High school wings named in honor of Msgrs. Mankel, Garrity

By Bill Brewer Monsignors Xavier Mankel and Patrick Garrity have been recognized for their years of service to Knoxville Catholic High School with school wings named in their honor. The two longtime Diocese of Knoxville priests, who served as principals of the diocesan high school, were honored April 4 at …

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 …

Knights Cup raises $10,000 for Catholic Charities

By Dan McWilliams Rain plagued the Knights Cup Lacrosse Tournament at Knoxville Catholic High School for the second straight year but didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the event’s donors. The second annual tourney took place April 21 and 22 at KCHS’s Blaine Stadium and featured the semifinals and finals of …

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 …

Knights elect Holy Family’s Tracy Staller as new state deputy

By Andy Telli The Tennessee Knights of Columbus elected a new leader during their annual state convention, held April 28-30 at the Franklin Marriott at Cool Springs, but the emphasis on service remains the same. “I’m a firm believer if you ask a man why he joined [the Knights of …

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 …