Medal of Honor recipients visit Catholic schools Staff Sgt. Leroy Petry and Sgt. Mike Rose speak at KCHS; parachute jump held at Sacred Heart
By Dan McWilliams
DAN MCWILLIAMS
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ongressional Medal of Honor recipients were in Knoxville for a celebration Sept. 6-10, and two Catholic soldiers who earned the rare award stopped by Knoxville Catholic High School and Sacred Heart Cathedral School to interact with students. Retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Leroy Petry and retired Army Sgt. Mike Rose spoke at a Medal of Honor assembly Sept. 7 at KCHS. Sgt. Petry arrived by helicopter at the high school’s football practice field along with Pete Hegseth of Fox News’ Fox & Friends morning news show, who was in town to record a segment for the show featuring KCHS students, Sgt. Petry, and Sgt. Rose. Many Medal of Honor recipients took part in a memorial service at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on Sept. 8. The morning also included a parachute jump and a howitzer salute. Father Chris Michelson, chair of the KCHS Board of Trustees, led a prayer before the assembly. “We give you thanks for giving us the opportunity each day to pray and to celebrate in true freedom, that freedom that is protected each day by the men and women of our Armed Forces,” he said. “We give you thanks for their diligence and for their willingness to serve.” After the prayer, the KCHS band and combined chorus performed the National Anthem. The 5th Special Forces Honor Guard presented the colors. School president Dickie Sompayrac began the assembly. “These
Out of the sky A member of the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachutes in for a landing at Sacred Heart Cathedral School on Sept. 8 as students watch close by. The parachute jump was among several events coinciding with the Medal of Honor recipients’ visit to Knoxville. men hold the highest and most prestigious military decorations and have distinguished themselves by their acts of valor,” he said. “Our students have been learning about the six values embodied in the Medal of Honor—courage, commitment, integrity, sacrifice, citizenship, and patriotism—through the Medal of Honor Character Development Program.” Marc Anthony, a KCHS parent,
of Knoxville radio station Star 102.1 FM moderated the assembly. He echoed Mr. Sompayrac’s words as he introduced Sgt. Petry and Sgt. Rose, who fielded questions from students. “Let that sink in for a second: acts of valor,” Mr. Anthony said. “Valor that may have cost a body part. Valor that cost a lot of trauma. . . . This medal around their neck . . . a president took time out of his day at a
ceremony to put that medal around their necks. Only 3,500 of the millions who have served in the Armed Forces have ever had that medal put around their necks, and two of them are right there.” Sgt. Petry, who also visited Knoxville in 2014 as part of a Medal of Honor ceremony, lost his right hand when he picked up a grenade while serving as an Army Ranger Medal of Honor continued on page B2
My peace I give you The example of two military chaplain heroes reminds us what is most essential in the earthly and spiritual battles of life By Bishop Richard F. Stika Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid—John 14:27.
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bove and beyond. The Medal of Honor citations for two military chaplains each begin with the words, “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty….” And in addition to being posthumously recognized with our nation’s highest honor for valor, they also have the unique distinction of being examined for the highest honor of the altar—beatification and canonBishop continued on page B7
Schoolteacher makes Our Lady of Guadalupe mosaic
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he newest work of art on display at St. Mary School in Johnson City, a mosaic, is the fruit of their own staff member’s labor. Felicia Gregory has been the art teacher at St. Mary since 2017 and began this project as a way to upcycle lids from baby food pouches that her children were consuming at the time. “The options were to either throw them away to be sent to a landfill or to make something beautiful out of it,” said Ms. Gregory. “They were being used anyway, so I decided to put them to good use.” Ms. Gregory decided to become a teacher following in the footsteps of her parents. Her mother was a high-school Spanish teacher, and her father was an elementary-school art teacher like herself. Because of her upbringing surrounded by the fine arts in a variety of forms, Ms. Gregory grew up seeing the beauty that can be created by the seemingly mundane items that most people take for granted. “I want to be able to teach my students that you can be creative with anything that’s around you,” said Ms. Gregory. “It’s very easy to find commonplace things and make art out of them.” Ms. Gregory chose to make the mosaic in the form of Our Lady of Guadalupe because of it being one of the most easily recognized images of
Mother Mary and because it harbors an appreciation for the contrast of the colors on the original image. The new addition to the art collection at the school is the fifth form of the icon on the church campus and the only one created by hand from a member of the church. “Here at St. Mary’s we have a strong devotion to Our Lady,” said school principal Becky Frye. “Our Lady of Guadalupe represents diversity, so having so many representations of that image on our campus within both the school and the church is a blessing for us to be able to showcase that devotion.” Because this mosaic was created by using everyday materials, it automatically qualifies as a conversation starter for those who see it. This has the potential to have a major evangelical impact on the community, when taking into consideration that some of the students who attend St. Mary School do not come from Catholic households. The school acts as a host for several community, parish, and school events that will potentially expose people to the faith who may not have a positive outlook on Catholicism otherwise. “Back when people were less literate and unable to read the Bible for themselves, art was the Mosaic continued on page B8
COURTESY OF CASEY KEELEY
Felicia Gregory of St. Mary School in Johnson City fashions artwork out of lids from baby food pouches
By Casey Keeley