Jan. 6, 2013, ET Catholic

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

This issue

The East Tennessee

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

dioknox.org Jan. 6, 2013 Volume 22 Number 5

Bishop Richard F. Stika

News from The Diocese of Knoxville

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Ordination Arthur Torres Barona now in the diaconate

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New KCHS coach Former NFL player leads football team

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Marine Masses Father Joe Campbell’s ministry on the water

Diocese continuing the legacy of Catholic health care in region

Carrying on the legacy Sister Mariana Koonce, RSM, MD, (left) is leading the Diocese of Knoxville’s new health-care ministry—the Office of Health Services and the St. Luke Guild. The ministry is a continuation of the legacy established by the Sisters of Mercy when they began operating St. Mary’s Hospital in Knoxville in 1930.

Bishop Stika names Sister of Mercy physician to direct new health services, St. Luke Guild ministry

S

ister Mariana Koonce has been in East Tennessee only since October, but already she feels a kinship with St. Mary’s Hospital, the longtime Catholic medical facility in Knoxville that has changed hands and now is part of a for-profit hospital corporation.

And it’s that connection and an ambitious plan to restore Catholic-based health care throughout the diocese in a new format that has Sister Mariana invoking the name of Mother Catherine McAuley.

Sister Mariana, a physician who is with the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich., is connected to the Sisters of Mercy that started St. Mary’s in 1930 through their mutual foundress. So she shares in the Sisters of Mercy’s mission to bring health care to underserved areas, just as Sisters of Mercy founder Mother McAuley designed and the Sisters of Mercy have been doing for more than 80 years in Knoxville.

St. Mary’s was acquired by the Health Management Associates Inc. hospital network in October 2011 and now is operated as Tennova Healthcare. In Chattanooga, Catholic-based Memorial Health System operates two hospitals. Because there is no longer a Catho-

Guild continued on page 4

DAN MCWILLIAMS

By Bill Brewer

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

I

He dwells among us

by Bishop Richard F. Stika

Bishop’s schedule

Better than expected

These are some of Bishop Stika’s public appointments:

Faith reminds us that Christ is truly present and hope ever builds our trust in him as disciples

t seemed like a good idea at the time, but it didn’t quite turn out the way I expected.” I was but a young boy at the time when my elderly neighbor, Dr. Ralph, responded to my curiosity with these words that were to be the beginning of an unlikely lesson on the precious gifts of faith and hope.

Of the many people living in the neighborhood where I grew up in St. Louis, Dr. Ralph was certainly the most colorful character. He had served as a Cavalry officer during World War I and had been a boxer as well, and my friends and I always were entertained by his many stories. But it was his two very prominent and weathered tattoos of faded green ink on his forearms that I pointed to one day, asking, “Why’d you do that?” that prompted his response.

One of the tattoos was easy enough to recognize. It was the Rosary with its loop of five decades covering the length of his forearm. But the other image was not nearly as discernible. Due to poor artistry and many decades of sun and age, what was supposed to represent his beloved Cavalry horse he now jokingly called what it resembled most—a “Chihuahua.”

Diocesan policy for reporting sexual abuse

Supposedly, though, his two tattoos were meant to represent faith and hope, and I remember him telling me he got them because, “This way, I’ll never lose them.” But I was never quite sure from his war stories whether it was his horse that he put his faith in or his hope. Unlike Dr. Ralph’s tattoos, though, our faith and hope should not fade and become less recognizable over time (cf. Matthew 5:13-16).

Two short expressions—one drawn from Scripture and the other from a saint—have long helped to remind me of what faith and hope are about.

The first is a shortened form of John 1:14, which is the title of my monthly column—“He Dwells Among Us.” The other is St. Faustina’s simple prayer of hope, which also is my episcopal motto, Iesu Confido In Te— “Jesus, I trust in you.” For faith is more than just believing, it is an encounter with the Risen Lord. And hope is what helps to direct our steps toward what is true and “does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5). As St. Paul reminds us, “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides” (Matthew 6:33).

So I encourage you, particularly in this Year of Faith declared by Pope

Benedict XVI that ends Nov. 24, 2013, to pray every day the Nicene Creed of the Mass, and if able, to attend daily Mass and to make Holy Hours before the Blessed Sacrament. Frequent the sacrament of reconciliation where you will encounter the Divine Physician who offers true health care of soul and body. Take up the traditional practice of fasting and abstinence, which helps to purify our hope, and abstain from meat on Fridays and offer it for a greater harvest of vocations to the priesthood.

Read and reflect upon sacred Scripture, and explore the rich treasury of the faith in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and in the documents of the Second Vatican Council.

In looking back upon 2012, I can’t help but marvel at the diocese’s many blessings. With our 24th anniversary as a diocese, we began our year of preparation that will take us to our Jubilee Anniversary and the beginning of our Year of Celebration and the region’s first Eucharistic Congress on Sept. 14, 2013, at the Sevierville Convention Center. We are blessed with 19 seminarians studying for the priesthood and with at least another five we hope will be added next fall. The presence

The East Tennessee

Jan. 4: Epiphany party with priests of the Diocese of Knoxville.

Jan. 6-10: Region V Bishop’s Retreat in Covington, La. Jan. 11: Knights of Columbus Clergy Appreciation Dinner at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland.

Jan. 20: 11 a.m., Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Jan. 22: 11 a.m., General priest meeting at the Chancery.

Jan. 23: 5:15 p.m., Mass at the East Tennessee State University Catholic Center with dinner to follow.

Jan. 24: 6:30 p.m., Sacred music concert followed by Knights of Columbus Clergy Appreciation Dinner at St. John Neumann Church.

Jan. 26: 11 a.m., Celebration of Marriage Mass and Banquet in Knoxville.

Jan. 27: 5:30 p.m., Confirmation at St. Jude Church in Chattanooga. n

Bishop continued on page 3

Bishop Richard F. Stika Publisher

Dan McWilliams Assistant editor

Bill Brewer

Margaret Hunt

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

2 January 6, 2013

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

dioknox.org

Seminarian Arthur Torres Barona ordained into diaconate Deacon closer to priesthood as Bishop Stika leads ordination Mass at St. Mary Church in Johnson City

Bishop continued from page 2

of the Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich., and the Evangelizing Sisters of Mary continue to grow as well. Two new missions within the diocese also were started this past year—the Divine Mercy Catholic Mission in Knoxville and St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Mission The East Tennessee Catholic

DAN MCWILLIAMS

A

rthur Torres Barona is an important step closer to the priesthood following his ordination into the transitional diaconate Dec. 1 at St. Mary Church in Johnson City.

Bishop Richard F. Stika welcomed the seminarian into the diaconate during an ordination Mass attended by priests and deacons from across the Diocese of Knoxville.

“I wish to thank Arthur for responding to the call of Jesus to be a true missionary of the Gospel—traveling from the mountains of Colombia to the mountains of East Tennessee,” Bishop Stika said.

“And so with this missionary zeal, I will ask you to commit yourself to the people of God as a transitional deacon.”

Deacon Barona, the son of Duvan Torres Gil and Ana Julia Barona of Cali, Colombia, is attending seminary at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wis., and is among 19 young men in the diocese currently studying for the priesthood. He is the second seminarian ordained into the transitional diaconate this year.

“What a great day it is for the Diocese of Knoxville this day to welcome this, our brother, to holy orders,” Bishop Stika said. “A man who has come a long way from Colombia to join with men and women of this diocese and this local church to give praise and thanks to almighty God, especially with the gift of his life. In these next months as he prepares for the holy priest-

Entering the diaconate Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrates Mass for seminarian Arthur Torres Barona’s ordination into the transitional diaconate at St. Mary Church in Johnson City on Dec. 1. Deacon Barona (left) attends seminary at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Wisconsin and is among 19 young men in the Diocese of Knoxville studying for the priesthood.

hood, that as he proclaims the word of God and preaches that word, he might be a true instrument of Jesus Christ.”

In August, Christopher Manning, a student at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois, was ordained a deacon.

Dustin Collins was ordained into the priesthood at Sacred Heart Cathedral in June. Father Collins now is a parochial vicar at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge.

As he prepared to lay hands on Deacon Barona during the ordination Mass, Bishop Stika prayed that the seminarian will be given the wisdom of the office that he will

hold and will be able to preach the Gospel effectively.

Informing the young deacon that he has been found worthy to advance into the diaconate, Bishop Stika, in his homily, advised Deacon Barona of the many duties he will perform in his vocation—from proclaiming the Gospel, preparing the Eucharistic sacrifice, performing baptisms and providing viaticum to the dying to teaching the faith from the pulpit, in parishioners’ homes, at the soccer field or at a parish festival while sitting in a dunking booth.

“Relying on the help of the Lord God and our savior, Jesus Christ,

in Erwin. The diocese also was able to start a new Office of Health Services with the arrival and talents of Sister Mariana Koonce, RSM, MD, and the doors to Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton were officially opened.

I also am most proud that Knoxville Catholic High School and Notre Dame

High School were named by the Cardinal Newman Society among the “Top 50 Catholic High Schools for excellence in Catholic identity, academics and civics education.”

Indeed, we have so much to be thankful for, but most of all, I am especially grateful to Our Lord for the gift of your

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

By Dan McWilliams

we choose this man, our brother, for the Order of the Deacon. These words are pretty powerful, the concept may be a bit mystifying and the task enormous, and yet here we are with our dear brother Arthur, celebrating a moment that will have an immense effect on his life, and in reality on all of us and those we represent—of course relying on the help of God,” Bishop Stika said.

Bishop Stika encouraged Deacon Barona to follow the example of St. Francis of Assisi, “who challenged his friars to preach the Gospel always, and to, at times, even use words.”

“You, by the virtue of the office that you will hold, I pray will be a gift to the people you are assigned to serve and to the people that you will share faith with, whether at Sacred Heart, at St. Mary’s here, or in your assignments to come,” the bishop added.

The call to be a deacon is the same one that “calls you from the community of faith to be a minister of the Gospel and, God willing, a minister of the sacraments in the future,” Bishop Stika said. “Just think of what it involves. You will proclaim the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, a Gospel that is so important that we even stand in the liturgy when we hear those words spoken.

You will prepare the Eucharistic sacrifice. You will set the table of the Lord for Mass.

“You will be privileged to bring the body and blood of Jesus Christ

Ordination continued on page 8

faith and hope, which is yielding so many wonderful fruits. Indeed, things are turning out better than expected.

On behalf of Cardinal Rigali, the members of the Chancery staff, and all our priests, deacons and religious, I want to wish all of you a most blessed New Year of 2013. n January 6, 2013 3

Guild continued from page 1

lic hospital in Knoxville, providing Catholic health care to the poor of East Tennessee becomes more challenging and requires a new vehicle, literally.

As the Diocese of Knoxville’s new director of health services, Sister Mariana is leading the new medical mission, which will use teams of volunteers to administer health care to communities in need across the diocese through a mobile clinic—a doctor’s office on wheels.

The teams of volunteers will be organized through the St. Luke Guild. The Guild, named for the patron saint of physicians, is officially up and running. Among Sister Mariana’s first acts is to encourage registration in the Guild. She also is assembling an advisory board to assist her in managing the health-care organization.

“Right now we’re still in an organizational phase, encouraging people to register with the Guild. We’re still looking for board members from across the diocese,” she said. “The St. Luke Guild is for anyone in health care who is Catholic.”

She is particularly interested in establishing broad representation from throughout the diocese, not just Knoxville. She noted that physicians, nurses, technicians, administrators, and others with health-care experience—either clinical or administrative—are encouraged to sign on with the St. Luke Guild.

She also noted that service in the guild could be especially appealing to retirees who want to remain active in applying their health-care skills.

Since Tennessee law has special provisions for those who serve solely in free clinics, both for licensing and liability coverage, retirees still can potentially participate.

Registration in the Guild is not solely a means for gathering volunteers, however. Sister Mariana said the vision for the Guild is emerging to be three-fold.

4 January 6, 2013

St. Luke Guild now registering volunteers

S

ister Mariana Koonce, RSM, MD, was appointed director of Health Services for the Diocese of Knoxville in 2012, and she officially joined the diocese in October.

In her position, she will lead the new diocesan ministry to provide health care to underserved areas across the diocese and the new St. Luke Guild. Sister Mariana joined the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich., in 2008.

She was raised in Mayfield, Ky., in the western part of the Bluegrass State.

She graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1990 and then from

The first vision is education. “What does it mean to be Catholic and what does it mean to be Catholic in health care?” she asked. “To be a Catholic in health care is going to be a challenge. How do we remain authentic as Catholics and still provide health care?”

The second vision is service and filling a Catholic health-care vacuum from the departure of Knoxville’s only Catholic hospital. This is where the mobile clinic comes in. However, the need is not only for volunteers to staff the clinic, but in clinicians who are willing to participate in a referral network. Inevitably there will be health-care problems that cannot be addressed fully in a mobile environment.

And the third part of the St. Luke Guild vision is spiritual enrichment, particularly through retreats and other venues.

“I see spiritual enrichment as being the key element that brings success to the other two visions,” Sister Mariana said. “It takes faith. I feel a particular connection to the Sisters of Mercy and what they accomplished here. It took faith then (starting St. Mary’s Hospital), and it takes faith now.”

Bishop Richard F. Stika agrees. It has been his vision to expand the Sisters of Mercy’s role in health care

Tulane Medical School in 1994. She attended medical school on a Navy scholarship and served seven and a half years in that military branch, during which she completed a residency in family medicine and did two shipboard tours as a Navy physician.

Sister Mariana left the Navy in 2001 to enter private medical practice in the state of Washington, where she worked for six years.

“And then I asked God what He wanted,” she said. “I have a variety of experiences that are suitable for doing this (the mobile clinic and the St. Luke Guild). But this still is a daunting task.” throughout the diocese.

“When we created the St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation, one of the aims was to continue the good works of the Sisters of Mercy and the Ladies of Charity in assisting poverty-stricken areas in the diocese. We’re also bringing together all Catholics involved in health care in the diocese to utilize their talents and gifts for the grace of Jesus,” Bishop Stika said.

Bishop Stika pointed out that many Catholic churches have worthwhile missions to aid povertystricken areas in other countries like Ghana and Haiti, but there also is a need in East Tennessee counties.

“There exists silent suffering in our area because of a lack of health care,” he said.“ Bishop Stika is confident the diocese’s health services initiative, including health-care outreach and the St. Luke Guild, will be successful.

“If we invite the Lord to be with us, then all things are possible. As my motto says, ‘Jesus, I trust in you,’” Bishop Stika said.

He noted that the St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation, for which 44 percent of all granted dollars are restricted to funding health initiatives, is instrumental in supporting the diocese’s health ministry. The St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation also funds other education and charity initiatives.

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

Sister Mariana is encouraging pa-

rishioners who are in health care to enroll in the St. Luke Guild through its website, www.stlukeguild.org. Sister Mariana can be contacted directly at the Chancery at 865-584-3307 or by e-

mail at srmariana@dioknox.org.

Any parish interested in hosting an information night on the St. Luke Guild and the diocesan plans for extending Catholic health care should contact Sister Mariana in the Office of Health Services.

The Office of Health Services is planning to host a bioethics seminar in 2013 as well as a retreat. n The Office of Health Services program’s mobile clinic will be predominantly funded through the St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation of East Tennessee, which was formed in 2011 to continue providing support for the ministry begun by the Sisters of Mercy through St. Mary’s Hospital.

The foundation initially was made possible through funds provided by the sale of St. Mary’s parent company, Mercy Health Partners, to Health Management Associates. The foundation funds health care and education programs in the diocese.

“The St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation’s mission is to continue the works of mercy as they started with Mother Catherine McAuley in Dublin and continued here in East Tennessee,” said John Deinhart, St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation staff officer.

While the mobile clinic will fill a void, it will not be a hospital, according to Sister Mariana, pointing out that the clinic will be an opportunity for the diocese to offer health care in a new, innovative way for those in need. It will be a mobile network where the health care goes to the patients rather than the reverse, which is how care now is configured.

“What we’re talking about here is representing Catholic health care in a different mode given our current dioknox.org

government and the secularization of society and culture,” she said. “It’s going to look different than Catholic health care in the past, with the large hospitals. It goes back to the oldfashioned value of how you treat the patient and give them the best possible service required, treating each patient as if he or she were Christ himself.”

Because of changes in the East Tennessee health-care climate and the loss of St. Mary’s, the mobile clinic will have to partner with other providers, such as lab and diagnostic services, that may not be Catholic.

While the St. Luke Guild is particularly designed for Catholic healthcare professionals and will adhere to Catholic teachings on birth control, abortion, euthanasia and other medical issues, the services of the mobile clinic are for the entire community regardless of religious affiliation.

“This is for everybody. As Catholics, we’ve never limited our services to just our religion,” Sister Mariana said.

The urban areas of Chattanooga, Knoxville and the Tri-Cities are wellserved by health-care facilities, which is why Sister Mariana wants to focus on rural areas with limited or no access to health care. The mobile clinic will not be a repeat of Remote Area Medical’s efforts to deliver periodic health care to poverty-stricken areas around the country and world, including East Tennessee. Sister Mariana explained that the mobile clinic will deliver regular, consistent care to the underserved areas.

“We want to make a sustained impact on communities over time,” Sister Mariana said. “I think this is a piece of the future of health care. It gives us the flexibility to go where the needs are as opposed to a fixed

facility.”

She said federal health care reform, namely the Affordable Care Act, will not diminish the need for the mobile clinic. The need still will be there and should be met now, which is why Sister Mariana isn’t waiting for health-care reform to take place.

Despite the uncertainties of healthcare reform, Sister Mariana believes the timing couldn’t be better for the St. Luke Guild and the mobile clinic venture.

The Year of Faith presents an opportunity to put into practice what Pope Benedict XVI and Bishop Stika have been urging, she pointed out, noting that during this holy year Pope Benedict is calling for each Catholic to be a witness of charity and to intensify our own credible witness within our lives.

She cited the Apostolicam Actuositatem, the Decree on the Apostolate

of Lay People from the Second Vatican Council, that said, “Wherever there are people in need of food and drink, clothing, housing, medicine, employment, education; wherever men lack the facilities necessary for living a truly human life or are afflicted with serious distress or illness or suffer exile or imprisonment, there Christian charity should seek them out and find them, console them with great solicitude, and help them with appropriate relief. This obligation is imposed above all upon every prosperous nation and person.”

“How are we living our lives?” Sister Mariana asked. “This fulfills that mission. This binds us to the decree.

We have to do it. We need to do it.

The love of Christ should impel us to do it. It’s particularly relevant to our Christian calling and what Pope Benedict has asked of us in the Year of Faith.” n

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

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

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

ValLimar Jansen:

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

She speaks on prayer and worship.

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

Father Rafael Capó:

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

Father Robert Barron:

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

Sister Rosa Hernandez:

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

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

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

January 6, 2013 5

By Dan McWilliams

Knoxville Catholic High School has hired Steve Matthews, a former NFL player, as its new head football coach.

Mr. Matthews was introduced to the team Dec. 21.

“We are very excited to have Steve Matthews as our new coach,” said Knoxville Catholic principal Dickie Sompayrac. “Our search committee has been impressed with his passion for the game and his demonstrated ability to teach the game to young people.

“In addition to being a committed husband and father, Steve is a cradle Catholic who grew up going to Catholic schools and understands the importance of a quality education in a mission-driven environment.

Both of Steve’s parents attended the University of Notre Dame. We couldn’t be happier with the direction of our program.”

Mr. Matthews succeeds Scott Meadows at the helm of the Fighting Irish.

The new coach comes to KCHS from Siegel High School in Murfreesboro, where he has served as offensive coordinator since 2010. Siegel’s teams averaged 43 points per game during Mr. Matthews’ tenure there. Before that he was head coach at Moore County High School in Lynchburg.

Mr. Matthews served as quarterbacks coach at Tullahoma High School from 2005 to 2007. He also was a head coach in arena football for the Nashville Kats in 2002, the Memphis Xplorers in 2003, and the Albany Conquest in 2004.

He played five seasons in the National Football League, first for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1994 to 1997, then the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1997 and the Tennessee Oilers in 1998. Mr. Matthews played collegiately for the University of Tennessee from 1989 to 1991 and Memphis State University in 1992-93.

Mr. Matthews earned a bachelor of science degree in physical education from Middle Tennessee State University in 2000. n

6 January 6, 2013

Faculty, students set for Catholic Schools Week Tie-dye days and teacher-student competitions give flavor to celebration

C

atholic Schools Week activities will kick off in all diocesan schools on Jan. 27 for a week that annually celebrates the key role Catholic schools play in providing Christian-based education for students.

Catholic Schools Week, which began in 1974, is a joint project between the National Catholic Education Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Events held throughout the diocese, and in dioceses throughout the country, are planned to build community relationships and participation in Catholic school activities.

Schools in the diocese will kick off the week’s celebration with Masses on Sunday, Jan. 27. Students are encouraged to attend Mass with their family and friends.

“When I think of Catholic Schools Week, I see it as a special time for all Catholic school students and their families, along with all the faculty and staff, to showcase our faith in a bolder manner, take part in extra service projects and celebrate the excellent academics that are part of a Catholic education. It is a week to have fun, to be joyful and to celebrate being part of the greater universal Church,” said Sister Mary Marta Abbott, superintendent of Diocese of Knoxville schools.

The following are highlights of the many spirit-filled activities at diocesan schools Jan. 27-Feb. 2:

By Kara Lockmiller

COURTESY OF ST. JOHN NEUMANN SCHOOL

Former NFL player named football coach at KCHS

Service with a smile Students at St. John Neumann School in Farragut show hats collected by the school’s classes for young cancer patients at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Catholic Schools Week recognizes good works like the hat drive taking place by students and faculty at schools around the Diocese of Knoxville.

Chemistry Show. n Tie-Dye Shirt Day at Sacred Heart Cathedral School plus a collection for the sister school in Haiti. n Spiritual Pep Rally at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School.

Tuesday, Jan. 29 n Family dinner at the Irish Café at Knoxville Catholic and varsity home basketball games. n Vocations Day at St. Jude in Chattanooga and an all-school rosary.

Wednesday, Jan. 30 n Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrates Mass at St. Mary School in Johnson City. St. Dominic School in Kingsport will join for the Mass and stay for lunch at St. Mary. n At St. Joseph School, an Admissions Open House is set from 8-10:30 a.m. and 1-2:30 p.m. A cross-grade family group academic bowl also will be held. n Admissions Open House at Sacred

Schools continued on page 24

Sunday, Jan. 27 n All students are encouraged to attend Mass with family and friends. n St. Mary School in Oak Ridge will host an Admissions Open House from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. n St. Joseph School will hold an Admissions Open House from 2-4 p.m. Students will be present at Sunday Masses to thank parishioners for their support.

Monday, Jan. 28 n Science Day at St. John Neumann School featuring the Dr. Al Hazari UT The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

dioknox.org

Priestly lesson: sabbatical shows the journey never ends for Christ’s pilgrims Father David Boettner walks the faith on long sojourn toward greater spiritual understanding

The East Tennessee Catholic

DAN MCWILLIAMS

W

hen Father David Boettner, pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral, returned to Knoxville Nov. 19 from a four-month sabbatical, parishioners and Sacred Heart Cathedral School students gave him a rousing welcome home.

It was a fitting end to not only his studies in Rome but also to a spiritual journey where he walked some 600 miles over 33 days, a pilgrimage that took him from Lourdes, France, across the Pyrenees Mountains to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

When he began forming the sabbatical in 2010, he planned a pilgrimage that would challenge him physically and spiritually.

And while a 600-mile trip by foot would intimidate most people, he embraced the test.

In fact, it wasn’t a complete stretch for the priest who is in his 19th year of religious service to the Diocese of Knoxville. Father hBoettner is an experienced hiker who often walks the Appalachian Trail and other routes in the Great Smoky Mountains and Cherokee National Forest.

The idea of making a sabbatical came from spiritual direction and 4personal reflection on the gift of priesthood. Father Boettner said he felt a strong desire to engage in deep theological studies again as well as having the time for prayerful reflection.

“A sabbatical opportunity is a time to step out of the flow of your normal ministries and relook at the way you engage in ministry,” he said. “I wanted to update my theological studies in an intentional way.”

There were three parts to his plan: extended time for prayer and reflection; to study and read more deeply; and to do a solo pilgrimage in thanksgiving for the gift of his priesthood.

Welcome home Father David Boettner receives a warm welcome from students at Sacred Heart Cathedral School who were showing him the graffiti wall they made for him. Standing with Father Boettner are (from left) Kate Bosi, Skylar Fortich, Camille Hunt, Caiden Slater, Bentley Turbyville, Hayden Oliver, and Andrew Medlyn.

His studies would take him to the Institute for Continuing Theological Education based at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

Then there were three parts to the pilgrimage itself.

It began in Lourdes, France, on July 19, where he spent two days praying for the pilgrimage. He then traveled by train to St. Jean Pied de Port, France, at the foot of the Pyrenees, where his trek began.

“I knew that prayer was an essential part of preparing for the pilgrimage. Lourdes was the perfect place to pray and prepare for it,” Father Boettner explained.

And while he usually plans every detail of a trip, he intentionally left some steps unplanned as a way to walk closer with God. “I wanted to be more open and more serendipitous. The point of a pilgrimage is you have to let yourself be led. I wasn’t worried,” he said. “That was the theme of the whole sabbati-

cal. Trust in God and he will do everything for you. Even as unfamiliar as everything was, it wasn’t scary.”

Traveling by himself, carrying only a 20-pound backpack with provisions, he occasionally would walk with small groups making the same trek. Averaging about 20 miles a day, he would hike from daybreak to dusk, sleeping in hostels along the way.

“Everyday was full of wonder and of the amazing presence of God,” Father Boettner said.

“There was an overwhelming sense of gratitude. It was a journey of gratitude for everything God has put in my life.”

His pilgrimage concluded in Santiago de Compostela and Finisterre, Spain, on the country’s west coast. He flew from there to Rome on Sept. 4, where he began his studies in theology and Scripture at the Pontifical North American College.

Father Boettner studied Scripture under Father Craig Mor-

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

By Bill Brewer

rison, OCarm, and theology under Scripture scholar Scott Brodeur. Also, he studied biomedical ethics with Father Mark Attard, OCarm, and with the Congregation for the Causes of Saints under Monsignor Robert Sarno, who worked on the recent canonizations of Sts. Marianne Cope and Kateri Tekakwitha. He studied liturgy under Father Jim Moroney, rector of the St. John Seminary in Brighton, Mass.

“We had a wealth of experts in their field. Hopefully this makes me a better priest, a better pastor and a little smarter,” Father Boettner said, noting that his visits to France, Spain, Italy and a 10-day trip to the Holy Land, which was his first time there, are helping him understand the universality of the Church. “It has given me so much food for my ministry.”

Before he left Knoxville in July, Father Boettner developed a blog called Peregrinus (Latin for “pilgrim”) about his travels. He chronicled the pilgrimage daily, complete with photos taken with his Droid Incredible 2 smart phone. Pam Rhoades, Sacred Heart Cathedral School’s communications director, compiled Father Boettner ’s posts and photos and edited the blog.

Looking back on the past four months, Father Boettner describes the sabbatical as a “challenging experience” that tested him mentally, physically and spiritually. It was an experience he knows he can’t recreate.

“You can’t ever recapture a pilgrimage because you will be different next time you go,” he said, adding that he will reflect on the sabbatical experience for the rest of his life. “Pilgrims never stop being a pilgrim. They may not be on a trail, but they’re still a pilgrim.” n January 6, 2013 7

Diocesan pilgrimages to Ireland, Spain, Portugal set

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By Margaret Hunt

wo pilgrimages are being coordinated in 2013 for travelers from the Diocese of Knoxville.

Father Charlie Burton, pastor of St. Jude Church in Chattanooga, and Father Michael Cummins, director of the diocesan vocations office and chaplain at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, will be the spiritual directors for a 12-day pilgrimage to holy sites

in Ireland June 10-21, according to Sister Albertine Paulus, RSM, diocesan director of pilgrimages.

Sister Albertine said Monsignor Al Humbrecht, pastor of Holy Spirit Church in Soddy-Daisy, and Father Michael Nolan, pastor of St. Dominic Church in Kingsport, will lead a tour of Spain and Portugal Oct. 29 through Nov. 9. Daily Masses will be celebrated.

The itinerary planned for the

pilgrimage to Ireland includes two full days visiting sites in Dublin, including Trinity College to see the Book of Kells, the first House of Mercy and the tomb of Venerable Catherine McAuley, the founder of the Sisters of Mercy. Also, the ruins of St. Kevin Monastery which was founded sometime in the sixth century, and the gardens at Powerscourt will be visited.

Other sites include Cobh Heritage

Center, which tells the story of the 2 million-plus emigrants from Ireland, Blarney Castle, the Ring of Kerry, Glenstal Abbey, the Cliffs of Moher, Ballintubber Abbey where pilgrims to Croagh Patrick often begin their journey, the convent of the Benedictine Nuns of Ypres at Kylemore Abbey, the Irish National Museum of Country Life and St. Peter Church in Drogheda, the na-

Ordination continued from page 3

vestment I wear the deacon’s dalmatic reminding me of my unique relationship with our priests and deacons.

“So, Arthur, thank you for your willingness and desire to travel, as I said, from the mountains of Colombia to the mountains of Tennessee.

I pray that you might always see in this eastern part of Tennessee your family and your home, for we all welcome you with open arms and we pray that what the Lord has begun in you this day might be brought to fulfillment.”

Principal concelebrants at the Mass were Father David Boettner, a diocesan vicar general and moderator of the curia; Father Thomas Knoeble of Sacred Heart School of Theology; Father Michael Cummins, diocesan director of vocations; and Father Peter Iorio, pastor of St. Mary Church. Father Randy Stice, diocesan director of worship and liturgy, and Deacon Gary Brinkworth served as masters of ceremonies.

Deacon George Fredericks of St. Mary Church served as deacon of the Word.

The St. Mary Church choir, directed by Dolores Fredericks, led the music.

Deacon Barona, who is in his fourth year in the United States and in his second year at St. Mary Church, addressed St. Mary parishioners as the Mass concluded. He said he is excited to reach this point in his vocation.

“It’s what I’ve been waiting for.

It’s a great opportunity to configure myself with Christ in the service with his people and the parishioners of St. Mary,” he said.

He also thanked everyone who supported him in his vocation.

“Last night, Father Manuel [Pérez] said to me, ‘Your time has come.’ And the time has come to preach and do God’s work, and this

is the time for me to say thanks, Bishop Stika, for having me in the diocese—thanks to the diocese, thanks to priest brothers here and deacons, and also thanks to those who have supported me with your prayers and with your love also, but especially to this parish. It has adopted me as its son, and I thank you for that because I feel at home, and I told Father Peter, this is home.” n

to those who are in need of healing, to those who are in the journey of life, especially in those last moments of their lives. Also, you’ll be challenged, especially in a world this day that so often rejects people of faith, to exhort believers and nonbelievers, the lukewarm believers, and sometimes those cafeteria Catholics and people who are searching for truth in their lives.”

Deacon Barona’s formal education will continue at Sacred Heart School of Theology for a time, “when in reality, your formation continues for the rest of your life,” Bishop Stika said. “I can tell you that as you progress from this moment to the priesthood, your professors will be the people you are called to serve in parishes and institutions and wherever the bishop might choose to send you.”

The bishop invited the assembly to pray for Deacon Barona and “all those who live in holy orders, for the priests and the bishops and the deacons who at one moment in their lives responded to the Lord, maybe a bit mystified, but responded to the Lord to be of service to you the people of God.” Bishop Stika said “it is a privilege to be able to once again celebrate this ordination of a deacon.

“This is one of those days that we celebrate the fullness of priesthood.

For as a priest and as a bishop, I still am a deacon, and under this

8 January 6, 2013

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

Tours continued on page 9

dioknox.org

Building a ministry on East Tennessee’s waters — one boat at a time Father Joe Campbell spreading God’s word through his unique marine Masses on Norris Lake

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Tours continued from page 8

tional shrine to St. Oliver Plunkett, who was martyred at Tyburn in 1681.

At least 20 people have made reservations for the pilgrimage to Ireland, Sister Albertine said, and she hopes that at least 30 will ultimately take advantage of the opportunity. The standard base price of the pilgrimage is $3,398, which includes economy-class airfare from Atlanta, accommodations in Superior Tourist Class hotels The East Tennessee Catholic

at the dock near where Mass will be held. Father Campbell then leads them from his pontoon boat to a cove, where the boats tie up together.

Father Campbell’s boat is in the middle, with parishioners’ boats tied together around his. Father Campbell explained that during Holy Communion the body of Christ is the only species offered and that Eucharistic ministers are present to help distribute Communion. The Masses include music, and afterward the participants share in a meal.

And what was the origin of the

boat Mass?

Father Campbell said when he was the associate pastor at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut serving with the pastor, Father John Dowling, a women’s club made up of parishioners living in the lake communities of Rarity Bay and Tellico Village asked if a marine Mass could possibly be celebrated.

Fathers Dowling and Campbell obliged, and when Father Campbell was named pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Christ the King, he brought the idea with him. He

has expanded his ministry to include blessings of the fleet.

“In summer, the parish almost triples in size, with people from Ohio who come down to play on the lake.

Many of them own houses and condos. It just seemed like the natural thing to do,” Father Campbell said.

Father Campbell’s marine Mass celebrations come naturally to him.

He grew up around the water because his father owned a tackle shop and a charter boat business in Florida.

Father Campbell’s second and last marine event for 2012 was Oct. 27.

However, cool, windy weather forced him to shift from a boat Mass to a dock Mass at Flat Hollow Marina and Resort near Speedwell. He also has held the Masses at Springs Dock Resort near LaFollette.

Before the Oct. 27 Mass, Father Campbell took several Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich., on a boat ride around Norris Lake.

Despite the cool, windy weather, Father Campbell said a boat Mass has never been canceled due to weather. And he’s already looking forward to boat Masses next season and the foreseeable future.

“We have had 25 to 30 boat Masses and we’ve never had rain. I take that as a sign that God likes it,” Father Campbell said. n

with private facilities, sightseeing, and meals. Fees excluded from the price are for airport taxes, tips, fuel surcharges, and an optional Travel Protection Plan. To register, contact Sister Albertine for a brochure and registration form, and submit the form to her with a check for $400 payable to Catholic Travel Centre.

The itinerary for the pilgrimage to Spain and Portugal has just been finalized and registration will soon be open according to Sister Albertine. Accompanying the

group as spiritual directors will be Monsignor Humbrecht, who has traveled the area many times and completed the entire Camino de Santiago, and Father Nolan. The tour will include visits to Madrid, the Valle de Los Caidos, Segovia and the sepulcher of St. John of the Cross, Avila and the Monastery of the Incarnation, where St. Teresa spent many years of her life, and the shrine and cathedral at Santiago de Compostela, which contains the sarcophagus of St. James and

other statues and religious treasures. Other stops include the Bom Jesus do Monte Shrine in Portugal, a visit to the shrine at Fatima, and Santo Da Se, the site where St. Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of Portugal, was born. Cost of the pilgrimage and travel details will be announced soon.

For more information on both pilgrimages or to request registration materials, contact Sister Albertine at 865-545-8270, 865-207-4742, or smaevang@yahoo.com. n

SISTER MARY MARTA ABBOTT

ater is inspirational for Father Joe Campbell. He is quick to point out that Jesus often involved water in his teachings.

As the pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in LaFollette and Christ the King Church in Tazewell, Father Campbell has found a way 9 to include nearby Norris Lake in a unique ministry that reaches parishioners at his churches and seasonal residents from out of state who spend their summers on the lake.

Father Campbell’s annual boat Masses are growing in popularity, with participation increasing each year as more Catholics in his neck of the woods hear about them.

He considers it part of his ministry.

“Jesus preached from boats all the time,” Father Campbell said. “And they really love it, especially the seasonal people because they come down on weekends and can spend more time on the lake. We get people to attend who generally don’t come to Mass. They hear about it and they come and join up.”

According to Father Campbell, 22 boats with about 130 people participate in the marine Masses on average.

The first marine Mass of the season typically is on Father’s Day weekend, according to Father Campbell, who said a number of boaters will arrive

By Bill Brewer

Marine ministry Father Joe Campbell navigates his boat on Norris Lake near Speedwell Oct. 27 as (from left) Sisters Mary Sarah Macht, RSM, Mary Timothea Elliott, RSM, and Mary Christine Cremin, RSM, enjoy the ride. Father Campbell showed the Sisters Norris Lake just before celebrating Mass on the dock at Flat Hollow Marina and Resort.

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

January 6, 2013 9

Diocesan calendar

by Margaret Hunt Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga is sponsoring a trip to the March for Life in Washington, D.C., Jan. 24-27. The cost is $140 per person and includes a night in a hotel, bus transportation, five meals, and a weekend Metro pass. The final payment for the trip is due Thursday, Jan. 10. Register through the NDHS school office at 423-6244618, extension 1000, or contact Alicia Bradshaw, youth minister at St. Jude Church, at 870-2386.

Bishop Richard F. Stika will preside at three Masses to celebrate the sacrament of marriage in the diocese in 2013. The first Mass will take place at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge on Saturday, Jan. 26; the second will be at St. Mary Church in Athens on Saturday, Feb. 9; and the third will be at St. Patrick Church in Morristown on Saturday, March 9. All of the Masses will begin at 11 a.m. and will be followed by a reception. Register in advance to receive a certificate and to be photographed with Bishop Stika. Contact Karen Byrne at 865-584-3307 or kbyrne@dioknox.org to register.

Dr. Cormac O’Duffy, director of worship for St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City, is recruiting choir members to perform his oratorio, “The Kingdom of God,” in honor of the 25th anniversary of Diocese of Knoxville. Three concerts will be performed in the diocese: in Johnson City on Nov. 24, in Chattanooga on March 2, 2014, and in Knoxville. The final concert in Knoxville will be on Pentecost Sunday in 2014 and will involve a 100-piece choir with symphony orchestra. Rehearsals for this concert will not happen until January 2014. Notice of rehearsals for these concerts will be given in The East Tennessee Catholic. The choir will also provide the music at the closing Mass of the Eucharistic Congress scheduled for Sept. 14, 2013. The first rehearsal is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15, at St. John Neumann Church in Far-

10 January 6, 2013

ragut. For more information, contact Dr. O’Duffy at Cormac@stthomaslc.com, or 865-986-9885, extension 17.

The diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry is planning to participate in World Youth Day 2013, scheduled for July 21-29 in Rio de Janiero. The highlights of the event include a chance to see the Christ the Redeemer statue and pray at the chapel beneath the statue, the opening ceremonies at Copacabana Beach, catechesis sessions, a festival, and a closing Mass with Pope Benedict XVI at the Santa Cruz Military Air Field. The cost for the trip is $3,859 per person and includes seven nights in a three-star hotel, round-trip airfare from Knoxville to Rio, daily buffet breakfasts, and lunch and dinner. Fees not included are the World Youth Day registration (approximately $300), visa and passport, and single-room accommodations, which will be $650 extra. Contact Al Forsythe at 865-862-5754 or aforsythe@dioknox.org for more information or call Lucille, travel agent for Regina Tours, at 800-465-9248, extension 208.

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

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

The Father McRedmond Council 3175 at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge along with the parish Respect Life ministry will host the seminar “Evangelizing

Death: The Mystery of Suffering and End of Life Decisions” following the 5:30 p.m. Mass on Saturday, Jan. 12, in Columbus Hall. Sister Mariana Koonce, RSM, MD, director of the newly formed Office of Health Ministry, and Paul Simoneau, director of the diocesan Office of Justice and Peace, will reflect on Church teaching regarding the salvific meaning of human suffering, care for the seriously ill, and end-of-life issues. Dinner will be a potluck. Contact the parish office for more information at 865-482-2875.

The 2013 Ladies of Charity of Knoxville Golf Tournament is set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, May 3, at Egwani Farms Golf Course in Rockford. For more information, contact Joe Fuhr at 865-693-1810 or jfuhr4221@aol.com.

The Knoxville Irish Step Dancers will be starting an eight-week class in January at the Knoxville Arts & Fine Crafts Center. The KISD is a satellite school of the Nashville Irish Step Dancers organization. Call Caroline McLeod at 865-236-0491 or visit the website www.knoxvilleirishstep​dancers.com for more information.

Father Charlie Burton and Father Michael Cummins will lead a 12-day pilgrimage to Ireland from June 10-21, 2013. The itinerary includes stops in Dublin, Cork, Killarney, Adare, Ennis, Connemara, and Galway. The standard cost per person is $3,398 or a cash discount price of $3,199. The price includes economyclass airfare from Atlanta, accommodations in superior tourist-class hotels, meals, taxes, tips, and security fees.

Contact Sister Albertine Paulus, RSM, for more information at 865-545-8270, 207-4742, or smaevang@yahoo.com.

The National Catholic Youth Choir is seeking high school singers to audition for the 2013 camp and multi-state concert tour held at St. John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minn., June 17-July 2. The choir is led by Dr. Axel Theimer and founding director Father Anthony Ruff, OSB. View a video of the 2012 choir on its website. Apply online at

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

www.CatholicYouthChoir.org. Applications and auditions are due March 18.

Call 320-363-3154 or e-mail dkantor@ csbsju.edu for more information.

The next Marriage Encounter weekend in the diocese is scheduled for Feb. 8-10 in Gatlinburg. For more information, contact John or Anne Wharton at 423-581-1815 or acw193@bellsouth. net, or visit www.loveinthesmokies.org or wwme.org.

The next Engaged Encounter will be held the weekend of Feb. 1-3 at the Doubletree Inn in Oak Ridge.

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

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

The St. Thomas the Apostle Ukrainian Catholic Mission celebrates Divine Liturgy at 10 a.m. Sundays now in a new location: the lower level of Holy Cross Anglican Church, 515 Herron Road, Knoxville, TN 37934. All services are in English. Call Father Richard Armstrong at 865-584-3307 or visit www.saint thomas-knoxville.org for details.

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

Chattanooga Deanery calendar Preparations are being made for the annual Chatti Gras fundraiser for Chattanooga-area Catholic schools. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Chattanooga Trade and Convention Center. Dinner, music, dancing, and a silent auction are planned for the Mardi

Parish notes: Chattanooga Deanery

Gras–themed evening. Tickets are now on sale at Chattigras.com or in the Notre Dame, OLPH, and St. Jude school offices for $75. Contact Cissy West at cwest@ catholicweb.com or 423-622-1481 to donate auction items or to obtain more information. n

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Chattanooga The prison ministry at OLPH is collecting soft-cover Catholic Bibles to donate to the Hamilton County Jail, Silverdale Detention Center and Walker State Prison.

Bibles in English and in Spanish are needed. A collection box will be available in Holy Family Hall.

St. Augustine, Signal Mountain The parish collected flour and sugar to support the Signal Mountain Social Services Christmas Basket Project. Volunteers also packed and delivered baskets to participants in the program.

St. Jude, Chattanooga Parishioners contributed $3,421 in recent collections for Hurricane Sandy relief.

St. Stephen, Chattanooga

COURTESY OF CAROL BIRD

Newcomers: Nick, Carlye, and Emily Lunardini; Janet Mingo

COURTESY OF PAULA REILAND

St. Augustine Parish breaks ground On Dec. 2, St. Augustine Parish held a blessing and groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of its new religious-education wing. The new building is expected to be completed by summer. Father Joseph Kuzhupil led the ceremony, assisted

by Deacon Gordon Kilburn. From left are altar servers John Carlson and Grace Carlson, Deacon Kilburn, Father Kuzhupil, altar server Janie Kennedy (representing elementary grades in the Parish School of Religious Education), parish-council representative Brian Dowling, finance-committee chairman Pat St. Charles, Davis Kelly (representing junior high grades in the Parish School of Religious Ed), director of religious education Carol Bird, and Jess Vargo (representing high school grades in the Parish School of Religious Ed).

The East Tennessee Catholic

Brunch welcomes new parishioners at St. Stephen St. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga held a New Parishioner Welcome Brunch on Nov. 11.

The event is held twice a year.

Pictured are (from left) Judie Merritt, Ed Merritt, and Henry Tipton. In the past year more than 80 families have joined St. Stephen Parish.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Cleveland The parish held a “Prepare Your Heart” potluck dinner and Advent reflection Nov. 28.

The 26th annual Three Kings Feast took place Dec. 8. More than 800 less-fortunate community members began waiting in line at 5:30 a.m. for this luncheon event. All received a meal, and each of the 300 families received a new blanket and the 500 children each received an age-appropriate toy. More than 150 parish volunteers served and ensured that all had a festive afternoon, which included caroling and a visit from Santa Claus.

“Bedtime With St. Nicholas,” sponsored by the Women of Faith, was held Dec. 9.

A total of 115 people, including 53 children—some dressed in their pajamas—enjoyed stories and cookies and milk provided by parishioners.

The parish celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe with a Mass on Dec. 12, followed by an evening procession, a rosary and a bilingual Mass. A reception with food and traditional folk dancing brought more than 500 parishioners and community members together to celebrate the feast day. Father Albert Sescon participated in one of the folk dances.

A spring fashion show, boutique and luncheon is set for Saturday, Feb. 9, in the parish center. Ticket information will be available in mid-January; call the church office at 423-476-8123. n

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

January 6, 2013 11

Parish notes: Cumberland Mountain Deanery All Saints, Knoxville The social-action committee thanked members of All Saints Parish for their generosity during the 2011-12 fiscal year. The parish raised more than $51,400 for a variety of social causes during the year including the Giving Tree, the Catholic Charities Baby Bottle Collection and the back-to-school collection for residents of Columbus Home, Pathways and Noah’s Ark Foster Care. In addition, the parish donated more than 2,000 pounds of food during the Ladies of Charity Lenten Food Drive and 3,500 pounds of food to the Crazy Quilt food bank.

The Council of Catholic Women is starting a prayer blanket ministry at the parish.

All craft materials will be provided by the CCW. Contact Anna Cochran at 865285-9942 to volunteer.

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade The Council of Catholic Women will meet after the 8 a.m. Mass on Wednesday, Jan. 9. Vanessa Petty from Habitat for Humanity will be the speaker.

At all Masses the weekend of Jan. 19 and 20, the parish will celebrate respect for life and Christian unity.

Anniversaries: Mike and Ethy Wilhelmi (66), Ed and Angela Crowley (58), Tom and Carol Hayden (57), Joseph and Shirley King (51)

St. Mary, Oak Ridge St. Mary Church won the Silver Sneaker Award for the second year in a row at the Walk for Life sponsored by Choices Resource Center, a local pregnancy-help agency. The parish raised $12,643.75 this year.

The St. Mary School Gingerbread Club donated several gingerbread houses to the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital Fantasy of Trees fundraiser that was held over the Thanksgiving weekend. One of the houses won second place in the amateur category.

St. Therese, Clinton The St. Therese social-action committee collected “Coats for the Cold” during December.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be available from 9 a.m. to noon Thursdays in the church. n

12 January 6, 2013

SARA CAREY

Blessed Sacrament, Harriman

Crossville youth enter float in parade The youth ministry at St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville entered a float in the annual Crossville Christmas Parade on Dec. 8. Students and parishioners began building the float in October. The float was an expression of their Catholic faith and life, showing that education, prayer, and hard work (bottom) lead to future service (top). Youth minister Pauline O’Keeffe organized the event, and Charlie Spadaro designed the float and directed the workers.

Four parishioners trained in Stephen Ministry

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our members of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade were among 381 participants at a Stephen Series Leadership Training Course held recently in Pittsburgh.

Deacon Keith Farber, Patty Johnson, Deacon Mark White, and Eileen White attended the one-week training event hosted by the St. Louis–based Stephen Ministries organization. Participants came from across the United States and Canada to learn how to implement

and direct Stephen Ministry, a system of Christian care-giving in their congregations.

Stephen Ministry gives St. Francis of Assisi an effective way to train and organize parishioners to provide one-to-one Christian care to individuals struggling with a crisis such as grief, divorce, loneliness, relocation, hospitalization, a terminal illness, or unemployment. The need for this type of care greatly exceeds what a pastor alone can provide. n

Glade parishioners celebrate 50th anniversary

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atrick and Sara Tripiciano of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Sept. 1.

They were married at Holy Trinity Church in Louisville, Ky., with Monsignor Charles Boldrich officiating.

Their four children are Tricia Roh of Neenah, Wis.; Paula Kelly of Mooresville, N.C.; Laura Tripiciano The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

of St. Cloud, Minn.; and Monica Burrous of Lafayette, Colo. The Tripicianos have eight grandchildren.

Mr. Tripiciano retired from the Eastman Kodak Co. in Rochester, N.Y., Los Angeles, and Oak Brook, Ill., and they moved to the Glade in 1997.

The couple celebrated their anniversary with family in July and traveled to Italy in September. n dioknox.org

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

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

Parish notes: Five Rivers Deanery

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

Holy Trinity, Jefferson City The parish Knights of Columbus coordinated a fundraising drive for Heifer International, an organization that donates livestock and provides training to help poor families to become more self-sufficient and provide a means of income for themselves.

Anniversaries: William and Josephine Hyslop (55), Raymond and Helen La Shier (53), Raymond and Janie Mussio (40), Tom and Mary Malafronte (40), John and Rose Left (25), Ken and Raisa Symington (10)

Notre Dame, Greeneville

COURTESY OF RUTHANN RANKER

The high school youth ministry filled 35 quart-sized bags with toiletry items and one large box with family-size products for the Opportunity House, a thrift store and homeless shelter in Greeneville.

Father Nolan celebrates 25th anniversary Father Mike Nolan, pastor of St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport, celebrated his 25th anniversary of priestly ordination Nov. 30 at St. Dominic. Bishop Richard F. Stika and priests from throughout the diocese attended the anniversary Mass and banquet. Father Nolan was ordained a priest Nov. 27, 1987, by Bishop James D. Niedergeses at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Chattanooga.

Preskes mark 50th anniversary on Thanksgiving

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The East Tennessee Catholic

The parish congratulated Deacon Bob Lange on the 11th anniversary of his ordination to the diaconate Dec. 1.

St. Dominic parishioners purchased gifts for residents of the Kingsport Housing Authority as part of the community-wide Angel Tree drive. More than 700 children received gifts this year that were donated through the program.

Parishioners were thanked for the 100 percent return rate of Angel Tree gifts. Children and parents from St. Dominic School delivered the gifts and also made and brought cookies to the party for the recipients of the gifts.

St. Mary, Johnson City The parish St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry prepared Christmas baskets for needy members of the Johnson City area. Each basket included either a turkey or a ham and a variety of nonperishable food items.

St. Michael the Archangel, Erwin The parish Knights of Columbus held a food drive to benefit the Unicoi County Food Bank during December.

St. Patrick, Morristown St. Patrick Church hosted a gingerbread house contest and auction Dec. 6 to benefit the Friends of Hospice Serenity House in Morristown.

Anniversary: Francis and Kathleen Dubey (54) n COURTESY OF JO ANN PRESKE

eacon Otto and Jo Ann (Koressel) Preske celebrated 50 years of marriage on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22.

The Preskes were married Nov. 22, 1962, in a wedding officiated by Deacon Preske’s uncle, Father Bede Stocker, OSB, in Evansville, Ind. They have one son, Erik, and two grandchildren.

The Preskes have lived in Gatlinburg for the last 36 years, where Deacon Preske has a woodcarving shop in the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community. Deacon and Mrs. Preske are members of Good Shepherd Parish in Newport. Deacon Preske also celebrated 27 years as a deacon on Nov. 30. n

St. Dominic, Kingsport

Jo Ann and Deacon Otto Preske The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

January 6, 2013 13

Smoky Mountain Deanery calendar

Parish notes: Smoky Mountain Deanery

A Seekers of Silence Contemplative Saturday Morning will be held Jan. 12 at Blessed John XXIII Catholic Center in Knoxville. Joy Gaertner will speak on the topic “Apprenticeship with Jesus:

Blessed John XXIII Catholic Center, Knoxville Parishioners donated gifts for adults with developmental disabilities through their Advent tree program.

Holy Ghost, Knoxville

Farewell dinner for Father Schriver Holy Family Parish said goodbye to pastor Father Ragan Schriver on Nov. 11 at a potluck dinner. Father Schriver, also the executive director of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, had divided his ministry between CCET and Holy Family since becoming pastor of the Seymour parish in 2009. Effective Nov. 15, Father Schriver returned to CCET full time.

Members of Holy Ghost Church have established a small library for residents at the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Service Center. The parish has also provided treats for special events and holidays during the year.

A prayer-shawl ministry to provide comfort to those who are ill or who have lost a loved one has been started at Holy Ghost. Contact the parish office for more information at 865-522-2205.

The parish collected mittens, hats, gloves, scarves and stuffed animals during Advent for clients in the Juvenile Court system.

The annual parish ministry-appreciation brunch will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 6 at the Southern Depot in Knoxville. Adults who have participated in the various ministries in the parish are invited to attend. Contact the parish office for more information at 865-522-1508.

COURTESY OF LOUISE DE LUCIA

A facilitator is needed to present the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University program during winter 2013. Candidates must have completed the program and practice the debt-reduction principles espoused by the method. Contact Carol Lougheed at 660-4108 for more information.

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville

A 30-Day Experience Working with the 12-Steps Program.” Coffee and tea will be served at 8:30 a.m.; the workshop will run from 9 a.m. to noon. Bring a bag lunch. RSVP at 865-523-7931. n

Anniversary: Matt and Freeda Ryan (25)

Sacred Heart, Knoxville A 10-week Financial Peace University class will begin meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 3 in the Shea Room in the parish office building. The cost of the course is $100. To register or to obtain more information, contact Tom Shannon at tshannon@utk.edu or 865-690-7396.

St. Albert the Great, Knoxville

St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville The parish fulfilled the gift requests of 50 people through their Christmas Tree Angel drive. The parish also participated in “Christmas for Kids,” sponsored by the Monroe County Boys and Girls Club, and provided gifts for 24 club members. n

14 January 6, 2013

COURTESY OF MARY WILLIAMS

Father Chris Michelson thanked parishioners for their donations to the Haiti fund.

More than $3,900 was collected for the people of Haiti during the Thanksgiving weekend.

Blessing of the animals at Gatlinburg parish St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg, with pastor Father Joe Brando presiding, had a blessing of the animals on Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Following the blessing, parishioners and visitors enjoyed a covered-dish dinner.

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

dioknox.org

Catholic schools

Knoxville Catholic infielder signs with MTSU

COURTESY OF ADAM SULLIVAN

K

Aaron Aucker

KCHS record for single-season hits and was the team leader in batting average, runs scored, triples, and sto-

len bases. Aaron was selected to the All-District 4-AAA team, All-Region 2 team, and Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association team. He was also Calhoun’s Tennessee Athlete of the Week.

Aaron hit .452 as a junior with six triples, two home runs, and an on-base percentage of .527. He also scored 32 runs and stole 22 bases.

He will have two teammates join him in playing collegiate baseball.

“The program has been very consistent in turning out good players,” said Mr. Sullivan. “Aaron will be the fourth Division I signee from the program in the past four years and the 13th player to go on to play college baseball in the last eight years.

Aaron’s senior teammates, Hunter Hayes and Mason Sawicki, will also play college baseball but will make their decisions in the spring.”

Aaron and his family are members of St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut. n

COURTESY OF CISSY WEST

noxville Catholic High School senior shortstop Aaron Aucker signed with Middle Tennessee State University during the early signing period in November.

“We are extremely excited for Aaron and his family,” said KCHS baseball head coach Adam Sullivan.

“MTSU has a tremendous program, and they are getting a tremendous player. Aaron has been a four-year starter for us and has so many tools that will translate to success in the college game. When he came in as a freshman, his goal was to play college baseball, and he has paid the price through hard work, time, and effort to achieve that goal.

“We look forward to seeing Aaron represent the school, the program, and his family as he plays at the next level.”

Aaron has been a starting middle infielder for Knoxville Catholic since his freshman year. He holds the

The East Tennessee Catholic

Snowflakes for Sandy Hook school Emilia Jones, who is the mother of an Our Lady of Perpetual Help second-grade student, informed OLPH that the Sandy Hook, Conn., PTA is working to make the school there look like a winter wonderland by Jan. 12.

St. Mary School in Bethel, Conn., where Mrs. Jones attended school, is asking children to make snowflakes in all colors and designs to be a part of the display. Students throughout OLPH School are participating. Pictured are (from left) second-grade students Savina Rose Jones, Sean Greene, Tristan Mroz, and Gigi Sompayrac and eighth-graders Emalyn San Miguel and Meghan Greene.

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

Sacred Heart science teacher Amy Gilliland receives fellowship Sacred Heart Cathedral School middle school science teacher Amy Gilliland has been selected for a fellowship program in the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) “New Science Teacher Academy.”

Mrs. Gilliland is one of only 245 teachers across the nation to be accepted into the program. She will participate in a yearlong professional development program designed to help promote quality science teaching and classroom excellence.

The 2012 fellows were selected on the basis of several criteria, including showing evidence of a solid science background and displaying a strong interest in growing as a professional science educator. Each fellow will receive a comprehensive NSTA membership package, online mentoring, web-based professional development, and financial support to attend the NSTA’s 2013 National Conference on Science Education in San Antonio.

The National Science Teachers Association promotes excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning. For more information, visit www.nsta.org/academy. n

January 6, 2013 15

Catholic youth

Knoxville TV station honors St. Joseph pre-K teacher

KCHS grad named soccer All-American

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noxville Catholic High School graduate Tim Baker, now a freshman at Lee University, was recently named a High School All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Mr. Baker was one of only 78 players nationally recognized. The midfielder was the Gatorade State Player of the Year in 2012 and the Knoxville News Sentinel PrepXtra Player of the

Pre-kindergarten teacher Kristi Hale of St. Joseph School was named a winner of WBIR-TV’s Educator of the Week honor.

Her interview will air on the WBIR evening news Monday, Jan. 14.

“It is a humbling honor to be recognized for the work I do for God and his children,” said Mrs. Hale. “I am one of many teachers here at St. Joseph School using the gifts and talents from God to serve and glorify him each day. It feels wonderful to be the first pre-K teacher to be recognized by the WBIR Educator of the Week.”

According to the WBIR website, “Each week WBIR will profile a teacher in East Tennessee and acknowledge their part in the advancement of the education of their students and the contributions to their profession.” n

Year after scoring 29 goals and recording 16 assists. Mr. Baker was the District 4-AAA MVP and helped lead the Fighting Irish to a regular-season district title.

He also made the NSCAA’s allregion team for the South Regional.

Mr. Baker was the first KCHS Gatorade boys soccer player of the year and the third athlete overall from the school to win the honor. n

Tim Baker

Logan Qualey received his Light of Christ Scouting medal in a ceremony at the noon Mass on Oct. 28 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Chattanooga.

On hand for the presentation were OLPH pastor Father Jim Vick, Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting vice chairman Bernard Coombes, and Elizabeth Qualey, Logan’s mother. n

16 January 6, 2013

COURTESY OF MICHELLE DOUGHERTY

Logan receives his Light of Christ award

St. John Neumann students donate canned goods, money to LaFollette On Nov. 20, the middle school leadership council from St. John Neumann School in Farragut delivered more than 1,362 canned goods and $1,453 to Father Joe Campbell and Food Life Services of Campbell County in LaFollette. Father Campbell is pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in LaFollette. The food drive is an annual labor of love for the K-8 school. Donations were collected at school, at a home basketball game, and through the annual first-grade math-a-thon. The leadership council not only delivered the donations but also helped distribute the goods as well. Pictured are members of the leadership council, teachers, and parent volunteers with Father Campbell. In front are (from left) teacher Sister Angela Nikwobazeirwe, Vanessa Belanger, Lauren McKenzie, Nathan Geist, Nathan Viar, Laura Flammang, Sara Myers, and Kamila Cieslik. With Father Campbell in back are (from left) parent volunteer Tanya Bellanger, teacher Ann Simoneau, Matthew Carson, teacher Karen Adams, and parent volunteer Angie Flammang.

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

dioknox.org

St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation awards $625,000 in grants to organizations

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By John Deinhart

ust over a year into its existence, the St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation of East Tennessee already is making a dramatic impact.

The foundation was formed in November 2011 to continue providing support for the ministry begun by the Sisters of Mercy with the opening of St. Mary’s Hospital in 1930. The foundation initially was made possible with funds provided through the sale of Mercy Health Partners to Health Management Associates in October 2011.

In keeping with the mission of the Sisters of Mercy and their founder, Mother Catherine McAuley, the St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation provides direct support for charity, health care and education through Catholic organizations serving those in need in East Tennessee.

While funded through Catholic organizations, the grants will ultimately serve people of all faiths.

“As part of our Christian identity, our faith calls us to attend to the needs of our entire community regardless of religious affiliation. The majority of these dollars will actually serve non-Catholics” Bishop Richard F. Stika said.

Following an extensive grant review process and board of directors recommendation, the foundation’s members met in late November and awarded more than $625,000 in grants in support of a dozen initiatives. The grants were broken down into areas supporting education, charity and health-care initiatives.

Among the agencies receiving -grant awards were Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, the Ladies of Charity, the Catholic Education Trust Fund, and the Alexian Brothers Senior Neighbors, a health The East Tennessee Catholic

and wellness program for seniors in Chattanooga. Grants also were also awarded to several more rural Catholic parishes, St. Anthony of Padua in Mountain City, Good Shepherd in Newport, and Blessed John Paul II in Rutledge, to initiate and expand community charity outreach through food pantries and a Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Among the most noteworthy awards was a grant to initiate the diocesan Office of Health Services, headed by Sister Mariana Koonce, RSM, a family practice physician. The office, now beginning to take shape, seeks to extend the work of the Sisters of Mercy by continuing the ministry of healing and corporal and spiritual care to the needy throughout East Tennessee (more can be found on the Office of Health Services website at www.dioknox.org/ office-of-health-services).

“As a Sister of Mercy and a spiritual daughter of Mother Catherine McAuley, I am profoundly grateful to the St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation for this grant to continue the works of mercy directed toward health care for the poor of East Tennessee. This grant will truly allow the legacy of St. Mary’s hospital to shape future health care initiatives in our diocese,” Sister Mariana said.

While grants will continue to be awarded to Catholic institutions, the services those agencies provide are not limited to serving only Catholics. In fact, as in the case of nearly all the grant recipients, including Catholic Charities, Ladies of Charity, various food pantry initiatives and even the Office of Health Services, the vast majority of all clients served are not Catholic. n

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

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

January 6, 2013 17

Living the readings

Weekday Readings Tuesday, Jan. 1: Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 67:23, 5-6, 8; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21 Wednesday, Jan. 2: 1 John 2:22-28; Psalm 98:1-4; John 1:19-28 Thursday, Jan. 3: 1 John 2:29–3:6; Psalm 98:1, 3-6; John 1:29-34 Friday, Jan. 4: 1 John 3:7-10; Psalm 98:1, 7-9; John 1:35-42 Saturday, Jan. 5: 1 John 3:1121; Psalm 100:1-5; John 1:43-51 Sunday, Jan. 6: Solemnity, the Epiphany of the Lord, Isaiah 60:16; Psalm 72:2, 7-8, 10-13; Ephesians 3:2-3, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12 Monday, Jan. 7: 1 John 3:22– 4:6; Psalm 2:7-8, 10-12; Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25 Tuesday, Jan. 8: 1 John 4:7-10; Psalm 72:1-4, 7-8; Mark 6:34-44 Wednesday, Jan. 9: 1 John 4:11-18; Psalm 72:1-2, 10, 1213; Mark 6:45-52 Thursday, Jan. 10: 1 John 4:19–5:4; Psalm 72:1-2, 14-15, 17; Luke 4:14-22 Friday, Jan. 11: 1 John 5:5-13; Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20; Luke 5:12-16 Saturday, Jan. 12: 1 John 5:14-21; Psalm 149:1-6, 9; John 3:22-30 Sunday, Jan. 13: Feast, the Baptism of the Lord, Isaiah 42:14, 6-7; Psalm 29:1-4, 9-10; Acts 10:34-38; Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 Monday, Jan. 14: Hebrews 1:16; Psalm 97:1-2, 6-7, 9; Mark 1:14-20 Tuesday, Jan. 15: Hebrews 2:512; Psalm 8:2, 5-9; Mark 1:21-28 Wednesday, Jan. 16: Hebrews 2:14-18; Psalm 105:1-4, 6-9; Mark 1:29-39 Thursday, Jan. 17: Hebrews 3:7-14; Psalm 95:6-11; Mark 1:40-45 Readings continued on page 19

18 January 6, 2013

by Father Joseph Brando

The Light has come

Jesus shines the light on himself as the giver of freedom

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dvent is over; Christmas has come; and, significantly, the Light that was promised is already shining upon us. The fact that the first day of the year is always the Octave Day of Christmas is not by accident. We begin our new year on the day we redouble our Christmas joy for a purpose. It is a message to everyone that the Light who was born into our world on Christmas lights up our existence for the entire new year.

Looking at the Sunday liturgies for January from this point of view we can discern a different aspect of shining light in the Scripture readings of each Sunday. Originating from pure light we can see diffused blessing, radiance, vision, joy, and freedom. Each of these five attributes is a direct result of Christmas light. Each gives us a reason for celebrating the afterglow of Christ’s birth well into the New Year until we start preparing for the Lord’s Passion, death and resurrection when Lent comes in February.

The first day of January is always the Octave (eighth day) of Christmas. Yes, Christmas is not a 24-hour feast. It continues through New Year’s Day, when the joy grows into a spirit that could last until next Christmas. That is our desire as we begin the Liturgy of the Word with the Blessing of Aaron, “May the Lord bless you and keep you! May his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! May the Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!”

Notice this blessing presumes that a very special light is shining allowing us to see God’s gracious face and to be seen by God. That special light is named in the second reading from Paul’s Letter to

the Galatians. It comes from the birth of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and makes us adopted children of God and, therefore, heirs of the Kingdom. That light is the glow of heaven. We are to live, beginning with our baptism, knowing God is our Father and heaven is our home.

We now come to realize the attitude we should adopt for this day and the entire year. It is nothing less than the attitude Luke tells us the shepherds carried with them as they were returning to their flocks after being with Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the angels at the manger in Bethlehem. “They returned, glorifying God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.”

Let’s analyze that last quote from the Gospel. It is, actually, the essence of how to live the Christian life. First, we are to return. That is, we are to live in the real world and be relevant to it. Next, we are to live in that real world with glory in our hearts. We are to be the light of the world. We become witnesses of what we have seen and heard from God. The way we live and speak should indicate that the Scriptures are true and what they promise has already come true for us. That’s all we need to do, namely become a blessing of the Lord lighting up the world for all who get to know us.

The first Sunday of the New Year is Epiphany, the feast of radiance. God is light and shines on everyone who dwells on the face of the earth. Our function on earth is to radiate the light of Christ to the whole world. With the world getting smaller, that task is getting easier. The light we have is a Christmas present from God. What we do with it is our gift to God. What he wants of us is to have “na-

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

tions walk by our light and kings by our shining radiance.” What Isaiah is prophesying is that grace is magnetic. It draws others to us.

When they come we need to be able to put words to our experience. Just as the magi came to Christ, we can expect people to ask us about our upbeat attitude in a dark world. We should be ready for them.

In case we need a little primer on what to say, we could look at today’s second reading. There, Paul announced to the Ephesians what has made him so happy. It is, first, that he has been given the grace of God; second, he received it for the benefit of others; and, third, that “others” include the entire world with no exceptions. That makes life a true joy both to receive and to give. All of us are members of the same body.

The following Sunday also has a name. It is the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Actually, it’s the Sunday of the first week of the year.

But, traditionally there is no First Sunday of Ordinary Time. That might be considered a contradiction in terms. Anyway, the feast is about vision. Where there is light, one can see objects that otherwise may be invisible. At Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, people might not have realized that Jesus was the Son of God had not the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove.

Then a voice from heaven made clear that Jesus was “the beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.”

There was a vision with words and a resulting recognition by many there that our Lord was someone very special. Certainly, this was true of those men who became Jesus’ 12 apostles. Remember that when they were preparing to fill Judas’ vacant place among the 12, one of the requirements was that he must have been a follower of Jesus from his baptism at the Jordan and a witness to Jesus’ resurrection.

Such visions put a spotlight on dioknox.org

situations that might go unseen.

Hearkening back to Isaiah, he predicted that when the Light to the Nations comes he would shed light on justice. What people took for granted would be seen as a justice issue. Many people in recent times are receiving justice that only comes from the Gospel shining the light of Christ on the issue. Even in the early days after Jesus’ resurrection, the light of Christ opened the eyes of Peter to the vision that non-Jews were able to become Christians without first becoming Jewish.

Christ is a light both inside and outside the house of the Church and always will be. Accordingly, we should constantly make use of that revealing light.

Now, on the Second Sunday of Ordinary (that is, numbered) Time we find yet another result of light.

It gives joy. The joy that is accentuated today is that of a wedding.

Think of singing and dancing for days on end. Considering the wedding feast at Cana, add drinking to the list. Mary did not miss that fact.

When the supply of wine was about depleted, Mary noticed it and told Jesus. He did something about it as we all know. In John’s counting, this was the first of Jesus’ “signs” in Galilee. Basically, joy is a primary sign of the Kingdom of God. If wine is needed for the immediate joy of the wedding guests at Cana, then Jesus was the right person to invite.

That’s still true today. In fact, we can be “Christ” in every situation we enter, bringing joy to those who need it. In addition, if we have a good relationship with Our Lady, she can tell us what others need for us to make them joyous.

In chapter 62 of Isaiah, the prophet puts a spotlight on Jerusalem for the Jewish exiles in Babylon who were losing hope. Jerusalem is God’s bride and, therefore a place of perpetual wedding joy. Israel had lost Jerusalem as a punishment for infidelity to God. Now, the good The East Tennessee Catholic

news is that the people have paid the price and are once again God’s delight. Isaiah sheds the light of prophecy and uncovers the nearness of joy.

Christ is a light both inside and outside the house of the Church and always will be. Accordingly, we should constantly make use of that revealing light.

Another light is held by St. Paul.

This time he shows the Corinthians aspects of the Holy Spirit’s gifts.

Without the light of faith, there is only one Spirit. But, with faith, Paul demonstrates many gifts. Some of these are wisdom, knowledge, mighty deeds, healing, even faith itself among others. All of these are distributed to us. With a little light we can discern some of these gifts in us. If not, you need a better light (perhaps a spiritual director) that can help you realize the power of God within you. It is there.

The last Sunday in January is the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Its theme is the freedom that living in the light can give us. First, let’s start with St. Paul’s 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians. It connects with the previous Sunday’s passage from the same chapter. Last week, Paul wrote that from one Spirit come many gifts. Perhaps he was trying to free the people from the pagan Roman notion that if you desired a new gift you had to redirect your devotion to a different god. In today’s pericope, Paul writes that although there may be one body it has many parts. Yet, for the body to function smoothly all these parts must work together in harmony. If one part thinks it is better than the others, the body loses harmony and therefore can no longer function freely. Freedom, even for the Body of Christ, comes when everyone works together.

This fact of life is demonstrated in

the Old Testament reading from Nehemiah. The Jews had finally made it back to the Holy Land. They certainly relished this opportunity to be a free and independent people again. What did they need to accomplish that goal? The answer is a law. Nehemiah, the political leader, chose the Law of Moses. He read it to the assembled crowd that they might hear it and ratify it as their law. Then they rejoiced. If you’ve ever been in a country where you have no rights, it is a truly joyous occasion to come to the place where you belong and literally enjoy your rights and even your duties. That’s why the returning exiles celebrated heartily and remember that moment even to this day.

Jesus, in today’s Gospel, shines the light on himself as the giver of freedom. He is to bring glad tidings to those who lost freedom through poverty. He proclaims liberty to captives, to the oppressed, to those debilitated by blindness, and to all who have lost freedom in any way. He proclaimed a Jubilee Year.

This year of favor was supposed to come, according to Mosaic Law, every 50 years. At the first day of the year every debt was forgiven, every sentence for crime was dismissed; every family that had lost property got it back. Everyone started over.

That was Jesus’ program. It was biblical, radical and controversial. But, it gave people freedom from any injustice that may have occurred over the last half century. And, it gave a new chance to those who committed injustice. This freedom, which has yet to arrive, comes from Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

Freedom, joy, vision, radiance, and blessing are five gifts that come to us to meditate on. They come to us in January; but need to be developed and grown large before Christ comes again. n Father Brando is the pastor of St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg.

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

Readings continued from page 18 Friday, Jan. 18: Hebrews 4:15, 11; Psalm 78:3-4, 6-8; Mark 2:1-12 Saturday, Jan. 19: Hebrews 4:12-16; Psalm 19:8-10, 15; Mark 2:13-17 Sunday, Jan. 20: Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 96:1-3, 7-10; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11 Monday, Jan. 21: Hebrews 5:110; Psalm 110:1-4; Mark 2:18-22 Tuesday, Jan. 22: Hebrews 6:10-20; Psalm 111:1-2, 4-5, 9-10; Mark 2:23-28 Wednesday, Jan. 23: Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17; Psalm 110:1-4; Mark 3:1-6 Thursday, Jan. 24: Hebrews 7:25–8:6; Psalm 40:7-10, 17; Mark 3:7-12 Friday, Jan. 25: Acts 22:3-16; Psalm 117:1-2; Mark 16:15-18 Saturday, Jan. 26: Memorial, Sts. Timothy and Titus, bishops, 2 Timothy 1:1-8; Psalm 96:1-3, 7-8, 10; Mark 3:20-21 Sunday, Jan. 27: Nehemiah 8:24, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19:8-10, 15; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:14 and 4:14-21 Monday, Jan. 28: Memorial, St. Thomas Aquinas, priest, doctor of the Church, Hebrews 9:15, 2428; Psalm 98:1-6; Mark 3:22-30 Tuesday, Jan. 29: Hebrews 10:1-10; Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 1011; Mark 3:31-35 Wednesday, Jan. 30: Hebrews 10:11-18; Psalm 110:1-4; Mark 4:1-20 Thursday, Jan. 31: Memorial, St. John Bosco, priest, Hebrews 10:19-25; Psalm 24:1-6; Mark 4:21-25 Friday, Feb. 1: Hebrews 10:3239; Psalm 37:3-6, 23-24, 39-40; Mark 4:26-34 Saturday, Feb. 2: Feast, the Presentation of the Lord, Malachi 3:1-4; Psalm 24:7-10; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40 n

January 6, 2013 19

By Marian Christiana As I write this column, I sit at the computer dealing with a bad case of shingles. I realize saying I have shingles isn’t a wonderful lead-in for a marriage enrichment article.

However, the fact I have shingles, forcing me to drop some commitments from my schedule, has caused me to reflect on what really is important and necessary in all of my relationships.

I’ve been filling my life with all the hustle and bustle of this holiday season and in making plans for a very busy new year. While all of this activity has been fun, I certainly was not taking the time to be truly present to the people in my life. When you physically have to let some things go, it becomes clear that being in a loving relationship with God and with others is all that really matters.

St. John of the Cross, the Spanish Carmelite mystic and poet, wrote, “In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.” What a simple yet profound idea. We spend so much time filling our lives with busyness, especially during the holidays, that we overlook the true importance of the rejuvenating power of love.

You are probably contemplating or reviewing some New Year’s resolutions, trying to change some habit or another. Instead of making a long list of resolutions that you are unlikely to keep or even look at over the next few months, consider the single decision to love more. Start every day of this New Year reminding yourself that love is an action verb. Put a sign on your mirror that reads, “Today I will choose love.”

Also, if you are looking for an early Valentine’s Day gift for the one you love, there are three opportunities in the diocese to attend a Marriage Celebration Mass with Bishop Richard F. Stika.

Marriage continued on page 21

20 January 6, 2013

Priest’s response after school shooting called powerful Monsignor Robert Weiss of St. Rose of Lima Church had a ‘sacramental sense” of outreach By Catholic News Service RYE, N.Y.—The “sacramental sense” of a Catholic pastor’s outreach after the horrific violence that took place at a Connecticut elementary school “has brought the church to bear in the most intimate and powerful way,” said the director of communications for the Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn.

“It’s hard to sum up how powerful his witness and testimony have been, both locally and nationally,” Brian D. Wallace told Catholic News Service in describing Monsignor Robert Weiss, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church in Newtown.

“He has brought a sense of God and the beginning of healing to everything he has done under considerable stress,” Wallace said following the tragic event. “He was the first clergy present at the school, before the world knew what happened. He kept his composure and he worked with families.”

Wallace said Monsignor Weiss was “stunned by the faith of the parents who lost children. People who lose the most sometimes give the most.”

He added that the courage, openness and determination of the parents is a gift to the priest.

Monsignor Weiss, his two priest associates, and men and women from the parish staff have “brought tremendous comfort to families,” Wallace said.

St. Rose of Lima has taken center stage in the aftermath of the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, which left 20 children and seven adults dead.

Parishioners and community members gathered for a prayer vigil the night of the shootings and flocked to Sunday Masses seeking solace. They looked to Monsignor Weiss and his staff and other Catholic leaders for pastoral outreach in the aftermath of the violence.

Eighteen children died at the school and two others died after they

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

2013 resolution: All that really matters is love

In mourning A cross bearing the first names of the victims of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School is pictured amid hundreds of other items left by mourners at a memorial in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 19.

had been rushed to the hospital. All of the children were first-graders.

The adults included the principal and five teachers, as well as the gunman.

Police officials identified the shooter as Adam Lanza, 20, and said he killed himself as first responders arrived on the scene.

Many of the dead were Catholic and were known in the St. Rose parish family. Wallace said funerals for eight of the children and one of the adults were held at St. Rose.

Mary Sherlach, the Sandy Hook school psychologist, was to be buried from St. Stephen Church in Trumbull, Conn., where she was an active parishioner. The shooter and his mother also were members of St. Rose.

The diocesan response to the tragedy is based on its experience with earlier traumatic events. Its Catholic Charities agency has a crisis team that works closely with the diocesan safe environments staff.

“Catholic Charities has a very strong behavioral health component, staffed by Catholic professionals.

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

Over the last 10 years, it has evolved as a resource to deal with crises,” Wallace said.

The first response is often presence and prayer, followed by helping people to cope, he continued. “Counseling may not be needed right away.

There will be more help down the line.”

“Our Catholic Charities have worked with Catholic school teachers to give them a better handle on how to deal with their fears and our Safe Environments director has talked with some of the parents who lost children,” Wallace said. “The priests are grateful to have that help within our own system.”

The agency has provided counseling services to the Newtown community through schools and individual house visits.

“We are welcomed by people of all faiths and backgrounds. The outreach is unusual, but the situation is more than unusual,” Al Barber, president of Catholic Charities, told Catholic News Service. “Word has spread far and wide that we’re there for the people.” n dioknox.org

Understanding the sacraments

by Father Randy Stice

Marriage continued from page 20

Confirmation: a mystagogical catechesis

L

The baptized are more perfectly bound to the Church with the sacrament of Confirmation

iturgical catechesis has one purpose: “to initiate people into the mystery of Christ (It is ‘mystagogy’) by proceeding from the visible to the invisible, from the sign to the thing signified, from the ‘sacraments’ to the ‘mysteries’” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1075). A catechesis that initiates the faithful into the mystery of Christ is called a mystagogical catechesis.

Benedict XVI has described the elements essential to an effective mystagogical catechesis. First, it interprets the sacramental rite in the light of salvation history. Second, it presents the meaning of the signs within the rite. And third, it explains how the sacrament touches every aspect of one’s life. In this month’s column I want to present a brief mystagogical catechesis of the sacrament of Confirmation.

In the Constitution on the Church, the Second Vatican Council summarized the effects of this sacrament: “by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed” (Lumen Gentium, 11). Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation together constitute the sacraments of initiation.

The first element of a mystagogical catechesis places the rite within the whole of salvation history, revealing the continuity between the Old and New Testaments. One of the sources of this is the readings.

The Rite of Confirmation provides a number of Old Testament options: Isaiah 11:1-4a; 42:1-3; 61:1-3a, 6a, 8b-9; Ezekiel 36:24-28; Joel 2:23a, 26-30a. I would like to consider one passage here, Isaiah 11:1-4a, which The East Tennessee Catholic

includes the following excerpt, describing a descendant of Jesse: “The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD.” This passage is particularly important because it is part of the current rite, the prayer said by the bishop: Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence.

Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence.

May we fervently make our own the prayer from the ritual Mass for Confirmation: “May the Paraclete who proceeds from you... enlighten our minds and lead us into all truth, just as your Son has promised.”

We know that this passage from Isaiah has been part of the prayer of Confirmation since at least the fourth century. St. Ambrose (d.

397) wrote that the whole rite of initiation is brought to “perfect fulfillment…when the Holy Spirit is infused at the priest’s invocation: ‘the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and piety, the Spirit of holy fear.’

These might be called the seven ‘virtues’ of the Spirit.”

The second element of a mystagogical catechesis is an interpretation of the signs. According to the Catechism, “In treating the rite of Confirmation, it is fitting to consider the sign of anointing” (CCC, 1293). In Confirmation, the anointing with sacred chrism “is the sign of consecration. By Confirmation

Christians, that is, those who are anointed, share more completely in the mission of Jesus Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit with which he is filled, so that their lives may give off ‘the aroma of Christ’” (CCC, 1294). Church fathers explain the reality and significance of the sacred chrism, which they called muron. Here is St. Cyril of Jerusalem’s explanation: “Take care not to imagine that this muron is anything ordinary. In the same way as the bread of the Eucharist after the invocation of the Holy Spirit is no more ordinary bread, but the Body of Christ, so the holy muron is no longer ordinary, or, if you prefer the word, common, after the epiclesis, but the charism of Christ, made efficacious of the Holy Spirit by the presence of His divinity.”

Finally, a mystagogical catechesis explains how Confirmation touches every aspect of one’s life. Let’s listen again to the words of the Catechism: “This seal of the Holy Spirit [cf. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22] marks our total belonging to Christ, our enrollment in his service forever, as well as the promise of divine protection in the great eschatological trial” (CCC, 1296). Even a brief mystagogical catechesis of Confirmation reveals the riches of the sacrament: its roots in the Old Testament, the meaning and power of anointing with the sacred chrism, its transforming power. May we fervently make our own the prayer from the ritual Mass for Confirmation: “May the Paraclete who proceeds from you…enlighten our minds and lead us into all truth, just as your Son has promised.” n

This is a terrific way to renew your marriage vows and enjoy a nice luncheon with other couples from around the diocese. These annual celebrations are in recognition of World Marriage Day, which in 2013 will be celebrated on Sunday, Feb. 10.

World Marriage Day honors the husband and wife as the foundation of the family, the basic unit of society. It salutes the beauty of their faithfulness, sacrifice and joy in daily married life.

Here are the Marriage Celebration Mass dates: n Saturday, Jan. 26, at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge; n Saturday, Feb. 9, at St. Mary Church in Athens; n Saturday, March 9, at St. Patrick Church in Morristown.

Mass on each date starts at 11 a.m., and a free luncheon follows. To make reservations, please contact Karen Byrne at 865-5843307, extension. 5739, in the Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment or e-mail her at kbyrne@ dioknox.org. n Mrs. Christiana is coordinator of the diocesan Marriage Preparation and Enrichment Office.

Upcoming Virtus sessions n St. Augustine Church, Signal Mountain, 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 10 n Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Knoxville, 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 15 n St. Mary Church, Johnson City, 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 22 n St. Jude Church, Chattanooga, noon, Tuesday, Jan. 29 n St. Dominic Church, Kingsport, 1 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9 n

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

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

January 6, 2013 21

Peter and Paul Society to host men’s conference

Once upon a time

The newly formed Peter and Paul Society is hosting “Guided on the Path by the Spirit,” a conference for men, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 26, at All Saints Church in Knoxville.

The topics covered will include male spirituality, faith-formation opportunities for men in the parish, and leading the domestic church. Featured speakers include Father Michael Woods, pastor of All Saints Church, Father Michael Sweeney, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church in Harriman, Deacon David Lucheon, experienced leader of faith-formation groups and chief financial officer of the Diocese of Knoxville, and Bob Hunt, catechist, husband, father of three daughters and columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel.

The registration fee is $10. Mass will be celebrated at the end of the conference. Register at the parish office or on the day of the conference. For more information, contact Deacon Tim Elliott at 865531-0770. n

In praise of improvements for celebrating Mass

World all a-Twitter as Pope joins social media VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI launched his very own Twitter account Dec. 12, sending a short inaugural message to more than 1 million followers.

“Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart,” it said.

His tweet—139 characters— went viral as the number of followers of @Pontifex and its seven other extensions grew by more than 5,000 new people an hour, a Vatican official said. Tens of thousands of followers retweeted the messages minutes after they were posted. n

22 January 6, 2013

I

by Monsignor Xavier Mankel

Times have changed since ‘midnight Masses’ at 5 a.m., 100-degree choir lofts, long Eucharistic fasts

have served in several parishes by now, but in only one of them do I find the cavities cut in the pews for hinges to the wee doors that once were affixed to every pew.

I presume the doors were on the pews at Immaculate Conception in Knoxville from the time the church was completed [late 1880s]. They were no longer there [except for the indentations into which the hinges fit on the pew side of the hinge] by the time I was baptized at Immaculate Conception [the church on the “hill”] in late 1935.

You may be thinking what a racket all those doors opening and closing at Communion would make. But remember before Pope Saint Pius X encouraged frequent and early Holy Communion, people before then received only once (Easter) or twice a year (Christmas and Easter). Then, as the frequency of people receiving Communion began to increase at the early Masses, the Eucharistic fast rules kept many from the railing if the Mass began much after 9:30 or 10 a.m.

In the old days, fasting included nothing to eat or drink from midnight that day, so people who received holy Communion regularly went to the earliest available Masses. At IC, that Mass was at 7 a.m. and nearly everyone present did receive our Precious Lord. The next Mass, at 9:30 a.m., saw fewer than one-half approaching the Communion railing, and by the 10:30 a.m. [and last] Mass the railing was filled less than one time. If a 6 p.m.

Mass had prevailed under those circumstances perhaps no one other than the celebrant [a weakened one at that] would have communicated.

Times, they do a-change.

I cannot remember if it was a World War II thing or not, but for several

years our “midnight Masses” were celebrated at 5 a.m. Since there were no Vigil Masses in those days, 5 a.m. was the first Mass of Christmas. It was packed. With 600 to 700 people or more jammed into a building designed for 525, the ushers had their crowd-control assignments cut out for them. The heat was stifling, the choir sang like the angelic host, the pipe organ never sounded so splendid as the violinist, clarinetist, and perhaps a trumpeter added to the splendor.

Our pastor was Monsignor Francis Dominic Grady, educated in Louvain for the priesthood in the Diocese of Nashville. Until I was 4 or 5 years old, I thought the celebrant was a statue [he was dressed much like the statues were dressed!] and pushed to and fro on wheels. I remember he wore the stiff-clothed “fiddle back” chasubles, so popular in those days.

It was Father Christopher Power Murray, STB, ordained 1929, and pastor there from 1941-55 who made us all aware that the pastor is not a dummy. He introduced a microphone into the pulpit. There was no problem hearing other parts of the Mass—they were in Latin except for the Leonine prayers for the conversion of Russia recited after a low [recited] Mass. Add a nervous cross-bearer, two or four acolytes whose development of symmetry was minimal, an equally nervous thurifer who left a trail of incense grains wherever he went and we see that the call to simplicity voiced by the Constitution on the Liturgy at Vatican II was more than warranted.

I also recall that ushers approached fisticuffs as they tried so valiantly to “save” aisle seats for those who arrived fashionably late for Mass. One or two of the pews at IC still had the two-inch cushions across the seat and were welcomed for at least two reasons: 1) they were much softer than

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

the oak seat upon which they were installed; 2) they raised at least the four or five people seated on that cushion so that they could see and hear better.

And then there was the prototype for all future efforts of the Ladies of Charity, the Legion of Mary, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and Catholic Charities: the janitor. There he stood before and after each of the Christmas Masses with the largest black felt hat I ever saw. It was open to the sky. With my daddy’s help, I got the distinct impression that all of our hard-hearted lack of giving to the mile-o-dimes, community chest, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, etc., could be rectified with a large contribution placed in that hat. We have more sophisticated ways of saying thank you today. But in those days the large black felt hat worked very well.

Heat rises and by the time the floor of the Church was warmed (the little doors to eliminate drafts had long been removed) against the cold of opening and closing of the big doors, the choir loft thermometer, if such had existed, would have pushed the mercury up to more than 100 degrees.

I recall that only one lady ever fainted from the heat of midnight Mass.

The same lady, who did have a beautiful alto voice, fainted at least once during the 10:30 Sunday morning Mass, not from excessive heat but from keeping the Eucharist fast. She lived on a farm and helped milk the cows at 4:30 or 5 a.m. And even if she got a bit of sleep between then and the departure by car for the “hill,” still she was weak from fasting. I believe one of the reasons I ended up as an altar boy every Sunday that I was at the 10:30 a.m. Mass was that I did not care to be part of the smelling salts and moist towel routine that some three or four students were assigned to by Sis-

Monsignor continued on page 24 dioknox.org

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

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

Smoky Mountain Deanery

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

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

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

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

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

St. Joseph, Norris Sunday 9 a.m.

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

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

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

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

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

Five Rivers Deanery

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

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

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

Sunday 9, 11 a.m. (Spanish)

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

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

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

St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville Sunday 8, 10 a.m.; 12:30 p.m. (Spanish); 2nd, 4th, 5th Sunday 3 p.m. (Latin)

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

St. Francis of Assisi,Townsend (Latin) Saturday 4 p.m.; Sunday 9, 11 a.m. (Latin) St. Mary, Gatlinburg Saturday 7 p.m.; Sunday 9, 11 a.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Spanish); 12:30 p.m.

St. Henry, Rogersville Sunday 9 a.m.

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

Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul

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

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

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

(Spanish)

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

Chattanooga Deanery

Cumberland Mtn. Deanery

Diocese of Knoxville Mass Times

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday 3 p.m. (Latin)

4 The East Tennessee Catholic

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

January 6, 2013 23

Schools continued from page 6

Heart from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. n “Hats On Day” and collection for childhood cancer at Our Lady Perpetual Help in memory of a former student Thursday, Jan. 31 n “Year of Faith” all-school retreat at St. John Neumann School. n “Evening of Scenes” theater production at Notre Dame High School. n Special flag ceremony at St. Jude in Chattanooga, plus students will write letters to Congress focusing on areas of concern to Catholic school students.

Monsignor continued from page 22

ter Mary Elizabeth Gleason or another Sister who directed the choir.

After Masses the adults gathered on the sidewalk in front of the church for conversation a plenty. We children did not stray very far from our parents because Vine Avenue, Walnut Street, and Market Street in downtown Knoxville

Friday, Feb. 1 n Green and Gold Day at Knoxville Catholic n Fifth annual Faith Rally at St. Mary School in Oak Ridge.

Family and friends of present and former Catholic school students and parishioners are encouraged to attend Catholic Schools Week activities at any of the 10 schools, St. Jude, Notre Dame and Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Chattanooga, St. Dominic and St. Mary in the Tri-Cities, St. Mary in Oak Ridge, St. John Neumann in Farragut, and Knoxville Catholic High, St. Joseph, and Sacred Heart in Knoxville. n were two-way streets then (and no wider than they are now), so it wasn’t safe to drift very far from parents, uncles, aunts or grandparents. As is the case today, there was very limited parking available to automobiles. The closest a city bus or electric streetcar came was down the hill east on Gay Street or south to Union Avenue. The whole process of attend-

ing Sunday Mass was really sort of an adventure. And that scene was repeated all over the country in towns of any size where the church had a downtown presence with little or no parking.

Things are so much better today that our memories of former inconveniences fade quickly. We are truly blessed indeed to have what we have, from trans-

portation to Mass schedules and from a one-hour Eucharistic fast to liturgies in our own language.

For now, the Holiest Happiest New Year to one and all. n Monsignor Mankel is a vicar general of the diocese and the pastor of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville.

With the Saints in

Spain & Portugal

Under the Spiritual Direction of: Msgr. Al Humbrecht & Rev. Michael Nolan

October 28 to November 9, 2013 $3,599 from Atlanta (ATL)

Plus airport taxes, security fees, current fuel surcharges, and tips.

Contact:

Sr. Albertine Paulus, RSM

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

24 January 6, 2013

Highlights Include: Madrid, Segovia, Avila, Leon, Santiago, Porto, Fatima, Lisbon and more!

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

Travel Arrangements by:

CST: 2018667

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