March 3, 2024, ET Catholic, B section

St. John Neumann donor makes historic gift

Lydia Melli’s generosity will allow for a middle school expansion with state-of-the-art technology

By Dan McWilliams

St. John Neumann Church and School in Farragut have received a historic gift to build a middle school expansion, which will include state-of-the-art educational spaces and resources for current students and accommodate the school’s growing student population. Additionally, the new expansion will provide space for parish youth and adult ministries to use.

The donor, Lydia Melli, has always been passionate about the lasting impact education can make on one’s life, as it did for her, according to a St. John Neumann statement. In 2022, Mrs. Melli initiated a conversation with SJN School leadership staff about how she could support students and teachers. This led to an endowment she established to provide student tuition assistance as well as resources for teachers’ salaries and professional development. In recognition of this endowment, the

school leadership suite was named in honor of Mrs. Melli’s husband, Claude, who passed away in 2021.

“Lydia’s previous contributions to our parish and school will make a lifelong impact on our students, teachers, and parishioners. This new gift from Lydia is truly aweinspiring,” said St. John Neumann pastor Father Joe Reed. “Lydia and Claude have established a remarkable legacy of sacrificial giving, service to others, and a commitment to the mission of our school and parish. I can’t overstate our gratitude for the Mellis’ generosity and the countless blessings this middle school expansion will bestow on generations of St. John Neumann students and parishioners.”

The 6,000-square-foot academic expansion will entail the creation of innovative learning spaces that accommodate evolving education needs. It will include a state-of-theGift continued on page B2

KCHS girls basketball team wins 2nd straight title

State tournament MVP Sydney Mains leads Lady Irish to 53-39 victory over rival Webb

Two in a row The Knoxville Catholic High School girls basketball team holds the gold-ball trophy after the Lady Irish won their second consecutive Division II, Class AA state championship.

WBy Dan McWilliams

hen leading scorer and Miss Basketball finalist Sydney Mains picked up her fourth foul and exited the game in the third quarter of the state-championship contest March 2, the rest of the Knoxville Catholic High School girls basketball team didn’t let that faze them.

The Lady Irish led rival Knoxville Webb 33-27 when Sydney left the contest at the 4:51 mark of the period. Knoxville Catholic’s remaining players maintained the lead until the end of the quarter, going up 36-29 heading into the final frame.

Sydney returned at the start of the fourth quarter and scored a team-high eight points in the period to lead the Lady Irish to a 53-39 win and their second straight Division II, Class AA state title at the Hooper Eblen Center on the campus of Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville. For the second year in a row, Sydney was named the state tournament’s most valuable player. She was joined on the all-tournament team by KCHS’s Amaya Redd and Tinsley Walker.

Amaya led the Lady Irish (27-5) in scoring against Webb with 17 points as Knoxville Catholic finished the season on an 11-game winning streak. Sydney finished with 16 points. Tinsley

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Lady Irish seniors have parent coaches to thank

Caroline Krueger and Sydney Mains’ parents have coached their daughters for years By

Bill Brewer and Dan McWilliams

Caroline Krueger and Sydney Mains, the only seniors on a Knoxville Catholic High School girls basketball team that won its second consecutive state championship this month, have their parents to thank for their success.

The gratitude goes beyond the normal parental duties of love, support, discipline, character-building, common-sense tutelage, food, shelter, transportation, and maybe dating advice.

The two girls, who led the Lady Irish to three appearances in the Division II Class-AA state-championship game in four years and placement in the state tournament in each of their four years at KCHS, were coached in basketball by their parents, who apparently got game, too.

Sydney’s father, Travis Mains, is the head coach for the Lady Irish, and her mother, Missey, is an assistant coach for the team.

Caroline’s mother, Mollie Krue-

ger, was Caroline’s middle school basketball coach at St. Joseph School in Knoxville for four years. And her father, Jim Krueger, coached Caroline during her early, formative years in youth league.

That is a lot of parental involvement.

And has it paid off? You bet it has.

Caroline has received a four-year scholarship to play basketball at Milligan University near Johnson City. And Sydney, who was the Division II, Class AA tournament most valuable player in 2023 and 2024, will be playing next year when she joins Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla., on scholarship. Sydney also is a Miss Basketball finalist.

The Mains family relocated from Johnson City just prior to the 202021 season when the Mainses accepted coaching positions at KCHS. Their daughter was entering KCHS as a freshman.

But the basketball lessons started

BILL BREWER

long before that. “I was Sydney’s first coach in the Johnson City recreation league. She was 5 years old when that started.

I think she played rec league for three years, kindergarten through second grade. We were the Little Seniors continued on page B3

DAN MCWILLIAMS

COURTESY OF STEPHANIE GREINER

Lydia Melli and Father Joe Reed

Family moment The Mains and Krueger families stand with the gold-ball trophy following KCHS’s second straight state championship. From left are London, Missey, Sydney, and Travis Mains, and Caroline, Mollie, and Jim Krueger.

art classroom, collaborative study areas, a research STEM lab, and student gathering spaces. The expansion will seamlessly integrate with the existing campus architecture while embracing sustainable and energy-efficient design principles.

Ultimately, the expansion aims to enhance the overall educational experience, foster a dynamic learning environment for students and faculty, and create flexible spaces for parish youth and adult ministries and student before-and-after care.

Most importantly, thanks to the gift, the expansion will be built without the parish and school taking on any debt, the parish statement said.

Community Tectonics is the ar-

made a trio of 3-pointers and scored nine points. Sydney Mains’ fellow senior, Caroline Krueger, and Margaret Frana scored four points each and Sydney English three. Amaya and Margaret had a game-high nine rebounds apiece as the Lady Irish dominated on the boards 33-16 over their West Knoxville foe, whom they defeated for the fourth time in as many tries this season. Caroline added six rebounds and a team-best four assists, and Sydney Mains recorded five rebounds.

Lady Irish head coach Travis Mains was proud of his team for holding serve while Sydney, his daughter, was in foul trouble.

“That was huge. We need Sydney, but they’ve grown to where they’re just going to pick it up and roll with it,” he said. “I thought Amaya did an unbelievable job at the point. Maggie Frana had so many rebounds, Caroline so many tough baskets, and Tinsley shot the ball so well tonight. It was a team effort—it’s been that way the whole year. They stepped up. They believe in each other, and they believe in this old guy here”—speaking of himself—“and the coaches. It’s been a great journey. We look forward to next year, but we’re going to miss these two seniors like crazy. I’m just so grateful.”

Knoxville Catholic defeated Webb 47-26 and 44-39 in regular-season district games and outlasted the Lady Spartans 50-46 to win the Division II-AA East Region tournament title. The Lady Irish took only a few knocks in the regular season, losing 62-52 to Grace Christian and 64-42 at Bradley Central. Playing in the postChristmas Ladies Classic in Greeneville again this season, Knoxville Catholic routed South Greene in its opener 75-47 before losing to Bartlett 55-52 and George Rogers Clark of Kentucky 72-50 in the consolation bracket. The Lady Irish lost at home to Bradley Central 65-53 on Jan. 27 in their only blemish in the 2024 part of their schedule. Bradley Central and Bartlett, playing in the top Division I, Class 4A, both reached the state tournament final.

“Our record looks like we breezed through it, but we played four really tough games with Webb. We took our knocks from Bradley Central and some team from Kentucky,” Mr. Mains said. “[The players] never said, ‘Why are you doing this to us, Coach?’ They never questioned us. . . . Hopefully, they’ll take this through the rest of their lives. When things are tough, you just keep pushing, keep showing up.”

KCHS finished second in the Ladies Classic in 2022, but the most

chitectural firm assigned to the expansion. Paola Martinez, a St. John Neumann parishioner and school parent, is serving as the lead architect. The planning phase will begin soon, with a goal of completing the expansion within the next two years.

In recognition of the Mellis’ gift, the middle school will be named the Lydia and Claude Melli Middle School Wing. “I can’t overstate how great of an impact this gift will have on both the school and the parish,” Father Reed said. “Providing 6,000 square feet of new construction, including flexible spaces that can be used for a variety of purposes, enables us to significantly enhance our students’ educational experiences. Additionally, many of

recent edition of the tourney was a low point for the team. Sophomore guard Logan Connatser was injured, but other players, including Ariana Swain, who hit a 3-pointer in the state semifinals, came through.

“We weren’t playing really well after the Ladies Classic. We got eliminated in a 25-point loss,” Mr. Mains said. “Then we came back and had to reshuffle our lineup. We had to move Amaya and Sydney to the point and play kids who hadn’t played a whole lot up to that point. Every one of them stepped up in big games. Sydney English, Ensley Perry—we had to play without Logan for most of the year. People stepped up—Ari Swain hit a big 3 the other night. All these kids came together, whether they were the 13th or 14th person on the team and others were seven or eight, through the injuries—it was a lot of adversity, and it makes it pretty darn sweet to finish it with these kids and their character, it’s No. 1.”

Neither team scored a field goal in the state-championship game until Tinsley hit a 3-pointer with 3:25 left in the first quarter to give Knoxville Catholic a 7-0 lead. Tinsley made another triple with 1:22 on the clock, and Amaya added two free throws to give the Lady Irish a 12-9 lead at the end of the quarter. Sydney Mains picked up two fouls and left the game without scoring in the opening period.

Sydney hit a 3-pointer, Amaya made a layup, and Sydney added a jumper to put the Lady Irish up 19-11 at a media timeout with 5:14 to go in the first half. Webb scored nine straight points to take a 20-19 lead with 3:16 remaining. A steal by Margaret led to a Sydney 3-pointer to give the Lady Irish the lead for keeps at 22-20 at the 1:20 mark. A 3 by Sydney English with 2 seconds on the timer gave KCHS a 27-20 halftime lead.

The Lady Irish went up 28-20 early in the third quarter on an Amaya foul shot. Webb rallied to within 2825 before Tinsley’s third 3-pointer of the game made it a six-point contest. Caroline sank a hook shot for a 3527 lead midway through the quarter, which ended with KCHS up 36-29.

With Sydney Mains back in the game, the Lady Irish never let the Lady Spartans get closer than five points in the fourth quarter. Margaret made a layup and Sydney made two free throws and a 3-pointer for a 43-33 lead with 4:47 remaining. Amaya sank three free throws and a layup to make it 48-37 with 1:49 to go. Sydney made three free throws, and Amaya scored on another layup for a 53-37 lead at the 0:53 mark. Webb made two free throws down the stretch for the final margin.

our parish ministries use the school throughout the year, so this benefits them tremendously as well.”

Rising middle school enrollment with more expected makes the gift timely, Father Reed said.

“Our school has experienced exponential growth in almost all grades over the last few years, so this provides space and resources we need now, and it enables us to accommodate the additional growth we expect to see over the next several years,” he said.

A “state-of-the-art classroom” means that “for design purposes . . . we will be incorporating the newest technology and products,” Father Reed said. “In a school classroom context, that means smart boards,

occupancy sensors, safety features, movable furniture for different types of learning, LED lighting, and proper connections for telecom.”

The project will help not only STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) students, Father Reed added.

“The expansion will benefit all students as well as parishioners who use the space. It will include the STEM lab as one of the key resources, but many additional spaces to be used for a variety of purposes,” he said.

For more information on supporting St. John Neumann Church and School, contact Patrick Wade, director of development, at pwade@sjn knox.org or 865-777-3410. To give online, visit sjnknox.org/give ■

Meeyah Green led Webb (21-9) with 12 points while Kyndall Mays added eight. Both made the all-tournament team.

Knoxville Catholic advanced to the state-championship game with a 45-40 victory over Christ Presbyterian Academy in the semifinals Feb. 29.

Sydney Mains led all scorers with 18 points while Amaya added 12 and Tinsley seven. Margaret led the team in rebounds with seven.

Lily Morrow scored 17 to lead CPA (18-13) and earn a spot on the all-tourney team.

The Lady Lions led KCHS 12-8 after the first quarter and were up 15-8 with 6:51 remaining in the first half. A layup by Caroline, a 3-pointer by Tinsley, two free throws and a layup by Amaya, and a layup by Sydney helped give the Lady Irish a 20-18 halftime lead.

The advantage changed hands a couple of times in the third quarter before Sydney’s layup with 2:20 on the clock put KCHS ahead to stay at 29-28. Amaya’s layup with 8 seconds left gave the Lady Irish a 36-32 lead going into the final period.

Two jumpers by Sydney put KCHS up 40-32 with 7:05 remaining in the game. CPA pulled within 4038 with 2:58 to go, but a hook shot by Caroline with 1:48 showing and three free throws in the final 14 seconds by Sydney advanced the Lady Irish to the finals.

Knoxville Catholic won 55-37 at home over Harpeth Hall in the state quarterfinals Feb. 23. Sydney racked up 30 points and made seven rebounds and six steals, while Caroline tallied 10 points. The Lady Irish cut down the nets after the victory.

KCHS has made three championship games in the four years Mr. Mains has been head coach, losing in the semifinals in 2022 before capturing the program’s first state crown in 2023.

Mr. Mains and his wife, Lady Irish assistant coach Missey Mains, came to the high school when Sydney was a freshman in fall 2020.

“These girls have worked so hard. I know it’s a cliché, but they trust and they’re faithful. It’s special to be at a school like that where people believe, and they believe in each other. It’s a good spot,” Mr. Mains said.

After this year’s state title, it had not sunk in that the game against Webb was his last of the season.

“Not really,” he said. “I know about 3 o’clock in the morning, I was up looking at film. My belly was hurting, and my head was hurting, but, man, it feels pretty good now.”

He is glad to share the championship with his family, including his

parents.

“We’re all in. We pushed all our chips to the middle of the table, and it paid out,” Mr. Mains said. “I know I miss my mom and my dad and my family back home.”

The best thing about winning the title was “the togetherness and the faithfulness when things were bad— they just bear down and focus harder. [Sydney] went out in the third quarter with four fouls, and [Webb] didn’t gain any ground. Our defense was excellent, and they played hard, getting through tough spots.”

KCHS’s two state titles have a different feel, Mr. Mains said.

“The first one, honestly, I wasn’t expecting that one,” he said, “and this one, about 4 o’clock this morning I wasn’t expecting it either. Sometimes, you try to tell yourself don’t be negative, but it creeps in there. Yeah, I believe anything now, going back to back and watching these kids grow is my biggest benefit in this job.”

Sydney Mains, a Florida Atlantic signee, took her fourth foul in stride and rallied her fellow Lady Irish players while she was on the bench against Webb.

“I knew once it was done, there was nothing I could do to go back and change it, so I knew I had to be a supportive teammate, and I had to encourage where I could and give tips and pointers where I could, just kind of doing the most that I could from the bench,” she said.

Sydney said there is “no better feeling” than capping off her Lady Irish career with a state title. “Doing it with my teammates and doing it with my family, truly these are my best friends right beside of me [at the postgame press conference], so I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Mr. Mains emptied his bench with 43 seconds left in the state final, and Sydney gave her dad a big hug when she came off the court for the final time.

“It makes everything so much more special. It was emotional for the game, knowing like, hey, it’s my last game, my last time on the court with these people,” she said. “I looked at a few of them and I was like, I wish I didn’t like you guys, honestly—it would make this a lot easier. It makes it even better, honestly. I don’t how to explain the feeling, but I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Hugging “every single one” of her teammates was a moment that stood out for Sydney, she said.

“It was more than just a game for us. It was closing a chapter for me and Caroline and opening up a new one,” she said, adding that the end of her high school career played out “in a celebratory way and not a

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DAN MCWILLIAMS (2)

Frana field-goal try Margaret Frana of Knoxville Catholic goes for a layup as Webb’s Cailyn Taylor (21) takes a tumble. Also pictured are the Lady Irish’s Amaya Redd and Lady Spartans Kyndall Mays (33) and Meeyah Green.

Sydney with the ball A pair of No. 24s, Knoxville Catholic’s Sydney Mains and Webb’s Meeyah Green, go against each other in the statechampionship game as KCHS coaches watch at left.

Seniors

Dazzlers. It was so much fun. The goals were 8 feet, and we would beat teams pretty bad. Sydney would get a rebound and then pass the ball to a teammate who would shoot. By third grade she was playing travel ball. I stepped away at that point until eighth grade, when I helped with her travel program that year. After that summer, I was coaching her full time at Catholic,” Mrs. Mains said.

During that time, she had to learn the coach/mom balance.

“Parenting a teenager can be difficult, so adding coaching to the mix can be challenging at times. Being a mom is the most important role that I have in this world, so making sure she knows the difference between me coaching her and me being mom is important to me. We maintain a five-minute rule after games and practices. The five-minute rule means that we have five minutes to talk about a game or practice after it ends. After that, we do not talk about what may have happened at practice or in a game,” Mrs. Mains said. “Enforcing that rule makes long car rides a little easier on us all. Over time it has become much easier to not talk about basketball stuff at home. People probably think that we make her watch film with us and talk basketball all the time at home, but we don’t. She watches film in her room, and we rarely discuss it outside practice. I also can’t take home frustrations about her cleaning her room to practice.”

“Coaching Sydney has allowed me to spend so much time with her. I have watched and admired her from a distance while she has hung out with friends and teammates. It has been a true joy. She is a great player, but she is honestly an even better person,” she added.

Experience from mothering and coaching Sydney will serve Mrs. Mains well in the near future. The Mains’ youngest daughter, London, has basketball ambitions, too.

“London is Sydney’s only sibling. There is a nine-year age difference between the two. London loves to be with the team. She wants to be in the locker room, on the bench, sometimes she even takes video of the games for us,” Mrs. Mains said. “The only difficult thing about that dynamic is trying to help London to understand the moments when she needs to give her big sister(s) their

grieving way.”

Sydney is the all-time leading scorer in Lady Irish history with more than 2,000 points, but she doesn’t want to be viewed as one of the best players to come out of the school. Instead, she credited her parents and assistant coach Carolyn Williamson for their efforts.

“I don’t really see it that way. I see it as I have great people around me who have been able to help me to become the person I am. They push me every day in practice to be better,” she said. “[Mr. Mains] has pushed me. He’s trained me, and so has my mom and our other coach. It’s the people around me who have made me better.”

In 2023, the Lady Irish faced the nation’s top player, Jaloni Cambridge of Ensworth, in the state finals. KCHS won despite Jaloni scoring 41 points.

“Last year, I felt like we all went

space. During the state-championship game, she sat on the bench and held up signs with the defensive calls for the players on the court to see. She loved it. She is starting her own travel-ball journey this year. Travis is going to be coaching her. I am going to spend a summer or two just cheering her on from the stands.”

Mrs. Krueger fondly recalls exposing her then-little girl to basketball, not even dreaming that her daughter would one day help lead the team she once played for to its first state titles.

“I started coaching her in the fifth grade. I coached her fifth grade through eighth grade,” Mrs. Krueger said. “My husband coached her when she was 5, and she was playing on a little junior pro team. She and Tinsley Walker (KCHS Lady Irish junior) were on the junior pro team together. Their dads, Tyler Walker and Jim Krueger, coached that team. We’ve been coaching her for a while.”

Mrs. Krueger remembers being the head coach for the girls basketball team at St. Joseph when Caroline was entering middle school.

“She survived having her mother as a coach. I coached her for four years, and then she moved on to Knoxville Catholic High School. That was Travis’ first year (2020-21). That’s when COVID hit, and they couldn’t even do anything the summer before her freshman year, not even summer camp. That set her back a little bit. Then she had a back injury the beginning of her freshman year, and she fought through that. She has really worked hard,” Mrs. Krueger said.

Caroline said winning was not foreign to her when she entered Knoxville Catholic High School. She indicated that she expected to work hard to make winning happen. She credits her mother for instilling in her those traits.

“I played at St. Joseph School. My mom was my coach in middle school. She was a good coach. She prepared me pretty well for Catholic. We had our disagreements from time to time, but I think

I was pretty well prepared going into it,” Caroline said. “We won the championship my sixth- or seventhgrade year. But that really doesn’t compare to the state championship, that’s for sure.”

Caroline noted that going into

into it with our knees knocking,” Sydney said. “We were like, ‘Oh, Lord, we’re playing Jaloni, she’s the best player in the country, like 41 points.’ That was very surreal, but like I said this time we had played [Webb] three times. It was like, OK, we can beat them, but it’s coming in not being comfortable with the fact that we had beaten them three times. It was more than just a game for us. I’m sure it was for them.”

Caroline, a Milligan University signee, spoke after the championship game about her two state titles.

“They’ve both been amazing, that’s for sure,” she said. “I feel like this season, we’ve had a lot of adversity. We’ve been through a lot together, and we’ve just stuck together, and I think that made it all the more special. It’s been really amazing to be beside these girls and fight through everything we’ve been through, and to go out on top is

the court for the last time Caroline Krueger

their senior year, she and Sydney wanted to build on the confidence they had earned from their previous appearances in the state tournament.

She recalls that the team was confident in its ability to win in the 2023 state final against Ensworth despite being behind early in the game and going against one of the best players in the country.

“Last year, we started out down 10 points. But I just had this feeling. I was calm and collected. I just had this feeling that we were going to win. And I came in with that same feeling today (March 2). You can just feel it,” she said, explaining the team’s composure against a tough opponent.

Caroline is ready to take on the next challenge that basketball has to offer.

“Now, I’m going to play at Milligan. I’m super excited. They have a really good program. I’m just really excited that I get to keep playing for four years on scholarship,” she said.

As a former Lady Irish player, Mrs. Krueger knows what goes into playing winning basketball. She credits the Mainses and assistant coach Carolyn Williamson for instilling in the team a winning attitude, toughness, and conditioning in addition to excellent coaching.

“One of the things you don’t know about this team is last year after they won the state championship, that Monday morning they were in the gym before school shooting. That wasn’t because Coach Mains said to. That was be-

cause they wanted to. That speaks highly of their team and what they are about. They play for each other, and you could really see that on the court. It wasn’t selfish ball out there. It’s very team oriented. They would rather pass up the shot than take it themselves if a teammate is open,” Mrs. Krueger said.

That shoot-around scene occurred on the very first school day after the Lady Irish’s historic win, the first girls basketball state championship in school history.

The road to back-to-back state championships may have appeared to be business as usual for Mr. Mains and his team. But if you ask Caroline and Sydney, the road was difficult.

Mrs. Krueger noted how Caroline battled through the COVID interruption and a back injury.

In April 2022, Sydney suffered a knee injury during an offseason basketball tournament that required ACL surgery. Eleven months later, she would help lead the Lady Irish team to the school’s first state championship as she earned most valuable player honors.

Both girls learned to battle through setbacks. Perseverance and desire are among the many coaching lessons handed down from the Mainses and the Kruegers.

As a result, the Lady Irish defeated archrival Knoxville Webb 53-39 on March 2 at Hooper-Eblen Center on the campus of Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville.

The team concluded the season

amazing.”

Each state title had its challenges, Caroline said.

“Last year, we had to play the No. 1 player in the country, so that was obviously a big deal; we were really nervous,” she said. “This year, it was our cross-town rivals, and it was the fourth time we’d played them. There was a lot of pressure on us. Everybody was telling us, you can’t beat a team four times, but we trusted the work we’ve put in, we trust our coaches, and we trust each other to know that we’re going to do the right thing, and just to go out on top and beat our cross-town rivals felt really good and made it all the more special.”

Tinsley said the Lady Irish dealt with the pressure of high expectations.

“I think we had to, in each practice, just trust each other that we can do this again,” she said. “And then just leaning on each other for help if anything’s ever wrong. Like Caroline said, we faced so much adversity this season, so we just had to

trust what each other was going to do. I feel like there was pressure, but it wasn’t heavy.”

Tinsley also was up in the wee hours like her head coach before the fourth game against Webb.

“Last year, I felt like we were going to win, it was just that we were playing the No. 1 person in the state. This year, playing our rivals was really special, but I woke up at 4 o’clock this morning, too, anxious about the game,” she said.

Amaya agreed with Tinsley about “sticking together, pushing each other more, and getting through the adversity.”

When Sydney left the title game in foul trouble, Amaya knew what to do.

“I looked back and I told myself, you worked hard for this, and just do what you do. I was kind of getting scared because Sydney wasn’t in there, but then I had to step up,” she said. “Last year, I had the feeling that we were going to win, but this year I woke up at 4 o’clock, too, getting anxious, but then we pulled through.” ■

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DAN MCWILLIAMS

KCHS senior Caroline Krueger dribbles against Webb’s Cailyn Taylor in the state finals. Lady Spartans head coach Greg Hernandez watches in the background.

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Leaving

(12) and Sydney Mains show their emotions after being substituted for late in the statechampionship win over Webb.

BILL BREWER

State tournament MVP Sydney Mains of Knoxville Catholic receives her second straight state tournament most valuable player award from Michel Sanchez of the TSSAA Board of Control. Ms. Sanchez, a member from Hunters Lane High School, represents schools in Athletic District 5.

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Chattanooga Deanery

Holy Spirit, Soddy-Daisy

The Bridesman, by Israeli novelist Savyon Liebrecht, will be the subject of the next book study led by pastor Monsignor Al Humbrecht from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at Holy Spirit. Call the church at 423-332-5300 to register.

St. Augustine, Signal Mountain

A book discussion on When the Spirit Comes in Power by Peter Herbeck took place March 6 in the adult-education room.

The parish is asking for help in providing peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches for the Chattanooga Community Kitchen and to serve a hot meal to the homeless on fourth Saturdays. Click on the link at www.staugustine catholic.org to help. Call Catherine Keegan at 423-304-4351 for more information.

St. Bridget, Dayton

The Women’s Council is hosting “Soup and Stations” at 6:30 p.m. on Fridays during Lent between English and Spanish Stations of the Cross.

Father Jim Vick is holding two special classes about the Mass in March. Session one on March 13 covered the history of the Mass from the time of Christ to the present. Session 2 on March 20 will walk through the Mass as it is today with explanations by Father Vick. The class will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. before the Wednesday evening Mass. Anyone interested in attending is asked to sign up on the sheets in the front of the church.

St. Jude, Chattanooga

The next parish Trivia Night is set for 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 12, for adults 21 and older. Teams of up to eight may participate, with cash prizes of $300, $175, and $100 for the top three finishers. Cost is $50 per table. Registration is due by Monday, April 8. Space is limited to 16 teams. Participants may bring their own food, snacks, and drinks. Register on the form in the March 17 parish bulletin.

A Knights of Columbus social was held Feb. 26. Before the social, the Knights conducted an exemplification ceremony for men joining the council.

The Reta Rogers Easter Basket Project, which has become one of the Ladies of Charity’s largest fundraisers, was founded by Joni Hotchkiss in 2006 and has a goal of providing 300 Easter baskets with chocolate bunnies to children in need. The project was named after the late Reta Rogers, an active volunteer, who insisted that every basket contain a chocolate bunny for each child. Parishioners from Jan. 29 to March 1 collected basket items such as jump ropes, small stuffed animals, bubbles, small toys, candy, chalk, stickers, crayons, coloring and activity books, bracelets, pencils, and more.

Elizabeth Cotellese, director of Family Forward at Signal Center in Chattanooga, thanked St. Jude parishioners and the parish Good Samaritan ministry for their donation of necessities for children and families. Family Forward works with families to promote healthy pregnancy and early-childhood development, with a big part of the work geared toward helping ensure health and stability for families by linking them with resources, education, and coaching. This includes assistance with diapers, wipes, and potty-training essentials. St. Jude and Good Samaritan donated 62 packs of potty-training pants, pull-ups, and training underwear along with 16 packs of diapers and wipes, 41 food products, and one childproofing kit.

Girl Scout Troop 40062 sold cookies after all Masses on Feb. 10-11.

The parish thanked Vicki and Frank Schambron for providing snacks for the Hospital Hospitality Ministry for February. To volunteer for the ministry, call Mona Bombassi at 423-488-9684.

St. Mary, Athens

Those interested in having a parishwide yard sale to benefit St. Mary should talk to Sissy Aparicio-Rascon or Lou Dionne in the parish office, or call them at 423-745-4277.

The parish is awarding college scholarships for the 10th year. Applications and all required submissions will be accepted through Sunday, March 31.

Applications and rules may be picked up in the parish office or in the back of the church. The scholarship program is open to any incoming college freshman or returning college student from Meigs, McMinn, Monroe, or Polk counties.

St. Stephen, Chattanooga

The Ladies Appreciation Tea is set for Tuesday, April 23. At the tea, one female parishioner 40 years of age or older, who has been nominated by a fellow parishioner or parishioners, will be honored for her volunteerism. The event is free and is open to St. Stephen parishioners.

The 16th annual St. Stephen Golf Tournament has been rescheduled for Saturday, June 22, at Brainerd Golf Course.

Anniversaries: Gene and Peggy Delett (58), Don and Irene Bucci (35), Howard and Laura Grody (35)

Cumberland Mountain Deanery

Blessed Sacrament, Harriman

The Knights of Columbus and the Ladies Guild are sponsoring a St. Patrick’s Day fish fry at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 16. The menu will include fried fish, French fries, hush puppies, salad, coleslaw, and desserts. The evening will also offer music, children’s activities, and giveaways. The event is free, but donations will be accepted.

The Guardian Angels Ministry is seeking parishioners with medical training. Those who are a doctor, a nurse, an EMT, or a medic and those who are first aid/CPR-certified who would like to help in the event of a medical incident at the parish should contact Andrew Lang at 865-293-2417 or lang_andrew1@yahoo.com

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade

Father Michael Woods blessed knitted and crocheted shawls on Jan. 14.

The parish Mardi Gras pizza bingo party was held on Feb.13 in the parish hall.

Father John Matejek led Ash Wednesday services at Good Samaritan in Fairfield Glade for parishioners living there.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is held every morning at 7:30, Monday through Friday, during Lent.

Stations of the Cross are prayed every Friday at 5 p.m. This year, they included three soup suppers.

Father Matejek conducted a talk on spiritual direction on Feb. 20, and Theresa Brennan spoke about the Mass on Feb. 27.

Father Woods and Mary Maeder conducted a “fireside chat” in the rectory on evangelization/Good News for the parish website.

A Marian traveling statue is on loan in parish homes for up to two weeks at a time. The statue is dedicated to parishioners’ immediate use in times of illness, post-surgery, hospice care, and grief. Parishioners select the date convenient to their schedule. A parish ministry member can deliver the statue, set it up, and pick it up. For information, call Renee Petro at 614-352-4997 or Christina Seaman at 707-267-5078.

The parish Social Action Ministry has partnered with We Are One, a Christian ecumenical nonprofit. Parishioners have been asked to consider making a Lenten donation to We Are One to help furnish 1,000 pairs of shoes. An almsgiving of $20 will guarantee that one child will have a new pair of school shoes this year.

Parish notes continued on page B8

New Hispanic community leaders appointed at St. Joseph the Worker

Father Julius Abuh, pastor of St. Joseph the Worker in Madisonville, appointed four people Feb. 25 to lead the parish’s Hispanic community for the next four years. From left are Carolina Contreras, Maria Contreras, Joel Garcia, and Maria A. Leon. Father Abuh expressed his profound gratitude to the past leadership, especially Jose Aguilera and Diana Martinez, whom he thanked for their dedication and sacrifice to the Hispanic community. Ms. Leon accepted the nomination on behalf of the other three new leaders and called on all members to cooperate with them in their service to God and through their services to the Church and to each other. At the end of Mass on Feb. 25, Father Abuh prayed for the new leaders and blessed them.

Ladies of St. Mary in Gatlinburg host social for priests

The Parish Council of Catholic Women of St. Mary in Gatlinburg hosted a social Feb. 6 for diocesan priests attending the Priest Study Days. Many appetizers were served along with assorted drinks. PCCW members pictured are (top photo, from left) Toni Wolff, Alexis Hood, Patti Gould, Ellice Martin, Carol Pullium, Diann Simonis, Paula Barreras, and Kathleen Greely.

Top three finishers named in St. Jude’s Father Charlie Chili Cook-Off

The annual Father Charlie Chili Cook-Off at St. Jude Church in Chattanooga, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and the Council of Catholic Women, took place Jan. 29 in Siener Hall. Malu Bautista (in red sweater) took the first-place prize. Second place went to Richard Bryant (second from left). Garrick Hall (second from right) earned the third-place award. St. Jude pastor Father Charlie Burton (left) and Grand Knight Naino Leo (third from left) are pictured with Fos Goodwin (right), who put the event together.

The annual Chrism Mass will be celebrated at 7 p.m. Monday, March 25, at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. At the Chrism Mass, diocesan priests renew their priestly vows. Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre will consecrate the sacred chrism and bless the oil of catechumens and the oil of the sick that will be used in parishes of the diocese for the next year. The Mass will be livestreamed on the cathedral’s YouTube page at www. youtube.com/@shcathedral

The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus will hold the dedication concert for its Casavant Frères Pipe Organ Opus 3927 at 7 p.m. Friday, April 12. The completion of the organ’s installation was made possible by a gift from parishioners Alan and Sally Sefton (see the February issue of The East Tennessee Catholic for details). Cathedral organist Dr. Byong Suk Moon will perform musical selections from Copland, Bach, Eden, and Mussorgsky specifically selected to showcase the versatility, depth, and breadth of the instrument and to display the craftsmanship of organ builder Casavant Frères. Dr. Moon will be joined by Deacon Walt Otey (timpani) and Michelle Pokelwaldt (soprano) in presenting the inaugural organ performance from the front of the sanctuary using a movable console designed specifically for concerts. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. Seating is limited. Tickets are available via the Eventbrite link at shcathedral. org/cathedral-concert-series

The Sending of the Neophytes Mass is set for 4 p.m. Sunday, April 28, at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The new Catholics who enter the Church this Easter will be formally sent forth at this annual ceremony.

EnCourage, a ministry dedicated to praying for family members who suffer from same-sex attraction and supporting each other’s spiritual life, meets at 6 p.m. on second Thursdays in the lower level at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. The next two meetings are March 14 and April 11. Zoom is also available to anyone who would like to join virtually. For more information, contact Father Zach Griffith at zach griffith92@gmail.com

The Monsignor Bill Gahagan Memorial Lenten Music Series continues at 5:30 p.m. Fridays through March 22 at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa. Stations of the Cross at 6 p.m. and a fish dinner at 6:30 will follow each music meditation. Musicians featured are Wesley Baldwin on cello on March 15 and the Our Lady of Fatima music ministry on March 22.

A retreat on “The Eucharist: Jewish Roots & Catholic Sacrifice,” led by Deacon Bob Hunt, will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 16, in the fellowship hall at All Saints Church in Knoxville. Lunch will be provided. Copies of Deacon Hunt’s book, Thy Word: An Introduction to the Bible for People in the Pews, will be available for purchase.

The downtown Knoxville St. Patrick’s Parade is planned for 1 p.m.

Saturday, March 16. The event benefits Catholic Charities of East Tennessee. The day offers food, games, and more for the whole family. To sponsor, participate, volunteer, or learn more, visit knoxstpatricksparade.com

The Chesterton Academy of St. Margaret Clitherow in Knoxville is holding an open house from 2 to 5 p.m.

Saturday, March 23, at the school’s new location at 217 Fox Road in Knoxville. Those interested in learning what sets Chesterton Schools apart and who want to begin enrollment for fall 2024 should attend the open house and meet faculty and students in person. RSVP to jared@knoxchesterton. com. The academy is also having a Madonnari Festival, a.k.a. Chesterton Chalk event, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 23 at the Fox Road location.

Madonnari are classic street chalk artists whose craft dates back to the Renaissance. Proceeds will benefit the school’s fine-arts department. Students and Knoxville-area artists, especially chalk artists, are invited to attend. RSVP or sponsor an artist by

e-mailing sonia@knoxchesterton. com. Registration is available at knox chesterton.com

The Tennessee Wind Symphony will perform a patriotic-themed concert, “American Impressions,” at 6 p.m.

Sunday, March 24, at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus as part of its Cathedral Concert Series. The TWS, under the direction of Dr. John N. Culvahouse, will perform the music of Roger Cichy, Ron Nelson, William Schuman, Robert W. Smith, John Philip Sousa, and John Williams. The TWS has performed in Washington, D.C., and London and at Carnegie Hall in New York, and has received numerous awards and acclamations including the 2007-08 John Philip Sousa Foundation Sudler Silver Scroll, North America’s most prestigious award for community concert bands. The Tennessee Wind Symphony is dedicated to excellence in symphonic band performance and to providing quality band music to the people of Tennessee and the surrounding area. For more information about the TWS, visit tnwindsymphony.org Admission to the cathedral concert is free. Seating is limited (doors open one hour before the concert). The event will be livestreamed and recorded, with archived access available at m.youtube. com/c/SacredHeartCathedral KnoxvilleTN. The direct link for free tickets is www.eventbrite.com/e/ cathedral-concert-tennessee-windsymphony-tickets-856265080907

St. Joseph School in Knoxville is now enrolling pre-kindergarten (age 4) through eighth-grade students. Contact principal Andy Zengel at azengel@ sjsknox.org, visit sjsknox.org, or call 865-689-3424 for more details.

Catholic Charities of East Tennessee’s annual Race for Kids 5K & Family Walk will be held Saturday, April 20, at Victor Ashe Park in Knoxville and Enterprise South Nature Park in Chattanooga. The event supports all 11 of CCETN’s children and family programs. Registration is $35 for adults ($40 on race day) and $20 for children 5-17 ($25 on race day). Children 4 and under are admitted free. Register or learn more at runsignup.com/Race/ TN/Knoxville/RaceforKids. The race route is viewable at www.mapmyrun. com/routes/view/4914341737

The Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women’s annual Mass of Remembrance, honoring each woman of the diocese who died between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, is set for 5 p.m. Friday, April 26, at All Saints Church in Knoxville. All are welcome to attend, especially family and friends of the deceased women. For more information, e-mail Michelle Peckham, KDCCW president, at michelle. kdccw@gmail.com; Pam Wilcoxon, Chattanooga Deanery CCW president, at pam61259@gmail.com; Karen Marabella-Miller, Cumberland Mountain Deanery CCW president, at kmiller 068@yahoo.com; Kathy DeAngelis, Five Rivers Deanery CCW president, at krdeangelis@yahoo.com; or Patricia Forde, Smoky Mountain Deanery CCW president, at patrforde@gmail.com

Women are invited to a Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women event themed “Come to the Table: A Renewed Encounter with Jesus,” scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at All Saints Church in Knoxville. Author Genevieve Kineke will speak at the event. The day will conclude with Mass at 5 p.m. There is no registration fee. Register at kdccw.org or tinyurl.com/4njxdcz2

St. Joseph Parish in Norris will celebrate its 75th anniversary at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 28. Vespers will follow the celebration. All are welcome to attend. Tickets should be purchased by Friday, April 12, and cost $25 per person. Send checks to: Attention: 75th Committee, St. Joseph Catholic Church, P.O. Box 387, Norris, TN 37828 or e-mail st josephnorristn@gmail.com

Those experiencing emotional or spiritual difficulties from a past abortion or abortions are invited to attend a Catholic Charities Rachel’s Vineyard healing and recovery retreat on the

Calendar continued on page B8

St. Stephen hosts

Picture of Love engaged-couples retreat Feb. 23-24

St. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga hosted a Picture of Love retreat for engaged couples Feb. 23 and 24. Father David Carter celebrated Mass on Friday evening and gave a reflection on the meaning of the Mass. The retreat was sponsored by the diocesan Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment. Another Picture of Love retreat is set for Sept. 20 and 21 at St. Stephen. For details, visit dioknox.org/ events/picture-of-lovesept-2024

St. Henry Knights honor four businesses for their support

Gregory Smith of Knights of Columbus Council 8860 of St. Henry Parish in Rogersville honored four businesses in the town on Feb. 23 for their acts of generosity in supporting the Kids Christmas Party and two council fundraisers in 2023. Jimmy Egbert (top photo), an owner/manager of Legacy Wines and Spirits, made a very generous donation to Council 8860 for its December fundraiser dinner. Over the past four years, Mr. Egbert has been a partner in helping the Knights raise money in the Rogersville community through his donations. Rania Hussein (bottom photo), owner/manager of Sixty Beans Coffee, has been a willing partner working with the Knights during their two annual fundraisers through the donation of gift cards. Ms. Hussein has supported the St. Henry council for the past several years. Susie Horner, manager of the Pizza Hut in Rogersville, has supported the St. Henry Knights with donations of meal-pack gift certificates for the families hosted at the Kids Christmas Party at the church for the past several years. Jo Anderson, manager of Hale Springs Inn, for more than five years has partnered with the Knights of Columbus. For four years, the inn hosted the Knights’ statecouncil leadership team, which upon its departure praised the service provided by Ms. Anderson and her staff. For the past several years Ms. Anderson has provided a gift certificate for the two fundraising dinners hosted by the St. Henry council. The funds these gift certificates helped raise went to help the many programs for the needy in the community. Council chaplain and St. Henry pastor Father Bart Okere and Grand Knight Robert McDaniel, on behalf of the members of the council, thank these sponsors for their donations.

COURTESY OF BILL HEWITT (2)

Praying for Perspective by

George Valadie

It’s hard being George during Lent

Seeing people doing something for somebody else could be his way to get

‘closer to God’

Ijust don’t know what I’m going to do,” my wife uttered with a stressful tone of indecision heading downhill toward frustration.

“I don’t know whether to wear my jeans or these nicer pants. What do you think everyone else will be wearing?”

She’d been at this for a while, but rather than propose a final solution sure to be ignored, I replied with what I usually offer when she faces such life-altering quandaries.

“It must be hard being you!”

We laughed and added another to the list of first-world problems we are lucky enough to endure. And for sure, I’ve got plenty of my own.

But I’m not kidding. During Lent, it’s hard being me.

I never seem to know which way to go. Give something up, take something on. Whichever I choose, I seldom do so with conviction, more convinced my efforts would be weak or trivial, inadequate at best.

I mean, after all, the man chose to die for me. And rather harshly at that. Me … I’ve been thinking about foregoing some Diet Coke.

Even now, I keep hunting for what feels right. And yes, I know we’re already 30 days in.

Back on Ash Wednesday, Father said, “What good is it if you give up red meat when you have gout and shouldn’t be eating it anyway?

“And what good is it if you’re prediabetic and give up the sweets you know you shouldn’t have?

“And what good is it if you give up carbs because your weight has been stuck for 22 years, and this seems like the perfect opportunity to jumpstart a change?

“The good those things do is just for you,” he preached. “No one else. Instead, find something, do something, pray something that brings you closer to God.”

Closer to God?

God, I wish I knew what that felt like.

Another priest podcast to which I

HI never seem to know which way to go. Give something up, take something on. Whichever I choose, I seldom do so with conviction, more convinced my efforts would be weak or trivial, inadequate at best. I mean, after all, the man chose to die for me.

listen suggested that life is hard for almost all of us. Higher prices, challenging jobs, it might be illness or conflict or sadness.

So, rather than give up something that makes our days even harder, he suggested that instead we should all just search for, recognize, and celebrate the moments of joy in our lives. A gift from God we often take for granted.

OK, that’s another path. And who couldn’t use a little more joy in their lives?

Stupid as it may sound, my search also took me to the internet. I googled “Lenten ideas.” A little embarrassing since Christians worldwide have for thousands of years found millions of ways to experience meaningful Lents—all without benefit of a laptop.

It felt stupid when I did it.

More stupid when it suggested I get a Lenten-themed coloring book and spend a few moments each day with some crayons.

Closer to God? I couldn’t see it.

I’ve been reading the Gospels. I was feeling good about it, too, better able to imagine the scenes and the people since I’ve been watching “The Chosen.” Until I got to the chapters about the Passion and crucifixion.

Reading a book—even the Bible— seems a much-too-inadequate use of my 40 days when I read what He endured in His final 40.

Ten days left, and I’ve bounced all over the place.

There was a time, though, when I had it all figured out. I miss those days. Things seemed simple then. I was 12.

No candy during the week, no meat on Friday. Heaven and hell

hung in the balance.

Like when my single-parent mom had come home to her four kids after a long week of work, forgot about the fish thing, and cooked burgers for our Friday-night dinner.

Feeling righteous and right, I told her we were all going to hell, and she would be the reason. She tried to reason with me; she should have slapped me.

It’s gotten more confusing ever since.

Though there is good news! Finally perhaps—at age 70—I’ve seen a hint of what I think these 40 days could be about.

As I’ve mentioned before, we have invited our youngest, Sarah, her husband, Keith—and now their new baby, Harper—to live upstairs at our home.

Our collective goal is the opportunity to save money for an eventual home of their own.

And why not? Plenty of room up there, and since our other two girls have families of their own, it was an empty space that felt way too empty.

Keith, and our other two sons-inlaw, Clint and Jeremy, are all Christian and Christ-like, and those two are not the same. But they are not of the Catholic faith.

They have a sense of the 40-day rules; they’re just not bound by them.

As for me, it’s my pretty-mucheveryday routine to enjoy a breakfast of bacon and an English muffin. In the world of favorite foods, bacon might be at the top.

For Keith, too.

As they considered marriage, he knew he was supposed to and willingly agreed to raise their new baby in the Catholic faith.

But nobody told him about the Friday bacon thing.

Recently, though, I discovered he has been quietly omitting it from his own Friday fare because, as he shared with Sarah, “I just can’t do that to your dad. Making someone

Thoughts and Prayers for the Faithful by Deacon Bob Hunt

smell bacon they’re not allowed to eat in their own home is just cruel.”

So, in short, you can see his Lent is going better than mine—he’s giving up something to make it easier for someone else who has to.

Clint is married to Katy, our oldest, and he’s the chef of their family. And a good one. He grills and smokes and has concocted a wide variety of masterpieces.

I think he took it up when early in their dating days he found himself trekking along with all of us to Captain D’s each Friday of Lent.

We like it there; he does not. Not at all. Hates it actually. But there he was.

So, you can see the irony.

We Catholics must admit that giving up meat on Fridays is hardly sacrificial when you’re simply switching to restaurant fish you love just as much.

While it’s the non-Catholics who didn’t have to and didn’t want to— but did.

And there it is. Or maybe there it should be.

People doing something for somebody else.

Maybe it’s words. Maybe it’s deeds. Maybe it’s 40 different people.

Maybe it’s 40 different kindnesses for one in particular. Maybe they’re aware. Maybe they’re not.

Or maybe it’s some odd and unbalanced combination of all of that. But it’s people doing something for somebody else.

And maybe it could be my way to get “closer to God.”

Dear God—There’s no shortage of people who feel as if their every day is lived in the desert. During these 40 days, may we find a way to help them while you’re busy saving us. 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.”

Easter approaches—how is your Lent going?

It’s not too late to make a new beginning, focusing on the purpose of small sacrifices we make

ere we are in mid-March, and Lent is already twothirds through. Easter is only a couple of weeks away. How’s your Lent going?

Lent is somewhat like New Year’s. We make resolutions for the New Year, and by mid-February we have to reassess to see how we’re doing with those resolutions. Sometimes, the news is good. Sometimes, the news is not so good. Sometimes, we would just rather forget about it, or already have.

The good news about Lenten resolutions, or promises of more prayer, more charitable works, more sacrificial giving, is that each day offers an opportunity to begin again. “Now is the day of salvation,” St. Paul wrote (2 Corinthians 6:2). So, no matter how poorly we’ve been doing with our Lenten practices, today is the time to start anew.

What is the purpose of Lent, after all? It’s easy to get caught up in the “rules” following the practices of fasting and abstinence, or focus inordinately on what we are going to “give up” for Lent. The intention of the Church is not to cause anxiety over dietary restrictions or expectations of increased prayer or giving. It is to use these things to make us ever more conscious of our Lord’s love for us and our relationship

The Lenten practices of fasting and abstinence, however, demand that I think about what I’m doing when I prepare a meal or grab a snack. And what am I to think about? Jesus. Fixing a meal during Lent means thinking about Jesus. Who is He to me?

with Him.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m preparing a meal, or even just a sandwich or grabbing a doughnut from the fridge (yes, I like my doughnuts cold), there’s not much going on in my mind about what I’m doing. Unless the meal is a special one that requires attention to detail, my mind is either in neutral or considering any number of a vast array of matters, from personal to political, financial to familial, serious to ridiculous. I don’t have to think about what I’m preparing or how to prepare it. I’ve done it a million times, so my mind simply goes into auto mode when preparing the food.

The Lenten practices of fasting and abstinence, however, demand that I think about what I’m doing when I prepare a meal or grab a snack. And what am I to think about? Jesus. Fixing a meal during Lent means thinking about Jesus. Who is He to me? What is my re-

lationship with Him? How can I deepen that relationship? How can I better serve Him? How can I give Him thanks for all He has done for me? How can I transform my will so that it more perfectly reflects His?

There’s a lot more there than simply following a rule. The rule is to remind us of what Lent is all about, and what Lent is all about is being conscious of our Lord’s love for us and our relationship with Him. It’s a simple thing, even mundane, making a sandwich or preparing a meal. But Christ has transformed the mundane into the extraordinary. Every moment is a moment of grace because every moment is infused with His presence and His saving action.

Another critical aspect of Lent is penance. Fasting and abstinence are part of this, too, of course. It can be a sacrifice for many of us even to be only a little uncomfortable, to feel those hunger growls in our belly, or to do without our favorite meat for dinner. This is the heart of “giving up something for Lent.”

Christ gave so much for us, yet we still offend Him with our sins. The traditional penitential practices of Lent, fasting, almsgiving, and prayer, can bring us closer to Christ by challenging us to put Him first, before our physical wants.

Sacrificing some measure, even if only a small one, to turn our thoughts and hearts to Christ, can be transformative.

The practices of giving up (in terms of food, time, or other pleasures) and giving more (in terms of time, talent, treasure, and prayer) reflect our desire to share, if only in some tiny way, in the great sacrifice Christ made for us. It’s not much to ask. Really, it ought to be the focus of the life of a Christian every day, not just during Lent. Which, I think, is also the point of Lent. Each Lent should bring us closer to Christ, so that when Easter arrives, we are no longer the believer we were on Ash Wednesday. We have grown in our relationship with Jesus, deepened our prayer life, and become more generous with our time, talent, and treasure.

Regardless of how well or poorly your Lent has gone so far, decide today to make a new Lenten beginning, focusing on the purpose of the small sacrifices we make: to transform us ever more closely into the image of our Lord.

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.

A look at the table of God’s Word

As Pope Benedict XVI wrote, Word and Eucharist are so intimately ‘bound together’

The Mass is a single act of worship composed of two parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Church calls these two parts the two tables, the table of God’s Word, from which we grow in wisdom, and the table of the Body of Christ, from which we grow in holiness. In previous columns, I have looked at different aspects of the table of the Body of Christ. In this column, I want to look at the table of God’s Word, at the selection, arrangement, and power of the biblical readings proclaimed in the Mass.

The Bible has been read in the Mass from the earliest days of the Church. In a description of the Mass from about the year 155, St. Justin Martyr wrote that “the memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read, as much as time permits.” 1 The celebration of important feasts, especially Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, and Christmas, rapidly led to the reading of specific passages on precise days. The existence of lists of biblical readings is indicated in the writings of Tertullian (died circa 225), St. Ambrose (died 397), and St. Augustine (died 430), and St. Cyprian (died 258) mentions clerics specifically entrusted with the readings during the liturgy. Initially, there were three types of lists of readings: lists of the epistles, lists of Gospel readings, and lists combining the epistles and the Gospels, the beginning of our lectionary. From the 11th and 12th century on, the combined list took precedence. 2

In our current liturgy, on Sundays and festive days the Liturgy of the Word consists of three readings plus the responsorial psalm. The first reading is from the Old Testament, the second from one of the New Testament letters or the Book of Revelation, and the third is from one of the Gospels. The purpose behind this arrangement is to bring “out the unity of the Old and New Testaments and of the history of salvation, in which Christ is the central figure, commemorated in his paschal mystery.” We have a three-year cycle of readings, designated A, B, and C, that provides “a more varied and richer reading of sacred Scripture.” 3 This year, we are hearing the readings from cycle B.

The selection of readings for Sundays and festive days is guided by two principles: the principle of harmony and the principle of semicontinuous reading. The principle of harmony acknowledges two kinds of harmony. The first kind of harmony governs the readings chosen for Ordinary Time, selecting “Old Testament texts mainly because of their correlation with New Testament texts read in the same Mass, and particularly with the Gospel text.” A second kind of harmony guides the choice of readings for the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter, “seasons that have a distinctive importance or character.” 4 In Ordinary Time, the principle of semicontinuous readings (biblical books are read straight through with a few omissions) governs the apostolic (epistle) and Gospel readings. The Gospel is

Daily readings

Friday, March 15: Wisdom 2:1, 1222; Psalm 34:17-21, 23; John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Saturday, March 16: Jeremiah 11:1820; Psalm 7:2-3, 9-12; John 7:40-53

Sunday, March 17: Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalm 130:1-8; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45

Monday, March 18: Daniel 13:1-9; 15-17, 19-30, 33-62; Psalm 23:1-6; John 8:1-11

Tuesday, March 19: Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16; Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29; Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22; Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24

Wednesday, March 20: Daniel 3:14-

the “high point of the Liturgy of the Word,” for which “the other readings, in their established sequence from the Old to the New Testament, prepare the assembly.” 5

The Liturgy of the Word “has as its one purpose the sacrifice of the New Covenant and the banquet of grace, that is, the Eucharist.” 6 In the celebration of the Mass, writes Pope Benedict XVI, Word and Eucharist are so intimately “bound together that we cannot understand one without the other…The Eucharist opens us to an understanding of Scripture, just as Scripture for its part illumines and explains the mystery of the Eucharist.”

He continues, “For this reason, ‘the Church has honored the word of God and the eucharistic mystery with the same reverence, although not with the same worship, and has always and everywhere insisted upon and sanctioned such honor.’” 7

Pope Benedict XVI emphasized this reverence, citing this passage by St. Jerome (died 420): “We are reading the sacred Scriptures. For me, the Gospel is the Body of Christ; for me, the holy Scriptures are His teaching. And when He says: whoever does not eat My flesh and drink My blood (John 6:53), even though these words can also be understood of the [Eucharistic] Mystery, Christ’s body and blood are really the word of Scripture, God’s teaching. When we approach the [Eucharistic] Mystery, if a crumb falls to the ground, we are troubled. Yet when we are listening to the Word of God, and

God’s Word and Christ’s flesh and blood are being poured into our ears yet we pay no heed, what great peril should we not feel?” 8

“The liturgy,” wrote Pope Benedict XVI, “is the privileged setting in which God speaks to us in the midst of our lives; He speaks today to his people, who hear and respond.” 9 Pope Francis echoes these words. When the Scriptures are proclaimed in the Mass, we “listen to what God has done and still intends to do for us. It is an experience which occurs ‘live’ and not through hearsay…The Lord comforts, calls, brings forth sprouts of a new and reconciled life. And this is through His Word. His Word knocks at the heart and changes hearts!” 10 Understanding God’s presence and action in the Mass helps us recognize God’s activity in our lives.

1 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1345.

2 A History of Liturgical Books, Eric Palazzo.

3 Lectionary for Mass, 66.

4 Lectionary for Mass, 67.

5 Lectionary for Mass, 13.

6 Lectionary for Mass, 10.

7 The Word of the Lord, 55.

8 The Word of the Lord, 56.

9 The Word of the Lord, 52.

10 General audience of Jan. 31, 2018, and general audience of Feb. 14, 2018 (vatican.va). ■

Father Randy Stice is director of the diocesan Office of Worship and Liturgy. He can be reached at frrandy@dioknox. org.

Knights serve at fish fries around the diocese Knights of Columbus fish fries took place around the diocese starting with the first Friday of Lent on Feb. 16. At top left, Fourth Degree Knights at Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville serve hungry customers. At left is John Hess, with Michael Wrinkle (in hat) and Bernardo Bailon Ramos cooking in the background. At bottom left, Rod Graf of St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport removes fish from the fryer. At top right, Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Knights serve customer Travis Millsaps. From left are Gerard Jabaley, Tim Thurston, Tim Walker, and Felipe Arias with Andrew Nippa in the background. Above, Knights from St. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga serve baked and fried fish. From left are

20, 91-92, 95; Daniel 3:52-56; John 8:31-42

Thursday, March 21: Genesis 17:3-9; Psalm 105:4-9; John 8:51-59

Friday, March 22: Jeremiah 20:10-13; Psalm 18:2-7; John 10:31-42

Saturday, March 23: Ezekiel 37:2128; Jeremiah 31:10-13; John 11:45-56

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, March 24: At the procession with palms—Gospel, Mark 11:1-10; readings at the Mass, Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24; Philippians 2:6-11; Mark 14:1–15:47

Monday, March 25: Isaiah 42:1-7; Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14; John 12:1-11; Chrism Mass, Isaiah 61:1-3, 6, 8-9; Psalm 89:21-22, 25, 27; Revelation 1:5-8; Luke 4:16-21

Tuesday, March 26: Isaiah 49:1-6; Psalm 71:1-6, 15, 17; John 13:21-33, 36-38

Wednesday, March 27: Isaiah 50:49; Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34; Matthew 26:14-25

Holy Thursday, March 28: Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14; Psalm 116:12-13, 15-18; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion, March 29: Isaiah 52:13–53:12; Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25; Hebrews 4:14-16 and 5:7-9; John 18:1–19:42

Holy Saturday, March 30: Easter Vigil, Genesis 1:1–2:2; Psalm 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12-14, 24, 35; Genesis 22:1-18; Psalm 16:5, 8-11; Exodus 14:15–15:1; Exodus 15:1-6, 17-18; Isaiah 54:5-14;

Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13; Isaiah 55:1-11; Isaiah 12:2-6; Baruch 3:9-15 and 3:32–4:4; Psalm 19:8-11; Ezekiel 36:16-28; (when baptism is celebrated) Psalms 42:3, 5 and 43:3-4 or (when baptism is not celebrated) Isaiah 12:2-6 or Psalm 51:12-15, 18-19; Romans 6:3-11; Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Mark 16:1-7

Easter Sunday, March 31: Acts 10:34, 37-43; Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-9

Monday, April 1: Acts 2:14, 22-33; Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11; Matthew 28:8-15

Tuesday, April 2: Acts 2:36-41; Psalm 33:4-5, 18-20, 22; John 20:11-18

Wednesday, April 3: Acts 3:1-10; Psalm 105:1-4, 6-9; Luke 24:13-35

Thursday, April 4: Acts 3:11-26;

Encountering God in the Liturgy by Father Randy Stice

DAN MCWILLIAMS

(standing) Bob Birke, Ron Englert, Terry Duffy, Harry Mackey, Steve Horten, and Steve Reker with Jim Polizzi (seated).

COURTESY OF ST. DOMINIC PARISH

DAN MCWILLIAMS

JOHN

VANNUCCI

Calendar continued from page B5

weekend of May 3-5 at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton. Complete confidentiality is honored at all times. The deadline for registration is Friday, April 26. If you are unable to attend a weekend retreat, one-on-one counseling is available with counselors who have been trained in this area. For more information, contact Sandi Davidson at 865-776-4510 or sandi@ccetn.org

Young adults are invited to a bilingual vocational retreat, themed “Thy Will Be Done,” sponsored by the Diocese of Knoxville offices of Vocations and Youth, Young Adult, and Pastoral Juvenil Ministry that is to be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge. The event is geared toward those discerning priesthood, religious life, marriage, or any big life decision. A discussion will take place on all the fears and “what ifs” that go into discernment. Priests, deacons, married couples, and religious Sisters will share their vocational stories at the retreat. Cost is $30. Contact Lizzie Morris at lmorris@dioknox.org to register. You may also register or view a flyer at dioknox.org/events/ thy-will-be-done-vocational-retreat

A Life in the Spirit Seminar presented by members of the Alleluia Community of Augusta, Ga., will take place from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 10, and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at St. Augustine Church in Signal Mountain. To register or learn more, visit www.staugustinecatholic.org or call 423-886-3424.

The Diocese of Knoxville Office of Vocations and St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville are hosting a Vocation Story Night at 5:30 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, May 15, at St. Alphonsus. The evening will include adoration and stories from representatives of various vocations. Dinner, desserts, and refreshments will be provided. For more information, e-mail Beth Parsons at bparsons@dioknox. org. Download a flyer at dioknox.org/ events/vocation-story-night-2

The annual high school graduation ceremonies will be held at 8 p.m. Friday, May 17, at Knoxville Catholic High School and 9 a.m. Saturday, May 18, at Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga.

The Catholic Medical Association’s St. Gianna Guild of Knoxville will host its next event, “Addressing Transgender Ideology as a Catholic Medical Provider,” at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 18, in the Shea Room at the Cathedral

Parish notes continued from page B4

The Knights of Columbus once again are collecting 40 Cans for Lent. The project started on Ash Wednesday and lasts until March 23. Food cans or monetary gifts are accepted.

Anniversaries: Sal and Lois D’Addona (67), Tony and Gay Moreno (55), Ray and Susan Butkus (54)

St. John Neumann, Farragut

The parish thanked the Council of Catholic Women for hosting a successful Casino Night on Feb. 10. More than 60 attended the event.

The pro-life ministry hosted a soup, salad, and bread dinner Feb. 27 in Seton Hall for those with “a heart for moms and babies” in need.

Five Rivers Deanery

Holy Trinity, Jefferson City

The Knights of Columbus sponsored a cornhole tournament March 9 in the parish life center. The event also featured food, drink, a 50/50 drawing, and cash prizes.

The Council of Catholic Women hosted an International Dinner on March 2. Donations were collected for the Catholic Relief Services Water for Life program.

Holy Trinity’s Spanish community hosted the weekly Lenten meal Feb. 23.

The parish announced that its rummage sale is set for Oct. 11-12, and items will be accepted beginning Sept. 1. Those with a place to store large items should call Donna Dunn at 631-495-0031.

of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Sister Mara Lester, RSM, MD, will be speaking about how Catholic healthcare professionals can address patients who either personally are struggling or have family members struggling with gender dysphoria. For more information, contact Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, RSM, at srmarylisa@smlcares.com

The Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment and Regnum Christi will be hosting a Diocesan Marriage Retreat, themed “Living the Marriage

God Desires for You,” on Saturday, June 15, at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City. Bruce and Marybel Carlisle will lead presentations designed to help those attending reflect, refocus, and rejuvenate their marriage.

Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. The retreat starts with an optional daily Mass at 9 a.m. with a continental breakfast and lunch included. The retreat concludes at 4:30 p.m., with a Saturday vigil Mass available at 5 p.m. While married couples at all stages of life are welcome, it is requested that children do not attend. Cost is $86 per couple, which includes meals and materials. Overnight accommodations are available at local hotels (see second link below). Register and submit payment by Sunday, June 9. Registration and payment forms may be found at dioknox.org/events/ diocesan-marriage-retreat-2024. You may also register or learn more at tinyurl.com/KnoxMarriageRetreat

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage will be traveling the country May 17 through July 16, culminating at the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.

The St. Juan Diego Route, the southern portion of the pilgrimage, will come through the Diocese of Knoxville, stopping at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga on June 24. There will be a holy hour, morning prayer, and the celebration of Mass.

The Diocese of Knoxville is taking a group of teens on a trip to Steubenville Atlanta, hosted by the Archdiocese of Atlanta, on the weekend of July 26-28. The Steubenville youth conferences exist to bring high-schoolers into a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. The 2024 theme is “Illuminate”—“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Download a flier, view registration instructions and costs, and see medical-release and code-of-conduct forms at dioknox.org/ events/steubenville-atlanta-2024. If any parish would like help booking transportation through the Diocese of Knoxville,

Anniversaries: Richard and Cynthia Johnston (50), Todd and Jennifer Holt (20)

Newcomers: Bill and Mary Litty

Notre Dame, Greeneville

The parish has adopted Holly Creek Road from Church Street to Shiloh Road as part of the Adopt-a-Greene County Road Program. Parishioners’ responsibility is to pick up trash along the roadside. Volunteers 18 and older will meet at the church at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 16, before going to work on the trash pickup.

St. Dominic, Kingsport

The St. Dominic Catholic Book Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on third Mondays in the St. Dominic Room at the parish life center. Upcoming discussions are on Catherine of Siena by Sigrid Undset on March 18 and The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis on April 15. Contact Ray or Christine Courtney at recourt62@ gmail.com or cmacourtney@gmail. com for more information.

Tina and Tucker Davis led a book discussion on Beautiful Eucharist by Matthew Kelly on March 7 in the PLC.

The Knights of Columbus and the St. Vincent de Paul Society are holding a 40 Cans for Lent drive, one can of food for each day of Lent, to be distributed to the families the society serves and to local food kitchens and pantries serving the needy.

St. Dominic held a parish mission on the “Re-enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus” from Feb. 26-28. The three-

contact Noah Grinstead at ngrinstead@ dioknox.org or 386-274-8137.

Catholic in Recovery is a 12-step recovery ministry that holds meetings each Monday at 7 p.m. at St. Mary Church in Johnson City. 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’s Mass readings, liturgical themes, and recovery topics with honest discussion and prayer. Confidentiality is protected. For more information, visit www.catholicin recovery.com or contact Jena at cir. tricities.tn@gmail.com, Beth at 714651-2008, or Ed at 865-599-4823.

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 561315-5911 if you have any questions.

A Danube River pilgrimage cruise is planned Oct. 20-30, with an optional four-day post tour to Krakow, Poland, from Oct. 30-Nov. 3. Join Dr. Marcellino

D’Ambrosio, better known as Dr. Italy, historian, theologian, and speaker, for a pilgrimage themed “The Beauty of God’s Creation,” including Munich, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, and much more. Visit www.crossroads initiative.com/ dr-italy/ for more details. The ship is the Amadeus Riva. The sightseeing tour of Krakow includes visiting sites in the Medieval Old Town and on Wawel Hill, where pilgrims will see the cathedral with the St. Stanislaus Shrine, which contains the relics of Poland’s patron saint. They will see the pope’s room and the famous Pope’s Window honoring St. John Paul II. The group will travel a short distance to visit the Divine Mercy Shrine, where St. Faustina, the Apostle of Divine Mercy, lived and died. Members will celebrate Mass at the Divine Mercy Shrine and visit the new center, “Have No Fear,” dedicated to St. John Paul II, to venerate his relics. They will visit Czestochowa and the Jasna Gora Monastery to see the miraculous icon of the Black Madonna. The group will have time to explore the

night mission prepared parishioners for the re-enthronement on March 3.

The Senior Ministry sponsored a brown-bag lunch and financial talk on Feb. 29 in the PLC. The topic was “Financial Caregiving and Navigating Medical Expenses.”

St. Patrick, Morristown

Knights of Columbus Council 6730 is the beneficiary of a fundraiser through Ultimate Shine Car Wash pay locations in Morristown, elsewhere in Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio through April 30. To take part at a pay location, choose a wash and any additional services, hit the orange “enter fundraiser” code button, enter code 3087 before paying, then insert cash or a credit/debit card, and 30 percent of the sale will go to Council 6730.

Anniversaries: Charles and Betsy Michel (62), Dean and Phyllis Ishmael (61), Andrew and Carol Findish (59), Tom and Maureen Clemmons (54), Andrew and Susan Vrba (51), Harold and Merced Chaffin (30), Teodoro Lopez-Ramirez and Isidira Vicente Vasquez (10)

Smoky Mountain Deanery

Holy Ghost, Knoxville

The annual parish picnic is set for Saturday, May 18. To join a planning committee for the picnic, call the parish office at 865-522-2205.

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville

Lenten lunches at downtown churches continue with a lunch at IC on Wednes-

monastery and celebrate Mass. Time for prayer and reflection is scheduled. In Wieliczka, the group will visit Europe’s oldest salt mine, which UNESCO has listed as a World Heritage Site. The mines are a unique place where many generations of Polish miners have created a world of underground chambers and decorated chapels carved out of salt, including the famous Chapel of St. Kinga. The travelers will celebrate Mass at St. John Paul II Chapel before continuing to Wadowice, the hometown of Pope St. John Paul II, and visit his childhood home, which is now a museum. They will visit the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary, where he was baptized. For more information, contact Lisa Morris at 865-567-1245 or lisam@select-intl.com

Join Father Mike Nolan on a pilgrimage to Egypt including a four-night Nile River cruise Dec. 2-14. Travelers will visit the Christian sites in Cairo, including the Apparition Church, the Holy Crypt, the monastery of St. Simon el Mokkattam, and more. They will fly to Luxor and visit the world’s second-largest ancient religious site of the Temple of Karnak before boarding a riverboat for a four-night cruise. Pilgrims will visit the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile and watch as the ship passes the dam on the Nile in Esna. On day seven, the group will visit the Dam of Aswan and the Temple of Philae, then visit Sakkara, the home of Egypt’s oldest pyramid, constructed around 2650 BC. Travelers will then go on to visit the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, the complex of ancient monuments that includes three pyramids known as the Great Pyramids. Afterward is an excursion to Wadi Natron, where the group will visit ancient monasteries with beautiful frescos and icons and meet with the monks. A sound and light show at the pyramids follows that evening. The pilgrimage will end with a short flight to Istanbul to spend the night before the group embarks on a city tour that includes a visit to St. Sophia Church, Chora Church, and the Church of the Protection of Mother of God. Pilgrims will have dinner aboard the river cruise. Contact Lisa Morris at 865-5671245 or lisam@select-intl.com

Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at noon each Sunday at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville; every Sunday at 8 a.m. at St. Mary Church in Athens; 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. Visit www.KnoxLatinMass.net n

day, March 20. A service will be held at noon, followed by a soup and sandwich meal at 12:30 p.m. St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral hosted a lunch on Feb. 21, Church Street United Methodist Church on Feb. 28, and First Presbyterian Church on March 6.

The women’s group thanked parishioners for donating generously on the weekend of Feb. 24-25 for the Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women’s service project to benefit the Water for Life and the Madonna Plan missions. The women’s group sent $1,300 to help the two missions.

A spaghetti dinner night on Feb. 29 in the parish hall helped support Paulist Father Tim Sullivan’s efforts with the local homeless. Father Sullivan is IC’s assoicate pastor.

Confirmandi: Andrew Calloway, Zayla Christof, Stella Hanna, Catherine Roovers

Sacred Heart, Knoxville

The young-adult group’s events for this year include a sports night at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 11, and kayaking on Saturday, June 15.

The cathedral’s vacation Bible school is set for June 10-14. The theme is “Scuba: Diving into Friendship with God.” Register or learn more at vbspro.events/p/shc

St. John XXIII, Knoxville

The parish thanked all who made its Mardi Gras party a great success this year. A silent auction at the party raised $2,130 for the parish. n

Catholic schools

Two KCHS girls wrestlers place second at state

The young program garners several honors, with Aliya Whaley finishing third at a national event By

Dan McWilliams

The Knoxville Catholic High School girls wrestling team has a short history, but two of its members recorded program-best state-runner-up finishes at the state meet last month.

Senior Rebecca Deyo, competing in the 165-pound class, and freshman Delilah Queen at 138 each won her first three matches before falling in the championship round in the state competition held Feb. 23-24 at the Williamson County Expo Center in Franklin. Senior Gemma Deyo, Rebecca’s sister, at 235 won one match at the state meet. Rebecca (24 points), Delilah (21), and Gemma (three) scored 48 points for the team to help the Lady Irish finish eighth out of more than 80 programs competing.

Another Knoxville Catholic girls wrestler, junior Aliya Whaley, finished third in the 152 class in the National Prep Wrestling Championships at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania as she became the first girl from Tennessee to qualify for the prestigious event.

Jason Hughes is the head coach of the Lady Irish.

“From what I understand, this is the third year that girls have

competed for the high school team. They have had a previous state medalist, fourth in 2022, but this is the highest any girl from the high school has finished in the TSSAA state tournament,” he said. “It is indeed the best finish the Lady Irish program has experienced in its short history.”

Mr. Hughes is in his first year at the helm of the program and said the two second-place finishes in the state meet were “very special.”

“Coming from my alma mater, Maryville High School, where I had established a winning tradition with the youth, boys, and girls programs, to achieve success in my first year is very rewarding,” he said.

Rebecca opened the state meet with a win by fall 46 seconds into the match over Emma Husser of Clarksville. In the quarterfinals, she scored another fall at 2:48 to defeat Marley Harris of Warren County. In the semifinals, she won by fall over Samarah Tafiti of East Ridge at 4:33.

Piper Fowler of Cleveland won by fall over Rebecca at 0:47 in the championship match.

Rebecca had a tough draw for the title tilt.

“Her match was against the now

COURTESY

three-time defending state champion, who also won the under-17 world title in Turkey last summer,” Mr. Hughes said. “The year before, Aliya wrestled against Piper in the finals of the same 165-pound weight class and actually had a lead, although briefly, before getting pinned late in the third period. Piper is the pound-for-pound best high school wrestler in the nation, and we now have two girls who have competed against her in big events.”

The finals loss was just the third defeat for Rebecca this season.

“Becca finishes her senior season with an astounding record of 27-3, with 25 of her wins by pin or forfeit,” Mr. Hughes said. “She is one of our three seniors and just finished her second year of wrestling. I actually coached against her last season but enjoyed watching her growth this season under the tutelage of our staff and fully expect her to continue her career in college over the next few years.”

Delilah won her first-round match at the state meet by a fall at 1:34 over Isabel Dvenas of Spring Hill. The Lady Irish wrestler followed that up with a 9-4 decision in the quarterfinals over Jocelyn Kolozsy of Montgomery Central. Delilah won by a bigger margin in the semifinals, scoring an 11-2 major decision over Brooklyn Whiteside of Clarksville.

Mariana Bowen of West Creek, finishing with a 44-1 record, won by fall over Delilah at 1:24 in the championship round.

“Delilah Queen is a young lady I have had the privilege of coaching since she was a sixth-grader in Maryville City Schools,” Mr. Hughes said. “She was a two-time middle school state champion and has numerous accolades both statewide and national. As a very young freshman, the sky is the limit for her, and I expect her to win multiple state titles before she graduates.”

Delilah rolled up a 31-2 won-lost record this season, “with 28 of her wins by pin or forfeit,” Mr. Hughes said.

Gemma lost in the first round of the state meet on a fall at 3:13 against Samantha O’Leary of Summit. In the first consolation round, Gemma won by medical forfeit over Tyvenoria Munene of Clarksville Northwest. Ashleigh Williams of Stewarts Creek won by fall at 3:33 over Gemma in the second consolation round.

The eighth-place team finish for the Lady Irish in the state meet, also a program record, “was a bit of a surprise since we had only three qualifiers competing in the tournament, and most schools had many more than that,” Mr. Hughes said. “The three who did compete scored a ton of team points for us that allowed the finish to be so high.”

At the national event, Aliya won by fall at 2:37 in the quarterfinals. She lost by a 13-6 decision in the semifinals but won the third-place bout on a fall at 2:14 over Lily Fitzpatrick of St. Paul School in Cut

Wrestling continued on page B10

Rain impacts attendance at sixth Knights Cup

Goals were aplenty in the five collegiate lacrosse games played at Knoxville Catholic High School By

Dan McWilliams

Rain hampered attendance both days at the sixth Knights Cup Lacrosse Tournament on Feb. 9-10 at Knoxville Catholic High School, but those who came to Blaine Stadium saw 125 goals scored in five collegiate games played over the weekend.

Knights of Columbus Council 5207 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus sponsors the event, which benefits the Pregnancy Help Centers of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee.

“The relentless rain over the weekend certainly impacted attendance, but under the circumstances we were dealing with, we did have a respectable crowd,” said event coordinator Tom Ciaccia of the Sacred Heart Knights. “The Knights Cup was a great success from an event organization and management standpoint. The five college games on the schedule were all played—most of the games were highly competitive and exciting for the fans who were there. The middle school jamboree was well attended, and everyone seemed to have enjoyed the experience.”

The total money raised from the Knights Cup brought the all-time total to some $58,000 in six events.

“We’re still paying the final bills and calculating the numbers, but it looks like the event will come in at about $8,000,” Mr. Ciaccia said several days after the Knights Cup. “That is well below what was projected considering the extensive promotional efforts we engaged in and the unique opportunity to showcase this increasingly popular sport at a high level, but given the impact of the weather, it will be considered a success.”

The tournament had two not-soclose games to begin the action Feb.

9. William Penn University easily bested Tennessee Wesleyan University 20-5. In the nightcap, defending NAIA champion Keiser University outscored Missouri Baptist University by an 11-3 count. The Seahawks of Keiser began the season ranked No. 1 in the NAIA.

Three games took place Feb. 10 at KCHS. Tennessee Wesleyan walloped Missouri Baptist 23-8 to open the day’s competition. The game of the tournament was the second Saturday contest, which saw Keiser edge William Penn 13-12 in overtime. That gave the Seahawks their ninth straight win. The college action concluded with the University

of Alabama at Huntsville topping Lincoln Memorial University 16-14.

“Overall, the games were hardfought and competitive,” Mr. Ciaccia said. “These were very good teams we were able to bring to Knoxville. William Penn is their conference champion. Alabama-Huntsville and Lincoln Memorial compete at the NCAA Division II level. So, the Knights Cup brought a high level of

lacrosse competition to Knoxville. It’s very unfortunate that the weather prevented so many people from experiencing this unique event.”

An all-day youth jamboree was held on day two of the Knights Cup.

“Nine middle school teams from Knoxville, Cookeville, Kingston, and Johnson City participated in the instructional preseason jamboree,” Mr. Ciaccia said. ■

Team photo The Lady Irish wrestling team poses at a meet at Science Hill High School in Johnson City. From left are head coach Jason Hughes, Aliya Whaley, Julia Parrish, Gemma Deyo, Sophia Edmands, Delilah Queen, Rebecca Deyo, and assistant coach Kenya Sloan.

Top finishers Lady Irish junior Aliya Whaley (right) placed third and earned All-American honors at the National Prep Wrestling Championships at Lehigh University, becoming the first girl from Tennessee to qualify for the event.

On offense Hayden Harmon (left) of Tennessee Wesleyan makes a pass to teammate Matthew Tullock as a William Penn player puts his stick in the path of the ball. The Iowa team defeated Tennessee Wesleyan 20-5 to open the Knights Cup on Feb. 9.

DAN MCWILLIAMS

COURTESY OF JASON HUGHES

Catholic schools

Notre Dame announces new head football coach

Brent Hill takes over the reins of the Fighting Irish and ‘is excited to join the Notre Dame family’

Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga announced on Feb. 7 that Brent Hill has been appointed head football coach. He was introduced in a press conference in the Michael & Eleanor Miller Theater on Feb. 8.

Previously serving as assistant athletics director and head football coach at North Florida Christian School in Tallahassee, Mr. Hill returns to Chattanooga, where he once pursued his education at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

“This is an exciting new era of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football,” Notre Dame head of school Deacon Hicks Armor said. “Brent has a proven record of building and rebuilding both high school football teams and athletic departments, and more importantly than that: he has cultivated character-driven athletes throughout his career.”

In his two-plus decades of work, Mr. Hill has served in both private and public schools as a teacher, coach, and athletics director. His career began at Briarcrest Christian School in 2001, where he worked under the tutelage of Hugh Freeze, now the head football coach at Auburn University.

“We made a promise to our community that we would search quickly and thoroughly, and we are thrilled to introduce Brent as the school’s next head football coach,” Notre Dame athletics director Brian Gill said. “Brent has built powerhouse offenses from the ground up at every school he’s worked and has been an instrumen-

Bank, Mont.

“Aliya Whaley is another one I have coached since she was a middle-schooler,” Mr. Hughes said. “She is a two-time TSSAA state medalist, sixth in 2022 and second in 2023, from Maryville High School and came to our program this season. Based on her accomplishments from the previous year, she was

Seniors continued from page B3

with a 27-5 record, and Sydney was the tournament most valuable player for the second consecutive year. And it was the fourth time KCHS defeated Webb during the 2023-24 season.

The Lady Irish won the school’s first state championship on March 4. 2023, when they defeated Ensworth 64-59 at Tennessee Tech. They ended the season with a 21-12 record. Sydney was the tournament most valuable player in that game, too.

The Lady Irish made it to the state-championship game in 2021 and lost to Hutchison 41-34 at Tennessee Tech. The team finished that season with a 15-17 record.

For the Kruegers, Caroline’s accomplishments are a continuation of a family legacy started some 70 years ago.

Mrs. Krueger’s father, Herb “Red” Kidd, played basketball for the KCHS Fighting Irish in the 1940s and served as an assistant coach for the girls and boys teams in the 1950s. She fondly remembers her father

Readings continued from page B7

Psalm 8:2, 5-9; Luke 24:35-48

Friday, April 5: Acts 4:1-12; Psalm 118:1-2, 4, 22-27; John 21:1-14

Saturday, April 6: Acts 4:13-21; Psalm 118:1, 14-21; Mark 16:9-15

Divine Mercy Sunday, April 7: Acts

tal part of many facility improvements at every stop.”

While at North Florida Christian School, Mr. Hill compiled a 28-11 record and an offensive juggernaut; in each of the last two years, the Eagles recorded more offensive yards and scored more points than any other team in their classification, and both years the team reached the state semifinals. Before working at North Florida Christian School, Mr. Hill served as athletics director and head football coach at Opp High School in Opp, Ala., where the team broke the school record for points scored in a season three times.

“We are excited to join the Notre Dame family,” Mr. Hill said. “It brings us back to our roots in Chattanooga, and I’m looking forward to building a well-known football program in Division II-AA. Our prayer is to develop young men that make our stakeholders proud!”

In his career, Mr. Hill has led 14 teams to playoff runs, including championships with Evangelical Christian School in Memphis and St. George’s Independent School in Collierville, Tenn.

Mr. Hill and his wife, Betsy, are proud parents of McKinley and Briggs.

At Briarcrest Christian in Eads, Tenn., on Mr. Freeze’s staff, Mr. Hill helped lead the school to a state-runner-up finish in 2002. He also served as director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Briarcrest.

Moving on to Evangelical Christian School in Cordova, Tenn., in 2002, Mr. Hill coached on teams that won a state title in 2006, finished runner-up in 2005, and made the state semifinals in 2004.

At St. George’s Independent School, from 2006 to 2014, Mr. Hill served as athletics director and head coach. His teams there won state titles in 2007 and 2011, finished runner-up in 2010, reached the semifinals in 2012, and made the quarterfinals in 2008 and 2009. He was named TSSAA, Tennessee Sports Writers Association, and FCA coach of the year in 2011. He also served as FCA director at St. George’s.

Moving to Opp High School from 2014 to 2020, Mr. Hill saw his teams win the region in 2014 and 2016 and score the most points in school history three times.

At North Florida, Mr. Hill was named Florida Athletic Coaches Association coach of the year two years in a row, 2022 and 2023. He coached a quarterback who broke a school record with

eligible for competition in National Prep Championships and became the first girl from a Tennessee high school to compete and place in the tournament, earning All American status in the process.”

Aliya finished her junior season “with all of her National Prep Championship wins coming by pin,” Mr. Hughes said. “She was ineligible for TSSAA competition

coaching her and her sisters at the family home in Fountain City when they were young.

She knows her father and mother, Elizabeth “Lib,” would have relished seeing their granddaughter shine on the biggest stage in Tennessee in high school basketball.

“I’m missing him today. He would have loved this, just the legacy of being a coach at Knoxville Catholic. He played at Knoxville Catholic. There are pictures of him at Knoxville Catholic where he is a coach in one and a player in the other. Right before he started coaching, he was a player,” Mrs. Krueger recalled following the state-championship game. “He coached me and my sisters on our little league teams. He liked to be behind the scenes. He was the one coaching us in the driveway.”

Mrs. Krueger’s older sisters also played for the Lady Irish.

“We were figuring the other night, it’s been about 70 years that my family has been involved with Irish basketball, with my dad playing and coaching. So, this is very special for the first time to have back-

4:32-35; Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 John 5:1-6; John 20:19-31

Monday, April 8: Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, Isaiah 7:10-14 and 8:10; Psalm 40:7-11; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38

Tuesday, April 9: Acts 4:32-37;

3,284 passing yards and a 39-to-10 touchdownto-interception ratio. Mr. Hill succeeds Charles Fant as head coach of Notre Dame. Mr. Fant stepped down in January after leading the Fighting Irish program since 2012. ■

due to her transfer from Maryville to KCHS.”

Also competing for the Lady Irish this season were senior Georgia Jenkins and her sister, sophomore Genevieve Jenkins, and freshmen Sophia Edmands, Julia Parish, and Ava Sills.

Mr. Hughes has some help in coaching the Lady Irish.

“I have one girls assistant, Kenya

Sloan, and several of the coaches on the boys team helped out as well,” he said. “Kenya is a former four-time state champion from Hardin Valley Academy here in Knoxville and was a college national champion out of Campbellsville University. I myself wrestled for Maryville High School (1996 graduate) as well as on the varsity NCAA squad at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.” ■

Representing KCHS The Knoxville Catholic High School cheerleaders and an equally enthusiastic group of students supported the Lady Irish at the state-championship game.

to-back state championships for the girls,” she said.

And if you thought the KiddKrueger legacy at Knoxville Catholic High School had come to an end, you are mistaken.

“We’ll have a freshman here at Knoxville Catholic next school year. I don’t know if she’s going to go volleyball or basketball. We’ll see,”

Psalm 93:1-2, 5; John 3:7-15

Wednesday, April 10: Acts 5:17-26; Psalm 34:2-9; John 3:16-21

Thursday, April 11: Memorial of St. Stanislaus, bishop and martyr, Acts 5:27-33; Psalm 34:2, 9, 17-20; John 3:31-36

Mrs. Krueger said.

Kayla Krueger has followed in her mother’s and sister’s and aunts’ footsteps at St. Joseph, where she is in eighth grade this school year.

“I’ve been her coach in basketball. I haven’t coached her in volleyball. I’ve left that to someone else. It will be fun to see what she decides to do,” Mrs. Krueger said. ■

Friday, April 12: Acts 5:34-42; Psalm 27:1, 4, 13-14; John 6:1-15

Saturday, April 13: Acts 6:1-7; Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19; John 6:16-21

Sunday, April 14: Acts 3:13-15, 1719; Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-9; 1 John 2:1-5; Luke 24:35-48 n

BILL BREWER

New Notre Dame coach Brent Hill poses at Jim Eberle Field with wife Betsy.

At the podium Brent Hill speaks at his introductory press conference Feb. 8 as Notre Dame director of communications Will Musto (center) and head of school Deacon Hicks Armor look on.

High-point man At North Florida Christian School, Mr. Hill compiled a 28-11 record with a record-setting offense.

Wrestling continued from page B9