Jan. 24, 2010, East Tennessee Catholic

CNS/EDUARDO MUNOZ, REUTERS

Praying for help A woman prays the rosary during a Mass in Port-auPrince, Haiti, Jan. 17. As earthquake survivors sought food, water and medical help, world leaders pledged aid to rebuild Haiti after what the United Nations called the worst humanitarian crisis in decades. page 10

THE EAST TENNESSEE

Volume 19 • Number 10 • January 24, 2010

The

N E W S PA P E R

of the D I O C E S E of K N O X V I L L E w w w. d i o k n o x . o r g

New priest assignments made Three longtime pastors will move on to other parishes, and three new deans have been appointed. By Dan McWilliams

Bishop Stika makes priest assignments, names deans ishop Richard F. Stika announced on Jan. 6 the following assignments, effective Feb. 1, unless otherwise noted: ■ The Rev. Monsignor T. Allen Humbrecht, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Soddy-Daisy ■ The Very Rev. David Boettner, rector (canonical pastor) of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville. He remains episcopal vicar and moderator of the curia.

■ The Rev. John O’Neill, chaplain at the Dominican campus in Nashville ■ The Rev. John Dowling, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade ■ The Rev. Patrick Garrity, pastor of St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut ■ The Rev. Joseph Hammond, pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Morristown ■ The Rev. Joseph Brando, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg (effective Jan. 18) ■ The Rev. Alex Waraksa, associate pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Morristown and Five Rivers Deanery coordinator/minister for Hispanic Ministry ■ The Rev. Mike Creson, associate pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Chattanooga ■ The Rev. Christopher Riehl, associate pastor of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville (effective March 1, following a Spanish-language immersion class).

New deans Bishop Stika also announced three new deans: Father Bob Hofstetter for Five Rivers, Father Chris Michelson for Smoky Mountain, and Father Bill McKenzie for Cumberland Mountain.

Father George Schmidt remains dean for Chattanooga. ■

Monsignor Al Humbrecht

Father David Boettner

Father John O’Neill

Father John Dowling

Father Patrick Garrity

hree pastors who have each led their parishes for more than 12 years have been reassigned as part of a series of appointments announced by Bishop Richard F. Stika on Jan. 6.

New assignments await Monsignor Al Humbrecht, Father John Dowling, Father Pat Garrity, and several other priests effective Feb. 1. The appointments of three new deans will also take effect that day.

Monsignor Humbrecht has been pas-

tor of Sacred Heart Cathedral since 1997.

He will become pastor of Holy Spirit in Soddy-Daisy. Father David Boettner, diocesan moderator of the curia and episcopal vicar, will become only the sixth pastor in Sacred Heart’s 54year history. His title will be rector, or canonical pastor, as the bishop is officially the pastor of his cathedral parish.

Father Boettner’s two diocesan duties are unchanged, but he will no longer be administrator of St.

Mary in Gatlinburg, where he had served since Monsignor Philip Thoni’s retirement last summer.

Father Dowling has shepherded St. John Neumann in Farragut since 1997 and oversaw the building of the parish’s new $11.1 million church. He will become pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in Fairfield Glade.

Father Garrity has led St. Patrick in Morristown for a dozen years, during which the growing community has built a large new church and a

parish life center. A former principal of Knoxville Catholic High School, Father Garrity will succeed Father Dowling at St. John Neumann.

Longtime St. Patrick associate Father Joseph Hammond, CHS, will become the new pastor there.

Father Mike Creson, founding pastor of Holy Spirit, recently went on leave so he could care for his mother, who is ill. He will become an associate pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Chattanooga.

The current associate, Father Augustine Idra, AJ, is also the spiritual director at Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga. With Father Creson on board at OLPH, Father Idra will become spiritual director full time at the high school while still living at OLPH and assisting at weekend Masses.

Bishop Anthony J. O’Connell, in one of his final actions as Knoxville’s first bishop, named Father Creson to organize

Father Joseph Hammond

Father Joe Brando

Father Alex Waraksa

Father Mike Creson

Father Christopher Riehl

T

Priests continued on page 3

Couples renew marriage vows before Bishop Stika Husbands and wives honor their ‘commitment, vows, and love’ as St. John Neumann hosts the first of three diocesan celebrations of marriage.

BY D AN M C WILLIAM S

S

ome 100 couples joined Bishop Richard F. Stika on Jan. 9 at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut for the first of three celebrations of marriage planned around the diocese this year.

Smoky Mountain and Cumberland Mountain deanery couples married for as little as three months to as long as 61 years renewed their vows before the bishop.

“We gather together today to celebrate the Eucharist and to celebrate commitment, to celebrate vows, and to celebrate love,” said Bishop Stika.

Host pastor Father John Dowling, Father Christopher Riehl, and Deacon Donald Amelse joined the bishop at St. John Neumann. The marriage celebrations are sponsored by the diocesan Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment.

“I’m sure that Father John could testify to this, but in the life of a priest, one of the great moments is whenever Marriage continued on page 6

DAN MCWILLIAMS

B

SIX-DECADE COUPLES Bishop

Stika watches as Shirley Ward (left) and Kay Evans cut the wedding cake at a reception following the Mass at St. John Neumann Church. Husbands Frank Ward (far left) and Bud Evans watch the proceedings. Both couples are a few months either side of 60 years of marriage. The Wards married July 2, 1949, at Blessed Sacrament Church in Syracuse, N.Y.; Mr. and Mrs. Evans married July 8, 1950, at St. Adalbert Church in Berea, Ohio.

Want to try online delivery?

T

he East Tennessee Catholic offers online delivery for those who would prefer to read a digital copy and to discontinue the print edition. If you would rather read the ETC online, visit bit.ly/8SgaaR to sign up.

If you decide online delivery isn’t for you, you can return to a print subscription at any time. If you have questions, e-mail mary@dioknox.org. ■

Faith-formation classes set for ’10 he 2010 series of adult faith-formation classes begins this month, with additional classes scheduled throughout the year and in locations around the diocese. Classes are offered at no charge to all interested adults in the diocese. Sessions take place on Tuesdays or Thursdays at 7 p.m. and end at 9. Online registration is available at dioknox.org/events/event-calendar/?cat=27.

T

Spirituality, taught by Father Michael Woods.

Explores the foundations of how our faith is expressed and deepened through prayer and spirituality. The class will examine the concept of spiritual development and how intimate communion with God is available to all people.

■ Tuesday, Feb. 9, Sacred Heart Cathedral ■ Tuesday, March 9, St. Alphonsus Church, Crossville ■ Tuesday, April 20, location TBD ■ Tuesday, May 11, Notre Dame Church, Greeneville Sacraments, taught by Amy Roberts. Explores the foundations of what we celebrate as Catholics. The class examines how we encounter the living Christ through each of the church’s seven sacraments.

■ Tuesday, Feb. 16, Holy Family Church, Seymour Personal morality, taught by Father Michael Sweeney. Explores the foundations of what we believe as Catholics and why we believe it. How do we know the church’s position on moral issues is correct? How do we live as faithful Catholics in a world that seemingly rejects the church’s teachings at every turn? This session will examine the concepts of human dignity, freedom, law, sin, virtue, and conscience as well as current moral issues. It will also provide insight into how we may explain the church’s position to those who are searching for answers in a confusing world.

■ Tuesday, March 2, St. Dominic Church, Kingsport ■ Tuesday, Oct. 5, St. Stephen Church, Chattanooga ■ Thursday, Nov. 4, location TBD What we believe, taught by Deacon David Lucheon. Explores the foundations of what we profess as Catholics. The class will examine the principal truths of the faith as expressed in the creeds of the church.

■ Tuesday, April 20, location TBD ■ Thursday, Oct. 14, location TBD ■ Tuesday, Nov. 9, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Chattanooga

Catechist orientation The diocese’s catechetical formation program for adults also continues in 2010, with three catechetical days and one catechist-orientation session.

The program, presented in collaboration with Aquinas College in Nashville, is intended for parish catechists, teachers in Catholic schools, ministry leaders, and other interested adults.

Each catechetical-formation session will take place on a Saturday and will include hourlong modules on the Creed, the sacraments, morality, prayer, and methods. All sessions are offered free of charge. Online registration is available at dioknox.org/events/event-calendar/?cat=35 The orientation session will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 27, at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge. Those who have taken part in an orientation session need not attend.

Catechetical days, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (choose one) ■ March 6, St. John Neumann Church, Farragut ■ March 20, Notre Dame Church, Greeneville ■ March 27, St. Jude Church, Chattanooga For further details about both programs, contact Father Richard Armstrong at rarmstrong@ dioknox.org or 865-584-3307. ■

Diocese of Knoxville procedure for reporting sexual abuse Anyone who has actual knowledge of or who has reasonable cause to suspect an incident of sexual abuse should report such information to the appropriate civil authorities first, then to the bishop’s office, 865-584-3307, or the diocesan victims’ assistance coordinator, Marla Lenihan, 865-482-1388.

2

■

JANUARY 24, 2010

living the

READINGS

BY FATHER JOSEPH BRANDO

Lesson from the body When others hurt, we must do something about it.

In today’s second reading Paul describes the human body as “not a single part but many.” These many parts work as a unity. That means every part is important and needed by all the others.

“If one part suffers, all parts suffer with it.”

With this phrase, Paul sets up his description of Christian love, which begins in the next sentence. What is true of our body is true of the body of Christ. If our nose is running or our back is aching or any other part of our body hurts, we will automatically try to remedy the situation.

The same automatic reaction must occur when our neighbor is ailing. If we love that

fellow human being, we will come to his or her aid immediately and without thinking about it. Christian love demands it. For the essence of love, as Christ taught us, is compassion.

This type of love has a history. The first reading describes the assembly of the Jewish people after they returned from exile in Babylon.

All the people were gathered to hear the Law read to them.

The Torah made them one body, responsible to God and to one another. Thus, Ezra was copying Moses, who had assembled the people at Mount Sinai. He gave them the Law and asked for their commitment to it. Their unanimous assent made them one. When the Israelites entered the Promised Land for the first time, Joshua assembled them again, to ratify their covenant with God.

Strive eagerly We can never exhaust God’s supply of divine love.

St. Paul adW hen vised the Corinthian Christians to “strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts,” he was trying to fix a major problem in the community: their disunity. The cause of the problem, as Paul discerned it, was their fixating on some very exciting

gifts they had received from God. Some of their members were speaking in unknown tongues.

Others were prophesying. Some had the charism of poverty, which urged them to give everything they had to the poor.

Many were outstanding in faith.

We assemble each Sunday to declare our unity in the love of Christ. We say amen to the body of Christ. That means we declare we are one with everyone else who is also part of Christ. When they hurt, we hurt, until we do something about it, automatically, immediately, and without thinking about it.

That’s what motivated Luke to write his Gospel. The church felt a hurt. For all the eyewitness accounts they had and the ministers of the word who preached, there was a confusion that could be settled only if someone were to investigate and write the Gospel message in an orderly sequence.

Luke took it upon himself to do so. Accordingly, the central theme of his Gospel can be found in Jesus’ first words. He is bringing gladness, recovery, and freedom to all who are hurting. ■ Jan. 24, second Sunday in ordinary time Nehemiah 8:2-6, 8-10 Psalm 19:8-10, 15 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 Luke 1:1-4 and 4:14-21

But some deep rifts were dividing the church into different factions. Each faction claimed a different guiding light. Peter, Paul, Apollos or someone else was selected by each faction as its titular leader. In trying to top one another, each group dared to dismiss the others by claiming to be the only ones following Christ.

Despite all the wonderful gifts God

had bestowed on the Corinthians, they had failed to grasp the most important gift of all. They failed to value the love of Christ. For that reason Paul wrote to them about the suReadings continued on page 6

Jan. 31, fourth Sunday of ordinary time Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19 Psalm 71:1-6, 15-17 1 Corinthians 12:31– 13:13 Luke 4:21-30

WEEKDAY READINGS Monday, Jan. 25: Feast, the Conversion of St. Paul, Acts 22:3-16; Psalm 117:1-2; Mark 16:15-18 Tuesday, Jan. 26: Memorial, Timothy and Titus, bishops, 2 Timothy 1:1-8; Psalm 96:1-3, 7-8, 10; Mark 3:31-35 Wednesday, Jan. 27: 2 Samuel 7:417; Psalm 89:4-5, 27-30; Mark 4:120 Thursday, Jan. 28: Memorial, Thomas Aquinas, priest, doctor of the church, 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29; Psalm 132:1-5, 11-14; Mark 4:21-25

Friday, Jan. 29: 2 Samuel 11:1-10, 13-17; Psalm 51:3-7, 10-11; Mark 4:26-34 Saturday, Jan. 30: 2 Samuel 12:1-7, 10-17; Psalm 51:12-17; Mark 4:3541 Monday, Feb. 1: 2 Samuel 15:1314, 30 and 16:5-13; Psalm 3:2-7; Mark 5:1-20 Tuesday, Feb. 2: Feast, the Presentation of the Lord, Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 24:7-10; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40

Wednesday, Feb. 3: Optional memorial, St. Blaise, 2 Samuel 24:2, 917; Psalm 32:1-2, 5-7; Mark 6:1-6 Thursday, Feb. 4: 1 Kings 2:1-4, 1012; 1 Chronicles 29:10-12; Mark 6:713 Friday, Feb. 5: Memorial, Agatha, virgin, martyr, Sirach 47:2-11; Psalm 18:31, 47, 50-51; Mark 6:14-29 Saturday, Feb. 6: Memorial, Paul Miki, martyr, and his companions, martyrs, 1 Kings 3:4-13; Psalm 119:9-14; Mark 6:30-34 ■

Thinking about priesthood?

Take a weekend to pray and reflect on God’s call for you. Bishop Richard F. Stika will lead a diocesan discernment retreat for men from Feb. 12 through 14. College students, young and older adults, and juniors and seniors in high school may attend.

The retreat will be held at The Oaks Retreat Center near Greeneville. To register or learn more, contact Father Michael Cummins at 423-926-7061 or etsucatholiccenter@yahoo.com.

Registration deadline is Feb. 10. ■

Bishop Richard F. Stika Publisher Mary C. Weaver Editor Dan McWilliams Assistant editor

THE EAST TENNESSEE

805 Northshore Drive S.W.

Margaret Hunt Administrative assistant Toni Pacitti Intern

Knoxville, TN 37919-7551

The East Tennessee Catholic (USPS 007211) is published twice monthly by the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville, 805 Northshore Drive S.W., Knoxville, TN 37919-7551. Periodicals-class postage paid at Knoxville, Tenn.

Printed on recycled paper by the Knoxville News Sentinel Postmaster: Send address changes to The East Tennessee Catholic, P.O. Box 11127, Knoxville, TN 37939-1127 How to reach us:

Phone: 865-584-3307 • fax: 865-584-8124 • e-mail: webmaster@dioknox.org • web: dioknox.org The East Tennessee Catholic is mailed to all registered Catholic families in East Tennessee. Subscription rate for others is $15 a year in the United States. Make checks payable to the Diocese of Knoxville. www.d ioknox.org

TH E E A S T TE N N E S S E E C ATH OLI C

he dwells

AMONG US

BY BISHOP RICHARD F. STIKA

Witnesses to life We can be the face of Jesus as we assist the suffering and protect the unborn.

If you have had your television set on at all in the past seven days, you have no doubt seen the images of destruction the people of Haiti have suffered after a massive earthquake struck there on Jan. 12. The images are startling. Buildings, homes, schools—basically the entire city of Port-au-Prince is now in ruins. You see the faces of the survivors, searching the rubble for loved ones, turning to the world for hope.

And the world has responded.

Catholic Relief Services, which you all had the opportunity to contribute to this past weekend, was already established on the ground in Haiti and began been distributing aid within 12 hours of the disaster. The American Red Cross, teams of searchand-rescue folks from all around the globe, and groups of doctors and nurses from the Netherlands, Israel, America, and other countries are trying to help in any way possible.

This is what it means to be the face of Jesus. No one person can do it all, but many together can do something, and that is what gives hope and a chance not only to survive but also to live better than bethe view from

HERE

fore. This is the message of the Gospel passage, “When I was hungry, you helped me find food; when I was needy, you gave me your hand.” This is the best of humanity, responding to those in need.

As I prepare to go to Washington later this week to join in the March for Life, I can’t help but make the connection between those in the womb who also need our help, our prayers, and our support.

Who speaks in the name of the children? I’ve attended the march for many years now, and I’m always struck by the diversity and the joy of those who go to be witnesses to life.

This past Saturday I was joined by a number of our priests, deacons, religious, and hundreds of the faithful as we stood together in prayer in front of the abortion clinic in Knoxville. (See the photo on page 9.) We prayed the rosary for the women and men going into the clinic, who feel abortion is the only option in their situation. We prayed for the abortion provider and the staff engaged in this work, who believe they are “helping women.” We prayed for ourselves as we realized the loss of life taking place behind the doors, life that had been given

by God but would never have the opportunity to develop. A woman held a sign with an image of an infant and the text, “Take my hand, not my life”—a powerful image of the

BISHOP STIKA’S SCHEDULE These are some of Bishop Stika’s appointments: Jan. 24: noon, installation of Father Peter Iorio as pastor, St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church, Cleveland Jan. 25-26: annual priest retreat, Gatlinburg Jan. 29: 7 p.m., Mass in celebration of Father Bill Gahagan’s 40th ordination anniversary, St. Mary Church, Oak Ridge Jan. 30: 10 a.m., diaconal ordination of Dan Alexander, St. Albert the Great Church, Knoxville Jan. 31: 4 p.m., Mass to celebrate St. Ann Parish’s centennial, Lancing Feb. 2: 8 a.m., all-school Mass, Sacred Heart Cathedral Feb. 4: 9:30 a.m., visit with schoolchildren, St. John Neumann School, Farragut; 6 p.m., open house, Notre Dame High School, Chattanooga Feb. 5: 10 a.m., all-school Mass for all Chattanooga-area Catholic schools, Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Chattanooga; 2 p.m., blessing of Ladies of Charity building, Chattanooga Feb. 6: 11 a.m., bilingual Celebration of Marriage Mass, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Chattanooga Feb. 7: 9 a.m., confirmation, Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Chattanooga ■

creaky around the edges, and the navigation wasn’t as intuitive and easy as we would have liked. We wanted the new site to be easy to navigate, good-looking, up to date, and highly informative.

On it you’ll find information about diocesan offices and ministries, an excellent calendar of events, videos (shot primarily by our talented colleague Deacon Patrick Murphy-Racey), articles on living the faith, a discussion forum, and of course, news from The East Tennessee Catholic.

Within the next several months we will roll out quite

a bit more information about youth ministry, marriage and family, vocations, and so on.

The new site may be found at dioknox.org, but if you type in the old domain name, you should be redirected automatically to our new web home. You can view a screen shot of the site on page 10.

I want to thank everyone who helped develop the new site—and everyone who is continuing to assist us in its development: Bishop Richard F. Stika; Father David Boettner; Deacon Pat; my staff, Dan McWilliams and Margaret Hunt; all the department directors; a number of other staff members; and our topnotch web designer and technical guru, Carol Rumbolt and Terry French, respectively.

Take a look and let us know what you think. You can reach me at mary@dioknox.org. ■

toral changes normally occur.”

Father Alex Waraksa will be the new associate pastor of St. Patrick in Morristown, as well as the Five Rivers Deanery coordinator for Hispanic Ministry. Previously he had been associate pastor at Holy Spirit.

He remains the diocesan moderator of the Cursillo movement.

Father Joe Brando, who retired last summer, became the new pastor of St. Mary in Gatlinburg, effective Jan. 18.

In an assignment that will take effect March 1, upon his return from a Spanish-language immersion program in Bolivia, Father Christopher Riehl will be an associate pastor at Sacred Heart. Before leaving this month for South America, he had served as associate at Immaculate Conception in Knoxville since his priestly ordination on Nov. 14.

Father Garrity had been dean of the Five Rivers Deanery since 2004. Bishop Stika has appointed Father Bob

Hofstetter of Good Shepherd in Newport to succeed him.

Monsignor Humbrecht, the Smoky Mountain dean since 2000, will hand that title to Father Chris Michelson of St. Albert the Great in Knoxville.

Cumberland Mountain has a new dean in Father Bill McKenzie, pastor of St. Mary in Oak Ridge. Father Michael Sweeney, who has served as dean for 12 years, will remain pastor of Blessed Sacrament in Harriman, St. Ann in Lancing, and St. Christopher in Jamestown.

“I extend my appreciation to all these fine priests who have willingly accepted these new appointments,” wrote Bishop Stika. “I know moving during this time of the year can bring some challenges, but I know they are up to the task. I thank them for their generosity and fidelity to their priestly ministry. Please join me in congratulating and praying for these faithful servants as they begin their new assignments.” ■

BY MARY C. WEAVER

New DOK website Visit dioknox.org and let us know what you think.

We in the media office are pleased to tell you that the diocese has launched a completely new website.

It doesn’t seem so long ago that I announced the debut of the previous incarnation, but in fact it was February 2006.

When it was new, our former site was one of the best diocesan websites around— but it had gotten a little

reality of abortion.

I ask you to please pray for those in Haiti struggling to hold onto hope. Pray for the relief workers traveling from all around the globe to offer their gifts to those in need.

Pray for the safety of the almost 300 students, teachers, and lay faithful who will travel to Washington to offer their prayerful, peaceful voice to those children in the womb, who just want the opportunity to be born.

Pray that we will listen to God’s call in our life to be the face of Jesus to all. ■

Priests continued from page 1

the Soddy-Daisy parish in 1999. His successor, Father Humbrecht, was at OLPH and served as the dean of the Chattanooga Deanery during the 1990s. Father Humbrecht and the deanery pastoral council led the search for property for the new parish in Soddy-Daisy.

Father John O’Neill, who has served at the Glade parish since last year, will return to the site of one of his more recent assignments when he becomes chaplain for the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation in Nashville. He also served as their chaplain from 2005 to 2007.

“Various pastoral situations such as Father Mike Creson’s need to take care of his ailing mother and the Dominican Sisters’ need for an experienced chaplain have prompted me to make some pastoral changes,” the bishop said in his announcement, acknowledging that “winter is not a season of the year when pasT H E EA S T TE N N E S S E E C AT H OL IC

www.d ioknox.org

deacon

ORDINATION

Bishop announces the diaconal ordination of Dan Alexander ishop Richard F. Stika will ordain Dan Alexander to the diaconate at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, at St. Albert the Great Church in Knoxville. All are invited. ■

B

Child-protection training sessions he Diocese of Knoxville’s program for the protection of children and youth is based on training developed by Virtus and is offered regularly throughout the diocese. A three-hour seminar for adults, “Protecting God’s Children,” is required for parish and school employees and regular volunteers in contact with children or vulnerable adults and is recommended for parents and grandparents.

The following train-

T

ing sessions have been scheduled: ■ St. Dominic Church, Kingsport, 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23 ■ St. Mary Church, Johnson City, 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27; 6:30 p.m.

Monday, April 26 (sessions will be held in St. Anne Hall) ■ Blessed Sacrament, Harriman, 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8 (session will be held in Blessed Sacrament Hall).

To register for a session, visit virtusonline. org. ■

Two diocesan positions open he Diocese of Knoxville seeks a full-time director of the Office of Stewardship and Planned Giving. The director is responsible for overall stewardship education and fund development for the diocese; educating parishioners and donors on the needs of the diocese; and developing new time, talent, and financial resources to meet present and future needs of the diocese and its parishes.

Candidates must have a baccalaureate degree in an area related to finance and fund development, and an advanced degree is preferred. In addition, candidates must have five to 10 years’ experience as a stewardship and development professional with demonstrated success in fundraising.

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities are as follows: demonstrated success with major gift solicitation and planned-giving programs; demonstrated ability to articulate the philosophy and objectives of the Catholic Church, including the theology of stewardship, and to produce creative development and stewardship strategies; excellent written and verbal communication skills; and proven supervisory and managerial skills.

Candidates must be active members of a Catholic parish. Application deadline is Jan. 28.

Send resume to Search Committee—Director of Stewardship and Planned Giving, c/o Very Rev. David A. Boettner, VE, Episcopal Vicar and Moderator of the Curia, Diocese of Knoxville, 805 Northshore Drive Southwest, Knoxville, TN 37919, or dboettner@dioknox.org.

T

THE DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE SEEKS APPLICANTS FOR THE

position of controller. This employee is responsible for the accounting operations of the Diocese of Knoxville, including the production of periodic financial reports, maintenance of a system of accounting records, and a comprehensive set of controls designed to mitigate risk and enhance the accuracy of the diocese’s reported financial results. This employee oversees paid and volunteer staff.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in accounting or business administration, with a concentration in accounting. A master’s degree in accounting or business administration is preferred, as well as 10-plus years of progressively responsible experience in accounting. Preference will be given to candidates with the Certified Public Accountant or Certified Management Accountant designations. Candidates must be active members of a Catholic parish.

Send resume to Very Rev. David A. Boettner, VE, Episcopal Vicar and Moderator of the Curia, Diocese of Knoxville, 805 Northshore Drive Southwest, Knoxville, TN 37919, or dboettner@ dioknox.org. ■

Take note of ETC deadlines e welcome submissions about parish and community events. Send notices by e-mail (mary@dioknox.org), fax (865-584-8124), or mail (805 Northshore Drive Southwest, Knoxville, TN 37919). To make sure we receive information about upcoming events in time for publication, please submit it by the following deadlines: ■ Monday, Jan. 25, for the Feb. 7 issue ■ Monday, Feb. 8, for the Feb. 21 issue ■ Monday, Feb. 22, for the March 7 issue.

When submitting photos or information about past events, please keep in mind that we have a backlog of submissions. ■

W

JANUARY 24, 2010

■

3

BY TONI PACITTI

■ The parish celebrated founding

pastor Father Mike Creson’s 10-plus years of service with an open house Jan. 10.

OLPH, Chattanooga ■ The parish will sponsor a “January

Jam,” an evening of food, music, games, cards, and dancing, at 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 23. Tickets are $15 per person or $25 per couple. Call the parish office at 423-622-7232.

■ A volunteer is needed to do needlepoint on the new wedding kneelers. Call the parish office at 622-7232.

■ The parish is collecting winter clothing for Project Clothing Connect.

Bring gently used or new clothing to Holy Family Hall or to the church office

by Tuesday, Jan. 26. Call John Dorris at 894-8172 to volunteer your time.

St. Catherine Labouré, Copperhill ■ The outreach committee is asking parishioners to bring nonperishable food on third Sundays to donate to the Copper Basin Crisis Center. Place items on the table in the back of the church.

■ Spanish-speaking parishioners are needed to assist with the Hispanic ministry. Call Mike Regan at 706-632-7812.

St. Jude, Chattanooga ■ Parishioners volunteered more than

603 hours for the Interfaith Homeless Network during Christmas week.

■ Students carried crosses Jan. 20 to place on the slope of the athletic field in front of the church to commemorate the Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade.

■ Knights of Columbus Council 8576 will prepare a parish breakfast after the 8 and 10:30 a.m. Masses on Sunday, Jan. 24, in Siener Hall. The menu will include egg casserole, bacon, and pancakes. There is no charge, but donations will be accepted.

■ The Knights will sponsor a freethrow competition at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, in the school gym. Boys and girls ages 10 through 14 are invited to participate. Winners in each age division will advance to the Chattanooga district-level competition. Call David Champion at 423-843-3803.

■ The stewardship committee will host a chili dinner after the 12:15 p.m.

Mass on Sunday, Jan. 31, in the parish life center. Bring chili, corn bread, soft drinks, or dessert. Contact Monica Griffin at 842-7930 or e-mail monica mtzgriffin@gmail.com to RSVP and indicate what you are bringing.

Cumberland Mountain Deanery

All Saints, Knoxville

St. John Neumann, Farragut ■ The fourth annual dinner-dance and

silent auction to benefit St. John Neumann School is set for 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 6, at Fox Den Country Club. This year’s event has an “evening in Paris” theme.

■ Boy Scout Troop 125 held a “Pasta Through the Garden” event Jan. 17 at Little Joe’s Pizza to benefit the troop’s activities.

■ Anniversary: Bill and Sue Conway (45)

St. Mary, Oak Ridge ■ St. Mary School is celebrating its

60th anniversary this fall with a formal dinner and dance. Anyone who has something to share about the history of the school is asked to contact Dawn Garibay in the school office at 865483-9700. To help plan the event, call Kathryn Chou at 685-5703.

■ Sacred Heart Cathedral parish-

ioner Lisa Morris of the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life will speak on pro-life issues at the women’s guild meeting at 9:15 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, in the Deacon José Rivera Room. Contact Lois Hudgens at 865-458-4018 or loishudg@chartertn.net.

■ Coffee and doughnuts are being offered after the 9 a.m. Sunday Masses.

■ Penance services will switch from 4:30 p.m. Saturdays to 6 p.m. Tuesdays beginning Feb. 9. Services will start with prayer in the chapel, followed by confessions.

■ Newcomers: Earl and Judy Brown; Russell and Jean Hanson; Pamela Nadolsky and son Ben; William and Erika Potter and daughter Deborah; Dean and Jacquelyn Waters

Holy Trinity, Jefferson City ■ The Council of Catholic Women held

its annual International Dinner on Jan. 16.

■ The Knights of Columbus will serve a pancake breakfast from 8 to 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 24. Cost is $5 for adults (children under 5 free) or $15 for families.

■ Anniversaries: Peter and Diane Heinen (45), John and Billie Freitas (35), Nobuko and Terry Imanishi (30) ■ Newcomers: Frederic Ferland and Veronica Wood, Gregory and Lorrain Lennon

Notre Dame, Greeneville ■ Paul Simoneau, director of the di-

hold a fundraising chili cook-off after Mass on Sunday, Jan. 24. Costs are $5 for adults, $3 for children under 10, and $1 for cook-off votes.

OLPH, LaFollette ■ The parish hosted a game night, featuring poker, hearts, dominos, and more, on Jan. 15.

■ The social justice committee will host its annual retreat in April at the home of Diane and Frank Roberts.

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade ■ Father John O’Neill will bless pro-

life crosses Friday, Jan. 22. The crosses will be placed along Peavine Road in memory of the millions of babies killed by abortion.

■ The parish library, which is open after both Sunday Masses, has added several new books.

■ A farewell reception for Father O’Neill and an 86th-birthday party 4

■

JANUARY 24, 2010

Deacon Nestor celebrates 20th anniversary St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Townsend celebrated Deacon Michael Nestor’s 20th anniversary of ordination Dec. 5.

From left are (front) altar servers Kristin Hmielewski, Sadie Rapien, and Delorean Rapien and (back) Deacon Nestor and St. Francis of Assisi assisting priest Father Bill McNeeley.

Five Rivers Deanery

member of All Saints will sponsor free career-transition seminars from 7 to 9 p.m. beginning Monday, Feb. 1, and continuing for four consecutive weeks in the education building. Register by Monday, Jan. 25, by calling 865-5395301.

■ A Mardi Gras dance to benefit Catholic Charities will be held from 8 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, in the parish hall. Soft drinks and Cajun refreshments will be served, and you may bring your own wine or beer. The event also includes door prizes, an auction, and a costume contest. Call 966-8205 or e-mail gbraunsroth@charter.net to register. Adults 21 and over only.

■ The Council of Catholic Women will

Seminarians inducted into National Honor Society The St. Charles Borromeo Seminary College Division inducted seven new members into the National Honor Society on Nov. 17, including Diocese of Knoxville seminarians Michael Hendershott (left) and Michael Poston. The seminarians, who are juniors this year, are pictured with St. Charles Borromeo rector Father Joseph Prior.

St. Thomas the Apostle, Lenoir City

■ An outplacement consultant and

Christ the King, Tazewell

COURTESY OF MICHAEL POSTON

Holy Spirit, Soddy-Daisy

for Monsignor Philip Thoni will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, in Sheehan Hall.

■ Anniversaries: Chris and Lu Theodore (59)

ocesan Office of Justice and Peace, gave a presentation titled “Vocation and Justice” on Jan. 6 at Notre Dame.

■ The parish will mark its 55th anniversary April 25.

St. Dominic, Kingsport ■ The Knights of Columbus will host its annual Awards and Clergy Appreciation Dinner on Saturday, Jan. 30, at Giuseppe’s in Kingsport. The evening begins with a social at 6:30 p.m., followed by the dinner at 7. Reservations are required. Call Rick Lemieux at 423276-4474 by Monday, Jan. 25.

■ The youth group sponsored a rightto-life prayer vigil Jan. 20 featuring Michael Clancy, who took a famous photo of an unborn baby grasping a surgeon’s finger during an operation.

Recording artist Jaime Thietten performed, and an offertory was taken to benefit Catholic Charities’ Pregnancy Services hotline.

JIM NOONAN

Chattanooga Deanery

St. Thomas the Apostle recognizes veterans About 100 veterans came to St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City on Nov. 11 to attend the parish’s “Inaugural Tribute to Our Veterans.” The event was initiated by pastor Father Christian Mathis. Don Hoyle, who served as master of ceremonies, organized the program and welcomed the veterans with the U.S. Military Academy creed “Duty, Honor, Country.” Colors were posted by the Loudon County Veterans’ Honor Guard. They were followed by the honor guard from the Pope John Paul II Fourth Degree Assembly—(above, from left) Bill Twohig, Gene Kray, Bob Fox, Bob Joyce, Jerry Dougherty, and Lance Lyons—who posted the U.S and papal flags. Retired Air Force Col. James O’Brien was the keynote speaker. The program included recognition for all veterans present. The service of those attending spanned from World War II to the current Middle East conflict. Many of them reflected on their experiences during the St. Thomas tribute.

St. Elizabeth, Elizabethton

COURTESY OF FRED LAUFENBERG

NOTES

COURTESY OF JOE GORMAN

parish

■ Parishioner Jim Paveglio donated

the wood carvings now hanging in the chapel of Jesus and Mary.

St. Patrick, Morristown ■ St. Patrick is having a farewell ap-

preciation dinner for longtime pastor Father Pat Garrity after the 5 p.m.

Mass on Saturday, Jan. 23.

■ Anniversary: John and Bonnie Tomassoni (56) Smoky Mountain Deanery

Holy Ghost, Knoxville ■ The parish is having a “Souper

Bowl party” on Sundays, Jan. 24 and Parish notes continued on page 5

Knights council receives award from Hilltoppers organization Knights of Columbus Council 8152 in Crossville received the inaugural Bridge Builders Program award from Hilltoppers Inc. during the council’s annual Christmas party for the organization Dec. 22. Above, Hilltoppers executive director Tony Cox presents the honor to deputy Grand Knight Walter Peterson. With them are (from left) past Grand Knights Ron Lemieux, Tom Dega, and Mike Navarro; Monsignor Philip Thoni of St. Francis of Assisi in Fairfield Glade; and recruiting and retention Knight Larry Davis.

Hilltoppers provides serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Knights match donations to help Hilltoppers purchase transportation vans. The council has held the Christmas party for Hilltoppers for more than 25 years.

www.d ioknox.org

TH E E A S T TE N N E S S E E C ATH OLI C

BY TONI PACITTI

The Memorial Health Care System Foundation’s fifth annual Pink! gala will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Proceeds will go toward the MaryEllen Locher Breast Center satellite facility in Ooltewah, scheduled to open in mid-2010. Alexis and Barry Bogo are chairing the gala’s volunteer committee. The gala includes cocktails, dinner, entertainment, a silent auction, and dancing, with the Party on the Moon band providing the music. Tickets for Pink! are $200 and include cocktails and dinner. Patron tickets of $350 provide access to an exclusive party in addition to dinner, table-side bar service, valet parking, and premium seating at the gala. To purchase tickets or learn more about sponsorship opportunities, call the foundation at 423-495-PINK or visit www.memorial.org/pink.

Knights of Columbus Council 6730 from St. Patrick Parish in Morristown is having an open house and financialbenefits night at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, in the parish center at the church. The session is open to Knights and their wives and male parishioners interested in joining the fraternity. Hank McCormick, the Knights’ field agent from Maryville, will explain various programs available to Knights. Council members will be available to provide additional information about the Knights to potential members and their families.

Father Michael Woods, pastor of All Saints Parish in Knoxville, will present a talk titled “Faith and Spirituality” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, at Holy Trinity Church in Jefferson City. The evening will begin with refreshments at 6:30. Call the Holy Trinity office at 865471-0347 for more information.

The spiritual-life committee of Holy Trinity Parish in Jefferson City will show The Passion of the Christ at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, in the parish center. The film is rated R for scenes of graphic violence. Call the parish office at 865-471-0347 for more information.

St. Joseph School in Knoxville will have an open house for prospective students at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31.

For more information, call admissions director Dorisha Chargualaf at 865689-3424, extension 225.

St. Joseph School’s 12th annual Mardi Gras Dinner, Dance & Auction is set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. If you have any items for the silent and live auctions, contact Ami at 865-654-4330 or connollyam@bellsouth.net. For more information on the event, call Dorisha Chargualaf (see above).

Sacred Heart Cathedral School is hosting an open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Feb 1, during Catholic Schools Week. Visitors may tour the school and classrooms during school hours, and meet teachers, administrators, and staff. SHCS is now accepting applications for the 2010-11 school year. Call the admissions office at 865-558-4136 or visit www.shc school.org for more information.

Knoxville Catholic High School’s placement test for current eighthgrade students will be offered a final time at 8 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, at KCHS. Students will be finished by noon. A $25 fee is payable the day of TH E EA S T TE N N E S S E E C AT H OL IC

the test. Reserve space by contacting Barrie Smith at bsmith@knoxville catholic.com or 865-560-0502.

This year Bishop Richard F. Stika will host two more bilingual celebrations to honor married couples and their commitment to the sacrament of marriage. Each celebration will include Mass, an opportunity to renew wedding vows, and a luncheon for couples and their family and friends following the liturgy. Mass will begin at 11 a.m. The next celebration will be held Saturday, Feb. 6, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga, followed by one at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport on Saturday, July 24. To attend one of the luncheons, RSVP to Marian Christiana of the diocesan Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment at 423892-2310 or mchristiana@dioknox.org or Karen Byrne at 865-584-3307 or kbyrne@dioknox.org.

The annual Luck of the Irish Party to benefit Project Graduation for the Knoxville Catholic High School class of 2010 will be held from 6 to 11 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 30, in the KCHS gym.

The event will feature food, drinks, a silent auction, and games that include roulette, blackjack, and bingo. All proceeds from the $20 ticket donation will help ensure a safe night of fun for the seniors on graduation night. Purchase tickets from any KCHS senior or at the door. To learn more or make a donation, call Kim Reynolds at 865-3236133. You must be at least 21 years old to attend.

St. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga will be hosting the “Real Love & Real Life” Family Honor program on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 29 and 30. The program is designed for parents and their eighth-grade son or daughter.

Family Honor Inc. is a nonprofit Catholic organization created in 1987 whose mission is to strengthen families by providing opportunities for parents and children to communicate effectively about important life values, with a special focus on the truth and goodness of God’s gift of human sexuality and the virtue of chastity. The program presents the Catholic understanding of sexuality, marriage, and family as revealed through Scripture and Tradition and articulated in documents such as “The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality” and Pope John Paul II’s theology of the body. Registration for the Family Honor program is limited to 40 families. For further information, contact Mary Pat Haywood at 706-2786391 or Jan O’Boyle at 226-9110.

COURTESY OF PATRICIA PARTAIN

“Frazzled in the Vineyard,” the eighth annual diocesan catechetical leadership retreat, will be held Friday and Saturday, Feb. 19 and 20, in Morristown. The event is sponsored by the diocesan Office of Christian Formation.

The Friday-night session will be held in the conference room at the Travelodge and Saturday’s session at St. Patrick Church. The retreat master is Patricia Livingston, a counselor, author, and nationally known speaker who has given workshops, lectures, retreats, and parish missions around the United States for 25 years. Cost is $40 for both days and $25 for Saturday only.

Hotel reservations may be made by calling 423-581-8700 (the rate for the retreat is $60). For more information, contact Barb Daugherty at the Chancery office at 865-584-3307 or baileywood@dioknox.org.

Members of the Danette Henry family present a check for $14,006 to Memorial Health Care System. From left are Ashley Welch, daughter; Terry Henry, husband; Dean Henry, brother; Jennifer Nicely, chief development officer for Memorial; Delores Haynie, sister; Danetta Giannourakis, granddaughter; Jenni Giannourakis, daughter; Anna Humbard, daughter; and Dale Donaldson, sister.

IN MEMORY OF DANETTE

Family donates $14,006 to cancer fund at Memorial he family of Danette Henry on Nov. 30 presented a check to the Memorial Health Care System Foundation for $14,006 to be added to the Danette Henry Ovarian Cancer Fund.

The funds were raised during the second annual Danette Henry Memorial Golf Tournament in September, in which 90 golfers participated. To date the Henry family has donated more than $27,000 to the fund.

Danette Henry fought ovarian cancer for five and a half years, losing her battle in January 2008.

She received her treatment at Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga.

T

Wanting to honor her memory and benefit other ovarian cancer patients in the area, the family established the Danette Henry Ovarian Cancer Fund at Memorial.

Currently the funds are used to improve areas in the Infusion Center to provide more privacy and comfort to patients and families. The golf tourney is held in Cleveland to raise money for the fund and increase awareness of ovarian cancer.

Those wanting to advance Memorial’s treatment of ovarian cancer may make contributions to the fund. For details about giving opportunities, visit memorial.org. ■

KAREN THEODORE

CALENDAR

Bishop Stika visits kindergartners at St. John Neumann Bishop Richard F. Stika visited St. John Neumann School in Farragut recently and stopped by to say hello and talk to Mary Dougherty’s kindergarten class.

Search for Christian Maturity retreats, which are open to high school juniors and seniors, have been scheduled in the Chattanooga and Five Rivers deaneries. Upcoming Chattanooga Deanery dates are Feb. 19 through 21 for Search 128 and March 19 through 21 for Search 129. To request a registration form or learn more, contact Donna Jones at 423-718-4387 or djones6029@gmail.com. In the Five Rivers Deanery, Search 40 is scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 5 through 7. For forms or more details, contact Deacon Jim Fage at 423-748-2836 or djim5rivers@charter.net.

Clergy and lay leaders are invited to attend “It Is the Lord!,” the Atlanta Conference for Divine Mercy, set for 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15, at St. Philip Benizi Church in Jonesboro, Ga. Speakers include Father Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, and Father Pablo Straub, CSSR. A $50 attendance fee must be paid before Friday, Feb. 12.

The fee will be waived for clergy, but they must register for the conference.

To register, visit www.DivineMercy Sunday.com or call 888-732-0722.

Seating will be limited.

The next “Picture of Love” engagedcouples retreat will begin with breakfast at 8 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga. This one-day marriagepreparation retreat is a supplement to couples’ marriage formation with their parish priest and is designed to help couples gain a better understanding of the joys and challenges of living the sacrament of matrimony in their dayto-day lives. The day will include Mass Calendar continued on page 8

COURTESY OF PAM RHOADES

on the

Seton Guild at Sacred Heart awards $7,000-plus to teachers Teachers at Sacred Heart Cathedral School and Knoxville Catholic High School have been awarded more than $7,000 in grant money from the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Guild at the cathedral. The guild organizes the annual Children’s Consignment Sale every summer. Sale proceeds fund the grant program. Teachers apply for the grants in September, and they are awarded in October for use during the current school year. The majority of students at each school will benefit from the grants. KCHS teachers are pictured above with guild members and the check for $7,129.19. From left are Sue Greer, Linda McDermott, Patricia Sellers, and Jessica Sellers, all of the guild; teacher David Bartlett; Kirstin Kropilak of the guild; and teachers Erin Chady, Dr. Kelly Kearse, Matthew Meredith, and Liberty Phillips. Learn more about the sale at www.exchange.shcathedral.org.

Parish notes continued from page 4

31, to collect food for the Ladies of Charity pantry. Place cans of soups in the baskets near the church doors.

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville

first and third Wednesdays in the basement. Call Marian Howard at 865-5221508 or Dale Powers at 414-9597 to register or learn more.

■ Father Pat Hensy, CSP, of Los An-

Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa

geles is assisting the parish this month. Ordained a Paulist in 1978 and retired since 2007, he helps out at UCLA, two parishes, and the UCLA Medical Center.

■ Epic: A Journey Through Church History, featuring a video and discussion, is being held from 7 to 9 p.m. on

■ The Council of Catholic Women celebrated the January birthdays at Maryville Health Center with a party for the residents Jan. 14.

www.d ioknox.org

St. Albert the Great, Knoxville ■ The parish will celebrate first reconciliation at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 23. ■ JANUARY 24, 2010

■

5

Dear Lord: We pray that the Blessed Mother will wrap her mantle around your priests and through her intercession strengthen them for their ministry.

We pray that Mary will guide your priests to follow her own words, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5).

May your priests have the heart of St. Joseph, Mary’s most chaste spouse.

May the Blessed Mother’s own pierced heart inspire them to embrace all who suffer at the foot of the cross.

May your priests be holy and filled with the fire of your love, seeking nothing but your greater glory and the salvation of souls.

Amen.

St. John Vianney, pray for us. ■ Download prayers and a rosary booklet: bit.ly/priestprayers.

Local March for Life set for Jan. 24 ennessee Right to Life’s annual Knoxville-area March for Life is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, rain or shine. Participants will meet at Calvary Baptist Church, 3200 Kingston Pike, for a brief prayer service, then march approximately three-quarters of a mile to Tyson Park. Shuttles will transport marchers back to their cars afterward. Congressman Jimmy Duncan will take part in the event. To learn more, contact the Knox County chapter of Tennessee Right to Life at 865689-1339 or trlknox@knology.net. ■

T

Renew workshops scheduled he sixth season of the Renew: Why Catholic? program begins this month with a workshop on the church’s social-justice teachings, led

by Father Abraham Orapankal, Ph.D., a member of the Renew International service team. Father Orapankal is leading the workshop in all four deaneries.

Everyone is welcome to attend. There is no charge for the program, and refreshments will be provided. Call the parishes listed for details.

The workshop will include discussion of the principles of social justice, including human life and dignity, the Christian’s rights and responsibilities, the dignity of work and workers’ rights, the preferential option for the poor, and care for creation.

The schedule for the remaining sessions is as follows: ■ Holy Ghost Church, Knoxville, 9 to 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, Jan. 23 ■ St. Alphonsus Church, Crossville, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23 ■ All Saints, Knoxville, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24.

Renew: Why Catholic? is a comprehensive adult-faith-formation program that is solidly based on Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It offers a concrete approach that helps adults deepen their faith and connect its teachings to everyday life. ■

T

Readings continued from page 2

premacy of the virtue of charity.

Today’s Liturgy of the Word presents three examples of what could happen to a community when love is not practiced. We have already looked briefly on Corinth, where pride was destroying a Christian community richly endowed with spiritual gifts.

In the first reading Jeremiah is told beforehand that the whole kingdom of Judah, including its priests and princes, will fight against him when he proclaims God’s message. Their problem was a false patriotism in the face of an invading enemy.

Finally, today’s Gospel brings us to our Lord’s hometown of Nazareth. When Jesus spoke in his own synagogue, his friends and neighbors were appropriately amazed. Then many had second thoughts. Although the crowds may call him Messiah and Lord, they knew better. Indeed, they remained obstinate in that attitude.

There is a big lesson for us in all this. When we do not strive for the greatest gift, we become a prime target of temptation. Whether our weak point is pride, fear, stubbornness, or any other weapon of the devil, we become vulnerable. Therefore, we must arm ourselves with divine love. We can never outgrow our need for it. Nor can we ever exhaust God’s supply of it. ■

Marriage continued from page 1

he’s able to stand before a couple and witness their vows,” said the bishop. “For you know in the sacrament of marriage, it’s not the priest who celebrates the sacrament; he’s the witness. It’s the man and the woman . . . They begin that process of celebrating the sacrament, God willing, until death do them part.”

Bishop Stika said that it was no coincidence that Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding in Cana, “with a couple who was beginning their married life together. So what does that say for all of us?”

The bishop recalled an event during his Missouri days that honored a couple married 75 years.

“They were close to 100, and they were able to celebrate a few more years following that,” he said.

The future bishop asked the couple “what made all the difference” in their long marriage, which saw them survive the Great Depression, World War II, and the deaths of some of their children.

“I was waiting for a profoundly logical explanation. ‘She laughs at all my jokes,’ the husband said. She said, ‘Sometimes when they weren’t even funny.’

“But the thing that was so stirring, so important about this as they spoke to me, was that they were still holding hands.”

Bishop Stika said that, through thick and thin, even for as long as 75 years or more, each married couple should remember “the day when you held hands and stood before the church and said, ‘I will love you and honor you all the days of my life,’ in moments of weakness and strength, illness and health.”

Rita and Leo Beaulieu of St. John Neumann celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary May 31.

They were married at Nativity Church in Willimansett, Mass., a suburb of Chicopee,

DAN MCWILLIAMS (2)

Please pray for our priests

BEFORE THE FINAL BLESSING Bishop Stika talks with couples at the end of the Mass at St. John Neumann Church. About 100 couples renewed their vows before the bishop in the bilingual celebration.

where they lived for more than 40 years before coming to Farragut in 1991.

Bishop Stika had said something in his homily that evoked a memory, Mrs. Beaulieu said.

“Remember the movie Love Story [and its tagline] ‘love means never having to say you’re sorry’?” the bishop asked. “Well, that’s the goofiest thing I’ve ever heard.

Love means having to say, ‘I’m sorry,’ but also love means having to say, ‘You’re forgiven’ and not carry a grudge. It’s about compassion. It’s about being connected.”

Mrs. Beaulieu said that apologizing is a key factor in her long marriage.

“He says, ‘I’m sorry,’ a lot.”

Mr. Beaulieu gave the same advice as the bishop during a 59th-anniversary celebration with one of the couple’s sons and his wife and daughter in 2007 at a Virginia Beach restaurant.

“A lady sitting at the table next to us came over said, ‘Would you like me to take a picture of the five of you?’ We said yes,” said Mrs. Beaulieu. “‘And what are you celebrating?’ she said. ‘We’re celebrating 59 years of marriage.’ ‘Oh, 59 years!’—she yells it out in the restaurant.

Everybody around our table clapped.

“One fellow said, ‘We just got married today. Could you tell us what it takes to be married 59 years?’

And my husband said, ‘You have to say, “I’m sorry,” a lot.’ So when the bishop said

that, it rang a bell.”

The Beaulieus have five children and 10 grandchildren, with one great-grandchild on the way.

Mrs. Beaulieu offered more secrets to a long marriage.

“First you have to love the person and then have respect for one another. We’ve never quarreled or called each other names.”

The couple also follows the never-go-tobed-angry rule.

“In Gatlinburg I picked up a little pillow that says, ‘Always kiss me good night,’ and we have that on our bed,” said Mrs. Beaulieu. “We never go to bed mad.”

Mr. Beaulieu obeys the pillow’s message, said his wife.

“He does. If he forgets, I don’t.”

A brief interview with the couple leads one to believe that Mr. Beaulieu has done more apologizing than his wife over the years.

“I make more mistakes, I guess,” he said.

Mr. Beaulieu has a slightly different take on the longevity of the couple’s marriage.

“We’ve loved one another from day one. We look out for each other. That’s just been our life.”

The Beaulieus met around 1939, when both were in their early teens, in a drum corps sponsored by the Franco-American Club in Holyoke, Mass.

“I was a drum major, and she was on the girls drill team,” said Mr. Beaulieu.

“The rest is history.”

Also attending the

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

Leo and Rita Beaulieu chat with Bishop Stika at the reception following the Mass.

The Beaulieus have been married more than 61 years. The bishop will also lead celebrations of marriage next month at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga and in July at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport.

6

■

JANUARY 24, 2010

www.d ioknox.org

marriage celebration were Frank and Shirley Ward of St. John Neumann, who celebrated 60 years of marriage July 2. Bud and Kay Evans of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade joined the festivities, a few months ahead of their 60th anniversary July 8.

Christopher Baldwin and wife Maria Rueda Baldwin were married at St. John Neumann on Oct. 3.

The “newest” of the married couples at the celebration, they were asked to proclaim the readings at Mass. Mrs. Baldwin, a native of Colombia, read in Spanish.

The sacrament of marriage is obviously “very fresh in our minds,” said Mr. Baldwin, adding that the celebration was beautiful and that the renewal of vows was a pleasant surprise.

Seeing couples at the celebration who have been married six decades was an inspiration, said Mrs. Baldwin.

“It gives you faith in the sacrament of marriage, but it also reminds you that you do not get there for free,” she said. “You have to work for it every day as a couple, but it does not necessarily have to be hard work. If you do it with God on your side, it becomes much easier.”

Mr. Baldwin has adopted Mrs. Baldwin’s daughter, Sophia, 9, a thirdgrader at St. John Neumann School.

Sophia was among many children who attended the marriage celebration.

The second celebration of marriage is set for Saturday, Feb. 6, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga and the third at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport on Saturday, July 24. Each Mass will be followed by a luncheon, complete with wedding cake. At St. John Neumann, the Wards, Evanses, and Baldwins did the honors on cutting the cake.

To attend a luncheon, RSVP to Marian Christiana, director of the Marriage Preparation and Enrichment Office, at 423-8922310 or mchristiana @dioknox.org or Karen Byrne at 865584-3307 or kbyrne@ dioknox.org. ■

TH E E A S T TE N N E S S E E C ATH OLI C

catholic

YOUTH

atholic Schools— Dividends for Life” is the theme selected for Catholic Schools Week 2010, which Diocese of Knoxville schools and others around the country will observe Jan. 31 to Feb. 6.

Catholic Schools Week is a joint project of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“Catholic schools provide good things for students and families—high expectations and daily experience of faith,” said NCEA president Karen Ristau. “In these challenging times, the theme also reminds parents that the dividends of a Catholic school edu-

C

out some cost,” said Marie Powell, executive director of the USCCB Secretariat of Catholic Education.

“But I can’t think of a better investment in the future than to invest in the education of a child.”

The logo designed for the week features a

St. Bridget Scout earns Eagle award Kyle Runyon, 14, of St. Bridget Parish in Dayton became an Eagle Scout on Nov. 7. He is pictured with Scout leader David Forston. Kyle, a member of Troop 150, entered the Boy Scouts in 2002 as a Tiger Scout.

He has earned more than 30 badges, as well as the Light of Christ, Parvuli Dei, and Ad Altare Dei religious-emblem awards. The Court of Honor ceremony for the Eagle award took place at St. Bridget Church with Kyle’s immediate family, Scouts, and fellow parishioners attending.

COURTESY OF GAYLE SCHOENBORN

COURTESY OF KATHIE ETHERTON

cation—students prepared in faith, knowledge, morals, and discipline—last a lifetime. There is no better way to invest in a child’s future or the future of our world.”

“We realize that in most parts of the country a Catholic education is not with-

cross superimposed on an outstretched hand. Rays coming from behind the hand express the concepts of faith, knowledge, morals, and discipline.

As part of Catholic Schools Week, National Appreciation Day for Catholic Schools will be observed Wednesday, Feb. 3.

National Appreciation Day was established to encourage supporters nationwide to show elected officials the great accomplishments and contributions of Catholic schools. In Washington a delegation of Catholic school students, teachers, and parents will visit Capitol Hill to meet with congressional leaders to promote Catholic schools. ■

COURTESY OF GINNY BISHOP

Annual Catholic Schools Week observation begins Jan. 31

St. Jude students have a field day St. Jude School in Chattanooga held its annual field day recently. Events included a long jump, a tug of war, three-legged races, and relays. The Home and School Association supported the events, providing a concession stand for the students and a supply of water for tired teachers and staff members. Taking off for the first leg of the relay event at right are eighth-grade students (from left) Spenser Turley, Cody Posey, Brandon Hall, and Ryan Mink.

St. Mary School geography-bee winner Elizabeth Sloop stands between runner-up Juliana Statile (right) and third-place finisher Lili Sankey.

BEE’S TOP THREE

COURTESY OF KATHY SUMRELL

St. Mary student captures school leg of National Geographic Bee lizabeth Sloop, an eighth-grade student at St. Mary School in Oak Ridge, won the schoollevel competition of the National Geographic Bee on Jan. 14 and earned a chance at a $25,000 college scholarship.

Juliana Statile finished second and Lili Sankey third. The school-level bee, in which students answered oral questions on geography, was the first round in the 22nd annual National Geographic Bee. The winning question was “After the United States and France, which island country generates the most power from nuclear energy?”

(Japan).

The kickoff for this year’s bee was the week of Nov. 9, with thousands of schools in the United States and the five U.S. territories participating.

The school winners, including Elizabeth, will now take a written test; up to 100 of the top scorers in each state will be eligible to compete in their state bee April 9.

The National Geographic Society will provide an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for state champions and teacher-escorts to participate in the bee’s national championship May 25 and 26. The first-place national winner will receive a $25,000 college scholarship and a lifetime membership in the society, as well as a trip to the Galapagos Islands. Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek will moderate the national finals May 26. ■

E

COURTESY OF KATHIE ETHERTON

Saints abound at OLPH School Almost 80 first- through fourth-graders at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Chattanooga dressed like saints on Nov. 6. Three “St. Peters” led the assembly into the chapel, and “St. Luke” welcomed everyone to the school Mass for the yearly All Saints celebration.

COURTESY OF DAWN GARIBAY

Notre Dame swimmer signs with Tennessee Troy Tillman of Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga signed a letter of intent to swim for the University of Tennessee on Nov. 11. Troy, pictured above with NDHS swim-team members, is a national high school All-American in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle events. He was recruited by Indiana University, Virginia Tech, and Florida State but ultimately decided that Tennessee was the right place for him athletically and academically. “A year ago none of this was even on the radar for Troy, but he had a breakout season this past summer, and his collegiate opportunities really expanded,” said his mother and coach, Dale Tillman. “Swimming on an NCAA Division I level in the Southeastern Conference is really a dream come true to Troy.” “We were so proud of Troy when we heard he had earned All-American status in the 50 and 100 freestyle events,” said NDHS athletics director Howie Sompayrac. “And now, [for him] to sign with the University of Tennessee, this is such a great reward for a student-athlete who has earned every accolade that he receives. Most people aren’t aware of this, but Troy has rheumatoid arthritis and battles this condition every day of his life. You would never know it because he is always on campus with a smile on his face and such a humble and positive attitude. Troy’s growth academically, socially, and athletically in his four years at Notre Dame has been remarkable and he will be an inspiration to many Irish student-athletes for many years to come.”

St. Jude runners qualify for state meet Seventh-grade student Shane Etherton and sixth-grader Miriam Blanton of St. Jude School in Chattanooga recently qualified for and participated in the Tennessee Middle School state cross-country championships at Victor Ashe Park in Knoxville.

TH E E A S T TE N N E S S E E C AT H OL IC

www.d ioknox.org

JANUARY 24, 2010

■

7

Calendar continued from page 5

Haiti continued from page 10

and end with dinner at 6 p.m. Cost is $135 per couple. The retreat certificate is good for a $60 discount on a marriage license. To register or learn more, contact Marian Christiana at 423-892-2310 or mchristiana@dioknox.org.

The Ulster Project of Knoxville will offer a multicultural, faith-based, peace-education project for teens ages 14 to 16 during July 2010. Eight teenagers from Derry, Northern Ireland, will arrive in Knoxville, as they have done since 1993. Equally divided between boys and girls and Catholics and Protestants, the teens will spend the month with a host teen of the same sex and age. The 16 teens will get together daily for activities focused on service, fun, and team building. The project promotes peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland while developing youth leaders in Knoxville. For more information, visit www. theulsterproject.com or contact Katie O’Farrell Allen at 865-583-0075 or roadwarriorkt@yahoo.com. Applications to participate must be received by Feb. 1.

The seventh annual Chattanoogans for Life banquet has been set for 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 23, at the Chattanoogan hotel. The theme is adoption. Singer Jaime Thietten is the guest speaker this year. To reserve a spot or a table, call Sue Shranko at 423-8255912. To learn more or volunteer, call Kitty at 322-8356 or 290-7314 or visit chattanoogansforlife.org.

A pilgrimage to Fatima and Ireland with Father Patrick Resen of St. Catherine Labouré in Copperhill, departing from Knoxville (not New York City, as previously announced), is planned for April 12 through 21. The trip features local guides, Mass each day, and plenty of time for touring and sightseeing. The cost from New York is $2,899. Breakfast and dinner are included. For more information, contact Dolores Maglione at 865982-0090 or maglioned@bellsouth.net.

High school singers are needed for the 2010 National Catholic Youth Choir, conducted by Axel Theimer.

Youth entering grades 10, 11, and 12 this fall are eligible to participate. A camp and tour will be held from June 15 through 29 at St. John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minn. Cost is $900, and scholarships are available. Applications are due Monday, March 8. Application and audition materials may be found at CatholicYouthChoir.org. For more information, contact Dorothy Kantor at 320-363-3154 or dkantor@csbsju.edu.

Charismatic Masses will be celebrated in 2010 at 5 p.m. Sundays, Jan. 24, April 25, Aug. 29, Oct. 24, at Holy Spirit Church in Soddy-Daisy. Father Dan Whitman of Holy Trinity Parish in Jefferson City will be the celebrant. Call Dee Leigh at 423-842-2305.

The Serra Club of Knoxville meets on second and fourth Thursdays in the Shea Room at Sacred Heart Cathedral’s office building. Meetings begin with Mass at 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch at noon and a speaker at 12:30 p.m.

The next Marriage Encounter weekend is scheduled for March 5 through 7 at the Airport Hilton in Alcoa. The weekend experiences are designed to assist priests and couples with good marriages in discovering a greater awareness of God’s love in their relationships. For more information, contact Deacon Bob or Janel Lange at 423-246-1570 or wwme@staying connected.net. To register for a weekend, contact the John or Manuela Ptacek at 865-531-1719 or celebrate-love@earthlink.net, or visit www.loveinthe smokies.org.

The next Engaged Encounter weekend in the diocese will be held March 5 through 7 at the Carson Springs Baptist Conference Center in Newport. Weekend cost is $239, including meals, rooms, and materials, and couples completing the entire weekend will receive a $60 discount on their marriage license. To register, call Mike or Charla Haley at 865-220-0120.

For more information on Engaged Encounter, e-mail Paul or Pam Schaffer at ceeknoxville@gmail.com or visit www.rc.net/knoxville/cee.

A Seekers of Silence Contemplative Saturday Morning will be held Jan. 23 at John XXIII Catholic Center in Knoxville. Glenmary Father John S. Rausch will give a talk titled “The Preferential Option for the Poor.” 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 to 865-523-7931.

Holy Resurrection Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Mission has Divine Liturgy celebrations at 3:30 p.m.

Sundays at Holy Ghost Church, 1041 N. Central St. in Knoxville. Call Father Thomas O’Connell at 865256-4880.

The St. Thomas the Apostle Ukrainian Catholic Mission celebrates Divine Liturgy at 10 a.m. Sundays in the chapel at the Chancery. Call Father Richard Armstrong at 865-584-3307.

Calendar continued on page 9

8

■

JANUARY 24, 2010

CNS PHOTO/MARCO DORMINO, UNITED NATIONS

Divorce and Beyond is a structured nine-week program for Catholic men and women who have experienced or are experiencing divorce. A group will begin meeting Monday, Jan. 25, in the parish life center at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga.

Sessions will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. through March 29. To register, contact Marian Christiana at 423-8922310 or mchristiana@dioknox.org. Cost is $15.

The remains of the Catholic cathedral of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, are seen in a Jan. 15 handout photo provided by the United Nations. Officials with the Catholic aid agency Caritas in Haiti reported that most of the churches in Port-au-Prince had been destroyed in the Jan. 12 earthquake that rocked the capital.

HOUSE OF GOD

es and centers to check on conditions and to express Pope Benedict XVI’s concerns. The archbishop said the aftershocks were continuing but were less violent.

“People are sleeping on the street and wandering around with nowhere to go, but many have fled for the mountains out of fear of tsunamis,” he said. “We’re having great logistical difficulties for very evident reasons. We don’t have any water reserves, and gas stations are closed,” he said.

CRS distributes food from Haitian warehouses, Dominican Republic WASHINGTON (CNS)—Although getting basic supplies such as food and water to the hundreds of thousands left homeless by Haiti’s Jan. 12 earthquake has been a Herculean task, aid workers were finding ways around traffic blockades, crowds of people and the country’s lack of infrastructure. Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services, which is coordinating the church’s relief and recovery efforts in Haiti, was able to get a jump-start on distributing aid because it already had warehouses filled with supplies in Haiti set up after the 2008 hurricanes in the region.

After it distributed plastic sheeting, water storage containers, mosquito nets, and hygiene kits from the Port-auPrince warehouse Jan 14, the agency began distributing supplies from one of its other warehouses in Les Cayes, about 90 miles from Port-auPrince. CRS volunteers and staff in the Dominican Republic were purchasing and assembling boxes of food, including sardines and peanut butter, to deliver to Port-auPrince. The ultimate goal was to have enough boxes of prepared food to feed 50,000. Bill Canny, CRS’ director of emer-

the catholic

gency operations, spoke to Catholic News Service while traveling from the Dominican Republic to Haiti. He said some of the relief efforts were still a work in progress, for instance, distribution of food from the U.S. government that arrived in Port-au-Prince via ship Jan. 15. “We’re waiting to see how that develops,” he said.

Haitian archbishop who died in quake portrayed as a humble man WASHINGTON (CNS)— Haitian Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot was known as a humble man who was close to the poor in the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince. Archbishop Miot, 63, was among tens of thousands of Haitians who died in the Jan. 12 earthquake. For years he served as president of the Haitian bishops’ justice and peace commission, and he often spoke of the need to help the citizens of the Western Hemisphere’s most-impoverished nation. “The misery is so great,’’ Archbishop Miot told Catholic News Service in New York in May 1998. “Things have never been as bad as they are now. People who could not make a living in the rural areas have moved to the cities, and they are piling up in the slums.” In a Jan. 14 email to Catholic News Service, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, papal nuncio to Haiti, said the archbishop “was hurled from the balcony outside his room while he was waiting for another person on their way to a ceremony. The force of the earthquake threw him headfirst off the balcony and he died, it seems, from the impact.” Because there was no electricity in the city, church officials took Archbishop Miot’s body to the coastal city of St. Marc, said the nuncio. He said he asked that the body be buried im-

DIFFERENCE

BY GEORGE WEIGEL

Don’t hear this prayer ‘Canned’ intercessions may not reflect the truths of the Catholic faith.

This past Dec. 28, I was jolted out of my morning fog at 8 a.m.

Mass when the deacon offered this petition: “For those who are considering abortion: may our prayers and the intercession of the Holy Innocents whom we honor today help them choose life as the www.d ioknox.org

best option, let us pray to the Lord.”

I can’t remember whether I blurted “What?” loud enough to be noticed by my faithful companions at daily Mass— many of whom wear hearing aids—but I know I certainly didn’t answer with the prescribed “Lord, hear our prayer.”

The best option? Oh, so the decision whether to carry a child to term is a pragmatic calculation, and we’re to pray that those concerned get the

mediately, which is not the normal Haitian tradition.

Catholic agencies send medical supplies, prepare for long-term relief WASHINGTON (CNS)—Although thousands of people in Haiti were trapped beneath the rubble and wreckage left by the Jan. 12 earthquake, thousands of others were struggling to find adequate medical care in a region already beset by health problems and a lack of solid infrastructure. Health officials warned that immediate health threats in the region include respiratory disease from inhaling dust from collapsed buildings and diarrhea from drinking contaminated water.

Unsanitary conditions also could lead to the spread of infectious diseases such as malaria and measles. Since many hospitals and clinics were severely damaged, those unable to get medical attention for broken bones and even minor injuries also could develop further complications and infections. The Catholic Medical Mission Board, based in New York, was responding immediately to medical needs by collecting funds and medical supplies to send to its Haiti-based office. Barbara Wright, the organization’s communications director, told Catholic News Service Jan. 14 that contact with its staff of 13 in Haiti has been limited at best. The office sustained damage but staff members were not harmed and were on the ground responding to relief efforts. Although she could not identify the group’s top medical priorities, she said that from the U.S. end the CMMB was doing “what we always do”—sending medical supplies. ■

Copyright 2010 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops calculation, er, right? How did this morally degrading nonsense get written? How did it get past an editor with any theological grain of sense?

It happened because the parish I was attending, like many others, uses canned general intercessions for weekday Masses, bought from a “liturgical aids” service: the daily intercessions come with a tacky binder in a tear-’emout-after-you-use-’em format, they fit neatly inside the ambo—so why not? Dec. 28 illustrated why not: because more often than we’d like to admit, these intercessions are thoughtlessly written, reflecting the ambient cultural smog rather than the truth of Weigel continued on page 9

TH E E A S T TE N N E S S E E C ATH OLI C

life and

DIGNITY

BY PAUL SIMONEAU

House of bread Man must ‘cultivate and care’ for the gardens of both earth and soul.

dener (cf. John 20:15). The youngest of the 12 sons of Jacob (Israel), Joseph is secretly sold into slavery by his envious brothers (Genesis 37). But Joseph’s passion and apparent death would later bring blessing to a famine-stricken people in the life-giving seed he would provide them. Raised from the dust of his misfortune, Joseph was given charge

by Pharaoh of his royal palace and “the whole land of Egypt” (Genesis 41:41).

When the seven-year-long famine Joseph had correctly interpreted from Pharaoh’s dreams had reached its worst point, the Egyptians and Canaanites are directed to “go to Joseph” (Genesis 41:55).

Beseeching Joseph, they plead: “Why should we and our land perish before your very eyes? Take us and our land in exchange for food, and we will become Pharaoh’s slaves and our land his property; only give us seed, that we may survive and not perish, and that our land may not turn into a waste” (Genesis 47:19).

Having already surrendered on two previous occasions all their money (47:14) and livestock (47:16) in exchange for food, the people now offer up all they have left to give: the earth beneath their feet and the very soil of their being. By doing so, they secured food for their immediate need and seed for their future. Only when they had surrendered everything do they begin to live again and rejoice (cf.

Genesis 47:25).

Mr. Simoneau directs the diocesan Justice and Peace Office.

DAN MCWILLIAMS

It is said that as long as people prefer reaping to sowing, there will be hunger and injustice in the world.

The work of justice is not unlike that of a gardener. But because man is “a being at once corporeal and spiritual” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 362), the fruit of this work must nourish both body and soul.

The harsh words of God to fallen Adam—“You are dirt and to dirt you shall return” (Genesis 3:19)—communicate more than just the entrance of death into man’s reality. Man was “to cultivate and care” (Genesis 2:15) for all that God had declared “very good” in creation (Genesis 1:31) and to bring it to its fruitful perfection in communion with him (cf. Genesis 1:28). But as a consequence of sin, man’s vocation as a gardener changed dramatically. Man must now not only “toil” and “sweat” (Genesis 3:17, 19) to bring forth fruit from the dirt—the earth—beneath his feet, but he must also labor to “cultivate and care” for the very earth of his being in order to bring forth fruits of holiness.

Among the types and figures found in the Old Testament that prefigured God’s plan of salvation and fulfillment in Christ, Joseph provides an image of Christ as the new gar-

Those who empty themselves completely become a grotto of Bethlehem, which in its literal translation means “house of bread.” Nourished with the Bread of Life, they can then go, as Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta would say, to feed the “hungry Christ” in the poor. Nourished and crucified with Christ, we are able to feed the multitudes in response to Jesus’ command: “give them some food yourselves” (Luke 9:13).

In the parable of the tenant farmers (Mark 12:1-12) the vineyard owner seeks to collect “his share of produce” (12:2) from those to whom the vineyard is leased. But the tenants, with the thought of gaining control and ownership of the vineyard, beat some of the owner’s messengers and killed the others, including the owner’s son.

Pope Benedict XVI asks, “Isn’t what is said in the parable actually a description of our present world? Isn’t this precisely the logic of the modern age, of our age? Let us declare that God is dead, then we ourselves will be God. At last we no longer belong to anyone else; rather, we are simply the owners of ourselves and of the world. At last we can do what we please. We get rid of God; there is no measuring rod above us; we ourselves are our only measure. The ‘vineyard’ belongs to us. What happens to man and the world next? We are already beginning to see it . . .” (Jesus of Nazareth [Doubleday, 2007], p. 257).

Closing with a traditional play on the words of Pope Paul VI, “If you want peace . . .” become a “house of bread.” ■

Hundreds pray with Bishop Stika for an end to abortion Approximately 300 people joined Bishop Richard F. Stika on Jan. 16 for a rosary in front of the abortion clinic on Concord Street in Knoxville. The bishop called for the rosary as “the first of an annual gathering that I will lead in praying for an end to the culture of death in our diocese.” Fourteen priests along with deacons, women religious, and seminarians joined East Tennessee Catholics of all ages for the rosary. A story will appear in the Feb. 7 ETC.

Calendar continued from page 8

Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at 1:30 p.m. each Sunday at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville and at 3 p.m. on first and third Sundays at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland. Visit www.knoxlatinmass.net for details.

Upcoming events for Catholic Singles of Greater Knoxville (40 and over) include the following: ■ Sunday, Jan. 24: Carpool to March for Life from All Saints Church, 1:15 p.m. Call Pat at 865-531-0845.

■ Friday, Jan. 29: “Winter Wonderland” dance at Concord United Methodist Church, 8 to 11 p.m. Admission: $5; includes soft drinks, snacks, door prizes, and line-dance review at 7:30 p.m. For more information, e-mail llmorrison99@yahoo.com.

■ Wednesday, Feb. 3: Planning meeting for March and April events and dinner social at La Rumba, 4900 Chambliss Ave. in Bearden, 6:15 p.m. If you can’t attend but want to suggest a singles event, call Gail B. at 966-8205.

■ Friday, Feb. 5: February birthday celebration and happy hour, at the Lemon Grass restaurant, 6 p.m.

Contact Janlyn at 660-6272 or toots37922@live.com. ■

Weigel continued from page 8

Catholic faith. Moreover, they’re typically organized to suggest that the world of politics is, somehow, the real world: after a brief intercessory nod to the pope, the bishops, or both, we’re immediately invited to pray for sundry social and political causes, never identified as such but wrapped in the gauziness of Feel Good Prayer.

What gets omitted is often as instructive, and depressing, as what gets addressed. How often last year did you hear a general intercession petition for Christian unity? For the relief of persecuted Christians? For the conversion of non-believers? For victory in the war against terrorism? (Eight years and four months after 9/11, I’m still waiting for that one.) But I’ll bet you heard a dozen or more exhorting you to environmental responsibility.

In parishes that take their liturgy seriously, the canned intercessions usually disappear on Sunday, to be replaced by intercessions composed locally by responsible parties, sometimes with the aid of thoughtful resources such as Magnificat. The solution to the weekday problem, I suggest, is to regularize the petitions at daily Mass, making them serenely formulaic and thus immune from the temptation to political or cultural homiletics.

Here is one possible scheme for such a “reduction”: For the holy Church of God throughout the world, let us pray to the Lord.

For Benedict, Bishop of Rome, and the bishops in communion with him, let us pray to the Lord.

For this local church of [name of diocese], for [name of bishop], its chief shepherd, and for the priests and deacons of [name of diocese], let us pray to the Lord.

For this parish of [patron of other name], its pastors and its people, let us pray to the Lord.

For an abundance of vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life, let us pray to the Lord.

For the unity of all Christians, for the relief of those suffering persecution for their Christian faith, and for the conversion of their persecutors, let us pray to the Lord.

For the civil authorities, that we may be governed in justice and truth, let us pray to the Lord.

For those who are sick, and for all those with special needs, let us pray to the Lord.

For our beloved dead, let us pray to the Lord.

That, I suggest, covers the most important bases. Such a scheme also locates the local parish within the broader Christian community of the diocese and locates the diocese within the ambit of the universal church: facts about which Catholics in America often need reminding. And such a formulaic schema avoids politics while making clear that we should pray regularly that the politicos recognize both the responsibilities and limits of their power.

Try it. It is, you might say, the best option. ■ George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.

The good we do lives after us—

MARY C. WEAVER (2)

when we remember to make a will.

East Tennessee’s newest monsignor Monsignor Al Humbrecht addresses the congregation at Sacred Heart Cathedral during the Jan. 17 solemn Vespers service celebrating his new title. The story will appear in the Feb. 7 edition.

TH E EA S T TE N N E S S E E C AT H OL IC

A Big Orange gift for Sister Sister Timothea Elliott, RSM, receives a UT Vol orange scarf from Susan Collins during Ministries Day on Jan. 9. The former is the director of the new Christian Formation Office; the latter is director of religious education for Notre Dame Parish in Greeneville. An article on Ministries Day will be published in the next issue. www.d ioknox.org

Only you can divide your own property as you want it divided. A bequest to your church can be a living memorial to the nobility of your life.

JANUARY 24, 2010

■

9

from the

WIRE

Church, agencies rush to help Haiti

HAITIAN CATASTROPHE A woman reacts to the devastating situation in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 13. The death toll in Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake could run to tens of thousands of people. An estimated three million more will require emergency assistance, aid groups say.

Catholic aid agencies accept donations for Haitian quake relief WASHINGTON (CNS)—The following international aid agencies are working with partner agencies and religious leaders in Haiti and accepting donations for victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake.

■ Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. bishops’ international relief and development agency, is accepting donations by phone at 800-736-3467; online at www.crs.org; or by mail to CRS, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21203-7090.

■ The Salesians are accepting donations by phone at 914-633-8344; online at www.salesian missions.org; or by mail to Salesian Disaster Relief, Salesian Missions, P.O. Box 30, New Rochelle, NY 10802-0030.

■ Caritas Internationalis is accepting donations for Haiti at www.caritas.org.

■ Food for the Poor is also accepting donations at www.foodforthepoor.org.

■ Catholic Medical Mission Board is accepting donations by mail to CMMB, 10 West 17th St., New York, NY 10011; by phone at 800-678-5659; or online at support.cmmb.org/Haiti. Medicines and medical supplies may be donated by calling CMMB’s Kathy Tebbett at 212-242 7757.

■ The Pontifical Mission Societies have established a long-term solidarity fund for Haiti. Contributions may be directed to Pontifical Mission Societies, Haitian Solidarity Fund, 70 West 36th St., New York, NY 10018. Credit-card donations can be made at www.onefamilyinmission.org. ■ Copyright 2010 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Bishops request collections for Haiti in U.S. churches WASHINGTON (CNS)— Parishes across the United States were asked to take up a second collection Jan. 16 and 17 to help ease “the terrible suffering of our brothers and sisters in Haiti” after a magnitude 7 earthquake. Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chairman of Catholic Relief Services, said in a Jan. 13 letter that the funds collected will help “respond to immediate emergency needs for such necessities as water, food, shelter and medical care, as well as to the long-term need to rebuild after widespread destruction, and to the pastoral and reconstruction needs of the church in Haiti.”

The Jan. 12 quake “has already claimed thousands of lives,” including that of Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot of Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, and “has left millions without the basic necessities of life,” the letter said. “Our faith compels us to pray for and reach out to our brothers and sisters in their time of suffering.” CRS, the U.S. bishops’ international relief and development agency, “is already mounting a major emergency response to this severe disaster and has committed an initial $5 million to fund relief efforts which are likely to go on for some time,” Cardinal George and Archbishop Dolan said. The two leaders noted that the national collection for the church in Latin America is scheduled for the following weekend, Jan. 23 and 24.

“This collection is vitally important for our ability to respond to the pastoral needs of the church in Haiti and other parts of Latin America in the

CNS PHOTO/TATYANA MAKEYEVA, REUTERS

CNS PHOTO/EDUARDO MUNOZ, REUTERS

Aid workers in the tropical nation help ease ‘terrible suffering.’ By Cindy Wooden

A Russian rescue worker carries Senvilo Ovri, 11, a survivor of the earthquake, from the remains of a house in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Jan. 16. As many as 200,000 people died in the Jan. 12 earthquake that devastated Haiti. Three-quarters of the capital, Port-au-Prince, will need to be rebuilt, said authorities in the Caribbean nation.

WORK OF MERCY

weeks and months ahead,” they said. “We urge that you use both of these opportunities to express our solidarity and our loving support for our brothers and sisters in Haiti and ask you not to substitute one collection for the other.”

Caritas aid reaches Haiti quake survivors VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Caritas Internationalis, the Vatican-based umbrella organization for Catholic charities, quickly delivered aid to the survivors of the Haiti earthquake but was in urgent need of additional relief materials. The Caritas staff in Haiti visited devastated areas of the capital Portau-Prince Jan. 13 to determine immediate needs.

At least 60 tents were distributed to families, and first aid was given to survivors in clinics and hospitals, Caritas said in a statement from its Vatican headquarters. Joseph Jonides Villarson, head of emergencies for Caritas Haiti, said it was the worst disaster Haiti has experienced. “Many people have been killed in Port-au-Prince. Their bodies are everywhere on the streets

of the capital. People are still under the debris. The hospitals are overwhelmed with the dead and injured. The risk of disease is great,” he said. Villarson said the streets were filled with people who do not know where to go, and there was a real possibility of violence and more looting.

“There is very little visible presence of the police. Caritas Haiti President Bishop Pierre Andre Dumas of Anse-a-Veau et Miragoane has appealed on the radio for calm and solidarity,” he said.

People digging for loved ones under mountains of debris, says nuncio VATICAN CITY (CNS)— People have been pleading for help in digging loved ones out from under the rubble while others have fled to the hills for fear of tsunamis, said the Vatican’s nuncio to Haiti.

In an e-mail to Catholic News Service Jan. 14 from the capital, Port-au-Prince, Archbishop Bernardito Auza said he and others were trying to round up all the priests and religious men and women who had been left with nothing. He visited religious housHaiti continued on page 8

Check out our brand-new website: dioknox.org After many months of preparation, the Diocese of Knoxville has launched a new website at dioknox.org. For more details about the new site, see page 3 of this issue.

10

■

JANUARY 24, 2010

www.d ioknox.org

TH E E A S T TE N N E S S E E C ATH OLI C