NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE
B section
Bishop celebrates adult confirmation Mass Ninety-one years young John Stramiello is among 65 from across the diocese confirmed at the annual liturgy
BILL BREWER
J
‘Oldest kid I’ve ever confirmed’ Bishop Richard F. Stika confirms 91-yearold John Stramiello at the adult confirmation Mass on June 25. Accompanying Mr. Stramiello is his daughter Giovanna. life is a journey, especially the faith life. Mr. Stramiello can relate. At the age of 91, he may be the oldest Diocese of Knoxville parishioner ever to be confirmed. Mr. Stramiello felt somewhat at home among the adults receiving the sacrament from Bishop Stika, as comfortable as you could feel as the lone nonagenarian amid a confirmandi class dominated by millennials or generations X and Y, a.k.a. Echo Boomers or the Net Generation. But his low-profile presence was quickly exposed by Bishop Stika. “Normally I celebrate confirmation with young women and men, high-
BILL BREWER
ohn Stramiello had compelling reasons for missing his confirmation: the Great Depression and World War II. At a time when most Catholic youth were studying their catechesis in preparation for the sacrament of confirmation, Mr. Stramiello’s family was crisscrossing the United States in search of employment as his father worked to put a roof over their heads and food on their table and his mother worked to care for the family. Then at age 19, Uncle Sam came calling and Mr. Stramiello answered, spending the next two years serving in the Army in the South Pacific during WWII. Life’s journey began early for the cradle Catholic from Brooklyn, N.Y. He had lived in four states and another country by the time he was a teenager. But after a lifetime of regret for never having received the last of three initiation rites (after baptism and first Holy Communion), Mr. Stramiello decided to wait no longer. So on June 25 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Mr. Stramiello joined 64 other adults from around the Diocese of Knoxville gathered for the annual adult confirmation Mass. If everything had gone according to plan and calendar, Mr. Stramiello would have received the sacrament of confirmation in 1941 or 1942. But, as Bishop Richard F. Stika succinctly pointed out in his homily,
‘I’ve received all the sacraments’ Mr. Stramiello kneels before receiving Holy Communion from Bishop Stika.
school age or younger. But I hear a rumor that there’s someone here to be confirmed, who would be the oldest person I’ve confirmed. He’s over the age of 90,” Bishop Stika said. The bishop then pointed out Mr. Stramiello of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville, who received applause. “He’s the oldest kid I’ve ever confirmed.” “That’s why I say life is a journey. It takes us to different places and different moments in life. One of the things that I’ve reminded all of the people I’ve confirmed this season is God doesn’t want us to fail. He doesn’t. God does not want us to fail. If we look at Genesis, Genesis tells us that we’re all created in the image and likeness of God. Now, when I look in the mirror and I see myself, I think ‘is that what God looks like?’ I certainly hope not,” Bishop Stika said. “Life is so precious and beautiful. We’re created in the image and likeness of God. So why would God want us to fail? God loves us so much that he sent Jesus into our life to show that he does not want us to fail. He gives us the gifts, the talents, and all of the experiences of life. Some are quite challenging. Some are crosses to bear. But all of life’s experiences are part of who we are. Life ain’t perfect. I guess that’s why Jesus came into the world just to know what we have to go through as a person, as a part of humanity,” he added.
By Bill Brewer Mr. Stramiello and the other confirmandi personified Bishop Stika’s confirmation Mass message. They are on their own faith journeys and have made the decision to pick up the cross and follow Jesus. “He (Jesus) got together a group of individuals, people just like yourselves. … And if you look at the first followers of Jesus, they don’t look a lot different than us. But they put their trust in Jesus. ‘Jesus, I trust in you,’ they said, when he said, ‘Come and follow me,’” Bishop Stika pointed out. “They followed Jesus. They staked their lives on Jesus.” Bishop Stika described the joy the apostles must have felt as they followed Jesus in those three years of His ministry when He was cheered and beloved, such as when they entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; and the pain they must have felt when Jesus was jeered and taunted amid calls for his crucifixion only a few days later. After Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection and ascension into heaven, the apostles went out into the world spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ. “The rest is history, because we are here today. To me, that is one of the proofs of the Holy Spirit, we are here today, in this church, the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville, Tenn., in the year of our Lord, 2017, despite what has happened to the Church and the world through all the centuries. We are here today,” Bishop Stika said. “Jesus knew the apostles were going to need help. And Jesus knows that we need help. That’s why we have the sacrament of confirmation. The seven sacraments we have as the Church are times when we are touched by Jesus in a particular way, such as baptism or marriage. All seven sacraments are to give us help, to fortify us because God does not want us to fail.” The bishop then told the confirmandi that the same Holy Spirit that came upon the apostles at Pentecost, the same Holy Spirit that comes upon people at baptism or ordinations as bishops or priests, that same Holy Spirit is going to come upon them. “And anytime we open our hearts to God, He touches our life, He fills us up, He gives us help. It might not be Confirmation continued on page B6
Father Julius Abuh presides at his silver-jubilee Mass
P
arishioners of St. Therese in Clinton and St. Joseph in Norris packed the Clinton church July 22 to help their pastor, Father Julius Abuh, celebrate his 25th anniversary in the priesthood. An overflow crowd watched as Father Abuh presided at his silverjubilee Mass. Bishop Richard F. Stika attended in choir. Principal concelebrants were Father John Orr, a former St. Therese pastor, and Father Michael Woods. More than a dozen priests attended, including homilist Father David Carter of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, and master of ceremonies Father Michael Hendershott, who is an associate pastor at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. Monsignor Bill Gahagan, another former St. Therese pastor, also was present. “I just want to thank the bishop,” Father Abuh said during the Mass. “I just want to tell you how grateful I am for the opportunity of allow-
ing me to serve in the diocese and for the opportunity of you being present today, for where the bishop is, there is the Church. So we know that the Church is fully represented today. “To my brother priests, I can’t thank you enough. I understand how busy especially Saturdays can be, for you to leave your parish schedules to be here today. . . . All of you, from wherever you have come from today to be part of this celebration, you have really made my day and made this celebration very, very special.” In his homily, Father Carter compared the priesthood of Father Abuh to the light and trajectory of the moon, which he observed during a recent backpacking trip to rural New Mexico. “There was one night when the moon was full,” Father Carter said. “It rose with a regal silver color and was bright enough to light up the
By Dan McWilliams
DAN MCWILLIAMS
St. Therese and St. Joseph parishioners fill the Clinton church to help their pastor celebrate 25 years of priesthood
In thanksgiving Father Julius Abuh, with Father John Orr at right, celebrates his 25th anniversary of priestly ordination. whole night sky — I wanted to sit in that moment forever — it was so beautiful — sit and stare and wonder I did for a while, but then it moved and went behind a mountain
and out of my sight. I was sad for a moment until I thought, that is what moons do — it wasn’t meant to stay still. It has an orbit that is ordained Father Abuh continued on page B6