The Holy Ghost pastor presides at a Mass with priests and parishioners from near and far on hand
By Dan McWilliams
Father John Orr could not ask for more at the celebration of his 25th anniversary in the priesthood: a church full of current and former parishioners, his sister as well as priest friends from his seminary days and former assignments in attendance, and a papal blessing to top it off.
The pastor of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville marked his silver jubilee on the exact date of the anniversary, June 16, the day in 2001 when then-Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz ordained him and Father Brent Shelton to the priesthood at Sacred Heart Cathedral. An anniversary Mass in the church preceded a catered dinner in Henkel Hall at Holy Ghost.
Holy Ghost associate pastor Father Valentin Iurochkin concelebrated along with former pastor Father John Dowling, Father David Carter, Father Michael Raj Joseph, and newly ordained Father Daniel Cooper, who served his clinical pastoral education at Holy Ghost. The homilist was Father Patrick Nwokoye of the Diocese of SpringfieldCape Girardeau, Mo., who attended seminary with Father Orr.
“It was so great to celebrate my 25th anniversary at Holy Ghost with so many beloved parishioners from here and St. Mary’s-Athens and from all over,” Father Orr said. “It was just lovely. Father Carter was here, and Father Patrick Nwokoye was our preacher from the Springfield-Cape Diocese. We’ve known each other since the seminary. It was just a lovely thing. Father Dowling, our former pastor, was here.”
Father Dowling was pastor for
Father Orr during the latter’s previous assignments as an associate pastor at Holy Ghost and at St. John Neumann in Farragut. Father Orr became a pastor for the first time at St. Therese Parish in Clinton in 2006. He later served as pastor of St. Mary in Athens, and his priestly assignments also include six years as chaplain at Knoxville Catholic High School.
Father Nwokoye and Father Orr have both earned doctorates.
“He was a doctor of philosophy before I was a doctor of philosophy, but I was a priest before he was a
priest,” Father Orr said of his seminary friend at the dinner.
Now-Archbishop Kurtz and Bishop James V. Johnston Jr. of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo.—a son of Holy Ghost Parish— sent their congratulations to Father Orr, which he read to the capacity gathering of 152 in Henkel Hall.
Deacon Bob Hunt was deacon of the Word and Deacon Gordy Lowery of the host parish was deacon of the altar. Deacon Hicks Armor was master of ceremonies and attended along with Deacon Vic Landa. Seminarian Eli Holt proclaimed the first
reading. The Holy Ghost Latin Mass Choir directed by Mary C. Weaver sang at the Mass.
The first reading was from Isaiah 61, which begins with “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” and continues, saying, “priests of the Lord” shall be acknowledged as “blessed.”
“My dear brother priests, brothers and sisters in Christ, your presence here this evening is a blessing and a testament to the enduring love of God, and your personal care for Father John Orr,” Father Nwokoye said as he began his homily. “FaFather Orr continued on page B2
Cathedral hosts special Mass for Venezuela
The devastating earthquakes in June impacted the family of diocesan seminarian Abrahan Da Silva
By Bill Brewer
Aspecial Mass for Venezuela celebrated on July 8 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was especially poignant for Antonio Da Silva and his wife, Yazmin Vidao, who are natives of the South American country that was devastated by earthquakes on June 24.
The couple, who live in Knoxville and whose son, Abrahan Da Silva, is preparing for ordination to the transitional diaconate for the Diocese of Knoxville and is to be ordained a priest next year, have family in harm’s way.
Mr. Da Silva and Mrs. Vidao said after the Mass that family members were killed while either rescuing victims or trying to escape following the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck the Venezuelan coastal area surrounding the capital of Caracas. And many of their relatives lost their homes and all their personal possessions.
The devastation compounds the distress of a country already in crisis, beset by economic struggles, an infrastructure that continues to be overwhelmed, and an ongoing political and human rights state of emergency.
The cathedral Mass was held in solidarity and support for the people of Venezuela and those from
that country who are now in the Diocese of Knoxville. Father Diego Rivera, an associate pastor at the cathedral, was the principal celebrant, with cathedral rector Father Michael Cummins and associate pastor Father Danny Herman concelebrating.
Vargas served as deacon of the Word and altar. And Mr. Da Silva, who currently is in formation to be a permanent deacon for the diocese, was an altar server for the Mass, which was attended by many parishioners of the
The
Deacon Fredy
diocese.
Diocese of Knoxville’s Office of Hispanic Ministry helped to organize the Mass and with the cathedral co-sponsored a reception afterward, where those attending Venezuela Mass continued on page B3
DAN MCWILLIAMS
Silver jubilee Father John Orr celebrates his 25th-anniversary Mass on June 16 at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. With him are (from left) Father Daniel Cooper, Father David Carter, Deacon Gordy Lowery, Father John Dowling, Father Patrick Nwokoye, Father Valentin Iurochkin, and Father Michael Raj Joseph.
In solidarity Antonio Da Silva and his wife, Yazmin Vidao, are pictured with Antonella Da Silva and children in the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus parish hall following a Mass for Venezuela on July 8.
BILL BREWER
ther John, I call you blessed priest of God, who by your ministerial priesthood, you act in persona Christi capitis (in the person of Christ the Head).
“Thank you for your 25 years of ministry in the Diocese of Knoxville—this venerable local Church that you have called home for well more than three decades. Thank you for your ministry in parishes, in your high school, and the many lives that you have touched during these 25 years. Indeed, as we heard in the first reading, the Spirit of the Lord God is really upon you, so thank you.”
Father Nwokoye with those last two words led a hearty round of applause for Father Orr.
“In gathering for this holy Mass, today we celebrate the priesthood. We are not here to canonize Father John, at least not right now, but we gather to make an act of thanksgiving to the Father for the share that we have been given in the eternal priesthood of His Son,”
Father Nwokoye said. “When you truly consider the priesthood, the grandeur of what we’re celebrating today, there is no doubt in my mind that we are all unlikely candidates for such high calling, but the Lord has called us.
“The Lord has called you to be His priest and to be His priest forever. Yours has and continues to be a transformative ministry, one of encounter whence the people of God discover the Gospel anew and open themselves up to the power of grace.
Father John, thank you for your humility and unassuming way of allowing God to lead because, after all, He is the center and the reason for all that we do.”
Father Nwokoye referred to a message Pope Leo XIV gave to priests earlier in June.
“It wasn’t too long ago that Pope Leo, in his message to priests on the occasion of the day of prayer for the sanctification of priests, wrote: ‘The world greatly needs pastors who offer more than simple words or programs; the world needs living witnesses of a reconciled heart that exudes the sweet fragrance of Christ’s holiness. A priestly life is one that is steady and configured to Jesus’ heart, a heart that is a credible sign of unity, peace, and mercy. Thus, in an age marked with great division and fear, all of us pastors must be builders of peace and witnesses of the tenderness of the Good Shepherd who knows how to gather those who are scattered and heal the wounded.’”
Father Orr lives up to those words, Father Nwokoye said.
“That is the pastor, and you are a consummate pastor, a man with great love and care for his flock. Over the years, Father John, you have worked diligently to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd, paying attention to the forgotten, to the lowly, to the downcast, and all who are weighed down by life,” the homilist said.
Father Nwokoye said Father Orr is “incredibly attentive to the promptings of the Spirit and also to the teachings of the Church. There is a passage in the Vatican Council document, Presbyterorum Ordinis, that says that the priests ‘have as their primary duty the proclamation of the Gospel of God to all.’ But this
proclamation indeed should seek to have man encounter Jesus, especially in the mystery of the Eucharist, the living heart of the Church and of priestly ministry.
“You have done this well, and you continue to do it with great reverence and devotion. The life of the priest is fervently and intentionally living a life of holiness, thus leading your flock to the High Priest in whom everything we do has its foundation.”
The Missouri priest referred to St. John Paul II’s book Gift and Mystery released in 1996 on the 50th anniversary of his priestly ordination.
“In it, the great pontiff, who has been a source of inspiration for people like you and me, reminds all of us priests to love your priesthood, to be faithful to the end, to learn to see in your priesthood the Gospel treasure for which it is worth giving up everything,” Father Nwokoye said, adding:
“My prayer for you, of course, is that God will continue to sustain in you and create in you a greater awareness of the gift that you have received … I pray that the Blessed Mother, the Queen of the Clergy, the woman who has and continues to bless your priesthood, will intercede on your behalf so that in all things, goodness will reign supreme in your heart first, for what you have done and will do in the coming years, hopefully 60, 70 more years. We are eternally grateful.”
Father Nwokoye then quoted St. Norbert’s reflection on the priesthood: “O Priest, who are you? You are not yourself because you are of God. You are not of yourself because you are the servant and minister of Christ. You are not your own because you are the spouse of the Church. You are not yourself because you are the mediator between God and man. You are not from yourself because you are nothing. What, then, are you? Nothing and everything.”
As long as Father Orr “understands that everything comes from God, you will be OK,” Father Nwokoye continued. “Father John, I—along with your brother priests from Knoxville and the amazing people gathered here this evening to pray—thank you. We thank you for faithfully fulfilling the mission entrusted to you by Christ through your dear bishop, Bishop (Mark) Beckman. We pray that you be a joy-filled priest, which I know that you are already, that you will continue to find great delight in doing the will of God, the Father.
“May you find solace in knowing that the Lord God is always with you, and once again, we congratulate you for 25 years, for serving the Church and the people of God is not always easy, but I trust that, with God on your side and Our Lady interceding for you and the people of God praying for and supporting you at every moment, that all will be well with you.”
Father Nwokoye also referred to the late Charles and Victoria Orr, parents of the silver-anniversary priest.
“Though they are not physically present here today, I believe they are with you as well because it is through their generosity that you are here as well, and so we remember them not only at this Mass but in gratitude for the love that they poured into you, that love that you so generously give to all who come into contact with you.
“And finally, to all of you people of God gathered here this evening, I ask of you to pray for Father John. Pray for him every day. Love him every moment. Pray that he continues to be the best priest that he can be, that he will continue to be the holy priest that God has called him to be, and I am sure that if he does that the way God intends for him to do, that at the end of it all, all of us will continue to sing the great hymn of glory to God in the kingdom of heaven, and until then, may God bless each and every one of you. May God grant Father John many, many more years in service of the Church and its people.”
The priests at Mass gave Father Orr an ovation after they processed out.
Genevieve Orr of Coral Gables, Fla., attended the 25th-anniversary
Mass for her younger brother. Her voice broke with emotion as she talked of his ministry.
“It means a lot (being at the anniversary). He puts in 100 percent every day, every week, every month. He talks the talk, but he walks it, too,” she said.
Father Orr was born in Coral Gables and later lived in Coconut Grove, Fla. He and Genevieve Orr also have a brother who lives in Texas.
The Orrs’ parents attended Father Orr’s priestly ordination, as did Father Nwokoye.
“Our whole family was there, a really exciting moment,” Genevieve Orr said.
Father Orr said he “got all tearyeyed” when Father Nwokoye mentioned his parents during the homily.
The Holy Ghost pastor said the Catholic Church provides a little bonus for a jubilarian and his parishioners.
“The Church in the Manual for Indulgences gives a twofold plenary indulgence: one for the priest himself who celebrates his 25th, 50th, or whatever but then also for the faithful who join in. I published the indulgence and said, ‘If y’all come, you get a blessing, so we all got blessings tonight,’” he said, adding the last sentence in the exaggerated Southern accent he occasionally employs.
Having his sister at his anniversary “was wonderful,” Father Orr said.
“Twenty-five years ago today, we had dinner together at Calhoun’s on the River, and today we had lunch at Calhoun’s on the River, so it was like Old Home Week,” he said. “She came up from Florida, a 17-hour trip—the way they routed her plane, it was terrible, but she did it for the love of God and her baby brother.”
Orpha Brink coordinated the anniversary dinner, and Savelli’s Italian Restaurant catered it. A slide show featuring photos of Father Orr played during the meal, and more pictures of the honoree were on the tables.
Ms. Brink thanked her committee, which included Marie Ward, also the chair of the 100th-anniversary celebration of the current Holy Ghost Church; Jim Richmond; Phil Birge, wife Laurie, and daughter Mary; Mark Williamson; Mary Wilson, who along with her staff served the dinner; parish historian Pat Gang; and the Knights of Columbus.
In lieu of gifts for his anniversary, Father Orr asked that donations be made to support the renovation of the old Holy Ghost Church building next door into a parish life center.
View architect renderings and make online donations at holyghost knoxville.org/new-parish-center At the dinner, Father Nwokoye presented a wrapped present to Father Orr.
“This is a $5 million gift,” he joked, “and it’s for the new building. For the rest of you, on your way out, please leave your credit card and we’ll return it back to you.”
The package did not contain money but instead a message from the Vatican.
“The Holy Father, Leo XIV, cordially imparts the requested apostolic blessing to Rev. John Arthur Orr on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his priestly ordination,” Father Orr read aloud.
The Orr family has a collection of papal honors.
“It’s very beautiful to have the papal blessing. I have one from Pope Francis when he had the Year of Mercy—I had made the pilgrimage to Rome,” Father Orr said. “I have one from Pope Benedict when I was made pastor in Clinton. I never got one from John Paul II, but I did get one from John Paul II for my mother. I got another one for my grandmother, so between my sister’s bedroom and her guest room in the house it’s like a wall of papal blessings. Who needs wallpaper when you have papal blessings?”
The Holy Ghost pastor during the dinner also read a letter he received from Bishop Johnston, a former associate at the North Knoxville parish in his Diocese of Knoxville days: “I want to express my joy and thanksgiving as you celebrate your silver jubilee as a priest of Jesus Christ. I’m especially grateful for the years of priestly service you have given to the Church of Knoxville and to members of my own family. … I will join you in giving thanks to God and will remember you at the altar. Ad multos annos.”
Father Orr said Archbishop Kurtz contacted him on his anniversary day and assured the parish of his prayers for the event.
“I thanked him because he’s the one who made me a deacon and a priest and a pastor, and we even lived down the hall from each other for a while,” Father Orr said.
Genevieve Orr said that seeing Holy Ghost Church filled with priests and the faithful celebrating her brother’s milestone was “spectacular.”
“It was really outstanding, to feel that love from so many people and from so many parishes. Pride doesn’t even come close to how I feel,” she said. ■
Father Orr
Sister with ‘baby brother’ Genevieve Orr stands with her brother, Father John Orr, outside Holy Ghost Church after his Mass celebrating the 25th anniversary of his priestly ordination.
Apostolic blessing Father Patrick Nwokoye presents Father John Orr with a blessing from Pope Leo XIV in honor of the Holy Ghost pastor’s 25th anniversary in the priesthood.
Anniversary scenes Father Patrick Nwokoye preaches the homily at Father John Orr’s anniversary Mass, and Father Orr greets a wellwisher after the liturgy.
DAN MCWILLIAMS (4)
the Mass shared a meal together and words of encouragement and testimonies.
In his homily, Father Rivera juxtaposed the elation much of the world is feeling about the World Cup and all the international soccer competitions occurring throughout America with the devastation and suffering Venezuela is experiencing.
He called on the community to follow the example of Christ, take on the attitude of the Christian, and offer compassion, understand the suffering taking place, and “be the merciful face of Christ” as the world comes to Venezuela’s aid.
“We have found ourselves with a feeling of pain because of our brothers and sisters who have suffered and experienced the terrible situation of the earthquake, from which many families were destroyed. Many people were left alone,”
Father Rivera said. “There were many deaths. And it changed the story of everyone in an unexpected way. When we saw on the television screens the reality of the tragedy that took place in Venezuela, I would say that most of us had a feeling of astonishment and sadness for seeing the suffering that those people were going through.”
“But personally, a reality caught my attention. While the Venezuelan people took their dead out of the rubble, while many mothers and fathers mourned the loss and absence of loved ones, and many others were facing the uncertainty of not having or not finding the people who were missing on the other side of the world, on those same screens, everyone was celebrating the World Cup. What a contradiction. It was the pain of one country and the euphoria and joy of another…. It was the feeling of astonishment for the anguish of what was happening and the insensitivity and oblivion of others. Because of the emotion of sport, we forgot the tragedy of our brothers and sisters,” he added.
Father Rivera noted that no one experiences the pain of another “in their own flesh” because it is “very different to observe the suffering from afar than to embody the suffering in ourselves.”
“It is very difficult from the (television) screen to observe the other suffering than for the tragedy to knock on the door of our house. There is a very dismal difference between living and experiencing this suffering in person or simply telling it to us or listening to it from afar. We cannot fall into an insensitive attitude of emotions of the moment, where we comfort ourselves and we cry and we are astonished but at the same time we are screaming and smiling and we are in the euphoria (from soccer) and we forget the pain that others are suffering,” Father Rivera continued.
Father Rivera stressed that the compassion of someone who speaks of Christ is seen through prayer, the sacrifice of the Mass, a personal expression of “I’m sorry.”
“It is to embrace that suffering, to incarnate that suffering in me … to become the guardian of the brother and sister, to take responsibility of the one who suffers, to take him by the hand, to rescue him. That is the attitude of the Christian,” the associate pastor said. “Jesus in the Gospel leaves us a wonderful message: ‘Go
be instruments of consolation…be instruments that know; be instruments that unite…be the merciful face of Christ.’”
Father Rivera concluded his homily with a prayer for the people of Venezuela:
“We should be united in a strong chain of prayer, asking for them. But we who are here, we say to the Lord, ‘Lord, we ask for the people of Venezuela, we ask for these brothers and sisters, we ask that You set us free from such a tragedy, and we ask that our hearts are always sensitive and compassionate to our brothers and sisters who suffer. We should not let the reality of suffering be erased by temporary and emotional events. That cannot be greater than the pain of the people. The pain of the people has to teach us to value the gift of life, to value God in our lives, to thank Him for everything we have, and He must lead us to pray, and unite us as brothers, so that we may have the strength to raise our hands and raise our heads. Amen.’”
Father Cummins said the sacrifice of the Mass served as an important observance of the faithful in the Diocese of Knoxville who are one with the people of Venezuela.
“The Mass was an opportunity for us to show our solidarity with the people of Venezuela and the Church as they go through this time of loss and suffering. And to lift them up in our prayers and to pray for God’s
blessings and God’s strength. And also to gather together as the universal Church to pray for our sisters and brothers in Christ,” the cathedral rector said.
Blanca Primm, director of the Office of Hispanic Ministry, believes the Mass and reception were an important way to show support for the people impacted by the disaster.
“This time of prayer and togetherness was an opportunity to offer consolation and accompaniment to the Venezuelan community in the aftermath of this tragedy. When a member of the body of Christ suffers, we share in their suffering and we can offer them hope,” Mrs. Primm said.
Zoraida Ballew, a Diocese of Knoxville parishioner, attended the Mass as a show of support for friends she has from Venezuela.
“The main reason is I wanted to have a solidarity with my friends. I have a lot of friends from Venezuela. They are my sisters and brothers, and we are all Latin American people,” Ms. Ballew said. “The Mass with Father Diego was amazing because it opened our eyes to what life should be, which is helping our brothers and sisters in their time of distress, death, and disaster.”
Ms. Ballew was especially moved by Father Rivera’s remarks of how people can focus their lives on superficial interests, wants, and needs, such as the World Cup, while forgetting that people are suffering.
“And we forget to give ourselves to them,” she said.
The reception was held in Cathedral Hall, where members of the Hispanic community gave testimonials about the disaster and shared ways to extend help to the people of Venezuela.
Mr. Da Silva was among those delivering a testimonial, where he appealed for assistance that can be sent to Caritas Venezuela, a nonprofit, non-governmental humanitarian organization, or Catholic religious orders that are serving in Venezuela.
During the reception, Mr. Da Silva and Mrs. Vidao shared their thoughts on the disaster and its impact on their family.
The couple and their family are from the Venezuela state of Vargas and the city of La Guaira, which was the earthquakes’ epicenter.
Mr. Da Silva explained that in
1999, a similar tragedy struck Venezuela in which severe flooding caused devastation and loss of life.
“This (earthquakes) is 20 times larger of a catastrophe. Buildings have fallen and people are trapped. In my family and in my wife’s family, everyone lost their home,” he said. “In my family, there are five siblings, and all of them lost their homes.”
“I have seven siblings, and thanks to God they did not die. But all of them lost their homes, and my nieces and nephews did as well,” Mrs. Vidao said.
Mr. Da Silva described how one of his brothers suffered a fractured collarbone that punctured his lung in the temblor while his brother’s wife sustained a skull fracture.
And tragically, his niece’s husband was killed when a building collapsed on him as he was rescuing family members. And the bodies of the parents of another family member were recovered from rubble.
Putting back together the lives of the couple’s family in Venezuela will not be easy.
“It is very hard for them to rebuild. It will take a lot of strength,” Mrs. Vidao said, noting that the Venezuelan government controls much of the infrastructure needed to sustain the economy and assist those whose lives have crumbled.
For example, Mrs. Vidao said there is no Western Union or similar entity in Venezuela where people can wire money to those in dire need of assistance.
As another example, she said while people wanting to assist impacted Venezuelans cannot send money directly to citizens, they can send money directly to Venezuelan grocery stores, where the people may receive credit for much-needed groceries.
Mr. Da Silva and his wife stressed that faith at this time is essential for Venezuelans as they work to recover from the earthquakes.
“God strengthens you, and only through Him can you rebuild your life and your heart,” Mrs. Vidao said. Mr. Da Silva then quoted St. Paul: “I can show you my faith through my works. We cannot have a dead faith. Faith is the certainty that hope will come.”
“Faith can help you achieve what you think you cannot achieve,” Mrs. Vidao said. ■
BILL BREWER (3)
Praying for the victims Religious Sisters and members of the Diocese of Knoxville faith community gather for adoration and to pray the rosary before the Mass for Venezuela at Sacred Heart Cathedral on July 8.
‘Embracing the suffering’ Father Diego Rivera preaches the homily at the special Mass for Venezuela on July 8 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the background are cathedral rector Father Michael Cummins (left) and Father Danny Herman, who is a cathedral associate pastor along with Father Rivera.
Chattanooga Deanery Holy Spirit, Soddy-Daisy
Monsignor Al Humbrecht’s next book study will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the church. The book is The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy. To register, call the church at 423-332-5300 or e-mail hscc_parish@holyspirittn.com
St. Bridget, Dayton
Registration is open for religiouseducation classes for all grades. Forms are available at the main and side entrances. Classes will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9.
The Women’s Council hosted a Father’s Day Brunch on June 21 between the 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Masses. More than 80 parishioners enjoyed the event. The council will take a summer hiatus and resume meetings in September.
St. Jude, Chattanooga
Parishioners this month contributed to a Good Samaritan collection to benefit Chattanooga Room in the Inn, a residential program for women and children experiencing homelessness.
St. Jude’s monthly luncheon at noon on Thursday, July 16, will celebrate pastor Father Charlie Burton’s 46th anniversary of priestly ordination. Father Burton was ordained July 11, 1980. A Mass at 11:15 a.m. will precede the luncheon.
A new parish ministry based on The Friendship Project will have its first gathering at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 24, in the Holy Family Room. The ministry invites Catholic women to intentionally cultivate authentic, Christcentered friendships within the parish community.
The Rosary Makers group met on July 6 as part of an effort to make 500 rosaries to be sent to the beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen in September.
The parish thanked director of religious education Deb Weiss and all who helped with the annual vacation Bible school, held June 8-12 and attended by 120 children with 30 teen volunteers. The VBS theme this year was “Rainforest Falls: Exploring the Nature of God.”
St. Mary, Athens
The One Heart Colombia Mission recently thanked parishioners for their support of an Aubrey’s breakfast fundraiser in March and a Vidalia onion sale. This year’s mission team traveled to Colombia June 16-30. Funds raised provided food bags for 250 of the poorest families in the village of Marsella. One Heart Colombia also collected travel-sized toiletries as well as rosaries, medals, and prayer cards for residents of a 40-bed nursing home and for families visited in their homes by the mission team.
St. Stephen, Chattanooga
The new Ladies Auxiliary board members are Linda Schneider, president; Terrie Weiss, vice president; Laurene Vamprine, secretary; and Christine Rocque, treasurer. The next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13, in the small hall. All parish women are welcome to join the Ladies Auxiliary. Call Linda Schneider at 517-2121437 for more information.
The Knights of Columbus presented yearly awards to Bob Birke, “Stumpy Award”; Bob Birke and Thomas Minchew, Knights of the year; and Andy and Mary Simms, family of the year. The council also recently named Frank Gammariello as Knight of the month and Jose and Ana Cabrera as family of the month.
The parish recently presented Father A.J. Houston with a cake to mark his first anniversary as a priest.
American Heritage Girls gathered in the youth room on July 14 for an event in honor of St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
Anniversaries: Wally and Connie Kenny (60), Joseph and Betty Flis (51), Hans and Nancy Humberger (45), Rich and Maria Krysa (35), Jimmy and Gloria Whitener (35), James and Robyn Mahoney (25), Jerry and Emily Hardy (15), Jerrel and Rebekah Laster (5)
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Cleveland
The St. Thérèse Women of Faith Council of Catholic Women is holding an Ice Cream Social/Kickoff Party at 6 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 17, in the family life center gym. To get on the group’s email list, contact Amy Schaefer at 901485-1965 or ajschaef21@gmail.com
The parish is collecting blankets throughout July for the blanket ministry that is part of the annual Three Kings Feast in December. New blankets are requested and may be in baby, twin, full, queen, or king sizes. Deposit blankets in the Christmas box in the vestibule.
Cumberland Mountain Deanery
Blessed Sacrament, Harriman
The parish thanked Teresa Duncan and her family for a Marian grotto that has been placed behind the parish center.
Blessed Sacrament’s graduating highschool seniors this year are Cole Barncord, Myla Sims, and Nicholas Landa.
St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade
Some 500 parishioners and guests celebrated pastor Father Michael Woods’ 60th anniversary of priestly ordination on June 19.
Recent parish events included the praying of the Divine Mercy Chaplet on June 29, a men’s Bible study on June 30 and July 1, a rosary for prisoners on July 2, a first Friday visit of St. Francis Jubilee pilgrims on July 3, a women’s Scripture study on July 4, and Tuesday and Thursday rosaries for the country.
The Council of Catholic Women sponsored a bake sale on July 3 at Village Green Mall.
The parish’s traditional support of the Cross Catholic Outreach Box of Joy program for children’s Christmas gifts continues. Boxes will be available after Masses on July 18-19. Donate online or learn more about what to include in boxes at crosscatholic.org/box-ofjoy/. Food items that can expire and toothpaste and soap are not allowed. Shipping for a box is $9.
The Social Action Ministry thanked parishioners for donating $615 to Ginny Dyer, executive director of the Hospice of Cumberland County, for a recliner chair for a patient’s room.
The Knights of Columbus are sponsoring a benefit concert for Hilltoppers Inc. by the Mt. LeConte Jug Band at 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, at The Square at the corner of Stonehenge Drive and Peavine Road in Fairfield Glade. Admission and pizza are free.
Anniversaries: Paul and Barbara Dahar (62), Luke and Andrea Hebert (58), William and Gail Boland (58), Robert and Marion Cope (57), Jim and Cathy Veen (57), James and Jacqueline Bronson (57), James and Margaret Snyder (57), David and Maralee Rivard (56), Roger and Suzette Hulgan (56), Vince and Sandy D’Alessandro (55), Arthur and Linda Meyer (55), Kenneth and Christine Kuczka (54), Raymond and Kathleen Pilon (54), Robert and Mary Terraforte (54), Bill and Mary Green (50), Kent and Connie Ortman (50), Brian and Heidi Weaver (45), Brian and Diann Snell (35), Michael and Mary Jo St. Clair (10)
St. John Neumann, Farragut
A Newcomers Adult Social is set for Saturday, Aug. 22 (e-mail welcome tosjn@gmail.com for details), and the annual Trivia Night Adult Social is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 29.
A total of 135 children participated in the parish vacation Bible school,
Parish notes continued on page B8
St. John Neumann Parish marking three special anniversaries in 2027
St. John Neumann in Farragut is gearing up for a yearlong triple anniversary celebration that includes the parish’s 50-year jubilee.
The parish’s patron was canonized on June 19, 1977, and Bishop James D. Niedergeses of Nashville on July 18 of that year approved the saint as the namesake for the new Catholic community in West Knox County. St. John Neumann Parish in the coming year will also celebrate the 30th anniversary of its school, which opened in August 1997.
St. John Neumann began its celebration with a Sacred Heart enthronement in June, and its gold-
en-jubilee year will run from July 2027 through July 2028. Events will include a 40-hour adoration Jan. 3-5, an opening Mass and parish social in July 2027, a Founder’s Day celebration that September, a children’s pageant in May 2028, and a closing Mass and concert in July. Throughout the jubilee year will be talks on the church’s sacred art and architecture.
The parish will also produce anniversary keepsakes during the year. To see anniversary events and learn how to volunteer to help the parish during the celebration, visit sjnknox.org/jubilee ■
St. Joseph the Worker youth receive first Holy Communion St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Madisonville celebrated first Holy Communion for eight candidates on May 16. Pastor Father Julius Abuh presided at the Mass, assisted by Deacon Walt Stone. Pictured with Father Abuh and Deacon Stone above are (from left) Mateo Vaca, Esther Moor, Laura Guadalupe Amaya, Scarlett Vos, Augustine Lara Jr., Jacob Michaud, Liam Costa, and Flor Almanza. At left, Flor receives her first Communion.
St. Francis of Assisi parishes are designated Jubilee pilgrimage sites
St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade and St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Townsend have been designated as official pilgrimage sites for the Franciscan Jubilee, commemorating the 800th anniversary of the Transitus, the passing into eternal life of St. Francis of Assisi in 1226.
The Jubilee Year is intended to be a season of intense spiritual renewal for the entire Church, focusing on three core pillars of peace: peace with God, peace among humanity, and peace with creation. The faithful are encouraged to adopt the Franciscan charisms of joy, poverty, and ecological stewardship.
Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed an extraordinary Franciscan Jubilee Year, running from Jan. 10, 2026, to Jan. 10, 2027. The Holy Father has offered a plenary indulgence to the faithful. To obtain this indulgence during the Jubilee, pilgrims must fulfill the following requirements: make a pilgrimage to a designated site, such as St. Francis of Assisi churches in Fairfield Glade and Townsend; spend time in prayer during their visit; and make an act of conversion as the indulgence is tied to a spirit of conversion and the pursuit of holiness.
Under standard Church decree, a plenary indulgence also typically requires the individual to be in a
state of grace, have a complete detachment from sin, and fulfill the three usual conditions: sacramental confession, eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father.
To view a video of a kickoff event on May 16 at St. Francis of Assisi in Fairfield Glade, to learn more about the plenary indulgence and requirements, or to see a schedule of Jubilee events held on first Fridays and third Saturdays, visit saintfrancisfairfield.org/ franciscan-jubilee-year
Upcoming events at the Fairfield Glade church include a St. Francis of Assisi Octave celebration on Oct. 3-4, with a Transitus Mass at sunset. Father David Mary Engo, FFM, who spoke at the May event, will be at St. Francis-Fairfield Glade again on Jan. 9 for a Jubilee-closing Mass with Bishop Mark Beckman. St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Townsend has developed a package for pilgrims to use as they visit, which includes a Jubilee-year program that highlights different parts of the parish, a parish-history pamphlet, a St. Francis prayer card, and information on how to gain an indulgence on a visit to the Townsend parish. The packages are in a display box in front of the parish resource center near the sidewalk between the center and the church. ■
COURTESY OF FATHER
JULIUS ABUH (2)
Bishop Mark Beckman invites young adults ages 18-35 to explore “Encountering Jesus in the Gospels” at meetings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on selected Tuesdays at the Diocese of Knoxville Chancery. The series begins Sept. 8 and continues Sept. 22 and 29 and Oct. 6 and 20, with dates subject to change because of the bishop’s schedule. More dates will follow. Attendees are invited to bring their own beverages and snacks. Register at dioknox.org/ encountering-jesus-updates
The diocesan Office of Vocations is holding a Men’s Discernment Group for men 18 or older interested in discerning whether God is calling them to the priesthood. The group will be hosted by Father Mark Schuster from 9 a.m. to noon on fourth Saturdays in the St. John Paul II Conference Room at the Chancery office in Knoxville, with the next meeting July 25. If you are interested in joining the Men’s Discernment Group, fill out the form at forms.office.com/r/CmSwudiVnf or e-mail vocations@dioknox.org. There will be a Zoom option for those not in the Knoxville area.
to Theology on Tap on the patio of Dos Agaves Mexican Grill, 11639 Parkside Drive in Knoxville, at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 31. Father Larry Rice, CSP, and Father Charlie Donahue, CSP, will be speaking on extraterrestrial life and its implications on Catholic theology.
The Diocese of Knoxville’s new Special Friends ministry is sponsoring a sensory-friendly Mass on the last Saturday of each month. The first liturgy is at 4 p.m. on July 25 in the chapel at Knoxville Catholic High School. The ministry provides support and resources to those with special needs and their caregivers. Register by Saturday, July 18. For more information, contact Sarah Warner Sperl at 865-584-3307 or ssperl@ dioknox.org
Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga will have its annual Alumni Weekend events July 16-18. The 41st annual Irish Classic Golf Tournament is set for 1 p.m. Thursday, July 16, and 8:30 a.m. Friday, July 17, at WindStone Golf Club in Ringgold, Ga. Registration is limited and is open to NDHS alumni, parents, and friends ages 21 and above. Greens fee, range balls, dinner, and cocktails on Thursday, lunch on Friday, beverages, and prizes are included. The annual All Class Bash will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. on July 17 in the Varallo Athletic Center at the high school. Alumni and guests 21 and older are invited to attend. Dress is casual. Light appetizers will be served, and there will be a cash bar. The event is free, but registration is required for a head count. An All Alumni Mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m. on July 18 in the alumni chapel at Notre Dame. The Golden Grads Brunch will follow from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the high school. NDHS alumni from 1976 and before, as well as their spouse or guest, may attend. The class of 1976 will be inducted into the Society of Golden Graduates. This event is also free, but registration is needed for a head count. To learn more about or register for any event, visit www.myndhs.com/alumni/ alumni-weekend, call 423-624-4618, or e-mail alumni@myndhs365.com
Knoxville Catholic High School is hosting its annual Camp Irish summer camps. Remaining camps are for soccer, July 20-23; math, July 20-24; and dance, July 22-24; To learn the age groups for each camp, costs, camp meeting times, and how to register, visit knoxvillecatholic.com/camp-irish or e-mail camps@knoxvillecatholic.com
Young adults ages 18-35 are invited to a semi-silent Healing Heart Retreat at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 25. The retreat will be a day to disconnect from the world, silence your mind, and connect to Christ through His Sacred Heart. The oneday retreat will include Mass, prayer, activities, group discussions, time for private reflection, and more. Learn more or RSVP at dioknox.org/events/ healing-heart-retreat
St. Dominic School in Kingsport has a Disney camp July 27-31. To register or learn more, visit saintdominic catholicschool.com/summer-camps Young adults ages 18-35 are invited
The third annual Polish Heritage Festival is set for Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Mass will be celebrated at 5 p.m. in the cathedral, followed by the festival from 6 to 9 p.m. in the gym, pavilion, and back parking lot. The evening will offer Polish food, traditional folk dancing, and live entertainment. Dancers from the Whispers Center for Artistic Expression in Chicago will perform traditional Polish folk dances. A bake-sale table will provide cakes, pastries, cookies, and traditional paczki (Polish doughnuts), and there will be an enclosed beer garden for guests 21 and up. Visit polishfestival.shcathedral.org to learn more, purchase tickets, or sign up to volunteer. Tickets may also be purchased via the link at dioknox.org/ events/2026-polish-heritage-festival Entry tickets include a meal.
A women’s Cursillo weekend is set for Aug. 6-9 and a men’s weekend for June 10-13, 2027. E-mail laydirector@ knoxvillecursillo.org to learn more.
The diocesan Ministries Day is returning Saturday, Aug. 15, at All Saints Church in Knoxville. Speakers will present on Christian formation, youth and Hispanic ministry, marriage and family, and more. Directors of religious education and OCIA and youth leaders are encouraged to attend. Doors open at 8:30 a.m., with Mass at 9 and activities beginning at 10:15. More details to come soon.
Retrouvaille (“retro-vi”), a Christian program that is Catholic in origin and helps struggling couples restore their marriage and rebuild a loving relationship, will have gatherings on the weekends of Aug. 21-23 in Mount St. Francis, Ind. (held by the Louisville, Ky., community); Sept. 4-6 in Dickson, Tenn. (Nashville community); Sept. 1113 in Atlanta; and Oct. 2-4 in Hickory, N.C. Presenters are not trained marriage counselors but rather couples sharing their personal stories of marital struggles and the tools they used to rediscover their love. For costs and other details, e-mail 3043@helpourmarriage. org, visit helpourmarriage.org, or call 931-820-2115. The address of the weekend facility will be provided when the registration is processed.
The annual Bishop’s Very Special Day is set for 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29, at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut. Join Bishop Mark Beckman for a faith-filled day of fun for special-needs individuals and their families. The day will start with Mass, followed by activities, skits, and lunch. Register or sign up to volunteer at dioknox.org/events/ bishops-very-special-day
In celebration of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation Father Michael Willey will preside at a Mass at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at All Saints Church in Knoxville, and another Mass will take place at noon on Sept. 1 at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa. The World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation kicks off the Season of Creation Sept. 1-Oct. 4, a time for the faithful to renew their relationship with their Creator and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment together. Learn more on the Care of Creation page at dioknox. org/care-of-creation
Knoxville Catholic High School’s 40th annual Shamrock Open will take place Friday, Sept. 4, at Egwani Farms Golf Course in Rockford. Tee time is at 9 a.m. The event will honor John Wilkerson as an “Irish legend.” The day includes 18 holes of golf, breakfast, lunch, beverages, a golf shirt, and goodie bags. Costs are $175 per player and $700 per team. Register or become a sponsor at knoxville
Calendar continued on page B8
Notre Dame Parish VBS has ‘Cool Kingdom Party’ theme this year
Notre Dame Parish in Greeneville held vacation Bible school every Wednesday night in June that concluded with a Water Day on July 1.
The VBS theme this year was “Cool Kingdom Party: Mary Leads Me Closer to Jesus.” The parish hall was turned into the Castle of Notre Dame with a banquet hall where a meal was served each night. The participants enjoyed a music session followed by a demonstration on a daily virtue, including obedience, purity, faith, and love.
The daily theme was: 1. Mary said “yes” to God. Mary is the mother of Jesus and our heavenly mother. 2. Mary remained pure her whole life. She never sinned. 3. Mary is queen of heaven and Earth. She brings our prayer to Jesus. 4. Jesus is king and Lord of our lives.
Students were divided into three groups: princes and princesses,
dukes and duchesses, and knights and dames, and they traveled to different sessions including the Faith Station, Game Station, and Craft Station. Crafts included mugs for Mom, mini-Mary gardens, finger puppets, and VBS treasure frames, including a keepsake picture. A saint was introduced each day, including St. Dominic Savio, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Joseph, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Teresa of Calcutta.
The service project for this year’s VBS was collecting change in bottles for a Handmaids of the Precious Blood expansion project. The community in New Market is building a larger chapel for eucharistic adoration, an infirmary for its aging sisters, and new housing for incoming vocations.
The VBS, staffed by adult and teen volunteers, concluded with a picnic meal of grilled hot dogs as well as water activities on July 1. ■
COURTESY OF JANET SPRAKER
St. Bridget Parish hosts English Tea
The Women’s Council at St. Bridget Parish in Dayton hosted an English Tea for members and special guests on the afternoon of June 6, with 24 ladies in attendance.
COURTESY OF SUSAN COLLINS
‘Mary Leads Me Closer to Jesus’ A total of 30 youth, with 18 adult volunteers assisting, attended the annual vacation Bible school this year at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville.
Serra Club welcomes new members and installs officers At its June 22 meeting, the Serra Club of Chattanooga welcomed eight new members, and officers for the 2026-27 year were installed. Club chaplain Father Andrew Crabtree officiated at both events at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. New members with their sponsors, pictured with Father Crabtree are (top photo, from left, front row) Bill Lopez, Nina Thompson, Mike Thompson, Isabella von Memmigen, Geraldine Charton, Mary Cooper, and Jack Cooper; and (back row) MaryLynn Casulo, Larry Skelly, Andy Wikidal, Raleigh Cooper, and Gaspar DeGaetano. New officers are seen with the chaplain in the bottom photo. From left are (front row) Fos Goodwin, Betty Anne Neal, Ivonne Weidner, Andy Wikidal, Liz Hutenburg, Cathy Palisoc, and Bill Lopez and (second row) Glenn Garvet, Raleigh Cooper, Priscilla McLean, and Judy Speck.
COURTESY OF RALEIGH COOPER (2)
Praying for Perspective by
George Valadie
Remembering 250 and 49; trying to forget 35
Our history offers all sorts of stories needing all sorts of understanding
How could I not?!
Have you ever felt stupid? Or actually done stupid? As this year’s 250th-anniversary celebration of our country has reminded us again and again, just one of the remarkable geniuses of our forefathers was their emphasis on its people having freedom and individual rights.
And as we have since demonstrated again and again—that has included the freedom to be dumb. Never on purpose but way more so than we’d care to admit.
Sometimes it’s accompanied by tragic consequences, but thankfully, and most of the time, not so much.
As I imagine is true for most, I’ve tried through the years to keep my own stupidity to a minimum. Seemed like an admirable goal. Still, I have to admit this wasn’t my first time. Just my most recent.
For most of the last 30 years, given my role as a Catholic school principal, Nancy and I comfortably settled in to a working arrangement regarding family finances. When I became a principal and began stressing over school budgets, she took on the stress of our personal bills.
She’s really been the perfect person for that—and for us. And I say that with the utmost love and respect. She’s saved us.
And we needed saving.
Because there was a time her car wouldn’t go into reverse and my headlights wouldn’t work in the cold. Neither of which we could afford to fix; both of which seemed important.
There’s also an all-too-vivid memory of me having subscribed to Sports Illustrated after coming across one of those special discounted “introductory” offers: 52 issues for $10.
PBut then, when time came to settle accounts, we didn’t have $10. Well, not all of it. I probably knew that beforehand, but stupid won out.
In an effort to avoid being a total loser, I mailed a check for $3.33 each of the next three months. Hoping my good intentions might escape the credit-score police.
We’re so much better now that she’s in control. To be fair, though, we tease her quite a bit for her methods. One such strategy on which she relies has been her compulsion to open multiple bank accounts.
Yes, in this digital world, there are multiple free apps for tracking all her various sorts of financial records and activities in a single place, but that’s just not her style. Or comfort zone.
So, we have a collection of account numbers to memorize: one for Christmas, one for vacations, one for the house, one for the unexpected and unknown.
She’s also created a secondary level of high finance: top-secret hidden envelopes. You know those ones you get from the bank, the perfect size for holding dollar bills.
She has one labeled birthdays, one for her nails, one for her hair (though not mine), a bone-dry empty one in case we should ever get more money (I kid you not), and one for Armageddon.
Seriously, she said, “George, if I die or China shuts down the Internet, there’s $200 cash in my side dresser drawer. It’s hidden under that layer of mints in that old Mentos can. And don’t eat the mints, they’re way expired.”
Whichever happens, I’m guess-
ing we’ll need more than two bills, but she’ll get us through at least one weekend of insanity.
On all the rest of the non-disaster days, we’re joint holders of every account, but if my driver’s license isn’t enough to get me access, I’ll be in deep, deep trouble. I know not a single number.
So, when I retired, I boldly established an account of my own. It only made sense to put her on it, too, in case the Russians came from a different direction, but it felt empowering to have one under my control, hidden away from her daily accounting.
“George, why do you want your own account?”
“So I can hide secret money to buy you an occasional gift without you knowing everything,” sounded good.
It’s all kinda funny because as I said, I’m retired. I don’t have access to a single dollar of income she doesn’t see, know about, or control. What goes in my account comes from the allowance she gives me. I guess that makes me one of her accounts.
But back to both American freedom and being stupid. I do have 100 percent control of my account. And doesn’t that tell you all you need to know?
I lied about getting her gifts; mostly I spend mine on the driving range, Diet Coke, and the grandkids. But I also signed up for a couple of more subscriptions: one for a TV streaming service and one for some online news.
What with debit cards, Venmo, and Apple Pay, I haven’t written an actual check in over a year. Which was more recent than the last time I
Thoughts and Prayers for the Faithful by Deacon Bob Hunt
balanced said account. But it turns out you should probably track your commitments. Because that sort of money’s leaving your account no matter what. Sometimes unexpectedly.
Stupid? You know it. Result: $35 in overdraft charges.
A couple of weeks ago, we got to celebrate our 49th wedding anniversary. That’s a lot of years of a lot of things. Memories, smiles, frustrations. Lots of photos, too, a few on the wall, most in a box under a bed. Occasional tears, loads of laughter. Job and stay-at-home choices. Cars and houses we couldn’t afford. Kids, too, for that matter.
But what we celebrated were our countless blessings, kids and grandkids, so many unexpected kindnesses from so many unexpected people. Family, friends, fellowship. And fortune—but of a different sort.
A wealth of love and grace, ours and our Father’s.
I was forced to confess my $35 stupidity when I approached her with bowed and penitent head to ask for some extra allowance.
“What have you done? Do you ever balance that account? Do you ever even look at it?” she asked with a tone.
We might make it to 50. I hope so—I think my allowance goes up. Dear God—Getting to meet the perfect person feels like your gift to us. Making it last is our gift to each other. Thank you for the chance. Amen. ■
George Valadie is a parishioner at St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga and author of the book “We Lost Our Fifth Fork … and other moments when we need some perspective.”
Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica humanitas encyclical
On the use of AI, he urges us to reject the Babel model of progress without God
ope Leo XIV has released the first encyclical letter of his pontificate. Titled Magnifica humanitas (“Magnificent humanity” or MH), it is subtitled: “On Safeguarding the Human Person in the time of Artificial Intelligence.”
Some might take issue with the title. Is humanity so magnificent? But recall that the Catholic Church teaches, contrary to many of our separated brethren or the more cynical secularists, that the human person is basically good. Psalm 8:4-6 proclaims: “When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place—what is man that you are mindful of him, and a son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him little less than a god, crowned him with glory and honor.” Human nature is broken because of the Fall, which accounts for so much of man’s inhumanity to man and man’s poor treatment of animals, the earth, etc. But the human person is good.
Made in the image of God and renewed to His likeness by the waters of baptism, the dignity of what it means to be human has been raised by Christ in such a way that respect for the human dignity of all and even a healthy self-love are manifestations of God’s own desire to be reconciled and share His divine nature with humanity. “The glory of God is a living man,” said St. Irenaeus of Lyons, way back in the second century, “and the life of man consists in beholding God.”
The challenge of artificial intelligence (AI) is to remember the dignity of the human person, the social
nature of human life, and the common good of all people in a world obsessed with ever-advancing technologies but not always with the ethical ramifications of those technologies. Pope Leo offers the analogy of Babel v. Jerusalem. At Babel, man desired progress without God. He wanted to build a tower to heaven to prove that he did not need God. Instead, the confusion of language God caused led them to division and stalemate at every point of progress. Punished for their vanity and presumption, they could no longer work together toward a common goal because that vision did not include a relationship with Him who creates and sustains all things.
Contrast this with the project to rebuild Jerusalem after the Persian Empire conquered the Babylonians and allowed the Jews, who had been captives in Babylon, to return to their homeland. Finding Jerusalem destroyed, Nehemiah went about building back the city. Being a leader and not a ruler, Nehemiah brought the entire community together to listen to ideas of what should be done and how it should be done, assigning each family its section of the wall to rebuild, all of it while acknowledging their dedication for God and asking His blessing on their work.
Nehemiah listened, trusting in the contributions of others to a shared project. In short order, Jerusalem was rebuilt and has served as the focal point of Jewish life for centuries, even to this day.
Pope Leo encourages us as we develop our technologies to reject the
model offered by Babel of confusion wrought by goals originating in a self-centered, profit-oriented vision and adopt the model of cooperation, joint effort, and each respecting what the other brings to the project that exemplified Nehemiah’s style of leadership. And not to forget God! It is possible to truly advance in technology while respecting the inherent dignity of the human person and the search for the common good. Indeed, if we forget these, we seal our own doom.
In MH, Pope Leo cites several areas of concern regarding AI in relation to respect for the human person and community, including “a significant and rapid contraction in available jobs,” “Important and sensitive decisions … delegated to automated systems,” “AI systems present[ing] themselves as neutral and objective, [that] end up reflecting and reinforcing the stereotypes or ideological bias of their designers and developers,” the development of autonomous weapons systems and, most ominous of all, a fostering of the notion of “progress as surpassing the human condition, … grouped under the labels of transhumanism and posthumanism. These perspectives,” Pope Leo points out with dismay, “form the ideological background present in some centers of technological power and occupy the collective imagination in a simplified form, especially in the media and on social networks. They tend to foster enthusiasm for new technologies through a futuristic vision of an ‘enhanced human being’ or ‘human-machine hybrid.’”
Hand-in-hand with the idea of “enhanced human beings” is that the natural limitations of human life—illness, old age, suffering, vulnerability—are regarded as defects to be corrected, ignoring that our humanity is often made most manifest when we are at the service of those in need, or even when we are the ones suffering. Our limitations are what bring out our compassion, our generosity, the experience of the spiritual, and the worship of God.
“Mysteriously,” Pope Leo writes, “it is precisely in such moments that we can discover a new wisdom, tangibly experience the closeness of others, and encounter the presence of the Lord.”
People are not objects to be optimized or perfected. The Holy Father writes: “If the human being is treated as something to be perfected or surpassed, it becomes easier to accept that some lives are less useful, less desirable, or less worthy. In the name of progress, ‘necessary sacrifices’ may begin to be justified, placing the burden on the most vulnerable in pursuit of a supposed optimization of the species.” In other words: eugenics. The Second Person of the Holy Trinity emptied Himself and became man, like us in all things except sin. As Jesus Christ was the Son of the Father, by His grace we, too, can become children of God. We act like God’s children especially when we, in imitation of Christ who gave Himself for the sake of others, are moved to reach out to heal or mitigate the suffering of the poor, the hungry and thirsty, the naked Deacon Hunt continued on page B10
St. Catherine of Siena and ‘the gentle light’
The doctor of the Church dedicated herself to God at age 6 and was ‘eager for’ the next Mass
In previous columns, I have introduced the eucharistic teaching of St. John Chrysostom, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux. This month, I want to look at the teaching of St. Catherine of Siena. Catherine was born in 1347, the 24th of 25 children. She was a precocious child, dedicating herself to God at the age of 6. She entered the Third Order of St. Dominic and lived her life as a laywoman. She received profound mystical experiences while active in the world, working for reconciliation between cities, advising the pope, and promoting the renewal of religious life. Her masterpiece is The Dialogue an extended conversation between Catherine and God. She was named a doctor of the Church by St. Paul VI in 1970.
Early in The Dialogue, Catherine summarized her love for and experience of the Mass. She wrote that she was “eager for the next day’s Mass…because in communion the soul seems more sweetly bound to God and better knows His truth. For then the soul is in God and God in the soul, just as the fish is in the sea and the sea in the fish.”1 This hints at the riches that will unfold in the pages that follow.
Important for Catherine was a revelation she received from Christ during Mass in which He explained how He is present in the Eucharist. Christ said, “When the celebrant reached the consecration you looked up toward him. And at the words of consecration I revealed myself to you. You saw a ray of light coming from my breast, like the ray that
comes forth from the sun’s circle yet never leaves it. Within this light came a dove, and dove and light were as one and hovered over the host by the power of the words of consecration the celebrant was saying. Your bodily eyes could not endure the light, and only your spiritual vision remained, but there you saw and tasted the depths of the Trinity, wholly God, wholly human, hidden and veiled under that whiteness. Neither the light nor the presence of the Word, whom in spirit you saw in this whiteness, took away the whiteness of the bread. Nor did the one stand in the way of the other. I did not block your sight either of me, God and human, in that bread, or the bread itself. Neither the whiteness nor the feel nor the taste was taken away from the bread.”2
In this vision, the Lord emphasized to Catherine the importance of faith, not the senses, in discerning Christ’s presence for, He said, “your dull bodily senses are deceived.”3 God posed a series of questions to Catherine about how Christ’s presence is discerned in the sacrament.4 He first asked, “What tastes and sees and touches this sacrament? The soul’s sensitivity.” He then asked, “How does she see it? With her mind’s eye, so long as it has the pupil of holy faith. This eye sees in that whiteness the divine nature joined with the human; wholly God, wholly human; the body, soul, and blood of Christ, His soul united with His body and His body and soul united with my divine nature, never straying from me.” And His third question, “How is this sacra-
Immaculate Conception Parish in downtown Knoxville will celebrate Irish heritage with its 17th annual Irish Fest on the Hill, schedule for 4 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8.
Those attending may enjoy Irish food, drinks, dessert, and music and take part in a silent auction. A Gaelic games demonstration will be held. There will also be tours of IC Church, one of the oldest Catholic churches in the Diocese of Knoxville.
The silent-auction wish list includes gift cards and certificates for restaurants, shops, experiences, etc.; services such as simple wills, spa treatments, teeth whitening, or dog grooming; and wine and spirits or jewelry.
Music will be performed on two stages and feature Red-Haired Mary, Knoxville Pipe & Drums, Jeff Nelson, Nancy Brennan Strange & Friends, Four Leaf Peat, the
Daily readings
Wednesday, July 15: Memorial of St. Bonaventure, bishop and doctor of the Church, Isaiah 10:5-7, 1316; Psalm 94:5-10, 14-15; Matthew 11:25-27
Thursday, July 16: Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19; Psalm 102:13-21; Matthew 11:28-30
Friday, July 17: Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8; Isaiah 38:10-12, 16; Matthew 12:1-8
Saturday, July 18: Micah 2:1-5; Psalm 10:1-4, 7-8, 14; Matthew 12:14-21
Sunday, July 19: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19; Psalm 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16; Romans 8:26-27; Matthew 13:24-43
Monday, July 20: Micah 6:1-4, 6-8; Psalm 50:5-6, 8-9, 16-17, 21, 23; Matthew 12:38-42
Tuesday, July 21: Micah 7:14-15, 1820; Psalm 85:2-8; Matthew 12:46-50 Wednesday, July 22: Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, Song of Songs
ment touched? With the hand of love…The hand of love touches through faith, confirming as it were what the soul sees and knows spiritually through faith.”5 Faith, He told Catherine, was paramount, “It was your mind’s eye, with the pupil of holy faith, that had vision in the end. So, the spiritual must be the principal vision, because it cannot be deceived. It is with this eye, then, that you must contemplate the sacrament.”6
God also stressed the importance of our desire for Christ. “How is this sacrament tasted?” He asked. “With holy desire. The body tastes only the flavor of bread, but the soul tastes me, God and human. So, you see, the body’s senses can be deceived, but not the soul’s.”7 Our desire to receive Christ in communion, he said, is like a candle. “Each one of you brings your own candle, that is, the holy desire with which you receive and eat this sacrament. Your candle by itself is unlit, and it is lighted when you receive this sacrament.”8 “And your candle is love, because it is for love that I created you, so without love you cannot have life…even though all of you receive the light, each of you receives it in proportion to the love and burning desire you bring with you….You share as much of the light (that is, the grace you receive in this sacrament) as your holy desire disposes you to receive.”9
God explained to Catherine the power of the Eucharist. “When this appearance of bread has been consumed, I leave behind the imprint of my grace, just as a seal that is pressed into warm wax leaves its
imprint when it is lifted off. Thus does the power of this sacrament remain there in the soul; that is, the warmth of my divine charity, the mercy of the Holy Spirit, remains there. The light of my only-begotten Son’s wisdom remains there, enlightening the mind’s eye.”10 “[The soul] is left strong, sharing in my strength and power, which make her strong and powerful against her selfish sensuality and against the devil and the world.”11
The image that occurs over and over in these quotes is light. The Lord told Catherine that “the gentle light of this sacrament” cannot be contaminated, divided, or diminished.12 “Though all the world should ask for His light, all would have it whole, and whole it would remain.”13 ■
1 Catherine of Siena: The Dialogue, translated by Suzanne Nofke, OP (Paulist Press, 1980), p. 27. All subsequent references are to this source. 2 210-211 3
Tennessee Irish Dancers, Tim and Cherry on the Strings, The Missing Goats, and Tracy Jenkins & Will MacMorran.
Drop off items labeled for the silent auction at the parish office or contact Juliet McVay at cwmcvay@ comcast.net. To help set up, clean up, or decorate; sell tickets, food, and beer; or staff the Irish Fest booth, call Beth Wolf at 865-6790535. Many sponsorship opportunities are available; call Becky Birdwell at 865-414-7430. Visit icknoxville. org/irish-fest-committee to learn more about volunteering or serving as a sponsor.
Tickets are $15 each and are available in the parish office during business hours.
More than 1,500 attended the 16th annual Irish Fest on the Hill on Aug. 9, 2025. The event raised a record $37,000. Proceeds were used to rebuild the steps to the parish hall. ■
3:1-4; Psalm 63:2-6, 8-9; John 20:1-2, 11-18
Thursday, July 23: Jeremiah 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13; Psalm 36:6-11; Matthew 13:10-17
Friday, July 24: Jeremiah 3:14-17; Jeremiah 31:10-13; Matthew 13:18-23 Saturday, July 25: Feast of St. James, Apostle, 2 Corinthians 4:7-15; Psalm 126:1-6; Matthew 20:20-28
Sunday, July 26: 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12; Psalm 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-130; Romans 8:28-30; Matthew 13:44-52
Monday, July 27: Jeremiah 13:1-11; Deuteronomy 32:18-21; Matthew 13:31-35
Tuesday, July 28: Jeremiah 14:1722; Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13; Matthew 13:36-43
Wednesday, July 29: Memorial of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21; Psalm 59:2-4, 10-11, 17-18; John 11:19-27
Thursday, July 30: Jeremiah 18:1-6; Psalm 146:1-6; Matthew 13:47-53
Friday, July 31: Memorial of St.
COURTESY OF JANET SPRAKER
Father Randy Stice is director of the diocesan Office of Worship and Liturgy. He can be reached at frrandy@ dioknox.org.
St. Bridget Knights raise $3,400 in annual Harry ‘Bunky’ Jones Golf Tournament Knights of Columbus Council 11424 at St. Bridget Parish in Dayton held another successful golf tournament fundraiser on June 11. The annual Harry “Bunky” Jones Golf Tournament took place at Dayton Golf & Country Club in Evensville and raised $3,400 in support of the council’s various charities. Knights are pictured with St. Bridget pastor Father Jim Vick. From left are Bill Ward, Grand Knight Jeff Templin, Jerry Corvin, Pat Bisson, Joe Blanton, Chip Faucette, Steve Thorn, Pete McGrath, Bill Runge, and Ray Spraker. Not pictured are Knights Chris Hill and Frank Masters, who were still on the golf course when the photo was taken.
Ignatius of Loyola, priest, Jeremiah 26:1-9; Psalm 69:5, 8-10, 14; Matthew 13:54-58
Saturday, Aug. 1: Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, bishop and doctor of the Church, Jeremiah 26:1116, 24; Psalm 69:15-16, 30-31, 33-34; Matthew 14:1-12
Sunday, Aug. 2: Isaiah 55:1-3; Psalm 145:8-9, 15-18; Romans 8:35, 37-39; Matthew 14:13-21
Monday, Aug. 3: Jeremiah 28:1-17; Psalm 119:29, 43, 79-80, 95, 102; Matthew 14:22-36
Tuesday, Aug. 4: Memorial of St. John Vianney, priest, Jeremiah 30:12, 12-15, 18-22; Psalm 102:16-21, 29, 22-23; Matthew 14:22-36 Wednesday, Aug. 5: Jeremiah 31:1-7; Jeremiah 31:10-13; Matthew 15:21-28 Thursday, Aug. 6: Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9; 2 Peter 1:16-19; Matthew 17:1-9 Friday, Aug. 7: Nahum 2:1, 3 and
3:1-3, 6-7; Deuteronomy 32:35-36, 39, 41; Matthew 16:24-28
Saturday, Aug. 8: Memorial of St. Dominic, priest, Habakkuk 1:12–2:4; Psalm 9:8-13; Matthew 17:14-20 Sunday, Aug. 9: 1 Kings 19:9, 11-13; Psalm 85:9-14; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:22-33
Monday, Aug. 10: Feast of St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr, 2 Corinthians 9:6-10; Psalm 112:1-2, 5-9; John 12:24-26
Tuesday, Aug. 11: Memorial of St. Clare, virgin, Ezekiel 2:8–3:4; Psalm 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131; Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14
Wednesday, Aug. 12: Ezekiel 9:1-7 and 10:18-22; Psalm 113:1-6; Matthew 18:15-20
Thursday, Aug. 13: Ezekiel 12:112; Psalm 78:56-59, 61-62; Matthew 18:21–19:1 Friday, Aug. 14: Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe, priest and martyr, Ezekiel 16:1-15, 60, 63; Isaiah 12:2-6; Matthew 19:3-12 ■
catholic.com/shamrock-open/. Since 1986, the Shamrock Open has raised $1,255,000.
Picture of Love retreats for engaged couples are scheduled for 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, and 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at St. Albert the Great Church in Knoxville and for 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, and 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga. Mass will be celebrated at 5 p.m. on Sept. 19 at St. Albert the Great and at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 3 at OLPH. This marriage-preparation program is a supplement to a couple’s marriage formation with their parish priest or deacon. Picture of Love explores the joys and challenges of living out the sacrament of matrimony with special focus on the importance of inviting Jesus to be the center of marriage and family life. The program will help a couple gain insights into their relationship, as well as give them practical ideas and tools to help smooth their journey and become the “Picture of Love” to one another. Participants who complete the program will receive a certificate to present to their county clerk and receive a $60 discount on their marriage license. The marriage license is valid for 30 days from issuance and is good for ceremonies performed anywhere in Tennessee. Cost is $175 per couple. Registration is available for the St. Albert the Great retreat at dioknox. org/events/picture-of-love-retreatsept-2026 and for the OLPH retreat at dioknox.org/events/picture-of-loveretreat-oct-2026. Registration deadline is Friday, Sept. 4, for the earlier retreat and Friday, Sept. 18, for the later retreat. Late registrations are accepted if space allows (cost is $200). Also at the websites are three exercises: a personality test, a “love language profile for couples,” and a fillable budget worksheet. Couples are asked to complete the exercises in advance and bring them to the retreat—see the websites for more details.
themed “Marvelous Ministry: The Mass Comes Alive.”
St. Joseph, Norris
A building-expansion meeting will be held after the 9 a.m. Mass on Sunday, July 19, as St. Joseph is looking to build a separate building that will sit behind the current building with a covered walkway connecting the church and social hall. Thoughts, concerns, and suggestions about the plan will be used as input as the planning process continues. View updates on the project and renderings at www.sjnorris.org/projects-8 E-mail comments and suggestions to expansion team leader Bill Donaldson at wadonald644@gmail.com
The Council of Catholic Women will hold a yard sale on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 21-22.
Parish youth in kindergarten through fifth grade attended an ecumenical vacation Bible school on July 13 hosted by Norris Religious Fellowship.
St. Joseph middle- and high-school students held a “game and junk-food night” on July 11.
The Council of Catholic Women hosted a patriotic rosary on July 1 with hot dogs served afterward and sponsored a bake-sale booth at the annual Norris Day celebration on July 4.
The parish welcomed Patti Malti as its new hospitality chair.
Five Rivers Deanery
Holy Trinity, Jefferson City
The annual school-supply drive for Appalachian Ministries of the Smokies is being held through Sunday, July 19. Supplies needed are listed on a posted flyer and may be placed in a box in the narthex.
Vacation Bible school will be held from noon to 3 p.m. from Wednesday, July 22, through Friday July 24.
The Knights of Columbus gave Father Jim Harvey a certificate of appreciation and a priest’s stole on June 7 in honor of his 30th anniversary of ordination. Father Harvey was ordained a priest on
Contact Carolyn Krings at 865-5843307 or ckrings@dioknox.org for more information.
Bishop Mark Beckman will celebrate a Mass with young adults of the diocese at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20, at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. A dinner will follow Mass. More details to come.
Catholic youth ages 6-20 are invited to a Scouting retreat, a day of faith and fellowship, at the pavilion at Sacred Heart Cathedral School on Saturday, Oct. 10. There will be activities, games, lunch, reconciliation, and Mass. The day begins at 10 a.m., concluding with Mass at 5 p.m. Cost is $10 and includes activities and lunch. For more information, e-mail Kimberly Turnmire at kimberly.turnmire@gmail.com
Young adults are invited to a retreat Friday evening to Sunday morning, Oct. 23-25, at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton. The retreat will center on St. Pier Giorgio Frassati. Only 30 spots are available. Cost is $150, with a $50 deposit due at registration. Register at dioknox.org/events/ frassati-retreat
Our Lady of the Mountains Rosary Guild meets one Sunday each month at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut, with the next meeting set for 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 30, in Seton Hall. The guild works to place rosaries into the hands of those longing for prayer, peace, and hope—both locally and throughout the world. For more information, contact the guild at olmrgknoxvilletn@gmail.com
The Healing Ministry at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa offers healing prayers every third weekend of the month for anyone who has a physical, emotional, or spiritual need. Individual healing prayer will be offered in Span-
June 1, 1996. The Holy Trinity pastor is a Fourth Degree Knight and a 31-year member.
Anniversaries: Frank and Karen Ginnie (25), Tom and Amber Wissemann (20)
Notre Dame, Greeneville
A Parish Family Night at a Greeneville Flyboys baseball game is set for Saturday, July 18. A tailgate party will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the game at 7 and fireworks afterward.
Planning for the annual Fall Festival of Nations on Sept. 19 is underway. Silent-auction and yard-sale items as well as prizes for the games tent are needed, and raffle tickets are on sale for $2 each for three chances to win $500. Vendor and committee sign-up forms are in the narthex. To assist, call event chairs DJ Dalton at 423-5880150, Andrea Pletsch at 423-823-7165, or Susan Collins at 423-470-2560.
Anniversaries: Kenneth and Patricia Fay (51), Jimmy and Debra Helton (35)
St. Dominic, Kingsport
Aldo Zazzi Council 6992 of the Knights of Columbus elected new officers recently. They are Mark Pendley, Grand Knight; Mark Fleming, deputy Grand Knight; Scott Swope, chancellor; Eliot Easterbrook, treasurer; Mickey Washchyshak, warden; Thomas McCaffrey, advocate; Brent Bishop, recorder; Jim Ginder, three-year trustee; Rob Walters, two-year trustee; and Kevin Musser, one-year trustee.
A baptism-preparation class for expectant mothers or parents with new babies is planned for 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, in the St. Catherine of Siena room in the parish life center. Call the parish office at 423-288-8101 to register and download the registration form at saintdominickpt.org
St. Dominic Seniors and the Knights will celebrate National Ice Cream Day at 6:45 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, in the parish life center.
The Reading Circle will discuss The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky in its meetings at 6 p.m. on Mondays, July 20 and Aug. 17, in the St. Dominic room of the parish life center.
ish in the
church immediately following the 7 p.m. Saturday Mass in Spanish, and prayer will be offered in English in the chapel immediately following the 11 a.m. Sunday Mass. Call Toni Jacobs at 561-315-5911 if you have any questions.
Catholic in Recovery is a 12-step recovery ministry that holds meetings each Monday at 7 p.m. at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport and each Sunday at 4 p.m. at All Saints Church in Knoxville. CIR provides hope and healing from addictions, compulsions, and unhealthy attachments. Family members impacted by a loved one’s addiction are also encouraged to attend. Meetings combine the spiritual principles of 12-step recovery and the sacraments of the Catholic Church. Join others in recovery as the meetings overlap Scripture from Sunday Mass readings, liturgical themes, and recovery topics with honest discussion and prayer. Confidentiality is protected. The St. Dominic gatherings are hybrid meetings, in person in the St. Thomas Aquinas Room of the parish life center or online at tinyurl.com/cir-zoom-tricitiestn. For more information, visit www. catholicinrecovery.com. For more details on the meetings at St. Dominic, contact Jena at cir.tricities.tn@gmail. com or call Oscar at 423-213-2434. For the meetings at All Saints, call Martin Ohmes at 865-438-4905 or e-mail CIR AllSaintsKnoxville@gmail.com
A “Sacred Shrines of France” pilgrimage sponsored by Holy Family Parish in Seymour is set for Sept. 28-Oct. 8. Holy Family pastor Father Bill McNeeley will be the chaplain and spiritual director for the pilgrimage, and Sherri McNeeley will be the group leader. Sites visited and saints focused on include Lourdes, Normandy/Omaha Beach, Lisieux (Basilica of St. Thérèse), Rouen (St. Joan of Arc), Mont Saint-Michel, Chartres Cathedral, Paris (Shrine
Contact Anna at waltersanna4@gmail. com for more details.
Parishioners volunteered for an outdoor clean-up day at the school campus on July 9-10.
St. Mary, Johnson City
A farewell Mass for associate pastor Father Zachary Griffith took place after the 5 p.m. Mass on June 27. Father Griffith started his new assignment as parochial administrator of Notre Dame Parish in Greeneville on July 1.
Maureen Raible is retiring as the St. Mary bookkeeper, and Laura Thomas will transition from school office manager to the role of parish business manager. Former St. Mary School bookkeeper Amy Doyan will return to temporarily assist at the school.
Smoky Mountain Deanery
Holy Family, Seymour
The Legion of Mary prayed a rosary at Atchley’s Memory Garden in Seymour on July 4.
Fifty-three families who designated Holy Family as their charity for Kroger Community Rewards raised $150.67 for parish youth from March through May. Visit holyfamilyseymour.org and scroll down to see details on joining the rewards program.
Immaculate Conception, Knoxville
After 25 years of service to IC in many ways, Nancy Brennan Strange has retired from the parish office. IC recently welcomed Natalie Martin as its new office coordinator. She has served as the parish’s liturgy livestream tech since 2020 and as a substitute receptionist, and she has volunteered at IC and St. Joseph School.
A new ministry, Our Little Way, has been initiated and is based at IC. On third Saturdays, the ministry provides food and outreach to the homeless and less fortunate who reside under the bridge between Broadway and Cooper Street. To help or be added to the e-mail list, text Jim Flood at 865-742-5080 or e-mail him at forevergold.flood@gmail.com
Paulist seminarian Andrew Ouma has
of the Miraculous Medal, Sacré-Coeur, Notre Dame Cathedral, Église SaintSulpice, the Shrine of St. Vincent de Paul, Gallery of the Kings, the Louvre, Saint-Chapelle, and the Church of St. Mary Magdalene), Nevers (St. Bernadette), Paray-le-Monial (Shrine of the Sacred Heart), and Ars (St. John Vianney). Cost is $5,650 for a double room or $6,649 for a single room. The land-only cost (no flights) is $1,000. For more information, visit www.canterburypilgrimages.com/ tour/14046
Father Michael Cummins, rector of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, is leading a retreat to Yellowstone National Park Oct. 11-16. The retreat will consist of daily wildlife watching led by professional wildlife guides, daily Mass and retreat sessions offered by Father Cummins, talks by park naturalists and wildlife experts, and days ending with dinner prepared by a local chef. Retreat cost is $3,100, not including airfare. For more information, call Roberta Somerville in the office of St. Dominic Church in Kingsport at 423-288-8101.
Father Julian Cardona, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City, and St. Thomas parishioner Jim Gecsei are leading a pilgrimage to the Holy Land Oct. 17-27. Pilgrims will visit the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, the Mount of Beatitudes, Mount Tabor, Ein Karem, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and more. Cost is $4,695 for land only and $5,695 for land and group air. A solo room will cost an additional $1,395. For more information, contact Select International Tours at 800-842-4842 or mirela@select-intl. com, or visit selectinternationaltours. com n
been assigned to IC for his pastoral year.
Parishioners on June 30 took part in adoration at the church and a social hour afterward at the nearby Pour Taproom on Jackson Avenue.
Sacred Heart, Knoxville
Receptions will be held after weekend Masses on July 18-19 to welcome new cathedral rector Father Michael Cummins to Sacred Heart.
The next Movie Night with a Priest is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, July 17, in Cathedral Hall, featuring the film Of Gods and Men. Father John Orr will lead a discussion following the film. Doors open at 5 p.m. Ages 18 and over only. The event is free; RSVP at moviewith apriest.org
St. Francis of Assisi, Townsend
Upcoming events include a parish picnic at Concord Yacht Club from 2 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 2; a pet blessing outside the parish resource center at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3; and a movie night featuring Brother Sun, Sister Moon at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1.
St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville
The parish will celebrate pastor Father Julius Abuh’s 34th anniversary of priestly ordination with Mass at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 18, followed by a potluck reception.
The Knights of Columbus are accepting donations for their upcoming annual charity yard sale set for Thursday through Saturday, Aug. 27-29. The first day of the sale is for parishioners before it is open to the public for the last two days.
The next financial goal for the new family life center is $4.5 million. Options for donating include purchasing a brick for the courtyard or a naming opportunity such as sponsoring a classroom, an office or kitchen equipment, or a bench or planter for the courtyard. See the forms in the narthex or call the parish office at 423-442-7273 for more information. Learn more at sjtwrcc.wixsite.com/ sjtwrcc/family-life-center-updates n
Parish notes continued from page B4
Summer: a ‘busy, fruitful time for youth ministry’
Events such as God Camp and the Steubenville Atlanta conference provide opportunities to encounter Christ
By Bee Goodman
Somebody sneaks in pink hair chalk. Another sneaks in a mini airhorn. Another guards a giant beach ball more than twice her size as if it’s her life’s purpose.
Kids do silly things, and in the moment those silly things can be inconvenient, but observing them afterward brings a smile even to the toughest chaperone. Any summer camp is full of moments like these, but there are many moments of grace that happen only when these kids pack up for a week and go away to places like God Camp, a Tau House service trip, the Steubenville conference in Atlanta, or one of the many other youth events that fill the Diocese of Knoxville’s calendar each summer.
“People often assume that youth ministry slows down when school lets out for the summer. I always laugh when I hear that because summer is one of the busiest and most fruitful times of the year for youth ministry,” said Amanda Henderson, diocesan director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry.
As awesome as the diocese’s Catholic schools are, they still carry academic responsibilities that don’t hold the same appeal as a week away at a fun summer event. No uniforms, no homework, no pesky math problems where kids ask, “when will I use this?” for the hundredth time, a question whose absence is a blessing to educators and students alike.
“Throughout the summer, our calendar is filled with camps, conferences, mission trips, retreats, leadership formation, and service opportunities,” Ms. Henderson said. “Youth-ministry leaders often joke that we spend the summer living out of a suitcase, traveling from one event to the next.”
It’s exhausting at times, she said, but also one of the greatest privileges of the vocation. “Time and again, we watch young people return home with a renewed love for Christ, a stronger connection to the Church, and a desire to become leaders in their own parishes,” Ms. Henderson said.
Building the Church as one family
“One of my favorite parts of summer ministry is that I don’t simply help organize these experiences; I get to share them,” Ms. Henderson said. “When we step outside the walls of our own parishes, something powerful happens. Students who may have never met discover they belong to something much bigger than their own youth group.”
“Friendships form across parish lines, barriers begin to disappear, and they begin to experience the beauty of the Church as one family,” she said. Sharing meals, traveling, serving, and praying together for several days create relationships that can’t be formed during a weekly youth-group meeting. The same holds true among parish leaders, who use the summer to encourage one another, exchange ideas, and pray together. “Instead of functioning as isolated parishes, we become one diocesan family sharing the same mission,” Ms. Henderson said.
God Camp For rising sixth- through eighthgraders, that first life-changing encounter with Christ often happens at God Camp, held this year for the fourth time at Adventure Ocoee in Ocoee, Tenn. The camp has deep roots in East Tennessee, having been sponsored by the Chattanooga Deanery Youth Ministry Office since the 1980s and now organized through the diocesan Youth Ministry Office. Many parishes offer part payment or scholarships to help offset rising costs.
Campers stay in air-conditioned cabins and spend their days on lake-day inflatables, a water park with a wave pool, lazy river and giant water slide, low ropes courses, and outdoor sports. Evenings bring bonfires with s’mores, prayer services, skits, crafts, the celebration of Mass, adoration under the stars, praise and worship, and capture the flag, alongside large-group talks and small-group discussions.
This year’s theme, “Putting on Your Armor of God,” met campers where they are, faith and maturity wise, during some of the hardest years of adolescence, when middleschoolers are working out who they are within their schools and friend groups. With the help of leaders who have walked that same road, God Camp gives them space to understand that, with faith and the right tools, they will come out on the other side.
This summer, 24 high-school leaders and more than 50 participants took part. Leaders are recruited from former campers through youth ministers, social media, and the high schools, and go through an application and interview process to help organizers see where they are in their faith. This year’s team included Leaders, who served as cabin leaders and led small groups, talks, and prayer, and a Service Crew, who ran icebreakers and handled behind-the-scenes setup, earning the nickname “the hype group.”
“One of the greatest joys is watching leadership multiply. The middle-school camper who encounters Christ at God Camp becomes the high-school counselor who returns to serve others,” Ms. Henderson said. When eighth-graders move on to ninth grade, they often
can’t wait to return as leaders themselves.
A wise priest once told Donna Jones, director of God Camp since 2007: “If you teach youth to teach, they will learn.” It’s a saying she returns to every time she plans the camp, which has run continuously since the 1980s and remains open to anyone in the diocese.
“Two of my favorite parts every year are seeing the team come together in one goal and seeing them grow even closer to God in the process in giving of themselves to make sure the middle-schoolers go away feeling unconditionally loved, stronger in their faith, and with new friendships. The second is seeing all the middle-schoolers forming new friendships, growing closer to God by learning new types of prayer, learning more about their faith, and seeing the joy they got from being accepted and loved unconditionally for who they are.” Ms. Jones said.
Steubenville Atlanta: 50 years of encounter
For high-schoolers, one of the summer’s biggest draws is the Steubenville Atlanta conference, held this year in Duluth, Ga. Produced by Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, in partnership with Life Teen, the retreat-style conference drew thousands of teens as part of a nationwide series of Steubenville conferences held coast to coast each summer.
This year’s gathering carried extra significance, marking 50 years since Franciscan University first began sponsoring youth conferences across the country. The milestone weekend opened with a message from Pope Leo XIV, setting a tone of universal Church unity for a conference built on encounter, prayer, and the sacraments.
This summer’s theme, “Worthy,” carried immeasurable weight for young minds. Every person, young or old, has sought validation from others at some point. It’s easy to forget that seeking others’ approval is an impossible task, like trying to identify one small voice in a crowd of thousands.
Speaker Natalie Garza hosted a women’s talk on friendship, drawing on the story of David and how his desires led to sin that snowballed from a small act of weakness into deadly force against his comrade Uriah. She shared a similar moment from her own life, when her desire to fit in led her to hurt a close friend, a reminder that the wounds of compromised friendship are as old as Scripture and just as present in the lives of today’s teens.
“The teen inspired at Steubenville comes home ready to lead in their parish,” Ms. Henderson said. What teens actually gain
Ask leaders why a week away matters so much, and the answer usually comes back to time. During the school year, faith formation happens in stolen moments among
homework, practices, and everything else pulling at a teen’s attention. Camp removes all of that.
“Spending several days together allows relationships to deepen, faith to be lived in community, and young people to experience the Church in ways that aren’t possible during a weekly gathering,” Ms. Henderson said.
Living alongside leaders for days rather than an hour a week also changes how adults see their teens.
“Adults come to know their teens not simply as participants but as individuals with unique gifts, struggles, questions, hopes, and dreams,” she said.
That kind of attention builds trust, and trust is what opens the door to real mentorship, the kind that keeps going long after everyone’s back home.
Camp also gives teens a safe place to be figured out rather than finished. Middle school and high school are hard years for working out identity, and camp puts teens alongside leaders just a few years older who’ve been through the same thing and can walk with them instead of lecturing from a distance. That peer-to-peer witness often lands where a parent’s or teacher’s advice can’t. It’s also why so many campers come back as leaders.
“These shared experiences don’t just impact the participants,” Ms. Henderson said. “They form the next generation of Catholic leaders.”
There’s a practical side to it, too. A week away from home, phones, and familiar routines forces teens to problem-solve, adapt, and rely on themselves and their community in small but real ways, often their first taste of independence. And the sacraments, adoration, and worship they experience in community, away from distraction, tend to hit differently than a Sunday obligation.
One mission, many paths God Camp and Steubenville Atlanta are only two threads in a larger tapestry of summer opportunities across the diocese.
“People sometimes ask why we offer so many different summer opportunities instead of focusing on just one event,” Ms. Henderson said. “The answer is simple: every young person is different, and every parish has its own unique culture, gifts, and needs.”
Some teens serve through Tau House, where faith comes alive through works of mercy.
“The young person who serves on Tau House begins to recognize that God may be calling them to a lifetime of service,” Ms. Henderson said.
Others develop gifts for liturgical ministry through One Bread One Cup, while the diocese’s Hispanic young women find community through La Vida en Rosa. Many parishes send teens to Life Teen camps such as Covecrest and Hid-
Seeking a life-changing encounter with God Suds and smiles are shared at God Camp at Adventure Ocoee in Ocoee, Tenn.
BEE GOODMAN
AMANDA HENDERSON
Life in pink La Vida en Rosa is a girls youth retreat that shares community with teen girls.
OF ASHLEY MCGLYNN
Catholic youth
Eighth-graders graduate from St. Mary School in Oak Ridge St. Mary School in Oak Ridge celebrated eighthgrade graduation at a ceremony in May.
St. Jude, Notre Dame alumnus chosen
in
14th round of MLB draft
Wofford College righthanded pitcher Alec Bouchard, a graduate of St. Jude School and Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga, was selected in the 14th round as the 407th overall pick by the Minnesota Twins in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on July 12. Mr. Bouchard, a junior pitcher from Soddy-Daisy, was named the 2026 Southern Conference pitcher of the year and received All-SoCon first-team recognition. He posted a league-best 2.83 earned-run average over 86 innings pitched, starting in 15 games with a 9-3 record. He had 104 strikeouts to lead the team and rank second in the SoCon. His nine
den Lake, or to serve through Catholic Heart Workcamp, while countless parishes host their own retreats, mission trips, and service projects.
“The Church has always understood that there is no one-size-fitsall approach to evangelization,” Ms. Henderson said. “Our goal isn’t simply to fill a calendar with events. Instead, it is to provide a variety of opportunities where every young person can encounter Jesus Christ in a way that fits with where they are on their faith journey.”
“We want every young person to encounter Jesus Christ, know they are deeply loved by God, discover
wins also led the team and tied for first in the league.
For his career at Wofford, he made 55 appearances and 24 starts with a 13-9 record. In 181.2 innings pitched, he had a 4.71 ERA with 197 strikeouts.
“It was great to see Alec selected by the Twins in the MLB Draft,” said Wofford head coach J.J. Edwards. “He worked incredibly hard over the past three years to earn this opportunity and joins an elite group of Terriers to be selected.”
After his 2022 season at Notre Dame High School, Mr. Bouchard was named all-state by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association. ■
that they belong in His Church, and recognize that they have unique gifts to share,” she added.
“Summer youth ministry isn’t simply about filling a calendar with activities,” she said. “It is about forming disciples, developing young leaders, strengthening mentors, building community across our diocese, and creating opportunities for lives to be transformed by Christ. That is the heart of summer youth ministry.
“That’s why, when someone says, ‘You must get a break during the summer,’ I can’t help but laugh because summer is when the real work, growth, and joy of youth ministry happen.” ■
St. Joseph student places second in Paulist Fathers’ essay contest
In advance of the nation’s milestone anniversary on July 4, the Paulist Fathers held an America 250 Essay Contest for seventhand eighth-grade Catholic school students.
The entrants were asked to answer the following question: “How does your Catholic faith shape the way you live in the United States, and how does living in the United States shape the way you practice your Catholic faith?”
The winner of the contest is Evan Sarrat of St. Austin School in Austin, Texas, and the runner-up is Shiny Isezerano of St. Joseph School in Knoxville.
Shiny’s essay illustrated the struggle and pain of the immigrant experience in America today through her own experience as a member of an immigrant family. She emphasized how Catholic Social Teaching guides us to engage with people who are different from us by beginning with compassionate listening. She main-
tained a hopeful attitude about how her Catholic faith can inform and support her in being a better American.
In addition to the above, students were encouraged to respond to one or more of the following: What do you think (Paulist founder) Father Isaac Hecker meant by saying his faith made him a better American? Are there times when being Catholic in America feels challenging? Why? What does the Catholic teaching about the dignity of every person have to do with American ideals like “all are created equal”? How can young Catholics help reduce division and build unity in our country? What are the challenges in our country today that our Catholic faith can help us to respond to?
Evan won $250 and Shiny won $100 for their essays.
The Paulists’ America 250 committee included Father Ron Franco, CSP, former pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in downtown Knoxville. ■
Our Lady of Fatima CCW awards two $1,000 scholarships
The Council of Catholic Women at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa recently awarded $1,000 scholarships to two graduating highschool seniors who are continuing their education. The recipients were Evan Krintz (left) and Lual Lual. The CCW also donated $500 to the Knoxville Seminarian/Vocations Fund and Retired Priests Fund in
and infirm, the incarcerated and the outcast. Our true destiny is to become children of God by embracing the grace won for us by Christ by His life, passion, death, resurrection, and ascension. We are not made to perfect ourselves in some Promethean pipe dream, thinking that with better technologies we may conquer
all that confines or bewails us. We are made by God and for God, and we can never hope to attain all that we were meant to be outside of a relationship with God. “Only in God is my soul at rest” (Psalms 62:2). Humankind has always yearned for perfection, and we are called by Jesus to “be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mat-
thew 5:48). But the perfection our heavenly Father possesses is one of perfection in all truth, beauty, and goodness. It is the perfection of love and mercy, not of empowerment or enhancement. Humankind can benefit from AI and other technologies, so long as we remember that our fulfillment will not be in technological achievement that enhances our temporal lives but in sharing in the divine nature through the knowledge and power of Christ (2 Peter 1:4), according to His grace. Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all. ■
Deacon Bob Hunt is a husband, father, grandfather, and parishioner at All Saints Church in Knoxville.
Deacon Hunt continued from page B6
COURTESY
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Work and worship Tau House takes young minds and bodies to serve in Cincinnati, where faith comes alive.
honor of fathers and priests for Father’s Day.
Fifty-year anniversary of event Through numerous parishes, the diocese sent 104 to travel to Duluth, Ga., for the Steubenville Atlanta conference.
