Canonization ceremony, new cardinals, papal trip to Holy Land, Synod of Bishops chief among them VATICAN CITY — After a year that included the historic resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and a series of celebrated innovations by Pope Francis, it is hard to imagine 2014 at the Vatican could be …
Once upon a time: Giving is so much a part of Church teaching
Stewardship of financial resources and support of Bishop’s Appeal critical to a healthy diocese As I look back on nearly 75 years of formal education in the Catholic faith, I have many things for which to be grateful. My parents taught me the basic prayers, how to pray the rosary, …
Pro-life supporters ‘freeze for best cause in the world’
WASHINGTON (Catholic News Service/Catholic News Agency)— The polar vortex couldn’t chill the ardor of thousands of participants who demonstrated their determination to continue speaking out against abortion at the annual March for Life and rally Jan. 22 in Washington. Temperatures went briefly into double digits but hovered around 8 degrees. …
Diocesan educators, students prepare for Catholic Schools Week
Catholic Schools Week in the Diocese of Knoxville will kick off Sunday, Jan. 26, at many parish schools with Mass and open houses. Superintendent Sister Mary Mary Marta Abbott, RSM, has been collecting information on all the events occurring in the diocese’s 10 schools. This will be her third year …
Bishop Stika leads 2014 diocesan Men’s Conference
Bishop Richard F. Stika spent a morning and afternoon with some 165 participants at A Diocesan Men’s Conference: A Dialogue With Our Shepherd on Jan. 11 at All Saints Church. The conference was presented by the All Saints Peter and Paul Society and by Sacred Heart Parish’s St. Joseph Society. …
Rosary For Life attracts parishioners from across diocese
What looked to be a soggy Rosary For Life instead became a powerful witness for God and the sanctity of life Jan. 11 as a persistent downpour dried up when Cardinal Justin Rigali began prayer in front of Planned Parenthood’s East Knoxville clinic. Some 250 people from across the Diocese …
History of the Diocese of Knoxville now available
A book chronicling the history of the Diocese of Knoxville, published on occasion of the diocese’s 25th anniversary, is now available to East Tennessee Catholics. The illustrated History of the Diocese of Knoxville, a 160-page hardcover, tabletop book, was published by Éditions du Signe of Strasbourg, France. The book contains …
From the sublime to the Ordinary
The Liturgy of the Word for January is a fine tapestry woven into an intricate collage. One end, starting the Octave Day of Christmas, features the Book of Numbers where God tells Moses to teach Aaron how to bless the Israelites. It depicts the ideal living out of the Old …
Courts give last-minute relief from HHS contraceptive mandate
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — In the midst of their New Year’s Eve celebration with low-income elderly residents, the Baltimore-based Little Sisters of the Poor learned that the Supreme Court issued an injunction temporarily protecting them from the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate. The order by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, issued …
USCCB asks President Obama for exemption from fines over compliance with ACA law
By Catholic News Service WASHINGTON — The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops asked President Barack Obama to exempt religious institutions from fines related to health insurance requirements while legal challenges work their way through the courts. “The administration’s flexibility in implementing the (Affordable Care Act) has not …
Father Arthur Torres Barona ordained Dec. 14 in Colombia
Bishop Richard F. Stika ordained Deacon Arthur Torres Barona a priest on Dec. 14 at St. Anne Church in the ordinand’s native Cali, Colombia. Father Torres Barona becomes the 42nd priest ordained for the Diocese of Knoxville and the seventh ordained by Bishop Stika. He is also the second priest …
Men’s Winter Conference 2014 set for January
Bishop Richard F. Stika will lead the Diocese of Knoxville’s Men’s Winter Conference 2014. Registration is now open for the conference, entitled “A Dialogue with Our Shepherd.” All men of the diocese are invited to attend the special day with our bishop on Saturday, Jan. 11 from 9:30 a.m. to …
