By The East Tennessee Catholic The Paraclete Catholic book and gift store, which operated in Knoxville for 37 years, closed permanently on July 3. The store had used space since 1990 in a building now owned by the Diocese of Knoxville and the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of …
St. Thérèse of Lisieux Women of Faith complete spiritual adoption
The Women of Faith at St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in Cleveland have completed another successful Spiritual Adoption Program. Last January, parishioners “spiritually adopted” an unborn child to pray for throughout pregnancy and birth. They were provided with a prayer card to aid their journey. Many parishioners named their babies …
Celebrating God’s presence in nature
Care for Creation is at heart of Our Lady of Fatima outdoor Mass, pet blessing By Maggie Parsons On the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa invited the faithful from around the diocese to attend an outdoor Mass and take part in the …
Advent beginnings
A new Pentecost Springtime awaits as we emerge from the dark days of winter By Bishop Mark Beckman Every Advent is the dawn of a new liturgical year. As the days grow shorter, Christians have for centuries lit candles in preparation for the coming feast of Christmas. The Advent wreath …
Joseph C. Gallagher
Joseph Cornelius Gallagher, a former resident of East Tennessee and faithful member of the Diocese of Knoxville whose award-winning career in sports broadcasting spanned many decades, passed away peacefully on June 13, just three weeks shy of his 97th birthday. Born on July 5, 1927, to Edward and Anna Gallagher, …
The anamnesis in the Eucharistic Prayer
The Greek word for memorial is found in the earliest account by St. Paul of the Last Supper By Father Randy Stice In the Eucharistic Prayer (EP), following the consecration we hear these words: “Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the saving passion of your Son, His …
Dennis B. Francis
Dennis Bruce Francis died on Oct. 29 in his West Knox County home after a brief, fierce battle with cancer. His wife, Theresa Habiger, daughter McKennah, and grandsons Bentley and Grayson were with him at his passing. Mr. Francis was a lifelong Catholic and a gifted trial lawyer who softened …
AI is everywhere—even in this column
Artificial intelligence writes the first eight paragraphs below as well as the closing prayer By George Valadie Wow, it was a lot! I’m talking about the deep dive I took recently into the world of artificial intelligence (AI). You’d think I was gearing up for a Ph.D. in computer science, …
St. John Neumann receives largest gift in its history, close to $4 million
St. John Neumann Church and School in Farragut were recently named as the beneficiaries of a historic gift in an anonymous donor’s estate plan. The commitment, with a current estimated value of close to $4 million, will be the largest gift in the history of the parish and school when …
The virtue of seeing Christ in others
In every encounter, we see one who is made in the image and likeness of God By Deacon Bob Hunt The universal call to holiness is one that is to be heard and acted on by every person who claims Christ as his or her savior. What does it mean …
Lavonne Marion Spicer
Lavonne (Vonnie) Marion Spicer, OFS, was called to her eternal rest, surrounded by family, on Oct. 29. She was 79. Born on July 19, 1945, in Oak Ridge, she was the oldest of five children. She attended the University of Tennessee, where she studied zoology. She met her to-be husband …
Dr. Thomas Haddox
Dr. Thomas “Tom” Fredrick Haddox, age 52, of Knoxville, passed away on Oct. 13. Dr. Haddox was a faithful member of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville since 2001. He was a graduate of Tulane University, University of Kent (England), and Vanderbilt University. He also was a Marshall Scholar and a …


