June 2025 ET Catholic, B section

‘The

most

caring, faithful community’

Notre Dame Parish in Greeneville celebrates its 70th anniversary as an overflow crowd attends

By Dan McWilliams

Founding parishioner Judy Miniat Collins has served in many leadership roles at Notre Dame in Greeneville, and upon the community’s 70th-anniversary celebration on April 27 she reflected on a recent occasion when the parish she has given so much to gave back to her.

“It’s the most caring, faithful, giving community I’ve witnessed,” said the 81-year-old, the lone remaining member from Notre Dame’s founding in 1955. “I was part of the giving part for many, many years. And this past year, my son became totally bedridden, and when we came home from the hospital after three years, for one month the church community came to our house and fed us, and I got to be the receiver. That was very humbling, but I understood from what I had done in the past where they were coming from because I had been on the other side.”

Bishop Mark Beckman joined Notre Dame pastor Father Joseph Kuzhupil, MSFS, and former pastor Father Dan Whitman for a 70th-anniversary Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday that was attended by some 235 of the faithful. All 160 seats in the nave were filled along with about 75 more in an overflow area. The celebration continued after Mass with a dinner and dance at the Eastview Recreation Center near the church.

Father Kuzhupil welcomed the

large gathering to the anniversary Mass.

“It marks a joy to celebrate this 70th anniversary of the dedication of this church, where we experience the Lord of Divine Mercy through the Eucharist, through the sacrament of reconciliation, all the sacraments that are celebrated here that

offer God’s mercy to us,” he said. “It enhances our joy to welcome our Bishop Beckman, and he is making his first visit to Notre Dame and Greeneville,” a remark that drew a round of applause.

Father Kuzhupil also welcomed Father Whitman, pastor from 2014 to 2019, and master of ceremonies

Deacon Hicks Armor.

The bishop then expressed his gratitude to the pastor.

“Father Joseph, thank you for that very warm and gracious welcome, and it is a great joy to be with you today,” Bishop Beckman said. “One of my great joys so far Notre Dame continued on page B2

Bishop announces new priest assignments

The moves affect leadership positions in the diocese and elevate many priests to pastor of their parishes

The East Tennessee Catholic

More than 30 priests have received appointments from Bishop Mark Beckman in an administrative move that will impact over 25 parishes in the Diocese of Knoxville.

Bishop Beckman announced the assignments on May 16, and they are effective on July 1, if not before. Many of the appointments elevate the role of priests who already are in place in their parishes. And several are leadership positions within the diocese.

In the diocesan curia, Father Peter Iorio, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa, has been named vicar general and moderator of the curia. In those positions, Father Iorio will serve as Bishop Beckman’s top adjutant in administering the diocese and its Chancery.

Father Iorio was ordained in 1993 at St. Augustine Church in Signal Mountain, his home parish, and has served as pastor or associate pastor at St. Mary Parish in Johnson City, St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport, St. Augustine, Sacred Heart Cathedral, St. Joseph the Worker in Madisonville, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux in Cleveland and as dean of the Five Rivers Deanery.

Also, he has served as spiritual director at Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga, where he graduated in the class of 1982, as the Diocese of Knoxville’s youth ministry coordinator, as diocesan vocations director and director of priestly life and ministry, and as associate dean of formation at Mundelein Semi-

nary, where he attended.

Father David Carter, rector of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, has been named judicial vicar and vice chancellor for canonical affairs. In those positions, Father Carter is an officer of the diocese who has authority to judge

cases in the diocesan ecclesiastical court, or Tribunal, as well as being secretary of the curia and a notary.

Father Carter, who received his License in Canon Law (JCL) in 2010 from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, was ordained in July 2005 at Sacred Heart Cathedral

after completing studies at Conception Seminary College in Conception, Mo., and the Pontifical North American College in Rome. After his ordination, he was assigned to St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga. He also has served as associate vocations director and associate master of ceremonies for the diocese.

In addition, Father Carter served as parochial vicar at All Saints Parish in Knoxville from 2010-13 and chaplain at Knoxville Catholic High School also from 2010-13. He was assigned to the basilica in 2013.

In his roles as judicial vicar and vice chancellor for canonical affairs, Father Carter will continue to lead the Diocese of Knoxville Tribunal, whose ministry is justice in the Catholic Church through canon law. The Tribunal is based in Chattanooga.

Father Carter previously has served as parochial administrator of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in LaFollette and Christ the King Parish in Tazewell.

Father Michael Cummins, pastor of St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport since 2014, also will serve as vicar for priests for the diocese.

In this additional role, Father Cummins will assist Bishop Beckman in matters pertaining to all priests, diocesan and religiousorder, and will represent the bishop in support and guidance for priests. He will assist with communications and requests from other dioceses pertaining to priests, too.

Father Cummins was ordained in 1995 at Sacred Heart Cathedral after completing studies at MunAssignments continued on page B4

Seventy years a parishioner Notre Dame pastor Father Joseph Kuzhupil, MSFS, gives Communion to Judy Miniat Collins, an original parishioner and the only one remaining from the parish’s 1955 founding. Bishop Mark Beckman also distributes Communion above.

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Father Peter Iorio

Father David Carter

Father Michael Cummins

Father David Boettner

in being bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville has been the opportunity to visit our churches, these communities of living faith, and to be with you this afternoon is a true gift for me, especially as you mark 70 years as a parish community. What a joy.”

‘A holy place of encounter with the risen Lord’

Bishop Beckman began his homily talking about Divine Mercy Sunday.

“If I am not mistaken, Pope John Paul II, now St. John Paul II, for his first encyclical letter wrote about the Father of Mercy, and it was he who inaugurated the name for this octave of Easter as a Sunday of Divine Mercy,” he said. “And so today we gather here in this church to celebrate the fullness of the mystery of the resurrection, the great mercy of God that is poured out on the world through the gift of His Son on the cross.”

“Now, who of us needs the mercy of God?” the bishop added, producing laughter and nods of approval. “All of us need the mercy of God, don’t we? All of us need mercy in life.”

The day’s Gospel came from John 20:19-31.

“And the risen Lord Jesus in the Gospel this evening knows that the Apostles are trapped in fear and trapped in shame and guilt,” the bishop said. “They had abandoned Him on Good Friday when He needed them most, and yet the locked door of their fear and shame does not prevent the risen Lord from becoming present to them. And the first words are ‘peace be with you,’ not ‘where were you,’ not ‘why did you fail me,’ ‘why did you run away’—none of that. ‘Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, so now I will send you,’ and He breathed on them the gift of the Holy Spirit.

“That is the mercy of God, so tender that He even says to Thomas one week later, ‘Thomas, do not be afraid to touch my wounds. Those wounds are what healed you, Thomas,’ and Thomas understands, doesn’t he? ‘My Lord and my God,’ he proclaims.”

Bishop Beckman then spoke of the parish’s anniversary.

“This Church of Notre Dame for 70 years has been a holy place of encounter with the risen Lord, a place of encounter with His mercy,” he said. “Every time you gather in this place to celebrate the Eucharist, the body of the risen Lord Jesus becomes a healing remedy for you, food for your journey. The risen Lord tonight is as close to us as He was to the Apostles in the Upper

Room. He sang to us tonight, ‘Peace be with you.’”

The special moments that have taken place in the Greeneville church over 70 years may be innumerable.

“Father Joseph referred to it, but think of how many little babies have been baptized in this church, and adults. How many confirmations? How many first Communions? How many moments when we have celebrated Christmas here and Easter?”

Bishop Beckman said. “The sacrament of reconciliation, receiving the mercy of God over and over again. That’s what is so beautiful, and if we have received that kind of mercy in this place, then the Lord wants us to go out into the world and offer mercy to our brothers and sisters, so that we can say to them in their moment of need, ‘Peace be with you.’”

The bishop continued on the theme of peace and mercy, even with a baby in the pews crying quite loudly.

“We bring the peace of the Lord Jesus with us as we go forth from this place,” he said. “May the Lord bless this community with many more decades of encounters with the mercy of the risen Lord, and may that mercy touch all of us, even that little child. That’s a sign of the living church, forming the next generation; it’s so good to have those voices here tonight.”

In his closing remarks at Mass, Bishop Beckman referred to a display executed in wood depicting Notre Dame Church that was in the narthex. The bishop blessed the artwork before the Mass. Charlie Cronin and his team of Jim Williams and John Seehoffer created the work. The wood came from a large tree on the property that had to be taken down, and Mr. Williams kept a piece of the trunk after the tree was removed.

“I want to take a moment to thank you all for your presence here today. What a huge community this is. I see why you all need a new church building,” the bishop said. “I know that our Spanish brothers and sisters, you did not have your Mass today at 3, so thank you for being here today. I do not speak a lot of Spanish. Yo hablo poquito español,” he added, which drew applause.

Reflections after Mass

Father Kuzhupil said the anniversary celebration came two days after the date in 1955 when the church was dedicated.

“It’s a great joy for all of us. We’ve been looking forward to this day,” he said. “It fell on Divine Mercy Sunday, and Friday was the actual anniversary of the dedication of the

‘It’s a great joy for all of us’ Founding parishioner Judy Miniat Collins poses for a photo with Bishop Mark Beckman and Father Joseph Kuzhupil, MSFS, at the dinner following the 70th-anniversary Mass at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville.

church, on the feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel, who is the patroness of our parish.”

The Notre Dame pastor said his parish has about 550 families now. Attendance is about 500-600 combined at four Masses on a typical weekend.

“It is a growing parish,” he remarked.

Bishop Beckman also saw the fact that the church is literally bursting at the seams.

“It was packed. I see why they need a new church here,” he said. “They’re talking about building a new church, and they have some preliminary plans, and I’m looking forward to seeing the future as it unfolds here at this beautiful community.”

Having the celebration on Divine Mercy Sunday made for a “beautiful, perfect day,” Bishop Beckman said.

“The gift of Easter is the gift of mercy. The risen Lord brings mercy, forgiveness, and healing to all of us,” he said.

Fred Ricker, director of music at Notre Dame, attended the anniversary Mass with wife Wanda. Both are converts and longtime parishioners of Notre Dame.

“I think it’s real nice, and it’s great to celebrate,” said Mr. Ricker, who was wearing a shirt from the 50th anniversary of the parish.

Elaine Janaskie, chair of family life on the Notre Dame parish pastoral council, was in charge of the dinner. A dance followed the dinner with country music provided by The Flying J’s.

The planning took “a good year, a lot of work, a lot of help, and a lot of people doing things behind the scenes to make it happen,” Mrs. Janaskie said, adding that the “whole church” volunteered.

The event was “really wonderful, better than what I thought it would be,” she added.

A history of Notre Dame Parish Greeneville Catholics first worshiped at St. Patrick Church, a

Ovation for Bishop Beckman After Father Kuzhupil thanked him for visiting Notre Dame, Bishop Mark Beckman received a round of applause from everyone gathered, including Deacon Wil Johnson (left) and former Notre Dame pastor Father Dan Whitman.

Posing for pictures Bishop Beckman greeted many parishioners of Notre Dame after Mass and posed for a number of photos with them.

Little one Bishop Beckman kneels down for a photo with one of Notre Dame’s youngest parishioners.

Filled pews All 160 spots were taken in the pews plus some 75 more in an overflow area at Notre Dame for the anniversary Mass.

Notre Dame continued on page B3

‘May the Lord bless this community Bishop Mark Beckman delivers his homily at the Notre Dame anniversary Mass.

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DAN MCWILLIAMS

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28-by-40-foot building on College Street, from 1870 until 1949, with Irish railroad workers and their families forming the bulk of early parishioners. Circuit-riding priest

Father Emmanuel Callahan, based out of Immaculate Conception Parish in Knoxville, oversaw mission parishes in 34 counties of East Tennessee, including St. Patrick, from 1899 to 1916. The Dominican Fathers, based at St. Mary in Johnson City, eventually began caring for Catholics in Greeneville.

The St. Patrick building was reported to be in poor condition as early as 1922, and though repairs were made, five years later a census showed there were only a family of 10, a widow, and one other couple remaining in the parish. The Dominicans undertook another set of repairs to the church in 1937. During this era, knowing that St. Patrick was unheated, Capitol Theater manager Harry Beekner offered the balcony of the Greeneville movie house for the celebration of Mass in the winter.

By 1949, the St. Patrick building was deemed beyond repair, and by November of that year Bishop William L. Adrian of Nashville accepted an offer from the Intermountain Telephone Co. for $7,000 for the building and its half-acre plot of land. In 1950, St. Patrick Church was demolished.

The search for new land launched as Masses continued to be held in the theater. In March 1954, the land was located: a 6.72-acre site that was the old Davenport farm, purchased for $11,760.

Meanwhile, the Magnavox electronics company of Fort Wayne, Ind., had opened the Greeneville Cabinet Co. in 1947. Magnavox was a large employer in the city and had a presence in Greeneville until 2005, also producing the last Americanmade TV there. Vice president and later president of the company, Frank Freimann, a Catholic, offered jobs to his fellow Hoosiers in the 1940s, but they wanted a Catholic church in Greeneville before moving there. Magnavox contributed funds toward the purchase of the land where the new church was built.

That church, a cruciform building in a modified colonial style, was completed in 1955. The St. Patrick name had gone to the new parish in Morristown that was forming at about the same time, so Bishop Adrian named the Greeneville parish Notre Dame. The church also featured a 60-foot bell tower. Mr. Freimann gave the new building a black Italian marble altar, the two alcoves to its right and left, and the black marble crucifix that is now in the narthex. When he died in 1968, he gave a further gift of $20,000 to Notre Dame.

The dedication took place at a 5 p.m. Mass on Monday, April 25, 1955, with Bishop Adrian presiding and eight priests participating. Over the years, the rectory was completed in 1965, a bell installed in the tower in 1974, a parish hall added in 1976, a church pavilion finished in 1986, and the Ganz House now used for youth activities purchased in 1988. Under the pastorate of Father John Appiah, ground was broken for an education wing completed in 2010.

The Council of Catholic Women at the parish traces its roots to the Altar and Rosary Society of the old St. Patrick Parish. Notre Dame also is home to many guilds, and its Knights of Columbus Council 6784 was chartered in 1976. Hispanic ministry began in earnest with the arrival of associate pastor Father Joseph Hammond, CHS, in 1998 and continues today with Father Andres Cano and Sister Maria Esther Ordoñez Cuevas, MAG. An adoration chapel was added in 2023.

Longtime parishioners look back Susan Collins, director of religious education and youth ministry for Notre Dame, came to the parish when she was in third grade, made her confirmation there, and has worked for Notre Dame for more than two decades.

The 70th-anniversary celebration “is very important to the parish ...

Planning this, there has been a big team effort,” Mrs. Collins said. Attendance at the anniversary Mass showed the limited capacity of Notre Dame and the need for a new church, she added.

Mrs. Collins is the mother of Father Dustin Collins, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Johnson City. Being the mom of a priest allowed her to experience a special moment when Father Collins came to Notre Dame, his home parish, the day after his priestly ordination in 2012.

“My son and my daughter were baptized here, made their first Holy Communion, and received their confirmation. My son was ordained at the cathedral, but his first Mass was here,” Mrs. Collins said. “Learning the tradition of when a priest is ordained and they bless his hands with the sacred chrism, and then he wipes them off—when he had the first Mass, he called his father and I up, and he presented a box to his dad that had a stole in it from when he heard his first confession, and then he called me up, and he gave me the cloth that they wiped his hands off on, and one of our parishioners had embroidered his name and the date. Then he said that upon my death it will be put in my hands so Mary will know I’m the mother of a priest. Well, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place after that.”

Sharon Folk of Notre Dame is among the longtime parishioners of the Greene County parish. She chairs the Diocese of Knoxville’s Finance Council and has been a member of the panel for 27 years. She also chairs the Notre Dame parish finance council and has been a member of that body for 15 years. She is also a Dame of the Grand Cross with the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

“I’m a convert. I converted 60 years ago. We lived here, and so I became a member. May 1 will be 60 years,” Ms. Folk said.

She recalled the priest from her childhood, Father Bernard Niedergeses, who was Notre Dame pastor from 1956 to 1966.

“It was very small. We had one Mass at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning, and the priest had to serve Rogersville, Newport, and Greeneville,” she said.

The 70th-anniversary Mass may not have had as many people attending as did another recent liturgy, Ms. Folk said.

“On Ash Wednesday, we had 296 people, and the sanctuary holds 160, and the 11 and the 3 are bursting at the seams. There’s still room at the 8 a.m. on Sunday and the 5 p.m. on Saturday,” she said, adding that “it’s a wonderful problem to have.”

Judy Collins, a distant relative of Susan Collins, has memories going back to the days before Notre Dame was established.

“My father was working for Magnavox, and he would not move to Greeneville until there was a Catholic church. He was flying back and forth for two years from Fort Wayne, Ind.,” she said. “They had a church service in the mezzanine of the Capitol Theater. Charles Alter, who died a few years ago, who was an original member of the church, it was his grandfather’s theater, and we went to Mass there.”

With the Notre Dame dedication set for the following spring, Mrs. Collins’ father brought the family to Greeneville in fall 1954.

“My dad knew the church was going to open up in April, but he brought us in the fall so we could start school and be there through the year,” she said. “When the church opened up, it was really, really special. I think there were like 10 families, and when we had religious education, which we had on Saturday, the priest would drive to Newport, to Rogersville, to someplace up in the mountains, and he would bring all the kids from all those places, and we had class together. I was like in the sixth grade then, and there were some who were smaller and some who were bigger.”

Father Siener arrived in 1950 as the St. Patrick days ended, and he remained to become the founding pastor of Notre Dame before he left in 1956.

“I made my confirmation at Notre Dame. Father Albert Siener—he was the first priest who was here. He also did magic acts. He’d take a quarter out of your ear. He played golf, too,” Mrs. Collins remembered. “He didn’t have a rectory, so he lived at the Round Table Restaurant Hotel. He had like a little apartment down below, and that’s where he lived. It was close to the church.”

Mrs. Collins saw Notre Dame grow over the years as it became a Diocese of Knoxville parish. Her family attended the Mass in 1988 in which the diocese was erected and Bishop Anthony J. O’Connell installed as its first shepherd.

“We went down when the bishop was installed, and my mother sat on the front row with the priests,” Mrs. Collins said. “She was like my age, and she didn’t have a seat and couldn’t see, so she went and stood, and one of priests got up and said, ‘Ma’am, come sit right here,’ so she sat in the front row when the first bishop of our diocese was ordained.”

Notre Dame Church, in Mrs. Collins’ youth, did not have the classroom space that it does now in the Ganz House that is part of the property.

“When we had classes, we didn’t have rooms,” she said. “One class would meet like in the front pew, another class in the choir loft, another class in the cry room—we used to have a cry room. We had different places all throughout the church.”

The church at that time did not have a rectory. That building would be completed in 1965 in Father Niedergeses’ final year as pastor.

“When the church opened, the priest got to move into the church. His bedroom was behind the altar— it was about 8 by 10—it was really little,” Mrs. Collins recalled. “What now is the adoration chapel was the office and living room. He had a bathroom back there, and that was it. He used the kitchen that was in a little bitty church hall, not very big at all. That’s where he lived until a rectory was built.”

The Notre Dame pastors served more than just the Greeneville parish in those days.

“For many, many years, our priests had Mass in Rogersville and Sneedville together, Mass in Newport, and Mass in Greeneville, all three on Sunday, so he was really spread thin. It was really hard,” Mrs. Collins said. “Now they have churches in all those places.”

The Magnavox presence and other industry that resulted in people moving to Greeneville helped the parish grow, she remembered.

“They had meatless Fridays in the cafeterias in the school system, and there weren’t any Catholic kids except for about 10 of us, two families,” she said.

A local publication apparently wasn’t at first welcoming to the Catholic community.

“In the newspaper on the weekends, they would list all the churches, and it was like 300 churches in our county, a lot, mostly Baptist,” Mrs. Collins said. “They’d have the Baptist churches, the Episcopalian churches, the Lutheran churches, the Presbyterian churches, and then there would be a category ‘other,’ and we were ‘other.’ The newspaper was not kind to us at the beginning, but our community has been involved with the local community, giving to the community, and they found out that we weren’t awful people, that we were OK.” Mrs. Collins now teaches RCIA at Notre Dame but is a retired schoolteacher who “taught everything” for 34 years at Camp Creek, DeBusk, West Pines, and Mosheim elementary schools in the county.

“Before I retired, this one lady was a really good cook, so she made the cakes and pies and everything so I could take them to my RCIA classes every Tuesday evening, and I said, ‘You realize this food is going to making Catholics,’ and she said, ‘That’s OK, Judy,’” Mrs. Collins recalled.

Father Wiatt Funk, pastor of Notre Dame from 1976 to 1984, was a victim of a prank by an adult Mrs. Collins and her friend, after he played the Barbara Mandrell song “Crackers.”

“He was a wonderful musician, and he loved dogs. We had a social in our church hall, and he was playing the song, ‘You can eat crackers in my bed anytime, baby,’” Mrs. Collins said. “I and another evil person went to the rectory, and we got crackers and crumbled them up, and we short-sheeted the bed and put crackers in there. The next day at church, he knew who did it. He looked at us, and we laughed, and he laughed, so he knew who did it. He was that kind of person. … I was an adult at that time—I was probably in my 30s. I was up there a little bit.”

Notre Dame has had 27 priests in 70 years who have served either as pastor, associate pastor, or administrator. Mrs. Collins has known them all. Other longtime pastors include Father Charlie Burton from 1987 to 1992 and Father Jim Harvey, who served as an associate in 1996-97 and then as pastor from 1999 to 2006

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Dinner audience Bishop Mark Beckman speaks to the gathering at Eastview Recreation Center in Greeneville following the 70th-anniversary Mass at Notre Dame Church.

Incensing the altar Bishop Beckman bows after incensing the altar at Notre Dame Church before the anniversary Mass. A photo of Pope Francis, who died six days before the Mass, stands in front of the altar.

DAN MCWILLIAMS Notre Dame

delein Seminary. He served as an associate pastor at All Saints Parish as well as campus minister at Knoxville Catholic High School. He also served as chaplain at Notre Dame High School and the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, and as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Athens before being named pastor of St. Dominic.

Other roles in which Father Cummins has served include dean of the Five Rivers Deanery, as director of youth ministry for the diocese, as director of vocations for the diocese, and on the diocesan College of Consultors.

n Father David Boettner, rector of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, has been appointed episcopal vicar for special administration. In this new position, Father Boettner, who will continue to serve as cathedral rector, will represent Bishop Beckman and provide pastoral oversight on special projects involving construction and expansion activities as well as ministries such as the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, FOCUS, and the ECHO program.

Father Boettner was ordained in 1994 at his home parish of St. Thérèse of Lisieux in Cleveland after completing seminary at St. Meinrad. He also holds a master’s degree in divinity from St. Mary of the Lake. He has served as an associate pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Chattanooga and at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Father Boettner also has served as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Athens and St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City before being named rector of the cathedral in 2010. In other roles for the diocese, he has served as a vicar general, an episcopal vicar, moderator of the curia, and coordinator of ongoing formation of deacons.

Bishop Beckman has elevated several priests from parochial administrator to pastor of their current parish. These include:

n Father Julian Cardona at St. Thomas the Apostle. Father Cardona was ordained in May 2014 at Sacred Heart Cathedral after studying at seminary in his native Colombia and at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology.

Father Cardona served as an associate pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle from 2015-23, when he was appointed parochial administrator of the Loudon County parish. He also has served as an associate pastor at St. Mary Parish in Johnson City. n Father Christopher Floersh at St. Albert the Great Parish in Knoxville. Father Floersh was ordained in June 2017 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and has been serving at St. Albert since July 2023. Since his ordination, Father Floersh has served as chaplain at Notre Dame High School and parochial vicar at St. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga. He also has served as an associate pastor at St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut and as chaplain at Knoxville Catholic High School. And from 2020-24, he also served as diocesan director of vocations.

n Father Jesús Guerrero at St. Elizabeth Parish in Elizabethton and St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Mountain City, where he has been serving since July 2023.

Father Guerrero, who was ordained in June 2015 at Sacred Heart Cathedral, served as parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish in Johnson City from July 2015 to July 2023. He is originally from Mexico and relocated to San Antonio, Texas, in 2003 after graduating from college. In 2005, he entered Assumption Seminary in San Antonio and later attended St. Meinrad. In 2009, he served as a missionary in Russia. He has been in the Diocese of Knoxville since 2011.

n Father Pontian Kiyimba, AJ, at St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg and Good Shepherd Parish in Newport. Father Kiyimba was ordained to the priesthood in 2005 in his native Uganda and has been active in the Diocese of Knoxville since November 2012. He was named parochial administrator of St. Mary and Good Shepherd in July 2023.

Father Kiyimba served as an associate pastor at St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge from October 2018 to

July 2023. Prior to that assignment, he served as an associate pastor at All Saints Parish.

Father Kiyimba, who is with the Apostles of Jesus religious order and has been celebrating Mass in Swahili for members of the African Catholic community in East Tennessee as well as serving in the diocesan Hispanic Jail Ministry, became a U.S. citizen in 2022.

n Father Christopher Manning at St. Mary Parish in Athens. Father Manning was appointed parochial administrator of St. Mary in June 2024. He was ordained to the priesthood in June 2013 at Sacred Heart Cathedral, his home parish.

From July 2019 through May 2024, Father Manning served as chaplain, teacher, and part of the administrative staff at Notre Dame High School. He also was chaplain of the Serra Club of Chattanooga.

Father Manning’s first assignment following his ordination was as an associate pastor at St. John Neumann beginning in July 2013. He also served as chaplain at Knoxville Catholic High School from 2014-19.

n Father Bill McNeeley at Holy Family Parish in Seymour. Father McNeeley, who was ordained to the priesthood in June 2007, has been the parochial administrator at Holy Family since June 2024.

He was the first man in Diocese of Knoxville history to enter the presbyterate under the Pastoral Provision, established in 1982 by Pope St. John Paul II to allow Anglican clerics to petition for ordination to the Catholic priesthood.

Father McNeeley served as pastor of Holy Ghost Parish from July 2019 to June 2024. He previously served as assistant to the pastor and then as parochial administrator of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa from October 2018 to July 2019. Prior to his assignment at Our Lady of Fatima, Father McNeeley served as an assisting priest for St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Townsend, in pastoral service to Knoxville-area nursing homes, and as a ministerial assistant to the curia. n Father John Orr at Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville. Father Orr was ordained in June 2001 at Sacred Heart Cathedral and has served as Holy Ghost’s parochial administrator since June 2024.

Prior to his assignment at Holy Ghost, Father Orr served as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Athens from July 2018 through May 2024. He served as pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Madisonville from July 2016 through June 2018, and before that he was pastor of St. Therese Parish in Clinton (2006-09) and associate pastor of Holy Ghost (2009-16), All Saints (2001-02), St. John Neumann (2002-06), St. Alphonsus in Crossville (2006), and Our Lady of Perpetual Help (200709) and spiritual director at Knoxville Catholic High School (2002-08).

At St. Therese, St. Joseph the Worker, and Holy Ghost, Father Orr has offered Masses in the extraordinary form (the traditional Latin Mass) in addition to the standard Roman Rite Mass (or the Novus Ordo). He also has led Hispanic ministry in those parishes. Father Orr earned his Ph.D. in 2014 from the Maryvale Institute in the United Kingdom. n Father Larry Rice, CSP, at St. John XXIII Parish on the University of Tennessee-Knoxville campus. Father Rice is a veteran Catholic campus minister and a leader in faith-based communications. He made his first promises to the Paulist Fathers community in August 1984, and he was ordained a priest in May 1989.

Prior to joining St. John XXIII in June 2024, Father Rice served as chaplain of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. From September 2016 to June 2020, he was director of the University Catholic Center at the University of Texas at Austin, and from 2004 to 2010 he served as director of the St. Thomas More Newman Center at Ohio State University in Columbus. Father Rice served in Washington, D.C., on the staff of the Intercommunity Telecommunications Project and at Paulist Media Works from 1990 to 2002.

Bishop Beckman has made additional appointments for several priests in the Diocese of Knoxville assigned to new parishes or schools. These include:

n Father A.J. Houston, who, following his June 7 ordination to the priesthood at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, has been named part-time associate pastor at St. Stephen Parish and chaplain at Notre Dame High School.

Father Houston, who was ordained to the transitional diaconate in June 2024, entered seminary in 2019 at St. Meinrad, completing his studies at the end of 2024. His priesthood is co-sponsored by the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and he will serve three years as a priest in the Diocese of Knoxville. After that, he will be released to the U.S. Army to serve as a chaplain.

Father Houston served as an active-duty soldier in the Army in El Paso, Texas, before discerning his vocation. He holds the rank of first lieutenant.

n Father Renzo Alvarado Suarez, who has been appointed associate pastor at Our Lady of Fatima following his June 7 ordination to the priesthood at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Father Alvarado is originally from Barranquilla Atlantico, Colombia, and studied at Seminario Hispano de Santa Maria de Guadalupe in Mexico City. He was ordained to the transitional diaconate in January 2023 at Seminario Hispano.

Since completing his seminary studies and being ordained to the transitional diaconate, Father Alvarado has served at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, St. Patrick Parish in Morristown, and Our Lady of Fatima Parish.

n Father Neil Blatchford, who has been named associate pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle. Father Blatchford, since his ordination to the priesthood in June 2023 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, has served as parochial vicar at St. Mary in Oak Ridge.

Father Blatchford is a native of Chattanooga, and his home parish is St. Stephen. His brother Father Colin Blatchford, who was ordained a Diocese of Knoxville priest in May 2014 and has since been serving with Courage International, a Roman Catholic apostolate based in Trumbull, Conn., for men and women who experience same-sex attraction. Father Colin Blatchford was named associate director of Courage International in September 2020.

n Father Andrés Cano, who has been named chaplain of Hispanic ministry at Holy Trinity Parish in Jefferson City and Notre Dame Parish in Greeneville. Father Cano was ordained to the priesthood in June 2009 in his native Colombia. Since his ordination, Father Cano has served as an associate pastor at St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge, as an associate pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral, as an associate pastor of

Our Lady of Fatima Parish, as a chaplain to the Hispanic community of St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville, as an associate pastor of St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg and Holy Cross Parish in Pigeon Forge, and as pastor of Holy Cross.

In August 2020, Father Cano was appointed coordinator of Hispanic Ministry in the Five Rivers Deanery and sacramental minister to the Handmaids of the Precious Blood. n Father Andrew Crabtree, who has been named associate pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Chattanooga. Father Crabtree was ordained in June 2023 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, and his first assignment was as parochial vicar at St. Dominic Parish in August 2023.

Immediately following his ordination, Father Crabtree assisted at the cathedral just prior to his St. Dominic assignment.

n Father Matthew Donahue, who has been named part-time associate pastor at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, college chaplain for the University of Tennessee–Chattanooga Newman Center, and adjutant judicial vicar for the Diocese of Knoxville Tribunal.

Father Donahue was ordained in August 2021 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Immediately following his ordination, Father Donahue attended the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he received his license in canon law in 2024.

Following completion of his canon law studies, Father Donahue has served as an associate pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Chattanooga and as one of the judges for the Tribunal.

Father Donahue studied for eight years in seminary, four at Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary in Indianapolis and four at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. His sister, Sister M. Elizabeth Grace, is in the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George religious order, and his uncle is Father David Mary Engo, OFM, who serves in the Diocese of Knoxville. n Father Anselm Edu, who has been named associate pastor at St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport, effective June 25. Father Edu was ordained in September 2019 as a priest of the Archdiocese of Calabar, Nigeria. He attended St. Joseph Major Seminary in Nigeria from October 2010-June 2018. Father Edu was ordained at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Calabar.

He traveled to the United States, where he performed his clinical pastoral education. CPE is an accredited form of spiritual-care education that focuses on hands-on, supervised practice in health care or other ministry settings.

As he completed his CPE at Johnson City Medical Center, Father Edu requested and was granted residence at St. Mary Parish in Johnson City. While performing his CPE, he assisted as a priest in upper East Tennessee. Father Edu was born in Calabar, in the southern part of Nigeria. His parents live in Calabar. He was educated in Holy Family International Schools in Calabar.

He was raised to the order of the diaconate in December 2018 prior to his ordination. He ministered to parishes in Calabar until his arrival in the United States.

n Father David Mary Engo, OFM, has been named chaplain for the Handmaids of the Precious Blood. Father Engo has served as parochial administrator pro tempore of Holy Cross Parish since Dec. 19, 2023.

Assignments continued on

Fr. Cardona Fr. Floersh Fr. Guerrero Fr. Kiyimba Fr. Manning Fr. McNeeley

Fr. Orr Fr. Rice

Fr. Houston Fr. Alvarado Fr. Blatchford Fr. Cano

Father Engo also has served the diocese as a chaplain, lecturer, and retreat leader.

He attended St. John Neumann Seminary and St. Joseph Seminary in New York and was ordained to the priesthood in July 1997 with the Order of Friars Minor.

Father Engo founded the Franciscan Brothers Minor order in November 2009 and professed perpetual vows.

n Father Jhon Mario García, who has been named associate pastor at St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge. Father Garcia is originally from Colombia and entered the seminary in 2005 with the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentian Fathers) and has been a priest of the religious order.

Father García was ordained to the priesthood in August 2014. Following his ordination, he was assigned to vocational ministry for his congregation. In 2017, his superiors sent him to serve in Hispanic ministry at St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Camarillo, Calif., in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, where he served for two-and-a-half years.

He joined the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in 2020 as an associate pastor. In June 2023, he was also named director of the Hispanic marriage retreat Unidos Con Cristo for the Diocese of Knoxville.

Father García was incardinated into the Diocese of Knoxville on June 5 during a priest convocation Mass at Immaculate Conception Church. With his incardination, Father García is now a priest of the Diocese of Knoxville.

n Father Bede Tam Van Nguyen, CRM, who has been named pastor of the Church of Divine Mercy in Knoxville, effective July 27. Divine Mercy serves the Vietnamese Catholic community in the Diocese of Knoxville.

Father Nguyen serves with the Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer religious order. In February, the Diocese of Knoxville announced that it and the Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer, U.S. Assumption Province, had signed a written agreement for the province to assume spiritual and pastoral care of Divine Mercy Parish.

Father Nguyen was ordained to the priesthood in June 2012 at Carthage, Mo., where the Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer U.S. Assumption Province is located. He was ordained by Bishop James V. Johnston Jr., who was then the bishop of the Diocese of SpringfieldCape Girardeau, Mo.

Father Nguyen, who was born in 1972 in Bien Hoa, Vietnam, made his first profession in May 1996 in Carthage, and he made his final profession in May 2002 in Carthage. He attended Conception Seminary College in Conception, Mo., and Assumption Seminary in San Antonio. He served from 2012-15 as parochial vicar at Christ the King Parish in Fort Worth, Texas. He served from 2015-18 as parochial vicar at Queen of Vietnam Church in Port Arthur, Texas. And from 2018-25, he served as pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Omaha, Neb.

Father Andrew Tuan Nguyen, CRM, is serving as priest at Divine Mercy from June 7 until July 28, when Father Bede Nguyen begins his assignment.

n Father Bede Nguyen succeeds Father Dominic Nguyen, CRM, who will serve as pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Omaha. Father Dominic Nguyen was named pastor of Divine Mercy in April 2023. He completed his ministry in the Diocese of Knoxville on June 6.

Father Dominic Nguyen was first assigned to Divine Mercy as parochial administrator in June 2019. He was ordained to the priesthood in June 2009.

n Father Tim O’Toole, who has been named parochial administrator of St. Henry Parish in Rogersville and St. James the Apostle Parish in Sneedville. Father O’Toole is a priest of the Diocese of Palm Beach, Fla. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1989. He has been serving the Catholic Church on behalf of Cross Catholic Outreach, a nonprofit, faith-based organization based in Boca Raton, Fla., that collaborates with ministry partners to care for the spiritual

and material wellbeing of the poor around the world, developing programs for food, water and health, housing, disaster relief, vulnerable children, agriculture, microenterprise, and education.

Father O’Toole is a native of New Jersey who has considerable ministry experience in the Five Rivers Deanery of the Diocese of Knoxville, including at St. Mary Parish in Johnson City and St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport, as well as at St. Anne Parish in Bristol, Va., in the Diocese of Richmond, Va.

n Father Michael Raj Joseph, IVE, who has been named associate pastor at All Saints Parish in Knoxville. Father Raj was ordained to the priesthood in the Philippines in May 2024.

Father Joseph is originally from Sri Lanka and is a member of the Institute of the Incarnate Word religious order, which has a formation house in the Philippines. Following his ordination, his first assignment was in Papua, New Guinea. He will be joining the Diocese of Knoxville after most recently serving as a priest in the Solomon Islands.

n Father Brent Shelton, who has been named pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Pigeon Forge. Father Shelton was ordained to the priesthood in June 2001 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. At Holy Cross, he succeeds Father Engo.

In the Diocese of Knoxville, Father Shelton was first assigned to St. Mary Parish in Johnson City in 2001 as an associate pastor. In August 2002, he was assigned to All Saints Parish. Then in July 2004, Father Shelton became an associate pastor at Sacred Heart Cathedral, and in August 2005, he was named associate pastor of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville. In November 2008, he became associate pastor of Our Lady of Fatima.

Father Shelton’s first appointment as pastor took place in March 2012 at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Townsend. He was first appointed to St. Francis of Assisi in July 2011 as parochial administrator. He served in the Blount County parish until he was named pastor of St. Mary Parish and School in Oak Ridge in July 2015, where he served until taking a leave of absence in 2023.

Father Shelton received the 2016 NAACP Community Service Award for his work with two Oak Ridge pastors in promoting a “Community Matters” public forum.

In August 2017, he was named dean of the Cumberland Mountain Deanery for the Diocese of Knoxville.

And Father Shelton was one of only three U.S. priests to win the 2021 “Lead. Learn. Proclaim. Award,” which is presented by the National Catholic Education Association. The national award highlights outstanding work being done in Catholic education communities across the country.

n Father Samuel Mungai, GHM, who has been named parochial administrator of St. Teresa of Kolkata Parish in Maynardville and St. John Paul II Catholic Mission in Rutledge. Father Mungai took his first oath with the Glenmary Home Missioners in June 2017, and he was ordained to the priesthood in March 2021.

Father Mungai succeeds Father Neil Pezzulo, GHM, who has been serving the Union County and

Grainger County parishes since January 2020 and will become sacramental minister and canonical moderator for Holy Family Church in Blakely, Ga., and St. Luke Church in Cuthbert, Ga. He will be the Glenmary outreach minister in Georgia’s Stewart and Quitman counties.

Father Mungai served as a deacon at Holy Trinity Parish in Williamston, N.C., in the Diocese of Raleigh in 2020 until his ordination. Since his ordination, he has served as associate pastor at Holy Family Parish in Lafayette, Tenn., in the Diocese of Nashville. He also has served as parochial vicar at Holy Spirit Parish in Windsor in the Diocese of Raleigh, N.C.

Bishop Beckman also has announced that several priests will be serving outside the diocese or will be taking sabbaticals. These include: n Father Michael Hendershott, who is currently serving as associate pastor of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. Father Hendershott is taking a year of discernment with the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.

Father Hendershott was ordained to the priesthood in June 2015 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Following his ordination, he studied at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. His first assignment was as an associate pastor at the cathedral and as a religion teacher at Knoxville Catholic High School. He also has served as an associate pastor at Holy Ghost and as associate vocations director for the diocese.

In February 2024, Father Hendershott was assigned as an associate pastor at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul.

The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest was founded in 1990. Its specific aim is missionary: to spread the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ in all spheres of human life. An integral part of the institute’s charism is the use of the traditional Latin Liturgy of 1962 for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the other sacraments. The institute’s spirituality is drawn from its three co-patrons: St. Benedict, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Francis de Sales. The institute’s motto, taken from St. Paul, is “Live the truth in charity.” The institute operates in more than 50 locations across 12 countries.

In the United States, the institute has a presence in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. It’s U.S. base of operations is in Chicago.

n Father Michael Maples, who is accepting the positions of associate director of counseling services and assistant professor at Conception Seminary College in Conception, Mo. Father Maples was appointed a parochial vicar at St. John Neumann Parish in May 2014.

Father Maples was ordained to the priesthood in July 2005 at Sacred Heart Cathedral after completing studies at Conception Seminary and St. Meinrad Seminary. His first assignment following his ordination was as an associate pastor at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

In 2007, he was granted facul-

ties to also celebrate the sacraments in the Byzantine Catholic rite. In July 2009, he was assigned as associate pastor at St. Thérèse of Lisieux. He also served at Holy Resurrection Catholic Mission in Seymour.

Father Maples, who also is a Benedictine oblate of St. Meinrad Archabbey, is a licensed psychologist who provides counseling to adults and couples at Catholic Charities of East Tennessee. The Maryville native has undergraduate degrees from the University of Tennessee and a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Iowa as well as a master’s degree in divinity.

In 2021, Father Maples was named to the board of overseers at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology. The board of overseers is an advisory board for the seminary. n Father Jorge Mejia, CM, who is departing All Saints Parish in Knoxville, effective June 15, and returning to Colombia.

Father Mejia, a member of the Congregation of the Mission, Lazarists, Vincentians religious order, has been an associate pastor at All Saints since July 2020. He joined the Diocese of Knoxville as a priest in early 2020.

In September 2021, Father Mejia also was appointed chaplain of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Pastoral Juvenil Ministry. n Father Joe Reed, who is taking a six-month sabbatical after serving as pastor of St. John Neumann Parish since July 2018.

Father Reed was incardinated into the Diocese of Knoxville in 2015 after rejoining the diocese in 2013. While in seminary he entered Conception Abbey, where he was a Benedictine Brother for 10 years before being ordained to the priesthood in May 2007.

Father Reed, who was born and raised in Knoxville, attended Sacred Heart School. He was a seminarian for the Diocese of Knoxville before joining Conception Abbey as a monk for nearly 20 years. He earned degrees in theology from St. John’s Seminary in Minnesota and St. Vincent Seminary in Pennsylvania. He has taught and served as an academic adviser, spiritual director, and director of liturgy at Conception Seminary College, worked in the business and vocations offices at Conception Abbey, and as a master of ceremonies while living and studying in Rome.

Since his return to Knoxville, Father Reed has served as parochial vicar and school chaplain at Sacred Heart Cathedral. In addition to being the pastor of St. John Neumann and St. John Neumann School, he served as diocesan vocations director, co-director of the diocesan Office of Worship and Liturgy, and as master of ceremonies for diocesan Masses. He also serves as a Missionary of Mercy. n Father Jijesh Paul, MSFS, who has been appointed as parochial vicar of St. Augustine Parish in Signal Mountain and also as ministerial assistant to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in South Pittsburg and Shepherd of the Valley Parish in Dunlap.

Father Paul is a member of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales religious order. ■

Fr. Crabtree Fr. Donahue Fr. Edu Fr. Engo Fr. García Fr. B. Nguyen

Fr. D. Nguyen Fr. O’Toole Fr. Joseph Fr. Shelton Fr. Mungai Fr. Pezzulo

Fr. Hendershott

Fr. Maples Fr. Mejia Fr. Reed Fr. Paul

OF

Knights present colors on Memorial Day Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus from the Chattanooga area pose with U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann before presenting the colors at the Memorial Day program on May 26 at Chattanooga National Cemetery.

St. Dominic Knights present essay-contest awards to students

Four fifth-graders at St. Dominic School in Kingsport received honors for their essays from Aldo Zazzi Council 6992 at St. Dominic Parish at the school’s end-ofyear awards ceremony on May 22. Essay awards were presented in reverse order from third to first place. Charles Rabideau placed first with an essay on fortitude and received a certificate of recognition and a $50 check. Charlotte Tillotson and Katherine Reinhardt tied for second with essays on charity and received certificates of recognition. Lillian Hopkins placed third with an essay on fortitude and received a certificate of recognition. Pictured from left are Grand Knight Kevin Musser, Lillian, Charlotte, Katherine, Charles, and council community chairman Bill Hewitt. The council’s essay contest drew inspiration from one held by the Supreme Council of the Knights last October for grades eight through 12. The theme for the St. Dominic students was “the most important virtue for a person to possess to succeed in life.”

Notre Dame Parish celebrates its high school graduates Notre Dame Parish in Greeneville recognized its high-school graduates at the 11 a.m. Mass on May 18. The students processed in and out of the church in cap and gown, brought up the gifts, and received a special blessing from pastor Father Joseph Kuzhupil, MSFS. The students and their families enjoyed a luncheon after Mass prepared by the Council of Catholic Women and a gift bag from the parish, the Knights of Columbus, and the CCW. From left are John Chapman, Alan Pacheco, and Conner Hartley, all graduates of Greeneville High School; Father Kuzhupil; Cynthia Ozbun of North Greene High School; Fernando Vazquez of Chuckey-Doak High School; and Emily Villagomez of Greeneville High School.

of

Blessed Sacrament Parish hosts women’s Bible study

OF

Women parishioners of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Harriman participated in a 22-week Bible study designed especially for women. The study, Walking with Purpose: Opening Your Heart, integrates Scripture with the teachings of the Catholic Church. The study’s purpose is to help manage life’s pace and pressures in today’s world. Sessions met either Tuesday evening or Thursday afternoon.

Bishop confirms youth at Good Shepherd Church

Good Shepherd Parish had much to celebrate on May

firmation with seven young adults with Bishop Mark Beckman officiating, Good Shepherd Sunday (the fourth Sunday of Easter), and Mother’s Day. The bishop invited the students to come outside before Mass for a group picture with the mountains in the background. Pastor Father Pontian Kiyimba, AJ, and associate pastor Father Emmanuel Massawe, AJ, who celebrated his birthday May 12, also were present, as were Deacon Otto Preske of Good Shepherd and Deacon Jim Prosak of Holy Trinity Parish in Jefferson City.

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importance of prayer and giving thanks

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and how to help neighbors in need, call

COURTESY

RALEIGH COOPER

COURTESY

JEAN LOFASO

COURTESY OF BILL HEWITT

COURTESY OF JAN KRASINSKI (2)

11: new Pope Leo XIV, con-

COURTESY OF RAY CHAN

Past presidents of St. Vincent de Paul conference meet

The last five presidents of the St. Vincent de Paul conference at St. John Neumann parish in Farragut came together at a recent meeting. While St. Vincent de Paul is mostly known

helping the poor with their material needs, such as rent, gas, and food, members are also concerned about their spiritual needs, including the

to

left are Jim Lavallee (cur-

(president

2021-24), Richard Tabler (2019-21), Fran Thie (2015-18),

Dave Campbell (2013-15). To learn more about the St. John Neumann conference

Mr. Chan at

SUSAN COLLINS

Can man for Knights

On the average

four times a year, Knights of Columbus Holy Family Council 6099 in Chattanooga recycles aluminum cans to support its RSVP Vocations fund and seminarians from St. Stephen Parish. These efforts result in cash proceeds between $500 and $800 per event based on the selling price of aluminum. Pictured is council member Corky Evers knee-deep in cans at the recycling center in April.

COURTESY OF JOHN VANNUCCI

TIM SHAW

Twenty-one receive first Holy Communion at Notre Dame Church Notre Dame Parish in Greeneville saw 21 children receive their first Holy Communion at the 11 a.m. Mass on May 4. Father Joseph Kuzhupil, MSFS, pastor of Notre Dame, was the celebrant, assisted by Deacon Wil Johnson. The first reading was done by Tristan Rapsys and the second by Melanie Jardinez. The intentions were said by Giovanni Puente and Cruz Zungia. All the children presented the gifts for Mass. Catechists for the younger students were DJ Dalton and Carmen Espinoza, and the youth assistant was Sarai Garlza. The intermediate students were prepared by Susan Collins, director of religious education and youth ministry at Notre Dame. Pictured are (seated) Sasha Livingston; (from left, first row) Esmeralda Alonso, Luis Ortiz, Kevin Robles, Ismael Sanchez, Adeline Sanchez, and Annaly Hernandez; (middle row) Adbeel Martinez, Cruz Zuniga, Celeste Zungia, Valeria Lopez, Connor Johnson, Hunter Dawson, Tristan Rapsys, and Alister Turner; and (third row) Deacon Johnson, Zuleyka Alonso, Melanie Jardinez, Giovanni Puente, Angel Pacheco, Amelia Williams, Anderson West, and Father Kuzhupil.

Nineteen confirmed at Notre Dame Church

The sacrament of confirmation was held during a 6 p.m. Mass on May 8 at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville with Bishop Mark Beckman as the celebrant and pastor Father Joseph Kuzhupil, MSFS, as concelebrant. Nineteen students received the sacrament, and three students received the Eucharist for the first time. Catechists for the students were Kristen and Russell Girton. Sitting, from left, are Adelide Lawson, Lucy Higgins, Jenithza Sanchez, America Flores, Kaelany Fuentes, Katelyn Bustos, Vanessa Vazquez, Allison Sotelo, Zerrany DeLaTorre, and Kara Cave. In the back row, from left, are Jennifer Lopez. Jocelyn Vazquez, Gwendolyn Miller, Issac Sotelo, Deacon Wil Johnson, Bishop Beckman, Father Kuzhupil, Jacob Miller, Andres Alonso, Ian Turner, Hugo Flores, and Hazel Girton.

Notre Dame continued from page B3

and 2010-14.

“We’ve had wonderful priests,” Mrs. Collins said. “We’ve had priests who have cut down trees. We had three beautiful maple trees, and then one week they were gone. He gave them for firewood to somebody. He didn’t like the trees either because of all the leaves in his yard. Every priest has brought something different to the parish.”

Having frequent turnover in pastors is a good thing, Mrs. Collins observed.

“I think it’s wonderful that we change around like we do because we get to receive the gifts of so many different people, I have anyway in these 70 years,” she said. “I’ve heard sermons from so many different viewpoints, some people who are more concerned about the welfare of the community, others about the welfare of the building. You see all kinds, and you see that God calls all kinds of men, based on the needs of the diocese. The bishops always knew. We were sort of like the training church. After somebody got ordained, ‘you go to Greeneville.’ ‘You get ordained, you go to Greeneville.’ We’ve had a lot of young priests. I’ve been friends with all of them because as I said it’s a friendly, caring, giving community.”

Mr. Freimann’s gift in his will helped build the parish hall, Mrs. Collins recalled.

“That, along with money from the Extension Society,” she said.

The narthex and education wing followed, although not all of the buildings in Notre Dame’s plans were realized, Mrs. Collins said.

A former religious-education coordinator at Notre Dame, Mrs. Collins said there were more than 112 children enrolled at one time.

“Then it dwindled, and then there

Knights of Columbus present gifts to first communicants Holy Family Council 6099 of the Knights of Columbus and the Ladies Auxiliary gave each first communicant at St. Stephen Church a sacramental gift of a book on the Holy Family. Fifty-six boys and girls were presented the gift on April 26 as they received their first Holy Communion. Pictured are (from left, top photo) Fourth Degree Knights Chris Humkey, Steve Horten, John Chenkus, Victor Williams, and Mike Williams and first communicants Nathan Tubianosa Webster, Abrielle Nino Miles, Sophie Tubianosa Webster, and Saige Pell; (middle photo) Kayla Allissa Hernandez and Jennifer Lara Rodriguez; and (bottom photo) Hector Hernandez Lara, Alan Hermosillo Rodriguez, and Charles Evan Sojourner.

Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa celebrating 75th anniversary Nov. 22

Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa will celebrate its 75th anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 22. Bishop Mark Beckman will

celebrate a bilingual Mass, followed by a dinner celebration. For more information, visit www.ourladyof fatima.org/75years ■

were no more kids because they were all grown up and teenagers and married, and then now we’re having all kids again, so it’s a living, vibrant church,” she said, pointing out Bishop Beckman’s comment about the crying baby and the church’s current configuration that does not include a cry room. “The bishop said something today about when you see kids, you know it’s a living church.

“You go to Mass, and we don’t have a cry room. I like hearing the crying because I know then that the mothers and daddies are bringing their kids to church. I used to go into the cry room when my kids were babies, and they played, and I was just trying to keep them entertained—I wasn’t really going to church as such. Cry rooms are nice for people who don’t like to hear the noise, but if you think about it, you’re in there with the angels and the saints and Jesus, and He loves the little children. He doesn’t want to lock them up in a cry room. Let them be.”

Mrs. Collins didn’t think she would stay and make her life in Greeneville during the early days of the parish.

“No, because nobody wanted to stay in Greeneville because it was just ‘a little hick town,’” she said. “I did go to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, but I came home on weekends. I didn’t have a car. Had a bus that went back and forth between Knoxville and Greeneville. On weekends, you wanted to bring your friends home to your mom and dad so they could have home-cooked meals. I finished my education in three years because I took 24 hours a quarter so I could get finished. That was my first degree, in business.”

Employers back then, however, required a certain office skill from their female employees.

“I went to interview for a job, and they said, ‘Can you type?’ This was back in ’64. Nobody wanted a woman to do anything other than type, so I went back to school and got a degree to teach. I taught for 34 years, and that’s what God wanted me to do. He wanted me to be a teacher,” Mrs. Collins said. “I’ve been doing RCIA for over 25 years, and I look around at the people who are active in the church, and I’m thinking, ‘I helped you learn how much Jesus loves you and how you can share that love with others.’ And here they are coming up. It’s really neat.”

She enjoys RCIA as she has learned to let others take up many of the parish duties she always performed.

“I’ve been doing that for the past few years. I used to be the head of this and the head of that and the head of this, and I’m thinking, ‘OK, I’m getting old. You need to train other people to be the head of this and the head of that and the head of what-have-you.’ And God knew that my son was going to be disabled and be living at home, and He knew, too, that I needed to get everything squared away. I found wonderful ladies to head up the cooking. I used to do all the cooking—I was in charge of that. I’ve got a team of four ladies—they’re great. You just find different people that, when you ask them they say yes. You have to ask.”

Mrs. Collins never stops looking out for new people to join the Church, such as when she sees people go forward for a blessing during Communion, with their arms folded against their chest.

“I’ll go up afterward and say, ‘Sir, I notice that you go to Communion every Sunday, but you always do this [folds arms]. Are you Catholic?’ And if they say no, then I say, ‘Oh! I have a place for you.’ I’m real nosy,”

she said with a laugh. “You don’t know how many people have come [into the Church] because I’ve said, ‘Are you Catholic?’”

Mrs. Collins’ husband, Jerry, is a retired musician who played trombone for artists including Frank Sinatra, Wayne Newton, and Cher, “All the biggies of our generation back in the ’70s and ’80s,” Mrs. Collins said. “He traveled worldwide.” Jerry is Judy’s second husband and another she has influenced into coming into the Church.

“At my 30th high-school reunion, this young man comes from Las Vegas just to visit his mother and daddy, and we talk and go on a hike with my kids, and then the next thing I know we’re talking on the telephone every day back before telephone charges were cheap,” Mrs. Collins said. “That was in July, and that October he came to Greeneville, and we got married on my birthday. I got married in a nonCatholic wedding because he wasn’t Catholic. He moved to Greeneville and didn’t have a place to live, and we got married. He was working on an annulment, and when he got his annulment one year later, we got married in the Catholic Church.” Jerry Collins took a little longer than some to move through RCIA into the Church.

“He came to church with me for something like eight to 10 years every Sunday,” Mrs. Collins said. “He tells people that he came because he wanted to be with me. I invited him to RCIA class. He came not one year, not two years, not three years, not four years—the fifth year he became Catholic. He’s the kind of person who thinks deep, and he wanted to be sure that he believed everything the Catholic Church taught. It is beautiful, and it made a difference in our lives.” ■

KRIS MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY

Chattanooga Deanery

Our Lady of Lourdes, South Pittsburg

Pastor Father Mark Scholz was awarded the prestigious Blessed Michael McGivney Medal at the recent Knights of Columbus state convention held in Nashville. This award is presented to a Knights of Columbus chaplain whose priestly zeal and service align with the principles of the order’s founder and who exemplifies a teacher of the faith, a model of charity, and other qualities.

At the latest National Cornbread Festival, held over a two-day period each April in South Pittsburg, Our Lady of Lourdes parishioners won first place in “Cornbread Alley,” where multiple local churches and nonprofit organizations compete preparing recipes with a cornbread foundation. The parish’s “Jalapeno Hushpuppy” was a crowd favorite, and Our Lady of Lourdes was gifted a gold-plated skillet and $2,500 in a recent ceremony.

St. Bridget, Dayton

The Women’s Council celebrated the crowning of the Blessed Mother with a procession before the start of the 10 a.m. Mass on May 11. Rosa Ayala, parish secretary since June 2008, placed a crown of flowers on St. Mary’s statue.

The parish celebrated pastor Father Jim Vick’s 26th anniversary of priestly ordination and honored all fathers at a potluck supper following the 5:30 p.m. Mass on June 14.

Father Vick is leading a “Summertime Bible Study” on the parables of Jesus through June 24.

St. Jude, Chattanooga

Parishioners will take part in a Hope Walk, hosted by one of St. Jude’s partners, the nonprofit Family Promise of Greater Chattanooga, from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, June 28, at Standifer Gap Park. Snacks, a raffle, and prizes will be offered at the event. Proceeds will support low-income families and families experiencing homelessness. Call Mung Le at 423-504-1132 for more information. Those who cannot make it to the walk may text HOPE4FAMS to 53-555 to support the event.

A Mass for vocations followed by a rosary took place June 9, and a patriotic rosary featuring songs and historic quotes was held June 7.

A special Mass on May 22 and a luncheon honored associate pastor Father Alex Waraksa’s 35th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood. Father Waraksa was the first priest ordained for the Diocese of Knoxville on May 26, 1990.

Kendal Adams, food-service manager for the CHATT (Center for Homeless Advancement for Today and Tomorrow) Foundation, recently thanked parishioners for a huge donation that will help provide a hot breakfast to the homeless for months to come.

St. Mary, Athens

The parish congratulated its graduating high school seniors, Mitzy Ayala-Rentiera, Trevor Currier, Joey Domzalski, Gaby Hernandez, Tim Hull, Jonathan Lemer, Moyses Mora, and Jessica Sanchez, and its college graduates, Jaxson Marlow from Tennessee Wesleyan University and Armando Vargas from Cleveland State Community College.

First communicants: Alexa Saldana, Brelynn Cummings, Camilia Garcia, Jamie Melton, Jorge Angel Perez, Keagan Roell, Zoey Sistrunk

St. Stephen, Chattanooga

Altar flowers were placed by the Waguespack family on the weekend of June 7-8 in honor of Deacon Dave Waguespack’s 10th anniversary of ordination June 6.

The Knights of Columbus recently named Bob Caccimelio and Deacon Waguespack as Knights of the month and John and Sharon Vannucci and Cliff and Patti Crownover as families of the month. The Knights also spon-

sored an outing to a Chattanooga Lookouts baseball game June 13.

Anniversaries: John and Lynda DiPrima (61), Bob and Connie Aaron (54), Michael and Brenda Lucas (52), Mark and Mariana Germaine (50), Don and Betty Manes (45), Rick and Nancy Powell (40), Christopher and Leigh Humkey (35), Jerry and Gena Nunley (35), Raymond and Michelle Bertani (25)

Cumberland Mountain Deanery

All Saints, Knoxville

The youth ministry is holding a Pop in with the Priests event from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 8, in the pavilion. The social night with clergy will feature popsicles, popcorn, pizza, and pop trivia and is open to all ages. RSVP by July 6 at allsaintsknoxville.org/ ym-event-registrations

The parish hosted a going-away party for associate pastor Father Jorge Mejia, CM, on June 8. Father Mejia, who is returning to his native Colombia, celebrated his last Mass at All Saints on June 15.

Blessed Sacrament, Harriman

The parish congratulated its graduating high school seniors, Shelby Lavender, Isaac O’Rourke, Maggie Patterson, and Ryan Stewart. Isaac also received the Mary Murphy Scholarship from the Ladies Guild at Blessed Sacrament in recognition of his outstanding service to the parish and community.

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade

The parish recently welcomed new Deacon Paul Benfanti and wife Cindy.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society hosted a spaghetti dinner on May 31.

The Knights of Columbus held an 18-hole putting contest on May 18 at the Quarry at Druid Hills, a benefit for KIND Charities of Tennessee and Hilltoppers Inc. of Crossville to help the intellectually disabled.

The Council of Catholic Women’s annual bake sale at Village Green Mall is scheduled for Sunday, July 27. For more information, call Sue Bivens at 217-377-1798. The CCW is also busy working on a rummage sale set for Sept. 11-13. The CCW ladies were guests of the St. Alphonsus CCW in Crossville at a luncheon on May 14.

The Hearts Afire Team presented a program for the Muffins with Mary group. Sarah Bakker and two helpers from Common Grounds in Crossville spoke about the nonprofit’s commitment to create a welcoming space where individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities find meaningful employment, gain independence, and build confidence.

Every four to six weeks, parishioners serve a homemade meal to families who are part of the Cumberland Circles program. Since the program started a year and half ago, 18 families, including 21 adults and 25 children, have enrolled in the program. Twelve have seen improvement in their wages; one obtained a GED; three graduated from technical school; six completed a program at Tennessee Tech University; three attended Highlands Training Center in Cookeville for certification classes; and nine improved their health by attending workshops and health meetings. Call Kathy Jordan at 612718-1370 for more information.

Anniversaries: Robert and Genie Gruber (73),Thomas and Maryann Teall (65), Don and Mary Lou Wiskow (65), Patrick and Anne Chowning (64), Joseph and Mary Partlow (64), Shelton and Patty Johnson (62), Joseph and Susanna Bour (61), Edward and Connie Bock (60), Theodore and Joann Bronski (58), Raymond and Jeanne Gervais (58), James and Judy McClure (58), Randy and Cary Moore (58), John and Denise Ranger (57), William and Patricia Nagy (55), Bernard and Stasia LeFrancois (55), Gerald and Donna Thompson (55), Peter and Christine Marino (55), Gerald and Betty Haser (54), Dan and Jo Wind (54), Daniel

Parish notes continued on page B12

Fairfield Glade parish congratulates couples on milestone anniversaries

St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade congratulates four couples who are celebrating milestone wedding anniversaries.

n Jack and Nancy Menchin will celebrate their 50th anniversary on June 28. They were married at St. Catharine Church in Spring Lake, N.J.

Their son, Michael, lives in Chesterfield, N.J., and they have one grandchild.

Mr. Menchin retired from a civil engineering company and Mrs. Menchin from banking and marketing. They plan to spend their anniversary vacationing in Maine with their family.

n Norman and Carol Adams celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on May 8. They were married at the Nativity Church in Cincinnati with Father Henry Imbus officiating.

Their sons are David (Stephanie) of Centreville, Va., and James (Tanera) of Chicago, and they have four grandchildren.

Mr. Adams retired from Abbott Laboratories and Mrs. Adams from the state of Illinois as a teacher. The Adamses moved to the Glade in 1994. They have been greeters at the church for 25 years.

n Robert and Kathleen McCone

marked their 60th wedding anniversary on May 29. They were married at St. Patrick Church in Owego, N.Y.

Their children are: Erin (Terry) Fitzgibbons of Chicago; Kellie (John) Manuel of Victoria, Minn.; and Megan (Jeff) Kolasinski of Cumming, Ga. They have seven grandchildren.

Mr. McCone retired from Eastman Kodak and Mrs. McCone from Central High School in Naperville, Ill., and they moved to the Glade in 2001.

They will celebrate their anniversary with family and friends. Both are former members of the St. Francis of Assisi choir.

n Stephen and Becky Raabe celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on May 30. They were married at St. Andrew Church in Milford, Ohio, with Father Gil Wohler officiating.

The couple have two children, Ryan (Katherine) Raabe of Springboro, Ohio, and Krista (Joshua) Otten of Indian Wells, Calif., and they have seven grandchildren.

Mr. Raabe retired from Camping World in 2015 and Mrs. Raabe from the Macy’s corporate office in 2018. They moved to the Glade in 2018. Both are members of

St. Francis of the Assisi choir. ■

COURTESY OF RALEIGH COOPER

VBS youth at St. Jude donate to Knights program

St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga conducted its vacation Bible school June 9-13. Students donated $216.86 toward the Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids Program. Holding the donations is Council 8576 Grand Knight Gary Gabor as director of religious education Deb Weiss looks on.

BILL BREWER (2)

St. Michael the Archangel youth make illustrated pavers Middle-school students at St. Michael the Archangel in Erwin recently made illustrated pavers for the parish prayer garden.

The Bishop’s Very Special Day, a faith-filled day of fun for specialneeds individuals and their families, will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Bishop Mark Beckman will celebrate Mass at the cathedral at 10 a.m. Following Mass will be activities and skits, and the day will end with lunch. Students from the Chesterton Academy of St. Margaret Clitherow in Knoxville will be leading the activities. RSVP at dioknox.org/events/ the-bishops-very-special-day-2025

St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga is hosting a deanery-wide multiweekend Fanning the Flame event in August. The experience is inspired by the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress. Each weekend will include a mix of praise music, personal testimonies, moments of reflection, and video messages from the Congress. Saturday mornings will begin with a rosary, and Mass will be celebrated to conclude the final gathering Sunday, Aug. 17. Adoration and opportunities for prayer will also be a part of the event. Middle and high school students are invited to breakout sessions featuring praise music, activities, and messages geared for teens. Weekend one will feature the themes “From the Four Corners” from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, and “The Greatest Love Story” from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2. The second weekend offers “Into the Gethsemane” from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9. The final weekend will have sessions on “This Is My Body” from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, and “To the Ends of the Earth” from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17. Costs are $12 per weekend or $30 for all three weekends for adults, $10 per weekend or $25 for all three weekends for children 17 and under (first two children in family are paid, additional children free), and free for clergy and religious. Register or learn more at stjudechattanooga.org/ fanning-the-flame/

Singers, choir directors, organists, clergy, and others interested in sacred music are invited to the 10th Southeastern Summer Sacred Music Workshop, to be held midday Friday, July 25, through Saturday, July 26, at Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Baton Rouge, La. The workshop is an ideal opportunity for participants to learn Gregorian chant or improve their chant skills and to prepare and sing polyphonic music for Mass Saturday afternoon. Presentations will include the history and purpose of Gregorian chant, what the Church teaches about sacred music, improving parish music programs on a limited budget, free online sources of liturgical music, and more. Cost of the workshop, including all materials, is $135 per person. Online registration is available now. Southeastern Sacred Music is a chapter of the Church Music Association of America. For more information, visit southeasternsacredmusic.com

The diocesan Office of Vocations is holding a Men’s Discernment Group for men interested in discerning if 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 in Knoxville, with the next meeting June 28. There will be a Zoom option for those not in the Knoxville area. Register at forms.office.com/r/CmSwudiVnf

This year’s Camp Irish spring and summer camps are underway at Knoxville Catholic High School. Remaining camps include a volleyball camp July 7-9, with another July 10-11; the Ralph Lundy Soccer Camp from July 7-10; and the Irish Soccer Camp from July 21-24. There is also a dance camp July 23-25. To learn more about the camps and skills covered and costs and age groups eligible for each camp, or to register, visit knoxvillecatholic.com/ camp-irish/. For more information, email camps@knoxvillecatholic.com

The second of the two annual God Camps offered by the diocesan Youth Ministry Office will take place at Adventure Ocoee in Ocoee, Tenn. The Discover Camp for incoming fifth- and sixth-graders will run from

7 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, to 11 a.m. Friday, June 27. Campers will be staying in air-conditioned bunkhouses. God Camp activities include lake-day inflatables; a water park with a wave pool, a lazy river, and a water slide; a low ropes course; outdoor sports; bonfires with s’mores; prayer services; skits; crafts; the celebration of Mass; team-building activities; group interaction; and time to enjoy the retreat center. Some highlights include games of four square, gaga ball, basketball, volleyball, and capture the flag, along with some surprise activities planned by the leaders. The camp is designed to help the youth make new friendships, grow in their relationship with God, and be who God created them to be. Cost is $275 and includes lodging, meals, a T-shirt, and activities. Register at dioknox.org/events/discover-2025

For more information, contact Donna Jones at 423-718-4387 or djones@ dioknox.org, Carolyn Krings at ckrings@dioknox.org, or Noah Grinstead at ngrinstead@dioknox.org

Father John Orr will celebrate a Mass in honor of St. Josemaría Escrivá’s feast day at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 26, at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville. Everyone is invited to attend. Refreshments will be offered after Mass, and those attending may bring something to share with others.

The diocesan Office of Christian Formation will hold Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Level 1 at St. Jude Church in Chattanooga from Monday through Friday, July 7-11.

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Montessori-based religiousformation program for children that teaches the faith through a prepared environment called an “atrium” and hands-on materials rooted in Scripture and liturgy. This training is offered free to registered members of the Diocese of Knoxville. For registrants from outside the diocese, cost is $450. Register at dioknox.org/events/ catechesis-of-the-good-shepherd

The Diocese of Knoxville is taking a group of teens to Steubenville Atlanta, hosted by the Archdiocese of Atlanta on the weekend of July 11-13. The Steubenville youth conferences exist to bring high-schoolers into a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. The theme for 2025 is “Consumed: ‘For the Lord, your God, is a consuming fire...’” (Deuteronomy 4:24). Download a flyer, learn about costs and how to register, and find medical-release and code-ofconduct forms at dioknox.org/events/ steubenville-atlanta-2025. Those needing help booking transportation through the Diocese of Knoxville should contact Noah Grinstead at ngrinstead@ dioknox.org or 386-274-8137.

Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga is holding Alumni Weekend ’25 events Friday and Saturday, July 18-19 (see second announcement below for RSVP information). The 40th annual Irish Classic Golf Tournament is set for July 18 at WindStone Golf Club in Ringgold, Ga., and offers a 1:30 p.m. flight (morning flight is sold out). The tourney is open to all NDHS alumni, parents, families, and friends 21 and older. Green fees, range balls, lunch, beverages, and prizes are included. The Green and White Game, a 7-on-7 football game featuring the Fighting Irish players, will start at 5:30 p.m. on July 18 on Jim Eberle Field and feature seating for alumni in the stands. The NDHS cheer team will be at the game as will food trucks. The “Better Late Than Never” class of 2020 prom will be held at 6 p.m. on July 18 in the school atrium. The class of ’20’s prom was canceled, but this summer’s free event offers a chance to catch up with classmates over light refreshments, music, photos, and more. Attire is casual. Attendees may stay for the All Class Bash, scheduled for 7 to 11 p.m. in the Varallo Athletic Center at Notre Dame, with special reserved tables. The All Class Bash is for alumni and adult guests 21 and older. Attire is casual, and the free event features light appetizers and a cash bar.

Notre Dame Alumni Weekend events continue with an all-alumni Mass that will be celebrated at 9 a.m. on

Calendar continued on page B12

Francis-Fairfield

The Cumberland County Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade was formed Feb. 15. On May 31, the parish held an Italian spaghetti-dinner fundraiser that served 185 people, with 150 dining and 35 ordering takeout. Helping out were two hostesses, 18 waiters, six cooks, four assisting with dessert and coffee, and two at the wine bar. James Bronson was master of ceremonies. Eight decorated layer cakes were auctioned off for $350. Proceeds totaled more than $5,500 that went to the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

A weekend of green shirts and spiritual renewal at St. Stephen

Over the past few months, visitors to St. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga may have noticed a colorful new theme at Sunday Mass: the color green. Green polos have become a familiar sight in the pews—worn by greeters, ushers, and smiling parishioners alike. Printed boldly with the word “WELCOME,” these shirts signal more than just friendly hospitality. They mark participation in something deeply meaningful: the Welcome Retreat.

On May 17, after a year of prayerful formation by the giving team— the group of past participants who organize and lead the retreat—and months of inviting others to take part, 35 men came together for a weekend of fellowship, faith-sharing, and worship. The Welcome Retreat, created by the team at Dynamic Catholic as a reboot of the well-loved “Christ Renews His Parish” program, is designed to deepen lay engagement in parish life and ministry.

At St. Stephen, pastor Father Manuel Pérez also sees Welcome as a powerful tool for building unity in a diverse parish that can sometimes feel divided along cultural lines. The retreat was led by a bilingual giving

team, and through dedicated preparation and real-time translation, the experience was presented in both English and Spanish. This inclusive approach ensured that all 24 participants could fully encounter the retreat in their native language.

Thanks to participant feedback, new tools are now being developed to enhance the retreat experience through technology—making communication even smoother and creating a model that could benefit other ministries as well.

“These Welcome Retreats are a special event,” said Andy Simms, retreat leader. “The table groups that form during the weekend often continue on as their own spiritual support systems, launching prayer groups or Bible studies. And Welcome itself has become its own fraternity—nearly 100 members strong over the past four years.”

The Women’s Welcome Ministry is currently preparing for its fourth retreat, scheduled for Sept. 20–21. Anticipation is already building, and before long, more green shirts will once again be filling the pews—visible reminders of the spiritual transformation taking root at St. Stephen. ■

COURTESY OF MARY LAMPUGNANO (3)

St.

Glade St. Vincent de Paul event raises $5,500-plus

COURTESY OF KAREN FECCO

St. Joseph-Norris elects CCW officers

New Council of Catholic Women officers at St. Joseph Parish in Norris were elected June 1. From left are Ellen Bishop, vice president; Nikki Kapolka, president; Eileen Oleksak, secretary; and Mary Frances George, treasurer.

Praying for Perspective by George

Valadie

Diapers, pacifiers make way for caps, gowns

But it’s underneath where we find their aspirations and apprehensions

Six in all was the total—at least for this year. In this new role as superintendent of our schools, I was blessed to attend six of our schools’ graduations this spring. I wanted to get to all 10, but conflicts and travel issues did what they do.

The best part was—without question—getting to see so many faces of joy. Pure joy. The innocent kind. Kids, moms, dads, family—and teachers. Most were born from pride, a few from relief.

One was particularly special, though, as we got to be there for our grandson Brady and his friends. His eighth-grade class’ photo will now reside in the same hallway where his mom’s hangs, not to mention that of his grandfather, grandmother, and great-grandfather.

Together, we’ll all watch over the classes yet to come. That part’s kinda cool, I won’t lie.

Nine years down, and now they’re headed to high school.

And I can hardly believe it. It seems but moments ago he was in the womb, and we were laughing about all the baby stuff his mom and dad felt they couldn’t live without. Mostly his mom.

There were the 42 baby bottles and high-tech bottle sterilizer that sat on their counter and shamed the soapy dishwater we had used for her, her sisters, and our pots and pans.

I’m pretty sure the only sterile thing in any of our kids’ lives had been the delivery room in which they entered the world. After that,

Wthey lived in our house.

Where way too many times we all went on a late-night bottle search. “Here it is,” someone would exuberantly holler, retrieving it from the cushions of the couch. “OK, brush it off, fill that sucker with some Tab, and get it in here.”

Yes, we gave them Tab. As Brady now often says, “Don’t judge!”

My wife had also bought their first baby-to-be a wipes warmer—I kid you not—as apparently she felt it important to minimize the frigid shock on the little booger’s bottom. We laughed about how she was protecting him from the cold that would probably decrease his ACT score one day.

I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

He and his sister, Emma, were our first grandchildren, and with their births came the requisite births of our grandparent names. And that’s when Grumpy (me) and BB (Nancy) were also born.

It’s odd how this entirely different identity washes over you when a little voice calls your name.

“Hey, Grumpy, do you think we can … ?”

“Well, of course we can!”

When Brady was 3 and Emma a newborn, we all moved from Memphis at the same time. We came east back to our hometown of Chattanooga, and they went west to their dad’s birthplace in Houston.

Before the moves, we had gotten to baby-sit and hang out, play ball

Thoughts and Prayers for the Faithful by

in the yard, and chase in the house. We were monsters during the day and dinosaurs at night. And we ate whatever we wanted for dinner.

But five years later, they moved again, this time to join us in Chattanooga. We knew we were blessed to have them so close but could immediately empathize with their other grandparents who had been forced to watch them drive away.

At that time, Brady was entering third grade. As mom and dad were still transitioning, I got to drive them to school on their first day in town.

Brady is the serious one, anxious about the unknown, nervous about where to go, people he hasn’t met, and would he be able to do all the work.

As best he could at age 8, he expressed his worry that school would be getting harder with each passing year. I in turn offered my best reassuring monologue about God and the miracle of the human brain and how much it can learn and how it’s not that it’s hard, it’s just that it’s new and on and on and on.

Deep down, I just wanted him to find a best friend. And learn how to be one.

No matter their age, moving up and on is a lot. For any young person. And that’s without any of the various misperceptions they already harbor compiled from bits and pieces of rumor they’ve heard mixed with movies and memes and whatever else from wherever else.

Deacon Bob Hunt

Exhibit 1: Brady’s aunt, our youngest, Sarah, absolutely dreaded college and dorm life for half her senior year when we finally discovered the source of her fear. She had been living with the belief that everyone had to take a shower in one big open space at the end of the hall. But she made it. As will all these kids.

Because their parents have blessed them with a first-class education. More importantly, it’s one that includes the knowledge of where God is and how to find Him when they need Him. And they will indeed need Him.

Be it high school, college, or the long-anticipated career that awaits, Brady’s not the only graduate who’s ever worried about what lies ahead. It doesn’t matter that we’ve lived through it; they haven’t. So, imagine the anxiety. New people to meet, new things to learn, new hallways to meander. Can I make the team? Pass the class? Open my locker? Will I be liked? Loved? Lost? Will I make a difference? Have a friend? Like the food?

“Grumpy, do you think I’ll be able to … ?”

“Well, of course you can!”

Dear God—Please bless all who now go where they cannot know. 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.”

The pope’s authority has a long history

His role as teacher, governor, and symbol of Christian unity dates even to Pentecost

hy do we have a pope? The origins of the papacy, of course, are in the words of our Lord to St. Peter when Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus then told him, “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:15-19).

The roots of Jesus’ words to Peter can be found in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, who spoke of Eliakim replacing Shebna as “Master of the House” when Shebna proved unworthy. The Master of the House ran the king’s palace in the era of the kingdom(s). The Master of the House was the one who allowed access to the king and spoke and acted for the king in the king’s absence. So, when King David was off on a war campaign, the Master of the House was in charge, having all the authority of the king until David returned. This authority was symbolized by a key that literally hung around the Master’s shoulders. Isaiah writes of Eliakim: “He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one will shut, what he shuts, no one will open” (Isaiah 22:21b-22). This same authority was extended to the Master’s successors, as Shebna’s authority was given to Eliakim. Given this context, we can see that Jesus is clearly declaring that St. Peter, and his successors, possess the authority

of Christ Himself until He returns.

At Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and the Apostles, it was Peter who spoke for the Apostles, preaching to the crowd the good news of Jesus. It was to Peter that the Lord revealed that His gospel was intended for the Gentiles as well as the Jews. It was Peter who stood up and proclaimed at the Council of Jerusalem, as recorded in Acts, chapter 15, that the Gentiles should not be burdened with following the Mosaic law in order to be Christians. Peter later traveled to Antioch, where he served as bishop for some time, and then, of course, to Rome.

There, tradition holds that Peter told his memoirs to a young man named Mark, who composed his Gospel based on Peter’s memories of Jesus. Peter was bishop of Rome until his martyrdom in the mid-60s. By tradition, he was crucified upside down, per his request, because he did not feel worthy to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord. In 1968, based on the archeological evidence, Pope St. Paul VI declared that the tomb of St. Peter had been found, located directly under the high altar of the Vatican Basilica that bears his name. Immediately, a successor of Peter was named. Writing toward the end of the second century, St. Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons in Gaul, provides us with a list of the successors of St. Peter up to his day: Linus, Anacletus, Clement, Evaristus, Alexander, Sixtus, Telephorus, Hyginus, Pius, Anicetus, Soter, Eleutherius. Irenaeus writes: “In this order, and by this succession, the ecclesiastical tradition from the Apostles, and the preaching of the truth, have come down to us. And this is most abundant proof that there is one and the same vivifying faith, which has been preserved in the Church from the Apostles until now, and handed down in truth.” Irenaeus wrote of the Church in Rome: “For it is a matter of

necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its preeminent authority.”

But did the early popes in Rome really possess authority over the whole Church? There is evidence that they did. In the mid-90s, St. Clement I was pope. When he learned that the Catholics in Corinth were disrespecting their clergy, he wrote a letter (still extant) exhorting the people to respect their priests. No one questioned Clement’s authority to address a controversy that was taking place in another diocese, even one so far away. For years after, in fact, Clement’s letter was read in Corinth in recognition of his pastoral authority.

In the early second century, St. Ignatius of Antioch wrote of the Church in Rome as “a Church worthy of God, worthy of honor, worthy of felicitations, worthy of praise, worthy of success, worthy of sanctification, and presiding in love, maintaining the law of Christ, and bearer of the Father’s name.”

Pope St. Victor I, in the year 180, threatened to excommunicate some Eastern bishops who refused to adopt the Western Church’s dating for Easter. St. Irenaeus counseled against such severity. Notably, he did not question the pope’s authority to excommunicate these bishops, only the wisdom of doing so.

St. Cyprian of Carthage, in the middle third century, disputed with Pope St. Stephen I over whether apostates should be rebaptized. St. Cyprian said yes, while St. Stephen said there was no need, that their original baptisms were inviolable. Pope Stephen prevailed, recommending that his authority as bishop of Rome carried the day.

There are a number of examples of early Church bishops appealing to the bishop of Rome’s authority on Church matters: Cyprian appealing to Pope Stephen on reconciling lapsed

Catholics to the Church; Basilides of Emerita, a Spanish bishop, appealing to Pope Stephen also after being pushed out of his diocese by his brother bishops, and Pope Stephen reinstating him; the Emperor Aurelian appealing to Pope St. Felix I in the later third century on a dispute among Catholics in the city of Antioch.

The popes sent a representative to every ecumenical council of the early Church, and the pope’s representative usually ran the council. At the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the council fathers adopted the Tome of Pope St. Leo the Great, an exposition of the faith of the Church in Jesus Christ, even in Leo’s absence, testifying to his authority over the Church on matters of the faith. Most famously, perhaps, is the example of St. Augustine of Hippo. In the early fifth century, the Pelagian heresy had been condemned by two local councils, one in Milevi and another in Carthage. The decrees of condemnation were sent to the pope for approval and received said approval. In response, St. Augustine said, “The cause is finished; would that the error were as quickly finished.” This was eventually turned into the popular phrase, “Rome has spoken, the matter is settled.”

The authority of the pope as teacher and governor, and the pope as a symbol of Christian unity, has a long history in the Church, even from the very beginnings at Pentecost. Jesus promised that He would not leave His Church alone. He sent the Holy Spirit to guide His Church in all things necessary for our salvation. And He gave us the pope as a father, pastor, governor, and teacher to preserve the faith of the apostles in every age.

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.

IRandy Stice

Pope Francis on the Mass: ‘prayer and encounter’

The meeting is ‘with God through His Word and the body and blood

n 2017 and 2018, Pope Francis gave a series of catecheses on the Mass.1

In this column, I want to share our late Holy Father’s insights on the Mass. Pope Francis describes the Mass as both prayer and encounter. “It is prayer par excellence, the loftiest, the most sublime, and at the same time the most ‘concrete,’” “the loving encounter with God through His Word and the body and blood of Jesus. It is an encounter with the Lord.”

The Mass, he says, is like “a ‘symphony,’ in which various tones of voice resonate, including moments of silence, in view of creating ‘harmony’ among all the participants, which is to acknowledge that they are animated by a unique Spirit and for the same aim.” Throughout the Mass, silence “prepares us and accompanies us,” enabling us “to listen to other voices: the one in our heart and, above all, the voice of the Holy Spirit.”

Beginning with the sign of the cross, “the whole prayer moves, so to speak, within the space of the Most Holy Trinity…which is the space of infinite communion; it has as its beginning and end the love of the Triune God, made manifest and given to us in the Cross of Christ.” We then “confess to being sinners both to God and to our brothers and sisters: this helps us understand the dimension of sin which, while separating us from God, also divides us from our brothers and sisters, and vice versa.” As we confess, we strike our chest, personally “acknowledging that I have sinned through my own fault and not that of others.” This “opens

our heart to invoke the divine mercy, which transforms and converts.”

In the Liturgy of the Word, we “listen to what God has done and still intends to do for us. It is an experience that occurs ‘live’ and not through hearsay.” It is “live” because it is “living.” “The Word is living, the Word of Jesus that is in the Gospel is alive and touches my heart.” This living Word “makes a pathway within us. We listen to it with our ears, and it passes to our hearts; and from the heart, it passes to the hands, to good deeds.” Silence after the homily “allows the seed received to settle in the soul, so that intentions to heed what the Spirit has suggested to each person may sprout.” The Liturgy of the Word concludes with the Universal Prayer, which “exhorts us to turn our gaze to God, who takes care of all his children.”

The gifts of bread and wine express a profound spirituality. In bringing these gifts to God, “we present to him the offering of our life so that it may be transformed by the Holy Spirit in the sacrifice of Christ and become with Him a single spiritual offering pleasing to the Father.” The Holy Father emphasized the power of this moment: “May the spirituality of self-giving that this moment of Mass teaches us illuminate our days, our relationships with others, the things we do, the suffering we encounter, helping us to build up the earthly city in the light of the Gospel.”

The Eucharistic Prayer, “corresponds to what Jesus Himself did, at the table with the Apostles at the

Last Supper, when ‘he gave thanks’ over the bread and then over the cup of wine: His thanksgiving lives again each time we celebrate the Eucharist, joining us to His sacrifice of salvation.” The Eucharistic Prayer “teaches us to cultivate three attitudes: first, learn to give thanks, always and everywhere, and not only on certain occasions, when all is going well; second, to make of our life a gift of love, freely given; third, to build concrete communion, in the Church and with everyone. Thus, this central prayer of the Mass teaches us, little by little, to make of our whole life a ‘Eucharist,’ that is, an act of thanksgiving.”

The sign of peace reminds us that “Christ’s peace cannot take root in a heart incapable of experiencing fraternity and of restoring it after it has been wounded. Peace is granted by the Lord: He grants us the grace to forgive those who have offended us.” The petitions for mercy and peace in the Lamb of God “help us to prepare our soul to participate in the eucharistic banquet, the source of communion with God and with our brothers and sisters.”

When we come forward to receive Communion, “although we are the ones who stand in procession to receive Communion…in reality it is Christ who comes toward us to assimilate us in Him. There is an encounter with Jesus!” Our “amen” to the words “the body of Christ” means that we “recognize the grace and the commitment involved in becoming the body of Christ. Because when you receive the Eucharist, you become

Daily readings

Sunday, June 15: Proverbs 8:22-31; Psalm 8:4-9; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15

Monday, June 16: 2 Corinthians 6:110; Psalm 98:1-4; Matthew 5:38-42

Tuesday, June 17: 2 Corinthians 8:19; Psalm 146:2, 5-9; Matthew 5:43-48

Wednesday, June 18: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11; Psalm 112:1-4, 9; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Thursday, June 19: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11; Psalm 111:1-4, 7-8; Matthew 6:7-15

Friday, June 20: 2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30; Psalm 34:2-7; Matthew 6:19-23

Saturday, June 21: Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, religious, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10; Psalm 34:8-13; Matthew 6:24-34

Sunday, June 22: The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood

of Christ, Genesis 14:18-20; Psalm 110:1-4; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Luke 9:11-17

Monday, June 23: Genesis 12:1-9; Psalm 33:12-13, 18-20, 22; Matthew 7:1-5

Tuesday, June 24: Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6, 15, 17; 1 Peter 1:8-12; Luke 1:5-17

Wednesday, June 25: Genesis 15:112, 17-18; Psalm 105:1-4, 6-9; Matthew 7:15-20

Thursday, June 26: Genesis 16:112, 15-16; Psalm 106:1-5; Matthew 7:21-29

Friday, June 27: Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Ezekiel 34:11-16; Psalm 23:1-6; Romans 5:511; Luke 15:3-7

Saturday, June 28: Genesis 18:1-15; Luke 1:46-50, 53-55; Matthew 8:5-17

Sunday, June 29: Solemnity of Sts.

the body of Christ. This is beautiful; it is very beautiful. As it unites us to Christ, tearing us away from our selfishness, Communion opens us and unites us to all those who are a single thing in Him. This is the wonder of Communion: we become what we receive!” “After Communion, silence, silent prayer helps us treasure in our hearts the gift which we have received…speaking to Jesus in our hearts, helps us a great deal.”

“We celebrate the Eucharist,” concludes Pope Francis, “to nourish ourselves of Christ who gives Himself both in Word and in the sacrament of the altar, in order to conform us to Him. We celebrate the Eucharist in order to become eucharistic men and women. What does this mean? It means allowing Christ to act within our deeds: that His thoughts may be our thoughts, His feelings our own, His choices our choices, too. And this is holiness: doing as Christ did is Christian holiness.” ■

1 Pope Francis began this series on Nov. 8, 2017, and concluded it on April 4, 2018. The catecheses given in 2017 can be found at www. vatican.va/content/francesco/en/ audiences/2017.index.html# audiences, and those given in 2018 at www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2018.index.html All quotes are taken from these sources.

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

St. Bridget Parish in Dayton and Shepherd of the Valley in Dunlap celebrate confirmation; St. Bridget also has first Communion and May Crowning

St. Bridget Parish in Dayton celebrated three events in May. Bishop Mark Beckman confirmed 13 youth from St. Bridget along with six from Shepherd of the Valley in Dunlap at a 3 p.m. Mass on May 4. RCIA candidate Masen Cheeks was also confirmed. In the photo at top left are (from left, front row) St. Bridget pastor Father Jim Vick, Ashley, Luciannah, Brandon, Andrea, Abriel, and Shepherd of the Valley pastor Father Mark Scholz; (middle row) Oscar, Arley, Luna, Melany, Mia Bella, Evelyn, Azucena, and Aylin; and (back row) William, Jackie, Gaby, Masen (RCIA candidate), Bishop Beckman, Laura, Ozzyel, and Rene. Eight St. Bridget youngsters made their first Holy Communion at the 5:30 p.m. Mass on May 10. In the photo at bottom left are (from left, front row) Betzabet, Alexa, Celeste, Kaylee, and Father Vick and (back row) Damian, Miguel, Yaitza, and Jeremy. Rosa Ayala (above), parish secretary at St. Bridget, places a crown of flowers on the Blessed Mother statue during a procession before the 10 a.m. Mass on May 11.

Peter and Paul, Apostles, Acts 3:110; Psalm 19:2-5; Galatians 1:11-20; John 21:15-19

Monday, June 30: Genesis 18:16-33; Psalm 103:1-4, 8-11; Matthew 8:18-22

Tuesday, July 1: Genesis 19:15-29; Psalm 26:2-3, 9-12; Matthew 8:23-27

Wednesday, July 2: Genesis 21:5, 8-20; Psalm 34:7-8, 10-13; Matthew 8:28-34

Thursday, July 3: Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle, Ephesians 2:19-22; Psalm 117:1-2; John 20:24-29

Friday, July 4: Genesis 23:1-4, 19 and 24:1-8, 62-67; Psalm 106:1-5; Matthew 9:9-13

Saturday, July 5: Genesis 27:1-5, 1529; Psalm 135:1-6; Matthew 9:14-17

Sunday, July 6: Isaiah 66:10-14; Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20; Galatians 6:1418; Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 Monday, July 7: Genesis 28:10-22; Psalm 91:1-4, 14-15; Matthew 9:18-26

Tuesday, July 8: Genesis 32:2333; Psalm 17:1-3, 6-8, 15; Matthew 9:32-38

Wednesday, July 9: Genesis 41:5557 and 42:5-7, 17-24; Psalm 33:2-3, 10-11, 18-19; Matthew 10:1-7 Thursday, July 10: Genesis 44:18-21, 23-29 and 45:1-5; Psalm 105:16-21; Matthew 10:7-15 Friday, July 11: Memorial of St. Benedict, abbot, Genesis 46:1-7, 2830; Psalm 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40; Matthew 10:16-23

Saturday, July 12: Genesis 49:29-32 and 50:15-26; Psalm 105:1-4, 6-7; Matthew 10:24-33 Sunday, July 13: Deuteronomy 30:1014; Psalm 69:14, 17, 30-31, 33-34, 3637; Colossians 1:15-20; Luke 10:25-37 Monday, July 14: Memorial of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, virgin, Exodus 1:8-14, 22; Psalm 124:1-8; Matthew 10:34–11:1 ■

JOAN PARLATORE

JOAN

PARLATORE

RACHEL

VELEZ

July 19 in the school’s alumni chapel, where departed classmates, faculty, and staff will be remembered. A free Golden Grads Brunch will take place from 10:30 a.m. to noon afterward in the cafeteria and will celebrate graduates from 1975 and earlier. Alumni from 1975 and earlier and a spouse or guest may attend, with alumni being inducted into the Society of Golden Graduates and class of 1950 alums being inducted into the Society of Diamond Graduates. Register for the golf tourney and the free events (for headcount purposes) at www.myndhs.com/alumni/alumniweekend. For more information, call 423-624-4618 or e-mail alumni@ myndhs365.com

The 16th annual Irish Fest on the Hill, hosted by Immaculate Conception Parish in downtown Knoxville, is set for 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9. Those attending may enjoy Irish food, drinks, dessert, and music and take part in a silent auction. A Gaelic games demonstration will be held. Music will be performed on two stages and feature Red-Haired Mary, Knoxville Pipes & Drums, Jeff Nelson, Nancy Brennan Strange and Friends, Four Leaf Peat, the Tennessee Irish Dancers, Tim and Cherry on the Strings, The Missing Goats, and Tracy Jenkins & Will MacMorran. There will also be tours of Immaculate Conception Church, one of the oldest Catholic churches in the Diocese of Knoxville. Supporters of the event can become a sponsor at various levels. To donate items for the silent auction, contact Becky Birdwell at birdwell ent@bellsouth.net. Admission to the fest is $15 (kids free).

A Picture of Love retreat for engaged couples is scheduled for 6:45 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, and 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga. 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

and Catherine Fugiel (54), John and Mary Kopmeier (54), Michael and Mary Mayes (54), Paul and Joanne Chmielewski (53), John and Rozanne Mulcrone (52), Ronald and Barbara Whynaucht (52), Michael and Glenna Rodts (51), John and Nancy Menchin (50), Kyle and Bonnie Otte (45), Jim and Rosemarie Fagan (40), Robert and Michele Huber (40), Bob and Christina Seaman (30)

St. John Neumann, Farragut

A Newcomers Adult Social is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 9. E-mail welcome tosjn@gmail.com for more details.

Knights of Columbus Council 8781 presented its annual Bishop’s Award for middle-school students to Thomas Sinclair and Bella Ramirez of St. John Neumann School. The two were honored for exemplary faith and commitment and received a gift and cash award from the Knights.

St. Joseph, Norris

Sister Kelly Ferowich, who grew up in St. Joseph Parish, said her final vows with the Missionary Sisters of the Resurrection, a part of Comunità Cenacolo, on June 8 in Italy. Gifts in honor of Sister Kelly may be sent to Comunità Cenacolo America, 9485 Regency Square Blvd, Suite 110, Jacksonville, FL 32225.

The parish congratulated Deacon Bill Frere on the 10th anniversary of his ordination to the diaconate with refreshments after Mass on May 18.

The Council of Catholic Women hosted a Father’s Day brunch on June 15. Five Rivers Deanery Holy Trinity, Jefferson City

The Knights of Columbus will host a free coffee-and-doughnut social after the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, June 22. Those attending may sample three different coffees and purchase their favorite.

Anniversaries: Ulysse and Debra Pelafigue (55), Hal and Trish Morrill (50), Bob and Pam Rowland (40), Joe and Nichole

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 at dioknox.org/events/pictureof-love-retreat-sept-2025. Registration deadline is Sept. 1. Late registrations are accepted if space allows (cost is $200 by credit card only). Contact Carolyn Krings at 865-584-3307 or ckrings@ dioknox.org for more details.

A Hundredfold Vocation Workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at All Saints Church in Knoxville. The event offers a dynamic day of inspiration and practical tools to help promote vocations in your parish or to reignite your current efforts. The event has a goal of working together to build up the Church through holy priests, Sisters, and marriages. The day includes Mass with Bishop Mark Beckman. Lunch is provided. Register at dioknox.org/events/ vocation-parish-workshop

Notre Dame Parish in Greeneville will hold its annual Fall Festival of Nations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20. Those attending may sample food from around the world, with more than a dozen countries represented in the International Food Court along with a USA Tent and a Mexico Tent. Free entertainment will take place all day, and there will also be a silent auction, a bake sale, a yard sale, vendors and crafters, displays, an art show, a quilt show, a raffle, games, activities, and more. Vendor applications, sponsor forms, and T-shirt order forms can be found at www.notredamechurchtn. org/festival-of-nations-1

Zabel (20), David and Lisa Layman (10) Notre Dame, Greeneville

A town-hall meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 26, in the parish hall to discuss proposed plans for the renovation of the parish-hall kitchen. Ice cream treats will be served.

Another fundraiser for youth attending the National Catholic Youth Conference is set: a car wash from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 12, at Advance Auto Parts, 1290 E. Andrew Johnson Highway in Greeneville.

Anniversaries: Deacon Tim and Cecelia Marcy (61), Anthony and Carole LaMarca (58), Joseph and Yvonne Killewald (51), James and Margaret Ayers (35)

St. Patrick, Morristown

The annual Knights of Columbus yard sale is set for 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 26. Items may be dropped off at the parish center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, July 23-25 (no clothing). To have items picked up, call Dan Pellegrin at 504441-8177 or James Mach at 865-4751999 on July 23-25. Proceeds will benefit local charities.

The Knights held their eighth annual Memorial Day program May 26 to honor the 22 veterans whose remains are in the St. Patrick columbarium. A record 91 attended. Air Force veteran Al Grosenbech, 94, presented the U.S. flag to start the ceremony. Retired Marine lieutenant colonel and diocesan vice chancellor Paul Simoneau delivered an address. The event concluded with a 21-gun salute by the Morristown Police Department, the playing of “Taps” by VFW Post 5266, and refreshments served by the Council of Catholic Women.

Anniversaries: Richard and Marilyn Giddish (70), Richard and Valerie Hidalgo (61), Thomas and Laura Dziezyk (57), Charles and Barbara Chapleau (56), Paul and Pamela Von Herbulis (55), Sam and Theresa Comodari (53), Donald and Dorothy Urnick (50), James and Saundra Casolari (20), Gerardo Cruz and Leslie Espinito (15), Javan and

The National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) is set for Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 20-22, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. There will be two to three buses heading to NCYC from different points around the Diocese of Knoxville. The group will be staying at a hotel in downtown Indianapolis within walking distance from the convention center. NCYC is a powerfully unique three-day experience of prayer, community, evangelization, catechesis, service, and empowerment for Catholic teenagers (of high-school age) and their adult chaperones. NCYC is the premiere Catholic youth event on a national scale that gathers people from all across America for a life-changing encounter with Christ. The theme is “I AM.” Register a child or group at dioknox.org/ events/2025-national-catholic-youthconference

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 Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga and each Sunday at 6 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-tricities-tn. 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 865-4384905 or e-mail CIRAllSaintsKnoxville@ gmail.com. Contact Deacon Wade Eck-

Elizabeth Crockett (10)

Smoky Mountain Deanery

Holy Ghost, Knoxville

The parish Pentecost Picnic, honoring its feast day, took place June 7. Food was provided by the Knights of Columbus, and the event offered face painting, a snow cone truck, music, games, and prizes.

The Legion of Mary prayed a patriotic rosary on Memorial Day, May 26, at Knoxville National Cemetery.

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville

The parish congratulated its graduates: Michael Szemborski, The Goddard School (pre-kindergarten); Brody Dykes, Gibbs Middle School; Elliott Teston, Sacred Heart Cathedral School (middle school); Nathan Allen, Mason Long, Frank Mancini, Isabelle Swindeman, Leo Trisler, and James Zengel, St. Joseph School (middle school); Jonathan Berry and Maven Dykes, Gibbs High School; Caroline Calloway, Aaliyah Christof, Stanley Mowrer, and Adelaide Weedman, Knoxville Catholic High School; Lexi Duncan, L&N STEM Academy (high school); Hayden Matthew Yochim, Snyder High School, Fort Wayne, Ind.; Ava Atchley, West High School; Braden Allen, Pellissippi State Community College; and Jason Houbre, Cameron Sapienza, and Keeley Patrice Wade, University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

The IC Bees thanked the parish for participating in its annual quilt show and sale. Winners of quilts and wall hangings included Nancy Parisi, Karin Hoover, Pat Ryan, Kathy Parrish, Kathy McKnight, Judy Johnson, and Judy Vaughan.

Sacred Heart, Knoxville

The cathedral parish announced April 9 that it has formed a committee to explore future possibilities for the Cathedral Hall building. The committee has selected BarberMcMurry Architects “to help us create a space that will enhance our ministries and community gatherings,” cathedral rector Father David Boettner said. “Starting in July, the building committee will work with BarberMcMurry Architects

ler about the meetings at OLPH at 423322-3493 or weckler@myolph.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 Spanish 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 561315-5911 if you have any questions. Join Father Mike Nolan on a pilgrimage April 13-23, 2026, to France and Spain. The group will visit Lourdes, exploring the birthplace of St. Bernadette and experience the healing waters from the springs of Lourdes, Stations of the Cross, a candlelight rosary procession, and a blessing of the sick. Pilgrims will visit the tomb of St. Thomas Aquinas at the Jacobins Church as well as Pamplona, the birthplace and childhood home of St. Francis Xavier, the 16th-century evangelist, and will visit Xavier (Navarre), where they will tour the castle where St. Francis Xavier was born. The group will go on to Zaragoza, home to the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, and Montserrat, site of the Benedictine monastery and the Black Madonna. Pilgrims will visit the small town of Verdu, the birthplace of St. Peter Claver, and go on to Barcelona, visiting the Cathedral of Barcelona, the Basilica of the Holy Family, La Sagrada Familia, the almostfinished masterpiece by Antoni Gaudi, and the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, the Cathedral by the Sea. For more information, contact Lisa Morris at lisam@ select-intl.com or 865-567-1245.

Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at noon each Sunday at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville, at 2 p.m. each Sunday and at 6 p.m. most Mondays at St. Mary Church in Johnson City, and at 11:30 a.m. every Sunday at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. For more information, visit www.KnoxLatinMass.net n

to assess our existing Cathedral Hall and evaluate our programmatic needs for expanding meeting spaces and accommodating ministry activities on our campus.”

Receptions for associate pastor Father Jhon Mario García will take place following the 9 and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Masses on Sunday, June 29. Father García has been assigned to St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge as associate pastor.

The parish recently introduced new maintenance technician Antonio DaSilva. Mr. DaSilva has been married to Yazmin Vidao since 1985, and they are the parents of two adult children. The DaSilvas’ son is studying at the seminary at St. Augustine in Montreal with the hope of becoming a priest in the Diocese of Knoxville.

Sacred Heart held a Filipino Festival on June 8 that included a Mass, traditional Filipino food and drinks, karaoke, and a musical extravaganza.

Summer Movie Nights in Cathedral Hall will continue with Molokai: The Story of Father Damien (1999) at 5 p.m. Friday, July 11. Admission is free, and the event is for ages 18 and over. Pizza and soda will be available.

Sacred Heart has hit 10,000 in YouTube subscribers on its @shcathedral page.

St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville

The Family Life Center Fundraising Committee held a Wine and Chocolate Tasting on June 12. The committee seeks volunteers to help with the launch of activities and events to raise money for a deposit to break ground on the center and for future mortgage payments. Volunteers with experience writing grants, planning parties, cooking and baking, and more are needed. E-mail Mary at gee4949@ aol.com with your name, phone number, and how you wish to help.

The Women’s Group recently welcomed new board members Rita Anderson and Ann Cassidy.

The Knights of Columbus council’s annual yard sale is coming up. To donate items or learn more, call Ed Harless at 423-494-4761. n

Parish notes continued from page B8

Astronaut, rocket scientists visit STAR Ex camp

Students (and parents) get hands-on experience at St. John Neumann School as they explore space

By Bill Brewer

The 2025 version of the STAR Ex camp did not disappoint when it came to engaging young students in the wonders of space exploration, astronomy, rocketry, telescopes, robotics, satellites, rovers, and drones.

In fact, the more than 30 students who attended the daylong camp at St. John Neumann School in Farragut on April 12 were treated to one-on-one dialogue with astronaut John Shoffner and astronomy experts Brother Guy Consolmagno, SJ, and Dr. Jonathan Lunine as well as hands-on experience to hone their skills in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.

Mr. Shoffner, a Knoxvillian, served as the pilot on the Axiom Space Ax-2 mission to the International Space Station in May 2023. It was the second entirely private crew mission to the International Space Station.

Mr. Shoffner appeared in person at St. John Neumann to meet with the students and share his out-ofthis-world experiences.

Brother Guy is an American research astronomer, physicist, and Jesuit brother who was selected by Pope Francis in September 2015 to be director of the Vatican Observatory, an astronomical research and education institution supported by the Holy See.

Dr. Lunine is the chief scientist for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. He is a planetary scientist and physicist, and his research centers on planet formation and habitability.

And Dr. Greg Snyder, NASA’s solar system ambassador, gave a presentation on space exploration in the past, present, and future.

In a rare occasion, STAR Ex organizer Dave Wells was able to include the students in a private, regularly scheduled Zoom meeting that Brother Consolmagno holds with Dr. Lunine and other world experts on astronomy.

The scientists on the Zoom call were from Michigan, California, Arizona, North Carolina, New York, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and Germany.

Brother Guy began the meeting by asking the participating scientists to introduce themselves, tell where they currently were located, what the temperature was, and what they had most recently observed in the sky.

Those introductions served as a quick lesson for the young students that even adult scientists are still wowed by the weather and what is up in the sky.

Brother Guy described his work as the Vatican’s top astronomer and his collaboration with the brightest minds in the world in studying the heavens.

Dr. Lunine, through his presentation, explained to the students the role of the Jet Propulsion Lab in space exploration and the science of rocketry. The lab is directly involved in past, present, and future

space missions.

In their discussion, Brother Guy and Dr. Lunine talked about the Pontifical Academy of Science and the world’s brightest scientific minds that have contributed discourse on the study of planets and space exploration at the academy.

“The who’s who of astronomy in those days gathered at the Vatican to debate the population of stars and why some stars are different from others,” Brother Guy said. “But the implications of the populations of stars basically showed the world that the universe was changing over time and wasn’t in a steady state.”

“There were some remarkable scientists all together there,” Dr. Lunine added.

Dr. Lunine took questions from the STAR Ex students and others.

One question asked of him was if there is anything he has seen, studied, or conversed about that made him think he was witnessing the face of God.

“I see the face of God in everything, not only the things in the universe that I study but in every person. Every person is the face of Christ, and it has taken me decades to come to learn that. I’m a slow learner. It takes me awhile to get things. It took me decades to decide that I really was a Christian and a Catholic Christian, even though I had hints of that when I was a teenager,” Dr. Lunine said.

The campers truly experienced brushes with greatness in the STEAM fields, and they appeared excited to be taking part.

Mr. Wells was accompanied by a team from the Civil Air Patrol that assisted the boys and girls in soaring into the wild blue yonder without leaving the St. John Neumann campus.

The campers were exposed to a variety of telescopes they used to identify parts of the solar system.

And to test their knowledge from the day, they produced homemade, rubberband-propelled rockets made from Nerf-like foam. They watched in amazement as their rockets shot across the school lunchroom and then outside across the school parking lot.

It was a hands-on experiment in energy, propulsion, geometry, physics, motion—and fun.

Mr. Wells explained that in 2017 he attended a weeklong faith and astronomy workshop in Arizona led by Brother Guy.

“That really kicked my interest in space and astronomy into overdrive. It has really become a passion of mine since then,” Mr. Wells said, noting that he is part of the monthly Zoom calls with Brother Guy and scientists from around the world.

He explained that “the stars have aligned” when he found out that a Zoom meeting with Brother Guy was on the day of the STAR Ex camp, and Brother Guy liked the idea of including the St. John Neumann campers on the call.

“There is a relationship between faith and science. You do not have to be all one or the other. They

are in dialogue with each other. They learn from each other. There are passionate scientists who are deeply religious people, and there are passionate religious people who are deeply scientific as well. That’s a tradition we have that I want to continue to build on. I think it is exciting, I really do,” Mr. Wells said.

Mr. Wells pointed out that there is a resurgence in interest in astronomy and space exploration, with so many recent missions into space by NASA and Space X, the International Space Station, and efforts to possibly land on Mars.

“We are in a moment in our history where we have to take the next step. And we have to do it in cooperation with countries around the world. The days of the space race are behind us. We have to learn how to work with each other,” he said. “We are all on one planet, and we have to work together. I think the International Space Station is a great example of countries working together. We need to see more of that, and I think that is going to be the wave of the future.”

Mr. Wells firmly believes that the first person to walk on Mars is alive today, and that someone is likely the age of the STAR Ex campers.

“They are going to be part of the generation that not only watches it happen but helps to make it happen,” he said.

Mr. Wells also is excited about developments in astronomy that are fueling excitement in space exploration. He cited the Hubble telescope that has given rise to the James Webb space telescope and other telescopes that are going into space.

“Our understanding of the mysteries of the universe and the cosmos is going to grow at an astronomical pace. It will be amazing what we are going to discover in the next 10, 15, 20 years. These young people will be in college studying all of that, and they will be aware of all the new discoveries that are happening,” Mr. Wells said.

Not only is that Mr. Wells’ passion, he considers it a vocation.

“My job is to ignite the imagination of these young people. That imagination is the rocket fuel that is going to take us into the future,” he said.

In May, Mr. Wells was named the squadron commander of the Sunsphere Civil Air Patrol cadet squadron. He said the squadron’s motto is “Aim for the stars.”

Glenn Kahler, who serves as director of music and liturgy for the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, was among the parents accompanying their children during the daylong camp.

The camp piqued his curiosity and also is an activity that he thought his son, Oscar, would enjoy.

“He’s always been really interested in space and exploration, science fiction. He has had a mind for it his entire life. And we have not

had an experience like this before in Knoxville that was available to us,” Mr. Kahler said.

Mr. Kahler was certain that Oscar was excited to be attending STAR Ex camp.

“I would say he was having a life-altering experience. He had the fire to begin with, but I think the camp is stoking that fire,” he said.

Oscar, who attends Sacred Heart Cathedral School, shared his excitement about the camp.

“The whole day was awesome, but my favorite part was meeting astronaut John Shoffner,” Oscar said. “I learned about how astronauts live in space; how they sleep, eat, and spend their time.”

And the Zoom call with the world’s leading space scientists was an added bonus for Oscar.

“It was a surprise. It made my experience even more memorable. They gave us more information than I expected,” he said.

And Oscar took full advantage of the opportunity by asking the scientists a question during the call.

And just what was Oscar’s question? “Do you believe that there is intelligent life on Jupiter’s moon, Europa?” The scientists explained that continued studies of the solar system are revealing more details about the possibility of life on other planets. Oscar’s dad said it was “surreal” that the chief scientist for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory answered Oscar’s question.

“As a family, we all know these people. We’ve seen them on all the scientific shows and planetary exploration shows. But to have a moment in time where we can reach across the planet in real time and have a question answered by people leading the industry is just surreal,” Mr. Kahler said.

Oscar is planning a return visit to STAR Ex next year. “Absolutely, it was a blast,” he said.

Mr. Wells’ passion and vocation is apparently having an impact on students like Oscar, who could be the next generation that Mr. Wells was referring to.

Asked if he would like to be involved in space and aeronautics when he graduates from college, Oscar, said, “Absolutely. In fact, I plan to become an astronaut!”

Maj. David Hoover with the Tennessee Civil Air Patrol said STEAM kits for students used in special programs like the STAR Ex camp are available to all schools. The kits are available for different grades from kindergarten through high school.

Maj. Hoover, who serves as aerospace education officer for the Sunsphere Cadet Squadron, said the Civil Air Patrol would like to distribute the kits to as many schools as possible to complement academic curriculum and give students hands-on activities.

For information about the kits, contact Major Hoover at David. Hoover@tncap.us n

Reaching for the stars Oscar Kahler takes part in a planetary exercise in the St. John Neumann School gym as part of the STAR Ex camp on April 12. Oscar’s father, Glenn, stands ready to look through the telescope.

BILL BREWER (2)

Focus on astronomy Dave Wells, organizer of the STAR Ex camp at St. John Neumann School, helps students understand the science of space exploration during the daylong program on April 12.

KCHS’s Lillie Murphy nets 2nd state tennis title

The senior completes an undefeated career in singles play; NDHS, KCHS track athletes stand out as well

By Dan McWilliams

Lillie Murphy of Knoxville Catholic High School completed an undefeated singles career with her second straight Division II, Class AA state championship on May 23 at Adams Tennis Complex in Murfreesboro.

Track-and-field athletes from Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga as well as KCHS also stood out during the TSSAA’s annual Spring Fling spring-sports championships.

Lillie, a senior, toppled Margarette Berdy of Chattanooga Baylor 6-1, 6-2 in the championship match. That followed two 6-0, 6-0 sweeps May 22 of Anna Caroline Domas of Hutchison in the quarterfinals and Mimi Bowen of Ensworth in the semifinals.

“Lillie has been playing incredible all year long. She had a very dominant performance at state in which she lost a total of three games in three matches in the individual singles,” said Knoxville Catholic tennis head coach Rusty Morris. “Lillie defeated Margarette Berdy in the final. Lillie and Margaret played in the region final and also in the team finals, and Lillie defeated Margaret in each match.

A Furman signee, Lillie has been a part of seven tennis state titles at KCHS.

“Lillie won the individual doubles her freshman and sophomore year and won the singles title her junior and senior year,” Mr. Morris said. “Her freshman, sophomore, and junior year the team won the state championship, and this year the team came in second. That is an incredible achievement, and to never lose a singles match in four years in high school tennis is equally impressive.

“Lillie has been an incredible player and a great leader. She willed the team to the championship this year and won both of her matches in the team championship match.”

Baylor prevented the Lady Irish from four-peating in the team competition with a 4-1 victory in the finals. Knoxville Catholic advanced to the team championship with a 4-0 win over Harpeth Hall in the semifinals.

Against Harpeth Hall, Lillie, Nalla Webb, and Lauren Murphy won singles matches. The duo of Lillie and Lauren, along with that of Nalla and Abby Hammontree, posted shutouts in doubles.

In the team finals, Lillie defeated

Margarette 6-1, 6-1 in singles and joined Lauren in a doubles win, but Baylor captured the title.

“The team over-achieved this year,” Mr. Morris said. “We had several new and young players who stepped up and had huge wins to get us to the championship match. It was great for the girls team to go to Memphis and beat Hutchison in the quarterfinals to get to state. The team competed extremely hard against Baylor and had several close matches. Lillie won both of her matches, and Abby Hammontree was at one set-all when the match ended. I was extremely proud of all the team achieved this year.”

Audrey Strickland of Notre Dame won the East Region discus event with a school-record throw of 100 feet, 2 inches, in Division II-A.

“She also qualified for the state meet as the runner-up in the shot put,” said Notre Dame track-andfield head coach Charles Austin.

“At the state meet, Audrey broke her own school record in the discus

for the fourth time this year. She took fifth place with a throw of 108 feet, 4 inches. She also placed seventh in the state in the shot put.”

Sprinter Ryan Fillauer also earned state-meet recognition for Notre Dame.

“As the East Region 400-meterdash champion, Ryan was expected to finish seventh in the state meet,” Mr. Austin said. “He placed fifth in the state in the 400-meter dash with a time of 52.13 seconds.” Knoxville Catholic track-and-field competitors at the II-AA state meet included JR Fowler in the boys discus and shot put, the Fighting Irish boys 1,600 and 3,200 relay teams, Radek Molchan in the 400 dash, Cade Duncanson in the 3,200 run, and Payton Sipos, Giselle Zavas, and Jillian Hurley in the girls pentathlon. Track-and-field state-meet events were held at Dean Hayes Stadium at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro and the pentathlon at Ensworth High School in Nashville. n

Sister Mary John leaves as principal in Oak Ridge

Sister Mary John Slonkosky, OP, principal of St. Mary School in Oak Ridge since fall 2021, recently told the community that she is leaving for a new assignment at the motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation in Nashville.

She will be succeeded by Sister Catherine Marie Hopkins, OP, who has served as principal of St. Rose of Lima School in Murfreesboro for the past eight years.

Sister Mary John wrote a letter to the St. Mary Parish and School community after her new assignment was announced.

“As I reflect on the past four years as your principal, my heart is filled with gratitude and joy,” she said. “It has been an honor to serve this faith-filled community, and I am deeply thankful for the love and support I have received.

“Our students are the heart and soul of St. Mary’s School. Their enthusiasm, curiosity, love for learning, and love for Jesus have been a constant source of inspiration. Watching them grow, achieve, and embrace the faith and the values of our school has been one of the most rewarding experiences of being a principal in a Catholic school.”

Sister Mary John said she is “equally grateful for our dedicated teachers and staff.”

“Their unwavering commitment to nurturing and educating our students has been truly remarkable,” she said. “Their passion for teaching and their ability to create a supportive and engaging learning environment have made St. Mary’s a place where students thrive. The Christian witness of our teachers has profoundly impacted our students, instilling in them the values of faith, compassion, and integrity.”

She added that at St. Mary the staff is “privileged to bring the chil-

dren to church so often throughout the week for Mass and prayer.”

Sister Mary John concluded by saying, “Thank you for making these past four years so memorable. I look forward to being a spiritual companion from the motherhouse on this journey together to heaven and witnessing the continued growth and success of St. Mary’s School through the Sisters. Know of my prayers for you all. See you in the Eucharist!”

Sister Catherine Marie is originally from upstate New York. She studied classical liberal arts at Thomas Aquinas College in California and finished her undergraduate work at Nazareth College in Rochester, N.Y. She majored in English

with certification in special education and elementary education. She completed a master of arts in theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio and a master of education in educational leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville.

After 10 years teaching in a wide variety of grade levels from primary to junior high to high school, she served as principal at St. Thomas Aquinas Regional School outside of Washington, D.C., and at Overbrook School in Nashville. She also served as the vocation director for the Dominican Sisters and worked in their initial formation program with the youngest Sisters.

Sister Catherine Marie served as

director of advancement for Overbrook and St. Cecilia Academy, where she oversaw building projects, fundraising, alumni relations, and public relations.

“With over 40 years in the field of education, I come to you filled with the conviction that where Christ is at the heart and center of our lives, a wonderful unity forms that has a power like none other,” Sister Catherine Marie wrote in her greeting to the St. Mary community. “It is a power that brings together our families, our school, and our parish where together we live in the light of God’s love. I have heard wonderful things about St. Mary’s and look forward to meeting you all!” n

All filled in Lillie Murphy of Knoxville Catholic holds the girls Division II, Class AA tennis bracket with her name filled in from the first round through the state-championship line.

Audrey Strickland Ryan Fillauer

GABRIELLE

NOLAN

COURTESY OF ST. ROSE OF LIMA SCHOOL

New leadership at St. Mary School Sister Mary John Slonkosky, OP (left), principal of St. Mary School in Oak Ridge since fall 2021, is stepping down and will be succeeded by Sister Catherine Marie Hopkins, OP (right).