Knoxville event draws hundreds to celebrate an abortion-free Tennessee By Gabrielle Nolan Jan. 22 would have commemorated the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. It would have, if not for the fact that the legislation legalizing abortion throughout the United States was overturned by the Supreme Court on June 24 …
Bishop reflects on the Holy Father who appointed him to lead diocese
By Jim Wogan Bishop Richard F. Stika and Cardinal Justin Rigali had special relationships with Pope Benedict XVI, something one would expect between a bishop of Rome and a priest he named to lead one of the Church’s dioceses and between two members of the College of Cardinals. Bishop Stika …
Luisa Piccarreta lives at the heart of the Benedictine family
Servant of God’s life and Divine Will writings are a source of inspiration for the faithful By Bill Brewer In much of the world, Luisa Piccarreta is a saint in waiting whose prolific writings were divinely inspired and merit careful study. To much of East Tennessee, the Servant of God …
Fr. Augustine Idra marks 25th anniversary
Bishop Stika, priests, parishioners join together for Mass at St. Jude to celebrate the milestone By Claire Collins Father Augustine Idra, the regional superior for the Apostles of Jesus religious order and a former missionary to the Diocese of Knoxville, celebrated his 25th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood on …
‘A calling from the Lord’
Deacon John and Theresa Krepps share their adoption testimony By Gabrielle Nolan Theresa Krepps tells her children that even though they did not grow in her belly, they grew in her heart. Mrs. Krepps and her husband of 39 years, Deacon John Krepps, are the parents of five adopted children, …
St. Francis-Fairfield Glade Parish helps feed the hungry
Peavine Care Center and Crab Orchard Care Center food pantries received a donation of hundreds of turkeys and boxes of traditional Thanksgiving dinner food to feed hungry families in Cumberland County in time for the holiday in November. The boxes contained a traditional Thanksgiving meal that fed a family of …
KCHS helped launch Lady Vol broadcaster’s career
Legendary Vol and nationally known announcers, ‘a pretty long list,’ inspired Brian Rice By Dan McWilliams New Lady Vol basketball play-by-play announcer Brian Rice is one of the busiest people in Knoxville media, and his days as a student at Knoxville Catholic High School helped launch his broadcasting career. …
Schachle family visits St. Henry Church
A small white minivan pulled into the parking lot at St. Henry Church in Rogersville on Oct. 23, and six of the 13 Schachle children departed the vehicle along with parents Michelle and Daniel. They came to St. Henry by invitation of pastor Father Bart Okere, also the Tennessee state …
Multicultural rosary unites diocesan Catholics of all nationalities
By Bill Brewer Catholics from different nationalities whose common denominator is East Tennessee congregated for a multicultural rosary on Sept. 23 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus to commemorate National Migration Week and World Day of Migrants and Refugees. It was the second annual multicultural rosary …
A trip to remember
Scotland vacation puts schools superintendent in the middle of royal history By Jim Wogan In early September, Dr. Sedonna Prater, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Knoxville, and her husband, Ron, had an unexpected encounter with world history. Their much-anticipated and COVID-postponed trip to Scotland finally happened, and it …
’49 years, 5 months, and 2 days’
Tennessee Right to Life remembers a half-century spent defending unborn at annual event By Dan McWilliams Forty-nine years, five months, and two days—that’s how long abortion was the law of the land after Roe v. Wade. Tennessee Right to Life’s Knox County chapter marked the end of that nearly half-century …
St. Anne Parish in the middle of abortion debate
Bristol Catholic community standing for life as pro-choice facilities choose between Tennessee, Virginia By Casey Keeley After the June Supreme Court ruling reversing Roe v. Wade that now allows states to make their own decisions on abortion, Tennessee immediately sprang into action to protect the lives of the unborn. Gov. …












