Aug. 6, 2017, ET Catholic, B section

NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE

B section

Bishop celebrates adult confirmation Mass Ninety-one years young John Stramiello is among 65 from across the diocese confirmed at the annual liturgy

BILL BREWER

J

‘Oldest kid I’ve ever confirmed’ Bishop Richard F. Stika confirms 91-yearold John Stramiello at the adult confirmation Mass on June 25. Accompanying Mr. Stramiello is his daughter Giovanna. life is a journey, especially the faith life.

Mr. Stramiello can relate. At the age of 91, he may be the oldest Diocese of Knoxville parishioner ever to be confirmed.

Mr. Stramiello felt somewhat at home among the adults receiving the sacrament from Bishop Stika, as comfortable as you could feel as the lone nonagenarian amid a confirmandi class dominated by millennials or generations X and Y, a.k.a. Echo Boomers or the Net Generation.

But his low-profile presence was quickly exposed by Bishop Stika.

“Normally I celebrate confirmation with young women and men, high-

BILL BREWER

ohn Stramiello had compelling reasons for missing his confirmation: the Great Depression and World War II. At a time when most Catholic youth were studying their catechesis in preparation for the sacrament of confirmation, Mr. Stramiello’s family was crisscrossing the United States in search of employment as his father worked to put a roof over their heads and food on their table and his mother worked to care for the family.

Then at age 19, Uncle Sam came calling and Mr. Stramiello answered, spending the next two years serving in the Army in the South Pacific during WWII. Life’s journey began early for the cradle Catholic from Brooklyn, N.Y. He had lived in four states and another country by the time he was a teenager.

But after a lifetime of regret for never having received the last of three initiation rites (after baptism and first Holy Communion), Mr. Stramiello decided to wait no longer.

So on June 25 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Mr. Stramiello joined 64 other adults from around the Diocese of Knoxville gathered for the annual adult confirmation Mass.

If everything had gone according to plan and calendar, Mr. Stramiello would have received the sacrament of confirmation in 1941 or 1942.

But, as Bishop Richard F. Stika succinctly pointed out in his homily,

‘I’ve received all the sacraments’ Mr. Stramiello kneels before receiving Holy Communion from Bishop Stika.

school age or younger. But I hear a rumor that there’s someone here to be confirmed, who would be the oldest person I’ve confirmed. He’s over the age of 90,” Bishop Stika said.

The bishop then pointed out Mr. Stramiello of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville, who received applause.

“He’s the oldest kid I’ve ever confirmed.”

“That’s why I say life is a journey.

It takes us to different places and different moments in life. One of the things that I’ve reminded all of the people I’ve confirmed this season is God doesn’t want us to fail. He doesn’t. God does not want us to fail. If we look at Genesis, Genesis tells us that we’re all created in the image and likeness of God. Now, when I look in the mirror and I see myself, I think ‘is that what God looks like?’ I certainly hope not,” Bishop Stika said.

“Life is so precious and beautiful. We’re created in the image and likeness of God. So why would God want us to fail? God loves us so much that he sent Jesus into our life to show that he does not want us to fail. He gives us the gifts, the talents, and all of the experiences of life.

Some are quite challenging. Some are crosses to bear. But all of life’s experiences are part of who we are.

Life ain’t perfect. I guess that’s why Jesus came into the world just to know what we have to go through as a person, as a part of humanity,” he added.

By Bill Brewer Mr. Stramiello and the other confirmandi personified Bishop Stika’s confirmation Mass message. They are on their own faith journeys and have made the decision to pick up the cross and follow Jesus.

“He (Jesus) got together a group of individuals, people just like yourselves. … And if you look at the first followers of Jesus, they don’t look a lot different than us. But they put their trust in Jesus. ‘Jesus, I trust in you,’ they said, when he said, ‘Come and follow me,’” Bishop Stika pointed out. “They followed Jesus. They staked their lives on Jesus.”

Bishop Stika described the joy the apostles must have felt as they followed Jesus in those three years of His ministry when He was cheered and beloved, such as when they entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; and the pain they must have felt when Jesus was jeered and taunted amid calls for his crucifixion only a few days later.

After Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection and ascension into heaven, the apostles went out into the world spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ.

“The rest is history, because we are here today. To me, that is one of the proofs of the Holy Spirit, we are here today, in this church, the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville, Tenn., in the year of our Lord, 2017, despite what has happened to the Church and the world through all the centuries. We are here today,” Bishop Stika said.

“Jesus knew the apostles were going to need help. And Jesus knows that we need help. That’s why we have the sacrament of confirmation. The seven sacraments we have as the Church are times when we are touched by Jesus in a particular way, such as baptism or marriage.

All seven sacraments are to give us help, to fortify us because God does not want us to fail.”

The bishop then told the confirmandi that the same Holy Spirit that came upon the apostles at Pentecost, the same Holy Spirit that comes upon people at baptism or ordinations as bishops or priests, that same Holy Spirit is going to come upon them.

“And anytime we open our hearts to God, He touches our life, He fills us up, He gives us help. It might not be Confirmation continued on page B6

Father Julius Abuh presides at his silver-jubilee Mass

P

arishioners of St. Therese in Clinton and St. Joseph in Norris packed the Clinton church July 22 to help their pastor, Father Julius Abuh, celebrate his 25th anniversary in the priesthood.

An overflow crowd watched as Father Abuh presided at his silverjubilee Mass. Bishop Richard F. Stika attended in choir. Principal concelebrants were Father John Orr, a former St. Therese pastor, and Father Michael Woods. More than a dozen priests attended, including homilist Father David Carter of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, and master of ceremonies Father Michael Hendershott, who is an associate pastor at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. Monsignor Bill Gahagan, another former St. Therese pastor, also was present.

“I just want to thank the bishop,” Father Abuh said during the Mass.

“I just want to tell you how grateful I am for the opportunity of allow-

ing me to serve in the diocese and for the opportunity of you being present today, for where the bishop is, there is the Church. So we know that the Church is fully represented today.

“To my brother priests, I can’t thank you enough. I understand how busy especially Saturdays can be, for you to leave your parish schedules to be here today. . . . All of you, from wherever you have come from today to be part of this celebration, you have really made my day and made this celebration very, very special.”

In his homily, Father Carter compared the priesthood of Father Abuh to the light and trajectory of the moon, which he observed during a recent backpacking trip to rural New Mexico.

“There was one night when the moon was full,” Father Carter said.

“It rose with a regal silver color and was bright enough to light up the

By Dan McWilliams

DAN MCWILLIAMS

St. Therese and St. Joseph parishioners fill the Clinton church to help their pastor celebrate 25 years of priesthood

In thanksgiving Father Julius Abuh, with Father John Orr at right, celebrates his 25th anniversary of priestly ordination. whole night sky — I wanted to sit in that moment forever — it was so beautiful — sit and stare and wonder I did for a while, but then it moved and went behind a mountain

and out of my sight. I was sad for a moment until I thought, that is what moons do — it wasn’t meant to stay still. It has an orbit that is ordained Father Abuh continued on page B6

Parish notes Chattanooga Deanery

Five Rivers Deanery

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Chattanooga Holy Trinity, Jefferson City The Council of Catholic Women executive board for 2017-19 includes Sharon Jurkonie and Anne Wharton, co-presidents; Monica Witkowski, secretary; and Kathy Marshall, treasurer.

COURTESY OF PATRICIA KIRCH

Knights of Columbus Council 6099 recently presented a check for $500 to the OLPH Home and School Association from proceeds of three Lenten fish fries.

St. Jude, Chattanooga St. Jude School recently announced its 2017 class awards. The recipients were: Molly McGann, Betty Carignan Award for service on the altar; Carson Barasha, Christian Service Award; Luke Beach, Effort Award; Griffin Lee, Faculty Award; Jobe Tabang, Fine Arts Award; Charlotte Mahn, Gadd/Masterson Scholar Athlete Award and Lowery Award for Best Overall Student; Adam Desai, Highest Academic Average; Shiloh Loher and Evan Nowell, Improvement Award; Sara Willingham, Leadership Award; and Max Flasch, Lions Club Award.

The parish recently welcomed Lupita Marquez to its staff. She is sharing duties with Gail Campbell, who is semi-retired.

The Pregnancy Help Center, on behalf of Catholic Charities, thanked parishioners for their recent gift of $380 in cash from the center’s Baby Bottle Fundraiser.

St. Mary, Athens The fall festival is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 17. To volunteer, call the parish office at 423-745-4277, extension 0.

The parish in early June congratulated Father Patrick Resen and Deacon Jim Prosak on the 10th anniversary of their ordinations.

The Knights of Columbus recently awarded their family of the quarter award to Gene and Donna Dunn.

This year’s recipients of the Ken Schroer Memorial Scholarship are Ashley and Heather Sexton. Ashley and Heather, along with Diego Rosas and Thomas Witkowski, were congratulated by the parish upon their high school graduation this year.

The 22nd year of Appalachian Outreach was a great success as parishioners donated time, talent, or treasure to assist the ministry in serving the elderly and indigent with home repairs. From July 10 to 14, Holy Trinity had 116 volunteers come together for a week of work and fellowship.

Anniversaries: Emery and Millie Faulkner (69), Stan and Virginia Borzick (59), Vinnie and Katherine Clossey (59), James and Margaret Ray (58), Joe and Betty Jo Lavelle (56), David and Alice Cornell (54), Joe and Diana Brang (53), Ron and Anna Laarz (51), Jeffrey and Julie Greene (20), Chris and Michele Weatherbie (20)

St. Catherine Labouré youth receive first Communion On May 7 the first Holy Communion class of St. Catherine Labouré Parish in Copperhill posed for a picture with Deacon Loris Sinanian, pastor Father Tom Moser, and CCD teachers Richard Jabaley and Jennifer Jabaley. From left are (front) Nadia Rosas, Izzie Jabaley, Elizabeth Ruiz Garcia, and Christopher Correra and (back) Jorge Estrada Vasquez, Eric Acevedo, Brisa Estrada Vasquez, and Yarely Vargas.

Rybas to celebrate 60th wedding anniversary

S

t. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade congratulates Benedict and Jacqueline Ryba, who are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary Aug. 17.

Father Anthony Orlemanski of Corpus Christi Parish in Cleveland, Ohio, officiated their wedding Mass.

The Rybas’ five children are Phyllis of Lima, Ohio; Maureen Kratzer of Toledo, Ohio; Benedict III of Oberlin, Ohio; Kathleen of Toledo, Ohio; and Sheila of Crossville; and they have six grandchildren.

The Rybas were employed with the government in Lima, Ohio, and moved to the Glade in 1993.

An anniversary celebration is planned with family and friends Aug. 19. The Rybas enjoy gardening, swimming, and eating out.

Mr. Ryba is the sacristan at the 10 a.m. Sunday Mass at St. Francis. Mrs. Ryba’s sister was a Notre Dame Sister for 64 years. Mr. Ryba’s brother is a priest in the Cleveland Diocese, and he has a sister in a religious order, too. n

The parish picnic was held July 22.

The Golden Girls Luncheon, in which the Council of Catholic Women honors all women 70 years and up, took place Thursday, Aug. 10, at the Golden Oak Buffet, 401 S. Tulane Ave., Oak Ridge.

The Knights of Columbus installed new officers after Mass on July 9. The new Grand Knight is Chris Wilson.

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade Anniversaries: Joseph and Millie Walasinski (67), Al and Kathleen Evans (67), Bernard and Darlene DeFillipi (63), William and Mary Best (63), Larry and Reva Lanzerotti (61), Kenneth and Norma Guillory (60), Ben and Jackie Ryba (60), Paul and Carole Forkapa (58), Bernard and JoAnne Bunyak (57), Jerome and Carol Scherer (57), Tom and Marguerite Clifford (57), John and Jean Brey (56), Ray and Joan Nadolny (56), David and Tish Offutt (54), Don and Judith Johnson (54), Elliot and Nonie Bueche (54), Paul and Barbara Dahar (53), Tom and Trish Rosenbergh (53), Tyrone and Pat Perry (53), Ronald and Virginia Schuster (52), William and Janette Larou (52), Don and Sherry Koch (52), William and Pat Maas (52), John and Helen McMenamin (52), Tom and Andrea Cassidy (51), Samuel and Janet Chiappetta (51), David and Barbara Sheperd (51) St. John Neumann, Farragut The youth group collected school supplies after Masses on July 29-30 for the children of Glenmary Father Steve Pawelk’s parishes of St. Teresa of Kolkata in Maynardville and St. John Paul II Catholic Mission in Rutledge.

The SJN Summer Social will follow the 4:30 p.m. Mass on Saturday, Aug. 19, in the pavilion. Volunteers (men and women) are needed; contact Carol Dawson at qmscarol@hotmail.com to help.

St. Therese, Clinton The Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) approved a “kitchen campaign” to provide parishioners the opportunity to make a pledge toward remodeling costs. Pledge cards were given out July 29-30 and Aug. 5-6.

The newest members of the PPC are Jean Chiaro and Anthony Papa.

B2 n AUGUST 6, 2017

Notre Dame, Greeneville The 10th annual Fall Festival of Nations is coming up Saturday, Sept. 30. The event features an international food court, a raffle, a silent auction, a yard sale, a farmers market, a bake sale, and entertainment. Call event chair D.J. Dalton at 423-639-1096 to volunteer.

Sponsorships are available.

The parish held a family night at the Greeneville Astros baseball game July 21.

Anniversaries: Russell and Marilyn Bailey (65), Bill and Shirley Kelly (58), Bud and Mary Noe (54), Landon and Marlene Wilds (54), Bob and Marie Tocci (45) St. Dominic, Kingsport Mary Tennant hosted a Youth Group Lake Day on July 23, featuring food and fun on Patrick Henry Lake.

St. Patrick, Morristown The annual Knights of Columbus “Big Boys Toys” Yard Sale is set for 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 26, behind the church outside in the picnic pavilion.

The youth held a Movie Matinee fundraiser July 9 featuring “Finding Dory.”

Proceeds benefited youth group activities and retreats.

A Knights’ Greekfest dinner took place June 10 in the parish center.

Anniversary: Allen and Janet Keller (50)

COLEEN SCHNEIDER

Blessed Sacrament, Harriman

Cardinal Rigali confirms 10 at St. Elizabeth Cardinal Justin Rigali came to St. Elizabeth Church in Elizabethton on June 24 to confirm nine students from St. Elizabeth and one from St. Anthony of Padua in Mountain City. Pictured with him are (from left, front) Omar Linares from St. Anthony and Marisa Sehrer, Tarah Sexton, Daniel Grubb, Ashley Bonner, and Allison Jordan and (back) Kevin Smith, Luke Anspaugh, Jennifer Sexton, and Helen Johnson.

Two Glade couples celebrate 50th anniversaries

S

t. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade congratulates two couples on their 50th wedding anniversaries: n Ted and Joann Bronske were married June 10 at St. Rita of Cascia Church in Chicago. Their two children are Tammy Wentz of Peotone, Ill., and Den Bronske of Oak Forest, Ill., and they have three grandchildren.

Mr. Bronske retired as a carpenter in Chicago after 35-plus years, and Mrs. Bronske worked at ATA Airlines for 20 years. They lived in Oak Forest, Ill., until they retired to the Glade in 2004.

They enjoyed their special day with a New England cruise and will have a family celebration this summer.

n James and Judith (Haack) McClure were married June 19 at St. Mary Church in Muncie, Ind., with Father Ambrose Ziegler officiating.

Their three children are Mitchell of Simpsonville, S.C.; Michael of Grand Rapids, Mich.; and Mari McClure of Jericho, Vt.; and they have two grandchildren.

Mr. McClure retired from Arvin Meritor in Troy, Mich., and Mrs. McClure retired from Bright Horizons in Rochester Hills, Mich.

They moved to the Glade in July 2004.

They celebrated their anniversary June 17 in Muncie with family and friends. Their hobbies are tennis and golf. Mrs. McClure also is a member of the St. Francis of Assisi choir. n

Smoky Mountain Deanery Immaculate Conception, Knoxville

COURTESY OF JANET BLANKENSHIP

Cumberland Mountain Deanery

Newcomers: Terry and Mary Brady; Florencio Carreno Santos and Isabel Chavez Padredes and their children, Yazmin, Anthony, Jose, David, and Eduardo

The Downtown Catholic Twenties and Thirties group will be volunteering at the Ladies of Charity at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6. To learn more about the group, e-mail DowntownCatholicTNT@ gmail.com or visit www.facebook.com/ groups/DowntownCatholicTNT. The Servant of God Isaac Hecker Prize, awarded annually by the Paulist Fathers, went to Keeley Wade for 2017. The award goes to the graduatParish notes continued on page B3

St. Henry Parish celebrates first Communion Five candidates received their first Holy Communion on May 14 at St. Henry Church in Rogersville. Pictured are (from left, front) Sarah Silcox, Anais Rodriguez, Lucas Helms, Abagail Haynes, and Naylen Bingham and (back) Laura Toth, Father Bart Okere, and Carol DeGroff.

www.di o k no x .o rg

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

Calendar

The annual diocesan Youth Mass, youth ministry recognition awards, and Evening Extravaganza are set for 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, at The Barn at Cedar Ridge, 10104 Hines Valley Road, Lenoir City, TN 37771. Mass is at 4 p.m. At the conclusion of Mass, Bishop Richard F. Stika will present the highest recognition awards available from the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry for a diocese to confer. After that presentation, the bishop will commission this year’s Diocesan Youth Ministry Advisory Council. A celebration will follow with a dinner, a dance, and games for high school youth. Cost is $25 and includes a T-shirt. For more information, contact Beth Parsons at 865-228-0477 or bparsons@dioknox.org. Or, go to dioknox.org, click on the “events” tab, hover over “categories” on the left, scroll down, and click on “youth.”

Bishop Richard F. Stika is again celebrating bilingual Masses throughout the diocese to honor the sacrament of matrimony. The Diocesan Office of Marriage Preparation & Enrichment has planned something special for all couples married in the Catholic Church and their families. Three churches will host a Mass and luncheon honoring married couples. Couples will have an opportunity to reaffirm their vows and receive a blessing. Commemorative certificates will be distributed at the luncheon, and a photo of each couple with Bishop Stika will be taken and mailed to the couple’s home. Masses for 2017-18 are set for 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, at St. Henry Church, 112-114 Highway 70 North, Rogersville, TN 37857; 11 a.m.

Central Time Saturday, Nov. 11 (register

by Thursday, Nov. 2), at Shepherd of the Valley Church, 6191 Highway 28, Dunlap, TN 37327; and 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018 (register by Thursday, Feb. 1), at Immaculate Conception Church, 414 W. Vine Ave., Knoxville, TN 37902. Space is limited in all these locations, so register right away. To register, contact: Marian Christiana at mchristiana@dioknox.org or 423-892-2310.

A Diocesan Family Retreat, hosted

by JMJ Ministry, is scheduled for 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center, 250 Locke Lane, Benton, TN 37307. Retreatants will discover how God is calling their family to serve in everyday life and beyond. Cost is $20 per family and includes a catered dinner and a small donation to use CPOP facilities.

To register, visit eventbrite.com and enter “JMJ, All Dates” and click on “search.” For more information, go to dioknox.org, click on the “events” tab, hover over “categories” on the left, scroll down, and click on “family life.”

Contact Monica Kimutis at jmkimutis@ gmail.com for further details.

“There’s an App for That,” a workshop on ministry with Gen Z youth and their families presented by the Center for Ministry Development, is set for 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut. Topics include “Listening to and Walking With Gen Z Youth,” “Engaging Their Parents and Families,” “Making It Personal Through Relationships and Formation,” “Empowering the Innovators – Letting Their Faith Soar,” and “Transforming Ministries and Creating New Pathways.” The workshop is designed for all parish leaders whose ministries touch the lives of adolescents, including pastors, deacons, pastoral associTH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C A T HO L I C

The 10th annual Irish Fest on the Hill at Immaculate Conception Church in downtown Knoxville is scheduled for 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12. The event features live Irish music, Irish food and beer, Irish dancers, Celtic goods, Irish desserts, and a silent auction. The IC women’s group will again be sponsoring the dessert table at the Irish Fest. Desserts may be delivered Friday, Aug. 11, or on the day of the Fest. To sponsor the event, contact Becky Birdwell at birdwellent@bellsouth.net. For questions regarding the silent auction, e-mail deborah.allen@ jupiterent.com. To volunteer, contact Beth Wolf at beth7137@att.net. Admission is $5 for adults; children 12 and under are free. For more information, call IC at 865-522-1508.

COURTESY OF BETTY ANNE NEAL

ates, coordinators of youth ministry, leaders in faith formation, catechists, confirmation preparation leaders, and service/social concerns leaders. Register online at cmdnet.org or go to the “events” tab at dioknox.org. Cost is $54 and includes lunch and handouts and other materials. Contact Deacon Al Forsythe at 865-806-1343 or aforsythe@dioknox.org.

New Serra Club of Chattanooga officers installed The 2017-18 Serra Club of Chattanooga officers were installed June 26 at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. From left are (front) Skip Nardo, trustee; Alice Cooper, membership; Barbara DeGaetano, vice president; Father Christopher Floersh, chaplain; Anna Anthony, programs; Jerry McCrary, president; and Betty Anne Neal, communications; and (back) Raleigh Cooper, membership; Rusty Phillips, trustee; Emily Knoch, trustee; Judy Speck, secretary; Fos Goodwin, trustee; Ralph Christiana, programs; and Susan Chill, vocations.

The Diocesan Office of Marriage Preparation & Enrichment, in partnership with the St. Jude Family Life Office, will offer a free one-day divorce healing seminar from 8 a.m to 3 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 30, in the parish life center at St. Jude Church in Chattanooga. This seminar presented by Deacon Walt Otey is an overview of the Journey of Hope program based on the book “Divorced. Catholic. Now What?” Attendees will view a DVD presentation, “The Voices of Hope,” and participate in discussion to lead them through the struggles of divorce.

Lunch will be provided. Books will be available for sale. Purchase not required for seminar. Child care is available for a fee. Contact Kyra Niemann King at 423-870-2386 or kyraross@ yahoo.com to learn more or to register.

A Natural Family Planning course is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturdays, Aug. 12, Sept. 16, and Oct. 7, at All Saints Church in Knoxville. The course will follow the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage and instruct how to effectively space children without artificial contraception. To register, visit https:// register.ccli.org/class_series/10883.

For more information, contact Jared or Monica Kimutis at 970-980-5009 or jmkimutis@gmail.com.

Knights of Columbus Council 610 is collecting items for its White Elephant Yard Sale at its annual Labor Day picnic, set for Sept. 4 at Camp Columbus. For pickup or drop-off information, contact Brent France at 423-505-1068 or francebrent@gmail. com or John Chrnalogar at 423-5441562. The picnic also features kids’ games, adult games, and barbecue.

The next Picture of Love engaged couples retreat is scheduled for 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, in the parish life center at St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga. The retreat is to supplement couples’ marriage formation process with their parish priest or deacon.

The cost is $135 per couple, which includes a certificate good for $60 off a marriage license. Couples must attend the entire program to receive the certificate. Mass will be celebrated during the event. For more information, contact Marian Christiana of the diocesan Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment at 423-892-2310 or mchristiana@dioknox.org, or visit dioknox.org/ marriage-preparation-and-enrichment/ and click on the “programs designed for engaged couples” page.

A Marriage Encounter weekend in Spanish is set for Dec. 2-3. For more information, call Agustin or Vero Ortega at 865-406-8297, or Fermin or Anita Cabrera at 423-619-3658.

A World Meeting of Families pilgrimage to Ireland with Father Mike Nolan is set for Aug. 20-Sept. 1, 2018. Reserve a place at the meeting at www. worldmeeting2018.ie. For information on the pilgrimage, contact Marian Christiana at 423-892-2310 or mchristiana@ Calendar continued on page B4

DAN MCWILLIAMS

The diocesan Office of Christian Formation is sponsoring the annual Ministries Day from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, at All Saints Church in Knoxville. The event is open to all who share the Catholic faith: parents, student youth leaders, coordinators of youth ministry, RCIA teams, adult educators, liturgy and ministry teams, directors of religious education, catechists and assistants, and more.

More than 20 individual workshops will be offered, including a Spanish track. Cost is $20 and includes lunch.

After Aug. 9, the cost remains $20, but lunch is not guaranteed. Class sizes are limited, so register early to get your first choice. Workshop descriptions and registration forms may be found at dioknox.org/event/ ministries-day-2017/.

Evangelizing Sisters of Mary hold pre-Chapter assembly The five Evangelizing Sisters of Mary who live at their convent near St. John Neumann Church in Farragut welcomed four guests July 3-7 for a pre-Chapter assembly, in which the sisters express ideas that will be discussed at the congregation’s Chapter (gathering). The Chapter is held every six years and will take place this year in December in Nairobi. From left are sisters Dorothy Cassian, Rita Mrema, Veronica Odera, Angela Nikwobazeirwe, Germina Komuhangi, Elizabeth Wanyoike, Maureen Ouma, Restituta Nyinoweitu, and Bibiana Dohh’o. Sisters Dorothy, Angela, Elizabeth, Maureen, and Restituta live at the Farragut convent.

Sister Rita is from Ohio, Sisters Veronica and Germina from Kenya, and Sister Bibiana from Pennsylvania.

Parish notes continued from page B2 ing eighth-grade student at St. Joseph School who writes the best essay on how being a faithful Catholic can contribute to making a person a better citizen and the United States a better country.

IC congratulated all of its graduates this year – Sacred Heart Cathedral School: Jacob Foster, Ruth Keffer, Sonya Nguyen; St. Joseph School: Mary Linh Vu, Keeley Wade, Levi Waxmonsky; West High School: Katie Wade; Knoxville Catholic High School: Meredith Allen, Annie Graham, Raphael Jones, David Lacey, Caleb Morgan; Spring Hill College, Mobile, Ala.: Kyle Halstead, bachelor of science in marine biology and biochemistry; University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Dr. Stefan Schnake, Ph.D. in mathematics.

The parish celebrated the 10th anniversary of ordination of deacons Joseph Stackhouse and Hieu Vinh on June 9 and the first anniversary of ordination of Deacon Doug Bitzer on June 11.

Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa A Walking With Purpose women’s Bible study will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. on select Wednesdays, Aug. 23 to March 7, 2018, in the Fatima Center.

The course is “Keeping in Balance: Creating Order Within.” Participants will discover the relevance of Old and New Testament wisdom to their daily challenges. Cost is $70. For more information, contact Mary Louise Ward at 865-803-5082 or Marie Ward at 405-3589, or e-mail wwp.olof@gmail. com.

The parish congratulated its 58 stu-

www.di o k no x .o rg

dents confirmed by Bishop Richard F. Stika in the spring.

The Respect Life Committee thanked Knights of Columbus Council 3832 of OLOF for its steadfast commitment to raising funds for the Pregnancy Resource Center’s acquisition of an ultrasound machine.

The Council of Catholic Women’s second annual rummage sale was held July 21-23.

Music director Rob Lynch and the OLOF choir presented “Made in America: Celebrating America in Song” on June 25.

The parish on June 4 congratulated Father Bill McNeeley and Deacon Ken Long on the 10th anniversaries of their ordination.

St. John XXIII, Knoxville Confirmandi: Gregory Croisdale, Ben Dadmun, Maggie Dadmun, Quinn Diamond, Bella Fishman, Jacob Foster, Dylan Griggs, Sean Halstead, Eleanor Mancini, John Rentenbach St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville The parish helped 35 children from the Good Shepherd Christmas in July program.

The women’s group thanked two people who helped with work recently completed at the parish’s Marian grotto. Eileen Askey provided landscape design, all planting, and labor, while Rocco Rescigno donated and installed a sprinkler system. n AUGUST 6, 2017 n B3

COURTESY OF JILL PURCELL

COURTESY OF FATHER J. HOAN DINH

Parish news

Divine Mercy parishioners participate in camp Members of the Church of Divine Mercy in Knoxville took part in a four-day camp July 20-23 to train leaders for the first two levels of the Eucharistic Youth Movement. The Eucharistic Youth Movement, popular among Vietnamese communities, helps parishes identify and develop young Catholic leaders. There were about 130 participants who came from all over the United States and Canada.

COURTESY OF ROSEMARY ANDERSON

‘Getting to know you’ at St. Alphonsus CCW meeting The Council of Catholic Women of St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville held a “getting to know you” meeting June 13. Above, Kathleen Kelly (left), retiring president, welcomes new parishioner Melinda Cull into the CCW.

COURTESY OF PATRICIA KIRCH

KRISTIN GIRTON

Eight confirmed at St. Anthony of Padua Eight youth were confirmed June 11 at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Mountain City. Aileen Mendoza, Angel Mullis, Jessica Mullis, Erik Rodriguez, Kimberly Rodrigues, Alondra Salinas, Itsel Salinas, and Kathleen Wilson are pictured standing with pastor Father Dennis Kress and class teachers Joseph Herman and Leni Smith.

Vacation Bible school held at St. Catherine Labouré About 30 children learned the beauty of their faith at a vacation Bible school held June 12-16 at St. Catherine Labouré Church in Copperhill. Pastor Father Tom Moser held daily Mass for the children. The lessons and activities were led by Sister Marie De Lourdes, OP, and Sister Delia Grace, OP, from the Dominican motherhouse in Nashville. The sisters were assisted by two parishioners, Patricia Partin and Nelly Hensley.

Students confirmed at Notre Dame Church The sacrament of confirmation was celebrated during the 5 p.m. Mass on June 3 at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville. Cardinal Justin Rigali was the celebrant, and Father Dan Whitman, pastor, concelebrated, assisted by Deacon Tom Franklin of Notre Dame and Deacon Bob Lange and Deacon Stephan Helmbrecht of St. Dominic in Kingsport. Father John Aiken Assembly 1840 of the Knights of Columbus served as honor guard. Eighteen young people received confirmation on the vigil of Pentecost. The catechists for the students were Kathy Stone, Petra Young, Aimee Place, DJ Dalton, and Susan Collins, director of religious education and youth ministry. Knights of Columbus Council 6784 provided a picnic-style dinner after Mass for the students, their families, and sponsors. Seated, from left, are Alexandra Stone, Cristina Vazquez, Makayla Kindle, Estefania Juarez, Haley Kells, Jessica Jardinez, Ashley Sanchez, Raquel Aguliera, and Hannah Collins. Standing, from left, are Daniel Vazquez, Diego Vazquez, Ryan Alter, Ryland Jones, Father Whitman, Cardinal Rigali, Deacon Franklin, Anthony Gonzalez, Javier Munoz, Jose Torres, Deacon Helmbrecht, Jericho Torres, Deacon Lange, and Juan Torres.

Good Shepherd Parish marking 50th anniversary

G

ood Shepherd Parish in Newport will celebrate its 50th anniversary Sunday, Sept. 24.

Bishop Richard F. Stika will be the principal celebrant and homilist.

In May 1967, Bishop Joseph A. Durick of Nashville purchased a

house and 2.5-acre lot on Broadway for a future church in Newport.

Father Luzerne Schnupp celebrated the first Mass there Sept. 24, 1967.

Good Shepherd moved to its current home on Cosby Highway in 2005. n

Calendar continued from page B3 dioknox.org or Lisa Morris at 865-567-1245 or lccte@ bellsouth.net.

A diocesan pilgrimage to Spain, Lourdes, and Fatima, with spiritual leader Father Randy Stice, will take place Aug. 21-Sept. 2. The first stop is Barcelona, where pilgrims will visit the Sagrada Familia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site designed by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi, as well as the Monastery of Monserrat and the Royal Basilica. The group will then travel north through the Pyrenees on its way to Lourdes for two nights, where pilgrims will visit the site of the apparition of Our Lady to St. Bernadette and join in the candlelight procession at the basilica. Other stops on the pilgrimage include Madrid, Avila, Santiago, Compostela, the Shrine of Our Lady of the Pillar, the convent of St. Teresa of Avila, O Cebreiro, the Cathedral of St. James, Pontevedra, Porto, and Fatima, where the group will join in the celebration of the jubilee of the apparition of Our Lady to the children. The all-inclusive pilgrimage package is $3,995 per person (land and air). For more information, contact Lisa Morris at 865-567-1245 or lisam@select-intl.com.

A diocesan pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Father Arthur Torres and Father Miguel Vélez, “Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus!,” is planned for Sept. 12-22.

Pilgrims will celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross in Jerusalem as they walk the way of the cross and attend Mass at the Holy Sepulchre. The group will spend time in Bethlehem and visit the Church of the Nativity and Shepherd’s Field, and in Bethany to visit the tomb of Lazarus. Pilgrims will also take a cable car to Masada, visit Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and spend time in Nazareth. They will stay for two nights at the Sea of Galilee, spending time at the Mount of Beatitudes, ascend to Mount Tabor for the view from the Church of the Transfiguration, and visit the baptism site on the River Jordan, the Mount of Temptation, the Dead Sea, Magdala, B4 n AUGUST 6, 2017

and Jericho. The all-inclusive package, air and land, is $3,895. For more information, contact Lisa Morris at 865-567-1245 or lisam@select-intl.com.

A Low Mass in the ancient form of the Roman Rite is normally offered every Monday morning at 7 a.m. at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga.

A Missa Cantata (sung Mass) in the ancient form of the Roman Rite is normally celebrated at 5 p.m. on fourth Sundays at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul.

On Aug. 27 at 5 p.m., a Missa Cantata will be celebrated for the 12th Sunday after Pentecost. Following the Aug. 27 Mass, at 6:30 p.m., the third annual Haiti Dinner will be held in Varallo Parish Hall. On Sept. 24 at 5 p.m., a Missa Cantata will be celebrated for the 16th Sunday after Pentecost, followed by a potluck dinner at 6:30 p.m. All are invited to join and bring a dish.

The third annual Haiti Dinner at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul will begin at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27, in Varallo Parish Hall. The parish will welcome Father Alain Prophete, pastor of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the basilica’s sister parish in Milot, Haiti, for his first visit to Chattanooga. Authentic Haitian cuisine will be served, and a presentation will follow. There is no charge for the dinner. Bring a dessert.

The Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga offers morning prayer after the 7 a.m. Mass on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Vespers (evening prayer) is now led by a deacon on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:15 to 5:30 p.m. Attendees should plan to use their own source such as the Four Volume Liturgy of the Hours, the Book of Christian Prayer, or the iBreviary app on your cell phone.

The Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga offers adoration every first Friday following the www.di o k no x .o rg

noon Mass, concluding with Benediction at 5:30 p.m., sung by the Jubilate Deo Youth Schola. Adoration continues from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., with songs and prayers through the night led by the Hispanic community. All are invited.

The Jubilate Deo Youth Schola at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul invites youth in grades 1-12 for a fun year of exploring the musical treasures of the Catholic Church. Classes are Fridays from 4:15 to 5:30 p.m. at the basilica. Classes for new students are underway. Returning students start Friday, Sept.

1. Visit the Youth Choir page at stspeterandpaulbasilica.com. To register, e-mail MariaRist@comcast.net or call 865-335-0588.

Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at noon each Sunday at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville; at 3 p.m. on first and third Sundays at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland; at 3 p.m. on second and fourth Sundays at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Madisonville; and at 3 p.m. on the first and third Sundays at St. Mary Church in Johnson City. For more information, visit www.KnoxLatinMass.net.

The St. Thomas the Apostle Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic Mission located at 2304 Ault Road, Knoxville, TN 37914 meets for Divine Liturgy each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. All services are in English. Call Father Richard Armstrong at 865-584-3307 or visit www.saintthomasknoxville.org/ for details.

Holy Resurrection Byzantine Catholic Church (Ruthenian), located at 6515 Millertown Pike, Knoxville, TN 37924, celebrates Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday and at 7 p.m. on holy days. For more information, call Father Thomas O’Connell at 865-2564880 or check the website www.knoxbyz.org. n TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C A TH OLI C

Parish news

By Dan McWilliams

K

nights of Columbus Father John Savoca Council 12633 from St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City honored a number of charities and individuals July 18 at its annual recognition dinner.

Outgoing Grand Knight Don Hoyle welcomed the gathering to the dinner. Father Doug Owens, St. Thomas pastor, gave a welcome and blessing. New Grand Knight Jim Gecsei emceed the presentations.

Mr. Gecsei presented a number of checks to nearly 20 charities, including Adult Community Training of Lenoir City, the American Wheelchair Mission, The ARC – Sunshine Industries, Boy Scout Troop 770, the Boys and Girls Club of Lenoir City, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Monroe County, Catholic Charities’ Pregnancy Help Center, Catholic Charities’ Jellico Project, the Child Advocacy Center of Loudon County, the Crisis Center

for Women, the Dominican Sisters – St. Cecilia Congregation, the Good Samaritan Center, Habitat for Humanity in Loudon, the Handmaids of the Precious Blood, Shangri-la Therapeutic Academy of Riding (STAR), STAR – Heroes and Horses, Smoky Mountain Service Dogs, the Loudon County Special Olympics, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

This fraternal year the council has distributed more than $26,000.

Mr. Gecsei recognized a number of young people for their efforts in the youth group or as altar servers.

They were Maria Espinoza, Jennifer Gonzalez, Ashley Nolazco, Joshua Gonzalez, Leo Langlois, and Dean Langlois.

The council also recognized its Knight of the year, Ray Mouse; its family of the year, Larry and Katy Finneran; its longest-serving member, Bill Webb, with more than 68 years in the Knights; and its oldest member, Gene Kray, who will turn 90 later this year. n

DAN MCWILLIAMS (5)

Lenoir City Knights recognize charities, individuals

To a good cause Sister Theresa Marie, OP, accepts the Lenoir City Knights’ contribution to the Dominican Sisters. With her are Don Hoyle and Father Doug Owens.

Larry and Katy Finneran were named the Lenoir City Knights’ Family of the Year.

Father Owens receives a greeting from Spirit, one of the dogs with Smoky Mountain Service Dogs, a charity honored by the Lenoir City Knights.

Father Jesus Guerrero of St. Mary in Johnson City was the celebrant of the Mass in Spanish, and Father Whitman concelebrated. Pictured are Alin Jimenez, Jonathan Brenes, Natalia Montes, Jessica Pina, Bryan Montes Sarai Galarza, Karla Pina, Ricki Torres, Andres Vazquez, Julia Villagomez, Jericho Torres, Odalis Sanchez, Esmeralda Torres, Emily Villagomez, and Martin Torres.

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

COURTESY OF JANET BLANKENSHIP

First Communion at Notre Dame Church The sacrament of first Holy Communion was celebrated at the 11 a.m.

Mass in English and at the 3 p.m. Mass in Spanish on April 30 at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville. Father Dan Whitman, pastor, was the celebrant of the Mass in English. Pictured with Father Whitman are (left photo, from left) Gabriel Oakley, Collin Frost, and Liam Taylor. Evan Litchfield received his first Holy Communion at the 8 a.m. Mass.

Ray Mouse receives the Lenoir City council’s Knight of the Year honor.

Confirmation at St. Henry Cardinal Justin Rigali confirmed nine youths May 7 at St. Henry Church in Rogersville. From left are (front row) Charlotte Silcox, Karissa Sandleben, and Hector Salmeron; (second row) Sean Moody, Gianna Sandleben, Reannon Wilkosz, and Dakota Bingham; (third row) Jacob Haynes and Veronica Salmeron; (fourth row) Deacon Bob Lange, Father Bart Okere, Cardinal Rigali, and Deacon Stephan Helmbrecht; and (back row) Deacon Walt Otey and servers Chris Campbell and Steven Meyers.

COURTESY OF MICHAEL STRADLEY

KRISTEN GIRTON (2)

Gene Kray, who is almost 90, was honored as the Lenoir City Knights’ oldest active member.

Forty-nine confirmed at basilica Bishop Richard F. Stika confirmed 49 youth from the English- and Spanish-speaking communities May 27 at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. Those pictured include teachers Brian Tierney (left) and Sister Imelda Quechol (far right).

www.di o k no x .o rg

AUGUST 6, 2017 n B5

from on high, and it would not glorify the creator if it stayed put in disobedience just to indulge my desire. That is the first lesson that I learned from the moon during that trip.”

Father Carter said he noticed another phenomenon of the moon on his trip.

“I noticed the moon wane as it made its way around the earth in that monthly orbit that causes the moon to take on its descent from full to gibbous to crescent to new and then back again,” he said. “This is the second lesson I took from the moon. It moves, but it also changes and from different angles and different aspects does its job of lighting up the night sky.

“The third and final lesson one learns from the moon is that of hope. The moon has no light of its own. Its soil is but a mirror reflecting the sun’s rays. But the cause of our hope is that when the earth turns away from the sun, and darkness covers the land, there is a beacon in the sky that reminds us that even though there is darkness around us now, the sun is still shining bright out there — constant and faithful as He is.”

Father Carter said “this argent and effulgent, ever-moving, everchanging mirroring orb in the sky is a great analogy for the priesthood. As I was reflecting on these phenomena I thought of Father Julius Abuh, a priest of Jesus Christ forever, according to the Order of Melchizedek, but who has exercised this ministry on earth for 25 years.

Like the moon, he has not stayed in one place but has moved around as priests are wont to do and as ordained from on high. And his ministry has been diverse, waxing and waning, taking on different shapes and aspects, serving all the while as a guide to the transcendent for those

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Father Abuh continued from page B1

Anniversary gathering Bishop Richard F. Stika and Father Julius Abuh are joined by the other priests, Deacon Dean Burry, and servers present for the silver-jubilee Mass. in the valley of darkness — faithfully reflecting the light of the sun as the sun willed it.”

Father Abuh, “25 years ago you may have wanted the moment of your ordination to stay fresh and vibrant – an ever present moment. But that is not what your ordination was meant to be,” Father Carter said. “It was really a death and resurrection and the beginning of a cycle toward something out of this world. Your ordination launched you into a different orbit with a new trajectory.

It was the day you died to earth in order to become the moon reflecting the sun. Julius Abuh, on July 18, 1992, you died in a cathedral, before a bishop who received your selfoblation but then who brought you to a new kind of life by the touch of his apostolic hands upon your head, linking you in an unbroken line to Jesus, and the invocation of the

same Spirit which breathed over the waters in the beginning and which burned as flames upon the heads of the 12 at Pentecost.

“This was your new moon phase, and although there was hiddenness to it, the light you received was gradually revealed over time as you eased into ministry in your first two assignments as a parochial vicar.

But the priesthood moved you — it wasn’t meant to stay still. The call to ‘come and follow me’ cast shadows in your life that made it a mosaic of places, people, and apostolates from parish ministry in Africa, to work in the diocesan curia, to further studies in Rome, travels throughout Europe, as a seminary formator, professor, and spiritual director, until your arrival here in East Tennessee. Who could have predicted this movement? But it shouldn’t take us by surprise. The waxing and wan-

ing of a priest’s life and ministry is part and parcel of the journey of the master Himself, whom we reflect.”

Sometimes a priest finds himself “in the dark phases of his journey with the sun,” Father Carter said.

“It is only in looking back that you can see how the Lord worked through you,” he said. “You probably thought at times that your words made no impact, and your labor bore no fruit — but in reality your mere presence and the gravity of your divinely inspired office made tides rise and fall in people’s lives and in their souls — even if all you did was stay close to your people and reflect the light of the sun.

These 25 years of priestly ministry have surely gained you wisdom that will serve you in the future. You have reaped where you did not sow, and you have sowed where you will Father Abuh continued on page B7

the answer we want when we want it. But He wants to give us that help, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, so that we might be transformed, so that we might do the things that we might think we can’t do.”

Bishop Stika then asked the confirmandi to renew their baptismal promises before he said the ancient Prayer of the Laying on of Hands.

He then anointed them with the holy Chrism, using the Chrism to make the sign of the cross on their foreheads while he said, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit” as he placed his hand on their heads and was told the name of the saint they have chosen to honor and to whom they have a special devotion.

As he concluded his homily, the bishop inspired the confirmandi to continue their journey comforted by knowing God will be with them.

“You are eventually going to be walking out those doors, and you’re going to be making all kinds of choices and decisions that you’ve always made. But you’re going to be doing so now fortified by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Keep your relationship with God alive and real, and He will always be there with you,” he said.

Bishop Stika, who said it is one of the great joys of his life to give the sacrament of confirmation, informed the congregation that this will be the last group of confirmandi in the present cathedral. The new Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus will be dedicated on March 3.

Father Richard Armstrong, assistant director of the diocesan Office of Christian Formation and pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic Mission in Knoxville, said the 2017 class of adult confirmandi was the largest the diocese has had, and he credited Bishop Stika and leaders in the Office of Christian Formation — director Sister Anna Marie McGuan, RSM, and censor librorum Sister Mary Timothea Elliott, RSM — for making the sacrament of confirmation so available to adults in the diocese.

“More and more dioceses are doing what we are doing,” Father Armstrong said. “These strong adult numbers demonstrate the importance of faith in people’s lives. These are B6 n AUGUST 6, 2017

people who are freely choosing it.”

Father Armstrong said the increasing number of adult confirmandi also points to the strong network of parishes and DREs and the outreach they do.

As an example of the work the parish directors of religious education do, many of the adults had to have help in locating their baptismal certificates, and with many of the adult Hispanics, the DREs had to help them get their baptismal certificates from other countries, “which isn’t easy to do,” the Christian Formation assistant director said.

“That shows the level of commitment they have to the sacrament,” he said about the confirmandi and the DREs, noting that 36 of the 65 adult confirmandi, or 55 percent, were Hispanic.

Father Armstrong expects the number of adults being confirmed in the diocese to go down over time since the sacrament now is available to elementary/middle-school students.

There is a direct correlation among the decreasing number of teens receiving the sacrament, the increasing number of adults being confirmed, and the age at which confirmation has been offered in the diocese, according to Father Armstrong.

“In the 1970s and ’80s, confirmation was pushed to the high-school years in most places. Many adolescents did not receive the sacrament for various reasons, so the result is today we have many adult Catholics who have now been confirmed,” Father Armstrong said. “By lowering the age, we will see fewer people miss the sacrament.”

Father Armstrong urges any Catholic adult who has not been confirmed to contact their parish and begin the process. He said that process is not at all complicated, strenuous, or intimidating.

“We really try to make it as easy as possible. Very little is required,” he said, noting that there is some catechesis involved and a baptismal certificate is needed. “We try to make it as painless as possible. We don’t want to put an unnecessary burden on receiving a free gift from God. You are never too old for grace.”

Although clearly joyous in greet-

BILL BREWER

Confirmation continued from page B1

Photo op Adult confirmandi and their families pose for photos after the Mass. ing each confirmand, Bishop Stika was especially joyous that Mr. Stramiello, who attends daily Mass and the Sunday Latin Mass at Holy Ghost, persevered in receiving the sacrament that had eluded him for nearly 80 years.

Mr. Stramiello was accompanied by his daughter, Giovanna Stramiello, who lives in Nashville, and Elizabeth Bunker, the director of religious education at Holy Ghost. In fact, Mr. Stramiello drove to Nashville to pick up his daughter so she could attend the confirmation Mass.

“I had been through confirmation, and he said he had not been confirmed,” Ms. Stramiello said. “I know the diocese offers adult confirmation, so I asked Dad to talk to (Holy Ghost pastor) Father (John) Dowling.”

After searching for his sacramental records, Father Dowling and Mrs. Bunker worked with Mr. Stramiello and his daughter to determine what sacraments he has received, when, and where. Mrs. Bunker admires his stick-to-itiveness.

“He knew he was baptized in New York, but he didn’t know where,” Mrs. Bunker said, adding that Church records for Mr. Stramiello were discovered at Immaculate Conception Church in Knoxville.

“He is an inspiration and a blessing to Holy Ghost Church, no doubt about it.”

Mr. Stramiello noted that he was baptized at St. Francis of Assisi

www.di o k no x .o rg

Church in Brooklyn and that he received his first Holy Communion in Knoxville. “I had a lot of help finding out when I was baptized and where I was baptized.”

“He received first Holy Communion at Immaculate Conception.

He was married at Holy Ghost, and now he’s being confirmed at the cathedral,” Ms. Stramiello said.

“I think it’s wonderful. I actually pushed for it. When he told me, I said, ‘We can get this done.’”

As a child, Mr. Stramiello and his family moved from Brooklyn, relocating to Canada, Maryland, New Orleans, Nashville, and finally to Knoxville, where his father took a job with the Palm Beach apparel factory. After serving in the Army, Mr. Stramiello joined Palm Beach and spent his career as a sewing-machine mechanic while raising three children with his wife. In addition to Giovanna, 41, Mr. Stramiello’s children are Deborah, 61, of Hixson, and John Jr., 62, of Spokane, Wash.

Now at age 91, Mr. Stramiello is resting easier after having been confirmed. “It’s just great. It just gets everything done. I’ve received all the sacraments,” he said.

After Mass concluded, Bishop Stika approached Mr. Stramiello again with congratulations and to put the moment in perspective.

“I think you might be the oldest person I’ve ever confirmed. God bless you,” the bishop said. n TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C A TH OLI C

that drew laughter before the bishop added: “I’ll be like the Blessed Mother, and I will keep all of these things in my heart.”

Priests present at the Mass hailed from Africa including the honoree’s native Nigeria — Germany, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

“To all my brother international priests, it just shows the beauty of the Church, the universal nature of the Church,” Bishop Stika said.

Both Father Carter and the bishop wished Father Abuh “ad multos annos.”

“I just want to say in the name of his eminence, Justin Cardinal Rigali, who always enjoys his visits here to St. Therese, in the name of all my brother priests and deacons and the good and faithful laypeople who make up the Catholic Church of East Tennessee, ad multos annos — many more years of being the face and the hands, especially the hands, of Jesus,” Bishop Stika said. “I as the bishop, who represent the Catholic Church in East Tennessee, I just want to say thank you for your desire to be a true missionary like the apostles were sent forth, and to be a missionary here in East Tennessee, which is a bit of paradise, I always say.

“May the Lord continue to bless you and keep you close to His heart.

May the Blessed Mother always present you to her son, Jesus, and may Jesus always present you to the Father, inspired by the Holy Spirit, when you continue to preach the Word of God. My only advice to you is, at least compare me to a grandpa. . . . God bless you all, and continue to teach Father how to be a good priest, and, Father, continue to work with them to bring them to the very presence of God daily in their lives as you are privileged to offer the liturgy, the holy sacrifice of the Mass, the beautiful celebration

DAN MCWILLIAMS

not reap. And so generously and wisely sow and reap until the Lord calls you home.”

Father Carter looked toward that future “another 25 years perhaps,” when “you still have work to do and light to reflect. Other cities, too, need the Gospel preached to them; other sheep that do not belong to this fold need the ministration of a shepherd; and to them, too, you will, you must go. This is part of the Good Shepherd’s master plan. He is the true pastor of souls — you are the moon to his sun — and you will need to reflect His light when and where he calls you.”

The homilist told Father Abuh to “never forget to stay close to the source of your ministry. After all, what is a moon without the star that makes it bright? What is a priest who doesn’t stay close to Jesus? He is your only source of light.”

Father Carter said Father Abuh has “become the moon in our dark night to give us hope that one day all of us can reflect the rays of the rising sun when he comes in his glory.”

Bishop Stika spoke at the end of Mass and praised Father Carter, drawing a round of applause.

“I’m kind of glad that Father Carter preached,” he said. “First of all, it is probably in my 32 years of priesthood the best priestly anniversary homily that I’ve heard, and I’ve heard many.”

Father Abuh began Mass by saying how nervous he was at presiding with the bishop present, comparing the situation to “cooking in front of your grandmother.” That remark brought him merciless teasing from the bishop.

“Now I just turned 60, but I’ve never been compared to someone’s grandmother,” Bishop Stika said.

“Maybe it’s time for that moon to cause him to move along,” a remark

Delivering the homily Father David Carter preaches at Father Abuh’s anniversary Mass what Bishop Stika later called “probably . . . the best priestly anniversary homily that I’ve heard.”

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Father Abuh continued from page B6

Sharing a laugh Deacon Dean Burry (left), Father Julius Abuh, Father John Orr, and Father Michael Woods react to a remark by Bishop Stika. of Jesus present with his people. Ad multos annos.”

After Mass, Father Julius said the liturgy “means a lot to me, that I know I’m much loved by my parishioners. This will keep me with the joy of my priesthood.”

The Mass included two special highlights for Father Abuh. Those who brought forward the gifts, Brutus Umanah and his family, are Father Abuh’s good friends from Our Lady of the Hills Parish in Columbia, S.C. For the Communion meditation, the choir sang “Wa Wa Wa Emimimo.”

“The meditation hymn was in the Nigerian language,” Father Abuh said. “That was very beautiful. That came as a surprise to me, and they sang it very well. I’m very grateful to our choir for all their time and sacrifices.”

In the future, Father Abuh said he will “look forward to serving the people of God. I look forward to a closer relationship to Jesus Christ, who is the source of my priesthood.”

Father Abuh was born June 5, 1967, in Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria, into the family of Alfred N. and Martha Abuh. He was admitted into St. Augustine Major Seminary in Jos, Nigeria, by the late Bishop Ephraim Silas Obot. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Obot in Nigeria in 1992.

Father Abuh spoke of his priestly journey at a luncheon at the Clinton Community Center following the anniversary Mass. He said he wanted to be a medical doctor originally. He went with a friend who was entering seminary to see Bishop Obot, and the bishop encouraged him to go with his friend to seminary. His parents disagreed with the decision.

“My dad says [to Father Abuh’s mother], ‘Don’t worry yourself.

Once he goes there, it won’t take

them long before they kick him out.’”

At the time, Father Abuh met with a spiritual director at the seminary, who said, “‘Why do you want to become a priest?’ I tell him, ‘No, I don’t want to be a priest.’ He said, ‘Why are you here?’ I said, ‘My bishop said I should come.’ He said, ‘Really?’ So then I explained to him why I came. So he said, ‘Julius, if you become a priest, you will become a spiritual doctor. But when you become a medical doctor, you will become a physical doctor.

You will take care of the body. But as a priest, you can also take care of spirits; you can be a spiritual doctor.’”

The spiritual director gave the future priest a copy of Confessions by St. Augustine, and that helped steer his course.

“To make a long story short, that friend of mine never became a priest, and you know what I have become,” Father Abuh said at the luncheon. “So it is indeed a day of gratitude, and I thank all of you for being here today.”

A number of parishioners spoke at the luncheon of their affection for Father Abuh. The speakers also included Father Mark Akubo, a native of Father Abuh’s home Diocese of Idah, Nigeria.

A person at the luncheon asked Father Abuh, “‘Father, 25 years ago, if someone showed you this picture of these people today in this hall, would you have ever believed it would be true?’” He replied: “I would never have believed that someday I was going to be standing here in the United States of America, after 25 years.”

Father Abuh closed the luncheon with a “final request.”

“Keep me in your prayers,” he said. “I do need your prayers, and I will continue to pray for you. God bless you.” n

Two Holy Spirit teams top KofC Family Bowling League Dakota Barr of Our Lady of Perpetual Help being the youngest at age 9. Matthew Huinker (age 16) bowled a 300 game while bowling with his dad and mom, Paul and Jennifer Huinker. (Mr. Huinker is a KofC field agent). Dennis Doyle, while bowling on a team with his brother Patrick, also bowled a 300 game this past spring.

The playing field is leveled with a generous handicap for everyone who has an average under 200.

Although the league was started for the purpose of providing an activity to bring together brother Knights from all area councils, it has evolved as a “family” league and as a charity fundraiser, with a donation made each December to the Maclellan Shelter for Families.

League play will resume in the fall on Sunday, Sept. 10. Those interested in joining as an individual, a twosome, or as a team of four should e-mail league coordinator John Sopko at angeloakspalace@ gmail.com. n

NANCY POWELL (2)

T

he Chattanooga Area Knights of Columbus Family Bowling League recently closed out its spring season. With the number of bowlers too great for SpareTime Entertainment to accommodate the league at its usual time of 6 p.m. Sundays, the league formed two leagues and bowled at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Holy Spirit Knights of Columbus Council 14079 took the top spot in both the 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. leagues this spring. “Lucky Splits,” a team of Harold and Carol Sierks and Jim and Shirley Willard, finished in first place in the 3 p.m. league.

“Those Damn Yankees,” a team of Steve and Vickie DeRight and Ed and Ursula Klim, finished in first place in the 6 p.m. league.

The league, formed in fall 2013, bowls for 10 weeks each spring and fall. The league is made up of bowlers from all the Knights of Columbus councils as well as all six of the Catholic churches in the Chattanooga area. Of the 16 teams involved, 13 were composed of families, with

Diocesan offices develop online survey

T

he diocesan offices of Marriage Preparation & Enrichment and Hispanic Ministry have developed an online survey to gather input to assist them TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C A T HO L I C

in developing best practices to support newlyweds and young families.Visit https://tinyurl.com/ family-life-survey (password: Knox). n

Bowling Knights The 3 p.m. (top photo) and 6 p.m. Knights of Columbus Family Bowling League teams gather for photographs. Holy Spirit Parish’s teams won the spring league this year.

www.di o k no x .o rg

AUGUST 6, 2017 n B7

St. Mary, St. Augustine share Haiti mission trip experience

Coming together Youth from St. Mary Parish in Johnson City and St. Augustine Parish in Signal Mountain gather for a photo with their newfound Haitian friends. with murders, illnesses, kidnappings, and a great many other obstacles. Port-au-Prince was one of our biggest concerns. This was the first glance many of our youth would have of real third world poverty.”

Villagers stopped to see the white people driving down their road upon their arrival in Petite Riviere de Nippes. “They called ‘Ils Blancs!,’ which means ‘The whites!’

Catherine Raible, a college student, said. “Children would run out and wave to us. It was hard not to smile back. We felt very welcomed.”

Another missionary, John Rauch, a student from St. Mary, commented: “I didn’t expect the Haitians to be so loving. Everywhere you travel you will find God in something.

In Haiti it was the smiles.”

Upon arriving at the school, the missionaries were greeted by a familiar tune. “They had two large speakers set up, and they were playing on repeat our national anthem,” Catherine Raible said.

After disembarking the bus, the tired travelers were greeted by Monsignor Granjan. “They were so happy we were here. The entire village knew we were coming and were joyfully anticipating our arrival,” said Stephanie Mann.

Unlike many mission trips where the missionaries are to aid and assist by building or providing medical assistance, this mission trip was about encountering and building relationships with the Haitian people. On the first full day in Haiti the youth from both parishes were matched up with a Haitian student of around the same age. The youth began to build relationships with

B8 n AUGUST 6, 2017

“In America we are always planning for the next step like ‘what college am I going to,’ ‘what career do I want to have,’ ‘what kind of life do I want for myself,’ but what struck me most about Haiti was one could not plan for the future.

Instead one was grateful for the present and the blessings that you received every moment of every day,” Catherine Raible said. “It was nice to not worry and to not be anxious.”

In the evenings, the youth from St. Augustine and St. Mary would gather and reflect on the experiences of each day. The students were led by Stephanie Mann in Lectio Divina. During this prayer, all meditate on a passage of Scripture and then share and journal what was heard in the passage.

The week the missionaries were visiting was a holiday for the students of Petite Riviere de Nippes.

June 13 is the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of the parish. On the vigil of the feast, the celebration began with a procession from Visitation Clinic, a clinic sponsored by St. Mary in Johnson City, and ended at St. Antonie de Padou Church, which is the sister parish of St. Augustine in Signal Mountain.

The missionaries joined the procession of dancing, singing, and praying while journeying to the church. Catherine Raible recalled, “The procession was one of my favorite memories. I remember they would sing ‘We sway for Jesus’ and then sway, ‘We walk for Jesus’ and then walk, and ‘We run for Jesus’ and we would all just run. This worship felt so free, and it was just beautiful. That night we reflected on the Beatitudes. The one verse that stood out to me was ‘Blessed Haiti continued on page B9

COURTESY OF MARIA RIST

COURTESY OF MICHAEL STRADLEY

their new friends.

“Many of the Haitian students spoke very little English, and the American youth spoke very little Creole or French. At first this made communication very frustrating,” Catherine Raible noted. “However, it did not take long for the youth to begin bonding over card games and basketball.”

One morning before breakfast, the youth decided to teach the Haitian students some American line dances. After breakfast, the students colored, sang to each other, and played soccer and basketball.

“We speak of being brothers and sisters in Christ. Haiti helped me to understand what that truly means.

To look beyond who we believe we are, what we are capable of doing and pushing onward toward the image of Christ,” said Kim Dahlgren, a parent chaperone on the trip. “The mission of establishing relationships began first by overcoming the obstacle of language and concluded by seeing Christ in every person’s face.”

Playing games with the students was only the first encounter the missionaries had. Stephanie Mann recalled their first trip to the beach: “We were never alone. We always had escorts to help us and keep us safe. The walk to the beach was a delight, as we greeted all the homes and were gifted with big smiles from the people. Children would follow us and simply grab our hands and walk. It was such a reward. When we went swimming these young people who followed us along with others on the beach stripped to shorts and jumped in to play water ball.”

The missionaries overcame the obstacle of language, but this was not the only obstacle they had to overcome.

“Haiti has a different mentality than America, and it took a few days for all of us to get it.” Stephanie Mann adds. “Dinner was supposed to be at 8, but it was 9 before we sat. There were no watches, and the children did not have cell phones to see the time. The adults were frustrated at these details; however, we quickly realized that in Haiti you cannot really plan for the future because the future is not a guarantee.”

According to World Bank 2003, the average life expectancy for Haiti is 63 years, with an infant mortality rate of 55 out of 1000 births.

COURTESY OF CATHERINE RAIBLE (3)

O

n June 10, St. Mary Parish in Johnson City sent 33 youth, parents, parishioners, and their pastor, Father Peter Iorio, on the church’s first mission trip to Haiti.

Of the travelers, only Father Iorio, St. Mary pastor, had ever been to Petite Riviere de Nippes, a small fishing village in Haiti. After a year of planning for this journey into the poorest country on the Western Hemisphere, the missionaries were ready to “Find God in the Moment,” their chosen theme for the week.

Preparations for the trip included asking for donations and fundraising. A favorite fundraiser for St. Mary’s youth group is the annual Homelessathon. This fundraiser occurs with the parish’s event “24 Hours with the Lord.” While the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the sanctuary, the youth are camped outside of the church. The students experience what it is like to live as a homeless person and live without many conveniences.

“We experienced being uncomfortable,” said Gavin Mann, one of the missionaries. When recalling how the Homelessathon prepared him for Haiti, he added, “It helped me experience sleeping on the ground and experiencing something I wasn’t used to.”

Both the Homelessathon and the Haiti mission trip challenged the travelers to meet Christ in the face of the poor.

“Haiti was nothing like we were expecting,” recalled Stephanie Mann, St. Mary’s youth minister.

“We exited the airport without problems. This was amazing considering we had 33 extra bags filled with items to leave behind. These items were simple things that were provided by parishioners and included school supplies, hygiene products, handmade rosaries, and first-aid supplies. ” A team of youth from St. Augustine Parish in Signal Mountain led

by Jack Davidson, a parishioner and the founder of the American Haitian Foundation, joined St. Mary travelers in Port-au-Prince.

From there, they began the threehour bus drive to Petite Riviere de Nippes.

“I would be lying if I said we were confident and had no worries,” Stephanie Mann said. “The reality was that each person was apprehensive about the trip. There is no end of media telling a reader that Haiti is a dangerous country

Basilica youth celebrate first Communion The Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul celebrated first Holy Communion for its Englishspeaking youth (left photo) April 22 and for its Spanish-speaking youth June 18, following the Corpus Christi procession. In the left photo are (back row, from left) then-Deacon Andrew Forsythe, who would be ordained to the priesthood in Nashville on June 23; Father David Carter, basilica rector; Deacon Tom McConnell; and Dr. Joe Busch, master of ceremonies.

www.di o k no x .o rg

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

Catholic schools

Sacred Heart School honors intern Tony Hutchins

T

COURTESY OF TONY HUTCHINS

ony Hutchins never expected to be honored for his work with the Sacred Heart Cathedral School athletic department.

Mr. Hutchins, 47, who served as an intern at SHCS under athletics director Scott Barron, was recognized at the school’s athletics banquet May 11.

“It was a surprise and an awesome honor,” Mr. Hutchins said. “Just the recognition from Scott Barron — I worked about a year as his assistant, as an intern for him. He took the opportunity to recognize me as well. It

All smiles Tony Hutchins was honored May 11 at the Sacred Heart Cathedral School athletics banquet. ing,” he said.

“I thought I was clear. I’d been a year in remission and clear after surgery up until this past December,” he said. “That’s when we noticed a few more spots in my lung. I’m on a new chemotherapy drug to try and treat that.”

That battle is his main focus.

“It is. My goal was to graduate from the University of Tennessee, because I grew up in East Tennessee, in the Tri-Cities area,” he said. “Cancer is the main goal. If I don’t beat that … nothing else is going to happen if I lose that battle.”

Mr. Hutchins has a never-give-up attitude toward life.

“At this point, [cancer] has affected me some, as far as being a hindrance to my lifestyle,” he said. “It hasn’t kept me from doing too many things that I normally would be doing anyway.”

He’s not sure whether he will return to Sacred Heart but said he misses the school.

“I had a blast there — learned a lot, got to do a lot of things. I ended up substitute-teaching there some as well,” he said.

At the Sacred Heart banquet, an encouraging message from the head coach of Tennessee football, Butch Jones, was played for Mr. Hutchins.

“It was very touching,” he said. n

DR. KELLY KEARSE

COURTESY OF SARAH TRENT

Proud grad Tony Hutchins graduated from the University of Tennessee with a major in sports management and a minor in business.

was a banquet for the athletes there, and he surprised me with that. I had no idea that was going on.”

Mr. Hutchins, a 26-year veteran in the military, has a lot going on in his life. On the day after the banquet, he graduated from the University of Tennessee with a major in sports management and a minor in business. And for the past two years, he has battled skin cancer, which has reached stage IV. At Sacred Heart, Mr. Hutchins said his duties included “assisting the athletics director with getting the concession stand filled and stocked, running the scoreboard for the basketball games, lining and marking the fields, doing some scheduling for the different teams that we had there—anything that dealt with sports, I was assisting and doing it for Scott.”

Currently Mr. Hutchins is doing a summer internship with the Ripken Experience baseball facility in Pigeon Forge. His career goal is to serve as an athletics director or as an operations director for a single sport, either at an elementary school, high school, or college.

He is a sergeant first class in the Army Reserves who has served in Berlin; Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; Fort Knox, Ky.; and Fort Lewis in Washington state. Mr. Hutchins also has two children: a son, 23, and a daughter, 20.

His skin-cancer battle is “still go-

COURTESY OF STEVE COY

By Dan McWilliams

Fighting Irish players, coach reunite Knoxville Catholic High School held a 1969-1978 basketball player and coach reunion May 27. Above, former Irish head coach Bill Deatherage reminisces with Felix Gaiter.

Congressman Jimmy Duncan presented the school with a flag flown over the capital, and County Mayor Tim Burchett declared the day Bill Deatherage Day.

School’s loose-change collection benefits Ronald McDonald House The student council at St. Mary School in Oak Ridge recently sponsored a classroom loose-change collection to benefit a cause of the students’ choosing. The students chose the Ronald McDonald House, which provides a temporary home for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. The total amount raised was $1,465.84, which will pay for 293 nights of accommodations for families of sick children. Pictured are (from left, front) Nikki Lee, Anthony Angel, Camille Elliott, Kevin Gonzalez, and Martin Carmen and (back) St. Mary principal Sister Marie Blanchette, OP, Marissa Dalton, Amelia VanBerkel, Jacqueline Audet, Torie Scott, Sophie Chou, Emily Corbett, Addison Ruzecki, and Sue Beverly, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House.

Haiti continued from page B8

are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of God.’ These beautiful people have nothing material, but they have such an energetic faith, and it’s the same Catholic faith I have.”

The next morning the missionaries woke and dressed for the feast day Mass. Mass was concelebrated by the bishop and all the priests in the diocese. The parish invited the missionaries, the politicians, and the LifeTeen Haiti Mission Base to celebrate Mass with them. Toward the end of Mass, the missionaries passed out rosaries that were made by parishioners of St. Mary.

“When we began passing out the beads, Jack told me that the poor people sat toward the back and outside of the church,” Stephanie Mann remembered. “He told us to start passing them out there. People were so happy as they reached for them. We only brought 120 rosaries, but if we had a thousand, it would not have been enough.”

St. Thérèse of Lisieux wrote: “Our Lord does not so much look at the greatness of our actions, or even at their difficulty, as at the love with which we do them.” The missionaries learned to make each small action a prayer and to trust that God would bring joy into their lives.

On Wednesday, June 14, the temperature broke 100 degrees. On this day, the missionaries were to hike up to the small village of St. Eve’s. They began hiking around TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C A T HO L I C

1:30 in the afternoon. Traveling across rivers and through small mountain villages, the missionaries made a pilgrimage to a waterfall that was believed by the Haitian people to have healing powers. The pool of water was a meeting place between the voodoo culture and Christianity.

“Just before the final ascent to the waterfall we stopped by a Catholic church in the mountain village of St. Eve’s. The church had a perpetual devotion as women dressed in white would come in and loudly pray for 24 hours a day. It reminded me of what Pope St. John Paul II said about adoration. ‘If every church had perpetual adoration for 24 hours a day, it would be the end of wars.’ The women’s devotion was a great inspiration of worship.

We made it to the waterfall, and all of us appreciated the clear ice water from the top of the mountain.

The water healed our weary bodies, but it was Haiti that was healing our souls,” Stephanie Mann said.

After the mountain hike, the missionaries began to conclude their mission. The hosts at the school prepared a huge feast in honor of the relationships that had been built through this experience. At the end of the feast, the missionaries presented gifts of donations they had collected. These donations included toy cars from a company called Happy Cars; sanitary gloves and first aid materials for the Visitation Clinic; school supplies for St. Antonie de Padou school; and clothing, toiletries, towels, bedding, air mattresses, and other items left behind by the missionaries.

St. Paul writes that “As it is, there are many parts, yet one body” (1 Corinthians 12:20). The mission trip was more than the American youth serving the Haitians. In the end, the Knoxville Diocese’s youth learned the value of creating intentional, personal relationships with those around them.

“Our mission was not to save a country,” Stephanie Mann said. “It wasn’t to build homes, or to end hunger, fix a corrupt government, provide clean water, etc. We were called to Haiti to build relationships with the people. Haitians believe relationships are the greatest treasure you can have. However, our mission did not end as we traveled back. We are still called to take pride in the blessing we are given,

www.di o k no x .o rg

to bring hope to one person, to bring a smile to one face; this is a mission we can all appreciate. This is a mission we can do anywhere at any time even in America to those lonely people who might just need a hug. Haiti taught us how to become saints.”

St. Mary’s and St. Augustine’s youth traveled to Haiti in order to give. However, the mission did not end in Haiti. “Haitians had little to nothing and had so much joy,” Bailey Poor, a student from St. Mary, said. “It opened my eyes to find joy in non-earthly things.”

Upon leaving Haiti, the youth felt challenged to continue to serve this mission: the mission to find God in the little things including an introduction to someone new. “Being with the people opened my eyes to what matters in life,” said Riley Layton, a student from St. Mary.

“In our world, we panic when our phone is at 50 percent, but the Haitians got to know us and regarded us as family. This mission showed me that relationships are more important than things.”

Haiti Mission Trip 2017 was a memorable experience for all who participated.

“I would definitely go back and encourage others to go!” Kara Lucchesi adds. She advises other young people interested in mission trips to “just go into it with a really open mind and be willing to try new things. Remember to ‘be not afraid.’” n AUGUST 6, 2017 n B9

KCHS boys track team captures state title ­— again

Out in front Georde Goodwyn of KCHS (No. 1 bib) leads his good friend Timothy Thacker (No. 2 bib) of Knoxville Grace Christian Academy in the 800-meter run final. In the middle is Jhon-Wes Walker of Covington High School.

straight year. The team championship gave the Irish four consecutive titles covering the 2015-16 and 201617 cross country and track seasons.

The Irish runners – seniors Goodwyn and James Daffron, juniors Devin Sullivan and Ethan Tornstrom, and sophomore Jake Renfree – along with pole-vaulter John Rentenbach, a sophomore, outscored a much larger Maplewood team that crowded the secondplace podium.

Goodwyn anchored the 3,200 relay team that also consisted of Daffron, Tornstrom, and Renfree, winning in 8 minutes, 17.66 seconds, to outdistance a Craigmont foursome by more than 5 seconds.

Goodwyn (4:31.20) edged teammate Renfree (4:32.74) by a second and a half to win the 1,600 run.

Goodwyn triumphed in the 800 run in 1:58.51, beating his good friend Timothy Thacker of Knoxville Grace Christian by only 0.46 seconds. Goodwyn hadn’t beaten Thacker in the 800 all season until the state finals.

In the 3,200 run, Renfree (10:05.39) won a state championship with Sullivan (10:09.66) placing second and Goodwyn (10:22.46) third as KCHS racked up 24 points in that event alone.

Goodwyn ran four races that day at the state meet and was looking to become only the ninth boy in state history across all classifications to win a mythical triple crown with titles in the 800, 1,600, and 3,200. Other than Rebekah Story of Christian Academy of Knoxville (who generated 32.5 points for her team’s fourth-place finish), no

COURTESY OF CHIP GOODWYN (2)

T

he Knoxville Catholic High School boys track-and-field team proved at the state meet that a small roster can provide big results.

With five runners providing most all of the scoring, the Fighting Irish outpointed Nashville Maplewood 66.5 to 55 to win their second straight state championship, against a 63-team field May 26 in Murfreesboro.

The Lady Irish of KCHS placed sixth out of 49 teams in the girls meet.

University of Tennessee commitment Georde Goodwyn, who captured the boys cross country crown in the fall, won the 800and 1,600-meter runs at the state track meet, and the Irish captured the 3,200 relay title for the fourth

First again Knoxville Catholic’s boys track team stands atop the podium after winning the state championship for the second year in a row. From left are head coach Sean O’Neil, sophomore Jake Renfree, senior (graduated) Georde Goodwyn, senior (graduated) James Daffron, juniors Ethan Tornstrom and Devin Sullivan, and assistant coach Brandon Harris. Not pictured is John Rentenbach. one at the 2017 Spring Fling State Championships earned more points than Goodwyn’s 28.5 points for his team’s first-place finish.

Rentenbach cleared 12 feet even in the pole vault to tie a Christ Presbyterian vaulter for fourth place in the event.

The Lady Irish’s 3,200 relay team placed second in the state in a time of 9:35.01, just behind a CAK quartet (9:34.24).

KCHS freshman Callie Tucker (11:19.44) and junior Shila Kapaya

(11:27.25) took third and fourth in the 3,200 run. Tucker (5:16.99) and Kapaya (5:17.14) placed fourth and fifth in the 1,600 run.

Freshman Ellie Wolski recorded a sixth-place time of 2:21.02 in the 800 run.

The KCHS girls also scored in the 1,600 relay with a fourth-place clocking of 4:08.98.

In the pole vault, freshman Eleni Christopoulos topped 7 feet, 6 inches, to place sixth in the event for the Lady Irish. n

KCHS girls tennis team, doubles duo, repeat at state blanked Chattanooga Christian 4-0 in the championship match.

All the wins were in straight sets: Erin Allen won 6-2, 6-0; Sara Myers triumphed 6-1, 6-0; Julia Newman prevailed 6-3, 7-5; and Sara Allen was victorious 6-2, 6-1.

The Lady Irish shut out MTCS 4-0 in the state semifinals. Erin Allen won 6-0, 6-1, while Newman recorded a 6-0, 6-4 victory. Sara Allen swept her match 6-1, 6-1, and Keileen Cullen rolled to a 6-1, 6-1 win.

In boys tennis, KCHS’s Jacob Lorino – the 2015 singles champion – fell 7-5, 6-4 in the championship game this spring against David Skrabut of Page High School. Lorino won 6-2, 7-6 in the semifinals against a Trinity Christian player and triumphed 6-0, 7-5 in the quarterfinals over an MTCS opponent. n

COURTESY OF MEGAN ERPENBACH

K

noxville Catholic High School’s girls tennis team posted two repeats May 23-26 at the state tournament in Murfreesboro as sisters Erin and Sara Allen won their second straight doubles title and the team itself won a second consecutive championship.

Defending champions Erin, a senior, and Sara, a sophomore, won by default in the state quarterfinals.

They swept a duo from Middle Tennessee Christian School 6-2, 6-0 in the semifinals and won both sets in the championship game 6-2, 6-2 over a Greeneville pair.

Notre Dame High School’s Bowie Strozak and Sarah Faith Ingell, both seniors, defeated a Dyersburg twosome 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals before falling to the Greeneville duo in the semifinals.

In the team tournament, KCHS

Another one for the trophy case The Lady Irish earned another state-title trophy this spring to go with their 2016 hardware. From left are Alex Dally, Ansley Turley, Keileen Cullen, Julia Newman, Erin Allen, Sara Myers, Sara Allen, and Neely Wilson.

Bombassi signs with University of the South

Signing ceremony Sara Myers, a daughter of Knick and Dr. Stephanie Myers, signs with Berry College earlier this year at KCHS.

Sara Myers of KCHS signs with Berry College

S

ara Myers of Knoxville Catholic High School, the oldest daughter of Knick and Dr. Stephanie Myers, committed to play tennis at Berry College in Rome, Ga. Sara graduated with honors from KCHS on May 20. In addition to being a eucharistic minister, a member of student council, a National Merit Commended Scholar, and the president/founder of several clubs, Sara is a two-star nationally ranked junior tennis player who had a goal to play tennis at the next level. At Berry, she has been admitted into the Berry Honors College and plans to double major in math and Spanish while pursuing her pre-medical

B10 n AUGUST 6, 2017

school requirements.

Sara started playing competitive tennis in the spring of her eighthgrade year at St. John Neumann School in Farragut. Two years later, during Sara’s sophomore year, she won the Tennessee District and Regional Individual Singles Championships and made it to the state quarterfinals, which was only a precursor to what would follow. During Sara’s junior year, the KCHS girls tennis team won the program’s first-ever state championship. Sara’s senior year proved just as special, as the KCHS girls tennis team won the state championship for the second year in a row this spring. n

www.di o k no x .o rg

COURTESY OF MONA BOMBASSI

COURTESY OF KNICK MYERS

B

ella Bombassi of Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga recently committed to the University of the South to play basketball.

Bella is a recent graduate of NDHS, where she was the captain of the Lady Irish basketball team and recipient of the Iron Irish MVP award. She was an All-District Player and a member of the Tennessee/Georgia All Star Team.

In addition to her playing basketball, Bella was an Irish football cheerleader and a member of the track team.

Bella graduated with a 4.0-plus GPA, was a member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta, and a Green and Gold Ambassador. She received the Mary Kate McGuire Memorial Scholarship

Bound for college Bella Bombassi is pictured with Lady Irish basketball head coach Jason Hill. at graduation along with the Bubba Byrne Award.

Bella is an active member and eucha-

ristic minister at St. Jude Church in Chattanooga. She is the daughter of Tony and Mona Bombassi. n

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

Praying for Perspective

by George Valadie

Twelve minutes a day That’s the average time a parent and child spend talking, and a parent regrets making it hard for his kids to share their feelings

I

can’t believe it, but I’ve just gotten started in my 58th year in the world of education. And though perhaps not diverse enough for some, I’m beyond proud that 56 of those have been within the arena of Catholic Schools.

Mom didn’t give me a choice for some.

These days, each summer, in addition to washing and waxing most everything in the place, we give considerable thought to the people inside it, too.

What can we do differently? How can we improve? And is there anything we can share with our parents to aid them in their ever-changing role as parents? Say what you will, I believe it’s a lot harder than it used to be, and technology makes it nuttier every day.

And then it hit me. I’ve got it.

Though it was years ago, I recall having met a doctoral-degreed professor of education at a local university who was nearing retirement at the time.

Though I wish we’d done so more frequently, we met but three times before he moved. He was just one of those guys you loved from the start – common sense, easy-speaking, years of wisdom. If we spent 4-5 hours total, it felt more like 4-5 minutes.

But it was in our last chat, when he tossed out that one pearl that has stuck with me ever since.

It wasn’t his point but somewhere in our conversation he offered, “… studies show that the normal teenager and his/her parent average

talking to each other about 12 minutes a day.”

Wait! What? Having been a dad of three of such mostly normal teens, and having my parenthood thusly insulted, I opened my mouth to object, but my eyes had already spoken. He could already see what was coming because he didn’t even let me get started.

“I know, I know,” he continued, “it sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it?

But that particular study has been replicated over and over, again and again, and it always comes out the same. The average amount of time that a teenager and his/her mom or dad – not both at once, mind you – the average time they spend in any sort of conversation totals 12 minutes a day.

“I’m not talking about texting, notes on the fridge, or phone calls about ‘what’s for dinner?’ … I’m talking about real conversation about real life.

“Twelve minutes! A day!”

Think about it; because I sure did.

Heck, at our house it seems we argued more than that.

But after pondering these supposed sins of my parenthood, I couldn’t say the man was crazy. In fact, he was a lot more right than I’d ever care to admit.

I go back.

I’m the first to admit that I was no morning person. I’m still not. I didn’t do any speaking that wasn’t absolutely necessary, and I said little more in the car on the way.

I worked or coached until dinner

Marriage Enrichment

‘[T]hat particular study has been repeated over and over, again and again, and it always comes out the same. The average amount of time that a teenager and his/her mom or dad — not both at once, mind you — the average time they spend in any sort of conversation totals 12 minutes a day.

I’m not talking about texting, notes on the fridge, or phone calls about “what’s for dinner?” . . . I’m talking about real conversation about real life.’ but must admit that I never got to coach any of my own.

So apparently on most days, I’d logged zero minutes by dusk. To our credit, we did have family dinner … with most in attendance, unless I had a meeting. Surely, we talked around the table, didn’t we?

I know we talked about their grades (though I seem to remember doing most of that sort of talking). And I know we talked about their mischief (but once again, they weren’t allowed to say much on that topic).

Each after-dinner evening was filled with their homework, my newspaper, and all of us watching a few of our favorite television shows.

I really would love to tell you they let me in on all the good stuff about their boyfriends, their dates, their dreams, and their innermost feelings.

But truth be told, I think I made that hard for them. Seldom listening, always judging, now regretting.

The older ones seemed to live on the phone. The youngest moved to the web.

But none of them were talking to me.

Still, surely we talked more than 12 minutes a day. Surely?

Looking back, I realize they were

smart kids, having learned to tell me what I wanted to hear, just to speed things along.

And now – today – there are no more teens in our home.

Two have husbands with kids and our third is out on her own, all leading the independent lives we had hoped they might.

It’s very quiet.

But luckily, we hear from each of them just about every day. All three call.

Katy loves Brady’s new school but bemoans his weekly kindergarten projects. Meg’s trying to grow a dental practice and her children without killing either. And Sarah is anxious about her new job while apparently her dog is anxious about clouds.

Three calls a day. About four minutes each.

If you’ve got young ones, this might be the best tip I can offer. If you’ve got some who have moved on, it’s never too late.

Dear God – Help us remember that we need to listen to each other … but only after we listen to you.

Amen. ■ George Valadie is president of Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga.

by Marian Christiana

Is your marriage an evangelization tool?

Couples can model the qualities of positive marriages to the outside world by serving as mentors to others

H

ave you ever considered your marriage to be an evangelization tool? I have to admit that until I started working for the Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment the thought never really crossed my mind. My husband, Ralph, and I would discuss what effect our marriage would have or was having on our children over the years. We really wanted to be positive role models for them and project a strong Catholic Christian marriage when we were together as a family. But modeling those qualities to the outside world never really was a point of discussion for us.

The concept of evangelizing the world around us through our marriage really started to blossom in me as I worked with the marriage preparation process. I had recruited married couples whose marriages I admired, or their parish priest admired and recommended to me, to help me present material during our diocesan-sponsored marriagepreparation weekends.

Often I didn’t know that much about a team couple, other than that they treated each other well and were good communicators. I thought if I, or their pastor, responded positively to a couple’s interpersonal interactions then our engaged couples would, too. It was through the beautiful witness of their sacramental marriages that I began to truly understand the transformative power strong marriages can have on other people, especially our engaged couples, and how those strong marriages can be instruments of evangelization.

Recently I have been studying the use of parish-based married mentor couples as another element of

All married couples share their marriage with those around them, either intentionally or unintentionally. Why not share the best of what you have . . .? Intentionality produces more accurate, productive, intended results. the marriage preparation process.

A number of dioceses around the country have been successful in implementing these types of mentor couple programs.

The dioceses that have enhanced the marriage preparation process with mentor couples report that their parishes have seen an increase in the Mass attendance of their engaged couples, and an increase in the engaged couples’ becoming an active part of the church community after their weddings. What a great evangelization tool for a parish!

The challenge now is how to convince married couples to be mentor couples when they are asked. People are busy. I get that.

I remember what it was like trying to juggle the schedules of three children along with the schedules of my husband, and mine, while still having quality time as a family and as a couple. Who wants to squeeze one more thing into a busy schedule, especially when you are being asked to step out of your comfort zone and reach out to another couple?

It can be intimidating to contemplate that an engaged couple would look to you for guidance and support, but we are all called to share our talents. A successful or strong marriage is a marriage between two people who are willing to do the work to strengthen their relation-

ship. It is a lifelong process. We all face challenges but it is in how we meet those challenges together that make the difference. Please don’t keep the secret of your strong marriage to yourselves!

All married couples share their marriage with those around them, either intentionally or unintentionally. Why not share the best of what you have instead of unintentionally sharing the worst of it? I write about being intentional in our marriages a lot. That is because intentionality produces more accurate, productive, intended results.

Consider training for a marathon.

You wouldn’t just show up on the morning of the race and wing it expecting to be successful. You would prepare for it. The same is true about being intentional about our marriages. The work and effort we put into our marital relationships help bring about positive results and are reflected to the world around us.

We don’t have to be a “formal” parish mentor couple to evangelize the world around us through our marriage. Remember that our sacramental marriage is a reflection of God’s unconditional love for us, and we are called to share His love with others.

Through our sacrament we receive lifelong graces to aid us in facing the challenges of everyday life.

We can all be intentional about our marriage. We can all focus on what needs to grow or heal in our own relationship. We can all ask God to help us be His light to others.

Through intentionally sharing the gifts of our marriage with others we can all be fishers of men!

If your parish does start a mentor

program, however, please prayerfully consider being a part of the effort. Pray for the mentor couples, the engaged couples, and the marriage preparation process.

Please also pray that you will be willing to say “yes” when asked to act as a mentor couple. Mentor couples report that their relationship is renewed every time they work with another couple. God blesses two marriages through this process!

This year’s opportunities to celebrate positive marriage role models and their sacramental marriages throughout the diocese with Bishop Richard F. Stika are now available for registration.

The dates and locations for the 2017-18 Marriage Celebrations with Bishop Stika begin with St. Henry Church in Rogersville on Saturday, Aug. 12. On Saturday, Nov. 11, we will be at Shepherd of the Valley in Dunlap, and on Feb. 10, 2018, Immaculate Conception in Knoxville will be our host parish. All Masses will begin at 11 a.m., with a luncheon immediately following the Mass. The Mass in Dunlap will start at 11 a.m. Central Time.

I want to encourage you to come and celebrate your sacrament of matrimony with us. Over the years 21 parishes have acted as our hosts, and more than 3,500 people have joined the celebrations. Be a part of the festivities this year! For more information, visit dioknox. org/marriage-preparation-andenrichment/. ■ Mrs. Christiana is coordinator of the diocesan Marriage Preparation and Enrichment Office.

Natural Family Planning course scheduled at All Saints Church in Knoxville

A

Natural Family Planning course is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturdays, Aug. 12, Sept.

16, and Oct. 7, at All Saints Church in Knoxville.

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

The course will follow the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage and instruct how to effectively space children without artificial contraception. w ww.di o k no x .o rg

To register, visit https://register.ccli.org/ class_series/10883. For more information, contact Jared or Monica Kimutis at 970-980-5009 or jmkimutis@gmail.com. ■ AUGUST 6, 2017 n B11

Living the Readings

by Father Joseph Brando

Things are not what they seem What did Jesus want to accomplish during his public ministry?

Y

ou may have noticed that this column has been adjusting to the publishing schedule of The East Tennessee Catholic.

Over the long haul this column has developed from a bi-weekly format to a monthly, and now we come to you every other month. In the process I’ve learned that the interval between columns changes the very nature of the article.

Back 25 years ago we were focusing on one or two Sunday liturgies.

Our focus was on a very precise Scripture passage. Now, we cover eight weeks of Sundays in each column. That’s a minimum of 24 Scripture readings. It’s more when feast days occur on a weekday. For certain, the focus is now much broader.

No longer can we analyze a few concepts. Our task now is to present the big picture.

So, in today’s column, for example, we are trying to find out what Jesus wanted to accomplish during his public ministry. Let’s continue following that path. This column will get us halfway to Advent; and by the next edition we’ll be there.

Not only is the focus farther away; the speed is whirling by. So, we’ll spend August and September nicely gliding halfway to Advent, and the other half neatly consumes October and November. There we are approaching Christmas right where it belongs in our December issue.

So, right now, we begin the last half of Ordinary Time. However, there is first an interruption of two feast days. They are the Transfiguration of Jesus and the Assumption of Mary. These feasts signal a change in the theme of this liturgical year.

So, even though there is a Sunday between these two important feasts, we’ll discuss them together and find out that, when we are dealing with God, things are not what they seem.

The first of these feasts is the Transfiguration. Perhaps Jesus’ disciples thought their mentor was a great religious leader. At this event, Peter, James, and John hear a voice proclaiming, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When they heard this, the disciples, filled with fear, fell prostrate.

There was a lot more to Jesus than what they had thought. Jesus is changing his approach from instructional to powerful. From now on in

Weekday readings

Wednesday, Aug. 9: Numbers 13:12 and 13:25-14:1, 14:26-29, 34-35; Psalm 106:6-7, 13-14, 21-23; Matthew 15:21-28 Thursday, Aug. 10: 2 Corinthians 9:6-10; Psalm 112:1-2, 5-9; John 12:24-26 Friday, Aug. 11: Deuteronomy 4:3240; Psalm 77:12-16, 21; Matthew 16:24-28 Saturday, Aug. 12: Deuteronomy 6:4-13; Psalm 18:2-4, 47, 51; Matthew 17:14-20 Sunday, Aug. 13: 1 Kings 19:9, 1113; Psalm 85:9-14; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:22-33 Monday, Aug. 14: Deuteronomy 10:12-22; Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20; Matthew 17:22-27; vigil of the Assumption, 1 Chronicles 15:3-4, 15-16 and 16:1-2; Psalm 132:6-7, 9-10, 13-14; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57; Luke 11:27-28 Tuesday, Aug. 15: Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin

COURTESY OF STEPHEN GOLDER

Tuesday, Aug. 1: Exodus 33:7-11 and 34:5-9, 28; Psalm 103:6-13; Matthew 13:36-43 Wednesday, Aug. 2: Exodus 34:29-35; Psalm 99:5-7, 9; Matthew 13:44-46 Thursday, Aug. 3: Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38; Psalm 84:3-6, 8, 11; Matthew 13:47-53 Friday, Aug. 4: Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34-37; Psalm 81:3-6, 10-11; Matthew 13:54-58 Saturday, Aug. 5: Leviticus 25:1, 8-17; Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 7-8; Matthew 14:1-12 Sunday, Aug. 6: Daniel 7:9-10, 1314; Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9; 2 Peter 1:1619; Matthew 17:1-9 Monday, Aug. 7: Numbers 11:4-15; Psalm 81:12-17; Matthew 14:13-21 Tuesday, Aug. 8: Numbers 12:113; Psalm 51:3-7, 12-13; Matthew 14:22-36

both the Scripture and in the liturgy we come to see and hear more about the Lord and learn He is also God. He has received dominion, glory, and kingship. He appears speaking with Moses and Elijah. The scenes are enough to strike fear in his disciples. Jesus now takes the opportunity to instruct the apostles to “rise and do not be afraid.”

Nine days later, the liturgy turns from Jesus to Mary. The first reading offers us a view of a great sign in the sky. The passage is meant not to be understood as to be experienced.

The appeal is to our senses, which are bombarded. That is not to say our intelligence is let off easily. Paul writes to the Corinthians and us that “through one man death came and, so, through one man, comes resurrection.”

The Gospel for the feast comes from the first chapter of Luke in which we behold in our minds the two pregnant women. There is Elizabeth, who is much too old to bear a child, and Mary, who is too young.

Both children are jumping for joy inside their wombs.

Then, the words come. Mary, in her beautiful Magnificat, adds meaning to this ecstatic experience. “The almighty has done great things for me…He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit.”

We return to Ordinary Time on the 20th Sunday, which also happens to be Aug. 20. Now, we are armed with the knowledge that things are not going to look like they seem to be.

So, let’s look at the Gospel readings for the next six Sundays and see if we can learn something from what doesn’t look right.

On the 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time we meet a Canaanite woman.

Immediately, we know she is an idol-worshiper. She should not have faith. Jesus’ disciples thought so and wanted Jesus to shoo her away.

Rather, he explored her faith content and found she did have great faith. In response to that faith, Jesus healed her daughter. That tells us to look deeper into people. One lesson is that, if we look for faith in anyone, you might find he or she has it in great abundance.

On the 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time, Jesus checks out the faith

B12 n AUGUST 6, 2017

of his own disciples. He asks Peter, “Who do you say that I am?”

Peter’s answer was, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus praised that answer, replying “And so, I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

Jesus also confides the “keys to the kingdom” to Peter. However, he wasn’t through questioning him.

Look at the Gospel for the following Sunday. Jesus continues to instruct his disciples on their faith and Jesus’ own method of spreading belief in his kingdom. Jesus tells

the number would be astronomical.

Translators vary in their analysis of the number. Some say seventy. Others say it is seventy-seven or seventy times seven or something of the sort. No matter, it is a large number.

Probably the best answer is the one Jesus gave in his parable on the subject. There, several billion dollars is compared to some small change. Of the two debtors in the parable, the one forgiven from a huge debt had to forgive the one who owed him a meager amount. Just think! We owe God for everything in our lives.

What others owe us is absolutely trivial in comparison. So, how often

On the 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time we meet a Canaanite woman. Immediately, we know she is an idol-worshiper. She should not have faith.

Jesus’ disciples thought so and wanted Jesus to shoo her away. Rather, he explored her faith content and found she did have great faith. them that he must “go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised.” There, the Lord gave them the whole scenario. Peter takes Jesus aside and tells Jesus that “nothing like that should ever happen to you.” Jesus answers, “Get behind me, Satan!” Jesus accuses Peter of thinking not as God does, but as humans do. Things are not what they seem even in our thinking process.

Just like Peter, we need to examine our faith structure and our thinking process. It may not meet the specifications that Jesus wants for us. From us, Jesus demands, “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

The Gospel for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time deals with what Jesus teaches us to do when your brother sins against you. It begins with telling him his fault. If he listens, you have won him over. If he doesn’t listen to you, then take one or two others so they will go over every fact of the situation. If he still refuses to listen, tell the church.

Finally, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. So, the final step of judging who is right is to go to the Church and pray over the subject at hand. What the church determines is God’s answer, and it is final. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

That passage leads us to the next problem: how often must I forgive my brother who sins against me. By now, one may have figured out that

must I forgive others? Things are not what they seem. We need to do a lot of forgiving before we can catch up with how many times God has forgiven us.

The last Sunday in September happens to be the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Gospel is a familiar one that has been talked about for years on end. It features the parable in which a landowner hires workers for his vineyard five distinctly different times during the day. Each time he found workers who claimed nobody wanted to hire them. When the day was ended he paid all his workers starting with the ones hired last. Those who were hired first complained that they should get paid more.

The owner paid all the workers the same amount. His retort was, “Am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous? Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

The conclusion to this parable causes some difficulty to a lot of good people. Thinking back on the elder brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son, we can meditate on God’s amazing generosity and rejoice in it. The rule that the owner of the vineyard is guided by is compassion not legalism. Is God unjust? Or do we become disappointed when people new to the faith receive the fullness of Christ’s love without enduring the problems of those old Christians who were persecuted? Remember! Things are often not what they seem. n

Mary, Revelation 11:19 and 12:1-6, 10; Psalm 45:10-12, 16; 1 Corinthians 15:20-27; Luke 1:39-56 Wednesday, Aug. 16: Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm 66:1-3, 5, 8, 16-17; Matthew 18:15-20 Thursday, Aug. 17: Joshua 3:711, 13-17; Psalm 114:1-6; Matthew 18:21-19:1 Friday, Aug. 18: Joshua 24:1-13; Psalm 136:1-3, 16-18, 21-22, 24; Matthew 19:3-12 Saturday, Aug. 19: Joshua 24:14-29; Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 11; Matthew 19:13-15 Sunday, Aug. 20: Isaiah 56:1, 6-7; Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8; Romans 11:1315, 29-32; Matthew 15:21-28 Monday, Aug. 21: Judges 2:11-19; Psalm 106:34-37, 39-40, 43-44; Matthew 19:16-22 Tuesday, Aug. 22: Judges 6:11-24; Psalm 85:9, 11-14; Matthew 19:23-30 Wednesday, Aug. 23: Judges 9:6-15;

Psalm 21:2-7; Matthew 20:1-16 Thursday, Aug. 24: Revelation 21:914; Psalm 145:10-13, 17-18; John 1:45-51 Friday, Aug. 25: Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 1416, 22; Psalm 146:5-10; Matthew 22:34-40 Saturday, Aug. 26: Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11 and 4:13-17; Psalm 128:1-5; Matthew 23:1-12 Sunday, Aug. 27: Isaiah 22:19-23; Psalm 138:1-3, 6, 8; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20 Monday, Aug. 28: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 8-10; Psalm 149:1-6, 9; Matthew 23:13-22 Tuesday, Aug. 29: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Psalm 139:1-6; Mark 6:17-29 Wednesday, Aug. 30: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13; Psalm 139:7-12; Mark 23:27-32 Thursday, Aug. 31: 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13; Psalm 90:3-5, 12-14, 17; Matthew 24:42-51 n

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

Basilica holds Corpus Christi procession On June 18, the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, several hundred Chattanooga-area faithful gathered at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul for a solemn eucharistic procession around a large city block. Father David Carter, rector, led the procession with the Blessed Sacrament, surrounded by other priests, deacons, and altar servers. The procession also included a baldacchino (canopy) over the monstrance and two basilica symbols: the ombrellino (papal umbrella) and the tintinnabulum (papal bell). Knights of Columbus in formal regalia participated, and the basilica’s four youth and adult choirs followed, singing hymns in Latin, English, and Spanish. Students who would receive their first Holy Communion that day also joined, attired in their first Communion dresses and suits.

www.di o k no x .o rg

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

Guest column

by Tim Walker

Natural Family Planning: a decision made without regrets A couple looks back on its choice to learn NFP more than two years ago and finds that ‘it’s clear that we have been blessed’

I

recently came across the Natural Family Planning (NFP) pamphlet we received from the Couple to Couple League during our marriage preparation weekend back in 2011.

It was stuffed in a folder, which was stuffed in an envelope, which was finally crammed inside a drawer in our spare bedroom closet. I dusted it off and thought to myself, “So I guess we DID hear about NFP before we got married.” I’ve found this to be the case with so many things in my life. I hear something important but don’t listen. Then I forget about it only to come face to face with it (and the reality of its truth) sometime later.

Our NFP story began a few years after our wedding. In 2013, a few months before my wife Beth became pregnant with our first child, we both decided birth control wasn’t for us. Beth was in Sacred Heart Cathedral’s wonderful RCIA program at the time, and I, a cradle Catholic, was learning (or relearning) my faith along with her.

Beth and I saw the shortcomings and empty promises of hormonal contraception. We were both open to life and were ready to start our family. A few months later, Beth was pregnant with our first child, James, who was born in August 2014 via cesarean section. It was a difficult labor and delivery for Beth. I like to say that she went through enough labor for three moms. This included eight hours of natural labor followed by five more hours with an epidural and two hours of pushing.

To cap it off, our son James was born via emergency C-section.

Once we got used to late nights, early mornings, and diaper changes, we decided it was time to learn NFP. We knew we wanted to stay true to the Church’s teaching, but we were scared and unsure about how it would work out. Beth’s doctor had counseled her to avoid pregnancy for at least a year. Because of her difficult delivery, we took that advice seriously. That’s when we found the Couple to Couple League.

We signed up to learn the SymptoThermal Method of NFP taught

by Monica and Jared Kimutis and never looked back.

Family of five Tim Walker and wife Beth are the parents of James and twin daughters.

NFP and the Sympto-Thermal Method taught by the Couple to Couple League is something best practiced as a couple. No free pass for us guys! Beth and I have found that this works best when she takes her temperature each morning and monitors fertility signs throughout the day. My job is to chart the progress and interpret the signs. We found this to be a good way to keep both of us involved.

We took Monica and Jared’s class during Beth’s postpartum period of infertility. This proved to be a difficult time to begin charting because there was no ovulation or a regular cycle to track.

Charting can be hard. And the signs can be hard to interpret, especially during the postpartum period. It’s hard for me to write that because I know what a blessing NFP has been for our family. But it’s the truth. Beth’s postpartum infertility lasted about a year. A lot of that can be attributed to her amazing dedication to breastfeeding James.

During that period, her signs were hard to interpret at times. The stress of being new parents and the difficulty of Beth’s labor and delivery took its toll on both of us. This led to a period of abstinence in our marriage. And guys, let me be honest with you, sometimes that is OK. And you’ve got to be okay with it,

too. I’d be lying if I said practicing NFP has been all good times and no struggles. It hasn’t. Neither is marriage. Christ never guaranteed a cushy life, and we aren’t called as men and husbands to lead a life without sacrifice.

We eventually did make it through that first year and came out on the other side with a stronger marriage because we were forced to talk about our challenges. Once Beth’s regular cycle returned, everything began to make sense. We could see clear patterns and were able to track her cycle with accuracy. It was a great feeling to see the things we learned in class work in the real world. The accuracy and science behind NFP and the SymptoThermal Method is real.

The return of a regular cycle also meant that we had to talk each month about whether we were ready to grow our family. We had to understand each other and how we were feeling about our family. There were times when we didn’t agree.

We talked about those differences.

And yeah, sometimes we argued about those differences. Were our reasons to delay pregnancy serious enough? Were we ready for another baby? These are real issues that I know so many men and woman deal with. NFP is a great way to create an environment for the conversation.

By the way, any men out there looking for a great treatment on what it means to be a husband and a father should check out Father Larry Richard’s book Be A Man! You won’t regret it. Ephesians 5:25 has hit me like a 2-by-4 to the side of my head on more than one occasion: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…”

This is what it means to be a man and why it’s important for us guys to understand the truth about sex and our marriages. Christ died for His Church. His sacrifice saves us. We’re called to show that same sacrifice to our spouses. Father Larry hammers home the point that true freedom is obedience to Christ. Remember, we have a God who doesn’t just sit in a cloud and tell us what to do. He became flesh, dwelt among us, and died for us. To me, NFP is a perfect encapsulation of Christ’s message.

It’s all there: self-giving love, sacrifice, suffering, and true happiness.

Oh, and if you think NFP is just about avoiding pregnancy, remember that pamphlet I found while cleaning out a closet recently? I came across it that weekend as we were preparing to sell our house and find somewhere with more space. Our family recently grew by two. Our twins were born in April 2016.

Looking back on the decision we made more than two years ago to learn NFP, it’s clear that we have been blessed. As we work each day in our domestic Church, we know we are not alone. We have the support from an entire community of families committed to NFP and God’s vision for our sexuality. If we can do it, so can you. If you’re ready to learn more, please check out the Diocese of Knoxville’s NFP Page (http://dioknox.org/marriagepreparation-and-enrichment/natural-family-planning-nfp/). Online classes and classes at your own pace are available, although I’d highly recommend taking an in-person class from a couple like Monica and Jared Kimutis. Their next class begins Aug. 12 at All Saints (see page B11 for details).

National Natural Family Planning Awareness Week was July 23-29. n

NDHS alumni Dennis Haskins, Carl Labbe honored

By Barry Courter

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

COURTESY OF ROBERT W. JONES JR. (2)

N

otre Dame High School in Chattanooga honored two of its most well-known alums July 27 as part of its annual Alumni Weekend festivities.

Dennis Haskins, best known as Mr. Belding on the hit TV show “Saved by the Bell,” was presented the Distinguished Alumni Award during the private event at the school.

Carl Labbe Jr., well known in the Notre Dame family for his endless enthusiasm, volunteerism, and many years of service directing the annual Catholic Youth Organization’s variety shows, was given the Jim Phifer Service Award.

Mr. Haskins graduated from NDHS in 1968 and has been a professional actor for 35 years, 11 of those on “Saved By the Bell.” Recently he made guest appearances on shows such as “I’m Dying Up Here” on Showtime, “New Girl” with Zooey Deschanel, “Hot in Cleveland” with Betty White, and “Jennifer Falls” with Jaime Pressly.

His Hollywood career started in Conyers, Ga., in the late ’70s when he was cast on the first episode of “The Dukes of Hazzard.” He recently starred in a music video satirizing his days at fictional Bayside High School that has gone viral. The clip features him dancing through the school and even spray-painting lockers to the song “Vacation” by Dirty Heads.

Mr. Haskins also graduated from Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Chattanooga and has been a loyal supporter of both schools over the years. “Dennis loves Notre Dame, and every time he gets back to town he makes it a point to not only visit but to take time from his schedule to meet with classes or groups of students,” said Notre Dame president George Valadie. “In addition to his great stories, he shares some real motivation for our students, regardless of whatever their field of interest.”

Mr. Haskins also is an avid fan of the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Mocs, having attended

Dennis Haskins the school before leaving early to pursue his acting career. His scripts, as well as some mementos from “Saved By the Bell,” are currently on display at the UTC library. He received his degree from UTC in 2015 and was recognized by the Tennessee Alumnus Magazine in their 100th year as one of the Top 100 Alums of the UT system.

The Jim Phifer Service Award is given to a person who exhibits the same qualities of love for the school and service to community that Mr. Phifer did during his years as the school principal. Winners do not have to be a Notre Dame graduate.

Few have done that more than Mr. Labbe. A 1945 graduate of Notre Dame, Mr. Labbe has been a fixture at the school over the years supporting first his own children while they were there or now his grandchildren. For several years, he directed the annual CYO productions, many of which were presented at the Tivoli Theatre.

These were huge productions involving hundreds of students and hours of preparation and rehearsals leading up to them. w ww.di o k no x .o rg

Carl Labbe Jr. “There was a string of 15-20 years when almost every Notre Dame student came to know Carl Labbe,” Mr. Valadie said. “And virtually all of them love him for the time he sacrificed from his own family to give to them and what everyone knew as the CYO show.”

Along with the Alumni Awards Reception on July 27, NDHS’s Alumni Weekend also included an Every Class Bash on July 28, the 33rd annual Irish Classic Golf Tournament on July 28, a Golden Graduates Brunch on July 29, class reunions throughout the city on July 29, and an All-Alumni Memorial Mass on July 30. n AUGUST 6, 2017 n B13

Keegan Smith wins AAU Junior Olympics gold

COURTESY OF DEACON SEAN SMITH

COURTESY OF MARGARET MERRILL

T

‘Grow in their faith with friends and fun’ Challenge group girls take part in discussions, activities, Gospel readings, and apostolic projects.

Girls in Challenge group are ‘sculpted by Christ’ “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” — Proverbs 31:25-26

28th with a time of 2:32.53 in a field of 82 runners.

Keegan represented Knoxville Youth Athletics at the Junior Olympics.

Earlier this year, Keegan won two

Chancery get-together Bishop Richard F. Stika poses with the Conquest youth group during its recent visit to the Chancery.

Conquest boys youth group helps strengthen faith

By Patrick Daigle wo of the seven Corporal Works of Mercy are feeding the hungry and giving water to the thirsty. On April 29, my Conquest group did just that.

Conquest is a fifth- through eighth-grade youth group found across the country to help strengthen the Catholic faith in middle school boys. My group is found in St. Mary Parish, Oak Ridge. It is led by high school boys, most of whom went to Conquest as middle schoolers (including myself) and is mentored by adults. We strengthen the faith through talks and interactive games. At the end of every semester, twice a year, we get together to do an apostolic project, much like what the Twelve Apostles did to spread the faith. Many past projects included visiting a veterans’ home, a ticket raffle fundraiser, a Catholic video competition, and, most recently, helping out in the Bridge Ministry.

It all started out with our adult mentors suggesting it. Our mentors are Dave Duhamel, Mike Barnes, Kevin Corbett, Brad Heun, and John Merrill. One thing led to another, and we all chose that for this semester’s apostolic project. We invited Deacon Scott Maentz, the founder of the Bridge Ministry, to talk to the boys about what they do.

One Saturday a month, they make sandwiches or hot dogs and give them to the homeless in Knoxville.

They distribute the food under a bridge, hence the name.

At about 8:30 in the morning, my younger brother and I went to our youth building to help make the sandwiches. The kids and the high school leaders made the sandwiches, and the adults supervised. There was a plan to make about 200 sand-

T

B14 n AUGUST 6, 2017

wiches, but we made much more, and we also had Panera goods that were donated to us. Bottled water, coffee, and lemonade were bought for drinks. We drove to a spot directly under Interstate 40. For about two hours, we handed out sandwiches, drinks, and sweets to the homeless. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.

I was shocked at the number of homeless. We fed about 50 people, from young adults to older people.

I had no idea that there were this many people in this living condition in the vicinity. What made me feel better was that we were helping them all with giving them a free nourishing meal, and then some.

While we were serving, a vehicle that read the “Jesus Bus” stopped by. The people on the bus gave us some sweets, which we, in turn, gave to the homeless. We ended up with few leftovers and very happy people. This project put a strong perspective in my life. I thought of how they had to live with no home and a daily struggle for food and water. I thought the rush to finish homework was bad!

It made me want to do just about anything to help them. I would definitely want to do this apostolic project again.

As a final bonus, we went to the Chancery to meet Bishop Richard F. Stika for lunch, and we also had a small FaceTime with Cardinal Justin Rigali. After a lunch of hot dogs, we were given a small tour of the new Sacred Heart Cathedral.

If you would like to help with the Bridge Ministry, e-mail Deacon Maentz at deaconscott@deaconscott.com. On a side note, we also helped raise funds for an Eagle Scout project by another teen leader, Daniel Kass. n

By Meghan Campbell his is the type of young woman that Challenge Youth Group helps build. Through discussions, fun activities, Gospel readings, and apostolic projects, the girls are sculpted by Christ into strong, dignified, intelligent, and loving young women.

What is Challenge? It’s a youth group for girls in fifth through eighth grade that meets twice monthly at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge. The girls are split up into groups by their grade, so they are with girls their age and which aids in easier small-group discussions. Over snacks and drinks, they discuss a monthly saint and a virtue they possess. The group reads the Gospel, and the girls lead themselves in prayer. Their discussions about the saint and virtue, the Gospel, and how their own lives play into it all, are led by high school girls. Most of the leaders are Challenge veterans themselves.

Once a month, the girls go to vigil Mass as a group with the Conquest boys. Finally, everyone is invited for fun in the gym, including volleyball, kickball, and more. Challenge Youth Group is a place for the daughters of the Church to grow in their faith with friends and fun.

While each meeting begins with the monthly saint and virtue discussions, a portion of time is devoted to an apostolic project. The girls learn that an apostolic project is one that takes after the apostles themselves in going out

T

national titles, in the 1,500 and 3,000 runs, at the AAU Indoor National Track Championships in Michigan. He also placed third in the 800 run at the same event. n

and spreading their faith. The group participates in two projects a year.

In the first semester of 2016-17, the girls were asked to pick a project they would be interested in doing and vote on the best idea in their small groups.

Then they met as one group to choose one project. The girls voted to make their own baby blankets to provide to the women at the Catholic Charities Pregnancy Help Center in LaFollette. They spent their next meetings measuring, cutting, and making unique blankets for each woman to take home with her. As a separate Christmas project, the girls baked and decorated cookies to bring to the people of the parish.

In the second semester, the girls worked together to bring their service back to their home parish. They organized and hosted the Rock ’n’ Roll fundraiser, a roller-skating fundraiser complete with bake sale and raffle prizes. All of their hard work raised enough money for a fire pit at the youth building. Now the youth group can enjoy s’mores and spend time around the fire together, all thanks to their hard work.

Overall, Challenge Youth Group is a fun way the girls of the parish can gather to strengthen their faith and themselves. Through the leadership of teen leaders and adult mentors, they can grow as individuals while still having a helping hand when they need it. When the girls go to high school they have the option to come back and be teen leaders for middle schoolers or join the communications team, which does the behindthe-scenes work to make it all come together (for the girls not as comfortable with leading a group). n

SJNS sixth-graders stand out at science fair

T

he Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair (SASEF) took place last spring at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville.

St. John Neumann School in Farragut was represented extremely well this year, and the students are directed by middle school science teacher Brett Shaffer.

This year’s Junior Division Grand Champion (first place overall) is SJNS sixthgrader Tina Fanelli.

She was awarded with a trophy and $200 prize. Her environmental science project was titled: “Helping the Earth: Do-It- Yourself Bioplastics.” This year’s Junior Division Reserve Champion (second place overall) is SJNS sixth-grader Dmitri Kalinin. Dmitri was awarded with a trophy and $100 prize.

His cellular and molecular biology project was titled “Salty, Sour, and Soapy Cells: Separately and Simultaneously.”

Five St. John Neumann sixth-graders were awarded Certificates of Excellence

www.di o k no x .o rg

COURTESY OF JANET HARRIGAN

AAU champ Keegan Smith displays his 3,000-​ meter run gold medal at the Junior Olympics. He later won a sixth-place medal in the 1,500 run.

COURTESY OF MARGARET MERRILL

en-year-old Keegan Smith, a fifth-grader at Sacred Heart Cathedral School much honored already in his running career, captured a gold medal July 31 in the 3,000-meter run for 11-year-olds at the AAU Junior Olympic Games in Detroit.

Keegan ran a sub10-minute time of 9:59.36 to win by a margin of more than 32 seconds against a field of 47 other runners. He missed the national record of 9:55.22, which has stood since 2003, by a little more than 4 seconds.

In the 1,500 run at the Junior Olympics on Aug. 3, Keegan set a personal-best time of 4:51.96 and earned a sixth-place medal.

He was competing against a field of 78 runners. The winning time was 4:47.36.

In the 800 run Aug. 2, Keegan placed

Young Einstein Tina Fanelli earned a first-place trophy at the science fair. (first place in their category), which include a certificate and $25 prize. The students that received this achievement are Tina Fanelli (environmental science), Dmitri Kalinin (cellular and molecular biology), Ellen Falvey (earth and planetary science), Kate Pettinger (engineering: materials and bioengineering),

and Audrey Weaver (microbiology).

Dmitri Kalinin also received the Naval Science Award, which included a certificate, medal, and $25 prize from the U.S. Department of the Navy.

Three St. John Neumann sixth-graders received honorable mentions. They are Abbey Arnold, Mason Burkhardt, and Adriana Zablah. n

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