April 26, 2009, East Tennessee Catholic by Diocese of Knoxville

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

New York’s new shepherd Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan gestures after arriving at the altar for his installation Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York April 15. Archbishop Dolan, 59, became the 10th archbishop of New York, succeeding Cardinal Edward M. Egan. page 8

THE EAST TENNESSEE

Volume 18 • Number 16 • April 26, 2009

The

N E W S PA P E R

of the D I O C E S E of K N O X V I L L E www.d ioces eof kn ox ville.or g

COURTESY OF RICHARD ARMSTRONG

‘Let us pray for those to be anointed’ Bishop Stika celebrates his first chrism Mass since his installation in Knoxville. By Dan McWilliams ishop Richard F. Stika called on the faithful to “proclaim our faith in Christ to others” on Tuesday, April 7, as he celebrated his first chrism Mass as shepherd of the church in East Tennessee. A standing-room-only assembly filled Sacred Heart Cathedral and watched the procession of banners at the beginning of Mass, each representing one of the diocese’s 47 parishes or one of its campus ministries. Dozens of priests and deacons from every corner of the diocese followed the banners into the nave, and Bishop Stika came last, holding a gift he had just received. “I’m very blessed this evening. The crosier that I’m using was given to me today right before this Mass by the priests and deacons of the Diocese of Knoxville,” he said. “For that I am most grateful because of the unique connection between the bishop and priests and between the bishop and deacons, how we all serve God’s people. . . . That shepherd’s staff reminds me that I’m called to be a shepherd—a loving shepherd and a wise shepherd, a kind shepherd and an understanding one.” During the Mass the clergy renewed their commitment to priestly service, and the faithful vowed to pray for the priests and bishop. Bishop Stika blessed the oil of the sick and the oil of the catechumens and consecrated the chrism, which is used in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and holy orders and in

Richard Armstrong

Tennessean to be ordained Byzantine Catholic priest B Y MA RY C. WEAVER

or the first time ever a Tennessee man will be ordained a priest of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. On Sunday, May 3, Richard Armstrong, the director of the diocesan Religious Education Office, will become Father Richard in a Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of St. Josaphat in Parma, Ohio. Bishop Robert M. Moskal of the Ukrainian Eparchy of St. Josaphat will consecrate Mr. Armstrong to the Catholic priesthood on May 3 after having ordained him to the diaconate the previous day. As is typical for any man approaching such a momentous decision, Mr. Armstrong feels a few butterflies. “I approach this with fear and trembling. In one sense it frightens me tremendously,” he said in an interview about two weeks before his scheduled ordination. “But at the same time I have experienced a great joy and peace in giving my ‘yes’ to this call to serve as a priest.” Although many Catholics are familiar only with the Latin Rite Church, whose head is Pope Benedict XVI, the Catholic Church also includes 22 distinct Eastern Catholic churches, which are in full communion with the Roman pontiff. One of these 22 is the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, for which Mr. Armstrong is being ordained.

DAN MCWILLIAMS (2)

Monsignor Philip Thoni (right) and Father Miguel Vélez present balsam and olive oil to Bishop Richard F. Stika during the annual chrism Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral on April 7. Emcee Father Tony Dickerson assists. Deacon Jim Lawson of Sacred Heart is seen at left.

‘WE ALL PROCLAIM JESUS CHRIST’

the dedication of churches. In his homily the bishop spoke of the ways his life had changed in recent months. A phone call from the papal nuncio in December informed the Missouri priest that he would become bishop of Knoxville, and on March 19 he was ordained as the leader of East Tennessee Catholics. “Five weeks ago I was a pastor in a parish, and three months ago I was minding my own business,” he said. “Yet today I celebrate with you that unique relationship between a bishop and his priests—how we all proclaim Jesus Christ, how we all celebrate those sacraments so that people might have life, how we preach the good news of Jesus to a world that is looking for

truth—and my own unique relationship with each and every one of you who make up the church we call the Diocese of Knoxville.” The bishop said that everyone in the diocese is a “unique person in the eyes of God.” “We all have different backgrounds and different experiences of life and faith,” he said. “Each of us is a bit different in how we approach our relationship with God and our relationship with each other. “But this is one of those nights when the church comes together to celebrate Jesus Christ, to celebrate faith, to celebrate the priesthood, to celebrate the way we approach those who are ill and in need of healing— the anointing of the sick—

Armstrong continued on page 3

IN THIS ISSUE Living the readings.............2 He dwells among us ..........3 The view from here ............3 Parish notes ........................4 On the calendar ..................5 Life and dignity ...................6 Obsessions .........................6 Catholic schools.................7 From the Paraclete ............7 From the wire......................8

The bishop breathes on the chrism, invoking the Holy Spirit. Behind the bishop are (from left) Father Dickerson and seminarian Doug Owens, a second-year theology student at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary near Philadelphia.

those who wish to join us in our community of faith—the oil of the catechumens—and also those to be baptized or ordained and those who are to be confirmed with that most sacred of oils that we consecrate this evening—the holy chrism.” Chrism is a mixture of olive oil and balsam. The diocese’s senior active priest, Monsignor Philip Thoni of St. Mary in Gatlinburg, presented the balsam to Bishop Stika. The diocese’s most recently ordained priest, Father Miguel Vélez of St. Jude in Chattanooga, presented the oil to the bishop. Bishop Stika blessed the oil of the sick and the oil of the catechumens, then mixed the chrism and balsam and breathed on it, praying that the Holy Spirit would be present in it. “Let us pray for those who will be anointed with the oil of the sick, that they may be healed in mind, body, and spirit,” the bishop said in his homily. “Let us pray for those who will be brought into the church by virtue of baptism or received into the church, that we might welcome them with open arms, and welcome our brothers and sisters who desire to worship with us and to pray with us and to share that precious gift that we call the body and blood of our Lord and Savior. “And as we consecrate the holy chrism, let us pray for those to be confirmed, let us pray for those to be baptized, and in a very special way let us pray for those to be ordained to the holy priesthood.” Bishop Stika, speaking on Chrism Mass continued on page 6

letters to the

EDITOR

University a ‘bad example to Catholics’

My wife and I are extremely happy that our new bishop has had the intestinal fortitude to call a spade a spade (“A celebration of faith,” April 12 ETC). The University of Notre Dame has made a serious error and is giving a very bad example to Catholics, as well as sending the worst possible message to the public in its hospitality to the most abortion-friendly president we have ever had. Aside from the political considerations of seemingly providing a Catholic endorsement to abortion on demand and embryonic-stem-cell research, the scandal that has been promulgated appears to be of major proportions. Whatever Catholics were involved in the decision should really be isolated from the primary task of a Catholic university—providing an advanced Catholic education to the youth of our country. My wife and I sacrificed to be able to send our oldest son to Notre Dame. When he graduated in 1982, there was not even a hint of the lack of moral fiber that is there today. If I had another child wishing to attend this university, there is no way he or she would be allowed to do so. Bishop Stika, please continue to do all that you can to lead us in the true moral approach to the problems of this day. We applaud you and are very happy to have you with us. —Thomas and Patricia Karpick Dandridge

Father Humbrecht needs a new title

Many years to Bishop Stika! Now if only the Holy See could award us with yet another honor. I am speaking of Father Al Humbrecht, who has served twice as diocesan administrator in the short history of the Diocese of Knoxville. I have known Father Al for more than three decades. He was my chaplain at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Newman Center, and more than once he extended kindness to this erstwhile starving college student. I would like to see him awarded the title Monsignor and if possible a miter. Heaven knows Father Al deserves such recognition. —Jonn Mulry Chattanooga

Handshaking spreads flu, colds

I think it’s time the Catholic Church enter the modern era and dispense with the communal handshaking process with everyone in the immediate area after the Our Father. Every health publication in the educated, civilized world knows that the most common way to spread flu and colds is by shaking hands. I understand if people want to kiss or shake hands with immediate family members, but anything else, contacting the coughing adult or child or the person who didn’t follow correct washing standards, is asking for it. Let’s just switch to a simple and sincere wish of “Peace be with you.” In addition, the church should pay attention to the current move that some people follow of not trusting the wiping of the chalice edges to remove communal germs. Let’s just all take a chance on getting the wafer from an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion who has used an antibacterial wash before and care in dispensing wafers to others. —Bob Warshal Farragut Catholic advisers must be confusing Obama

Notre Dame—“Our Lady” in French—has appeared to many to admonish us for our sinful ways and to ask us to turn to her son Jesus in prayer. Acting on her behalf, we must speak to our president about Catholic views on the sanctity of life. He must be confused on this teaching when his vice president and many members of his administration are Catholic but pro-abortion. I didn’t think being Catholic and being proabortion was possible. Although there are many positions that can be debated regarding church teachings, the protection of the innocent and poor is not one of them. How is President Obama, a non-Catholic, supposed to know truth when his Catholic advisers are either not saying anything or worse, distorting church teachings? I pray that the students, faculty, and staff of Notre Dame send a clear message to the president through demonstrations and signs. I have signed a petition rebuking Notre Dame president Father John Jenkins’s position not only on this matter but also on his allowing the play The Vagina Monologues at Notre Dame. The petition states, “We prayerfully implore you to halt this travesty immediately.” In my mind the travesty would be to allow the president an open venue with no direct communication to him stating our position. ■ —Joe Szmidt Louisville We welcome letters to the editor and carefully consider all submissions. Letters should be 350 words or less and will be edited for grammar, style, clarity, and length. Submit them by e-mail, mail, or fax: mary@dioceseofknoxville.org, P.O. Box 11127, Knoxville, TN 37939-1127, 865-584-8124. Letters to the editor reflect the opinions of their authors and not those of the staff or publisher.

living the

READINGS

BY FATHER JOSEPH BRANDO

Witness to forgiveness Jesus’ resurrection frees us of sin, allowing us to experience Easter joy.

There’s the same interesting connection in each of this Sunday’s readings. When you look back at all the Resurrection accounts these same concepts come up again and again. One concept is the role of the witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection. This is connected with the resurrection as the means of freedom from sin. Put them together, add them up and you come to a third reality, namely joy. Luke is responsible for two of the three readings. For the first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, he uses the Christian community in Jerusalem’s memory of Peter’s speech at the Temple. Peter

had cured a man who was crippled from birth and, in the process drawn a crowd. Peter took full advantage of the large audience and witnessed to the risen Lord. Then, he made an amazing connection. He began by reminding the people they had killed the Lord of life and given life to a murderer, Barabbas. Then he made an excuse for them. They were ignorant. Finally, he showed them they could undo their sin. All they needed to do was repent. That is, they should look at reality differently. If Jesus is risen, our souls are immortal, and divine forgiveness can be attained for the asking by those who believe. One follows the other. In today’s Gospel, Luke recalls the return of the disciples who saw Jesus on the way to Emmaus. They ran back to the Upper Room to

The good shepherd His forgiveness makes us want to follow him forever.

he four Gospels need to be read twice. The first time, the events speak for themselves. The second time, they change in meaning in the light of Jesus’ resurrection. Today’s Gospel is an appropriate example. When Jesus tells us he is the good shepherd, we can imagine him preaching throughout Galilee with his disciples and some locals following him. We can easily imagine a wonderful pastoral scene. Jesus speaks of being willing to brave death to save his beloved flock from wolves. How idyllic! But read the passage again in the light

of Easter Sunday. It sounds different and much more powerful. The wolves can no longer be identified as left-wing revolutionaries, right-wing Pharisees, or proponents of the status quo. Wolves are those who would lead us to sin. Our shepherd has died and risen triumphant over death and sin. His flock is not merely a ragtag collection of disciples. All the baptized people in the world make up his followers now. And baptism gives us power. In today’s first reading Peter told the crowd that Christ is the cornerstone through whom comes salvation. The shep-

witness to the Apostles. As they were doing so, Jesus appeared, offered them peace, and calmed their fright. Immediately afterward, he told them to preach forgiveness to all the nations. Our second reading is from John’s first epistle. John may not have had any contact with Luke, yet he makes the same connection. Sin was his topic; but John connects it to the risen Lord sitting at the right hand of the Father. He is our advocate pleading for the forgiveness of our sins and those of the whole world. The reason for Jesus’ death and resurrection was for us to be freed of our sins. So when we celebrate the Easter season, we are not recalling a past event. Resurrection and forgiveness are simultaneous and ongoing. The risen Lord becomes present every time we seek and receive forgiveness. That makes us witnesses of Easter joy. ■ April 26, third Sunday of Easter Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-9 1 John 2:1-5 Luke 24:35-48

herd has become mighty, with a might that destroys guilt. He is the only source of true forgiveness. Following this shepherd is not just for a small group of folk who have time to spare. It is mandatory for all who desire eternal life in heaven. John, in the second reading, gives us yet another reason to follow this shepherd. He bestows on us the love of the Father. He can make us heirs of God. He leads us to paradise, where we will be (would you believe this?) like God. Don’t Peter’s and John’s messages about Jesus change our idea of the “good shepherd”? Hearing his voice may still be a choice, but the consequences of that choice have become apoca-

lyptic. Our very existence depends on it. The significance of our Lord’s calling himself the good shepherd changes when we connect it with his resurrection, and the joy it gives us multiplies exponentially. We can now begin to comprehend how important we are to the Lord: so important that he would die in order to grant us forgiveness. We find ourselves joyfully obligated to follow our good shepherd forever. ■ Father Brando is the pastor of St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga. May 3, fourth Sunday of Easter Acts 4:8-12 Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28-29 1 John 3:1-2 John 10:11-18

W E E KDAY RE ADINGS Monday, April 27: Acts 6:8-15; Psalm 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30; John 6:22-29 Tuesday, April 28: Acts 7:51–8:1; Psalm 31:3-4, 6-8, 17, 21; John 6:30-35 Wednesday, April 29: Memorial, Catherine of Siena, virgin, doctor of the church, Acts 8:1-8; Psalm 66:1-7; John 6:35-40 Thursday, April 30: Acts 8:26-40;

Psalm 66:8-9, 16-17, 20; John 6:4451 Friday, May 1: Acts 9:1-20; Psalm 117:1-2; John 6:52-59 Saturday, May 2: Memorial, Athanasius, bishop, doctor of the church, Acts 9:31-42; Psalm 116:12-17; John 6:60-69 Monday, May 4: Acts 11:1-18; Psalms 42:2-3 and 43:3-4; John 10:1-10 Tuesday, May 5: Acts 11:19-26;

Psalm 87:1-7; John 10:22-30 Wednesday, May 6: Acts 12:24– 13:5; Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8; John 12:44-50 Thursday, May 7: Acts 13:13-25; Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27; John 13:16-20 Friday, May 8: Acts 13:26-33; Psalm 2:6-11; John 14:1-6 Saturday, May 9: Acts 13:44-52; Psalm 98:1-4; John 14:7-14 ■

Would you like to receive the ETC electronically? he East Tennessee Catholic is testing the concept of online delivery for those who would prefer to read a digital copy. If you would rather receive the ETC online, e-mail editor Mary Weaver at mary@dioceseofknoxville.org. We’ll need your full name, address, and parish affiliation. If after trying an online subscription, you’d prefer to return to print, simply notify the staff. ■

Bishop Richard F. Stika Publisher Mary C. Weaver Editor Dan McWilliams Assistant editor

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APRIL 26, 2009

www.dioceseofk noxville.org

THE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOLI C

he dwells

AMONG US

BY BISHOP RICHARD F. STIKA

I recently read this and it brought a smile to my face. I hope you enjoy it:

Knoxville is home A plaque in the bishop’s residence conveys his gratitude for his appointment.

This past week I had the privilege of attending the installation of my friend, Archbishop Timothy Dolan, as the new archbishop of New York. It was a great celebration of one of the most important centers of our Catholic faith, and yet I could not wait to return home to Knoxville. I had the same feeling when I recently returned home to Knoxville from a funeral in St. Louis. Both are nice places to visit, but Knoxville is home. I also brought home a number of messages from various bishops who wanted to send their best to the good people of Knoxville for their hospitality at my ordination and installation now just one month ago. I continue my confirmation tour throughout the diocese. I now have witnessed the beauty of the area around St. Dominic in Kingsport along with the vibrancy of St. Joseph the Worker in Madisonville and the beauty of Mass in Spanish at Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. These are just a few of my experiences. If you wish to know what I am going or where I am going, just check out my schedule on our website (snipr.com/stikacalendar) or this paper. It does not list everything but should give you some idea of

the view from

HERE

my travels. Each day is filled with a sense of gratitude to God for my appointment. I even have a small plaque on the wall at my residence that says it all: ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE. So how has your Easter season been so far? I would venture to say that many of us make Lent a special time. We incorporate all kinds of various practices that allow us once again to rediscover our Christian faith. More prayer, more fasting (boy, I need that), and sharing with others our material possessions (almsgiving) are tried-andtrue practices. I know Lent is also a time when many try to attend daily Mass more often. So I ask again, how is the Easter season different for you this year? Have you allowed the Lenten practices to disappear, now that we have once again witnessed the Easter joy of a darkened church becoming filled with the precious light of Christ? If our Lenten practices have brought us closer to God, why give them up? To reflect daily on the joys of faith is something that can make all the difference in the world. Receive each day from God as a gift that is filled with all kinds of possibilities to do something beautiful for God. Each day we are given by God is indeed another day in paradise. If we live this as a daily experience, we too will know the eternal gift of living in the presence of God in heaven. That is the ultimate gift we should all strive for.

BY MARY C. WEAVER

The papal transition In 2005 we wept for John Paul II—then rejoiced with Benedict XVI.

I never pulled an allnighter when I was in college. I’m not usually worth much when deprived of sleep. But twice during my nearly eight years as editor of the ETC I’ve had to work all night, and in both cases the small sacrifice was necessary and worthwhile. The first occasion was four years ago after the death of Pope John Paul II on April 2, 2005. That was a Saturday, and our next press deadline was Tuesday. Assistant editor

Dan McWilliams and I put together a 20-page issue with more than 12 pages devoted to our beloved Il papa. Sixteen days later, on April 18, the conclave to choose the next pontiff began. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope on the fourth ballot, taking the name Benedict XVI. At the time I had read quite a bit about Cardinal Ratzinger, and I have come to love and deeply appreciate this pope for his brilliance, goodness, and passion for the liturgy. His 82nd birthday was April 16. Ad multos annos! I’ve been musing on the events of four years ago, and I thought some of you might be interested in the ETC’s cover-

Advantages of aging ■ Kidnappers are not very interested in you! ■ People no longer view you as a hypochondriac. ■ Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them either. ■ No one expects you to run into a burning building. ■ There is nothing to learn the “hard way.” ■ Your joints are more accurate than the National Weather Service. ■ In a hostage situation, you are likely to be released first.

I hope all is well with you, and I’ll see you next time! ■ BISHOP STIKA’ S SCHE DUL E April 26: 11:30 a.m., confirmation, St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Lenoir City; 6 p.m., confirmation, St. John Neumann Church, Farragut April 28: 8 a.m., opening prayer, Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale’s state of the community address, Bijou Theatre, Knoxville April 29: 11 a.m., meeting with Region V vocation directors, Townsend; 7 p.m., meeting with University of Tennessee students, John XXIII Catholic Center, Knoxville April 30: 6 p.m., confirmation, Sacred Heart Cathedral May 1: 11 a.m., memorial Mass for Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, St. Jude Church, Chattanooga May 2: 5:30 p.m., confirmation, St. Mary Church, Oak Ridge May 3: 11:30 a.m., confirmation, St. Patrick Church, Morristown; 3 p.m., rite of missioning, Sacred Heart Cathedral May 5: 11 a.m., Presbyteral Council meeting, Chancery; 6:30 p.m., confirmation, Our Lady of Fatima Church, Alcoa May 6-8: provincial bishops’ meeting, Louisville, Ky. ■

age of the papal transition. I’ve created a page on our diocesan website from which you can review the April 10, April 24, and May 8 editions from 2005. Take a look: snipr.com/fouryears. My second all-nighter as ETC editor occurred recently, while Dan and I put the final touches on the gargantuan March 22 edition. It’s a good thing we were in the Chancery late on March 16, the day before deadline. About midnight I discovered that our water pressure was extremely low. A trip outside revealed water gushing from a broken pipe. Plumbers were dispatched and the leak was stopped—thus keeping the Chancery dry and habitable for the post-ordination festivities. Please note the announcement on page 2 about the availability of online subscriptions to the ETC. If you have any questions or comments, e-mail me: mary@diocese ofknoxville.org. ■

Armstrong continued from page 1

The Latin Church is the largest worldwide, with more than one billion members; among the Eastern churches, the second-largest group is Byzantine Catholics—a term that encompasses 14 different churches. The largest of these is the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, with a membership of five million worldwide. And although the future Father Richard will continue to work for Bishop Richard F. Stika and the Diocese of Knoxville as director of Religious Education, in his priestly role his ordinary will be Bishop Moskal of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat. The eparchy includes Ohio, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and THE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOLIC

South Carolina. It was established in 1983 by Pope John Paul II and has since been governed by Bishop Moskal. The future Father Richard’s parish will be St. Thomas the Apostle Ukrainian Catholic Mission. Mr. Armstrong said he expects the community will initially consist of 30 to 50 people. Some are ethnic Ukrainians who have relocated to East Tennessee. The location of the mission has not yet been determined. Pope John Paul II spoke frequently of the need for the Catholic Churches of the East and West to understand and value each other. In 1985 he said, “As I have said time and again, the church must learn anew to breathe with her two lungs, east and west.”

Perhaps the most difficult concept for some Latin Catholics to grasp is that most of the Eastern Catholic churches have married clergy. Men ordained as priests may not afterward marry, but married men may be ordained. “The big issue for people is the concept of married priests,” said Mr. Armstrong. “To some people it’s a great thing; for others it’s so radically foreign that it doesn’t make sense. How can you be a priest and be married?” He explained that there is an important distinction between church discipline and church dogma. “Celibacy is not an inherent part of the priesthood—it’s the discipline of the Latin Church,

pastoral

ASSIGNMENTS

New appointment for Father Bill McNeeley ishop Richard F. Stika has appointed Father Bill McNeeley as an assisting priest on weekends to St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg. The appointment was effective April 10. Father McNeeley had served as assisting priest for St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut since he was ordained a priest in June 2007. Father McNeeley will also serve as ministerial assistant to the curia, working in the Chancery Monday through Thursday. In addition, he will function as a pastoral-care minister to the sick in Knoxville-area nursing homes and hospitals on an as-needed basis. This appointment began on April 21. ■

Adult faith-formation classes to continue in 2009 he first in a new series of adult faith-formation classes began Feb. 3, with additional classes scheduled throughout the year and in locations around the diocese. The adult faith-formation program is one of the educational initiatives funded through the Growing in Faith Together capital-stewardship campaign. Classes are offered at no charge to adults in the diocese. All sessions begin at 7 p.m. and end at 9.

What We Believe, taught by Deacon David Lucheon. Explores the foundations of what we profess as Catholics. The class will examine the principal truths of the faith as expressed in the creeds of the church. Sessions take place on Tuesdays except where noted. ■ May 12, St. Bridget Church, Dayton ■ Thursday, Oct. 8, Notre Dame Church, Greeneville ■ Nov. 17, Sacred Heart Cathedral Personal Morality, taught by Father Randy Stice. Explores the foundations of how we are to live as Catholics. The class will examine the concepts of human dignity, freedom, law, sin, virtue, and conscience as well as current moral issues. Sessions take place on Tuesdays. ■ Sept. 15, Sacred Heart Cathedral ■ Oct. 20, Sts. Peter & Paul Church, Chattanooga The Sacraments, taught by Amy Roberts. Explores the foundations of what we celebrate as Catholics. The class will examine how we encounter the living Christ through each of the church’s seven sacraments. Sessions take place on Tuesdays except where noted. ■ Thursday, Sept. 24, St. Stephen Church, Chattanooga ■ Nov. 10, St. Dominic Church, Kingsport To register, visit dioceseofknoxville.org, click Resources/ETC, then click Event registration in the left frame. For details, contact Rich Armstrong at rarmstrong@dioceseofknoxville.org or 865-584-3307. ■

Child-protection training sessions he Diocese of Knoxville’s program for the protection of children and youth is based on training developed by Virtus and is offered regularly throughout the diocese. A three-hour seminar for adults, “Protecting God’s Children,” is required for parish and school employees and regular volunteers in contact with children or vulnerable adults and is also recommended for parents and grandparents.

The following training sessions have been scheduled: ■ St. Mary Church, Johnson City, 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 27; 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22; 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16; 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19 (sessions will be held in St. Ann’s Hall) ■ All Saints Church, Knoxville, 1 p.m. Monday, May 18 (session will be held in the parish hall); 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15. To register, visit virtusonline.org. ■

Diocese of Knoxville procedure for reporting sexual abuse Anyone who has actual knowledge of or who has reasonable cause to suspect an incident of sexual abuse should report such information to the appropriate civil authorities first, then to the bishop’s office, 865-584-3307, or the diocesan victims’ assistance coordinator, Marla Lenihan, 865-482-1388. ■

Armstrong continued on page 6

www.dioceseofk noxville.org

APRIL 26, 2009

■

BY TONI PACITTI

Holy Spirit, Chattanooga ■ The annual parish garage sale is

scheduled for the weekend of June 5 to 7. Donations may be brought to the barn or pavilion. ■ Vacation Bible school will be held Monday, June 15, through Thursday, June 18. ■ Rosary makers are meeting on first and third Wednesdays.

OLPH, Chattanooga ■ Certified group exercise instructor

Kay Everett will conduct an aerobics class on Monday afternoons in the parish life center. Call Ms. Everett at 423-867-5236 or the parish office at 622-7232 for more information. ■ OLPH School students Chris Coles, Danika Dorris, Zachary Grannan, Emma Han, and James Pawlowski received state recognition in the 2009 Duke University seventh-grade talent search. Dean Magat received state and grand recognition. ■ A Chick-fil-A Spirit Night for OLPH School families and parishioners is scheduled for 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at the Gunbarrel Road location. Those attending will receive a flier, and 20 percent of their purchases (based on fliers turned in) will be donated to the school. ■ The school will celebrate Grandparents Day on Friday, May 8, beginning with Mass at 8:15 a.m.

St. Catherine Labouré, Copperhill ■ Parishioners recently donated $1,115 to landscape the parking lot. ■ Newcomers: Paul and Nellie Hensley

St. Jude, Chattanooga ■ The St. Jude School Home and

School Association will sponsor a father–daughter dance from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 24, in Siener Hall. Tickets are $25 per father–daughter couple and $5 for each additional daughter. Contact Lora Trotter at 423870-0739 or trotter98@comcast.net for tickets. ■ Parish youth will wash the cars of those attending the 10:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Masses on Sunday, April 26, to raise money for a Colombia mission trip in June. Drivers should follow the signs to a designated parking area and leave their keys with an adult volunteer.

St. Mary, Athens ■ Graduating high school seniors and their parents were recognized at Mass on April 19. ■ The book club will meet at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 1, at the Java on the Square café to discuss Pilgrim’s Progress (Wordsworth Editions, 1999) by John Bunyan.

St. Stephen, Chattanooga ■ The OKs (50-plus) met April 21 at

Ryan’s for dinner and a talk on the Lifeline system by David Dierks of Memorial Hospital. ■ St. Stephen held a Valentine’s Day dinner-dance Feb. 14 in the parish life center. More than 160 attended the event, sponsored by Knights of Columbus Council 6099. Proceeds, which will benefit local charities, totaled more than $1,250. Chuck and Cynthia Laplante, at 54 years, were recognized as the longest-married couple attending and received a floral bouquet. ■ Ballroom-dancing classes are held from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays in the parish hall. Cost is $5 per person. Call Florence at 706-891-7027 to sign up. Cumberland Mountain Deanery

Blessed Sacrament, Harriman ■ Confirmandi: Aaron Beaubien, Kali

Bishop, Alexandria Butler, Michaela Grubb, Terrence Long, Sam Palko, Kim Ramsey, Luke Ramsey, Austin Rodrigue, Katelyn Rodrigue, Alex Roschli, Beth Thew ■ First communicants: Michelle Butler, Olliana Long, Jenna Stewart

program. Cost is $5 each. ■ The Council of Catholic Women will hold a rummage sale Friday and Saturday, May 8 and 9. ■ Father Bill Kiel of Indiana, Pa., will celebrate a healing Mass at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 5. ■ Altar flowers may be ordered for $40 in honor of living or deceased loved ones. Orders should be placed no later than Wednesday for the following weekend.

St. Thomas the Apostle, Lenoir City ■ Boy Scout Troop 770 of St. Thomas

the Apostle hosted an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast April 18 at the Texas Roadhouse in Turkey Creek. ■ Father Michael Cummins, the Catholic chaplain for East Tennessee State University, was the guest speaker at the women’s guild meeting April 20. ■ Nurses are needed one Sunday each month for blood-pressure screenings. Call Betsy Metheny at 865-8091814 or Pat Johnson at 408-1808 for more information.

Holy Trinity, Jefferson City ■ Father Bill Kiel of Indiana, Pa., will

celebrate healing Masses at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 6. ■ A birthday party honoring eight parishioners 90 years old and older will be given after the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, May 3. The event will be a potluck meal. ■ Knights of Columbus Council 12838 will host a luncheon Sunday, April 26, for wives and widows of Knights. The council will conduct its annual golf tournament Saturday, May 2. ■ Anniversaries: Richard and Linda Heisser (40), Allan and Ginny Schwegler (35), Warren and Laura Hager (5) ■ Newcomers: Wayne and Carol MacIntosh; Lou and Sue Sakaesi and children Louis, Christopher, and Zachary; George Kennedy and Madonna Smith

Notre Dame, Greeneville at 6 p.m. Friday, April 24, for Father Alexis Osnel, pastor of Notre Dame’s sister parish of Immaculate Conception in Haiti. ■ Girl Scouts in the Greene County area are collecting toiletry items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, or shampoo in April for those in need. A drop-off box is in the parish hall.

St. Dominic, Kingsport ■ Parishioners are needed to assist members of First Presbyterian Church with a Habitat for Humanity project at 310 Gibson Mill Road in Kingsport. Contact Mike DePollo Sr. at 423-349-6446 or mjd102249X@charter.net for details. ■ The Knights of Columbus will host another euchre night at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at the parish life center. Snacks and soft drinks will be served. Baby-sitting will be provided. Sign up on the easel in the vestibule, call Carl Bendeck at 423-578-3489, or e-mail jonlawn@chartertn.net.

St. Patrick, Morristown ■ The social action committee will col-

lect items for the Youth Emergency Shelter on the weekend of April 25 and 26. A list of needed items is on the bulletin board in the narthex. ■ The Council of Catholic Women will sponsor a spring garden party at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 9. Tickets are $15 and will be available soon. ■ Church directory retakes will be offered between 2 and 9 p.m. Thursday, April 30, in the parish center. Those who missed having their picture taken or who would like to update their photo should contact Donna Thoraval at 423586-5913 or dthoraval@charter.net. Smoky Mountain Deanery

John XXIII, Knoxville

St. Therese, Clinton

Sacred Heart, Knoxville

■ Tickets are available for the Belk

■ A fellowship coffee under the covered entrance of the school will be held

charity sale to be held Saturday, May 2, to benefit the religious-education 4

■

APRIL 26, 2009

Confirmed at St. Elizabeth Father Al Humbrecht (right), then diocesan administrator, confirmed (from left) Rachael Paul, Chelsea Harmon, and Camryn Greer on March 14 at St. Elizabeth Church in Elizabethton. With them are Deacon John Hackett of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Mountain City and St. Elizabeth pastor Father Dennis Kress.

■ A reception and dinner will be held

rick (62), Tom and Joan Edwards (57), Joseph and Rose Giorgio (55), Paul and Sue Brink (54), John and Charlotte Marick (53), Frank and Pat Prejna (50), William and Michele Spalding (10)

■ Anniversaries: Nick and Nicki Her-

Jessica and family received into the church at Holy Ghost Monsignor Xavier Mankel baptizes Jessica Ellis during the Easter vigil on April 11 at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. Looking on are Jessica’s godparents, Mark and Stephanie Kreider (left); her older sister, Lauren; and her parents, Brian and Leahanne Ellis. Michael Dunn is the altar server. All five Ellises, including oldest sibling Max, came in to the church at the vigil. The diocese welcomed about 300 new Catholics this year.

Five Rivers Deanery

■ A catered dinner will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 1, to show appreciation for those who have participated in various ministries in the parish. RSVP to the parish office at 865-523-7931. ■ Donations of food or money are needed for the “groaning table” to feed students during final exams Monday, April 27, through Thursday, April 30, and Monday, May 4.

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Chattanooga Deanery

COURTESY OF COLEEN SCHNEIDER

NOTES

Parish notes continued on page 8

COURTESY OF RONALD BUGOS

parish

Father William McKenzie (center) blesses the new columbarium at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge on March 1. The columbarium is the fifth to be established in the Diocese of Knoxville.

RESTING PLACE

New columbarium dedicated at St. Mary in Oak Ridge ather William McKenzie blessed a new columbarium at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge after the noon Mass on March 1. Immediately following the blessing and committal service, urns containing the ashes of three parishioners were placed in the columbarium by the families. Ashes of five additional parishioners were scheduled for inurnment in the columbarium in the coming weeks. The columbarium will provide a consecrated resting place at St. Mary for urns containing the ashes of deceased parish-

ioners, their families, and former parishioners. The columbarium site was completed in February under the direction of a board appointed by the pastor and with the approval of the diocese. The columbarium was fabricated by Eickhof Columbaria of Minnesota Carnelian granite and is in a garden setting at the Oak Ridge Turnpike entrance of the church. The garden site is designed to provide the location for a second columbarium when needed. Each columbarium contains 96 niches, and each niche accommodates the ash-

es of two people, for a total of 192 persons. Subscriptions for 39 of the 96 niches in the first columbarium have already been received. Former parishioners are eligible to use the columbarium and should contact the parish office at 865-482-2875 for information. Columbaria had previously been established in the diocese at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City, St. Francis of Assisi in Fairfield Glade, St. Augustine in Signal Mountain, and St. Joseph in Norris. The St. Joseph columbarium is shared with St. Therese in Clinton. ■

Cinco de Mayo social planned at St. John Neumann t. John Neumann Parish in Farragut will hold a Cinco de Mayo social at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2, in the school cafeteria. The menu includes chips and salsa; enchiladas, tacos, and quesadillas; rice and beans; margaritas

www.dioceseofk noxville.org

and wine; lemonade and tea; and ice cream. The parish will welcome new members during the event. Cost is $5 per person or $25 for families. RSVP to Phyllis Denning at 865-966-4540. ■ THE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOLI C

The 20th-anniversary convention of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will be held Friday and Saturday, May 1 and 2, at St. Jude Church in Chattanooga. The weekend will include a memorial Mass celebrated by Bishop Richard F. Stika and many other priests, a talk by the bishop, three workshops, continental breakfasts and luncheons for both days, a concert, a cookout, and a special program. Twoday event registration is $55, and partial registration is also available. Registration brochures may be downloaded from www.kdccw.org or picked up in parish offices. Registration deadline is Monday, April 27. To register, call Ann Respess at 423-870-1723 or Cathy Palisoc at 322-6482. The theater department at Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga is staging its largest production in years, West Side Story, with performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, April 23 through 25, in the school auditorium. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students. For more information, visit myndhs.com. Bishop Richard F. Stika will lead a diocesan pilgrimage May 9 through 20, 2010, to the sites of Pope John Paul II’s early life in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany. Pilgrims will visit Prague and Munich before the trip ends in Oberammergau, Germany, where they will see a performance of the Oberammergau Passion Play. Cost is $3,799 plus fuel surcharges, taxes, and tips. For more information, contact Mercy Sister Albertine Paulus at 865-584-3307 or smaevang@yahoo.com. The Shrine of the Virgin of the Poor in New Hope, near South Pittsburg, will have devotions at 2 p.m. CDT each Sunday in May. For directions, call Father Mark Scholz at 423-8377068. The Seekers of Silence group, which has Contemplative Saturday Morning gatherings at John XXIII Catholic Center in Knoxville, will take a pilgrimage to the Virgin of the Poor Shrine in New Hope on Saturday, May 2. Father Paul Rospond, CSP, of John XXIII will be the spiritual guide. The group will leave at 9 a.m. Father Rospond will celebrate Mass at the shrine’s chapel, and a brown-bag lunch and walkaround rosary will follow. The group will arrive back in Knoxville around 4:30 to 5 p.m. Those needing a carpool or willing to drive, or anyone wanting to learn more, should contact Ghislaine Miller at 865-521-6835 or gmiller1@utk.edu or Mark Evans at 573-6959 or m24evans@comcast.net. The Sevier County chapter of Tennessee Right to Life will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 7, at the Pigeon Forge Community Center. Susan Allen of the Nashville chapter will speak on the topic “The Art of Pro-Life Conversation.” Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga is hosting boys and girls basketball camps June 1 through 5 for rising first- through rising eighthgraders and an all-sports camp June 8 through 12 for upcoming kindergarten through eighth-grade students. The basketball camps will be held from 9 a.m. to noon and the all-sports camp from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The all-sports camp will introduce the fundamentals of soccer, basketball, baseball and softball, volleyball, wrestling, track, tennis, and football. Costs before May 1 are $80 for the basketball camps and $125 for the all-sports camp, increasing to $100 and $150 beginning May 1. For more information, contact Kathy Sumrell at 423-622-1481 or ksumrell@ catholicweb.com. Visit olph.us/school to download camp information or registration forms. Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Chattanooga is hosting a football camp from 9 a.m. to noon Monday, June 22, through Friday, June 26, for rising fourth- through eighth-graders. Cost is $75. Contact Kathy Sumrell or visit the school website (see above announcement) for more information. The football camp dates are incorrect in the downloadable brochure but correct above. The Irish Tennis Camp will be held the weeks of May 26 through 29, June THE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOLI C

Columbus Home ‘Kids Helping Kids’ walk set May 3

BY TONI PACITTI

8 through 11, July 13 through 16, and Aug. 3 through 6, at Cedar Bluff Racquet Club in Knoxville. Taught by coaches Rusty Morris and David Price of defending state champion Knoxville Catholic High School, the camp is designed to focus on stroke fundamentals and the development of match-play skills in a fun environment for all levels. Ten percent of proceeds will benefit Catholic Charities of East Tennessee. Call the tennis club at 865690-5700 for more information. A Catholic men’s conference will be held from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at the Eagle Rock Retreat Center on the Foothills Parkway in Tallassee. Presented “by men for men” of the Diocese of Knoxville, the event will focus on what it means to be a Catholic man in the world today and will conclude with Mass. Keynote speakers will be Father Joe Brando and Father Michael Maples. Cost is $30, payable in advance, and includes a hot breakfast and lunch. Make checks payable to Steve Pacitti and mail them to him at 34000 Highway 72 North, Loudon, TN 37774. RSVP by email to stevepacitti@catholicexchange.com. Space is limited. The final open house of the school year at St. Joseph School in Knoxville is set for 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 28. Visitors may meet the principal and other staff members as well as tour the classrooms. Call Dorisha Chargualaf, director of admissions, at 865-6893424 for more information about the school’s pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade program.

he 11th annual Columbus Home “Kids Helping Kids” two-mile fun walk will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 3, at All Saints Church in Knoxville. Registration will begin at 2 p.m. in the parish hall. Former University of Tennessee basketball player Dane Bradshaw will be the honorary chair. Nu-

merous games at the fun walk include a free-throw contest with Mr. Bradshaw. Cost is $10 per individual or team member or $25 per family and includes a free T-shirt (up to four per family). These costs increase to $15 and $30 on the day of the event. Food is free. Register online at www.ccetn.

org and follow the link to www.active. com. Early-registration deadline is Friday, May 1. Proceeds will benefit Catholic Charities of East Tennessee’s Columbus Home programs to assist abused, neglected, and marginalized children. Call CCET at 865-524-9896 for more information. ■

Annual ‘It’s Cool to Be Catholic’ youth rally May 9 he Cumberland Mountain Deanery will host the annual “It’s Cool to Be Catholic” youth rally from 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 9, at St. John Neumann School in Farragut. Deacon Dan Hosford of St. Joseph Parish in Norris, coordinator of Youth Ministry for the Cumberland Mountain Deanery, and Diocesan Youth Ministry Advisory Council members from the deanery have been planning the event, which was first held in 2000. The rally, which is for upcoming freshmen through 2009 graduates, features a concert at 7 p.m. by The Thirsting as part of the band’s Ocean of Mercy tour.

The schedule includes a skit at 1:30 p.m., icebreakers at 1:45, an opening prayer at 2:15, smallgroup activity at 2:30, and an open forum at 3:30. At 4:15 the group will walk to the church for the vigil Mass, which starts at 4:30. Dinner will follow at 5:45 and an optional tour of the new St. John Neumann Church at 6:30. Merchandise for The Thirsting will be sold beginning at 5:30. Cost is $15 for the day or $10 for the concert only. The concert is open to the public. Youth should register with their parish youth minister by Wednesday, April 29. For more information, contact Karen Byrne at 865-966-3562 or karenbyrnetn@hotmail.com. ■

Knights of Columbus Council 645 will sponsor an art auction at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at St. Joseph School in Knoxville, with proceeds benefiting the school. Artwork such as lithographs, original oil paintings, animation cels, and sports memorabilia will be available from Marlin Fine Auctions. The preview begins at 6:30 p.m. Ticket price includes wine and cheese, hors d’oeuvres, dessert, and coffee. Call Jack McCusker at 865-748-8700 or Patti Johanson at 689-3424 for ticket information. Adults only. The sixth annual Fighting Irish–Warriors Baseball Classic high school doubleheader will be held Friday, April 24, at Smokies Park in Sevierville, and the event again will benefit Catholic Charities of East Tennessee’s Pregnancy Help Center in Knoxville. This year, Grace Christian Academy will play Christian Academy of Knoxville in the first game at 6 p.m., and Knoxville Catholic will go against Gibbs in the nightcap. Entertainment will be provided by several groups, including the Grace Christian Senior High Ensemble, CAK’s Junior Praise Ensemble, the St. Joseph School Special Events Choir, and the TTJC Karate School Demo Team. Preliminary events begin at 5 p.m. For tickets or more information, call Tom Ciaccia at 865-765-4046. The diocesan Youth Ministry Office and the Sant’Egidio community are sponsoring a Peace Pilgrimage to New York City, designed to help students explore opportunities for peace work in the city, from June 21 through 26. Numerous sites will be visited, including St. Patrick’s Cathedral and other churches, Wall Street, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and Columbia University. Students should attend a preparation meeting at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 13, at the Chancery office in Knoxville. Trip cost is $895.75, if 12 youth and two chaperones participate, and includes transportation, lodging, and meals. The cost will decrease accordingly if numbers exceed 12 (18 is the limit). Registration fee is $100. Full payment is due by Friday, May 15. For more information, contact Father Michael Cummins at frmc@charterinternet.com or Maria Hermon at 865-584-3307 or mhermon@ dioceseofknoxville.org. Father Patrick Resen of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville will discuss The Spirit of the Liturgy (Ignatius Press, 2000) by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 9, at the Chancery office in Knoxville. All are invited to attend. For more information, Calendar continued on page 7

COURTESY OF FRED LAUFENBERG

CALENDAR

Men from councils in Crossville, Oak Ridge, and Cookeville received their Fourth Degree in a recent exemplification in Crossville.

NEW FOURTH DEGREE KNIGHTS

Crossville Knights host Fourth Degree exemplification he Knights of Columbus recently conducted a Fourth Degree exemplification at the Knights Hall in Crossville. Father Gabriel Assembly 2162 in Crossville, under the direction of Tennessee district master William Gunter, hosted the exemplification. Walt Fry chaired the committee for the event. The honorees at this year’s exemplification were John Marvin, former Grand Knight and faithful navigator, and Ken Bailey, both members of the Father Gabriel Assembly. Council 8152 in

Crossville welcomed 15 new Fourth Degree Knights: Herbert Adams, Patrick Anderson, Kenneth Braden, Deacon Mark Fredrick, William Frye, Charles Grismore, Preston Hackett, Edward Maxwell, Ralph Mitter, Barry Reed, Dennis Roy, Richard Soenen, Deacon Joe Solis, Russell Vara, and Michael Wilkiel. John Hough of Council 3175 in Oak Ridge also became a Fourth Degree Knight. New Fourth Degree Knights from Council 6645 Cookeville are Edward Czysz, Helmuth Koch, Mark Langwasser, Father

Donald W. Loskot, SDS, Charles Richardson, and Jan Schoonfield. Father Jim Harvey, a Knight and the pastor of St. Alphonsus in Crossville, celebrated Mass at the church, which also hosted the knighting ceremony. The assembly then hosted a banquet at the Knights Hall. Mr. Gunter presented certificates, and Ron Alt delivered a talk celebrating the honorees. The banquet guest speaker was Father John O’Neill, a Knight and the pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in Fairfield Glade. ■

COURTESY OF MARY ANN SHANAHAN

on the

Cleveland Carmelites attend retreat in Georgia The Third Order Carmelite Community from St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in Cleveland attended its first retreat March 13 through 15 at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Ga. Third Order Carmelites at the retreat also came from Marietta, Ga.; Adairsville, Ga.; Jonesboro, Ga.; Tallahassee, Fla.; and Pensacola, Fla. The theme for the retreat was “The Spirituality of St. Thérèse of Lisieux,” and the event was led by Father John Russell, OCarm. The retreat ended with Mass celebrated by Father Russell and concelebrated by Father P. J. McGinnity, pastor of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. The members of the St. Thérèse Third Order Community will be making their reception Aug. 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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APRIL 26, 2009

■

Chrism Mass continued from page 1

Tuesday of Holy Week, said that “the church invites us to pray with the Lord on Holy Thursday as we prepare to celebrate with him Good Friday. “But as Jesus said, ‘It is finished,’ our work continues. Let us pray that we might have an openness of spirit and heart unto those who are to be received into the church at the Easter vigil, as we proclaim that Christ is truly alive. Let us go forth and be about our business of building his kingdom, proclaiming our faith, and being Christ to others.” ■

Armstrong continued from page 3

and as such, that could change, unlike dogma. It’s the prerogative of each individual church to decide how that church can best live out the Gospel. “The Latin West has chosen a certain way to do that, and the East has a certain way. We are both living out the Gospel—the same faith—in different ways.” It might sound as though the East downplays the importance of celibacy, but that’s not the case, he said. Parish priests in the Byzantine churches are typically married, but monks and bishops are celibate, just as are Western priests and bishops. And even married priests undergo periods of celibacy—for example, during fasting periods that occur throughout the year. Further, East and West have different understandings of the role of the parish priest. “In the Latin tradition the priest is very much an alter Christus, who acts in the person of Christ, persona Christi. “That is not so much the emphasis in the East. In the East the principal person who is acting is the Divine Person, Jesus Christ. In the West the priest is celibate because he needs to closely resemble Jesus Christ himself. In the East the primary function of the priest is to bring people the sacred mysteries”—what the Latin Church calls sacraments—“and to serve as a spiritual father.” Mr. Armstrong, 37, is married, and he and his wife, Emily, have six children: Catherine, 10; Nicholas, 8; Alexander, 6; Teresa, 4; Elizabeth, nearly 2; and Anna Sophia, born this March. “I grew up in two worlds: the Ukrainian and the Latin,” said Mr. Armstrong. His great-grandparents were from Ukraine, and his paternal grandfather was a convert to the Ukrainian Catholic Church, so as a child Mr. Armstrong learned its traditions. But there was no Ukrainian Church in Spotsylvania, Va., nor in fact a Latin Church. The family traveled to Fredericksburg to attend Mass. From 1997 to 1998 Mr. Armstrong taught school at Patterson High School in Baltimore. Having the opportunity to attend Divine Liturgy at St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church, he found himself newly drawn to the East. “When you start participating in the spiritual life of the Byzantine Catholic churches, you are drawn into it more and more. It’s a deepening of one’s spiritual life in the Eastern tradition, and once you begin down that road, you desire it more and more. “You realize how rich it is, how historic it is, and how ancient and beautiful. You can’t get enough of it.” Years before he married, Mr. Armstrong had discerned a call to the priesthood and spent two and a half years at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md. “The call has always been there. It went into hibernation for a little while, but it never went away completely.” It was reawakened after the family moved to Knoxville and began participating in the local Byzantine community, which celebrates Divine Liturgy at Holy Resurrection Byzantine Catholic Mission in Seymour. Eventually he and other Byzantine Catholics began doing “reader services” in the Chancery chapel on Thursday mornings and Saturday nights. These prayer services consist of “basically doing as laity everything except Divine Liturgy,” he said. “There are certain things you can’t do because you need a priest, but once you begin living the fullness of the Eastern tradition, you have people around you who want more and more. The only way to do more is to have clergy of your own.” That desire will soon be granted for Byzantine Catholics of East Tennessee. ■ This story will continue in an upcoming edition of the ETC. For more information on the Eastern churches, visit the website www.east2west.org.

Take note of ETC deadlines e welcome submissions about parish and community events. Send notices by e-mail (mary@dioceseofknoxville.org), fax (865584-8124), or mail (P.O. Box 11127, Knoxville, TN 37939). To make sure we receive information about upcoming events in time for publication, please submit it by the following deadlines: ■ Monday, April 27, for the May 10 issue ■ Monday, May 11, for the May 24 issue ■ Monday, May 25, for the June 7 issue ■ Monday, June 8, for the June 21 issue. ■

■

APRIL 26, 2009

life and

DIGNITY

BY PAUL SIMONEAU

Structures and hope Benedict XVI says that ‘the great hope’—God—‘surpasses everything else.’

Archbishop Fulton Sheen (1895-1979) observed that in our materialistic culture, people “are in a fruitless and constant search for the infinite in the finite, for God in carnality” (Your Life Is Worth Living [St. Andrews Press, 2001], p. 275). This, he believed, is one of the reasons so many people in the modern age suffer from psychoses and neuroses that may be manifested as feelings of loss of contact with reality, disorganized thinking, anxiety, depression, insecurities, and irrational fears. But because man is also a social being and society is essential to his fulfillment, the social manifestations of a frustrated quest for the divine city in the finite structures of man’s designs are no less dangerous. The refrain first uttered by the people of Babel, “Let us build ourselves a city” (Genesis 11:4), continues to echo in every attempt to build an earthly kingdom. We find evidence of this refrain even in Peter’s enthusiasm shortly after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when he exclaims to Jesus, “Teacher, look at the huge blocks of stone and the enormous buildings” (Mark 13:1). The reply of Jesus is an ominous warning to all who seek a kingdom of man’s design: “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another—all will

obsessions

be torn down” (13:2). Likewise, we must heed anew Jesus’ stern command when, after overturning the tables of the moneychangers in the Temple, he exclaimed, “Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace” (John 2:16). Has not man made the marketplace a substitute for the Father’s house? Pope Benedict XVI observes that “where God is viewed as something secondary, which can be set aside temporarily or altogether for the sake of more important things, then precisely these supposedly more important things fail” (On the Way to Jesus Christ [Ignatius, 2005], p. 90). We are reminded that “here we have no lasting city” (Hebrews 13:14) but are called to be “citizens of a kingdom which is heavenly rather than of an earthly nature” (Lumen Gentium, No. 13). But as baptized Christians and stewards of God’s creation, we are especially called in our vocation “to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God” (ibid, No. 31). Pope John Paul II reminds us that “When individuals and communities do not see a rigorous respect for the moral, cultural, and spiritual requirements, based on the dignity of the person and on the proper identity of each community, beginning with the family and religious societies, then all the rest—availability of goods, abundance of technical resources applied to daily life, a certain level of

BY GINGER HUTTON

Staying true to their charism The Vatican’s visitation to U.S. women’s religious orders is ‘good news.’

There is good news: the Vatican is launching a visitation to “investigate the quality of life” of women’s religious orders in the United States. This is essential because, in the rethinking of religious life that followed Vatican II, women religious who stayed true to their founder’s charism while making sensible reforms have done well, even flourished. But others chose to radically alter religious life by abandoning the habit, life in community, and communal prayer—or by adopting ideologies and ritual practices, sometimes even “ministries,” incompatible with the faith. The self-destruction of those orders has caused tremendous damage to the church as a whole. Stories about women religious off the rails abound. Less talked about is the suffering of faithful women religious who chose to stay in orders that went to pieces around them. I met some of these women a few years ago while attending a retreat of women religious in another state. The retreat was dreadful. The catch phrase was “theological updating.” Unfortunately, this particular order had only updated to the fashionable—and largely discredited—theologies of the 1980s, mainly feminist “revisioning”

and liberation theology. John Paul II was nowhere on the theological horizon. People literally hissed when the dread name of Ratzinger was spoken. And there was much lamentation over their inability to attract vocations under age 50. I’m not patient, so after about 24 hours of being forcefed Marxism and Karl Rahner’s excessively low Christology while being told to depict my image of God in crayon, I felt compelled to offer my thoughts on the cause of their vocational crisis. When “dialogue” was allowed, I ventured that the church had moved on and women born after Vatican II tended to favor theology over ideology and to prefer theologians who thought with the church or who, at the very least, hadn’t been explicitly condemned by the Vatican. My contribution to the dialogue led to a couple of fascinating conversations. As I was leaving the dialogue, a sister in her forties whispered, “I want to talk to you.” Once we were alone—hidden in a stairwell—she told me there was a group of younger women within the order who recognized the truth of what I was saying and who wanted real reform. The problem was that they had no power, their numbers were small, and they were retaliated against and excluded from any hope of leadership positions if they became too obvious. She encouraged me to join them. I spent that evening with the

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material well-being—will prove unsatisfying and in the end contemptible. The Lord clearly says this in the Gospel, when he calls the attention of all to the true hierarchy of values: ‘For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? (Matthew 16:26)’” (Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, “On Social Concern,” No. 33). Pope Benedict XVI warns that “If globalization in technology and [the] economy is not accompanied by a new openness to an awareness of the God to whom we will all render an account then it will end in catastrophe. This is the great responsibility imposed on us Christians today” (On the Way to Jesus Christ, p. 124). Though Benedict XVI tells us that “we need the greater and lesser hopes that keep us going day by day . . . , these are not enough without the great hope, which must surpass everything else. This great hope can only be God, who encompasses the whole of reality and who can bestow upon us what we, by ourselves, cannot attain” (Spe Salvi, “Saved in Hope,” No. 31). To only one structure has permanence ever been guaranteed: the church. In the words “upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18), “the Lord Jesus endowed his community with a structure that will remain until the kingdom is fully achieved” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 765). With a traditional play on the words of Pope Paul VI, “If you want peace . . . ,” “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33). ■ Mr. Simoneau directs the diocesan Justice and Peace Office. oldest sisters in the order, women mostly in their seventies and eighties. They told me the heartbreaking story of how their community had been hijacked from within. When the college-educated generation now controlling the order had started taking over, many of the sisters uncritically accepted what they were told was now the theology of the church. The ones who didn’t accept it suffered horribly. One of them told me, “We knew that what they were saying was wrong. But we had no education; we couldn’t speak their language. All we could say was ‘this is wrong.’ But nobody would listen because we were just teachers and nurses; we weren’t scholars like them. And no one listened to us even though we were right.” When I asked how they had managed to persevere, they patiently explained that they were religious. They had made vows to God, and you don’t break your vows to God even if your order goes heretical around you. They were rather amused that I thought it remarkable. Under the circumstances, I thought it was heroic. The visitation of the women religious in the United States is an occasion for hope for those holy women persecuted and ostracized by their own orders for orthodoxy—and not just for them. It also gives hope to frustrated laypeople and pastors who have had to contend with tragically misguided and even willfully disobedient religious. We must pray that in our day the voices that will finally be heard are those that speak for the faith. ■ Miss Hutton is a member of St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge and a full-time godmother. THE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOLI C

catholic

SCHOOLS

from the

PARACLETE

Notre Dame High School appoints new director of admissions

Mother’s Day: May 10

otre Dame High School in Chattanooga on April 1 announced the appointment of Jenny Rittgers as its new director of admissions. An alumna of Notre Dame in the class of 2000, Ms. Rittgers will take over her new role in July. “I am pleased that we had an outstanding candidate within our teaching staff to lead our future admission efforts,” said NDHS principal Perry Storey. “Jenny is a respected classroom teacher and has been instrumental in the

here’s your headsup, so don’t forget. And if you’re wondering what to get a Catholic mom, we can help. There are more options than you might think. How about a beautiful enameled box made in Russia? They’re only $19 and just the right size for mom’s little treasures. Or you might try a silver or gold crucifix or a dainty medal with her saint’s name and likeness, starting from $30 and $22.95, respectively. If Mom likes a good read, we recommend A Woman Clothed in Silence (Paulist Press, 1968, $14.95). This epic poem of Mary has withstood the test of time. Since 1941 it has entranced readers with its beauty. There is no other religious book quite like it. ¿Cuál es la condición de la Biblia de su madre? Tenemos una buena variedad de Biblias, de pasta gruesa o delgada, de letra pequeña o regular. Otra posibilidad puede

COURTESY OF GAYLE SCHOENBORN

Jenny Rittgers

Lincoln Memorial University. “As a graduate of Notre Dame I have a real passion for this school, and I am excited to be able to work with prospective students and families,” said Ms. Rittgers. “I want everyone to be able to recognize what a true gem Notre Dame High School is in this community.” Ms. Rittgers is the daughter of Greg and Kathy Rittgers. She and her family are members of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Chattanooga. ■

COURTESY OF TOM COULTER

development of our community-service program. She has experienced the mission of Notre Dame as a student, alumna, and teacher, and her passion for and perspective on the school

will be beneficial in her new role as admissions director.” Ms. Rittgers joined the Notre Dame faculty in 2004. Currently she teaches freshman religion, and she began serving as the school’s community-service coordinator in 2006. She is a 2004 graduate of Aquinas College with a bachelor of science degree in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in education. She is pursuing a master of education degree in curriculum and instruction from

Knights assembly donates to St. Joseph School The Monsignor Grady Fourth Degree Assembly of the Knights of Columbus recently donated $10,423.19 to St. Joseph School in Knoxville. Making the check presentation to principal Dr. Aurelia Montgomery are Carl Sten (left), faithful navigator of the Knoxville-area assembly, and Jack McCusker, faithful captain.

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KCHS footballers honored The Knoxville Catholic High School football team, which won its first state football championship last fall, was honored at the recent PrepXtra awards banquet hosted by the Knoxville News Sentinel. From left are William Coulter, Jordan Howanitz, Nick Branum, head coach Mark Pemberton, Daniel Hood, Spencer Mackle, Luke Smith, and Evan Sanders. Mr. Pemberton was chosen as the state coach of the year for Class 3A. The players pictured above were selected for the PrepXtra/all–Knoxville Interscholastic League team, with Jordan receiving the PrepXtra offensive player-of-the-year award from the newspaper. In addition, William, Jordan, Daniel, Spencer, and Luke were named to the Class 3A all-state team by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association. Daniel was named the KIL defensive player of the year. Mr. Pemberton recently resigned to become the football head coach and athletics director at West Laurens High School in Dublin, Ga.

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contact Peggy Humphreys at 865584-3307 or phumphreys@ dioceseofknoxville.org. The next charismatic Mass will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday, April 26, at Holy Spirit Church in Soddy-Daisy. Father Dan Whitman of Holy Trinity Parish in Jefferson City will be the celebrant. Call Dee Leigh at 423-842-2305 for more information. In celebration of the Year of St. Paul, St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City will host a mission Sunday through Wednesday, May 3 through 6, in the social hall. Father Noel Mueller, OSB, will talk about the life and teachings of St. Paul. Father Mueller is a Benedictine monk of St. Meinrad Archabbey who has served as a missionary in Peru and worked in hospital ministry, with Marriage and Engaged Encounter, and with youth and disabled persons. The mission will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. in Spanish on May 3 and 6:30 to 8 p.m. on the remaining days. For more information, call director of religious education Jill St. Yves at 865-986-9885. Sant’Egidio is a Catholic lay ecclesial movement that focuses on prayer, communicating the Gospel, friendship with the poor, and the work of peace. The JohnTHE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOLIC

son City community meets for prayer at 6:30 p.m. on first and third Mondays at the Catholic Center at East Tennessee State University. The Knoxville community of Sant’Egidio meets at 5:30 p.m. on second and fourth Mondays at the Chancery office in Knoxville. For more information, call Father Michael Cummins at 423-926-7061. A Marriage Encounter weekend is set for May 1 through 3 at the Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City. For reservations, contact John or Manuela Ptacek at celebrate-love@ earthlink.net or 865-531-1719. The next Engaged Encounter weekend in the diocese will be held May 22 through 24 at the Carson Springs Baptist Conference Center in Newport. Weekend cost is $239, including meals, rooms, and materials, and couples completing the entire weekend will receive a $60 discount on their marriage license. To register, call Mike or Charla Haley at 865220-0120. For more information on Engaged Encounter, e-mail Charlie or Blanca Primm at cee knoxville@gmail.com or visit www. rc.net/knoxville/cee. Holy Resurrection Byzantine Catholic Mission holds Divine Liturgy celebrations at 1:30 p.m.

Sundays (note new time) at Holy Family Church in Seymour. Call 865-609-1081 to learn more. Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at 1:30 p.m. each Sunday at St. Therese Church in Clinton and at 3 p.m. on first and third Sundays at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland. Visit www.knoxlatin mass.net for details. Upcoming events for Catholic Singles of Greater Knoxville (40 and over) include the following: ■ Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26: Annual overnight hike and camping trip at Charit Creek. Contact Donna T. at 865-5313839 or penguin7@prodigy.net. ■ Sunday, April 26: “Brunch and banter” at Bruegger’s, 1 p.m. RSVP to Sheila M. at 384-9654 or bulldogsx22000@yahoo.com by April 25. ■ Wednesday, April 29: Ronald McDonald House service project. Prepare a casserole or bring fresh fruit or 2 percent milk and deliver to the house before 6:30 p.m. Contact Donna T. for more details (see above). ■ Saturday, May 2: Insurance Professionals of Greater Knoxville Putt-Putt Tournament at the PuttPutt Fun Center in Farragut, 10 a.m. Contact Gail B. at 966-8205 or gbraunsroth@charter.net. ■

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BY ROBERT CURTIS

ser el devocionario popular, Oraciones y Devociones (Our Sunday Visitor, 1997, $19.95), ó quizás una medalla de la Virgen para ella. En el Paraclete hay muchos regalos finos para mamá en su día. There is a Bible just for women, The Catholic Women’s Bible (Devore and Sons, 2006, $24.95). And Twelve Apostolic Women (St. Anthony Messenger Press, 1989, $9.95) depicts some unsung heroines of the New Testament. This column is being written during Holy Week. We at the Paraclete hope you had a meaningful one—and to all those who have been or are about to be confirmed, welcome. ■

The Paraclete is a fullservice Catholic book and supply store. Visit 417 Erin Drive in Knoxville, near Sacred Heart Cathedral, or call 865-588-0388 or 800-333-2097. Download the Paraclete’s newsletter online at snipr.com/paraclete.

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mosexuality,” the ordination of women to the priesthood and the 2000 declaration Dominus Iesus. “Given both the tenor and the doctrinal content of various addresses given at the annual assemblies of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious in the intervening years, this dicastery can only conclude that the problems which had motivated its request in 2001 continue to be present,” Cardinal Levada wrote, according to NCR. The church teaches that all homosexual acts are morally wrong but affirms the dignity of those with homosexual inclinations and says having such an inclination is not in itself sinful. In the 1994 apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis Pope John Paul II reaffirmed church teaching that the church “has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women.” Dominus Iesus, the doctrinal congregation’s 2000 declaration on the “unicity and salvific universality of Jesus Christ and the church,” says non-Catholic Christian churches and communities “suffer from defects” and non-Christians also “are in a gravely deficient situation.” In its statement LCWR said the organization “faces this process with confidence, believing that the conference has remained faithful to its mission of service to leaders in congregations of women religious as they seek to further the mission of Christ in today’s world.” Sister Annmarie said LCWR officials would meet with Cardinal Levada on April 22 at the Vatican as part of their regular annual consultation with Vatican offices. The meeting had been scheduled before the doctrinal assessment was announced, she said. Conference leaders also plan to meet with Bishop Blair “later this spring,” NCR reported. ■ For more information about the apostolic visitation, visit the website www.apostolicvisitation.org. Copyright 2009 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

The good we do lives after us— when we remember to make a will.

Only you can divide your own property as you want it divided. A bequest to your church can be a living memorial to the nobility of your life.

APRIL 26, 2009

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from the

WIRE

Archbishop Dolan installed in New York City

GETTING READY FOR THE POPE Architect Nizar Muammar holds plans at the construction site of a municipal amphitheater on the Mount of the Precipice in Nazareth, Israel, on April 19. Muammar, a Catholic, is one of the project architects involved in constructing the amphitheater for a May 14 Mass to be celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to the Holy Land.

Builders ‘working around the clock’ to prepare for Nazareth Mass B Y CINDY WOODEN

NAZARETH, Israel (CNS)—With just over three weeks to go before Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to celebrate Mass in a new municipal amphitheater in Nazareth, bulldozers were working around the clock. Nizar Muammar, a Catholic and one of the project architects, said April 20 that the site will be ready: It will include a stage, 7,000 permanent seats, and more than 30,000 temporary chairs set up on what is becoming a terraced hillside. The only Mass Pope Benedict is scheduled to celebrate in northern Israel during his May 8 through 15 pilgrimage to the Holy Land is the May 14 Mass in the amphitheater on Mount Precipice in Nazareth. Muammar said he was hoping Catholic officials would give final approval to his design for the stage, altar, and papal throne. With the roar of big machinery in the background, Muammar surveyed the site and pointed out what would go where but refused to reveal details about his design. “Our motif was the story of the Annunciation and the town of Nazareth, the home of the Holy Family,” he said. He jokingly said designers were working on getting an angel to appear, and he refused to say whether the carpenters would leave their tools behind to evoke St. Joseph’s trade. The amphitheater project, funded by the city of Nazareth and the Israeli government, is creating “hundreds of jobs,” he said. “We have a very tough schedule to meet and are working around the clock.” ■ Copyright 2009 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Vatican releases details of papal trip to Holy Land B Y CA R OL GL ATZ

VATICAN CITY (CNS)—On his first trip to the Holy Land, Pope Benedict XVI will meet with Jewish, Muslim, and Christian leaders; stop at the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall in Jerusalem; and visit a refugee camp in Bethlehem, West Bank, the Vatican said. The May 8 through 15 visit will take the pope to holy sites in Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories. The schedule, published March 26, said the pope would visit the new King Hussein Mosque in Amman, Jordan; stop at Jesus’ baptismal site at the Jordan River; and make a pilgrimage to Mount Nebo, where Moses once looked out at the Promised Land. The pope’s program calls for encounters with Israeli political leaders, Christian leaders, Jerusalem’s most prominent rabbis, and the city’s leading Muslim cleric, the grand mufti. Pope Benedict also will visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem and celebrate public Masses in Amman, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Nazareth, Israel. ■ Copyright 2009 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

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after the 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and noon Masses on Sunday, April 26. Call Suzanne Saah at 865-705-5234. ■ The parish will celebrate the sacrament of confirmation on Thursday, April 30. Mass will begin at 6 p.m., with a reception following in the gym. ■ Sacred Heart will celebrate first Communion at the 11 a.m. Mass on Saturday, May 2. ■ A “living rosary” will begin about 10:45 a.m. Sunday, May 10. Participants will pray the rosary in the pavilion and finish the catechetical year with cookies and lemonade.

St. Albert the Great, Knoxville ■ The hospital homebound committee needs a vol-

unteer to visit and bring Communion to a man at the Willow Ridge nursing home in Maynardville. Call Mike or Diana Blake at 865-281-2469. ■ 8

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APRIL 26, 2009

NEW YORK (CNS)—St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York overflowed with people, music, incense, and good will for the April 15 installation of Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan as the 10th archbishop of New York. More than 2,000 guests in the cathedral listened to two church choirs and a brass ensemble and watched on television monitors as Archbishop Dolan, waiting outside on 50th Street, waved, pointed, grinned, and called out to many of the 1,000 robed clergy and laity who moved into place ahead of him in the 45-minute opening procession. His entrance through the main doors of the cathedral on Fifth Avenue was greeted with echoing applause. The Mass of installation was attended by 12 cardinals and more than 115 archbishops and bishops. Among them was Knoxville’s Bishop Richard F. Stika, a friend of New York’s new archbishop. Some 800 priests in white chasubles participated from a sea of folding chairs arrayed on three sides of the high altar. The congregation included Archbishop Dolan’s mother, Shirley, and other family members; civic leaders; and representatives of each of the 373 parishes of the archdiocese. In his last act as administrator of the archdiocese, Cardinal Edward M. Egan, newly retired archbishop of New York, recalled the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to St. Patrick one year

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

CNS PHOTO/DEBBIE HILL

The archdiocese’s 10th shepherd takes the town by storm. By Beth Griffin

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan waves during his installation at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York on April 15. He became the 10th archbishop of New York, succeeding Cardinal Edward M. Egan. HELLO, NEW YORK

ago, with many of the same people in attendance. The apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, said the day was “a new start with a new shepherd.” The Gospel, intoned by a deacon, was Luke’s description of Jesus meeting the disciples on the road to Emmaus. In his homily, Archbishop Dolan said contemporary Christians should turn to Jesus and “recognize him again in his word, in the ‘breaking of the bread’ and in his church. Let him ‘turn us around’ as he did those two disciples, turned them around because, simply put, they were going the wrong way.” He said no one really knows where the village of Emmaus was, so Christians hoping to retrace Jesus’ steps can do so by making every journey in life a “walk down the road to Emmaus.” Archbishop Dolan invited his “new friends in this great

archdiocese” to join their new pastor on an “adventure in fidelity” along familiar New York thoroughfares to “witness a real ‘miracle on 34th Street’ and turn that into the road to Emmaus.” The homily was greeted with enthusiastic applause eight times, including two standing ovations. The longest ovation was in response to his observation, “The Resurrection goes on, as his church continues to embrace and protect the dignity of every human person, the sanctity of human life, from the tiny baby in the womb to the last moment of natural passing into eternal life.” He said the church is a “loving mother who has a zest for life and serves life everywhere but can become a protective ‘mama bear’ when the life of her innocent, helpless cubs is threatened.” Archbishop Dolan called the priests of the New York Archdiocese “the apple of my eye” and said they

“mean everything to me. Without you, I can’t do anything.” “I have long admired you from afar, but today for the first time I can say ‘my brother priests’ of the Archdiocese of New York—my admiration, my deep appreciation, my unflagging love for you. Thank you, brother priests.” At a press conference earlier in the day, Archbishop Dolan said, “I need to be to my priests what I want them to be to their people.” He said it is important to dispel the caricature of religious life as a “very dour, sacrificial life” and reveal it as “one of the most freeing, liberating, joyful styles of life you can lead.” In his homily Archbishop Dolan cited the welcome given by the archdiocese to generations of immigrants, “who came and still come to this country through this city with little or nothing of earthly value but tenaciously clung to that ‘pearl of great price,’ their faith, to find in the church here the spiritual counterpart of Lady Liberty, holy mother church, who welcomed them, embraced them, settled them in, taught their children, and kept that faith alive.” Two hours after he entered the cathedral, Archbishop Dolan made the rounds of the sanctuary before the concelebrants recessed and then made his way down the aisle to applause, “working the crowd” like a seasoned New York leader. ■ Copyright 2009 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Vatican orders ‘doctrinal assessment’ of group representing U.S. sisters BY NA NCY F R A ZI E R O’B R I EN

WASHINGTON (CNS)—The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has ordered a “doctrinal assessment” of the “activities and initiatives” of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the Maryland-based association whose members represent about 95 percent of the 67,000 women religious in the United States. Sister Annmarie Sanders, a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and LCWR’s director of communications, confirmed the investigation in a brief statement released to Catholic News Service on April 15. “At this time LCWR knows neither the process nor timeline for completion of this assessment,” the statement said. “As more information is made available to LCWR, the conference will take the appropriate steps for its participation in the assessment.” Bishop Leonard P. Blair of Toledo, Ohio, a member of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, is to conduct the assessment at the direction of Cardinal William J. Levada,

prefect of the doctrinal congregation. “Bishop Blair acknowledges that he has been asked by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith to conduct the doctrinal assessment, and at this time has nothing further to add,” a spokeswoman for him said April 16. The assessment by Bishop Blair is separate from an apostolic visitation of U.S. institutes of women religious that will look into the quality of life in the communities and why their membership has decreased over the past 40 years. That study, announced in January and ordered by the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, is led by Mother Mary Clare Millea, a Connecticut native who is superior general of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an international religious institute with headquarters in Rome. The LCWR statement said the doctrinal assessment was announced by Cardinal Levada in a Feb. 20 letter, which the conference received March 10. Officers of the LCWR informed members

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about the investigation in an April 2 letter. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told CNS on April 16 that he could confirm the congregation asked Bishop Blair “to undertake in the coming months a study regarding doctrinal problems that have presented themselves in the area of female religious life in the United States.” Top officials at the doctrinal congregation at the Vatican were out of town and unavailable for comment. Although neither the cardinal’s letter nor the LCWR letter has been made public, National Catholic Reporter, an independent newspaper based in Kansas City, Mo., said it had obtained a copy of LCWR’s letter to its members. NCR reported that Cardinal Levada described the assessment as a follow-up to a 2001 meeting between LCWR leaders and officials of the doctrinal congregation, at which the women religious were asked to report on “the initiatives taken or planned” to promote acceptance of Vatican teachings on “the problem of hoInvestigation continued on page 7

THE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOL I C