Chattanooga’s Vietnamese community packs its worship space for Bishop Beckman’s first visit
By Dan McWilliams
The Vietnamese community in Chattanooga turned out in full Dec. 8 as Bishop Mark Beckman made his first visit to the St. Faustina Public Association of the Faithful at its meeting place in an industrial park.
Some 350 packed the worship space, making it standing-room only as there were only 285 chairs available, as the diocese’s shepherd celebrated Mass there on the second Sunday of Advent.
St. Faustina pastor Father Nick Tran concelebrated, with Deacon Wade Eckler of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Chattanooga serving as deacon of the Word and Deacon Hicks Armor as master of ceremonies.
Bishop Beckman called the evening “incredible, fantastic” after Mass.
“It’s a beautiful, vibrant community—deep faith,” he said. “They were packed in like sardines, as we say. It was really a very beautiful, beautiful turnout.”
The bishop’s homily and other remarks were translated into Vietnamese, but the different languages showed the “oneness” of the Church, the bishop said.
“It was so beautiful because they chanted a lot of the parts, and the chants were so lovely,” he said. “They began to chant the Our Father, and I was saying it in English with them, and phrase for phrase—when I finished my last word—they finished chanting. It was a beautiful experience of oneness, even though we shared multiple languages.”
At the end of Mass, the bishop received a bouquet of flowers from the St. Faustina faithful. Father Tran also expressed to Bishop Beckman the growing community’s fondest desire.
“We would like to have a church, Bishop,” Father Tran said, drawing a round of applause.
Bishop Beckman replied: “The Church of God,
‘Put
St. Faustina and the bishop This sign greeted the 350 or so who came to Bishop Mark Beckman’s Mass for the St. Faustina Public Association of the Faithful on Dec. 8 in Chattanooga.
which you are, needs a church.”
Deacon Armor, the diocesan director of stewardship and strategic planning, who also serves at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, is trying to make the St. Faustina commu-
nity’s dream come true.
“They’re asking for a church, and I know that Deacon Hicks has been working very hard to help them find a location, which I’m grateful St. Faustina continued on page B2
Christ’s teachings into practice’
St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge provides outreach to the community with three programs
By Gabrielle Nolan
With the new year come new resolutions such as volunteering, giving back to the community, decluttering the house, and living a simpler lifestyle.
Many Catholics turn to their faith for such resolutions, and parishes often have a plethora of opportunities and needs for people to assist with.
One such parish is St. Mary in Oak Ridge, which boasts three community-outreach programs that parishioners and community members alike are invited to partake in.
“As part of our Catholic tradition, we know that our actions demonstrate the strength and commitment we have to our faith,” said pastor Father Ray Powell. “At St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge, we have three special parish ministries that work together in a unique and vibrant way to put Jesus’ command of ‘love of God and love of neighbor’ into action by providing assistance to those in need. Those ministries are our White Elephant thrift store, St. Joseph Food Pantry, and St. Mary Vegetable Garden. These ministries both lead our efforts and coordinate with other parish ministries to help provide assistance for those in need in our Oak Ridge community and beyond.”
Father Powell said that each ministry shares its gifts and talents to meet parish needs by combining faith, hope, and action into a gift offered to both those receiving assistance and those helping to provide it.
“They are an inspiration to me as pastor, to our parish, and to so
many from our wider Oak Ridge community who are aware of how these ministries put Christ’s teachings into practice each and every day,” he said.
All three ministries are on the St. Mary Parish campus.
The White Elephant
With a history of more than 60 years, The White Elephant began when parishioners turned a rummage sale into a nonprofit thrift shop to raise money for the parish.
“The proceeds from the White Elephant thrift store help support our parish and school youth ministries and educational projects, as well as help our other parish ministries to provide assistance for those in need in our community,” remarked Father Powell.
The shop offers both new and used affordable clothes for all ages and sizes, home goods, books, artwork, jewelry, religious items, and more.
Its operating hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The current manager, Sarah Stitz, has run the store for more than three years after volunteering under Michelle Scott seven years ago.
Ms. Stitz believes that when people enter the thrift store, they feel the love of Jesus.
“I don’t think I’ve ever charged anyone full price, and our prices are so cheap,” she said. “And it doesn’t matter what faith you are, we’re here for people. If someone comes up and is having a hard time…not just me, but other volunteers, we’ll just stop and say a
Christmas cheer Father Ray Powell, pastor of St. Mary, stands with Sister Mary John Slonkosky, OP, principal of St. Mary School, Sarah Stitz, manager of The White Elephant, and two St. Mary students on Dec. 13 inside The White Elephant thrift store, where students shopped for their families.
prayer right then and there with them. It’s really beautiful.”
According to Ms. Stitz, in 2024, the shop gave away close to $30,000 worth of items.
“We give away free stuff on Wednesdays when our food pantry is open. We’re always looking to do and give. There’s a couple of places here in town that give away free coats, and we help supply them,” she shared.
“If people come in and they really want something, and it looks like they can’t afford it or they say they can’t afford it, we’ll just slip it in their bag because that’s what Jesus would do, right? We’re here for the community; we’re here for the passion of it; we’re here to spread love. If we can do that through giving
away some stuff that came in for free…I don’t know how many times I’ve had people cry on us, give us hugs because they couldn’t afford something as nice as what we gave them,” Ms. Stitz continued. Since becoming manager, Ms. Stitz has emphasized outreach to other organizations and community involvement.
“We went up to Rocky Top last Christmas with a couple other organizations, and we were able to donate toys and coats and stuff like that to 55 families with kids. So, that was huge,” she said. “And we do a Santa’s workshop. The little kids (at St. Mary) have big buddies that they go to Mass with, so they come over and shop with them. Outreach continued on page B3
for,” Bishop Beckman said following the liturgy.
The bishop greeted the community at the beginning of Mass.
“Brothers and sisters, it is good to be with you tonight here at your community of faith. We celebrate tonight the beautiful second Sunday of Advent, a season of joyful waiting for the coming of the Lord,” he said. Bishop Beckman opened his homily by saying “what a blessing it is to be with you all this evening.”
The day’s Gospel reading came from Luke 3 and opened with an account of St. John the Baptist receiving God’s Word in an era when Tiberius Caesar reigned, Pontius Pilate was governor, and Herod, his brother Philip, and Lysanias were tetrarchs in the region.
“In the Gospel tonight, we heard about all of the rulers in the days of John and the length that they served, their terms. And most of the time when we hear that, it goes right through our minds,” Bishop Beckman said. “So, why is it important? Luke wants us to know that what God does is something that is not abstract, but it happens at a very specific time and place. In that specific time, the Word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah. That Word spoke to John, changed his heart, and John began to preach the Good News of the coming of the One after him, all throughout the Jordan River area.”
John said to “prepare the way of the Lord,” the bishop said.
“Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every mountain and hill made low, and the valleys filled in, the rough places made smooth, the winding places made straight,” he said. “The Word of God also comes to you and me, right here and now. He speaks to us now, here in this place, so that our hearts can be changed like John’s, our roughness smoothed out, our weakness filled in, and our mountains of pride made low.”
Christ has a desire for those who await Him, Bishop Beckman said.
“The Lord wants us to be filled with joy at His coming, wants to remove anything in us that is not
ready,” he said. “And then, He sends us into the world like John to help others to be healed of their roughness. He chooses you and me to go, like John.
“What a beautiful, powerful thing the Word of God is. All of you have heard this Word—that’s why you’re here. You bring from your own home country beautiful faith, traditions, and the gift of your own encounter with the mystery of God. And the Lord wants to use each one of you to make a difference in our world today. So are we ready? Are we prepared? Are our hearts open to the coming of the Lord? The day of the Lord approaches—let’s prepare our hearts.”
Before he led the closing prayer at Mass, the bishop told those assembled that “you pray together beautifully.”
“Your voices bring joy to the Lord,” he said. “I am so delighted to be with you. I am so grateful for your pastor, Father Nick—what a gift.”
That remark drew an ovation, and then Bishop Beckman made an appeal for priestly vocations that might come from the St. Faustina community.
“Maybe there will be some who will follow in Father Nick’s footsteps to be a beautiful priest for the Lord,” he said. “I’m grateful for our deacons tonight and all of our liturgical ministers and very grateful for our music ministry—you all were beautiful, beautiful.”
Father Tran thanked the bishop for his visit.
“It is truly a joy and honor to welcome you, Bishop Beckman, to our community today,” he said. “Your presence here reminds us of the unity we share as a family in Christ Jesus, and your pastoral care strengthens us in our faith. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to you, Bishop Beckman, for taking your time to visit and bless our community. Your leadership and guidance inspire us to grow deeper in our faith and commitment to God’s mission.”
The St. Faustina pastor also thanked Deacon Eckler and Deacon Armor “for their great support and dedication to our church.”
Father Tran then expressed grati-
Scenes from St. Faustina A multi-voice choir sang and youth presented the gifts as Bishop Beckman visited the St. Faustina Public Association of the Faithful on Dec. 8. The bishop preached the homily, and Deacon Wade Eckler assisted him in distributing Holy Communion. At the end of Mass, the bishop received flowers, and pastor Father Nick Tran thanked him as well as Deacon Eckler and Deacon Hicks Armor for their presence.
tude “to my beloved community. Thank you for the love, prayers, and commitment to making this community a welcoming place where Christ’s love is shared and multiplied.”
At the end of Mass, the worship space quickly turned into a dining area as all present took part in a hearty meal, and Bishop Beckman posed for photos with St. Faustina members in front of a large sign outside the worship area that bore images of the bishop and the community’s patron saint as well as greetings in English and Vietnamese.
“We’re so happy to have Bishop here with us today because he came here and made people happy because he is a good shepherd,”
Father Tran said before the dinner. “He cares about his flock. We need Bishop’s love and care a lot for our future community.”
The turnout for Mass with the bishop exceeded capacity.
“We have 285 chairs in the church, but today they were full. We didn’t have enough chairs for the people,” Father Tran said.
The pastor said the bishop “will take care of us in the future” as St. Faustina looks to have its own church.
“We are trying our best in fundraising to have enough money to build a church or buy property in the future,” Father Tran said. “We want to have the first Vietnamese parish in Chattanooga.” ■
DAN MCWILLIAMS
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The big buddies learn more about their little buddies’ family and help them wrap [their purchases].”
“We also have our youth group come once a month, and then they help,” Ms. Stitz continued. “We get a lot of college kids and senior highschool kids that need to get their volunteer hours for the HOPE scholarship. At the fall festival, we do a fashion show. This year, we have a ton of prom dresses so…at the end of February we’re going to be doing a huge prom dress sale for all the different high schools in and around Oak Ridge and Knoxville. You can get good stuff for a discounted rate. We’ve also had parishioners that already said they would pay for certain dresses for kids that can’t afford them, so they can have something nice as well.”
All items in the thrift store are donated by members of the parish or larger community. Occasionally, Ms. Stitz will pick up donations if called, but she never has to go looking for items.
“This place is always hopping, and it’s so funny because either people will tell their friends about this place, or they’ll keep us a secret because they don’t want to share how good we are. … Our quality of stuff is just awesome. We are so blessed here,” she said.
Assisting Ms. Stitz is a team of around 20 volunteers, who sort donations, make displays, work the cash register, and more.
“We’re a pretty tight group,” Ms. Stitz said. “It’s really kind of sweet— it’s like our own little family.”
Father Powell is a fan of The White Elephant.
“I am very proud of the commitment and passion to help others demonstrated by our store manager, Sarah Stitz, and her dedicated team of volunteers,” Father Powell said. “They not only provide help to those in need but provide the opportunity and means for our parish and volunteers to put their faith into action on a daily basis as they work to follow the example and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
For inquiries, contact Sarah Stitz at we@stmarysoakridge.org
St. Joseph Food Pantry
The parish’s food pantry has been running for more than 20 years and started as a means to provide food assistance to parishioners. The ministry came under the umbrella of the St. Vincent de Paul Society over 10 years ago.
“Our St. Joseph Food Pantry puts the corporal works of mercy into action on a weekly basis by their direct feeding of the poor and those in need,” Father Powell said. “They put the Gospel values and faith into action by helping build up relationships with service to people in need. This ministry is operated by our parish St. Vincent de Paul conference members, who are dedicated to the love of God and love of neighbor by personal involvement in a team-oriented approach to outreach ministries.”
The pantry distributes food on most Wednesdays from 10 to 11:45 a.m. Patrons are allowed to visit once every four weeks.
Mary Ann Gubanc has been exec-
utive director of the St. Joseph Food Pantry for the past three years. Prior to being director, she was the manager for seven years and a previous president of the St. Vincent de Paul conference.
“The SJFP has helped so many of our neighbors, and it is a remarkable feeling to work together assisting those in need,” Ms. Gubanc shared. “Food insecurity is frightening, and it is calming and comforting to see the face of Christ in each of our neighbors.”
According to Ms. Gubanc, the food pantry served 3,215 families, or 8,886 people, in 2024, which equates to around 740 people or 275 families per month.
“One aspect to the pantry is its impossibility to guess how many neighbors may come each week,” she said. “Weather conditions, roads, when folks get their Social Security benefits can affect attendance at our pantry. Also, we add additional products and a gift certificate during holidays, so that can bump numbers up, as well.”
Patrons of the food pantry receive three bags of food. The first bag provides a pound of hamburger meat, eggs, Panera Bread, and candy; the second bag provides boxes of macaroni and cheese, tins of tuna fish, cans of pork and beans, cans of soup, fruit, and a snack; and the third bag provides a box of cereal, 1 pound of spaghetti, cans of spaghetti sauce, and cans of corn and green beans. In addition, the patrons may choose butter or cheese, in-season vegetables, an assortment of canned goods, and hygiene products.
Besides individual donations to the St. Joseph Food Pantry, other organizations also supply food.
“We partner with Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, where we can purchase goods at a fraction of their retail price,” Ms. Gubanc said. “We partner with Second Harvest Food Rescue Program, where the goods we receive are at no cost.”
The pantry receives food from Panera Bread twice a week, Food City once a week, and Dollar General once a week. There also is a partnership with Operation Sharing Tennessee in Oneida for a variety of items including food, beverages, household items, and kitchen products.
In addition, the pantry received funding from the Pope Francis Grant to provide fresh milk on a weekly basis for patrons. Second Harvest Food Bank applies for grants from the government and occasionally gives savings to the St. Joseph Food Pantry.
Lastly, the parish’s St. Mary Vegetable Garden provides fresh vegetables to the pantry regularly.
For inquiries, contact Mary Ann Gubanc at magubanc@aol.com
St. Mary Vegetable Garden
Since 2010, the St. Mary Vegetable Garden has been an important part of the parish’s outreach programs. Deacon Gary Sega established the garden alongside a group of volunteers with a mission to provide fresh local food to those with food insecurity.
Walter Dykas is serving his third year as volunteer coordinator for the St. Mary Vegetable Garden after
assisting with the garden two years before becoming coordinator.
Mr. Dykas, who became a certified Master Gardener in 2023, remarked that the St. Mary Vegetable Garden is “one of the Anderson County Master Gardener projects, offering learning opportunities for other Master Gardeners and interested community members.”
“The garden volunteers continually experiment and learn how to improve crop production, gardening efficiency, and sustainable practices. Everyone is encouraged to participate and contribute to all aspects of garden operations, including planning, maintenance, harvest, and delivery. We warmly welcome volunteers from both the St. Mary Parish and the wider local community,” Mr. Dykas said.
There is currently a core team of six volunteers who assist with planting, watering, weeding, harvesting, and distributing produce. An additional 10 volunteers also assist with these activities.
“Whether someone is a seasoned gardener or picking up a trowel for the first time, there’s a place for everyone in the St. Mary Vegetable Garden,” Mr. Dykas remarked.
The garden includes a variety of seasonal vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, okra, greens, squash, beans, cucumbers, and root vegetables.
“As part of our commitment to sustainable practices, we also grow plants that support pollinator insects and enrich soil nutrition, such as flowering plants and herbs,” Mr. Dykas shared. “The garden operates primarily from early spring through late fall. While some greens and flowers continue to grow through winter, the colder months are primarily dedicated to maintenance,
planning, and preparing for the next growing season.”
Over 95 percent of the garden’s harvest goes to the parish’s St. Joseph Food Pantry.
“When we have surplus harvest— more than the food pantry can distribute—we coordinate with other local food pantries and outreach programs, ensuring that fresh, nutritious, locally grown food reaches those who need it most,” Mr. Dykas said.
Mr. Dykas said that the garden ministry supports his faith through serving others and the wonder of God’s creation.
“Through tending to the garden, we witness the beauty and abundance of God’s creation, reminding us of our role as stewards of the earth,” he said. “It’s fulfilling to see how our collective work directly impacts the lives of families in need. The garden also serves as a place for reflection, gratitude, and connection—with God, nature, and each other. Every harvest, no matter how small, feels like a gift and a responsibility.”
He believes that the garden can “continue to make a difference in our community, one harvest at a time.”
Father Powell agrees with that sentiment.
“The St. Mary Garden provides fresh produce, grown on the parish grounds, for the St. Joseph Food Pantry, which provides for the surrounding community’s food-loving families, while building a learning and sharing community for gardening and service,” Father Powell said. “The planning, care, hard work, and love they put into their efforts allow our food pantry to provide fresh, healthy produce for those in need.”
For inquiries, contact Walter Dykas at StMaryGardenOak Ridge@gmail.com ■
Season of giving Elementary students from St. Mary School in Oak Ridge shop for family members inside The White Elephant thrift store.
Bountiful harvest Maintained by volunteers, the St. Mary Vegetable Garden provides fresh fruits and vegetables for the parish’s food pantry.
GABRIELLE
A parish family Members of the St. Joseph Food Pantry pose for a photo outside of their building on the St. Mary Parish campus. The pantry distributes food on most Wednesdays from 10 to 11:45 a.m.
Sisterly help A young St. Mary student is assisted with Christmas shopping for her family by teacher Sister Maria Trinity Dagher, OP.
GABRIELLE NOLAN COURTESY
ST. MARY PARISH
Chattanooga Deanery Holy Spirit, Soddy-Daisy
Monsignor Al Humbrecht’s next book study will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at the church. The book is A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. To register, call the church at 423-332-5300 or email hscc_parish@holyspirittn.com
St. Bridget, Dayton
The Women’s Council will resume meeting after a break for the holidays at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, before the 5:30 p.m. vigil Mass.
St. Jude, Chattanooga
The annual Father Charlie Chili CookOff is set for 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, in Siener Hall, sponsored by Knights of Columbus Council 8576 and the Council of Catholic Women. Those attending may sample, vote on, and dine on a variety of chilis, toppings, hot dogs, baked potatoes, cornbread, and desserts prepared by parishioners and the Knights. Top prizes are $100, $75, and $50. Costs are $10 for those entering a chili dish for the cook-off and $5 to sample, vote, and dine ($20 for families with small children). Spaces are limited; sign up by Friday, Jan. 24. Call the parish office at 423-870-2386 for more information.
The Haiti Mission Team’s annual Alternative Gift Helping Hands program is accepting donations through Sunday, Jan. 26, to benefit St. Jude’s sister parish in Gros-Morne, Haiti. Donors may contribute books for schoolchildren, agricultural tools and seeds, pay for teachers, funds for a school food program, religious instruction books, fuel for generators, and more. See the form in a parish bulletin at discovermass.com/church/ st-jude-chattanooga-tn/#bulletins
Nancy Hoover, church relations director for Bethel Bible Village in Hixson, a ministry for children, thanked parishioners for their recent donations of food and paper. Items donated filled up four vehicles and totaled 1,590 pounds, enough to fill the ministry’s shelves for months, Ms. Hoover said.
Religious-education students and their families as well as parishioners took part in a “Warm Hands—Warm Hearts” donation in December of gloves, mittens, scarfs, and hats, which decorated the Christmas tree in the inner vestibule of the church. The items were then contributed to area elementary-school students.
St. Stephen, Chattanooga
The Knights of Columbus are sponsoring a Fat Saturday charity dinner and dance in the large hall at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 1. The event features music by The Beaters.
The Knights are holding a blood and food drive from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at the church. They hosted a New Year’s Eve party Dec. 31 featuring dinner, football on TV, and the band Midlife Crisis. The Knights recently named Frank Gammariello as Knight of the month and Ray and Zane Fox as family of the month.
The Ladies Auxiliary held a Christmas “cookie walk bake sale” after Masses on Dec. 21-22. Proceeds went toward year-round support of the parish, the Maclellan Shelter for Families in Chattanooga, the Ladies of Charity, and other organizations in Chattanooga.
Anniversaries: Norman and Joyce Shelton (64), Bill and Patricia Wood (57), Edwin and Patricia Bowmer (51), Zane and Lori Fox (40), Kiran and Roshney Prince (5)
Cumberland Mountain Deanery
All Saints, Knoxville
Deacon Tim Elliott’s Theology Uncorked series continues from 6 to 8 p.m. in the parish hall on the following dates and topics: Thursday, Feb. 20, “Towing the Line,” on the dignity of work and the rights of workers; Thursday, April 10, “I’m With You,” on soli-
darity; and Thursday, June 19, “We’ve Got to Get Back to the Garden,” on care for God’s creation.
Blessed Sacrament, Harriman
The parish thanked those who helped make the angel tree a success. Several families had a merry Christmas because of the assistance.
Blessed Sacrament thanked donors who are helping pay for a new HVAC system. The total raised is $29,475, which is 84 percent of the $34,802 total cost of a new system.
St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade
Father John Matejek led a spiritual direction on Dec. 17 in the parish hall.
Divine Mercy prayers were recited Dec. 27, followed by adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction.
Parishioners celebrated Christmas with the traditional Oplatki wafer, following a custom centuries old that originated in Poland in which the wafer is served at the Christmas Eve meal with honey, broken by each member, and shared.
The Flower Committee asks parishioners to sign up for special dates in the new year to bring flowers to the altar. The committee also needs a flower coordinator for a month. For instructions, call Sandy D’Alessandro at 931-287-0140.
St. Francis of Assisi received a thankyou message for its kindness and support from the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic for the parish’s recent donations of winter gear and hygiene kits.
The Grandparents Room Committee has items for visiting families who arrive with children as well as medical items such as wheelchairs or shower seats. The parish library also has juvenile books for visitors.
Anniversaries: Gerald and Barbara Philips (63), Joseph and Lori Kriskowiak (61), Carmine and Lynne Lynch (60), Mark and Carol Hafford (59), Robert and Martha Heck (57), Doug and Christina Nawrocki (54), Richard and Judy Lodes (53), John and Diana Schornack (53), Walt and Lee Glowacki (51), Wallace and Jean Decker (45), Joseph and Kathleen Filipczak (20), Joseph and Jennifer Hudachek (15)
St. John Neumann, Farragut
The second annual Snowball, a middleschool daddy-daughter dance, will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, in the school gym. Girls in fifth through eighth grades who attend St. John Neumann School or are members of the parish, and their father or father figure, are invited for an evening of desserts and dancing. Purchase tickets at sjnknox.org/snowball
A Casino Night adults-only social with a potluck buffet is set for 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, in the school gym. Games including Texas hold ’em, roulette, and board games will be featured. Those with last names starting with A-F should bring dessert, G-L an appetizer, M-S a main dish, and T-Z a side dish. Water will be provided. The event is free (BYOB). RSVP to sjncc womensclub@gmail.com
A young-adult ministry kickoff social will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, in Seton Hall, hosted by parochial vicar Father Bo Beaty and Sara Marquardt.
A Parish Business Fair will run from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday, Feb. 9, in the school gym. Visitors may learn about businesses, services, and charities owned by SJN parishioners, as well as enter a drawing.
A seniors bingo social was held Jan. 19 in Seton Hall.
St. Joseph, Norris
The Council of Catholic Women will host a Family Game Night that will start at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24. Hot dogs and macaroni and cheese will be
Parish notes continued on page B8
Catherine
The ladies of the Ecumenical Outreach Committee of St. Catherine Labouré Parish in Copperhill gathered in December to make 50 twine rosaries to give to the parish’s sponsored seminarian, Deacon A.J. Houston, who graduated that month from St. Meinrad Seminary. Pictured are Nellie Hensley (left) and Kathy Jabaley. The single-decade rosaries with crucifix and medal are easy to put in a pocket or wear as a bracelet to always have handy. Deacon Houston is co-sponsored by the Archdiocese for the Military Services. He was ordained to the transitional diaconate on June 8 by Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, and after a few years at assignments in the diocese will be serving in the U.S. Army. Deacon Houston will serve at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Chattanooga until his priestly ordination in June.
COURTESY OF SALLY JACKSON
COURTESY OF DAWN ODELL
St.
Labouré committee makes rosaries for Deacon Houston
COURTESY OF BILL HEWITT
Knights serve breakfast, and Santa and elf meet St. Dominic students Members from Knights of Columbus Council 6992 at St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport served breakfast Dec. 14 at St. Dominic School, and the students met with Santa, aka Bill, and his senior elf, aka Dave. From left are Ray Vachon, Dave Gostomski, Grand Knight Kevin Musser, Steven Derosia, Santa and his elf, Elliot Easterbrook, Howard Bastedo, and Carl Belcher. Not pictured are Dave Faller and Logan Hayworth.
Santa visits children at St. Joseph in Norris
Santa took time from his busy schedule to visit with the children of St. Joseph Parish in Norris on Dec. 14.
Bishop Mark Beckman will celebrate the annual Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion of Candidates at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 8, the first Saturday of Lent, at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Catechumens and candidates from across the diocese will participate. The ceremony will be in English.
The diocesan Office of Vocations is holding a Men’s Discernment Group for men interested in discerning if God is calling them to the priesthood. The group will be hosted by Father Mark Schuster at 9 a.m. on fourth Saturdays in the St. John Paul II Conference Room at the Chancery office in Knoxville, with the next meeting Jan. 25. There will be a Zoom option for those not in the Knoxville area. Register at forms.office.com/r/CmSwudiVnf
The Fulton Sheen Society invites families to an evening of reflection and fellowship from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at All Saints Church in Knoxville. The meeting will be in the parish hall, with the talk running 45 minutes to an hour, followed by food and fellowship. Free child care will be provided in the nursery during the talk and pizza after the talk. A side item or drink is requested for families to bring to help round out the meal. The Fulton Sheen Society is a ministry focused on strengthening marriages and families. The society is named after Venerable Fulton Sheen, who encouraged families to grow in faith using modern technology. To learn more about the Fulton Sheen Society, contact Christine Blair at christine.h.blair@gmail.com
The 14th annual Green & Gold Gala benefiting Knoxville Catholic High School is set for 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, in the University of Tennessee Student Union Ballroom. The event will honor “Irish legend” Bob Petrone of the class of 1967. Alumni, past and current parents, corporate partners, and other community friends are welcome to attend. Proceeds will support Knoxville Catholic’s campus technology and security. The gala offers an evening of cocktails, silent and live auctions, dining, music, and dancing. Tickets are $150 per person and include hors d’oeuvres, a gourmet meal, and complimentary champagne. To purchase tickets, donate an auction item, or become a sponsor, contact Megan Locke Erpenbach (’03), Knoxville Catholic director of alumni and special events, at 865-560-0509 or megan.erpenbach@ knoxvillecatholic.com
A women’s retreat, themed “Encountering the Sacred Heart: The Merciful and Healing Love of Jesus,” is set for the weekend of Jan. 31-Feb. 2 at the Bethany Retreat House of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation, 2002 Garner Creek Road in Dickson, Tenn. Father Danny Herman, an associate pastor at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville, will lead the retreat. Cost is $275 and includes home-cooked meals and accommodations. To register, contact Denice Eckler at dmeckler136@gmail. com or 423-322-5218.
Bishop Mark Beckman will celebrate the annual Mass honoring Scouting organizations in East Tennessee at 8:05 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. All Scouts who have earned a religious-emblem award during the last year are invited and will receive a special certificate from the bishop during the liturgy. A breakfast with Bishop Beckman will follow in the Cathedral Hall. Breakfast tickets are $10 each and must be prepaid. To purchase tickets, visit knoxccs.org/event/2025annual-bishops-breakfast/
The Chattanooga March for Life will take place Saturday, Feb. 1, at Walker Pavilion in Coolidge Park. Exhibits by Greater Chattanooga Right to Life and other groups will start at 11:30 a.m., with a rally at 12:15 p.m. and the walk at 1. Steventhen Holland, an author, a recording artist, a worship leader, and founder of Broken Not Dead Ministries, will be the keynote speaker.
A Picture of Love retreat for engaged couples is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 8, at St. Stephen Church
in Chattanooga (note new date). This marriage-preparation program is a supplement to a couple’s marriage formation with their parish priest or deacon. Picture of Love explores the joys and challenges of living out the sacrament of matrimony with special focus on the importance of inviting Jesus to be the center of marriage and family life. The program will help each couple gain insights into their relationship as well as give them practical ideas and tools to help smooth their journey and become the “picture of love” to one another. Participants who complete the program will receive a certificate to present to their county clerk and receive a $60 discount on their marriage license. The marriage license is valid for 30 days from issuance and is good for ceremonies performed anywhere in Tennessee. The retreat will be held in English. Meeting times are 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Cost is $175 per couple. Register by Saturday, Feb. 1. Late registrations are accepted if space allows and cost $200 by credit card only. Register at dioknox.org/events/picture-oflove-retreat-feb-2025. Also at the website are three exercises: a personality test, a “love language profile for couples,” and a fillable budget worksheet. Couples are asked to complete the exercises in advance and bring them to the retreat—see the website for more details. Contact Carolyn Krings at 865-584-3307 or ckrings@ dioknox.org for more information.
The Amadeus Concert Ensemble and the Knoxville Symphony Youth Choir will perform “The Lighter Side of Beethoven” beginning at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16, at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, part of the Cathedral Concert Series. The concert features a selection of rarely heard Beethoven works, including material from the composer’s cantatas, concert scenes, his Ritterballet, and his unfinished opera Vestas Feuer, as well as some other musical surprises. Soprano Mary-Hollis Hundley and bassbaritone Michael Anthony McGee will make their ACE and Knoxville debuts. Knoxville artists Jacqueline Brecheen, a soprano, and tenor John Overholt fill out the quartet of soloists. Brian Salesky returns to the ACE podium to conduct the program. Admission is free, but seating is limited. Tickets are available online via the Eventbrite link at shcathedral.org/cathedralconcert-series. Donations are welcome and will support the Amadeus Concert Ensemble and the Cathedral Concert Series.
An Evening with Newlyweds and Special Anniversaries is set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, in the Cathedral Hall at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Couples married in the cathedral or anywhere else in 2023, parishioners married anywhere in 2024, and couples with anniversaries ending in 0 or 5 are welcome to attend. The evening offers a dinner (no cost), games, and a special blessing. RSVP to Scott Barron at sbarron@ shcknox.org
A Diocesan Marriage Celebration and Mass will take place at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Bishop Mark Beckman and the Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment invite participants to celebrate the sacrament of matrimony and their own marriage. Married couples will have the opportunity to renew their vows at a special Mass, which will be followed by a reception. Register at dioknox. org/events/diocesan-marriagecelebration-and-mass
A SEARCH for Christian Maturity retreat will be held on the weekend of Feb. 21-23 at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland. SEARCH provides an opportunity to think, talk, question, and wonder about life and faith in an accepting and challenging environment. It is an opportunity to experience God and God’s family in a personal and real way. The weekend is youth- and peer-oriented. The weekends are for any high school juniors and seniors. The program is both rooted in the Catholic faith and open to young people of any denomination or creed. Cost is $100, and scholarships
Calendar continued on page B8
Ghost Legion of Mary ‘lights up the night’ for the Blessed Mother
The Legion of Mary Spouse of the Holy Ghost Praesidium of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville held a Light Up the Night for Mary event recently at the church. The night was lit by glow-in-the-dark rosaries, candles, and glow sticks, with Miraculous Medals, as participants sent prayers to the Blessed Mother. The rosary was led by Donna Scripa and attended by members of the legion as well as parishioners of Holy Ghost, St. Albert the Great in Knoxville, and Holy Family in Seymour.
St. Vincent de Paul conference in Townsend distributes Christmas meals
The St. Vincent de Paul conference at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Townsend held its annual Christmas holiday meal distribution Dec. 18. Ninety families enjoyed a holiday meal because of members’ efforts. The families included seniors with the Blount County Sheriff’s Office Senior Outreach group, Neighbors in Need, and local foster families. The St. Vincent de Paul conference partnered with the Townsend Village Market IGA so that each family received a full holiday meal complete with a 6- to 8-pound ham, all the sides, dessert, and a warm winter blanket. The blankets were handmade and donated to St. Vincent de Paul for distribution. At top left are Barbara Polak (front) and Michele Mularski. Deacon Jim Schmall (top right photo) stands outside the car of a neighbor in need. At bottom left are Dan Meyerkord and Claire Andersen with blankets. At bottom right are Dan O’Donnell (left) and Ron Andersen with a hamstring, rolls, and butter.
of
Holy
COURTESY OF ELISSA EDWARDS (3)
COURTESY OF DEBBIE EBERHARDT (4)
COURTESY OF JANET SPRAKER
St. Bridget parishioners go Christmas caroling at two nursing homes
A group
Knights of Columbus and friends from St. Bridget Parish in Dayton went Christmas caroling at two area nursing homes recently. Above at Life Care Center of Rhea County in Dayton are (from left) Chris Hill, Jeff Templin, Pete McGrath, Nate Schwenk, Dave Laudick, Bill Runge, David Howard, Frank Masters, Sue Masters, Jim Connors, Janet Spraker, Lynne Connors, Jim Radle, and Larry Dagata. The group traveled from there to sing at the Spring City Care and Rehabilitation Center.
Praying for Perspective by
George Valadie
God sends one to be the hope of another
In this Jubilee Year, perhaps we can be the answer someone has longed for but given up on
Abelated welcome to 2025! And welcome to this year of Jubilee; this year of hope and the grace that comes from spreading it!
I know we’re just a few weeks in, but how’s it going thus far? Have we been feeling Jubilee-ish? More importantly, have we been acting that way?
Now that we’re back to work and back to the grind. Back to making and selling stuff, counting what we have and realizing what we don’t. Back to paying bills and running errands, worrying about the kids and the laundry and the dog. And trying to finagle the math in hopes we might find a way to get a little bit further ahead than we were last year.
Back to all that. Hard to feel that Jubilee feeling all the time, isn’t it?
Unless we remember what the source of all hope promises.
The Church’s Jubilee celebration officially began on Christmas Eve when the Holy Father symbolically and literally opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica.
The ceremony wasn’t at all unexpected. In fact, we had a pretty good while to get ready.
It was early last May actually, on the solemnity of the Ascension, when Pope Francis issued the official declaration that such would be the case and this would be the year. A special year. A year of Jubilee. A year focused on hope.
It’s like he knew what we would need.
It’s to be a yearlong anniversary of sorts marking the 2,025 years that have passed since the incarnation of
Iour Lord.
First written by Paul to the community in Rome, “Hope does not disappoint” is the title and the first words of his papal proclamation.
Hope does not disappoint.
Though I won’t lie, I haven’t always felt that way. Have you?
Not in my day-to-day life anyway. Certainly not every day.
But I’m guessing Pope Francis wasn’t talking about me “hoping” to hit the lottery, or “hoping” the grandkids find lots of nice friends, or “hoping” to live long enough to see them marry the loves of their lives.
So, yeah, it does feel like hope disappoints a little bit every now and again.
There are so many worse problems, too, which is why, I suppose, he thinks we need such a reminder and such a year as this.
According to the Vatican, “the origin of the Christian Jubilee goes back to … the Law of Moses (that) prescribed a special year for the Jewish people: ‘You shall hallow the 50th year and proclaim liberty throughout the land, to all its inhabitants; it shall be a jubilee for you when each of you shall return to his property, and each of you shall return to his family. This 50th year is to be a jubilee year for you: you will not sow, you will not harvest the ungathered corn, you will not gather the untrimmed vine. The jubilee is to be a holy thing to you, you will eat what comes from the fields.’
“The trumpet with which this particular year was announced was a goat’s horn called yobel in Hebrew
Thoughts and Prayers for the Faithful
and the origin of the word jubilee. The celebration of this year also included the restitution of land to the original owners, the remission of debts, the liberation of slaves, and the land was left fallow.”
In other words, Moses needed his people to focus. Stop doing what you’re doing. Proclaim liberty throughout the land. Return to your family. Leave your crops alone. Leave the land alone. Eat what shows up. Forgive debts. Liberate slaves. This is to be a jubilee year. We owe Him.
I suppose all that could work in the day of Moses. But let’s be honest—not so much today. We can’t sit at home with family. We can’t leave the work untended. We can’t just eat what shows up because nothing will. Jubilee or not.
So, while we celebrate, we also dig in. And we hope. It is the human condition.
And then God steps in.
A young student dreams of, works toward, and ultimately hopes he or she will be accepted into med school. Maybe for the money, maybe for the status, maybe for the good they can do. While unsuspecting others have no idea their bodies will one day be wracked with disease.
And the Father sends the one to answer the hope of the other.
A newly graduated teacher hopes for the opportunity to work with children. While lonely teenagers hope that someone—anyone—will understand what they’re going through.
And the Father sends the one to answer the hope of the other.
by Deacon Bob Hunt
A trucker weathers the weather while hoping instead for open highways, easier passage, and a quicker return home. While a young mom hopes the only gift she can afford for her child will get delivered in time.
And the Father sends the one to answer the hope of the other.
It happens again and again and again. Doesn’t it? One human being is the answered prayer of another. But we never know who or when or how God does that.
But He does.
Perhaps that’s what this Jubilee Year can be about. Being on the lookout—or perhaps actively searching—for those moments when some kindness, generosity, or simple thoughtfulness can be the answer to what another has hoped for, longed for, dreamed of, and too often given up on. We can be their Jubilee. Even when we don’t know it.
And most importantly, when all of us exit this earthly life, we hope for a forever with the Father. Let us not forget it was a young Jewish man who was willing to die so we might have that hope.
And the Father sent the One to answer the hope of the other. All the others.
Paul was right: “Hope does not disappoint.”
Dear God—We hope a lot. Teach us how to give it. Amen. ■
George Valadie is a parishioner at St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga and author of the newly released book “We Lost Our Fifth Fork … and other moments when we need some perspective.”
Wanting Jesus and coming ‘back home’ He
‘finally arrived,’
was raised in a Sunday Mass and sacraments Catholic family. By that I mean that my parents took us to Mass every Sunday and made sure we received the appropriate sacrament at the appropriate age. But there was no prayer or discussion of the faith at home.
We attended St. Joseph Church in Alexandria, Va., an African American Catholic parish in the majority African American neighborhood where we lived. The only white people in the parish were the eight of us and Father Arthur O’Leary, a Josephite priest who hailed from Boston. I recall distinctly every Sunday we would spend an hour upstairs at Mass and then an hour downstairs, where the adults would drink coffee and discuss whatever it was adults discussed in the mid-1960s, while we kids ate our doughnuts, drank our Kool-Aid, and chased each other around the pillars that held up the fellowship hall. It was delightful.
While still at St. Joseph, I prepared to receive my first Holy Communion along with my brother, Edward, who was two years older than I. We received together on April 14, 1968, and I remember knowing that the Eucharist was the body and blood of Jesus. I was 6 years old, almost 7, and I knew it was the body and blood of Jesus. I don’t know why I knew. Of course, that’s what they taught me. But you can teach a child anything without the child accepting it. Somehow, I accepted what they taught me. For the next two years, I would go to Mass with my family, and I would receive the Eucharist, knowing it was the body and blood of Jesus. Then we moved to rural Maryland, and it all stopped. I had just
desiring the Eucharist after years away from the Church
turned 9, so I wasn’t privy as to why we stopped going to Mass. Perhaps my father was too ill or too uninterested by then. Perhaps we went to the nearest church once, and Mom and Dad didn’t like it. All I know is that our practice of going to Sunday Mass stopped. As such, so did my formation in the Catholic faith.
But I still prayed as a child, as best I knew how. One night, I went onto the closed-in back porch of our house to kiss my father good-night. He was reading a book about how to fix refrigerators so he could get yet another job to support his family. I kissed him good-night and told him I loved him. He told me he loved me. Then I walked out of the porch, closed the door behind me, and burst into tears. I don’t know why. Some dread overwhelmed me, and I burst into tears. I saw my mother and siblings in the living room. Happily, their backs were to me. They were watching “The Carol Burnett Show.” I knew if they found me crying terribly, they would ask me why, and I wouldn’t be able to say. So, I hurried past them to the stairs, to my bedroom, to my bed. I prayed that everything would be all right, until I fell asleep, still praying and still crying.
The next morning, my brother, George, woke me up and told me that Dad had died.
I didn’t believe him. I got up and looked over the balcony that looked down into the living room. There I saw my mother with a bunch of aunts and uncles who had already arrived. I knew it was true. I threw myself on my bed, screaming and crying. That caused a ruckus, and everyone came upstairs to comfort me. But there was no comforting
me. I was 10 years old. Over the next several years, I continued to have no formation in the faith. We moved back to Virginia, but Mom continued our new habit of not going to Mass. Then, when I was 17, Edward joined a church that taught no salvation outside the red brick walls thereof. I mean, everybody else was going to hell. One afternoon, we were walking past a Baptist church on our way home, and Edward pointed out the “SBC” on the church’s sign. He told me it stood for “Southern Baptist Convention,” and, yep, they were going to hell. Ed’s church even taught that Church of Christ Christians were going to hell. Let me tell you, a church in the South that teaches that Church of Christ Christians are going to hell is one serious “go to hell” church. But Ed’s church had a special antipathy for Catholics. And Ed figured, since progress begins at home, he would begin with me. So, he taught me that I needed to stop being Catholic and join his church.
Of course, I was hardly Catholic at the time. But I didn’t want to join Ed’s church, largely for three reasons. First, it struck me as odd that Jesus had come down and given His life just so the people in Ed’s tiny church could go to heaven. Seemed like a lot of sacrifice for so little return. (I’m 17 at the time, so no great theologian, but still …). Second, Ed told me that Catholics didn’t have the Holy Spirit. I remembered the Catholics at St. Joseph and the love and warmth I experienced there. If those people didn’t have the Holy Spirit, no one did. Finally, I knew Ed’s church didn’t have the Eucharist, and I knew that the Eucharist was the body and blood of Jesus. I wanted the Eucharist.
So, Ed didn’t get me to join his church, but he did get me to thinking that I wanted Jesus. For that, I’m forever grateful. I knelt in our dining room one evening and prayed to Jesus that I wanted Him in my life. Then I looked for the nearest Catholic parish. Ed had arranged for me to meet one of the ministers of his church. I ditched that and walked to St. Anthony of Padua Church in Falls Church. I rang the doorbell, and a bald priest named “Hair” answered the door. Well, he spells it Hehir, but it’s pronounced “hair,” and he was bald, so too good to be true, but it was.
I had been going to Mass there for a few weeks, but I didn’t receive Communion because I hadn’t been to Mass in years and had never been to confession. In the mid-1960s, the U.S. Church flipped the sacraments for two or three years. Don’t ask me why. I was 6. Not my call. But such was the case, so I had never been to confession.
Being a good priest, Father Hehir dropped everything and took me into his office. I told him my story, and right then and there he heard my first confession and gave me absolution. The next Sunday, I attended Mass, received Holy Communion, returned to my pew, and wept. I felt that I had finally arrived home. From that day on, I have thought of the Church as home. And I never left home again. Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all. ■
Deacon Bob Hunt is a husband, father, grandfather, and parishioner at All Saints Church in Knoxville. He is author of the book “Thy Word: An Introduction to the Bible for People in the Pews.”
Ain the Liturgy by Father Randy Stice
Popular piety is ‘a precious treasure’
Pilgrimages, Stations, and the rosary extend but do not replace the Church’s liturgical life
ll of the Church’s activities are directed to our holiness and God’s glory, and this is most efficaciously achieved in the liturgy, “and especially from the Eucharist,” from which, as a font, “grace is poured forth on us.”1
However, the Second Vatican Council noted that “the spiritual life…is not limited solely to participation in the liturgy.”2 We are called to pray together and alone “to our Father who is in secret” (Matthew 6:6). We are also nourished by various forms of popular piety, such as the veneration of relics, pilgrimages, the Stations of the Cross, the rosary, and medals, many of which are rooted in different cultures.3 These extend the liturgical life of the Church but do not replace it. In this column, I want to explore the relationship between the Eucharist and popular piety.
Pope Pius XII discussed this in 1947 in his encyclical on the liturgy, Mediator Dei. Pious exercises, he wrote, “are of special import and dignity” and are a kind of addition to the liturgy. They benefit us in many ways. They prepare us to participate more fruitfully in the liturgy “because they urge the faithful to go frequently to the sacrament of penance, to attend Mass, and receive Communion with devotion.” They also encourage us “to meditate on the mysteries of our redemption and imitate the example of the saints.”4
The Second Vatican Council briefly addressed popular devotions, saying they are “to be highly commended.” They should, however, be reviewed and, when necessary, revised so that “they harmonize with the liturgical seasons, accord
with the sacred liturgy, are in some fashion derived from it, and lead the people to it, since, in fact, the liturgy by its very nature far surpasses any of them.”5
The guidelines outlined by the council were developed by the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (DPPL), issued in 2001. Echoing the Second Vatican Council, the DPPL affirms that “The celebration of the liturgy does not exhaust the Church’s divine worship” or the spiritual life of the Christian, which must be nourished by individual and corporate prayer.6 A liturgical life “reduced to participation at the Eucharist cannot permeate a life lacking in personal prayer or in those qualities communicated by the traditional devotional forms of the Christian people.”7
The DPPL explains the sacramental basis for the liturgical and devotional life of the faithful. Baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist, the sacraments of initiation, form the faithful into “a prophetic, priestly, and royal people called to worship God in spirit and in truth.” This worship is exercised preeminently in the Eucharist, “but also in other forms of the Christian life, among which are numbered the various forms of popular piety.” The Holy Spirit enables us “to offer sacrifices of praise to God, to offer prayer and entreaty to Him, so that our entire life becomes a living and holy sacrifice, pleasing to God.”8
St. John Paul II highlighted the role of the family, the domestic Church, in nurturing both liturgical and devotional prayer.9 The family introduces “the children to the liturgical prayer of the whole Church,
both in the sense of preparing for it and of extending it into personal, family, and social life.” Private prayer within the family serves as “preparation for the worship celebrated in church, and as its prolongation in the home.” The saint specifically encourages “reading and meditating on the Word of God, preparation for the reception of the sacraments, devotion and consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the various forms of veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grace before and after meals, and observance of popular devotions.”
The saint drew special attention to the rosary, noting a distinctive relationship between the liturgical celebration of the liturgical year and the weekly distribution of the rosary. In the liturgical year, the Church “unfolds the whole mystery of Christ, from the incarnation and birth until the ascension, the day of Pentecost, and the expectation of blessed hope and of the coming of the Lord.” In this way the riches of Christ’s powers and merits are opened to us, they “are in some way made present for all time,” and we can receive them and “become filled with saving grace.”10
Similarly, in the rosary the whole mystery of Christ unfolds by praying the joyful mysteries on Monday and Saturday, the mysteries of light on Thursday, the sorrowful mysteries on Tuesday and Friday, and the glorious mysteries on Sunday. This gives “the different days of the week a certain spiritual ‘color,’ by analogy with the way in which the liturgy colors the different seasons of the liturgical year.”11
Notre Dame Parish’s Madrigal Dinner provides food and music in a medieval setting Notre Dame Parish in Greeneville held its annual Madrigal Dinner on Dec. 13-14, offering an evening of food and entertainment with a medieval theme. The “Castle of Notre Dame” was decorated with many hand-painted murals by Joyce Morris. Dr. Fred Ricker, the music director at Notre Dame for many years, and wife Wanda (bottom right photo) portrayed the king and queen for the event. The menu included a four-course homemade meal featuring wassail toast, French onion soup, green salad with old-world dressing, herb-crusted pork loin with gravy, baked apples, herbed potatoes, green beans, roll, and figgy pudding, served by a wait staff that included parish youth. Musical entertainment and accompaniment were provided, with performers in period costume. The Madrigal Dinners were held annually for more than 10 years, with proceeds to benefit the parish building fund, before the pandemic. In 2023, some parishioners decided to have a reunion performance, and since it was successful, they continued the tradition in 2024, with proceeds still going to the building fund. Practice started after Labor Day and continued weekly until the dinner. The presentation of the boar’s head at the event is a crowd pleaser, and after the king’s approval, the feast begins. Local chef Mary Goldman prepared the meal. Dr. Ricker played his handmade harpsichord and a harp with musical accompaniment by Alicin Sahr. Several women of the parish who serve as cantors for Mass, including Sandy Alter, Aimee Place, Betsy Evans, and Nora Sanson, made up “her majesty’s court” and sang several songs of the era.
Daily readings
Wednesday, Jan. 15: Hebrews 2:1418; Psalm 105:1-4, 6-9; Mark 1:29-39
Thursday, Jan. 16: Hebrews 3:7-14; Psalm 95:6-11; Mark 1:40-45
Friday, Jan. 17: Memorial of St. Anthony, abbot, Hebrews 4:1-5, 11; Psalm 78:3-4, 6-8; Mark 2:1-12
Saturday, Jan. 18: Hebrews 4:12-16; Psalm 19:8-10, 15; Mark 2:13-17
Monday, Jan. 20: Hebrews 5:1-10; Psalm 110:1-4; Mark 2:18-22
Tuesday, Jan. 21: Memorial of St. Agnes, virgin and martyr, Hebrews 6:10-20; Psalm 111:1-2, 4-5, 9-10; Mark 2:23-28
Wednesday, Jan. 22: Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17;
Psalm 110:1-4; Mark 3:1-6
Thursday, Jan. 23: Hebrews 7:25–8:6; Psalm 40:7-10, 17; Mark 3:7-12
Friday, Jan. 24: Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor of the Church, Hebrews 8:6-13; Psalm 85:8, 10-14; Mark 3:13-19
Saturday, Jan. 25: Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle, Acts 22:3-16; Psalm 117:1-2; Mark 16:15-18
Sunday, Jan. 26: Nehemiah 8:2-6, 8-10; Psalm 19:8-10, 15; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4 and 4:14-21
Monday, Jan. 27: Hebrews 9:15, 2428; Psalm 98:1-6; Mark 3:22-30
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor of the Church, Hebrews 10:110; Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 10-11; Mark 3:31-35
Wednesday, Jan. 29: Hebrews 10:1118; Psalm 110:1-4; Mark 4:1-20
The Eucharist, writes St. John Paul II, “as the activity of Christ and the Church, is a saving action par excellence,” and the rosary, “as a ‘meditation’ with Mary on Christ, is a salutary contemplation.” Immersing ourselves thus in the mysteries of Christ’s life “ensures that what He has done and what the liturgy makes present is profoundly assimilated and shapes our existence.”12
Popular piety is “a precious treasure of the Catholic Church.”13 It prepares us for the celebration of the sacred mysteries and naturally culminates in the celebration of the liturgy and extends it to our personal, family, and social life, so that we might gradually be transformed into the image of Christ.
1 Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, no. 10.
2 Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, no. 12.
3 Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 1674 and 1679.
4 Mediator Dei, no. 183.
5 Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, no. 13.
6 DPPL, no. 82.
7 DPPL, no. 59.
8 DPPL, no. 85.
9 Familiaris Consortio, no. 61.
10 Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, no. 102.
11 On the Most Holy Rosary, no. 38.
12 On the Most Holy Rosary, no. 38.
13 Pope Benedict XVI quoted in Evangelii Gaudium, no. 123. ■ Father Randy Stice is director of the diocesan Office of Worship and Liturgy. He can be reached at frrandy@dioknox. org.
Thursday, Jan. 30: Hebrews 10:1925; Psalm 24:1-6; Mark 4:21-25
Friday, Jan. 31: Memorial of St. John Bosco, priest, Hebrews 10:32-39; Psalm 37:3-6, 23-24, 39-40; Mark 4:26-34
Saturday, Feb. 1: Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19; Luke 1:69-75; Mark 4:34-41
Sunday, Feb. 2: Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 24:7-10; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40
Monday, Feb. 3: Hebrews 11:32-40; Psalm 31:20-24; Mark 5:1-20
Tuesday, Feb. 4: Hebrews 12:1-4; Psalm 22:26-28, 30-32; Mark 5:21-43
Wednesday, Feb. 5: Memorial of St. Agatha, virgin and martyr, Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15; Psalm 103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18; Mark 6:1-6 Thursday, Feb. 6: Memorial of St. Paul Miki and companions, martyrs, Hebrews 12:18-19, 21-24; Psalm 48:2-
Thursday, Feb. 13: Genesis 2:18-25; Psalm 128:1-5; Mark 7:24-30 Friday, Feb. 14: Memorial of Sts. Cyril, monk, and Methodius, bishop, Genesis 3:1-8; Psalm 32:1-2, 5-7; Mark 7:31-37 ■
COURTESY OF SUSAN COLLINS
(3)
are available if needed. Register at dioknox.org/events/search-feb-2025 Forms can also be obtained through parish youth ministers or at the office of Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga. Registration deadline is Friday, Feb. 7. For more information, contact Chattanooga SEARCH coordinators Irene Scoggins at 423-596-0053 or irene.scoggins@gmail.com or Amanda Henderson at 423-458-2401 or styg cleveland@gmail.com
Catholic Charities of East Tennessee will hold its annual dinner celebration, the Creators of Hope Gala, on Thursday, March 6, at Bridgewater Place in Knoxville. Register at ccetn. org/creators-of-hope-gala/
The fourth annual Appalachian Highlands Men’s Conference will be held from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 8, at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport. This year’s event again aims to be enlightening and spiritually fulfilling for fathers, sons, brothers, and men of all ages. Boys under 18 can attend for free. The one-day event includes fellowship, speakers, breakout sessions, music, prayers, opportunities for confession, and Mass. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Register at dioknox.org/ events/4th-annual-mens-conference
The Women of Faith Council of Catholic Women at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in Cleveland is sponsoring a Women’s Lenten Retreat, themed “RE: Creation,” featuring Grammy-nominated songwriter and speaker Sarah Hart. The retreat is set for 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at the church at 900 Clingan Ridge Drive NW, and Bishop Mark Beckman will celebrate an opening Mass accompanied by Mrs. Hart and the St. Thérèse of Lisieux choirs. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. for check-in, and there will be a closing prayer at 2 p.m. The event is focused on finding and sharing one’s God-given gifts during all stages of life, with humor, songs, prayer, Scripture, and Mrs. Hart’s personal stories being part of the experience. Cost is $20 per person and includes a continental breakfast and a light lunch, and seating is lim-
served. Card and board games will be available, or those attending may bring their own favorite game. There will also be a puzzle swap. Sign up on the bulletin board by the coffee table in the parish hall.
Parishioner Karen Fecco began her duties as the new St. Joseph secretary Jan. 2.
St. Joseph’s Epiphany potluck dinner took place Jan. 5. Children of the parish gave a presentation before the meal. The St. Joseph Epiphany dinner tradition goes back to the 1960s, when gatherings were held in parishioners’ homes.
Five Rivers Deanery
Holy Trinity, Jefferson City
The Knights of Columbus are holding their annual brunch following the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, Jan. 26. The meal includes scrambled eggs, breakfast meats, assorted casseroles, and muffins, as well as baked ham and an assortment of lunch items. Buy tickets in the narthex ahead of time or at the door. Costs are $13 for adults, $25 for couples, and $5 for children (preschool age and under free).
The parish thanked those who supported Operation Christmas Child. Holy Trinity collected 73 shoeboxes that were filled with gifts for needy children around the world.
Anniversary: Jerry and Carolyn Rosato (50)
Notre Dame, Greeneville
A celebration of the 70th anniversary of the dedication of Notre Dame Church is set for Sunday, April 27, with a bilingual Mass at 4 p.m. celebrated by Bishop Mark Beckman followed by a dinner and dance at the Greeneville Parks & Recreation building near Notre Dame. The church was dedicated April 26, 1955. Peter Nelson of Tennesseans 4 Life
ited. Register online at www.we share giving.org/app/giving/WeShare2207?tab=home, or use the QR code in the advertisement on page A14 of this issue. For more information, call Karen Agnello at 407-252-0320.
Those experiencing emotional or spiritual difficulties from a past abortion are invited to attend a Catholic Charities Rachel’s Vineyard healing and recovery retreat on the weekend of March 28-30 at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton. Complete confidentiality is honored at all times. The deadline for registration is Friday, March 21. For more information, contact Sandi Davidson at 865-7764510 or sandi@ccetn.org
The Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will hold its 34th biennial convention Thursday through Saturday, April 24-26, at St. Mary Church in Johnson City. The theme is “Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope: Where Meaning Meets Purpose.” Guest speakers are Anne DeSantis, executive director of the St. Raymond Nonnatus Foundation; Evelyn Garcia, pilgrimage coordinator for Dynamic Catholic; and Michele Marquis, senior executive coach at Floyd Consulting. Early-bird full registration is $125 and must be postmarked by Monday, March 24; full registration is $140 afterward. Thursday-only registration for the Mass of remembrance and banquet is $40. Friday-only registration for workshops, a business meeting, lunch, dinner, and a concert is $85. Saturday-only registration (speaker and installation of officers) is $30. Full registration for a priest, religious, or spouse is $75. Arrangements for overnight accommodations should be made with Fairfield Inn & Suites, 3078 Hamilton Place, Johnson City. Reserve a room by calling 423-900-8640 and asking for the KDCCW block. Room rates are $119 per night for Thursday and Friday with a maximum of four per room. Reservation deadline is March 24. Visit dioknox. org/events/kdccw-convention-2025 or kdccw.org/convention
A men’s Cursillo weekend will be held June 5-8 at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton. Through
spoke at the Council of Catholic Women’s meeting Jan. 19. The CCW’s annual bake sale of homemade items will follow Masses on the weekend of Feb. 8-9.
The Knights of Columbus will hold their annual Chili Dinner & Auction after the 5 p.m. Mass on Saturday, Jan. 25. Purchase tickets from a Knight after Mass.
A Family Fun Night with pizza and activities is planned for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, at The Factory Adventure on West Church Street. Sign up in the narthex. Cost is free for youth (a parent is required to attend) and $5 for adults. The event is sponsored by the Ganz Fund.
Parishioners are invited to join religiouseducation students and catechists for a Fat Tuesday dinner and parade at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 4. The evening features a pancake dinner with plenty of beads and a king cake as well as a parade of homemade floats by the students.
A Lenten parish mission will take place Friday through Tuesday, April 4-8.
A brunch fundraiser Jan. 4 benefited Hurricane Helene cleanup efforts and helped get warm supplies to those affected by the storm.
The CCW presented its first Golden Rose honor at its annual Christmas party. Sarai Galarza, a junior at West Greene High School in Mosheim, received the award, and her application will be entered at the deanery level.
A Golden Rose recipient must be between the ages of 14 and 21 and active in spirituality, leadership, and service, the three tenets of the National CCW.
St. Patrick, Morristown
Anniversaries: Ramon and Onelia Rodriguez (72), Vincent and Carole Liposky (62), Herbert and Timmi Oaks (57), Thomas and Rosalind Kilroy (52), Philip and Mary Serbin (40), David Estrada and Evelia Cordero-Estrada (30), Christopher and Stephanie Liposky (30) Marcelino and Martha Guevara (25), Miguel Carrasco and Anabel Maldona-
Cursillo, participants can gain a better understanding of themselves, experience the presence and love of Jesus, and see how personal and spiritual growth can be enhanced through a caring Christian community. An application and pamphlet may be found at knoxvillecursillo.org. E-mail Gary Gabor at garygabor@hotmail.com for details on the weekend.
Catholic in Recovery is a 12-step recovery ministry that holds meetings each Monday at 7 p.m. at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga and each Sunday at 6 p.m. at All Saints Church in Knoxville. CIR provides hope and healing from addictions, compulsions, and unhealthy attachments. Family members impacted by a loved one’s addiction are also encouraged to attend. Meetings combine the spiritual principles of 12-step recovery and the sacraments of the Catholic Church. Join others in recovery as the meetings overlap Scripture from Sunday Mass readings, liturgical themes, and recovery topics with honest discussion and prayer. Confidentiality is protected. The St. Dominic gatherings are hybrid meetings, in person in the St. Thomas Aquinas Room of the parish life center or online at tinyurl.com/ cir-zoom-tricities-tn. For more information, visit www.catholicinrecovery. com. For more details on the meetings at St. Dominic, contact Jena at cir. tricities.tn@gmail.com or call Oscar at 423-213-2434. For the meetings at All Saints, call Martin Ohmes at 865-4384905 or e-mail CIRAllSaintsKnoxville@ gmail.com. Contact Deacon Wade Eckler about the meetings at OLPH at 423-322-3493 or weckler@myolph. com
The Healing Ministry at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa offers healing prayers every third weekend of the month for anyone who has a physical, emotional, or spiritual need. Individual healing prayer will be offered in Spanish in the church immediately following the 7 p.m. Saturday Mass in Spanish, and prayer will be offered in English in the chapel immediately following the 11 a.m. Sunday Mass. Call Toni Jacobs at 561-
do-Moreno (10), Salvador Silva-Vargas and Carmen Rodriguez-Silva (5)
Smoky Mountain Deanery
Immaculate Conception, Knoxville
A screening of the 2020 movie Kiss the Ground, sponsored by Catholic Response to Climate Change, took place Jan. 19 in the parish hall.
IC thanked parishioners for their response to the St. Nicholas Wish List of pastor Father Charlie Donahue, CSP. Donations of $5,214.75 will allow IC to purchase two automated external defibrillators, one for the church and one for the parish hall, and three new headworn microphones for Father Donahue, associate pastor Father Tim Sullivan, CSP, and priest in residence Father Jim Haley, CSP.
The Haiti Committee thanked those who supported its wreath sale last year. The sale earned its best profit with $1,243.56, which will benefit the school at IC’s sister parish of St. Francis Xavier in Fond-des-Blancs, Haiti.
The Knights expressed their gratitude for those who contributed to their babybottle drive to benefit Catholic Charities of East Tennessee. IC parishioners donated $4,391.68, in addition to diapers and wipes, and the Knights contributed an added $808.32 for a total parish donation of $5,200.
IC parishioners gathered around an empty manger outside Planned Parenthood’s facility on Cherry Street on Dec. 20. Father Sullivan led a rosary, Mark Reda played guitar, and Katie Helms played the bagpipes.
Parishioners contributed $1,935 on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3, to benefit IC’s Hope Kitchen and homeless ministries.
Sacred Heart, Knoxville
The annual Father Daughter Dance, presented by Knights of Columbus Council 5207, is set for 6 to 8 p.m.
315-5911 if you have any questions. Join Father Mike Nolan from May 12-23 on a pilgrimage to Malta, Sicily, and the Amalfi Coast with an optional extension to Rome from May 23-26 to celebrate the Jubilee next year. Pilgrims will be visiting the places where St. Paul preached and spent time, including Mdina, Rabat, Valletta, and Taormina, to name a few, and will explore the Amalfi Coast. They will visit Our Lady of Mellieha Sanctuary, which is dedicated to Our Lady and is a very important part of the Catholic history of the island of Malta, and continue with a visit to the “Mosta Rotunda,” a domed church in Mosta. Travelers will walk through the streets of Mdina, Malta’s first capital, and visit the cathedral dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. As they tour Valletta, the capital of Malta, they will become acquainted with the history of the island, perhaps best known as the seat of the Knights of St. John, more commonly known as the Knights of Malta. The pilgrims will also see the story of St. Paul’s shipwreck as told in paintings found in the church of the same name. Our Lady of the Rock is one of Taormina’s most popular destinations, with a panorama of the surrounding city and Mount Etna. Next, they will continue to Messina for a panoramic tour and a visit to the cathedral. The Cathedral of Messina’s bell tower contains the world’s biggest and most complex mechanical and astronomical clock. For those going on the Rome extension, they will visit St. Peter’s Basilica and walk through the holy door for the Jubilee and visit St. Mary Major, St. John Lateran, Holy Cross, and the Catacombs. For more information, contact Lisa Morris at 865-567-1245 or lisam@ select-intl.com
Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at noon each Sunday at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville, at 2 p.m. each Sunday and at 6 p.m. most Mondays at St. Mary Church in Johnson City, and at 11:30 a.m. every Sunday at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. For more information, visit www.Knox LatinMass.net n
Saturday, Feb. 8, in Cathedral Hall. The evening features music, food, and dancing. Tickets are $10 per family. Register at www.koc5207.org/ post/2025fatherdaughterdance
The cathedral now offers listening assistance through the ListenWIFI streaming app, which parishioners can download and use on their smartphones via Bluetooth to listen to Sacred Heart events through hearing aids or earbuds. Parishioners can download the app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play store, connect to “SHCS-Guest WiFi,” open the ListenWIFI app, and select “Mass audio.” For more information on the app, e-mail cathedral director of communications Steve Coy at scoy@ shcknox.org
St. John XXIII, Knoxville
The Catholic Response to Climate Change committee will host a meeting with parishioners at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, to explore ways to make the parish greener by reducing its carbon footprint. The committee also held a Zoom meeting Jan. 9 to plan for a 10th-anniversary celebration of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, published May 24, 2015.
Glenmary Father Tom Charters, pastor of St. Michael the Archangel in Erwin, thanked St. John XXIII parishioners for their recent gift of $1,000 for flood relief.
During the third quarter of 2024, 40 donations were received at Knox Area Rescue Ministries stores from the St. John XXIII community. That resulted in $130 in gift cards for the parish, which it donated to the Ladies of Charity for distribution.
St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville
On Saturday, Jan. 25, there will be a meet-and-greet for new parishioners at 1 p.m. and a bingo social at 1:30.
The Women’s Group hosted guest speaker Rod Bennett on Jan. 18 in the parish hall. Mr. Bennett presented “The Blessed Virgin Mary in the Early Church.” n
Parish notes continued from page B4
Knoxville Catholic junior earns his Eagle Scout award in December
Knoxville Catholic High School junior Jack Patterson earned his Eagle Scout award in December.
Jack, who is the son of Phillip and Kelly Patterson, started in Cub Scouts in the third grade as a Bear Scout. He completed Cub Scouts, earning the Arrow of Light in fifth grade at age 11. Jack is a member of Troop 20. He has completed 30 merit badges, with welding and metalworking being two of his favorites. Jack has been inducted into Order of the Arrow and earned the National Outdoor Award for Camping.
After graduation, he plans to attend the Tennessee College of Applied Technology with a concentration on welding and then earn a business degree.
Jack participates in the KCHS choir and plays lacrosse for the Fighting Irish as a goalie. He loves fly fishing, hiking, and mechanics. He backpacked 65 miles at Philmont Scout ranch last summer with fellow KCHS student Alvaro Pint
Jack Patterson
and Troop 146.
He completed an Eagle project for Horse Haven, a horse rescue charity in Seymour. Jack, with the help of Troop 20, installed more than 2,500 square feet of ceiling tiles, cleaned carpets and bathrooms to make them usable, and moved out old furniture and debris. ■
defends on the play.
Goal achieved The St. Joseph School community met the fundraising target amount of $5,000 for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital’s Oncology and Hematology Unit.
Knoxville Catholic football team adds new offensive coordinator
Knoxville Catholic High School on Dec. 12 announced the hiring of veteran coach Rusty Bradley as offensive coordinator for the Fighting Irish under head football coach Philip Shadowens.
“We are blessed to add one of the best football coaches I have been around to help lead our offense. Coach Bradley is not only a great coach but a great man. We are excited to add him to the Knoxville Catholic family,” Mr. Shadowens said.
Mr. Bradley is well known in the Knoxville area, having coached at Grace Christian Academy and won two state football titles in 2011 and 2012 at Christian Academy of Knox-
eating pizza. Jack, who is the son of Phillip and Kelly Patterson, started in Cub Scouts in the third grade as a Bear Scout. He completed Cub Scouts, earning the Arrow of Light in fifth grade at age 11.
St. Joseph School charity hoops event helps Children’s Hospital
The St. Joseph School gym in North Knoxville was packed with Christmas cheer and packed with fans eager to watch the annual charity Christmas basketball scrimmage Dec. 13.
The stands were filled with students, parents, and community friends who joined together to raise funds for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital’s Oncology and Hematology Unit.
The cause is near and dear to many at St. Joseph School as they celebrate and support local children who are fighting cancer every day. A big goal was set by the school’s athletics department this year: to raise $5,000 for ETCH. The goal was met through the generosity of the Bulldog community at St. Joseph.
The scrimmage also recognized the growing basketball program at St. Joseph School. Girls and boys from both the elementary-school and middle-school teams joined forces this year. The squads were split into Team Red and Team White to compete in the scrimmage for school holiday bragging rights. Teachers and school alumni also joined in on the competition.
The scrimmage featured a shootout challenge, dance performances, a special student performance of the national anthem, an uglyChristmas-sweater contest, homemade Christmas treats for sale, and more. When the final horn sounded in the scrimmage, Team Red had beaten Team White by a narrow score of 29-28.
see athletics; Smokey, the mascot of UT; Star Wars Stormtroopers from the 501st Legion; the Grinch; and Santa Claus.
Athletics director Lindsay Rakes and varsity boys basketball coach Sal DiGennaro presented a check to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and cause marketing specialist Zaineb Saied of ETCH to thunderous applause. When asked what made the charity Christmas scrimmage so successful, Mr. DiGennaro stated, “St. Joseph School may be a smaller school, but it is blessed with families and students with big hearts who generously commit to helping those in need in our community, especially children who are fighting cancer.”
ville. Most recently, he has been head coach at Asheville Christian Academy in Asheville, N.C., which was devastated by Hurricane Helene in September. In two of three years coaching in North Carolina, Mr. Bradley’s offense led the state in passing yards for the regular season. Overall, in his career, he has won two state championships (Class 3A in Tennessee) and three district/ region championships, and his teams have made four state semifinal appearances and nine state quarterfinals.
Mr. Bradley has coached 15 AllState quarterbacks, 17 All-State wide receivers, and 18 All-State players at other positions.
He has coached three Mr. Football semifinalists, four Mr. Football winners, two MaxPrep All-Americans, and one Under Armour All-American. He boasts more than 37 college football signees in his 21 years of coaching high school football. ■
To help cheer the students on to victory, the scrimmage featured many special guests including Sterling “Sterl the Pearl” Henton, the official DJ of University of Tennes-
Ms. Saied added: “We treated over 1,200 patients for cancer and blood disorders at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in this last year. The fact that St. Joseph School believes in the work that we do and wants to be a part of making that exceptional care possible here in Knoxville means the world to us. We are incredibly grateful for their partnership, and we look forward to this event each year. Truly unlike any other!” ■
Eagle project Jack Patterson and his team from Troop 20 installed more than 2,500 square feet of ceiling tiles at Horse Haven, a horse rescue charity in Seymour. Above, the group poses for a photo after
COURTESY OF KELLY PATTERSON (3)
Battle in the lane Jashaun Stansberry of Team White at St. Joseph School holds the ball as Tommy Aalders of Team Red, which won the charity scrimmage 29-28,
St. Joseph School holds Christmas program
St. Joseph School in Knoxville held its Christmas program Dec. 5 in the gymnasium. Also on that day, St. Nick visited classrooms and put chocolate coins in students’ shoes, and the school held an Advent prayer in the front foyer.
KATHY RANKIN
O say can you see? Secondgrader Hattie Halter leads the national anthem before the charity basketball scrimmage.
Rusty Bradley
Annual Catholic Schools Week begins Jan. 26
All 10 schools in the diocese will celebrate their parishes, communities, families, and more in themed days
By Dan McWilliams
All eight elementary and both high schools in the Diocese of Knoxville will be celebrating the 51st annual Catholic Schools week, which runs from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1.
The National Catholic Educational Association sponsors CSW as well as a similar Discover Catholic Schools Week in November.
The theme for CSW for 2023-26 is “Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community.”
CSW is the annual celebration of Catholic education in the United States, and it starts on the last Sunday in January and ends the following Saturday.
Schools typically observe the week with Masses, assemblies, events, and other activities for students, families, parishioners, and community members to join the celebration of what makes Catholic schools stellar.
The seventh annual “Many Gifts, One Nation” —a day of giving for Catholic schools—will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 29, during CSW. Catholic schools have an irreplaceable role in the Church’s evangelizing mission. Building on the central goal of Catholic schools to form saints, Catholic schools teach and embrace the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. The fact that all members of a Catholic school community share the Christian vision of faith that Christ is the foundation of Catholic education is what unites the school as a faith-filled community.
Each of the seven days in CSW has its own theme. For Sunday, it’s “Celebrating Your Parish,” while Monday is a day for “Celebrating Your Community.” From Tuesday through Thursday, the days celebrate students, the nation, and vocations, respectively. Friday is a day to celebrate faculty, staff, and volunteers, and Saturday is a celebration of families.
Celebrating parishes may include devoting a Mass to Catholic education, or starting CSW by inviting parishioners and community members to parish-centered events and school open houses to highlight outstanding academic programs, religious education, and service opportunities. Students and teachers may take part in Sunday Mass by proclaiming the readings or speaking.
In celebrating their community, students demonstrate the values and faith they gain through their Catholic education and learn how to make the world a better place. On that Monday of CSW, students may donate educational materials for students in underserved communities, host an awards assembly recognizing students and teachers who have demonstrated outstanding community service, or put together care packages to send to active-duty military.
Schools can celebrate students during CSW by planning activities that are enjoyable and meaningful for them and that recognize their accomplishments. They encourage students to reflect on the benefits of Catholic education and how, by learning, serving, and leading, they will succeed throughout their lives. Schools can line the halls with student work emphasizing the themes of CSW or have a door-decorating contest between classrooms. They may also schedule times for older students to read aloud or partner on special projects with younger students.
On “Celebrating the Nation” day, students, families, educators, and other Catholic school supporters communicate the value of Catholic education to government leaders—local, state, and national. Schools may engage alumni from around the nation to participate in “Many Gifts,
Annual St. Jude Golf Classic raises about $18,000 for school, Knights ministries
The 26th annual St. Jude Golf Classic, cosponsored by St. Jude School in Chattanooga and Knights of Columbus Council 8576, was held Nov. 15 at Creeks Bend Golf Club in Hixson. Proceeds from the event benefit the Classroom Adoption Program and the ministries of the Knights. It is estimated that proceeds will be $18,000. From left in the top photo are Hal Clark, Glen Czarnecki, Teresa Shramko, John Shramko, Rose Lovelace, Cammie Hunt, Cathy Czarnecki, Erik Hunt, and Jennifer Fillauer. In the middle photo, St. Jude pastor
Father Charlie Burton helps staff a “sipping station” at the course with Lucinda Millard (left) and Jocelyn Deguzman. At bottom-right is Cathy Czarnecki.
One Nation.” They share information with leaders on the significant contributions Catholic schools make to the nation and their role in preparing students to be good citizens. They pray for the nation and recognize all those who serve.
Celebrating vocations may focus on the themes of learning, serving, and leading. Catholic schools prepare children to succeed by using their God-given talents to the fullest throughout their lives. On that Thursday, students may write letters of thanks to the priests, deacons, Sisters, and Brothers both past and present who have been involved in local schools and parishes. Priests may also be invited to come concelebrate a school Mass. Schools may host a career day where local professionals—both religious and non- religious—can share how their faith guides them in their work.
To celebrate teachers, staff, and volunteers, students may hang a sign on a classroom door to recognize each teacher personally, host a breakfast or offer a traveling “coffee cart” for teachers and administrators, hold an assembly to recognize teachers and volunteers for their dedication and hard work, and invite parents and community members to the school to teach students practical life skills.
The final day of CSW is devoted to celebrating families, who play a vital role in Catholic education by sending their children to Catholic schools as well as instilling values and expectations for academic excellence in their children at home. The role of families as partners in Catholic education is acknowledged and their contributions to the success of Catholic schools celebrated on the last day of CSW and all year long.
Students may celebrate the day by hosting classroom visits for families and friends, organizing a family picnic or potluck, or creating a large-scale family tree celebrating all the families in the school, with a spiritual tree of baptisms, marriages, and ordinations—including the names of the parishes where family members received these sacraments.
For more information regarding the diocese’s Catholic schools, visit dioknox.org/schools. For details on the daily themes of Catholic Schools Week and much more, visit ncea.org/csw ■
PAM RHOADES
Knoxville Catholic students, staff receive Monsignor Thoni Awards Knoxville Catholic High School presents Monsignor Philip Thoni Awards five times per year to highlight students and staff who promote the values set forth in the school motto, “Ut Christum Feram” (That I Might Bear Christ). Honorees were selected by their peers for outstanding character, attitude, work ethic, service, spirit, or a random act of kindness. Recipients of the award for November and December were freshmen Nick Harvey, Laurel Moss, Travis Coy, and Audrey Dobbs; sophomores AJ Sinclair, Allison Lake, Cade Duncanson, and Bridget Stempkowski; juniors Alexander Weiss, Hannah Heupel, Daniel Palacios, and Ella Pfohl; seniors Timo Daley, Emily LaMattina, Charlie O’Malley, and Eileen Loebner; and faculty/staff members Michelle Weedman, Mike Kinney, Julia Weech, and Felicia Southerland. Monsignor Philip Fenn Thoni (1924-2015) was a professor at KCHS in the 1950s who taught senior religion, physical education, and sociology and coached the Fighting Irish boys basketball team. Later in his life, his parishes donated considerable funds to KCHS and other schools and parishes.
KATHY RANKIN
Knoxville Catholic choir sings at St. Joseph School
The Knoxville Catholic High School choir, under the direction of Phil Holloway, sang Dec. 8 at St. Joseph School. The choir, which included St. Joseph alumni, performed a selection of Advent and Christmas hymns and carols.
