Dec. 4, 2022, ET Catholic, A section

In service and sacrifice

Veterans observances honor those who served, those still in harm’s way

By Dan McWilliams

Aspecial guest appeared at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus for the annual Green Mass for members of the military and veterans on Nov. 13.

Bishop Aleksander Jazlowiecki, auxiliary bish op of the Diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomyr, Ukraine, was the principal celebrant of the Mass. Cathe dral rector Father David Boettner and associate pastor Father Martin Gladysz concelebrated, and Deacon Walt Otey assisted.

The first reader was Army Sgt. and para trooper David M. Cahill, and the second reader was Capt. Peter Kniesler, U.S. Army Reserve. Gifts were brought forward by Col. Joe Sutter, U.S. Air Force retired; former Capt. Rachel Sher burne Mohney, USAF; and Col. Tim Thurston, USAF.

Bishop Jazlowiecki spoke at the Mass of the situation in Ukraine since the Russian invasion of his country earlier in the year.

After Father Boettner introduced him as a bishop, Bishop Jazlowiecki teasingly corrected him.

“I’m an auxiliary bishop not bishop, because in the Catholic Church it is important to be pre cise,” he said. “Thank you very much for com ing. I will celebrate this feast with you, and we will pray together for Ukraine.”

Bishop Jazlowiecki began his homily by stat ing two worries.

“The first fear: I’m always afraid the deacon will read another Gospel. The second fear is I will come here and not find my homily,” he said. “Fortunately, everything is starting well now.”

The Ukrainian bishop commented on the day’s Gospel reading from Luke 21.

“In today’s Gospel, Jesus said, ‘The day will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earth

By Claire Collins

If it was up to Lorraine Sughrue and Woody Blackwell, they would have never met.

Luckily, God had other plans. The two tied the knot on Nov. 18 at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland, with Father Mike Nolan celebrating the wedding Mass.

Lorraine and Woody, both in their 80s, have a nearly combined 119 years of marriage ex perience. After losing both of their spouses in the first half of 2020, an ongoing tradition of daily Mass and dinner with friends ultimately brought the two together.

Lorraine and her late husband, John Sughrue, moved to Cleveland from Pittsburgh in 1966. They brought with them two children and plans to stay for a short two years while John worked on a project for Rust Engineering.

“I am not staying in Tennessee; I was going back to Pittsburgh,” Lorraine recounted telling her late husband. If it was up to her, those two years would have been swift and they would have headed back north.

However, the community in Cleveland, par ticularly the parishioners of St. Thérèse of Li sieux, quickly became something they realized they couldn’t leave. “(We) got to know people here; they were friendly, they were welcoming,

they had parties and socials, something that we didn’t have at all in Pittsburgh.”

Three more children would be added to their family as they became more deeply rooted in Cleveland. They became active members of the parish, serving with various groups and committees. John was an active member of the Knights of Columbus, while Lorraine served in different roles like teaching and lectoring.

It was in 1991 that Woody and Lorraine’s paths would start to cross for the first time.

When Woody Blackwell and his late wife, Pat, moved to Cleveland, Woody wasn’t Catholic. He joined his wife, a cradle Catholic, for Mass and parish activities regularly.

“I was bound and determined I would never be Catholic,” Woody said. He mentioned that the Second Vatican Council helped to change things for him, combined with nice people from the parish and the friends they were making.

In the late 1990s, he finally decided it was time for him to join the Church. However, he was working on a project out of town and couldn’t participate in the regular RCIA meetings. So, on Sunday afternoons, just before he’d get on a plane to leave town, he had special one-on-one meetings with the Sister who was serving St. Thérèse at the time.

Above:

Alek sander Jazlowiecki of the Diocese of KyivZhytomyr, Ukraine, was the celebrant at the annual Green Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on Nov. 13. Left: Capt. Peter Kniesler, U.S. Army Reserve, gives the second read ing during the Green Mass

DAN MCWILLIAMS

They do Lorraine Sughrue and Woody Black well hold hands for a portrait with Bishop Richard F. Stika, Father Mike Nolan, right, and Father Mike Creson.

Celebrating the Green Mass

Bishop

East Tennessee volunteers

By Bill Brewer

By all accounts, volunteers are the lifeblood of the Diocese of Knoxville’s mobile medical ministry.

They get the clinic to where it needs to be each day. They set up and take down the doctor’s office on wheels at each stop, a laborious process that ensures patients are well cared for, whether in Cumberland County, Grainger County, Meigs County, McMinn County, Sevier County, Scott County, or Knox County.

And the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic’s volunteer corps makes sure every patient has a positive experience in the face of health issues that affect many uninsured people in the rural Appalachia communities of East Tennessee.

On a day when the diocese recognized the volunteers, Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrated a special Mass of thanksgiving for them at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City followed

Sr. Regina

by a luncheon in their honor.

“It’s good to be with you today on this beautiful day that God has given to us,” Bishop Stika said on Nov. 9 to begin the Mass. “You

December Prayer Intentions

know the word ‘Eucharist,’ which we use, is another word for Mass, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It’s a word that means thanksgiving. We give thanks to almighty

God for the ability to reach out to other people through the healing presence of God.”

Sharing with the volunteers that he had just recovered from COVID, Bishop Stika said the illness prompted him to think about health-care workers who selflessly give of themselves to treat the sick.

“I was thinking the other day about all these people in the last few years. So many people risk their lives to care for others. And just in a general way, they give their time to others just as the Legacy Clinic does. So, we give a prayer of thanksgiving to God for them,” the bishop said.

On a day when the Catholic Church was commemorating the dedication of the Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, Bishop Stika said this feast day was a celebration of unity, what unites Christians, Catholics, the diocese, and its parishes.

“There are so many ingredi ents, Clinic continued on page A12

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”).

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.

“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

element of the Safe Environment Program

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 that volunteer nonprofit organizations committed to human development find people dedicated to the common good and ceaselessly seek out new paths to international cooperation.”

Pope Francis

“We pray that the love, joy, and peace available to all of us, especially this month, be felt and shared by all.”

Bishop Stika

© 2022 Handmaids of the Precious Blood

This year the Handmaids of the Precious Blood celebrate their Diamond Jubilee: 75 years since their founding in 1947; 75 years of prayer and sacrifice for priests. Did you know you can receive weekly cartoons and short reflections and news from the Handmaids of the Precious Blood? Visit their website, nunsforpriests.org, and sign up for the FIAT newsletter.

Heartfelt gratitude Bishop Richard F. Stika is joined by Father Ray Powell, Deacon David Egan, Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, RSM, Martin Vargas, and St. Mary's Legacy Clinic volunteers at the special Mass of thanksgiving for the volunteers at St. Thomas the Apostle Church on Nov. 9

BILL BREWER

Peace of heart

— Luke 2:14

Aserious question. It may seem strange to ask, but have you ever thought of your heart as both a tomb and a womb? And yet, the peace of heart and the joy we so desire in our life requires such. With the help of an icon of the Nativity, we can better understand why. A thousand words of Scripture. When I reflect upon the mysteries of our faith, I often find sa cred icons full of pleasant surprises.

More than what is said of a picture, a good icon is “worth a thousand words” of Scripture and more. For they broaden the written Word and help make the mystery more present and vivid to the eyes of our heart. And in the eyes of the Church, sacred icons and Scripture are of equal and complementary dignity, as explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Chris tian iconography expresses in images the same Gospel message that Scripture communicates by words. Image and word illuminate each other” (n. 1160).

From whence peace comes. For some, the ex pression from “womb to tomb” is a reminder of life’s brevity, with its constant struggles and ten sions, and death’s finality. But in taking on the lowliness of human flesh and bringing our sins to the cross for love of us, Christ transformed the tomb of death into the womb of eternal life. And it is through the waters of baptism that we are united to Christ’s death and descent into the tomb, and to newness of life in His resurrection (cf. Romans 6:3-4).

It is within the depths and sanctuary of our heart, then, that we must decide and affirm each day to die to our self, to the chaos and disorder of sin, so as to live our life in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus—in His peace. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25).

Life and death. We can see in this icon how Christ’s birth points to Calvary in the swad dling clothes that have more the appearance of burial wrappings and in the manger that resembles more a sacrificial altar, which remind us of Christ’s words: “I came so that they might

have life and have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd… [who] lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:10-11).

And because Christ made “peace by the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20), He repeats to us in every Mass, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 14:27). No one else is able to give what Jesus offers us. So, how do we best receive the gift of Christ’s peace? By letting God draw us deeper into the great mystery of His love as He did with St. Joseph.

Awe before the mystery. In icons of the Na tivity, St. Joseph is traditionally depicted as if struggling to fathom a mystery beyond all un derstanding—the mystery of God become man. But his was a “holy fear”—a reverence and awe before a mystery so great that in his deep humil ity he felt unworthy to approach nearer.

Here, the psalmist’s words seem to capture his thoughts: “Behind me and before you encircle

me and rest your hand upon me. Such knowl edge is too wonderful for me, far too lofty for me to reach” (Psalm 139:5-6). But with a humble heart, God will always draw us closer to Him.

“Be not afraid!” Indeed, God does not want us to remain outside of the mysteries of our faith but to be immersed in them! Though we notice in the icon that St. Joseph is seated partly outside of the stable cave, we see in his clothing the im age of what appears to be the hand of God draw ing him deeper into the mystery. God asks only that, like St. Joseph, we approach with humility of heart so that He might draw us deeper into the mystery of His heartbeat of love. With St. Joseph’s assistance, ask God every day to draw you deeper into the mystery of His holy divine will and ever closer to Mary, Mother of Christ the Prince of Peace.

Colors of death and life. Against the cold gray rock, the bright colors of blue and red as sociated with Mary stand out. Color in icons communicate spiritual truths. Blue is the color we easily associate with water and the sky, and therefore with heaven and divinity. Red, as the color of blood, represents life and humanity. And in the red blanket cushion that Mary lies atop we have a vivid symbol of the sanctuary of life, the womb, contrasted against the grayness of death’s sanctuary, the tomb. And in the flowing blue garment of she who is “full of grace” we see the “life-giving waters” of the Holy Spirit, which give image to God’s promise: “You shall be like a watered garden, like a spring whose water never fails” (Isaiah 58:11).

But for baptismal grace to fully flower in us, we must tend this garden daily with Christ the “New Gardener” (cf. John 20:15), and with Mary, the new Eve.

To know and love God. Nativity scenes traditionally include the image of an ox and ass, which is meant to remind us to be vigilant against forgetting God—“An ox knows its own er, and an ass, its master’s manger; but Israel does not know, my people has not understood” (Isaiah 1:3).

This verse begs the question: Do we truly strive to know God and for His divine will to live and reign in our heart? The words we should all be most fearful of hearing are those

Bishop Stika’s schedule of Masses and public events

These are some of Bishop Stika’s upcoming public appointments: n Tuesday, Dec. 6, 11 a.m.: Anniversary celebration of the priestly

Church in Chattanooga n Thursday, Dec. 8, 10:30 a.m.: Mass at Knoxville Catholic High School

n Monday, Dec. 12, 7 p.m.: Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred

Guadalupe n Saturday, Dec. 24, 4 p.m.: Christmas Eve Mass at St. Therese Church in Clinton n Saturday, Dec. 24: Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at the Cathedral of the Most

Funeral Mass celebrated for Father Christopher Riehl

By Bill Brewer

Father Christopher Riehl, a priest of the Dio cese of Knoxville who had served in the Diocese of Charlotte for several years, died Nov. 10 from complications related to diabetes. He was 45.

A solemn requiem Mass for Father Riehl, who passed away a week shy of his 13th anniversary of priestly ordination, was held on Nov. 16 at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. He was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chattanooga.

The Mass celebrant was Father Brendan Buck ler, pastor of St. Elizabeth Parish in Boone, N.C., and Church of the Epiphany in Blowing Rock, N.C., both in the Diocese of Charlotte. Father Don Maloney of the Diocese of Raleigh served as the deacon of the Mass, and Father Michael Hender shott, associate pastor of Holy Ghost, served as the subdeacon.

Also present at the Mass in Latin were Father David Boettner, rector of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus; Father David Carter, rector of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanoo ga; Father John Orr, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Athens; Father Jhon Mario Garcia, associate pastor of the cathedral; Father Bede Aboh, chaplain of the Catholic Center at East Tennessee State University; Father Peter Iorio, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa; Father Alex Waraksa, associate pastor of St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga; Father Jerry Daniels, chaplain of the Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center; Father Dustin Collins, pas tor of St. Mary Parish in Johnson City; as well as Father Peter Shaw of the Diocese of Charlotte, and Father David Swantek of the Diocese of Trenton, N.J.

Father

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will.”

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

Archbishop Sheen: You were made for God; nothing short of the infinite satisfies you

ordination of Father Augustine Idra, AJ at St. Jude

for the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Heart of Jesus for the feast of Our Lady of

Sacred Heart of Jesus

Father Riehl, who also provided priestly min istry at various parishes throughout East Tennes see as well as with the Alexian Brothers in Signal Mountain, was a priest in residence at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in 2018.

Christopher Michael Riehl was born in Gowen, Mich., on Nov. 7, 1977. His family settled in Jefferson City, where he graduated from high school. While earning an associate degree with

an emphasis in law at Walters State Community College, Father Riehl began discerning a call to the priesthood. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Conception Seminary in Concep tion, Mo., and a Master of Divinity degree from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa.

In May 2007, Father Riehl was ordained a deacon alongside his father, John Riehl, by then-

BILL BREWER

Solemn eulogy Father David Carter, rector of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, delivers the eulogy during the requiem Mass for Father Christopher Riehl on Nov. 16 at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. Father Riehl died Nov. 10 at the age of 45.

Father Riehl

Bishop continued on page A8

Changing the culture

Cathedral minister attends international conference focused on discipleship

By Emily Booker

What is the meaning of life?

Who is God? Will believing in Jesus make me happy?

If someone on the street were to ask you those questions, how would you answer? And do you think your answers would lead that person into becoming a disciple of Christ?

Just how do we engage people in sincere, productive conversations about faith?

That was the motivation for Rick Grinstead, director of youth and young adult ministry at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, when he attended the Alpha Conference in London this fall.

More than 200 people from as far away as Mexico, Australia, Japan, Switzerland, and the United States gathered at the end of September to learn about the Alpha course, examining culture, and making lifelong disciples of Christ.

Alpha is a several-week course that began at Holy Trinity Brompton Parish in London in the late 1970s as an introduction to the most basic beliefs of Christianity. In the 1990s, Nicky Gumbel, then vicar of the Anglican parish, developed it into a format that could be run all over the world and in all sorts of settings.

Through a series of videos, the course still introduces some key concepts of Christianity while encouraging participants to reflect on their own beliefs and form bonds with others through small group conversation.

In a typical Alpha meeting, people gather at tables or in small groups and share a meal together. After the meal, there is a video that introduces a topic and asks questions. Then those at the table have an opportunity to discuss the questions together. There is no right answer; the point is simply to facilitate conversation and slowly introduce concepts of faith, God, and meaning.

Like its name, Alpha starts at the very beginning. It does not assume that anyone attending believes in God or has any knowledge of who Jesus is. Early questions are something anyone could answer: “What makes you happy?” “Assuming God does exist, what’s the first question you would ask him?”

Over the 10 or so sessions, the program slowly introduces what the Church believes, and the questions dig deeper, like “Who is Jesus in your life?” There are video series that address the style and needs of different demographics, like youth or married couples. Although started by an Anglican ministry, there is now a Catholic division that presents the faith in a Catholic context and features prominent Catholic figures like Pope Francis and Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap, the preacher of the papal household.

Mr. Grinstead was introduced to Alpha about 10 years ago.

“Alpha is really a series of conversations about the Christian faith, but in a low, easy environment that allows people to genuinely ask any question they want, to also not ask any question at all,” he said. “It’s really an opportunity to come together and explore life’s biggest questions, the meaning of faith, is there more to life than this?”

Although geared toward people who may have no knowledge of the Christian faith, Mr. Grinstead finds that any Christian can benefit from going back to the fundamentals and having honest conversations with others.

“When I experienced it, it really kind of changed me, because my undergrad (degree) is in theology, I’m receiving my master’s in theology, and yet every time I experience these videos with other people I still learn more about my faith,” he

remarked.

The Alpha Conference was held at Holy Trinity in London. Mr. Grinstead noted that the culture of the parish community was immediately a stark contrast to the broader culture of the big city.

“People as you would walk down the street, nobody looks at you, nobody pays attention to you, everybody’s got earbuds in, and they walk by without ever engaging, looking, making eye contact,” he said. “London is different from most of England, obviously, but when we got onto campus, all we met were people who were engaging. They genuinely wanted to hear from you. And there is a big difference in that. I found that the culture there was a genuine accompanying culture, where they cared enough to journey alongside you. It felt like you were at home.”

Noting the culture around you, in your surrounding community and your parish, was a big part of the conference. There is no one way to mission to people, because people and cultures are different. Even Alpha, using the same videos and same format, will look different in different places. And sometimes a ministry or parish has to change its culture in order to look outside itself and welcome others.

“You have to really look at your culture: what do you value, what are your values, and are you OK with those values, or would you like to see other values? Changing culture is hard. It’s a very difficult thing, but it is absolutely worth it,” Mr. Grinstead said.

Prayer was another big component of the conference.

He recalled attending a staff meeting at Holy Trinity and finding the entire meeting infused with prayer and optimism. Prayer wasn’t just a part of opening or closing the meeting; it encompassed the entire meeting.

“I think their idea of prayer really impacted me,” he said. “Prayer isn’t just for messed-up people; it’s for everyone. And prayer isn’t something that you do; it’s something you experience. I think it is a mind-shift.

“If you invite the Holy Spirit to come, this sense of change is expected. If you’re going to invite the Holy Spirit in and truly want the Holy Spirit to change things, then you better live in anticipation knowing that something is going to happen.”

Mr. Grinstead was chosen as one of a handful of attendees who was able to address the parish staff and share his experience about life and ministry in Knoxville.

Conference attendees also got to witness an Alpha session at Holy Trinity. The large church created cozy, small-group areas with sofas and chairs and welcomed around 600 people for the kickoff session of a new Alpha series.

“To witness 600 people come in who don’t go to church and just start to explore if there’s more to life than this busyness of airpods and money and status and all these things, it was breathtaking to say the least,” Mr. Grinstead said. “So, we got to experience that. But then we got to unpack that as well.

What does that look like, and how could that start in your area, wherever you’re at, whatever that looks like?”

Mr. Grinstead believes that the principles of Alpha can be applied to any ministry; hospitality, listening, and building relationships are always important in creating disciples of Christ.

“Making sure that people feel

Alpha Christians Left: Attendees listen to testimonies and speakers at the Alpha Conference in London. More than 200 people from around the world attended the gathering in September.

Below: Rick Grinstead of Sacred Heart Cathedral, who attended the conference, leads an Alpha session for young adults at the cathedral. He has begun Alpha sessions for different age groups

comfortable enough to either share or not share is really important. Building relationships over winning arguments is key,” he said.

He has run Alpha in churches, but also out of homes, in bars, and in prison. He said that when Alpha is run outside of a church setting, it’s truly meeting people where they are, reaching people who may

Alpha continued on page A17

COURTESY OF RICK GRINSTEAD

Catholic Foundation events held across diocese

By Jim Wogan

Each year, Bishop Richard F. Stika makes a point to bring together members of the Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee [CFET] to recognize and thank them for their work in building the Diocese of Knoxville.

For the second year in a row, three cities in the diocese hosted CFET events.

On Sept. 19, Bishop Stika traveled to Chattanooga for a reception at the Bluff View Arts District to honor CFET supporters there.

“Support by the members of the Catholic Foundation in Chattanooga has been so impactful,” Bishop Stika said.

“Most of our parishes there, especially the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, have been around a long time, but the Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee doesn’t just help build churches it also helps fi nance the education of our seminarians. We’ve had several seminarians come from the Chattanooga area in recent years, and many of them also spend summer assignments at our parishes there. We are grateful for the support of CFET members in Southeast Tennessee,” the bishop added.

Father Charlie Burton, pastor of St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga; Father David Carter, rector of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga; Father John Dowling, pastor of St. Augustine Parish in Signal Mountain; Father Mike Nolan, pastor of St. Thérèse of Li-

JIM WOGAN

sieux Parish in Cleveland; and Father John Orr, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Athens, were present for the reception in Chattanooga.

On Oct. 11, Bishop Stika was in Kingsport for a reception at St. Dominic Church.

“Again, many of our parishes in Northeast Tennessee have been in place a long time, but CFET assisted in purchasing land for St. Anthony of Padua in Mountain City back in the 1990s,” Bishop Stika said. “We have a beautiful parish there in a very beautiful community. We also have a couple of seminarians from that part of the diocese—Danny Herman is from

Mountain City, and transitional Deacon Joseph Austin is from Kingsport. So, as you can see, our Catholic presence in upper East Tennessee is strong.”

Father Michael Cummins, pastor of St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport, and Father Bart Okere, pastor of St. Henry Parish in Rogersville and St. James the Apostle Parish in Sneedville, attended the Kingsport reception along with Father Emmanuel Massawe, AJ, associate pastor of St. Dominic.

On Nov. 6, Bishop Stika hosted a Catholic Foundation dinner in Knoxville. Members from the Knoxville area, Crossville,

and Fairfi eld Glade were in attendance.

Father Mark Schuster, pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville, was the guest speaker.

“It was wonderful to hear Father Mark’s testimony. He is a recent example of the strength of the Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee,” Bishop Stika said.

“Father Mark was ordained a few years ago and is now the pastor of a very vibrant and growing parish. Those who support the Catholic Foundation had a direct impact on Father Schuster’s life as a seminarian. Because of their financial support he is now a priest, and as a recently appointed pastor he is leading the construction of a new church building on the St. Alphonsus campus.”

Tom and Linda Bolen, longtime members of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville, were presented with a St. Peter icon at the Knoxville dinner in recognition of their 20 years of membership in the Catholic Foundation.

Father Michael Hendershott, associate pastor of Holy Ghost, and Father Michael Maples, associate pastor of St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut, attended the dinner along with Father Schuster.

The Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee was established to help fund seminarian education and to purchase property to build churches in the diocese. Since its inception, the Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee has raised and distributed nearly $4 million for those efforts. ■

Cathedral Concert Series is a connection between Church and great masterpieces

By Diana Salesky

The connection between the Catholic Church and great musical masterpieces is strong and centuries long.

The list of composers whose works were inspired by their faith or promoted by their religious duties is lengthy and august.

Johann Sebastian Bach, a converted Catholic, gave us the cornerstones of the musical genre with his two passions, the Mass in B Minor, and several hundred sacred cantatas. Austrian composer Joseph Haydn, who was known to pray the rosary when he had trouble composing, gave us The Creation and no less than 14 Masses.

The list continues with Italian composer Gioachino Rossini and his monumental Stabat Mater, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his beloved Requiem, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Antonin Dvorak, Anton Bruckner, Edward Elgar, and Franz Schubert. The trend continues into the modern era, with composers such as Frenchman Olivier Messiaen, who drew upon his unshakable Catholicism to depict in his compositions “the marvelous aspects of the faith.”

The Cathedral Concert Series, led by Glenn Kahler, Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus director of music and liturgy, continues the tradition of bringing sacred musical masterpieces to the people.

Over the past few months, East Tennesseans have been able to hear three major sacred works by Mozart, another by Haydn, Giuseppe Verdi’s operatic music on religious themes, as well as a beautiful contemporary setting of the Magnificat by Taylor Scott Davis.

These concerts featured both the Amadeus Chamber Ensemble & Choir and the Knoxville Choral Society. And that’s not counting additional concerts by the Scruffy City Symphony and the Tennessee Wind Ensemble. In fact, the series can boast it has presented 52 concerts to date.

What is particularly noteworthy about this series is that it fulfills one of the cathedral’s overarching missions: “To welcome people of all faiths into our sacred space and to share this beauty and grandeur with the entire community.”

If you build it, they will come.

“The Cathedral Concert Series has been quite prolific of late in filling a niche in Knoxville’s classical music scene—that of vocal, choral, and instrumental performances that are beyond the scale and logistics of other organizations. The series’ performers have run the gamut from local musicians to those on the national scene. Importantly, most of the performances are free to the audience, fulfilling a stated goal of building appreciation for the arts in East Tennessee ”

And that has certainly proven to be the case with the Cathedral Concert Series. Concerts typically draw between 500 and 1,000 people.

The crowds are enthusiastic, attentive, and continue to show up at a time when many performing arts organizations are bemoaning small crowds and doing everything possible to win back live audiences in a post-pandemic world.

And if you think “free admission” is the draw, it is proving harder these days to get people to open their car doors than their wallets. Months of isolation have not necessarily created a pent-up demand for getting out of the house.

The fact that the Cathedral Concert Series can continue to entice people out of their homes is a testament to the programming as well as the opportunity to sit in a welcoming, beautiful, and contemplative space while listening to live music.

And for the ever-growing audience of listeners outside Knoxville, the concerts are livestreamed by Steve Coy, cathedral director of communications, and also available for later viewing on the cathedral’s website and YouTube channel.

Alan Sherrod in Arts Knoxville commented that “The Cathedral Concert Series has been quite prolific of late in filling a niche in Knoxville’s classical music scene—that of vocal, choral, and instrumental performances that are beyond the scale and logistics of other organizations. The series’ performers have run the gamut from local musicians to those on the national scene. Importantly, most of the performances are free to the audience, fulfilling a stated goal of building appreciation for the arts in East Tennessee.”

The cathedral is presenting the third annual Cathedral Christmas Festival on Sunday, Dec. 11, at 6 p.m.

The Christmas Festival will feature the cantors of the Cathedral, the Tennessee Wind Symphony,

Sacred

In the image of St. Peter Tom and Linda Bolen, recipients of the St. Peter icon as 20-year members of the Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee, present Bishop Richard F. Stika with a check for $125,000 on behalf of the Catholic Foundation at the annual dinner in Knoxville on Nov. 6.

— Alan Sherrod Arts Knoxville

Bishop Stika presides at funeral Mass for Deacon Ken Conklin

By Bill Brewer and Gabrielle Nolan

Deacon Ken Conklin, whose story of courage and perseverance in the face of life-threatening illness inspired many within and outside the Diocese of Knoxville, lost his battle with cancer on Nov. 18, a year and two months after Bishop Richard F. Stika advanced his ordination into the diaconate because of his failing health.

Bishop Stika was the celebrant at the funeral Mass for Deacon Conklin on Nov. 21 at All Saints Church in Knoxville, where the deacon served.

All Saints pastor Father Doug Owens and associate pastor Father Jorge Mejia concelebrated the Mass, which was attended by more than 25 brother deacons, many of whom were in Deacon Conklin’s diaconate class of 2022, including Robert Denne, who served as deacon of the Word, and Jim Bello, who served as deacon of the Eucharist.

Bishop Stika described Deacon Conklin as a miracle man, who

was surprisingly reinvigorated after his ordination to the point where he gained weight and strength, was able to actively serve his parish as a deacon, and even assisted Bishop Stika at the altar during the Chrism Mass last spring.

“One of the most powerful gifts we have on this earth is the gift

of prayer. We commend our brother, our deacon, a husband, a father, a father-in-law, a grandfather, to God, that he might be in peace from his pain,” Bishop Stika said to begin Mass.

Deacon Conklin’s daughters, Cassandra Akin and Lindsay Russell, served as the Mass readers.

Bishop Stika told Deacon Conklin’s wife, Diane, how much he cared for Deacon Conklin and his family. The Conklins were married for 46 years. Bishop Stika recalled ordaining Deacon Conklin in September 2021 at the Conklins’ home in Dandridge. The newly ordained was surrounded by family, friends, and his fellow diaconate candidates, who were not to be ordained until last June.

Bishop Stika described that beautiful autumn day with a brilliant blue sky, the mountains, and Douglas Lake serving as a backdrop and called it God’s church.

“I have a question. What is

the shelf life of a miracle? Is it forever?” Bishop Stika asked to begin his homily. “We know of the miracle of Lazarus. … All of those people who have witnessed or received the gift of a miracle, especially for the extension of life, they eventually die, or are born again. They pass from one life to another. The shelf life of a miracle.”

“I absolutely believe, without a doubt, that on that September day there was a miracle. Could it be the grace of holy orders that I, through the imposition of my hands, the gift that has been given to me that I passed on to Ken, who was supposed to die maybe a week or two later?” the bishop asked again.

He said that through the miracle, Deacon Conklin was given another year plus. He was able to stand in the All Saints sanctuary and preach. He was able to study to become a police chaplain. He was able to be a part of important family events.

“He had a year to receive hugs and say the words ‘I love you’ and to hear those words, ‘I love you.’ For someone who was only given two weeks, he gained weight and rode his brand-new lawn mower,” Bishop Stika said.

“All of these things he was able to experience because God gave him extra time. Some people may say it’s so sad that he died. He was released from a body that had cancer. He was given more time, just as Lazarus was given more time. To me, that’s the miracle; a very special gift: time,” Bishop Stika continued. “He was able to live his diaconate ministry. I admire him because just as he was beginning his extensive studies for the diaconate, fi ve years, he was diagnosed with cancer. He hardly ever missed the classes.”

The Assurance of Peace, Quiet Reflection, & Prayer The Columbarium

The shepherd of the Church in East Tennessee called the outdoor

Honoring a brother deacon Bishop Richard F. Stika, center, is surrounded by Diocese of Knoxville deacons following the Nov. 21 funeral Mass for Deacon Ken Conklin at All Saints Church, where Deacon Conklin served.

BILL BREWER

Deacon continued on page A21

Dcn. Conklin

Farewell to a fellow deacon Priests and deacons sprinkle holy water on the casket of Deacon Ken Conklin in the narthex of All Saints Church following the funeral Mass for Deacon Conklin. Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrated the funeral Mass on Nov. 21.

BILL BREWER

very unique

By Gabrielle Nolan

Deacon Patrick MurphyRacey would describe his work within the Church as “a very unique assignment.”

Ordained in 2007 with the Diocese of Knoxville’s first deacon class, Deacon Murphy-Racey is assigned to St. John XXIII Catholic Center and Immaculate Conception Parish, which are both staffed by the Paulist Fathers within the diocese.

And, more recently, the deacon has been trained to become a deacon affiliate with the Paulist Fathers.

“There’s only seven of us in the whole world,” Deacon MurphyRacey said. “And I’m one of the few that actually gets to serve in a Paulist parish. Most of the guys are not in a Paulist parish, and so they have a little more difficult time doing what we do with the charisms of the Paulists. I’m very fortunate to be here.”

The formation to become a deacon affiliate involves six virtual formation sessions. Deacons review the life of Paulist founder Father Isaac Hecker; the general history and mission of the Paulist Society; a history of the Catholic people in the United States; and directions of evangelization and mission that are needed today.

“Being a Paulist deacon affiliate is a way for deacons to bring the values of Paulist mission into the various situations in which they minister,” said Father Frank DeSiano, who currently serves as president of Paulist Evangelization Ministries.

“Deacon affiliates are not formally members of the Paulist Society but rather ministers associated with the Paulist vision,” Father DeSiano continued.

“I am still and always will be a deacon of the Diocese of Knoxville,” Deacon Murphy-Racey ex-

plained, noting that Bishop Richard F. Stika gave his permission and blessing to move forward as a deacon affiliate.

Father DeSiano said that because incardination and membership are not involved, “there is no canonical procedure and no recourse to authorities in Rome.”

Deacon affiliates also take a promise each year to pray for the Paulists’ mission and aim to embody that mission within their own ministries.

“Deacons are free to not renew that promise in accord with the necessities of their life situations,” Father DeSiano said.

Father DeSiano mentioned that deacon affiliates do not receive assignments from the Paulist Society. Instead “they are invited to see opportunities in their ministry to reach out to people who are not active in their faith or people who do belong to a faith community. This happens in accord with the circumstances of the deacon and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.”

There will be no Eucharistic Revival without vocations

By Father Roger Landry National Catholic Register

The center of the Eucharistic Revival, the three-year initiative of the Church in the United States, is obviously and appropriately the eucharistic Jesus — the root, center, source, and summit of the Christian life.

But as the Church celebrated the patron saint of parish priests, St. John Mary Vianney, it was a fitting time to focus on the indispensable importance of the priest in the Eucharistic life of the Church. Without the priest, there is no Eucharist, and without the Eucharist, there is no Church.

For the Eucharistic Revival to spur the renewal of the Church, there is a need to strengthen the eucharistic dimension of the priests we have and to pray to the Harvest Master for many more priestly laborers in His vineyard.

Most Catholics are aware that there is a crisis in priestly vocations, with painful consequences in the life of believers. Twenty percent of U.S. dioceses did not have a priestly ordination last year. Many dioceses are bracing for the retirement and death of priests ordained in the 1970s, who presently represent 50 percent of the clergy. In the United States, there are 3,500 parishes without a resident priest, and lack of sufficient clergy is causing many churches to close.

There are attempts at quick fixes in various places, like importing priests from religious orders or vocation-rich dioceses in Mexico, Colombia, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, India, or Poland. In some circles, rather than look to such temporary solutions, people are trying to exploit the dearth in order to push for the ordination of married men or

even to propose the dogmatically impossible solution of the ordination of women.

But many places are not yet committed in a practical way commensurate with the importance and urgency of the need for new priestly vocations. It’s not enough for a diocese to appoint a vocations director and then to expect him to be able to remedy the crisis singlehandedly or with an assistant or small team.

The reality is that many parishes—just like many Catholic schools and high schools — have not produced a single seminarian in decades, and a visit from a vocations director will almost never be sufficient to change what seems to be, sadly, vocationally infertile soil.

Fewer than 20 percent of Catholic parishes nationwide have anything in the parish intentionally working to stimulate and normalize vocational awareness and response. Many parishes don’t do anything even during the occasions when the Church explicitly focuses on vocations, like the World Day of Prayer for Vocations (May 8), the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests (June 24), Priesthood Sunday (Sept. 25), or National Vocations Awareness Week (Nov. 6-12).

Since 80 percent of seminarians come from the 20 percent of parishes with a vocation ministry or committee, there’s a reason why so many parishes seem to be sterile.

A profound culture change is needed, in which vocational promoVocations continued on page A19

in the world.”

A Paulist culture

Deacon Murphy-Racey, a native of Chicago, is married with two adult children.

A third-generation graduate of Marquette University, the deacon pointed to the strong Jesuit ties within his family.

“Our family culture is very much Jesuit, and now Paulist,” he said.

Deacon Murphy-Racey is a selfemployed photographer who previously worked with Sony and as a Sports Illustrated photographer. Several times a year, he would travel to New York City for work.

“I was in Central Park a few years ago, and I was shooting something, and I posted a picture on Instagram and Father Eric [Andrews] saw it,” he explained.

The Paulist Father, who formerly served in Knoxville, invited Deacon Murphy-Racey to visit the motherhouse, St. Paul the Apostle Cathedral.

“We ended up going to dinner, and [Father] said to me, you know we have a big house here, and we have rooms for priests that visit or deacons. And if you ever come back to New York for work, you could stay with us,” Deacon MurphyRacey recalled.

“And so what happened is I started to share meals with the elder Paulists who are retired, and… I met a bunch of seminarians, I met some of the older guys, I met some people that were in transition between assignments,” he continued.

Deacon Murphy-Racey began to spend his free time in New York with the Paulists.

“I just really started to get interested in who Isaac Hecker was and who the Paulists were, and so Father Eric gave me a book on the Paulist priests, and I read it,” he said. “I was really taken with Isaac Hecker.”

Virtual meetings allow the seven deacon affiliates to stay in touch and discuss pastoral directions. Deacon Murphy-Racey noted that this process to be an affiliate with the Paulists is “possible for any permanent deacon serving anywhere

GABRIELLE NOLAN (2)

Newly affiliated Above: Deacon Patrick Murphy-Racey, center, assists in the celebration of Mass at St. John XXIII Catholic Center on the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville. He is assisting Paulist Father Eric Andrews, right, and Paulist Father Don Andrie, who is pastor of St. John XXIII Parish. Below: Deacon Murphy-Racey distributes Communion during Mass at St. John XXIII.

Paulist continued on

Commentary

Fr. Landry

Archbishops Broglio, Lori elected USCCB’s next leaders President, vice president will head bishops’ conference for next three years

By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services was elected Nov. 15 to a three-year term as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops during the bishops' fall general assembly in Baltimore.

The native of suburban Cleveland was chosen from a slate of 10 nominees, winning with 138 votes.

In subsequent voting, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore was elected to serve a three-year term as conference vice president. He was elected on the third ballot by 143 to 96 in a runoff with Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind.

Under USCCB bylaws, the vice president is elected from the remaining nine candidates.

The two top offi cers began their terms at the conclusion of the fall assembly on Nov. 17.

Archbishop Broglio succeeds Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez, and Archbishop Lori succeeds Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit. Archbishops Gomez and Vigneron completed their three-year terms leading the conference.

Archbishop Broglio, 70, worked in the Vatican diplomatic corps before being named the head of the military archdiocese in 2007. He has served as conference secretary for the past three years.

The prelate has been an advocate for members of the U.S. military around the world. He regularly visits U.S. service members as part of his responsibilities in leading the archdiocese. Archbishop Broglio also has been an advocate for pro-life causes.

Because Archbishop Broglio is conference secretary, the bishops on Nov. 16 elected Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City as his replacement over Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, N.J., 130 to 104.

Similarly, Archbishop Lori, 71, stepped down as chairman of the bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities with his election as USCCB vice president. On Nov. 16, the bishops elected Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Va., as the new pro-life chair. He won over Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City, Mo., 174 to 63.

Archbishop Broglio has served

spoken in the parable of the 10 virgins by the bridegroom to the five foolish ones outside the locked doors of the wedding feast— Amen, I say to you, I do not know you” (Matthew 25:12).

Guarding our peace. Father Jacque Phillippe, in his excellent short treatise, Searching for and Maintaining Peace, points out that because God is the God of peace, “The more our soul is peaceful and tranquil, the more God is reflected in it, the more His image expresses itself in us, the more His grace acts through us. On the other hand, if our soul is agitated and troubled, the grace of God is able to act only with much greater difficulty.”

And we cannot communicate peace to others, he reminds us, if we do not have it reigning in our hearts. Because “God acts in the peace of one’s soul,” Satan tries to get us to surrender our peace so he can better attack us. The key to spiritual combat, Father Phillippe tells us, is to “strive to maintain peace of heart in order to allow the God of Armies to fight for [us].”

Concordia. The centuries-old Douay-Rheims translation of the Bible is particularly beautiful in the way it expresses St. Paul’s counsel to the Colossians: “Let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts” (3:15).

as chairman of the bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace and their Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance and as a member of the task force for the 2013 Special Assembly.

He also served on the committees for Religious Freedom and International Justice and Peace and the subcommittees for the Defense of Marriage and Health Care.

He was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Cleveland in 1977. In the Vatican diplomatic corps, he served as secretary in the apostolic nunciature in Ivory Coast and later in Paraguay. From 1990 to 2001 he was chief of cabinet to Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican secretary of state under St. John Paul II and desk offi cer for Central America.

In 2001, he was named nuncio to the Dominican Republic and apostolic delegate to Puerto Rico.

Archbishop Lori was appointed the 16th archbishop of Baltimore by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

He is the former chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Doctrine and its Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty. He began a three-year term as the bishops' pro-life chairman at the end of the USCCB's 2021 fall assembly.

Archbishop Lori is chancellor and chairman of the board of St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, chancellor of Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Maryland, and past chairman of the board of trustees of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

While modern translations use the word “control” instead of “rejoice,” I prefer the latter. For it reminds me that it is Christ reigning in our heart who rejoices in the peace we accept from Him. To further contemplate this, consider that the Latin word “concordia” literally means “hearts together” or “oneness of heart.”

Joy and peace. So let us take to heart the words of St. Paul, who says, “Rejoice in the Lord always…. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Make room in your heart. In conclusion, remember that we are the “innkeepers” of our heart. But as Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen notes, “The Christmas message is not that peace will come automatically…. His birth in Bethlehem was the prelude to His birth in our hearts by grace and faith and love. Peace belongs only to those who will to have it. If there is no peace in the world today, it is not because Christ did not come; it is because we did not let Him in.”

May the Prince of Peace, Christ our Lord, reign and “rejoice” in your hearts. ■

He also is currently supreme chaplain of the Knights of Columbus.

A native of Louisville, Ky., he was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., in 1977 in St. Matthew Cathedral. His fi rst assignment was as associate pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Landover, Md. Then he served as secretary to Washington Cardinal James A. Hickey as well as chancellor, moderator of the curia, and vicar general.

In 1995, Archbishop Lori was ordained as an auxiliary bishop of Washington. In 2001, he was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn.

In other voting on Nov. 15, bishops were elected for three episcopal seats on the board of Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. bishops' overseas relief and development agency.

Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer of Atlanta was elected to his fi rst term to the CRS board,

while Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, and Bishop Anthony B. Taylor of Little Rock, Ark., were re-elected for a second term.

The bishops also voted Nov. 16 for chairmen-elect of six standing committees:

n Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance: Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfi eld, Ill., was elected over Bishop Alfred A. Schlert of Allentown, Pa., 147 to 91.

n Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs: Bishop Joseph C. Bambera of Scranton, Pa., was elected over Auxiliary Bishop Peter L. Smith of Portland Ore., 128 to 111.

n Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis: Archbishop Charles C. Thompson of Indianapolis was elected over Bishop William D. Byrne of Springfi eld, Mass., 149 to 90.

n Committee on International Justice and Peace: Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon was elected over Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia, 148 to 95.

n Committee on Protection of Children and Young People: Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Va., was elected over Auxiliary Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo of Newark, N.J., 127 to 114.

n Committee for Religious Liberty: Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., elected over Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, 165 to 77.

Each chairman-elect will begin his three-year term as chairman at the end of the 2023 fall general assembly.

In addition, several chairmenelect chosen last year became committee chairmen at the end of this year's assembly and will

Now at the helm Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services celebrates the annual Sea Services Pilgrimage Mass at the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Md., on Oct. 2. He was elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Nov. 15 during the fall general assembly of the USCCB in Baltimore

Bishops urged to remain focused on spreading Gospel message

By Catholic News Service

The U.S. bishops on Nov. 15 were urged to remain focused on the Church's missionary role of spreading the Gospel message and to know that despite a growing secularism in the United States, "the vast majority of our neighbors still believe in God."

Gathered in Baltimore, the bishops heard these remarks during the afternoon public session of their annual fall general assembly, respectively, from Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the papal nuncio, and Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, the outgoing president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic

serve three-year terms: n Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations: Bishop Earl A. Boyea of Lansing, Mich.

n Divine Worship: Bishop Steven J. Lopes, who heads the Houstonbased Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.

n Domestic Justice and Human Development: Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.

n Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth: Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minn. n Migration: Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso.

The incoming president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said he is willing to meet with public offi cials, including President Joe Biden, to discuss public policy issues of concern to the Church.

"I don't see my role as political, but if there is any way to insert the Gospel into all aspects of life in our country, I certainly will not miss any occasion to do that," Archbishop Broglio told reporters on Nov. 15.

He said his predecessor, Archbishop Gomez, had desired to meet with President Biden, but that such an opportunity did

Bishops.

The day's agenda included elections for new leadership of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; an overview of the pro-life landscape in the United States after Dobbs; reports on the process of listening and discernment among Church members for the world Synod of Bishops on synodality; and a presentation on liturgical items voted on Nov. 16.

The day ended with poignant remarks from Mark Williams, a sur-

vivor of sexual abuse by a Catholic priest, who told the bishops he was "grateful and encouraged by the work you are doing to rid abuse from our beloved Church."

Archbishop Pierre told the bishops that "as we live through a time of accelerated change," spreading the Gospel message is particularly important.

One way to determine if the Church is following its missionary role is to look at how local church-

es are functioning as evangelizing communities, something he said is especially evident in the current Eucharistic Revival in the United States.

The nuncio also reminded the bishops of the need for the Church to reflect the image of a field hospital, a description used by Pope Francis, who said the Church must be about the work of healing those who are wounded.

He said the Church lives this work out in its outreach to immigrants and to young mothers in the "Walking with Moms in Need" initiative.

In his final address as USCCB

Gospel continued on page A18

leading. I think I will just try to continue in that same vein," Archbishop Broglio said.

In a year when abortion has been front and center in U.S. politics from the Supreme Court decision to recent state referendums the Catholic Church faces a challenge of promoting its prolife message to its own members and society at large, Archbishop Lori said.

"We have more work to do," the archbishop told his fellow U.S. bishops on Nov. 15 during the fall general assembly.

not present itself since President Biden's election two years ago.

"If he wants to meet with me, I'd be happy to meet with him," Archbishop Broglio said.

After President Biden was elected in 2020, Archbishop Gomez announced the formation of a working group of bishops to address issues surrounding the election of a Catholic president and policies that may come about that would be in confl ict with Catholic teaching and the bishops'

Synod reports: enthusiasm for mission, obstacles seen

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

Catholics around the globe long to share the Gospel with a world in need, but they see situations and tensions within the Church that challenge their ability to do so, said one of the drafters of the document for the continental phase of the Synod of Bishops.

The reports sent to the Vatican from local and national listening sessions show "a deep, deep hunger for a new confidence in the Church, a confidence in its ability to proclaim the Gospel to a world so deeply in need," said Anna Rowlands, a professor of Catholic social thought and practice at Durham University in England.

Ms. Rowlands, who read many of the contributions to the synod before helping draft the new document, told reporters at the Vatican Oct. 27 that the reports showed that confidence is challenged by internal Church problems, especially the clerical abuse scandal.

With "just as much" focus on mission, she said, the reports ask, "What condition does the Church have to be in in its own internal life and relationships to be able to carry that message to the world? To meet Christ in the world and bring Christ to the world in a Spirit-led way?"

In talking about exclusion and clericalism and a lack of listening to each other, "the reports are saying there are aspects of our own relationships, our capacity for genuine unity in diversity," that stand in the way, Ms. Rowlands said. The reports acknowledge that it is difficult to speak authoritatively to the world of reconciliation in Christ "if we cannot ourselves be brothers

and sisters, if we can't heal our own divisions, our mutual suspicions, our lack of fundamental trust."

The synod document is titled "Enlarge the Space of Your Tent," a quotation of the Lord's command to the people of Israel in the Book of Isaiah.

"Enlarging the tent requires welcoming others into it, making room for their diversity," the document said. But echoing the submissions to the synod's Vatican office, the document listed people and groups who often feel excluded or are seen to be excluded: women, young people, people with disabilities, the poor, those who are divorced and civilly remarried, single parents, those in polygamous marriages, and members of the LGBTQ communities.

Asked if there were limits to who could be let into the Church's tent and about Catholics who do not want the tent enlarged, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, relator general of the synod, responded, "There will be groups sitting in the tent who are not very happy that some people are in one corner."

"But who is invited to the tent? All the people created and loved by God. All the people," he said. "Our behavior perhaps is sometimes a bit more fragmented, and our love is not as big as the love of God, so therefore we create segregations, even inside the tent."

Everyone naturally likes some people more than others, but in the Church all are called to look at each person as "someone loved by God, called into being by God. Christ died for this person on the cross, so if I am not capable of giving space to this person in the tent, I have a problem with God."

Synod continued on page A19

priorities.

The outcome of that effort eventually led to the bishops issuing a statement on the importance of Holy Communion in the life of the Catholic Church and did not address any confl icts between the stances of Catholic elected offi cials and Church teaching on the dignity of life.

"I intend to continue the good work that Archbishop Gomez began, I think, by giving us a good example of listening but then of

The archbishop spoke as the outgoing chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities. In his remarks on pro-life activities, he said the diverse actions this past year from the Dobbs ruling overturning the court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion nationwide and the passage of multiple state referendums that either protect abortion or reject abortion restrictions bring the Church to a crucial time.

"In this pivotal moment in our culture, this post- Roe moment, you and I as shepherds of the Church in the United States need to take stock," he said, particularly as some Catholics "are confl icted about abortion." ■

A new leadership role Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori concelebrates Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Nov. 14 on the first day of the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore. He was elected vice president of the USCCB on Nov. 15 during the general assembly.

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

PHOTO/BOB ROLLER

Abp. Gomez

Abp. Vigneron

U.S. Catholics Called On to Support Dedicated Guatemalan Priest’s Mission of Mercy

Father Raúl Monterroso and the ministry team at Caritas believe they have been called by God to alleviate poverty and improve the living conditions of poor families in the diocese they serve. Their hope is that Catholics in the U.S. will support that goal by acting as God’s instruments of mercy in Guatemala and by helping the mission provide sturdy homes to the most vulnerable families in the diocese.

Cross Catholic Outreach, a respected Catholic relief and development charity working on projects of that kind around the world, is also involved and is encouraging its donors to support Fr. Raúl and the ministry team.

“In Guatemala and other developing countries, Catholic leaders are eager to help the poor in their parishes or dioceses, but they lack the resources needed to launch those missions of mercy,” explained Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach. “Our ministry was founded to support priests like Fr. Raúl and to bless the poor through projects like the one he is proposing. His bishop has an excellent plan to bless struggling families in the area with safe housing. Our goal is to help him achieve that important mission.”

While Cross Catholic Outreach has engaged in other projects that support the diocese’s work in Guatemala – efforts to feed the hungry, supply safe water and provide education to needy children, for example – Cavnar

believes focusing on safe home construction should be a priority for U.S. Catholics interested in having a big impact with their donated dollars.

“The poorest families in the diocese have been living in terrible patchwork shelters they put together themselves with scraps of wood, rusty metal sheets and other discarded things,” Cavnar said. “Giving them the gift of a sturdy home – even a simple one – will represent a life-transforming change and be an incredible blessing to their children.”

The durable, concrete-block

houses Cross Catholic Outreach hopes to fund through donations from U.S. Catholics will include a solid cement floor and a sturdy roof, giving the area’s poor families a level of comfort they’ve never experienced before. Metal doors will provide ample security, while large shuttered windows will let in light without compromising privacy. Each house will also be wired for electricity and will include a sanitary latrine, a washbasin, and a clean-air stove that will eliminate the problem of smoke inhalation.

These simple but profound

provisions will be a life-changing gift to those who have grown up in abject poverty. The homes will uphold the dignity of families that have felt forgotten by the world. These families will know their Father in heaven has heard their prayers and has used the Church and her faithful to restore their hope.

“Caritas in Santa Rosa de Lima is the perfect partner to accomplish these goals because it is concerned with more than meeting just material needs. Its programs also evangelize and strengthen the faith of the families being served,” Cavnar said. “My hope is that American Catholics will want to get behind this project and give generously to ensure Fr. Raúl is successful.”

Readers interested in supporting Cross Catholic Outreach programs for housing and other outreaches to the poor can contribute through the ministry brochure inserted in this issue or send tax-deductible gifts to Cross Catholic Outreach, Dept. AC02233, 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.

Legacy Giving Provides Catholics With Unique Opportunity to Bless Others

If you are like many Catholics born in the 1950s or before, you have probably begun to think about the spiritual legacy your life and actions represent. What did we care about? What did we value? These are some of the things we hope will be remembered.

“For a growing number of Catholics, this introspection has led to the exploration of ‘legacy giving’ – the use of one’s will, trust, life insurance or retirement policies to leave behind an echo of one’s beliefs, deeds and values – a blessing that will reverberate

beyond our own lifetime, hopefully influencing our family and others we cherish,” explained Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, an official Catholic relief and development charity with staff dedicated to such estate planning.

According to Cavnar, Cross Catholic Outreach has helped many Catholics establish “legacy gifts”that are expected to play a significant role in future ministry missions.

“A will or trust can also reflect a person’s special heart for a country or for an area of need.

It can be used to build houses for poor families or to build classrooms to educate children, for example,” Cavnar said. “Others simply want to help the poorest of the poor and make their legacy gift for that purpose. It’s their way of saying, ‘As a Catholic, I value life and support works of mercy. I want my family to understand that calling and believe in it too.’ And because legacy gifts can be quite large, they often achieve incredible things. A single gift might build an entire school or fund the construction of hundreds of homes. They produce an

amazing impact and serve as an incredible testament to the faith of the giver.”

In addition to this service, Cross Catholic Outreach’s staff can also support donors seeking to establish a charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder trust or special endowment. Financial planners can also obtain information to help those who seek professional counsel or have donor-advised funds.

To learn more about these services, the charity recommends readers visit its special online portal at CrossCatholicLegacy. org

Children often suffer the most from Guatemala’s housing crisis. The patchwork structures many families use for shelter leak and offer little protection from vermin, so illnesses are common.

Fr. Raúl at the site of a new home being constructed for a needy family with help from U.S. donors and Cross Catholic Outreach. This act of mercy changes lives.

Impoverished Families in Rural Guatemala Face a Daily Struggle to Survive in Unsafe, Unsanitary Housing

Sonia Hernandez and her husband know the challenges of raising a family in unsafe, unsanitary housing. They and their four children face one hardship after another, usually due to the whims of the weather or health challenges a life of poverty creates.

Insects infest the wood of her patchwork house, and when it rains, water gushes in through holes in the roof and walls,

soaking the family’s few meager possessions while turning their dirt floor into a muddy mess.

“There were times I woke up to find myself in a puddle of water,” Sonia lamented.

The family’s home is not only unsanitary but also insecure. Thieves can easily break in to steal the Hernandezes’ few possessions, and vermin have no trouble breaching the walls. These circumstances leave the family feeling fearful and vulnerable. But since there is little chance of escaping this situation without outside help, Sonia’s family has simply had to endure these trials.

“It might be a different matter if the local economy were good

and that barely provides enough to put even a meager meal on the table. It will take an intervention by the Church to change their living conditions in any meaningful way.”

Sadly, the hardships the Hernandez family faces are not unique. Most of the impoverished

plagued them for generations can finally be broken,” Cavnar explained. “We’ve learned that providing safe housing plays a major part in improving lives [see related story on opposite page], so we are making that a priority in Santa Rosa. As families are placed in safer, sturdier homes, their hope is restored and they have a foundation for building a better life.”

Fr. Raúl and the Caritas Santa Rosa team agree, and they are thrilled to have an opportunity to tackle this important project.

“It will take a lot of support from U.S. Catholics to achieve what Fr. Raúl has in mind, but if we work together, I am confident

we can get it done,” Cavnar said. “In fact, I have found American Catholics are excited to take part in projects of this kind, whether they can contribute enough for an entire house or give toward that greater goal. They like giving to a project like this because it produces something lasting and tangible — something that can forever transform a family’s life.

“My prayer is that hundreds of compassionate Catholics in the U.S. will see how much the poor in Guatemala are suffering and will step forward to help,” Cavnar said. “If they do, we can transform lives in a profound way, and God will be glorified through our mission of mercy.”

and families like Sonia’s could save enough to make repairs or move, but that’s not the situation in many rural parts of Guatemala,” explained Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, a respected Catholic ministry working to end abject poverty in the area. “There are few employment options to earn a living wage in this particular diocese, so most local families rely on subsistence farming to survive,

families living in the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima live hand to mouth in crumbling shanty houses, putting them at risk when harsh weather strikes. There are other hardships too. Most of the community’s women must cook on indoor wood-burning stoves, causing their families to inhale dangerous smoke whenever meals are being prepared.

“When I go and visit these communities, I am saddened to see the families lack basic things,” said Father Raúl Monterroso, a local parish priest who works for Caritas under the direction of his bishop.

With the help of Cross Catholic Outreach, Fr. Raúl and the Caritas Santa Rosa team hope to bring radical changes to these poor communities, first by assisting families with basic necessities such as food and housing and then by working toward complete community transformation.

“Our ultimate goal is to improve the living conditions in this community and to help these families become more prosperous so the cycle of poverty that has

How to Help

Poor families in the Diocese of Santa Rosa de Lima face challenging living conditions. Sonia Hernandez, shown above, wants a better life for her family — and there is hope, thanks to Church missions supported by Cross Catholic Outreach.

“There were times I woke up to find myself in a puddle of water.”

Sonia Hernandez Mother of Four

Guild hosts first gathering for health professionals in diocese Catholic Medical Association presents retreat on the Eucharist at diocesan Chancery

By Gabrielle Nolan

Sister Mary Lisa Renfer had been considering starting a local Catholic Medical Association guild for some time.

“As I’ve gotten to know different people in the medical community, I’ve been asking them about it,” said the Religious Sister of Mercy of Alma, Mich., who also serves as the medical director for the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic. “I found there were more and more Catholic physicians that were kind of disconnected from each other that wanted to come together.”

“We thought it’d be a good time to start a guild in Knoxville because there’s a lot of Catholic health-care professionals here, and there’s a lot of interest, it seems, in starting a local guild,” she continued. “The Catholic Medical Association is for any Catholics in health care who want to be part of this group to really help grow together in the faith.”

The new guild now makes the Catholic Medical Association active across Tennessee, with other guilds in the dioceses of Nashville and Memphis.

The guild allows medical professionals to have fellowship with likeminded individuals, grow in their knowledge of the faith, and support upcom ing medical professionals such as medical and nursing students going through training.

After a time of prayer and an initial meeting with a few physicians, the first event was planned for Nov. 5 at the Diocese of Knoxville Chancery.

“The Eucharist is the center of who we are, and

but basically it’s what we celebrate today: the Eucharist, the summit of all that we celebrate. There are other things that also unite us. Things that we do. Things that we witness to, Gospel values, beati tudes, caring for one another. To day, at this Mass of thanksgiving as we celebrate the dedication of the Lateran Basilica, we celebrate the unity of reaching out to others: Christian, Catholic, non-Catholic, non-believers, for we witness to Jesus,” he said.

Bishop Stika singled out the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic for how it relates daily to the teachings of Jesus.

“When Jesus entered the city, or town, or village, he always did three things it seems, three things that we know about. He would always teach. He would always feed. And then he would heal, maybe not in that order. The three ingredients that Jesus, I think, was teaching the Church for the gen erations to come: n To preach. And as Francis re minds us, one of the ways to preach is witnessing; n To feed. In sacramental ways but also to feed in physical ways like we often do through Catholic Charities and St. Vincent de Paul societies; n And to heal.

“Now we can heal in a spiritual sense, in a mental situation, or in a physical way. We know the hu man condition, the human body, is made up of those three compo nents: the spiritual, the physical, and the mental. And if one is out of whack, the other two could be somewhat distorted as well. That’s why I think the work of the St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation and the mobile medical clinic witness to the values that we see and the gift of life,” he continued.

“The ministry of the mobile medical clinic and all the volun teers, and all the places that we visit, and all the people who come through its doors, the whole com posite of what it means in this particular work, is just a reminder that we’re actually living what Jesus taught. And isn’t that a beau tiful thing? To not only allow the words and teachings of Jesus to be in a book but to allow them to touch our lives in such a way that we’re willing to give time, the pre cious gift of time, to another per son so that they might be healed. But also, so that they might wit ness the Gospel values of the Cath olic Church, Christianity, our faith, the teachings Jesus taught, to heal as Jesus healed, to feed as Jesus fed,” the bishop concluded.

Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, RSM, a physician and medical director of

the St.

it is how who we as Catholics form our medi cal practice, so it seemed having a retreat on the Eucharist would be a great way to start that guild

and to offer that beginning for our group,” Sister Mary Lisa said.

Father Gerald Dennis Gill of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, a longtime friend of the Sisters of Mercy, was the visiting speaker for the event. He currently serves as rector of the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia and also as director of the archdiocese’s Office of Divine Worship.

In addition to providing holy Mass, the oppor tunity for confession, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for the retreat, Father Gill gave two presentations on the Eucharist as a healing remedy for the mind, body, and soul.

“I’m here today to help you deepen your grasp of the Eucharist,” Father Gill said. “I’d like to em phasize today our approaching the holy Eucharist as a sacrament of healing. The Church under stands, believe it or not, that the primary sacra ment of healing is the Eucharist, although we have the official category of the sacraments of healing, the sacrament of penance and reconciliation, and the anointing of the sick.”

Father Gill spoke of his own brother, a medi cal doctor who died 10 years ago from pancreatic cancer.

“I know from my brother one of his greatest frustrations was that when people were ill, they wanted him to fix it right away, no matter what,” he said. “And [my brother] would say, you know that’s not possible. We’re going to work together, we’re going to cooperate with medicine, with Guild continued on page A18

a home for all the patients who come to see us,” she said.

“They also do a lot of things in the background to keep the clinic going. Some of them will come into our office and help with pa perwork and setting things up. There are some volunteers who are more hidden, they come and clean the clinic or clean the warehouse,” she added. “But all of them are so essential to what we do to keep it going. What is unusual and what is a blessing is that we learn so much from our volunteers, and they do it well. They keep it going. They’re so dependable; they’re always there. And they are so de voted to the mission.”

Bishop Stika pointed out that the mobile clinic is such an ef fective witness to Jesus’ love and healing, even as it drives up and down the interstates and rural roads of East Tennessee. Written in bold letters on the side of the van are the words “Extending the Healing Ministry of Jesus to East Tennessee.”

Asked to describe how he be lieves the mobile clinic is doing nearly 10 years after it first hit the road, Bishop Stika said, “I think the clinic is going excellent.”

East Tennessee.

As an example, the clinic re cently established a new location at Church of the Divine Mercy in Knoxville to serve the church’s Vietnamese community and other immigrant communities in the Knoxville area. Several of the volunteers in this clinic site are Vietnamese.

“Our volunteers provide the care and the healing to our pa tients throughout East Tennessee. They volunteer in the office. They volunteer in the field at our sites. And another thing they do well is they come from the communities that we serve. We provide care throughout East Tennessee, and many of them are local to the com munities that we serve. And that is an important connection because

it’s great to see your neighbors come in and help you find health, wellness, and growth through the services we provide at St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic,” Mr. Vargas said.

“One of the challenges in East Tennessee is the rural hospital closure and the lack of medical personnel, so every volunteer who has that background is a gift to us and can provide care to our pa tients in the remote areas of East Tennessee. We truly love them. We’re grateful for them. And we are blessed to have them and to find them,” he added.

Sister Mary Lisa remarked that it is unusual for an organization to have such a small full-time staff yet have a sizable team of dedi cated volunteers.

“Volunteers are really the core of our mission and of what we do. We are very dependent on our vol unteers to provide for our patients. They are the front line. They are the ones our patients encounter right away. They set the tone for the clinic. They make the clinic

“Just the impact, especially in this day and age when so many hospital systems are closing in smaller places. We go into places that are very small where health care is very much needed,” he noted. “I just think it’s a beautiful ministry, so much so that when we first introduced it Cardinal (Timothy) Dolan was there visit ing from New York along with Archbishop (Robert) Carlson from St. Louis. We sparked an idea, and they copied it. So, here in the little ol’ Diocese of Knoxville, they cop ied what we were doing. That just shows the witness of faith.”

Thinking back on the past dec ade that the clinic has been serving people of all faiths in East Tennes see, the bishop wanted the clinic staff and its corps of volunteers to know how grateful he and people throughout the diocese are.

“In the name of all those people whose lives you have touched this year, for all the volunteers, I just want to say thank you. Two pow erful words, thank you, for they witness to what’s in the hearts of those who assist, the power of opening our hearts to what Jesus taught: that when people see you, they see the face and the hands, the presence of Christ, the pres ence of God, touched by the Holy Spirit,” Bishop Stika said. “So, in this Mass of thanksgiving, this Mass in which we celebrate the dedication of the Lateran Basilica, this Mass in which we celebrate our faith, I say thank you.”

Mary’s Legacy Clinic, and Martin Vargas, executive direc tor of the mobile clinic, say a key part of what makes the mobile clinic successful is how many of its volunteers live in the communi ties where they serve across

Celebrating the volunteers Above: Bishop Stika celebrates a Mass of thanks giving for St. Mary's Legacy Clinic volunteers at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City on Nov. 9. Below left: Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, RSM, right, and Sister Celeste Mary Poche, RSM, take part in the St. Mary's Legacy Clinic Vol unteer Luncheon in the parish hall at St. Thomas the Apostle. Below right: Martin Vargas, center, executive director of the St. Mary's Legacy Clinic, enjoys a light moment with clinic volunteers Star Lakavage and Bruce Fisher

Clinic continued from page A2

BILL BREWER (3)

Building a guild Father Gerald Dennis Gill and Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, RSM, at the Chancery.

GABRIELLE NOLAN

After joining the Church, he would also start to serve the par ish in a variety of roles. He was in the Knights of Columbus, where he currently serves as treasurer, and served on the parish building committee.

It was through both of their in volvement with the Church that the two couples became friends. Both Lorraine’s and Woody’s spouses were in the choir together.

“Church is a big part of our life, and it’s important to us. It’s an obli gation but not an obligation, if you know what I mean,” Woody said.

“I've been a Catholic all my life, I can’t imagine not participating. I just can’t imagine not being a part of the Catholic Church. This particular community is amazing,” remarked Lorraine.

“As Father Nolan always says,” remembered Woody, “it’s ‘the best Catholic church in Bradley County.’”

Woody also played golf with Lor raine’s late husband, John.

“Her husband gave me some of the most memorable moments I’ve ever had playing golf,” Woody recalled in between chuckles. “I’ll never forget when he hopped in the golf cart and drove it straight into the creek.”

The two couples also had a regular routine, along with other friends, of Wednesday Mass and dinner. After the loss of their spouses, Lorraine and Woody con tinued the tradition. This led them to begin spending more time with one another and to eventually real ize just how much they enjoyed one another’s company.

“I kept going to Mass; she kept coming,” Woody said. “First thing you know, we were sitting in the same pew. We enjoyed being to gether, it just seemed like the natu ral thing to do.”

The newlyweds bring much experience and wisdom to their new marriage. When asked what the most important lessons were that they learned about marriage, they didn’t have to think twice. Be friends and laugh a lot.

“It's so nice to have somebody that you really like,” Lorraine said. “You find that you like somebody before you find that you really love that person. What’s not to like about him?”

When asked if there was anything they didn’t agree on, Woody said, “I just don’t say anything about politics, unless I want to rile her up a little bit.”

In preparation for their wedding day, Woody humorously mentioned that they thought about eloping several times. But in the end, they realized they wanted to have a cele bration that included the communi ty that had brought them together.

When asked if it was going to be a big wedding, Lorraine responded, “Father announced it from the pulpit.”

“We started out making a list,”

Woody chimed in. “But pretty soon that list was so long we just decided to let anybody come that wants.”

“But please don’t bring gifts,” Lorraine added.

Bishop Richard F. Stika was one of many in attendance to celebrate their wedding day. He made the trip just hours after his return from the annual fall meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“Father Nolan let me know about this wedding, and I wanted to be part of it. So, I left the bishops’ meeting early and drove all night to be there. They are just a delight ful couple. It just shows that love is something special, even when you are in your 80s,” Bishop Stika said.

Father Nolan, pastor of St. Thé rèse of Lisieux Parish, celebrated the marriage of a couple that means so much to the parish.

“(Lorraine and Woody) came to me to prepare for marriage. Be tween them they have 118 years and nine months of marital experi ence. And I’m supposed to prepare them?” Father Nolan asked.

But for Father Nolan, the cel ebration was truly a special one knowing what Lorraine and Woody mean to the community.

“I was thrilled to be able to wit ness the marriage of two committed Catholics and longtime pillars of the church,” Father Nolan said.

Father Mike Creson, Deacon Barry Maples, and Deacon Steve Ratterman also participated in the wedding Mass. In addition, many parishioners joyfully attended to celebrate a couple that means so much to the parish.

“It went perfectly. It was very neat,” Lorraine said. “It was so unreal. The first weddings we had were immediate family, usually, and that was about it. But this was like the whole parish. I mean, it just seemed like you couldn’t meet any body without them giving us a hug and telling us how happy they were for us.”

“It was a fun thing for every body,” Lorraine added. “I think we all needed it after all the COVID and everything else we’ve been through. It was just a great celebra tion ” ■

and Woody) came to me to prepare for marriage. Between them they have 118 years and nine months of marital experience. And I'm supposed to prepare them?

A unique wedding album

A wedding Mass for Lor raine Sughrue and Woody Blackwell was celebrated on Nov. 18 at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleve land, with family, church family, and friends, taking part. Father Mike Nolan, pastor of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, was the Mass celebrant, and Father Mike Creson concelebrated. Bishop Richard F. Stika attended the wedding Mass in choir. The newly weds, who are in their 80s and have been longtime friends, married after their spouses passed away two years ago

COURTESY OF CHUCK NELSON (8)

“(Lorraine

— Father Mike Nolan St. Thérèse of Lisieux pastor

East Tennessee parishes commemorate Veterans Day

By Bill Brewer

Parishes across the Diocese of Knoxville participated in Veterans Day observances the week of Nov. 11, with congregations recognizing those now and once serving in the military as well as re membering veterans who have died.

Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrated Mass at St. Therese Church in Clin ton on Veterans Day, where parish members who served in the armed forces were honored. Among them was former Marine Anthony Aloi, whose freshly pressed USMC sweat shirt was matched by one worn by his wife, Jean.

Mrs. Aloi was proud to show a

quakes, plagues from place to place. They will put some of you to death.’ The basis of today’s Gos pel, some preachers of the Word try to calculate the second coming of Christ,” Bishop Jazlowiecki said.

“Indeed it seems that Jesus is talking about the time when the end of this world will come. How ever, I want to draw your attention to something else. Today, Christ reminds us that nothing is certain in this world because everything passes. This is what is important for us to understand, not when exactly the end of the world will come, but knowing that everything in this world passes away quickly can change our life for the bet ter and focus our attention on the main thing: on God,” he added.

The Ukrainian people “have al ready experienced that everything passes away,” Bishop Jazlowiecki said. “When this terrible war be tween Russia and Ukraine began, why did we experience it? Because during this war, many people lost everything that they had in their lifetime. During this war, many people in Ukraine lost members of their family and close friends. The people close to us are passing away.”

The bishop told of a Ukrainian man who met a Moscow woman online and fell in love with her be fore he was later called to military service.

“He fought courageously for several months defending the city of Mariupol and then disap peared,” Bishop Jazlowiecki said. “The armed forces of Ukraine de fended Mariupol in a battle and were surrounded for more than 80 days. Now the city is completely destroyed by the Russians. More than 22,000 civilians died there. Fifty thousand were deported to Russia. After some time, the body of this guy was found. He died de fending the city. Recently, the local bishop conducted his funeral. The Russian girl cannot return to Rus sia because she fears for her life and the safety of her relatives in Moscow. Fortunately, the groom’s family accepted her, and she decid ed to become a Catholic, and now she is preparing for her first con fession and Holy Communion.”

Bishop Jazlowiecki repeated his statement about people passing away.

“Everything passes away: mate rial things, people close to us, our selves,” he said. “Only God does not pass away, and this is good.

Pope Francis once said, ‘Only God is enough for us, and let eve rything else pass away.’ Indeed, when we lose everything but do not lose God, we will find every thing again in Him one day. When we lose God, together with Him we lose everything forever.

“When the war began, one of my greatest fears was that our people would lose faith in God and thus lose Him. War, which brings de struction, suffering, and death, is a test for every person’s faith. Today, when the war has been going on for almost nine months, I can say that I am proud of my people in Ukraine, who have lost so much— relatives, health, homes—but they have not lost faith in God. They continue to go to the church. They are praying for a quick victory.

copy of the Nov. 15, 1954, Life maga zine featuring her husband in his Marine uniform on display with other photos of parish veterans.

The music liturgy for the Mass was led by Paige Chiaro and Kristen Cox, who served as a sergeant E5 in the Army National Guard and played the keyboard in her dress uniform. The bishop was assisted during Mass by Deacon Peter Chiaro, who is serving as temporary administra tor of St. Therese.

Veterans Day 2022 took on spe cial meaning for Bishop Stika and the diocese as Bishop Aleksander Jazlowiecki, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomyr, Ukraine, Honor continued on page A15

Moreover, many of our Catholics thank God for helping us expel the Russians from our diocese and from the city of Kyiv.”

Faith in God “is the greatest treasure and the strongest help for a person,” Bishop Jazlowiecki continued. “In addition to faith, we are strengthened by the soli darity of the entire civilized world. Humanitarian aid began to arrive from all countries: food, medicine, clothing. We heard many words of support. Our army was provided with weapons sent by friendly countries like the United States. All this also gives us strength and con fidence in our victory. Today, God brought me to you from Kyiv to thank you on behalf of all Ukraini ans for your support. We are grate

ful for your continued prayers and all your help and support that many of you have given and are giving. We Ukrainians have great hope in your help. There has never been such great respect for your country in Ukraine before. Thank you very much, and may God bless you also for today’s funds that you are collecting for my Kyiv-Zhytomyr Diocese.”

The bishop then spoke on the purpose of the Green Mass.

“The Mass today is offered for all your veterans,” he said. “We honor your veterans for their pat riotism, love of country, and will ingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. Being here with you today made me think of all the soldiers in Ukraine who are fight

ing to save our country like your veterans did in the past. I ask you with all my heart to think of them and pray for them that God will help them and give them courage to fight and bring an end to this terrible war. Prayers are the best weapon for peace in the world.”

Father Boettner at the end of Mass thanked “Bishop Aleksander for being with us this weekend and assure him of our prayers and support. We were talking last night, and we said this may be your first visit to Knoxville, but we know it’s not going to be your last visit to Knoxville, so we look for ward to having you back again in the future, so thank you.” A round of applause followed.

“To all of you, thank you,” Bish op Jazlowiecki said. “Father David and Father Martin, they invited me here. Thank you to all of you for your good hearts. Thank you for your bishop. … God save the Unit ed States, and God save Ukraine and all countries.”

After Father Boettner made the parish announcements, the playing and singing of the Ukrainian na tional anthem followed.

“Thank you very much for that. I appreciate it very much,” Bishop Jazlowiecki said.

Speaking after Mass, Bishop Ja zlowiecki explained how he came to be at Sacred Heart.

“I’m so grateful to God for this possibility to come here. I was attending a conference about Ukraine in Nashville. We finished the conference Friday, and I said maybe I will go to some church and can preach about Ukraine,” he said. “I asked Father David about the possibility to come, and he was so happy. He invited me. God’s providence guides us. I’m here be cause of God’s will, I think.”

Conditions in Ukraine’s capi tal city are not good, Bishop Ja zlowiecki said after Mass.

“I live in Kyiv, and in Kyiv but not only in Kyiv but in other big cities, we have a problem with electricity,” he said. “They have destroyed our electric systems. More don’t have electricity than have in different districts of the city.”

The bishop spoke of the outlook for peace in his troubled nation.

“The people who don’t believe in God, they have their hope. We who believe, our hope is in God, in prayers,” he said. “We feel this great solidarity from all Catholics, even from the United States. You pray for us. In many countries, Catholic churches have solidarity with us, and we feel that, and our hope is in God. We also have hope in our army and help from differ ent countries.”

“Peace” is not the best word to use with his countrymen, Bishop Jazlowiecki said.

“Ukrainians don’t use the word peace. We use the word victory be cause we had peace with the Rus sians from 2014 when they started the war against us,” he said. “We tried to negotiate to do some peace with them, and they took Crimea. We tried to negotiate, and we had a peace with Russia, and they took two regions, and we tried to nego tiate, and they didn’t stop. Now we speak about victory. We want victory, not peace. The peace with Russia is not so easy.”

Veterans continued from page A1

DR. KELLY KEARSE (3)

Special guest Top: Bishop Aleksander Jazlowiecki, second from left, re ceives applause from members of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, including from left, Father David Boettner, Deacon Walt Otey, and Father Martin Gladysz. Middle: Bishop Jazlowiecki is greeted by a Green Mass attendee in the narthex following Mass. Bottom: Katie Helms plays the bagpipes for the Green Mass.

Diocesan salute Bishop Richard F. Stika is joined by St. Therese veterans Anthony Aloi, Robert Lauer, Ed Thompson, Mike Koehl, Marla Santodonato, and Kristen Cox

BILL BREWER

Veterans recognition

Top left: Paige Chiaro and Army Sgt. E5 Kris ten Cox lead the music liturgy for the Veterans Day Mass at St. Therese Church in Clinton.

Top right: St. Therese members Annette Brown and Jean Aloi admire the veterans dis play at St. Therese.

Above left: Veterans at St. Joseph Church in Norris are recognized during Mass on Nov. 13.

Above right: St. Joseph members Bill Ross, left, and Dick Shriver review the veterans dis play in the St. Joseph parish hall.

Right: St. Joseph veterans, including Father Bill Gahagan, left, hold photos of themselves when they served in the military.

was visiting the diocese and celebrat ing the Green Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on Nov. 13.

In his homily, Bishop Jazlowiecki thanked the United States for its sup port of Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia, which invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. The auxiliary bishop also commended U.S. veterans for their dedication through the decades in defending the United States.

At St. Therese, Bishop Stika said it’s appropriate at certain moments in the secular world to pause and combine the secular with the reli gious, such as with Veterans Day observances.

“First of all, I want to say to all of you who are veterans, thank you. Thank you for your service,” Bishop Stika said. “We hear the word Eucharist. It’s a great word. It means thanksgiving. Give thanks to God. We also give thanks to other people. Just think of all the people who assist us in our life on a daily basis. It was drilled into my head by my mother that I should always say thank you, even if it’s the smallest thing. Any time we pray, we offer to God our gratitude and our thanks.”

The Diocese of Knoxville shepherd cited President (and former five-star general) Dwight Eisenhower, saying President Eisenhower in one of his speeches described a true military as one that is a peacemaker, not an aggressor.

“See what’s going on in the Ukraine today,” the bishop point ed out as he referred to Bishop Jazlowiecki.

Bishop Stika singled out two mili tary chaplains who are being con sidered for sainthood: Father Emil Kapaun, who served and was killed in Korea, and Father Vincent Capo danno, who served and was killed in Vietnam.

The priests, who are now servants of God as their causes for sainthood move forward, were cited as exam

ples of faithful followers of God who also heroically served their country.

“We give thanks to almighty God for people who are willing to be in the service through the intercession of St. Martin of Tours, who himself was a military man,” Bishop Stika said. “Just as President Eisenhower said, true militaries are peacemakers. Let us pray this day for that beautiful gift of peace so that different peoples can learn to live together in peace.”

At St. Joseph Church in Norris, U.S. Navy and Air Force veteran Monsignor Bill Gahagan celebrated Mass on Nov. 13 on a day when vet erans in the parish were recognized for their service. Monsignor Gahagan was assisted by Deacon Dan Hos ford, who is serving as temporary administrator of St. Joseph.

During the Mass, Monsignor Ga hagan and Deacon Hosford asked all veterans in attendance to approach the altar, where they were given a special blessing of thanksgiving.

Deacon Hosford delivered a hom ily that urged the faithful to get away from temples of self and instead embrace God’s holy temple, an exer cise in sacrifice and service, much as those in the armed services perform.

“Within ourselves is truly where the most important event of our lives occurs. Within ourselves, we make that decision: if the temple of my will, not yours, is where we worship. That temple must be destroyed if we are to secure our lives. And a dwell ing place of God erected, a holy tem ple,” the deacon said.

Deacon Hosford said each of us will have trials because of our faith and our beliefs, hatred for what we believe and who we believe in. We all suffer loneliness and loss. But the sacrifice of ourselves is the surrender to the greater good, and that greater good is the Body of Christ.

“Do you accept the mission? It’s a challenge for all of us to live what we have heard, to prepare a place for God to dwell, to invite God to come into our hearts, to be with us at all

times, in all things, in all trials, and in all joys,” he continued. “We are to take this into the world, to be a disci ple, to go and make disciples.”

In recognizing the veterans, Dea con Hosford offered this prayer:

“Dear God, turn your divine gaze to those who served in the military. They have sacrificed time, comfort, strength, ambition, health, and pros perity for the peace and safety of friends and family and others they have never known. Reward them a hundredfold for all their sacrifice and service. Bless them far beyond all their expectations. Reward them richly for all they have given to this country. We ask that You bless them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

St. Joseph parishioners held a reception for the veterans and their families following the Mass.

Among the veterans recognized was Monsignor Gahagan, who was holding a photo of himself as a young sailor in the U.S. Navy.

“I was in the Navy first for six months and 13 days. Due to chronic sea sickness on a destroyer, I was dis charged into the Air Force. I was able to transfer into the Air Force for the years 1955-60,” Monsignor Gahagan said.

He described how his service in the military was valuable to his for mation as a priest.

“One of the biggest aspects at that time was seeing how difficult it was for the military personnel with fami lies, how difficult it was for them to be stationed outside of their country with their families back home. The stress that that brought upon family life. And also over there, when fami lies came, the living arrangements weren’t that nice for a lot of them. But for many others it did work well,” he explained.

“The greatest thing for me about the military was growing up. Had it not been for the military, I don’t think this is where I would be be cause of the role models and older

guys who sort of picked me up and kept me out of the gutter, you might say. That was real,” he added.

He singled out and saluted priests who serve as military chaplains.

“That is such a need through out the world. I know it’s difficult because of the shortage of priests. That’s a hint to the young folks out there who the Holy Spirit is reaching out to,” the monsignor said, giving it his best shot at recruiting vocations.

Dick Shriver, a lay leader at St. Joseph Parish, helped organize the veterans recognition ceremony. He said the parish has been planning the ceremony for months.

“We just felt like our parish really needed to recognize our veterans, especially the veterans who are no longer with us. Our committee put together the idea of having people bring their pictures when they were in service and displaying them and having a ceremony after Mass in honor of our veterans. We have a list of veterans in the parish that is quite long. We have some deceased as well, and we are honoring them, too,” Mr. Shriver said.

He noted that the impact of having veterans active in a parish not only shows a love of country, “but we love our God, and we serve Him as well.”

“For our parish to recognize that and honor the veterans is special,” he said.

The St. Joseph lay committee that organized the veterans recognition ceremony set up a long table in the church that was covered in photos and also had a vacant place-setting with an empty chair to commemo rate those veterans who served and did not come home.

“The vacant place-setting is to honor those who passed away dur ing their time in service. We are hon oring them with the empty table. The other table is so our parishioners can see all the veterans who we have pic tures of, to give an idea of who they are,” Mr. Shriver explained. ■

BILL BREWER (5)

The keys to heaven

Pope, priests emphasize to faithful that showing love, mercy are vital to entering kingdom of

By Catholic News Service and The East Tennessee Catholic

As Christians await their death and the final judgment of God, the Gospel tells them what they must do to be welcomed into heaven: love others because God is love, Pope Francis said.

In life "we are in the waiting room of the world," hoping to hear Jesus say, "Come, you who are blessed by

Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz of the Diocese of Knoxville. They were ordained at Holy Trinity Church in Jefferson City, their home parish.

On Nov. 14, 2009, Father Riehl was ordained a priest by Bishop Richard F. Stika.

At his ordination, Bishop Stika encouraged Father Riehl to “be the face of Jesus” in every situation he encounters as he embarked upon a life in the priesthood. The bishop or dained Father Riehl at Sacred Heart Cathedral, where he became the 37th priest ordained for the Diocese of Knoxville and the second by Bishop Stika.

One of the assisting deacons at Fa ther Riehl’s ordination was his father. Father Riehl then celebrated his first Mass at Holy Trinity.

Father Riehl’s passion was his priestly ministry and deep devotion to Our Lord, Jesus Christ, and Mary, Mother of God. His interests includ ed sports (especially golf), exploring the outdoors, cooking, and writing. He recently published a book titled Listen to Our Lady, and he was work ing on a second book.

He is survived by his parents, Dea con John and Shirley Riehl, and his siblings: Suzie, Jeff, Jennifer, Tony, Cindy, and Tim. Eleven nieces and nephews also survive him.

Memorials for Father Riehl may be made to the seminarian second collection, where financial support makes priesthood possible: https:// dioknox.org/give-to-the-seminariansecond-collection

Father Swantek traveled from New Jersey to attend his friend’s funeral Mass. He shared memories from their time together in seminary.

“We went through St. Charles Bor romeo Seminary together. We spent time enjoying going through semi nary together. He was known for his sense of humor. Everyone called him Riehl. Most people who knew him knew he was a bit of a fighter. He had a love of brotherhood and getting guys together,” Father Swantek said.

“He loved to cook; he loved being around the guys; he loved his faith. He was a (Detroit) Lions fan. I’m a big Vikings fan in Jersey, so he was always ribbing me about the Lions. Of course, it helped that the Lions always lost,” he added, laughing at the memory. “He was always ready to laugh, ready to help, ready to pray. Riehl was that kind of guy.”

Father Swantek recalled how he and Father Riehl helped each other get through the difficult days of semi nary and that when Father Swantek was ordained a priest and Father Riehl was ordained a deacon, Father Swantek visited Father Riehl in East Tennessee and they spent a week hik ing the Appalachian Trail together.

“That was awesome. He was a good man. He will be missed,” Father Swantek said.

Father Carter, in giving the homily, made poignant reference to the death and life everlasting that awaits all of God’s children, including a younger priest:

“We come to the final moments of the funeral rites for our brother Chris topher Michael Riehl, priest of Jesus Christ. The truth of faith that comes to me at this moment is that of divine providence. We are here today, at this moment, for this reason, because God in His infinite wisdom has seen fit for it to be so. And God does not make mistakes.

“God did not make a mistake when Christopher was born. God knew Him ‘before He knit him in his mother’s womb.’ He did not make a mistake when he was baptized into

my Father," the pope said during a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on Nov. 2, the feast of All Souls.

Pope Francis celebrated the Mass with special prayers for the nine cardinals and 148 archbishops and bishops from around the world who died between Oct. 30, 2021, and Oct. 17 this year, including 14 bishops from the United States and four from Canada.

After the Mass, the pope visited

the Vatican's Teutonic Cemetery, a medieval cemetery now reserved mainly for German-speaking priests and members of religious orders.

The Gospel reading at the Mass was St. Matthew's description of the last judgment, when those who fed the hungry, welcomed the stranger, and visited the prisoner are wel comed into God's kingdom, and those who neglected to care for oth ers are sent into "the eternal fire."

While praying for those who have died, he said, the feast day also is a call to "nurture our expectation of heaven" and question whether one's strongest desires are for union with God or for earthly status and pleas ures that will pass away.

"The best careers, the greatest achievements, the most prestigious titles and accolades, the accumulat ed riches and earthly gains all will

us.

“For us who believe, the working of divine providence happens most poignantly through the priests of the Church. The greatest mystery of the priesthood of Jesus Christ in this world is that God chooses fragile and broken human beings to be agents of his providential care for us. A priest touches the lives of many. I’m sure there are many here who can trace a spiritual line that intersects with Father Riehl’s ministry. I myself received the fruit of his priestly ser vice. The only time I have ever been anointed was when I had pneumonia and a high fever a few years back. It was providentially a time when Fa ther Riehl was staying with me at my parish. He was the one, then, to min ister to me the sacrament of healing according to God’s providence.

“God’s providence is not opposed to the cross of suffering. In fact, suf fering is the crux of God’s bold state ment of providence for all mankind, when Christ was crucified in atone ment for our sins. Because the cross is at the center of every priest’s life, he, too, must suffer and often be a sign of contradiction. Sometimes he comforts the disturbed and sometimes he dis turbs the comfortable. All of a priest’s life forms a part of God’s plan for the salvation of the human race. He is the means by which God chooses to dispense His sacramental grace. And this is a great mystery indeed. The priest is the one who draws God and man together in an intimate friend ship through sacramental bonds.

a covenant with the Lord: ‘He hath clothed me with the garment of sal vation.’ God did not make a mistake when He moved his heart to say yes to the call of the priesthood: ‘You are a priest forever, according to the Order of Melchizedek.’ And God did not make a mistake when he called him back to Himself: ‘The death of his faithful ones is precious in the eyes of the Lord.’

“It is true that this moment is a sad one. We have lost a son, a brother, a friend. We ask if it could have been another way, but the Author of life has said otherwise about the death of this priest. ‘The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.’ But if we allow the light of faith to pierce the darkness of our grief, we can see the hand of providence in the present moment.

“Our brother, ordained for the Dio cese of Knoxville, had been living for some time far from us. Through the providence of medical services made available on this side of the moun tains, in his last days he came back to the diocese of his incardination. Here, among the people he served for so long, he was able to be ministered to by the ones to whom he once minis tered. There is further providence in the timing. He died on the feast of St. Leo the Great. I’m sure our brother, lion that he was in this life, is smiling at that. He loved God and His bride, the Church, with the fierceness of a lion.

“May the saints now welcome him home into the eternal city, Jerusa lem. He died just after his birthday and just a few days shy of his 13th priestly anniversary. His birth, his vocation, and his death all coalesce in this life into one moment. If you look with the eyes of faith, you see a certain fittingness to this; they are no coincidences. They are manifestations of providence. In fact, even today,

in the sanctoral cycle of the ancient calendar, which he was so fond of, the Church celebrates St. Gertrude. St. Gertrude was one of the patron saints of Father Riehl. His paternal grandmother was named Ann Ger trude Riehl, and her life of faith, even though she died when he was still relatively young, had an impact on his own assent to the faith and voca tion to serve as a priest. With the eyes of faith, we can see the hand of provi dence surrounding us and sustaining

“We must all die. To die well is to die in friendship with God. I believe that Father Christopher Riehl died well. He, too, was a recipient of the ministry of his brother priests. He was anointed at least seven times before his death. I was also privileged in my last conversation with him, when he had come out of his coma, to hear his confession and speak the words of absolution to his believing heart. How blessed that moment, how healing it was for him, but even for me. How providential. It is a source of hope to me, and I pray for you as well, as we pray these words of absolution now and as we lay our brother to rest until the last day comes,” Father Carter said. ■

Father Riehl

DAN MCWILLIAMS

vanish in a moment," the pope said. But the Gospel of Matthew makes clear what will last, he said: love and care for others, especially the poor and those usually discarded by society.

And, he said, the Gospel also ex plains that God's final judgment is not like a civil court where the judge or jury sifts through every piece of evidence and weighs them all carefully.

In the divine tribunal, the only thing that counts "is mercy toward the poor and discarded: 'Whatever you did for one of these least broth ers of mine, you did for me,'" the pope said. "The Most High is in the least, he who inhabits the heavens dwells among the most insignificant to the world."

Jesus' measure is "a love beyond our measures, and His standard of judgment is gratuitousness," he said. "So, to prepare ourselves, we know what to do: love those who are on His priority list, those who can give us nothing back, those who do not attract us," and do so without expect ing repayment.

Too often, Pope Francis said, in stead of living the Gospel, people try to water down the words of Jesus. "Let's face it, we have gotten pretty good at compromising with the Gos pel," saying, "'Feeding the hungry yes, but the issue of hunger is com

plex, and I certainly can't solve it!'" or "'Welcoming migrants yes, but it is a complicated issue, it concerns poli tics,'" the pope said. With little objec tions "we make life a compromise with the Gospel."

"From simple disciples of the Mas ter, we become teachers of complex ity, who argue a lot and do little, who seek answers more in front of the computer than in front of the cruci fix, on the Internet rather than in the eyes of our brothers and sisters," he said. Believers become experts "who comment, debate, and expound theo ries, but do not know even one poor person by name, have not visited a sick person for months, have never fed or clothed someone, (and) have never befriended someone in need."

The Gospel teaches people how to live while awaiting death and God's judgment "loving because He is love," Pope Francis said. God "waits for us among the poor and wounded of the world. And he is waiting to be caressed not with words but with deeds."

Diocese of Knoxville priests prayed for the faithful departed dur ing All Souls’ Day services in Chatta nooga, the Tri-Cities, Knoxville, and parishes across East Tennessee.

All Souls’ Day was commemorated at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus with a Mass at the ca thedral’s columbarium celebrated by Father David Boettner.

At Calvary Cemetery in Knoxville, Father Charlie Donahue, CSP, led a rosary on Nov. 6 to pray for the faithful departed. Father Donahue is pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, which serves as caretaker of the cemetery, one of only two Catho lic cemeteries in East Tennessee.

Father David Carter, rector of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, celebrated Mass at Mount Olivet Cemetery, the second Catholic cemetery in the region.

An altar was established at the foot of the tall crucifix at the center of Priests’ Mound in Mount Olivet, where Father Carter led Mass. He was assisted by Deacon Gaspar DeGaetano.

In Johnson City, Father Dustin Collins, pastor of St. Mary Parish, celebrated an All Souls’ Day Mass in Buena Vista Cemetery, which is adjacent to the parish and is where parishioners are buried. He was as sisted by Deacon George Fredericks and Deacon Jim Haselsteiner.

An altar was established in the cemetery, and the Mass was attended by parishioners, many of whom were students at St. Mary School.

Also at St. Mary, as part of the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, the parish again provided the Altar of the Dead throughout No vember. Parishioners were invited to bring pictures of their deceased fam ily members to place on the altar in

the church to remember them during the month.

At the cathedral, the Mass also served as an unveiling of recent columbarium upgrades. Included in the upgrades are additional benches, concrete pavers instead of gravel, and water features. Catholic faithful, many of whom have loved ones in urned in the columbarium, attended the Mass.

In his homily, Father Boettner, who serves as rector of the cathedral, highlighted violet, purgatory, and hope as his topics. Deacon Mike Mescall assisted in the Mass.

Father Boettner explained that white was one of the three options for priests celebrating Mass on All Souls’ Day because white worn dur ing funeral Masses is a sign of hope in the resurrection.

But on All Souls’ Day, Father Boettner and Deacon Mescall wore violet vestments, which is symbolic of mourning and penance. Similar violet vestments were worn by Fa ther Carter, Deacon DeGaetano, Fa ther Collins, Deacon Fredericks, and Deacon Haselsteiner.

An altar was set up at the base of the centerpiece crucifix inside the cathedral columbarium in between statues of St. Mary and St. Joseph.

A choir led by Glenn Kahler, cathe dral director of music and liturgy, provided the music liturgy for the Mass. ■

not feel comfortable in a church but are open to talking about the mean ing of life.

It is not the content of the videos that makes the program different, Mr. Grinstead noted. It’s the struc ture that allows for people to enter into conversations about belief, Christ, and the Church. For many, talking openly about faith with oth ers can seem intimidating.

“This is a way for Catholics to bet ter evangelize or maybe even begin to evangelize the people in their lives,” Mr. Grinstead said. “Catho lics, if we’re just honest, we haven’t been the greatest evangelizers. That’s not in our wheelhouse, typically. So, what are some easy wins for us in terms of inviting people into church life or entering into a relationship with the Lord?”

Ultimately, Mr. Grinstead has found that Alpha is about starting

a conversation and asking ques tions and not being concerned with answers. If someone is seeking the Lord, the answers will come eventu ally. But you have to start with the questions.

“We allow for a space for people to come with genuine questions and be OK with that. Try to trust the process of we don’t have to answer all the questions at once,” he said.

“You know, you don’t tell a new believer all the rules and regulations right away for them to follow; you help understand why you even have rules and regulations. So, that was the beauty of it.”

For Mr. Grinstead, Alpha is just another way to introduce people to Christ and build a relationship with Him. The most important thing is that people find Christ, and even lifelong Christians continue to seek Him.

“Even if you’ve been a lifelong

Catholic, or a lifelong Christian of some kind, exploring your faith should be a continual process,” he said.

“It’s never ‘Oh, I’m good; I took religion class in middle school and high school and go to church every Sunday, so I’m good.’ No. It is a lifelong process. It’s a relationship. It’s not just a head knowledge thing. Where has my relationship with God moved at all in the last year? Has that dial even shifted? I think that’s a huge thing to look at,” he added.

Another takeaway from the con ference was looking at the role of the parish in welcoming and creating those disciples.

“What is the purpose of church? What is the purpose of us having a church? It’s really to bless the city. That is why we’re here,” he said.

Mr. Grinstead is currently run ning several Alpha sessions at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart

of Jesus aimed at different groups, including youth, young adults, and teachers. He’s looking forward to starting one for married couples.

In particular, he’s found that using Alpha in confirmation preparation has really helped kids think about their personal beliefs and open up in talking about faith. It levels the playing field and doesn’t assume every child in confirmation class has had the same religious education or comes from a family that regularly attends Mass or prays.

“We recently had the first session, and I’ve done confirmation prep for a long time, and I have used Alpha Youth before, but it’s been a while,” he said. “I don’t remember having such great conversations, more listen ing sessions, from the youth than we did on our very first session. The very first one, they opened up, and they just did tons of questions, and they had tons of ideas of who God is.”

Alpha continued from page A4

Alpha fellowship Above left: Young adults share a meal at an Alpha session at Sacred Heart Cathedral earlier this year. Sharing a meal together is an important part of the Alpha program. Above right: Youth from Sacred Heart take time for discussion after viewing an Alpha video for confirmation preparation.

COURTESY OF RICK GRINSTEAD (2)

Heaven continued from page A16

Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chattanooga

Buena Vista Cemetery next to St. Mary Church-Johnson City

Calvary Cemetery in Knoxville

Sacred Heart Cathedral columbarium

DAN MCWILLIAMS

BILL BREWER COURTESY OF ST. MARY PARISH

COURTESY OF THE BASILICA OF STS. PETER AND PAUL

president, Archbishop Gomez de scribed images of conflict, changes, and challenges he saw during his three-year term.

He spoke of the pandemic, "a long season of unrest in our cities," a contentious presidential election as well as "deepening political, eco nomic, and cultural divisions," war in Europe, a refugee crisis, and "the overturning of Roe v. Wade."

"We've been through a lot of changes together," Archbishop Gomez told his brother bishops. He raised alarm over what he saw as a U.S. society moving "hard and fast toward an uncompromising secularism," adding that "traditional norms and values are being tested like never before."

He said he has heard concerns from "young mothers and fathers who are trying to raise their children to know Jesus in a difficult culture."

The challenge for those minister ing in this moment, he said, "is how to maintain some kind of perspec tive" in a "noisy, distracted media culture."

Challenges also signal "a new opening for the Gospel," a calling "to step up and to open every door for Jesus Christ, to shine His light into every area of our culture and society; to bring every heart to a new

God’s grace, so that healing can hap pen, but healing doesn’t always hap pen as I see it or on my terms. You probably run into that frustration, as well. People want the quick fix.”

“The one thing we want to keep in mind is the ultimate healing that Jesus offers to every Christian, to the whole world, is our redemption and our salvation,” Father Gill continued. “It’s the promise of belonging to him now and in eternity.”

Father Gill spoke of the three-year campaign of the Eucharistic Revival that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops currently is leading within the country.

“If something has to be revived, it suggests it was lifeless, right? And so this Eucharistic Revival is suggesting something really true; that our faith, our understanding, our grasp of the mystery of the Eucharist, isn’t what it should be,” he said.

“This lack of truly understand ing what the Eucharist is affects all of us,” Father Gill pointed out. “It’s been part of the air we’ve been breathing as Catholics over the last several years, especially when we see the disconnect between what the Church teaches and how people live. All of that has a very serious, mitigating impact as far as what the Eucharist is.”

As members of the medical com munity and as baptized Christians, Father Gill noted that those in at tendance at the retreat needed “this grasp of the Eucharist for your own benefit and also to see how it extends your healing mission and ministry to those you serve.”

A large portion of the presentations focused on the difference between the Eucharist and Holy Communion.

“When we talk about the Eucha rist, we are talking about an event, a divine event,” Father Gill explained. “And there’s a biblical way that the Eucharist is referred to, and that biblical way is the hour, the hour of Christ on the cross and risen from the dead.”

“What happened when Jesus went to the cross and was raised from the dead?” he continued. “This was the moment Jesus perfectly glorified his Father and the Holy Spirit. It is the saving and redeeming action of the Son of God in time and for all peo ple. This divine event of Jesus on the cross and risen from the dead is at once eternal, cosmic, temporal, and immediate.

“What is remarkable, though, for us sitting around this table and for every Christian, is as I’ve described this hour, this time in and outside of time of Jesus going to the cross and raised from the dead, we have the possibility of actually entering into it, stepping into this hour.”

As for receiving Holy Communion, Father Gill noted how commonplace it is for that exchange to be taken for

encounter with the living God."

"It is not inevitable that our coun try will fall into secularism. The vast majority of our neighbors still believe in God," Archbishop Gomez added. "Tens upon tens of millions of Catholics still serve God every day, and we are making a beautiful difference in the life of this country.

"Our Catholic people are teachers and healers, seekers of justice and peace."

In their elections, the bishops

chose Archbishop Gomez's succes sor Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Mili tary Services. He was elected from a slate of 10 nominees, winning with 138 votes.

In subsequent voting, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore was elected USCCB vice president. He won the post on the third ballot by 143-96 in a runoff with Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort WayneSouth Bend, Ind. Archbishop Lori

succeeds Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron as vice president.

The outgoing USCCB officers completed their three-year terms at the conclusion of the assembly, and their successors began their threeyear terms at meeting's end.

As outgoing chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, Archbishop Lori spoke to the bishops about the challenges for the Church following both the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and the many state referendums that passed in the midterm elections that either approved abortion protections or approved abortion restrictions.

The archbishop said the Church, in this environment, has its work cut out for it and should not only reinforce its teaching on life issues for its members but also speak out clearly as a witness in society insist ing that all people be cared for, born and unborn.

At the close of their public ses sion, the bishops were reminded of the work accomplished, and that still continues, in efforts to provide a safe environment and healing 20 years after the church adopted the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” in response to the clergy abuse scandal. ■

“When you embrace the reality that the healing ministry of Jesus Christ is just continuing through your hands and you receive that in the Holy Sac rifice of the Mass, it transforms what you do,” Sister Mary Lisa continued.

“So, it gives you the strength to keep moving forward and it helps you realize that you can always provide care, even when you can’t cure.”

Drs. Julius and Patricia von Clef, parishioners at All Saints Parish in Knoxville, attended the retreat.

“I’m a retired family physician, and I’m concerned about what’s happen ing medically, especially in our coun try,” Dr. Patricia von Clef said. “So, I’m very interested in the Catholic Medical Association being formed.”

“I love the Eucharist; I love going to daily Mass,” she continued. “This talk was one of the most beautiful, powerful talks I’ve ever heard, and I learned things that I hadn’t learned in over 30 years of going to daily Mass. … [Father] exudes this beautiful re spect and love that just is incredible, and I’m tremendously happy that I came.”

Dr. Julius von Clef is a family medi cine physician who has been in active practice for 37 years.

“The interesting thing is, living in the Bible Belt, most of my patients are Christians, they’re not Catholics,” he said. “I have very few Catholic patients, but just the idea of getting together with other Catholics in the medical field is something that’s im portant, that we can live out our faith together.”

granted.

“It happens so often, unfortunately it can become routine,” he said. “Not only can the ritual become routine, but so can the dialogue between the communion minister and the person receiving.”

“Every time we enter this com munion procession, it is a rehearsal from the time when we will pass from this life to the next,” Father Gill said. “Every time we enter this com munion procession, we’re invited to eat and drink of the Supper of the Lamb, which happens in heaven and here in the Eucharist, the very same Supper of the Lamb.”

Father Gill noted that the “experi ence of receiving Holy Communion is layered,” with the reception and “amen” encompassing many beliefs of the Catholic who is receiving.

“We really should consider re sponding ‘amen’ even before we leave our seat,” he said. “Because it means so much, it’s content is so deep, and it’s a word that has so many other words behind it. It means amen, I truly do believe that this is the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen. That my life as a Chris

tian is in moral communion with Jesus and all that His Church teaches, amen. … I am willing to be in com munion with Jesus and everyone else who receives Holy Communion, amen.”

“With our reception of Holy Com munion comes then, in this conform ity with Jesus, not only a new intima cy with Him, but a desire to be His hands and especially for you who are in the medical profession, His hands of healing, His hands of comfort, His hands of peace,” he added.

Sister Mary Lisa described the pres entations as “a needed understand ing of the reality of what the Eucha rist really is.”

“The Eucharist becomes this place of refuge, this place where I can receive healing from Jesus Christ through that holy sacrifice, through uniting my offering with His in that holy Mass. And the more I realize that, the more I enter into that, I think the better physician I become because when you get caught up in what only you can offer, it’s easy to get defeated in medicine because there’s so many things you can’t cure, there’s so many things you can’t fix,” she said.

“I go to Mass every Sunday and ac tively pray with my staff before I start every day, so we get together and pray and pray for our patients,” Dr. von Clef continued. “And patients will ask me for prayers, so I will pray for individual patients.”

Dr. Philip Hanneman, a parishioner at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, is a pulmonary and critical care physician.

“I think it’s a great value, obvi ously, to be able to congregate with people who have very similar lived experiences to what you experience day in and day out,” he said. “I think the opportunity today in terms of what we’ve taken from it is just the importance of keeping the Mass at the center of our lives and recogniz ing that we can use that as an exten sion of what we do within the hospi tals and clinics.”

“I hope that this has been person ally enriching for each of them,” Sister Mary Lisa said. “It can be very full in the practice of medicine, and sometimes we don’t take the time to really receive the graces that the Lord is waiting to pour out for us.”

For those interested in joining the lo cal Knoxville guild, please contact Sis ter Mary Lisa Renfer at srmarylisa@ smlcares.com. For more information about the Catholic Medical Associa tion, visit www.cathmed.org

Guilded in Christ Above: Father Gerald Dennis Gill celebrates Mass in Our Lady of the Mountains Chapel at the Chancery on Nov. 5 for attendees of the first meeting of the Diocese of Knoxville's Catholic Medical Association Guild Below: Father Gill leads the guild program at the Chancery for health-care profes sionals in the diocese. Organizing the guild is Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, RSM, medi cal director for the St. Mary's Legacy Clinic.

Your Excellencies Bishops attend Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Nov. 14 on the first day of the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore.

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

PHOTO/BOB ROLLER

GABRIELLE NOLAN (2)

Asked about the document draft ers pushing or prioritizing certain themes, such as the call for women to have a greater role in Church leadership, to continue studying the possibility of women deacons, and the mention of some reports that even called for the ordination of women priests, Cardinal Mario Grech, synod secretary-general, insisted the document only reflects what the reports sent in said.

"No decisions have been made" on any issue, he said. "We are not push ing any agenda. This has been said from the beginning. Our responsibil ity was to present and to give back to the people of God that which was entrusted to us. There is no agenda." Ms. Rowlands added that in draft

Father Hecker founded the Paulist Fathers order in 1858 in the Archdiocese of New York. His cause for sainthood was opened on Jan. 25, 2008, and he is now considered a Servant of God in the Catholic Church.

Deacon Murphy-Racey also identified with the ecumenical na ture of the Paulists’ work, which coincides with his work as a Knox County law enforcement chaplain.

“People will say, ‘What are you? Where do you go to church?’ And I say I’m Catholic, and they’re usually shocked. They’re like ‘I’ve never met a Catholic before,’” Deacon Murphy-Racey said. “In East Tennessee, it’s so important for Catholics to basically show themselves in a positive light by caring for others.”

For the Paulists and Deacon Murphy-Racey, they have the op portunity to show that positive light through their ministries.

“We’re not afraid of people of other faiths; in fact, we want to go, and we want to be in dialogue with you and learn from you, and hopefully you learn from us, too,” he said.

Celebrating vocations

The U.S. Catholic Church cel ebrated National Vocation Aware ness Week Nov. 6-12. Across the country, dioceses, parishes, and Catholic organizations hosted events to promote vocations to the ordained ministry and con secrated life. The faithful were encouraged during that week to renew their prayerful support for those currently discerning a voca tion to the priesthood, diaconate, or consecrated life.

In his “Message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations,” Pope Francis reiterated his call for the Church to become increasingly synodal and compared the diver

tion is considered not the duty of a few specialists but the common re sponsibility of priests and parishion ers, moms and dads, catechists and coaches, siblings and friends, Catho lic school teachers, cooks, and custo dians, everyone. There’s a need for a long-term, whole-Church solution.

But a culture change is not enough. There’s also a need for prayer and effective action as if the Church’s life depended on it — which, in fact it does. Where can priests, parishioners, and parents turn for best practices?

Vocation ministry is a superb place to begin. It was started by Rhonda Gruenewald, a convert, wife, mom, former public school English teacher and debate coach who in 2011 was asked by a priest at St. Cecilia Parish in Houston to help revive the parish’s weak vocations efforts. She did not even know at the time what the terms “vocation” and “discernment” meant, yet neverthe less agreed to help.

Ms. Gruenewald turned to the Internet to try to find ideas, only to discover that while there were various sites with some prayers or activities, there was nothing close to comprehensive. So, she endeavored to fill the gap.

Over time, the fruits of her ideas spread throughout the Archdiocese

ing the document, if an issue came up "over and over" in the national syntheses, "we had to honor" and include it in the document.

The question of women's role in the Church and society and their ex periences in both "were brought up across the reports; it is an astonish ing, common theme," she said. But it is also important to note how they spoke about the issue; "this is rooted in people's sense of the common dig nity that comes from their baptism."

The discussion was not about women's rights, but about "the liv ing out of a common baptismal vo cation in the Church in such a way that the charisms of the Spirit, the gifts and capacities and skills of all the baptized, are able to be honored and nurtured and flourish," Ms.

Rowlands said.

A Vatican office sent dozens of theologians and pastoral workers to refugee camps, prisons, shelters, street corners, and markets in 40 cit ies and towns on every continent to listen to the faith experiences and es pecially the faith questions of people often tossed aside or ignored by soci ety and even the Catholic Church.

"This type of listening has been a long-neglected, yet fundamental basis for rigorous critical thinking on theology, especially in the face of contemporary challenges," ac cording to the project website of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

The project, "Doing Theology from the Existential Peripheries," was

coordinated by Father Sergio Mas sironi, a staff member of the dicast ery. He told Catholic News Service Nov. 1 that while it was done qui etly through most of 2022, he was in constant contact with the office of the Synod of Bishops and the Dicas tery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

It was not a listening exercise done for the synod, although the 508 people interviewed echoed many of the points bishops' conferences around the world reported from their local synod listening sessions.

In both the theological project and the synod sessions, he said, "if there was one thing that the 'sensus fidei' (the sense of faith of believers) understands in a unanimous way, it is that the Church needs to be more hospitable." ■

form constellations that can guide and light up the path of humanity, beginning with the places in which we live. This is the mystery of the Church: a celebration of differ ences, a sign, and instrument of all that humanity is called to be,” the Holy Father said.

Bishop James F. Checchio of Metuchen, N.J., who is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations, emphasized that vocational dis cernment always takes place within a community.

“Each year, the CCLV Committee commissions the Center for Ap plied Research in the Apostolate to conduct surveys of those recently ordained and religiously professed in the past year. These studies con sistently show that vocations are the fruit of communal accompani ment. The family, healthy and holy friendships, youth group, campus ministry, and the broader parish and diocesan community form supportive environments in which vocations are first nurtured and grown,” Bishop Checchio said.

Observance of Vocation Aware ness Week began in 1976 when the U.S. bishops designated the 28th Sunday of the year to call attention to the importance of upholding vocations and praying for those discerning a religious vocation and celebrating those who were in ordained ministry and consecrated life.

sity of vocations in the Church to that of a beautiful mosaic.

“As Christians, we do not only receive a vocation individually; we are also called together. We are like the tiles of a mosaic. Each

of Galveston-Houston, and she start ed to get requests to speak in other dioceses and to address groups like the National Conference of Dioc esan Vocation Directors. Dioceses that have adopted her strategies have seen substantial progress, like Stockton, Calif. (zero seminarians to nine), Grand Island, Neb. (one to nine), Ogdensburg, N.Y. (three to 18), and Peoria, Ill. (nine to 21), all in just three years.

Ms. Gruenewald has uploaded her best practices to Vocation Min istry and has published them in two books, Hundredfold: A Guide to Parish Vocation Ministry (2015) and The Harvest: A Guide to Vocation Ministry in Education (2021), which are very easy-to-use, super-practical handbooks full of effective ideas to make vocational promotion the heart of every parish, family, paro chial school, and religious-education program.

They should be mandatory read ing not just for vocation directors but for priests, Catholic school prin cipals, religious-education directors,

is lovely by itself, but only when they are put together do they form a picture. Each of us shines like a star in the heart of God and in the firmament of the universe. At the same time, though, we are called to

parents, parish vocation teams, and all Catholics who love the Eucharist and want to see Christ’s loving selfgift remain accessible.

Ms. Gruenewald has broken down the nuts and bolts of priestly vocational promotion to four main activities.

The first is prayer, because priestly vocations are always a gift of the Harvest Master. She gives templates for prayer cards, intentions at Mass, bulletin blurbs, adoration for voca tions, and more.

The second is education, since so many Catholics don’t really know much about vocational discernment, what vocations there are in the Church, and where they fit into the Christian’s fundamental vocation to sanctity. Her website, Vocation Ministry.com, provides many edu cational resources and links to many others.

The third is youth ministry since 70 percent of priestly callings take place prior to a boy’s 18th birthday. Ms. Gruenewald gives materials to help young people think about

In 1997, the celebration was moved to the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, and in 2014, the Commit tee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations moved the observance of National Vocation Awareness Week to November to influence youth and young adults by engaging Catholic schools and colleges.

vocations at Mass, Catholic schools, religious-education classes, youth activities, altar serving, vacation Bi ble schools, and more.

The last is affirmation, in which those who have already said yes to a vocation — priests and seminar ians — receive encouragement and support to persevere faithfully, with spiritual bouquets, cards, anniver sary remembrances, and other such means.

Her resources focus not just on priestly vocations, but also on reli gious and marital vocations, which are obviously interrelated with priestly vocations. A vocations cul ture involves helping everyone in the Church to seek, discover, and respond to what God is asking.

Ms. Gruenewald is convinced that the lack of vocations in the Church today comes not because the Har vest Master has ceased to call, but because so many do not recognize the call and answer.

That’s what she, through her work at Vocation Ministry, is trying to remedy.

That’s what the Church, during this Eucharistic Revival, has an op portunity to revivify. ■

Father Roger Landry, a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Mass., has been appointed by the U.S. bishops as a “Na tional Eucharistic Preacher.”

Catholic News Service contributed to this report ■

Unique ministry Above: Deacon Patrick Murphy-Racey, a professional pho tographer and videographer, captures video of Bishop Richard F. Stika ordaining Ken Conklin to the permanent diaconate on Sept. 25, 2021, during a special ordi nation Mass at Deacon Conklin's home. Below: Deacon Murphy-Racey, an avid motorcycle traveler, takes a selfie while out on the road in Colorado.

GABRIELLE NOLAN

COURTESY OF DEACON PATRICK MURPHY-RACEY

By Dan McWilliams

The diocese said goodbye to the multifaceted, multitalented, indomitable Mercy Sister Mary Albertine Paulus on Oct. 31 as hundreds gathered at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus for her funeral Mass.

Sister Albertine, founding director of the Office of Evangelization in the earliest days of the Diocese of Knox ville and later the leader of many pilgrimages to the Holy Land and elsewhere, died peacefully Sunday, Oct. 23, at Mercy Convent in Nash ville. She was 93 and had served as a Mercy Sister for 73 years.

Father Jim Vick celebrated her funeral Mass. Concelebrating were Father Tom O’Connell, Monsignor Al Humbrecht, Father Mike Nolan, Father Peter Iorio, Father Michael Woods, Father Jim Haley, CSP, Fa ther Tim Sullivan, CSP, and Father Don Andrie, CSP. Deacon Patrick Murphy-Racey, Deacon Sean Smith, and Deacon Fredy Vargas assisted.

Sister Martha Naber, RSM, a close friend of Sister Albertine, was among several Sisters of Mercy in attendance.

Monsignor Humbrecht, a former cathedral pastor who twice served as diocesan administrator when the Church in East Tennessee was be tween bishops, was the homilist.

“I stand before you all this after noon honored and humbled at being asked by the Sisters to preach Sister Albertine’s funeral liturgy,” he said. “I ask your prayers as I attempt to share some reflections on the Word

and how that Word was lived so beautifully in the life of Sister Alber tine. When Sister Martha asked me to do this, I said to Sister Martha, ‘Sister, I have plenty of Sister Al bertine stories that I could tell, but I also have those I can’t tell.’”

Monsignor Humbrecht began by quoting Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

“‘The evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred with their bones.’ That may be true in a few cases, but in most instances Mark Antony is wrong,” he said.

“The good that we do is not interred with our bones. Good acts are like the rays of the sun. They give life

A funeral Mass for Louie Rankin was held on Oct. 21 at Immaculate Conception Church.

Mr. Rankin was born in Knoxville on Sept. 10, 1943, and died on Oct. 10. He was buried at Calvary Cemetery.

Mr. Rankin was a devot ed lifelong member of Im maculate Conception, was a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Colum bus Council 645, and a graduate of Knoxville Catholic High School class of 1962.

After studying accounting in business school, Mr. Rankin started his career at Ham ilton National Bank. He retired from First Ten nessee Bank after 43 years of service.

Although partially paralyzed from an acci dent in his late teens, Mr. Rankin was always a positive person. Never once did anyone hear him complain of his physical condition. He devoted himself to service to others, always showed concern for others, and often donated freely to causes for those less fortunate.

He was a devout Christian, and his faith and love in the Lord kept him active in his church and in continuous contact with his many friends, his family, and his extended church and school families through the years. He was grateful that many of his IC family returned those warm feelings of friendship, love, and encouragement with cards and notes in recent years as he survived several strokes and heart ailments.

Mr. Rankin was preceded in death by his parents, Louis A.(Luke) Rankin Sr. and Anna Margaret Corcoran Rankin; brother Dan E. Rankin; and beloved Aunt Agnes M. Corco ran. He is survived by nephews Michael J. Rankin, Daniel E. Rankin Jr., and niece Laura A. Rankin (Dexter Hamlett), great-nieces and great-nephew Leah and Lindsay Rankin, Car men and Ben Hamlett, and numerous other cousins. Special acknowledgement are for beloved sister-in-law Patricia Roberts Rankin, cousins Tom and Donna Charron, and Paulette and Virgil Corcoran.

David Loren Wolf

David Loren Wolf , 91, of Knoxville passed away Nov. 14 at University of Tennessee Medi cal Center.

Mr. Wolf was a member of Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville, was Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 155, and was a veteran.

After serving in the U.S. Navy, Mr. Wolf returned to Knoxville and worked as an arborist at Wolf Tree until he retired at age 65.

He also was an avid traveler.

lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself, for if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord, so that whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s,’” he said. “I believe that in her response to her vows, Sister Albertine not only lived for the Lord, but she also died to herself, so that in living and dying with the Lord throughout her life, she was the Lord’s.

and hope to those around us. The author of the Book of Wisdom uses the image that the souls of the just ‘shall shine and dart about as sparks through stubble.’ Sister Albertine’s good actions influenced the people that she touched and made their world a better place in which to live. The good she did surely lives on af ter her. That good is known to each person who was fortunate enough to have known Sister.”

The monsignor also quoted the day’s second reading from Romans 14.

“St. Paul wrote to that young Church in Rome that ‘none of us

Preceded in death by a son, David Jay Wolf; parents, Jacob and Margaret Wolf; and brother, Robert Wolf. Survived by wife, Roseanne Wolf; daughters, Margaret (James) Mynatt, Anne (David) Bugg; sons, Tom (Konomi) Wolf, and John (Beth) Wolf; grandchildren, Erika (Ryan) Estabrooks, Karen (Andrew) Ply, Jacob (Nata lie) Cherry, Gus (Kendall) Mynatt, Abigail Mynatt, Joshua Bugg, Annabelle Bugg; three great-grandchildren; and brother, Paul (Jan) Wolf.

Special thanks to caregivers Donna Boling, Angela Even, Tiffany Wensell, Apple Temalil wa, and Jennifer Hanson.

A funeral Mass was held on Nov. 21 at Holy Ghost Church, with Father Bill McNeeley celebrating. Pallbearers were Jacob Cherry, Joshua Bugg, Gus Mynatt, Ryan Estabrooks, Art Clancy IV, Mike Wolf, and Paul Wolf. Inter ment followed at Lynnhurst Cemetery, with military honors provided by the East Tennes see Veterans Honor Guard. Donations in Mr. Wolf's memory may be made to the Holy Ghost Catholic Church Building Fund.

Fred Eckstein

A funeral Mass for Fred Eckstein was held on Oct. 15 at Holy Cross Church in Pigeon Forge, with Father Ron Stone serving as the celebrant.

Mr. Eckstein, who died on Oct. 9 at the age of 66, was the seventh child of the late Charles and Edna Eckstein. He was raised in Delhi, Ohio, and moved to Sunman, Ind., as a teen.

He is survived by his beloved wife of over 40 years, Kathy.

Mr. Eckstein founded Commercial Door and Hardware (formerly Indiana Interiors) in 1989 and operated it for more than 30 years. He employed hundreds of individuals and touched the lives of thousands.

Mr. and Mrs. Eckstein moved to Tennessee to pursue their dreams. In 2003, he pursued his dream to become a private pilot. He shared his love of flying with family and friends. He also loved to entertain and share his home on the lake with family and friends.

Mr. Eckstein was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend. He will be deeply missed by his wife, Kathy, of Sevierville; his children, Mark Harrison of Knoxville and Tabitha (Keith) McKinney of Sevierville; his grandchildren, Ciera Harrison, Chaz (Amber) McKinney, Tori (Harris) Napier, and Preston McKinney; greatgrandchildren, Bentlee and Maverick; siblings, Charles (Arlene) Eckstein, Henry (Kathy) Eck stein, Rita (Dale) Jacobs, Len (Marcia) Eckstein, Ken (Mary Lou) Eckstein, Tom (Michele Hon) Eckstein, Frank (Margie) Eckstein, Jeff (Amie) Eckstein; numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, neph ews, and cousins.

“That same attitude is reflected in the “Suscipe of Mother Catherine McAuley” that is so dear to each of the Sisters of Mercy: ‘My God, I am yours for time and for eternity. Lord, I am yours forever.’ Sister Albertine lived that suscipe day in and day out. Sister spent 32 years teaching in Catholic schools, but she really remained a teacher throughout her whole life. They say there are two kinds of education: the one that teaches you how to make a living and the one that teaches you how to live. Sister Albertine practiced that second type of education through out her life.”

Monsignor Humbrecht described Sister Albertine as “real.”

“That was Sister Albertine to eve ry person she encountered, whether it was the Patriarch of Jerusalem or a member of the maintenance staff at the hospital. They were all very real and very important to her,” he said.

Monsignor Humbrecht referred to the day’s Gospel reading about Lazarus and how Martha was basi cally saying to Jesus, “Where the heck were you?” after she sent for the Lord two days beforehand,

Mr. Eckstein was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Edna; sisters, Kathy Bend er and Helen Rose; and a niece, Tammy Bender.

Juan Antonio Herrera Pérez, 96, of Knoxville, passed away peacefully on Nov. 14 after 24 days of coping with a broken heart from the loss of his wife of 63 years, Gladys.

Mr. Herrera was born on June 13, 1926, in Caracas, Venezuela, as the oldest of six children to Jesús María Herrera and Dolores Pérez.

Mr. Herrera, who had a passion for reading and learning, married the love of his life, Gladys de las Mercedes Ball Díaz, on Dec. 19, 1959, in Cara cas. She passed away Oct. 21 at age 87.

He had a long and successful career as a cor porate accountant, and after three attempts he finally retired in 1995.

In 1997, the Herreras sold all their possessions in Caracas and moved to Knoxville to join their children and grandchildren. Mr. Herrera attend ed the Spanish-language Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and together with his wife began fostering a well-knit His panic Catholic community.

He wrote a monthly column for La Cosecha, the Spanish-language newspaper of the Diocese of Knoxville, and, along with his wife, conduct ed countless pre-baptismal preparation classes and provided pre-marriage counseling to more than sixty couples.

In 2003, he became a proud American citizen.

His 63-year marriage to Gladys served as a beacon and example to all who witnessed their constant companionship, steadfast affection, and unwavering respect for each other. To gether, they were both bedrock foundation and cornerstone, serving as godparents, counselors, sponsors, witnesses, and ministers of their faith.

In 2015, Mr. Herrera earned an Advanced Bib lical Studies degree from the University of Dal las School of Ministry.

He is survived by his youngest sister, Cecilia Herrera; son Dr. Juan Antonio Herrera and wife Kim Suzanne Herrera; daughter Pérsides Mer cedes Zambrano and husband Angel Eduardo Zambrano; grandchildren Lucas Antonio Herre ra and wife Katherine Brink Herrera, Mercedes Elena Zambrano, Maximiliano Antonio Herrera and wife Dr. Erika Love Wild Herrera, Angel Ignacio Zambrano, and Dr. Noelle Daun Her rera; great-grandchildren Eli Antonio, Wilder Antonio, and Isabel Brinkley; beloved nieces and nephews; and all of his dear godchildren and many friends who are still with us to carry on his memory.

A funeral Mass for Mr. Herrera was celebrated on Nov. 19, with interment following. Donations of time, talent, or treasure in Mr. Herrera's honor may be made to Sacred Ground Hospice House at https://sacredgroundresidentialhospice.

Mr. Rankin

Mr. Wolf

Louie Rankin

Mr. Eckstein

Mr. Herrera

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Sisters of Mercy Sister Albertine Paulus, RSM, left, and Sister Martha Naber, RSM, are shown with a painting of the early St. Mary's Hospital. Sister Albertine, who died Oct. 23, served in the Diocese of Knoxville with Sister Martha for many years.

Sister continued on page A21

Juan Antonio Herrera Pérez

her brother Lazarus dying in the meantime.

“I chose that Gospel because I could so easily hear Sister Albertine saying the same thing,” Monsignor Humbrecht said. “Talking with her, and we had so many occasions and so many hours on buses on pilgrim ages, one time she said, ‘Maybe I don’t pray enough. I don’t say enough formal prayers, but I talk to Jesus throughout the day.’ And I said, ‘Which is better, that you’re in touch with Him every day, speak ing to Him as a friend, as someone important and close in your life?’ I think that’s again a witness that she gave us.”

Sister Albertine “was very accom plished, and everyone here knows that,” and received many awards, Monsignor Humbrecht noted.

“She founded our Office of Evangelization when we became a diocese. Starting from scratch, she burned up the road going from par ish to parish, helping get RCIA teams started, feeling comfortable and es tablished,” he said. “I told Sister Beth during the visitation that it dawned on me recently when I was looking at the obituary, and I thought: Mary Al bertine Paulus. ‘MAP.’ That certainly fit her, in her travels all over this dio cese but also in her pilgrimage trav els. She was a great mentor as well. The first time I was elected admin istrator of the diocese, within that first week Sister Albertine came to me, and she said, ‘All right, I know you’re still full-time pastor of the ca thedral, but once a week you need to go down to the Chancery office, and you need to visit every office so they know you appreciate what they are doing.’ And that was Sister, express ing that appreciation for the work be ing done. Trust me, every week I did that, at least when she was in town.”

Pilgrimages were “another minis try that was so important to her,” the monsignor said.

“When she organized them, she was always very insistent that it was not a travelogue, it was not a vaca tion, it was a pilgrimage, a spiritual journey,” he said. “As part of that, she always connected some charita ble outreach as part of that pilgrim age. In the Holy Land, she had us all gathering medicine for the clinic in Bethlehem and then school sup plies for the school in Jericho, so that we were doing charitable acts while

ordination “a beautiful moment.” He said the most important part of Deacon Conklin’s ministry was to witness, to share, to be of service.

“He never gave up. He wore his suffering,” the bishop said. “He was able to die at home, with his family, surrounded by love. In the Gospel, Jesus talks about a beau tiful thing, ‘Come to me all you who are weary and find life bur densome, and I will refresh you.’ Isn’t that what death is all about, especially for those who suffer from cancer or an extended chronic illness? It wears you down. It can break your spirit sometimes. But not Ken. He was worn down, but he followed the path. … He’s free, and he still witnesses to us.”

And in giving the family hope in the resurrection, Bishop Stika said of Deacon Conklin, “for him, life has changed. It has not ended.”

At the conclusion of Mass, after Bishop Stika gave the prayer of commendation, and after a bagpip er played “Amazing Grace” as the recessional hymn, the priests and deacons in attendance each sprin kled the coffin with holy water in the narthex.

Diagnosed in 2018 with colon cancer, Deacon Conklin endured multiple rounds of chemotherapy and surgery; however, over time, the cancer spread to his liver and stomach. Following an emergency surgery that revealed tumors in his intestines and stomach, the doctors sent Deacon Conklin home on hos pice care.

Deacon Tim Elliott, who serves as the diocesan director of the diaconate and deacon formation, alerted Bishop Stika of that news

we were on that pilgrimage. Also, I would say almost every pilgrimage that we were on, someone would go to Sister who had been away from the sacraments and would talk to her about coming back to the sacra ments. Sister would say to them, ‘What you need to do is invite Father Al out for a glass of wine or a cup of coffee and just talk.’ And that’s how she dealt with things, and I would say that on almost every pilgrimage, because it initiated with her, at least one person would come back to the sacraments. That was key for her as well. But also, for her, those pilgrim ages we were not just visiting places, we were visiting people and that connection.

“I have to tell you, on our last pil grimage to the Holy Land, we were in the parking lot of this religious goods store run by a family: a fam ily that made a decision way back that they would stay in Bethlehem to maintain a Christian presence as the percentage of Christians in the Holy Land, especially in the occupied ter ritories, kept decreasing. This family made a commitment to stay there. Sister made sure that on every trip, we went to their religious goods store to support them in the decision that they had made.”

Monsignor Humbrecht remem bered the last pilgrimage with Sister Albertine before the COVID pan demic struck.

“Everybody had gotten off the bus, and I noticed that Sister was still sitting in the front seat and was cry ing,” he said. “I said, ‘Sister, are you OK?’ She said, ‘I don’t know how to tell these people goodbye.’ Because she felt relationships. I said to her, ‘Sister, don’t think about that now. Think about the gift that you are to them right now, and whatever comes later comes later, but be grateful for now.’ She went in, and she was her normal self with them. Again, that was just so her.”

The monsignor recalled another memory of Sister Albertine on a bus.

“We were on the bus coming out of the occupied territory, and we were stopped at the military checkpoint, and this young Israeli soldier who was probably 18 years and a day gets on the bus with an Uzi strapped on his back, and he’s starting to check things, but he’s not being nice,” he said. “Sister Albertine stood up and in best schoolteacher fashion pointed her finger and said, ‘Young man, you look at the age of the people on this bus, and you learn respect.’ The kid was so taken aback, he got off the bus. When you know Sister, she never tolerated fools. That’s just part of who she was.”

On one pilgrimage, Sister Albertine had a chance to display one of her lifelong talents: playing the organ.

“We were in a little village in Swit zerland. There was this church that had this magnificent organ,” Mon signor Humbrecht recalled. “We’re walking around it, and Sister starts thinking, the wheels are turning, ‘I wonder if I can play that.’ The docent who was giving us the tour said, ‘Oh, Sister. I can’t give that permission. I have to call the head organist.’ So, he did. The head organist came and talked with Sister. Sister sat down and played a beautiful piece on that organ, and he applauded when she was finished because that was a gift she had, too, and she shared that gift so beautifully.”

After Communion, Sister Alber tine’s brother, T.J. Paulus, shared memories of his sister and their parents, the poet and educator Al bert Paulus and his wife, Ella. The Pauluses were married 66 years and lived into their 90s as well, Albert dying at 99 and his wife at 93. The Paulus Room worship area at St. John XXIII Catholic Center on the University of Tennessee campus in

continued on page A22

in mid-2021. Bishop Stika offered to ordain Deacon Conklin early, as his diaconate class was scheduled to be ordained the following June at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Deacon Conklin was ordained on Sept. 25, 2021, during a private Mass held at his home in Dan dridge, with Bishop Stika presiding over the ordination Mass. More than 70 members of his family, friends, and deacon class were present.

In less than seven months follow ing his ordination, it seemed mirac ulous that Deacon Conklin’s health improved. He assisted Bishop Stika at the Chrism Mass on April 12, serving as deacon of the Eucharist.

Deacon Conklin was born in Jersey City, N.J., on April 24, 1954, as the son of Barbara Conklin and Kenneth Conklin Sr. Sports and cars were his interests growing up. His interests later in life turned to dancing, traveling, running marathons, hiking, and climbing, including Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.

He graduated from Garfield High School and met Diane while they worked at Dairy Queen in Garfield, N.J. They married in 1976 and be gan to build a life that included two daughters, four grandchildren, and time lived in New Jersey, Al pharetta, Ga., and Dandridge. He retired in 2020.

In addition to serving as a pa rishioner and deacon and on the parish finance council at All Saints, he was active in the Knights of Columbus and had become a chaplain with the Knoxville Police Department.

Preceding Deacon Conklin in

death are his parents; older sister Debbie Sicliano; younger brother Kevin Conklin; and mother- and father in-law, Maria and Walter Uzar.

Left to cherish his memories are his loving wife, Diane Conklin; daughter, Cassandra Akin; son-inlaw, Adam Akin; granddaughters, Charlotte and Georgia; daughter,

Lindsay Russell; son-in-law, Brad Russell; grandsons, Jeremiah and Kenny; sister, Cindy Conklin; brother, Bill Conklin; and sistersin-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, and nephews.

Donations in Deacon Conklin’s memory may be made to Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center, https://dioknoxretreat.org ■

Sister

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Rest in peace Monsignor Al Humbrecht gives the Prayer of Commendation during the funeral Mass for Sister Albertine Paulus, RSM, on Oct. 31 at the Ca thedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

DAN MCWILLIAMS

In prayer and thanksgiving Father Jim Vick, center, pastor of St. Bridget Parish in Dayton, celebrates the funeral Mass for Sister Albertine Paulus, RSM. Monsignor Al Humbrecht, right, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Soddy-Daisy, concelebrated the Mass. Deacon Sean Smith, Diocese of Knoxville chancellor, assisted in the Mass

A life of ministry and service

Sister Albertine Paulus, RSM, is captured in photos as she serves the Diocese of Knoxville addressing Catholic groups, leading diocesan pilgrimages to the Holy Land, ministering with her Sisters of Mercy at St. Mary's Hospital, being recognized by her peers in service to the Church, or teaching mathematics to young Catholic students.

Knoxville is named for them.

T.J. Paulus said his sister entered the Mercy convent in February 1949.

“She was well-educated with a BS and an MS in mathematics from Edgecliff College and a master’s of pastoral studies from Loyola Uni versity,” he said. “She taught for 32 years, much of it mathematics. From 1986 to 2009, she served as the director of the Diocese of Nashville Renew program, a parish renewal program. My wife, Sue, and I led a small group of about 10 people. This was a powerful spiritual experi ence. Sister Albertine started leading student trips in 1971. In 2000, she was invited to be involved in the diocesan pilgrimages. She led about 30 pilgrimages over the years. Sue and I went with her on four of them: Rome for the 2000 Jubilee Year, the Holy Land, the Footsteps of St. Paul in Greece and Turkey, and to Poland and Germany.”

Mr. Paulus read poems written by his father and letters by and about Sister Albertine as she was entering religious life.

“Our mother and father, Albert and Ella Paulus, were excellent at keeping family memorabilia,” Mr. Paulus said.

Father Nolan sang the “Celtic Song of Farewell” at the end of Mass.

“Before the final prayer,” Monsig nor Humbrecht said, “I’d like to ask that we take a moment as each one of us here has our own special memory of Sister Albertine. I want to share one by chaplain Dan Hicks, who Sister worked with at the hospital: ‘There was something indomitable about Sister Albertine. No hesitancy, no equivocation. She was a smart, open-hearted, generous force, a servant, single-minded in her com mitment to do the good God called her to do and to do it with all her considerable might. Sister Albertine will live in my memory as a passion ate, joyful soul, her stunning lifetime, daring to believe that with God’s help she could change the world, and I’m certain she did.’”

Monsignor Humbrecht remem bered Sister Albertine’s longtime friend, the late Sister Madaleva Partenope, RSM.

“I want to share the vision that I conjured in my mind of what it was like when she and Sister Madaleva got back together again in heaven,” he said. “I’m sure that was a raucous gathering. I invite all of you in a mo ment of silence to recall your special memory and to thank God for that memory.”

Sister Albertine was born July 18, 1929, in Ithaca, N.Y. She grew up in Knoxville, playing the organ starting in fifth grade and becoming the par ish organist at Immaculate Concep tion Church in Knoxville at age 13, and attended the University of Ten nessee for a couple of years before entering the Sisters of Mercy. Her day of profession was Aug. 16, 1951.

Her long teaching career followed, as did her association with St. Mary’s Medical Center in Knoxville, where

she lived at the Mercy convent for many years. She could frequently be found visiting patients at the hospi tal, often accompanied in later years by Sister Martha.

She was founding director of the Office of Evangelization in 1989 and served in that role until 2009, wel coming thousands of people into the Catholic Church through the RCIA programs her office oversaw.

In recognition of her dedicated work in areas of evangelization, Sis ter Albertine received the prestigious honor of the Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pon tifice, which means “for church and pontiff,” in 2006.

Sister Albertine was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Jim Paulus. She is survived by broth er T.J. and wife Sue Paulus, sister-in law Sue Paulus, seven nephews, a niece, great-nieces and great-neph ews, and a great-great-niece as well as her cherished community of the Sisters of Mercy.

A private funeral was held at Mer cy Convent in Nashville, followed by burial in Calvary Cemetery there.

Sister Albertine celebrated major anniversaries with the Sisters of Mercy, including her 50th in 2001 and 55th in 2006. On the occasion of the latter anniversary, she was asked what she was most thankful for. “That God saw fit to invite me. I’m just in absolute gratitude to God,” she said.

Sister Albertine also said what she enjoyed most about being a Sister.

“I just enjoy it all,” she said. “I do have responsibilities, and some of them are very heavy, but it’s almost like I’m on this track where God put me, through no real effort of my own. I promised to do what I was told and go wherever I’m sent ac cording to our constitution. If I do that, I’m fine.”

The call to become a Sister came early, Sister Albertine said.

“I knew I’d end up a Sister from the time I was in third or fourth grade,” she said. “I didn’t have any idea how it would happen; I just knew it. I suppose my parents [in spired me], not because they talked about it, but they each had a sibling who was a Sister, so it wasn’t a for eign thing. I knew early on, and I wanted to give my life to God.”

Bishop Richard F. Stika came to know Sister Albertine when he be came Knoxville’s third shepherd in 2009.

“Sister Albertine will be greatly missed,” he said. “She shared her wisdom and talent with so many— serving the St. Mary’s Hospital system, the Diocese of Knoxville, and the numerous, faithful pilgrims throughout East Tennessee. Join me in prayer that Sister Albertine is now enjoying the beatific vision.”

Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, Knox ville’s second bishop, also remem bered Sister Albertine.

“I just wanted to share that I have very fond memories of Sister Alber tine, and I pray for her, her family, and all her beloved Sisters of Mercy,” he said.

Sister Martha recalled her good friend.

“Sister Albertine always main tained strong relationships with her family and friends,” she said. “When the challenges of illness summoned her in new ways, she profoundly touched our hearts by her fidelity, love, and tenacious spirit. We will miss her in so many ways!”

Ed Miller, founding editor of The East Tennessee Catholic, knew Sis ter Albertine well as they worked together for many years after he started the newspaper in 1991. The Mercy Sister could often be found late nights at the Chancery office, long after her co-workers had left for the day.

“Sister Albertine was one of the most wonderful women I’ve known in my life,” Mr. Miller said. “She was an amazing, amazing person. She in spired many, many people, including me.”

Father Vick said his association with Sister Albertine went way back, to his days at the school run by the Sisters of Mercy at Immaculate Conception Church in downtown Knoxville.

“All my life, literally, since St. Mary School. She was not my teach er, but she was around. The Sisters of Mercy had mercy and they let me out at sixth grade,” he said.

“She’s actually a hero in the best sense of the word, because she lived her faith. She was a very human per son. Put those things together—she was very Jesus-like to me. She knew what she was doing. She had faith in herself to literally help change the world, and she did, one person at a time. And that’s a pretty inspiring thing. Friend, mentor, teacher—the list goes on, but really a good guide in life.”

Lisa Morris, who leads diocesan pilgrimages now, knew Sister Alber tine well.

“She was a blessing to me and so many, and I will be forever grateful to God and to her for all she gave and did for so many,” Mrs. Morris said.

“I went on my very first pilgrim age with Sister Albertine almost 20 years ago in 2003 to the shrines of France, and it was life-changing for me. I learned so much from her over the years, and many of the hand outs I use in the pilgrimage packets today are from her. She was always

there for everyone and led us closer to God, the Church, and each other through her ministry of pilgrimages. And I am so thankful to her and the diocese for being able to serve in this way. Her pilgrimage is continuing in heaven for eternity. I can only imag ine the joy she has as she comes face to face with Our Lord, Mother Mary, the angels and saints, and all who have gone before her. From my heart to yours, thank you, Sister Albertine. May you rest in peace,” Mrs. Morris added.

Brigid Johnson, director of faith formation at Immaculate Concep tion, was a student at Edgecliff Col lege when Sister Albertine was there.

“Sister Albertine took me to my first Baptist church,” Mrs. Johnson said. “One of the maintenance men at the college had died suddenly, and Sister decided that we needed to form a delegation and go to his funeral. I think she might have made us sing, too, but that memory is kind of fuzzy. I just remember being intro duced to a very different culture and how she had given us the opportu nity to understand and appreciate it.”

Mrs. Johnson also formerly worked at the Chancery alongside Sister Albertine.

“She talked me into laundering the altar linens from the Chancery,” Mrs. Johnson said. “You have to soak the purificators to get the wine stains out, and that water has to go into the soil. I used it to water my house plants and was amazed at how well they were doing. I told Sister that it must be the holy water and, be ing the pragmatist that she was, she pointed out that perhaps it was be cause they were now getting watered more regularly.”

At the end of the funeral Mass, Monsignor Humbrecht related one last memory of Sister Albertine.

“Sister Martha shared with me that a few days before Sister Albertine died, a six-point stag came up to her window in the infirmary and stood there,” he said. “I thought when Sis ter told me that of Psalm 142: ‘The deer that yearns for running streams, O Lord, so my soul longs for you.’ I think that was Sister Albertine, one of her last prayers: ‘Lord, I’m longing to come home. My soul yearns for you now.’ And then she was gone. That’s what Sister was. She was a torch, a light, leading us on the way, and for that today we say thank you, God.” ■

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