BY TONI PACITTI
OLPH, Chattanooga ■ Volunteers are needed to host fami-
lies for the Interfaith Hospitality Network from Sunday, Dec. 27, through Sunday, Jan. 3. Overnight hosts, meals, greeters, and directors for activities are needed. Call Lisa Kosky at 423-8775982 or Anne Wells at 706-937-6953. ■ The Knights of Columbus presented “Light Up for Christ,” a tree-lighting ceremony with a chili bar, holiday snacks, and caroling Dec. 1. ■ Finalists from the preliminary rounds of the seventh- and eighthgrade geography bee at OLPH School are Christopher Coles, Shakayla Dews, Medardo Espinoza, Ethan Linehan, Brandon Harris, Gabby Mullin, and Lowell Shimel. ■ The eighth-grade class at OLPH School recently made Bishop Richard F. Stika an honorary member.
St. Augustine, Signal Mountain ■ The parish collected flour and sug-
ar this month for Signal Mountain Social Services’ Christmas baskets, which were delivered to 50 families in Signal Mountain. ■ The American Haitian Foundation, an extension of the parish Haiti Committee, held a Christmas bazaar the weekends of Dec. 5 and 6 and Dec. 12 and 13.
St. Catherine Labouré, Copperhill ■ The Knights of Columbus sold
handmade food gifts from the monks at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit after Masses on Dec. 12 and 13 and will do so again after Masses on the weekend of Dec. 19 and 20. Proceeds will benefit charities supported by the Knights. ■ Newcomers: Hal and Mary Williamson
St. Jude, Chattanooga ■ High school juniors and seniors are invited to help with the Epiphany dinner Tuesday, Jan. 5. ■ The Books and Lemonade group will meet at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 4, in the parish library to discuss Shepherds Abiding (Penguin, 2004) by Jan Karon. ■ The Haiti Ministry group has a trip to Haiti planned for Feb. 13 through 20. Deadline for travel commitments is Thursday, Dec. 31. Call the parish office at 423-870-2386 for more details.
Paul (59), Earle and Nell Boner (57), Edwin and Grace Johnson (56), Jack and Marilyn Alderton (55), Ed and Angela Crowley (55), Fred and Laura Reed (53), Philip and Rosalie Poynter (45) ■ Newcomers: Jim and Lori Hyland
St. John Neumann, Farragut ■ A DVD presentation of Scott
Hahn’s Letter and Spirit began Dec. 13 and will continue at 2 p.m. on second Sundays through March in the school gym. A free spaghetti dinner will be served in the cafeteria after each presentation. Call the church office at 865-966-4540 to sign up.
St. Mary, Oak Ridge ■ Bishop Richard F. Stika will cele-
brate an Advent Mass at the school at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, with a prelude at 6. ■ Planning has begun for St. Mary School’s 60th-anniversary homecoming celebration in fall 2010. Call Kathryn Chou at 865-685-5703 for more information. ■ Joyful Voices, a new chorus for students in grades three through eight, will rehearse from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturdays in the church. Call Francine at 457-8580 to audition. ■ The Knights of Columbus will sponsor a bus to the Living Christmas Tree show at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville on Sunday, Dec. 20. Tickets are free; cost of bus transportation is $8. The bus will leave St. Mary’s parking lot at 5 p.m. and return at 10:30. Seating is limited to 50. Call Bill Olka at 483-1564 to make reservations.
■ A total of 300 attended the Knights of Columbus pasta-dinner party Nov. 5. ■ The Three Kings Christmas party will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 3, in the family-life center. A tamale dinner will be served. The event is free. Drop RSVP cards, available at each Mass, in the offertory basket or the box in the family-life center. ■ Baptism: Karoll Wrhisto Rojas Mendez, son of Juan Rojas and Maria Mendez Five Rivers Deanery
Holy Trinity, Jefferson City ■ A children’s Christmas party will be
■ The parish book club is reading The Faith Club: A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew—Three Women Search for Understanding (Free Press, 2007), by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner.
Sts. Peter and Paul, Chattanooga
Notre Dame, Greeneville
■ The women’s guild met Dec. 7, and
■ The Council of Catholic Women
members were asked to bring a paper product to donate to The Home Place.
sponsored a Christmas party Dec. 10 for all women of the parish. ■ A total of 234 pounds was collected for the local food bank in a Scouting for Food project. ■ Anniversaries: Thomas and Esperanza Joseph (40), Scott and Lisa Fisher (10)
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Cleveland ■ Parishioners helped the New Hope
Pregnancy Center raise $3,173 in its recent Walk for Life. ■ A celebration to honor the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12 began with Las Mañanitas and a rosary and ended with an offering of roses to Our Lady. Cumberland Mountain Deanery
All Saints, Knoxville ■ Parishioners sent Christmas cards
to All Saints’ members serving in the military around the world. ■ Baptisms: Alexis Rose Alexander, daughter of Jason and Marissa; Thomas Matthew Cox, son of Ryan and Kimberly; Audrey Kathleen and Thomas Weaver, children of Fred and Elizabeth
Blessed Sacrament, Harriman ■ The Council of Catholic Women held
its annual Christmas party Dec. 13. ■ Donations of canned and dry foods are requested for the needy of Roane County. Monetary donations are welcome.
OLPH, LaFollette ■ The Thursday evening Mass has been moved to 9 a.m. Fridays.
St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade ■ Mass will be celebrated at 5 p.m.
on Christmas Eve and 10 a.m. on Christmas day. ■ Carol Campbell and the religious-education class have been in charge of the parish’s Jesse Tree this Advent. ■ Anniversaries: Jack and Audrey 4
■
DECEMBER 20, 2009
Communion services in Spanish begin at St. Christopher On the first Sunday of Advent, St. Christopher Parish in Jamestown began holding what will be a weekly Communion service in Spanish on Sunday mornings. Pictured preparing for doughnuts and coffee following the first service are (from left) Oscar Gonzales and Lucio Garcia from neighboring Pickett County and parishioners Cruz Salenas, Jim Romer, Juan Hererra, Marti Posey, and Denise and Anderson Salenas. The parishioners received help from Lourdes Garza, director of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry. The website epriest.com provides a weekly homily read in Spanish that is downloaded and played at the services, which are conducted at the new St. Christopher Church dedicated earlier this year. “We have been given much in having this beautiful facility, and it is our obligation to reach out to those Catholics we have among us who feel more comfortable worshiping in their native language. We hope these services can be a first step leading to being full parish brothers and sisters—all of us together,” said Mr. Romer, the parish finance manager.
St. Thomas the Apostle, Lenoir City
held after the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, Dec. 20, in Trinity Hall. ■ Anniversaries: Bill and Jo Hyslop (52), Raymond and Helen LaShier (50), Deacon John and Shirley Riehl (40), Michael and Connie Mace (15) ■ Marriage: Meredith Morrill and Adam Stashick
St. Mary, Athens
COURTESY OF JIM ROMER
Chattanooga Deanery
COURTESY OF DEACON DEAN BURRY
NOTES
Birthday present for the pastor Father Ragan Schriver received a present from his new flock at Holy Family Church in Seymour at the vigil Mass on Nov. 28, the day before his birthday. Parishioners pooled their money and bought their pastor a vestment set for the Advent season so he no longer has to borrow vestments from other priests. Bishop Richard F. Stika appointed Father Schriver as Holy Family’s pastor in October.
COURTESY OF PAULA REILAND
parish
St. Patrick, Morristown ■ Children of the parish will sing
carols and present a short Christmas play after the 9 a.m. Mass on Sunday, Dec. 20. Cookies and drinks will be served afterward. ■ The Knights of Columbus and the Council of Catholic Women will hold a New Year’s Eve party and dance. Purchase tickets in the narthex after Masses.
Picnic time at St. Stephen St. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga held its annual picnic Oct. 25. Bishop Richard F. Stika joined parishioners for Mass and the meal. Above, the bishop and then–Deacon Christopher Riehl (now a priest) dig in, joined by (foreground) Jerry and Abbie Nunley and (center background) Jill Walsh and John Vannucci. More than 300 parishioners attended the picnic, which featured a magician, cotton candy, and inflatable games. Knights of Columbus Council 6099 cooked and served 300 hamburgers, 150 hot dogs, and 200 bratwursts.
Smoky Mountain Deanery
Holy Ghost, Knoxville ■ Father Richard Cortese of the Dio-
cese of Memphis, brother of parishioner Jim Cortese, visited Holy Ghost during Thanksgiving weekend and early December.
Immaculate Conception, Knoxville ■ A series of movies about priests began Dec. 6 with The Bells of St. Mary’s.
Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa ■ The Art and Environment Committee has constructed a new traveling Nativity scene. ■ Knights of Columbus Council 3832 thanked parishioners for contributing $5,312.55 through the council’s golf outing and pork sale this year. The Knights will add the money to their pavilion fund. ■ Anniversary: Raymond and Shirley Seib (50) ■
Family Honor program set for eighth-graders, parents t. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga will be hosting the “Real Love & Real Life” Family Honor program on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 29 and 30. The program is designed for parents and their eighth-grade son or daughter. This is the fourth year that a Family Honor program will be held in the Chattanooga Deanery, and parents have consistently given the program excellent reviews.
S
www.dioceseofk noxville.org
Family Honor Inc. is a nonprofit Catholic organization created in 1987 whose mission is to strengthen families by providing opportunities for parents and children to communicate effectively about important life values, with a special focus on the truth and goodness of God’s gift of human sexuality and the virtue of chastity. The program presents the Catholic understanding of
sexuality, marriage, and family as revealed through Scripture and Tradition and articulated in documents such as “The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality” and Pope John Paul II’s theology of the body. Registration for the Family Honor program is limited to 40 families. For further information, contact Mary Pat Haywood at 706-278-6391 or Jan O’Boyle at 2269110. ■
THE E A S T TE NNE S S E E CATHOLI C