September 4
| 2022
VOL 32 NO 1
IN THIS ISSUE
A4 SUMMER SCHOOLING
Seminarians share extracurriculars
LOVERS B1 MUSIC Heavenly singing on
display during Sacred Music Weekend in diocese
LEGACY B1 KCHS Connor family generations are well represented in the Green and Gold
He dwells among us ......................... A3 Parish news ....................................... B4 Diocesan calendar ............................ B5 Columns ............................................. B6 Catholic youth ................................. B10 La Cosecha ............................Section C
CCETN begins adoption services Catholic Charities program looking to assist expectant mothers, adoptive parents By Bill Brewer
today than it was eight years ago, according to Mrs. Healy. atholic Charities of East Tennessee “A lot has changed since 2014, so is now an option for people looking we had to go back and look at what to adopt a child. we used to do, what we need to do The Diocese of Knoxville social-services now, what other adoption agencies agency has added an Adoption Services are doing. We really needed to build it division to its extensive portfolio of profrom scratch because what we had was grams that are available throughout the just not the new stuff,” she noted. region. “It is complicated because you want Catholic Charities of East Tennessee it to be as perfect as it can be because Adoption Services officially launched July you’re talking about placing children 27, and the program is now available to in homes with families who want chilparents considering adoption to grow dren. You want everything to be just their families as well as expectant mothso. When an adoptive family comes ers who are considering placing a child for and they’re matched with a birth-paradoption. ent mom, from that point to the end The new program received its license everything works. The child is placed, to operate in December and has spent the and a new family begins,” she added. first half of 2022 preparing to serve cliShe emphasized that Catholic ents. It operates from Catholic Charities’ Charities is now fully licensed under temporary offices in the Regas Building at the state of Tennessee to do complete 318 N. Gay St. in Knoxville, although Lisa adoptions, from birth parents to home Healy, CCETN executive director, said the studies with adoptive parents and then agency and its programs plan to return to placing the children. their headquarters at 119 Dameron Ave. She also pointed out that when in Knoxville in the next few months once expectant mothers came to Catholic renovation is complete following a Nov. 28 Charities in the past and there were no arson fire. adoption services, carrying the child Mrs. Healy said Catholic Charities of to term and assisting mothers before, BILL BREWER East Tennessee suspended adoptions eight during, and after birth was what the years ago. But in the five years since she Return of the adoption option Bishop Richard F. Stika, center, agency could offer through its Pregjoined the organization, resuming them has stands with, from left, Terry Leitz, Darlene Leitz, Patsy Sharp, Lisa nancy Help Centers. been at the forefront of discussions. Healy, and state Sen. Becky Duncan Massey. They are attending But if a mother decided she was She noted that Sandi Davidson, who is the official launch of Catholic Charities of East Tennessee's new unable to care for a child, she had to the program leader for Catholic Charities’ Adoption Services program, which resumes adoption opporleave Catholic Charities to pursue other Pregnancy Services, has been advocating tunities in East Tennessee for expectant mothers and adoptive options, including adoption or even for a resumption of the adoption program. families. The event was July 27 at All Saints Church. abortion. It’s a perfect fit for Catholic Charities in “We feel like our adoption services providing the full range of pregnancy seryears ago. It has taken us about 18 months to program fills the mission of Catholic vices, according to Mrs. Healy. put the whole program together.” Charities under the Diocese of Knoxville, which “While adoption was suspended in 2014, the Catholic Charities is working with a Knoxis to support those with the most need who are idea was to really bring it back and create a ville lawyer on the legal side of adoptions. the most vulnerable. Pregnancy help has been a complete circle of service around the women wonderful mission for the diocese and Catholic Re-examining adoption that we serve,” Mrs. Healy said. “We started to Charities for 20 years,” Mrs. Healy said. “But The world of adoption is much different Adoption continued on page A14 talk about adoption with the board about three
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Pregnancy Help Centers mark 20th anniversary Key Catholic Charities program has grown to six sites throughout East Tennessee By Dan McWilliams
DAN MCWILLIAMS
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atholic Charities of East Tennessee’s Pregnancy Help Center in Knoxville celebrated its 20th anniversary Aug. 16-18 as the Diocese of Knoxville social services agency opens its sixth East Tennessee center in Helenwood. “It’s been quite the journey,” said Catholic Charities executive director Lisa Healy. CCETN offices and the pregnancy center were formerly located on Dameron Avenue until an arson fire late last year forced them to move to the Regas Building downtown. The Dameron offices are being restored. “The first center was in Knoxville. One of the great features of the center in Knoxville is the location on Dameron Avenue is directly across the street from the Knox County Health Department,” Mrs. Healy said. “Our partnership with the health department is a
Help for young mothers A resource fair Aug. 16 at Catholic Charities of East Tennessee headquarters helped kick off the 20th anniversary of CCETN's Pregnancy Help Centers throughout the area. very good one. Any woman who goes into the health department for WIC who needs a pregnancy test is sent over to our Knoxville center.” WIC is a special supplemental-
nutrition program for women, infants, and children and is for low-income families. “That in and of itself is just a great benefit of our location,” Mrs. Healy said.
The Pregnancy Help Center in Knoxville “is a very successful center,” she added. “There are many partnerships. They’ve served over 28,000 women just out of that center in the last 20 years.” The Helenwood location joins Knoxville and four other sites for pregnancy assistance. “We also have centers in Chattanooga, Johnson City, Newcomb or Jellico, and LaFollette,” Mrs. Healy noted. “And our newest location is in Helenwood in Scott County. We think that is really a special area. There is a lot of need there. There are not a lot of resources there in the community. We’ve invited St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic to join us to serve the community. We don’t have a very big space. Sister Mary Lisa Renfer and Martin Vargas are going to put the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic in Catholic Charities’ small center there. They will start serving there Pregnancy continued on page A9