Embracing the priesthood for 25 years

Father Dennis Kress marks silver jubilee in celebration at St. Joseph-Norris

By Gabrielle Nolan

A forecast of rain could not stop St. Joseph Parish in Norris from throwing a party.

After the parish was without an assigned pastor for more than a year, Father Dennis Kress arrived in July 2023. After the community celebrated its reception of a pastor, they also wanted to celebrate the pastor himself in recognition of his 25 years of priesthood in the Catholic Church.

Young and old alike gathered in the parish hall for an evening of fellowship and dinner on June 9.

“Today we celebrate and honor Father Dennis, who has dedicated his life to the service of God and his faith community,” said Karen Thompson, who has been a parishioner at St. Joseph for 17 years.

“Although you’ve only been with us for just about a year, you’ve served the Lord in a most special way. Over the past 25 years, your ministry has impacted countless lives and left indelible marks on the hearts and souls of those you have served. And as you know, we waited a long time for you and are thankful for the blessing of Father Dennis. We ask God to continue to bless you, reward you, protect and guide you. Never forget that God is always with you. We pray He provides you with the strength to continue His mission. Congratulations and good wishes, and may the days ahead be filled with many blessings,” Ms. Thompson continued.

Father Kress was presented with a gift of a framed canvas image of St. Joseph Parish.

The diocesan pastor described St. Joseph Parish as a “very vibrant community.”

“There’s a whole lot that’s going on,” he said. “This is a relatively small church; there’s probably 130 families here, but they’re so active in everything. And I find that kind of refreshing.”

Father Kress reflected that the past 25 years have gone by “relatively fast.”

“I would have to say that the biggest blessings I’ve had are people,” he shared. “I’ve met a whole lot of people over the last 25 years and in five parishes, and I truly feel like I’m the one who’s benefited from that. Each and every one of you has been truly a blessing to me, and I do hope and pray that I truly will continue to journey with you. I really have found all of you to be very, very special, so thanks to you all.”

Karen Meiring, who has been a St. Joseph parishioner since 1996, attended the celebration.

“Father has been very friendly, very accepting of the things that we have, the traditions that we have, very open to talking with people and hearing what they have to say,” she shared. “I’m on the parish council with him, and so he’s very supportive of us and doing our traditional things. … We feel that we have a say in things, and he just complements our parish very well, I think.”

Born in Pittsburgh in 1951, Father Kress is the oldest of four children: two brothers and one sister (deceased).

“I grew up there for the early part of my life; my family moved around Pennsylvania and New York a little bit, and I ended up here during my high school years,” Father Kress recalled.

When his family relocated to Cleveland, Tenn., he attended Cleveland High School and Cleveland State Community College.

Work took Father Kress to live in California, Alabama, and back to Tennessee. He previously worked as an office manager, a bookkeeper, and a paymaster for an industrial construction company.

Raised Lutheran, he converted to the Catholic faith in 1990 at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in Cleveland.

Eventually, someone submitted his name to a Called by Name program for interest in the priesthood.

“It ultimately found its way to Bishop [Anthony J.] O’Connell, who responded by giving me a personal invitation. I met with him for dinner one night in Chattanooga,” Father Kress shared. “It took me six months to decide. At that point I was 42 years old; I wasn’t real sure I wanted to start my life over.”

But he made the decision to enter seminary in 1994, where he attended Conception Abbey in Missouri and Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Wisconsin. Father Kress received his master’s degree in divinity.

Father Kress was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop O’Connell on June 12, 1999, at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church.

Father Kress has held assignments at St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport, St. Elizabeth Parish in Elizabethton, and St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Mountain City, and is currently assigned to St. Therese Parish in Clinton and St. Joseph in Norris.

On his days off, Father Kress enjoys a good book and exploring what the Clinton-Norris area has to offer.

“I’m a reader. I like fiction. Unfortunately, I like to waste my time reading a good novel, so that’s what I do generally on my days off,” he shared. “Lately, I’ve been kind of exploring this area because this part of the state I’m not really familiar with. I’ve been going up to Norris and up into Campbell County to see what I can find.”

As the years have gone by, Father Kress said he has become “much more comfortable” in his role as a priest.

“I was always very quiet, sort of a reserved person. I’ve learned to get out and enjoy it, enjoy the priesthood and be a part of it,” he said.

For the diocese’s three newly ordained priests, Father Kress has a bit of advice.

“Embrace it for all it’s worth,” he said. “My first pastor was Father Charlie Burton, who basically said this ministry is yours to make it what you want. Up there in Kingsport I mostly became involved with the school; I really had never worked with children. I enjoyed it. But, yeah, to embrace it and really take it in. Those three that were ordained [on June 8] I don’t think are going to have any problem.”

In addition to St. Joseph Parish celebrating its pastor’s 25th ordination anniversary, the community also celebrated their sole deacon.

Deacon Dan Hosford was celebrating his 17th ordination anniversary. He was ordained a deacon at All Saints Church in Knoxville in 2007.

“What 17 years means to me is actually, I guess it’s a trust and a growing,” Deacon Hosford said. “The journey has been adventurous, and sometimes there’s ups, sometimes there’s downs, but it’s been a tremendous journey, especially journeying with other people. Being an introvert, it’s been a challenge, but I’ve learned how to, sometimes forcefully, open up and be part of a community. Seventeen years—I’m looking forward to more. It’s become comfortable in some ways, uncomfortable in other ways. Always learning and discovering that there’s always something else, a new experience, a new way of looking at things through God’s eyes, hopefully.”

Deacon Hosford was happy to celebrate Father Kress and his milestone, sharing that he appreciated him.

“I appreciate his guidance, the freedom that he gives me to do my ministry, and I know that he gives that to each and every one of you as well,” Deacon Hosford said to the parishioners in the parish hall. “I can see the joy in your faces and hear the laughter in your voices, and Sundays are something I look forward to because I get to spend it with all of you.”

“[Father Kress] is such a quiet presence at most times,” he continued. “He’s very understanding of where people come from. He’s very reassuring. … So, we all love him, and I enjoy his humor, enjoy his insights, and he’s just like one of the guys in some ways. He’s quiet-spoken, but his presence brings a sense of family and a sense of belonging and a sense of community to the parish.”