CCETN begins adoption services
The Pregnancy Help Center in Knoxville “is a very success ful center,” she added. “There are many partnerships. They’ve served over 28,000 women just out of that center in the last 20 years.”TheHelenwood location joins Knoxville and four other sites for pregnancy assistance. “We also have centers in Chat tanooga, Johnson City, New comb or Jellico, and LaFollette,” Mrs. Healy noted. “And our newest location is in Helenwood in Scott County. We think that is really a special area. There is a lot of need there. There are not a lot of resources there in the community. We’ve invited St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic to join us to serve the community. We don’t have a very big space. Sis ter Mary Lisa Renfer and Martin Vargas are going to put the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic in Catho lic Charities’ small center there. They will start serving there
By Bill Brewer C atholic Charities of East Tennessee is now an option for people looking to adopt a child. The Diocese of Knoxville social-services agency has added an Adoption Services division to its extensive portfolio of pro grams that are available throughout the region.Catholic Charities of East Tennessee Adoption Services officially launched July 27, and the program is now available to parents considering adoption to grow their families as well as expectant moth ers who are considering placing a child for adoption.Thenew program received its license to operate in December and has spent the first half of 2022 preparing to serve cli ents. It operates from Catholic Charities’ temporary offices in the Regas Building at 318 N. Gay St. in Knoxville, although Lisa Healy, CCETN executive director, said the agency and its programs plan to return to their headquarters at 119 Dameron Ave. in Knoxville in the next few months once renovation is complete following a Nov. 28 arsonMrs.fire.Healy said Catholic Charities of East Tennessee suspended adoptions eight years ago. But in the five years since she joined the organization, resuming them has been at the forefront of discussions. She noted that Sandi Davidson, who is the program leader for Catholic Charities’ Pregnancy Services, has been advocating for a resumption of the adoption program. It’s a perfect fit for Catholic Charities in providing the full range of pregnancy ser vices, according to Mrs. Healy.
Return of the adoption option Bishop Richard F. Stika, center, stands with, from left, Terry Leitz, Darlene Leitz, Patsy Sharp, Lisa Healy, and state Sen. Becky Duncan Massey. They are attending the official launch of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee's new Adoption Services program, which resumes adoption oppor tunities in East Tennessee for expectant mothers and adoptive families. The event was July 27 at All Saints Church.
By Dan McWilliams C atholic Charities of East Tennessee’s Pregnancy Help Center in Knoxville celebrated its 20th anniversary Aug. 16-18 as the Diocese of Knox ville social services agency opens its sixth East Tennessee center in Helenwood.“It’sbeenquite the journey,” said Catholic Charities executive direc tor Lisa CCETNHealy.offices and the preg nancy center were formerly located on Dameron Avenue until an arson fire late last year forced them to move to the Regas Building downtown. The Dameron offices are being restored.“Thefirst center was in Knox ville. One of the great features of the center in Knoxville is the location on Dameron Avenue is directly across the street from the Knox County Health Department,” Mrs. Healy said. “Our partnership with the health department is a very good one. Any woman who goes into the health department for WIC who needs a pregnancy test is sent over to our Knoxville center.”WICis a special supplementalnutrition program for women, infants, and children and is for low-income families.
Re-examining adoption
Catholic Charities program looking to assist expectant mothers, adoptive parents
Adoption continued on
“While adoption was suspended in 2014, the idea was to really bring it back and create a complete circle of service around the women that we serve,” Mrs. Healy said. “We started to talk about adoption with the board about three years ago. It has taken us about 18 months to put the whole program together.” Catholic Charities is working with a Knox ville lawyer on the legal side of adoptions.
Help for young mothers A resource fair Aug. 16 at Catholic Charities of East Tennessee headquarters helped kick off the 20th anniversary of CCETN's Pregnancy Help Centers throughout the area.
“It is complicated because you want it to be as perfect as it can be because you’re talking about placing children in homes with families who want chil dren. You want everything to be just so. When an adoptive family comes and they’re matched with a birth-par ent mom, from that point to the end everything works. The child is placed, and a new family begins,” she added. She emphasized that Catholic Charities is now fully licensed under the state of Tennessee to do complete adoptions, from birth parents to home studies with adoptive parents and then placing the children. She also pointed out that when expectant mothers came to Catholic Charities in the past and there were no adoption services, carrying the child to term and assisting mothers before, during, and after birth was what the agency could offer through its Preg nancy Help Centers. But if a mother decided she was unable to care for a child, she had to leave Catholic Charities to pursue other options, including adoption or even abortion.“Wefeel like our adoption services program fills the mission of Catholic Charities under the Diocese of Knoxville, which is to support those with the most need who are the most vulnerable. Pregnancy help has been a wonderful mission for the diocese and Catholic Charities for 20 years,” Mrs. Healy said. “But
Pregnancy Help Centers mark 20th anniversary
Key Catholic Charities program has grown to six sites throughout East Tennessee among us
The world of adoption is much different today than it was eight years ago, ac cording to Mrs. Healy. “A lot has changed since 2014, so we had to go back and look at what we used to do, what we need to do now, what other adoption agencies are doing. We really needed to build it from scratch because what we had was just not the new stuff,” she noted.
MCWILLIAMSDAN He dwells
Pregnancy continued on page A9 BILL BREWER
“That in and of itself is just a great benefit of our location,” Mrs. Healy said.
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The Diocese of Rome hosted a prayer vigil the evening before John Paul I’s beatifi cation, and the pope’s hometown is hosting the main Mass of Thanksgiving. Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the papal vicar for Rome, presided over the prayer vigil the evening of Sept. 3 in Rome's Basilica of St. John Lateran. The offi cial Mass of Thanksgiving is to be celebrated Sept. 11 in the main square of Canale d'Agordo in Italy, where Albino Luciani, the future Pope John Paul, was born on Oct. 17, 1912. The bishops of Belluno-Feltre, Vittorio Veneto, and Venice—the dioceses Albino Luciani served before being elected pope in August 1978—will concelebrate the thanksgiving Mass, according to the Vatican. Pope John Paul served only 33 days as pontiff; he died in the papal apartments on Sept. 28, 1978, three weeks shy of his 66th birthday. Pope Francis has recognized a miracle obtained through the intercession of Venerable John Paul I, who was declared “blessed.”
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“We pray that the death penalty, which attacks the dignity of the human person, may be legally abolished in every country.”
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By Catholic News Service and Catholic News Agency B ishop Richard F. Stika and Cardinal Justin Rigali were in attendance when Pope John Paul I, who Cardinal Rigali served as a younger priest working in the Vatican, was beatifi ed on Sept. 4. Pope Francis presided over the beatifi cation Mass in St. Peter’s Square. Cardinal Beniamino Stella, postulator for the Cause of Canonization, read the Rite of Beatifi cation at the Mass. He was joined by Bishop Renato Marangoni and Dr. Stefania Falasca, the deputyDuringpostulator.thebeatifi cation, the team of postulators gave the Holy Father a reliquary containing the relics of the new Blessed, according to theDuringVatican.abeatifi cation ceremony, the bishop of the diocese where the person dies asks that the candidate be declared blessed; at a canonization, the prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes speaks in the name of the whole Church and asks that the candidate be declared a saint.Beatifi cation is an “administrative act” by which the pope allows a candidate for sainthood to be venerated publicly in places closely associated with his or her life and ministry; the place may be as small as one city, although usually it is the diocese where the person lived or died.
All clergy, school personnel, volunteers, of groups and ofministrymentaandcompliancevillepriorfisubmittedneweveryingdatoryDiocesetionsgroups,patevolunteer,begincheckcriminal-backgroundmentocesantocapacityorwhooverorganizationstheageof18work,volunteer,participateinanyarerequiredcompletethedi-SafeEnviron-trainingandabeforetheycanemployment,orpartici-withministries,andorganiza-affiliatedwiththeofKnoxville.Inaddition,theman-renewaltrain-mustbecompletedfiveyearsandabackgroundcheckbeforetheve-yearexpirationoftraining.TheDioceseofKnox-SafeEnvironmenttrainingrenewaltrainingisconditionofemploy-andforvolunteerintheDioceseKnoxville.TheCMGConnect platform contains all three elements of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Safe Program:Environment n Annual review of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Policy and Procedures Relating to Sexual Misconduct; n CMG Connect Safe Haven training program to be completed every five years; n Criminal background check to be completed every five years.Incompliance with the Diocese of Knoxville’s Safe Environment Program, all affiliates require that volunteers and employees complete the requirements prior to working and/or volunteering in a parish, school, The Paraclete, or through Catholic Charities and/or St. Mary’s Legacy ClinicGoto environmentdioknox.org/safe-https:// on the Diocese of Knoxville website for more information ■ Prayer Intentions
The Diocese of Knoxville implementedhas the CMG Connect platform to administer the Safe understanding.tobriefatelyvideocanneglect,tization,ofvieweruationsgnettesvideotoinforpro-activeabuserspatternstoparishesKnoxvillewithinandofwhoeessuringthatweb-basedGod’s(VIRTUSEnvironmentplacesProgram,Environmentwhichre-theformerSafeProgram“ProtectingChildren”).CMGConnectisaplatformwillassistinen-thatallemploy-andvolunteersareinapositiontrustwithchildrenvulnerableadultsDioceseofschoolsandaretrainedrecognizebehaviorofpotentialandprovidemeasurespreventingabuseanycontext.“SafeHaven-It’sUpYou”isathree-partthatprovidesvi-ofreal-lifesit-toeducatetheaboutmethodsgrooming,desensi-bullying,andallofwhichleadtoabuse.Eachpartoftheisimmedi-followedbyaquestionnairefurtherdevelopEducationisakey element of the Safe Environment Program
This year the Handmaids of the Precious Blood celebrate their Diamond Jubilee: 75 years since their founding in 1947; 75 years of prayer and sacrifice for priests. Did you know you can receive weekly cartoons and short reflections and news from the Handmaids of the Precious Blood? Visit their website, nunsforpriests.org, and sign up for the FIAT newsletter.
How to sign up and qualify for Diocese of Knoxville’s safe-environment program
Bishop Stika
A priority of his short pontifi cate was carrying forward the work of the Second Vatican Council.Buteven before he was elected pope, Albino Luciani was known for his humility, his emphasis on spiritual poverty, and his dedication Beatification continued on page A18
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REPORTERMULTIMEDIAbbrewerBillEDITORBrewer@dioknox.orgASSISTANTEDITORDanMcWilliamsdan@dioknox.orgGabrielleNolangnolan@dioknox.org CONTACT US 865.584.3307 VISIT US ONLINE dioknox.org | etcatholic.org NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE WATCHDioKnoxTVUPDATESDIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE PROCEDURE FOR REPORTING SEXUAL ABUSE Anyone who has actual knowledge of or who has reasonable cause to suspect an incident of sexual abuse should report such information to the appropriate civil authorities rst, then to the bishop's o ce, 865.584.3307. > CONTACT US AT 865.584.3307 OR bbrewer @ dioknox.org. > FIND US AT dioknox.org.CATHOLICINADVERTISETHEEASTTENNESSEEFOLLOWUSKnoxDioceseSTAYCONNECTEDdioceseknoxville
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Bishop Stika, Cardinal Rigali attend sacred ceremonies at Vatican where Holy Father is declared ‘blessed’
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Pope Francis “Dear Lord, this month, as we begin our 35th year as a diocese, we offer You prayers of gratitude and thanks. We ask that You continue to bless the work of our parishes and ministries and that we always listen to the Holy Spirit for guidance in all that we do. Amen.”
Blessed John Paul I Pope John Paul I, known as the smiling pope, is pictured at the Vatican in 1978.
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John Paul I, ‘the smiling pope,’ is beatified by Pope Francis
Mary, our help and refuge
n Saturday, Sept. 24: Luncheon at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center with Knights of Columbus. ■ Saturday, Oct. 1, 10 a.m.: Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus for the 25th anniversary of Cursillo.
Our consecration to Mary, praying her rosary daily are invaluable in the spiritual battles of life Bishop Stika’s schedule of Masses and public events
Dominican Sisters make final profession of vows
He dwells among us by Bishop Richard F. Stika
July 25th was the best day of my life,” declared Sister Maria Bea triz Durão, OP, of Brazil. That was the day she and seven others made their final profession of vows with the Dominican Sisters of St. Ce cilia Congregation in Nashville.
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Making their final vows Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, celebrates Mass at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville for eight Dominican Sisters who were professing their final vows
Vows continued on page A10 Bishop continued on page A18
By Katie TennesseePetersonRegister
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These are some of Bishop Stika’s upcoming public appointments:
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n Thursday, Sept. 1-Thursday, Sept. 8: Beatification of Pope John Paul I in Rome.
“True love is for life, and a deep peace and joy follow the final pro fession of vows when you know for sure you will belong to the one you love for the rest of your life,” Sister Maria Beatriz said. “Religious Sisters do not renounce being brides and mothers. We are married to Je sus, and we are spiritual mothers of many, many people. It is a very joy fulThelife.”Mass for the Rite of Perpetual Religious Profession for the eight sisters Sister Maria Grace Thiel man, OP, Sister Maria Beatriz, Sister Monica Marie Slonkosky, OP, Sister Mary Martin Linn, OP, Sister Teresa Joy Berry, OP, Sister Mary Imelda Ohotnicky, OP, Sister Madeline Rose Kraemer, OP, and Sister Mary Judith Reilly, OP was celebrated on July 25 at Nashville's Cathedral of the Incarnation.Thisfinalprofession of vows comes after eight years of formation from inquiry to final profession, when each Sister vows poverty, chastity, and obedience for life. The Mass was celebrated by Arch bishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, and concelebrated by Nashville Bishop J. Mark Spalding, Archbishop Emeri tus and Tennessee native J. Peter Sartain of Seattle, and Bishop David P. Talley of Memphis. “As the personal representative of the Holy Father to the Church in the United States, I express the spiritual closeness and paternal affection of Pope Francis to these sisters, their families and friends, and your com munity,” said Archbishop Pierre at the beginning of his homily. “Be as sured of my prayerful best wishes and heartfelt congratulations. “As we heard in the opening Col lect for this Mass, religious profes sion is a particular way of living out the fundamental vocation of bap tism the following of Christ as a disciple,” Archbishop Pierre said. “Through the profession of per petual vows today, you consecrate yourself to the following of Christ in the manner of life inspired by St. Dominic de Guzman,” he contin ued. “It is said of St. Dominic that he always spoke to God or about God by fervently preaching and teaching the Gospel, and zealously seeking
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.”—Matthew 1:20 Alife-changing consecration. The words spoken by the angel of the Lord to St. Jo seph in a dream were not meant for him alone but are for each of us to heed as well: “Do not be afraid to take Mary into your home”— that is, into your heart. And we best do so by consecrating ourselves “to Jesus through Mary”—as baptized Catho lics, we need the help of our Mother in grow ing ever closer to Christ. And in these times of growing evil and intensifying attacks upon the Church, Our Lady is a sure refuge and defense against Satan’s fury. The home our heart should be. With his si lent ‘yes’ in response to God’s messenger, St. Joseph embraced the mystery of our salvation and took Mary into his home and into his heart. Likewise, in response to the words of Jesus from the cross, “Behold your Mother,” the dis ciple St. John took Mary “into his home” (John 19:26-27).Andthis is why the Church urges us to be con secrated through the hands of Mary to Jesus, be cause, more than anyone, she can bring us closer to Christ and help us to better live our baptismal life in Him. After all, who can make our heart a better home for Jesus than His Mother and ours? This is the essence of Marian consecration Sacred and set apart. Consecration means to “set apart” and “to make holy” something for sacred use or purpose. It is a total entrustment or dedication to God. When a chalice is consecrated, it is set apart for exclusive use in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass—using it for anything outside this sacred purpose would be to desecrate it, to divest it of its sacredness. When our cathedral was dedicat ed, its consecration set it apart for the worship of God. No longer a building of brick, mortar, and steel, it became a sacred dwelling of God’s presence. Strengthening our baptismal life. The most important personal consecration is that of our baptism, “the fundamental consecration of the Christian life”—our entrance into the very life ofWhenGod. we are baptized, we become a temple of the Holy Spirit, consecrated to Jesus Christ and set apart to “be built into a spiritual house to be a priestly people and to offer sacrifices ac ceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).Consecration then, be it a Marian consecra tion, or the consecrated life as a religious, or a bishop’s consecration in his episcopal ordina tion—only builds upon, enlarges, and strength ens one’s baptismal consecration. A perfect renewal. The great Marian saint, St. Louis de Montfort, states that a correct devotion to Mary is in fact a perfect consecration to Jesus Christ because “it is the perfect renewal of the vows and promises of holy baptism.” This is because, in making our consecration, we give our self entirely to Mary in order to be long entirely to Jesus through her. “Of all God’s creatures,” the saint reminds us, “Mary is the most conformed to Jesus.” It follows, then, that “the more one is consecrated to Mary, the more one is consecrated to Jesus.” Our consecration to Mary is summed up in this short exclamatory prayer— "I am all Thine, and all that I have be longs to Thee, O my sweet Jesus, through Mary, Thy holy Mother." Saying “yes” to God. Properly understood, consecration is always an action of God. Only God can consecrate. At Mass, it is not the priest who pronounces the words of consecration, but Christ. The priest acts in the person of Christ (in persona Christi) and is but the voice and hands of Our Lord. Our personal consecration, then, is something that God does in which we participate with our freely given “yes” in response to His loving invitation for greater life in him. It is the Holy Spirit who inspires us and sows the seed of de sire in our heart to say “yes” to God. And our personal consecration strengthens our “yes” to the divine will. Mary’s fiat. So, who better than Mary to help us in responding “yes” to God in living out daily our baptismal vows and promises? As our Mother, she desires to help us every day to share in own her “fiat” to God, as at the Annunciation, so that our heart, too, might always be a place of Christ’s conception and birth. As God the Father entrusted His Son to the tabernacle of Mary’s womb and home, so He invites us to entrust and to consecrate ourselves to her as our Mother in living out our baptismal consecration. What Satan hates so much. To invite Mary into our heart is to also invite the Holy Spirit as well and makes her “fiat” fruitful and grow in our heart. And there is nothing that Satan hates more than Mary’s fiat echoing in our heart, which “crushes” his efforts to turn our heart away from God with his “Non serviam,”—"I will notThisserve.”iswhy he also hates the rosary so much. The famous Vatican exorcist, Father Gabrielle Amorth (1925-2016), shared how during one ex orcism, Satan said to him through the possessed person, “Each Ave Maria of the rosary is a blow to my face. If Christians knew the power of the rosary, it would be the end of me.” Perhaps this explains why the rosary is now being publicly called a “symbol of extremism.” Power of humility. Indeed, the rosary is one of the greatest weapons we have in our spiri tual arsenal. And the reason for this is simple— Mary is the “woman” of Genesis 3:15 who through Jesus crushes the head of the serpent. The great “saint of the rosary,” St. Louis de Montfort, speaks of how the devil, in a certain sense, fears Mary even more than God him self, saying, “Because Satan is so full of pride, he suffers infinitely more by being beaten and punished by a little and humble handmaid of Follow Bishop Richard Stika on Facebook for news and events from the diocese.
n Wednesday, Sept. 14, 4:30 p.m.: Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus for Knights of the Holy Sepulchre and Cardinal Justin Rigali's episcopal ordination anniversary.
Mr. Willey is a third-year theology student at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana. If all goes according to plan, he will be ordained a transitional deacon in 2023 and a priest in 2024.“Everyone goes to seminary with the goal of leaving seminary, especially when you are right in the middle of it, which is where I have been,” Mr. Willey said. “You lose sight of that sometimes because it feels like you're just going to be there forever. Getting to the parishes is definitely helpful. I was in Guatemala last summer, so I didn't have a parish assignment, and then it was COVID the summer before that. I had a parish assignment, but nothing was going on because of the pandemic. So, it has been nice being here at St. Thomas and getting a taste of what I can expect as I prepare, God willing, to serve our diocese as a priest.”Knoxville’s seminarians were spread out at various parishes and other locations this summer. Danny Herman was assigned to Spanish language immersion classes in Mexico. Abrahan Da Silva was in Canada for English immersion. Renzo Suárez was in Colombia for language classes. Nicholas Hickman was at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana for a summer internship. The other Knoxville seminarians were assigned to parish duties closer to home. “This is really my favorite part of the whole year, to be in the parish because you get to be around the different families and people,” said Bo Beaty, also a third-year theology student at St. Meinrad, who finds the interaction with parish families rewarding.“Getting to know them at dinner or lunch or before and after Mass and getting to serve them in ways that during the seminary year we are not able to; things like bringing Communion to the sick, vacation Bible school. Another benefit is working with a pastor like Father [John] Orr. He is just so full of knowledge.” Mr. Beaty spent the summer at St.
How they spent their summer Above: Diocese of Knoxville seminarian A.J. Houston, a 1st lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves, leads prayer in the field for fellow soldiers as a field chaplain. Below: Seminarian Bo Beaty, left, meets with Father John Orr, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Athens. Mr. Houston and Mr. Beaty were carrying out summer assignments away from the classroom.
Mary Parish in Athens observing and absorbing the life of the pastor, Father John Orr, and like the other seminarians on summer assignment, he has been active in the liturgy.
Summer was anything but a vacation for the men studying for the priesthood in the Diocese of Knoxville.Sure,there were allowances for personal adventures and time to reconnect with family and friends during their break from the rigors of seminary, but for many of them the months of June and July provided another very important opportunity to see what life is really like as a parish“Everypriest.priest is different, and every parish is different,” said Father Ray Powell, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City, where seminarian Michael Willey was assigned for the summer.
are
“I don't impose a lot on them. For me, their major responsibility is their studies. They have to know the Bible before they teach the Bible,” Father Orr said. “But I also have liturgical requirements. If I am going to be at the altar, by golly they are going to be at the altar. Bo is very faithful to all the prayers of the Church, so that is veryAdditionally,good.”
“A seminarian can't learn firsthand how to do a confession, but you can see how a priest prepares for that himself,” Father Powell said. “There is an advantage to seeing the practical aspect of ministry to see a priest go from the bedside of someone who is dying, and literally 15 minutes later be in the midst of a basketball game for middle schoolers. How do you make that transition?”
By Jim Wogan Bishop Richard F. Stika has announced that three priests serving as parish parochial administrators are now elevated to pastors of their respectiveBishopparishes.Stikahas appointed Father Arthur Torres as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Chattanooga. He was previously assigned to the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville before moving to OLPH as a parochial administrator in 2020.Father Mark Schuster has been appointed pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville. Father Schuster was ordained a priest in 2019. He was initially assigned to St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut before moving to St. Alphonsus as a parochial administrator in 2021. They join Father Miguel Vélez, who was appointed pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Morristown. Father Vélez was previously assigned to All Saints Parish in Knoxville before moving to St. Patrick as a parochial administrator in 2020.
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Father Orr and the other supervising pastors encourage the seminarians to participate in parish business meetings. “For me, I believe these parish assignments allow the seminarians to see a pastor’s life in a different context rather than just serving at the Mass,” Father Orr said. On a rather random Friday in July, seminarian Bobby Denne was manning the front desk, answering phone inquiries about Mass times and sacraments, and buzzing-in visitors at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish office in Chattanooga. Mr. Denne spent eight weeks at the historic parish under the pastoral leadership of Father David Carter. “Being a seminarian on a summer assignment is like being an auxiliary guy, whatever the need is, they want you to try to fill it as best you can,” Mr. Denne said. “It is great because it gets you experience in lot of different areas. This week I might be working the front desk, last week I was maybe doing a lot more catechetics, running classes, and things like that. I have also spent the last couple of weeks working with the Hispanic community. So, you wear a lot of hats and get used to shuffling from place to place and doing various things.”
Sunday, September 25 at 5:30 p.m.
— Bishop Richard F. Stika
Pastors continued on page A20
“(Being a new priest) is like being a rookie in baseball and now all the sudden you are standing before 45,000 people and the fans are saying ‘you are going to be Babe Ruth or Bob Gibson.’ One of the great experiences about being assigned to a parish before being ordained is that a seminarian gets to experience the joy of the priesthood and some of the very big challenges that face a priest every day of their lives.’”
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Summer schooling
Seminarians continued on page A12
Diocesan priests named pastors
On that same Friday, Mr. Denne served at noon Mass. “Long before seminaries were founded, the way someone became a priest is that they would do an internship an apprenticeship with a priest and a parish,” Father Carter said.“With the Council of Trent and St. Charles Borromeo being one of the big implementers of seminary formation and education, the Church has gone to a more structural model where you go to an institution to learn academics, spirituality, human and pastoral formation, all these things. And it's done in kind of a remote environment, a sterile environment, probably a more insular environment, and that is good,” Father Carter added. “But the Church has discerned, as always, there is a need
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Fr. Torres Fr. Vélez
By Jim Wogan
Diocese of Knoxville seminarians share experiences away from formal studies
Over the years, Alan and Sally Sefton have established a family legacy at St John Neumann Catholic Church and School The most precious gems of this legacy are their children and grandchildren who attended the school And now, the Seftons are establishing a lasting legacy of another kind, in the form of an endowed gift to the school: The Sefton Ely Memorial Endowment Fund This endowment will provide financial assistance to families who could otherwise not afford Catholic school tuition, so their children may experience the life changing gift of a St John Neumann Catholic School education
Pictured left to right: Bill Derbyshire (SJNCS Principal), Sabrina Talley (SJNCS Academic Dean), Alan Sefton, Sally Sefton and Fr Joe Reed (Pastor St John Neumann Catholic Church and School) standing outside The Alan and Sally Sefton Music Room
“Whatever happens in life, one cannot take a good education away from a child,” said Alan “The foundation of a good education starts when a child begins kindergarten The lessons in how to behave how to study and most importantly the respect for others are ‘foundation course 101’ With that in place, the following years become far more productive for children Sally and I made this gift to help children achieve what St John Neumann provided our girls and grandchildren in their early years there It is also meant as a ‘thank you’ to the school team who nurtured them to become who they are today ”
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The school has recognized this substantial and remarkable gift by naming the St. John Neumann Catholic School Music Room in honor of the Seftons. “Regarding the naming of the music room, as someone who started playing the violin at five years of age, and one who then quit at age eight, I am a frustrated musician,” said Alan. “I love music, and this love was something that began in high school. I am now active on a committee at the University of Tennessee School of Music, where Sally and I have also established two endowed scholarships.”
“It’s a legal contract that our family nurse practitioner students can come here and serve and see patients along with the providers,” she said. “Our students have to have so many clinical hours. In our program, it’s 550 clinical hours in different specialties. But this is especially important to us because of the type of clinic this is. It’s mobile, so they can go to several different sites and see the populations they really don’t get to see in doctors’ offices or hospitals or other types of clinics.”
A legacy of care St. Mary's Legacy Clinic volunteers assist a patient at the clinic's newest site, Church of Divine Mercy in Knoxville, on Aug. 1. The clinic's seventh location provides health care to Divine Mercy's Vietnamese community and immigrants within the Diocese of Knoxville.
Alan, who led a very successful career in business, also noted, “I came up the ‘hard way’, which helped me to be successful in two businesses. I feel now it is time for us to give back, so students may also have the opportunity to be successful in their lives and in their careers.”
BREWERBILL Clinic continued on page A16
St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic was first blessed by Bishop Richard F. Stika and introduced to East Tennessee in September 2013. Since then, the mobile medical van has made nearly 500 weekly visits to Crab Orchard, Washburn, Rutledge, Decatur, Athens, and Gatlinburg.
T an Nguyen of Ho Chi Minh City and Brenda Jones of Cleveland have at least one thing in common despite being a world apart culturally. They both want to be a part of the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic. Their dedication to health care and serving those who lack access to quality medical treatment brought them together Aug. 1 as they took part in the Legacy Clinic’s newest site at the Church of Divine Mercy in West Knoxville. Mr. Nguyen, who emigrated with his family from Vietnam to the United States three years ago, was a physician in his native country and is volunteering to assist the mobile medical clinic as it serves Divine Mercy’s Vietnamese community, many of whom are uninsured or underinsured, lack access to health care, and speak limited or noMs.English.Jones, who has a Ph.D. in nursing, is an assistant professor of nursing at Lee University in Bradley County and coordinates the college’s family nurse practitioner track. She was observing the mobile clinic in action in preparation for assigning some of her nursing students to work with the clinic as part of their training. Mr. Nguyen and Ms. Jones like what they see. “I’m very impressed with St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, with the executive director, with Dr. [Mary Lisa] Renfer. I’m also very impressed with the nurses and the volunteers. It’s amazing what I’ve seen here. The caliber of excellence and professionalism also is amazing,” Ms. Jones said as her visit was wrapping up. “I especially like it here because they only see patients who do not have insurance, and it is faithbased and we’re a faith-based university. I sought this out because part of my job is to find clinical sites for our students. I work as a family nurse practitioner one day a week at our health clinic at Lee, so I see patients, staff, and employees, too,” she continued. Ms. Jones was meeting the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic administrators and volunteers on the first day of the Divine Mercy location to establish a clinical affiliation agreement between Lee and the clinic. She said it is a win-win situation for the mobile clinic and for the Lee University nursing program.
When the van made its maiden voyage in January 2014 to Crab Orchard in Cumberland County, founding physician Sister Mariana Koonce, RSM, prayed that through God’s will, along with determination and hard work, the feet and hands of Jesus—the clinic staff and volunteers—would make sure the clinic is successful. Now, Sister Mariana’s successor, Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, RSM, is continuing that legacy of ministry, serving as the mobile clinic’s medical director since July 2020. And as the clinic van approaches 70,000 miles of operation, a fundraising drive is underway to replace it with a newer model in 2027, or after 14 years of service. The mobile clinic generator has provided more than 2,800 hours of power for patient care. As the clinic approaches its ninth year on the road, Sister Mariana’s—and now Sister Mary Lisa’s—prayers have been answered in abundance. It’s something St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic executive director Martin Vargas describes as a modern-day example of Jesus and the loaves and fish. The mobile clinic serves scores of patients each month at the now seven sites, which is soon to be eight when the mobile clinic begins serving Scott County at the Helenwood Pregnancy Help Center operated by Catholic Charities of East Tennessee later this year. The mobile clinic has a staff of five plus a list of volunteers who visit the rural areas of Washburn and Rutledge in Grainger County, Crab Orchard in Cumberland County, Decatur in Meigs County, and Athens in McMinn County in addition to Gatlinburg in Sevier County.“This is like the loaves and the fish. We are the fish and the loaves, and He divides us to feed His people. It’s tremendous how He utilizes us to be His hands, and fish in this case, in the healing ministry of Jesus Christ,” Mr. Vargas said. “On the back of the mobile clinic, it says we’re compelled by the love of Jesus Christ. That is how we get the job done. We deliver His healing ministry here in East Tennessee. And it’s by His blessing that allows us to raise the funds, recruit the volunteers, and serve HisHepeople.”explained that after giving pulpit talks about the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic ministry, it was able to recruit new volunteers, with seven new helpers coming from the Church of Divine Mercy, which is a 10 percent increase in volunteers just to serve the Divine Mercy
St. Mary's Legacy Clinic adding 2 locations
To learn about how you can give to St. John Neumann Catholic Church or School, please contact Patrick Wade, Director of Development at pwade@sjnknox.org or (865)777-3410. To give online, please visit sjnknox.org/give
Sally and Alan Sefton
Church of Divine Mercy, Helenwood are newest sites for diocesan health-care ministry By Bill Brewer
Fr. Joe Reed, Pastor of St. John Neumann Catholic Church and School, said of the Seftons’ gift, “We are eternally grateful for Alan and Sally’s endowment. I intentionally say the word, ‘eternally’, as this gift will benefit generations of students and families, and help us fulfill our mission to serve God with loving hearts, joyfully embrace our Catholic faith, and nurture individual and academic excellence.”
Readers interested in supporting Cross Catholic Outreach’s many relief programs to help the poor can contribute through the ministry brochure inserted in this issue or send tax-deductible gifts to: Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC02109, PO Box 97168, Washington, DC 20090-7168. The ministry has a special need for benefactors willing to make gifts on a monthly basis. Use the inserted brochure to become a Mission Partner or write “Monthly Mission Partner” on mailed checks to be contacted about setting up those arrangements.
Catholic ministry leaders in Haiti discovered a problem. Poor rural families living in remote areas had no transportation and were unable to reach medical services when they suffered a life-threatening injury or illness. What could be done, they wondered, to ensure those men, women and children received the care they desperately needed? The solution they came up with is as wise as it is compassionate. Rather than insist poor families come to them for care, Catholic clinics are taking their medical teams and services into the remote communities where they can address the need directly.
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The Catholic medical ministries recording these success stories range from programs providing emergency relief after disasters to long-term missions set up to provide more routine care. Some also offer very specialized outreach initiatives that address specific issues. Examples include programs to fight malnutrition, improve sanitation or safeguard women’s health by providing breast cancer screenings. Some also offer prenatal care for pregnant women and special services for newborn babies. While priests and religious sisters are often the organizers of these outreach efforts, Cavnar made a point of commending the many compassionate American doctors, nurses and other medical volunteers who freely give of their time and talents to serve in the mission field. “Some people revere sports figures and celebrities, but in my opinion, these medical workers are the real heroes and heroines of our age,” he said. “Their compassion and dedication are incredibly inspiring. The least we can do is support them with the medicines and other resources they need to serve in these challenging conditions.”
“You can’t imagine the relief that parents in a remote village feel when a medical team comes to their community. Mothers line up to have their children examined and cared for because they know that timely medical interventions can save lives. The visiting medical teams are often able to catch serious medical problems before patients’ suffering becomes worse or the damage being done becomes irreversible.”Cavnaradded that Catholics should be proud of their Church’s dedication to serving the poor, because great sacrifices are often required.“Catholic Church ministries have long been recognized for their willingness to serve in the locations that others consider too difficult or hazardous to reach. To help the poor, Catholic mission teams will cross the roughest terrain and travel into the most remote areas you could imagine. It’s because they believe every life is precious and every person matters. The fact that poor communities often suffer most is what drives them to go further and push past every obstacle.”
“Taking people and medical services out to the patient isn’t a concept most traditional hospitals would ever consider, but it is the approach many Catholic ministries are now using — thanks to U.S. Catholic donors. Those benefactors help us fund on-site visits and mobile medical clinics,” confirmed Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, a leading Catholic relief and development ministry serving the poor of Haiti.
American Catholics Play Vital Role in Saving Lives, Ending Suffering in Poor Communities
Providing proper medical care requires a steady ow of effective medicines. Cross Catholic Outreach is expert at locating, acquiring and shipping these lifesaving resources to mobile medical clinics and other Catholic medical missions.
Cross Catholic Outreach Endorsed by More Than 150 Bishops, Archbishops
The commitment and compassion of Catholic medical ministries have undoubtedly had a big impact in Haiti. Thousands there who otherwise might never have seen a doctor or received treatment for their injuries and ailments are finally being helped. (See the related story on the opposite page.)
Cross Catholic Outreach’s efforts to bless the poor and marginalized in developing countries continues to be recognized by a growing number of Catholic leaders in the U.S. and abroad.“We’ve received more than 150 endorsements from bishops and archbishops,” explained Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach. “They’re moved by the fact that we’ve launched outreach initiatives in more than 85 countries and have undertaken a variety of projects — everything from feeding malnourished children and building safe homes to supplying safe water and supporting educational opportunities for the poorest of the poor.“Catholic prelates have also been impressed by Cross Catholic Outreach’s direct and meaningful responses to emergency situations, most recently by helping refugees fleeing Ukraine and by providing food, medicines and other resources to partners in Haiti, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala impacted by natural disasters.”
Bishop Ronald W. Gainer of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, supports this mission. He writes, “What a joy it is to be part of the Lord’s redemptive work and to manifest his mercy on earth by caring for our neighbors in need.”
In addition to praising the ministry’s accomplishments, many of the bishops and archbishops are encouraged that pontifical canonical status was conferred on the charity in September 2015, approving it as an official Catholic organization. This allows Cross Catholic Outreach to participate in the mission of the Church and to give a concrete witness to Gospel charity, in collaboration with the Holy“YourFather.work with the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development is a strong endorsement of your partnership with the work of the universal Church,” Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco said. “By providing hope to the faithful overseas by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, delivering medical relief to the sick and shelter to the homeless, and through selfhelp projects, you are embodying the papal encyclical Deus Caritas Est.”
How To Help To fund Cross Catholic Outreach’s effort to help the poor worldwide, use the postagepaid brochure inserted in this newspaper, or mail your gift to Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC02109, PO Box 97168, Washington, DC 20090-7168. The brochure also includes instructions on becoming a Mission Partner and making regular monthly donations to this cause. If you identify an aid project, 100% of the donation will be restricted to use for that specific project. However, if more is raised for the project than needed, funds will be redirected to other urgent needs in the ministry.
Catholic Medical Outreach Is “Answer to Prayer” for Poor Families Living in Developing Countries
“An untreated cut or illness may seem like a minor thing, but that’s not the case when you live in a remote area with poor sanitary conditions. Untreated, a seemingly insignificant injury or burn can easily become infected, and what began as a minor issue can even become life-threatening in time,” he said. “That is why Catholic missions providing medical care are so important — and why we encourage American Catholics to support their work. With that support, the medical missions can address problems quickly and effectively, avoiding what could become greater suffering — or even the untimely death of a child.”ItisCavnar’s hope that American Catholics will again respond to this need by contributing generously to Cross Catholic Outreach’s work in Haiti and other developing countries in the world. “Church leaders are eager to provide the kind of health care these poor families need, but they must have our support to offer those services,” he said. “There are urgent medical needs in countries like Haiti, and to provide solutions, we must all get involved.”
As important as Catholic medical outreach is when disasters strike, Cavnar insists the more lasting value of such missions can be seen year-round as compassionate health workers address the day-in, day-out health challenges of poor families.
In the hours following Haiti’s devastating 2021 earthquake, thousands of injured men, women and children were suddenly thrust into a frightening battle for survival. Even during normal times, these poor families found it extremely challenging to locate and afford medical care, so most of them expected the worst after the disaster. How, they wondered, would they survive their bleeding gashes, broken limbs and the illnesses that would likely follow from drinking unsafe water and living in makeshift shelters?These earthquake survivors had every reason to be discouraged, but through God’s grace, help came through the heroic work of Catholic medical outreaches. For example, in the areas surrounding the city of Jérémie, thousands received the care they desperately needed from the Grand’Anse Health and Development Association (GAHDA), led by its lay Catholic executive director, Bette Gebrian, a public health nurse and medical anthropologist.“Betteisaremarkable woman, and we’re proud to have worked with her for many years,” said Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, one of the leading Catholic relief and development ministries serving the poor in Haiti and many other developing countries around the world. “She chose to live and raise her family in Jérémie, and she has been involved in outreach to needy communities in the southwest region of Haiti for decades now. When the earthquake hit her local area, the families there knew they had a friend in Bette. Her team did everything they could to help overcome the medical challenges the people were facing in those terrible weeks following the disaster.”Though Cavnar didn’t mention it, his ministry — Cross Catholic Outreach — played a significant role in supplying medical supplies to help earthquake survivors, using donations from its Catholic supporters in the U.S. In fact, in the weeks following the 7.2-magnitude earthquake, his ministry teams airlifted 3,200 pounds of relief supplies to GAHDA alone, and those resources were distributed to more than 15 rural health clinics responding to the disaster.
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“I ask God to give me direction to protect my child, my family and me.”
“You have to remember that most of these people — especially those living in remote areas — are extremely poor and have few, if any, options for care,” he said. “When they get sick or injured, there are no cars or ambulances to take them to a hospital. They often have to walk to clinics, and when they get there, most are afraid they won’t be able to afford treatment. It can be hard for Americans to understand living with those hardships and under that kind of pressure. You have to see it firsthand and hear the stories of these families to appreciate the challenges they face every day. Once you do, you realize how much these families rely on the mercy of the Church and on medical missions like Bette’s to survive.”
Haitian parents eagerly await the arrival of Catholic medical teams. Were it not for such programs, many poor families would forgo medical care entirely, either because they did not have transportation to reach a clinic or because they could not afford its treatments and more costly medicines. By taking services out to remote areas, Catholic medical ministries can save more lives.
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Wildine Zepherin, Haitian mother from Enot
The story of Wildine Zepherin is a good example of the hardships Cavnar described. She is the primary caregiver for her elderly mother and young son in the community of Enot, Haiti.Any member of Zepherin’s household who falls ill must travel to the city of Chambellan, which lies on the other side of a river. Because there is no bridge in the area, mothers like Zepherin must wade through the water, carrying their children in their arms. If it has rained recently and the river is too high, they cannot reach the hospital at “Iall.ask God to give me direction to protect my child, my family and me,” Zepherin said, describing how she handles those trying situations. In reflecting on Zepherin’s hardships, Cavnar shared his concern about parents with young children who hold off on medical treatments because they either can’t afford the expense or there are no medicines available in their area.
By Andy TennesseeTelliRegister
The procession at the start of the Mass included a long line of deacons, priests, bishops, and cardinals.
“It’s impressive to see that much of the hierarchy of our Church spending time with us,” Mr. Laufenberg said. “It’s moving to see that.”The Tennessee Council added a new feature to the convention. Wednesday evening is traditionally a free night, and the various delegations try to go to a restaurant together, which can sometimes be difficult to arrange, Mr. McCusker said.Instead, the Tennessee Knights sold tickets for a dinner at the Catholic Pastoral Center that featured a quick shuttle bus ride to and from the hotel, a barbecue dinner, line-dancing lessons, and a lot of fellowship.Morethan 500 people from 26 delegations from around the world attended, Mr. McCusker said. “This is a first-time thing,” Mr. McCusker said. “Supreme thinks this might be a new tradition.” Another twist that might become a new tradition is the gift the host state traditionally gives to all the delegates. This year it was a Christmas ornament featuring Mikey Schachle, the Dickson boy whose cure from a deadly disease was proclaimed a miracle by the Vatican due to the intercession of Knights of Columbus founder Blessed Michael McGivney, which has led to his beatification.TheSupreme Council staff is considering presenting a new ornament every year that delegates can add to their Christmas tree, Mr. McCusker explained.Hosting the Supreme Convention required the help of hundreds of Tennessee Knights who volunteered to help visitors navigate the Opryland hotel, register delegates, and transport members of the hierarchy between the hotel and the airport.
At the recent 140th Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention held in Nashville, one Tennessean rolled off the Knights’ board of directors and another rolled on. Michael McCusker of the Memphis suburb of Germantown, the immediate past state deputy of the Tennessee State Council, was elected to the board, which oversees the operations of the Knights, the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization with more than 2 million members. His threeyear term began on Sept. 1. Meanwhile, Mike Wills of Knoxville, a past state deputy in Tennessee, finished the third and last of his three-year terms on the board on Aug. 31. “It’s been a busy but fun nine years,” said Mr. Wills, a retired attorney for the Tennessee Valley Authority and a member of Council 15706 at All Saints Church in Knoxville.Asamember of the board, “We help the Supreme Knight steer the ship of 2 million-plus Knights of Columbus,” said Mr. McCusker, who served as Grand Knight of Council 9317 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Cordova before being elected to state office for the Tennessee State Council. “We run the business of the Knights, which is a multi-billion-dollar business.” After Mr. Wills was elected to the board in 2013, he was appointed chair of the Audit Committee, a position that drew on his experience serving as the secretary to the TVA audit committee, he said. “For nine years, I’ve been able to see the finances of the Knights. That’s very interesting to understand how it all works,” Mr. Wills said. “You don’t usually see that as a state Blesseddeputy.”Michael McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus in part to protect Catholic families who had lost their breadwinner by implementing a life-insurance program. Today, the Knights insurance program is one of the top-rated insurance programs in the country, with more than $119 billion of insurance in force.
The Knights also have an investment portfolio worth more than $28 billion and have created an inhouse investment group, Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors, that invests in companies that operate in accordance with Catholic teaching, Mr. Wills said. “We’ve continued to have a very good track record in theEarningsmarket.”from the insurance program and investments fund much of the Knights of Columbus’ many charitable initiatives around the world, including its Persecuted Christians Fund, Special Olympics, the American Wheelchair Mission, Ukraine Solidarity Fund that provides relief supplies for the people of Ukraine during the war there, Culture of Life Fund that helps pay for ultrasound machines for pregnancy resource centers, scholarships for seminarians, Warriors to Lourdes program that helps pay to send military veterans to Lourdes for physical and spiritual healing, and others.
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Knights board of directors keeps its Tennessee flavor
Directors leaving and joining have Knoxville ties Board continued on page A19
The convention was held Aug. 2-4, but delegates and their families began arriving in Nashville the weekend before. There were several tours and activities for the visitors to enjoy before the business of the convention began. One of the people with the Minnesota group was Gina Kosloski of Lake Shore, Minn. She arrived in Nashville on the Saturday before the start of the convention. “We went down to Broadway and took in some of the sights,” she said of Nashville’s downtown entertainment district. “That was fun.” “It’s amazing,” she said of this year’s convention. “It’s amazing to see friends we’ve made throughout theThisyears.”year’s convention featured several changes, explained Mr. McCusker, a Past State Deputy for the Tennessee Council and a parishioner of St. Francis of Assisi Church in the Memphis suburb of Cordova.
By Andy Telli and Katie Peterson Tennessee Register
Supreme Convention draws priests, prelates, and brother Knights from around the world
Thousands of Knights of Columbus and their families converged on the Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville for the 140th Supreme Convention for the first in-person convention in three years. They came from the Philippines and Mexico, France and Poland, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador, California and New York, and everywhere in between.“People overwhelmingly were happy to get back together,” said Michael McCusker, the convention manager for the host Tennessee State Council.
“We had volunteers from across all three dioceses” of Tennessee: More Information Contact: Lisa Morris at selectinternationaltours.comlisam@select-intl.com865-567-1245
REGISTERPETERSON/TENNESSEEKATIE For
Fr. Michael Maples, Spiritual Director 11 Days –April 17-27, 2023 Sacred Sites & Scenic Sights
— Fred Laufenberg Tennessee State Deputy, Knights of Columbus Supreme Mass Bishop J. Mark Spalding was the main celebrant of the opening Mass of the 140th Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention on Aug. 2 at the Opryland Resort and Convention Center. Cardinals and bishops from around the world concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Spalding.
“It went really, really well,” Minnesota State Deputy Dan DeCrans of Nevis, Minn., said of this year’s convention. He said he liked “just aboutMinnesotaeverything.”hosted the last inperson Supreme Convention held in 2019 just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s tremendous to have people come back together,” said Mr. DeCrans, who had 29 people come to the convention. “It’s great to see people and experience the fraternity of being together.”
Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, presiding at his first Supreme Convention, had some changes in mind that relieved some of the stress on Tennessee, which had a shorter than normal time to prepare, Mr. McCuskerTypically,said.the host state organizes a welcome party the night before the formal opening of the convention. But this year, the Supreme Council staff took advantage of the Music City location and replaced the party with a Welcome Concert at the Grand Ole Opry featuring country music star Craig Morgan, a parishioner of St. Christopher Church in Dickson, and the Hillbilly Thomists bluegrass band, made up of Dominican friars. “The concert, people absolutely loved it,” said Tennessee State Deputy Fred Laufenberg of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade in the Diocese of Knoxville. “They absolutely loved the show.”
Knights of Columbus convene in Nashville
THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLICA8 n SEPTEMBER 4, 2022 www.dioknox.org
A Pilgrimage Through
The concert was followed the next morning by the opening Mass with Nashville Bishop J. Mark Spalding as the main celebrant and homilist. “It was absolutely tremendous,” Mr. Laufenberg said. “People absolutely loved the homily and the energy he brought to the Mass.”
"It’s impressive to see that much of the hierarchy of our Church spending time with us. It’s moving to see that."
A salute to Pregnancy Help Centers
Cousins 12 Days June
Pregnancy continued from page A1
— Sandi Davidson Catholic Charities of East Tennessee Pregnancy Services program leader
THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC SEPTEMBER 4, 2022 n A9www.dioknox.org on the second Tuesday of every month. We’re open there three days a week. “It’s so exciting to collaborate with the other ministries of the Diocese of Knoxville. We really are the charitable arm of the Church. That’s what we represent. We have 10 wonderful programs. We’re like the best-kept secret in town, everything that we do.”Sandi Davidson, who is Catholic Charities’ Pregnancy Services program leader, has earned much credit for the program’s success.“Wecan collaborate with the other missions, parish missions. We’re getting ready to start a collaboration with Sacred Heart called ‘Walking With Moms’ involving Sandi and her team and the guilds at Sacred Heart,” Mrs. Healy said. “The Pregnancy Help Centers, there are six locations; however, with all services one of the things we find is its very difficult for people to find transportation to where we are with any of our services, including Pregnancy HelpMrs.Centers.”Healysaid that while COVID affected everything, one side effect is that it prompted innovation.“DuringCOVID, we went online. So, with our pregnancy assistance, a mom could actually take over 200 classes in English and Spanish from the comfort of her home through a Roku device,” she said.“Our volunteers monitor the classes they take and then get on the phone and go over the instruction with them. Moms can then come to the Pregnancy Help Center and spend the ‘Earn While You Learn’ bucks, or they can go to Amazon, to Walmart, to Target and order things through Catholic Charities with the use of the ‘Earn While You Learn’ bucks,” she added.Mrs. Davidson said that all of the Pregnancy Help Centers have combined to assist “more than 39,000 people since 2002.” “We opened our very first Pregnancy Help Center at Gables West on Kingston Pike on Aug. 17, 2002,” she said. “The Pregnancy Help Center provides love, support, information, and aid to anyone facing or having faced a pregnancy that is planned or unplanned. We are here to walk alongside them and help them navigate this uncertain time in their lives.”Mrs. Davidson said that “we are absolutely thrilled to add our Helenwood Pregnancy Help Center. Through our ‘Earn While You Learn’ Program, we are able to assist anyone, anytime, anywhere within our diocese. We have also re-added our adoption program and plan to add a mobile ultrasound van to travel our diocese and ultrasound clinics at our pregnancy help centers.”Theservices offered at the help centers have expanded over the years, Mrs. Davidson said. “When we first started, we offered a 24-hour helpline, free pregnancy testing, options information, adoption services, community referrals, and a small amount of material goods (a few diapers and donated baby items) that we just gave to them,” she said. “We mainly provided services for pregnant women and newborns. This was successful, but we realized we needed to do more. So, we now have: a 24-hour pregnancy helpline; six Pregnancy Help Centers; free pregnancy testing; options information; more than 250 educational classes on pregnancy, parenting, life skills, and fatherhood; material assistance (brandnew cribs, car seats, formula, diapers, wipes, etc.) that they earn through our educational classes; community and agency referrals; and Project Rachel— our post-abortion healing and recovery program that offers one-on-one counseling, weekend retreats, and monthly support groups.”Clients can stay in the program until their babies are 2 years old, Mrs. Davidson pointed out A resource fair Aug. 16 kicked off a three-day celebration of the 20th anniversary.“Wearecelebrating our 20th anniversary, and we have lots of parties going on this week,” said Ernestine Meiners, program coordinator at the Pregnancy Help Center in Knoxville. “The Pregnancy Help Centers here in Knoxville have been open for 20 years, and we are having a party all week long. We’re having a party for our clients. We invited all our community resources that we refer our clients to to come in and party with us. Today is all about the clients.“Then, we’re having a party for the volunteers and the donors to say thank you to them for all the work they’ve done, because we could not do this without them. After that we’re having an open house for anyone in Knoxville who wants to come and visit with us to say hi and see what we do here at the Pregnancy Help Center.”Thecommunity resources represented at the fair included Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the YWCA (domestic violence/ empowerment), Family Promise (housing), the Metro Drug Coalition (free lockboxes), Back to School supplies (free backpack to pre-K to fifth-grade students), and manyIvettmore.Lambert is the coordinator for Spanish clients at the Pregnancy Help“WeCenter.havelots of organizations that help us with the clients when they need something like diapers or medical services or car seats,” she said.The services aren’t provided “directly through the Pregnancy Help Center, but these community partners work with us when our clients need assistance with homelessness or smoking or learning English, lots and lots of resources,” Ms. Meiners said. “They’ve all come together with us to throw this party for the clients.”Ms.Lambert said, “It’s wonderful because everybody’s coming here. They know that they can count on us. We are so happy to serve this community. We have all kinds of international clients—we have Spanish, we have English, we have Swahili. We all are here to help those mamas in need and the families that need us to provide the best for them.”
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ireland
Ms. Meiners said she “always describes our goals at the Pregnancy Help Center as threefold.
Catholic Roots ...Christian 12-23, 2023
(2)BREWERBILL
“The Pregnancy Help Center provides love, support, information, and aid to anyone facing or having faced a pregnancy that is planned or unplanned. We are here to walk alongside them and help them navigate this uncertain time in their lives. ”
One, we want a healthy, full-term baby (two) going home to a loving and nurturing home. And the third one is, it’s hard to be loving and nurturing when you’re stressed out. We try to find resources for them to help manage their stresses. If we can’t remove the stress completely, we help them manage that stress, and that’s what these community partners do with us.”
At the Aug. 17 event, trivia questions were asked about the Pregnancy Help Center, including: n How many diapers does a typical newborn use in one year? (2,000) n How many center coordinators/leaders has the Pregnancy Help Center in Knoxville had? (nine) n Who made rosary bracelets for years with proceeds going toward the pregnancy center? (Shirley Moore) n What percentage of Pregnancy Help Center-Knoxville clients speak Spanish? (33 percent) n What percentage of the Pregnancy Help Center-Knoxville client base are fathers? (15.8 percent) n With the new virtual parenting classes, how many different counties in East Tennessee are currently reached by the six pregnancy help centers? (16 counties and two adjoining states) n How many clients were served last year at the Knoxville Pregnancy Help Center? (303) Mrs. Healy said that “we continue to change, but having those centers and that visibility provide places for community classes, individual coaching and mentoring, and education. While those centers still serve that, we’ve even gone beyond that with online streaming. We actually touch 16 counties and Kentucky and Georgia by taking pregnancy help online. Yes, it’s been 20 years, and we’ve changed. We’ve tried to continue to meet the needs of the moms.”“Mrs. Davidson is our pregnancy help superhero,” Ms. Healy said as she congratulated her colleague on the milestone anni versary. ■ More Information Contact: Lisa Morris at selectinternationaltours.comlisam@select-intl.com865-567-1245 & scotland Pilgrimage to with Fr. Mike Nolan
Sandi Davidson, second from right, who leads Catholic Charities of East Tennessee's Pregnancy Help Centers, is joined by, from right, Ivett Lambert, Ernestine Meiners, Sister Asunta Thairu, MCESM, and Ada Hernandez-Bell in celebrating the 20th anniversary of Catholic Charities' pregnancy help ministry, which now includes centers in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Johnson City, Newcomb/Jellico, LaFollette, and Helenwood.
By Jim Wogan
Archbishop Pierre said.“A vibrant proclamation of the Gospel brings people to know the true meaning and purpose of life found in Jesus Christ, an understand ing of the difficulties that must be overcome to realize that purpose and confidence in the transforming pow er of the grace of Christ to overcome the“Adifficulties.teacherwho is zealous for the salvation of souls and lives the Gospel message in an authentic and joyful manner convinces people of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit and invites them to journey on the pathway to genuine and lasting happiness in Christ,” he concluded. “Always be mindful to accompany them on this journey.”
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The profession of vows Following Archbishop Pierre’s homily, the eight Sisters stood before him in the sanctuary as he ques tioned them on their readiness to dedicate themselves to God and to seek perfect charity according to the Rule of St. Augustine and the Con stitutions of the Dominican religious community.Then,asthe eight Sisters lay pros trate, the congregation kneeled as the Litany of the Saints was sung. “One moment of Mass that was very powerful was when we pros trated ourselves before the altar and the whole congregation prayed for us,” said Sister Mary Martin of Milwaukee. “We lay our lives down through our religious life, and this is something that happens in the heart of the Church, within the embrace of her support and prayer.” Sister Mary Imelda of Denver called the moment “profound.” “I felt the whole Church was present and rejoicing in our vows,” she said. Following the Litany of the Saints, each of the new sisters stood before the Prioress General, Mother Anna Grace Neenan, OP, and read the for mula of profession before approach ing the altar to place the formula of profession and signing it upon the altar.“Making my final profession of vows has been such a gift,” said Sis ter Mary Martin. “I am full of joy and deep gratitude to God and to our community.“Iknewthat I wanted to become a Dominican Sister of St. Cecilia when I visited the motherhouse in Nash ville,” she continued. “Spending time with the Sisters, I found that I was free to be myself, free to love God and to love His people. I was happy and at peace, and I knew that those were good signs that the Holy Spirit is at Sisterwork.”Mary Imelda said it was “very“Ourfulfilling.”livesaremeant to be given away, and there is nothing more ful filling than to give yourself totally to God,” Sister Mary Imelda said. “My journey to religious life was very simple. I asked the Lord what He wanted of me, and He answered. “He asked me to say ‘yes’ to him and gave me the grace to do so,” she continued. “All we can bring to reli gious life is what the Lord has given us. I hope and pray that I hold noth ing back and give all for love of the LordSisterJesus.”Maria Beatriz said officially professing her final vows was the most special part of the Mass, as her journey to that day has been long. “I was born and raised in Brazil. The first sign of God’s plan for my life came after college when the Lord asked me to study English,” Sister Maria Beatriz explained. “I already spoke some English, but Jesus want ed to improve it because he knew that I would need it.
Diocesan position is not all that Bishop Stika is asking new member of diaconate to undertake
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The Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation welcomed eight new sisters as they made their final profession of vows during the Mass for the Rite of Perpetual Religious Profession on July 25. From left, Sister Teresa Joy Berry; Sister Madeline Rose Kraemer; Sister Maria Beatriz Durão; Sister Monica Marie Slonkosky; Sister Maria Frassati Kieckhefer, director of novices; Sister Mary Martin Linn; Mother Anna Grace Neenan, prioress general; Sister Mary Judith Reilly; Sister Mary Imelda Ohotnicky; and Sister Maria Grace Thielman.
WOGANJIM Deacon continued on page A11 the salvation of souls. These are the hallmarks of this life. Eight hundred years after the founding of the Or der, the Dominican way of life still offers the individual, the Church, and the world a unique path of holiness.”Archbishop Pierre noted three things about the Dominican way of life it is communal, contempla tive, and apostolic. This life is communal “St. Dominic recognized that to be a fervent teacher one first has to be a fervent witness. The cred ibility of the Word that is taught and proclaimed is sustained by the lived Word of the teacher and preacher,” Archbishop Pierre said. “The community is where the Word who is Christ first taught, lived, and celebrated.“Thecommon life and the vows lived joyfully witness to the love of Christ,” he said. “This love gives meaning and strength to your words and actions. Teaching and preaching are most effective when it is a lived experience through the joyful wit ness of your Dominican life.” This life is contemplative “To preach and teach Christ, one has to be one with Christ. St. Domi nic was one with Christ through contemplation. To transform minds and hearts by the Gospel message, St. Dominic emphasized the study of revealed truth the truth who is Christ,” Archbishop Pierre said. “He also believed if one is going to speak about spiritual truths, one must be immersed in the source and summit of the spiritual life of the Church the Eucharist and liturgical prayer. “Through prayer and study, eter nal truths are learned and embraced in a new and deeper way. In this sustained encounter with Christ, one comes to possess and pass on a teaching that is not only intellectual understanding, but a personal and living experience of the mystery of salvation,” he continued. “This is expressed by the great Dominican teacher St. Thomas Aquinas, ‘to con template and to give to others the fruits of contemplation.’”
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Deacon Jim Bello named director of Christian Formation
“I spent a few months in the U.S. learning the language, and during this time the Lord called me to be a Sister,” she continued. “I was 100 percent sure that I was born to be long exclusively to the Lord. I chose the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia because of their fidelity to the Do minican charism and to the religious life.”The Sisters final vows now pro fessed, Archbishop Pierre prayed a final blessing over them as they knelt before him and were then officially welcomed with the sign of peace from their fellow sisters. “May the Holy Spirit fill you with the same zeal of St. Dominic for the truth and for the salvation of souls,” Archbishop Pierre said at the end of his homily. “Commending these sis ters, their families, and all gathered for this Profession Mass to St. Domi nic, St. Cecilia, and the Immaculate Virgin, His Holiness Pope Francis imparts his Apostolic Blessing.” ■
Final vows
It didn’t take Deacon Jim Bello long to blend into his new role with the Diocese of Knoxville. A congenial personality and a genuine Christian spirit have helped him navigate the responsibilities that came his way literally minutes after his ordination on June 11. Deacon Bello described the scene that day inside the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus when it was announced that Bishop Richard F. Stika had appointed him direc tor of Christian Formation for the diocese.“Themusic at the end of the Mass was still playing,” Deacon Bello re called. “Deacon (Sean) Smith called me into the sacristy and then mo ments later he announced it to the entire deacon class, which was gath ering on the steps of the cathedral sanctuary for photographs. I had just handed my wife the appointment letter from Bishop Stika, smiled, and said to her, ‘Don’t open this; I want to explain it to you first.’” “Then the announcement was made, and she looked at me like… what?” he added. The appointment didn’t come completely out of the blue. Deacon Bello had expressed an interest in the position a few weeks before and went through a thorough vetting process. By ordination day, it was clear he was the right person for the job.In the few weeks that have fol lowed, he has started what he calls an “assessment of training needs and program development” for parishes. “I would like our parishes to be teaching the love of Christ. It is the love of Jesus that is going to bring people into this Church and that’s where our catechesis needs to begin,” heDeaconsaid. Bello has met online with most of the parish religious educa tion directors. “I have also spoken to many of them by phone, and I defi nitely want to get out to meet them in Classesperson.”for new RCIA candidates and catechumens begin soon, which is something Deacon Bello is focused on.“We have been ramping up for RCIA and making sure our parish teams have what they need to begin their programs. Our fall conference is coming up (Sept. 17) and it will cent er on the theology behind the rites of Christian initiation in addition to pastoral concerns. That pastoral piece is something we need to get good at. How do we equip our parishes to triage situations and to be present to those involved?” he said. In the meantime, Deacon Bello said he has been obligated to make sure diocesan child safety audits are up-to-date and has been involved in other administrative duties that need attention as he continues to organize his“Myoffice.heart is one of service. By listening, I can start the process of helping our catechists do their jobs. I am going to listen,” he said with emphasis.Thewhirlwind events of ordina Getting the Word out Deacon Jim Bello is shown in his office in the Diocese of Knoxville Chancery. In addition to directing the Office of Christian Forma tion, he also will be assisting the Office of Deacon Formation.
This life is apostolic “Authentic and joyful witness to Christ, and teaching and preach ing formed by contemplation and informed by study, are the distinc tive characteristics of your apostolic service and the proclamation of the Gospel for the salvation of souls, particularly for the religious forma tion of youth in the Catholic faith, the strengthening of the faith in their families and in the local churches where you serve, and in all efforts of evangelization,”
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n Will women be arrested for seeking an abortion? No, Tennessee law specifically states that a woman seeking or obtaining an abortion will not be charged or prosecuted. In this situation, the woman and her child are both considered victims of a predatory abortion industry that has preyed on women for nearly 50 years under Roe and will profit from her abortion. Only the person performing or assisting with the abortion can be prosecuted.
Having an impact People taking part in the March for Life in January hold pro-life signs in front of the Knoxville Center for Reproductive Health at 1547 W. Clinch Ave. in the Fort Sanders community of Knoxville. The abortion facility has closed as Tennessee's new "trigger" law takes effect.
n Will doctors be prosecuted for treating miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies? No, this is a fear tactic and grossly misrepresents the law. Elective abortions are illegal in the state of Tennessee.Amiscarriage or fetal demise is the tragic ending of a life in the womb; it is not an elective abortion.Howa doctor provides medical treatment for an ectopic pregnancy or the death of the child in the womb is not affected by this law. As an affirmative defense instead of an exception, doctors merely explain away their actions as necessary to save the life of the mother because doctors are the ones with the expertise to prove such a thing. This is more ideal than having the state, with no medical expertise, prove a negative (that the exception was not met) in the case of an exception as opposed to the affirmative defense.
Abortion continued on page A20 tion day were only a prelude of what was coming. Deacon Bello also has been appointed to serve as the assistant to the director of the diaconate. “My role as director of Christian Formation is to lead this department. I have been told that there is a good foundation in place, and my desire is to build on that,” he said. “My role with the diaconate is to assist the director, Deacon Tim Elliott, when the need arises.”
THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC SEPTEMBER 4, 2022 n A11www.dioknox.org Tennessee law banning abortions takes effect
W hen the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey on June 24, the regulation of abortion returned to states.More than a dozen states had passed "trigger laws" intended to outlaw abortion as soon as the federal right to abortion that Roe established was struck down. Some of those laws took effect immediately after the ruling, with no further action needed. In several states, however, the trigger law required certification by the state attorney general, governor, or legislature.Afewtrigger laws, such as in Louisiana, Texas, and Utah, were temporarily blocked in court and subject to judicial review. Tennessee is one of the states to pass a trigger law, which went into effect Aug. 25. In Tennessee, abortion would be a Class C felony offense for the person performing it, unless the woman's life is in danger or at serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodilyManyfunction.Tennesseans, including those in the Catholic Church, have questions about the state's new trigger law. Here are answers from Tennessee Right to Life to a number of questions being asked about the state's new statute. n Is abortion illegal now? Abortion is not immediately illegal across the United States. The issue has been returned to the states. Now, the citizens and their duly elected legislators can decide how best to care for women and their unborn children. In some states, abortion in any form will be outlawed, and sadly in some states, abortion will be even more accessible than before.
n What happens in Tennessee? A trigger law took effect Aug. 25, and abortion will be illegal except when a mother’s life is in danger.
n What does the law say about rape and incest? These horrific situations have been exploited by the abortion industry as a way to justify the destruction of unborn children. In truth, less than 1.5 percent of all abortions are for these circumstances.Thevictimof rape or incest deserves care, compassion, and medical attention and also deserves assistance to bring her perpetrator to justice instead of being coerced or pressured into an abortion. Her trauma could be greatly compounded by the trauma of the taking of an innocent child’s life. All life should be protected regardless of how conception occurred.
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Twenty other states have similar laws that will soon protect unborn children from abortion. n Does the law make it illegal for a woman to get an abortion in another state? No, Tennessee law does not prohibit a woman from obtaining an abortion in another state. However, Tennessee women should be aware that those states will have few safety measures in place to protect them from unregulated abortion facilities and abortion providers. Tennessee cannot make it illegal to travel to another state for an abortion.
n What will keep a woman from ordering RU486 from an out-ofstate or out-of-the-country source? Women need to know the truth that if they decide to purchase RU-486 from anyone other than a medical provider, e.g., the Internet or a foreign country, she does so at great risk to her own health as these sources could be unregulated and unsafe.
n What will happen to girls and women who have an unplanned pregnancy? Now that Roe has been overturned, Tennesseans will be able to decide how best to assist the
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In the footsteps of St. Paul including a 4-Day Aegean Cruise 12 Days September 18-29, 2023
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'Trigger' statute a result of Supreme Court ruling returning authority to states By The East Tennessee Catholic
To complete a trifecta of new duties, Bishop Stika recently asked Deacon Bello to serve as the diocesan coordinator for the National Eucharistic Revival, which will culminate with the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in 2024. All of this comes five years after Deacon Bello finally made a commitment to his vocation. After twice rejecting the diaconate, he said a persistent friend and a “weird” experience driving to Atlanta put him on the path to formation.
Tennessee Right to Life will continue to oppose any legislation that criminalizes the actions of the mother. n Is the abortion pill also illegal in Tennessee? Yes, the chemical abortion, RU-486, is included in the methods of abortion that are illegal in Tennessee. n Can the abortion pill be ordered by mail or through telemedicine? Tennessee law prohibits the dispensation of “the abortion pill” by anyone other than a physician while in the presence of the woman.Therefore, the prescription and dispensation of RU-486 by “telemed” or through the mail is illegal in Tennessee.
“I was at the YMCA in Chattanooga preparing for a drive to Atlanta and the expectation of a pretty intense business meeting down there,” Deacon Bello said. “Deacon Hicks Armor walked in and said, ‘I know you, and I think you would make a good deacon.’ I was asked twice before by other people and I told myself that God doesn’t want me, and that’s what I told Deacon Hicks.” Twenty minutes later, Deacon Bello said that Deacon Armor came back and said, “I want you to pray about it.”As Deacon Bello drove south along I-75, heading to his meeting in Atlanta, he tuned his car radio to Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s Catholic Channel show.“The first thing out of Cardinal Dolan’s mouth is ‘Today we are discerning the diaconate and my guest is Deacon Jim Bello. I was astonished. It turned out that Cardinal Dolan’s director of the diaconate shares my name. Two hours after I was approached about joining the diaconate and said no, but that I’d pray about it, I hear my (shared) name on the radio being spoken by a cardinal of the Church. I called Deacon Hicks, and he started laughing and said, ‘God works in weird ways.’” This strange story didn’t stop there“Deacon Hicks said, ‘I am going to call Bishop Stika and tell him about your experience.’ A few minutes later, he called back and said, ‘You are not going to believe this, but Bishop Stika happens to be visiting Cardinal Dolan right now.’ How do you say no to that?”Deacon Bello is a lifelong Catholic and a native of Baton Rouge, La. He obtained a master’s degree in speechlanguage pathology at Louisiana State University. He is a pro-life advocate and the author of the Catholic novel, One Baby Rose In addition to his duties with the diocese, Deacon Bello and his wife, Christina, are parishioners at Holy Spirit Parish in Soddy-Daisy. They have been residents of Tennessee for more than 20 Professionally,years.Deacon Bello spent nearly 30 years in senior leadership in the health and rehabilitation sector of the health-care industry, and he recently retired as vice president of outpatient rehabilitation for a national health-care provider. “Deacon Bello is a welcome addition to our diocese,” Bishop Stika said. “Yes, he will be quite busy with all that I have asked him to do, but among the things I find compelling about Deacon Bello is his patience and enthusiasm for whatever he does. His discernment during the diaconate process is a great example.” “He didn’t jump in until he was absolutely sure that God was calling him. I am grateful that he was open to God’s invitation, and I look forward to him leading the diocesan Christian Formation Office and assisting Deacon Tim (Elliott) in diaconate matters,” Bishop Stika added.
Extracurricular activity Above: Seminarian Michael Willey stands in the nave of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City, where he served this summer. Below: Deacon Neil Blatchford, left, meets with Our Lady of Perpetual Help pastor Father Arthur Torres, right, in Father Torres' office.
Deacon Andrew Crabtree was as signed to St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville and said this summer was “incredibly humbling” because he now understands the expectations that come with being a cleric. St. Alphonsus provided an excellent opportunity to dive deeper into the personal makeup of a parish,” Dea con Crabtree said. “The opportunity to preach, teach, and offer some of the sacraments allowed me to learn from the people and get to know the idiosyncrasies that is parish life and the great desire of the faithful to know and experience God more fully.”
Real-world experience Seminarian George Vallejo prepares for Mass in St. John Neumann Church in Farragut. Mr. Vallejo has spent the summer at St. John Neumann under the tutelage of Father Joe Reed, parish pastor. Away from the classroom Seminarian Daniel Cooper observes wolves at the Bays Mountain animal habitat near Kingsport. Mr. Cooper spent the summer assisting Father Michael Cummins at St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport.
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On-the-job training Seminarian Bobby Denne, center, assists Father David Carter at the Basilicia of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, where Mr. Denne spent the summer learning more about his priestly vocation.
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Meinrad for their final months in the classroom, they used the summer to better acclimate themselves to what liesDeaconahead.Blatchford was assigned to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Chattanooga under the leadership of Father Arthur Torres. He acknowl edges that his growth as a seminarian over the past few years and his recent ordination to the diaconate have had a profound impact. “It's changed me in a way; it's made me a lot more responsible,” Deacon Blatchford said with a smile. “It's made me a lot more attentive to detail so that I can bring Christ to people. I want it to be perfect. It worries me and it stresses me sometimes, but at the same time it brings great joy.” God willing, Deacons Blatchford, Austin, and Crabtree are now less than a year away from becoming priests in the Diocese of Knoxville, which made this year’s summer as signments even more vital. “We are definitely keeping our eyes on the priests, like Father Arthur, even more,” Deacon Blatchford said. “I am watching the way he celebrates Mass and how he moves when he flips the pages and his different actions and how he celebrates, and also with (as sociate pastor) Father Zach (Griffith), how they go about their day, how they organize their day, just kind of knowing so I can plan when I am a priest, that I should be doing this around that time.”
THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLICA12 n SEPTEMBER 4, 2022 www.dioknox.org to get back to the front lines, get back into the lives of people in the course of formation as a priest. So, it's a standard part of seminary formation. Everybody goes through it. You go to the front lines, to the parishes, to learn the ropes, to learn what it's like to be a priest.”
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For Deacon Joseph Austin, summer was especially active due to his litur gical duties at the cathedral in Knox ville and assisting with the diocesan office of Youth, Young Adult, and Pastoral“GoingJuvenil.toyouth camps helped me to realize that while different forms of communication are necessary to reach people at different stages of life, there is a perennial human concern for reaching out toward that which is true and good,” Deacon Austin said. It's been a few decades since Bishop Richard F. Stika was a seminarian as signed to a parish. The leader of the Catholic Church in East Tennessee said that during his era seminarians were often assigned as acolyte interns for six months. He acknowledges that parish assignments can be beneficial for the parish and eye-opening for the seminarian.“Ithinkthey see how priests inter act with themselves inside the rectory and how they work with the parish staff. You are part of a team.” (Being a new priest) is like being a rookie in baseball and now all the sudden you are standing before 45,000 people and the fans are saying ‘you are going to be Babe Ruth or Bob Gibson.’ One of the great experiences about being assigned to a parish before being or dained is that a seminarian gets to ex perience the joy of the priesthood and some of the very big challenges that face a priest every day of their lives,” Bishop Stika said. Summer parish assignments offered the seminarians a break in other ways. On his off days, Michael Willey spent time navigating white water on the Ocoee River, Bo Beaty reconnected with friends and read a few books, Bobby Denne would meet his dad, a newly ordained deacon of the diocese, for lunch. In some ways, the semi narians agreed that being at a parish reminded them of the real reason they chose a vocation to the Catholic priesthood.“Ifeelathome. I feel at peace,” George Vallejo said. “I can definitely see myself doing this. It has also been good here at St. John Neumann this summer getting a taste of parish life and what it means to be a parish priest. You can have a baptism in the morning, a wedding in the afternoon, and a funeral all in the same day. But to be that pastor, that shepherd for people at their high points and their low points. I feel comfortable… and hopefully, God willing, one day I will be able to shep herd them,” Mr. Vallejo said. ■
Father Torres called Deacon Blatch ford’s assignment to OLPH a blessing “because people have experienced firsthand his homilies. He has vis ited the sick, and our parishioners have seen him walking around and praying.”“Itwasimportant for Deacon Neil to work with us closely, especially with the sacraments, so he knows how to celebrate them, and how they are per formed for the people of God,” Father Torres said. “(Deacon Blatchford) has done well in that regard. We did min istry at the hospital, and we also have gone to house blessings. Living with us allows him to be part of a community of priests with Father Zach and myself.”
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A.J. Houston’s path to the priest hood is unique among the Knoxville seminarians. As a U.S. Army reserv ist, 1st Lt. Houston was assigned two-week duty as a field chaplain last summer at Camp Adderbury in Indiana. This summer, around an additional field chaplain assignment in Florida, he was home in East Ten nessee, working at All Saints Parish in Knoxville for the second straight year. "I find myself filled with energy and joy, which is a very good sign,” Mr. Houston said as he neared com pletion of his summer assignment. “I am called to be at a parish and not at seminary. There are so many people to meet, so many lives you can jour ney with. I think that's a wonderful calling as a priest. I generally serve two Masses every day and then just be available in the office to help with anything anyone needs, so I've done some maintenance work and talked at parish book club meetings. I’ve been on hospital visits and served at weddings and funerals.” Summer assignments kept the seminarians busy, but coming back to their home diocese offered an op portunity to reconnect in another important way. George Vallejo and Nicholas Hickman are continuing their studies at Conception Seminary College in Missouri, which is located more than 12 hours from Knoxville and more than eight hours from their brother seminarians at St. Meinrad. “It's great to see the guys that are at Meinrad in theology because we really don't get to see much of each other unless we are (in Knoxville) for breaks,” Mr. Vallejo said. “It's good to see them and to form relationships with them because, God willing, we will be brother priests in this diocese one day, so it's good to know who you will be serving with. But also they offer a lot of good insight … they offer suggestions, advice, and they can really be a listening ear to us guys who are still in the college seminary process. Over the past two years, I have had the pleasure of getting to know them and growing closer to them, and I am excited to see where we go in the future.” Before heading back to St. Meinrad Seminary for fall semester, Daniel Cooper had time to reflect on his sum mer at St. Dominic Parish in King sport, which included duties expected of diocesan seminarians, and other tasks that fall into a category that likely isn’t covered by his theologianteachers in Indiana. “This summer I had the opportu nity to assist at Mass, be present in the office to assist with day-to-day opera tions, assist with baptisms and funer als, visit the sick both at home and in nursing facilities by taking them Holy Communion, leading a station dur ing vacation Bible school, and helping with various projects around the par ish,” Mr. Cooper recounted. “I was also able to join the parish pastor, Father Michael Cummins, in one of his passions: feeding wolves at Bays Mountain animal habitat near here. In all these areas I was provided with a really solid understanding of the different things that a parish priest finds himself doing in a given day. There were days of constant on-the-go activities as well as days of less active time,” Mr. Cooper added. The future for Deacons Joseph Austin, Neil Blatchford, and Andrew Crabtree is a little easier to see. All three Knoxville seminarians are in their final year of study for the priest hood. They were ordained to the transitional diaconate by Bishop Stika in May, and before returning to St.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s re cent decision to throw out the precedent set in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion across the country, is a landmark victory but not the end of the fight for life, said Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly. “Roe v. Wade is finally gone. We now have a chance to win the fight for life,” Mr. Kelly said during the Annual Report to the Supreme Council delivered on Tuesday, Aug. 2, the opening day of the 140th Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention held in Nashville. The Knights have been involved in the effort to end abortion in the United States since the beginning of the respect-for-life movement soon after the 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade, Mr. Kelly noted, supporting the an nual March for Life in Washington, D.C., providing ultrasound ma chines to pregnancy resource cent ers, and a host of other activities.
A s a boy growing up in the Nashville area, Chris Gautsch never expected to perform on the most well-known stage in the city the Grand Ole Opry especially after becoming a Dominican priest. But the unexpected came to fruition for him. Today, he is Dominican Father Peter Gautsch, and he and six of his fellow Domini can friars graced the Opry stage as the Hill billy Thomists on Aug. 1 to perform the wel coming concert for the 140th annual Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention.
THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC SEPTEMBER 4, 2022 n A13www.dioknox.org
Heavenly sounds Above: The Hillbilly Thomists bluegrass band, composed of Dominican friars, performs on Aug. 1 during the 140th Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Below: Dominican Father Peter Gautsch, of the Hillbilly Thomists bluegrass band, plays the mandolin on Aug. 1 during the Supreme Convention at the Grand Ole Opry.
"It was really neat to be able to bring that to that stage and share the music and the faith with so many people," the priest added. And through their music, Father Gautsch said, he hopes the band is carrying out its mis sion as preachers.
"The origins of the way the band came about was from our fraternal life, our common life together, but it was directed towards preach ing," Father Gautsch said, adding that the songs have themes about hope in God, the re ality of grace, and the goodness of creation. "What we hope for our music," he added, "is that it helps people to think about God and to hope in Him and to see the goodness and joy that comes from living for Him and directing everything in one's life toward Him." ■
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Hillbilly Thomists bluegrass band performs for Knights on Opry stage
“By ending Roe, the Court has em powered us to end one of the worst injustices in American history,” Mr. Kelly said. “Roe is overturned, but we have more work to do. We will continue to march for life until abor tion is unthinkable.”
By Katie Peterson Catholic News Service
With the Supreme Court’s deci sion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center, the question of abor tion will now move to the states. “Each state has a choice to make,” Mr. Kelly said. “At least half will protect life to some degree. But oth ers will keep the abortion status quo. And some states will even expand abortion, putting moth ers and children in greater danger.
Overturning Roe ‘a chance to win the fight for life’
A unique music ministry
The priest, a 2007 graduate of Pope John Paul II Preparatory School in Hendersonville, Tenn., contemplated his vocation for years. He said when he was young he liked serv ing as an altar boy and said he thought then that he would want to be a priest but he had "a pretty uninformed and naive view of what the priesthood was about at that time," he told the Tennessee Register , Nashville's diocesan newspaper.Bythetime he reached high school, he thought differently about it, saying he was convinced it "wasn't what God had in store for me."But when he was a junior at the University of Notre Dame, he was given an opportunity to spend a semester abroad in Rome at the An gelicum, formally known as the Pontifical Uni versity of St. Thomas Aquinas, and "the idea of the priesthood and religious life really came back in a big way," he said. "I was a little older and I had learned a little more about the priesthood and religious life, so I think I was better prepared to ponder that, although it was scary when the idea first came back to me. But it was also a real grace," he added.That time also allowed him to learn about the Dominicans since the order oversees the Rome"Theuniversity.moreIlearned about the Dominican or der, the more I really came to love it and found that I really thought that I was made for that," Father Gautsch said. So, immediately following his graduation in 2011 from Notre Dame, where he earned a bachelor's degree in theology and music, he entered the novitiate for the Dominicans, for mally known as the Order of Preachers, in Cin cinnati. Following that year of preparation, he moved to the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., in 2012, and was eventually ordained in 2018. During his time at the Dominican House of Studies, he became close with several of his brothers and found that they enjoyed playing music, coming together once a week to play some of their favorite tunes. As word spread about their jam sessions, they began to play for receptions at ordi nations and other small events, as well as recorded sacred music CDs to sell with the proceeds benefiting the men in formation at the Dominican House of Studies. Eventually, they adopted the name Hillbilly Thomists to fit their bluegrass sound that started to develop and their training in Thomism. Then, as CD sales went up, the group began receiving letters from people wanting them to come and perform for an event. So, they cleared their calendars for two weeks to tour the country fulfilling some of those requests, one of which was the invitation from the Knights of Columbus to perform for conven tion"Theyattendees.said,'By the way, it's going to be at the Grand Ole Opry' and our jaws all dropped," Father Gautsch recalled. "The exciting thing about it for me, aside from just being on that stage and playing, is this is my home, this is where I grew up, so to be able to have friends and family come join in that was amazing." Plus, he said, whether the Knights "know of our band or not, we share the Catholic faith."
By Andy TennesseeTelliRegister
"It's a dream, and growing up in Nashville, I never, ever imagined I'd be on that stage," Fa ther Gautsch said. "It was a total thrill."
Roe continued on page A20
Adoption continued on page A15 Adoption continued from page A1 (2)BREWERBILL
Darlene and Terry Leitz show a family photo of their grandchil dren, son, and daughter-in-law. The Leitzes, who adopted two sons through Catholic Charities adoption services, said they highly recommend the ministry.
Success story
“WhenServices.amother comes in, whether it’s through our ‘Earn While You Learn’ program within our Pregnancy Help Centers or directly calls Adoption Services, we discuss with that mother where they’re coming from, what place they’re coming from, what their in terest is for that child, what’s going on with them that may or may not be a risk for that baby, resources they need, and then begin the pro cess of assisting them in creating a plan for that child,” she added. Ms. Hernandez-Bell underscored that Catholic Charities’ intent is always to assist expectant mothers through pregnancy, delivery, and following birth as they bond with their baby and start or add to their family.Butfor expectant mothers who decide not to keep their child, there now is a solution for them that gives life to their child and serves a couple or individual who is long ing for a child.
First-hand experience Having adoption services through Catholic Charities is welcome news to Darlene and Terry Leitz, who adopted two sons through Catholic Charities. In their first decade of marriage, the couple realized they could not have children, so adoption became a possibility. Now married for 43 years, the Leitzes are grandparents. The Leitzes shared that early in their marriage they consulted with an infertility specialist in hope of becoming pregnant, but they real ized the requirements of the fer tility process were unrealistic for them.“We could have gone that route. I’m so glad we didn’t. God’s grace kept us from going that route. Then we were so blessed with these healthy boys. You hear people say things about adoption. We have no negative thoughts about Catholic Charities or adoption. They helped us tremendously. It was a sad time. If you can’t get pregnant but that’s what you’ve been thinking about for years—being a wife and mother and giving birth—it’s a sad time. But Catholic Charities was so com passionate. They were awesome,” Mrs. Leitz said. Mrs. Leitz explained that she and her husband received Christopher as an infant in 1988, just as the Dio cese of Knoxville was being estab lished. They were on the approval list for two years before that, so she estimates they began the adoption process in 1985. The approval part of the process took a year, with a wait time of two years. “We had done so many things beforehand with an infertility spe cialist and talking to people that it was no longer a question of are we going to adopt but how are we go ing to do it?” Mr. Leitz said. The Leitzes saw information in the Tennessee Register newspaper in the Diocese of Nashville about adoption through Catholic Chari ties of Tennessee. “I was so excited when I saw that. I thought this can work. This can produce a baby for our family. That was our last hope unless I got pregnant. And that wasn’t happen ing,” Mrs. Leitz said. Mr. Leitz said it just seemed nat ural to go with a Catholic adoption agency. Their adoption counselor with Catholic Charities led them with care through the process, which included a comprehensive home study and writing letters to the birth mother explaining who they were, how they lived, and how they would raise the child.
“We are ready to go. We are ac tively accepting applications for pre-adoptive parents. And we are able to serve birth parents as they come in through the program,” said Ms. Hernandez-Bell, who is program manager for Catholic Charities of East Tennessee Adop tion
THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLICA14 n SEPTEMBER 4, 2022 www.dioknox.org times have changed, and we re ally needed to give a full option to women who become pregnant and are abortion-minded and felt like they didn’t want to keep their ba bies for whatever reason. There are as many reasons as there are stars in the sky it seems like.” Mrs. Healy believes diverting abortion-minded expectant moth ers from abortion facilities by again offering adoption is vital to carrying out the ministry of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. And Catholic Charities will soon introduce yet another program to help expectant mothers choose life: ultrasound.“Withadoption, that helps the moms who come in who feel like they really don’t have any hope or any choice. When somebody in de spair with an emergency pregnan cy comes to us, statistically there is less than a week from the time they find out they’re pregnant until they make a choice for abortion. Usually that abortion happens within the same week. It’s a very small time frame to help a mom decide to give life to that child if she’s thinking otherwise,” she said. “What we now offer is they can come in and share their story. The first thing we do is listen and pro vide a loving heart and a safe place for them to tell what’s going on. Then, if they don’t feel there are any other options, we say to them what about adoption. Then, they don’t have to go anywhere else to tell that story of despair. Every thing is right there at the Catholic Charities Pregnancy Help Center to support that mom. And soon we’ll have ultrasound,” she continued. According to the Adoption Network: n About 7 million Americans are adopted, and more than 33 per cent of Americans have considered adoption, although no more than 2 percent have actually adopted a child; n U.S. citizens completed 19,942 international adoptions in 2007, which declined to 9,319 in 2011 as international adoptions became more restrictive. Catholic Chari ties of East Tennessee’s Adoption Services will be doing only do mestic adoptions, not international placements; n Today, 60 percent to 70 percent of domestic adoptions are now open adoptions, which means there is a degree of openness and disclosure of information between adoptive and birth parents regard ing the adopted child, the Adop tion Network reported in its 2022 statistics; n About 135,000 children are adopted in the United States each year, and nearly 100 million Americans have adoption in their immediate family, whether adopt ing, placing for adoption, or being adopted; n 62 percent of adopted children were placed with their adoptive families within a month of birth; n Experts estimate between 1 mil lion and 2 million couples are wait ing to adopt compared to about 1.3 million abortions annually; n Only 4 percent of women with unwanted pregnancies place their children through adoption. Mrs. Healy described Catholic Charities’ situation as a three-leg ged stool: child, mom, family. “You’re a mom in a crisis preg nancy, and you’re in need. You come to us, you keep the child, we support the child from conception to 2 years old through pregnancy help. Child. Mom. Family. And if you’re not sure, we will soon have ultrasound, so we can show you your pregnancy. A lot of times, seeing that child through an ultra sound changes the mom’s mind if she’s abortion minded,” she point ed“Weout.offer a full complement of services. The ‘Earn While You Learn’ program and all of the resources there, including the lactation specialist, the car-seat specialist, our groups, our part nerships like with UT Extension for Nutrition. We do so much in that legacy program. When we add ultrasound, and we’re work ing on that now with the support of the Knights of Columbus and many private donors, ultrasound will give us that piece where we can now show mom, who’s not sure yet, about choosing life. We’ll show the baby in the womb,” she continued.So,with its six Pregnancy Help Centers, soon-to-be-in-place mo bile ultrasound, and just-opened Adoption Services, Mrs. Healy is convinced Catholic Charities can change people’s lives in even more profound“Statistically,ways.that really is a game-changer for a mom to make that decision. Once they get to that point, if we have to go in that direction where they say, ‘I don’t know where to go or what to do,’ well, you don’t have to go any where else. We can match you with a family for an adoption program. This is one place where somebody who feels like she is in trouble and there is no hope can go. That means a lot,” she said.
New ministry comes to life Ada Hernandez-Bell is directing Catholic Chari ties of East Tennessee's new Adoption Services program.
“The letters were the most dif ficult thing in the entire process. We each had to write a letter. We had never examined ourselves. They had to be hand-written,” Mrs. Leitz said. “We didn’t embellish. In our letters, we always put that the child we raised would be in a Catholic home and would receive all the sacraments. Both of the ones who chose us were Catholic families.”Christopher was 3 weeks old when they received him in Knox ville. He was born in Shelby County. The adoption process took another year to complete legally. The process was similar when they adopted Matthew. When Christopher was 3, they repeated the process and this time waited for five years before they received Matthew, who was less than 48 hours old. He was born in Chattanooga.Andthesadness was replaced with overwhelming joy when they broke the news to family and friends that they finally had young sons. Both adoptions are open, meaning there can be contact be tween the adopted children and their birth Christopher,parents.now 34, and Mat thew, now 26, attended St. Joseph School in Knoxville before the fam ily returned to Indiana. Christo pher and Matthew both married in the Catholic Church and now live in different areas of the country. When comparing Catholic Chari ties to other adoption agencies they considered, the Leitzes were very impressed by Catholic Charities’ pastoral approach as opposed to some that were more focused on fees.“When we checked into it (other agencies), it was ‘first thing, let’s talk about your finances, how much this is going to cost you.’ That’s not how it was at Catholic Charities. It was always based on what was the best thing for the child and for you as a family. Fi nances were there, yes. You had to figure that out. But it was always focused on the best result for the child as opposed to the process,” Mr. Leitz said. “That’s probably the biggest thing that was the difference. It always felt like Catholic Charities was always working to do what the best thing is in the situation,” Mr. Leitz continued. “They always told us the client is the child. What is the best outcome for the child? There was no question that they were concerned about the child’s welfare.”Mr.Leitz explained that they had to make a financial disclosure to Catholic Charities, and based on that a fee for what the adoption would cost was established. At the time, the fee was based on the adoptive parents’ income, not a flat fee.“Many times over the years we have recommended adoption through Catholic Charities. I have talked to many people about adop tion,” Mrs. Leitz said. The Leitzes said Catholic Chari ties of East Tennessee reached out to them a year ago to let them know a state adoption license had been applied for and that plans were in place to start an adoption agency.“Wewere really excited about it,” Mrs. Leitz said, acknowledging that she “cried like a baby” when her first grandchild was born. After returning to their native Indiana in 2002, the Leitzes moved back to the Diocese of Knoxville in January and attend Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa. Be fore moving to Indiana 20 years ago, they had attended St. John XXIII, Holy Family, and Holy Ghost churches in the Diocese of Knoxville.Thecouple had moved to Sey mour in 1979 when they joined the Philips Consumer ElectronicsMagnavox company in Strawberry Plains. While in Seymour, they at tended St. John XXIII Church first and then became founding mem bers of Holy Family Parish once it was established in Seymour in the mid-1980s. Ready to go Now that Catholic Charities Adoption Services program has re sumed operation, Ada HernandezBell is anxiously anticipating the first adoptive family and the first child to be placed for adoption.
In support of adoption Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs delivers re marks during the official opening of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee's new Adoption Services program. The launch ceremony on July 27 was held in the parish hall at All Saints Church
With adoption now in place, that gives women an opportunity to car ry their baby to term and then pro vide a loving home for their child “There is great courage in that. As a mom myself, I’m in awe of the courage of women who, for whatever reason, end up pregnant, but they have the courage and the love and the compassion in their heart to give that baby to a fam ily,” she concluded.
THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC SEPTEMBER 4, 2022 n A15www.dioknox.org
In the “Earn While You Learn” program, expectant mothers and the fathers take classes offered by Catholic Charities’ Pregnancy Help Centers that teach parenting skills. The birth parents receive “baby bucks” that can be redeemed for baby supplies such as formula, diapers, wipes, car seats, and baby clothes at the Pregnancy Help Centers. Mothers can participate in this program until their child is 2 years old. If a mother decides to place her child for adoption, she receives the same nutrition education, the same pregnancy resources through the same curriculum module. And once the placement of the child is complete, the birth mother receives support services for a full year and keeps the same case worker. “That’s one of the things we think is so valuable about adding this adoption program to our exist ing pregnancy services. Prior to adding adoption, if a mother were considering adoption or if they were abortion-minded, they had to leave the facility to receive those services. We believe that adding adoption services gives them the opportunity to stay in one location, which we do believe will increase the rate of decisions to place the child for adoption versus aborting the child for people who already are leaning toward not parenting,” Ms. Hernandez-Bell said. Ms. Hernandez-Bell believes continuity between case workers and clients is important, which is why it is part of Catholic Charities’ pregnancy help model designed to assist expectant mothers through out their pregnancy and beyond. The criteria for birth parents and adoptive parents differ.
When Ms. Hernandez-Bell meets with expectant mothers and poten tial adoptive parents, she speaks fromSheexperience.wasplaced with a loving family as a teenager and has dedi cated her career to working to im prove children’s lives. “Personally, I am adopted. I was adopted through kinship care at 13 years old. Adoption is some thing that always has been near and dear to my heart. Having the opportunity that I did with my adoptive mother at a new life was an incredible blessing for me,” Ms. Hernandez-Bell said. “As I got older, I began work ing in the child welfare system 14 years ago and dived into provid ing opportunities for children and infants and teenagers to have the best life, to be equipped with the resources they need and the love they need, so that when they go out into the community, we have more successful young adults, children who are growing up and having the desire to continue their education, to become productive in the community. Everything is better when this happens: lower crime rates, better family engage ment, community resources,” she furtherKinshipsaid.care refers to the care of children by relatives or, in some jurisdictions, close family friends. Relatives are the preferred re source for children who must be removed from their birth parents because it helps maintain the chil dren's connections with their fami lies, increases stability, and overall minimizes the trauma of family separation.“Ifirmly believe that you reach children by getting resources to parents when the children are young,” Ms. Hernandez-Bell observed.Shenoted that the Adoption Services program provides closed, open, and semi-open adoptions. “We work with what the family and the birth parent believe is go ing to be best for them. Children ask questions. As they get older, they want to know where they came from. We do encourage fami lies and mothers who decide to have a closed or even semi-open adoption to consider leaving a note for when the child turns 18 or some type of connection. In semiopen adoptions, we facilitate the transfer of notes back and forth so that the birth mother may not have to give her full identity, but they can still have some line open to that child,” she said. “Every family and every indi vidual is unique. There are circum stances leading them to be here, and the dynamics of the pregnancy and their wishes for that child are unique. We do want to honor and respect that. We also want to see and nurture positive relationships that surpass just their interactions, but really feed into that infant as they grow and develop into a young adult,” she added. Ms. Hernandez-Bell is originally from New York City and attended high school in Durham, N.C. She relocated to the Tri-Cities to attend King University in Bristol. Soon af ter arriving in East Tennessee, she said she knew she would never leave because of her love for the mountains.Herimmediate goal for the Adoptions Services program is to facilitate that first adoption, which could take a year or longer. “I want to see that first baby get adopted. I want to see a baby born with a healthy birth weight to a mother who has received medi cal care and nutrition education and who makes that choice for her child to give it the best life she can possibly give it despite having made the decision of not parenting herself,” she said. She also has longer-term goals. “At two and three years, my goals are to see the program ex pand to provide additional educa tion opportunities for pre-adoptive parents for child development. Our ‘Earn While You Learn’ pro gram provides a lot of nutrition and benefits to pregnant mothers, but being able to grow that for the long-term child-development care on the adoptive parent side also is needed. It is important to identify what needs are unique to an adopted child, navigating how to incorporate a new baby into the home, providing support groups and long-term care for both birth parents and adoptive parents. Those are my three-year goals,” sheHeradded.five-year goal is to see the program expand even more and for the services to reach a broader range.Shenoted that Catholic Chari ties’ pending ultrasound program should result in more expectant mothers giving birth as opposed to choosing“Ninetyabortion.percent of mothers who hear their baby’s heartbeat make the decision to birth that child, whether to parent on their own or place that child for adoption. Adding the ultrasound services dramatically increases the rate of babies born who might need our services,” Ms. Hernandez-Bell said.She pointed out that expectant mothers now have more choices with Catholic Charities. While they are encouraged to carry their ba bies to term using all the resources Catholic Charities provides, they now can place their babies for adoption if parenting is not an op tion for them. If they make the decision to par ent, they receive the “Earn While You Learn” education services, which provides curriculum mod ules that can be done in person in three languages or can be done on line, with follow-up from the Preg nancy Help Center case workers.
— Lisa Healy Catholic Charities of East Tennessee executive director
■
“Our expectant mothers have no eligibility criteria. If a woman is pregnant, that’s it. If you are pregnant and interested in placing your child for adoption, we will begin providing services to you. Less than 5 percent of our clients at Catholic Charities are Catholic. We provide services with no dis crimination toward that mother as far as religion, sexual orientation, anything along those lines is con cerned,” Ms. Hernandez-Bell said. “Eligibility for our pre-adoptive parents is a little bit different. For our pre-adoptive parents, it’s a feebased program, and it is presently open to single individuals and married couples as long as they’ve been in those roles for two years. What we’re looking for there is the stability to care. Perhaps a family that’s recently divorced, a single mother or father recently divorced, we’re asking them to give that status some time until they’ve de veloped that stability and really entered into their new normal. Also with a newly married couple, we’re also asking that they main tain that stability for two years and discover each other well before adding a child into their family,” sheSheadded.emphasized that Catholic Charities Adoption Services is “open to any religion that honors the traditional values of wanting to raise that child in a home that places importance on compassion ate interaction with other people, community regard, and many of the faith values that apply to the Catholic Church that also may ap ply to the Baptist or Presbyterian communities or even our Muslim friends.”“Weare not serving LGBTQ fam ilies presently. We are maintaining our consistency with our Catholic social teaching, but there are no limitations on religion or any other areas that a family brings in,” she furtherWhileexplained.expectant mothers and adoptive parents taking part in Catholic Charities of East Ten nessee Adoption Services can be outside of the Diocese of Knox ville, Ms. Hernandez-Bell expects many cases to be from within the diocese.“Wedo expect that the primary source of infants will be local, in our area. We’ve been doing out reach in the Tri-Cities, in Morris town, we’ll be going to the basilica in Chattanooga in November. Any of our Pregnancy Help Centers can begin to serve clients and connect them to us in the Adoption Ser vices office,” she said. Anyone interested in more infor mation about Catholic Charities of East Tennessee and its Adoption Services and Pregnancy Help pro grams, or any other CCETN pro gram, can visit ccetn.org Mrs. Healy noted that Catholic Charities’ programs complement each other, such as Pregnancy Help and Adoption, with a goal of supporting children, adults, and women in crisis.
Adoption continued from page A14 (3)BREWERBILL
"We really believe our mis sion is to do the will of God. He is the Creator, and these babies that come into the womb, it’s God’s will that they’re born. So, we do eve rything we can to make that happen. Now more than ever, we’ll have all the tools to do that."
Words of encouragement Father David Boettner, rector of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, speaks during a luncheon for the official opening of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee's Adoption Services program at All Saints Church in Knoxville. The program marks the return of adoptions through Catho lic Charities to East Tennessee.
“We really believe our mission is to do the will of God. He is the Creator, and these babies that come into the womb, it’s God’s will that they’re born. So, we do everything we can to make that happen. Now more than ever, we’ll have all the tools to do that. We’re good at what we do, we just haven’t had all the tools. Soon, with ultrasound, we’ll have all the tools,” Mrs. Healy said. “We see a lot of hopelessness, a lot of despair, especially now as women who are abortion-minded feel that now there is no hope. The last thing we want to see is ille gal abortions, where they get in trouble health-wise or they skip to other states (for an abortion) .”
Mr. Nguyen, with his medi cal background, is helping the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic meet that need. He and his sons assist the clinic's physicians and nurses in communicating with the Divine Mercy patients.
■ PM candles sacraments seasonal Ministry meeting St. Mary's Legacy Clinic staff discuss patient care during the mobile clinic's Aug. 1 visit to the Church of Divine Mercy in Knoxville. It was the clinic's first visit to its newest site. It will soon add Catholic Charities of East Tennessee's Pregnancy Help Center in Scott County's Helenwood com munity to the list of East Tennessee places served by the Diocese of Knoxville health-care ministry for people uninsured and underinsured.
& SATURDAY 9AM - 5PM 417 ERIN DRIVE KNOXVILLE TENNESSEE 865.588.0388 OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE C pa racletec atho lic.o rg I ID� 7 •jewelry art • books • videos •
— Martin Vargas St. Mary's Legacy Clinic executive director
“We want to help some of the people understand and to not be afraid when they see a doctor. I have a friend who has lived in America for six years, but he’s very afraid to meet the doctor, so he never sees a doctor. Me and my sons want to learn more so we can help in these situations,” Mr. Nguyen said.
The St. Mary's Legacy Clinic team is shown at the Church of Divine Mercy site in Knoxville on Aug. 1. The mobile clinic's seventh site is dedicated to the Vietnamese community, the East Tennessee immigrant community, and existing patients.
gift•
Tennessee volunteers
Clinic continued from page A5 (2)BREWERBILL
"God provided us two new locations, the two new employees, and the funds to achieve that mission. We are grateful The Lord will always provide for us. I don’t worry about that, but I do pray that He continues to give us the strength and grace and talents to hit His mission. I do not think that He will allow the need to outpace our ability to meet it."
“My family wants to volunteer here because my son would like to be a doctor in the future,” Mr. Nguyen said. Paul Nguyen said he has had an interest in medicine since he was a young child and would visit his father’s clinic in Vietnam. Paul was interacting with pa tients, helping them to translate from Vietnamese to English, and then translate for the volunteers from English to Vietnamese.
Mr. Nguyen's three sons Paul, 17, Tai, 16, and An, 15 attend Farragut High School. There is a secondary reason Mr. Nguyen is making clinic volunteer ism a family affair, one that Dylan Carroll can relate to.
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THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLICA16 n SEPTEMBER 4, 2022 www.dioknox.org location.“It’struly a blessing that allows us to serve the immigrant commu nity and existing patients at Divine Mercy,” he said, further explaining that the mobile clinic’s mission is to serve the uninsured and underin sured in rural areas of the diocese. Knoxville does not fit in this service area because there are so many health-care resources in the Knox ville area. The same applies to the Chattanooga area and the Tri-Cities. The Divine Mercy site is specifi cally for immigrants, Divine Mercy parishioners, and existing patients. As the new clinic sites roll out, the ministry also has brought on an executive assistant, Brianna Vin yard, and Sister Celeste Mary Poche, RSM, a nurse practitioner. They join the clinic’s other fulltime employees, Mr. Vargas, Sister Mary Lisa, who is a doctor of osteopathic medicine, and nurse manager Beth Ann Ar rigo, who is a registered nurse. The Legacy Clinic has received a grant from the Tennessee Chari table Care Network, which is the state’s network of nonprofit clinics and programs that provides free or reduced-cost health-care services to those in need. The $105,000 TCCN grant pays for the executive assistant and nurse practitioner positions.“Godprovided us two new loca tions, the two new employees, and the funds to achieve that mission. We are grateful,” Mr. Vargas said, pointing out that Sister Mary Lisa is a finalist for Catholic Extension’s Lumen Christi Award. The award is Catholic Extension’s highest honor given to people who radiate and reveal the light of Christ present in the communities where they serve. Award finalists receive $10,000 to support and enhance their ministry. Then, from among the finalists the Lumen Christi Award recipient will receive a $25,000 grant along with an additional $25,000 for the nomi natingCatholicdiocese.Extension president Father Jack Wall, referring to the nominees, said, “These humble heroes of our Church are sources of hope for us and our country.... They remind us that faith is still a relevant force in our society and culture. They remind us that there is so much energy and generosity in our Church. They remind us that there are people willing to sacrifice for the good of others.” Mr. Vargas said Sister Mary Lisa’s selection as a Lumen Christi final ist is a “tremendous reflection on her and her ministry as a Sister and as our medical director here at St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic.” “She just does phenomenal work here and in the community. She also is the superior for the local Sisters of Mercy. She has more hats that she wears to get work done in a day. It’s just amazing. A Sister’s work begins at 4 in the morning. They pray. Then she’s in the office by 8 a.m. She runs a full day. Then, when she gets back to the convent, she attends evening prayer, takes care of the superior duties she has, then more prayer before bed. Then she wakes up and does it again. She does that day in and day out,” Mr. Vargas said. “Her leadership is indispensable to us here at the clinic. The fact that she’s a DO is a tremendous advan tage. She’s able to provide direction to all of our medical personnel, and, most importantly, through our new staff members. This includes working with Lee University in our new relationship to educate the next generation of health-care providers. We also have a similar relationship with the University of Tennessee, which provides us with two student nurses every semester who are integrated into our minis try,” he added. Mr. Vargas asked for prayers from East Tennessee parishioners because the changing economic en vironment in the country is creating more need for the mobile clinic’s services.“Weare seeing more new pa tients. The need is exponential. As economic conditions worsen, the need goes up,” said Mr. Vargas, who thanked those who fund the mobile clinic and the volunteers who make the clinic work. “With out them, we couldn’t do it. We could not provide the care we have without them.” One of those volunteers is Dylan Carroll, who is a pre-med student at Clemson University. Dylan grad uated from Knoxville Catholic High School in 2021. Dylan’s goal is to attend medical school and become a physician. To ward that goal of learning as much about medicine as he can, Dylan already has earned credentials as a certified nursing assistant and has worked as a CNA at University of Tennessee Medical Center. He now is offering that service to the mobile clinic.Dylan is assisting the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic physicians like Sister Mary Lisa and the nurses in treating patients. Mr. Vargas said Dylan is especially helpful with Hispanic pa tients because he can speak Spanish. “When I’ve worked as a CNA, you really see what the world of medicine is like and the vulnerabil ity of these patients. The compas sion required to become a doctor is through the roof,” Dylan said. As he discussed the vital role of volunteers, Mr. Vargas specifically noted the role of volunteer drivers of the mobile clinic van, which re quires a commercial driver’s license (CDL) showing they are licensed to be behind the wheel of large, multiaxle commercial trucks. “We are volunteer driven. Liter ally. The clinic van stays in the garage if there is not a CDL driver to take it to our sites,” Mr. Vargas pointed out, noting that the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic currently has three volunteer drivers with com mercial driver’s licenses, and it needsDriversmore.aren’t the only volunteers needed.“Really, if you’re a CDL driver, we need you. If you’re an adminis trative person and you have talents in that area, we need you. If you’re a medical provider, we need you. If you have a smile, we have a place for you to be one of the many hands of Jesus that provide the care that we do,” he said. Volunteers aren’t the only people associated with the mobile clinic that Mr. Vargas singled out. “I want to say a personal thank you to all our donors for all the treasure that you share with us to help this ministry go forward. Without you, it would not be pos sible. We have a tremendous cadre of donors who provide us individ ual contributions that enable this ministry.”Donations and grants also are funding two new team members: a volunteer coordinator and a com munity outreach coordinator. Mr. Vargas said he welcomes the opportunity for the St. Mary’s Leg acy Clinic to partner with nonprofit and for-profit organizations who would like to help the mobile clinic. He said there are companies like Walmart that provide local grants at the suggestion of customers. And there are companies like Pilot Corp. and Clayton Homes that have a significant philanthropic impact locally.“Iwant to stress that your fund ing stays locally. You make a differ ence locally. You move the needle locally. The care that we provide comes from and stays in East Ten nessee. All money goes directly to things that sustain our mission. We have a staff of five people. We have a very lean mission. We look for ward to growing a little bit. We rely solely on our 70-plus volunteers to deliver the care that we offer,” he said.Mr. Vargas doesn’t worry about the growth in need outpacing the growth in ability to serve that need.
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“The Lord will always provide for us. I don’t worry about that, but I do pray that He continues to give us the strength and grace and talents to hit His mission. I do not think that He will allow the need to outpace our ability to meet it,” he said.
As a Catholic ministry, SMLC follows the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, which promote the dignity of each person.
THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC SEPTEMBER 4, 2022 n A17www.dioknox.org www.SMLCares.com To donate, scan the QR code or visit : Give the gift of care. Together, we help people live their healthiest lives by extending the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. There is no cost for any of our services; it is given freely to our patients and provided by the generosity of donors like you. www.SMLCares.com/donate
John Paul I’s simplicity, according to Benedict, “was a means of solid and fruitful instruction, which, thanks to the gift of an excellent memory and vast culture, was en riched by numerous citations of Church and secular authors.”
May you always be well armed with the rosary and their help in your spiritual combat. To learn more about making a con secration to Mary and to St. Joseph, the following books are highly recom mended: Father Michael Gaitley’s book, “33 Days to Morning Glory,” St. Louis de Montfort’s masterpiece, “True Devotion to Mary,” and Father Joseph Calloway’s excellent book, “Consecra tion to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father.” ■
t o teaching the faith in an under standable manner. Pope Francis gave his approval on Oct. 13 for the cause of be atification of John Paul I to move forward, along with the causes of six other people on the path to sainthood.JohnPaul I was declared vener able by Pope Francis in 2017. Though beatification ceremonies usually take place in the country most associated with the life of the new blessed, John Paul I is to be be atified at the Vatican by Pope Fran cis because he served as a pope. The miracle attributed to John Paul I’s intercession is the 2011 healing of a girl in the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, Argentina, from a severe form of encephalopathy, a disease affecting the brain. Pope Francis has instituted a Vatican foundation to promote John Paul I’s thought and teachings.
In an article in L’Osservatore Ro mano on April 28, 2020, Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin wrote that “Pope John Paul I was and remains a reference point in the his tory of the universal Church, the importance of which—as St. John Paul II pointed out—is inversely proportional to the duration of his very short pontificate.”
Event was open to public for awareness and education on ways to live healthier lives
The papacy of Pope John Paul I was the shortest in modern history, reigning over the See of Peter for just over a month. He was the first pope to choose a double name, saying he did so in honor of his two predecessors: John XXIII and Paul VI. He was also the last in the long line of Italian-born Popes which be gan with Clement VII in 1523. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis have all praised the Holy Father they succeeded On his path to beatification, Pope John Paul I has had a very special supporter: Pope emeritus Benedict XVI.Then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was among the witnesses for John Paul I's cause of beatification when the diocesan procedure began in 2003.
Offering support Participants in the 2022 Health and Mental Wellness Expo at All Saints Church Aug. 19-20 discuss grief support at one of the many infor mation tables available to the public during the event. More than 225 people attended the two-day expo.
Health and Mental Wellness Expo held at All Saints
In 2008, on the 30th anniversary of John Paul I’s death, Benedict XVI reflected on St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, when the apostle wrote: “Do nothing out of selfish ness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more im portant than yourselves.”
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SERVICENEWSCATHOLIC the Lord.” As the rose is the “crown of flowers,” so the rosary is the crown of Mary’s children by which we triumph over evil. For good rea son is she called, among her many titles, “Our Lady of Victory.” Living Mysteries. When we pray the rosary, we reflect upon the most essential mysteries of our faith—mysteries not of past events, but of living, present, and saving mysteries:
n Those called Joyful that bring us to encounter Christ our true joy; n Those called Luminous for the divine light that penetrates the darkness of sin and illuminates our hearts with Christ’s love as our Bridegroom; n Those called Sorrowful that give meaning and purpose to all our sufferings when united with Our Redeemer’s upon the Cross; n And those called Glorious that give us to rejoice in the promise of everlasting life with Jesus and Mary, strengthening and steadying the steps of our pilgrim journey to our heavenly home. Our Lady’s plea. Let us heed, then, the urgent plea of Our Lady of Fatima to “Pray the rosary every day” and consecrate ourselves to her Immaculate Heart—be the “ex tremist” that Satan fears most! And consecrate yourself to St. Joseph, who, for good reason, is called “ter ror of demons.”
First-hand look A youngster checks out a Knox County Rural Metro fire truck during the 2022 Health and Mental Wellness Expo at All Saints Church Aug. 19-20. Rural Metro was one of many exhibitors at the expo.
Healing mind, body, and spirit Support staff for the Overeaters Anonymous booth at the Health and Mental Wellness Expo compare notes. The booth was one of many serving the public at the inaugural event.
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Pope and future pope Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Albino Luciani, the fu ture Pope John Paul I, are pictured in Venice in September 1972.
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Benedict said that this biblical text called to mind John Paul I, who chose the same episcopal motto as St. Charles Borromeo, “Humilitas.”
More than 225 people at tended a Health and Mental Wellness Expo Aug. 19-20 at All Saints Church in Knoxville, where speakers and a number of resources were avail able to help them. Christine Lucheon of All Saints organized the expo. “This is about bringing aware ness to the community about dif ferent resources that are available to treat mental-health disorders,” she“It’ssaid.about how we incorpo rate our physical and mental and spiritual health into one healthy, human person. Part of the reason for doing this is to bring that to the forefront and really make All Saints and our community just a very approach able place to let people know that we’re here to support them in every way possible, and if we can’t do it to be able to guide them to resources out there that are available to them,” she added.“It’sabout awareness. It’s about reducing the stigma about men tal health, whether it be mentalhealth problems or mental-health illness—they’re two distinct, different things. It’s about educa tion as well, because the more people are educated about this, the less stigma there is about it and the more people will feel free to talk about it,” Mrs. Lucheon continued.Speakers included Zack Kram er, owner of Trinity Strength, on “The Holy Spirit, Holy Breath & Your Health”; Deacon Rob ert Rust on trauma healing and anxiety-relieving tools; Joey Wenning on “Marriage Connec tion: Why Connection Is Impor tant and How to Increase It in Your Marriage”; Allison Maurer on “General and Sports Nutri tion—What Do You Know?”; Allison Lowe on “What Is Intui tive Eating?”; Father Michael Maples, Ph.D., on “Friends in Need: What Helps and What Doesn’t”; and Dr. Lisa Padgett on “Children and Their Mental Health.”“We’ve got quite a few nutri tion speakers, because it’s not a well-known fact but nutri tion has a great deal of effect on your mental as well as your physical health,” Mrs. Lucheon said. “That was part of the reason for those speakers. We tried to make it a broad variety of topics. We’re not here with treatment today; it’s more about awareness so that people can seek treatment if they need it or simply just learn how to be a better friend to somebody and support people around us in the Church, because we’re called to be supportive in the Body of Christ, and hopefully all these things will help us to better do that.”InDr. Padgett’s talk, she revealed that anxiety affects approximately 20 percent of children and teens and depres sion 10 percent of children and adolescents.Suicideisthe second-leading cause of death in those 10 to 24 years of age, she said. A total of 1.5 million children ages 3-17 strug gled with anxiety or depression during the first year of the pan demic, she said. Mr. Wenning’s “Marriage Con nection” talk told of how contact with a loving partner literally acts as a buffer against shock, stress, and pain. He said that when God created us, He hard-wired a desire to connect, to attach, and to love in ourMs.souls.Lowe defined eating disor ders and disordered eating, ex amined the scope of the problem of eating disorders, and identified the 10 principles of “intuitive eating.”Outside of All Saints during the expo were food trucks, the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, and two Rural Metro fire trucks for children. Inside were booths on caregiver support, grief support, Overeaters Anonymous, and many more. ■
Being a member of the board also provides several opportunities to travel, Mr. Wills said. “We’ve been to some really interesting places.” While visiting the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Mr. Wills and the board received a private viewing of St. Juan Diego’s tilma, he said. He also was part of a board pilgrimage to Poland, where members visited sites associated with St. John Paul II and St. Faus tina Kowalska, whose apparitions of Jesus inspired the Divine Mercy devotion.Theboard has an audience with the pope once every five years, Mr. Wills noted. After celebrating Mass for the board, Pope Francis spent some time with the members during an impromptu visit. “He said, ‘Please say a prayer for me. This is not an easy job,’” Mr. Wills recalled. “It sounded so hu man, very relatable.” During his tenure on the board, the Knights made several changes that have improved the insurance program and helped increase mem bership, Mr. Wills said. The Knights have instituted a pro gram that allows Catholic men to join the order online. Also, the order revamped its initiation ceremony, which is designed to teach new Knights about the mission and prin ciples of the order. Previously, there were separate initiations for each of the four degrees of membership that only Knights could attend. The changes combined the initiations for the first three degrees into one and opened it to the public.
Speaking of the Knights Michael McCusker, immediate past state deputy of the Tennessee Knights of Columbus, addresses brother Knights and their spouses during the Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention, which was held in Nashville Aug. 2-4.
Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville, Mr. Laufenberg said. Knights in attendance received insight on how to be true pastors in theThatworld.was the message Bishop Spalding shared with members of the Knights of Columbus from all over the world as they, along with their families, gathered for the open ing Mass of the Supreme Conven tion on Aug. 2 in the Delta Ballroom of the AlsoOpryland.inattendance at the Mass were dozens of bishops, priests, deacons, and religious from around theBishopworld.Spalding noted the signifi cance of the gathering at the begin ning of his homily. He remarked that it’s because of recent years, largely related to the COVID-19 pandemic, that it’s even more important to be a pastor in the world.“We’re keeping in mind in a spe cial way in this Mass, this priest, this pastor of people, Blessed Father Mi chael McGivney,” Bishop Spalding said. “We keep in mind his great ex ample, and the readings and prayers today call us into what it means to be a “Beingpastor.”apastor … is a great life. It’s not an easy life, but it is a great life. We hear in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (4:1-7, 11-13) what that life is about as pastor,” he contin ued. “We heard it being spoken to us as unity, oneness in Christ, the constant effort of a priest, of a pas tor. The constant effort of Father Michael McGivney was to bring his flock together in Christ.” As Knights, it is their responsibil ity to continue that, Bishop Spalding said.“After the last couple of years, now we need to proclaim evermore that Christ is our light and our life. Go from this convention enthused, empowered to be evangelists in Jesus Christ. Our world is starving for the presence of Christ in their life, and you can be that and lead them even more profoundly as pas tors to other souls through word and sacrament,” Bishop Spalding said, before posing a question to the congregation.“Whatdowe know as Roman Catholics?” he asked. “That Jesus Christ changes people’s lives for the better, that the more you come to know Jesus in word and sacrament, in His teachings, in His Church, the better off you are. You know how to live your life. You know how to be inspired in your life. You know what direction it is. This is the work of our pastors, our priests, but it is the work of all of us as disciples.” It was the mission of Blessed Fa ther McGivney, he said. “Father McGivney, he wanted to bring men together in his time, and his spirit in Christ still brings men together,” Bishop Spalding said. “He made sure that these Knights would come together and do the good works in Jesus Christ, to learn how to be comfortable in the faith and learn how to share the faith with others and tell their sons and their grandsons. It is the good, it is the beautiful, it is the truth to follow Jesus.”“We have so many things around us in which we have men who are lost and need to be found,” he said. “We the Knights, we can be part of that good father that runs to your sons, literally and figuratively, in their life and brings them into the banquet, the banquet of Jesus Christ, the banquet in which Father McGivney knew to bring people close to others and then go out into the world and change it for the better.”
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“If we make ourselves one in Christ, if we proclaim and preach those Beatitudes that we heard from Matthew’s Gospel, if we make our selves disciples and proclaim how we love the faith to others and will live that faith accordingly in our lives, in our homes, in our work places, in our communities … we will be true pastors in our world.”
Representing the Diocese of Knoxville
With that, Bishop Spalding gave three pieces of instruction to the Knights. First, support and encour age their “Thankpastors.themfor their ‘yes’ to their vocation. I know you do it already. I’m just affirming it and confirming it,” Bishop Spalding said. “A corollary to that … call out to men to look at the vocation of service in the Church, especially as priests, and I thank you for all the support you have given, you are giving and will give to that great calling.”Second, never forget to say, “I love you.”“When you say ‘I love you’ to your wife, your children, your grandchildren, understand this, I want you to likewise say, ‘I love my faith. I love my Church. I love Jesus Christ,’” he said. “‘And as much as I love you dear son, dear daughter, I want the best for you, and if you can come into the faith and know Jesus even better, you’ll know my love and how deep it is for you.’”
Convention continued from page A8 A salute to Tennessee Bishop Richard F. Stika waves the Tennessee state flag, joining the Tennessee delegation during the Knights of Columbus Su preme Convention in Nashville. The delegation also was singing "The Tennes see Waltz."
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“That spoke to families,” Mr. Wills said. “They got to see what their husbands and fathers were getting into.”
The new initiation ceremony was videotaped just before the COVID pandemic. That allowed councils to conduct initiations online. “It put us in really good stead during COVID,” Mr. Wills said, and membership grew even during the pandemic.Mr.Wills joined the Knights in 1983 as a member of Council 5207 at Sacred Heart Church (now the Ca thedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus) in Knoxville. After a council was established at All Saints, where he is a parishioner, he transferred his membership to Council 15706. Mr. McCusker served as Ten nessee state deputy from 2019-21, and during his leadership, the Ten nessee State Council received the prestigious Circle of Honor award for exceeding its objectives in new members, net growth, and the num ber of councils achieving the Star Council designation. He also served as manager of the Supreme Convention held in Nashville Aug. 2-4, leading efforts to organize the state council’s responsi bilities during the event. Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly “and I have spent a lot of time to gether the last three years,” Mr. Mc Cusker said. “He got to know me and Tennessee’s success during my time in Amongoffice.”those successes were the Tennessee State Council’s efforts to be more Christo-centric and to de velop evangelization programs for its“Hemembers.hastaken an interest in what we’re doing with evangelization,” Mr. McCusker said of Mr. Kelly. As a member of the board of directors, Mr. McCusker can of fer insight into his experience with Tennessee’s efforts as the Supreme Office prepares to launch an orderwide evangelization and disciple ship“I’veeffort.seen the model here, and we’re the state kind of leading the charge,” Mr. McCusker said. Mr. McCusker joined the Knights in 1988 at Immaculate Conception Church in Knoxville, where he grew up. He transferred his membership to Council 9317 in Cordova after moving to the Memphis area, where he currently serves as an assistant district attorney general for Shelby County.Heretired from the Army Re serves as a major, and served in Af ghanistan in 2005-06, where he was awarded the Bronze Star. He was one of eight board mem bers either re-elected or elected for their first term at the Supreme Convention.Mr.McCusker was nominated for the board at the Tennessee State Convention last spring. The Su preme Council staff reviewed the nominations they received from various jurisdictions and whittled the number down to several final ists, Mr. McCusker explained. He was interviewed during the Supreme Convention, and Mr. Kelly informed him just before the open ing Mass that his name would be among those put forward for a vote. All eight nominees were unopposed and were elected unanimously. ■
From left, Bishop J. Mark Spald ing of Nashville; Tennessee State Deputy Fred Laufenberg, a parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Fairfield Glade; Father Gervan Menezes, the pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Cookeville and the assistant state chaplain for the Tennessee Knights of Columbus; and Mike Wills, a parishioner at All Saints Church in Knoxville, a past state deputy in Tennessee and a member of the Knights of Columbus board of directors, whose term ended on Aug. 31, gather before the start of the Opening Business Session of the 140th Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention held in Nashville Aug. 2-4. Mr. Laufenberg and Mr. Wills are active parishioners in the Diocese of Knoxville.
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Finally, continue to serve., Bishop Spalding encouraged the Knights. “Continue to always go out to the margins, to those least among us, to those who need to be defended and protected from conception to natural death, from womb to tomb,” Bishop Spalding said. “That is a great and wonderful calling the Knights have had over the years, and even more so as the situation has changed. Let us make sure that change is for the better.“All of us are preachers, proclaim ers, defenders, protectors of life from conception to natural death and every step along the way,” he said. “We love our people, and we give dignity to every person no matter what color, no matter what culture, no matter what language. They’re ours in Christ Jesus. They’re sons and daughters of God. You’ve been there, done that. Keep doing it.
“Blessed Michael McGivney, pas tor and priest, pray for us,” Bishop Spalding concluded. ■
Mr. Kelly called on the Knights to increase its support for pregnancy resource centers that help women experiencing an unexpected or crisis pregnancy.TheSupreme Council has launched the Aid and Support After Pregnancy (ASAP) initiative. “When a council donates to a pregnancy center or maternity home, the Supreme Council will match 20 percent,” Mr. Kelly said. “We’ve set an initial target of $5 mil lion for this year alone. But I know we can exceed that goal. “ASAP is a priority, and around the world, I urge every Knight to rededicate himself to supporting mothers and children,” Mr. Kelly said.The Supreme Convention at tracted more than 2,500 Knights and their families from around the world to Nashville’s Opryland Re sort and Convention Center Aug. 2-4. ■
Mrs. Carden was a member of Immaculate Conception Church in her childhood and the last 20 years before her death. She was a member of Holy Ghost Church in the interim years. Earlier in her career, Mrs. Carden worked at Bill’s Comfort Shoes for 14 years. She then worked for Clancy’s Service Stamp Co. for over 40 years. She continued to work for Clancy’s Service Stamp five days a week until a few weeks before her death. Mrs. Carden was preceded in death by her parents, John A. Clancy Sr. and Ellen Joy Clancy. She was also preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Joseph E. Carden, and daughter-in-law, Bernarda B. Carden. Four sisters and three brothers preceded Mrs. Carden in death: Mrs. Teresa Clancy Irwin, Mrs. Mary Jo Clancy Williams, Mrs. Frances Clancy Noe, Mrs. Annunciata Clancy Nutter, Joseph L. Clancy II, John A. Clancy Jr., and Thomas S. Clancy II. Mrs. Carden is survived by her son, Thomas E. Carden of Marietta, Ga., two sisters, Mrs. Ellen Clancy Pickering, and Mrs. Patricia Clancy Winter both of Knoxville, and two brothers, Walter A. Clancy II of Knoxville, and Daniel A. Clancy of Jackson, Tenn. She is also survived by two grandchil dren, Joseph T. Carden of Alexandria, Va., and Caren R. Carden of Wash ington, D.C., and two great grandsons, William J. Carden and Andrew J. Carden, both of Alexandria, Va., and a multitude of nieces, nephews, and cousins. A private interment was conducted at Calvary Cemetery in Knoxville by Father Charles Donahue, CSP, pastor of Immaculate Con ception Parish. The family requests that donations be made in Mrs. Carden’s name to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 414 W. Vine St. Knoxville, TN 37902 or St. Joseph Catholic Church, 87 Lacey St., Marietta, GA 30060. ■
Funeral services held for Joy Clancy Carden women of our state. The Volunteer State will step up to the challenge. There are nearly 200 pregnancy resource and help centers in the state, including sev eral operated by Catholic Chari ties of East Tennessee, and these centers will continue to provide care for pregnant women and their children while Tennessee Right to Life will work to pass legisla tion to improve care for pregnant women and the accessibility of adoption. Tennessee loves life, and that love is without limit n What will Tennessee Right to Life's purpose be now? As one of the few states that will no longer allow the destruction of unborn children, the abortion industry will undoubtedly target Tennessee.
News
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Schuster Pastors continued
Tennessee Right to Life will work to elect pro-life legislators that will keep our current laws in place and pass measures to protect women and their children from out-of-state abortion marketing efforts.Wewill continue to spread the truth about the humanity of the unborn child and the tragedy of abortion. It is our goal to not only make abortion illegal but to make abortion unthinkable. It only takes one election cycle to undo all of the laws that Ten nessee Right to Life and pro-life Tennesseans have worked so hard to enact. These answers were provided by Stacy Dunn, president of Tennessee Right to Life, and Will Brewer, Tennessee Right to Life legal counsel and legislative liaison ■
The Haiti Outreach Program fall fundraiser will honor the legacy of Dr. PaulTheFarmer.fundraiser will be held on Friday, Oct. 7, at 6:30 p.m. in the Cathe dral Hall at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Loune Viaud, managing director at Partners in Health in Haiti and a recipient of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, is the guest of honor and keynote speaker. Partners in Health's mission is to bring modern medical care to impov erished areas of the world, including Haiti and Africa. Dr. Farmer, a physi cian and anthropologist, co-founded Partners in Health. He worked with the Haiti Outreach Program to provide health care to rural areas of Haiti. Other speakers include Dr. Junior Bazile, former director of health in Boucan Carré, Haiti, and Dr. Jordan Pyda, who will share his experiences traveling to Haiti as a Knoxville Catholic High School student and how it influenced his life and journey into the medical profession. Volunteers are needed. See more information and register at Haiti Out reach Program of Knoxville, Tenn., https://haitioutreachprogram.org/
Dcn. Dady Fr. Cummins
East Tennessee Catholic
Haiti Outreach Program fundraiser to honor Paul Farmer
They will double down on a culture of death. So we must push forward with a message of life.” “The good news is that the Ameri can people, in fact, are with us,” Mr. Kelly added. “We have found that when you move beyond simplistic labels and ask Americans what they actually think about abortion, there is a clear pro-life consensus.”
Funeral Mass held at Holy Ghost Church for Art Clancy Jr. A funeral Mass was held Aug. 4 at Holy Ghost Church for Arthur Vincent "Art" Clancy Jr., who died on July 29 surrounded by family. The Mass celebrant was Monsignor Michael Johnston. Concelebrants were Father Bill McNee ley, Monsignor Patrick Garrity, Monsignor Bill Gahagan, and Father Michael Hendershott. Assisting were Deacon Gordy Lowery and Deacon Scott Maentz. Mr. Clancy, who was born in Asheville, N.C., on Nov. 27, 1929, was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur Vincent Clancy Sr. and Ilene Mc Daniel Clancy; sisters Katherine Clancy Murphy, Mary Clancy Kerley, and Elizabeth Clancy Kidd. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Sue Rueff Clancy, who he married on St. Pat rick’s Day; sister Josephine Clancy Swikard; two daughters, Sharon Clancy Mulloy (Gene) and Susan Ilene Clancy; four sons, Arthur Vincent Clancy III (Stephanie), Stephen Patrick Clancy (Paula), Da vid Michael Clancy, and Daniel Joseph Clancy (Kim); 12 grandchil dren; 16 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, greatnieces, and great-nephews. Mr. Clancy graduated from Knoxville Catholic High School, where he excelled in basketball. He also was a graduate of St. Ber nard Junior College in Cullman, Ala., where he played football and basketball. He served in the U.S. Air Force in Korea as an intelli gence officer after graduating from Army Language School in Mon terey, Calif. He returned home, where he graduated from the University of Tennessee before beginning work at Owens Corning Fiberglass. In 1958, he joined Clancy Optical Co., where he served for 50 years, including as president. He was a certified optician by the American Board of Opticianry. He served as the national president of the Opticians Association of America and served on the board of directors of the American Board of Opticianry. For 20 years he served as chairman of the Li censing Board of Dispensing Opticians for the state of Tennessee and was president of the International Guild of Prescription Opti cians. He was named Tennessee’s Outstanding Optician in 1979 and was also named Southern Optician of the Year, National Optician of the Year, and International Optician of the Year during his career. He also served as president of Knoxville Rotary Club, district gov ernor of Rotary International, and was on the Development Council and Advisory Board for St. Mary’s Medical Center, board of direc tors for the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, board of directors for the YMCA, Better Business Bureau, Knoxville Tourist Bureau, and Traveler’s Aide Society, and was chairman of the Knoxville Histori cal Zoning Commission. He was a communicant of Holy Ghost Church and a Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus. He was past president of the St. Joseph School board, vice chairman of the board of directors for Knoxville Catholic High School, president of the Knoxville Catholic High School Booster Club, and a member of the board for St. Ber nardServingCollege.ashonorary pallbearers at the funeral Mass were Tom Jel licorse, Dave Wolf, Bob Montgomery, Nick Likonis, Art Pickle, and Ronnie Wells. Active pallbearers were his grandsons, Arthur Clancy IV, Michael Mulloy, Spencer Clancy, Matthew Mulloy, Mark Mulloy, and Presley DonationsClancy.inMr.Clancy's memory may be made to the Holy Ghost Church Building Fund, 1041 N. Central, Knoxville, TN 37917, or St. Joseph School, 1810 Howard Drive, Knoxville, TN 37918. Mr. Clancy He was installed as pastor of St. Pat rick in a Mass celebrated by Bishop Stika on June 26. Dates for the in stallation Masses of Father Torres and Father Schus ter are pending. “I am excited for our new pas tors and also for the parishes that they are serving,” Bishop Stika said. “As parochial administrators, these young priests have demonstrated their abilities to lead a parish fam ily both spiritually and adminis tratively. This is a good time for the Diocese of Knoxville and these parishes.”Additionally, effective July 15, Bishop Stika appointed Deacon Eric Dady as parochial administrator of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Newport. Deacon Dady will oversee the daily operations of the parish until a new pastor is named to re place the recently deceased Monsig nor Robert Hof stetter, who died July 7 at the age of Bishop94. Stika also has ap pointed Father Michael Cum mins the diocesan vicar for priests. Father Cummins is pastor of St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport and also serves as dean of the Five Rivers Deanery in the Diocese of Knoxville, as a di ocesan consultor, and as chair of the Presbyteral Council. ■ Fr. from page A4
Joy Clancy Carden, 96, passed away on July 22. Mrs. Carden was born in Baltimore on March 29, 1926. When she was an infant, her parents returned to Knoxville, where she remained a resi dent for the rest of her life.
Polling by the Knights and Marist shows that seven in 10 Americans favor substantial restrictions on le gal abortions, Mr. Kelly said. “Year after year, the overwhelm ing majority wants to protect life. But we can’t just change the law. We must also change hearts and minds,” he said. “With Roe gone, many mothers will still experience fear and uncertainty. Many will be tempted to seek an abortion in another state. But the Knights can point them in a different direction — toward life.”
