Oct. 2, 2022, ET Catholic, A section

A match made in heaven

Catholic Charities, St. Mary’ s Legacy Clinic partner to provide health care in Scott Co.

By Bill Brewer

Catholic Charities of East Tennessee and St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic are partnering on a unique ministry that provides a shot in the arm to health care in Scott County, which has joined the ranks of rural areas where the dedicated practice of medicine is at risk.

The leaders of St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic and Catholic Charities announced on Sept. 20 at St. Jude Church in the Helenwood community of Scott County that they are combining resources to offer free health care to the uninsured in the area.

It marks the first time that Catholic Charities and St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic have offered joint services at one location.

“It’s a match made in heaven. It is the per fect coming together of the right resources, the right services at the right time to meet the need in the community. We want to make sure that we do serve the local community here. We’re very excited to be involved and welcomed to Scott County and to be able to meet that critical need,” said Martin Vargas, executive director of St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic.

Lisa Healy, executive director of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, said the Diocese of Knoxville social services agency has been work ing with St. Jude since early 2021 to convert the parish rectory into space for Catholic Charities’ sixth Pregnancy Help Center.

The remodeling was completed late last year, and the Pregnancy Help Center began assisting mothers and fathers in December. At the same time, discussions were taking place to bring the mobile clinic to Helenwood, where there has been an acute health-care shortage.

Scott County announced in 2016 that its only hospital was closing because the hospital’s par ent company was filing for bankruptcy. Howev er, a buyer stepped in and purchased the facility later that year. The Oneida hospital, which had previously closed in 2012, has operated as Big South Fork Medical Center since August 2017.

Open for ministry Sandi Davidson of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee stands in front of the diocesan social services agency's newest Pregnancy Help Center in Helenwood in Scott County. The center occupies a building that formerly was the rectory for St. Jude Church. St. Mary's Legacy Clinic also will offer health care from that site.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help celebrates milestone

By Jim Wogan

The list is long and illustri ous, but Father Arthur Torres did a good job reciting from memory the names of some of the pastors who have served at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish dur ing its 85 years in Chattanooga.

“Father (Harold) Shea, Father Joe Brando, Monsignor Al Hum brecht, Father Mike Nolan, Father Jim Vick. It's a blessing for me also to be a pastor here,” Father Torres said.

After serving as parochial ad ministrator of OLPH since 2020, Father Torres was named pastor of the parish this year. On Aug. 28, he joined Bishop Richard F. Stika and associate pastor Father Zach Grif fith in the celebration of a Mass commemorating the establishment of the parish and the adjoining OLPH school 85 years ago.

“I would be hard pressed to find flowers today in Chattanooga. The ones here at the church are so beautiful as we celebrate some

thing magnificent — 85 years of the existence of this parish, founded in 1937,” Bishop Stika said in his opening remarks. “We give thanks to almighty God for

the presence of this parish and this community.”

Our Lady of Perpetual Help isn’t the oldest parish in the Diocese of Knoxville, but it certainly has seen

its share of history.

The church was built on about 40 acres of land—the former Ander son farm—on South Moore Road in the East Ridge area of Chat tanooga. Masses were celebrated at Brainerd Junior High School until the church was completed in September 1938, according to The History of the Diocese of Knoxville, a book written and edited by Dan McWilliams in 2013.

Among its clergy was Father James D. Niedergeses, who was named bishop of the Diocese of Nashville in 1975.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, which sits next to the church, also was launched in 1937 with the help of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Dubuque, Iowa. Students were originally taught in the Anderson farmhouse.

“I think like in all parishes, the parishioners here, in a good sense, feel that they own the parish, that this is really their home, both the

Teamwork Martin Vargas and Lisa Healy, center, exchange a high-five as they cut the ribbon on the official opening of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee's Pregnancy Help Center and St. Mary's Legacy Clinic's newest site in Scott County at St. Jude Church. Also pictured are, from left, Mary Ann Toennisson, Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, RSM, Sandi Davidson, Kim Brach, Dallas West, and Sister Celeste Mary Poche, RSM.

JIM WOGAN

For

Bishop Richard F. Stika delivers the homily during Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga on

28.

He dwells

Parish

MEDAL OF HONOR KCHS, Sacred Heart host activities for recipients of hallowed military award

By Casey Keeley

Small businesses have been the backbone of the U.S. economy since the country’s early years. In recent years, however, owners have been struggling to stay in business.

Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the shutdown of roughly one-third of U.S. small businesses, according to a study published on June 8, 2021, in the Austin American-Statesman

Several parishioners at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport have been bucking that trend with their entrepreneurial ventures. From coffee shops to food trucks to farmto-table homesteading, there is a variety of local businesses within the parish working to grow their brand and strengthen the Catholic community of East Tennessee.

The following stories of these families taking the leap and creating a successful business on a wing and a prayer are nothing short of inspiring.

Early Birds Coffee Co. Mark and Stephanie Walters are the husband-and-wife owners of Early Birds Coffee Co., a mobile coffee cart that serves handcrafted

coffee and other beverages to locals at events, schools, and businesses. The couple talked about opening a coffee shop for years before fi nally taking the leap and

launching Early Birds in April 2021.

“We picked this industry because it is a customer-facing environment,” said Mr. Walters. “I go everywhere, I see thousands of people, and I have the opportunity to impact people's lives by giving them joy, bringing them a cup of happiness, and putting it in their hand wherever they are. That in itself is evangelical, even though I may not be saying God's name.”

As of 2022, they are the only state-certifi ed coffee cart in the area. In addition to freshly made coffees, teas, and smoothies, they sell whole bean coffee, loose leaf teas, and wholesale beverages by the gallon. They also provide catering.

The company has plans for expanding and moving into an espresso shack in the near future. In the fi rst year of business, they built up enough demand for their product to hire additional employees.

Business continued on page A18

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

The Diocese of Knoxville has implemented the CMG Connect platform to administer the Safe Environment Program, which replaces the former Safe Environment Program (VIRTUS “Protecting God’s Children”).

element of the Safe Environment Program

years

October Prayer Intentions

CMG Connect is a web-based platform that will assist in ensuring that all employees and volunteers who are in a position of trust with children and vulnerable adults within Diocese of Knoxville schools and parishes are trained to recognize behavior patterns of potential abusers and provide pro-active measures for preventing abuse in any context.

“Let us pray for the victims of Hurricane Ian in the United States and the Caribbean, and for all people whose lives have been disrupted by natural disasters wherever they occur. Let us also turn to the Blessed Mother during this Respect Life Month, asking for her intercession and prayers for the protection and spiritual nourishment of all lives––from the moment of conception until natural death.”

Bishop Stika

“Safe Haven-It’s Up to You” is a three-part video that provides vignettes of real-life situations to educate the viewer about methods of grooming, desensitization, bullying, and neglect, all of which can lead to abuse.

Each part of the video is immediately followed by a brief questionnaire to further develop understanding.

Education is a key

All clergy, employees, contracted school personnel, volunteers, members of groups and organizations over the age of 18 who work, volunteer, or participate in any capacity are required to complete the diocesan Safe Environment training and a criminal-background check before they can begin employment, volunteer, or participate with ministries, groups, and organizations affiliated with the Diocese of Knoxville.

In addition, the mandatory renewal training must be completed every five years and a new background check submitted before the five-year expiration of prior training.

The Diocese of Knoxville Safe Environment compliance training and renewal training is a condition of employment and for volunteer ministry in the Diocese of Knoxville.

The CMG Connect

platform contains all three elements of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Safe Environment Program:

n Annual review of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Policy and Procedures Relating to Sexual Misconduct; n CMG Connect Safe Haven training program to be completed every five years; n Criminal background check to be completed every five years.

In compliance with the Diocese of Knoxville’s Safe Environment Program, all affiliates require that volunteers and employees complete the requirements prior to working and/or volunteering in a parish, school, The Paraclete, or through Catholic Charities and/or St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic

Go to https:// dioknox.org/safeenvironment on the Diocese of Knoxville website for more information ■

“We pray for the Church; ever faithful to, and courageous in preaching the Gospel, may the Church be a community of solidarity, fraternity, and welcome, always living in an atmosphere of synodality.”

Pope Francis

A family affair La Abejita market in Kingsport is owned and operated by Carlos Hernandez, his wife, and daughters. The Hernandezes attend St. Dominic Church in Kingsport

COURTESY OF CASEY KEELEY

In the words of the Church

The Church, since the mid-19th century, has warned of a great error to afflict human society

Social micromanagement. No one likes be ing micromanaged in a task, much less in one’s job. It has the effect of constraining and suffocating one’s freedom to exercise and develop their creative gifts and talents in the work that they do.

In a sense, it robs one’s ability to personal ize their labor and make it fruitful, leaving something of their own image within it and the satisfaction of a job well done. It stunts initia tive and the desire to work hard and makes the experience of work sterile. But what microman agement does to the individual, socialism does to a community of people.

The Church’s dire warning. St. John Paul II, having lived under the socialist rule of Soviet communism, explained that “Where society is so organized as to reduce arbitrarily or even suppress the sphere in which freedom is legiti mately exercised, the result is that the life of so ciety becomes progressively disorganized and goes into decline” (Centesimus Annus, On the Hundredth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum, 25)

And this is but one reason why the Church has so forcefully spoken out against socialism for 173 years, since almost its inception. Though we hear less within the ranks of the Church to day about this grave error, all the warnings that the Church has sounded over the many past decades remain relevant and urgent to heed.

What the Church has said. In the relatively short space of this column, I wish to provide a very small sampling of excerpts from the magisterial teachings of the Church, beginning with Blessed Pope Pius IX, who first spoke out against socialism in 1849.

Excerpts, of course, should always be under stood within the overall context and history in which the document was written. But with that said, it is my hope to help the skeptical to better understand why socialism poses such a great danger to our country and to the Church. So, let us take notice of how prophetic the words of the Church have turned out to be.

A prophetic warning. In its official magiste rial documents up to the mid-20th century, the Church was much less conciliatory and much more direct about warning the faithful of the spiritual dangers that various teachings or movements posed.

And in 1849, Blessed Pope Pius IX (the Church’s longest reigning pope) offered a very blunt assessment of socialism, which was still in its infancy at that time.

“As regards this teaching and these theories, it is now generally known that the special goal of their proponents is to introduce to the people the pernicious fictions of Socialism and Com munism by misapplying the terms ‘liberty’ and ‘equality.’ The final goal shared by these teachings, whether of Communism or Social ism, even if approached differently, is to excite by continuous disturbances workers and oth ers, especially those of the lower class, whom they have deceived by their lies and deluded by the promise of a happier condition. They are preparing them for plundering, stealing, and usurping first the Church’s and then everyone’s property. After this they will profane all law, human and divine, to destroy divine worship and to subvert the entire ordering of civil soci eties” (Nostis et Nobiscum—On the Church in the

Follow Bishop Richard Stika on Facebook for news and events from the diocese.

Pontifical States, 18)

A look back. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, followed by the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, St. John Paul II looked back upon the wreckage and human suffering that socialism had left in its wake.

But he also knew this was not the end of so cialism, and that it would only be re-imagined and re-packaged. Having lived under the dark pall of socialism, he understood the reality of what Pope Leo XIII had warned of a hundred years earlier.

“Pope Leo foresaw the negative conse quences—political, social, and economic—of the social order proposed by ‘socialism,’ which at that time was still only a social philosophy and not yet a fully structured movement. It may seem surprising that ‘socialism’ appeared at the beginning of the Pope's critique of solutions to the ‘question of the working class’ at a time when ‘socialism’ was not yet in the form of a strong and powerful State, with all the resourc es which that implies, as was later to happen. However, he correctly judged the danger posed to the masses by the attractive presentation of this simple and radical solution to the ‘question of the working class’ of the time…” (Centesimus Annus, 12)

Destroying charity. St. John Paul II also understood the incredible spiritual void that comes with socialism, observing that “Marxism had promised to uproot the need for God from the human heart, but the results have shown that it is not possible to succeed in this without throwing the heart into turmoil” (Centesimus Annus, 24)

And what dies within the hearts of people liv ing under socialism is charity, as Pope Benedict XVI pointed out in 2005.

“The State which would provide everything,

Bishop

Bishop Stika’s schedule of Masses and public events

These are some of Bishop Stika’s upcoming public appointments: n Sunday, Oct. 9, 8:30 a.m. CDT: Mass at St. Alphonsus Church in Crossville, installation of Father Mark Schuster as pas tor, and blessing of new church bell. n Wednesday, Oct. 12-Friday, Oct. 14: Attending Southeast Pastoral Institute conference in St. Augustine, Fla. n Sunday, Oct. 16: White Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. ■ Monday, Oct. 24-Thursday, Oct. 27: Annual priest retreat at Lake Junaluska.

God’ s mailman

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

As the sainthood cause of Blessed John Paul I reached a major milestone with his beatification at the Vatican in early September, promoters and sup porters of his cause hope his legacy continues to get the attention it deserves.

His brief pontificate did not do justice to a man who excelled as a gifted catechist, communicator, and shepherd in his 23 years as a priest in the Italian Alps, 12 years as bishop in the pre-Alpine hills, and eight years as patriarch of Venice, said Stefania Falasca, vice postulator of his cause.

Known as "the smiling pope," "the humble pope," and "the pope who talked to children,'' Blessed John Paul's 34 days as pontiff are just the tip of the iceberg, she said. She and others spoke at a Vatican news conference about his Sept. 4 beatification.

His sainthood cause brought to gether so many pieces of evidence, background, and direct testimonies regarding his 43 years of ordained ministry that they have finally been able to build a complete "reconstruc tion" of this figure, who was beati fied for his lifetime of holiness, not his few weeks as pope, Ms. Falasca said.

He could have been "a dock work er" or a "garbage collector," she said. His holiness depended not on his job, but on always living and commu

nicating "the essence of the Gospel" and doing it in an extraordinary way.

"For me, he was one of the great est, most gifted popes of the 1900s," she said.

Cardinal Beniamino Stella, pos tulator of Blessed John Paul's cause, said the 19 years of meticulous his torical research needed for the cause allowed for an official and "the first complete biography" of his life, published this year, I Am the Dust

The title comes from a favorite say ing of the blessed, reflecting the way he saw himself as an instrument of God.

Cardinal Stella said at the news conference he cherished his memo

ries of Blessed John Paul, who was his bishop when he was a young seminarian and priest for the Dio cese of Vittorio Veneto.

Blessed John Paul's holiness "is important for the Church and for the world today because it is through his example we are called back to the heart of Christian life, to the humility and goodness of a person who can see a sinner in need of mer cy and who wants to serve" others, the cardinal said.

The official biography joins a growing collection of newly pub lished works that are seeking to make these collected materials, especially those never-before pub

lished, more accessible to the gen eral public. Even the Vatican website has all of his papal talks translated into English, Spanish, and other languages: a true rarity for papal re marks before 1996.

One book, Giocare con Dio: Cat echesi senza mitria (Playing with God: Catechesis Without the Miter), is a col lection of very short imaginative sto ries, anecdotes, and allegories writ ten by Blessed John Paul to spark reflection and lessons about life and faith, a creative flair for which he was famous.

One allegory, titled "Why, Mom my?" details a back-and-forth con versation between a busy mother and her young child, who asks, "Mommy, why don't you want to play with me?" "Because I don't have time." "Why don't you have time?" "Because I am working!"

"And why are you working?" "Be cause I have to earn money!" "And why do you have to earn money?"

"So I can feed you!" "But mommy, I'm not hungry!"

Elected Aug. 26, 1978, Blessed John Paul brought the quick quips and a storytelling form of preaching with him to Rome as pope, making an immediate impact on and heart felt connection with his listeners.

He never picked up the papal tiara and he finally dropped the "royal We," speaking directly in the first person with the endearing air of chatting with a friend. At his first Angelus address, he began simply, "Yesterday morning I went to the

“Come, let us build ourselves a city and make a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name for ourselves.”

Blessed John Paul I always delivered the Gospel with a smile

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE PHOTO/PAUL HARING

Celebrating holiness Pope Francis looks on as devotees of Pope John Paul I come forward to present relics during the beatification of the late pope in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Sept. 4. A portrait of John Paul hangs above Pope Francis.

Making space for Christ to teach

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program engages children in learning a love of God

By Emily Booker

“My teaching

There are lots of methods and theories about how to best teach a child, but when it comes to religious education, it’s important to remember the goal is not a perfect test score but a lifelong devotion to God.

In July, about a dozen catechists and teachers attended training at St. Mary School in Oak Ridge for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. The training for level two of the catechesis program prepared the catechists to present content and materials geared for grades 1-3.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a program of instruction focused on contemplation and developing a love for God. It presents doctrinal content in an interactive, age-appropriate way for children as young as 3 in a space called the atrium, which creates an environment for learning and prayer.

Some 17 parishes and several foundational schools in the Diocese of Knoxville use Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in their religious education. The diocesan Office of Christian Formation covers the cost of the program and training catechists.

Hope Johnson, an adult formation leader for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, led the intensive week of training in Oak Ridge.

“[Catechesis of the Good Shepherd] uses the Montessori principles of hands-on learning in a prepared environment,” Ms. Johnson said.

“The whole environment has been prepared with materials for the children’s use. I give the presentation to the child, and after she has the presentation, she can actually choose these materials from the shelf and work with them for as long as she wishes.”

She explained that children at this age do well in unstructured environments, where they explore at their own pace. They also benefit from tangible materials, being about to move around and use their hands to learn.

Even something as basic as watering the classroom plant instills coordination, concentration, and repetition, skills that can then be built upon as the child grows.

In level one, which is for ages 3 to 6, young children are introduced to the most basic concepts and gestures of the faith.

“The spontaneous prayer of the level-one child before the age of 6 is thanks and praise, so everything they do in the atrium, every time they gather as a group, is a celebration:

Making faith fun Above: Young students take part in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at St. Mary School in Oak Ridge. Below: Sister Anna Marie McGuan, RSM, and Hope Johnson, center, participate with instructors in teaching techniques for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at St. Mary School. Some 17 parishes and several foundational schools in the Diocese of Knoxville use Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in their religious education.

prepare celebrations.”

For example, a class may begin with a communal prayer. One child may pick the prayer, another may place the prayer card on the prayer table, another may light the electronic candle, another may place the Bible on the table; each child contributes to creating the prayerful environment.

“It’s incredible how natural it is for them,” Ms. Johnson said. “You’ll be amazed by the workings in their brains as they start to take leadership of their prayer time.”

Marilyn Derbyshire leads Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at St. John Neumann School in Farragut. She attended the level-two training.

“The first graders, they came [to the atrium] last year, and some of them the year before, as level one. This is their first year in level two, and that’s big for them because they get to come in the new section,” Ms. Derbyshire said.

“Even in level two, we use a lot of the shared materials [also used in level one]; we just use them at a deeper level. They are still using materials from last year, but in a new way.”

During the summer training, catechists familiarized themselves with atrium materials, content presentations, and how to introduce concepts to children and encourage their contemplation. They also studied doctrinal concepts and how to integrate them into the children’s atrium work in age-appropriate ways. Even the smallest action is done intentionally and prayerfully.

“We have a lot of different approaches to catechesis of children, but as soon as I started this position [as director of Christian Formation for the Diocese of Knoxville], I started hearing a whole lot about it,” Deacon Jim Bello said. He stopped by one day to observe the training at St. Mary School. He was impressed by how peaceful and intentional the method was.

“That’s when it hit me that this was something very, very different,” he said.

‘Thank you, Lord,’” Ms. Johnson said.

“They learn gestures. They learn the sign of the cross. They learn genuflection. They learn bowing. They’re at a sensitive period for language. We give them single words or simple phrases [on cards]. We give them language: ‘Amen,’ ‘alleluia,’ ‘hosanna,’ ‘thanks be to God.’”

By level two, children are ready

to go a bit deeper and take on more responsibility.

“Now the children’s prayer can start being intercessory prayer because they’re thinking of others. They can think of things beyond their own experience now,” Ms. Johnson explained.

“[Level two children] don’t want me to give; they want to take leadership. So, we start inviting them to

The atrium is the key to Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. It is a room designed specifically to create an environment of silence, calm, and interaction. The lights are kept low and talking is kept soft. The pace is slow; there are no deadlines or tests. The atrium is named after the entrance to a church where, in the early days of the Church, catechumens would enter, because it is here that the Church’s youngest Christians grow in their relationship to Christ.

“There is no teacher in these atriums, these beautiful, little rooms,” Deacon Bello said. “The only teacher

Afuneral

Mass was held on Sept. 20 at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Memphis for Father Richard Cortese, who was associate pastor of St. Mary Church in Jackson.

Father Cortese died Sept. 11 at age 66. He was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Memphis. Bishop David P. Talley of Memphis celebrated the funeral Mass, with Monsignor Victor Ciaramitaro serving as homilist.

Father Cortese was preceded in death by his parents, Anna Lee Slagle and Anthony J. Cortese. He is survived by brothers Angelo “Ted” Cortese (Kellie Griffith Cortese) of Memphis, William J. Cortese (Kathy Keller Cortese) of Knoxville, and Michael W. Cortese of Knoxville, nieces, nephews, and great nephews.

Father Cortese, who was born on Jan. 27, 1956, in Memphis, was a priest of 40 years. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1982. He also served as director of the Marian Movement of Priests.

Father Cortese was a frequent visitor to the Diocese of Knoxville, where he often celebrated and concelebrated Masses at churches such as Holy Ghost, where his brothers attend.

Memorial donations may be made to the Catholic Diocese of Memphis or the Marian Movement of Priests, P.O. Box 8, St. Francis, Maine

Aaron Short,

Catechesis

“I think we could all back up and realize that creating an environment where we can hear Christ is important—whether it’s in our own spiritual lives or with our families or the community. We don’t give Jesus enough credit: He can teach us. We just have to have an environment where we can observe and listen.”

— Deacon Jim Bello diocesan director of Christian Formation

Brian Salesky, Conductor

U.K. Catholics, Pope Francis pay tribute to queen

Elizabeth II laid to rest at Windsor Castle following state funeral attended by world leaders

By Simon Caldwell Catholic News Service and Katie Yoder Catholic News Agency

Catholics in the United Kingdom paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II following her death Sept. 8 and the end of a reign that lasted more than 70 years.

Pope Francis sent a telegram addressed "To His Majesty the King, Charles III," the queen's son who immediately ascended to the throne.

"I willingly join all who mourn her loss in praying for the late queen's eternal rest and in paying tribute to her life of unstinting service to the good of the nation and the Commonwealth, her example of devotion to duty, her steadfast witness of faith in Jesus Christ, and her firm hope in his promises," Pope Francis said.

The British sovereign died "peacefully" at Balmoral, the royal residence in Scotland, surrounded by members of her family. She was 96.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster Cathedral, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, paid tribute using many of the queen's own words.

"On 21 April 1947, on her 21st birthday, Princess Elizabeth said, 'I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service,'" Cardinal Nichols said. "Now, 75 years later, we are heartbroken in our loss at her death and so full of admiration for the unfailing way in which she fulfilled that declaration."

"Even in my sorrow, shared with so many around the world, I am filled with an immense sense of gratitude for the gift to the world that has been the life of Queen Elizabeth II," he said. "At this time, we pray for the repose of the soul of Her Majesty. We do so with confidence, because the Christian faith

marked every day of her life and activity."

The cardinal quoted Queen Elizabeth's Christmas message from 2000, in which she said the teachings of Christ and her own "personal accountability before God" gave her a framework of how to live, and that Christ's words and example offered her "great comfort in difficult times."

Cardinal Nichols said: "This faith, so often and so eloquently

proclaimed in her public messages, has been an inspiration to me, and I am sure to many. The wisdom, stability and service which she consistently embodied, often in circumstances of extreme difficulty, are a shining legacy and testament to her faith."

He also offered prayers "for His Majesty the King, as he assumes his new office, even as he mourns his mother. God save the king."

Bishop Hugh Gilbert, president

of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Scotland, praised Queen Elizabeth for her life of "outstanding and dedicated public service."

"Her determination to remain active to the end of her long life has been an example of Christian leadership, which demonstrated her great stoicism and commitment to duty and was undoubtedly a source of stability and continuity in times of great change," he said. "Scotland's Catholic bishops will remember her in our prayers and pray for all those who mourn her loss."

Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury said: "As we grieve together, we know that, in losing our beloved queen, we have lost the person whose steadfast loyalty, service, and humility has helped us make sense of who we are through decades of extraordinary change in our world, nation, and society."

Queen Elizabeth died 17 months after the death of her husband, Philip, who died in April 2021 at age 99. Her 73-year marriage to Philip was the longest of any British sovereign.

The United Kingdom entered a 10-day period of mourning following her funeral.

Elizabeth was born on April 26, 1926, to Prince Albert, Duke of York, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.

She acceded to the throne on Feb. 6, 1952, and during her coronation in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, Queen Elizabeth was open about her Christian faith.

"When I spoke to you last, at Christmas, I asked you all, whatever your religion, to pray for me on the day of my coronation to pray that God would give me wisdom and strength to carry out the promises that I should then be making," the queen said in her address.

"Throughout this memorable day, I have been uplifted and sustained by the knowledge that your thoughts and prayers were with me."

Seftons, who call diocese home, remember queen, king fondly

By Bill Brewer

To many British, if not most, Queen Elizabeth II was no enigma despite the barriers that can separate royalty from the public.

She was omnipresent in their lives, whether through official royal functions, frequent public appearances, her annual Christmas addresses, or the constant stream of news coverage that shadowed her during her unprecedented 70-year reign.

She was ushered in as the 62nd monarch of England and Britain in 1952 at the age of 25 following the untimely death of her father, King George VI, who was 56. And now with her death, at the age of 96, her son assumes the throne as England and Britain’s 63rd ruler, King Charles III.

Great Britain natives Alan and Sally Sefton were just young children when Elizabeth became queen. They never envisioned their path crossing Buckingham Palace, but it did—on more than one occasion.

The Seftons relocated to the United States in 1990 because of Mr. Sefton’s business interests. They lived in Palm Springs, Calif., for 10 years before moving to East Tennessee.

They received their U.S. citizenship in Los Angeles in 2000 and in 2012 joined the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Knoxville, where they were originally members of St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut. They currently attend the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Growing up in England, they attended the Anglican Church.

The Seftons, who are active in

the Church in East Tennessee and serve as Knight Commander and Dame Commander in the Order of St. Gregory the Great as well as Knight and Dame in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, have eight children: three who live in Great Britain and five who live in the United States. Their two youngest children attended St. John Neumann School as have two grandchildren..

Like much of the world, especially the United Kingdom, the Seftons are saddened by Queen Elizabeth’s death. She is the only British monarch they’ve known, although Mr. Sefton remembers from his childhood King George.

The Seftons also appreciate her reign and how she guided the monarchy through public and private tribulation.

They agree Queen Elizabeth II’s death is a major loss.

“She will be missed a lot. I think she’s done an amazing job,” Mr. Sefton said.

The Seftons thought it remarkable that the queen received prime minister Boris Johnson’s resignation and the next day (Sept. 6) she received Liz Truss as the new prime minister, and then two days later she died.

“She dedicated her life to serving the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth,” Mr. Sefton noted.

“She said she was going to, didn’t she? And he (King Charles III) said he’ll now do that,” Mrs. Sefton added.

The Seftons were taken with how Queen Elizabeth was thrust into public service at such an early age amid untimely grief. Mr. Sefton remarked how the queen has been

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Royal succession Britain's Queen Elizabeth

American Catholics Can Help End the Violence and Abuse of Human Trafficking

Sadly, human trafficking continues to thrive in the poorest parts of the world. That is because in impoverished communities, young people who are hungry, are isolated and fear for their future become easy prey for criminals who deceptively promise them a path to a better life.

Once a child is drawn into these lies, the trap is sprung and all pretense is dropped. At that point, the child becomes little more than a captive commodity to be sold on the streets for the pleasure of sexual predators. Sometimes, they are even sent thousands of miles away, making it almost impossible for them to reunite with their families.

“It’s a heartbreaking situation and one we in the Catholic Church need to address. Fortunately, there are missions we can support that have taken on that mission of mercy. One of the ministries involved in that work is the Laura Vicuna Foundation in the Philippines,” said James Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, one of the leading Catholic charities working to end poverty in the developing world. “The wonderful sister who leads their mission has developed an incredible outreach to protect and nurture young people who might be susceptible to the human trafficker’s lies.”

In addition to offering abused girls a safe home, educational opportunities and counseling services at the Foundation’s center, Sister Marivic also sends out a

mobile Child Protection Clinic to reach young people in the community with a program that

offers them love, support and hope. Cavnar continued, “The mobile clinic and Sr. Marivic’s team of roving support staff take a very proactive approach. They aren’t waiting for young people to come to them. They’re bringing a light into the darkness and helping children who may not otherwise have heard the gospel of hope understand their potential in the eyes of God. Their slogan for the program is ‘building a culture of protection for children’ and they are doing an incredible job.”

Because the Laura Vicuna Foundation operates on a meager budget, Cavnar is doing what he can to empower their ministries through Cross Catholic Outreach, and he says many American Catholics have stepped forward to support the work as well.

“I have been very encouraged to see so many American Catholics involved in this work of mercy — this effort to end the influence human traffickers have on vulnerable children,” he said. “They understand the terrible threat these sexual predators represent, and they want to do everything they can to protect the boys and girls at risk.”

For the dedicated religious sisters

running the Foundation, this help couldn’t be coming at a better time, according to Cavnar. Economic downturns increase the suffering of the poor and can push desperate parents and children to consider extreme measures.

“The Church must act now. We need to rise up and show these struggling families and children that there is hope — that there is a better way,” Cavnar said. “If we don’t, more innocent boys and girls will become the prey of these insidious human traffickers, and some will be lost forever to that depraved world of sin.”

Readers interested in supporting Cross Catholic Outreach’s many relief programs to help the poor can contribute through the ministry brochure inserted in this issue or send tax-deductible gifts to: Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC02231, PO Box 97168, Washington, DC 20090-7168. The ministry has a special need for partners willing to make gifts on a monthly basis. Use the inserted brochure to become a Mission Partner or write “Monthly Mission Partner” on mailed checks to be contacted about setting up those arrangements.

Unique Christmas Catalog Created To Bless Donors

If you are like most people, your mailbox has been choked with Christmas catalogs this year. In fact, their arrival has almost become a sign of the season, like the appearance of house lights and department store decorations.

This Advent and Christmas season, Cross Catholic Outreach intends to offer a catalog too — but theirs is a very different offering with a very different purpose. It has been designed to bless both givers and receivers by using the holiday gift-giving tradition to help the world’s poorest families.

— and the World’s Poor

Rather than offer gizmos, gadgets, neck ties and jewelry, the Cross Catholic Outreach Christmas Catalog is giving Catholics with a concern for the poor an opportunity to share the blessings in their lives with needy families by sponsoring practical and urgently needed items like medicines, milk powder, seeds for farming, access to safe water or materials for roof repairs. Of course, it also offers blessings for children, including toys and sports equipment, so individuals can choose to sponsor both practical items suitable for families and gifts

to bring children joy.

“Like most Christmas catalogs, ours offers lots of items so donors can choose to give something very specific. That said, they can also make a general gift to address the poor’s greatest needs,” explained James Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, the Catholic relief and development ministry offering this program. “When donors choose to give to greatest need, they provide us and the Catholic missions we serve with the freedom to address any urgent need. The priests and

religious sisters we support really appreciate that flexibility. It’s the best way to empower their work among the poor.”

This unique Christmas catalog is easy to access. Readers will find a link for it at the ministry’s website (CrossCatholic.org) or they can reach it by directly entering the web address: CrossCatholic.org/ Christmas.

“Our hope is that everyone will be blessed by the experience,” Cavnar said. “It’s a wonderful way for us to celebrate the birth of our merciful Lord!”

Visiting Sister Eloisa from Tacloban (far left) is shown the “Child Protection Clinic” by Sister Marivic, the managing director at the Laura Vicuna Foundation.

A child plays under a desolate bridge. Conditions like these eventually rob young people of hope, making them susceptible to traffickers who promise a better life.

By Addressing Poverty in Developing Countries, Catholics Reduce Risks Posed by Human Trafficking

While serving the poor in developing countries, the Catholic Church often encounters problems so horrific they are hard to discuss. Human trafficking is one of those issues. It is almost impossible for us to comprehend how an innocent boy or girl could be used by an evil person or criminal group to satisfy another’s sinful lusts.

Still, as hard as it is to accept, human trafficking is real, and since that is the case, the Church and faith-filled Catholics should be doing everything they can to end its terrible spread and to protect its vulnerable victims.

One of the Catholic ministries involved in that important work is Cross Catholic Outreach. Founded more than 20 years ago to support Church-based missions around the globe, Cross Catholic Outreach has made it a point to mobilize concerned Catholics in the U.S. to help end human trafficking and the threat it poses to young people, particularly children living in the world’s poorest communities. To achieve that goal, it begins with a focus on poverty relief.

“When you dig deeply into the root causes of human trafficking or prostitution in countries like Haiti, Guatemala or the Philippines, you discover that extreme poverty is often the reason those horrible practices exist and spread. Young girls and boys are hungry, vulnerable and hopeless, so when unscrupulous people approach them with promises of a better life, they can easily be led astray,” explained James Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach. “That is one of the reasons our ministry supports feeding centers, educational programs and missions that restore hope to young people. When children understand God loves them and has a plan for their lives, the human traffickers lose their power to lure them in, control them and corrupt them.”

The Church, Cavnar said, should be light in the darkness and work toward preventive solutions.

“The police and government agencies have a role too — to take on

the gangs and rescue children from dangerous situations — and they are properly trained and equipped to achieve those objectives. We pray for their safety and success, but as the Church, our focus should be on keeping children from ever entering that degrading world of sin. That is our role, and American Catholics can have a big impact by supporting that mission,” Cavnar said. “For example,

alternative pathways to self-worth and hope.

“The children blessed in this way start on a better and healthier journey through life. They feel valued and their self-confidence grows,” he said. “Once young people come to know God, the siren song of the traffickers loses its power. These boys and girls realize they can depend on the Church, the

greater Catholic community and each other. It doesn’t mean their lives become easy or that they don’t still face trials, but now they have a place to take their troubles and people to speak with who will help them overcome their challenges. These are the kinds of outreaches American Catholics should support if they want to end the influence of human traffickers.”

we and our donors do what we can to empower the Laura Vicuna Foundation in the Philippines. It offers hope to desperate and searching young people by reducing poverty in their communities and by offering educational and spiritual guidance to children.” (See related story on the opposite page.)

As Cavnar sees it, these ministries help break the power and control of human traffickers by offering

How To Help

To fund Cross Catholic Outreach’s effort to help the poor worldwide, use the postage-paid brochure inserted in this newspaper, or mail your gift to Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC02231, PO Box 97168, Washington, DC 20090-7168. The brochure also includes instructions on becoming a Mission Partner

this

Poverty in some areas of the Philippines is so severe that families there resort to living under bridges in communities of tiny homes. In the photo below, a young boy has entered one of the tiny crawl spaces in a warren of shanties. Poverty on this extreme scale breeds hopelessness in children, making them more susceptible to the lure of sex traffickers.

Ladies of Charity hosts national assembly

Members of USA organization gather for first time in Diocese of Knoxville

The world is trying to return to normal from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Ladies of Charity USA organization is no different.

It has been three years since the Ladies of Charity USA held its national assembly, but the Catholic social services agency persevered by gathering in Knoxville Aug. 25-28 to mark the past, celebrate the present, and plan for the future.

It was the first time the Ladies of Charity in the Diocese of Knoxville has hosted the national assembly.

The assembly featured a number of speakers, including four from within the Diocese of Knoxville who shared their unique stories of helping those in need through the support of Ladies of Charity.

The speakers were Father Patrick J. Griffin, CM, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native who was ordained a Vincentian priest in 1979.

He served as the econome general of the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians) from 1993-99, and from 2010-14 he ministered in Paris as the director general of the Daughters of Charity.

He is now the executive director of the Vincentian Center for Church and Society at St. John's University.

Sandy Figueroa, who is active in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, and is an associate member of the Sisters of Charity of New York, addressed the group.

She is a member of the VinFam North American Social Justice Committee as well as president and spiritual adviser of the St. Boniface Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

They were joined by Charles Levesque, who works as president and executive director of Depaul USA, which offers homeless and disadvantaged people the opportunity to fulfill their potential and move toward an independent and positive future.

The Ladies of Charity heard from a quintet of Knoxville speakers who have had success in working with the people of Knoxville who also are served by the Ladies of Charity.

Father Ragan Schriver, a priest of the Diocese of Knoxville who currently serves as an associate professor of practice in the University of Tennessee College of Social Work, gave an academic approach to the practice of social work.

Father Schriver formerly was executive director of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee and continues to serve as the special assistant to the president of Catholic Charities USA.

Derrick Furlow Jr. spoke to national assembly attendees about how he used sports to improve his life growing up and how he shifted his perspective from being a player to helping those who currently and formerly played sports.

Mr. Furlow, a University of Tennessee graduate, is a motivational speaker who travels around the country sharing his story and influencing others to persevere in the face of adversity.

Chester Pun-chuen, who is active in the Diocese of Knoxville and works with organizations like Unity in Diversity, the Knights of Columbus, and Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish, delivered inspirational remarks about working with the Ladies of Charity to start an English Language Learners program.

Mr. Pun-chuen serves as program director of Access Cultural Diversity, which promotes English Language Learner programs.

The Ladies of Charity also heard from Dr. Bruce Spangler, a Methodist minister who is chief executive officer of Volunteer Ministry Center in Knoxville, which serves the homeless.

The nonprofit Volunteer Ministry Center has worked with Knoxville's homeless community since its founding in 1987 by downtown Knoxville churches.

Volunteer Ministry Center's mission is to end and prevent homelessness.

By Bill Brewer

Scenes from a national convention

of Charity USA brought more than 100 members to the Diocese of Knoxville in August for its 2022 national assembly. Top left: Ladies of Charity gather at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Knoxville for a dinner meeting. Bottom left: members of Ladies of Charity USA tour the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Photos at right: Knoxville Ladies of Charity executive director Susan Unbehaun, center, is joined by Ladies of Charity sisters at an assembly meeting. Ladies of Charity USA members gather on the front steps of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus for a group photo. Members are transported via bus to one of many Knoxville-area locations the Ladies of Charity USA visited during their national assembly Aug. 25-28. Members share a lighthearted moment during a national assembly meeting at the Crowne Plaza.

National Assembly festivities took place at the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Knoxville with neighboring Immaculate Conception serving as the host parish. The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was the site of the closing Mass for the national assembly, with Bishop Richard F. Stika serving as the celebrant.

Peggy Keene, president of the Ladies of Charity USA, reported that more than 110 people representing 19 states attended the assembly.

"This assembly was significant in that it was the first time we have all met face to face in three years. It is good for our members to meet those from across the United States to remind us that we are a nationwide association and also world wide,"

Ms. Keene said.

"Ladies of Charity is the oldest Catholic lay association, founded in 1617 and in business ever since," she added.

Ms. Keene said she and the attendees found the assembly to be spiritually uplifting as well professionally fulfilling.

"Our Vincentian spirituality was reinforced by morning rosary, opening Mass, prayer services, closing Mass, and just by being together and sharing our gifts with each other," she said.

She noted that attendees had definite takeaways from the gathering.

"That the Ladies of Charity are still alive, well, and ready to move ahead. Being able to see each other face to face was the best. It was good to see old friends and make new ones. The women from Knoxville did a fabulous job in organizing; the hotel and staff, and the food were the best. The Knoxville community was very welcoming," she observed

She pointed out that the national assembly's opening Mass was celebrated at Immaculate Conception by Father Richard Gielow, CM, with Father Tim Sullivan, CSP, associate pastor at Immaculate Conception, concelebrating.

"Whenever we are together to celebrate the Eucharist it is always special. This is our main focus whenever the ladies attend Mass together. The cathedral was beautiful; Bishop Stika was most warm and welcoming and an added joy to our

celebration," she said. "Our ladies loved meeting with Father Sullivan for the rosary on Friday and Saturday mornings."

Susan Unbehaun, executive director of the Ladies of Charity in Knoxville, organized the national

assembly with her staff and team of volunteers.

The Knoxville organization was founded in 1942 to serve the unemployed and underemployed from its service facility and thrift store at 120 W. Baxter Ave. ■

STEPHANIE RICHER

What season are you in? The winds of change are constant, but faith supports us through ups and downs

By Claire Collins

It was 4 a.m. I sat in my rocking chair holding my sleeping baby, using all my strength to keep myself awake.

You may be asking, “Why were you up at 4 a.m. holding your baby? Put them down and go to sleep!”

But if you’ve been a parent, you know full well that as soon as physical contact is removed, babies wake right up screaming at the top of their lungs.

Until, of course, you hold them again, in which case they fall fast asleep.

“It’s just a season,” I told myself as I continued to convince my eyes to stay open.

Of course, this phase doesn’t last forever. After a couple of months (sometimes with lots of crying) those babies learn to sleep and you are, once again, able to sleep somewhat normal hours throughout the night. This, like many other chapters in our lives, has an expiration date.

I can remember being a kid and experiencing the various seasons throughout the year with a limited understanding of their short-lived lifespans.

I held tight to summer with deep desperation, as if it would never come again. I impatiently counted down to Christmas, in awe of the feeling of nostalgia and wonder that always accompanied it. I looked forward to the warmth of spring and the changing leaves of autumn, barely remembering what they felt like.

The shortness of the seasons, in every ebb and flow, was lost on me.

So, when the phrase “it’s just a season” started becoming more present in my mind and heart, it granted me a perspective shift that brought about a new hope and a new freedom.

I first heard this phrase in my Protestant circles of friends in college. They would describe themselves as being in a “season” of hope, waiting, hard work, or whatever else was currently defining their experience.

As I was trying to figure out who I was, what I wanted, and where I was going, I wish I would have known to hold this phrase closer.

The suffering of harder times, the confusion in the times when things were unknown, sometimes felt like they wouldn’t end. The joys of happy seasons were fleeting and seemed to go by too quickly.

But time has a way of showing you the downs of life always have some sort of ups that sooner or later follow, and that the ups don’t usually last forever but are meant to be cherished.

This phrase made its resurgence in my life throughout my time as a missionary but became commonplace in my motherhood.

Whether it has been sleepless nights, arms constantly full of 20 pounds of rolls and cheeks, a child who puts everything in their mouth, or defiant whining, each season so far has been trying in its own right, had its benefits and drawbacks, and has eventually come to an end, giving way to a new set of goodness and

challenge.

Unlike many cliches, I have found great freedom in this phrase. The understanding that life tends to happen in these “seasons” has given me a greater hope and trust in God and His plans for my life. I have seen Him bring me out of pits I thought had no escape.

I have seen Him take away something I thought was permanent, but never left me abandoned or empty.

I have seen Him leave prayers seemingly unanswered as I waited in times when the answer wasn’t clear.

But as I look back on those seasons, I see them mostly fulfilled, answered, and completed, though rarely in the ways I expected them to be. And those seasons that are still ongoing have led to growth, trust, and better gifts than I could have imagined.

I don’t think I’m alone in my love of this phrase.

The Church, in her great wisdom, also divides her own experience of the year into seasons. The ebb and flow of the liturgical year brings hope, perspective, gratitude, penance, and growth, not unlike our own lives.

The seasons of joy, like Easter and Christmas, are meant to be lived with feasting and celebration. The seasons of penance, like Advent and Lent, are meant to be challenging and, when embraced, bring about great growth. Ordinary time gives us the space to be, to grow, and to plant deep roots with the Lord.

We also see this seasonal theme in the book of Ecclesiastes, a collection of wisdom that ultimately invites us to trust totally in whatever God wills. I won’t copy it here but take a moment to read Ecclesiastes 3:1-15.

To sum it up, there is a time for everything, and God does not reveal what He has appointed for us ahead of time. He invites us to trust that, in it all, He is good and we can and should receive whatever He has to give us.

While this seems (and

most definitely is) challenging, we can see the beauty of the invitation shining through the challenge. We are invited, ultimately, to TRUST in God’s goodness, to BELIEVE that He loves us unconditionally, and to RECEIVE whatever it is He wills for our lives.

Our lives are not in our control but are meant to be lived for and from God in His wisdom and guidance.

What this means is that whatever season we find ourselves in, we can be asking God and ourselves some deeper questions. Lord, what are you showing me this season? How are you calling me to grow or change? What are you asking me to let go of, adopt, or embrace? What have I learned that I can remember the next time I find myself in this season?

I have to pause as I reflect knowing that some sufferings, some people’s long-standing seasons, are horrible and seemingly unimaginable to me.

I truly can’t comprehend some of the evil that exists, and I have little to say about it other than God’s goodness is truly a mystery.

I will say, however, that in my own exposure to some of the world’s suffering (take, for example, the poorest of the poor in Calcutta), I still have seen joy and redemption. I wish that all of the sufferings that exist had a clear purpose that I could comprehend.

They do not.

So, in the face of that reality, I do what I can and I hope in the eternal goodness of heaven.

At this time, we have entered into a new season. The first hints of fall have already revealed themselves. The bustle of the school year has brought about a new busyness that most of us have probably settled into.

I’m sure many are experiencing the greatest variety of seasons in their own hearts. No matter where you find yourself, be there with God. Bring Him into your current season and let Him order it, shape it, give purpose to it. Trust that He intends to draw meaning out of wherever He has you.

God wants to give you good gifts today. He is good, He loves you, and He wants your ultimate joy.

Wherever you may be, you likely won’t be there forever. So, whatever season you are in, you can trust that God has allowed it and that He is with you in it. ■

Claire Collins, shown with her husband, Andrew, and sons Joe and Frank, is a freelance writer whose columns appear in Radiant Magazine. The Collinses live in Chattanooga.

Pope to young leaders: Help the poor and planet

By Cincy Wooden Catholic News Service

Acknowledging how young people have been given a world marked by inequality, injustice, war, and environmental degradation, Pope Francis urged those looking for solutions to be concrete, to involve the poor, to care for the Earth and to create jobs.

“Our generation has left you with a rich heritage, but we have not known how to protect the planet and are not securing peace,” Pope Francis told some 1,000 young adult economists, entrepreneurs, financial advisers, students, scholars, and scientists from 120 countries at the closing session of the Economy of Francesco event in Assisi.

The gathering Sept. 22-24 origi nally was planned for March 2020 but was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the young people spent more than two years working online with older experts, studying agriculture and employment, peace and ecology, and finance and development in the search for ways to make the econo my better for more people and for the environment.

The project is named in honor of

Sistine Chapel to vote tranquilly. Never could I have imagined what was about to happen!"

It wasn't just the everyday Catho lic who was touched by his familiar ity, gentleness, and deep love for God and his Gospel.

His priests, family members, fel low bishops, and cardinals were all similarly struck, especially by his ability to be kind and firm and de manding, as evidenced in another new book, Il Postino di Dio (God's Mailman), illustrating the way he saw himself as a "carrier" of God's word to the faithful.

This book collects the testimonies of several cardinals, including re tired Pope Benedict XVI, who was one of the 111 cardinals who elected Italian Cardinal Albino Luciani as Pope John Paul I.

"Personally, I am totally convinced that he was a saint, because of his great goodness, simplicity, human ity, and courage," then-Cardinal Jo seph Ratzinger said in an interview in 2003.

"Let us treasure his example, com mitting ourselves to cultivating the same kind of humility that made him able to speak to everyone," Pope Benedict said at his Angelus Sept. 28, 2008, the 30th anniversary of his predecessor's death.

Beatifying him in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis said, "Let us pray to him, our father and our brother, and ask him to obtain for us 'the smile of the soul'" that is "trans parent, that does not deceive."

"Let us pray, in his own words, 'Lord take me as I am, with my defects, with my shortcomings, but make me become what you want me to be,'" the Holy Father continued.

Pope Francis praised the late pope for showing the world God's good ness and for living the Gospel with out compromise. "Our new blessed lived that way: in the joy of the Gos pel, without compromises, loving to the very end," the pope said.

"He embodied the poverty of the disciple, which is not only detach ment from material goods, but also victory over the temptation to put oneself at the center, to seek one's own glory" as he followed the ex ample of Jesus and was "a meek and humble pastor," he said.

The Mass was attended by an es timated 25,000 people. Among those attending from the Diocese of Knox ville were Bishop Richard F. Stika, Cardinal Justin Rigali, Deacon Hicks Armor, and Deacon Fredy Vargas and his wife, Blanca.

"With a smile, Pope John Paul managed to communicate the good ness of the Lord. How beautiful is a Church with a happy, serene, and smiling face, a Church that never closes doors, never hardens hearts,

St. Francis of Assisi, known for his love of the poor and of creation, and has been supported by the Dicast ery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

At the end of the meeting, par ticipants gave Pope Francis a pact, promising to work for “an economy of peace and not of war; an economy that counteracts the proliferation of weapons, especially the most

destructive ones; an economy that cares for creation and does not plun der it; an economy at the service of the person, the family and life, respectful of every woman, man, child, the elderly, and especially the frail and vulnerable.”

The pope encouraged the young people also to dedicate themselves to preserving and increasing their “spiritual capital,” the faith and val

ues that will give meaning to their studies, their work, and, especially, to their lives.

After all, he said, “human beings, created in the image and likeness of God, are seekers of meaning before being seekers of material goods,” but the modern world is losing sight of “this essential kind of capital, accumulated over centuries by reli gions, wise traditions, and popular piety.”

Inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, he said, a new economic model must be “an economy of friendship with the earth and an economy of peace. It is a question of transform ing an economy that kills into an economy of life, in all its aspects.”

Love for the poor and for the Earth must go hand in hand, he said. But it will require sacrifice and radical change.

“The Earth is burning today,” he said. “If we speak of ecological tran sition but remain in the economic paradigm of the 20th century, which plundered the earth and its natural resources, then the strategies we adopt will always be insufficient.”

“We human beings, in these last two centuries, have grown at the expense of the Earth. We have often

success.

Christians should examine the reasons they follow the Lord, he said, and make sure they are not seeking the satisfaction of their own needs; personal prestige; social status or control; power and privilege; recog nition and so on.

Christians are called to love, "to be purified of our distorted ideas of God and of our self-absorption, and to love God and others, in the Church and society, including those who do not think the way we do, to love even our enemies," he said.

Christians must "love even at the cost of sacrifice, silence, misunder standing, solitude, resistance, and persecution," he said. Because, as Blessed John Paul said, "if you want to kiss Jesus crucified, 'you cannot help bending over the cross and letting yourself be pricked by a few thorns of the crown on the Lord's head.'"

Among the family members and devotees who carried candles to place before the relic was Sister Margherita Marin, a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Child Mary, who assisted in the pa pal apartments and was one of the Sisters who found the deceased pope on Sept. 28, 1978.

Candela Giarda, the young Ar gentine woman whose miracle cleared the path for Blessed John Paul's beatification, was unable to come to Rome because of a fractured foot from playing sports. She was 11 years old when she developed a severe case of acute encephalitis, experienced uncontrollable and lifethreatening brain seizures, and even tually entered septic shock.

never complains or harbors resent ment, does not grow angry or impa tient, does not look dour, or suffer nostalgia for the past," the pope said.

During the beatification ceremony, which took place at the beginning of the Mass, an image of the new blessed was unveiled on a huge tap estry affixed to the facade of the basil ica. The image was a reproduction of an oil painting, "The Smiling Pope," created by Zhang Yan, a Chinese art ist whose work combines Eastern and Western painting techniques.

The relic, carried by Lina Petri, the niece of the late pope, was a piece of paper, yellowed with age, upon which the pope had written an outline for a spiritual reflection on the three theological virtues faith, hope, and charity the themes of three of his only four audience talks.

The materials for the reliquary, a sculpted wooden cross on top of a smooth stone, were taken from where Blessed John Paul was born and grew up in northern Italy.

In his homily, Pope Francis con nected the day's Gospel reading to the humble and Christ-centered way Blessed John Paul lived his life and

to how Christians today are called to live their lives.

The pope said Jesus attracted large crowds with his teachings, but he did not exploit this popularity the way some teachers or leaders do when they see people look to them as a source of hope for the future.

"The same thing happens today, especially at times of personal or so cietal crisis, when we are especially prey to feelings of anger, or we fear things that threaten our future. We become more susceptible and thus, on this wave of emotion, we look to those, who with skill and cunning, take advantage of the situation, prof iting from society's fears and promis ing to be the 'savior' who can solve all its problems, whereas in reality they are looking for wider approval and for greater power," Pope Francis said.

God, he said, "does not exploit our needs or use our vulnerability for his own aggrandizement. He does not want to seduce us with deceptive promises or to distribute cheap favors; he is not interested in huge crowds. He is not obsessed with numbers; he does not seek ap proval; he does not idolize personal

After doctors told family members her death was "imminent," Father Juan José Dabusti, who attended the beatification ceremony, encouraged the family, nurses, and others to pray to the late pope for his intercession. In 2011, a panel of experts studying the cause determined there was no scien tific explanation for her complete re covery and that it could be attributed to the late pope's intercession.

Blessed John Paul served only 33 days as pontiff and died just three weeks shy of his 66th birthday, shocking the world and a Church that had just mourned the death of St. Paul VI.

Although his was one of the short est papacies in history, Blessed John Paul left a lasting impression on the Church that fondly remembers him as "the smiling pope." In his Angelus address after the Mass, Pope Francis asked everyone to pray to Our Lady, "that she may obtain the gift of peace throughout the world, especially in the martyred Ukraine."

"May she, the first and perfect dis ciple of the Lord, help us to follow the example and holiness of life of John Paul I," he said ■

Holy Father presides at Economy of Francesco event in Assisi, Italy, for world professionals

Eliciting a reaction Pope Francis reacts as he leads a meeting in Assisi, Italy, on Sept. 24 with young economists, entrepreneurs, financial advisers, scholars, and scientists who have been working for two years on the Economy of Fran cesco project

Papal audience Above: Pope Francis greets Bishop Richard F. Stika at the Vatican in September. Bishop Stika and Cardinal Justin Rigali were in Rome to attend the beatification of Pope John Paul I. Below: Pope Francis and Cardinal Rigali engage in a conversation among friends during a papal audience.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF VATICAN PRESS OFFICE

St. Anne Parish in the middle of abortion debate

By Casey Keeley

After the June Supreme Court ruling reversing Roe v. Wade that now allows states to make their own decisions on abortion, Tennessee immediately sprang into action to protect the lives of the unborn.

Gov. Bill Lee has been an advocate for the unborn and signed into statute Tennessee’s “trigger” law, the Human Protection Act, which makes it illegal to perform an abortion in the state except in extenuating cases where the life of the mother is at risk.

Virginia, on the other hand, still is considered a “safe-state” for women seeking abortions, allowing abortions in most cases through the second trimester, and the Bristol Regional Women’s Center is already planning to take advantage of Virginia’s status.

“The Bristol clinic served a fairly large area,” said Angie Bush, who is representing St. Anne Catholic Parish in Bristol, Va., during the Bristol 40 Days for Life campaign. “The next closest clinics that serve the eastern Tennessee region are in Roanoke, Va., and Asheville, N.C.”

The Bristol, Tenn., center has been the only provider of chemical and surgical abortions in the Tri-Cities since its founding more than 40 years ago. Underneath the “services” tab of its website is a list of procedures it performs as well as a list of criteria that patients must meet for a coupon that

awards them a $25 discount on their abortions.

In the wake of the landmark Supreme Court decision and as Tennessee’s trigger law was set to take effect on Aug. 25, the Bristol Women's Health center opened nearby in late July, just across the state line in Virginia, where it performs chemical and surgical abortions.

An employee of the original clinic started an online fundraiser that raised more than $100,000 to cover expenses with the new Bristol Women’s Health facility.

“The problem is that these women facing an unplanned

pregnancy feel very alone and isolated,” said Dr. Jacquelyn Early, an emergency medical doctor who is participating with Ms. Bush in 40 Days for Life. “They don't realize that there are people who care about them, and they think that the decisions they make do not affect other people when they really do. Every person praying for these women also cares about them and the choices they make.”

Behind the operations of the clinics on both sides of Bristol is Diane Derzis, who has owned several abortion facilities across the southern United States, including the Jackson Women’s Health facil-

ity clinic in Jackson, Mississippi. This is the clinic behind the U.S. Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization , which led to the decision that abortion is not a constitutional right.

Additionally, Ms. Derzis has operated clinics in Columbus, Ga., Richmond Va., and Birmingham, Ala., where she has lived. After closing the center in Mississippi, she planned to open another one across the country in New Mexico.

There are resources and facilities available in the Tri-Cities aimed at helping women of all ages facing unplanned pregnancies, which include Catholic Charities of East Tennessee’s Pregnancy Help Center at 1409 W. Market St. in Johnson City and Hope House Center for Women at 1567 N. Eastman Road in Kingsport. Some of the services they offer include post-abortion support and counseling, free pregnancy testing, and ultrasounds.

“It's through the Holy Spirit that hearts change,” Ms. Bush said.

“The other side is going to be direct and angry; they are already educating our young people with the false narrative that abortion is good. It is up to us to learn to be more direct and not worry about hurting other people's feelings for the sake of truth.”

EWTN's Prayer to End Abortion can be accessed at https://www. ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/ prayer-to-end-abortions-367 ■

Is abortion ever OK for Catholics? Questions answered

By Katie Yoder Catholic News Agency

The Catholic Church teaches that human life is sacred and must be respected and protected from the moment of conception.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade , which legalized abortion nationwide in 1973, Catholics—and pro-life Americans in general—are facing new questions about abortion in certain situations, such as the story of a 10-year-old rape victim who traveled from Ohio to Indiana to obtain one.

Here is the Catholic Church’s teaching on abortion.

May a Catholic woman ever get an abortion?

Abortion is “never permitted,” according to the “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services,” published by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

The U.S. bishops go on to defi ne abortion as the “directly intended termination of pregnancy before viability or the directly intended destruction of a viable fetus.”

In other words, the Catholic Church forbids any action that has, as its sole and direct purpose, the ending of human life in the womb. Abortion is prohibited regardless of whether an unborn baby is viable—or can survive outside the womb.

Instead, the bishops say, the unborn should be protected from the moment of conception.

“Every procedure whose sole immediate effect is the termination of pregnancy before viability is an abortion, which, in its moral context, includes the interval between conception and implantation of the embryo,” they add.

What about abortion for 10-year-old rape victims?

Catholics should embrace life— not the destruction of it— even in the most diffi cult situations, Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, the director of education and staff ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center, told Catholic News Agency.

The center, located in Broomall, Pa., is dedicated to upholding the dignity of the human person in health care and biomedical

research.

“Encouraging a direct abortion never offers an authentic solution for a young woman facing a crisis,” Father Pacholczyk explained. “When a 10-year-old girl becomes pregnant from rape, responding to her trauma by offering a second trauma makes no sense.”

“It exacerbates the original act of violence with yet more violence,” he said of abortion. “It plays off of the emotional vulnerability we all feel whenever tragedy strikes home.”

Father Pacholczyk pointed to a different solution for a victim facing a situation like this: love and support.

“What a young woman needs in such a situation is the support of family and friends, along with the reassurance that ‘we can get through this together,’” he said. “What she really needs is the love, hope, and compassion that buoys up anyone facing uncertainty about her own future.”

Support, he said, can make all the difference.

“Young women who have had to walk this hard road, when supported generously by their families and friends, will often look back on what happened and express their relief that they were not offered the chance to destroy their own child following a sexual assault,” he said.

He referenced the recent story of Kathy Barnette, who unsuccessfully ran as a Republican Senate candidate in Pennsylvania in 2022. Ms. Barnette was conceived in rape when her mother, Mamie Jo, was just 11 years old. Mamie Jo chose life.

Father Pacholczyk emphasized that the child in the womb is innocent.

“By promoting abortion following a rape, we also take aim at the wrong target,” he said. “The child in the womb did not perpetrate the sexual assault, and should not be treated as if he or she did so.”

“Rather than targeting an innocent bystander, we should target the man who carried out the assault,” he concluded. “If efforts are not made to identify and apprehend the offender, who sometimes may be a family member or relative, an abortion may end up paving the way for the per-

petrator to ‘cover his tracks’ and continue abusing a minor who should instead be provided with safety and protection from further abuse.”

What about ectopic pregnancies and cases where a woman’s life is at risk?

A Catholic woman is allowed to

undergo life-saving treatment— even if it means that her unborn baby will die indirectly as a result of that treatment, according to the U.S. bishops’ directives. The intention and action, here, is to save the mother’s life. It is not to end her baby’s life through abortion,

Making a difference Angie Bush, left, and Dr. Jacquelyn Early, representing St. Anne Parish, take part in the 40 Days for Life campaign in Bristol.

CASEY KEELEY

Amid outcry, FBI disputes account of raid on Catholic family Agents arrest pro-life father in front of children for incident a judge dismissed in 2021

By Joe Bukuras Catholic News Agency

ily’s home in Kintnersville in Bucks County, Pa.

The

FBI is disputing published accounts of a “SWAT” raid on a pro-life Catholic family’s home in Pennsylvania in September.

The alleged circumstances of the Sept. 23 arrest of Mark Houck, a 48-year-old father of seven, have led to a public outcry about what many view as an unnecessarily aggressive show of force.

Mr. Houck’s wife, Ryan-Marie Houck, told Catholic News Agency that a large contingent of federal law enforcement officials arrived early that morning outside the fam

or “the directly intended termina tion of pregnancy.”

“Operations, treatments, and medications that have as their direct purpose the cure of a pro portionately serious pathological condition of a pregnant woman are permitted when they cannot be safely postponed until the unborn child is viable, even if they will result in the death of the unborn child,” the directives read.

The bishops also address ec topic, or extrauterine, pregnancies that are life-threatening for the mother.

“In case of extrauterine pregnan cy, no intervention is morally licit which constitutes a direct abor tion,” the directives say.

Instead, for ectopic pregnancies, Catholic medical experts agree that women can undergo a partial salpingectomy, which is the re moval of a portion of the fallopian

Pope continued from page A10

plundered to increase our own wellbeing, and not even the well-being of all,” Pope Francis told the young people. “Now is the time for new courage in abandoning fossil fuels to accelerate the development of zeroor positive-impact sources of energy.”

When the pope arrived at the gathering, young adults from Italy, Benin, Argentina, Thailand, Kenya, Afghanistan, and Poland shared their stories and projects — from cre ating farms and educating farmers in regenerative agriculture to creating

“A SWAT team of about 25 came to my house, with about 15 vehicles, and started pounding on our door,” she said.

“They said they were going to break in if he didn’t open it. And then they had about five guns pointed at my husband, myself, and basically at my kids,” she added.

On Sept. 26, the FBI disputed her account.

“There are inaccurate claims being made regarding the arrest of Mark Houck,” the FBI’s Philadelphia of fice said in a statement.

“No SWAT Team or SWAT op

tube where the unborn baby is lo cated, the National Catholic Register reports.

The intent and the direct action is to remove damaged tissue, not to end an unborn baby’s life.

According to the American As sociation of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “Continuation of such a pregnancy cannot result in the survival of a baby.”

In other situations, the directives state that labor may be induced for a “proportionate reason” after the unborn baby is viable.

Can Catholic hospitals provide abortion?

The bishops’ directives stress that Catholic health-care institu tions are not to provide, or in any way help provide, abortion procedures.

However, the bishops add, Catholic health-care workers should provide help and comfort to women suffering after abortion.

“Catholic health-care providers

small businesses or rallying other young people to convince companies to stop producing single-use plastic bottles and bags.

Andrea, a young Italian in jail for murder but given permission to at tend the Assisi event, spoke about his digital marketing work through a prison-based cooperative, which pro vides remote workers for companies as well as a workshop for repairing espresso machines for coffee bars.

“I am not an economist, but it seems quite logical to me to think that prison, in order to be a good

erators were involved. FBI agents knocked on Mr. Houck’s front door, identified themselves as FBI agents, and asked him to exit the residence. He did so and was taken into cus tody without incident pursuant to an indictment,” the statement continued.

An FBI spokesman declined to answer CNA’s questions about the number of law enforcement person nel at the scene and whether any drew their weapons and pointed them at the family.

“Extensive planning takes place prior to the service of any federal warrant. The FBI then employs the personnel and tactics deemed neces

should be ready to offer compas sionate physical, psychological, moral, and spiritual care to those persons who have suffered from the trauma of abortion,” the direc tives read.

Father Pacholczyk concluded: “Catholic health care always re spects the equal dignity of the mother and child, and acknowl edges that every pregnancy in volves at least two individuals, two patients, with the explicit aim of providing outstanding medical care, as much as possible, to both.”

What does the Catholic cat echism say about abortion?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church , which summarizes Church teaching, recognizes the intrinsic dignity and worth of the unborn.

“Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception,” the Catechism reads. “From the first moment of his existence, a human

investment for society, must achieve concrete results, and these are basi cally two: security and zero recidi vism,” Andrea said. “People coming out of prison must be changed and transformed from a ‘cost item’ to a ‘resource’ for society.”

Concluding his speech with a prayer, Pope Francis asked God to forgive the older generation “for hav ing damaged the Earth, for not hav ing respected Indigenous cultures, for not having valued and loved the poorest of the poor, for having cre ated wealth without communion.”

sary to effect a safe arrest or search,” the statement said.

“While it’s the FBI’s standard practice not to discuss such opera tional specifics, we can say that the number of personnel and vehicles widely reported as being on scene Friday is an overstatement, and the tactics used by FBI personnel were professional, in line with standard practices, and intended to ensure the safety of everyone present in and outside the residence,” the state ment concluded.

Brian Middleton, who has acted as the Houck family’s spokesperson, responded to the FBI’s statement.

Raid continued on page A18

being must be recognized as hav ing the rights of a person—among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.”

The Church considers abortion a “crime against human life” and obtaining an abortion—or help ing someone else obtain an abor tion—are grounds for automatic excommunication.

“Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law,” the Catechism says.

At the same time, the Catholic Church offers forgiveness and mercy for those involved with abortion.

“The Church does not thereby in tend to restrict the scope of mercy,” the Catechism reads, but instead “makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the par ents and the whole of society. ■

He prayed that the Holy Spirit would continue to inspire the young people and that God would “bless them in their undertakings, studies, and dreams.”

“Support their longing for the good and for life, lift them up when facing disappointments due to bad examples, do not let them become discouraged but instead may they continue on their path,” the pope prayed. “You, whose only begotten Son became a carpenter, grant them the joy of transforming the world with love, ingenuity, and hands.” ■

Catechesis

in these rooms is Christ. … The goal of the adult, the catechist, is mainly to create an environment and sustain an environment that is conducive for Christ to be heard in the hearts of these children. There’s something as tounding about that.

“That environment is so important in those atriums. These kids are really transforming their little Christian lives. The adults are recognizing what gifts these children have and encouraging these children to continue to listen to how God speaks to them. It allows God to take them through salvation history in His Word. It allows the children to know that the sacraments are a visitation from Jesus Himself. So, they’re developing this relationship instead of memorizing things.”

An example of this is how children learn about the Mass and the liturgy.

Every atrium has materials where children can lay out a model altar for Mass, with altar cloths, a crucifix, and crevets. They learn why certain prayers and gestures are used, and that is reinforced as they physically use the materials.

Ms. Derbyshire believes the model altar is one of the most popular mate rials for her students.

“They all love the model altar. They prepare everything and get it set up just like Mass.”

Several of the presentations and ges tures reflect what the children witness at Mass and allow them to contem plate and interact with the liturgy.

There are also wooden models of scenes of the life of Christ and his parables, a timeline of Bible history, a map of Israel in the time of Christ, and models of priestly vestments. After receiving a presentation on a material

and being taught its meaning, children are free to choose that material during their time in atrium to tangibly inter act with it, recall the presentation, and contemplate Christ.

“I tell them we don’t rush in the atrium. We just take our time,” Ms. Derbyshire said. “It just gives them the prayerful atmosphere with the lights and the soft talking. It’s a very peace ful place.”

“The goal is to foster a deeper spirit uality, relationship with Christ, and an understanding of His Church, and a profound religiosity that will not only live in their hearts but allow them to bring it into their communities,” Dea con Bello said.

He said that several parishes have shown interest in starting Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, however find ing the physical space for an atrium and catechists who can make the time

commitment to go through training can be challenging. He is currently looking into how to get a new levelone training session set up in the diocese.

Parishes interested in implementing Catechesis of the Good Shepherd or training can contact Deacon Bello at jbello@dioknox.org

For Deacon Bello, a method of cat echesis like Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and its focus on contempla tion and developing a love of Christ benefits Catholics of any age.

“I think we could all back up and realize that creating an environment where we can hear Christ is impor tant—whether it’s in our own spir itual lives or with our families or the community,” he said. “We don’t give Jesus enough credit: He can teach us. We just have to have an environment where we can observe and listen.”

Teaching the teachers Left: Catechesis of the Good Shepherd instructors at St. Mary School in Oak Ridge review catechetical materials, including a faith-based diorama, to be used in teaching children. Right: Marilyn Derbyshire instructs children in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at St. John Neumann School in Farragut.

EMILY BOOKER

parish and the school,” Father Tor res said. “They really love OLPH. This is their passion and that makes me passionate about it, too.”

More than eight decades after the establishment of the parish and school, which has seen numerous additions to its campus footprint over the decades, current members of the community gathered on Aug. 26 for an anniversary week end kickoff celebration.

The event was an open-invita tion festival that attracted OLPH school parents, potential parents, parishioners, alumni, former teach ers, and staff. School tours were conducted. The outdoor event included a band performance. An estimated 250 people attended.

“I don't think you are fully aware of the magnitude of the legacy (of the school) until you start diving in and you see in photos, and in scripts, and in journals, and in di ary entries, the power of the story that is OLPH,” said Dr. Caroline Carlin, OLPH principal.

“It's such a historical embrace that our community, the current and past students, faculty, and staff all are just excited to see this event come together. It has been a power ful experience,” she added.

On Aug. 28, many from the par ish community filled the church for 10 a.m. Sunday Mass, which officially commemorated the par ish and school anniversary. Bishop Stika was the celebrant. Fathers Torres and Griffith concelebrated. Deacon Wade Eckler and Deacon Hicks Armor assisted.

“It’s a significant day in the life of this community,” Bishop Stika said as he opened his homily. “Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish is like a river. Why is that? Because the water usually never stays there. It continuously flows. Isn’t that true of a parish?

“At one time this parish was established by the bishop of Nash ville. It had boundaries, and it was almost like the wild, wild, West, not that Chattanooga was that wild … but he saw and recognized that there was a need in this part of Chattanooga. There were other parishes like the basilica … but he saw a need and he established the parish and appointed a pastor, and then it began to flow, the graces of a parish, the sacramental life of a parish, the education of a parish, burying the dead, baptizing the ba bies and the adults, everything that makes up a parish.”

Bishop Stika also focused on the Sunday readings and drew par ticular attention to the need for humility.

“Sometimes people tell me they have left the Church. Why? Be cause the Church doesn’t agree with them. That’s the challenge of parish life, but also the blessing of a parish… that we are about Jesus.

“Today, as I celebrate with you, I celebrate all the previous pastors, and deacons, and associates, and religious. All those people who witnessed and continue to witness to you today, their belief in Jesus. Never give up on that belief even when times are difficult, whether it’s in the life of a parish, the life of a family, the life of the Church, or your own personal life, the struggles. Jesus is there with us, right?

A lot has changed along South Moore Road since the original par ish church was built during the height of the Great Depression. Over the years, neighborhoods have risen, roads have been con

structed, and the two main parish buildings— the church and the origi nal school—stand out in stately fashion.

“It's an older commu nity, but we are getting more young families that are following in those (early) footsteps,” Father Torres noted.

“Because of the school, we are attracting more young families, and they are getting drawn into parish life. Togeth er, we are trying to get more involved in the ministries and to also allow our new families the opportunity to experience that joy. The history of the school and the parish has become for me a legacy, a testament … how this was a farm before and what we have today: a nice building for the church and the school to bring Je sus' ministry in.

One of the most noticeable re finements inside the church dur ing the anniversary Mass were the abundant blue and white flow ers that graced the altar and side chapels—especially a statue of the Blessed Mother. The arrangements were designed by María Félix Mo rales and Marlin Guerra and were fragrant and vivid reminders of the patron saint of OLPH—The Blessed Virgin Mary.

“Years ago, when I was a newly ordained priest, I was working with the RCIA. There was a man, he was a non-practicing Mormon, and he asked, ‘The Blessed Mother … how many are there?’” Bishop Stika remembered.

“There is Our Lady of Perpetual Help, there is Our Lady of Knock, there is the Immaculate Conception, there is Our Lady of Czestochowa, and on and on. Is she one or many? I said she is one, but there is such affection for the Blessed Mother, the mother of Jesus, that simple hand maid, that so many people wish to honor her, to express gratitude for what she has done

“And that’s what we do today, through the intercession of the Blessed Mother, as she appears be fore God … we pray that through her intercession, she may continu ally guide this parish community into the future, as we celebrate the past. May the Lord continue to bless this parish and its leadership and all of you, and all of us, as we celebrate 85 years today, and may the years continue. God bless you all, and as the bishop of this dio cese I wish to thank you for every thing that you do.”

Below: Our Lady of Per petual Help members and friends celebrate the 85th anniversary of the church and school during a fes tive event on the parish grounds.

Father Mike Nolan, a former pastor at OLPH, joins in the anniversary celebration with OLPH members.

OLPH School principal Dr. Caroline Carlin, center, cel ebrates with alumni.

Bishop Stika is joined by Dr. Carlin and OLPH pastor Father Arthur Torres. OLPH supporters staff the merchandise table.

“It's an older community but we are getting more young families that are following in those (early) foot steps. Because of the school, we are attracting more young families and they are getting drawn into parish life. ... The history of the school and the parish has become for me a legacy, a testament … how this was a farm before and what we have today: a nice building for the church and the school to bring Jesus' ministry in ”

JIM WOGAN

Celebrating OLPH

Left: Bishop Richard F. Stika and Our Lady of Perpetual Help members gather for Mass on Aug. 28.

— Father Arthur Torres Our Lady of Perpetual Help pastor

JIM

WOGAN

COURTESY OF MARK GILLILAND

COURTESY OF MARK GILLILAND

COURTESY OF MARK GILLILAND

COURTESY OF MARK GILLILAND

The 25-bed hospital first opened in 1955 as Scott County Commu nity Hospital. Its limited offerings include an emergency room, radi ology, respiratory treatment, and laboratory and inpatient services. Rural hospitals across the United States have been closing at an alarming rate and are at increasing risk for closure due to skyrocketing health-care costs, especially in low er-income areas that are not densely populated.

The interruptions in medical care sent shock waves through the Scott community, stoking many resi dents’ fears that they no longer had access to professional care.

“There’s a great need, and it’s a real blessing to be here in Scott County to serve this community,” Mrs. Healy said. “We really believe that this is all founded on what Christ asks us to do, and that is to remember that we all belong to each other, and we all have a responsibil ity to every soul to create commu nity and life that helps people live the best lives that they can.”

While Scott County becomes a new destination for St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, Catholic Charities is expanding coverage in the ru ral Cumberland Mountains area. Catholic Charities already operates Pregnancy Help Centers in New comb and LaFollette in neighboring Campbell County.

Catholic Charities serves those in need throughout East Tennessee in urban and rural areas.

St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic serves only rural communities in Grainger, Meigs, Cumberland, McMinn, and Sevier counties. It also serves un insured immigrant communities in the Knoxville area.

Mrs. Healy and Mr. Vargas ex pressed their excitement at working together in Helenwood.

“We feel like with our Pregnancy Help Center and the work we do here with crisis pregnancies, moms who are pregnant, pregnancy test ing, and now full-service adoption, then we add the clinical health component with St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, it really brings a great op portunity to serve this community,” Mrs. Healy said.

“When you get outside of Knox ville in this rural Appalachia area, we’re in Newcomb, we’re in La Follette, and now we are here in Scott County. It’s a lower socialeconomic community. There aren’t a lot of services like in our larger communities such as Knoxville, Chattanooga, and the Tri-Cities,” she added.

Mrs. Healy credited Bishop Rich ard F. Stika and Deacon Sean Smith, Diocese of Knoxville chancellor and chief operating officer, for making the St. Jude rectory building avail able to Catholic Charities and St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic.

In the remodeling process, space was created in the former rectory that can be used as treatment and waiting rooms for the clinic in the event the mobile clinic van is at an other site. When the van is on-site at St. Jude, it sets up in the parking lot behind the church adjacent to the Pregnancy Help Center.

Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, RSM, who is medical director of the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic and is one of the physicians who will be provid ing medical care in Scott County, said the St. Jude Parish community has wanted the clinic to come to Helenwood for some time.

“There has been a need in Scott County for quite a while for pri mary health care. This is one of the many counties that was affected by rural hospital closures, so they’ve been talking to us for several years, asking if we could come to Scott County,” Sister Mary Lisa said.

“It wasn’t the right time before when we’ve been asked. This last time, they asked us over a year ago if we would be willing to come out here because there’s a growing need in the area, and we would be able to serve that need,” she added.

“With our growing group of vol unteers, with our growing staff, we decided that this is a good time to come out here and be able to serve this community.”

Sister Mary Lisa believes the new collaborative ministry is as much a blessing to Catholic Charities and St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic as it is to Scott County.

“The providence of God, with Catholic Charities working with the (St. Jude) church community to start their pregnancy resource center has been great because we’re really building a partner ship with them. Every place we’re going we’re really trying to build this concept of working with partners so that we can provide wraparound care,” Sister Mary Lisa said

“So, it’s not just medical care. We’re helping to connect patients with other services they may need. The fact that Catholic Charities is here, and how much that they pro vide for the community wherever they go is a great gift. We’re hoping to really work with them so that we can serve not just the medical needs but also the other physical needs of our patients here and also build this church community here. We’re excited about that,” she continued.

As Catholic Charities and St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic work to es tablish traction in the communities of Scott County, Mrs. Healy said it is important for residents to know that 99.5 percent of the people served by those ministries through out East Tennessee are not Catholic.

She noted that in addition to the Pregnancy Help Center and Legacy Clinic, Catholic Charities plans to bring its Hope Kitchen to Helen wood. Hope Kitchen provides free nutritious meals to those in need.

Sandi Davidson, Catholic Chari ties’ Pregnancy Services program leader, said Catholic Charities and the Diocese of Knoxville have known for some time about the needs that area has, especially when it comes to health care for pregnant women.

Mrs. Davidson has specific goals for the Helenwood center, although she understands that it will take

time to build community support.

“We have always known that Scott County had very limited re sources. When we were contacted about the rectory being available for a program of Catholic Chari ties, we thought of a Pregnancy Help Center. There are no hospitals in the area to deliver their babies; the closest is an hour away. We hope the more we can educate and provide services, the better the out come for both mother and baby,” Mrs. Davidson said.

“Our hope for Helenwood Preg nancy Help Center is that we will grow to meet the needs of the peo ple in this area, to educate through our Earn While You Learn program on pregnancy, parenting, life skills, and fatherhood, and to provide material assistance and commu nity referrals. Collaborating with St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic will only enhance the service that will be available to the people of this com munity,” she pointed out.

Mrs. Davidson credited the mem bers of St. Jude Parish and Father Tom O’Connell for assisting with the St. Jude rectory renovations and emphasized that Catholic Charities is pleased with how well the re modeling turned out.

“We wanted to provide a beauti ful place where people could come and find a calm, welcoming place where they feel valued and get the help they need,” she continued. “We are very excited about col laborating with St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic. The Pregnancy Help Center and St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic are a perfect fit. Anything we can do to work hand in hand to serve the res idents of Scott County is something we definitely want to do.”

The Pregnancy Help Center is open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The Legacy Clinic will operate in Helen wood once a month. Patients who can’t get to the clinic can still speak to Legacy Clinic doctors and nurses via online links.

“We are very committed to Scott County in providing this care. We provide holistic primary care. We’re not a pop-up clinic. We’ll be here every month on the third Tuesday of each month. I want to let the people of Scott County we will be treating know that we also provide telehealth, so that is part of the continuity of care that we provide,” Mr. Vargas said.

“If you are pregnant and you need to see the doctor, that is taken care of with the clinic and then you can move over to the Pregnancy Help Center, where we can fulfill education needs with over 200 classes in two languages, resources such as diapers, formula, cribs, car seats, pregnancy testing, and now adoption. We’re very excited about building families, building healthy families with our partners at St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic,” Mrs. Healy added.

Mr. Vargas emphasized the role volunteers play in operating the Legacy Clinic each day. He said anyone in the Scott County area interested in volunteering with the clinic in Helenwood can contact the ministry at smlcares.com

Mrs. Healy urged East Tennes see Catholics to get involved in the ministries. She said people can find out more about Catholic Charities at ccetn.org

“We need the Catholic commu nity to know that you can’t just sit in the pew. You need to reach out and you need to work together. Whatever resources Catholic Chari ties has, we’re sharing them. We’re sharing them at the parish. We’re sharing them with St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic. I can’t tell you how important we feel that is. We feel so strongly about the collaboration to help people in East Tennessee. Whatever resources we have, if the clinic needs it, if the churches need it, we’re here,” she said.

“We want to unite our fellow Catholics and ask them to get out of the pews and come help, come volunteer. If it’s at the clinic, if it’s at any of the 11 programs at Catholic Charities, they can call me personally. We work together. If someone calls and asks how do I get to the clinic, I’m going directly to Martin to get them connected. It’s so important that the commu nity know that the Church is united to help the community. This is what we’re called to do as Catholics,” she added.

They also stressed the impor tance of donors to both ministries. Donations are critical in serving those who need help and in making Catholic Charities and St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic the hands and heart of Jesus Christ.

“Donations are what makes the healing ministry of Jesus Christ possible in East Tennessee. We charge nothing for our services. It’s all volunteer-driven and donorfunded,” Mr. Vargas said.

Mrs. Healy echoed that statement.

“With both of us here in this community serving the wonder ful people of Scott County and Helenwood, this is a first-class best service for those who want to par ticipate. We serve 99.5 percent of the community who are not Catho lic, and there is no charge for our services. People can come to one location and get the full range of health services here,” Mrs. Healy said.

Sister Mary Lisa understands that it will take time for the Legacy Clinic to get established in Scott County as it and the community get to know each other.

Catholic Charities and St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic are eagerly willing to be patient with their Scott County patients.

“It takes time to get to know the community and connect with other community organizations that re ally know the people here so that we can bring them what they truly need,” Sister Mary Lisa said. “It may take a little time for us to build our patient population here. But we’re willing to be patient because we know that there is a need, and we’re looking forward to getting to know this community.”

BILL

Mountain ministry Top photo: St. Jude Church in Helenwood and the former rectory building that now houses Catholic Charities and the St. Mary's Legacy Clinic. Middle photo: Catholic Charities' Lisa Healy and SMLC's Martin Vargas are joined by from left, Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, RSM, Sister Celeste Mary Poche, RSM, Brianna Vinyard, and Kim Brach Bottom photo: SMLC staff, from left, Ms. Vinyard, Ms. Brach, Mr. Vargas, Sister Celeste Mary, Susan Lawlor, and Sister Mary Lisa.

JIM WOGAN

the only woman from the British royal family to serve in the territorial armed forces. And until

death on Sept. 8, she was the only modern head of state to have served in World War II.

Mr. Sefton pointed out that Queen Elizabeth, as a young woman in England, was in uniform dur ing World War II driving an ambulance among her duties. She also served as a mechanic. Her military service was the result of her decision when she turned 18 in 1944 to join the Auxiliary Territorial Service branch of the British Army.

“I think she was quite a humble person re ally, and she didn’t consider herself better than anyone else. You’ve seen her fix the Land Rover (British SUV) and driving it around,” Mrs. Sefton said.

Mr. Sefton spent a decade working for a com pany that developed radiation-tolerant cameras. He became a leader of that company, Rees Instru ments, and was in charge of developing the busi ness and its products.

And while he never knew at that time that he and his wife would relocate to East Tennessee, his work with Rees took him to the Los Alamos and Oak Ridge national laboratories.

“Development of that company went really well. In fact, the product I was involved in devel oping won a design award and to this day still is in production,” Mr. Sefton said.

The product is a camera used to see the core of nuclear reactors. Mr. Sefton left Rees in February 1983 and formed Pearpoint Limited in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Sefton’s business accomplishments led him to Buckingham Palace, where twice he received

recognition and congratulations personally from Queen Elizabeth.

In April 1990, he received on behalf of Pear point Limited the Queen’s Award for Technologi

cal Achievement. Pearpoint had a patent for a flexiprobe rod critical to push camera technology used to inspect pipes. Pearpoint’s patents would result in additional business innovation.

A company spun off from Pearpoint Limited in 2001 was called Pearpoint Image Processing Systems (PIPS). It further developed technol ogy used to read license plates, which has been widely used.

In April 2005, Mr. Sefton on behalf of PIPS received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for the license-plate recognition technology. Again, Mr. Sefton received the award and congratula tions from Queen Elizabeth. “I shook her gloved hand,” he recalled.

The Seftons’ brush with the royals didn’t end there.

During his entrepreneurial tenure, Mr. Sefton presented a product he was developing to Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip. And he also mentions in light-hearted passing running into Lord Snowdon, Antony Armstrong-Jones, who was Princess Margaret’s ex-husband and Queen Elizabeth’s brother-in-law, in the bathroom dur ing an event.

Mrs. Sefton still laughs at a chance encoun ter she had with Queen Elizabeth several years ago when the family lived in Palm Springs. The Seftons wanted to take their daughters to Eng land to visit their grandmother and introduce the children to the family’s heritage.

“These girls were young and born in the U.S., but they were English. And we had never taken them to England. So, we go to England. Alan decided that on one of the days we should see

The accession of 1952 made 2022 the year when the world's oldest monarch and the longest-serving monarch in British history cel ebrated the platinum jubilee of her reign the point when Elizabeth had sat on the British throne for 70 years.

The queen was able to witness the celebrations in her honor but handed over all of her public du ties to her nearest relatives. Her final act of office was to receive Prime Minister Liz Truss in Scot land on Sept. 6, when she was also last photographed.

Fourteen prime ministers served during her reign, beginning with Sir Winston Churchill. Ms. Truss was the 15th to greet her in that office.

During her reign, Queen Eliza beth met with four popes Francis, Benedict, John Paul II, and John XXIII, and as princess she met Pope Pius XII.

The queen sometimes joked about her longevity, once quoting Groucho Marx, saying: "Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough."

She served as a constitutional monarch the British head of state and Commonwealth the supreme governor of the Church of Eng land and head of the British armed forces.

In her private life, she was a mother of four children, a grand mother of eight, and a great-grand mother of 11 children.

Following her death, King Charles said in a statement: "The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.

"We mourn profoundly the pass ing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the

Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world."

The queen’s faith was highlight ed by religious leaders foreign and domestic to Great Britain.

They called for prayers while re membering the late queen’s Chris tian example.

“At this time, we pray for the repose of the soul of Her Majesty,” Cardinal Nichols said. “We do so with confidence, because the Chris tian faith marked every day of her life and activity.”

Cardinal Nichols continued to cite Queen Elizabeth’s 2000 Christ mas message.

“To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance,” he quoted her as saying. “For me, the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.”

Bishop Patrick McKinney of Not tingham, England, also expressed admiration for the queen’s faith.

“We also want to pay our re spects to the Queen as a woman of faith, as a Christian, whose faith al ways inspired and shaped the way she lived,” he said in a statement. “We pray that Christ Jesus, whom she faithfully served throughout her whole life, may now welcome her into His Kingdom with these words: ‘Well done good and faith ful servant.’”

Bishop Hugh Gilbert, president of the Catholic bishops' confer ence in Scotland, where the queen passed away, promised that the bishops there “will remember her in our prayers and pray for all those who mourn her loss.”

“Her determination to remain active to the end of her long life has been an example of Christian leadership, which demonstrated her great stoicism and commitment

to duty, and was undoubtedly a source of stability and continuity in times of great change,” he said in a statement.

He also emphasized that they would pray for the new king and the royal family.

In the United States, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Fran cisco tweeted, “May she rest in peace.”

The U.S. Conference of Catho lic Bishops later added, “Let us join Pope Francis in prayer as we mourn the death of Queen Eliza beth II.”

“She visited Canada 22 times,” he remembered. “On each occa sion, Canadians found in her an example of service, patriotism, respect for humanity, and devotion to God.”

Bishop Denis Nulty of Kildare and Leighlin in Ireland wrote, “May she now enjoy the eternal rest she richly deserves for her life of impeccable service.”

Bishop Raymond Poisson of StJérôme-Mont-Laurier, president of the Canadian Conference of Catho lic Bishops, expressed the bishops’ “profound sadness” in a statement.

BILL BREWER

Royal recognition Alan Sefton, right, and wife Sally display the awards Queen Elizabeth II pre sented to Mr. Sefton and his company for achieve ments in business.

The attention of princes Left photo: Alan Sefton, earlier in his career, explains to Prince Philip, right, equipment his company produced that was recognized at the highest ranks in Great Britain. Right photo: Sally Sefton, left, attends an event in Great Britain that was also attended by Prince Charles, right. Queen Elizabeth II's death on Sept. 8 means that her son will succeed her on the throne as King Charles III.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALAN AND SALLY SEFTON (2)

London. So, we took my mom, who was so excited. She said to the girls, ‘We’re going to go to London to see the queen.’ I thought (incredulously), ‘Oh, yeah; OK, mom.’ We get on the train to Westminster Abbey, but you couldn’t get in because there was something going on there. We stood outside with a lot of other people. My mother took the girls’ hands and took them right up to the railing. And who should come out? The queen. She had just said to the girls, ‘We’re going to London to see the queen.’ And there we were, seeing the queen. It was so funny,” Mrs. Sefton recalled.

The Sefton’s encounters with the House of Windsor continued.

Charles, who now becomes England's and Britain's 63rd ruler at age 73, has been a presence in the Seftons’ lives on several occasions. As the Prince of Wales, he got to know the Seftons.

Mr. Sefton and then-Prince Charles met when the Prince of Wales officially opened a factory in Bristol, England, owned by an associate of Pearpoint Limited.

And then there was the dinner.

“We also met Prince Charles, now King Charles III, when we went to dinner at Highgrove House with him and Camilla. They weren’t married at that time. We were invited to go to a fundraiser there, where Charles lived with the boys. Diana had died,” Mrs. Sefton related.

She remembered that protocol dictated what they could bring to the dinner, very little it turns out, and cameras were prohibited. They also had to clear a security screening.

Mr. Sefton still laughs as he recalls that when they were first introduced to Charles at the dinner, the king-to-be looked at his wife, shook his finger at Mrs. Sefton, and said, “Don’t I know you?”

“We had stood around in the courtyard waiting with champagne for him to arrive, and I said, ‘Do we have to curtsy?’ So, we all talked about this and concluded, ‘Well, yes, perhaps we should. He’s Prince Charles. We should curtsy.’ But, of course, the curtsy went out the window once he thought he knew me. There was definitely no curtsying going on. It was a good experience,” Mrs. Sefton said with a wry smile.

The Seftons recollected that aides to the royals sent them notice to bring their “gardening shoes.” The couple wondered what for. As it turns out, Charles planned to give tours of the garden at Highgrove House.

With that dinner indelibly etched in their memory, they bought a signed, limited-edition painting of Highgrove House that was done by now King Charles III. It hangs in their bathroom at home.

As the couple laughed, Mr. Sefton said, “We’ve had a few experiences.”

The Seftons are impressed that Queen Elizabeth held it all together through Charles’ divorce from Princess Diana, Diana’s death, and the issues surrounding Prince Andrew, including his divorce from Sarah

Ferguson, the Duchess of York.

“If there was ever a time when she (Queen Elizabeth) may have made a mistake, it was at that point (Diana’s death), in my view. The monarchy went right down because Diana was so popular,” Mr. Sefton observed.

“Everyone loved Diana so much,” Mrs. Sefton added.

Divorce was a recurring theme in Elizabeth’s lifetime, beginning when her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry American socialite Wallis Simpson, who already was divorced from two husbands. That controversy opened the door for Elizabeth’s eventual reign.

The Seftons referred to the irony of Queen Elizabeth’s unlikely ascension to the throne because her father unexpectedly became king when his brother left the throne in December 1936, less than a year into his reign.

“I’m one of the few people who can remember the king and him dying (King George VI served as the monarch of the United Kingdom and the dominions of the British Commonwealth from Dec. 11, 1936, until his death on Feb. 6, 1952). It was a memorable time. We weren’t rich. My father had a normal job, and my mother worked as well. We had no TV, and we didn’t have a car. My dad went to work on his bike. But because there was going to be a coronation (of Queen Elizabeth II), my parents wanted a TV.

So, my father bought this secondhand nine-inch television. The second time we used it it went up in flames, and they had to take it back.

They then bought a new largescreen 12-inch black-and-white TV to watch the coronation. We had one channel, which was the BBC. I was 6. We had a street party,” Mr. Sefton remembered.

The Seftons pointed to Princess Margaret, who in the 1950s wanted to marry Capt. Peter Townsend, who had been divorced. Because of societal pressure and Margaret’s public office, their relationship ended before they ever married.

“Look now how the royalty has changed,” Mr. Sefton observed.

Mrs. Sefton noted Princess Anne, daughter to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip and King Charles III’s only sister, who was divorced from Capt. Mark Phillips in 1992 after 19 years of marriage. Princess Anne remarried in 1992.

“The only one who hasn’t divorced is Edward,” Mrs. Sefton said.

Controversy and intrigue continued to follow the royal family until Queen Elizabeth’s death, highlighted recently by son Andrew’s exploits and questions swirling around grandson Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle.

“She held it together so well. The question now is whether he (King Charles III) can do the same. He seems to have started off well. They have these traditions. Reading back and knowing what happened at the time, he wanted to marry Camilla before she was Mrs. Parker Bowles. For some reason or another that was not to be, and he ended up

with Diana,” Mr. Sefton said.

“She was never expected to become queen. I really think she did a great job considering she was never expected to be queen,” he added.

He said having his professional accomplishments recognized by Queen Elizabeth II has been a highlight of his career.

“Coming from where I came to build what we had and do what we did . . . we developed a really, really great team. All of these achievements were due to the team. I looked over my own role over the years as being the conductor of an orchestra. We have some wonderful musicians, but they don’t make the right noise without the conductor.

Bringing it all together like that in both companies, we were very successful,” Mr. Sefton said.

He credited the queen for recognizing business development and research breakthroughs in the United Kingdom through the years.

He also emphasized how the queen will be missed by many in and outside of the United Kingdom, and how much she is missed will depend on how King Charles

A look at history

Top left: Then-Princess Elizabeth with a military vehicle she was repairing during World War II.

Top right: Then-Princess Elizabeth stands next to a military ambulance in World War II

Bottom left: Then-Princess Elizabeth, far left, stands with her mother, Queen Elizabeth, British prime minister Winston Churchill, her father, King George VI, and her sister, Princess Margaret during a public event.

Bottom right: Alan and Sally Sefton are pictured with Cardinal Justin Rigali and Bishop Richard F. Stika. Photos of Princess Elizabeth courtesy of Imperial War Museums

III fares in his new role.

“From what I’ve seen so far on the news, he’s done a reasonably good job,” he said. “He already has made an announcement that he is giving all the profits from the Prince Charles Trust he established, which sells products from organizations he supports, to the state.”

“He’s had a long time to prepare for this,” Mrs. Sefton said. “Come Christmas, when she always did her Christmas speech, that’s going to be interesting to see how he does that.”

As the Seftons—and the world— turn their attention to King Charles III, they’re hopeful he will serve as effectively as his mother did.

“The queen has really been part of our life all the way through. I think she’s done a really good job. There’s been a lot of anti-monarchy sentiment. We live in a republic now, but because they know we’re English, every person we know asks us what we thought of the queen and say they respected her. It’s lovely to see. All the flags here are at half-staff. It’s a great sign of respect,” Mr. Sefton said. ■

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALAN AND SALLY SEFTON

Since the business is currently still mobile, its schedule is updated weekly and posted on so cial media platforms under the handle @earlybirdscoffeeco

Hindsight Homestead

Hindsight Homestead is a growing family farm in Piney Flats that provides farm tours and products including berries, fruits, vegeta bles, flowers, baby animals, and fiber products such as wool and yarn. The farm also provides a meeting place for workshops where people can learn skills to enable them to begin their own homestead.

Neva and John Keeley began the process of homesteading after the birth of their triplet daughters in 2006. With a family totaling nine people and seven children under the age of 7, the couple began to look for more affordable ways to feed their family on a limited budget.

The more they looked into affordable options, however, the less they liked the quality of food available in supermarkets.

“All of this started by us learning where the food comes from and what was in the food that I was feeding my kids,” Mrs. Keeley said. “It was like a research domino where researching one topic led to the research of another and then another.”

The family started its first garden in 2006 in the backyard of its rented home at the end of a cul-de-sac in Evans, Ga. Over the next three years, the family strung up a clothesline, began a compost pile and a worm farm, and began canning vegetables bought in bulk from the lo cal farmers markets.

In 2009, the family moved across the state line to a country property in South Carolina, where they began to acquire the animals. Starting small with chickens, then eventually purchasing sheep and goats, each member of the family continued to learn and develop skills and appreciation for the land and animals.

“It makes you feel so accomplished,” Mrs. Keeley said. “The first time I canned tomato sauce it felt like I was in my own store.”

In 2012, the family made its final move to Piney Flats, between Johnson City and King sport, where the Keeleys purchased 100 acres of land near Boone Lake. Originally, they intended to follow the same path as in their previous loca tions by just raising animals and food for them selves, but they eventually realized they had acquired too much knowledge of the land and practical skills to keep the farm small.

They have been steadily adding to their land over the years and improving the quality and quantity of their agricultural produce.

On the animal spectrum, pigs, cows, poultry, alpacas, and two breeds of sheep call Hindsight home. The easy access to the lake, along with the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, woods, and various plants and wildlife also provides a beautiful environment for families and individ uals to rent time slots for photography sessions.

“Our farm provides inspiration for every home to be a homestead,” Mrs. Keeley said. “Our original calling as a human race was to tend the earth. God created the garden and then He created man to tend the garden, so I would say it's every home's responsibility to take care

“They’re turning this into a techni cal conversation about the represen tation of a woman who on Friday morning was awakened by a bunch of FBI agents armed with automatic weapons, some of them with body armor … pointing automatic weap ons at her and her husband when they arrived in front of their chil dren,” Mr. Middleton told CNA.

“This is absurd. If they’re not going to tell us the number, what they’re trying to do is make it look as if the Houcks aren’t telling the truth,” he said. “This isn’t a math contest. The issue is excessive force for the crime of maybe pushing another person.”

Mr. Houck, the founder and copresident of a Catholic men’s spir itual formation apostolate called The King’s Men, faces the possibility of 11 years in prison if convicted of vio lating the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, more com monly referred to as the FACE Act.

The law carries stiff penalties for those who engage in “violent, threat ening, damaging, and obstructive conduct intended to injure, intimi date, or interfere with the right to seek, obtain, or provide reproductive health services,” according to the De partment of Justice.

A federal indictment accuses Mr. Houck of twice assaulting a Planned Parenthood client escort, identified in the document as “B.L.,” outside a Philadelphia abortion facility on Oct. 23, 2021.

Mr. Houck regularly prays the ro

Brewing it by faith Mark Walters, top left, owns Early Birds Cof fee Co. with his wife, Stephanie. The St. Dominic parishioners operate a mobile busi ness that brings freshbrewed beverages to consumers

Growing it by faith St. Dominic parishion ers Neva and John Keeley, bottom left, started a homestead farm in Piney Flats to sustain their family that has evolved into a small business

changed several times within the first few years in business before the family finally settled on Bloomingdale Road. Prior to that, the store was set up in Lynn Garden, which was a turning point in the girls' lives.

Daniella was 7 years old and her sister, Carla, was 6 when their father made a deal with a local shaved ice distributor who was dissolving his business.

Mr. Hernandez told the girls he would put down $200 from his own pocket to buy a shaved ice truck with all of the necessary equipment, but he would contribute no more after that and they would be responsible for giving the previ ous owner $100 per month until the shaved ice unit was completely paid off.

The girls agreed and paid off the truck by the end of their first season in business.

“From a young age my girls have learned re spect for others,” Mr. Hernandez said. “We have served young people to old people to people with special needs and there is no discrimina tion. They learned that you don't get to judge a book by its cover.”

of the earth. We are available as a resource to teach people how to do that on whatever scale they want.”

The farm became an official business in 2020 by becoming a limited liability company, and it now operates with seven full-time employees.

Hernandez, La Abejita Food Trucks

La Abejita is a Mexican grocery store in King sport owned and operated by Carlos Hernandez along with his wife and two daughters.

The family bought the business in 2006 when the oldest daughter was 1 year old, trading their only truck for the store and starting their opera tions with only the $4.25 in change that was left in the truck when they cleaned it out for the trade.

The Hernandez family jumped in feet first into the business, reaching out to another local Mexi can store for advice and to learn the names of the suppliers of groceries and wares.

The physical location of the storefront

sary, hands out literature, and “does some sidewalk counseling” outside the facility, his wife told CNA.

Mr. Houck maintains that he pushed the Planned Parenthood es cort away from his then-12-year-old son because the man was verbally harassing the boy, Mr. Middleton told CNA.

The man fell down but was not seriously hurt, Mr. Middleton said, requiring only “a Band-Aid on his finger.”

Mr. Middleton said the altercation was captured on camera, though he said the Houcks were trying to locate the video.

Mr. Middleton said after local au thorities declined to press charges, the escort pressed charges in Philadelphia municipal court, but the case was dismissed when the man repeatedly failed to show up for court dates.

As of Sept. 26, an online fund drive for the Houck family had raised more than $191,000.

Mr. Houck was arraigned on the charges Sept. 27 in federal court in Philadelphia and pleaded not guilty.

In a press release issued Sept. 26, the Thomas More Society, a nonprofit le gal firm, announced it is representing Mr. Houck.

The law firm said one-on-one al tercations like the one involving Mr. Houck do not fall under the federal FACE Act, citing a decision in a sim ilar case Thomas More lawyers won in June 2019 on behalf of a sidewalk counselor.

“This case is being brought solely

Three years later, the girls calculated their sav ings and expanded their business with the ac quisition of a used ice cream truck. The follow ing year, they purchased another ice cream truck and began to hire staff to drive them. Now age 17 and 16, the sisters own a fleet of nine trucks and three trailers.

Both Hernandez sisters are diligent high school students, dividing their time between work, home, business, and band practice. They manage their time wisely, doing their homework during the downtime in the trucks.

“You just have the right mindset about it,” Daniella said. “It is hard and exhausting, but in the end it's worth it because we’re achieving our goals.”

Daniella and Carla have learned the value of a hard-earned dollar, and both admit to being very good at managing and saving their money. They have been so successful with their trucks that in 2019 they were able to take their parents on a trip to Universal Studios in Florida, with all the expenses paid from what they had earned in tips from the trucks.

“I’m very grateful to God, because He is the reason we have all of this and why we are where we are,” Carla said. ■

to intimidate people of faith and pro-life Americans,” Peter Breen, a Thomas More vice president and se nior counselor, said in a statement. “Mark Houck is innocent of these lawless charges, and we intend to prove that in court.”

The law firm said it informed the Department of Justice in June that if Mr. Houck were charged he would turn himself in voluntarily.

“Rather than accepting Mark Houck’s offer to appear voluntarily, the Biden Department of Justice chose to make an unnecessary show of potentially deadly force, sending 20 heavily armed federal agents to the Houck residence at dawn this past Friday,” Mr. Breen said.

“In threatening form, after nearly breaking down the family’s front door, at least five agents pointed guns at Mark’s head and arrested him in front of his wife and seven young children, who were terrified that their husband and father would be shot dead before their eyes.”

Accounts of how Mr. Houck was taken into custody have been met with sharp criticism from GOP law makers, including Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri.

“I want to know from Merrick Garland directly why Biden’s DOJ is arresting Catholic protestors like ter rorists—complete with SWAT-style tactics—while letting actual terrorist acts like firebombings go unpun ished,” Sen. Hawley said in a tweet.

William Donohue, president of

the Catholic League, wrote a letter to Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, a ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary, implor ing him to “get to the bottom of this duplicity.”

More than 20 members of Con gress are pressing Mr. Garland for answers about Mr. Houck's arrest and the federal charges against him.

“I am not in a position to judge the veracity of the account offered by the FBI or Houck. But it surely seems that the FBI overreacted in its handling of this matter. Houck had seven children at home as the SWAT team pounded on his door, showing up fully armored, yelling at him to open it,” Mr. Donohue wrote.

“This kind of overreaction for a minor infraction of the law is deeply troubling, and it becomes even more troubling when paired with the underreaction by the Department of Justice when the pro-life side is targeted,” the letter said.

Mr. Donohue wrote in June to Mr. Garland asking him to “immedi ately deploy the full resources of the Department of Justice to apprehend and prosecute domestic terrorists who have recently attacked Catholic individuals, vandalized Catholic churches, and torched Catholicoperated crisis pregnancy centers.”

Mr. Donohue said to Sen. Grass ley, “Not only did I not receive a response from the attorney general, there have been no news stories on SWAT teams crashing the homes of abortion-rights terrorists.” ■

COURTESY OF CASEY KEELEY

absorbing everything into itself, would ultimately become a mere bureaucracy incapable of guaranteeing the very thing which the suffering person—every person— needs: namely, loving personal concern. We do not need a State which regulates and controls everything…. In the end, the claim that just social structures would make works of charity superfluous masks a materialist conception of man: the mistaken notion that man can live ‘by bread alone’ (Matthew 4:4; cf. Deuteronomy 8:3)—a conviction that demeans man and ultimately disregards all that is specifically human” (Deus Caritas Est—God Is Love, 28)

Sowing division. In 1937, Pope Pius XI asked of socialism’s appeal and growth, “How is it… that such a system spread so rapidly in all parts of the world?”

It comes down to one word— deception. “The majority,” he observed, “succumb to its deception, skillfully concealed by the most extravagant promises.” After reading the below excerpts from his encyclical, I found myself thinking, “This sounds all too familiar today.”

“The communist ideal wins over many of the better-minded members of the community. These in turn become the apostles of the movement among the younger intelligentsia who are still too immature to recognize the intrinsic errors of the system. The preachers of communism are also proficient in exploiting racial antagonisms and political divisions and oppositions.

“They take advantage of the lack of orientation characteristic of modern agnostic science in order to burrow into the universities, where they bolster up the principles of their doctrine with pseudo-scientific arguments…. It can surprise no one that the communistic fallacy should be spreading in a world already to a large extent dechristianized…. Few are aware of the poison which increasingly pervades their minds and hearts” (Divini Redemptoris Atheistic Communism, 15-17)

Attacks upon marriage and family. As the socialist movement quickly began to grow in Italy, Pope Leo XIII dedicated an entire encyclical in 1878 on what he called the “plague of socialism.”

While defending the right of property and ownership, he particularly spoke out against socialist attacks upon marriage and family, knowing the great harm that would follow if this smallest and most essential cell of society were weakened or redefined.

“Family life itself, which is the cornerstone of all society and government… [as] the foundation of this society, rests first of all in the indissoluble union of man and wife…. You know also that the doctrines of socialism strive almost completely to dissolve this union; since, that stability which is imparted to it by religious wedlock being lost, it follows that the power of the father over his own children, and the duties of the children toward their parents, must be greatly weakened” (Quod Apostolici Muneris—Of our Apostolic Office, 8)

State rights over parental rights Pope Leo would again warn in 1891 of the great harm that socialism would bring to marriage and family.

“The contention… that the civil government should at its option intrude into and exercise intimate control over the family and the household is a great and pernicious error. True, if a family finds itself in exceeding distress, utterly deprived of the counsel of friends, and without any prospect of extricating itself, it is right that extreme necessity be met by public aid, since each family is a part of the commonwealth.

“In like manner, if within the precincts of the household there occur grave disturbance of mutual rights, public authority should intervene to force each party to yield to the other its proper due; for this is not to deprive citizens of their rights, but justly and properly to safeguard and strengthen them.

“But the rulers of the commonwealth must go no further; here, nature bids them stop. Paternal authority can be neither abolished nor absorbed by the State; for it has the same source as human life itself….

The socialists, therefore, in setting aside the parent and setting up a State supervision, act against natural justice, and destroy the structure of the home” (Rerum Novarum—Of New Things, 14)

Manifold differences . Pope

Leo XIII also stressed that while all people are of equal dignity as children of God, not all have equal capacities and gifts, and this natural difference cannot be legislated away

But this is what socialism tries to do. It is “a condition of human existence,” he said, “that the lowest in civil society cannot be made equal with the highest.”

“It must be first of all recognized that the condition of things inherent in human affairs must be borne with, for it is impossible to reduce civil society to one dead level. Socialists may in that intent do their utmost, but all striving against nature is in vain. There naturally exist among mankind manifold differences of the most important kind; people differ in capacity, skill, health, strength; and unequal fortune is a necessary result of unequal condition.

“Such unequality is far from being disadvantageous either to individuals or to the community. Social and public life can only be maintained by means of various kinds of capacity for business and the playing of many parts; and each man, as a rule, chooses the part which suits his own peculiar domestic condition” (Rerum Novarum, 17)

More suffering, not less. Pope Leo XIII also recognized, as have other pontiffs since, that socialism, instead of elevating workers, would bring greater sufferings upon them, not less.

History clearly proves that any country where socialist measures have been forcefully implemented, instead of bringing an alleviation of suffering, has greatly increased it, mostly especially upon those it promised would be most helped.

“To remedy these wrongs the socialists, working on the poor man's envy of the rich, are striving to do away with private property, and contend that individual possessions should become the common property of all, to be administered by the State or by municipal bodies. They hold that by thus transferring property from private individuals to the community, the present mischievous state of things will be set to rights, inasmuch as each citizen will then get his fair share of whatever there is to enjoy.

“But their contentions are so clearly powerless to end the controversy that were they carried into effect the working man himself would be among the first to suffer. They are, moreover, emphatically unjust, for they would rob the lawful possessor, distort the functions of the State, and create utter confusion in the community” (Rerum Novarum, 4)

Catholic socialism? Perhaps one of the first efforts to try to bring socialism and Catholicism into something of an arranged marriage as a political movement occurred in France with the “Sillonist” movement, beginning in the late 19th century. But the attempt to create such was like trying to force a square peg into a round hole.

As St. Pius X pointed out in 1910, their “attempt to justify their social dreams” requires the Gospel to be twisted and “interpreted in their own way” (Notre Charge Apostolique—Our Apostolic Mandate). Twenty-one years later, Pope Pius XI would be very clear about this in his 1931 encyclical.

“Socialism… cannot be reconciled with the teachings of the Catholic Church because its concept of society itself is utterly foreign to Christian truth…. Religious socialism, Christian socialism, are contradictory terms; no one can be at the same time a good Catholic and a true socialist” (Quadragesimo

Anno—On the Fortieth Anniversary, 117, 120)

Incompatible with the Catholic faith. In his 1961 encyclical, St. John XXIII (the “Good Pope”) affirmed what Pope Pius XI had written three decades earlier, warning that even “moderate Socialism” is incompatible with Catholicism.

“Pope Pius XI further emphasized the fundamental opposition between Communism and Christianity, and made it clear that no Catholic could subscribe even to moderate Socialism. The reason is that Socialism is founded on a doctrine of human society which is bounded by time and takes no account of any objective other than that of material well-being.

“Since, therefore, it proposes a form of social organization which aims solely at production, it places too severe a restraint on human liberty, at the same time flouting the true notion of social authority” (Mater et Magistra—On Christianity and Social Progress, 34)

The principle of social dignity In 1931, Pope Pius XI introduced an essential principle of Catholic social teaching called “subsidiarity.” Very simply, it is the principle of “social dignity”—what human dignity is to the individual person, subsidiarity is to a community of people

The principle expresses the proper relationship that should exist between that of a smaller community and that of the higher order—of what constitutes an appropriate versus an excessive or insufficient level of government (too big or too little). As further explained by St. John Paul II, “A community of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a community of a lower order, depriving its functions, but rather should support it in case of need...” (Centismus Annus, 48)

A Nobel prophet. Having lived and suffered under Soviet communism, the Russian dissident and winner of the 1970 Nobel Prize for Literature, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, wrote, "Socialism seeks to reduce human personality to its

most primitive levels and to extinguish the highest, most complex, and ‘Godlike’ aspects of human individuality.”

And 44 years ago, in his 1978 commencement address at Harvard University, he warned Americans of what he found very worrisome.

“Many people living in the West are dissatisfied with their own society. They despise it or accuse it of not being up to the level of maturity attained by mankind. A number of such critics turn to socialism, which is a false and dangerous current. I hope that no one present will suspect me of offering my personal criticism of the Western system to present socialism as an alternative.

“Having experienced applied socialism in a country where the alternative has been realized, I certainly will not speak for it. The well-known Soviet mathematician Shafarevich, a member of the Soviet Academy of Science, has written a brilliant book under the title Socialism; it is a profound analysis showing that socialism of any type and shade leads to a total destruction of the human spirit and to a leveling of mankind into death.”

The Church’s right and duty Pope Benedict XVI states very clearly that “It is not the Church’s task to set forth specific political solutions…. It is, however, the Church’s right and duty to provide a moral judgment on temporal matters when this is required by faith or the moral law.”

He further stated that “Democracy succeeds only to the extent that it is based on a correct understanding of the human person. Catholic involvement in political life cannot compromise on this principle.”

Babel repeated. St. John Paul II observed that “The tragedy of humanity today, as indeed of every period of history, consists precisely in its similarity to the experience of Babel.”

Though proponents of the socialistic architectural design have promised to pierce the heavens, it has never risen higher than any of the structures it promised to dwarf before collapsing in ruin. ■