Visit the Knoxville Frassati Fellowship Facebook page or call Jess Mearns at 865-2066026 for more information. ■

Anniversaries: Guy and Billie La Borde (67), Joseph and Millie Walasinski (65), Bud and Kathleen Evans (65), Rick and Sharon Cantrell (63), Bernard and Darlene DeFillipi (61), William and Mary Best (61), William and Janette Larou (60), Larry and Reva Lanzerotti (59), Kenneth and Norma Guillory (58), Ralph and Lois Taylor (58), Ben and Jackie Ryba (58), Phillip and Johanne Ardire (57), James and Corrine Gabriel (56), Paul and Carole Forkapa (56), Bernard and JoAnne Bunyak (55), Jerome and Carol Scherer (55), Tom and Peg Clifford (55), John and Jean Brey (54), Ray and Joan Nadolny (54), Neil and Barbara Ferency (53), David and Tish Offutt (52), Don and Judith Johnson (52), Elliot and Nonie Bueche (52), Paul and Barbara Dahar (51), Tom and Trish Rosenburgh (51), Tyrone and Pat Perry (51), James and Jenny Lamb (50), Don and Sherry Koch (50), William and Pat Maas (50)

St. John Neumann, Farragut The annual St. John Neumann Homecoming is scheduled for Oct. 4. To help plan the event or volunteer on Oct. 4, contact Trish at tvarga@sjnknox.org. An informational meeting was held July 15 on the St. John Neumann Columbarium.

St. Therese, Clinton The barbecue community dinner raised $531.30 for the parish.

St. Thomas the Apostle, Lenoir City The seventh annual Cursillo Diocesan Encounter was held at St. Thomas on July 11. Father Joe Brando was the principal celebrant and Father Julian Cardona the homilist for Mass, which was followed by a fiesta and a Grand Ultreya in the family life center. ■

The East Tennessee Catholic

COURTESY OF OLIVIA KUHENS

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade

Confirmation at St. Therese in Clinton St. Therese Parish in Clinton recently celebrated confirmation. Bishop Richard F. Stika is joined by St. Therese pastor Father Julius Abuh and confirmandi (from left) Timothy Powers, Gabrielle Curatolo, Jonathan Boswell, Merritt Philpot, and Caitlin Zaring.

Two Glade couples celebrating 50th anniversaries

t. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade congratulates Donald and Sherry Koch on their 50th wedding anniversary. They were married at St. Edward Church in Seattle on Aug. 7,1965, with Father Michael O’Callaghan officiating. The Kochs’ two children are David Koch of Arlington, Va., and Karla Koch Younger of Tampa, Fla., and they have five grandchildren. They retired from the Proctor and Gamble Co. in Cincinnati and moved to the Glade in 2000. A celebration is planned at Niaga-

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

ra on the Lake in Ontario, Canada. Jim and Jenny Lamb of St. Francis of Assisi Parish celebrated their 50th anniversary on July 31. They were married at St. Joseph Church in Galion, Ohio. A celebration was planned for July 31. Their two children are Jill Kollars of Oakwood, Ohio, and Jeff Lamb of Richmond, Va., and they have six grandchildren. Mr. Lamb retired from GM in Lansing, Mich., and Mrs. Lamb from the Eaton County Medical Facility in Charlotte, Mich., and they moved to the Glade in 2010. ■ August 2, 2015 17

Parish notes: Five Rivers Deanery Holy Trinity, Jefferson City The parish’s participation in the annual Appalachian Outreach July 13-17 was a success. Ninety-eight volunteers came together for a week of work either to help those who cannot afford home repairs or to feed those of all denominations who came to help those in need. Jackie Castle has accepted the position of music director at Holy Trinity, and Scott and Valerie Mulligan will be the parish’s directors of religious education.

REBECCA JOHNSON

Fausto Crapiz, who is attending East Tennessee State University, is this year’s recipient of the Ken Schroer Memorial Scholarship. Anniversaries: Emery and Mildred Faulkner (67), David and Alice Cornell (52), John and Anne Wharton (45), Hal and Trish Morrill (40), Mark Shreeve and Nancy Frolio (40), Charles and Shari Nash (20), Joe and Nicole Zabel (10), Ian and Lani O’Connor (5) Newcomers: Dustin and Leah Black and their children, Skye and Faith; Andy and Cheryl Ladner; Keith Morvant

St. Elizabeth holds vacation Bible school St. Elizabeth Church in Elizabethton held its annual vacation Bible school from June 1-3. From left are VBS participants (front row) Luke Anspaugh, Camdin Arrigo, Lexi Culler, Michael Anspaugh, Damien Ojeda, Alex Arrigo, Sophia Johnson, Josh Gouge, and Colyn Carter and presenters and helpers (back row) Patrick Mardis, Linda Muraski, Katy Sehrer, Marisa Sehrer, Kieran Smith, Gabrielle Mardis, Brian Sehrer holding Ben Shutko, Helen Johnson, and Kevin Smith.

Notre Dame, Greeneville New Knights of Columbus officers were installed at a July 12 meeting. New officers are Don Myers, Grand Knight; Tim Shaw, deputy Grand Knight; Charlie Higdon, chancellor; Rick Longworth, recorder; John Seehoffer, treasurer; Jim Williams, advocate; and Roger Brault, warden. Anniversaries: Landon and Marlene Wilds (61), Bill and Shirley Kelly (56), Bud and Mary Noe (52), Bill and Bettye Bright (51), Bill and Jean HagenBurger (51), Ken and Patricia Fay (40), Danny and Susan Collins (35), Jack and Aimee Place (30)

St. Dominic, Kingsport The parish’s Fall Festival is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15. Free food and a number of activities, such as a climbing wall, dunk tank, cake walk, bingo, basketball, volleyball, a wine tasting, and a silent auction, are planned. For more information, call Nancy Lemieux at 423-212-0408 or 276-4478.

COURTESY OF LUIS RAMOS

Beginning in July, St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Malawi, Africa, became St. Dominic’s new sister parish.

Hospitality ministry makes people welcome at Our Lady of Fatima The hospitality ministry at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa is instrumental in the act of making people feel welcome. Through their various events, they serve the parish with receptions for sacraments, funerals, and special functions. Pictured at the recent confirmation Mass reception are (from left) Rosa Clark, Will Wellman, Dottie Berry, Cardinal Justin Rigali, Marie Muse, Beth Minutolo, Annette Snyder, and Karen Wellman.

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St. Dominic School sponsored the Crazy Cardboard Boat Race on July 11 at the Kingsport Aquatic Center. A potluck June 6 celebrated the 20th anniversary of Father Michael Cummins’ ordination to the priesthood.

St. Patrick, Morristown The Knights of Columbus of Council 6730 are holding a “Big Boys’ Toys” yard sale from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 29, in the picnic pavilion behind the church. Sale items accepted could include boats, lawn tractors, yard tools, garden equipment, automotive tools, construction equipment, hardware, auto parts, power tools, sports equipment, camping equipment, appliances, furniture, antiques, kitchenware, or exercise equipment. All proceeds will help the council’s efforts to provide charitable works for the parish and community. ■

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Smoky Mountain Deanery calendar

Parish notes: Smoky Mountain Deanery

St. Joseph School in Knoxville is accepting applications for its pre-kindergarten program and for grades kindergarten to 8th. To enroll your child, set

Holy Ghost, Knoxville Receptions were held after morning Masses on July 12 to allow the Holy Ghost family to say goodbye to parishioner Carolyn Toal, who is moving to Texas. Mrs. Toal will continue to help children in the Knoxville Detention Center, which needs donations of shoes, shorts, and T-shirts for girls and boys, as well as underwear, treats of all kinds, books, games, playing cards, art supplies, and more.

up a campus tour, or learn more about the school, contact Howie Sompayrac at 865-589-3424 or 804-8977 or hsompayrac@sjsknox.org.

Women of the parish were invited to a Friendship Tea, sponsored by the Council of Catholic Women, on July 12.

The 2015 Irish Fest on the Hill is planned for 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, at IC. Costs are $5 for adults and free for children 12 and under. The fest is on Facebook at IrishFestOnTheHill. To volunteer to help on the day of the event, contact Beth Wolf at 865-679-0535 or beth7137@att.net. For information on silent-auction donations or sponsorships, call Deborah Allen at 406-9036. At the end of August the parish will welcome Paulist seminarian Michael Hennessy, who has been assigned to Knoxville for his pastoral year, which comes between his second and third years of theological study at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

COURTESY OF MIKE SWEENEY

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville

St. Mary in Gatlinburg celebrates first Communion St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg celebrated the sacrament of first Holy Communion on May 3. From left are (front row) Sarah Rivera, Keyleen Cierra, Andrew Cedeno, Luis Gorea, Morgan Janus, and Jonathon Garcia and (back row) Brayan Amador, Edgar Garcia, St. Mary pastor Father Antony Punnackal, Ashley Turcios, and Laura Rivera.

Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa Deacon Bill Jacobs joined the parish staff July 1.

Father Georléus of Our Lady of Fatima’s sister parish in Haiti was at the church July 31 through Aug. 4. The parish welcomed him with coffee and doughnuts on Aug. 2. A second collection Aug. 1 and 2 raised money to purchase a cistern needed to hold the water from the well Our Lady of Fatima bought for its sister parish. The parish congratulated its 2015 scholarship winners: Sarah Ward and Paul Bristol, $500 Knights of Columbus scholarship; Hayden Coffee and Kaitlyn Woodfin, $500 Council of Catholic Women scholarship; and Steven Dirmeyer, $100 Fellowship of Young Adults scholarship. The parish picnic was held July 26 after the 11 a.m. Mass.

St. John XXIII, Knoxville The parish celebrated a Family Fun Night on July 24 with board games, snacks, and a movie. ■

COURTESY OF LUIS RAMOS

Our Lady of Fatima is forming a post chapter for Catholic War Veterans. The only requirements for membership in the CWV are to be honorably discharged (or on active duty) and to be a Catholic. If you are interested in joining, call the parish office at 865-982-3672 and leave your name and number, and Deacon Ken Long will get back to you.

Cardinal Rigali confirms youth at Our Lady of Fatima Cardinal Justin Rigali administered the sacrament of confirmation to 34 youth at Our Lady of Fatima on May 13, the parish feast day. These youth were prepared by catechists Amy Davis, Caprice Richardson, Luis Ramos, and Beth Parsons.

Immaculate Conception sets Homecoming Mass

ll former parishioners and descendants of the founding families of Immaculate Conception in Knoxville are invited to a The East Tennessee Catholic

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

special Parish Homecoming Mass at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, the weekend IC celebrates the anniversary of the dedication of the present church. ■ August 2, 2015 19

Pam Bernards appointed to NCEA post ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Catholic Educational Association has announced the appointment of Pamela Bernards, Ed.D., as director of professional development. With the appointment, the NCEA said it will continue a commitment to Catholic school education and refocus its mission to lead, learn and proclaim. “Catholic school education is facing both exciting and challengDr. Bernards ing times. With NCEA’s new focus on Catholic school education, Pam will provide leadership and direction for Catholic educators nationwide,” said NCEA President Brother Robert Bimonte. As the director of professional development, Dr. Bernards will lead NCEA’s efforts to provide a state-of-the-art, 21st-century professional development program for Catholic school teachers. She will be responsible for setting the vision and priorities of the professional development team at NCEA. “I am honored to serve as the new director of professional development and look forward to working with and supporting teachers in their vocation as Catholic school educators. Together we can ensure learning environments that integrate the Catholic faith in a rigorous academic program that ultimately prepares students for 21st-century leadership within the Church and a global society,” Dr. Bernards said. Dr. Bernards has served Catholic schools for more than 30 years at the elementary and secondary levels in the Diocese of Knoxville and the Diocese of Orlando as well as being an adjunct professor at St. Leo University. ■

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Bishop advises cautious hope for Boy Scouts CHARLESTON, S.C. (CNA-EWTN News) – A leading bishop in Catholic scouting says Catholics should continue to be involved in the Boy Scouts and work to ensure good youth outreach and consistency with Church teaching in response to a national policy change that allows gay leaders. “We’re willing to see how this policy can work and how we can remain consistent with our Catholic teaching and continue to charter troops with the Boy Scouts of America. We think we can do that,” Bishop Robert Guglielmone of Charleston, S.C., said July 28. Bishop Guglielmone is a former chaplain for Catholic scouts worldwide, and an executive board member of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting. The committee advises the Boy Scouts of America and works to strengthen the relationship between the Church and the scouting organization. “Perhaps our approach as a Church should be one [of] cautious optimism, hoping that we will be able to use the programs of the Boy Scouts of America for our youth ministry, but that we would be able to do so in a way that is consistent with the teachings of the Church,” the bishop explained. The Boy Scouts of America on July 27 approved a rule that no adult employee applicants or non-unit-serving volunteer who otherwise meets the organization’s requirements “may be denied registration on the basis of sexual orientation.” The resolution says sexual relations between adults should be “moral, honorable, committed and respectful.” The Boy Scouts resolution recognizes the right for each chartering organization to select its leaders and bars local councils from denying a charter to a unit that is following its religious beliefs. Diocese of Knoxville Bishop Richard F. Stika also issued a statement regarding the Boy Scouts’ decision. “The decision by the Boy Scouts of America allows religious institutions to abide by their moral teachings and beliefs when seScouts continued on page 36 The East Tennessee Catholic

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Catholic schools

Sacred Heart athletes make Junior Olympics Track-and-field participants qualify for AAU games at Norfolk State University in Virginia By Dan McWilliams acred Heart Cathedral School will be well-represented at the AAU Junior Olympics this month at Norfolk State University in Virginia. Six track-and-field athletes from SHCS qualified for the Aug. 1-8 nationals through district and regional competitions held at Knoxville’s Hardin Valley Academy, where the youths also have been practicing hard since the end of school in May. The athletes compete for Knoxville Youth Athletics’ competitive track team. Ellie Wolski and younger sister Lizzie, Riley Smith and younger brother Keegan, Callie Tucker, and Eleanor Mancini made the Junior Olympics. Callie’s younger brother, Chase, made the regionals in his events. “There are two goals and objectives: to compete in basically three meets,” said Deacon Sean Smith, father of Riley and Keegan. “One is the district qualifier, and the top 16 in the district qualifier go to the regional qualifier, which is the qualifying meet for the Junior Olympics. And then there’s the Junior Olympics. So these athletes train for two straight months solely to try to make it to the Junior Olympics. The other goal and objective is, each of those meets you improve your personal record. “I think we had a hundred and some-odd people on the competitive team, and 40 of our competitive team members qualified for the Junior Olympics.” The top six athletes in each event in the regionals made the Junior Olympics. The regionals drew competitors from as far away as Birmingham, Mobile, Memphis, Nashville, and Louisville. Ellie Wolski is going to the Ju-

22 August 2,, 2015

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Track standouts Wearing their district-meet medals are Sacred Heart Cathedral School track athletes (from left) Riley Smith, Keegan Smith, Eleanor Mancini, Ellie Wolski, Lizzie Wolski, Callie Tucker, and Chase Tucker.

nior Olympics in the 14-and-under pentathlon and the 800-meter run. This is the eighth-grader’s second straight nationals appearance. “Last year the experience really helped for my last nationals, and I was really trying a lot of new events this year, so I had to learn a lot of new techniques rather than just hard work and running,” she said. “I’m really glad that I was able to make it.” Lizzie Wolksi is entering second grade and will compete in the nationals in the 8-and-under 800 and 1,500 runs. The Wolksis’ mom, Kathy, is the SHCS track coach and a champion long-distance runner herself. “There’s track and field in that family’s blood,” Deacon Smith said. Riley Smith, a seventh-grader, will run in the 13-and-under 1,500 and 3,200 relay at the Junior Olympics. “This is my first year running,”

he said. “We practice five days a week—a lot of running.” Riley enjoys the long-distance events he’s entered in. “It takes a lot of training, but you get pretty good at it,” he said. “You need endurance and speed, too.” Keegan Smith, a third-grader, made the nationals in the 9-andunder 800 and 1,500 runs. He won the regional in the 1,500. Callie Tucker, an eighth-grader, is headed for the Junior Olympics in the 13-and-under 800 and 1,500 runs and in the 3,200 relay. “It’s a big honor. I’m very lucky to make it,” she said. Eleanor, also an eighth-grader, reached the Junior Olympics in the 100 and 200 hurdles and in the long jump for ages 13-14. “It’s pretty cool that you have all these folks making it from the same school,” Deacon Smith said. Chase Tucker made the regionals in the 100 and 200 dash events. ■

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Sacred Heart academic honors presented May 21 The 59th graduating class of Sacred Heart Cathedral School gathered with family and friends May 21 at Rothchild Catering & Conference Center for breakfast, a video presentation, and an academic awards ceremony. Liza Barré received the Principal’s Award, the highest academic honor given at SHCS. Recipients are students who maintained the highest academic grade-point average during the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades and are recognized by their peers as role models and leaders. Nicole Arnone and Max Langan earned the SHCS Home and School Award, presented for scholarship and Christian values. Zoe Velas and Matthew Valderrama received the Monsignor Edward Dolan Award for service to the Church, school, and community. Will Dupree was presented the Sister Georgeanna Mankel Award by the Sisters of Mercy, and Caitlin Christiansen received the Carol Christiansen Award (faith through action). ■

KCHS teachers attend seminar Three Knoxville Catholic High School teachers, Grace Burnham, Doug Paris, and Anna Turner, recently participated in the weeklong “Science and Religion Seminar 2015,” hosted by the University of Notre Dame. The seminar discussed the interaction between science and faith in the classroom. They examined not only the stance of the Church in matters of science but also the appropriate response of Catholic school teachers to student questions regarding the relationship between science and religion. ■ dioknox.org

Catholic youth

KCHS hires Moore as baseball coach

The East Tennessee Catholic

KCHS sophomore Cade Mays commits to Vols

noxville Catholic High School sophomore offensive lineman Cade Mays committed to the University of Tennessee on July 13, giving the Vols their first commitment in the 2018 class. Cade, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 305 pounds, had offers from schools such as Alabama, Florida State, Clemson, and Texas A&M. He is a son of former Vol lineman Kevin Mays. “I’ve been thinking about it for a few weeks now and just discussed it with my family, and I think it’s the right fit for me,” said Cade, as reported by the Knoxville News Sentinel. “Tennessee’s got a lot going for them right now, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.” Cade plays left tackle and defen-

Cade Mays

sive end for the Fighting Irish. “I told my dad there’s nowhere else that I could go by myself and feel like it’s home,” he told the News

Sentinel. Cade received his first scholarship offer from the Vols before the start of his freshman year in high school more than a year ago. He told Vol head coach Butch Jones of his decision July 13 while visiting the UT campus with his family. He picked the Vols from among 11 schools competing for his services. “Coach Jones wanted to have me and my family down, and I just thought it was a good time to go ahead and pull the trigger,” Cade told the News Sentinel. “I was there for two or three hours. I just ate lunch with the coaches, and then I went into Coach Jones’ office and we had a talk with my family, and I just told him.” ■

COURTESY OF KAREN VACALIUC

On July 6 Knoxville Catholic High School announced Caleb Moore as the new head coach for the Irish baseball program. Mr. Moore, a 2001 graduate of Knoxville Catholic, has spent the last four seasons resurrecting the Happy Valley High School baseball program. He replaces Adam Sullivan, who left KCHS for a position at Maryville High School. Mr. Moore comes to KCHS with a highly decorated resume. Following his high school career, he was a four-year starter at East Tennessee State University, where he was once named the Southern Conference Player of the Year and twice named a Division I All-American. In 2005 Moore was drafted as a catcher by the Minnesota Twins in the fourth round. He played four years of professional baseball, ending his career as a pitcher with the Texas Rangers organization following a 2008 surgery. “It’s an honor and a privilege for me to get to come back home to KCHS,” Mr. Moore said. “Catholic has a great standard of academic and athletic excellence along with a strong baseball tradition. I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to lead this program.” The applicant pool was very deep and contained a number of outstanding candidates, said KCHS athletics director Jason Surlas. “Our search committee had the tough task to select our new coach given the quality of candidates,” Mr. Surlas said. “We couldn’t be happier with Coach Moore. He brings a great baseball pedigree to our program along with a strong understanding of what it takes to be a successful student-athlete at Catholic High.” ■

More than 60 attend VBS at St. Mary in Oak Ridge St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge celebrated a week of vacation Bible school in early June. The children learned more about the Our Father and St. Joseph of Cupertino. These lessons came alive in festive crafts, Bible lessons, music, and outdoor fun. More than 60 children attended, with many teen and adult volunteers helping make the week run smoothly. The VBS ended with a music recital and cookout. The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

August 2, 2015 23

COURTESY OF GEORGE LECRONE SR.

Catholic youth

Scouting awards presented at St. John Neumann On June 21 at St John Neumann Church in Farragut there were two Parvuli Dei or Children of God church Scouting awards presented and a third boy recognized by Monsignor Pat Garrity and George LeCrone Sr., chairman of the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting, at the 8:30 a.m. Mass. Present for the ceremony were Cristian Valderrama (left) and Paul Liulevicius. Ryan Preston was not there but received his Parvuli Dei award at a later date.

COURTESY OF MEGAN LOCKE ERPENBACH

COURTESY OF GEORGE LECRONE SR.

Third athletesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; signing day held at KCHS On April 15 Knoxville Catholic High School saw five seniors sign letters of intent to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level. These five student athletes join an additional 14 seniors who already signed their letters of intent in two earlier ceremonies. From left above are Joe Binder, who signed in track and field with the University of Tennessee; Katie Goodwyn, volleyball, University of the Cumberlands; Gabriella Prevost, soccer, Transylvania University; Brittany Scott, basketball, Cleveland State; and Dominic Souder, football, Benedictine College.

Three Scouts recognized at St. John XXIII On April 26 at the 9 a.m. Mass at St. John XXIII Catholic Center, Father Don Andrie, CSP, and George LeCrone Sr. (both pictured), chairman of the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting, presented three Scouting awards. From left are Mason Howley and George Mancini, who received their Light of Christ award, and John Mancini, who received the Parvuli Dei.

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COURTESY OF GEORGE LECRONE SR.

Scout Sunday awards at All Saints Several Cub Scouts were honored at a recent Scout Sunday Mass at All Saints Church in Knoxville with Father Pontian Kiyimba presiding. From left are Nathan Amick, with mom Tina and brother Conner; Christian Govig and Matthew Govig, with dad Justin, mom Melody, and sister Taylor; Thomas Murphy, with mom Tiffany; and Cory Fichtl, with dad Pete and mom Andrea. Christian Govig received the Parvuli Dei award. The other Cub Scouts received the Light of Christ religious emblem. Giannine Morris represented the Knoxville Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting, which oversees religious emblems for all Scouts in the diocese.

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sion. You follow in the footsteps of Sts. Peter and Paul themselves in proclaiming to us the Word of God in Jesus Christ. Thank you for your witness. Thank you for your leadership in the Diocese of Knoxville.” Father Carter said he had preached on sacrifice that morning. “This event couldn’t have taken place without the sacrifice of so many, and I just want to say thank you to all who have spent countless hours of your time, of your life, preparing for this momentous occasion for our parish,” he said. “Those who are singing, those who are serving, those who have worked behind the scenes that you’ll never see. The Knights of Columbus and their visible witness for life and for patriotism and for true values of our country. We thank all those who sacrifice in prayer and all those who make reparation for all the many sins and offenses in this world. “Thank you for your presence and your fidelity. It heartens me as I celebrate this 10th anniversary of my ordination. I’m very much indebted to your prayers and your witness also to keep me moving forward.” Father Carter invited the assembly to tour the basilica’s newly renovated rectory and offices as they made their way to the dinner downstairs in the Varallo Parish Hall. At the dinner, Father Carter presented the Monsignor George E. Schmidt Jr. Notre Dame High School Scholarship to three young people: James Schumacher, MacKenzie Ramey, and Jimena Villanueva. “Monsignor George had a great love for Catholic education, and he valued it not only in his words but also in his actions,” Father Carter said. “He supported our Catholic schools. To honor his legacy, many of you donated generously to this Monsignor George E. Schmidt Jr. Scholarship Foundation for Notre Dame High School.” The dinner was emceed by permanent-diaconate candidate Hicks Armor. “What a privilege we have to be able to worship our Savior in such a beautiful and holy place,” Mr. Armor said. “We also need to pause and reflect on all the people who have gone before us and sat in the same pews we just sat in for such a memorable Mass. Many of those people made it possible for us to worship here today. Many of those were our parents, our grandparents, our aunts, our uncles, other family members who sat in those pews, said the prayers we said, and sacrificed their gifts so we have such a beautiful basilica today.” Mr. Armor said he would “get in trouble” if he didn’t mention that 2015 is also the 163rd anniversary of the founding of Sts. Peter and Paul. Mr. Armor and The East Tennessee Catholic

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Basilica continued from page 4

In appreciation of the basilica Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul parishioner Hicks Armor presents Bishop Stika with a framed rendering of the original Sts. Peter and Paul Church.

the bishop teased each other throughout the dinner before the emcee concluded by presenting the bishop with a framed picture of the original 1890 church. Diocesan seminarian Mark Schuster joined Monsignor Schmidt at the head table at the dinner. “One of the great moments of my life as a bishop here in Knoxville: Monsignor George along with two other priests were given the title monsignor,” Bishop Stika said. Mr. Armor earlier had acknowledged Bishop Stika’s efforts in having Sts. Peter and Paul Church declared a minor basilica. “I just wanted to honor it as the mother church of the southern part of the diocese,” Bishop Stika said. “That was one of the other great moments of my life, to be able to petition for that and have the Holy Father grant that.” The bishop said at the dinner that “in the life of a parish, the church building is important, and that’s what we celebrate in a particular way today, because it’s the place where we gather together to pray. “The church is a holy place. I think sometimes we’ve kind of lost that sense of holiness, and our churches sometimes become parish halls, and I remind our priests to remind the people that when people want to come to the church before Mass or after they like to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. That’s what makes the church so holy: the building, because there’s that one thing you can always count on: you can enter a dark church and see a red light flickering, and you can always know that the pre-

cious body and blood, soul and divinity, of Jesus is there. And so that’s what we honor when we honor a church building: we honor Jesus himself.” Bishop Stika took note of the rectory renovations, which included the addition of a suite for the bishop’s use. “Father David wanted to make sure that I kept him here, so he gave me my own set of rooms,” Bishop Stika said. During the dinner, Bill Soffe, Grand Knight of Council 610 of the Knights of Columbus, presented Father Carter with a memento in honor of his priestly anniversary. The gift was “a token of our appreciation for your service to the council as well as your service to the Church, as well as being a priest for 10 years,” Mr. Soffe said. The Sts. Peter and Paul rector thanked the Knights for the presentation. “Thank you very much for this gift and for all that you’ve meant to me, and I promise to try and make it to more meetings,” Father Carter said. “Thank you for all the people I’ve served in these 10 years of priesthood. It’s been an honor and a pleasure to serve, and I pray for many more years of priestly service. Pray for me. You have the little prayer card. Read the back of it, and then pray for priests that we might be faithful to the calling that we have received.” Father Carter also narrated a history of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul near the end of the dinner. The rector mentioned the church’s original 174-feet-high twin towers, which were crumbling and had to be dismantled in the late 1930s, leaving the church with one shorter tower. High moments in the long life of the building include its being listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Dec. 11, 1980, and the granting of its title of a minor basilica on May 12, 2011. At the end of the evening, Father Carter gave a presentation on a proposed sanctuary renovation for the basilica. “It’s been some years since it was last renovated with the beautiful stencil work and the organ restoration,” he said. The renovation will include moving the tabernacle in line with the bishop’s “call to bring Jesus front and center and to have the Blessed Sacrament as the center of our worship experience,” Father Carter said. Marble will replace carpet in the sanctuary floor “to elevate the dignity and the nobility of that space,” the rector said. “Another thing that was identified as very important to the people of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul was the restoration of the altar rail.” ■

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Chattanooga funeral Mass held for Deacon Mark Gang

funeral Mass for Deacon Mark Gang Jr. was held July 24 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga. Deacon Gang, 88, died July 18. The funeral Mass was celebrated by Monsignor Al Humbrecht, with the burial following in Mount Olivet Cemetery. A lifelong resident of Chattanooga, Deacon Gang was a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, where he served as deacon. Mr. Gang was owner and operator of Gang Printing Co. He later worked with the Hamilton County Health Department and retired from the Chattanooga Housing Authority. At age 17, Mr. Gang interrupted high school to volunteer for the U.S. Navy during World War II and returned after completion of service to graduate from Notre Dame High School. He attended St. Bernard College Seminary in Cullman, Ala., and the University of Chattanooga. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the American Legion. He volunteered for Scouting and youth sports, serving as coach for East Ridge boys T-ball and girls softball teams and as a timing judge for the Cumberland Youth Foundation Swim Team. In 1974, Mr. Gang was ordained as a deacon for the Roman Catholic Church in the Diocese of Nashville and Holy Ghost continued from page 12

has raised nearly $10 million on its own. In addition to turning the original church into social and education space, Father Dowling said the Home Campaign effort at Holy Ghost will help fund restoration of the large oak doors on the current church and finish some exterior repair work on the church tower. “We want to make sure Holy Ghost remains a lively parish,” said Father

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Cardinal O’Malley addresses issues surrounding Planned Parenthood By Catholic News Agency WASHINGTON—Cardinal Seán O’Malley, OFM Cap., archbishop of Boston and chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), responded July 29 to recent videos showing leaders from Planned Parenthood discussing the provision of fetal organs, tissues, and body parts from their abortion clinics.

Deacon Mark Gang Jr.

most recently served in the Diocese of Knoxville. He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Mary Catherine Morrison Gang, parents, Mark and Margaret Gang Erwin, and sister, Mary Margaret Zvanut. Survivors include daughters, Cathy and husband Ken Raveling, Susan E Rowe and fiance Dan Mason; son, Mark Gang III; sister, Elizabeth “Sis” Garrigus; grandsons, Aaron Rowe and Sterling Raveling; and many nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Bernard Abbey Ave Maria Grotto Fund in Cullman, Ala., or a Catholic charity of choice. ■ Dowling. “It’s always been a parish that’s been known for its liturgy, prayer and devotedness; and also helping the poor and for Catholic education; but what we’re seeing now is the youth are being attracted in other areas. We want to make sure we don’t lose them. I just want to make sure that Holy Ghost itself doesn’t lose its identification. We have to keep up with the needs of our parishioners,” he added. ■

“Pope Francis has called abortion the product of a ‘widespread mentality of profit, the throwaway culture, which has today enslaved the hearts and minds of so many.’ The recent news stories concerning Planned Parenthood direct our attention to two larger issues involving many institutions in our society. The first is abortion itself: a direct attack on human life in its most vulnerable condition. The second is the now standard practice of obtaining fetal organs and tissues through abortion. Both actions fail to respect the humanity and dignity of human life. This fact should be the center of attention in the present public controversy.” Hundreds of women – along with scores of men – gathered in front of the U.S. Capitol July 28 to protest what they see as betrayal of the nation’s women at the hands of Planned Parenthood. “I have a lot of young women friends, and I’m very concerned about how Planned Parenthood might exploit them, how Planned Parenthood might exploit me if I had an unplanned pregnancy,” Christina Yao, a student at UMBC in Maryland, told CNA. “There are women being betrayed and profited off of when they’re in crisis situations, when we should be giving them help,” added Lisa Twigg, social media coordinator for Life Matters Journal, an anti-violence and consistent ethic-of-life magazine. “I think this is offensive, to me as a feminist,” she told CNA. Yao and Twigg were among hundreds of participants at the “Women Betrayed” rally in front of the U.S. Capitol, protesting Planned Parenthood’s tactics and calling for an end to federal funding of the organization. The Washington, D.C., rally was one of more than 60 demonstrations held across the country in protest of Planned Parenthood and its taxpayer funding. The demonstrations followed videos that have surfaced in recent weeks of Planned Parenthood officials discussing the procuring of body parts from aborted babies in exchange for money. The rally also coincided with the release of a third undercover video from the citizen journalist group Center for Medical Progress. The video, released as part of a three-year investigative study of Planned Parenthood, interviews a former procurement technician that worked for a clinic which received organs from Planned Parenthood clinics. Also, the video shows an undercover investigator in the back room of an abortion clinic examining an aborted patient, speaking to Planned Par-

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for the diocese, served as deacon of the Word. Readers for the Mass were two of Bishop Johnston’s nieces, Anna and Mary Iverson. At the end of Mass, Bishop Johnston’s sisters, Amy Iverson and Beth Schmitt, presented a photo of Bishop Johnston that will hang at his alma mater, Knoxville Catholic High School. Bishop Johnston also celebrated his anniversary with Masses at the two cathedrals in his diocese: June 8 at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation in Cape Girardeau and June 9 at the Cathedral of St. Agnes in Springfield. In his homily at Holy Ghost, Bishop Johnston repeated several times the verse “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior . . .” (Luke 1:46-47). “That about sums it up,” he said. “These are the words of Mary, of course, and these are actually the words that probably best express what I feel in celebrating the 25th anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. They are the words of deep gratitude for God’s great, unmerited goodness and love, poured out in my life.” The bishop asked everyone to “join me in thanking God for the gift of priesthood to the Church, which builds us up, the Body of Christ, into a holy Temple.” Bishop Johnston advised that his homily would run a little long. “I hope you will indulge me tonight with a few extra minutes in my homily; 25 years ought to earn you something!” he said with a laugh. He used that extra time to “express my thanks to God for so many people who are living blessings,” including those who helped him along the way in his seminary days and early priesthood. “Again I want to thank in a special way His Eminence, Cardinal Rigali. I also thank Bishop Stika, the current The East Tennessee Catholic

SCOTT MAENTZ

Anniversary continued from page 6

With help from his friends Bishop Johnston is joined by Bishop Stika and priests

and deacons from the Diocese of Knoxville in celebrating Mass at Holy Ghost Church to mark Bishop Johnston’s 25th anniversary as a priest.

bishop of Knoxville, for the gift of their presence; it means a great deal to me that both of you are here— thank you,” Bishop Johnston said. “Also, Bishop David Talley, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. My friendship with Bishop Talley goes all the way back to our seminary days, and he was one of the priests who actually vested me here 25 years ago with the stole and chasuble. He and Monsignor Marv Borger from the Diocese of Toledo continue to enrich my life with their friendship.” Bishop Johnston said he also was “grateful to all of the bishops, priests, and deacons from the Diocese of Knoxville and also from the Diocese of Nashville, with whom I served here in Tennessee.” “I am very grateful to Father Mike Johnston, who when he was the brand new vocation director for the Diocese of Nashville called me one night while I was still an engineer in Houston,” he said. “I was all set to join a religious order, and because of Father Mike’s call that night, he led me back to Tennessee as a seminarian, and so I’m grateful to Father Mike Johnston, who preached at my first Mass 25 years ago. He led me

first to Nashville to be a seminarian, and then when the new Diocese of Knoxville was erected in 1988, I became overnight a seminarian for the Diocese of Knoxville, one of three. “Along with myself there were two others. You may have heard of them. One, Alex Waraksa, and another, David Boettner, and so I thank both Father Alex and Father David for being here tonight.” The bishop also thanked Father Chris Michelson, “my first pastor in Oak Ridge.” “You know, they say, and I think it’s true, that a priest’s first assignment is critical,” he said. “It’s so important. And I can’t ever thank you enough, Father Chris, for such a great experience as a newly ordained priest at St. Mary’s. “He probably wondered what he was getting, because the day I was ordained and it was announced I was going to St. Mary’s, lightning hit the church and caught it on fire.” Monsignor Bob Hofstetter “also gave me a good experience in my second assignment at St. Jude in Chattanooga and actually helped me to survive teaching high school religion,” Bishop Johnston said.

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The bishop thanked “the other great priests whom I served with while here in Knoxville: Monsignor Mankel, who was also my high school principal, and Monsignor [Al] Humbrecht, while I was at the cathedral. I want to mention also a good friend, Father Scott Duarte, from the Diocese of Richmond, whose friendship dates back to our days studying canon law at Catholic U.” Bishop Johnston didn’t leave out Father Albert Henkel, Holy Ghost’s pastor from 1958 to 1996, “who arrived here the year before I was born in 1958 and who was still here when I served as one of his associate pastors in 1996. “I thank the current pastor of Holy Ghost, my good friend of many years and faithful hiking buddy, Father John Dowling. I thank Father Dowling and his associate, Father John Orr, who is serving as our emcee tonight, and I thank them in a special way for hosting this Mass.” The bishop said he is “also grateful to all of the many religious and laity whom God has enriched my life with over these years—for all of you!” “My good friend Sister Matthew Marie Cummings told me when I left my first assignment in Oak Ridge, she said, ‘you will find good people wherever the Lord sends you,’ and that has truly been the case. There are good people everywhere,” he said. Bishop Johnston noted “how special it is to celebrate this Mass here in this place, not only because I was ordained a priest here; not only because I was baptized and confirmed and made so many Holy Communions and confessions here. It goes back even farther than that. “My parents were married here on Thanksgiving Day in 1956 by Monsignor Leo Baldinger; and before that my mother lived just a few blocks up the street at the corner of Central and Scott avenues when my Granddaddy and Grandmother Huber moved here Anniversary continued on page 28 August 2, 2015 27

in 1952 from Bardstown, Ky. I spent many days of my childhood just a few blocks up the street from here. It was great because you could see from their yard the bell tower of Holy Ghost, and the Freezo ice cream place was right outside their back door.” Holy Ghost and the Freezo are about the only remnants in that neighborhood of Bishop Johnston’s youth. “I think it’s so appropriate that the only two things that have endured over all these years in this section of town are the Catholic Church and ice cream,” he said. “So, I am very happy to come back to this place to offer thanksgiving to Almighty God.” The bishop especially thanked God “in a special way for the two people who have blessed me in this life far more than anyone else; who were the essential people who passed on the Catholic faith to me and inspired me to want to be a priest”: his parents, Vann and Pat Johnston. “They are the ones God used to guide me, pray for me, and love me. In fact, their love, with God, brought me into being. I can never thank God enough for giving me my parents, and I have been even more blessed to have them in my life so far into my adult years.” A person “cannot overstate the powerful role parents and family have in the plan of God,” Bishop Johnston said; “my faith tells me that God loves me unconditionally as a son—that becomes more real when I experience the unconditional love of my parents as their son; my faith tells me that the meaning and purpose of our lives is self-giving, sacrificial love, which is at the heart of the Holy Trinity; that becomes real and believable through witnessing and receiving that kind of love in one’s parents; my faith tells me that God is both merciful and just—I experienced both mercy and justice in my parents and in our family. “Here’s the point: faith becomes

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Anniversary continued from page 27

Family portrait Bishop James Vann Johnston Jr. is shown with family members who live in the Diocese of Knoxville: Mary Iverson, Nicklaus Iverson, Anna Iverson, James Vann Johnston Sr., Joseph Iverson, Daniel Iverson, Sarah Beazley, Nick Iverson, Amy Iverson, Beth Schmitt, Neil Schmitt, and Patricia Johnston.

more real, credible, and attractive when you see it mirrored in the lives of your mom and dad, whose love brought you into the world and who care for you more than anyone else in the world. Their faith and love opened me up to the greater mystery of God in my life, and thereby, opened me up to my vocation. I would not have become a priest without my parents.” The bishop said his brother and two sisters and their families “are also my greatest support system.” “I have to also single out for thanks a person who came along at just the right time in my life and had a very important role in my becoming a priest: St. John Paul II,” Bishop Johnston said. “He was elected pope in 1978 on my 19th birthday. I was beginning my sophomore year in college. Like many other young people, he inspired me. He first inspired me to be a more intentional disciple—to follow Jesus more wholeheartedly

and generously. He inspired me by his words, his life, and his example. He revealed for me the greatness of the priesthood and how much it could serve the kingdom of God and change the world. “So, thank you St. John Paul II; I know you are here tonight with Mary and all the saints and angels, with us around the altar.” The readings at the 25th-anniversary Mass came from Jeremiah 1:4-9, 2 Timothy 4:1-5, and John 15:9-17. “The Scripture readings for Mass tonight are the same ones that were read 25 years ago at my ordination,” Bishop Johnson said. “They still have great relevance, and after 25 years, even more meaning.” Bishop Stika delivered closing remarks at the Mass. “In the name of my brother priests and deacons, Bishop Johnston, I just want to offer again congratulations on your 25th anniversary as a priest. Ad multos annos. Especially to your

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

mom and dad and to the family, we just say congratulations,” the bishop said, leading to a long round of applause for Bishop Johnston. Bishop Stika mentioned that he had just ordained the 50th priest for the diocese the weekend before the diocese’s second priest appeared at Holy Ghost. “It just shows that tradition continues to carry on,” he said. “Bishop, congratulations. Know that you are greatly loved and continue to be loved, not only by the people of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau but also by the Diocese of Knoxville.” In introducing the photo presentation, Mrs. Iverson said “it is wonderful to be here at Holy Ghost, which was and always will be our home parish. “Apparently, the joy of the priesthood was Vann’s fountain of youth, because more and more people started talking about my ‘little’ brother, Vann. He is 11 years older than me.” Mrs. Schmitt said “there is really no way to put into words what a gift Bishop Vann’s priesthood has been to our family and to the Church. He has married us, baptized our children, heard our confessions, confirmed and even brought some of us into the Church, celebrated the Eucharist, and ordained others to the priesthood. He has been there to anoint our sick, offer us wise counsel, and to comfort us in some of life’s most challenging trials.” In honor of the occasion, “we’re donating this framed and engraved portrait to Knoxville Catholic High School, where you graduated in 1977,” Mrs. Iverson said. “Our hope is that it will not only serve as a reminder of all the spiritual blessings of the Catholic education that you received but also as a possible inspiration to a future priest or bishop who may be roaming the halls of KCHS today or in the future.” Father Orr presented Bishop Johnston with a new baptismal certificate, “just in case you lost the original.” ■ dioknox.org

The East Tennessee Catholic

The faces of faith Parishioners of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga stand during a Mass July 19 where the

lives of five slain service members were remembered and celebrated.

lence and terrorism, and it seems like an everyday occurrence. Perhaps the invitation from our Lord is to look at our own life and to start just one at a time. If we see another person, and we see a person of color or language or culture, not a creation of God, then we begin to form judgments. If we see the action of one individual and begin to gauge that individual as representative of a people, then we, too, have a change of heart, and not in a positive way,” the bishop said. “My invitation to all of you, my sisters and brothers, is to look into your own hearts to see if you accept the mission of Jesus to be a peacemaker, to be a person of understanding, but also to be vigilant against evil, because evil, as I said, is in the places that we least expect Mass continued on page 32

STEPHANIE RICHER

by Chattanooga police at a naval reserve center where the five servicemen were stationed and died. Saying the challenge for everyone is how to respond to the evil in our own lives, Bishop Stika told parishioners they can’t control the actions of other people, but they can control their responses to the tragedy. “We have no control over the man just the other day – a young man who belonged to another faith. But what he did did not represent that faith,” Bishop Stika said. “For all of us, our response should be forgiveness.” The bishop acknowledged that for many, forgiveness would be difficult to offer after such a heinous act. “How can you forgive a person who has taken the life of a father of young individuals, who has taken the life of one who was just texting to his loved one? If you respond in anger or revenge, it begins to eat away at us. And in some ways then we become the person that we don’t want to be. And that can be true of our nation – one nation, under God, indivisible,” he said. “Our response, if truly we are Christian, or truly if we are people of faith, no matter what that faith may be, if we believe, as children of Abraham, if we believe, then the challenge for all of us is to be the face of faith in our response,” he added. Bishop Stika then shared with the veterans and those in military service who were in the congregation a belief of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, who became the 34th president of the United States. According to the bishop, “Ike” once said a military is not so much people of war and warriors; servicemen and servicewomen are peacemakers. “My sisters and brothers, as we mourn the loss of five individuals, as we mourn with their families, and as a nation, and as a world, we see a world that is filled with vio-

STEPHANIE RICHER

Mass continued from page 8

A celebration of life Bishop Stika celebrates Mass July 19 at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, where prayers were given for the five slain servicemen and their families. Concelebrating Mass with Bishop Stika were Father David Carter, rector of the basilica, Father Gilbert Diaz, pastor of Holy Family Church in Seymour, and Father Colin Blatchford, basilica associate pastor.

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

August 2, 2015 29

Living the Readings

Weekday readings Sunday, Aug. 2: Exodus 16:2-4 and 12-15; Psalm 78:3-4, 23-25, 54; Ephesians 4:17 and 20-24; John 6:24-35 Monday, Aug. 3: Numbers 11:4-15; Psalm 81:12-17; Matthew 14:13-21 Tuesday, Aug. 4: Numbers 12:1-13; Psalm 51:1, 3-7, 12-13; Matthew 14:22-36, 15:1-2, 10-14 Wednesday, Aug. 5: Numbers 13:1-2, 25, 14:1, 26-29, 34-35; Psalm 106:6-7, 1314, 21-23; Matthew 15:21-28 Thursday, Aug. 6: Feast, Transfiguration of the Lord; Daniel 7:9-10 and 13-14; Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9; 2 Peter 1:16-19; Mark 9:2-10 Friday, Aug. 7: Deuteronomy 4:32-40; Psalm 77:12-16, 21; Matthew 16:24-28 Saturday, Aug. 8: Deuteronomy 6:4-13; Psalm 18:2-4, 47, 51; Matthew 17-14-20 Sunday, Aug. 9: 1 Kings 19:4-8; Psalm 34:2-9; Ephesians 4:30-5:2; John 6:41-51 Monday, Aug. 10: Feast, St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr; 2 Corinthians 9:6-10; Psalm 112:1-2, 5-9; John 12:24-26 Tuesday, Aug. 11: Deuteronomy 31:1-8, 32:3-4, 7-9, 12; Matthew 18:1-5 and 10 and 12-14 Wednesday, Aug. 12: Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm 66:1-3, 5, 8, 16-17; Matthew 18:15-20 Thursday, Aug. 13: Joshua 3:7-10-11 and 13-17; Psalm 114:1-6; Matthew 18:21-19:1 Friday, Aug. 14: Joshua 24:1-13; Psalm 132:67, 9-10, 13-14; Matthew 19:3-12 Saturday, Aug. 15: Solemnity, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6, 10; Psalm 45:10-12, 16; 1 Corinthians 15:20-27; Luke 1:39-56 Readings continued on page 31

30 August 2,, 2015

by Father Joseph Brando

Jesus’ words come to life The law of God takes us from earthly life to the eternal

ugust is a different kind of month liturgically. For the first time in a long time, and this year, we have five Sundays in a row in the same month that all the Sunday Masses are of Ordinary time. For the first time in my memory, we can follow a theme in the Gospels as it develops through five consecutive weeks. With one worthwhile exception, the same is true of the New Testament readings. The exception is the last week when we go from Paul (who died in 63 AD) writing to the Ephesians to James (who was martyred about 42 AD) exhorting the Christian communities wherever the Gospel had been rooted. Yet, that may not be an exception since James’ topic makes a seamless connection with the message of St. Paul. So, let us begin our monthly journey by entering into the mind and faith of Paul. Four of the five “second readings” come from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. As opposed to the Letters to the Corinthians, which were written fairly quickly to answer specific problems, this letter was written in relative calmness. Paul had plenty of time to think about his topic. He tells us in the Epistle that he was writing it in jail. That fact would draw a knowing smile from his old cellmates who might be free by this time. During his more than three years in Ephesus, Paul spent two years in prison. One could surmise that Paul was good at sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to his fellow prisoners. Now they were on the receiving end of a letter from jail. Paul had plenty of time to put his thoughts together carefully. It also seems plausible that Paul saw his effort as so successful that his next letter, to the Colossians, had the same ideas with one-third of the verses virtually the same. Indeed, 83 words in a row are exactly

in the same order in both Ephesians and Colossians. The fact that Paul used the same words to explain the same topic in two different letters may well indicate that Paul’s meditation on “how new Christians, who had been pagans, should live” had reached a critical point. His words said it as well as could be. Two thousand years later there is still nothing to improve on Paul’s thought. So, let’s look at the second readings for the first four Sundays of August and learn from Paul what the first generation of Christians read and lived. The 18th Sunday in Ordinary time offers us the selection of Ephesians 4: 17, 20-24. Succinctly, Paul gets the idea across that these gentiles (never having been Jewish or Christian) have to live a completely different life than they had once led. Their previous life could be characterized as corrupted through deceitful desires. Now, as Christians they must be renewed in the spirit of their minds and put on a new self…in righteousness and holiness of truth. Notice that Paul brilliantly pits the wanton desires of paganism against the righteousness and holiness of truth. In one sentence, Paul incorporates the rational and emotional components of humanity and shows us how to balance them so that our encounter with Christ may be successfully lived out the rest of our lives. On the 19th Sunday of Ordinary time, Paul answers the question implied by the passage we read in the previous Sunday’s epistle. He told the Ephesians (and us) what they had to do. Now he tells us how. “All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting and reviling and malice must be removed from you.” Think what that would do for us. It would make us calm and approachable. Our relationships with others would be

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built in a spirit of joy and peace. As Paul writes, “be kind to one another, forgiving one another, as God has forgiven you in Christ.” That term, in Christ, is a typical phrase for Paul. It refers to the reality that John calls eternal life and what Matthew, Mark, and Luke call the kingdom. They all refer to our relation to the risen Christ and through Him, to the Father. Yet, another word for the same experience is grace. In Christ we both encounter God and we live with him. We walk with God. Righteousness is no more (or less) than walking with God. In doing so, we change from being pagan to living as in Christ. On the 20th Sunday of Ordinary time we study Ephesians 5: 15-20. Paul takes us the next step. After becoming Christian and changing to a practice of the virtues and learning what this transformation into the presence of Christ entails, then we need to know how to keep this new life up. Paul, thankfully, simplifies things for us. All we need do is ask ourselves a question, do we want to be wise or foolish. Continuing to choose wisdom is deciding to grow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The path begins with the fear of the Lord, that is, with an encounter with the power of Christ’s presence. From there we proceed through piety, fortitude, knowledge, counsel, and understanding until we reach wisdom. The closer we get to true wisdom the more spiritual we become and the easier it is to remain in the life of grace as we sing and play (that’s right: there’s no misprint; that is an “l” and not an “r”). On the 21st Sunday in Ordinary time we conclude this time we’ve spent with Paul as we explore Ephesians 5:21-32. In these verses Paul changes from talking about the individual and turns to the last lesson on becoming a good Christian. Christianity involves becoming part of a community. We live in the plu-

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Readings continued from page 30 Ordinary continued from page 30

ral. The outward sign of our unity in plurality is the wedded couple. The two become one body in marriage. Let’s look at this concept a little deeper. Take a person who gets hurt, for example. Automatically, the body reaches for the part of the body that’s aching and tries to get rid of the problem. In marriage, Paul is saying, when one hurts both, instinctively, reach to solve the problem and soothe the other back to the joyful feeling of good health. Paul tells couples to submit to one another. That means spouses should never say “no” to the other and even take the initiative to be of help to his or her beloved. To live in love is to become one body. That only happens when both parties give themselves to each other. This is where the singing and the playing of the community originates. In just a few sentences Paul gives us a blueprint of becoming Christian and all of us together to form Church. On the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary time and the last Sunday of August we change over to the Epistle of James. The reading skims through the first chapter of the letter. What we get is a synopsis of exactly what Paul was saying. Thus, we can make the case that the same message was spread over the length and breadth of Christianity. Paul and James knew each other and took opposing sides on the issue of baptizing non-Jews into Christianity. All sides reconciled at the “Council of Jerusalem,” described in the 15th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. They may have had different views on specific important, but non-essential, issues. Nevertheless, they both shared the major beliefs and core message of Christianity. This passage virtually proves that statement. Compare the following citations from his epistle to what we found in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. “All good giving and every perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father.” “He The East Tennessee Catholic

willed to give us birth by the word of truth.” Be doers of the word and not hearers only.” “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows.” Parallel to the four passages from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and one from James in the Sunday readings of August we have four passages from the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel and one from Mark’s. The readings from Paul and James are directed to teaching former pagans the basics of living the Christian life. The passages from John’s Gospel and even the one from Mark guide Jews from the Old Covenant to life in Christ. Let’s take a closer look at them so we can see how God’s Plan comes to us from the Old Testament. In the sixth chapter of John we learn how to come to Christ through the sacrament of the Eucharist. As we come to the pericope on the 18th Sunday in Ordinary time, Jesus had already multiplied loaves and fish for the 5,000 men. Now he explains what happened by means of a series of dialogues. The Jews ask questions. Some scholars compare the questions from the crowd to the questions asked traditionally at the Seder Supper. In this particular verbal exchange Jesus takes us from the meaning of the Passover bread and the manna in the desert to Eucharist. Manna was earthly food meant to support Moses and his people so they would survive the 40-year journey through the Sinai desert to the Promised Land. On the other hand, the bread Jesus is offering us is his own real presence. He is giving us eternal life. Yet, at these words, the crowd became testy. In the next Sunday’s Gospel reading, the people ask how this bread can actually be the presence of Christ. Jesus answers, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him on the last day.” And Jesus continues, “Whoever believes has eternal life. I

am the bread of life.” Jesus explains clearly that the manna may have provided earthly sustenance; but it did not give eternal life. Belief in Jesus gives eternal life to those who eat the bread that comes from heaven. On the 20th Sunday (the third Sunday of August) John reports that the crowd became quarrelsome. This may be indicative of the response Jesus and his disciples received in the Jewish community wherever the Gospel was preached. Jesus, then, gives us the proper response to this state of disquiet. Jesus says, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink of his blood you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him on the last day.” So, it is a matter of eternal life or death. Old Testament bread was for this earthly life. Jesus’ bread is for eternal life. The passages from John, chapter 6 conclude on the 21st Sunday of Ordinary time. It gives us a clue to understand the world that met the apostles as they announced the resurrection of the Lord first to the Jews and then to the pagans. Even those who were disciples following Jesus before his resurrection left them saying “this saying is hard; who can accept it.” They began to return to their former way of life. It is interesting to note that leaving Jesus meant a change of the way one lives this life. As a conclusion to this whole passage Jesus asks the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Peter comes back with the right answer, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” That’s all we have to say as well. Those words show that our faith comes from the Father. ■

Sunday, Aug. 16: Proverbs 9:1-6; Psalm 34-2-7; Ephesians 5:15-20, John 6:51-58 Monday, Aug. 17: Judges 2:11-19; Psalm 106:3437, 39-40, 43, 44; Matthew 19:16-22 Tuesday, Aug. 18: Judges 6:11-24; Psalm 85:9, 11-14; Matthew 19:23-30 Wednesday, Aug. 19: Judges 9:6-15; Psalm 21:2-7; Matthew 20:1-16 Thursday, Aug. 20: Judges 11:29-39; Psalm 40:5, 7-10; Matthew 22:1-14 Friday, Aug. 21: Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14-16, 22; Psalm 146:510; Matthew 22:34-40 Saturday, Aug. 22: Ruth 2:1-3; 8-11, 4:13-17; Psalm 128:1-5; Matthew 23:1-2 Sunday, Aug. 23: Joshua 24:1-2, 15-17, 18; Psalm 34:2-3, 16-21; Ephesians 5:21-32, 5:2, 25-32; John 6:60-69 Monday, Aug. 24: Revelation 21:9-14; Psalm 145:1013, 17-18; John 1:45-51 Tuesday, Aug. 25: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Psalm 139: 1-3; 4-6; Matthew 23:23-26 Wednesday, Aug. 26: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13; Psalm 139:7-12; Matthew 23:27-32 Thursday, Aug. 27: 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13; Psalm 90:3-5, 12-14, 17; Matthew 24:42-51 Friday, Aug. 28: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 10-12; Matthew 25:1-13 Saturday, Aug. 29: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-11; Psalm 98:1, 7-9; Mark 6:17-29 Sunday, Aug. 30: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8; Psalm 15:25; James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Monday, Aug. 31: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Psalm 96:1, 3-5, 11-13; Luke 4:16-30 ■

Father Joe Brando is retired from the active priesthood in the Diocese of Knoxville.

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August 2, 2015 31

it to be. If we allow it to creep into our heart with anger and malice, with prejudice, with not even a desire to be understanding, then the transformation in our own lives will be destructive,” he added. “If you’re looking for answers from me about why this individual did this, that’s it; evil entered into his heart in a misjudgment, a misguidance, and he committed an act of terror. But if we allow that terror to shape our lives and to be afraid of everyone, or to begin judging everyone, then we lose.” Bishop Stika described the nation as one with great values that should respect everyone and appreciate the openness of many cultures. Reminding parishioners that Jesus taught us to “judge not, lest ye be judged,” Bishop Stika said they would be remiss to not pray for the individual who took the servicemen’s lives, “and all of those who would do evil, that they would have a change of heart, that they will not see people of color or culture, or someone who might worship in a different way or speak in a different language.” “We pray that evil might be eradicated from their hearts,” he said. Funerals for the five servicemen were held in late July. Sgt. Sullivan, 40, was buried July 27 in his native Springfield, Mass., following a funeral Mass at Holy Cross Catholic Church, where he was remembered by the bishop of Springfield, the governor, a senator and a congressman. Lance Cpl. Wells, 21, was laid to rest July 26 in Woodstock, Ga. The funeral for Staff Sgt. Wyatt, a 35-yearold married father of two children, was held in Chattanooga on July 24. A funeral for Sgt. Holmquist, 25, was held July 25 in his hometown of Grantsburg, Wis., where he graduated from high school in 2008 and joined the Marine Corps in 2009. And a funeral service for Petty Officer 2nd Class Smith, 26, was held July 28 in

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Mass continued from page 29

Honoring the fallen A U.S. Marine Corps honor guard stands at attention during Mass on Sunday, July 19, at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, where Bishop Stika’s homily was on the shooting deaths of five servicemen.

“We’re saddened that our city had to experience such violence. But we have a way of uniquely responding to this situation. We’re responding with hope and the belief that we play a part in making the world a better place, and there’s far more good we can do to overcome the senseless acts of violence.” — Father David Carter Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., where he and his family lived. Like Sgt. Wyatt, Petty Officer Smith was laid to rest at Chattanooga National Cemetery. He leaves behind a wife and three young daughters. A Marine recruiter and a Chattanooga police officer were shot and wounded in the shooting. Just before the basilica Mass concluded, U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Chattanooga, spoke to the congregation about the terror attack. The congressman said he was on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives during a voting session when a colleague first informed him that a tragic incident was unfolding in his hometown. As he tried to make his way home, the congressman discovered flights into and out of Chattanooga had been canceled. He was able to get a flight into Knoxville and was escorted to Chattanooga, where he immediately went to the scenes of the

shootings that took place earlier in the day. “We have lost five of our bravest. Now, think about that. Our faith tells us that all human life is sacred. So the loss of one life is horrific. And we have lost five; a sad day in Chattanooga history. The saddest day I have had here,” Rep. Fleischmann said. He praised faith leaders from all denominations, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish as well as people from minority communities, for joining together in support of the families impacted by the shootings and the community at large. “So, where do we go from here? We mourn. … But we heal. We begin the healing process. And how do we do that? We pray harder. We look to God. We look to the precious gift of faith that we have. We pray for those who died, for their families, for our leaders, and for our great nation. And I pray to God this never happens again in the United States

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of America,” said Rep. Fleischmann, who is a parishioner in the Diocese of Knoxville. “But as we heal, let us not forget that we still are the greatest midsize city in America – Chattanooga, Tennessee. Let us resolve to love more and to hate less. Let us resolve to work together and be unified and less divisive. Let us resolve that that horrible day will not be what Chattanooga, Tennessee, is known by, not by some mad, horrific, evil gunman, but by the wonderful people of this city who reached out with love and compassion, because that is what we are about. We are Chattanooga strong. We are ready to move forward. We are ready to heal. Let Chattanooga strong be America strong,” he concluded. On the afternoon of the shooting, Father Carter led a prayer service at the basilica, where some 50 faithful prayed for the shooting victims and their families. He said the shooting hit very close to home. “We’re all shocked by it. We didn’t expect it to happen in Chattanooga,” Father Carter said. “I have parishioners who went to high school at Red Bank with the shooter.” While the basilica community and all of Chattanooga struggled to understand the incident being investigated by federal authorities as an act of terrorism, Father Carter said the city and its Catholic parishes are poised to overcome the tragedy. “We’re saddened that our city had to experience such violence. But we have a way of uniquely responding to this situation. We’re responding with hope and the belief that we play a part in making the world a better place, and there’s far more good we can do to overcome the senseless acts of violence,” he said. “We’re called to be light in the darkness,” he added. “It (prayer service) was a sobering, somber experience that changed into one of hope as we invited God to help make sense of the situation.” ■ dioknox.org

Once Upon a Time

by Monsignor Xavier Mankel

Out of step with the normal

Praying for five servicemen, their families, and the Chattanooga community

he Chattanooga area, tucked in the southeast corner of Tennessee, is no stranger to bloodshed – dating all the way to Indian days. Granted, most of the time since the Spanish landed in Florida near the end of the 15th century has been peaceful, but there have been bloody exceptions. The native Americans in the southeastern United States were not always peaceful. The introduction of Spanish conquistadors (de Soto, et al) had bloody moments. The skirmishes between the British and the Americans left a bloody mark on the Chattanooga area, and the American Civil War had so-called Christians pitted “brother against brother.” It didn’t stop there. During the 20th century, signs in Chattanooga’s downtown area posted as few as 100 years ago said “Irish need not apply” and reflected an anti-Catholic bias that two world wars helped to pacify. Then it happened. A mentally ill American citizen in the summer of 2015 did it again. Shots fired by Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez killed four Marines and one sailor, shocking the area; indeed the entire country. Using the term “martyr” in the broad sense of the word might bring us closer to the tragedy of July 16, for were not these men, relatively young, doing their patriotic jobs unarmed? It reminds us of young Christian

Using the term ‘martyr’ in the broad sense of the word might bring us closer to the tragedy of July 16, for were not these men, relatively young, doing their patriotic jobs unarmed. men throughout the ages whose lives were taken: men like young St. John the Evangelist; St. Anthony of Padua; soldier St. George; Charles Lwanga; and St. Dominic Savio. Their deaths were out of step with the normal. Let’s look at the Chattanooga martyrs. Lance Cpl. Squire “Skip” Wells, 21, of Marietta, Ga., was exchanging text messages with his girlfriend when the tragic shooting erupted. The Marine was excited that she had booked a flight to visit him in Chattanooga after months apart. His last two words texted to her were “ACTIVE SHOOTER.” Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, 40, of Springfield, Mass., had been enlisted in the Marines for nearly 18 years, serving two tours of duty in Iraq and earning two Purple Heart medals, one for each Iraq tour. Staff Sgt. David Wyatt, 37, of Hixson, Tenn., joined the Marine Corps following the tragic events of 9/11, and spent 11 years serving in locales like Okinawa, Korea, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. In Chattanooga, Wyatt recently was named coordinator for an up-coming Toys for Tots campaign. He is survived by his wife and two children.

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Sgt. Carson Holmquist, 25, of Grantsburg, Wis., joined the Marine Corps in 2009 and served in Okinawa and Afghanistan, earning the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal, two Sea Service Deployment ribbons, and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. He is survived by a wife and son. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith, 26, of Paulding, Ohio, was critically wounded by the gunman and was taken to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga for treatment. However, he died from his gunshot wounds two days after the shooting. Remember the story of the five Sullivan brothers from World War II who were killed in action aboard the USS Juneau. When representatives of the Armed Forces came to the Sullivan home, they said they had information about their sons. When Mr. Sullivan replied, “which one,” one of the military representatives said, “I’m sorry; all five.” Thank you Chattanooga parishes and your priests for your positive, supportive role in all this. And thank you, Bishop Stika, for celebrating the 9 a.m. Mass at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul on Sunday, July 19. May the souls of these servicemen rest in peace. Amen. ■ Monsignor Mankel is a vicar general and the historical archivist for the Diocese of Knoxville. Follow the diocese on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ knoxdiocese

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Upcoming Virtus training sessions The Diocese of Knoxville’s program for the protection of children, youth and vulnerable adults is offered throughout the diocese. The seminars are required for parish and school employees and regular volunteers in contact with children and vulnerable adults. The following training sessions are scheduled: ■ Our

Lady of Lourdes Church, South Pittsburg, 5 p.m. CDT Tuesday, Aug. 4. ■ St. Patrick Church, Morristown, 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9. ■ Chancery, Knoxville, 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9. ■ St. Mary Church, Athens, 9 a.m. Monday, Aug. 10. ■ St. Anthony of Padua Church, Mountain City, 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12. ■ Good Shepherd Church, Newport, 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15. ■ St. Joseph School, Knoxville, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15. ■ St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Mission, Erwin, 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16. ■ All Saints Church, Knoxville, 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16. ■ Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Chattanooga, 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17. ■ St. Mary Church, Athens, 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22. ■ St. Dominic Church, Kingsport, 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22. ■ St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Mission, Erwin, 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23. ■ St. Christopher Church, Jamestown, 9 a.m. CDT Saturday, Aug. 29. ■

August 2, 2015 33

Marriage Enrichment Corner

NRRO issues letter of thanks to parishioners Dear Parishioners, On behalf of more than 33,000 senior Catholic sisters, brothers, and religious order priests who benefit from the Retirement Fund for Religious, sponsored by the National Religious Retirement Office, please accept my prayerful thanks for your diocese’s tremendous support of the 2014 second collection for retired religious. The Diocese of Knoxville donated $65,564.36, its highest total ever. Since the collection was launched in 1988, total diocesan contributions have amounted to $1,201,390.14. Your generosity, combined with that of Catholics across the nation, enables our office to distribute critical funding to help religious communities meet the day-to-day needs of senior members. It also enables us to provide education, resources, and consultative support to help religious communities plan for long-term retirement expenses. The good we are able to do is in direct measure to the good we have been given. For this, we offer abundant thanks. May our loving God bless you. ■ Gratefully, Sister Janice Bader, CPPS Executive Director

34 August 2,, 2015

by Marian Christiana

Preparing for Pope Francis Diocese is actively engaged in World Meeting of Families as papal visit nears

he Pope is coming! The Pope is coming! In case you didn’t know, Pope Francis will be coming to the United States in September. He will arrive in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Sept. 22. He then heads to New York on Thursday, Sept. 24, and travels to Philadelphia from there, departing the United States on Sunday, Sept. 27. Some of the highlights of his U.S. trip include a visit with President Barack Obama at the White House, the Mass of Canonization of Blessed Junípero Serra, and his address to a joint session of Congress. Pope Francis will then visit the United Nations in New York on Friday, Sept. 25, and address the United Nations General Assembly. He also will celebrate Mass at Madison Square Garden. On Saturday, Sept. 26, the pontiff will head to Philadelphia and join more than 1 million pilgrims from all over the world who will be celebrating the last two days of the World Meeting of Families, which will conclude with an outdoor Mass on Sunday afternoon. I am tired just listing this part of his schedule. Seventy-one pilgrims from our diocese will be attending the last two days of the World Meeting of Families Congress on Thursday and Friday of that week, the Festival of Families on Saturday and the closing Mass on Sunday. We have packed our schedule with additional visits to Philadelphia highlights, but our schedule doesn’t hold a candle to the schedule Pope Francis will be following. Archbishop Charles Chaput of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has challenged people all over the world to prepare for this historic World Meeting of Families (whose theme is “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive”) by praying for the event and

studying the catechism specifically developed for families. Archbishop Chaput has emphasized the need to be ready to receive the graces that will be poured down on our country. We can be ready through reconciliation, prayer and study. The prayer specific to this event and the catechism mentioned above can be found on the World Meeting of Families website, http://www.worldmeeting2015.org. On the diocesan front, we prepared for the World Meeting of Families by offering our own version of a Festival of Families on June 6 at St. John Neumann Parish along with two presentations on the World Meeting of Families and the preparatory catechism on the family on July 9 at the Chancery. Our speaker on June 6 was Father Leo Patalinghug, who discussed the theology of the domestic Church. He highlighted the home as our first teacher of the faith. He also discussed the messiness of family life along with its many blessings while he treated us to a cooking demonstration. He encouraged us to keep our lives full of P,B&J – a recipe consisting of patience (with ourselves and others), balance (through prayer), and joy (the joy that will bring others to Christ through our witness). It sounded to me like a pretty good recipe for successfully dealing with family issues. I have been consciously working on my own recipe of P,B&J since I heard Father Leo speak. Joe Trechter, a trained speaker for the World Meeting of Families, spoke in our diocese on July 9. Joe presented two brief overviews of the WMOF and its catechism on the family. He reviewed the 10 themes present in the catechism, but emphasized two of them. The first theme he spoke in detail about was “Created for Joy.” This theme stresses that God cre-

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ated us in His image to share in His joy and that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to lead us home to Him. At times it can be very difficult to remember that God loves us, pure and simple. It is always uplifting to remember that God created us to receive His love. Joe then discussed the theme “Mission of Love,” focusing on how God works through us. God has created us to receive His love and to show His love to others. Our “mission of love” is to be God’s witness in a broken world and be co-workers in His vineyard to heal the broken hearted, always beginning with our own families. As Father Leo said, “family life is messy.” All of us, family members and friends, are in need of God’s healing touch. It is our responsibility as people of faith to be the hands and feet of Jesus and reflect His love starting with our own circle of influence. While these speakers were wonderful, they only touched a small percentage of our diocesan family. I encourage you to go to the World Meeting of Families website and check out all the resources available to learn more about the Meeting of Families and the catechism on the family. The information on the website calls the material a “preparation” for the WMOF. It also can be used as a wonderful follow-up to Pope Francis’ visit. Let’s use his visit as a springboard to enrich our family relationships along with enriching the relationships within our parishes and our communities. Please begin with prayer, prayer for our families, for the families traveling to attend the WMOF and for the papal visit to our country. ■ Mrs. Christiana is coordinator of the diocesan Marriage Preparation and Enrichment Office. dioknox.org

Understanding the Sacraments

by Father Randy Stice

A new ‘Order of Confirmation’ Archbishop Kurtz, USCCB president, sets implementation date for Pentecost Sunday 2016

he new English translation of the Order of Confirmation has been confirmed by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Publication is scheduled for this fall. Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has set the implementation date for Pentecost Sunday, May 15, 2016. There has been only one Latin edition of the confirmation rite since the Second Vatican Council, published in 1973. The new Order of Confirmation does include emendations to the text made to reflect the new Code of Canon Law in 1983. It also includes new proper insertions used with Eucharistic Prayers II and III introduced in the third edition of the Roman Missal. The most noticeable change is the enumeration of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the prayer that accompanies the Laying on of Hands. Below is a comparison of the current and new translations: ■ Current translation: All-powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by water and the Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from sin and gave them new life. Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their helper and guide. Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence.

■ New translation: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who brought these your servants to new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, freeing them from sin: send upon them, O Lord, the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete; give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and piety; fill them with the spirit of the fear of the Lord. The new translation “now joins the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in using more traditional names for some of the gifts— counsel, fortitude, piety, and the fear of the Lord” (USCCB, Newsletter). The prayer in the new Order of Confirmation is very similar to the prayer found in the seventh-century Gelasian Sacramentary: “God almighty, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who granted regeneration to your servants by water and the Holy Spirit, and who have given them forgiveness of all their sins, send on them, Lord, your Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, and give them the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and godliness, fill them with the Spirit of the fear of God, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom you live and reign, God forever with the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.” The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3, a passage that has been part of the Church’s sacramental life from the first centuries of

her life. In the fourth century St. Ambrose gave the following instruction to the newly baptized: “The spiritual sealing follows. You have heard about this in the reading today. For after the ceremonies of the font, it still remains to bring the whole to perfect fulfillment. This happens when the Holy Spirit is infused at the priest’s invocation: ‘the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and piety, the Spirit of holy fear.’ These might be called the seven ‘virtues’ of the Spirit. These are the seven virtues you receive when you are sealed. For, as the holy apostle says, the wisdom of our lord has many forms, and ‘the wisdom of God has many forms’; so also the Holy Spirit is multiform and has a whole variety of virtues, so he is also called the God of powers—a title which can be applied to Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” The Order of Confirmation is the first major “retranslation” since the implementation of the Roman Missal, Third Edition, in 2011. According to the USCCB, it “represents the first of the new translations of rituals and other liturgical books expected to be promulgated in the coming years.” (Newsletter, Committee on Divine Worship, April-May 2015). ■

Bishop continued from page 2

The great garden of creation is the responsibility of every person. But we also must be gardeners of souls—to be the heart, the face, and the hands of Jesus, the divine Gardener—if the common good is truly to be served. For the common

good refers not only to the fruits of the earth, which must be cultivated with care and shared, but the fruits of holiness that we must generously give to others that they, too, might grow to be fruitful as God’s special garden. ■

row. Pope Francis reminds us that we cannot properly hear the “cry of nature” when we fail to hear the cry of those who represent “the least of these my brethren” (Matthew 25:40). The East Tennessee Catholic

Father Stice is pastor of St. Mary Church in Athens and directs the diocesan Office of Worship and Liturgy. He can be reached at frrandy@dioknox.org.

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

Day of Prayer with Religious set for IC In observance of this special Year of Consecrated Life, Sunday, Sept. 13, has been designated by the United States Bishops as a Day of Prayer with Religious — a day when parishioners are invited to join with local religious communities in prayer. Plan to join the Paulist Fathers and other local religious communities for a special prayer service at Immaculate Conception Church in Knoxville at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 13 ■

Free estate planning workshop scheduled Richard W. Buhrman, a lawyer with Buhrman Law Firm, P.C., will lead a free workshop on family, assets and legacy solutions on Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 5-7 p.m. at St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville. Are you confident in your plan to transition from accumulation to distribution? There is comfort in knowing your personal property and accumulated wealth can be shared exactly as you desire. This workshop is sponsored by the Diocese of Knoxville and is being held in conjunction with St. Alphonsus Parish. Register with Monica Hackett at 931-484-2358, extension 101, by Friday, Sept. 11, to receive a free copy of The Legal Handbook for Tennessee Seniors, 2014 edition, published by the Tennessee Bar Association. For any additional information, contact Deanene Catani with the Diocese of Knoxville’s Stewardship Office at dcatani@dioknox.org or 865-584-3307. ■

August 2, 2015 35

Videos continued from page 26

enthood doctors who discuss “how much we can get out of it.” Previous undercover videos showed senior Planned Parenthood officials discussing the pricing of “donated” body parts of aborted babies for “reasonable” compensation, as well as a graphic description of Scouts continued from page 21

lecting leaders. The Diocese of Knoxville has a duty and a responsibility to provide leaders who promote and live Catholic values. Our diocese, which charters nine Boy Scout and Cub Scout groups, will continue to do this. The Diocese of Knoxville has a seat on the national board for the National Catholic Committee on Scouting. We will continue to monitor the direction this decision has taken the Boy Scouts of America—and we will respond accordingly,” Bishop Stika said. The national scouting leadership cited

how fetal organs are extracted from aborted babies. In one of the videos, a Planned Parenthood doctor also suggested the possibility of altering an abortion procedure in order to have a better chance at extracting intact organs. Planned Parenthood has defended its actions in the videos, saying it

isn’t making significant or illegal profits from the process, and it gets appropriate consent from mothers. Federal law generally prohibits the selling of human tissue but allows for the donation of tissue with “reasonable payments” for the “transportation, implantation, processing, preservation, quality control, or

storage of human fetal tissue.” It explicitly prohibits the sale of tissue for “valuable consideration.” In the first two videos, Planned Parenthood officials were careful to articulate that the organization is not looking to make a significant profit from the transfer of body parts to procurement companies. ■

several reasons to change the policy barring openly homosexual leaders and volunteers. These reasons included continued legal and political pressures, social changes, and a lack of agreement within the Boy Scouts. The National Catholic Committee on Scouting said July 27 it is “not entirely clear” how the new policy will work in practice, but the policy appears to respect the needs of Catholic-chartered organizations. The committee expressed “strong concern” about the resolution’s practical

implications, and whether the concept of sexual orientation will be “correctly understood and applied” in reference to sexual inclination, and not conduct. The committee also voiced concern that the resolution “does not make clear that sexual behavior should be reserved to a husband and wife in marriage.” The committee encouraged a continued Catholic presence in scouting. “If you are like us, you joined scouting to make a difference in the lives of others. Our youth don’t want to leave scouting.

Catholic scouters like you are still very much needed,” it said. Bishop Guglielmone similarly advocated Catholic participation in the Boy Scouts. He said Catholic-chartered scouting units are “the only way we can have a direct influence” on Catholic youth involved in scouting. At the same time, the bishop acknowledged there is no way Catholics can control the material in Boy Scout programs, merit badge material, and its Boys’ Life magazine. ■

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