July 25, 2010, ET Catholic

CNS PHOTO/NANCY WIECHEC

Cause for Kateri A prayer for the canonization of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha appears behind a statue of her inside St. Peter’s Chapel on the grounds of the shrine dedicated to the 17th-century American Indian maiden. Her sainthood cause is pending but considered “very hopeful.”

THE EAST TENNESSEE

Volume 19 • Number 22 • July 25, 2010

The

N E W S PA P E R

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

IC parishioner has many Ulster Project memories

New faces abound in DOK parishes Six priests, including five coming from other dioceses, begin ET assignments this summer. By Dan McWilliams

BY DA N M CW I L L I AMS

Ulster continued on page 2

he Diocese of Knoxville is welcoming five new priests during the summer months while a sixth is beginning his first parish assignment in East Tennessee.

India native Father Vijayan Joseph became the full-time associate pastor of St. Mary Parish in Johnson City on June 1. Father Bill Keebler took the reins as the new parochial administrator of Notre Dame in Greeneville on July 1.

Three new Paulist priests will occupy the community’s rectory in Knoxville. Father Ronald Franco will become the pastor of Immaculate Conception in downtown Knoxville on Aug. 1. New IC associate Father Jerry Tully’s assignment began July 1.

Father James Brucz, an associate at IC from 2002 to 2006, returns to Knoxville as the new associate pastor of Blessed XXIII Parish.

Father Joseph Kuzhupil, MSFS, became the new associate pastor at St. Augustine in Signal Mountain on June 1, his first parish assignment in the diocese after serving nearby as a chaplain for the Alexian Brothers.

Three of the new priests have New York City connections. IC will have two Big Apple natives in Fathers Franco and Tully. Father Joseph comes to Johnson City from Holy Spirit Parish

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Father Vijayan Joseph

in the Bronx, where he had served for 12 1/2 years.

Father Franco summarized what he looked forward to most in his new assignment in one word.

“Everything,” he said. “It’s all going to be new, it’s all going to be interesting, and it’s going to be a great opportunity. I’m looking forward to working with everyone in the parish.”

Father Franco has been serving at the Paulists’ mother church of St. Paul

Father Ronald Franco, CSP

Father Bill Keebler

Father James Brucz, CSP

to the heart of the Paulists.

“It has nothing to do with my work in Knoxville, but is very special: I’ve been the postulator for the cause of Isaac Hecker, the founder of the Paulist Fathers,” he said. “I’ve been working on his canonization cause the past few years.”

Cardinal Edward M. Egan opened the canonization cause in January 2008.

“I was appointed the vice postulator, who is the assis-

the Apostle in New York City for 10 years.

“That’s why there’s so much to pack.”

Father Franco, who will celebrate his 15th anniversary in the priesthood Oct. 28, has met both Father Tully and Father Brucz but is more familiar with the latter.

“I know Father Brucz well because we spent a year together in Toronto.”

A particular interest of Father Franco is one close

New priests continued on page 6

Father Jerry Tully, CSP

Father Joseph Kuzhupil, MSFS

Vatican streamlines discipline for clergy sex-abuse cases The list of ‘more grave crimes’ against Church law is updated, with one of the additions being the act of ‘attempted ordination of a woman.’

VATICAN CITY (CNS)— The Vatican has revised its procedures for handling priestly sex-abuse cases,

streamlining disciplinary measures, extending the statute of limitations, and defining child pornography

as an act of sexual abuse of a minor.

Vatican officials said the changes allow the Church

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

atie O’Farrell Allen has experienced the Ulster Project from just about every side—as a host teen for a Northern Ireland teen, as a local coordinator, and as a parent of a teenage host.

The Ulster Project of Knoxville is wrapping up a busy month of activities for this year’s annual visit of eight teens from Northern Ireland. The group— four Catholic teens and four Protestants, all ages 14 to 16—arrived with their adult counselors June 25 and will depart July 23. Each teen stayed with a Knoxville teen of the same age, sex, and faith.

As a teenager the Immaculate Conception parishioner served as a host in summer 1989.

“I have fond memories from being a host teen,” she said. “It was truly a life-changing experience. My favorite memory is of us all connecting and becoming so close. The van and bus rides to and from events were always a bonding time. When you are together every day, you make great friends and learn so much about one another.”

“One of my favorite activities was when we spent three days repairing the house of an elderly low-income family. We repaired the roof, painted the outside, and did some other repairs. We had a blast working together, and then at the end we could see all that we accomplished.

We all had a feeling of ‘we can do so much when we come together for a good cause.’ It was a great feeling.”

This year the teens attended a Tennessee Smokies game, shopped in Pigeon Forge, went whitewater rafting, performed several service projects, and watched the World Cup finals, as part of a schedule that included at least one activity every day of the Ulster youths’ visit. The group attended church services each Sunday, including Mass at St. John Neumann in Farragut on July 11.

K

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, presents the Vatican’s revised procedures for handling cases of sexual abuse by priests during a press conference at the Vatican July 15.

CODIFIED PROCEDURES

to deal with such abuse more rapidly and effectively, often through dismissal of the offending cleric from the priesthood.

As expected, the Vatican also updated its list of the “more grave crimes” against Church law, called delicta graviora, including for the first time the “attempted sacred ordination of a woman.” In such an act, it said, the cleric and the woman involved are automatically excommunicated, and the cleric can also be dismissed from the priesthood.

Vatican officials emphasized that simply because women’s ordination was treated in the same document as priestly sex abuse did not mean the two acts were somehow equivalent in the eyes of the Church.

“There are two types of delicta graviora: those concerning the celebration of Vatican continued on page 2

letters to the

EDITOR

Reader questions her faith but finds answer

I was seriously wondering why I am still a Catholic in light of the conduct of many of our priests.

I’m glad I was confronted by this question, as it made me answer myself.

I go to Mass to be with Jesus in his many guises, especially in Holy Communion. He’s also sitting among my fellow worshipers, who are a great source of comfort and friendship. You are my family in Christ, who stand with me to uphold the truth and goodness of Jesus.

One of my favorite Bible verses is at the end of Matthew, “And lo, I am with you until the end of time.” I’ll cling to that promise through thick and thin. Amen!

A special thanks to the majority of our priests who don’t let us down. You are in our prayers, with our deepest gratitude. ■ —Carole Liposky Morristown Letters should be 350 words or less and will be edited for grammar, style, clarity, and length.

Submit them by e-mail or mail: news@ dioknox.org, 805 Northshore Drive Southwest, Knoxville, TN 37919. Letters to the editor reflect the opinions of their authors and not those of the editorial staff or the publisher.

Vatican continued from page 3

the sacraments and those concerning morals.

The two types are essentially different, and their gravity is on different levels,” said Monsignor Charles Scicluna, an official of the Vatican’s doctrinal congregation.

Sexual abuse of a minor by a priest was added to the classification of delicta graviora in 2001, and at that time the Vatican established norms to govern the handling of such cases, which were reserved to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The norms affect how Church law treats sex-abuse cases; civil law deals with the crime separately.

The latest revisions, approved by Pope Benedict XVI May 21 and released July 15, for the most part codify practices that have been implemented through special permissions granted over the last nine years and make them part of universal law.

The Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, said publication of the revisions “makes a great contribution to the clarity and certainty of law in this field, a field in which the Church is today strongly committed to proceeding with rigor and transparency.”

The norms on sexual abuse of minors by priests now stipulate the following: ■ The Church law’s statute of limitations on accusations of sexual abuse has been extended, from 10 years after the alleged victim’s 18th birthday to 20 years. For several years Vatican officials have been routinely granting exceptions to the 10-year statute of limitations. Exceptions to the 20-year limit will be possible too, but the Vatican rejected a suggestion to do away with the statute of limitations altogether, sources said.

■ Use of child pornography now falls under the category of clerical sexual abuse of minors, and offenders can be dismissed from the priesthood. This norm applies to “the acquisition, possession, or distribution by a cleric of pornographic images of minors under the age of 14, for purposes of sexual gratification, by whatever means or using whatever technology.” Vatican officials said age 14 was chosen as the threshold age into puberty; canon law considers a child under 14 as a “prepubescent.”

■ Sexual abuse of mentally disabled adults will be considered equivalent to abuse of minors.

The norms define such a person as someone “who habitually lacks the use of reason.”

In 2003, two years after promulgating the Vatican’s norms on priestly sex abuse, Pope John Paul II gave the doctrinal congregation a number of special faculties to streamline the handling of such cases. The new revisions incorporate those changes, which were already in practice: ■ In the most serious and clear cases of sexual abuse of minors by priests, the doctrinal congregation may proceed directly to laicize a priest without going through an ecclesiastical trial. In these instances, the final decision for dismissal from the clerical state and dispensation from the obligations of celibacy is made by the pope.

■ The doctrinal congregation can dispense with using the formal judicial process in Church law in favor of the “extrajudicial process.” In effect, this allows a bishop to remove an accused priest from ministry without going through a formal trial.

■ The doctrinal congregation can dispense from Church rules requiring only priests with doctorates in canon law to serve on Church tribunals in trials of priests accused of abusing minors. This means qualified lay experts, including those without a canon-law doctorate, can be on the tribunal staff or act as lawyers or prosecutors.

■ The doctrinal congregation’s competency in such cases means it has the right to judge carVatican continued on page 10

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JULY 25, 2010

living the

READINGS

BY FATHER JOSEPH BRANDO

Dealing with God When we pray, we should approach the Lord wholeheartedly, not timidly.

in a tight spot from pestering our neighbor until he gives in, we shouldn’t have any problem asking God for anything. He is good far beyond any neighbor and even more generous than a human father who loves his children.

Matthew reveals our Lord’s telling us we must have the attitude of forgiveness before we pray to God. Luke reveals Jesus’ telling us to have an attitude of expecting what we ask for from God because he is a loving father.

Both insights into praying to God are important. The attitude of forgiveness opens our hearts to the nature of God. Freeing others from their sins against us is the same attitude God has towards us. It is God’s will to rid the world of sin by forgiving it. That is why he sent his Son. In us this attitude of for-

Matthew and Luke each present us with the Lord’s Prayer.

Both evangelists have Jesus comment on an aspect of the prayer after it is presented. It is interesting to see their commentary. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus emphasizes the importance the prayer places on forgiveness— for only if we forgive others will our Father forgive us.

Reading Luke’s presentation of the Lord’s Prayer in today’s Gospel, we recognize Jesus’ commentary on the prayer is actually an exhortation to ask God for anything. In effect, Jesus tells us to be bold in pleading with God. If we wouldn’t hesitate when we are

giveness can blossom into what Jesus advises in Luke’s Gospel. We come to be of one mind and heart with God and lose all doubt about whether he will listen to us. By the time we begin to speak to the Father, we are already of one will. That happened because God already sent us his greatest gift: the Holy Spirit.

Now we can smile as we read, in today’s first reading, about Abraham’s shrewdly pleading to God to spare his nephew, Lot, from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham did have faith to the extent that his prayer to God incorporated both Matthew and Luke’s advice. He had an attitude of forgiveness and the assurance that his prayer would be answered. But it’s still laughable to witness his timidity.

When we pray, let’s approach God wholeheartedly. ■ July 25, 17th Sunday in ordinary time Genesis 18:20-32 Psalm 138:1-3, 6-8 Colossians 2:12-14 Luke 11:1-13

What do things mean?

An overlooked passage in Luke is ‘central to Christ’s message.’

oday’s Gospel is, perhaps, the most neglected of all Gospel passages. We tend to put it out of our memory as soon as we hear or read it.

It’s an embarrassment to our American way of life. If this Gospel story were made into a TV commercial, it would never be shown on any forprofit network. Its basic message is to turn your back on making money, even if your method is le-

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gal and moral. In fact, Jesus tells us not to worry even if someone is trying to cheat us out of what is rightfully ours.

Why would Jesus say something like that? It has to do with two questions: What is the meaning of things? and What happens at the end of life?

The first question is pondered in the first reading, from Ecclesiastes. The work begins, “Vanity of

vanities! All things are vanity!” The translator for the Jerusalem Bible adds a footnote to his choice of vanity: “The Hebrew term means primarily mist, breath (water, shadow, smoke, etc.). . . . In [Ecclesiastes] the word signifies only the illusory nature of things and hence the delusions to which they subject mankind.”

That is what Jesus is talking about. Prof-

it, in this world, is illusion and leads to delusion and disillusion. In short, it is not good. In Jesus’ vocabulary the word things means “not much.” So the young man cheated out of his inheritance did not lose anything worthwhile.

The second question has a surprising answer in Paul’s LetReadings continued on page 3

Aug. 1, 18th Sunday in ordinary time Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21-23 Psalm 90:3-6, 12-14, 17 Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11 Luke 12:13-21

WEEKDAY READINGS Monday, July 26: Memorial, Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jeremiah 13:111; Deuteronomy 32:18-21; Matthew 13:31-35 Tuesday, July 27: Jeremiah 14:1722; Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13; Matthew 13:36-43 Wednesday, July 28: Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21; Psalm 59:2-4, 10-11, 17-18; Matthew 13:44-46 Thursday, July 29: Memorial, Martha, Jeremiah 18:1-6; Psalm 146:1-6; John 11:19-27

Friday, July 30: Jeremiah 26:1-9; Psalm 69:5, 8-10, 14; Matthew 13:54-58 Saturday, July 31: Memorial, Ignatius of Loyola, priest, Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24; Psalm 69:15-16, 3031, 33-34; Matthew 14:1-12 Monday, Aug. 2: Jeremiah 28:1-17; Psalm 119:29, 43, 79-80, 95, 102; Matthew 14:13-21 Tuesday, Aug. 3: Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22; Psalm 102:16-21, 29, 22-23; Matthew 14:22-36 Wednesday, Aug. 4: Memorial, John

Mary Vianney, priest, Jeremiah 31:17; Jeremiah 31:10-13; Matthew 15:21-28 Thursday, Aug. 5: Jeremiah 31:3134; Psalm 51:12-15, 18-19; Matthew 16:13-23 Friday, Aug. 6: Feast, the Transfiguration of the Lord, Daniel 7:9-10, 1314; Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9; 2 Peter 1:16-19; Luke 9:28-36 Saturday, Aug. 7: Habakkuk 1:12– 2:4; Psalm 9:8-13; Matthew 17:1420 ■

would never otherwise have met, simply because of their religion,” said Mrs. Allen.

“They come to Knoxville and realize ‘they aren’t so different from me, and look what we can do when we work together.’ It’s a great experience for American teens. It was for me, and it was for my son. You get to be immersed in another culture, learn a different way of life, and introduce them to your American way of life. Plus you have

so much fun and get to make a difference in your community as well as Northern Ireland.”

The Ulster teens who came to Knoxville all hail from Derry.

“It is a city that has seen some really hard times from the Troubles,” said Mrs. Allen. “It is the city where ‘Bloody Sunday’ took place in the ’70s, when police opened fire on protesters, shooting and killing many Catholic citizens.”

Ulster continued from page 1

The activities help fulfill the Ulster Project’s mission, which in part hopes for “Christianbased potential leaders from Northern Ireland and the United States to become peacemakers.”

“I believe the Ulster Project has helped to make things better in Northern Ireland because it takes the future leaders of that country out of their environment and gives them a chance to meet peers they

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

THE EAST TENNESSEE

805 Northshore Drive S.W .

Ulster continued on page 8

Margaret Hunt Administrative assistant Toni Pacitti Intern

Knoxville, TN 37919-7551

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

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

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

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

he dwells

AMONG US

BY BISHOP RICHARD F. STIKA

Ministry of the youth Youth—and their special contributions—are a treasure of the Church.

The older I get, the more I appreciate Jesus’ words in Matthew’s Gospel about the necessity of becoming as little children (18:3).

I must admit, though, I sometimes find myself agreeing with the artist Pablo Picasso, who said, “It takes a long time to become young.” But I hope to receive a lesson on this over the course of the next two weeks, when I will be visited by eight of my nephews and nieces.

Pope John Paul II is remembered as the pope of the youth, among many other things, and he often referred to them as a “special treasure” of the Church. He noted that as we get older, it’s not uncommon for us look down on youth and perhaps become overly critical of them. But this mindset limits us to a “ministry to youth” rather than also emphasizing a “ministry of the youth.”

Pope John Paul II made this point during his 1999 visit to St. Louis, which I helped coordinate. During his address to the youth at the Kiel Center, where more than 20,000 people had gathered, he said something I’ll never forget: “Jesus does not have ‘contempt for your youth.’ He does not set you aside for a later time when you will be older and your training will be complete. Your training will never be finished. Christians are always in training.

You are ready for what Christ wants of you now” (Jan. 26, 1999).

The youth are not the Church of the future but of

the view from

HERE

the present. The rich young man who came to Christ with the question “What must I do?” (cf. Mark 10:17) turned away from Christ because of his many material possessions. But it was the treasure of his youth that first led him to Christ. The youth of today seek Christ with the same energy and the same questions: What must I do in life? and What brings meaning and fulfillment?

“Ministry to the youth” is a reminder that Jesus is in conversation with them, as he was with the rich young man.

“Ministry of the youth” is the sharing of their energy for Christ with others, especially with those whose energy for holiness has waned under life’s hardships. This is why I love being surrounded by our youth and visiting our schools and hanging out with them.

They show me God’s goodness and remind me that God asks us anew each day to “follow me” (cf. Mark 10:21).

The liturgical calendar and our celebrations of the saints can help us remember that the history of the Church is a history of youth because the Church is eternally young. I think of some of those very young saints whose love and energy for life did not deter them from expressing it sacrificially, as did St. Maria Goretti, St. Tarcisius, and St. Agnes, to mention just a few.

A modern-day saint I think we should especially look to is Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Although he lived only 24 years, his energy for holiness and joy continues to minister to countless people.

Pope John Paul II called him a “man of the beatitudes,” and his sister, Luciana, said, “He represented the finest in

BY MARY C. WEAVER

A gathering of Catholic media This year’s convention focused on practical matters.

This June I had the opportunity to attend the annual Catholic Media Convention, put on by the Catholic Press Association and the Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals.

This year’s meeting was especially good, for two reasons: it was held in New Orleans, one of my favorite cities; and many excellent and practical workshops were offered. I’m especially pleased that the Catholic Press Association has now embraced online media and come to recognize their importance.

Several years ago CPA members were asked to vote on whether internet-only publications should be admitted to the association. To me, the answer was an obvious yes: I didn’t think it mattered whether a publication existed on paper or online. I was astonished that the question even had to be asked. But CPA has come a long way since then.

This year’s convention began with optional daylong sessions for members who wanted to learn more about topics such as web design and programs such as InDesign T H E EA S T TE N N E S S E E C AT H OL IC

and Photoshop. (InDesign is page-layout software used to design publications and prepare them for printing; Photoshop is used, among other things, to prepare photos for use in publications.) I attended the InDesign session because we currently use a different page-layout program and plan to make the transition to InDesign later this year. It was excellent, with a highly professional instructor and plenty of great tips. As a result, I’m a lot more excited and less nervous about making the change.

I attended two workshops that touched on using video online. I’m no videographer, but the technological barriers involved in producing video are now so low that I’m ready to get started. One workshop was offered by Father David Guffey of Family Theater Productions (see a related story on our website: dioknox.org/ home/father-guffey); another was given by a photographer and videographer with The Times-Picayune, the awardwinning New Orleans daily paper.

I mention these experiences because some years the Catholic Media Convention’s program has been a bit insubstantial. Our budget is not huge, and unless the annual convention looks very strong, I don’t attend. This

Christian youth: pure, happy, enthusiastic about everything that is good and beautiful.”

This is the ministry that is particular to our youth.

I am very grateful to those in our parishes and schools who work so tirelessly with our youth and young adults, helping them recognize their place within God’s loving plan. I would also like to thank Al Forsythe and Karen Byrne of our diocesan Youth and Young Adult Ministry as well as Lourdes Garza and Blanca Primm for their Hispanic Ministry youth program. I offer special thanks as well to Marian Christiana in Chattanooga for her work as diocesan coordinator of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment.

These and many others remind me of that most memorable visit of John Paul II to St. Louis, when he reached out to the youth in such a masterly fashion, challenging them to realize their place, here and now, within the Church.

He reminded them, as I do now, that “training in devotion” includes frequent reception of the Eucharist and recourse to the sacrament of reconciliation.

Our youth thrive from training that perfects their gifts and directs their energy, both physical and spiritual. School activities and programs are one way of maturing and perfecting the gifts of mind and body. But I want to especially challenge all of you, particularly our youth, to participate in your parish community and become, like Blessed Giorgio, “an explosion of joy.” ■ BISHOP STIKA’S SCHEDULE These are some of Bishop Stika’s appointments: July 31: 11 a.m., Mass and celebration of marriage, St. Dominic Church, Kingsport Aug. 2-5: retreat with seminarians Aug. 6: ordination of Monsignors John J. McIntyre and Michael J. Fitzgerald as auxiliary bishops, Philadelphia ■

year’s meeting gave me information I can use to strengthen our paper and website.

One of the benefits of attending such a meeting is the chance to catch up with colleagues and make new friends. I always look forward to seeing Monsignor Owen Campion, the associate publisher of Our Sunday Visitor and a priest of the Diocese of Nashville. If you ever want to know the inside scoop on anything related to Catholic journalism (and numerous other topics), Monsignor is your man.

Another Tennessee friend was highly honored this year, and I’m happy I was there to see it. Tony Spence, now the director and editor in chief of Catholic News Service, received CPA’s highest honor: the St. Francis de Sales Award. For years Tony was editor of The Tennessee Register, the excellent newspaper published by the Nashville Diocese. Congratulations, Tony: your Tennessee friends are proud of you and honored by your success.

I’m pleased to tell you that our office—Dan McWilliams, Margaret Hunt, and I—were also honored in a small way.

The CPA convention concludes with an honors banquet, during which numerous awards are given for editorial, graphic, and advertising excellence. One of the awards categories was for special newspaper editions devoted to a new bishop. We entered our special Bishop Stika issue, dated March 22, 2009, and were

Diocese offers ongoing Virtus child-protection training sessions he Diocese of Knoxville’s program for the protection of children and youth—a three-hour seminar called “Protecting God’s Children”—is offered regularly throughout the diocese. The seminars are required for parish and school employees and regular volunteers in contact with children or vulnerable adults and recommended for parents and grandparents.

The following training sessions have been scheduled: ■ St. Alphonsus Church, Crossville, 6 p.m. CDT Tuesday, July 27; 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 3 (session will be conducted in Spanish) ■ All Saints Church, Knoxville, 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 7 (session

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will be held in the parish hall) ■ St. Mary Church, Oak Ridge, 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13 (session will be held in Columbus Hall) ■ St. Dominic School, Kingsport, 9 a.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 11 ■ St. Mary Church, Johnson City, 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 21; 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 15; 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18 (sessions will be held in St. Ann’s Hall) ■ St. Dominic Church, Kingsport, 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21 ■ Sacred Heart Cathedral, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24; 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21; 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 19 (sessions will be held in the Shea Room).

To register, visit virtusonline.org. ■

Howell continued from page 10

said. “In other words, sexual acts are only appropriate for people who are complementary, not the same.”

Howell continued, saying that society had disassociated sexual activity from morality and procreation, a contradiction of natural law.

While declining to discuss specifics of the case because it is a personnel matter, Kaler told Catholic News Service July 14 that academic freedom is vital to the university’s operation.

At the same time, she said, “a department needs to have the ability to decide who teaches its classes.”

“Adjuncts should not have an expectation to be employed beyond [their] contract,” Kaler added.

She said the university is committed to offering the classes in the future. “Right now it’s not determined who’s going to teach the courses,” she said.

Since the dismissal, Howell’s supporters have established a Facebook page, “Save Dr. Ken.” As of July 19 the site had more than 5,700 members.

Howell, a former Presbyterian minister who became Catholic in 1996, was cited for receiving outstanding ratings from students in the fall 2009 semester in a recent religion-department newsletter.

Note: The Alliance Defense Fund’s letter to the University of Illinois can be found at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/HowellLetter.pdf. ■ Copyright 2010 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Readings continued from page 2

ter to the Colossians.

In it Paul writes that death has already occurred for Christians. Baptism has ended our earthly lives and begun our resurrected lives joined to the risen Christ. What matters most is the new life of grace we are living in Christ Jesus.

Therefore, no worldly thing is of value, especially the labels we put on one another. Paul urges us to put to death such things as desire and greed so that we can make Christ all and in all.

This Gospel is as essential and central to Christ’s message as it is neglected today. Its neglect is the reason why the Christian message has not yet conquered the world.

Please meditate deeply on this Gospel and allow it to give your life real meaning. ■ Father Brando is the pastor of St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg.

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

View continued on page 7

www.d ioknox.org

JULY 25, 2010

■

3

OLPH, Chattanooga ■ The Home & School Association has

formed a groundskeeping and beautification committee to work on the church and school landscaping yearround. Contact Beth Tapley at 423290-0766 or bethtapley@gmail.com to volunteer.

■ The OK’s (older kids) club will travel to the Cumberland County Playhouse in Crossville to see Brigadoon on Saturday, Sept. 11. The bus will leave the parking lot at Our Lady of Perpetual Help at 10:30 a.m. Cost is $63 and includes lunch, the play, and transportation. For reservations, call Eveline Buske at 423-622-1418 or Phil Harper at 875-5258.

St. Jude, Chattanooga ■ St. Jude School will celebrate its

50th anniversary this fall. Former students, families, faculty, and community members who have supported the school over the years are welcome to attend a Sept. 25 celebration. E-mail Kathie Etherton at ketherton@stjude chattanooga.org to learn more.

■ Parishioners congratulated Father Charlie Burton on the 30th anniversary of his priestly ordination at receptions after Masses on July 11.

Father Burton was ordained July 11, 1980, at St. Jude.

■ A “Friends and Family Trivia Night” will be held after the 5:30 p.m. first Friday Mass on Aug. 6. Call 423-8702386 to register a team.

■ The Chattanooga Times Free Press will donate to St. Jude School 50 percent of the money from subscriptions started or upgraded at www. timesfreepress.com/stjude. Call 7576584 for details.

■ Rising eighth-grader Christine Palisoc represented St. Jude recently in the National Beta Club Spelling Bee.

St. Stephen, Chattanooga ■ The parish’s 50th-anniversary cele-

bration is set for the weekend of Nov. 20 and 21. Early parish families are encouraged to submit pictures, stories, and planning ideas regarding the milestone. Call John Vannucci at 423-2960537 to participate.

■ Knights of Columbus Council 6099 is collecting aluminum cans to support diocesan seminarians. Put cans in the bin in the parking lot.

■ Anniversaries: John and Paula Bukata (50), Mike and Beverly Hunter (40) Five Rivers Deanery

Holy Trinity, Jefferson City ■ With Father Dan Whitman away for

the weekend, the parish welcomed Mass celebrants Father Mike Jennings on July 17 and Father John Appiah on July 18.

■ Anniversaries: Emery and Mildred Faulkner (62), Chuck and Bernice Salley (58), Hal and Bonnie Wareham (54), Lee and Evangeline Webster (53), Ken and Sandy Price (45), John and Anne Wharton (40), Charles and Shari Nash (15) ■ An adult summer craft camp meets at 10:30 a.m. to noon on Mondays.

Call Marlene Holt at 865-712-0959.

Notre Dame, Greeneville ■ Parishioners welcomed new pas-

tor Father Bill Keebler after all Masses on the weekend of July 10 and 11.

■ The food bank collected 180 pounds of sugar in May and 57 pounds of cereal in June. Pinto beans are needed for July.

St. Dominic, Kingsport ■ Items for the annual rummage sale

may be dropped off beginning Tuesday, Aug. 24. The sale will be held Saturday, Sept. 11. Call Chris Terry at 423-239-8744.

■ The Martha and Mary group will sponsor a rafting trip Saturday, July 31, on the Nolichucky River near Erwin.

Sign up in the vestibule. Cost is $40.

Call Chris Terry (see above) for more information.

■ High school youth will meet in the kitchen of the parish life center at 12:30 p.m. to begin cooking for their first “Mitch’s BBQ” to feed the homeless in Kingsport. The youth will then serve the meals at the Kitchen of Hope.

■ The high-schoolers continued their “Tuesdays With Jesus” series July 13 at Panera Bread and invited Ulster Project teens to join them. The group discussed The Lamb’s Supper (Doubleday Religion, 1999) by Scott Hahn.

■

JULY 25, 2010

St. Elizabeth, Elizabethton ■ The Knights of Columbus are plan-

ning a grill-and-chill barbecue dinner at 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, at the church. Smoked and regular barbecue chicken dinners will be available as dine-in or takeout. Door prizes will be given away. Tickets are $7 with a maximum cost of $20 per family. Proceeds will go to needy families in the area.

■ Anniversaries: Dean and Shirley Batchelder (55), Mark and Lou Ann Mollish (30)

St. Patrick, Morristown ■ The Hispanic Ministry will host a

parish retreat from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 21, in the parish center.

■ The youth will sponsor a yard sale Saturday, Aug. 28, in the church basement. Parishioners are encouraged to bring items during regular office hours Tuesday through Friday.

■ More than $300,000 has been pledged for the “St. Patrick’s Vision 2010” fundraising campaign.

otre Dame Parish in Greeneville will dedicate its new religious-education building Sunday, Aug. 15.

A bilingual Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. by Bishop Richard F. Stika and concelebrated

by Father John Appiah and Father Bill Keebler. Deacon Jim Fage will assist, along with seminarian Dustin Collins.

The youth in RE classes will begin the Mass with a procession of banners for each grade from preschool through high school. The dedication will follow beginning in the narthex.

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The expansion consists of 10 classrooms, a multipurpose meeting room, restrooms, and a narthex. Crucifixes will be blessed by the bishop and placed in the classrooms by the high school students as the rooms are blessed.

The youth will sing during the sprinkling rite.

A meal will be served in the parish hall at 1 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults for a prime-rib meal and $5 for children for a chicken-tender meal. The last date to purchase tickets is Monday, Aug. 2. Call the parish at 423639-9381. ■

Cumberland Mountain Deanery

All Saints, Knoxville ■ Teachers are needed for the reli-

gious-education program for first, third, fourth, and fifth grades. Call Miriam at 865-692-0980 or Carol at 6752495 for more information.

COURTESY OF DEB PEACHEY

Chattanooga Deanery

4

Dedication of Notre Dame Church extension set Aug. 15

BY TONI PACITTI

Blessed Sacrament, Harriman ■ The Council of Catholic Women is

accepting usable items (no clothes or shoes) for its 2010 bazaar, set for Saturday, Oct. 16. Leave items in the parish hall beginning Sept. 1.

May crowning in Gatlinburg The Council of Catholic Women at St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg held its annual May crowning recently. Anne Mihalek (right) was the May queen, and Eileen Widmer assisted her.

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade ■ The prayer-blanket ministry began meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesdays in July.

■ CD recordings of weeks two, three, and four of Father John Dowling’s Bible study on Romans are available in the library. Father Dowling will begin a new Bible study on the Book of Revelation at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 2.

■ Anniversaries: Newt and Shirley Hurst (59), Robert and Madonna Boncher (58), Bernard and Darlene DeFillipi (56), Philip and Johanne Ardire (52), John and Sally Price (50), Jerome and Carol Scherer (50), Don and Sherry Koch (45) ■ Newcomers: Ruth Hill, Robert and Sandra King, Donald and Kellie Rigano, Robert and Martha Takac, Dan and Jo Wind

St. John Neumann, Farragut ■ Father Pat Garrity recently an-

nounced the hiring of two new parttime members of the parish staff.

Marilyn Derbyshire, formerly director of religious education at St. Jude in Chattanooga, is St. John Neumann’s new family and parish-life ministry coordinator. Al Forsythe, diocesan director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, will have the same role with St. John Neumann’s youth ministry.

COURTESY OF ANN DENNIS

NOTES

Children at Holy Family take part in ‘Cupcake Rosary’ The Legion of Mary at Holy Family Parish in Seymour sponsored its annual “Cupcake Rosary” celebration and May crowning recently. Pastor Father Ragan Schriver (in back) spoke to CCD children about Mary’s place in the church and why Catholics ask for her prayers of intercession. The Knights of Columbus George S. Kurtz Council at Holy Family provided an honor guard for the procession to and from the grotto, where the children presented flowers and recited a decade of the rosary.

Smoky Mountain Deanery COURTESY OF SHIRLEY COPELAND

parish

Holy Ghost, Knoxville ■ Bishop James Vann Johnston Jr.

of the Diocese of Springfield–Cape Girardeau, Mo., a native of Holy Ghost Parish, celebrated the 10 a.m. Mass on July 11.

■ Father John Orr blessed scapulars and enrolled parishioners and visitors in the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on July 17.

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville ■ Parishioners said farewell to Fa-

ther Joe Ciccone, CSP, at receptions after Masses on July 17 and 18. Father Ciccone will begin a new assignment Aug. 1 as director of the St. Thomas More Newman Center at Ohio State University.

■ “Building the Church Together: A Sponsor’s Workshop” for RCIA sponsors will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 2, in the parish hall. E-mail Marian Howard at icaff@bellsouth.net or call the church office at 865-522-1508.

St. Albert the Great, Knoxville ■ The parish celebrated its third an-

niversary over the July 4 weekend. St. Albert the Great has grown to 446 families (1,212 members) since its founding.

Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa ■ Father Wilfranc Servil from Haiti

will begin a two-week visit to the Parish notes continued on page 5

St. Patrick CCW holds third annual garden party The Council of Catholic Women at St. Patrick Parish in Morristown held its third annual Ladies’ Spring Garden Party and vintage jewelry sale May 23 at the home of parishioners George and Christine Mathews. Women were encouraged to wear hats, such as those sported by Evelyn Beeleart (left) and Marlene Karwowski above.

Several women donated jewelry for the sale.

Stephen Ministry grows at St. Thomas the Apostle ive new Stephen Ministers were recently commissioned at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City.

Ann Hall, Helen Kroll, Bob Meier, and Sue and T. J. Paulus completed 50 hours of training that included the topics of effective listening, confidentiality, and accessing community resources, before they joined the 15 Stephen Ministers currently serving the parish.

“We are pleased to

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be able to expand our caring ministry.

These additional trained laypeople will be a big help to our congregation and community,” said St. Thomas pastor Father Christian Mathis in welcoming the new lay caregivers.

St. Thomas is one of more 10,000 congregations in 25 countries with a Stephen Ministry program, a free confidential ministry that offers care and support for people facing

life challenges, such as a death, divorce, job crisis, or other difficulties. Beyond their initial training, Stephen Ministers attend twice-monthly continuing-education and supervision support sessions to assist them in providing the best possible care.

For more information about the St. Thomas Stephen Ministry program, call contact Barbara Brennan at 865-4588922 or Lil Pendergast at 458-1949. ■

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

Bishop Richard F. Stika will host a bilingual celebration at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 31, to honor married couples and their commitment to the sacrament of marriage. The celebration will include Mass, an opportunity to renew wedding vows, and a luncheon for couples and their family and friends following the liturgy. Mass will begin at 11 a.m. To attend the luncheon, RSVP

by Monday, July 26, to Marian Christiana of the diocesan Marriage Preparation and Enrichment Office at 423-892-2310 or mchristiana@dioknox. org or Karen Byrne at 865-584-3307 or kbyrne@dioknox.org. Couples who RSVP should indicate how long they have been married.

The 17th annual Sacred Heart Cathedral Children’s Consignment Sale is set for Friday and Saturday, July 23 and 24, in the school gym. The sale is sponsored by the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Guild and is open to everyone.

The merchandise includes items for newborn to teenage children, along with maternity items. Cribs, car seats, bikes, toys, games, and sports equipment will be sold, along with clothing and shoes. Organizers accept and sell only items in good clean condition. Local consignors receive 70 percent of their asking price with the remainder going to education grants for the teachers at Sacred Heart Cathedral School and Knoxville Catholic High School. For more information, visit exchange.shcathedral.org or call 865692-2044.

The annual diocesan Youth Leadership Institute will be held July 25 through 29 at The Oaks Retreat Center in Greeneville. This year’s theme is “LOL2: Live Out Loud, Lead Out Loud” (note correction in the theme). YLI’s focus is helping young people develop an understanding of Christian leadership and the principles of effectively serving the Church. Youth can hear speakers, attend Mass, take part in a ropes challenge course, swim, and lodge in air-conditioned cabins. Cost is $225. For more information, contact deanery coordinators Donna Jones at djones6029@gmail.com (Chattanooga), Deacon Jim Fage at djim5rivers@ charter.net (Five Rivers), or Deacon Dan Hosford at djh2@comcast.net (Cumberland and Smoky Mountain), or e-mail diocesan Youth and Young Adult Ministry director Al Forsythe at aforsythe@dioknox.org.

A Trunk & Tailgate Sale will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, in the parking lot at St. Alphonsus Church in Crossville. Spots may be purchased for $25. Contact Pauline at 931-484-2358, extension 108, or YM38555@gmail.com. All proceeds will benefit the parish youth ministry.

Memorial Health Care System will sponsor a free seminar, titled “Nourishing Your Spirit Through the Journey of Cancer,” at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 10. The seminar is part of the “Strong and Smart: Living Well With Cancer” dial-up series. Participants listen to medical experts via phone or view presentations on their computers, and they have an opportunity to ask questions. The seminar will be presented by Theresa Gregoire, chaplain at Penrose–St. Francis Health Services in Colorado Springs, Colo. To register, call 800-278-7837. The next session in the series is titled “Late Effects of Radiation Therapy in Prostate Cancer Treatment” and will be presented Sept. 22.

The Sevier County chapter of Tennessee Right to Life will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5, at the Pigeon Forge Library. Election of officers for 2011 will be held. For information, call 908-2689.

The annual Altar Server Day in the Smokies is set for Saturday, Aug. 28.

Altar servers can attend Mass with Bishop Richard F. Stika as principal celebrant at 3:30 p.m. at Holy Trinity Church in Jefferson City. A picnic at 5 p.m. and a Tennessee Smokies baseball game will follow at 6:15 p.m. at Smokies Park in Kodak. Registration forms will be sent to all parishes.

Servers interested in attending should speak to their pastor, youth minister, or altar-server coordinator.

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

East Tennessee Catholics are invited to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Jordan from Nov. 7 through 20 with spiritual directors Fathers David Boettner, Michael Woods, and Jim Harvey. Pilgrims will visit Jerusalem, Tiberias, Nazareth, and Cana, including the Mount of Olives, the Church of St. John the Baptist, the Church of the Visitation, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the Mount of Beatitudes. Pilgrims also may follow Jesus’ Palm Sunday route and the Via Dolorosa. Cost is $2,899 (cash) or $3,078, plus $599 in airport fees (from Atlanta), a $55 border-crossing fee, and a $25 Jordan visa fee.

There is a $400 deposit. Sister Albertine Paulus, RSM, is the pilgrimage coordinator. For a brochure and registration form, contact her at 865207-4742 or smaevang@yahoo.com.

A free two-hour seminar on the annulment process will be held at 12:30 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 24, at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville. Father David Carter will be the presenter, and simultaneous Spanish translation will be available.

Contact Marian Christiana at 423-8922310 or mchristiana@dioknox.org.

The next “Picture of Love” engagedcouples retreat will be held Friday, Nov. 5, and Saturday, Nov. 6, at St. Jude Church in Chattanooga. This marriage-preparation retreat is a supplement to couples’ marriage formation with their parish priest and is designed to help couples gain a better understanding of the joys and challenges of living the sacrament of matrimony. Cost is $135 per couple and includes meals. The retreat certificate is good for a $60 discount on a marriage license. To register or learn more, contact Marian Christiana of the diocesan Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment at 423-892-2310 or mchristiana@dioknox.org.

St. Ann Church in Charlotte, N.C., is hosting a “Sing Like a Catholic” workshop Friday and Saturday, Aug. 6 and 7. The workshop will focus primarily on instruction in Gregorian chant, and presenters will conduct a study of polyphony, the harmonization that developed from chant. Those of all ages and all levels of experience, particularly beginners, may attend. There will be discussions of resources for church musicians as well as a keynote lecture, “Sing Like a Catholic,” by Jeffrey Tucker. Arlene Oost-Zinner will conduct the chant. Cost is $99 (waived for seminarians and clergy). Register or learn more at stanncharlotte.org. Call the church at 704-523-4641.

Registration is under way for Diocese of Knoxville young people who plan to attend World Youth Day in Madrid in August 2011. Total cost is $3,321 per person, which includes accommodations (double occupancy), daily American buffet breakfasts, WYD fees, and airline taxes and fuel charges. A second option offers simple accommodations on school-gym floors but includes everything else above, at a cost of $2,299. A deposit of $250 is needed to hold a reservation. Second and third payments of $500 each are due by Oct. 31 and Feb. 15, with the final payment due no later than May 15, 2011. For more information, contact Al Forsythe, diocesan director of Youth and Youth Adult Ministry, at 865584-3307 or aforsythe@dioknox.org, or Lucille of Regina Tours at 800-CATHOLIC, extension 208. Obtain information online at www.dioknox.org.

The Community of Sant’Egidio is a Catholic lay ecclesial movement that focuses on prayer and service to the poor. Currently there are two Sant’Egidio groups meeting in the Diocese of Knoxville, in Knoxville and Johnson City. For more information on the Knoxville group, call Ellen Macek at 865-675-5541. Call Father Michael Cummins at 423-926-7061 for more details on the Johnson City group. All of the faithful are welcome to attend.

Knoxville Catholic High School will host a volleyball camp for hitters and setters on the weekend of July 23 through 25 in the gym. Middle and high school students may attend.

Costs are $65 for hitters and $125 for setters. Contact Mike Jones at Calendar continued on page 7

COURTESY OF SHARON KING

BY TONI PACITTI

READY TO SERVE New officers for the Chattanooga Serra Club are (from left) Emily Knoch, Skip Nardo, president Mike St. Charles, Pat Jabaley, Fos Goodwin, chaplain Father George Schmidt, Sophia Bridger, and Richard Buhrman.

Chattanooga Serrans install officers for 2010-11 he Chattanooga Serra Club recently installed new officers for its fiscal year beginning July 1 at the annual installation banquet held at the Chattanooga Choo Choo.

Father George Schmidt, pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga and the club chaplain, installed the officers. Club members and spouses, together with priests and men and women religious from the area, were in attendance.

Officers installed for the new year are president Mike St.

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Charles; president-elect Skip Nardo; vice president for vocations Sophia Bridger; vice president for membership Larry Parks; vice president for programs Jerry McCrary; vice president for communications Richard Buhrman; secretary Emily Knoch; treasurer Fos Goodwin; and past-president trustees Pat Jabaley, Melvin Downs, and Bert Shramko. Father Schmidt will again serve as chaplain.

For more information about the Chattanooga Serra Club, visit www.serrachatta.org. ■

COURTESY OF FATHER MICHAEL CUMMINS

CALENDAR

Sant’Egidio community in Rome hosts East Tennessee Catholics A group of 12 college students and six adults from the diocese went on a pilgrimage to Rome from June 16 to 24. They were hosted by the Community of Sant’Egidio while in Rome. The group lodged at a hostel run by the community, visited sites relating to Christian history, attended the Angelus offered by Pope Benedict XVI on June 20, joined the community for prayer every evening, and worked at service sites run by Sant’Egidio. The pilgrim group visited a house for the elderly, worked one day at the Mensa (a soup kitchen that feeds 1,000 people daily), and helped to distribute food to street people. They also took a day trip to Assisi. Above are the pilgrims in the chapel of Sant’Egidio. From left are (front) Kate Ryals, Lyndsay Whitmore, Haley Krotz, Jennifer Lamine, and Katherine Angulo, and (back) Sydney Dunavin, Kevin Cummins, Father Michael Cummins, Sean Kirvin, Carleigh Hewa, Laura Goodhard, Dee Mingey of the Sant’Egidio community of New York City, Laurie Whitmore, Christian Cummins, Josh Whitaker, Erin Morgan, Paolo Mancinelli of Rome, Laura Manhard, Chris Kudialis, and Terry Kirvin.

IC Parish hosting its third Irish Fest COURTESY OF JACK MCCUSKER

on the

Knox Knights present $2,500 grant The MR Foundation of Tennessee awarded a grant, requested by Knights of Columbus Council 645 in Knoxville, of $2,500 to Sunshine Industries. Sunshine provides supported employment opportunities to intellectually challenged clients. The grant will be used to purchase logsplitting equipment and supplies to start a firewood business, Sunshine Alternative Fuels. Wood for the project will be provided by Cortese Tree Specialists. It is hoped that proceeds from the venture will help fund additional staff and additional client opportunities. Above, Richard Metcalf of Council 645 presents the check to Judy Wohlwend, executive director of Sunshine Industries.

With them are Michael Cortese (left) and Jim Cortese.

mmaculate Conception Parish in Knoxville will sponsor the third annual Irish Fest on the Hill fundraiser from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14.

Music will be provided by Shamrock Road, Red-Haired Mary, and Heather and Rye. Irish dancers from the Drake School of Dance will perform.

Admission is $5 (free for children under 12). Contact Becky Birdwell at birdwellent@ bellsouth.net or 865522-4844. ■

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Parish notes continued from page 4

parish July 22. Parishioners contributed to a special collection for Father Servil’s school, which Our Lady of Fatima helps support.

■ Father Bede Aboh installed new and returning officers at the Council of Catholic Women’s June meeting.

Reelected were Cheryl Land as president and Mary Ann Backscheider as

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treasurer. New officers are vice president Captrice Richardson and secretary Bridget Shoecraft. Joan Speck received the Madeline Woodman Volunteer of the Year award for 2010 at the meeting.

■ The CCW’s spring High Tea and Fashion Show raised $1,300 for various charities. ■ JULY 25, 2010

■

5

Deaths DR. E. V. DAVIDSON

Papal honoree Dr. Elvyn Verone “Doc” Davidson, 86, of Immaculate Conception Parish in Knoxville died Tuesday, July 6, from complications of a stroke.

Dr. Davidson and nine others from around the diocese received a Benemerenti Medal (“for excellent merit”), presented Dec. 17, 2006, at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville as part of several honors conferred by Pope Benedict XVI. A native of New York City and a World War II veteran who served with the Buffalo Soldiers and received a Purple Heart, Dr. Davidson practiced as a physician in East Knoxville for 40 years.

On Jan. 16, 2005, the city of Knoxville honored him by dedicating the renovated Eastside YMCA as the Dr. E. V. Davidson Community Center, the ceremony occurring one day before that year’s celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday.

“This is one of the most outstanding days of my entire life,” he said at the dedication.

“I’m honored to have been selected not only by the mayor and his staff but by the community itself. I tried hard to do as much as I could for the community.”

Dr. Davidson graduated from Lincoln (Pa.) University and Meharry Medical College in Nashville.

He received his certification in surgery at New York University. He later served as chief of surgery at the University of Tennessee Medical Center as a staff physician at Baptist Hospital in Knoxville. He was an adjunct professor of UT’s Normandy Scholars Program and chairman of the clinic at St. Joseph School in Knoxville.

In 1958, while serving a residency at Harlem Hospital, Dr. Davidson assisted in the surgery on Dr. King after New York City resident Izola Ware Curry stabbed him in the chest during a book signing in Manhattan. “To Dr. Aubre Maynard and his associates and the splendid hospital staff, I am unable to say enough in expressing my gratitude,” Dr. King said in a statement released 10 days after the assassination attempt.

Dr. Davidson came to Knoxville a year later. “I love this place,” he said at the 2005 dedication.

“I came to visit in 1959, and I’m still here. I never left.” The city “gained one of its most remarkable citizens when Dr. Davidson moved here,” said Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam at the dedication.

A Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus and member of Knights Council 645, Dr. Davidson was also a member of the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial Committee. He was a lifetime member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, a head usher and a former parish-council member at Immaculate Conception, and a Sunday School teacher of the men’s class at Mount Zion Baptist Church for 30-plus years.

Dr. Davidson worked with the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the Helen Ross McNabb Center, the YMCA, the Knoxville Area Urban League, Care Plus Home Health Care, the Sertoma Center, and the John T. O’Connor Center. He was named to Who’s Who in the South and Southeast and Who’s Who Among Black Americans.

In 1994 he received a Religious Service Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Esther Johnson Davidson.

Survivors include his children, Pamela E. Chesney, Dr. Evelyne M. Davidson, and Elvyn V. Davidson II; five grandchildren; foster daughter Alice Williams; and numerous godchildren.

The funeral Mass was celebrated Friday, July 9, at Immaculate Conception with Father Joseph Ciccone, CSP, officiating. Interment was in Knoxville National Cemetery with full military honors.

Contributions may be made to St. Joseph School or Knoxville Catholic High School in Dr. Davidson’s name. ■

CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ

Dr. Elvyn “Doc” Davidson receives a papal medal from then–Knoxville Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz during an awards ceremony on Dec. 17, 2006. Dr. Davidson, a parishioner of Immaculate Conception in Knoxville died on July 6 at age 86.

HONOR FROM THE POPE

tant to the main postulator, and I edited a little devotional book for Paulist Press, Isaac Hecker for Every Day. There’s a quote from Hecker for each day of the year to meditate on, so that’s something I’ve really enjoyed doing in recent years especially.”

He used an adjective regarding the size of IC Church that isn’t often applied.

“It’s a beautiful little church. It’s not so little, I suppose, but compared with the one I’m at, it’s smaller. It’s a lovely church.”

Father Tully, who was ordained at St. Paul the Apostle in 1994, arrived in Knoxville from his previous assignment at the Paulists’ parish in Portland, Ore. He had never been to East Tennessee.

“I’m enjoying it very much,” he said.

“It’s a nice part of the world down here.”

Father Tully said he is still “getting to know everybody.”

“It’s a wonderful faith community here.

It’s got an impressive history. The Paulists have been here going back to the days of [IC’s first Paulist pastor] Tom Connellan back in the 1970s, and we’ve established a wonderful relationship with the worshiping community.”

He said that in his ministry “a lot of my focus has been in ecumenism and interfaith dialogue.”

Father Tully and outgoing IC pastor Father Joe Ciccone will spend a month together before Father Franco’s assignment begins.

“I’ve known Father Joe,” said Father Tully.

“We sort of overlapped in our formation time when we were doing studies, so I’ve known him for quite some time.”

Father Keebler is no stranger to Tennessee, having attended high school at Sewanee Military

SAINTHOOD CAUSE Cardinal Edward M. Egan of New York addresses the assembly on Jan. 27, 2008, after receiving a commemorative medallion from Father John F. Duffy, president of the Paulist Fathers, during a ceremony formally opening the canonization cause for Father Isaac Hecker, founder of the Paulists, at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York.

Academy. He comes to Greeneville accompanied by his two Yorkshire terriers, Hoosier and Emma Mae. He’s glad to be back in the Volunteer State.

“I love it. I spent four years of high school here, and it’s good to be closer to my family,” he said.

“They all live in north Florida. I was raised just south of Jacksonville in a town called Crescent City, right on the St. John’s River.

“It’s just gorgeous here, and the people are wonderful.”

A priest of the Diocese of Peoria, Ill, Father Keebler will celebrate his 20th anniversary of ordination next May 25.

Father Keebler is a former Episcopalian, having come into the Catholic Church at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Chattanooga in the early 1970s.

“I converted for the Eucharist, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Pope,” he said.

One ministry outshines all of the others for him.

“The best ministry that I like to be involved in is called the priestly ministry. All ministries are good; we need them all.”

Father Joseph in Johnson City was born in Tuticorin, India.

“I’m new here, but

I see that people are very warm and welcoming, and they are very Catholic,” he said. “I feel at home here.

“It’s a very big parish with a lot of activities, a lot of groups, and a big youth group.”

Longtime Diocese of Knoxville priest Father Joe Brando helped bring Father Joseph to the diocese.

The Brooklyn native’s aunt Anna underwent surgery last year and was recuperating at a rehabilitation center in the Bronx when she met India native Father Anthony Savarimutha there. Father Brando spent last August through October visiting India missions and through his aunt came to know Father Savarimutha.

Father Joseph is a friend of Father Savarimutha and had volunteered at the same rehab center before.

Father Brando “is very mission oriented,” said Father Joseph. “We became friends. Sometimes when he came to New York he stayed with me. He is a very good-hearted person.”

Father Joseph said that Father Brando “was telling me that ‘in Knoxville we need priests, and why don’t you come to Knoxville instead of going to other parishes in

New York, because they have a lot of priests?’ I said, ‘OK, let me think.’ Then a month or two went by, and after that his mother died. He came for the funeral in upstate New York.”

At the funeral Father Joseph met the Diocese of Knoxville’s then–episcopal vicar, Father David Boettner, and chancellor Deacon Sean Smith.

“Father Brando introduced me to them and said I was considering coming to our diocese. They talked with me and invited me to come to Knoxville.”

He met the Chancery staff at Christmastime and most of East Tennessee’s priests at the chrism Mass this year.

Father Joseph celebrated a school graduation Mass on June 11 before flying to Johnson City the next day.

“I went from the Tri-State area to the Tri-Cities Airport.”

Father Joseph was ordained in his native town and will celebrate his 30th anniversary Oct. 30.

Before coming to America, he “worked in the missions in a lot of small villages for 16 years.” Now, he said, “again I’m going to a place where I’m needed.” ■

COURTESY OF SEAN DRISCOLL

DEACON PATRICK MURPHY-RACEY

New priests continued from page 1

Bishop visits inmates at Morgan County prison Bishop Richard F. Stika visited medium-security inmates at the Morgan County Correctional Complex in Wartburg on July 12. Pictured with him are Father Michael Sweeney, pastor of Blessed Sacrament in Harriman, and Sean Driscoll of Sacred Heart Cathedral. The three took part in a banquet along with 35 prisoners during their visit.

Father Sweeney has been the chaplain at the Morgan County prison for many years, and both Blessed Sacrament volunteers and he formerly visited inmates at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Petros, which closed in 2009.

Mr. Driscoll has been a volunteer at both prisons for 12 years. Several members of the Sunday at Seven group at Sacred Heart regularly fund a banquet for the prisoners and for other groups.

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JULY 25, 2010

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

our

PRIESTS

from the

BY MARGARET HUNT

PARACLETE

BY BETHANY MARINAC

Men thinking of priesthood should ‘let God guide’ A Bible made for lectio divina A Holy Land visit was the ‘greatest thing that ever happened’ to Father Vélez and helped him say yes to God’s call.

experience. Being with a priest [Father Charlie Burton] who has been ordained for so long has been a wonderful experience because I have learned a lot of things from him, and he has given me so much good advice about priesthood, ministry, spirituality, and also personal life.

ather Miguel Vélez, associate pastor of St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga, was ordained June 7, 2008, at Our Lady of Carmel Church in Pereira, Colombia. He began seminary training in Colombia and completed his training at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois. His parents are Cielo Cardona and the late Miguel Vélez. He has a younger sister, Ana Maria Vélez, who works as a primary school teacher.

What have your first two years of priesthood been like?

It has been the beginning of a most wonderful time. I compare life with the mysteries of the rosary: we have the sorrowful, we have the luminous, we have the joyful, and so it’s like a part of my life. I think I’m in the glorious mysteries now because it is the beginning of my ministry, so everything is joy, everything is happiness, and you are trying to adjust to this new style of life, trying to organize your work life at the same time you try to organize your spiritual life and to grow in both.

In the future there will be sad moments and difficulties, but as with the mysteries of the rosary, all is about Jesus Christ, so I put my life in the hands of Jesus Christ. He has been guiding me all this time.

How was your spiritual life encouraged as a child?

God calls everyone and the answer that you give to God is different depending on the person, so God never stops calling us. I lost my father when I was about 7 years old.

I had a breaking point when I was a teenager that made me start thinking about priesthood and being close to the Church. I joined the youth group and prayer groups. We were not born saints. We become saints throughout our lives, so God takes advantage of this wish to be holy, to make us holy. I think the decision to be a priest is some-

DAN MCWILLIAMS

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Father Miguel Vélez

thing you get through your life, and even if you are a priest, you have to live every day with the answer you give to God, so just try to be faithful to your promises and try to fulfill the things you promised for the goodness of the Church, for the goodness of the people, and for your own goodness.

What has been most fulfilling in your priestly life?

The greatest thing that has happened to me is having the chance to do two ministries.

Dealing with the Anglo people and at the same time helping the ones who don’t speak English and who speak Spanish, so this is double duty—to be a bridge between these two cultures and keep them united as one community in Christ.

What do you admire about priests who have been ordained a long time? What qualities would you like to emulate?

They have wisdom from which I can learn. They have experience, they have wisdom, they have so many things that can be useful for your priesthood. They have the sense to advise you in best way possible. Sometimes when you are a younger priest or when you are just ordained, there are opportunities to make a lot of mistakes because you don’t have the

What do you do for fun?

I try to keep my mind busy, so when I have time, I like to play video games and I like to work out. I go hiking or spinning or lifting weights—just to have a healthy body and to improve my health and keep my mind busy.

What would you say to a man who believes he may have a vocation to the priesthood?

The very best advice is to let God do the work. I tell them to let God guide their vocation, and he will show you where he needs you.

When you were discerning your call, was there ever a time when you weren’t sure you wanted to be a priest?

If so, what helped you?

The vocation and the answer to God is a constant fight because there are always people or situations that are going to distract you. When I was studying at Mundelein, we went to the Holy Land for studies and had the opportunity to follow in the steps of Jesus Christ. It was the greatest thing that ever happened to me, to recognize not only by faith, but also by having that experience, that everything I had believed all my life is true.

That helped me a lot to push my vocation and to say totally to God, “Yes, I want to be a priest.” I think it was the point where I had the most prayerful experience in which I said, “Yes, God, this is the moment.

You have given me everything, and now I give you all my life to serve you.” ■

Mrs. Hunt is administrative assistant for the Media Office.

Calendar continued from page 5

vbjones13@comcast.net. Visit www.knoxvillecatholic.com/ athletics-summercamps.asp to download a flyer for the volleyball camp.

The calendar at Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga includes several classes for patients through the end of July. Cancer, heart, and diabetes patients should call 495-7778, 495-7764, or 495-7970, respectively.

St. John Neumann School in Farragut is holding a baseball and softball camp from Monday, July 26, through Thursday, July 29.

Cost is $75. Contact Jeni Sompayrac at jsompayrac@sjncsknox.org, or call the school at 865-777-0077 for details.

Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga has will hold a “jump start” camp from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday, July 26, through Friday, July 30, to help freshmen transition from middle school to high school. Cost is $150. Contact the school at 423624-4618 or e-mail summer camp@myndhs.com.

Alexian Brothers Senior Ministries has numerous events planned in coming weeks. A Senior Neighbors men’s luncheon is set for noon Tuesday, July 27.

Dawn Weber, director of the Alexian Brothers Foundation, will speak. Cost is $8. Call 423-755TH E E A S T TE N N E S S E E C AT H OL IC

6100 by July 22 to RSVP. Visit www.AlexianBrothers.net to view the new “Alexian Chat” newsletter and a calendar of events.

The next charismatic Mass in the diocese will be celebrated at 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 29, at Holy Spirit Church in Soddy-Daisy. Father Dan Whitman of Holy Trinity Parish in Jefferson City will be the celebrant. Another charismatic Mass is set for Oct. 24 at Holy Spirit. Call Dee Leigh at 423-8422305 for more information.

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

The Serra Club of Greater Chattanooga meets on second and fourth Mondays at the Chattanooga Choo Choo. Meetings begin with Mass at 11:40 a.m. celebrated by club chaplain Father George Schmidt, with lunch and a speaker following. Visit www. serrachatta.org for more details.

Holy Resurrection Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Mission has Divine Liturgy celebrations at 3:30 p.m. Sundays at Holy Ghost Church, 1041 N. Central St. in Knoxville. Call Father Thomas O’Connell at 865-256-4880.

The St. Thomas the Apostle Ukrainian Catholic Mission celebrates Divine Liturgy at 10 a.m.

Sundays in the chapel at the Chancery. Call Father Richard Armstrong at 865-584-3307 for more information.

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, and at 3 p.m. on second and fourth Sundays at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Madisonville. Visit www.knoxlatin mass.net for details.

Upcoming events for Catholic Singles of Greater Knoxville (40 and over) include the following: ■ Wednesday, July 28: Coffee and conversation at Panera Bread on North Peters Road, 6:30 p.m. Call Randy S. at 865-556-3781 for more details. Ronald McDonald House service project. Contact Donna T. at 531-3839 or penguin7@prodigy.net.

■ Wednesday, Aug. 4: Planning meeting for September and October events and dinner at Tom & Barry’s, 7706 S. Northshore Drive, 6:15 p.m. Contact Gail B. at 3997617 or gbraunsroth@charter.net to suggest a singles activity.

■ Friday, Aug. 6: August birthday celebration at Flatwater Grill in Oak Ridge, 6:30 p.m. RSVP to Keith by Aug. 5 at 719-2832. ■ www.d ioknox.org

his month we feature just one book: The Catholic Prayer Bible: Lectio Divina Edition (Paulist Press, 2010). We’ve been waiting for this muchlauded book to arrive for months. The reason this Bible has been so eagerly anticipated is that its special features were written to encourage contemplation and prayer on the Scriptures in an easy-to-use format.

This type of Bible study is recommended

by Pope Benedict XVI as a way to renew our faith. In the introduction to the book, the pope writes, “I would like to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of lectio divina: the diligent reading of Sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to him with trusting openness of heart.”

Lectio divina is an ancient way of reading the Scriptures. It has been practiced by the Church for centuries.

The Catholic Prayer

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Bible presents lectio divina as a four-step process meant to lead to a more contemplative connection to the Bible. The four steps are ■ a “slow and thoughtful reading of a passage from the Bible” ■ brief contemplation of what the passage means to the reader ■ prayer to God to understand the reading ■ a decision on how the reading can be translated into action readers can apply to their life.

This process may be easily accomplished with this Bible, as the format is extraordinarily easy to follow. On each page, along with the readings, is a box that introduces the readings and explains the reflection, prayer, and action that are intended to deepen the reader’s understanding. The recommended action gives us a way to use the reading throughout the day to deepen our relationship with God and others. ■ Call the store at 865588-0388 or 800-3332097.

View continued from page 3

rewarded with a second-place finish. We were bested only by the Archdiocese of New York, for its special edition welcoming Archbishop Tim Dolan. Not too bad, considering that Catholic New York has a much larger staff.

The 2010 CPA convention had only one sour note, and it says something about the state of American Catholicism. I had enjoyed several conversations with a woman who works as an art director for a Catholic publisher. We sat together during the awards banquet, and at one point the conversation turned briefly to the pro-life movement. She leaned toward me and said in a whisper, “Frankly, I’m pro-choice.”

During earlier conversations this person had been filled with righteous indignation about the BP oil spill and the terrible damage it was doing to workers’ livelihoods and the environment.

How strange to wish to protect these people and the natural environment but not the most vulnerable and innocent form of human life.

In retrospect, I can think of many things I could or should have said. But at that moment I was literally speechless. Just couldn’t think of a thing to say to a Catholic colleague who had so blithely rejected the Church’s teaching about human life and felt comfortable admitting it. Maybe by next year’s convention I’ll have figured out how to respond. ■

Stice continued from page 8

texts of ecclesiastical composition which contain biblical words or allusions” (LA, No. 49).

The introduction to Eucharistic Prayer III in the new Missal enriches our celebration of the Eucharist in a number of ways. It clarifies our motive for praising God. It emphasizes the power of the Holy Spirit and the personal action of God in the Mass. Finally, it makes more explicit the reference to Malachi’s prophecy that a pure sacrifice will be offered to the glory of God in every time and place, a prophecy that is fulfilled each time we offer the sacrifice of the Mass. ■ Father Stice directs the diocesan Worship and Liturgy Office. He can be reached at frrandy@ dioknox.org.

Take note of ETC deadlines e welcome submissions about parish and community events. Send notices by e-mail (news@dioknox.org), fax (865-584-8124), or mail (805 Northshore Drive Southwest, Knoxville, TN 37919). To make sure we receive information about upcoming events in time for publication, please submit it by the following deadlines: ■ Monday, July 26, for the Aug. 8 issue ■ Monday, Aug. 9, for the Aug. 22 issue.

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

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Ulster continued from page 2

Three visits to Derry over the years showed Mrs. Allen that peacemaking efforts have made a difference.

“My motivation for working with Ulster is seeing how much better things are now then they were before, and I attribute that in part to the Ulster Project,” she said.

“When I went in 1991, Derry seemed like a war-torn country. We had to go through checkpoints to enter the city. There were soldiers everywhere carrying machine guns, walking the streets, and riding in trucks. There were barbedwire fences and barracks everywhere you looked.

“The first night I was there, I was up late talking to my host teen, Karen Meenan, whom I had not seen in two years. We heard an explosion and found out the next day that there was a grenade bombing on the post office. It was all very shocking.”

Twelve years later Mrs. Allen visited Derry again and found that most of the signs of a military presence were gone.

“When I went back in 2003, it looked like a different city,” she said. “I saw one soldier rather than seeing them everywhere. I didn’t have to go through checkpoints to enter the city. The barbed wire and barracks were not there, except around the police station. There were remains of the Troubles, but they were not nearly as present.”

Another six years saw more changes for the better.

“When I went back in 2009, things were better still,” said Mrs. Allen. “They had taken down the guard tower that stood over the Catholic neighborhoods and reminded everyone of more problematic days. The city is still very segregated.

Catholics live on one side of the city and Protestants on the other. For the most part they go to different schools and would not likely get the chance to know someone from the other faith except through the Ulster Project.”

Mrs. Allen’s son Liam served as a host teen in 2008.

“Mark Mohan stayed with us, and Liam and he participated in all the events. Mark is coming back to stay with us this summer for three weeks. They are too old now to participate in the project. He is coming to visit with us and the other teens who were in his project. We really consider him a part of the family now and can’t wait till he gets here.”

Mrs. Allen served as the coordinator for the local Ulster Project from 1999 through 2002.

“That is like being the lead counselor, which means I was with the kids every day for all their activities—planning sessions to help them grow closer and realize their leadership role, and coordinating the whole month that the kids were here together in July. Of all my roles, that was my favorite because I got to see the kids enjoy themselves, change, grow close, and then sadly leave one another—their lives forever changed.” ■

Cardinal Rigali to speak at Diocesan Day on Aug. 21 iocesan Day returns this summer with Bishop Richard F. Stika and longtime friend Cardinal Justin F. Rigali scheduled to speak.

Sacred Heart Cathedral will host Diocesan Day 2010 on Saturday, Aug. 21. The program will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m.

The cardinal, the archbishop of Philadelphia and a member and former chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Pro-Life Activities Committee, will speak twice at this year’s event.

“Cardinal Rigali will give the keynote as well as an afternoon reflection on the pontificate of Pope John Paul II, with a question-and-answer period,” said Paul Simoneau, director of the Diocesan Office of Justice and Peace and the coordinator of Diocesan Day. “The timing is appropriate because there’s hope that John Paul will be beatified this October.”

Bishop Stika will be the homilist for the Diocesan Day Mass, which will begin at 11:30 a.m., and he will provide a reflection after the lunch break.

This year’s theme is “Feed My Sheep,” and the cardinal will base his keynote talk on the Scripture readings for the memorial of Pope St. Pius X. The focus of the day, said Mr. Simoneau, is the teaching role of the bishop in union with the pope.

The event will begin a half-hour later than normal to allow travelers from the farther reaches of the diocese more time to reach Knoxville.

Proceeds of the day will benefit Catholic Charities’ Pregnancy Help Services as well as Catholic Relief Services.

Mr. Simoneau encourages East Tennessee Catholics to register during “the early-bird special,” which will save them $5 and make matters easier for Diocesan Day organizers.

Registration is $25 from July 22 through Aug. 16 (lunch included). Registration after Aug. 16 costs $25 but does not include lunch. Student registration is $10. Priests and religious may attend free but must register.

Register online at dioknox.org (select Events, then Event Registration) or visit bit.ly/Diocesan Day2010. For details, call Mr. Simoneau at 865584-3307. ■

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JULY 25, 2010

life and

DIGNITY

BY PAUL SIMONEAU

Contracepted justice The remedy for injustice is a fruitful gift of self to God and neighbor.

Nearly 2,000 years separate two profoundly related teachings of our Catholic faith. One was taught

by Christ and the other by his bride, the Church.

Each spoke to one of the two reciprocal halves of the equation of spousal love. Each evoked a similar reaction: ”This is a hard saying; who can accept it?” (John 6:60).

In the first teaching the Heavenly Bridegroom spoke of the eucharistic gift by which he would unite himself with his bride, the Church: ”Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him” (John 6:56). In the second, the 1968 encyclical, Humanae Vitae (HV), the Church taught that her own response to the Bridegroom’s gift of himself is that which spouses in their sacramental union must strive to imitate.

It is the response of the bride who says, “this [too] is my body . . . , this [too] is my blood” (Mark 14:22, 24) in a free, total, faithful, and fruitful offering (HV, No. 9).

St. Paul tells us that the “two in one flesh” union of spouses is a “great mystery,” for it is an image of the love of Christ the Bridegroom and his bride, the Church (Ephesians 5:25-33). This communion, we are reminded, is not only “unitive” in HV but also “procreative” (No. 12).

the new

MISSAL

As Christ’s gift to us is complete and uncalculated, we too are called to give ourselves in the same fashion.

This gift of oneself represents the true measure of justice—the giving of one’s due to both God and neighbor (cf., Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1807).

Communion naturally tends toward fruitfulness. But when the two are separated, sterility enters and true communion ceases. If justice represents the free, total, faithful, and fruitful gift of oneself, injustice is the withholding of the gift, which renders sterile our relationship with God as well as our solidarity with one another.

Injustice, then, is contracepted justice. Injustice is an absence of fruitfulness. This was Adam’s sin.

God’s first command to man and woman was to be “fruitful” (Genesis 1:28). Man was “to cultivate and care” (Genesis 2:15) for all God had blessed him with and to bring it to fruitful perfection in communion with him (cf.

Genesis 1:28). But by choosing a fruit apart from his communion with God, man rendered sterile his relationships with God and with the earth of the garden.

The harsh words of God to fallen Adam—“You are dirt and to dirt you shall return” (Genesis 3:19)—communicated the contracepted reality of man’s vocation as a gardener as a result of sin. Now man must not only “toil” and “sweat” (Genesis 3:17, 19) to bring forth fruit from the earth

BY FATHER RANDY STICE

Part 2: Eucharistic Prayer III The new translation changes the passage from three sentences to one.

In last month’s column we started looking at the changes in the introduction to Eucharistic Prayer III. To make it easier to see the changes, I have placed them side by side (below) and indicated the changes in bold italics.

As I noted last month, the present translation divides this passage into three sentences, whereas the new Missal translates it as one sentence. In the new Missal, “You are indeed Holy, O Lord, and all you have created rightly gives you praise” is followed by the word “for,” which is in the Latin original but not in the current text.

This small word expresses an important connection in the thought. Why does all creation rightly give God praise? Because he gives life and holiness to all things, through Christ and the Holy Spirit.

This is an example of why Authentic Liturgy (Liturgiam Authenticam [LA]) insists on the accurate translation of words that express the connection between different ideas: “The theological significance of words expressing causality, purpose, or consequence (such as ut, ideo, enim, and quia) is to be maintained, though different languages may employ varying means www.d ioknox.org

for doing so” (No. 57c).

Another difference is the reference to the Holy Spirit.

The present text refers to the “the working” of the Spirit; the new Missal refers to “the power and working.” Again, faithfulness to the original Latin highlights an important aspect of the Spirit. St. Paul, for example, refers several times to “the power of the Spirit” (Romans 15:13, 15:19; 1 Corinthians 2:4). One understands why the Church insists that “the original text, insofar as possible, must be translated integrally and in the most exact manner, without omissions or additions in terms of their content, and without paraphrases or glosses” (LA, No. 20).

A little further down, the phrase “all life, all holiness comes from you” has been changed to “you give life to all things and make them holy.” This parallels a change we discussed last month—

beneath his feet, but he must also labor to “cultivate and care” for the earth of his being in order to bring forth fruits of holiness.

To be fruitful according to the measure Our Lord asks of us—“thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold” (Mark 4:20)—we must draw upon a source other than our own skills and talents, which otherwise are quickly exhausted. Works of justice invariably become sterile unless they are the fruits of our communion with Our Lord, nourished by prayer, worship, and the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist.

To repair and reorder for the fruit of the disobedience of the first gardener, Christ became both the “new gardener” (cf. John 20:15) and, through the Cross, the “fruit” of the tree of life. Mary, as the new Eve, through her fiat, gave back the garden’s fruitfulness.

When we respond with a free, total, faithful, and fruitful offering of ourselves to Christ, we experience his fruitfulness, which becomes the source for our giving to our neighbor. This is why John Paul II said, “The world needs more than just social reformers. It needs saints” (address, New Orleans, Sept.

12, 1987, No. 10).

Holiness is the measure with which we bear fruit: holiness is fruitfulness. Humanae Vitae teaches us that our communion must always seek to be fruitful if we are to “go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” As Jesus reminds us, “apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Closing with my traditional play on the words of Pope Paul VI, “if you want peace . . . ,” be fruitful. ■ Mr. Simoneau directs the diocesan Justice and Peace Office. from “all creation” to “all you have created.”

Both changes emphasize the personal action of God: he creates, he gives life, he sanctifies. The same principle is evident in the phrase “from age to age,” which is now translated as “you never cease,” thus emphasizing God’s constant care and activity, he who “never slumbers or sleeps” (Psalm 121:4).

A final change in this passage is the phrase “from east to west a perfect offering may be made to the glory of your name.” This is a reference to Malachi 1:11: “For from the rising of the sun, even to its setting, my name is great among the nations; And everywhere they bring sacrifice to my name, and a pure offering; for great is my name among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.”

The reference to Malachi is much clearer in the new Missal: “from the rising of the sun to its setting a pure sacrifice may be offered to your name.” This is an example of the principle that “the manner of translating the liturgical books should foster a correspondence between the biblical text itself and the liturgical Stice continued on page 7

Present text

New text

Father, you are holy indeed, and all creation rightly gives you praise. All life, all holiness comes from you through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, by the working of the Holy Spirit.

From age to age you gather a people to yourself, so that from east to west a perfect offering may be made to the glory of your name.

You are indeed Holy, O Lord, and all you have created rightly gives you praise, for through your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, by the power and working of the Holy Spirit, you give life to all things and make them holy, and you never cease to gather a people to yourself, so that from the rising of the sun to its setting a pure sacrifice may be offered to your name.

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

in our

PARISHES

catholic

SCHOOLS

COURTESY OF RUTHANN RANKER (2)

COURTESY OF GAYLE SCHOENBORN

Confirmations and first Holy Communions celebrated around the diocese

John Dorris holds a poster with the state-tournament bracket, showing his name on the final line as the state champion. With him are Notre Dame coaches Gary McIntyre and Anne Ricksecker.

TENNIS TITLEHOLDER

Notre Dame’s John Dorris wins state championship in boys singles

Bishop Richard F. Stika (above) confirmed 20 youths recently at St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport.

The parish also celebrated first Holy Communion for more than 40 children, seen at right. St. Dominic Deacon Frank Fischer, pastor Father Mike Nolan, and Deacon Bob Lange are pictured from left in each photo.

otre Dame High School junior tennis player John Dorris recently captured the state singles championship, becoming the first Fighting Irish player in 46 years to win that crown.

The Notre Dame boys team placed second in the Class A-AA state tournament this spring.

Chris Brown was the last NDHS boys player to earn a state title, winning in 1964 for his third singles championship in as many years.

As the No. 1 player for his team, John finished the regular season with a record of 9-2. He then went through the postseason undefeated, winning the district and region championships. He advanced in the state tournament through an injury default in the quarterfinal match and wins of 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinals and 7-5, 6-3 in the finals.

John overcame a 90-minute rain delay between sets in the championship match.

The Fighting Irish team defeated Madison Academic in the semifinals before falling to Christian Academy of Knoxville in the finals. ■

SARA CAREY

St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville recently celebrated the confirmation of seven young people, shown with Bishop Richard F. Stika at left following the ceremony.

From left are Mia Madrid, Tyler Flack, Sydney Delvers, Frances Marasigan, Taylor Burgess, St. Alphonsus pastor Father Jim Harvey, Katharine Kerr, and Roy Nieto.

St. Alphonsus CCW awards scholarship The scholarship committee of the Council of Catholic Women at St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville recently chose Kayli Dorsey to receive its 2010 scholarship. She is pictured with Mitzi Wolak (left) and Pat Kregel. The scholarship is for $500 per year, renewable for four years for a total of $2,000. Kayli, who took many honors and dual courses in high school, is attending Roane State Community College. The CCW is also assisting three other students from the area with scholarships.

Kayli is the daughter of Mary Jo Dorsey.

JOHN ANDRIULLI

Thirteen youths were confirmed May 23 at St. Bridget Church in Dayton. With Bishop Richard F. Stika above are (from left) Deacon Tom Kiefer, Valerie Ayala, Criselda Santiago, Daniel Hickman, Kellie Fogus, Vivian Ayala, Brayan Leyte, Elías Hernández, Antonio Márquez, David Leyte, Iván López, Celerino Santiago, Romero Santiago, J. D. Spahr, and pastor Father Sam Sturm. At left are youth who received their first Holy Communion on May 9 at St. Bridget. From left are (front) Blanca Pérez, Joel Leyte, Estefani Pérez, Abraham Maldonado, Evelyn Zavala, and Alberto Leyte and (back) teacher Beate Hickman, Efraín Valencia, Maria Sanchez, teacher Sister Delfina Morales, MAG, Brayan Leyte, Ashley Valencia, David Leyte, and Father Sturm.

COURTESY OF KATIE MCLAIRD

GINNY BISHOP (2)

N

COLEEN SCHNEIDER

Confirmation was celebrated on Father’s Day, June 20, at St. Elizabeth Church in Elizabethton.

Bishop Richard F. Stika stands with the parish confirmandi, Victoria Cruz and Lawrence Mitra.

“It was my first visit to the parish,” said Bishop Stika. “Even though it’s a smaller parish, it’s just as important as our larger parishes, and I told the people that. It’s always a thrill to come to a parish for the first time—the first of many times.”

The bishop, as he does in every parish, challenged parishioners to pray for vocations.

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

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Harriman grad receives CCW scholarship Mary Grace Palko, valedictorian of Harriman High School’s class of 2010, was recently awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Council of Catholic Women at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Harriman. She is seen with scholarship chair Minna Andriulli and pastor Father Michael Sweeney. Grace has participated in numerous activities at Blessed Sacrament, at school, and in the community. She plans to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Her parents are Blessed Sacrament parishioners Becky and Greg Palko of Harriman.

KCHS students win honors at state Latin Convention in Gatlinburg noxville Catholic High School Latin students placed high in the state Latin Convention in Gatlinburg recently.

In addition to their finishing first overall in their division, the students placed fourth in skits, second in banner, second in scrapbook, and first overall for spirit. Individual awards were given to Corrine Baker, Brent Cooper, Kevin Curtin, Ashley Gensheimer, Tori Hanold, Sarah Parsley, Ary Lawrence, Danielle Rosenzweig, Dave Sturchio, and Marek Twarzynski who won an academic best-in-show for his derivatives test. ■

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dinals, patriarchs, and bishops as well as priests.

Vatican sources said this norm, which originates from a decision by Pope John Paul in 2004, indicates that if the pope authorizes a trial or penal process against such persons for sex abuse or another of the “more grave crimes,” the doctrinal congregation would be the tribunal and could also make preliminary investigations.

The revised norms maintain the imposition of “pontifical secret” on the Church’s judicial handling of priestly sex abuse and other grave crimes, which means they are dealt with in strict confidentiality. Father Lombardi said the provision on the secrecy of trials was designed “to protect the dignity of everyone involved.”

The spokesman said that whereas the Vatican norms do not directly address the reporting of sex abuse to civil authorities, it remains the Vatican’s policy to encourage bishops to report such crimes wherever required by civil law.

“These norms are part of canon law; that is, they exclusively concern the Church. For this reason they do not deal with the subject of reporting offenders to the civil authorities. It should be noted, however, that compliance with civil law is contained in the instructions issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith as part of the preliminary procedures to be followed in abuse cases,” he said.

Father Lombardi added that the doctrinal congregation also was studying how to help bishops around the world formulate local guidelines on sexual abuse in Church environments.

He said that would be “another crucial step on the Church’s journey as she translates into permanent practice and continuous awareness the fruits of the teachings and ideas that have matured over the course of the painful events of the ‘crisis’ engendered by sexual abuse by members of the clergy.”

The new norms treat a number of other delicta graviora connected with sacramental issues.

On the “attempted ordination of a woman,” the norms essentially restated a 2008 decree from the doctrinal congregation that said a woman who attempts to be ordained a Catholic priest and the person attempting to ordain her are automatically excommunicated.

The norms added that if the guilty party is a priest, he can be punished with dismissal from the priesthood. For those wondering why an excommunicated priest would also be laicized, Vatican sources said they were two different kinds of penalties.

“Excommunication is a medicinal penalty which has to be remitted once the person repents; dismissal [from the priesthood] is an additional expiatory penalty which remains in place permanently, even if the excommunication is lifted,” Monsignor Scicluna explained.

The norms also address violations against the sacraments of penance and the Eucharist.

One norm explicitly extends the crime of violating the seal of confession through use of modern technology—by recording confessions or making any such recording public through social communication media. This reflects a change introduced in practice in 2003.

The revisions include among the “more grave crimes” other actions regarding the sacrament of penance: attempting to impart absolution or hearing sacramental confession when one cannot do so validly; indirect violation (in addition to direct violation) of the seal of confession; and simulation of the administration of the sacrament by a priest who is unable to grant absolution.

Vatican sources said the direct violation of the confessional seal would occur, for example, when a priest betrays the name of the penitent and the sin confessed; an indirect violation might occur if the priest betrays only the name of the penitent or only the confessed sin, but the missing element is understood from the context of the conversation.

Regarding the Eucharist, the revised norms modify the language concerning the attempted and simulated celebration of the Eucharist and sacrilegious consecration of one or both matters in or outside of the eucharistic celebration.

The revised norms include for the first time “crimes against the faith”—heresy, apostasy, and schism—saying that although competency normally falls to local bishops in such cases, the doctrinal congregation becomes competent in the case of an appeal. ■ Copyright 2010 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

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

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JULY 25, 2010

from the

WIRE

Summer: perfect time to focus on word of God We must commit ourselves to work, but before all else, we need the Lord, Benedict says.

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNA)—Before Sunday’s Angelus prayer from the intimate courtyard of his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Benedict XVI spoke on July 18 of the need to listen to the Word of God. As Mary does in Sunday’s Gospel, we must learn to choose the “best portion” in our relationship with the Lord.

The small inner square of the apostolic palace was bustling with people at noon on Sunday, taken over by a group of Spaniards promoting the canonization cause for a young man killed in the Civil War and an especially vocal group of young Salesians from Poland called the “Bosco Team.”

During his pre-Angelus catechesis, the Holy Father noted that with the arrival of summer comes vacation time and thus, a “favorable moment” to return our focus to what is most important in life: “listening to the word of the Lord.” We are reminded of this, he said, in Sunday’s Gospel reading, which centered around Jesus’ visit to Mary and Martha.

The sisters host Jesus in their home, Pope Benedict XVI recalled, with Mary sitting at his feet and listening to him and Martha occupying herself with serving the “exceptional” guest.

We can almost see the scene, said the pope: “one sister who moves about busily and the other entranced by the presence of the teacher

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

Vatican continued from page 2

‘BEST PORTION’ Pope Benedict XVI greets pilgrims as he arrives to lead the Angelus prayer at his summer home in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, on July 18.

and by his words.”

Martha scolds Mary for not assisting with the duties of serving and enlists Jesus’ help to get her sister to give her a hand. Reflecting on this scene, the pope exclaimed, “Martha wishes to teach the teacher!”

Instead, Benedict said, Jesus says with affection, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled over many things.

And yet only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the best portion, and it shall not be taken away from her.”

“The word of Christ is very clear,” the pope said. “No contempt for the active life, none either for generous hospitality, but a clear call back to the fact that the only truly necessary thing is another: listening to the word of the Lord. And the Lord in that moment is there, present in the person of Jesus.”

Turning to the meaning for today, he said, “Everything

else will pass and will be taken from us, but the word of God is eternal and gives meaning to our daily activity.”

The reading from St. Luke, then, applies to vacation time “because it recalls the fact that the human person must work, commit himself to the domestic and professional occupations, but before everything he needs God, who is the interior light of love and truth,” the pope said.

“Without love, even the most important activities lose their value, and they don’t give joy. Without a profound meaning, all of our doing is reduced to sterile and disordered activism. And who gives us love and truth if not Jesus Christ?

“Let’s learn then, brothers and sisters,” he concluded, “to help each other, to collaborate, but first still to together choose the best part, which is and will always be our greatest inheritance.” ■

Case of dismissed Catholic professor is under review

BY DE N N I S S A DOWS K I

WASHINGTON (CNS)—A University of Illinois faculty committee is reviewing the dismissal of a Catholic adjunct professor of religion after a student complained about the instructor’s explanation of the church’s teaching that homosexual acts are morally wrong.

The review comes after Kenneth Howell, the professor who also directed the Institute of Catholic Thought at the St. John’s Catholic Newman Center at the university, said he was told after the spring semester he would no longer be teaching two courses on Catholicism even after offering to change the content of the class in question.

Howell’s dismissal followed a complaint from a student, writing on behalf of another student in the “Introduction to Catholicism” class who wanted to remain anonymous, to Robert McKim, head of the religion department.

The complaint said the professor’s May 4 e-mail to students explaining the morality of homosexual acts amounted to “hate speech.”

With the loss of the teaching position, Howell also lost his Newman Center position.

His salary was paid by the Diocese of Peoria, Ill., and his position at the Newman Center was dependent on teaching the courses.

Attorney Patricia Gibson, chancellor for the Diocese of Peoria, which is Howell’s employer, said in a statement July 15 that the university contacted the diocese to schedule a meeting to discuss the instructor’s case and “who will teach these courses in the future.”

“The Diocese of Peoria is www.d ioknox.org

committed to pursuing this matter and looks forward to cooperation from the University of Illinois so that a just resolution can be obtained,” she said.

No date for the meeting had been set, according to the statement.

University Chancellor Bob Easter asked the Faculty Senate Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure to review Howell’s case July 12, according to Robin Neal Kaler, the university’s associate chancellor for public affairs.

He asked that the review be completed before the start of classes Aug. 23.

Howell, who began teaching “Introduction to Catholicism” and “Modern Catholic Thought” in the university’s religion department in 2001, declined comment and referred questions to the Alliance Defense Fund, a nonprofit Christian legal defense organization based in Scottsdale, Ariz., and specializing in religious liberty, sanctity of life, and protection of family issues.

Attorney Jordan Lorence told Catholic News Service July 14 that Howell’s dismissal was wrong.

Describing Howell’s comments as conservative in nature, Lorence said they accurately reflected Catholic teaching and are protected under academic freedom standards.

“Universities are supposedly places of free inquiry and debate and [university officials] operated as if the University of Illinois was a suffocating institution where the prevailing orthodoxy will stifle all dissent,” Lorence said.

The Alliance Defense Fund’s legal team sent a letter

to university officials July 12 asking that Howell be reinstated immediately.

The letter clarified Howell’s contention that students “did not need to adopt Catholic beliefs in order to succeed in class” and that “his goal was for them to understand and critically analyze Catholic thought.”

The letter also outlined a meeting Howell had with McKim to discuss the dismissal as well as subsequent offers by the professor to alter his course content to eliminate all references to homosexual conduct to preserve his teaching position.

However, according to the letter, McKim told Howell a “higher official” within the university told him that the Catholic professor would no longer be able to teach classes and that a search had begun for a new instructor.

Since then, the letter added, The Associated Press reported that associate dean Ann Mester explained that the university discontinued Howell’s teaching assignment because his e-mail “violate(s) university standards of inclusivity.”

Lorence said the organization asked the university to respond by July 16.

McKim was out of the country and could not be reached for comment.

The News-Gazette in Champaign, Ill., reported that in the e-mail message to students before an exam, Howell explained the differences in how utilitarianism theory and natural-law theory would judge the morality of homosexual acts.

“Natural moral law says that morality must be a response to reality,” the e-mail Howell continued on page 3

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