Aug. 23, 2009, East Tennessee Catholic by Diocese of Knoxville

CNS PHOTO/STRINGER, REUTERS

Aftermath of disasters A woman mourns for missing relatives Aug. 14 after Typhoon Morakot swept through Taiwan’s Kaohsiung County. Pope Benedict XVI offered his prayers for the people of the Philippines, Taiwan, China, and Japan in the aftermath of recent typhoons and earthquakes.

THE EAST TENNESSEE

Volume 18 • Number 24 • August 23, 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

DEACON PATRICK MURPHY-RACEY

‘Optimistic of full recovery’ Bishop Stika is hospitalized in Florida, following a mild heart attack. By Mary C. Weaver pon hearing that his obituary had been published in the New York Journal, Mark Twain is supposed to have quipped, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” Bishop Richard F. Stika will be able to say more or less the same thing when he’s released from Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., later this month. On Saturday, Aug. 15, the bishop suffered a mild heart attack brought on by diabetic shock, which is believed to have been caused by vomiting and dehydration due to a probable case of the flu. The bishop was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a teenager. The good news, said Deacon Sean Smith, diocesan chancellor, is that Bishop Stika is “stable and responding very well to treatment, and all his attending physicians are optimistic of a full recovery.” Deacon Smith had “a wonderful long conversation” with the bishop on Aug. 18. Although Bishop Stika is tired, he said, “his sense of humor is back, and he wanted to express his deep appreciation for all the prayers and support he’s had.” “He wanted everybody to know that he’s praying for

Father Joseph Brando

India missions call out to newly retired priest B Y DA N MCWI LLIAMS

ather Joe Brando can credit his aunt in part for leading his vocation in a new direction. The 37-year priest of the dioceses of Nashville and Knoxville retired in July, then left for India on Aug. 11 for a three-month look at the organizations funded by the Love & Care mission. “They fund 12 different—usually very small—organizations that do really good things for people who are poor or sick or orphaned, mostly in the south part of India,” said Father Brando, pastor of St. Jude in Chattanooga for the last four years until his retirement. The priest’s aunt in the Bronx, N.Y., connected him with Father

DEACON PATRICK MURPHY-RACEY

‘RESPONDING VERY WELL’ Bishop Richard F. Stika is recuperating in a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., hospital and looking forward to his return to Knoxville in late August.

iocesan Day, set for Saturday, Aug. 22, has been postponed, and refunds will be given to all who paid by check or online via credit card. Bishop Stika was to have given the afternoon presentations; Cardinal Justin Rigali was keynote speaker. The ETC will publish full details when the event is rescheduled.

them as well, and he can’t wait to get strong enough to come back home to be with his Christian faithful.” The story flying around East Tennessee on Sunday had the bishop at death’s door, with kidney failure and a massive heart attack. “It was a very mild heart attack. His heart was thoroughly examined and found to be in great shape,” said Deacon Smith, “and his kidneys are working normally.” Bishop Stika had bypass surgery five years ago, in summer 2004. His cardiologist in Florida has examined his bypasses, the deacon said, “and the bishop is as strong as an ox in that regard.” Before the trouble arose, Bishop Stika had been participating in a two-week Spanish-language immersion program offered by the Mexican American Cultural Center in San Antonio, along with several other Catholic clergy. Among them were the bishop’s friends Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York and Father Jim Swift of St. Louis. Late last week another friend, Archbishop Francis Mansour Zayek, called Bishop Stika with a with a heart-wrenching message. Bishop continued on page 6

Brando continued on page 9

Postulant says, ‘OK, Lord, lead me’

Please pray for our priests

Mary Hendershott enters the St. Cecilia Dominicans.

Dear Lord: We pray that the Blessed Mother will wrap her mantle around your priests and through her intercession strengthen them for their ministry. We pray that Mary will guide your priests to follow her own words, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). May your priests have the heart of St. Joseph, Mary’s most chaste spouse. May the Blessed Mother’s own pierced heart inspire them to embrace all who suffer at the foot of the cross. May your priests be holy and filled with the fire of your love, seeking nothing but your greater glory and the salvation of souls. Amen. St. John Vianney, pray for us. ■

B Y DA N MCWI L L I A MS

Mary Hendershott of St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut entered the St. Cecilia Dominicans on Aug. 10. Miss Hendershott has played the organ for the parish and for extraordinary-form Masses and served as the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting secretary for two years.

DAN MCWILLIAMS

‘MAKING THE FAITH MY OWN’

Download prayers and a rosary booklet: bit.ly/priestprayers.

rayer in the adoration chapel this spring at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut has led one young parishioner to enroll as a postulant with the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville. Mary Hendershott, 20, was completing her first year in college when she prayed before the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel upstairs at the new church. She said she was “tired and frustrated” as she contemplated her future. “I was in adoration with my dad over spring break, and I was praying. I had known about the Dominicans of St. Cecilia for a while simply because they’re in our diocese, and I met them quite a few times,” said Miss

Hendershott. “I felt our Lord draw me so close, and he just said, ‘Why are you keeping me waiting?,’ and I couldn’t really come up with a good answer for that. I basically just said, ‘OK, Lord, lead me. What do you want me to do?’” Miss Hendershott, who entered the St. Cecilia Dominicans on Aug. 10, is the second person in her family who is pursuing a vocation to the religious life or priesthood. Older brother Michael is a seminarian for the Diocese of Knoxville at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. Miss Hendershott is the third of eight children and one of Howard and Susan Hendershott’s five daughters. She credVocation continued on page 2

Want to try online delivery? he East Tennessee Catholic is now offering online delivery for those who would prefer to read a digital copy and to discontinue the print edition. If you would rather read the ETC online, visit snipr.com/onlineETC to sign up. If you decide online delivery isn’t for you, you can return to a print subscription at any time. If you have questions, e-mail mary@dioceseof knoxville.org. ■

Faith-formation classes continue he 2009 series of adult faith-formation classes began in February, 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.

Personal Morality, taught by Father Michael Sweeney. 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. 27 (new date), 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. ■ Thursday, Sept. 24, St. Stephen Church, Chattanooga ■ Tuesday, Nov. 10, St. Dominic Church, Kingsport 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. ■ Thursday, Oct. 8, Notre Dame Church, Greeneville ■ Tuesday, Nov. 17, Sacred Heart Cathedral Catechetical formation sessions, presented in collaboration with Aquinas College in Nashville, will also be held this fall for catechists, teachers in Catholic schools, ministry leaders, and other interested adults. Each session takes place on a Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes hourlong modules on the Creed, the sacraments, morality, prayer, and methods. Choose one session: ■ Oct. 17, St. John Neumann Church, Farragut ■ Nov. 7, St. Elizabeth Church, Elizabethton ■ Nov. 14, St. Jude Church, Chattanooga. To register, visit dioceseofknoxville.org, click Resources/ETC, then click Event registration in the left frame. For further 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 recommended for parents and grandparents. The following training sessions have

been scheduled: ■ St. Patrick Church, Morristown, 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30 ■ St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Lenoir City, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9 ■ St. Mary Church, Johnson City, 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16 (session will be held in St. Anne hall) ■ Sacred Heart Cathedral, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22 (session will be held in the Shea Room). To register for a session, 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.

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AUGUST 23, 2009

living the

READINGS

BY FATHER JOSEPH BRANDO

Choices and sacrifices Faith makes it easy to give up everything to follow Christ.

The French have an adage, “Every choice is a sacrifice.” If being free means having the ability to make choices, one must continually make sacrifices. For every choice involves rejecting all but one alternative. Let’s see how this principle works in the three Scripture readings the church offers us in this Sunday’s liturgy. In the Old Testament reading we discover God is a God of freedom. Joshua, speaking for God, gives the people a choice. But that means they must make sacrifices. In this case, if they want to worship the true God, they must forsake the deities of Egypt. Egypt was an enormously affluent country, with ample

food and state-of-the-art technology. But to share in that prosperity, one had to accept their deities. The Israelites had lived in Egypt for about 500 years. They knew they had to reject Egypt’s high culture in order to worship the God who had led them through the desert into a land where they were surrounded by enemies. They chose freedom. Married love, about which Paul writes to the Ephesians, is also a choice. Both spouses forsake their families of origin and their single lifestyles, much as the Israelites left Egypt behind, in order to serve each other. Despite the pains of changing from two singles into one couple, Paul writes their mutual love will bring them into contact with the great mystery of God’s infinite love. The Gospel narrates a moment of choice for Jesus’ dis-

The price of admission We must do more than obey the letter of the law.

t seems the price of admission to just about everything has skyrocketed. Movie tickets are expensive. Attending a concert or a play costs a fortune. Major-league sporting events are hardly accessible for non-millionaires. If everything has its

price, so does entrance into the presence of God. There is one difference, however, between entertainment and God’s presence. God doesn’t charge money. He demands our lives. In the first reading, Moses offers the Israelites possession of the Promised Land.

ciples. They had just heard Jesus offer them eternal life. To gain divine life they had to unite their lives with him by eating his flesh and drinking his blood. That meant giving up their present religious understanding. Many could not make that leap. But what about the Twelve? Peter’s response—“To whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life”—explains how people make lifechanging decisions. The Israelites sacrificed the safety of Egypt because they had experienced God’s saving them all through the Exodus. A couple experiences an inkling of what true love is and chooses giving over receiving. So Peter speaks for all who freely choose Christ. He felt the words of everlasting life. He believed and chose to follow Christ. Thus, faith is an experience of Christ that makes it easy to sacrifice everything for him. ■ Aug. 23, 21st Sunday in ordinary time Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18 Psalm 34:2-3, 16-21 Ephesians 5:21-32 John 6:60-69

They would be an independent nation renowned for its wisdom. But there was a price of admission. On their part, the people of Israel had to accept and religiously observe the statutes and ordinances of God’s law, the Torah. Without obeying the law, they could not enter the land. James reminds us Christians of our price of admission

into God’s kingdom, where we are able to enjoy “every perfect gift from above coming down from the Father of lights.” Of course there is a price. But it’s not as expensive as we might think. Readings continued on page 3

Aug. 30, 22nd Sunday in ordinary time Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8 Psalm 15:2-5 James 1:17-8, 21-22, 27 Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

W E E KDAY RE ADINGS Monday, Aug. 24: Feast, Bartholomew, apostle, Revelation 21:9-14; Psalm 145:10-13, 17-18; John 1:4551 Tuesday, Aug. 25: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Psalm 139:1-6; Matthew 23:23-26 Wednesday, Aug. 26: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13; Psalm 139:7-12; Matthew 23:27-32 Thursday, Aug. 27: Memorial, Monica, 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13; Psalm 90:3-4, 12-14, 17; Matthew 24:42-51

Friday, Aug. 28: Memorial, Augustine, bishop, doctor of the church, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 10-12; Matthew 25:1-13 Saturday, Aug. 29: Memorial, the Martyrdom of John the Baptist, 1 Thessalonians 4:9-11; Psalm 98:1, 7-9; Mark 6:17-29 Monday, Aug. 31: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Psalm 96:1, 3-5, 11-13; Luke 4:16-30 Tuesday, Sept. 1: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6, 9-11; Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14;

Luke 4:31-37 Wednesday, Sept. 2: Colossians 1:1-8; Psalm 52:10-11; Luke 4:38-44 Thursday, Sept. 3: Memorial, Gregory the Great, pope, doctor of the church, Colossians 1:9-14; Psalm 98:2-6; Luke 5:1-11 Friday, Sept. 4: Colossians 1:15-20; Psalm 100:1-5; Luke 5:33-39 Saturday, Sept. 5: Colossians 1:2123; Psalm 54:3-4, 6, 8; Luke 6:1-5 ■

the faith my own.” A homeschooled student from kindergarten through high school, Miss Hendershott played the organ at St. John Neumann Church for four years and helped the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting plan several annual retreats. She majored in international business with a minor in Spanish as a freshman at Maryville College. Two Dominican sisters spoke at a Scouting retreat in 2008, and Miss Hendershott’s talks with them took away her concerns about becoming

a religious. “That was the first time I really stopped resisting a vocation,” she said. “It wasn’t something that so much scared me. It was something that, if God was calling me to it, would bring joy and peace.” Miss Hendershott began exploring her calling in earnest soon after one of her hours in the adoration chapel this spring. “After talking with priests the next day, I really knew God was asking me to explore

Vocation continued from page 1

its “the deep faith that my family brought me up in” for leading her to consider religious life. “We went to Mass every day and prayed the rosary as a family. The church was part of our everyday life. They taught us how to take the faith and bring it to life and to really live it out every day. The Catholic faith became the foundation of my life and who I am. Definitely their involvement with St. John Neumann taught me how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and how to make

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

THE EAST TENNESSEE

805 Northshore Drive S.W.

Vocation continued on page 3

Margaret Hunt Administrative assistant Toni Pacitti Intern

Knoxville, TN 37919-7551

The East Tennessee Catholic (USPS 007211) is published twice monthly by the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville, 805 Northshore Drive S.W., Knoxville, TN 37919-7551. Periodicals-class postage paid at Knoxville, Tenn. Printed on recycled paper by the Knoxville News Sentinel Postmaster: Send address changes to The East Tennessee Catholic, P.O. Box 11127, Knoxville, TN 37939-1127 How to reach us:

Phone: 865-584-3307 • fax: 865-584-8124 • e-mail: webmaster@dioceseofknoxville.org • web: dioceseofknoxville.org The East Tennessee Catholic is mailed to all registered Catholic families in East Tennessee. Subscription rate for others is $15 a year in the United States. Make checks payable to the Diocese of Knoxville. www.dioceseofk noxville.org

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

the view from

HERE

BY MARY C. WEAVER

Pray for priests The Year for Priests should inspire us to intercede for our bishop and clergy.

If you’ve seen the front page, you know that Bishop Stika is in the hospital for what we pray will be a short stay. And speaking of praying: you do pray for our bishop, priests, and

pope daily, right? They always need our prayers, and this special Year for Priests is a great time to begin or intensify your efforts. On page 1 of this newspaper you’ll find a brief prayer to help you get started. With this issue we’re beginning a series of Q-and-A interviews with our priests (see page 9). The reporter is the ETC’s own Margaret Hunt,

who has a hand in just about every aspect of producing this newspaper and maintaining our website. We plan eventually to talk to each one of our men in black. I’m pleased that the ranks of our priests will be increased by one. On July 31, Bishop Stika announced that Deacon Christopher Riehl’s priestly ordination had been set for 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Every time I cover an ordination, I marvel that the church is not standing-room only. If you haven’t been present at an ordination, I strongly urge you to come and see. You will not soon forget it. ■

New study shows current state of vocations to U.S. religious communities B Y CHA Z MUTH

WASHINGTON (CNS)—U.S. Catholic religious communities are attracting more ethnically and culturally diverse members now than in previous generations, according to an in-depth survey released Aug. 11. The “Study of Recent Vocations to Religious Life” also showed that most U.S. religious communities report diminishing numbers with aging populations but at the same time indicated that those choosing religious life today are passionate about it— and some orders are cultivating vocations from the millennial generation. With less than 10 percent of women religious and 25 percent of men religious under the age of 60, it’s imperative that U.S. religious communities figure out effective methods of recruitment, said Mercy Sister Mary Bendyna, executive director of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) and principal author of the study. The study—conducted by CARA, a Georgetown University-based research center, on behalf of the National Religious Vocation Conference, based in Chicago—surveyed 4,000 men and women who are in formation or are newly vowed. “Clearly the numbers are diminishing and will be diminishing more in the coming years,” Sister Mary told Catholic

News Service. “Many of our members in their 60s and 70s are still active in ministries, but that won’t be the case in another decade or two.” The study was conducted to find the best methods for religious institutes to attract and retain new members, said Holy Cross Brother Paul Bednarczyk, executive director of the National Religious Vocation Conference. “The Internet, DVDs, and other media are much more important to this generation than for those who were con-

necting to religious communities in the 1990s,” Brother Paul told CNS. “Religious communities definitely have to be present on the web to connect with their target groups.” Though the numbers in religious orders may be decreasing, the study found that new members are passionate about religious life and that men’s and women’s communities following more traditional practices have greater success attracting younger members today. Another encourag-

ing sign is that 43 percent of those surveyed are under age 30, meaning U.S. religious communities are reaching the millennial generation, Brother Paul said. “It confirms that younger people are rethinking entering religious life,” he said. The study was based on surveys of religious institutes, focus groups with those new to religious life, and an examination of selected religious institutes that have been relatively successful in attracting and retaining new members, according to its executive summary. CARA mailed surveys to a total of 976 entities in spring 2008 and then conducted extensive follow-up by mail, e-mail, telephone, and fax throughout summer and fall 2008 to achieve a high response rate. CARA received completed responses from 591 religious institutes, for a response rate of 60 percent. The study was designed to identify and understand the characteristics, attitudes, and experiences of the men and women who are entering religious life today as well as the characteristics and practices of the religious institutes that are successfully attracting new candidates and retaining new members, the summary said. Though about 94 percent of members of U.S. religious communities who have made their final profession are white, a growing Religious continued on page 6

Planned Parenthood drops plans to expand into Bearden neighborhood B Y MA RY C. WEAVER

he Pro-life Coalition of East Tennessee (ProCET) is “ahead 1-0” at the end of the “first inning” in the struggle to prevent Planned Parenthood from expanding in the Knoxville area, said Paul Simoneau, a coalition member and director of the diocesan Justice and Peace Office. Planned Parenthood, which provides contraception and abortion services, had completed about one-quarter of the renovations to a Homberg Drive property in the Bearden neighborhood, at which it planned to open a new, much larger clinic. But on Friday, Aug. 7, the

THE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOLIC

coalition “received the wonderful news that the lease between Holrob [the real-estate agent] and Planned Parenthood had been broken.” The coalition had been in communication with the property owner, nearby businesses, and citizens, many of whom expressed disapproval of the expansion. Mr. Simoneau said he expects Planned Parenthood will move to the next desirable location on its list and begin making alternate plans. The coalition of representatives from various Christian churches, crisis-pregnancy centers, and other organizations worked intensely for a

month to organize the community against the expansion. The campaign slogan was “Bad for babies, bad for Bearden, bad for business.” “This was an ecumenical effort, and the solidarity that was displayed really took Planned Parenthood off balance. They had no idea we were going to be able to mobilize that kind of sentiment.” Although a scheduled Aug. 8 rally and prayer vigil was canceled as a result of confusion over whether the event was still on, more than 150 people showed up at the site, Central Baptist Church of Bearden, any-

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, Aug. 24, for the Sept. 6 issue ■ Monday, Sept. 7, for the Sept. 20 issue ■ Monday, Sept. 28, for the Oct. 11 issue. When submitting photos or information about past events, please keep in mind that we have a backlog of submissions. ■

Readings continued from page 2

We have only to be humble and do the word of God. It’s not enough merely to listen to or read it. Doing the word, for James, means such things as caring for orphans and widows. In essence, God wants us to put our compassion into action. Then we can enter his kingdom. Jesus got the Pharisees’ attention when he let his disciples dine without washing their hands. When the Pharisees protested, Jesus pounced on them. They were not washing themselves spiritually clean, merely washing externally. My mother, like most moms, had an admission policy for the dinner table. You had to wash your hands and face. With four siblings and one bathroom, this appeared a high price. Each of us kids would hurry the process by sticking our hands under water for an instant and coming to the table. We declared we had washed up. Yet she wouldn’t let us get away with that. We were obeying the letter of her law but violating it completely. We were not clean. Neither were the Pharisees. They were not paying the admission price Moses demanded. Their observation of the law was only on the surface. God wants our observance to be from the heart. Then we can enter his peace. ■ Father Brando is a retired priest of the diocese.

Vocation continued from page 2

this more deeply,” she said. “I contacted the sisters in Oak Ridge and met with them quite a few times and got to know them, and then I went on the May 2009 vocation retreat. “I spoke with Sister Mary Emily, who is the vocations director; the novice mistress, Sister Mary Angela; and Mother Ann Marie, the prioress general, and they all agreed that there was no reason to delay my entering in August, that they felt it was a genuine call. It just went from there. It’s been such a blessing.” St. Cecilia postulants attend classes for a year at Aquinas College in Nashville. During breaks at the motherhouse, postulants may take a rosary walk or participate in a variety of other activities. “You begin working toward your teaching certificate because it is a teaching order, and you also have your daily duties around the house,” said Miss Hendershott. “I will have two hours of recreation each day, where they play soccer or Frisbee or basketball or things like that. I’ll also join the professed sisters for prayers and Mass and meals. The postulants serve the meals.” As a postulant Miss Hendershott will wear a white blouse with a black vest and a black skirt. She will be the only newcomer from Tennessee in a class of 22, although she knows plenty of the professed sisters at St. Cecilia. “Each time I go to the motherhouse, I get to know faces and names better,” she said. “There are about 250 of them, but I already know quite a few of them, maybe one-fifth of the sisters.” Being around the Dominican Sisters who serve at St. Mary School in Oak Ridge and Knoxville Catholic High School may have inspired her vocation more than anything else, said Miss Hendershott. “Living in the diocese was the biggest help for me to enter. If I hadn’t experienced the joy of dedicating and consecrating one’s life to Christ, especially the joy present in this order, I don’t think I would have had the courage to explore this.” ■

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.

ProCET continued on page 8

www.dioceseofk noxville.org

AUGUST 23, 2009

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■ Our Lady of Perpetual Help School art teacher Ann Meinert recently received the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts Outstanding Teacher Award for the 2008-09 school year. ■ Rising fifth-grade student Daniel Hodges was accepted to the National Young Scholars Program held at Wake Forest University this summer. ■ School parents logged in 5,725.25 volunteer hours for the 2008-09 school year.

St. Bridget, Dayton ■ The Knights of Columbus and the

Council of Catholic Women will host a family picnic at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, on the lake at the Steinhauers’ home. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be provided. Bring a dish and a beverage. Call 423-365-6662 for directions or more information. ■ A Ladies Luncheon will be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, at China King restaurant in Dayton. ■ Anniversary: Daryl and Kim Runyan (20)

St. Catherine Labouré, Copperhill ■ Divine Mercy is planning a night of entertainment for adults Friday, Aug. 21, to raise money for the needy.

St. Jude, Chattanooga ■ The first- and second-grade building at St. Jude School will soon get a new roof. These classes will meet in the family-life center during the rest of August and part of September. Many groups’ meetings in the family-life center have been moved to another room. Call the parish office at 423-870-2386 or your group leader to confirm a meeting’s location.

St. Mary, Athens ■ A Mass marking the fifth anniversary of the church dedication is set for 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28. ■ The youth met after school Aug. 19 for pizza and to clean inside the education building and classrooms.

St. Stephen, Chattanooga ■ A new program is being formed for parishioners aged 50 and older to meet people and socialize. The first gathering is set for 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18. For more information, call the parish office at 423-892-1261.

Sts. Peter and Paul, Chattanooga ■ Ken Mara received one of the distin-

guished-alumnus awards for 2009 from Notre Dame High School. Smoky Mountain Deanery

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville ■ The women’s group will host a bake sale after all Masses on the weekend of Aug. 22 and 23 to raise money for its 2009 international project. ■ The Vietnamese community sold raffle tickets on the weekend of Aug. 15 and 16 to benefit Sts. Francis and John Church in Georgetown, Ky. Father Linh Nguyen of the Kentucky parish travels to IC once a month to celebrate Mass in Vietnamese.

Sacred Heart, Knoxville ■ The Council of Catholic Women will have its first meeting of the new year, a “welcome back coffee,” at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, in the Shea Room. Those attending may meet members of all nine guilds at Sacred Heart. For more information, call Diane Desvaux at 865-584-3491. ■ The parish picnic is set for 2:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6. The afternoon will feature hamburgers, hot dogs, and inflatable games. Bring a dish. Cakes are needed for the cakewalk. To volunteer to help at the picnic or learn more, call Suzanne at 705-5234.

St. Albert the Great, Knoxville ■ The dedication of the parish center

is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29. ■ Every Saturday during August, parishioners have been planting bushes and trees, laying sod, and otherwise preparing the grounds. ■ The parish now has 1,009 members.

St. Francis of Assisi, Townsend ■ The third annual St. Francis of As-

sisi Fall Bazaar will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3. The event will feature a blessing of the animals, a raffle, a spaghetti lunch pre■

AUGUST 23, 2009

St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville ■ The parish rummage sale raised

more than $1,500 for the youth group’s trip in November to the National Catholic Youth Conference. Cumberland Mountain Deanery

All Saints, Knoxville ■ Orientation for Light Weigh, a weight-loss program, was held Aug. 18 in the lounge. Call Jennie at 865-7054451 to learn more. ■ The All Saints Cub Scout pack and Boy Scout Troop 630 invite parents and boys in grades one through 12 to a cookout at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31, in the pavilion for an evening of information, food, and fun. Cub Scouts (grades one through five) should register through Kim Uhl at 690-7305 and Boy Scouts through Jeff Swanson at 539-0437.

Blessed Sacrament, Harriman ■ The Council of Catholic Women will

hold a spiritual retreat from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, in the parish hall. Father Michael Sweeney will speak on the retreat theme, “To Forgive.” A continental breakfast will be served at 9:30 a.m. and a lunch at noon. Reservation deadline is Sunday, Aug. 30. Register in the narthex or call Marciana Jacobson at 865-285-9259.

mery and Patricia (Baugh) Nagy of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade celebrated 60 years of marriage Aug. 13. They were married at St. Charles Church in Bloomington, Ind. The Nagys have four children, Karen Myers and James Nagy, both of Evansville, Ind.; Constance Ottway of Murray, Ky.; and Stephen Nagy of Indianapolis; nine grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. They retired from Evansville Vander-

Emery and Patricia Nagy

burgh School Corp. in Evansville and moved to the Glade in 1990. Mr. and Mrs. Nagy celebrated their anniversary with a fam-

ily vacation and reunion in Pigeon Forge in July and ended by attending Mass at Holy Cross Church. The Nagys are members of the St. Francis choir, for which both have been directors over the years, and they play trumpet duets for special occasions. Mrs. Nagy assists with the organ and piano too. Mr. Nagy also plays the violin. They are members of the Cumberland County Community Band. ■

Pettits renew vows on 50th wedding anniversary ictor and Carol Pettit of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville celebrated their 50th anniversary June 20 with family and friends. They also renewed their vows at a Mass with Father Patrick Resen, then the associate pastor. The Pettits were married at Holy Angels Cathedral in Gary, Ind. They have three children, Steven Pettit, Pamela Gray, and Anna Russell, all of Knoxville, and five grandchildren. Both retired, Mr. Pettit worked as a pharmacist for Walgreens and Mrs. Pettit as a teacher for the Knoxville and Knox County

COURTESY OF CAROL PETTIT

OLPH, Chattanooga

pared by Deacon Michael Nestor, a white-elephant sale, musical chairs, and live entertainment. A new parish cookbook will be sold at the event. Proceeds will benefit the Blount County Humane Society and the parish. Call Lisa Brosenne at 865-984-4639 for more information.

Carol and Victor Pettit

school systems. Mrs. Pettit is a reader at Holy Ghost. Both enjoy traveling and being with their grandchildren. ■

St. Alphonsus, Crossville ■ The Council of Catholic Women pre-

sented a Chinese auction Aug. 12 in the parish hall.

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade ■ The annual parish golf outing will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, at Heatherhurst Golf Course. Sign-ups will be held after weekend Masses on Aug. 29 and 30, Sept. 5 and 6, and Sept. 12 and 13. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. on the patio. Cost for golf and dinner is $12, plus applicable greens and cart fees, or $10 for dinner only. ■ The Council of Catholic Women is collecting coupons to send to servicemen and servicewomen overseas. Bring unwanted coupons to the box on the counter in the store room. ■ Knights of Columbus chefs will prepare Boston pork butts, at a cost of $20 each, to benefit the seminarian fund. Pickup will be available Saturday, Sept. 5. Call Larry Davis at 931-7886654 or Art Krogman at 484-7199 to order by Friday, Aug. 28. ■ Anniversaries: Charles and Mary Russella (61), James and Earline Jenny (55), Ray and Charline Fox (54), Harold and Eileen Metzger (53), Ed and Caroline Schmidt (53), Ben and Jackie Ryba (52), Paul and Carole Forkapa (50), James and Corinne Gabriel (50), Roy and Jackie Richardson (50), James and Illene Padavic (45), Bernard and Susan Vogel (5) ■ Newcomers: John and Doris Cook, Jim and Norma Morrical

COURTESY OF BETTY ANNE NEAL

Chattanooga Deanery

Nagys of Fairfield Glade celebrate 60th anniversary

BY TONI PACITTI

Combined choirs sing at St. Stephen Twenty-nine members of the All Saints Parish choir from Dunwoody, Ga., traveled to Chattanooga on an outreach mission June 6 and 7. They went to St. Stephen Church, where they were joined by eight members of the St. Stephen choir to sing at two Sunday Masses. The combined group, dubbed the “Choo Choo Festival Choir,” was directed by Charles Lynch of All Saints. The event was coordinated by Betty Anne Neal, an organist at St. Stephen who also sings with the All Saints choir. In 2008 casual conversations about a trip to sing at St. Stephen turned into an organized trip, in which more than 25 All Saints members traveled to Chattanooga and joined with the St. Stephen choir for the first meeting of the Choo Choo choir. The two groups decided to repeat the event this year, and even more members from both choirs participated.

St. John Neumann, Farragut

COURTESY OF KATIE MCLAIRD

NOTES

COURTESY OF ROSEANN STRAZINSKY

parish

■ The St. Vincent de Paul Society re-

sumed serving free coffee and doughnuts after Sunday-morning Masses on Aug. 16. All donations to the society benefit the needy. ■ Anniversary: Phillip and Edy Stratman (40)

St. Joseph, Norris ■ The Council of Catholic Women will

host its annual yard sale Friday and Saturday, Sept. 11 and 12. Set-up will take place on Thursday, Sept. 10. Items must be priced before being dropped off for the sale.

St. Mary, Oak Ridge ■ “Adventure in Acts: The Spread of

the Kingdom,” a women’s Bible study, will have its first meeting from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, in the youth building. The 20-week DVD study tells the story of the earliest days of the church and Christ’s continuing work today. Cost is $10, with the book available online for about $25. Child care will be provided. Call Maria Flemming at 865-435-0090 or Tatjana Parish notes continued on page 5

Renew group donates rosaries to poor in Uganda Father Adolf Busobozi of Uganda visited Tennessee recently and was presented with 288 rosaries by one of the Renew: Why Catholic? groups at St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville. These rosaries along with 292 additional ones from parishioners of St. Alphonsus and St. Francis of Assisi in Fairfield Glade will go to the parish of Katodsa in the Diocese of Fort Portal, Uganda. This is a very poor region with 60 satellite churches around one main larger church, with usually only one priest covering hundreds of square miles. Very few people there can afford to buy a rosary. Unwanted rosaries may be deposited in the “Missions Boxes” at St. Alphonsus or mailed to the church at 151 St. Alphonsus Way, Crossville, TN 38555. Above are (from left, seated) Ron McLaird, Father Busobozi, Katie McLaird, Connie Routh, Julie Fogel, Cheri Davidson, and Bev and Phil Fuchs and (standing) Dick Routh, Dennis Davidson, and Jack Fogel. Not pictured is Lou Horrigan.

Homeschoolers invited to Mass to kick off new year atholic homeschooling families are invited to an opening Mass to kick off the 2009-10 school year at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa.

www.dioceseofk noxville.org

Confessions will begin at 6 p.m., and a potluck in the social hall will follow Mass. Bring a dish and include drinks for your family. Call Nanette Landen at 865-5311040 for more information. ■ THE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOLI C

CALENDAR

Cathedral hosting 21st Youth Mass

BY TONI PACITTI

The Knoxville community of Chaldean Catholics—émigrés from Iraq—will gather for Mass at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at Sacred Heart Cathedral. All Catholics are encouraged to attend, to show their solidarity with the persecuted Christian community in Iraq and to learn more about the plight of the Chaldeans. For more information on the Mass, contact Paul Simoneau in the diocesan Justice and Peace Office at 865-862-5753 or psimoneau@dioceseofknoxville.org. Knights of Columbus Council 610 in Chattanooga is sponsoring its 67th annual Labor Day picnic and family outing from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 7, at Camp Columbus’s Bork Pavilion. The event will feature a whiteelephant yard sale, games, activities, and charity bingo. Barbecue will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Takeout is available by plate or in bulk. The menu features a choice of beef, pork, chicken, or ribs. Costs are $6 per adult and $3 for children. Proceeds will support the Knights’ charitable activities throughout the year. Call Chris Snellgrove at 423-892-5695 for more information. The council is collecting items for the white-elephant sale. For pickup and drop-off information, call Scott Louisell at 865-667-6936 or John Chrnalogar 544-1562. German classes will be held at Sacred Heart Cathedral School from 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays beginning Sept. 12. Classes will be offered for children ages 4 and up, teenagers, and adults. For more information or registration forms, visit www.german saturdayschool.org or call Dr. Stefanie Ohnesorg at 865-694-3765. Father Donald Miniscalco, a Redemptorist priest stationed at the shrine of St. John Neumann at St. Peter Church in Philadelphia, will present a parish mission beginning at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, and continuing each evening at 7 through Thursday, Sept. 17, at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut. Bible talks, Mass, and quiet time before the Blessed Sacrament will be included. Father Miniscalco was ordained in 1968 and has pursued advanced studies at the Sorbonne University in Paris and the Gregorian University in Rome, and he has taught at various seminaries and universities in this country. Call Anita Gouge at 865-966-4540 for more information. The fifth annual diocesan Blue Mass, sponsored by Knights of Columbus Council 645, will be celebrated at 6:45 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. The Mass honors police officers, firefighters, and emergency workers and this year will also serve as a memorial to those who lost their lives on 9/11. The Knoxville Catholic High School volleyball team will have a pancake breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at Aubrey’s on Brookvale Lane off Northshore Drive. Cost is $5.

The next charismatic Mass in the diocese will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, 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 423842-2305 for more information. The last of the four charismatic Masses this year will be celebrated Oct. 18 at Holy Spirit. The next Marriage Encounter weekend is scheduled for Aug. 28 through 30 at the Hilton Garden Inn in West Knoxville. Weekend experiences are designed to help priests and couples with good marriages discover a greater awareness of God’s love in their relationships. For more information, contact Deacon Bob or Janel Lange at 423-246-1570 or wwme@staying connected.net. To register for a weekend, contact John or Manuela Ptacek at 865-531-1719 or celebrate-love@ earthlink.net, or visit www.lovein thesmokies.org. The next Engaged Encounter weekend in the diocese will be held Oct. 16 through 18 at the Magnuson Hotel in Sweetwater. 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 865-220-0120. For more information on Engaged Encounter, e-mail Charlie or Blanca Primm at ceeknoxville@gmail.com or visit www.rc.net/knoxville/cee. A Seekers of Silence Contemplative Saturday Morning will be held Sept. 19 at John XXIII Catholic Center in Knoxville. Valerie Whiting will give a talk titled “Yoga Wisdom and How It Enriches Contemplative Prayer.” Coffee and tea will be served at 8:30 a.m.; the workshop will run from 9 a.m. to noon. Bring a bag lunch. RSVP to 865-523-7931. 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 Johnson 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. Call Father Michael Cummins at 423-926-7061. Holy Resurrection Byzantine Catholic Mission holds Divine Liturgy celebrations at 5:30 p.m. Sundays at Holy Family Church in Seymour. All are welcome to attend, and explanations of the ceremony will be given. Call 865609-1081 to learn more. The St. Thomas the Apostle Ukrainian Catholic Mission celebrates the Divine Liturgy at 10 a.m. Sundays in the chapel at the Chancery in Knoxville and Vespers at 6 p.m. Saturdays at the Chancery. For details, call Father Richard Armstrong at 865-584-3307.

Crossville Knights award MR funds Knights of Columbus Council 8152 in Crossville recently distributed the funds from its annual MR Drive, which receives generous contributions from Cumberland County citizens each year. The Crossville council collections ranked No. 1 in dollar amount in the state. The funds are distributed to Cumberland County agencies that provide assistance to the mentally challenged. Pictured at the distribution of those funds to four agencies are project co-chair Bob Diller, Pam Lowry of Kids Inc., Rebecca Seiber of The Arc, Tony Cox of the Hilltoppers, John Ranger of NAMI Cumberland Plateau, and project co-chair Rollie Wicker.

Holy Trinity Knights of Columbus elect new officers for 2009-10 nights of Columbus Council 12838 at Holy Trinity Parish in Jefferson City recently elected new officers for the 2009-10 fraternal year. They were installed after the 6:30 p.m. Mass on July 28. Bill Jurkonie was elected Grand Knight. Also elected were Bob Rave, deputy Grand Knight; Ralph Holt,

chancellor; Robert Himmelsbach, recorder; Mike Sulkowski, treasurer; and Chris Weatherbie, financial secretary. Other officers are Ray Lucot, advocate; Brad Jenkins, warden; Bill Peterson, lecturer; Frank Ayers, inside guard; and Eric Perry, outside guard. On the board of trustees are Jack Bryant, Scott Mulligan, and Stan Szalkiewicz. ■

Parish notes continued from page 4

Barnes at 740-3664. ■ The Women of Courage group will hold a 24-week Bible study on the topic “Matthew: The King and His Kingdom” from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays beginning Sept. 8 in the youth building. Cost is $75 and includes the book, child care, supplies, and snacks. Contact Margaret Merrill at 766-8388 or mmerrill@smcor.org. ■ The youth will sponsor a car wash during Masses on the weekend of Aug. 29 and 30.

St. Therese, Clinton ■ The parish Fun Fair’s date has

been changed to Saturday, Sept. 26. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ■ Volunteers are needed to finish work in the basement of the administration building by September in time for the new religious-education year.

St. Thomas the Apostle, Lenoir City ■ The annual International Food Fest

The annual meeting of the Catholic Committee of Appalachia, which has as its theme “Nourishing Relationships,” will be held the weekend of Sept. 25 through 27 at Norris Dam State Park. Former CCA board member Bob Choiniere, now director of Pastoral Planning for the Diocese of Brooklyn, will keynote. Registration fee is $25 for CCA members and $35 for nonmembers. Partial scholarships are available. Call 304-927-5798 or e-mail ccapal@ citynet.net for details on accommodations and meals. The Chattanooga Deanery Divorced and Separated fellowship group meets for Mass and brunch on fifth Sundays. The next gathering is set for Sunday, Aug. 30. The group will meet at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church for the noon Mass, then go out for brunch. For more information, call Anne Wells at 706-581-0410. The Serra Club of Knoxville meets on second and fourth Thursdays in the Shea Room at Sacred Heart Cathedral’s office building. Meetings begin with Mass at 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch at noon and a speaker at 12:30 p.m. The Aug. 27 speaker will be Father Jorge Andres Cano. THE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOLI C

Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at 1:30 p.m. each Sunday at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville and at 3 p.m. on first and third Sundays at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland. Visit www.knoxlatinmass.net for details. Upcoming events for Catholic Singles of Greater Knoxville (40 and over) include the following: ■ Sunday, Aug. 23: “Brunch and banter,” Puléo’s Grille, 260 N. Peters Road, 1 p.m. Hosted by Sandra J. RSVP to 865-602-6773 (weekdays) or 504-9131610 by Aug. 22. ■ Wednesday, Aug. 26: 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. at 865-531-3839 or penguin7@prodigy.net. ■ Friday, Aug. 28: Smokies baseball game, 7:15 p.m. Meet in the Sacred Heart Cathedral parking lot at 6 p.m. RSVP to host Keith S. at 719-2832. ■ Saturday, Aug. 29: End-of-summer pontoon outing on Norris Lake, 2 to 6 p.m. Bring lunch, a beverage of choice, a lawn chair, and swim necessities. Cost will be about $15 to $20. Contact Martha at 659-0383 or mcgrama@hotmail before Aug. 26. ■

he 21st annual diocesan Youth Mass and Evening Extravaganza is scheduled for 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, at Sacred Heart Cathedral. This year’s theme is “He has done all things well.” The event is open to high school youth. The Mass at 4 p.m., which includes the commissioning of the new Diocesan Youth Ministry Advisory Council members, will be followed by a pizza dinner. The “extravaganza” includes inflatable games, a dance, karaoke, and numerous other activities. Two caricature artists and a professional photographer will be on hand. New at this year’s extravaganza will be a deanery canned food competition.” Youth from the four deaneries are asked to bring canned food, which will then be used to build a structure using only the cans collected. The deanery with the most elaborate and creative structure will win a prize. The food will be donated to the Ladies of Charity. Youth should register through their parish youth minister. Cost is $20, including a T-shirt. The registration deadline is Thursday, Aug. 27. ■

T COURTESY OF FRED LAUFENBERG

on the

will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, with lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Greek, Italian, Filipino, Cajun, Mexican, Irish, and Polish food will be served, with a ticket entitling the purchaser to three of the seven countries’ entrées. Tickets are on sale in the narthex. Call Jean Harvey at 865-458-6344. ■ Homemade baked items are needed for the fall festival. Call Vonnie Rivers at 408-9035. ■ Newcomers: Bobby and Jane Owens, Daniel and Nancy Tretinik, Larry and Jackie Wagner and son Fulton Five Rivers Deanery

■ The Knights sponsored a work day

recently for the new children’s playground at the church. ■ Marriage: Richard and Shannon Williams ■ Newcomers: Joe and Megan Vuono and children Anthony and Samantha

Notre Dame, Greeneville ■ Anniversary: Stephen and Mary Lou

Calmes (30)

St. Dominic, Kingsport ■ The Knights of Columbus will sponsor a party for middle and high school youth from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23, at the Jernigans’ home. 616 Lakeside Drive. Bring bathing suits. Hamburgers, hot dogs, and drinks will be provided. Call 423-262-7913 for directions.

St. Elizabeth, Elizabethton ■ Volunteers prepared and served

meals for 327 homeless and elderly people June 13 and 295 on July 18 at St. John Episcopal Church as part of the Food for the Multitude program. ■ Bob Peoples of St. Elizabeth recently finished the 496-mile Way of St. James pilgrimage (Camino de Santiago de Compostela) in five weeks. The walk followed the ninthcentury medieval pilgrimage route to the shrine of the apostle St. James the Great. Mr. Peoples started at St.-JeanPied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees and ended at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia, Spain, with stops in many cathedrals and overnight stays in sixth-century monasteries.

Holy Trinity, Jefferson City

St. Mary, Johnson City

■ Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrated

■ The Newcomers Ministry is seek-

Mass on Saturday, Aug. 1, at Holy Trinity to honor all altar servers of the diocese. Father Michael Cummins concelebrated, with Deacon Jim Fage assisting. The group then attended a Tennessee Smokies baseball game. ■ Holy Trinity welcomes Patty Hosea as the new parish secretary and Jackie Castle as the new director of religious education. ■ Knights of Columbus Council 12838 has created the Ken Schroer Memorial Scholarship. Applications are in the parish office.

ing volunteers to assist with making welcome phone calls to new parishioners. Contact Sally Henderson at 423-283-0059 or hennyhouse@aol.com (A correction: this item was listed under the wrong parish in the Aug. 9 ETC).

www.dioceseofk noxville.org

St. Patrick, Morristown ■ The social-action committee

needs donations of plastic utensils, paper napkins, paper towels, dinnersized paper plates, and 8- and 12 ounce Styrofoam cups for the Daily Bread Community Kitchen. ■ AUGUST 23, 2009

■

Deaths

Religious orders asked to provide detailed answers

BROTHER GENE GIZZI, CFA

Bishop continued from page 1

“Archbishop Zayek is very ill, and he called Bishop Stika to say he was going to Lebanon and didn’t expect to return to the United States,” said Deacon Smith. The archbishop is retired from the Maronite Eparchy of St. Maron of Brooklyn. “Bishop Stika said, ‘I need to see you before you leave.’ He said, ‘Well, you’d better come pretty soon.’” The evening of Friday, Aug. 14, Bishop Stika flew to South Florida to see Archbishop Zayek. But on Saturday morning, the bishop became violently sick with what appeared to be the flu, said Deacon Smith. His symptoms indicate that he did not have swine flu. “He became dehydrated, and his blood sugar spiked. He went down to the hotel lobby and collapsed, and they got him to the hospital.” The diabetic crisis brought on a mild heart attack, he explained. An additional complication was that diocesan officials Deacon Smith and Father David Boettner, moderator of the curia, and the Smith family were vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, when the emergency struck. Chancery staffers have been unable to reach Deacon Smith and Father Boettner via cell phone or Internet, so the two men have been calling the Chancery every hour or so to pass on updates received from the bishop’s bedside. It was impossible for them to get an immediate flight out, said Deacon Smith, despite their desire to join the bishop. Father Boettner flew to Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday afternoon to be with the bishop, and Deacon Smith was set to arrive Wednesday. Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, the bishop’s dear friend, arrived at the hospital Tuesday morning to pay a visit. Cardinal Rigali was to have been the keynote speaker for Diocesan Day and main celebrant for the Mass on Aug. 22. The event has been postponed, and those who registered will receive refunds. A silver lining to the crisis was the coincidental proximity of Bishop Stika’s good friend and former parishioner Tim Trout. Mr. Trout and his family were on vacation in Palm Beach, Fla., when they received word that the bishop had been hospitalized. “Tim has been with him ever since and has been my liaison with the doctors all this time,” said Deacon Smith. “He returned his rental car, checked him out of his hotel room, and paid the bill. He’s been a godsend.” Updates about the bishop’s progress—or about rescheduled diocesan events—will be posted at dioceseofknoxville.org. ■ 6

■

AUGUST 23, 2009

BY DE NNI S S A DOWS KI

WASHINGTON (CNS)—Orders of women religious in the United States will be asked to complete a comprehensive questionnaire that looks at six areas of religious life in preparation for a series of apostolic visits set to begin in January. Topics to be considered are outlined in a working document distributed July 28 to the 341 leaders of the religious congregations to share with their members. The topics are related to the life and operation of the orders: identity; governance; vocation promotion, admission and formation policies; spiritual life and common life; mission and ministry; and finances. Members of the orders are being asked to reflect on the working document. A separate questionnaire based on the working document will be distributed to superiors general Sept. 1. Distribution of the questionnaire Sept. 1 will open the second phase of a comprehensive study of U.S. institutes of women religious announced in January and ordered by the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life under its prefect, Cardinal Franc Rode. Known in Latin as an instrumentum laboris, the July 28 working document will help the orders prepare to answer the Sept. 1 questionnaire, said Mother Mary Clare Millea, superior general of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the apostolic visitator charged by the Vatican with directing the study. “The reason we’re doing this is we want to help assess and promote the vitality of all the sisters,” she told Catholic News Service July 31. Mother Clare, a Connecticut native whose religious institute is based in Rome, said the superiors will have until Nov. 1 to complete the questionnaire and return it to the apostolic visitation office in Hamden, Conn. “Once we get all the questionnaires, we will analyze [them] and select which congregations to visit,” Mother Clare said. The apostolic visits are scheduled to begin in January and continue throughout 2010, according to the study timeline established by the apostolic-visitation office. “For some congregations, their participation will end with the questionnaire,” she said. “We want to get a crosssection [for the visits].” The working document was developed and reviewed by

CNS PHOTO/COURTESY OF THE APOSTLES OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

Brother Eugene John Gizzi, CFA, 78, died Thursday, Aug. 13, at the Alexian Brothers Health Care Center in Signal Mountain after a short battle with cancer. He was born in Mishawaka, Ind., a son of the late Luigi and Carmina Gizzi. He was a member of St. Joseph Parish in Mishawaka and a 1949 graduate of Central Catholic High School in South Bend, Ind. He was a vowed member of the Alexian Brothers for 59 years and was known as Brother Gene. He graduated from the Alexian Brothers School of Nursing in 1955 and earned a bachelor’s degree in social science from DePaul University in Chicago and a master’s in social work from Loyola University in Chicago in 1972. He was a gifted poet and a certified graphoanalyst. Brother Gene ministered in various nursing service positions with the American Province of Alexian Brothers as well as in medical social work and pastoral care. He held various roles and functions within the Alexian religious community, including several directorships. He worked as vocational director in the Alexian formation program, preparing men for their religious vows as Alexian Brothers. Brother Gene was one of several Alexian Brothers who provided nursing care for Archbishop John F. Noll, founder of Our Sunday Visitor, before his death in 1956. He was also one of several brothers assigned to Father Flanagan’s Boys Town in Nebraska to assist with health care in 1955. Archbishop Noll, aware of Brother Gene’s devotion to the Guardian Angels, presented the Alexian Brothers with a statue of a Guardian Angel, which remains in the chapel at Boys Town today. Brother Gene was also commissioned by the Alexian Brothers in 1981 to establish their Philippine Mission. He is survived by a sister and brother-in-law, Virginia and Darrell Zellers of Mishawaka; a brother and sister-in-law, Deacon Emilio and Linda Gizzi of South Bend; and several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, at St. Augustine Chapel in the Alexian Village. A vigil will take place at 7 p.m., with visitation continuing thereafter until the funeral Mass at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25. Father Al Humbrecht will officiate, assisted by Deacon Gizzi and local clergy. Burial will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Chattanooga. Donations may be sent to the Alexian Village Resident Scholarship Fund at 437 Alexian Way, Signal Mountain, TN 37377. ■

THREE-YEAR PROJECT Mother Mary Clare Millea, superior general of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is pictured in an undated photo. She is the apostolic visitator charged with directing a Vatican study of U.S. women’s religious orders.

clergy, including bishops, as well as women religious, Mother Clare said. She declined to identify who was involved in the process. “We feel it’s prudent to let them remain anonymous,” she said. Mother Clare also declined to discuss specifics related to the study’s cost, including how it is being financed. She said, however, that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is not funding the effort. “Anyone who has contributed has not wanted [his or her] name to be publicized,” she said. “The congregation is conducting the visitation, so they’re ultimately responsible for financing it,” she said. “We have a project that is going to last three years. We are welcoming the support of dioceses, individuals, and groups who would be willing to help defray the expenses.” The first phase of the study, completed July 31, involved a series of voluntary meetings, telephone conversations, and written exchanges between Mother Clare and superiors general. The apostolic visits encompass the third phase and the compilation and delivery of a final report, expected in mid-2011, will mark the fourth and final phase of the study. The working document lists a series of questions in six areas for each religious community to consider as it prepares to answer the questionnaire: ■ the identity of the religious institute: covering the order’s understanding of religious life; the future concerns of the congregation; its understanding and expression of the vow of chastity and the virtue of obedience; and the order’s in-

volvement or plans for reconfiguration or mergers with another congregation ■ governance: covering the effectiveness of an order’s style of governance, its practice in the daily life of its members, and the process for dealing with sisters who disagree publicly or privately with congregational decisions, especially in matters regarding church authority ■ vocation promotion, admission and formation policies: covering policies for admission to the order, how the formation program offers members the foundations of the Catholic faith and doctrine through the study of Second Vatican Council documents, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and postconciliar documents ■ spiritual life and common life: covering the expression of the Eucharist, how the religious community strengthens common life through the celebration of the Eucharist, prayer and the sharing of gifts and resources, participation in daily Mass and the sacrament of penance, and participation in liturgy according to approved liturgical norms ■ mission and ministry: covering the specific purpose of the congregation, whether current apostolic work expresses the congregation’s charism and mission, and steps being taken to ensure that the congregation’s charism will continue as the congregation has fewer sisters ■ financial administration: covering the stewardship of resources and financial administration, financial concerns, and the transfer of ownership or control of property within the last 10 years. Mother Clare said she met,

world and church, he said. “We cannot ignore [the younger generation] if we want a future.” According to the survey of new members, the average age for entering religious life is 30 for men and 32 for women. New members told surveyors they were most attracted to religious life through various media, especially websites, and were drawn to programs that offered discernment groups and retreats, “come and see” experiences, and ministry and mission experiences. Data from the study suggest that religious institutes with vocation directors engaged full time in vocation ministry were more successful in attracting new members. Though 88 percent of U.S. religious institutes have vocation directors, only 46 per-

cent said the directors spend more than half their time on recruitment. The total of new members in U.S. religious communities is probably higher than the 4,000 surveyed, as some religious institutes did not respond. The study’s findings did not include diocesan priests. Sister Mary sees as a positive sign the mere fact that men and women are choosing religious life at a time when it is not as popular or as comprehensible as it once was. “They face many challenges and are making a choice that family and friends don’t understand,” Sister Mary said, “but they are embracing their call with faith and enthusiasm.” ■

Visitation continued on page 10

Vocation continued from page 3

number of those in formation come from non-Caucasian backgrounds, according to the study. Approximately 21 percent of those in initial formation are Hispanic/Latino, 14 percent are Asian/Pacific Islander, and 6 percent are African/ African-American. About 58 percent are Caucasian. Currently about 75 percent of professed men in U.S. religious communities and more than 91 percent of women religious are 60 or older, the study said. A majority of both men and women religious under the age of 60 are in their 50s. “Both the world and the church have changed dramatically from when many of us first entered religious life,” Brother Paul said. Candidates are going to come from this changed

www.d ioceseofknoxville.or g

catholic

YOUTH

Varallo Center dedicated at NDHS The high school’s 34,000-square-foot addition includes an auxiliary gym, classrooms, and a training complex.

GAYLE SCHOENBORN (3)

‘BEAUTIFUL TESTIMONY’ The new John Varallo Athletic Center at Notre Dame High School houses the Joseph & Rachel Decosimo Arts & Education Center, the Jack Steiner Sr. Gymnasium, and the MAKUS Training Complex. Bishop Richard F. Stika dedicated the building July 30.

Mike St. Charles and Cliff Martin. “Without almost 500 donors giving their time, talent, and treasure, this project would not have happened,” said Mr. Leiper. The first floor of the 34,000-square-foot addition to the campus includes a new auxiliary gymnasium named after Mr. Steiner, a new wrestling complex, new locker facilities, offices, and meeting space. The second floor includes the Joseph & Rachel Decosimo Arts & Education Center, which contains four new academic classrooms and a new art instructional studio and darkroom as well as other multi-use space. Also on the second floor is the 5,100-square-foot

New Eagles at St. Mary in Johnson City Two Boy Scouts in Troop 112, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus at St. Mary Parish in Johnson City, recently received their Eagle Scout awards at a Court of Honor held in the church sanctuary. Pictured are Alex Wright (left), son of Steve and Teri Wright of Johnson City; Father Anietie Akata, pastor of St. Mary; and Joe Dunham, son of Bill and Bonnie Dunham of Piney Flats. Mr. Wright’s Eagle project was to refurbish the grotto of the Virgin Mary on the parish grounds. Joe’s project was to build a storage shed needed by both the parish and St. Mary School. Scouts and parishioners volunteered more than 250 hours in the completion of the two projects. Mr. Wright is a sophomore at George Mason University, majoring in political science. Joe is a sophomore at Science Hill High School in Johnson City. Both Eagles attended St. Mary School, and both of their dads are former Scoutmasters of Troop 112.

Bishop Stika blesses crucifixes that were placed in the Varallo Center. With him is Father Tony Dickerson, diocesan master of ceremonies and former spiritual director at Notre Dame. Frank and Emma Sue “Bootie” Varallo gave a $1 million gift to Notre Dame in 2005 to establish the center.

MAKUS Training Complex, featuring state-of-the-art Hammer Strength and Power Lift equipment as well as a wellness track. Notre Dame is now one of only four

On their way to the event are (back left) Allison Miles and (front, from left) Dan Miles, Margaret Merrill, James Miller, Tyler Cooksey, Nick Cooper, Gretchen Swabe, and Monica Haley.

CONFERENCE-BOUND

Oak Ridge parish youth attend ‘One Bread, One Cup’ conference ix youth and their adult leaders from St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge recently attended the “One Bread, One Cup” summer liturgical leadership conference for high school youth and campus and youth ministers at St. Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Ind. During the five-day conference the youth learned about their Catholic faith through sessions of catechesis, liturgical and spiritual formation, and participation in liturgies. They also trained in liturgical ministries such as reader, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, and cantor, learning skills they can use in their parishes and high schools. Attending the conference were Allison Miles, James Miller, Nick Cooper, Monica Haley, Tyler Cooksey, and Gretchen Swabe. Also attending were adult participants Margaret Merrill, Dan Miles, and Cyndi Panter. The “One Bread, One Cup” conference is held three times each summer as a program of St. Meinrad School of Theology. ■

COURTESY OF MICHELLE MASTERSON

COURTESY OF JOAN T. DEGROFF

Bishop Stika stands with Frank Varallo at his left and NDHS principal Perry Storey at far right after the center’s dedication. With them are Mr. Varallo’s grandson Daniel Bratton and daughter and son-in-law, Cathy Varallo Bratton and Gilbert Bratton.

schools in Tennessee to be an official Hammer Strength facility. MAKUS (Michael Appleby Keeping Us Safe) is a driver-safety organization founded by Mrs. Appleby and named for her son, a Notre Dame student who died at age 16 in a November 2001 car accident. The Varallo Center project was designed by Artech Design Group of Chattanooga, and T.U. Parks Construction Co. was the general contractor. Over the past decade Notre Dame has invested more than $10 million in campus additions and improvements. ■

CYNDI PANTER

benefactors gathered at Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga on July 30 for the dedication and blessing of the new John Varallo Athletic Center. Bishop Richard F. Stika told the crowd that the building was a “beautiful testimony” to their generosity. Notre Dame principal Perry Storey thanked everyone and expressed special thanks to Frank Varallo and his late wife, Emma Sue “Bootie” Varallo, for their pacesetting gift of $1 million, to Joe and Rachel Decosimo for their gifts and to Mr. Decosimo for his leadership during Notre Dame’s last two capital campaigns, to the family of the late Jack Steiner Sr. for his pacesetting gift and support, to Judy Appleby and the MAKUS Foundation for sponsoring the MAKUS Training Center, and to the children of Peggy Ireland for their classroom sponsorship in her honor. The $4.1 million Varallo Center is named for the Varallos’ late son, a 1970 graduate of NDHS. Mike Leiper, Notre Dame director of institutional advancement, offered special thanks to the Capital Campaign Committee and to co-chairmen

BILL DUNHAM

ore than 200 M friends and

Troop 403 Girl Scouts receive Bronze Awards Members of Girl Scout Troop 403 at St. Jude School in Chattanooga recently earned their Bronze Award, the highest award a Junior Girl Scout can achieve. For their service project the girls “bedazzled” 100 bandannas and put together cancer care packages with candy, lip balm, and hand sanitizer for Memorial Hospital’s Cancer Support Center and T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital Oncology and Hematology Unit. With troop leader Michelle Masterson are (from left) Ragen Dobson, Mary Connell, Abby Laster, Miriam Blanton, Niamh Cahill, and Kendra Masterson. THE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOLI C

www.dioceseofk noxville.org

Coalfield grad receives CCW scholarship Samantha Swanger, a 2009 graduate of Coalfield High School, was recently awarded a $500 scholarship by the Council of Catholic Women at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Harriman. Above, she stands with scholarship-committee chair Minna Andriulli and Blessed Sacrament pastor Father Michael Sweeney. Samantha achieved a 3.2 grade-point average, was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and was active in church-related activities, before- and after-school programs, and community-service projects. She plans to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to study athletic training and coaching. Samantha is the daughter of Bethany and Jeff Swanger of Wartburg, who are parishioners of Blessed Sacrament. AUGUST 9, 2009

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Richmond Diocese seeks retreat director for Jubilee House he Diocese of Richmond seeks a full-time retreat director to continue and expand the ministries of Jubilee House Retreat Center, located in southwestern Virginia on the edge of Abingdon. Functional areas of responsibility include hospitality, program development, promotion/publicity, finances, and maintenance/ operations. Qualifications include training and experience in retreat work, background in theology and Catholic teaching, and experience in administration and program planning. Master’s degree preferred. Requirements include leadership ability, collaboration skills, good oral and written skills, commitment to working ecumenically, and a working knowledge of computer programs. Candidates must be Catholics in good standing who are grounded in prayer and spirituality. On-site apartment provided. More information is available at www.richmonddiocese.org. Mail, fax, or e-mail letter of interest, resume, and diocesan application to Sarah Fogler, HR Generalist, Diocese of Richmond, 7800 Carousel Lane, Richmond, VA 23294-4201, fax 804-358-9159, sfogler@ richmonddiocese.org. ■

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right, I’ve got this amount of time I can be in my office and clear off some of the mess that I’ve allowed to gather, and then you deal with who drops in or staff issues. I’ve only been in this parish eight days, but I spent a couple of days visiting the homebound and trying to get to know them. Then you hope to spend time in prayer every day. Father Pete Iorio shared this with me a long time ago. He says when he gets a brandnew calendar, he always puts in an hour of prayer a day, an afternoon of prayer a week, a day of prayer a month, and a week of prayer a year. It’s always been my goal, and I’ve always failed, but I put that in every calendar. You certainly celebrate the sacraments every day and prepare people for the sacraments, and there’s plenty to be done. You start the day in prayer, and it unfolds from there. What saints would you recommend to young people thinking about a vocation? St. Peter. There was a time when Jesus was teaching and the crowds were pressing in, and he said, “Hey, bud, can I use your boat for a minute?” He used Peter’s boat as a preaching platform and spoke to the crowds, and when he finished, he said, “Why don’t you lower your nets in deep water for a catch?” I don’t know why Peter listened to him because Jesus wasn’t a fisherman, and you’re supposed to catch fish at night, not during the day. It didn’t make sense, but he listened to him anyway and they caught such a great number of fish that the boats were about to sink. And Peter fell to the feet of Jesus and said, “Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Jesus never contradicted that statement, and that gives me hope. We convince ourselves we’re unworthy and we are, but it’s almost like he looked down at Peter and said, “Son, tell me something I don’t know. I know everything there is to know about you. Follow me, and I will make you a fisher of men.” He didn’t say [follow me] if you do this or that or take this course of study or gain this level of status or wealth. And St. Peter wasn’t perfect even after that. I like Peter. He’s approachable, he’s earthy, he’s human, and look what God can do for simple people. What gives you the greatest joy as a priest? Without a doubt, the sacrament of reconciliation. It’s the most misunderstood gift of our church, even by Catholics. People come in broken and leave somewhat healed. It’s not from me. God was doing the work even before they knocked on the reconciliation door, but, man, it’s powerful. I marvel at people’s goodness and God’s goodness. It’s so evident in the sacrament of reconciliation. ■

ProCET continued from page 3

way. “Steve Arnold of First Baptist Concord got up and said that while the Catholics have been the ones out there defending life and making a moral stand, for too long the Protestant community has not stepped up and assisted. He said, ‘From here on out, the Catholics are going to be joined by the Baptists,’” Mr. Simoneau recalled. “We wanted to build unity, and I think ProCET is now a respected name in the community and will continue to work with Tennessee Right to Life to oppose Planned Parenthood and abortion in general in Knoxville.” Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the United States and is responsible for one-fourth of the 1.1 million abortions performed annually in this country, according to ProCET. For more information about ProCET, visit the website nobeardenabortion.org. On the site users can register to receive e-mail updates. ■ 8

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AUGUST 23, 2009

DIGNITY

life and

BY PAUL SIMONEAU

Sanctuary and prophets Our conscience can reveal God’s truth or destroy our true humanity.

After World War II, 12 major Nuremberg warcrimes trials were convened. Of these, the trial of 16 German judges and jurists drew particular attention, for many wondered how men of such supposed legal maturity could have supported the brutal laws of the Nazi regime. Although they had not made the Nazi laws, they had enforced them, believing they acted in good conscience and were serving the common good. A fictionalized account of this trial was made into an Academy Award–winning film, Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). But whether under a dictatorship of fascism or relativism, the individual and social conscience of a people can be corrupted if it is not vigilant against the many false prophets who appear dressed in “sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). Conscience and human dignity are intimately connected, for our conscience is that sacred sanctuary—the “meeting tent” of the Lord (Exodus 33:7-11), the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16)—where God’s inner prophet speaks. It is God’s messenger that calls each of us to conform ourselves to the one in whose image we were created and to seek his holy will. But ever since our first parents gave audience to the father of lies in God’s garden of communion with man, false prophets have competed for lordship of

life in every

LIMB

this sacred space. “For the people of God, the Temple was to be the place of their education in prayer . . . , in faith and conversion of heart; this was the mission of the prophets . . . ” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2581). Prominent Catholic author Dr. Peter Kreeft describes the church, established by Christ, as a “permanent prophet and ‘sign’ for the whole world” (You Can Understand the Bible [Ignatius, 2005], p. 115). We can learn much about the conscience and the importance that the church plays in its formation by examining the Old Testament prophets. As King Ahab accused Elijah, the “father of the prophets,” of being a “disturber of Israel” (1 Kings 18:17), so also many accuse the church of being a disturber of the conscience, both individual and social. And as Elijah noted, the church is often a solitary voice: “I am the only surviving prophet of the Lord, and there are 450 prophets of Baal” (1 Kings 18:22). Yet God’s word and his church are not swayed by majority opinions. Some who represent the social conscience of a people would say to the church, as Amaziah, guardian of the king’s sanctuary, did to the prophet Amos, “Off with you, visionary . . . , never again prophesy in Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple” (Amos 7: 1213). We too can be tempted as guardian of our soul’s sanctuary to banish the very voice of God, but it is God to whom the sanctuary truly belongs.

BY LESLIE SHOLLY

Embryo adoptions The debate is another one that ‘no one saw coming’ when IVF began.

Most of the mail attorneys receive is dry and uninteresting, as you might expect. But the brochure I pulled out of my husband’s P.O. box one morning last spring was different. It was eye-catching, all pink and spring green, and adorned with butterflies and an adorable baby peeking out from under a blanket. It was an invitation to a conference in Washington, D.C., titled “Emerging Issues in Embryo Donation and Adoption.” Sponsors included the National Embryo Donation Center, Bethany Christian Services, and UT’s Graduate School of Medicine. The sessions looked fascinating, and I was particularly intrigued by one of the speakers, Father Peter F. Ryan, a Jesuit priest with an impressive array of academic credentials, who was to give the presentation “Making the Ethical Case for Embryo Donation and Adoption.” To me it seemed a perfect solution to the tragedy of the thousands of embryos abandoned to cryopreservation tanks after their parents “completed their families” through assisted reproductive

technologies. We Catholics believe embryos are morally equivalent to born children, right? And surely it’s a moral good to adopt unwanted children. In the 1987 instruction Donum Vitae, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith wrote: “The human being is to be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception; and therefore from that same moment his rights as a person must be recognized, among which in the first place is the inviolable right of every innocent human being to life.” Our evangelical brethren have embraced embryo adoption. One prominent Christian adoption site (www. nightlight.org) has a program called “Snowflakes,” a clever moniker referencing both the current condition of the embryos and their uniqueness. But reading stories of some non-Catholic couples who have chosen embryo adoption highlights some of our theological differences since evangelicals do not object to in vitro fertilization (IVF). What is the Catholic Church’s official position? Donum Vitae was silent on the issue. A 2005 article in The Washington Post, written by Alan Cooperman, said: “[T]he debate over embryo adoptions is just beginning to take shape. ‘There are very few moral issues on which the

www.dioceseofk noxville.org

For those who would hold the conscience more sacred than the truth that makes this sanctuary sacred, the prophet Jeremiah warns, “Put not your trust in the deceitful words: ‘This is the temple of the LORD! The temple of the LORD! The temple of the LORD!’ Only if you thoroughly reform your ways and your deeds; if each of you deals justly with his neighbor; if you no longer oppress the resident alien, the orphan, and the widow; if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place, or follow strange gods to your own harm, will I remain with you in this place . . . .” “Are you . . . to stand before me in this house which bears my name, and say: ‘We are safe; we can commit all these abominations again?’” (Jeremiah 7:4-7;9-10) Pope John Paul II cautions us, saying, “Because of the nature of conscience, the admonition always to follow it must immediately be followed by the question of whether what our conscience is telling us is true or not. If we fail to make this necessary clarification, conscience—instead of being that holy place where God reveals to us our true good—becomes a force which is destructive of our true humanity and of all our relationships” (general audience, Aug. 17, 1983). In forming our conscience, we must have recourse to the teachings of the church, through which we learn to exclaim with Mary, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior . . . ” (Luke 1:46-47). Closing with my traditional play on the words of Pope Paul VI, “if you want peace . . . , ” “listen to the voice of the Lord” (Psalm 95:7). ■ Mr. Simoneau directs the diocesan Justice and Peace Office. Catholic Church has not yet taken a position. This is one,’ said Cathy Cleaver Ruse, chief spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities.” The article went on to say, “One of the leading voices in the church in favor of embryo adoptions is the Rev. Thomas D. Williams, dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum Pontifical University in Rome. ‘It’s reaching out to another human being, albeit in an embryonic state, in the only way that that little being can be helped.’” Responding to the many new bioethical issues that have arisen since 1987, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published “Instruction Dignitas Personae on Certain Bioethical Questions” in September 2008. The document addresses at length the problem of frozen embryos: With regard to the large number of frozen embryos already in existence the question becomes: what to do with them? . . . a grave injustice has been perpetrated . . . The proposal that these embryos could be put at the disposal of infertile couples as a treatment for infertility is not ethically acceptable for the same reasons which make artificial heterologous procreation illicit as well as any form of surrogate motherhood; this practice would also lead to other problems of a medical, psychological, and legal nature. It has also been proposed, solely in order to allow human beings to be Adoption continued on page 9

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

our

PRIESTS

from the

BY MARGARET HUNT

‘A genuine desire to serve as Christ did’ Father Nolan talks about what makes a good priest, and more, as a new ETC series begins. ith this issue, we introduce a series of conversations with our priests, in conjunction with the Year for Priests. Of course, it’ll take us much more than a year to publish interviews with everyone. We begin with this question-and-answer chat with Father Mike Nolan, who was ordained at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Chattanooga on Nov. 27, 1987. Father Nolan had served as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Chattanooga since 1997 and dean of the Chattanooga Deanery since 2005. On Aug. 1 he became pastor of St. Dominic Church in Kingsport.

with parishioners and planning things for parishioners and trying to find ways to further their education. Sanctification and being faithful yourself are where it starts, but the people of God help us along the way. Sometimes my parishioners cause me to pray, sometimes they inspire my prayer.

What influenced your decision to consider the priesthood? Certainly my parents [the late Frank and Josephine Nolan]— just by example. We never had a talk about vocations, but they were very faithful in their participation in the parish [and went to] daily Mass. We had a great pastor growing up, Father [James D.] Niedergeses, who later went on to be bishop of Nashville and was a very compassionate shepherd. He was a real servant of the people, very courageous in his stand regarding civil rights and some of the issues of the ’60s but very accessible. He certainly didn’t stay on a pedestal.

DEACON PATRICK MURPHY-RACEY

Father Mike Nolan

Also I had an uncle who was a Byzantine Catholic priest, and he was our favorite uncle—a lot of fun but a very holy and wise man. Certainly if anybody put him on a pedestal, there was Mom or one of his siblings or his own mother to knock him down real quick. He was real. He wasn’t someone behind the altar in robes all the time, he was a real person, so it made [priesthood] seem a little more accessible. Of course, I had mentors [at Notre Dame High School] as well. I had some good priests. I had Father Al Humbrecht and Father Michael Johnston [a priest of the Nashville Diocese]. What qualities make a good priest? A genuine desire to serve as Christ did. You certainly need to be true to the teachings of the church, but it’s not all about

pontificating. It’s meeting people where they are and inviting them further. Christ never declined a meal, no matter what faction it seemed to be coming from. He met people exactly where they were, but he loved them enough to desire that they not stay there. He moved them forward. What would you like people to understand about the priesthood? The vocation, the call from God, is just as real and just as loud as it has always been, but unfortunately we have a tendency to drown it out because we don’t spend enough time listening. Our days are filled with noise, and we have all sorts of ways of being in contact with one another, but we’re never really in contact. How fulfilling the life of a priest can be, not just at Sunday Mass, but throughout the week in visiting

What is the best advice you were given during your discernment about your vocation? Don’t worry about it so much. If it’s going to be, it’s going to be. Life is going to unfold on God’s time. I was really straddling the fence. I was going to UT for my undergraduate degree, and at one point I had been accepted at a college seminary and was still straddling the fence. I wasn’t ready to jump in, and I called Bishop Niedergeses. He said, “What’s the rush? Go ahead and graduate from UT. If you still want us, we’ll still want you.” It’s not about pressure, it’s not about pleasing anybody, it’s about whether God is calling you, and sometimes that’s hard to figure out. What do you do all day? There are days that are scheduled out with meetings and appointments when your calendar fills up. There are other days when you think, All Nolan continued on page 8

Brando continued from page 1

Antony Savarimutha earlier this year. “It all began with my godmother, who’s 94 years old: my Aunt Anna,” said Father Brando. “She was rehabbing after surgery and met a priest over there who was, that weekend, going to Tennessee. She asked where he was going, and he said he was going to land in Chattanooga. She got him and me together. He was her chaplain when she was in recovery in the recuperation center. “He stayed at St. Jude’s, and we started talking about his first love, the missions in India, especially a foundation that he and a couple of people had just started about a year ago. He talked about what happened with all those tragic situations that the Catholic Church is doing something about in India and how [the foundation was] trying to help out in the United States by funding some of those very needed projects.” Father Brando will return Oct. 29. His ETC column of 14-plus years, “Living the readings,” will continue to appear during his trip. In India, Father Brando plans to accomplish three tasks, including visiting 11 of the 12 missions funded by Love & Care and learning how U.S. dioceses can better contribute to them. As part of the second task, he said he hopes to learn whether priests from India can serve in U.S. dioceses in exTHE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOLIC

change for American Catholics’ support of India. The third task involves “something really amazing,” a talk with Father Pascual Cervera, international coordinator of the Corpus Christi Movement for Priests, said Father Brando. “In the process of doing all this, I was lucky enough to have a three-hour conversation with a priest who had met John Paul II, together with Mother Teresa and Sister Nirmala [who succeeded Mother Teresa]. The whole reason for the meeting was that Mother Teresa had a burning desire to start a movement of diocesan priests based on her theology and spirituality. It’s now come to the point that they’ve got a book on it, a manual, and it’s amazing. It’s very good. “I’ll be going to Calcutta on Mother Teresa’s feast day [Sept. 5], meeting with her folks, and seeing whether I can do something to work out a more in-depth pastoral theology based on that. I’d love to be working on that and to get the word around.” Mother Teresa began the Corpus Christi Movement in 1981. Father Cervera is also a colleague of Father Savarimutha. When he returns, Father Brando will continue his work for the missions by visiting neighboring dioceses to speak about the needs in India. St. Jude parishioner Nesan Antonyraj was a seminary class-

mate of the secretary to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and helped facilitate Father Brando’s access to the India bishops and their dioceses. “Nesan got him on the Internet and told him about me, and he asked for a letter of recommendation from [Bishop Richard F. Stika],” said Father Brando. “The bishop was very gracious and let him know that I’m trustworthy.” Father Brando said he planned to meet quite a few bishops on his trip. “I have no idea, but there’s a bunch. I’ll be there to see a bunch of folks and a bunch of different organizations, to see how their charities and their charitable efforts work.” Father Brando said he had long looked forward to retiring at age 65. “I was counseled to do this by Monsignor [Francis] Pack 38 years ago when I was a deacon, that it was something to consider. He retired also at 65. I’m getting close to 66 now.” Father Brando, who will live in Maryville, has another passion to pursue after he returns from India. “There are lots of things that I love being part of, including Marriage Encounter. What I really hope to do is be very active in Marriage Encounter in retirement. I’m already scheduled to be on a weekend in November when I get back, just before Thanksgiving.” ■

www.d ioceseofknoxville.or g

PARACLETE

BY DOROTHY CURTIS

A Bible in every backpack he handwriting is on the wall.” “That gave it the kiss of death.” “He has the patience of Job.” “It’s a sign of the times.” “He’s as old as Methuselah” Sound familiar? People use biblical phrases such as these in everyday conversations. That’s one reason to read your Bible—to make your conversation more colorful. The Bible also serves as an instruction book that tells you how life works and how it doesn’t. Yes, even life at school. We’d like to see a Bible in every backpack, and below we list some good ones: St. Mary’s Press has no rival when it comes to Bibles made for youngsters as well as young adults off to college. Becoming more popular each year is Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics (2006; $19.95 paperback, $26.95 hardback, $19.95 CD-ROM), specifically for 10- to 14-year-olds. Its use of the Good News translation ensures good readability for this age group, and its colorfully illustrated extra features are sure to hold the reader’s attention. The publisher also offers the enjoyable Workbook: An Introduction to People of Faith (2006, $10.95), with 52 perforated activity pages. Each activity has its own background page to tie it to the Bible. And for only $7.95, Breakthrough’s Getting to Know Jesus (2007) features the Lord’s teachings paired with fun activities. En español, las más de 200,000 copias vendidas dan testimonio de la popularidad de La Biblia Católica para Jóvenes (2005,

$22.95 dólares). Con más de 900 comentarios y 300 ilustraciones, es difícil encontrar comparación para esta traducción de la Biblia de América, que aborda las diferentes culturas encontradas en Las Américas. Es la hermana de la Biblia en inglés para jóvenes Catholic Youth Bible, una de nuestras Biblias más populares para jóvenes. For the collegebound, St. Mary’s Press offers The College Study Bible (2007; $32.95 paperback, $42.95 hardback, $27.95 CD-ROM), in the New American translation. It includes thorough introductory articles to each book, instruction on reading the Bible, and Vatican II’s Dei Verbum (“Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation,” 1965). No Bible column would be complete without our mentioning the revised Catholic Youth Bible (2005; $24.95 paperback, $33.95 hardback, $25.95 CD-ROM). It’s a perennial top-seller, along with the second edition of companion volume the Catholic Faith Handbook (2008; $18.95 paperback, $26.95 hardback). Once again Pat Von Clef has won our monthly giveaway. We encourage those who do not live in Knoxville to enter via phone at 800-333-2097. Many of our winners are people who have “never won anything before,” so make that call each month. You never know. ■ 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.

Adoption continued from page 8

born who are otherwise condemned to destruction, that there could be a form of ‘prenatal adoption.’ This proposal, praiseworthy with regard to the intention of respecting and defending human life, presents however various problems not dissimilar to those mentioned above.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ December 12, 2008, press release on Dignitas Personae does not characterize this statement as an absolute ban on embryo adoption by faithful Catholics: “The document does not reject the practice outright but warns of medical, psychological, and legal problems associated with it and underscores the moral wrong of producing and freezing embryos in the first place.” The National Catholic Bioethics Center, in an article by Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D., its director of education, concurs: “There is ongoing debate among reputable Catholic theologians about this matter, and technically it remains an open question. . . . Dignitas Personae expressed serious moral reservations . . . without, however, explicitly condemning it as immoral.” This is yet another debate that no one saw coming when the birth of the first test-tube baby was celebrated. The problem of the orphaned embryos underscores the intrinsic immorality of IVF. As Dignitas Personae concludes: “All things considered, it needs to be recognized that the thousands of abandoned embryos represent a situation of injustice which in fact cannot be resolved.” ■ Mrs. Sholly is a member of Immaculate Conception Parish in Knoxville. AUGUST 23, 2009

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Pope says Mary’s assumption is sign of hope for all Christians CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS)—The assumption of Mary is a sign of hope for all Christians that through baptism and by faithfully following Christ they will have eternal life, Pope Benedict XVI said. “In the Virgin assumed into heaven we contemplate the coronation of her faith, of that journey of faith that she indicates for the church and for each of us; she, who at every moment welcomed the word of God, has been assumed in heaven,” the pope said Aug. 15. Pope Benedict, his right arm still in a cast, celebrated Mass for the feast of the Assumption in the tiny parish Church of St. Thomas of Villanova, just across the square from the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo. A woman, shouting in German, interrupted the liturgy and was led outside by Vatican security, who later described her as being overcome by religious emotion. The pope also recited the Angelus prayer at noon Aug. 15 and Aug. 16 with visitors gathered in the courtyard of the papal villa. In both Angelus addresses he continued reflecting on Mary’s life and her assumption into heaven. In his homily the pope said that even in moments of “darkness and suffering,” Mary continued to follow God’s plan of love, placing her life totally in his hands. For Mary and for every Christian, he said, “all of life is an ascent, all of life is meditation, obedience, trust, and hope, even amid the darkness.” Pope Benedict said life involves struggles between good and evil and is like “a voyage on often stormy seas; Mary is the star that guides us toward her son Jesus, the sun that rises over the darkness of history.” Mary’s life and her assumption “give us the hope we need: the hope that we can win, that God has won, and that through baptism we have entered into this victory,” the pope said. In his Angelus address after the Mass the pope tied the feast to the Year for Priests and asked the world’s priests to teach their faithful about Mary, using as their model St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests. The pope said the saint repeatedly consecrated his parish to Mary, entrusting each parishioner to her care. St. John Vianney also recommended “especially that mothers do the same with their children,” the pope said. Welcoming visitors to the papal villa Aug. 16, the pope looked at the connection between Mary and the Sunday Gospel reading in which Jesus said “I am the bread come down from heaven.” Jesus was able to become human and give himself for the nourishment and salvation of all people because Mary said yes to God’s plan that Jesus be born of a human mother, the pope said. “It is a kind of exchange in which God always takes the initiative but in a certain sense [it is] one that needs Mary in order to prepare the material for his sacrifice: the body and blood to be offered on the cross as the instrument of eternal life and, in the sacrament of the Eucharist, as spiritual food and drink,” he said. God also needs every man and woman to welcome him so that Christ can live in the world, Pope Benedict said. “And if we say yes like Mary, or rather to the extent that we give our yes, that which happened in that marvelous exchange also will happen with us: we will be assumed into the divinity of the One who assumed our humanity,” the pope said. ■ Copyright 2009 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

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talked with, or heard in writing from 244, or 72 percent, of the country’s superiors general during the six months after the study was announced. “That’s pretty impressive for a voluntary phase,” she said. “The conversations I had with the major superiors have been very helpful in shaping the instrumentum laboris and the topic questions we’ve presented, to understand the reality before we set out to ask them specific information,” Mother Clare told CNS. Although the questionnaire will be completed by congregational leaders, Mother Clare also is encouraging individual sisters to respond to issues raised in the working document. “It’s very important that each sister know that if she has anything she wants to tell me about her congregation she can do so freely and confidentially,” she said. “We feel that every sister is a part of this visitation,” Mother Clare explained. “We won’t be able to meet individually with every sister in every congregation. We won’t know exactly what we will hear from sisters. We want them to know that their voices will be heard.” ■ Copyright 2009 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops 10

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AUGUST 23, 2009

Cardinal criticizes health-care bill The measure would make abortion a ‘mandated benefit’ in most plans. By Nancy Frazier O’Brien WASHINGTON (CNS)—Although amendments to a House health-care-reform bill made some “helpful improvements” in protecting life and conscience, some “unacceptable features” remain that must be removed, the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ prolife committee told House members Aug. 11. Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, who heads the bishops’ Committee on ProLife Activities, said the health-reform bill approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee July 31 would make a “radical change” in U.S. abortion policy by making abortion a mandated benefit in the public health-insurance plan that would compete with private insurers and by allowing the expanded use of federal funds to pay for abortions. He said the committee “created a legal fiction, a paper separation between federal funding and abortion” through which those in the public plan and in private insurance plans that cover abortion would pay an out-of-pocket premium of at least $1 a month to cover abortions beyond those eligible for federal funds under the Hyde amendment. The Hyde amendment, enacted into law in various forms since 1976, prohibits federal funding of abortions except in cases of rape, incest, and danger to the mother’s life. Cardinal Rigali said the separation of funds in the reform bill “is an illusion” because “funds paid into these plans are fungible, and federal taxpayer funds will subsidize the operating budget and provider networks that expand access to abortion.” In addition, he said, “those constrained by economic necessity or other factors to pur-

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President Barack Obama, standing near Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, D-Conn., left, waves after speaking about health-care reform in the White House Rose Garden in Washington July 15. Pro-life groups warn that proposed health-care legislation could mandate abortion coverage for most insurance plans.

BILL ‘CREATED A LEGAL FICTION’

chase the ‘public plan’ will be forced by the federal government to pay directly and specifically for abortion coverage . . . even if they find abortion morally abhorrent.“ The cardinal had praise, however, for amendments to the bill that stipulate that health-reform legislation will not pre-empt certain state laws regulating abortion and will not affect existing federal conscience protections on abortion. He also thanked the committee for approving an amendment “prohibiting governmental bodies that receive federal funds under this act from discriminating against providers and insurers who decline involvement in abortion.” Cardinal Rigali’s comments came in an Aug. 11 letter to each House member. He urged that attention be paid to the priorities and concerns for health reform outlined in an earlier letter from Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, N.Y., chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human

Development. The U.S. bishops “have long supported health-care reform that respects human life and dignity from conception to natural death; provides access to quality health care for all, with a special concern for immigrants and the poor; preserves pluralism, with respect for rights of conscience; and restrains costs while sharing them equitably,” said Cardinal Rigali, reiterating points from Bishop Murphy’s letter. “Much-needed reform must not become a vehicle for promoting an ‘abortion rights’ agenda or reversing longstanding policies against federal funding and mandated coverage of abortion,” the cardinal said. “In this sense we urge you to make this legislation ‘abortion-neutral’ by preserving long-standing federal policies that prevent government promotion of abortion and respect conscience rights.” ■ Copyright 2009 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Catholic school students help create new bullying-prevention website BY J UL I E CA R R OL L

ST. PAUL, Minn. (CNS)—“Guess who just signed on?” a teenage girl says to a couple of her friends huddled around a computer monitor. “Sarah. You know, Sarah—sits in the back of science [class], never talks to anybody. Miss Science Fair.” The girls all laugh. “I hear she has a thing for Dylan.” “Dylan the quarterback? Like that’s going to happen.” “I think we should help her out,” one girl says with a smirk. “You in?” The girls proceed to set Sarah up, embarrassing her in front of her friends and Dylan while they are all attending a basketball game. Sarah is devastated. This fictional scenario is one of several videos students from Convent of the Visitation School and St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights produced for the new website TeensAgainst Bullying.org. The site was created by the Minnesota Parent Training and Information Center, called the PACER Center. The Minneapolis-based non-

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from the

BUILT WITH STUDENT INPUT The TeensAgainst Bullying.org website was created by the Minnesota Parent Training and Information Center, with videos produced by Convent of the Visitation School and St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights, Minn.

profit organization, which serves families of children with disabilities, seeks to educate teens about the damaging effects of bullying and how to respond if they fall victim to a bully. The videos produced by the students can be viewed on the website by clicking “Respond,” then “Acting Up.” “We realized that to make an impact we were going to need to engage all kids to care about bullying and that it was going to be the peers themselves who could make a difference in how children look at bullying situations,” said Julie Hertzog, the center’s bullyingprevention project coordinator.

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“We started by asking their opinions about things—[from] everything about bullying to current teen culture to how they use technology—because we wanted to make a product that was relevant and edgy and that definitely appealed to the teen audience,“ Hertzog told The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. “It’s very much about teen power, teen voice, and teens making a difference.” Wendy Short-Hays, head of VISTA Productions, the combined theater department of Visitation and St. Thomas, said she took on the project as a way to give students experi-

ence with video production as well as an opportunity to perform community service. Over the past year the students worked with Short-Hays and a professional videographer to write scripts, rehearse, and film the videos. “I think that every kid has some experience [with bullying]. It’s something I’ve dealt with most of my life,” said Sarah Busch, a recent Convent of the Visitation graduate who worked on the project. “It was an incredible experience to be able to take my feelings and experiences and put them into a medium to help other people.” Busch, who plans to attend St. Olaf College in Northfield in the fall, said working with PACER employees stirred in her a passion for social work. “It was inspiring to see people who made a career out of helping kids and put so much time and energy into doing it, which is what I want to do,” she said. ■ Copyright 2009 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

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