St. Mary-Oak Ridge Knights council celebrates 75th anniversary

By Bill Brewer When the Father McRedmond Council of the Knights of Columbus was founded 75 years ago, a number of historic events framed the beginning of this faith-based Oak Ridge service organization. It was 1948, and the nation of Israel was created. Subsequently five Arab nations attacked the country. …

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Father Appiah’s ‘lei’ ministry

Diocesan priest and military chaplain marks 25th anniversary of ordination By Bill Brewer Father John Appiah is a priest on a mission, and he’s happy to share that duty with anyone, whether he’s in Hawaii or Turkey. The Diocese of Knoxville priest who is on assignment with the U.S. armed …

Adrienne Mary Swindeman

Adrienne Mary Swindeman, 84, died peacefully on Feb. 6, with her family at her side. Born Adrienne Mary Dwyer in Sydney, NSW, Australia, she spent her early years living in country towns and the Blue Mountains of NSW. She attended the University of Sydney and was a librarian with the …

God’s joy is abundant as KDCCW holds annual convention in Oak Ridge

Fr. Dan Whitman, keynote speaker Kelly Wahlquist encourage diocesan women to be God’s joyful witness to the world By Emily Booker Reflecting God’s Joy was the theme of the Knoxville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women’s 30th annual convention, and joy was visible among the women attending. The convention was held …

Capturing time in a capsule

St. Mary-Oak Ridge ends 75th-anniversary year with a historical nod to parish’s next generation         By Dan McWilliams Parishioners of St. Mary in Oak Ridge in 2043 will learn what life was like in 2018 when they open up a time capsule left by students and members of the parish …

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 …

St. Mary-Oak Ridge parishioner is new lieutenant governor

Sen. Randy McNally is first Catholic to hold state’s second-highest elected office By Bill Brewer When Diocese of Knoxville priest Father Michael Woods delivered the invocation to convene the 110th General Assembly in Nashville on Jan. 10, Sen. Randy McNally was putting his imprint on a longtime tradition in the …

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 …

St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge leads Community Matters public forums

Father Brent Shelton joins pastors at neighboring churches in hosting town hall meetings aimed at bringing city together            By Bill Brewer Black lives matter. Young lives matter. Police lives matter. All lives matter. As those mantras reached a crescendo around the country in recent months, the city of Oak Ridge …

Dominicans professing include one from Oak Ridge

Five young women recently made their perpetual profession of the simple vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience as Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation in Nashville. Among those making final profession was Sister Scholastica Niemann, OP, a former member of St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge. Sister Scholastica is the …

Some 240 faithful take part in diocesan Rites of Election

More than 200 soon-to-be Catholics participated in this year’s Rite of Election of Catechumens and Call to Continuing Conversion of Candidates, an important step on their journey to joining the Church. “There were roughly 240 combined—catechumens and candidates,” said Sister Mary Timothea Elliott, RSM, director of the diocesan Office of …

Cumberland Mountain Deanery calendar

“A More Beautiful You,” a retreat for high school girls, will be presented by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia at St. Mary Church in Oak Ridge on the weekend of Feb. 28–March 2. The retreat will begin at 6 p.m. Friday and end after the 10 a.m. Mass on …