Marked with the sign of faith Seftons gift land for new Catholic cemetery
By Dan McWilliams
Longtime diocesan benefactors
Alan and Sally Sefton have donated 10.9 acres in the FarragutConcord area for a new Holy Cross Cemetery with a potential capacity of 3,500 graves, and the couple additionally contributed $1 million to establish a perpetual-care fund for the land, formerly used as a landscaping nursery.
The donation of the Northshore Drive property includes a large onestory building from the nursery and follows a search of several years for a new Catholic burial site as Calvary Cemetery close to downtown Knoxville, maintained by Immaculate Conception Parish, has been close to capacity for a few years. The six-acre Calvary property on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue was acquired by IC, whose church is about two miles away, in 1869. Calvary is landlocked in a residential area.
To support Holy Cross Cemetery, including an expensive effort to add topsoil to the site, and to be put on a waiting list for a plot, visit cemetery holycross.com (see below for details).
The diocese’s other cemetery, Mount Olivet in Chattanooga, was founded in 1886 and is maintained by the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul and other Chattanooga Deanery parishes. Mount Olivet covers about 30 acres with another 20 for potential expansion and has columbaria, which Calvary does not.
All three diocesan cemeteries have
Cemetery continued on page A13
By Dan McWilliams
THistory in the making
he spirit of 1988 lives on in the Diocese of Knoxville as evidenced in a Founders Mass that honored clergy and laity who were part of the establishment of the Church in East Tennessee that year and its first decade of mission.
Bishop Mark Beckman, who as a seminarian was present at the Mass on Sept. 8, 1988, in which the diocese was erected and its founding Bishop Anthony J. O’Connell ordained, celebrated the Founders liturgy on Aug. 31 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Concelebrating was Bishop James Vann Johnston Jr. of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., a son of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville and the longtime chancellor for his native diocese. The second reading at Mass came from Hebrews 12 and described the city of the living God that awaits believers.
“This liturgy is a foretaste of that sacred gathering. I want to thank all of you who are part of the found-
Founders continued on page A9
GOODMAN
Fathers Diocese of Knoxville priests, deacons, and Chancery staff, some of whom helped establish the Diocese of Knoxville in 1988, gather for a group photo along with diocesan laity outside of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus following the Founders Mass on Aug. 31.
work in progress
crew readies Holy Cross Cemetery for burial plots as the Diocese of Knoxville prepares to
spaces. The cemetery on Northshore Drive where Knox County joins Loudon County is the third in the diocese along with Calvary in Knoxville and Mount Olivet in Chattanooga.
Site preparation
Deacon Sean Smith, Diocese of Knoxville chancellor and chief operating officer, shows the location of a new cemetery for the diocese located on Northshore Drive where Knox County joins Loudon County. Alan and Sally Sefton, who are generous donors to the diocese, gifted the land for the cemetery, which will be one of three Catholic burial sites in East Tennessee.
‘A seed of hope’
Pope Leo XIV inaugurates complex devoted to promoting Pope Francis’ teachings
By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service
Surrounded by formal Italian gardens, ancient Roman ruins, and long avenues of lush trees, Pope Leo XIV inaugurated a new “zero environmental impact” complex devoted to promoting Pope Francis’ teachings on caring for creation at the papal gardens in Castel Gandolfo.
A newly built circular greenhouse, reminiscent of Bernini’s curved colonnade in St. Peter’s Square, and two new buildings, all topped with solar panels, make up the heart of Borgo Laudato Si’ a project dedicated to promoting integral ecology, sustainability, and a circular and generative economy.
Caring for creation “represents a true vocation for every human being, a commitment to be carried out within creation itself, without ever forgetting that we are creatures among creatures and not creators,”
Francis' legacy A newly constructed educational center, which is part of Borgo Laudato Si', stands on the papal property in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, on Sept. 2. Pope Leo XIV on Sept. 5 inaugurated the site, which includes gardens, farmland, historic villas, and educational spaces dedicated to being a model where the care of creation and the defense of human dignity are taught and lived, and are open to all.
Pope Leo said in his homily during a prayer service in the greenhouse on Sept. 5. The service was attended by employees and their families, members of the Roman Curia, rep-
The Handmaids of the Precious Blood this year celebrate the 78th year since their founding in 1947; more than three-quarters of a century of prayer and sacrifice for priests. To receive weekly cartoons and short reflections and news from the Handmaids of the Precious Blood, visit their website, nunsforpriests.org, and sign up for the FIAT newsletter.
A September prayer intention for
our relationship with all of creation
“Let us pray that, inspired by St. Francis, we might experience our interdependence with all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect.”
resentatives of partner companies and organizations supporting the project, and other special guests.
“Borgo Laudato Si’, which we are inaugurating today, is one of the
Church’s initiatives aimed at fulfilling this vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork: a demanding but beautiful and fascinating task, which represents a major aspect of the Christian experience," the Holy Father said.
The initiative, which seeks to make concrete the Church’s teaching about integral ecology, “is a seed of hope that Pope Francis has left us as his legacy,” he said, and it represents “a synthesis of extraordinary beauty, where spirituality, nature, history, art, work, and technology coexist in harmony.”
After the pope blessed the center, Andrea Bocelli and his son, Matteo, sang Dolce Sentire, which was inspired by St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of Creation. The ecumenical Season of Creation runs from Sept. 1 to Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis.
The Borgo, which means “village” or “hamlet” in Italian, extends
How to sign up and qualify for Diocese of Knoxville’s safe-environment program
The Diocese of Knoxville has implemented the CMG Connect platform to administer the Safe Environment Program, which replaces the former Safe Environment Program (VIRTUS “Protecting God’s Children”).
CMG Connect is a web-based platform that will assist in ensuring that all employees and volunteers who are in a position of trust with children and vulnerable adults within Diocese of Knoxville schools and parishes are trained to recognize behavior patterns of potential abusers and provide pro-active measures for preventing abuse in any context.
“Safe Haven-It’s Up to You” is a three-part video that provides vignettes of real-life situations to educate the viewer about methods of grooming, desensitization, bullying, and neglect, all of which can lead to abuse.
Each part of the video is immediately followed by a brief questionnaire to further develop understanding.
Education is a key
element of the Safe Environment Program
All clergy, employees, contracted school personnel, volunteers, members of groups and organizations over the age of 18 who work, volunteer, or participate in any capacity are required to complete the diocesan Safe Environment training and a criminal-background check before they can begin employment, volunteer, or participate with ministries, groups, and organizations affiliated with the Diocese of Knoxville.
In addition, the mandatory renewal training must be completed every five years and a new background check submitted before the five-year expiration of prior training.
The Diocese of Knoxville Safe Environment compliance training and renewal training is a condition of employment and for volunteer ministry in the Diocese of Knoxville.
The CMG Connect
platform contains all three elements of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Safe Environment Program: n Annual review of the Diocese of Knoxville’s Policy and Procedures Relating to Sexual Misconduct; n CMG Connect Safe Haven training program to be completed every five years; n Criminal background check to be completed every five years.
In compliance with the Diocese of Knoxville’s Safe Environment Program, all affiliates require that volunteers and employees complete the requirements prior to working and/or volunteering in a parish, school, or through Catholic Charities of East Tennessee and/ or St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic Go to https:// dioknox.org/safeenvironment on the Diocese of Knoxville website for more information ■
We are part of this great living chain of God's holy ones in East Tennessee
hen I was a child and we would see my father heading to the door, we would often ask, “Where are you going?” And sometimes with a smile he would answer, “Crazy…you wanna go?”
That memory still makes me laugh. But on a more serious note, I think that is one of the questions we all have in life—where are we going?
Recently, we celebrated a “Founders Mass” and gathering for those who were part of our beginnings back in 1988 when the Diocese of Knoxville was created. Almost 40 years ago, St. John Paul II created this diocese here in East Tennessee.
That beautiful beginning took great work on the part of many people: priests, deacons, religious, and many laymen and laywomen. Hearing the stories about the great energy and love that were part of our foundation has been an inspiration.
As we prepare to mark our 40th anniversary in 2028, the Catholic Leadership Institute has been working with our diocese to create a strategic plan for our future. Sam Keen, in the book Fire in the Belly, noted that everyone has to answer two great questions in life: First, “Where am I going?” and secondly, “Who will go with me?”
A good plan is a roadmap that sets a direction for the future. Our strategic planning team met this summer over a series of three two-day meetings, representing folks from across our great diocese from the Tri-Cities to Chattanooga and beyond, with a broad representation of clergy and laity. While the first draft is still a work in progress, which will soon be published, what is clear is that five great priorities
emerged.
These five points include a focus on:
1. Supporting and increasing vocations to the priesthood;
2. Engaging our youth and young adults;
3. Reaching out and serving all our neighbors in need;
4. Providing lifelong formation to all our parishioners in becoming more effective missionary disciples of the Lord;
5. Support for our Catholic schools throughout the diocese.
These priorities and the detailed work of implementing them with measurable strategies will be the great work of the next several years to come. They are an invitation to all of us to
help our young Catholic Church here in East Tennessee continue to grow and thrive. They give a clear vision of “where we are going.”
The second question—“who will go with us?”—reminds me of one definition of Catholicism attributed to Irish author James Joyce, which is “Here comes everybody!”
The very word “catholic” means “universal” from the root words in Greek that refer to being spread over the whole inhabited world. The truth is that God needs all of us, and He invites us all to respond to His call.
The kingdom of God depends on the energy and love of all of God’s people. We all have a role to play in helping this beautiful young Church here in East Tennessee to continue to grow and thrive.
We have received the precious treasure of Christian faith from countless men and women who have gone before us. They have followed Jesus in many ways; they have embodied God’s love; and they have been beacons of light in this world.
One of my theology professors in Louvain used the acronym “OTSOG” to remind us that we stand “On the Shoulders of Giants.” As your shepherd, I want to invite all of you to take part in this great endeavor that calls us into God’s future.
We do indeed “stand on the shoulders of giants” who help us to look further, but each of us are now part of this great living chain of God’s holy ones, called today to make our contribution of time, energy, and love to the building-up of the people of God here in East Tennessee!
Holy Spirit, fill us with the fire of your love in all that we do for the glory of God. ■
Can AI help Catholics evangelize?
The Church is leading efforts to adopt new tech humanely, ethically
By Sister Nancy Usselmann, FSP OSV News
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the buzzword these days. Digital devices, websites, and apps are all incorporating AI into their products at an increasingly rapid pace.
Just when you think you know about one application for a particular task, like organizing your e-mails or generating social media posts, dozens of others pop up.
It’s being said in work and Church circles, “Jump on the bandwagon or risk being left behind!”
So, what does the Catholic Church say about these developing technologies? Can they be used for the Church’s evangelizing mission of proclaiming the good news of Christ?
The Church has been a leading player in helping tech developers and world leaders consider the human and ethical issues of AI.
In 2020, the Church brought AI and government leaders together at the Vatican to sign an agreement to keep the dignity of human beings at the forefront of scientific advancements.
The Church’s latest document, Antiqua et Nova : “Note on the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence,” states that human reason, which shapes the will and actions, comes from being made in God’s image, something no machine can replicate.
It explains that the human intellect has a capacity for transcendence and that freedom of the will uniquely belongs to the soul, by which we share in the divine life.
In comments he’s made since becoming our pontiff, Pope Leo XIV encourages consideration of the entirety of human well-being in the use of AI.
He emphasizes that it is another tool for learning, creating, and advancing human understanding, but it cannot replace the gift of human intellect and reason.
While the Church cautions the
Some Catholic AI developers are creating LLMs (Large Language Models) that learn from a select set of data, specifically Catholic Church teachings. What this means is that they are creating “Catholic versions” of ChatGPT and other AI apps.
— Sister Nancy Usselmann , FSP, director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies
world about the ethical implications of AI and what it means to be human when facing rapid machine advancements, she also encourages opportunities to use these means for evangelization.
Some Catholic AI developers are creating LLMs (Large Language Models) that learn from a select set of data, specifically Catholic Church teachings. What this means is that they are creating “Catholic versions” of ChatGPT and other AI apps. Here are a few Catholic-based AI platforms that are using technology to evangelize the culture. Longbeard, an AI development company founded by Matthew Harvey Sanders, builds AI platforms to serve the Church.
Its seminal product is Magisterium AI, an AI system trained on the documents of the Church from the Vatican website, the Scriptures, and other key theological works. What makes this platform unique is that the answer to any prompt includes footnotes with citations of the documents from which it drew a response.
This is life-changing for anyone who does research or who wants to know exactly what the Church teaches on a subject but is unsure where to look. It also offers theologically sound answers to prompts about the faith.
Used in more than 165 countries, this AI platform is changing how we research and discover our faith in the digital environments.
A group of friends, Jacob Ciccarelli, Zac Johnson, Matt Fradd, and Paul Kim, co-founded Truthly, a Catholic AI-powered app that offers in-depth answers to questions about the Catholic faith, daily inspiration, and comprehensive faith learning.
The app draws on the Scriptures, the Catechism of the Catholic Church , and Church teachings. It also offers an AI chatbot that provides responses to prompts about faith-related questions.
This is a game-changer for being able to answer your work colleague or family member who challenges you about what you believe. It’s a reliable AI-driven apologist on your phone.
A dating app created for Catholics, by Catholics called catholicchemistry. com uses a personalized AI dating assistant to help you navigate the world of finding a lifelong marriage partner based on faith values.
It includes faith-centered profiles to help in the discernment to find like-minded Catholic singles. If you’re looking for an AI spiritual companion, then the Grace app may be for you.
You receive personalized prayer suggestions, Scripture verses, and spiritual guidance based on your answers to some initial questions. It is a Catholic chatbot to help you on your spiritual journey. It uses a generative AI model developed by a team of people that worked closely with the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome.
The creators say that the app complements rather than replaces traditional face-to-face spiritual direction.
Will we be left behind if we do not begin to use AI in some way?
Perhaps not everyone finds the need to launch into the latest tech trend. However, the Church herself must be present in the culture to be able to evangelize it from within.
The Church is the ethical voice to ensure the dignity of the human being is upheld in every socio-technological advancement.
And if Christ can be proclaimed using these tools, then St. Paul would say, “Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:16). ■
Sister Nancy Usselmann, a Daughter of St. Paul, is director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Los Angeles and a media literacy education specialist.
Commentary
Sr. Nancy
Preparing for the Divine Presence
LaFollette parish joins hands on project to build adoration chapel
By Dan McWilliams
Parishioners of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in LaFollette could not wait to use their Divine Presence adoration chapel after it was dedicated following a morning Mass on the solemnity of the Assumption on Aug. 15.
As soon as pastor Father Sam Sturm incensed the monstrance once it was placed in the chapel following a procession from the nave, the first adorers entered and knelt before their Lord’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
Doing that so quickly was “automatic” for Catholics, said Steve Sewell, an OLPH parishioner and project manager for the chapel’s design committee.
“To a Catholic, that monstrance with the consecrated host in it— you’re sitting with Jesus,” he said.
Father Sturm delivered the homily at the 9 a.m. Mass that drew some 100 parishioners and visitors, many of whom left for work afterward. Deacon Chad Shields of Christ the King Parish in Tazewell assisted. Those who helped with the chapel project were remembered in the intercessory prayers.
The pastor talked about the first reading at Mass from 1 Chronicles 15 and 16.
“Often in the Catholic tradition, Mary is associated with the Ark of the Covenant, the dwelling place of God. In the first reading, the ark is brought to Jerusalem, carried with reverence by Levites. In this prefigured way, Mary became the ark that carried God Himself, Jesus Christ,
and Tyler Williamson following completion of a project to build an adoration chapel at OLPH. Mr. O'Neal and Mr. Williamson are parishioners of Holy Ghost in Knoxville.
"Often in the Catholic tradition, Mary is associated with the Ark of the Covenant, the dwelling place of God. In the first reading, the ark is brought to Jerusalem, carried with reverence by Levites. In this prefigured way, Mary became the ark that carried God Himself, Jesus Christ, into the world. Her Assumption into heaven is the fulfillment of her faithfulness, and it gives us hope that we, too, can be counted among the saints if we follow her example and trust ourselves to her intercession before her Son "
— Father Sam Sturm , pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in LaFollette
into the world,” Father Sturm said, adding that “her Assumption into heaven is the fulfillment of her faithfulness, and it gives us hope
Hope in action
The Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund is changing lives in East Tennessee
The St. John Neumann Parish St. Vincent de Paul Conference
In a world where many people face sudden hardship and quiet despair, in addition to the generous support from our parishioners, the support of the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund has been a lifeline for the St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) ministry at St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut.
These funds—rooted in Pope Francis’ call to “go to the peripheries” and serve with mercy—have allowed volunteers to respond swiftly and compassionately to some of the community’s most urgent needs.
Each week, the St. John Neumann St. Vincent de Paul team answers the phone, not knowing who will be on the other end. What is known is that because of this fund, the team can show up with presence, with prayer, and when needed, with tangible help.
Over the past several months, that help has taken many forms.
The ministry has kept the lights on for seniors living on fixed incomes, provided motel stays for neighbors recovering from hospitalization or fleeing violence, and assisted working parents struggling to bridge the gap between paychecks. In one case, a retired postal worker injured on the job faced utility disconnection during her recovery.
A small but timely contribution brought peace and preserved her housing. In another case, a young family sleeping in their car received food, supplies, and a follow-up plan thanks to the ministry’s outreach.
The St. John Neumann St. Vincent
Baine & Co. Construction of Knoxville built the chapel, and George Armour Ewart Architect of Knoxville designed it.
Leading the project from Baine were Tyler Williamson and Casey O’Neal, parishioners of Holy Ghost in Knoxville. Some 20 workers took part as an old copy room was removed and tile put in for the chapel, with the footprint of the area expanding slightly as the effort was completed.
“It was about eight weeks, two months of work,” Mr. Williamson said. “We started from scratch with demolition, and we had a lot of help. Steve put most of the effort into it. We just provided the muscles.”
Mr. Sewell said the project took a year from inception to reality. Seeing the dedication day come was “emotional,” he said.
“It started off with an idea, and it started building a little bit of momentum. We put a team together, and to see it come to fruition, having such a holy space in a small church, is pretty special to me,” he said.
Mr. Sewell said “a couple of us” originally thought of building an adoration chapel.
“It started out with, we were doing 12-hour adoration just every now and then on a Friday,” he said.
that we, too, can be counted among the saints if we follow her example and trust ourselves to her intercession before her Son.”
“We got such a good response to that that I kind of pitched it to Father Sam, ‘Maybe we ought to think about putting an adoration chapel in here,’ and even if it’s not 24/7, we’ll have it here. It just kind of Chapel continued on page A19
Each week, the St. John Neumann St. Vincent de Paul team answers the phone, not knowing who will be on the other end.
What is known is that because of this fund, the team can show up with presence, with prayer, and when needed, with tangible help.
de Paul ministry has helped single mothers, such as a woman who was on bed rest awaiting the birth of her child, to regain stability by paying off overdue bills.
The ministry has supported men in recovery homes trying to stay on track, elderly women confronting overwhelming water bills, and caregivers trying to stay employed despite worn tires or health setbacks.
But sometimes the greatest impact isn’t financial.
One woman called not for money but for someone to listen and pray with her. Another man, newly housed after 20 years of homelessness, asked ministry volunteers to pause and pray with him in gratitude before unpacking donated household goods.
That moment moved everyone to tears, a testament to the power of presence and compassion.
What these stories share in common is not just need but resilience. Each person served is trying—and fighting—to stay housed, to recover, to feed their children, to believe that someone cares.
And because of the Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund, the ministry is able to say: We do care. You are not alone.
This ministry thrives on collabo-
SVDP continued on page A24
Building up the kingdom Father Sam Sturm, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in LaFollette, is flanked by Baine & Co. Construction officials Casey O'Neal, left,
DAN MCWILLIAMS
Bishop Beckman rededicates worship space at Chattanooga church Renewed in the Holy Spirit
By Bill Brewer
Renewal physical and spiritual was the message of the day on Aug. 16 as members of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Chattanooga took part in the rededication of their worship space.
Bishop Mark Beckman was joined by OLPH pastor Father Arthur Torres in blessing the newly renovated sanctuary and nave that has given new life to the church that was originally blessed on Sept. 8, 1938.
Bishop Beckman blessed the upgraded worship space, purifying the sanctuary with incense and sprinkling the nave with holy water as a nearly standing-room-only congregation participated. And he took advantage of the celebration to show the importance of renewal through the Holy Spirit in each individual.
As Bishop Beckman celebrated the vigil Mass, he was joined by concelebrating priests Father Torres; Father Andrew Crabtree, OLPH associate pastor; Father Michael Nolan, pastor of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in Cleveland; Father Nick Tran, chaplain of the St. Faustina Public Association of the Faithful in Chattanooga; Father Matthew Donahue, associate pastor of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga; and Father Zach Griffith, chaplain of the Catholic Center at East Tennessee State University who formerly served at OLPH.
Deacon Wade Eckler served as deacon of the Word, and Deacon Dennis Meinert served as deacon of the Eucharist.
Bishop Beckman highlighted Scripture in his homily that fo-
cused on renewal.
“It is so good to be here as we dedicate once more this beautiful church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and to have all of you the
New Louisiana bishop finds ‘strength, hope, and courage ’ in God
Bishop Simon Peter Engurait is ordained, installed in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux
By Julie Asher OSV News
Ido not deserve to be an apostle, but by the grace of God that is what I am,” said Bishop Simon Peter Engurait, newly ordained and installed as the head of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, La., quoting words of the Apostle Paul.
He made the remarks in addressing the congregation after a nearly three-hour afternoon Mass on Sept. 5 at the Stopher Gym at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux.
The faithful filled the venue to witness his consecration as the sixth bishop of Houma-Thibodaux. Dozens of bishops, priests, men and women religious, deacons, seminarians, and laypeople attended the liturgy.
Bishop Engurait’s mother and five of his siblings were also there. Born in 1971 in Ngora, Uganda, the bishop is one of 14 children. The congregation included a representative of Uganda’s ambassador to the United States.
Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans was the principal consecrator with Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre of Louisville, Ky., and retired Bishop Sam G. Jacobs of Houma-Thibodaux as co-consecrators. Bishop Jacobs and Archbishop Fabre served as the third and fourth bishops, respectively, of Houma-Thibodeaux. “I stand here not because of my worthiness but because of God’s mercy, but with that mercy comes an awesome and, yes, even a frightening responsibility to shepherd God’s people, to guard and defend the faith, and to account not only for my soul but for those (I serve),” Bishop Engurait said.
of God gather for this
my
and deacons.
“It is indeed a day of rejoicing as we rededicate this church,” the
bishop said to begin the Mass.
In his opening prayer, Bishop Beckman said, “Dear brothers and sisters, we gather with great joy here to rededicate this church of God. Let us humbly beseech God that His will be placed among us with His grace and by His power to bless this water, which he has created and by which we are to be sprinkled as a sign of repentance and remembrance of baptism and by which the walls of this new church will be purified. But first, let us remember that we ourselves gather as one in faith and charity and became a living church, a place in the world as a sign of the witness of love with which God cares for all people.”
The bishop then cited Luke and Jeremiah in the Bible as he recalled experiences to illustrate his message.
“The words of Jesus are strong words. ‘I come to set the earth on fire.’ I don’t want to wish on you all any burning. But we see these enormous fires in our country out west. And we see what fire does, how powerful and destructive it is,” he observed. “Several years ago, I went hiking in Oregon in the mountains. The year before, a large fire had gone through the forest there. I remember walking a path and wherever there was black there was new vegetation. The trees had burned, and there was that sense of smell of ash. I thought this land has been devastated by fire. The power of that fire overwhelmed my senses. In the words of Jesus today, there is an element of that: ‘I did not come to bring peace.’”
Jeremiah personifies the renewal God seeks in everyone as he was
continued on page A20
people
great celebration, especially
brother priests
Bless this worship space Above: Bishop Mark Beckman celebrates Mass for the rededication of the sanctuary and nave at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga. Joining Bishop Beckman in the renovated sanctuary are, from left, Father Arthur Torres, pastor of OLPH, Deacon Wade Eckler, Father Andrew Crabtree, OLPH associate pastor, and Deacon Dennis Meinert. Below: Bishop Beckman sprinkles holy water in the renovated nave as he blesses the worship space. He is followed by Father Torres.
BILL BREWER (2)
Rededicate
Pope: New, young saints encourage faithful to live life to the fullest ‘Make them masterpieces’
By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service
The greatest risk in life is to waste it by not seeking to follow God’s plan, Pope Leo XIV said, proclaiming two new saints two young laymen of the 20th and 21st centuries.
“Sts. Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis are an invitation to all of us, especially young people, not to squander our lives, but to direct them upward and make them masterpieces,” the pope said on Sept. 7.
“The simple but winning formula of their holiness,” he said, is accessible to everyone at any time. “They encourage us with their words: ‘Not I, but God,’ as Carlo used to say. And Pier Giorgio: ‘If you have God at the center of all your actions, then you will reach the end.’”
Before canonizing the first saints of his pontificate, Pope Leo greeted the more than 80,000 faithful who had gathered early in St. Peter’s Square because he wanted to share his joy with them before the start of the solemn ceremony.
“Brothers and sisters, today is a wonderful celebration for all of Italy, for the whole Church, for the whole world,” he said before the Mass.
“While the celebration is very solemn, it is also a day of great joy, and I wanted to greet especially the many young people who have come for this holy Mass,” he said, also greeting the families of the soon-to-be saints and the associations and communities to which the young men had belonged.
Pope Leo asked that everyone “feel in our hearts the same thing that Pier Giorgio and Carlo experienced: this love for Jesus Christ, especially in the Eucharist, but also in the poor, in our brothers and sisters.” “All of you, all of us, are also
to be
he said, before leaving to prepare for Mass and
paying homage to a statue of Mary with baby Jesus and the reliquaries containing the relics of the two young men. In his homily, the pope underlined Jesus’ call in the day’s Gospel reading “to abandon ourselves without hesitation to the adventure that He offers us, with the intelligence and strength that comes from His Spirit, that we can receive to the extent that we empty ourselves of the things and ideas to which we are attached, in order to listen to His Word.”
That is what the two new saints did and what every disciple of Christ is called to do, he said. Many people, especially when they are young, he said, face a kind of “crossroads” in life when they reflect on what to do with their life.
The saints of the Church are often portrayed as “great figures, forgetting that for them it all began when, while still young, they said ‘yes’ to God and gave themselves to Him completely, keeping nothing for themselves,” the pope said.
“Today, we look to St. Pier Giorgio Frassati and St. Carlo Acutis: a young man from the early 20th century and a teenager from our own day, both in love with Jesus and ready to give everything for Him,” he said.
Pope Leo then dedicated a large portion of his homily to sharing quotes from the two and details of their lives, which is something Pope Francis had shifted away from, preferring to focus more on the day’s readings.
“Pier Giorgio’s life is a beacon for lay spirituality,” Pope Leo said. “For him, faith was not a private devotion, but it was driven by the power of the Gospel and his membership in ecclesial associations,”
Saints continued on page A16
called
saints,”
Our newest saints Above: A nun in St. Peter's Square holds a picture of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati in St. Peter's Square on the day
Pope Leo XIV canonized St. Acutis, a British-born Italian boy who is the first millennial to be made a Catholic saint, and St. Frassati. Below: Pope Leo XIV receives the offertory gifts from Antonia Salzano, mother of St. Acutis, and her family during the canonization Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Sept. 7. From left to right are Francesca Acutis, Mrs. Salzano, Andrea Acutis, and Michele Acutis.
Pilgrims of Hope ’ 25
Hispanic youth celebrate the jubilee in Washington, D.C.
By Magdiel Argueta
It is easy to remember someone who has left a profound legacy in our lives, especially when that legacy transforms souls. What is not easy is to leave an indelible mark.
Yet, there is a man who recently departed for the Father’s house who managed to write his story in this life—a story that carries not only his own journey but also the life of the Church Christ founded with Peter. I speak of Francis: our beloved pope, our beloved brother, the man, the friend, the Argentine who won hearts for God, especially the hearts of young people.
Today, I want to speak about his final call to the youth of the world: the Jubilee of Youth, which he convened for this year in Rome. Pope Francis invited the world to celebrate from July 28 to Aug. 3. This call gathered over a million young people from across the globe in the Eternal City for an event that occurs only once every 25 years, apart from extraordinary jubilees.
Responding to our local reality, the Pastoral Juvenil Hispana of the Diocese of Knoxville chose to celebrate the Jubilee of Youth in a similar way: with a pilgrimage, not to Rome, but to significant and holy sites in Washington, D.C.
This initiative arose from the need to offer our Hispanic youth, especially those unable to travel to Rome, the opportunity to live this encounter simultaneously with the youth gathered in the heart of Christendom.
At the heart of the pilgrimage, each young person carried his or her own story and reason for saying “yes” to this journey of faith.
José Damián López from Chattanooga was moved by an inner desire: he wanted to personally experience what a pilgrimage truly means. Emotion overcame him as he stood before the relics of St. John Paul II, gazing at his vestments and his blood.
“A great saint of our Catholic Church,” José shared. “His voice … hearing it brings peace to my heart. He is watching us from heaven.”
For Sandy, a young adult from the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, it was also her first pilgrimage experience.
“I was so excited because it was my first time, and everything met my expectations. The only regret I have is not having done something like this sooner. Now, I will make sure to invite many young people to join the youth group,” Sandy said.
Although she admitted feeling “out of place” at times due to her age, she is still well within the age range established by the Pastoral Juvenil Hispana (18–35 years).
The testimonies are inspiring. Elvin Galicia from St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City shared, “For me, it felt like a call from God … I immediately said yes.” For him, this was far more than just another trip; it was a life-
Hope for the future
Above: The group of pilgrims from the Diocese of Knoxville visited sites of spiritual significance during their trip to Washington, D.C., as part of the Jubilee of Youth July 28-Aug.
3. Here they are on the steps of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
Left: Father Dalton Reyes of New Jersey blesses the pilgrim cross as Magdiel Argueta holds the cross.
Below: The group gathers for a photo at the Chancery before leaving for Washington, D.C.
changing experience.
“I didn’t know anything about the trip, but… once in Washington, I loved seeing the group of young people, all so kind and helpful. I loved how united they were,” Elvin said.
Jasaira Velásquez experienced her first pilgrimage as an opportunity to receive a plenary indulgence. What touched her most was sharing time with young people who share the same goals toward God, and the profound experience of confession.
“It moved me deeply, especially during the penance that followed the reconciliation,” Jasaira said.
For Chelcie Gallardo, there was
no single highlight. “Honestly, everything … because at every moment I learned something new,” she shared.
Cristian Figueroa described his experience as a reconnection with Jesus, with His Church, and with the communion of saints—a journey that renewed the freshness and joy of his faith.
Genaro set out seeking a deeper understanding of the beauty of Catholicism but found something more along the way: new friends who made the experience even richer.
For Eduardo, on his first pilgrimage, the most valuable part was seeing how each young person
contributed their grain of sand to make the group feel at home.
“I took away lessons and stories I had never known,” he expressed with gratitude.
Danny Galicia began the journey wanting to know God more and to share fellowship. He returned certain that he had lived “a very beautiful experience” that he will not hesitate to recommend.
This pilgrimage not only brought Hispanic youth closer to holy places in Washington, D.C., it also strengthened their identity as disciples of Christ. They returned home with unforgettable memories, new friendships, and renewed faith because the Jubilee of Youth is not just another item on a calendar, it is an encounter with the God who calls, accompanies, and sends forth.
During our pilgrimage, we received a special gift. Father Dalton Reyes, a Colombian priest from New Jersey, invited us to join his Saturday Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. In his homily, he offered a formative and transformative message about the jubilee, tracing its history from ancient Israel to the Church’s present-day celebration. He also blessed our pilgrim cross and the pilgrims themselves.
I wanted our Pilgrims of Hope to live a unique experience by staying in the homes of local families. We thank the parishes of St. Bernard and Our Lady of Fatima in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., for joining us, hosting us, and, most importantly, welcoming us as part of their family. Special thanks to our dear friends from the youngadult group Missionaries of Christ who worked tirelessly to ensure everything ran smoothly. We look forward to welcoming them soon to Knoxville: our home is theirs.
For me, as the organizer of this beautiful event, and as a Pilgrim of Hope, it has been a heart-renewing experience. I remember “to call oneself a Christian” is to be in love with someone—in this case, with Jesus—and when you see the beautiful things He can do through His servants, you fall more deeply in love and renew the “yes” you once gave Him. It is a constant “yes” that is never withdrawn, because you are truly happy.
I am convinced that where one is happy is where one should remain forever, especially if, by being there, you help others to be happy as well. That is why I invite all youth and young adults to join this beautiful ministry, where they will not only find a space to renew their faith in a dynamic way, but find a place to forge friendships with people who share their similar goals and love for Christ. ■
Magdiel Argueta is the coordinator of Pastoral Juvenil for the Diocese of Knoxville.
Getting to know Mary better
Pope calls for Mariology at all levels of the Church
Catholic news reports
The Catholic Church celebrates the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary on its traditional fixed date of Sept. 8, nine months after the Dec. 8 celebration of her immaculate conception as the child of Sts. Joachim and Anne. The circumstances of the Virgin Mary’s infancy and early life are not directly recorded in the Bible, but other documents, legends, and traditions describing the circumstances
of her birth are cited by some of the earliest Christian writers from the first centuries of the Church.
These accounts are not included in the canon of Scripture and thus lack authority, but they do reflect some of the Church’s traditional beliefs about the birth of Mary.
One such non-Scriptural source is the early second century Protoevangelium of James, an infancy gospel offering pious legends about Mary that nevertheless affirms some of the earliest teachings of the Church
on the Blessed Mother.
The Protoevangelium describes Mary’s father, Joachim, as a wealthy member of one of the 12 tribes of Israel. Joachim was deeply grieved, along with his wife, Anne, by their childlessness. “He called to mind Abraham,” the early Christian writing says, “that in the last day God gave him a son, Isaac.” Joachim and Anne began to devote themselves extensively and rigorously to prayer and fasting, initially wondering whether their
inability to conceive a child might signify God’s displeasure with them. As it turned out, however, the couple was to be blessed even more abundantly than Abraham and Sarah, as an angel revealed to Anne when he appeared to her and prophesied that all generations would honor their future child: “The Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive, and shall bring forth; and your seed shall be
Mary continued on page A8
Farewell to a missionary
Bishop Beckman, Archbishop Kurtz lead funeral Mass for Father Joseph Hammond
By Bill Brewer and Dan McWilliams
Father Joseph Mary Aryee
Hammond, CHS, who had served in the Diocese of Knoxville since 1998, was laid to rest on Aug. 16 following a funeral Mass at St. John Neumann Church celebrated by Bishop Mark Beckman and concelebrated by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz.
Father Hammond died on Aug. 9 following a recent illness. He had been diagnosed with stage four liver cancer over the summer. The native of Ghana, Africa, was 79 and had been in residence at St. John Neumann in Farragut. He was a priest of the Crusaders of the Holy Spirit community.
Loved ones, friends, and supporters of Father Hammond filled St. John Neumann Church, joining nearly 20 priests and more than a half-dozen deacons in celebrating his life and service to God and God’s people.
“Father Joseph was a loving, humble, and good priest and will be deeply missed. I am grateful for his wonderful service in our diocese,” Bishop Beckman said following Father Hammond’s death.
Surrounded by love
Father Michael Maples, who has
spoken of in all the world.”
served as an associate priest at St. John Neumann and is now on staff at Conception Seminary College in Conception, Mo., delivered the homily.
Father Maples, in acknowledging the many priests in attendance as well as members of Father Hammond’s family from Texas, said the funeral served as both a “homegoing” because Father Hammond was going home to God and a “homecoming” because so many people close to the departed priest had gathered to show their love and
After Mary’s birth, according to the Protoevangelium of James, Anne “made a sanctuary” in the infant girl’s room and “allowed nothing common or unclean” on account of the special holiness of the child. The same writing records that when she was 1 year old, her father “made a great feast and invited the priests, and the scribes, and the elders, and all the people of Israel.”
“And Joachim brought the child to the priests,” the account continues, “and they blessed her, saying: ‘O God of our fathers, bless this child, and give her an everlasting name to be named in all generations’ ... And he brought her to the chief priests; and they blessed her, saying: ‘O God most high, look upon this child, and bless her with the utmost blessing, which shall be for ever.’”
The protoevangelium goes on to describe how Mary’s parents, along with the Temple priests, subsequently decided that she would be offered to God as a consecrated virgin for the rest of her life and enter a chaste marriage with the carpenter Joseph.
St. Augustine described the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary as an event of cosmic and historic significance and an appropriate prelude to the birth of Jesus Christ. “She is the flower of the field from whom bloomed the precious lily of the valley,” he said.
The fourth-century bishop, whose theology profoundly shaped the Western Church’s understanding of sin and human nature, affirmed that “through her birth, the nature inherited from our first parents is changed.”
Growing interest in the study of Mary has given rise to Mariology around the world.
The Catholic Church needs the theological study and model of Mary, Pope Leo XIV said, calling for a great promotion of Mariology in parishes, religious life, and educational centers.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, “never ceases to open doors, build bridges, break down walls, and help humanity to live in peace and in the harmony of diversity,” he said on Sept. 6 during an audience with some 600 scholars attending a conference on Mariology.
The Pontifical International Marian Academy organized the 26th International Mariological Marian Congress in Rome Sept. 3-6, discussing the theme “Jubilee and Synodality: A Church with a Marian Face and Practice.” Participants included Orthodox, Protestant, and Muslim scholars.
In his address, Pope Leo underlined the pontifical academy’s importance as being “a forum for thought, spirituality, and dialogue, tasked with coordinating the studies and scholars of Mariology in the service of a genuine and fruitful” Marian piety.
“The Virgin Mary, mother of the Church, teaches us to be the holy people of God,” he said. “Mary is always ready to respond by first listening to the Word,” he said.
He highlighted St. Augustine’s warning against praying to Mary to hear what one wants by quoting the saint: “All consult you about what they want, but they do not always hear the answer they want. Your most faithful servant
pay their respects.
The diocesan priest, who resided at St. John Neumann with Father Hammond for more than 10 years, quoted from Ecclesiastes 3, saying “there is a time to die.”
“Father Joseph was one of ours. He was our brother. He was our father,” Father Maples said, noting that so many people die in silence and die alone. “Not our Father Joseph. He died surrounded by love.”
Father Maples pointed out that many people visited with Father Hammond during his final days,
is the one who does not seek to hear from you what he wants, but rather to want what he hears from you.”
Mary is a “synodal” woman, he said, because she is “fully and maternally engaged in the action of the Holy Spirit, who summons those who previously believed they had reasons to remain divided due to mutual distrust and even enmity as brothers and sisters.”
“A Church with a Marian heart always better preserves and understands the hierarchy of truths of faith, integrating mind and heart, body and soul, universal and local, person and community, humanity and cosmos,” Pope Leo said.
“It is a Church that does not shy away from
including his former parishioners from Notre Dame in Greeneville and St. Patrick in Morristown.
And he noted that on Aug. 5, the 36th anniversary of Father Hammond’s ordination to the priesthood, Father Hammond celebrated Mass with St. John Neumann pastor Father Mark Schuster and associate pastor Father Bo Beaty in Father Hammond’s room at St. John Neumann, even though Father Hammond was in hospice. Among those also at Father Hammond’s bedside was Monsignor Patrick Garrity, who was a close friend to Father Hammond and has extolled all the good Father Hammond did in his ministry.
“Songs were sung. They were songs of joy. Even in the face of death, sadness would not win,” Father Maples eulogized. “As Father Joseph was nearing his last moments in his earthly (home), these visitors kept death from having any kind of victory. And as Joseph breathed his last breath, he laid his burdens down and was sent to heavenly angels amid expressions of love.”
Father Maples asked what inspires such devotion if it isn’t love? He said it begins with the love that Father Hammond shared with the people he encountered.
asking herself, others, and God uncomfortable questions—‘How shall this be?’—and to walk the demanding paths of faith and love,” he said.
“A Marian piety and practice oriented toward the service of hope and consolation frees us from fatalism, superficiality, and fundamentalism; it takes all human realities seriously, starting with the least and the discarded; it contributes to giving voice and dignity to those who are sacrificed on the altars of ancient and new idols,” he said.
“Since the vocation of the mother of the Lord is understood as the vocation of the Church,” he said, “Marian theology has the task of cultivating in all the people of God, first of all, a willingness to ‘start afresh’ with God, His Word, and the needs of our neighbor with humility and courage.”
“It must also cultivate the desire to walk toward the unity that flows from the Trinity, in order to bear witness to the world, to the beauty of faith, the fruitfulness of love, and the prophecy of hope that does not disappoint,” he added.
“Contemplating the mystery of God and history of Mary’s inner gaze protects us from the distortions of propaganda, ideology, and unhealthy information, which can never speak a disarmed and disarming word, and opens us to divine gratuitousness, which alone makes it possible for people, populations, and cultures to walk together in peace,” the pope said.
“This is why the Church needs Mariology,” he said. “It should be considered and promoted in academic centers, shrines, and parish communities, associations and movements, institutes of consecrated life, as well as in places where contemporary cultures are forged, valuing the limitless inspiration offered by art, music, and literature.” ■
May he rest in peace Bishop Mark Beckman celebrates the funeral Mass for Father Joseph Hammond at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut on Aug. 16. Bishop Beckman was assisted by Deacons Hicks Armor and Shawn Ballard
DAN MCWILLIAMS
The love of Mary Children place incense at the foot of a statue of Mary, near the relics of St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, during a Mass for their canonization in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Sept. 7
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE PHOTO/LOLA GOMEZ
Mary continued from page A7
Fr. Hammond continued on page A22
ing of this beautiful diocese for your presence here,” Bishop Beckman said in his welcoming remarks. “We know that there are many others who helped to found the diocese who are already at that festal gathering in the heavenly Jerusalem.”
A reception in Cathedral Hall following the Mass featured a slideshow and a video that included footage of the 1988 Mass and interviews of four people instrumental in the early years of the diocese, and the reception gave numerous current and former employees of the Chancery time to reunite and share memories as East Tennessee Catholics look forward to the 40th anniversary of the diocese in 2028.
At the reception, Monsignor Patrick Garrity presented Janie Hennessy, executive secretary to chancellor and chief operating officer Deacon Sean Smith and, at 30 years, the longestserving employee in the diocese’s history, the first Sister Albertine Paulus Relentless Award. The honor is named for the late Sister of Mercy who was the longtime director of the diocesan evangelization office.
Concelebrating the Founders Mass and/or attending the reception were Monsignor Al Humbrecht, Monsignor Garrity, and Fathers Mike Creson, Mike Nolan, Jim Haley, CSP, Michael Woods, John Dowling, and Charlie Burton, all of whom were ordained before the Diocese of Knoxville was created. Father Michael Cummins, Father Jim Vick, and Father Peter Iorio as well as Father Martin Gladysz and Father Danny Herman, the latter two of the cathedral parish, also concelebrated.
Monsignor Humbrecht, who served as diocesan administrator between Bishop O’Connell and Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz and between Bishop Kurtz and Bishop Richard F. Stika, and Father Burton were masters of ceremonies for the 1988 ordination Mass.
Deacon Otto Preske of Good Shepherd Parish in Newport was deacon of the Word at the Founders Mass, and Deacon Jim Fage of St. Patrick in Morristown was deacon of the altar.
Founding staff attend
Andrea Cox, a founding Chancery staff member, approached Bishop Beckman in January with the idea of a Founders Mass and reception, and the diocesan Office of Communications produced the video and provided more than 150 photos that appeared in the slideshow.
Former Chancery staffers and others attending the Mass and reception included Edgar Miller, founding editor of The East Tennessee Catholic; April Partin, the newspaper’s second
editor; Linda Taylor, Chancery office manager, facilities manager, and manager of the bishop’s residence; Kathleen Hanks O’Hara, Terry Torricelli, and Suzanne Erpenbach, respectively the second, third, and fourth directors of the diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development; David Dotson, founding director of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee; Glenda Keyes, who co-directed with late husband Marcus the diocesan Office of JusticePeace-Integrity of Creation; Jeannine Fort, former diocesan assistant in and interim director of Hispanic Ministry; Cathy Qualls, director of the Religious Education Resource Center at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville; and Ann Guise, an early administrative assistant at the Chancery. Mrs. Erpenbach is also active in the Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.
Many of the former staffers worked all or part of their years with the diocese in its original Chancery, located on the property of Sacred Heart, before the current diocesan office building was dedicated next-door to the cathedral in 1995.
Mr. Miller was interviewed for the video played at the reception along with Dottie Roddy, original chair of the Diocesan Finance Council; Sue Clancy, special-events coordinator for the city of Knoxville and facilities coordinator for the ordination in 1988; and Father Chris Michelson, who was the founding pastor of one of Knoxville’s biggest parishes in All Saints and was in charge of the move of Knoxville Catholic High School from its original Magnolia Avenue location to its present site next to the All Saints campus.
History made in 1988
In his homily at the Founders Mass, Bishop Beckman recalled the 1988 Mass that erected the Diocese of Knoxville, during which the principal consecrator of Bishop O’Connell,
Archbishop and future Cardinal Pio Laghi, read the names of the 36 counties in the new diocese from Pope John Paul II’s decree establishing it. Bishop Beckman also referred to the day’s Gospel reading from Luke 14 that included Jesus’ parable of the great banquet.
“In some ways, the creation of this beautiful Diocese of Knoxville was like a great wedding banquet, wasn’t it, for those of you who were here?” the bishop asked. “Think about the days and months and weeks and even years of preparation that went into that moment when this diocese was created by Pope John Paul II, now St. John Paul II, with all of its counties named aloud at that first ceremony.”
The bishop asked how many of his listeners in the cathedral pews attended the 1988 Mass, and many hands were raised.
“You remember that festive day. It was like a wedding, wasn’t it? I was a young deacon at the time, and I was overwhelmed by the joy here in East Tennessee,” he said.
Bishop Beckman told the faithful at Sacred Heart that “all those hidden things throughout your lives that you’ve done to build up this Bride of Christ have been seen by the Lord. There is nothing that you have done or suffered for the sake or the good of this Church that the Lord is not aware of. He sees everything in your hearts. Know that. The quiet ways that you have served Him through the decades in lots of different ways, those of you still serving and receiving that baton of faith in our Church today, those younger folks who are now part of this beautiful Church of this Diocese of Knoxville and the newest comers.”
The bishop pointed toward the upcoming major anniversary of the diocese and its true mission.
“This Diocese of Knoxville, this beautiful Bride of Christ, is a place
through the decades—and we’re approaching 40 years as a diocese— where the wounded people in our world who most need healing have been welcomed at the table of the Lord,” Bishop Beckman said.
“I am reminded, as Pope Francis often told us, the Church is not a community of the perfect, and that’s not what the Eucharist is for, but it’s a field hospital. The Lord knows that the wounded need to be here, those who are lame and blind, suffering in some way, need the Lord especially. And I would add: all of us are wounded in life in various ways. We’re lame and blind and crippled in our own ways, and we need the Lord. That is why this place, this beautiful eucharistic assembly, is so important. The Lord, the healer of souls, is here in this place.”
‘Grateful for the blessings’
Monsignor Humbrecht emceed the reception in Cathedral Hall and led the blessing before the meal.
“We gather this evening grateful for the blessings that you have poured out upon us as the Diocese of Knoxville,” he prayed.
Father Burton also led a prayer at the reception after the meal, before the program began.
“Heavenly Father, this is an evening of thanksgiving, of grace, and celebration. It is a time to remember and give thanks,” he said.
Monsignor Humbrecht then welcomed the founders and guests at the reception and acknowledged Bishop Johnston, who was among the original five seminarians of the new Diocese of Knoxville in 1988, as well as Mrs. Roddy of the original finance council.
“I’m proud to say that she was possibly the first woman in the entire American Catholic Church to serve in that role. She had the gifts to do the job, and she did the job well,” Monsignor Humbrecht said.
The monsignor, then dean of the Chattanooga Deanery, remembered Bishop O’Connell’s appointment on May 27, 1988, as Knoxville’s first bishop and his initial meeting with his priests.
“When Bishop O’Connell was named and before his actual ordination, he wanted to make a visit to the diocese, and Chattanooga was the first deanery that he came to visit,” Monsignor Humbrecht said. “What I thought was so amazing was that he wanted to meet in the afternoon with all the priests in the deanery, but in the evening he wanted to meet with the chairpersons of all the parish pastoral councils in the deanery.”
Bishop Beckman introduced the 20-minute video, titled “Remember,
Founders continued on page A12
How many remember? Bishop Mark Beckman enjoys talking about the establishment of the Diocese of Knoxville during the Founders Mass on Aug. 31.
BILL BREWER
Reflections from the Diocese of Knoxville Founders Mass and reception held on Aug. 31 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Cathedral Hall
Therese Hurley and Charlotte Higginbotham
Bishop Mark Beckman, Bishop James V. Johnston Jr., and Father Martin Gladysz distribute holy Communion
From left: Father Jim Vick, Monsignor Al Humbrecht, Father John Dowling,
Father Jim Haley, CSP, Father Michael Cummins, Father Mike Nolan, Father Mike Creson, and Don Cox
Jeannine Fort and Alma Vázquez
Anne McGaugh, Andrea Cox, and seated, Marion McGaugh
Founders Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
From left seated: Susan Clancy, Sue Clancy, Pat Johnston
From left standing: Therese Hurley, Jean Willard Asinger
DAN MCWILLIAMS
Andrea Cox and Linda Taylor
Founders Mass reader Glenda Keyes
Dan McWilliams, Sister Marie de Paul Stokes, RSM, and Sister Claudia Marie Murray, RSM
Priests and deacons process into the Founders Mass
Deacon Otto Preske reads the petitions surrounded by, from left, Bishop James V. Johnston Jr., Bishop Mark Beckman, and Deacon Jim Fage
Bishop Mark Beckman and Bishop James V. Johnston Jr. greet people after the Founders Mass
Angel Brewer, Stanley H. Pickering II, and Kathy Pickering
Clockwise from left: Maggie Parsons, Felicity Parsons, Cecilia Parsons, Mallory Louque, Rachel McCarthy, Jeff Parsons, Beth Parsons, and Sophia Parsons.
Cathy Qualls, Linda Larson, and Edgar Miller
Sister Mary Timothea Elliott, RSM, Sister Gianna Marie Savidge, RSM, and Sister Joan Miriam Nelson, RSM
Father Charlie Burton and Monsignor Al Humbrecht
From left: Maureen O'Connell, David Dotson, Mary Leslie Dotson, Leslie Sholly, Beth Hunley, Vickie Stovall, and Matt Stovall
Seated: Ann Guise and Kathleen O'Hara; standing, April Partin, Janie Hennessy, Terry Torricelli, and Father Peter Iorio
Janie Hennessy, Deacon Sean Smith, and Bishop James V. Johnston Jr.
Edgar and Ghislaine Miller, and April Partin
MCWILLIAMS
BREWER
Celebrate, Give Thanks: The First 10 Years of the Diocese of Knoxville” that was edited by diocesan communications director John Mecklenborg, saying it “offers a sneak-peek into a project we’ve been working on in our diocesan archives. Our archivist, Andrea Cox, has been working with the Office of Communications to dig through videotapes, photos, and old newspapers from the founding of our diocese, and she has unearthed remarkable footage from that 1988 ordination, including many of you here tonight, and some never-beforeseen material from the morning of the ordination.
“We’ve also conducted interviews with four individuals who were pivotal in creating our great diocese,” the bishop said. “These interviews are part of our historical archive project where we hosted one-on-one conversations with these pillars of our diocese. The full interviews will eventually be shared, and we plan to continue gathering stories and history that make our diocese so special.”
The video opened with Father Michelson calling the early time in the diocese “the day of the giants” with Monsignor Xavier Mankel and other priests serving in East Tennessee in those days. Monsignor Mankel was a founder of the diocese who served as vicar general, chancellor, moderator of the curia, and schools superintendent in those early days while also serving as KDCCW moderator and pastor of the cathedral parish and Holy Ghost among many assignments over a 56-year priesthood.
Mrs. Clancy in the video saluted her good friends Mary Catherine Willard, the “godmother of the diocese” who died earlier this year, and the late Roseanne Wolfe.
Mrs. Roddy drew laughs from the reception audience when she recalled in the video her original remark to Bishop O’Connell when he appointed her finance-council chair. “I said, ‘Do you know I’m a woman?’”
Mr. Miller left his job with the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and had joined United Press International when he was hired by Bishop O’Connell and given two months to start The East Tennessee Catholic in 1991. The founding editor said Knoxville’s first bishop could talk to Cardinal James Hickey, the D.C. archbishop, for references.
“Bishop O’Connell said, ‘I don’t need to talk to Hickey. I make up my own mind about people,” Mr. Miller recalled.
Longest-serving employee honored
After the video, Monsignor Garrity presented the Sister Albertine Paulus Relentless Award to Mrs. Hennessy.
“I was blessed when I first became principal of Knoxville Catholic High School to have Sister Albertine on my staff,” Monsignor Garrity said. “She taught math and life and work ethic and kept everybody in line. I remember she always wanted snacks in the faculty lounge because she said an army marches on its stomach.
“This certificate I’m about to present reads, in recognition of her exemplary and faithful service to the Diocese of Knoxville for 30 years, so far, and in acknowledgement of the fact that she has worked full time longer than any other employee since the establishment of the diocese in 1988, we gratefully present Janie Hennessy with the first and only Sister Albertine Paulus Relentless Award.”
A long, standing ovation for Mrs. Hennessy followed.
“I love every person in this diocese,” she said. “I’ve never been anywhere in my life that I’ve seen so many devoted Catholics with such love in their heart for our Lord Jesus Christ. I’m very grateful to be here. Thank you.”
‘A joy to come back’ Bishop Johnston, who shepherds about 150,000 Catholics in his diocese, was accompanied at the reception by his mother, Pat. The Missouri bishop was the next speaker at the event and led its closing prayer.
“It’s really a great joy for me to come back and see so many people who were a big part of my life and
have made up my life,” he said. “I tell people I always still have a special place in my heart for the diocese and for the people here. It’s especially great to be here for Janie’s presentation. Twelve of those 30 years she spent helping me at the Chancery, so congratulations, Janie.”
One future bishop knew another one when the diocese’s creation was announced in spring 1988.
“That day I remember very well, too, because I was a seminarian at the time, and I was spending the summer at Our Lady of Perpetual Help with Father Al and Father Mike Lindor. I was in residence. I was doing clinical pastoral education at Erlanger Hospital,” Bishop Johnston said. “That date, I began the day as a seminarian of the Diocese of Nashville, and one of my brother seminarians was a real nice fellow named Mark Beckman.”
Bishop Johnston said that late Bishop James D. Niedergeses, who led the Diocese of Nashville when the Knoxville Diocese was formed, was key in the new diocese’s history.
“I remember whenever he would come back after the diocese started, and he saw how well we were doing, Bishop O’Connell always referred to him as the grandfather of the diocese, and Bishop Niedergeses would just beam with pride and joy,” Bishop Johnston said.
“Bishop Niedergeses was really good in that he was very generous to the Diocese of Knoxville. … Nashville and Bishop Niedergeses were extremely generous with resources, money, people, all sorts of things.”
The only thing the Diocese of Nashville did not give its new neighbor was canon lawyers, Bishop Johnston pointed out.
“The reason I mention this is that it figured into my future,” he said. “I was ordained in 1990, and I remember I was at St. Jude as the associate, also teaching at Notre Dame, and right after a graduation for Notre Dame High School, Bishop O’Connell came up to me and said, ‘You’re going to be going to Catholic University to study canon law,’ and my heart sank.
“All I could see was maybe working in a marriage tribunal for the rest of my life. That’s what I was thinking. But he said, ‘Don’t worry, we’re not going to have a tribunal.’ Now, that
Ms. Torricelli also worked for the diocese’s first director of the Office of Stewardship and Development, Paul Terhaar, and a longtime superintendent of Catholic schools.
“I worked for Aurelia Montgomery for Catholic schools. I worked for Father Mankel at that time in his role as vicar general. I was providing support to all of them, and then they realized that I couldn’t keep up with the demand. That’s when Linda said, ‘I don’t want you working here—you need to go home when it’s time to go home,’” Ms. Torricelli said.
The hiring of Ms. Guise eased some of the workload on her, she added.
changed. He said, ‘We’ll use Nashville. I need just a canon lawyer to help me. I want you to be the chancellor.’ So, I went off to school, and I came back in 1996.”
Bishop Johnston remembered “the spirit of the diocese” in its early days.
“It was a very hopefilled, happy attitude because we were starting something new. We were pioneers, and there’s something unique about that. It doesn’t happen very often, to be a part of something that you know is going to be impactful for generations,” he said.
Chancery meetings were even something to look forward to, the Knoxville native said, because “you were going to hear something new, something amazing that was going on, how we were growing.”
Two months to launch the diocese’s newspaper
Mr. Miller said after the reception that in the two months Bishop O’Connell gave him to start The East Tennessee Catholic, he had a computer with an 80-megabyte hard drive, no assistance, and an office with only a desk and the computer.
“If I had known then what I know now, I would say, ‘Bishop, I’m sorry. I can’t do it,’” he said.
Mr. Miller was accompanied at the reception by his wife of 66 years, Ghislaine, who assisted him with the parish notes and meetings-and-retreats columns in The East Tennessee Catholic and had an occasional byline herself
Mrs. Keyes served in the JPIC office from 1991 to 2006. She recalled Father Michael Jennings and Sister Mary Dennis Lentsch and Sister Anne Hablas of the Presentation Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary and others who worked with the office over the years.
“It was a joyful time. Marcus and I were just married. We worked like dogs for little to nothing, and we loved every minute of it,” she said. “The idea to try to encourage people to see all the good work for justice— we truly believed that care for creation was part of our faith and tried to be enthused about that message.”
Serving many offices
Ms. Torricelli was the first paid employee to be hired as a receptionist/ administrative assistant to support Chancery offices when she started working for the diocese in 1992. She supported the offices of the vicar general, schools, evangelization, stewardship and development, strategic planning, and the office manager, business office, and finance office.
“There were ladies before me (from Sacred Heart) who answered the phones, and they were volunteers. When they hired me, I kind of started off doing those receptionist things,” she said. “I was the first one they hired to do that. It had been just Andrea and Linda then. Linda was the office manager, and Andrea was the bishop’s secretary. I was the first hired general secretary. I worked for Father Mankel and Sister Albertine.”
“Then Ann left, and they hired Janie, and they hired some other people. Gradually, as the diocese was growing, each office and each director needed a person,” Ms. Torricelli said. “Paul Terhaar was the first director of Stewardship and Development. Then Kathleen Hanks took over, and then when she resigned, Bishop O’Connell offered the position to me because I had been supporting that office all those years.”
The founding bishop’s support for “Catholics all over the region” was “amazing” during her years as stewardship director, Ms. Torricelli recalled
“He was about everybody. He was so inclusive. He cared just as much about a little tiny parish that was trying to start and get formed as much as the big, beautiful cathedral parish here in Knoxville,” she said. “Part of my position there was working with the Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee. We raised money to support the founding of new parishes, to provide seed money for property and things like that. Bishop O’Connell worked really hard to do that across the entire diocese.”
Mrs. Torricelli said she was “shedding many tears today” at the reception, “tears of joy, seeing people that I love and miss, because working there, we were all brought together, a wonderful spirit,” adding that the video mentioned Bishop O’Connell’s ability “to almost see into each individual person and draw out your talents, and in doing that he coalesced a group of people, he brought out the best in all of us, and then we all were able to work together, celebrate each other, and make things grow. I don’t even have words to describe what he did. Ms. Torricelli succeeded Ms. Hanks as director of stewardship and development in 1996 and served in that role until 2003.
Mrs. Taylor served in her three roles with the diocese from 1988 to 2002. The spirit in those early days “was absolutely fantastic. It was exciting. Everybody had their work. We each knew what we needed to do.”
The idea for a Founders Mass Mrs. Cox talked about her meeting with Bishop Beckman early this year regarding a Founders Mass and the upcoming 40th anniversary of the diocese.
“I told him that my worry is if we wait too long to get the people who founded this diocese involved, in three years we could lose an awful lot of people. We decided to do something early before we lost too many more,” she said. “So, that’s how it came about because we knew time was slipping by. And we wanted to get photographs and videos and memories made while we could.”
The Founders Mass and reception “could not have come together without the help of other people, particularly the staff of the communications office. Every single one of those people on staff helped with this event. It was wonderful,” Mrs. Cox said. Bishop Beckman said at the reception that “I found it so beautiful to hear those stories of the original founders and to hear the first-hand witnesses, especially in the interviews in the videos, which were so beautiful. If we don’t share these stories now and hand them down, we will lose them.
“So, it’s wonderful that we’re doing this celebration right now. And we have to shoot forward toward the 40th anniversary of the diocese. We’re definitely going to keep celebrating. Also, I was deeply touched by the award given to Janie Hennessy, who is a great gift to this diocese.”
■
Faithful and relentless Above: Janie Hennessy receives the Sister Albertine Paulus Relentless Award from Monsignor Patrick Garrity during the Founders reception in Cathedral Hall on Aug. 31. Below: Gift bearers for the Founders Mass were (counterclockwise from front) Linda Taylor, Andrea Cox, Jeannine Fort, Janie Hennessy, and Ann Guise. Dorothy Curtis assisted as the Mass sacristan.
DAN MCWILLIAMS
sections for priest burials. Father Joseph Hammond, CHS, who served in the diocese for 27 years before his Aug. 9 death, was the first person buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, in its priests’ corner, a section that has room for up to 50 graves.
Bishop Mark Beckman and Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz presided at Father Hammond’s funeral Mass on Aug. 16 at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut, with burial taking place afterward at Holy Cross.
Bishop Beckman expressed his gratitude for the Holy Cross land donation and his thanks to diocesan chancellor Deacon Sean Smith, who has worked behind the scenes for months on securing the proper zoning for the cemetery and on the preparation of the shady, grassy site of Father Hammond’s burial.
“We are so grateful. We have a generous donor who has given us the gift of this land and also a generous gift to sustain its care for the years to come,” Bishop Mark Beckman said at the graveside service for Father Hammond. “I want to thank Deacon Sean Smith in a very special way today. He and others have spent countless hours, mostly Deacon Sean, making sure that this cemetery was ready for Father Joseph’s burial today. So, that’s a true gift that you’ve given us and Father Joseph.”
The Seftons, natives of Great Britain, are parishioners of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. They originally developed the Northshore property as a nursery. After receiving several offers to purchase the land, the Seftons desired to donate it to the diocese for a cemetery.
“They wanted to have a Catholic cemetery out west, and so that’s how we received the gift,” Deacon Smith said.
The donation was made last fall, with the deed transfer to the diocese closing on June 1.
“(Mr. and Mrs. Sefton) have given us that 10.9 acres and the building, and so you have to transfer the deed to us. We’re now the owners,” Deacon Smith said.
The large building on the cemetery site is “in excellent shape,” he noted.
“The long-term goal, and when I say ‘longterm’ it may be 10 or 15 years because we don’t have the money to do it now, but the building could have a little memorial chapel but more importantly a place to have a gathering after a burial, such as a reception or a luncheon, because it already has a kitchen.”
“There are three offices in there. I sometimes use one of those offices because I have been out there a lot,” Deacon Smith added. “Then there’s a very large space where you store the lawn mowers and tractors, and the other large place is where we would ultimately do the food.”
The building needs a sprinkler system installed before it can be used by the public, the chancellor pointed out.
The cemetery is in a rural area at 14301 Northshore Drive, just across the Knox County line in Loudon County, and has a Lenoir City address. The property is centrally located between St. John Neumann and St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City.
“The important thing that people should know is that, although it has a Lenoir City address, it is physically on the border of Knox County and Loudon County,” Deacon Smith said, noting that the cemetery is equally close to St. John Neumann and St. Thomas the Apostle. “It just happens to fall on the Loudon County side. Just to the east of it is the Concord traffic circle and the Farragut-Concord area. It’s really physically on the border.”
Deacon Smith since last fall has been putting in yeoman’s work with the Loudon County Zoning Commission and the county Planning Commission, hashing out the details needed to acquire the cemetery land.
“It’s been a long journey,” he said. “We had to get it rezoned because it was zoned for agriculture, and we needed it to be rezoned to a new kind of zone called community facility district, which includes cemeteries.”
Deacon Smith explained that although no one was opposed to the new cemetery, getting the property rezoned required amending an old Loudon County law that said a cemetery could not be developed unless it was a minimum 20 acres. Other counties have similar restrictions.
“Well, it’s only 10.9 acres, and so that would prevent us from ever doing it, right? I worked with the commission representatives for that specific area and sought their help. We actually got the law changed or amended so that if you’re a 501(c)(3) entity—the Church, basically—all you needed was 10 acres. If you were a commercial cemetery, you’d still need 20. But that one amendment allowed us to do it. Therefore, we got it rezoned.”
Going from the zoning board to the planning commission, based at the county seat in Loudon, Deacon Smith eventually obtained the latter group’s blessing.
“We started working on this gift and transfer in November, and it took all this time to go through all that, and then we had to get it resurveyed,” he said.
The Holy Cross land is a former wooded
Sacred ground Above: This 10.9-acre tract on the Knox-Loudon County line along Northshore Drive has been designated Holy Cross Cemetery and will be the Diocese of Knoxville's third cemetery. The land includes a large building, which will be used as part of the cemetery. Below: Sally and Alan Sefton are shown. A generous gift from the Seftons to the Diocese of Knoxville is establishing Holy Cross Cemetery, including the resources to maintain the cemetery in perpetuity.
area, but for the nursery the trees were removed and greenhouses put in, Deacon Smith explained. To support the buildings and a watering system, a tremendous amount of gravel was put down, he added. The buildings, gravel, and many pots for plants all had to be removed upon the completion of the property transfer.
“The very first thing that we had to have done is excavators scraping all that gravel off. They’re not going to get all the rock, but they got the bulk of it. That was step one,” Deacon Smith said.
Paving the loop road in the cemetery was the next step.
“It’s going to have 6 inches of pressed stone, 2 inches of a certain kind of asphalt, and then 2 1/2 inches of another kind of asphalt,” Deacon Smith said. “Ideally, before we do that, I would try to do at least one or two of the gardens to get some topsoil on there, and we’ll probably do rye grass and a drought-resistant grass combination so that we get at least some grass growing in the winter, and we’re going to continuously seed it.”
At least two gardens are planned for the cemetery, whose only shaded area now is the priests’ corner.
“We’ll get grass seed, a little bit of topsoil, seed it, and we’ll have a few irrigation lines coming from the irrigation pump that sucks it out of a pond there, which was the irrigation source for the nursery, with long projectile spray because you can’t have sprinkler pipes and lines in a cemetery since you’re digging there,” Deacon Smith said.
Adding topsoil and grass is needed before the rest of the cemetery outside of the priests’ corner can be used for burials.
“We need help financially because topsoil is bucks,” Deacon Smith said. “I can’t sell plots until that grass has started to grow.”
When that is accomplished, the cemetery can sell plots to people in the order they registered on the website, the deacon said. The cost for a plot “will definitely be a fair, just, competitive price,” Deacon Smith said.
Holy Cross will use GPS to give each plot its own latitude and longitude, meaning that if paper records are somehow lost the data will still be on the web.
The search for a new diocesan cemetery began as Calvary Cemetery neared capacity. The quest extended to the Halls area of Knox County and to sites beyond Loudon County, Deacon Smith said.
“For all of our parishioners who desire traditional burials with a headstone—not a flat plaque, a headstone—and with all the growth in West Knoxville, we really needed it,” he said. “We’re not going to mandate, but the preference is that there be a tombstone. Most
new cemeteries forbid tombstones—you have to have a flat stone, and the reason is for ease of mowing and weed-eating. We don’t want the ease of mowing—we want it to look like a cemetery. They cost a little more, but we want monuments, even if they’re little ones.”
The name of Holy Cross Cemetery was chosen by Mr. and Mrs. Sefton, Deacon Smith said, and the burial ground will not exclude Christians of other faith traditions.
“Even though it is a traditional Catholic cemetery, you don’t have to be Catholic to be buried there. That’s a very important thing to say. Their desire is if you’re a baptized Christian, you could be buried there, even though it’s a Catholic cemetery,” the deacon said.
The cemetery will not charge to bury babies and will charge less for smaller plots needed to bury an urn.
“We will bury babies deceased either through miscarriages, abortions, or whatever for free. There will be no charge for burial plots for babies,” Deacon Smith said. “We will bury cremains. People still want to be cremated, but they want to be buried because the Catholic Church prefers burial. We will bury urns.”
Deacon Smith surveyed the parishioners nearest to Holy Cross Cemetery—from All Saints and Divine Mercy in Knoxville, St. John Neumann, and St. Thomas the Apostle—to ask them their preferences regarding their final wishes.
“I asked every parishioner: did they prefer traditional burial, did they prefer cremation, and did they have an interest in purchasing a plot if we were to have a blessed cemetery? More than half said they prefer cremation because they think it’s cheaper, but 40-plus percent preferred burial, so that was high enough. Even those who prefer cremation just because of the cost of a vault and a casket, they absolutely weren’t opposed to burying an urn in a traditional burial .”
Father Hammond lived at St. John Neumann from 2013 until he died, serving Hispanic ministry in the Farragut parish and others in the area. He desired to be buried near the place of his final assignment.
“He said, ‘This is my home. This is my family here. I want to be buried here, and I want it to be a Catholic, consecrated cemetery, and wouldn’t it be nice if it was one where I’ve served and lived my last days at St. John Neumann?’ Because it really is on the border of Farragut and Concord,” Deacon Smith said. “When I heard that, I said, ‘We’re going to make it happen.’”
Deacon Smith credited Dennis Bridges, owner of Bridges Funeral Home on Rutledge Pike in Knoxville and multiple cemeteries around the country, for his work on the Holy Cross effort. Mr. Bridges and wife Kim, a cemetery designer, are parishioners of Sacred Heart.
“He’s been consulting me from the very beginning, and he’s going to design where the plots will be—all for free,” Deacon Smith said. Knights of Columbus will take turns mowing and cleaning the new cemetery. A ribboncutting with a formal consecration by Bishop Beckman, attended by dignitaries from city and county government, will occur in the coming months.
“The bishop will consecrate the entire cemetery with holy water. He’ll go the whole circumference and interior,” Deacon Smith said.
The name of the cemetery could have been “a really Catholic name” such as one honoring a saint or the Annunciation, but Mr. and Mrs. Sefton wanted something “that all of our Christian friends still could relate to, and he just felt that everybody knows about the holy cross,” Deacon Smith said.
“The name is Holy Cross, but what you will see on the entrance gate is a crucifix. People will know it’s Catholic,” he said ■
JOHN MECKLENBORG
COURTESY OF ALAN AND SALLY SEFTON
A joyous celebration of community
Polish Heritage Festival attracts hundreds for faith, fun, food
By Maggie Parsons
More than 800 people around the diocese were excited to experience a taste of Polish culture on Aug. 2 while attending the second annual Polish Heritage Festival.
Prior to the festival, members of the Polish community and those interested in learning more were invited to celebrate Mass together at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The 5 p.m. vigil Mass was standing room only, filled with a community spreading God’s love with others by sharing their culture with one another.
“Without Catholicism there is no Polish culture,” said Father Martin Gladysz, the cathedral’s associate pastor who is a native of Poland. He explained that in the Polish culture there is no separation of faith; if you are Polish, you are Catholic, which explained the large turnout at Mass before the festival.
“I hope people walk away feeling
a deeper connection to Polish culture. Whether it’s through the food, the music, the traditional costumes, or simply the sense of community,” said Kasia Golec, one of the festival’s main organizers.
Mrs. Golec and the other organizers wanted people to be welcomed and get to experience the same things they do through their culture.
After celebrating Mass together, festival attendees rushed over to
the cathedral parish hall to experience “Poland in Knoxville.” Right away they were welcomed by members of the Polish community in Knoxville into a room filled with food, drinks, information about the Polish community in Knoxville, and T-shirts to express the Polish culture.
There were activities spread out over the course of the evening starting with traditional Polish dancing. People were encouraged to take a seat and watch the Polish culture come to life through dance.
“The significance of the dances and of the whole tradition is to cultivate our heritage and do it in a way that is vibrant to modern audiences,” said Maciej Smusz, director for the Mazury Folk Dance Ensemble based in Atlanta who also is one of the dancers. He spoke about the importance of dancing in the Polish culture and his desire to share that with audiences around the world.
School Spotlight
chool S
St. Joseph School
A family of ‘ families’
“The most fun part,” they said, “is going to recess with them ” Why is that? I asked
“Their imaginations are so wild ”
“Do they have specific games they want you to play?” Oh no we just step into their world They ve got an entire kingdom of mermaids and underwater creatures set up in their minds They’re hilarious ”
into
The speakers are St Joseph eighth-grade class officers Addison Vandergriff Valerie Munoz Emma Brosnan, and Shiny Isezerano And they’re talking about their kindergarten “family members” with whom they get to buddy each Friday for Mass but especially whenever the school celebrates a Family Group Day
d Isezer uddy Frid school Fam in Every mat
The school s Family Groups program was begun by former principal Sister Mary Elizabeth Ann McCullough, RSM, in 2012 and continues still today under the leadership of current principal Andy Zengel While recess might be “the most fun part,” it is hardly the most impactful
“Every student is matched up with a teacher whose class they wouldn’t regularly attend A teacher’s ‘family’ is typically comprised of 14-15 students assigned from across all grade levels “We always come together on holy days and occasional other days such as Holy Thursday “We begin with an all-school Mass, and then, when they’re gathered with their families, they get to watch a video that explains all about the special feast we are celebrating Joe Aboumoussa serves as the resident video guru and creator With a good-sized YouTube following of his own through “St Joseph Studios,” he has created hundreds of videos that are often used in parish faith formation across the diocese “I had a background in video before I was hired here to teach English,” Joe explained “We also have a studio here for the students who take that elective and I have one at home as well ” Craft time follows video time
“After the students all watch the video, everyone in the family works on a craft that’s also related to the day, Mr Zengel explained
Most recently, they had gathered for the Feast of the Assumption during which the craft of the da homemade windsocks, decorated with symbols related to Mary’s queenship Kindergarten aide Kate has the challenge of coming up with the school-wide craft that is faith-related, not too messy, and doab 20-minute window even by the littlest ones
“It’s a challenge but it’s fun, too Apparently,” said laughing, “I should have recommended staples th time rather than glue ” It could be messier
A lot of times, they ll do all the coloring, offered one eighth-grader, but we ll handle the scissors par
No Family Groups Day would be complete without “family” lunches, where the cafeteria is every much a part of the day as everything else
Cafeteria manager Robyn Wilson is in charge of tying the feast of the day to the food on the plate
“We actually try to create some mental connection with most every feast day not just those There are this month alone and he keeps telling me about more,” Mrs Wilson said laughing
“For the Assumption, we served blue Jell-O On the Feast of the Guardian Angels, we’ll have angel food cake And for the Feast of Gregory the Great this week, we ll be serving Bugles to tie into his having been a Pope and his role in calling the faithful ” “Even when we’re not having Family Groups, every morning Mr Zengel announces the feast of the day and what food we’ve come up with Besides cooking, I’m doing a lot of research about these saints” she added
“It’s funny but a good many kids do tie it all together It’s something to help them remember and it works for a lot of them ” Once assigned to a “family,” students stay with their teacher year after year “
Do you remember the older students who were your buddies when you were that age? I asked Yes, it was Aliyah She’s in college now but I still see her every now and then ” Mr Zengel reflected, “We’re all the time telling our middle school students, our 7th- and 8th- graders, that they are role models for the younger students But if we never give them time to be together, never provide time for them to interact, how can they do that or be that?
“This way, they get to see and feel leadership in a very real way It hits home And it’s even better when the little ones see them leading the faith life of the school”, Mr Zengel summing up the Family Groups effort, The idea is to build positive relationships – student to student and student to teacher All in a context of faith “We are a family of families ”
DAN MCWILLIAMS
Polka and more A Polish dance troupe from Atlanta entertains hundreds of people at the Polish Heritage Festival on Aug. 2 in Cathedral Hall. The festival included a Mass in Polish celebrated by Father Martin Gladysz.
Polish continued on page
Funeral Mass held for Sister Pat Soete
Religious Sister of Mercy served God and the faithful for more than 70 years
By Dan McWilliams
Sister Pat Soete, a Sister of Mercy for 74 years, passed away peacefully on July 26 at Mercy Convent in Nashville, surrounded by her community. She was 92. She served in East Tennessee for 43 years, beginning in 1977 when she arrived at St. Mary’s Hospital in Knoxville to minister as a chaplain. During her 15 years there, her kindness and care demonstrated a vital presence among God’s people.
In September 1994, Sister Pat moved to Helenwood to become the pastoral associate at St. Jude Parish, one of the smallest faith communities in the Diocese of Knoxville. She ministered to all but especially to the poor and needy, leaving an indelible mark on all the communities she served.
In Helenwood, Sister Pat annually asked parishioners of St. John Neumann in Farragut to help provide Christmas gifts for children in her Scott County area of Ap-
palachia, including clothing, toys, and games for kids 17 and under. St. Jude parishioners picked up the gifts several days before Christmas. Sister Pat loved the mountains of East Tennessee, and camping was one of her favorite activities. She
also enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles, quilting, and coloring on her iPad.
In 2020, she moved to Mercy Convent in Nashville for her retirement years. There she continued to minister to her Sisters with her compassion and care. She enjoyed
being with and praying with the Sisters, and she visited with them in the infirmary and prayed daily for their needs and for the needs of all those who loved and cared for her. Sister Pat will be greatly missed by all those who knew her.
Patricia Ann Soete was born to Joseph and Hilda Soete on April 23, 1933, in Cincinnati. Inspired by two aunts, Alice and Bernice Marie, who were Sisters of Mercy, the young Pat Soete entered the community in 1951 in Cincinnati.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, she taught for 12 years in Cincinnati. Sister Pat went on to earn her license as a practical nurse and served in Ohio for nine years.
Sister Pat in late 2020 was the last of the original Sisters of Mercy to retire, ending the community’s more than 120 years of service to East Tennessee that began in 1896 when the Sisters came to St. Mary School next to Immaculate Concep-
Sister continued on page A17
Pope Leo calls for ‘covenant of humanity ’ for care, aid, trust
By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service
Great spiritual traditions and mature critical thinking enable humanity to go beyond ethnicities, clans, and cliques, which recognize only those who are similar and reject those who are different, Pope Leo XIV said.
“We need an extensive ‘covenant of humanity, founded not on power but on care; not on profit but on gift; not on suspicion but on trust,” he told participants in a conference on human fraternity.
“Care, gift, and trust are not virtues to be practiced only in one’s spare time: they are pillars of an economy that does not kill, but deepens and broadens participation in life, he said Sept. 12.
Organized by the Vatican’s Fratelli Tutti Foundation, St. Peter ’s Basilica, and others, the Sept. 12-13 conference brought entrepreneurs, economists, activists, scholars, social workers, students, athletes, and religious leaders to Rome and the Vatican for a series of roundtable discussions aimed at strengthening solidarity and peace with concrete proposals.
The event was to close with a drone light show and a free concert in St. Peter ’s Square featuring Andrea Bocelli, Pharrell Williams, John Legend, Jennifer Hudson, Karol G, and others.
Alternating speaking Italian and English, the pope said the fact that the first fraternal relationship, the one between Cain and Abel, became conflictual “should not lead us to conclude that it has always been like this.”
“No matter how ancient or widespread, Cain’s violence cannot be tolerated as normal, he said.
On the contrary, the pope said, God does not take revenge on Cain for Abel, and he reveals the norm with his question to the guilty party, “Where is your brother?”
“It is in this question that we find our vocation, the rule and measure of justice,” he said, and “today more than ever, we must make this question our own as a principle of reconciliation.”
This question must be “internalized by everyone, he said, so that individuals ask themselves things like, “Where are you in the ‘business ’ of wars that: shatter the lives of young people forced to take up arms; target defenseless civilians, children, women, and elderly people; devas-
tate cities, the countryside, and entire ecosystems, leaving only rubble and pain in their wake?
“Brother, sister, where are you among the migrants who are despised, imprisoned, and rejected, among those who seek salvation and hope but find walls and indifference?” he asked.
Where do people stand when it comes to the poor being “blamed for their poverty, forgotten, and discarded, in a world that values profit more than people?" and "where are you in a hyper-connected life where loneliness corrodes social bonds and makes us strangers even to ourselves?" he asked.
“The answer cannot be silence,” Pope Leo said. “You are the answer, with your presence, your commitment and your courage.” ■
Sisters of mercy Sister Pat Soete, left, Sister Yvette Gillen, and Sister Janice Brink of the Religious Sisters of Mercy gather for a celebration.
Helping to bring healing
School shooting survivor on a mission in accompanying Jesus to Annunciation youth
By Dave Hrbacek OSV News
Ellie Mertens huddled under a pew at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis on the morning of Aug. 27 as a barrage of bullets screamed past her, mere inches from her head.
She had arrived a few minutes late for the 8:15 a.m. all-school Mass as the new school year began at Annunciation School.
After walking in, she went toward the front section of the church on the left side. As always, she wanted to be with the students, specifically the seventh- and eighthgraders she works with as the parish youth minister, a job she began right out of college three years ago. That put her near the row of windows on the east side of the church, the bottoms of which were at the same level as the pews. The pew where she chose to sit was a few rows back from the first window.
It’s the first window where the suspected shooter, later identified by police as Robin Westman, began to fire from outside the church upon the students, parents, staff members, and other Mass attendees
After the first four shots rang out, Mrs. Mertens dropped to the ground and crawled under the pew where she had chosen to sit for Mass. Then, gunfire shattered the windows and bullets began pouring through.
As the gunfire continued for several minutes, she pulled out her phone while still under the pew and called her husband, Matt, whom she had married in December.
She got his voicemail. She sent him a text, telling him what was happening and asking him to “please pray.” Her text included this message: “I love you.”
Saints continued from page A6
he said. “He was also generously committed to society, contributed to political life, and devoted himself ardently to the service of the poor.”
“Carlo, for his part, encountered Jesus in his family, thanks to his parents, Andrea and Antonia , who are here today with his two siblings, Francesca and Michele,” he said, as the crowd applauded, and Antonia smiled shyly at the camera.
St. Acutis also encountered Jesus at the Jesuitrun school he attended and “above all in the sacraments celebrated in the parish community,” he said. “He grew up naturally integrating prayer, sport, study, and charity into his days as a child and young man.”
The pope said the new saints “cultivated their love for God and for their brothers and sisters through simple acts available to everyone: daily Mass, prayer, and especially eucharistic adoration.”
St. Frassati was born on April 6, 1901, in Turin, Italy, and died there on July 4, 1925, of polio at the age of 24. St. Acutis was born to Italian parents on May 3, 1991, in London and died in Monza, Italy, on Oct. 12, 2006, of leukemia at the age of 15.
The pope said that “even when illness struck them and cut short their young lives, not even this stopped them nor prevented them from loving, offering themselves to God, blessing Him, and praying to Him for themselves and for everyone.”
Several family members and people closely associated with the new saints attended the Mass, along with dignitaries, such as Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
St. Acutis’ parents, Andrea and Antonia, and his twin siblings, Michele and Francesca, who were born four years after their brother died, were present and together brought the pope the offertory gifts. Michele also did the first reading at the Mass in English.
Valeria Valverde, who read the first prayer of the faithful, is a young Costa Rican woman who suffered a severe head injury while living in Italy. It was her unexplained healing that provided the second miracle needed for St. Acutis’ canonization.
St. Frassati was active with Catholic Action, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Italian Catholic University Federation, and the Dominican Third Order. Lorenzo Zardi, vice president of the youth group of Italy’s Catholic Action, read the second reading at the Mass, and Michele Tridente, the secretary general of the lay movement, also presented the pope with offertory gifts.
Before praying the Angelus, the pope once
She thought those would be her final words to Matt.
again thanked everyone for coming to celebrate the Church’s two new saints.
However, he also called for people’s “incessant prayer for peace, especially in the Holy Land, and in Ukraine, and in every other land bloodied by war.”
“To governing leaders, I repeat, listen to the voice of conscience,” he said. “The apparent vic-
They weren’t. After more than 100 rounds tore through a church completed in 1962 and left violated and desecrated, the shooting stopped and was replaced by a brief and eerie silence.
Quickly, school leaders, including Principal Matt DeBoer, rushed to clear everyone out of the church and to a safe place. En masse, everyone inside the church ducked and ran out of the church. In their wake were shards of broken glass, pools of blood, and chips of wood from bullet-riddled pews.
Mrs. Mertens described the exit scene as “frantic.” People inside were “confused, in utter shock,” and also uncertain about what was happening and where to find shelter.
Like the other survivors, Mrs. Mertens went to the elementary school’s gym, where traumatized students waited for their terrorstricken parents to find them, whisk them out of the building and, take them home.
She watched as cries of joy and relief pierced the air when children and parents reunited. Gradually, the gym emptied. Mrs. Mertens and a few others stood by, waiting to see if their help would be needed. Finally, the last of the children made their somber exits from the gym.
Mrs. Mertens will never forget the next scene: parents alone, without the children they hoped to see. These are things that are seared into her memory forever.
Two students died in the gunfire and 18 students between the ages of 6 and 15 were wounded, as were three adults in their 80s, police said. But Mrs. Mertens’ story doesn’t end there; nor does the story of An-
Annunciation continued on page A28
tories won with weapons, sowing death and destruction, are really defeats and will never bring peace and security.”
“God does not want war. God wants peace!” he exclaimed to applause, adding that God gives strength to those who work toward leaving behind the cycle of hatred and pursue the path of dialogue. ■
Scan here to learn more about the Bishop’s Appeal for Ministries
THA NK YOU
for your commitment to the 2025 Bishop’s Appeal for Ministries!
Mary’s “yes” to God was an act of trust, courage, and love— one that changed the world forever. Inspired by her example, you, too, have said “yes” through your prayers and generosity. Thank you for supporting the 2025 Bishop’s Appeal for Ministries and making Christ’s love known throughout East Tennessee. Your gifts help sustain the ministries that serve our diocese, from forming future priests and supporting our deacons to nurturing children in the faith and providing essential outreach through Catholic Charities and St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic. Because of you, free healthcare reaches those in need, faith formation programs continue to grow, and seminarians can follow the call God has placed on their hearts. Every act of generosity, no matter the size, is a reflection of Mary’s trust in God’s plan. Your “yes” is a gift to the Church and to all those who rely on these ministries. Thank you for your unwavering commitment to the Bishop’s Appeal for Ministries—your faith and generosity are transforming lives!
Together, we are building a vibrant, loving community that reflects Christ’s love and mission.
Thank you for being a part of this journey!
DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE
Comfort in a crisis Above: Families and loved ones reunite following a shooting at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis on Aug. 27. A shooter opened fire with a rifle through the windows of the parish church and struck children attending Mass during Annunciation School's first week, killing two and wounding 21 people in an act of violence the police chief called "absolutely incomprehensible." Below: Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance arrive on Sept. 3 to pay their respects at Annunciation Church. OSV News photos/Tom Holden, courtesy of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis/OSV News photo/Dave Hrbacek, The Catholic Spirit
tion Church in downtown Knoxville. The Sisters of Mercy founded St. Mary’s Hospital in 1930 and served there during its more than eight and a half decades of operation.
Sister Yvette Gillen, RSM, retired in spring 2020, just ahead of Sister Pat.
As Sister Pat prepared for retirement, she was gearing up for another Christmastime toy and clothing drive sponsored by St. John Neumann for St. Jude.
“The parishioners there give us numerous toys and clothing, brand new. I can’t sing their praises enough,” she told The East Tennessee Catholic for its Dec. 6, 2020, edition. “We’ve been so blessed to have them give us these things. The room is filled with these gifts. Just to see the faces of these people does something to you. We’ve been doing that for 26 years now. St. John Neumann has been God’s gift to us in a very real way.”
While St. Jude is one of the diocese’s smallest parishes, its parishioners have big hearts when it comes to serving those less fortunate.
“We get a lot of calls here for helping people with their rent and utilities, with clothing and other odds and ends, people who are in dire need,” Sister Pat said. “We’ve been fortunate here at St. Jude’s. There have been a lot of people who have given over the years to help the poor.”
As well as holding the St. John Neumann drive, Sister Pat set up a gift-giving tree for those with extra needs.
“We take a small tree and put it in our vestibule here,” she said. “The people who call and ask for special help, I make a paper ornament with the mother’s name. I give them pants, coats, shoes, socks, underwear, and a toy. The people in the parish take the tag off the tree, and then they fulfill whatever is on the tag.”
The need never ends, she said in 2020.
“We had a lady just today call me,” Sister Pat said at the time. “She has two children who are like 12 or 14, and the third one is an adult child who is 34 years old and is special-needs. We have to get things for her that will kind of fit the phase she’s in. We had a lady who found her daughter dead in bed. They’ve really been struggling.
That’s a very heavy burden to carry.”
Sister Pat said that “God is good—I’ve been able to do what I’m doing. Right now, it’s going to be very hard to leave St. Jude’s. It’s the people in the parish and also the people in the community who have touched me. Their being present in my life has been God’s gift to me. When these people touch my life, I keep them in my prayers. I lift these people up who have touched my life. That’s a gift that we get throughout our life. When you get feedback on that, it gives you the strength and the courage to do whatever God is asking you to do. It’s not about the words. It’s about learning the presence, to meet the Lord in one another, how to be present to one another.”
The year following her retirement was a special one for Sister Pat, whose first profession of vows was in 1954.
“In 2021, I’ll be 70 years in the convent,” she said. “I entered in 1951.”
She recalled her years as a teacher early on in her vocation.
“In those first years, I taught second, third,
fourth, and sixth grades for 12 years,” she said. “Then after that I think I got burned out, so I asked to go into nursing, so I took classes for a practical nurse. I served in Springfield, Ohio, when I got the degree. That was another nine years. After that I had to leave nursing because I had an injury to my back. I had two back surgeries. That was in 1977.”
Then she came to Knoxville and St. Mary’s Hospital to serve as a chaplain.
“Sister Marie Moore—we entered together in the same class. She was at the time the president of St. Mary’s Hospital. When she found out I was changing my direction, she asked me if I could come to St. Mary’s,” Sister Pat said. “I was at St. Mary’s for 15 years. Each one of those ministries prepares you for the next one. I live in the now, and so the now is very important to me and what I do with it.
“It’s awesome. It just dawned on me one day that I’m the last one (to retire). The last two Sisters are both from Ohio (Sister Yvette is a native of Findlay, Ohio). I’ve been here over half my life. I’m part Tennessean. It’s part of God’s plan. It’s just trying to fulfill whatever the Lord is asking me to do. It’s taking it day by day.”
In Nashville, Sister Pat found friends who also served at St. Mary’s Hospital. “There’ll be a few of those Sisters there who were at the hospital, so that will be a blessing,” she said.
Her hospital ministry often brought her close to people at the end of their lives.
“It was such a precious time because it was working with people who were ill, who were dying of cancer. I worked in the cancer unit. When you work with people who are dying, it’s a special gift—the Lord is calling them home, and He is calling me to be with them. It’s touching. It just grabs me by my heart. It’s very sad, but it’s a rich gift to be with people who are hurting, people who are in need, people who are suffering.
“We’re just responding to the Lord’s call. The Lord calls us from different places to be with people who are in need. We meet the Lord in the people we are with. I believe the Lord invites us into His life, not just the glories. He invites us to
Sister continued on page A18
Ministerial portraiture Sister Pat Soete poses for a photo earlier in her vocation.
COURTESY OF THE RELIGIOUS SISTERS OF MERCY
be part of that suffering. It’s something that you carry with you all of your life.”
When she first entered the Sisters of Mercy, Sister Pat said “it was difficult because it was the first time I was away from my family. I was 18 years old. You lived by the rule (in the convent); you did certain things a certain way. As I grow older, I can look back and learn things from those days. I tried my best to answer the Lord’s call in being a Sister, a nun. He asked me to be one with Him and to be His presence among God’s people. I can look back over the years at things that have enriched my life or have challenged me through difficult times. I call myself a survivor who is most grateful to the Lord for the gift of His calling me.”
She remembered at her retirement her late aunts who inspired her vocation, as well as the Sisters she was close to as a young student.
“I was born Catholic, so I went to a Catholic school, and there were a lot of Sisters there,” Sister Pat said. “There was something about being around them, that I guess the Lord goes to work on you. The attraction of doing what they were doing, I wanted to be like them.”
Her aunts “didn’t pull me in,” Sister Pat said. “They let me be who I was. You’ve got to see if this was what the Lord is asking you to do.” At the time of her retirement, she said she had “no idea” what her duties in Nashville would be.
“I know it’s going to be a challenge there. I’ve been living by myself for 27 years. I’m an introvert,” she said. “It takes a while for me to adjust. I have to keep on praying and ask the Lord to help me meet this challenge. At the same time, I am grateful that the Lord is taking care of me.”
Sister Pat was still going strong as an octogenarian.
Ordained continued from page A5
“My brothers and sisters, God’s ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts,” he continued. “Who but God alone could have done this? Who would have thought, have imagined that I would one day stand before you as a bishop of the Church?”
He said he draws courage from words of St. Paul in the Acts of the Apostles, where Paul states he was “compelled by the Spirit” to go to Jerusalem, not knowing what would happen to him and even though he was warned by the Holy Spirit that hardships awaited him. “I count my worth as nothing to me unless I can finish the race and bear witness of God’s grace,” Paul wrote.
“Like St. Paul, I go forward uncertain of the road ahead, but certain of God—that’s why I chose my motto, ‘In Deo Tantum’—‘In God Alone’— because it is in God alone that I find strength, that I find hope, that I find courage,” Bishop Engurait said.
When Pope Leo XIV named thenFather Engurait as Houma-Thibodaux’s bishop on June 5, he had been serving as diocesan administrator since January 2024, upon the death of Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, a former Washington auxiliary bishop who had headed the diocese for just under a year.
Previously he was vicar general of the diocese, beginning in 2017. He was also pastor of St. Bridget Parish in Schriever, La.
His early education led him through Catholic seminaries in Uganda before a career in public service, including roles in Uganda’s government and a master of business administration from the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands.
During his career, he rose from entry level positions to senior management. While at Katigondo Seminary in Uganda, he had a profound encounter with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal that shaped his spiritual path and ultimately led him back to discern a priestly vocation, according to a diocesan news release.
Bishop Jacobs, a longtime key figure in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, invited him to the Louisiana
“I’m 87. I’m proud of it. It took me a long time to get here,” she said.
The Sister of Mercy joined her fellow women religious in celebrating anniversaries of their entrance into the community.
On Aug. 4, 2001, at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville, Sister Pat was among seven Sisters of Mercy marking 50 years of religious life at a Mass with four bishops among the celebrants. Bishop Edward U. Kmiec of the Diocese of Nashville was the principal celebrant. Principal concelebrants were then-Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Knoxville, Bishop Anthony J. O’Connell, then of the Diocese of Palm Beach, Fla., who was the founding bishop of Knoxville; and retired Nashville Bishop James D. Niedergeses.
In 2011, Sister Pat celebrated her 60th anniversary of religious life at St. Jude, where she also assisted in education, helped with the celebration of Mass, and worked in the food pantry.
Ten years later, Sister Pat celebrated her 70th anniversary of entering
the convent, joining Sister Yvette, who was marking 60 years, and two other Sisters celebrating 70th and 60th anniversaries.
Father Bill McKenzie was the main celebrant of a Jubilee Mass on Sept. 8, 2021, and Monsignor Bill Gahagan of the Diocese of Knoxville; Father Mark Hunt, the Mercy Sisters’ chaplain; and Father Pat Kibby were the concelebrants
At the Mass, the four Sisters renewed their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, vows that all religious Sisters make, wrote Andy Telli of the Tennessee Register in an article that appeared in the Oct. 3, 2021, issue of The East Tennessee Catholic. As Mercy Sisters, they made and renewed an additional vow during the anniversary liturgy: to serve the poor, sick, and uneducated.
In the 2021 article, Sister Pat again credited her two aunts, saying that “it’s probably because of them I joined the Mercies. I was in touch with their caring. I liked what I saw, and I wanted to be like them.”
She spoke of moving from teaching to pastoral care at St. Mary’s Hospital.
“I knew that was what the Lord was asking me to do, to be in touch with the people,” Sister Pat said.
Father Dan Whitman of the Diocese of Knoxville invited her to be a pastoral associate at St. Jude. Her first response was, “I don’t know if I can do that. I’ve never done parish work.”
When she started, “I was scared to death,” Sister Pat said. “But the Lord’s grace gave me the courage I needed. It was an awesome gift the Lord gave me to accept myself to be the person the Lord meant for me to be.”
On the occasion of her 70th anniversary, Sister Pat recalled how the Second Vatican Council ushered in many changes for religious orders, including the Sisters of Mercy. One of the Council’s documents, Perfectae Caritatis: Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life, called on religious communities to rediscover their roots and the original charisms of their founders.
For the Sisters of Mercy, that meant reimagining the work of their founder, Sister Catherine McAuley, who started the order to care for homeless women and children and educating the poor. The community broadened its ministries beyond teaching and nursing after Vatican II.
“We were like a rosebud gradually opening,” Sister Pat said. “So, you were able to have a sense the Lord is in this, and He’s going to help us through.”
Sister Pat was preceded in death by her parents and by her siblings, Shirley Spitznagel (Bud), Mary Jo Meyer (Jim), and Joe Soete. She is survived by a sister-in-law, Carol Soete; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great-nieces, and great-greatnephews; and by her Sisters of Mercy community. Her funeral Mass was celebrated on Aug. 20, at Mercy Convent in Nashville, with Father McKenzie presiding. Burial followed in Calvary Cemetery in Nashville.
To make a donation in Sister Pat’s memory, visit www.sistersofmercy.org/ news/sister-patricia-ann-soete/ ■
“So, God has him covered from head to foot,” the cardinal said. “Bishop-elect Engurait, you are well acquainted with the love and mercy of God, who has brought you to this day filled with the gift of hope, which is a special grace of this Jubilee Year. God will supply all that you need for a joyful ministry.”
Bishop-designate Engurait received the papal bull from the cardinal and showed it to the bishops in attendance and then walked through the congregation, holding it up for all to see. He walked up and down the aisles to cheers and loud applause.
diocese to study for the priesthood. In 2007, he was accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of HoumaThibodaux and was ordained a priest on May 25, 2013, by Bishop Jacobs, then head of the diocese.
Before the rite of episcopal ordination, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, read the papal bull on then-Father Engurait’s appointment as HoumaThibodaux’s bishop.
In his remarks, the cardinal noted that he was apostolic nuncio to
Uganda from 1999 to 2007, and during that time he met Bishop Engurait, then a layman.
“On one occasion at Mass for Holy Thursday,” Cardinal Pierre recalled, “I washed his feet, and he must have been like the original Simon Peter,” who asked Christ to wash “‘not only my feet but my hands and head as well,’ because several years later his hands were consecrated as a priest and now his head will be anointed with oil as a bishop.”
“You have served well in priestly ministry and as vicar general,” Archbishop Aymond told the soonto-be-bishop. “We gather here to pray with you and for you—rooted in sacred Scripture beginning with the Apostles, and for over 2,000 years … the Holy Spirit has enabled other men to become successors of the Apostles. That is what we do again today.”
He said a bishop’s ministry is threefold: first, to oversee the teaching of ministry of church by preaching the Gospel “faithfully and courageously,” handing on the teaching “with great fidelity; second, to lead God’s people in prayer, celebrate the sacraments, especially confirmation, and have the privilege to ordain priests and deacons; and third, to provide pastoral care and pastoral governance.”
“In all things, my friends, he will strive to reflect Jesus the good shepherd as he carries his pastoral staff with humility in the name of Jesus,” Archbishop Aymond said, adding that the title of bishop is “for service, not for your own honor.”
In his closing remarks, Bishop Engurait told the congregation that this day of his ordination and installation “is not mine alone. It is the fruit of so many who have walked with me.”
“It is sometimes said that the only happy day in the life of a bishop is the day of his ordination,” he added. “Well, I cannot accept that. I pray that every day, even the difficult ones, may hold some joy in the Lord, may hold some consolation in his service and, yes, even a little laughter along the way.” ■
Ordained and installed Above: Bishop Simon Peter Engurait offers closing remarks of gratitude, humility, and hope at the end of his Mass of ordination and installation as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La., on Sept. 5. Below: Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans places the open Book of the Gospels upon the head of Bishop-elect Simon Peter and says the Prayer of Consecration during a nearly three-hour afternoon Mass on Sept. 5 in the Stopher Gym at Nicholls State.
OSV NEWS PHOTO/ANGELJOY
COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF HOUMA-THIBODAUX (2)
Ministering in harmony
Sister Pat Soete, RSM, left, is joined by, from left, Sister Yvette Gillen, Sister Janice Brink, Sister Thomasetta Mogan, Sister Martha Naber, and Sister Margaret Turk during an event celebrating the Religious Sisters of Mercy.
built from there.”
A goal for the parish is to have perpetual adoration, although that is possible currently, Mr. Sewell said.
“It actually could be used 24/7 now because the way we’ve got the security line set up and the door codes, it’s really open 24/7 anyway. It’s just a matter of people realizing it without us telling them,” he said.
The chapel seats 12.
“It used to be a copy room, so we took the copy room out, brought the copier in the office, and then made the room that was there bigger,” Mr. Sewell explained. “We had to tear some walls out, tear some ductwork out. We had to rework some sprinklers and things like that, and we took the old floor out and put the tile floor in. It used to be about 3 feet shorter and 2 feet narrower when we started.”
Lighting and other electrical work as well as HVAC installation also took place.
“We had pretty good participation. Tyler was really good about engaging the building inspector so that we could keep him satisfied,” Mr. Sewell said.
The OLPH design-committee head also credited his wife, Gina Sewell, and parishioners Rissa Riekardt, Yurin Vera, Laura Camillo, Robert Sorrenti, and Kim Laduke for their assistance.
The cost for the chapel was about $130,000, Mr. Sewell said.
“It would kind of be swayed because as part of this project we also paved this parking lot in the back. The total price tag on it was about $100,000, and the parking lot was about $30,000,” he said.
There were “a couple of large donors and a bunch of little donors,” he added.
Father Sturm said the journey from an idea to a finished chapel has certainly “been a trip.”
“We’ve had a wish list for many things, like a 10-year project looking ahead, and building our own eucharistic-adoration chapel was on that list,” he said. “This feels good. The Holy Spirit has guided us, and everything has fallen into place. We had an initial anonymous donation. We went from there and spread the word. There was some opposition of course, but the more opposition we got, the more money that came in from other people.”
The long-term plan started with the person “who came forward and donated a significant amount of money for an adoration chapel,” Mr. Sewell said.
“This kicked off a project to find a location in the church suitable for such a holy space,” he added. “Father Sam started by appointing a project manager.”
The old copy-machine room was extended slightly into the hallway. The new chapel’s design was intentionally done without a lot of bells
Adoration in progress Above: Members of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church have looked forward to participating in adoration in the church's new adoration chapel. Below: Father Sam Sturm kneels in prayer at OLPH Church on the solemnity of the Assumption on Aug. 15. Assisting Father Sturm is Deacon Chad Shields. Bottom: Deacon Shields leads a eucharistic procession on the grounds of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish as part of adoration on the solemnity of the Assumption.
and whistles.
“I told the people at the beginning, ‘I want it to be humble. I want it to be simple. I don’t want any baubles or froufrou or a lot of ornate decoration. I want it to look like a stable,’” Father Sturm said. Statues of Mary and Joseph that flank the monstrance in the chapel were relocated from the vestibule of OLPH.
“We thought we would recycle them from there down into (the chapel),” Father Sturm said. “The statues were moved just because
we were going to recycle what we had—we weren’t going to buy anything extra.”
During the process, “we also had a parishioner offer to cut wood from his farm, mill it, and dry it for our use,” Mr. Sewell said. “We selected oak as the wood, and this wood is used primarily in the niches holding Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. This gives the chapel a feeling of simple and something from the community.”
The monstrance “is an antique,” Father Sturm said.
“We had to do a little repair on
it. It came from Belgium. That was purchased, and then we shined it up and put it back together—there were a couple of flaws here, there, and yon. It’s old!” he said.
Completing the project brings “a sense of satisfaction and a sense of relief,” Father Sturm said.
“I also feel that the Holy Spirit has been here leading the way. Everything as time passed fell into place,” he said.
Attendance at the Friday-morning Mass was good, the OLPH pastor said, with people from the other two parishes he shepherds, Christ the King along with St. Jude in Helenwood, also in the pews.
“Today happens to be a holy day, so people were expected to come to church, but we’ve got people here from Helenwood and Tazewell whom I didn’t expect,” Father Sturm said. “The word spread, and people in the area made an effort to be here for the dedication day.”
Mrs. Sewell, Ms. Riekardt, Ms. Camillo, and Mr. Sorrenti were part of the OLPH chapel-design committee. Mrs. Sewell said she was “overjoyed” at seeing the chapel dedicated.
“I think it came out exactly how we wanted: simple and humble, and it’s just so beautiful. It really moves you when you walk in,” she said.
Ms. Riekardt agreed.
“I’m just happy and overjoyed. Gina said it best,” she said.
Ms. Camillo said “the place is wonderful, beautiful, and I’m glad to have it in this parish.”
Mr. Sorrenti believes that having the chapel is “great.”
“We had a lot of assistance from the Holy Spirit,” he said. “There were a lot of serendipitous miracles along the way, including the contractor, who was randomly chosen and wound up being a very devout and dedicated Catholic, which really helped the whole project.”
Summer tourists swell Mass attendance at OLPH to 350 or so.
“The tourists who come down from Ohio and other places help pay our bills, and we’re very grateful,” Father Sturm said.
OLPH has 140 permanent families, and Father Sturm said that it is special having an adoration chapel in one of the diocese’s smaller parishes.
“The closest (adoration chapel) we have here is Oak Ridge. And between the Kentucky border and Oak Ridge to the west and Knoxville to the south, we’re the only chapel of the four or five parishes that surround us,” he said.
“The project was not without challenges; however, every time we hit an obstacle, a problem, or funding, the Holy Spirit delivered. Every single time,” Mr. Sewell said. “This told us that we were on the right path. We felt that presence the entire way, and it was the primary reason we named the chapel the Divine Presence adoration chapel.” ■
DAN MCWILLIAMS (3)
filled with the Holy Spirit, much to the distress of those around him.
“There is inside the heart of Jesus a fire burning. It’s that fire that Jeremiah experienced burning inside his bones. He couldn’t help but speak the truth from God. That fire didn’t subside when Jeremiah spoke the truth. That truth was hard for God’s people to hear the truth that they did not want to hear, so much so that we hear he was thrown into a cistern. He suffered for speaking of the fire of God,” Bishop Beckman said.
“Jesus can grace us by fire as a powerful symbol and metaphor. So, the truth is there. In each one of us there is a need for the fire of God. There is underbrush in my heart, and some of that needs to be purified and cleansed. And so do attitudes, at times self-centered fear, intolerance, irritation, impatience, a lack of cleanness in the heart, all of those elements. The desire of God is that the fire of the Spirit will indeed purify us. The fire of Jesus. Love is the love of the Father, who wants to have a flame in our hearts, pure hearts, hearts that are purely dedicated to God in love and to each other as brothers and sisters, caring for this beautiful creation that God has entrusted to us,” he added.
The bishop pointed to the analogy of the forests that burn in describing how Jesus Christ burns in the hearts of His followers who are called to relay God’s truth.
“It was only after a number of years of hiking that I went through a forest that burned several years earlier. What I witnessed there was what happens after a fire burns through the underbrush. New life springs up everywhere. I saw flowers and plants and new trees. They were springing up out of the earth. It was as if God was recreating Eden. It was so beautiful. And I thought to myself only with the eyes of faith do we see that fire can lead to such beauty,” Bishop Beckman said.
“I know that the fire of Jesus is still burning. It is His desire that our world will be healed. We look around our country today, and our world. So much death. Attitudes of intolerance toward other people, a lack of hospitality and compassion, where sometimes the most vulnerable members of our community strangers, newcomers, homeless people how easy it is for our hearts to become hardened. The fire of God wants to set us free so that we can see each other once more as brothers and sisters, children of God, that the new fruits of love will grow in us,” the bishop added.
Bishop Beckman said the rededicated church at Our Lady of Perpetual Help points perfectly to the way the Holy Spirit can reinvigorate the faithful.
“The newness is meant to reflect the newness God has for us in each of our hearts. He is inviting you and me to be baptized with this baptism, the baptism that Jesus wants to undergo … so that we can be reborn. Made new in the image and likeness of our Creator. A new Eden within and a new Eden in our world,” he said.
Bishop Beckman then asked the congregation to pray for renewal in each person, to be purified and cleansed and rededicated to God as they rededicate the church.
“We can carry the fire of God’s love out into this world that so desperately needs that love. Come Holy Spirit, come, and fill in us the fire of Your love,” he concluded.
Bishop Beckman empathized with the OLPH parishioners for the inconveniences they patiently withstood as renovation work took place over the summer.
Daily Masses were held in a chapel adjacent to the nave and sanctuary while Sunday Masses were celebrated in the OLPH School gymnasium.
“How many of you have done renovations in your homes kitchens or bathrooms,” the bishop asked the congregation. “You
Our Lady of Perpetual Help-Chattanooga
Restored and ready for Mass Above: Father Arthur Torres, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Chattanooga, shows Bishop Mark Beckman before Mass on Aug. 16 the renovations to the OLPH Church sanctuary that have been made. Below: OLPH associate pastor Andrew Crabtree gives instructions to the altar servers prior to the Aug. 16 Mass to rededicate Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. Bottom: Father Torres, left, is joined by fellow priests Father Nick Tran, Father Mike Nolan, Father Zach Griffith, and Father Matthew Donahue in concelebrating the OLPH rededication Mass.
" The newness is meant to reflect the newness God has for us in each of our hearts. He is inviting you and me to be baptized with this baptism, the baptism that Jesus wants to undergo … so that we can be reborn. Made new in the image and likeness of our Creator. A new Eden within and a new Eden in our world How many of you have done renovations in your homes kitchens or bathrooms? You have to live through the mess for a while, don’t you? But the end result is beautiful. It’s a new beginning."
— Bishop Mark Beckman , about reinvigorating our faith and also about the recent renovation of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga
have to live through the mess for a while, don’t you? But the end result is beautiful. It’s a new beginning.”
Renovation of the 87-year-old church building began June 9 and was completed in late July. The work included a new roof, removing carpet in the nave and sanctuary and restoring the original terrazzo marble floor, a new vesting sacristy for priests and deacons, exposing original brick walls, and returning side chapels to the worship space. The parish raised $1.6 million for the project.
At the conclusion of Mass, Father Torres thanked Bishop Beckman for leading the celebration to rededicate the church. He also thanked the parish building committee that spearheaded the effort.
Bishop Beckman returned the gratitude, complimenting the priest. The congregation gave Father Torres a rousing ovation.
Bishop Beckman recalled that when he was a seminarian in 1987, he served at OLPH and taught at Notre Dame High School.
“I have so many happy memories of my time here with Father Al Humbrecht, who was here at the time as pastor. What a great gift
we gather to celebrate the Eucharist together. It is a true joy to be with you.”
Bishop Beckman also received a warm ovation.
“The joy on the faces of the people as we celebrated the Eucharist, it just brought such joy to my heart. And the church looks beautiful. They really did a wonderful job renovating it,” Bishop Beckman said.
Father Torres expressed joy and excitement at the upgrade projects occurring at OLPH’s church and school.
“What a wonderful celebration this was. I am so thankful to the Lord. I’m so thankful to the community that believed in this project. And now we have a completed project. We still have a few things going on, but we are happy. Yes! It is a beautiful house of prayer again for everybody to come and worship with us,” the pastor said, noting that the project withstood its first real test when strong storms battered Chattanooga in early August, causing severe flooding, including just outside the parish property. The church building was untouched and dry.
Robert Jones, a longtime OLPH parishioner who serves as business manager for the parish was excited to attend the rededication Mass and even took photos to preserve the moment.
“The dedication by the Bishop was a beautiful celebration. It meant so much to the OLPH faithful that Bishop Beckman was present to rededicate the new (restored) OLPH Parish,” Mr. Jones said following the Mass.
Like many involved in the project, he had a front seat to OLPH history
“I am very proud of this project. It was the first of our projects resulting from our successful capital campaign, ‘Together as One. I learned that restorations can be challenging, especially when you’re attempting to restore the history while working with known and unknown conditions. It took a rare combination of both firm and flexible actions,” Mr. Jones said.
“I feel like we accomplished that while modernizing our audio systems and equipment. It takes a ‘village,’ and we had a great team to include Father Arthur, myself, committee chair Blane Haywood, and our wonderful and dedicated building committee,” he added. “We also accomplished this project under a strict deadline. We had to shut down the church for the project and utilize our school gym for Masses during the summer months when the school is on break. Once school started we were already back in the church celebrating in the restored church.”
Dr. Michael Preston attended the Mass and was also excited to see the church in all its new splendor.
it was to be able to come to Mass here in this community of faith,” the bishop said. “And the smiles on your faces today are so great as
“I like the improvements very much. It makes the church anew,” Dr. Preston said, describing Our Lady of Perpetual Help as a vibrant parish. “I’m truly blessed to have these people in my life.” ■
The conversations we need to have Kirk, Zarutska,
Annunciation prompt prayers for peace ... and
a reckoning
By Elizabeth Scalia OSV News
On Sept. 10, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 31, was shot and killed during a speaking event in Utah. He leaves behind a wife and two very young children.
Assassination is a tragedy for our country and for humanity. In this case it raises the flame beneath a pot that had already been simmering and is now dangerously close to boiling over. We must pray for peace and for a reckoning that rids us of senseless violence once and for all.
Mr. Kirk’s death came as the nation was already reeling from news of another violent death. On Aug. 22 you did not hear of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska. That’s the day she was murdered while quietly riding on the Charlotte, N.C., light rail system and scrolling on her smartphone.
Her death reportedly at the hand of a violent, mentally ill man with a long rapsheet went unreported by mainstream media for weeks, until security footage—unwatchable, brutal footage—was slipped into social media, and people started asking, “Why hadn’t we heard about this back then?”
We hadn’t heard about it because discussing the story is, like watching even a safely edited video of the footage, almost too much to bear.
It brings up too many dicey issues, would force too many questions that we, as a society, don’t have the stomach for, because they are scary; because willfully engaging them risks one being labeled a canceling “ist” who endorses some sort of “ism” and, if we want to get on in the world, we do all we can to avoid those labels.
But the questions must be asked: The press and other platforms must explain why some senseless, vio-
“I feel like it gives the audiences fulfillment, this is my culture, this is me, I am proud to be who I am and where I come from,” Mr. Smusz said, expressing the honor he receives when showing his culture and who he is through dance.
After the dancing, the audience enjoyed vocal ensembles from Polish performers. The audience was encouraged to dance while the music played and people of all ages joined in.
After the singing, festival participants were excited and ready to get a taste of Poland they had been longing for. A line of festival-goers wrapped around the building, with everyone greeted by servers explaining what each dish was.
“I want them to leave with full hearts and full bellies, proud of our heritage or curious to learn more about it,” Mrs. Golec said, sharing what she wanted people to take away from the festival.
The Knoxville Polish community consists of around 3,200 people. Some 74,000 Polish people live in Tennessee.
“What it means to bring my culture here to Knoxville is hard to put into words; it’s a mix of pride, responsibility, and deep emotion,” Mrs. Golec said. “For many of us, this event is more than just a celebration; it’s a way to feel seen, to share stories, flavors, and traditions that shaped us. In a place where the Polish community is small, creating this space is like planting a seed.”
Although small in number, the Polish community is poised for growth, and the initiative is to plant the seed for the community to expand, which is a significant step.
One way the diocese is helping bring the Polish culture into the Knoxville area and expand is by celebrating Mass in Polish once a month, every first Sunday at 3 p.m. at the cathedral. It’s an opportunity for the Polish community, or those
Incomprehensible violence First responders block off the crime scene following a mass shooting at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis on Aug. 27. The shooter opened fire with a rifle through the windows of the church and struck children from Annunciation School attending Mass during the first week of classes, killing two and wounding 21 people in an act of violence the police chief called "absolutely incomprehensible."
lent murders merit endless discussion, complete with fiery editorials, while others go unmentioned.
The criminal justice system must answer whether prosecuting those
who try to defend the safety of others during outbursts in public places may have contributed to the complete lack of help offered to a girl who was bleeding out.
While we’re at it, they’ll need to explain what qualifies a judge to be seated, and why some of them keep putting violent offenders back out onto the streets.
The entertainment industry must be asked whether excessive brutality and violence in television, movies, and video games has so desensitized people that they’ll contentedly record a girl’s last breaths on their phone as though Miss Zarutska’s death was mere entertainment: girl number one in a real-life version of “Final Destination.”
People who make their living through race-baiting, stoking fires of distrust day-by-day will have to answer for rhetoric that rarely acknowledges the actual humanity of their hated “others”—that people are actual human beings and not mere units of offense—because history has more than proved how deadly is dehumanization.
Finally, we are all going to have to participate in a hard conversation on how the mentally ill in America are underserved, ignored, or left to fall between the social service cracks because it’s become rude to notice that someone is descending into madness, or is in the grips of mania, or is sinking into a dark, woeful depression.
Writing in The Free Press, Nellie Bowles dared to ask of Miss Zarutska’s alleged murderer, a diagnosed schizophrenic, “Why was this man walking free?” She called the answer “simple,” writing, “We don’t like to incarcerate our maniacs until they kill. Mental institutions have
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heart to be able to share her culture with the community in any capacity.
“When you see the joy on people’s faces, hear the music, and smell the food, it's all worth it,” Mrs. Golec noted. Polish natives in the Knoxville community relish having an event that feels like home, a place to share their culture with those around them, and to again experience the richness of their culture.
“For me, to have a little part of Poland here in East Tennessee is special. We have a lot of third-, fourth-, and fifth-generation Polish people here in Tennessee. For me and for them, it is bringing back the country of our fathers, the origin of our culture here to Tennessee,” said Father Gladysz, describing what it means to him to have his native culture in Knoxville.
He said it is a tradition, it is keeping culture alive, and it introduces the culture to new people who join in helping keep it alive and the community growing.
who do not know much about the Polish culture, to experience the faith and see how important faith is in the Polish culture.
Organizing the Polish Heritage Festival requires long hours and hard work. The planning begins in early January, when organizers start identifying who will take part, what is needed, when the festival will be held, and where it will be held.
“There aren’t many Polish people in the area, so putting together something like this isn’t easy. But we do it with love,” said Mrs. Golec, who talked about how the planning process can be difficult. But above all she has a grateful
Also, as a way to promote the Polish culture in Knoxville, the Cathedral Concert Series is bringing the Amadeus Concert Ensemble to the cathedral on Sunday, Oct. 12, at 5:30 p.m. It promises to be an enjoyable way to hear Polish music and learn what music means in the Polish culture and how events like these can help the community grow. For more information and to claim a ticket, visit shcathedral.org/ cathedral-concert-series/ The Diocese of Knoxville and the cathedral parish helped sponsor the Polish Heritage Festival and were thankful that people from around the diocese could learn more about the culture while experiencing songs, dancing, and delicious food.
“It brings people together both Polish and non-Polish and reminds us how faith, culture, and community can unite us in a beautiful way, no matter where we come from,” Mrs. Golec said. ■
In praise of civility A combination photo shows U.S. right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead on Sept. 10 during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, and Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee who was stabbed to death on a Charlotte, N.C., light rail train on Aug. 22. (OSV News photo/Cheney Orr, Reuters/Iryna Zarutska via Instagram/ via Reuters)
Conversations
DAN MCWILLIAMS
(2)
Joining in the fun Above: Members of a Polish dance troupe from Atlanta recruit audience members to participate in traditional Polish dance during the Polish Heritage Festival on Aug. 2 in the Sacred Heart Cathedral Hall.
Below: Festival organizer Kasia Golec and Father Martin Gladysz, who leads Mass in Polish for the Polish Catholic community in the Diocese of Knoxville, take part in the festival
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Ms. Scalia
OSV NEWS PHOTO/TIM EVANS, REUTERS
And he shared that it was that love that drew people to Father Hammond, even during his final days.
“Just as Father had sat by so many bedsides during his life and ministry, the bedsides of people who were ill and dying, who were expecting a miracle, some of whom got that miracle. He sat with people who were journeying through uncertainty, pain, grief, whatever it might be. People who Joseph said had been inspired, lifted up, and shared with the gift of the holy presence, the eucharistic gift of holy presence that in a special way a priest is, not out of obligation, but out of love,” Father Maples said.
The pastoral colleague and friend of Father Hammond said the Crusader of the Holy Spirit was true to his namesake: “He was a quiet and holy presence, and an active presence. Love is never passive.”
Father Maples listed a number of adjectives to describe Father Hammond: patient, gentle, giving, selfless, sacrificial.
“There are number of people here who remember his laughter. I lived upstairs from him, and I could hear his laughter. It was just a joyful laughter, a truly resonating laughter,” he said. “Father Joseph saw more than most of us will ever see. He gave and he gave up more than most of us will ever give or give up. He shared more than most of us will ever share. He did more good than most of us will ever do. He suffered and survived more than most of us will.”
And on a very personal level, Father Maples shared that Father Hammond lost more battles over the rectory thermostat than most anyone will, a comment that drew knowing laughs. Those lost debates over temperature often led the elder priest to seek solace in the sun.
Kindness and love came very naturally to Father Hammond despite the hardships he endured, according to Father Maples.
“Think about all of his journeys, everything he had been through. He could have ended up a pessimist. Let’s not forget that he was a missionary. And a missionary ministers in challenging circumstances and even unusual places. That helped him develop that spirit that we all know so well. He rarely talked about himself—rarely. To get him to share much about himself, you would have had to ask him very direct questions,” Father Maples said.
Crusader of the Holy Spirit
Father Maples described how Father Hammond’s early years of life in Africa were instrumental in his formation as a man of God, a Crusader of the Holy Spirit.
“He was on fire, yes. But his fire was not a self-consuming one. It was an energizing one. It was an energizing one that even in his last weeks it prompted him to minister, whether it was saying Mass from a wheelchair. Good luck trying to talk him into not doing it—because he was a missionary, and he loved the people. He loved the Mass,” Father Maples said. “His crusade was to win souls for God. His destination was wherever the Holy Spirit was.”
Father Maples remarked that Father Hammond’s journey would lead him from the African nation of Ghana, which was once ruled by Great Britain, to Great Britain, which served as a place of vocation formation for him, to ready him for his missionary work.
“That eventually led him to eastern Tennessee. An African priest in East Tennessee ministering in a special way to Spanish-speakers, and not only to the Spanish-speaking faithful. The Holy Spirit’s work involves many languages and identities. Father Joseph was equally gifted and equally as loving and giving in ministering to Anglos in Farragut, Morristown, Greeneville, and many places in between,” Father Maples said. “He was as comfortable giving first holy Communion, as he did several times as part of his normal course of duties, to an 8-year-old at a St. John Neumann School Mass as he was anointing an 88-year-old woman who had forgot-
ten how to speak English and could only speak her native language: Spanish.”
Father Maples also described Father Hammond as a model of priestly virtue who was a respected brother priest.
“He was a calm presence for us, especially during times when we priests had difficulty being calm. Over the last year, we saw him at more priestly gatherings, which was challenging for him because he had received a transplant several years ago, which itself was a miracle for a number of reasons,” Father Maples shared.
He said Father Hammond attended a diocesan priest convocation in June and his brother priests were so glad to see him there, and they welcomed him.
Father Maples noted that remembering Father Hammond evokes many memories, including serving as a seminarian with him for two summers at St. Patrick, serving Mass with him and for him. Father Hammond concelebrated Father Maples’ ordination to the priesthood in July 2005 at Sacred Heart Cathedral and also concelebrated Father Maples’ first Mass of thanksgiving and the funeral Mass for Father Maples’ mother.
“He was part of the fabric of my life. Some of the happiest times were in our rectory, when we would gather as priests, especially around the holidays, sharing a meal and sharing stories,” he said, holding back tears, and adding that the rectory is different now because he isn’t there.
“So, for now, it is a time of remembrance. It’s a time of silence. But in our remembering, there is joy. And in the silence of our hearts, there are the stories and the memories that I know will forever inspire our heart, our priestly heart. And our hearts will never be silent as we think about and reflect upon him. Because with him, even now, there is always a time for rejoicing.”
Deacon Jim Fage, who served for several years with Father Hammond at St. Patrick, gave a eulogy following the liturgy of the Eucharist.
Deacon Fage said Monsignor Garrity called him to let him know that Father Hammond had requested that he give a eulogy at his funeral.
“I was very honored that my beloved friend had asked me to do this. And then I realized, oh my, what am I going to say?”
Deacon Fage said he then understood that Father Hammond was providing him a final teaching moment.
“In our many, many conversations, he seemed to end every
conversation with one teaching moment,” he said. “Anyone who met Father Joseph for the first time would realize how quickly they would be put at ease. With his gentle eyes and smile, they would see his humble kindness that made him so very approachable. And he had such a booming, infectious laugh,”
Deacon Fage recalled, noting that he first met Father Hammond in 2001.
“When I first met him, I had a hard time understanding his foreign accent. But when I relaxed and tried not so hard, I understood Father Joseph very well—except for when he got excited.”
And the deacon never got any punchline of a joke Father Hammond ever told, which apparently was a common occurrence, according to others.
“I’m sure he told some doozies. Because he would crack himself up,” Deacon Fage shared. “And when he did, he would get excited and start talking faster and faster. But everyone would laugh, because his laughter was so contagious.”
‘Crazy Americans’
Deacon Fage noted that soon after he first met Father Hammond, he accompanied the priest to his immigration hearings in Memphis. Father Hammond was working to become a U.S. citizen.
“One of his famous sayings was ‘You crazy Americans.’ And we probably were. But when I accompanied him to his swearing-in ceremony, he was saying right before it, ‘You crazy Americans.’ Afterward, all the way back to St. Patrick, he was saying, ‘I’m now a crazy American.’ And he was. And we loved him for it.”
Deacon Fage, who considered Father Hammond “a very humble man” who “never wanted attention,” noted that a charity Father Hammond was especially close to was a leper colony in his home country of Ghana that the priest helped financially support.
And the Ghanaian priest always shared photos, videos, and stories of his visits home.
Deacon Fage was always impressed by Father Hammond’s ability to turn situations into teaching moments, and the deacon always was a willing and appreciative student. “His love of God and neighbor was there every moment of every day. He wasn’t perfect, but he would always remind you, ‘We are not God. We just do our best. And when we do our best and have success, we give God the credit. …’”
“Father Joseph was a great man, a great friend, and a great priest. We
shared God’s joy and love. He lived a humble and happy life, and he shared it with all around him. His smile, laughter, and positivity will be greatly missed. God has blessed us to have known him in our lives. His legacy of kindness and faith continue to inspire us. May God welcome home this faithful servant, our brother, Father Joseph Mary Aryee Hammond,” Deacon Fage concluded.
Archbishop Kurtz also eulogized the priest who had served for him from 1999-2007 when he was the Diocese of Knoxville’s second bishop.
“Monsignor Garrity has been such a great friend to Father Joseph for so many years. I want to thank you for taking time to call me to let me know that Father Joseph was in his last days, in fact, his last hours. Thank you very much, Pat,” the archbishop said.
“There are many ways we can describe Father Joseph. We know he will be welcomed into heaven. We know his faith. And we also are aware that in our own hearts we will miss him, and we will be the lesser because of his absence. I say that for all of the faithful of the Diocese of Knoxville and certainly for his family members who traveled here from Texas, and especially for his brother priests who lost someone who was part of their fraternity,” said Archbishop Kurtz, who told the congregation that Father Hammond was given the heart of Christ.
“Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you for I am meek and humble of heart (Matthew 11:28-29). I thought, wow, that is Father Joseph Hammond,” said the retired bishop, who served as archbishop of Louisville from 2007-22.
Archbishop Kurtz recalled that when he arrived in the Diocese of Knoxville 26 years ago, Father Hammond had been serving in the diocese for a year. “So, for 27 years Father Joseph has served faithfully and served beautifully. But most especially, when he would speak to me, and I think you would probably say the same, it was as if you were the only one in the room. He had the gift of seeing others and loving them, and doing so in a humble way. So, we pray with gratitude that he was placed in our life for a time. We pray that he will be with God in heaven. And we pray that because of him, the joy of Jesus Christ will reside more deeply in our hearts. May he rest in peace.”
Bishop Beckman then gave the final commendation.
“Dear brothers and sisters, before we go our separate ways, let us now take leave of our brother, Father Joseph Hammond. May our farewell express our affection for him, may it ease our sadness and strengthen our heart. One day, we shall joyfully greet him again when the love of Christ, which conquers all things, destroys even death itself,” the bishop said.
Following the funeral Mass, Bishop Beckman presided at the burial service for Father Hammond at Holy Cross Cemetery in Loudon County between Concord and Lenoir City. The new cemetery is now the Diocese of Knoxville’s third Catholic burial site. Father Hammond is the first person buried in the cemetery.
Serving as pallbearers were Father Schuster, Father Beaty, Monsignor Garrity, Father Peter Iorio, Father Christopher Floersh, and Father Hoan Dinh.
During the burial service, members of the Missionary Congregation of the Evangelizing Sisters of Mary serving at St. John Neumann sang a hymn from their native Africa. A bilingual Scripture service preceded the funeral Mass the night before.
A life of service
Father Hammond served for many years as the Five Rivers Deanery coordinator of Hispanic ministry after being appointed to the role by then-Bishop Kurtz in June 2001. He served as part-time associate pastor at both Notre Dame and St. Patrick and celebrated Masses in Spanish for those two parishes as well as for Good Shepherd in New-
Remembering a beloved priest Above: Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz gives a eulogy for Father Joseph Hammond during the Aug. 16 funeral Mass at St. John Neumann Church. Below: Bishop Mark Beckman incenses the casket of Father Hammond during the funeral rite as Father Michael Maples, who gave the homily, observes.
BILL BREWER (2)
Fr. Hammond
port and the Hispanic workers at the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Scott Strawberry & Tomato Farms in the town of Unicoi. At that time, Unicoi County did not have a Catholic parish but was part of the territory of St. Mary in Johnson City.
Father Hammond became the fulltime associate at St. Patrick in April 2005 and continued in his deanery Hispanic Ministry role until Bishop Richard F. Stika named him pastor of the Morristown parish in 2010.
During his time at St. John Neumann, Father Hammond extended his pastoral care to the Hispanic communities of St. Alphonsus (Crossville), Holy Ghost (Knoxville), and Our Lady of Fatima (Alcoa), offering the sacraments and spiritual guidance with great joy and humility.
Knoxville’s founding Bishop Anthony J. O’Connell invited Father Hammond to serve in the diocese in late winter 1998. Father Hammond visited East Tennessee at that time and first served as a volunteer at Notre Dame and at St. Patrick until he could obtain a resident visa in the United States.
Born on July 21, 1946, in Accra, Gold Coast (now Ghana), the future priest was the beloved son of Joseph Nii Quita Hammond and Rebecca Dedei Quarshie. He was one of three brothers, alongside Joshua Nii Ayi
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Hammond and Emmanuel Nii Armah Hammond. Raised a Methodist, he was baptized and confirmed at age 9 at Sacred Heart Parish in Accra.
From an early age, Father Hammond showed a deep commitment to his Catholic faith and began his religious life as a Brother of the St. John of God order, serving in Koforidua, Ghana. The Spanish order does hospital ministry. In 1972, he traveled to Spain to study nursing.
In 1979, he went to Liberia, where he worked in St. John’s Hospital in
over 85 acres of gardens and 50 acres of farmland, and is home to cows, horses, donkeys, chickens, and other small animals.
During his two-hour visit, Pope Leo greeted a few of the furry residents, including a white Andalusian horse named “Sale Rosso” (Italian for “Sal Roja”) that was gifted to him as a reminder of the horses he used to ride to reach rural areas when he was bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. Clicking his tongue to greet it, the pope rubbed the horse’s muzzle and fed it a small chunk of carrot.
The pope arrived at the papal property in Castel Gandolfo, just 15 miles southeast of Rome, in the late afternoon to greet the project’s gardeners, farmers, engineers, staff, and their families.
He first prayed in the Garden of the Little Madonna, where he had celebrated Mass “for the care of creation” in early July, soon after the Vatican announced that a new formulary of prayers and biblical readings for the Mass would be added to the Roman Missal.
Run by the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, Borgo Laudato Si’ aims to send the message that “ecological conversion is possible and arises from the encounter between faith, responsibility, and hope,” Cardinal Fabio Baggio, director general of the center and undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, said in his opening remarks.
The center is open to everyone, organizers said, and it will feature educational programs for students of all ages and from all over the world, and retreats for business leaders desiring to adhere more closely to the Catholic principles of caring for creation and protecting human dignity.
The center currently runs a vocational training program in gardening and agriculture for vulnerable and marginalized individuals, and it plans to sell products produced on the farm to the public, including cheese, olive oil, and wine that will carry the label “Laudato Si’.”
It also plans to open a restaurant in the spring of 2026 using only locally grown and sourced products. Chicago natives Art Smith, a chef, and Phil Stefani, a restaurant owner, will operate the restaurant and catering services.
Salesian Sister Alessandra Smerilli, a member of the board of directors of the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education and secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, told reporters on Sept. 2 that they want to “generate economic growth and profits, but these profits should not enrich a select few; rather, they should be put back into circulation” at the center to support its programs and workers.
This so-called generative and circular economy also seeks to generate no waste by using all materials responsibly and by protecting the human person from a “throwaway” mentality, she said
“The activities that will be carried out here have this objective, starting with agriculture, everything we see here in the orchards, catering, everything that can be set up must be based on this, and wants to be a model of this,” she said.
U.S. Father Manuel Dorantes, administrativemanagement director of the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, told reporters on Sept. 2, “the message that Pope Francis wanted to send is that if we, the smallest city-state in the world, can do this, what is the potential for other states that are bigger than us, that have more resources than us, and that have wonderful talents and wonderful territory that God has given them?” ■
the capital of Monrovia. Five years later, he traveled to London to study for the priesthood with the Crusaders of the Holy Spirit at the Mill Hill Missionary Institute. CHS priests also serve in England, Ireland, Venezuela, Colombia, and Argentina.
Father Hammond was ordained a priest on Aug. 5, 1989, at St. Patrick Church in Birmingham, England, by Bishop Joseph Francis Cleary.
From London, he traveled to Venezuela and served in parish work in the town of Guanarito for six years.
Father Hammond returned to his
home parish in Accra for two years, serving there until his superior asked him to come to the United States, where at the time the CHS order had only one other priest, who was serving in New York state.
After arriving in America, Father Hammond contacted Father Tom Powers, whom he met when he was studying for the priesthood in London. Father Powers served in the Diocese of Knoxville in the early 1990s before retiring to Greer, S.C. Father Powers introduced Father Hammond to Bishop O’Connell, who issued his invitation with a view to Father Hammond serving in the diocese.
In early 2011, Father Hammond became a U.S. citizen, and his parish family at St. Patrick helped him celebrate the occasion. About 15 St. Patrick parishioners attended the ceremony in Knoxville, and more than 200 turned out for a “Citizenship Celebration” for their pastor on Feb. 26 at the parish center.
Father Hammond will be remembered for his missionary heart, his unwavering faith, and his kindness and deep love for the people he served across continents. His legacy of service and compassion lives on in the many lives he touched throughout Ghana, Spain, Venezuela, the United Kingdom, and the United States. ■
Heavenly voices Evangelizing Sisters of Mary sing a traditional African hymn during the burial service for Father Joseph Hammond at Holy Cross Cemetery on Aug. 16.
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Julia Schriver remembered for devotion to her faith, support for KCHS, Vols
Funeral Mass held at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
The East Tennessee Catholic
The Diocese of Knoxville is mourning the death of Julia Driscoll Schriver, a beloved, faithful parishioner of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus who passed away peacefully at her Knoxville home on Sept. 2.
Among many esteemed attributes, Mrs. Schriver had the distinction of being one of the longest-living graduates of Knoxville Catholic High School at the time of her death. Through the years she was a faithful supporter of her Fighting Irish alma mater.
Mrs. Schriver, a beloved mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother, and friend, was born in Knoxville in 1929 as the daughter of Leo and Nell Driscoll.
The proud graduate of Knoxville Catholic High School, class of 1946, loved to share her accomplishments as a member of the basketball team. She went on to earn her degree from St. Catharine College in Kentucky before working at the University of Tennessee in the department of geology as well as holding a position in the Knoxville field office of the FBI.
Recognizing excellence Julia Schriver receives the Irish Legend Award from Knoxville Catholic High School president Dickie Sompayrac in 2022. Mrs. Schriver was a proud supporter of KCHS, her alma mater, class of 1946.
In 1951, Mrs. Schriver married the love of her life, Robert Schriver, with whom she shared 62 wonderful years before his passing in 2013. She was also preceded in death by her siblings: Leo Driscoll, Eleanor Driscoll, Brother Roland Driscoll, CSC, Father James Driscoll, Martha Austin (Bill), Mary Reese (Bill), and her niece, Mary Anne Reese.
A devout lifelong Catholic, Mrs. Schriver’s faith guided her life and gave her strength. She found joy and peace in the Smoky Mountains, especially at her cherished second home in Norton Creek, and created countless treasured memories with family and friends at Hilton Head Island.
She enjoyed playing tennis at the Knoxville Racquet Club and Cherokee Country Club, where she also loved her years with friends on the bowling team. She was a member of the Nine O’ Clock Cotillion and contributed greatly to her Westmoreland Heights neighborhood, where she lived for 65 years.
Mrs. Schriver also was a gifted artist whose works touched many. A founding member of the Art and Antiques Gallery on the World’s Fair site, she became recognized as one of Knoxville’s celebrated artists.
Her passions extended to her community through her active involvement in the Dogwood Arts Festival, the Knoxville Museum of Art Guild, the Town and Country Garden Club, the Sewing Club (where she never sewed), and The Fork and Foam, a treasured dinner club of friends that thrived for more than 50 years.
She was an ardent supporter of the University of Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Vols and all things Big Orange, never missing the chance to cheer them on.
Mrs. Schriver will be remembered for her faith, her creativity, her devotion to family and friends, and her unwavering love of the mountains, the South Carolina coast, and the community she called home.
In 2022, Knoxville Catholic High School honored Mrs. Schriver, an “Irish Legend,” as the school celebrated its 90th year.
Mrs. Schriver, as the legend honoree, was recognized at the KCHS Green & Gold Gala attended by more than 300 people.
“Julia’s accomplishments are many, and she has been an ardent supporter of KCHS, playing an instrumental role in establishing the current Fox Lonas campus as well as the Schriver Fine Arts Suite,” Knoxville Catholic president Dickie Sompayrac said at the event.
Mrs. Schriver recalled her days at KCHS.
“When I went to Catholic High School, it was a small, small school,” she said. “In my class, there were around 23 students, and seven of them were boys,” she added with a laugh. “So, you see, the girls didn’t have much choice.”
In those days, KCHS was in the old Ashe House on Magnolia Avenue in East Knoxville.
“It was just a big old-fashioned house with huge rooms,” Mrs. Schriver said. “Oh, it was a wonderful place. We thought that was just heaven at Catholic High. They built the gym, and next to it was a science room.”
She especially recalled her physics teacher.
“I can remember Sister Mary Irene taught physics,” Mrs. Schriver said.
continued from page A4
ration. From All Saints Parish to Compassion Coalition and beyond, the network of care grows stronger with every act of kindness. And yet, it is your support—through prayer, through giving, through simply caring—that sustains this work. Every call, every visit, every act of mercy reflects the Gospel in action.
The Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund has allowed the St. John Neumann St. Vincent de Paul ministry to be the hands and feet of Christ in the Knoxville community, not just speaking words of hope—but living them.
From everyone at SVDP St. John Neumann, thank you. Together, we are answering the call to serve—one person, one family, and one act of love at a time. ■
Diocese of Knoxville names chief financial officer
The Diocese of Knoxville has named Guy Scheiwiller as the diocesan chief financial officer
Mr. Scheiwiller ’s appointment is effective Oct. 1. He was hired following a dedicated search and extensive interview process that began earlier in the summer.
Mr. Scheiwiller brings with him a wealth of experience in financial and administrative leadership within the Church. He previously served as the chief financial officer of Catholic Charities in Venice, Fla., and as chief financial officer for both the Diocese of Tulsa, Okla., and the Diocese of Burlington, Vt.
In addition to his service in Church finance, Mr. Scheiwiller has many years of professional experience as a portfolio manager, where he gained significant expertise in investments, pension plans, risk management, and other complex financial matters. He also offers strong skills in information technology and is fluent in several languages.
He and his family are relocating to East Tennessee from Burlington. He will begin serving the diocese in October, and his family will be joining him in Knoxville in late December
Longtime Chancery staffer Maura Lentz named diocesan director of human resources
Maura Lentz, who has served for years at the Chancery as a human resources specialist, has been named the Diocese of Knoxville's director of human resources.
Bishop Mark Beckman made the announcement on Aug. 27.
Additionally, Mrs. Lentz will serve as the diocese ’s Child Protection Officer, overseeing the Safe Environment Program.
In appointing her to the position, Bishop Beckman said Mrs. Lentz has demonstrated excellent responsiveness, skill, and dedication to a job that has been well done over the past several years and that her move to a senior position is well-deserved.
Mrs. Lentz joined the Chancery staff in 2009
Bishop Beckman appoints diocesan deans
Bishop Mark Beckman has appointed Father Jim Vick, Father Adam Royal, Father Charlie Donahue, CSP, and Father Miguel Vélez deans of the Diocese of Knoxville s four deaneries.
Father Vick, pastor of St. Bridget Parish in Dayton, will serve as dean of the Chattanooga Deanery.
Father Royal, pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville, will serve as dean of the Cumberland Mountain Deanery.
Father Donahue, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Knoxville, will serve as dean of the Smoky Mountain Deanery.
And Father Vélez, pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Morristown, will serve as the dean of the Five Rivers Deanery
Fr. Houston named Notre Dame High School chaplain
Father A.J. Houston, who was ordained to the priesthood on June 7 by Bishop Mark Beckman, has been appointed full-time chaplain of Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga.
The appointment was effective on Sept. 8.
Father Houston will continue as part-time parochial vicar for St. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga but on a very limited basis.
At Notre Dame, Father Houston will celebrate Mass and hear confessions each school day and be present in the chaplain's office for student visits and counseling. He also will teach religion courses as determined by him and the school.
Father Houston will be in residence at St. Stephen Church.
Bishop Beckman assigns priests for All Saints, Holy Cross, and St. Francis of Assisi parishes
Bishop Mark Beckman has assigned Father Michael Hendershott as pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Pigeon Forge.
Father Hendershott most recently served as associate pastor of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga.
Father Hendershott's new assignment was effective on Aug. 18.
Father Antonio Giraldo, who had been assigned to Holy Cross from St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Townsend, will now remain at St. Francis of Assisi, where he has served for several years.
Bishop Beckman has assigned Father Jijesh Paul, MSFS, as associate pastor of All Saints Parish in Knoxville. Father Paul’s assignment was effective Sept. 15.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking into a fire that occurred at Holy Ghost Church, WATE-TV reported, citing information from the Knoxville Police Department and Knoxville Fire Department.
On Sept. 9, the Knoxville Police Department asked for the public’s help identifying three people of interest in the Aug. 11, 2024, fire.
The blaze occurred around 4 p.m. on that Sunday, according to a post shared by the police department. It asked people with information to contact the East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-2157165. WATE reported that a spokesperson for the church said the FBI was now looking into the case, saying that church members were hopeful for progress. Mark Wilbanks with the Knoxville Fire Department confirmed that “this case is the FBI’s,” and KPD said it understood “that the FBI is assisting the investigation,” according to WATE.
When asked about the case, an FBI spokesperson said, “As a matter of longstanding policy, we do not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.” ■
SVDP
All things through Christ The St. Vincent de Paul Conference at St. John Neumann Church is the hands and feet of Christ in the Knoxville community.
FBI investigating 2024 fire at Holy Ghost Church
Julia continued on page A27
COURTESY OF KNOXVILLE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
The family of Mary Petrillose Harris are saddened to report her death on Aug. 22 at Alexian Village in Signal Mountain at the venerable age of 114.
Mrs. Harris was born in Ithaca, N.Y., on May 13, 1911. She and her husband, J. Richard ("Dick") Harris, now deceased, were longtime residents of Cortland, N.Y., where together they built a highly successful dry-cleaning chain, Harris Cleaners, and a large dairy-farm operation, Fairview Farms.
Over the years, Mrs. Harris also became a very talented and prolific artist in oils and porcelain painting and a master seamstress capable of sewing perfectly fitted dresses from sight. In more recent years, her beautiful hand-sewn quilts were given to each member of her family and are treasured keepsakes.
Mr. and Mrs. Harris were the much-beloved parents of two daughters, Dixie Lee Billingsley of Atlanta and Concetta (“Connie”) Pitcher of Huntsville, Ala. Mrs. Harris was always happiest when surrounded by her family that grew over the years to include five grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild of all ages.
She was recognized and revered as the family matriarch who had quiet wisdom, patience, and incisive humor.
Mrs. Harris was featured in story about her life in the June issue of The East Tennessee Catholic newspaper (etcatholic.org/2025/06/ centenarian-mary-harris-has-superfaith). She had been recognized by the Gerontology Research Group as the oldest known living person in Tennessee, the second oldest known living person in the United States, and the eighth oldest living person in the world.
Mrs. Harris was laid to rest beside her beloved husband at Forest Hill Memorial Park in Lexington, N.C., on Aug. 30 in a final gathering of her beloved family.
Carl A. Labbe Jr.
A funeral Mass for Carl Anthony Labbe Jr. was held on Aug. 7 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Chattanooga.
Mr. Labbe was born in 1927, and his family was from Akron, Ohio. His family relocated to Chattanooga in 1935 when his father joined TVA.
Mr. Labbe attended Notre Dame grade school, OLPH grade school, and Notre Dame High School. He served in the U.S. Navy. He then received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Chattanooga and was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. Following a short employment with the U.S. Geological Survey in the Rocky Mountains, he returned to Chattanooga and began working with the Dupont Co., where he was with the Dupont nylon plant for 37 years as a development chemist, senior research chemist, development supervisor, and senior planning specialist.
He married Dorothy Andrews in 1952 and they had five children: Michelle (Frank) Repici, Julia (David) Mayfield, Angela (Oliver) Mayfield, Carl A. Labbe III, and Thomas V. Labbe. He also leaves 12 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
In civic work, Mr. Labbe served three years on the ChattanoogaHamilton County Library board of directors, with two of the three years on the executive board as treasurer. He was named a Dis-
Faithful Departed
tinguished Chattanooga Citizen in 1980 for his work with high school students. He helped start the Chattanooga Dismas House for ex-prisoners, serving two terms as the initial president and fundraising chairman. He sang and played banjo with the “Old Time Singers” organization that entertained at homes for the elderly.
Mr. Labbe was active in Catholic Church work, serving as vice president and president of the St. Jude Men’s Club, and treasurer of the St. Jude Athletic Association and the St. Jude Boy Scout Council. He served on the vocations committee at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish and also was active in Knights of Columbus Council 6099. He received the “Stumpy Serratore” Award for service to the Knights. He also was a member of the Catholic Foundation of East Tennessee.
Mr. Labbe dedicated 13 years to support the Chattanooga Youth Organization, assisting in many trips to national CYO conventions and in the yearly “CYO Show,” directing eight of these, most at the Tivoli Theater in Chattanooga. In later years, he worked at area Catholic youth functions, such as Search as well as summer camps. He was a substitute teacher at all three Chattanooga Catholic schools and helped with the kindergarten Montessori reading program at OLPH for more than 13 years. He received the coveted “Jim Phifer Award” for his work at Notre Dame High School.
In 1986, Mr. Labbe joined the Serra Club, a Catholic lay organization dedicated to fostering vocations to the priesthood and religious life. He served extensively in this organization as vice president of programs and president of the local chapter, then District 18 governor, later Region 5 director, and eventually on the United States-Canada board for two years. He served as a team leader on the Vision 2000 committee and twice on the Serra International nominating committee.
Following a rosary service for Mr. Labbe and the funeral Mass, he was laid to rest in the Hamilton Memorial Gardens with his beloved wife, Dorothy.
Donations in Mr. Labbe’s memory may be made either to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church or to the Notre Dame High School building fund.
Christine Rowe
Christine Stadelman Rowe, age 73 of Knoxville, passed away on July 14 at her home with her husband by her side.
Mrs. Rowe was preceded in death by her father, Henry Stadelman, and her younger, brother Guy William Stadelman.
She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Thomas Rowe, and her two sons: Thomas Rowe Jr. and his wife Becky, and grandchildren Leah and Ben, and Andrew Rowe, his wife Niccole, and grandson Alex. She also is survived by her mother, Theresa Stadelman, and three brothers, Henry (Susie) Stadelman, Bernard Stadelman (Paula), and Tony (Tammy) Stadelman.
Mrs. Rowe loved her two sons and worked tirelessly to provide opportunities for them throughout her life. She also had a special place in her heart for her two daughtersin-law and three grandchildren.
Mrs. Rowe was born in Pittsburgh and grew up on Mount Washington. She graduated from St. Mary of the Mount High School and attended Carlow College for two years.
She moved with her new husband to Knoxville in 1972, where she lived for the rest of her life. She was a practicing Catholic with a strong faith in God and was a faithful member of All Saints Church.
Mrs. Rowe sacrificed much to
create opportunities for both sons, including working hard for many years to fulfill their dreams of going to college and earning degrees from Auburn University.
Of the many jobs she worked throughout her life, her last one was her favorite. It was at the Parkwest Medical Center gift shop, where she enjoyed being with her co-workers and greeting and helping customers in the shop. She took pride in dressing nicely for work and especially loved wearing festive outfits for holidays to brighten everyone’s day.
Mrs. Rowe was a kind and generous person who was loved by all who knew her, and she lent a helping hand to many people throughout her life. She will be sorely missed.
A funeral Mass for Mrs. Rowe was held at All Saints Church on July 22. Family and friends gathered at Edgewood Cemetery following the Mass for a burial service.
Donations in Mrs. Rowe’s memory may be made to the Glioblastoma Research Organization.
Katherine Phillips
Katherine “Kay” E. Phillips, 76, of Knoxville, passed away peacefully at home on July 8.
Born in Upper Darby, Pa., Mrs. Phillips grew up in Virginia Beach and later made her home in Fairfax County, Va., where she lived for more than 40 years.
She first met her husband, Jerry, in 1967 at Lee’s Jet Lounge in Virginia Beach. Years later, after both had moved to Fairfax in 1971, they reconnected, and in 1976 they were married in Montgomery County, Md. The two made a great team— both in life and at work—spending many years together running their law office in Fairfax. In 2021, they moved to Knoxville to be closer to their daughter’s family.
Mrs. Phillips worked for many years as a paralegal and was known for her wit, warmth, and welcoming spirit. She brought joy and laughter to everyone around her and had a special gift for making people feel at home.
Her love for animals, sharp sense of humor, unforgettable holiday hosting, and unique sense of style will be remembered by all who knew her.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Elizabeth Catherine Wilkinson, and her father, Charles Walter Wilkinson. She is survived by her husband of 49 years, Jerry Phillips; her children, Lisa Sinclair (Seth) and Jonathan Phillips (Cori); and her beloved grandchildren: Ben, AJ, Thomas, Leo, Cressa, and Will. She is also survived by her sisters, Barbara King (Jim) and Bette Bench.
A funeral Mass for Mrs. Phillips was held on July 19 at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut. A memorial service for her followed on July 31 at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home in Fairfax, Va., with burial at Fairfax Memorial Park.
Virginia M. Brimer
Virginia M. Brimer, born in Memphis on Jan. 29, 1937, passed away peacefully on Aug. 6 at the age of 88.
A 1956 graduate of Knoxville Catholic High School, Mrs. Brimer began nurses training at St. Mary’s Hospital in Knoxville with aspirations of becoming a nurse. Fate had other plans when she met her future husband, Gerald E. Brimer, who was a patient at the hospital. Their love story began there, and
she left nursing behind to begin a new chapter as a devoted wife and mother.
Mr. and Mrs. Brimer shared 65 beautiful years of marriage until his passing in 2023—a loss she felt deeply every day. They also worked together with their sons to build the family business, Brimer Steel Erectors Inc.
Together, they raised four children: Teresa (Don) Gilmore, John Brimer (deceased), Mark (Robin) Brimer, and Karen (Daryl) Crabtree. Mrs. Brimer was a loving grandmother to Allison (Corey) Clark, Callie (Bryan) Badgett, Daniel (Brandi) Brimer, Catherine, Anna, and Avery Crabtree. Her legacy continues through her great-grandchildren: Chandler and John Clark, Carter Badgett, and baby Drake Brimer, expected in November.
She is also survived by her sister, Nancy (Bill) Fox and sister-in-law, Martha Warren, cousins, nieces, and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, George H. Muller Sr. and Thelma Cox Muller; brothers, George H. Muller Jr. and Milton E. Muller Sr.; a sister, Jayne Kubas; and a grandson, Johnathan Crabtree. Mrs. Brimer will be remembered for her unwavering devotion to her family, her generous spirit, and the quiet strength that carried her through life’s joys and sorrows. Her love was a constant presence, and her memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew her.
A funeral Mass for Mrs. Brimer was held on Aug. 13 at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa, with Father Joseph Austin serving as the celebrant. A burial service followed at Grandview Cemetery in Maryville. Donations in Mrs. Brimer’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at stjude.org
Marie Carmella Denton
Marie Carmella Denton, 90, died peacefully on Aug. 30 at Sacred Ground Hospice House in Knoxville.
Mrs. Denton was born on Dec. 6, 1934, in Niagara Falls, N.Y. She spent a large part of her early career in Chattanooga, and as a single mother, she worked her way up from an entry-level position to vice president of administration at Republic Parking.
In the early 1990s, she moved to Knoxville to be near her family and was always the best “Nana” to her grandchildren. She worked for 35 years, up until age 88, at State Farm in Knoxville, first with Tom Brezeale and then for many years with the Cindy Doyle Agency.
Mrs. Denton was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Gertrude Salerno of Niagara Falls, and a brother, Robert Salerno, also of Niagara Falls. She is survived by her son, Kenneth Denton (Nancy), and her three grandchildren, Jake Denton, Garrett Denton, and Katie Denton, all of Knoxville. She also is survived by her three nieces, Mary Salerno, Patti DesLauriers, and Sharon Salerno.
She leaves behind close friends Magna Smith and Pam Hoskins and her St. John Neumann Church family. The Church was a big part of her life, and Marie was very active until health issues slowed her down over the last five years. The family would like to say thank you to Cindy and Eddie Doyle for the support and love given to Marie, as well as the other State Farm staff she worked with over the years. A funeral Mass for Mrs. Denton was celebrated at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut on Sept. 15, with an inurnment following in the parish columbarium.
Donations in Mrs. Denton’s memory may be made to YoungWilliams Animal Center, 3210 Division St., Knoxville, TN, 37919.
Mrs. Harris
Mary Harris
Mr. Labbe
Mrs. Rowe
Mrs. Phillips
Mrs. Brimer
Mrs. Denton
Archie J. Riikola
Archie James Riikola, age 85, of Oak Ridge, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Aug. 13.
Faithful Departed
ity in Knoxville, the University of Tennessee library system, or to a charity of your choice.
Eileen Hartley
met Nyla Stegman. They married in 1959.
Mr. Riikola was born in Glasgow, Mont., on June 4, 1940, to Archie W. and Katherine Riikola. His family moved to Oak Ridge in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project, where he attended St. Mary School and Oak Ridge High School, and then the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He also was a proud veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
Mr. Riikola is preceded in death by his parents, Archie and Katherine Riikola; his sister, Mary Catherine Rainwater; his brother, Thomas Riikola; and his former wife, Jacqueline Broome.
He is survived by his daughter, Margo Davis (husband Bob Davis); grandchildren, Trevor (wife Savanna), Tristan (husband Jaxon, son Rhett), and Tyler; son, Rick Riikola (wife Jacelyn); grandchildren, Reece (wife Destinee, son Koa), Lindsey, Ashlyn, and Ethan; and son, Ronald Riikola. He is also survived by his fiancée, Zella Schultz; brother, Dr. Robert Riikola; brother-in-law, George Rainwater; and his best friend, Robert Carmack; and many more who dearly loved him.
Though born Archie, to all who knew him he was simply “Jim.”
Mr. Riikola worked at Y-12/ ORNL for more than 30 years and was fortunate to retire at age 55. He then devoted much of his time to his greatest passions—family, the outdoors, hunting, and fishing.
A funeral Mass for Mr. Riikola was held at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge on Aug. 30.
James F. Kelly
James Francis Kelly, age 84, passed away peacefully with his family at his side on Aug. 4.
Mr. Kelly was born in Niagara Falls, N.Y., to Abigail Keneally and James F. Kelly Sr. In his early years, Mr. Kelly was skilled at horseback riding and worked at a stable in Canada teaching children.
He graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 1962 and began graduate study at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. In 1966, he entered Officer Training School at Fort Knox in Kentucky and then served as assistant to the general at the Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield base in Savannah, Ga. Returning to Knoxville, he worked in the Office of Publications Service at the University of Tennessee and later became director of that office for 30 years.
Mr. Kelly enjoyed snow skiing and travel, especially to Ireland, the birthplace of his parents. His devotion to his family was remarkable. He attended all of his son's soccer games. The family spent many happy winters skiing in New England and western resorts, and summers at Loon Lake in New York.
Mr. Kelly is survived by his loving wife, Terry, and his cherished son, Michael (Jaan Anne and grandchildren Piper and Wilkes). He was a lifelong Catholic and attended seminary before entering college. He was a member of St. John XXIII University Parish on the University of Tennessee campus.
A funeral Mass for Mr. Kelly was held at St. John XXIII on Aug. 30, followed by a private family inurnment at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus columbarium and a wake at the home of Michael Kelly. Donations in Mr. Kelly’s memory may be made to the Ladies of Char-
Eileen O’Connor Hartley, who was born on Feb. 14, 1945, as the daughter of John J. O’Connor and Doris R. O’Connor, died of Alzheimer’s disease on Aug. 28. This cruel disease took from us someone who loved to read, played the piano wonderfully, and who remembered everything.
Mrs. Hartley is survived by husband of 53 years, Dean S. Hartley III; daughters Theresa H. Nelson (Eric), Elise H. Henderson (Brian), and Elise’s three children, Caroline, Clare, and Maggie.
After working at Pittsburg State University in Kansas from 1963 to 1965, he and Nyla moved their family to the University of Iowa, where he received his Ph.D. in speech-language pathology in 1969. In 1971, they moved to Knoxville.
burial service followed at Lynnhurst Cemetery. Donations in Mr. Hall’s memory may be made to the Lupus Foundation in loving memory of his daughter, Kristy.
Mark J. Finucane
Mrs. Hartley graduated from Duke University in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in English. She earned her master’s degree in English in 1968 from the University of Georgia. She also completed all the coursework for a Ph.D. in English from UGA. She taught English composition over the years at various colleges and universities, including Georgia State University, Northern Virginia Community College, UGA, the University of South Carolina, La Grange College, and Roane State Community College.
Mrs. Hartley followed her husband as he moved. This included living in the Washington, D.C., area while he was in the U.S. Army, and Spartanburg, S.C., and La Grange, Ga., when he worked for Milliken Inc. Then they moved to Oak Ridge when he was hired by Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1986. In each city, she found a place to teach, as she loved teaching.
In the early 1990s, she served as co-chair for voter service for the Oak Ridge Chapter of the League of Women Voters and was in the 1990 Leadership Oak Ridge class. She also worked as a tutor for the Anderson County Literacy Council and as a volunteer in the Oak Ridge schools, working with elementary students in reading.
Mrs. Hartley loved to travel; She and her husband traveled all over the United States and Europe, and even visited Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
Mrs. Hartley was a “cradle Catholic” and regularly attended church wherever she lived. In Oak Ridge, this was St. Mary Church, where she was an active member of the Bible study group. These good friends supported each other through their child-rearing years and beyond. Bible Study members Roxy Benning, Jane Carter, Marion Cooney, Peg Gruzalski, Joan Kearney, Judy Osucha, Becky Rushton, Linda White, and Diane Wright provided great aid and comfort during her final illness. Mrs. Hartley also attended St. Stephen Episcopal Church for many years with her husband and had many good friends there, too.
A memorial service was held at St. Stephen Episcopal Church on Sept. 6, and a private inurnment service was held later at St. Mary Church. Donations in Mrs. Hartley’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, St. Mary Church, or St. Stephen Church.
Dr. Patrick Carney
Dr. Patrick “Jerry” Carney of Knoxville entered eternal life on Aug. 28.
Dr. Carney was born on May 30, 1936, in Wichita, Kan., to Mary Frances and Michael Carney. He served as professor and department head at the University of Tennessee Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology from 1986-2003. He was president of the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) in 1991.
Dr. Carney graduated in 1958 from Wichita State University, where he
Dr. Carney was passionate about teaching, establishing and ensuring professional standards in audiology and speech pathology, and helping others. He received many professional awards and accolades, including the Communication Sciences and Disorders Outstanding Alumni Award from Wichita State University.
His other passions included playing tennis; officiating NCAA collegiate tennis matches; attending UT’s football, basketball, and Lady Vols games; church ministries for St. John XXIII University Parish; telling jokes; and spoiling his grandchildren.
Dr. Carney is survived by his wife of 66 years and his loving family, including children Debbie Danbury (Randy), Michael (Angie), Kevin (Catherine), and Dana Sherrod (John), as well as grandchildren Erin Carney, John Carney (Haley), Sean Carney (Aria Yuchuan), Matt Carney, Ryan Sherrod, and Madi Sherrod.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Frank and Joe; sister Patricia Hansen; brothers-inlaw Paul Skolaut, Jerry Jonas, Hans Hansen, and John Reals; and sistersin-law Bev Carney, Jama Carney, and Mary Bussey. He is survived by his siblings Mary Ann Skolaut; Dan Carney (Gayla); Sally Jonas; Sharon Bishop; Colleen Reals; Peter D. Carney (Debbie); Eileen Nevers (Larry); Mike Carney; and in-laws Michael Stegman (Dottie); Kevin McKinney (Jerry), and Jim Bussey.
A funeral Mass for Dr. Carney was held on Sept. 4 at All Saints Church in Knoxville.
Dr. Carney was a devoted member of St. John XXIII. Donations in Dr. Carney’s memory may be made to St. John XXIII University Parish, 1710 Melrose Place, Knoxville, TN 37916 or online at www.John23rd.org; or online to the Paulist Fathers at www. paulist.org
Fred W. Hall
Fred W. (Bill) Hall passed away peacefully on Sept. 4 at his home in Lenoir City. He was 84.
Born in Knoxville on Jan. 15, 1941, Mr. Hall attended Knoxville Catholic High School and the University of Tennessee. He married the love of his life, Javonne Parker, in 1961 and they spent 64 years lovingly dedicated to each other.
Mr. Hall had a long career as a health-care executive and consultant, serving as president of Hall X-Ray Co. from 1969 to 1992 and consulting for Doctors Management LLC until his retirement in 2000.
Mr. Hall loved the outdoors and was an avid sportsman, enjoying hunting, fishing, motorcycle racing, scuba diving, camping, and boating. He especially enjoyed spending time each summer with his friends and family in the Florida Keys, spearing grouper, hooking mahi-mahi, and trapping lobster.
He is survived by his wife, Javonne; son, William David Hall (wife Ann); daughter, Lisa Hall Mckee (husband Mike); grandchildren, William Douglas Hall (wife Leslie), Michael Gibson, Kristen Hall Fairchild (husband Drew), and Micah Mckee; great-grandchildren, Hadley Hall, Lila Hall, Madeline Hall, Arie Fairchild; brother and sister-in-law, Louis and Janice Kennedy; and sonin-law, Junior Campbell. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Kristina Hall Campbell; parents, F. Neal and Violet Hall; and sister, Marie Hall Newman.
A funeral Mass for Mr. Hall was celebrated at St John Neumann Church in Farragut on Sept. 12. A
Mark J. Finucane, a dedicated public servant with the Johnson City Fire Department, elite athlete, and devoted husband, passed away peacefully on Aug. 31 at his home in Johnson City. He was 68. Mr. Finucane was born on Nov. 25, 1956, in Buffalo, N.Y. His dedication to excellence and talent showed early. He attended East Tennessee State University on a track and field scholarship, where he ran with the famed Irish Brigade cross country teams.
He was a three-time NCAA AllAmerican and named Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 1977.
After college, he competed professionally for six years, running across the United States, Europe, and Japan. He set a blazing personal best of 2:11:56 at the Houston Marathon in 1984, finishing third, and claimed the National 10K Road Race Championship.
His accomplishments earned him spots in multiple halls of fame, including ETSU, St. Francis High School, Greater Buffalo Sports, and Western New York Running.
But his most important legacy wasn t on the track, it was in the community.
In 1987, Mr. Finucane joined the Johnson City Fire Department, where he served for nearly 30 years. He was promoted to assistant chief in 2004 and briefly serving as interim chief. He was known for his leadership, work ethic, and attention to detail.
Mr. Finucane helped train the next generation of firefighters, leading the Northeast Tennessee Regional 500-hour Basic Firefighting School and earned an executive fire officer degree from the National Fire Academy.
Mr. Finucane was appointed by Gov. Phil Bredesen in 2004 to the Tennessee Commission on Firefighting Personnel Standards and Education, and he later chaired the commission, helping shape fire service across the state. He also chaired the 2014 United Way campaign for Johnson City and Washington County, eventually leading its board.
Mr. Finucane who loved the Buffalo Bills and ETSU Bucs, was a longtime member of St. Mary Church in Johnson City, serving as an usher and staying involved in parish life.
He was predeceased by his parents, James and Rosemary McCann Finucane; brother-in-law, Keith M. Stolzenburg; and in-laws, Dr. Joseph and Geraldine LaNasa. He is survived by his beloved wife, Mary (LaNasa); sister, Rosanne K. Stolzenburg; niece, Anna R. Stolzenburg; nephew, Eric M. Stolzenburg; and extended family, including Geraldine (Dr. Daniel E.) Anderson, Paula (Vincent) Monaco, and Pia (Eugene P.) O'Connor. He also leaves behind a large community of friends, godchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and colleagues who were lucky to know him
A visitation honoring Chief Finucane's life and legacy was held on Sept. 11, and a funeral Mass for him was celebrated on Sept. 12 at St. Mary Church, with Father Dustin Collins serving as the celebrant. An inurnment will be held on Oct. 11 at Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna, N.Y.
Donations in Mr. Finucane's memory may be made to The Mark J. Finucane Scholarship, St. Francis High School, 4129 Lake Shore Road, Hamburg, NY 14075 and Up & At 'Em Inc., P.O. Box 44, Johnson City, TN 37605. ■
Mr. Riikola
Mrs. Hartley
Dr. Carney
Mr. Kelly
Mr. Finucane
been deemed too terrible an option. So, in America, every lunatic gets one free murder.”
As cynical as she sounds, the Zarutska story (involving a sick person thrusting a knife blade repeatedly into a thin neck), and the recent assault on students attending a school Mass in Minnesota (wrought by a sick person with lots of guns and bullets) both validate Ms. Bowles’ point. The illness of Miss Zarutska’s accused attacker was known. His mother told reporters he’d been placed under psychiatric monitoring, diagnosed, then released. The Annunciation School shooter’s self-described depression and suicidal ideation seems to have gone undetected until it was too late.
Our mentally ill are criminally neglected; resources for their care have disappeared thanks to “compassionate” policies, leaving them to suffer on their own. How is it “compassionate” to let sick people stew in their own hellish thoughts? How is it “compassionate” to their victims?
“Now, I took physics, and I couldn’t tell you what physics is.”
After graduating from KCHS, Mrs. Schriver met her husband, Robert.
“Some friends introduced us,” she said. “That was in ’51, and we got married.” Knoxville Catholic High School presented a touching video tribute (https://youtu.be/ HpI45E3DBCY) to Mrs. Schriver following her death.
“One of Knoxville Catholic High School’s most treasured alumni, Julia Driscoll Schriver (’46), passed away last week. Julia lived in Knoxville, where she worked during her professional career, which included working at the University of Tennessee in the Department of Geology as well as a position at the Knoxville FBI office. She was also a well-known artist. Many of you may recognize her work. She painted the three different campuses that Knoxville Catholic has called home and we use the renderings often. Julia was married to Robert Schriver until his death in 2013, and they had three children—all of whom graduated from her alma mater: Rob (’71), Suzanne (’76), and Ragan
A screen grab of Iryna Zarutska’s final minutes is trending on social media. She is bleeding, cowering as she looks up in confusion at her attacker. Difficult as it is, we must look at it; we must all look at it. More than a tragic image of a girl’s final minutes, Iryna there strikes me as the poignant face of a society that has no idea why anything is happening, and no means of connecting a cause-and-effect story that says when you’re not addressing the real needs of the severely mentally ill, chaotic madness is unleashed. It’s also the face of a generation that has grown up feeling unsafe, confused, and ignored, offered nothing meaningful beyond dronish dead-end jobs and the escape of their smart phones.
No wonder this is the generation that is turning to religion for succor, and for answers with substance.
They may not realize it, but in doing so they embody the words of T.S. Eliot in “The Rock”: “Why should men love the Church? Why should they
(’84), and three grandchildren: Kate Kilgore (’04), Julianna Rechter, and Amelia Rechter (’21) who carry on her loving and generous spirit,” the high school said in a statement.
“Julia Schriver was a true Irish Legend! As a student, Julia excelled in the classroom, on the basketball court, and in her passion for art. She was a true testament to the mission of KCHS. Throughout her life, as mother, wife, and an alum of Catholic High, she was always so proud of her time at Catholic, the many friends she made while there, and all the growth that the school has experienced. We will certainly miss her at our annual Golden Grads brunch but know that she will be smiling down on all the Irish faithful for years to come. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family. May she rest in peace,” said Dickie Sompayrac, president of Knoxville Catholic High School.
Mrs. Schriver was featured in a March 2017 story in The East Tennessee Catholic, when she donated the use of the Schriver family’s home in the Smoky Mountains to a young family whose home and all their belongings were incinerated in the November 2016 fires that devastated much of Sevier County, including Gatlinburg. Mrs. Schriver had read about
love her laws? She tells them of Life and Death, and of all that they would forget. She is tender where they would be hard, and hard where they like to be soft. She tells them of Evil and Sin, and other unpleasant facts. They constantly try to escape From the darkness outside and within By dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good. But the man that is will shadow The man that pretends to be.”
There are no easy answers to the problems of gun proliferation or social violence and our increasing numbness to it, but these appalling murders are urgent clues that we must begin talking to each other now sensibly, seriously, and respectfully, as human beings if we are ever to find them. Here, perhaps, is where the Church must find its voice and lead. ■
Elizabeth Scalia is editor at large for OSV. Follow her on X @theanchoress
the Reed family’s plight and wanted to lend them a hand with the use of her home until the family’s house could be rebuilt. The Reed family was very touched and very grateful to Mrs. Schriver for her unconditional generosity.
A funeral Mass for Mrs. Schriver was celebrated on Sept. 6 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, with Father Chris Michelson serving as the celebrant. Concelebrating the Mass were Monsignor Al Humbrecht, Father Peter Iorio, Father David Boettner, and Father Tom O’Connell. A private burial service followed the Mass.
Mrs. Schriver is survived by her three children, Rob (Debby), Suzanne (Dave Rechter), and Ragan (Jeff Vomund); grandchildren Kate Kilgore (Kenzie), Julianna Rechter, and Amelia Rechter; greatgranddaughters Lily and Mae; and her cherished niece, Kristen Austin Gunter (Erik). The Schriver family extends its deepest gratitude to Dr. Amy Bentley, Angela Bridges, Renee O’Connor, Cathy Rhodes, and Morgan Snapp for the loving and compassionate care they gave Mrs. Schriver.
Donations in Mrs. Schriver’s memory may be made to the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus or a favorite charity. ■
Julia continued from page A24
Resurrecting an ancient sound
Oldest organ in Christendom played for first time in 800 years
By Judith Sudilovsky OSV News
After 800 years of silence, the pipes from the oldest organ in Christendom played again, filling the reception hall of Jerusalem's Franciscan Monastery of St. Saviour with the unique sound of the 11th-century liturgical chant, Benedicamus Domino Flos Filius It was performed by Spanish researcher and organist David Catalunya, marking the highlight of a five-year international research project sparked by his rediscovery of 222 ancient bronze pipes.
Sounding unlike any other modern organ, the notes elicited from the 16 selected pipes six of which were original displayed on a wind-chest constructed specifically for them by master organ maker Winold van der Putten, were a rich combination of three different registers at Mr. Catalunya’s performance during a press presentation of the organ pipes on Sept. 9.
“It’s very, very like celestial music,” Mr. Catalunya said. “The emotion I felt when I heard the sound revealing itself after 800 years of silence was like ... opening the tomb of a pharaoh. It came to us as a surprise indeed. The following days, myself and my team were like floating inside a dream.”
“We couldn’t really believe it. I spent the following nights without sleeping,” he added. “It is the oldest organ in Christendom, possibly the oldest musical instrument in the world maintaining its original sound.” Dubbed the Bethlehem Organ, it is believed to have been located in the chancel of the Nativity Church in Bethlehem, an area now under the jurisdiction of the Armenian Church, he said.
It consists of 18 pipes for every note, something very different from modern organs, which normally have only five or six pipes for every note, he said. To experience the full sound of the entire instrument, a replica needs to be built, which is the next stage of the project, Mr. Catalunya noted.
The research project is supported by the Complutense Institute of Musical Sciences of Madrid, in collaboration with the Franciscan Terra
Annunciation continued from page A16
Sancta Museum and the Custody of the Holy Land.
The organ pipes and their reconstructed organ case built by a local craftsman will be displayed at the Music Cloister of the future Terra Sancta Museum Art and History, currently under construction led by Franciscan Father Stéphane Milovitch and supported by the Belgian government. Several replicas are also planned for display in Bethlehem and in Europe.
The organ was originally built in France in the 11th century and was used for nearly a century in a church in France, possibly near Paris or the Abbey of Fleury, Mr. Catalunya said. It was transported to the Holy Land and Bethlehem by the Crusaders a century later, where it sounded in the Church of the Nativity for another century.
Then it was painstakingly dismantled and the pipes buried underground along with a set of bells to protect them on the eve of the invasion of the Muslim Khwarezmian Turks in 1244, known as the Siege of Jerusalem.
“European Christians … brought to the Basilica of Bethlehem the most avant garde musical instrument then used in worship, the organ. An instrument designed to become the emblem of sacred music,” said Álvaro Torrente, director of the Complutense Institute of Music.
“Today … virtually every Chris-
nunciation as a parish and school. A new chapter is beginning. She clearly sees a message from God in the fact that she survived.
Over the next two days, this 25-year-old woman of deep faith—who attended Catholic elementary school herself—began intensely praying and poring through her Bible searching for direction about what to do in the aftermath of an unimaginable and hideous act of violence against a school and students she has come to love and care for deeply. Her search for spiritual and scriptural meaning landed on the Old Testament Book of Esther. One line jumped out at her: “(a woman) for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).
Fueled by this verse, Mrs. Mertens has solidified her focus in going forward from this tragedy. She believes God wants her to be part of the effort to help lead others to Himself and toward healing. In that mission, she is all in.
“Being here now is an answered prayer because I’ve just been praying to be a vessel and an instrument,” she said. “I know I survived this so I can help other people through it.”
The roots of Mrs. Mertens being an instrument go back to her time at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where she studied Spanish and psychology until her graduation in May 2022. After attending St. Wenceslaus Catholic School, 45 miles south of Minneapolis, from kindergarten through eighth grade, she went to New Prague High School, graduating in 2018.
By the time she entered college, she was struggling with several serious issues and eventually drifted away from her faith.
“I was a very lost and broken high school and college girl,” she recalled. “Hopeless. I never would have imagined myself as a youth minister. Yet, I’m glad that that brokenness was turned into beauty to walk alongside kids now.”
The turnaround came during her freshman year of college at the University of Minnesota, when she met missionaries of St. Paul’s Outreach, a West St. Paul-based outreach for college students in
tian church has an organ. But in the 11th century, this was still a novelty. The men who carried this organ to Bethlehem were driven by the same desire for the finest voices and instruments in the world to embellish the liturgy of the Basilica Nativity,” he said.
The pipes were preserved in almost meticulous condition thanks to the dry climate and the fact they were made from copper and carefully hidden by the Franciscans, Mr. Catalunya pointed out.
Original markings by the pipe maker 800 years ago remain visible on the pipes and provided invaluable information for the researchers about how they were made, Mr. Catalunya said, allowing them to make the reproductions in the exact same way. Despite being a thousand years old, the pipes produce a surprisingly full and authentic sound, capable of filling large architectural spaces, he added.
The researchers took over 5,000 measurements of the pipes and reconstructed the organ case.
“It’s apparent that their makers knew very well what they wanted to hear,” said Koos van de Linde, a leading organ researcher. “It was extremely moving to hear how some of these pipes became alive again after about 700 years under the earth. After 800 years of silence, the hope of the crusaders who buried them, that the moment would come when they
Minnesota and across the country. She was drawn to Christ by SPO’s “model of relational ministry, incarnational, coming alongside and having missionaries show up where I was, take me out to lunch, just love me for who I was instead of what I had to offer,” she said. “It changed my life.”
Now, she feels called to simply do the same for those who participate in youth ministry at Annunciation. This calling began shortly after returning to her faith at the university. As her faith deepened, she became vice president of Catholic Students United on campus, now called Gopher Catholic. During that time, she received strong support— and prayer—from Father Jake Anderson, the director of Gopher Catholic and pastor of St. Lawrence Catholic Church and Newman Center
During her senior year in 2021-22, she was invited to do volunteer youth ministry at Annunciation by Richfield Young Life (now Crosstown Young Life), which has been a partner with Annunciation for youth ministry. Then, the youth ministry job opened, she applied, and was hired right after she graduated.
Mrs. Mertens works with youth programs serving about 500 to 600 students in grades seven through 12 in her ministry. Some are Catholic, others have different faith traditions, including other Christian denominations. She makes no distinction when it comes to faith practice. “They’re all our kids,” she said.
The job description for Mrs. Mertens and others who do youth ministry at Annunciation, including Crosstown Young Life, an ecumenical ministry, is simple: Go where the kids are and come alongside them. With love. With compassion. With a listening ear to hear their stories.
“We live in an evil world,” Mrs. Mertens said. “Jesus has put a call on my life to go make disciples of all nations, and kids need hope. I remember feeling like a worthless middle school girl, comparing myself (to others), never feeling like I was enough, not feeling like my life had purpose. There’s nothing kids need more than an adult to show up for them.”
would (sound) again … was not in vain.”
Mr. van de Linde called it “a great honor to be a witness of this and to be involved in that resurrection.”
When reconstructing the instrument organ maker Mr. van der Putten said he did not try to get the sound he wanted to hear from the pipes but tried to discover the sound that the old material supplied him with. “That’s the most important way when you restore instruments, not to put yourself in front, but to put the material in front and listen to that,” he said. “It was opening new visions. You have here old pipes telling you things by its form. ... I am 75 years old and I consider this the crown of my work.”
Father Eugenio Alliata, a Franciscan archaeologist from the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, said the collective memory of the hidden treasure had been kept alive for centuries but was finally discovered almost by chance in 1906 during the establishment of the Casa Nova Franciscan pilgrim hospice in Bethlehem, adjacent to the Church of the Nativity in what was once the Catholic parish cemetery.
Excavations of the site by archaeologists from the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum uncovered the hidden 222 bronze pipes, a carillon of 13 bells, and other liturgical objects. They were transferred to the Franciscan Archaeological Museum of the Convent of the Flagellation, but for over a century the discovery went practically unnoticed in academic circles.
“It is a treasure hidden for eight centuries and then overlooked for more than 100 years, until my dear colleague David recognized that those pipes constitute a unique testimony to musical practice, not only here in Jerusalem, but across Europe," noted Mr. Torrente. “Before the discovery, there was no organ dated from the 15th century. Thus, the instruments take us four centuries back, offering a completely new perspective on medieval music.” He said the organ also provided a unique window into medieval European music making, engineering, and craftsmanship which could reshape the understanding of culture in the Middle Ages. ■
Showing up is exactly what Mrs. Mertens plans to do in the days ahead as the Annunciation school and church community forges a path to healing. A healing balm she will bring is her testimony of losing her way, then finding it again in Jesus, who now calls her to help others find Him amid the tragedy.
“I was hurting and very broken,” she said of her earlier years, “and trying to fill every void— acceptance, appearance, achievement—in high school and early college days. And due to extremely poor decisions, I totaled my car in an accident at (age) 17. I rolled it five times.”
The only injury was a cut on her elbow that left a scar. On Aug. 27, a piece of glass from the broken window made a cut on that same elbow.
“How could there not be a call on my life?” she said of her role as youth minister at Annunciation.
She hopes to follow the example of Esther in the Old Testament and has made words from one verse of that book her own.
“I’m called,” Mrs. Mertens said, “for such a time as this.” “God doesn’t want me to be scared,” she added. “I survived that (shooting), so I can walk with damaged kids through this.”
Here’s what that will look like for her. “Jesus Christ can give hope and peace. I’m going to show up and tell kids about Him more than ever before, about the hope that they can have in Him, about the fact that He understands the pain (they are feeling).”
She said that “what sets our ministry apart is (that) we show up where kids are because that is what God did for us. He became human and showed up for us.”
Just two days after the shooting rocked the Annunciation church and school communities, and rocked the entire Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and beyond, Mrs. Mertens has crafted a simple resolve and message, one that echoes the sentiment of her pastor, Father Dennis Zehren; her principal; and Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis:
“Horror is not going to win. We are reclaiming our church.” ■
Long-awaited encore David Catalunya, a Valencian musician and musicologist, plays the oldest organ in the Christian world at the Franciscan Monastery of St. Saviour in the Old City of Jerusalem on Sept. 9.
