April 2026 ET Catholic, B section

Holy Spirit Parish expands hunger-relief outreach

Soddy-Daisy Catholics are partnering with Rise Against Hunger to help people worldwide

By Bill Brewer

Hunger impacts parishes across the Diocese of Knoxville, and many are doing their part to alleviate the need in their communities and in other parts of the world.

Holy Spirit Parish in Soddy-Daisy is among them and is now expanding its outreach beyond Hamilton County.

Parishioners there, who for years have been volunteering in local hunger-relief efforts, are now partnering with Rise Against Hunger, an international nonprofit group dedicated to ending global hunger “by nourishing lives, empowering communities, and responding to emergencies.”

Rise Against Hunger relies on volunteer partners like Holy Spirit to purchase food staples and efficiently package them to be shipped to hunger-crisis points around the world.

Holy Spirit members rallied on Feb. 1 in the parish hall to assemble boxes of nutritious, rice-based meals designed to feed one child for a year. They filled pallet after pallet that Rise Against Hunger picked up and shipped to a country where people are in need.

Each sealed meal bag contains enriched rice, soy protein, dehydrated vegetables, and a specialized micronutrient packet containing 20 essential vitamins and minerals. In each meal bag, the enriched rice provides carbohydrates and energy, the soy protein is a crucial source of protein for growth, the dehydrated vegetables add flavor and essential nutrients, and the micronutrient packet is

Holy

a blend of nearly two dozen vitamins and minerals to combat deficiencies such as iron, iodine, and vitamin A.

The meals are specifically designed to be easily transported, stored, and prepared in areas with limited resources. They often are used in school feeding programs to encourage education while providing necessary nutrition.

Monsignor Al Humbrecht, pastor of Holy Spirit, described how parishioners turned the Rise Against

Hunger ministry idea into reality.

“It was suggested by a member of our social action committee, who had read about it and saw it and asked me if we could do that here.

I looked at him and said, ‘Yes, we can!’ I said that as I pointed to Mike (Grosso) for him to direct it. He has taken the ball and run with it,” Monsignor Humbrecht said.

“It is so important for us, especially as Catholics, to always have a global vision. We are not parochial

in our service to others. We might be parochial in getting our support for one another to then reach out to those beyond us,” he added.

Holy Spirit parishioners had to raise $4,400 to pay for the food that was sent to the church in industrialsized bags. They then placed the ingredients into individual meal packets, which were placed in boxes to be shipped overseas.

“We needed 60 volunteers spread Hunger continued on page B2

Bishop dedicates St. Mary-Athens columbarium

The blessing falls on March 19, which is the feast day of St. Joseph, the patron of a happy death

By Dan McWilliams

Bishop Mark Beckman dedicated a columbarium at St. Mary Church in Athens on March 19, a day that was ideal for the event.

“It is so good to be back with you here at St. Mary, particularly today as we celebrate the feast day of her spouse, St. Joseph. What a blessed day to bless our new columbarium here at this parish,” the bishop said in his opening remarks at a morning Mass before the dedication.

St. Mary pastor Father Christopher Manning concelebrated the liturgy, and the parish’s Deacon Al Forsythe assisted. Deacon Hicks Armor was master of ceremonies.

The new columbarium highlights a trend in parishes—large and small—around the Diocese of Knoxville to have a place for the inurnment of cremated remains. For St. Mary, a columbarium is a nice addition as the Athens parish is not close to the diocese’s Catholic cemeteries in Knoxville and Chattanooga.

The dedication of the St. Mary columbarium capped an effort in the parish that took several years, predating the arrival of Father Manning as administrator in 2024 and his appointment as pastor last year.

“Today is a marvelous feast day, the feast day of St. Joseph, who cared for the Christ Child and also the Blessed Mother,” Bishop Beckman said as he began his homily. “But the prominence of Joseph in the history of the Church didn’t come about until more recently, ac-

tually. Very rare was it to see Joseph depicted in art, except for the Nativity scenes, until about the 1600s, and then popularity of Joseph being depicted holding the Christ Child became more common.

“In the late 1800s, he was added as the patron of the Church universal, and most recently Pope Francis had his name added to our eucharistic prayers in the liturgy,

so that when we use those ordinary prayers, the first four eucharistic prayers, now the name of Joseph appears.”

St. Joseph took on a tremendous assignment, the bishop said.

“It’s interesting that Joseph as a figure in the history of the Church often remained in the background, as he does in the Gospels as well,” he said. “And yet, the significance

of his vocation: chosen by God to accompany Mary and Jesus during those most important years as Jesus was formed and prepared for His ministry, a beautiful and irreplaceable vocation.

“Every one of us has been chosen by God. We have our own vocations in the Church. None of us should ever think that our vocaColumbarium continued on page B3

out over different shifts to assemble the meal packets and put them into boxes. We raised the money and filled the 60 volunteer slots two weeks before the deadline. Mike said he had people coming to him saying, ‘I want to be on the waitlist. If somebody can’t come, I want to come,’” the monsignor continued.

Monsignor Humbrecht isn’t surprised that his parish would step up to take on a new ministry. It already supports financially and with volunteers more than 30 parish ministries.

Based on the response from parishioners, Monsignor Humbrecht expects Holy Spirit to again participate in Rise Against Hunger next year. And it might become a regular Holy Spirit endeavor.

“With it under our belt already, I realize that we can do this. It might end up that way (becoming an annual event),” he said.

Monsignor Humbrecht is encouraged that a modest parish like his can make a significant impact on hunger on another continent.

“This is international. To think that in just this amount of time (an afternoon following Sunday Mass), 10,000 meals are packaged and ready for shipping. What that can do in an area that has real food insufficiency, such as countries that have been experiencing famine, to get those 10,000 meals. What a difference that makes in the lives of those people,” he said.

And while some observers may ask about domestic hunger and feeding those in need in communities closer to the parish, Holy Spirit has an answer for that.

The Hamilton County parish provides food-pantry support for the Soddy-Daisy community, and it also works with the Soddy-Daisy food bank to provide nourishing foodstuff to local residents in need.

“We send a monthly donation to them, and that food bank runs out of the Methodist church. We also send volunteers who help staff it. We work closely with First Baptist in Soddy-Daisy on the food boxes that we distribute locally. If they run out, they’ll call us. If we run out, we’ll call them. We work together,” Monsignor Humbrecht said.

“It is great because of the witness it gives the Christian community. We’re stronger when we work together,” he added, noting that the ministry is an ecumenical outreach, with neighbor helping neighbor.

Monsignor Humbrecht pointed out that the food-pantry ministry is at least a decade old and in some months hands out more than 60 boxes of food locally. The 10,000 Rise Against Hunger meals the Holy Spirit parishioners put together are in addition to that.

“There is a need,” he said.

Mr. Grosso is the Holy Spirit parishioner who initiated the Rise Against Hunger ministry. The outreach is something he was familiar with when he attended a Catholic church in Indialantic, Fla., where he formerly lived.

Mr. Grosso has continued to stay in touch with friends at that church who tell him the Rise Against Hunger ministry continues with strong participation.

“I decided to bring it here to this parish, Holy Spirit. I proposed it to the parish council and the parish council approved it. That’s when we reached out to Rise Against Hunger and brought the event here,” Mr. Grosso said.

“I’ve had the privilege of participating in meal-packing events with Rise Against Hunger, a fast-paced and joyful activity that brings our parish families together. These meals support children in vulnerable communities around the world—children whose access to food, education, and basic resources is limited,” he continued.

One aspect of Rise Against Hunger that appeals to so many volunteer partners, according to Mr. Grosso, is that the organization works to establish sustainable farming practices and clean-water sources for residents in stricken third-world areas.

“By providing nutritious meals, supporting sustainable farming,

and helping establish clean-water sources, we hope to empower these communities with the tools every person deserves. It all begins with something simple: a meal prepared at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.,” he said. “As a parish family, we come together to serve, to have fun, and to shine the light of Jesus on those in need—our brothers and sisters we may never meet but are called to love. Under the guidance of Monsignor Al Humbrecht, whose preaching inspires peace, harmony, and generosity, we continue this mission with gratitude and hope.”

Mr. Grosso explained that once the meals were boxed and labeled at Holy Spirit, Rise Against Hunger picked up the pallets and readied them for shipment overseas. The organization would then notify Holy Spirit where their volunteer work was destined.

The preparation process in Holy Spirit’s family life center resembled a manufacturing assembly line. Each volunteer had a post, and along the line large bags of rice, soy flour, freeze-dried vegetables, and nutrients were poured into containers for ladling into the individual meal packets. The packets were then boxed and placed on pallets.

Two shifts of more than 60 volunteers assembled the 10,000 meals in just a couple of hours.

“The parishioners here always rise to the occasion,” Mr. Grosso said. “And our St. Vincent de Paul food pantry at Holy Spirit distributes food every fourth Tuesday of the month, and we give out 55 boxes of food on average a month. We also distribute fully cooked meals for Thanksgiving.”

Taeree Son, an Atlanta-based event facilitator for Rise Against Hunger, oversaw the program at Holy Spirit and directed the volunteers in their efforts. He has seen firsthand the impact partners like Holy Spirit have on communities in need around the globe.

“In our role, we believe it starts with a meal. Hunger may not be something we commonly deal with domestically; nonetheless it is a prevalent problem where a lot of families have to choose between feeding the family and work. If we can provide a meal, mostly to schools, this is a great strategy to attract students so that it will give families a better future and a better hope for the community. That is what we believe,” Mr. Son said. “It does change lives.”

Rise Against Hunger, which was formed in 1998 and is based in Raleigh, N.C., works mostly with churches to create the thousands of meal packets it distributes annually. It also works closely with private schools.

Monsignor Humbrecht shared that a separate ministry undertaken by Holy Spirit volunteers to tutor students at North Hamilton Elementary School in Sale Creek has given rise to a “snack sacks” program in which the parish provides food to schoolchildren within the parish boundary who might otherwise go hungry over a weekend.

Holy Spirit receives a matching grant from the Diocese of Knoxville Pope Francis Charitable Trust Fund, which supports charitable outreach at the parish level. The fund provides

‘Rising to the occasion’ Volunteers from Holy Spirit in Soddy-Daisy join together on Feb. 1 in the parish hall to take pallets of foodstuff and prepare thousands of meals for people who are hungry in other parts of the world. In the photo below, Taeree Son, an Atlantabased event facilitator for Rise Against Hunger, instructs the volunteers in how to prepare the meals. In the bottom photo, Monsignor Al Humbrecht and Deacon Jim Bello distribute Holy Communion during Mass before the volunteer activity.

matching grants to parishes to foster local, parish-based charitable works. Deacon Jim Bello, who serves at Holy Spirit, said the parish’s ministries to feed the hungry are typical of the outreach performed by its members.

“This is very common in this par-

Monsignor Al is very pastoral. We preach about love. We talk about love, and we live it here, so it doesn’t surprise me to see so many of our parishioners showing up to do the thing that they do best. And that is to take care of those who might need something from us,” Deacon Bello said. ■

tions are unimportant. The Lord wants to use each one of us to bring about the beautiful gift of His kingdom. He desires us to say yes, as docile and humble as Joseph himself said yes to the Lord.”

Celebrating St. Joseph’s feast day on the same day as a columbarium blessing was “providential,” Bishop Beckman said.

“St. Joseph is the patron of a happy death. We pray to him for that grace. It’s so appropriate, then, to bless the columbarium on this particular feast day,” the bishop said. “I did once tell a priest friend of mine, you know, we have to pray to St. Joseph for a happy death, and he said, ‘Well, for me, a happy death is any one that ends in heaven.’ We do desire also the passageway from this world to the next to be one of peace, so let’s pray today that we may be as responsive to the Lord’s call today as was St. Joseph.”

At the end of Mass, Father Manning welcomed Chancery staff members who were in attendance following a retreat for the diocesan office’s employees led by Bishop Beckman and held at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton that week.

“As Bishop mentioned in the homily, St. Joseph is that patron saint of happy deaths, so we pray on this day for all those who have gone before us, especially from our parish community,” Father Manning said, adding that the bishop is also “our guardian and guide for the diocese.”

“The bishop plays that role of Joseph, helping to guide and lead us as a diocese into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, our Lord,” Father Manning said.

The St. Mary pastor also expressed gratitude toward the columbarium and building committees that brought the project to its completion.

“I thank you for your dedication and all the hard work and shepherding that you have done to get us to this joyous and blessed day,” he said.

Bishop Beckman closed the Mass by thanking Father Manning and Deacons Forsythe and Armor.

“You all do have a beautiful church, and I was able to go out and look at your columbarium before we began Mass today. What a beautiful and fitting location, a place of great beauty for the remains of the loved ones we hope to inurn in that location. We’re grateful to the Lord for each one of you and the role that you play here at St. Mary,” the bishop said.

Bishop Beckman did not overlook the server at Mass, Joseph Gordon, who also assisted at the dedication afterward.

“His name is Joseph, so he gets to serve on his patron’s feast day,” the bishop said.

The columbarium dedication began with a greeting from Bishop Beckman and a prayer.

“Brothers and sisters in Christ, a common Christian concern has brought us together to bless this columbarium, where remains and the remains of others sealed with the name of Christ will be at rest, awaiting the dawn of the Lord’s coming in glory. After preparing this resting place for the dead, we should look to Christ, who suffered and died and rose again for our salvation. He has commanded that we keep watch for His coming and has promised to meet us when we rise again,” the bishop said, before praying:

“Lord, you have made your people a pilgrim Church to be welcomed by you into its eternal home. May this place prepared in the sure hope of the resurrection never cease to remind us of the life that we share in Christ, who will transform our earthly bodies to be like His in glory, for He is Lord for ever and ever.”

Deacon Forsythe then proclaimed a reading from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.

“We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so, too, will God, through Jesus, bring with Him those who have fallen asleep. Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus, we shall always be with the Lord.”

Bishop Beckman spoke about the columbarium blessing taking place during Lent.

“It was only a few weeks ago that we gathered on Ash Wednesday to begin the great season of Lent with ashes marking our foreheads in the sign of the cross. Remember that we are dust and to dust we are to return,” he said. “In this place, where we will place the cremated remains of our loved ones, we are vividly reminded of that reality: that we are dust, created by God in His image and likeness. But that cross of Ash Wednesday points us forward to the great mystery of Good Friday and Easter Sunday, when the Lord Jesus, by dying for us on the cross and rising from the dead, destroyed our death and restored our life, that we might live with Him forever.

“These graves are a sign of mourning, yes, but even more so of the hope of the resurrection, so we pray for the brothers and sisters who will be interred here in this living communion of those who have gone before us as St. Joseph has gone before us, to continue our journey through that great paschal mystery.”

The bishop then led another prayer.

“O God of all consolation, by your just decree our bodies return to the dust from which they were shaped, yet in your mercy you have turned this condition of darkness and death into a proof of your loving care. In your providence, you assured Abraham, our father in faith, of a burial place in the land of promise. You extolled your servant Tobit for his charity in burying the dead,” he said. “You willed that your own Son be laid to rest in a new tomb so that He might rise from it, the victor over death, and offer us the pledge of our own resurrection.

“Grant that this columbarium, placed under the sign of the cross, may, by the power of your blessing be a place of rest and hope. May the bodies interred here sleep in your peace to rise immortal at the coming of your Son. May this place be a comfort to the living, a sign of their

hope for unending life. May prayers be offered here continually in supplication for those who sleep in Christ and in constant praise of your mercy. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.”

Before Deacon Forsythe led the intercessory prayers, Bishop Beckman spoke to the gathering at the columbarium.

“Christ, the Lord, has blotted out sin by dying on the cross and destroyed death by rising from the tomb. Let us therefore acclaim Him in prayer and call upon Him by saying, ‘Lord, hear our prayer.’”

The bishop led the group in the Lord’s Prayer before making an observation.

“I just noticed that the tree behind the columbarium has buds, the buds of spring, a symbol of resurrection,” he said.

Bishop Beckman gave a final blessing.

“With a goodness beyond imagining, God has created you, and in the resurrection of His Son has filled you with the hope of rising again. May the God of all consolation bless you now and forever. May he give us, the living, pardon for our sins, and to our dead brothers and sisters a resting place of light and peace now and forever. May we who believe in Christ’s resurrection from the dead live with Him in glory for ever and ever,” he said.

After the dedication, the bishop remarked that the event was a first for him, although a columbarium project had begun at his parish in Nashville where he was serving when he was appointed the shepherd of East Tennessee Catholics.

“When I was pastor at St. Henry in Middle Tennessee, we had planned a columbarium, and it’s close to completion, but I was called to become a bishop before I could bless that one, so St. Mary is my first columbarium blessing,” he said.

Bishop Beckman has seen columbaria on his journeys through East Tennessee since his arrival in 2024.

“I have noticed as I have traveled around our diocese that we have columbaria in many of our churches, which I think is very wonderful, that there is a place right on the church property that we can bury the remains of our loved ones,” he said.

The St. Mary columbarium joins others around the diocese and likely will be followed by additional ones.

“I do believe we’ll see more of them. More and more people are choosing cremation because of the cost and also the convenience. I think that people will be looking

‘St. Joseph is the patron of a happy death. We pray to him for that grace.’ Bishop Beckman delivers the homily at the 9 a.m. Mass at St. Mary Church in Athens on March 19 before he blessed the columbarium. The columbarium, which can be expanded, has 48 niches, each of which can hold two urns for cremated remains.

for a resting place for their loved ones,” Bishop Beckman said.

Father Manning said that the plans for the St. Mary columbarium changed over time.

“It’s gone through several different iterations, different feasibility studies. Our committee that’s been working on it—they’ve been working on just this current version for two or three years. They were looking at different locations, different designs, different styles,” he said. St. Mary averages a combined 420 people at its weekend Masses, Father Manning said, adding that the parish is not alone in its desire for a columbarium.

“We have seen a trend, especially here I think with the Diocese of Knoxville, that a lot of parishes are putting in columbariums. We’re so far away from Catholic cemeteries in Chattanooga or Knoxville—it becomes a way of serving our Catholic population looking for a place of burial near the churches where they attend,” he said.

The St. Mary columbarium has 48 niches, with each niche holding two urns, and the parish has already laid the groundwork for expansion.

“We have two columbaria placed in. Once we sell about another 10, we’ll look at the second phase. It’ll be another one or two (columbaria). We already have the foundations for those built, and then the design itself allows for expansion of the base for three extra foundations to add three more wall niches as well,” Father Manning said. “Ultimately, at full build-out, which could take decades and decades, it would basically be a circle, so those curved walls would make one set.”

The building committee was chaired by Paul Kessler and the columbarium committee by Holly Currier.

“We have the columbarium committee itself, that once it was built they took over to help with the maintenance and oversee the running of the operations and the selling of the niches. They took over from our columbarium building committee that helped with the design and helped with the contracts and the contractors to get everything built,” Father Manning explained.

He saluted the teamwork among the committees and parishioners.

“They worked extraordinarily hard to get the columbaria to where they are. Their insight, their dedication, their input have been instrumental in getting us where we are,” Father Manning said. ■

Chattanooga Deanery Holy Spirit, Soddy-Daisy

Monsignor Al Humbrecht’s next book study will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, at the church. The book is Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. To register, call the church at 423-332-5300 or e-mail hscc_parish@holyspirittn.com

St. Bridget, Dayton

The parish confirmation Mass will be celebrated at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29, with first Holy Communion to be held at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 2.

The Women’s Council had another successful spring bazaar, raising about $2,100 for various projects. Baked goods, starter plants, and religious items were top sellers. The council’s monthly bingo events are growing in popularity, with 23 participants in March. Council gatherings are held from 1 to 3 p.m. on fourth Fridays in the parish hall. Participation is free, with attendees asked to bring one or two inexpensive wrapped items to use as prizes.

Knights of Columbus Council 11424 will elect new officers at its May 17 meeting.

Father Jim Vick’s Bible study continues on Tuesday, April 21, at 2 and 7 p.m. The subject is the “History of the Messiah” from a Jewish and Christian perspective, drawing from the Letter to the Hebrews.

St. Jude, Chattanooga

St. Jude School students received the sacrament of confirmation on March 27. The parish will celebrate first Holy Communion on Saturday, April 25.

The Knights of Columbus hosted a parish social and fundraiser on March 23 to support the making of He Named Him Adam, a film based on a true Chattanooga story to be distributed by Angel Studios. Writer-director Veronica DiPippo and producer Marc Aramian attended the social, which featured a showing of the movie’s trailer.

The annual Ignatius Book Fair to benefit the St. Jude School library took place in the family life center during Masses on April 12.

Religious-education students celebrated a Seder meal and the Last Supper on April 1 during Holy Week.

The parish on March 1 began offering a nursery in the Holy Family Room during the 10:30 a.m. Mass each Sunday for children 1 year old and up.

St. Stephen, Chattanooga

The Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary held a baby shower in the small hall on April 9 to benefit the Ladies of Charity layette program.

Anniversary: John and Christine Shumpert (15)

Cumberland Mountain Deanery

Blessed Sacrament, Harriman

The parish welcomed its OCIA catechumens and candidates, who received the sacraments of initiation at the Easter vigil Mass. They are Isabell “Izzy” Heidel, Kevin Heidel, Amber Manning, Addison Seber, Ronnie Solomon, Justin Taylor, Megan Taylor, and Bob Venard.

An annual ecumenical Wednesday Lenten service took place on April 1 during Holy Week at Harriman Methodist Church. Blessed Sacrament pastor Father Michael Sweeney gave a homily, with a light luncheon following that was hosted by Blessed Sacrament.

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade

A celebration of pastor Father Michael Woods’ 60th anniversary of priestly ordination will take place on Friday, June 19, including Mass at 3 p.m. CDT with Bishop Mark Beckman and an open

house to follow at the Fairfield Glade Center. Father Woods was ordained to the priesthood on June 23, 1966.

Parishioners have been viewing season-five episodes of The Chosen in the parish hall.

A “Second Greatest Story Ever Told” retreat was held on March 26 in the parish hall.

Deacon Daniel Cooper, who is assigned to St. Francis of Assisi until his ordination to the priesthood in June, spoke to the Council of Catholic Women on March 11. Deacon Cooper, after he becomes Father Cooper, will celebrate all Masses at the parish on the weekend of June 27-28.

The CCWs from St. Francis of Assisi and St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville will have a luncheon together on June 17.

Knights of Columbus Monsignor Philip F. Thoni Council 16088 thanked parishioners for their generosity in a 40 Cans for Lent project.

Father Glenn Meaux of Haiti will again visit the parish in late July.

St. John Neumann, Farragut

A senior-ministry event on “Resuscitation and Religion: Near-Death Experiences and the Afterlife” will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, in Seton Hall. Parishioner Frank Doto will be the presenter. RSVP to Steve Behnke at 865-308-3436 or stephenbehnke2@gmail.com

The young-adult ministry will host a “Resurrection Party” at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, in Seton Hall following the vigil Mass. Adults ages 18-35 are welcome. For more information, email youth and young-adult ministry director Sara Marquardt at smarquardt@ sjnknox.org

The parish St. Vincent de Paul conference is holding a spring food drive to benefit the Ladies of Charity of Knoxville. Donations will be collected before all Masses on the weekend of April 25-26.

The annual Mustang Mania event on April 30 will see students attempt to raise at least $45,000 to help fund school improvements. Students can earn prizes for the number and amount of donations they receive. The funds raised will support two projects related to the Claude and Lydia Melli Building—a middle-school expansion scheduled to open in October—as well as resources for teacher recruitment, retention, and professional development. Learn more and donate online at sjncs-knox.org/mustang-mania/

The May Crowning will be held at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 3, in the rosary garden or in the school gym if there is inclement weather. Children are asked to bring a live flower for the Blessed Virgin.

St. John Neumann celebrated first Holy Communion on April 12.

A meeting was held in Seton Hall on April 13 to gauge interest for a tour to Fatima, Lourdes, and the shrines of Spain scheduled for next February.

St. Joseph, Norris

The parish raised $901.07 for Catholic Relief Services in a second collection on March 15, $730 for the Holy Land in a Good Friday collection, and $790 for diocesan seminarians in an Easter Sunday collection.

Five Rivers Deanery

Good Shepherd, Newport

With continued growth in the area and in the parish, Good Shepherd began holding Mass at 5 p.m. on Saturdays on April 11, in addition to its Sunday Mass at 9:30 a.m. The parish’s Mass in Spanish remains at 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays. Those interested in singing or playing an instrument such as the guitar or flute at Mass are asked to con-

Parish notes continued on page B8

Holy Ghost Parish celebrating 100th anniversary of its church building

Holy Ghost Parish in North Knoxville is holding a number of events this year celebrating the 100th anniversary of its church building.

An anniversary Mass is planned for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, at the church located at 1041 N. Central St. The date is the exact centennial of the building’s dedication.

A catered dinner in Henkel Hall will follow the liturgy, featuring church history displays and a slide show.

Bishop Mark Beckman will celebrate Holy Ghost’s 10 a.m. Mass on Sunday, April 26, with a reception following.

Bishop Alphonse J. Smith of Nashville dedicated the current Holy Ghost Church building on April 25, 1926. The structure succeeded the original church, still standing next door, that was dedicated in 1908 after the parish was established the previous year by Nashville Bishop Thomas S. Byrne. The April 1926 dedication also fell on the silver anniversary of priestly ordination of then-Holy Ghost pastor Father Louis J. Kemphues.

Additional events during the anniversary year include first Holy Communion and a May Crowning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 2; a parish picnic from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 23; a eucharistic

procession at the 10 a.m. Mass on Pentecost Sunday, May 24, Holy Ghost Parish’s feast day; confirmation with Bishop Beckman at the 6 p.m. vigil Mass on Saturday, May 30; and a 25th-anniversary celebration during summer of Holy Ghost pastor Father John Orr’s priestly ordination.

Holy Ghost associate pastor Father Valentin Iurochkin gave a piano recital on April 11 to kick off the anniversary events. Family fun nights over the summer and church tours and a choral concert in December will conclude the yearlong celebration.

Also in connection with the centennial, Holy Ghost parishioners Linda Bolen and Donna Charron are compiling volumes of “Our Dearly Departed” to be placed permanently near the St. Joseph altar in the church.

The volumes will devote one page to each of the parish’s deceased members with a goal of praying for the repose of souls in purgatory.

Volunteers are needed to help with the 100th-anniversary events. Contact the parish office at 865-5222205 or office@holyghostknoxville. org to help.

Tickets to the anniversary dinner are free, but seating in Henkel Hall is limited to 150. Obtain tickets at tinyurl.com/ymnse8ht ■

Much to celebrate Notre Dame Parish in Greeneville celebrated both confirmation and first Holy Communion on March 21. In the top photo are (from left, front row) Jonny Cave, Jolet Vazquez, Theresa Mineo, Gabriella DeMedeiros Fiuza, Zuleyka Alonso, Melanie Jardinez, Olivia Hodge, Samantha Molina, Ena Videa, and Denisse Vasquez; (second row) Notre Dame director of religious education Susan Collins, Celeste Zuniga, Estrella Martinez, Daniela Smith, Alexsander Reyes, Anthony Trejo, Javier Martinez, Jordan Diaz, Owen Higgins, Leondro Reaves, Angel Huertas, and Talon Reid; and (back row) Deacon Wil Johnson, Bishop Mark Beckman, Notre Dame pastor Father Joseph Kuzhupil, MSFS, and catechist Russell Girton. In the bottom photo is Lucas Molina, who received his first Communion from Bishop Beckman in the same Mass during which his sister was confirmed. Father Kuzhupil stands with the bishop and Lucas.

Bishop Beckman confirms 21 at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville

Bishop Mark Beckman confirmed 21 youth, while six received their first Holy Communion, on March 21 at Notre Dame Church in Greeneville.

The confirmation Mass was concelebrated by Notre Dame pastor Father Joseph Kuzhupil, MSFS, assisted by the parish’s Deacon Wil Johnson. Altar servers were Mike Munson, Connor Hartley, and Andrew Ableson and the vimps were Kara Cave and Anali Diaz.

Confirmation class students participated in the Mass ministries. Jonny Cave proclaimed the first reading, and Owen Higgins proclaimed the second reading. The-

resa Mineo read the prayers of the faithful. The gifts were brought up by Jolet Vazquez, Melanie Jardinez, and Leondro Reaves. The Knights of Columbus provided an honor guard. Russell Girton was the primary catechist for the confirmation class, and Chris Sontag, Ethan Abla, Bella Crus, Aimee Place, and Wayne Reid assisted with the annual confirmation retreat. Christine Rapsys was the photographer for Mass. A reception followed in the parish hall with cake, punch, and a hotchocolate bar. Everly Mineo assisted with decoration and providing refreshments. ■

The diocesan Office of Vocations is holding a Men’s Discernment Group for men interested in discerning if God is calling them to the priesthood. The group is hosted by Father Mark Schuster from 9 a.m. to noon on fourth Saturdays in the St. John Paul II Conference Room at the Chancery office in Knoxville, with the next meeting April 25. If you are interested in joining the Men’s Discernment Group, fill out the form at forms.office.com/r/ CmSwudiVnf or e-mail vocations@ dioknox.org. There will be a Zoom option for those not in the Knoxville area.

Young adults are invited to Theology on Tap at Hi-Wire Brewing, 2020 Barber St. in Knoxville, at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 17. Father Bo Beaty will be speaking on living vocations faithfully. For more information, contact Mary Iverson at maryiver1@gmail.com

The Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women is hosting a Spring Event: Peace, Unity & Love, a day of reflection, fellowship, and spiritual renewal with guest speaker Lisa Tuggle and singer/songwriter Danielle Rose, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, at St. Mary Church in Athens. The day will begin with a Mass of remembrance celebrated by Monsignor Al Humbrecht at 9 a.m., and a continental breakfast and a lunch will be served. Real-time audio Spanish translation headset services will be available. View a flyer at dioknox.org/events/kdccwspring-event-peace-unity-and-love For more information, e-mail Brenda Ratcliff at brenda.ratcliff0506@gmail. com or Sue Granger at sgranger756@ hotmail.com

Regnum Christi-Knoxville invites men to a Friendship & Mission with Christ event, where they can “explore a path of spiritual growth, brotherhood, and apostolic purpose for those desiring more” in a three-part series at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut set for 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays, April 18, May 2, and May 9. The speaker will be Father Brian Hoelzen, LC. Friendship & Mission is designed to cultivate a living relationship with Jesus grounded in daily prayer; a mission-centered vision for life, work, and family; an ongoing personal formation toward mature Christian leadership; a one-on-one accompaniment that strengthens and challenges; and brotherhood—walking alongside men striving for holiness and mission. Men may come to one or all sessions. First-time guests are welcome at each event. View a flyer at dioknox.org/events/ friendship-and-mission-1. Register at forms.gle/d2qAd4aRWeoFCdM18

Our Lady of the Mountains Rosary Guild will hold its next meeting from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 19, in Seton Hall at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut. The guild works to place rosaries into the hands of those longing for prayer, peace, and hope— both locally and throughout the world. Anyone who has questions can contact the guild at olmrgknoxvilletn@ gmail.com

A Men’s Emmaus Retreat will be held for the first time in East Tennessee on the weekend of April 24-26 at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton. An estimated 1.4 million men and women throughout the world have completed the Catholic Emmaus Retreat. The retreat is based on Luke 24, where Jesus joins two of His disciples as they walk from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus. The walk takes the disciples from being dejected and filled with anxiety and stress to being full of life and filled with joy after Jesus joins them and their eyes are opened to recognize Him as their Lord. Men ages 18 and over are welcome to attend. Registration is underway. For more information, contact Michael Hart at 423-414-4532 or mikehartfl1987@ gmail.com

Retrouvaille (“retro-vi”), a Christian program that is Catholic in origin and helps struggling couples restore their marriage and rebuild a loving relationship, will have weekend gatherings in Atlanta April 24-26 and in Hickory, N.C., May 1-3. To receive confidential information or to register for a weekend, visit helpourmarriage.

org/findaweekend. For more information, call 931-820-2115, e-mail 3043@ helpourmarriage.org, or visit helpour marriage.org

St. Mary School in Oak Ridge will hold its annual Gala of Lights from 6 to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, in the Edwena L. Crowe Grand Ballroom at the Oak Ridge Conference Center, 1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The gala is the school’s signature fundraising event. The formal, sit-down affair features a curated silent and live auction, a program, and music and dancing. This year the gala will be honoring Father Michael Woods, who served at St. Mary Parish from 1994 to 2006, the last 10 years as pastor. Father Woods will celebrate his 60th anniversary in the priesthood on June 19. Learn more about the event and Father Woods by clicking on the link at dioknox.org/ events/gala-of-lights. For information on sponsorship, donations, or event tickets, contact the school advancement office at advancement@stmarys oakridge.org or 865-482-2875, extension 3138.

A Bayou Bash, celebrating “The Little Cajun Saint,” Servant of God Charlene Richard, will be held in the pavilion at Holy Spirit Church in Soddy-Daisy at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 25. The event will offer Louisiana food, yard games, and a talk on Charlene Richard. Bring a nonperishable food item to donate to the parish food pantry. Register at dioknox.org/ events/bayou-bash

The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus will host the Tennessee Wind Symphony at 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, and the Knoxville Chamber Chorale at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, part of the Cathedral Concert Series. Under the direction of Dr. John Zastoupil, the Tennessee Wind Symphony will present a concert themed “Illuminations.” Works performed will include the “Light Cavalry Overture” by Franz von Suppé, “Adoration” by Florence Price, “Bugler’s Holiday” by Leroy Anderson, “Angels in the Architecture” by Frank Ticheli, and “Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral” from Lohengrin by Richard Wagner. The chorale, with conductor John R. Orr and accompanist Leslie Hill, will perform music by Tomás Luis de Victoria, William Byrd, Christopher Aspaas, Emile DeedesVincke, Patrick Hawes, and Jeffery Ames. Admission to the concerts is free, but seating is limited. Doors open one hour before the concerts. Tickets are available via the Eventbrite link at shcathedral.org/cathedral-concert-series

The events will also be livestreamed, recorded, and archived with access available at m.youtube.com/c/ SacredHeartCathedralKnoxvilleTN

The Diocese of Knoxville Care of Creation Commission is hosting a mini-pilgrimage day at Six Stone Jars Farm, 178 Ferguson Lane in Tazewell, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 2. The day, an ecology retreat themed “From Liturgy to Land,” includes an outdoor Mass celebrated by Father Sam Sturm, pastor of Christ the King Parish in Tazewell, along with a guided farm walk with explanations and spiritual reflections, and lunch. The event is designed to help the faithful see how the grace of the liturgy extends into daily life—especially through stewardship of the land, care for creation, and a sacramental vision of the world. Mass will be moved to Christ the King Church in case of inclement weather. Those attending the retreat are asked to wear comfortable clothing, especially comfortable shoes, and bring sunscreen, hats, and bug spray as needed. RSVP to Deacon Chad Shields at deaconchadctk@gmail.com

The seventh annual Jockeys & Juleps event to benefit the “Track to the Future” project at St. Jude School in Chattanooga is set for 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, at The Chattanoogan Hotel. Funds will help the school’s efforts to build a track on the campus. The school has raised almost $300,000 for the project with a goal of raising $200,000 more. Jockeys & Juleps features dinner, dancing, a casino, and silent, live, and online auctions. To register or become

Calendar continued on page B8

St. Francis parishes in Fairfield Glade, Townsend named pilgrimage sites for Franciscan Jubilee

St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade and St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Townsend have been designated as official pilgrimage sites for the Franciscan Jubilee, commemorating the 800th anniversary of the Transitus, the passing into eternal life of St. Francis of Assisi in 1226. St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fairfield Glade will host a special event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT on Saturday, May 16. Father David Mary Engo, FFM, will speak on the life of “The Little Poor Man” and how his 800-year-old legacy remains vital for modern Catholics. A vigil Mass will be celebrated at 4 p.m. Registration is required for the May 16 event; register or learn more at saintfrancis fairfield.org/franciscan-jubilee-year

The Jubilee Year is intended to be a season of intense spiritual renewal for the entire Church, focusing on three core pillars of peace: peace with God, peace among humanity, and peace with creation. The faithful are encouraged to adopt the

Franciscan charisms of joy, poverty, and ecological stewardship.

Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed an extraordinary Franciscan Jubilee Year, running from Jan. 10, 2026, to Jan. 10, 2027. The Holy Father has offered a plenary indulgence to the faithful. To obtain this indulgence during the Jubilee, pilgrims must fulfill the following requirements: make a pilgrimage to a designated site, such as St. Francis of Assisi churches in Fairfield Glade and Townsend; spend time in prayer during their visit; and make an act of conversion as the indulgence is tied to a spirit of conversion and the pursuit of holiness.

Under standard Church decree, a plenary indulgence also typically requires the individual to be in a state of grace, have a complete detachment from sin, and fulfill the three usual conditions: sacramental confession, eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father. ■

For the past several years,

of Assisi

by a meatless soup supper. The event is consistently well-attended by parishioners.

The Smoky Mountain Deanery Council of Catholic Women on March 14 recognized four young ladies with the Golden Rose Award for exemplifying spirituality, leadership, and service in their church and community. Pictured are Golden Rose recipients from deanery parishes with family and friends: Anna Kate Coatney from the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Katelyn Witkemper from Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville, Karen Amayo Castro from Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa, and Violet Grace Rapien from St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Townsend. Karen Castro will represent the Smoky Mountain Deanery at the Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women’s Spring Event on April 18 at St. Mary Church in Athens.

Praying for Perspective by

George Valadie

The would-be case of Valadie vs. social media

It’s a sure-fire loser, but self-image and self-perception aren’t the same for all

ages

They’ve got me. I have to admit it, I’m addicted. It’s not tobacco, and it’s not alcohol. It’s not drugs or gambling or shopping at Amazon.

But in this one area, I’m hooked, weirdly but surely dependent.

I confess I am hooked on social media. I’m either weak, or it’s their fault. But either way, I’m doing exactly what they hope. Scrolling. Scrolling. And more scrolling.

I say that fully aware I enjoy the gift of free will and with that gift, I could probably walk away any time I want.

Probably. I think. Well, maybe.

Though I’m not really sure anymore because they’ve apparently been doing some funky stuff behind the scenes, tinkering with all those algorithms and possibly tinkering with—and maybe rearranging—the synapses in my brain.

In a recent court case in Los Angeles, NPR reported “a jury found Instagram owner Meta and Google’s YouTube deliberately designed their apps to be addictive, contributing to the mental-health struggles of a young woman who started using the apps as a child. It awarded her $6 million.”

“Deliberately designed their apps …”

I don’t know what that means exactly, but it does have a bit of a nefarious ring to it.

I’m not going to sue. Because regardless of what they’re doing behind the curtain, I’d like to think I’m tougher than that, better than that, stronger than that. I’d like to think I can use my phone to text, call, hit the snooze button, and leave it at that.

My phone might be smart. But me? I’m not so sure.

Just so the boss is clear, I’ve not been wasting my time at work. It’s

Inot like that. But once at home, there we sit—my wife, too—spending more and more of our evening hours with the television no longer the focus, just there in the background. While way too often she’s staring at her phone and I’m staring at mine.

“What did you say? I was just watching this video.”

“Give me a sec, I’m reading this post.”

“Can you rewind that? I got distracted.”

But here’s the thing: we’re both in our 70s. We’re both pretty comfortable in our skin. We have a pretty good sense of ourselves, who we are, our strengths and weaknesses, and who and what is really important in the world.

But our grandkids? Your grandkids? I’m not so sure.

We have six, and four of them are old enough to have a phone. It won’t be long for the others. They’re on them a lot. And I worry about— pray about—how they and so many like them will be impacted.

Because they will be impacted.

In addition to luring them in, social media exposes young people to a world of perfection. It’s all fictional of course, but they don’t know that. They simply see it as a world they can never achieve or inhabit.

Perfect body shapes, perfect skin, perfect happiness, perfect boyfriends and girlfriends. Always invited, never excluded. Cool toys, cooler friends. Confident, collected, composed, capable.

And it’s not at all uncommon that when young people see what they are not and cannot, it changes their view of themselves. That in turn changes the way they view the world and the way they think the world views them.

Thoughts and Prayers for the Faithful by

In 1980, Dartmouth psychologist Robert Kleck conducted an experiment with a group of undergraduate students. The group was told that half would have a scar painted on their face while half would not. Then, all would be interviewed with the ultimate goal of seeing how the unknowing interviewers would react to these facial scars.

A makeup artist then created an ear-to-jaw visible and ugly scar on 50 percent of the undergrads. And each was given the opportunity to view their own scar in a mirror.

When all returned from the interview sessions, “… The participants with a scar reported the interviewers treated them differently. They felt judged, powerless, and noticed subtle slights which they attributed to their scars and their appearance.

“The participants without the scars reported no such feelings and no such reactions from their interviewers.”

Though sad for sure, none of that sounds dramatically unexpected, does it? We’re kinda weird about that which is different.

But here’s the thing. Just before the interview sessions were to begin, the makeup artist feigned a need to “touch up” the scars with moisturizing cream to make them more realistic. But, in reality, he removed the scars without their knowledge.

While half of the undergrads “believed” they had a scar, to the interviewers, all students appeared completely normal.

The difference in their responses? 100 percent self-perception. Their views about themselves and their expectations of how others would see them shaped and impacted their interactions.

I don’t think it’s too much of a

Deacon Bob Hunt

reach to suggest that young people engrossed in social media may well see themselves as “less” in comparison to the many others who appear to have it all.

If they had 70 years of life behind them, maybe not. But they don’t, thus many of their interactions with the world will be shaped by their own self-image.

And it’s hard to be or have perfect. It’s been said, “Your brain is wired to magnify what you focus on.” Young people may not have scars, but they do have beliefs about themselves. Some not so self-assured. So, I worry. A lot. As a result of how they see themselves in comparison to others on their screens, they may incorrectly interpret how they will be seen. And worse—they may incorrectly see themselves. Some are strong but some are not. And the news is way too full of way too many youth who have suffered depression, self-harm, anxiety, or suicide.

Smarter minds than my own will determine if these companies are playing dirty and have perfected the how-to of addicting humans.

But I know this: if a negative selfimage can impact our world in such an undesirable manner, imagine the good that can come from a positive one. If anyone knows a young person, we can help with that. All in all—I’ll be OK. I’m praying they will, too.

Dear God—Someone said, “God watches over children and fools.” Please let that be true. Amen. ■

George Valadie is a parishioner at St. Stephen Church in Chattanooga and author of the book “We Lost Our Fifth Fork … and other moments when we need some perspective.”

Who we are will reflect the choices we’ve made

Many forces oppose the Church, but it is up to the individual believer to live out the faith

have been reading about what journalists and sociologists are calling a “surge” in newfound faith among young people around the world.

We are experiencing that at Holy Ghost Church in downtown Knoxville, where I am director of the OCIA program. We have about 20 catechumens, candidates, and confirmandi, and the average age is around 26. That’s young! What’s more, it seems that these young people are willing and eager to take God on God’s terms, and not on their own. They are eager for the teaching authority of the Church, the discipline of prayer, and the outreach of service to others.

I spoke with our OCIA class recently about expectations of being Catholic in our modern culture. I see signs of a turn toward more respect for the Church than in past years. The rise of atheism has plateaued, largely because the so-called “New Atheists” were good at tearing down but not so good at building up. People are tired of being torn down. They want to be built up, and many are not willing to give up on the notion that there might be more to life than what this world has to offer.

But there are still those out there who are only too happy to insult, ridicule, and otherwise attempt to undermine the Catholic Church and living the Catholic life. Just days ago, I received a phone call from a gentleman who claims that, for 35 years, he was a “devout Catholic.” Then, he attended an evangelical seminar and suddenly saw the light:

the Catholic Church is teaching error, contrary to Scripture! He called me because I had sent him an e-mail in 2023 asking a couple of questions related to the evangelical perspective on things. Apparently, he had forgotten that we had communicated back and forth via several e-mails, for during the phone call he apologized for not having contacted me. I honestly hadn’t remembered, either, until he sent me a copy of my original e-mail to him, and it all came back. The man now leads a ministry specifically targeting Catholics in the effort to convince them to leave the Church and embrace his personal interpretation of the Scriptures. I’ve sent more e-mails, challenging the correctness of his Catholic history and understanding of Catholic teaching. But men like this are only part of the challenge. There is the secular media, constantly barraging society with the image of the Catholic Church as archaic, out of step, unmerciful, and, of course, filled with pedophile priests. Some of the attacks on the Church from the entertainment industry, movies and television, are shameless in their targeting even the most central and beloved articles of Catholic faith, including the Eucharist and our devotion to Mary.

Blasphemy is only barely adequate in describing some of their vicious efforts at maligning the Catholic faith. It’s an old trope but still true, I think, that such attacks against other faith traditions rarely, if ever, find the light of day. AntiCatholicism has been described as

“the last respectable prejudice.”

Perhaps that’s the key difference between anti-Catholicism on the one hand and antisemitism and racism on the other. While antisemitism and racism are largely relegated to those acting out of fear or ignorance and represent more visceral and base tendencies in our culture, antiCatholicism seems the reserve of the respectable, the educated, the posh, the culturally elite, and even the political class. Remember “the dogma lives loudly within you”?

The Catholic Church is targeted by those who regard themselves as on the vanguard of culture because her teachings are so often opposed to the “if it can be done it should be done” mentality in morals and political policy. Hence, a scathing article published in a major newspaper questioning the number of Catholics on the Supreme Court being so out of proportion to the Catholic percentage of the population. Can you even imagine such an article being written about the number of Jews on the Supreme Court being out of proportion to their percentage of the population?

While Jewish cemeteries, synagogues, and schools remain favorite targets for the more brutish antisemite, articles in respectable newspapers, theaters, major motion pictures, and political parody are the territory of the anti-Catholic. At least, until the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Then the attacks on Catholic churches became a regular event, though still not often reported on by the press.

Families, too, are often a source

of tension with those who find their way to the Catholic Church. I can’t tell you the number of stories I’ve heard from those whose families either thought them crazy or actually shunned them when learning that their loved one was becoming Catholic. Some are even hesitant to inform their families of their conversions! The bottom line is: there are several elements in our society today that may make it difficult to be Catholic and attempt to pull people away from being dedicated to their Catholic faith.

But there is one that, far and away, represents the greatest threat to living the Gospel of Jesus Christ faithfully as a Catholic: the individual believer. No one and nothing are greater threats to my failing to live faithfully my relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church than I am. No anti-Catholic bigot, no newspaper or magazine, no movie or Broadway play, no museum display or organized protest, nor even the possibility of being ostracized from my family, can force me away from Jesus, from His Church, or remove the faith in my heart that I love so. Speaking of His “sheep,” Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28, emphasis added). So, again, no one and nothing can force me away from Jesus and His Church. But no one and nothing can stop me from walking away.

It’s Sunday morning. I’m tired. Deacon Hunt continued on page B9

TRandy Stice

Through the eyes of St. John Chrysostom

The saint understood the Eucharist and the ‘rich and luminous message’ it contains

he Eucharist,” wrote St. John Paul II, “unfolds in a dynamic context of signs containing a rich and luminous message.”1 However, we do not always understand the luminous message contained in the words and actions of the Mass. Rather, wrote the saint, “we are constantly tempted to reduce the Eucharist to our own dimension, while in reality it is we who must open ourselves up to the dimensions of the Mystery.”2 St. John Chrysostom (died in 407), the doctor of the Eucharist, was a saint who opened himself to all the dimensions of the Mass and who possessed a profound ability to see beyond the liturgical signs “to the mystery which they contain.”3 In this column, I want us to see the Mass through the eyes of this saint. In the Mass, we “unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy,”4 and Chrysostom’s insight into this aspect of the Mass is striking. He was especially influenced by Isaiah’s vision in which he saw the Lord seated on a throne, his garment filling the temple, and six-winged seraphim crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!” (Isaiah 6:14). Consider John’s appeal to his congregation. “Think now of what kind of choir you are going to enter. Although vested with a body, you have been judged worthy to join the powers of heaven in singing the praises of Him who is Lord of all.”5 As the priest begins the preface and exhorts, “Lift up your hearts,” John writes: “Let no one have any thought of earthly things (Lift up your hearts), but let him free himself from every earthly thing and transport himself whole and entire into heaven.”6 When his congregation sings the Holy, holy, holy, he tells them, “You have joined the chorus of the seraphim, you are ranked as a citizen of the commonwealth above, you have been enrolled in the choir

of angels, you have conversed with the Lord, you have been in the company of Christ.”7

Chrysostom’s experience of the Mass was enriched by typology, which sees in Old Testament figures and actions prefigurations of what was fulfilled in Christ. Chrysostom saw the epiclesis, the invocation of the Holy Spirit on the bread and wine, prefigured when Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18. Each prepares an offering of a young bull, then calls upon their god to send fire from heaven to consume the offering. The prophets of Baal pray first but nothing happens. Then it is Elijah’s turn.

Chrysostom sets the scene: “Imagine in your mind’s eye, if you will, Elijah and the vast crowd standing around him and the sacrifice lying upon the stone altar. All the rest are still, hushed in deep silence. The prophet alone is praying. Suddenly fire falls from the skies on to the offering. It is marvelous; it is charged with bewilderment.”

This, says Chrysostom, is a figure of epiclesis. “Turn, then, from that scene to our present rites, and you will see not only marvelous things but things that transcend all terror. The priest stands bringing down, not fire, but the Holy Spirit. And he offers prayer at length, not that some flame lit from above may consume the offerings, but that grace may fall on the sacrifice through that prayer, set alight the souls of all, and make them appear brighter than silver refined in the fire.”

Chrysostom is stunned. “Can anyone, not quite mad and deranged, despise this most awe-inspiring rite? Do you not know that no human soul could ever have stood that sacrificial fire, but all would have been utterly annihilated, except for the powerful help of God’s grace?”8

For Chrysostom, the most powerful union of heaven and earth

occurs when Christ is really and personally present on the altar after the consecration. Chrysostom wrote: “The angels surround the priest. The whole sanctuary and the space around the altar are filled with the heavenly powers to honor Him Who is present on the altar.”9 To his friend St. Basil the Great, he wrote, “When you see the Lord sacrificed and lying before you, and the High Priest standing over the sacrifice and praying, and all who partake being tinctured with that precious blood, can you think that you are still among men and still standing on earth? Are you not at once transported to heaven, and, having driven out of your soul every carnal thought, do you not with soul naked and mind pure look round upon heavenly things? Oh, the wonder of it! Oh, the loving-kindness of God to men! He who sits above with the Father is at that moment held in our hands, and gives Himself to those who wish to clasp and embrace Him—which they do, all of them, with their eyes.”10 Chrysostom also understood the response of angels—and demons!—to the power of the precious blood. “This blood, if rightly taken, drives away devils, and keeps them afar off from us, while it calls to us angels and the Lord of angels. For wherever they see the Lord’s blood, devils flee, and angels run together.”11 Similarly, “If you show the evil one your tongue moistened with the precious blood, he will not be able to resist it; if you show him your mouth tinged with red, he will shun you like a frightened beast. Do you want to know the power of this blood? Then just see where it came from and where its source was—the cross and the Lord’s side.”12 For this reason he urged his flock, “Let us then return from that table like lions breathing fire, having become terrible to the devil; thinking on our

Head, and on the love which He has shown for us.”13

The signs of the liturgy contain “a rich and luminous message. Through these signs, the mystery in some way opens up before the eyes of the believer.”14 St. John Chrysostom’s eyes were opened to the rich dimensions of the Eucharist, and he can help us pass from the liturgical signs “to the mystery which they contain, and enter into the mystery in every aspect of [our] lives.”15 ■

1 St. John Paul II, Mane Nobiscum Domine (MND), 14

2 MND, 14

3 MND, 17

4 Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1326

Father Randy Stice is director of the diocesan Office of Worship and Liturgy. He can be reached at frrandy@ dioknox.org. Encountering God in the Liturgy by Father

5 Jean Daniélou, The Angels and Their Mission, translated by David Heimann (Westminster, Md.: The Newman Press, 1956), 64

6 Daniélou, 64

7 www.newadvent.org/fathers/1912. htm

8 John Chrysostom, On the Priesthood, translated with an introduction by Graham Neville (Crestwood, N.Y.: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1977), p. 71

9 Daniélou, 62

10 Chrysostom, On the Priesthood, 70-71

11 www.newadvent.org/fathers/ 240146.htm

12 Raniero Cantalamessa, The Eucharist: Our Sanctification, revised edition (Collegeville, Minn.: The Liturgical Press, 1995), p. 40

13 Joel C. Elowsky, editor, John 11-21, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 2007), p. 235

14 MND, 14

15 MND, 17

Daily readings

Wednesday, April 15: Acts 5:17-26; Psalm 34:2-9; John 3:16-21

Thursday, April 16: Acts 5:27-33; Psalm 34:2, 9, 17-20; John 3:31-36

Friday, April 17: Acts 5:34-42; Psalm

27:1, 4, 13-14; John 6:1-15

Saturday, April 18: Acts 6:1-7; Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19; John 6:16-21

Sunday, April 19: Acts 2:14, 22-33; Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11; 1 Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24:13-35

Monday, April 20: Acts 6:8-15; Psalm 119:23-24, 26-27, 29-30; John 6:22-29

Tuesday, April 21: Acts 7:51–8:1; Psalm 31:3-4, 6-8, 17, 21; John 6:30-35

Wednesday, April 22: Acts 8:1-8; Psalm 66:1-7; John 6:35-40

St. Stephen honors Woman of the Year at Ladies Recognition Tea

Karen Steely was named Woman of the Year at St. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga during the annual Ladies Recognition Tea on March 10. The event honors parish women for their character, courage, and commitment. A total of 34 ladies attended this year’s tea. In the photo at left, Mrs. Steely (second from left) is pictured with her husband, Kirk, her daughter, Kelly, and St. Stephen pastor Father Manuel Pérez. Father Pérez celebrated an 11 a.m. Mass in the large parish hall at St. Stephen, with the tea following in the small parish hall. St. Stephen has been holding the Ladies Recognition Tea since 2014. Nominees for Woman of the Year must be 45 years old or older. Each year’s tea has a different theme, with the women attending wearing special hats, gloves, and dresses. The men who serve the tea are dressed in black slacks, white shirts, and ties. COURTESY OF SHERRY FERGUSON (2)

Thursday, April 23: Acts 8:26-40; Psalm 66:8-9, 16-17, 20; John 6:44-51 Friday, April 24: Acts 9:1-20; Psalm 117:1-2; John 6:52-59

Saturday, April 25: Feast of St. Mark, evangelist, 1 Peter 5:5-14; Psalm 89:23, 6-7, 16-17; Mark 16:15-20

Sunday, April 26: Acts 2:14, 36-41; Psalm 23:1-6; 1 Peter 2:20-25; John 10:1-10

Monday, April 27: Acts 11:1-18; Psalms 42:2-3 and 43:3-4; John 10:11-18

Tuesday, April 28: Acts 11:19-26; Psalm 87:1-7; John 10:22-30 Wednesday, April 29: Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the Church, Acts 12:24–13:5; Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8; John

12:44-50

Thursday, April 30: Acts 13:13-25; Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25, 27; John 13:16-20

Friday, May 1: Acts 13:26-33; Psalm 2:6-11; John 14:1-6

Saturday, May 2: Memorial of St. Athanasius, bishop and doctor of the Church, Acts 13:44-52; Psalm 98:1-4; John 14:7-14 Sunday, May 3: Acts 6:1-7; Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19; 1 Peter 2:4-9; John 14:1-12

Monday, May 4: Acts 14:5-18; Psalm 115:1-4, 15-16; John 14:21-26

Tuesday, May 5: Acts 14:19-28; Psalm 145:10-13, 21; John 14:27-31 Wednesday, May 6: Acts 15:1-6; Psalm 122:1-5; John 15:1-8

Thursday, May 7: Acts 15:7-21; Psalm 96:1-3, 10; John 15:9-11

Friday, May 8: Acts 15:22-31; Psalm 57:8-10, 12; John 15:12-17

Saturday, May 9: Acts 16:1-10; Psalm 100:1-3, 5; John 15:18-21

Sunday, May 10: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17; Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21

Monday, May 11: Acts 16:11-15; Psalm 149:1-6, 9; John 15:26-16:4

Tuesday, May 12: Acts 16:22-34; Psalm 138:1-3, 7-8; John 16:5-11

Wednesday, May 13: Acts 17:15 and 17:22–18:1; Psalm 148:1-2, 11-14; John 16:12-15

Thursday, May 14: Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle, Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; Psalm 113:1-8; John 15:9-17 ■

a sponsor, or to learn how to donate items for the auctions, visit mysjs. ejoinme.org/jj2026

The annual Joseph E. Fuhr Memorial Golf Tournament, benefiting the Ladies of Charity of Knoxville, will be held Thursday, May 7, at Egwani Farms Golf Course in Rockford. A shotgun start is set for 8 a.m. Golfers of all skill levels are welcome to take part. Lunch will be served and prizes awarded at the end of the tourney. Register or learn about sponsorship opportunities at www.ladiesofcharity knox.org/ event

A “Come and See” meeting of the Secular Franciscan Order will take place at noon on Saturday, May 16, in the library at St. John Neumann School in Farragut. Those interested in learning more about the order are invited to attend. For more information, call Jean at 865-250-3005 or Terry at 931-265-4028.

There will be a free information session on a natural, faithful approach to family planning at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 17, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church (Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter) in Knoxville. Whether you are looking to monitor your hormonal health, achieve pregnancy, or space births naturally, the Creighton Model offers a path forward that honors the teachings of the Church. Learn how to navigate your fertility journey with confidence, clarity, and peace of mind. RSVP to Ashley Searle, a Catholic and Creighton FertilityCare practitioner intern serving the Knoxville area, at ashley@stelizabethsfertility.com

The Council of Catholic Women at Holy Spirit Parish in Soddy-Daisy will hold a yard sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 23, with proceeds benefiting the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Mich.

The Diocese of Knoxville Care of Creation Commission invites all parishioners to a special Laudato Si’ anniversary event on Wednesday, May 27, at All Saints Church in Knoxville. Presentations on ecological spirituality and creation care will begin at 5 p.m., followed by a Mass celebrated by Bishop Mark Beckman at 6. A reception will follow, and child care will be provided.

The annual God Camp for incoming sixth- through eighth-graders is coming up June 3-6 at Adventure Ocoee in Ocoee, Tenn. God Camp is an opportunity for middle-schoolers to grow

tact the parish office at 423-623-5051. Good Shepherd has also expanded its youth program and added several other ministries.

Holy Trinity, Jefferson City

The parish congratulated Isaac Deal, Rick Flippin, Courtney Schupp, and Janet Wheeler after they received the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and first Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil Mass. Gabriel Fuller, Skye Murray, Christian Nelms, Drew Rowe, and Dominic Schupp received confirmation and first Communion, and Pat Dooley and Andy Nelms were confirmed at the vigil.

High school seniors in Holy Trinity families are eligible for the Ken Schroer Memorial Scholarship, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. To receive an application, call the parish office at 865471-0347. For more information, call Deacon Jim Prosak at 865-397-8110. Application deadline is Friday, May 1.

Parish youth attended a Terry Evanswood magic show in Pigeon Forge on March 27.

Holy Trinity Lenten meals raised $1,877 to help fund the parish’s week of meals for groups with Appalachian Ministries’ summer building projects.

Anniversaries: Jim and Sue Pickering (55), Jack and Sandy Raymond (30), Chase and Kerry Baker (25) Notre Dame, Greeneville

Parish youth will receive their first Holy Communion at the 11 a.m. Mass on

in their faith, build friendships, and connect with other youth from across the diocese. Highlights include lake inflatables, a wave pool, a bonfire and smores, outdoor sports, prayer services, and team-building activities. Registration is being done through parishes, so youth need to contact their parish youth minister.

Knights of Columbus Council 11424 at St. Bridget Parish in Dayton will hold the annual Harry “Bunky” Jones Golf Tournament on Thursday, June 11, at Dayton Golf & Country Club in Evensville. A $75 individual entry fee covers all green and cart fees, goody bags, lunch, and contests. Registration is at 7:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 8:30. Contact Jeff Templin at jktnt@ epbfi.com or Chris Hill at hillzjc@ comcast.net to learn more or register.

Catholic Charities of East Tennessee will hold its annual Creators of Hope fundraisers from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 30, at the Common House, 1517 Mitchell Ave. in Chattanooga, and from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, at the Hyatt Place Rooftop Five Thirty Lounge, 530 S. Gay St. in Knoxville. Purchase tickets for the Knoxville fundraiser at dioknox.org/events/creatorsof-hope-2026. RSVP to either event at www.ccetn.org/events

Knoxville Catholic High School is again hosting its annual Camp Irish summer camps. A girls basketball camp is set for May 26-28. Other camps are baseball, June 1-3; robotics, June 1-4; junior theater, June 1-13; boys basketball, June 8-10; softball, June 8-10; cheerleading, June 11-12; all-sports, June 15-19 and June 29-July 3; football, July 6-9; volleyball, July 6-10; Irish Arts Theatre Workshop, July 6-24; soccer, July 20-23; math, July 2024; and dance, July 22-24; To learn the age groups for each camp, costs, camp meeting times, and how to register, visit knoxvillecatholic.com/camp-irish or e-mail camps@knoxvillecatholic.com

Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga’s annual summer camps will be held in May and June. They begin with a volleyball camp May 26-29. Additional camps are for girls basketball, June 1-5; wrestling, June 1-5; theater, June 1-5; cheerleading and dance, June 8-12; boys and girls soccer, June 8-12; golf, June 15-18; and STEM, June 15-19. For costs, age groups, and meeting times, visit www.myndhs. com/athletics/summercamps

The Ulster Project is currently recruiting teens age 15 to host a teen

Sunday, April 26.

Religious-education classes end for the year on Sunday, May 3. Children are asked to bring flowers to the final class, with the May Crowning of the Blessed Virgin to take place at 10:45 a.m. before the 11 a.m. Mass.

A Cinco de Mayo celebration will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 2.

Notre Dame’s high school graduates will attend Mass together in cap and gown at 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 17.

The Council of Catholic Women celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at their meeting on March 15.

St. Dominic, Kingsport

The 80th-anniversary celebration for St. Dominic School, founded in 1945, continued on April 18 with a “Party through the Decades” event at the church. The night featured a dinner catered by Momma D’s of Kingsport, live music by the Rhythm Exchange Band, silent and live auctions, and games and a decadethemed costume contest.

The parish hosted SENT: A Retreat on Evangelization April 10-11 for high school students in the Five Rivers Deanery.

Smoky Mountain Deanery

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville

IC welcomed the following new Catholics who were confirmed at the Easter Vigil: Christopher Bedard, John Ernst, Matthew Ewing, Summer Garcia, Jerry

from Northern Ireland in their home for three weeks this summer. The program includes service projects, shared worship services, leadership building, white-water rafting, a Dollywood trip, and more. Dates are June 26 to July 17. Host teen and host parent applications may be found at www.ulster projecteasttennessee.org. For more information, visit the website or e-mail ulstereasttenn@gmail.com

Immaculate Conception Parish in downtown Knoxville will celebrate Irish heritage with its 17th annual Irish Fest on the Hill, set for 4 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8. Those attending may enjoy Irish food, drinks, dessert, and music and take part in a silent auction. A Gaelic games demonstration will be held. There will also be tours of IC Church, one of the oldest Catholic churches in the Diocese of Knoxville.

The Healing Ministry at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa offers healing prayers every third weekend of the month for anyone who has a physical, emotional, or spiritual need. Individual healing prayer will be offered in Spanish in the church immediately following the 7 p.m. Saturday Mass in Spanish, and prayer will be offered in English in the chapel immediately following the 11 a.m. Sunday Mass. Call Toni Jacobs at 561-315-5911 if you have any questions.

Catholic in Recovery is a 12-step recovery ministry that holds meetings each Monday at 7 p.m. at St. Dominic Church in Kingsport and each Sunday at 4 p.m. at All Saints Church in Knoxville. CIR provides hope and healing from addictions, compulsions, and unhealthy attachments. Family members impacted by a loved one’s addiction are also encouraged to attend. Meetings combine the spiritual principles of 12-step recovery and the sacraments of the Catholic Church. Join others in recovery as the meetings overlap Scripture from Sunday Mass readings, liturgical themes, and recovery topics with honest discussion and prayer. Confidentiality is protected. The St. Dominic gatherings are hybrid meetings, in person in the St. Thomas Aquinas Room of the parish life center or online at tinyurl.com/cir-zoom-tricitiestn. For more information, visit www. catholicinrecovery.com. For more details on the meetings at St. Dominic, contact Jena at cir.tricities.tn@gmail. com or call Oscar at 423-213-2434. For the meetings at All Saints, call Martin Ohmes at 865-438-4905 or e-mail CIR AllSaintsKnoxville@gmail.com

Lawson, Hannha Martinez, Heather Owens, Jack Booth, Ethan Daniels, Sam Dixon, Savannah Human, Michael Lane, Josh Martin, Sam Maxwell, Alex McCarter, Scott Nace, Liam Loeffel, Nick Locke, Joseph Smith, Emma Arns, Kyle Douglas, Heather Douglas, and Ava Diaz.

Deacon Hieu Vinh is returning to IC after serving at Divine Mercy Parish in Knoxville. Deacon Vinh formerly served at IC from 2007-19.

The parish confirmation retreat, for fifththrough 12th-graders, is set for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 25. The day will feature time for games, conversations, and prayer. E-mail IC youth minister Wendy Waxmonsky at wwaxmonsky@ gmail.com for more information.

An eight-part Bible study on Mary, based on a series by Dr. Brant Pitre, will begin via Zoom on Tuesday, May 5, or in the parish hall on Thursday, May 7. Sign up after Mass or contact Rosilyn at 865-680-6545 or rosilynflanagan462@ gmail.com. Workbooks are $24.95.

IC’s Easter Basket Fundraiser for the Ladies of Charity on the weekend of March 21-22 raised more than $1,735 for the needy.

The IC Bees are holding a Quilt Show and Sale on Saturday and Sunday, April 18-19, in the parish hall.

Sacred Heart, Knoxville

The next Movie Night with a Priest is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, April 24, in Cathedral Hall, featuring the 2019 film A Hidden Life. Father Bo Beaty will lead

Father Arthur Torres and Father Miguel Vélez are serving as spiritual directors on a Guadalupe: In the Heart of Mexico pilgrimage to the nation’s sacred shrines May 2531. Places visited will include Mexico City, Tulpetlac, Teotihuacan, Puebla, Coyoacán, and Xochimilco. Cost is $2,949 based on double occupancy and includes round-trip airfare, airport taxes and fuel surcharges, land transportation, first-class hotels, daily Mass, breakfast and dinner, and a medical protection plan. The trip will depart from Atlanta. To see a daily itinerary and more details, or to register and purchase travel insurance, visit trip.nativitypilgrimage.com/torresmex-2026. For more information, call 844-400-9559 or 832-406-7050, or email info@nativitypilgrimage.com

Join Glenmary Father Steve Pawelk on a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Shrines of Mexico Sept. 22-Oct. 1. The group will visit the Santuario de San Toribio Romo, built in honor of the Mexican martyrs of the 1920s; Cristo Rey, the second largest statue of Christ in the world; and the church of Santa Cruz de Los Milagros, where St. Junipero Serra stayed before his journey to begin the Franciscan Missions, which the group will visit before going on to Mexico City. There the pilgrims will visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe; Tepeyac Hill, where Our Lady appeared to St. Juan Diego; and many other holy and sacred sites. For more information, contact Lisa Morris at 865-567-1245 or lisam@selectintl.com

A “Sacred Shrines of France” pilgrimage sponsored by Holy Family Parish in Seymour is set for Sept. 28-Oct. 8. Holy Family pastor Father Bill McNeeley will be the chaplain and spiritual director for the pilgrimage, and Sherri McNeeley will be the group leader. Sites visited and saints focused on include Lourdes, Normandy/Omaha Beach, Lisieux (Basilica of St. Thérèse), Rouen (St. Joan of Arc), Mont Saint-Michel, Chartres Cathedral, Paris (Shrine of the Miraculous Medal, Sacré-Coeur, Notre Dame Cathedral, Église Saint-Sulpice, the Shrine of St. Vincent de Paul, Gallery of the Kings, the Louvre, Saint-Chapelle, and the Church of St. Mary Magdalene), Nevers (St. Bernadette), Paray-le-Monial (Shrine of the Sacred Heart), and Ars (St. John Vianney). Cost is $5,650 for a double room or $6,649 for a single room. The land-only cost (no flights) is $1,000. For more information, visit www.canterburypilgrimages.com/ tour/14046 or scan the QR code in the ad on page A10. n

a discussion following the film. Doors open at 5 p.m. Ages 18 and over only. The event is free; RSVP at moviewitha priest.org

St. John XXIII, Knoxville

More than 40 people entered the Church at the Easter Vigil from St. John XXIII.

The parish announced that more than 3,000 attended its Ash Wednesday services and that 550-plus students are attending student-led FOCUS Bible studies. More than 1,300 are attending Mass weekly at St. John XXIII, and 110-plus students attended and staffed the parish’s Awakening retreat in late February.

St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville

Bishop Mark Beckman will celebrate the sacrament of confirmation at a 2 p.m. Mass on Sunday, April 19. The two morning Masses that day have been combined into a single 9 a.m. Mass with the Mass in Spanish at 11:30 a.m.

A study on salvation history will begin at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 4, in the parish hall. Deacon Walter Stone will host.

The parish held a gala on April 11 at the Yacht Club at Tellico Village to support its family life center project. The FLC will provide St. Joseph the Worker with additional office space, storage, a kitchen area, and classrooms. The gala included a welcome from pastor Father Julius Abuh, a video message from Bishop Mark Beckman, dinner, and a silent auction. Eileen Karnes and Kim Ferriter were co-chairs of the gala. n

Diocesan schools perform Living Stations of the Cross during Holy Week Schools around the Diocese of Knoxville performed Living Stations of the Cross during Holy Week. Clockwise from top left are scenes from Knoxville Catholic High School, St. Joseph School in Knoxville, St. Jude School in Chattanooga, Sacred Heart Cathedral School, St. Mary School in Oak Ridge, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Chattanooga.

St. Dominic School hosts breakfast for Kingsport Chamber of Commerce

St. Dominic School in Kingsport on the morning of April 10 welcomed members of the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce for a breakfast that offered a glimpse into the daily life and mission of the school.

Guests were greeted by Kingsport mayor Paul Montgomery, and St. Dominic pastor Father Michael Cummins led an opening prayer before the school’s daily Morning Circle began.

As students gathered—preschool through fifth grade—they led the community in prayer, intention, and song. Fifth-grade students then led the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a performance of “His Banner over Me Is Love.”

The program continued with a series of speakers who connected the life of the school to the broader community. Former principal Tucker Davis delivered the keynote address, titled “Growing Together:

I just had the worst week at work. Am I going to go to Mass? No one can force me not to. But no one can force me to go, either. It’s my choice. That’s one of the blessings of living in a free society. My free will is truly free to make that choice. It’s a holy day of obligation in the middle

In the kitchen Dave Austin (left) of the Aldo J. Zazzi Council of the Knights of Columbus at St. Dominic Parish prepares breakfast as chef Howard Bastedo and Father Michael Cummins look on.

Education, Community, and the Future of Kingsport.” A parent perspective was offered by Kelsie Dulaney, with additional reflections from Maura Tillotson. St. Dominic principal Bonnie

of the week. Will I go to Mass? I’ve made a commitment to say morning and evening prayer. Will I keep that commitment? I can stay in bed another hour, or binge-watch yet another program, or I can meet my fellow parishioners downtown to pass out sandwiches, coats, scarves, clothes, and good cheer to those

Welcome to our school Father Michael Cummins speaks as St. Dominic students meet the community when the school hosted the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce and mayor Paul Montgomery on April 10.

Saleh and director of development and admissions Beth Barnette offered a brief overview of the school’s approach to forming the whole child and invited those in attendance to consider how they might support and engage with the

who have no roof over their heads. Which will I choose? Every day is another opportunity to live my faith faithfully, to give public and private expression to what I hold dearest in my heart. Like any muscle in the body, failing to “exercise” one’s faith can lead to atrophy or, worse, complete loss.

mission of St. Dominic. Breakfast was prepared and served by St. Dominic’s Aldo J. Zazzi Council of the Knights of Columbus. Guests at each table left the program with a packet of seeds labeled “Plant Seeds of Hope in Kingsport.” ■

At the end of our lives, who we are will reflect the choices we’ve made. Choose Jesus. Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all. ■

Deacon Bob Hunt is a husband, father, grandfather, and parishioner at All Saints Church in Knoxville.

Eighth Knights Cup Lacrosse Tournament set

KCHS again hosts the event to benefit Catholic Charities’ Pregnancy Help Center and its ultrasound van

By Dan McWilliams

Knights of Columbus from Council 5207 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus as well as neighboring councils will staff the eighth annual Knights Cup Lacrosse Tournament at Knoxville Catholic High School on Saturday, April 18.

Proceeds from the yearly event sponsored by Council 5207 will benefit Catholic Charities of East Tennessee’s Pregnancy Help Center and ultrasound van. The Knights Cup has raised more than $85,000 in its history for CCETN.

Elementary, middle-school, and high-school lacrosse teams will play at KCHS’s Blaine Stadium and Connor Field beginning at 9:30 a.m. About 50 Knights assisted at the 2025 event.

Seth Smith of Council 5207 is in his second year as Knights Cup coordinator. He succeeded Tom Ciaccia, who began leading sports events in 2004 for the Sacred Heart council, beginning with a single-day baseball tournament at the Knoxville Smokies’ stadium in Kodak. Tournament sponsors can visit knightscup.org to learn how they can help. Different levels of sponsorship are available from $200 to $1,500 that can include sponsors’ names and logos on all promotional materials and corporate logos on

the event website, corporate logos on the game program cover, ads in the game program, and “brought to you by” public-address announcements.

Tickets for the Knights Cup are $5.

Sponsors and advertisers may also contact Mr. Smith at ssmith765@hotmail.com or Mr. Ciaccia at tciaccia11@gmail.com

Games will start at 9:30 and 11 a.m. and at 12:30, 2, and 3:30 p.m. on both fields.

The matchups at Blaine Stadium are, in order, Irish vs. Roane County Knights, McCallie Blue Tornado vs. West Rebels, Irish vs. McCallie, West JV Rebels vs. Kingsport Tribe, and Christian Academy of Knoxville Warriors vs. Gibbs Eagles.

The first game at Connor Field will feature the Blount County Bulldogs vs. Kingsport Tribe, followed by Johnson City Toppers vs. Blount County Bulldogs, Roane County Knights vs. CAK Warriors, Gibbs Eagles vs. Johnson City Toppers, and Irish JV vs. West JV Rebels.

Games will be played with 12-minute quarters and a running clock, except for injuries and timeouts, with an eight-minute halftime.

Each coach will select a player of the game from the opposing team, and those players will be presented medals on the field. ■

Chesterton Academy student wins state title in Knights’ essay contest Cameryn Lawson, a student at the Chesterton Academy of St. Margaret Clitherow in Knoxville, recently won the ninth-grade state championship in the Knights of Columbus’ Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest. This year’s contest question was “Of the 267 popes who have led the Catholic Church, who are your three favorite popes and why?” Cameryn, a parishioner of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, received her award in a ceremony at Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville, whose Knights of Columbus Council 16523 sponsored the contest. With Cameryn are Sean Metz (left) and Kurt Schueler of the Holy Ghost Knights.

Catholic Dads nonprofit establishes scholarship for high-school students

Catholic Dads recently launched its School Support Grant program and now announces the establishment of its new Catholic Dads Scholarship. This one-time scholarship is intended to support outstanding Catholic students for whom the cost of Catholic high school presents a meaningful financial barrier. For the 2026 program, Catholic Dads will award six scholarships: four $2,000 awards and two $1,000 awards. These awards are intended for students preparing to enter a Catholic high school within the Diocese of Knoxville. Successful applicants will demonstrate authentic engagement with the Catholic faith,

Competition from 2025 Two players go for the ball in action from last year’s Knights Cup Lacrosse Tournament. This year’s event is set for Saturday, April 18, at Knoxville Catholic High School. See the article at left for a schedule of games, which will take place on the Blaine Stadium and Connor Field surfaces at KCHS.

and Palestrina

financial need, and personal merit, including academic excellence, service, and leadership. The scholarship is available for students in the Catholic school system in the diocese, public-school students, and homeschooled students.

The scholarship application can be found at www.catholicdads.org/ grants-and-scholarships

Catholic Dads is a nonprofit public charity that encourages stronger fellowship among Catholic fathers in the faith formation of their children, families, and nation. Through fellowship and spiritual and charitable activities, the organization supports the strengthening of Catholic families, particularly those with school-aged children. ■