March 3, 2013 ET Catholic

This issue

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

The East Tennessee

Catholic schools...................... 15 Columns............................. 18-22 Lenten penance services......... 20

March 3, 2013 Volume 22 Number 7 Bishop Richard F. Stika

News from The Diocese of Knoxville • Visit us at dioknox.org or etcatholic.org

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A Consecrated Life Mass celebrates diocesan religious

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Chatti Gras Chattanooga faithful show support for deanery schools

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Holy life Notre Dame High School staffer joins convent

A world of thanks to Pope Benedict as pontificate ends Cardinal Justin Rigali is one of 117 College of Cardinals electors assembling for Vatican conclave to choose next pontiff

By Dan McWilliams

Pope continued on page 4

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

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he resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on Feb. 11 shocked Catholics around the world, including those in the Diocese of Knoxville, which is home to papal elector Cardinal Justin Rigali.

Pope Benedict became the first Holy Father to resign since Gregory XII in 1415. The pope will retire, living at a monastery at the Vatican, where he said he would serve the Church “through a life dedicated to prayer.”

Bishop Richard F. Stika and Cardinal Rigali appeared at a press conference at the Chancery on Feb. 11 to discuss the pope’s resignation.

And for the second time, Cardinal Rigali—archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia who is in residence in the Diocese of Knoxville—will serve as an elector for a new pope.

“The cardinal served in this capacity in 2005 and soon will join with 116 other cardinals from around the world as they come forward in prayer and reflection for the election of a new

A fond farewell Pope Benedict XVI waves to well-wishers while on a papal appearance during his pontificate. Pope Benedict’s unexpected resignation took effect Feb. 28 and the College of Cardinals is convening in conclave to choose his successor.

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He dwells among us

by Bishop Richard F. Stika

Bishop’s schedule

A miracle repeated

These are some of Bishop Stika’s public appointments:

For 2,000 years, the Church has been blessed and guided by a successor of St. Peter

he Church is now without a Pope—the See of Peter is vacant. Although he who was called Benedict XVI still is with us, we nonetheless mourn the passing of his pontificate, lifting him up with our prayers as he continues to serve Christ and his Church in a life of dedicated prayer. But as so often has occurred over the 2,000-year history of the Church, a miracle is being repeated that will give us much cause to rejoice and give thanks.

The Church prayerfully joins together in a special way with the 117 cardinal electors, Cardinal Justin Rigali among them, as they prepare to enter the conclave, calling upon the Holy Spirit to guide them in choosing the next pope.

Soon, the whole world will pause and keep vigil outside the closed doors of the Sistine Chapel and anxiously watch for the appearance of white smoke.

With the world’s news networks and media descending upon Rome, and bringing with them their doubts as to whether the Church can rise again under a new pope, the scene is almost reminis-

Diocesan policy for reporting sexual abuse

Follow Bishop Richard Stika on Twitter @bishopstika and his blog for news and events from the diocese. cent of Pilate’s posting of a guard of soldiers at the tomb of Christ (Matthew 27:65-66). The media will keep vigil with “expert” narrations and will have guest spots for those who will criticize the Church and make dour predictions of the Church’s demise if it does not conform to the ways and demands of the world.

But with every attack upon the Church, I am reminded of the words Christ directed to St. Peter—“You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). And just as the Church has done since the first century following St. Peter’s martyrdom, and guided by the Holy Spirit, a successor to St. Peter will be elected.

A small chimney pipe atop the Sistine Chapel has become one of the most cherished symbols of the election of a new pope, and

perhaps no other image is more fitting. Particularly during our 40day Lenten journey, we recall the Exodus of Israel from the slavery of Egypt and the Israelites’ 40year desert journey to the Promised Land. But so they would not lose their way in the inhospitable desert, we read in Scripture that “The Lord preceded them, in the daytime by means of a column of cloud to show them the way, and at night by means of a column of fire to give them light. Thus they could travel both day and night.”

(Exodus 13:21).

I find it fascinating that the whole world stands in wait for the appearance of a “column of cloud,” one that will give sign that we have been blessed once again with the gift of a new visible head of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. Like the pillar of cloud that led the Israelites through the desert, day and night, the shepherd of the universal Church on earth helps to keep the light of Christ before us and to guide us to the Father’s house (Luke 2:49), that we might not stumble and be-

The East Tennessee

March 5: 11 a.m., General priest meeting at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish Life Center March 7: 7 p.m., Catholic Charities of East Tennessee Five Rivers Deanery dinner at St. Dominic Church March 9: 11 a.m., Celebration of marriage Mass at St. Patrick Church in Morristown March 10: 11 a.m., Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church, Mountain City March 10: 6 p.m., Mass at Northeast Correctional Complex in Mountain City March 11: 1 p.m., Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People March 12: 9:30 a.m., Senior leadership meeting at the Chancery March 14: 7 p.m., Catholic Charities of East Tennessee dinner at the Knoxville Convention Center March 16: 11 a.m., Annual Bishop’s Gathering with the Scouts at All Saints Church, Knoxville

Bishop continued on page 17

Schedule continued on page 21

Bishop Richard F. Stika Publisher

Dan McWilliams Assistant editor

Bill Brewer

Margaret Hunt

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

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Pope continued from page 1

pope,” Bishop Stika said.

Cardinal Rigali, who took part in the vote for Pope Benedict, was scheduled to be in Rome by March 1 to join the College of Cardinals that will assemble in conclave to select Pope Benedict’s successor. He departed for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem after the Knoxville press conference but took time to answer the media’s questions about the pope’s surprise announcement. Cardinal Rigali made a brief statement “just to draw your attention to the reasons that Pope Benedict XVI gave for his resignation.”

“It is very typical of his humility and of his clear thinking. His reasoning is that he didn’t think he had the sufficient strength to carry on the work of the office of the successor of Peter. … The Catholic world is very grateful to him, and I know the entire world is very interested in what is going on, so I myself as one of the electors of the new pope am extremely interested and will be involved during the conclave.”

The cardinal said he would return from the 10-day pilgrimage and “go to Rome immediately and be there at the time that his resignation takes place.”

Cardinal Rigali said the usual papal election—after a pope’s death—follows a period of “nine days to pray for the repose of his soul.” But the rare instance of a pope resigning left the Vatican working to clarify “exactly when the conclave will start,” he said. When the conclave begins, the cardinals will “enter into the Sistine Chapel, and they have meetings every day in the morning and the afternoon until a pope is elected. We know that there must be a majority of two-thirds plus one.”

The newly elected Benedict “absolutely floored me” with one comment literally minutes after he had been chosen in 2005, Cardinal Rigali said. The 113 cardinals from all over the world were going before the new pope to express their obedience to

4 March 3, 2013

Meet the press Cardinal Justin Rigali appears at a Feb. 11 press conference at the Diocese of Knoxville Chancery to offer insight into Pope Benedict XVI’s unexpected resignation. Cardinal Rigali is a papal elector as a member of the College of Cardinals.

him.

“He had the presence of mind, which he has maintained so magnificently during his whole pontificate, to say to me, ‘Happy birthday,’” the cardinal said. “He happened to be elected on my birthday in 2005.”

The cardinal was asked what traits are sought in a new pope.

“We’re looking for an awful lot,” he said, adding that the chosen man must have everything from compassion to understanding to an ability to communicate in various languages.

The “ideal candidate would have everything,” the cardinal said, “but he also remains human—he’s not going to have everything. First of all, he’s going to be the bishop of Rome, the pastor of the universal Catholic Church with all that that entails, so just imagining the qualities that are needed, they are enormous.”

Cardinal Rigali said he was at first shocked when Bishop Stika told him

of the pope’s resignation early on Feb. 11.

“When I read the pope’s statement and saw his reasons for resigning, it made great sense. He’s 85—he’s approaching his 86th birthday—and we all know the extraordinary issues that he has to deal with day in and day out, so he very candidly said, ‘I’m now convinced’ that the role of the successor of Peter is so involved, that I don’t have the strength to go on.

“That was very beautiful because he certainly gave his all in everything he did, but as he was growing older, he feels the weight of it all.”

Cardinal Rigali said “in my dealings” with Pope Benedict, “every single time I’ve dealt with him, his mind is so clear.”

The cardinal was asked whether he expects the pope’s successor to be more in line with Vatican II. “I expect the pope’s successor to be very much in line with the teaching of

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

Vatican II, just as I believe Pope Benedict XVI was,” he said.

Pope Benedict told Cardinal Rigali last fall that 50 years ago, “I was down there” in St. Peter’s Square during the Second Vatican Council.

“I said, ‘Holy Father, I was down there, too, 50 years ago, and I’m still down there,” replied Cardinal Rigali, who related the story to members of the East Tennessee media during the press conference.

The cardinal said “there’s no such thing as a pope today that doesn’t accept Vatican II, and there’s no such thing as a pope today who doesn’t accept all the other councils, the 20 councils that were before Vatican II.” Regarding the new pope’s adherence to Vatican II, Cardinal Rigali referred to “a point that Pope Benedict made Oct. 11 in St. Peter’s Square” on the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council convening.

“He says don’t talk about the ‘spirit of Vatican II,’ because there is no spirit of Vatican II independent of the texts of Vatican II. So what Vatican II said, Vatican II meant, and that’s the spirit.”

Preparing to select a pope for the second time in eight years, Cardinal Rigali described the voting process for the cardinals, who will be sequestered, and shared other details of the historic process.

“They vote twice in the morning, and then they vote twice in the afternoon,” he said. “So if there’s a pope elected on the first ballot, for example, then they announce it immediately. If there’s a pope elected on the second ballot, they’ll announce it immediately.”

Pope Benedict will not be present at the conclave, according to the cardinal.

“He’s done his work; it’s in the hands of God, and now the process begins all over again.”

Cardinal Rigali said that while a pope can resign, “it doesn’t usually happen.” He said Pope Benedict “was getting weaker” physically but was dioknox.org

The East Tennessee Catholic

DAN MCWILLIAMS

still sharp otherwise.

“His physical forces aren’t what they used to be, and yet he pulls things off. He writes beautifully still, and he makes perfect sense.”

This month’s papal election will be the second for Cardinal Rigali, although as a younger priest he was in St. Peter’s Square at the time Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul I, and Pope John Paul II were elected.

The cardinals will all stay at the Santa Marta residence during the conclave and either walk or take a bus to the Sistine Chapel for the papal election.

Discussions about a new pope begin immediately upon the death or resignation of the previous pope, but they end once the conclave begins, Cardinal Rigali said.

“From the moment of the death of the pope or his resignation, the cardinals are free to discuss any way that they want—in groups, personally, individually, they make their opinions known,” he said. “They ask questions. They give their recommendations to one another, and all of this takes place in the days preceding the entrance into the conclave.

“But when they go to the Sistine Chapel, there are no discussions.

That’s the final phase—that’s the voting. There are no discussions there.

It’s simply a time of prayer and taking the oath.”

Bishop Stika said he was “surprised and shocked initially” by the pope’s resignation, but that “it all made sense once you were able to hear the reasons why.”

Bishop Stika saw Pope Benedict during an ad limina visit to the Vatican in January 2012.

“I saw him early last year, and then I saw him in May, and he’d aged considerably between those months. He’s going to be 86 in April. How many 86-year-old men run an operation like the universal Church? I think the Church is 1.2 billion people in every culture. He’s a head of state; his daily activity is seven days a week.

Answers to questions Bishop Richard F. Stika speaks to media representatives during a Feb. 11 press conference at the Diocese of Knoxville Chancery. Bishop Stika and Cardinal Rigali met with the press to discuss Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation.

“A lot of folks are talking about the fact that this shows his real sense of humility and devotion to the Church.

Here he is, one of the most recognized men in the world, powerful in many ways, and yet he’s walking away from it all to spend the rest of his life in prayer. That’s pretty admirable.”

Bishop Stika, a St. Louis native, pointed out that there are three papal electors out of the 117 total with ties to his hometown. Cardinal Rigali is a former archbishop of St. Louis.

Cardinal Raymond Burke succeeded Cardinal Rigali in St. Louis. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York was born in St. Louis.

“In that small group of individuals, three will have St. Louis ties,” said Bishop Stika, who is in residence with Cardinal Rigali.

The bishop said that “it’s a real honor” to have a cardinal who is also a papal elector living in Knoxville because so many cardinal electors are bishops of large dioceses.

“To have one of those cardinals here

is pretty significant for the diocese,” Bishop Stika said. “It’s pretty significant for Knoxville because we have one of the cardinal electors here, and we know him. We see him in our parishes. We see him here at the Chancery, and I live with him.”

The bishop said the pope’s resignation is “significant because the pope is the face of the Church.”

“In many ways he’s the face of Christianity because there is no other religious figure, not even the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is so well known and such a public figure.”

John Paul II “was very comfortable being in the public” and used his illness as a “teaching moment,” Bishop Stika said.

“Pope Benedict is much more of an introvert, I think, and as he prepares for this next stage of his life, he’s going to do it in a different way.”

That different way is by “giving his energy to another facet of the Church: prayer,” Bishop Stika said.

The bishop met Pope John Paul II

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several times and said he was like a grandfather, whereas a meeting with Benedict was “like talking to your favorite uncle,” he said.

“The difference I found with Pope John Paul—when you would shake his hand, he would look exactly right at you, with his big ol’ blue eyes and give you all kinds of attention, but he would shake your hand. Pope Benedict, the times I met him, he would put his hand on top of your hand and actually engage you in conversation.

He would be a guy you would be very, very comfortable with.”

Bishop Stika was the last bishop to leave the room during his ad limina visit with the pope last year.

“As my back was to [Pope Benedict], he said, ‘Please pray for me.’

And I turned around and I said, ‘Holy Father, I pray for you all the time,’ then left, but it was like a solitary voice: ‘Please pray for me.’”

As a former professor, Pope Benedict “was a good teacher, and I think he taught the world a lot and prepared the world for the next pope,” Bishop Stika said.

The “entire world took note” of Pope Benedict’s resignation, even though “some people believe that the Church is diminishing in influence and power,” the bishop said.

“But at some point, every major news organization in the world will be in Rome, and they’ll be calling attention to the roof of the Sistine Chapel, to a little pipe that comes out of that roof that’s attached to an old potbelly stove in the back of the chapel. And at some time the entire world in the digital age of technology will be looking for white smoke or black smoke, and this has been a timehonored tradition for centuries.”

In recent times, many cardinals have never voted for a new pope because of the long pontificate of John Paul II. “Cardinal Rigali’s going to have the opportunity, God willing, to vote in two papal elections,” Bishop Stika said. n March 3, 2013 5

Solemn Vespers highlights World Day for Consecrated LifeB Bishop Stika leads service to give thanks, celebrate those who practice evangelical counsels

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DAN MCWILLIAMS

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he program for a Vespers at Sacred Heart Cathedral on Feb. 10 in commemoration of the World Day for Consecrated Life listed 10 orders of women religious and eight religious institutes and societies of men represented in the Diocese of Knoxville.

Bishop Richard F. Stika, who presided at the Vespers, likened Knoxville to his native St. Louis, known as the “Rome of the West” for all of the religious communities based there.

“Now as I look out among the community today, I think maybe Knoxville could be the new Rome of the West, for we are so blessed to have so many religious communities represented here in this small diocese of East Tennessee,” he said. “As I look upon the sisters and the brothers and the priests who minister to the good people of East Tennessee—some communities for a long time and some just recent arrivals—I see especially in my role as a bishop how lucky I feel that I am.”

About 25 sisters, one brother, and eight religious-order priests attended the Vespers, which also included exposition and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Orders and societies represented at the cathedral included the Dominican Sisters of the St. Cecilia Congregation in Nashville, the Missionary Congregation of the Evangelizing Sisters of Mary, the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich., the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, the Apostles of Jesus, and the Paulist Fathers.

Each order listed in the Vespers program “had a founder that looked upon the Church and saw particular needs, not only in the Church but also in the community that surrounded them,” Bishop Stika said. “Needs that needed to be met by communities that serve

Devotions to a consecrated life Sister Mary Clara Auer, FSGM, right, is joined by Sisters Mary Christine Cremin, RSM, Mary Elizabeth Ann McCullough, RSM, Mary Timothea Elliott, RSM, Mary Sarah Macht, RSM, Mariana Koonce, RSM, and Mary Marta Abbott, RSM, during the Solemn Vespers service to recognize World Day for Consecrated Life Feb. 10 at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Catholics and non-Catholics, Christians and non-Christians, the educated and those who are in need of education.”

Bishop Stika referred to the Diocese of Nashville’s founding bishop, Richard Pius Miles, OP, and “how he traveled far and wide building communities, small communities, throughout the entire state of Tennessee.” In conversations with Bishop David R. Choby of Nashville and Bishop J. Terry Steib, SVD, of Memphis, Bishop Stika said “we all agreed how easy we have it compared to what Bishop Miles put up with.”

“As we gather together this day, we give thanks for Bishop Miles and the bishops who have followed him and the religious men and women who have taught in the schools, who have nurtured those in need of healing, and who have stood as silent witnesses and sometimes not-sosilent witnesses about the values

of consecrated life.”

The bishop said that Catholics should “always be good and wonderful signs of what consecrated life reminds us of: a willingness to share Gospel values with others.”

Bishop Stika concluded his homily by announcing that the

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By Dan McWilliams

diocese is in negotiations to relocate the monastery of the Handmaids of the Precious Blood, a contemplative order, to St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City. Two sisters from the order, based in New Mexico, recently visited the diocese.

“If everything falls into place, and if it’s part of God’s plan, our diocese will be blessed to have a contemplative order, not only praying for the universal Church and the priests and religious but also praying for us, this small diocese in East Tennessee.”

The bishop ended by addressing “my sisters and brothers in religious life, consecrated men and women, in the name of all the good people which you are privileged to serve, people who are privileged to be served by you, please know of my affection and my gratitude and my prayers, for together we build the kingdom of God.” The celebration of World Day for Consecrated Life began in 1997 when Blessed John Paul II instituted a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life.

Consecrated continued on page 9

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eBishops share legislative concerns with Gov. Haslam

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By Dan McWilliams ishop Richard F. Stika led a group of East Tennessee Catholics taking part in the 16th annual Catholic Day on the Hill on Feb. 20.

The state’s three bishops, including Bishop David R. Choby of Nashville and Bishop J. Terry Steib, SVD, of Memphis, visited several legislators as well as Gov. Bill Haslam. At the midpoint of the day’s visits, the bishops paused to celebrate Mass at St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows Church near the Legislative Plaza.

Catholic Day on the Hill offers a

chance for the faithful to meet with their legislators and advocate on issues important to the Church.

The bishops also called on state Rep. Bill Dunn of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville, and they paid visits to—among others—state Sen. Randy McNally; Sen. Dolores Graham, chair of the Senate Education Committee; and Rep. Beth Harwell, speaker of the House.

Moments after meeting with the governor in mid-afternoon, Bishop Stika said he was pleased with the day overall.

“I think it went excellent. It’s al-

Legislature continued on page 20

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Catholic Day on the Hill addresses issues affecting faithful

Executive session Bishop Richard F. Stika meets with Gov. Bill Haslam on Feb. 20 as part of Catholic Day on the Hill, an annual legislative event where parishioners from across Tennessee and the state’s three bishops meet with government leaders.

Bishop Richard F. Stika & The Diocese of Knoxville Invite You

25th AnniversAry Jubilee CelebrAtion And euChAristiC Congress

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september 13-14, 2013

A Faith-Filled Family Weekend

Sevierville Convention Center / Wilderness at the Smokies Waterpark Resort

Keynote Speaker TimoThy Cardinal dolan

One of Time’s “100 Most Influential People in the World,” His Eminence was also appointed to the College of Cardinals.

JoSh blaKeSley & Sarah Kroger

Dedicated to contemporary catholic music, Josh and Sarah have led teen conferences accross the nation.

JuSTin Cardinal rigali

His Eminence serves in the College of Cardinals and is a papal elector.

He is Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Vallimar JanSen

ValLimar has toured the world as both a singer and speaker and currently works as a University Professor.

register online

biShoP riChard F. STiKa

FaTher roberT barron

Bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville, one of the fastest growing dioceses in the country. He also serves in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

FaTher raFael CaPó

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

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

Johann ÁlVarez

Award-winning singer-songwriter who loves to share the Gospel through song and powerful reflections.

dr. SCoTT hahn

Bestselling author of the The Lamb’s Supper and founder and president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.

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She is a member of the Migrant Ministry team in the Diocese of Stockton and led migrant ministry in Ala.

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March 3, 2013 7

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Putting the fun in fundraiser Kathy Thaggard, Lil Harting, and Annie Robbins (shown from left) were among the 833 guests at Chatti Gras.

Chatti Gras establishes mark as key fundraiser for Chattanooga schools

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he Chattanooga Deanery’s three schools—Notre Dame, St. Jude and Our Lady of Perpetual Help—joined forces for the second consecutive year to throw a Mardi Gras celebration and fundraiser for tuition assistance programs.

Chatti Gras attracted more than 800 guests, who spent an evening at the Chattanooga Convention and Trade Center enjoying live music, dinner, dancing, a silent auction and casino games to benefit the Feb. 9 fundraiser.

Bishop Richard F. Stika opened the fundraising festivities with prayer and remarks about the important role Catholic schools play in the Diocese of Knoxville.

Bishop Stika thanked the Chatti Gras guests for their support of Catholic schools, calling Catholic education “a joy, a gift” that is “precious.” He noted that Catholic education has come a long way since schools were staffed primarily by priests and sisters who helped keep costs low. But costs have risen as Catholic education has expanded and supporters are vital to furthering the mission of Catholic education.

Chatti Gras was launched last year as a way for Chattanooga’s

8 March 3, 2013

Catholic schools to “work smarter instead of working harder” to raise funds for school programs and activities. The event, involving hundreds of volunteers, coincides with Mardi Gras to mark the Lenten season.

Kathleen Etherton, director of development and clinic manager at St. Jude School, said the 2013 Chatti Gras drew 833 supporters who filled 104 tables. The event also attracted 54 sponsors, with Memorial Health Care System, East Tennessee’s only Catholic hospital and located in Chattanooga, as the presenting sponsor.

Proceeds from the event are shared equally by St. Jude, OLPH, Notre Dame and the Chattanooga Deanery Tuition Operating Fund.

“Overall, we were extremely pleased and happy with the turnout for Chatti Gras 2013. I believe everyone had a great time,” Mrs. Etherton said. “We believe one of the biggest benefits of Chatti Gras is not only the fact that we raise money but that we have created a special event for our community.

We have succeeded in bringing people from across our deanery together for a night of fun and fellowship.” n

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*Learn skills and techniques critical to the implementation of the Rite *Invite participants to deepen their own faith in Jesus Christ *Challenge participants to explore the connection between good liturgy and catechesis *Gain a deeper understanding of the conversion journey

A learning opportunity for: RCIA teams Liturgists Pastoral musicians Pastors and associates Catechists Sponsors Social outreach committees

Visit the Office of Christian Formation webpage for more information, a daily schedule, and registration instructions or contact Sister Timothea Elliott, RSM at 865-584-3307. www.dioknox.org

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Notre Dame High School alum, director answers God’s call Tour with schools superintendent inspires Jenny Rittgers to join Religious Sisters of Mercy

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Consecrated continued from page 6 His intention was three-fold.

First, he wanted to celebrate and give thanks to God for the gift of consecrated life to the Church.

Second, he wanted to promote the knowledge of and esteem for consecrated life by the entire people of God. The East Tennessee Catholic

versation began at this point, and Sister Mary Marta invited her to visit the convent in Knoxville, which eventually led to a visit to the Religious Sisters of Mercy’s

motherhouse in Alma.

But first, Ms. Rittgers had to conquer lingering doubts that had shadowed her.

“Fear kept me from visiting for eight months. However, after I visited I knew. The Lord opened my heart and came into it in a way he never had before. I knew this would be my home,” Ms. Rittgers said. “I think back now that if I had not given her that tour and she had not asked the question,

things may be different. But it was divine providence.”

Ms. Rittgers said she had considered the vocation since attending Aquinas College, but she didn’t feel she was ready for the consecrated religious life at that point.

Sister Mary Marta agreed that the experience was divinely inspired.

“It was the Holy Spirit. It is very exciting for Sister Jenny and for the Religious Sisters of Mercy. This is our first vocation to come from the Diocese of Knoxville since we arrived in 2009,” Sister Mary Marta said.

Ms. Rittgers, who is an alumna of Notre Dame and worked at the high school for nine years before entering the convent, said she feels as if she’s had a burden lifted from her since deciding to follow a consecrated religious life.

And in an apt comparison, she said the decision is as if she is accepting her groom’s hand in marriage.

“I am relieved to finally have it out in the open that I have made the decision to share my life with the Lord as his bride,” Ms. Rittgers said. “I feel like a freshly manicured, newly engaged, 20-something who wants to shout it from the rooftops that I have finally found the man of my dreams. As my mom says, ‘You’ve found the greatest groom out there.’ Yes, I have.” n

And third, he encouraged consecrated people to celebrate together, to rediscover the beauty of their way of life and “to acquire a more vivid consciousness of their irreplaceable mission in the Church and in the world” (Message for First World Day for Consecrated Life, 1997).

Consecrated life is a broad

term encompassing all those men and women who practice the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience.

These counsels configure people to Christ, who himself was poor, chaste and obedient. This life is a visible participation in the life of the Trinity. God the Father calls men and women to

emulate the life of his Son, Jesus Christ, through the guidance and help of the Holy Spirit.

The ultimate goal of consecrated life is to direct the eyes of the faithful “towards the mystery of the Kingdom of God already at work in history, even as it awaits its full realization in heaven” (Vita Consecrata, 1). n

COURTESY OF NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL AND THE BLARNEY STONE

enny Rittgers finally said yes.

And the decision has changed her life.

After a long discernment, the Notre Dame High School graduate and admissions director answered the call to consecrated religious life and in January joined the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich.

She is the Religious Sisters of Mercy’s first vocation from the Diocese of Knoxville since the sisters arrived in the diocese.

It wasn’t a decision that Ms. Rittgers made quickly. She had considered the vocation since college but followed a career path in education until a chance meeting in June 2011 with Diocese of Knoxville Schools Superintendent Sister Mary Marta Abbott, RSM. In an interview with Notre Dame’s school magazine, The Blarney Stone, shortly before entering the convent, Ms. Rittgers said she finally heard God calling her.

“I recognize now that it was divine providence. One day (June 2011) I was charged with the task of giving the new superintendent a tour of the school. She is a Religious Sister of Mercy. During the tour we spoke about my history as a religion teacher and my extreme love for the Lord. Then she asked, ‘Have you considered a vocation to the religious life?’” Ms. Rittgers told the magazine.

Ms. Rittgers said the real con-

East Tennessee Catholic staff

Welcome to religious life Jenny Rittgers, standing fourth, is surrounded by Religious Sisters of Mercy, from right, Sisters Mary Christine Cremin, Mary Sarah Macht, Sean Marie Striby, Jenny’s mother, Kathy Rittgers, and Sisters Mary Marta Abbott and Ana Thu. Also shown is Shiloh, the Sisters’ dog.

Fear kept me from visiting for eight months. However, after I visited I knew. The Lord opened my heart and came into it in a way he never had before. I knew this would be my home.

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

March 3, 2013 9

Diocesan calendar

by Margaret Hunt Bishop Richard F. Stika will preside at one more Mass to celebrate the sacrament of marriage in the diocese.

The third of three Masses will take place at St. Patrick Church in Morristown on Saturday, March 9. Mass will begin at 11 a.m. and will be followed by a reception. Register in advance to receive a certificate and to be photographed with Bishop Stika. Contact Karen Byrne at 865-584-3307 or kbyrne@dioknox.org to register.

Tennessee Right to Life is sponsoring an oratory and art contest for high school students Tuesday, March 12, at Calvary Baptist Church in Knoxville.

Students should prepare either a 5- to 7-minute presentation on abortion, euthanasia, infanticide, or stem cell research, or make an original work of art illustrating the pro-life viewpoint. First prize in the local competition is $250.

Winning presentations have the opportunity to compete at the state and national levels. The registration deadline is Wednesday, March 6. To download a registration form, go to the TRL website at www.trlknox.org. For more information, call Leslie Hunse at 865-689-1339 or e-mail trlknox@trlknox.com.

The Knoxville-area Catholic Charities dinner, “An Emerald O’ccasion,” will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 14, at the Knoxville Convention Center. A reception will precede the event at 6 p.m. Bishop Richard F. Stika and Father Ragan Schriver, executive director of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, will host the event. Tickets are $125 per person. Table sponsorships are available for $1,250 for a group of 10. To register, contact Sherrie Shuler at 865-524-9896 or sherrie@ccetn.org.

Sister Mary Timothea Elliott, RSM, will present a Lenten retreat on the gospel of St. Luke on Friday and Saturday, March 15 and 16, at the Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton for St. Luke Guild members. Contact Sister

10 March 3, 2013

Timothea or Sister Mariana Koonce, RSM, at 865-584-3307 for more information. The St. Luke Guild was recently established in the diocese for Catholics involved in any capacity in the medical field. For more information about the St. Luke Guild, contact Sister Mariana at 584-3307 or srmariana@dioknox.org.

The diocesan high school dodge ball tournament, Battle in the Ridge, will be hosted by St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 23. The entry fee is $5 per player with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the winning team to donate to a charity of their choice. Parishes are asked to form teams of six to 10 with at least one girl. Parishes may have more than one team or join another parish to form one. A uniform of some sort such as matching T-shirts is suggested. E-mail Margaret Merrill to register at mmerrill@ smcor.org.

The Cursillo Region IV Service Team will present a Fourth Day Workshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City. The cost is $10 per person.

Bring a potluck dish for lunch. For more information, contact Lois Schering at 865-681-7858 or schering4@aol.com.

The next Retrouvaille weekend is scheduled for March 8-10 in Nashville.

Retrouvaille is a program designed for couples who are struggling in their marriages or may have separated or divorced, but who want to reconcile. Call 800-470-2230, e-mail nrv3034@gmail. com, or visit the website www.HelpOur​ Marriage.com.

The fourth course in the catechetical formation program sponsored by the Diocese of Knoxville and taught by instructors from Aquinas College in Nashville will be held Saturday, March 9, at St. Mary Church in Johnson City; Saturday, March 23, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Chattanooga; and Saturday, April 27, at the Chancery in Knoxville. All sessions will meet from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Register online at www.eventbrite.

com/org/3149767104 or contact Father Richard Armstrong at 865-584-3307 or rarmstrong@dioknox.org for more information.

A Beginning Experience weekend is scheduled for the weekend of April 5-7 at the Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton. The retreat is designed for those who have suffered the death of a spouse, separation, or divorce and are seeking hope and renewal. The cost of the weekend is $150 before March 11 and $175 after the early-registration date. Financial aid is available. Contact Marian Christiana for more information at mchristiana@ dioknox.org.

The next Cursillo for men in English is scheduled for April 11-14 at the Apison Retreat Center. For more information, contact Lois Schering at 865-681-7858 or schering4@aol.com.

Divorced Catholics are invited to view an introduction of the DVD series The Catholic’s Divorce Survival Guide from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, April 14, at Noodles and Co., 405 Market St. in Chattanooga. The series will continue for 12 weeks and will cover a wide range of topics that address the common experiences of divorced Catholics and attempts to provide practical insights into how to manage the healing process. The cost is $15 per person.

Contact Marian Christiana to register at mchristiana@dioknox.org, or visit the website www.faithlifeline.com for more detailed information about the series.

The 15th annual Kids Helping Kids Fun Walk sponsored by Catholic Charities of East Tennessee will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 21, on the Knoxville Catholic High School campus. Registration and entertainment will begin at 2 p.m. The family-friendly event includes a one-mile fun walk around the grounds of KCHS, inflatable games, complimentary refreshments, and live music. Individual tickets are $15 or $30 for a family of four. Corporate sponsorships are also available. Proceeds go to support Co-

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

lumbus Home Children’s Services. Contact Sherrie Shuler for more information at 865-524-9896 or sherrie@ccetn.org.

The 2013 Ladies of Charity of Knoxville Golf Tournament is set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, May 3, at Egwani Farms Golf Course in Rockford. The format is four-person teams, best shot.

Registration is $125 per individual and $500 per team. Prizes include first, second, third, and last place in each of two flights. A hole-in-one grand prize is a trip for two including four nights at the Lodge at Pebble Beach and rounds of golf at Pebble Beach, Spyglass, and Spanish Bay. Additional hole-in-one prizes and closest-to-the-pin and door prizes will be awarded. Sponsorships are available; sponsorships of $1,500 or more include a full team registration. For more information, contact Joe Fuhr at 865-693-1810 or jfuhr4221@aol.com.

The next Picture of Love engagedcouples retreat will take place June 21-22 at the St. Augustine Church parish life center in Signal Mountain. The program is designed to help couples gain a better understanding of the joys and challenges of being married in their day-to-day lives. The cost is $135 per couple, which includes a certificate good for a $60 discount on a marriage license. Couples must attend the entire retreat to receive the certificate. For more information, contact Marian Christiana, director of the Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment, at 423892-2310 or mchristiana@dioknox.org.

The next Marriage Encounter weekend in the diocese is scheduled for May 17-19 at the Holiday Inn in Johnson City. There will also be two one-day marriage-enrichment sessions, March 2 at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport and at a date to be determined in Knoxville.

The title of the March 2 enrichment is “The Time Starved Marriage.” For more information, contact John or Anne Wharton at 423-581-1815 or acw193@ bellsouth.net, or visit www.loveinthe smokies.org or wwme.org.

Calendar continued on page 14 dioknox.org

Chattanooga Deanery calendar Father Patrick Brownell will lead a men’s retreat from 8:30-10 a.m. Saturday, March 2, in the Notre Dame High School chapel/café. The retreat will focus on Father Robert Barron’s Word on Fire commentaries and a discussion of the Catholic perspective on current events.

Coffee and doughnuts will be served at the retreat. For more information, contact the Notre Dame High School office at 423-624-4618.

of Columbus Seminarian Support Fund.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Chattanooga will have a Lenten retreat from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday, March 10-12. Dr. Ruth Queen Smith, pastoral associate at Blessed John XXIII Parish in Knoxville, will lead the retreat. Contact the church office for more information at 423-622-7232.

Knights of Columbus Council 6099 in Chattanooga is having its annual golf tournament Saturday, April 20, at the Brainerd Golf Course. Details have not been finalized. For more information, contact Rusty Phillips at 423-240-3143.

Knights of Columbus Holy Family Council 6099 and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Chattanooga will sponsor a benefit fish fry from 6 to 8 p.m. every Friday during Lent, through March 22, in the OLPH parish life center. An all-youcan-eat fish meal costs $6. To-go orders are also available. Proceeds from the event will benefit the OLPH School Home and School Association and the Knights

Parish notes: Chattanooga Deanery St. Jude, Chattanooga

Notre Dame High School is hosting a women’s morning of reflection from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday, March 16, in the school library. The featured speaker will be Charlotte Barr, who will discuss the Vatican II document on Divine Revelation. Sister Mary Evelyn Potts, OP, will direct the retreat. Contact the NDHS office for more information at 423-624-4618.

St. Jude Church hosted a holy hour on Feb. 24 to pray for a culture favorable to life, marriage, and religious liberty.

Scott Russell, a seminarian for the Knoxville, will be doing a pastoral internship at the parish from March through May. Mr. Russell is a second-year theology student at Mundelein Seminary in Chicago.

St. Mary, Athens St. Mary Church will host a presentation by Sister Mariana Koonce, RSM, director of the Office of Health Ministry, on the work of the newly formed St. Luke Guild, a group of Catholic health-care personnel and administrators, after the 10 a.m.

Mass on Sunday, March 10. Contact Sister Mariana for more information on the guild at 865-584-3307.

St. Stephen, Chattanooga A new young-adults group is forming at St. Stephen. The focus is on faith, food, fun and service. All young adults ages 18-39 are welcome to attend after the 11 a.m. Sunday Mass. The group meets most Sundays from 12:15 to 2 p.m. (contact Robbie to make sure). The meeting place is in the St. Stephen administrative building (upper level). Contact Robbie at 805-233-0860 for more information.

Catholic Charities of Chattanooga will have its 31st annual fundraising dinner from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 25, at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Bishop Richard F. Stika and Father Ragan Schriver, executive director of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee, will be hosting the event. Monsignor Al Humbrecht will be the guest of honor. Tickets are $100 per person. To learn more or purchase tickets, contact Christine Willingham at 423267-1297 or Christine@ccetn.org. n

Anniversaries: George and Cynthia LaPlante (58), Frank and Anna Anthony (45) Newcomers: George and Susan McDowell and family; Amelia Cox and her son, Joey; Ben and Jill Campbell; Dan and Whitney Deaver; Megan and David Wynalek; Bob and Alexandra Carlson

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Cleveland Mass will be celebrated on Fridays in Lent at both 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Following the 5:30 p.m. Mass, a light Lenten meal will be offered in the Trinity Room, followed by Stations of the Cross at approximately 7:15 p.m.

COURTESY OF KATHIE ETHERTON

Living Stations of the Cross will take place at 10 a.m. Good Friday, March 29.

The “Friends Like Us” spring fashion show, boutique, and luncheon will be held Saturday, April 20, in the parish center. Men’s, women’s, teens, and toddler fashions will be showcased. Doors open at 11 a.m.; lunch will be served at 11:30.

Tickets are $8.50 per person or $60 for a table of eight; individual tickets are $10 after April 14 if space is still available. Call the parish office at 423-476-8123 for more information. n

Knights raise $1,000 for St. Jude School Knights of Columbus Council 8576 at St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga recently held a “drive-through barbeque,” giving parishioners and school families a night off from cooking. Proceeds of $1,000 were presented to St. Jude School. Shown presenting the check are (from left) director of development Kathie Etherton, Grand Knight Paul Huinker, principal Jamie Goodhard, and Knight and barbeque chef Michael Martin.

The East Tennessee Catholic

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

March 3, 2013 11

Parish notes: Cumberland Mountain Deanery Blessed Sacrament, Harriman The parish raised money through the “Bottles for Babies” drive for Choices Resources Center, a local crisis pregnancy center in Harriman.

The Council of Catholic Women will host a St. Patrick’s Day covered-dish dinner and talent show for all parishioners starting at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 17, in Blessed Sacrament Hall. Contact Gett Shooster to register for the talent show at 865-376-7645.

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade The parish rummage sale will be held Friday and Saturday, April 12 and 13, in the parish hall. Donations are being accepted. Contact Barb Dahar at 931-707-1388 to arrange pickup of large items. Contact the parish office to arrange drop-off of other items at 484-3628.

Anniversaries: Russ and Ruth Koepke (68); Ted and Jean Bowles (61)

St. John Neumann, Farragut Deacon Mike Gouge completed his master’s degree in theology from the University of Dallas. The topic of his thesis was “Time, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, and Paul’s Letter to the Romans.” Deacon Gouge is a retired nuclear physicist.

St. Mary, Oak Ridge The Kids Serving Others group at the parish is making birthday boxes for St. Joseph’s Food Pantry clients. The group is collecting cake mixes, cans of frosting, boxes of candles, birthday cards, prayer cards, and recycled gift bags and boxes.

Donations can be placed in the back of the church. E-mail laureannd@comcast. net.

The parish is hosting episodes 6-10 of the Catholicism series by Father Robert Barron from 6-8 p.m. Sundays through March 24. Refreshments will be provided.

Contact the parish office for more information at 865-482-2875.

St. Therese, Clinton The parish is forming a junior Legion of Mary for children under the age of 18.

Meetings will be at 11 a.m. Saturdays. Contact the parish office for permission slips at 865-457-4073.

The parish Legion of Mary meets Wednesdays after the 9 a.m. Mass. Contact Father Julius Abuh for more information at 457-4073. n

12 March 3, 2013

Cumberland Mountain Deanery calendar The Knoxville Diocesan Catholic Committee on Scouting is having its annual Bishop’s Gathering fundraiser at All Saints Church from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 16. The event will include a dessert cook-off and award ceremony for youth involved in Scouting or American Heritage Girls and adult leaders. A barbecue buffet lunch will be served. Tickets are $15 for individuals or $30 per family.

Reservations must be made in advance.

Register online at kdccs.org/wscd or mail checks to JoAnn Preske at 535 Buckhorn Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738.

The Council of Catholic Women at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade will have a mini-retreat following the 8 a.m. Mass on Wednesday, March 13.

Paul Simoneau, director of the diocesan Office of Justice and Peace, will speak on “Dignity of Woman as a Bride of Christ”.

Contact the parish office for more information at 931-484-3628.

Knoxville Catholic High School is having a casino night from 6:30 to 11 p.m.

Saturday, March 16. Proceeds will benefit the Project Graduation event after the high

school prom. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased from KCHS seniors, the school, or at the door. The price of the ticket includes dinner, a beverage ticket, and playing chips for the games. For more information, call Angie Hellman at 856-381-3200 or Renee McNutt at 865-300-5534.

St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City will be hosting a workshop for those interested in learning how to write (paint) icons from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 20-25 in the family life center.

The instructor will be Irene Perez-Omer.

A down payment of $325 is due by April 1, 2012. The balance of $300 will be due no later than May 1 (nonrefundable after May 1). Put your down payment in an envelope marked “Father Christian Iconography Workshop.” Drop off at the church office or mail to St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 1580 St. Thomas Way, Lenoir City, TN 37772. Make checks payable to St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church. Contact Father Christian Mathis for details at 865-816-7219 or frchristian@ sthomaslc.com. More information on Ms. Perez-Omer and the workshop can be found at www.iconarts.com n

Vanderwalkers mark 50th wedding anniversary

D

uane and Sue Vanderwalker of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Jan. 12 with a marriage blessing by Father John Dowling at the vigil Mass.

They enjoyed a party with close friends and a stay at the Biltmore Inn. Father Joseph Egan officiated their marriage in 1963 at St. Mary Church

in Woodstock, Ill. The Vanderwalkers’ three children are: Jonathan Vanderwalker (deceased); Kevin Vanderwalker of Lake in the Hills, Ill.; and Christine Vanderwalker Blum of Marengo, Ill.; and they have four grandchildren.

Mr. Vanderwalker retired from the city of Algonquin, Ill., and Mrs. Vanderwalker retired from Citibank.

They moved to the Glade in 1999. n

Jansens celebrate golden wedding anniversary

B

ob and Joanne Jansen of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Fairfield Glade celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Feb. 2.

They were married at St. Gregory the Great Church in South Euclid, Ohio, with Father Joseph Yarnovic The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

officiating. Their sons are Robert Jansen III of Rochester Hills, Mich., and Michael Jansen of Sykesville, Md., and they have two grandchildren.

The Jansens retired from General Motors Corp. in Warren, Mich., and moved to the Glade in 1999. n dioknox.org

Five Rivers Deanery calendar

Holy Trinity, Jefferson City Holy Trinity Church will host a Divine Mercy Mission led by Father Dan Cambra, MIC, from 7-9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, March 18 and 19. Topics will include the feast of Divine Mercy, the theological meaning of the image, and the historical background of St. Faustina. Participants will also have the opportunity to be blessed with a relic of the saint. Members of the Marian evangelization team will also speak at the weekend Masses on March 16 and 17. Contact Lee or Evangeline Webster for more information at 865-940-2263.

The 28th annual St. Mary School Auction will be held at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at the school in Johnson City.

Donations of trips, professional-service coupons, or other items are needed to make the auction a success. Financial donations are also welcome. For more information, contact Leslie Knapp at 423-2823397 or leslie.knapp@stmarysjc.org. n

The annual Tri-Cities Catholic Charities dinner will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 7, at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport. Mass will be celebrated at 5:30 p.m. before the dinner. Tickets are $50. For details, contact the Tri-Cities office at 423-631-0356.

The parish collected $2,633, exceeding its goal of $2,500, for its twin parish in Bainet, Haiti.

Anniversary: Cathy and Jorge Delgado (10) Newcomers: Jack and Pat Herling

Notre Dame, Greeneville

COURTESY OF DONNA PALAZZOLO

Parishioners Skip and Barbara Thornton delivered 134 pounds of food to the Greeneville Food Bank on behalf of Notre Dame Church.

Christ the King Parish fills shoeboxes for needy The CCD youth group and Council of Catholic Women at Christ the King Parish in Tazewell partnered to participate in the Good Samaritan Christmas Shoebox Challenge. The goal was 100 shoeboxes. The parish exceeded the goal and was able to fill 108 shoeboxes with toys, candy, hygiene items, and school supplies for needy kids throughout the world. The CCD youth group thanks the women of the CCW and all Christ the King parishioners who contributed and helped out with the project. e

Newcomers: Mr. and Mrs. Harold Swart; Mr. Mike Lucius; Thomas DeWald and family; Jaime and Elizabeth Damian and family; Desiree Shadoan and daughter Mackenzie; the Juarez family; Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Hernandez and family; Mr. and Mrs. Pete Higgins and daughter Lucy; Ms. Jane Wolfe and family; Mr. and Mrs. Arturo Galarza and family; Mr. and Mrs. Miguel Perez; Mr. and Mrs. Elias Arroyo and family; Ms. D. J. Dalton and Ms. Lucy Dalton; Mr. and Mrs. John Seehoffer; Mr. and Mrs. Brad Ranly and son Tyson.

St. Patrick, Morristown St. Patrick Church will host a Christ Renews His Parish men’s retreat the weekend of March 9 and 10. Registration is limited to 20 men and is open on a first-come, firstserved basis. There is no fee for the retreat. To register or learn more, contact John Vasquez at 423-748-0320, Scott Shafer at 748-0304, Justin Cook at 865-7898911, or Richard Hidalgo at 423-748-0782.

The parish social-action committee collected paper products, cleaning supplies, reading materials, and personal-hygiene items for residents of the Youth Emergency Shelter in Morristown. n

K

The East Tennessee Catholic

COURTESY OF VIRGINIA THOMPSON

Thompsons celebrate 50th wedding anniversary

eith and Virginia Thompson celebrated a renewal of their wedding vows at the 5:30 p.m. mass on Dec. 29, at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport. Father Mike Nolan officiated.

- A reception for family and friends followed Mass.

The couple was married at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Hollywood on Dec. 29, 1962. They have two sons, a daughter, and seven grandchildren. n

.

Parish notes: Five Rivers Deanery

There will be a Search for Christian Maturity retreat in the Five Rivers Deanery in March 2013. Search 44 will be held at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville March 15-17. Availability is on a firstcome, first-served basis. Contact Susan Collins at 423-639-9381 for more details.

The Tri-Cities–area 40 Days for Life will conduct a peaceful, public prayer vigil in front of the Bristol Regional Women’s Center in Bristol, Tenn., from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays during March (March 5, 12, 19, and 26). Visit the website 40days forlife.com/tri-cities/ for more information or contact Linda Edwards at 423-4770774 or edwards724@earthlink.net.

Keith and Virginia Thompson The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

March 3, 2013 13

Smoky Mountain Deanery calendar

Parish notes: Smoky Mountain Deanery

St. Joseph School will hold the 12th annual Sister Jolita Irish Supper and Sing-Along from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, March 16, in the gym. Irish stew, soda bread, and homemade desserts are on the menu for the evening. Hot dogs and chips will be available for children. Entertainment will include the sing-along, a performance by Irish dancers, and a silent auction. Tickets are $7.50 for adults, $5 for children, or $20 for families and are available at the school or at the door. For more information, contact the school at 865-689-3424.

Holy Family, Seymour Parishioners at Holy Family collected household cleaning items for clients of CROSS Ministries, a social-service agency that assists people on a severely limited income with food and other basic needs, during February.

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville Baptism: John McGinty Zengel, son of Andy and Caroline Zengel.

St. Albert the Great, Knoxville Eucharistic adoration is now available at St. Albert the Great Church on Mondays from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. during Lent. Anyone is welcome to make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament. To commit to a specific hour, contact Deacon Bob Smearing at 423-748-3026.

Catholic Charities’ Office of Immigration Services is co-hosting citizenship

classes from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays through March 23 at Sacred Heart Cathedral School and through April 6 at First Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge. Cost is $50. For more information, contact Nathaly Perez at 865-971-3550.

A Seekers of Silence Contemplative Saturday Morning will be held March 16 at John XXIII Catholic Center in Knoxville. A video by Father Thomas Keating, OCSO, titled “God is All in All,” will be shown in observance of United in Prayer Day. Coffee and tea will be served at 8:30 a.m.; the workshop will run from 9 a.m. to noon. Bring a bag lunch. RSVP at 865523-7931. n

The Soup-er Bowl collection at the parish netted 781 cans of soup with a total value of $1,200. The soup was donated to the Ladies of Charity and the Halls Food Pantry.

St. Mary, Gatlinburg The St. Mary Church Council of Catholic Women sponsored a day of reflection Jan. 17. Father Joseph Brando presented a reflection on the parables in the Gospel of St. Luke.

Calendar continued from page 10 Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at 1:30 p.m. each Sunday at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville; at 3 p.m. on first and third Sundays at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church in Cleveland; at 3 p.m. on second, fourth, and fifth Sundays at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Madisonville; at 11 a.m. on most Sundays at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Townsend; and at 3 p.m. on second and fourth Sundays at St. Mary Church in Johnson City. Visit www.knoxlatinmass.net for updated information. The 1:30 p.m. Mass on Easter Sunday (March 31) at Holy Ghost Church will be a solemn Latin Mass in the extraordinary form with Father David Carter, Father John Orr, and Father Christopher Riehl as sacred ministers, accompanied by a choir presenting Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony.

The St. Thomas the Apostle Ukrainian Catholic Mission celebrates Divine Liturgy at 9:30 a.m. Sundays in the lower level of Holy Cross Anglican Church, 515 Herron Road, Knoxville, TN 37934. Note the time change. All services are in English. Call Father Richard Armstrong at 865-584-3307 or visit www.saintthomasknoxville.org for details.

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

14 March 3, 2013

MAEMIE DONNELLY

The CCW served dinner to the 45 priests who attended the recent priest study days in Gatlinburg. n

John XXIII students go on pilgrimage to Orlando Twenty-seven university students from Blessed John XXIII Parish in Knoxville made a pilgrimage to Orlando over Christmas break to attend the SEEK 2013 conference. SEEK 2013 was organized by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) and had more than 6,000 college students attend from all over the country. The conference featured several national Catholic speakers and apologists such as Matthew Kelly, Chris Stefanick, and Leah Darrow as well as a concert

by Catholic recording artist Matt Maher.

St. Joseph the Worker hosts ecumenical service

A

community ecumenical worship service was held at St. Joseph the Worker Church on Jan. 27.

Pastors who participated in the service were the Rev. Laura Trent of Vonore Methodist Church, the Rev. Carole Martin of First Methodist Church

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

of Madisonville, the Rev. Jack Porter of Buckner Memorial Methodist Church, Dr. Brian Alderman of Madisonville Presbyterian Church, and Fr. P. J. McGinnity of St. Joseph the Worker.

The offering collected at the service was donated to the Good Shepherd Center in Madisonville. n dioknox.org

Catholic schools

DEACON PATRICK MURPHY-RACEY

Notre Dame High wrestlers have strong seasons

Going to the next level Signing to play with colleges are (from left) KCHS athletes Emily Holloway, Kristen Halstead, Martha Dinwiddie, Erika Miller, Kathryn Culhane, Mark Mishu, Suddy Hutchins, Aaron Aucker, Ashley Welborn, and Riley McMillan. The signing ceremony was held Feb. 6 at KCHS.

Knoxville Catholic athletes sign with colleges

T

en Knoxville Catholic High School student athletes signed letters of intent Feb. 6 to continue playing sports in college.

It was the first day that high school seniors can accept athletic scholarships to play at a Division I school.

The 10 students signed letters allowing them to pursue academic and athletic opportunities at the college level.

The signing ceremony took place in the KCHS gymnasium before family, friends, and coaches. The letters were immediately faxed to the athletes’ schools of choice.

Recognized during the ceremony were: The East Tennessee Catholic

Aaron Aucker, who will play baseball at Middle Tennessee State University; Kathryn Culhane, who will play soccer at the University of Tennessee; Martha Dinwiddie, who will play soccer at the University of the South in Sewanee; Kristen Halstead, who will play lacrosse at the University of Findlay; Emily Holloway, who will play tennis at Denison University; Suddy Hutchins, who will play soccer at East Tennessee State University; Riley McMillan, who is KCHS’s first equestrian scholarship recipient and will compete at Maryville

College; Erika Miller, who will play soccer at the University of Arkansas; Mark Mishu, who will play soccer at the University of Notre Dame; and Ashley Welborn, who will run cross-country and track at Louisiana State University.

“This is a proud day for KCHS and our athletic program,” said Jason Surlas, athletic director at the high school and coordinator of the school’s National Signing Day ceremony. “These young men and women have excelled on and off the field, and the opportunity to play at a college level validates their years of hard work and commitment.” n

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

Several wrestlers from Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga recently completed outstanding seasons.

Packy Mullin, a sophomore, was a Region IV finalist and brought home his second state medal by placing second in the state tournament at 126 pounds.

Michael Labbe, a senior, finished his career as a threetime state qualifier and Region IV champion at the 160-pound weight class.

Luke Mullin, a freshman, was a Region IV champion and placed sixth in the state tournament at the 106-pound weight class.

Freshman Noah Bankston was a Region IV finalist and qualified for the state tournament at the 132-pound weight class. n

NDHS soccer player signs with university

Notre Dame High School’s Blair Barker has signed to play soccer at Jacksonville State University.

Blair was a four-year starter for the Lady Irish and was instrumental in a state-championship season her sophomore year. She also earned all-state honors in her junior and senior years.

“Notre Dame has prepared me both academically and athletically,” Blair said. “I think I have matured as a player over the past four years. Playing at a higher level will be different and definitely challenging, but I am so happy I have been given this opportunity.” n

March 3, 2013 15

Knoxville Catholic High School senior Reese Staley was one of four high school students selected to be an HonorAir Student Guardian escort for the HonorAir flight April 24.

HonorAir Knoxville is dedicated to honoring East Tennessee World War II and Korean War veterans. They fly as many East Tennessee veterans as possible to Washington, D.C., to see the memorials built in their honor.

In order for HonorAirKnoxville to achieve its goal, guardians fly with the veterans on every flight, providing assistance and helping veterans have a safe, memorable, and rewarding experience. Reese will make contact with two to four veterans in early April and will begin to cultivate a relationship with them. He will then be responsible for escorting these veterans and providing any assistance they may need on their trip. n

16 March 3, 2013

Catholic schools

St. Joseph students take part in science fair

S

t. Joseph School in Knoxville held its St. Albert the Great Science Fair on Feb. 5. Led by middle school science teacher Rosemary Calvert, middle school students conducted individual science investigations throughout the fall semester and presented their research in front of a panel of judges.

Those judges included Dr. Al Hazari, Dr. Kristin Rearden, Dr. David Harper, and Dr. Suzanne Lenhart, all University of Tennessee, Knoxville, professors. Students were judged on their original research ideas, their research design, and their poster presentation.

First-, second-, and third-place winners were chosen from each of the middle school grades, and these students will participate in the Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair at Thompson-Boling Arena

in April.

Eighth-grade winners were Katie Wade, first place; Sophia Wilson, second place; and Kendal Bruner, third place. Seventh-grade winners were Ashlyn Man, first place; Katie Kidwell, second place; and Jason Houbre, third place. Sixth-grade winners were Walter Pickering, first place; Breanna Jeffries, second place; and Scott McClean, third place.

Students who were recognized for their efforts with honorable mention were eighth-graders Luke Smith and Katie Whittaker and seventh-graders Zach Trisler and Curt Brewer.

Students in grades pre-K through fifth also participated in St. Joseph School’s science fair. Fourth- and fifth-grade students, under the guidance of science teacher Katherine Colburn, conducted either group or individual projects. Grace Morgan won first prize,

COURTESY OF ROSEMARY CALVERT

KCHS senior chosen to be HonorAir student escort

Winning project Katie Wade was the eighth grade’s top winner in the St. Joseph science fair.

Kiersten Man second prize, and Caroline Hunse and Anna Hoang third prize.

Kindergarten through third grade conducted a class experiment or project and created a display reporting their use of the scientific method and their results.

Pre-kindergarten students created murals of four different biomes, and

students chose an animal that lived in a particular biome, researched information about the animal, and then created either a drawing or three-dimensional representation of that animal, placing it in the appropriate biome.

Pre-kindergarten and elementary science-fair projects were displayed throughout the school. n

St. Joseph, St. John Neumann teams win titles

D

iocesan middle schools St. Joseph and St. John Neumann fared well in Knoxville Independent School League basketball tournament play in February.

St. Joseph’s boys varsity team completed its season with a 21-0 record, claiming the KISL small school regular-season and tournament championships. The Bulldogs’ perfect season included wins over St. John Neumann, Sacred Heart and St. Mary of Oak Ridge.

St. Joseph was led by KISL tournament MVP Luke Smith. Joining Luke on the all-tournament team from the Bulldogs were eighth-grade post Lucky DePersio and sixth-grade shooting guard Walter Pickering.

Luke and Bulldogs wing Caleb Morgan were All-League selections.

St. John Neumann’s boys varsity team claimed the 2012-13 KISL tournament championship in the large school division, defeating Episcopal School of Knoxville in the championship game.

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

The Mustangs, who finished second in the KISL regular season, were led by tournament most valuable player Joseph Fluker, All-Tournament selections Sean Purcell and JB Schaffer and All-League selection Jack Sompayrac. JB also made the All-League team.

St. Mary concluded a successful season as tournament runners-up, with Darryl Bonner and Austin Vinyard named to the All-League team and Al Ferre and Austin selected to the All-Tournament team. n dioknox.org

Cardinals’ election of new pope is a confidential, detailed, reverent process Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY—The voting by cardinals to elect the next pope takes place behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, following a highly detailed procedure last revised by Pope John Paul II. Under the rules, secret ballots can be cast once on the first day of the conclave, then normally twice during each subsequent morning and evening session. Except for periodic pauses, the voting continues until a new pontiff is elected.

Only cardinals under the age of 80 can vote in the conclave; older cardinals do not enter the Sistine Chapel. In theory, any baptized male Catholic can be elected pope, but current church law says he must become a bishop before taking office; since the 15th century, the electors always have chosen a fellow cardinal.

Each vote begins with the preparation and distribution of paper ballots by two masters of ceremonies, who are among a handful of noncardinals allowed into the chapel at the start of the session.

Then the names of nine voting cardinals are chosen at random: three to serve as “scrutineers,” or voting judges; three to collect the votes of any sick cardinals who remain in their quarters at the Domus Sanctae Marthae; and three Bishop continued from page 2

come lost along the way.

It is my hope that you can attend the Masses that will be offered and join in praying with the entire Church:

O God, eternal shepherd, who governs your flock with unfailing care, grant in your boundless fatherly love a pastor for your Church who will please you by his holiness and to us show watchful care.

The East Tennessee Catholic

“revisers” who check the work of the scrutineers.

The paper ballot is rectangular.

On the top half is printed the Latin phrase “Eligo in Summum Pontificem” (“I elect as the most high pontiff”), and the lower half is blank for the writing of the name of the person chosen.

After all the noncardinals have left the chapel, the cardinals fill out their ballots secretly, legibly and fold them twice. Meanwhile, any ballots from sick cardinals are collected and brought back to the chapel.

Each cardinal then walks to the altar, holding up his folded ballot so it can be seen, and says aloud: “I call as my witness Christ the Lord who will be my judge, that my vote is given to the one who before God I think should be elected.” He places his ballot on a plate, or paten, and then slides it into a receptacle, traditionally a large chalice.

When all the ballots have been cast, the first scrutineer shakes the receptacle to mix them. He then transfers the ballots to a new urn, counting them to make sure they correspond to the number of electors.

The ballots are read out. Each of the three scrutineers examines

Elect continued on page 24

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

I look forward with you in prayerful anticipation of the news from the Vatican to be proclaimed in Latin meaning: “I announce to you a great joy: We have a Pope! Habemus papam! n

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

Carmela A. Dupuis, Executive Director 855-842-8001 | 508-340-9370 March 3, 2013 17

Living the readings

Weekday Readings

From the heart of Lent...

Sunday, March 3: Exodus 3:18, 13-15; Psalm 103:1-4, 6-8, 11; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12; Luke 13:1-9 Monday, March 4: 2 Kings 5:115; Psalms 42:2-3 and 43:3-4; Luke 4:24-30 Tuesday, March 5: Daniel 3:25, 34-43; Psalm 25:4-9; Matthew 18:21-35 Wednesday, March 6: Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9; Psalm 147:1213, 15-16, 19-20; Matthew 5:17-19 Thursday, March 7: Jeremiah 7:23-28; Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9; Luke 11:14-23 Friday, March 8: Hosea 14:210; Psalm 81:6-11, 14, 17; Mark 12:28-34 Saturday, March 9: Hosea 6:16; Psalm 51:3-4, 18-21; Luke 18:9-14 Sunday, March 10: Joshua 5:912; Psalm 34:2-7; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 Monday, March 11: Isaiah 65:17-21; Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 1113; John 4:43-54 Tuesday, March 12: Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12; Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9; John 5:1-16 Wednesday, March 13: Isaiah 49:8-15; Psalm 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18; John 5:17-30 Thursday, March 14: Exodus 32:7-14; Psalm 106:19-23; John 5:31-47 Friday, March 15: Wisdom 2:1, 12-22; Psalm 34:17-21, 23; John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 Saturday, March 16: Jeremiah 11:18-20; Psalm 7:2-3, 9-12; John 7:40-53 Sunday, March 17: Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126:1-6; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11 Monday, March 18: Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62; Psalm 23:1-6; John 8:12-20 Tuesday, March 19: Solemnity, St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16; Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29; Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22; Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24 Readings continued on page 19

18 March 3, 2013

by Father Joseph Brando

B

To Easter glory, the good news of Christ’s resurrection lifts us all

y the time March begins, Lent already has completed 40 percent of its lifespan.

Deep into this time of relearning the basics of our faith and intensifying our relationship with God, the Sunday Liturgy of the Word continues its Lenten journey to Easter—a trek from the depths of human experience to the heights of the divine.

The direction of this uphill climb is like most mountain trails. It uses many switchbacks on the way up.

So, we will be going back and forth from the evils we all have to face in this world to the good things, which a relationship with God leads us to. Every time we cut back on the trail we go higher and the view gets more inspiring.

Each one of the 15 readings in March contains one of these switchbacks until we reach the peak that is Easter. So, for the first four weeks we are presented with an evil that is immediately followed by a good that we receive from God. Then, when we’ve reached the top we can scan the horizon and look down to see how far we’ve traveled from the sin below and the glory that is to be found in the sky.

We join the trail on the Third Sunday of Lent. At this, the lowest altitude of our trip, we are immediately confronted with “the revolt in the desert.” Israel had left Egypt, beginning a 40-year trek through the desert. Judging they will die of thirst, they complain to God. But they soon discover that God is good, miraculously providing flowing water for them from a rock even as he punishes the rebels. We thereby learn our journey isn’t easy; but we’re going in the right direction with God giving us ample water to drink and manna to eat.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul adds that our desert journey will be blessed with peace and grace. These gifts come to us from the suffering and death of Jesus. So, even in our suffering we know we are cared for by the Lord. We can proceed in hope.

In the Gospel for this Sunday, people confront Jesus with some news that could have been taken from our daily papers. Some people had been executed for starting a rebellion. Another 18 died when a tower collapsed. Was that because of their guilt?

Jesus first denied it was their guilt although we must always be ready to repent. Then, Jesus told them a little parable about a fig tree that wasn’t producing. Thanks to the gardener, the owner decided that the ground around the tree should be further enriched. In effect, Jesus told them God furnishes us with all we need to flourish. It’s up to us to take in this nourishment. If we don’t, it is not God’s action but our lack of it that is the problem.

Nevertheless, the good news is that God gives us all we need to proceed from here to eternal life.

Looking out on the view on this first Sunday of March, we discover that salvation is available. God has put all that we need to reach heaven in front of us. We all have reason to live in hope. We need not be deterred by the bad news all around us. We must carry on.

The first reading of the second Sunday of March is from Joshua.

The people of Israel have completed their desert journey and have crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land. As Israelites were rejoicing at their first Passover in Israel, that very day their daily manna ended. Instead, they ate

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

of the produce grown by their defeated enemy. From now on they had to work for their food. But, that was the duty of a free people. The reproach of their years in slavery in Egypt was ended. God’s goodness to them overcame their international reputation as a horde of runaway slaves. Now, they were a free people on their own God-given land.

Paul, in the second reading, makes Joshua’s point in Christian language. We have become a new creation. Before, we were sinful.

Now, we have been redeemed and have become ambassadors for Christ. We announce salvation to the world.

The Gospel is the parable best known as “The Prodigal Son.” Luke introduces it by informing us that it was a response to the Pharisees and scribes who questioned Jesus’ welcoming attitude toward those who had left traditional Jewish life to accept the Greco-Roman ways. It ends with a father who leaves his home to urge his oldest son to come home to a party in honor of the younger son who has repented. If they were listening, the Pharisees should have seen Jesus’ point. Their own brothers and sisters were returning to hear and follow the message of salvation. Shouldn’t you be happy that they are returning?

That brings us to the second viewpoint. Here, we see the desert and swamps we have left behind as well as the beautiful peaks of the mountain range we are climbing into. We contemplate the joy of others who have made the climb and have changed their sadness into joy.

We are choosing to join them rather than go back down.

The next Sunday’s readings begin with Isaiah asking us to remember the powerful Egyptian army campaigning to defeat Israel. All that’s left of them are dead bodies washing up on the shores of the Red Sea. Then he tells us to forget that. There is a new reality. What was a desert is now flowing with rivers and dioknox.org

wild animals. The world is teeming with life. Where, once, evil dominated leading to death, now God has brought life, joy and peace. This message was originally meant for the Jews in Babylon experiencing the evil of living under foreign domination as if they were back in Egypt.

Isaiah’s message for them is that God will give them freedom. Don’t look back in shame; but forward in hope.

Paul has a similar message for the Philippians. They are not to look back on their previous lives. Paul counts his past life as a total loss.

What he has gained in its place is Christ. He lives in pursuit of his goal to which God is calling him and through which Paul finds true joy.

Yes, he did evil. But, in Christ, he can forget those days as one gets rid of old junk.

The Gospel this Sunday consists of the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery. Should she be executed? At this point Jesus is confronted with double evil, namely of the woman’s act and the vindictive death penalty about to be carried out. Jesus, without condemning the stoning of the woman, asks for anyone without sin to throw the first stone. It is sad that no one in the mob could admit to being sinless.

Yet, Jesus has allowed good to come from that evil.

Being sinful allows us to be compassionate to others who share our situation. As for the woman, Jesus makes her aware that her own peers no longer condemned her and that she should not sin again. By her repentance, the mob’s quest to rid their community of this sin was also realized. In Christ, we are all winners.

Now, as we view the scenery from our new vantage point, something is missing. The slums and junk yards of our past have disappeared. It’s amazing but true that the higher we go the more beautiful the view. The purified air clears our memories as well.

The East Tennessee Catholic

We have now reached Palm Sunday. It’s the beginning of Holy Week, and our thoughts turn to Jesus’ passion. Perhaps because of that, this day’s Scriptures elevate our minds even further. The selection from the Prophet Isaiah quotes one of the Songs of the Suffering Servant. Even as he gives his body to execution, he trusts in God and knows he will not be shamed. Of course, we are reminded of Jesus on Good Friday.

The empty tomb, with the burial cloth neatly folded, spoke clearly to Peter and the beloved disciple that the Lord was alive. Death could not hold him to one place.

If Christ is free from death, so are we who live in him.

But, the passage rightly helps us see Jesus as a brave hero accepting death to bring salvation to the world.

Paul extends what Isaiah wrote to the New Testament Church. Jesus emptied himself and died. Yet, by this deed he was highly exalted.

Therefore, we correctly call him Jesus Christ, the Lord. This good news far outshines even the most sorrowful news of our Lord’s passion and death. Thus we receive the definitive message that, for those who live with Christ, Good News always triumphs.

Palm Sunday’s Gospel is Luke’s narrative of Jesus’ passion and death. Luke added two events to his account that are missing in the other three Gospels. Let’s focus on them. The first is Jesus speaking to the women of Jerusalem. He tells them not to weep for him but for themselves when Jerusalem will be destroyed. This reveals Jesus’ motivation. He accepts his crucifixion for us. Our ultimate salvation is Jesus’ reason for accepting his painful death. The second event found only in Luke is the incident with the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus. One mocks Jesus; the other scolds the mocker and asks Jesus to remember him when he comes into

his kingdom. The reply by Jesus fills all of humanity with hope: “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”

What words of consolation for all of us!

Finally, we come to the last day of March. Lent is now behind us. We have arrived at Easter—the summit of our journey.

The Scriptures of the Mass during this day convey the view from the mountaintop. The first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, quotes a speech by Peter. He uses the same zig-zag rhetoric that we have heard all through Lent. The bad news is that Jesus was executed. But, as bad as it was, the good news far surpasses it. He is alive! Peter, himself, has seen him. So have others. And “he commissioned us to preach to the people…that he is the one appointed

by God as judge of the living and the dead.”

Our judge at the end of our lives is the one who died to save us. That is indeed good news. Paul, in the second reading, does his best to relate even better news. He writes to the Colossians that we have already died with Christ. This happened at our baptism. Our lives “are hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.”

Paul delivers the ultimate good news. We will reign with the Lord in eternity. In the Gospel, John presents the last of the signs Christ left us. The empty tomb, with the burial cloth neatly folded, spoke clearly to Peter and the beloved disciple that the Lord was alive. Death could not hold him to one place. If Christ is free from death, so are we who live in him.

Thus, March ends. There is a final vision that lifts us over the pinnacle of the highest mountain. Our destination is beyond the universe of space and time. Our final view is from heaven. n Father Brando is pastor of St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg.

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

Readings continued from page 18 Wednesday, March 20: Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95; Daniel 3:5256; John 8:31-42 Thursday, March 21: Genesis 17:3-9; Psalm 105:4-9; John 8:51-59 Friday, March 22: Jeremiah 20:10-13; Psalm 18:2-7; John 10:31-42 Saturday, March 23: Ezekiel 37:21-28; Jeremiah 31:10-13; John 11:45-56 Sunday, March 24: Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22:8-9, 1720, 23-24; Philippians 2:6-11; Luke 22:14–23:56 Monday, March 25: Isaiah 42:1-7; Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14; John 12:1-11 Tuesday, March 26: Isaiah 49:1-6; Psalm 71:1-6, 15, 17; John 13:21-33, 36-38; Chrism Mass, Isaiah 61:1-3, 6, 8-9; Psalm 89:21-22, 25, 27; Revelation 1:5-8; Luke 4:16-21 Wednesday, March 27: Isaiah 50:4-9; Psalm 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34; Matthew 26:14-25 Holy Thursday, March 28: Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14; Psalm 116:12-13, 15-18; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-15 Good Friday, March 29: Celebration of the Lord’s Passion, Isaiah 52:13–53:12; Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25; Hebrews 4:14-16 and 5:7-9; John 18:1–19:42 Holy Saturday, March 30: Easter Vigil, Genesis 1:1–2:2 and Psalm 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12-14, 24, 35; Genesis 22:1-18 and Psalm 16:5, 8-11; Exodus 14:15–15:1 and Exodus 15:1-6, 17-18; Isaiah 54:5-14 and Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13; Isaiah 55:111 and Isaiah 12:2-6; Baruch 3:9-15 and 3:32–4:4 and Psalm 19:8-11; Ezekiel 36:16-28 and Psalms 42:3, 5 and 43:3-4; Isaiah 12:2-6; Romans 6:3-11 and Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Luke 24:1-12 Sunday, March 31: Easter Sunday, Acts 10:34, 37-43; Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Colossians 3:1-4; John 20:1-9 n

March 3, 2013 19

Parishes set Lenten penance services Here is a list of remaining Lenten penance services around the Diocese of Knoxville: Chattanooga Deanery 7 p.m. Eastern Time, except as noted. March 5—St. Jude, Chattanooga; March 6—Holy Spirit, Soddy-Daisy; March 7—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Cleveland; March 12—St. Stephen, Chattanooga; Our Lady of Lourdes, South Pittsburg, 6:30 p.m. CDT; March 19—St. Augustine, Signal Mountain; March 20—St. Bridget, Dayton, 6:30 p.m.; March 21—St. Mary, Athens, 6 p.m.

Cumberland Mountain Deanery 7 p.m. Eastern Time, except as noted. March 5—St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade, 6 p.m.

CST; March 11—Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Maynardville, 6 p.m.; March 13—St. Mary, Oak Ridge; March 19—St. Joseph, Norris, and St. Therese, Clinton, to be held at St. Joseph; March 25—All Saints, Knoxville Five Rivers Deanery 7 p.m. March 4—Good Shepherd, Newport; March 7—St. Henry, Rogersville; March 13—Holy Trinity, Jefferson City; March 14—St. Dominic, Kingsport; March 21—St. Patrick, Morristown Smoky Mountain Deanery 7 p.m., except as noted. March 5—St. Mary, Gatlinburg; March 7— Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa; March 11—St. Albert the Great, Knoxville; March 12—Holy Cross, Pigeon Forge; March 13—Holy Family, Seymour; March 18—Blessed John XXIII, 7:30 p.m.; March 19— Immaculate Conception, Knoxville, and Holy Ghost, Knoxville, to be held at Immaculate Conception; March 20—St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville; March 21—Sacred Heart Cathedral. n

20 March 3, 2013

Marriage enrichment

by Marian Christiana

Make significant days a family affair

Holidays, feast days are ways parents can establish traditions that can be handed down to children

R

ecently, a dear friend of mine gave me a gift of Irish-themed kitchen items.

She gave them to me because she knows that I love St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick’s Day has been an important day all my life and I have many wonderful memories of celebrating the holiday with my family and friends while growing up.

My love of St. Patrick’s Day did pose a small problem for me, however, when I married a full-blooded Italian. He wasn’t thrilled with the possibility of his house being covered in green the entire month of March. As with most things in a marriage, a compromise was in order. Luckily for us, St. Joseph’s Feast Day follows two days after St. Patrick’s Day, and St. Joseph’s Day has a strong Italian connection. We decided to decorate and celebrate both feast days. I know that our children have strong memories of this family tradition.

We all bring “family of origin” traditions to our marriages, and some of these can create an emotional mine field for newlyweds trying to create a family of their own. Parents and siblings can add pressure to the couple by insisting that family traditions continue un-

changed from generation to generation. It is important for a couple to discuss family of origin traditions with each other and decide together which ones will be part of their new life as a married couple.

The wonderful thing about traditions is the sense of stability and positive routine that they can bring to a family. Early in a marriage a couple can make a list of the traditions that both of their families of origin maintain. Then they can discuss which of those traditions is most important to them and decide which of these can be combined into their new married life.

As the years go by and children come into the family (or when they leave), a couple or the family as a whole can take time to think about the traditions they have adopted or created over the years to decide if it’s time for some changes to be made.

Now that my husband and I have been married for nearly 33 years, it has been interesting to look back on our marriage to see what unique traditions we have developed and which traditions we hope our children will continue in their own families. We

know they are very proud of their Irish/Italian heritage and loved the celebrations surrounding the saints’ feast days. I hope they also remember the underlying reasons why we celebrated the lives of St. Patrick and St. Joseph, men of great faith who by their examples have inspired millions to a deeper commitment to Christ and the Church.

A good book that covers the subject of family rituals and traditions is To Dance With God: Family Ritual and Community Celebration by Gertrud Mueller Nelson. Nelson writes from a Catholic perspective, but the book works well for any Christian faith.

The book discusses the history of holidays and then offers practical ideas to help families respond to the liturgical calendar. This would be a great book to give to newlyweds or to new parents as they begin to create their family rituals and traditions.

From our house to yours, Happy St. Patrick’s Day and a Happy St. Joseph’s Day! n

Legislature continued from page 7

ings with him.

“He’s from Knoxville, so we have a connection there. I think he’s an able administrator and a good leader for the state. I think he listens, and we were able to have good dialogue.”

Under Gov. Haslam’s plan, school vouchers would allow parents of students in under-performing public schools to use tax dollars to enroll their children in private schools.

“Vouchers have to do with chil-

dren, and the mission of the Catholic Church is about education,” said Bishop Stika. “So we always are open to have a conversation on how we can do things to benefit children throughout the state, and not only Catholic children.”

Catholic Day on the Hill is sponsored annually by the Tennessee Catholic Public Policy Commission.

It attracts parishioners from across the state who also meet with the state legislators. n

ways nice to make contact with the various governmental officials,” he said. “We always look forward to discussing the issues. Today we talked about health care; we talked about immigration, and we talked about school vouchers, three entities that really impact not only Catholics in East Tennessee but also people around the state.”

Bishop Stika said Gov. Haslam is always very pleasant in his meet-

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

Mrs. Christiana is coordinator of the diocesan Marriage Preparation and Enrichment Office.

dioknox.org

Understanding the sacraments

Schedule continued from page 2

by Father Randy Stice

Penance: a mystagogical catechesis

T

Mercy is stronger than sin for penitents who undergo conversion through the action of the Holy Spirit

he purpose and effect of the sacrament of penance is to heal our relationship with God. “Indeed, the sacrament of reconciliation with God brings about a true ‘spiritual resurrection,’ restoration of the dignity and blessings of the life of the children of God, of which the most precious is friendship with God” (Catechism, 1468).

It consists of two essential elements: on the one hand, the acts of the penitent, “who undergoes conversion through the action of the Holy Spirit: namely, contrition, confession, and satisfaction [penance]; on the other, God’s action through the intervention of the Church” (Catechism, 1448).

This month I want to offer a mystagogical catechesis of the sacrament of penance. As I have noted in previous columns, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged a mystagogical catechesis that considers three aspects: it places the sacrament in the context of salvation history; it interprets the signs that make up the rite; and it explains how the sacrament impacts the whole of one’s life.

The sacrament of penance is rooted in the nature of God himself, who proclaimed his name—his nature and identity—to Moses, “The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God…forgiving wickedness and crime and sin” (Exodus 34:6-7). The opening prayer for the 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time professes this truth: “O God, who manifest your almighty power above all by pardoning and showing mercy.”

One of the suggested Old Testament passages for the celebration of the sacrament is 2 Samuel 12:19, 13—when the prophet Nathan confronts David about his sin with Bathsheba. In his apostolic exhortaThe East Tennessee Catholic

tion Reconciliation and Penance (RP), Blessed John Paul II describes this as a “striking image” of the individual “marked by sin…”

A mystagogical catechesis makes evident the power of the sacrament of reconciliation, a sacrament rooted in the nature of God himself and our unrestrainable desire to be free from sin.

Rebuked by the prophet Nathan, David faces squarely his own iniquity and confesses: “I have sinned against the Lord,” and proclaims: “I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3). But he also prays: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51.7), and he receives the response of the divine mercy: “The Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die” (RP, 23). We, like King David, are “wounded by sin” and yet “moved by an unrestrainable desire to be freed from sin” (RP, 23).

Two key signs of the sacrament, performed by the priest, are the imposition of the hand and the sign of the cross by the priest over the penitent. The imposition of the hand vividly expresses “the lifegiving power of the Spirit” (Introduction to the Order of the Mass, 118).

This sacramental gesture is used in ordination, confirmation, anointing of the sick, and the sacrament of reconciliation. Christians have made the sign of the cross at least since the time of Tertullian in the early third century.

Blessed John Paul II explains the meaning and power of this gesture: “The sacramental formula ‘I absolve you’ and the imposition of

the hand and the sign of the cross made over the penitent show that at this moment the contrite and converted sinner comes into contact with the power and mercy of God. It is the moment at which, in response to the penitent, the Trinity becomes present in order to blot out sin and restore innocence. And the saving power of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus is also imparted to the penitent as the ‘mercy stronger than sin and offense’” (RP, 31.III).

The transformative power of this sacrament of reconciliation—the third element of a mystagogical catechesis—is beautifully explained

by Blessed John Paul II: “contrition and conversion are even more a drawing near to the holiness of God, a rediscovery of one’s true identity, which has been upset and disturbed by sin, a liberation in the very depth of the self and thus a regaining of lost joy, the joy of being saved” (RP, 31.III).

“I wish to heal, not accuse,” St. Augustine said, referring to the pastoral ministry of penance (RP, 31.II).

A mystagogical catechesis makes evident the power of the sacrament of reconciliation, a sacrament rooted in the nature of God himself and our unrestrainable desire to be free from sin. Through the gestures of the priest the Trinity becomes present, bringing the penitent into contact with the power and mercy of God and enabling him to rediscover his identity as the beloved child of God. In this sacramental encounter we find “the divine kindness which lovingly responds to human repentance” (RP, 35). n

March 20: 4:30 p.m., Mass with Installation of lectors at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wis. March 24: 9 a.m., Palm Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus March 26: 9:30 a.m., Senior leadership at the Chancery March 26: 7:30 p.m., Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus March 28: 12 p.m., Holy Thursday reconciliation service at Immaculate Conception Church, Knoxville March 28: 7 p.m., Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus March 29: 7 p.m., Good Friday service at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus March 30: 8:30 p.m., Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus n

Upcoming Virtus sessions n Immaculate Conception Church, Knoxville, 10 a.m. Saturday, March 2. n St. Jude Church, Chattanooga, noon Tuesday, March 12, and noon Tuesday, May 7. n Our Lady of Fatima Church, Alcoa, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 12. n St. Dominic Church, Kingsport, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 14, and 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 14. n St. Catherine Labouré Church, Copperhill, 5 p.m. Thursday, April 4. n St. Mary Church, Johnson City, 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 22. n

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

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

March 3, 2013 21

Church affairs continue even without a pope

Once upon a time

VATICAN CITY (CNS)—When

Holy Mother Church blessed with great popes

Pope Benedict XVI officially left office at 8 p.m. Feb. 28, most of the top-level Vatican officials lost their jobs, but that does not mean the majority of Vatican employees get a vacation.

Although Catholics inside and outside the Vatican love to complain about its unwieldy bureaucracy, coordinating the universal ministry of the church involves a steady flow of paperwork, correspondence and meeting planning.

All of that continues even when there is no pope.

However, the publication of documents, the nomination of new bishops and anything that must be issued in the name of the Vatican or in the name of the pope must be approved by Pope Benedict’s successor.

“The general rule is that all ordinary business continues” during the “interregnum”—the period between popes. “Like in most bureaucracies, most of our business is ordinary business,” said the secretary of one Vatican congregation.

Commissions and subcommittees continue to meet, reports continue to be prepared, letters are answered and Vatican officials try to tidy their desks enough to be able to inform the new pope about exactly where their various projects stand.

Under long-standing church rules, updated by Blessed John Paul II in 1996, the Vatican secretary of state, the prefects of Vatican congregations and the presidents of pontifical councils lose their jobs the minute the papacy is vacant; the offices are run by the congregation and council secretaries during the interregnum.

Generally, immediately after the election of a new pope, the prefects and presidents are asked to take up their old jobs again, at least temporarily. n

22 March 3, 2013

I

by Monsignor Xavier Mankel

The best pontiffs have made significant contributions through teaching, acts of initiative, wisdom

love popes, especially holy and great ones with which Holy Mother Church, the body of Christ, has been blessed during the modern times of pontificates beginning with Blessed Pius IX (1846-1878) and continuing to the present: Leo XIII (1878-1903); St. Pius X (1903-1914); Benedict XV (1914-1922); Pius XI (1922-1939); Pius XII (1939-1958); Blessed John XXIII (1958-1963); Paul VI (19631978); John Paul I (September 1978); Blessed John Paul II (19782005); Benedict XVI (2005-Feb. 28, 2013).

And I like stories about our Holy Fathers; they come from many sources. On the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, Feb. 10, the Gospel for this year of “C” readings gave a real insight into the spirituality of our first pope, St. Peter.

A successful commercial fisherman, he and some others had fished throughout the night and had caught nothing. Peter, less a saint than Simon Bar Jona, probably would have balked at the instructions from their new leader, Jesus of Nazareth, who certainly was no fisherman (for fish!). Can we not hear Peter thinking to himself, “Who does our Rabbi think he is? Andrew, James, John, and I are all seasoned commercial fishermen with a combined experience of nearly a century and this fellow is telling us how to fish!” But Peter, already along in his practice of respect for authority replies, “Lord, we have fished all night long and have caught nothing but at your command I shall lower the nets.”

And Peter did lower the nets, and his obedience was rewarded by Jesus.

I want to fast forward to the 19th century and to Pope Leo XIII. Gio-

acchino Vincenzo Pecci, was born on March 2, 1810, in Carpento, central Italy. He was the sixth of seven sons of Col. Ludovico Pecci and Anna Prosperi Buzi. They were noble families but by no means wealthy. From 1818-1824, GioacI would suggest that each day during Lent we study something about the popes since St. Pius V. That would give us a pope a day well into Holy Week. By then, we might have another successor of St. Peter, whom we can get to know and love. chino Vincenzo Pecci studied at the Jesuit college in Viterbo and then at Rome in the Roman College for the next eight years.

He matriculated at the Academia dei Nobili Eccleseastici, studying theology, civil and canon law. In 1837 (the same year Nashville became a diocese), he was ordained and was appointed a monsignor.

Pope Gregory XVI had noticed the courage of Monsignor Pecci during a cholera epidemic and in 1838 the pope appointed him as apostolic delegate to Benevento in the papal states.

Among the problems he faced was controlling bandits. By his capable administration and economic improvements, building roads and establishing a savings bank for the farmers of Perugia, he won the affection of the people. He was sent as Nuncio to Belgium in 1843. His three years there were of considerable importance in developing his outlook as pope.

When Pius IX died, the archbishop became papabile as a candidate for the moderates. He was elected pope on the third ballot with 44 of the 61 votes. He took the name: Leo XIII. Although his pontifi-

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cate was predicted to be brief and transitional (people thought that his predecessor’s time as pope, 32 years, was very long), he served as pope for more than 25 years (if God has a sense of humor, this situation would be a time for the Holy Spirit to chuckle).

Pope Leo XIII ranks as one of the most significant Holy Fathers in recent times because of his numerous teachings, acts of initiative, and exceptional prestige. Patient, conciliatory, and wise in choosing opportune solutions to problems and then abiding by them, the pontiff displayed a strong will and calm energy in his actions. In line with Blessed Pius IX, he favored devotion to the Sacred Heart and nine encyclicals concerned devotion to the Blessed Virgin and to the rosary. An encyclical letter issued in 1882 renewed the Franciscan Third Order.

He favored and sponsored so many projects that it would take a book instead of this column to treat them all. Let me state that in my opinion his greatest gift to the modern world was his famous encyclical, Rerum Novarum (May 15, 1891). Despite setbacks, Pope Leo XIII’s pontificate planted seeds that eventually have grown into an abundant harvest.

I would suggest that each day during Lent we study something about the popes since St. Pius V (1566-1572). That would give us a pope a day to learn about, taking us well into Holy Week. By then we might have another successor of St. Peter, whom we can get to know and love. n Monsignor Mankel is a vicar general of the diocese and the pastor of Holy Ghost parish in Knoxville. dioknox.org

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK 2013

THANK YOU!

The Catholic Schools Office and the ten schools in the Diocese of Knoxville appreciate your support of Catholic education. www.dioknox.org/schools

“Catholic schools are the single greatest ministry in the Catholic Church.”

-Blessed Pope John Paul II

The East Tennessee Catholic

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

March 3, 2013 23

Elect continued from page 17

each ballot one by one, with the last scrutineer calling out the name on the ballot, so all the cardinals can record the tally. The last scrutineer pierces each ballot with a needle through the word “Eligo” and places it on a thread, so they can be secured.

After the names have been read out, the votes are counted to see if someone has obtained a twothirds majority plus one needed for election—or a simple majority if the rules are changed later in the conclave.

The revisers then double-check the work of the scrutineers for possible mistakes.

At this point, any handwritten notes made by the cardinals during the vote are collected for burning with the ballots. If the first vote of the morning or evening session is inconclusive, a second vote normally follows

immediately, and the ballots from both votes are burned together at the end.

When a pope is elected, the ballots are burned immediately. By tradition, the ballots are burned dry—or with chemical additives —to produce white smoke when a pope has been elected; they are burned with damp straw or other chemicals to produce black smoke when the voting has been inconclusive.

The most notable change introduced by Pope John Paul II into the voting process was to increase the opportunity of electing a pope by simple majority instead of two-thirds majority, after a series of ballots.

At that point—about 12 or 13 days into the conclave—the cardinals can decide to move to a simple majority for papal election and can limit the voting to the top two vote-getters. n

A Pilgrim Journey to

Ireland

Under the Spiritual Direction of: Rev. Charlie Burton & Rev. Michael Cummins

June 10 to 21, 2013

$3,199 from Atlanta (ATL) Plus airport taxes, security fees, current fuel surcharges, and tips.

Contact:

Sr. Albertine Paulus, RSM

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

24 March 3, 2013

Highlights Include: Dublin, Glendalough, Ring of Kerry, Killarney, Cliffs of Moher and more!

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Travel Arrangements by:

CST: 2018667

For a FREE Color Brochure...

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