Oct. 1, 2017, ET Catholic, A section

October 1

| 2017

VOL 27 NO 1

IN THIS ISSUE THE SPECIAL GRACE B1 BURNING A10 ACardinal MORTGAGE Rigali leads parishioners on Fatima pilgrimage

OF B1 MINISTRY TEXTING

St. Mary celebrates being debt-free

Love, not snark, is the message God sends

He dwells among us ......................... A2 Parish news ....................................... B4 Diocesan calendar ............................ B5 Columns ............................................. B7 Catholic schools ............................... B9 La Cosecha ............................Section C

St. Teresa breaks ground on new church Parish lays foundation for growth with permanent worship site in Maynardville

By Bill Brewer

DAN MCWILLIAMS

G

od is many things.

The Creator, Father Almighty, Most High, and Maker of Heaven and Earth, among other apt descriptions.

Father Steve Pawelk, GHM, and members of St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish in Maynardville and St. John Paul II Catholic Mission in Rutledge have lovingly bestowed another, albeit earthly, title on the Holy Spirit: General Contractor.

As those congregations look forward to the day when they relocate from temporary storefront worship spaces to dedicated churches, and they finalize ways to make it happen, Father Pawelk has shown them that God also is the Great Provider.

He emphasized that point Sept. 2 when St. Teresa Parish broke ground on its new church building located across Highway 33 from Union County High School and only a short distance from its current location in a commercial building.

Amid countless planning sessions and construction committee meetings, the Glenmary priest identified people in the parish who could make the project work.

“I don’t know how others do it, but I believe in building a church from the ground up, from the Holy Spirit. God says to every congregation, ‘Whatever you need done, it’s

Growing the Church Bishop Stika is joined by Father Steve Pawelk, GHM, and Union County Mayor Mike Williams in breaking ground for the new St. Teresa of Kolkata church. already there,’” he said. “They might not even know they’re there, but that’s the Holy Spirit. You have to call it forth.

Amazing as it seems, they may say, ‘Well, I’ve never really done that.’ But can you?

‘Well, I could.’ Therefore you will.”

That construction model has the power of the Holy Spirit behind it, according to the Glenmary priest.

“We met with those who have talents and talked about

what to choose for our materials. One said, ‘I do tiling,’ so for the entryway and all the bathrooms we’re doing tile.

One said, ‘I do cement,’ so the church floor is cement.

Four people do brick, so we’re doing a brick church. We determined it based on the skills and labor of the members we have. That’s how the Holy Spirit worked. It wasn’t the idea of the architect. The architect worked with the ideas he heard from the talent we

have and designed the church accordingly,” he said.

“We are aiming for our church to cost $800,000. And that’s feasible because a lot of the labor is being donated.

The value of the building could be much higher than $800,000. We are fortunate here that many of our parishioners own their own construction companies or are associated with construction.

Many of them are donating Parish continued on page A12

Good Shepherd marks 50th anniversary

Bishop Stika joins Msgr. Hofstetter, Fr. Waraksa, parishioners in celebrating milestone

By Dan McWilliams

DAN MCWILLIAMS

T

he first Mass at the Church of the Good Shepherd took place Sept. 24, 1967, and the Newport parish celebrated the 50th anniversary of that liturgy on the exact date this fall.

Bishop Richard F. Stika presided at a goldenanniversary Mass in Good Shepherd’s newer church building dedicated in 2005, which succeeded a house and onetime funeral home that served the parish for its first 38 years. Concelebrating were pastor Monsignor Bob Hofstetter and Father Alex Waraksa, the Spanishlanguage minister for the parish, with Good Shepherd Deacon Otto Preske assisting.

Charter parishioner Anna Hudson, who served chicken at the dinner following Mass, recalled the situation in Newport 50 years ago.

“I came to the states in

Marking a milestone Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrates the 50th-anniversary Mass for the Church of the Good Shepherd in Newport. Good Shepherd pastor Monsignor Bob Hofstetter, right, and Father Alex Waraksa, left, concelebrated. Deacon Otto Preske assisted at the Mass.

June 1967, and I came [here] and there was no church.

No Catholic church,” she said. “So every Sunday morning I went on the porch

and prayed. I had a little prayer book—I prayed the Mass, and I would pray to the Lord to do something. I had to have some spiritual

food. I prayed, and it wasn’t long after that my motherin-law said, ‘There’s an article on the front page of the Golden continued on page A15

2018 diocesan confirmations to be held in new cathedral To mark the dedication of the new Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on March 3 and the 30th anniversary of the Diocese of Knoxville’s founding, Bishop Richard F. Stika will celebrate the sacrament of confirmation for all diocesan parishes in the cathedral next spring.

Bishop Stika is adjusting the confirmation Mass schedules only for 2018, after which all confirmations will return to the parishes.

“In over eight years being in Knoxville, one of the things I’ve discovered is the number of people who have not been to our cathedral because they’ve never been invited. Normally, for confirmations and other activities I go out to the parishes,” Bishop Stika said.

“Next year in 2018, being our 30th anniversary, we’re going to have a series of events at the cathedral and in the diocese. I’m even asking the Holy Father to declare a holy year for us as we celebrate this and have an indulgence for the cathedral,” he added. “So I thought it would be a good time to invite everyone to come to the cathedral for various activities, including confirmations.”

Bishop Stika noted that other dioceses have invited parishioners to come to their cathedral, including the Diocese of Nashville in celebrating a recent milestone anniversary. “I thought it was a great idea. It will be a good way to celebrate with Confirmation continued on page A9

He dwells among us

by Bishop Richard F. Stika

Where heaven and earth meet May your heart’s temple truly be God’s cathedral, where his presence dwells The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. — Luke 1:3

T

hese words of the archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary at the annunciation come to mind as I have watched the large elevated structure called a “baldacchino” being built over the altar in our new cathedral church.

More than an ornamental structure, the baldacchino speaks to the mystery of our faith and of our communion with God. The most famous example of a baldacchino is found in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, rising nearly 100 feet above its altar. This elevated structure, while drawing our eyes and heart heavenward, also draws our eyes and heart to the altar as the visual center of the church where the holy sacrifice of the Mass is offered.

Its unique and imposing structure, while lending greater dignity to the altar, gives image to the overshadowing presence of God coming down from heaven. It also should remind us that we, too, are temples that God desires to overshadow so as to satisfy our heart’s longing for Him and His for us.

Growing up, I was captivated by the baldacchino and the immense beauty of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, with its vast “theology in stone” that offered so many silent lessons for me to contemplate about God and about my very self.

It was a powerful reminder to me of St. Paul’s words reminding us that we are “God’s building” and that “each one must be careful how

Follow Bishop Richard Stika on Twitter @bishopstika and Facebook for news and events from the diocese. he builds upon it” (1 Corinthians 3:9,10). I think this is why I love construction projects so much. For the construction and finishing of a church should be a beautiful image of each soul and its lifelong formation and growth in holiness.

Though a cathedral church can be built in a relatively few short years, it generally requires another 70-80 years — the span of a lifetime — to fully adorn and complete. And so it should be with each soul — we should all strive daily to be built up into a beautiful cathedral of God, adorning it more and more with our prayers and works of mercy.

The baldacchino in our cathedral sits atop four large pillars, representing the four evangelists. With its multi-windowed, roofed structure that tops out at nearly five stories high, it gives image to several passages of Scripture that are truly beautiful to contemplate.

St. John describes in the book of Revelation how he “saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (21:2). This nuptial image is captured in sculpted curtain drapings that hang beneath the base of the elevated structure. We are probably familiar with the canopied structure in Jewish weddings — called a “chuppah” — that the couple to be married stand beneath. This is the nuptial canopy that our baldacchino seeks to emphasize in the image of the drapery.

October Prayer Intentions “That journalists, in carrying out their work, may always be motivated by respect for truth and a strong sense of ethics.”

–– Pope Francis ”Through the intercession of the guardian angels who protect us, and through the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, may we always make ourselves available to pray the rosary for the protection of neighbors and friends, strangers, and those especially who are rebuilding their lives after natural disasters. Let us also remember to pray for the protection of the unborn and the aged and the sick of mind, body, or spirit.”

–– Bishop Stika

A2 n OCTOBER 1, 2017

It reminds me of how St. John Paul II was fond of calling the eucharistic celebration “the sacrament of the Bridegroom and Bride.”

The image of the multi-windowed dwelling also reminds us of Christ’s promise: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places” where room is prepared for us (John 14:2). And like the tabernacle candle that is always lit within the sanctuary, we, too, must keep the oil lamps of our faith burning bright like the five wise virgins journeying with longing expectation of the wedding feast in the nuptial home of their bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13).

The altar beneath this nuptial canopy is indeed where heaven and earth meet. The wedding feast reminds us that love demands mutuality. Though we go to receive Christ Our Bridegroom in the Eucharist, we need to remember that He also wishes to receive the intimate gift of our very self without reserve.

Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen noted that too many go to communion only to “receive,” but not “give.” Archbishop Sheen asks, “Do we ever think of Christ wanting to receive Communion from us?”

Directly above the drapery in our new Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, as you face the altar, are the words of my episcopal motto in Latin: “Jesus, I Trust in You.” From the priest’s vantage standing behind the altar and looking up at the interior rim of the baldacchino

are the word’s of Cardinal Justin Rigali’s episcopal motto in Latin: “The Word Became Flesh.” Other passages of Scripture are found around the base of the baldacchino that help us to reflect more deeply upon the mystery of the Eucharist that we are to receive.

Particularly when the altar is incensed during Mass and its smoke cascades upwards within the baldacchino, we are reminded of another beautiful image of God’s presence from the Old Testament.

During the exodus from Egypt, the Israelites were led by a column of cloud by day and a fiery cloud by night “in all the stages of their journey” (Exodus 40:38) to the Promised Land. And as the cloud of God’s presence filled the temple when it was dedicated (Exodus 40:34; 1 Kings 8:10), so should the sacred space of our heart be filled.

Because of sin and vice, our inner being can sometimes resemble the ruins of a desecrated temple not unlike that described of Jerusalem after giving itself over to the enemy to plunder: Her temple has become like a man disgraced. ... All her adornment has been taken away.

From being free, she has become a slave. We see our sanctuary and our beauty and our glory laid waste, and the Gentiles have defiled them!

The sacrament of reconciliation should be frequented so the above can’t be said of our temple of God. With God’s grace then, and with the help of all His saints and your guardian angel, may your heart’s temple truly be God’s cathedral, where His presence dwells. ■

Bishop Stika’s calendar of events for October n Oct. 3: Lumen Christi dinner n Oct. 4: 7 p.m., KDCCW Evening with the Bishop n Oct. 6: 9:45 a.m., Relevant Radio show n Oct. 7: 10 a.m., Mass and reflection with permanent deacons and wives at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton n Oct. 7: 5 p.m., confirmation Mass at St. Mary Church in Athens n Oct. 8: 11 a.m. Red Mass at the Cathedral of the Sa-

cred Heart of Jesus n Oct. 14: 5 p.m., White Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus n Oct. 15: 9 a.m., Blue Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus n Oct. 15: 5:30 p.m., annual Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee dinner at Fox Den Country Club in Farragut n Oct. 17: 11 a.m., general priests meeting at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City n Oct. 21: Diocesan En-

counter for the V Encuentro at Knoxville Catholic High School n Oct. 22: 9 a.m., installation of Father Bart O’Kere as pastor of St. Henry Parish in Rogersville and St. James the Apostle Parish in Sneedville n Oct. 23-26: Diocesan priests retreat at Lake Junaluska, N.C. n Oct. 27-28: Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem investiture in Baltimore ■

Upcoming Virtus training sessions are scheduled

T

he Diocese of Knoxville’s program for the protection of children, youth, and vulnerable adults is offered throughout the diocese. These seminars are required for parish and school employees and regular volunteers in contact with children and vulnerable adults:

www.di o k no x .o rg

n St. Mary School, Johnson City, 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9; 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13 n St. Dominic Church, Kingsport, 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14; 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6 n All Saints Church, Knoxville, 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18

n Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, Chattanooga, 1 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 19 n Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Knoxville, 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26; 6 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 30 n St. Bridget Church, Dayton, 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2. ■

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

What if your last paycheck was your last paycheck?

Cover yourself with Knights of Columbus Disability Insurance.

Consider these statistics: 100 million – workers are without private disability income insurance.1 38 million – American families live paycheck to paycheck, including 25.5 million Middle Class.2

10,978,040 – Americans are now receiving federal disability benefits.3 48% – of mortgage foreclosures are the result of financial hardship.4

Can you afford not to be protected? Can your family?

With a KofC disability income plan, you can get:

e Knights of Columbus offers a high-quality, flexible disability income insurance product that you can customize to fit your needs. ß ß ß ß

Total and Partial Disability Income Benefit Waiver of Premium Benefit Organ Donor Benefit Rehabilitation & Retraining Benefit

ß ß ß ß

Guaranteed Purchase Option Rider Cost of Living Adjustment Rider Social Insurance Rider Catastrophic Disability Benefit Rider

Contact an agent today to learn more: (855) 4TN-KOFC

Daniel Schacle General Agent ext. 701 Tennessee

Ron Henry

ext. 710 Knoxville East

Don Brown

Henry McCormick

Tom May

Hugh Abell

ext. 711 Tri Cities

ext. 714 Crossville & Chattanooga East

ext. 709 Knoxville West

ext. 708 Chattanooga West

LIFE INSURANCE DISABILITY INSURANCE LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE RETIREMENT ANNUITIES

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

w ww.di o k no x .o rg

OCTOBER 1, 2017 n A3

Fr. Stanley Rother beatified during Oklahoma City Mass Martyred U.S. priest one step closer to sainthood; Bishop Stika attends historic service for Blessed Rother

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

I

f the martyrdom of Blessed Stanley Francis Rother “fills us with sadness,” it also “gives us the joy of admiring the kindness, generosity, and courage of a great man of faith,” Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, said Sept. 23 in Oklahoma City.

The 13 years Blessed Rother spent as a missionary in Guatemala “will always be remembered as the glorious epic of a martyr of Christ, an authentic lighted torch of hope for the church and the world,” the cardinal said in his homily during the U.S. priest’s beatification Mass.

“Formed in the school of the Gospel, he saw even his enemies as fellow human beings. He did not hate, but loved. He did not destroy, but built up,” Cardinal Amato said.

“This is the invitation that Blessed Stanley Francis Rother extends to us today. To be like him as witnesses and missionaries of the Gospel. Society needs these sowers of goodness,” he said. “Thank you, Father Rother! Bless us from heaven!”

Paying tribute Blessed Stanley Rother’s sister, Sister Marita Rother, gives the first reading during the beatification Mass for her brother Sept.

23 at Oklahoma City’s Cox Convention Center.

The cardinal was the main celebrant of the beatification Mass, joined by Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City and his predecessor, retired Archbishop Eusebius J. Beltran, who formally opened the Rother sainthood cause 10 years ago.

An overflow crowd of 20,000 packed the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City for the beatification of Father Rother, murdered in

1981 as he served the faithful at a mission in Guatemala sponsored by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. The evening before, a prayer service was held at St. Benedict Parish in Broken Arrow, Okla.

Before the Mass began, the congregation was shown a documentary made about his life and ministry titled “The Shepherd Cannot Run: Father Rother’s Story.” Then Cardinal Amato,

By Catholic News Service

Archbishop Coakley, Archbishop Beltran, and about 50 other U.S. bishops, over 200 priests and about 200 deacons processed in for the start of the beatification ceremony.

Archbishop Coakley welcomed Catholics “from near and far” who traveled to Oklahoma “to celebrate the life and witness of Father Rother. He acknowledged the ecumenical, interfaith, and civic leaders in attendance and those joining the celebration by watching live coverage of it on the Internet, TV, and radio.

Before Cardinal Amato read the apostolic letter declaring Father Rother “Blessed,” Archbishop Beltran gave some remarks, saying that little did Father Rother know that his growing-up years on his family’s farm near Okarche, Okla., “would mold him into the kind of man who would make great strides when he volunteered to go to Guatemala.”

“He struggled in seminary,” the archbishop remarked, referring to the difficulty the priest had with learning Latin. He was Beatified continued on page A9

Fr. Bill Gahagan introduced as diocese’s newest monsignor Mass of Celebration at All Saints Church held in honor of diocese’s recent papal designate

F

ather Bill Gahagan was officially introduced as the Diocese of Knoxville’s new monsignor on Aug. 29 during a Mass in his honor at All Saints Church in Knoxville.

Parishioners from around the diocese joined more than 30 priests and more than two dozen deacons and women religious for the Mass in which Bishop Richard F. Stika presided.

Pope Francis designated Father Gahagan, who has served in the Diocese of Knoxville since its inception in 1988, with the title of monsignor.

The papal honor comes at the

recommendation of Bishop Stika, who first made the announcement at a meeting of diocesan priests on May 23 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, which is where Monsignor Gahagan’s investiture took place.

Father Gahagan is the fourth priest in the diocese to currently carry the honorific title of monsignor.

He joins Monsignor Bob Hofstetter, Monsignor Al Humbrecht, and Monsignor Patrick Garrity. Prior to his elevation as leader of the Diocese of Knoxville, Bishop Stika served as a monsignor in his home diocese of St. Louis.

Other diocesan priests who

have held the title and have since passed away include Monsignor Xavier Mankel, Monsignor George Schmidt, Monsignor Philip Thoni, Monsignor Leo Siener, and Monsignor Francis Pack.

Monsignor Gahagan was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Nashville in 1970. He was incardinated into the new Diocese of Knoxville on Sept. 8, 1988.

“A lot of the younger priests don’t know this, but Father Gahagan is from Maine, and he has been a chaplain in hospitals, he’s been in (our) high schools, he has been a dean, he has been a very successful pas-

New Music Commission formed to unify diocesan talents, resources Group will promote ways for parish music ministers to collaborate

By Emily Booker

T

he Diocese of Knoxville Music Commission held its inaugural meeting on Sept. 16 at the Chancery. Music directors representing parishes and schools across the diocese gathered to discuss how they can share their resources and talents with one another.

The Music Commission was established by Bishop Richard F. Stika to “act as a liaison between the diocese, the cathedral, and parish musicians.”

As stated in its mission statement, the Music Commission will aim to “promote the Gospel message of Jesus to the glory of God the Father through the mastery of musicianship in service to the Church, to protect the Church’s great repository of sacred music, to preserve the musical traditions of the Church, and those grown organically from them in full accordance with the Liturgy Documents, to support the New Evangelization by fostering respect and appreciation for sacred music in East Tennessee with the mind toward the ecumenical, and to support and enrich the activities pertaining to worship, education, and service of all Diocese of Knoxville music ministers.”

Bishop Stika appointed Glenn Kahler, director of music and liturgy for the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, as chair of the commission.

Mr. Kahler said the funeral Mass for Monsignor Xavier Mankel, who died June 21, was the catalyst for forming the commission.

“When I was making phone calls to look for participants for his funeral choir, it became abundantly clear that there is a real desire for unity in music ministry in the Catholic Church in East Tennessee,” he said.

“The directors of music minis-

A4 n OCTOBER 1, 2017

try in East Tennessee had such a personal connection to Monsignor Mankel, both as a founding member of the Diocese of Knoxville, but also as an incredible supporter of sacred music in East Tennessee.”

Through the commission, music ministers across the diocese can share ideas, opportunities, and resources to strengthen the music ministries at the parish level. One way to do this is through the new website, dokmusic.org. Music ministers and musicians can collaborate through the forums on the site. It also provides calendars, opportunities, and resources.

Mr. Kahler hopes that by having a formal communication channel and being able to share resources, music ministers will have the support they need to grow their ministries at the parish level.

“This is a way to continually motivate our music ministers on a parish level, to unify from one music minister to another, so that one, it increases participation locally, and two, is an opportunity to evangelize and bring more members into the Church,” he said.

Another goal of the commission is to pool resources and talent from across the diocese to enrich diocesan-level events, such as ordinations or the Chrism Mass. The commission is forming three new choirs: the adult choir, the youth choir, and the handbell choir. The choirs will support diocesan liturgies and commission events all over the diocese.

Auditions for the choirs will be held in each deanery. Details will be finalized and announced at a later date.

“Music is literally part of the culture here in East Tennessee. We have naturally God-given talent in our parishes,” Mr. Kahler said.

He hopes that the choirs will be able to utilize that talent for the

By Bill Brewer

tor, and not to put any of you guys down, but I haven’t met a priest who has greater love for his brother priests than Father Gahagan,” Bishop Stika said at the investiture.

As he made the announcement to the priests, Bishop Stika noted Father Gahagan’s recent attempts to retire.

“You know, he’s been retired and not retired, off and on, right? I have a job for you. I was wondering if you would be a chaplain again, because His Holiness has named you a monsignor.”

The large meeting room at St. Thomas the Apostle erupted into Monsignor continued on page A5

PILGRIMAGE TO

Our Lady of Guadalupe AND SHRINES OF MEXICO

with Fr. Steve Pawelk April 9-16, 2018

Land & Air: $1,990.00 Single Supplement: $595.00

We share your faith

For More Information Contact: Lisa Morris at 865-567-1245 lisam@select-intl.com www.selectinternationaltours.com

Commission continued on page A9 www.di o k no x .o rg

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

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

BILL BREWER

Monsignor continued from page A4

A lighter side Monsignor Bill Gahagan makes a comment that draws the laughter of Bishop Stika and his fellow priests.

BILL BREWER

applause, with the new Monsignor receiving a standing ovation.

“From this moment on (Monsignor Gahagan) is now a member of the papal household, a chaplain of His Holiness, and he doesn’t get a pay raise at all,” Bishop Stika joked.

In comments following the announcement, Monsignor Gahagan said he wanted to remember his parents and growing up in Lewiston, Maine.

“I share this expression from the Holy Father and Bishop Stika. I can only say that I just hope that I can continue to live with you, love with you, serve with you, and let’s always remember the strength and the power of God’s presence … love overcomes all things,” Monsignor Gahagan said.

He continued that theme at the Mass of Celebration at All Saints Church.

“To me the greatest challenge, through the grace of God, of my priesthood that I share with my brother priests, deacons, sisters religious, the greatest gift I have for 47 years is the overwhelming presence of that sense when you read sacred Scripture that jumps out at you.

It says, ‘say this, think about this, they’re hungry for it, give it to them.’

The world is running around with its head cut off trying to find it.

“Find what? To find love. To find love, which means to find God. And that means, as we know by God’s grace, to find Jesus Christ, and to find his body, which we all are, of the universal Catholic Church,” Monsignor Gahagan said.

The diocese’s newest monsignor is quick with a quip, and his facial expressions often hint at his sense of humor. As he began his homily during the Mass, he referred to the second reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark, in which Herod ordered John the Baptist beheaded and his head brought to him on a platter.

Turning to Bishop Stika, who was seated at the altar behind the ambo, Monsignor Gahagan deadpanned, “I don’t see a platter around here, Bishop, so I guess I’m safe.”

Then, in a moment of seriousness and heartfelt gratitude, Monsignor Gahagan again turned to Bishop Stika and said, “Thank you, Bishop, for what you’ve given to me, for what you’ve given to the people of the diocese, to my family and friends, and all those who I’ve been associated with.”

“This is what it’s all about, isn’t it?

It’s not me, it’s all of us. It is all of us that we recognize Christ’s presence in our lives and the love that’s there for us, through the sacraments, which are the real presence of Jesus and the sacraments that give us the bloodline of our lives, that runs through our veins and allows us to reach out and find that love in one another, whether that be in the priesthood, be in marriage, be in single life, be in the life you feel that the Spirit has spoken to you in your soul, in your heart,” Monsignor Gahagan said.

“This is what I think the world needs today now more than ever – getting back to the simplicity of listening, listening and being quiet to hear the recent Gospel when Eliakim was waiting to hear God’s voice, and it came in a whisper,” he added.

Monsignor Gahagan pointed out that people often don’t listen, but instead are too busy thinking how they’re going to respond to what others are saying.

“The greatest gift that we know Jesus gave was he listened. He listened to everyone who came to him. The Canaanite woman, for example, she would not leave. … There’s something she heard, something she saw in the face of Jesus Christ that made Him come alive. It also made him realize that wait a minute, maybe it’s more than the House of Israel that I’m all about. Jesus also said, ‘Who do you say that I am?’ We hear this year after year usually. We all know it. We belong to the club, we belong to the Church of Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church, the universal Church throughout the world,” he said.

Monsignor Gahagan asked how do we find time to respond when Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?”

He said the answer is finding time to

Congratulations are in order Diocese of Knoxville priests give Monsignor Bill Gahagan an ovation in the recessional at the end of Mass. listen.

He said the honor of monsignor has excited his neighbors in Norris, where he has resided for 13 years in “retirement.”

“They ask, ‘are you excited Bill?’

I’m overwhelmed. I don’t know how to respond to it. It just doesn’t fit my shoes, so I say. Then Jesus says, ‘it’s not you. It’s what you are receiving from me that they see in this title that bounces right back to them that they are loved.’

“We share in the ministerial priesthood of Jesus Christ. What would we do if we did not have the Eucharist?

What would we do if we didn’t have the gift of the Holy Spirit? What would we do if we did not have the willingness to walk to Jerusalem with Jesus, to take up the cross however it comes to us in our lives. Be assured, we have to carry a cross. Jesus said, one way or another I’m going to get you. He doesn’t say that, that’s my phrasing.

“But the reality is there is no other way, there is no other gate. The only way is me, the love of Jesus Christ,” he said.

Monsignor Gahagan thanked Bishop Stika for his support in the papal designation.

“I thank Bishop Stika for the honor he has given to me,” he said, to which Bishop Stika responded, “it came from the pope.”

“Someone had to tell the pope, didn’t they? I didn’t hear that whisper, so it had to be you,” Monsignor Gahagan retorted. “I thank him for his love as my pastor, as my bishop.”

In closing, Bishop Stika offered a few observations about Monsignor Gahagan as well as tips for handling the new ecclesial role, including “watch the belt loops because they get stuck on doorknobs and it’s very unbecoming for a person who is in the pontifical household to get stuck on a doorknob and have a 4-year-old kid untie you from the doorknob.”

Bishop Stika said that upon the death of Monsignor George Schmidt in December, he began considering who might be honored by the Holy Father as a monsignor.

“It’s a special title; it’s a title of honor. It’s not like priest, or bishop, or deacon. It’s an honor which the Holy Father himself designates for a particular reason. So I was thinking maybe it’s time to ask the Holy Father to name another monsignor.

I’ve been praying about that, and lo and behold about a month or two later I received a letter from a priest in the diocese who I respect a great deal, who said if you’re ever going to nominate someone to be a monsignor, think about Father Gahagan.

That is the Holy Spirit because I had been thinking the same thing,” the bishop said.

“Monsignor Gahagan has a great, great, deep affection for his brothers

in the priesthood. He really does. It’s authentic and it’s of the heart and it’s real. When we received the notice from the Holy See that he was designated a monsignor, chaplain of His Holiness, I began thinking how we would announce it,” he noted.

The bishop said when Father Hofstetter, Father Garrity, and Father Schmidt were named monsignors, he invited them to the bishop’s residence for a private ceremony and presented them with their official papal scroll.

“But I was thinking that was too private. So it occurred to me that Father Gahagan always attends the general priests meeting. We have them every other month and he never misses. There was a meeting in

the spring at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City, and so it was scheduled to present him with the honor then. But guess who wasn’t going to attend that meeting? I really wanted to do it then because that was going to be our last meeting until fall,” Bishop Stika said.

As it turned out, Monsignor Gahagan was having laser treatment on his eye. The bishop asked him if there was any way he could attend part of the meeting.

“And he did. I introduced him to the priests and he got teary-eyed.

And the priests all stood up and applauded him. That was authentic,” Bishop Stika said. “Monsignor, you represent our brothers in the priesthood because you have a love for Jesus, and you have a love for the Church, and you have a love for preaching. And he has a great love for people.”

Bishop Stika said Monsignor Gahagan has given his life in the priesthood to serve so many people since he left his native Maine and then served in the Navy.

His many assignments have included chaplain at St. Mary’s Hospital in Knoxville, teacher at Knoxville Catholic High School, director of Catholic social services for the Knoxville area, and pastor or associate pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Norris, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in LaFollette, St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport, St. Mary Parish in Johnson City, St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge, St. Therese Parish in Clinton, and St. Jude Parish in Helenwood.

The bishop also described him as “our most retired priest. He’s been retired five times.”

“So Monsignor Gahagan, in the name of all your friends and all they represent, and from the bottom of my heart, I just want to say thank you.

You are probably the finest example of a vocation to the priesthood because it is authentic and people can see in you and hear in your words and just see in your actions a love of Jesus, a love of the priesthood, a love of the Church, and especially a love of God’s people. I just want to say thank you,” Bishop Stika said. ■

Diocese of Knoxville Office of Marriage Preparation & Enrichment

Join Fr. Mike Nolan on a Pilgrimage to

WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES and

FAITH OF THE IRISH 12 Days – August 21 – September 1, 2018

w ww.di o k no x .o rg

For More Information Contact: Marian Christiana at 423-892-3210 or mchristiana@dioknox.org Lisa Morris 567-1245 or lisam@select-intl.com We share your faith selectinternationaltours.com

OCTOBER 1, 2017 n A5

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

When faced with breast cancer, Patty chose PROTON THERAPY. The most advanced cancer treatment in the world, with Pencil Beam Scanning.

97%

RECURRENCE FREE SURVIVAL 5 YEARS AFTER TREATMENT 1

42%

REDUCED RISK OF CARDIAC SIDE EFFECTS FOR LEFT-SIDED BREAST CANCER 2,3

LOWEST DOSE OF RADIATION TO HEART COMPARED TO OTHER FORMS OF RADIATION THERAPY 4,5

1. Bush et al, “Partial breast radiation therapy with proton beam: 5-year results with cosmetic outcomes.” Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2014 Nov 1;90(3): 501-5 2. Taylor CW et al. Exposure of the Heart in Breast Cancer Radiation Therapy: A Systematic Review of Heart Doses Published During 2003 to 2013. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2015 Nov 15;93(4):845-53. PMID: 26530753 3. Lin LL et al. Proton beam versus photon beam dose to the heart and left anterior descending artery for left-sided breast cancer. Acta Oncol. 2015 Jul;54(7):1032-9. PMID: 25789715 4. Darby et al., “Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease in Women after Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer,” New England Journal of Medicine 368 (2013).

5. Fagundes, M. et al. “Cardiac Sparing Adjuvant Proton Radiotherapy for Stage IIII Breast Cancer Patients.” ASTRO 2013.

Proton therapy precisely targets tumors and can significantly reduce the amount of radiation exposure a patient’s body receives. As a result, there is less damage to healthy tissue and patients experience fewer side effects.

CONVENTIONAL

PROTON

RADIATION THERAPY

RADIATION THERAPY

ProvisionProton.com (865) 862-1600

PROTON THERAPY KNOXVILLE

A6 n OCTOBER 1, 2017

www.di o k no x .o rg

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

Group exploring ways to re-establish Serra Club in Knoxville Father Joe Reed celebrates Sacred Heart Cathedral Mass to mark diocesan-wide appeal for vocations

By Emily Booker

EMILY BOOKER

A

re you answering God’s call in your life? Are you helping others answer their call?

A group in Knoxville is working to create a culture that grows and nourishes vocations in the Diocese of Knoxville.

Father Joe Reed, director of the diocesan Office of Vocations, celebrated a Mass for vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and the diaconate on Sept. 7 at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Concelebrating were Father Arthur Torres, Father Michael Woods, and Father Pontian Kiyimba. Deacon Joel Livingston served as Deacon of the Word.

In his homily, Father Reed said God meets us where we are and uses our pasts and our talents. We just have to respond to His call.

“I’m working with some guys who are in college, and they’re thinking, ‘What do I want to do with my life?’ And they’re worried about majors, and that’s understandable. But they fail to realize no matter what we have in our past, somehow the Lord brings that into the vocation into whatever state in life we end up in,” he said.

“What does the Lord say to each of us? What does Christ, who has wounds in his hands and his feet and his brow and his side, say to us? Be not afraid,” he added.

While we are called to answer to our own vocations, Father Reed believes we also should be helping others in theirs.

“That ‘be not afraid’ is also spoken in a special way to parents,” Father Reed said. “That’s a message that we all have to help get out to the world. Be not afraid that maybe, just maybe, your son is called to be a priest. Or maybe your son or daughter is called to be a religious.”

He urged people to continue to pray for all vocations: priesthood, religious life, diaconate, marriages, and consecrated women.

In praise of priests Father Joe Reed, associate pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral and director of the diocesan Office of Vocations, celebrates a Mass for vocations at the cathedral on Sept. 7. Concelebrating is Father Arthur Torres, an associate pastor at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Efforts also are underway to revive a Serra Club in Knoxville.

Following the Mass for vocations was a presentation on re-establishing a Serra Club in Knoxville. Serra Club is an international organization founded by lay men and women in 1935 to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

The club is named after St. Junipero Serra, the 18th century saint who founded several missions in California. Serra Club members work to be missionaries in their communities, growing vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

“I think a big part of the Serra Club mission is to be the leaven for the Church, for the kingdom of God, but also to those people who spread the Church in their lives,” Father Reed said.

The Diocese of Knoxville already is blessed with an active Serra

Club in Chattanooga. A number of people would like to see the club revived in the Knoxville area.

Knoxville has had an active Serra Club in the past, but it disbanded in recent years.

“We all need to be praying for priests,” said Luke McLaurin, a parishioner at Sacred Heart Cathedral. “If the laity help, we can create a culture of vocation where everybody realizes we all have a vocation, a common vocation — we all have the universal call to holiness; it starts at baptism.”

He along with Steve Garvin and Dave Wells are working to establish the Serra Club in Knoxville. They hope to see the Serra Club foster a culture of vocations at the parish level. Through prayer and fellowship and by hosting events and

inviting speakers to discuss different vocations, the Serra Club can help communities support religious vocations.

“This is a group that we want to be open to anybody who wants to join, because we really want to encourage as many members of our community to be supportive of vocations,” Mr. McLaurin said.

“Our idea is that we’ll be out there and be ambassadors within our own parishes, within our families, among our groups of friends, to help promote this culture of vocations.”

If you or someone you know would like to be involved in the Knoxville Serra Club, please contact Dave Wells, director of adult faith formation for Sacred Heart Cathedral, at 865-584-4528. ■

Upcoming Events at Catholic Charities

Visit ccetn.org for information and tickets!

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

w ww.di o k no x .o rg

OCTOBER 1, 2017 n A7

Hurricane’s catastrophic effects reveal need for aid in Puerto Rico

A

uthorities say it may take months for electricity to fully return to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria pummeled the island and its infrastructure as it made landfall Sept. 20.

When the hurricane hit the island with winds of up to 155 miles per hour, it tore out cables, roofs from homes and buildings, uprooted palm trees and even bent a cross anchored to a cement post at the entrance of a Jesuit school.

It has been difficult to communicate with those on the island, said Capuchin Franciscan Father Urbano Vasquez of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, who studied in Puerto Rico and has vast ties to the island. He has been trying to communicate, to no avail, with a community of Poor Clares in Cidra, Puerto Rico, and others he knows on the island, but phone service is hit or miss.

Father Vasquez, however, was able to make contact with a group of seven Capuchin Franciscan friars after the hurricane passed. They took refuge from the storm in Trujillo Alto, about 10 minutes from Old San Juan.

“They were scared because it was the first time they’ve been through something like that,” said Father Vasquez. “They spent the time praying or near the Eucharist” as winds tore through part of the roof near a chapel in the building at Centro Capuchino.

Some later sent him videos of the winds whistling through the streets,

A8 n OCTOBER 1, 2017

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE/CARLOS GARCIA RAWLINS-REUTERS

By Catholic News Service

Appeal for assistance Rescue workers help people Sept. 20 in Guayama, Puerto Rico, after the area was hit by Hurricane Maria. After battering the Virgin Islands, the hurricane made landfall in Puerto Rico, bringing “catastrophic” 155 mph winds and dangerous storm surges. images taken from a cracked window in an arched entrance door.

The entrance door to the friary caved in, he said, leaving no path for the friars to exit to the main street. But even if they could get out to the street, authorities have put a curfew in place, afraid citizens could come in contact with fallen cables and other objects that could pose danger on the ground.

The friars told him of the devastation they could see from inside, he said, including fallen palm trees and blocked roads. A parishioner sent him photos of debris, such as torn and battered traffic lights from Maria’s wrath.

Capuchin Franciscan Father Carlos

Reyes said he didn’t sleep through the harrowing night that he spent listening to Hurricane Maria barrel through San Juan.

“I spent the night praying,” he said, and listening to the radio was the only way to hear what was happening in Puerto Rico and the world. He heard about the earthquake in Mexico and in the middle of his own experience with nature’s wrath, he prayed for the earthquake’s victims.

Water crept in at one point and the friars were doing their best to keep it out of the residence. The only way to live through such an experience is with faith and thinking about safety, he said.

www.di o k no x .o rg

Authorities tried to drive the urgent message that Hurricane Maria was no joke and many listened, he said.

“The message was to save life, not the material,” he said. “You can reconstruct structures, but not life.”

Father Reyes, originally from El Salvador, said he has lived through strong earthquakes, and their damage sometimes affects a centralized area, but Hurricane Maria tore through an entire island.

As of Sept. 22, at least 15 people were killed in Puerto Rico, and 14 deaths were reported on the island nation of Dominica. Two others were killed in the French territory of Guadeloupe and one on the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, urged Catholics to respond with prayer and other help “in this time of great need for our brothers and sisters in harm’s way -- many of whom have been hit repeatedly by the successive hurricanes.”

He pointed out that Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico just as the damage of hurricanes Harvey and Irma was assessed. “Casting aside any temptation to despair, and full of hope in the loving providence of God, we pray that our Father may receive unto his loving presence those who have lost their lives, may he comfort the grieving, and may he fortify the courage and resilience of those whose lives have been uprooted by these disasters,” he said. ■

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

Blessed Stanley Rother

night and murdered him.

“His saintly life has become well known beyond the boundaries of Oklahoma and Guatemala, and the faith of those familiar with his life has been greatly strengthened.

How grateful we are to almighty God this day for the beatification of Father Rother,” Archbishop Beltran said.

Cardinal Amato followed the archbishop by reading the formal letter about the priest’s beatification. When he concluded, a huge colorful banner was unfurled above the altar with a likeness of Blessed Rother and an image of his Guatemalan mission and the Oklaof us are great recruiters and great directors. Others excel at aligning our musical selections with liturgies, while others have specialized knowledge of repertoire, of historical context, or of important church documents,” Mr. Lovelace said.

“The new music commission, and in particular, its new music ministers’ website, promise to bring us all together to share our collective talents to ‘support and enrich’ our liturgies throughout East Tennessee. Belonging to the commission should help us all strive harder to attain the ideal.”

Marie-Jo Thum, music director of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Mountain City, enjoyed meeting with other music ministers from across the diocese and looks forward to working with them as the commission moves forward. She said it’s a good reminder to smaller parishes that even though they are small or far away, they are no less important.

She’s also excited to share what she

homa archdiocesan coat of arms at the bottom.

His feast day will be celebrated July 28, the day when he was fatally shot in the head by masked men.

Relics of Blessed Rother, including a piece from one of his rib bones, were brought to the altar in a golden reliquary and set on a small table to left of the main altar.

Cardinal Amato venerated the relics and censed the reliquary.

Rother family members then came up to the altar to greet the cardinal: his sister, Sister Marita Rother, a member of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, who lives at her community’s motherhouse in Wichita, Kan.; and his brother Tom and his wife, Marti, who live on the farm where the martyred priest and his siblings grew up, located three miles from the center of Okarche.

Diocese of Knoxville Bishop Richard F. Stika attended the beatification Mass and was moved by its grace and reverence.

“It was truly a joyous moment for me to have the ability to join with so many in recognizing this special man. In the truest sense of the word he is a hero. He truly lived what he once told someone: a shepherd does not abandon his people,” Bishop Stika said. “I hope to have a relic of this great man in

the altar of sacrifice in our new cathedral. I also hope that some day Father Patrick Ryan will join with him as a Blessed of the Church.”

In his remarks, Archbishop Coakley said that on behalf of the local church in Oklahoma “and in communion with my brother bishops in the United States and Guatemala,” he felt “profound gratitude” for the opportunity to help celebrate the beatification of a native son.

“We are grateful for your (Pope Francis) recognition of the heroic witness of this good shepherd (who) remained with his people.

He gave his life in solidarity with so many suffering individuals and family who endured persecution for the sake of the Gospel. We pray the church will experience a new Pentecost and an abundance of vocations to the priesthood inspired by the witness and aided by the intercession of Blessed Stanley Rother.”

He thanked Archbishop Beltran for formally opening the Rother cause, as well as the postulator, Andrea Ambrosi of Rome, who attended the Mass, and the many men and women who worked diligently over many years to advance the cause and “make known holiness and heroism of this ordinary priest.” ■

EMILY BOOKER

Commission continued from page A4

glory of God. As the choirs program evolves, he also sees future opportunities for more specialized choirs or scholas.

Following the meeting, the music ministers took a tour of the new Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus to view the latest construction progress and learn how sacred music will be utilized in the new space.

Mr. Kahler emphasized that the cathedral belongs to everyone in the diocese. As musicians from across the diocese gather in the choir loft to celebrate events together, they should all feel at home at the mother church.

That message struck a chord with William Lovelace, a professional musician who is the music teacher at St. Joseph School.

“No one individual can cultivate every talent necessary to be the ideal music minister. Some of us excel as vocalists or as instrumentalists. Some

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

Beatified continued from page A4

nearly expelled because he had such a hard time, but he went on to be ordained for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in 1963. Once in Guatemala to serve in Santiago Atitlan, he learned Tz’utujil, the language of the many Mayan descendants who were his parishioners. He helped translate the Bible into Tz’utujil.

He worked side by side with the people “teaching them many of the agricultural practices he learned in Okarche,” Archbishop Beltran said.

The mission was about 10 years old when Father Rother arrived in 1968 and had a staff of 10, but the number of missionaries dwindled as Guatemala’s civil war, which began in 1960 and lasted until 1996, intensified. Eventually, Father Rother’s name appeared on a death list, and he returned home.

“His ways were very quiet and unassuming, but eventually he began to receive death threats,” the archbishop continued. “He made infrequent visits (back to Oklahoma). On his last visit (in 1981) he felt the need to return to his people no matter what the consequences.”

Friends recalled him saying, “The shepherd cannot run. I want to be with my people.” Within three days of his return, three men entered his rectory in the dead of

Cathedral glimpse Glenn Kahler leads diocesan music ministers on a tour of the new Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. learned with other parishioners at St. Anthony.

“I was thinking that as we toured the cathedral. This is their cathedral.

I know it’s a haul for people to come, but it’s their space. I feel like I can go back and excite them about what I saw happening today,” she said. ■

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

BILL BREWER

Confirmation from page A1

our mother church.”

Bishop Stika said plans now are to match larger parishes with smaller ones in scheduling the confirmations to maintain a proper balance. Consideration also is being given to holding confirmations by region so parishioners can carpool where possible.

A cathedral for any diocese is the mother church, he said, noting that people attending the confirmation Masses will be invited to take part in Mass by serving in the choir or as readers.

“We’re going to try to create a certain sense of unity of diocese. So often we think we belong to either the Chattanooga parishes, or the Tri-Cities parishes, or Knoxville. This will show that the Church has a beautiful broad spectrum of people from all 36 counties of the diocese,” the bishop said.

Father Richard Armstrong, assistant director of the diocesan Office of Christian Formation, said the cathedral offers a unique setting to celebrate confirmations, that of our mother church, of which all diocesan parishes are a member.

“I think it’s a good idea because it will help us realize that although we’re in individual parishes we’re actually members of a larger community of faith. Our Protestant brothers and sisters, their parishes stand on their own. They are indi-

Newly confirmed Bishop Stika confirms faithful at the adult confirmation Mass in June at Sacred Heart Cathedral. All diocesan confirmations will be at the new cathedral in 2018. vidual entities, if you will.

The Catholic Church isn’t like that. The individual parishes actually are all members of the larger community of faith, the larger Church in East Tennessee. I believe this gives us the opportunity to show forth our Catholicity in a greater way by having confirmations at the cathedral,” Father Armstrong said.

He emphasized Bishop Stika’s intent to move all youth confirmations back to the parishes in 2019.

“There are a lot of different events planned for the new cathedral to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the diocese. All of these events are converging

naturally at the cathedral.

So to be able to have confirmations be a part of this, I think, is a great thing,” he said. “After 2018, the bishop’s intention is to go back to the parishes. The diocesan-wide adult confirmations will still be a part of our cathedral celebrations on Pentecost Sunday.”

In discussing confirmations, Bishop Stika said he is encouraged by the response to his decision to move the age of confirmation from high school to fifth and sixth grades. That gradual transition is underway and will take time.

He noted that the healthy numbers of youth and adults being confirmed and w ww.di o k no x .o rg

also entering the Church reflect the growth of the Church in East Tennessee.

“The Church is definitely growing in East Tennessee.

Twenty-nine years ago we started with 33,000 Catholics. Now we’re over 70,000.

As I see the large confirmation classes and people coming in with the RCIA process, it just shows that it is good steady growth as we continue to teach the Catholic faith and preach Jesus, not this huge growth that becomes overwhelming,” the bishop said.

In reminding that he formed a commission a number of months ago to study changing the age for confirmation in the diocese

from high school to fifth and sixth grades, Bishop Stika said the commission suggested second grade for confirmation, but he believes fifth and sixth grades will be more effective.

“I thought fifth grade because that is when they are more inquisitive. It is really when they are beginning to set certain values, their commitment to the Church, and there is an excitement about the faith when you’re in fifth and sixth grade, so that’s why I decided to move it to the fifth and sixth grades,” he said.

But he pointed out that confirmation is being emphasized for any age, whether elementary school, high school, or adults, and noted that for the last two years on the feast of Pentecost he has celebrated confirmation Masses at Sacred Heart Cathedral for adults in the diocese.

But adults will be the only ones confirmed at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on a permanent basis unless …

“The confirmations at the cathedral are just for the jubilee year, 2018, for the 30th anniversary, and will not be permanent. They will transition back to the parishes in 2019,” Bishop Stika said, adding that if any parishes are interested and request it, he will consider holding confirmations for them at the cathedral going forward. ■ OCTOBER 1, 2017 n A9

A special grace ... then and now Cardinal Rigali leads Diocese of Knoxville faithful on a Fatima pilgrimage to mark 100th anniversary of Marian apparitions

By Jim Wogan

JIM WOGAN (3)

O

ne hundred years ago this month, on Oct. 13, 1917, the Blessed Mother fulfilled a promise of her appearance and a miracle at what has now become a sacred site for pilgrims from around the world: Fatima.

The sixth and final apparition of the Virgin Mary at Fatima has been the focus of a year-long celebration to commemorate the centenary of a remarkable series of events — six visits by the Blessed Mother before three young shepherd children in a rural area of Portugal.

Seemingly, the world is converging on Fatima this year.

Among the pilgrims to travel there recently was Cardinal Justin Rigali. In September, His Eminence led an eight-day journey with 46 pilgrims from the Diocese of Knoxville and other regions of the country to Fatima and Lourdes, France, the site of another shrine to Marian devotion.

It wasn’t Cardinal Rigali’s first visit to these holy shrines, but it was noteworthy for two significant reasons. First, it was his first visit to Fatima in 52 years.

He was an ordained priest during his initial visit there in 1965, and he was on his way to establishing himself as a leader in the Church.

Second, the pilgrimage offered His Eminence an opportunity to connect two very different Marian experiences.

“This was actually the first time I combined both Fatima and Lourdes in the same pilgrimage, so that, in itself, has been very beautiful,” Cardinal Rigali said while being interviewed in front of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception at Lourdes on Sept. 7.

His first visit to Lourdes was in 1959, when he was in seminary.

“Just as I had come to Fatima and Lourdes before, you always come bringing a lot of intentions, and as a priest you bring not only the intentions of your family but you also bring the intentions of your ministry and of the diocese in a special way. So yes, this time I come as a bishop, and I come with all the intentions that I have been facing over many, many years.”

Cardinal Rigali is familiar with and comfortable leading pilgrimages. He has done it numerous times.

But unlike visits to the Holy Land and Rome, a journey to the sacred Marian shrines in Fatima and Lourdes offered a different opportunity to experience the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith.

“A pilgrim is someone who goes to a sacred place

A Mass for pilgrims Father Michael Hendershott, Cardinal Justin Rigali, and Monsignor Patrick Garrity celebrate Mass in The Crypt chapel built in 1866 and located under the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Lourdes, France.

“I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the rosary every day.”

— Holy Mother Mary

Praying the rosary Deacon John DeClue of St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge, and his wife, Vilma, say the rosary with other pilgrims from the Diocese of Knoxville in front of faithful believers who crawl in prayer before the Chapel of the Apparitions in Fatima. and you go there for a special reason, you go there in order to have an encounter with God, a special encounter,” Cardinal Rigali said.

“This journey to Fatima and Lourdes is a special en-

counter with God and with his Mother. This is something wonderful. You come here with hope because you live with the hope that you will respond to the graces that the Lord gives us, that

it will have benefits for you, but also for the people that you carry in your heart,” His Eminence said.

The Marian encounter began on Sept 1. After an overnight flight to Portugal,

Sharing the faith An estimated 20,000 pilgrims, including 46 from the Diocese of Knoxville, stand before the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Fatima, where Cardinal Rigali, Monsignor Garrity, and Father Hendershott concelebrated Mass on Sunday, Sept. 3.

the pilgrims arrived in Lisbon, where they visited the birthplace of St. Anthony of Padua and then continued on a drive north to the city of Santarem, home of the Church of the Holy Miracle, where the pilgrims witnessed evidence of a 13th century eucharistic miracle, the bleeding Host of Christ. Inside the church, Cardinal Rigali celebrated Mass with Father Michael Hendershott, pilgrimage chaplain and associate pastor of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville, and Monsignor Patrick Garrity, pastor of St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut, who participated in the trip as a pilgrim.

The Virgin Mary spoke to the three shepherd children on six occasions from May to October 1917. Five of the apparitions were at the Cova Da Iria, where the Chapel of the Apparitions was built. The chapel and surrounding area are now part of the Shrine of Fatima, which includes the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary and the more modern Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity.

All three of the shepherd children who witnessed the apparitions are buried at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. Two of them, siblings Francisco and Jacinta, died young and were declared saints by Pope Francis in May 2017. Their cousin, Lucia, became a nun and died in 2005 at the age of 97. She has been beatified.

On Sunday, Sept. 3, Cardinal Rigali celebrated Mass Fatima continued on page A11

Fatima fulfilled: Prelate celebrates return of Russia to Christ Archbishop Paolo Pezzi of Moscow witnesses in his lifetime conversion that Mary foretold

C

atholics across Russia are celebrating the centenary of the 1917 apparitions of Mary to shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal.

According to one of the children, Sister Lucia Dos Santos, Mary asked for a special consecration of Russia to prevent the country from disseminating its “errors throughout the world,” a phrase now-retired Pope

A10 n OCTOBER 1, 2017

Benedict XVI interpreted as referring to communism.

Mary promised that Russia would “be converted” if her request was heeded, and Catholic Archbishop Paolo Pezzi of Moscow said he had witnessed this conversion in his lifetime.

“I thank our God that I became one of the witnesses of the return of Russia to Christ,” he said. But “we should not interpret Our

Lady of Fatima as foretelling Russia’s conversion to Catholicism.”

Mary “still calls Russia to convert to Christ, but she did not say what form this conversion should take,” the archbishop said.

Though Russia has no official state religion, the majority of Russians identify with Eastern Orthodoxy, a branch of Christianity that has not been in communion www.di o k no x .o rg

with Rome for nearly a thousand years.

According to a recent study from the U.S.-based Pew Research Center, less than 1 percent of the Russian population identifies itself as Catholic.

Archbishop Pezzi said the Catholic Church’s minority status in Russia is actually one of its greatest assets for evangelization.

A Catholic in Russia “can-

By Catholic News Service not base his faith on the tradition of the majority or on governmental support,” Archbishop Pezzi said.

“This situation is a joyful opportunity for us: We can be defenseless witnesses of our faith.”

After an evening Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Moscow in early summer, the Italian archbishop spoke Russia continued on page A11 TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C A TH OLI C

Fatima from page A10

Prayers for the pilgrimage Top left: Father Hendershott kneels at the foot of the sanctuary of Santo Antonio Church in Lisbon, Portugal.

Cardinal Rigali offered a prayer at the altar as pilgrims from the Diocese of Knoxville began their journey to Fatima and Lourdes. The church is dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, who was born at that site in 1195.

Below: Pilgrims from the Diocese of Knoxville gather for a group photo in front of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Fatima.

JIM WOGAN (3)

in front of an estimated 20,000 pilgrims on a colonnade outside the Basilica of our Lady of the Rosary. Father Hendershott and Monsignor Garrity concelebrated with priests and deacons from around the world. The following day, the cardinal led a Mass at the Chapel of the Apparitions, where Mary appeared five times in 1917.

“I think it showed me the universality of the Church.

That so many people from so many different countries are able to come together to honor the Mother of God, to thank her for the graces received, to ask her for the things we think we need .... The human condition is joyful when we have confidence in the merciful love of the Savior and the Mother of that merciful love,” Father Hendershott said.

Mass was an important component of the pilgrimage. Cardinal Rigali was the lead celebrant and homilist for all of the weekday Masses — except one, on the final day at Lourdes, when close to 50 priests and deacons squeezed into the tiny grotto where the Blessed Mother appeared to St. Bernadette in 1858.

“She is the Mother of God. That is her greatest dignity,” Cardinal Rigali said. “All of this is part of an opportunity that we have at special moments, and extended moments of prayer here at the Grotto, to meditate, to honor Mary, to proclaim Mary, to invoke Mary, all of this is something very, very special.”

In between the visits to Fatima and Lourdes, the pilgrimage, led by professional guide Sandra Lains and organized by Canterbury Pilgrimages of Bedford, N.H., visited the Cathedral of St. Mary of Burgos, and the family home and conversion site of St. Ignatius of Loyola, both in Spain. Mass was celebrated at both locations, with Cardinal Rigali delivering homilies reflecting on Christ’s love and mercy.

The pace and the purpose of the trip were not lost on the pilgrims.

“A pilgrimage is very prayer- and spiritually centered,” Monsignor Garrity said. “You are aware of that before you leave, while you are there, and even on the

plane ride back home. You are aware of the fact that you had a spiritual experience.

You went for a particular purpose. You went to encounter the grace of God.” In Lourdes, as in Fatima, Cardinal Rigali joined the Diocese of Knoxville pilgrims in prayer, meditation, reflection, and three candlelight processions. While most in the group were from East Tennessee, the pilgrimage included faithful Catholics from Wichita, Kan., and Phoenix.

“This was very important to us. As a family, we try to say the rosary a lot and pray to Mary. It’s something that I have been learning more about, especially coming from a Protestant background,” said George Kunnen, a Catholic convert and a pilgrim from Arizona, who was travelling with wife Jill.

“It’s not necessarily natural for me to (venerate) Mary, so that is something that I am kind of developing in my own personal spiritual life. This was a neat experience being able to visit some of the shrines. We have been learning about Fatima and Lourdes in our family, with our kids, and talking to them about it,” Mr. Kunnen said.

He noted that being a pilgrim with Cardinal Rigali was an unexpected bonus on this trip. And while His Eminence has years of experience serving and leading the Church, the significance of his first visit to Fatima — 52 years ago — resonates even today.

“The final measure of what a pilgrimage does, you

The presence of Mary Diocesan pilgrims stand as Mass is celebrated at the grotto where the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, France, in 1858. Cardinal Rigali, Monsignor Garrity, and Father Hendershott concelebrated the Mass at the site. can’t really measure that like you can something with a thermometer,” Cardinal Rigali said. “I remember being deeply impressed, and

maybe the Lord did give me some special grace on that occasion to be able to persevere in my vocation. I think all we can say, it’s always a

special grace to come on a pilgrimage, and I certainly think it was a special grace for me then, and it is a special grace for me now.” ■

JIM WOGAN

Russia from page A10 Russian Catholics who wish to Catholic News Service about to celebrate liturgy according the challenges of living the to their national tradition,” Catholic faith in modern Russia. since the majority of Russian “Russian Catholics someChristians have always foltimes feel themselves not so lowed the Byzantine liturgical welcome. Ordinary people have tradition. the idea that if you are Russian, According to Father Burgos, you ought to be Orthodox,” the Vatican supported the deArchbishop Pezzi said. velopment of the Latin rite in “But I think that Russian Russia but decided that the resCatholics should not feel hurt” toration of the Byzantine Cathby such sentiments, he said. olic rite in modern-day Russia On the contrary, “it means they could be “misinterpreted by should show in their own life the Orthodox.” that Christianity can penetrate For decades, but especially all cultures and all nations.” since the breakup of the Soviet Of the estimated 250,000 Union and the resurgence of Catholics registered in the the Eastern Catholic church in Archdiocese of Moscow, the Candlelight vigil Pilgrims carry a statue of Our Lady of the Rosary during a candlelight Ukraine, the Russian Orthoarchbishop said, probably only procession at the Fatima Shrine on Sept 3. The nightly procession begins following a reci- dox have said the existence of 10-20 percent are actively prac- tation of the rosary at the Chapel of the Apparitions. the Eastern Catholic churches, ticing the faith. which reunited with Rome Part of the challenge of encouragparts of Russia.” almost indistinguishable from an over the past 500 years, are an obstaing a Catholic renaissance in Russia Father Burgos recently filed an Orthodox parish, except for being cle to Christian unity. The Orthodox is administrative: Because the govapplication to register his fledgin union with Rome and praying for claim the Eastern Catholics encroach ernment favors Orthodoxy, the work ling parish with the government, a the pope at Mass. on Orthodox “canonical territory” of opening a new parish can be met process he expected to take up to Father Burgos belongs to the small and that their very existence is an with bureaucratic roadblocks. three months. If denied, his Catholic Russian Byzantine Catholic Church, attempt to achieve unity by break “There is freedom, but there are community won’t be able to enjoy whose members celebrate the Byzan- ing off pieces of the Orthodox also hardships,” said Father Alek“full freedom.” He’s consoled by the tine liturgy and live the faith accord- community. sandr Burgos, a priest based in knowledge that “in the 19th and 20th ing to Eastern Christian traditions.

The Vatican has agreed that parSt. Petersburg but originally from centuries, the situation was worse.”

“We serve according to this rite tial reunions are not a model for Spain. “In some cases, there is some But Father Burgos’ parish may be because we think that nearly evecumenism, but insists the Eastern pressure. I serve in St. Petersburg, a placed under particular scrutiny by erything in the Orthodox tradition Catholic churches have a right to city with a tradition of tolerance, so the government for the sole reason is very good,” Father Burgos said. exist and to provide for the pastoral for us it is easier than it is in other that it is Eastern-rite Catholic and “And of course it is important for care of their faithful. ■ TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C A T HO L I C

www.di o k no x .o rg

OCTOBER 1, 2017 n A11

A12 n OCTOBER 1, 2017

come together in partnership to make this new church a reality.”

Mr. Deinhart credited Bishop Stika, Father Pawelk, Brother Craig Saint Teresa Digmann, and Brother Joe Steen for - of Kolkata together to get the project Caworking tholic Church off the ground. He also credited CFET members and donors who made the land purchases possible in Maynardville and Rutledge. St. John Paul II Catholic Mission raised about $100,000 through CFET gifts and Home Campaign fundraising to buy land in Grainger County for its new church.

“It’s not the diocese or the parish.

It’s the diocese and the parish coming together in the Holy Spirit. It’s the truest testament of what we’re called to do together as a people of faith. .

That’s why we’re here,” Mr. Deinhart said.

Father Pawelk, who serves as the pastor of St. Teresa and St. John Paul II, said capacity congregations at both churches are making the transition to permanent locations necessary.

“In Rutledge, where we are 60 percent dependent on outside income, we have to stop paying rent because that is money that could be used for something else,” he said, adding that he hopes to present plans for the new St. John Paul II church to Bishop Stika by year’s end and then begin the permit phase.

“We are trying to build a much simpler project for St. John Paul II. We were very blessed. St. Elizabeth Church in Elizabethton made a very significant donation to us. Then we were adopted by St. Paul of the Cross, one of the wealthiest churches from the suburbs of Chicago. They raised $50,000 during six weeks of Lent. Because of those donations and the capital campaign, we now have $125,000 to build something. It’s going to be a self-build, basically a square building with an entrance and a pavilion, very simple. I don’t even want to call it a multipurpose building. It’s just to get out of the rental property so we can save money for a church appropriate for us,” he continued.

And in extending the Holy Spiritinspired construction model to St. John Paul II, Father Pawelk said Glenmary Brother Joe Steen, who serves both communities as outreach minister, is a draftsman on the Rutledge project. Parishioner Tom Charron is volunteering as general contractor.

St. John Paul II isn’t the only mission church to receive assistance from outside the diocese. St. Teresa has developed a close relationship with St. Malachy Parish in Geneseo, Ill. And St. Teresa parishioners have raised at least $15,000 a year for the last four years from its annual carnival. This year, the carnival was held in conjunction with the groundbreaking.

At the Maynardville groundbreaking, Father Pawelk recognized Tom and Mary Hughes of St. Malachy in the Diocese of Peoria. The couple visits the Union County parish often and has led fundraising efforts at their home parish to help St. Teresa.

“Our parish donates every month,” Mrs. Hughes said. “St. Teresa makes a quilt every year and sends it to St. Malachy to be raffled. One time, a quilt brought $2,000. They (St. Teresa) get a donation each year from a distribution from my 401(k). This parish is so alive and so together. It is very inspiring.”

“And we tithe in every collection to a special project,” Mr. Hughes said.

“We admire Father Steve so much, and also Brothers Joe (Steen) and Craig (Digmann). They are so dynamic. And there’s a lot of diversity in the parish.”

Bishop Stika believes all of those characteristics St. Teresa possesses bode well for its future. And they reflect on Jesus and the parish’s patron saint.

“In a very special way, in the name of all the other Catholics of East Tennessee, I just want to say congratulations. As we break ground, we know that eventually as the foundation is built and the church comes up, the foundation is Jesus Himself. May the Lord continue to bless you, and may St. Teresa of Kolkata keep you. One of her great expressions was, ‘Every day we should do something beautiful for God,’ and that is what we’re doing this day and into the future,” Bishop Stika said. ■ FRONT PERSPECTIVE

.

Pointing toward the heavens An artist’s rendering shows the new St. Teresa of Kolkata Church in Maynardville. munity adds to the county.

“Your presence here makes Union County a better place. Each one of you has uniqueness. Each one of you has ideas, has dreams, and has visions.

Union County needs your uniqueness. Union County needs your vision.

Union County cannot grow unless we have newness and ideas. This church is a blessing for Union County, and Father Steve has been a blessing to the county mayor on many occasions,” Mayor Williams said.

“I want you to know that anything that we can do to make it better, we will do. But I want you to know first and foremost, you being here, you being a part of our community, this church will make Union County a better place. So for that, I want to say thank you to each and every one of you,” the mayor added.

In praising the project, Mayor Williams spoke of the growing Catholic community’s importance to Union County and its continued expansion, citing the new church as a symbol of growth.

Church architect Dan Brewer of the Knoxville firm Brewer Ingram Fuller Architects explained that the building design’s aim is to bring together the congregation’s vision, the bucolic setting in which the church will be built, and key elements of community and faith.

“The project is designed to be seen from the main highway by the axis of the access road. Our design concept was to be absolutely as simple as possible because we want to stand out from the background against the beautiful trees and mountains of East Tennessee,” Mr. Brewer said.

“This is a very simple project, a very simple building pointing toward the heavens. It’s a great place for the children of God to assemble and work for Him. This groundbreaking is the culmination of a lot of work, but also the beginning of another phase of work, and hopefully we will see this project become reality soon for this congregation. We just hope that all the community will be influenced and helped out by these people because they really want to be a part of this community, and this building should help them and all their ministries here,” he noted.

St. Teresa of Kolkata, then Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, first opened its doors on Nov. 20, 2011. When the young parish was in formation, early Masses were held in the carport of a Maynardville home. Union County’s mayor was one of the first visitors.

The congregation numbered about 60 in the early days, and that number has grown to more than 120 families

now. It didn’t take the congregation long to move from the carport, and then a short stint at a Methodist church, to its current location at 4365 Maynardville Highway, where Father Pawelk led the conversion of a hotdog stand into worship space.

Father Pawelk offered special thanks to the Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee for providing the funding to purchase property for the Maynardville and Rutledge churches. The Catholic Foundation is a Diocese of Knoxville organization that purchases land for new Catholic churches, schools, and ministries throughout East Tennessee as well as helping fund the education of diocesan seminarians.

The Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee (CFET), established in 1988, has purchased property for more than a dozen new churches.

When founded in 1988, there were 11 counties in the Diocese of Knoxville without a Catholic church. Now, there are only three counties without a Catholic church.

“Both our properties (St. Teresa and St. John Paul II) are through the grace of the Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee. We are standing on the land because of them. We are very grateful,” Father Pawelk said.

John Deinhart, director of stewardship and strategic planning for the Diocese of Knoxville and director of the foundation, said Father Pawelk approached the diocese about acquiring property for the Maynardville church. At that point, Bishop Stika and Mr. Deinhart led a CFET team in search of Union County land suitable for the church.

“There were only a few properties in Union County that were appropriate. The size and location of the tract put this property head and shoulders above the others we looked at,” Mr. Deinhart said.

The 35 acre-site on Maynardville Highway (Highway 33) across from the high school cost $260,000 and offered something the other sites couldn’t – a direct path to Maynardville Highway.

“This was a more substantial purchase, but it gives the parish much better exposure on the main road.

Part of our mission is to evangelize the Catholic faith in Union County.

I’m very proud about how the Catholic faith is growing and maturing in Union County,” Mr. Deinhart noted.

“What started in 2011 as a church in a carport with just a couple dozen families is now a thriving parish with 100-plus families, and they’re going to build their own church,” he added.

“Both the parish and diocese have

DAN MCWILLIAMS

or are doing work at half cost for the church,” he added.

Bishop Richard F. Stika and Union County Mayor Mike Williams joined Father Pawelk in taking up ceremonial shovels and turning soil. Just prior to breaking ground, Knoxville architect Dan Brewer presented Bishop Stika with official drawings of the church building.

The occasion marked the parish’s sixth anniversary. It was officially formed Sept. 1, 2011, by the Glenmary Home Missioners. Bishop Stika elevated St. Teresa from a Catholic mission to a parish on Sept. 5, 2014.

And on Sept. 11, 2016, a week after Mother Teresa’s canonization in Rome, Bishop Stika celebrated Mass there, presiding over the parish’s official name change from Blessed Teresa of Calcutta to St. Teresa of Kolkata.

Father Pawelk said the St. Teresa of Kolkata congregation began planning for the new church four years ago.

“The first year was simply spiritual planning, where we held a series of meetings talking about what is a church. I had three people with backgrounds in religious life talk about their idea of church and the people reflected on that. From that came the ideas of what they wanted the church complex to involve. Then we got the architect for the master plan, and we started doing the fundraising and what is needed. In January, we were able to say, ‘Yes, we are ready to move forward.’ So we hired our current architect and have been working forward,” Father Pawelk said.

“So, we’re ready. We have enough money to begin, not enough money to build. We’ll have a mortgage, in other words. At this stage we’re getting all the permissions. The plans are just now going through the permission process, the permission of the city, the permission of the church board, the permission of the diocese board. Then we will start bulldozing,” he added.

As Bishop Stika surveyed the site of the new St. Teresa of Kolkata Church, he took in the pastoral vista that will serve as a backdrop for the parish and spoke of God’s handiwork.

“A few weeks ago we looked to the sky to see the eclipse and we saw the beauty of God’s creation in the way the moon and the sun and the stars all came together. Now we turn our attention to the Earth as we turn the soil with our shovels to officially begin construction of this new parish dedicated to the memory of St. Teresa of Kolkata, the great woman of charity, love, and care,” Bishop Stika said.

“But in reality we aren’t looking up and we aren’t looking down. We are looking to the future. I’m so grateful to the Glenmary community and Father Steve (Pawelk), and all of you because this dream is now becoming reality. Soon the storefront will be part of history. And this beautiful church will give glory to God. The Old Testament talks about how Moses approached God in the burning bush. We don’t have a burning bush here, but we have a burning faith in all our hearts; cultures coming together, people coming together, neighbors coming together blessed by God,” the bishop noted.

When St. Teresa is dedicated late next year it will be the seventh church Bishop Stika has dedicated since being ordained as the third bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville in 2009. The new Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus will be dedicated on March 3. And in addition to St. John Paul II in Rutledge, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Mission in Erwin also is planning a new church building.

St. Teresa, St. John Paul II, and St. Michael the Archangel are staffed by priests and brothers from the Glenmary Home Missioners order.

Representing the Diocese of Knoxville, the Glenmary missioners have been planting seeds of Catholic faith in East Tennessee. Communities like Maynardville, Rutledge, and Erwin that for decades have been devoid of any organized Catholic presence are seeing their congregations grow.

That development wasn’t lost on Union County Mayor Williams, who thanked those in attendance at the St. Teresa of Kolkata groundbreaking and credited the diversity the faith com-

COURTESY OF DAN BREWER/BREWER INGRAM FULLER ARCHITECTS

Parish continued from page A1

Plans in hand Bishop Stika receives the architectural drawings for the new St. Teresa church from architect Dan Brewer, center. Deacon Larry Rossini, right, emceed the groundbreaking ceremony. www.di o k no x .o rg

0000 1625

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

Tennessee Knights earn prestigious Circle of Honor award

By Andy Telli

T

he Tennessee Knights of Columbus were honored with several awards presented at the awards ceremony of this year’s Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus, held in St. Louis Aug. 1-3.

Stephen Comm, immediate past state deputy and a member of Council 9282 at St. Stephen Church in Old Hickory, accepted two awards from Supreme Knight Carl Anderson on behalf of the Tennessee State Council.

The first award was the Supreme Knight’s New Council Development Award, earned by achieving the goal set by the Supreme Council for new councils chartered during the fraternal year of July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017. During the year, two new councils were chartered in Tennessee, the first at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville and the second at the Church of the Nativity in Spring Hill.

The second and more prestigious award was the Circle of

Honor awarded to Tennessee for the first time in the past six years.

To become a member of the Circle of Honor, a jurisdiction must meet or exceed its objectives in new members, net growth (after deducting for suspensions, deaths, and transfers out of state), and Star Councils. Star Council is the highest award given by the Supreme Knight to a council recognizing net growth in membership and participation in the order’s insurance program. This past year, Tennessee had 22 Star Councils against a goal of 18.

“This is a great moment for the Tennessee Knights,” Mr. Comm said. “Every Knight, from the state officers and staff, to the brothers in the councils, deserves recognition for being a part of this. Special recognition goes to Kevin Petitte, our membership director this past year, for his enthusiasm, devotion and tireless energy in keeping all of us focused on the reasons we all became Knights of Columbus — to serve God, our Church, and our fellow man.”

COURTESY OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

Recognition is among several honors state Knights of Columbus receive at annual Supreme Convention in St. Louis

Supreme recognition Steve Comm, right, immediate past state deputy of the Tennessee Knights of Columbus, accepts the prestigious Circle of Honor award from Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Carl Anderson during the Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention held Aug. 1-3 in St. Louis.

Petitte is a resident of Arlington and a member of Timothy J. Coyle Council 9317 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Cordova.

Additionally, Mr. Comm was presented the Past State Deputy

Award, which is given to all state deputies who have finished their term of office, in recognition of the demanding work and personal dedication that the position requires. ■

A Running of the Rose celebration Mass

DEACON SCOTT MAENTZ (7)

T

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

he annual Running of the Silver Rose unites Knights of Columbus councils and members from across North America to bring attention to Our Lady of Guadalupe and the miracle of St. Juan Diego in Mexico.

One of the Silver Roses on pilgrimage was hosted by the Handmaids of the Precious Blood on the day of Father Michael J. McGivney’s birthday, Aug. 12.

The Handmaids, who pray in adoration for the protection and sanctification of priests, reside at Cor Jesu Monastery in New Market.

They’ve shared a special bond with Knights from around the world

www.di o k no x .o rg

since their founding over 70 years ago. Through prayer, supplication, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, these contemplative nuns give thanks to God for the great gift of priestly vocations.

“The many Knights of Columbus who support our community through their countless hours of service, generous charitable donations, and thoughtful prayers have become a vital extension of our community…” said Reverend Mother Marietta, who serves as the community’s prioress. “We were truly honored to receive the Silver Rose and pray in its presence during our holy hours of Eucharist adoration in remembrance of all priests, especially [Knights founder] Father McGivney on his birthday.”

Following the rose’s visit to Cor Jesu, members of Knights of Columbus Council 16523 escorted the rose and the Handmaids to a special Mass and rosary at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. Three of the Handmaid sisters, acting as rose bearers for the entrance processional, joined the parish community for a special evening Mass and also remained to recite a rosary dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe and her love for all of her people.

“As Knights we are called to serve our priests and our parishes by helping build the domestic church,” said Jimmy Dee, a state district deputy for the Knights of Columbus. “Participating in the Running of the Silver Rose with the Handmaids of the Precious Blood provides our Holy Ghost families and Knights council a unique opportunity to strengthen their faith and accomplish that shared mission.” ■

OCTOBER 1, 2017 n A13

Father Brent Shelton, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge, has been appointed by Bishop Richard F. Stika as dean of the Cumberland Mountain Deanery.

Father Shelton succeeds Father Doug Owens, who serves as pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City and also as a vicar general and moderator of the curia for the Diocese of Knoxville.

“The appointment of Father Doug Owens as vicar general and moderator of the curia necessitated that a new dean must be appointed for the Cumberland Mountain Deanery. I am happy to announce the appointment of Father Brent Shelton as dean of the Fr. Shelton Cumberland Mountain Deanery for a three-year term, which was effective on Aug. 10, 2017. I’d like to thank Father Shelton for his willingness to serve in this capacity and ask that you join me in praying for him as he continues to work for the good of the Church in East Tennessee,” Bishop Stika said.

The deans currently serving three-year terms are Father Charles Burton, pastor of St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga, Chattanooga Deanery; Father Michael Cummins, pastor of St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport, Five Rivers Deanery; and Father Ron Franco, CSP, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Knoxville, Smoky Mountain Deanery.

Funeral Mass celebrated for Fr. Tom Vos, OFM Indian River, Mich. – Father Thomas James Vos, OFM, who served as a priest in the Diocese of Knoxville from 1990-2006, died Aug. 16 in Indian River, where he served as senior associate at the National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods.

A funeral Mass for Father Vos was held Aug. 22 at the National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods.

Father Vos, who was 82, was born in St. Paul, Minn., and grew up in nearby Cologne, Minn., and entered the Franciscan Seminary in Westmont, Ill., in 1948. He was received into the Franciscan Order in 1954 and continued his formation and theological studies until he was ordained a priest on June 13, Fr. Vos 1961.

He served as a priest in Chicago, Washington, Mo., Quincy, Ill., Indianapolis, Dubuque, Iowa, Teutopolis, Ill., and in the Diocese of Knoxville, where he served at St. Henry Parish in Rogersville, St. Anthony of Padua in Mountain City, St. Dominic in Kingsport, St. Jude in Helenwood, and St. Joseph the Worker in Madisonville.

He left the Diocese of Knoxville and his “beloved mountain ministry” in 2006 to return to the Franciscan community.

He was the founding priest of St. Anthony of Padua.

He is survived by a sister, Rosie Peitz, and brother, Nicholas Anthony Vos, as well as 175 friars of the Franciscan Province of the Sacred Heart.

Memorials may be made to the Cross in the Woods Endowment Fund or to the Franciscan Missions at 3140 Meramec St., St. Louis, MO 63118-4399.

COURTESY OF THE ORDER OF FLEUR DE LIS

Fr. Shelton named dean of Cumberland Mountain Deanery

New Knight Commander Father John Orr, pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Madisonville, is welcomed into the Order of the Fleur de Lis.

Fr. John Orr installed into Order of Fleur de Lis

F

ather John Orr, pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Madisonville, was installed as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Fleur de Lis on Aug. 26 at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Long Beach, Miss.

The Order of the Fleur de Lis is a nonprofit service organization of Catholic men that promotes patriotism, love of country and good citizenship, encourages public morality, advances the concept of unselfish service to God and country, and supports and defends the Catholic Church and its teachings.

Members must have significantly

contributed to the Catholic faith by action or accomplishment.

Among the Knight Commanders of the Order of the Fleur de Lis in the Diocese of Knoxville are Cardinal Justin Rigali, Bishop Richard F. Stika, Deacon Sean Smith of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City, Deacon Paul Nelson of St. Jude Church in Chattanooga, Michael Horton of St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga, and Mike Wills of All Saints Church in Knoxville.

The order is incorporated in Louisiana, with active members in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. ■

Mary Mac Wilson, director of operations for Sacred Heart Cathedral, named to THDA board of directors Gov. Bill Haslam has appointed Mary Mac R. Wilson, director of parish operations for Sacred Heart Cathedral in Knoxville, to the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) board of directors.

Mrs. Wilson has a long history in lending with the Eastman Credit Union, Bank of Tennessee, and First American National Bank. She is involved in fundraising and development for the construction of the new Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the master plan for the cathedral parish.

“Like the THDA, the Catholic Church has always assisted people in need,” Mrs. Wilson said.

“We also want to stop the cycle of poverty. I look forward to offering my skills and experience in management and lending to help THDA lead people Mary Mac Wilson to more stable, successful, and joyful lives through better housing.”

THDA works to expand safe, sound, affordable housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income Tennesseans as the state’s leading resource. It manages nine federal housing programs and the Great Choice mortgage loan program for middle/moderate income homebuyers.

“We rely on lending partners to implement our programs,” said Ralph M. Perrey, THDA’s executive director. “We are grateful Mary Mac is willing to share her lending and community-service expertise on the board.”

Mass of dedication for new Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus scheduled for March 2018 Bishop Richard F. Stika has announced that a Mass of dedication for the new Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus will be celebrated on Saturday, March 3, 2018.

Bishop Stika said the Mass and Rite of Dedication of a church and its altar is one of the most solemn liturgical celebrations in the Catholic Church. The rite is sacred and dates back to the early years of the Church. He noted that the Mass and the rite will elevate “this beautiful structure into holiness.”

“The Mass and Rite of Dedication of the cathedral will be a truly historic event in the history of our young diocese. It is a beautiful and elaborate ceremony in which the walls will be anointed, the baptistery, ambo, and tabernacle will be blessed as well as so many other items that play an important role in the liturgical space of a building,” he said.

Special emphasis will be given to the altar of sacrifice, which will be anointed with the Holy Chrism, and the blessing of the cathedra (chair of the bishop) will be a focal point of the Mass. ■

A14 n OCTOBER 1, 2017

www.di o k no x .o rg

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

Golden from page A1

Serving the parish Anna Hudson, left, a founding member of the Church of the Good Shepherd, serves Sunday dinner to fellow parishioners on Sept. 24. The dinner was part of a special celebration of the parish’s 50th anniversary.

Below, a Good Shepherd parishioner asks Bishop Stika to sign a keepsake following Mass.

Below left: Photos show the former Good Shepherd location and the new church building.

DAN MCWILLIAMS

DAN MCWILLIAMS

DAN MCWILLIAMS

paper’ here in Newport ‘and they will open a Catholic mission,’ and I was so happy.”

Mrs. Hudson immediately volunteered to help the fledgling mission.

“They were looking for workers to go and clean up because they were remodeling the funeral home,” she said. “There was a phone number in there, and my mother-in-law called that number, and the next morning a lady showed up, and the lady’s name was Laura Mathis. She took me, and we worked, and that’s the start. That’s the beginning. Isn’t that great? Absolutely great.”

In his opening remarks at Mass, Bishop Stika recalled the name of Father Emmanuel Callahan, the circuit-riding priest who was the first to celebrate Mass in most of East Tennessee’s rural counties around the turn of the 20th century.

“It’s good for a shepherd to be at Good Shepherd today as I celebrate

with you this Eucharist,” Bishop Stika said, “as we celebrate 50 years ago when the Eucharist was first celebrated, but even farther back than that—when Father Callahan was drifting through this neck of the woods, in this beautiful area that God has given to us.”

The bishop came to Newport after attending the beatification in Oklahoma City of Blessed Stanley Rother, who was martyred in Guatemala in 1981. Blessed Rother’s “faith was nurtured by his family, his friends in high school and grade school, eventually in the seminary, but also by his parish,” Bishop Stika said.

“I came to the states in June 1967, and I came [here] and The bishop told Good Shepherd there was no church. No Catholic church. So every Sunday parishioners that their parish is a morning I went on the porch and prayed. I had a little “school for saints.” The definition prayer book—I prayed the Mass, and I would pray to the of a saint that he likes the most “is Lord to do something.

I had to have some spiritual food. that a saint recognizes that they’re I prayed, and it wasn’t long after that my mother-in-law a sinner, and then they try to work said, ‘There’s an article on the front page of the paper’ through that,” Bishop Stika said. here in Newport ‘and they will open a Catholic mission,’ “That’s what my challenge to all of and I was so happy.” you and to myself should be: work on that sense of holiness.”

— Good Shepherd charter parishioner Anna Hudson Bishop Stika repeated that challenge: “As you celebrate 50 years, don’t forget you’re holy, don’t forget place I’ve been in a long, long time.” In 2004, ground was broken on Cosyou’re a sinner, and know that Jesus Irish Catholic railroad workers

by Highway for a new Good Shepinvites you to be a saint who recestablished a Catholic presence in herd Church. Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz ognizes that you’re a sinner. And if Newport in the 1850s. Father Caljoined pastor Father Dan Whitman, that is your guiding principle, build- lahan celebrated the first Mass in the longtime parish coordinator Dennis ing the kingdom of God in your city in 1907 in the home of Peter and Bible, and others for the groundfamilies, in your life, in your parish, Rose Frawley. breaking. Bishop Kurtz dedicated and in your community, then we can Father Callahan and the Catholic the new church on April 27, 2005, as make a difference. Congratulations Church Extension Society helped more than 225 attended the Mass. to you all. As St. Paul says, never tire complete St. Agnes Chapel in New Mr. Bible, a charter parishioner, of doing good.” port, which served the area from died Aug. 18, 2010, after more than In his closing remarks at Mass, 1913 to 1943.

25 years of service as coordinator. the bishop thanked Good Shepherd Area Catholics gathered for Mass The parish’s Dennis H. Bible Parish “on behalf of all the other parishes, in homes and public buildings in Hall is named for him. the other 50 institutions, for all you the 1940s and ’50s before industry Good Shepherd now is home to do for the diocese, for your parish, increased the number of Catholics in more than 150 families. for this community of Newport, bethe area in the 1960s.

Lori Hemminger is a lifelong cause as I remind all of our parishes, In spring 1967, Nashville Bishop member of Good Shepherd. whether it’s the very biggest, like Joseph A. Durick purchased a house “I was 6 when the church opened.

All Saints, or the very smallest, like and 2.5-acre lot on Broadway in I’m 56 now,” she said.

Sneedville, we do together what we Newport for a future church. Father Ms. Hemminger has a brother in can’t do by ourselves. We belong to Luzerne Schnupp celebrated the first Georgia, a brother in Colorado, and a larger Church than that. We belong Mass there on Sept. 24, 1967. The two sisters and a brother who live in to the Church here in the United parish received its name of Church the Newport area.

States and then the entire world, of the Good Shepherd from Bishop “My parents, Patricia and Gail which is governed by Pope Francis.

Durick in January 1968.

Hemminger, still go here,” she said.

“This parish is a school for saints.

In 1981, the parish began to be The Hemmingers originally are Don’t play hooky.” served by the pastor of Notre Dame from Michigan, but Lori Hem Monsignor Hofstetter said “it’s in Greeneville instead of St. Patrick minger’s father was transferred by a real honor” to be pastor of Good in Morristown. his employer, Electro-Voice, to NewShepherd and that “it’s been a More than 100 people packed port when the children were young. close family” in its 50-year history, the church for a 25th-anniversary She remembers attending Good from the original house building to celebration in September 1992.

Shepherd when the church was in the parish’s new home on Cosby Father Schnupp was among the the center of Newport. At that time Highway. concelebrants. there were only about 20 families, “The first 38 years they were in a house, so they got to be very close together.

Coming out here has allowed us to expand a lot,” he said.

Members of Good Shepherd do much good in the community.

“The St. Vincent de Paul Society does about $30- or $40,000 worth of charity, and then we have a cancer support group in the parish, and they probably do $50,000 worth of charity in the area each year,” Monsignor Hofstetter said.

The Good Shepherd pastor has held that post for 12 years.

“It’s like heaven. I think I’ve died and gone to heavA golden celebration Bishop Stika greets charter member Patricia Hemminger and en,” Monsignor Hofstetter daughter, Lori Hemminger, following the 50th-anniversary Mass at Good Shepherd. said. “It’s the most exciting TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C A T HO L I C

www.di o k no x .o rg

BILL BREWER

she said.

But the church also owned vacant land with its building, and a decision was made to sell the property to a developer and relocate the church to its current building on Cosby Highway. She said apartments were built on the vacant land on the site of the original church, which still is standing and serves as offices for the apartments.

“It was very, very small. It was smaller than this basement here,” she said, comparing the original worship space to the basement of the present Good Shepherd Church.

She said the first priest she remembers was Father Schnupp, and she recalled Sister Mary Ann Konieski, OP, the pastoral associate at Good Shepherd from 1990 to 1999. At the current location, she recalls former pastor Father Whitman and Father Waraksa from his earlier service at the parish.

Ms. Hemminger spoke fondly of the family atmosphere at Good Shepherd.

“And it has gotten better and better because our families have grown,” she said. “And Father Bob has been a blessing. He has done well.”

She said she cannot imagine worshiping at another church.

“I can’t imagine people saying ‘I went to this church and then I went to that church.’ And churches splitting,” Ms. Hemminger said. “That is far beyond me to imagine going to another church or having the original church split.

Good Shepherd has been a blessing.”

Mrs. Hudson said she has seen Good Shepherd grow “little by little. It wasn’t instant, but we grew and we grew and we grew, little by little, and today we’re here.”

She called Good Shepherd “the biggest blessing in my life. God has done marvelous things. He has done wonders here. He her really has. I’ve got to give him praise.” ■ OCTOBER 1, 2017 n A15

Pope Francis launches campaign to welcome migrants Pontiff announces initiative to encourage a culture of encounter for immigrants and refugees

CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY

P

Sharing the journey Pope Francis meets with participants from Share the Journey, a Caritas Internationalis initiative to promote migrant and refugee relationships in communities, at the general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 27. to contribute to society.”

In addition to his work, “he was able to contribute a priest, a bishop, in my person,” Cardinal Tagle said. “So watch out. The children that we might be rejecting might be giving valuable contributions to society.”

The cardinal’s comments were made in reference to rising tensions surrounding the issue of migration in the United States, where controversy has arisen over President Donald Trump’s travel ban, proposed border wall, and recent announcement of the phasing out of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), which has benefited hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. as minors.

In a press conference announcing the “Share the Journey” initiative, Cardinal Tagle said world leaders should remember that “we are all migrants.

Nobody can claim to be a non-migrant, we are all passing in this world.”

“Nobody is a permanent resident,” and no one can claim to “own the space they occupy,” he said, voicing his hope that there would be a universal “conversion of mind” on the issue.

Acknowledging the fear that some might feel at having foreigners enter their country, the cardinal said these fears often dissipate when people take the time to sit with immigrants and listen to their stories.

“You will see that they are like you and me,” he said.

Recalling how his grandfather came to the Philip-

CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY

ope Francis has announced a new initiative encouraging a “culture of encounter” and efforts to warmly welcome immigrants and refugees.

Sponsored by the global Catholic charities network Caritas Internationalis, the “Share the Journey” initiative is a two-year campaign dedicated to promoting both awareness and action on behalf of migrants and refugees, and helping them build connections with local communities.

“Don’t be afraid of sharing the journey. Don’t be afraid of sharing hope,” Pope Francis said during his weekly General Audience in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 27.

According to Caritas, the project was launched as a response to Pope Francis’ frequent call for a “culture of encounter.”

The project also aims to shed light on both the challenges and effects of migration at every stage of the journey in order to promote a “shift in thinking” on the issue. It will have the support of the ACT Alliance, which is a network of 145 Christian agencies and a variety of other religious congregations and civil society groups worldwide.

As part of the project, Caritas will launch various action-based initiatives in the communities in which they are present throughout the world.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, president of Caritas Internationalis, said he is an example of what young migrants can offer if given the opportunity.

“Whenever I hear news about the restrictions or even some moves that might affect children, minors (who are) migrants, I remember my grandfather, my maternal grandfather,” Cardinal Tagle told CNA. “He was born in China and his mother was widowed, and she, in her desperation, didn’t know how to raise her child up into a decent life, so I suppose with a heavy heart, she decided to give away the child to an uncle, who was trying to do some trade in the Philippines.”

Cardinal Tagle explained that his grandfather never went back to China, but “thanks to people who received him, helped him, educated him, he was able

Getting the message out Caritas Internationalis president Cardinal Luis Tagle of Manila, and Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of CCRGV, speak at a press conference on the papal initiative Share the Journey on Sept. 27. pines as a “poor boy from China,” he said, “who would have thought he would have a cardinal for a grandson?”

Present alongside Cardinal Tagle at the press conference was Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, along the U.S. border with Mexico, as well as the director of Caritas Ethiopia, Bekele Moges, and three young migrants from Africa.

The migrants were Yancuba Darboe from Gambia, 21; Amadou Darboe from Senegal, 20; and Berete Ibrahima from Guinea, 23. Each of them left their homes due to poverty or a lack of opportunities and endured harsh conditions, including torture at the hands of traffickers, before eventually arriving in Italy and finding a fresh start.

In comments to CNA, Sister Norma stressed the importance of getting to know migrants personally.

Meeting and speaking with migrants face-to-face

is “so important,” she said, “because that’s what causes the transformation in us.”

Sister Norma recalled the story of a woman who had come to visit one of the centers operated by Catholic Charities in Rio Grande Valley. The woman was “one hundred percent against” their work, believing that migrants shouldn’t be allowed into the country.

In response, the sister gave the woman a tour, and “took her to visit the families and the children and showed her the reality, and she met them personally.”

When the visit ended, the woman’s whole perspective had changed, and she encouraged Sister Norma to continue the work they were doing. The woman’s husband even called the center later to express his shock at the change in his wife’s attitude toward the issue.

“So I believe if somebody can be transformed so fast because of the fact

By Catholic News Agency that they saw that mother, that infant, that child (and) we have it in our hearts to reach out to those we find suffering, we will help that person that needs our help,” she said.

Sister Norma described current immigrant policy in the U.S. as “harsh.”

“All the administrations, even the previous administration, were very harsh in deporting a lot of the immigrants and making those detention centers for family units,” she said, adding that in her view, “it’s so unjust and so unfair for a family with children, with infants, to be placed in detention facilities.”

“Just like the previous administration, this administration is doing the same and probably harsher,” she said, stressing that placing families in such centers is “not humane,” because they are essentially being put “into prisons.”

Whether you call it a detention center or even a “child-care center,” Sister Norma said, the reality is that “they really are prisons and it’s very depressing, so children should not be in those conditions.”

Instead, the sister said there should be an alternative available where families are allowed to stay together with someone to help them in the immigration process while authorities “figure out whether they have a reason to be in the United States or not, but not keep them for months in facilities that are so depressing and inhumane.”

Sister Norma voiced hope that the new Caritas campaign would help people to truly understand the plight of migrants and push for “laws in our countries that respect the dignity and human life of people.”

The process of breaking the stigma surrounding incoming migrants starts with individuals and the process of encounter, she reiterated.

“Find that immigrant, just one, find out who they are,” Sister Norma said.

“Find out why they left their country and try to understand that, try to put yourself in their shoes and see if that helps you understand better why an immigrant has to go through what they do and what should be your responsibility and response to that reality.” ■

Knoxville Catholic High School

ADMISSIONS OPEN HOUSE Sunday, October 29 at 2:00 pm

A16 n OCTOBER 1, 2017

www.di o k no x .o rg

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