3

Sacred and southern

‘A High Lonesome Mass’ combines Mass settings and bluegrass style in joyful performance      By Emily Booker By the sound of it, you may not have been sure if it was a Catholic Mass, an old-time Protestant revival, or a Rhythm and Roots stage, but it was certainly a sound glorifying …

Pope Francis encourages participation in the Season of Creation

Creation Care ministries in Diocese of Knoxville parishes offering celebrations By Mary Tankersley and Denise Clark In 2015, Pope Francis boldly set out to make a profound moral and scientific statement regarding humanity’s relationship with the natural world by releasing his encyclical On Care for Our Common Home, or Laudato …

Our Lady of Fatima Parish is debt free in 2023

Fr. Iorio, church members mark occasion by ceremonial burning of the mortgage By Bill Brewer Our Lady of Fatima celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi with Mass and a eucharistic procession on the campus of the Alcoa parish. But the celebration didn’t end there. Father Peter Iorio, pastor of Our …

Parish ministries live out call of Laudato Si’

Pope Francis’ encyclical inspires East Tennessee Catholics ‘to achieve climate and ecological justice’    By Gabrielle Nolan “Care for our common home.” This phrase was made popular by Pope Francis in his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, in which the pope both encourages the faithful to practice good stewardship toward the …

Our Lady of Fatima poet offers healing via prose to parents

By Claire Collins Megan Ulrich, a parishioner of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa, is using her God-given gift of writing to shed light on and start more conversations about the realities of motherhood and parenthood — the things that are the most beautiful and the most challenging to …

‘God’s dwelling place’

Our Lady of Fatima Parish marks the 20th year since its ‘new’ church was dedicated in Blount County       By Bill Brewer A special Mass celebrated March 11 to mark the 20th anniversary of the dedication of Our Lady of Fatima’s present church, parish hall, and offices, was as much …

1

Catholic veterans post helps vets with ‘anything’

Post 1973 at Our Lady of Fatima assists vets in a variety of projects, including food drives and flag-retirement ceremonies By Bill Brewer Deacon Ken Long spends each Tuesday giving Communion to a small group of men he barely knows but shares much in common. He’s a veteran helping other …

Our Lady of Fatima Parish hosting 28th annual Knoxville Diocesan CCW Convention

The 28th annual Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women Convention is set for May 4-6 at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa. Thursday’s schedule includes the memorial Mass celebrated by Bishop Richard F. Stika, a banquet, and keynote speaker Jeff Gardner of the Picture Christians Project. Friday’s events include …

St. Thérèse is role model for Little Flowers Club for young girls

Our Lady of Fatima Parish starts chapter that encourages youth to grow in virtue By Emily Booker Young girls are growing a garden of virtues through the Little Flowers Club at Our Lady of Fatima Parish. Named after St. Thérèse of Lisieux, known as “the Little Flower,” the Little Flowers …

St. Mary, Our Lady of Fatima projects have future in mind

Parishes taking part in Wave 3 of Home Campaign are thinking ahead as fundraising efforts take place                           By Emily Booker Being a lasting, engaged, and vital component of the community is a lot like farming: it all starts by cultivating the soil and planting seeds. As part of Wave …

Our Lady of Fatima Parish hosts Blount County celebration of life

Ecumenical service held as nation prepared to mark the 43rd anniversary of landmark Roe v. Wade decision By Bill Brewer Pro-life supporters from Blount County gathered at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Alcoa Jan. 12 for a celebration of life and remembrance service as the nation prepared to mark …

Veterans Day 2015 has special meaning at Our Lady of Fatima

Parish becomes first in diocese to have a Catholic War Veterans of the United States of America post                    By Bill Brewer Veterans Day hit a little closer to home this year at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa. OLOF will be the first parish in the Diocese of Knoxville …