This issue
He dwells among us ................ 2 Diocesan calendar ................. 10 Deanery news ........................ 11 La Cosecha ......... center pullout
The East Tennessee
Catholic schools......................15 Columns...................................18 Virtus training...........................21
June 1, 2014 Volume 23 Number 5 Bishop Richard F. Stika
News from The Diocese of Knoxville • Visit us at dioknox.org or etcatholic.org
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New assignments 21 priests will have new roles in July
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A year already? Handmaids of the Precious Blood’s new chapter
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Front seat to history Local parishioners see canonization
Diocese of Knoxville is Top 10 in U.S. for Catholic converts CARA study points to effectiveness of RCIA programs, gives high rankings to dioceses in Louisville province
By Bill Brewer
Converts continued on page 9
SCOTT MAENTZ
B
ob Armstrong has spent a lifetime looking for God. At age 82, the retired statistician and professed agnostic took a leap of faith after studying the probability of God’s existence and joined the Catholic Church at Easter Vigil. In search of evidence of God for much of his life, Mr. Armstrong came to the conclusion that there is more evidence that God exists than doesn’t exist. So after working on his faith with Father Michael Woods of All Saints Church in Knoxville, the married father of two grown children was baptized, confirmed and received his first Holy Communion at All Saints on April 19. Mr. Armstrong is among a growing number of converts filling the pews at Diocese of Knoxville Masses. Now, the rest of the country is learning something that diocesan priests and parishioners already know – adults are joining the Church in ever increasing numbers. The diocese now ranks in the Top 10 for people converting to Catholicism.
Filled with the Holy Spirit Bishop Richard F. Stika confirms Carol Cooper at Easter Vigil as she enters the Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Her sponsor is Michael Palumbo. Bishop Stika is assisted by Deacon Bill Jacobs and Father David Boettner.
The Diocese of Knoxville Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee