Communal wedding Mass at Holy Ghost Church unites 14 Latino couples in holy matrimony From staff reports Gifts of the Holy Spirit were the ultimate wedding gifts for 14 Diocese of Knoxville couples who exchanged vows at Holy Ghost Church on June 15 in a ceremony to celebrate their …
Fr. John Orr installed into Order of Fleur de Lis
Father John Orr, pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Madisonville, was installed as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Fleur de Lis on Aug. 26 at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Long Beach, Miss. The Order of the Fleur de Lis is a nonprofit …
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 …
Father Orr successfully defends doctoral thesis
As the crowning moment of a highly successful residential fortnight for Maryvale Institute’s postgraduate research students, Father John Orr successfully defended his doctoral thesis at Maryvale in Birmingham, England, and is now set to become the first PhD graduate under the new partnership between the Institute and Liverpool Hope University. …
40-day vigil brings awareness to immigration reform
Parishioners across the Diocese of Knoxville are taking part in a 40-day vigil on immigration reform. The vigil, which is part of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants Campaign, began Aug. 15 and ends Sept. 23. The diocese is asking parishes, organizations and individuals to dedicate …
Priests attend conference at Nashville cathedral
Father John Orr and Monsignor Xavier Mankel of Holy Ghost Parish in Knoxville and Father Patrick Resen of St. Catherine Labouré Parish in Copperhill attended the second annual “Renewing the Priesthood” Conference, sponsored by the Thomistic Institute at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville from July 16-18. There were …
Parishioners re-enact Passion of Christ at churches
The Passion of Christ came to life on Holy Thursday and Good Friday as actors re-enacted Jesus’ last hours leading to his crucifixion in dramatic portrayals at Holy Ghost and All Saints churches. As it occurs in many Spanish-speaking countries, re-enactment of the Passion, or Living Stations of the Cross, …
Bless the beasts and the children
The beasts and children were indeed blessed Oct. 4 on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the beloved Catholic saint long associated with animals, as St. Joseph School celebrated its annual Blessing of the Animals. Led by Father John Orr, the school children listened to scripture, sang hymns, and …
