October 6 | 2024 VOL 34 NO 2
IN THIS ISSUE
OF FAITH OF A KIND THERE B1 PROFESSIONS A5 ONE A3 BEING Religious Sisters of Mercy Tricia Bruce is the lone Bishop Beckman shows how important the ministry of presence is
American consultor to the Vatican Synod
make their perpetual vows in Michigan
Catholic commentary ....................... A3 Parish news ....................................... B4 Diocesan calendar ............................ B5 Columns ..........................................B6-7 Catholic schools ............................. B10 La Cosecha ............................Section C
‘Praying the whole time’ By Gabrielle Nolan
Because of closed roads and destroyed bridges, Mr. Jones’ car ride came to a sudden halt after crossing into Tennessee, and he decided to continue on foot for about 17 miles, hiking through the dark with many hazards along the way. His story made national news, being featured on outlets such as Fox News, NBC News, People, Today, The Washington Post, Southern Living, and more. “I was absolutely shocked and amazed to learn that that’s what had happened and that he had gone through all that,” said Mrs. Marquez, who is a parishioner at St. Mary Church in Johnson City and attended St. Mary School there. “It really was incomprehensible but such
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hat do a wedding, a hurricane, and a father’s multi-state journey have to do with each other? No, this is not the plot of a Hallmark movie (yet), but rather the real-life story of bride Elizabeth Marquez and her devoted father, David Jones. Immediately following the remnants of Hurricane Helene, which brought devastation to Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, Mr. Jones traveled from his home in Boiling Springs, S.C., to Johnson City, Tenn., to attend his daughter’s wedding on Sept. 28. However, the journey did not go as planned.
Wedding continued on page A16
COURTESY OF STELLAR PHOTOGRAPHY
Dad braves Hurricane Helene, long hike to walk his daughter down the aisle at St. Mary
Getting to the church on time David Jones walks his daughter, Elizabeth Marquez, down the aisle at St. Mary Church in Johnson City on Sept. 28.
Diocese responds to flood disaster Catholic Charities, parishes, Legacy Clinic, Bishop Beckman assist at ground zero Relief arrives in many forms as East Tennessee faithful support brothers and sisters in harm's way
Diocesan pastoral teams reach out to residents in need of spiritual, physical, emotional, and financial support
By Bill Brewer
By Dan McWilliams
T
he people of upper East Tennessee near the North Carolina border are working to piece their lives back together amid the devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene. And the Catholic parishes of this region have joined together in leading disaster-relief efforts as communities suddenly found themselves without water, communications, basic necessities, and even roads to access critical
ishop Mark Beckman was able to see firsthand the ministry to victims of flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in visits to Erwin and Hampton on Oct. 2. The bishop met with Glenmary Father Tom Charters, associate pastor of St. Michael the Praying for healing Bishop Mark Beckman on Oct. 2 prays with the family members of loved Archangel in Erwin, ones who were killed or missing in the flood that struck Erwin, Tenn., on Sept. 27. Joining Bish- where three parishioners op Beckman at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Erwin were Father Tom Charters, GHM, di- died. Father Charters has ocesan Hispanic ministry director Blanca Primm, Father David Boettner, Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, been extremely busy in RSM, Deacon David Duhamel, and Deacon Joe Herman. Photo by Bill Brewer the wake of the disaster
Aid on page A20
Minister on page A21
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Sorrow and survival
Impact Plastics worker describes harrowing rescue from floodwaters as river overran Erwin plant By Bill Brewer
BILL BREWER
D St. Michael the Archangel, pray for us Efraín Gómez Sr., left, is with his son, Efraín Gómez Jr., and Sister Esther Ordoñez, MAG.
on’t let go!” And with that urgent plea, Efraín Gómez Sr. convinced his co-worker to keep clinging to plastic pipes floating in the rapidly rising Nolichucky River that had swept up nearly a dozen employees in the Erwin, Tenn., industrial park where Mr. Gómez worked. The horrifying scene unfolded on Friday, Sept. 27, as Hurricane Helene blew northeastward after making landfall in the Florida panhandle. With high winds and storm clouds ready to unload a record amount of rainfall, Helene battered the mountains of western North Carolina, which sent torrents of water rushing down
mountain tributaries and into the Nolichucky, Doe, Pigeon, and French Broad rivers that flow through East Tennessee. Mr. Gómez, an employee of Impact Plastics in Erwin and a member of St. Mary Parish in Johnson City, paid attention to the inclement weather on that Friday, and as the Nolichucky began to spill into the parking lot of his employer, he was worried his vehicle was at risk. Mr. Gómez, accompanied by his son, Efraín Gómez Jr., took part in a counseling session for survivors and family members of people who died in the flooding and have been missing, which was held at St. Michael the Archangel Church on Oct. 2. Ministering to them were Father Tom Charters, GHM, associate pastor of Survivor continued on page A19