Dr. Ruth Queen Smith, longtime pastoral associate at St. John XXIII University Parish and Catholic Center on the University of Tennessee-Knoxville campus, passed away May 18 after an extended illness. A funeral Mass was celebrated for Dr. Smith on May 24 at St. Henry Church in Nashville, where she retired …
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Bishop Stika announces priest assignments for diocese
From staff reports Bishop Richard F. Stika has announced several assignments for priests serving in the Diocese of Knoxville. Father Alex Waraksa, currently associate pastor at St. Patrick Church in Morristown, will be in residence at Holy Trinity Parish in Jefferson City and will serve the Hispanic communities in the …
V Encuentro retreat draws 29 young Catholic leaders
By Sedonna Prater Twenty-nine young leaders in diocesan Catholic schools stepped back for a day of reflection and a call to action through their participation in a V Encuentro retreat. The retreat was held at the diocesan Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton on May 11 and was …
Conor Metz of All Saints earns Eagle Scout Award
Conor Metz of Troop 444 in Farragut received his Eagle Scout Award at a Court of Honor held May 2. He is Eagle Scout No. 125 for Troop 444, which was established in 1991 and is chartered by Farragut Presbyterian Church. Conor is a son of Ann and David Metz …
Understanding the Sacraments: The ‘peculiar graces’ of the Mass
The saints, including St. John of the Cross and St. Faustina, experienced this liturgical presence in profound ways By Father Randy Stice The meaning and power of the liturgical year was elegantly summarized by Vatican Council II: “Within the cycle of a year, moreover, she [the Church] unfolds the whole …
Living the Readings: Pentecost to Ordinary Time
The nine Sundays of June and July include three key feast days By Father Joseph Brando This edition of The East Tennessee Catholic takes us beyond the Easter Season, through the feasts of Pentecost, Holy Trinity, and the Body and Blood of Christ, and right back into Ordinary Time. It’s …
KCHS alum graduates from U.S. Military Academy
Cadet Reese Staley, son of Jim and Patrice Staley, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy on May 27. Staley graduated from Knoxville Catholic High School in 2013. While at West Point, he received a bachelor of science degree in international history with a minor in environmental engineering. He was commissioned …
Marriage Enrichment: Communication is the bedrock of any relationship
Differences in language between two people, based on what their family of origin passed on, can present a challenge By Marian Christiana Language, both verbal and physical, is a key ingredient to good communication. The first two factors dealing with good communication both focus on language. The first reminds us …
Praying for Perspective: ‘Common Sense Parenting’ class came too late
Raising children brings daily parenting decisions that are surely ‘in the manual we never got’ By George Valadie We Valadies have had the opportunity to live in three very different cities since the original two of us grew larger than that. One small, one midsize, one very large city. Each …
SJNS seventh-graders achieve on ACT exam
St. John Neumann School in Farragut congratulated four seventh-graders for outstanding achievement on the ACT exam for the Duke Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP). Three students, Ella Myers, Isabella Ramos, and Alonso Vela, received state recognition for their scores. These students scored at or above the national average of recent …
KCHS junior puts service hours to good use
Knoxville Catholic High School junior Towns Hughes has taken KCHS’s service hour requirement and put his own mark on it. Knowing that service hours were required at Knoxville Catholic, Towns wanted to put his service to good use and make a difference in children’s lives. During summer 2016, Towns started …
NDHS duo named Academic All-Americans
Notre Dame High School seniors Audrey Barkeloo-Carter and Jordan Crumpler have been named Academic All-Americans by the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association of America Inc. More than 342,294 students are involved in aquatics at the high school level in more than 16,432 programs for boys and girls. Approximately 2 percent …