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

CNS/L’OR VIA CATHOLIC PRESS

Papal patient Pope Benedict XVI greets medical staff before leaving Umberto Parini Hospital in Aosta, Italy, July 17. The pontiff was treated at the hospital for a fractured right wrist after he slipped and fell in the bathroom overnight. page 7

THE EAST TENNESSEE

Volume 18 • Number 22 • July 26, 2009

The

N E W S PA P E R

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

‘This sacred space’ DAN MCWILLIAMS

Bishop Stika dedicates his first church—the new St. John Neumann in Farragut. By Mary C. Weaver he nearly new St. John Neumann Church in Farragut was dedicated on July 12, bringing to completion a process that began with the Diocese of Knoxville’s first bishop and came to fruition with its third. Ground was broken for the 17,000-square-foot Romanesque church on Sept. 24, 2006, but the $11.1 million structure wasn’t complete until late December 2008. The first Mass was celebrated in the new building on Christmas Eve that year. “When we dedicate space to Almighty God, it is a space that is unique,” said Bishop Richard F. Stika, during his homily at the dedication Mass. “I must confess, many of the churches built in the last 25 years just don’t remind me of a church,” he said. “When we enter a church, we should have an elevated spirit, an elevated sense of holiness. Without a doubt, when we enter that space, we know it’s special.” With its cruciform design, three rose windows, 10 large stained-glass “sacrament” windows, Texas limestone exterior, and nearly 100-foot span from the copper-clad cross atop the dome to the ground, the building is anything but ordinary. The church was designed by Ethan Anthony of HDB/Cram & Ferguson

IT ‘MEANT A LOT’ TO THE SOLDIERS Lt. Col.

Eric Mankel used this monstrance, now at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville, while serving in Afghanistan.

Monstrance does a tour of duty in Afghanistan B Y DA N MCWI LLIAMS

n its sacristy Holy Ghost Church has a monstrance that performed a tour of duty for U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan before coming to the Knoxville parish earlier this summer. Army Lt. Col. Eric Mankel, who served a year from August 2007 to 2008 as the command inspector general for the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, was the Catholic lay leader for his unit at Camp Eggers in Kabul. When the need arose for a monstrance that would allow the unit to have first Friday adoration for its handful of Catholic soldiers,

Mankel continued on page 3

Please pray for our priests

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Bishop Richard F. Stika dedicated the new St. John Neumann Church in Farragut (seen in this March 10 photo) on July 12.

‘AN ELEVATED SPIRIT’

Inc., a Boston firm that dates to the late 19th century and is known for its religious architecture. Messer Construction of Knoxville was the contractor. The dream of a new church began in January 1992, when the parish purchased the 42-acre lot on which it and the school now stand. At that time Father Bill Casey was the pastor and Bishop Anthony J. O’Connell the diocese’s shepherd. According to a Jan. 12, 1992, ETC story, the goal was to build a school (com-

the ETC then, he had a special connection to St. John Neumann. The saint had founded St. Mary Church in Catasauqua, Pa., in 1857, while bishop of the Diocese of Philadelphia. Bishop Kurtz once served as pastor of that church. The church’s mosaic Stations of the Cross have a Philadelphia connection as well, having once been installed in a church of that city. Knoxville’s new bishop has an even more direct line to the saint. During the Farragut continued on page 6

Marsella’s poverty-stricken residents can still smile

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

pleted in 1997) and eventually a new church, to replace the original church on Jamestowne Boulevard, which was completed in 1980. It had been built to accommodate 700 families, and by the early 1990s the parish had grown to more than 1,100 households. But as it turned out, the plan for a new church was long delayed. Then–Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz and current pastor Father John Dowling presided over the groundbreaking at the new site in 2006. As the bishop told

The Colombia town affectionately embraces its East Tennessee visitors. B Y DA N MCWI L L IA MS

he face of Jesus was everywhere in Marsella, Colombia, on June 14, when travelers from East Tennessee visited the homes of the poorest of the poor in the mountain town. Bishop Richard F. Stika, diocesan chancellor Deacon Sean Smith, and other East Tennessee Catholics had just attended the first Mass of new priest Father Jorge Andres Cano earlier that afternoon at Immaculate Conception Church. The bishop, who had ordained Father Cano the previous day in Pereira, joined a group led by Colombia native Father Antonio Giraldo on the home visits just a few blocks away from the church. Father Giraldo is the associate pastor of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in Cleveland.

DAN MCWILLIAMS

WELCOME, VISITORS A young girl from Marsella greets guests from East Tennessee at her home June 14. Bishop Richard F. Stika joined missioners and others from East Tennessee on home visits in the mountain town. View more Colombia photos at dioceseofknoxville.org.

Bishop Stika urges the faithful in nearly every homily to be the Lord’s face to the world. What made the Colombia travelers’ experience all the more fruitful was seeing the face of their Savior looking back at them—as in one smiling child who welcomed the visitors to her home. The little girl, clad in a school uniform, only a short time before had joined other youth in singing two songs for Bishop Stika at the Mass. The fact that she lived in a corrugated-metal, leakyroofed, dimly lighted home seemed to matter not in the least to her as she greeted the guests. Many of the East Tennesseans were high school students from the parishes of St. Jude in Chattanooga Marsella continued on page 2

letters to the

EDITOR

Handicaps aren’t always visible

In response to Dana Hogan’s letter “Why don’t parishioners make room?” (July 12 ETC): I am one of the “squatters” you write of. I am a relatively young woman and to the eye look very healthy. I get to Mass early, so I can, as you say, “squat” at the end of a pew. I do this not because I have bad knees but because I have hip muscles that go into horrible muscle spasms sometimes, and I have to be able to get up and move. I go to the narthex and stretch and sometimes even lie down on the floor to try to make the pain disappear. I am short and also horribly claustrophobic. When surrounded by large people in front, back, and to the left of right of me I start to hyperventilate. I think interrupting Mass with my screams, gibberish, and knocking people out of the way because I can’t get to open air would be very disruptive to the Mass. So yes, I “squat.” I believe that we as people of faith need not to judge our brethren since we cannot see with our eyes what their physical and mental handicaps —Karen Ewing Knoxville may be. Late Mass-goers should be courteous

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I have had a hip replaced and need a knee replaced. I sit on the end of the pews because it’s easier to get up and sit back down with the extra side to push off from. When someone comes to sit down in the same pew, I just swing my legs to the side. Sometimes this is an issue because people don’t get to Mass until it starts. If you’re running late, please be courteous and wait until everyone is standing, then find a seat in the pews. —David Dilleaher Powell

living the

READINGS

BY FATHER JOSEPH BRANDO

Leftovers God’s blessings show his love and are always given in abundance.

My first dinner in Tennessee took place in the rectory of Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Chattanooga. Here I was, a Brooklyn Italian, sitting at a table presided over by Tennessee country folk. The table was filled with a huge variety of farm fixings, cooked to greasy perfection. As soon as my plate was empty, I was offered more corn or okra or fried chicken. In my family tradition, everything on the table had to be finished. To leave food on the table at the end of the meal was considered a sinful waste and a sign of disrespect to the cook, my mother. Even

though I was full, I felt bound to take what was left. Yet every time a serving plate was emptied, it was refilled, and the routine continued. Some days later I learned about the tradition in Monsignor Pack’s household—that it was impolite to empty a serving dish. It would insult the cook, telling her she did not prepare enough. So, trying to make a good first impression, instead I came across as a gluttonous boor. Fortunately, someone noticed what was happening, and several days later we all had a good laugh about that meal. At least the cook found out I enjoyed her cooking. God has a tradition about food too. It applies to everything we need. God always blesses us in abundance. Leftovers are a sign of his presence

Bait and switch Jesus wants to give us the prize of eternal life.

Catholics should sponsor ‘homecomings’

I asked members of a Protestant church what they did when they had a “homecoming.” I was told that invitations were sent out to former members, a special sermon was given, and there was a dinner after. Would it be possible for our churches to have “homecomings” by publishing invitations in the newspapers to all those who used to be Catholics to tell them their Father is looking for them, to set a special day with a special Mass and the sacraments of reconciliation available, and also to have a social afterward to welcome all with an open heart? I have a suspicion there are many who want to come back but aren’t sure how to go about it. The Catholic faith is the “pearl of great price” we have to offer them. Our faith is a precious jewel, full of exquisite beauty, whose possession gives our lives immeasurable joy and satisfaction. We need not hide our great pearl but to brag to all who will listen: at home, at work, at Wally World, anywhere. Speak of the Catholic faith, its truths, the saints, the Mass, the sacraments, the angels, the Blessed Mother. Polish up your pearl and wear it with pride. The world needs each of us very badly. Let them know that the Catholic faith is for sinners, the weak, the unhappy. Jesus waits with open arms. We can start by asking our parishes to have a homecoming. —Sylvia Vinot Talbott

Catholics ‘indirectly voted pro-abortion’

George Weigel’s column “After Notre Dame” (July 12 ETC) missed the whole moral story and so did the bishops. The honor bestowed on our first black president by Notre Dame is subject to question but did nothing to empower our first black president in actively increasing the number of abortions. That empowerment came as a result of the November election. I have no breakdown of the votes by religion, but based on my own conversations, I am sure a majority of Catholics, including religious, indirectly voted pro-abortion. That is what really ought to be of concern to the bishops. —Lee Blank Lenoir City Elderly may be given ‘eternal rest pill’

For most of my 55-year old life, buying a “used” car meant exactly that. Now we have new packaging for that old term—“pre-owned”—that makes it sound better. “Planned Parenthood”—there’s another good packaging term. Planned Parenthood brings to mind a nice place where caring older folk will help young folk make good parenting decisions on how to be loving, caring parents to their children. Wrong! Planned Parenthood has nothing to do with planning to be parents; it has everything to do with murdering your children so you don’t become parents. But the packaging sounds good. In a very recent interview U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says she was under the impression that legalizing abortion with the 1973 Roe. v. Wade case would eliminate undesirable members of the populace, or as she put it, “populations that we don’t want to have too many of.” What exactly is she saying? It is a fact that Margaret Sanger started Planned Parenthood with the goal of eliminating the black population. If you don’t believe me, go look it up. It’s about time that we had a fine upstanding person with such intelligence and stature (Ruth Bader Letters continued on page 8

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JULY 26, 2009

Jesus told W hen his disciples he would make them fishers of men, they may not have realized that he would teach them by personal example. In today’s Gospel we learn what happens after the miracle of loaves and fishes and we get to see Jesus show us his expert technique as a fisher of men. Those who had eat-

en their fill were more than amazed. They wanted more of the same. They were hooked. Jesus reeled them in by allowing them to chase him all around the Sea of Galilee. When they found him, he “landed” them. They were looking for physical bread to eat by means of more miracles. That’s when Jesus made the switch.

and his gracious love for us. The miracle of the loaves and fishes is a case in point. When Jesus fed people, he made sure there was more than enough. The same message came through in the Old Testament, when Elisha made sure that 20 loaves fed more than 100 people, with an ample supply left over. God is good. God wants us to know he loves us. There is more than enough fish in the sea and arable land on earth to feed the world. Are people still starving? If so, is that a sign of God’s absence? Absolutely not! The key to the miracle stories is that the amount of food available seems short, as it does now. When we trust God, the blessing, breaking, and distribution of the earth’s goods includes a miracle. That is, provided no one gobbles up too much. ■ July 26, 17th Sunday in ordinary time 2 Kings 4:42-44 Ephesians 4:1-6 John 6:1-15

Usually sly salesmen try to sell a more expensive item to buyers who come seeking a cheaper advertised product. Jesus, on the other hand, offers for the same price something worth infinitely more than the morsels of baked bread wanted. Instead, he offered them eternal life. Here’s where Jesus netted his “fish” and brought them into the boat. He described what he really wanted to give the people. Eternal life is

nothing less than himself. All they had to do is do was believe in him and they would never hunger again. Their answer was to beg, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Doesn’t this episode sound familiar? Jesus used the same technique on the woman at the well. That’s how he fished. He Readings continued on page 8

Aug. 2, 18th Sunday in ordinary time Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15 Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 John 6:24-35

W E E KDAY RE ADINGS Monday, July 27: Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34; Psalm 106:19-23; Matthew 13:31-35 Tuesday, July 28: Exodus 33:7-11 and 34:5-9, 28; Psalm 103:6-13; Matthew 13:36-43 Wednesday, July 29: Memorial, Martha, Exodus 34:29-35; Psalm 99:5-7, 9; John 11:19-27 Thursday, July 30: Exodus 40:1621, 34-38; Psalm 84:3-6, 8, 11; Matthew 13:47-53 Friday, July 31: Memorial, Ignatius of Loyola, priest, Leviticus 23:1, 4-11,

15-16, 27, 34-37; Psalm 81:3-6, 1011; Matthew 13:54-58 Saturday, Aug. 1: Memorial, Alphonsus Liguori, bishop, doctor of the church, Leviticus 25:1, 8-17; Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 7-8; Matthew 14:1-12 Monday, Aug. 3: Numbers 11:4-15; Psalm 81:12-17; Matthew 14:13-21 Tuesday, Aug. 4: Memorial, John Mary Vianney, priest, Numbers 12:113; Psalm 51:3-7, 12-13; Matthew 14:22-36 Wednesday, Aug. 5: Numbers 13:12; 13:25–14:1; and 14:26-29, 34-35;

Psalm 106:6-7, 13-14, 21-23; Matthew 15:21-28 Thursday, Aug. 6: Feast, the Transfiguration of the Lord, Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9; 2 Peter 1:16-19; Mark 9:2-10 Friday, Aug. 7: Deuteronomy 4:3240; Psalm 77:12-16, 21; Matthew 16:24-28 Saturday, Aug. 8: Memorial, Dominic, priest, Deuteronomy 6:4-13; Psalm 18:2-4, 47, 51; Matthew 17:14-20 ■

that home where I held the little baby, that moved me greatly,” he said. “You see those conditions and recall [the residents’] great smiles of joy when they saw us and the hugs. It’s as if they saw the face of Jesus in all of the missionaries, all our high school kids, when we came to visit.” Father Giraldo has long worked with Miami-based charity Minicol (Misión Niños Colombia) but founded a partner organization, Minimar, specifically to help the poor children of Marsella “be-

cause I saw a great need,” he said. Father Giraldo served as an associate pastor in Marsella before leaving the country to serve in the Diocese of Knoxville. The experience in Marsella so moved Bishop Stika and Deacon Smith that they announced on the spot that they will sponsor one of the largest families they visited, the Escobars, for one year. Local schoolteacher Gloria Letitcia Villa, who accompanied the bishop’s group on the

Marsella continued from page 1

and St. Thérèse of Lisieux, in Colombia for the fourth time in five years to teach vacation Bible school to the youth of the Marsella region. Deacon Smith held a 4month old sleeping baby boy in his arms during one of the home visits. He said he’ll never forget that moment, as he looked around the infant’s home, “where it had rained profusely through this very unstable structure with a dirt floor and horrific mold.” “I’ve traveled all over the world, but when we went into

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

THE EAST TENNESSEE

805 Northshore Drive S.W.

Marsella continued on page 9

Margaret Hunt Administrative assistant Toni Pacitti Intern

Knoxville, TN 37919-7551

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

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

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

guest

COLUMN

BY MONSIGNOR XAVIER MANKEL, VG

The Lectionary Our three-year cycle of readings is one of the blessings of Vatican II.

For years I thanked God every day that we never had to make a choice between turning the altar of sacrifice around and celebrating the Mass and other sacraments in the vernacular. If I had had to make a choice, I think that I would have kept the language that replaced Aramaic and Greek in our liturgy—Latin—and faced the people. As I say, I thank Our Lord and his Holy Spirit that I did not have to make that choice. And I, for years, considered facing the people and using the vernacular as the most important improvements made to the Mass of Pope St. Pius V (1569) as the reforms of the Second Vatican Council continued. But now, as the years continue to fly by, I think that an even greater improvement was made by the Council Fathers, and it is this: the Lectionary. Instead of having the same readings at Mass on the same Sunday of the liturgical year, year after year after year, we

my mind

WANDERS

now enjoy the three-year cycle of readings for Sundays and other days of precept (years A, B, and C) and the two-year cycle (years I and II) for weekdays and the same Gospel for weekdays every year. This has enabled us to have a greater exposure to the revealed Word in the very best place imaginable: the Liturgy of the Word in the holy sacrifice of the Mass. For the next several weeks our Sunday Gospels will talk about the Eucharist. This would be wonderful every third year when this “series” occurs, but I feel that it is especially exhilarating to have these words of Scripture before us as we continue in this year devoted to the holy priesthood. Jesus is prophet, priest, and king. To say that he is only a mediator between God and man is to fail to appreciate what he does above and beyond mediation. To say that he is our personal Lord and savior, or deliverer, although true, leaves a lot unsaid about this Second Person of the most blessed and holy Trinity. Jesus Christ, Second Person of the most blessed and holy Trinity, true God and true man, comes to us in the grace of each sacrament we receive—

BY DAN MCWILLIAMS

Hail, Colombia A visit to South America opens a writer’s eyes to the plight of the poor.

My co-workers in the Hispanic Ministry Office, Lourdes Garza and Blanca Primm, said I looked different when they saw me for the first time after my trip to Colombia, where I covered the ordination of Father Jorge Andres Cano. Lourdes and Blanca have done their fair share of traveling abroad, but I have not. I hadn’t gotten one of my four-times-a-year haircuts, so I know my appearance wasn’t radically altered.

They said that my having “seen the world” gave me a different look. I certainly saw a beautiful country and met some wonderful people when I went to Colombia. I think what changed me the most was my first exposure to the devastating poverty that so many people in our world live with. One can write an article about a group’s trip to a Haiti mission or a story on a fundraiser to benefit the poor in Africa, or maybe contribute now and then to a special collection for the needy. Certainly in this job I’ve seen enough photos of the poor for various articles on mission trips. But seeing

and beyond. To say “what a friend we have in Jesus” and stop there is failing to enhance the wonderful relationship we have with our God. May this Year for Priests open new vistas—may it produce in each of us the love bonding with our Lord that we must have if we are to display the face of Jesus to all the world. Please continue your good prayers for the speedy and complete recovery of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, as he continues his recuperation from a fall he experienced while on vacation in the Alps. We pray that he, at 82 and in good health, has many, many more years among us. ■ Monsignor Mankel is the vicar general and the pastor of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville.

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

ASSIGNMENTS

Bishop names new secretary and intern n a July 7 memo Bishop Richard F. Stika announced that Peggy Humphreys would immediately begin serving as his executive secretary. His former executive secretary, Nancy Feist, died suddenly on June 19 (“Mourning the loss of a modern-day ‘Star of Bethlehem,’” July 12 ETC). Mrs. Humphreys was hired in November 2008 as administrative assistant to the offices of Justice and Peace and Stewardship and Development. In addition, she assisted Mrs. Feist. The bishop also thanked Andrea Cox for her assistance in the days following Mrs. Feist’s death. Mrs. Cox, who retired in December 2004, had served as executive secretary to Bishop Anthony J. O’Connell and then-Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz. In the memo Bishop Stika added that Nancy and David Feist’s oldest child, Hope, 16, would begin working with the Chancery staff as an intern “on a part-time basis, as her family and school obligations allow.” ■

BISHOP STIKA’ S SCHE DUL E The following are some of Bishop Stika’s appointments: July 30: 6 p.m., dedication of John Varallo Athletic Center, Notre Dame High School, Chattanooga Aug. 1: 5 p.m., Mass and Smokies Baseball game with altar servers Aug. 5: provincial bishops’ meeting, Louisville, Ky. Aug. 7: Spanish-language training, San Antonio, Texas ■ If you’d like to see whether Bishop Stika is available to attend an event, e-mail phumphreys@dioceseof knoxville.org with specific information regarding the event, date, time, and location.

such living conditions firsthand has a way of changing your heart toward the poor. I plan to take a humble step and sponsor one child through the Minimar charity. It helps, now, having seen what that child’s life is like. See the end of our Colombia article in this issue to learn how you can help too. WE’LL BE POSTING SOME EXTRA

photos of our Colombia travels online soon, and among those you’ll see a picture of your humble servant dancing at one of the receptions for our new priest. When I emailed the photo to my coworkers, no one could believe that I was on a dance floor. “Vanna Speaks,” “Cubs win the World Series,” “Dan dances”—there are some words you just don’t expect to see together. The Chancery womenfolk claim they are in the matchMcWilliams continued on page 8

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Mankel continued from page 1

Colonel Mankel summoned the help of a couple of veterans in church matters: his father, George Mankel of Rockwood, and uncle, Holy Ghost pastor Monsignor Xavier Mankel. Colonel Mankel took over as lay leader from a Marine Corps officer in October 2007 and organized and conducted the Liturgy of the Word each weekday, he recounted in a June 21 interview after Mass at Holy Ghost. “At that time the priest from the Italian Embassy, Father Giuseppe Morelli, would come over on Saturday nights and have Mass for us. Then in February 2008, Father Patrick McCormick, the Navy chaplain, came there to be the command chaplain. He got there right as Lent started and asked if we had a monstrance to do Eucharistic adoration, and we told him no. I mentioned it to my dad and my stepmom, Evelyn, and asked them if they would check with my uncle about procuring a monstrance or getting one that we could borrow.” Monsignor Mankel found a monstrance, and George

staff

Diocese seeks director for Youth and Young Adult Ministry Office he Diocese of Knoxville seeks a director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry. This professional full-time diocesan-level position includes benefits and health care. The director will have access to a part-time administrative assistant and will direct and work with deanery coordinators in the visioning, implementation, and support of youth and young-adult ministry in the diocese. The director will report to the moderator of the curia. Applications will be accepted through July 31. Candidates should send their resume and a letter of interest to dboettner@ dioceseofknoxville.org or Father David Boettner, Search Committee for Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Diocese of Knoxville, P.O. Box 11127, Knoxville, TN 37939-1127. ■

Paraclete job available he Paraclete is accepting applications for a part-time position. Applicants must be available to work weekdays; hours will vary. Applicants should be high-energy, focused, and capable of working independently. The position requires the ability to display merchandise, lift heavy boxes, contribute to store cleanliness and organization, and assist with customer needs. Knowledge of Catholicism and Catholic products is necessary. To schedule an interview appointment, call 865-588-0388 and ask for Vonnie. ■

Child-protection training sessions he Diocese of Knoxville’s program for the protection of children and youth is based on training developed by Virtus and is offered regularly throughout the diocese. A threehour seminar for adults, “Protecting God’s Children,” is required for parish and school employees and regular volunteers in contact with children or vulnerable adults and is recommended for parents and grandparents. The following training sessions have been scheduled: ■ Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Chattanooga, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4 (ses-

sion will be held in the parish life center) ■ St. Mary Church, Johnson City, 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15; 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16; 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19 (sessions will be held in St. Anne hall) ■ All Saints Church, Knoxville, 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15 ■ St. Dominic School, Kingsport, 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 20 ■ Sacred Heart Cathedral, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22; 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20; 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19 (session will be held in the Shea Room). To register for a session, visit virtusonline. org. ■

Take note of ETC deadlines Lt. Col. Eric Mankel and his uncle, Monsignor Xavier Mankel, hold the monstrance above the altar at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. HOME FROM AFGHANISTAN

Mankel provided the funds. “My uncle got it and shipped it to us, and starting in April of 2008 we were able to have eucharistic adoration,” said Colonel Mankel. The soldiers used a pair of 20-foot containers to construct a chapel. “It was two containers side by side with the innards cut out

of them,” said Colonel Mankel. “In the interim Father would keep the monstrance in his office, but we couldn’t keep a tabernacle because the fire inspectors wouldn’t allow us to keep a candle going in any of the structures. So Father, at the daily Mass before first Friday on that Thursday, would bless Mankel continued on page 9

www.dioceseofk noxville.org

e welcome submissions about parish and community events. Send notices by e-mail (mary@dioceseofknoxville.org), fax (865584-8124), or mail (P.O. Box 11127, Knoxville, TN 37939). To make sure we receive information about upcoming events in time for publication, please submit it by the following deadlines: ■ Monday, July 27, for the Aug. 9 issue ■ Monday, Aug. 10, for the Aug. 23 issue ■ Monday, Aug. 24, for the Sept. 6 issue ■ Monday, Sept. 7, for the Sept. 20 issue ■ Monday, Sept. 28, for the Oct. 11 issue ■ Monday, Oct. 12, for the Oct. 25 issue. When submitting photos or information about past events, please keep in mind that we have a backlog of submissions. ■

JULY 26, 2009

■

BY TONI PACITTI

OLPH, Chattanooga ■ On Sept. 12 the OKs (“older kids”) will travel to Cumberland County State Park for lunch and shopping before attending Camelot at the Cumberland County Playhouse. Cost for the play and transportation is $47. Members may bring a lunch or purchase one for $13, which includes tax and a tip. Make checks of $47 or $60 payable to the OK Club and mail to Eveline Buske, 837 Belvoir Terrace, Chattanooga, TN 37412. Call Ms. Buske at 423-622-1418 or Phil Harper at 875-5258 for more information. ■ A pancake breakfast is set for 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, July 26, in the parish life center. Cost is $3 and includes sausage, juice, and coffee, with all proceeds benefiting Food for the Poor.

St. Catherine Labouré, Copperhill ■ Volunteers are needed Thursday, July

30, to help new pastor Father Patrick Resen unload his belongings. A welcome celebration for Father Resen will follow Mass on Sunday, Aug. 16.

St. Jude, Chattanooga to the Legion of Mary for distribution to nursing homes, hospitals, and the homebound and for use with the International Day of the Rosary. Leave rosaries in the Legion of Mary basket in the parish life center. ■ Deacon Gaspar DeGaetano will discuss the sacrament of baptism from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, in the parish library during the next mystagogy session.

St. Mary, Athens ■ Father Robert C. Groher of the

Diocese of Green Bay, Wis., will speak at all Masses on the weekend of July 25 and 26 about Food for the Poor’s mission to care for the destitute. ■ Business sponsors are needed for the 2009 church calendar to help with printing costs. Call Connie at 423-7454277 as soon as possible.

St. Stephen, Chattanooga ■ At least two people or couples are needed to chair the parish picnic. ■ Co-chairs for the golf tournament need a couple to help organize activities and recruit teams for the event. Call Roland Lee at 423-499-3045 or 883-2945.

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade ■ The parish men’s group is actively seeking new members. The group meets at 7:45 a.m. on first and third Saturdays for breakfast and fellowship. The next meeting will be held Aug. 1. ■ Anniversaries: Newt and Shirley Hurst (58), Robert and Madonna Boncher (57), Bernard and Darlene DeFillipi (55), Philip and Johanne Ardire (51), Tom and Trish Rosenburgh (45), Anthony and Nancy Ziino (40), Ken and Shelley Hoffman (25), Don and Kathy White (20)

St. Thomas the Apostle, Lenoir City

JULY 26, 2009

ages of the new church may be ordered for $125, which includes a tax-deductible gift credit of $100. Profits will be applied to debt reduction for the church. Call the church office at 865-966-4540 or e-mail sjnmemory tile@tds.net. ■ Gina Whitmore of the Compassion Coalition spoke at the July 11 meeting of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Five Rivers Deanery

Notre Dame, Greeneville ■ The youth will work at McDonald’s on Andrew Johnson Highway from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 28. A percentage of sales and tips during that time will benefit their trip to the National Catholic Youth Conference in November. Call Susan Collins at 423-6399382.

St. John Neumann couple named Knights’ state family of year Ron Tasket of Knights of Columbus Council 8781 in Farragut and his family received the family-of-the-year award at the Tennessee Knights’ state convention May 30 in Nashville. Above, Mr. Tasket holds the plaque with St. John Neumann pastor Father John Dowling, as immediate past state deputy Bill Wicke, also of the Farragut parish, looks on. Wife P. J. Tasket stands at right with the couple’s daughters (from left) Mary, Megan, Ally, and Claire.

St. Dominic, Kingsport and fireworks night was held July 18 at St. Dominic School. ■ The Martha and Mary ministry sponsored Bunco Game Night on July 7. ■ St Dominic’s annual rummage sale is set for Saturday, Aug. 15. Drop-off starts at 8 a.m. Friday, July 31. Items accepted include working appliances, computers, and electronic items as well as furniture, clean clothing that is usable, art objects, yard and exercise equipment in working condition, and children’s and baby items. Smoky Mountain Deanery

Holy Ghost, Knoxville ■ The parish will host farewell recep-

tions for outgoing associate pastor Father Patrick Resen after all Masses on the weekend of July 25 and 26 and receptions to welcome new associate Father John Orr after all Masses on the weekend of Aug. 1 and 2. ■ A Pride Mobility manual wheelchair with anti-tip devices has been donated to the parish-nurse program at Holy Ghost by the East Tennessee Technology Access Center for use by parishioners at no charge. For details, call Letha R. Lehman at 865-556-6280.

Bishop confirms St. Alphonsus youth Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrated the sacrament of confirmation for youth at St. Alphonsus Church in Crossville on May 23. With the bishop and St. Alphonsus pastor Father Jim Harvey are (from left, front) Jasmine Leyva, Amanda Server, and Stephanie Crillo and (back) Derek Burgess, Michael Boyd, Nestor Fraga, Jordan Stevenson, Ernest Retzer, Michael Minneci, and Sammy Fuentes.

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville parishioners for recently donating more than 450 pairs of shoes to the Soles 4 Souls project. ■ “Christ Child baby showers,” sponsored by the women’s group, were held after Masses on July 11 and 12 to benefit the Ladies of Charity layette program.

St. Albert the Great, Knoxville ■ Practice for the children’s choir

(grades two through six) will begin after the 9 a.m. Mass on Sunday, Aug. 2. The first opportunity for the group to sing will be at the parish-center dedication at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29. Call Kim Neighbor at 423-922-9706 or e-mail dkneighbor@comcast.net. ■ Youth in grades seven through 12 who can sing or play an instrument proficiently are invited to join the contemporary youth band, which will be involved in a portion of the parish center dedication. Rehearsals will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, at the Brickey Lane property. ■

First Communion celebrated in Crossville Children at St. Alphonsus in Crossville received their first Holy Communion on May 17. Their pastor, Father Jim Harvey, joins them for the photo. From left are (front) Anais Villaruz, Maggi McClain, Jordan LaCourt, Micah Igot, Johnathan Ford, and Carly Klinedinst and (back) Julian Nosarzewski, Marlee Minneci, Katie Klinedinst, Summer Solis, Lexie Jackson, and Antonio Flores-Montes.

COURTESY OF ROSA AYALA

JIM WOGAN

■ The annual parish picnic will be held from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2. Families are asked to bring a dozen cookies. ■ The entertainment committee for the fall festival, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, is seeking musicians to perform for 30 minutes each between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. To learn more,

■

■ Memory tiles with engraved im-

■ The IC women’s group thanked

Cumberland Mountain Deanery

St. John Neumann, Farragut

■ The annual parish Family Fun Fest

■ Unused rosaries may be donated

St. Bridget youth celebrate sacrament Father Sam Sturm, pastor of St. Bridget in Dayton, poses with youth of his parish after they received their first Holy Communion on May 10. From left are (front) Omar Ayala, Evan Parnell, and Christian Ayala; (middle) Sophia Dieckhaus, Emme Roden, and Amber Edde; and (back) Edith Perez, Nidia Reyes, Grecia Perez, Karina Perez, and Laura Reyes.

contact Karen Mathot at 865-458-5028 or skmathot@yahoo.com or Donna Knoerl at 408-9362 or knoerl@charter. net by Saturday, July 25.

NEIL DONAHUE

Chattanooga Deanery

SARA CAREY

NOTES

CINDY WHEELER

parish

Father Boettner marks 15 years in the priesthood St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City on May 27 celebrated the 15-year anniversary of Father David Boettner’s ordination into the priesthood. Above, the pastor accepts the gifts from his parents, Barry and (not seen) Nancy Boettner, during the anniversary Mass. At left is server Nick Gehringer, with Deacon Sean Smith of St. Thomas behind Father Boettner. Concelebrants were Father Peter Iorio, Father Al Humbrecht, and St. Thomas associate Father Christian Mathis, with parish Deacons Smith and José Rivera assisting. Father Boettner was ordained May 28, 1994, at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland. He served as associate pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Chattanooga from 1994 to 1997 and at Sacred Heart Cathedral from 1997 to 2000. He served as pastor of St. Mary in Athens for the next two years before coming to St. Thomas. Now moderator of the curia for the Diocese of Knoxville, Father Boettner has also served the diocese as director of the diaconate and coordinator of Hispanic Ministry for both the Smoky Mountain and Cumberland Mountain deaneries. Effective Aug. 1, he will become moderator of the curia full time, with residence at the cathedral. Father Mathis will succeed him as St. Thomas pastor. www.dioceseofk noxville.org

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

Registered nurses interested in providing health ministry in their churches are invited to join a Faith Community/ Parish Nurse preparation class offered by Memorial Health Care System beginning Wednesday, Aug. 19. The program includes three eight-hour days and three three-hour evening sessions for a total of 33 contact hours. All sessions must be completed for contact-hour credit. Applications and a tuition deposit must be submitted by Wednesday, Aug. 5. The program has prepared 90 registered nurses representing 12 denominations. For more information, call Connie Blake at 423495-6163 or e-mail connie_blake@ memorial.org. The second annual Irish Fest on the Hill fundraiser will be held from 4 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, at Immaculate Conception Church in downtown Knoxville. Live Irish music will be provided by the Four Leaf Peat and Shamrock Road bands. The event will also feature children’s activities, vendor booths, a silent auction, an Irish bake sale, music by IC’s high school band and the Lowland Strings band, and Irish dancing. Hot dogs and hamburgers will be served from 4:30 to 8:30. A corned-beef-and-cabbage dinner will be served from 7 to 8:30. A cash bar with beer and wine will be available from 7 to 10:30. Cost is $10 in advance or $15 at the door for adults and $5 for children, and it includes dinner. Call the parish office at 865-522-1508 to purchase tickets. Sacred Heart Cathedral’s annual children’s consignment sale is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, July 31, and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Aug. 1, with most items half-price Saturday. Sales will benefit Sacred Heart Cathedral School and Knoxville Catholic High School. For details, e-mail Trish Sellers at sellers.tricia@yahoo.com. The annual meeting of the Catholic Committee of Appalachia, which has as its theme “Nourishing Relationships,” will be held the weekend of Sept. 25 through 27 at Norris Dam State Park. Former CCA board member Bob Choiniere, now director of Pastoral Planning for the Diocese of Brooklyn, will keynote. Breakout-session facilitators include Bishop R. Daniel Conlon of Steubenville, Ohio. Registration fee is $25 for CCA members and $35 for nonmembers. Partial scholarships are available. Call 304-927-5798 or e-mail ccapal@citynet.net for details on accommodations and meals. Knights of Columbus Council 610 in Chattanooga is collecting items for the white-elephant sale at its annual Labor Day picnic, set for Sept. 7 this year at Camp Columbus. For pickup and drop-off information, call Scott Louisell at 865-667-6936 or John Chrnalogar 544-1562.

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

coaches Rusty Morris and David Price of Knoxville Catholic High School, the camp will focus on stroke fundamentals and developing match-play skills in a fun environment for all levels. Ten percent of proceeds will benefit Catholic Charities of East Tennessee. Call the tennis club at 865-690-5700 for details. The National Council of Catholic Women convention will be held Sept. 23 through 27 in Jacksonville, Fla. This year’s theme is “NCCW—Moving Forward With Faith and Joy.” Convention speakers will explore the topics of parish unity in the midst of diversity, immigration reform, human trafficking, image building, and more. All Catholic women and religious interested in spiritual enrichment, leadership development, and service to the church and society are invited to register and attend the convention. Bishop Victor Galeone of St. Augustine, Fla., will preside at the opening liturgy Sept. 24. Registration forms and details are available at www.nccw.org. Archbishop Raymond L. Burke will speak at a Marian conference at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wis., to be held Friday and Saturday, July 31 and Aug. 1. Highlights will include Mass and dinner with Archbishop Burke, prefect of the Apostolic Signatura and founder of the shrine, and Bishop Joseph J. Madera, retired auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services. Call the Queen of the Americas Guild at 630584-1822 or register online at queenof theamericasguild.org. The next charismatic Mass in the diocese will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, at Holy Spirit Church in Soddy-Daisy. Father Dan Whitman of Holy Trinity Parish in Jefferson City will be the celebrant. Call Dee Leigh at 423842-2305 for more information. The last of the four charismatic Masses this year will be celebrated Oct. 25 at Holy Spirit. The next Engaged Encounter weekend in the diocese will be held Oct. 16 through 18 at the Magnuson Hotel in Sweetwater. Weekend cost is $239, including meals, rooms, and materials, and couples completing the entire weekend will receive a $60 discount on their marriage license. To register, call Mike or Charla Haley at 865-220-0120. For more information on Engaged Encounter, e-mail Charlie or Blanca Primm at ceeknoxville@gmail.com or visit www.rc.net/knoxville/cee. A Seekers of Silence Contemplative Saturday Morning will be held Aug. 8 at John XXIII Catholic Center in Knoxville. Edgar Miller will give a talk titled “Preserving Quality Time for Friendship and Family Life.” Coffee and tea will be served at 8:30 a.m.; the workshop will run from 9 a.m. to noon. Bring a bag lunch. RSVP to 865-523-7931.

t the 128th annual commencement ceremony for Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga, the Home & School Association presented the “Heart of Notre Dame Award” to Matt Irvin. The award was established in 1999 and is presented annually “to a faculty or staff member who most represents the values embraced by Notre Dame: leadership, excellence, service, and reverence.” Nominations are accepted from students, parents, and faculty members, and the winner is chosen by the members of the Home & School board. The winner receives a $250 personal gift and a $500 stipend for professional enrichment. Mr. Irvin joined the Notre Dame faculty in 1999. He holds a bachelor of science degree in biology and teaches advanced-placement biology, advanced-placement environmental science, and honors chemistry. He is also chair of the Notre Dame science department. This is Mr. Irvin’s second Heart of Notre Dame award. He previously won in 2002. One of his many nominations read, “I have

COURTESY OF GAYLE SCHOENBORN

Diocesan Day 2009 is set for Saturday, Aug. 22, at All Saints Church in Knoxville. The keynote speaker will be Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia. The theme of the day is “You have but one teacher,” from Matthew 23:8. The focus of the archbishop’s talk and his homily for the Diocesan Day Mass will be the teaching office of the bishop. Bishop Richard F. Stika will speak to the faithful during the afternoon sessions, discussing his dialogue with priests and parishioners during his first few months as shepherd of the Knoxville Diocese. The day will begin with Bishop Stika’s opening remarks and welcome at 9 a.m. The cardinal’s keynote begins at 9:15. Mass will be celebrated at 10:45, followed by lunch. Registration is $25, including lunch, through Aug. 17 ($25 but with no lunch included after Aug. 17). The student cost is $10. To register by mail, use the form printed in the June 21 ETC or download a form at bit.ly/ddform. To register and pay online, visit the diocesan website at bit.ly/dioday. Proceeds for the event will benefit Catholic Charities of East Tennessee and Catholic Relief Services. For more details, contact Paul Simoneau at 865-584-3307 or psimoneau@dioceseofknoxville.org.

The Irish Tennis Camp will continue Aug. 3 through 6 at Cedar Bluff Racquet Club in Knoxville. Taught by

NDHS science teacher awarded ‘Heart of Notre Dame’

BY TONI PACITTI

Matt Irvin

witnessed his enthusiasm and sincerity with his student’s grand accomplishments both in the academic and sports arenas. Giving his time before and after school hours to attend NDHS sporting events and giving extra attention to academics comes part and parcel with this special man’s spirit. He truly displays a servant’s heart.” ■

Marriage Encounter couples gear up for rest of ’09 ive couples from the Diocese of Knoxville, along with four of their children, represented East Tennessee at the Worldwide Marriage Encounter Family Convention held in Orlando from June 26 through 28. The convention theme was “Celebrating Love in God’s Kingdom,” which ties in to the movement’s celebration of the love of God lived out through the sacraments of matrimony and holy orders. John and Manuela Ptacek of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City gave one of the general-session presentations, titled “Our Prayerful Journey to God’s Kingdom,” sharing their experiences of couple and family prayer. One hundred and twenty couples and 10 priests from around the Southeast attended the sessions, with special programs provided for teens and children. The East Tennessee couples attending the

COURTESY OF DEACON BOB AND JANEL LANGE

CALENDAR

John and Manuela Ptacek present “Our Prayerful Journey to God’s Kingdom” at the Orlando event.

DOK COUPLE AT CONVENTION

convention gained inspiration to bring back to the local community as it prepares for several events during the remainder of 2009. The next Marriage Encounter weekend is scheduled for Aug. 28 through 30 at the Hilton Garden Inn in West Knoxville. The community also has a fall family picnic scheduled for Oct. 11, an event open to all “encountered” couples and priests. The final Marriage Encounter weekend for this year is scheduled for Nov. 20 through 22 at the

Meadowview Convention Center in Kingsport. The weekend experiences are designed to assist priests and couples with good marriages in discovering a greater awareness of God’s love in their relationships. For more information, contact Deacon Bob or Janel Lange at 423-246-1570 or wwme@staying connected.net. To register for a weekend, contact the Ptaceks at 865-5311719 or celebratelove@earthlink.net, or visit www.lovein thesmokies.org. ■

Sant’Egidio is a Catholic lay ecclesial movement that focuses on prayer, communicating the Gospel, friendship with the poor, and the work of peace. The Johnson City community meets for prayer at 6:30 p.m. on first and third Mondays at the Catholic Center at East Tennessee State University. The Knoxville community of Sant’ Egidio meets at 5:30 p.m. on second and fourth Mondays at the Chancery office in Knoxville. Call Father Michael Cummins at 423-926-7061. Holy Resurrection Byzantine Catholic Mission holds Divine Liturgy celebrations at 5:30 p.m. Sundays at Holy Family Church in Seymour. All are welcome to attend, and explanations of the ceremony will be given. Call 865609-1081 to learn more. The St. Thomas the Apostle Ukrainian Catholic Mission celebrates the Divine Liturgy at 10 a.m. Sundays in the chapel at the Chancery in Knoxville and Vespers at 6 p.m. Saturdays at the Chancery. For details, call Father Richard Armstrong at 865-584-3307. Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at 1:30 p.m. each Sunday at St. Therese Church in Clinton and at 3 p.m. on first and third Sundays at St. Thérèse of Calendar continued on page 7

COURTESY OF FATHER PETER IORIO

on the

Priests bless homes of St. Joseph the Worker parishioners Father Peter Iorio (left), pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Madisonville, and Fathers Bede Aboh (second from right) and Ray Gelineau (right) blessed the homes of (from left) parishioners Ron and Kathy Catton, Allan and Gayle Pearson, and Tim and Stella Epps on June 26. Mr. and Mrs. Epps hosted a dinner for the group afterward.

Lenoir City Knights of Columbus elect new officers nights of Columbus Council 12633 in Lenoir City elected new officers May 25 in its monthly meeting at St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Father David Boettner, St. Thomas pastor, recognized the Knights and spoke about the role they play in the community, then performed a special blessing over them at the 9 a.m. Mass on June 14 at the church. Dennis Preston is the new Grand

www.dioceseofk noxville.org

Knight of the council and Ed Valente the deputy Grand Knight. Also elected officers were Gene Kray, chancellor; Stu McFadden, recorder; Joe Heckman, treasurer; Jim Bowerfind, advocate; Chuck James, warden; Chet Kwiatkowski, outside guard; Joe Coriaci, inside guard; Mario Catani, one-year trustee; Doug Peterson, two-year trustee; Jerry Dougherty Sr., threeyear trustee; and Bill Twohig III, financial secretary. ■ JULY 26, 2009

■

Deaths WILLIAM JABALEY

William Patrick Jabaley Sr., 89, of McCaysville, Ga., a papal honoree who served Catholics in the Copperhill area for more than 70 years, died Saturday evening, July 11, at Copper Basin Medical Center. He was born Dec. 12, 1919, in LaGrange, Ga., to the late John Sr. and Jennie Moses Jabaley. Mr. Jabaley graduated from Copperhill High School in 1936 and served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during World War II. He was a devoted member and charter parishioner of St. Catherine Labouré Church in Copperhill who was instrumental in the building of the church in 1950. His family moved to the area in the 1930s, and as a teenager Mr. Jabaley first began setting up for Mass in 1936 when the liturgies were celebrated on the second floor of his father’s store. The parish coordinator at St. Catherine Labouré for many years, Mr. Jabaley retired in fall 2004. Then–Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz presided at a special Mass and dinner held for him at St. Catherine Labouré. At the dinner, Mr. Jabaley said that one thing kept him going for many years at St. Catherine Labouré: “It’s our church, and we’re proud of it” (Dec. 26, 2004, ETC). He said that he would be retiring only as parish coordinator and not as a parishioner. “I’m not moving. I’ll be here till the day I die,” he said. Mr. Jabaley received the Benemerenti Medal from Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 for his many years of service to the parish and the diocese. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club and helped bring industry into the area, such as Levi Strauss & Co. He was preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth (Bessie) Isaac Jabaley. Survivors include his daughters and sonsin-law, Norma and Jim Pittman of Jasper, Ga., and Margaret and Doug Van Buren of Snellville, Ga.; sons and daughters-in-law, John and Doris Jabaley of Sevierville; Pat and Koni Jabaley of Powder Springs, Ga; and Paul and Maura Jabaley of Augusta, Ga.; son, Howard Jabaley of McCaysville;

sisters, Frances Solomon of LaGrange and Anna Mae Isaac of Blue Ridge, Ga.; brother, Howard Jabaley, of Chattanooga; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. The funeral Mass was held Tuesday, July 14, at St. Catherine Labouré Church with pastor Father Tom Moser, former pastors Father Paul Hostettler and Father Bede Aboh, and Father John Conway of St. Anthony Parish in Blue Ridge officiating. Interment followed in the Epworth (Ga.) First Baptist Church Cemetery. Father Hostettler and Mr. Jabaley had known each other since 1958, when the priest became pastor of Church of the Resurrection (now St. Thérèse of Lisieux) in Cleveland and had responsibility for St. Catherine Labouré as well. Memorials may be made to St. Catherine Labouré Catholic Church for Divine Mercy for the Poor, P.O. Box 568, Copperhill, TN 37317. BROTHER RICHARD REMETECH

Alexian Brother Richard Remetch, 57, of Signal Mountain died Friday, July 10. He had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Born Oct. 25, 1951, he joined the Alexian Brothers in 1998. His date of profession was July 17, 2000, and his feast day was May 1. Before he came to the religious community, he served in Vietnam in the U.S. Navy and spent 13 years with John Deere in his hometown of Waterloo, Iowa. He graduated from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in 1996 and worked with the Southern Colorado AIDS Project until 1998. His parents preceded him in death. Brother Rich is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Julie and Ross Schoonover, and his brother and sister-in-law, Al and Connie Remetch. A vigil service was held Monday evening, July 13, in the Alexian Village Chapel. The funeral Mass was held Tuesday morning, July 14, in the St. Augustine Chapel at Alexian Village with Father Joseph Kuzhupil, MSFS, officiating. Interment was in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Chattanooga. ■

MARY C. WEAVER (3)

Farragut continued from page 1

SAINTLY PRESENCE Bishop Richard F. Stika prepares to place a relic of St. John Neumann in the altar of the new Farragut church bearing the saint’s name. At left is emcee Father Tony Dickerson; altar server John Hendershott is seen at right. In the background is server Nick Armendarez.

dedication Mass, he told the congregation about the episcopal ring he was wearing: the very ring that had been worn by the Bohemian saint. Bishop Stika had received the ring as a gift from his close friend Cardinal Justin F. Rigali, the archbishop of Philadelphia and thus an episcopal “descendant” of St. John Neumann. “In a few moments, I will anoint this altar with chrism, the holy oil that I blessed on Holy Thursday,” said Bishop Stika. “My right hand will be guided by St. John Neumann, I have no doubt. The ring that I wear was the ring St. John Neumann wore in life and in death. “And so as I anoint the altar with chrism, it’s not just my hand—it’s a connection to this great saint that we honor.” The bishop told the congregation about how the saint, a Redemptorist priest, received “one of those surprising messages” in 1852, in which Pope Pius IX appointed him a bishop. “He tried to talk him out of it,” said Bishop Stika. “Yet God had other plans for him.” As bishop of Philadelphia, the saint began what is now known as 40 hours’

devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, Bishop Stika said. Today the Farragut church is one of a handful of East Tennessee Catholic parishes that offer perpetual adoration of the Eucharist. St. John Neumann also brought the diocese’s Catholic schools together “to create the parochial system that we know today on the diocesan level, and he even started the first diocesan school board,” the bishop said. Bishop Stika praised everyone in the parish, past and present, who made the new church possible—“a church dedicated for the praise and worship of God.” “By your commitment, generations that will follow, just like you, will be able to worship the God who has created us, the God who loves us, the God who will eventually call us home and give the reward of eternal life to all who live good and faithful lives,” he said. “The baptisms, the weddings, the anointings, the funerals, the various celebrations that make each parish unique will be celebrated in this sacred space, so that maybe in 100 years a

community like this will gather in this very church and remember this day, the day on which this church was dedicated in memory of St. John Neumann.” He noted that as part of the dedication ritual he would anoint the altar and four places on the walls. He added that he would “place a relic of the body of St. John Neumann in the center of the altar, sealed with a little note that will remind generations to come that on this day we honored St. John Neumann. “But even more than that, on this day we honored Almighty God and his gift of his son, Jesus Christ.” Finally, he said that near the end of Mass he would lead a procession around the church with the Blessed Sacrament, “the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, till finally the eucharistic species will be placed again in the tabernacle.” That should be a reminder to all who enter the church, he said, to remember that “you are in the presence of Jesus and to remember, in the age-old tradition of Catholics, to genuflect in a spirit of reverence.”

Shortly after the two-hour mark of the Mass, Father Dowling made brief remarks to the congregation. “For those of you who do not regularly attend Mass here,” he said, “we’re getting into the third hour now, and this is about the length of my homilies. Consider yourself blessed.” He said there were “too many people to thank” but expressed his deep appreciation for people within and outside the parish whose generosity made it possible, for example, “to use the beautiful stone used for the exterior of this church, when we had only about a week left to make that decision.” He called attention to the choir for the “beautiful, beautiful expression of our faith and the tremendous amount of overtime you’ve put in over the last couple of months to prepare.” Saying that he “can’t sing a note,” he added that he had the “best seat in the house . . . because I was sitting next to Father David Carter, and he was able to lead me through the singing.” Father Carter, a son of the parish, led the singing of the Litany Farragut continued on page 10

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

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JULY 26, 2009

Longtime St. John Neumann pastor Father John Dowling signs official documents related to the July 12 dedication of the parish’s new church in Farragut. www.d ioceseofknoxville.or g

Bishop Stika poses with altar servers (from left) Andrew Hendershott, Paul Carter, and John Hendershott immediately before the dedication Mass. THE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOL I C

Pope thanks well-wishers, doctors for treatment, prayers

YOUTH

COURTESY OF KATHY SUMRELL

NDHS rowers take part in U.S. championships Five students from Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga participated in the U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships from June 12 through 14 in Cincinnati. From left are Joanna Poinsatte and Courtney Melia, both of St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga; Conor Delaney of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Chattanooga; and Lindsey McGirl and Tony Schmidt, both of Holy Spirit in Soddy-Daisy. Courtney came in seventh in the country in the women’s lightweight double. Joanna, who will be rowing for the University of Notre Dame next season, and Lindsey finished eighth in the women’s four (plus coxswain). Conor and Tony placed 12th in the men’s double. All of the youth are members of Chattanooga Junior Rowing.

COURTESY OF GAYLE SCHOENBORN

catholic

COURTESY OF GEORGE LECRONE SR.

COURTESY OF MARY ALICE LYNN

Mom helps son with rosary for first Communion at OLPH Lisa Barrett makes a rosary with son Carson recently at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Chattanooga in preparation for Carson’s first Holy Communion, celebrated May 9 at OLPH Church.

Luba Lynn

COURTESY OF LEONARD MUZYN

Scouts earn Parvuli Dei awards Seven Scouts received their Parvuli Dei religious-emblem award at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge recently. George LeCrone Sr., chair of the Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting, stands with Scouting committee awards councilor Lynda Vinyard and St. Mary associate pastor Father William Oruko, AJ. The Scouts are (from left, front) Garrett Dick, Brendan Hansen, Garrett Mesmer, and Matthew Puryear and (back) Austin Vinyard, Ryan Feist, and William Garibay.

Eagle project completed Chris Muzyn of Boy Scout Troop 172 at St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga recently completed his Eagle award project. He planted a Liberty Elm tree in Jefferson Heights Park as part of a renovation and presented a plaque explaining the Liberty Elm Project to city Mayor Ron Littlefield (second from right). Chris is a rising sophomore at Signal Mountain High School. Also with him above are his father, Leonard Muzyn (left), and Larry Means of the Jefferson Heights Neighborhood Association. THE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOLI C

Girl Scout Lynn receives Gold Award at gala in Knoxville uba Lynn, a Girl Scout since third grade, recently added the Gold Award—Girl Scouting’s top honor—to the Silver and Bronze awards that she had already earned. Luba is the daughter of Mary Alice and Robert Lynn of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville and a recent graduate of Knoxville Catholic High School. She crocheted 13 baby blankets for the Ladies of Charity of Knoxville layette program as her Gold Award project, which she titled “The Blankets of Love.” She received the Gold award at the annual Girl Scout Gala, sponsored by the Girl Scouts of Tanasi Council on April 4 at the Civic Auditorium in Knoxville. ■

www.dioceseofk noxville.org

ROMANO CANAVESE, Italy (CNS)—Pope Benedict XVI thanked the doctors who treated his broken wrist and thanked everyone who prayed for and expressed concern for him. Before reciting the Angelus prayer in the town of Romano Canavese in northern Italy on July 19, the pope greeted thousands of the faithful gathered outside the town’s parish church, waving enthusiastically even though his right arm was encased in a plaster cast. “As you can see, because of an accident, my mobility is a bit limited, but my heart is fully present,” he assured the crowd. The pope traveled about 50 miles by helicopter and car from Les Combes, where he has been vacationing, to Romano Canavese, the hometown of his secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. “I offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone—and there are many of you—who have demonstrated your closeness, your sympathy, and your affection for me and who have prayed for me,” he said. “I especially want to thank the doctors and the medical staff who treated me with such diligence, compassion, and friendship. As you can see, they were successful . . . we hope they were successful,” he said. The pope fractured his right wrist after he accidentally fell during the night of July 16-17 in the residence where he has been vacationing since July 13. Using local anesthesia, doctors at the nearby hospital in Aosta performed minor surgery to stabilize and join the ends of the dislocated broken bones with wires. Doctors in Aosta told reporters the pope was in good condition and that he would probably have to wear the cast for a month. He was released a few hours later July 17. During his first public appearance after his accident, the 82-year-old pope used his right arm to wave and even wiggled his still slightly swollen fingers. The swelling has gone down enough to allow him to put the papal fisherman’s ring back on his right hand. He shook hands with wellwishers with his left hand. Pope Benedict’s brief trip to Romano Canavese was designed to pay homage to his “closest collaborator,” Cardinal Bertone, who was secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith when its prefect was the pope, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. “I am truly happy to be able to pay him homage today, coming to his hometown, where many people surround him with affection,” said the pope. The pope noted the many vocations that have come from the small town, especially for the Salesian community, to which Cardinal Bertone belongs. The pope said the numbers should serve to encourage the diocese to continue its dedication to education and vocations formation. The mayor of Romano Canavese gave the pope a notebook-sized portable computer. The righthanded pope was especially pleased and later publically thanked him for “the very beautiful gift.” Cardinal Bertone told the Italian news agency ANSA that the broken wrist would make it difficult for the pope to use his Alpine vacation to continue work on the second volume of his book about Jesus. The Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, said in a written statement that the pope was “learning how to live with the right wrist in a cast.” The most difficult thing for the pope to get used to, the spokesman said, “is having to give up writing by hand, something he intended to do frequently” during his July 13 through 29 vacation. ■ Copyright 2009 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

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Lisieux Church in Cleveland. The weekly Masses at St. Therese will move to Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville in August, with the first one set for 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2. Visit www. knoxlatinmass.net for details. Upcoming events for Catholic Singles of Greater Knoxville (40 and over) include the following: ■ Tuesday, July 28: Planning meeting for September and October events and dinner at Ray’s ESG, 7355 Kingston Pike, 6:15 p.m. Those who cannot attend should contact Gail B. at 865-966-8205 or gbraunsroth@charter.net to suggest an event. RSVP due for Aug. 1 luau. See details below. ■ Wednesday, July 29: Ronald McDonald House service project. Prepare a casserole or bring fresh fruit or 2 percent milk to the house before 6:30 p.m. Contact Donna T. at 531-3839 or e-mail penguin7@prodigy.net. ■ Saturday, Aug. 1: Annual luau at Charlestowne Landing, 8601 Old Carriage Court, 6 p.m. Decorating will begin at 2 p.m. Cost is $3; bring a beverage of choice. RSVP to Martha at 659-0383 or mcgrama@ hotmail.com ■ Saturday, Aug. 8: Second Saturday free concert at The Cove in Concord Park, 6 to 8 p.m. The Retroholics will perform. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. ■ JULY 26, 2009

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Letters continued from page 2

Ginsburg) to tell the real truth behind the packaging term “A woman’s reproductive rights” (that term sounds so American). To all you baby-boomer ex-hippies from the ’60s who continually vote for politicians who further abortion, your time is coming. When Obama’s state health-care plan becomes law, and about 20 years from now, after waiting in line for hours to see a government doctor, the doctor will tell you that you are too old for treatment. He will offer you an “eternal rest pill” and tell you to go home and do what’s right. You may cry out “Who will help me now?” From the grave over 50 million voices will say, “I would have helped you, but I didn’t get the chance. Because of your acceptance of the culture of death then, no one today thinks it’s wrong to get rid of the populations that we don’t want to have too many of.” ■ —Louis G. Kahl Pigeon Forge We welcome letters to the editor and carefully consider all submissions. Letters should be 350 words or less and will be edited for grammar, style, clarity, and length. Submit them by e-mail, mail, or fax: mary@dioceseofknoxville.org, P.O. Box 11127, Knoxville, TN 37939-1127, 865-5848124. Letters to the editor reflect the opinions of their authors and not those of the editorial staff or the publisher.

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still uses the same technique on us. Look at today’s second reading and determine whether we have been reeled in by Christ in a similar manner. Paul explained to the Ephesians how they had come to Christ. Before Christ, they thought they had a good life. Then they realized what they had wasn’t enough. They had to trade in their old selves for a new life. Have we not reached the point where we realize our life choices are no longer satisfying? Reaching that point is a good sign that Christ has hooked us. Instead of giving us the kind of life we think we need, Christ offers us something far better. For the price of believing in him, the Lord offers us a spiritual life that will lead us to the greatest happiness on earth and the infinite joy of heaven. ■ Father Brando is the pastor of St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga.

obsessions

BY GINGER HUTTON

The way of suffering If we love and wish to follow Christ, we must take up his cross.

In his Ascent of Mount Carmel, St. John of the Cross wrote: I would, then, that I could convince spiritual persons that this road to God consists not in a multiplicity of meditations nor in ways or methods of such, nor in consolations, although these things may in their own way be necessary to beginners; but that it consists only in the one thing that is needful, which is the ability to deny oneself truly, according to that which is without and to that which is within, giving oneself up to suffering for Christ’s sake, and to total annihilation.

This is a view of Christianity that many find hard to take—and understandably so. True self-denial is difficult. Although many fail by denying ourselves very little, others fail by embracing many penitential practices and mortifications for the pleasure of feeling holy and devout which is, as St John of the Cross also points out, equally a manifestation of self-love. Rather than embrace a plethora of impressive penitential practices, the saint would have us in every single case, at every moment of the day, choose the thing we find least desirable and do it in such a way that our sacrifices pass unno-

ticed and unappreciated. Yet what the saint is talking about goes beyond simple self-denial. When he speaks of suffering for Christ’s sake to the point of total annihilation, he is not talking about that sick piety that romanticizes sufferings one has largely invented for oneself. He is talking about sufferings beyond our control: illness, loss, poverty. Beyond that, he is talking about embracing with one’s whole will the things that are completely repugnant to our pride. For some of us physical pain is far less difficult to endure than being misunderstood, falsely accused, or treated unjustly. St Therese— who was significantly less proud than most of us—talks about the first time she chose not to defend herself when accused of a fault she had not committed. She describes how her heart was pounding and how she had to leave the room as quickly as possible because she knew otherwise she would fail. Suffering even a little injustice silently and patiently is truly an interior death. St John of the Cross suffered enormously painful injustices such as being accused of heresy and being removed from leadership in the order he helped found. Yet he taught that it is precisely in patiently and lovingly enduring these self-annihilating sufferings that one is brought most quickly and safely to union with Christ.

This spirituality of self-annihilation and suffering seems negative only if one misses the point—not the suffering but the love of God. “Love,” St. John of the Cross writes, “creates a likeness between that which is loved and that which loves.” One sees this in human lovers all the time—the way they imitate one another and long to be united in all things. Whom is it that we love? Christ, who placed himself in the hands of the corrupt and unjust. Christ, who suffered betrayal and abandonment by friends and mockery from those he came to save. Christ, who endured enormous physical pain, intense desolation, and death on the cross. Because he loved us, he permitted himself to be annihilated, reduced to nothing. In the words of St. Paul, “he emptied himself.” This is the love of our life, the one to whom we want to be united. He is the one who said, “take up your cross and follow me.” The more completely we are emptied and the more willingly we suffer for the love of Christ the things he suffered for us, the closer we are to him because choose what he himself chose in his incarnation. In willing and loving those things that are death to our pride and counter to our selflove, we are freed from the danger of seeking God for our own consolations and pleasure. Then he can, through what we suffer, transform us into people who love him for himself, not for any gift he may give us. ■ Miss Hutton is a member of St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge and a full-time godmother.

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making business for me, but they’re not exactly getting eHarmony-style results. I haven’t helped matters any. Once I tried to introduce a date to Humphrey Bogart movies by starting with his vampire film, with the intent of working through his priest film and The Maltese Falcon on our way to Casablanca. “We’ll always have Maynardville,” I tried to tell her, preparatory to her storming out. Sigh. THOSE OF US WHO KNEW NANCY FEIST WERE

amazed at how much she achieved in her alltoo-short 43 years. We learned so much more about the life of our co-worker and friend after her death in June. I mentioned in my article on Nancy in our last issue that many were moved to tears by Hope Feist’s wonderful eulogy for her mother and for baby Peter Feist, who was delivered but died in the hospital shortly after Nancy. I’ll admit that I was among those crying a bit during Hope’s eulogy. Was it odd for me at the funeral Mass to wonder how a 16-year-old could deliver those words with composure only days after receiving such shocking news, how she could have the skill to write such a tribute in the first place, or how she could boldly proclaim that her mother and brother are in heaven praying for the family now? Maybe not so odd, knowing Nancy’s background as a writer and how she and David Feist passed on their love for the Lord and his church to their children, not to mention their educating them in Catholic schools. I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE ONLY PERSON AT NANCY’S

funeral who wished he or she could have a child like Hope someday. I mentioned that to Bishop Stika. His reply? “You ought to dance more.” Sigh. ■ Mr. McWilliams is assistant editor of the ETC.

Corrections n the headline and article on the Catholic Charities of East Tennessee fundraising dinners in the July 12 edition, the total amount raised by the two events should have been listed as “more than $150,000.”

21 ISSUE, A BOY WHO received his first Holy Communion at St. Elizabeth Church in Elizabethton should have been identified as Michael Stapleton. ■ IN A PHOTO CAPTION IN THE JUNE

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JULY 26, 2009

life and

DIGNITY

BY PAUL SIMONEAU

Double inheritance True development for the common good is of heaven as well as earth.

Five hundred years ago St. Catherine of Genoa spoke a very simple yet profound truth: “Oh, the torment of working without love!” We discover the opposite in the Old Testament account of Jacob, who labored seven years and then another seven in the service of his future father-in-law for the hand of his daughter Rachel. But we read that those years of labor “seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her” (Genesis 29:20). In the story of Jacob and his older brother Esau, we find two ways of responding to the truth of God’s gift of himself, the source of being a gift to others and developing the gifts of the earth for the common good. In his new encyclical Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), Pope Benedict XVI explains that “the question of development is closely bound up with our understanding of the human soul.” As such, it “must include not just material growth but also spiritual growth” (CV, No. 76). He emphasizes that because “man does not develop through his own powers” (CV, No. 11), he especially needs God, the only “guarantor of man’s true development” (CV, No. 29). Because man is both body and soul, authentic development

must be of both earth and heaven if it is “to promote the good of every man and of the whole man” (CV, No. 18). We see this in the double blessing Jacob received from his father, Isaac, in his brother Esau’s stead. The double inheritance Jacob received was of the abundance of both heaven and earth. In contrast, the blessing Esau received was sterile because of his total disregard of God’s covenant of love and promise of fruitfulness. Esau, as first-born son, was entitled to a double share of his father’s possessions (cf. Deuteronomy 21:17). More important, he was to be heir and trustee of the covenant given by God to his grandfather, Abraham, and to his father, Isaac. Esau was to have a privileged share in the promise of fruitfulness that, in God’s plan, was to lead to the salvation of all humanity in Christ. But Esau “cared little for his birthright” (Genesis 25:34) and instead trusted in his own strength and skill as a hunter. In selling his birthright for a bowl of food and some bread, he forfeited not only his responsibility as the bearer of God’s promise but also the double blessing of the fruitfulness of heaven and earth. Isaac took advantage of Esau’s disregard for God’s promise and became its heir (Genesis 27; cf. Matthew 10:16). Isaac subsequently blessed his son Jacob, pray-

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ing, “May God give to you of the dew of the heavens and of the fertility of the earth abundance of grain and wine” (Genesis 27:28). But for Esau’s blessing, Isaac could pray only, “Ah, far from the fertile earth shall be your dwelling; far from the dew of the heavens above!” (Genesis 27:39). Esau received only what he had exchanged his birthright for—a sterility divorced from God’s promise of fruitfulness. The crisis of today’s world, of which Benedict XVI speaks in his encyclical, is that of Esau. When God is eclipsed and the transcendent dimension of development excluded for economic and technological processes, true development cannot exist. Where the morsel of the material is chosen over the birthright banquet, the words spoken to Esau echo ever louder: “far from the fertile earth . . . and far from the dew of the heavens above . . .” The burdens of today’s society are not light. But although we must work in today’s difficult fields, we are called to labor with Jesus, first-born Son of God and Son of Man, who brought to fulfillment his work of love on the cross for the sake of his bride, the church: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light” (Matthew 11:28-30). With a traditional play upon the words of Pope Paul VI, “If you want peace . . . ,” seek a double inheritance. ■ Mr. Simoneau directs the diocesan Justice and Peace Office. THE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOLI C

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Marsella continued from page 2

PARACLETE

BY DOROTHY CURTIS

Byzantine beauty hen the Paraclete opened 22 years ago, it was the first Catholic book and gift store in East Tennessee to carry icons. They were an immediate hit, and since then our offerings have steadily increased as more people discover the particular beauty of the Orthodox/Byzantine tradition. Despite the mystique surrounding contemplative prayer, the directions are fairly straightforward: sit down, be quiet, and listen. It is the third directive many people have trouble with. One of the most effective ways to shortcircuit distracting thoughts is to use an icon. No less a spiritual writer than Henri Nouwen espouses this in Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying With Icons (Ave Maria Press, 2007, $14.95), as does Jim Forest in Praying With Icons (Orbis Books, 2008, $22). There is even a children’s book on icons, Pictures of God: A Child’s Guide to Understanding Icons (Conciliar Press, 2008, $10.95). Not a few of our customers stop by regularly to see

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Deacon Sean Smith (left) and Bishop Richard F. Stika, with Gloria Letitcia Villa of Marsella between them, stand with the Escobar family and a few of their neighbors June 14. Deacon Smith and Bishop Stika agreed to sponsor the Marsella family shortly after meeting them. The family includes mom Flor Maria Escobar and children Ana Maria, 13; Diana Carolina, 12; Christian David, 10; Lucero, 8; Joh Sebastian, 7; and Paula Andrea, 6.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

home visits, identifies the poorest families for Minimar. “She’s the one who selects the poorest kids in town, and she tells us whom to help,” said Father Giraldo. She discovered the Escobars living in cardboard boxes at a bus station and placed them in their current home. Deacon Smith gave money to each family visited and provided a special gift for one youngster. “There was a poor little boy who wanted a soccer ball so bad, so I gave the money to Father Antonio, and I know they ended up getting him one,” he said. The youth group and its adult leaders handed out more than 1,000 rosaries along with 225 bilingual Bibles, 40 prayer blankets, and groceries for 247 families and held VBS for 206 children in Marsella. They stayed in the town June 14 through 19. Lucy and Tom Hughes of All Saints Parish in Knoxville attended Father Miguel Vélez’s ordination last year in Pereira and were invited on the mission trip this year by Father Giraldo. The couple joined the missioners at Father Cano’s ordination Mass in Pereira. “We have been very interested in supporting the Colombian seminarians, so we came last year for Father Miguel’s ordination,” said Mrs. Hughes. Combining the ordination and VBS made this year’s trip doubly memorable, she said. “It’s absolutely an amazing experience, and now that we have the opportunity to work with the very poor people, it’s taken on a new dimension.” Kara Brigham of St. Thérèse has made two trips to Colombia and said she will always remember “how grateful the people are and how giving they are when they don’t have anything [material] to give.” “The culture is so different from America’s,” she said. Annette Govero, one of the

adult leaders from St. Thérèse, has been on all four of Father Giraldo’s missions, held from 2005 through ’07 and again this year. She said she could not put the “most moving thing” about the trips “in a simple sentence.” “I think it’s the love of God in these people, how they express that, and how we express our love of God without even speaking their language,” she said. The American youth, once they see Colombia’s poverty in person, “appreciate their material things more, and it certainly makes them appreciate their relationship with God more,” said Mrs. Govero. St. Thérèse teen Mary Ratterman is now a veteran of three Colombia trips. She met a 9-year-old girl, Deicy, at VBS the first year and a boy, now 10, the second year. “I decided to sponsor her, and that inspired me to come back [the next year] to see her,” she said. “Then that same year when I came back the second time, I met a little boy, Johan David.” Visit No. 2 led to visit No. 3. “I wanted to sponsor him and told him I could, but then I didn’t get his information,” said Mary. “So it inspired me to come back this year to get his information so I could sponsor him.” The $20 per month for Deicy “doubles her family salary,” said Mary. Fellow parishioner Joe Myers has been on all four of Father Giraldo’s mission trips. “I love this country. It’s absolutely beautiful,” he said. “The people are beautiful and very welcoming. When we go on home visits, you see that they really have next to nothing, but what they have, they’re very proud of.” The St. Thérèse youth, like Deacon Smith, also has a soccer-ball story to tell. “This little kid on one of our home visits last time was going down a hill kicking this little old beaten-up soccer ball with a huge gash in the side,”

said Joe. “It was a completely flat soccer ball, and he was just fine with it. I had just bought a soccer ball to give to somebody, and I looked at him and said, ‘Hold on just a sec.’ I pulled it out, and his face just lit up. It was almost joy, really, how much he appreciated it.” That was in 2007, and the two had a reunion last month. “I saw him this morning,” Joe said on the day of the bishop’s home visits. “His hair is all shorter, and he’s bigger, but he recognized me and it was cool.” The children of Marsella welcomed the mission group with open arms when they arrived from Pereira on June 13, said Vivian Brocato of St. Thérèse. “Gloria, the director here, had the children lining the stairs of the church all around the square, with the flags of Marsella and Colombia waving, greeting us,” she said. “We got off the bus, and everyone cheered and greeted us with hugs and kisses, and we did that for about 30 minutes. We got back on the bus and went to the culture center, and the children there performed two songs for us. “They treated us with a glass of Coke, a piece of bread, and a common food, empanada. One of the little boys got up and thanked us and told us that because of our support through Minicol, he’s able to participate in the culture center, and that it’s a very beautiful thing for the children in this area.” For further details on adopting a Colombian child or family, call Father Giraldo at 423-476-8123 before Aug. 1 and 865-531-0770 afterward. Mrs. Brocato, also the nurse for the mission group, said that the 2006 trip changed the lives of her sons Matthew and Paul, then 18 and 17, “and mine as well.” “It has solidified what I know is the right thing to do: be the hands and feet of Christ.” ■

his 1860 death: in 1903, 1962, 1989, and 2008. The pope thanked the president for the gift and looked very pleased, saying the saint had been “a wonderful person.” The saint was a Redemptorist priest, and the Baltimore province of the order gave Obama the stole, which had been removed from the casket

in 2008. Father Lombardi told pool reporters that giving the pope such a relic was “a sign of care, of sensitivity.” ■

Obama continued from page 10

that had been on the remains of St. John Neumann, the first male U.S. citizen to be proclaimed a saint. St. John Neumann, Philadelphia’s fourth bishop, is enshrined in a glass casket under an altar at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Philadelphia. New vestments have been placed on his remains four times since THE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOLIC

whether we have any new Russian nesting dolls to add to their collection. There is nothing quite like them. Their craftsmanship is impeccable. Prices begin at $24.95, with more elaborate dolls for the serious collector topping out at $240. We also have beautiful Orthodox crucifixes that are enamel on sterling silver. These unique pieces are real eye-catchers and range from $13.95 to $100. Direct from Greece and Russia is our selection of exquisite gold-plate on sterlingsilver crucifixes. Pope John Paul II once said the Orthodox and Latin traditions were like “the two lungs of the church,” thus validating, as only he could, the beauty of the Eastern church, which is alive and well in Byzantine Catholics. ■ The Paraclete is a fullservice Catholic book and supply store. Visit 417 Erin Drive in Knoxville, near Sacred Heart Cathedral, or call 865-588-0388 or 800-333-2097. Download the Paraclete’s newsletter online at snipr.com/paraclete.

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

Mankel continued from page 3

and consecrate an additional host and keep possession of that until the next day, and then we would use it.” Having the monstrance “meant a lot” to the soldiers, said Colonel Mankel. “There was a small corps of six or eight ‘hardcore’ Catholics who would participate in daily Mass,” he said. “Then when Father wasn’t able to be there or was out on the road or something, I would lead the Liturgy of the Word instead.” As Colonel Mankel was leaving for the States, Father McCormick asked if he could keep the monstrance. “I told him that would be fine, but I asked that when he left, if he wasn’t replaced by a priest, could he send it back to me,” said Colonel Mankel. The soldier said he figured he wouldn’t see the monstrance again for some time, but a friend left Camp Eggers this March and relayed some good news. “Just as she was leaving, a new lieutenant colonel came in who was Catholic and volunteered to be the lay leader,” he said. “He brought a small monstrance with him from his home parish, so Father Pat sent it back to me a little bit early.” Soon after the interview, Colonel Mankel returned to his current assignment at the Training and Doctrine Command headquarters at Fort Monroe, Va. But Holy Ghost will take care of the monstrance for the time being. “I brought it back [from Yorktown, Va.] to return to Monsignor Mankel,” said his nephew, “and he said he’ll use it this year during the Year of the Priest. Then he’s going to hold on to it for me. Should I deploy again, I’ll get it back from him and be able to take it with me when I deploy and be prepared.” ■

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JULY 26, 2009

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from the

Vocation directors use Internet, prayer to reach men

WIRE

Pope discusses bioethics, G-8 summit with Obama at Vatican B Y CA R OL GL ATZ AND CINDY WOODEN

VATICAN CITY (CNS)—The church’s position on bioethical issues got marked attention during Pope Benedict XVI’s meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama on July 10. In addition to giving Obama a copy of his latest encyclical, which the pope had been presenting to visiting heads of state since its release July 7, the pope also presented a copy of the Vatican document on biomedical ethics, Dignitas Personae (“The Dignity of a Person”). When presenting the gifts after their 35-minute closed-door meeting, the pope gave Obama a signed, white leather-bound copy of the encyclical Caritas in Veritate (“Charity in Truth”), then indicated the light-green soft-cover instruction on bioethics issued last December by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. “Oh, what we discussed earlier,” said Obama, referring to their closed-door discussions. “I will have some reading to do on the plane.” Obama was given the instruction to help him better understand the church’s position on bioethics, Monsignor Georg Ganswein, papal secretary, told journalists in the pool covering the visit. Obama arrived at the Vatican shortly before 4 p.m., and a squad of Swiss Guards saluted him in the St. Damasus Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace. U.S. Archbishop James Harvey, prefect of the papal household, was the first to greet the president, and he accompanied Obama to a meeting with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state. Pope Benedict and Obama sat in the papal library and discussed the Group of Eight summit the meeting of the world’s wealthy industrialized countries, which had concluded that morning in L’Aquila, Italy. The summit focused on the economic crisis, climate change, and global tensions. The pope and Obama discussed issues that represent “a great challenge for the future of every nation and for the true progress of peoples, such as the defense and promotion of life and the right to abide by one’s conscience,” according to a Vatican statement released after the audience. The two men also discussed world issues addressed at the G-8 summit, as well as immigration and the issue of reuniting families, the Vatican statement said. The meeting with the pope and a separate 20minute meeting with Cardinal Bertone also touched on international politics, such as the peace process in the Middle East, “on which there was general agreement.” “Dialogue between cultures and religions, the global economic crisis and its ethical implications, food security, development aid especially for Africa and Latin America and the problem of drug trafficking” were discussed, the Vatican said. The Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, told reporters after the audience that “great serenity and great cordiality” characterized the meeting. Father Lombardi said he spoke with the pope after the meeting and the pope “seemed extremely satisfied with how the meeting went.” He said the pope found Obama to be “attentive and ready to listen.” “The president explicitly expressed his commitment to reducing the numbers of abortions and to listen to the church’s concerns on moral issues,” he said. After their closed-door meeting, Obama introduced the pope to his wife, Michelle, their daughters, Malia and Sasha, and Michelle Obama’s mother, Marian Robinson. There was a private exchange of gifts and moment for photographs. The pope gave each of the girls a silver keychain with a bas-relief image of the pope, and Michelle Obama and Robinson each received a papal medal. In addition to the encyclical and Vatican bioethics document, Pope Benedict gave Obama a mosaic showing St. Peter’s Basilica and Square and a medal marking the fifth year of his pontificate. The president told the pope the mosaic, which was made in the Vatican’s mosaic studio, “was very beautiful” and would have “a place of honor” in the White House. The president gave the pope a liturgical stole Obama continued on page 9

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JULY 26, 2009

Father Brian Barr, vocations director for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y., uses incense to venerate a statue of Mary on the grounds of Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, N.Y., on May 15 as part of the seminary’s monthly holy hour for Vocations. Participants pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

‘RIPE WITH VOCATIONS’

work with one another, they travel to see different seminaries,” said Father Doerr. Holy Cross Father Ed Obermiller, vocations director for the Indiana province of the Congregation of Holy Cross, told Catholic News Service that in 2008 almost 600 men made initial contacts with his office. He said the website vocation. nd.edu averages about 100 visits a day. Father Obermiller sees the web traffic as an example that more men are at least open to considering the priesthood compared with a generation ago. In 20 years the

range of ages and academic backgrounds has broadened among priesthood candidates. Although graduate-level seminary enrollments in the United States fell from 3,788 in 198889 to 3,357 in 200809, the percentage of pre-theologate students jumped from just 7 percent of total seminary enrollment in 1988-89 to 22 percent last year (an increase from 250 students to 749 students), according to a report from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University in Washington. Pre-theologate programs satisfy the phi-

losophy and theology requirements for most seminaries. The center’s report explained that this shift is because more men entering priestly formation already have an undergraduate degree. In the interim period between college and seminary, Father Obermiller said, many young men may have taken a year of service, when they may have felt a greater call to the priesthood. Others may have worked in a secular job. But both vocations directors stress that men entering seminaries today do not see the priesthood as just another job choice. “I’ve gotten a lot of questions like ‘Do you see a lot of people thinking about becoming a priest because of the economy?’ No, I don’t. But I have heard that in times of economic problems people start to re-evaluate their priorities. They see that material goods and money don’t do it all,” said Father Obermiller. “In the 1940s you might come to the priesthood because it was prestigious. There was a role you could play in the community because it brought you great respect. “Today I think young people are coming out of a love for Jesus Christ and a desire to serve, and that’s very inspiring,” said Father Doerr. ■ Copyright 2009 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

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of the Saints. A student of the Pontifical North American College in Rome, he is visiting East Tennessee for the summer. Bishop Stika followed the pastor by saying that as bishop, he “always gets the last word.” He asked the congregation to give Father Dowling another round of applause and received an enthusiastic response that lasted nearly 45 seconds. The bishop said that a number of seminarians for the diocese were present and then issued a challenge to the assembly: “We need more. If you want to make sure that this church is filled by generations to follow, I need each and every one of you, everybody in this church, to pray for vocations to the priesthood for service to God’s people. “If you want to make sure that your children and your children’s children are able to receive the Eucharist and have their sins forgiven, to be anointed when they are sick or near death, and all the other ministries that are involved in the priesthood of Jesus Christ, it’s up to you,” he said. “If you want to honor God this day, in your heart, make the commitment to pray for vocations . . . so the gift we have been given by the generations before us might also be given to future generations.” ■

MARY C. WEAVER

EXCHANGE OF GIFTS Pope Benedict XVI and U.S. President Barack Obama clasp hands as they exchange gifts in the pontiff’s private library at the Vatican July 10. The president was accompanied by his wife, first lady Michelle Obama, right. Among the gifts was a stole the U.S. leader presented to the pope and a framed mosaic of St. Peter’s Basilica the pope gave the president.

WASHINGTON (CNS)—With 11 new priests expected to be ordained in the next few years, the Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana is doing better than many others in the United States. But Father Brian Doerr, the diocese’s vocations director since 2000, remembers a seven-year stretch with no ordinations at all. The turnaround came, he said, when the diocese renewed traditional devotions such as eucharistic adoration. “It’s really the Holy Spirit that touches a man’s or a woman’s heart. Prayer is so vitally important,” he said in a phone interview with Catholic News Service. Father Doerr believes the drought of priests and religious brothers and sisters is not the result of vanishing interest but rather a lack of resources and spiritual support. “In the church today, we’re ripe with vocations, but we lack a concerted effort to harvest those vocations. They’re not listening because we’re not here to help them facilitate their discernment,” he said. To open up the pathways of information, the diocese reached out to college campuses with monthly dinners and launched a website, priestforever.org, to appeal specifically to men considering the priesthood. “Young people are more hands-on, they are more savvy. They get online, they net-

CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ

CNS PHOTO/CHRIS HELGREN/REUTERS

Today young people are responding to ‘a love for Jesus Christ.’ By Jordan Gamble

‘WE NEED MORE’ Seminarian Michael Hendershott incenses the altar during the eucharistic prayer. Near the end of Mass, Bishop Stika exhorted everyone present to pray for vocations so that the generations to come could be served by an ample number of priests. Mr. Hendershott is studying at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary near Philadelphia.

www.d ioceseofknoxville.or g

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