Bishop Stika, Cardinal Rigali, more than 20 priests, and many others join in for the occasion By Dan McWilliams When a church is filled with the faithful at a priest’s 50th-anniversary celebration, and when some two dozen priests turn out for the occasion, it speaks to the love for the …
Bishop Stika dedicates Rutledge church
New St. John Paul II Catholic Mission building serves Grainger County faith community By Dan McWilliams When Bishop Richard F. Stika dedicated the new church building for St. John Paul II Catholic Mission in Rutledge on May 29, he shared his personal connection with its namesake pope. The bishop was …
Knights’ Silver Rose visits St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Madisonville
A Silver Rose was featured prominently in a special liturgical service March 30 at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Madisonville. The Silver Rose program, sponsored by Knights of Columbus Council 15585, is a national devotion in honor of Our Lady, with a specific dedication to the sanctity of human …
Easter basket project in Chattanooga brings joy to children in need
An Easter basket project in Chattanooga started about eight or so years ago with one individual person, Joni Hotchkiss, who liked to bring joy by making Easter baskets for others in need. Once she was making more baskets than she could handle by herself, it grew into a Lenten service …
St. John XXIII Parish (finally) marks 50th anniversary
By Jim Wogan It took longer than expected, but parishioners of St. John XXIII last month finally marked the 50th anniversary of their parish’s dedication—52 years after it happened. The COVID pandemic stalled the original plans for the Catholic community’s jubilee by two years, but the delay didn’t mask the …
Father Sturm installed as pastor of two parishes
Bishop Stika performs the rite at OLPH in LaFollette and again at Christ the King in Tazewell By Dan McWilliams Father Sam Sturm recently had the feeling that it was déjà vu all over again, to quote the great Yogi Berra. Although Father Sturm has had his current assignment for …
Speaker Melissa Foley leads Lenten talk, prayer for women at St. John Neumann
Speaker Melissa Foley leads Lenten talk, prayer for women at St. John Neumann By Gabrielle Nolan “Am I worth dying for?” Women of the diocese were presented with this question at a Lenten evening of reflection at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut on Mar. 31. Nearly 100 women gathered …
On the road again
Bishop Stika resumes a full confirmation schedule as youth prepare to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit By Dan McWilliams Bishop Richard F. Stika is back on the road conferring confirmations after COVID paused most of his celebrations of the sacrament last year, and no one may be any …
Following GPS during the holiest of seasons
Does God’s Plan for Salvation include you? IC Lenten ecumenical service offers a map to penance By Bill Brewer In the holiest spirit of neighborly ecumenism, downtown Knoxville churches celebrated the Lenten season leading into Easter by sharing each other’s faith practices, and Immaculate Conception Church was at the forefront. …
Mission: Possible
St. Dominic Parish hosts first men’s conference, hopes to turn it into an annual Lenten event By Bill Brewer When the mission is sainthood, achieving the holiest of endeavors—getting to heaven—is of utmost importance to anyone of faith. And for dozens of men in the Five Rivers Deanery who aspire …
Knights of Columbus Council 645 marks 120 years of service
Members past and present are recognized for continuing the faith-based traditions of one of Tennessee’s oldest councils By Bill Brewer Knights of Columbus Council 645 at Immaculate Conception Church marked a milestone last month when it celebrated its 120th anniversary, tracing its origin to February 1902. To put the date …
Wedding celebration welcomes back Sacred Heart newlyweds
Dozens of couples married at new cathedral since 2018 reunite to mark National Marriage Week USA By Gabrielle Nolan Nearly 50 married couples gathered at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville for an evening to celebrate their unique marriages. The event, which took place the …