With much gratitude

Reflecting on a year with God’s beauty and gift of faith

By Bishop Beckman

On a 30-day Ignatian Retreat, my director noted at one point that God gave us the gift of memory for two primary reasons: wisdom and gratitude. Wisdom gleaned from reflecting on our past mistakes and gratitude in reflecting on all the blessings God has given us throughout our life.

One year ago I was busily preparing to begin my great journey to Knoxville to become your bishop. It was a profound time of reflecting on the whole of my life and the many, many blessings I had experienced in 34 years of priesthood—and indeed through the whole of my life.

There was certainly sadness in saying goodbye to daily interactions with many friends, but also great excitement and wonder as I was preparing for this whole new vocation of being your shepherd.

This past year I have grown in wisdom (which means I am still learning from my mistakes!) and especially in gratitude. This Diocese of Knoxville is a true treasure.

The beautiful vespers service in the cathedral church on the feast of St. James the Apostle and the warm reception afterward are etched in my mind. The day of ordination and installation was an extraordinary celebration of this local church.

To see the faces of so many people gathered from every region of this diocese, the beautiful witness of all of our priests, deacons, and seminarians, and the countless hours our Chancery staff put into the celebration were amazing.

The beauty of the liturgy, especially the ministry of music, added solemnity and joy. Traveling around East Tennessee, I am still greeted by many with the words: “We were at your installation…” or “We watched it online!”

Recently as I led the young adults of our cathedral on a hike in the Great Smoky Mountains, one of the young people confided to me that it was the beauty of the ordination liturgy last summer that brought him into the Catholic Church this past Easter! The Lord really does speak powerfully in the liturgy and in His people, drawing us more deeply into the mystery of Christ.

Gratitude is the one best word that summarizes the movement of my heart as I ponder the last year.

I have a clear memory of the beautiful spring morning I drove up to Mountain City to celebrate Sunday Mass and to confirm a young person at St. Anthony of Padua. Watauga Lake lay to the left as I drove early that day surrounded by mountains, with redbuds blooming everywhere. It is the farthest northeastern tip of our diocese nestled in the Appalachians.

I was reminded that morning, as on so many mornings, that the beauty of East Tennessee’s mountains spreads in every direction. Memories of fog floating in the valleys as I drove from the south up to Crossville, and, too, of bright morning light on the outskirts of St. Henry to the north on another fine Sunday morning.

Celebrating Mass and confirmations one evening on our southeastern tip in Copperhill brings back another great moment. Father Jerry Daniels drove me through that wild country up by the Ocoee River as evening was falling. The Georgia state line runs right through the church. I celebrated Mass at the altar in Georgia, while the folks in the pews (a mixed congregation from North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee) attended in Tennessee! So many faces of welcoming parishioners, of young folks eager to be confirmed, remain in my memory with joy.

This coming year promises to be one where the Lord continues to call all of us to radiate His light and love here in East Tennessee. The beautiful gift of our faith is meant to be lived out and handed on as good news for everyone here in this treasured part of our country, good news especially for those who are living in fear, searching for hope, and seeking a deeper meaning in this turbulent world.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, let us together continue this beautiful journey ahead!