Headmaster Zach Summers announces that Bishop Beckman has canonically recognized the school
By Dan McWilliams
The third annual Pearl Gala benefiting the Chesterton Academy of St. Margaret Clitherow on Feb. 15 featured the biggest announcement in the young Knoxville school’s history.
Founding headmaster Zach Summers told the 100 supporters attending the gala at Bearden Banquet Hall that Bishop Mark Beckman has canonically recognized Chesterton, bringing it under the auspices of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Office of Catholic Schools. It becomes the 11th school in the diocese and the first one added to the diocesan rolls since St. John Neumann School in Farragut opened in 1997.
Chesterton Academy in Knoxville took root four and a half years ago and officially opened Aug. 9, 2023, in a storefront on the east side of town before moving this past fall to a larger West Knoxville site.
The big announcement “is huge news,” said Mr. Summers, a parishioner of Holy Ghost in Knoxville.
“This is the best news we’ve seen in the last four and a half years,” he said. “There are many who have waited to hear, both institutions and individuals, whether or not we have recognition from the local bishop, even if we have explained that we are canonical. This is a local seal of approval, which really gives authenticity to our claims and I hope helps with enrollment.”
Chesterton was “canonically already a private association of the
faithful and therefore a Catholic organization,” Mr. Summers said.
“The bishop’s office has made that clear. By virtue of our baptism, we’re already a Catholic organization,” he said. “What this announcement says, coming from the bishop, is that the diocese, the bishop, recognizes us as a Catholic organization. . . . It’s
basically a seal of approval with the bishop recognizing us.”
Chesterton is an autonomous school, Mr. Summers noted.
“Most people don’t understand that 99 percent of Catholic schools are what you might call parochial Catholic schools,” he said. “However, given the fact that they’re in
the 99 percent, often the ‘parochial’ bit is dropped and it’s just ‘Catholic schools,’ but there exists another 1 percent that are homeschools or autonomous Catholic schools.
“That’s what we are—an autonomous Catholic school. . . . We will have to report to the bishop for our Chesterton continued on page B2
Diocesan educators gather for in-service
More
than 370 realize it was not
By Dan McWilliams
Virtually every Catholic school teacher, principal, and counselor in East Tennessee attended the annual Diocesan Professional Development Day—aka in-service—on Feb. 18 at All Saints Church and Knoxville Catholic High School.
The day began with Mass at All Saints celebrated by Bishop Mark Beckman and continued at the high school with a keynote talk, lunch, and breakout sessions.
Concelebrating the Mass were Father Randy Stice of KCHS; Father Ray Powell, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge; Father Michael Cummins, pastor of St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport; Father Chris Michelson, president of St. Joseph School in Knoxville and special adviser to the president of KCHS, Father Jorge Mejia, an associate pastor of All Saints; and Father Ron Nuzzi, the keynote speaker, a priest of the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, and a veteran educator.
The parishes of Father Powell and Father Cummins have schools, St. Mary in Oak Ridge and St. Dominic in Kingsport.
Deacon Joe Stackhouse was deacon of the Word at Mass, and Deacon David Lucheon was deacon of the altar.
“It is so good to be together to celebrate as educators the gift of the faith the Lord has given us as we hand that faith on to the next generation,” Bishop Beckman said at the start of Mass. “I want to welcome all of you this morning as we gather
‘you who chose me but I who chose you . . . to bear fruit that will remain’
Bishop and school leaders Diocesan principals and presidents pose with Bishop Mark Beckman and George Valadie (far right), interim superintendent of Catholic Schools, before Mass at All Saints Church on in-service day Feb. 18. With the bishop and Mr. Valadie are (from left) Bonnie Saleh, principal, St. Dominic; Dickie Sompayrac, president, Knoxville Catholic; Caroline Carlin, principal, Our Lady of Perpetual Help; Kelly Mechelke, principal, St. John Neumann; Mary Sue Kosky, principal, Sacred Heart; Becky Frye, principal, St. Mary, Johnson City; Eric Schexnaildre, president, Notre Dame; Sister Mary John Slonkosky, OP, principal, St. Mary, Oak Ridge; and Andy Zengel, principal, St. Joseph. Not pictured is Joshua Overton, principal, St. Jude.
for a day of in-service and also want to thank the people of All Saints who are joining us for the regular daily Mass for welcoming so many of us extra folks this morning.”
‘Still learning from the Lord’ The bishop referred in his homily to the day’s Gospel from Mark 8:1421. The disciples were with Jesus in a boat, and they were worried because they had brought no bread— despite already having seen Jesus feed thousands on two occasions.
“He asks them a couple of ques-
tions: ‘do you have eyes and you don’t see and ears and you don’t hear?” Bishop Beckman said. “I wonder how many of you all have been in a classroom where you’ve given instructions to your students, and afterward you think, ‘do you have eyes and you don’t see and ears and you don’t hear?’ The experience of not understanding—a teacher knows that experience, don’t you? And sometimes you’re told a week later, ‘well, you told us last week dot-dot-dot,’ and you know good and well you did not say, ‘dot-dot-
dot’ last week, right? It was something else you had said to them.”
The bishop said he was “struck by the fact that the disciples, like all of us, have to go through a process of learning, and what they are learning unfolds slowly over time, doesn’t it?”
“‘You’ve been with me all of this time, and still you don’t understand.’ They’re afraid that they didn’t bring enough bread with them,” Bishop Beckman said. “And Jesus has fed thousands, not once In-service continued on page
Students’ turn to speak Chesterton Academy headmaster Zach Summers turned over the microphone at the Pearl Gala to sophomore Felicity Weber and freshman Danny Davis, who spoke about their experiences at the school.
catholicity, and at any point our recognition could be withdrawn, and we will be under the supervision of the superintendent of Catholic Schools. We will be part of the diocesan Catholic Schools, but they will respect our autonomy. They serve to some extent as advisers, but they keep us from in any way violating our catholicity. If you look at the bylaws our school has, which come directly from the Chesterton Schools Network, we ourselves say that if we ever violate our catholicity, we would hope and expect that the local diocese would hold us accountable.”
Chesterton has nine students enrolled with nine more slotted for next year, Mr. Summers said. The curriculum is officially a ninth- and 10th-grade one, but students in ninth through 12th grades may enroll, he added.
“We’re hoping for more,” he said. “Our goal is 30, starting in the fall of 2025.”
Silent, live, and raise-the-paddle auctions at the gala raised more than $177,000 for Chesterton Academy.
Father Neil Blatchford, spiritual adviser for Chesterton and associate pastor of St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge, led the blessing before the meal at the event. Also attending were Father Danny Herman, an associate pastor at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, and Father Jeff Baker of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. John Toliver
emceed the gala.
Five Benedictine Daughters of Divine Will who live in Blount County attended the gala: Mother Gabrielle Marie, Sister Megan, Sister Jacinta, Sister Faustina, and Sister Christine, the latter of whom spoke on her experience as a Chesterton student.
Mr. Summers began the gala with his headmaster’s year in review.
“Every classical charter school in the country has a waitlist. Over 39 new classical schools launched this year, seven of which were Chesterton Academies,” he said. “Sixtytwo Chesterton Academies are in operation internationally, with an additional 20 slated to open in the next two years. The future is classical, bequeathing an education that is the end, not just the means, that prepares our children not just for what they are going to be in the world but who.”
Mr. Summers told the “friends of Chesterton, fellow Crusaders, that I am here in humility and awe and gratitude to God for the gift the school has become. In just two years, Chesterton Academy has become known for its catholicity, forming souls fit for the kingdom of heaven, seeking the heart of God in every subject and expressing their love for him in every heart. It has pushed past the walls of its one-room schoolhouse in East Knoxville to a standalone building in West Knoxville, sitting on two acres of land that our students play freely on every day, including Wiffle ball Wednesdays.”
Chesterton graduated its first two
in the Gospel of Mark but already twice by this point. And they’re in the boat and still don’t understand that the Lord will indeed take care of them, but they do not need to worry about such things.
“All of us throughout our entire life know that we are still learning from the Lord. Our situations in the boat may be different than the original Twelve, but we have to rediscover when we meet those moments in our own lives, when fear or anxiety overcomes us, that we trust the Lord, that He will indeed provide for us, that we are not alone in the boat.”
That is “why our Catholic schools are so important,” the bishop said.
“You all are beginning this lifelong journey with our pre-K kids all the way through high school, to help them to begin to discover not only the important knowledge that they need to be successful in this life but also to become the kinds of persons that God created them to be,” he said. “Those skills that are apt for a good disciple of the Lord, and the foundation for all of those skills is trusting the Lord. If we don’t trust Him, then we can’t follow Him very well, and if we don’t follow Him, we can’t hear what He’s saying to us, and if we don’t hear what He’s saying to us, we can’t put it into practice. We need the Lord at every moment of the way.
“One of the most profound experiences that our young people have is that gift of learning that they are created by a God who is caring for them at every step of the way and is also giving them what they need to become the persons He created them to be.”
Bishop Beckman asked his listeners at All Saints to do a little reflection.
“I want all of you for a moment just to think back to your own experience
students this year, the headmaster said. He referred to the school’s house system, based on the traditions of Oxford and Cambridge, and said Chesterton has had “80 Masses on-site, the addition of a math and science teacher, thus doubling our curriculum . . . the addition of a cross country team, our dance attendance doubling in number, nine committed visiting priests, weekly adoration and biweekly confession, a Fine Arts Night with choral performances, our first play last spring, the majority of our students placing with honors on the National Latin Exam, our school placing in the first percentile on the Classic Learning Test, one of the top 20 in the nation. It is clear that this saint-making model works. It’s making a differ-
ence not just in our students’ lives but in the community at large.”
Mr. Summers’ announcement about Bishop Beckman’s recognition of the school drew applause and cheers, as did a further mention that Chesterton faculty would take part in the diocesan schools’ in-service on Feb. 18.
“The tide is turning. Gazing at our school daily, I am still in awe of the ministry that was once a dream, students that were just prayers,” Mr. Summers said. “But the work is not over. This dream and these prayers must be preserved and protected. This academy is something worth waking up to every day. That is the Chesterton difference: something worth fighting for. I hope you will
of high school or in grade school or elementary school. You think back to the memories of your teachers, your coaches, the administrators in your school,” he said. “It’s probably not some specific lesson that you remember the most about those people, but it’s probably the kind of person they were that impacted you throughout the entire year or years that they were your teacher or your coach or the administrator in your school. All of us are invited to become the kinds of persons that shape young people in a way that brings the light of Christ to their hearts so that that light can radiate out to the world.”
The bishop again repeated Christ’s words.
“Do you have eyes to see and ears to hear? Do you have a heart of understanding? All of us are still disciples,” he said. “We’re still learning from the Lord daily, but if we do, then the Lord will use us as channels to touch the lives of our students.”
In his first few months as shepherd of the Church in East Tennessee, Bishop Beckman visited all eight elementary schools and both high schools in the diocese.
“I will say, having had the opportunity now to visit all of the schools in the diocese, how deeply moved I am about what I’ve witnessed so far. You all are a beautiful community of educators that is really making a profound impact in the world today. Thank you for what you are doing,” he said. “Continue to let the Lord use you. Continue to say yes to that great and noble call. All of us, individually and as a community of faith, have the opportunity—with God’s grace—to do great good for God, so may the Lord who has begun this good work in us bring it to its fulfillment.”
‘Jailers throughout’ George Valadie, interim superin-
tendent of Catholic schools in the diocese, led a round of applause at the end of Mass for Bishop Beckman, the priests, deacons, and musicians.
Moments later, as he spoke in the St. Gregory the Great Auditorium at KCHS, Mr. Valadie said the quiet part out loud as to why the gathering of educators was there.
“I want to thank you all for coming. I don’t know why I said that— we made you come,” he said to laughter.
Mr. Valadie asked principals and assistant principals to raise their hands.
“Everybody look around—see, we’ve stationed the jailers throughout the compound,” he said.
The interim superintendent began his assignment last July 1.
“One of the things that gave me pause when I was considering this position was knowing that I would be responsible for planning this day, and that all of you would be here and you would be judging,” Mr.
Valadie said. “I’ve attended the day often and spoken at it once, but I’ve never organized it.
“There’s one quote that has been constantly rolling through my head that one of my teachers sent me a few years ago. It says, ‘The irony of professional development is that most of it is facilitated by people who left the classroom because they were tired of things like professional development.’”
All kidding aside, Mr. Valadie said, “I do appreciate you being here. Thanks for investing some of yourself in the day, and especially of course thanks for what you do every single day. This is the part of the day where we would normally begin with prayer, but I’m not even going to try to compete with Bishop’s homily, so how about if I just said, ‘Dear God, thank you for our new bishop.’ Can I get an amen?”
Mr. Valadie welcomed teachers
from the Chesterton Academy of St.
Chesterton
DAN MCWILLIAMS (3)
Annual report Founding headmaster Zach Summers of Chesterton Academy gives his year in review at the Pearl Gala.
In-service continued from page B1
DAN MCWILLIAMS
Chesterton continued on page B3
Items available A Pearl Gala attendee looks over the items in the silent auction at the event.
Chesterton testimony Sister Christine of the Benedictine Daughters of Divine Will speaks at the Pearl Gala on her Chesterton student days.
Homily for educators Bishop Mark Beckman delivers his homily at All Saints Church during Mass at the beginning of the in-service day Feb. 18.
join us in that fight.”
Sister Christine, a graduate of the first Chesterton Academy when it was located in Edina, Minn. (it’s now in Hopkins, Minn.), took the microphone next.
“I am just so grateful for Chesterton. It’s really and truly where I found my vocation to be a religious Sister, to be a bride of Christ,” she said. “It’s kind of like a monastery, honestly, going to Chesterton, because you have Mass and you have adoration and you have confession. You have this time of fellowship to learn and to study and to grow in faith. I just know it’s changed my life in so many ways.
Sister Christine said she is still close to her Chesterton classmates, one of whom is in seminary.
“A lot of them are having babies right now and having beautiful Catholic families,” she said. “It’s just brought so much fruit, and I know right now it’s spreading like
wildfire everywhere. People are so thirsty for this kind of education, this way of life, to bringing God in everything, and that’s what led me to the Divine Will, too, just seeing God in all the subjects and all the learning and in each person. It’s a beautiful school and a beautiful opportunity to support life and to support God and His goodness and His beauty. I’m so grateful for God for allowing Chesterton to bloom and grow.”
Sister Christine became a novice on her 25th birthday March 2 and received a new religious name, Sister Angela Marie of the Most Holy Trinity.
Alex Weber, chairman of the board at Chesterton and also a Holy Ghost parishioner, introduced the silent auction.
“I’m so grateful for all of you coming and sharing this mission and sharing this vision with us,” he said.
Mr. Weber told a story of a brick-
layer who said he was building the wall for a cathedral.
“This is so much more than a silent auction. Thank you for every brick that’s been laid when you faculty members graded papers late at night, students when you worked on papers late at night,” he said. “Thank you for the moments of generosity: of chaperoning events or providing a silent auction. That is more than a brick; it’s more than a wall. What we’re building here today is the eternal city of God. I feel so honored and so privileged to be here.”
Mr. Weber mentioned a talk he had with Father Baker at the restaurant Soccer Taco.
“This dream started at Soccer Taco tables and headmaster living rooms and crowded coffee shops,” he said. “Where it is today is not where it began, and what it will be is not what we are today. We want a school that creates saints for God for generations to come. Think 100 years. Think 200 years. We want you to give generously tonight not to us but to our grandchildren and to our great-grandchildren. Help us build a cathedral to almighty God.”
my of Knoxville’s storefront origins. “We were so excited about that storefront . . . in the industrial part of East Tennessee,” Mr. Weber said. “When we drove up to it, it was glorious: ‘wow, we have a place to teach these students,’ and we even found a way to fit an altar in there and somehow taught four different grades in two different rooms. God bless you, all of you faculty. Where we are today is not that, but isn’t it great how God starts small? . . . On behalf of the faculty, on behalf of the board of the Knoxville Chesterton Academy, we want to say thank you. We want you to feel compelled by faith, hope, and love to give a lot of money tonight,” he said to laughter. “Join us in building this cathedral.”
The Chesterton choir, led by the school’s music teacher, Mary C. Weaver, performed at the gala. The group of eight sang Ave Regina caelorum, a Marian chant, and Non nobis Domine by William Byrd.
“Ave Regina caelorum is one of four Marian antiphons sung throughout the year during Compline, or night prayer,” Mrs. Weaver said. “This Marian hymn is sung from Feb. 3,
Felicity Weber, MaryGrace Arowood, and Jenna Witkemper. Not pictured is Rhett DuPont. Chesterton continued on page B10
Margaret Clitherow in Knoxville, the newest diocesan school (see story that begins on page B1).
The superintendent thanked the faculty and staff of Knoxville Catholic “who will allow us to invade their space, go into their classrooms, and touch their things—you know how you all hate that!”
Before the in-service, teachers and staff were sent the verse from John 15:16.
“I’m hoping the day will allow you to ponder the verse from Scripture: ‘it is not you who chose me but I who chose you . . . to bear fruit that will remain,’” Mr. Valadie said.
The woman at the well
He then spoke of the popular Christian TV series “The Chosen.” One episode depicted Jesus meeting the woman at Jacob’s Well, then flashed back to the time of Jacob, when he was looking for water on a mountaintop and a skeptical stranger came along.
The stranger said. “Of all the gods you could choose from, you pick one who’s invisible, whose promises take generations to come true, one with no temple, one who causes you to live the life of a sojourner, causing you to wander into strange places like this. He is your God? That’s a strange choice, my friend,’” Mr. Valadie quoted. “And Jacob replies, ‘We did not choose Him.’ And right then, his sons holler out, ‘Father!’ They have struck water on top of the mountain. . . . Jacob smiles, looks at the stranger, and says, ‘We did not choose Him. He chose us.’” Everyone has “met the stranger,” Mr. Valadie said, “the person who doesn’t understand us, the person with all the questions. Now, the stranger may have looked like your mother or your father or your grandparents, maybe a neighbor or a college classmate.
“But someone along the way has asked you a very similar question, probably sounded liked this, ‘Let me get this straight. Of all the jobs you could have picked, you picked one with crappy pay, endless hours, duties you could have never imagined, working with crazy kids,
nuttier parents, a job where it takes years to see the fruits of your labor, this job that expects so much of you—you picked this job? That is a strange choice, my friend.’”
“Has anyone ever said that to you? Absolutely,” Mr. Valadie added. “They said it to me. My wife said it to me multiple times! And though it feels awkward probably to say it out loud, and I doubt maybe that you’ve ever said it out loud, but you know this as much as anything you’ve ever known in your whole life. Our answer is Jacob’s answer: ‘We did not choose this. He chose us.’”
In-service day may have had one advantage the teachers would not admit to their young charges.
“Let me ask this: how many, when you woke up this morning, thought to yourself, ‘I’m not excited to go to this thing, but at least it’s a day we don’t have kids,” Mr. Valadie said. “And when you thought that thought, which is everybody, be honest—it wasn’t all the kids who popped into your mind. It was just ‘those two.’ It sounded crass to say it to yourself, even: ‘I don’t really want to go to this thing, but at least I don’t have “those two” kids today.’
It just sounds bad.
“You know the two I’m talking about, but you also know this: those two hellions are one of the main reasons He chose you. And the kids who hang out at your desk. They find you between classes. They seek you out on the playground. The ones you can’t get rid of. The ones who believe they have no gifts, no skills, no talent. The awkward ones unable to connect, with hardly any friends at all. They are the reasons God called you.”
Before the keynote talk, Mr. Valadie recognized diocesan school teachers, principals, and staff with 25 or more years of service (see photos and caption on page B5). Bishop Beckman presented their awards to them.
‘This Snowman Is Holy’
Mr. Weber referred to Mr. Summers’ mention of Chesterton Acade-
an auditorium full
“It’s so good to be with you. It’s great to share in your professional development day and pray with you,” Father Nuzzi began. “I was very happy to accept George’s invitation to share a little today and contribute some ideas that I hope will bolster and support your ministry here in Knoxville and in the 10 Catholic schools that are yours. I’ve playfully called what I’d like to contribute today ‘This Snowman Is Holy: Incarnational Aspects of Catholic Education.’”
Father Nuzzi said he would end his talk by discussing snow, something South Bend, Ind., the area he lives in, receives an average of 120 inches of annually.
The keynoter admitted he likes August and October in-services as well as Advent retreats more than February in-services.
“February, I don’t know. . . . But I have to say, all things considered, having been with you for Mass and a little brunch and seeing you now, you look pretty good . . . most of you,” he said.
continued from page B2 In-service continued on page B7
Father Nuzzi, the keynoter, has a doctorate in education administration and has served much of his priesthood in assignments in education at a number of institutions, including the University of Notre Dame.
Father Nuzzi said he “loves the rhythm of the academic calendar. I’ve always told my students that the ups and downs of the school year are ways of dying and rising with Christ. And February—well, you know, it’s the Wednesday of the months. You sort of have to get through it, right?”
Before getting into the heart of his talk, Father Nuzzi unveiled his “teacher identification instrument,” which he described as “a tool to determine in a random group of people if there are any teachers present.” Father Nuzzi’s audience assisted him by saying, “you know you are a teacher if,” before each of his statements. A teacher can be ID’ed if he or she “wants to hurt the next person who says to you, ‘must be nice working 8 to 2:30 and having summers free,’” Father Nuzzi said, or if teachers “can tell there’s a full moon without looking outside,” “believe that caffeine in all of its forms— chocolate, coffee, cola—is a major food group,” “laugh uncontrollably when visitors to the building, including parents, call the faculty room ‘the lounge’ and (teachers) will eat just about anything left in that lounge,” “grade papers in the car, during commercials, sitting up in bed, even during in-service days,” “snap your fingers in public at kids you don’t even know,” “have difficulty naming your own children,” and “at home you offer encouragement to your spouse by saying, ‘Aren’t you a good helper?’” The teacher-identification instrument isn’t just “to make you laugh, although it’s good to hear you laugh,” Father Nuzzi said. “I begin
Live painting Sonia Summers works on a painting of G.K. Chesterton during the Pearl Gala that was auctioned for $1,000 later in the evening.
Crusader choir Mary C. Weaver, music director at Chesterton Academy, leads a student choir at the Pearl Gala. From left are Miles McKinney, Luke Walsh, Danny Davis, Sarah Daigle, Erin Walsh,
In-service
DAN MCWILLIAMS
DAN MCWILLIAMS (2)
Keynote speaker Father Ron Nuzzi addresses
of Diocese of Knoxville educators at the in-service day Feb. 18.
Chattanooga Deanery Holy Spirit, Soddy-Daisy
Monsignor Al Humbrecht’s next book study will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at the church. The book is The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates. To register, call the church at 423-332-5300 or e-mail hscc_parish@holyspirittn.com
St. Bridget, Dayton
Knights of Columbus Council 11424 is sponsoring a St. Patrick’s Day party following the 5:30 p.m. Mass on Saturday, March 15. Attendees are asked to bring a dish.
The Women’s Council spring bake sale and bazaar is set for 1 to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 22, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 23. Baked goods, spring crafts, décor, and various starter plants will be featured. The council is once again hosting “Soup and Stations” on Fridays of Lent at 6 p.m.
St. Jude, Chattanooga
An altar-server training, with pizza served afterward, took place March 12.
The Knights of Columbus, in conjunction with the Respect Life Ministry, will host Dave Buck, executive director of the Chattanooga Autism Center, at their parish social Monday, March 24. Mr. Buck will give an overview of neurodiversity and autism, followed by a Q-and-A. Dinner is at 6:30 p.m. with the presentation from 7 to 7:30.
St. Mary, Athens
The parish is awarding college scholarships for the 11th year. Applications will be accepted through Monday, March 31. Applications and rules may be picked up in the parish office or in the back of the church, or they may be viewed at saintmaryathens.org. The scholarship program is open to any incoming college freshman or returning college student from Meigs, McMinn, Monroe, or Polk counties.
St. Stephen, Chattanooga
All women of the parish are invited to attend the annual Ladies Recognition Tea on Tuesday, April 8. The event honors parish women for their character, courage, and commitment. Nominees are being taken to honor one female parishioner age 45 or older for her volunteer service to St. Stephen and/or the community. Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. in the large parish hall, followed by the tea in the small parish hall. RSVP to Sherry in the parish office at 423-892-126, extension 4. Recommended attire is party casual.
The 17th annual St. Stephen Golf Tournament will be held at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 3, at Brainerd Golf Course.
The Knights of Columbus recently named Craig Bodnar as Knight of the month and Joe and Joy Reinert as family of the month.
Anniversaries: Gene and Peggy Delett (59), Frank and Anna Anthony (57), Paul and Corazon Martin (25) Cumberland Mountain Deanery
All Saints, Knoxville
Deacon Tim Elliott’s Theology Uncorked series continues from 6 to 8 p.m. in the parish hall on the following dates and topics: Thursday, April 10, “I’m With You,” on solidarity, and Thursday, June 19, “We’ve Got to Get Back to the Garden,” on care for God’s creation.
Blessed Sacrament, Harriman
The annual St. Patrick’s Day Potluck Party will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday, March 16, in the church hall. A signup sheet to bring a side or dessert is in the narthex. The parish will provide meat for the meal.
The Roane Choral Society performed a “Songs of Ireland” concert March 9 at the Princess Theatre in Harriman in memory of longtime Blessed Sacrament parishioner Louanne Bennett. Mrs. Bennett, who died at her home
in Rockwood on May 30, 2023, was also a longtime member of the choral society and served as its business manager and treasurer.
A Men of the Word Bible study, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, began March 3 and will continue through April 14.
Blessed Sacrament has a box in the church hall for donations of teddy bears, which Roane County Sheriff’s Office deputies give to comfort children in distress.
St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade
The parish has contributed to a special icon of Mary that was installed Feb.18 in the sanctuary next to the crucifix. The artist, Sabiha Mujtaba of Chrysalis Woodworks, delivered and installed the icon after working on it for a year and half.
St. Francis of Assisi honored the Blessed Mother at all Masses on Feb. 22-23, with special prayers, white vestments, Marian hymns, and receptions following in the parish hall. All ministries that pray the rosary before their meetings were present for the liturgies, and those who have made the act of consecration renewed the consecration at all of the Masses.
The parish gave a special thanks and blessing to Jack and Virginia Smith for the work they have done the last 15 years managing the Christmas Giving Tree committee for schoolchildren. They will no longer be able to continue in their role, but Kathy Small will stay on and help out with the program.
John Wedgworth, president of Fairfield Glade Resident Services, was the guest speaker at the Council of Catholic Women’s meeting Feb. 12.
The Grief Support Group began helping those who have lost loved ones with grief-share sessions that began Feb. 18 and will end May 20, meeting at 9 a.m. in the parish library. The sessions include a weekly video, a workbook, and group discussions. For more information, call Mary Hall King at 931-210-0107 or Brett Petro at 931-200-9739.
The traveling Blessed Mother Mary statue offers an opportunity for evangelizing and sharing Mary with family and friends. For information on the ministry, call Reene Petro at 614352-4997 or Christina Seaman at 707-267-5078.
St. Francis of Assisi has become a conference of the Knoxville District Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and the group is recruiting members.
The parish enjoyed its first-ever Trivia Night on Feb. 15 after the vigil Mass.
The well-attended event featured pizza, and the parish is looking forward to another Trivia Night.
Anniversaries: Salvatore and Lois D’Addona (68), Tony and Gay Moreno (56), Michael and Elizabeth Fagan (52), Richard and Terri Patefield (40), Harold and Barbara Beck (35), David and Jean Pentz (35)
St. John Neumann, Farragut
The parish conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society is holding a spring food drive to benefit the Ladies of Charity of Knoxville. A number of items as well as cash donations and gift cards will be collected before all Masses on the weekend of March 22-23.
A Newcomer’s Event held over three sessions will introduce people to the church, the community, and each other. Sessions are set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, April 2, 9, and 23, in the school library. An RSVP is helpful for planning purposes; contact Lisa Gaertner at gaertner819@gmail.com to RSVP or learn more.
A Parish Business Fair on Feb. 9 in the school gym offered those attending a chance to explore the businesses, services, and charities owned by SJN
Parish notes continued on page B8
Top finishers named in Father Charlie Chili Cook-Off Knights of Columbus Council 8576 and the Council of Catholic Women sponsored the annual Father Charlie Chili Cook-Off on Jan. 27 in Siener Hall at St. Jude Church in Chattanooga. Fourteen people entered their chili recipes, and the large crowd attending dined on a variety of chilis as well as hot dogs, desserts, and more.
Pictured from left in the top photo are Gary Gabor, Grand Knight; Garrick Hall, third-place finisher in the Cook-Off; Malu Bautista, first place; Mary Jo Densmore, second place; and Clinton Goodwin, the Knight who coordinated the event. The Cook-Off is named for Father Charlie Burton, St. Jude’s longtime pastor.
Celebration of Love at St. Joseph Church
The Council of Catholic Women of St. Joseph Parish in Norris honored couples celebrating 50 years of marriage at a Celebration of Love event Feb. 23 in the social hall. Each couple received a cross made by parishioners John Froning and Dick Shriver. Couples recognized were Jim and Toni Ferguson, Mike and Barbara Ford, Larry and Alice Peterson, Eric and Linda Rauch, Jack and Lynnette Currie, Chuck and Cynthia Edrington, Randy and Pat Garver, Richard and Mary Ann Toennisson, and Deacon Bill and Ginger Frere. Couples who celebrated 50 years of marriage in 2020 who are still in the parish are Paul and Pandy Blihar, David and Maureen Bounds, Mel and Lucy Brown, Dennis and Judy Curtin, Bill and Margaret Donaldson, John and Beverly Froning, and George and Susan Miceli.
Chesterton
Academy Sidewalk Chalk Festival returns March 29
The Chesterton Chalk Madonnari/Sidewalk Chalk Festival and Competition returns Saturday, March 29, to raise funds for the fine arts department at Chesterton Academy in Knoxville.
The event is set for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the school at 217 Fox Road, Knoxville.
Jim Dodson of Dogwood Arts (last year’s judge) will again sponsor the “Best in Show” award.
Artists of all ages are invited to register to compete for prizes in various categories. While chalk festivals across the country and the world have gained popularity, one of the oldest traditions, called “madonnari,” dates back to the 16th century in Italy, when traveling artists who worked on cathedrals then recreated masterpieces of the same imagery on city streets. Various family-friendly imagery is welcome; however, in the ma-
donnari tradition, this festival encourages the recreation of Catholic and/or classical imagery. All details can be found at knox chesterton.com, and questions regarding participation or sponsorship can be directed to sonia@ knoxchesterton.com ■
COURTESY OF SALLY JACKSON
COURTESY OF LAURA BRYANT (2)
COURTESY OF SONIA SUMMERS
The annual Chrism Mass will be celebrated at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. At the Chrism Mass, diocesan priests renew their priestly vows. Bishop Mark Beckman will bless the sacred chrism, the oil of catechumens, and the oil of the sick that will be used in parishes of the diocese for the next year. The Mass will be livestreamed on the cathedral’s YouTube page at www. youtube.com/@shcathedral
The diocesan Office of Vocations is holding a Men’s Discernment Group for men interested in discerning if God is calling them to the priesthood. The group will be hosted by Father Mark Schuster from 9 a.m. to noon on fourth Saturdays in the St. John Paul II Conference Room at the Chancery office in Knoxville, with the next meeting March 22. There will be a Zoom option for those not in the Knoxville area. Register at forms.office.com/r/CmSwudiVnf
Bishop Mark Beckman will lead a Lenten retreat from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga. The event is open to anyone who would like to benefit from the words of the diocese’s shepherd on how to fully live the passion of the Lord in the view of Lent.
The Fulton Sheen Society invites families to an evening of reflection and fellowship from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 29, at All Saints Church in Knoxville. The meeting will be in the parish hall, with the talk running 45 minutes to an hour, followed by food and fellowship. Free child care will be provided in the nursery during the talk and pizza after the talk. A side item or drink is requested for families to bring to help round out the meal. The Fulton Sheen Society is a ministry focused on strengthening marriages and families. The society is named after Venerable Fulton Sheen, who encouraged families to grow in faith using modern technology. To learn more about the Fulton Sheen Society, contact Christine Blair at christine.h.blair@gmail.com
The St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic is hosting a volunteer orientation from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, March 14, at the SMLC warehouse, 10919 Carmichael Road in Knoxville, for any interested new or current volunteers. The orientation will consist of important training and offer a good time to get trained on all volunteer roles. Those interested in taking part should contact Bri Vinyard at 865-212-5570 or bvinyard@smlcares.com
The Smoky Mountain Deanery Council of Catholic Women will have a general meeting Saturday, March 15, at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m., followed by a catered luncheon in the Shea Room. New officers will be installed, and four young women will be named finalists in the deanery Golden Rose program.
St. Mary Parish in Johnson City will hold a parish Lenten retreat on Saturday, March 15. The retreat will be led by Sister Scholastica Niemann, OP, and Sister Madeline Rose Kraemer, OP. The topic, “Becoming Pilgrims of Hope,” was chosen because of the Jubilee Year. Mass will be at 8:30 a.m. with the conferences to follow in the lower level. The day will conclude with a holy hour.
The Sts. Francis & Clare Fraternity of the Secular Franciscans is holding a “come and see” meeting at noon Saturday, March 15, in the library at St. John Neumann School in Farragut. The Secular Franciscan Order is made up of lay men and women, married or single, who follow Christ in the footsteps of St. Francis. Secular Franciscans make a commitment to “follow the Gospel and go from Gospel to life and life to Gospel.” The process starts with a come-and-see. Orientation, inquiry, and candidacy are the steps that follow before profession. The requirements to join the order are to be Catholic, attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation, pray the Liturgy of the Hours, learn, and participate in monthly fraternity meetings. For more information, call Terry at 423-533-2360 or Jean at 865-250-3005 or visit saintsfrancis andclareknoxville.com
Catholic Charities of East Tennessee programs and services will receive proceeds from the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Knoxville, set for 1 p.m. Saturday, March 15. The day also includes a festival with food, games, and more for the whole family. The parade will be staged at the Civic Coliseum and continue past the Bijou Theatre, the Tennessee Theatre, Krutch Park, and the Regal Riviera movie theater toward Summit Hill before it disbands near the corner of Gay Street and West Magnolia Avenue. Visit knoxstpatricks parade.com to learn more, sponsor, participate, or volunteer.
All women are invited to attend the spring general meeting of the Cumberland Mountain Deanery Council of Catholic Women from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, March 20, at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City. Deacon Tim Elliott will speak on “A Year of Favor,” offering a history of the Jubilee Year in the Church. The agenda for the day includes a business meeting at 11:15 a.m., lunch at 12:15 p.m., Deacon Elliott’s talk at 1, and a Communion service and installation of officers at 2. Cost for lunch is $10, payable at the door. RSVP to Teri Cleary at dontericleary@gmail.com
The annual Pro-Life Day on the Hill sponsored by Tennessee Right to Life, is set to begin Tuesday, March 25, at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum, 401 Gay St. in Nashville. Doors open at 8 a.m., followed by a program at 9 and lunch at 11:30. Cost to attend is $40. Register or learn about sponsorship opportunities at www.tnrtl.org/ prolifeday2025
Catholic Charities of East Tennessee will hold the second of its two annual fundraising dinners, with Bishop Mark Beckman as keynote speaker, as the Creators of Hope Celebration will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 27, in Chattanooga. The site is the Whiskey Thief rooftop lounge at the Edwin Hotel. Register at ccetn.org/ events/. The event will feature food, drinks, and live entertainment as well as presentations that showcase Catholic Charities programs and the clients who benefit from them.
Those experiencing emotional or spiritual difficulties from a past abortion are invited to attend a Catholic Charities Rachel’s Vineyard healing and recovery retreat on the weekend of March 28-30 at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton. Complete confidentiality is honored at all times. The deadline for registration is Friday, March 21. For more information, contact Sandi Davidson at 865776-4510 or sandi@ccetn.org
A Lenten parish mission will take place Wednesday through Sunday, April 2-6, at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville. Father Abraham Vettuvelil, MSFS, former superior general of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales Congregation, will come from Rome to conduct the mission. All are welcome to attend. The mission will begin with a Mass at 6 p.m. on April 2, followed by a soup supper sponsored by parish youth and an introduction to the mission. The schedule for April 3 offers a Mass at 8:30 a.m., a 6 p.m. talk by Father Vettuvelil, and a 7 p.m. holy hour. April 4 will begin with Mass at 8:30 a.m., a Sacred Heart devotion, and a holy hour and Benediction. The Knights of Columbus fish fry will be held from 4 to 6 p.m., followed by a 6:30 p.m. talk by Father Vettuvelil and Stations of the Cross at 7:30 p.m., led by the youth. The Saturday schedule includes Mass at 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. After morning Mass will be a rosary led by the Council of Catholic Women, two 45-minute talks, a holy hour with confessions, and lunch. The retreat will conclude Sunday with Masses at 8 and 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., with a talk with religiouseducation students also planned. For more information, e-mail Susan Collins at susan@notredametn.org
Knights of Columbus Council 11424 from St. Bridget Parish in Dayton will hold the annual Bunky Jones Memorial Golf Tournament on Thursday, April 3, at Dayton Golf & Country Club.
Calendar continued on page B8
Veteran educators honored during in-service day
At the in-service day Feb. 18 (see story that begins on page B1), all teachers and other staff who had worked for diocesan Catholic schools for 25 or more years were recognized by George Valadie, interim superintendent of schools, and Bishop Mark Beckman, who presented an award to each honoree. Among those accepting awards were (clockwise from top left) Cleo Gravitt of Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga, who has 25 years of service; Dickie Sompayrac, president of Knoxville Catholic High School, 26 years; Karin Miller, St. Mary School in Johnson City, 32 years; and Debbie Houbre, St. Joseph School in Knoxville, 32 years. The longest-serving employee is Mary Curtiss of the cafeteria staff at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Chattanooga, who has worked for Diocese of Knoxville schools for 45 years. Also recognized were: 41 years—Carleen Evans, OLPH; 38 years—Maria del Rosario Gonzalez, St. Mary School, Oak Ridge; 35 years—Steve Souder, KCHS; 34 years—Kelly Rexrode, Sacred Heart Cathedral School, Knoxville; 33 years—Susan Grow, NDHS; 32 years—Dawn Harbin, KCHS; 31 years—Rita Cook, St. Joseph; 30 years—Bridget Cannon, St. Joseph; 29 years—Connie McCutcheon, NDHS; 28 years—Kari Ingle, OLPH; 27 years—Mollie Krueger, St. Joseph; Sedonna Prater, KCHS; Ashley Remeta, St. John Neumann School, Farragut; Jennifer Shaffer, Sacred Heart; 26 years— Vickie Ault, St. Joseph; Kathleen Dorman, St. John Neumann; Jo-Anne Powers, St. Mary-Johnson City; 25 years—Ashley Lawrence, KCHS; Lucinda Millard, St. Jude School, Chattanooga; and Howie Sompayrac, St. Joseph.
Kingsport Knights hold free-throw competition
Knights of Columbus Council 6992 at St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport held a basketball free-throw competition Jan. 29 in the parish life center. The girls winner was Vera Fain, and the boys winner was Lucas Bass. Both are fifth-graders at St. Dominic School. They are pictured with (above, from left) Grand Knight Kevin Musser, district deputy Dave Austin, and Faith in Action community chair Bill Hewitt. At left, Lucas eyes the basket as he prepares to shoot during the competition.
DAN MCWILLIAMS (4)
COURTESY OF BILL HEWITT (2)
COURTESY OF RALEIGH COOPER
St. Jude Knights name family of the year
Knights of Columbus Council 8576 at St. Jude Parish in Chattanooga recently selected David and wife Mary Jo Densmore as its family of the year. Presenting the award is Grand Knight Gary Gabor (left) with St. Jude associate pastor Father Alex Waraksa. Mr. Densmore is the inside guard for the council, and Mrs. Densmore is active with the Legion of Mary and the Bereavement Ministry at St. Jude. Both contribute their considerable culinary skills any time the parish or Knights council has an event.
Praying
for Perspective by George
Valadie
Lenten ‘madness’ can make us all better
The fight for spiritual growth is harder when the opponent is ourselves
Ilove “March Madness.” Our whole family does. If you’re not familiar, it’s a phrase that originated at the high-school level, but once uttered on national TV has since become synonymous with the seasonending NCAA men’s and women’s basketball championship tournaments due to begin any day now.
With games scheduled over three consecutive extended weekends (Thursdays through Mondays) at arenas across the country, fans and non-fans alike host and attend watch parties on the weekends as well as finding ways to clandestinely tune in during the work week.
And I’m not talking about stealing a few minutes here and there. According to a 2024 study, employers lost close to $17.3 billion in workplace productivity during last year’s men’s tournament alone.
That’s a lot of sneaky minutes.
The NCAA likes it that way. The more eyes they can get to watch, the more sponsor and broadcast rights money they earn with reports of having taken in over $1 billion last year from these three weeks alone.
So, the NCAA is happy to be complicit in our cheating. For years they have even included a “Boss Button” on their streaming platform so that one quick click when your supervisor is approaching will switch your computer screen from the basketball game you’re watching to something that appears to be work—fake spreadsheets, fake e-mails with the latest version looking like and even referred to as BossGPT.
TEmployers aren’t the only ones losing money. Fans wagered almost $2.7 billion last year alone. Not all of them won.
I’m guilty.
I’ve been known to log in to my laptop and have wagered an annual $20 bill or two on a bracket challenge, trying to pick the eventual national champions.
For the typical sports fan, this is all kind of a big deal—136 teams, 134 games, seven rounds, three weekends, two tournaments, two champions.
And seriously, even if you know nothing about basketball, you should still take a shot (pardon the pun).
Among other incredible contests, Quicken Loans and its insurer, Berkshire-Hathaway (Warren Buffett), have been known to offer a $1 billion prize if you can pick a perfect bracket.
Fill it in, send it in, buy a yacht.
It’s just that no one ever has.
And that might be exactly why people love this stuff. The teams that are supposed to win don’t always do so. Both tournaments are packed full of “madness,” which artfully describes what happens every time an underdog pulls off the unthinkable.
Records reveal it doesn’t happen all that often. In most of these basketball tournaments, there might only be 10 upsets across the 67 games played. An average of eight, sometimes as few as three.
But they do happen. And you never know when.
The unexpected miracle.
The unlikely hero.
The I-can’t-believe-that-just-
happened comeback by a team that everyone had buried for dead.
It messes with your betting bracket, but it sure is fun to watch. Some team steals a shocking win, and the country jumps on their bandwagon, hoping they can do it again and again. A hoped-for modern-day “Hoosiers” team winning the biggest title on the biggest stage.
As it sometimes has in the past, this year’s tournament falls smack in the middle of Lent. I don’t think the two are at odds with one another, but if you’re a wings-and-beer sort of fan, your Fridays will take a hit for sure.
And after all, Knights of Columbus free-throw contests still happen all across the country, and Catholics practically invented bingo, didn’t we?
Not to mention, we can also claim our own fair share of underdog stories: David vs. Goliath, Moses vs. Pharaoh, Gideon’s 300 vs. the Midianites’ 3,000, Jonah vs. the whale.
That’s before we ever get to Jesus vs. the unbelievers—one individual who stood against much of the entire world. And He actually did come back from the dead.
We’ve talked about these people ever since. Held them up as models, examples of what can happen with the “faith of a mustard seed,” real people inspiring us to tackle our own challenges, though the odds don’t favor our outcome.
Most would agree Lent isn’t often so life and death; in fact if we’re doing it right—it’s much more about seeking spiritual growth. Doing something we don’t normally do in
Thoughts and Prayers for the Faithful by Deacon
Bob Hunt
an effort to become someone we not normally are.
But could be. And want to be.
In an odd and ironic sort of way, though, we most often find ourselves the underdog in an ongoing battle against our fiercest and most headstrong foe: ourselves.
Perhaps we’re not kind enough, maybe we don’t pray enough, certainly we don’t share enough. But there’s no one out there causing us to be this way—no one responsible for the choices we make and those we don’t. It’s just us vs. us. The hardest fight of all.
These days of Lent can be our moment on the big stage. When we have a real chance to win the battle pitting the self we long to be with the self we have become comfortable being.
A priest friend offered this thought: “Lent’s coming up. Giving up Sprite or Milk Duds is OK, I guess, if you’re in third grade.”
Ouch! So, it might take a little more hard work to get where we’re trying to go.
The excitement of March Madness happens every time the victor overcomes the odds. Why can’t it be us this time?!
Dear God—Our 40 days were inspired by your 40 days, though we have watered ours down a bit. May we at least fight as hard as you did. Amen. ■
George Valadie is a parishioner at St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga and author of the newly released book “We Lost Our Fifth Fork … and other moments when we need some perspective.”
Church’s teaching on immigration
is clear
The Church cares for everyone, regardless of their status as legal or illegal
here has been a great ruckus since Donald Trump became president over the role of the Church in politics. This was true when Joe Biden, who insisted that he was a devout Catholic, was president, and the question of denying him Holy Communion over his strong support for abortion was an ongoing debate. Today, much of the debate over what the Church teaches, or should teach, and what the Church does, or should do, regarding government policy is focused on the question of immigration.
Vice President J.D. Vance, another politician who calls himself a devout Catholic, threw some pretty serious slurs at Catholic bishops regarding the Church’s ministry to migrants when the bishops let it be known that they were none too pleased with the Trump administration’s policies of treating all illegal immigrants the same and of removing sanctuary status from churches. Vice President Vance accused the bishops of being all about the money and of not caring for children caught up in human trafficking. Actually, every year the Church spends more money than she receives from the federal government in her ministry to migrants, and the bishops have had a ministry dedicated to those trapped in human trafficking for decades. Vice President Vance should be ashamed of himself, but shame, it seems, is not a characteristic of many politicians, even devoutly Catholic ones.
The Church has also been accused of assisting migrants to enter the United States illegally. Catholic Charities and the U.S. bishops deny this, insisting that they only help immigrants who are already in the United States. It is true that the Church cares for everyone, regardless of their status as legal or illegal. The Gospel will not have it otherwise.
The Church’s teaching on immi-
gration, as I believe it applies to our current political and social environment, is clear and can be summarized in four points:
1. The United States has a right to protect its borders and regulate immigration into the country.
2. Those immigrants in this country, legally or illegally, who are committing violent crimes, are members of cartels or organized criminal gangs, must be incarcerated or deported for the safety of the community.
3. Those fleeing poverty or persecution have a right to immigrate legally to other countries, including the United States.
4. Those who have fled poverty or persecution in their country who have entered this country illegally must be treated with dignity in a process that allows them to apply for legalization without the threat of automatic deportation.
The bottom line is not all immigrants, even illegal immigrants, may be treated the same. Those who have entered the country and are committing crimes must be incarcerated or deported. But those who have entered the country, even illegally, who have come here to pursue a better life, who are peaceful and productive people, must have the opportunity to make their case for why they came and why they want to stay. This especially applies to those who have been here for years, or were brought here as children and for whom the United States is, for all intents and purposes, the only country they know.
A friend, who is a genuinely faithful Catholic and a compassionate person, asked me, “Why don’t those who have been here for years simply apply for legal status?” This is a legitimate question. The answer is that, unfortunately, our immigration system doesn’t currently make that realistic. Put simply, there is no path to citizenship for those who are un-
documented. And applying for legal status identifies them as undocumented, which puts them at risk of deportation or of having to leave the country to apply at the risk of not being allowed back in. Needless to say, many don’t want to take that risk. Even if an undocumented immigrant was brought here as a child or marries a U. S. citizen, he or she may still be required to return to their home country for years before they can apply for reentry, because of their originally having entered illegally.
That is why we need a process whereby undocumented immigrants can apply for legal status without fear of automatic deportation, or of being required to leave the country and risk not being allowed back in. This doesn’t mean they’ll automatically be given citizenship. The process can still require vetting, and those who don’t qualify may end up being deported. But it will give these people an opportunity to make their case. After all, most of them came here, not to break our laws or commit heinous crimes, but to make a better life for themselves and their families. When I was learning U.S. history in school, I was taught that that’s what America is all about.
Catholics who are politically inclined—and, at some point, that likely includes all of us—have a decision to make: Are we going to form our politics according to our faith, or are we going to form our faith according to our politics? Many Catholics, throughout history and in every country, have sadly chosen the latter of those two propositions.
We Catholics, too, should not forget that we were once considered outsiders, the ones nobody wanted in this country. Why? Because we were considered dirty, criminal, and of having divided loyalty between our country and our Church. When John F. Kennedy ran for president in
1960, he gave a speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association in which he decried the idea, held by more than a few, that a Catholic was not suited for public office because of this so-called divided loyalty. When Clarence Thomas, who was raised Catholic, was nominated to the Supreme Court, Douglas Wilder, then governor of Virginia said, “The question is, how much allegiance does he have to the pope?” Too many respected newspapers have been willing to publish some of the most scathing anti-Catholic articles by journalists questioning the fact that there are so many Catholics on the Supreme Court. Only a few years ago, Amy Coney Barrett, during her consideration for the U.S. Circuit Court, was questioned about her Catholic faith by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who remarked, “The dogma lives loudly within you.”
Every person must be regarded as one possessing the dignity of having been made in the image of God. That does not guarantee citizenship, but it certainly requires consideration and respect. Those of us lucky to have been born American ought to be able to appreciate the desire of others not so lucky to become American and enjoy the benefits of this great nation, built on the principle of equal justice under the law and equal opportunity to succeed, regardless of race, religion, color, or nation of origin. We need a process for those who want to join this great American experiment, to do so legally, and without undue risk of losing the hope that carried them here. Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all. ■
Deacon Bob Hunt is a husband, father, grandfather, and parishioner at All Saints Church in Knoxville. He is author of the book “Thy Word: An Introduction to the Bible for People in the Pews.”
IFather Randy Stice
The Holy Fathers on the gifts of the Spirit
Confirmation allows us to experience a ‘personal Pentecost’ that leads to new life in the Spirit
n last month’s column, I looked at how the sacrament of confirmation fulfilled Bishop Mark Beckman’s prayer for a new Pentecost and his desire to equip our young people. Confirmation is a personal Pentecost, in part because it imparts the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit invoked in the prayer based on Isaiah 11:2–3. St. John Paul II and Pope Francis offered catecheses on these seven gifts, and I want to share comments from both popes on each of the seven gifts.1
The first gift is wisdom. One who possesses wisdom, says Pope Francis, “‘knows’ about God, he knows how God acts, he knows when something is of God and when it is not of God.” It is, says Pope Francis, “the grace of being able to see everything with the eyes of God. It is simply this: it is to see the world, to see situations, circumstances, problems, everything through God’s eyes.” But wisdom goes beyond knowledge. “The truly wise person is not simply the one who knows the things of God,” says St. John Paul II, “but rather the one who experiences and lives them.”
The next gift is understanding. This gift, says St. John Paul II, both “sharpens the understanding of divine things” and “renders ever more clear and penetrating the understanding of human things.” Pope Francis says it is particularly active when we read the sacred Scriptures. “One can read the Gospel and understand something, but if we read the Gospel with this gift of the Holy Spirit, we can understand the depths of God’s words. And this is a great gift, a great gift for which we all must ask and ask together: Give
with the teacher-identification instrument just to remind you of who you are, the important work that you do, and the important ministry that we share.
“You know, when neighbors and relatives and family members say outrageous things like ‘oh, God, it must be nice working 8 to 2:30 and having your summers free,’ they say that—if I may use an educational term—out of ignorance. They don’t say that out of malice—they just don’t know. They haven’t been in a vocation or a job that demands that you be present day after day, week after week. Even other professions don’t work this way, where on Monday morning you have a standing appointment with 25 people. They leave on Monday, but then on Tuesday they come back again, the same people.
“Unless you’ve been in the school, in the classroom, on the field, on the court, day after day, week after week, hour after hour, with all the many demands that teaching and students place on us—well, it’s just impossible to know.”
Father Nuzzi said he wanted to share “‘food for the journey’ from
us, Lord, the gift of understanding.” In addition, St. John Paul II says that through this gift “[o]ne can even arrive at prophetically interpreting the present and the future: signs of the times, signs of God!”
Counsel is the third gift of the Spirit. This gift, says St. John Paul II, enlightens “the conscience in moral choices which daily life presents.”
Pope Francis expands on St. John Paul II’s teaching. The gift of counsel “enables our conscience to make a concrete choice in communion with God, according to the logic of Jesus and His Gospel,” directing the soul, “especially when it is a matter of important choices (for example, of responding to a vocation) or about a path to be followed among difficulties and obstacles.” In addition, says Pope Francis, counsel has a communal dimension, for through the gift of counsel “the Spirit makes us grow interiorly, He makes us grow positively, He makes us grow in the community, and He helps us not to fall prey to self-centeredness and one’s own way of seeing things.”
St. John Paul II describes the fourth spiritual gift, fortitude, as “a supernatural impulse which gives strength to the soul, not only on exceptional occasions such as that of martyrdom but also in normal difficulties: in the struggle to remain consistent with one’s principles; in putting up with insults and unjust attacks; in courageous perseverance on the path of truth and uprightness, in spite of lack of understanding and hostility.” Pope Francis echoes the saint: “Sometimes we may be tempted to give in to laziness, or worse, to discouragement, especially when faced with
my own experience in Catholic education from my own part of the world, not too far from Knoxville that, I hope, will bless your practice in some small way.”
The keynote speaker lives a few miles from the Notre Dame campus in a nearly all-Catholic neighborhood that has numerous young couples with many children who attend Catholic schools—and one unchurched neighbor.
Father Nuzzi’s neighborhood, Bridlewood, was historically a horse farm and features gates with images of horses on them, as he showed his audience on a screen in the KCHS auditorium.
“I’m telling you that because my last name, “Nuzzi,” or “noot-zi” in Italian, is an Italian name. I’m an Italian American, I’m showing you a picture of a horse’s head,” which drew laughter. “Oh, you watch movies. I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”
the hardships and trials of life. In these cases, let us not lose heart, let us invoke the Holy Spirit so that through the gift of fortitude he may lift our heart and communicate new strength and enthusiasm to our life and to our following of Jesus.”
Knowledge is the gift, says St. John Paul, that enables us “to know the true value of creatures in their relationship to the Creator.” Pope Francis expands on this insight. “It is a special gift which leads us to grasp, through creation, the greatness and love of God and His profound relationship with every creature.” When the Spirit illumines our eyes through the gift of knowledge, he says, we are able “to contemplate God, in the beauty of nature and in the grandeur of the cosmos . . . to discover how everything speaks to us about Him and His love.” The fruit of this gift, concludes Francis, is “great wonder and a profound sense of gratitude.”
The sixth gift, piety, “indicates our belonging to God and our profound relationship with Him,” says Pope Francis, “it is our friendship with God, granted to us by Jesus, a friendship that changes our life and fills us with passion, with joy.”
Through the gift of piety, says St. John Paul II, “the Spirit heals our hearts of every form of hardness and opens them to tenderness towards God and our brothers and sisters.” Pope Francis says that piety can “make of us joyful witnesses of God and of His love, by worshiping the Lord in truth and in service to our neighbor with gentleness and with a smile, which the Holy Spirit always gives us in joy.” Piety “is, therefore,” says St. John Paul II, “at
the priest to bless the vehicle.
“I don’t know if you know this or not, but there isn’t a ritual blessing for a van. There’s no book. I’ve got to make this up as I go along, but, you know, it’s OK,” Father Nuzzi said.
The couple wrapped their arms around their two sons as the priest prayed for safe travels in all their journeys to school and sports practices and such.
“When I said those words, I noticed they squeezed, they hugged the boys. It was a little thing, and it was Memorial Day weekend, but when I went to bed that night I thanked God” for the couple, “who took the opportunity of having a new vehicle in their family to teach their boys and show their boys that all good gifts come from God. What great parents,” Father Nuzzi said.
the root of that new human community which is based on the civilization of love.”
The final gift, fear of the Lord, is not a fear that causes us to flee from God. Rather, says St. John Paul II, it “is a sincere and reverential feeling that a person experiences before the tremendous majesty of God.” Pope Francis says that this gift is also “an ‘alarm’ against the obstinacy of sin.” When, for example, one “lives only for money, for vanity, or power, or pride, then the holy fear of God sends us a warning: be careful!” This gift “allows us to be aware that everything comes from grace, and that our true strength lies solely in following the Lord Jesus and in allowing the Father to bestow upon us His goodness and His mercy.”
Fear of the Lord is the gift to which all of the other gifts are oriented, as St. Ambrose explained: “Holy fear is shaped by wisdom, instructed by understanding, directed by counsel, empowered by strength [fortitude], ruled by knowledge, and adorned with piety.” Thus, the ultimate purpose of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit is the right ordering of our relationship with God, rooted in the fear of the Lord and enabling us “to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him” (Colossians 1:10).
1 This column is adapted from Understanding the Sacraments of Initiation: A Rite-Based Approach, Randy Stice (Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 2017), pp. 153-163. ■ Father Randy Stice is director of the diocesan Office of Worship and Liturgy. He can be reached at frrandy@dioknox. org.
together,” he said. “Now having told you all that, I ask you, what is it about our faith that makes this behavior intelligible? I mean, you understand, you chuckle but you agree, you knew exactly what I was doing when I blessed the van or buried a dog or had a meal—what we call a mercy luncheon—about the pope. What is it about our faith that all of this makes sense? I submit to you that the deepest conviction of our faith that gives all of these behaviors meaning is the Incarnation, not just that Jesus became flesh but that through the flesh today, through ordinary activities, the daily events and relationships of our lives, speak to us of God’s presence and power and animate that spirit that moves through our lives.”
Daily readings
Saturday, March 15: Deuteronomy 26:16-19; Psalm 119:1-2, 4-5, 7-8; Matthew 5:43-48
Sunday, March 16: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18; Psalm 27:1, 7-9, 13-14; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 9:28-36
Monday, March 17: Daniel 9:4-10; Psalm 79:8-9, 11, 13; Luke 6:36-38
Tuesday, March 18: Isaiah 1:10, 1620; Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23; Matthew 23:1-12
Wednesday, March 19: Solemnity of 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
Thursday, March 20: Jeremiah 17:510; Psalm 1:1-4, 6; Luke 16:19-31 Friday, March 21: Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13, 17-28; Psalm 105:16-21; Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46
His neighbors frequently socialize, Father Nuzzi said, mentioning a Memorial Day weekend party. A young couple who had just bought a conversion van, which allowed them to tailgate at the party, asked
Father Nuzzi was also asked to say a blessing for a young neighbor’s dog that had died (“I don’t know if you know this or not, but there’s no ritual blessing for . . .” he repeated). His neighbors even brought him food when Pope John Paul II died, as if the Holy Father was a family member of Father Nuzzi.
“We had a glorious celebration
“Our Catholic beliefs,” Father Nuzzi continued “of the Incarnation say that because of Jesus, creation— the flesh, the earth—is sacred, it’s holy. And when we celebrate the Eucharist, as we did this morning, we experience an abiding Incarnation—Christ present with us in the bread and wine of the Eucharist, which becomes His body and blood. We celebrate not the transcendence
continued from page B3 In-service continued on page B9
Saturday, March 22: Micah 7:1415, 18-20; Psalm 103:1-4, 9-12; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Sunday, March 23: Exodus 3:1-8, 1315; Psalm 103:1-4, 6-8, 11; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12; Luke 13:1-9; when First Scrutiny is celebrated, Exodus 17:3-7; Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9; Romans 5:1-2, 5-8; John 4:5-42
Monday, March 24: 2 Kings 5:115; Psalms 42:2-3 and 43:3-4; Luke 4:24-30
Tuesday, March 25: Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, Isaiah 7:10-14 and 8:10; Psalm 40:7-11; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38
Wednesday, March 26: Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9; Psalm 147:12-13, 15-16, 19-20; Matthew 5:17-19
Thursday, March 27: Jeremiah 7:2328; Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9; Luke 11:14-23
Friday, March 28: Hosea 14:2-10; Psalm 81:6-11, 14, 17; Mark 12:28-34 Saturday, March 29: Hosea 6:1-6;
Psalm 51:3-4, 18-21; Luke 18:9-14
Sunday, March 30: Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 34:2-7; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32; when Second Scrutiny is celebrated, 1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7, 10-13; Psalm 23:1-6; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41
Monday, March 31: Isaiah 65:17-21; Psalm 30:2, 4-6, 11-13; John 4:43-54
Tuesday, April 1: Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12; Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9; John 5:1-16
Wednesday, April 2: Isaiah 49:8-15; Psalm 145:8-9, 13-14, 17-18; John 5:17-30
Thursday, April 3: Exodus 32:7-14; Psalm 106:19-23; John 5:31-47
Friday, April 4: Wisdom 2:1, 12-22; Psalm 34:17-21, 23; John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
Saturday, April 5: Jeremiah 11:1820; Psalm 7:2-3, 9-12; John 7:40-53 Sunday, April 6: Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126:1-6; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11; when Third Scrutiny is
celebrated, Ezekiel 37:12-14; Psalm 130:1-8; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45
Monday, April 7: Daniel 13:1-9, 1517, 19-30, 33-62; Psalm 23:1-6; John 8:12-20
Tuesday, April 8: Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 102:2-3, 16-21; John 8:21-30
Wednesday, April 9: Daniel 3:1420, 91-92, 95; Daniel 3:52-56; John 8:31-42
Thursday, April 10: Genesis 17:3-9; Psalm 105:4-9; John 8:51-59
Friday, April 11: Jeremiah 20:10-13; Psalm 18:2-7; John 10:31-42 Saturday, April 12: Ezekiel 37:21-28; Jeremiah 31:10-13; John 11:45-56 Sunday, April 13: Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, At the procession with palms—Gospel, Luke 1928:40; readings at the Mass, Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24; Philippians 2:6-11; Luke 22:14-23:56
Monday, April 14: Isaiah 42:1-7; Psalm 27:1-3, 13-14; John 12:1-11 ■
In-service
Registration is at 7:30 a.m., with a shotgun start at 8:30. The entry fee is $75 per person, with proceeds going to help several local charities. More information, including details on corporate and hole sponsorships, is available from committee chair Chris Hill at 865-384-0626.
A men’s silent retreat is set for the weekend of April 4-6 at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton. Participants are invited to grow closer to Christ through a silent retreat designed by Regnum Christi, led by Father Ed Hopkins of the Legionaries of Christ, and sponsored by Catholicdads.org
The weekend includes Mass, adoration, spiritual direction, and reconciliation. Checkout will follow lunch and a discussion on Sunday. Cost is $350 and includes all meals, housing, and a T-shirt. To register, visit dioknox.org/ events/mens-silent-retreat. For more information on the retreat center, visit dioknoxretreat.org
A Women’s Lenten Reflection for those ages 16 and up, led by Father Ed Hopkins, LC, will take place Friday, April 4, at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut. The schedule includes confessions and adoration (optional) at 11 a.m., a soup-and-salad lunch at noon, a Lenten talk and discussion at 12:45 p.m., and Benediction (optional) at 2:30. The lunch and talk will be held in Seton Hall. Register at dioknox.org/ events/womens-lenten-reflection
The Knox County chapter of Tennessee Right to Life is hosting its annual Pro-Life Oratory & Art Contest for high school students at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, at the chapter’s office at 3214 Tazewell Pike, Suite 205, in Knoxville. Students should research abortion, assisted suicide, euthanasia, infanticide, or stem cell research, or create a custom piece of art. Orators should send a draft copy of their speeches to trlknox@prolifeknox.com by Friday, April 5. Speeches may be revised and edited after that date. All artwork should be brought to the chapter’s office by Monday, April 8. Winners can advance to the state and national levels. For an application or more information, contact the Knox County chapter at 865-689-1339 or at the e-mail above, or visit prolifeknox.org
The Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich., invite mothers and daughters (ages 4-10) to the second annual Princess Retreat set for 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 12, at their Mary, Mother of Mercy convent, 6832 S. Northshore Drive in Knoxville. Older sisters are welcome as helpers. Lunch will be provided. This year’s retreat theme is “Pilgrim Princesses of Hope,” inspired
parishioners.
More than 55 youth were confirmed on Feb. 22, and more than 70 received their first Holy Communion on Feb. 23.
St. Joseph, Norris
A Valentine’s Day/Super Bowl bake sale Feb. 9 raised nearly $1,000 to benefit the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic and Hurricane Helene victims.
St. Mary, Oak Ridge
A Lenten parish retreat is set for Sunday through Tuesday, March 23-25. Email anna.duhamel@comcast.net for more information.
The parish wished pastor Ray Powell a happy 60th birthday March 1.
St. Mary School alumna Piper Halcrow of the class of 2014 recently visited eighth-grade students via a Teams meeting to talk about her experiences at St. Mary and give advice on high school, college, career planning, and how to apply faith in friendship, growth, and service.
Five Rivers Deanery
Holy Trinity, Jefferson City
The Knights of Columbus are sponsoring a cornhole tournament at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 15, in the parish life center. The event features food and drinks, a 50-50 drawing, and cash prizes.
by the Jubilee Year. RSVP at dioknox. org/events/pilgrim-princess-of-hope
The Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will hold its 34th biennial convention Thursday through Saturday, April 24-26, at St. Mary Church in Johnson City. The theme is “Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope: Where Meaning Meets Purpose.” Guest speakers are Anne DeSantis, executive director of the St. Raymond Nonnatus Foundation; Evelyn Garcia, pilgrimage coordinator for Dynamic Catholic; and Michele Marquis, senior executive coach at Floyd Consulting. Early-bird full registration is $125 and must be postmarked by Monday, March 24; full registration is $140 afterward. Thursday-only registration for the Mass of remembrance and banquet is $40. Friday-only registration for workshops, a business meeting, lunch, dinner, and a concert is $85. Saturday-only registration (speaker and installation of officers) is $30. Full registration for a priest, religious, or spouse is $75. Arrangements for overnight accommodations should be made with Fairfield Inn & Suites, 3078 Hamilton Place, Johnson City. Reserve a room by calling 423-900-8640 and asking for the KDCCW block. Room rates are $119 per night for Thursday and Friday with a maximum of four per room. Reservation deadline is March 24. Visit dioknox. org/events/kdccw-convention-2025 or kdccw.org/convention
A men’s Cursillo weekend will be held June 5-8 at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton. Through Cursillo, participants can gain a better understanding of themselves, experience the presence and love of Jesus, and see how personal and spiritual growth can be enhanced through a caring Christian community. An application and pamphlet may be found at knoxvillecursillo.org E-mail Gary Gabor at garygabor@ hotmail.com for details on the weekend.
The Diocese of Knoxville is taking a group of teens to Steubenville Atlanta, hosted by the Archdiocese of Atlanta on the weekend of July 11-13. The Steubenville youth conferences exist to bring high-schoolers into a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. The theme for 2025 is “Consumed: ‘For the Lord, your God, is a consuming fire...’” (Deuteronomy 4:24). Download a flyer, learn about costs and how to register, and find medical-release and code-ofconduct forms at dioknox.org/events/ steubenville-atlanta-2025. Those needing help booking transportation through the Diocese of Knoxville should contact Noah Grinstead at ngrinstead@ dioknox.org or 386-274-8137.
A Picture of Love retreat for engaged couples is scheduled for 6:45 to
Notre Dame, Greeneville
The parish, as part of the Adopt-aGreene County Road program, will pick up trash along Holly Creek Road after morning Mass on Saturday, March 15. Sign up in the narthex to participate.
Emily Booker, digital media producer for the Diocese of Knoxville Office of Communications, will present a talk about women prophets in the Bible at the Council of Catholic Women’s meeting at 5 p.m. Sunday, March 16.
A celebration of the 70th anniversary of the dedication of Notre Dame Church is set for Sunday, April 27, with a bilingual Mass at 4 p.m. celebrated by Bishop Mark Beckman followed by a dinner and dance at the Eastview Recreation Center near Notre Dame. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under, which includes a buffet meal and music by The Flying J’s. Tickets will be sold after all weekend Masses through Sunday, April 6. No tickets will be available after that date. The church was dedicated April 26, 1955.
St. Dominic, Kingsport
The Martha & Mary Ministry invited women of St. Dominic to a Mardi Gras party, featuring dinner and games, on March 4 in the parish life enter.
St. Patrick, Morristown
The Spiritual Life Committee is sponsoring Lunch and Learn meetings from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Deacon Bob Hunt
10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, and 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga. This marriage-preparation program is a supplement to a couple’s marriage formation with their parish priest or deacon. Picture of Love explores the joys and challenges of living out the sacrament of matrimony with special focus on the importance of inviting Jesus to be the center of marriage and family life. The program will help a couple gain insights into their relationship, as well as give them practical ideas and tools to help smooth their journey and become the “Picture of Love” to one another. Participants who complete the program will receive a certificate to present to their county clerk and receive a $60 discount on their marriage license. The marriage license is valid for 30 days from issuance and is good for ceremonies performed anywhere in Tennessee. Cost is $175 per couple. Registration is available at dioknox.org/events/pictureof-love-retreat-sept-2025. Registration deadline is Monday, Sept. 1. Late registrations are accepted if space allows (cost is $200 by credit card only). Also at the website are three exercises: a personality test, a “love language profile for couples,” and a fillable budget worksheet. Couples are asked to complete the exercises in advance and bring them to the retreat—see the website for more details. Contact Carolyn Krings at 865-584-3307 or ckrings@ dioknox.org for more information.
Catholic in Recovery is a 12-step recovery ministry that holds meetings each Monday at 7 p.m. at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga and each Sunday at 6 p.m. at All Saints Church in Knoxville. CIR provides hope and healing from addictions, compulsions, and unhealthy attachments. Family members impacted by a loved one’s addiction are also encouraged to attend. Meetings combine the spiritual principles of 12-step recovery and the sacraments of the Catholic Church. Join others in recovery as the meetings overlap Scripture from Sunday Mass readings, liturgical themes, and recovery topics with honest discussion and prayer. Confidentiality is protected. The St. Dominic gatherings are hybrid meetings, in person in the St. Thomas Aquinas Room of the parish life center or online at tinyurl.com/ cir-zoom-tricities-tn. For more information, visit www.catholicinrecovery. com. For more details on the meetings at St. Dominic, contact Jena at cir. tricities.tn@gmail.com or call Oscar at 423-213-2434. For the meetings at All Saints, call Martin Ohmes at 865-4384905 or e-mail CIRAllSaintsKnoxville@ gmail.com. Contact Deacon Wade Eckler about the meetings at OLPH at
of All Saints Parish in Knoxville will give a presentation on the Council of Nicaea, which affirmed the divinity of Christ and formulated the creed, on Thursday, March 13. This year marks the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. The meeting on Thursday, April 10, will offer a chance to visit with former St. Patrick pastor Monsignor Pat Garrity.
The Council of Catholic Women held a bake sale after weekend Masses on March 1-2.
Anniversaries: Charles and Betsy Michel (63), Dean and Phyllis Ishmael (62), Andrew and Susan Vrba (52), Richard and Sandy Webster (51), Efrain Cuevas Quebrado and Celia Romero Navarro (20)
Smoky Mountain Deanery
Holy Ghost, Knoxville
The parish this spring is starting a yearlong celebration of the 100th anniversary of the dedication of its current church, which took place April 25, 1926. Holy Ghost is encouraging parishioners to have photos taken for a new parish directory in honor of the anniversary. A drawing will be held to present 10 copies of the book The First Century of Holy Ghost Parish, a history of the parish with photos and explanations of the church’s stained-glass window artwork. Volunteers are needed for parish directory, 100-year anniversary planning, parish Pentecost planning, and emergency-fund committees. Call the office at 865-522-2205 or e-mail office@holyghostknoxville.org to help.
423-322-3493 or weckler@myolph. com
The Healing Ministry at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa offers healing prayers every third weekend of the month for anyone who has a physical, emotional, or spiritual need. Individual healing prayer will be offered in Spanish in the church immediately following the 7 p.m. Saturday Mass in Spanish, and prayer will be offered in English in the chapel immediately following the 11 a.m. Sunday Mass. Call Toni Jacobs at 561-315-5911 if you have any questions.
Join Father Mike Nolan from May 12-23 on a pilgrimage to Malta, Sicily, and the Amalfi Coast with an optional extension to Rome from May 23-26 to celebrate the Jubilee this year. Pilgrims will be visiting the places where St. Paul preached and spent time, including Mdina, Rabat, Valletta, and Taormina, to name a few, and will explore the Amalfi Coast. They will visit Our Lady of Mellieha Sanctuary, which is dedicated to Our Lady and is a very important part of the Catholic history of the island of Malta, and continue with a visit to the “Mosta Rotunda,” a domed church in Mosta. Travelers will walk through the streets of Mdina, Malta’s first capital, and visit the cathedral dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. As they tour Valletta, the capital of Malta, they will become acquainted with the history of the island, perhaps best known as the seat of the Knights of St. John, more commonly known as the Knights of Malta. The pilgrims will also see the story of St. Paul’s shipwreck as told in paintings found in the church of the same name. Our Lady of the Rock is one of Taormina’s most popular destinations, with a panorama of the surrounding city and Mount Etna. Next, they will continue to Messina for a panoramic tour and a visit to the cathedral. The Cathedral of Messina’s bell tower contains the world’s biggest and most complex mechanical and astronomical clock. For those going on the Rome extension, they will visit St. Peter’s Basilica and walk through the holy door for the Jubilee and visit St. Mary Major, St. John Lateran, Holy Cross, and the Catacombs. For more information, contact Lisa Morris at 865-567-1245 or lisam@select-intl.com
Mass in the extraordinary form (“traditional Latin”) is celebrated at noon each Sunday at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville, at 2 p.m. each Sunday and at 6 p.m. most Mondays at St. Mary Church in Johnson City, and at 11:30 a.m. every Sunday at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. For more information, visit www.Knox LatinMass.net n
Immaculate Conception, Knoxville
With the solemnity of St. Joseph coming up March 19, IC celebrated the saint after all Masses on March 8-9. Baked goods were served, and pictures and statues of the saint were on display in the parish hall.
Sacred Heart, Knoxville
A Spring Ministry Leaders Summit for current and future leaders took place March 8.
St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville
Bishop Mark Beckman will be at St. Joseph the Worker to celebrate Mass and confirmation Wednesday, March 19. A parish dinner will start at 4 p.m., with pictures at 5 and the confirmation Mass at 6. Bishop Beckman will join those attending for cake in the parish hall after Mass.
The Women’s Group will host guest speaker Arlene Maresca at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 15, in the parish hall. She will present “Embracing Lent Through Our Senses.” Light refreshments will be served. RSVP to sjtw. womensgrouptn@gmail.com
The parish is hosting a free seminar on financial planning and estate planning, led by two professionals with expertise in those areas, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 25.
The Welcome Committee is hosting a Love Thy Neighbor Fellowship Luncheon at noon Tuesday, April 8. n
Parish notes continued from page B4
St. Joseph boys basketball team wins title
The Bulldogs finish 27-2 as they capture the Knoxville Independent School League tourney crown
The East Tennessee Catholic
The varsity boys basketball team at St. Joseph School secured the Knoxville Independent School League Division 2 championship on Feb. 6 with a 48-46 victory over Berean Christian School, avenging last year’s loss in the same title game.
The intense matchup, held at St. Joseph’s gym, saw the 27-2 Bulldogs storm the court in jubilant celebration after earning the win over their rivals.
This year’s St. Joseph team was a blend of familiar faces and fresh talent, as the Bulldogs lost eight players from the previous season.
“We were fortunate to have a strong, experienced eighth-grade class move up to varsity this season,” said head coach Sal DiGennaro. “Along with some key transfers, the team built a chemistry focused on defense and toughness. We set a goal to be the best defensive team in the league this season.”
The championship game was a back-and-forth battle, with St. Joseph maintaining a slim lead
In-service continued from page B7
of God but the utter immanence of God. . . . Because in the ordinary, everyday events of our lives—in a wedding, in a celebration, in a mercy luncheon—we believe because Jesus was incarnate, God’s presence and power and Jesus’ presence is with us in the ordinary things.”
A Church document on education and the Incarnation states that “if you understand the Incarnation, if you understand that the flesh is holy and that everything God made is good, if you understand that God can speak through the ordinary, everyday events of our lives, there’s really no such thing as a secular subject,” Father Nuzzi said. “All teaching, all learning, points us to the goodness and gracious mystery that is at the heart of creation, to God’s love. There’s no such thing as a secular subject, or as one of my colleagues likes to say, ‘We’re all religion teachers.’”
A favorite theologian of Father Nuzzi, Michael Himes, “said it this way, refashioning the words of St. Iranaeus—Iranaeus, who said the glory of God is the human person fully alive. Michael Himes says, ‘Whatever humanizes, divinizes.’ It’s just a three-word sentence, but it’s probably the most packed threeword sentence I’ve ever heard in English,” Father Nuzzi said. “Whatever humanizes, divinizes. Whatever helps a person to grow and blossom advances them on the path to holiness. Whatever helps your Godgiven gifts come forth advances you on the road to sanctification. All human learning, all human knowledge, all human growth is divinizing, it’s sanctifying, it makes us holy.”
Father Nuzzi gave his educators in the audience a reading assign-
throughout. The Bulldogs led 13-9 after the first quarter and held a narrow 21-20 advantage at halftime. Coming out of the break, the Bulldogs gained momentum, outscoring Berean 15-9 in the third quarter to extend their lead to 3629. However, Berean mounted a fierce comeback, erasing the deficit with a series of timely 3-pointers.
Despite the Eagles’ resilience, the Bulldogs stood firm, with guards Jashaun Stansberry and Frank Mancini responding with crucial fast-break layups whenever Berean made a run.
With time winding down, Evan Young took a critical offensive charge against Berean’s center. The referees added 0.4 seconds to the clock, giving the Bulldogs possession under the Eagles’ basket. Frank made a heads-up play, tossing the ball high for Evan to bat away, effectively ending the game and securing the victory for St. Joseph.
Jashaun, the tournament most valuable player, led the Bulldogs with a double-double, scoring 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds as well as dishing out four assists. Frank, an all-tournament selection, contributed 10 points, seven assists, and three steals.
All-KISL player Evan added nine points, including a pivotal 3-pointer in the third quarter, along with six rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and the game-clinching charge. Nathan Allen, another allKISL player, scored five points, grabbed four rebounds, and made two key steals. James Ingram, an all-tournament player, had seven points and four rebounds in his third tournament start.
Mr. DiGennaro expressed pride in his team’s efforts.
“This is a special group, a brotherhood, and their success is a testament to the hard work of both our coaches and players,” he said. “They’ve been grinding since last spring—through summer and fall—leading up to this moment. Our program fosters a competitive
ment: look up a document from the Canadian Council of Catholic School Trustees titled “Build Bethlehem Everywhere.”
“It’s one of the best documents I’ve ever read on Catholic education,” he said. “It’s a few years old now, but I love the image in the document, and it’s almost poetical, and as you can tell from the title, the theme of the document is ‘a good model for a Catholic school is Bethlehem, that is, a place where Jesus is born.’
“And the document argues, again in a very poetic fashion, that our classrooms, our schools, our teams, our homes, need to be a Bethlehem, need to be a place where Christ is born, where a light shines in the darkness. It’s a beautiful image. And you know as well as I do, for many young people today, if they don’t have an experience of Christ when they’re with us, when they’re in our school, in our classes, they may not have an experience of Christ’s love that day or that week. Thinking of ourselves and our classrooms and our classes and our homes and our schools as a Bethlehem is a great inspiration.”
That “is our Catholic worldview,” Father Nuzzi said. “It’s incarnational, it’s sacramental, it’s inclusive, it’s universal, it looks at anyone and everything, it looks at all subjects and opportunities, it looks at all staff and sports and extracurriculars and says that God’s presence and power can be found in these ordinary, everyday experiences. That’s what we celebrate in Catholic education. That’s what we lift up today as both our summit and source of our goodness.”
The keynoter recalled one winter when South Bend received 48 inches of snow, and his neighborhood’s kids held a contest to build bigger
environment, and we continually adjusted our starting lineup to give each player an opportunity for starting experience.”
Reflecting on the season, Mr. DiGennaro said, “We’ve had a lot of memorable moments this year— winning the Knoxville Christian School Christmas Tournament championship in overtime, going undefeated in KISL Division 2 league play, running a 25-game win streak, and now claiming the league championship.
“Nathan Allen broke the school record by hitting 82 3-pointers this season, increasing his career total to 130, and Frank Mancini set a school record with 217 career assists. These kinds of seasons don’t come around too often, and I’m so proud of every player’s contribution.
“We truly went 12 deep on our roster with Tommy Aalders providing needed post support, James Zengel, Bobby Schaad, and Nicky Sutherland being our utility players, and shooters Jeremiah SantosSilva, Holden Sharp, and Caleb Bales nailing timely 3-pointers when needed. It truly takes a team
and bigger snowmen. One of those kids is a boy named Stan.
“Stan says to me, ‘Father, will you bless my snowman?’ You probably don’t know this,” Father Nuzzi said to laughter, “but there is no ritual blessing for a snowman, and this one’s tricky because it’s going to melt eventually, and we’re going to have holy water on our hands.
“Stan calls everyone together for a blessing, tells them to take a knee because ‘Father is going to bless the snowman.’ My poor unchurched neighbor, he’s got to be thinking ‘the golden calf,’ right? They’re all out there kneeling in front of the snowman. The parents, too—they listened to Stan—they’re all on their knees.”
Then the blessing of the snowman began.
“‘Lord, we praise and thank you for the gift of these snow days that allow us to enjoy one another’s company and to have such fun building these snowmen. We ask you, Lord, that when spring comes, as we know it will, and these snowmen melt and return to the earth and give life to a new spring, help us forever to live in your love and remember the joy that we had in being together on these snow days. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, amen,’” Father Nuzzi recalled. “Stan jumps up before everyone else and gets everybody’s attention and says a sentence I’ve never heard before or since in English: he says, ‘hey everybody, this snowman is holy.’”
That drew laughs both from his South Bend and Knoxville Catholic audiences.
“People chuckled like you did, but then it got quiet like you did,” Father Nuzzi said. “Everyone was just silent for a few seconds because he was right. My little theologian
with the ‘we greater than me’ attitude to earn this kind of success.”
Mr. DiGennaro said that with the victory, the Bulldogs proved that teamwork, resilience, and dedication can lead to greatness, and that the tourney championship is a well-deserved achievement for a team whose players never stopped believing in themselves.
St. Joseph went 7-0 in regularseason league play to earn the top seed in the KISL tournament.
In the first round of the tourney, St. Joseph defeated St. John Neumann 40-15. Nathan scored 12 points, going 4-for-8 on 3-pointers. Evan added 10 points and six rebounds, Jashaun seven points and three assists, Tommy five points, and Frank four points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
The Bulldogs topped the Knoxville Ambassadors 45-18 in the tourney semifinals Feb. 4. Nathan tallied a team-high 13 points, hitting three of his seven 3-point attempts, with Evan scoring 11 points with three blocks. Jashaun added 10 points, and Frank recorded seven points, nine assists, and six steals. n
was right: there was a holiness in the moment. There was a sanctity in the moment, all these neighbors together, multigenerational, who worked together, played together, and dragged their priest into this nonsense. There was a beauty to it. It was, shall I say, incarnational.”
Father Nuzzi earlier said that the Hebrew language has no comparatives or superlatives, so that when the angels say, “holy, holy, holy,” they mean “holy, holier, holiest.”
“I did want you to know, in my neighborhood anyway, we’re not just a bunch of Catholics. We are Catholic, Catholic, Catholic. And I hope and pray, in your own way, in your own neighborhood, in your own home and school and classroom, you’ll find ways to do the same. God bless you,” Father Nuzzi concluded.
President and principals reflect
After their midday meal, the educators were spread among some 29 breakout sessions geared toward the grade levels they teach or their areas of expertise such as math, science, religion, or music.
Following a quick break, all teachers gathered in the KCHS auditorium for a second breakout: a Zoom presentation on AI presented by Father Nate Wills, CSC, of the University of Notre Dame. At the same time, counselors and assistant principals attended a presentation by Julie Emory-Johnson and Whitney Stovall of Friendzy, a socialemotional character development program for teachers.
Dickie Sompayrac, president of Knoxville Catholic High School, talked about his Chattanooga background and what the in-service day
Tournament champs The St. Joseph School Bulldogs celebrate a KISL tourney title. From left are (front row) Nathan Allen, team managers Isaac Austin and Ryder Chadwell, Frank Mancini, and Jeremiah Santos-Silva and (second row) head coach Sal DiGennaro, Bobby Schaad, Caleb Bales, Holden Sharp, James Zengel, Nicky Sutherland, Jashaun Stansberry, Tommy Aalders, James Ingram, Evan Young, and assistant coaches Kai Meier and Karen Ceballos.
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MVP makes a layup KISL tournament most valuable player Jashaun Stansberry of St. Joseph attacks the basket and scores two of his 17 points in the championship game against Berean.
means for teachers and principals.
“I think it’s a time for us to come together. For me, having worked at two schools in our diocese, Notre Dame and now Knoxville Catholic and having attended St. Jude’s, it’s especially meaningful for me because I get to see so many people from across our diocese who I have a long history with,” he said. “I always feel like this day, regardless of the speaker or the program, is really a chance for us to come together as Catholic educators, get energized, and know that we share a common purpose with all these people.”
The St. Gregory the Great Auditorium had not an empty seat for the keynote talk and the second breakout session.
“Our auditorium holds about 370. We filled it up and then some,” Mr. Sompayrac said. “These are all the educators of our diocese.”
Beginning the in-service with Mass was “a great way to start your day, having the bishop here to say Mass. It’s an awesome way to start your day for sure,” Mr. Sompayrac said.
Caroline Carlin, principal of Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in
the day after the feast of Candlemas, through Holy Week. It praises Mary, the Queen of Heaven, of whom was born Christ the light of the world.”
Non nobis Domine is “a short canon that comes from Psalm 115 and is translated ‘Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us but to thy name give the glory,’” Mrs. Weaver said. “It was the motto of the Knights Templar, so it seems appropriate for a Crusader choir.”
The auctions featured a painting, done “live” by Sonia Summers during the gala, of G.K. Chesterton that sold for $1,000. Two luxury-box tickets to the SEC men’s basketball tournament semifinals had a winning bid of $6,500. A 2017 HarleyDavidson Street 750 motorcycle, with only 500 miles on it, went for $2,900. The engine was revved on the motorcycle, parked outside the banquet hall, to signal the start of the live auction.
The raise-the-paddle event brought in funds for teacher salaries, campus security, and other school needs.
Felicity Weber, a sophomore at Chesterton, and freshman Danny Davis spoke to the gala audience about their experiences at the academy.
Curt Jawdy, vice chairman of the board for Chesterton, said the bish-
Notre Dame’s sixth annual Green and Gold Gala raises $125,000-plus More than 300 attended the sixth annual Green and Gold Gala, held Jan. 11 to support Notre Dame High School. The event took place at The Chattanoogan Hotel, where attendees were served dinner and drinks and danced to the Emerald Empire Band. This year’s gala focused on upgrading transportation. With an upgraded bus fleet, Notre Dame hopes to reduce the cost of trips associated with charter buses and provide a flexible, convenient, and financially sustainable transportation service for daily runs and for all athletics and school activities. The event raised more than $125,000, with all funds going toward “The Bus Stops Here” project. Pictured are (top left) Charlie and Misa Ankar in a paddle raise; (top right) Ashley Schexnaildre (right) with family and friends; and (bottom left, from left) Michelle Bertani, Mary Jungels, and Melissa Wolff.
Chattanooga, attended the in-service.
“It’s always wonderful to be able to get teachers together, to be able to talk about their passions,” she said. “Iron sharpens iron, so when you have this degree of professional community coming together, everybody leaves with something that’s going to help them improve their craft.”
She also enjoyed starting the day with Mass with Bishop Beckman.
“What the bishop brings is an authentic spirituality that really harnesses and captivates our educational community and helps us know that deep within the reason why we’re all here,” she said.
Andy Zengel, principal of St. Joseph School in Knoxville, said “the in-service was a big hit this year.”
“The keynote speech by Father Ron Nuzzi focused on recognizing that our Catholic faith is incarnational. The truths of the faith can come to us in the ordinary aspects and rhythms of life—if we, as the Gospel of the day proclaimed, ‘have eyes to see and ears to hear,’” Mr. Zengel said. “Catholic schools and Catholic school teachers are wellequipped to help students and their families view the world through
op’s announcement was “really big for us.”
“We’ve worked hard over the last couple of years to build trust and be trustworthy,” he said, adding a compliment to Bishop Beckman for “doing the research about us.”
“We’re excited to be a part of the diocese and a place that all Catholics in the diocese can trust their children,” he said.
Mr. Jawdy added that the gala will fund Chesterton for next school year.
“We always raise our funding ahead of the year in question. This is for starting in the fall, for next year. We’re fully funded for this year,” he said.
Chesterton is accepting students for this fall, Mr. Jawdy pointed out.
“We’re currently set to double next year, and in order for us to continue our growth, to continue our quality, we’d like to triple for next year,” he said. “If there are any students who are looking for an amazing education for a wonderful tuition—$8,600 is extremely affordable.”
Chesterton Academy of St. Margaret Clitherow is part of the Chesterton Schools Network. Based in Minneapolis, the network is an “apostolate of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton.”
G.K. Chesterton was an English writer and convert to the Catholic faith, and he was considered “one of
the lens of faith so that all genuine learning leads us to Christ.”
Father Nuzzi met with administrators later in the day on Feb. 18 “and reflected on the doctrine of the Trinity and implications for leadership. Since God is a relationship of love, humanity—made in His image— reflects Him best in our healthy relationships,” Mr. Zengel said. “It is the duty of school administrators to encourage human flourishing by protecting, nurturing, and healing the relationships in the communities our Lord has already built.”
The in-service, from Mass with the bishop to lunch to the breakout sessions, was incarnational and trinitarian, Mr. Zengel observed.
“Educators from 10 schools across the diocese were able to meet together in the flesh, strengthen relationships, enjoy each other’s company, share good ideas, and receive God’s grace in the Holy Eucharist,” he said. “Part of our morning was spent recognizing those who had served in schools for 25 years or more. It was a testament to Mr. Valadie’s message: ‘it was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit
that will remain,’ that once God calls you, He never lets go.”
“Many thanks to Bishop Beckman for his presence and support of our schools, to George Valadie and the Schools Office team for organizing the day, and to Dickie Sompayrac and the staff of Knoxville Catholic for hosting us. Our diocese is truly blessed,” Mr. Zengel added.
Mr. Valadie thought back on the in-service several days later.
“I thought it was a great day. The three people who did speaking during the day, which were the bishop’s homily, Father Nuzzi, and Father Nate Wills, I thought all struck chords that are valuable for teachers to hear, but they did so in three different ways,” he said. “Some were inspiring, some were educational, some were both, but that’s sort of what you want out of a day like that.”
Being around all of his colleagues in diocesan Catholic schools “is always a fun time,” Mr. Valadie said.
“But sadly it only happens once a year. . . . Having everybody there creates a camaraderie and energy and the sort of culture we like to have in a Catholic-school setting,” he said. ■
the world’s most outstanding men of letters in the early 20th century,” according to the Chesterton Schools Network website, chestertonschools network.org. He was chosen as the network’s patron “because he not only represents the fullness of faith and reason but also Catholic joy and common sense.”
For more information on Chesterton Academy of St. Margaret Clitherow, visit knoxchesterton.com or e-mail zach@knoxchesterton.com
Mr. Jawdy said interested families can “schedule a shadow day, when you can bring your student in, and they can spend a day with our students at the school, get to learn what it’s like, and see if it’s a good fit for them.” ■
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OF MARY JUNGELS (4)
Chesterton continued from page B3
Sisters attend gala Benedictine Daughters of Divine Will at the Chesterton Pearl Gala were (from left) Sister Megan, Sister Jacinta, Mother Gabrielle Marie, Sister Faustina, and Sister Christine, who is now Sister Angela Marie (see story for details).
