Dec. 4, 2011, East Tennessee Catholic by Diocese of Knoxville

This issue

He dwells among us.................. 2 Diocesan calendar..................... 9 Deanery news.......................... 10 La Cosecha............ center pullout

The East Tennessee

Catholic youth......................... 14 Columns.................................. 18 Catholic News Service............. 23

dioknox.org December 4, 2011 Volume 21 Number 4

Bishop Richard F. Stika

News from The Diocese of Knoxville

Church on the hill IC’s building is 125 years old

Father Evan Eckhoff The Franciscan priest dies at age 81

Priest interview Father Stice talks about his call

Sts. Peter and Paul inaugurated as a basilica ‘How wonderful a day it is’ for the celebration, Bishop Stika tells a large gathering. By Dan McWilliams

owntown Chattanooga’s Catholic church has been the site of countless celebrations of all kinds in its century-plus of existence, but nothing quite like the Mass on Oct. 22 marking its inauguration as the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. Bishop Stika said he was excited about the day for several reasons, including the fact that it fell on the first feast day of Blessed John Paul II, whom the bishop recently named co-patron of the diocese. The late pope often started a homily or reflection with the words “praised be

Jesus Christ,” the bishop said. “That’s what we do today. We praise our Lord Jesus Christ as we honor the Father, as we come together with the Holy Spirit to cel-

Basilica continued on page 4

Dan McWilliams

The basilica ‘is a sign of the fact that we are united in our Lord . . . as the people of God.’

Praying the doxology Bishop Richard F. Stika, assisted by Deacon Brian Gabor (left), elevates the consecrated host at the Mass celebrating the inauguration of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. Also pictured are (from left) Monsignor Stephen Churchwell of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Father Randy Stice, basilica rector Monsignor George Schmidt, and Abbot Cletus Meagher, OSB.

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

He dwells among us

by Bishop Richard F. Stika

Bishop Stika’s schedule

Patience, people

These are some of Bishop Stika’s public appointments:

The season of Advent helps prepare us to receive the gift of Christ every day.

hristmas decorations went up in stores almost as fast as the Halloween costumes, lawn decorations, and paraphernalia came down, marking the transition between the No. 2 and the No. 1 shopping seasons of the year. And given the St. Louis Cardinal’s game six miracle and game seven win of the World Series at the end of October, it might have seemed fitting to begin celebrating the Christmas season almost two months early. But the Church’s liturgical calendar, with its feasts and seasons that serve to unfold the mystery of Christ, should help us resist society’s attempt to secularize and devalue the truth and meaning of Advent and Christmas. Christmas without Advent or, for that matter, Easter without Lent, is like a wedding without a courtship, the New Testament without the Old, a World Series without the playoffs. Failing to celebrate Advent separates us from a season of hope that is meant to help us to live differently, to help purify and transform us. For many, Advent represents but a countdown of “shopping days left till Christmas,” and the season’s

Diocesan policy for reporting sexual abuse

message of hope is reduced to the ideal present one hopes to receive. And if people should not receive what they want, there is always what many refer to as the “second” Christmas, when “gift exchange” takes on its other meaning and we are able to get what we wanted. Not since the 1965 debut of Charles Schulz’s A Charlie Brown Christmas have television stations aired a program with a scene as beautiful as Linus’s scriptural answer to Charlie Brown’s question, “Can anyone tell me what Christmas is all about?” Gone are the Bob Hope and Andy Williams Christmas specials that were not afraid to keep Christ in their music and message. Unfortunately, Charles Schulz’s Halloween program It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, did not feature a similar question, “Can anyone tell me what All Saints day is all about?” Holidays, lest we forget, are really “holy days,” and All Saints is a case in point. First celebrated as the feast of martyrs, the Church later expanded it to include all her saints, whose example of sacrificial love inspires our own hope in Christ’s final victory. It is this hope we carry over

into our commemoration the following day, in praying for the faithful departed: All Souls. But given the extreme market surrounding Halloween, with its secular and dark focus, one has almost the impression that All Saints and All Souls day have been supplanted by the celebration of “All Damned.” During this Advent, a season of expectant joy, I am reminded of a hymn by Father John Foley, SJ, with a message I wish to convey to you: “Patience, People.” The song’s refrain—“Patience, people, for the Lord is coming”— should remind us that although Christ is among us, especially in the Blessed Sacrament, he is present also in the future that we await but which all too often is overshadowed by our fears. The hymn also reminds us not to “grumble, one against another.” With the full implementation of the new Roman Missal with Advent’s beginning, we will need lots of patience with one another because we will all make mistakes as we learn the different responses and prayers. Please be particularly patient with your priests during this time. They

The East Tennessee

Nov. 30–Dec. 9: trip to Nairobi, Kenya Dec. 10-13: Papal Foundation Board Meeting, Baltimore Dec. 16: 6 p.m., Christmas gathering with Hispanic leaders, bishop’s residence Dec. 17: 1 p.m., Ladies of Charity annual tea, bishop’s residence Dec. 18: 6 p.m., seminarian Christmas party, bishop’s residence Dec. 19: 10 a.m., Mass and luncheon, Chattanooga Serra Club Dec. 21: 11:15 a.m., Mass and Chancery staff Christmas party, bishop’s residence Dec. 22: 6 p.m., Christmas gathering with priests and seminarians, bishop’s residence Dec. 24: Midnight Mass, Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus n

Bishop continued on page 3

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

Margaret Hunt Administrative assistant Toni Pacitti Intern

Anyone who has actual knowledge of or who has reasonable 805 Northshore Drive, S.W. • Knoxville, TN 37922 cause to suspect an incident of The Diocese of Knoxville sexual abuse should report such The East Tennessee Catholic (USPS 007211) is published monthly by The Diocese of Knoxville, 805 Northshore Drive Southwest, information to the appropriate Knoxville, TN 37919-7551. Periodicals-class postage paid at Knoxville, Tenn. Printed on recycled paper by the Knoxville News Sentinel. civil authorities first, then to the The East Tennessee Catholic is mailed to all registered Catholic families in East Tennessee. Subscription rate for others is $15 a year in bishop’s office, 865-584-3307, or the United States. Make checks payable to The Diocese of Knoxville. the diocesan victims’ assistance coordinator, Marla Lenihan, 865Postmaster: Send address changes to The East Tennessee Catholic, 805 Northshore Drive Southwest, Knoxville, TN 37939-1127 Reach us by phone: 865-584-3307 • fax: 865-584-8124 • e-mail: webmaster@dioknox.org • web: dioknox.org 482-1388. n

2 December 4, 2011

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Bishop continued from page 2

An appeal from Bishop Stika The 2011 Annual Catholic Appeal is quickly coming to a close. If you have not fulfilled your pledge to the Annual Catholic Appeal, please consider doing so before Dec. 31, if possible, as this will allow you to claim an income-tax deduction. I realize that another year of economic instability may make donors a bit cautious with regard to fulfilling their pledge. However, fulfilling year-end pledges can make the “giving season” a little more special for everyone involved.

The East Tennessee Catholic

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

too will need to get used to all the changes associated with the new Missal, all of which will only serve to deepen our understanding and love of the Mass. In closing, I’d like to mention another scene from A Charlie Brown Christmas. While playing the psychiatrist, Lucy calls out a litany of phobias to Charlie Brown that might help explain his seasonal depression. When she mentions “pantophobia”— fear of everything—Charlie Brown yells, “That’s it!” Certainly, to the degree secularism has succeeded in taking hope out of Advent and Christ out of Christmas, society has grown more fearful. But the first words of the angel of the Lord to the shepherds are words we need to embrace in Christ: “You have nothing to fear!” (Luke 2:10). So long as we endeavor to keep Christ in Christmas and in every day of our life, we will have the hope that casts out all fear. “Patience, people, for the Lord is coming.” n

Catechist-orientation days scheduled Mandatory catechist-orientation days for all new catechists, catechists certified before 2008, and catechetical leaders have been set. All take place from 9 a.m. till noon. Choose one: n Saturday, Dec. 3, St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church, Cleveland n Thursday, Jan. 5, Knoxville Catholic High School n Saturday, Jan. 7, St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Lenoir City. For details, contact Father Richard Armstrong at rarmstrong@dioknox.org or 865584-3307 or e-mail jperkins@ dioknox.org. Register online at bit.ly/faith-formation. n December 4, 2011 3

Dan McWilliams

Ovation for the rector Monsignor George Schmidt, rector of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, receives a round of applause during the Mass celebrating the inauguration of the basilica. From left are Deacon Sean Smith, Father Randy Stice, Abbot Cletus Meagher, OSB, and Bishop David R. Choby of Nashville.

Basilica continued from page 1

ebrate something very special—not just a recognition by the Holy Father but to celebrate faith and love, to celebrate Gospel values, to celebrate the presence of Jesus Christ in our midst this day. And how wonderful a day it is.” Bishop Stika, who announced May 12 that Sts. Peter and Paul had been named a basilica by Pope Benedict XVI, was the principal celebrant of the inauguration Mass. Principal concelebrants were Nashville Bishop David R. Choby and basilica rector Monsignor George Schmidt. Additional concelebrants included Abbott Cletus Meagher, OSB, of St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Ala., who is a native of Cleveland, Tenn., and vicar general Monsignor Xavier Mankel. Cardinal Justin F. Rigali and Monsignor Bob Hofstetter attended the Mass in choir. More than 30 priests and deacons were present, including Sts. Peter and Paul’s Father Bert Glennon, ST, as well as basilica parishioners, men and women religious, Knights and Ladies of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, and visitors from around the diocese. Diocesan seminarians were the

4 December 4, 2011

altar servers, and a diocesan choir performed the music. Also attending were U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischman, Chattanooga mayor Ron Littlefield, and city councilman Jack Benson. The Mass included a blessing by Bishop Stika of two insignia basilicas are allowed to display: the ombrellino (umbrella) and tintinnabulum (bell). A basilica may display its coat of arms as well as the ombrellino and tintinnabulum. The ombrellino is a canopy of red and yellow, the official colors of the city of Rome. Originally it was used in the Middle Ages to protect the Holy Father from inclement weather as he visited the various basilicas of Rome. The sides of Sts. Peter and Paul’s ombrellino are adorned with the Chattanooga basilica’s coat of arms and those of Bishop Stika, the Diocese of Knoxville, and Pope Benedict. The ombrellino is displayed open to signify that the church is ready to welcome the Holy Father. The tintinnabulum is a small bell in a frame atop a long pole. Originally such bells alerted people to the approach of the Holy Father during papal processions in Rome. Bishop Stika blessed the insignia,

with John Paul Mahoney holding the umbrella and James Day the bell. “The symbols of the basilica will be blessed today to remind those who come into this sacred space that this church is something special,” said the bishop. Blessed John Paul kissed the soil of each country he visited as soon as he stepped off the plane, said Bishop Stika in his homily. “Following that tradition, we honor the soil this church is built on. We honor the faith that has brought us to this moment. The sacred soil on which this church was built has seen war and disease and conflict. . . . Today as we gather on this sacred soil, we honor it, as so many generations have honored it, by coming together for baptisms and weddings and funerals, for moments of prayer, moments of celebration, moments of asking the Lord for assistance.” The bishop mentioned the basilica’s Louis Comfort Tiffany–designed stained-glass windows and polychrome Stations of the Cross, as well as the three stars on its new coat of arms. The stars could represent the Trinity, the bishop said, but were actually taken from the flag of Tennessee. “Those three stars remind us that as a Church, we belong to something greater than ourselves—that we are to be leaven in the world,” said the bishop. Bishop Stika also repeated a quote from Blessed John Paul II’s first Mass as pope: “Be not afraid.” “Through the intercession of Peter and Paul and Blessed John Paul himself, we pray that this church may continue to flourish and grow as a reminder to come and follow and not to be afraid.” The bishop thanked Monsignor Mankel at the end of Mass for coming up with the idea of having Sts. Peter and Paul named a basilica. “We were in a car somewhere in the diocese when a conversation came up about this parish someday being named a basilica,” said Bishop Stika.

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

“That started the whole process . . . So I’d like to thank Monsignor for his faithful service and for his idea.” Cardinal Rigali also spoke at the end of Mass. The cardinal said it was “a wonderful joy to be with you . . . and to think back on the fact that it was Pope John Paul II who established this diocese.” Cardinal Rigali served at the Vatican for many years under Popes Paul VI and John Paul II, accompanying the latter on many of his international trips. “It was my great joy and great privilege to work with him for years and to know the love he had for the people of God.” John Paul visited some 130 countries during his 26-plus years as pope, said Cardinal Rigali. “Someone asked him once what was the greatest shrine he had ever visited in all the world. His answer was so profound, and it’s so meaningful to all of us as the people of God. Pope John Paul II said the most wonderful shrine he ever visited was the shrine of the people of God . . . and this is what is taking place today: we are all gathered together as a shrine, as the people of God in an external basilica, which is also marvelous. “But the basilica itself is a sign of something even greater: it’s a sign of the fact that we are united in our Lord Jesus Christ as his brothers and sisters as the people of God.” Bishop Stika congratulated Monsignor Schmidt for his leadership “in the name of all the people you have served so faithfully.” The basilica rector, recently elevated to monsignor, received a long ovation. Rita Cooper has been a parishioner of Sts. Peter and Paul for 65 years and said she “can’t think of a word” for the basilica service. “To have our church become a basilica, that was a great thing. Today just capped it all,” she said. “Then to get to meet a cardinal. I’d never met a cardinal before, so I told him this was the highlight of my life.” n dioknox.org

Dan McWilliams (2)

New basilica receives a new coat of arms

Symbols of a basilica Sts. Peter and Paul can display a coat of arms and two other insignia: an ombrellino (umbrella) and tintinnabulum (bell). The ombrellino is decorated with the basilica’s coat of arms and those of Bishop Stika, the diocese, and Pope Benedict.

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The honors bestowed on a new basilica include a new coat of arms, and the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul now has a shield of its own that can be used decoratively or as the parish seal. The bottom of the basilica’s shield has an interwoven pattern resembling a fishing net, and the upper left portion depicts an eagle in its nest. These are based on two interpretations of the name Chattanooga. The location of Chattanooga, originally a Native American settlement, may have been chosen because of plentiful fishing in the area, and some historians believe the name may have come from Native American terms for “drawing fish from the water.” Other sources claim that the name comes from the birds of prey—called clanowah by the Cherokee—that built their nests on the cliffs above the settlement. The top half of Sts. Peter and Paul’s shield has an inverted V shape draped like the entrance to a tent. The eagle is on the “flap” on the viewer’s left; on the right flap are three stars from the Tennessee state flag. The fishing net and the tent also allude to the trades of the basilica’s patrons before they became apostles. St. Peter was a fisherman (Matthew 4:18), and St. Paul was a tentmaker (Acts 18:3). Below the shield is the basilica’s motto, Habitavit in nobis (“He made his dwelling among

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

us,” from John 1:14). The original Greek of the verse can be translated as “The Word became flesh and ‘set up his tent’ among us.” The top of the shield has a fleurde-lis, a stylized lily painted blue that is a traditional heraldic attribute to Our Lady. The upper part of the shield is painted gold at the top and red at the bottom, two colors from the coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI. The fishing net has a blue background, matching the lower portion of the coat of arms of Bishop Richard F. Stika. The shield’s external elements include a conopaeum, a silk canopy in red and gold mounted on a gold pole, resembling the ombrellino (umbrella), a basilica symbol for many centuries. Since 1968 the Holy See has also granted permission for basilicas to use the papal symbol of the crossed keys, depicted in gold and silver and placed behind the shield. n December 4, 2011 5

In our parishes

The growth of our Church depends on you. When you support the Annual Catholic Appeal, 100 percent of your gift provides for essential ministries throughout East Tennessee. Each year the ACA provides n education for children in Catholic schools and faith formation for those in religious-education programs n shelter for more than 300 homeless people n meals for almost 10,000 families n counseling and support for more than 11,000 people facing unemployment, depression, addiction, divorce, crisis pregnancy, or the death of a loved one n preparation for the more than 300 adults who join the Church at the Easter Vigil n services for the elderly and people seeking to become American citizens n and much more. Bishop Richard F. Stika urges the faithful to join him “in making a sacrificial gift to the Annual Catholic Appeal. “I can’t think of a better investment than spreading the Gospel and helping people grow in holiness.” n

6 December 4, 2011

IC says, ‘Happy birthday,’ to its building The Knoxville parish celebrates the 125th anniversary of its church. By Dan McWilliams

arishioners of Immaculate Conception in Knoxville recreated history as they celebrated the 125th anniversary of their church building Oct. 23. Following an anniversary Mass, the members of the downtown church gathered outside the front doors for a photo, duplicating the effort of parishioners in 1886. IC’s current building (save for the sanctuary) had just been completed that year, and it was constructed next to the parish’s original 1855 church. Before the older building was torn down in 1886, parishioners posed in front of it for a photo, with the new church towering behind them. The 1886 photo is well known among IC parishioners and even appears in a local restaurant. For the 2011 version, Deacon Patrick Murphy-Racey did the honors with the camera, perched high above the parishioners on a hydraulic-lift platform. IC pastor Father Ron Franco, CSP, said this year’s photo was taken “for the same reason it was done in 1886: to celebrate the people of the parish.” The Mass and photo op drew 630 parishioners. “The celebration was wonderful. We had a great turnout,” said Father Franco. Bishop Richard F. Stika presided at Mass. Concelebrants included Father Michael McGarry, CSP, president of the Paulist Fathers, as well as Father Franco and IC associate Father Gerard Tully, CSP. Also concelebrating were three former pastors, Paulist Fathers Wilfred Brimley, Jim Haley, and Joe Ciccone, and vicar general Monsignor Xavier Mankel. Bishop Stika said he gathered with IC parishioners “to celebrate with you something special: the

Dan McWilliams

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Priests gather Bishop Richard F. Stika stands with a group that includes Immaculate Conception pastors past and present following the 125th-anniversary celebration. With the bishop are (from left) Paulist Fathers Joe Ciccone, Michael McGarry, Jim Haley, Ron Franco, Gerard Tully, and Wilfred Brimley and Monsignor Xavier Mankel. Fathers Franco and Tully are the current IC pastor and associate, respectively. Father McGarry is president of the Paulist Fathers. Fathers Ciccone, Haley, and Brimley are former IC pastors.

mother church in this part of the diocese devoted again to loving God and loving our neighbor under the patronage of the Blessed Mother.” The Mass program included an apostolic blessing from Pope Benedict XVI “upon Rev. Ronald Franco and the parishioners of Immaculate Conception Church,” letters of congratulation from Bishop Stika and Father McGarry, a certificate from Gov. Bill Haslam conferring a day of recognition upon IC, and a letter from Knoxville Mayor Daniel T. Brown. The celebration began a day earlier with a dinner at The Foundry restaurant Oct. 22. Monsignor Mankel, who was raised in IC Parish and graduated from its St. Mary School, was among the guest speakers. Also taking the microphone were Father McGarry, Father Ciccone, Father Haley, and Father Brimley. “A wonderful video was shown, made by some parishioners reflect-

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

ing on the life and the history of the parish,” said Father Franco. (View it online at vimeo.com/30715902). In his homily the bishop said the 1886 photograph was one “of people who were probably wondering what tomorrow would bring, who were wondering about the world in which they lived, the families they loved as they were caught in a moment of time, at a particular place in the history of this parish.” The 2011 version would likely portray the same kind of people, said Bishop Stika. “At this moment in the history of the parish, we once again gather, probably wondering what tomorrow will bring, concerned about our families or our jobs or how long it will take for the Cardinals to win the World Series. But as we look into the future, it is a future filled with great promise.” The bishop addressed one part of dioknox.org

Note: A brief history of IC Parish and its church building appeared in the Oct. 2 issue and can be found online at bit. ly/s9CJSp. The East Tennessee Catholic

Deacon Patrick Murphy-Racey

his homily both to current parishioners who “show the face and the voice and the hands of Jesus Christ to all who enter this place of worship” and to former parishioners: “To those who have been part of the history of this parish from times past, this too is your home. If you were baptized here or received first Communion here or married here or prayed for loved ones here as we commended them to almighty God, you are part of the fabric of this Church of the Immaculate Conception.” By the late 1960s and early ’70s many IC families had moved away from the downtown parish to the suburbs. Before the Paulists arrived in 1973, the parish was in danger of closing. Bishop Stika said he is “grateful to the Paulist community, who came to this parish when its future was uncertain.” “Thank God for the wisdom and the holy decision they made to commit to the good people in this area of the diocese, of this city,” said the bishop. “What a tragedy it would have been if they had closed this parish.” Bishop Stika spoke of Blessed John Paul II’s reminder to the Church to “be not afraid, to open our doors to Christ, and to celebrate our faith. “I congratulate all of you as we celebrate this significant moment in the history of this parish and of the church in East Tennessee, and I pray that all of us might always accept the invitation of Jesus to love God, to love our neighbor, and to build God’s kingdom.” Father Franco said the anniversary observation went far beyond the 125-year-old building. “It’s celebrating what happened in the building, not the building itself. It’s the life of the parish that’s centered in the building.” n

‘To celebrate the people of the parish’ More than 600 Immaculate Conception parishioners attended their building’s 125th-anniversary Mass. Afterward they joined Bishop Stika and the concelebrants for a photo recreating the parish’s picture taken upon the completion of the downtown Knoxville church in 1886. In the earlier photo, parishioners stood in front of their 1855 church building as the newly constructed IC Church towered behind it. The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

December 4, 2011 7

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Currently interviewing in East Tennessee! Want to try online delivery? The East Tennessee Catholic offers online delivery for those who would prefer to read a digital copy and to discontinue the print edition. If you would like to try online delivery, visit bit.ly/subscribe-online 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 mhunt@dioknox.org. n

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ather Evan Eckhoff, OFM, who served in the Diocese of Knoxville for 17 years, died of liver failure on Tuesday, Nov. 15, in his room at Villa West in Sherman, Ill. He was 81. He became the founding director of the diocesan Office of Adult Christian Living in 1993 and led that office until 2001. Baptized “Theodore,” he was born Aug. 18, 1930, St. Louis. His parents were Joseph and Mary Vogelweld Eckhoff. He became a novice in the Order of Friars Minor on July 4, 1950; professed solemn vows July 5, 1954; and was ordained a priest June 25, 1957. In an interview when he was in Knoxville, Father Eckhoff said the main inspirations for his becoming a priest were two paternal uncles and Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. His early assignments were in Quincy and LaGrange, Ill., and Chicago. He then pursued studies at St. Louis University and served as a jail chaplain. Father Eckhoff taught in a Chicago high school from 1964 to 1969. He moved into parish work for six years in Chaska and Carver, Minn. After that he took up retreat ministry from 1975 to 1984. For nine more years Father Eckhoff served as pastor in parishes in Chamois and Morrison, Mo. He took a break in 1991 to study in Baltimore. His ministry took another significant turn in 1993 when he moved to Knoxville and headed up the new Office of Adult Christian Living. Father Eckhoff celebrated his golden anniversary as a Franciscan at Sacred Heart Cathedral on Oct. 4, 2000. When he became “semi-retired” in 2001, mainly because of problems with his hearing, he took up

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

Father Evan Eckhoff, OFM

supply ministry for parishes in the area and served as chaplain of St. Mary’s Medical Center and parttime chaplain of St. Mary’s Hospice in Knoxville. A celebration of his ministry took place at a Mass on July 18, 2001, at the Chancery. “Father Evan has been an intricate part of our diocesan family,” Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz said during that Mass. “He has very clearly the quality of humanity. There’s a humility that comes through, and perhaps what has been most impressive to me—he has a true desire to develop in himself and in those whose lives he touches a sense of deep spirituality.” In 2010 Father Eckhoff moved to Sherman because of his fragile health. The funeral Mass took place Saturday, Nov. 19, in the chapel of Villa West. He will be buried in the Friars’ Section of Calvary Cemetery in Springfield, Ill. Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrated a memorial Mass for Father Eckhoff on Tuesday, Nov. 22, in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Mountains at the Chancery office. n dioknox.org

Diocesan calendar by Dan Pacitti “A (Mostly) Medieval and Renaissance Christmas” concert is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, with all proceeds to be donated to the Knoxville Ladies of Charity for their poverty-relief programs. Featuring the Pope Benedict XVI Schola, organist Charles Walden, and percussionist Jonathan Leichman, the concert will take place at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. Tickets cost $10 and may be purchased at the door or online, via Paypal, at bit.ly/uJrwFv. The program includes ancient carols from Italy, England, France, and Germany as well as sacred polyphony by Renaissance masters such as Palestrina, Tomás Luis de Victoria, and Hans Leo Hassler. For details, e-mail mary@ b16schola.org or call 865-437-8620. The third annual Rosary for Life with Bishop Richard F. Stika will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, across the street from the abortion clinic at 313 S. Concord St. in Knoxville. Parking is available at Tyson Park. For details, contact Paul Simoneau at 865-584-3307 or psimoneau@dioknox.org. The 20th annual Bishop’s Tea will be hosted by the Ladies of Charity of Knoxville at the home of Bishop Richard F. Stika from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17. Donations from the event will benefit the Ladies’ Emergency Assistance Fuel Fund. For more information, call Debbie at 865-694-0348. Bishop Richard F. Stika will again celebrate three bilingual Masses throughout the diocese to honor the sacrament of marriage. Couples will have the opportunity to renew their vows during Mass and continue to celebrate with family and friends at a luncheon afterward. Included with the luncheon, provided by the diocesan Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment, are mementos of the celebration: a certificate and a photo with the bishop for couples who register in advance. The first Mass will be held at 11 a.m. SaturThe East Tennessee Catholic

day, Jan. 7, at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Register by Friday, Jan. 3, by contacting Rubianna Gonzalez at 865-588-0249 or rgonzalez@shcknox.org. The second Mass is set for Saturday, Feb. 11, at St. Jude Church in Chattanooga. Register by Friday, Feb. 3, by calling 423-8702386 or e-mailing Kyra Ross at kyraross @yahoo.com. The third Mass will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 3, at St. Mary Church in Johnson City. Register by Friday, Feb. 24, by contacting Katherine Angulo at 423-282-6367, extension 20, or pastoralministriesjc@ yahoo.com. The Diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry and Chattanoogans for Life are sponsoring a March for Life pilgrimage to Washington D.C. from Sunday, Jan. 22, to Tuesday, Jan. 24, for high school and college students. For more information, contact Donna Jones at 423-718-4387 or djones6029@gmail.com or visit tinyurl.com/March4Life2012. Father Patrick Resen will lead a pilgrimage to Ireland and Scotland from April 28 to May 10, 2012. Contact Rich at rdelmotte@hotmail.com or 615-5335954 for more information, or visit bit.ly/ s1b68b. The next meeting for the Diocesan Discernment Program will be held Saturday, Dec. 10, with the topic “The Life of a Diocesan Priest.” The program welcomes all men open to discerning a vocation to the priesthood to gather monthly for prayer, reflection, and discussion. For more information, contact Father Michael Cummins at 423-9267061 or etsucatholiccenter@yahoo.com. The Chattanooga Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols will be hosted this year by First Baptist Church, 401 Gateway Ave. in downtown Chattanooga at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9. The program is free. Music will be presented by The Roueché Chorale & Symphony Orchestra. Jeff Roueché, a parishioner of St. Stephen in Chattanooga, is the founder and artistic director of the cho-

rale. Members of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Jude in Chattanooga and St. Gerard Majella in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., will participate. The congregation will play an active part in the singing of traditional carols and will hear sacred favorites such as “O Holy Night,” “Joy to the World,” and “Silent Night.” For more information, contact the chorale office at 423-855-2981, visit www.theroueche chorale.org, or “friend” the chorale on Facebook. Knoxville Catholic High School will have a placement test for current eighthgrade students at 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. Preregistration is required. Students must bring $25 (cash or check to KCHS) and two No. 2 pencils. Testing will finish at noon, and a midmorning snack will be provided. To register or learn more, contact Barrie Smith, dean of admissions, at 560-0502 or bsmith@ knoxvillecatholic.com. “A Jubilee Pilgrimage to France” is planned for April 16 through 27, 2012, under the spiritual direction of Father Albert Sescon and Father Peter Iorio, with Mercy Sister Albertine Paulus as group coordinator. The itinerary includes visits to Rouen, Lisieux, the Normandy beaches, Caen, Paris, Chartres, and Lourdes. The group will depart from Atlanta. Cost is $3,539 (cash-discount price) or $3,758, plus airport taxes, fuel surcharges, and tips. To request a color brochure and registration form, contact Sister Albertine at 865-545-8270, 2074742, or smaevang@yahoo.com. The next Engaged Encounter weekend in the diocese will be held Feb. 3 through 5 at a site to be determined. To register, call Jason or Carmen Jeansonne at 865-377-3077. For more information on Engaged Encounter, contact Jerry or Mary Daugherty at 865458-4117 or ceeknoxville@gmail.com or visit www.rc.net/knoxville/cee/. A Mass at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28, the feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrs, will be celebrated at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. The Mass

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

will include prayers from the Mass for Life from the new translation of the Roman Missal. Following Mass, further prayers will be offered across the street from the abortion clinic at 313 Concord St. The day of prayer will conclude with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at Holy Ghost, beginning at 3 p.m. For more information, e-mail Lisa Morris at lccte@bellsouth.net. The Community of Sant’Egidio is a Catholic lay ecclesial movement that focuses on prayer and service to the poor. For more information, call Father Michael Cummins at 423-926-7061. Everyone is welcome. Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at 1:30 p.m. each Sunday at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville, at 3 p.m. on first and third Sundays at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland, and at 3 p.m. on second and fourth Sundays at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Madisonville. The 1:30 p.m. Christmas Day extraordinary form Mass at Holy Ghost will be a solemn Mass with Father David Carter, Father John Orr, and Father Christopher Riehl as the sacred ministers. The Knoxville Latin Mass Schola will present a program of traditional Christmas music before Mass starting at 1 p.m. and will sing Latin motets and sacred polyphony during the Mass. Visit www.knoxlatin mass.net for updated information. The St. Thomas the Apostle Ukrainian Catholic Mission celebrates Divine Liturgy at 10 a.m. Sundays in the chapel at the Chancery office in Knoxville. All services are in English. Call Father Richard Armstrong at 865-584-3307 or visit www.saintthomasknoxville.org for more information. Holy Resurrection Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Mission has Divine Liturgy celebrations at 9:30 a.m. Sundays at the old Holy Ghost Church, 1031 N. Central St. in Knoxville. For times of holy-day services or for more information, visit www.knoxbyz.org or call Father Thomas O’Connell at 865-256-4880. n December 4, 2011 9

Parish notes: Chattanooga Deanery Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Chattanooga Eighth-grader Keri Klassen was recently named to the Independent School Conference’s all-conference volleyball team.

St. Augustine, Signal Mountain The senior high youth hosted a Chili Bowl on Oct. 30. The parish held its annual soup supper Nov. 13. Donations benefited the Chattanooga Community Kitchen. St. Augustine seeks volunteers to fill its Wednesday hours at the Signal Mountain Social Services Clothes House. Volunteers work from 9 a.m. to noon, sorting donations. The next shift needing volunteers is on Wednesday, Dec. 14.

St. Catherine Labouré, Copperhill Father Patrick Resen celebrated Mass on Nov. 16 for the CCD classes, explaining the significance, tradition, and history of the Mass.

St. Jude, Chattanooga The youth ministry and parish hosted singer MashetiMoses in a free concert Oct. 26. The concert was followed by an Invisible Children video presentation on child abduction in Uganda. The first anniversary of Father Moises Moreno’s ordination was celebrated at Father Charlie Burton’s monthly potluck Nov. 10. Benediction and evening prayer for the unborn were offered Nov. 26 in the chapel. The third annual “Underground Christmas” youth event will take place Dec. 3. Donated items will be sent to persecuted Christians in Pakistan, Iraq, and the Sudan.

St. Mary, Athens Catholic Boy and Girl Scouts recently thanked the Knights of Columbus for their donations, which enabled the Scouts to receive the 53 patches they have earned over the past several months. The parish hosted its annual Thanksgiving luncheon for senior-citizen parishioners Nov. 17.

St. Stephen, Chattanooga The parish thanked Knights of Columbus Council 6099 for its benefit dinner Nov. 6 to benefit pro-life causes and the mentally challenged.

Sts. Peter and Paul, Chattanooga The annual bake sale to benefit Catholic Charities was held in the parish vestibule Nov. 12 and 13. n

10 December 4, 2011

Courtesy of Elizabeth Conway

The OLPH middle school football team ended the season 12-1, earning the greatest number of victories in school history.

Catechists recognized at Holy Spirit Catechists in CCD, children’s liturgy, and RCIA were recognized at all Masses on Sept. 17 and 18 at Holy Spirit Church in Soddy-Daisy by pastor Monsignor Al Humbrecht (left) and Helen Barbeauld, director of religious education. Pictured receiving their certificate of commissioning for 2011 from Mrs. Barbeauld are CCD teachers (from left) Martina Polidoro, Connie McNamara, Barbara McGirl, Erin Schwab, Kris DeGeere, and Lisa Bolus. Also recognized were CCD teachers Karen Brincks, Jenn Lallier, Emily Woodard, Sara Tucker, Mary Gadd, Pat Treppard, Kathy Landry, Amy Maxwell, Melanie Harvey, Cheryl Cambron, Thommy Barbeauld, Sonya Webb, Judy Speck, and Bobby Barbre; children’s liturgy catechists Nicole Galletta, Debbie Mirra, Lisa Blakely, Melody Govig, Barbara Garrison, and Michelle Cowell; and Freida Speer, Beth Burke, Ken Frische, Susan Chill, Elizabeth Conway, and Pat Conway of the RCIA program, with special recognition of RCIA director Linda Frantz.

Brother John Howard celebrates 60th anniversary

lexian Brother John Howard recently celebrated his 60th jubilee, having entered the brothers’ formation program in 1951. He restated his perpetual profession of religious vows at the St. Augustine Chapel at the Alexian Village in Signal Mountain. He was accompanied by his fellow Alexian Brothers, who were also invited to restate their vows. Brother Edward Walsh, superior general, accepted the professions and congratulated Brother John on his 60 years of faithful service to the Church and the Congregation of Alexian Brothers. Father Camillus Blazak spoke in his homily of the brother as a “servant of the servants doing the ministry of healing in imitation of Jesus.”

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

He applied the reflection to Brother John and his ongoing concern and care for all the brothers in the Signal Mountain community, several of whom are retired after a lifetime of ministry to others. Many of the residents and staff of Alexian Village participated in the Mass. Others visited Brother John and the Signal Mountain brothers at an afternoon reception. Select photos of Brother John, depicting him from 6 months of age to the present day, were on display. Brother John expressed his gratitude to the congregation and its leadership, his fellow brothers, the residents and staff at Alexian Village, and especially his family for years of support and challenge. n dioknox.org

Cumberland Mountain Deanery calendar Knights of Columbus Council 8152 in Crossville will hold a Christmas Craft Fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, at the K of C Activity Park. The park is located at 2892 Highway 70 East, three miles east of Crossville. Admission and parking are free. For more information, call 931-788-1540. The Knoxville Catholic High School chorus and band will present a service of

Parish notes: Cumberland Mountain Deanery

“Nine Lessons and Carols” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, at All Saints Church in Knoxville. Nine passages of Scripture will be read, from Genesis, Isaiah, and the Gospels, telling the story of Christ’s birth. Readings will be followed by choral selections, instrumental music, and carol singing. Admission is free, but donations may be made to support Catholic Charities’ Adoption Services. For details, call KCHS at 865-560-0313. n

All Saints, Knoxville The Council of Catholic Women held its annual Advent by Candlelight event on Nov. 29 in the parish hall. This year’s theme was “Companions on the Journey,” and guest speaker Dr. Ruth Queen Smith talked about the relationship between Mary and Elizabeth. The CCW also sponsored its annual “Harvest of Blessings” in the parish hall Nov. 20. The event provided opportunities to learn more about various parish ministries. All Saints’ annual adult Christmas party will take place Friday, Dec. 9, at Knoxville Catholic High School. The men’s ministry will host “Breakfast with Santa” on Saturday, Dec. 17. For more information, call Michael Gibson at 865-539-0588.

Blessed Sacrament, Harriman

Courtesy of Diane Roberts

The parish held a rite of welcoming for nine new candidates and catechumens Nov. 13.

LaFollette parish partners with middle school Father Joe Campbell, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in LaFollette, presents a check to LaFollette Middle School for school supplies during a recent appreciation luncheon at the church for about 35 teachers and administrators. OLPH recently partnered with the school, which has identified many needs the parish can help it meet in the coming year.

The East Tennessee Catholic

The Council of Catholic Women will have its annual Christmas luncheon Wednesday, Dec. 14. The book club will not meet in December. Mass will be celebrated at 5 p.m. Christmas Eve and 8 and 10 a.m. Christmas Day. New Year’s weekend Masses are set for 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, and 8 and 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 1. Anniversaries: Jack and Audrey Paul (61), Edwin and Grace Johnson (58), Jack and Marilyn Alderton (57), Max and Peggy Wigner (57), Frank and Judy Simmonds (55), Fred and Laura Reed (55), Ron and Mary White (53)

St. John Neumann, Farragut

Henkels celebrate golden wedding anniversary

Knights of Columbus Council 8781 held a Fraternal Benefits Night on Nov. 17. Council insurance agent Hank McCormick was the speaker. The youth ministry raised funds for a National Catholic Youth Conference trip by holding a pasta dinner on Nov. 12 after Mass. Courtesy of Roseann Strazinsky

red and Sharon Henkel of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Nov. 4. They were married at St. Augustine Church in Columbus, Ohio, with Father Earl Holtzapfel officiating. The Henkels have two sons, Mark Henkel of Addison, Ill., and Todd Henkel of Yorkville, Ill., and five grandchildren. They retired from Sears, Roebuck and Co. in Chicago and moved to the Glade in 1994. The couple planned to celebrate the anniversary with their children

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade

Fred and Sharon Henkel

in Illinois, then commemorate the day with friends in St. Louis at a mutual anniversary celebration. n

A “Refuse to Be a Victim” course was held in the school library Nov. 5. Certified instructors taught men and women self-defense techniques. Anniversary: Sam and Ginny Rudder (64), Bill and Irene Pfeifer (45)

St. Mary, Oak Ridge The Knights of Columbus and the Council of Catholic Women hosted a flea market in the family-life center and Columbus Hall on Nov. 26. Proceeds were split between Father Bede Aboh’s Soccer Team Project in Nigeria and Father William Oruko’s resource center in Kenya. n

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

December 4, 2011 11

Five Rivers Deanery calendar

Parish notes: Five Rivers Deanery

The fifth annual “Madrigal Dinner” will be extended to three performances this year at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville. The dates are Thursday, Dec. 8, through Saturday, Dec. 10. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. each night, and dinner will be served at 7 p.m. The event features a

Holy Trinity, Jefferson City Pro-life advocate Lisa Morris will speak at Holy Trinity at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, about the March for Life in Washington, D.C., and she will provide updates on 40 Days for Life and Planned Parenthood. The Council of Catholic Women invited all women of the parish to a ladies social Nov. 14 in Trinity Hall.

king and queen and their court, a Wassail toast, a court magician, live music, and a five-course meal served by women in costume. Tickets cost $25 each. Buy tickets at the church, or call the office at 423-639-9381. Ages 12 and up only. No tickets will be sold at the door. n

Parishioners said a patriotic rosary for U.S. troops before Masses on Nov. 12 and 13. Seventy-eight children benefited from a Shoebox Drive held by the parish. Each child received a shoebox filled with items donated by parishioners.

Anniversary: Bill and Sharon Jurkonie (10)

St. Dominic, Kingsport The Bethlehem Christian Families mission thanked the congregation for its generosity in buying olive-wood carvings to benefit families in need. Proceeds totaled $4,496.

Courtesy of Delores Bertuso

The parish family-life committee sponsored a celebration of Father Dan Whitman’s birthday after Mass on Nov. 5. The event was catered, and live music was provided.

‘Project Goodie Bag’ at St. Dominic Parishioners of St. Dominic in Kingsport completed a project to provide “goodie bags” for more than 50 people who started chemotherapy at the Wellmont outpatient chemotherapy center in October. Parishioners made colorful cloth bags and knitted caps and donated items to fill the bags. The bags were delivered by the parish nurse at the beginning of October and will be given to patients as they enter the program. From left are Sandy McAdams, Jean Daniel, Delores Bertuso, St. Dominic pastor Father Mike Nolan, Ruth Ann Ranker, Chuck McCort, Diane Ball, and Karen Lewicki.

St. Mary, Johnson City A revived fall festival held Oct. 22 netted $9,014.83 for parish pastoral ministries at St. Mary. Nineteen ministries and parish organizations, including classes from St. Mary School and the Home and School Association, set up games, food vending stands, and displays in the church parking lot, bringing back a traditional fall celebration that had been suspended some years ago for lack of volunteers to organize and conduct the event. Participating organizations were allowed to keep the funds they generated to support the programs they conduct.

St. Patrick, Morristown The Knights of Columbus conducted their annual Medic blood drive Nov. 11. The Knights also collected donated winter coats in November.

12 December 4, 2011

Fran willis

The Council of Catholic Women held its annual Thanksgiving Pies event in November. Sales of pumpkin, apple, and pecan pies benefited the Daily Bread Community Kitchen in Morristown. n

Parishes cohost retreat for catechists Notre Dame Parish in Greeneville and St. Patrick in Morristown held a joint catechist retreat under the direction of their respective parish directors of religious education, Susan Collins and Kathy DeAngelis. The event was held Oct. 28 and 29 at Longview Ranch in Mosheim. From left are (seated) Mary Birch, Deborah Tenk, Susan Collins, Kathy DeAngelis, and Aimee Place and (standing) Nick DeAngelis, Donald Birch, Steven Tenk, Liz Steisslinger, Becky Brown, Dave DeAngelis, Scott Fisher, Jack Place, Bernadette Moughamer, Karen DiBella, and Fran Willis. The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

dioknox.org

Smoky Mountain Deanery calendar A Seekers of Silence Contemplative Saturday Morning will be held Dec. 10 at Blessed John XXIII Catholic Center in Knoxville. Father Charlie Donahue, CSP, will give a talk titled “Counting in and on

Parish notes: Smoky Mountain Deanery

the Bible.” 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. To RSVP or to learn more, call 865-5237931. n

Holy Ghost, Knoxville The parish again accepted new and used toys as donations for the annual toy collection to benefit the Crazy Quilt Friendship Center in Newcomb. The toys will be given to underprivileged children.

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville The youth ministry had its annual sale of Advent candles and baked goods Nov. 6. Proceeds from the sale will be used to purchase Christmas gifts for clients of Catholic Charities. A See’s Candies fundraiser in November benefited the church repair fund.

Barbara Tucibat

Advent Workshop XI was held in the parish hall Nov. 18. St. Nicholas and the Immaculate Conception were honored at the event.

CCW holds Polish dinner The Council of Catholic Women of Holy Cross Parish in Pigeon Forge held a Polish international dinner Sept. 18. More than 150 attended the event, and many dressed in festive costumes. Above are (from left) Lucy Kruk, Chris and Margie Lysczcar czyk, Ed and Denise Betoski, and Natalia and Sabina Lysczcarczyk. Mrs. Lysczcarczyk and Mrs. Kruk helped prepare Polish sausage and other ethnic foods.

IC teens in grades eight through 12 have been invited to sign up for the “Alive in You” summer conference and work camp in Chattanooga, which will be held June 19 through 24. A confirmation supper and information evening was held for IC sophomores and juniors Nov. 6. The youth will attend a confirmation retreat from 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, at St. John Neumann School in Farragut.

Sacred Heart, Knoxville The parish will host a Christmas Carol Festival at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7, in front of the church. Hot drinks will be available. The senior high youth will participate in a lock-in at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10. Indoor and outdoor games and movies are planned, and the youth will attend the 7:30 a.m. Mass. In class trips at Sacred Heart Cathedral School, the seventh grade went to Camp Greenville in North Carolina from Nov. 14 through 18, and the fifth grade traveled to space camp in Huntsville, Ala., from Nov. 16 through 18.

Courtesy of Brigid Johnson

Blessed John XXIII, Knoxville

Sacred Heart youth celebrate All Saints and All Souls Sacred Heart Cathedral held a Faith Day Celebration for All Saints and All Souls on Oct. 30. Parishioners were invited to share the names of those they wanted remembered in the Litany of the Saints at the end of the celebration. The children created life-size portraits of themselves as saints as well as puppets of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Family pumpkin carving, pumpkin bowling, and a parade of saints were highlights of the day. Above, Grayson and Alicia Belt carve their family’s pumpkin. The East Tennessee Catholic

The parish is asking for chili, soups, sandwiches, desserts, and fruit for its “groaning table” (food for students taking final exams). Sign up in the lobby. Food is needed weekdays through Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa The 55-plus group will have its Christmas party potluck and bingo at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, in the Fatima Center social hall. For more information, call Bonnie Fox at 865-981-1790, Colette Seitz at 579-6002, or Joan Speck at 379-0649. Women of the parish are invited to join the Council of Catholic Women for a Christmas party Thursday, Dec. 15, at Green Meadow Country Club. Cost is $25 and includes salad, entrée, and choice of dessert. A gift costing less than $10 is required to participate in the gift exchange. Tickets will be sold in the narthex after weekend Masses Dec. 3 and 4 and Dec. 10 and 11. New Knights of Columbus Robert and Frank Faber and Michael and Wendell Riley made their first degree at St. John Neumann Church on Nov. 3. n

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

December 4, 2011 13

Catholic youth

Knoxville Catholic High School congratulated its Scholars’ Bowl team that competed in a Knoxville News Sentinel Tournament on Nov. 7. The KCHS team of Patrick Connelly, Jake Dovgan, Connor Gilhula, Kevin Curtin, Andy Fox, and Duncan Greely finished fifth out of 156 teams in the East Tennessee region. n

Knoxville Catholic cross-country teams place fourth in regional meet The Knoxville Catholic High School boys and girls crosscountry teams each finished fourth at the regional meet Oct 27. Elliot Consoli, A. C. Cabrera, Ashley Welborn, Annie Batcheller, and Elyse Eilerman were named to the All-Region team. Elliot and Ashley qualified to compete at the state meet Nov. 5. n

KCHS foursome finishes second in Engineer’s Day Quiz Bowl Knoxville Catholic High School’s David Dunn, CC Hermes, Gycheol Lim, and Jose Nazario finished second in the recent Quiz Bowl competition at the University of Tennessee Engineer’s Day. Joey Cook, Kurtis Kyle, and Luis Serrano placed fourth out of 100 groups in the egg drop competition at Engineer’s Day. n

14 December 4, 2011

St. Joseph School holds ‘Run for Noah’ Students, faculty, and staff take part in an event to benefit a fourth-grade student.

he St. Joseph School community turned out in force for a run to help a student with muscular dystrophy. Noah Smith has been a student at St. Joseph since he was in kindergarten. It was during that year that Noah’s family noticed him walking on his toes and having a hard time pulling himself up. After undergoing many medical tests, Noah was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Noah is in the fourth grade now and using a wheelchair full time. His classmates, teachers, and the entire St. Joseph School community are all dedicated to him. He is assigned a helper from his class each day to push him and visit with him during recess. In spite of the supportive environment, some areas of the school proved difficult for Noah to access. St. Joseph principal Sister Mary Elizabeth Ann McCullough, RSM, decided to take action. She sent letters home announcing a “Run for Noah” to take place Oct. 3. The objective was to raise enough funds to purchase a 12-foot portable ramp to enable Noah to be transported over the stairs in two parts of the building as well as modify a restroom to make it more easily accessible for Noah. Students were asked to obtain pledges for each lap they ran. There was full participation from students, teachers, and staff for the run. The only motivating factor was

Stephanie RIcher

KCHS Scholars’ Bowl team places fifth out of 156

And they’re off Teacher Mollie Krueger pushes Noah Smith during the St. Joseph School “Run for Noah.”

to raise funds to help Noah. There were no additional prizes or forms of recognition. After running for an hour, Noah’s second-grade sister, Abigail, wanted to run “one more lap.” Noah’s prekindergarten brother, Andrew, could be heard cheering Noah on as he rounded the course, being pushed alternately by his teacher, Mollie Krueger, and his father, Phillip Smith. One of Noah’s fourth-grade classmates, Anna Hoang, sustained an injury early in the race while another,

Grace Morgan, had an asthma flareup. After a teacher sat with them in the clinic for several minutes, both girls insisted they were fine and wanted to keep going. The Run for Noah raised more than $7,100—more than five times the goal amount of $1,400. Thus far St. Joseph School has been able to purchase the ramp, which is now used daily, and modify a restroom to make it more accessible. The remaining funds will be used to assist Noah in other ways. n

Notre Dame football team qualifies for state playoffs

he Notre Dame High School football team qualified for the playoffs this year but finished 5-6 after losing 28-6 at Marshall County in round one. The Fighting Irish defeated Grace

Baptist this year 61-48 and also posted wins over McMinn Central (42-27), Taft Youth Center (35-0), Lookout Valley (46-30), and Whitwell (45-0). Knoxville Catholic did not qualify

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

for the playoffs but finished a 4-6 season strong with big wins over Heritage (56-34) and Bearden (200). The Fighting Irish also defeated Knoxville Central (21-14) and Cleveland (37-21) earlier in the season. n dioknox.org

Catholic youth

Courtesy of Megan Locke

Both Notre Dame swim squads earn Scholar Team Award

Courtesy of Megan Locke

KCHS senior signs with Quinnipiac Knoxville Catholic High School senior Ryan Nelson signed to play Division I baseball at Quinnipiac University, located in Hamden, Conn., on Nov. 9. Ryan plays third base and also pitches for Catholic. He is seated with his parents, Jane and Eric Nelson. Standing are his grandparents Dick and Barbara Strehlow and brother, Sammy Nelson.

Each year the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association recognizes those high school teams, out of the more than 2,000 squads nationwide, that have excelled in the pool and the classroom with the National Scholar Team Award. For 2011 both the Notre Dame High School girls and boys swim teams received this honor. They were the only high school swim teams in Southeast Tennessee to receive the honor, and NDHS was one of only four schools in the state with a team honored. Nationwide a total of 133 girls teams were named to the Scholar Team list, with the NDHS girls having the sixth highest grade-point average in the country. Of the 109 boys teams nationally recognized, the Notre Dame boys ranked 55th. Members of the 2010-11 girls team were Katie McHugh, Callie Voges, Caroline Clark, Sam Dunlay, Belinda Tandean, Steffi Ng, Carly Duffy, Bridget Haywood, Alex Rutledge, Mandy Suarez, Mimi Haywood, and Cara Kosky. Members of the boys team were Kendric Ng, Jacob Prater, Brian Delaney, Justin King, Jacob King, William DeBarge, Noah Hay, Andrew Thomas, Blaise DiStefano, Clayton Runge, Kerry Runge, and Ryan Reisco. n

Lady Irish players sign with Tusculum -Knoxville Catholic High School seniors Miranda Beeler (left) and Carolyn Williamson signed to play NCAA Division II softball at Tusculum College on Nov. 16. Miranda plays left field and Carolyn center field for the Lady Irish. The East Tennessee Catholic

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

December 4, 2011 15

Catholic youth

Lightning struck twice for the middle school girls soccer team at Sacred Heart Cathedral School. The Lady Eagles had a repeat performance of a winning season. The Lady Eagles were League Champions for fall 2010 and had a repeated undefeated fall 2011 season, making them the “A” League champions this year. At this year’s Middle School Soccer Tournament the Lady Eagles defeated Webb School of Knoxville, Farragut Middle School, and Christian Academy of Knoxville. Sacred Heart advanced to the finals to play Maryville. The score was tied at the end of the first half 0-0. Sacred Heart scored the first goal of the second half, but it was quickly followed by a goal from Maryville. After a sudden-death overtime, the score remained 1-1. The Lady Eagles then won on penalty kicks 7-6, making them the tournament champions and ending a perfect season. Players on the team were Carter Anderson, Emily Camfield, Alyson Dorsten, Natalie Eilerman, Keeley Longoria, Luna Luna, Camille Mancini, Paige Merry, Erica Patterson, Laura Patterson, Cheyenne Quinones, Jasmine Rizk, Renee Semaan, Anya Wegryn, and Caroline Wilson. Coaches were Dr. Walt Zibas and Mick Ingram. n

16 December 4, 2011

National Merit program honors NDHS pair Two seniors from Notre Dame are named Commended Students for 2012.

rincipal Perry Storey of Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga announced Oct. 25 that Morgan Howard and Amanda Suar ez have been named Commended Students in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program. A letter of commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corp., which conducts the program, was presented by the principal to the two seniors. About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for exceptional academic promise. Commended students placed among the top 5 percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2012 competition by taking the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Amanda was also recognized for

Courtesy of Gayle Schoenborn

Sacred Heart girls soccer team wins league title again

National Merit recognition Notre Dame principal Perry Storey stands with Amanda Suarez (left) and Morgan Howard.

being selected as a 2011-12 National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) Scholar. The NHRP was initiated in 1983 to identify outstanding Hispanic/Latino high school

students. This year the NHRP is recognizing nearly 5,000 students selected from a pool of more than 235,000 as Scholars or honorable mentions. n

Advent penance services scheduled throughout the diocese Here is a list of upcoming Advent penance services around the Diocese of Knoxville: Smoky Mountain Deanery

7 p.m. Dec. 1—St. Albert the Great, Knoxville; Dec. 5—Immaculate Conception, Knoxville, and Holy Ghost, Knoxville, at St. Joseph School; Dec. 6—Holy Family, Seymour; St. Mary, Gatlinburg; Dec. 13—Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa; Dec. 14—St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville; Dec. 15—Holy Cross, Pigeon Forge Cumberland Mountain Deanery

7 p.m. EST, except as noted. Dec. 3—St. Christopher, Jamestown, 7:30 p.m. CST; Dec. 5—St. John Neumann, Farragut; Dec. 6—St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade,

6 p.m. CST; Dec. 7—St. Mary, Oak Ridge; Dec. 14—Blessed Sacrament, Harriman; Christ the King, Tazewell; Dec. 15—All Saints, Knoxville; Our Lady of Perpetual Help, LaFollette; Dec. 19—St. Ann, Lancing; Dec. 20—St. Alphonsus, Crossville, 6 p.m. CST; Dec. 21—St. Therese, Clinton, and St. Joseph, Norris, at St. Joseph Five Rivers Deanery

7 p.m., except as noted. Dec. 1—St. Patrick, Morristown; Dec. 5—Good Shepherd, Newport; St. Elizabeth, Elizabethton; Dec. 6—St. Mary, Johnson City; Dec. 10—Catholic Community of Rutledge (Spanish), 2 to 4 p.m.; Dec. 13—St. Dominic, Kingsport; Dec. 14—Holy Trinity, Jefferson City; Dec. 15—St. Henry,

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

Rogersville; Catholic Community of Rutledge (English); Dec. 20—Notre Dame, Greeneville Chattanooga Deanery

7 p.m. EST, except as noted. Dec. 1—Notre Dame High School, Chattanooga, 10 a.m.; Sts. Peter and Paul, Chattanooga, 5:30 p.m.; Dec. 6—Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Chattanooga; Dec. 13—Holy Spirit, Soddy-Daisy; St. Mary, Athens; Dec. 14—St. Bridget, Dayton, 6:30 p.m.; Dec. 15—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Cleveland; Dec. 19—St. Jude, Chattanooga; Dec. 20—St. Stephen, Chattanooga; Shepherd of the Valley, Dunlap, 6:30 p.m. CST; TBA—Our Lady of Lourdes, South Pittsburg n

dioknox.org

Our priests

From the Paraclete: Christmas gifts for all

‘The words of Jesus convinced me’ The Real Presence helped draw Father Stice to the Church. By Margaret Hunt

himself, but he is called by God.” This was also the second reading for my ordination to the priesthood, and the truth it expresses has continued to sustain me in the first years of my priesthood. There is great peace when you have a deep conviction that you are doing what God—in his mercy and love—has chosen for you. I think this applies to every vocation: priesthood, religious, single, or married.

ather Randy Stice hails from Saginaw, Mich., and was ordained to the priesthood at Sacred Heart Cathedral on June 2, 2007. He is an associate pastor of the cathedral parish and serves as diocesan director of the office of Worship and Liturgy. He writes a column for the ETC on the third edition of the Roman Missal.

Please tell us about your family.

My father died on Oct. 7 of this year, but my mother still lives in Kingsport. I have an older brother, Michael, who is married with two children and lives in Kingsport. My younger sister, Melissa, is married with one son and lives in Murfreesboro. I was raised Methodist. Before I was received into the Catholic Church in 1996, I was Evangelical, charismatic, and Episcopalian. Two things drew me to the Catholic Church: belief in the Real Presence and the Catholic tradition of contemplative prayer. I began reading Catholic mystics like St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila in the early 1980s. In the early 1990s I began attending the Episcopal Church and spent a lot of time meditating on Jesus’ words in John 6, “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in yourself.” These words of Jesus convinced me that the bread and wine really, truly, and substantially became his body and blood and that they were essential to participating in his life. What did you do before you became a priest, and who helped you discern your vocation to the priesthood?

Before my ordination to the priesthood I was a teacher. I first taught in Communist China for three years The East Tennessee Catholic

How has your life experience helped you in ministry?

Father Randy Stice

as a way to do missionary work. After that I taught at the university level in California and Florida. I also taught a course on teaching English as a second language for missionaries in Europe, Australia, and Hawaii. During my teaching career I taught a wide range of subjects and ages—from third grade to university graduate students. The priest at my parish in Texas, Monsignor Leo Wlecyk, brought me into the Church and helped me discern my vocation. I first considered a vocation to the Trappists, but when that was not confirmed, I asked Monsignor Wlecyk if he saw me more as a religious order priest or a diocesan priest, and he immediately answered, “diocesan.” That’s when I began to pursue the diocesan priesthood. When I first applied to the diocese [to become a seminarian], I quoted a passage about the priesthood from Hebrews 5:4 in my application: “One does not take the honor upon

My teaching background has been very helpful since teaching is an important aspect of priestly ministry. It has been especially helpful in my job of preparing our diocese for implementing the third edition of the Roman Missal. Living and working abroad has helped me relate to different people and cultures and to adjust better to change. Growing up Protestant has helped me minister in a diocese that is only about 3 percent Catholic. What attracted you to the study of sacred theology and liturgy?

St. Bernard of Clairvaux wrote, “You cannot love what you do not know, nor possess what you do not love . . . know God and you will also love him.” Studying sacred theology deepens my love of God by deepening my knowledge of him. I am continually drawn to the liturgy because it is in the liturgy, especially the Mass, that we can experience the most profound and intimate communion with God—only in the Eucharist do we receive God himself. How do you think the new Roman Missal translation will help bring the faithful closer to God?

Stice continued on page 20

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

By Bethany Marinac The new Roman Missal will be arriving soon, and we are taking orders now. The Sunday missal in leather with a zippered cover (Catholic Book, $32) should be available Nov. 30. It will be followed by the Sunday missal in hardcover ($28) and vinyl ($21) on Dec. 30. Weekday missals will follow in vinyl ($19.95) as well as a leather set for both Sundays and weekdays for ($96). If you are looking for a great Christmas gift that is appropriate for all ages, consider a Fontanini nativity set. It’s a gift you can keep giving because you can purchase new pieces year round. We carry an extensive collection at all times. The pieces are tough and colorful and can withstand handling by youngsters. Individual pieces start around $19, and stables range from $25 (without people) to $150 (with people). Fontanini makes pieces from five-inches tall to life size—and all of the highest quality. Wassail is brewing at the store, and smiles and warm greetings await you while you shop for Christmas gifts and cards. Come in for a free sample and purchase instant wassail as a gift ($6.95). It’s perfect for gift exchanges and stocking stuffers. Don’t forget that we have a huge selection of religious Christmas cards, boxed and individual. We wish you a happy and prayerful Advent and Christmas season and look forward to serving you in the coming year. n Call the store at 865-5880388 or 800-333-2097. Visit its Facebook page at bit.ly/ paracleteknoxville. December 4, 2011 17

Living the readings

Weekday Readings

‘The end is not the end’

Sunday, Nov. 6: Wisdom 6:12-16; Psalm 63:2-8; 1 Thessalonians 4:1318; Matthew 25:1-13 Monday, Nov. 7: Wisdom 1:1-7; Psalm 139:1-10; Luke 17:1-6 Sunday, Dec. 4: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11; Psalm 85:9-14; 2 Peter 3:8-14; Mark 1:1-8 Monday, Dec. 5: Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 85:9-14; Luke 5:17-26 Tuesday, Dec. 6: Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 96:1-3, 10-13; Matthew 18:12-14 Wednesday, Dec. 7: Memorial, Ambrose, bishop, doctor of the Church, Isaiah 40:25-31; Psalm 103:1-4, 8, 10; Matthew 11:28-30 Thursday, Dec. 8: Solemnity, the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Genesis 3:9-15, 20; Psalm 98:1-4; Ephesians 1:3-6, 1112; Luke 1:26-38 Friday, Dec. 9: Isaiah 48:17-19; Psalm 1:1-4, 6; Matthew 11:16-19 Saturday, Dec. 10: Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11; Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; Matthew 17:9-13 Sunday, Dec. 11: Isaiah 61:1-2, 1011; Luke 1:46-50, 53-54; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28 Monday, Dec. 12: Feast, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Zechariah 2:14-17; Judith 13:18-19; Luke 1:26-38 Tuesday, Dec. 13: Memorial, Lucy, virgin, martyr, Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13; Psalm 34:2-3, 6-7, 17-19, 23; Matthew 21:28-32 Wednesday, Dec. 14: Memorial, John of the Cross, priest, doctor of the Church, Isaiah 45:6-8, 18, 21-25; Psalm 85:9-14; Luke 7:18-23 Thursday, Dec. 15: Isaiah 54:1-10; Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13; Luke 7:24-30 Friday, Dec. 16: Isaiah 56:1-3, 6-8; Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 7-8; John 5:33-36 Saturday, Dec. 17: Genesis 49:2, 8-10; Psalm 72:2-4, 7-8, 17;

Readings continued on page 19

18 December 4, 2011

by Father Joseph Brando

The Advent season reveals that there is new life ahead.

n November the leaves were changing colors and falling from the trees. In tune with nature, the Scripture readings for those last Sundays of the liturgical year prepared us to get ready for that day at the end of time. But in December we contemplate a surprising development. Christians have received the revelation that there is life beyond the end of our days on this earth. The end is not the end. There is new life ahead. The new Advent season reveals that we can begin living that new life right now, even as we are still experiencing our “old” lives. Indeed, Advent is a time-bending experience. The Scripture readings carry us off on a ride that far surpasses the most exhilarating themepark thrills. During these weeks of Advent and Christmas we weave in and out through time, from the past hopes of Israel to the marvelous story of the birth of our Savior and beyond, to life in the Holy Spirit. The journey is as thoroughly exciting as it is real. This trip is a spiritual reality. All we need to do is meditate deeply on the readings of Advent and Christmas so we can enter the life of Christ more completely. We must realize our journey with Christ has already begun. December includes the Sundays of Advent, the Masses on the great feast of Christmas, and two major Marian feasts. There’s a wonderful pattern that carries through the liturgy of the word at these Masses. The Old Testament readings tell us about preparing for the Christ. The Gospels tell us how to prepare for the last day, when Christ will come again. The second readings tell us how we should live the life of heaven (after Christ’s second coming) right now.

The first Sunday of Advent Our “beyond the end” experience began on the first Sunday of Advent at the end of November. The prophet Isaiah ushered us in to our wild ride by praying to God, “would that you would rend the heavens and come down.” God’s response to that request is what makes this Advent trip so awesome. Then we get a glimpse of what life was like before the Messiah. “We have all withered like leaves, and our guilt carries us away like the wind.” For people who saw the truth—like Isaiah and his listeners—life was bleak. Yet these visionaries could see the remedy for their problems. They prayed for the redeemer, and they knew they were the clay that God, the potter, was still working on. There was hope. Hope was part and parcel of the Gospel message. Mark quotes Jesus telling his disciples in the Gospel reading that we should “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.” Jesus warns us not to be caught sleeping at the last day. Jesus gives us more than a hope. He opens us up to a reality and orders us to be ready when the end comes. In his letter to the Corinthians Paul begins with a prayer for them to receive “Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Think about it. Paul is wishing them the life of heaven. Grace is the life of the risen and ascended Christ. That life is possible for us to receive here and now. This letter contains some sharp criticisms of the Corinthian Christians. Yet he reassures them that the Lord “will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” That is the way we should all live: as if the last day had come and gone.

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

The second Sunday of Advent On the Second Sunday of Advent the prophet Isaiah proclaims a message of comfort. Comfort comes when the Messiah arrives. The evil that has befallen Jerusalem as a result of the people’s sinfulness will come to an end. With this happy expectation, they should live in the future and start building a straight and level highway for the Lord. That is, they should work on establishing justice and peace in the land. Live now as if God is coming to put away all the misery they have been experiencing. The prophet can see the beginning of good times. So the people can start living them now. John the Baptist is the star of the Gospel. He proclaimed that the Messiah would come after him. Therefore people needed to live now, without the burden of their sins. If they acknowledged their sins, by the time they emerged from the Jordan River where they had been baptized, they would rise into a new and joyous life unattached to the sad realities of the world they had faced. Peter tells us, in the second reading, how to apply John’s principle to the time after Christ’s death and resurrection. Christians were asking why Jesus’ second coming hadn’t yet taken place. Peter answered first with an admonition that time is different from God’s point of view. In a sense time is immaterial. Then he told them and us that we ought to “conduct ourselves in holiness and devotion” because that will hasten the day of God. Peter said that holiness is living in the life of God now. Don’t live in or for a world that will be dissolved in flames. That would be futile. Rather, live in and for the new heavens and new earth. The solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe In the middle of Advent we have a happy interlude. Two Marian feasts beautifully focus our attention. dioknox.org

Readings continued from page 18

The first, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, comes in the second week of Advent. Four days later we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The two celebrations fit perfectly into our Advent meditation on time and eternity. What could be more fitting in Advent than rejoicing over the details of Mary’s conceiving in her womb the long-expected Messiah? The first reading from Genesis takes us back to Adam and Eve. Even as they were punished by expulsion from Eden, God promised a woman whose child would strike the head of evil itself. This child was conceived of Mary, the promised woman. In her is the hope that remained alive throughout time immemorial. This was the hope the people of Israel kept alive. This hope came to fruition at the Annunciation, as Gabriel appeared to Mary and invited her to say “yes” to becoming the mother of Jesus. The angel told her this would take place by means of the Holy Spirit. She responded, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” At that nanosecond, the eternal God entered time inside Mary. Paul, writing to the Ephesians, announced the results of Mary’s decision. Now, in Mary’s Son, we are adopted as children of God. The bottom line is that we now exist “for the praise of [God’s] glory, we who first hoped in Christ.” Right now we live where God is. On the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the liturgy of the word begins with a vision of Zechariah that “many nations will join themselves to the Lord.” Those who know the story of Mary’s appearing to Juan Diego realize that Mary can be considered one manifestation of this vision’s being lived out. Her appearance at the Hill of Tepeyac resulted in the acceptance of Christianity by the indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere. Christ is still being born in the hearts of those who can The East Tennessee Catholic

hear the words of Mary. She facilitates the birth of Christ in nations and hearts all over the world. The third Sunday of Advent On the third Sunday of Advent we return to the schema of the Sunday’s Scripture readings presenting the Old Testament prophets’ teaching us how to prepare for the Messiah, the Gospels’ telling us how to prepare for Christ’s second coming, and Peter and Paul’s letters letting us know how to live God’s will now on earth as it is in heaven. Here Isaiah introduces the concept of the Spirit of God. He rejoices as he announces glad tidings to the poor. That is, we can rejoice now over a wedding party that still is to come. Time cannot take away anticipated joy. Knowing Christ would come was a reason for joy even though he hadn’t yet come. John the Baptist was questioned about this quirk of time and memory. Why was he baptizing when he was not the Christ? His answer was that someone was coming soon for whom he was preparing the people by means of his baptism. Merely thinking about the Lord was cause for joy and a change of attitude. Paul takes that principle and applies it to our time, between the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus and his coming again in glory. He tells us to “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. . . . May the God of peace make you perfectly holy.” Jesus Christ is in heaven. We are in Jesus Christ. So we can be perfected and holy. If we can, we should. What a great way to live! That is Paul’s prayer for us. The fourth Sunday of Advent The prophet Nathan speaks to us on the fourth Sunday of Advent. Actually he’s responding to King David’s desire to build a temple for God in Jerusalem. After years of fighting, he finally has peace. Is this the time? Nathan gives the answer in badnews good-news format. Bad news:

David should not build a house for God. Good news: God will build a house for David. Ultimately that house, or family tree, would make Jesus the Son of David. He is the longed-for one of all Israel and the entire world. The message for the people of the Old Covenant is that the coming of the Messiah was already happening in David’s bloodline. The promise is secure. The Gospel tells us the result of Nathan’s prophecy. Here is Christ. The Christ has now been conceived, and we can learn how to live awaiting the Second Coming. Gabriel and Mary give us some good advice. First, we are not to fear. We live in hope. We are the servants and handmaids of the Lord, happily working in the kingdom of God. The power of the Most High overshadows us, as it did Mary. Paul concludes his letter to the Romans with a warm and wonderful but long run-on sentence. He says that ultimately Christian life is about the obedience of faith. That is what Mary concluded when she declared herself the handmaid of the Lord. We are to live here on earth in the life of the Spirit of God in God’s kingdom. Heaven is the next logical step after death.

Matthew 1:1-17

Christmas This takes us to Christmas. We rejoice. We could not be happy if the Lord Jesus Christ had not been born for us, died for us, and shared his resurrected life with us. Thus, all of our joy centers on Christmas Day. The Church presents us with no less than four Masses for this glorious celebration. We’ll take a quick overview of the basic themes of their liturgies of the word as we try to place a beautiful star on the tree of salvation history. The vigil Mass of Christmas accents the past, celebrating the centuries of preparation for the coming of Christ. The spotlight is on David and his descendants. The last

Monday, Dec. 26: Feast, Stephen, the first martyr, Acts 6:8-10 and 7:5459; Psalm 31:3-4, 6, 8, 16-17; Matthew 10:17-22

Brando continued on page 22

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

Sunday, Dec. 18: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16; Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38 Monday, Dec. 19: Judges 13:2-7, 24-25; Psalm 71:3-6, 16-17, Luke 1:5-25 Tuesday, Dec. 20: Isaiah 7:10-14; Psalm 24:1-6; Luke 1:26-38 Wednesday, Dec. 21: Song of Songs 2:8-14; Psalm 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Luke 1:39-45 Thursday, Dec. 22: 1 Samuel 1:2428; 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8; Luke 1:46-56 Friday, Dec. 23: Malachi 3:1-4, 2324; Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10, 14; Luke 1:57-66 Saturday, Dec. 24: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16; Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29; Luke 1:67-79; Solemnity, vigil of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas), Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 89:4-5, 16-17, 27, 29; Acts 13:16-17, 22-25; Matthew 1:1-25 Sunday, Dec. 25: Solemnity, the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas), midnight, Isaiah 9:1-6; Psalm 96:1-3, 11-13; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14; dawn, Isaiah 62:11-12; Psalm 97:1, 6, 11-12; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:15-20; day, Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98:1-6; Hebrews 1:16; John 1:1-18

Tuesday, Dec. 27: Feast, John, apostle, evangelist, 1 John 1:1-4; Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12; John 20:1-8 Wednesday, Dec. 28: Feast, the Holy Innocents, martyrs, 1 John 1:5–2:2; Psalm 124:2-5, 7-8; Matthew 2:13-18 Thursday, Dec. 29: 1 John 2:3-11; Psalm 96:1-3, 5-6; Luke 2:22-35 Friday, Dec. 30: Feast, the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Sirach 3:2-6; Psalm 128:1-5; Luke 2:22-40 Saturday, Dec. 31: 1 John 2:18-21; Psalm 96:1-2, 11-13; John 1:1-18 n

December 4, 2011 19

Life and dignity

Stice continued from page 17

I believe the third edition of the Roman Missal is a gift to us from God through his Church, which is not simply a human institution but the mystical Body of Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit. The Mass fundamentally is how Jesus fulfilled his promise to his disciples to remain with us always. The Holy Spirit uses the words and actions of the Mass to put us “into a living relationship with Christ.” A translation that more accurately expresses the liturgical and biblical language of the Mass makes its spiritual realities more evident and powerful. How do you balance the pastoral roles of priestly ministry with being the director of a busy diocesan office?

I try to be a good manager of my time and work ahead as much as possible so that when something unexpected comes up, I can respond to it. I have an excellent assistant, Pam Dietz, who is a great help. I would say it is a work in progress. There aren’t too many “normal” days. What advice would you give a man who is discerning a vocation to the priesthood?

I would enthusiastically encourage him to trust God and, as Jesus told Peter, “Put out into the deep.” Be willing to risk everything for God—it is a great life. It is a life in which, to quote St. Paul, “the love of Christ controls us” (2 Corinthians 5.14). n

20 December 4, 2011

by Paul Simoneau

The sword of peace

Peace comes through the wounds of Christ and the sword of truth.

here is only one sadness in life,” the French writer Léon Bloy (1846-1917) lamented, and that is “the sadness of not being a saint.” Once a militant agnostic, he wielded a sword of hatred against the Catholic Church. But after being mercifully wounded by the Church with her sword of truth, he took up this same sword in order to jealously defend her. As so many saints have learned, there is no peace of heart, much less the possibility of “peace on earth,” without the sword that both wounds us and helps us to fight “the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7; cf. Matthew 10:34). It is striking how quickly the dawning of “peace on earth” is overshadowed by the specter of the sword. Herod the Great, consumed with murderous envy, orders the sword unsheathed against the most innocent (Matthew 2:1-18). Mary’s heart too was pierced, as it would be again when the blade of the lance pierced Jesus’ side on Calvary (cf. Luke 2:35, John 19:34). Herod Antipas, like his father, after having first put to the sword the inner prophet of his own conscience, would turn the sword on John the Baptist (Mark 6:14-29). As Herod the Great sought the infant Christ to put him to death, so too would his grandson, Agrippa I, seek the infant Church: he “laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the Church” and “killed James the brother of John with the sword” (Acts 12:1-2). Sounding more like the warrior Messiah many had anticipated, Jesus seemingly contradicts the angels’ message of “peace on earth” with a militant one: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword” (Matthew 10:34).

Instead of fulfilling the words of the prophet Isaiah—“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” (Isaiah 2:4)— Jesus seems to take up the words of the prophet Joel instead: “Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak man say, ‘I am a warrior!’” (Joel 4:10). Why this paradox? Catholic writer Dr. Peter Kreeft explains “that the sword [Christ] brings is not the world’s sword (most of us understand that) and the peace he brings is not the world’s peace (many of us do not understand that)” (Back to Virtue [Ignatius, 1992], p. 149). In our quest for peace, we cannot set aside the sword. Although St. Paul counsels us to put on “compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12), he also commands us “to put on the armor of God . . . with truth as your belt, . . . justice as your breastplate, and zeal to propagate the gospel of peace as your footgear,” along with faith “as your shield, . . . the helmet of salvation and the sword of spirit, the word of God” (Ephesians 6:13-17). We are indeed called to be soldiers of Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes our life as a hard battle (see Nos. 407-410). And because “our battle is not against human forces but against principalities and powers” (Ephesians 6:12), peace and holiness is not possible “without renunciation and spiritual combat” (No. 2015). Only then can we truly pray with the psalmist, “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war” (Psalm 144:1). Unlike the extreme warrior ethos that requires the taking of one’s life

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

for failing in battle, Christians must necessarily die to themselves first if they are to effectively do battle— “whoever would preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will preserve it” (Mark 8:35). We must submit ourselves to the cut of the Warrior’s sword. The prophet Amos who describes himself as a “dresser of sycamore trees” (Amos 7:14) knew that the fruit, or “figs,” of these trees common to the Holy Land must be cut— incised—to permit the air to properly ripen them, otherwise the mature fig would be bitter, not sweet. Like Zacchaeus, the tax collector who climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Christ and to give him his heart (Luke 19:1-10), we too must allow Christ to incise and expose our hearts to the transforming breath of the Holy Spirit. With man’s fall, a cherubim with a fiery sword would guard “the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24). But in rejecting the “two swords” his disciples offered (cf. Luke 22:38), Jesus would use instead the very sword that pierced his heart to slay death itself and to open the gates of paradise. No number of soldiers armed with swords could keep that tomb from being opened (cf. Matthew 27:65-66). The risen Christ would confirm the angels’ message at his birth to his disciples stating, “Peace be with you” and showing them “his hands and his side” (John 20:19-20). Peace comes through the wounds of Christ by which we are healed (1 Peter 2:24) and in wielding his sword. n Mr. Simoneau is a 28-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Since 2006 he has served as the director of the diocesan Office of Justice and Peace. dioknox.org

Once upon a time

by Monsignor Xavier Mankel

Jubilees under 50 years

The Diocese of Knoxville will celebrate a silver jubilee in 2013.

ubilees can be great and small. The Jewish Jubilee was an institution to be kept every seventh Sabbath year. It included the restoring of alienated lands, the freeing of Hebrew slaves, and abstaining from sowing and harvesting. As important as this special year was, it is treated only in Leviticus 25:8-55, with secondary references in Leviticus 27:17-21 and Numbers 36:4. It received its name from the ram’s horn used to inaugurate it. By “seventh Sabbath” is meant every 49 or 50 years. The custom or practice of a major celebration among people to mark 50th anniversaries perdures to this day in society and in the Church. Families also have special celebrations on 50th birthdays, wedding anniversaries, ordination anniversaries, and the like. Companies celebrate the anniversaries of employees. Parishes celebrate jubilees of their founding and the anniversaries of the dedication of certain buildings (churches, schools, rectories, convents, auditoriums, and even special playgrounds). The Catholic Church in the eastern United States began with the formation of the see of Baltimore (1789) and subsequent sees (all erected in 1808) of Bardstown (now Louisville), Boston, New York, and Philadelphia. All have celebrated 200th anniversaries during the lifetime of most of their present members. The Diocese of Nashville began in 1837 (along with Dubuque, Iowa; and Natchez, Miss.), and appropri-

ate jubilees were celebrated in 1887, 1937, and 1987. Extensive modifications to the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville were made in jubilee years 1937 and 1987. I think it is safe to say that more priests have been ordained there than in any other Catholic Church in Tennessee. What about jubilees in less than 50 years? The Diocese of Memphis (1970) celebrated in a grand manner throughout 1995, and I feel certain that we shall have a wonderful time of thanking God and rejoicing when our Diocese of Knoxville approaches its silver anniversary on Sept. 8, 2013. Bishops as well as dioceses celebrate jubilees. Bishop William L. Adrian of Nashville was ordained a priest in 1911 and served as Nashville’s bishop from 1936 through 1969. He died in 1972. His golden anniversary of ordination to the priesthood in April 1961 was a very happy day in the history of our state. Will the “baby” Diocese of Knoxville observe a silver jubilee? It surely seems that way. With the exception of Las Vegas being named a diocese in 1995 and Laredo, Texas, in 2000, our diocese in East Tennessee is still a junior diocese in the United States. We celebrated our fifth anniversary in 1993 and our first decade as a diocese in 1998. Yes, there will be a jubilee in 2013. n Monsignor Mankel is a vicar general of the diocese and the pastor of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville.

Marriage enrichment: quality time for Christmas By Marian Christiana The Christmas season is here, and as I prepare for Christmas I can’t help but think of seasons past and the wonderful memories created during those times. It is the time spent with loved ones that means the most to me, and as I think about the perfect gifts for my spouse and children I try to keep in mind the importance of the gift of quality time. Gary Chapman, the author of The Five Love Languages (Northfield Publishing, 2010) identifies “quality time” as one of the basic five love languages and defines it as giving someone your undivided attention. With that in mind, I’d like to suggest Christmas gifts for your spouse that may not be on the traditional gift list but could benefit your relationship all year long. n Think back to when you were dating. Was there something you both enjoyed doing that you never have time for now? Set a date and plan to recreate the activity. Give your spouse something that will remind him or her of the activity along with a card asking him or her to put a date on the calendar. n Do you enjoy going out to dinner? Set up babysitting once a month for the next 12 months. Collect 12 menus from your favorite restaurants. Put the menus in a bag or container and let your spouse pick one out for each month’s date. n Are you both in love with reading? Create your own private book club. Pick some books that

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you both will read during 2012. Download the books on a Kindle or purchase them to place under the tree. Set up dates to discuss the books. n Schedule a Marriage Encounter weekend. The next weekend is scheduled for Feb. 10 through 12 in Gatlinburg. You can find more information about Marriage Encounter on our website at bit.ly/dok-me. n Attend a marriage celebration Mass with Bishop Stika to renew your marriage vows. Three bilingual Masses to honor married couples and their commitment to the Sacrament of Marriage are scheduled as follows: Saturday, Jan. 7, at Sacred Heart Cathedral; Saturday, Feb. 11, at St. Jude Church in Chattanooga; and Saturday, March 3, at St. Mary Church in Johnson City. All Masses start at 11 a.m., with a free luncheon immediately following. To make reservations, call or email Karen Byrne at 865-584-3307 ext. 5739, or kbyrne@dioknox.org. I hope these ideas help you think beyond traditional gift ideas and encourage you to give your spouse the gift of your time and imagination. In addition to working on our gift lists, let’s remember why we celebrate Christmas and, together with our spouse, focus on preparing our hearts for the coming of Our Lord. n Mrs. Christiana is coordinator of the diocesan Marriage Preparation and Enrichment Office.

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December 4, 2011 21

The Roman Missal

Brando continued from page 19

minutes before Christmas are devoted to our spiritual ancestors. Our lives are intertwined with theirs. As they prepared the way to Christ for us, we are to give them praise, love, and thanks. The midnight Mass of Christmas illuminates the grace Christ gives us. This grace is our present light shining out of darkness at the stable in Bethlehem. We need to be the means for that light to shine everywhere on everyone. That job is to be carried out one person at a time, beginning with the baby in the manger. The Mass at dawn puts the shepherds on center stage. The shepherds were visionaries, hearing and responding to the message of the angels. If it hadn’t been for them, we would be without the glad tidings of this day and the invitation to adore the Lord. The message is one of mercy. God’s mercy has definitively come. Nevertheless, as the shepherds did, we need to make the trip to the manger and to see for ourselves what God has done for us. The Mass of the day puts words to what our eyes have seen and our souls have embraced. The newborn child is the Word of God made flesh. John proclaims that in the Gospel. The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews explains the significance of that truth. He writes that God is communicating with us in the person of the one born this day. One of the messages we receive is that we, his people, are being comforted by God. God is redeeming Jerusalem and the world. Christ, who is the point at which time and eternity meet, unites us all in his love. n Father Brando is the pastor of St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg.

22 December 4, 2011

by Father Randy Stice

The Collect

‘The new translation of these prayers will open to us new insights into our faith.’

he Collect (opening prayer) concludes the introductory rites of the Mass. It is through the Collect that “the character of the celebration finds expression” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, No. 54). The vast majority of the Collects in the Roman Missal are very ancient: 85 percent were composed before the 11th century. They have been described by liturgical scholar Johannes Emminghaus as “tiny productions of literary artistry, clear, succinct, and memorable, examples of polished formulation and lapidary form” (The Eucharist, Liturgical Press, 1997, page 129). The Collect begins with the priest’s invitation to the community, “Let us pray,” followed by a moment of silence: “everybody, together with the priest, observes a brief silence so that they may become aware of being in God’s presence and may call to mind their intentions” (GIRM, No. 54). The Collect itself begins with an address to God, often amplified by an explanatory clause. This is followed by a petition which “gathers up, as it were, all the petitions that the faithful have expressed privately” and which “accounts for the name ‘collect’” (The Church at Prayer, Volume II: The Eucharist, Liturgical Press, 1986, by Robert Cabié, page 53). It concludes with a Trinitarian formula and the people’s Amen. “The people, joining in this petition, make the prayer their own by means of the acclamation Amen” (GIRM, No. 54). Each of these elements is present in the Collect for the third Sunday of Advent. This prayer is drawn from a fifth- to sixth-century scroll, originally from Ravenna, that con-

tains 40 prayers. More than a dozen of its prayers were included in the Advent–Christmas cycle of the new Missal. O God [address], who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s Nativity [clause praising God], enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of so great a salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing [petition]. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever [Concluding formula].

By way of contrast, the current translation of this collect reads as follows:

Lord God, may we, your people, who look forward to the birthday of Christ experience the joy of salvation and celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

It is worth emphasizing that both translations were made from the same Latin text. One change that may sound strange to our ears is the opening, “O God, who see how your people faithful await. . . .” We may think it should read, “O God, who sees . . .” However, the prayer is addressed to God and could be paraphrased, “O God, you see, . . .” so “O God, who see” is correct. Another change in the third edition comes in the concluding formula. The current translation introduces the formula with either of two phrases: “We ask this

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through our Lord Jesus Christ . . .” or “Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ . . .” This reflects the constant teaching of the Church that “Jesus Christ is true God and true man” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 464). The phrase “We ask this” highlights Christ’s humanity: because Christ is “true man,” we are able to approach him. The phrase “Grant this” is an appeal to his divinity: Christ is able to grant our requests because he is “true God.” These phrases, then, each appeal to one of his natures. The new translation omits both of these introductory phrases (“We ask this” and “Grant this”) and simply reads “Through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron explains the significance of this: “In the conclusion of the Collect, the original Latin makes no specification about whether our petition is made through Christ or would be granted through Christ. By avoiding this specification the Latin text has us look in both directions simultaneously, to see that Christ’s mediation works in two ways.” The Collect, proclaimed by the priest, is truly the prayer of the gathered community, for it “collects” the prayers of the community and offers them in the Holy Spirit through the Son to the Father. At the same time it concisely expresses the character of each celebration in a seamless combination of prayer and theology. The new translation of these prayers will open to us new insights into our faith, deepen our participation in the Mass, and nourish our own communion with the Blessed Trinity. n Father Stice directs the diocesan Office of Worship and Liturgy. He can be reached at frrandy@dioknox.org. dioknox.org

From the wire

Youths encouraged to strengthen connection with Christ INDIANAPOLIS (CNS)—In a soft voice touched with reverence, 17-year-old Nicole Richardson recalled one of the most poignant moments of the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis Nov. 17 through 19. It was a moment that revealed the depth of faith many young Catholics share, a moment that showed the hope and the promise of the Catholic Church now and for the future. The moment occurred as Richardson walked toward the Indiana Convention Center in the late afternoon of Nov. 17 with her group of 34 teenagers and adults from Holy Cross Parish in Orlando, Fla. Across the street the doors of St. John the Evangelist Church suddenly opened, and a eucharistic procession of about 2,000 people—mostly teenagers from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis—flowed down the street and toward the main entrance of the convention center, stopping traffic at rush hour in the heart of the city. Seeing the Eucharist on display in a new three-foot-high monstrance made in Poland, Richardson and the others in her group knelt on the sidewalk as the procession passed by on a cold, windy, gray day. “It was so beautiful to see in such a busy city how quiet and reverent it was,” she recalled later in an interview with The Criterion, Indianapolis’s archdiocesan newspaper. “Even if you weren’t Catholic or you don’t have religion, it would have showed you how faith can change people, how faith can change the world.” “With everyone singing the same chant [during the procession], it felt like we were all one,” said Justus Schremmer, 17, of St. Mary Parish in Russell, Kan. “There was that feeling of unison. It was the feeling of being part of something bigger.” The East Tennessee Catholic

CNS photo/Karen Callaway, Catholic New World

Pope Benedict says the world is full of discord, including terrorism and ‘spiritual erosion.’ By John Shaughnessy

After confession Jason Mesick of Chicago prays Nov. 18 after receiving the sacrament of reconciliation during the National Catholic Youth Conference at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. More than 25,000 Catholic youths and their adult chaperones were on hand for the biennial conference, a three-day experience of prayer, community, and empowerment for Catholic teens.

The three speakers for the evening expanded upon the theme “God is love.” One of them was Christina Lamas-Lujan, a regional coordinator in the Office of Religious Education for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. She told listeners how a young woman from Nigeria named Patricia taught her how to connect with Christ. Lamas-Lujan met her while on a 2008 Catholic Relief Services trip to Nigeria. Three months later Patricia visited Lamas-Lujan in Los Angeles. “When she was at my house, she taught all of us that Christ is present in every single moment of our life,” Lamas-Lujan said. “When we are desperately in need of Christ, Christ is there. In our joys, Christ is there. When we have nothing, Christ is there.”

Throughout the conference, speakers engaged the youths and their chaperones with humor and storytelling, with some drawing on high-tech gadgets to make their point. An example of the latter was a presentation by Mike Patin, keynote speaker for the morning session Nov. 18. He made a connection for the audience between his initial fear and uncertainty in using an iPod given to him by his 19-year-old daughter and many people’s fear and uncertainty in sharing their faith. The electronic device can shoot video, make video calls, and play music, videos, and games. “Everybody in here is an iPod, but some of us are playing like we’re a doorstop because we’re scared to take the chance to really be what we

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were made to be,” Patin told the audience. “St. Catherine of Siena said, ‘Be who you are called to be, and we will set the world ablaze!’” A former teacher and coach who has worked in youth ministry since 1990, Patin said he understands that people often feel they’re not the right person to share their faith. “You’re going to hit places I ain’t ever going to be able to hit—the mall, Facebook, your friends, your school,” he continued. “I’m asking you as a teenager who’s struggling and trying to find Christ and working at staying connected to learn to use your style, your playlist. “We share Christ by giving our care and our gifts and our talents to others. Do you understand that you’re the hands and the feet [of Christ]? Are you willing to let him in and let him use you so you can be his presence out there?” Also in attendance for the conference were representatives of numerous religious orders staffing booths in the conference’s “Vocations Village,” housed in the city’s “Victory Park.” During the three days of the conference thousands of teenagers went from booth to booth, learning about the communities and their ministries. “I like to go around and see what all the different orders are about,” said Ellarose Stewart, 17, of Port Orange, Fla. “I’ve never known much about them all.” Amelia Bickler, 15, of Williston, N.D., also explored the booths. “It’s just amazing,” Amelia said. “I never knew there were so many people interested in [vocations].” n

24 December 4, 2011

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