We are part of this great living chain of God’s holy ones in East Tennessee
By Bishop Mark Beckman
When I was a child and we would see my father heading to the door, we would often ask, “Where are you going?” And sometimes with a smile he would answer, “Crazy…you wanna go?”
That memory still makes me laugh. But on a more serious note, I think that is one of the questions we all have in life—where are we going?
Recently, we celebrated a “Founders Mass” and gathering for those who were part of our beginnings back in 1988 when the Diocese of Knoxville was created. Almost 40 years ago, St. John Paul II created this diocese here in East Tennessee.
That beautiful beginning took great work on the part of many people: priests, deacons, religious, and many laymen and laywomen. Hearing the stories about the great energy and love that were part of our foundation has been an inspiration.
As we prepare to mark our 40th anniversary in 2028, the Catholic Leadership Institute has been working with our diocese to create a strategic plan for our future. Sam Keen, in the book Fire in the Belly, noted that everyone has to answer two great questions in life: First, “Where am I going?” and secondly, “Who will go with me?”
A good plan is a roadmap that sets a direction for the future. Our strategic planning team met this summer over a series of three two-day meetings, representing folks from across our great diocese from the Tri-Cities to Chattanooga and beyond, with a broad representation of clergy and laity. While the first draft is still a work in progress, which will soon be published, what is clear is that five great priorities emerged.
These five points include a focus on:
- Supporting and increasing vocations to the priesthood;
- Engaging our youth and young adults;
- Reaching out and serving all our neighbors in need;
- Providing lifelong formation to all our parishioners in becoming more effective missionary disciples of the Lord;
- Support for our Catholic schools throughout the diocese.
These priorities and the detailed work of implementing them with measurable strategies will be the great work of the next several years to come. They are an invitation to all of us to help our young Catholic Church here in East Tennessee continue to grow and thrive. They give a clear vision of “where we are going.”
The second question—“who will go with us?”—reminds me of one definition of Catholicism attributed to Irish author James Joyce, which is “Here comes everybody!”
The very word “catholic” means “universal” from the root words in Greek that refer to being spread over the whole inhabited world. The truth is that God needs all of us, and He invites us all to respond to His call.
The kingdom of God depends on the energy and love of all of God’s people. We all have a role to play in helping this beautiful young Church here in East Tennessee to continue to grow and thrive.
We have received the precious treasure of Christian faith from countless men and women who have gone before us. They have followed Jesus in many ways; they have embodied God’s love; and they have been beacons of light in this world.
One of my theology professors in Louvain used the acronym “OTSOG” to remind us that we stand “On the Shoulders of Giants.” As your shepherd, I want to invite all of you to take part in this great endeavor that calls us into God’s future.
We do indeed “stand on the shoulders of giants” who help us to look further, but each of us are now part of this great living chain of God’s holy ones, called today to make our contribution of time, energy, and love to the building-up of the people of God here in East Tennessee!
Holy Spirit, fill us with the fire of your love in all that we do for the glory of God.