Feb. 3, 2013, ET Catholic

He dwells among us.................. 2 Diocesan calendar................... 10 Deanery news.......................... 11 La Cosecha............ center pullout

This issue

The East Tennessee

Catholic schools...................... 15 Columns............................. 18-22 Mass times.............................. 23

Feb. 3, 2013 Volume 22 Number 6 Bishop Richard F. Stika

News from The Diocese of Knoxville • Visit us at dioknox.org or etcatholic.org

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Solemn Vespers World Day for Consecrated Life

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March for Life Parishioners show pro-life support

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Memorializing Stan the Man Bishop Stika delivers homily

Practicing what they preach: Priests apply New Evangelization through social media

Gospel, Catechism, church events, outreach available to parishioners via blogs, Facebook, Twitter, other sites

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he evangelical role of the clergy was simple in the days of small communities and a time when everyone would flock to the Church to hear the Gospel. Priests simply delivered a message that descended on the ears of eager parishioners.

As times have changed, with media playing a greater role in parishioners’ lives and more people are tempted to stray from the Church, the method priests use to shepherd their flocks has had to adapt. The popular weekly parish bulletin column now has morphed into online blogs. These writings are accessible to people everywhere, not just those who attend Mass.

“I think that we as the Church can no longer expect people to just come to us. This luxury is gone. People may come when they have to for the sacraments or a wedding or funeral but then they will walk away. We need to be active in going to them and in sharing the words of faith and the Gospel,” said Father Michael Cummins, the Diocese of Knoxville’s director of vocations who also serves at the Catholic Center on the East Tennessee State University campus.

“Christians must make sure that our words are heard in the pubBlog continued on page 4

DEACON PATRICK MURPHY-RACEY

By Kara Lockmiller

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

Holy blogs and tweets Bishop Richard F. Stika, center, is surrounded by diocesan priests who join him in blogging, on Twitter and other social media sites.

From left are Father Michael Cummins, Father David Boettner, Bishop Stika, Father Steve Pawelk, and Father Christian Mathis.

In back, from right are Father Brent Shelton, Father Aaron Wessman, Father Dustin Collins and Father David Carter.

I

He dwells among us

by Bishop Richard F. Stika

Bishop’s schedule

Joy and ashes

These are some of Bishop Stika’s public appointments:

Ashes should be a distinctive sign, not only of our Catholic faith but also of our joy in Christ and his cross

t always amazes me how quickly we seem to transition from the joyful celebration of the Christmas season to the penitential season of Lent. But their close proximity, particularly this year with Ash Wednesday falling on Feb. 13, I think serves as a wonderful reminder that true joy not only includes the cross but also embraces it.

There is something of a lesson that I find is reinforced each year as people depart from Mass on Ash Wednesday. Depending upon the consistency of the ashes, some bear a more or less discernible trace of the cross upon their forehead, and others have what seems to be but a smudge.

I remember once when marking the forehead of a young woman, a good amount of ash from my thumb fell on her nose, which I hastily tried to brush off. But all I managed to do was smudge her nose with more ash than she had on her forehead. No doubt she received many odd looks as she returned to her pew. But she is the only person I know who had a good excuse to wash the ash

Diocesan policy for reporting sexual abuse

away—from her nose that is, not her forehead—before she went out in public.

We should never be afraid of the cross—whether it is in bearing its image upon our forehead as a witness of our Catholic faith, or in bearing our own crosses in life and in helping others to bear theirs. If you truly seek Christ in all you do, be it in your marriage and family, in your work or school, and try to be his feet, his arms and hands, and his face to others, particularly those deemed “least” in society (cf. Matthew 25:40), how could you ever be embarrassed to be identified as a Catholic?

But the true mark of the cross we should bear visibly each day is not of ash, but that of joy—a joy that only Christ can give—through his cross. If St. Paul can say, “I rejoice in my suffering for your sake…”

(Colossians 1:24), it was because he had discovered Christ’s joy who suffered for love of us. To the Christian song with its refrain, “They will know we are Christians by our love,” I would add “joy.”

This is possible only when we stop seeking perfection as an end

in itself, and instead seek Christ who alone is perfect and our true joy, even in suffering (cf. Matthew 6:33).

When I think of saints, I think of joy—saints are not sad. Next to my office desk, I have the picture of a man who I think of as an “Apostle of Joy”—Cardinal François-Xavier Nguyen Van Thuân (d. 2002). His episcopal motto was “Gaudium et Spes,” the title of one of the very beautiful documents of the Second Vatican Council, meaning “Joy and Hope.” While most of us only wear ashes once a year, Cardinal Van Thuân wore them every day for 13 years in various Communist prisons in Vietnam, nine of them in solitary confinement. But because he wore those ashes with such joy and embraced his cross in Christ every day, he won over to the Gospel even the harshest of his atheist camp guards as well as many of his fellow prisoners.

Some years after his release from captivity I met him in Rome while he was serving as the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. I distinctly remember

The East Tennessee

Feb. 2: 1 p.m., bilingual Mass at the Knoxville County Detention Center Feb. 3: 9 a.m., confirmation at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga Feb. 4-6: Gatlinburg Study Days with Presbyterate Feb. 8: 6:45 a.m., Blue Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Feb. 9: 11 a.m., Celebration of Marriage Mass at St. Mary Church in Athens Feb. 9: 6 p.m., Chattigras Dinner at the Chattanooga Convention Center Feb. 10: 9 a.m., Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Feb. 10: 4 p.m., Solemn Vespers for World Day for Consecrated Life at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Feb. 14-15: Province meeting in Louisville, Ky. Feb. 16: 1 p.m., Rite of Election at St. Mary Church in Johnson City

Bishop continued on page 3

Schedule continued on page 6

Bishop Richard F. Stika Publisher

Dan McWilliams Assistant editor

Bill Brewer

Margaret Hunt

Anyone who has actual knowlEditor Administrative assistant edge of or who has reasonable 805 Northshore Drive, S.W. • Knoxville, TN 37919 cause to suspect an incident of The Diocese of Knoxville sexual abuse should report such The East Tennessee Catholic (USPS 007211) is published monthly by The Diocese of Knoxville, 805 Northshore Drive Southwest, information to the appropriate Knoxville, TN 37919-7551. Periodicals-class postage paid at Knoxville, Tenn. Printed on recycled paper by the Knoxville News Sentinel. civil authorities first, then to the The East Tennessee Catholic is mailed to all registered Catholic families in East Tennessee. Subscription rate for others is $15 a year in bishop’s office, 865-584-3307, or the United States. Make checks payable to The Diocese of Knoxville. the diocesan victims’ assistance coordinator, Marla Lenihan, 865Postmaster: Send address changes to The East Tennessee Catholic, 805 Northshore Drive Southwest, Knoxville, TN 37919-7551 Reach us by phone: 865-584-3307 • fax: 865-584-8124 • e-mail: webmaster@dioknox.org • web: dioknox.org 482-1388. n

2 February 3, 2013

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

dioknox.org

Solemn Vespers to mark World Day for Consecrated Life Service is opportunity to give thanks, celebrate those who practice evangelical counsels

MARY C. WEAVER

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ishop Richard F. Stika will preside at Solemn Vespers Sunday, Feb. 10, at Sacred Heart Cathedral to mark the diocesan celebration of World Day for Consecrated Life. The service begins at 4 p.m.

The celebration of World Day for Consecrated Life began in 1997 when Blessed John Paul II instituted a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life.

His intention was three-fold.

First, he wanted to celebrate and give thanks to God for the gift of consecrated life to the Church.

Second, he desired to promote the knowledge of and esteem for consecrated life by the entire people of God. Third, he encouraged consecrated people to celebrate together, to rediscover the

Gift of vocations Dominican Sisters Augusta Nickel (left) and Michaela Martinez were cantors for a February 2011 diocesan Vespers service in honor of consecrated life.

beauty of their way of life and “to acquire a more vivid consciousness of their irreplaceable mission in the Church and in the

world” (Message for First World Day for Consecrated Life, 1997).

Consecrated life is a broad term encompassing all those men and

East Tennessee Catholic staff women who practice the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience.

These counsels configure people to Christ, who himself was poor, chaste and obedient. This life is a visible participation in the life of the Trinity. God the Father calls men and women to emulate the life of his Son, Jesus Christ, through the guidance and help of the Holy Spirit.

The ultimate goal of consecrated life is to direct the eyes of the faithful “towards the mystery of the Kingdom of God already at work in history, even as it awaits its full realization in heaven” (Vita Consecrata, 1).

Today, consecrated life exists in many forms: hermits, consecrated virgins and widows, religious

Vespers continued on page 17

Catholic Day on the Hill set for Feb. 20

Bishop continued from page 2

to accompany you on your Lenten journey is “Testimony of Hope” by Cardinal Van Thuân, which contains the spiritual exercises Blessed John Paul II had invited him to give for himself and the Vatican’s Roman Curia during Lent of 2000. They truly are the spiritual exercises of joy and ashes.

May your ashes bring you ever closer to Christ, who is our true joy. n

his unique pectoral cross, which encased a wooden cross visible through oval openings in the metal.

It was this wooden cross that he had secretly carved during his captivity and kept hidden in a bar of soap. But what was more striking about Cardinal Van Thuân was his joy in Christ, which the ashes of his long suffering had only made more radiant.

A wonderful book I recommend The East Tennessee Catholic

we’ve witnessed on the political landscape of our nation and our state, it is more important than ever to give witness to our Catholic faith in the political arena,” said Paul Simoneau, director of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Office of Justice and Peace.

Registration, which is mandatory, for Catholic Day on the Hill and Catholic Schools Day on the Hill on Feb. 27 is available at www.tncppc.org. n

d Day for Consec l r o rat eW t ed a r b e

Ce l

“With the tremendous changes

Join Bishop Stika

at 4pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013

e Lif

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arishioners from across the state will gather Feb. 20 in Nashville for Catholic Day on the Hill, the annual meeting between constituents and legislators to discuss state issues that affect the Catholic community.

The day of prayer, advocacy and education is an opportunity to advocate on Church-related issues, according to the Tennessee Catholic Public Policy Commission, which sponsors the event.

Bishop Richard F. Stika will preside at Solemn Vespers at Sacred Heart Cathedral to mark the diocesan celebration of World Day for Consecrated Life. This celebration began in 1997 when Blessed John Paul II instituted a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated religious life. We are blessed to have 18 religious communities in the Diocese of Knoxville. Please join us in praying in gratitude for the gift of this vocation in the Church. There will be a reception in the school lobby following Vespers.

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

February 3, 2013 3

Blog continued from page 1

lic space. We need to have confidence that the words we have to share— which should always be the words of the Gospel—bring life and light to people and that these are words that people are yearning for,” Father Cummins added.

Father Cummins, like many other priests in the diocese have turned to blogging as a way to draw parishioners back into the Church and to connect with active Catholics in a new way. In addition to his blog, The Alternate Path, Father Cummins manages his own Twitter and Facebook accounts to reach out to college-age Catholics.

Bishop Richard F. Stika, whose blog, He Dwells Among Us, also appears on the Diocese of Knoxville web page (www.dioknox.org) and the East Tennessee Catholic website (www.ETCatholic.org), understands the importance of blogging as a communications medium for the New Evangelization called for by Pope Benedict XVI and supports priests who reach out in this way.

“The pope has asked all bishops to utilize social media. It’s a very good opportunity for us. The Gospel hasn’t changed, but what has changed is how we present it,” Bishop Stika said.

Bishop Stika has been blogging for more than two years and noted that some of the Church’s leaders have been as well, such as Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Cardinal Seán O’Malley and Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, former Diocese of Knoxville bishop.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is taking social media seriously as a tool to evangelize, according to Bishop Stika, who said bishops have received workshop instruction on the fine points of social media.

Bishop Stika praised priests in the diocese for taking it upon themselves to engage parishioners and the public through blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other social media outlets. He pointed to Father Christian Mathis, who has received awards for his blogging.

4 February 3, 2013

Diocese, ET Catholic unveil website changes

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iocese of Knoxville parishioners and others who turn to the diocese’s website for information about the Catholic Church in East Tennessee will notice a fresh look and a new website.

The East Tennessee Catholic newspaper now has a site—www.

ETCatholic.org—dedicated to the latest local, national and international news about the Church and its members.

ETCatholic.org features stories photos and videos on parishes, their priests and members, diocesan schools, calendar items, news from

“Without anyone mandating it, they’re doing it and they’re creative.

It’s a great tool for apologetics,” Bishop Stika said.

Bishop Stika and Father Cummins aren’t alone in their venture into social media. More priests and even Pope Benedict have their own Twitter pages. The pope Tweeted for the first time in December, asking “How can we celebrate the Year of Faith in our daily lives?”

“All priests must be missionaries.

Blogging is one way—not the only way and we must never underestimate the one-on-one encounters— for a priest to be a missionary to our people,” Father Cummins said.

This Year of Faith has been a focal point for Father Mathis of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City, who also pens the Blessed is the Kingdom and Life at 25 blogs. Father Mathis said in addition to Bishop Stika, other priests within the diocese have been very supportive of this new evangelical path.

Life at 25, which Father Mathis called “the Bishop’s idea,” serves as a resource for Catholics during the Year of Faith and marks the Diocese of Knoxville’s 25th anniversary this year. The blog has examined many subjects; among them are Vatican II documents and the Catechism.

Father Mathis said upcoming top-

the Chancery, and social media.

ETCatholic.org is linked to www. dioknox.org, the official diocesan website that has received a makeover and will be featuring more videos from activities across the diocese as well as information about the Church—locally and universal—parishes, priests, and the various ministries serving Catholics in East Tennessee.

Dioknox.org also is a key resource for Catholics to learn more about their faith and for those looking to reconnect with the Church. The website upgrades are part of the diocese's commitment to the New Evangelization, a global effort that ics for Life at 25 will include the history of the diocese in honor of this 25th Anniversary year.

“I’ve discovered things I didn’t even know,” Father Mathis said.

“One person that encouraged me to continue blogging was Father David Boettner. He encouraged me to continue writing because I was reaching people on a daily basis.”

Father Boettner, rector of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and a vicar general for the diocese, authors Peregrinus, a blog that chronicled his recent four-month pilgrimage in Europe, including a 600-mile walk and studies at the Vatican.

He began blogging just before departing in July on his pilgrimage because he wanted to share his journey with his parishioners.

“I didn’t want them to feel like I had just disappeared and I wanted to share my experiences with them,” Father Boettner said, noting Peregrinus also has been an education tool.

But Sacred Heart’s younger parishioners weren’t the only ones engaged in Peregrinus.

“What I was surprised by is the number of parishioners over 60 who read my blog,” Father Boettner.

Although he returned in November, Father Boettner said a pilgrimage never has to end, so he will continue blogging through Peregrinus as the

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

Pope Benedict XVI wants all Catholics to embrace as a way to spread the Gospel in bold, new ways.

“My prime goal is to make these websites user-friendly and interesting as part of the New Evangelization. By providing links to daily Mass and readings, we provide a link to the universal Church,” Bishop Richard F. Stika said.

Scott Maentz, a parishioner at St. Mary Church in Athens who is in the diocese's permanent diaconate formation program, performed the website work and has done similar projects for other parishes in the diocese as part of a ministry. n faith journey continues.

“Ultimately the pilgrim is seeking an encounter with God, and that can happen anywhere,” he said.

Another active blogger is Father Brent Shelton. His blog, Father Shelton, began as a way to share the exact wording of his homilies with parishioners at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa. It has since evolved into an outlet available to parishioners to ask their priest questions regarding their faith.

“It reaches a certain kind of parishioner. It reaches our middle-aged parishioner. They like a blog because I can address all kinds of issues. I am able to go more in-depth on topics than I can in a homily,” Father Shelton said.

Blogs are different, he noted, than parish websites.

“Blogs are personal. It’s a way to engage with a particular person. People who read them have an opportunity to get involved in a dialogue,” he said.

One of Father Shelton’s personal favorite blogs is Canterbury Tales by Dr. Taylor Marshall. “He comes at things from a different perspective.

He always answers questions. You don’t have to have a background in theology to appreciate it.”

The Diocese of Knoxville has a large social media presence. With dioknox.org

nearly 1,000 fans on Facebook and more than 1,500 followers on Twitter, news can be readily shared among the Catholic community in East Tennessee.

Father Shelton said social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook have proven to be an excellent form of communication with high schoolaged parishioners. “It’s the only way to do it with the youth now, especially with non-Catholics,” he said.

Father David Carter, the diocese’s vice chancellor for canonical affairs and associate pastor at All Saints Church, has been blogging since 2008. He shares information via his Praedica Verbum blog, which began as a journal of his life as a student priest while in Rome.

He realized early on that blogging was a new avenue of communication and his forecast has been affirmed— and then some. Blogging has

prompted a social media wave fueled

by Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, MySpace, Google Plus+ and others.

“People want to feel connected.

People have a need to feel connected,” Father Carter said. “While blogging is more of a news outlet, Facebook is more of an evangelization tool. Blogging tends to be passive— people come to it, but Facebook is more active.”

“I’m on Facebook and I use Facebook more than blogging to post content, including video and anything involving the Catholic Church. I have seen social media overload. I’m not interested in where someone ate or that they’re waiting in line. I’m inundated with requests to play Farmville and things like that. I have no interest in that. But I am active in liking content if it’s appropriate. I’m happy to share, like and comment,” Father

Carter said.

Father Dustin Collins, who was ordained a priest in June and is the associate pastor at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge, writes the blog Maiorem Hac Dilectionem. He said he uses his blog to post all his homilies and also uses Twitter and Facebook to communicate with parishioners at the church and St. Mary School.

He especially uses Twitter to communicate messages regarding holy days of obligation and church announcements.

“I also try to write a small reflection for the day,” Father Collins said about his Twitter page.

Other blogs written by priests in the diocese include City Father by Immaculate Conception pastor Father Ronald Franco, Union/Grainger Catholic Missionary Beginnings by Father Steve Pawelk, and Cognition of a Roman Catholic Missioner by Fa-

ther Aaron Wessman. Father Pawelk and Father Wessman are Glenmary priests who serve for the diocese at Blessed Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Mission in Maynardville and Blessed John Paul II Catholic Mission in Rutledge.

Links to these blogs can be found at www.dioknox.org and www.

ETCatholic.org.

With assistance from Sacred Heart parishioner Pam Rhoades, who is a communications professional, Father Boettner has linked his blog to other electronic communications the parish uses to connect with members.

So he sees firsthand the impact of social media.

“From an evangelization standpoint, it extended the reach of the parish far beyond the boundaries of the parish. It made it easier for our parishioners to be evangelizers,” Father Boettner said. n

25th Anniversary Jubilee Celebration Eucharistic Congress & Family Weekend September 13-14, 2013

Sevierville Convention Center/Wilderness at the Smokies Waterpark Resort Timothy Cardinal Dolan: One of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World,” President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic.Bishops.

Josh Blakesley: Sarah Kroger: Dedicated to quality contemporary Catholic music, Josh and Sarah have led teen conferences across the nation.

ValLimar Jansen:

ValLimar has toured the world as a singer and speaker, captivating audiences.

She speaks on prayer and worship.

Dr. Scott Hahn: He is known as the bestselling author of the “The Lamb’s Supper” and founder and president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.

Father Rafael Capó:

As an educator and priest, Father Capo leads the Hispanic Catholic Southeast Pastoral Institute in Miami, Fla.

Father Robert Barron:

“One of the church’s best messengers,” he is the founder and Executive Director of Word on Fire Ministries.

Sister Rosa Hernandez:

A member of the Migrant Ministry team in the Diocese of Stockton and also led migrant ministry in Alabama.

Book Your Rooms Now: For hotel reservations, go to www.wildernessatthesmokies.com or call 877-325-9453 The East Tennessee Catholic

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

February 3, 2013 5

Sacred Heart Cathedral School is seeking applications from qualified candidates interested in the principal position being vacated by veteran principal Sedonna Prater, who will become director of curriculum and instruction for the Diocese of Knoxville’s 10 schools once the current school year concludes. Here is the school’s position posting: Sacred Heart Cathedral School (http://www.shcschool.org/aboutsacred-heart.asp), founded in 1956, is seeking a principal for an AdvancEd accredited Catholic school, grades K-8, with 600 students and a preschool with 75 students. It is a ministry of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a diverse parish of over 1,400 families located in Knoxville, Tenn., near the Smoky Mountains, an area with a growing Catholic population. The start date for the position is July 1, 2013.

The successful candidate will be a practicing Catholic with at least an MA in Educational Administration, three to five years of classroom teaching experience and three years of administrative experience. Interested candidates should e-mail a current resume, cover letter and three references, including a pastor reference, to searchcommittee@shcknox. org. The closing date for applications is March 1.

Schedule continued from page 2 Feb. 16: 6:30 p.m., Rite of Election at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut Feb. 17: 1 p.m., Rite of Election at St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga Feb. 17: 5 p.m., Rite of Election at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa Feb. 19: 11 a.m., Presbyteral Council Meeting Feb. 20: 10 a.m., Catholic Day on the Hill in Nashville Feb. 28: 10 a.m., Winter Tea with Bishop Stika at bishop’s residence n

6 February 3, 2013

Principal named to diocesan schools position Sacred Heart School leader will be director of curriculum, instruction

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edonna Prater, who has served as principal of Sacred Heart Cathedral School in Knoxville since 2004, has been named director of curriculum and instruction for the Diocese of Knoxville’s 10 schools.

The appointment was announced Jan. 7 by Bishop Richard F. Stika and diocesan schools Superintendent Sister Mary Marta Abbott, RSM. Sister Mary Marta said the new position reflects the growth occurring at the diocesan schools and will strengthen work the schools already are doing to provide the best learning approach for students, especially as it pertains to district accreditation.

“As the Diocese of Knoxville has grown over the past 24 years, our 10 Catholic schools from Kingsport to Chattanooga have also grown and developed their programs to be great centers for faith and learning.

With this growth, Bishop Stika and I have seen an increasing need for a diocesan director of curriculum and instruction for our schools,” Sister Mary Marta said. “A director of curriculum and instruction would allow our schools to be accredited as a district and would provide curriculum and instructional support and resources to all of our schools.”

Following consultation with Father David Boettner, pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish, Sister Mary Marta said she and Bishop Stika asked Mrs. Prater to take on the new role and she accepted. She will officially begin the new position on July 1 and will step down as principal of Sacred Heart Cathedral School on June 30. She will remain at Sacred Heart on a part-time basis as the school’s director of curriculum and instruction.

Mrs. Prater said curriculum and instruction have always been among her strongest educational interests and added that she and other educators in the diocese have discussed a unified curriculum.

By Bill Brewer Serving all schools Sacred Heart Cathedral School principal Sedonna Prater has been named director of curriculum and instruction for all diocesan schools beginning with the 2013-14 school year.

Sacred Heart is conducting a search for her successor.

COURTESY OF SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL SCHOOL

Sacred Heart School seeking new principal

She also said as diocesan schools continue to grow, it becomes more difficult for already-busy principals to map curriculum.

Mrs. Prater said the new position offers many opportunities to improve programs in the diocesan school system, including attaining district

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

accreditation, which could benefit all 10 diocesan schools. It could also strengthen the diocese’s negotiating leverage when purchasing school resources like textbooks and software, which could ease each school’s budget.

Curriculum continued on page 24

dioknox.org

Catholics join March for Life to mark Roe v. Wade’s 40th anniversary Knoxville, Washington, D.C., events raise awareness of pro-life gains, losses from abortion

The East Tennessee Catholic

BILL BREWER

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Marching for life Holy Ghost Church parishioner Mary Grace Slocum walks during the Knoxville March for Life event Jan. 20. Joining her are daughters Ingrid, 6, Beatrix, 4, and Una, 2. Some 400 Knoxville-area pro-life supporters took part in the event.

Tri-Cities, traveled to Washington to take part in the national March for Life ceremony.

Father Michael Cummins, vocations director for the Diocese of Knoxville and chaplain to the Catholic Center at East Tennessee State University in

Johnson City, traveled with 11 students to the Washington, D.C., March for Life event. He blogged about his experience on his site, The Alternate Path, and related an interesting story from a past event: “This will be the 15th time that I

BILL BREWER

oe v. Wade might be a history or religion lesson to many of the Diocese of Knoxville students who took part in pro-life marches and rallies in late January.

But the landmark case that dealt a severe blow to the sanctity of life still is a fresh memory for Sacred Heart Cathedral parishioner Hazel Brimi.

Mrs. Brimi never considered herself an activist, although she was an ardent pro-life supporter. But 1973 changed all that. On Jan. 22 of that year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that abortions are a fundamental right under the Constitution, which prompted her to take action.

The next year she co-founded Knoxville Volunteers for Life, one of the earliest pro-life organizations in the region, which ultimately became Tennessee Right to Life.

And so what began as an interest became a mission and a ministry for Mrs. Brimi, who was honored with Tennessee Right to Life’s Lifetime Advocate Award at TRL’s annual March for Life event on Jan. 20.

“I had always been pro-life and worked with the Church. But when Roe v. Wade passed, I realized we had to do more,” Mrs. Brimi said. “Now I encourage young people to carry on because we need you.”

4 The March for Life ceremony marked the 40th anniversary of Roe v.

Wade and commemorated the August closing of the Volunteer Women’s Medical Clinic at 313 Concord St..

March for Life participants walked from Calvary Baptist Church down Kingston Pike, then onto Concord Street to across from the now closed Volunteer Women’s Medical Clinic.

Stacy Dunn, director of the Knoxville chapter of Tennessee Right to Life and a Holy Ghost Church parishioner, praised the work of volunteers for the pro-life gains made in Knoxville, highlighted by new legislation that prompted the clinic to close.

Groups of parishioners, including students from Chattanooga and the

Lifetime Advocate Hazel Brimi, a parishioner at Sacred Heart Cathedral, receives the Lifetime Advocate Award from Brian Harris, state director for Tennessee Right To Life, a statewide pro-life organization that Mrs. Brimi co-founded soon after the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973.

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

By Bill Brewer

have attended the march. Last year, after returning from the march a friend shared an editorial from a person who is pro-choice and who happens to have a comfortable office overlooking the march route. She disdainfully referred to the march in her column as the “great shlep”—looking down on the march-goers from her office window.

“As you might imagine her article was not very complimentary. In honor of her, though, I now refer to the March (at least in my own mind) as the ‘great shlep.’ I googled definitions for “shlep” and this is what I found— “shlep”: to carry something heavy; to carry something in a dragging fashion; to go somewhere, particularly somewhere far away or otherwise difficult to reach; often implies resentment of putting forth such effort.

“I think that the word fits. The marchers do carry something heavy— they carry the conscience of a nation.

It is a conscience that is hurting yet not silenced. It is a conscience that affirms that there is dignity to all human life which must be upheld. It is a conscience which recognizes that whenever life is devalued in one area, then all life is wounded and devalued. It is a conscience which recognizes that there is great harm in abortion—to the beauty of a child lost, to the soul and psyche of the mother and the father and to society as a whole.

“This year is the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The millions of lives lost is staggering. In so many ways unimaginable. We are tired yet we will continue the shlep. Why? “Because it is the right thing to do. History will judge every generation for what it stands for, and as our knowledge grows regarding life in the womb I predict that future generations will look on ours and wonder how we could have ever allowed such a thing to happen; just as today we look on past generations and wonder how could slavery and the oppression of women have ever been justified.” n February 3, 2013 7

Robotichauns put ‘million-dollar’ equipment to good use

8 February 3, 2013

faculty coordinator, physics teacher Doug Parris, this year ’s team is one of the largest, with 25 student members.

This year ’s KCHS team also is more balanced, with 11 students and four of seven adult mentors being female.

The Robotichauns first will compete at a regional match in Raleigh, N.C., March 14-16. This will be followed by the Smoky Mountain regional at the Knoxville Convention Center March 28-30.

The timing of the latter regional competition means the team members will be spending their Easter break putting their robot through its paces.

Each Robotichaun plays a role on the team, whether it is as a computer programmer, safety officer, robot driver, or working to market the team.

While students with an interest in the physical sciences make up a sizeable portion of the team, students with other talents aren’t discouraged from joining, especially since the experience provides students the opportunity to develop skills in organization, planning, and teamwork.

The team also has been busy with fundraising because it must raise the money needed for parts, equipment, team shirts, travel and food. Online donations may be made on the team’s website at www.gofundme.com/ KCHSRobotichauns.

Dr. Love answered his own question.

The high schools are encouraged to work with “million dollar pieces of equipment” for two reasons: to have more students enter STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and to return strength to United States manufacturing.

The Robotichauns are helping to make that a reality and reverse the trend. n

STEPHANIE RICHER

W

hen Dr. Lonnie Love of Oak Ridge National Laboratory asked “why would anybody in their right mind let high school kids work with million-dollar pieces of equipment,” the answer could be found with a group of Knoxville Catholic High School students.

Dr. Love posed the question at the Jan. 5 kickoff for this year ’s FIRST Robotics Competition.

Knoxville Catholic’s robotics team —the Robotichauns—were eagerly anticipating what this year ’s challenge would be. FIRST is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1989, to inspire young students’ interests and participation in science and technology.

Last year, the competitor ’s robots had to shoot basketballs and balance on a lever board. The Robotichauns came in fourth place at the Smoky Mountains regional competition last year, just missing qualifying for competition at the national level.

FIRST has upped the ante this year with its challenge called “Ultimate Ascent,” where the Robotichauns must build and program a robot to toss Frisbees into targets and climb pyramids while also operating defensively to prevent other schools’ robots from doing the same.

“I’m really excited for this one,” student John Simmins said. “As soon as I saw it I started thinking of really good ideas.”

And the ideas need to come quickly, since each team only has until Feb. 19 to design, build, and test their robot.

Until that time, the Robotichauns will be spending each weeknight and all day on Saturdays at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Lab, where mentors and safety engineers are on hand to assist the students.

According to the KCHS team’s

By Stephanie Richer

Working with bots A member of Knoxville Catholic High School’s robotics engineering team, the Robotichauns, peers through material the team is using to build a robot for competition in this year’s FIRST Robotics Competition for Knox-area students. The students are competing against other teams throughout the region for the top robot spot and are learning key skills in the process.

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

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Farewell to a Major League legend and faithful parishioner Bishop Stika delivers homily at funeral Mass for friend and baseball hero Stan Musial

COURTESY OF BISHOP RICHARD F. STIKA

A

funeral Mass for baseball legend Stan Musial was held Jan. 26 in St. Louis, where the Hall of Fame player spent his career. Bishop Richard F. Stika, a longtime Musial family friend and priest, delivered the homily.

Mr. Musial died Saturday, Jan. 19, at his home in Ladue, Mo., surrounded by his family. He was 92. The St. Louis Cardinal slugger and lifelong Catholic, known far and wide as “Stan the Man,” had been in declining health for several years. Mr. Musial was a parishioner of the Church of the Annunziata in Ladue, a St. Louis suburb, when the future Bishop Stika served as pastor there. A St. Louis native, the bishop knew of Mr. Musial from an early age. d “I’ve probably been aware of Stan since I was 6 or 7 years of age,” Bishop Stika said. “Everybody in St. Louis—everybody, whether you liked baseball or not—knew Stan the Man.” During his priesthood in St. Louis, then–Monsignor Stika got to know Mr. Musial personally.

“I met him over the last 20 years,” Bishop Stika said. “I got to know him because of my position working with the diocese, and in the last four years in a very special way, I was his pastor, so I was privileged to get to know him. I got to go over to his house with Lil [Mrs. Musial] and

A Cardinal moment Future Diocese of Knoxville Bishop Richard F. Stika is shown with St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame player Stan Musial and Mr. Musial’s wife, Lillian, in August 1999.

Stan and talk baseball, and he would just tell me stories.”

Mr. Musial played his entire 22-year career with the Cardinals from 1941 to 1963, missing the 1945 season to serve with the U.S. Navy.

Batting from an unusual stance that began with his back facing the pitcher, he finished with a career batting average of .331 with 3,630 hits and 475 home runs. He was selected to 24 All-Star Games, including years when two All-Star Games were held.

He remains the Cardinals’ recordholder in numerous offensive statistical categories. Mr. Musial was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame in 1969 on the first ballot. His No. 6 jersey was the first ever retired by the Cardinals. A statue of Mr. Musial outside Busch Stadium in St. Louis is inscribed, “Here stands baseball’s perfect warrior. Here stands baseball’s perfect knight.”

“He always had a quick smile, a good heart, and he was generous,”

By Dan McWilliams

Bishop Stika said. “He knew everyone from the pope to the president.

He was friends with President Kennedy and the Kennedy family and with Lyndon Johnson. He treated everybody the same way, with kindness.”

In 2011 Mr. Musial received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.

Mr. Musial met his future wife, Lillian, when he was a teenager in his native town of Donora, Pa. Mrs. Musial died in 2012 and Bishop Stika presided at her funeral Mass. The couple was married a few weeks shy of 72 years.

Bishop Stika was the homilist at Mr. Musial’s funeral Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson presided. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York and a longtime friend of the Musials, also spoke at the funeral Mass. A public visitation was held Jan. 24 at the cathedral.

Mr. Musial always carried a harmonica, Bishop Stika said.

“One of the great moments in my life was when I turned 40 and I was saying Mass at my parish where I eventually became pastor, and somebody tapped me on the back as I was leaving,” the bishop said. “It was Stan, and he played me ‘Happy Birthday’ on his harmonica, and Lil sang to me, so my brothers were jealous,” he said. n

Funeral Mass held for Father Daniel Clements, who served in Nashville and Knoxville

F

ather Daniel A. Clements, 93, died Sunday, Jan. 20, at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge.

Father Clements was born in North Braddock, Pa., to Daniel and Anna Fitzmaurice Clements on Dec. 12, 1919. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three sisters, Frances McGrath, Ann Bennett, and Adele Naughton; and one The East Tennessee Catholic

brother, Richard Clements. He is survived by two sisters, Dorothy Wakefield of Beaver, Pa., and Catherine Clements of St. Petersburg, Fla.; and several nieces and nephews.

Father Clements was educated at schools in East Pittsburgh, Pa., and attended seminary at St. Francis in Loretto, Pa., and St. Mary’s in Baltimore. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Nashville on May 1,

1954, at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville.

He served at churches in Memphis, Chattanooga, Oak Ridge, Gallatin, Nashville, Gatlinburg, Old Hickory, Loretto, Columbia and Springfield. He also served as chaplain for the VA Hospital in Murfreesboro. Though he retired in 1985, he continued his ministry to the homebound, to the residents of

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

Lakeshore Mental Health Institute in Knoxville, and to the parishioners of Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville.

The funeral Mass was celebrated at the Cathedral of the Incarnation on Wednesday, Jan. 23, with Bishop David R. Choby serving as principal celebrant. Interment followed in Calvary Cemetery, Nashville.

Contributions may be made to the Ladies of Charity in Nashville. n February 3, 2013 9

Diocesan calendar

by Margaret Hunt Bishop Richard F. Stika will preside at two additional Masses to celebrate the sacrament of marriage in the diocese in 2013. The second of three Masses will take place at St. Mary Church in Athens on Saturday, Feb. 9, and the third will be at St. Patrick Church in Morristown on Saturday, March 9. Both Masses will begin at 11 a.m. and will be followed by a reception. Register in advance to receive a certificate and to be photographed with Bishop Stika. Contact Karen Byrne at 865-584-3307 or kbyrne@dioknox.org to register.

Bishop Richard F. Stika will preside at Solemn Vespers at Sacred Heart Cathedral at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10, to mark the diocesan celebration of the World Day for Consecrated Life.

Blessed John Paul II instituted the day of prayer for women and men religious in 1997. Eighteen religious communities are represented in the Diocese of Knoxville. All are cordially invited to join the men and women religious in the diocese in prayer and gratitude for the gift of this vocation in the Church. A reception will follow Vespers in the school gymnasium. Contact Sister Mary Christine Cremin, RSM, for more information at srmarychristine@dioknox.org.

The diocesan high school dodge ball tournament, Battle in the Ridge, will be hosted by St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 23. The entry fee is $5 per player with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the winning team to donate to a charity of their choice. Parishes are asked to form teams of six to 10 with at least one girl. Parishes may have more than one team or join another parish to form one. A uniform of some sort such as matching T-shirts is suggested. E-mail Margaret Merrill to register at mmerrill@ smcor.org.

The annual Rites of Election for RCIA will take place on the first week-

10 February 3, 2013

end of Lent in each of the four deaneries. St. Mary Church in Johnson City will host the Five Rivers Deanery rite at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16. At 6:30 p.m. that day, St. John Neumann Church in Farragut will host the Cumberland Mountain Deanery rite. St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga will be the site for the Chattanooga Deanery rite at 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17. At 5 p.m. that day, Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa will host the rite for the Smoky Mountain Deanery.

Notre Dame High School is currently accepting applications for the 2013-14 school year. To learn more or request an application, call 423-6244618, extension 1004, or e-mail admissions@myndhs.com.

Registration forms are now available for Frazzled in the Vineyard, a catechetical leadership retreat for DRE’s and catechists scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 22-23. The retreat master is Dr. Ruth Queen Smith, pastoral associate at Blessed John XXIII Parish.

The Friday night session will be held at the Comfort Suites Hotel in Farragut, and the Saturday session will be at St. John Neumann Church. The cost is $40 for both days or $25 for Saturday only.

Lodging at the Comfort Suites is $89 per night and can be arranged by calling 865-675-7585. For more information, contact Father Richard Armstrong at 865-584-3307 or rarmstrong@dioknox. org.

The next Picture of Love engagedcouples retreat will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga. The program is designed to help couples gain a better understanding of the joys and challenges of being married in their day-to-day lives.

The cost is $135 per couple, which includes a certificate good for a $60 discount on a marriage license. Couples must attend the entire retreat to receive the certificate. For more information, contact Marian Christiana, director

of the Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment, at 423-892-2310 or mchristiana@dioknox.org.

The next Retrouvaille weekends are scheduled for Feb. 22-24 in Memphis and March 8-10 in Nashville. Retrouvaille is a program designed for couples who are struggling in their marriages or may have separated or divorced, but who want to reconcile. Call 800-4702230, e-mail nrv3034@gmail.com, or visit the website www.HelpOurMarriage. com.

The fourth course in the catechetical formation program sponsored by the Diocese of Knoxville and taught by instructors from Aquinas College in Nashville will be held Saturday, March 9, at St. Mary Church in Johnson City; Saturday, March 23, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Chattanooga; and Saturday, April 27, at the Chancery in Knoxville. All sessions will meet from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Register online at www.eventbrite.com/org/3149767104 or contact Father Richard Armstrong at 865-5843307 or rarmstrong@dioknox.org for more information.

St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge is presenting “A Taste of New Orleans—‘Art’ di Gras,” a dinner, dance, and silent auction, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9. A Mardi Gras–themed dinner with four courses will be served. The art selection for the auction includes a collection of framed prints, canvas paintings, lithographs, and Asian needlework.

Sizes range from 5 by 7 to 60 by 60.

Signed prints will also be available.

Music will be provided by the Mount LeConte Jug Band. Tickets can be purchased for $20 at the church or $25 at the door. Call Lynda Vinyard at 865556-1355 for more information.

The 2013 Ladies of Charity of Knoxville Golf Tournament is set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, May 3, at Egwani Farms Golf Course in Rockford.

The format is four-person teams, best shot. Registration is $125 per individual and $500 per team. Prizes include first,

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

second, third, and last place in each of two flights. A hole-in-one grand prize is a trip for two including four nights at the Lodge at Pebble Beach and rounds of golf at Pebble Beach, Spyglass, and Spanish Bay. Additional hole-in-one prizes and closest-to-the-pin and door prizes will be awarded. Sponsorships are available; sponsorships of $1,500 or more include a full team registration. For more information, contact Joe Fuhr at 865-693-1810 or jfuhr4221@aol.com.

The next Engaged Encounter will be held the weekend of April 12-14.

To register, contact Jason and Carmen Jeansonne at 865-377-3077, or ceeknoxville@yahoo.com. For more information on Engaged Encounter, visit the website www.engagedencounter. org/community.asp.

Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at 1:30 p.m. each Sunday at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville; at 3 p.m. on first and third Sundays at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland; at 3 p.m. on second, fourth, and fifth Sundays at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Madisonville; at 11 a.m. each Sunday at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Townsend; and at 3 p.m. on second and fourth Sundays at St. Mary Church in Johnson City. Visit www.knoxlatinmass.net for updated information.

The St. Thomas the Apostle Ukrainian Catholic Mission celebrates Divine Liturgy at 10 a.m. Sundays in the lower level of Holy Cross Anglican Church, 515 Herron Road, Knoxville, TN 37934.

All services are in English. Call Father Richard Armstrong at 865-584-3307 or visit www.saintthomas-knoxville.org for details.

Holy Resurrection Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Mission has Divine Liturgy celebrations at 9:30 a.m. Sundays at the old Holy Ghost Church, 1031 N. Central St. in Knoxville. For times of holy-day services or for more information, visit www.knoxbyz.org or call Father Thomas O’Connell at 865-256-4880. n dioknox.org

Chattanooga Deanery calendar Memorial Health Care System Foundation will host the eighth annual Pink! Gala, an annual fundraiser for breast cancer research, on Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Chattanooga Convention Center. The $200 standard tickets include cocktails, dinner, and entertainment. Patron tickets are available for $250 and include a pre-party invitation, valet parking, premium seating, and table-side bar service. Tables of eight can also be reserved. Visit www. memorial.org/pink or call 423-495-PINK for more information.

Parish notes: Chattanooga Deanery

Preparations are being made for the annual Chatti Gras fundraiser for Chattanooga-area Catholic schools. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Chattanooga Trade and Convention Center. Dinner, music, dancing, and a silent auction are planned for the Mardi Gras–themed evening. Tickets are now on sale at Chattigras.com or in the Notre Dame, OLPH, and St. Jude school offices for $75. Contact Cissy West at cwest@ catholicweb.com or 423-622-1481 to donate auction items or to learn more. n

St. Jude, Chattanooga The St. Jude Star Tree program raised $7,950 in gift cards for clients of the Ladies of Charity of Chattanooga during December. The director of the Ladies of Charity, Jan Clark, reported that all of the requests made for gifts by their clients were granted.

St. Jude Parish participated in the 23rd Annual Bake Sale supporting Catholic Charities in the Chattanooga area during the Advent season. The Catholic parishes in the Chattanooga Deanery raised more than $7,200 for the Home Place program, an independent living facility for people who are homeless and have an HIV-positive or AIDS diagnosis.

St. Mary, Athens The women’s group had a holiday gathering Jan. 5. The group collected packages of diapers for newborns for clients of Full Circle Crisis Pregnancy Center.

St. Stephen, Chattanooga

COURTESY OF CAROL BIRD

The Primetimers sewing group has been meeting on Thursdays at the parish to make sleeping bags for the homeless and layette items for clients of the Ladies of Charity of Chattanooga. For more information about the group, contact Mary Hess at 423-855-0237.

COURTESY OF ELIZABETH CONWAY

St. Augustine Knights hold free-throw-shooting contest Knights of Columbus Council 14251 in Signal Mountain held its second annual free-throw contest Jan. 13 for youth of St. Augustine Parish ages 10-14. Age-group winners were Carter Kelly, 10-year-old boys; Isaac Bird, 12-year-old boys; Davis Kelly, 13-year-old boys; Teresa Holmes, 13-year-old girls; and Olivia Young, 14-year-old girls. All winners will compete at the district event at St. Jude in Chattanooga at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3. Pictured from left are Teresa, Davis, Mike McKenna of the Knights, Malone Howley, Carter, Isaac, Olivia, Alan Vessels of the Knights, James Webb, and Tony Young of the Knights.

The East Tennessee Catholic

Kucharzaks celebrate 50th wedding anniversary Deacon Michael and Andrea Kucharzak celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a wedding-ring blessing at a Mass on Nov. 24, at Holy Spirit Church in Soddy-Daisy. A reception in the church hall followed. The Kucharzaks made the cake to resemble their original wedding cake shown in the photo on the table. Their wedding was celebrated Nov. 22, 1962, at St. Casimir Church in Milwaukee.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Cleveland Parishioners and community members from the Cleveland and Chattanooga areas celebrated their devotion to the Santo Niño, the Holy Child, on Jan. 19. A special Mass and celebration were held to commemorate this religious and historical event that is largely recognized in the Philippines.

The annual Rosary for the Unborn was held Jan. 20. White crosses representing unborn babies were placed on the grounds of St. Thérèse of Lisieux to help parishioners keep the unborn in their thoughts before and after the rosary.

The Spring Fashion Show, Boutique and Luncheon has been rescheduled for Saturday, April 20, in the Parish Center. For ticket information, call the church office in March at 423-476-8123. More details will follow. n

Upcoming diocesan Virtus sessions n Holy Cross, Pigeon Forge; 7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 4 (session will be conducted

in Spanish) n St. Dominic, Kingsport; 1 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9; 6:30 p.m., Thursday, March

14 n St. Mary, Oak Ridge; 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 21 n St. Jude, Chattanooga; noon, Tuesday, March 12 n

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

February 3, 2013 11

Cumberland Mountain Deanery calendar

Parish notes: Cumberland Mountain Deanery

Join the families and friends of the seminarians of the diocese in prayer at a holy hour for priestly vocations at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut at 7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 1. Father Doug Owens will lead the Vespers service, eucharistic adoration, and benediction. Light refreshments will be served at a reception following the service. For more information, call the parish office at 865-966-4540.

St. Alphonsus, Crossville The Hats and Scarves group knitted or crocheted items for more than 700 people in the Crossville area during 2012. Donations of yarn and cash to buy more supplies are welcome. Cash donations can be placed in an envelope and put in the weekly parish collection basket. Be sure to mark the envelope for the “Hat and Scarf Fund.” Contact Pat Heveroh at 931-456-1885 or Helen Davis at 788-5380 for more information about the group.

St. Alphonsus Parish recently celebrated the birth of Christ with a program called “The King’s Birthday.” All ages performed in this production from 2 years old through college, with acting, singing, narrating, and playing musical instruments.

The performance was followed by a “birthday party for Jesus” with cake, party hats, balloons, and gifts for St. Alphonsus Community Services. Music director Marian Sullivan coordinated the event.

Search for Christian Maturity, a weekend retreat for high school juniors and seniors, will take place the weekend of Feb. 15-17 at Knoxville Catholic High School for students in the Smoky Mountain and Cumberland Mountain deaneries.

Registration forms can be found online at http://bit.ly/XyfZmw or by contacting a parish youth minister. The cost is $60 for the weekend. Contact Deacon Dan Hosford for more information at 865-6039682 or djh2@comcast.net.

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade The February meeting of the Council of Catholic Women will be held Wednesday, Feb. 20, after the 8 a.m. Mass. Carol Beyer from the Helping Hands Ministry will be the speaker. The Helping Hands Ministry is an organization that provides food, monetary assistance, and other items during the year to needy families in the Crossville area.

Anniversaries: Peter and Betty Staab (62), Anthony and Rosemarie Stocco (61), Greg and Shirley Penrod (61), Tom and Nancy Flagg (56), Paul and Barbara Thrower (56), Ronald and Janice Cashner (54), Charles and Carol Fisher (54), Robert and Lenora Price (54), Dick and Helen Gerlach (53), Gerald and Barbara Phillips (51), Herman and Frances Eichner (50), Robert and Joanne Jansen (50)

St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge is hosting a retreat for high school girls the

weekend of Feb. 22-24. During the weekend, the participants will explore questions such as the nature of God, personal dignity, and how to live a life rooted in Christ. Presentations will be made by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation from Nashville as well as other young women from the diocese. The cost is $35. For more information, contact Margaret Merrill at 865-482-2875 or mmerrill@smcor.org, or Alicia Bradshaw at 423-870-2386.

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“Run So As to Win” will be the theme of a retreat for high school–age young men the weekend of March 1-3 at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge. Participants will have the opportunity to pray; reflect on the spiritual witness of priests, deacons, lay faithful, and collegiate athletes; and enjoy good food and fellowship. The retreat will conclude with Mass at 10 a.m. on Sunday. Download forms online at dioknox.org or contact Deacon Dan Hosford for more information at 865603-9682 or djh2@comcast.net. n

The St. Therese Social Action Committee is collecting coats through February. A bin will be placed in the church hall for donations of clean, lightly worn coats in good repair. Contact Connie Mikeal at 865-457-1934 for more information.

The parish has adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from 9 a.m. until noon on Thursday mornings.

St. Thomas the Apostle, Lenoir City A St. Thomas the Apostle Parish mission, “From Faith to Faith: Rediscovering the Grace of God,” will take place nightly at 7 p.m. Feb. 23-26. Deacon Alex Jones, a permanent deacon and evangelization coordinator from the Archdiocese of Detroit, will lead the mission. For more information, contact Bette Purvis at 865-458-8070. n

12 February 3, 2013

COURTESY OF MICHELLE DOUGHERTY

St. Therese, Clinton

Lindsay wins St. John Neumann spelling bee On Jan. 16 St. John Neumann School in Farragut held its annual school spelling bee, sponsored by the Knoxville News Sentinel. In order to participate in the school bee, students in grades four through eight had to win a classroom bee. Twenty students participated in the school bee. WBIR on-air personality Beth Haynes served as the bee pronouncer. Superintendent of Knoxville Catholic Schools Sister Mary Marta Abbot, RSM, St. John Neumann Parish associate pastor Father Doug Owens, and St. John Neumann School executive assistant Joanne Perkins served as judges for the event.

Eighth-grader Lindsay Bruce was the school champion. Fifth-grader Alex Dally was the runner-up. Lindsay will participate in the News Sentinel Southern Appalachia Regional Spelling Bee on March 16 at the University of Tennessee. Above, Lindsay takes her turn at the microphone to spell a word during the school bee. Waiting behind her are eighth-graders James Daffron and Camryn DeFilipo.

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

dioknox.org

Five Rivers Deanery calendar

-There will be two Search for Christian Maturity retreats in the Five Rivers Deanery in February and March 2013.

Search 43 will be held at St. Patrick Church in Morristown Feb. 15-17, and

Parish notes: Five Rivers Deanery

Search 44 will be at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville March 15-17. Availability is on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Susan Collins at 423-639-9381 for more information. n

Good Shepherd, Newport Good Shepherd Church will hold a parish retreat Saturday, Feb. 23. David Russell, a magician and author of Magi Theology and Bigger and Better and the producer of a series of CD’s, will conduct the day. He plans to show that just as the illusions of magic prevent us from seeing what the magician is actually doing, so too can the many illusions of daily life distract us from seeing and hearing what God is doing. The retreat will begin with Mass at 11 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m.

Parish hosts stopover for Sandy volunteers

S

t. Mary Parish in Johnson City made arrangements to provide overnight accommodations, coming and going, for a group of a dozen or more volunteers from Resurrection Catholic High School in Pascagoula, Miss., who spent Thanksgiving week in New Jersey helping those devastated by Superstorm Sandy.

They arrived Sunday evening, Nov. 18, and departed early Monday on the way to New Jersey and stopped again on the way home Saturday, Nov. 24. They left again early Sunday in order to be back for school Monday, Nov. 26.

St. Mary pastor Father Peter Iorio made arrangements for the vol-

unteers to be housed in the school gym and to provide a breakfast they could take on the road on the way up. He organized parish volunteers to provide a Thanksgiving meal and a special Mass for them on Saturday evening as they made their way home.

Noting that the volunteers would bring supplies they needed in a trailer, Father Iorio suggested parishioners donate cleaning supplies including bleach (especially), detergent, scrub brushes, heavy-duty contractor garbage bags, diapers, wipes, work gloves, rakes, toiletries, and bottled water and offered to collect them at the church before the group’s arrival. n

Holy Trinity, Jefferson City Members of the parish were thanked for their donations to the Heifer International Project during December. The parish collected $584. Heifer International is an organization that provides livestock, land, seeds, and training so that poor farmers can become self-supporting.

Holy Trinity is having a parish mission March 13-17. Father Dan Cambra, a priest with the Marians of the Immaculate Conception, will share reflections on the Divine Mercy devotion after all Masses on the weekend of March 13 and 14 and then present the mission March 15 and 16. For more information, contact the parish office at 865-471-0347.

Anniversaries: Tom and Mary Malafronte (40); John and Rose Left (25) Baptisms: Thomas Cormac Richards, son of Chris and Katie Richards; Kathrine Magdalena Caprio, daughter of Jason and Maria Caprio; and Carmella Willis Caprio-Grant, daughter of Alvin and Rose Caprio-Grant n

Lenten penance services Here is a list of Lenten penance services around the Diocese of Knoxville:

COURTESY OF CAROL BIRD

Cumberland Mountain Deanery

St. Augustine CCW honors Grey Wagner On Dec. 9 the Council of Catholic Women at St. Augustine Parish in Signal Mountain hosted an Advent dinner for the women of the parish. Honored was Grey Wagner (third from left) who served as the Diocesan CCW president from 196365. At that time the diocese was the entire state of Tennessee. Mrs. Wagner also served as the National Council of Catholic Women vice president. Mrs. Wagner is pictured with (from left) her daughter, Mary Jo Richie, Nancy St. Charles, and Judy St. Charles.

The East Tennessee Catholic

7 p.m. EST, except as noted. Feb. 16—St. Christopher, Jamestown, 7:30 p.m. CST; Feb. 18—St. Ann, Lancing; Feb. 20—Blessed Sacrament, Harriman; Christ the King, Tazewell; Feb. 21—Our Lady of Perpetual Help, LaFollette; Feb. 26—St. John Neumann, Farragut; Feb. 27—St. Alphonsus, Crossville, 6 p.m. CST; March 5—St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade, 6 p.m. CST; March 11—Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Maynardville, 6 p.m.; March 13—St. Mary, Oak Ridge; March 19—St. Joseph, Norris, and St. Therese, Clinton; March 25—All Saints, Knoxville Five Rivers Deanery 7 p.m. Feb. 19—Notre Dame, Greeneville; Feb. 25—St. Elizabeth, Elizabethton; Feb. 26—St. Michael the Archangel, Erwin; Feb. 28—St. Mary, Johnson City; March 4— Good Shepherd, Newport; March 7—St. Henry, Rogersville; March 13—Holy Trinity, Jefferson City; March 14—St. Dominic, Kingsport; March 21—St. Patrick, Morristown Smoky Mountain Deanery 7 p.m., except as noted. March 5—St. Mary, Gatlinburg; March 7—Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa; March 11—St. Albert the Great, Knoxville; March 12—Holy Cross, Pigeon Forge; March 13—Holy Family, Seymour; March 18—Blessed John XXIII, 7:30 p.m.; March 19—Immaculate Conception, Knoxville, and Holy Ghost, Knoxville, at IC; March 20—St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville; March 21—Sacred Heart Cathedral n

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

February 3, 2013 13

Parish notes: Smoky Mountain Deanery Blessed John XXIII, Knoxville Blessed John XXIII Parish is participating in the Knox County Jail Ministry for Women, which was recently started in the area. Beginning on Wednesdays during Lent, there will be a lectionary-based service from 5:30-7 p.m. for female inmates at the Knox County Jail located at 400 Main St. Women ages 21 or older are welcome to participate. For more information, contact Geri Mulligan at 865-2496802 or gerihm@comcast.net.

Participants in the parish Elf Project during December helped 121 local families purchase Christmas gifts for their children.

Holy Family, Seymour The parish had a toilet-paper drive during January to benefit clients of the CROSS Food Ministry in Seymour. CROSS provides food, utility assistance, firewood, and other resources for the needy in the Seymour area.

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville The Immaculate Conception women’s group had a Tupperware party Jan. 26 to raise money for the parish Roof and Ceiling Repair Fund.

St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville Parishioners were able to fill 50 requests through the Angel Tree Program and 24 gift bags for clients of the Boys and Girls Club of Madisonville during the Christmas season.

St. Mary, Gatlinburg Members of the Council of Catholic Women visited women of the parish living in local nursing homes before Christmas. Each resident was presented with a warm lap throw. n

14 February 3, 2013

Smoky Mountain Deanery calendar The Pope Benedict XVI Schola will present “A Candlemas Concert” to benefit the Ladies of Charity of Knoxville at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. The concert will include Gregorian chant and choral works in Latiln and English by Palestrina, Purcell, Victoria, Byrd, Sheppard, Tye, and Vaughan Williams. Organist Charles Walden, music director at Holy Ghost, will also perform. Schola members come from churches throughout Knoxville, and the group’s director is Mary C. Weaver.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or online at b16.eventbrite.com/.

For more information, call 865-437-8620 or e-mail mary@b16schola.org.

For more information, or to donate auction items, contact St. Joseph School at 865-689-3424.

The Haiti Outreach Program at Sacred Heart Cathedral is collecting prom and formal dresses at all Knoxville-area Prestige Cleaners for the fourth annual Fierce and Fancy Formal Fashion Show and Dress Sale to be held Feb. 9. All proceeds from the fashion show and sale will support Sacred Heart’s twin parish in Boucan Carré, Haiti. For tickets or information on the sale or the mission, contact Jennifer Neil at 865-329-3294 or jenniferneil@givehaitihope.org.

Catholic Charities’ Office of Immigration Services is co-hosting citizenship classes from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays through March 23 at Sacred Heart Cathedral School and through April 6 at First Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge. Cost is $50. For more information, contact Nathaly Perez at 865-971-3550.

The Knoxville-area Knights of Columbus are sponsoring the ninth annual Blue Mass for the spiritual intentions of local police and firefighters at 6:45 a.m. Friday, Feb. 8, at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Breakfast will be served after Mass. Contact the parish office for more information at 865-588-0249.

A Seekers of Silence Contemplative Saturday Morning will be held Feb. 2 at John XXIII Catholic Center in Knoxville.

Father Terry Ryan, CSP will speak on the topic “Anonymous Mystic: Writings of Elizabeth Leseur.” Coffee and tea will be served at 8:30 a.m.; the workshop will run from 9 a.m. to noon. Bring a bag lunch. RSVP at 865-523-7931. n

The St. Joseph School annual Mardi Gras dinner and silent auction will take place at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9.

Tickets are $40 each or $400 for a table and are available at the school office.

The school is encouraging early ticket purchases because last year’s event was a sellout, and many were turned away.

E

rnie and Marilyn Ball, founding parishioners of St. Mary in Athens, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Dec. 1.

The Balls were married in 1962 at Corpus Christi Church in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The officiating priest was Father James Carney. They have two children, Chris Ball of Daphne, Ala., and Lisa Derrick of Etowah; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Mr. Ball is a Navy veteran and retired from Coca-Cola, where he served as an account manager. The The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

COURTESY OF LISA DERRICK

Balls celebrate 50th wedding anniversary

Ernie and Marilyn Ball

couple celebrated their 50th anniversary with a family gathering and dinner. n dioknox.org

S M S i o K R t a S t g t p s

Catholic schools

COURTESY OF GAYLE SCHOENBORN

St. Jude students perform special projects to benefit Haiti parishes

St. John Neumann band members rehearse Middle school band students at St. John Neumann School in Farragut prepared for two performances in December. The students under the direction of SJN band director Jonathan Leichman and Knoxville Catholic High School band director Jay Romines participated in KCHS’s Fine Arts Celebration on Dec. 6. The band also prepared for the SJN annual Christmas program titled “The Christmas Shoe Tree,” with performances Dec. 18 and 19. Pictured are seventh-grader Megan Flynn and eighthgrader Grady Vanderhoofven. For more information about the St. John Neumann band or music programs, contact Mr. Leichman at jleichman@ sjncs-knox.org or call the school at 865-777-0077.

The East Tennessee Catholic

COURTESY OF MICHELLE DOUGHERTY

NDHS students thanked for supporting Ladies of Charity Jeff Raabe, president of the board of the Ladies of Charity of Chattanooga, addressed the student body at Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga on Jan. 23 following an all-school Mass. Mr. Raabe thanked the students for their donations to Ladies of Charity and explained that the donations from Notre Dame High School alone represented 40 percent of the Ladies of Charity Christmas program and provided Christmas for 87 families. From left are (front row) Joshua Deocampo, MaryGrace Napolitan, Mackenzie Guice, Margaret Raabe, Michaela Guice, and Shannon Wells and (back row) Nick Chambers, Seamus Finnegan, Grayson Hargett, Mr. Raabe, and Spenser Turley.

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

As part of the St. Jude Parish Christmas service project and in conjunction with the Parish Twinning Program of America, students at St. Jude School in Chattanooga raised money for sister parishes in Gros-Morne, Haiti.

Kindergarten parents sponsored their children in a special homework project to do extra chores at home. As a result of their efforts they will be buying a goat and feeding a child for a year and a half.

First- and second-grade families provided a spectacular response to the request to hold a bake sale, and students raised money to buy two hens and two goats and will help feed a child for part of a year.

Third-grade students were sponsored to provide service labor: cleaning up and sweeping gravel on the playground.

They will be buying five hens and five goats.

Fourth-graders conducted their annual two-day yard sale and raised money to buy six hens, two goats and two piglets. Fourth grade also presented St. Jude pastor Father Charlie Burton with $200 to help parish families in need.

By completing chores for family and neighbors, fifthgrade students raised money to feed two children for a year and buy a goat. Jonah King, on his own, raised $130 helping an elderly neighbor rake leaves and donated $30 of his own money.

Sixth grade held a fundraiser to buy a goat and a hen. n

February 3, 2013 15

Notre Dame High School alumna Brooke Craig (’12) was one of two teens chosen statewide for the Young Artists show at Frist Center in Nashville.

Miss Craig’s digital print, “Stolen Angel,” currently is on display through April 21. Miss Craig is a freshman at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. n

NDHS swimmer makes school history Niamh Cahill made Notre Dame High School history at a recent swim meet in Cleveland. Niamh became the only freshman ever to qualify for the Tennessee state championships in all eight events in a single season. n

Catholic schools

Sacred Heart tennis team repeats as city-county champs The Sacred Heart Cathedral School varsity tennis team won its second straight City-County Championship recently at Tyson Park. The team plays in the largest division in the city and repeated as champions. It was also coach Karen Lorino’s final match, capping off a decade as volunteer tennis coach at Sacred Heart. From left are players Hunter Millsaps, Jacob Lorino, Julia Newman and Meg Boatner. They defeated Webb, Christian Academy of Knoxville, and Farragut to win the title.

The team went 8-1 in the regular season. Sacred Heart was the smallest school in the “A” division with only four players. A ceremony was held during the basketball games Dec. 4 to honor the tennis team and hoist the championship banner.

COURTESY OF PAM RHOADES

Notre Dame alumna chosen for artists show in Nashville

St. Mary-Oak Ridge volleyball teams end successful seasons

16 February 3, 2013

KCHS lacrosse player signs with Ohio university Kristen Halstead, a senior at Knoxville Catholic High School, recently signed to play lacrosse at the University of Findlay in Ohio, an NCAA Division II school. Currently Kristen plays lacrosse for the Lady Irish and is captain of the team, and was one of the girls who helped form the team at Knoxville Catholic. She also plays for the Knoxville Cheetahs lacrosse team and played for Midwestern Force Elite Lacrosse last summer.

COURTESY OF TARA HALSTEAD

The junior varsity and varsity volleyball teams at St. Mary School in Oak Ridge recently competed in the Knoxville Independent School League end-ofseason tournaments held at the Episcopal School of Knoxville and Grace Christian Academy. The JV and varsity teams earned third and second places in the tournament, respectively, and both teams ended the season third place overall in KISL league play. n

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

n C p

2 c s

a 1 dioknox.org

Catholic Charities planning to conduct two spring Rachel’s Vineyard programs Rachel’s Vineyard, a Catholic Charities of East Tennessee healing and recovery program for women who are experiencing emotional or spiritual difficulties from a past abortion, is conducting a 10-week program for those unable to attend a weekend retreat.

The program will be held on Tuesdays 5-8 p.m. from Feb. 19-April 30. For more information on the recovery program, call or e-mail Sandi Davidson at 865-7764510 or sandi@ccetn.org, Sister Mary Christine Cremin at 865-3393832 or sister@ccetn.org, or CathVespers continued from page 3

life, secular institutes, and societies of apostolic life. While all of these ways of living the evangelical counsels are a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church, each has its unique form of expression.

The Holy Spirit grants a particular gift, called a charism, to each person and each institute in order to build up the Church. These charisms are visibly expressed in apostolic works and spirituality.

Even those institutes completely devoted to contemplation are considered to have a “hidden apostolic fruitfulness” (VC 8) that

erine McHugh at 865-696-7720 or peace4lilith@aol.com.

Complete confidentiality is honored at all times.

A Rachel’s Vineyard healing and recovery retreat is scheduled April 12-14 at a private location near Benton, Tenn.

Rachel’s Vineyard continues to be a critical Catholic Charities outreach program to assist women in need of post-abortion counseling.

“If you are experiencing emotional or spiritual difficulties from a past abortion, you are not alone.

Catholic Charities is here to assist you,” Mrs. Davidson said. n contributes to the growth of the Church.

The Diocese of Knoxville has 18 communities of consecrated life.

All parishioners are asked to join the consecrated men and women of the Diocese of Knoxville in praying in gratitude for the gift of this vocation in the Church.

After the celebration of Solemn Vespers on Feb. 10, there will be a reception in the Sacred Heart School lobby, where parishioners will have an opportunity to meet some of the consecrated men and women in the diocese who are present. n

Former priest William Casey laicized

Bishop Richard F. Stika has announced that former priest William Casey has been dismissed from the priesthood by Pope Benedict XVI. Mr. Casey was convicted in July 2011 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and aggravated rape and is serving a prison sentence.

In an announcement to priests and deacons in the diocese on Jan. 10, Bishop Stika said: The East Tennessee Catholic

“I have received word from the Holy See that His Holiness, Pope Benedict the XVI, dismissed William Casey from the clerical state (laicized). Through this laicization, Mr. Casey returns to the lay state. I request that you continue to pray for Warren Tucker and for all victims of abuse throughout the world. I also ask you to pray for Mr. Casey and his family,” Bishop Stika said. n

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The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

855-842-8001 | 508-340-9370 Carmela A. Dupuis, Executive Director

February 3, 2013 17

Living the readings

Weekday Readings Sunday, Feb. 3: Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19; Psalm 71:1-6, 15-17; 1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13; Luke 4:21-30 Monday, Feb. 4: Hebrews 11:32-40; Psalm 31:20-24; Mark 5:1-20 Tuesday, Feb. 5: Memorial, St. Agatha, virgin, martyr, Hebrews 12:1-4; Psalm 22:26-28, 30-32; Mark 5:21-43 Wednesday, Feb. 6: Memorial, St. Paul Miki and companions, martyrs, Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15; Psalm 103:1-2, 13-14, 17-18; Mark 6:1-6 Thursday, Feb. 7: Hebrews 12:18-19, 21-24; Psalm 48:2-4, 9-11; Mark 6:7-13 Friday, Feb. 8: Hebrews 13:18; Psalm 27:1, 3, 5, 8-9; Mark 6:14-29 Saturday, Feb. 9: Hebrews 13:15-17, 20-21; Psalm 23:1-6; Mark 6:30-34 Sunday, Feb. 10: Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 138:1-5, 7-8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11 Monday, Feb. 11: Genesis 1:119; Psalm 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 24, 35; Mark 6:53-56 Tuesday, Feb. 12: Genesis 1:20–2:4; Psalm 8:4-9; Mark 7:1-13 Wednesday, Feb. 13: Ash Wednesday, Joel 2:12-18; Psalm 51:3-6, 12-14, 17; 2 Corinthians 5:20–6:2; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Thursday, Feb. 14: Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1:1-4, 6; Luke 9:22-25 Friday, Feb. 15: Isaiah 58:1-9; Psalm 51:3-6, 18-19; Matthew 9:14-15 Saturday, Feb. 16: Isaiah 58:914; Psalm 86:1-6; Luke 5:27-32 Sunday, Feb. 17: Deuteronomy 26:4-10; Psalm 91:1-2, 10-15; Romans 10:8-13; Luke 4:1-13 Monday, Feb. 18: Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18; Psalm 19:8-10, Readings continued on page 19

18 February 3, 2013

by Father Joseph Brando

From strength to strength

F

God creates us and renews us in power

or some reason many people fear the number 13. Those folks are facing a serious problem this year as we navigate the uncharted waters of the 13th year of the 21st century.

One of the first problems it presents to the Christian community is the early date for Easter. No sooner have we celebrated Christmas and Epiphany than we are faced with Ash Wednesday (which happens to be Feb. 13).

In fact, this event virtually slices the month in half. The first two Sundays are in Ordinary Time and the last two are in Lent. You would think that such a change in points of view would make quite a mess. Magically, the Sundays of the month along with Ash Wednesday form a seamless garment connecting Christmas to Easter.

And so February’s Scripture readings turn out to be brilliantly coherent and illuminating.

The Sundays of February begin with the Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time. It hints at the Christmas enigma. How can so beautiful a moment as the birth of the Messiah occur in conjunction with the slaughter of the Holy Innocents and the Flight into Egypt? By answering that question, this Sunday’s readings let us enter into God’s paradoxical workings.

It begins with God speaking to Jeremiah. He was the prophet who lived with so many powerful adversaries that he complained to God that he was born. In return, God revealed that he formed him in his mother’s womb to be a strong fortified city.

He had been prepared for his adversaries. He was created strong and should live boldly proclaiming God’s Word. Judah’s kings and princes will fight against him but they will not prevail. Jeremiah is only one of many lowly people that God used to confound the mighty.

The day’s Gospel recalls Jesus’ first face-to-face opposition. It came from his own kinsfolk and neighbors in his hometown. He counters their criticism with biblical references to times that God strangely helped gentiles instead of Israelites. God does work in strange ways. Jesus knew that he had the power of God. With that strength he could overcome any resistance including the shame of being thrown out of Nazareth.

We need this same assurance. We are shaped before our birth by God and reborn in baptism. We, like Jeremiah, Elijah and Elisha, have divine power. Paul defines that power for the Corinthians in the second reading. What explains the enigma is simply the love of God, the only power that never fails. It is the greatest of all the spiritual gifts. With it we have the strength of God. It is of immense interest to note that this “greatest spiritual gift” is not a function of the mind. It is not an intellectual insight into the ineffable.

No. It is rather a matter of the heart.

We are bound to God by emotional ties of love that unite us to God in a relationship that is stronger than any worldly reality. That is what Christmas accomplished and that no action of King Herod or anyone else could overcome. That is the strength we have in Christ.

The next Sunday, the Fifth of Ordinary Time, answers an objection one might make after reading the previous Sunday’s readings. Sure, God can make us perfect, but we can mess things up. Then, what happens?

Well, the short answer is that God can clean up whatever mess we make.

In reply to Isaiah, in that very special sixth chapter when the prophet recollects his prophetic call, God does not let him get away with proclaiming himself “a man of unclean lips.”

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

Rather, God sends an angel with an ember to touch his lips and clean them. God might have asked Isaiah if there were any other places on his body that were unclean. Surely, he got the message. When God wills to use us, he will see to it that we are properly empowered for the job.

Paul reminds the Corinthians that the risen Christ had already prepared the Church to spread the good news of the resurrection by appearing to the apostles and many other believers. Paul adds his own personal testimony that he also saw the risen Christ. That and similar moments of grace can surpass and replace any negative aspect of our personality.

One example of God’s grace overcoming a personal problem is given to us in the Gospel. There, we meditate on a confrontation Jesus had with Peter. One of Peter’s assets was his boldness in regard to any person with whom he disagrees. That also was one of his main shortcomings.

The Gospel relates a time, early in Jesus’ public ministry, when Jesus preached from Peter’s boat. After Jesus finished, Peter (presumably very tired and needing to finish cleaning up) refused to pull out and fish a little bit longer. Jesus, however, prevailed.

When they caught a great number of fish, Peter knew two things. First, this was not something natural; second, he was a sinful man having spoken rashly to the Lord. In the process, Peter was made aware of his problem and very willingly made to atone for it. What Jesus did for Peter, he can and does for us. Our strength, even when we sin, can be renewed.

Three days after the previous Sunday, the year bumps in the night into Ash Wednesday. Nevertheless, the train of thought carried over from Ordinary Time stays right on track.

The only shift is that we are spoken to directly.

In the first reading, Joel has God speak to us, begging us to “return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping and mourning.” Notice, once again, that religion is a function dioknox.org

of the heart. The problem God wants to rectify involves Israel being ruled by foreign nations. That was a direct result of their disloyalty to God. The remedy God proposed was a rending of hearts and a realization that God is slow to anger, rich in kindness, and relenting in punishment.

God wanted his love relationship with Israel renewed. For that purpose, God speaks to us in the language of love. Crying is an important part of that vocabulary. That is why the Lent we are beginning should lead us to discover we are taking God for granted. That realization leads us to sorrow and atonement. Our return to God is an emotional experience driving us again to tears; but these tears are of joy, the joy of reconciliation.

Paul presents an added reason to be reconciled with God. We are not only his beloved; we are his ambassadors, too. Our becoming one again with God affects every person on earth.

Therefore, we must do it as soon as possible. “Now is the acceptable time.” This is not an arena where we can practice brinksmanship. Beg forgiveness now before we go over the proverbial cliff. In matters of love and in dealing with God, time is of the essence. The time is always “right now.”

Ash Wednesday’s Gospel reminds us of another mistake we shouldn’t make in our relationship with God. We must avoid being hypercritical.

The word “hypocrite” now means one who says one thing but does another. In Jesus’ time it meant one who judges too critically, that is a nitpicker. When we judge too critically, we are making a mistake. In fact, we shouldn’t judge at all. An early saint warned that the second most painful thing we do is judging others. The most painful thing we do is judging ourselves. Both are wrong. We can bring joy back to our hearts by letting the all-merciful God do all the judging. That’s difficult but well worth spending the time on this Lent.

The readings for the First Sunday of Lent make us realize the power of our spiritual life. The lesson begins with The East Tennessee Catholic

the experience of Israel leaving Egypt and journeying to the promised land.

Moses reminds his people as they are finally ready to enter Canaan that when they entered Egypt they were merely a small group of poor wanderers. But they became great. How? They cried to the Lord and he saw their affliction and made them strong.

At the bottom of it all was a relationship between a people and its gracious God. That is to say, Israel’s loyalty to God led to Israel’s being blessed by God. It is all loyalty.

Paul’s Letter to the Romans, the second reading, brings this concept of loyalty to the New Testament. It is the result of being in relationship with someone powerful who rewards you. Paul tells the Romans that Christian loyalty to Jesus Christ is shown in confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and in believing—in your heart—that God raised him from the dead. That is where we get our strength. Such a loyalty becomes faith and with it we will never be put to shame.

The Gospel points to a case that proves Paul’s point. Jesus is in the desert for 40 days, reminiscent of the 40 years the people of Israel were in the desert. He is tempted by the devil.

In resisting all of the temptations, Jesus’ demonstrates his divine strength.

It is the result of Jesus’ relationship to the Father and to the Spirit who led him to the desert. It was heartfelt loyalty. That is the kind of faith we need to become just as strong.

The final Sunday of February this year is the Second Sunday of Lent.

It answers what would logically be an appropriate question to end this month-long dialogue on strength.

How do we maintain and grow in divine strength? The answer is extraordinary. It is to keep looking at the source of this strength. Be a visionary.

In the Old Testament reading Abram is gifted with a special vision of God. He is the first man in recorded history to talk with God. This leads to a vision. After gathering several items that God told Abram to

fetch, God put him into a trance “and a deep terrifying darkness enveloped him.” In the darkness Abram envisioned a covenant ceremony uniting him with God. His descendants were to inherit the land of Israel. At the time, he had no children. Yet, the vision empowered Abram to keep faith.

He remained strong.

Paul, in the second reading, urges the Christians in Philippi to look to heaven for their moral imperatives.

Philippi was a city in Macedonia (Northern Greece) that was founded

by Romans. They were proud of their nationality and kept all the Roman customs even though they were in the middle of Greece. They would then realize what Paul was teaching them.

Just as when the Macedonians would enter Philippi, they would witness Roman customs and morals being followed and know they were among Romans; so if the pagan Greeks saw Philippian Christians following divine laws and customs, they would be among people of heaven.

The Gospel takes us to the top of Mount Tabor where Peter, James, and John see Jesus transfigured before them and with him Moses and Elijah. It was a vision that strengthened their faith in anticipation of Jesus’ crucifixion. Surely, the three disciples gained tremendous strength of faith.

So can we. Perhaps, we may not ever have such an experience as the three disciples. Yet, we can meditate on the mysteries of our faith and find we have grown in strength of faith beyond what the world can offer.

We end February on the mountaintop. How appropriate. It is from the vantage of the Transfiguration that we can begin to understand the paradoxes of our faith. The weak will wield true strength. Christ’s suffering redeems the world. The poor will receive the Kingdom of God. Almighty God has given us life and rebirth in the power of his divinity. We can live in confidence. n

Readings continued from page 18 15; Matthew 25:31-46 Tuesday, Feb. 19: Isaiah 55:1011; Psalm 34:4-7, 16-19; Matthew 6:7-15 Wednesday, Feb. 20: Jonah 3:1-10; Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 1819; Luke 11:29-32 Thursday, Feb. 21: Esther C:12, 14-16, 23-25; Psalm 138:1-3, 7-8; Matthew 7:7-12 Friday, Feb. 22: Feast, the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle, 1 Peter 5:1-4; Psalm 23:1-6; Matthew 16:13-19 Saturday, Feb. 23: Deuteronomy 26:16-19; Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8; Matthew 5:43-48 Sunday, Feb. 24: Genesis 15:512, 17-18; Psalm 27:1, 7-9, 1314; Philippians 3:17–4:1; Luke 9:28-36 Monday, Feb. 25: Daniel 9:410; Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13; Luke 6:36-38 Tuesday, Feb. 26: Isaiah 1:10, 16-20; Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23; Matthew 23:1-12 Wednesday, Feb. 27: Jeremiah 18:18-20; Psalm 31:5-6, 14-16; Matthew 20:17-28 Thursday, Feb. 28: Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalm 1:1-4, 6; Luke 16:19-31 Friday, March 1: Genesis 37:34, 12-13, 17-28; Psalm 105:1621; Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46 Saturday, March 2: Micah 7:1415, 18-20; Psalm 103:1-4, 9-12; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 n

Father Brando is pastor of St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg.

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

February 3, 2013 19

Funeral Mass held for James Darby, member of the Alexian Brothers Brother James Carroll Darby, 91, a life-professed member of the Congregation of Alexian Brothers for 59 years, died Tuesday, Jan. 8, in the Alexian Brothers Health & Rehabilitation Center, Signal Mountain.

Brother James had lived in the Alexian Brothers communities in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Tennessee.

He was born June 13, 1921, in Arnaudville, La., the son of Jules P. Darby and Bertha Barras Darby and brother of Melba, Lee Roy, and Melvin “Joe” Darby, all deceased. He is survived by nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews.

He joined the U.S. Navy in May 1942 and was educated as a navy medical–pharmacist mate, and after duty time in the Pacific War Zone he was honorably discharged Dec. 16, 1945. He worked in the family business in Arnaudville and then joined the Alexian Brothers on Jan. 12, 1954. He pronounced his life commitment July 17, 1961.

Thereafter he ministered in the Alexian Brothers Hospitals and the Signal Mountain Rest Home (now Alexian Village) and ended his working career after 44 years at the community’s national offices in the role of staff secretary to the provincial (the elected leader of the brothers in the United States).

Brother James always was hesitant to tell others of a unique experience while serving during World War II in the Western Pacific.

He was on duty in the medical unit when Lt. John F. Kennedy arrived as a patient after his PT boat was struck by an enemy torpedo.

Brother James did his duties and felt that it was sufficient. The followup was President-elect Kennedy inviting Brother James to his inauguration ceremony in Washington, D.C. The funeral Mass was celebrated

Marriage enrichment

20 February 3, 2013

Stewardship in love and marriage

Brother James continued on page 21

by Marian Christiana

February is an appropriate time to enhance the beauty, faith, sacrifice, and joy of marital relationships

T

he January edition of The East Tennessee Catholic contained an insert describing the purpose and focus of the 2013 Bishop’s Appeal Campaign.

The title of the campaign is “Love Never Fails,” and the idea of stewardship outlined in the material has stayed with me. Stewardship in the context of the campaign asks us to support the work of those in the diocese who help build and sustain the kingdom of God. The idea of steward is a beautiful description of how we can relate to our spouses. Our marital vows ask a husband and wife to work together to build the kingdom of God. Are we doing that to the best of our ability? Are we supporting our spouse’s family life ministry?

There is no question that family life can be challenging, but it’s in the day-to-day business of living that we have the opportunity to support our spouses on their journey to holiness.

Marriage requires us to love from the depth of our being, not just from our surplus. It is easy to say but very difficult to do. We have so many distractions from the outside world that we tend to compromise on the relationships that give us the least amount of trouble. Our spouses

seem to be the ones who get neglected most of the time. “Love Never Fails,” but it takes effort to keep it alive.

February is the month dedicated to love and romance. This month, let’s be good stewards of the gift of our spouse and intentionally support them while they work on building the kingdom of God. Below are a few things to consider and discuss with your spouse as you are enjoying a quiet dinner together. n What do you consider the most important work of your life at the moment? When you look back on your life, what do you want your most important work to be? n Is your work building the kingdom of God? Do you need to shift your priorities? Identify how you can help each other build the kingdom. n After you have identified how you can help each other, design a plan to make your efforts a reality. The plan might include volunteering as a couple, committing to a monthly date night, spending time alone each night to check in with each other, or adjusting the household responsibilities.

No matter what the plan, it will require effort on both of your parts.

It is always good to remember that

when you do something out of love, “Love Never Fails!”

Also, don’t forget that you have two more opportunities to renew your marriage vows with Bishop Stika. The remaining 2013 Diocesan Marriage Celebrations and luncheons are listed below. These annual Diocesan Marriage Celebrations are in recognition of World Marriage Day, which in 2013 is Sunday, Feb. 10.

World Marriage Day honors husband and wife as the foundation of the family and the basic unit of society. It salutes the beauty of their faithfulness, sacrifice and joy in daily married life as they work to build the kingdom of God. Upcoming Marriage Celebrations are: n Saturday, Feb. 9, St. Mary Church in Athens. n Saturday, March 9, St. Patrick Church in Morristown.

Mass on each date starts at 11 a.m., and a free luncheon immediately follows. To make reservations, contact Karen Byrne in the Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment at 865-584-3307, ext. 5739, or e-mail her at kbyrne@dioknox.org. n Mrs. Christiana is coordinator of the diocesan Marriage Preparation and Enrichment Office.

Cardinal says 40 years of legalized abortion has demoralized U.S. society VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Forty years of legalized abortion have profoundly demoralized American society, not only weakening respect for human life but undermining marriage, parenthood and individuals’ sense of duty to others, said U.S. Cardinal J. Francis Stafford.

The cardinal, a former archbishop of Denver and former head of two Vatican offices, said that the legaliza-

tion of abortion was itself a result of flawed ideas about freedom deeply rooted in American history.

Cardinal Stafford, 80, spoke with Catholic News Service shortly before the Jan. 25 March for Life marking the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that lifted most legal restrictions on abortion.

He said that Roe was one of a se-

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

ries of cultural, social, political and legal upheavals during the 1960s and early 1970s that left him deeply disillusioned with his native land and alienated from a country that he said once offered unparalleled openness to the proclamation of the Gospel.

“I don’t really feel as at home now in the United States as I did prior to the ’60s,” he said. n dioknox.org

Understanding the sacraments

by Father Randy Stice

Brother James continued from page 20

The Eucharist: a mystagogical catechesis

A

Through the source and summit of Christian life, we enter into the mystery in every aspect of our lives

ccording to Blessed John Paul II, a mystagogical catechesis of the liturgy helps the faithful to do three things: “to understand the meaning of the liturgy’s words and actions, to pass from its signs to the mystery which they contain, and to enter into that mystery in every aspect of their lives” (Mane Nobiscum Domine, n. 17).

Building on his predecessor’s thought, Pope Benedict XVI contends that a mystagogical catechesis must address three questions. First, what are the Old Testament roots of the rite? Second, what is the meaning of the signs within the rite? And third, how does the rite impact the life of the believer?

In this month’s column, I want to present a brief mystagogical catechesis of the Eucharist, “the source and summit of the Christian life” (Lumen Gentium, 11).

To answer the first question, let’s take an example from Eucharistic Prayer I. Following the consecration, the priest asks the Father to accept these offerings “as once you were pleased to accept the gifts of your servant Abel the just, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek.” The offering of Melchizedek is described in Genesis 14. Abraham has just rescued his nephew Lot, who had been taken captive by a coalition of victorious kings. As they were returning, they were met by Melchizedek, king of Salem, who “brought out bread and wine, and being a priest of God Most High, he blessed Abram [Abraham]” (Genesis 14:18).

The Church fathers saw in this a prefigurement of the Eucharist. In a commentary on this passage, St. Cyprian (martyred in 258) wrote, “In the priest Melchizedek, we see the sacrament of the sacrifice of the The East Tennessee Catholic

Lord prefigured according to what the divine Scriptures testifies.” St. Augustine (d. 430) wrote that with this event “first appeared the sacrifice which is now offered to God by Christians in the whole wide world.”

When we consider the second question, the meaning of the liturgical signs, it is good to remember that the Church has a comprehensive understanding of signs. Liturgical signs include objects such as candles and bread, actions such as washing and anointing, Old Testament events such as the rite of Passover, as well as words, music and song (cf. Catechism, 1158 and 1189).

Pope Benedict XVI contends a mystagogical catechesis must address three questions. What are the Old Testament roots of the rite? What is the meaning of the signs within the rite? And how does the rite impact the life of the believer?

Consider the abundance of signs that accompany the reading of the Gospel: the book of the Gospels, its veneration (procession, incense, candles), the place of its proclamation (ambo), the triple sign of the cross (on the forehead, lips and heart), its audible and intelligible reading, kissing the book at the conclusion of the reading, the minister’s homily…and the responses of the assembly (acclamations, meditation psalms, litanies, and profession of faith) (Catechism, 1154). The richness of signs expresses the Church’s reverence for Christ’s presence in his Word.

Let’s look at the meaning of a few of these signs. The ambo is “‘the table of God’s word’ and is therefore a symbol of the surpassing dignity of that word” (USCCB: Introduction to the Order of Mass, n. 53). Candles are signs of reverence, festivity, and

the risen Christ. Incense is “a symbol of prayer rising before God (Psalm 141:2; Revelation 8:4) and suggests both the otherness of the transcendent God and the cloud that symbolizes God’s glory and presence in the midst of the Israelites (USCCB: Introduction to the Order of Mass, n. 58).

The third question of a mystagogical catechesis concerns the meaning of the sacrament for the believer’s life. The Prayer After Communion from the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time expresses the transforming power of the Eucharist: “Graciously be present to your people, we pray, O Lord, and lead those you have imbued with heavenly mysteries to pass from former ways to newness of life.”

Pope Benedict XVI develops this thought: “There is nothing authentically human—our thoughts and affections, our words and deeds—that does not find in the sacrament of the Eucharist the form it needs to be lived to the full” (Sacramentum Caritatis, 71). This echoes the words of Blessed John Paul II quoted at the beginning of this column, that we would enter into the mystery in every aspect of our lives.

It was the “earnest desire” of the Second Vatican Council that the faithful present at the celebration of the Eucharist, “through a good understanding of the rites and prayers…should take part in the sacred action, conscious of what they are doing, with devotion and full collaboration” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 48).

A mystagogical catechesis is the most effective way to accomplish the Council’s earnest desire. n

Monday, Jan. 14, in the St. Augustine Chapel at Alexian Village, Signal Mountain. Burial was in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Chattanooga, in the Alexian Brother section.

Share condolences at www. chattanoogaeastchapel.com. n

Father Gahagan takes leave of absence Bishop Richard F. Stika has announced that Father Bill Gahagan, pastor of St. Joseph Church in Norris, is taking a medical leave of absence.

“Effective Jan. 1, 2013, Father Bill Gahagan has, at his request, begun a six-month medical leave of absence. Father Gahagan will continue to celebrate daily and weekend Masses at St. Joseph Church; however, I have appointed Deacon Dan Hosford as pastoral associate and Deacon Hosford will take care of the administrative needs of the parish. Father Bill will continue to live in the rectory in Norris.

“As you may know, Father Bill recently had a heart procedure and has requested this medical leave to enable him to more fully focus on his health. Please keep Father Bill in your prayers as he is a treasured member of our presbyterate!

Please also keep Deacon Dan in your prayers as he serves the good people of St. Joseph in his new role as well,” Bishop Stika said. n

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

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

February 3, 2013 21

Catholic leaders call for reduction in gun violence

Once upon a time

WASHINGTON (CNS)—Two

Many people are ‘foundational to our story’

former U.S. ambassadors to the Vatican and two retired officials of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were among more than 60 Catholic leaders urging members of Congress who consider themselves pro-life to “show greater moral leadership and political courage” in acting to cut U.S. gun violence.

“We join our bishops, the Catholic Health Association and Catholic Charities USA in calling for common-sense reforms to address the epidemic of gun violence in our nation,” said the statement, made public by Faith in Public Life, a Washington-based advocacy group, on Jan. 23, two days before the annual March for Life in Washington.

“Pro-life citizens and elected officials have a responsibility to show greater moral leadership and political courage when it comes to confronting threats to the sanctity of life posed by easy access to militarystyle assault weapons and highcapacity magazines,” the statement said. “Members of Congress who take pride in their pro-life stance and appeal to family values have no excuse for inaction, and neither do any of us who share a firm commitment to these values.”

The former ambassadors who signed the statement were Miguel Diaz, who served under President Barack Obama, and Thomas Melady, who served under President George H.W. Bush. The former USCCB officials who signed were Francis X. Doyle, a former associate general secretary, and Timothy Collins, former director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. The statement named four Catholics—two Democrats and two Republicans—who call themselves pro-life but get “A” grades for their votes on firearms issues. n

22 February 3, 2013

T

by Monsignor Xavier Mankel

Popes, bishops, priests, deacons, brothers, sisters and laypeople all ‘give dimension to this Church of ours’

he month of January, traditionally our coldest month of the year, was the last month to have her calendar filled from New Year’s Day until the feast of St. John Bosco (the 31st). The liturgical calendar for the first few days, anyway, were “only” ferial days—not anymore.

We had enjoyed for many years the memorials of St. Basil the Great (Eucharistic Prayer IV) and a second doctor of our Eastern Church, St. Gregory Nazianzen (great preacher and Scripture scholar). But in recent years the Church has favored us with the Memorial on Jan. 5 of St. John Neumann (fourth bishop of Philadelphia), a Redemptorist, who promoted parochial schools, authored two German Catechisms, and promoted the Forty Hours devotion.

He was canonized in 1977. And on Jan. 4 we have the memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton, raised Episcopalian, wife and mother of five children; foundress (1812) of the first congregation for women religious in the United States, the Sisters of Charity, devoted primarily to the education of the poor and to teaching in parochial schools. She was canonized in 1975.

With such a legacy it is no wonder that Catholic Schools Week, celebrated this year Jan. 27-Feb. 3, found literally thousands of people whose lives have been influenced by the great institution called Catholic school. Our religious-education programs for children not in Catholic schools has been positively influenced too, as the Church never tires of bringing faith practice into our homes.

Then we had in January also the special “weeks” that help us on our way: Church Unity Week: Jan. 18-25—still striving to bring all

baptized peoples back home to the Church; the Martin Luther King Jr. week Jan. 16-23, with its continued emphasis on the brotherhood of men and women, non-violent interracial relationships, and social and economic justice and peace; and the pro-life Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children (which in time will become an everyday of prayer for God’s gift of human life).

Each of these crusades, movements, causes, and emphases began with a situation or event in our society that challenged one or a few people to further their causes. Who would ever imagined that Protestant Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton, kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament in a small chapel in Italy (where she had gone to try to improve the health of her sick husband), would one day be the mother foundress and educator she did become?

As we continue to prepare for the silver anniversary of the diocese (founded by Pope John Paul II on Sept. 8, 1988), it’s easy enough to find and list the players in all this wonderful quarter-century. Not only has this new diocese (well, there are two more since then, the Diocese of Las Vegas, March 21, 1995, but its on-again, off- again relationship with her mother Diocese of Reno goes back to 1931, and the Diocese of Laredo, Texas, Aug. 9, 2000) kept good historical records from the beginning, but our mother diocese, Nashville, has not only good records but also has been blessed with ecclesiastics over the years who have helped keep the story alive: Monsignor Thomas Duffy, PA; Monsignor George Flanigen; Father Aaron Gildea (rumor has it that he had memorized all the data in the Official Catholic Directory); Monsi-

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

gnor Owen Campion; Father Steve Klasek (whose degree in urban planning was a marvelous asset to bring to the formation of the Knoxville Diocese); and Monsignor George E. Schmidt Jr. Many of these priests served in what are now the two dioceses and are reliable firsthand resources in helping us to remember our past.

So, I do not worry about 1988-2013, but I do harbor a concern as to our sources from the other end. I would excuse Adam and Eve and all the Old Testament patriarchs, the contemporaries of Our Lord, the fathers and most of the doctors of the Church. Turmoil in the Church, especially in Europe, give us the temptation and excuse to ignore the role of the Council of Trent in our formation, but there are policies and traditions that do affect our today’s church which were given us by the end of the 16th century. Surely the 1917 Code of Canon Law is one of our foundation stones, as is the “new” (present) Code which was promulgated on Jan. 25, 1983, the last official action of Vatican II. Details abound in the Code about how we live life in the Church.

But the Church is we, the New Testament people of God, and as we narrow our focus to people who have been involved in our history beginning in the late 18th century, I offer some of their names: Popes Pius VI and VII, Leo VII, Pius VIII, Gregory XVI, Pius IX, Leo XIII, Pius X, Benedict XV, Pius XI, Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I and II, and our present Holy Father, Benedict XVI; Archbishops John Carroll, Leonard Neale, Ambrose Marechal, James Whitfield, Samuel Eccleston, Francis Patrick Kendrick, Martin John Spalding, James

Monsignor continued on page 24 dioknox.org

Christ the King, Tazewell Sunday noon Divine Mercy Mission, Knoxville (Vietnamese) Sunday 9:00 a.m. at KCHS OLPH, LaFollette Sunday 9:30 a.m.

St. Alphonsus, Crossville Saturday 5 p.m. (CT); Sunday 8:30, 11 a.m.; 1st Sunday 6 p.m.(Spanish) St. Ann, Lancing Sunday 8:30 a.m.

Smoky Mountain Deanery

Bl. John XXIII, Knoxville Sunday 9, 11:15 a.m.; 5:30, 10 p.m.

Holy Cross, Pigeon Forge Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday 8, 10:30 a.m.; 6 p.m.(Spanish) Holy Family, Seymour Saturday 5:30 p.m.; Sunday 8, 10:30 a.m.

Holy Resurrection Mission 9:30 a.m. (Ruthenian Rite)

Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa Saturday 5, 7 p.m.(Spanish); Sunday 8:30, 11 a.m.

Sacred Heart Cathedral Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday 7:30, 9, 11 a.m.; 1 p.m. (Spanish)

St. Joseph, Norris Sunday 9 a.m.

St. Jude, Helenwood Saturday 5:30 p.m.

St. Mary, Oak Ridge Saturday 5:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m. (Spanish) Sunday 8, 10 a.m.; noon St. Therese, Clinton Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday 10:15 a.m.

St. Thomas the Apostle, Lenoir City Saturday 5, 7 p.m. (Spanish); Sunday 9, 11:30 a.m.

Holy Trinity, Jefferson City Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Five Rivers Deanery

All Saints, Knoxville St. Christopher, Jamestown Saturday 5, 7 p.m. (Spanish); Saturday 6:30 p.m. (CT) Sunday 8:15, 10, 11:45 a.m.

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Blessed Sacrament, Harriman Glade Saturday 5 p.m.; Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday 8, 10 a.m. (CT) Sunday 10:30 a.m.

St. John Neumann, Farragut Bl. Teresa of Calcutta Mission, Saturday 4:30 p.m.; Sunday Maynardville 8:30, 10:30 a.m.; 6 p.m.

Sunday 9, 11 a.m. (Spanish)

Holy Ghost, Knoxville Saturday 7 p.m. (Spanish); Sunday 7, 8:30, 10, 11:30 a.m.; 6 p.m.; 1:30 p.m.

(Latin)

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville Saturday 6 p.m.; Sunday 8:30, 10, 11:30 a.m.

St. Albert the Great, Knoxville Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday 9, 11 a.m.

St. Thomas Byzantine Mission, Knoxville Sunday 10 a.m.

St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville Sunday 8, 10 a.m.; 12:30 p.m. (Spanish); 2nd, 4th, St. Francis of Assisi,Townsend 5th Sunday 3 p.m. (Latin) Saturday 4 p.m.; Sunday 9, 11 a.m. (Latin) St. Mary, Gatlinburg Saturday 7 p.m.; Sunday 9, 11 a.m.

Notre Dame, Greeneville Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday 8, 11 a.m.; 3 p.m. (Spanish) St. Elizabeth, Elizabethton Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.

St. James the Apostle, Sneedville Sunday 12:30 p.m.

St. Mary, Johnson City Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday 8, 10 a.m.; noon (Spanish) St. Michael the Archangel Mission, Erwin Sunday 10 a.m.

Bl. John Paul II Mission, Rutledge Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday 5 p.m. (Spanish) Good Shepherd, Newport Sunday 8:30 a.m.

St. Anthony of Padua, Mountain City Sunday 11 a.m.

St. Dominic, Kingsport Saturday 5:30 p.m.; Sunday 8, 9:30, 11 a.m. (Spanish); 12:30 p.m.

St. Henry, Rogersville Sunday 9 a.m.

St. Patrick, Morristown Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday 9, 11:30 a.m.; 5:30 p.m. (Spanish)

Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul

Holy Spirit, Soddy-Daisy Saturday 5:30 p.m.; Sunday 8, 10:30 a.m.

Our Lady of Lourdes, South Pittsburg Saturday 5:30 p.m.(CT); Sunday 10:30 a.m.

Shepherd of the Valley, Dunlap Sunday 8 a.m. (CT); Thursday 6:30 p.m.

(Spanish)

Saturday 5:30 p.m.; Sunday 9, 11:30 a.m.; 1:30 p.m. (Spanish)

Chattanooga Deanery

Cumberland Mtn. Deanery

Diocese of Knoxville Mass Times

OLPH, Chattanooga St. Augustine, Signal Mountain Saturday 5:30 p.m.

Saturday 5:30 p.m.; Sunday 7:30, 10 a.m.; noon, Sunday 10:30 a.m.

2 p.m. (Spanish); 2nd St. Bridget, Dayton Sunday 4 p.m. (Korean) Saturday 5:30 p.m.; St. Catherine Labouré, Sunday 10 a.m.; 12:30 p.m.

Copperhill (Spanish) Saturday 5:30 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.; 6 p.m. (Spanish) St. Mary, Athens Saturday 5 p.m.; Sunday St. Jude, Chattanooga 10 a.m.; 1 p.m. (Spanish) Saturday 5:30, 7:30 p.m.

(Spanish); Sunday 8, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, 10:30 a.m.; 12:15, 5:30 p.m. Cleveland Saturday 6 p.m.; St. Stephen, Chattanooga Sunday 8 a.m. (Spanish) Saturday 5:30 p.m.; 9:30 a.m.; noon; 1st, 3rd Sunday 8:30, 11 a.m.

Sunday 3 p.m. (Latin)

4 The East Tennessee Catholic

The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

February 3, 2013 23

Curriculum continued from page 6

bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in administration and supervision from the University of Tennessee.

Sister Mary Marta said she is grateful to Mrs. Prater for her generosity in taking on the new role for the diocese.

“Her 14 years of administrative leadership will be an asset to all our schools,” the superintendent said.

“The bishop and superintendent have a vision to unify the schools and I’m honored that they’ve asked me to help in that process,” Mrs. Prater said. n

Monsignor continued from page 22

Lavalle, William George McCloskey, Denis O’Donaghue, John Floersh, Thomas J. McDonough, Thomas C. Kelly, and Joseph E. Kurtz; Bishops Richard Pius Miles, James Whalen, P. A. Feehan, Joseph Rademacher, Thomas Sebastian Byrne, Alphonse J. Smith, William Lawrence Adrian, Joseph A. Durick, James Daniel Nie-

Another curriculum enhancement she hopes to develop is English as a second language because of the increasing number of parishioners who have moved into the diocese from other countries.

“I really enjoy curriculum. Other than children, that is my favorite part of education,” she said.

Mrs. Prater joined Sacred Heart Cathedral School as principal in 2004.

She began at SHCS as an eighthgrade teacher in 1997, moving to vice principal in 1999 and serving in that role through 2003. She has a

Roosevelt Bayley, James Cardinal Gibbons, Michael Curley, Francis P. Keough, Lawrence Cardinal Shehan, William D. Borders, William Cardinal Keeler, Edwin Cardinal F. O’Brien, William Lori, Benedict Joseph Flaget, John B. David, Guy Ignatius Chabrat, Martin John Spalding, Peter Joseph

dergeses, Edward U. Kmiec, and David R. Choby; and of course our own bishops, Anthony O’Connell, Joseph Kurtz, and Richard Frank Stika.

And we have not yet listed the hundreds of priests, deacons, brothers, and sisters who are foundational to our story, much less the thousands of other lay folk who give di-

mension to this Church of ours. We surely need more than a pamphlet with which to share our story. God bless you and pray for all who are planning events for your jubilee. n Monsignor Mankel is a vicar general of the diocese and the pastor of Holy Ghost parish in Knoxville.

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Email: smaevang@yahoo.com or Call (865) 207-4742 or (865) 545-8270

24 February 3, 2013

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The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

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