The joy of priesthood

Kentucky retreat offers seminarians a chance to share discernment experiences

Story by Jim Wogan
Photography by Stephanie Richer

Back when he was first considering holy orders, it’s doubtful Mark Schuster knew that the path to the holy priesthood in the Diocese of Knoxville would include a side trip to a remote state park in rural Kentucky in the middle of summer.

But that’s where Mr. Schuster traveled to in August to join about 90 other men who are discerning their role as future priests in the Catholic Church. Read more…

  • 50th parish established in Diocese of Knoxville

    St. Michael the Archangel elevated from Catholic mission status; Bishop Stika blesses new building

    By Bill Brewer

    Bishop Richard F. Stika created the Diocese of Knoxville’s 50th parish on Sept. 29 as St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Mission in Erwin became a canonically established church. Read more…

    St. Mary-Oak Ridge marks 75th anniversary

    The parish that was born in the Secret City in the ‘dark, dark hour’ of 1943 celebrates its milestone in style

    Story by Dan McWilliams

    In 1943, at the dawn of Oak Ridge, the Secret City of the Manhattan Project in World War II, a parish was born.

    Today that parish is 75 years old and going strong. Read more…

    Holy Family Parish: ‘We burn this mortgage’ on center

    Seymour faithful celebrate the end of their debt on their family life center, with Bishop Stika joining them for the occasion

    By Dan McWilliams

    Holy Family Parish in Seymour celebrated a doubly special accomplishment Sept. 16: the paying-off of the debt on its family life center and the burning of the mortgage on the building. Read more…

  • Finding light in the darkness

    St. Anne teacher and mother is on a mission to preserve Levi’s legacy as family grieves son’s death

    Story by Bill Brewer
    Photography by Kadee Fillers

    It has taken for Nicole Hughes to get settled back into her routine at St. Anne Catholic School in Bristol.

    Pardon her if she seems distracted. Read more…

    Uncovering hidden gems

    Renovation of Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul yields unexpected (and valuable) links to the past

    Story by Bill Brewer

    When you renovate something that is 125 years old, you’re bound to have a few surprises.

    Restoration work inside the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul has revealed details of original church construction that have been hidden since the 1930s – details that greatly enhance the basilica’s architectural authenticity and even help its financial value. Read more…

    Diocese delegates to V Encuentro share experience

    By Brittany García

    GRAPEVINE, Texas –– Well, we finally arrived at the culmination of the V Encuentro process: the national gathering of all the U.S. diocesan delegates of the V Encuentro.

    And what joy it was to take part in this momentous event in the life of the U.S. Catholic Church. Read more…

Columns

He dwells among us:What are you afraid of? 

Open wide the doors of your heart to Christ as you pray and discern His plans for you

By Bishop Richard F. Stika

“Protect them from the evil one” (John 17:15)

In St. Peter’s inspired words of faith in response to the question of Jesus — “Who do you say that I am?” — we discover the source of truth for answering life’s most difficult questions. For to the degree that we can answer Christ’s question of St. Peter is the degree to which we can also answer these questions: “Who am I?” “What must I do?” “What is the meaning of suffering?”

In St. Peter’s profession of faith lies the truth for the meaning of life and our purpose in God’s loving plan. Read more…

Praying for perspective: Learn one for the Gipper

Whether doggie day school or kids in college, teaching done right is a blessing to behold

By George Valadie

Have you ever sworn that you would never do something? I don’t mean the bad stuff or the real important—like breaking vows or committing sins. I mean the everyday stuff.

Have you ever pledged to yourself to avoid that thing — whatever it is — that others have readily embraced as a part of their 21st century lives? Read more…

Marriage Enrichment: Attending the World Meeting of Families in Dublin

Pilgrims ‘had the wonderful privilege to be part of a weeklong celebration . . . with people from all over the world’

By Marian Christiana

Wow! What an experience! The World Meeting of Families 2018 in Dublin, Ireland, is now part of the history of the Church and its people.

Our Diocese of Knoxville pilgrimage group had the wonderful privilege to be part of a weeklong celebration of faith and family with people from all over the world. It is hard to put into words the excitement that was in the air. You could hear people speaking in different languages as you walked around the Congress, the Festival of Families, and the final Mass, but we were all there for the same reason, to celebrate our faith with other Catholics and with Pope Francis. The vitality of the event was contagious. Read more…

Living the readings: Our cathedral: the mission begins

The new Sacred Heart Cathedral joins all that came before it

By Father Joseph Brando

What is the function of the Church? One answer may be that the Church exists to make our Risen Lord present in every corner of the world and in every human soul. That job is daunting, if not impossible. Like any great challenge, that job description needs to be broken down into “doable” pieces. As the Church has come to know our Lord better throughout the ages, we can look at our risen Savior as priest, prophet, and king. Read more…