Sept. 12, 2010, East Tennessee Catholic by Diocese of Knoxville

CNS/LUIS HIDALGO, REUTERS

Praying for Chilean miners Relatives of trapped miners hold images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and rosaries during a Mass celebrated by Chilean Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa in honor of the 33 miners trapped in a mine near Copiapo, Chile, Sept. 3.

THE EAST TENNESSEE

Volume 20 • Number 1 • September 12, 2010

The

N E W S PA P E R

of the D I O C E S E of K N O X V I L L E w w w. d i o k n o x . o r g

Called by Name vocations effort begins in parishes

Diocesan Day draws record crowd Nearly 500 hear talks by Bishop Stika and Cardinal Rigali at the cathedral. By Dan McWilliams and Mary C. Weaver

BY DA N M CW I L L I AMS

Called continued on page 6

his year’s Diocesan Day on Aug. 21 was the best-attended ever, with nearly 500 of the faithful present, representing 36 of the diocese’s 47 parishes and more than 60 cities and towns. The keynote speaker and guest of honor was Cardinal Justin F. Rigali, the archbishop of Philadelphia and Bishop Richard F. Stika’s close friend. Probably most of those assembled were aware that the program—including talks by the cardinal and bishop and a question-and-answer session with the former—had originally been scheduled for Aug. 22, 2009. But when Bishop Stika suffered diabetic ketoacidosis and cardiogenic shock in mid-August, the event had to be postponed. This year’s talks, Mass, and lunch were held at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Cardinal Rigali began the day with an in-depth presentation on Gaudium et Spes

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Cardinal Justin F. Rigali, the archbishop of Philadelphia, was the keynoter for Diocesan Day, held Aug. 21 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Nearly 500 people attended the day, which included an afternoon talk by Bishop Richard F. Stika. SPECIAL GUEST

(“Joy and Hope”), the final document promulgated by the Second Vatican Council, in December 1965.

“In this document the Church was proposing to speak to the world and to all humanity. She was

proposing to tell the world how she conceives her own presence and activity in the midst of the

world,” the cardinal said. “I am convinced that this document has a special meaning for us today because its insights are so accurate and fresh, even though so much has changed in our modern world.” Gaudium et Spes, he said, attempts to help shed light on the mystery of the human person in order to “cooperate in finding solutions to the outstanding problems of our time.” Those issues—including the dignity of the human person, marriage and the family, socioeconomic and political life, and the promotion of peace—remain key concerns for the Church and society. Everything in Gaudium et Spes hinges on the dignity of the human being, which is basic to everything else in the document,” said Cardinal Rigali. “Vatican II sees this dignity of the human person as being linked to the fact that the human Rigali continued on page 6

Newly created award honors retiring diocesan attorney John O’Connor receives the first Immaculata Award as he steps down from the position after serving in it for all 22 years since the DOK’s founding. BY DAN M C WILLIAM S

he only diocesan attorney the Church in East Tennessee has ever had was honored at a Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral—and with the presentation of a newly created award—on the final day of his 22

years of service. Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrated the Mass for John T. O’Connor II on Aug. 30, when the cathedral parishioner’s retirement began. At the end of the Mass, the bishop presented a certificate and the first-ever Immaculata

DAN MCWILLIAMS

ome East Tennessee Catholics who may have never considered a vocation to the priesthood or religious life may find themselves nominated for one, through a program that debuted diocesan-wide this month. In the program, “Called by Name,” the faithful may submit the names of fellow parishioners or other friends who they think should consider a Church vocation. “The genius of this program is that it gives young people an opportunity to hear that other people see in them the qualities for a religious life, which they may have never seen in themselves,” said Father David Carter, the diocese’s associate director of vocations. “It can be a call they receive for the first time, or it could be a confirmation of a call they were afraid to answer even though the Lord had been knocking on their door for some time.” This spring Bishop Richard F. Stika approved the program, which began in his native St. Louis. “The program is titled ‘Called by Name’ because it is meant to be a personal invitation to follow Christ in a religious or priestly vocation,” said Father Carter. “When we look at the way Jesus chose his disciples, it always had that personal touch, and it was always an invitation to follow him. With this program we hope to encourage young people to consider a religious or priestly vocation by personally inviting them, just as Jesus did with his disciples.” Father Carter knows of Called by Name too, from his days as associate pastor at St. Jude in Chattanooga, which held the program on the parish level. “We got an enthusiastic response,” he said. “I remember making the phone calls [to nominees] afterward. Some of the young people weren’t happy that they had been nominated, but some were genuinely

John T. O’Connor holds a certificate and wife Betsy the diocese’s firstever Immaculata Award, presented to the honoree by Bishop Stika. Mr O’Connor’s service was recognized at a Mass on Aug. 30, the day of his retirement.

INAUGURAL HONOR

Award to Mr. O’Connor, who has given the diocese legal advice and assistance in purchasing property, among many other contributions to the Church and community. Mr. O’Connor said he didn’t yet know what he would miss about serving as the diocesan attorney. “It’ll be hard to talk about that until tomorrow and the days after that,” he said. Joining him for the special occasion were his wife, Betsy; daughter Mary of New City, N.Y.; and son John Thomas III of Terre Haute, Ind. The O’Connors also have another son, Matthew, who lives in Arkansas. The bishop said he did not have certain words of Christ—“Woe to you, lawyers and Pharisees”—in mind as he viewed Mr. O’Connor in the pews. “I look to you, John T., with a spirit of gratitude.” All three of Knoxville’s bishops have asked for Mr. O’Connor’s advice, with Mary’s words at Cana in mind: “Do whatever he tells you,” said Bishop Stika. “I’m sure that my predecessors, the two bishops I now have followed, were very wise, and when John would give advice, we would do what he told us.” O’Connor continued on page 2

Faith-formation classes, catechetical days continue he Ofﬁce of Christian Formation is offering a series of adult faith-formation classes throughout the year and in locations around the diocese. Classes are offered at no charge to adults in the diocese. The following sessions begin at 7 p.m. and end at 9.

Spirituality and faith, taught by Father Michael Woods. Explores the foundations of how our faith is expressed and deepened through prayer and spirituality. The class will examine the concept of spiritual development and how intimate communion with God is available to all people. Tuesday, Sept. 14, Notre Dame Church, Greeneville The sacraments, taught by Amy Roberts. Explores the foundations of what we celebrate as Catholics. The class examines how we encounter the living Christ through each of the church’s seven sacraments. Tuesday, Sept. 21, Notre Dame Church, Greeneville Personal morality, taught by Father Michael Sweeney. Explores the foundations of what we believe as Catholics and why we believe it. How do we know the Church’s position on moral issues is correct? How do we live as faithful Catholics in a world that seemingly rejects the Church’s teachings at every turn? This session will examine the concepts of human dignity, freedom, law, sin, virtue, and conscience as well as current moral issues. It will also provide insight into how we may explain the Church’s position to those searching for answers in a confusing world. Tuesday, Oct. 5, St. Stephen Church, Chattanooga

living the

READINGS

BY FATHER JOSEPH BRANDO

Mathematics and mercy A Christian’s job is to pray for reunion with all those who have sinned.

Jesus lived at a time when the Jewish people were basically divided into two camps. One consisted of the religious. Although these people were of different denominations—such as Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes—they all kept as true as they could to the old-time religion. The other group outnumbered them. They were those who had gone over to modern ways. These folks spoke and thought in Greek. They wore togas and enjoyed the benefits of a thriving international economy run by the Romans. The religious labeled them “sinners.” Jesus identified himself with

and reached out first to the religious. But as the leaders of the various religious groups found ways in which they disagreed with the Lord, the sinners increasingly came to him in greater numbers. This created a problem that Jesus faced in today’s Gospel. Luke presents three of Jesus’ parables on this subject and put them in the order of descending ratios. The first is 99 to one. The good shepherd will leave 99 to rescue one lamb. The second is 10 to one. A woman will rejoice when she finds one lost coin out of 10. The third parable has a ratio of two to one. Our Lord tells the story of the father who loses one of his two sons to the world. When the father gets his lost son back, it’s a tragedy that the faithful son refuses to join in his father’s joy. One can continue the pro-

gression by adding the first reading. Here the ratio is a staggering one to 600,000. The one is Moses; the other is the number of Israelite men who left Egypt, according to Exodus 12:37. Moses proved he possessed true mercy when he pleaded with God to save the lives of the Hebrews who had “become depraved.” Jesus is the new Moses. He can make the progression reach “one to infinity,” as his desire is that all may become one. Surely, that is God’s will. For our part, we need to conform our wills to God’s. We know we’ve done that when we rejoice with the good shepherd, the woman, and the forgiving father. We are not to join the elder son in vilifying our brother. As Christians, our function is to see the goodness in and to pray for reunion with everyone who has made bad choices. ■ Sept. 12, 24th Sunday in ordinary time Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14 Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Luke 15:1-32

How clever is your parachute? Jesus’ plan for wealth is based on friendship with our heavenly Father.

What we believe, taught by Deacon David Lucheon. Explores the foundations of what we profess as Catholics. The class will examine the principal truths of the faith as expressed in the creeds of the Church. Thursday, Oct. 14, St. Mary Church, Johnson City THE OFFICE OF CHRISTIAN FORMATION, IN COLLABORATION

with Aquinas College in Nashville, will continue its catechetical-formation program for adults this fall, with three catechetical days, all on Saturdays. The program is intended for parish catechists, teachers in Catholic schools, ministry leaders, and other interested adults. There is no charge. Each session will include hourlong modules on the sacraments, morality, prayer, and creative methods for teaching. The days will be conducted by the Nashville Dominican sisters. Formation days, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (choose one) ■ Oct. 30, St. John Neumann Church, Farragut ■ Nov. 6, Notre Dame Church, Greeneville ■ Nov. 20, St. Jude Church, Chattanooga For further details, contact Father Richard Armstrong at rarmstrong@dioknox.org or 865-5843307. Online registration is available at bit.ly/ faith-formation. ■

Casey faces new charges ormer Diocese of Knoxville priest Bill Casey has been indicted in Virginia and arraigned in Sullivan County since his recent guilty plea in McDowell County, N.C., all on charges stemming from his alleged sex abuse of a student at St. Dominic School in Kingsport in the 1970s. The charges were made in April by Warren Tucker of Indiana, and Bishop Richard F. Stika immediately removed Mr. Casey permanently from priestly ministry. Mr. Casey was indicted in late August in Blountville by a Sullivan County grand jury on one count of ﬁrst-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of aggravated rape. He was arraigned Aug. 24 in Scott County, Va., on charges of forcible sodomy and indecent liberties with a minor. Mr. Casey has a Sept. 13 court date in that case and a Jan. 26 trial set. Mr. Casey pleaded guilty in the Virginia case and not guilty in Sullivan County. In July he pleaded guilty to crimes against nature in the North Carolina court and received a sentence of 24 months of supervised probation. Mr. Tucker said Casey molested him more than 50 times from 1975 to the early 1980s. ■

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

■

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

t’s hard to say when the American people to realize that packages of everyday commodities were getting smaller. What was once a 24-ounce package had become 16 ounces for the same price. Similarly, candy bars shrank. Some people were sore at this. Others, knowing that inflation was taking place, reluctantly gave the food manufacturers credit for a clever

way of responding to the situation. Today’s Gospel echoes this way of thinking. Luke relates a parable that is not found in any other Gospel. A manager is accused of squandering his employer’s property. Notice the complaint is not of cheating but of malfeasance. The steward’s response to the problem is the heart of the parable. He knows he will lose his job. His

problem is how to land softly so his family can survive this disaster. He decides he will offer “complimentary discounts” to his firm’s buyers. By presenting these “gifts,” he would establish a friendship with each one and, in turn, obligate them to return equal favors to him. Surprisingly, when the owner finds out, he praises the steward for being clever. The manager made

himself a “golden parachute.” There was no legal way the owner could get back at him. Where there is a surprise in one of Jesus’ parables, there is the message. In this case we learn that the Lord wants us to use the material things (mammon) we have to make ourselves a parachute worth much more than gold. Readings continued on page 3

Sept. 19, 25th Sunday in ordinary time Amos 8:4-7 Psalm 113:1-2, 4-8 1 Timothy 2:1-8 Luke 16:1-13

WEEKDAY READINGS Monday, Sept. 13: Memorial, John Chrysostom, bishop, doctor of the Church, 1 Corinthians 11:17-26, 33; Psalm 40:7-10, 17; Luke 7:1-10 Tuesday, Sept. 14: Feast, the Exultation of the Holy Cross, Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 78:1-2, 34-38; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17 Wednesday, Sept. 15: Memorial, Our Lady of Sorrows, 1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13; Psalm 33:2-5, 12, 22; John 19:25-27 Thursday, Sept. 16: Memorial, Cornelius, pope, martyr, and Cyprian, bishop, martyr, 1 Corinthians 15:1-

11; Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 28; Luke 7:36-50 Friday, Sept. 17: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20; Psalm 17:1, 6-8, 15; Luke 8:1-3 Saturday, Sept. 18: 1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49; Psalm 56:10-14; Luke 8:4-15 Monday, Sept. 20: Andrew Kim Taegon, priest, martyr, Paul Chong Hasang, martyr, and their companions, martyrs, Proverbs 3:27-34; Psalm 15:2-5; Luke 8:16-18 Tuesday, Sept. 21: Feast, Matthew, apostle, evangelist, Ephesians 4:1-7,

11-13; Psalm 19:2-5; Matthew 9:913 Wednesday, Sept. 22: Proverbs 30:5-9; Psalm 119:29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163; Luke 9:1-6 Thursday, Sept. 23: Memorial, Pio of Pietrelcina, priest, Ecclesiastes 1:211; Psalm 90:3-6, 12-14, 17; Luke 9:7-9 Friday, Sept. 24: Ecclesiastes 3:111; Psalm 144:1-4; Luke 9:18-22 Saturday, Sept. 25: Ecclesiastes 11:9–12:8; Psalm 90:3-6, 12-14, 17; Luke 9:43-45 ■

when the bishops counted on your wise advice so that this Church could continue to blossom and grow.” Mr. O’Connor’s retirement won’t stop the diocese’s need for his advice, said the bishop. “Know that we’re still going to depend on you for advice. Now it’s going to be free, I guess. I think it was anyway. . . . “Continue to bless us with

your wisdom, your advice, and especially with your friendship.” Bishop Stika presented the award at the end of Mass. “I talked to some of the leadership in the diocese, and we realized we didn’t have an award that speaks from the heart,” said Bishop Stika. “You know the patroness of the diocese is the Blessed

O’Connor continued from page 1

Bishop Stika said that often a question would arise on a legal matter, and chancellor Deacon Sean Smith would say, “We’ll just call John because he’ll know.” “So many people were part of the foundation of the diocese. John, I’m focusing on you today because you were involved in so many . . . moments of difficulty, great joy, and all those other times

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

THE EAST TENNESSEE

805 Northshore Drive S.W .

O’Connor continued on page 8

Margaret Hunt Administrative assistant Toni Pacitti Intern

Knoxville, TN 37919-7551

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

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

TH E E A S T TE N N E S S E E C ATH OLI C

he dwells

AMONG US

BY BISHOP RICHARD F. STIKA

Past and future Our spiritual growth and that of our diocese requires repentance and hope.

“To be young again!” The older we get, the more this thought occurs to many of us, or at least it does to me. But in a certain sense, when I left the Archdiocese of St. Louis to come to Knoxville, I became young again. I left a diocese that’s 184 years old and was established in 1826 for one that turns 22 this month. On Sept. 8, when the Church celebrates the birth of Mary— the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin—we celebrate our youth and our growth. I wish I could first speak about this youthful joy that many of us take for granted. But for some, memories of youth are just too painful to recall. Such is the case for Warren Tucker, a very private man whose courageous act in exposing the ultimate form of betrayal made him a very public figure. Mr. Tucker was the victim of the heinous crime of sexual abuse perpetrated by Bill Casey, one who will never again bear the title of a priest of the Catholic Church, much less serve in that capacity. Victimized long ago and for many years, Mr. Tucker has tragically become a victim again, this time in the form of death threats he has received for exposing this most grave offense against the dignity of the human person. As bishop of this diocese, I wish in no uncertain terms to condemn this horrible act against Mr. Tucker. I renew my total pledge of support to him and to his family and especially ask your prayers for him. I pray Mr. Tucker’s example will in some way inspire and

once upon

A TIME

help other victims of abuse to come forward. As they initiate the process of justice, I pray that the process of healing may begin for them. With feelings of sadness for those victimized by others’ sin but also inspired by the Gospel message of hope, I must look to the future but never forget the past. If there is to be spiritual growth for each of us and for our diocese, we must all do this. Now, with our 22nd anniversary, we move a year closer to the diocese’s silver anniversary. We will celebrate our 25th in 2013, and I hope we can celebrate with great solemnity and thanksgiving. Although our young diocese is very small in comparison with the other 195 U.S. dioceses, we are vibrant and growing. You might be surprised to learn that within the next 15 years, it’s projected that we will more than triple our current population of about 60,000 Catholics. In 2025 our Catholic population is expected to reach 200,000! With 15 seminarians studying for the priesthood this year and two new religious orders in our diocese, I am overjoyed by the prospect of a bountiful harvest, the result of many years of labor and sacrifice, especially by our faithful priests. This month I will be in Rome for two weeks to attend what my hospitalization last year postponed—“new bishops’ school.” I’ve always had a competitive side, and one thing I’m looking forward to is bragging to all the other bishops I meet about the Diocese of Knoxville. We are not afraid to shine a light where it will identify our faults and sins, but neither will we let them paralyze us or prevent us from endeavoring to grow

BY MONSIGNOR XAVIER MANKEL

Fathers and mothers Our diocese’s reputation speaks to the integrity of our founding ‘parents.’

Thank you for receiving the earlier installments of this column with such generous acclaim. The common response has been, “Well, I never knew that before” and/or “God works in such marvelous ways as he continues to shape us as his people.” This past week we celebrated the 22nd anniversary of that great moment in Church history when Knoxville became a diocese containing 36 counties in East Tennessee, with the city of Knoxville as its see. I really do speak from experience when I say that the preparations for that day involved the generosity and experience of some mighty fine folks. Bishop James Daniel Niedergeses of Nashville was famous for his “How may I be of help to you?” Bishop-elect Anthony J. O’Connell had been mentored by his ordinary in Jefferson City, Mo., Bishop Michael Joseph McAuliffe. The attorneys who assisted the bishops in the partition of territory and properties, Gino Marcetti and T H E EA S T TE N N E S S E E C AT H OL IC

John T. O’Connor, were not only sticklers for crossing t’s and dotting i’s but also exuded a pastoral honesty that made the separation of the child from Mother Nashville a wonderful thing to behold. Last week, on Monday, Aug. 30, Bishop Richard F. Stika, our third bishop, celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving on the occasion of John O’Connor’s retirement as our diocesan attorney. John has served all our bishops well, and the fact that our tiny diocese is so well known and respected far and wide is due in no small measure to the integrity of our founding fathers and mothers. One of the founding mothers of the new diocese was Mary Catherine Hughes Willard (Mrs. George N.). When Bishop-elect O’Connell asked us (Monsignor Al Humbrecht, Father Bill Gahagan, and me) to prepare for the inauguration of the diocese and his ordination as a bishop (he himself had passed through Memphis once but had never traveled to East Tennessee at all), we knew that we must enlist the help of our local laity, who volunteered in droves once the call for competent assistance went out. Although I had participated in a review of the study

and become a better representation of the face of Jesus. Growing pains are to be expected. In order to help prepare for the challenges that come with such growth, we have had to make some changes, and more can be expected. Change is not easy nor always welcome. But if we are to feed the Lord’s sheep (John 21:7)—a task you share with me—we must labor efficiently but above all, prayerfully. As I mentioned during Diocesan Day on Aug. 21 (see the story on page 1), every person who encounters us each day, even for the briefest moment, has a certain hope of encountering something of the divine in us. This expectation echoes like the request of some foreigners to the disciple Philip: “We should like to see Jesus” (John 12:21). Everyone we meet has the expectation of seeing Jesus in us. Only when we approach each day striving to be the face of Jesus can we hope to grow from youth to maturity in the image in which God created us. Let us recall the words of the patroness of our diocese, Our Lady, who tells us simply, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). ■ BISHOP STIKA’S SCHEDULE These are some of Bishop Stika’s appointments: Sept. 19: 11:30 a.m., “bluegrass Mass,” St. Anne Church, Bristol, Va. Sept. 22: 11 a.m., Mercy Day, St. Mary’s Medical Center, Knoxville Sept. 24: 8:05 a.m., school Mass, Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; 7:30 p.m., homecoming football game, Knoxville Catholic High School vs. Webb, Knoxville Catholic High School Sept. 25: noon, Mass with Chaldean Bishop Ibrahim N. Ibrahim, followed by reception, Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Sept. 26: 11 a.m., Mass, Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; 6 p.m., Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee dinner, Fox Den Country Club, Farragut Sept. 27: 11:30 a.m. CDT, Mass, St. Bernard Abbey, Cullman, Ala. ■

and proposal by Father Steve Klasek (mentioned in the June 6 installment of this series) that a diocese be formed in East Tennessee, with Knoxville as the bishop’s headquarters, I had no idea until Bishop Niedergeses phoned me (he had been in Rome for his quinquennial visit with Pope John Paul II) the evening before we went to Fall Creek Falls for the annual priests’ retreat, to tell me that “it” would be announced from Rome and in Knoxville the following Tuesday. I contacted Mary Catherine to ask whether she might conjure up a press conference so the news could be properly circulated. Her question, “Are we going to become a diocese?”, gave me the distinct impression that she already had known about it for some time. Woman’s intuition! In any case, she arranged for that press conference, which met at 10 a.m. (it was already 4 p.m. by that time in Rome). The bishop-elect was received so very cordially (as were his successors in 1999 and 2009). In 1988, however, it was a pioneer kind of experience, and Mary Catherine and her many committees arranged within a few weeks (June, July, and August) the spectacular event that occurred at the Knoxville Convention and Exposition Center on the afternoon and evening of Sept. 8, 1988. The principal presentations were made by the archbishop of Louisville, the Mankel continued on page 6

www.d ioknox.org

from the bishop’s

OFFICE

Bishop Stika announces pastoral changes and an upcoming ordination ishop Richard F. Stika has announced several appointments and pastoral changes. ■ On Aug. 18 the bishop explained that he had signed up the Diocese of Knoxville as a “partner in excellence” with the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management. Doing so “connects us to many resources,” he said, and commits the diocese to complying with the roundtable’s standards of excellence. ■ On the same day Bishop Stika announced that he had appointed Deacon Sean Smith as chief operating ofﬁcer for the diocese, in addition to his role as chancellor. “Father David Carter, as vice chancellor, will take on more of the work related to canon law,” the bishop said. ■ On Aug. 20 the bishop announced that he had asked Father Antonio Giraldo, the associate pastor of All Saints Parish in Knoxville, to serve as temporary parochial administrator for St. Thérèse of Lisieux in Cleveland while the pastor, Father Peter Iorio, is on sabbatical. The appointment was effective Sept. 1. ■ On Aug. 25 Bishop Stika announced that Father Tony Dickerson had returned to active priestly ministry. Father Dickerson is associate pastor of St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut, effective Sept. 1. ■ In the same memo the bishop announced that during Father Iorio’s nine-month sabbatical, he had appointed Father John Orr as temporary director of the Ofﬁce of Priestly Life and Ministry. Father Orr is associate pastor of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville. ■ On Nov. 13 Deacon Moises Moreno will be ordained a priest for the Diocese of Knoxville in León, Guanajuato, Mexico. ■

Diocese offers ongoing Virtus child-protection training sessions he Diocese of Knoxville’s program for the protection of children and youth—a three-hour seminar called “Protecting God’s Children”—is offered regularly throughout the diocese. The seminars are required for parish and school employees and regular volunteers in contact with children or vulnerable adults and are recommended for parents and grandparents. The following training sessions have been scheduled: ■ St. Mary Church, Johnson City, 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15; 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18 (ses-

sions will be held in St. Ann’s Hall) ■ St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Lenoir City, 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20 ■ Sacred Heart Cathedral, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21; 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19 (sessions will be held in the Shea Room) ■ Our Lady of Fatima Church, Alcoa, 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 25 (session will be held in room 206 of the Fatima Center) ■ St. Alphonsus Church, Crossville, 1 p.m. CDT Sunday, Oct. 3. Participants are asked to donate $1 for session materials. To register, visit virtusonline.org. ■

Take note of ETC deadlines e welcome submissions about parish and community events. Send notices by e-mail (news@dioknox.org), fax (865-584-8124), or mail (805 Northshore Drive Southwest, Knoxville, TN 37919). To make sure we receive information about upcoming events in time for publication, please submit it by the following deadlines: ■ Monday, Sept. 13, for the Sept. 26 issue ■ Monday, Sept. 27, for the Oct. 10 issue. When submitting photos or information about past events, please keep in mind that we have a backlog of submissions. ■

Readings continued from page 2

Remember, Luke informed us that Jesus told this parable specifically to his disciples while he was on his final journey to Jerusalem. He wanted them to be cleverer with their wealth than the “children of this world.” He had been telling them to “sell your possessions and give to the poor; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in heaven that does not fail.” Jesus’ plan for our wealth may not gain us a “golden parachute” for retirement. But it will make us friends with God, our Father. He will make sure we’re well taken care of in heaven. That’s worth more than all the gold there is. Such a plan is beyond shrewd or clever. It is the perfection of prudence. It is God’s will. All we need is the fortitude to make it happen. ■ Father Brando is the pastor of St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg. SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

■

BY TONI PACITTI

■ Volunteers are needed to answer

phones and take messages as needed each week, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays at the Ladies of Charity Greater Good Thrift Store. Cashiers are needed 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Call Darleen at 423-624-3222 or Jan 698-2846. ■ Parishioner Nathan Bird is working on a rosary garden for his Eagle Scout project. Help is needed during September and October. E-mail nathanbird@mccallie.org to volunteer. Monetary donations may be dropped off at the parish ofﬁce.

St. Catherine Labouré, Copperhill ■ Peter Winne has been appointed

the parish Knights of Columbus Roundtable coordinator. Twenty parishioners are members of the Blue Ridge, Ga., Knights council and form St. Catherine’s roundtable. Parishioners recently elected as council officers are Dave Pierman, Grand Knight; Dan Kauffman, chancellor; Mr. Winne, recorder; John Manning, treasurer; Dr. William Mitchell, outside guard; and Robert Slodysko, financial secretary (for a three-year term). Dr. Mitchell has also been named the 2009-10 Knight of the Year for the council. ■ A citywide yard sale will be held Friday and Saturday, Sept. 24 and 25, to benefit the Divine Mercy society.

St. Jude, Chattanooga ■ A picnic will be held from 2 to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 25, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of St. Jude School. A golden-anniversary Mass will follow at 5:30. All parishioners, St. Jude students and staff, and alumni are invited to attend the picnic. The event will include food, entertainment, and activities. Cost is $5 per adult; children in elementary school and younger will be admitted free. RSVP to Kathie at 423-877-6022 or ketherton@stjudechattanooga.org.

St. Mary, Athens ■ The book club will meet Friday,

Sept. 10, to discuss Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words (Ignatius Press, 2002) by Rod Bennett. St. Mary received a $450 donation from the annual Moofest and will apply it to the building fund.

St. Stephen, Chattanooga ■ The parish will celebrate its gold-

en-anniversary jubilee on the weekend of Nov. 20 and 21. Early parish families are being asked for pictures, stories, and planning ideas. Submit them to John Vannucci at 423-2960537, or call Mr. Vannuci or Paula Reiland at 400-6508 for details. ■ Mike Lucas has been honored as the Knights of Columbus council’s Knight of the month and the Ralph Runge family as family of the month. Cumberland Mountain Deanery

All Saints, Knoxville ■ The women’s guild’s First Friday

Faith and Friends group began its new year Sept. 3 and will have “Catholic Christian” as its 2010-11 theme. ■ All Saints’ Boy Scout Troop 630 will serve a pancake breakfast from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, at the Applebee’s at North Peters and Cedar Bluff roads. Cost is $5. Purchase tickets at the door or call Wesley Shotwell at 865-621-4796.

Blessed Sacrament, Harriman ■ Parishioners attended a Family

Bowling Night on Aug. 29 at Tri City Lanes in Midtown. ■ The Council of Catholic Women’s annual spiritual retreat will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, in the parish hall. All women from Blessed Sacrament and sister parishes St. Ann in Lancing and St. Christopher in Jamestown are invited to attend. Pastor Father Michael Sweeney is the retreat moderator. Sign up in the narthex or call Marciana Jacobson at 865-2859259. Register by Sunday, Sept. 12.

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairﬁeld Glade ■ The men’s prayer group will meet

after the 8 a.m. Mass on Saturday, Sept. 18, in Sheehan Hall for breakfast. The meetings will focus on issues of concern to men in their everyday lives. ■ A Mass honoring active and retired firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical personnel will be 4

■

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

COURTESY OF SUSAN COLLINS

St. Augustine, Signal Mountain

celebrated at 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 12. Those with uniforms are encouraged to wear them and process in as a group. ■ The parish golf outing and dinner will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 19, with a best-ball scramble on the Brae course at Heatherhurst Golf Course in the Glade, with dinner to follow. Deadline to sign up is Sunday, Sept. 12. ■ Anniversaries: Guy and Victoria Bretl (62), Les and Marjorie Cavell (62), Ralph and Patty Hargraves (59), Vincent and Rosalie Premuda (59), Bill and Alice Lawless (54), Tom and Pauline Higgins (51), Rudy and Denise Difazio (50), Ed and Margaret Kubit (45), Gilbert and Laura Hernandez (40) ■ Newcomers: Jay and Sara Londré, Loretta Marano

St. John Neumann, Farragut ■ Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Turkey Creek is presenting an “Above and Beyond” award each month to honor parishioners for their volunteer efforts. Greg and Linda Larson were the ﬁrst winners last month. ■ A Bible Timeline parish study, designed to give participants the “big picture” of salvation history, will be presented from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays beginning Sept. 13 in the school library. Call Anita in the parish ofﬁce at 966-4540 for more details.

Parish upholds Ghana tradition for Father Appiah’s departure Notre Dame’s pastor of four years, Father John Appiah, was recently reassigned to serve as chaplain at Knoxville Catholic High School and associate pastor of St. John Neumann in Farragut. He had remarked in a homily about a custom in his home country of Ghana in which the women would sweep the dirt street behind a priest when he left the parish for a new assignment, thus erasing his footprints as he boarded his means of transportation. This was considered an honor for the priest. Barbara Price (above) of Notre Dame remembered this homily and brought a broom to morning Mass on June 30. After Father Appiah celebrated his last Mass as pastor and headed to his car, Mrs. Price swept behind him. Parishioners had held a farewell party and roast in the priest’s honor earlier.

St. Mary, Oak Ridge ■ The parish school will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a dinner-dance at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, at the Doubletree Hotel. Guests include Bishop Richard F. Stika and former parish priests and faculty. Those who wish to receive an invitation or volunteer should contact Kathryn Chou at 2428609 or kahtichou@netscape.net or Dawn Garibay at 483-9700. ■ Anniversary: Frank and Jeanne O’Donnell (50)

COURTESY OF FATHER PETER IORIO

Chattanooga Deanery

St. Thomas the Apostle, Lenoir City ■ Knights of Columbus Council

12633 at St. Thomas participated in the Silver Rose Program to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe. The program involves “running” a silver rose from Ontario to Monterrey, Mexico, concluding on Our Lady’s feast day Dec. 12. The rose came to St. Thomas on Sept. 2 for one night. A prayer service is held at each stop. ■ Newcomers: Kevin and Jenifer Plageman-Davis and daughter Eliza; Tim and Therese Kukla, son Timothy, and daughter Lauren; Rick and Sandy Yancey and sons Joshua and Jacob

Out with the old scheduling system at St. Thérèse St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in Cleveland recently went digital for its facility scheduling and held an unusual burning ceremony to mark the switchover from its old system. Above, director of music Jane Hubbard prepares to set fire to a number of desk calendars. Looking on are (from left) parishioner Victoria Snowman, parish bookkeeper Marta Giraldo, and parishioner Marlyn Martin.

Five Rivers Deanery

Holy Trinity, Jefferson City ■ Father Ray Gelineau celebrated Masses on Aug. 21 and 22 while Holy Trinity pastor Father Dan Whitman was out of town for a personal retreat. ■ Parishioners are asked to participate in a Walk for Life on Saturday, Oct. 16, beneﬁting Life Outreach Center in Jefferson City. Walkers may secure pledges, while other parishioners may choose to sponsor a Holy Trinity walker. ■ Anniversary: Bob and Jackie Crupi (40)

Notre Dame, Greeneville ■ The silver rose honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe (see the St. Thomas note above) came to Notre Dame on Aug. 31. A rosary and private adoration were held upon the rose’s arrival. ■ Anniversaries: George and Jean Weaver (56), Robert and Ruth Schell (50), Robert and Patricia Moore (40), Ronnie and Tess Villarta (25), Ray and Susan Jones (20)

COURTESY OF KAREN VACALIUC

NOTES

Nearly 100 students attend VBS at St. Mary in Oak Ridge Ninety-five students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade and more than 60 teen and adult volunteers participated in the recent vacation Bible school hosted by St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge. The VBS theme was “It’s a Mystery: The Blessed Trinity.” The students painted icons, created a monstrance, learned about adoration and the brown scapular of Our Lady, offered prayers for a spiritual bouquet for the parish’s priests, made cards for soldiers and prisoners, and studied the many symbols of the Trinity and their significance. Students also collected money for the diocesan seminarian fund and gathered more than 50 bags of nonperishables for the parish food pantry.

St. Dominic, Kingsport ■ A women’s Bible study group will begin meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays in the conference room of the administration building starting Sept. 28. The study, written by Gayle Somers and Sarah Christmyer, is on the ﬁrst 11 chapters of Genesis. Cost for the book is $12. Contact Penny Romeo at 423239-9190 or pennyromeo@charter.net. ■ A 10-week Bible study on Revelation, including DVDs and optional study questions, will be held at the home of Rhett and Shirley Austin beginning at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 13. Call Mrs. Austin at 239-0551 or Joyce O’Neill at 782-7998.

St. Patrick, Morristown ■ The Council of Catholic Women Parish notes continued on page 5

COURTESY OF CATHERINE MUNKELWITZ

parish

Newly ordained N.C. deacon celebrates with St. Alphonsus family Parishioners of St. Alphonsus in Crossville joined the family of newly ordained Deacon Walter Calabrese as he assisted at Mass with Father Jim Harvey and Deacon Joe Solis on July 4. Deacon Calabrese was ordained by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge on June 26 in the Diocese of Raleigh, N.C. Deacon Calabrese’s parents, Bob and Betty Calabrese, are parishioners of St. Alphonsus. Deacon Calabrese served 20 years in the Marines. He met his wife, Amy, in Okinawa, and they were married at St. Alphonsus in 1992. They have two daughters, both baptized at the Crossville church. The deacon is assigned to Annunciation Church in Havelock, N.C.

www.d ioknox.org

TH E E A S T TE N N E S S E E C ATH OLI C

CALENDAR

BY TONI PACITTI

The Sevier County chapter of Tennessee Right to Life will present an “Equipping For Life” seminar led by Christian counselor Karen Black Mercer, who has been involved in pro-life work for more than 40 years. The seminar is set for 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, at Holy Cross Church in Pigeon Forge. The event will help participants speak to women in crisis who are considering an abortion. In 1996 Dr. Mercer became the first woman to receive the Power of One Award from Focus on the Family for her pro-life efforts. The event is free and lunch is included, but registration is required by Monday, Sept. 20. Call 865-908-2689 or e-mail Missmouse53 @comcast.net to register or learn more. The annual Blue Mass, honoring firefighters and law-enforcement personnel, will be celebrated at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. Everyone is invited, especially those who work in public safety and their families. Breakfast will be served after Mass downstairs in Father Henkel Hall. The liturgy is an activity of Knights of Columbus Council 645. Knights of Columbus Council 3832 is sponsoring its 12th annual Community Golf Outing beginning with check-in at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 17, at Lambert Acres Golf Club in Maryville. Lunch is at 11:30, and a shotgun start at 1 p.m. will follow. The format is fourplayer swat. Fees are $75 per person and $10 for a mulligan package. Lunch is included. Prizes will go to the top three teams and to the winning corporate team. For more information, call Doug Hill at 865-856-9292 or 2560172, Jim Reggio at 983-9276, or Pat Flanagan 388-3409. Notre Dame Parish in Greeneville will hold its annual golf outing Oct. 11 at the Andrew Johnson Golf Club in Greeneville, with sign-in at 11 a.m. The outing is a four-person “captain’s choice” event that starts with a putting contest, followed by lunch before tee time at 12:45 p.m. Winners are determined in gross and net categories. The event is supported by the parish with help from both the Council of Catholic Women and Knights of Columbus Council 6784. To learn more or request team registration forms, e-mail rolandnoe@embarqmail.com. Sister Mary Timothea Elliott of the Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich., and the diocesan director of the Office of Christian Formation, will speak at Holy Trinity Church in Jefferson City at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29. Her topic is “The Psalms as Teachers of Prayer.” Sister Mary Timothea lived in Rome for 17 years and received her doctorate in sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute. She came to Knoxville from St. John Vianney Archdiocesan Seminary in Denver. For more information, contact Holy Trinity at 865-4710347 at holytrinity.jeffcity@gmail.com. Bishop Richard F. Stika will serve as spiritual director for “In the Footsteps of Jesus: A Lenten Pilgrimage” to the Holy Land, set for March 20 to April 2, 2011. Pilgrims will visit Mount Scopus, the Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Bethlehem, the Old City of Jerusalem, Jericho, Masada, Qumran, Emmaus, Tiberias, Nazareth, Cana, the Mount of Beatitudes, Capernaum, Mount Carmel, Caesarea, and more. Cost is $3,199 (cash) or $3,398, plus $499 in airport taxes (from Atlanta), fuel surcharges, and $150 in tips. There is a $400 deposit. Sister Albertine Paulus, RSM, is the pilgrimage coordinator. To request a brochure and registration form, contact Sister Albertine at 865-545-8270 or 207-4742 or smaevang@yahoo.com. Holy Family Parish in Seymour is holding its annual Holiday Craft Bazaar and “Granny’s Attic” fundraiser Friday through Sunday, Sept. 24 through 26, at the church. The benefit will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday and after Mass on Sunday. Call Mary Waldmann at 865-429-3999 or Mary Ann at 983-6611 for further details. The annual Oktoberfest Ram Run benefiting Our Lady of Perpetual TH E EA S T TE N N E S S E E C AT H OL IC

Help School in Chattanooga is set for 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, at the Chattanooga Market. The event includes a 5K run and a one-mile fun run, as well as food, music, and awards. Register at myolph.com. To sponsor the Ram Run or donate items for goody bags, call Colleen Courter Teal at 423-605-6006 by Friday, Sept. 17. Sponsorship levels are $250, $500, $750, and $1,000. A “Bowl for Life” fundraiser will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 19, at Strike and Spare Lanes, 5700 Western Ave. in Knoxville, to benefit the Knoxville chapter of Tennessee Right to Life. Registration fee is $15 per person or $70 for a team of six; includes shoe rental. Contact trlknox@knology.net or 865-689-1339, or visit www.trlknox. org. Registration deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 15. Registration is under way for Diocese of Knoxville young people who plan to attend World Youth Day in Madrid in August 2011. Total cost is $3,321 per person, which includes accommodations (double occupancy), daily American buffet breakfasts, WYD fees, and airline taxes and fuel charges. A second option offers simple accommodations on school-gym floors but includes everything else above, at a cost of $2,299. A deposit of $250 is needed to hold a reservation. Second and third payments of $500 each are due by Oct. 31 and Feb. 15, with the final payment due no later than May 15, 2011. For more information, contact Al Forsythe, diocesan director of Youth and Youth Adult Ministry, at 865584-3307 or aforsythe@dioknox.org, or Lucille of Regina Tours at 800-CATHOLIC, extension 208. Obtain information online at bit.ly/9iuuKS. An afternoon prayer retreat will be held at All Saints Church in Knoxville from 1 to 4:45 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18. Men and women are invited to pray and reflect with lay associates of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. For more information, call Priscilla Hales at 865-531-4537 or Louiane Lawson at 675-3818. A free two-hour seminar on the annulment process will be held at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24, at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville. Father David Carter will be the presenter, and simultaneous Spanish translation will be available. Contact Marian Christiana at 423-892-2310 or mchristiana@ dioknox.org. The next “Picture of Love” engagedcouples retreat will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, in Siener Hall at St. Jude Church in Chattanooga. This marriage-preparation retreat supplements couples’ marriage formation with their parish priest and is designed to help couples gain a better understanding of the joys and challenges of living the sacrament of matrimony. Cost is $135 per couple and includes meals. The retreat certificate, for those attending the entire event, is good for a $60 discount on a marriage license. To register or learn more, contact Marian Christiana of the diocesan Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment at 423-892-2310 or mchristiana@ dioknox.org. The next Marriage Encounter weekend is scheduled for Nov. 19 through 21 at the Meadowview Marriott in Kingsport. To register, contact John or Manuela Ptacek at 865-531-1719 or celebrate-love@earthlink.net, or visit www.loveinthesmokies.org or wwme.org. For more information, contact John or Anne Wharton at 423581-1815 or ACW193@bellsouth.net. This month’s Seekers of Silence Contemplative Saturday Morning will be held Sept. 11 at the home of Bill and Cathy Toth, 100 Westview Lane in Oak Ridge. The Toths will facilitate a “morning of recollection,” which will begin at 9. A potluck lunch will be served at noon. RSVP by calling 865-220-8743 or 310-5267. 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 Calendar continued on page 9

COURTESY OF GAYLE SCHOENBORN

on the

‘Golden Grads’ from 1960 class at Notre Dame reunite Members of the class of 1960 at Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga recently celebrated their 50th reunion and attended a Golden Grads brunch hosted by the school’s alumni department. Those pictured above include Susan Scheiderbauer, Charlotte Barr, Betty Conner Brown, Gail Gladney Cooper, Patsy Perrell Park, Pat Park, Benn Haynes, Kay King Windom, Jim Laub, Charlie Terrell, Bud Hickey, Judith Kidwell Hiedl, Jon Vach, Renie Brown Brannon, Gene Bruno, Annie Robinson, Dawn Grohs Henderson, Marty Cannon Landis, Kitty Kaepplinger Cross, Hugh Smith, Harry Wilkinson, George Dorsey, Dick Butler, Bobby Lynch, Carl Hubbuch, Ted Stanford, John Pikciunas, and Robert Humbert.

Youth Mass to feature presentations of new awards outh Ministry Recognition Awards will be presented at the 22nd annual diocesan Youth Mass, set for 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, at Sacred Heart Cathedral. The newly created honors will publicly acknowledge both high school youth and adults who devote their time to youth ministry. Each parish was asked to nominate one or two high school youth who stand out for their service to their family, community, school, and parish. Parishes were also able to nominate one or two adults who have faithfully lived

out their baptismal call through dedicated service in youth ministry. Youth will be presented with the Discipleship Award and adults with the Light of the World Award at the Youth Mass. Two additional awards will be conferred during the Mass. The Timothy Award, for one high school youth in each deanery, will acknowledge those who selflessly serve their peers through youth ministry with unwavering commitment and dedication. The Companions on the Journey Award is presented to one adult from each deanery who has been ex-

traordinary in his or her service through youth ministry. The installation of Diocesan Youth Ministry Advisory Council members will also take place at the Mass. Twenty-five teens representing all four deaneries will be commissioned for a year of service. The annual “Evening Extravaganza” at Sacred Heart Cathedral School follows the Mass and includes a dance, pizza, inflatable games, karaoke, and a “Putting for Priests” fundraiser for seminarians. For more information, contact Deacon Dan Hosford at 865603-9682 or djh2@ comcast.net. ■

Theology on Tap series for young adults returns he Youth and Young Adult Ministry is bringing Theology on Tap back to Knoxville this fall. Three priests and a deacon are the speakers for this year’s series, which will be hosted by the Irish Times restaurant at 11348 Parkside Drive in Knoxville from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays, Sept. 19 through Oct. 10. Presentations will last 30 to 40 minutes, and afterward young adults can ask questions or discuss the issues raised in the talk. Father Christian Mathis from Sacred Heart Cathedral will speak Sept. 19 on the topic “Religion vs. Spirituality.” Deacon Patrick Murphy-Racey of Knoxville Catholic High School and St. Albert the Great in Knoxville follows with “You Say Hello, I Say Goodbye.

Why Do We Need Church?”, on Sept. 26. The Oct. 3 topic is “Morality: What’s It to You?”, presented by Father Ragan Schriver, executive director of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee and pastor of Holy Family in Seymour. Father David Carter, diocesan vice chancellor and assistant vocation director, as well as associate pastor at All Saints in Knoxville, will speak on the topic “How Not to Marry a Jerk or Jerkette” on Oct. 10. There is no cover charge or admission fee. Drinks are the responsibility of participants. All young adults in their 20s and 30s are invited. For more information, visit the Theology on Tap page at bit.ly/9kxfn5. ■

Parish notes continued from page 4

will host the Five Rivers Deanery CCW meeting Saturday, Sept. 11, and a Ladies Night Out catered dinner with a speaker Sunday, Oct. 17. The CCW also will assist at a Nov. 25 celebration of St. Patrick Deacon Jim Fage’s 25th anniversary. ■ The Knights of Columbus silver rose (see St. Thomas and Notre Dame notes above) came to St. Patrick on Aug. 31 for private adoration, with a rosary and bilingual Mass following.

■ A patriotic/pro-life rosary will be prayed after the 8 a.m. Mass on Saturday, Sept. 11, for the conversion, salvation, healing, and peace of the nation and world. ■ The Knights of Columbus family of the month for August was Tom and Eileen Witt. Knight of the month was Jack Henson.

John XXIII, Knoxville ■ A potluck to welcome internation-

parish choir. Weekly rehearsals are held at 7 p.m. Tuesdays. ■ Baptism: Joseph Stephen Johnson, son of John and Brenda Johnson

al students, faculty, and staff was served Aug. 20. ■ Vol Awakening, a new student-led retreat program, will be offered the weekend of Oct. 15 through 17 at Mountain Lake Ranch in the Smoky Mountains. Cost: $35; ﬁnancial assistance is available.

Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa

St. Francis of Assisi, Townsend

■ A CCD kick-off and picnic will be

■ The parish’s fourth annual fall

held after the 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday, Sept. 12. Bring a side dish. Proceeds will beneﬁt the high school youth program. Contact Beth Parsons at 865983-1007 or 4inarow@gmail.com. ■ More than $12,300 was collected recently for food and summer programs for the school the parish supports in Thomonde, Haiti.

bazaar, which includes a blessing of animals, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2. The event includes a bake sale, a rafﬂe, children’s games, live entertainment, and a white-elephant sale. A lunch of chicken with cole slaw and baked beans, or hot dogs and chips, will be served. Call Lisa Brosenne at 865-984-4639. ■

Smoky Mountain Deanery

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville ■ Female singers are needed for the

www.d ioknox.org

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

■

Rigali continued from page 1

surprised to hear that they had been ‘called by name,’ as they had never thought themselves worthy or capable of such a calling. . . . It was a great program that gave people an opportunity to genuinely consider a calling that seems very mysterious to most.” The program began on the weekend of Sept. 4 and 5 with the reading at all Masses of a letter by Bishop Stika on Called by Name. Priests were asked to preach on vocations and introduce the program, and parishioners were encouraged to think of people who should consider a Church vocation. On the weekend of Sept. 11 and 12, parishes may include a witness talk by a priest, deacon, sister, or brother describing the experience of being called. Parishioners will receive nomination cards that they may fill out and place in the collection basket that weekend or on the third weekend of the program, Sept. 18 and 19. The nomination cards give parishioners several qualities a candidate for the priesthood or religious life should possess, including “a growing prayer life and relationship with God,” “an ability to articulate faith and principles in his or her own words,” “a willingness to live out an option for the poor,” and “the distinction of being a real Church person who accepts and lives out the teachings and morals of the Church.” The program will end on that third weekend. For each Mass throughout the Called by Game weekends, parishes may add a prayer for vocations to the intercessions. Parishioners will also receive a card with a prayer by the bishop for an increase in vocations. “We are asking that this prayer be prayed in families and in groups, so that the seriousness of God’s call can be brought to the smallest circles and encourage many young people to seriously consider that God may be calling them to serve him and his Church,” said Father Carter. The name of the program also serves as an action parish pastors will perform in the days following the final collection of nomination cards. The priests will speak to nominees and ask them for permission to submit their names to the diocese. “These cards will be given to the priests so they can ‘call them by name,’” said Father Carter. When the diocese receives the names, Bishop Stika will call nominees to congratulate them and encourage them to discern the call. The Vocations office will also encourage nominees and tell them of upcoming discernment activities. The bishop’s letter, nomination cards, and other Called by Name materials are available in both English and Spanish. Along with bulletin announcements, vocationoriented homilies, and testimonies, the Called by Name timeline has “pray” as one of the focuses for each week. “Prayer is the key to all of this,” said Father Carter. “We are asked by Jesus himself to ‘pray the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the fields,’ and that’s what we’re doing.” Called by Name has an obvious goal—more vocations—but could have another blessing for nominees. “Although the primary focus is an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life,” said Father Carter, “I think anything that makes you stop and ask, ‘Where is God leading me?’ will change one’s life and open up possibilities not yet dreamed or dared.” ■

person is created by God, redeemed by Christ, and called to communion with God for all eternity.” Because of this dignity, a primary aspect of the Church’s mission is the proclamation of human rights, he said. “The incarnational spirituality of Gaudium et Spes was evident as it proclaimed that the split between the faith that many people profess and their daily lives deserves to be counted among ‘the more serious errors of our age’ (No. 43). . . . In perfect harmony with the Gospel it further went on to assert: ‘The Christian who neglects his temporal duties neglects his duties toward his neighbor and even God, and jeopardizes his eternal salvation’ (No. 43). “This is one of the most powerful statements of Vatican II in regard to incarnational spirituality: how the love of God demands love of neighbor.” Closing his keynote address, he called on the people of God to continue prayerfully to reflect on how they can imitate Christ, who came “not to be served, but to serve.” Gaudium et Spes, he said, “is a powerful expression of what the Church believes and of how we are to act in order to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ in building up his kingdom of charity and truth, of justice and peace, and of holiness and life.”

Mankel continued from page 3

Most Rev. Thomas C. Kelly, OP, D.D., who assured us that the time was ripe for a diocese in East Tennessee and even named names of those whom he knew could be depended upon to ensure the growth of the new diocese. The new bishop of Knoxville expanded those thoughts in his own remarks and noted that resources aplenty were already here in this part of the vineyard. He challenged each and every single one of us to rise to the opportunities that had come our way that day. It seems to me it is very timely that we look back over our shoulders as we approach the first quarter-century of our diocese in 2013 and ask the good Lord to keep us young. Having now recovered from the long interval between bishops (really, it wasn’t all that long when you look at the waits some dioceses have experienced) and much more importantly, our bishop having recovered from a serious illness that could have taken him on to God before he had even one year of his dynamic leadership under his belt, we are now ready to continue that momentum of 1988 and embrace the marvelous new things coming our way. I certainly have not offered sufficient lines about Mary Catherine’s role in all of this, so I shall try to have much more of her reflections in the next installment. For now, let me thank you again for your interest in all of these very, very live issues and events and pray to the Lord every single day that what was begun in, through, and with Our Lord may continue and expand to the honor and glory of God. ■ Monsignor Mankel is a vicar general of the diocese and the pastor of Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. 6

■

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

The afternoon session In his afternoon talk, Bishop Stika gave thanks for “the many blessings that this small but rapidly growing diocese” has, including its schools, women religious, priests, youth ministry, catechetical-formation program, and “modern means of communication” such as Facebook and Twitter—as well as its ever-increasing Catholic population. “From our present population of 60,000, we expect by the year 2025 our Catholic population to grow to 200,000,” said the bishop. The increasing number of women religious is another blessing for the diocese, Bishop Stika said. The diocese has recently welcomed the Evangelizing Sisters of Mercy, an African community with a charism for catechetical instruction, teaching, health care, and social ministry. A Great Adventures Bible Study program for adults will debut next year, and more permanent deacons will join the 56 “whose help within our parishes is invaluable,” said Bish-

MARY C. WEAVER (2)

Called continued from page 1

RELIGIOUS WOMEN Sisters from the diocese’s religious communities took part in Diocesan Day. Pictured are (front, from left) Dominican Sisters Mary Monica Bankard and Augusta Nickel and Sisters Dorothy Casian and Maureen Ouma, members of the Evangelizing Sisters of Mary; behind them is Sister Carmen Lina Ramos, MAG.

op Stika. “In keeping with our rapid growth, I have decided to convene another diaconate class” in fall 2011. The bishop will also establish a new Diocesan Pastoral Council composed primarily of laity from the four deaneries, he said. Bishop Stika introduced the Q&A session with Cardinal

guarded and taught.” The cardinal was reassigned from Rome after Vatican II to the island nation of Madagascar to assist the apostolic nunciature there. The people in Madagascar were poor but vibrant Catholics “filled with hope,” said Cardinal Rigali, who visited two leper colonies in the country.

Bishop Stika gave a “state of the diocese” talk for Diocesan Day and also conducted a question-and-answer session with Cardinal Rigali.

Rigali and asked him about his service to the Church, ranging from the Second Vatican Council, through his time in Rome and his work with three popes, to his days in St. Louis and a reunion with Pope John Paul II there. The cardinal passed on the first question from the bishop: “How much do you weigh? I’m sorry— that was my doctor’s question to me.” “No comment” came the reply from the Philadelphia archbishop. Cardinal Rigali served as an usher during Vatican II, which began during the final days of Pope John XXIII’s life. The “Good Pope” began the council— in his words, as the cardinal quoted, “to reiterate the teaching of the Church. The principal aim of the Second Vatican Council is this: for the sacred deposit of Christian tradition to be more effectively

www.d ioknox.org

Reassigned to Rome, the cardinal served as English translators for popes Paul VI and John Paul II. Of his work with Paul VI, the cardinal said that he was “a man of tremendous personal power. His eye contact was extraordinary, and his goodness, his kindness, and his mercy were so evident.” The cardinal addressed the condemnation of Pope Pius XII for supposedly not doing enough to address the Nazi persecution of the Jews in World War II. Many years after the war, Cardinal Rigali was translating for a Paul VI audience that included a famous Jewish personage. “The pope said to this person, ‘You know, I was one of the closest collaborators of Pope Pius XII during the war,’” said Cardinal Rigali. “Then he said, ‘You know and I know what Pius XII did for the Jews.’ The person

stopped, and all of a sudden she said, ‘Yes, we know. We know.’ That person was none other than the prime minister of Israel, Golda Meir.” Pope John Paul I’s 33-day reign served as a “precursor to the Polish pope who was to come after him,” John Paul II, Cardinal Rigali said. “[John Paul I] was elected on Aug. 26. In Poland that is an extraordinary day. That is the feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa. He died on Sept. 28, which is the anniversary of the consecration as a bishop of John Paul II.” Serving as secretary of state for John Paul II was an “an extraordinary experience” that took him from the pontiff’s election through his triumphant return to the Vatican following the attempt on his life to the pope’s final days. “The pope had so much energy. He ran all of us into the woodwork,” said the cardinal, adding that John Paul II went to so many countries “to make known the face of Jesus, and he did it with such zeal.” Paul Simoneau, coordinator of Diocesan Day and director of the diocesan Justice and Peace Office, said the event was well-received. “Everyone loved hearing from Cardinal Rigali. He was so much a part of the history of Vatican II and its unfolding in the Church, especially serving popes from Paul VI to Benedict XVI,” he said. “People also enjoyed what they were calling Bishop Stika’s ‘state of the diocese’ talk. It really made them feel that they are part of an exciting venture. “Anybody who heard about the foundation now being built couldn’t help but feel excited about the direction this diocese is taking.” ■ To download a copy of Bishop Stika’s speech, visit dioknox.org/ home/speech/. A slide show of images from Diocesan Day can be viewed here: dioknox.org/ dioday-slide show/.

TH E E A S T TE N N E S S E E C ATH OLI C

in our

PARISHES

BY DAN MCWILLIAMS

‘A moment we have been waiting for’ Bishop Stika visits Immaculate Conception to celebrate his first Mass with the Vietnamese community.

ishop Richard F. Stika celebrated his first Mass with the Vietnamese community at Immaculate Conception Church in Knoxville on Aug. 15. The occasion allowed him to give thanks for the continuing recovery of IC Deacon Hieu Vinh and daughter Trang, both injured in the Easter vigil fire April 3 at the church. Deacon Vinh conducted the choir at last month’s Mass, and Miss Vinh helped serve. IC pastor Father Ronald Franco, CSP, concelebrated. The Mass fell on the feast of the Assumption as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of Con Dau, a Catholic village in Vietnam. The liturgy also evoked a couple of memories for Bishop Stika as he told the faithful of his connections to saints of the past and a possible saintto-be from the Church in Vietnam. The bishop attended one of the most significant events in the history of Vietnamese Catholics: the canonization of the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam, the 118 killed during a 19thcentury persecution. Pope John Paul II elevated them to sainthood June 19, 1988. “I was kind of a brand-new priest, and someone invited me to attend a canonization, something I had never seen or witnessed before,” said Bishop Stika, “so two of us received tickets and off we went. It was for the martyrs who had given their life because they believed in Jesus. “The following day in St. Peter’s Basilica, Cardinal [Agostino] Casaroli, who was the secretary of state at that time, celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving at the high altar designated by the Holy Father. I remember walking into St. Peter’s, and thousands of people were singing. I’ve got to tell you: it was a little bit of heaven.” On another trip to Italy years later, Bishop Stika found himself sitting next to Archbishop François-Xavier Nguyen Van Than. “I was invited to go along with Cardinal Justin Rigali,

DAN MCWILLIAMS (2)

CHORAL CONDUCTOR Deacon Hieu Vinh leads the singers at the Vietnamese Mass at Immaculate Coneption Church.

Trang Vinh carries the thurible and incense as she leads the procession. View a slide show from the Vietnamese Mass at dioknox.org/vietnamese/.

it grow and be mature. “This moment is so special. It’s a moment we’ve been waiting for for a long, long time. Thank you so much for being here, Bishop Stika. There are no human languages that can express how grateful, how happy we are tonight because you are present. The father deacon told me that you had already made a promise that you would come twice a year for the next two years.” Not a choir director by trade, Deacon Vinh took up that duty and learned about conducting on the fly. “I didn’t know much until I got involved,” he said. “I knew only a little music in the beginning. I had to step in and learn and study just like I learned English more to be a deacon, so it’s been a long road for me.” After Mass the bishop— who posed for numerous photos with Vietnamese parishioners on the steps outside IC—said the music that day reminded him of the Vietnamese choirs in Rome. “The Vietnamese language lends itself to singing. Whenever I hear it, it’s like a piece of heaven.” Assisting at every Mass for the Vietnamese at IC is Father Linh Nguyen of Lexington, Ky. “He was with us for four or five years before, and after that he had to go study to be a pastor of his parish,” said Deacon Vinh. “He stopped for about two or three years, and we didn’t have any priests. Luckily he is available again, and now he’s come down here to help us maybe two or three years now.” Both Deacon Hieu and his daughter are wearing compression bandages on one arm as their burns heal. “It’s a lot better,” Miss Vinh said of her arm injury. “It still hurts a little bit.” Miss Vinh has full range of motion in her left arm, while her dad still has a little trouble moving the fingers on his right hand. Both had facial injuries that have healed. “My dad was burned on both his cheeks, and I was burned mostly on my left side and on my left ear as well,” said Miss Vinh. The injured Vinhs received prayers and support from the IC community and beyond. Priests, deacons, and women religious in Nashville visited the two during their stay at the Vanderbilt Burn Center. “We got prayer blankets from every church around here and from Nashville too,” said Miss Vinh, a Knoxville Catholic High School graduate now studying hotel-restaurant management and psychology at the University of Tennessee. Aside from the special liturgy with the bishop, Masses for the Vietnamese community are celebrated at 6 p.m. on third Sundays at IC. ■

TH E E A S T TE N N E S S E E C AT H OL IC

www.d ioknox.org

who was my boss at the time, to Castel Gandolfo, the summer residence of the Holy Father. We celebrated Mass with Pope John Paul of blessed memory. I happened to sit next to an archbishop from Vietnam who then was working in the city of Rome. “Later [in 2001] this archbishop with whom we had a visit and lunch was made a cardinal. And then he went on to God and his [cause is proceeding], God willing, for his eventual canonization as a saint of the Church. I feel very close to the Vietnamese community because of my memories of the cardinal and of that Mass and the very first canonization I attended.” The 19th-century persecution and many others before and since—including the arrest, beating, and death of a Con Dau Catholic this year— have not dampened the Vietnamese community’s devotion to the Church. “It reminds me how the Church in Vietnam has struggled and has yet remained so faithful,” said Bishop Stika.” In remarks after Communion, IC parishioner Steven Tran thanked the bishop for his visit. He also said that the Vietnamese community has met at IC for more than a decade. “One has said it takes a long time to be young, but for this community it takes a long time for formation,” he said. “It takes even longer to make

Oct. 3 to be Stewardship Sunday for East Tennessee parishes ig changes are in store in the way people will be asked to support the Church’s ministries in 2011. For the past 20 years, East Tennessee Catholics have pledged support for their parish and diocese at the same time. “The practice confused people and overwhelmed parishes that had to process diocesan contributions,” said Jim Link, diocesan director of the Stewardship and Planned Giving Office. “If parishioners forgot to return their pledge forms, pastors had to estimate the percentage of offertory contributions people wanted to earmark for diocesan programs, like seminarian education or Catholic Charities. “This year we hope to eliminate confusion by conducting two separate appeals,” he said. The new approach will also reduce parish workloads. The first of the two appeals will be held Oct. 3. Stewardship Sunday will give parishioners the opportunity to indicate the amount they hope to contribute to their parish in 2011. The pledges will help parishes anticipate revenues for 2011 and build their operating budgets accordingly. Parishioners will have the option of using offertory envelopes to fulfill their pledges each Sunday. Or they can choose to make pledge payments monthly or quarterly. Proceeds will provide operating support for local ministries such as religious education, parochial schools, faith formation, sacramental preparation, and outreach to youth, minorities, and those in need of healing. The second appeal will be made at Thanksgiving. It will come from Bishop Richard F. Stika and will include a reply envelope that can be returned directly to the Chancery. Titled the Annual Catholic Appeal, it will benefit ministries throughout the diocese and help people across East Tennessee. With a preliminary goal of $1.5 million, the appeal’s proceeds will benefit Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, the diocesan agency that feeds the hungry, shelters the homeless, and provides counseling and essential services to the most vulnerable members of society. In addition to benefiting Catholic Charities (which receives 40 percent of funds contributed to the diocese), the Annual Catholic Appeal will benefit youth and young adults, provide religious education for nearly 20,000 students, and sponsor programs that strengthen families and spread the truth and beauty of the Catholic faith. Although programs exist for soliciting specialpurpose funds—for example, to provide financial aid for deserving students at the 10 diocesan schools (the Catholic Education Trust Fund), and educate 15 seminarians at $45,000 each (the Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee)—the Annual Catholic Appeal will allocate more than $100,000 to these initiatives in 2011. Tithing 10 percent of one’s income is an important religious tradition, dating back to Mosaic law and the early Christian communities that built on the teachings of Judaism. On Oct. 3 and again at Thanksgiving, Catholics across East Tennessee will be asked prayerfully to consider the blessings they’ve received and to pledge their support for programs that benefit people in their home parish and throughout the diocese. “Our good and gracious God has given us all that we are and all that we have,” said Mr. Link. “East Tennessee Catholics have responded generously in the past and built thriving faith communities. I have no doubt people will reflect on the abundant blessings they’ve received and pledge generous support to their local parish and to the universal Church.” ■

Want to try online delivery? he East Tennessee Catholic offers online delivery for those who would prefer to read a digital copy and to discontinue the print edition. If you would rather read the ETC online, visit bit.ly/subscribe-online to sign up. If you decide online delivery isn’t for you, you can return to a print subscription at any time. If you have questions, e-mail mhunt@dioknox.org. ■

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

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

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

■

obsessions

DENNIS BIBLE

Dennis H. Bible, 65, of Newport, a founding parishioner of Good Shepherd Parish, died Wednesday, Aug. 18. Mr. Bible served as the parish coordinator for Good Shepherd for more than 25 years. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on Oct. 10, 1944, and the Bible family moved to Newport when Mr. Bible was a child. His mother was among those who petitioned Nashville Bishop James D. Niedergeses to establish a parish in Newport. Mr. Dennis Bible Bible was the cantor for the parish’s first Mass, celebrated by Father Luzerne Schnupp, on Sept 24, 1967. He was preceded in death by his parents, Frances Widmar Bible and Hubert Bible. Survivors include his aunt, Christine Widmar; cousins, Douglas Widmar, Karen Widmar Platz, Russell Widmar, Gerald Uranker, Roger Widmar, and Robert Widmar; and goddaughter, Kara Ethier. A graveside service was held at Holy Cross Cemetery in Brook Park, Ohio, on Wednesday, Aug. 25, on his mother’s family plot. A memorial Mass took place Saturday, Aug. 28, at the Church of the Good Shepherd. On Sunday, Sept. 26, Good Shepherd will celebrate a Mass of remembrance commemorating the parish’s first Mass. The Mass and a dinner following are annual celebrations. This year’s celebration will honor Mr. Bible, and Good Shepherd’s newly finished parish hall will be named the “Dennis Bible Hall.” Memorials may be made to Good Shepherd Parish, 2361 Cosby Highway, Newport, TN 37821. Family and friends may sign a guest registry at www.manesfuneralhome.com. MARGARET MOSER

Margaret Delaney Moser, 99, mother of Father Tom Moser of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City, died Saturday, Aug. 14, in St. Paul, Minn. Mrs. Moser, a lifelong resident of St. Paul, was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Lawrence J. Moser. She is also survived by daughters Carol and husband Dean Mackell, Mariella and husband Constantino Hernandez, and Patricia and husband Jimmy Alvarez; sons Richard Moser and Michael and wife Jenny Moser; nine grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; sisters Kathleen Cook and Mary Johnson; and brother Richard Delaney. Her funeral Mass was celebrated Tuesday, Aug. 17, at Lumen Christi Church in St. Paul. Interment was in Resurrection Cemetery, Mendota Heights, Minn. Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrated a memorial Mass for Mrs. Moser on Thursday, Sept. 2, at St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Memorials may be sent to Lumen Christi Church, 2055 Bohland Ave., St. Paul, MN 55116 or to Allina Hospice, 1055 Westgate Dr., Suite 100, St. Paul, MN 55114. Condolences may be expressed online at bit.ly/9GcMo1. ■

from the

PARACLETE

BY BETHANY MARINAC

Nine days that changed the world n 1979 Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage to Poland, against tremendous opposition and at no small risk to himself. During the pope’s nine days in his homeland, the Polish people came from everywhere to see him. One of every three citizens saw him and heard him speak in person; the rest of the Polish population followed his visit on radio and television. The pope held Mass in the open and spoke of the strength of Catholicism, renewing the faith of millions. His remarkable visit reshaped Poland and marked the beginning of the end of Communism and the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Those nine days in 1979 signaled the beginning of a great change to the political

■

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

landscape of Eastern Europe—and the whole world. You can witness the impact of Pope John Paul II on the DVD Nine Days That Changed the World, which we’re featuring this month. Narrated by Newt and Callista Gingrich, this ﬁlm depicts the impact the visit had before, during, and after the nine days. On the DVD are interviews with George Weigel, Michael Novak, Monsignor Jaroslaw Cielecki, Father Thomas Williams, Lech Walesa, James Woolsey, and many others. Nine Days That Changed the World (Citizens United Productions, 2010) is available for $23.95. ■ Call the store at 865588-0388 or 800-3332097.

BY GINGER HUTTON

Newman on relativism The English cardinal’s 1879 discourse ‘could easily have been written today.’

Pope Benedict’s upcoming beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman is an excellent excuse to read the speech he gave when named cardinal. These words from that 1879 discourse on relativism could have easily been written today: Liberalism in religion is the doctrine that there is no positive truth in religion but that one creed is as good as another, and this is the teaching that is gaining substance and force daily. It is inconsistent with the recognition of any religion as true. It teaches that all are to be tolerated for all are matters of opinion. Revealed religion is not a truth but a sentiment, a taste; not an objective fact, not miraculous, and it is the right of each individual to make it say just what strikes his fancy.

From this beginning, Cardinal Newman brilliantly exposes what follows. Once one accepts the notion that all religions and creeds are of equal value, it becomes necessary to forget that Western civilization is inseparable from Christianity, which produced it. But if devotion to God is not the motivation for civil obedience and order in society, what is? What must happen, Cardinal Newman asserts, is that politicians will replace the Church’s authority and teachings with “a universal and thoroughly secular education

calculated to bring home to every individual that to be orderly, industrious, and sober is his personal interest.” Consider our public-school system, which focuses more on teaching individuals to conform to arbitrary performance standards as a means to further personal ambition than on fostering dedication to the common good. To give this training in self-serving conformity an intellectual framework, general ethical principles—fairness, tolerance, justice, benevolence—are substituted for religious truths grounded in the nature of God and the human person. Cardinal Newman cuts to the heart of why this way of ordering the world without God is both evil and extremely hard to combat. He says: It must be borne in mind that there is much in the liberalistic theory that is good and true. . . the precepts of justice, truthfulness, sobriety, self-command, benevolence, which as I have already noted are its avowed principles and the natural laws of society. It is not until we find that this array of principles is intended to supersede, to block out religion, that we pronounce it evil. There was never a device of the enemy so cleverly framed and with such great promise of success.

That success is now everywhere evident, as politicians use these half-truths to justify the destruction of Christian society. What ethical person could oppose fairness? How difficult, then, to oppose, for example, the seemingly reasonable secular argument that it is unfair for heterosexuals

but not homosexuals to be allowed to marry. To insist that the nature of marriage is rooted in truths that transcend mere fairness appears to the thoroughly secular world view an unreasonable and inexcusable prejudice on the part of religious people. Once general ethical principles are divorced from the absolute religious truths that give them meaning, all human institutions can be redefined with impunity because those institutions are viewed as merely human conventions. Here we have the triumph of evil, wherein good principles such as justice and fairness are invoked to combat supernatural truth. Indeed, truth is no longer recognized but is demonized as prejudice, and inevitably the enemy is Christianity. What Cardinal Newman foresaw and decried, we are living. Speaking recently in Slovakia, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap, of Denver traced with uncommon clarity the progress of relativism toward active religious persecution in our day. The Church is and must remain profoundly subversive in insisting that God is necessary, human life has an inherent purpose, and human society is only human when it is rooted in supernatural truth. This is both the cause for which we are persecuted and our strength. In words reminiscent of Cardinal Newman, Archbishop Chaput explains that “the Church must be punished because, despite the sins of her people, she is still the bride of Jesus Christ; still a source of beauty, meaning, and hope that refuses to die—and still the most compelling and dangerous heretic of the world’s new order.” Cardinal Newman, pray for us. ■ Miss Hutton is a member of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville.

O’Connor continued from page 2

Mother. We have decided to initiate an award that we will give to people among the laity who have done so much to contribute to the diocese. We thought we would name it after the Blessed Mother. It’s going to be called the Immaculata Award, and it’s going to be given with a spirit of gratitude for service to the Church.” Mr. O’Connor provided legal services for the Church when the Diocese of Nashville encompassed the 36 counties that would become the Diocese of Knoxville. “As a prelude to the beginning of the diocese, I was on the committee here and on one in the Diocese of Nashville that divided the assets of the Diocese of Nashville and took a great geographic portion of their diocese,” he said. “That was the beginning of the things I was involved in.” His involvement with the diocese throughout its 22 years of existence meant that Mr. O’Connor served alongside its first two bishops, Anthony J. O’Connell and Joseph E. Kurtz. “I’ve worked with

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Deaths

John O’Connor and wife Betsy are flanked by their daughter Mary and son John Thomas III at the Mass honoring Mr. O’Connor at Sacred Heart Cathedral, where he has been a longtime parishioner.

ATTORNEY’S FAMILY

all of them, and I’m so thankful to have had such an opportunity,” he said. “It’s rare, I think, to see the workings of the Church from the inside, and it certainly has reinforced my strong feelings for the Church.” During now–Archbishop Kurtz’s years in East Tennessee, Mr. O’Connor assisted on the purchase of property for the future All Saints Parish in Knoxville. “I can’t say that I helped locate it, but I was in-

www.d ioknox.org

volved in the acquisition of it,” he said. Mr. O’Connor has been a parishioner at Sacred Heart since the days of founding pastor Monsignor Edward Dolan. A cradle Catholic, he received his elementary and middle school education at three bygone diocesan schools: Holy Ghost in Knoxville for the first four grades, St. Mary in Knoxville for the next three, and St. Elizabeth in Elizabethton for eighth grade.

“There were five of us in the eighth grade: three boys and two girls,” he said. “Father Leo Baldinger was the pastor up there at St. Elizabeth’s then. Mr. O’Connor already has part of his retirement planned. “I still have my civil practice, and I hope to conclude it by the end of this month. But Betsy loves to travel, and I love to travel. “We already have some trips on the drawing board.” ■

TH E E A S T TE N N E S S E E C ATH OLI C

around the

DIOCESE

Calendar continued from page 5

40 Days for Life to kick off Sept. 22 East Tennessee Catholics are encouraged to take part in the prayer campaign to combat the culture of death.

or the fourth year in a row, the Diocese of Knoxville will participate in the 40 Days for Life prayer campaign, joining 238 other U.S. cities and communities in Canada, Australia, England, Northern Ireland, and Denmark. This year’s vigil will run from Wednesday, Sept. 22, to Sunday, Oct. 31. During those days, Catholics, Protestants, and people of other faiths will pray and stand vigil in Knoxville’s Concord Park, across from the abortion clinic at 313 S. Concord St., to help bring an end to the culture of death. The campaign will kick off at 8 a.m. Sept. 22. Father David Boettner, moderator of the curia and rector of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, will open the vigil with prayer. He will be joined by other ecumenical leaders. The campaign site is one of three abortion clinics in Knoxville, in which nearly 4,000 abortions are performed each year. That’s more than 10 lives lost each day and another 10 forever wounded: those of the mothers whose need for real healing might go unrecognized for years afterward, mothers who often develop destructive habits of coping with the pain of choosing to end the life of their child. An essential aspect of 40 Days for Life is outreach to women who have experienced abortion as well as to men who mourn their lost fatherhood. The Knoxville Diocese was among the first to participate in this campaign when it began nationwide four years ago. Lisa Morris of Sacred Heart has been its co-director, along with Paul Simoneau, director of the Office of Justice and Peace. Each year the organizers have briefed the City of Knoxville Law Office and Police Department in order to ensure that the vigil complies with the law. “We have an excellent relationship with the police department and city,” said Mr. Simoneau. “In the past, we’ve had the cell numbers for the

Holy Resurrection Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Mission has Divine Liturgy celebrations at 3:30 p.m. Sundays at Holy Ghost Church, 1041 N. Central St. in Knoxville. Call Father Thomas O’Connell at 865256-4880.

The St. Thomas the Apostle Ukrainian Catholic Mission celebrates Divine Liturgy at 10 a.m. Sundays in the chapel at the Chancery. Call Father Richard Armstrong at 865-584-3307. The Community of Sant’Egidio is a Catholic lay ecclesial movement that focuses on prayer and service to the poor. Two Sant’Egidio groups regularly meet in the Diocese of Knoxville, in Knoxville and Johnson City. For more information on the Knoxville group, call Ellen Macek at 865-675-5541. Call Father Michael Cummins at 423-926-7061 for more details on the Johnson City group. Everyone is welcome to attend.

MARY C. WEAVER

Upcoming events for Catholic Singles of Greater Knoxville (40 and over) include the following: ■ Sunday, Sept. 12: Cookout and planning meeting for All Saints Parish’s children’s Halloween party, 5 p.m. Contact host Mary at 865-591-4710 or mmix@absconsulting.com. ■ Wednesday, Sept. 15: Coffee and conversation at Panera Bread on North Peters Road, 6:30 p.m. Call Randy S. at 556-3781. ■ Friday, Sept. 17: Scrabble and a homemade lasagna dinner, 7 p.m. Hosted by Vince. Limited to eight participants; e-mail KayakerVince@yahoo.com. ■ Sunday, Sept. 19: Easy to moderate hike at a site TBD. Hosted by Randy S. Meet in the All Saints parking lot at 9:30 a.m. Call 556-3781. ■

Youth from Knoxville Catholic High School helped lead the kick-off for Knoxville’s 40 Days for Life prayer campaign in 2009. Students seen above (from left) are Brenna Johnson, Jessie Punch, and Ashley Lawrence. ‘UR MAMA WAS PRO-LIFE’

police shift commanders so we can communicate efficiently and transparently with them. “Above all, safety is paramount. Concord is a busy street, and for everyone’s safety, we ask that everyone stay on the sidewalk across the street from the clinic.” The 40 Days for Life campaign is intended to be prayerful, peaceful, and law abiding at all times. Even shouting is not tolerated, and all participants must sign a “peace statement,” declaring their intention to abide by the laws of the state. Mr. Simoneau said he hopes for a strong showing at the kick-off on Sept. 22. “After four years of praying in front of this particular abortion clinic, we know that its closing is inevitable,” he said.

The campaign is intended for youth as well, he said. “The witness of our youth is particularly effective: it is a witness of hope.” Parish groups and individuals are asked to visit the local 40 Days website to volunteer for blocks of time. “Our goal is to provide a continuous vigil of prayer each day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., through Oct. 31,” he said. “Our contribution of time, prayer, and fasting is never wasted: it has an immeasurable lifesaving effect that we might know only in the next life.” To volunteer for participation in the vigil, visit www. 40daysforlife.com/knoxville or contact Lisa Morris at 865567-1245 or Mr. Simoneau at 865-584-3307 or psimoneau @dioknox.org. ■

East Tennesseans named Marriage Encounter liaisons to Military Archdiocese ather Joe Brando of St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg and Deacon Bob and wife Janel Lange of Kingsport have been named the Marriage Encounter liaisons to the Archdiocese for the Military Services. Their appointment was announced at the recent North American Worldwide Marriage Encounter Convention for the United States and Canada, held in the Atlantic City Convention Center. Immediately after the convention the three traveled to the Military Archdiocese’s offices in Washington, D.C., to meet with the head of military chaplains. Attending the convention with the Langes and Father Brando were fellow East Tennessee Catholics John and Anne Wharton of Holy Trinity in Jefferson City and Steve and Sharon Kintzele of Our Lady of Fatima in Alcoa. Father Brando is a retired U.S. Army chaplain who has led numerous ME weekends in Tennessee, and Deacon Lange is retired from the U.S. Navy. The Whartons are the East Tennessee area leaders for ME. Convention speakers in-

COURTESY OF ANNE WHARTON

TH E EA S T TE N N E S S E E C AT H OL IC

and third Sundays at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland, and at 3 p.m. on second and fourth Sundays at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Madisonville. Visit www.knoxlatinmass.net for details.

Several East Tennesseans took part in the recent ME convention in Atlantic City. From left are (front) John and Anne Wharton and Father Joe Brando and (back) Steve and Sharon Kintzele and Janel and Deacon Bob Lange. MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER PARTICIPANTS

cluded Father Chuck Gallagher, who began Worldwide Marriage Encounter in 1968. The theme of the convention was “You Are the Light of the World.” Some 1,200 people from the United States, Canada, and other countries attended, in-

cluding couples from as far away as India and New Zealand. The Diocese of Knoxville’s next Marriage Encounter weekend will be held in November in Kingsport. See the calendar that begins on page 5 for details. ■ www.d ioknox.org

DOK parishes, schools hosting fall festivals in September, October t. Mary Parish and School in Oak Ridge will host their 60th annual fall festival Oct. 7 through 9. The festival will also serve as a homecoming for all former students, faculty members, and parish priests as the school celebrates its 60th anniversary Oct. 9. See the St. Mary parish notes on page 4 for more details. The festival’s fourth annual golf tournament will kick off the event Oct. 7 at Centennial Golf Course. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m., with lunch at noon and a shotgun start at 1 p.m. A “Putt Putt–Bling Bling” tournament for women will start at 1 p.m. For more information on the tourney, call Margo Davis at 865-803-8662 or Bill Garibay at 803-2374. A Knights of Columbus spaghetti supper will start at 5 p.m. Oct. 8 in the parish life center. A silent auction will take place throughout the evening, and a live auction with auctioneer Dave Fall will begin at 7 p.m. Children and teens can participate in activities and entertainment during the live auction. Festival activities will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. Oct. 9. The day will feature a silent car auction, a “Parcel Post Auction” featuring items mailed from faraway places, and a craft and gift shop. Returning to the festival are inflatable rides, Laser tag, jousting, and a four-person Euro bungee. New games and food such as hot wings and German brats are also featured. To volunteer or learn more, contact Micheria or Kevin Dick at 789 -9013 or visit www.stmarys oakridge.org/Parish/fallfest.html. ■ St. Thomas the Apostle in Lenoir City is holding its annual fall festival Friday and Saturday, Oct. 1 and 2. Hours for the event are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The festival features more than 15 local vendors selling items such as jewelry, pottery, woodworks, and crafts. Games for children will take place throughout the day Saturday, and a petting zoo will be open that day. An “International Food Café” will feature Mexican, Irish, Polish, American, and Italian foods prepared by parish chefs. Baked goods and holiday items will be sold, and a live auction will be held. Live entertainment and round and line dancing are on tap as well. Proceeds will support local charities throughout the year. Admission is free; the cost of the International Cafe is $10 in advance or $12 on the day of the festival. For more information, call Ray Mouse at 865-712-7820. ■ St. Therese Parish in Clinton will hold its 20th annual Fun Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11. The event includes games, food, a flea market, crafts, a Christmas store, and a live auction. Call the parish office at 865-457-4073 for details. ■ Notre Dame Parish in Greeneville has changed its fall-festival date to Saturday, Oct. 9. Call Phil Galic at 423-639-7517 or Mary Ann Laun at 2575096 to help with the planning. ■ St. Joseph School in Knoxville will host its 30th annual fall festival on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 15 and 16. Call the school at 865-689-3424 for details. ■

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

■

Vatican appoints new nuncio to Iraq, Jordan VATICAN CITY (CNA/EWTN News)—Benedict XVI appointed Monsignor Giorgio Lingua as the Holy See’s representative to Iraq and Jordan on Sept. 4. The new apostolic nuncio will begin the position at a time in which the Iraqi Church struggles to find peace. No stranger to international relations, Monsignor Lingua has been a member of the Vatican’s diplomatic corps since 1992. Over the past 18 years the Italian priest has worked at diplomatic posts in the Ivory Coast, the United States, Italy, and Serbia and has also served in the Holy See’s Secretariat of State section for relations with states. Monsignor Lingua was ordained a priest in 1984 and has a license in canon law. Besides Italian, he speaks French, Spanish and English. He enters the Iraqi nunciature as Church officials in the nation cry out for assistance and protection after the departure of American combat troops. The country, said one official in an interview with Vatican Radio in August, is already unsafe for minority groups, and as U.S. forces are reduced, the situation can only worsen. Chaldean Auxiliary Bishop Shlemon Warduni of Baghdad said that they will become the “scapegoats” for the three major groups in the country—Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds—after the United States withdraws. He added in the August interview, “We desire, we ask, and we scream for peace and security.” Pope Benedict acknowledged the difficult situation in Iraq in his address to welcome the new Iraqi ambassador to the Holy See at the beginning of July. At that time he called for all the nation’s people to unite in their “shared suffering” to build “a just, moral, and peaceable environment.” Monsignor Lingua replaces Archbishop Francis Assisi Chullikatt, who had held the position for more than four years before being appointed as the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations last July. ■

Bishop Stika and Chaldean bishop to concelebrate Mass on Sept. 25 haldean Catholics in East Tennessee look forward to Sept. 24 through 26, when Bishop Ibrahim N. Ibrahim of St. Thomas the Apostle Chaldean Diocese, based in Detroit, will visit Knoxville. The Chaldean community in the region has grown in recent years, as Catholics from Iraq have fled persecution. Bishop Ibrahim N. Ibrahim About 50 Chaldean Catholics are now at home in Knoxville, with many more expected, said Paul Simoneau, director of the diocesan Justice and Peace Office. Chaldean Catholics are native to Iraq, but migrant communities are found in the United States, Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Lebanon. “Because of the close relationship some members of the local Chaldean community in Knoxville have with Bishop Ibrahim, he is interested in starting a Chaldean Mission here,” Mr. Simoneau said. Bishop Richard F. Stika will concelebrate Mass with Bishop Ibrahim at noon on Saturday, Sept. 25, at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Bishop Ibrahim will be accompanied by Father Anthony Kaphawa, who will soon begin making monthly visits to Knoxville to celebrate the liturgy with the Chaldean community. Father Kaphawa was recently ordained by Bishop Ibrahim. The bishop is a native of Iraq and was consecrated a bishop in Baghdad in 1982. He is the first and only bishop to shepherd his eparchy, which was erected by Pope John Paul II. Mr. Simoneau added that Susan Dakak of St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut, Paul Schmidt of Immaculate Conception Parish in Knoxville, and he have been exploring the possibility of creating a U.S. chapter of the United Kingdom– based charity Iraqi Christians in Need (ICIN). The organization assists Christians who have fled Iraq and are living in refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey, as well as those who have recently migrated to the United States. To learn more about Bishop Ibrahim’s visit or ICIN, call Mr. Simoneau at 865-584-3307. ■

■

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

Israeli president, pope discuss hopes for peace Benedict XVI and Peres meet as the United States begins new Middle East negotiations. CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS)—As the first direct peace talks in two years between Israeli and Palestinian leaders were launched in the United States, Pope Benedict XVI and Israeli President Shimon Peres met in a private audience. The two leaders expressed hopes that the renewal of direct talks in Washington would contribute to the “reaching of an agreement that is respectful of the legitimate aspirations of the two peoples and capable of bringing lasting peace to the Holy Land and the entire region,” the Vatican said. The closed-door, 40-minute papal audience at the papal summer residence Sept. 2 was “cordial,” the Vatican said in a written statement. Peres also met privately for 30 minutes with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’s secretary of state, and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for relations with states. “The condemnation of all forms of violence and the necessity of guaranteeing better conditions of life to all the peoples of the area were reaffirmed” during the meetings, the Vatican statement said. Discussions also included the role of interreligious dialogue and “an overview of the international situation,” it said. Church-related issues such as an “examination of the relations between the state of Israel and the Holy See and those of the state authorities with the local Catholic communities” were also discussed, the Vatican statement said. Emphasis was placed on the very special significance of the presence of these communities in the

CNS PHOTO/GIAN ANDREA TURNATURI, COURTESY OF ISRAELI GOVERNMENT

WIRE

PRIVATE AUDIENCE Pope Benedict XVI meets Israeli President Shimon Peres at the pope’s summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, on Sept. 2. The two leaders expressed hopes that the renewal of direct talks in Washington would contribute to a Middle East peace deal.

Holy Land and the contribution that they offer for the common good of society, also through Catholic schools, it said. The Vatican statement said the results of a Vatican–Israeli bilateral working commission were looked at, and hopes were expressed that the commission’s work could soon be concluded. The commission, established in 1993, has been working on and off for years to settle agreements related to the tax situation of Catholic institutions in Israel and other primarily fiscal issues. The issuing of visas is also a major point of contention. Israel has often turned down church requests for multipleentry visas for priests and religious from Arab countries who work in Israel and the Palestinian territories, which hinders their ability to carry out their pastoral work and prevents them from being able to visit their families. According to a written statement released Sept. 1 by the presidential spokesperson, Peres wanted to ask the pope for assistance in the return of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli sol-

dier who was kidnapped from the Gaza border four years ago and is believed to be held in the Gaza Strip. Peres also wished to express concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the potential impact a nuclear-weapons arsenal in Iran would have on the Middle East, the statement said. Israel already has nuclear weapons. Details about the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as how to strengthen relations between Israel and the Vatican, were other talking points Peres intended to discuss with the pope, it said. At the end of the papal audience, Peres gave the pope a silver menorah made by an Israeli artist. Peres had the following personal dedication inscribed on the foot-tall menorah: “To his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, the shepherd who seeks to lead us to the fields of blessings and the fields of peace. With great esteem, Shimon Peres, president of the State of Israel.” Peres’ papal audience came the same day that the United States hosted meetings between Israeli Prime Minister Ben-

jamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. U.S. President Barack Obama inaugurated the new peace process with a White House dinner Sept. 1 attended by Netanyahu, Abbas, Jordan King Abdullah, and Egypt President Hosni Mubarak. The same day Palestinian gunmen attacked and wounded two Israelis in the West Bank, and four Jewish settlers who had been killed in the West Bank by Hamas militants were buried. A major stumbling block in negotiations was expected to be the construction of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories. A 10-month moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank was to expire Sept. 26, and Israeli officials have said it is unlikely to be extended despite demands by the Palestinian authorities to extend it and to halt construction plans in East Jerusalem. Israel has occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the 1967 Arab–Israeli War. ■ Copyright 2010 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

MARY C. WEAVER

from the

Greeneville parish celebrates new religious-education building Bishop Richard F. Stika dedicated Notre Dame Parish’s catechetical center on Aug. 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The dedication ceremony was held after Mass, and parishioners and friends gathered outside the new building and sang, “For thy gracious blessing, we give thanks, O Lord. For thy loving kindness, we give thanks, O Lord.” A story about the Mass and dedication will appear in the next edition of the ETC. www.d ioknox.org

TH E E A S T TE N N E S S E E C ATH OLI C