Bishop leads basilica Mass marking solemnity of Immaculate Conception, meets with Serrans
By Bill Brewer
Bishop Mark Beckman marked the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, where he celebrated Mass and also recognized the Serra Club of Chattanooga for its work in promoting vocations in the Diocese of Knoxville.
In his homily, Bishop Beckman praised Mary as “the dawn of a new day” when she said yes to God, becoming the Blessed Mother of Jesus.
The solemnity of the Immaculate Conception recognizing the Blessed Mother is always celebrated on Dec. 8 except when Dec. 8 falls on a Sunday during Advent, which takes liturgical precedence over the feast day. The 2024 solemnity Mass was held on Monday, Dec. 9, which also is the feast of St. Juan Diego.
Bishop Beckman began his homily with the assertion that the first question God asks humanity is “Where are you, Adam?”
Bishop Beckman is joined at the altar by, from left, Deacon Hicks Armor, Father Charlie Burton, Father Alex Waraksa, Father Michael Hendershott, and Father Alex Hernandez. Bishop Beckman recognized the Serra Club during Mass and attended a Serra Club luncheon afterward. (Photo Bill Brewer)
The bishop said Adam’s response to God was “I heard you in the garden and I hid myself.” The bishop noted that the response was a defense of sin that caused a person to hide from God in the darkness.
“And all of us who are honest know that experience, that we’ve turned from how God created us to be to knowing the ripple effects of our shame that causes us to want to hide from God,” he said. “It’s the feeling that envelops the human heart in those moments that is like a veil that covers the heart.”
The bishop shared that one of his favorite things to do in the summertime during warm weather is to begin his day with morning prayer outside on a porch, pointing out that when he begins prayer it is usually still dark.
“One of the things that happens during my morning prayer is the first ray of sun begins to touch the eastern sky,” he said, adding that often accompanying the first light of sun is a surge of joy at the dawn of a new day.
“This day of the Immaculate Conception of Mary is the break of a new day for all of humanity dating through all of creation,” Bishop Beckman said. “Preparation for God’s grace in Mary and her selection in the very womb of her mother, free from the tyranny of jealous men, is like the ray of a new day. The work of God is beginning. It’s the restoration of creation to our original purpose.”
The bishop cited the Gospel for Dec. 9, Luke 1:26-38, which told of the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary. “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” Gabriel then answered Mary’s questions about becoming the mother of Jesus.
Bishop Beckman then continued, saying that as the dawn began to send away the darkness, the Word became flesh because Mary said “yes.”
“It is the dawn of a new day. Jesus Christ took human flesh through the love of Mary,” he concluded, asking the faithful to be vigilant in recognizing the new day God has provided.
Following Mass, Bishop Beckman was the guest of honor at a Serra Club luncheon in Varallo Hall at the basilica.
“It’s great to be with the Serra Club of Chattanooga. I believe it’s the only active Serra Club in the diocese right now. So, we have to spread your good work throughout the rest of the diocese, in the Tri-Cities and Knoxville,” the bishop said as he began his remarks for the luncheon.
He shared with the group that his first experience with the Serra Club was as a seminarian in the 1980s, when the Serra Club of Nashville invited him to tell the story of his call to the priesthood. At the time, he was preparing to study at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium.
“The gift of the Serrans, in my experience, has been that you are a great support to our priests and also especially to our seminarians. My hope is that this great work will continue and it will spread,” the bishop said.
Members of the Serra Club in Chattanooga follow with interest Bishop Mark Beckman’s remarks. (Photo Bill Brewer)
The bishop fielded questions from Serra Club members following lunch in Varallo Hall.
When asked how he is doing as bishop since his July 26 ordination and installation, Bishop Beckman answered, “I’m enjoying it a great deal. The welcome has been overwhelming and beautiful.”
“We have a beautiful diversity in this diocese. I’ve been to the Spanish houses of prayer here in Chattanooga. I’ve been with the Vietnamese Catholic community here in Chattanooga. I also have been with the Vietnamese Catholic community in Knoxville. Our Hispanic community, as you probably know, is from many different cultures … Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Venezuela, Peru, a lot of different countries. I love the fact that we have such a diverse community,” he continued.
To many laughs, the bishop was asked what has been his favorite place that he has visited.
Bishop Beckman, also laughing, said, “That’s like asking parents who their favorite child is. You can’t answer a question like that. … All of them.”
The bishop was asked what resources are available for youth catechesis as well as for equipping young married couples for marital success.
“When the U.S. bishops met in Baltimore a few weeks ago, one of the presentations was on Pope Francis calling for the need for a catechumenal model for marriage preparation. Just as parishes are so intentional with people who are becoming Catholic, we accompany them and help answer their questions to form them well, to be ready for the Easter sacraments. Perhaps parishes could envision a catechumenal model welcoming engaged couples and helping them to walk the journey to marriage. That could be one helpful approach,” the bishop answered.
Bishop Beckman said at the parish he came from, St. Henry in Nashville, a deacon who assisted with marriage preparation offered to start a mentor-couple program in the parish, which the deacon formed. In that program, married couples walked with those preparing for marriage and discussed various topics with them and attended their wedding, and the fruit of the program is that newlywed couples would remain engaged with the parish after their wedding.
“That was a gift. And there are many good resources out there. It’s definitely worth exploring,” he said.
Bishop Beckman said he is very much enjoying working with the priests of the Diocese of Knoxville.
“We have great priests in this diocese, and I enjoy being with them. I enjoy my time with the priests. It’s a gift,” he said.
Several people at the luncheon told Bishop Beckman they were grateful to him for saying “yes” to God and Pope Francis in becoming the Diocese of Knoxville’s fourth shepherd.
The bishop, in turn, said he is grateful for them and for all the faithful in East Tennessee.
When asked what his greatest challenges are, he responded that when a priest or someone else is struggling with an issue, he holds that close to his heart. “That’s something I carry very heavily. When someone is carrying something, I also carry it,” he said.
He shared with the group that the Sisters of Mercy inspired him “a great deal” when he was a child, as did a favorite pastor when he was young who was close to God and very prayerful.
“That was really the seed of my vocation. I thought, ‘You know, if I could be as close, God, to you as Father seems to be to you and his people, I would consider a vocation to the priesthood.’ That was very significant,” the bishop said.
Father Michael Hendershott, associate pastor of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, is recognized by Serra Club president Raleigh Cooper in Varallo Hall. (Photo Bill Brewer)
Bishop Beckman also was asked what options are available to the St. Faustina Public Association of the Faithful, which is the Vietnamese Catholic community in Chattanooga, for locating a church building and elevating their status in the diocese.
“When a parish is looking to buy a place for a church home, there are important steps in a process to prepare to do that. We always communicate that to the pastors and the leadership so they know what they have to do to be ready to do that. We have done that with the St. Faustina community, and we will continue to work with them,” he told the group.
Bishop Beckman also convened with the Serra Club members on Jan. 20 during a Chattanooga Deanery vocation appreciation dinner for priests, religious, and deacons.
Raleigh Cooper, president of the Serra Club of Chattanooga, said maintaining and growing vocations in the Diocese of Knoxville is critical to the life of the diocese, and the need for vocations is ongoing.
The Serrans’ efforts start early.
“We support the seminarians. We send them monetary gifts. We send them greetings on their birthday. And we write to them to let them know how important they are to us. And we pray,” Mr. Cooper said.
He said the Serrans also pray daily for the vocation leaders in the diocese—Father Mark Schuster, pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville, who is the diocesan vocations director; Father Arthur Torres, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Chattanooga, who is assistant vocations director; and Beth Parsons, who is the diocesan vocations office manager.
The vision for Mr. Cooper and the Serrans is not only to see the diocese’s vocations program remain healthy and get even stronger, but also to see each parish in the diocese take an active role in growing vocations. That is Mr. Cooper’s goal for 2025.
