World Meeting of Families: one heavenly pilgrimage

In their words: Once-in-a-lifetime trip to see Pope Francis becomes a divine adventure for which thanks is given By Luis Gabriel Velasco Mindful that “we are pilgrims, not tourists,” a diverse group of 72 Diocese of Knoxville parishioners embarked on a most heavenly adventure Sept. 23 to see Pope Francis. …

Pope wows youth at World Meeting of Families

In their words: High school senior and recent Catholic convert witnesses pivotal moments in teens’ faith By Rhetta Botts Young people love Pope Francis. From his grandfatherly appearance to his undeniable love for serving the poor, “Papa Francisco” has captured the hearts of millennials. It is easy to say that …

Marriage enrichment: We are pilgrims, not tourists!

Remembering what our ‘mission’ is, we must take Pope Francis’ words to heart By Marian Christiana I have just returned from the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, and I want to share a bit about our pilgrimage. Seventy-two pilgrims from our diocese traveled together by bus to all three …

Bishop dedicates Chancery’s St. Joseph Courtyard

“What do we do now?” In marking the Diocese of Knoxville’s 27th anniversary on Sept. 8, Bishop Richard F. Stika recalled when he welcomed Cardinal Justin Rigali to the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 1994. After being formally introduced as the seventh archbishop of St. Louis, then-Archbishop Rigali turned to …

Bishop Stika assigns deacons to new diocesan parish posts

Bishop Richard F. Stika has announced the appointments of five deacons to parishes in the Diocese of Knoxville. Deacons Gaspar DeGaetano, Gary Brinkworth, Dan Alexander, Bob Lange and Joel Livingston Jr. received assignments to different parishes over the summer. Deacon Lange resumed serving at St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport on …

Once upon a time: Pray that God will grant the increase

Taking a look at the bishops among us provides hope in the future of the Church By Monsignor Xavier Mankel Sometimes comparisons can be helpful. Take dioceses as an example. The Diocese of Memphis has 10,682 square miles and 64,064 Catholics. The Diocese of Nashville has 16,302 square miles and …

Understanding the sacraments: ‘Order of Matrimony’ confirmed

Rome blesses English translation of second edition that outlines marriage rite By Father Randy Stice The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDWDS) has approved the English translation of the Order of Celebrating Matrimony, Second Edition (OCM). The first edition was issued in Latin in 1969 …

Knights’ Silver Rose visits Tennessee parishes

In September and October, the Silver Rose, the Knights of Columbus’ tribute to Our Lady of Guadalupe, made its way through Tennessee. Six silver roses will be carried through the United States to Mexico on different routes as part of a grand relay, being handed off from one Knights of …

CRS Helping Hands project turns out 10,000 meals

A highly organized assembly line of parishioners from across the Diocese of Knoxville gathered at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Lenoir City recently as part of an effort to help end hunger in Africa. Those who took part in the Helping Hands project, sponsored by Catholic Relief Services, helped …

St. Vincent de Paul Society holds Festival Meeting

The  St. Vincent de Paul Society, District Council of Knoxville, held a Festival Meeting and “Day for Spiritual Renewal” hosted by the St. John Neumann Conference on Sept. 12 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There are currently nine parishes within the Diocese of Knoxville that have active St. Vincent …

Sacred Heart Knights Council 5207 changes name

At its annual meeting in Philadelphia, the Knights of Columbus supreme board of directors voted to approve changing the Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish council name to Sacred Heart Cathedral Council 5207 from the Vincent J. Gleason Council. “The change in our name represents a new era for our council and …

He dwells among us: Evil without its makeup

By Bishop Richard F. Stika Decades ago, people on another continent shocked the world, saying, “We did not know” regarding the atrocities they chose to ignore. And before that, our own country enshrined as the law of its land the slavery of those we deemed less than human. Yet today, …