May 5, 2013, ET Catholic by Diocese of Knoxville

This issue

He dwells among us.................. 2 Diocesan calendar................... 10 Deanery news.......................... 11 La Cosecha............ center pullout

The East Tennessee

Catholic youth......................... 15 Columns............................. 18-22 Virtus workshops..................... 21

May 5, 2013 Volume 22 Number 9 Bishop Richard F. Stika

News from The Diocese of Knoxville • Visit us at dioknox.org or etcatholic.org

On order St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic purchases medical van

Sports ministry Catholic Athletes for Christ recruits Bishop Stika

Team Robotichauns KCHS students shine in robotics

Pontiff receives greetings from the Diocese of Knoxville Bishop Stika delivers best wishes, invitation, gift to Pope Francis on weeklong Papal Foundation visit

Pope continued on page 4

COURTESY OF THE VATICAN

he Diocese of Knoxville is making quite an impression on Pope Francis so early in his pontificate. Bishop Richard F. Stika, who serves on the Papal Foundation’s board of trustees, met with the pope in Rome in April, even concelebrating Mass with the Holy Father, and extended an invitation to him to attend the diocese’s 25th jubilee and Eucharistic Congress in September. Bishop Stika’s position on the foundation’s board of trustees paved the way for him to meet Pope Francis three times during the trip April 8-15. Bishop Stika said he found Pope Francis to be “very engaging.” “He has a very quick and beautiful smile,” the bishop said. “He does speak English. I haven’t had extensive conversations with him, but his English was clear. I saw him interact with young folks and older folks, and I think what you see is what you get. He’s very authentic. “It’s amazing. So often when I travel, people who aren’t Catholic will approach me to share how much they

By Dan McWilliams

A gift for the Holy Father Pope Francis receives a framed print of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne from Bishop Richard F. Stika during a papal audience in April. Cardinal Justin Rigali, center, and Cardinal Donald Wuerl of the Archdiocese of Washington also were in attendance. Bishop Stika, Cardinal Rigali and Cardinal Wuerl were with the pope as part of a Papal Foundation meeting.

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

He dwells among us

by Bishop Richard F. Stika

Bishop’s schedule

A visit with Pope Francis

These are some of Bishop Stika’s public appointments:

Giving to others an audience with Christ through works of mercy is a blessing we are all called to be

n my younger days I always found the concept of the pope to be something distant. After all, the pope did not live in St. Louis or even in the United States. Even after I entered the seminary I had no expectations that I would ever meet the pope, and if I did, it would be a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. But I didn’t have to wait even three years after my priestly ordination for this occasion, and it wouldn’t be the last either. I was fortunate to travel with Archbishop Francis Zayek and nowBishop Robert Shaheen for a quick meeting with Blessed John Paul II on June 14, 1988, a day I’ll never forget. Life is filled with many blessings, and following my appointment as Secretary to then-Archbishop Rigali during his early days as archbishop of St. Louis, I was blessed to meet Blessed John Paul II on a number of occasions in Rome. But my fondest memories were of his visit to St. Louis Jan. 26-27, 1999, for which I served as the papal visit coordinator. As some know, I vacated my room so that the Holy Father could use it as his own during his overnight stay. I slept in a recliner in the hall—another blessed memory. I also was fortunate to meet Pope

Diocesan policy for reporting sexual abuse

Follow Bishop Richard Stika on Twitter @bishopstika and his blog for news and events from the diocese. Benedict XVI twice as Cardinal Ratzinger and four times as Benedict. Each time I found him to be very engaging and warm. With Blessed John Paul, the meeting was short. I actually had conversations, short in nature, with Pope Benedict. A few years ago, I joined the board of trustees of the Papal Foundation. Over the past 25 years, this foundation—comprised of faith-filled Catholics from around the United States—has donated approximately $88 million to the pope’s charities. As a member of the board, I attend two meetings per year—the first being a spring meeting in Rome and the second in December at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington. The Rome meeting always includes an audience with the Holy Father. A number of months ago, in planning for my April visit, I made reservations at the Domus Santa Marta, which usually serves as a type of hotel and is located in Vatican City. My

nephew also traveled with me to do some sightseeing. In between the time I made the reservations and the time of my actual visit, Benedict XVI resigned and the conclave elected Pope Francis. Because the new Holy Father, prior to being elected pope, resided with many other cardinals in the Domus Santa Marta, he decided to remain there after his election, on an experimental basis, instead of moving into the traditional papal apartment. Knowing this, I feared that my reservations would be canceled. But to my surprise I found myself staying in the same residence as the Holy Father and actually dining in the same dining room for 11 meals. And that was the beginning of my introduction to the new Bishop of Rome. It was a surreal experience for me the first few days to see Pope Francis on a regular basis. Instead of being this distant person, I had daily contact with the Holy Father. He became a familiar figure for me to see up close. I also had a chance to meet him at his general audience on Wednesday, April 10. A nice perk of serving as a bishop is the chance to personally greet the Holy Father at these audiences.

The East Tennessee

May 1: 9:30 a.m., Bishop’s Leadership Meeting at the Chancery May 1: 7 p.m., Confirmation at St. Albert the Great Church May 3: 11 a.m., May Crowning at St. Mary Parish, Oak Ridge May 3: 7 p.m., Confirmation at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga May 4: 5 p.m., Confirmation at St. Patrick Church in Morristown May 5: 11:30 a.m., Confirmation at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City May 5: 4 p.m., Mass and Sending of the Neophytes ceremony at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus May 7-8: Province meeting in Louisville, Ky. May 10: 6 p.m., Mass and graduation ceremony with homeschool students at All Saints Church, with banquet following May 11: 5 p.m. (CDT), Confirmation at St. Alphonsus Church

Bishop continued on page 17

Schedule continued on page 23

Bishop Richard F. Stika Publisher

Dan McWilliams Assistant editor

Bill Brewer

Margaret Hunt

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

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May 5, 2013 3

Pope continued from page 1

4 May 5, 2013

S t c o q b w t F fi o a n t H M H i e

COURTESY OF THE VATICAN

like the pope. Cardinal [Justin] Rigali also encounters the same thing. People will say, ‘I’m not Catholic, but I really like your new pope.’ I’ve had that happen here in Knoxville as well as in Rome and at the airport in Atlanta, so I think he’s captured the attention of the world.” The first time Bishop Stika met Pope Francis was at the Holy Father’s weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square. “As the bishop, one of the perks is that I get to sit on the platform with the pope, and then you’re presented to the pope afterwards,” Bishop Stika said. “On that particular day, I think there were perhaps 30 bishops or so, so I was able to greet the Holy Father and extend the greetings of the people of East Tennessee.” The next day, the Papal Foundation members had their audience with Pope Francis, and Bishop Stika used that opportunity to give the Holy Father a gift. “It was at that time that I presented him a print of a stained-glass window that’s in the chapel of the residence of the archbishop of St. Louis,” Bishop Stika said. “It’s a stained-glass window of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, who is a saint associated with St. Louis. She served there at the beginning of the 19th century. She’s buried there, and the pope has a special devotion to her, so I had a print made from one of the windows and presented it to him along with a letter extending to him an invitation to the [diocese’s upcoming] Eucharistic Congress, almost knowing that he would not be able to attend, but that we ask for his blessing for that.” On the following Saturday, the pope celebrated daily Mass in the chapel, “as John Paul used to do,” Bishop Stika said. “They invite a group of individuals in for the Mass, and since I was the only bishop, I was the principal concelebrant, so I sat next to the pope for Mass, spoke to him, and even got a big hug at the sign of peace,” he said. “A real special moment was when

Papal Foundation board of trustees Pope Francis is seated next to Cardinal Donald Wuerl, left, and Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and Cardinal Justin Rigali to the right. Bishop Richard F. Stika is seated on the second row, seventh from the right. Bishop Stika and Cardinal Rigali met with Pope Francis April 8-15 in Rome during a meeting of the Papal Foundation board of trustees, a U.S.-based Catholic foundation that funds charitable works designated by the Holy See.

we were getting vested for the Mass. I went into the sacristy and on the opposite end, the pope was sitting bent over praying, and so I got vested and I was on the opposite side standing against the wall. “I didn’t want to interrupt the pope, and at some point he looked up and he saw me, and so he walked across the sacristy and said, ‘I am Francis, what is your name and where are you from?’ So I identified myself. Again, he said that he remembered that I was from the United States.” The Diocese of Knoxville was first introduced to Pope Francis in March by Cardinal Rigali, shortly after the pontiff was elected by the papal conclave. As a member of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Rigali was in the conclave. Pope Francis and Cardinal Rigali

met several times in the first hours of Pope Francis’ pontificate, with the cardinal extending the diocese’s congratulations and prayers and Pope Francis issuing a special blessing personally signed by the pope to the diocese and Bishop Stika. Bishop Stika brought along his nephew, Joseph, on the Papal Foundation trip as a high school graduation present for the young man. The two stayed at the Domus Santa Marta, also being used as the papal residence by the newly installed Francis. Cardinal Rigali, a member of the Papal Foundation, also accompanied the bishop on his April trip. The cardinal helped interpret when the bishop presented the print of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne to the pope. The Papal Foundation was founded

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

in 1988 by Cardinal John Krol, a fore mer archbishop of Philadelphia, to a support charities around the world T designated by the pope. Foundation m members, who are primarily from the R United States as well as Canada and S Mexico, are known as Stewards of St. t Peter. Foundation grants in 2012 totaled $8,575,500 and went to recipients on D five continents. i “The foundation works very closely t with a representative of the Secretariat b of State in Rome at the Vatican—cur- J rently Monsignor Peter Wells. The Holy W See designates the works of charity that the pope would like to fund, and h the results of that are the donations,” s Bishop Stika said. “I think in 25 years, i the number has been over $80 million N that the foundation has given.” Bishop Stika said the board of trust- i dioknox.org

St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic a key step closer to serving ET Foundation board approves $400,000 to purchase custom-built mobile medical clinic to assist those in need The foundation’s mission is to provide direct support for charity, health care and education through Catholic organizations serving those in need in East Tennessee. In December, the foundation granted $625,000 to area organizations, including St. Anthony Bread food bank in Mountain City, the Ladies of Charity in Knoxville and Hands of Christ food pantry in Rutledge, Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, and the diocese’s Office of Health Services, which oversees the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic. As part of the effort, Bishop Richard F. Stika appointed Sister Mariana Koonce, RSM, to head the Office of Health Services. Sister Mariana is a medical doctor who is with the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich. As she directs the Office of Health Services and the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, Sister Mariana points to the need for the medical ministry because Tennessee ranks 39th among all states in overall health care, according to America’s Health Rankings, with a 44th ranking in diabetes, 41st ranking in cardiac health,

ees is made up of all resident cardinals and a few bishops, including him. They meet twice a year, with a board meeting usually in April or May in Rome attended by all the Stewards of St. Peter. The week includes various tours of different sites in Rome. The Board of Trustees also meets in December at the Nunciature in Washington, D.C. Cardinal Donald Wuerl of the Archdiocese of Washington is the board chairman, and Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of Wheeling–Charleston, W.Va., is the president. One of the “special moments” of his Papal Foundation trip, the bishop said, involved a diocesan seminarian who is studying at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. “I was able to present our seminarian, Michael Hendershott, to the pope

twice, so he was able to come to the audience with the Papal Foundation and then I was able to get him invited to the Mass on Saturday,” Bishop Stika said. “On Saturday, as I presented Michael to the pope as his bishop, Michael probably spoke to the pope for a couple of minutes in Italian, and the pope looked at me and pointed at Michael and he said, ‘His Italian is excellent.’ So Michael got a compliment. “Michael told me the next day on Sunday that when he went back to the North American College, as far as he can tell, he’s the only seminarian to meet the pope, and some of the seminarians were kidding him that since he met the pope twice, his bishop really must take care of him and that they’ll join the Diocese of Knoxville. It’s become a recruiting tool.” n

The East Tennessee Catholic

Clinic continued on page 9

St. Mary’s legacy Sister Mariana Koonce, RSM, left, and Sister Mary Martha Naber, RSM, are carrying on the Sisters of Mercy mission with the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, a mobile clinic that will bring health care to medically underserved areas in the Diocese of Knoxville. The mobile clinic is expected to be operational and serving the uninsured and underinsured by the fall.

BILL BREWER

s the 83rd anniversary of St. Mary’s Hospital’s opening was marked April 22, the founding Sisters of Mercy were at work putting the finishing touches on a new health care ministry for East Tennessee. And just as the hospital was developed in 1930 to serve those in need of quality care, the Sisters of Mercy are building St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic that will bring medical care to those in need throughout the Diocese of Knoxville. Members of the St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation board on April 17 gave final authorization to buy a specially outfitted mobile clinic that will travel around the diocese, bringing muchneeded physician and nursing services to underserved areas. Following the 2011 sale of St. Mary’s Hospital and its ancillary facilities by Mercy Health Partners to for-profit Health Management Associates, funding from Mercy Health Partners, its parent Catholic Healthcare Partners, HMA and The Mercy Foundation created St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation, which is a continuation of the Sisters of Mercy’s legacy.

By Bill Brewer

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Catholic Athletes for Christ adds Bishop Stika to board R Group ministers to teams, athletes from professional ranks, Olympics, colleges to high schools

6 May 5, 2013

COURTESY OF ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

ishop Richard F. Stika’s passion for Major League Baseball has led to a pastoral appointment with an athletic twist. Bishop Stika has been named to the Episcopal Advisory Board of Catholic Athletes for Christ, a national Catholic ministry serving sports and athletes at all levels. “Catholic Athletes for Christ has been serving professional athletes and Major League Baseball is a big part of that,” said Ray McKenna, founder and president of the organization. “It is a growing part of our ministry. We’re going to be relying on Bishop Stika for his faith and counsel.” Mr. McKenna said Bishop Stika will advise Catholic Athletes for Christ on working with Major League Baseball and noted that much of CAC’s ministry to date has involved professional athletes and teams. But the organization also is working with collegiate and Olympic athletes and most recently has been developing a vibrant outreach for high school athletes. “I was very pleased to be appointed. It’s a new entity. There are other entities out there with people involved in professional sports, but for the most part they’re Protestant-based. So a number of major league teams— baseball, football, hockey—have chaplains or they have services,” Bishop Stika said. Bishop Stika pointed out that the St. Louis Cardinals have a priestchaplain who says Mass for the team on a regular basis and that a majority of professional baseball teams do, but there are some that don’t have a priest-chaplain. He noted that the Catholic Athletes for Christ Episcopal board is headed by the bishop of Springfield, Ill., Bishop Thomas Paprocki. “So our situation is to assist the

Major league ministry Bishop Richard F. Stika is shown with St. Louis Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak during the Cardinals’ spring training in March in Jupiter, Fla. Bishop Stika will serve on CAC’s Episcopal Advisory Board.

organization with making contacts with the owners of teams and encourage the owners to have not only Protestant chaplains, which is good, but also to have Catholic chaplains, which Ray McKenna is important for those Catholic members of the team,” Bishop Stika said. Bishop Stika attended part of the St. Louis Cardinals’ spring training in Jupiter, Fla., in March as part of the new ministry. As he watched the team and visited with players, he had the opportunity to meet legendary Cardinals player and manager Red Schoendienst, who was close friends with another Cardinals legend—Stan Musial, who died in January. Bishop Stika, also a close friend to Mr. Musial,

“It’s heartening to have between 200 and 300 clergy members affiliated with our effort. And to have several bishops like Bishop Stika helping us move forward with our ministry is so important.” — Ray McKenna, CAC president delivered the homily at Mr. Musial’s funeral. Bishop Stika also met with Cardinals Hall of Fame great Lou Brock, who now is an evangelical minister, and met, too, with Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak as well as others on the team he knows. As CAC expands its footprint in sports, Mr. McKenna said the nonprofit group has developed a “very strong” ministry with the National Football League, highlighted by the celebration of a major Mass at the annual NFL combine. “We have some connection with the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey

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

By Bill Brewer

League, but not as strong as with Major League Baseball and the NFL,” Mr. McKenna said. Catholic Athletes for Christ describes itself as the only nationwide Catholic sports ministry that serves athletes and teams at every level of athletics. CAC said it was formed in response to the call of Pope John Paul II to evangelize the world of sports with the Gospel message. CAC has been recognized by the Vatican’s Office of Sports as an authentic witness for the Church’s theology of sports. Mr. McKenna said Bishop Stika’s knowledge and interest in baseball will be invaluable as CAC bolsters its ministerial lineup. He praised Bishop Stika for his “wonderfully thoughtful and insightful homily” for Stan Musial. Catholic Athletes for Christ has 16 cardinals and bishops on its Episcopal Advisory Board, including Bishop Stika, Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Cardinal Edwin O’Brien. Bishop Paprocki is CAC’s Episcopal board chairman and is known as the “holy goalie” in Chicago because he plays goal in a men’s hockey league and is a loyal fan of the Chicago Blackhawks. “It’s heartening to have between 200 and 300 clergy members affiliated with our efforts. And to have several bishops like Bishop Stika helping us move forward with our ministry is so important,” Mr. McKenna said. Bishop Stika said he welcomes the chance to serve with Catholic Athletes for Christ and minister to teams and athletes. And that he’s such a big baseball fan can only help—just ask the Cardinals. “They made a fundamental mistake. They said anytime you want tickets let us know. So I made a mental note of that,” Bishop Stika said with a laugh. n dioknox.org

Robotichauns’ innovation pays off in regional competition

By Stephanie Richer very cloud has a silver lining and for the Robotichauns (Team 2393), Knoxville Catholic High School’s robotics team, the adage came true when it finished as second-place finalists in the Smoky Mountains regional competition, winning a silver medal. The competition was sponsored by FIRST, a non-profit organization that organizes robotics competitions worldwide. The Smoky Mountains regional took place March 29-30 at the Knoxsville Convention Center. Fifty teams lfrom high schools throughout the

country traveled with their robots to compete in this year’s competition, called “Ultimate Ascent” by FIRST. In Ultimate Ascent, a team’s robot had to shoot Frisbees into targets, climb a pyramid, and play defense against other teams. The competition is not played one-on-one. Instead, in each match three teams are assigned to the “blue” alliance and three others to the “red” alliance. Each alliance then works together to outscore the other alliance during the 90-second match. During the time when teams are in a staging area waiting

Robots continued on page 23

STEPHANIE RICHER

KCHS students recognized as team’s robot squares off

Team Robotichauns From left to right: Drew Browning, Libby Fortunato, Pat-

rick Russell, Rebecca Dietz, Ben Nadolsky, Francis the Robot, Matt Balo, Katherine Richer, Ian Greeley, Paige Paulus, Brendan Palko, Chris Masuo.

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May 5, 2013 7

Lourdes Garza is named finalist for Catholic Extension Lumen Christi Award Voting is now open to select 2013 ‘Light of Christ’ award winner

By Bill Brewer

ourdes Garza, the Diocese of Knoxville’s Hispanic Ministry director, is among nine finalists for the 2013 Lumen Christi Award presented by Catholic Extension. It is the second consecutive year that Ms. Garza has been a finalist for the award. For the past 35 years, the Lumen Christi (Latin for “Light of Christ”) Award has been presented to a priest, religious or layperson who has demonstrated how the power of faith can transform lives and communities. The recipients have devoted their lives to serving the poor in the most under-resourced dioceses in the United States, and to fostering Catholic communities that build faith, inspire hope and ignite change. This year, Catholic Extension received more than 40 nominees for the award from across the United States. Catholic Extension is a national fundraising organization that supports and strengthens mission dioceses across the United States. The organization provides funding and resources to dioceses and parishes through programs and services investing in people, infrastructure and ministries. Support is given based on need, passion and commitment to the growth of the Catholic faith. The Lumen Christi Award recipient will receive the accolades of Catholic Extension as well as a $50,000 grant—$25,000 for the honoree and $25,000 for the nominating diocese. Each nominee receives $1,000 in support of his or her ministry. If the nominee is selected as a finalist, a $10,000 grant will be awarded. As the director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Knoxville, Ms. Garza has helped grow the Catholic Hispanic community in East Tennessee. And to the community of thou-

8 May 5, 2013

sands she serves, she is more than a director; she is known as a loving mother, according to the Catholic Extension nomination. Lourdes Garza “Since 2005, Lourdes has given her heart and soul to help build a thriving and loving Catholic core in the center of the third-fastest growing Hispanic population in America. From coordinating field Masses for farm workers to writing and distributing a monthly newsletter—La Cosecha (The Harvest)—throughout the diocese, she has become a force of faith, organizing and mobilizing people into action. When invasive surgery and aggressive chemotherapy threatened to slow (or even stop) her service to the faith, Lourdes kept going. She simply found new ways to inspire the more than 63,000 Hispanic members of her Catholic community and tapped into the leaders she spent years cultivating,” said Paul Simoneau, director of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Office of Justice and Peace. “Everything Lourdes does is a reflection of the truth that every person needs God, and without Him we remain without hope. So in everything Lourdes does, she gives more than material things or comfort or help, she gives God,” Mr. Simoneau added. Diocese of Knoxville parishioners and supporters of Ms. Garza and the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry are being asked to cast their votes for her at the Catholic Extension website, www.catholicextension.org. The public voting is on Catholic Extension’s Facebook page, facebook.com/CatholicExtension, until the May 10 deadline. n

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and 48th in high blood pressure. She also points out that 29 of the 36 East Tennessee counties in the Diocese of Knoxville are in medically underserved areas that potentially can be served by the mobile clinic. “It’s God’s providence that he’s asking us to do this within the Year of Faith in the Catholic Church. What the Year of Faith is for us is how do we express ourselves as Catholics as part of our motivation for being in love with Christ, that we go out and we live our faith out in the community. So first of all, we are rooted in proclaiming Jesus Christ and by doing that we go out and want to help those that don’t have the same needs and basic necessities of life that the rest of society has, so it’s part of our outreach and mission of faith to do a mission of charity,” Sister Mariana said. Still in development, the mobile clinic is expected to be operational and road-ready in the fall. At that point, the clinic, staffed with medical professionals, will be dispatched to underserved areas, typically outside metropolitan areas like the Tri-Cities, Chattanooga and Knoxville. “We know that in many metropolitan areas across the diocese, health care access is usually quite good. But as you move out into the underserved populations in outlying counties, you find a significant opportunity to serve those who are underinsured, or uninsured, or just lack access to health care. Today in East Tennessee, 29 of the 36 counties we serve are considered medically underserved and that continues to be a difficult situation for us to address. So, through the gift of the St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation and St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, it’s really exciting to be delivering health care in these underserved communities,” said John Deinhart, director of the diocese’s Office of Stewardship and Development and a staff officer with the St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation. The Diocese of Knoxville has formed the St. Luke Guild, which is a network The East Tennessee Catholic

COURTESY OF TENNOVA

Clinic continued from page 5

Historic view of health care A Sister of Mercy meets with nurses at St. Mary’s

Hospital in the 1940s. The Sisters of Mercy legacy will continue with the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic. of volunteer medical professionals across the diocese to staff the clinic as it visits different areas. The guild is recruiting volunteers to serve the clinic. “It’s a very exciting project John Deinhart because we know there are so many needs out there and there are people who can utilize these services. We’re excited that we’ve been gifted with this opportunity to meet some of those needs,” Sister Mariana said. Sister Mary Martha Naber of the Sisters of Mercy that have served St. Mary’s for decades, welcomes the opportunity to advance the Sisters of Mercy work begun by Mother Catherine McAuley in Ireland in the 1800s. Sister Mary Martha is one of five Sisters of Mercy continuing in ministry at the former St. Mary’s Hospital, now called Tennova Physicians Regional Medical Center. “I think it will be very unique to our area because in the past, health care

has traditionally been based within a hospital setting. Of course, some hospitals have outreach clinics, but this is an opportunity not only to focus on the needs of people within a metropolitan area, but to go out into those counties that do not have health care available to them. Really, it’s a new initiative, and instead of people coming to us in a hospital, we’re going to their communities and addressing their needs,” Sister Mary Martha said. Sister Mariana and Sister Mary Martha said as the medical initiative

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

gets off the ground, the Legacy Clinic staff will work with communities in scheduling visits and locations where the mobile clinic will be. They said the clinic will offer primary care to the underserved communities on a regular, rotating basis throughout the year and also will act as a referral service to area specialists and hospitals if patients require more extensive care. “We will be offering services primarily that are addressing urgent needs— like diabetes or high blood pressure. Maybe they haven’t been to a doctor in a while. We will be trying to get those people to come in to be checked and then followed on a regular basis, perhaps weekly or monthly,” Sister Mary Martha said. Mr. Deinhart said a key aspect of the project is that it is a continuation of the Sisters of Mercy mission that will look different going forward so St. Mary’s legacy can live on in a different way. Another important aspect, he said, is that financial gifts to the St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation will be vital to supporting the clinic and enabling it to expand. Anyone interested in learning more about the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, the St. Luke Guild, or the St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation is urged to call the Diocese of Knoxville at 865-584-3307 or visit the diocesan website at www. dioknox.org. n

May 5, 2013 9

Diocesan calendar by Margaret Hunt A Mass and Sending of the Neophytes ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 5, at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Bishop Richard F. Stika will preside. All new Catholics, sponsors, and family members are invited to attend. A reception will follow in the Chancery. Contact Sister Timothea Elliott, RSM, for more information at 865-584-3307. Knoxville Catholic High School graduates from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s are invited to a spring social from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, May 6, at Aubrey’s Restaurant located at 9208 Middlebrook Pike in Knoxville. For information, contact Linda Long at 865-281-2252 or Zibbie Kerin at zkerin@utk.edu. The Knoxville Ladies of Charity’s second annual Wild West Roundup will take place at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 22, in the Knoxville Catholic High School gymnasium. Activities include a live auction, dancing, and a “chuck wagon” dinner. Proceeds will benefit the Ladies of Charity Emergency Assistance Program. Tickets are $75 per person. Call Carolyn Fisher for more information at 865-379-2726. Father Patrick Resen of St. Catherine Labouré Parish in Copperhill will be the spiritual director of a pilgrimage to Ireland from Sept. 25 through Oct. 4. The tour will include stops in Dublin, Knock, Ballintubber, Croagh Patrick, Cong Abbey, Galway, Limerick, and the Ring of Kerry. Father Resen will celebrate Mass at St. James Church in Carracastle, Ireland, which is the home church of his late grandmother. The cost per person is $2,695 including airfare from Atlanta. Other fees apply. Contact Faith Journeys to register at 480-894-8407 or email info@myfaithjourneys.com. Monsignor Al Humbrecht and Father Michael Nolan will be the spiritual directors of a pilgrimage to Spain and Portugal from Oct. 29 through Nov.

10 May 5, 2013

9. Pilgrims will visit important shrines and holy sites in Madrid, Segovia, Avila, León, Santiago, Fatima, and Lisbon. The cost per person is $3,599 from Atlanta. To obtain a brochure or register, contact Sister Albertine Paulus, RSM, at 865207-4742, 545-8270 or smaevang@ yahoo.com. The Ulster Project of Knoxville is recruiting families of teens aged 14 to 16 to host a teen from Northern Ireland for a four-week program that includes team building, dialogue, social events, shared worship, and community service this summer. For details, call John Hough at 865-405-5929. The Ulster Project of Knoxville is hosting its annual fundraising dinner featuring the show “Late Nite Catechism Las Vegas: Sister Rolls the Dice” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18, in the St. Mary School gymnasium in Oak Ridge. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for refreshments, a silent auction, and socializing. Ticket prices range from $25 to $45 per person depending on seating and are available online at www.entertainment events.com/shows, at St. Mary School, or at the door. For more information, call Lynda Vinyard at 865-556-1355. Tennessee Right to Life will be running a Mother’s Day ad in the Knoxville News Sentinel on Sunday, May 12. Individuals, families, or memorials can be listed for $10 per person or $15 per family. Contact the Tennessee Right to Life office at 865-689-1339 or trlknox@ trlknox.com to register. The 11th annual Scouting retreat hosted by the Knoxville Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting will be held June 7-9 at the Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton. The Franciscan Brothers will lead the retreat, which will focus on living the Year of Faith. Activities will include presentations by the brothers, games, eucharistic adoration, and Mass. All youth ages 13 to 18 are encouraged to attend. Scout development training will also be offered for adults. The cost is $40. To register, visit

www.kdccs.org/scouting-retreat or mail a check to KDCCS, 10700 Leeward Lane, Knoxville, TN 37934. For more information on the Franciscan Brothers, visit www.franciscanbrothersminor.com.

certificate. For more information, contact Marian Christiana, director of the Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment, at 423-892-2310 or mchristiana@ dioknox.org.

The Diocese of Knoxville is sponsoring two God Camps this summer at Harrison Bay State Park in the Chattanooga Deanery. Events will include age-appropriate team building exercises, recreational sports, Mass, and an evening dance. The “Discover” camp for incoming fifth- and sixth-grade students will be held June 20-22. The cost is $100 per person. The “Reach” camp for incoming seventh- and eighthgrade students will be June 17-20. The cost will be $125 per person. The high school God Camp will be incorporated into the annual Youth Leadership Institute program and will be held at Horn’s Creek Resort in Ocoee June 26-30. The cost is $269 per person. Contact a parish youth ministry leader to register. For more information, contact Donna Jones at 423-267-9878 or djones6029@gmail. com or visit the youth ministry page on the Diocese of Knoxville website at dioknox.org.

The next Marriage Encounter weekend in the diocese is scheduled for May 17-19 at the Holiday Inn in Johnson City. For more information, contact John or Anne Wharton at 423-581-1815 or acw193@bellsouth.net, or visit www. loveinthesmokies.org or wwme.org.

The next charismatic Mass at Holy Spirit Church in Soddy-Daisy will be celebrated at 5 p.m. Sunday, June 30. Father Dan Whitman of Holy Trinity Parish in Jefferson City will be the celebrant. Singers and instrumentalists who would like to participate should arrive at 4:30. Call Dee Leigh at 423-842-2305 for more information. The next Picture of Love engagedcouples retreat will take place June 21-22 at the St. Augustine Church parish life center in Signal Mountain. The retreat will meet from 7-10 p.m. Friday and continue from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Saturday. The program is designed to help couples gain a better understanding of the joys and challenges of being married in their day-to-day lives. The cost is $135 per couple, which includes a certificate good for a $60 discount on a marriage license. Couples must attend the entire retreat to receive the

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The next Engaged Encounter will be held the weekend of July 26-28. To register, contact Jason and Carmen Jeansonne at 865-377-3077 or ceeknoxville@yahoo.com. For more information, visit the website www. engagedencounter.org/community.asp. Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at 1:30 p.m. each Sunday at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville; at 3 p.m. on first and third Sundays at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland; at 3 p.m. on second and fourth Sundays at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Madisonville; at 11 a.m. on most Sundays at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Townsend; and at 3 p.m. on second and fourth Sundays at St. Mary Church in Johnson City. Visit www.knoxlatinmass.net for updated information. The St. Thomas the Apostle Ukrainian Catholic Mission celebrates Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m. Sundays in the lower level of Holy Cross Anglican Church, 515 Herron Road, Knoxville, TN 37934. Note the time change. All services are in English. Call Father Richard Armstrong at 865-584-3307 or visit www.saint thomas-knoxville.org for details. Holy Resurrection Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Mission has Divine Liturgy celebrations at 9:30 a.m. Sundays at the old Holy Ghost Church, 1031 N. Central St. in Knoxville. For times of holy-day services or for more information, visit www.knoxbyz.org or call Father Thomas O’Connell at 865-256-4880. n dioknox.org

Chattanooga Deanery calendar Registration for a variety of summer camps being offered at Notre Dame High School is open. Brochures can be obtained at Chattanooga-area parishes or by downloading one online at www. myndhs.com. Programs are available for rising kindergarten through ninth-grade students. For details, contact the school at 423-624-4618 or e-mail summer camps@myndhs.com. The youth ministry at St. Augustine Parish in Signal Mountain is inviting Chattanooga-area Catholic high school students to an ’80s Dance Party from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Friday, May 10, in the parish

Parish notes: Chattanooga Deanery

life center. Tickets are $7 in advance or $10 at the door. The evening will include dancing, games, food, and much more. Proceeds will help fund the youth group’s trip to the National Catholic Youth Conference in November. Contact Catherine Wiedeman at 423-886-3424 for more information.

Holy Spirit, Soddy-Daisy The St. Vincent de Paul Society held a luncheon for senior citizens at the SoddyDaisy Community Center on April 4.

Our Lady of Lourdes, South Pittsburg Our Lady of Lourdes Parish will sponsor the annual Walk-Around Rosary at the Virgin of the Poor Shrine in New Hope each Sunday in May beginning at 2 p.m. (CDT). A plenary indulgence may be obtained during a visit to the shrine. For more information, contact Barry McDevitt at 423-834-1843.

The 2013 Chattanooga Annual Golf Classic to benefit Catholic Charities’ Pregnancy Help Center will take place at 1 p.m. Friday, May 31, at Brown Acres Golf Course. To participate or volunteer, contact Christine Willingham at 423-2671297 or Christine@ccetn.org. n

St. Augustine, Signal Mountain The youth group sold Krispy Kreme doughnuts to fund its trip to the National Catholic Youth Conference, which will be held in Indianapolis on Nov. 26-28.

St. Jude, Chattanooga The parish Good Samaritan Collection for April supported the Family Violence Center of the Partnership for Families, Children, and Adults. Items collected included diaper wipes, pillows, laundry detergent, and bath towels. The St. Jude Church alternative Christmas gift-giving project collected approximately $7,000 worth of gifts for needy families in the twin parish in Gros-Morne, Haiti.

ELIZABETH CONWAY

St. Mary, Athens

Holy Spirit Knights donate to Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity executive director Donna C. Williams (left) recently received a check from Steve DeRight (right), Grand Knight of Knights of Columbus Council 14079 at Soddy-Daisy’s Holy Spirit Church. In the background is the newest Habitat house for a young family. Also pictured from left are Knights William Pat Conway, Mike Govig, Nathan Govig, (past Grand Knight) Ed Szelengiewicz, Dr. Ed Foster, Ed Klim, recipient Nichole (and her children), and Knight Harold Bates.

Knights donate $2,000 to Ladies of Charity

nights of Columbus Holy Family Council 6099 in Chattanooga recently donated $2,000 to the Ladies of Charity to support their layette program, which provides baby essentials to new mothers in need. Council members raised funds throughout the year to support proThe East Tennessee Catholic

life programs through activities such as the annual Super Bowl Pork Loin Sale, which generated $4,400 this year. Grand Knight Wayne Collins and Council 6099 pro-life director Clarence Bodnar made the donation to layette program coordinator Pat Wright. n

Five new members of the Church were confirmed at the Easter Vigil, and one person was both baptized and confirmed.

St. Stephen, Chattanooga The parish vacation Bible school will take place June 24-28. Children in kindergarten through sixth grade are encouraged to attend. Virtus-trained adults are being recruited to lead the classes. For details, contact Marilyn St. Pierre, parish DRE, at 423-892-2957. Newcomers: Travis Server; Benito, Kerr-ann, Kaorie, and Kayden Garagan; Meghan Freeman and her son, Ethan; Dorota and Wojciech Mackiewicz; and Greg, Caroline, Abby and Cora Wesson

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Cleveland The St. Thérèse youth leadership team coordinated a lock-in that was held Feb. 22-23. Twenty-nine youth attended the event. A group of 19 St. Thérèse of Lisieux Women of Faith members attended a spring retreat at the St. Bernard Retreat and Conference Center in Cullman, Ala. More than 300 observers attended a Good Friday Living Stations event. Presented by more than 40 parishioners and others, the actors were dressed in costumes, many of which were purchased from Colombia. Isaiah Nichols played Jesus and also became Catholic on Easter weekend. n

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May 5, 2013 11

Cumberland Mountain Deanery calendar

Parish notes: Cumberland Mountain Deanery

The annual All Saints Adult Social will take place at 6 p.m. Friday, May 3. The evening will feature a night of classic game shows hosted by Frank Murphy of Star 102.1 and WATE news anchor Kristin Farley. Participants can win prizes by competing in the game shows or by bidding on items in the silent or live auctions. Food and beverages will be served at the event. Tickets are $45 per person and will be available after all Masses before the social or at the door. Contact Ida Randall at 865-771-9204 for more information on the social.

All Saints, Knoxville The parish collected funds to support Father John Appiah’s efforts to provide 20 TivaWater water filtration systems for schools and clinics in his native Nkonya, Ghana. For more information on TivaWater, visit www.tivawater.com. Forty-six young adults were confirmed by Bishop Richard F. Stika at the 6 p.m. Mass on Sunday, April 21, and more than 140 students received their first Holy Communion on Sunday, April 28.

Blessed Sacrament, Harriman First communicants: Angelo Ferrante, Shelby Le Blanc, Avery Sinnott, and Destiny Woncki

Knights of Columbus Council 8152’s annual charity golf tournament will take place at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, at Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain golf course. The format will be a four-person scramble. The entry donation of $75 includes green and cart fees, one mulligan, and entrance to the awards banquet at the Knights of Columbus Hall. The cost to attend the banquet only is $12. Tournament proceeds will benefit Cumberland County charities. For details, call Shelton Johnson at 931-485-5587, Larry Lanzerotti at 4569633, or John Kopmeier at 456-2597. n

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade

Anniversaries: Jack and Betty Campbell (64), John and Jean Sohnly (59), Richard and Caroline Cieszenski (58), Don and Shirley Savercool (57), Eugene and Marilyn Schmitt (57), Ed and Carolyn Mayo (56), John and Ellie Gratton (55), Irvin and Carol Stenger (55), John and Yvonne Marciniak (54), Medard and Laura Kaluszka (53), Norm and Judith Charest (53), John and Anna Moyer (53), John and Barbara Coye (52), Ramon and Barbara Clark (51), Joe and Marti Maxwell (51), Joseph and Nancy Grunduski (50)

COURTESY OF ANGELA OTEY

In honor of Mother’s Day, a special blessing will be given to mothers at all Masses the weekend of May 4 and 5.

All Saints grounds receive Dogwood Arts recognition The grounds and walking trail at All Saints Church in Knoxville were designated a 2013 Dogwood Arts Festival walking trail. The festival ran from April 3-20. The parish has added many new dogwood trees, gingko trees, perennials, and shrubs. If you are interested in a narrated tour of the landscaping and plantings, call Angela Otey at 865-679-4972.

St. Therese, Clinton The parish will hold a Mass for 2013 high school graduates Sunday, May 5. The May crowning ceremony will be held Sunday, May 12, after the 10:15 a.m. Mass. n

noxville Catholic High School held a signing day ceremony on April 17 in the school’s library, where five senior students announced their plans to study and compete at the collegiate level for the next academic year. The following students signed their letters of intent to continue competition at several schools in the region: n Will Easley will play football for Sewanee: The University of

12 May 5, 2013

the South; n Olivia Hoffman will participate in dance at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville; n Abby McCollough will compete in basketball with Bryan College in Dayton; n Tyler O’Brien will play football for the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati; n Mason Sawicki will play baseball for Roane State Community College. n

RANDY CAREY

Five Knoxville Catholic High School students sign scholarships with regional colleges

St. Alphonsus holds International Food Festival St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville hosted its annual International Food Festival as a Mardi Gras celebration Feb. 10. Parishioners cooked and shared ethnic foods from family recipes, and everyone gathered to sample cuisines from around the world. The parish life committee organized the event.

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St. Mary parishioner writes a novel, The Amulet

ean Klein, a writer and member of St. Mary Parish in Johnson City, has authored a book called The Amulet that he describes as a “high-concept (three-part) Christian thriller,” ,which may be made into a film. e Inspired by the classic film, Raiders of the Lost Ark and the single most mysterious line in all the Gospels, the novel was written over a four-year period. “Given its utterly startling premise, it has already proven to be of interest to 20th Century Fox,” Mr. Klein said. Mr. Klein, a retired marketing executive is, with the help of church members, promoting the story nationally to drive it to possible bestseller status that he hopes will, in turn, prompt 20th Century Fox to acquire the rights for the production of a motion picture. Royalties from the sale of the book already are being shared with the church. The story begins in 1947 with the discovery of a relic near the ruins of a long-extinct Jewish community. The relic appears not to have aged a day in 2,000 years. The find is kept hidden for decades and its existence

Parish notes: Five Rivers Deanery

is never made public. But one day its private owner suddenly becomes terrified of it. He hurriedly contacts the Israeli Antiquities Authority, informing this organization of what he possesses. The IAA, laughing at him, only reluctantly accepts the relic as a donation. To its astonishment, scientific tests confirm the relic indeed dates to first-century Israel. Even more amazing, it appears to exhibit supernatural properties. One night, while the antiquity is being studied in an underground IAA lab, terrifying screams bring armed guards to the room. What they find cannot be explained and the relic goes missing. “The Amulet comes as close as is possible to what it was like to have been touched by Jesus 2,000 years ago. Readers will be taken back to a time now known only by the Gospels. It is my desire that the story will reinforce the faith of those who already have it and perhaps inspire those not of this faith to consider it,” Mr. Klein said. The Amulet is available as an ebook from Kindle and also in softcover from Amazon.com and CreateSpace.com. n

Good Shepherd, Newport Good Shepherd Church is seeking a music minister to play guitar or organ and lead a small choir. Contact Monsignor Bob Hofstetter at 423-532-7382 for additional information.

Holy Trinity, Jefferson City Laura Brown and Andy Watts entered the Church during the Easter Vigil at Holy Trinity. Avaleigh Davis, Kaitlyn Jenkins, and Emma Mulligan received their first Holy Communion on May 5. Eleven high school students received the sacrament of confirmation on April 27. The parish accepted donations for the meals served before Stations of the Cross during the Lenten season. The $1,178.35 that was raised will be donated to feed the work teams that participate during the Appalachian Outreach housing projects in July. Anniversaries: William and Elva Connors (63), Clyde and Joyce Ward (60), George and Jane Lane (50), James and Sue Burch (45), Bill and Rose Louberti (45)

Notre Dame, Greeneville Joanne and Frank Dwyer will assume the responsibility of delivering parish donations to the local food bank. Lou Marrone will serve as a backup. Skip and Barb Thornton, the parishioners who had been delivering the food, are moving out of town. They were thanked for their long-term service by Father Jim Harvey, pastor of Notre Dame. Items are being collected for the parish yard sale on Saturday, June 8. Items can be dropped off in the Ganz Youth Center. Contact the parish office for more information at 423-639-9381. Anniversary: Richard and Joan Davis (5)

St. Dominic, Kingsport

COURTESY OF JUDY HALL

The parish collected 425 new clothing items to benefit the New Clothes for Kids Lenten drive. The clothes will be distributed to needy children this spring and when school reopens in the fall.

Divine Mercy mission conducted at Holy Trinity Parishioners of Holy Trinity in Jefferson City and neighboring parishioners and friends were treated to a visit March 16-19 from Father Dan Cambra, director of the Marian Evangelization team of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from Stockbridge, Mass. Deacons Brother John Paoletti of New York and Brother Joseph Latte of Iowa accompanied him. They each gave several presentations spreading the message and devotion of Divine Mercy. A first class relic of St. Maria Faustina, held above by Evangeline Webster, was offered for all in attendance to venerate. The East Tennessee Catholic

St. Dominic Church collected diapers and baby wipes for Hope House, a faithbased, nonprofit ministry committed to supporting pregnant women and their families in crisis situations. SonWest Roundup will be the theme of the parish vacation Bible school, which will meet from 6-8 p.m. June 10-14. Children ages 3 to 11 are eligible to attend. Registration will take place after weekend Masses before the event. Contact Karen Lewicki for more information at 423-288-8101 or KML8183@gmail.com. Father Michael Nolan was “locked up” to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association on May 1. Father Nolan needed to raise at least $3,200 in donations to post bail. Five Rivers continued on page 14

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

May 5, 2013 13

Smoky Mountain Deanery calendar

Parish notes: Smoky Mountain Deanery

A Seekers of Silence Contemplative Saturday Morning will be held May 18 at Blessed John XXIII Catholic Center in Knoxville. Father Rich Andre, CSP, will speak on the topic “Writing Poetry: A

Holy Ghost, Knoxville The parish hosted the Crosses for the Unborn during March. The project is sponsored by the Knoxville chapter of Tennessee Right to Life. Nineteen people were welcomed into the Church at the parish Easter Vigil. The recent 12th annual Sister Jolita Irish Supper and Sing-Along raised more than $11,000, the largest amount ever raised at this event. Proceeds will benefit the Sister Jolita Student Assistance Fund at St. Joseph School in Knoxville and St. Patrick’s Well in Clonmel, Ireland. Immaculate Conception, Knoxville Eight individuals were welcomed into the Church at the Easter Vigil at Immaculate Conception. Fifteen children of the parish received the Eucharist for the first time April 21.

Fifteen complete SEPI course of study Fifteen parishioners have completed the course of study Escuela de Ministerios under the direction of the South East Pastoral Institute (SEPI) and will receive a certification of studies from SEPI as well as a cathechist certification from the Diocese of Knoxville. Those completing the course were Oswaldo and Doris Cárdenas, José and Olga Sandoval, Antonio Dianas and his wife, Isabel Santiago, Manuel Santiago, Teresa Hernández, Candelaria Lopez, Angelina Pedro, José Ruiz, Benjamin Aguirre, Laura Contreras, José Luis Santiago and Lucía Cruz. The graduation Mass was celebrated by Father David Boettner (in back row, sixth from left). Also pictured with the graduates are Father John Orr and Manuel Peláez, representing SEPI.

Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa A Bible study for young adults ages 18 to 30 is meeting Sundays at 4 p.m. at Our Lady of Fatima. All college students and single young adults are invited to attend. The group is using the book Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words by Rod Bennett (Ignatius Press, 2002). Contact Deacon Dan Hosford for more information at djh2@comcast.net.

St. Mary, Johnson City A pizza lunch was served in appreciation for the altar servers in the parish April 20. Volunteers are being recruited to retrieve phone calls from the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry answering machine on a monthly basis. English and Spanish-speaking volunteers are needed. Contact Mary Meeks for details at 423-943-8255. St. Patrick, Morristown The pink envelope collection for the parish St. Vincent de Paul Society will be resumed the third Sunday of each month. An increase in the number of requests for assistance for food and utility bill assistance has prompted the need for the collection. Drs. Wesley White and Jose Amador will perform free prostate examinations from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at the Health Department located at 331 W. Main St. in Morristown. An optional prostate-specific antigen test will be offered for free this year. The event is sponsored by the parish Knights of Columbus. n

14 May 5, 2013

COURTESY OF FATHER CHARLIE DONAHUE, CSP

St. Albert the Great, Knoxville Fifteen people were welcomed into the Catholic Church during the Easter Vigil at St. Albert the Great and 25 children received their first Holy Communion April 14. St. Albert the Great vacation Bible school is June 10-14 at the church. Children ages 5 through 11 are encouraged to attend. Volunteers are still needed. Contact Angela Nelson at anelson@gmail.com or 865-938-9941 for more information. Baptisms: Noah Daley, son of Lauren and Dave Daley; Angelina Killian, daughter of Linda and Michael Killian; and Aria Rosemary Lukosi, daughter of Eric and Michelle Lukosi n Five Rivers continued from page 13

Spiritual Discipline?” 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 the John XXIII office at 865-523-7931. n

COURTESY OF BLANCA PRIMM

Blessed John XXIII, Knoxville Nine people were received into the Church at the Easter Vigil. A parish appreciation dinner is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 3, for volunteers who have served at the parish this past year. Contact the parish office to RSVP at 865-523-7931.

John XXIII parishioner receives Udall Scholarship Blessed John XXIII student leader and graduating senior Brian Conlon has been named a Udall Scholar. This award is given to 50 students nationwide who are committed to working with issues regarding the environment, Native American health care, or tribal public policy. Mr. Conlon, who is majoring in honors environmental studies and German, is from Johnson City.

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Catholic youth

TRL oratory contest winners named

St. Mary School wins more science-fair honors

The East Tennessee Catholic

The winners of the 2013 Oratory Contest sponsored by the Knoxville chapter of Tennessee Right to Life were Justin Brown, first place; Will Higgins, second place; and Michael Ptacek, third place. Rachel Pelicano won first place in the art contest. The winners qualified to compete at the state contest scheduled for Saturday, May 4, at Aquinas College in Nashville. n COURTESY OF KATHRYN CHOU

By Dan McWilliams t. Mary School in Oak Ridge has a long tradition of success at the Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair, and the winning string continued this spring as a St. Mary student earned grand-champion honors for the sixth year in a row. Daniel Mountain won the top prize—a trophy and $200—with his project, “In a Fog.” The fair was held in early April at ThompsonBoling Arena on the University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus. Daniel came up with the idea for his project one day when he was riding in a car with his mother. “It was foggy and he was looking out at what he could see and couldn’t see and he got to wondering about what was a certain color that was easier to see in the fog,” said St. Mary science teacher Marsha Sega. “So he built a long cylinder thing, and they got a fog-making machine and they filled it up with fog and they put different colored objects in it, shone the car headlights on it, and moved the object back until they couldn’t see it anymore. Then he recorded the distance and what color was the best for what he could see best.” As is usually the case with students’ science-fair projects, Daniel’s “was completely his idea,” said Mrs. Sega. “In this instance it was his idea based on something that happened to him,” she said. “Some of the kids get ideas from the Internet. Some of them get ideas from another project they saw at a science fair, and they just take the idea and base their own project around it. Sometimes parents will suggest a question; sometimes if I come up with something, I’ll throw it out to the whole class and one of them might pick up on it and say, ‘Yeah, that sounds interest-

Award-winning group Students from St. Mary School in Oak Ridge who won science-fair awards gather for a photo. Daniel Mountain (far left, third row) was the fair’s grand champion.

ing; I’ll do it.’” The winning projects all have something in common, Mrs. Sega said. “The kids who won prizes put a lot of work into their projects.” Knoxville-area Catholic school students accounted for numerous other honors in the science fair. Marcela Miller of Sacred Heart Cathedral School was an overall fourth-place medalist, earning $50. Alexandra Z. Peterson of St. John Neumann School in Farragut and Jacqueline Morgan Zuraf of St. Mary School each won a fifth-place medal and $30. All three students also received a Certificate of Excellence and a $25 prize. Others winning a Certificate of Excellence were Daniel Mountain, Stephanie Marie Romanoski, Elena Jane Martin, Shannon Erica Rearden, Sierra Nicole Mushett, Andrea N. Wilkerson, Natalia Krystine Sychtysz, Olivia Rachel Milloway, Charlotte A. Daigle, and Mary Angela Miller of St. Mary School; Thomas Kollie and Jake Timothy Renfree of

St. John Neumann; Nicholas Martin and Anna Ward of Sacred Heart; and Sophia Grace Wilson of St. Joseph School in Knoxville. Winners of locally sponsored special awards at the science fair included Grace Elizabeth Santodonato of St. Mary, who received a $50 prize and certificate from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. The Smoky Mountain chapter of the American Meteorological Society awarded $100 and a plaque to Walker Smith of Sacred Heart and the same prizes to Jacqueline Zuraf of St. Mary. The Association of Women in Science, University of Tennessee at Knoxville chapter, awarded $25 to Sophia Wilson of St. Joseph. The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at UT presented a $200 award both to Jacqueline Zuraf and Mrs. Sega of St. Mary. The East Tennessee section of the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers awarded $50 each to Katherine E. Wade of St. Joseph and

Science fair continued on page 16

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Kevin T. Francescon earns Eagle Scout On Feb. 3 at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut, Kevin Thomas Francescon was presented a certificate and letter by George LeCrone Sr. from the Knoxville Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting for achieving the highest rank in Scouting, the Eagle Scout award. With the certificate were also letters from the national chaplain, Father Stephen B. Salvador, and national chairman Col. (ret.) John J. Halloran Jr., both of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting. n

Matthew Kniedler earns Eagle award Matthew Kniedler of Boy Scout Troop 172 at St. Jude Church in Chattanooga received his Eagle Scout award Jan. 19. For his Eagle project, Matt coordinated a spaghetti dinner and undertook other activities to raise funds for school supplies and other items for St. Jude’s sister parish in Haiti. Matthew is the son of Greg and Leslie Kniedler. Greg Kniedler is Matthew’s Scoutmaster. n May 5, 2013 15

Catholic youth

Sacred Heart Cathedral School in coming weeks is hosting its second annual Heart and Sole 5K/1mile Fun Run and its first Camp Eagle summer camps. The Heart and Sole 5K/Fun Run is set for 3 p.m. Sunday, May 19. The start/finish line is at the school, but participants will run down Northshore and Westland drives and through area neighborhoods. The event benefits the SHCS athletic department and is its top fundraiser of the year. Last year 379 runners helped the school raise $7,200 in the inaugural 5K/Fun Run. The money was used to buy uniforms, to pay athletic fees for students who could not afford them, and to paint the gym. Scott Barron, Sacred Heart athletics director, hopes the second event tops last year’s numbers. “Our goal is to have over 400 runners this year and make over $9,000 so we can buy new uniforms for a number of our sports teams,” he said. A cookout with food from Calhoun’s will follow the race. The 5K is part of the Tennessee Grand Prix series. Cost is $20 per person or $55 per family until race day. To register or learn more, visit www.sacredheartsports.org or runnerreg.net, call 865-558-4126, or e-mail sbarron@shcknox.org. Camp Eagle offers 15 athletic and non-athletic camps on the SHCS campus that are open to the general public. All camps are led by SHCS faculty members or coaches and take place between May and August. Camp Eagle’s offerings include football, volleyball, cheerleading, cooking, craft, dance, drama, jump-rope, basketball, knitting, music, and scrapbooking camps. There is also an Etiquette, Manners and Values Camp for girls and a Young Folks Summer Camp. n

16 May 5, 2013

BILL BREWER

Sacred Heart School hosts fun run, camp

Going for the win Soccer teams from St. Mary School in Oak Ridge and St. Joseph School in Knoxville squared off April 9 in a match held at Knoxville Catholic High School. The teams played to a 2-2 tie in regulation, but St. Mary proved victorious in sudden-death overtime, winning 3-2. Science fair continued from page 15

Natalia Sychtysz of St. Mary. The Knoxville Gem and Mineral Society awarded first-place prizes to Anna Ward of Sacred Heart. The Science Application International Corp. presented a plaque and $75 award to Meredith Olivia Allen of St. Mary. Samantha Peck of St. John Neumann received a Sigma Xi award, and Laura Daffron of St. John Neumann won a $50 award from the Society for Women Engineers, Smoky Mountain section. Walker Smith of Sacred Heart received $50 and a certificate from the Tennessee Science Teachers Association. Nationally sponsored awards

went to Natalia Sychtysz of St. Mary from the American Meteorological Society, Elena Martin of St. Mary from the American Psychological Association, Sophia Wilson of St. Joseph from the Association for Women Geoscientists, Shannon Rearden of St. Mary from Mu Alpha Theta, Sierra Mushett of St. Mary from the U.S. Air Force, Olivia Milloway of St. Mary from the U.S. Public Health Service, and Thomas Stucke of Sacred Heart from the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research. Honorable-mention winners at the science fair were Nathan Michael Kidder, Katherin Lynn Cacopardo,

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Erin Marika Van Berkel, John Paul Kaffer, Garrett Thomas Mesmer, Meredith Allen, and Madelyn Rose Fahhoum of St. Mary; Haley Cionfolo, Margaret M. Keener, and Laura Daffron of St. John Neumann; Libby Smith, Mary Grace Coakley, Walker Smith, Natalie Eilerman, and Thomas Stucke of Sacred Heart; and Ashlyn Man, Breanna Jeffries, Mary Katherine Kidwell, and Jason Houbre of St. Joseph. Other teachers of winning students were Amy Gilliland at Sacred Heart, Rosemary Calvert at St. Joseph, and Pam Preskenis and Brett Shaffer at St. John Neumann. n dioknox.org

Bishop continued from page 2

I also had an opportunity to greet the Holy Father again and to speak with him during another audience. Knowing that the pope has a special devotion to a saint with a St. Louis connection, I presented a print of a stained glass representation of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, which is located in the Archbishop’s Chapel in St. Louis. The chapel window was commissioned in preparation for the visit of Blessed John Paul in 1999. I presented this print along with a letter to Pope Francis and asked again for his blessing for the Diocese of Knoxville. He was very gracious. The most blessed moment for me came on Saturday, April 13. This day is particularly special to me as it is the birthday of my dad, Frank Stika, who was born in St. Louis in 1910. It also was the one-month anniversary of the election of the Holy Father—another truly special day. The Holy Father has renewed the practice started by Blessed John Paul II of inviting individuals to his 7 a.m. daily Mass. The chapel in the Domus holds perhaps 60 individuals. On this particular day, the pews were filled with members of the Italian military, Vatican workers, and firefighters in their work uniforms. There also were five concelebrating priests and myself. I was invited by the pope’s secretary to be the principal concelebrant as the only bishop. My first contact with the Holy Father was before Mass. As I entered the large sacristy of the Domus, I immediately caught sight of the Holy Father, already vested, at the opposite side sitting in deep prayer, his eyes closed. After vesting, I silently stood waiting for Mass to begin. After about five minutes the Holy Father looked up, and in seeing me, immediately rose and walked across the room to greet me. With that warm smile, he said, “I am Francis, who are you and where are you from?” We spoke for a few moments and then he returned to his place and spent a few more moments in prayer. Mass began and as any parish priest, the Holy Father presided and preached for about The East Tennessee Catholic

10 minutes, completely without notes. We embraced at the sign of peace and had a few moments of conversation following Mass—another blessed Trips to Scotland, France, Ireland, Shrines of Europe memory. Whereas when I was a seminarian and much more… and little imagined ever meeting the ranging from $3,599—$4,699 for 2013. pope, even once, Michael Hendershott, one of our seminarians studyPrices are ALL-INCLUSIVE w/Airfare from anywhere ing in Rome, has the memory of not in the continental USA only meeting Benedict XVI, but also Pope Francis. During an assembly of Italy/Switzerland: Jun. 22-Jul 4, Jun. 29-Jul. 11, the Papal Foundation, I was able to present Michael to the Holy Father. Jul. 6-18, Aug. 31-Sep. 12, Sep. 7-19, Sep. 14-26, Michael has only been a student of the Sep. 21-Oct. 3, Sep. 22-Oct. 4, Sep. 28-Oct. 10 ... Italian language since last summer, but already has become rather fluent Italy Regular: Jun. 22-30, Jun. 29-Jul. 7, Jul. 6-14, in a short time—so much so that the Aug. 31-Sep. 8, Sep. 7-15, Sep. 14-22, Sep. 21-29 … Pope complimented in English Michael’s fluency saying, “His Italian is Holy Land: Jun. 17-27, Jun. 24-Jul. 4, Aug. 26excellent!” The week that I have just described Sep. 5, Sep. 2-12, Sep. 3-13, Sep. 9-19, Sep. 10-20 will forever be so very special to me. Holy Land/Italy: Jun. 24-Jul. 7, Jul. 1-14, Aug. 26Rome is always special. Living in VatiSep. 8, Sep. 2-15, Sep. 9-22, Sep. 16-29 … can City is exceptional, but to have a daily experience with the 265th succes- Italy South: Jun. 15-27, Aug. 31-Sep. 12, Sep. 7-19, sor of St. Peter for a week is something Sep. 14-26, Sep. 21-Oct. 3, Sep. 28-Oct. 10 … I will never forget. What is he like? From my experience he is a very holy, France: Jun. 22-Jul. 4, Jun. 29-Jul. 11, Sep. 7-19, warm, engaging man who cares for Sep. 14-26, Sep. 21-Oct. 3 ... people. Just like his predecessors, he truly is a pastoral man who gives you Austria/Germany/Switzerland: Jul. 6-18, Jul. 13-25, all the time in the world. But you don’t need an audience with Jul. 20-Aug. 1, Jul. 27-Aug. 8, Aug. 31-Sep. 12 … the pope to experience him as pastor Ireland/Scotland: Jun.22-Jul 4, Jun. 29-Jul. 11, of the Church. Technological advances, particularly over the past decade, have Jul. 20-Aug. 1, Sep. 7-19, Sep. 14-26 ... certainly helped to make the popes of Tuscany/Assisi/Cinque Terre: Aug. 26-Sep. 6, our time so much more present to us. Within hours of a homily or message Sep. 7-18, Sep. 14-25, Sep. 21-Oct. 2 ... given by the pope, we can read a transItaly/Lourdes/Fatima: Jun. 22-Jul. 4, Jun. 29lation of it online, or receive a tweet from him. Indeed, he is not a distant Jul. 11, Jul. 6-18, Sep. 7-19, Sep. 14-26 … figure, but always speaking to and encouraging each one of us to help make Medjugorje/Lourdes/Fatima: Sep. 2-13, Sep. 9-20, Christ less distant in the hearts of oth- Sep. 16-27, Sep. 23-Oct. 4 … ers. My audiences with the popes have been a special blessing, but the greater Poland: Jun. 22-Jul. 3, Jun. 29-Jun. 10, Jul. 6-17, blessing is to be the occasion in the Aug. 31-Sep. 11, Sep. 7-18, Sep. 14-25 ... lives and hearts of others for an audience with Christ. May you endeavor Carmela A. Dupuis, always to be the face, the hands, and Executive Director www.proximotravel.com the voice of Christ to all who share email: anthony@proximotravel.com 855-842-8001 | 508-340-9370 life’s journey with you. n The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

May 5, 2013 17

Living the readings

Weekday readings Sunday, May 5: Acts 15:1-2, 22-29; Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8; Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23; John 14:23-29 Monday, May 6: Acts 16:1115; Psalm 149:1-6, 9; John 15:26–16:4 Tuesday, May 7: Acts 16:2234; Psalm 138:1-3, 7-8; John 16:5-11 Wednesday, May 8: Acts 17:15 and 17:22–18:1; Psalm 148:1-2, 11-14; John 16:12-15 Thursday, May 9: Acts 18:1-8; Psalm 98:1-4; John 16:16-20 Friday, May 10: Acts 18:9-18; Psalm 47:2-7; John 16:20-23 Saturday, May 11: Acts 18:23-28; Psalm 47:2-3, 8-10; John 16:23-28 Sunday, May 12: Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47:2-3, 6-9; Ephesians 1:17-23; Luke 24:46-53 Monday, May 13: Acts 19:1-8; Psalm 68:2-7; John 16:29-33 Tuesday, May 14: Feast, St. Matthias, apostle, Acts 1:1517, 20-26; Psalm 113:1-8; John 15:9-17 Wednesday, May 15: Acts 20:28-38; Psalm 68:29-30, 33-36; John 17:11-19 Thursday, May 16: Acts 22:30 and 23:6-11; Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11; John 17:20-26 Friday, May 17: Acts 25:1321; Psalm 103:1-2, 11-12, 1920; John 21:15-19 Saturday, May 18: Acts 28:16-20, 30-31; Psalm 11:45, 7; John 21:20-25; vigil Mass of Pentecost, Genesis 11:1-9; Psalm 104:1-2, 24, 35, 27-30; Romans 8:22-27; John 7:37-39 Sunday, May 19: Solemnity, Pentecost Sunday, Acts 2:111; Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 1213; John 20:19-23 Readings continued on page 19

18 May 5, 2013

by Father Joseph Brando

Are we almost there yet?

Bible never disappoints as it deals with a multitude of endings

ost every piece of literature ever written begins with an implied promise. By its very nature, it assures you it will come to an ending. There are some notable exceptions, but those are spoken of with disappointment or downright ridicule. So when readers take up the Bible, they would naturally expect to come to a conclusion that not only pleases but also teaches us what life is about. And, in fact, they are neither disappointed nor drawn to ridicule by the Sacred Scriptures. There actually are a multitude of endings, all of which have an inspiring message. Each of them has a different idea of what constitutes the end. We have this month, thanks to a holy day of obligation, five Masses that have to do with the end or the beginning of something. We have the Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday and two Sundays at the very end of the Easter season. You’d expect then that there are 15 readings to consider. However, three of the opportunities for readings offer a choice. Unable to choose against any reading, I have decided to include them all. I invite you to briefly look at 18 Scripture readings, all of which pertain to an ending. A few refer to the end of the world; but, amazingly, many consider living in our post-resurrection age as the end times. Some of the readings compromise with wonderful insights. Let’s begin. Taking a look at the first readings of all the Sundays in May, four of the five are taken from the Acts of the Apostles. The other one is the only reading from the Old Testament in the entire month. It is from Proverbs and is a great place to start. It considers the creation of the

world, making the point that the wisdom of God was active. This reading is meant to illustrate, on Trinity Sunday, the Holy Spirit’s role in creation and in dealing with humans. Yet, it also presents a view of God in heaven and the Holy Spirit’s love for humanity. The point is man was made to be with God in heaven. That is about as far as the Old Testament can take us. Coming back to the first Sunday of May, we now can look at the first of four excerpts from the Acts of the Apostles. All four of them depict the result of Jesus’ passion, death, resurrection, ascension and the Holy Spirit’s descent to be the establishment of the Church. Of course, the Church’s main objective is to proclaim eternal life. The 15th chapter of Acts celebrates the solving of the first major problem to face the Church, namely whether pagan converts should become Jewish first and then be baptized. The great joy is that the argument was over. Perhaps couples can relate to it when they remember their first spat and how disillusioning it was until they found out they could get through it. Kissing and making up meant a lot. Luke is presenting in this passage the notion that through reconciliation the Church can experience one of the true joys of heaven here on earth. That’s a pretty good ending. However, there are many more to come. On the Feast of the Ascension, we look at the first chapter of Acts. Right at the outset it tackles the question why Jesus did what he did for us. The last question the disciples asked the Lord as he was about to ascend to heaven was, “are… you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” His answer starts out, “It is not for you to know.” Then Jesus

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does tell them “you will be my witnesses.” Jesus gifted the world with people who will give witness of the presence of God among us. That could be a good ending to the Bible. Then we skip to the story of Pentecost. Luke gives us another parting idea to consider. In the second chapter of Acts, we read that the entire Church was together in one room when the Holy Spirit came upon them. All were filled with the Spirit. Just outside, there were people from virtually every country of the world. When they heard Peter speak, they all became one in that each person heard in his own language. The whole world becoming one in the risen Christ would make an excellent ending to the Bible as well. The last of the first readings is taken from chapter seven of Acts. It depicts the death of the first martyr. As he was dying, Stephen said he saw the heavens open and his last words included, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” What a powerful ending to the Scriptures that would make! We now move to the second readings of the Sundays and feasts of May. Those used on the sixth and seventh Sunday of Easter are taken from Revelation. The others are from Paul’s Epistles. Let’s start with the Book of Revelation. Chapter 21 of Revelation is the second reading for May 5. It describes the New Jerusalem. There is Light, but there is no sun or moon or any natural cause. That hearkens back to the creation narrative in Genesis. God’s first creation was light. He did not create the sun, moon, and stars until the fourth day. Nor was there a temple in the New Jerusalem. Both light and temple are connected when John tells us, “The Glory of God gave it light.” This would be a great ending as it connects Genesis 1 with Revelation 21, the first and last words of the Bible. Speaking of first and last, that is the message we receive on the seventh Sunday of Easter. The risen dioknox.org

and exalted Christ proclaims himself the Alpha and the Omega, saying “I am coming soon.” That also would make a great ending, telling us our mission now is to prepare for the second coming of the Lord. On the Feast of the Ascension, the Church gives us a choice between two readings. One is from Hebrews. The passage ends with “Christ [who] offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.” How appropriate an ending is that as it describes the attitude we should have and what the Lord will be doing when he comes again. It is truly the end. Ephesians 1:17-23 is the other choice for the Ascension. There, Paul, as he does at the beginning of all his letters, offers a blessing. This one also could be a great ending. “May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in His inheritance among the holy ones and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe.” It goes on to mention the dominion of Christ, “who fills all things in every way.” This “ending” presents the glory of being a Christian and the Lordship of Christ. Pentecost also has a choice of second readings. The first is from the 12th chapter of First Corinthians. There we read, “In the Spirit we were all baptized into one body… and we were given to drink of one Spirit.” The beauty of this possible ending to the Scriptures is that it tells us exactly where the Scriptures leave off and where we find ourselves. The other choice for Pentecost is from the chapter considered one of Paul’s two greatest. It is Romans, chapter eight. One of the deepest sentences ever written is contained in it. “If the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead is alive in you, the one who raised Jesus from The East Tennessee Catholic

the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.” As an ending, this finely designed sentence tells us the bottom line. The Spirit is, indeed, alive in us and therefore we can rejoice knowing our bodies will be raised up. The last of the second readings of May comes on Trinity Sunday. Appropriately, it is from the other candidate to be considered Paul’s greatest chapter, namely Romans, chapter five. (What happened to 1 Corinthians 13?) Here, Paul writes, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” He goes on to write that this peace comes from the grace we have received. This grace allows us to boast in our afflictions and gives us hope. Hope would be a most appropriate way to conclude the Bible. Of the five Gospels for May, four of them are from the Gospel of John. The other one is from the 24th chapter of Luke. It is the narrative of the Ascension. In fact, these are the very last words of Luke’s Gospel. After Jesus ascended, Luke reports, “They [the disciples] did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God.” That does describe what is left after Christ’s ascension. We should be people with great joy who continually praise God. Luke chose his last words well. On May 6 the Gospel is from the 14th chapter of John, which is the beginning of what is called the “Last Discourse” of Jesus at the Last Supper. It is Jesus’ final instruction. He tells us of his Father’s love for us; he promises to send the Spirit; and he gives his peace. At the end, he encourages us to believe. He starts with love and concludes with faith. It’s an ending that sets up our way to live the Christian life. A passage from the same chapter is a choice for the feast of Pentecost. In this section, Jesus promises to

send the advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will teach us everything. John places this message in the context of Jesus’ teaching on God’s abiding love for us. Hence, we have a good ending here since we are told that God’s love and presence will remain with us forever. The Seventh Sunday of Easter takes its Gospel from John 17, which consists of Jesus’ priestly prayer to the Father at the Last Supper. It begins, “Father, I pray for them [the disciples]…but also for those who will believe in me through them.” And then he prays that they may be one and that the world would believe that the Father sent Him. He wants the love that the Father loves Him with to be in us. Here he starts with faith and concludes with love. It works both ways. Pentecost offers a second choice. This is from John, chapter 20. The scene is again the upper room, but this time on Easter evening when the Risen Lord offers his disciples peace, breathes on them the Holy Spirit and tells them to forgive sins. Again, we have a great place to end the Scriptures with the conferral of the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and reconciliation. Before his death and resurrection, he had gifted them with the Eucharist and Holy Orders. The last reading is the Gospel for Trinity Sunday, John 16:12-15. We’re back at the Last Supper. Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit and he also promises that the Father will bestow on us all that he has given to the Son. There is a Trinitarian conclusion that would work well. So, finally, we have 18 possible endings. Why don’t you go over them again to determine which one you would choose to sum up our faith? No matter which you select, you’ll have experienced some precious meditation and brought to a synthesis a number of articles of Christian doctrine. Enjoy! n

Readings continued from page 18 Monday, May 20: Sirach 1:110; Psalm 93:1-2, 5; Mark 9:14-29 Tuesday, May 21: Sirach 2:111; Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 2728, 39-40; Mark 9:30-37 Wednesday, May 22: Sirach 4:11-19; Psalm 119:165, 168, 171-172, 174-175; Mark 9:38-40 Thursday, May 23: Sirach 5:1-8; Psalm 1:1-4, 6; Mark 9:41-50 Friday, May 24: Sirach 6:517; Psalm 119:12, 16, 18, 27, 34-35; Mark 10:1-12 Saturday, May 25: Sirach 17:1-15; Psalm 103:13-18; Mark 10:13-16 Sunday, May 26: Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Proverbs 8:22-31; Psalm 8:4-9; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15 Monday, May 27: Sirach 17:20-24; Psalm 32:1-2, 5-7; Mark 10:17-27 Tuesday, May 28: Sirach 35:1-12; Psalm 50:5-8, 14, 23; Mark 10:28-31 Wednesday, May 29: Sirach 36:1, 4-5, 10-17; Psalm 79:89, 11, 13; Mark 10:32-45 Thursday, May 30: Sirach 42:15-25; Psalm 33:2-9; Mark 10:46-52 Friday, May 31: Feast, the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Zephaniah 3:14-18; Isaiah 12:2-6; Luke 1:39-56 Saturday, June 1: Memorial, St. Justin, martyr, Sirach 51:12-20; Psalm 19:8-11; Mark 11:27-33 n

Father Brando is pastor of St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg.

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

May 5, 2013 19

Letter to the editor

Marriage enrichment

Raising awareness for ethical childhood immunizations

Building peace begins in our families

Many parents have been shocked to learn that several childhood vaccines are grown on aborted fetal lung tissue cell lines—starting with the MMR II in 1979, varicella (chickenpox) in 1995, hepatitis A in 1996 and now polio (via Pentacel) in June 2008. This has been a gradual but steady infiltration into our lives and the bodies of our children. Over the last 30 years we have been forced to make the difficult decision: either vaccinate and cooperate indirectly in the abortion process, or not vaccinate and leave our children unprotected from serious diseases. Based on the proportionate risk to the health of our children, the use of these immoral vaccines was temporarily acceptable, as long as we expressed our clear objection to the process. Since July 2009—for the first time—we have had the possibility of choosing between moral and immoral versions of the polio vaccine. We can choose to receive polio as either: n Pentacel (immorally produced), or n Pediarix or IPOL (both morally produced). We have the greatest responsibility to refuse to cooperate in using the immorally produced Pentacel. This time, we need not put our children at risk for polio by refusing to support abortion. Parents may want to use the following talking points: n “I have recently become aware that a few childhood vaccines are grown on cells

by Marian Christiana

Important message of Pope Francis should enter our hearts at home, then spread throughout the world

n Easter Sunday, during Pope Francis’ Urbi et Orbi Easter blessing in St. Peter’s Square, he asked that his message of peace enter into people’s hearts and “go out to every house and every family…” As I write this column, the bombings at the Boston Marathon were being discussed and analyzed on television. After a tragedy like this I can’t help but reflect on the importance of peacemakers in our world and the tremendous importance of their family of origin in helping them develop peacemaking skills. This sounds like a wonderful concept but how do we go about building peace in our homes and within our families? Research shows that all families argue, but it is how we argue that will determine if our families learn to negotiate peaceful resolutions or learn to escalate those disagreements. I recently read an article in The New York Times by Bruce Feiler titled “Lessons in Domestic Diplomacy.” In his article, Bruce talks about the recurring fights that occurred in his family almost on a daily basis. To help his family deal with this ongoing issue Bruce investigated ways to improve negotiating a peaceful resolution to conflicts. He attended a three-day course on negotiation at the Harvard Negotia-

tion Project. He invited an environmental psychologist into his home to evaluate his home environment, and he spoke with linguists to identify words that can and will escalate problems. Bruce discovered that you can restore harmony to your house more quickly and leave less resentment festering in the background through the use of some simple negotiation techniques. The first lesson is to beware of the times of transition. Many arguments occur when we are coming or going. How many times have you fought with your spouse when you were trying to get the children out the door in the morning or when you came home from work to all of the evening chores? Take time to register what is happening and agree to table the discussion until a calmer time of day. Set a specific time to address the issue that has arisen so everyone knows that the subject isn’t being swept under the rug. The second lesson is watch your posture. Pay attention to your body language. If you are crossing your arms or slumping, you are not ready to have an open discussion. Take five minutes to calm yourself. Sitting at the same level with the person you are talking with also is a technique that helps in highly

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charged conversations. Sitting next to each other with the same posture on soft cushions has been shown to be a successful technique in reaching a settlement that is agreeable to all concerned. Find a couch for your next discussion. The last lesson Bruce learned was to take a break physically or mentally when you are at a standstill, or the argument is escalating. Picture the argument on a stage and that you are watching from a balcony. This calming technique helps you begin to identify alternatives. Bruce and his wife modified this approach with their own children. When the children are in an argument they are separated so they have time to calm down. They are asked to think of three alternatives to the problem they are arguing about while they are separated, and then they are brought back together to discuss those alternatives in what is now a calmer environment. Through the use of these simple techniques, we could all take Pope Francis’ message of peace to heart and work with our spouse to create a family of peacemakers. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.—St. Francis of Assisi n Mrs. Christiana is coordinator of the diocesan Marriage Preparation and Enrichment Office.

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Letter continued on page 21

20 May 5, 2013

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

dioknox.org

Understanding the sacraments

Letter continued from page 20

by Father Randy Stice

‘A great mystery’

A mystagogical catechesis of the sacrament of marriage and the sacrament’s effect on our lives

arriage is intimately woven into the plan of salvation as revealed in the Old and New Testaments. “Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of ‘the wedding-feast of the Lamb’” (Catechism, 1602). “God who created man out of love also calls him to love, the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being. For man is created in the image and likeness of God who is himself love. Since God created him man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man” (Catechism, 1604). This is the “mystery” of marriage to which the Scriptures testify (cf., Ephesians 5:32). As the Church deepened its theology of marriage, the early Church fathers explored three concepts. First, marriage is a symbol of Christ and his Church (St. John Chrysostom and St. Ambrose). Second, it confers grace (Tertullian and Origen). And third, marriage was elevated from the order of nature to the order of grace at the Marriage Feast of Cana in John 2 (St. Cyril of Alexandria and St. Maximus of Turin). This month I want to offer a mystagogical catechesis of the sacrament of marriage. As I have noted in previous columns, Pope Benedict XVI proposes a mystagogical catechesis that considers three aspects: it places the sacrament in the context of salvation history; it interprets the signs that make up the rite; and it explains how the sacrament impacts the whole of one’s life. The first aspect of a mystagogical catechesis places the sacraThe East Tennessee Catholic

ment in the context of salvation history. Marriage has its origin in creation and in God’s covenant relationship with his people. The nuptial blessing, which is conferred on the bride and groom, has been part of the celebration of marriage since at least the fourth century and alludes to different Old Testament images. It recalls the creation of man and woman: “Holy Father, maker of the whole world, [you] created man and woman in your own image and willed that their union be crowned with your blessing” (Roman Missal, p. 1040). It also recalls God’s covenant with his people: “O God, who, to reveal the great design you formed in your love, willed that the love of spouses for each other should foreshadow the covenant you graciously made with your people” (Roman Missal, p. 1034). Creation and covenant are intrinsic aspects of the sacrament of marriage. The second aspect of mystagogical catechesis looks at the meaning of the signs contained in the rite. When speaking of signs, it is good to remember the Church’s broad understanding of liturgical signs and symbols, which includes not only material objects such as oil and candles, but also actions, gestures words, music and song. The essential sign of the sacrament of marriage is the mutual exchange of consent: I, N., take you, N., to be my wife/ husband. “The Church holds the exchange of consent between the spouses to be the indispensable element that ‘makes the marriage’” (Catechism, 1626). This sign is accompanied by two additional signs. The first is the presence of the Church’s minister

and witnesses, which “visibly expresses the fact that marriage is an ecclesial reality” (Catechism, 1630). The second accompanying sign is the gesture of joining hands, which was employed from the earliest times. The third aspect of mystagogical catechesis is the sacrament’s effect on the whole of one’s life. The prayers from the Ritual Mass for the Celebration of Marriage in the Roman Missal convey the meaning of the sacrament for the whole of the marriage. The sacrament of marriage, for example, binds the spouses together “in mutual affection, in likeness of mind, and in shared holiness.” It informs and transfigures every aspect of their common life: “In happiness may they praise you, O Lord, in sorrow may they seek you out; may they have the joy of your presence to assist them in their toil, and know that you are near to comfort them in their need” (Roman Missal, p. 1041). God, in his goodness, enables the spouses to “live out in deeds” “what they receive in faith” (Roman Missal, p. 1031). As noted at the beginning of this article, “‘God himself is the author of marriage.’ The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator” (Catechism, 1603). It reveals the great design God formed in his love. A mystagogical catechesis enables us to better appreciate that “it is good, very good, in the Creator ’s eyes” (Catechism, 1604). n Father Stice directs the diocesan Office of Worship and Liturgy. He can be reached at frrandy@dioknox.org.

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derived from aborted fetal lung tissue cell lines.” n “I respectfully insist that my child not receive Pentacel, which is immorally produced.” n “If you are unwilling to comply with this wish, I will find a doctor who will.” We must take a stand now. (Nothing here should be taken to justify the rejection of all vaccines, which would put many children at risk for serious diseases.) n Frank Fischer Jr., MD, FAAP fischerdeacdoc@charter.net, St. Dominic Parish, Kingsport

Upcoming Virtus sessions The Diocese of Knoxville’s program for the protection of children, youth and vulnerable adults is offered throughout the diocese. The seminars are required for parish and school employees and regular volunteers in contact with children and vulnerable adults. The following training sessions are scheduled: n St. Jude Church, Chattanooga, noon, Tuesday, May 7. n St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Lenoir City, 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 14. n St. Dominic, Kingsport, 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 14; 1 p.m. Saturday, June 8. n All Saints Church, Knoxville, 1 p.m. Saturday, June 1. n

Want to try online delivery? The East Tennessee Catholic offers online delivery for those who wish to receive a digital copy and discontinue the print edition. Sign up for online delivery at bit.ly/subscribe-online. If you decide online delivery isn’t for you, you can return to a print subscription at any time. If you have questions, e-mail mhunt@ dioknox.org. n May 5, 2013 21

Once upon a time

Sacred Heart School accepting resumés for vacant positions Sacred Heart Cathedral School, a rapidly growing, AdvancEd accredited, preschoolthrough-eighth-grade, faithbased Catholic educational community of 700 students, is accepting resumés for the 2013-14 academic year for an assistant principal, middle school literature/English teacher, and instructional assistant. Applicants for assistant principal will report directly to, and support the principal and will participate in the overall administration and leadership of Sacred Heart Cathedral School. Qualifications for this position are a master’s degree in education; a minimum of five years of teaching experience; must hold current Tennessee teacher license as well as administrative license. Those applying for the position of middle school teacher must be certified and must hold a current Tennessee teaching license. Dual certification in elementary and secondary education is preferred. Excellent benefits and opportunities for extracurricular involvement are included. Qualified applicants should send a letter of interest and resumé to: Debbie Jackson Principal’s Assistant Sacred Heart Cathedral School 711 S. Northshore Drive Knoxville, TN 37919 Candidates also can e-mail to: djackson@shcknox.org n

22 May 5, 2013

by Monsignor Xavier Mankel

Giving thanks for the month of Mary

The number of parishes dedicated to our Blessed Mother illustrates Diocese of Knoxville’s devotion

nother month of May for which to give thanks to God. May, the month of Mary, is in our Northern Hemisphere a springtime month during which Mother Nature seems to join with her beautiful flora to offer a world of color and fragrance to enhance not only our natural settings but also our manufactured shrines in honor of the Holy Mother of God. The number of parishes dedicated to our Blessed Lady surely indicates in a statistical way the devotion of our people to Mary. We have Immaculate Conception, Knoxville; Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa; St. Mary, Gatlinburg; and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapel at the former St. Mary’s Memorial Hospital in Knoxville (all in the Smoky Mountain Deanery). In the Cumberland Mountain Deanery there are Our Lady of Perpetual Help in LaFollette and St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge. The Chattanooga Deanery has St. Mary Church, Athens; Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Chattanooga; and Our Lady of Lourdes Church, South Pittsburg. Finally, the Five Rivers Deanery is blessed to have Notre Dame in Greeneville and St. Mary Church in Johnson City. One of Blessed John Paul II’s legacies to the world is the gift of the Luminous (Mysteries of Light) Mysteries that help fill the void between the last Joyful Mystery, the finding of the adolescent Jesus in the Temple, and the first of the Sorrowful Mysteries, the Agony in the Garden. As a senior citizen, I have trouble remembering the Luminous Mysteries, even the order in which they occur. Learning the other 15 mysteries seemed such a breeze when Sister Joanne Marie, RSM, taught them at the old St. Mary’s School in Knoxville in 1941-42! I list the mysteries of life and wee medita-

tions on each that you might find useful during this Month of Mary, dedicated to the Blessed Mother: 1. The Baptism in the Jordan Meditation: Jesus descends into the water of the Jordan River and is baptized by John. The heavens open and the voice of the Father declares Him the beloved Son. The Spirit descends upon Jesus in the form of a dove and fills Him with God’s mission to save humankind from sin. Matthew 3:17. 2. The Wedding at Cana Meditation: Jesus changes water into wine at the request of Mary, who was first among believers. The disciples witness this miracle, their hearts open to the faith, and they begin to believe in Him. John 2:1-12. 3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God Meditation: Jesus preaches the Gospel in Galilee. He proclaims that this is the time of fulfillment, for the Kingdom of God is at hand. He asks all to repent and forgives the sins of those who believe in Him. Mark 1:15. 4. The Transfiguration Meditation: On Mount Tabor, the Apostles see the glory of God shining forth from the face of Jesus. The voice of the Father, coming from a cloud, says, “This is my chosen Son, listen to Him.” Luke 9:35. 5. The Institution of the Eucharist Meditation: At the Last Supper, Jesus offers His body and blood, under the signs of bread and wine, and washes the feet of the Apostles. He knows that Judas had betrayed Him and His hour has come. Jesus testifies to His everlasting love for each one of us by sharing the sacrament of the Eucharist. John 13:1. Sometime back we reviewed the illustrious beginnings of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women in Tennessee. Begun in 1920, the National Council of Catholic Women was an

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

answer to the prayers of our U.S. bishops for a mobilized group who would bring the leadership of laywomen to the front. And the story was the same in 1937-38, when Bishop William Lawrence Adrian, D.D., bishop of Nashville, authorized the establishment of the Nashville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. The early conventions of the ladies, whether in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, or Nashville, helped establish lay ministry as a practical reality. Thirty years later, the Second Vatican Council did even more to recognize the dignity of the baptism and God’s call to ministry for all men and women. A Provincial Convention was held in Nashville April 18-20. The Diocese of Knoxville was well represented and the ladies of the host Diocese of Nashville excelled in southern hospitality. The accommodations and speakers were very fine, and Holy Rosary Church proved a fine place to celebrate convention Masses. Across the nation, however, the NCCW has come upon hard times financially. What to do? I believe leaving the organization is not a viable solution for the leavers or the stayers. The rise and maturity of parish pastoral councils has, it seems to me, been responsible for an impression circulating that NCCW, DCCW, Deanery CCW, and PCCW might be a pious extra in the U.S. church today. Not so. We might be able to stumble along briefly without such structure and leadership, but this would not last very long. Working with the hierarchy and along parish pastoral councils is the only way to go. Cooperation remains the name of the game. n Monsignor Mankel is a vicar general of the diocese and the pastor of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville. dioknox.org

Singer says Christ’s teachings vital to peace By Catholic News Agency VATICAN CITY—Visiting the Vatican to participate in the recent TEDx conference on religious freedom, Cuban singer Gloria Estefan said that the teachings of Jesus Christ are central to ensuring peace in the world. In an interview with CNA, Estefan said she believes it is important that “the basic teachings of Jesus Christ” be passed on to young people. “It’s about treating other human beings like you want to be treated, and if we did that, there would be no conflicts or difficulties in life,” she said. The singer arrived in Rome with her husband Emilio Estefan. During

the conference, she performed a song and shared her experience with the hundreds of attendees who arrived from all parts of the world. “I think we need to be in communion with others, and I believe a lot in the power of prayer,” said Estefan, who was born in Cuba and grew up in Miami. “I have tried to live that truth even with my music, because my music is like my catharsis, my support, which has helped me get through very difficult times.” Estefan said that faith has been a pillar in her life. She recalled the bus accident in 1990 that left her unable to walk and unsure if she would ever sing again. Thanks to the prayers of

her fans, she said that she underwent a miraculous recovery. “When I was in that huge accident I received a lot of prayers from around the world,” she explained. “I believe in God and I will never be an atheist. The world is too beautiful to think that God does not exist.” After the accident, Estefan composed the song, “Coming Out of the Dark,” a worldwide hit dedicated to God, in which she wanted to “thank all those who sent me their prayers and helped me recover.” “That song has a very religious meaning for me,” she said. “It signifies the power of prayer and that we all have to help each other.” n

Robots continued from page 7

Team member Libby Fortunato, who functioned as the Robotichauns’ safety officer in its pit area, also was recognized for her performance in that role. But a robotics competition is not all serious work—there is serious fun as well. Many teams adopted costumes and decorated their pit areas for a festive atmosphere. Each team also designed a team button, and the students socialized, exchanging buttons and ideas, throughout the competition. A DJ provided music, and when there was a lull between matches, a popular dance song—such as the Chicken Dance, the Macarena, or Gangnam Style—was played, resulting in spontaneous “raves” in the stands and in front of the playing field. The competition was open to the public at no charge, so family members and friends of the students competing were on hand to cheer and wave signs for encouragement. The public was encouraged to tour the pit areas, especially with younger children, to inspire the next generation of competitors. The robotics season begins shortly after the first of the calendar year with FIRST’s announcement of the annual challenge, which defines

the functions a team’s robot must perform that year. A team then has six weeks to design, build, and test its robot. Based on the challenge created by FIRST, there is no guarantee a team will be able to use any functionality in their previous year’s robot. Once the deadline is met, a team enters into regional competitions held across the country and overseas. If a team is part of an alliance that won first place, they then go on to compete nationally in St. Louis. As one FIRST official said, “These are the kids who won’t be living in their parents’ basement when they are adults.” FIRST robotics aim is to provide high school students with invaluable skills in technology, project management, and teamwork. The KCHS Robotichauns is open to any interested student. A technical background isn’t needed because a variety of talents is needed for a successful season. In addition, adults who are willing to serve as mentors also are encouraged to become part of the Robotichauns. Anyone interested in joining the Robotichauns should contact Doug Parris at Knoxville Catholic High School (dparris@ knoxvillecatholic.com). n

for their match, the students on the individual teams confer with their alliance members in game strategy. In this way, robotics not only allows students to develop skills in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), but in tactical reasoning, communications, and teamwork, too. After the matches are played, the teams are ranked before the finals. The Robotichauns ranked in 15th place, and were in alliance with the Jackson Redneck Robotics (Team 4092) from Alabama and The Digital Goats (Team 829) from Indiana to go into the finals. Ultimately, they were beaten out of first place by three local high schools, but not before a good fight was waged. In addition to second place, the Robotichauns won the Innovation in Control Award. This award, sponsored by Rockwell Automation, recognizes a team’s unique design in performing a specific function. The Robotichauns robot—“Francis” (named after our new pope)—was built with a complex system of vacuums and hydraulics that allowed it to drive over a Frisbee and retrieve it from underneath and deposit the Frisbee into its shooting mechanism. The East Tennessee Catholic

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Schedule continued from page 2

in Crossville May 12: 9 a.m., Confirmation at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Townsend May 14: 11 a.m., General priest meeting at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City May 15: 9:30 a.m., Bishop’s leadership meeting at the Chancery May 15: 6 p.m., dinner at the bishop’s residence with cathedral RCIA class, families and team May 18: 9 a.m., Knoxville Catholic High School graduation at Blaine Stadium May 19: 11 a.m., Confirmation at St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga May 19: 2 p.m., Notre Dame High School graduation at Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga May 22: 9:30 a.m., St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation board meeting at the Chancery May 22: 7 p.m., Confirmation at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa May 23: 5 p.m., St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic board meeting at the Chancery May 25: 6 p.m., Confirmation at Immaculate Conception Church May 26: 9 a.m., Confirmation at St. Henry Church in Rogersville May 26: 6 p.m., Confirmation at Holy Ghost Church May 29: 9:30 a.m., Bishop’s leadership meeting at the Chancery May 29: 7 p.m., Confirmation at St. Bridget Church in Dayton May 30: 6 p.m., Scrolls Mass and dinner at the bishop’s residence n

May 5, 2013 23

Archbishop Kurtz among U.S. religious leaders signing MLK jail letter response

24 May 5, 2013

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

By Catholic News Service WASHINGTON—Fifty years ago, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. took a group of white Alabama clergymen to task for suggesting he find ways, other than demonstrations and protests, to seek racial equality. The civil rights leader did not mince words telling the group that included Protestant pastors, a rabbi and a Catholic bishop—Auxiliary Bishop Joseph A. Durick of what was then the Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham, Ala.—that he was “disappointed with the church.” In their public letter to Rev. King, published in an April 13, 1963, newspaper, the religious leaders urged him to negotiate and wait for court actions and described the civil rights demon- In response Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, left, signs a response to the Rev. Martin strations in Birmingham as “unwise Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” at St. Paul United Methodist Church in and untimely.” Birmingham, Ala., on April 15. Rev. King, held in solitary confinement for eight days for violating the Religious figures in particular are ism is a sin: a sin that divides the city’s ban on civil rights demonstranot just reading the letter but respond- human family, blots out the image of tions, began his response to the clering to it. God among specific members of that gymen April 16, the fourth day of his Leaders of U.S. Christian denominaprison sentence. He used a pencil to tions who are part of the ecumenical write on margins of a newspaper and organization Christian Churches Toslips of paper, and he wrote only durgether gathered in Birmingham April ing the day since his cell had no over14-15 to sign a response to the letter head light. and discuss its meaning then and now. The letter, addressed to “My Dear One participant was Archbishop Fellow Clergymen” became the faJoseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, vice mous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” president of the U.S. Conference of Jonathan Bass, history professor at Catholic Bishops and former bishop Birmingham’s Samford University of the Diocese of Knoxville. In an and author of the 2002 book Blessed are April 14 address to the gathering, he the Peacemakers: Martin Luther King Jr., stressed the importance of responding Eight White Religious Leaders, and the to Rev. King’s words by asking forLetter from Birmingham Jail, said Rev. giveness for past wrongs, appreciating King’s letter is “without a doubt the efforts that have been made and being most important written document of “resolved for more action.” the civil rights era.” He commended steps made by the He told Catholic News Service Catholic Church including its Aug. 23, April 15 that the letter was meant for 1963, statement “On Racial Harmony,” a much broader audience than just issued by the administrative board of these eight religious leaders but, since what was then the National Catholic he wrote to them as a minister, it has Welfare Conference, the predecessor deeply spiritual themes. of today’s USCCB. It said: “We must For the letter’s 50th anniversary, insist that the heart of the race quespublic readings of the letter are taking tion is moral and religious.” place not only in Birmingham, but He also quoted the U.S. bishops’ across the United States and in places 1979 pastoral letter “Brothers and around the world. Sisters to Us,” which said that “racThe Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

family, and violates the fundamental human dignity of those called to be children of the same Father.” The archbishop told CNS that when he reread Rev. King’s letter he “recognized not just what a classic it is, but how touching it is to uncover the soul of someone seriously trying to follow Christ” and trying to move people to action. n

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