’Tis the season of Advent

Services abound as parishes prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ By Dan McWilliams Holy Ghost Parish in North Knoxville marked two feast days in late October with a eucharistic procession and a healing Mass to help its community mark the coming of Christ that will be celebrated diocesan-wide …

Communion and Liberation

Diocesan chapter of ecclesial movement getting underway at St. John Neumann By Bill Brewer The Diocese of Knoxville is now home to a new lay ministry that traces its roots to Italy and whose mission is to form its members as adults in the Christian faith who seek Jesus Christ …

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 Blessing the officers: man and his best friend

Police chaplain Fr. Charlie Donahue leads service for Knoxville’s finest By Bill Brewer With heavy hearts and a somber countenance on Oct. 6, Knoxville Police Department officers and their canine partners received prayers and a blessing from Father Charlie Donahue, CSP, to mark the feast of St. Francis of Assisi …

Longtime priest Father Hostettler dies at 100

He led parishes statewide for 73 years, including his beloved St. Catherine Labouré in Copperhill  By Dan McWilliams Father Paul Hostettler, a priest for 73 years who celebrated his 100th birthday in May and dearly loved his time at St. Catherine Labouré Parish in Copperhill in East Tennessee, passed away …

Our brethren before us

Students learn that care for departed, their burial grounds are part of Christian life By Emily Booker A burial ground, be it a cemetery, mausoleum, or columbarium, is an important part of a Catholic community. The Catechism says, “The bodies of the dead must be treated with respect and charity, …

Witnessing the culture

Schools superintendent gets acquainted with students, faculty at all 10 campuses By Gabrielle Nolan Mary Ann Deschaine, the new superintendent of Catholic schools, made the journey to all 10 Diocese of Knoxville schools at the beginning of the school year to get better acquainted with diocesan students and their teachers. …

Relics of Padre Pio exposed in diocese

Faithful from East Tennessee and beyond venerate beloved Italian saint By Dan McWilliams Hundreds of the faithful venerated the relics of St. Pio of Pietrelcina on Sept. 26 and 27 as they were exposed first at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville and then the …

Ulster Project unites Northern Ireland, U.S. teens

East Tennessee families host Northern Ireland youth and see the bonds and friendships that form   By Gabrielle Nolan Northern Ireland has a storied past of violence known as The Troubles, an ethno-nationalist conflict that lasted around 30 years from the 1960s to the 1990s. The population was divided, largely between …

‘Share the love of God with others’

Diocese facilitates World Youth Day pilgrimage to D.C. for young adults By Gabrielle Nolan The diocesan office of Youth, Young Adult, and Pastoral Juvenil Ministry led a pilgrimage Aug. 4-6 to Washington, D.C., for 20 young adults in conjunction with World Youth Day, an international event that occurs about every …

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd returns

All Saints serves as host in continuing formation training for children By Claire Collins All Saints Church in Knoxville served as host in July for a weeklong intensive training for Level 1 of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a program of the National Association of the Catechesis of the …

Driving the mission

Volunteer drivers answer call to get St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic where it needs to go By Bill Brewer There are a variety of ministries in which lay Catholics serve the Church. But when Mary Serbin and Randy Perrault answered the call, God had a slightly different path in mind for …

Fourteenth annual Irish Fest draws 700 to IC

By Dan McWilliams A little rain early on did not stop some 700 people from enjoying the 14th annual Irish Fest on Aug. 12, hosted again by Immaculate Conception Parish in downtown Knoxville. The event netted more than $10,000 that will be earmarked for capital repairs at IC. The Irish …