Sept. 5, 2021, ET Catholic, B section

NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE

B section A look back at three decades of the newspaper

by Dan McWilliams

Happy 30th to The East Tennessee Catholic ETC staffers have traveled around the diocese and around the world to bring readers the news

Ed’s story Ed is still going strong today. Here, he takes up the story of the ETC’s founding: “Bishop Anthony J. O’Connell was adamant that he wanted the first issue of the diocesan newspaper to come out on Sept. 8, 1991, the third anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Knoxville. That meant I had only two months to create it from scratch.

“After working out my two weeks’ notice at United Press International, we headed for Knoxville where I was to start on Monday, July 1. To meet that deadline, the paper would have to be printed no later than Tuesday night, Sept. 3, and go in the mail Thursday to arrive in homes before Sunday, Sept. 8.

“We drove down to Knoxville over the last weekend in June and moved into the spare bedroom in Mother’s apartment in Maryville.

“On Monday morning, I reported

BILL BREWER

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he East Tennessee Catholic turns 30 years old Sept. 8, and I can’t believe I’ve been around for 22 of those years.

In that time my editors and I have published special issues, gone on exciting trips to other countries, visited every church in the diocese, and turned out hundreds of twice-monthly and later monthly issues with all of the news of the diocese and beyond.

I was hired by ETC founding editor Edgar Miller as the new assistant editor Sept. 1, 1999. Ed retired, and thenassistant April Partin moved up to the editor’s role. April was succeeded as editor by Mary C. Weaver in 2001 and Mary by Bill Brewer in 2012.

Back issues East Tennessee Catholic assistant editor Dan McWilliams looks over the first issue of the ETC from Sept. 8, 1991, in front of a table sporting an array of past issues. to the Chancery to begin work. I knew I had a difficult task ahead.

Even though time was short, I was brashly confident I could do it. Just three years earlier I had redesigned The Oak Ridger and started its Sunday paper. I also designed the prototype of the Spanish-language paper I tried to start in Washington, and I had overseen redesigns of the Chattanooga Times and the Catholic Standard. I knew what had to be done and how to do it. The only difference was that here I was a staff of one. No support staff. Those other successes occurred in functioning news organizations with full facilities and competent staffs.

“Bishop O’Connell had impaneled a task force, headed by Larry DeWine, a parishioner at Immaculate Con-

ception Parish in Knoxville, to plan the creation of the diocesan paper.

Among other things, the task force had chosen the name of the paper, The East Tennessee Catholic. The group had also written a mission statement —‘to inspire the people of the Diocese of Knoxville, to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith, to share that faith, and to enhance community’—and goals—‘build community, educate, evangelize, inform, inspire.’

“I was pleased with both and immediately framed the mission and goals statement and hung it on the wall by my desk as a constant reminder of what I was about.”

Ed found himself in a large office at the Chancery with a computer of the latest model with 80 megabytes of

hard drive and the PageMaker layout program. In those days, the Chancery was located where the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus parish offices are now. A mailing list was assembled, as “I knew that the bishop wanted to mail the paper to every registered Catholic parishioner in the diocese at no charge. He also wanted the paper to be free of advertising, which eliminated another stumbling block for me. But he insisted that I would be the only employee of the paper,” Ed recalls.

In less than two months, Ed had to learn to use PageMaker, find a commercial offset rotary press to print the paper, find a mail service to label and send out the papers, and set up a system to get news from the various diocesan offices and the 20-plus parishes around the diocese. Ed’s wife, Ghislaine, suggested a “parish notes” column that would report on activities in every parish—that column is still around in today’s ETC. Ed also arranged for paid stringers in each corner of the diocese to report news and had to find columnists, including one to comment on the weekly Mass reading. That last job went to Father Gerald Coverdale, OP, of Johnson City and was later held for many years by Father Joe Brando.

Ed also had to settle on a format for the newspaper. He decided on an eight-page tabloid and produced a prototype issue. Alliance Press of Knoxville was chosen as the new paper’s printer.

Sister Mary de Lellis Allison, RSM, of St. Mary’s Hospital became the principal proofreader in those early ETC continued on page B2

St. Stephen, NDHS youth take part in bed build

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outh from St. Stephen Parish and Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga came together July 10 to help children in need who don’t have a bed to sleep on.

Working on behalf of the Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) charity, the young people and adult volunteers made 50 beds in the St. Stephen parking lot.

“Our youth group is small and just getting started. We have about 11-15 currently that come faithfully every week for class,” said Karen Underwood, coordinator of religious education for St. Stephen.

“I believe about six were here that morning, and about four or five Notre Dame families came to fill service-hour requirements. They had also had [a bed build] at the school last fall. We had been advertising to the parish about it as well, and we had many families from our parish that participated with their children.

I think we had about 60 total. It was a great turnout!”

SHP is a nationwide nonprofit charity, but individuals can ask to start a chapter in their own town, Mrs. Underwood said.

“Bob Hirschi started the one that is based here in Chattanooga, and Betsy Childress is his No. 1 assistant and the community liaison,” she said. “He started in February of 2019. They have delivered 1,600 beds and have built 1,900. Those needing beds go online and submit their request. There is a website

with more info [www.shpbeds. org/chapter/tn-chattanooga], and they have a Facebook page as well.

People from the Chattanooga area submit a request on the Chattanooga chapter SHP page for beds, and there is a process for approval. They are only delivered to those in our area.”

SHP “provides the bed frame, mattress, and bedding,” said St. Stephen youth leader Ashlee Mikell.

“They partner with other organizations such as local churches, schools, and businesses to raise the funds for the beds and then help for a day to build the frames. SHP purchases the supplies, and then the organization, such as our youth group, helps with the assembly line of building the beds. After the beds are built, the SHP team delivers and sets up the beds at the homes of those children needing beds.”

Mrs. Mikell said the St. Stephen effort helped fulfill a need for SHP. “When SHP was at our build, they stated they needed 125 beds currently for the requests in the Chattanooga area,” she said. “After a family submits a request for a bed, they receive a visit from SHP to determine the need, and then they are added to a list for a bed. At our bed build, we were able to supply and assemble the frames for 50 of those beds. We raised over $12,000 as a group via help from our parish. We tabled at Masses, advertised in the bulletin, and spread the word to our

By Dan McWilliams

NANCY POWELL

Young volunteers and their families make 50 beds for the Sleep in Heavenly Peace charity to help the needy

Family effort Mom Charity Daan and daughters Faith and Hope volunteer at the bed build. parishioners at St. Stephen’s. We are very thankful for the impact this will have on letting so many kids in our area get a good night’s rest in their own bed. SHP said the most beds they have delivered to one house at a time is eight—it is crazy to think that much of a need exists within our community.”

Ms. Childress was pleased with the St. Stephen bed build.

“The assistant, Betsy, told me several times she thinks this was the most efficient build they have had,” Mrs. Underwood said.

According to SHP’s website, “All children deserve a safe, comfortable place to lay their heads. . . . Across the U.S., too many boys and girls go

without a bed—or even a pillow—to sleep on. These children end up sleeping on couches, blankets, and even floors. This can affect their happiness and health. That’s where Sleep in Heavenly Peace comes in.

We’re a group of volunteers dedicated to building, assembling, and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need. Our organization has grown steadily over time, and we’re working on opening more chapters in different states to serve more people. So many great charities provide clothing, meals, and toys to families in need. But as wonderful as this aid is, few organizations offer suitable Bed build continued on page B8

Praying for Perspective

by George Valadie

The economics of a worldwide pandemic Everything from beer to ink is running low, but so is the most significant item: kindness

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loved teaching high school economics. It was without question my favorite above all the others.

And I’ve taught a few others along the way.

World history, sociology, biology, English, basic computer programming, religion, and even an elective titled Deviant Behavior.

Why so many? Every high school principal shares the same summertime dream. Design a master schedule with every student taking every subject they want with every instructor having background in the field.

Yet it’s a curricular puzzle solved when—and only when—the stars and your staff align perfectly.

So what do you do when such perfection eludes you? You turn to an imperfect solution. And that was me.

On the one hand, I was happy to accept the compliment and the confidence shown in me when my principal would ask, “George, everyone else’s schedule is full, and we don’t have anyone left who knows anything about this . . . will you teach it?”

On the other hand, his occasional requests brought a semester of fear and anxiety. Mine. Causing me to turn to whatever help could be found from textbooks, colleagues, and prayer, lots of prayer. After all, who wants to sound stupid in front of a bunch of teenagers?!

None of our teachers were econ majors when I was first handed that assignment in the late ’70s because the state had just added that subject to its list of graduation requirements.

He noticed Intro to Econ on my transcript and named me the winner. But I’m really glad he did; it’s been my favorite ever since.

I mention it here because current circumstances in our country have flooded my memories with all that time we spent learning the laws of

[Kindness] can’t be bought up; it can’t be used up; it can’t get held up by a crimp in the supply chain.

No, God gave each of us, all 7 billion of us, an unlimited supply. So where’d it go? . . . In our defense, though, we’re frustrated. supply and demand and how they interact with each other in our market economy.

There’s always “give and take” and “back and forth,” but over time consumers and producers generally reach an unspoken balance known as the “point of equilibrium.”

That’s the market’s happy spot, where the amount we’re willing to pay and the quantities we’re willing to buy parallel how much suppliers are willing to stock and sell at that price.

It’s not a flawless process—there are winners and losers, but our economy was kinda rocking along.

Until…

Changes on either side can upset that balance—new inventions, improved production, buyer education, cultural fads, shifting trends.

And when the scales tip one way or the other, the market yields either a surplus or a shortage.

So what’s the economic impact of a worldwide pandemic? You don’t have to be an econ major to know the answer to that.

Technically, both the levels of supply and demand have shifted below the point of equilibrium. Non-technically, it sounds like, “I’m sorry, sir, we’re out of that.”

We understood it when stores ran out of wipes and paper towels. Nancy was hardly the only one wiping down our groceries before I could bring them in the house. (Though the toilet-paper thing remains a mystery.)

When the world ran out of boats and bikes and baking ingredients,

that made sense, too, what with so many folks looking for things to fill up their newly found free time.

But the list of hard-to-find items continues to grow ever longer. And ever stranger.

You’ve read about the shortage of lumber, but a contractor friend says there are no windows to be found either.

My son-in-law says certain brands of beer are hard to find. Apparently, in normal times, it’s restaurants that sell the bulk of the beer, and it’s delivered to them in kegs. However, people sitting at home (and there’s been no shortage of those lately) buy theirs in bottles and cans. Apparently making the beer isn’t the problem, it’s finding enough glass, aluminum, and even ink for their labels.

Who’s ever heard of an ink shortage?!

New cars are dwindling in number because they can’t function without the microchips in short supply. Schools and parents have made it worse by buying up every laptop for at-home work and learning.

Houses and cars are a big deal, but thankfully not all of the shortages are crippling us. My daughter can’t find Capri Sun juice pouches for her kids’ lunches. Ketchup packets are apparently in short supply, too. They’ll live, but it’s getting testy over there.

Every restaurant and fast-food joint is looking for workers. The debate about where they’ve gone has gotten political and ugly. But whatever the reason, my Waffle House down the street now closes at 2 p.m.

And that’s just unacceptable.

Admittedly, Nancy and I drink way too much Diet Coke, but it’s a world gone mad when our favorite convenience store can’t get long straws or plastic lids.

And two weeks ago, in what might be the strangest shortage I’ve

days of the ETC. Bishop O’Connell also “volunteered his services” as a proofreader, Ed says.

“The first issue came out on schedule,” he continues. “Finally, the flats for the first edition were delivered to Alliance Press on Sept. 3, 1991, and the paper would roll off the presses at midnight.”

Over the next eight years, “the story of my life at the ETC was the anxiety of squeezing everything into the upcoming issue, and then turning around and worrying about whether I would have enough for the next one. I always had more than enough,” Ed remembers. “I was correct about the amount of news.

I struggled in each issue to find room for the ‘must print’ stories and pictures.

I don’t think I ever got a complaint from a reader about the ‘ordinary’ look of the paper. I did get comments on how easy it was to read.”

Ed says he “became skilled at pasting up pages, something I had never done before. And I was my own photographer, shooting with a 35-millimeter Minolta camera and getting my film developed at a shop not too far from the office.

“The members of that original Chancery staff under Bishop O’Connell were a remarkable group of people: Andrea Cox, the bishop’s secretary; Linda Taylor, the office manager; Sister Albertine Paulus, RSM, director of the evangelization office; Father (later Monsignor) Xavier Mankel, the vicar general; Paul Terhaar, director of stewardship; Marcus and Glenda Keyes, co-directors of the Office of Justice–Peace–Integrity of Creation (JPIC); Cathy Qualls, director of religious education; Aurelia Montgomery, superintendent of diocesan schools; Jack Kramer, director of Hispanic Ministry; Larry Cool, finance officer; and David Dodson, Catholic Charities.

“Joining the staff after I did were Janie Hennessy, administrative assistant; Father Vann Johnston, chancellor (now bishop of Kansas City–St. B2 n SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

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ETC continued from page B1

Back issues The ETCs through the years include the original 1991 tabloid design (upper left); the first redesign May 12, 2002 (second from top); the expansion to a broadsheet and the debut of front-page color photos on Feb. 22, 2004 (upper right); special issues on Bishop Richard F. Stika’s arrival in Knoxville (bottom left) and on the Eucharistic Congress (second from bottom); two different tabloid designs (top and bottom); and the current broadsheet format (bottom right).

Joseph); Shelby McMillan, receptionist; Father Evan Eckhoff, OFM, director of Adult Christian Living; Terry Torricelli, who replaced Mr. Terhaar as stewardship director; Barbara Daugherty, administrative assistant; and Brigid Johnson, who served as Mrs. Montgomery’s administrative assistant.”

Ed hired a pair of assistants in those early days, including Dan Barile, now deceased, “a great find because he was an accomplished photographer and a fairly good writer,” the ETC

founding editor recalls. April Partin came along as assistant editor in 1995.

Heart problems and an angioplasty in 1994 set Ed back temporarily, but he continued on as ETC editor for another five years.

“In the fall of 1998, Andrea Cox, the bishop’s secretary, called me to say the bishop wanted to see me immediately in his office. I left whatever I was doing at the moment and rushed down the hall to the bishop’s office in the front of the building. Such a summons was unusual since he usually came

w ww.di o k no x .o rg

personally encountered, the waitress announced, “You’re lucky, you got the last order of onion rings. We’re out of them after you get yours.

And we won’t have any more until October.”

Onion rings? October? What in the world is going on?

In a worldwide market with buyers and sellers spanning the globe, it’s easy to understand why a single individual will never move the needle.

But here’s the thing. We—all of us—one by one and one at a time, we absolutely do have the ability to impact what might be the most significant shortage of all: kindness.

It can’t be bought up; it can’t be used up; it can’t get held up by a crimp in the supply chain. No, God gave each of us, all 7 billion of us, an unlimited supply. So where’d it go?

Employees who are working shorthanded, who are bound to enforce rules they didn’t create, who have to tell customers “sorry, we’re out”—those folks are taking a beating. We know it, we hear about it, we watch it, we may even be guilty of it. In person, on the phone, via text and e-mail, they’re getting hammered with cruelty.

In our defense though, we’re frustrated. We’re continually exasperated by a growing number of businesses who promise but don’t deliver, who miss deadlines, who offer lousy service and pitiful excuses.

On a good day, we’re discouraged; we’re infuriated on our worst.

I mean somebody’s gotta hear about this, don’t they?

Or do they?

Dear God—Keep us ever mindful that you forgive us—over and over and over and … Amen. ■ George Valadie resides in Chattanooga and is a parishioner at St. Stephen Church. by my office if he just wanted to chat.

When I arrived, he gave me the stunning news that he had been asked by Pope John Paul II to become bishop of Palm Beach, Fla. He said that after much prayer and thought he felt he had to obey the pope and take the job even though he was reluctant to leave Knoxville.

“It was an emotional moment for me. I had come to admire and respect the bishop as a boss and as a friend for eight years. . . .

“As the wait for the appointment of a new bishop dragged on into 1999, I became increasingly convinced that it would be a good time for me to retire.

I would be 65 in October and eligible for full Social Security benefits and Medicare. Also, I thought it would be better if I announced my retirement before the arrival of a new bishop so that it would not look as if I were resigning because of him.

“Diocesan administrator Father Al Humbrecht had named my assistant editor, April Partin, to succeed me as editor.” When April left the ETC, “Bishop Kurtz asked me to be on the search committee and also to come back temporarily to fill in while he searched for a new editor. I agreed and filled in for a couple of months, working with Dan McWilliams, whom I had hired as assistant editor just before I retired. Eventually, Mary Weaver, whom I had known mainly from the Knoxville Choral Society and other musical groups, was named editor.”

Introducing both Dan and a new bishop I remember Ed’s editorial column introducing me, and in it he called my mother, Lorraine—a longtime member of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville—a “pillar of the Church.”

My mom had shown me Ed’s column in the paper a few weeks before asking for applicants to the assistant’s job, as I had been looking to leave my ETC continued on page B6 TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

Scripture and the Spiritual Life

by Sister Anna Marie McGuan, RSM

Can the existence of evil disprove God’s existence?

If God is all good, why doesn’t He stop people from doing bad things? The answer lies in freedom

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he existence of evil is a common objection to the existence of God, or at least to a personal God who is all-knowing and allgood. How is it possible to reconcile belief in God with the clear evidence of evil and its manifold manifestations? This is a good question, and one that people have been asking for thousands of years (just read through the book of Job in the Old Testament). To answer the question, two related yet distinct ideas must be examined.

The meaning of evil Firstly, it is necessary to establish what exactly is meant by “evil.”

When speaking of evil, it is easy to see it as a force that drives nature or people toward destruction.

However, evil does not exist per se, meaning in and of itself. It only exists in things as a lack of something that should be present. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote: “. . . every being, as such, is good; . . . evil can exist only in good as in its subject” (STh., Q. 49, a. 3). For example, blindness is not something added to the eye; it is the lack of a power that should be there. The eye suffers the deprivation of the good of sight, which is an evil. Sickness is not the addition of a new perfection; it is the lack of health in a body. Hence, a physician works precisely to restore someone to health, the good state the body should be in.

This understanding of evil is important because it immediately rules out the idea that the material world is evil and must be overcome in order for human beings to be happy. That dualistic perception of the world and its origins is at the heart of the Manichean heresy, which lies within the Gnostic tradition. Essentially, the two eternal principles of “good” and “evil” are at war, and all matter is

Hear more from Sister Anna Marie on her podcast, Scripture and the Spiritual Life. seen as evil. This, of course, is in direct opposition to the biblical tradition that precedes it, in which all creation is declared “good,” even “very good,” in Genesis 1. Matter is definitely not evil in the biblical vision.

What about when bad things happen? Physical or natural evil that people experience is the playing out of the laws of the universe, like the earthquake that causes the tsunami that causes the destruction of an island and all the plants and creatures living on it. One the one hand, it is seen as a tragedy. On the other hand, however, how it happened is perfectly logical and can be traced back through the laws of nature. This type of evil can also be quite relative. For example, the lion eats the antelope.

Good for the lion, evil for the antelope. As St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, “Now, the order of the universe requires…that there should be some things that can, and do sometimes, fail” (STh., Q. 49, a. 2).

The existence of evil Secondly, once evil is understood as the privation of a good and not a principle of existence, the idea of free will in rational creatures must be addressed. Moral evil is more nuanced than physical evil, and it is really at the heart of the above-stated question about God. Moral evil refers to the choice by a rational creature to do what he knows is not good, either for himself or for others. In this case, the privation of the good that ought to be there is caused by the choice of the creature. For example, the thief lacks the virtue of justice. The good that ought to be present, namely, the ready disposition to give to each

Thoughts and Prayers for the Faithful

what is due, is lacking. Instead, the thief has an inordinate desire to possessions and violates justice in order to satisfy that desire. A famous line from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn summarizes this perfectly: “Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes . . . right through every human heart— and through all human hearts.” Man, each and every man, chooses to commit moral evil or not. God is not the cause of this type of evil, but He does allow it to exist.

If God is all good—why doesn’t He stop people from doing bad things? This is the conundrum, right? The answer lies in the great value and the goodness of freedom, even when it has gone wrong. Make no mistake—God has explained what freedom is for: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). Or, as St. Paul wrote: “The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:9-10).

Each person has an innate understanding that what St. Paul says is true, and freedom’s true purpose is clear. Yet, if someone makes a bad or a vicious choice, God still permits the choice. The power of goodness and love, latent within the human will, is so great and good, that God will not thwart man’s use of it. He wants humans to choose to love freely—to love him freely, to love the self freely, and to love others freely. He could have created puppets who automatically loved him and could not do otherwise. He did

not. As such, there are adverse consequences to human freedom: sin and the effects of sin.

Sin and evil That is really the crux of the problem. It can be explained metaphysically and in a satisfactory way that evil exists, but God’s seeming absence from the scene right when we need Him fails to satisfy. But, is He absent? St. Augustine said: “For the Almighty God, who, as even the heathen acknowledge, has supreme power over all things, being Himself supremely good, would never permit the existence of anything evil among His works, if He were not so omnipotent and good that He can bring good even out of evil.”

St. Augustine’s argument here is actually the only solution. The existence of evil cannot disprove the existence of God, because evil exists only in something good as in a subject (blindness in the eye, illness in the body) or as part of the lawful order of the universe. Yet, God’s allowance of evil, especially evil freely chosen on the part of people, cannot but bring us to the question of why? To begin to understand this, the nature of human freedom must be appreciated and understood. Freedom is a power for good, not for evil, but it can be misused. God allows this because this is how he created rational human beings—for the good, capable of evil.

He will not go back on his creation.

At the same time, the evil that God permits, will, in His time and purposes, be an avenue from which He brings good. ■ Sister Anna Marie McGuan, RSM, is the former director of the Office of Christian Formation for the Diocese of Knoxville. She also writes for SimplyCatholic.com, a ministry of Our Sunday Visitor. This column originally appeared at SimplyCatholic.com.

by Bob Hunt

The catholicity of the Catholic Church Through every century, the Mass is the same: tell the story, pray the prayers, break the bread

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very so often, I am struck by the catholicity of the Catholic Church. This usually happens when I am attending Mass on an occasion that brings together Catholics from all over the country, such as when I attended the “Mass on the Mall” when Pope St. John Paul II visited Washington, D.C., or when I was in seminary and students from all over the country regularly gathered to celebrate the Eucharist together. I am struck that these people from such disparate places, some having traveled great distances, nevertheless proclaim the same creed, respond with the same responses, perform the same gestures, and pray the same prayers.

I recall once being on retreat in a suburb of Chicago. During a break, a fellow retreatant and I decided to explore the nearby town and search out the local Catholic parish.

We found it and went inside, and there everything was: the altar, the font, the crucifix, the Stations of the Cross. I thought to myself, here I am in this building for the first time in my life, yet I am at home. We saw a man in the back cleaning up and thought that must be the pastor. He

was. We introduced ourselves, and he invited us to the rectory for tea and cookies. There we engaged in a robust conversation about things Catholic, even including purgatory.

I thought to myself how grand is this that men from various parts of the country who had only met moments ago can enjoy a conversation about the faith we share in common.

Recently, another sense of catholicity struck me. I was at Mass reciting the creed with my fellow confreres when the thought came to my mind that, here we are reciting the same creed that Catholics across the centuries have recited. One Lord. One faith. One baptism. So, the catholicity of the Church is more than Catholics of the present age across the globe sharing the one universal faith. The catholicity of the Church extends to all ages, to all the past centuries. We share the faith of the Apostles with those who first heard the Gospel at Pentecost, with those who protected the faith at Nicea, with those who formed the creed at Constantinople, with those who brought the Gospel to Europe, to Asia, to Africa, to the Americas, with all the saints and all the holy men and women of every

age, race, culture, and continent who somehow found their home here, in this Catholic Church.

Consider this description of the Mass by St. Justin Martyr from the middle of the second century: “And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the Apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president [that is, the one who presides] verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who … takes care of all who are in need. But

Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead.”

We gather. We listen to the Word of God. The priest instructs and exhorts us. We pray together. We celebrate and distribute the Eucharist.

We collect money for those in need.

What the Catholics of the middle second century did on Sundays is what we do on Sundays. In St. Justin’s description of the Mass of the middle second century, we recognize the Mass we celebrate today.

Indeed, through every century, the Mass is the same: tell the story, pray the prayers, break the bread.

There is cause for rejoicing here.

The faith and practice of the Church is what unites us across the world and across the ages.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all. ■

Daily readings

146:6-10; James 2:1-5; Mark 7:31-37 Monday, Sept. 6: Colossians 1:24– 2:3; Psalm 62:6-7, 9; Luke 6:6-11 Tuesday, Sept. 7: Colossians 2:6-15; Psalm 145:1-2, 8-11; Luke 6:12-19 Wednesday, Sept. 8: Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Micah 5:1-4; Psalm 13:6; Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 Thursday, Sept. 9: Memorial of St. Peter Claver, priest, Colossians 3:1217; Psalm 150:1-6; Luke 6:27-38 Friday, Sept. 10: 1 Timothy 1:1-2,

12-14; Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 11; Luke 6:39-42 Saturday, Sept. 11: 1 Timothy 1:1517; Psalm 113:1-7; Luke 6:43-49 Sunday, Sept. 12: Isaiah 50:5-9; Psalm 116:1-6, 8-9; James 2:14-18; Mark 8:27-35 Monday, Sept. 13: Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor of the Church, 1 Timothy 2:1-8; Psalm 28:2, 7-9; Luke 7:1-10 Tuesday, Sept. 14: Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Numbers

21:4-9; Psalm 78:1-2, 34-38; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17 Wednesday, Sept. 15: Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, 1 Timothy 3:14-16; Psalm 111:1-6; John 19:25-27 Thursday, Sept. 16: Memorial of Sts. Cornelius, pope, and St. Cyprian, bishop, martyrs, 1 Timothy 4:12-16; Psalm 117:7-10; Luke 7:36-50 Friday, Sept. 17: 1 Timothy 6:2-12; Psalm 49:6-10, 17-20; Luke 8:1-3 Saturday, Sept. 18: 1 Timothy 6:13-

Wednesday, Sept. 1: Colossians 1:18; Psalm 52:10-11; Luke 4:38-44 Thursday, Sept. 2: Colossians 1:9-14; Psalm 98:2-6; Luke 5:1-11 Friday, Sept. 3: Memorial of St. Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of the Church, Colossians 1:15-20; Psalm 100:1-5; Luke 5:33-39 Saturday, Sept. 4: Colossians 1:21-23; Psalm 54:3-4, 6, 8; Luke 6:1-5 Sunday, Sept. 5: Isaiah 35:4-7; Psalm TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

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Bob Hunt is a husband, father, grandfather, and parishioner at All Saints Church in Knoxville and is a candidate for the permanent diaconate.

Readings continued on page B8 SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 n B3

Parish notes Chattanooga Deanery

thanked parishioners for their support.

St. Jude, Chattanooga

The St. Jude Craft Fair will be held Saturday, Nov. 20. Participant forms are now in the church vestibule. Space is limited. Call Kyra for details at 423-870-2386.

Doughnut sales were held Aug. 14-15 to raise funds for youth to attend the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis in November.

The parish Grandparents Room looks like grandma’s attic with all of the baby and children’s things ready whenever friends come for a visit and parishioners are in need of extra things. Mary Ellen Kurtzman, Cathie Fugiel, and Susan Flynn are always there to help out whenever someone needs a crib, a playpen, a highchair playpen, a car seat, or more. Also, items are there for adults, too, like a wheelchair or walker.

In lieu of holding a fall festival, the parish will accept donations. This year’s funds will go toward renovation and repairs of church lighting.

Anniversaries: Milton and Regina Jerabec (72), Roger and Sally Vachon (64), Tom and Pauline Higgins (62), Michael and Judith Byrd (60), Pat and Sara Tripiciano (59), Donald and Patricia Tomek (58), Ed and Romona McCrory (56), Robert and Martha Takac (55), John and MaryAnne Kieck (55), Dale and Sharon Yeager (54), Kenneth and Sharon Tripoli (54), Terrance and Pam Brophy (54), Roland and Jane Wicker (53), Michael and Cheryl Fries (52), Roger and Marcie Soprych (52), William and Judith Sundstrom (52), Keith and Fritz Farber (51), Ken and Pat Neyens (40)

St. Stephen, Chattanooga

St. John Neumann, Farragut

The Knights of Columbus will hold their 31st-anniversary Memorial Charity Golf Tournament on Saturday, Sept. 11, at Brainerd Golf Club. The tournament is in memory of deceased Knights Melvin Downs, Jim Reardon, Ted McDermott, Tony Damiano, past Grand Knight Ed Warwick, and Bill Courter. The tourney begins with an 8 a.m. shotgun start and is a four-person select-shot event.

Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. Cost is $85 per player and includes green fee, a cart, lunch, door prizes, and two mulligans. Prizes will go to the top three teams and those with the longest drive and closest-to-the-pin shots in men’s and women’s divisions. There will be a $10,000 hole-in-one prize.

Proceeds benefit the Notre Dame High School Scholarship Fund and other charitable causes. To enter or sponsor, e-mail Ron Schleifer at holyfamily6099@epbfi.com.

Father Joe Reed presented personal Bibles as gifts from the Knights of Columbus to sixth-graders at St. John Neumann School on Aug. 17.

The Knights held a luau Aug. 14 featuring a Hawaiian-themed meal, soft drinks, desserts, and entertainment.

Proceeds benefited the Knights’ Wheelchair Mission.

The Council of Catholic Women held its annual yard sale Aug. 6-7.

Troop 172 invited all St. Jude families to a Scout Field Day on Aug. 14. The event featured a cookout lunch, raft building, paracord crafts, fire building, and other Scout skills.

St. Mary, Athens

Anniversaries: John and Rosemary Laliberte (59), Laurence and Sandy Schnur (58), Jim and Ann Simms (52)

COURTESY OF JANET GRAY (2)

The St. Jude Parish Trivia Night is set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, in Siener Hall. Teams may compete for top prizes of $500, $300, and $200. Cost is $150 per table up to eight per team and includes dinner, drinks, desserts, and door prizes. Register by Wednesday, Sept. 22. Call Kyra at 423-8702386 to learn more or to help out at the event.

St. Alphonsus CCW welomes Father Schuster to the parish The Council of Catholic Women of St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville hosted a meet-and-greet to welcome new parochial administrator Father Mark Schuster to the parish and to celebrate the feast day of St. Alphonsus Liguori on Aug. 1 after the 11 a.m. Mass. In the top photo, Father Schuster cuts a cake as CCW members and parishioners look on. With Father Schuster are Mary Geahan, CCW president-elect; Kathleen Kelly, CCW spirituality director; Carlo Sanchez, parishioner; and Donna Gocella, former CCW president. In the bottom photo are other members of the CCW who helped with the meet-and-greet. From left are Mary Decman, Lisbeth Doyle, and Charleen McMahan, former CCW president.

The Knights are sponsoring a Soccer Challenge during the SJN fall festival Sunday, Sept. 19, on the fields behind the church. Players ages 9 to 14 can demonstrate their skill at making a penalty kick. Winners will progress through district and state competitions. For additional information, contact Mike Pagel at 423-557-5268 or mapagel79@gmail.com.

The parish congratulated Roger Greico, Vejas Lielevicius, Connor Scoggins, Gary Shurina, and Garrett Swartwood for receiving their Third Degree of Knighthood on Aug. 14.

St. Joseph, Norris

St. Therese, Clinton The Council of Catholic Women’s annual rummage sale is scheduled for the first weekend in October.

Five Rivers Deanery

TIM SHAW

A Walking With Purpose Bible study is meeting from 7 to 8:30 p.m. beginning Thursday, Sept. 9. The 22-week foundational course is designed for women who are new to Walking With Purpose as well as those with more Bible study experience. For more information, call Kristen Calloway at 423-544-7188.

Scripture from Scratch: Introduction to the Bible features four-week sessions with video and discussion beginning at 12:45 p.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 8, in Sheehan Hall. This topic continues every Wednesday to Sept.

29. Registration is required—cost is $10. October’s topic is the Old Testament, starting Oct. 27 and continuing to Nov.17. The New Testament will be discussed Jan. 5 to 26, and the Gospels start March 9 and finish March 30.

For information, contact Kathy Fitch at 931-287-0644. This is an adult faithformation program.

Youth confirmed at Notre Dame Church The sacrament of confirmation was celebrated at the 11 a.m. Mass on May 23 at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville on the feast of Pentecost. From left are (seated) Father Joseph Kuzhupil, MSFS, and Deacon Wil Johnson; (second row) Collin Frost, Monse Perez-Vargas, Xyzelle DeLaTorre, Kimberly Valerio, and Diego Vazquez; and (third row) Susan Collins, director of religious education, Diana Vazquez, Jacsiri Sanchez, Alondra Martinez, Yovany DeLaTorre, Juan Reynoso, Luna Rosales, Riley Castro, and Betsie Ramirez.

Cumberland Mountain Deanery Holy Trinity, Jefferson City Blessed Sacrament, Harriman

The parish thanked everyone who contributed to the baby-bottle campaign for Life Choices Resource Center. Blessed Sacrament was the top church for fundraising out of the seven churches that participated in the drive.

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade The social-action committee has been busy sponsoring the “Box of Joy” Christmas gifts again this year for the children of the Kobonal Mission in Haiti. They exceeded last year’s (shoebox size) of 300 gifts to 380 for this year’s Christmas in July collection from parishioners. Some of the suggested small items collected were school supplies, personal things, a rosary, a cross, a flashlight, hair ribbons, small toys, card games, flip flops, and sunglasses. Father Meaux and his children B4 n SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

At the meeting of Holy Trinity Knights of Columbus Council 12838 in July, the Knights elected their new officers for the 2021-22 fraternal year. Officers installed were Dave Orzechowski, Grand Knight; Joe Fromme, deputy Grand Knight; Gregory Foreman, financial secretary; Bob Rave, chancellor; Joe Braschler, recorder; Erik Perry, treasurer; Tom Wissemann, advocate; Ralph Holt, warden, Bob Root, inside guard; and Bill Jurkonie, outside guard. The board of trustees includes Joe Frinzi, Gene Dunn Jr., James Hernandez, and Chris Weatherbie, lecturer. To join the Holy Trinity Knights, call Mr. Dunn at 631-848-9435.

Anniversary: Mark and Patricia Simmons (50) Newcomers: Michael and Edda Cammick, Joan MacDonald, Mark Pettenati

VERONICA SANDOVAL (2)

Parishioners prayed a fifth-Sunday rosary before the vigil Mass on Aug. 28 and before the Sunday Mass on Aug. 29.

Surprise for Father Hendershott Parishioners of Holy Ghost in Knoxville threw a surprise birthday party for associate pastor Father Michael Hendershott on July 10 and held a friendly soccer game in his honor. Father Hendershott celebrated his birthday July 16.

Notre Dame, Greeneville The parish is holding a Welcome Back Parish notes continued on page B8 w ww.di o k no x .o rg

TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

A Bishop’s Very Special Day for children and adults with special needs and their families will take place at 2 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 25, at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The event will include music, crafts, games, and photo opportunities, and will conclude with a parade through the parking lot and Mass with Bishop Richard F. Stika presiding. See the story on page A6 for more details.

The next Picture of Love engagedcouples retreat is scheduled for 6:45 to 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, and 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga. This marriage-preparation program for engaged couples explores the joys and challenges of living out life together as a married couple with special focus on the importance of inviting Jesus to be the center of marriage and family life. The retreat is to supplement couples’ marriage formation process with their parish priest or deacon.

The cost is $135 per couple, and the experience will qualify couples for a $60 discount on a Tennessee marriage license. Snacks, a continental breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.

Participants are responsible for their own overnight accommodations if needed. For more information, e-mail kbyrne@dioknox.org or call Karen Byrne at 865-584-3307 or visit https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/picture-of-loveprogram-for-engaged-couples-registration-100134689552.

The Knoxville chapter of Tennessee Right to Life is again having a display, including models of preborn babies, during the 10 days of the Tennessee Valley Fair from Sept. 10-19 in Knoxville. TRL will also have a booth at the annual Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge from Sept. 24-26. To help with either of these outreaches, contact the TRL office at 865-689-1339 or trlknox@ prolifeknox.com.

The National Catholic Youth Conference is coming to the diocese with the first-ever local NCYC celebration Nov. 18-20 at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport. The event includes livestreaming of the NCYC general and break-out sessions, live music onsite, a thematic park on the grounds, a reflection and discussion guide for small groups, NCYC and Diocese of Knoxville keepsakes, sleeping on classroom floors, meals, and service activities. In a distinctly Catholic setting, the organizers invite participants to encounter Christ, experience Church, and be empowered for discipleship. Cost is $175 plus $10 for transportation from Knoxville or Chattanooga. To register or download a flyer, visit dioknox.org/events/ncyc2021.The medical/permission form is due to Karen Byrne at kbyrne@dioknox. org no later than Friday, Oct. 22.

TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) Homeschool Support Group is a Catholic homeschool support group in Knoxville and surrounding areas that is recognized by the diocese as a Private Association of the Faithful. The group supports one another as families who choose to educate their children at home in order to live, teach, and preserve their Catholic Christianity. The group celebrates Mass together and has a monthly holy hour; has regular park gatherings, field trips, and feast day celebrations; offers faith-based small groups for children, teens, and adults, as well as many other activities. For more information, contact Lenore Pacitti at lmgouge@gmail.com or 865-684-6358, or Sarah Bryant at jsbry412@gmail.com or 865-742-3534.

Catholic Charities is hosting a Rachel’s Vineyard healing and recovery retreat the weekend of Sept. 24-26 at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center, 250 Locke Lane in Benton, for those experiencing emotional or spiritual difficulties from a past abortion or abortions. Complete confidentiality is honored at all times. The deadline for registration is Sept. 17. 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. All COVID-19 restrictions will be followed during the retreat.

St. Henry Knights install new officers Knights of Columbus Council 8860 at St. Henry Church in Rogersville held its installation of new officers for the fraternal year July 19. The presiding official was district deputy Michael Opiela accompanied by district warden Greg Oparyk. Also present was state chaplain Father Bart Okere (pictured above), pastor of St. Henry, who was installed as the council chaplain. Grand Knight Bill Hewitt stands at front-left. Following the ceremony, officers and guests convened in the hall for a celebratory dinner.

ELIZABETH CONWAY

The RCIA Fall Conference, themed “Back to Basics,” will take place at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept.

18, with a Mass at 8:05 a.m. Members of RCIA teams as well as sponsors are encouraged to participate. Speakers include Sister Moira Debona, RSM, and Father Randy Stice. View a flyer with the day’s schedule at https://dioknox.org/documents/2021/7/Fall%20 Conf%2021%20Flyer.pdf. Register at dioknox.org/rcia-conference. Cost is $15—pay on the day of the conference or mail to Diocese of Knoxville, 805 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville, TN 37919.

Make checks payable to “Diocese of Knoxville” and include “RCIA Conference” in the memo line. Participants may also register by contacting Sister Peter Miriam Dolan, RSM, at srpeter​ miriam@dioknox.org.

The 35th Shamrock Open benefiting Knoxville Catholic High School will take place Friday, Sept. 10, at Avalon Golf & Country Club in Lenoir City.

Morning and afternoon flights begin at 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Registration is $125 per player or $500 per team and includes a round of golf, lunch, a Gametime Sidekicks tumbler, a goodie bag, and beverages. Last year’s event raised more than $50,000 to support KCHS families impacted by COVID-19.

This year’s event will support academic programs and school technology. Register or become a sponsor at www. knoxvillecatholic.com/shamrock-open/.

For more information, contact Megan Erpenbach, director of alumni and events, at 865-560-0509 or megan.erpenbach@knoxvillecatholic.com.

Youth makes St. Joseph table for Holy Spirit Church Holy Spirit Church in Soddy-Daisy was recently presented a special gift—a St. Joseph table—made by a young man, Brock Barasha, who is becoming a carpenter with the help of his father, Aaron Barasha. The wood is guessed to be about 100 years old, left where a shed once stood on their property. Recognizing the quality and instead of burning it, Brock used the wood to build the table and presented it to the church, honoring the carpenter and earthly father of Jesus.

The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends are set for Sept.

24-26 and Nov. 5-7 in Suwanee, Ga. Apply online at GATN-wwme.org, call 678-242-WWME, or e-mail applications@GATN-wwme.org. Also, WWME has a focused program for couples with a spouse in the military. Information can be found at www.foryourmilitarymarriage.com.

Glenmary Father Steve Pawelk will lead a pilgrimage to Mexico from Oct. 1827, visiting the shrines of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Sanctuario de Santo Toribio Romo, built for one of the 25 Mexican martyrs who was martyred during the persecution of the Church in the 1920s. Pilgrims will explore San Juan De Los Lagos, which is famous for its Basilica of the Virgin of San Juan de Los Lagos, the mission churches established by St. Junipero Serra founded in the Sierra Gorda region of Mexico, and the Guanajuato statue of “Cristo Rey,” which is the world’s second largest statue of Christ the King. For more information, contact Lisa Morris at 865-567-1245 or lisam@ select-intl.com.

Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at noon each Sunday at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville; every Sunday at 8 a.m. at St. Mary Church in Athens; at 2 p.m. each Sunday at St. Mary Church in Johnson City; at 6 p.m. most Thursdays at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge; and at 11:30 a.m. every Sunday at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. For more information, visit www.KnoxLatinMass.net.

The St. Thomas the Apostle Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic Mission located at 2304 Ault Road, Knoxville, TN 37914 meets for Divine Liturgy every first, second, and fourth Sunday at 3 p.m. All services are in English. Call Father Richard Armstrong at 865621-8499 or visit www.facebook.com/ SaintThomasKnoxville/ for more information. n

COURTESY OF HENRY USEY (2)

“A Gathering of Church: A Welcome Home Celebration Across the Diocese of Knoxville” is set for Saturday, Sept. 11. Many parishes in the diocese have the opportunity to gather that day for prayer, adoration, fellowship, and two live webinars from keynote speaker Gus Lloyd, radio host and Catholic evangelist. There is no need to travel—Mr. Lloyd’s presentations will be livestreamed to your church. The theme of Mr. Lloyd’s presentations will focus on the need to return to Mass in person so that parishioners may focus on the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

COURTESY OF BILL HEWITT

Calendar

Veterans’ memorial blessed at OLPH-LaFollette Monsignor F. D Grady Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Assembly 1083 recently provided veterans’ memorials for its four parishes: Our Lady of Perpetual Help in LaFollette, and the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, All Saints, and Immaculate Conception in Knoxville. From left in the top photo are treasurer Tom Roth of OLPH Knights Council 16907, a veteran; Hilario Santiago, OLPH council; Grand Knight Nathaniel Morton, OLPH council, and an Assembly 1083 trustee; David Stanton, District Deputy 18 and comptroller for Assembly 1083, a veteran; Bob Folck, OLPH parishioner, a veteran; Henry Usey, faithful navigator of Assembly 1083; recorder Andy Pungratz, OLPH Council, a veteran; deputy Grand Knight Jerry Lawson, OLPH council, a veteran; and Knights past State Deputy Michael McCusker, a veteran. In the bottom photo, OLPH pastor Father Sam Sturm blesses the monument at his church.

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 n B5

ETC continued from page B2

old post in Clinton, where I was the sports editor.

My first front-page story in the ETC appeared in the Sept. 26, 1999, issue, and it was on the diocesan Youth Mass.

One morning in October 1999, I came to work and found the ETC door closed. Inside, as I found, Ed and April were hard at work pounding out press releases. Why? We had just learned that a priest from Pennsylvania, Monsignor Joseph E. Kurtz, would be our new bishop.

That resulted in April, who in her assistant-editor days went to Ireland for an ordination, taking a trip to the Keystone State to gather information for stories and take photographs of Bishop-elect Kurtz and his coworkers in his parish. All of that content wound up in a large special section we did announcing our new shepherd.

One day in November 1999, April and I shadowed Father Al Humbrecht—who has served as diocesan administrator both times the diocese has been between bishops—as he went to McGhee Tyson Airport to meet Bishop-elect Kurtz on his first visit to Knoxville. April and I followed Father Al inside the airport until he came to the intersection of two hallways. Bishop-elect Kurtz came around the corner after leaving his plane, and the first person he saw in the Diocese of Knoxville was me.

April left the ETC in 2001 to pursue a teaching career, and Mary C. Weaver followed her in the editor’s chair.

Mary’s memories Mary describes her arrival and years at the newspaper: “I heard about the editor’s job opening at choir practice one night, and two friends suggested I apply for the job. I had been self-employed as a writer and editor for 12 years and wasn’t interested in an office position. Nonetheless, the idea started to grow on me, and a week or so later, I applied for the vacancy.

“After speaking with then-Bishop Kurtz and then-Father Vann Johnston, I decided I really wanted to work for the Church and use my skills for the diocese. I ended up staying for nearly 12 years and have always been grateful to Bishop Kurtz for hiring me. It was an honor to serve him and later Bishop Stika.

“After coming on board, I believed it was time to redesign the ETC. A designer friend of mine, Tom Russell, now deceased, did the redesign for nothing, and that was great because we couldn’t have afforded him. He gave the paper an updated but classically beautiful look. Some years afterward, my friend Carol Rumbolt—another excellent professional designer—created another beautiful design for us. By that time we’d been given a budget to update both our print edition and website.

“When I was hired in 2001, our website hadn’t been updated in 18 months. So one of my priorities was to upload all that missing newspaper content. Our assistant Dianne Lebert, hired during my first year, spent a lot of time adding content and then keeping the site updated. After Dianne left, Margaret Hunt joined us and also did a great job on the website, the mailing list, and more.

“My favorite ETC issues were those Dan (McWilliams) and I produced when Pope St. John Paul II died and Pope Benedict was elected. We worked an all-nighter to get the Pope John Paul II edition to press on time.

Another favorite was the gigantic edition we produced when Bishop Stika was named as our new bishop. Dan worked especially hard on that one, traveling to St. Louis, taking photographs, interviewing lots of people, and writing thousands of words. That issue won a Catholic Press Association second-place award.

“It was a pleasure having the opportunity to travel around the diocese, meet so many Catholics, and hear so many stories about great things happening in East Tennessee.

My favorite events were the priestly ordinations, and I’ve always encouraged people to go to ordination Masses. Our churches are rarely full for those occasions, but they are truly memorable and beautiful.

B6 n SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

(and I think only) time I’ve seen a bishop do that.

Mary and I are friends of now 20 years standing, and we often text or e-mail each other, usually with a humorous angle to each communiqué.

Margaret Hunt, our former longtime office assistant, also remains a good friend.

Vol. 1, No. 1 The first issue of the ETC, an eight-page tabloid designed and laid out by Ed Miller, is dated Sept. 8, 1991.

“The most significant trip I made was in 2005, when I went to Guanajuato, Mexico, for the priestly ordination of Father Manuel Pérez.

The entire village turned out for his special day, and the celebration went on all weekend. The church was very simple, and the community wasn’t materially wealthy, but the Mass was gorgeous and reverent, with a large choir and lovely choral music. Before Mass there was a solemn procession with many men and women in traditional costumes and riding on horseback, clouds of incense, and hundreds of townspeople. It seemed to me that this community really knew how to celebrate the gift of a priestly vocation.

“Working at the ETC gave me the opportunity to work with many dedicated, talented people. At the top of that list is Dan McWilliams, assistant editor. Dan is a highly gifted writer and editor but also one of the smartest, funniest, best individuals I know.

“I left the ETC in 2012. About a year later I was hired as communications director for the Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province. I spent seven years with them.

“I had been a volunteer in the music program at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville since my Pope Benedict XVI Schola relocated there in 2009. A year ago I was hired as music director for the parish. Sacred music has been my avocation for many years, so it’s a great gift now to continue serving the Church while doing something I love so much.”

Red ink and green ink Mary was and is a layout and editing maven. She made sure every font was just right and that every line of type aligned with the baseline grid (meaning, for example, that the third line on page 2 would be exactly across from the third line on page 3), and she almost never let an editing error slip by her.

She and I developed our own comedy routines that we still use today.

Under Mary, I began to have a little fun when we proofread a new issue.

I would make all of my serious corrections in red ink but would write humorous “corrections” in green ink so that Mary would know not to take them seriously.

Once we published a letter to the editor that contained the sentence “The lion is circling—who will come after us?” The writer meant what generations will succeed ours in tackling whatever crisis he was writing about. But I took “who will come after us” literally. So I wrote in green ink in the margin “the lion.” That drew a cackle from Mary, one of my favorite sounds.

Whenever Satan was mentioned or hinted at in our proofs, however, I used red ink to draw a little devil’s head complete with horns. It’s a shame none of these masterworks of art survive. That’s recycling for you.

Mary and I used to cover the JPIC Office’s Justice Days, which featured some unusual guest speakers. One was Father John Dear, and he made a comment that pro-life activists would be better served campaigning against nuclear weapons. Bishop Kurtz, sitting in the audience, a staunch prolife supporter (as all our bishops have been), stood up and gently criticized Father Dear for that remark. I’ve always remembered that—it’s the first

Travels with Bill Bill Brewer followed Mary as editor in 2012 and quickly mastered the layout. I still marvel at how he makes stories jump to another page and squares off the jumps on their new pages amid photographs and other stories. Bill was already an excellent writer after his many years at the Knoxville News Sentinel, and he cranks out several stories for each issue of the ETC. Bill and I often do “team coverage” of events. We both ride to out-oftown locales, usually with Bill driving. When we return, I frequently say that it’s been another “Bill and Dan Excellent Adventure.”

With Bill, I’ve been to Holy Spirit Church in Soddy-Daisy, St. Mary in Johnson City, and many more churches and schools. Our most recent trips were to Chattanooga for the exhumation and transposition of the remains of Servant of God Father Patrick Ryan, featured in our August issue this summer.

I’ve developed a theory over the years in my travels about the diocese: our rural churches serve the tastiest meals. I still recall a great buffet meal around 2001 at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Mountain City in our diocese’s northeast corner. It was an anniversary event for the late Father Tom Vos, OFM. Poor Bishop Kurtz had to leave that late-morning event early to make it to St. Jude Church in Chattanooga for an early-evening function, a trip of some 260 miles or more across our vast diocese.

Priests and sisters I’ve known; avoiding typos I’ve gotten to meet so many dedicated priests over the years. The one lasting memory I have of most of them is how nice they are and how kind they have been to me.

I’ve known diocesan legends, like Monsignor Philip F. Thoni and Monsignor Xavier Mankel. Monsignor Thoni said his initials stood for “pray for Thoni.” He served everywhere, including in the military, and came out of retirement several times.

Monsignor Mankel was the master of local Church and city of Knoxville history. He lived through many of the most important events in the history of the dioceses of Nashville and Knoxville and was often a concelebrant at the most significant Masses.

But I remember him fondly as our ETC proofreader. With his faithful proofreading assistant—his centenarian mother, Willia—he would turn up about sundown on the day before press day, proof our whole paper, and leave it for us to find the next day. There was no liturgical error that could slip by him in our news stories.

Once, in my pre-Catholic days (pre-2003), I made an assumption on an obituary (“last writes,” as a punny cruciverbalist once described them) that was false. I automatically substituted “funeral Mass” for “funeral service,” even though the service was at a funeral home, where a funeral Mass cannot be held. Monsignor Mankel noticed the error in proofing but didn’t mark it. He remembered it the next day—press day—and called us frantically to get us to correct it.

However, we had already sent the paper to the printers, and the mistake made its way into the newspaper.

I still remember that mistake after more than 18 years and a few others.

Mistakes live forever in print. Bill and I take great pains to avoid them.

We proofread our copies and take the pages dripping with red ink to our keyboards and make the corrections.

Then we run a spell-check, which often finds a few more mistakes.

After that we print the pages again and look them over on a table, and we always find many more things to correct there. Then we finally upload the pages to our printer, the Knoxville News Sentinel, via FTP. Even at that point, we occasionally find a mistake

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Welcoming a bishop The ETC’s March 22, 2009, edition was a special multi-section issue with stories on then-new Bishop Richard F. Stika. and have to yank a page and substitute it with a correct one.

One priest, the recently retired Father Patrick Resen, took me down a few notches after I told him of a compliment I had received. A woman at my church told me I was handsome, and when I relayed this to Father Resen, he said, “Did you know she’s going blind?” When some people passed

by Father Resen in our office once and asked him if he would join them, he said, “Why, are you coming apart?”

Other priests I’ve known who have been so nice to me include Fathers Eric Andrews, CSP, David Boettner, Joe Brando, Frank Brett, Patrick Brownell, Charlie Burton, Joe Campbell, David Carter, Mike Creson, Michael Cummins, John Dowling, Jim Haley, CSP, Jim Harvey, Paul Hostettler, Augustine Idra, AJ, Pete Iorio, Michael Jennings, Chris Michelson, Tom Moser, John O’Neill, John Orr, William Oruko, AJ, Mark Scholz, Ragan Schriver, Brent Shelton, Sam Sturm, Jim Vick, Alex Waraksa, and Dan Whitman and Monsignors Bill Gahagan, Pat Garrity, Bob Hofstetter, Al Humbrecht, and George Schmidt, as well as Bishop Vann Johnston. I know I’m leaving out a few. Some of the above have gone on to their heavenly reward.

Like Mary, I’ve enjoyed covering priestly ordination Masses, and I’ve been fortunate to attend more than 30 of them, as well as a similar number of ordinations to the transitional diaconate. It’s wonderful to interview the young men (and sometimes not-so-young men) after their ordination and to experience their excitement over their vocation. The birth of a new parish is also an enjoyable story to write. And I can’t forget the bishop ordination and installations of Bishop Kurtz in 1999, Archbishop Kurtz in 2007, Bishop Stika in 2009, and Bishop James Vann Johnston Jr. in Springfield, Mo., in 2008.

I’ve also met many wonderful men and women religious over the years. I’ll never forget Sister Albertine and Sister Martha Naber, both now-retired Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. When my dear mother was in her last days and occasionally a patient at St. Mary’s Medical Center, founded by the Sisters of Mercy, Sister Albertine and Sister Martha would visit Mom on their rounds.

Mom was always cheered by those visits, and they continued when she moved to an assisted-living center.

Dominican Sisters and Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich., are among many other women religious who have been a delight for me to know.

They often contribute to the ETC with their knowledge of the Church and with story ideas.

Glenmary Brother Craig Digmann, now serving elsewhere, was one of my favorite interview subjects. He was a tireless advocate for the local Church in Hancock County, and he took me on a tour of his stops in Sneedville, including our tiny St. James the Apostle Church there, for an ETC Magazine story in 2019.

I also enjoy working with my Chancery cohorts, including the above-mentioned Janie Hennessy, Paul Simoneau, ETC continued on page B9 TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

JERRY DOUGHERTY (2)

COURTESY OF DAVE JOHNSON

Catholic schools

Boys winners Winning state championships in the boys division at the Knights’ free-throw contest were (from left) Nicholas Kaczmerek, Ben Grove, Jonas Reynolds, Carter Kent, Carson Dunn, and Conrad Wright. In back are (from left) Dan Hanley, John Beatie, David Zwissler, Alan Stanley, and Tex Shellhart.

GABRIELLE NOLAN

New troop at St. Mary-Oak Ridge Boy Scout Troop 325 was activated recently at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge. The troop practices authentic Catholic values and traditional Scouting. To learn how to be a part of the troop, call the parish office at 865-482-3577. Adults pictured above are Sister Marie Blanchette Cummings, OP, former principal of St. Mary School; Father Brent Shelton, St. Mary pastor; Scoutmaster Dave Johnson; Aaron Bell; Steve Metz; Bob Weiskopf; and David Johnson. Scouts pictured are Isaac O’Rourke, Davey Johnson, Ian Griffis, Noah Metz, and Ben Bell.

Girls winners Girls division state champions in the Knights’ contest were (from left) Ava Russian, Miley Uy, Carla Wingo, Megan Frana, and Adriana Shick. In back are (from left) Dan Hanley, John Beatie, David Zwissler, and Alan Stanley.

Knights award state championships in free-throw shooting competition

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Back-to-school time Diocese of Knoxville elementary and middle school students started back to school Aug. 5. Above, from top to bottom, are students at St. Joseph School in Knoxville, St. Mary School in Oak Ridge, St. John Neumann School in Farragut, and Sacred Heart Cathedral School in Knoxville.

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Council 4972, Donelson ; and Ava Russian, 14-year-olds, Council 9317, Lakeland.

Runners-up were Leah Russian, 9-year-olds, Council 9317, Lakeland; RheaLee Haunhorst, 11-yearolds, Council 8781, Knoxville; Mary Pagel, 12-year-olds, Council 8781, Knoxville; and Georgia Forbes, 14-year-olds, Council 4972, Donelson.

Each contestant was allowed 25 free-throw attempts in the contests.

Ties were settled by successive rounds of five free throws per contestant until a winner emerged.

Each of the winner’s results will be sent to the Supreme Council for National Finals competition. The Knights of Columbus thanked all of the boys and girls who participated in the event.

Special thanks went to the following Knights who helped make this year’s event a success: state youth director John Beatie, state program director Alan Stanley, state community director Dan Hanley, state warden David Zwissler, district deputy for Middle Tennessee Tex Shellhart, event photographer Jerry Dougherty, local youth director John McNicholas, and Norbert Braunwalder, Mike Wortman, Bill Strebel, Bill Wright, Matt Owens, and Jack Schultz. n

COURTESY OF LAURA GOODHARD

STEVE COY

EMILY BOOKER

JIM WOGAN

he results are in from the Knights of Columbus Tennessee State Free Throw Championships held recently at the St. Rose of Lima gym in Murfreesboro.

Nineteen boys and girls from across the state participated in and were recognized at event. Six boys and five girls, ages 9 to 14, were named state champions at the competition. Marion Council 4563 in Murfreesboro hosted the event.

Boys winners were Conrad Wright, 9-year-olds, from St. Joseph, Madison; Carson Dunn, 10-year-olds, Council 12256, Nashville; Carter Kent, 11-year-olds, Council 4563, Murfreesboro; Jonas Reynolds, 12-year-olds, St. Joseph, Madison (a three-time winner); Ben Grove, 13-year-olds, Council 4972, Donelson; and Nicholas Kaczmerek, 14-year-olds, Council 8781, Knoxville.

Runners-up were Sam Chady, 10-year-old boys, Council 8781, Knoxville; Logan Allen, 11-year-old boys, Council 8781, Knoxville; and Daniel Zubillaga, 14-year-old boys, Council 4972, Donelson.

Girls winners were Adriana Shick, 9-year-olds, St. Joseph, Madison; Megan Frana, 10-yearolds, Council 8781, Knoxville; Carla Wingo, 11-year-olds, St. Joseph, Madison; Miley Uy, 12-year-olds,

All Class Bash at Notre Dame High School Notre Dame legend Adarius Bowman (‘03) and president emeritus George Valadie (‘71) pose for a photo at the All Class Bash, part of NDHS’s recent Alumni Weekend.

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 n B7

focusing on the homeless, elderly, and now children with the bed build. I think this especially means a lot because some of the kids who receive the beds aren’t that much younger than some of the youth in our program.

“We have a great group of caring kids who understand what it means to give to others. With this project, we were able to engage both the youth and their families, which adds another dynamic to serving others when you do it to together.

We feel this was a great opportunity for the parish to see our engagement with the community as well. I think that the members of St. Stephen’s are proud of the youth and all that they were able to give with SHP.” Mrs. Mikell said St. Stephen parishioners deserve a shout-out as well as the youth.

“We are so thankful for the engagement in the bed build from our parish as well,” she said. “Being able to build 50 beds with the help of 70 people could not have been accomplished without lots of help from the youth group, St. Stephen parishioners, and students from Notre Dame High School. We hope to have the opportunity to work with SHP again in the future and let more children enjoy a good night’s rest in their own bed!” n

NANCY POWELL (4)

Bed build continued from page B1

beds and bedding to the kids in these families.

“At SHP, we fully believe that a bed is a basic need for the proper physical, emotional, and mental support that a child needs. When it was brought to our attention that the need for beds went far beyond our own neighborhoods, we stepped up and took initiative. We’re a national organization answering the call to a national problem.”

SHP’s motto is “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town.”

“I have been involved with this ministry almost since it began and have been a ‘helper’ during several builds and have delivered beds as well,” Mrs. Underwood said.

“Since it is dear to me, I was very proud to have our parish participate in and enjoy this ministry for our own community. I feel it is very important to have the youth involved in many different ministries so they can discern where their talents lie.”

Mrs. Mikell said “it means a lot to myself and my fellow youth leaders for us to be able to do this with the youth from our parish. One of our big focuses as a youth group is about serving our community.

This past year we’ve been able to complete a couple of service projects

T-shirt message Volunteer Nancy Stott sports a T-shirt with the Sleep in Heavenly Peace motto at the bed build.

NDHS service Notre Dame students Larry Johnson (left) and Carlo Salenda, joined by Carlo’s father, Marco, take a turn with drills at the bed build.

Drill bit Cirinia Ramirez drills into a piece of wood as her daughter Samara watches.

Parish notes continued from page B4 Celebration as a parish family event from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12, at the church. There will be an outdoor bilingual Mass, a barbecue picnic lunch, activities for families, games for youth, and a family photo session. Sign up in the narthex with the number attending from your family.

year for District 19.

St. Dominic, Kingsport

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville

The Knights sponsored an “Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social” as a welcomeback event for members of the senior ministry on Aug. 25. The event featured a trivia contest and door prizes.

“Let There Be Light Eternal: A Musical Remembrance of 9/11” is set for 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12, at IC Church.

The event will feature Karl Jacob on the organ, Knoxtet, and members of the Roane Choral Society and the Oak Ridge Chorus with Brenda Luggie as director. Donations may be made to the Mary Catherine Willard Fund.

St. Patrick, Morristown The 19th annual Holiday Bazaar, hosted by the Council of Catholic Women, will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, at the St. Patrick Church Parish Center. The event will feature food and sweet treats, paintings, home décor, crafts, and more. A holiday resale shop will offer gently used items at bargain prices for every holiday to help create decorations or gifts. For more information, call 423-586-9174.

Anniversaries: Randy and Joyce Slayback (30), Heath and Susie Tatum (15)

Adult Bible study classes resumed their study of the Catholic Church on Sept. 2.

The parish held a summer movie night Aug. 13 featuring “Fatima” (2020) in the Holy Ghost field behind the church.

The IC women’s group Craft Fair will take place in the parish hall tentatively Nov. 13-14. Those interested in a booth should contact Beth Meyer at 865456-8857 or meyer.beth73@gmail.com.

To donate a basket, contact Jeanie Matthews at 865-320-4673 or jeanie@ urbanwellnesstn.com.

The women’s group thanks all who donated for and/or purchased an item from the Kitchen Sale. The group made a profit of more than $400.

Smoky Mountain Deanery Holy Ghost, Knoxville Knights of Columbus Council 16523 at Holy Ghost has received the distinction of Star Council, the Knights’ top award for local councils. The Star Council Award recognizes overall excellence in the areas of membership, promotion of fraternal insurance benefits, and sponsorship of faith-formation programs and service-oriented activities. The council also received the 2020-21 District Deputy Award for district activity of the B8 n SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

The IC Bees held a quilt sale after all Masses on Aug. 28-29.

Parishioners collected items for a “bag of blessings” to be given to the homeless in Knoxville.

St. John XXIII, Knoxville As of Aug. 15, as the parish approached the end of the Paulist Capital Campaign, St. John XXIII pledges and donations of $823,000 totaled 150 percent of the goal. n

Official stamp Maggie Hirschi (left) helps place a Sleep in Heavenly Peace “SHP” stamp on the woodwork of a bed. Maggie’s father is Bob Hirschi, founder of the Chattanooga SHP chapter.

Readings continued from page B3

16; Psalm 100:1-5; Luke 8:4-15 Sunday, Sept. 19: Wisdom 2:12, 1720; Psalm 54:3-6, 8; James 3:16–4:3; Mark 9:30-37 Monday, Sept. 20: Memorial of Sts. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, priest, and Paul Chong Ha-sang, and companions, martyrs, Ezra 1:1-6; Psalm 126:1-6; Luke 8:16-18 Tuesday, Sept. 21: Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and evangelist, Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13; Psalm 19:2-5; Matthew 9:9-13 Wednesday, Sept. 22: Ezra 9:5-9; Tobit 13:2-4, 7-8; Luke 9:1-6 Thursday, Sept. 23: Memorial of St. Pius of Pietrelcina, priest, Haggai 1:1-8; Psalm 149:1-6, 9; Luke 9:7-9 Friday, Sept. 24: Haggai 2:1-9; Psalm 43:1-4; Luke 9:18-22

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Saturday, Sept. 25: Zechariah 2:59, 14-15; Jeremiah 31:10-13; Luke 9:43-45 Sunday, Sept. 26: Numbers 11:25-29; Psalm 19:8, 10, 12-14; James 5:1-6; Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 Monday, Sept. 27: Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul, priest, Zechariah 8:1-8; Psalm 102:16-21, 29, 22-23; Luke 9:46-50 Tuesday, Sept. 28: Zechariah 8:2023; Psalm 87:1-7; Luke 9:51-56 Wednesday, Sept. 29: Feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels, Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Psalm 138:1-5; John 1:47-51 Thursday, Sept. 30: Memorial of St. Jerome, priest and doctor of the Church, Nehemiah 8:1-12; Psalm 19:8-11; Luke 10:1-12 n TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C

DAN MCWILLIAMS (4)

Parish and community news

Basilica celebrates first Holy Communion The Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga celebrated first Holy Communion for many youths on the feast of Corpus Christi, June 6.

DEACON SEAN SMITH

ROBIN RUDD

Knights hold Diocese of Knoxville Kickoff Meeting at cathedral The Tennessee State Council of the Knights of Columbus held their Diocese of Knoxville Kickoff Meeting on July 24 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Mass in the cathedral was followed by a daylong meeting in the Cathedral Hall. The morning portion of the meeting began with the presentation of numerous awards and the installation of district deputies. At top-left, State Deputy Fred Laufenberg presents Michael Durr, deputy Grand Knight of Council 6099 in Chattanooga, with a District Deputy Award for having an outstanding program in his district. At bottom-left, Mr. Laufenberg installs district deputies (from left) Phil Daniel, District 14; Pat Bisson, District 15; J.J. Wilder, District 17; David Stanton, District 18; John Hitt, District 19; and Michael Opiela, District 20. Not pictured is Keith Estevens, District 21. At top-right, Naino Leo, Grand Knight of Council 8576 in Chattanooga, receives a State Deputy Award. At bottom-right, Grand Knight Jim Gold of Council 12633 in Lenoir City is presented a State Deputy Award.

Knights honor Mike Wills with resolution Mike Wills, a former state deputy for the Tennessee Knights of Columbus and a member of the Knights of Columbus board of directors, was honored for his contributions to the state and supreme councils in a resolution passed at the Tennessee State Convention earlier this year. Mr. Wills was presented with a copy of the resolution by Tennessee State Deputy Fred Laufenberg, right. Mr. Wills is a member of Council 15706 at All Saints Church in Knoxville and has been involved with the Knights at the local, state, and supreme levels. He also has been heavily involved in his parish, the Diocese of Knoxville, and at Knoxville Catholic High School. Also pictured are, from left, Father Gervan Menezes, the Knights’ associate state chaplain and chaplain of University Catholic in Nashville; Nashville Bishop J. Mark Spalding; Father Bartholomew Okere, the Knights’ state chaplain and pastor of St. Henry Church in Rogersville; and Mr. Wills’ wife, Kathy. The resolution was presented after Mass on Aug. 4 at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville. Mr. Wills joined the Tennessee state officers and delegates to the Supreme Convention in Nashville to watch a livestreaming of the convention, which was held virtually for the second year in a row. The 2022 convention is planned to be held as an in-person event in Nashville. “We hope to be the first live convention in three years,” said Mr. Laufenberg, who is a member of Monsignor Philip Thoni Council 16088 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Fairfield Glade.

ETC continued from page B6

Deacon Sean Smith, and many more.

Traveling to Colombia and writing a book One of the first major events after Bishop Stika’s episcopal ordination in 2009 was the ordination to the priesthood of Father Andres Cano in Pereira, Colombia. I accompanied Bishop Stika and others on that trip and remember it very well—it’s one of only two times I’ve been on a plane.

We had a full schedule of events apart from the ordination, and at one stop I found myself dancing with a Colombian lady. I’ve never heard the end of that. The church was full for the ordination Mass, and one thing I remember, oddly, about that liturgy was the ringing of the bell at the consecration.

It was a hand bell, rung quite hard by a young man, with the clapper sounding only once, very loudly.

In 2013, I was privileged to write TH E EAST T E N N E S S E E C AT HO L I C

most of the copy for a diocesan 25thanniversary coffee-table-sized history book. The book, featuring a diocesan history and stories on every parish’s history, won a second-place award in its category from the CPA. Also in 2013, Bill and I produced a special edition for the diocese’s silveranniversary Eucharistic Congress. In October 2015 we would do another special issue, headlined “The Francis Effect,” to celebrate our pope. That issue won a CPA first-place award.

Working for a pair of bishops I’ve also been privileged to work for two wonderful bishops. Bishop Kurtz was thrilled when I came into the Church in 2003. It was the joy of his faith and of my co-workers’ faith that drew me to the Church.

Bishop Kurtz and Bishop Stika have shepherded the ETC as publishers, and both have allowed my editors and I to have a fairly free hand with the

JUDY PICKERING

ANDY TELLI

Knights present $7,000 for Bishop’s Burse On July 23, Fred Laufenberg, Tennessee Knights of Columbus state deputy, presented Bishop Richard F. Stika with a check for $7,000 for the Bishop’s Burse. The money is part of a fund-raising effort by the Tennessee Knights of Columbus.

Father Hendershott leads Holy Ghost parish mission Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville held a parish mission that took place Aug. 1-3 at the church. Associate pastor Father Michael Hendershott led the mission and preached on the holy Eucharist, Mary, papal authority, and the sacrament of reconciliation.

Members of the parish canvassed the neighborhoods within Holy Ghost Parish to invite people to the mission, while prayer warriors were in adoration at the church praying for the success of the endeavor. Each mission began with exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament, then had congregational singing, a reading from the Old Testament, a choral piece of sacred music, a reading from the New Testament, an extended homily, a motet of sacred polyphony, sacred silence, and then benediction with organ music for the procession and recession. Church tours given by docents followed the services and explained the historic windows of the church, the sanctuary tiles, the icons, and more. The photo depicts the server/sacred minister formation at the end of a mission night, just before the recessional. content. Bishop Stika sometimes steps in to ask for a change in the layout or a change in a story, but not too often.

Both bishops have always had a kind word and a smile for me, and— as it does with the priests and religious—that means so much.

Bishop Stika and I are both unabashed baseball fans, he of course of the St. Louis Cardinals. While I enjoy watching the “Birds on the Bat,” I try not to tell Bishop I’m an Atlanta Braves fan. Bishop Stika also cares about my personal welfare. He likes to pick up a hose and water the greenery in our courtyard at the Chancery outside my office window, and during those moments I’ll visit him, and he’ll ask me if I’m eating right and make sure my clothes are shipshape. Bishop Stika celebrated Mom’s funeral Mass in 2019, something our family will never forget.

Co-workers, friends, and the future After more than two decades, I

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still enjoy working at the ETC. Bill and I have become good friends as well as co-workers, and the same can be said for Jim Wogan and Emily Booker of our communications office. Emily works in the ETC office and is not only a whiz at working on the website but also an ace proofreader; like every proofreader, she finds mistakes that the others don’t.

We’ve just welcomed aboard Gabrielle Nolan as our new multimedia reporter, and she’s an outstanding writer and photographer.

The national landscape for newspapers has changed drastically in the Internet era. Whatever the future holds for the ETC beyond 30 years, may it continue “to inspire the people of the Diocese of Knoxville, to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith, to share that faith, and to enhance community” and to “build community, educate, evangelize, inform, inspire.” n SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 n B9

Catholic schools

KCHS big man Tamba bound for Tennessee

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at KCHS, committed to the Vols earlier in the summer.

“It means a lot to have two kids going to play for the Vols,” Mr. Hutchens said. “I finished my degree from the University of Tennessee, and my dad worked there in transportation services for 30 years.

These kids are super-talented and great young men. Proud our coaching staff has been able to aid them to reach their goals.”

The KCHS head coach said he thinks Handje “will eventually be a big contributor for the Vols.”

“I know [UT head] coach [Rick] Barnes is a great developer of players and does it the right way,” Mr. Hutchens said. “Tamba has only played basketball four years. He will develop his shot and offensive skills with the Vol staff. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the NBA if he continues to work hard.”

The cupboard won’t be bare at KCHS with Handje’s departure.

“We do still have some size,” Mr. Hutches said. “6-foot-7 forward Alex Doerger will be important for us this upcoming season. Alex has experience in the post and is a good 3-point shooter who can stretch defenses when guarded by posts. We also have 6-foot-7 Deondrea Lindsey, an athletic freshman who can shoot the 3 and can finish inside. Deondrea is ranked as a top-40 player for his class by 247Sports.” n

Can’t get by him Knoxville Catholic High School center Handje Tamba guards a Briarcrest Christian player during the 2020 state tournament, won by the Fighting Irish.

COURTESY OF LAURA GOODHARD

noxville Catholic High School basketball big man Handje Tamba became the second member of the Fighting Irish to commit to the University of Tennessee this year when he made his decision to join the Vols on July 27.

The 7-foot, 215-pound center from the Congo reclassified from being a senior at KCHS to a member of the UT class of 2021.

Handje averaged 10.3 points per game, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks with a field-goal percentage of 58.4 for the Irish.

“We will miss Tamba’s rim protection,” said Knoxville Catholic head coach Mike Hutchens. “He blocked 70 shots last year and changed 100 more. It allowed us to play a tight man knowing we had him at the rim to protect.”

Handje “obviously has had a lot of interest” from colleges, Mr. Hutchens said. “He has been offered by Vanderbilt , Georgetown, and Auburn, to name a few. Vandy and Georgetown showed a lot of interest.”

Former KCHS post player Akeem Odusipe, who was a leader on the Fighting Irish’s 2020 state championship team, is now a scholarship player for Vanderbilt. And current KCHS guard Presley Patterson, a senior, committed to Vanderbilt in December.

BJ Edwards, a senior point guard

By Dan McWilliams

DAN MCWILLIAMS (2)

The Fighting Irish center reclassifies from being a senior at KCHS to a member of the UT class of 2021

Inside play Handje Tamba puts up a shot against Briarcrest in the 2020 state finals.

Knoxville Catholic announces Brooks Cherry as its new softball head coach

Honoring alumni Award recipients George Valadie and Paul Lombardo (center, from left) stand with (from left) alumni director Kathy Martin, Nancy Valadie, Conni Lombardo, and Notre Dame president Kyle Schmitt.

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noxville Catholic High School announced Aug. 18, that it has named Brooks Cherry as head softball coach.

Coach Cherry has been a coach for 25 years and has coached softball the last 11 years.

He has produced eight nationalchampionship travel teams and two Junior Olympic Cup championships and has won more than 800 games in the last 10 years.

He was named the NFCA South Regional travel coach of the year in 2014 and 2017, and NFCA National travel coach of the year in 2019.

All 15 of his players from this summer’s team are committed to play Division I softball, with 14 going to Power 5 programs.

KCHS athletics director Jason

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otre Dame High School in Chattanooga presented the annual alumni awards after the opening Mass of the 2021-22 year.

Dr. Paul Lombardo (’67) was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Mr. Lombardo received his bachelor’s degree from Rockhurst College, a master’s degree from Loyola Chicago, and both his Ph.D. and J.D. from the University of Virginia. From 1985-90 he practiced law in California. In 1990, he served on the faculty of the schools of Law and Medicine at the University of Virginia, where he directed the Center for Mental Health Law at the Institute of Law, Psychiatry, and Public Policy and the Program in Law and Medicine at the Center for Biomedical Ethics.

In 2006, he accepted a position at Georgia State University, where he is now the Bobby Lee Cook Professor. In 2017, he was awarded a Regents’ Professorship, the highest academic appointment in the University System of Georgia. He has lectured in Italy, Russia, Pakistan, and Canada, and at many colleges and universities in the US. Mr. Lombardo has served as a senior adviser to the Presidential Commission for the study of bioethical issues, drafted Virginia’s Patient Health Records Privacy Act, is a member of the board of directors of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities, is an elected member of the American Law Institute, and has served as a historical consultant and adviser on several television and movie productions.

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He is an expert in matters of laws concerning bioethical issues and has been interviewed by various news organizations including The New York Times, the BBC, National Public Radio, and The Washington Post. He was also a contributor and consultant for the U.S. Memorial Holocaust Museum and has authored two books. In 2009, he spoke at the Vatican on “New Frontiers of Genetics and the Danger of Eugenics.”

Recently, Mr. Lombardo was awarded the Jay Healey Health Law Teacher of the Year Award from the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics.

The Jim Phifer Service Award is given each year to an alumnus, parent, or friend of Notre Dame who seeks to uphold the characteristics of the late James D. “Coach” Phifer (’49), principal from 1974-93, and who has provided extraordinary service to Notre Dame. This year the Alumni Council and Phifer family chose recently retired school president, now president emeritus, George Valadie (’71).

Mr. Valadie has been a student, teacher, coach, development director, assistant principal, and president. His office door was always open to students, faculty, and parents. He could be found in the hallways helping a student with his tie, cheering on student athletes, attending a band concert or theatrical production, or providing extra guidance to students in need. Like his mentor and friend, the late Jim Phifer, his love for all things Notre Dame was and is evident in his every action. n

COURTESY OF LAURA GOODHARD

Notre Dame presents alumni awards to Paul Lombardo and George Valadie

Surlas said, “Coach Cherry is a perfect fit for our school and for our softball program. His extremely impressive resume of successes in the travel softball world is overshadowed by his tremendous humility and obvious love of coaching young ladies in the sport of softball. I am confident Coach Cherry’s impact on the program will see immediate dividends.”

Coach Cherry will be joined on the coaching staff by longtime Knoxville Catholic head wrestling and assistant football coach Justin Anderson. Coach Anderson was an All-State baseball player, football player, and wrestler in high school, and has many years of coaching experience in softball, as well as officiating softball at the high school and college level. n

Getting the band back together Notre Dame High School alumni Dan Gilligan, Don Nichol, and Tim Crowe brought their high school band, The Mattress Police, back together for a special alumni concert at The Honest Pint during NDHS’s recent Alumni Weekend activities.

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TH E EA S T TEN N ES S EE C ATH OLI C