Understanding the sacraments: Pope Francis on the sacrament of penance

Priests must remember that in the confessional it is Christ who listens, forgives By Father Randy Stice In a recent message for National Liturgical Week in Italy, Pope Francis wrote that “all the liturgy is a place where mercy is encountered and welcomed in order to be given; a place …

Once upon a time: Basking in the graces of the Risen Lord

God has blessed our diocese with men and women who are committed to spreading the faith By Monsignor Xavier Mankel As the Diocese of Knoxville celebrates its 28th anniversary, we ask ourselves where did all this come from. The term “created” is used in a broad sense. The Diocese of …

Marriage Enrichment: Mornings spent reflecting on mercy

Parishioners urged to explore one of God’s greatest gifts with Monsignor Humbrecht By Marian Christiana On Sept. 10, Monsignor Al Humbrecht partnered with the diocesan Office of Marriage Preparation and Enrichment to offer the first of four Mornings of Reflection on Mercy. As one of about 1,000 missionary priests of …

Living the readings: The end of the road

Christ’s journey that we have been taught is our journey as well By Father Joseph Brando Way back on June 26, the Gospel for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time was taken from Luke 9:51-62. “When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey …

The Year of Mercy is an open door for St. Mary students

Oak Ridge parish school receives a lesson on Holy Doors during visit to Sacred Heart Cathedral By Emily Booker One goal of the Year of Mercy is to take extra time to contemplate the mystery of God’s love. The students of St. Mary School in Oak Ridge did just that …

Ladies of Charity working to get Knoxville operation to the next level

Elevator project will allow charitable organization to open spacious second floor to public for office, meeting space By Bill Brewer One of Tom Shannon’s goals for the Ladies of Charity thrift store, food pantry, and donation center in Knoxville has been the installation of an elevator. In fact, the longtime …

The East Tennessee Catholic wins national award for WMOF coverage

Newspaper cited by Catholic Press Association judges By The East Tennessee Catholic The East Tennessee Catholic, which has been providing news and information about the Diocese of Knoxville since 1991, was recognized by the Catholic Press Association for its coverage of the World Meeting of Families and Pope Francis’ first …

Deans named for Five Rivers, Cumberland Mountain deaneries

By The East Tennessee Catholic Father Michael Cummins, pastor at St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport, and Father Doug Owens, pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City, have been appointed by Bishop Richard F. Stika to serve as deans in the Diocese of Knoxville. Father Cummins will lead …

Year of Mercy sets theme for diocesan Ministries Day

More than 250 parish leaders take part in ministry leadership workshops at All Saints Church By The East Tennessee Catholic The Diocese of Knoxville’s Ministries Day, now in its sixth year, attracted 256 participants Aug. 20 to All Saints Parish, where parish leaders throughout the diocese gathered to strengthen their …

World Youth Day ‘life-changing’ for diocesan pilgrims

Youth from East Tennessee among 3 million people who traveled to Poland to see Pope Francis By Bill Brewer As some 3 million pilgrims from around the globe descended on Poland July 26-31 for World Youth Day 2016, including a half-dozen from the Diocese of Knoxville, there was not a …

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Sister Margaret Turk retires after 64 years as a Sister of Mercy

By Dan McWilliams Sister Margaret Turk, RSM, a familiar face around Physicians Regional Medical Center (formerly St. Mary’s Medical Center) since 2002, is retiring to Nashville. Sister Margaret has been working in pastoral services at PRMC, which allows her to visit patients and pray with them. She is retiring for …