Nov. 7, 2021, ET Catholic, B section by Diocese of Knoxville

NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE

B section

Local Knights carry on food-delivery ministry The far-reaching legacy of St. John Neumann parishioner Ted H. Denning Jr. continues

GABRIELLE NOLAN

we were doing, and we stopped,’” laughed Susan Denning, one of Ted’s daughters. Ted was a charter member of and a charter officer for Council 8781, and he was elected treasurer when the council was formed. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus for 53 years, receiving the Knight of the Year Award for the fraternal year of 1999-2000 and the Tennessee State Council Lifetime Achievement Award for the fraternal year of 2007-08. “He loved being a Knights of Columbus member,” Ms. Denning said. “Knights stuff was always in our house while I was growing up. I’d go to this meeting, go to that meeting.” “My dad, Ted, started out first picking up and delivering household items from parishioners and people who said that they were moving or whatever, by word of mouth. He would take it up to Crazy Quilt,” Ms. Denning reminisced. “He did that for years, along with other Knights from St. John Neumann.” “All my siblings thought that what he did was great,” she continued. “It kept him involved in

‘He got me involved’ David Hetrick, a charter member of Knights Council 8781 at St. John Neumann, loads his car with food from the Fresh Market in Farragut.

COURTESY OF SUSAN DENNING

f you ever wondered if one person could make a difference in the world, the answer is yes. I would like to introduce you to a man named Ted Denning. His impact was far-reaching throughout East Tennessee, as Ted was a husband, father, employee, Knights of Columbus member, St. John Neumann parishioner, Boy Scout troop volunteer, and local food-delivery volunteer. The late Theodore “Ted” H. Denning Jr. was married for 61 years to Phyllis Ann Denning. The couple relocated to Knoxville in 1980 after moving from Fort Wayne, Ind. Phyllis worked in the parish office of St. John Neumann in Farragut as secretary for 29 years until her retirement in 2014. She passed away in February 2020 at the age of 95. Ted and Phyllis were “a dynamic team,” said Walt Hanson, the current Grand Knight of Council 8781 at St. John Neumann Parish. Together, Ted and Phyllis had eight children: Tim, Keith, Mark, Susan, Paul, Kevin (now deceased), Brian, and Amy. “[Dad] always said, ‘We had three boys and a girl, three boys and a girl, then we realized what

By Gabrielle Nolan

‘I do it for the kids’ The late Ted Denning stands beside his pickup truck loaded with food for the needy. “He was always on the go with his truck,” his daughter Susan recalls. the community, kept him in the Church, kept him out and about. He didn’t just sit there and wither away after he retired.” The ministry originally began over 20 years ago with Ted taking household items and food to Crazy Quilt Food Pantry, a program of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee that provides emergency assistance for low-income families in the surrounding Appalachian area of Newcomb, Tenn. Crazy Quilt serves close to 500 people each year. While Ted began collecting and distributing household donations during his last years at work, he fully embraced his daily ministry after a knee replacement led to his retirement. Over time, and of his own volition, he began asking local grocery stores and restaurants if they had extra food for donation. When stores eagerly said yes, Ted made arrangements to pick up the food and involved other Knights to help him. “I knew Ted for several years,” said Ed Bryant, program leader at Crazy Quilt. “I would like to say he was a good friend. He took me

down to Knoxville and took me to all the places that donated. . . . They took me around so I could meet all those people and thank them for what they [were] doing.” Donations grew, and Ted began dropping off food at several pantries and organizations, in addition to Crazy Quilt. “It slowly just kind of changed over from household items over to the food pantry,” Ms. Denning said. “It just kind of became a mission of Dad’s to make sure that there was no bread in Knoxville that was being thrown away.” Every day for the last 15 years or so of his life, Ted would have breakfast, read the paper, and then go out to pick up the food donations, Ms. Denning said. “He would be literally gone all day…. Two out of five days he would [be gone all day]. He was always on the go with his truck.” “We always said it was God, church, then family,” Ms. Denning laughed. “But [Dad] would say, ‘No, it’s God, family, then church.’ And [us kids were] like ‘no, because you’re always gone to go over to Ministry continued on page B2

Glenmary volunteers meet on ‘Toppa Joppa’

esse Butler, a wheelchair-bound resident of Luttrell, can attest to the benefits of the Glenmary Group Volunteer Program based on Joppa Mountain in Grainger County. During the week of Oct. 17-22, a group of 12 students from the University of Notre Dame took part in the program, informally known as “Toppa Joppa,” and during the students’ time in East Tennessee they built a handicap ramp at Mr. Butler’s home. The ramp “means a whole lot to me,” Mr. Butler said. “I can get out and get to do stuff that I haven’t been able to do in a long time,” he said. How has he gotten out of his house before? “I haven’t,” he said. “I appreciate this group for coming and helping me out. They’ve been such a blessing to me.” The Glenmary Home Missioners have had a presence in the Diocese of Knoxville for some 10 years, founding the parishes of St. Teresa of Kolkata in Maynardville and St. Michael the Archangel in Erwin, as well as the mission of St. John Paul II in Rutledge. The Toppa Joppa program

started taking its first volunteers in January 2014. “The Glenmary Volunteers on Joppa Mountain is a retreat-like mission immersion program for high school, college, and adult groups,” said Joe Grosek, Glenmary Volunteers director. “The goal of the program is to connect people with God, help them find Christ in others, and teach them to serve others first and put themselves second. “Glenmary hopes that those who serve with us can experience the rich mission ministry of the Glenmary Home Missioners. While service is the foundation of the program, it also strives to develop community and to deepen faith through the context of shared experiences. Volunteers come not only to serve but also to learn about the rich culture and traditions present in the Appalachian regions where they serve. It aims to broaden volunteers’ understanding of the causes of poverty, oppression, and injustice—and how their life choices can impact these issues.” The volunteer program is for Catholic high school students, college students, and adults looking to serve in mission, Mr. Grosek said. Glenmary continued on page B6

By Dan McWilliams

DAN MCWILLIAMS

The program on Joppa Mountain in Grainger County draws teens and adults ‘to serve others first’

Smoothing out University of Notre Dame student Aidan Creeron sands down a railing on a handicap ramp at a house in Luttrell.

Praying for Perspective

by George Valadie

The bride was exactly where she was supposed to be A daughter has dates who are smart and goofy, serious and silly, but finds the perfect match “God will bring the right person into your life at the right time. Always believe that! If they are not there, God isn’t finished yet!”

She could laughingly recall having spent some occasional doodle time practicing her imaginary married signature—of which there was an ever-changing variety of last names from which to choose. None felt right. Because none of them were right.

he smiles of the moment said it all! Sarah, our youngest, was walking down the aisle to indeed meet that love of her life. Keith, her fiancé, was no doubt glad to be free of the venue dressing room she’d barricaded him in for most of the afternoon. And Nancy, her mother, could finally relax knowing she’d planned her final wedding. To add to what was surely a perfect evening, no one got COVID. The weather was ideal. The music was better. The guests were granted access to the bar and buffet before the obligatory family photos were finished. And by night’s end, the sparklers had caught just one dress on fire. Other than our guests gazing at the bride as we passed by them—her anxiety would have preferred they look at anyone other than her—it was quite the night to celebrate. On a recent and joyful Saturday evening, Keith and Sarah, the youngest of our three daughters, were married. Engaged more than a year ago, she was by far the easiest bride of our three. The other two will tell you the same. She cared about very few of the details. She picked a dress and a cake flavor and left the rest up to her mom. If the reception menu had consisted only of chicken tenders, cheese cubes, and Coke Zero, she’d have been just fine. We added thumbprint cookies for the grandkids, and Sarah

was in heaven. At a meeting with a prospective caterer, Sarah was asked, “Honey, what’s going to be the theme of your wedding?” At which point, she leaned over to Nancy and asked, “Mom, what’s my wedding theme?” For fun and entertainment, our sons-in-law would call periodically and ask Nancy how “her” wedding was going. But with her well-worn three-inch notebook by her side, she wrangled the vendors for their services and wrestled me for my money. She won every battle. As father of the bride I had the joyous privilege of walking Sarah down the aisle combined with the sadder duty of stepping back to leave her standing there with someone else. But it was exactly where she was supposed to be. While sitting there watching her face reflect nerves then delight then back again, my memory couldn’t help but reminisce a conversation the two of us had shared some 15plus years ago when she was a high school senior. A few years before, Sarah had made the high school cheerleading squad when she was but a freshman. “Dad, do you remember when I was a cheerleader?” “Looking back on it, I think I should have stuck with that whole

thing [she never tried out again]. “That gave me a chance to pay attention to the game, which I loved to watch anyway. It gave me 15 minutes at halftime to hang with the few friends I wanted to see. “And most importantly, it gave me a definite place to stand for the night. I never had to worry about looking for a place to be.” She didn’t have to say anything about the other three years when she wasn’t a cheerleader. She didn’t have to say anything about how hard it must have been not to have a spot of your own or a gaggle of friends with whom to roam. And because she had brought it up, she certainly didn’t have to say anything about how hard it must have been for her to fit in. Her years since high school have been full of a lot of that same sort of searching for that place where she would feel her best self. She’s been on a wealth of blind dates with all sorts of guys. One we liked until we found out about the drugs. More than a couple she dismissed as “criers,” which always made me wonder about the sorts of things that happened on her dates. And once she described a young man as “Jewish and he doesn’t like sports.” “Well, honey, you know we don’t care what faith he is.” “I don’t either,” she replied, “but no sports? What could we ever talk about?!” There have been smart guys and goofy ones, some were serious and some were way too silly, and some were searching like she was while others were just wandering. She could laughingly recall hav-

the church; you’re always doing that.’” When traveling to Crazy Quilt, Ted would often see mothers with their children in line at the pantry. Many of the husbands worked in the coal mines, and the families were in need of basic necessities. If Ted came across children, he would often give them candy or desserts for them to eat and share with their siblings. “[Dad] really didn’t like to see a kid go hungry. He had eight kids himself, and we never went hungry,” Ms. Denning said as she cried. “And he always said, ‘I do it for the kids.’ He really did it for the kids more than anything.” Through word of mouth and telephone calls, individuals around the community began to learn about Ted’s efforts and call him to pick up their donated goods. “They would call Dad, and Dad would go pick it up, then he would store it and then pack up his truck in the trailer and take it up to Newcomb, Tenn.,” Ms. Denning said. After Ted passed away, the council at St. John Neumann decided they would continue his ministry of delivering food to pantries in the Knoxville area. Today, with between 20-30 volunteers, the ministry picks up food from grocery stores and restaurants every day of the week. While most volunteers are retired, some fit in food pickup and delivery around their routine work schedules. “We’re still operating within the limits Ted has set. It is a ministry which requires people to make time for it,” Mr. Hanson said. “You are a charitable arm, and you are a responsible member, and without you this doesn’t happen.” Keith Sanford, a Knight and St. John Neumann parishioner, has been involved with the ministry for the past five years and currently serves as the food delivery team coordinator. “I just make sure all the days are covered. If somebody is going to be out of town, they call me, and then B2 n NOVEMBER 7, 2021

GABRIELLE NOLAN

Ministry continued from page B1

Continuing Ted Denning’s ministry Jim Lavallee of the St. John Neumann Knights unloads his containers of food for the Ladies of Charity. I get in touch with one of our substitutes to do the pickup that day,” Mr. Sanford said. “New people come on board, and I take them around to train them.” Mr. Sanford noted that volunteers do not have to be parishioners at St. John Neumann or in the Knights of Columbus, and new volunteers are welcome to join. “I enjoy just seeing this all come together and how it works. I really enjoy doing the work, doing the pickups,” Mr. Sanford said. “When you drop stuff off, there’s people waiting in line, and you know the food I’m dropping off, somebody is going to be taking it home that same day.” “I worked at [grocery stores] parttime when I was in college many moons ago, and I saw a lot of food get thrown away, and that always bothered me,” Mr. Sanford said. “I enjoy seeing stuff going to people that need it rather than ending up in the dumpster.” Primarily, the food that is picked up is bread, pre-packaged deli sandwiches, and produce, though occasionally there are also miscellaneous canned goods and desserts. Currently, food pickups occur at the Fresh Market stores in Farragut and Bearden seven days a week and the Publix in Farragut and

University Commons once a week each. Volunteers collect bins from St. John Neumann Parish, and then load food into the bins in their own vehicles before driving to the dropoff location. These morning routines can usually take around three hours of the volunteers’ time. For Sunday food pickups or evening pickups, sandwiches and produce are stored in large refrigerators on the parish campus until food can be delivered the following day. The Panera Bread located in Cedar Bluff is currently the only restaurant from which the ministry picks up food. Volunteers pick up from Panera three days each week, in the evenings, and food is stored at the parish until distribution the following morning. “Some of my brothers would actually go with [Dad] on Saturdays picking up stuff,” Ms. Denning said. “And if my siblings were visiting, they’d get in the car about quarter to nine at night, quarter to 10, and drive over [to Panera] and pick up the bread and stuff, and then the next day they’d go with him to help drop stuff off everywhere.” “We’ve all gone with him at one point or another to pick up bread or do it ourselves if he had something

w ww.di o k no x .o rg

ing spent some occasional doodle time practicing her imaginary married signature—of which there was an ever-changing variety of last names from which to choose. None felt right. Because none of them were right. I’ve always loved her dearly, but I’ve especially admired her willingness to never settle. Her searching led to other choices she’ll admit she wishes she would have/could have avoided. She’s battled depression, given in to addiction, spent money she didn’t have, and searched her soul more than any one soul should have to be searched. It’s funny listening to the two of them describe their first date. They’re both shy—conversationalists they are not. It’s a wonder there was ever a second. Without much talking, both admit they’d have likely hit if off much quicker if they’d sat across from one another and just texted back and forth. We’ve come to see how many other ways they’re a perfect match. He loves her dog dearly; she loves his daughter more. She loves baseball; he’s learning to love the Irish. She can’t cook a lick; he loves her anyway. So it was there, at the end of that aisle, I could smile, too, knowing she had finally found her place to stand—just where God had always meant her to be. Dear God—We say, “… let no man put asunder.” Please make that come true. Amen. ■ George Valadie resides in Chattanooga and is a parishioner at St. Stephen Church. come up,” Ms. Denning said. “My car would smell like Einstein Bagels for three days.” “Dad did it up until he was 88. In fact, he was picking up food at a grocery store when he had his heart attack,” Ms. Denning said. While Ted was picking up food at the University Commons Publix, a grocery store associate saw Ted on his monitor, clutching his chest and falling backward. The staff called 911, but it took the emergency responders 30 minutes to get his heart beating again. After being on life support for a week, giving family a chance to travel and say goodbye, Ted passed away on March 29, 2016. “[Ted] was doing his ministry right up until the end, which is just so remarkable,” said David Hetrick, a Knight and parishioner at St. John Neumann who was a charter member of Council 8781. “He was just a wonderful guy,” Mr. Hetrick said. “He could appear a little bit gruff on the exterior, but on the inside he’s just always wanting to help people. He’d come to our [Knights] meetings sometimes and say, ‘You need to do this,’ and he was right, we needed to do it. He would talk people into giving more of their time to help people.” “He got me involved,” Mr. Hetrick recalled. “He got me started with picking up [food]. So ever since 2012, every Thursday, unless I’m out of town, I will be doing this. I’ve been doing it for almost 10 years now, and I’ve really gotten a lot out of it . . . a lot more out of it than I’ve [put] into it.” “Dad did what he was going to do,” Ms. Denning explained. “You couldn’t tell him no. He spoke his mind, he spoke his piece. If he saw something wrong, he would say something; he didn’t care. And he never knew a stranger. He would talk to anybody anywhere about anything. He knew more people than I will ever know. That’s pretty much Dad in a nutshell.” After her dad passed away, Ms. Denning offered to take over the Ministry continued on page B6 TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

Scripture and the Spiritual Life

by Sister Anna Marie McGuan, RSM

The Way, the Truth, and the Life in Scripture The Word of God allows us to have an encounter with the risen Lord Jesus

t the Last Supper, Jesus told his Apostles: “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6), prompted by a comment from Thomas. Jesus had told the Apostles that He was going away in order to prepare a place for them, so that they could be with Him. And then said, “Where [I] am going you know the way” (John 14:4). Thomas said to him, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” (John 14:5). Jesus reassured Thomas that, in fact, they did know the way: it is Jesus himself. That is still true for us today. Jesus wasn’t just the way, the truth, and the life for the Apostles— he is the way, the truth, and the life for us, too. The Gospels, written with faith and with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, are meant to bring us to faith in Jesus, to this experience of Jesus as our way, our truth, and our life. Just as the first Apostles and disciples had to make a journey of faith by coming to know Jesus personally, so do people in every age. The Gospels help us do that by presenting Jesus through the lens of those who are already on this journey. The Apostles and evangelists had come to a place of personal knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. They

Hear more from Sister Anna Marie on her podcast, Scripture and the Spiritual Life. believed the reality of His divinity. They gave up their livelihoods, and ultimately their lives, to preach and teach about Jesus. They did not come to that faith overnight. As we know from the Gospels, the Apostles did not fully believe in Jesus immediately or understand his teachings perfectly. Over and over again we hear about the Apostles’ lack of faith, their foibles and their mistakes. However, they did not remain stuck in their unbelief and spiritual dullness. Jesus did not leave them in their limitations. He enabled them, just as He does for us, to come to believe in God’s saving will and His personal love and providence. The Gospels, then, tell us about the life and teaching of Jesus from the perspective of those whose lives were transformed by Jesus. The Gospel writers recorded Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection so that we would know what really happened to Jesus of Nazareth. The same story of Jesus has been shared with us, from the Apostles and disciples, for 2,000 years. Why does it still matter? Jesus became a

Thoughts and Prayers for the Faithful

man like us so that we might walk this path of faith, like the Apostles before us, and finally reach our supreme happiness with Him forever in heaven. St. Paul put it this way: “[Jesus] indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Corinthians 5:15). Living for Jesus means living a divine life, one that has been changed by grace, and continues to transform as we grow in union with God. We have access to God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit— in the sacraments, especially in the most holy Eucharist, in the virtues of faith, hope, and charity, and in the word of God in the Bible. Indeed, Sacred Scripture allows us to have an encounter with the risen Lord Jesus. As we read Scripture, there are steps we can take to dispose ourselves to the reality of Jesus’ love for us and God’s saving presence in our lives. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI puts it this way in a 2006 Q & A with young people: “It must first of all be said that one must not read Sacred Scripture as one reads any kind of historical book, such as, for example, Homer, Ovid, or Horace; it is necessary to truly read it as the Word of God, that is, by entering into a conversa-

tion with God…with prayer, saying to the Lord, ‘Help me to understand your Word, what it is you want to tell me in this passage.’” That little prayer is a deliberate act to open one’s heart to the presence of God in his Word. If we are open and listening, we will notice how God speaks to us through his sacred Word, but also through the events and circumstances and interactions of the day. St. Augustine would encourage a very similar openness to God’s word: “I knocked at the door of the Word to find out at last what the Lord wants to say to me.” This disposition of ready listening is crucial to developing a lived relationship with God. The reason is that, by reading Scripture, we have an opportunity to listen to the living God. We also receive an invitation to respond, addressed specifically to the heart of each person. God desires our friendship, not for His own sake, but because He knows that is what will ultimately bring meaning, purpose, and happiness to our lives. ■ Sister Anna Marie McGuan, RSM, is the former director of the Office of Christian Formation for the Diocese of Knoxville. She also writes for SimplyCatholic.com, a ministry of Our Sunday Visitor. This column originally appeared at SimplyCatholic.com.

by Bob Hunt

No compromise with the Holy One of God Some abandoned Jesus because of His hard teaching on eating His body and drinking His blood

he Book of Joshua tells the story of Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land. Toward the end of the book, Joshua gathers the elders of Israel. He has led them through the conquest of Canaan after Moses led them to the eastern bank of the Jordan. Moses was not to lead them across the river. That was left to Joshua. Now, after all that God had done for them and the fulfillment of so many promises, there were still some who clung to the gods of their fathers or were tempted to worship the gods of the new land they occupied. Joshua gives them a stark choice: serve these false gods or serve the God who is God. They insist that they will serve the Lord. In the Gospel According to John, Jesus reveals Himself as the Bread of Life sent down from heaven. “Truly, truly, I say to you,” Jesus told them, “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” This was too much for some of

His disciples. How could Jesus give them His flesh to eat and His blood to drink? The Law given to Moses forbade consuming the blood of animals. Now, Jesus demands that they drink His blood? Many walked away. But just as it was not for Moses to lead the Hebrews into the Promised Land, so it is not for the Law of Moses to redeem us. It was for Joshua to lead the Hebrews into the Promised Land, and it is for the new Joshua to redeem us (Yeshua is the Hebrew name that translates into both “Joshua” and “Jesus” and means “God saves”). Jesus turns to the Twelve and asks, plaintively, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter replies, “Master, to whom shall we go?” Those disciples who left returned to their former lives. Simon Peter and the Twelve knew that was not possible for them. They had seen too much, learned too much, experienced too much of Jesus to not realize that there was not merely a prophet like Moses here, but one greater than Moses. “We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

Decide today whom you will serve. Our world has little interest and not even much tolerance for those who have committed themselves to following Jesus. According to some, if you are a Christian, you are among those who oppress others, or you are the moral equivalent of the Taliban. Of course, we here in the United States have it easy compared with our confreres in the Middle East, in China and, now, in Afghanistan. But persecution is not the only threat to Christians. An even greater threat, especially for Christians in the West who live in relative peace and tolerance, is the temptation to conform our faith to political, social, or cultural movements, or simply to set aside the faith in favor of the more traditional temptations of fame, fortune, or pleasure. One might say that Christians in the Middle East are at greater risk of losing their lives, while Christians in the West are at greater risk of losing their souls. The decision to follow Jesus must have more consequence than simply where one spends an hour on Sunday mornings or to whom one writes a check on Giving Tuesday.

Those who abandoned Jesus because of His hard teaching on eating His body and drinking His blood went back to their former lives. For one who knows that there is no one else to go to, there is no going back. It is all or nothing. There is no halfway. One does not compromise with or skimp on the Holy One of God. For every believer there is the challenge to transform one’s life to better reflect the Gospel rather than the priorities of this world. That’s not easy. It led each of the apostles, except John, to martyrdom, and it led John to exile. Each of the apostles was prepared to give his life for the faith. It begs the question: What am I prepared to do? In fact, What am I doing because I am a Christian? Would my life be any different if I did not claim to be a follower of Jesus? Decide today whom you will serve. Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all. ■

Daily readings

John 2:13-22 Wednesday, Nov. 10: Memorial of St. Leo the Great, pope and doctor of the Church, Wisdom 6:1-11; Psalm 82:3-4, 6-7; Luke 17:11-19 Thursday, Nov. 11: Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, bishop, Wisdom 7:22–8:1; Psalm 119:89-91, 130, 135, 175; Luke 17:20-25 Friday, Nov. 12: Memorial of St. Josaphat, bishop and martyr, Wisdom 13:1-9; Psalm 19:2-5; Luke 17:26-37 Saturday, Nov. 13: Memorial of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, virgin, Wisdom 18:14-16 and 19:6-9; Psalm 105:2-3, 36-37, 42-43; Luke 18:1-8 Sunday, Nov. 14: Daniel 12:1-3; Psalm 16:5, 8-11; Hebrews 10:11-14, 18; Mark 13:24-32 Monday, Nov. 15: 1 Maccabees 1:1015, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63; Psalm 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158; Luke 18:35-43 Tuesday, Nov. 16: 2 Maccabees 6:1831; Psalm 3:2-7; Luke 19:1-10 Wednesday, Nov. 17: Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, religious, 2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31; Psalm 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15; Luke 19:11-28 Thursday, Nov. 18: 1 Maccabees

2:15-29; Psalm 50:1-2, 5-6, 14-15; Luke 19:41-44 Friday, Nov. 19: 1 Maccabees 4:36-37, 52-59; 1 Chronicles 29:10-12; Luke 19:45-48 Saturday, Nov. 20: 1 Maccabees 6:1-13; Psalm 9:2-4, 6, 16, 19; Luke 20:27-40 Sunday, Nov. 21: The solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Daniel 7:13-14; Psalm 93:12, 5; Revelation 1:5-8; John 18:33-37 Monday, Nov. 22: Memorial of St. Cecilia, virgin and martyr, Daniel 1:16, 8-20; Daniel 3:52-56; Luke 21:1-4 Tuesday, Nov. 23: Daniel 2:31-45; Daniel 3:57-61; Luke 21:5-11 Wednesday, Nov. 24: Memorial of St. Andrew Dung-Lac, priest, and companions, martyrs, Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28; Daniel 3:62-67; Luke 21:12-19 Thursday, Nov. 25: Thanksgiving Day, Sirach 50:22-24; Psalm 145:2-11; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Luke 17:11-19 Friday, Nov. 26: Daniel 7:2-14; Daniel 3:75-81; Luke 21:29-33 Saturday, Nov. 27: Daniel 7:15-27; Daniel 3:82-87; Luke 21:34-36

Sunday, Nov. 28: First Sunday of Advent, Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10, 14; 1 Thessalonians 3:12– 4:2; Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 Monday, Nov. 29: Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122:1-9; Matthew 8:5-11 Tuesday, Nov. 30: Feast of St. Andrew, apostle, Romans 10:9-18; Psalm 19:8-11; Matthew 4:18-22 Wednesday, Dec. 1: Isaiah 25:6-10; Psalm 23:1-6; Matthew 15:29-37 Thursday, Dec. 2: Isaiah 26:1-6; Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27; Matthew 7:21, 24-27 Friday, Dec. 3: Memorial of St. Francis Xavier, priest, Isaiah 29:17-24; Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14; Matthew 9:27-31 Saturday, Dec. 4: Isaiah 30:19-21, 2326; Psalm 147:1-6; Matthew 9:35–10:1 and 10:5-8 Sunday, Dec. 5: Baruch 5:1-9; Psalm 126:1-6; Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11; Luke 3:1-6 Monday, Dec. 6: Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 85:9-14; Luke 5:17-26 Tuesday, Dec. 7: Memorial of St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church, Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 96:1-3, 10-13; Matthew 18:12-14 n

Monday, Nov. 1: Solemnity of All Saints, Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; Psalm 24:1-6; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12 Tuesday, Nov. 2: The Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (All Souls), Wisdom 3:1-9; Psalm 23:1-6; Romans 6:3-9; John 6:37-40 Wednesday, Nov. 3: Romans 13:8-10; Psalm 112:1-2, 4-5, 9; Luke 14:25-33 Thursday, Nov. 4: Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, bishop, Romans 14:7-12; Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14; Luke 15:1-10 Friday, Nov. 5: Romans 15:14-21; Psalm 98:1-4; Luke 16:1-8 Saturday, Nov. 6: Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27; Psalm 145:2-5, 10-11; Luke 16:9-15 Sunday, Nov. 7: 1 Kings 17:10-16; Psalm 146:7-10; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44 Monday, Nov. 8: Wisdom 1:1-7; Psalm 139:1-10; Luke 17:1-6 Tuesday, Nov. 9: Feast of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9; 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17; TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

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Bob Hunt is a husband, father, grandfather, and parishioner at All Saints Church in Knoxville and is a candidate for the permanent diaconate.

NOVEMBER 7, 2021 n B3

Parish notes St. Jude, Chattanooga The eighth annual Holiday Craft Fair is set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, in the Hofstetter Gymnasium. Forty-plus local crafters and artisans will be featured, and food will be provided by the Knights of Columbus. Craft booths are still available; pick up a form in the vestibule or call the church office at 423-870-2386. St. Jude announced that Donna Gabor is the new president of its Council of Catholic Women. The parish thanked immediate past CCW president Emily Knoch for her years of service in the role. The Knights collected “Coats for Christmas” on the weekends of Oct. 23-24 and Oct. 30-31, along with sweaters, hoodies, new socks, and more.

The Council of Catholic Women thanked everyone who helped with its recent bake sale: callers, workers, bakers, buyers, and sellers. The proceeds were $3,500, which will help many charities. Anniversaries: Steve and Mary Lou Knowles (74), Ron and Terry Gleusner (65), Eugene and Marilyn Schmitt (65), Vincent and Phyllis Fodera (62), Robert and Janice Cahill (60), Mike and Susan Spitler (59), Ken and Helen Roy (59), Tom and Mary Dega (58), Frank and Nancy Draber (57), Eugene and Janet Standaert (57), Wayne and Alice Duckstein (54), Jack and Twyla O’Kane (52), Dave and Maryann Golden (52), Fred and Donna Laufenberg (51), John and Ruth Hughes (50), Robert and Laurie Powers (40), Robert and Sandra Stowasser (40), David and Lynne Harty (40), William and Rogena Twomey (30), Michael and Natalie Stendardo (30)

COURTESY OF EILEEN RUPPEL (2)

Chattanooga Deanery

St. John Neumann, Farragut The parish’s recent trivia night was a huge success. More than 100 parishioners gathered for dinner catered by El Meson. Top three winners were Fire and Brainstorm (the Kueter family), $500; The Holy Rollers (deacons and wives and pastor Father Charlie Burton), $300; and Rocky Top Gators (the Joyce, Halabrin, Wurm, and Ross families), $200. The parish thanked the restaurant, Irene Scoggins and the youth ministry, Marlene Haigh, and Tim King for making the night possible.

Parishioners prayed for six Thursdays, Sept. 23 to Oct. 28, as part of the 40 Days for Life campaign across from Planned Parenthood’s facility in East Knoxville. The St. John Neumann Legion of Mary sponsored a rosary rally Oct. 16 in the rosary garden behind the church to pray for the conversion of the United States. St. Therese, Clinton

St. Jude youth sold doughnuts after Masses on the weekend of Oct. 2-3 to raise funds to attend the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis in November.

The social action committee is collecting Coats for the Cold to help the needy in the area. Gently used and clean coats may be placed in the bin in the parish hall.

All Saints Parish celebrates feast of St. Francis of Assisi The Creation Care Team coordinated the celebration of the feast of St. Francis on Oct. 3 at All Saints Church in Knoxville. It included a blessing of the pets by Father Alex Hernandez and artwork depicting St. Francis’ Canticle of the Creatures by Girl Scout Troop 20263. Despite the rain, the event was well attended, and pets included dogs, cats, fish, and a hermit crab.

St. Mary, Athens The Knights of Columbus hosted a pancake breakfast Oct. 24. As part of the event, Will Diaz, council insurance agent, gave a presentation on insurance benefits and mutual funds offered through the Knights. Confirmandi: Julian Carrillo, Emily Sloan, Stephen Conley, Jacob Hardin, Marian Angel, Jimena Sanchez, Elisa Hernandez, Oscar Sanchez, Denise Cornejo, Gianna Kreider

The Council of Catholic Women hosted the Cumberland Mountain Deanery fall general meeting Oct. 23. Pastor Father Richard Armstrong spoke at the meeting. The parish welcomed Father Thomas Edelen from Cross Catholic Outreach on the weekend of Oct. 3. He shared stories about the work the ministry performs with mission partners worldwide.

Five Rivers Deanery St. Stephen, Chattanooga Holy Trinity, Jefferson City

Anniversaries: Bob and Karen Adney (55), Tony and Janie Duke (51), Bradley and Meagan Gentry (10)

Cumberland Mountain Deanery St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade An octave of prayers and celebration for the parish began Oct. 3. All the parishioners who served in liturgy and music at each Mass were recognized for their service. A “biblical ice cream social” was held in the parish hall. On Oct. 4, the feast day of the parish’s patron saint brought members together again as a parish family. Following the 8 a.m. Mass, a rosary was prayed for prisoners/captives, and the parish recognized all those who serve at food banks, in hospice, at the Hilltoppers agency for those with disabilities, and others. A blessing of the animals was held later that morning. The parish on Oct. 5 celebrated a ministry within the area of adult faith formation that concentrates on the fundamental mission of making missionary disciples. On Oct. 6, a healing Mass was concelebrated with pastor Father Michael Woods and Father Mark Schuster of St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville for those wanting physical, emotional, or spiritual healing. The parish ended its celebration of prayer Oct. 7 with Mass and a morning reflection on Mary on the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. B4 n NOVEMBER 7, 2021

The parish/family life committee sponsored a fall festival after Mass on Nov. 7 with crafts, entertainment, and Trunk or Treat for the children. A recent school supply drive was held to assist Appalachian Outreach Ministries in providing to needy children. The Knights of Columbus hosted an Italian Night dinner Oct. 23. A Mass for Life was celebrated Oct. 3 with the recitation of the rosary after Mass. Parishioners pray at Planned Parenthood in Knoxville on first Fridays. Parishioners took part in the 21st annual Life Outreach Center Walk for Life on Oct. 23 at Wayne Hansard Park in Morristown.

ELIZABETH CONWAY

A Fatima Rosary Rally took place Oct. 16 at St. Stephen.

The parish will celebrate its 25th anniversary Sunday, Dec. 5. Bishop Richard F. Stika plans to join Holy Trinity parishioners in the celebration.

Holy Spirit Knights honor two Knights of Columbus Council 14079 at Holy Spirit Church in Soddy-Daisy recently honored two members of the congregation for outstanding commitment and work. Grand Knight Kevin Perry presented the Knight of the month award to Third Degree Kenneth King for his unending hours of answering calls for help. The family of the month award went to Irene Gruter for her endless commitment to the music program and to answering other calls of “help, please.”

COURTESY OF LANA J. SMITH

Knights of Columbus Council 6099 held a spaghetti-dinner fundraiser Oct. 24 at the Knights Hall.

During October, parishioners honored the Blessed Mother with a living rosary daily with 80 parishioners participating. The Knights thanked parishioners for participating in their recent Tootsie Roll Drive, which raised more than $2,000 to benefit area individuals with intellectual disabilities. Anniversaries: Andy and Kathy Watts (20), Michael and Holly Hogan (15), Andy and Cheryl Ladner (15) Notre Dame, Greeneville Notre Dame’s sister parish in Haiti has a new pastor, Father Garvey Lamour, who wrote the Greeneville parish asking for help. The Aug. 14 earthquake damaged the rectory and church to the extent that the parish celebrates Mass outside. Parish notes continued on page B8

Kingsport Knights organize Life Prayer Chain Knights of Columbus Council 6992 at St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport organized a Life Prayer Chain on Sanctity of Life Sunday, Oct. 3, in Kingsport. Four churches participated in the Life Prayer Chain. Twenty-one people were present on a rainy day. Fifteen people were from St. Dominic Parish.

Smiths of Fairfield Glade celebrate 60th

t. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade congratulates Jack and Virginia Smith on their 60th wedding anniversary on Oct. 21. They were married at St. Joseph’s Chapel at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala., with Father C. Franklyn Lynette, SJ, officiating. Their children are Kathryn (Ka-

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tie) Smith of Fairfield Glade, Sarah Trent of Knoxville, and Joseph Smith of Gulf Breeze, Fla., and they have two grandchildren. They moved to the Glade in 2004. The men’s prayer group with Mr. Smith has been praying together every first Saturday for more than 15 years. n TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

Calendar The Diocese of Knoxville Young Adult Ministry in collaboration with the Office of Christian Formation is sponsoring a one-day retreat, themed “Prepare Your Home, Prepare Your Heart: An Advent Preparation Retreat for Young Adults,” from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, in the Monsignor Mankel Room at the Chancery office in Knoxville. This retreat will explore how young adults can best live out the upcoming liturgical season, spiritually and at home. Cost is $10 and includes lunch. Register at https://www.eventbrite. com/e/ready-your-home-ready-yourheart-an-advent-preparation-retreattickets-178960946007. For more information, contact Paola Wolaver at pwolaver@dioknox.org or 865-5843307, extension 5768.

Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga is currently accepting applications for the 2022-23 academic year. Visit www.myndhs.com to apply online. Call Laura Goodhard at 423624-4618, extension 1004, for more information.

The youth ministry at St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga welcomes all young people in grades five through eight to participate in “Underground Christmas” from 6:30 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18. Mass begins at 9:30 p.m. This popular and fun-filled night fosters a greater compassion for disciples of Jesus facing persecution and an appreciation for the freedom Americans have to worship. The event concludes with Mass in an “underground” fashion. Parents and family are welcome to attend Mass. Going underground, small groups of believers studied Scripture, sang hymns, and received sacraments. This still happens today in many countries. There are hundreds of unofficial “home churches” in countries like China, Pakistan, and Iraq. Attendees run the constant risk of harassment, detention, or even death by the authorities. Underground Christmas attempts to bring these difficulties into focus by re-enacting these conditions around the St. Jude campus. Cost is $25 and includes a T-shirt. Registration closes Dec. 5 (late registrants will be accepted until the event reaches its limit, but they may not receive a T-shirt). Contact Irene Scoggins at 423-596-0053 or irenescoggins@gmail.com. Register or learn more at dioknox.org/events/ underground-christmas-2021.

The National Catholic Youth Conference is coming to the diocese with the first-ever local NCYC celebration Nov. 18-20 at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport. The event includes livestreaming of the NCYC general and break-out sessions, live music onsite, a thematic park on the grounds, a reflection and discussion guide for small groups, NCYC and Diocese of Knoxville keepsakes, meals, and service activities. In a distinctly Catholic setting, the organizers invite participants to encounter Christ, experience Church, and be empowered for discipleship. Cost is $175 plus $10 for transportation from Knoxville or Chattanooga. To register or download a flyer, visit dioknox.org/ events/ncyc-2021.

Search for Christian Maturity retreat No. 163 in the Chattanooga Deanery is set for the weekend of Dec. 3-5 at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton. The weekend begins between 7 and 7:30 p.m. Friday and concludes at 5 p.m. Sunday. Search helps Catholic high school juniors and seniors take a fresh look at their own faith journey, reflecting on their place within their families, schools, parishes, and community as a disciple of Christ. This is accomplished through activities and experiences that lead participants to a renewed understanding of Christ at work in their lives. Search is facilitated by teens for teens with the guidance of adult Search coordinators. The main focus of the retreat is threefold: motivating the youth to seek a personal relationship with Christ, getting young people involved with their respective parishes, and promoting leadership. Cost is $85, and the registration deadline is Monday, Nov. 15. To learn more, contact Donna Jones at djones@dioknox.org or (to register) visit dioknox.org/events/search-163. Search 164 is Feb. 25-27. TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) Homeschool Support Group is a Catholic homeschool support group in Knoxville and surrounding areas that is recognized by the diocese as a Private Association of the Faithful. The group supports one another as families who choose to educate their children at home in order to live, teach, and preserve their Catholic Christianity. The group celebrates Mass together and has a monthly holy hour; has regular park gatherings, field trips, and feast day celebrations; offers faith-based small groups for children, teens, and adults, as well as many other activities. For more information, contact Lenore Pacitti at lmgouge@ gmail.com or 865-684-6358, or Sarah Bryant at jsbry412@gmail.com or 865-742-3534.

COURTESY OF BILL HEWITT COURTESY OF CLAUDE HARDISON

The RCIA Winter Conference for coordinators and team members is set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22, at All Saints Church in Knoxville. For more information as details become available, visit dioknox.org/events/ rcia-winter-conference.

St. Henry Knights announce family of the month Knights of Columbus Council 8860 of St. Henry Parish in Rogersville announced Beverly and Pam Carmack as their family of the month for October, November, and December. The Carmacks are pictured with Grand Knight Bill Hewitt (left), council warden Stephen Derosia (second from right), and St. Henry pastor Father Bart Okere. The honorees are active members of St. Henry. Beverly Carmack oversees the gift-shop operation and is the parish council president. He is deputy Grand Knight for the council and has held other leadership roles for it. Pam Carmack is lead counter after Sunday Mass, is a reader during daily Masses, volunteers at church fundraisers, and works at the rectory weekly. She also volunteers in the community with Project Serve Our Soldiers, a group dedicated to supporting deployed service men and women.

Cleveland Knights receive state Community Award Knights of Columbus Queen of Heaven Council 4572 in Cleveland received the Community Award at the recent Knights of Columbus state meeting for outstanding support provided to a local community. Above, Bertin Kurtz (left), past Grand Knight, receives the award from current Grand Knight Lester Brown. At the 2020-21 annual state meeting of the Tennessee Councils of the Knights of Columbus, Council 4572 was the finalist for the state Community Award. This award is based on a council’s support of the local community. The council’s project was titled “Covid-19 Pandemic Assistance.” The council undertook the challenge to donate to the charities that serve the most significant population impacted by the pandemic within the Cleveland/Bradley County community. The top seven charities that the council has supported over the years on an annual basis were designated, and funds were drawn from the current charity’s budget, fundraising activities, donations, and bequests to realize an amount to make a substantial impact. As a result, $34,500 was directed to the Covid-19 Pandemic Assistance project. The Cleveland Knights of Columbus conduct four major fundraising activities each year, including a Boston butt barbecue sale on Labor Day and the Super Bowl. In addition, a golf tournament is held each year on the first Friday of May, and valet-parking events are held throughout the year, including the Gala event at the Museum Center at 5ive Points in Cleveland.

Catholic Charities is hosting a Rachel’s Vineyard healing and recovery retreat the weekend of May 6-8 at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center, 250 Locke Lane in Benton, for those experiencing emotional or spiritual difficulties from a past abortion or abortions. Complete confidentiality is honored at all times. If you are unable to attend a weekend retreat, oneon-one counseling is available with counselors who have been trained in this area. For more information, contact Sandi Davidson at 865-776-4510 or sandi@ccetn.org. All COVID-19 restrictions will be followed during the retreat. The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend is set for Feb. 25-27 in Johns Creek, Ga. Apply online at GATN-wwme.org, call 678242-WWME, or e-mail applications@ GATN-wwme.org. Also, WWME has a focused program for couples with a spouse in the military. Information can be found at www.foryourmilitarymarriage.com. Join Father Jerry Daniels and Deacon Al Forsythe on a pilgrimage to Italy from May 2-13, including Rome, Assisi, San Giovanni, Pompeii, and Sorrento. Pilgrims will have the opportunity to be present at the Wednesday papal audience in St. Peter’s Square and visit St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Paul Outside the Walls, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, the Holy Stairs, Gesu church, where they will see the relics of St. Calendar continued on page B8

COURTESY OF SUSAN COLLINS

The next Picture of Love engaged couples retreat is scheduled for 6:45 to 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18, and 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, at St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga. This marriage-preparation program for engaged couples explores the joys and challenges of living out life together as a married couple with special focus on the importance of inviting Jesus to be the center of marriage and family life. The retreat is to supplement couples’ marriage formation process with their parish priest or deacon. The cost is $135 per couple, and the experience will qualify couples for a $60 discount on a Tennessee marriage license. Snacks, a continental breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included. Participants are responsible for their own overnight accommodations if needed. For more information, e-mail kbyrne@dioknox.org or call Karen Byrne at 865-584-3307 or visit https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/picture-of-loveprogram-for-engaged-couples-registration-177346356727.

The tuition support application for the 2022-23 school year is now open on the websites of St. Jude School, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, and Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga. The deadline for applying for support is Dec. 31. Each family that applies must also submit a Parish Affiliation Form signed by their pastor. For more information, contact Mary Anne Poinsatte, tuition support coordinator, at 423-240-5756 or poinsattema@ myndhs.com.

Notre Dame Parish youth assemble Cemetery of the Unborn Some of the middle school and high school youth at Notre Dame Parish in Greene ville assembled a Cemetery of the Unborn as a reminder to the community of the intrinsic evil of abortion. From left are Meghan Durante, Natalia Ozbun, Cynthia Ozbun, Alexa Gonzalez, Sarai Galarza, John Chapman, and Carson Jones. The latest statistics indicate 98 abortions happen every hour in the United States; therefore, the class displayed 98 crosses as a reminder. October was Respect Life month, and the crosses remained on display in front of the Ganz Youth Center for the whole month. At the conclusion of the Wednesday night religious-education classes on Oct. 6, the students gathered at the cemetery for a candlelight rosary for an end to abortion on the vigil of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Glade’s Cahills celebrate 60th anniversary

t. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade congratulates Robert and Janice Cahill on their 60th wedding anniversary Nov. 18. They were married at Sacred Heart Church in Gettysburg, S.D. Their children are Cheryl and husband Don Popour of Crossville

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and Duane Cahill of Deering, N.H. They have three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Mr. Cahill retired from General Motors in 1993 and Mrs. Cahill from JoAnn Fabric and Crafts store in 2008. They moved to the Glade in 2009. n NOVEMBER 7, 2021 n B5

“Glenmary asks that volunteers be 14 years and older,” he added. “We have no age limitations and have had adult groups in their 70s and 80s.” Short-term volunteers stay three to seven days on Joppa Mountain. Long-term volunteers or “mountain managers” serve for three to 24 months. The Toppa Joppa facility is located about 45 minutes from Knoxville on 10 acres of property. “We have one large building where the short-term volunteers stay and four ‘tiny houses’ for the long-term volunteers (mountain managers) to stay at,” Mr. Grosek said. Mr. Grosek started with the volunteer program at the Glenmary Farm in Lewis County, Ky., before it moved to Grainger County. “I was a long-term volunteer for two years and have been a lay volunteer director for about 18 years now,” he said. Notre Dame student Patrick Buck and three fellow students were building a ramp at the home of a resident named Norman on Oct. 21. “We’ve been busy the entire week. We’ve been doing a lot of home repair around the area,” Mr. Buck said. “We’ve been working on building some handicap-accessible ramps on homes. We’ve visited some homes in the area. We brought people some ovens, a full kitchen oven that we brought into the house, and some food. We’ve really just been meeting people and trying to help out.” Service is a key component of the Notre Dame students’ visit to East Tennessee, Mr. Buck said. “We’re trying to use the time we have and some of the skills we have

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Glenmary continued from page B1

‘We’ve been busy the entire week’ Glenmary Volunteers director Joe Grosek (third from right) stands with University of Notre Dame students working on a house in Luttrell. From left are mountain manager Jenna Spurlock, Andrew Packard, Maggie Elliott, Colleen Lipa, Claire Iannelli, Kyle Phan, Brooke Friedman, and Irene Levering. to help make people’s lives better and also meet them and hear their stories and learn from that,” he said. When the group is at the Joppa Mountain facility, “we do a lot of reflection up there and a lot of planning,” Mr. Buck said. “There is prayer—we pray before every meal. We pray before we go out to work. We pray when we get at work, and then we pray at the end of the day. We also went to Mass at St. Teresa.” Aidan Creeron is another Notre

Dame student who made the October trip to Joppa Mountain. “It’s been great. I’ve been to Appalachia to do service twice before. I’m really enjoying learning about Tennessee and meeting the community members of East Tennessee and doing really interesting projects,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot about my abilities as a worker in carpentry. It’s really nice to get to know the people of East Tennessee and just to go to an area where I’ve never been before.”

Meeting the people they are serving in Appalachia “has been wonderful,” Mr. Creeron said. “We had kind of a nice little picnic one night with a family a few miles from Glenmary. They showed us around their property. They showed us their farm animals. They were very welcoming,” he said. “It was great to truly meet people who otherwise I wouldn’t normally have met. The hospitality of all those we’ve Glenmary continued on page B8

to Mr. Bryant, the Crazy Quilt pantry is able to create about 30 food boxes for clients from the donated food. Tuesday drop-offs go to the Love Kitchen in East Knoxville, which provides meals and food packages to the homebound, homeless, and unemployed. On Wednesdays, food is delivered to Samaritan Place in West Knoxville, which is a program of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee that serves senior citizens in crisis, many of whom are homeless. “It is a rewarding ministry,” said Bill Hermes, a Knight who has delivered food to Samaritan Place for the past year. “Samaritan Place uses the food to support an assistedliving home and absolutely relies on the donations. Nancy runs the kitchen… yelling out a warm thanks every week. It is a good gig.” Thursday drop-offs go to the FISH Pantry in North Knoxville, a nonprofit food pantry that welcomes all guests to come through their food line, no questions asked. “You see this great food that

COURTESY OF SUSAN DENNING

duty of creating the monthly volunteer calendar for Panera Bread. She sends it to the coordinators at various churches who also pick up from Panera, and they pass along the schedules to their volunteers. “That’s how I’m involved,” Ms. Denning said. “And if for some reason somebody can’t pick up, something like . . . they’re going on vacation or whatever the case may be, if I can’t find somebody to pick it up, I will go pick up the leftover food at night.” Today, the ministry serves various organizations around Knoxville, and each location receives food regularly on a specific day of the week. On Sundays, food deliveries are dropped off at the EM Jellenik Center in North Knoxville, which is a residential community providing support and recovery to clients with substance-abuse addictions. On Mondays and Saturdays, volunteers make the drive to Crazy Quilt in Newcomb to drop off food donations at that pantry. According

Ted and Phyllis Denning B6 n NOVEMBER 7, 2021

GABRIELLE NOLAN

Ministry continued from page B2

Food at FISH Volunteers at the FISH Pantry in North Knoxville assemble food for clients to pick up. would be thrown away,” Mr. Hetrick said. “You bring it here [to FISH Pantry] and see the line of people—there’s always 100 people here, sometimes more to pick up this food, and these people would probably go hungry if they didn’t have it. It just gives me a lot of satisfaction to know that we are helping people who are [less fortunate] than we are.” On Fridays, the Ladies of Charity in North Knoxville receives food deliveries that aid its emergency food packages to individuals and families. “When I started here, I heard of Ted Denning, and then I finally got to meet him,” said Susan Unbehaun, executive director at Ladies of Charity. “He was a very tall man and always was in bib overalls driving around in a red truck.” “He would drive around town getting all the food donations you possibly can. This was before Second Harvest had organized the food-to-rescue that it does today, so it really was the grassroots start for food rescue for us,” she said. Ted personally visited Ladies of Charity multiple times per week with food donations. “I think the biggest thing we frustrated him with was we didn’t unload his truck and buckets fast enough so he could go out and get more food,” Ms. Unbehaun remembered with a smile. “[The ministry] has continued today with them delivering Fresh Market foods here once or twice a week,” Ms. Unbehaun said. “The nice thing about this food donation is that it’s sandwiches and packaged meals that we can hand directly out to people in need, especially

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the homeless.” Although Ted has now been gone for five years, the ministry he started continues to run strong today. Earlier this year, Lisa Healy, the executive director of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, sent a letter to Knights of Columbus Council 8781 thanking them for their generous support of the food pantry at Crazy Quilt during the 2020 calendar year. “Your organization made 48 trips to Crazy Quilt in Jellico,” the letter read. “The trips averaged 1,500 pounds of food each, with five Knights making the 150-mile round trip each Tuesday.” “Food delivery, I figure, is a stealth ministry…. They do it with no expectation of credit for it,” Mr. Hanson said. “They are all very humble people.” Because of Ted’s personal desire to bring food to the needy in East Tennessee, likely thousands of individuals have been touched over the last 20 years by the organizations and volunteers who gave their time to deliver and distribute food. Knights of Columbus Council 8781 was renamed last year in Ted’s honor. The resolution to change the council’s name, which was sent to the Knights of Columbus board of directors, stated the change was “in order to memorialize the countless contributions of Ted H. Denning Jr. to the service of others” and, if approved, the members would “find a renewed energy to emulate their council’s namesake.” For those interested in volunteering with the food delivery ministry, contact Walt Hanson at wehanson 319@gmail.com. n TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

Catholic schools

DR. KELLY KEARSE (4)

KCHS, NDHS football teams end regular season

COURTESY OF LAURA GOODHARD

Knoxville Catholic High School enters the playoffs 5-4 The Knoxville Catholic High School football team finished the regular season with a 5-4 record. The Fighting Irish played a first-round playoff game against visiting Christian Brothers on Nov. 5. The photos, including one with Bishop Richard F. Stika (above), are from KCHS’s 31-21 win over visiting Baylor.

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

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BILL BREWER

Notre Dame concludes season with a 3-7 record The Notre Dame High School football team finished the regular season with a 3-7 record. The photos below and at bottom-right are from the Fighting Irish’s 7-6 win at Knoxville Grace.

NOVEMBER 7, 2021 n B7

been working with and serving has been wonderful.” On Joppa, “we cook up there. We do our daily tasks and chores. We have reflections every night. We sit around and talk. There’s time to read and free time to relax,” Mr. Creeron said. Mr. Grosek “is phenomenal,” he added. “He’s the most patient person I’ve met in years. I think all of us came in with minimal construction experience,” Mr. Creeron said. “Every time he is just friendly and always makes us laugh and is always extremely patient with us, especially when I’m sure he could finish the job much sooner than we could.” Notre Dame student Mary Harkins was in her home state when she visited Joppa Mountain. “I’m from West Tennessee, from Memphis. It’s been interesting to be on this side of the state and help people while taking our break to help people instead of doing something for ourselves,” she said. “We have a break from school in between the semester midterms, so we all decided to use our break to help people out who needed it and hopefully do some good work.” Thirteen other Notre Dame groups served at different sites in Appalachia while the Joppa Mountain group was in East Tennessee, Miss Harkins said. In serving the needy, “It’s been amazing seeing their joy and how happy they are with the little they have, and they’re just so thankful and eager to share their stories with us. It’s been an interesting sight,” Miss Harkins said. Fellow Notre Dame student Lainey Teeters said her time in East Tennessee “has been a really great experience. We’ve done a lot of construction work, building ramps and stuff. We’ve also gotten to meet a lot of people in the community of Ap-

palachia, and it’s been really nice to experience the culture, getting to talk to them and hear their stories and more about their lives, because it is so different from mine and anyone I’ve run into in my life,” she said. The construction “is hard work,” Miss Teeters said. “We’ve built two ramps. Another group went out and transferred a lot of coal to people’s houses.” Glenmary mountain manager Jenna Spurlock said the Notre Dame group “is a blast.” “We’ve been doing a lot of hard work together,” she said. “We’re helping move a pile of coal from one man’s yard. He wasn’t able to use it because his stove is in disrepair, and so we moved it to another family’s home. We brought some food over to one family’s home and got to visit with them.” Mr. Grosek said he was pleased with the Notre Dame students’ efforts. “It’s been a great week. Hardworking group. Got a lot of work done,” he said. The students did work that was continued by an adult group that came in the week of Oct. 24. “We did a lot of prep work for handicap ramps. We have two more that we have to do next week,” Mr. Grosek said. “On Monday this group did a bunch of building to prep for them. Tuesday, we extended this ramp here at Jesse’s. Then on Tuesday, Norman came down. That’s the guy up there [on the hill above Jesse]. He said his deck was falling apart. Then on Wednesday we redid that ramp. It was really bad. It was a real bad ramp, and that’s why we are finishing it today. I didn’t think that ramp would be so bad up there at Norman’s. I thought it would be an easy job, and it turned out not to be.” The group following the Notre Dame students was composed of

DAN MCWILLIAMS (3)

Glenmary continued from page B6

Power drill Kyle Phan watches as Brooke Friedman drills a hole on a handicap ramp the University of Notre Dame students were working on in Luttrell. people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s, Mr. Grosek said. Much of the work the students did was in Luttrell, a Union County town not far from Grainger County. “We do a lot of work in Luttrell. A lot of our construction is in the Luttrell area,” Mr. Grosek said. “This week has been heavy construction with these guys because of the need, with all of the ramps and everything and the extra stuff with Norman.” The work the students are doing echoes a Gospel call, Mr. Grosek said. “I think we’re called to help the needy throughout the Gospel,” he said. “Oftentimes, when you serve those in need, you usually get more [out of it] than what you do. It’s an opportunity to meet Christ in the others. It’s a two-way street. It’s not just

always service to the person. They serve us as well by taking time and learning their stories and everything else.” A woman named Candi started the ball rolling in Rutledge as one project led to another. “Candi got a hold of us through St. Teresa of Kolkata in Maynardville,” Mr. Grosek said. “We did her ramp, and then we did the roof. Jesse saw us do that, and so he contacted me one day, came down and talked to me. Then Norman saw me work on Jesse’s, and he came down on Tuesday. I’m waiting for someone on the other side of the hill to come over.” For more information on the program, visit glenmary.org/volunteer/ glenmary-group-volunteer-program/. n

Parish notes continued from page B4 Anniversaries: Larry and Valerie Dolese (57), Jerry and Judy Collins (30), Rich and Barbara Jones (20), Robert and Connie DeRuvo (5)

from 6 to 8 p.m. Fridays in Henkel Hall. Contact Clara Cowan for more details at claralydia@gmail.com. Immaculate Conception, Knoxville

St. Dominic, Kingsport The parish is offering a Saturday rosary and Saturdays of adoration. The rosary will be prayed at 11 a.m. on the front lawn of the church on Nov. 20, Feb. 26, and April 23. Adoration is set for Jan. 29 and March 26. St. Mary, Johnson City The parish hosted a Men’s Welcome Retreat on Oct. 23-24, designed to deepen participants’ faith with time for quiet reflection, fellowship, sharing, getting one’s life back in balance, and becoming more aware of the presence of God.

The Hope Kitchen thanked all parish volunteers who helped serve 75 neighbors at Summit Towers in September. Remaining Hope Kitchen times and dates are 9:30 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Nov. 23, and Tuesday, Dec. 21. Contact Caroline Zengel at 865-335-2885 or duckzengel@gmail.com for more information.

Two at work Students Mary Harkins (left) and Lainey Teeters help finish a handicap ramp in Luttrell.

IC’s sister parish in Fond des Blancs, Haiti, needs a generator, batteries, solar panels, and an inverter to provide sustainable and reliable electricity. IC has organized an online fundraiser at gofund.me/6e79cfe4. Donors may also visit gofundme.com and search for “For the Love of Fond des Blancs.”

St. Patrick, Morristown Anniversaries: David and Jody Howells (40), Priciliano and Kristi Alonso (25), Michael and Kathleen Leonard (15), Nestor Castro-Hernandez and Maria Pantoja-Torres (5), Eric and Sinta Pickett (5)

The Knights of Columbus took part in the 40 Days for Life campaign by gathering in front of the Planned Parenthood facility in East Knoxville on Tuesdays in October. IC associate pastor Father Tim Sullivan, CSP, led a rosary to begin the gatherings.

Smoky Mountain Deanery

St. John XXIII, Knoxville

Holy Ghost, Knoxville

The parish’s Vol Awakening 23, a student-led retreat, was held on the weekend of Oct. 22-24.

The Smoky Mountain Deanery Council of Catholic Women celebrated the 101st anniversary of the National CCW with a Mass and luncheon Oct. 30 at Holy Ghost. The speaker was Maribeth Blogoslawski, former NCCW president and current non-governmental organization (NGO) representative to the United Nations and NCCW representative to the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations (WUCWO). The Knights of Columbus named Paul Brocato as their Knight of the month for October and Tom and Linda Bolen as their family of the month. The Knights held a prayer vigil for six hours Oct. 6 and 7 as part of the 40 Days for Life campaign at the Planned Parenthood facility in East Knoxville. Holy Ghost is starting a young-adult group for ages 18-25 that will meet B8 n NOVEMBER 7, 2021

Finishing touches Student Patrick Buck takes a drill in hand as he works on a handicap ramp in Luttrell. Calendar continued from page B5

St. John XXIII celebrated the feast day (Oct. 11) of its patron saint on Oct. 10 with a reception after the 11:15 a.m. Mass. The parish has commissioned the design of two banners that will be hung permanently on either side of the cross on the side wall of the Paulus Room, where Sunday Mass is celebrated. The wording on the banners will be from Pope St. John XXIII’s declaration calling for the Second Vatican Council: “I want to throw open the windows of the Church so we can see out and the people can see in.”

Francis Xavier, to name just a few of the many sites they will visit in Rome. The travelers will go on to Assisi, with a stop along the way to visit the Miracle of the Eucharist of Bolsena. They will stay two nights in Assisi, where they will have the opportunity to visit the tomb of St. Francis, the Basilica of St. Clare, and the Chapel of San Damiano, where St. Francis received his call to rebuild the Church. The pilgrims will go on to San Giovanni Rotondo, the home of St. Padre Pio, and visit Manopello, the old Capuchin Monastery. The pilgrimage includes Monte Sant’Angelo and Capri. For a more detailed itinerary and registration information, contact Lisa Morris at 865-567-1245 or lisam@ select-intl.com.

St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville Parishioners Jim and Jackie Hull sold hand-crafted rosaries after Masses on Oct. 30 and 31, with part of the proceeds going toward St. Joseph the Worker. n

Father Arthur Torres of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Chattanooga, Father Miguel Velez of St. Patrick in Morristown, and Father Fredy Bonilla of Shepherd of the Valley in Central Point, Ore., are leading an 11-day pilgrimage

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to the Holy Land from July 4-14. Cost from Atlanta is $3,790 per person. For more information, call 832-406-7050 or e-mail info@nativitypilgrimage.com. Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at noon each Sunday at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville; every Sunday at 8 a.m. at St. Mary Church in Athens; at 2 p.m. each Sunday at St. Mary Church in Johnson City; at 6 p.m. most Thursdays at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge; and at 11:30 a.m. every Sunday at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. For more information, visit www.KnoxLatinMass.net. The St. Thomas the Apostle Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic Mission located at 2304 Ault Road, Knoxville, TN 37914, meets for Divine Liturgy every first, second, and fourth Sunday at 3 p.m. All services are in English. Call Father Richard Armstrong at 865-621-8499 or visit www.facebook.com/SaintThomasKnoxville/ for more information. n TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

COURTESY OF KNIGHTS COUNCIL 5207

Parish and community news

COURTESY OF LISA MORRIS

Sacred Heart Knights win first-ever Double Star Award The members of Sacred Heart Cathedral Knights of Columbus Council 5207, for the first time in its 60-year history, earned the Double Star Council Award. Earning the Star Council Award is an annual recognition from the Supreme Office of the Knights of Columbus. The Double Star designation means these men greatly exceeded the requirements for the annual recognition. The requirements cover a variety of efforts. These include membership increases, community service, parish service, and faith-based activities. The members of Council 5207 conduct a yearlong food drive, a Coats for Kids drive, a “Trunk or Treat” Halloween activity, a men’s retreat, and a father/daughter dance in February. “These men demonstrate that Christ is alive in our parish. On a daily basis they practice their faith by being the example of a Catholic gentleman,” said Grand Knight Christopher J. Manning.

COURTESY OF BILL HEWITT

Pilgrimage to Italy led by priest, two deacons Father Mike Nolan, Deacon Steve Ratterman, and Deacon Mark Syler recently led a pilgrimage to Italy. For those who missed out on the trip, another pilgrimage with the same itinerary is set for May 2-13—see the calendar item that starts on page B5.

COURTESY OF JANET GRAY

COURTESY OF FATHER JULIUS ABUH

Six become Third Degree Knights at St. Henry On Oct. 2, six Catholic men completed the exemplification ceremony at St. Henry Church in Rogersville and became Third Degree Knights of Columbus. The exemplification team was composed of Bill Hewitt, Grand Knight of Council 8860 at St. Henry; Peter Nelson, Knights insurance agent for Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia; Jeff Hollett of Council 6784 in Greeneville; Michael Opiela of Council 8860; and Father Bart Okere, St. Henry pastor and also state Knights chaplain and chaplain for Council 8860. Other members included Beverly Carmack, deputy Grand Knight of Council 8860, and Stephen Derosia, warden of Council 8860. Also present to help celebrate this event was John Hitt, faith in action director for the Tennessee State Council staff. In the photo from left are Jay Barry of Council 8860, Arthur Housholder of Council 8860, Kevin Kruse of Council 6695 in Bristol, Father Okere, Pete Missi of Council 8860, Wayne Reid Jr. of Council 6784, and Hughston Burnheimer of Council 6784.

New sign at Holy Trinity Holy Trinity Parish in Jefferson City has installed a new pro-life sign outside its church on Highway 92. TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

COURTESY OF MARY WIECZOREK

Blessing of pets at St. Joseph the Worker St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Madisonville celebrated a blessing of pets Oct. 9. The blessing was not only for Catholics but also for those of other churches who showed up with their pets. St. Joseph pastor Father Julius Abuh conducted the blessing.

COURTESY OF PATRICIA MORRILL

St. Alphonsus CCW installs officers At its Sept. 14 meeting, the Council of Catholic Women at St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville held the installation of the current officers. Kathleen Kelly officiated. From left are Debbie Cuono, treasurer; Mary Geahan, president; Mary Decman, secretary; Becky Krupsky, vice president; and Ms. Kelly, spirituality chair. Also at the meeting, the CCW hosted Frank Casale, St. Alphonsus fundraising chair. Mr. Casale brought the CCW up to date on the progress of the building campaign fundraising and answered questions. The church is accepting donations to the building campaign fund for the construction of its new worship space; donations may be sent to St. Alphonsus Church, 151 Saint Alphonsus Way, Crossville, TN 38555. Indicate “Building Campaign” on the outside of the envelope.

CCW turns meeting into baby shower The Council of Catholic Women at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade turned its October meeting into a baby shower. Guest speakers Lisa Daley, president of the Ladies of Charity of Knoxville, and Sandi Davidson, Pregnancy Services program leader for Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, took plenty of baby gifts back to Knoxville for the Ladies of Charity and Catholic Charities.

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NOVEMBER 7, 2021 n B9

Catholic schools

KCHS volleyballers win state championship Notre Dame High School team reaches final four as both Lady Irish squads conclude stellar seasons four assists and tallied 10 digs and two aces. Marina Azevedo swatted 10 kills. Blair Cherry racked up eight kills, three aces, and three digs for the Lady Irish. Grainne McGrath totaled eight kills. Briarcrest topped KCHS in the winners’ bracket final in a match that went the full five games, 20-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-19, 15-9. Knoxville Catholic began the tournament with a 25-23, 25-19, 25-15 sweep of Father Ryan. The Lady Irish would face Father Ryan in the losers’ bracket final and defeated the Nashville school again, 25-16, 1525, 25-23, 25-18. Notre Dame (29-7) began the state tournament with a 21-25, 2517, 25-20, 25-23 win over Concord Christian. Eventual state champion BGA defeated the Lady Irish 24-26, 25-28, 25-17, 28-26 in the winners’ bracket final. Notre Dame fell into the losers’ bracket and this time lost to Concord Christian in a marathon 21-25, 25-21, 24-26, 25-23, 15-9 match. n

COURTESY OF PAM RHOADES

The champs The Knoxville Catholic High School volleyball team poses with its hefty state-championship trophy. From left are (front) Makenlee Piety, Lauren Prince, Devyn Dunn, Alyssa Adams, Isabella Raman, Emma Meyer, and Ella Jabaley and (back) Caitlyn Cress, Grainne McGrath, Marina Azevedo, Morgan Phillips, Blair Cherry, Alex Mendillo, manager Maddie Phillips, and Bellamy Parker. Not pictured are head coach Brent Carter and assistants Andrea Alves, Michelle Dougherty, and Jami Cherry.

COURTESY OF PAM RHOADES

COURTESY OF CATHY CLIFFORD (3)

he Knoxville Catholic High School Lady Irish volleyball team captured its second state championship and first since 2016 with a victory over three-time defending champion Briarcrest in the Division II-AA state finals Oct. 21 at Middle Tennessee Christian School in Murfreesboro. Notre Dame High School’s volleyball team also made the state final four and finished third in the Division II-A bracket. Briarcrest entered the finals with a 40-2 record and having already defeated KCHS in the winners’ bracket final. The Lady Irish, who finished 34-10, won in the losers’ bracket and came back to sweep Briarcrest 25-23, 25-23, 25-21 for the title. Devyn Dunn of the Lady Irish recorded 34 assists, two kills, three service aces, and seven digs and was named tournament most valuable player. Bellamy Parker added 13 kills and nine digs for Knoxville Catholic, and Alyssa Adams made

By Dan McWilliams

COURTESY OF BILL HEWITT

Two KCHS seniors earn National Merit semifinalist honors Knoxville Catholic High school recently congratulated five seniors who were officially recognized as National Merit Commended Scholars for their outstanding performance on the PSAT last October. These students scored in top 2 percent of all high school seniors in the state of Tennessee. From left are Spencer Stovall, Maria Coco, Raylee McKenzie, Samaha Duffy, and Grayson Belt.

Student wins council essay contest Rogersville Middle School student Naylen Bingham of St. Henry Parish in Rogersville recently won an essay contest sponsored by Knights of Columbus Council 8860 at St. Henry. Naylen received a certificate and cash prize. He is pictured with principal Jason Roach.

NANCY POWELL

OLPH School conducts Living Rosary Father Arthur Torres and Father Zachary Griffith were on hand to lead the Our Lady of Perpetual Help School community in a Living Rosary on Oct. 8. Students took part by representing each bead of the rosary and praying together.

St. Stephen youth ministry begins new year Youth ministry at St. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga started off with a great group Sept. 15. They have already planned several projects and have sent out letters to the sick and homebound of the parish. Pastor Father Manuel Pérez is pictured at left. B10 n NOVEMBER 7, 2021

Christian formation classes begin at St. Stephen Christian formation began Sept. 15 at St. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga. The parish has face-to-face classes as well as homeschooling opportunities. Pastor Father Manuel Pérez is pictured at bottom-left.

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