He dwells among us: Teachable moments

The Holy Spirit educates us on all things, and the Church is His schoolhouse, where we must always be open to learning or risk becoming spiritual dropouts By Bishop Richard F. Stika Another school year has begun, and we pray for the safety and success of our teachers, school administrators, …

Shelter from a Sevier firestorm

Diocese of Knoxville distributes nearly $369,000 to assist victims of the Gatlinburg fires By Bill Brewer Karla Amador now can breathe a deep sigh of relief, something she struggled to do on Nov. 28, 2016, and in the days and weeks following the now-historic date. Nearly nine months after the …

Eclipse illustrates God’s creation to astronomers of all ages

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. – Psalm 19:1 When darkness descended on East Tennessee in the early afternoon of Aug. 21, astronomers of all ages looked to the sky to see the alignment of the moon …

Faith on the Border

East Tennessee is home to parishes that serve both sides of the state line By Dan McWilliams Photography by Stephanie Richer The universal Church always has transcended geographical borders. Nowhere is that more evident than in East Tennessee. Yes, East Tennessee is blessed with several Catholic churches located in border …

Our Lady of the Mount, Lookout Mountain, Ga.: Celebrating community

Part of the Faith on the Border series By Dan McWilliams Lookout Mountain’s Catholic church is only a short distance from the Tennessee line and draws many people from the Chattanooga area. Father Tom Shuler is pastor of the border parish that sits inside Georgia. “It presents an interesting situation …

Our Lady of Lourdes, South Pittsburg: When it comes to God, there are no rivalries

Part of the Faith on the Border series By Dan McWilliams The parish in the Diocese of Knoxville’s southwestern corner draws a sizable number of folks from northeastern Alabama. Deanna Jordi of Bridgeport, Ala., says Our Lady of Lourdes is “only about five miles away,” compared with the Catholic church …

St. Anne, Bristol, Va.: Administering the sacraments in a border parish

Part of the Faith on the Border series By Dan McWilliams The ultimate border town, with State Street in downtown Bristol dividing Tennessee and Virginia, has a Catholic church on the Virginia side that still draws plenty of people from Bristol, Tenn. St. Anne pastor Father Kevin Segerblom, who was …

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St. Boniface, Jellico, Tenn./Ky.: Tennesseans attending Mass in Kentucky

Part of the Faith on the Border series By Dan McWilliams St. Boniface sits on the Kentucky side of the state line, but the Tennessee border runs directly behind the church and its adjacent Catholic cemetery. The church is part of the Diocese of Lexington, and, on the Diocese of …

St. Catherine Labouré, Copperhill: an interstate congregation

Part of the Faith on the Border series By Dan McWilliams The Georgia-Tennessee state line bisects this little church, located in the Diocese of Knoxville’s southeastern corner. The diagonal direction of the line leaves the front door of the church in Tennessee and the altar in Georgia. So when St. …

Retired Maronite Bishop Robert J. Shaheen dies at age 80

By Jennifer Brinker / St. Louis Review ST. LOUIS — Bishop Robert J. Shaheen, the first Maronite priest to be ordained in the United States and a priest and bishop in St. Louis for a half-century, died Aug. 9. Bishop Shaheen, who celebrated his 80th birthday in June, was the …

Funeral Mass celebrated for Deacon Norman George Amero

A funeral Mass was celebrated Aug. 8 at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge for Deacon Norman George Amero, who died Aug. 1 at his home after a three-year battle with cancer. He was 77. Bishop Richard F. Stika was the principal celebrant of the Mass. Concelebrating were priests of …

Praying for perspective: A view from on high

We may not see each other as God sees us, which can be very humbling By George Valadie Our youngest daughter recently moved back to Chattanooga and found an apartment downtown. We love to visit her and pretend we are cool. We take her to all the trendy places for …