Sept. 12, 2010, East Tennessee Catholic by Diocese of Knoxville

CNS/LUIS HIDALGO, REUTERS

Praying for Chilean miners Relatives of trapped miners hold images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and rosaries during a Mass celebrated by Chilean Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa in honor of the 33 miners trapped in a mine near Copiapo, Chile, Sept. 3.

THE EAST TENNESSEE

Volume 20 • Number 1 • September 12, 2010

The

N E W S PA P E R

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

Called by Name vocations effort begins in parishes

Diocesan Day draws record crowd Nearly 500 hear talks by Bishop Stika and Cardinal Rigali at the cathedral. By Dan McWilliams and Mary C. Weaver

BY DA N M CW I L L I AMS

Called continued on page 6

his year’s Diocesan Day on Aug. 21 was the best-attended ever, with nearly 500 of the faithful present, representing 36 of the diocese’s 47 parishes and more than 60 cities and towns. The keynote speaker and guest of honor was Cardinal Justin F. Rigali, the archbishop of Philadelphia and Bishop Richard F. Stika’s close friend. Probably most of those assembled were aware that the program—including talks by the cardinal and bishop and a question-and-answer session with the former—had originally been scheduled for Aug. 22, 2009. But when Bishop Stika suffered diabetic ketoacidosis and cardiogenic shock in mid-August, the event had to be postponed. This year’s talks, Mass, and lunch were held at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Cardinal Rigali began the day with an in-depth presentation on Gaudium et Spes

DAN MCWILLIAMS

Cardinal Justin F. Rigali, the archbishop of Philadelphia, was the keynoter for Diocesan Day, held Aug. 21 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Nearly 500 people attended the day, which included an afternoon talk by Bishop Richard F. Stika. SPECIAL GUEST

(“Joy and Hope”), the final document promulgated by the Second Vatican Council, in December 1965.

“In this document the Church was proposing to speak to the world and to all humanity. She was

proposing to tell the world how she conceives her own presence and activity in the midst of the

world,” the cardinal said. “I am convinced that this document has a special meaning for us today because its insights are so accurate and fresh, even though so much has changed in our modern world.” Gaudium et Spes, he said, attempts to help shed light on the mystery of the human person in order to “cooperate in finding solutions to the outstanding problems of our time.” Those issues—including the dignity of the human person, marriage and the family, socioeconomic and political life, and the promotion of peace—remain key concerns for the Church and society. Everything in Gaudium et Spes hinges on the dignity of the human being, which is basic to everything else in the document,” said Cardinal Rigali. “Vatican II sees this dignity of the human person as being linked to the fact that the human Rigali continued on page 6

Newly created award honors retiring diocesan attorney John O’Connor receives the first Immaculata Award as he steps down from the position after serving in it for all 22 years since the DOK’s founding. BY DAN M C WILLIAM S

he only diocesan attorney the Church in East Tennessee has ever had was honored at a Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral—and with the presentation of a newly created award—on the final day of his 22

years of service. Bishop Richard F. Stika celebrated the Mass for John T. O’Connor II on Aug. 30, when the cathedral parishioner’s retirement began. At the end of the Mass, the bishop presented a certificate and the first-ever Immaculata

DAN MCWILLIAMS

ome East Tennessee Catholics who may have never considered a vocation to the priesthood or religious life may find themselves nominated for one, through a program that debuted diocesan-wide this month. In the program, “Called by Name,” the faithful may submit the names of fellow parishioners or other friends who they think should consider a Church vocation. “The genius of this program is that it gives young people an opportunity to hear that other people see in them the qualities for a religious life, which they may have never seen in themselves,” said Father David Carter, the diocese’s associate director of vocations. “It can be a call they receive for the first time, or it could be a confirmation of a call they were afraid to answer even though the Lord had been knocking on their door for some time.” This spring Bishop Richard F. Stika approved the program, which began in his native St. Louis. “The program is titled ‘Called by Name’ because it is meant to be a personal invitation to follow Christ in a religious or priestly vocation,” said Father Carter. “When we look at the way Jesus chose his disciples, it always had that personal touch, and it was always an invitation to follow him. With this program we hope to encourage young people to consider a religious or priestly vocation by personally inviting them, just as Jesus did with his disciples.” Father Carter knows of Called by Name too, from his days as associate pastor at St. Jude in Chattanooga, which held the program on the parish level. “We got an enthusiastic response,” he said. “I remember making the phone calls [to nominees] afterward. Some of the young people weren’t happy that they had been nominated, but some were genuinely

John T. O’Connor holds a certificate and wife Betsy the diocese’s firstever Immaculata Award, presented to the honoree by Bishop Stika. Mr O’Connor’s service was recognized at a Mass on Aug. 30, the day of his retirement.

INAUGURAL HONOR

Award to Mr. O’Connor, who has given the diocese legal advice and assistance in purchasing property, among many other contributions to the Church and community. Mr. O’Connor said he didn’t yet know what he would miss about serving as the diocesan attorney. “It’ll be hard to talk about that until tomorrow and the days after that,” he said. Joining him for the special occasion were his wife, Betsy; daughter Mary of New City, N.Y.; and son John Thomas III of Terre Haute, Ind. The O’Connors also have another son, Matthew, who lives in Arkansas. The bishop said he did not have certain words of Christ—“Woe to you, lawyers and Pharisees”—in mind as he viewed Mr. O’Connor in the pews. “I look to you, John T., with a spirit of gratitude.” All three of Knoxville’s bishops have asked for Mr. O’Connor’s advice, with Mary’s words at Cana in mind: “Do whatever he tells you,” said Bishop Stika. “I’m sure that my predecessors, the two bishops I now have followed, were very wise, and when John would give advice, we would do what he told us.” O’Connor continued on page 2