Aug. 8, 2021, ET Catholic, A Section by Diocese of Knoxville

August 8

| 2021

VOL 30 NO 6

IN THIS ISSUE

A2 AOFGATHERING CHURCH

A celebration of our diocesan parishes

TO SCHOOL LETTER B1 BACK A3 PASTORAL Diocesan schools set to Bishop Stika addresses the worthy reception of the Holy Eucharist

open for the 2021-22 academic year

He dwells among us ......................... A3 Parish news ....................................... B4 Diocesan calendar ............................ B5 Columns ..........................................B2-3 Catholic schools .......................... B7,10 La Cosecha ............................Section C

Father Ryan returns to Sts. Peter and Paul

Remains of historic Chattanooga priest moved to specially built tomb inside the basilica By Dan McWilliams

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Leading the way home Above: Bishop Richard F. Stika on July 31 leads the procession down East 8th Street in Chattanooga to return Servant of God Patrick Ryan to the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, where the priest served from 1872 to 1878. Father Ryan died at age 33 in the yellow fever epidemic of 1878 as he ministered to Chattanoogans who contracted the contagious illness. Below: Bishop Stika places 51 roses on the casket of Father Ryan representing the 51 Diocese of Knoxville parishes and one Catholic mission as pallbearers watch. The casket was placed in a specially built tomb that sits inside the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul as part of the cause for beatification and canonization of the priest. and, playing outside before Mass, bagpiper Katie Helms. Knights state deputy Fred Laufenberg attended, as did Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich., and Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus “Ad Gentes.” The Mass followed a morning procession from Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chattanooga, where Father Ryan’s remains were exhumed and identified earlier in the week and placed in a new coffin. The procession echoed one in 1886, when Father Ryan was reburied from a cemetery near Sts. Peter and Paul into the then-new Mount Olivet across town. Crowds of all faiths lined the streets of River City Father Ryan continued on page A8

BILL BREWER

s Bishop Richard F. Stika presided at the memorial Mass and re-entombment of Servant of God Father Patrick Ryan on July 31 at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, a miracle attributable to the Chattanooga hero was possibly already in the works. Father Ryan was pastor of the downtown parish when he ministered to yellow-fever victims in Chattanooga, then died of the disease himself in 1878, just a day short of his 34th birthday. “A life well lived, a short one. There’s no greater gift than to give your life for your friends,” the bishop said in his opening remarks. Cardinal Justin Rigali attended the memorial Mass in choir. Concelebrants were basilica rector Father David Carter, who is the episcopal delegate for the cause of Father Ryan’s sainthood; Father John Orr, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Athens and the promoter of justice in the cause; Father Valentin Iurochkin, parochial vicar at the basilica; Father Nick Tran, who lives at the basilica and is pastor of the Vietnamese St. Faustina Public Association of the Faithful; and Father Marcin Gladysz, associate pastor at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Deacon Gaspar DeGaetano of the basilica, the diocesan postulator in the sainthood cause, was deacon of the Gospel. The basilica’s Deacon Tom O’Connell proclaimed the readings, and the downtown parish’s Deacon Hicks Armor, notary for the sainthood cause, was master of ceremonies. Also present were diocesan chancellor Deacon Sean Smith, Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus from East and Middle Tennessee, pallbearers, altar servers who included Diocese of Knoxville seminarians, and musicians who included the Gloria Dei Schola from the basilica

Servant of God’s remains successfully exhumed By Dan McWilliams

BILL BREWER

t 10:50 on the morning of July 27, Father David Carter’s voice rang out at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chattanooga: “We are about to lift the coffin from the grave.” And with that, the sainthood cause of Servant of God Father Patrick Ryan took a crucial step, as the exhumation of his remains for re-entombment at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul could proceed. Bishop Richard F. Stika attended the exhumation of the former Sts. Peter and Paul pastor, who died in 1878 in the yellow-fever epidemic in Chattanooga as he selflessly ministered to victims of the plague that would eventually claim his own life. Father Carter, rector of the basilica and episcopal delegate for the sainthood cause, was present at the dig-

Unearthed The coffin of Father Patrick Ryan is lifted from its grave at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chattanooga on July 27. ging along with a team of experts and witnesses. That team included Dr.

Barbara Golder, a physician and medical witness, and Deacon David Keene,

an archeologist with the Archdiocese of Chicago. Also there were Deacon Gaspar DeGaetano and Deacon Hicks Armor of the basilica parish, as well as diocesan chancellor Deacon Sean Smith. Deacon DeGaetano is the diocesan postulator for the sainthood cause, and Deacon Armor is a notary for the cause. Father John Orr, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Athens, attended as the promoter of justice for the cause. Adjunct notary Becky Dempsey attended, too. Jim Wogan, diocesan communications director, took video of the three-day exhumation as part of the official record of the cause of sainthood and photographer Stephanie Richer took detailed photographs for the same purpose. Ninety-degree-plus temperatures made the work of the gravediggers, which began July 26 and concluded Exhume continued on page A11

‘A Gathering of Church’ set for East Tennessee parishes Diocese of Knoxville event on Sept. 11 will feature Catholic Channel radio host Gus Lloyd

By Jim Wogan

he Diocese of Knoxville is hoping to give a boost to parishes that are welcoming back parishioners in a formal way this fall after the more than year-long disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Bishop Richard F. Stika is encouraged by recent accounts of the faithful returning to church in high numbers since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted a few months ago, and “A Gathering of Church” may help build on that momentum, giving parMr. Lloyd ishes a chance to reunite their community in ways not seen since before the pandemic. “It’s really remarkable,” Bishop Stika said. “We were very worried about the impact of suspending the Mass obligation during COVID and what it would mean for church attendance in the future. It turns out the faithful have been very eager to return to Mass. We want to make sure they know how much we appreciate them and also give them a new opportunity to bond in fellowship and ministry.” While many parishes have already planned events aimed at bringing their community together following the pandemic, the diocese is

Sr. Regina

Gathering together Bishop Richard F. Stika blesses the new Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus with holy water on March 3, 2018. also offering a unique resource to assist them. On Sept. 11, evangelizer and SiriusXM Catholic Channel personality Gus Lloyd will speak to parishioners as part of the “Gathering of Church” event initiated by the Diocese of Knoxville. Mr. Lloyd will offer two virtual presentations that can be streamed live into each parish that day. “We wanted to offer the parishes something

special,” said Deacon Hicks Armor, director of stewardship for the diocese. “Gus is well known and has a passionate charism for his Catholic faith, and he communicates in such a personable and genuine way. These presentations can be used by parishes to build a foundation for a welcome-back weekend, if they choose to have one.” Gathering continued on page A15

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

T Did you know you can receive weekly cartoons and short reflections and news from the Handmaids of the Precious Blood? Visit their website, nuns for priests.org, and sign up for the FIAT newsletter. You also can learn about praying for priests and adopting them.

Prayer Intentions “Let us pray for the Church, that she may receive from the Holy Spirit the grace and strength to reform herself in the light of the Gospel.” –– Pope Francis

”Let us give thanks to God for our priests, and for the gift of the religious communities that faithfully serve in the Diocese of Knoxville. We pray especially this month for our newly ordained priest, Father Matthew Donahue, and for those members of the Religious Sisters of Mercy who will be taking vows in Michigan before returning to East Tennessee.” –– Bishop Stika

DIOCESE PROCEDURE

FOR

KNOXVILLE

REPORTING

SEXUAL

ABUSE

Anyone who has actual knowledge of or who has reasonable cause to suspect an incident of sexual abuse should report such information to the appropriate civil authorities first, then to the bishop's office 865.584.3307, or the diocesan victims' assistance coordinator, Marla Lenihan, 865.482.1388.

he Diocese of Knoxville has implemented the CMG Connect platform to administer the Safe Environment Program, which replaces the former safeenvironment program (VIRTUS “Protecting God’s Children”). CMG Connect is a web-based platform that will assist in ensuring that all employees and volunteers who are in a position of trust with children and vulnerable adults within Diocese of Knoxville schools and parishes are trained to recognize behavior patterns of potential abusers and provide proactive measures for preventing abuse in any context. “Safe Haven-It’s Up to You” is a three-part video that provides vignettes of real-life situations to educate the viewer about methods of grooming, desensitization, bullying, and neglect, all of which can lead to abuse. Education is a key element of the Safe Environment Program.

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All clergy, employees, contracted school personnel, volunteers, members of groups and organizations over the age of 18 who work, volunteer, or participate in any capacity are required to complete the diocesan Safe Environment training and a criminalbackground check before they can begin employment, volunteer, or participate with ministries, groups, and organizations affiliated with the diocese. Mandatory renewal training must be completed every five years and a new background check submitted before the five-year expiration of prior training. The Diocese of Knoxville Safe Environment compliance training and renewal training is a condition of employment and for volunteer ministry in the diocese. The CMG Connect platform contains all three elements of the

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

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NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE PUBLISHER

EDITOR

Bishop Richard F. Stika Bill Brewer COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

bbrewer@dioknox.org ASSISTANT EDITOR

Jim Wogan Dan McWilliams

jwogan@dioknox.org THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC (USPS 007211) is published bi-monthly by The Diocese of Knoxville, 805 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville, TN 37919-7551. Periodicals-class postage paid at Knoxville, TN. Printed by the Knoxville News Sentinel. THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC is mailed to all registered Catholic families in East Tennessee. Subscription rate for others is $15 per year in the United States. Make checks payable to The Diocese of Knoxville. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC, 805 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville, TN 37919-7551.

A2 n AUGUST 8, 2021

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MULTIMEDIA REPORTER

Emily Booker Gabriella Nolan

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

A Pastoral Letter

by Bishop Richard F. Stika

Sin and the worthy reception of the Holy Eucharist Many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” — John 6:60

hen Jesus taught His followers about the Eucharist, explaining that they must “eat His body” and “drink His blood,” many responded, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Sadly, “As a result of this, many [of] His disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied Him” (John 6:60, 66). Christ continues to teach and sanctify us through His Church, having vested it with His power and authority (cf. Matthew 16:18-19 and 18:18; John 20:23). Therefore, when we disagree with something the Church teaches, we must always invoke the Holy Spirit for wisdom and understanding and ask the hard question of our self, “Is the Church wrong or is my understanding of what the Church teaches wrong?”

God’s prophet in the world

The moral teachings of the Church and its consistent teaching on the worthy reception of the Eucharist are neither defined by majority opinions nor driven by politics. But the accusations of such are as old as the attacks upon the Church since its infancy. The incredible number of martyrs in the Church’s long history attests to the violence suffered by the Church as God’s prophet in the world. So, on the occasion of proclaiming St. Thomas More as the Patron of Statesmen and Politicians, who was martyred for defending the moral teachings of the Church against political aggression, Pope St. John Paul II stressed that “Man cannot be separated from God, nor politics from morality.”

In perspective

The subject of sin is rarely popular, but the controversy surrounding the worthy reception of the Eucharist is in truth a question of sin, and specifically that of mortal sin. For if we do not understand the true nature of sin and the serious and even grave harm it brings upon the sinner and the collective body of Christ, and to our relationship with God, then we will not understand the Church’s teaching on the worthy reception of the Eucharist. If the Eucharist is not the body and blood, soul and divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, but only a symbol, there would be no need to write of its worthy reception. But if the Eucharist truly is the “Real Presence” of Christ, then it should not only be our greatest joy to receive Him in Holy Communion but our greatest desire to receive Him worthily.

Good vs. evil

“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled,” French poet Charles Baudelaire wrote, “was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” And intimately connected to this is the loss of the “sense of sin.” But behind every temptation is “the seductive voice, opposed to God,” of Satan, who never stops trying to deceive us and turn our hearts away from God (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 391). For as St. Paul states, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). For good reason then does the Church warn us that “Ignorance of the fact that man has a wounded nature inclined to evil gives rise to serious errors in education, politics, social action, and morals” (CCC, 407).

Conscience

The Church is God’s prophet in the world who calls out, “Hear what the Lord has to say” (Micah 6:1). But it also warns us of those “who call evil good, and good evil, who change darkness into light, and light into darkness” (Isaiah 5:20), for the scandal of confusion they sow and the eternal ruin they lead others into requires the Church to speak out. If our conscience is a sacred sanctuary where God’s inner prophet speaks to us, then we must always be on guard against the “seductive voice” of Satan, who continually seeks to pollute it through his many false prophets, who echo his lies and false promises. For our conscience, as sacred as it is, is not infallible in its judgments regarding faith and morals as the Church is in its teaching. Therefore, we must always strive to “listen to the voice of the Lord” (Psalm 95:7), which the Church helps us to hear, and correctly form our conscience as St. John Paul II warns: “Because of the nature of conscience, the admonition always to follow it must immediately be followed by the question of whether what our conscience is telling us is true or not. If we fail to make this necessary clarification, conscience – instead of being that holy place where God reveals to us our true good – becomes a force which is destructive of our true humanity and of all our relationships (General Audience, Aug. 17, 1983).” TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

Mortal vs. venial sin

Given this, the Church distinguishes between sin that is “mortal” and that which is “venial”— between sin that is “deadly” and sin “that is not deadly” (1 John 5:16, 17). Mortal sin is that which crucifies Christ in us, for it is the death of the divine life and supernatural charity we received at baptism, which is sanctifying grace. Venial sin, though not deadly, wounds and hampers our desire to allow God’s grace to act upon us—distancing us, but not completely separating us from Him as mortal sin does.

Saying “no” to God

We should never think of venial sin, much less mortal sin, as “no big deal,” for all sin, as St. Augustine explains, is a “love of self even to contempt of God.” For every sin, in the degree of its gravity, is an echo of Satan’s “Non serviam” to God—”I will not serve.” And as the “father of lies” (John 8:44), he wants us, as he tempted Adam and Eve, to believe that we have the power to determine what is good and evil, not God. But it belongs to God alone, and to the Church as “the pillar and foundation of truth” (1 Timothy 3:15) that He established, to define what is good and what is evil. To receive God’s mercy, then, we must not attempt to deny or disguise the ugliness of sin. Instead, we must let the grace of God do its work in us, allowing the Holy Spirit to “convict” our heart of our sin so that we might desire to be reconciled to Him through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, who gave His life to save us from the darkness of sin and death.

Sin and Holy Communion

If we are in a “state of grace” (meaning no mortal sin) and are moved by this grace to express in some act of penance a sincere sorrow for our venial sins, they are forgiven, without having to go to sacramental confession as one must do if in a state of mortal sin. For though venial sin wounds us, it does not “diminish” sanctifying grace in us, unlike mortal sin that extinguishes it. Therefore, anyone who is in a “state of grace” may receive the Eucharist without first going to sacramental confession for their venial sins. However, our reverence and love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament should be such that we always examine our conscience and strive to make a “perfect” act of contrition for our venial sins—something we should do daily. This is why the Mass begins with the Penitential Rite. And for our contrition of sin to be “perfect,” our sorrow should be as we are counseled to do in making a good act of contrition: “O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. I detest all my sins because of Thy just punishments, but most of all, because they offend Thee, my God, who is all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.” To receive Jesus in Holy Communion without first expressing our sorrow for our sins is to give Him insult, for it is to take for granted all that He suffered for love of us in His passion and cross. (Note: Though we do not need to go to the sacrament of reconciliation for the forgiveness of our venial sins, the Church’s precept is that we do so at least once a year. Still, monthly confession is highly recommended for the many blessings we receive in this great sacrament.)

Mortal sin and confession

Because the divine life has been extinguished in the person who is in a “state of mortal sin,” they must first receive the “breath” of divine life through the sacrament of reconciliation before receiving the Eucharist. For just as a deceased person is no longer able to receive bodily food, so it is that one who is spiritually dead cannot partake of the “bread of life.” The Divine Physician must first be allowed to “raise us up” from our spiritual grave so that He might again give us back into the arms of Mother Church as on the day of our baptism (cf. Luke 7:1114). Only then can we be “given something to eat,” which is the Eucharist (cf. Mark 5:35-43).

Church teaching on mortal sin and Holy Communion

The Church has always taught that “the Eucharist is not ordered to the forgiveness of mortal sins” but is “proper to the sacrament of reconciliation.” For “the Eucharist is properly the sacrament of those who are in full communion with the Church” (CCC, 1395). If this is not clear enough, the Church’s “Code of Canon Law” states, “Anyone who is conscious of grave sin may not celebrate Mass (priest) or receive the body of the Lord without previously having been to sacramental confession…” (c. 916). It matters not, then, if you are a politician, a w ww.di o k no x .o rg

priest, a religious, or even the pope—no one in a state of mortal sin can receive the Eucharist without first being reconciled to God through sacramental confession.

Two important parables

To best understand the important reasons for the Church’s consistent teaching on the worthy reception of the Eucharist, we should reflect upon the parables of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32) and the wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-14). The first reveals the proper path for the forgiveness of mortal sin and reconciliation if we are to again be admitted to our heavenly Father’s table. And in the second parable we learn of the grave sacrilege of receiving the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin without first being sacramentally reconciled with God.

Mortal sin and the path of reconciliation

The parable of the prodigal son offers a fitting image of one in a state of mortal sin. We become like this son who abandons his father as well as his work in the father’s field. And the effects of choosing a “foreign land” over the “father’s house” and his “reckless living” leaves him destitute and starving for the good food that only his father’s table has. In his mortal sin, he resembles a “zombie”—the walking dead.

The first step

The first step to forgiveness and reconciliation, like the prodigal son’s, begins with the realization of the grave harm mortal sin does to us separated from “life” in the father’s house. This desire must lead us to the confessional, the proper gateway to the Father’s house, where with all humility and true contrition we pray, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.”

Restored dignity at the father’s table

The father, who has so longed for his son’s return, rejoices on hearing his humble confession and calls for the “finest robe” to be “quickly” brought and placed upon him. This is the robe of supernatural life and salvation we were first clothed in at our baptism that mortal sin strips us of. The father also calls for a “ring” to be placed upon his son’s finger signifying the restored dignity of his “sonship” and for “sandals” to be put upon his feet signifying the great dignity of sharing once again in the work of the father’s field. As the Church defines the word “liturgy” as the “work of God” that the people of God share in, we can better understand the significance of the sandals. Only after the son has sought to be properly forgiven and reconciled is he again welcomed to the father’s table, where he can partake of the banquet feast.

Proper attire matters

Those who dismiss the need for the sacramental confession of mortal sin prior to receiving the Eucharist should seriously reflect upon Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-14), for proper attire absolutely matters. Whereas venial sin stains the white wedding garment that we are robed with at our baptism, mortal sin strips us of it and burns our wedding invitation.

The wedding garment

St. John Paul II beautifully describes the Eucharist in his apostolic letter on the “Dignity and Vocation of Women” as the “sacrament of the Bridegroom and Bride” (n. 26). Each of us, by virtue of our baptism, is a bride of Christ in the Church and clothed with the wedding garment that we are to keep “spotless and pure, without wrinkle or stain” for the heavenly banquet (Ephesians 5:27), of which the Mass is a foretaste and participation in. In the parable of the wedding feast, Jesus tells of “a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.” During the royal celebration, the king discovers someone who is not properly attired and asks, “My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?” This is the question God asks of anyone in a state of mortal sin who approaches the Eucharist. Such is the grave sacrilege of doing so, that Jesus ends the parable with the shocking judgment of the king— “Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” For good reason then does St. Paul offer this very stern warning about the worthy reception of the Eucharist: “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying. If we discerned ourselves, we would Pastoral Letter continued on page A4 AUGUST 8, 2021 n A3

Diocese of Knoxville’s V Encuentro plan complete Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry ready to be implemented after five-year effort to develop it

BILL BREWER (2)

he Diocese of Knoxville’s Latino community on June 26 marked the successful compilation of a new pastoral plan for Hispanic Ministry that has been in the works for five years as part of the V Encuentro effort. Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrated a Thanksgiving Mass for the Approval and Promulgation of the Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, and afterward Hispanics of many nationalities in the diocese gathered in the Sacred Heart parish hall to fete the document’s completion. In 2016, the Diocese of Knoxville’s Office of Hispanic Ministry began, as part of a national program, participation in the V Encuentro, or Fifth Encounter, a New Evangelization missionary strategy launched through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The thanksgiving Mass and celebration are the culmination of the five-year process to bring the missionary strategy to fruition in which the completed study and its findings will be implemented. Bishop Stika, who is not fluent in Spanish, opened his homily speaking Spanish for the Spanishspeaking congregation, welcoming them in this adopted tongue. Concelebrating the Mass were Father Peter Iorio, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa; Father Jim Vick, pastor of St. Bridget Parish in Dayton; Father Jhon Mario Garcia, Sacred Heart associate pastor; and Father Jorge Mejia, associate pastor at All Saints Parish. Deacon Fredy Vargas served as deacon of the Word, Deacon Erasmo Hernandez served as deacon of the Eucharist, and Deacon Walt Otey served as master of ceremonies. The bishop made sure the congregants, who represented many of the parishes in the diocese, knew that the cathedral is their church. “As we celebrate a significant event in the history of this young diocese here in the cathedral, which is your church, for it is the mother church, we celebrate un-

Colorful atmosphere A group of dancers in traditional attire surrounds Bishop Richard F. Stika at a celebration on June 26 to mark the completion and acceptance of a new pastoral plan for Hispanic Ministry. der the dome. How appropriate because we have the Apostles, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. For it was Jesus who sent the Apostles out. It was the mother, Mary, who is seen here on my vestment, Our Lady of Guadalupe, who gave birth to Jesus and in so many ways the Church itself. There was St. Joseph, who taught Jesus how to be a man and to love the Blessed Mother,” Bishop Stika said. The bishop highlighted Pentecost as a vital event in Church history that still is as relevant as

Praying for the pastoral plan Members of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Hispanic community join in prayer during a June 26 thanksgiving Mass for the approval and promulgation of the pastoral plan for Hispanic Ministry in the diocese.

Pastoral Letter continued from page A3

not be under judgment; but since we are judged by (the) Lord, we are being disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:27-32).”

Scandal

Sin is a horrible thing in what it does to the sinner, to others, and to one’s relationship with God and our eternal salvation. But we live in a society that mocks the Church’s moral teachings and tempts us, as Satan did in the Garden of Eden, to believe that “You will certainly not die!” (Genesis 3:4). Sadly, those who echo Satan’s “seductive” words, by virtue of their public prominence, give scandal, which the Church defines as “an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil” (CCC, 2284). As scandal “can be provoked by laws or institutions,” those especially entrusted with legislative or judicial powers must exercise their responsibilities with great care. As there is no greater destroyer of human life than the genocide of abortion, with more than 19,000 innocent unborn children slaughtered every week in our country alone, those who in their public capacity “obstinately persist” in support of the “culture of death” by working to legislate, fund, protect, or promote it cannot be admitted to Holy Communion, for such is the grave scandal of their public efforts. The only path for receiving the Eucharist is through the sacrament of reconciliation with a perfect act of contrition and a public renunciation of this most horrible sin.

Weaponizing the Eucharist

But those who accuse the Church of “weaponizing the Eucharist” are in truth wanting their personal and political beliefs to be enshrined above the Truth that Christ entrusted His Church to teach and defend. As St. John Paul II warns, “Democracy cannot be idolized to the point of making it a substitute for morality or a panacea for immorality” (Gospel of Life, 70). The Church does not wish “that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Pope Francis

In 2007, Cardinal Bergoglio—later Pope FranA4 n AUGUST 8, 2021

when it first occurred. “Remember on Pentecost, when the Apostles were gathered in that Upper Room. And tradition tells us that it might have been the room where Jesus celebrated His Last Supper. Remember, the Apostles were very much afraid. Maybe they didn’t feel accepted, or they felt foreign, because what they were believing was different from other people,” Bishop Stika said. “And remember there was this gust of wind and tongues of fire.

cis—participated in the Fifth General Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops’ Conferences. He was elected by his brother bishops to chair the committee that prepared the conference’s final document, which among many other subjects, addressed scandal and the reception of the Holy Eucharist: “We hope that legislators, heads of government, and health professionals, conscious of the dignity of human life and of the rootedness of the family in our peoples, will defend and protect it from the abominable crimes of abortion and euthanasia; that is their responsibility. Hence, in response to government laws and provisions that are unjust in the light of faith and reason, conscientious objection should be encouraged. We must adhere to “eucharistic coherence,” that is, be conscious that they cannot receive Holy Communion and at the same time act with deeds or words against the commandments, particularly when abortion, euthanasia, and other grave crimes against life and family are encouraged. This responsibility weighs particularly over legislators, heads of governments, and health professionals (n. 436).”

The “bread” of sinners

The Church is a Church of sinners, and the Eucharist, as Pope Francis stated in his Angelus reflection of June 6, 2021, is the “bread of sinners” that “heals because it unites us with Jesus.” This is absolutely true—the infusion of grace in receiving Jesus in the Eucharist wipes out venial sin. But the proper reception of the Eucharist for those in a state of mortal sin must be through the sacrament of reconciliation. So, understood properly, the Church does not withhold the Eucharist, but stipulates that one simply cannot receive Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin until their grave sin has first been properly confessed sacramentally so as to receive the Blessed Sacrament without its desecration.

The Church must speak out

As St. John Paul II affirms in his encyclical letter, On the Eucharist in its Relationship to the Church, the Church has a special responsibility to those who scandalously disregard the Church’s teaching on www.di o k no x .o rg

By Bill Brewer

Tongues of fire appeared over their heads. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit. And what did they do? They left that room and spoke in all languages to the people. Now most likely the languages they did not speak were English and Spanish. But they also spoke the language of love. And the language of teaching. And the language of compassion and kindness. You see, in so many ways those are also languages because they communicate from the heart to the person.” To further connect the congregants to the cathedral, Bishop Stika pointed out that Pentecost is celebrated in the cathedral’s dome, where its lower ring of saints represents every continent, every language, and people throughout the world. “Every language, every nation, every people. And Jesus taught them to love one another, to not judge lest you be judged, and to build the Church up in others rather than to tear it down,” he said. Bishop Stika informally polled, by a show of hands, how many in attendance were from Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Honduras, El Salvador, or Brazil. Most of the countries were represented. “See, this is the Church. … You see, the Church is all of us brought together by Jesus, who loves us so much that He died for our sins,” he added. Bishop Stika expressed solidarity with immigrants who have come to the United States seeking a better life, including those residing in the Diocese of Knoxville, because his ancestors were immigrants, too. And he was empathetic to the challenges of their journey. “The United States is a unique experience. At times it did things that weren’t so good. And one of those things it did was very consistent. When a new group of immigrants came into our nation, like my family in the 1880s from V Encuentro continued on page A17

the worthy reception of the Eucharist: “The judgment of one’s state of grace obviously belongs only to the person involved, since it is a question of examining one’s conscience. However, in cases of outward conduct which is seriously, clearly, and steadfastly contrary to the moral norm, the Church, in her pastoral concern for the good order of the community and out of respect for the sacrament, cannot fail to feel directly involved. The Code of Canon Law refers to this situation of a manifest lack of proper moral disposition when it states that those who “obstinately persist in manifest grave sin” are not to be admitted to eucharistic communion (n. 37).”

Conclusion

If the Church speaks out, as I also must as shepherd of this diocese, it is to awaken the consciences of those who are spiritually dead in their grave sin and to call them to repentance. It is to call those who are obstinate in their grave sin and who have become false prophets leading others into grave evils and the loss of eternal salvation. The truth can be ignored, but at what cost? We are all sinners and in need of the mercy and healing that God will never withhold unless, as the prophets warned, we remain “hard of heart.” So, if we choose to ignore the seriousness of mortal sin and the need of sacramental confession prior to receiving Christ in the Eucharist, the same terrible and tragic words will echo that Jesus spoke to Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Friend, do what you have come for” (Matthew 26:50). Such is the sacrilege we commit. But may we hear instead, in preparing ourselves to worthily receive Our Lord and Bridegroom in the most Holy Eucharist, the joy of Christ: “Blessed are they who wash their robes so as to have the right to the tree of life and enter the city through its gates” (Revelation 22:14). My intention in offering this pastoral letter is not only to awaken consciences, but to encourage everyone to strive for holiness through God’s merciful love. For only when we are in a state of grace and nourished with the bread of life can we be the face, and hands, and the heart of Jesus to others. More than ever, the world needs saints. ■ TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

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Appealing to need for unity, pope restores limits on Latin Mass Holy Father issues apostolic letter guiding bishops, priests in prioritizing post-Vatican II liturgy

”Ever more plain in the words and attitudes of many is the close connection between the choice of celebrations according to the liturgical books prior to Vatican Council II and the rejection of the Church and her institutions in the name of what is called the ‘true Church.’” –– Pope Francis

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE PHOTO/PAUL HARING

aying he was acting for the good of the unity of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has restored limits on the celebration of the Mass according to the Roman Missal in use before the Second Vatican Council, overturning or severely restricting permissions St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI had given to celebrate the so-called Tridentine-rite Mass. “An opportunity offered by St. John Paul II and, with even greater magnanimity by Benedict XVI, intended to recover the unity of an ecclesial body with diverse liturgical sensibilities, was exploited to widen the gaps, reinforce the divergences, and encourage disagreements that injure the Church, block her path and expose her to the peril of division,” Pope Francis wrote in a letter to bishops July 16. The text accompanies his apostolic letter Traditionis Custodes (Guardians of the Tradition), declaring the liturgical books promulgated after the Second Vatican Council to be “the unique expression of the lex orandi (law of worship) of the Roman Rite,” restoring the obligation of priests to have their bishops’ permission to celebrate according to the “extraordinary” or pre-Vatican II Mass, and ordering bishops not to establish any new groups or parishes in their dioceses devoted to the old liturgy. Priests currently celebrating Mass according to the old missal must request authorization from their bishop to continue doing so, Pope Francis ordered, and for any priest ordained after the document’s publication July 16, the bishop must consult with the Vatican before granting authorization. Pope Francis also transferred to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the new rules. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI issued Summorum Pontificum on the use of the pre-Vatican II Roman liturgy. It said any priest of the Latin-rite church may, without any further permission from the Vatican or from his bishop, celebrate the “extraordinary form” of the Mass according to the rite published in 1962. The Roman Missal based on the revisions of the Second Vatican Council was published in 1969. The conditions Pope Benedict set out for use of the old rite were that there was a desire for it, that the priest knows the rite and Latin well enough to celebrate in a worthy manner, and that he ensures that the good of parishioners desiring the extraordinary form “is harmonized with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the governance of the bishop in accordance with Canon 392, avoiding dis-

By Cindy Wooden/Catholic News Service

Appealing to the holy people of God Pope Francis holds his crosier as he celebrates Mass marking World Day of the Poor in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Nov. 15. cord and favoring the unity of the whole Church.” The now-retired pope also insisted that Catholics celebrating predominantly according to the old rite acknowledge the validity of the new Mass and accept the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. In his letter to bishops, Pope Francis said that responses to a survey of the world’s bishops carried out last year by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith “reveal a situation that preoccupies and saddens me and persuades me of the need to intervene. Regrettably, the pastoral objective of my predecessors, who had intended ‘to do everything possible to ensure that all those who truly possessed

the desire for unity would find it possible to remain in this unity or to rediscover it anew,’ has often been seriously disregarded.” “Ever more plain in the words and attitudes of many is the close connection between the choice of celebrations according to the liturgical books prior to Vatican Council II and the rejection of the Church and her institutions in the name of what is called the ‘true Church,’” Pope Francis wrote. To promote the unity of the Church, Pope Francis said, bishops should care for those Catholics “who are rooted in the previous form of celebration” while helping them “return in due time” to the celebration of Mass according to the new Missal. The pope also indicated he believed that sometimes parishes and communities devoted to the older liturgy were the idea of the priests involved and not the result of a group of Catholic faithful desiring to celebrate that Mass. Pope Francis asked bishops “to discontinue the erection of new personal parishes tied more to the desire and wishes of individual priests than to the real need of the ‘holy people of God.’” However, he also said that many people find nourishment in more solemn celebrations of Mass, so he asked bishops “to be vigilant in ensuring that every liturgy be celebrated with decorum and fidelity to the liturgical books promulgated after Vatican Council II, without the eccentricities that can easily degenerate into abuses.” The liturgical life of the Church has changed and developed over the centuries, the pope noted. “St. Paul VI, recalling that the work of adaptation of the Roman Missal had already been initiated by Pius XII, declared that the revision of the Roman Missal, carried out in the light of ancient liturgical sources, had the goal of permitting the church to raise up, in the variety of languages, ‘a single and identical prayer’ that expressed her unity,” Pope Francis said. “This unity I intend to re-establish throughout the Church of the Roman Rite.” ■

Bishop Stika leaves Latin Masses in place pending diocesan review By Bill Brewer

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iocese of Knoxville priests who celebrate Mass in the extraordinary form of the Roman rite can still do so, and those Latin Mass communities in the diocese can continue to worship in diocesan churches, at least for the time being, according to guidance from Bishop Richard F. Stika issued July 21. The letter from Bishop Stika was delivered following the July 16 motu proprio from Pope Francis, titled Traditionis custodes (Guardians of the tradition), which restricts the use of the traditional Latin Mass and prohibits it from being celebrated in parochial churches. Traditionis custodes states that it is each bishop’s “exclusive competence” to authorize the use of the Latin Mass in his diocese according to the 1962 Roman Missal. The pope’s apostolic letter revokes the faculty given by Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI that allowed priests to celebrate Mass in the extraordinary form of the Roman rite without needing the permission of their bishop. In his letter, Bishop Stika acknowledged the conflict many bishops are facing between adhering to the precepts of Pope Francis’ motu proprio, which places primacy on the post-Second Vatican Council liturgy, and serving an active and faithful segment of the Catholic Church devoted to pre-Vatican II liturgy. “I take seriously my role as guardian of the sacred liturgy for the Diocese of Knoxville; therefore, it is my duty to direct the celebration of the pre-conciliar liturgy in accord with the mind of the Church expressed in this latest document from Pope Francis. However, I have a pastoral solicitude for those attached to this liturgy and see in them much faithfulness and fruitfulness,” Bishop Stika wrote. “With the express provision that those attached to this form of the Mass reaffirm their submission to the Roman Pontiff, the full teach-

Extraordinary form Father Valentin Iurochkin, parochial vicar of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, celebrates the Latin Mass recently. The basilica has a large Latin Mass community. ings of the Second Vatican Council, and the validity and liceity of the post-conciliar reforms of the liturgy, I wish to offer the opportunity for this liturgy to continue in the Diocese of Knoxville,” he added. Bishop Stika also acknowledged the difficulty in canceling Latin Masses celebrated in diocesan churches and forcing them to move offsite from church property on such short notice. Pope Francis’ directive was effective July 16. “One provision of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter states that bishops are to ‘designate’ the locations of traditional liturgies, adding that they cannot be offered at ‘parochial churches.’ Owing to the fact that currently all of the places where this Mass is offered are in parochial churches, with no readily available alternatives, for the good of the faithful, I temporarily dispense from this provision for the sake of the common good. It is my hope that in the course of time and with due clarification from proper authority, we will be able to arrive at a sound solution to this provision of the new document,” Bishop Stika stated. Latin Mass congregations in the diocese have been digesting Pope

Francis’ surprising decision. Two of the larger congregations, at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul and Holy Ghost, were addressed by those pastors during July 18 Masses. At the basilica in Chattanooga, Father David Carter spoke of his church’s Latin Mass community, “full of life and enthusiasm for the faith,” and exhorted it to deepen their faith in Christ and His Church by embracing the universal Church and its teachings. “This is a moment for us to do a deep examination of conscience. Are we Catholic or are we Protestant? Do we belong to the Universal Church founded by Christ upon the Rock of Peter, or do we protest that authority and separate ourselves in schism or apostasy from the vicar of Christ, the successor of Peter? It is OK to be hurt and to grieve. Peter is not always prudent, as he proved over and again in the Scriptures. But we must not make the mistake of Job or follow the error of Judas,” Father Carter said. “We have all been confused by the words and actions of Pope Francis. But that does not give us the right to rebellion or sedition within the Church. You may have been

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wounded by the harsh words of our Holy Father. I have been, too. How will we react? This is the question we must ask ourselves. Will we contribute to the further wounding of the Body of Christ, or will we be healed by humility? I preach to myself as first in need of hearing this message! Do we submit with intellect and will to the teaching authority and governance of the Church established by Christ upon the Rock of St. Peter, or do we cling in pride and a sense of righteousness and purity to another for our salvation?” he asked. At Holy Ghost in Knoxville, Father Bill McNeeley spoke to some 500 faithful who filled the church for the Latin Mass celebration on July 18. “I’m supportive of Latin Mass here, and I know our bishop is as well. We’re going to do what we can to figure out how to have a Latin Mass for our Latin Mass community. I can tell you that there are parishioners who do not go to the Latin Mass who have called me to express their concern. The bishop supports us, and I’m here with him, and we’re going to figure this out,” Father McNeeley said. Father McNeeley discussed what a challenge the Vatican’s decision on Latin Mass is. “It’s easy to be a faithful Catholic when we like what is being said; when we agree with everything. It really shows our faith when we are willing to be faithful to the Church and faithful to our earthly shepherds, even when we’re not sure where that shepherd is taking us. … I’m here to serve you, to serve Christ and His Church to the glory of God,” he added. Father Adam Kane, who celebrated the Holy Ghost Latin Mass, echoed Father McNeeley in assuring the congregation that Bishop Stika supports it. “I would encourage you to pray, pray, and pray some more, especially appealing to Our Lady and also the saints who have gone through the same thing,” Father Kane said. ■ TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

A homily in response to Pope Francis’ new directives on the Latin Mass

by Father David Carter

In the spirit of Job Challenges that face the faithful should serve to strengthen their faith, not incite divisiveness

ob, Judas, and Peter — three figures speak to me this Sunday. The Book of Job is probably the most challenging of Scriptures in the Old Testament. It is the story of an upright man, in a foreign land, whom God allows to be afflicted by Satan. Through it all, Job stays faithful to God even though he expressed his sorrow at his condition. It is all right to express one’s suffering. We rightly cry and grieve at a loss or a setback. But to Job is also attributed the famous statement of faith that should ring in our ears throughout the ages, “The Lord has given, and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21)! The rest of the book is a series of speeches and rebuttals between Job and his friends. They came to convince Job that he must have been in the wrong and that maybe he wasn’t as upright as he claimed, and that this was the reason for his affliction. Job maintains his innocence through it all, but in the end, he falls into the sin of suggesting God might be in the wrong — the epitome of the deadly sin of pride! After a rebuke by the young man Elihu for daring to suggest this, God Himself chimes in with His answer to Job’s questioning. “Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm and said, “Who is this who darkens counsel with words of ignorance? Gird up your loins now, like a man; I will question you, and you tell me the answers! Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. “Who determined its size? Surely you know? Who stretched out the measuring line for it? “Into what were its pedestals sunk, and who laid its cornerstone, While the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Who shut within doors the sea, when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling bands? When I set limits for it and fastened the bar of its door, and said: ‘Thus far shall you come but no farther, and here shall your proud waves stop?’ Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning and shown the dawn its place… Have you entered into the sources of the sea, or walked about on the bottom of the deep?” Then God delivers a stinging rebuke: “Gird up your loins now, like a man. I will question you, and you tell me the answers! Would you refuse to acknowledge my right? Would you condemn me that you may be justified? Have you an arm like that of God, or can you thunder with a voice like his? Adorn yourself with grandeur and majesty, and clothe yourself with glory and splendor. Let loose the fury of your wrath; look at everyone who is proud and bring them down. Look at everyone who is proud, and humble them.” Job was humbled by this rebuke, and he replied with repentance: “Then Job answered the Lord and said: “‘I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.... “‘Therefore, I disown what I have said, and repent in dust and ashes.’” After Job and his friends offered sacrifice to the Lord, the Lord blessed Job more than before because of his humility and repentance. We are left only with the wisdom that there is a God, and I am not He! And that God knows His own mind, and who of us can know the mind of God? God is good, but His ways are hidden from us, and we should not presume to question His providence. They are answers to the problem of suffering, but they are not as satisfying or fulfilling as perTH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

haps we would like. These are also hard lessons for us to take in today as we digest the latest motu proprio from Pope Francis, which takes away the provisions of Summorum Pontificum that brought about the present celebration of the traditional Latin Mass here at the basilica. Many people have come to enjoy and treasure the traditional celebration of the more ancient use of the Roman Rite. At the legitimate request of a large number of the faithful here in Chattanooga, this Mass was first offered almost seven years ago. Because those who had come to benefit from it showed stability, growth, faithfulness, and commitment to its continuance, just last summer we began offering the holy sacrifice in this manner every Sunday. Therefore, it was with great dismay that we heard that the Holy Father has taken away many of the freedoms in the use of this form and has restricted its use and constrained the members of the faithful to adhere to strict norms in offering it in the future. However unsettling this may be, I exhort you, we must read this in the spirit of the Book of Job, lest we fall into the sin of Judas, who thought better than our Lord in His plan of salvation for the Church. It is not without warrant that Pope Francis issued these new norms, even if we think it imprudent. We do well to listen and to guard our hearts against impudence. As guardians of the tradition, Pope Francis has placed the jurisdiction for permitting this form of the Mass into the hands of the local bishop as a successor of the Apostles, who has the divinely appointed office of governance of the particular church in each diocese. Pope Francis, acting in his role as successor of St. Peter, desired to strengthen the faith of his brethren by an appeal to unity. He rightly calls out those who have disrupted the unity of the Church by rejecting the Second Vatican Council and the legitimacy of the New Order of Mass issued by the supreme authority of the Church. He laments, “ever more plain in the words and attitudes of many is the close connection between the choice of celebrations according to the liturgical books prior to Vatican Council II and the rejection of the Church and her institutions in the name of what is called the ‘true Church.’ One is dealing here with comportment that contradicts communion and nurtures the divisive tendency — ‘I belong to Paul; I belong instead to Apollo; I belong to Cephas; I belong to Christ’ — against which the Apostle Paul so vigorously reacted.” Woe to us if we have held these words and attitudes, for which we may be rightly rebuked. Woe to us if we have been a cause of sectarianism or division in our own Church, pitting fellow believers against each other and condemning our brothers whom we deem to be “less” for their adherence to other legitimate forms of the Mass. We cannot deny that there are some who have done this, even amongst our own. We dare not presume that everyone has pure motives and overlook the plank in our own eyes. However, my own lament is that, for the sins of a few, many will suffer. I want to acknowledge the many faithful, kind, and generous individuals and families who humbly seek this beautiful ancient form of worship, often at great personal sacrifice. I want to express my closeness to those who have blessed and not cursed those who have persecuted or ridiculed them over the years for their desire to celebrate in this way. I want to accompany, during this troubling time, the many young people and young families, full of life and enthusiasm for the faith,

who have found in this form a challenge to deepen their relationship with Christ and to share more in the paschal mystery of His suffering, death, and resurrection. I am so often edified by the deep faith and true devotion that is consistently found among those who attend this Mass. There is no doubt that this form challenges us to be ardent Catholics, and it has the power to set even the most lukewarm heart ablaze with wonder and awe in the worship of God. God is made present in these rites in so many veiled and mysterious ways, and I have seen people go from mediocrity of faith, bordering on walking away, to great zeal and earnest conversion of life by encountering the mysterious love of God in this ancient form. I have watched as souls bordering on death quickened to life, and life in abundance, by the embrace of the demands of this worship. Those veering towards indifference in the spiritual life have been oriented rightly to divine worship, and it has set them on a path of healing in their hearts and minds. I have witnessed members of this community show the richness of Christian charity to their neighbors and exemplify their baptismal call to announce that Jesus Christ is the Lord not only by their words, but also by their deeds. There is true fruit here and it is palpable. I do not want to see it spoiled. And so, we must be pruned. To you who are the little ones who are experiencing great humiliation in this moment, I ask you to find consolation that those at the margins of society, even the society of the Church, are truly close to the heart of God, even if they don’t seem close to the hearts of those with power here on earth. Not all who are attracted to this more ancient form of the Mass reject the working of the Holy Spirit in the Second Vatican Council. Not all who desire the traditional Latin Mass do so out of a rejection of the validity of the new missal. I can honestly and rightly repeat, once again, from this pulpit, as I have done many times before, that I reaffirm and adhere, with religious submission of will and intellect, to the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. These can and should be interpreted in the light of the constant tradition of the Catholic Church. I invite you to do the same. Furthermore, I reaffirm and acknowledge that the new forms of the liturgy issued since the Second Vatican Council are valid, licit, and truly bring forth the mysteries of faith that the Church has instituted them for, and that they do bear fruit in well-disposed souls who make use of them. I invite you to do the same. At the same time, I acknowledge that the new rites have not been fully or faithfully celebrated everywhere, and that many abuses exist in the manner in which they are carried out. In this I am joined by our Holy Father himself who, in his accompanying letter, wrote, “In common with Benedict XVI, I deplore the fact that ‘in many places the prescriptions of the new missal are not observed in celebration, but indeed come to be interpreted as an authorization for or even a requirement of creativity, which leads to almost unbearable distortions.’” I hope that we can see that Pope Francis is sympathetic to the legitimate complaints of many who have suffered from liturgical abuse and have sought stability in the traditional expressions of faith. However, we cannot make that the cause of “a rejection not only of the liturgical reform, but of the Vatican Council II itself, claiming, with unfounded and unsustainable assertions, that it betrayed the tradition and the ‘true Church.’” Here I must make a strong statement, one that comes from love of

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the Church. If you are unable to assent to these things, then we must part ways. The inability to conform his will to that of Christ’s was what condemned Judas. Judas thought he was right, and that Jesus was wrong — a fatal error. It led this “calledand-confirmed” Apostle to betray his Lord to the sectarians of his day, who in turn, crucified our God. This is a moment for us to do a deep examination of conscience. Are we Catholic or are we Protestant? Do we belong to the universal Church founded by Christ upon the rock of Peter, or do we protest that authority and separate ourselves in schism or apostasy from the vicar of Christ, the successor of Peter? It is OK to be hurt and to grieve. Peter is not always prudent, as he proved over and again in the Scriptures. But we must not make the mistake of Job or follow the error of Judas. We can apply God’s rebuke of Job to our situation with Peter. As Catholics we adhere to Christ through his chosen successor Peter. We may rightly ask, “Were you there when Jesus gave Peter the keys? Were you there when Jesus said, ‘Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers?’ Were you there when Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep?’” We have all been confused by the words and actions of Pope Francis. But that does not give us the right to rebellion or sedition within the Church. You may have been wounded by the harsh words of our Holy Father. I have been, too. How will we react? This is the question we must ask ourselves. Will we contribute to the further wounding of the body of Christ, or will we be healed by humility? I preach to myself as first in need of hearing this message! Do we submit with intellect and will to the teaching authority and governance of the Church established by Christ upon the rock of St. Peter, or do we cling in pride and a sense of righteousness and purity to another for our salvation? If you are schismatic in mind and heart and think that you will do better in the raging sea of this world by clinging to a makeshift dinghy instead of being securely ensconced in the Barque of Peter, I beg of you to reconsider. Repent, like Job, and God, who is merciful, will hear and answer. But if you will not rethink or change your mind after this admonition from your spiritual father — then go! I only have the words of Jesus to Judas for you, “What you are about to do, do quickly” (John 13: 27). For those who will remain after this stinging rebuke, I say: We may have been proud and rash as Peter; we may be as innocent as Job; but we could easily become as impudent as Judas if we aren’t careful with our hearts. Humility is the virtue the Lord wants to teach us now. This is for our salvation. To achieve humility, we must endure humiliation. Will we accept this from the Lord, or will we curse God through cursing his pope and die, as Job’s wife would have us do? Will we let pride boil over into rage and kill our souls in the process? Or will we accept rebuke, be chastened and so be pruned, and bear fruit into eternal life? I pray that if we accept this chastisement with faith in God, and trust in His almighty providence, our last days may be fruitful as Job’s! May Jesus Christ be praised! Now and forever! ■ Father David Carter, JCL, JV, rector of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, delivered this homily on July 18 at the basilica, which offers Latin Mass weekly. AUGUST 8, 2021 n A7

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for miles 135 years ago as the cortege traveled to the cemetery, where the young priest became the first person buried there. When Father Ryan’s coffin, containing a full skeleton overlaid with new vestments, arrived July 31 at the basilica, the bishop and Father Carter led another procession of Knights, servers, and parishioners behind the pallbearers two blocks down 8th Street into the church. Bishop Stika delivered his homily to a nearly full basilica. “‘Into your hands, O Father, I commit my spirit,’” he said. “I wonder if so many decades ago perhaps those were the last words of Father Patrick Ryan, a priest of the Diocese of Nashville at the time and a son of Ireland. It was very similar to what St. John Paul said: ‘Let me return to the house of my Father.’ I’m sure so many decades ago Father Ryan would not have understood what we are doing today. A simple son of Ireland—to have all of us present, all of this commotion, in the midst of an epidemic just as dangerous as was the epidemic of yellow fever.” When Father Ryan’s body was moved in 1886, “the city stopped,” Bishop Stika said. “A city that for sure had so small of a Catholic population—the city stopped as the procession traveled over the streets to Mount Olivet Cemetery. And now, according to Deacon Gaspar, it traveled pretty much the same route back.” Father Ryan “did indeed give his life for his friends—friends who were not Catholic, friends who were Catholic, even friends who he did not know,” the bishop said. The memory of the young priest of the 19th century is still celebrated, Bishop Stika said. “There are people who are alive today because their ancestors may not have died from yellow fever—perhaps this priest of God gave them comfort, the Irish smile of kindness, a twinkle. Maybe he blessed them,” he said. “We do know that the son of Ireland, the son of Nashville, and now the son of Knoxville is somebody we can hold dear to our own hearts because the very blessings of his life are what we should all emulate.

In praise of Father Ryan Top left: Father David Carter, rector of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, Father Valentin Iurochkin, parochial vicar of the basilica, and Deacon Hicks Armor, who serves at the basilica, are joined by Knights of Columbus as they lay a pall over the casket of Servant of God Father Patrick Ryan, whose remains were entombed inside the basilica on July 31. Top right: Bagpiper Katie Helms leads an honor guard of Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus from across the Diocese of Knoxville who were part of the procession returning the remains of Father Ryan to the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. Ms. Helms played “It’s A Long Way To Tipperary,” which is Father Ryan’s original home. Above: Bishop Richard F. Stika prepares to bless the new tomb for Father Patrick J. Ryan with holy water. Bishop Stika on July 31 celebrated the memorial Mass for Father Ryan, who is a Servant of God. By entombing his remains inside the basilica, the Diocese of Knoxville has completed another step in the cause for sainthood for Father Ryan. That we should never see another as a stranger, that we should never ignore the other person because maybe it might inconvenience us, and maybe in this pandemic that we do not know when the end will come, maybe Father Ryan might say to us in his old Irish brogue, ‘Shush. Care for your neighbor.’ And if they had a vaccine for yellow fever, I have no doubt that he would have taken it because it would have furthered his life to assist another person,” the bishop added. In the day’s Gospel reading of the good thief and the bad thief, the latter said to Jesus, “Save yourself and us.” “Perhaps Father Ryan is reaching into our lives today—some probably said to him, ‘Abandon the city. Save yourself,’” Bishop Stika said.

There is “also a challenge for all of us to follow the example of Father Ryan’s life, to never be uncomfortable when another person reaches out to us as perhaps they reached out to Father so many decades ago for comfort or a smile,” the bishop said. “In this day and age, when so many people are confused and so many people are alienated and there are so many divisions in the Church and outside the Church, let Father Ryan be an example and a model. And even though it might inconvenience us, he invites us, like Jesus did for the Apostles, to come and to follow, not just to say it but to do it, this martyr of charity.” In his closing remarks at Mass, the bishop urged the faithful to get a COVID-19 vaccine. He also asked them to pray for Father

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Ryan’s “intercession for a broken world, a broken Church, and broken individuals.” Father Ryan’s tomb inside the basilica was detailed by Deacon Otto Preske of Good Shepherd Parish in Newport. The tomb lies in the front-right part of the nave, between the altar rail and the first row of pews in the side aisle. Overlooking the young priest’s tomb is one of the basilica’s Stations of the Cross—the 14th Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb. Pallbearers gently lowered Father Ryan’s coffin into the new burial vault made of oak and mahogany. “Bless this tomb. Grant that your Servant of God, Father Patrick Ryan, may again sleep here in peace among the people of Chattanooga Father Ryan continued on page A9

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Father Ryan continued from page A8

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Retracing the steps Left: Pallbearers carrying the remains of Father Patrick Ryan enter the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga on July 31. Below left: Bishop Richard F. Stika, Deacon Hicks Armor, and Cardinal Justin Rigali inspect the new resting place for Servant of God Patrick Ryan. Below right: A hearse carries the remains of Father Ryan past the basilica. Bottom: Parishioners get a closer look at Father Ryan’s new resting place.

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and of this parish,” Bishop Stika said. “In the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God the Servant of God, Father Patrick Ryan, former pastor of the parish and now the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. And we commit his body to this tomb that we made. The Lord bless him and keep him. The Lord make His face to shine upon him and be gracious to him.” The bishop dropped dirt from Father Ryan’s gravesite at Mount Olivet onto the coffin. “Father Patrick Ryan—again we are all reminded that we are dust and to dust we shall return,” Bishop Stika said. The bishop also placed 51 white roses on the coffin, representing the diocese’s 50 parishes and one Catholic mission. The coffin is wrapped with red ribbon that is marked with the bishop’s official seal with his coat of arms. The ribbon will be removed and the coffin opened only when a miracle leads to Father Ryan’s beatification. “I hope I live long enough to attend the beatification, which would be in Chattanooga—that’s what Pope Francis has told us,” Bishop Stika said, remarks that drew a round of applause. Father Carter said the memorial Mass was a sign of good news for the Church. “The Catholic Church has been in the news a lot lately for the sins of her priests. Today, it’s our hope that the Catholic Church is in the news for the bright lights and the ones who truly lived out the priestly ministry that Jesus Christ entrusted to His Church,” the basilica rector said. “Father Patrick Ryan was a true priest whom all priests should seek to emulate, one who offers his life for the sake of the sheep that he shepherds. That is what we are celebrating today, and that for us I think should overshadow all other bad things, not to cover them up but to say there has been bad, but there has been great good also.” Also placing white roses in the tomb of Father Ryan were women who had prayed for his intercession. “The diocesan inquiry into the offer of life of Father Patrick Ryan has as its specific scope to learn the history from the historical commission of Father Patrick Ryan and all of the exhaustive research that we have done about his life, his times, and the events around him, but also to interview those who claim favors of intercession from him,” Father Carter said. “And we have interviewed several people, and some of them were the ones who were placing roses into his tomb today. None of them right now are candidates for an official miracle that would go through the scrutiny that the Church requires to declare him blessed or saintly, but we are of course still open to this possibility and praying that Father Patrick Ryan might show that he has that closeness to God and that he might intercede on behalf of whomever might invoke his name, that he might eventually do that,” Father Carter continued. “The diocesan inquiry was looking into the actual life and events, especially his offer of life, and seeing if that cause is worthy. Once we compile that, and the authentication of his relics was a side part of that, but once we close that inquiry, we will send that to Rome with all of our opinions on the matter, and we pray that Rome would, with all the information that we send to them, declare him venerable,” he added. Father Carter said the date for the close of the inquiry is “fluid” but that he hopes it might come at Christmastime. “It would be a nice year- or yearand-a-half-long process of interviewing, studying, and praying, and honoring his relics,” he said. The Father Ryan historical commission ran into a humorous snag when it investigated in the priest’s home country. “When we researched in Tipperary, Ireland, we called up to the parish and said, ‘We’re looking for the

baptismal record for Patrick Ryan,’” Father Carter said. “They said, ‘What year?’ We said, ‘1844, 1845, around there.’ They said, ‘What’s his name?’ ‘Patrick Ryan.’ They laughed at us. They said, ‘You’re kidding me.’ In one month of 1844, they had something like 100 Patrick Ryans baptized in the Church.” Bishop Stika commented on what was a monumental day for the diocese, the day of Father Ryan’s memorial Mass that culminated a

week that included the exhumation and identification of relics at the cemetery. “These last few days have kind of brought tears to my eyes. Why? Because he’s a priest of Knoxville now,” the bishop said. “Priests take a pledge of obedience to their bishop and their successors. I now have this unique relationship with him, because I made the decree about the Servant of God. We’re hoping that maybe next year the pope will—it

“Father Patrick Ryan was a true priest whom all priests should seek to emulate, one who offers his life for the sake of the sheep that he shepherds. That is what we are celebrating today.” y.” — Father David Carter

will be the pope himself who has to declare him venerable, and then we pray through his intercession for some miracles.” Father Ryan would have gotten a yellow-fever vaccine had one been available, Bishop Stika suggested. “I was kind of strong in urging people to get the [COVID] vaccine because I think in his day and age if there was as it is now, he probably would have done the same thing, to save lives, especially if it was morally acceptable. In his short life, he touched the lives of so many. All these decades later, we gather together. A man whose powerful presence in his day and age reminds us to care for others and also to pray for those involved in health care. He was ministering to people for health as well as spiritually,” the bishop noted, pointing out that Father Ryan returned “home” on July 31. “It’s a different [Sts. Peter and Paul] church, but it’s kind of the same piece of property, so we just pray for his intercession,” he said. Bishop Stika said the Father Ryan cause is the first sainthood effort Father Ryan continued on page A10

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Venerating a Servant of God Top left: Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrates the memorial Mass and re-entombment for Father Patrick Ryan, whose remains were relocated from Mount Olivet Cemetery to the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. Concelebrating the memorial Mass were Father David Carter, Father John Orr, Father Valentin Iurochkin, Father Marcin Gladysz, and Father Nick Tran. Top right: Pallbearers lower the casket with Father Ryan’s remains into the new oak and mahogany tomb with green marble panels from the basilica’s old side altar. Above left: Father David Carter, rector of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, processes down Chattanooga’s East 8th Street, followed by Deacon Sean Smith, Diocese of Knoxville chancellor, and Bishop Richard F. Stika. Above right: Deacon Gaspar DeGaetano of the basilica, who serves as diocesan postulator for the cause of sainthood for Father Ryan, delivers the Gospel during the memorial Mass for the Servant of God. Father Ryan continued from page A9

he has witnessed “up close and personal.” “I’ve been privileged in my life to know St. John Paul, to meet him at least, and Mother Teresa,” he said. “I think this is a little different. Up north where the dioceses have been around for a long time, I’m thinking of St. Katharine Drexel in Philadelphia and St. Rose Philippine Duchesne in St. Louis, my hometown. It just shows the vitality and growth of missionary churches like the Diocese of Knoxville. It really is, especially in this basilica recognized by the pope, very special.” One person who believes very much in miracles—and in Father Ryan’s heavenly efforts on that behalf—was among the women who placed flowers in the priest’s tomb at the end of Mass. Teresa Shramko explained her connection to the possible saint. “My son Joseph was in an accident in April over spring break in Boston. He fell out of a second-story window,” she said. “We had said prayers but never had to have an A10 n AUGUST 8, 2021

intercession for any reason. When my son had his severe accident, we immediately thought of Father Patrick Ryan. I don’t really know why he came to me. We asked our rosary [group] to pray for Joseph, which my friends do every Wednesday. They do an intercession through Father Patrick Ryan every Wednesday for him. We just kept asking for prayers and prayers.” The prayers were answered, Mrs. Shramko believes. “Joseph was in an induced medical coma for a month. He had a lot of swelling but then got better and just continued to get better from there, just waking up and responding,” she said. “Now he’s talking. He’s moving. He’s learning to walk again. We’re continuing to see prayers [answered] every day. The prayers have been just working nonstop. “Every day it’s something else. Different prayers are always being said—like his left arm wasn’t moving or his left side wasn’t working great. Now he’s able to move the left arm. Now he’s able to use the

left leg. He didn’t have a voice, he wasn’t talking—now he’s able to vocalize and use words. He’s able to talk and communicate. Doctors foresee that he’s going to be walking again.” Mrs. Shramko said it was “hard to say” whether Joseph’s doctors believe that a miracle has occurred. “I definitely think it’s a miracle,” she said. “When we were in Boston, I do have to say that the doctors were very fascinated by his recovery, how fast he had recovered from going into an induced medical coma to being able to respond. They knew that people were praying for us back in the community. Even one of the nurses, when she came to see Joseph in his hospital room, said, ‘Wow, those prayers are really being answered.’ One of the neurologist residents said, ‘I would be the first one to admit that I never thought this would be what I’m seeing today.’” The doctors “were probably preparing me for the worst” immediately after the accident, Mrs. Shramko said.

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“They weren’t sure. They couldn’t tell me. He wasn’t awake. They couldn’t say whether he was ever going to be awake, whether he was ever going to breathe on his own,” she said. Joseph is 16 and a rising junior at Notre Dame High School, an institution founded in 1876 under Father Ryan’s leadership at the future basilica. “Everybody there has been fantastic. Mr. [school president George] Valadie, who has retired, has been fantastic. The community there, the teachers, the school, parents, have been so gracious to us, and we’ve been so grateful for everything they’ve done, the prayers,” Mrs. Shramko said. She attended the memorial Mass with three friends—Rose Lovelace, Nathalie Strickland, and Jennifer Fillauer— who call themselves “Joseph’s prayer warriors,” part of that Wednesday rosary group that has some 50-plus members. “They’ve all been really great with the prayers for Joseph, so kind,” Mrs. Shramko said. ■ TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

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STEPHANIE RICHER STEPHANIE RICHER

A recovery of relics Top left: The team leading the exhumation of Father Patrick Ryan reviews the progress made on July 27 at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chattanooga. Top right: Among the second-class relics found with Father Ryan’s remains was a small crucifix with which he was buried. The priest’s vestments also were discovered. Above left: As gravediggers removed about eight feet of soil, they finally uncovered the iron coffin Father Ryan was buried in. Above right: Father Ryan’s coffin is lifted from its grave and rested on top of the ground in Mount Olivet cemetery as the important moment is recorded by cameras. Right: Workers use drills to unseat metal bolts that fastened the coffin top to the coffin bottom. After much cutting with handheld grinders and drilling, the coffin was opened.

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very late the next day, especially arduous. Diggers toiled for some five hours on the first day before finally reaching Father Ryan’s coffin eight feet down below Priests’ Mound at Mount Olivet at about 3 p.m. The cast-iron coffin is in the old-fashioned diamond shape— wide at the shoulders and tapering off to narrower at the feet. Those present July 26 were the first to see the coffin in 135 years, as Father Ryan was reburied in 1886 from a downtown cemetery to the then-new Mount Olivet. The priest was the first person to be buried in the new cemetery. “We started digging about 10 in the morning [on July 26],” Deacon DeGaetano said. “They had a break for lunch, and then they continued digging in the afternoon. We found what seemed to be a little votive garden only about 3 feet underground. There were what looked like carved pots for flowers or votive candles, and kind of a concrete thing that might have been a shrine—it’s hard to tell what it was. It might have even been in the shape of a cross. We’re not sure yet, but we’re going to bring the pieces back to the basilica and use them for something, maybe even a memorial rock garden, because it’s hard to figure out what they are. It’d be a shame to just bury them again. We also found pieces of glass, like there might have been votive candles used there.” The laborers “kept digging and digging and digging,” the deacon said. “We had hopes that he was buried in a TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

very substantial casket or coffin. Then about 3 o’clock I was texting somebody, saying, ‘We’ve got to keep praying. We haven’t found Father Ryan.’ Then, son of a gun, they said, ‘We hit something.’ Then we just saw part of a coffin. At first we thought it was a child’s coffin, but it turns out it’s a fullsized coffin of the day. It turns out that cast-iron coffins were the premium way to get buried.” Painstaking work resumed at 9:30 a.m. on July 27 as volunteer gravediggers Brandon and Nelson Panganiban, members of Father Patrick Ryan Knights of Columbus Council 610 at the basilica, labored with trowels and other tools to remove dirt around and below the casket and prepared it to be lifted up by an excavator. Concrete burial vaults of neighboring priests’ graves protruded slightly into the pit dug for Father Ryan’s, one about 3 feet down on the right and another about 6 feet down on the left. Nelson Panganiban said partway through the removal of the remains that there was “not much air and heavy dirt” in the grave. “The casket seems to be in great shape, just trying to dig around it and get him up.” The muscular Mr. Panganiban said he “just volunteered for the Knights to help out” with the digging. Excavator operator Frank Brogden of the Mount Olivet staff, assisted by his son Frank Jr., delicately removed soil on and around the coffin. Straps were placed around the coffin and a chain was hooked up to the excavator,

which lifted the coffin gradually to the surface around 11:45 a.m. Meanwhile, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, happened to telephone a few minutes before, and Bishop Stika gave him a report of the day’s events. Cardinal Justin Rigali, in Knoxville, was also an eyewitness to the exhumation via Bishop Stika’s cell phone. Father Carter led a prayer after the coffin was removed, as well as a round of applause for the gravediggers and Mr. Brogden. Bishop Stika also conducted a prayer, “that the people of God might be edified by the heroic example of this faithful priest, and that the hearts of many might be drawn closer to you, the Divine Shepherd of our souls, as we hold up the example of one who sought to imitate his pastoral ministry in this community. We give thanks for the life of Father Ryan and for all those priests who have given their lives throughout the epidemic of yellow fever in that era.” The work was not yet done, however. The coffin was sealed with a number of metal bolts every few inches all the way around. Cemetery staffers with handheld grinders cut the bolts and then drilled out the holes. The lid was still tightly closed, perhaps rusted shut, so more work with the grinders at the edge of the lid followed, as did efforts with crowbars. Gray, pungent water poured out of the foot of the coffin as the sawing progressed. Finally, at 1:50 p.m., the lid was

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opened. The first thing witnesses noticed inside the coffin was broken glass from the metal box’s viewing window, control knobs for which were on top of the coffin. As Deacon Keene narrated the process of removal for everyone, a mandible with teeth and a skull were soon discovered, as well as a crucifix. “What we’re going to do is follow the Instruction for the Relics of the Church: Authenticity and Preservation, that was given by the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in 2017,” Father Carter said. “We will pull up the relics one by one. We have an archeologist first, who will be doing the removal of the remains. Then a forensic pathologist and a forensic anthropologist will be on standby to identify the remains and to recompose them on a surface that’s prepared for him that will be going into a new coffin that we have prepared for his first-class relics: the mortal remains of his body.” But around 2 p.m., Dr. Golder detected the possible presence of arsenic in the coffin, and the day’s efforts were suspended until the team could bring in environmental experts the next day. Father Ryan’s remains and relics were stored overnight July 27-28 in the Mark J. O’Brien mausoleum near Priests’ Mound, which the O’Brien family had given the basilica staff permission to use. Father Orr, the promoter of justice for the sainthood cause, has the unenviable job of “arguing against the canonization,” he said. “I’m here just to Exhume continued on page A12 AUGUST 8, 2021 n A11

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In reverence to a heroic priest Top left: Bishop Richard F. Stika and Father David Carter lead a prayer for Father Patrick Ryan after his remains were unearthed. Top right: Bishop Stika, Father David Carter, Deacon Sean Smith, and Deacon Hicks Armor seal Father Ryan’s new casket. Bottom left: Bishop Stika incenses the coffin of Father Ryan after it was raised from its 135-year-old grave in Chattanooga’s Mount Olivet Cemetery. Bottom right: Bishop Stika and Father Carter lead additional prayer as Father Ryan’s remains are exhumed as part of his cause for sainthood. Exhume continued from page A11

make sure that they’re not pushing any case here,” such as “if there were any roadblocks to his canonization.” “It is tough because we don’t have a lot of writings of his. Oftentimes the promoter of justice will be going through so many different writings of the person being considered, but perhaps the only writings of his would have been entries into the baptismal record or the marriage record—the sacramental record books of Sts. Peter and Paul,” Father Orr added. Father Ryan’s cause comes under a new third category of sainthood, Deacon DeGaetano explained. “When we visited the Cause for the Saints just five years ago in April 2016 in Rome, we met with an American monsignor who was giving us some very good advice. He even gave us a heads-up on a new category, because Father Ryan was being called a martyr of charity in his day,” the deacon said. “What Monsignor Robert Sarno told us was that ‘the pope’s working on something like this for people who died serving in charity.’ And we found out only a couple of years ago when the bishop visited with the Cause for the Saints in Rome, they told him that they had our cause in mind when they developed the motu proprio with the pope. It’s only the third category of saint in the last 2,000 years. You always had martyr, then you had heroic life. Then in 2017 we have offering of life.” Deacon DeGaetano said finding Father Ryan’s remains in the condition they are in was like a “dream come true.” “Our hopes have been that we would find Father Ryan in good shape, and part of finding him in good shape would be that he would still be in the casket. And he is in an extremely sturdy casket. It was like the Rolls-Royce of the day. We did some research just recently on the price of a wooden cofA12 n AUGUST 8, 2021

fin. The price of a wooden one would be $1 to $3 back then, and the price of a cast-iron one would have been about $100.” Father Ryan’s coffin was originally about 6 feet down, the team of experts believes, with about 2 feet added on top over the years as Priests’ Mound was built up. “The grave will never be used again, and the original stone marker will be placed again on it with a notation that his remains have been moved to the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, the parish which at one time he was the pastor of, so let it be done,” Bishop Stika said. The coffin had a cross-shaped crack on top, not believed to have been caused by the removal efforts, Deacon Keene pointed out. Its shape was coincidental, the deacon observed. “Maybe God intended it to be a cross,” the bishop said. The cause of Father Ryan’s sainthood is most important to the Diocese of Knoxville, Bishop Stika emphasized. “It’s very significant. For a young diocese—we have a new cathedral, a basilica, and now this is so significant because a pastor of the parish of Sts. Peter and Paul is now a Servant of God, and we’re hoping soon that he will be declared venerable by the pope,” he said. “If we look at the life of a priest, in the Scriptures it said no greater thing than to give your life for one’s friends. At the time he died, he ministered to everyone, not just the Catholics, and Catholics in Chattanooga’s history back then were suspected to be papists, loyal to the pope and not loyal to the government of the United States. It just shows how he was beloved at his funeral and his reburial years later, that streets were lined with everyone, and the Catholic population then wasn’t even probably half a percent. That’s why it’s significant, because he was truly a priest’s priest. He served

people—not just Catholics but people.” The discovery of arsenic was part of the “unknowns” in the “uncovering of mortal remains,” Father Carter said. “He’s been in the ground 135 years. When he went into the ground originally eight years even before that, they embalmed him apparently with arsenic,” he said. “It was a commonly used substance to embalm people before the modern practices of embalming were known, especially during a time when things like yellow fever were unknown pathogens that were killing people, so they didn’t take any chances. “We did not know to suspect that. We did not have a reason to suspect it when we pulled him out of the ground. The coffin itself was intact. There was no water sloshing. We didn’t hear anything that sounded like water when we pulled it out. Didn’t even feel that heavy when we pulled it out, but when we did open it up, we saw that some water had gotten into it and was standing in it. After we started probing the remains and found some substantial relics, some intact bones, the medical examiner as she was looking at it put two and two together that bones that old sitting in water ought to have decayed a little bit more than they did. Seeing the chalky substance floating around was suspicious to her. She called the equation, when she put two and two together, that there was arsenic present, and we suspended operations at that point and have consulted with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, which has given us definitive guidance on the procedures that we need to follow, and we have contacted a hazardous-material remediation service, and they are mobilizing to assist us in the continuation of this exhumation and the recovery of these mortal remains while keeping everybody safe.” Work on the removal of the remains

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from the coffin resumed July 28 with the environmental safety precautions in place. Father Carter recounted that Wednesday on July 31, after the memorial Mass and re-entombment of Father Ryan’s remains had taken place at the basilica. “On Wednesday, after a long process of uncovering the remains and bringing them to the surface and doing what we had to do to preserve the mortal remains, we pulled out that which was remaining from his body from the coffin that he had been buried in. We laid them out in a new casket and prepared them for today’s translation of his remains to the church,” the basilica rector said. “We found vestments that were still intact. We found an extra stole that may have been used in his ministry when he went door to door to visit the yellow-fever victims. We found a full set of bones. His bones were intact. The arsenic led to the preservation so well of his mortal remains. We had to call in a service that specialized in remediation of hazardous materials and environmental safety, and the professionals were the ones who took the remains out of the coffin and professionally treated them, washing them and handing them to our medical experts, who of course wore gloves and masks in an abundance of caution. They reconstructed his body in the new casket.” Father Carter made a distinction between first- and second-class relics. “First-class relics are the actual mortal remains of the saint or potential saint, and in our case we make a very clear distinction he’s a Servant of God. He’s not yet a saint, and that’s why we wore purple vestments today [at the memorial Mass], by the way, not white vestments. We’re making that distinction. We recognize him as what he is: a hero of the epidemic, the ServExhume continued on page A13 TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

Deacon’s vocation takes an archeological turn David Keene becoming an authority on identifying remains of Servants of God considered for sainthood

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Directing another dig Deacon David Keene, center, directs the team of gravediggers and excavators in finding and removing the remains of Father Patrick Ryan from his 135-year-old burial site in Mount Olivet Cemetery. Deacon Keene said he has been involved in hundreds of exhumations. As part of his work, he assists the Cook County, Ill., Sheriff’s Police in solving death cases. His foray into causes for sainthood began quite coincidentally. He explained that the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Springfield, Ill., were planning to exhume the remains of Father Augustus Tolton in 2016. Father Tolton is the first known African American priest in the United States. He served in Illinois

in the 1800s. “The cemetery people at the Archdiocese of Chicago called the Sheriff’s Police and said, ‘We think we’re going to be exhuming some human remains that are outside our expertise. Do you know anybody who knows how to do this?’ And the sheriff responded, ‘I don’t know why you’re calling me. You’ve got a deacon who is an archeologist who does this for us all the time.’ That’s how it started,” Deacon Keene explained. In June 2019, Pope Francis is-

sued a declaration that Father Tolton lived a life of heroic virtue, which advanced the priest to the title Venerable Father Augustus Tolton. Bishop Richard Stika and Father David Carter, episcopal delegate for the cause for sainthood for Father Ryan, are praying for a similar outcome for Father Ryan now that Deacon Keene can certify this Servant of God’s authenticity. Deacon Keene said he knew unearthing Father Ryan was going to be a challenge once the cast-iron coffin securing the priest was first discovered on the afternoon of July 26. A day later the coffin was lifted out of the grave. And a day after that the remains and accompanying second-class relics were secured in new caskets. " This was a very tedious dig. Augustus Tolton was also very tedious. When we found him, he had been buried in a wooden coffin. And it was gone. The only things that were left were his bones. It was much harder to get his bones out of the ground, but it was a much cleaner excavation,” Deacon Keene said. “Archeologists like to say ‘we love doing burial excavation as long as there are no squishy parts.’ We like stones and bones.” ■

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eacon David Keene has been searching for things hidden underground since he was 18. And now as a veteran archeologist with many digs under his belt, the permanent deacon of the Archdiocese of Chicago has turned his attention to the Diocese of Knoxville and the cause for sainthood for Father Patrick Ryan. The diocesan team heading this sainthood cause identified Deacon Keene as the expert who should direct efforts to exhume Father Ryan’s remains in late July. At age 68, 50 years of on-the-job experience counts for something. Just call it expertise. Deacon Keene’s services were needed as part of the process to verify Father Ryan’s existence. “This is part of a legal process. The legal process is to demonstrate that this individual had a holy life, and besides that, he was a real person. What we’re doing is collecting evidence of this man’s existence,” Deacon Keene said. He added there is no doubt that what he observed being unearthed and opened July 26-28 are the remains of Father Ryan. “No, there is no doubt in my mind,” he said matter-of-factly. As a professional archeologist,

By Bill Brewer

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Giving an account Top left: Bishop Richard F. Stika officially opens the grave of Father Patrick Ryan at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chattanooga on July 19. Top right: A burial marker identifies the grave of Father Ryan on Priests’ Mound in Mount Olivet Cemetery. By removing a shovelful of soil, Bishop Stika officially opened Father Ryan’s grave, which is a key step in the Servant of God’s cause for sainthood. Left: Deacon Hicks Armor, who serves at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul and also serves as the Diocese of Knoxville’s director of Stewardship and Strategic Planning, reads into the official record historic news accounts of Father Ryan’s priesthood.

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ant of God. The first-class relics consist of his bones. We found a full skeleton from head to toe, obviously owing to the preservation in arsenic that happened at the time of his death, the embalming. “In addition, we found lots of personal effects, including the vestments that he was buried in. We found his alb, the amice, the cincture. We found a crucifix that he was holding in his hand. We found his scapular of Our Lady that he was wearing underneath all of that, a very private devotion of many Catholics even to this day. Those are what we call second-class relics. In addition, the coffin that he was buried in itself is a second-class relic. The whole cast-iron coffin with its viewing port that they had becomes for us a second-class relic that we will eventually hope to put on display as part of a memorial for Father Ryan.” On July 19, Bishop Stika and members of the team of experts met at Mount Olivet for a ceremonial turning-over of the earth on Father Ryan’s grave. The bishop did the honors with TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

a shovel, digging out a large square of grass and dirt. Bishop Stika’s actions were the reverse of those of Nashville Bishop Joseph (James) Rademacher in 1886. “Today is very significant because on Nov. 11, 1886, when Father Patrick Ryan was buried here, there was quite a bit of pomp and circumstance because he was the grand opening of this beautiful cemetery,” Deacon DeGaetano said. “There were at least 100 carriages, based on one account, and another account says hundreds of carriages came out from Chattanooga. When he was lowered into the grave, the bishop of Nashville at the time, who of course was bishop of the whole state, Bishop Rademacher, put in the first shovelful of dirt into the grave ... after they lowered Father Ryan into the [grave]. We’d like to do that in reverse today, sort of a poetic symmetry, where Bishop Stika will do the opposite of what Bishop Rademacher did in the sense of taking the first shovelful of soil out of the grave.” After the brief ceremony, the bishop led a prayer, and Deacon Armor read

from two Chattanooga newspaper reports and the register of the cemetery about the reinterment of Father Ryan in 1886. A slight rain fell at that first day in the cemetery. “Father Ryan, being born in the old country, the beautiful green country of Ireland—there’s an old tradition of the Irish, that when it rains it’s like the angels crying in sadness,” Bishop Stika said. “I think today, as we prepare during this next week to move his remains, the tears are of joy, for a man is being remembered fondly after so many decades, two centuries, in which we commemorate a man who never quit being a priest, ministering to Catholics and non-, during the terrible plague of yellow fever. I think the heavens rejoice this day. We give thanks to Almighty God for the memory of Father Ryan. “In the inscription on his stone, it says, ‘Rest in peace’—well, this is the third time he is being moved. The third time and last. And yet it just reminds us that for all of us we live in a world that is passing. Father Ryan so many years ago passed from this

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life, from this journey that began in Ireland and ended in Chattanooga, then he passed to heaven. We rejoice, we celebrate, we express our gratitude for the ministry that he accomplished in his life as well as the ministry of all the priests here on this significant place of holiness, in this cemetery consecrated. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. Father Ryan, we give thanks to you for your ministry, for your witness, and for your love of the people. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.” Father Carter called it “a great joy and a privilege to have the presence of someone venerable in our community, someone who has been hailed as a hero and a martyr of charity. It means a lot for us to have the closeness of sanctity, especially in a time when the Catholic Church and in particular the Catholic priesthood is under such duress, to see a good example of a heroic priest doing his duty and giving his all like Christ.” ■ AUGUST 8, 2021 n A13

Fr. Paul Hostettler’s priesthood has spanned seven decades By Bill Brewer

ather Paul Hostettler can stack his number against the best of them: 71 years a priest. That rivals Pope Benedict XVI, whose priesthood is at its 70th year. St. Pope John Paul II’s priesthood was 59 years. Even among secular personalities with long, successful careers, Father Hostettler outpaces Dolly Parton by five years, and is eclipsed only by the likes of Betty White, age 99, who has been entertaining audiences for 82 years, and Angela Lansbury, 95, who has been acting for 78 years. Father Hostettler isn’t keeping score, though. He gave that up a few years ago when he stopped playing golf, a decades-long pastime of his. Father Hostettler, who now resides in Nashville, where he was ordained in 1950, marked his 71st year as a priest on June 3. He celebrated his 98th birthday on May 12. Even in retirement, Father Hostettler has remained

Fr. Hostettler

busy. He retired from the active priesthood in 1993, with St. Mary Parish in Athens being his last full-time assignment. He continued to serve the Diocese of Knoxville, including as parochial administrator at St. Catherine Labouré Parish in Copperhill. He relocated to his hometown of Nashville in 2007 and served for seven years as chaplain in the chapel of the Mary Queen of Angels Assisted Living facility. At Mary Queen of Angels, he and friend and

fellow priest Father James Norman Miller are the spiritual leaders. As he looks forward to the 72nd year of his priesthood, Father Hostettler is taking more time to remember his ministry in the dioceses of Nashville and Knoxville. It never occurred to him that he would still be fulfilling his priestly vows at age 98. “I don’t think I ever thought about how long I was going to be a priest. I just took it as it came,” he said. “I don’t think about what it’s like (being a priest). I just live it. I don’t know why God chose me to be a priest, but I’m happy that He did. I’ve really been happy being a priest. I had two brothers, both of them married with children. It never occurred to me that I should give up studying to be a priest and get married like they did. I just had the call to be a priest and I lived it.” Father Hostettler was about 14 and a student at Father Ryan High School in

As he looks back on his 71-year vocation, Father Paul Altman Hostettler recalls serving in parishes from Memphis to East Tennessee, including an assignment as chaplain at the Turney Center prison rehabilitation facility in Only. His priesthood is filled with a variety of experiences illustrative of his age that bespeaks wisdom and humility. Nashville in the 1940s when he first heard the call to be a priest. Father Ryan was an all-boys school then. That call would stay with him as he entered college at St. Ambrose in Davenport, Iowa. He then went on to Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis. “Until I was actually ordained a priest, I didn’t know whether I was going to make it or not. But when they called out the names of those who were going to be ordained, mine was in there,” he said with a gleam in his eye. In joking about his age, Father Hostettler smiled and said he is one of the few who still remembers when the Diocese of Memphis was formed from the Diocese of Nashville in 1971, recalling that the Dio-

cese of Nashville was just too large for one bishop, extending from the Mississippi River to just east of the Blue Ridge Parkway. He was serving in East Tennessee when the Diocese of Knoxville was formed in 1988. He could have transferred back into the Diocese of Nashville after a year, “but I was happy where I was.” And just where was he? From 1958 to 1969, he was pastor of the Church of the Resurrection in Cleveland. Prior to that and for eight years afterward he served in Memphis, Jackson, McEwen, and Only before being assigned to St. Augustine Parish in Signal Mountain. Then there were assignments in Tullahoma and again in Nashville. Priest continued on page A15

t i r i p S e h t n i e r Sha HELP SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS! Second Collection for Catholic Schools Weekend of August 15th

The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you. John 14: 26

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St. Joseph the Worker honored by St. Joseph the Worker In a year dedicated to the father of Jesus, Bishop Stika confirms youth of namesake parish

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While serving in Cleveland, he also was pastor of St. Catherine Labouré Parish in Copperhill, which proved to be one of his favorite assignments. During his assignment in Cleveland, Father Hostettler was involved in building the parish’s new church, renamed for St. Thérèse of Lisieux. “I loved the little town of Copperhill, and the people who lived there who were Catholic. That was my favorite place. It was among the smallest towns in the state of Tennessee. I was there twice. I was ordained for the Diocese of Nashville, which covered the entire state of Tennessee at that time,” he said. While his age, location, and retirement impact any relationships with current Diocese of Knoxville priests, Father Hostettler is fond of the associations he developed while Gathering continued from page A2

While “A Gathering of Church” is meant to thank the faithful for their support during COVID, it is also meant to remind them of their role in making parish life vibrant, which goes well beyond attending Mass on Sunday. “The life of a parish is very dependent on volunteers,” Bishop Stika said. “I have heard from many pastors that need ushers, teachers, ministry leaders, and other good people TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

Lord?’ Jesus came into this world because of you, because of each and every one of us. Jesus died for

us all. And Jesus did not want us to be by ourselves. So he gave us these things called the sacraments: baptism, Eucharist, anointing of the sick, marriage, holy orders, reconciliation, confirmation that were instituted by Jesus to nourish us in the life of our faith. All these different sacraments nourish us, the death of Jesus nourishes us. God loves us so much that He sent His only Son into our world. That’s Jesus, the gift that is given to us.” The shepherd of the Diocese of Knoxville cautioned the confirmands that people can get so caught up in their sins that they can really mess up their world. And because of that, it is vital to receive the sacraments, including confirmation. “The gift of the Holy Spirit. What does it mean? It further solidifies your relationship with God in a very special way, like Pentecost. Anytime we open our

hearts to God, He just fills the void. He’s there; He’s present because He doesn’t want us to fail. He watches us. He allows us to make mistakes. He doesn’t force us to make mistakes, but He allows it. Because one of the great gifts that God has given to us, besides faith itself, is the ability to make a choice. Otherwise, we would be a bunch of robots. We’re not robots. God has given us the ability to think and choose, and we make choices,” the bishop said. Bishop Stika reminded the confirmands of the story surrounding Pentecost, when God made His presence known to the Apostles in the Upper Room with great wind and tongues of fire. And when the Apostles left the room, they journeyed to the far ends of the world at that time spreading the Word of God in different languages. “I don’t know if any of you are bilingual, or trilingual, but what I do know is this: there are certain languages that everybody can understand. One of those is knowing that God is love. Don’t you think the world needs a little more love these days? And forgiveness? And compassion? The ability to listen to another person and not try to talk over them? The ability to make choices about reverence for life from conception to natural death, for people who live on the streets, and for people who suffer from racism, and from that which separates us? “God is love. My prayer to all of you is that you keep your relationship with Jesus alive. And nourish that love,” the bishop said. While many parishes have continued to celebrate their own confirmation Masses this year, as they did during the pandemic, Bishop Stika has presided at some. And his message is universal to all confirmands. He complimented the St. Joseph the Worker confirmands on their selection of confirmation names, telling them that by choosing their names, they honor those saints. And in honoring those saints, then the confirmands will be honored. He then asked the confirmands to renounce Satan and all his evil works, to believe in God, and then he said an ancient prayer that invokes the Holy Spirit before anointing them with chrism so they are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. ■

active in the diocesan presbyterate. He fondly remembers his friendship with Father Albert Henkel, the former longtime pastor of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville and unofficial “bishop of Happy Holler.” They played golf together regularly. He also played golf on occasion with former Bishop James D. Niedergeses of Nashville and former Knoxville Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz, who now is the archbishop of Louisville. “Every week I played golf for I don’t know how many years. I played golf with all the priests who played golf,” Father Hostettler said, remarking how age has caught up with his generation. “You see, I’ve outlived a lot of priests.” Father Hostettler served in the Diocese of Knoxville with a priest of similar name and background: Monsignor Bob Hofstetter, who is

pastor of Good Shepherd Parish in Newport. Both priests are from Nashville, and Father Hostettler remembers Father Hofstetter’s family while growing up in Nashville. While Father Hostettler attended college at St. Ambrose, he soon had to transfer to Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis when the U.S. military took over the dormitory at St. Ambrose during World War II, an experience he now shares with very few priests. The longtime priest still considers himself an animal lover and even taught horseback riding for seven years at a diocesan camp. As he looks back on his 71-year vocation, Father Paul Altman Hostettler recalls serving in parishes from Memphis to East Tennessee, including an assignment as chaplain at the Turney Center prison rehabilitation facility in Only.

His priesthood is filled with a variety of experiences illustrative of his age that bespeaks wisdom and humility. He has virtually no regrets about the path God laid before him. “The only regret I have is not being as good a priest as I should have been. I look back and think I should have done this or I should have done that. But I didn’t, so I wasn’t as good as I could have been,” he said. He is resigned to living in the Diocese of Nashville again, and is even comforted by being “home,” although Copperhill and St. Catherine Labouré Parish still call his name. “I’ll never live in the Diocese of Knoxville again, but I will belong to it until I die,” Father Hostettler said with an undying sense of loyalty and appreciation. ■

who can fill the void of those who have been slow to return, or perhaps they aren’t able to return to a volunteer role after this layoff.” Bishop Stika and Deacon Armor are aware that the Sept. 11 date may not work for some parishes, and that pastors might have other plans or dates for welcoming back parishioners—but they are hopeful that many parishes can participate. “It might be that some parishes have an entire day of activities

planned for Sept. 11,” Deacon Armor said. “The Gus Lloyd live presentations will give them additional resources, something to build around. Or perhaps they have a big event planned for another weekend—they can still use Gus’s presentations on Sept. 11 as one component in a welcome-back series of events.” Mr. Lloyd isn’t unknown in the Diocese of Knoxville. In addition to his daily show on SiriusXM, he was the featured presenter during a mission

at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City in 2018. “Gus will be great, he always is,” said Deacon Armor. “But we also want to make sure that parishioners have an opportunity to bond in fellowship. Yes, this is about thanking them and showing appreciation, but it’s also about taking the next step, from a return to Masses to a return to full, active, and passionate parish life. That’s what ‘A Gathering of Church’ is really all about.” ■

BILL BREWER (3)

or 16 confirmands at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Madisonville, and scores of others at churches throughout the Diocese of Knoxville during this confirmation season, being compared to the Apostles by Bishop Richard F. Stika was an unexpected blessing. And just the kind of catechetical pep talk a young person can take to heart as she or he is sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Bishop Stika confirmed the youths on May 8 and celebrated the Mass. Father Julius Abuh, pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish, was the concelebrant. Deacon Patrick Murphy-Racey served as Deacon of the Word and Eucharist. Father Abuh expressed his thanks to Bishop Stika for being at St. Joseph the Worker Church to celebrate the confirmation Mass during the Year of St. Joseph. The confirmands were presented to Bishop Stika with the understanding that “these young people of St. Joseph the Worker Parish, who have completed preparation for confirmation … are deep in their knowledge of Jesus Christ by studying the truths of our faith and are strengthened by the sacraments and supported by the prayers and example of their parish community….” During his homily, Bishop Stika complimented the confirmands on completing the sacraments of initiation: baptism, Holy Communion, and confirmation. He reminded them, citing Genesis, that they are created in the image of God, who teaches throughout the Bible that He wants his children of faith to succeed, not fail. “He wants us to make a difference,” Bishop Stika said. “How do we show that? There’s this thing called sin in the world. There are all kinds of sins. Sins can weigh you down. God knew that, so what did he do? He sent his Son, Jesus, into the world. A lot of the Scriptures in the Old Testament said you have to be afraid of God or else He will turn you into a pillar of salt, or be struck down. “In the New Testament, there is a real shift. Jesus talks about mercy, love, and commitment. And the gift of life itself. That is a tremendous change. Sometimes we assume that and don’t pay enough attention to it. We may think ‘Jesus has the whole universe to worry about. Why worry about me,

By Bill Brewer

Hands-on liturgy Bishop Richard F. Stika is joined by Father Julius Abuh, pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Madisonville, for the confirmation of young St. Joseph members.

Group shot Bishop Stika, flanked by Deacon Patrick Murphy-Racey to the left, and Father Abuh to the right, poses with 16 students who he confirmed at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Madisonville on May 8.

One on one Bishop Stika engages a confirmand during his homily at St. Joseph the Worker Church.

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Haiti turmoil has impact on East Tennessee ministries

ishop Alphonse Quesnel of Fort Liberté, Haiti, said the Haitian Catholic Church was “stunned” by the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. “We bishops must not only call for calm, but also for all Haitians to sit down together, change the way they look at each other, and seek together the way forward,” the bishop told Vatican News just after the Haitian president was gunned down by assailants in the bedroom of his residence on the outskirts of the capital city PortAu-Prince in the early morning hours of July 7. His wife, Martine Moïse, was injured in the attack. The Associated Press reported she was in stable condition after she was flown to a trauma center in Miami. Bishop Quesnel said the assassination presents an opportunity for a “change of mentality” and a “real conversion.” The last assassination of a Haitian president took place in 1915 and led to a 19-year occupation by U.S. troops. But the bishop said there had been several warning signs that a similar tragedy could occur and described the previous months as “chaotic” ones that

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE PHOTO/VALERIE BAERISWYL, REUTERS

Impoverished nation dealing with president’s assassination, violence, and protests in the streets

Upheaval in Haiti Haitian President Jovenel Moïse is pictured in a Jan. 11, 2020, photo. The president was assassinated in an attack in the early hours of July 7 at his home outside of the capital, Port-au-Prince. His wife also was shot in the attack. called for prudence and careful judgment. Tensions had been building in the Caribbean nation for several months, Bishop Quesnel said, with the rise of violent activities of armed gangs that United Nations sources say have displaced almost 15,000 people from poor neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince. Human rights organizations say

these armed gangs are linked to different politicians, including the executive government. Kidnappings for ransom by these gangs have skyrocketed in recent months, with 91 people documented kidnapped in April alone. Among them were seven priests, including two French nationals abducted in broad daylight as they drove in a convoy to the

By Catholic News Service ordination of a new priest. The takeover by gangs of the poor neighborhood of Martissant, situated on the road that leads to southern Haiti, has more or less cut off half of the country from the capital. On July 4, six people, including two U.S. Protestant missionaries, were killed when a small plane crashed while flying from Port-au-Prince to the southeastern city of Jacmel, in an attempt to avoid Martissant. President Moïse had been ruling by decree since January 2020, when the terms of most senators and deputies ended. In a June statement, the bishops’ conference opposed an unpopular general referendum called by President Moïse. The bishops said such a referendum would be impossible in the current context of paralyzing crime and extreme sociopolitical unrest. “When one holds the reins of power, a certain measure of flexibility and humility is necessary,” Bishop Quesnel reflected, echoing a broad range of civil society groups that compared the Moïse government to a dictatorship. “To exercise power in this day and age Haiti continued on page A19

Sacred Heart among Diocese of Knoxville congregations continuing aid to strife-stricken country By Bill Brewer

espite the nearly paralyzing political and social turmoil taking place in Haiti, important work is continuing to take place through the hands of faith-based groups and their members within the Caribbean country and via U.S. churches like the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The cathedral parish’s Haiti Outreach Program is actively supporting its ministry to the impoverished country amid tumultuous recent events. In fact, cathedral rector Father David Boettner was joined by Haiti Outreach Program leaders Matt Webster and Dr. Dean Mire on Aug. 5 in a meeting in Miami with Bishop Désinord Jean of the Haitian Diocese of Hinche and Father Michelet

Lamarre, pastor of St. Michel Parish in Boucan-Carré, Haiti, to map out strategy on the best way to keep resources flowing to Boucan-Carré and its rural communities like Bouly amid the political and civil strife. Mr. Webster explained that members of Sacred Heart’s Haiti Outreach Program, with few exceptions, have not traveled to Haiti for three to four years because of safety and

security risks. And the United States currently has placed restrictions on travel to Haiti. According to the U.S. State Department, residents are advised to not travel to Haiti at this time because of crime, kidnapping, civil unrest, and COVID-19. But that doesn’t halt the need, which continues unabated. And critical work Help continued on page A19

National crisis doesn’t deter Diocese of Knoxville parishioners from helping Haiti Water is flowing again in Bouly with help from a village...and a few donkeys By Hiske Jones

rit, determination, human and animal power, along with financial help from the Haiti Outreach Program have paid off, and the Haiti village of Bouly now has a working cistern again, providing life-saving water to the medical clinic and for use by residents. Bouly is accessible only by hiking five to six hours over mountainous terrain from Boucan-Carré in Central Haiti, including crossing a river seven times without bridges. This trek is arduous on its own, so imagine it while carrying rebar, lumber, and other building materials. “The tremendous effort to rebuild the cistern was truly made possible by raw human labor performed by several dozen people, with no machines or bulldozers,” said Billy Stair, a longtime volunteer with the Knoxville Haiti Outreach Program. Mr. Stair and Dr. Dean Mire traveled to Bouly last September and were told by the clinic staff that the cistern, originally built by the French in 2013, was leaking badly, was beyond repair, and would not last much longer. In addition, the pipes that bring the water in from a spring were leaking in several locations and no longer had the pressure necessary to fill the cistern. “The cistern greatly cuts down the amount of time needed to collect water from the river and represented a tremendous leap forward in the basic quality of life for the residents and is an important source of water for the staff and patients at the clinic,” Mr. Stair said. “It was critical that we find a way to rebuild it.” Given the importance of clean water to the clinic’s staff and patients, the Haiti Outreach Program agreed to provide the funds for a new cistern. In the planning process, instead of rebuilding the old cistern, a new larger cistern was designed about 20 meters from where the original cistern was located. The materials were purchased in Port-au-Prince (Haiti’s capital, about two hours away), taken by vehicles to Boucan-Carré. Then the materials were transported by donkeys and about 40 Haitians over the mountain to Bouly. Sand for the cement was gathered at the river by women and children and hauled in buckets to the construction site. A foundation for the cistern and trenches for the pipes were dug by hand. Julio Geffrard served as the project manager, who oversaw all aspects of the project and reported back on the progress. “Julio has been an integral part of our team,” said Matt Webster, who leads the Haiti Outreach Program. “With our support via scholarships, he finished high school, went on to law school, and has returned to Boucan-Carré to teach and support us with various requests.” One challenge was to balance security for the clinic with accessibility to the water for the village. The novel design involved using a fence that circles the clinic to bisect the cistern, with a spigot on the inside of the fence and another on the outside. “This solution makes it possible to lock up the clinic grounds at night while providing access to water for residents,” Mr. Stair said. Funds also were provided to build a smaller cistern by the spring that captures water during the rainy season and stores it for use during the dry months of summer and fall. The Haiti Outreach Program is currently planning for a medical mission as soon as travel is allowed. Political and civil strife in Haiti have halted on-site mission work by the outreach program. “We are increasing our outreach to doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals as well as planning a fun fundraising event in early October,” said Mr. Webster, the program’s chairman. “There are so many professionals with a heart to give back and remote areas like Bouly could really use the help.” To volunteer, donate, or learn more about how to help, visit https://haitioutreachprogram.org or email mattwebster@haitioutreachprogram.org. ■

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BILL BREWER (3)

V Encuentro continued from page A4

Poland, those already here would say ‘not in my backyard.’ Because if we’re here first, we think we own it. But that has never been our history. A nation can be sinful. And until that nation recognizes that a nation can be sinful, something is missing,” the bishop said. “We look at the slaves that came over, or indentured servants, or people who were just looking for happiness and stability. Sometimes our history with Native Americans has not been great. We must admit that as a nation. Just like in the year 2000, Pope St. John Paul II took a great deal of time to apologize to the world that many times people within the Church, in speaking for the Church, were not speaking for God,” he continued. “So, the Holy Father, this great saint, invoked the mercy of God and asked for the forgiveness of those that people in the Church sinned against. We must always do that. All of us, no matter what nation we’re from, because we stand before God, sinful and hopefully sorrowful, knowing that we are not perfect, none of us.” Bishop Stika noted the diversity of the diocese, which is represented by priests, Religious, and parishioners from many different countries. Among the diverse languages in which diocesan Masses are offered are Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese, Polish, Korean, Swahili, and Latin. “In this Diocese of Knoxville, I am so proud that we have so many priests from the world, like from Colombia, or deacons from Venezuela, Nicaragua, or Mexico. People who are true missionaries. Even though sometimes people might think ‘I can’t understand them,’ like my homily opening in Spanish, it reflects the cultures of those who speak Spanish,” he said. “We have this beautiful diocese filled with wonderful people. And no one parish is more than one parish. We come together as one Church, with Jesus as the head. I wish to express my gratitude to all those people who work so diligently to build up the Church of many cultures. Many of our parishes have Mass in Spanish, in Latin, in Korean, in Tagalog (Filipino), and now in Swahili from Africa. One Church united by Jesus. That is all of you. And from the bottom of my heart I am grateful for all that you do, for your prayers and commitment, to build up this Church. Remember, St. Paul tells us to never tire of doing good,” he added. Bishop Stika thanked the multinational congregants for raising their children in the Catholic Church and introducing them to the languages, traditions, and cultures of the countries from where their parents, grandparents, or relatives originally lived. He asked them to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life within their families. “When my family came from Europe, they wanted so badly to be considered Americans that they did not teach the (Polish) language and sometimes not the culture because they wanted to be American. Remember, Americans are Spanish-speaking, Italian, Irish, German. We have always been a country of immigrants. So let us give praise to almighty God this day in gratitude for that day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit sent forth those Apostles to go to all corners of the world to teach about Jesus and the love of God, the Father, inspired by the Holy Spirit. For that is us, we are the Church. God bless the work that we do because we have a beautiful future in East Tennessee. Let us witness that faith,” Bishop Stika concluded. The Diocese of Knoxville’s shepherd also commended those attending the Mass for honoring their heritages in their different communities, whether through participation in important faith-filled activities like their parishes and the V Encuentro, or in the broader communities where they live and work. The gathering following Mass was just such a celebration, with fellowship, food, and multinational festivities. Parishioners from many of the diocese’s 50 parishes and Catholic mission filled Sacred Heart’s parish hall to mark the occasion, with a number of them adorned in the traditional dress of their native countries, offering music, dance, and a festive atmosphere. Traditional foods also were served. The V Encuentro process of ecclesial reflec-

Let’s see a show of hands Above: Bishop Richard F. Stika asks members of the cathedral congregation what countries they are from originally. The bishop was celebrating the Thanksgiving Mass for the Approval and Promulgation of the Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry on June 26. Below: Parishioners perform a traditional dance during a V Encuentro celebration at the cathedral parish hall.

“I love what Bishop Stika was saying in the Mass: We’re all the Church, no matter what country you’re from. That’s the beauty of our Catholic faith. Bishop Stika talked beautifully about it. We all have our faith to share with our brothers and sisters.”” — Deacon Fredy Vargas who serves at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus tion and action invited all Catholics in the United States to an intense missionary activity, consultation, leadership development, and identification of successful ministerial practices in the spirit of the New Evangelization. Diocesan group sessions and parish encounters took place from January to June 2017 followed by a diocesan-wide encounter in October 2017. A regional encounter took place in February 2018 in Miami. A national encounter involving 3,000 diocesan delegates from around the country was held in September 2018 in Grapevine, Texas. Six months of proceedings and conclusions, development and distribution took place in 2019 as did an encounter for the Louisville Province held in the Archdiocese of Louisville. As the national and regional V Encuentro documents began to take shape, the Southeast Pastoral Institute held training sessions in English and Spanish in July 2020. Also in July 2020, Bishop Stika was asked to renew the Diocese of Knoxville’s Hispanic Ministry Pastoral Plan. It was also during this time, in 2020, that the coronavirus pandemic suspended most activities in the Catholic Church. According to the Diocese of Knoxville’s Hispanic Ministry Pastoral Plan, the ministerial areas identified as receiving priority include: n Year 1 (July 2021-June 2022): family ministry, evangelization and mission, leadership development, and ministry formation. n Year 2 (July 2022-June 2023): pastoral juvenil

Celebrating a new pastoral plan The parish hall at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was full on June 26 as the diocese’s Hispanic community gathered to celebrate the completion and approval of a new pastoral plan for the diocese that was created in the V Encuentro. TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

(youth ministry), faith formation and catechesis, stewardship, and development. n Year 3 (July 2023-June 2024): liturgy and spirituality, immigration, and vocations. n Year 4 (July 2024-June 2025): Catholic education and intercultural competencies. n Year 5 (July 2025-June 2026): ecclesial movements and revisiting all ministerial areas. Bishop Stika thanked Father Julian Cardona, associate pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City and the bishop’s delegate to the V Encuentro process, and Blanca Primm, director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Knoxville, as well as all the parishioners who took part in the V Encuentro for leading the diocese through this process. Mrs. Primm explained that as the V Encuentro process shifts from creation of the national, regional, and diocesan pastoral plans to executing those plans, the Diocese of Knoxville has been asked to share with the national V Encuentro committee the diocese’s pastoral plan. “As a diocese, we did work and produced a pastoral plan based on recommendations in the national document. The diocese will be expected to continue to contribute to the national plan. As we have been seeing the needs over the past four years, our efforts are answering those needs,” Mrs. Primm said. Among the needs she identified are diocesan certification in Spanish for catechists. “This is a big thing. It shows we as a diocese are providing for Hispanics. SEPI (Southeast Pastoral Institute) has been providing certification and formation. We as a diocese needed to provide a way to certify Hispanics in Spanish,” she added. She noted that with the new initiative, a two-level certification exclusively on catechism called the Four Pillars of the Faith, classes will be taught by diocesan priests and deacons. Once certified, the new catechists will be able to lead CCD, RCIA, and other ministries in Spanish. Mrs. Primm credited SEPI with being instrumental in helping the Diocese of Knoxville successfully navigate the V Encuentro. SEPI also coordinated diocesan and regional Encuentro programs in the provinces of Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans, and Mobile in addition to Louisville. But she reserved her biggest assist for the Holy Spirit, who led the entire process. “What was started in the earliest Encuentro meetings was a voice that carried through the formation of the document. We had to respect the process and be open to the Holy Spirit in what He wanted us to accomplish,” Mrs. Primm said, noting that the V Encuentro document was edited to make it more accessible to more people. “We did this based on the Holy Spirit and consensus.” With Bishop Stika’s endorsement of the pastoral plan, Mrs. Primm wants to present it to diocesan parishes and offer guidance on implementing it in parishes. “Bishop Stika has said it is good to have a plan. He is excited for the plan, supports it, and agrees it is very much needed. This is a very good plan that can also be implemented in the whole diocese, not necessarily to just Hispanics,” she said. “In his homily, Bishop Stika emphasized how we are one diverse Church that makes up the body of Christ and encouraged us to continue our traditions and pass our language on to our children. He challenged us to foster vocations within our families so our children can minister to our own community,” Mrs. Primm said. “The encounter with our bishop is so important because it affirms us. His leadership is an V Encuentro continued on page A18

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East Tennessee churches offer COVID vaccines Diocesan parishes set up temporary clinics to offer vaccinations to parishioners and the public

By Casey Keeley

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s the state of Tennessee continues to weigh restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, many parishioners in the Diocese of Knoxville have been relieved at being able to attend Mass with fewer precautions involving masks and social distancing. However, there are others in the community who still are unsure about returning to a pre-pandemic world, continuing to adhere to all of the precautions that were required over recent months. Several parishes and at least one school within the Diocese of Knoxville are doing their best to ease the concerns of parishioners by teaming with public health officials to administer the COVID vaccine free of charge in parish facilities. Counties within the diocese are doing their part to spread awareness about availability of the COVID-19 vaccine and are working with some parishes and community organizations to administer the inoculations. Bishop Richard F. Stika has said he would like all parishes to follow suit. “I will ask all pastors of this diocese to work with their local health departments to provide vaccines at parish locations. . . . I will ask all priests to encourage people to be vaccinated,” Bishop Stika said on July 31 during a Mass at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport hosted its vaccination clinic in the parish life center in collaboration with Eastman Chemical Co. and Ballad

Rolling up the sleeves Parishes around the diocese have been setting up temporary clinics, in conjunction with health organizations, to administer the COVID-19 vaccine free of charge to members and the general public. Above, a member of the Knox County Health Department gives a vaccine in the parish life center of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on July 25. Right, associates of Ballad Health give the vaccines at St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport. Health. While St. Dominic identified the Hispanic community as primary recipients of the vaccine, the parish opened its doors to all who requested immunization. “Originally we were targeting the Spanish population,” said St. Dominic parish nurse Delores Bertuso. “We wanted to make the vaccine available to that community in a safe environment where they could come and feel familiar with the territory. Not all of us administering the vaccine spoke Spanish, so we had some great members of the community who came to interpret for us.”

The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus hosted its first COVID vaccination clinic on July 25 after each of the Masses in collaboration with the Knox County Health Department, with a special focus on the Hispanic population. “The cathedral is proud to partner with the Knox County Health Department to help out our community,” said Scott Barron, director of cathedral campus events. “Anyone was welcome, but we made a conscientious effort to target our Hispanic population and dispel any concerns they may have toward getting the

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example to us. I was blown away about how beautiful the Mass is done bilingually. He surprised us by speaking Spanish in parts of the Mass. We were grateful, and it brought him closer to us,” she added. Mrs. Primm also was encouraged by the turnout to the post-Mass celebration in the Sacred Heart parish hall, which was full. Food was contributed and catered, and about a dozen dances and performances were presented by different Hispanic cultures. Deacon Vargas, who serves at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and translated much of Bishop Stika’s homily into Spanish, also performed dance and songs during the cultural celebration. The V Encuentro is special to him. “The approval for the pastoral plan and being able to know the needs of the Church in general and its Hispanic ministry is a blessing. Something I thought was beautiful is the plan and its approval by Bishop Stika. That is a blessing. Now it’s on paper and we have something to go by,” Deacon Vargas said. “The plan touches on every ministry in all aspects.

Part of the plan Dancers from throughout the diocese joined in the June 26 celebration of a new pastoral plan for the diocese’s Hispanic Ministry. Leadership training. Liturgy. Immigration.” Deacon Vargas feels a certain sense of responsibility to help execute the pastoral plan. “God willing, and we hopefully see the end of the pandemic, our brothers and sisters in Christ will put the pastoral plan in place and work toward the completion of its goals.” He shared Mrs. Primm’s assess-

CCETN Welcoming Knoxville Festival celebrates East Tennessee’s newest citizens By Dan McWilliams

f anyone was looking for Venezuelan empanadas, South Asian samosas, Vietnamese bahn mis, or baklava in late June, then Suttree Landing Park in South Knoxville was the place to be. The Office of Immigrant Services, a Catholic Charities of East Tennessee program, held a Welcoming Knoxville Festival on June 26 at the park just across the river from downtown. The event turned the spotlight on new U.S. citizens who didn’t have a special ceremony celebrating their lifechanging moment last year because of the COVID-19 situation. Immigrant-owned small businesses catered Welcoming Knoxville. “Today we are holding a Welcoming Knoxville Festival together with the city of Knoxville and Welcoming America,” said Alessandra Ceccarelli, program leader of the Office of Immigrant Services. “This is an event that welcomes and recognizes newly sworn-in citizens. In the last year, due to the pandemic,

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there have not been ceremonies, so folks who were naturalized ... didn’t have the opportunity to have a nice ceremony with family and to really celebrate.” “Citizenship is the end goal of the immigrants who are here,” Ms. Ceccarelli continued. “They really want to be a part of this community 100 percent. Not having been able to celebrate it, that was a disappointment for many. This is really to celebrate the diversity and the richness of the Knoxville and East Tennessee immigrant and refugee community.” Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon attended Welcoming Knoxville. “The city of Knoxville is a welcoming community, and we know that immigrants and refugees are a wonderful part of our community,” the mayor said. “They bring a lot of economic energy and cultural vibrancy to our city, so I’m glad that we can celebrate our new citizens. It’s a naturalization celebration today, and it’s just really good stuff.” Welcome continued on page A21

COVID vaccine.” St. Michael the Archangel, a parish in Erwin, has had success in getting its parishioners vaccinated. The parish partnered with Ballad Health to make the vaccines available on Memorial Day, which resulted in 30 vaccinations that day. The first dose proved successful, and only one person was unaccounted for when the time came for the second dose. “We had 30 people get the vaccination on the first round,” said Father Tom Charters, GHM, pastor of St. Michael the Archangel. “The second time around, 26 came back, two made appointments elsewhere, and only one did not show up.” St. Patrick Parish in Morristown also focused on a minority community, and also with success. Scheduling its clinic to run after work hours, Hispanic min-

ment of Bishop Stika’s message during the Mass. “I love what Bishop Stika was saying in the Mass: We’re all the Church, no matter what country you’re from. That’s the beauty of our Catholic faith. Bishop Stika talked beautifully about it. We all have our faith to share with our brothers and sisters.” Deacon Vargas said he and

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Deacon Erasmo Hernandez, who serves at St. Mary Parish in Athens, are the only active Hispanic deacons in the diocese. Deacon Vargas believes a new class of deacons that is nearing ordination will provide five additional Spanishspeaking deacons. He also believes the new class of deacons is important in helping carry out the pastoral plan as are current deacons. Deacon Hicks Armor, who serves at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, expects the Hispanic Ministry Pastoral Plan to yield positive results. “Having been interviewed as a part of the Hispanic Ministry Pastoral Plan, I am thoroughly impressed by the comprehensiveness and depth of the five-year plan. The plan has five priority areas and in each year multiple supporting areas. The priority areas include family ministry, spirituality, education, and ecclesiology…exactly what our Church today needs,” said Deacon Armor, who is also director of Stewardship and Strategic Planning for the diocese. “This is a great plan for any church, diocese, or ministry.” ■

. ʹʹ – . ͵ͳ, 2021

With God, all things are possible!

With these words as our prayer,

Knoxville will again join hundreds of other cities for our eighth and largest 40 Days for Life campaign ever from Sep 22 to Oct 31, 2021. Our witness is prayerful, peaceful, and law-abiding. Since 2007… … 1,000,000 volunteers have participated in 40 Days for Life campaigns … 18,855 babies have been saved during 40 Days for Life vigils … 221 abortion workers have quit after experiencing conversions … 112 abortion facilities have closed their doors … 40 Days campaigns in over 1000 cities and 64 countries to date 40 Days for Life features three components:

1. PRAYER AND FASTING 2. COMMUNITY OUTREACH 3. PEACEFUL VIGIL Stand for life in a peaceful public witness outside of

PLANNED PARENTHOOD 710 N. Cherry St. Knoxville, TN Sep. 22-Oct. 31

CONTACT Paul Simoneau – Diocese of Knoxville psimoneau@dioknox.org Lisa Morris

lccte@bellsouth.net

Information@40days.com

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Help continued from page A16

is ongoing to help the Haitian people in the interior communities of BoucanCarré and the even more remote Bouly thanks to generous donors to programs like the Haiti Outreach Program, according to Mr. Webster. “It’s really frustrating. We need to be communicating with our sisters and brothers in Haiti on a more personal level than just on WhatsApp,” Mr. Webster said. Because of that lack of detailed communication, the meeting in Miami was scheduled. “We want to have a crystal-clear line of sight of what the (strategic) plan is. We went to Miami to meet with Father Lamarre, the BoucanCarré priest, and the bishop of the Diocese of Hinche to find out what is the future of capital investment in Haiti. What are the priorities? There Haiti continued from page A16

means to let go of rigid positions and to listen closely and attentively to other parties.” “The bishops’ conference now has an important role to play in the instillment of Gospel values, so that people can learn to look at each other face to face and see the nation,’ Bishop Quesnel said. “Otherwise, we are going to continue to be stuck in this situation.” The assassination sent shockwaves through the country. Fiammetta Cappellini, Haiti country representative for the Milan-based AVSI, said on the afternoon of July 7 “the country has come to a stop. Traffic has been halted and the borders are closed. Nobody is leaving their homes.” She, too, cited recent instability due to violence from armed gangs. “The opposition to this president was very strong,” Cappellini said. “As a humanitarian NGO, we are very concerned about the population, especially those who live in the most vulnerable neighborhoods and areas. In these areas, a large part of the population depends on humanitarian aid, which is now suspended, and we do not know when the organizations will be able to continue their operations because we must be able to guarantee the safety of our staff before resuming activities.” “Nou Pap Domi” (We Never Sleep), a citizen watchdog group that has campaigned against corruption and called for Moïse to step down, condemned the assassination and offered condolences to his family. “We note that blood just never stops flowing in this country. No one, no sector of society is spared from such assassinations,” the group said. “We are sending out an SOS to protect life and to protest against the disregard for human life in Haiti. We cannot continue to count bodies every day. Impunity must end, every murder victim must find justice, and those guilty must go to prison. “We must come together and allow the country to breathe. Too much blood has flowed,” the group said. According to news reports, several suspects in President Moïse’s assassination were killed by police and other suspects were arrested in the hours following the assassination. Jovenel Moïse was thrust into power as Haiti’s president when he was sworn in on Feb. 7, 2017. He was a 48-year-old businessman reportedly with limited political experience. Political and social turmoil in the country has prompted the United States to grant to Haitians with a special immigration status an extension so they can continue to live and work legally in the United States, or apply to do so. On May 22, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced it was granting a new 18-month extension of Temporary Protected Status to allow Haitian nationals and “individuals without nationality who last resided in Haiti” the opportunity to file an application. The Department of Human SerTH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

is interest in building a new church in Boucan-Carré to replace an aging one,” Mr. Webster said, adding that the Haiti Outreach Program already has helped fund and build a rectory and schools for St. Michel Parish. “What is most important? Is it a new church? Is it security? Is it technology? Is it a convent for the sisters there? This was a strategy meeting in which we wanted to get aligned on priorities,” Mr. Webster added. “With the Bishop of Hinche and his pastoral plan, with the priest and his parish, with the Sisters and their school, and with the doctor and his clinic, we can determine the needs.” Donors to the Haiti Outreach Program and similar Haiti mission programs at diocesan parishes like Immaculate Conception, St. Mary in Johnson City, St. Augustine, and St. Francis of Assisi in Fairfield Glade fund vital

Haitian operations such as two Catholic schools in Boucan-Carré, parish needs, and a medical clinic in Bouly, which has a Haitian physician and medical staff to serve the rural people of the area. “The fundamental driver here is our donors. They give very generously and we want them to know where their money is going and how it is used,” Mr. Webster noted, pointing out that the depositing of wire funds is very secure, as is the withdrawal process in Haiti. “It’s for food. It’s for clothing. It’s for water. Their situation is dire. This is a daily ‘wake up and am I going to survive today’ situation for them. Our donations help pay for teachers to educate Haitian students, books, tuition, uniforms, and food for these young students, a clinic, clinic staff, and medical supplies for these remote people,” Mr. Webster continued.

He estimated that over the 20-year history of Sacred Heart’s Haiti Outreach Program, about $5 million has been raised by donors. “What has been achieved there has been spectacular. We’ve changed the local economy in Boucan-Carré. The Haiti effort has made it a better place by funding a bridge over the river, two schools, a church and rectory, and a medical clinic in Bouly. It’s made an economic difference there,” Mr. Webster said. He acknowledged that it may be a while before Sacred Heart missionaries can return to Haiti, but the longterm plan is to get back there. “The need is as urgent now as it has ever been because of the political climate. We have high expectations that we are all aligned, us and Haiti working together on behalf of our dedicated donors,” he concluded. ■

vices said Haitians currently residing in the United States as of May 21 can file initial applications for TPS, so long as they meet eligibility requirements. TPS grants a work permit and reprieve from deportation to certain people whose countries have experienced natural disasters, armed conflicts, or exceptional situations so they can remain temporarily in the United States. “Haiti is currently experiencing serious security concerns, social unrest, an increase in human rights abuses, crippling poverty, and lack of basic resources, which are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a statement announcing the extension. “After careful consideration, we determined that we must do what we can to support Haitian nationals in the United States until conditions in Haiti improve so they may safely return home,” he said. Catholic organizations hailed the decision, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. On May 24, the chairmen of the USCCB’s committees on migration and international justice and peace issued a joint statement. Auxiliary Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville of Washington, D.C., chairman of the Committee on Migration, and Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, Ill., chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, said the decision “acknowledges the serious challenges facing the island nation, including widespread violence, civil unrest, political instability, and food insecurity,” as Haiti is widely recognized as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. “The Church in Haiti has been directly impacted by the unprecedented levels of gang activity — with targeted kidnappings of clergy, religious, and laypersons in recent months — adding to the need for an urgent response,” the bishops said months ago. “We stand with our brother bishops in condemning the lawlessness, and we join them in their solidarity with victims,” they said. “We urge the Haitian government and President (Jovenel) Moïse to act in the best interests of the Haitian people by respecting and upholding their rights and dignity. “We also call on the Biden administration to address the desperate conditions plaguing the country through diplomatic and humanitarian measures.” The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, also in a May 24 statement, said that as the organization’s missioners have witnessed the crises in Haiti unfold, Haitians deserved the legal protection granted. “This decision will give a pathway for vulnerable Haitians to seek refuge in the United States while their nation seeks to heal from the multiple crises it is facing, including the ongoing global pandemic,” said Susan Gunn, director of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns. She said missioners have accompanied Haitian families affected by the “protests, economic disrup-

tion, school closings, roadblocks, violence and increasing poverty that have intensified in the last year.” “Many Haitians are indeed fleeing for their lives, and it is our moral duty to welcome them. We commend the Biden administration for moving forward with a redesignation of TPS for Haitians in the United States,” she said. Anna Gallagher, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc., also commended the decision. “Haiti is currently facing increasingly dismal country conditions, including widespread violence, displacement, human rights violations, and kidnappings,” she said in a May 24 statement. “Protecting people from being returned to these conditions is exactly why Congress created TPS, Gallagher said. “The decision is not only correct under the law, but also under morality and our duty to each other as human beings.” Serious social unrest enveloped Port-au-Prince in October 2019, leading to days of paralysis and prompting the Haitian bishops’ justice and peace commission to call on President Jovenel Moïse to step down. Going a step further than the bishops, who squarely laid the blame for the current chaos on the government and elected officials in September 2020, the justice and peace commission said, “A change in head of state is crucial as is a change in the way the authorities govern the country.” Haitian leaders, it said, are “digging the people into a deeper ditch with no way out.” Haiti has been embroiled in a deepening crisis as a movement to demand accountability for government corruption scandals turned into a broad popular insurrection

to oust the president and put an end to the misuse of state funds. Last October, sporadic demonstrations continued in the streets of Port-au-Prince, often put down by heavily armed police SWAT units; most Haitians remained at home for fear of violence. Some ventured out to search for gas, which was scarce, as the government’s failure to pay fuel bills has had gas suppliers reluctant to deliver to Haiti. Some schools remained closed, and hospitals were barely able to function, for lack of electricity or gas to supply generators. Demonstrators blocked roads to stop traffic circulating. A ceremony to mark the opening of the judicial year on Oct. 7 was canceled as demonstrators threatened to stop the activity. The justice and peace commission described Haitian leaders as “indifferent to the situation of misery (the people) live in.” People are unable to eat, it said, because of the high cost of basic products. Since early 2018, inflation has risen by nearly 50 percent, from 13 percent to 19 percent, and the local currency, the gourde, has fallen from 65 to the U.S. dollar to 95. The commission described Haitians as “unemployed people in a place where there are no jobs, or exploited without access to a fair wage, a people who lack the means to pay for the education of their children, a people without access to health care because of its high costs.” Apart from living in poverty, Haitians are denied their most basic civil rights, the commission said: “The people get no justice from the state when their rights are violated, they cannot circulate freely without being victims of murder, armed robbery, rape, or theft, they cannot demonstrate for their rights without being victims of police shootings.” ■

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Vatican reports $78 million deficit in 2020

he Vatican reported the Roman Curia had a $78 million deficit in 2020, and on the same day, the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See, which administers Vatican properties and investments, made a summary of its annual budget public for the first time. Releasing both reports July 24, the Vatican said the coronavirus pandemic had a serious negative impact on the Vatican’s financial situation, including the 66.3 million euros ($78 million) deficit in the consolidated budget report for 2020. Bishop Nunzio Galantino, president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See, known by its Italian initials APSA, told Vatican News that making the budget synthesis public was “a step forward in the direction of transparency and sharing.” “The release of the balance sheet is a sign of great respect for all those who, with trust and generosity, have placed and continue to place part of their resources in the hands of the Catholic Church,” he said. “I harbor a secret hope: I hope that the publication and reading of the numbers and the important notes that accompany them will foster more correct and complete information.” In 2019, Italian journalist and author Gianluigi Nuzzi claimed in his book Giudizio Universale (“Universal Judgment”) that decades of mis-

By Junno Arocho Esteves/Catholic News Service

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE PHOTO/PAUL HARING

Holy See’s Administration of the Patrimony releases annual budget for first time

Financial transparency Bishop Nunzio Galantino, president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See, which controls most Vatican property and investments, is seen with Pope Francis in this 2014 file photo. management of the Vatican’s investments and real estate holdings by APSA would leave the Vatican no choice but to default by 2023. APSA directly administers 4,051 properties in Italy and entrusts to outside companies the administration of some 1,200 properties in London, Paris, Geneva, and Lausanne, Switzerland, the Vatican report said. During the 2020 fiscal year, APSA reported a profit of almost 22 million euros ($25.8 million), compared to 73.21 million euros in 2019. Aside from the economic challenges posed by the pandemic — including a need to reduce the rents of businesses that could not function during lockdown — Bishop Galan-

tino said the drop in its income was largely due to the “changing behavior of the securities market.” Jesuit Father Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, said his office was committed to providing as much detailed information as possible. “We come from a culture of secrecy, but we have learned that in economic matters transparency protects us more than secrecy,” he said. While 2020 was not a good year, he said, the Roman Curia’s budget deficit was “better than what we expected.” Before the pandemic, he explained, the Vatican projected a budget deficit of 53 million euros. However, in the midst of the pandemic, the office fig-

ured the best-case scenario would be a deficit of 68 million euros while the worst case would be a deficit of 146 million euros. “Instead, with a deficit of 66.3 million euros, the end result was slightly better than the projected best-case scenario, and decisively better than what we had projected in the revised budget in March,” Father Guerrero said. While most Vatican offices reduced costs during the year, Father Guerrero also noted that in 2019 the Peter’s Pence collection was used to subsidize 32 percent of Vatican dicasteries’ expenses, while in 2020 it was used to cover only 24 percent. Furthermore, despite the economic difficulties and orders to Vatican offices to reduce spending, the congregations for Eastern Churches and for the Evangelization of Peoples increased the aid sent to local churches experiencing even greater difficulty. The coronavirus pandemic “has given us the possibility of being able to provide additional help at a difficult moment for all humanity, thus making the Church present in areas with fewer resources to deal with the pandemic,” Father Guerrero said. “The economic situation was worse, but the mission expanded. This is further proof that the criteria driving the Church are not economic,” he said. ■

While space tourism needs regulations, a Jesuit astronomer is ready to go By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

there is some merit to that criticism as well as “to saying that these billionaires are arrogant and quite irritating people. Of course, if you read Scripture you realize that King David could be pretty irritating at times, too.” “This comes with the territory of being someone who does new and exciting things and often can get wrapped up in their own selfworth,” he said. However, “we are more than just animals that need to eat. We also need to feed our souls,” and no human being should be denied “a chance to explore and to satisfy that curiosity about ‘Who am I?’ and ‘Where did I come from?’ and ‘How am I in a relationship with this creation?’” he said. “After all, you look at the seven days of creation in Scripture and

while the first six are all about making sure there is a planet we can live on, the ultimate goal of creation is the Sabbath, the day that we spend contemplating God and God’s creation,” said Brother Consolmagno. “We are called to feed the poor so that the poor have the chance to also be able to contemplate creation, whether it’s through science or through art,” he said. For now, every single human being has the possibility to contemplate and be amazed by the cosmos, he said. “Whether you get into a spaceship or not (people) can at least go outside at night and take a look at the stars, take a look at the moon, and just spend a few moments remembering that the world is bigger than whatever my day-to-day worries might be,” he said. ■

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ith private companies planning to expand their offerings in orbital and suborbital space tourism, and more and more civilians already shooting into space, one Jesuit astronomer said if he were ever offered the possibility, he would go. “I know enough to never say no to an opportunity,” U.S. Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, a planetary astronomer and director of the Vatican Observatory, told Vatican News July 29. “If God opens a door, he’s wanting me to rush through it,” he said. “I’m a very timid person in many ways, but I had the chance 25 years ago to go to Antarctica to collect some of these meteorites and it was

not easy, but it’s an adventure I would never have regretted doing,” he recalled. However, one problem with expanding space travel is the current lack of regulation, he said. Laws are needed “to be sure that we don’t get in each other’s way, that our satellites don’t run into each other and create havoc for everyone,” he said. Setting up regulations that everyone can agree upon “hasn’t happened yet, so there’s still a lot to be done before I feel it would be safe for the ordinary person to buy a ticket and go into space,” he added. The enormously high ticket price — one seat can cost millions or tens of millions of dollars — has drawn criticism that the money should be used for helping the poor. Brother Consolmagno agreed

Ending the infection St. Dominic Parish members and members of the public register for COVID-19 vaccines in Kingsport. COVID continued from page A18

istry coordinator Veronica Galvin estimated more than 100 people showed up to get vaccinated on the first day. “Part of the reason we held this at the church was because many of the people in the minority groups could not get the vaccine from the health department because the hours of the health department did not align with their work schedules,” Ms. Galvan said. St Mary Parish in Johnson City identified the Hispanic community as well in its vaccination efforts, but did not turn away anyone who wanted the vaccine at its clinic. “The main challenge of getting people vaccinated is educating them,” A20 n AUGUST 8, 2021

COVID fighters Health-care professionals and volunteers at All Saints Parish in Knoxville stand (and sit) ready to provide COVID-19 vaccines on July 25.

said Maria Macriola, parish nurse at St. Mary. “Most people get their information from the media, whether that information is good or bad. We are trying to find a way to reach out and give them real information about the process of being vaccinated.” The Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga worked in collaboration with the Hamilton County Health Department to give COVID vaccines at the downtown church. “We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with local health officials and for their sacrifice of several Sunday afternoons to provide this service for our parishioners, and we are happy to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus in the Chattanooga community,” said

Maria Rist, who helped organize the basilica event. The Knights of Columbus at All Saints Parish in Knoxville worked in collaboration with the James H. Quillen Veterans Administration Medical Center to support veterans within the diocese. The first dose was to be administered at the end of July, with the second dose slated for the end of August. “All Saints Parish collaborated with the VA to administer COVID vaccines to veterans, their spouses, and their caregivers,” said Henry Usey of the All Saints Knights of Columbus council who organized the clinic. “We saw an opportunity to give back to those who served and we took it.”

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Not only are churches opening their doors to hold these vaccination clinics, some schools are as well. Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga offered vaccinations to its students, faculty, and coaches. “Notre Dame is grateful for Galen Medical Group’s willingness to host a vaccine clinic on campus for our faculty and staff wishing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Laura Goodhard, Notre Dame director of admissions. Immigration statuses were not considered an obstacle in getting vaccinated, with clinic organizers saying everyone deserves the same health opportunities. Clinic organizers hope the efforts prove successful in quelling COVID-19 cases in East Tennessee. ■ TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

Diocese of Covington’s Bishop Foys retiring; Fr. John Iffert to succeed him

In Brief Virtual Ladies of Charity USA national assembly is Aug. 27-28; Knoxville chapter set to host 2022 event Ladies of Charity Knoxville is inviting its members to the first virtual Ladies of Charity USA national assembly Aug. 27-28. LCUSA’s national board of directors decided earlier this year to host a virtual assembly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Peggy Keene, national president, said to keep with the organization’s theme, “Following Vincent with Humility, Simplicity & Charity,” Fathers Richard and Robert Gielow will give presentations on each of the virtues and their importance in Ladies of Charity ministries. Participants will learn about the structure of the Ladies of Charity and its many ministries. Anyone wanting to participate in the virtual assembly with other Ladies of Charity Knoxville members can RSVP by Aug. 12. (ladiesofcharityknox@ gmail.com). There is no charge for members to attend, however a light lunch will be served so reservations are required. Members also can register for a virtual session on their home computers for a fee of $50. In 2022, Ladies of Charity Knoxville will be hosting the LCUSA National Assembly 2022 at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Knoxville. The date for this assembly is Aug. 26-27, 2022.

By Catholic News Service

ope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Roger J. Foys of the Diocese of Covington in Kentucky, and named as his successor Father John C. Iffert, currently vicar general and moderator of the curia for the Diocese of Foys Belleville in Illinois. Bishop Foys, who has led the Diocese of Covington since 2002, turned 76 on July 27. Canon law requires bishops to turn in their resignation to the pope at age 75. The changes were announced July 13 in Washington, D.C., by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States. Bishop-designate Iffert, 53, was ordained a priest for the Belleville Diocese on June 7, 1997, by thenBishop Wilton D. Gregory. He will be ordained and installed as the bishop of Covington on Sept. 30 in the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington. Serving as Belleville’s vicar general and moderator of the curia since

Kathryn Catena Wilbanks DeWine passed away peacefully at Parkwest Medical Center in Knoxville on July 15, surrounded by her children. Mrs. DeWine was born on Oct. 23, 1942, in Dalton, Ga., and grew up there among lifelong friends until she was a freshman in high school, when her mother moved the family to Decatur, Ga., in 1956. She attended Sacred Heart School before transferring to the new Pius X High School, where she graduated in 1960. She went on to Sacred Heart College in Cullman, Ala., where she met her husband, Larry DeWine. They were married on Sept. 2, 1963, at Sacred Heart Church in Atlanta. They were married for 54 years before he passed away in the Mrs. DeWine summer of 2018. Mrs. DeWine lived a life that radiated undeniable faith, contagious joy, and a profound freedom rooted in her complete trust in the promises of her savior, Jesus Christ. Her faith was a lifelong work in progress always grounded in prayer, Scripture, and personal relationships. She sought out God’s message in every phase of life and strived to be His faithful servant. In 1985, she returned to college, where she earned a degree in English from the University of Tennessee. She went on to complete a master’s degree in theology and pastoral ministry from Loyola University in New Orleans. Her faith was nurtured through contemplative prayer, active study, and her writing. She entered the Carmelite religious community in 2004 and made her definitive promise as a secular Carmelite in 2009, serving as president of the community from 2009-2014. She served God and her community on the Provincial Council for two years until her health began to decline. She remained active in her Carmelite family and through her spiritual journey she brought so many others closer to Christ. Mrs. DeWine, who was deeply rooted in her Catholic faith and loved the Church, is preceded in death by her parents, John Henry Wilbanks and Maria Catena Wilbanks; by her husband, Larry DeWine; and siblings John Wilbanks and Mary Wilbanks Lohre. She is survived by her children, Jennifer DeWine Borek (Brian); John William DeWine II (Vanna); Kathryn DeWine Perry (David); and David Bradley DeWine (Mary Susan); and grandchildren Robert, Patrick, Brianna, and Carrie Anne DeWine; Natalie, Elisabeth, Davis, and Duncan Perry; and Jonah and Nina DeWine; as well as a host of in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and godchildren. A funeral Mass for Mrs. DeWine was held on July 20 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, with Bishop James V. Johnston Jr. celebrating. Bishop Richard F. Stika concelebrated the Mass, and Cardinal Justin Rigali was in choir. The family said donations in Mrs. DeWine’s memory can be made to the Ladies of Charity, 120 W. Baxter Ave., Knoxville, TN 37917.

Funeral Mass held for Dr. Patricia Droppleman Dr. Patricia Ann Gentry Droppleman, 85, passed away on Dec. 24 in Tampa, Fla., with her family at her side. A funeral Mass for Dr. Droppleman was celebrated on July 17 at St. John XXIII University Parish on the University of TennesseeKnoxville campus, with Father Michael Kallock, CSP, serving as celebrant. She was born June 12, 1935, in Richmond, Va., to Alton D. Gentry and Mary E. Lutz. Her parents predeceased her, as did her beloved brother, Jack, and her infant brother, Joey. Dr. Droppleman became a registered nurse and later received her bachelor’s degree from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. After marrying and starting a family, she continued her formal education, earning a master’s degrees in child development and nursing, and a Ph.D. in child development from the University of Tennessee. She was a professor in the College of Nursing at UT-Knoxville for more than 30 years, where she touched the lives of countless students and collaborated with numerous beloved colleagues, who became an extended family. From Appalachia to Africa, she led her students to provide health care to underserved populations. Love and compassion radiated from her as she worked to enrich the lives of others. While pursuing her education and her career, Dr. Droppleman also raised three girls seamlessly, juggling carpools, swim practices, and track meets while writing her dissertation and working full time. She was a devoted friend, consummate hostess, talented cook, avid reader, enthusiastic world traveler, lover of jazz music, ardent fan of the Lady Vols basketball team, devout Catholic, and fervent Democrat. Above all, she was a kind and loving mother who adored her children, grandchildren, sons-in-law, and nieces. She is survived by daughters Susan Duff (John) of Tampa, Fla., Beth Droppleman (Wayne Grovenstein) of Augusta, Ga., and Jackie Gose (Richard) of Vienna, Va.; and grandchildren Tim, Emma, and Colby Duff, Isabelle and Charlotte Grovenstein, and Taylor, Ellen, Lukas, and Rae Gose. Memorial donations in Dr. Droppleman’s name may be made to the University of Tennessee Foundation Inc. to benefit the Droppleman Scholarship Endowment. Please send your donation (payable to UTFI, memo Patricia Gentry Droppleman Scholarship) to the UT College of Nursing, Attention: Diannah Eagle, 1200 Volunteer Blvd., Knoxville, TN 37996. ■

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DAN MCWILLIAMS

Funeral Mass for Kathy DeWine held at the cathedral

October 2020, he was named pastor of St. Stephen Parish in Caseyville, Ill., in January. Bishop Michael G. McGovern of Belleville praised the newly named bishop as “an excellent priest and a dedicated pastor” who “is widely respected in our diocese.” Archbishop Joseph Iffert E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., welcomed the appointment of a new shepherd for the province “with great joy.” Archbishop Kurtz said Bishop Foys “has served northern Kentucky with great distinction, and I join with the bishops of the province in thanking him for his leadership and collaboration since 2002.” The bishops of the province of Louisville, which also includes the dioceses of Lexington and Owensboro in Kentucky and the dioceses of Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville in Tennessee, “have a great fraternity,” Archbishop Kurtz added, and together welcome Bishop-designate Iffert and “promise him and Bishop Foys our prayerful support.” ■

Welcome home Siblings Veronica Mendéz and Andres Francisco take part in Catholic Charities of East Tennessee’s Welcoming Knoxville Festival. Welcome continued from page A18

Two siblings from Guatemala attended the event. Veronica Mendéz has been a citizen since March, and her brother, Andres Francisco, has been naturalized for three years. They spoke to The East Tennessee Catholic via interpreter Luis Mata, who is with the Office of Immigrant Services. “I’m very happy, very joyful” at being a citizen. “I am now ‘from here,’” Ms. Mendéz said. Attending Welcoming Knoxville “warms my heart, and it makes me very happy to be here celebrating what is now my country,” she added. Mr. Francisco said that “citizen-

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ship has a lot of importance to me. A lot of times many immigration benefits and resources that come with that or any type of benefit is very temporary, as opposed to becoming a citizen—it is permanent.” He said that celebrations such as Welcoming Knoxville “are very important because oftentimes in many of these cases a celebration isn’t really what is done for such a huge event like becoming a citizen. I think an event like this is wonderful for celebrating. Thank you so much to [the Catholic Charities of East Tennessee Office of Immigrant Services] for being here for the event and for essentially celebrating such a ‘momentous moment.’” ■

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House refusal to include Hyde in bills called ‘injustice’ USCCB: Action is ‘out of step’ with the will of citizens who oppose taxpayer-funded abortion

A22 n AUGUST 8, 2021

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE PHOTOS

he refusal by the U.S. House to include the Hyde Amendment and other pro-life riders in appropriations bills before lawmakers passed the measures is an “injustice” that overshadows the provisions that help “vulnerable people,” said the chairmen of two U.S. bishops’ committees. Late July 29, the House voted 219 to 208 in favor of H.R. 4502, a package of appropriations bills that currently exclude the Hyde, Weldon and Helms amendments and other longstanding, bipartisan-supported pro-life language. Eliminating these provisions would force taxpayers to pay for elective abortions and would have the effect of forcing health-care providers and professionals “to perform and refer for abortion against their deeply-held beliefs, as well as forcing employers and insurers to cover and pay for abortion,” said the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in a news release issued after the vote. The release included a joint statement on the House actions by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee for Religious Liberty, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities. “The House has voted in a way that is completely out of step with the will of the American people who overwhelmingly oppose taxpayerfunded abortion,” the prelates said. “The Hyde Amendment has saved at least 2.4 million lives since its enactment. Without it, millions of poor women in desperate circumstances will make the irrevocable decision to take the government up on its offer to end the life of their child,” they said. The now-approved package of spending bills “includes provisions that help vulnerable people, including pregnant moms,” they acknowledged, but “as we have said before, ‘being “right” in such matters can

Cardinal Dolan

Archbishop Naumann

never excuse a wrong choice regarding direct attacks on innocent human life.’” This “failure to protect and defend life in its most vulnerable stages renders suspect any claims to the ‘rightness’ of positions in other matters affecting the poorest and least powerful of the human community,” they said, again quoting a previous bishops’ statement. H.R. 4502 covers spending for Agriculture; Energy and Water Development; Financial Services and General Government; Interior, Environment and related agencies; Labor, Health and Human Services and Education; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and related agencies; and Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. The Hyde Amendment, first enacted with strong bipartisan support 45 years ago, outlaws federal tax dollars from directly funding abortion except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the woman would be endangered. Congress must reauthorize the Hyde Amendment annually as an attachment to the appropriations bill for the Department of Health and Human Services. Hyde language also has been part of a dozen spending bills for decades. Until this year, Hyde has been reauthorized every

year since 1976. “The injustice in H.R. 4502 extends to removing conscience protections and exemptions for health-care providers who believe abortion is wrong, or whose faith drives them to serve and heal lives, instead of taking them,” Cardinal Dolan and Archbishop Naumann said, referring to the Weldon Amendment, first passed in 2005. “Funding the destruction of innocent unborn human lives, and forcing people to kill in violation of their consciences, are grave abuses of human rights,” they said. The cardinal and archbishop called on the Senate “to redress this evil in H.R. 4502, and for Congress to ultimately pass appropriations bills that fully support and protect human dignity, and the most vulnerable among us.” On July 28, the House voted 217212 to pass the appropriations bill for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, H.R. 4373, without the Helms Amendment. Called “the Hyde Amendment for the rest of the world,” it has prohibited using U.S. taxpayer funds to directly pay for abortions in other countries since 1973. In a July 30 joint statement, Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop Naumann

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By Julie Asher/Catholic News Service and Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, Ill., chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace, criticized the House for eliminating Helms. “(This) could force recipient countries that have strong legal and cultural opposition to abortion to embrace it in order to receive desperately needed help for their people,” they said. “Pope Francis has referred to this type of situation as ideological colonization,” they added, calling on the Senate “to stand against the coercive pro-abortion policies of H.R. 4373.” “While this legislation contains many positive provisions that provide assistance to the poor and vulnerable worldwide, including protection of refugees, increases to humanitarian assistance, and protection of the environment, nothing can justify subsidizing the taking of innocent human life,” the prelates said. In a July 29 e- mail, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., a co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, told Catholic News Service that he, Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., and other House members “pushed hard in the Rules Committee and in the House debates to defend the unborn and their mothers from the violence of abortion.” “A total of 14 pro-life amendments were ruled out of order by the Democratic majority,” Rep. Smith said in July 27 remarks on the House floor. “All is not lost, however. I remain hopeful — confident — that the Senate will reinstate all current pro-life protections, like the Hyde Amendment.” Before the full House took up the spending bills for fiscal year 2022, the House Appropriations Committee had spent the previous weeks marking up the bills on largely party-line votes to advance them to the House floor. In marking them up, committee members left out the Hyde, Weldon, and Helms amendments. ■

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