Newly ordained Father Bo Beaty celebrates Mass of thanksgiving
By Bill Brewer
Father Bo Beaty debuted his priesthood in Jamestown a day after his June 8 ordination at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The seat of Fentress County is where one of the Diocese of Knoxville’s three newest priests celebrated his first Mass.
The picturesque 90-mile drive to the Diocese of Knoxville’s northwestern-most parish, St. Christopher, leads to Father Beaty’s hometown and the rural area that informed him as a young man of faith searching for a deeper relationship with his Lord, Jesus Christ.

Father Bo Beaty, center, offers a prayer in the sacristy of St. Christopher Church in Jamestown before he celebrates a Mass of thanksgiving on June 9. Joining in the prayer are, from left, Deacon Vic Landa, Monsignor Patrick Garrity, seminarian Nicholas Hickman, and Deacon Michael Ghattas. (Photo Bill Brewer)
That years-long journey would lead him from Jamestown to the cathedral by way of Carson-Newman College, St. Patrick Church in Morristown, and St. Meinrad Seminary.
And along the way, there were people instrumental in his formation as a priest, including Monsignor Patrick Garrity, Father Michael Sweeney, as well as his father, Donald Beaty, and mother and stepfather, Marsha and Tim Dillard.
During his Mass of thanksgiving at St. Christopher, Father Beaty spoke of his joy and thankfulness for his vocation, something he holds with the greatest respect.
“My brothers and sisters in Christ, it is with a heart overflowing with joy and gratitude that I stand here before you today to celebrate this holy Mass, my very first as a newly ordained priest. Just yesterday (June 8), I knelt before the archbishop, answered God’s call, committed myself to serving His Church and His people for the rest of my life,” he said. “And now, through the unfathomable grace of God, I have the immense privilege of leading you in the most sacred of celebrations.”
The young priest told an enthusiastic and proud congregation at St. Christopher that he stands in awe of Jesus Christ, who can “rebuke the forces of sin and darkness that enslave and torment humanity. And yet this same Jesus and His infinite humility and love chose to walk among us, to dwell in our midst.”
“As I stand before you today, newly ordained to serve as an ambassador of this very same Christ, I am very keenly aware of my own weakness and unworthiness. We all face forces in our lives that try to drag us down, whether it’s anxieties, or temptations, negativity, sin no doubt, perhaps they are internal struggles, or maybe they are external struggles. But remember that our Gospel reminds us that Jesus isn’t just powerful, He sees right through us. He sees the good and the not so good in each one of us,” Father Beaty said.
He encouraged those attending his first Mass to open themselves to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit and to remember that Jesus came to save, not condemn.

Father Bo Beaty celebrates Mass at St. Christopher Church in Jamestown on June 9, a day after his ordination to the priesthood. Concelebrating the Mass is Monsignor Patrick Garrity. Assisting are Deacons Michael Ghattas and Vic Landa, and seminarian Nicholas Hickman. Father John Orr participated in the Mass in choir. (Photo Bill Brewer)
“He wants to heal us. He wants to save us, to set us free and empower us to live as His disciples. Yet, our Lord has seen fit to call me, to equip me with His grace, to entrust me with the awesome responsibility of proclaiming His Word and administering His sacraments. My dear friends, as I embark on this new chapter of my life, I ask for more continued prayers as I continue to pray for you,” he said in his homily.
“Pray that I may always remain faithful to the promises that I have made, that I may never lose sight of the immense privilege and sacred duty that has been entrusted to me. Pray that, like Christ, I may have the courage to speak the truth in love, to challenge sin and injustice, to bring the light of the Gospel into the darkest corners of the world, and to bring His love and hope to those who are in most need of it,” he continued.
Father Beaty, as he began the Liturgy of the Eucharist, noted that the chalice and paten he used during his Mass of thanksgiving were given to him by Monsignor Garrity, who had the special role of vesting Father Beaty during the ordination Mass the day before. Father Beaty said he will continue to use those sacred vessels during his priesthood.
Father Beaty then asked Monsignor Garrity to place the chalice and paten on the altar. Assisting at the Mass were Deacon Vic Landa, who serves at St. Christopher, Deacon Michael Ghattas of the Diocese of Charleston, S.C., who is a friend from seminary, and Diocese of Knoxville seminarian Nicholas Hickman, who also has attended St. Meinrad Seminary with Father Beaty.
Before Mass concluded, Father Beaty gave special recognition to his mother, father, and stepfather.
He explained that on the occasion of a priest’s first Mass, it is tradition that the newly ordained priest presents gifts to his parents.
“One of the main duties of a priest is to celebrate the sacraments for the people of God. When a priest celebrates a sacrament, he usually wears a piece of cloth around his neck called a stole. This stole has two meanings to it. First, it is a symbol of the sacramental authority of a promise of the priesthood. It shows that God has given the priest the authority to celebrate the sacraments. Secondly, it also represents the yoke of Christ. Jesus tells us that His yoke is easy and His burden light. This is because He helps us along the way in doing His work. And His help comes from the graces we receive in the sacraments.
“One of the sacraments that I have the privilege to celebrate as a priest is the sacrament of reconciliation. That frees people from the sins that burden them, showing them the infinite mercy of God. When a priest sits in the confessional, he acts in persona Christi, in the person of Christ as both judge and the giver of mercy.
“So, there is a tradition that a newly ordained priest gives his father as a gift the stole he wore when he heard his first confession. This is because a man first learns both justice and mercy from his father. The tradition is that when the priest’s father dies, he is buried with the stole so that all in heaven and on earth will know that he was the father of a priest. And when he arrives at the gates of heaven, he is escorted to our Lord, who will ask him, ‘I have given you life. What have you given me?’ So, he hands our Lord the stole and responds, ‘I have given you my son as a priest.’
“And with these words, Jesus grants him entry into paradise. Unfortunately, it’s only been one day. So, I haven’t quite got any confessions in (to laughter in response). But this will be my stole from my first confession. As soon as that is done, I will give that to my dad. Thank you very much, Dad, for everything.

Father Bo Beaty embraces his mother as he presents her with the maniturgium from his ordination. (Photo Bill Brewer)
“One is great. Two is even better. So, for my second confession that I will make in the future, I have another stole just like it that I would like to give to my second dad, my stepfather, Tim Dillard, who also I have learned justice and mercy from. Thank you for all of your support,” Father Beaty shared.
He then turned to his mother and explained his gift to her.
“When I was ordained, the archbishop anointed my hands with sacred chrism, which smells really good, and he uses a lot of it. Chrism oil is used by the Church to consecrate things, to set them aside for sacred use. In baptism, chrism is used to mark the person being consecrated for the Lord. Chrism is also used at confirmation to mark the newly confirmed that they have been sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. The walls of our church not that long ago were also marked for the celebration of the sacraments. So, my hands were anointed because they are now set apart for sacred use by Jesus Christ to bring His grace in the sacraments.
“Afterward, with all of the oil on my hands, I went to wipe the excess off using what is called a maniturgium, which is Latin for hand towel. The tradition is that a newly ordained priest gives this maniturgium, which still has the chrism on it, to his mother. This is because a man’s mother is the first person on earth to know him and to love him, both in the womb and throughout his life.
“It was my mother’s hands that cared for me, fed me, and nourished me. Now, it is through my hands that Christ will care for, feed, and nourish His people. Because of this, a new priest’s mother safeguards the maniturgium she receives until the day she dies. Then she is buried with the maniturgium so that all in heaven and on earth will know that she is the mother of a priest. When she arrives at the gates of heaven, she is escorted to our Lord, who will ask her, ‘I have given you life. What have you given me?’ She hands over the maniturgium to our Lord and responds, ‘I have given you my son as a priest.’
“I have no doubt that with these words Jesus will grant her entry into paradise,” Father Beaty said.
He then presented his mother with the maniturgium, and they embraced.
Father Beaty went on to explain that he received two maniturgia that he used on his ordination day. He wanted to present the second one to someone he described as being instrumental in bringing him into the Church and assisting him on his journey to the priesthood.
“Someone who has truly been a spiritual father to his son, someone who has cared for, fed me, and nourished me. … I certainly would not be standing before you today as a Catholic priest if it wasn’t for him. And I have no doubt that when he arrives at the gates of heaven and our Lord asks him, ‘I have given you life. What have you given me?’ And he hands our Lord the maniturgium and in response says, ‘I have given you one of my sons as a priest.’ With those words, Jesus will surely grant him entry into paradise,” Father Beaty said. “I would like to present this second one to Monsignor Patrick Garrity.”
Father Beaty then singled out Father Sweeney, giving the pastor of St. Christopher, Blessed Sacrament Parish in Harriman, and St. Ann Parish in Lancing special recognition and thanks for showing him spiritual fatherhood.
The new priest’s parents were visibly moved and expressed thanks and pride for what their son has accomplished.
“I am so proud of him that he is walking in the calling that God has for him, and to see his face (at the ordination and Mass of thanksgiving) and the joy that just comes from him. To me, that is confirmation to me that yes, God has definitely called him to the priesthood,” Mrs. Dillard said.
“It’s been a long road, but I’m really proud of him. It is amazing to see what he has become. I can’t be more proud,” Mr. Beaty said.
The priests who concelebrated Father Beaty’s Mass of thanksgiving are excited about what is ahead for their young colleague, whose first assignment is as an associate priest at St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut.

Father Beaty gives a blessing to a kneeling Deacon Michael Ghattas in the narthex of St. Christopher Church. (Photo Bill Brewer)
“I think Bo will make a wonderful priest. He’s going to be a blessing to the people of God. And the people where he has been assigned at St. John Neumann are going to be thrilled that he’s there. I think he will do a wonderful job for them,” Monsignor Garrity said.
Monsignor Garrity recalled that he was pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Morristown several years ago when Father Beaty arrived at St. Patrick one day as a college freshman and asked to see the priest.
“I brought him into my office, it was May, and he said he had been coming to church and wanted to know about becoming Catholic. He had just finished his freshman year in college. I gave him three books to read over the summer, and I told him when he is home in Jamestown to make sure and see Father Sweeney.
“Then I said if you are still interested when you come back to school, come and see me. Then you can go to RCIA. Of course, you never know if you’re going to see people like that again. Sure enough, come August here comes Bo wanting to know about joining RCIA. Not only that but he brought another boy from Carson-Newman and a girl from Carson-Newman with him. All three of them went to RCIA. I brought all three of them into the Church at Easter Vigil Mass the next spring when they finished RCIA,” the monsignor said.
He recalled that Father Beaty would bring groups of Carson-Newman classmates with him to St. Patrick and give them tours of the church.
Then, the following year he brought another student to St. Patrick to go through RCIA, and that student entered the Church.
“Bo was a recruiter, and the oils weren’t even dry on his baptism yet. He was very excited to be in the Church,” said Monsignor Garrity, who noted that Father Beaty expressed interest in attending World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia, in July 2008 as a young student. Donations from parishioners and the parish, along with two garage sales Father Beaty held in the church basement, raised enough money for him to attend.
Father Sweeney said it was very special that Father Beaty’s Mass of thanksgiving was in his home parish.
“We’re very proud of him,” Father Sweeney said. “Father Bo is one of the finest men that I know of. He’s going to be a magnificent priest.”
Father John Orr was pastor of St. Mary Parish in Athens when then-seminarian Bo Beaty served at the McMinn County parish during the summer. Father Orr now serves at Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville.
“I’m so happy to be here with Father Bo on his first Mass day. He served at St. Mary Parish in Athens while I was there when he was in seminary. He served to great aplomb. There were parishioners at his first Mass from St. Mary and Holy Ghost, which is my new assignment,” said Father Orr, who attended Father Beaty’s Mass of thanksgiving in choir. “He’ll be a great priest wherever he serves. He loves the Lord, and he loves the Church.”
Comments 1
What a beautiful story of Fr Bo’s journey we are truly blessed to have him ministering with us at SJN.