St. John Neumann’s all-school chorus has an a cappella birthday surprise
By Bill Brewer
Bishop Mark Beckman didn’t expect to be serenaded during his visit to St. John Neumann Church and School on Oct. 18.
But serenaded he was as students who were gathered for an all-school Mass launched into “Happy Birthday,” led by the student choir. The bishop was celebrating Mass at the Farragut elementary school on the day before his 62nd birthday.
The a cappella rendition of the classic tune wasn’t the only birthday wish Bishop Beckman received. As he met with older students in the gym and visited the classrooms of younger students in the K-8 school, class after class presented him with student-created birthday cards.
Bishop Beckman celebrates Mass at St. John Neumann Church. Concelebrating the all-school Mass were Father Joe Reed and Father Michael Maples. (Photo Bill Brewer)
Bishop Beckman was grateful for their kindness and generosity and relished interacting with the young people.
On the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, the bishop put on his teaching hat and told the students how St. Luke, one of the four authors of the Gospels, made known the glorious wonders of the kingdom of God “in such a beautiful way.”
“I sometimes say in sort of a humorous way that St. Luke’s Gospel is one of my favorite four Gospels. Since there are only four, of course, they are all my favorites. One of the things I love about the Gospel of St. Luke is the fact that Luke’s Gospel, more than any other Gospel, is a Gospel full of joy,” the bishop shared.
And in a timely way, as the Church prepares to enter the season of Advent, Bishop Beckman glimpsed the Christmas story.
“Almost from the first moment of the Gospel, beautiful notes of joy are part of the Gospel. Think about how all the angels begin to sing to the shepherds announcing the birth of Jesus. Only Luke tells us that story. Without this Gospel, we wouldn’t know about the shepherds and the angels appearing to them, and what they are saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people.’ So, joy,” he remarked.
He informed the students that Luke emphasizes the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the saint also authored a second book of the Bible. In asking the congregation if they knew what the second book is, a student quickly and correctly answered, “The Acts of the Apostles.”
In the Acts of the Apostles, the bishop said, Luke provides the story of the early Church and how the Holy Spirit was at work in the early Church.
Bishop Beckman then shared another key aspect of the Gospel of St. Luke.
Young gift-bearers present the bread and wine for consecration by Bishop Mark Beckman, who was celebrating the all-school Mass at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut on Oct. 18. (Photo Bill Brewer)
“Luke, more than any of the four Gospels, emphasizes how important are the poor, little children, women, and people who were not in the normal part of the society. Luke is most concerned about those people. So is his concern for the poor,” he said.
And Luke, more than any other Gospel, writes of the importance of prayer, Bishop Beckman said.
Bishop Beckman shared with the students the importance of Catholic schools.
He told them about attending Catholic school as a boy in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., from first grade through eighth grade. He said he first heard about the Gospel of the Good News of Jesus while attending Sacred Heart School.
The students were eager to participate in a question-and-answer session about St. Luke as part of the homily. Raised hands were plentiful.
At the conclusion of Mass, the bishop complimented the student choir for its “beautiful music” and noted, “St. Augustine said a song is a thing of love and a thing of joy.”
“You all brought great joy to this beautiful celebration of the liturgy,” he added, while also thanking the priests who concelebrated the Mass.
Students at St. John Neumann School in Farragut respond to questions from Bishop Mark Beckman, who was visiting for the first time since his July ordination as the Diocese of Knoxville’s new ordinary. (Photo Bill Brewer)
The concelebrants were Father Joe Reed, pastor of St. John Neumann Parish; Father Michael Maples, St. John Neumann parochial vicar; Father Bo Beaty, St. John Neumann associate pastor; and Father Joseph Hammond, CHS, who is in residence at St. John Neumann.
While visiting St. John Neumann School, Bishop Beckman met with students in the upper grades who engaged him with questions about the office he now holds, his ministry, and his interests.
One of the students presented him with a color drawing she created of the interior of St. John Neumann Church.
The bishop took time to read many of the birthday cards that were given to him by students in the lower grades, and he spoke to each of those classes.
