www.dioceseofknoxvi l le .org

THE EAST TENNESSEE

The NEWSPAPER of the DIOCESE of KNOXVILLEVolume 19 • Number 9 • January 10, 2010

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t. Joseph Schoolcelebrated a

milestone on Dec. 18,with the dedicationof its new gymnasi-um. For the firsttime, the Knoxvilleelementary school,built in 1962, has aregulation-size bas-ketball court and agenerous space forthe performing arts.

During morningMass before the dedi-cation ceremony,Bishop Richard F. Sti-ka exhorted students,teachers, staff, anddozens of adult pa-trons and friends tobe like St. Joseph, thecarpenter, in buildingup the church.

“Today is very spe-cial for St. JosephSchool, and it’s spe-cial for me becauseSt. Joseph is one ofmy favorite saints,”the bishop said. “Hewas a carpenter.What do carpentersdo? They makethings, like the peo-ple of Blaine Con-struction [ofKnoxville, who builtthe structure].”

The architect forthe project was

Robert Krusenklausof Rlk Architecture inKnoxville.

But Christians canbe builders evenwithout doing manu-al work, the bishopsaid.

“I like that sign [on

the wall here]: ‘All Ido today, dear Lord, Ioffer up to you.’ Insome ways, that’s likebuilding things. It’scalled buildingchurch.”

That occurs whenwe have Jesus in our

life, the bishop said,and Jesus in turn “in-vites us to come to-gether like a family.”

The 13,000-square-foot, $1.4 million fa-cility will serve notonly as a gym but alsothe site of plays, mu-

sical performances,the annual Ad-vent–Christmas pro-gram and Mardi Grasfundraiser, dinners,and other activities.Ground was brokenon Nov. 21, 2008.

Pope: the key topeace is respectfor humanity andall of creation

New gym for St. Joseph SchoolBishop Stika dedicates the Knoxville school’s facility and encourages students to ‘build church.’ By Mary C. Weaver

NEW YEAR’S DAY PopeBenedict XVI greets thecrowd gathered in St. Pe-ter’s Square for recitationof the Angelus prayer atthe Vatican Jan. 1.

BY CINDY WOODEN

VATICAN CITY(CNS)—The keys topeace and a better fu-ture are having respectfor every human beingand all of creation asGod’s handiwork andtrusting in God’s over-whelming love, PopeBenedict XVI said.

Marking the newyear with the celebra-tion Jan. 1 of the feastof Mary, Mother ofGod, and World PeaceDay—and with An-gelus recitations Jan.1 and 3—Pope Bene-dict reminded Chris-tians that God’spromises require a re-sponse.

“The divine plan isnot accomplished au-tomatically because it

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BY DAN MCWILLIAMS

he dedication lastmonth of the Faris

Field House at KnoxvilleCatholic High School, an

expansion of the existingAll Sports Complex, hon-ored a couple who havelong supported KCHS and

sent all four of their chil-dren to the school.

Bishop Richard F. Stikablessed the field house Dec.

13 with John and SondraFaris in attendance. Also onhand were John Faris Jr. ofthe KCHS class of 2004 andhis younger brothers Jay(’06), Jeffrey (’08), and Jake(’10). Others present in-cluded KCHS principalDickie Sompayrac, footballhead coach Scott Meadows,booster-club members, andschool parents, students,donors, and staffers.

The $950,000 field-houseaddition, which includes anew locker room, weightroom, and training room,completes the third and fi-nal phase of the school’sLiving Our MissionThrough Growth capitalcampaign. The expansionadded more than 8,000square feet to the athleticfacilities. Before the cam-paign more than 420 stu-dent athletes were sharinglocker rooms designed toserve 100.

The senior Faris thankedthe bishop for blessing thebuilding and recalled howfar the high school hascome in the way of facilitiessince moving west to its

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Field-house addition completes KCHS capital campaignSchool donors and parents John and Sondra Faris attend as Bishop Stika dedicates an expansion of the All Sports Complex named for them.

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Field house continued on page 3

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BUILDING BLESSING Knoxville Catholic High School principal Dickie Sompayrac reads during the bless-ing ceremony for the Faris Field House on Dec. 13 as Bishop Richard F. Stika looks on. The expansion ofthe field house, which adds a locker room, weight room, and training room, totals more than 8,000 squarefeet. Mr. Sompayrac said athletes and non-athletes alike are using the roomier new facility.

SPECIAL DAY St. Joseph students, teachers, and staff listen to Bishop Richard F. Stika shortly before he blesses theKnoxville school’s new gymnasium and performing-arts center on Dec. 18. Seen in the background are (from left)Dr. Sherry Morgan, superintendent of Catholic Schools, Father John Orr of Holy Ghost Parish, and Father Joe Cic-cone, CSP, of Immaculate Conception Parish. Monsignor Xavier Mankel, Holy Ghost pastor, is partly hidden.

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New year continued on page 2

Pope visits soup kitchenPope Benedict XVI touches the face of a child during aDec. 27 visit to a soup kitchen and language schoolrun by the Sant’Egidio Community in Rome. The pon-tiff brought a carload of gifts for the children and ex-pressed his love for those the center assists. page 8

Dear Lord:We pray that theBlessed Mother willwrap her mantlearound your priestsand through her inter-cession strengthenthem for their ministry.

We pray that Marywill guide your prieststo follow her ownwords, “Do whateverhe tells you” (John 2:5).

May your priestshave the heart of St.Joseph, Mary’s mostchaste spouse.

May the BlessedMother’s own piercedheart inspire them toembrace all who sufferat the foot of the cross.

May your priests beholy and filled with thefire of your love, seek-ing nothing but yourgreater glory and thesalvation of souls.

Amen.St. John Vianney,

pray for us. ■

Download prayers anda rosary booklet:bit.ly/priestprayers.

Please pray for our priests

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By now al-most everystore in thecountry hasput awayanything thathad to dowith Christ-mas. It’s beenreplacedwith white

sales and whatever comes af-ter that. For the merchants,Christmas is only one gim-mick for selling goods. But forGod, Christmas is not a pass-ing season. Jesus’ birth wasnot only the culmination ofcenturies of preparation butalso the beginning of an agewherein Christ’s presence inthe world grows everstronger. In actuality, theChristmas season will not enduntil the whole world experi-ences and accepts the grace ofGod.

Today’s Gospel relates one

of the subsequent movementsof Christmas. Jesus had beenborn and spent the first 30 orso years of his life listening.He listened to Mary andJoseph and was obedient tothem. Here, Luke narrates thestart of his public ministry.God’s presence becomesstronger, even to the point ofbecoming visible and audible.Luke asserts that “the HolySpirit descended in bodilyform like a dove. And a voicecame from heaven.”

That was a profound mo-ment. The Second Person ofthe Blessed Trinity had beenon Earth for more than 30years, and the people thoughtsomeone else, namely John,was the Messiah. Jesus cameon the scene gently—even,one could say, humbly. Thatwas according to the planmade known 700 years earlierby Isaiah. In the first readingwe hear the prophet say,

“Comfort, give comfort to mypeople . . . speak tenderly toJerusalem and proclaim to herthat her service is at an end.”

Then Isaiah describes theBaptist’s role by orderingevery valley to be filled in andthe mountains and hills madelow. Only after that prepara-tion will it be time to cry outat the top of your voice,“Here is your God!” That iswhat today is about. God is inour midst.

Christmas continuesthrough Jesus’ public ministryand his death, resurrection,and ascension, until we reachthe point where we are rightnow. Christ can be seen inthis world in the form of thechurch. That means us. Andwe don’t go away. The Christ-mas sales and commercialsand music may have disap-peared, but we are here. Youand I are here to keep Christ’smessage and spirit and bodyalive and growing. ■

THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC 2 ■ JANUARY 10, 2010 www.dioceseofknoxvi l le .org

is a plan of love, and love gen-erates freedom and asks forfreedom,” he said during hisAngelus address Jan. 3.

Although God’s kingdom ofpeace and justice is alreadybeing realized on earth, hesaid, “every man and woman isresponsible for welcoming itinto his or her own life day byday. So 2010 will be better orworse to the extent that peo-ple, accepting their own re-sponsibility, learn to collaboratewith the grace of God.”

“There are problems in thechurch and in the world, as wellas in the daily lives of families,but thanks to God, our hopedoes not depend on improba-ble prognostications and evenless on economic forecasts.Our hope is in God,” he said.

The pope also spoke about

personal responsibility Jan. 1,commenting on the theme hechose for World Peace Day2010: “If You Want to CultivatePeace, Protect Creation.”

The resources of the earthmust be used with justice andwisdom, he said during his An-gelus address Jan. 1.

“I want to underline the im-portance that the choices of in-dividuals, families, and localadministrations have in protect-ing the environment,” he said.

In educating people to re-spect creation, the pope said,they must be helped to recog-nize that the human beingsGod created in his own imageand likeness require special re-spect and protection.

“If we must take care of thecreatures around us, how muchmore care must we have for

people—our brothers and sis-ters,” he said. “On the first dayof the year, I want to appeal tothe conscience of those whoare part of any kind of armedgroup. To each and every one Isay: Stop, reflect, and abandonthe path of violence.”

In his homily during themorning Mass in St. Peter’sBasilica on Jan. 1, Pope Bene-dict said people will respect theenvironment only to the extentthat they respect themselvesand others because true re-spect for creation means see-ing all creation as a reflection ofGod, the creator.

Teaching people to respectothers must begin early inchildhood, he said.

“From the time they aresmall, it is important to educate

The East Tennessee Catholic (USPS 007211) is published twice monthly by the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville, 805 Northshore Drive S.W., Knoxville, TN 37919-7551. Periodicals-class postage paid at Knoxville, Tenn. Printed on recycled paper by the Knoxville News SentinelPostmaster: Send address changes to The East Tennessee Catholic, P.O. Box 11127, Knoxville, TN 37939-1127

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THE EAST TENNESSEE

805 Northshore Drive S.W. Knoxville, TN 37919-7551

he beautifulrolling hills of

Eastern France arenow what they havebeen from the time ofthe Roman Empire.They are laden withvineyards, producingthe most desired

wines on earth andcheering people’shearts in every cornerof the world. But thatland, less than 100years ago, was re-duced to quagmiresof mud pockmarkedwith hundreds of

thousands of cratersformed by the impactof artillery shellsaimed at destroyingentrenched armies onboth sides of “noman’s land.”

Israel’s land, afterthe Babylonians con-

quered it, was no bet-ter off than France atthe end of World WarI. It was desolate. Tomany, the land wasdead and beyond re-demption. Isaiah,

Jan. 10, the Baptism of the LordIsaiah 40:1-5, 9-11Psalm 29:1-4, 9-10Titus 2:11-14, and 3:4-7Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

Jan. 17, second Sundayof ordinary timeIsaiah 62:1-5Psalm 96:1-3, 7-101 Corinthians 12:4-11John 2:1-11

Continuing ChristmasThe season will last ‘until the whole world accepts the grace of God.’

The land and the brideChrist’s gift of the Holy Spirit ‘makes us, the spouse of Christ, fertile.’

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READINGS BY FATHER JOSEPH BRANDOliving the

Monday, Jan. 11: 1 Samuel 1:1-8;Psalm 116:12-19; Mark 1:14-20Tuesday, Jan. 12: 1 Samuel 1:9-20;1 Samuel 2:1, 4-8; Mark 1:21-28Wednesday, Jan. 13: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20; Psalm 40:2, 5, 7-10; Mark1:29-39Thursday, Jan. 14: 1 Samuel 4:1-11; Psalm 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25;Mark 1:40-45Friday, Jan. 15: 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-

22; Psalm 89:16-19; Mark 2:1-12Saturday, Jan. 16: 1 Samuel 9:1-4,17-19 and 10:1; Psalm 21:2-7; Mark2:13-17Monday, Jan. 18: 1 Samuel 15:16-23; Psalm 50:8-9, 16-17, 21, 23;Mark 2:18-22Tuesday, Jan. 19: 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 89:20-22, 27-28; Mark2:23-28Wednesday, Jan. 20: 1 Samuel

17:32-33, 37, 40-51; Psalm 144:1-2,9-10; Mark 3:1-6Thursday, Jan. 21: Memorial,Agnes, virgin, martyr, 1 Samuel 18:6-9 and 19:1-7; Psalm 56:2-3, 9-13;Mark 3:7-12Friday, Jan. 22: 1 Samuel 24:3-21;Psalm 57:2-4, 6, 11; Mark 3:13-19Saturday, Jan. 23: 2 Samuel 1:1-4,11-12, 19, 23-27; Psalm 80:2-3, 5-7;Mark 3:20-21 ■

W E E K D AY R E A D I N G S

Bishop Richard F. StikaPublisherMary C. WeaverEditorDan McWilliamsAssistant editor

Margaret HuntAdministrative assistantToni PacittiIntern

New year continued from page 1

New year continued on page 8

Diocese of Knoxvilleprocedure forreporting sexual abuse

Anyone who has actual knowledge of orwho has reasonable cause to suspect anincident of sexual abuse should reportsuch information to the appropriate civilauthorities first, then to the bishop’s of-fice, 865-584-3307, or the diocesan vic-tims’ assistance coordinator, MarlaLenihan, 865-482-1388.

Readings continued on page 6

Bishop Sheen would tackle issues ‘head on’Bishop Fulton Sheen’s television talks were al-ways on in our house as we grew into youngadults. We were better Catholics because of hisexplanations of our faith in nonthreatening terms.

With his piercing eyes and quick smile, he pos-sessed self-deprecating humor and a seeminglyendless knowledge of Scripture. When asked, heonce said his TV script writers were Matthew,Mark, Luke, and John. He looked magnificent inthe flowing robes of a bishop but never talkeddown to his audience. Here was a Catholicprelate: entertaining, teaching, and inspiring allpeople within the sound of his voice. His fan mailrevealed his viewers were Jews, Protestants, andCatholics.

The revelations of clerical abuse in Dublin, Ire-land, as described recently in The East TennesseeCatholic inspired the question, “How would Bish-op Sheen have solved it?” We believe he wouldhave addressed it head on. He would be forth-right and reveal what should be revealed, attackwhat was wrong, compensate and support thevictims, testify to the authorities, and devise suit-able punishment for the guilty. He would, mostlikely, as a preventative measure form a supportgroup for troubled clerics and pedophiles andperhaps establish a place for treatment and psy-chological counseling before abuse occurs.

We expect a trained cleric to control urges anddevelop prayerful habits to reinforce celibacy.The seduction or abuse of a child or a vulnerableadult is a crime and a sin. The faithful have aright to rest in the certain knowledge that theirclergy can be trusted. This is a responsibility theordained take on when they answer the call oftheir vocation and again when they accept ap-pointment to the hierarchy.

We are concerned that some of our goodpriests will feel guilt by association. Perhaps theyhave never been guilty of anything except strug-gling with the vow of obedience. Let’s reassurethem and tell them how much we appreciate whatthey do for us. Our clerics work diligently for us.We must at the very least pray for them and en-courage and support them in their ministry. ■

—Harry Hogan Knoxville

We welcome letters to the editor and carefullyconsider all submissions. Letters should be 350words or less and will be edited for grammar,style, clarity, and length. Submit them by e-mail,mail, or fax: mweaver@dioknox.org, 805Northshore Drive Southwest, Knoxville, TN37919, 865-584-8124. Letters to the editor reflectthe opinions of their authors and not those of theeditorial staff or the publisher.

EDITORletters to the

Renew workshops scheduled

The sixth season of the Renew: Why Catholic?program begins this month with a workshop onthe church’s social-justice teachings, led by Fa-

ther Abraham Orapankal, Ph.D., a member of theRenew International service team. Father Ora-pankal will lead the workshop in all four deaneries.

Everyone is welcome to attend. There is nocharge for the program, and refreshments will beprovided. Call the parishes listed for details.

The workshop will include discussion of the prin-ciples of social justice, including human life anddignity, the Christian’s rights and responsibilities,the dignity of work and workers’ rights, the prefer-ential option for the poor, and care for creation.

The schedule for the sessions is as follows:■ St. Mary Church, Johnson City, 6:30 to 9 p.m.Thursday, Jan. 21■ Holy Spirit Church, Soddy-Daisy, 6:30 to 9 p.m.Friday, Jan. 22■ Holy Ghost Church, Knoxville, 9 to 11:30 a.m.Saturday, Jan. 23■ St. Alphonsus Church, Crossville, 1:30 to4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23■ All Saints, Knoxville, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday,Jan. 24.

Father Orapankal has visited the East Ten-nessee several times to offer faith-enrichmentworkshops since the diocese’s Why Catholic?program launched in fall 2007.

Renew: Why Catholic? is a comprehensiveadult-faith-formation program that is solidlybased on Scripture and the Catechism of theCatholic Church. It offers a concrete approachthat helps adults deepen their faith and connectits teachings to everyday life. ■

current site a decade ago.“I also want to thank Dickie

Sompayrac for his foresight intwo things: letting me raisemoney and taking my checkfor the building,” he added.

The field house also honorsthree additional families.Rooms are named for the Foxfamily, in honor of Bob andJean Fox; John MarkStallings, in memory of theson of former Alabama foot-ball head coach GeneStallings; and the LoCasciofamily.

The Fox Family HeadCoach’s Office recognizesdonors Dr. Daniel and TerryFox (’79). The Foxes havefive children who are attend-ing or have graduated fromKCHS.

Mr. Stallings spoke at thehigh school in May and at-

tended the dedication then ofthe Johnny Stallings TrainingRoom. The coach’s son, whohad Down syndrome, died inAugust 2008. KCHS parentsTim and Robin Harris, whohave a son who played foot-ball at Alabama, made the do-nation to establish theStallings room.

The field house’s LoCascioFamily Conference Room isnamed for Dr. Steven andChristl LoCascio, parents ofone current and one futureKCHS student.

The building’s weight roomis sponsored by Mercy HealthPartners.

The Faris Field House isnot meant only for KCHS stu-dent athletes. Mr. Sompayracsaid that the facility is “greatfor athletics and our footballprogram, but I’m not sure

everybody understands howmany kids who are non-ath-letes are using this All-SportsComplex on a daily basisthrough weight-training class-es and other things we’ve gotgoing on.”

Bishop Stika, a St. Louis na-tive and Cardinals baseballfan, said he now knows twofamilies for whom sports fa-cilities have been named.

“You know, my life is com-plete now. I was friends withmembers of the Busch family,so we have Busch Stadium,and now with the Faris familywe have the Faris FieldHouse.”

The bishop said the fieldhouse is not a lesser compo-nent of the school but ratheran equal one.

“This whole building fulfills

Bishop Stika asked the stu-dents in the congregation toremember the day—“becausemaybe 50 years from today,you will be visiting the schoolwith your grandchildren, andyou might look around andthink of all the wonderfulthings you learned here.”

Near the end of Mass, thebishop reminded the school-children of a young boy whoattended St. Joseph Schoolyears ago. The boy thought ofbecoming an engineer, thebishop said, but then decidedhe wanted to be a priest.

“Then one day he got aphone call from some guywho had an Italian accent. Igot the same phone call. Onthe other end was a guynamed Pietro Sambi [apostolicnuncio to the United States],and he said, ‘Father Johnston,the Holy Father has namedyou a bishop of the church.’”

St. Joseph School alumnusBishop James Vann JohnstonJr. is now head of the Dioceseof Springfield–Cape Girar-deau, Mo.

“The reason I bring this upis that you never know whatGod is going to invite you to

be,” said Bishop Stika. He explained that the

priests and deacon present forthe Mass—Fathers Joe Cic-cone and Chris Riehl of Im-maculate Conception,Knoxville; Monsignor XavierMankel and Father John Orrof Holy Ghost, Knoxville; Fa-ther Chris Michelson of St.Albert the Great, Knoxville;and Deacon Sean Smith,diocesan chancellor—were all“a part of something calledholy orders.”

“God invited them to be apriest or deacon, and theysaid yes.”

“I would like you [boys] tothink about being a priest,”he said, “and I’d like the girlsto think about being a sister,like the Sisters of Mercy.”

The bishop expressed spe-cial thanks to MonsignorMankel, who, he said, “has alove of this school, and heloves each and every one ofyou, like the other priests, likeDr. [Aurelia] Montgomery,and all your teachers.”

Dr. Montgomery has beenprincipal of St. Joseph Schoolsince 2005.

In a telephone interview the

principal said that the chil-dren’s reaction to the new fa-cility “told the whole story.”Dr. Montgomery said she hadtaken all the students, inthree groups, for a brief tourof the new building before theofficial dedication.

“When they hit the door ofthe gym, every group just said‘Oh!’ They started holleringand running around, and theyjust kept saying, ‘Thank you,thank you so much.’

“The happiness and the awein the children’s faces and intheir voices—that’s somethingI will always remember.”

Dr. Montgomery spoke ofher deep gratitude to all whomade the building possible:parents, donors from HolyGhost, Immaculate Concep-tion, and other parishes, theDiocesan Finance Counciland Bishop Stika “for havingenough faith in us to take onthis project,” MonsignorMankel, and the people ofBlaine Construction. “I can’tsay enough about [them] andabout Dorman Blaine and themen [Henry Sutton and MattMitchell] who were thereevery day.” ■

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THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC JANUARY 10, 2010 ■ 3www.dioceseofknoxvi l le .org

One of themany traitsthat mymother (98years oldJan. 8!) haspassed on tome is her ha-tred formeetings.The late

great Bishop Francis R. Sheasaid of one particular type ofmeeting, “I used to hate meet-ings; now I loathe them.”

With due respect, however,meetings, especially wherehearts and minds come togeth-er to promote the honor andglory of God and the growthtoward God of his human fam-ily, are a great gift to us all. TheLast Supper was a meeting—look at the outcome. TheCouncil of Nicea as well as allthe councils of our churchwere meetings—with profoundresults. Since the year 325 wehave had a pretty fair idea ofthe relationship in the BlessedTrinity and especially the rela-tionship of the Lord JesusChrist within himself—one di-vine person, two natures: onehuman, one divine.

Some of the world’s bestmeetings developed peacetreaties. Meetings seem tosolve more problems thanguns.

My mother, again, was ashard a worker as any parent

of schoolchildren could be,but she successfully avoidedmost meetings. As presidentof the parent group at Knox-ville Catholic High School inthe early 1950s, she finallyhad to attend meetings andsometimes preside at them.

The Second Vatican Councilcame upon us from 1962through 1965. It was a grandmeeting, to say the least. Thefallout—implementation—hascaused more meetings to oc-cur than perhaps any othersocial phenomenon in the his-tory of our world. How manyparish-council meetings wereheld between Pentecost and1965? How many since?

I suppose the best way toconserve God’s gift of time isto make our meetings mo-ments of quality and mo-ments of brevity. We priestsare duty bound to an extraor-dinary number of meetings—some occur weekly, othersbiweekly, monthly, quarterly,semiannually, or once a year.

One of my New Year’s reso-lutions has been to try to praymore before meetings begin,to prepare balanced agendas,and to participate with enthu-siasm. Meetings that I particu-larly enjoy because of theirpotential to promote the king-dom of God are those of theparish council, liturgy com-mittee, education committee,school board, Ladies of Chari-

ty, Knights of Columbus, andministerial association, as wellas deanery priest and generalpriest meetings. Even though,like my mom, I hate meetingsas a matter of training, I canenjoy the ones listed becausethey have the potential to doso much good—to effect somuch change.

And then there’s the meet-ing, the holy sacrifice of theMass. In the Liturgy of theWord we listen as the Lordhas his say. We dialogue withresponses and petitions, andthen we sort of settle holymatters by offering sacrifice.Yes, meetings we must have.Let’s make them great, holy,and grand. ■

Meetings are a mustThey can become tiresome, unless we ‘make them great, holy, and grand.’

COLUMN BY MONSIGNOR XAVIER MANKEL, VGguest

B I S H O P S T I K A’ S S C H E D U L EThese are some of Bishop Stika’sappointments: Jan. 11: Community meeting withparents, followed by dinner withChattanooga Deanery priests, NotreDame High School, ChattanoogaJan. 12: 11 a.m., general priestmeeting, ChanceryJan. 14: 6 p.m., clergy-appreciationdinner, St. John Neumann School,FarragutJan. 15: 8 a.m., Mass with school-children, Sacred Heart Cathedral;6 p.m., dinner with Knights ofColumbus, Lenoir CityJan. 16: 10 a.m., public rosary withpriests, deacons, and the faithfulacross the street from abortion clin-ic at 313 Concord St., KnoxvilleJan. 17: 10 a.m., installation of Fa-ther William Oruko, AJ, as pastor,St. Mary Church, Athens; 6 p.m.,evening prayer and investiture ofMonsignor T. Allen Humbrecht, Sa-cred Heart CathedralJan. 20: depart for Washington,D.C., for the annual March for Life ■

The Diocese of Knoxville seeks a full-time di-rector of the Office of Stewardship andPlanned Giving.

The director is responsible for overall steward-ship education and fund development for thediocese; educating parishioners and donors onthe needs of the diocese; and developing newtime, talent, and financial resources to meetpresent and future needs of the diocese and itsparishes.

Candidates must have a baccalaureate degreein an area related to finance and fund develop-ment, and an advanced degree is preferred. Inaddition, candidates must have five to 10 years’experience as a stewardship and developmentprofessional with demonstrated success infundraising.

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities are asfollows: demonstrated success with major giftsolicitation and planned-giving programs;demonstrated ability to articulate the philosophyand objectives of the Catholic Church, includingthe theology of stewardship, and to produce cre-ative development and stewardship strategies;excellent written and verbal communication skills;and proven supervisory and managerial skills.

Candidates must be active members of aCatholic parish. Application deadline is Jan. 28.

Send resume to Search Committee—Directorof Stewardship and Planned Giving, c/o VeryRev. David A. Boettner, VE, Episcopal Vicar andModerator of the Curia, Diocese of Knoxville, 805Northshore Drive Southwest, Knoxville, TN37919, or dboettner@dioknox.org.

THE DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE SEEKS APPLICANTS FOR THE

position of controller. This employee is responsi-ble for the accounting operations of the Dioceseof Knoxville, including the production of periodicfinancial reports, maintenance of a system of ac-counting records, and a comprehensive set ofcontrols designed to mitigate risk and enhancethe accuracy of the diocese’s reported financialresults. This employee oversees paid and volun-teer staff.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree inaccounting or business administration, with aconcentration in accounting. A master’s degree inaccounting or business administration is pre-ferred, as well as 10-plus years of progressivelyresponsible experience in accounting. Preferencewill be given to candidates with the CertifiedPublic Accountant or Certified Management Ac-countant designations. Candidates must be ac-tive members of a Catholic parish.

Send resume to Very Rev. David A. Boettner,VE, Episcopal Vicar and Moderator of the Curia,Diocese of Knoxville, 805 Northshore DriveSouthwest, Knoxville, TN 37919, or dboettner@dioknox.org. ■

Jan. 17 papal-honors ceremony setfor Monsignor Humbrecht

Two diocesan positions open

The East Tennessee Catholic is now offeringonline delivery for those who would prefer toread a digital copy and to discontinue the

print edition. If you would rather read the ETConline, visit http://eepurl.com/cafC to sign up.

If you decide online delivery isn’t for you, youcan return to a print subscription at any time. Ifyou have questions, e-mailmweaver@dioknox.org. ■

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Papal honors will be conferred on Monsignor T.Allen Humbrecht during a Vespers service at6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17, at Sacred Heart

Cathedral. Monsignor Humbrecht has beennamed a named Prelate of Honor to His Holi-ness, Pope Benedict XVI, thus receiving the titleMonsignor.

Monsignor Humbrecht is the cathedral pastorand has twice served as diocesan administratorwhen the Diocese of Knoxville was without abishop.

Everyone is invited to attend. ■

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Faith-formation classes set for ’10

The 2010 series of adult faith-formation classesbegins this month, with additional classesscheduled throughout the year and in loca-

tions around the diocese. Classes are offered at no charge to all interest-

ed adults in the diocese. Sessions take place onTuesdays or Thursdays at 7 p.m. and end at 9.Online registration is available at dioknox.org/events/event-calendar/.

Sacraments, taught by Amy Roberts. Exploresthe foundations of what we celebrate asCatholics. The class examines how we encounterthe living Christ through each of the church’sseven sacraments.■ Tuesday, Jan. 12, St. John Neumann Church,Farragut■ Tuesday, Feb. 16, Holy Family Church, Seymour

Faith formation continued on page 6

THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC4 ■ JANUARY 10, 2010 www.dioceseofknoxvi l le .org

NOTES BY TONI PACITTIparish

Chattanooga Deanery

OLPH, Chattanooga■ Tyler Enos, a sixth-grade student atOur Lady of Perpetual Help School,was the top finisher among 10-11-year-old boys in the NFL’s Punt, Pass& Kick competition held at the Ten-nessee Titans’ home game Nov. 29 inNashville. Tyler’s punt, pass, and kicktotaled 254 feet, 1 inch, placing him13th nationally in his age group. Hehad earlier won local and sectionalcompetitions in Chattanooga.■ First- and second-grade classes atOLPH School attended a productionof Madeline’s Christmas at the Chat-tanooga Theatre Center. ParishionerElizabeth Case performed in the pro-gram.■ Christopher Coles, an eighth-grad-er at OLPH, recently won the schoolgeography bee. Classmate ShakaylaDews was runner up. ■ Eighth-grader Mary Rebman andseventh-grader Anthony Smith quali-fied for the Lower Southeast Tennes -see Junior Clinic Band. Mary madeseventh-chair clarinet in the Red Band,and Anthony made first-chair tuba inthe seventh-grade band.

St. Augustine, Signal Mountain■ Six to eight volunteers per shiftare needed to sort, hang, and priceclothing for resale at The ClothesHouse. Call Sheila at 423-886-3460 forinformation.■ Monthly donations of canned fruitare needed for The Food Pantry,which serves more than 30 families permonth. Place canned fruit in the gro-cery cart near the parish life center.The parish offers the donationsthrough its partnership with SignalMountain Social Services.■ Senior Neighbors, an Alexian Broth-ers ministry, will host an AARP refresh-er course on driver safety from 9 a.m.to 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, at theAlexian Brothers Senior Neighborsbuilding in downtown Chattanooga. At-tendees are asked to bring a bag lunch.Costs are $12 for members and $14 fornonmembers. Call 755-6100 to register.

St. Catherine Labouré, Copperhill■ An Epiphany party was held Jan. 3.A Chinese auction was included in theevent.■ Newcomers: Migel and Anne Corco,Vera and Henry Zielinski

St. Jude, Chattanooga■ Father Miguel Vélez prepared atraditional Colombian meal for anEpiphany dinner served Jan. 5 inSiener Hall. Parish youth provided mu-sic and entertainment.■ Members of the youth group provid-ed snacks for the Memorial NorthPark Hospital emergency room inNovember.

St. Mary, Athens■ Anniversary: Bob and Merry MayScott (57)

St. Stephen, Chattanooga■ Anniversaries: Bettye and HughCotter (61), Mark and RoseanneHutchings (40)

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Cleveland■ The Music Makers presented theirfirst big production, The Three PiggyOpera, on Dec. 13 in Breen Hall.■ The parish gave 45 Thanksgivingboxes to families in need. Each boxcontained a complete holiday meal forsix to eight people.

Cumberland Mountain Deanery

All Saints, Knoxville■ Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace”classes will be offered in January.Cost is $99 per family. Call Alan Sieveat 865-982-4208 or Rita Carter at 690-4739 for details.■ A father-daughter dance will be heldfrom 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan.30. Call Mark Clubb at 300-6662 prMichael Gibson at 530-0588 to RSVP. ■ Women are needed to wash altarcloths throughout the year. Call SusanLawlor at 531-8598.

Christ the King, Tazewell■ The youth group wrapped Christ-mas gifts for parishioners as afundraiser in December.

OLPH, LaFollette■ The parish needs several deep fry-ers for fish fries during Lent. Contact

Ken or Ronnie Nichols at 423-562-4883 or ronandken@dishmail.net, orCharlie Ruth at 566-7387 or e-mailcharliruth@aol.com.

St. Alphonsus, Crossville■ The Rosary Ministry thankedeveryone who donated rosaries in2009 for the Fort Portal, Uganda, Dio-cese. Father Adolf Busobozi took thesecond batch, which brought the totalto more than 1,000, to Uganda on theDec. 28. The ministry is ongoing. Sendunwanted or broken rosaries to:Rosary Ministry, c/o Katie McLaird, 63Cow Pen Road, Crossville, TN 38571.

St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade■ The parish book club will meet at10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, in theconference room to discuss Persepo-lis: Story of a Childhood (Pantheon,2004) by Marjane Satrapi.■ Another representative is neededfor the Lifetime Learning Project,which meets once a month from Marchthrough November. Call Eileen Metzgerat 931-456-8691 or Marilyn Garlick at456-0819.■ Anniversaries: Mike and Ethy Wil-helmi (62), John and Lois Chilenko(58), Tom and Carol Hayden (54) ■ Newcomers: Gil and Jean Bettez,Derek and Maria Graham

St. John Neumann, Farragut■ Three extraordinary ministers ofHoly Communion are needed tobring Communion to the new Parkwestassisted-living complex on KingstonPike once a month. Call Audrey Bar-rowclough at 865-966-0981.■ Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace”class will begin with an informationnight at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10, in thelibrary. Class cost is $99 per family. CallJohn Sporsen at 228-9125 to register.

St. Mary, Oak Ridge■ The parish thanked those whohelped with the Green Valley projectin 2009, which supplied 48 hats andscarves, 84 pairs of socks, two laprobes, 29 hats, and one scarf for theresidents of the Green Valley Develop-mental Center. Mickey DiMeo, JoanSuggs, and Jane Durbin delivered theitems Dec. 7.

St. Thomas the Apostle, Lenoir City■ The parish hosted a Three KingsChristmas party on Epiphany Sunday,Jan. 3. ■ Bishop Richard F. Stika will be theguest speaker at the Knights ofColumbus council’s 10th-anniversarycelebration at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15.Cost is $25. Contact Dennis Preston at865-458-9004 or ckncptmrgn@charter.net for tickets.■ January is “Catholics Come HomeMonth” at St. Thomas the Apostle.The event, which encourages inactiveCatholics to return to the faith, will endwith a welcoming Mass and receptionat 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 31. CallJoan Panter at 865-856-8077. ■ The Knights collected $3,000 dur-ing the fall for their MR drive, includ-ing $502 on a recent Saturday in frontof Food Lion.■ The new parish website is www.sthomaslc. com.

Five Rivers Deanery

Holy Trinity, Jefferson City■ During the Christmas season theparish and nearby churches assisted159 needy families with 4,720 coats,gloves, and hats, as well as 165heaters and 200 blankets. ■ Newcomers: Joan Ferrence, VirginiaPaskewitz

Notre Dame, Greeneville■ An Epiphany dinner was served forparishioners Jan. 3. ■ Catechism 101, an adult faith-for-mation class, will begin in January.

St. Dominic, Kingsport■ The Knights of Columbus sponsoreda youth free-throw competition onJan. 3.

St. Elizabeth, Elizabethton■ About 70 brown grocery bags werefilled during the Knights of Columbuscouncil’s recent canned-food drive.Assistance Resource Ministries (ARM)received 45 bags and Food for theMultitude 25.■ Angel-tree Christmas gifts donated

Cumberland parishes team up to fill Christmas basketsVolunteers from the parishes of St. Alphonsus in Crossville and St. Francis of Assisiin Fairfield Glade, under the direction of Helen Davis and with the assistance of theSt. Alphonsus youth group and Boy Scouts, assembled more than 200 Christmas bas-kets last month. The baskets were distributed to needy families in Cumberland Coun-ty. All of the food was purchased with donations from both parishes.

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Parish sends cookies, Christmas stockings to soldiersThe Church of the Good Shepherd in Newport has sent boxes of homemade cookies, aswell as Christmas stockings stuffed with treats and messages, to soldiers stationed withtwo men who have relatives in the parish. Captain A. J. Ferrone, the nephew of Richardand Diane Schroeder, is a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan, and Pfc. Marshel Cromuel,husband of Sheela Cromuel and the father of 10-month-old daughter Avani, is servingin Iraq. The stockings were stuffed Dec. 6 by (from left, front) Anna Hudson, Ian Soes-bee, Katie Newell, Asiwisa Asterio, Ashley Newell, Good Shepherd pastor Father BobHofstetter, Pam Ball, Phil Ruch (coordinator of the annual remembrance of troops), andMary Ann Baker; and (back) Jo Ann Preske, Ana Kaiser, Ed Nowak, Andy Goehl,Joanne Newell, Deacon Otto Preske, Mike Newell, Michele Sexton, and Mr. Schroeder.

Fond farewell to Father Kuzhupil, MSFSFather Joseph Kuzhupil of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales, who served at theAlexian Village in Signal Mountain for the last four years and four months, has re-turned to India both for a sabbatical and for the celebration of his 25th anniversary ofpriestly ordination Jan. 10. About 45 people from St. Augustine Parish in Signal Moun-tain attended a farewell and thank-you dinner for Father Kuzhupil on Dec. 27. Thegroup sang “Happy Sabbatical to You” to him. From left are (front) Father Kuzhupiland Siena, Shaynna, and Klin Rodrigues, and (back) St. Augustine pastor FatherPatrick Brownell, event coordinator Lisa Rodrigues, Eilish Flannery, and Helen Brell.

Parish notes continued on page 5

A recent beneficiary of Good Shep-herd’s Christmas-stockings project wasLt. Col. Curt Hudson, who visited hismother, parishioner Anna Hudson, lastspring before leaving for the 4th Bat-talion of the 353rd Infantry Regimentof Fort Polk, La. Brig. Gen. KeithWalker wrote parishioners that lastyear’s stockings “were part of home”for the soldiers.

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Concerts at All Saints to benefit Catholic Charities

The choir and orchestra at AllSaints Church in Knoxville, forthe second year in a row, will

present a Christmas cantata con-cert to benefit Catholic Charities.

Two separate performances ofJoseph M. Martin’s Journey ofPromises will be given, at 7 p.m.Friday, Jan. 8, and at 3 p.m. Sun-day, Jan. 10. Both performanceswill be held in the main church.

All Saints choir director SandySeffernick and 100 members of thechoir and orchestra will performthe piece under the direction of

parishioner Walt Otey. Last year’sconcert played to about 1,500 peo-ple and raised more than $9,000for Catholic Charities. The choir ishoping to double the attendancethis year and dramatically increasethe amount of money raised.

The concerts do not have a setticket price; those attending areencouraged to make a donation toCatholic Charities. Seating willbegin a half-hour before each per-formance. For more information,call Mrs. Seffernick at 865-675-1788 or Kathy Ely at 777-0696. ■

THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC JANUARY 10, 2010 ■ 5www.dioceseofknoxvi l le .org

CALENDAR BY TONI PACITTIon the

The national March for Life is set forFriday, Jan. 22, in Washington, D.C.,and East Tennesseans are organizingtransportation and hotels for those whowish to attend. A group will leave EastTennessee early on Thursday, Jan. 21,so participants can attend Mass at theBasilica of the Shrine of the Immacu-late Conception that evening. Friday’srally begins at noon, with a marchdown Pennsylvania Avenue. Afterward,attendees have the option of listeningto “Silent No More” presentations infront of the Supreme Court and/or visit-ing elected officials. Participants willspend two nights at the new ResidenceInn in Arlington, Va. The rate is $110,including taxes, per night. To reserve aroom, contact Esther Golightly at 865-310-0690 or egolightly@charter.net toobtain a group code and then makereservations online or by phone. Vanshave been reserved for passengers andwould cost approximately $60 per per-son. If enough people wish to go, a buswill be chartered, at a cost of about$100 per person. Deacon Mike Gougeis coordinating bus travel and can bereached at 865-966-9504. Mike Colic-chio is coordinating vans and may becontacted at 865-397-5153 or band-saw mgc@bellsouth.net.

This year Bishop Richard F. Stika willhost three bilingual celebrations tohonor married couples and their com-mitment to the sacrament of marriage.Each celebration will include Mass, anopportunity to renew wedding vows,and a luncheon for couples and theirfamily and friends following the liturgy.Mass will begin at 11 a.m. The first cel-ebration will be held Saturday, Jan. 9,at St. John Neumann Church in Far-ragut. The second is set for Saturday,Feb. 6, at Our Lady of Perpetual HelpChurch in Chattanooga and the third atSt. Dominic Church in Kingsport onSaturday, July 24. To attend one of theluncheons, RSVP to Marian Christianaof the diocesan Office of MarriagePreparation and Enrichment at 423-892-2310 or mchristiana@dioknox.orgor Karen Byrne at 865-584-3307 orkbyrne@dioknox.org.

The annual Luck of the Irish Party tobenefit Project Graduation for the Knox-ville Catholic High School class of 2010will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday,Jan. 30, in the KCHS gym. The eventwill feature food, drinks, a silent auction,and games that include roulette, black-jack, and bingo. All proceeds from the$20 ticket donation will help ensure asafe night of fun for the seniors on grad-uation night. Purchase tickets from anyKCHS senior or at the door. To learnmore or make a donation, call KimReynolds at 865-323-6133. You must beat least 21 years old to attend.

St. Thomas the Apostle Parish inLenoir City will sponsor a six-weekpresentation on the history of theCatholic Church. The event will beginat 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 11, in the Dea-con José Rivera Room in the parish lifecenter. Morning sessions will begin at9:15 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 14. The talks,based on Anthony Gilles’s book, Peo-ple of God: The History of CatholicChristianity (St. Anthony MessengerPress, 2000), will be presented byKathleen Mitchell. Call Jill St. Yves at865-986-9885 for more information.

St. Stephen Parish in Chattanooga willbe hosting the “Real Love & RealLife” Family Honor program on Fri-day and Saturday, Jan. 29 and 30. Theprogram is designed for parents andtheir eighth-grade son or daughter.Family Honor Inc. is a nonprofitCatholic organization created in 1987whose mission is to strengthen familiesby providing opportunities for parentsand children to communicate effective-ly about important life values, with aspecial focus on the truth and good-ness of God’s gift of human sexualityand the virtue of chastity. The programpresents the Catholic understanding ofsexuality, marriage, and family as re-vealed through Scripture and Traditionand articulated in documents such as“The Truth and Meaning of HumanSexuality” and Pope John Paul II’s the-ology of the body. Registration for theFamily Honor program is limited to 40families. For further information, con-tact Mary Pat Haywood at 706-278-6391 or Jan O’Boyle at 226-9110.The Memorial Health Care System

Foundation’s fifth annual Pink! galawill be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan.30, at the Chattanooga ConventionCenter. Proceeds will go toward theMaryEllen Locher Breast Center satellitefacility in Ooltewah, scheduled to openin mid-2010. Alexis and Barry Bogo arechairing the gala’s volunteer committee.The gala includes cocktails, dinner, en-tertainment, a silent auction, and danc-ing, with the Party on the Moon bandproviding the music. Tickets for Pink!are $200 and include cocktails and din-ner. Patron tickets of $350 provide ac-cess to an exclusive party in addition todinner, table-side bar service, valetparking, and premium seating at thegala. To purchase tickets or learn moreabout sponsorship opportunities, callthe foundation at 423-495-PINK or visitwww.memorial.org/pink.

Search for Christian Maturity re-treats, which are open to high schooljuniors and seniors, have been sched-uled in Knoxville and in the Chat-tanooga and Five Rivers deaneries.■ Search 88 has been set for theweekend of Jan. 15 through 17 atKnoxville Catholic High School. Stu-dents should see their youth ministerfor a registration form. For more infor-mation, contact Kristen Lehman at865-689-7011 or kristen.lehman@satgknox.org, Annie Nassis at 531-0770 orannieatallsaints@yahoo.com, or Dea-con Dan Hosford at 603-9682 ordjh2@comcast.net.■ Upcoming Chattanooga Deanerydates are Feb. 19 through 21 for Search128 and March 19 through 21 forSearch 129. To request a registrationform or learn more, contact DonnaJones at 423-718-4387 or djones6029@gmail.com.■ In the Five Rivers Deanery, Search 40is scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 5through 7. For forms or more details,contact Deacon Jim Fage at 423-748-2836 or djim5rivers@ charter.net.

The Sevier County chapter of Ten-nessee Right to Life will sponsor itsfifth annual march and rally Sunday,Jan. 10, beginning at 2 p.m. at the Pi-geon Forge Community Center andcontinuing along the Pigeon ForgeParkway to the Country Tonite Theatre.A program will be held from 3 to 5 p.m.and will include a play by the chapter’syouth board, interpretative dances,music by Kirk Tally, and a talk by inspi-rational speaker Marc Newman. Con-tact Terry Aparicio at 865-654-7685 orsevcrtl@bellsouth.net.

The next “Picture of Love” engaged-couples retreat will begin with break-fast at 8 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, at OurLady of Perpetual Help Church in Chat-tanooga. This one-day marriage-prepa-ration retreat is a supplement tocouples’ marriage formation with theirparish priest and is designed to helpcouples gain a better understanding ofthe joys and challenges of living thesacrament of matrimony in their day-to-day lives. The day will include Mass andend with dinner at 6 p.m. Cost is $135per couple. The retreat certificate isgood for a $60 discount on a marriagelicense. To register or learn more, con-tact Marian Christiana at 423-892-2310or mchristiana@dioceseof knoxville.org.

A pilgrimage to Fatima and Ireland withFather Patrick Resen of St. CatherineLabouré in Copperhill, departing fromNew York City, is planned for April 12through 21, 2010. The pilgrimagegroup will have a meeting at 4 p.m.Tuesday, Jan. 12, in room 206 of Fati-ma Hall at Our Lady of Fatima Churchin Alcoa. The cost from New York is$2,899. For more information, contactDolores Maglione at 865-982-0090 ormaglioned@bellsouth.net.

The Serra Club of Knoxville is sponsor-ing an essay contest for grade schoolchildren, offered in memory of SerransPaul and Katherine Murphy. The themeis “A Year for Priests.” Winning essayswill be selected from two divisions: onefor third, fourth, and fifth graders, with amaximum length of 150 words, and onefor sixth- through eighth-graders, with amaximum length of 300 words. First-place finishers in each division will re-ceive $50 and a plaque, and runners-upwill be awarded $25 and a plaque. Sub-mit essays to Catholic school teachersor CCD teachers. A parent must sign

St. John Neumann youth attend Tennessee Right to Life banquetYouth from St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut fill a table at the annual CelebrateLife Benefit Banquet sponsored by the Knox County chapter of Tennessee Right toLife. Clockwise from bottom left are Cathy Varga, Christian Lonnecker, Tommy VanSickle, Molly Uphoff, Anthony Osorio, Freddy Ulmer, Brittany Combs, Ryan Seyer,Allie Tambornini, and Claire Wickenden. Mathew D. Staver of Liberty Universitywas the keynote speaker at the recent event, held at Rothchild Catering & Confer-ence Center in West Knoxville.

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by parishioners were distributed to 50needy children from Harold McCormickSchool in Elizabethton.■ The outside statues of Jesus andMary have been placed on new con-crete pedestals on the north side ofthe education building. Linda Muraskiand Bill Pate assisted in giving thestatues facelifts.■ Anniversaries: Jim and Pat Dobes(35), Bill and Linda Cox (5)■ Baptisms: Brady Ledbetter, Ben-jamin Shutko■ Newcomers: Bill, Angela, Cameron,Donavan, and Emily Brown

Smoky Mountain Deanery

Holy Ghost, Knoxville■ Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace”classes will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday,Jan. 7, in the Pope John Paul II Roomand run for 13 weeks. Cost is $55. CallCarol Lougheed at 865-689-7708 fordetails.

Immaculate Conception, Knoxville■ A new Paulist Bible study, “Jesusand the Gospels,” will begin at 7 p.m.Wednesday, Jan. 13, and continue onsecond and fourth Wednesdays. Par-ticipants should bring a Bible. All othermaterials will be provided.

■ An appreciation party for volun-teers and lay ministers will be heldfrom 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10, atthe L & N Station. Bring a covered dish,and contact Carol O’Farrell at 865-691-7392 or carolgerry@bellsouth. net to lether know what dish you are bringing.

Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa■ A music board has been formed tofacilitate various musical programs inthe parish. The board will also raisemoney to purchase a new organ. CallJennifer Henderson at 865-202-6582for more information.

St. Albert the Great, Knoxville■ Father Chris Michelson thankedparishioners, whose generosity helpedSt. Albert the Great distribute about$17,000 to needy families over theholidays.■ Seven Stations of the Cross havebeen purchased. The stands are underconstruction and should arrive at theparish in January.

St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville■ Father P. J. McGinnity celebratedan extraordinary-form (“traditionalLatin”) Mass on Christmas day at St.Joseph the Worker. ■

Parish notes continued from page 4

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Undefeated championsThe Catholic Youth Football eighth-grade team (ages 14 and under) recently cap-tured the Knox County championship with a 14-12 come-from-behind win over Ful-ton. The victory completed an 11-0 season for the team. Head coach Chip Huber’sassistant coaches include Knox County Juvenile Court Judge Tim Irwin, a parish-ioner of Sacred Heart Cathedral and a 14-year NFL veteran. CYF is the feeder pro-gram for Knoxville Catholic High School, and its roster represents all of the Catholicschools in the county. This year CYF fielded nine teams with almost 250 boys. Five ofthe teams made the playoffs in the 2009 season. Two of the squads were coached byKCHS principal Dickie Sompayrac. Mr. Sompayrac’s 9-year-old team won its leaguewith a 9-0-1 record.

Kendall celebrates Grandparents Day at St. JudeSt. Jude School in Chattanooga celebrated Grandparents Day recently, with about200 grandparents attending a brunch in the family-life center. Students participatedin Mass and a special program for the visitors. Above, third-grader Kendall Mrozstands with grandparents (from left) Reva Mroz and Don and Kathy Mara.

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I write thismid-Advent2009, butyou read itin 2010. Youwill have al-ready cele-bratedChristmas,New Year’sDay, and the

arrival of the Magi and maybe thinking about takingdown Christmas decorationsand looking ahead to SuperBowl Sunday.

Throughout Advent we lookfor the light of Christ, comingin Jesus’ birth at Christmas.Our life experiences help usto relate to the patience need-ed in advance of a preciousbaby’s birth. The arrival of aninfant, especially the ChristChild, fosters great hope in usfor a future of shared relation-ships and love.

Winter months are dark,but they keep us focused onthe greater intensity andwarmth that spring light willbring. The darkness also re-minds us that we need a guid-ing light to lead us. What issometimes forgotten is thatGod is always present as ourlight of night and day, inevery season, and throughoutall creation. His presence is soobvious yet often becomes so

routine to us that we may ig-nore or forget it.

Christmas is a time of yearknown for generosity. Keep-ing a caring heart and spirit isa challenge the rest of theyear. We can continually re-flect the real meaning andspirit of Christmas in the atti-tude and offerings we extendto God and others in our dai-ly living. Each person canportray the face of Jesus toothers through prayer, thededication of time, the use oftalents, and generosity withtreasure, financial and other.

As we each seek and allowChrist to come into our life,we change in our relationshipswith God and humanity. Weview daily living with broadervision. We become increasing-ly inspired to express our ap-preciation to God for the loveand gifts he so abundantlygives. Our eyes sparkle, oursmiles reveal acceptance ofChrist’s invitation to follow asa disciple and good steward,and we live with clear direc-tion and purpose.

Stewardship then becomes away of living, having an influ-ence on how we read, watchtelevision, shop, worship, va-cation, pay bills, eat, sleep,care for ourselves and others,and apply our gifts. We carefor ourselves and others dif-

ferently, accepting a greaterlevel of responsibility for ourgifts and their use. We viewcreation with a broader per-spective, evaluate our choicesand decisions more carefully,and show justice and charityin our relationships. Realstewardship is integral and es-sential to true Christianity asJesus intended it.

As we begin a new year, wehave fresh opportunities tobuild on the love and gracesshared in the birth of theChrist Child. Jesus’ birth waspart of God’s plan. Born inhumble surroundings, theChrist Child came with adestiny to die on a cross andrise to redeem the world.

God has a plan for us too.We don’t know how God willcall us or what his plan maybe. God works through hum-ble servants, such as Mary,who respond with love andacceptance to his calls. Weshow our love for God andothers through our readinessto answer when needed.

Though we now return to“ordinary time” in the churchyear, stewardship can neverbe forgotten. God redeems theworld through those who fol-low. He brings light and loveto our relationships and ex-pressions. Let Christ be ourlight, guiding each of us toeternal life.

May 2010 be everyone’s beststewardship year yet. Godbless you. ■

Mrs. Erpenbach directs thediocesan Stewardship and De-velopment Office.

THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC6 ■ JANUARY 10, 2010 www.dioceseofknoxvi l le .org

Recently sev-eral peopleasked myopinion ofFatherThomasKeating,OCSO, andcenteringprayer. Al-though I had

read many of his books withgreat interest 10 years ago, Ihadn’t thought about him orthat technique in years. Theirquestions inspired me to re-connect with Father Keatingby watching some recentvideos of him. To my sorrow,I discovered that he appearsto be going in a different di-rection from the Magisteriumthese days.

A comparison of the videoFather Thomas Keating: One-ness and the Heart of theWorld (available for viewingon YouTube) with the Con-gregation for the Doctrine ofthe Faith’s “Letter to the Bish-

ops of the Catholic Churchon Some Aspects of ChristianMeditation” illustrates thisdivergence.

The document clearly criti-cizes those who “do not hesi-tate to place that absolutewithout image or concepts,which is proper to Buddhisttheory, on the same level asthe majesty of God revealed inChrist, which towers above fi-nite reality.” In the video Fa-ther Keating tells a long storyin which the Buddha calls to-gether monks and nuns andelevates in their presence a lo-tus flower—a Buddhist symbolof human transformation. Themonks “lost themselves in thedeepest silence of communionwith the absolute.” FatherKeating describes this eleva-tion of the lotus as “somewhatlike a eucharistic celebration.”

There’s no real similarity be-tween the Eucharist and thiselevation of the lotus. The lo-tus is presented as a symbol.The Eucharist is not merely a

symbol but Christ present.The point of the story is thatthe Buddha teaches that thisact of elevation is not in itselfsacred, that no human act issacred, but only the experi-ence of the divine. How veryconfused and confusing is itto equate this action—whichis not sacred—with the Eu-charist, the direct experienceof the Divine. Although Fa-ther Keating does affirm theReal Presence in his otherwritings and videos, he tendsto present it merely as aChristian assertion ratherthan the absolute reality it is.Ecumenical and inter-reli-gious sensitivity ceases to belaudable—and becomes reli-gious indifferentism—whenthe essential difference anddistance between the Eu-charist and the rites and sym-bols of other religious systemsare not made clear.

The Congregation’s “Letter”further tells us we must bearin mind “that man is essen-tially a creature, and remainssuch for eternity, so that anabsorbing of the human selfinto the divine self is neverpossible, not even in the high-est states of grace.” We aremade in the image and like-ness of God, and Christ shares

the entries of homeschooled stu-dents. Essays, with the entrant’sname, grade, address, and tele-phone number on the first page,should be mailed to Colette Seitz,3630 S. Creek Road, Knoxville, TN37920. The deadline for entries isFriday, Jan. 15.

Charismatic Masses will be cele-brated in 2010 at 5 p.m. Sundays,Jan. 24, April 25, Aug. 29, Oct.24, at Holy Spirit Church in Sod-dy-Daisy. Father Dan Whitman ofHoly Trinity Parish in JeffersonCity will be the celebrant. Call DeeLeigh at 423-842-2305.

Holy Resurrection RuthenianByzantine Catholic Mission hasDivine Liturgy celebrations at3:30 p.m. Sundays at Holy GhostChurch, 1041 N. Central St. inKnoxville. Call Father Thomas

O’Connell at 865-256-4880.

The St. Thomas the ApostleUkrainian Catholic Mission cele-brates Divine Liturgy at 10 a.m.Sundays in the chapel at theChancery. Call Father RichardArmstrong at 865-584-3307.

Mass in the extraordinary form(“traditional Latin”) is celebratedat 1:30 p.m. each Sunday at HolyGhost Church in Knoxville and at3 p.m. on first and third Sundaysat St. Thérèse of Lisieux Church inCleveland. Visit www.knoxlatinmass.net for details.

A Seekers of Silence Contem-plative Saturday Morning will beheld Jan. 23 at John XXIII CatholicCenter in Knoxville. Glenmary Fa-ther John S. Rausch will give atalk titled “The Preferential Option

for the Poor.” Coffee and tea willbe served at 8:30 a.m.; the work-shop will run from 9 a.m. to noon.Bring a bag lunch. RSVP to 865-523-7931.

Upcoming events for CatholicSingles of Greater Knoxville (40and over) include the following:■ Sunday, Jan. 10: Easy to mod-erate hike, site TBA. Meet at9:30 a.m. in the All Saints Churchparking lot near the pavilion. Callhost Randy S. at 865-556-3681.■ Wednesday, Jan. 13: Meet atPanera Bread on North PetersRoad for hot coffee, hot choco-late, and/or hot soup. Call RandyS. (see above) for details.■ Friday, Jan. 15: January birth-day celebration and happy hour atRed Lobster on Kingston Pike,6 p.m. RSVP to Nancy C. at 588-5591 by Jan. 14. ■

Father Keating divergesHe mistakenly likens a Buddhist ritual to the eucharistic celebration.

BY GINGER HUTTONobsessions

A year for stewardship New opportunities to share time, talent, and treasure await us in 2010.

FOLLOW BY SUZANNE ERPENBACHcalled to

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Spirituality, taught by Father Michael Woods.Explores the foundations of how our faith is ex-pressed and deepened through prayer and spiri-tuality. The class will examine the concept ofspiritual development and how intimate commun-ion with God is available to all people.■ Tuesday, Feb. 9, Sacred Heart Cathedral■ Tuesday, March 9, St. Alphonsus Church,Crossville■ Tuesday, April 20, location TBD■ Tuesday, May 11, Notre Dame Church,Greeneville

Personal morality, taught by Father MichaelSweeney. Explores the foundations of what webelieve as Catholics and why we believe it. Howdo we know the church’s position on moral is-sues is correct? How do we live as faithfulCatholics in a world that seemingly rejects thechurch’s teachings at every turn? This sessionwill examine the concepts of human dignity, free-dom, law, sin, virtue, and conscience as well ascurrent moral issues. It will also provide insightinto how we may explain the church’s position tothose who are searching for answers in a confus-ing world.■ Tuesday, March 2, St. Dominic Church, Kingsport■ Tuesday, Oct. 5, St. Stephen Church, Chattanooga■ Thursday, Nov. 4, location TBD

What we believe, taught by Deacon DavidLucheon. Explores the foundations of what weprofess as Catholics. The class will examine theprincipal truths of the faith as expressed in thecreeds of the church.■ Tuesday, April 20, location TBD■ Thursday, Oct. 14, location TBD■ Tuesday, Nov. 9, Our Lady of Perpetual HelpChurch, Chattanooga

Catechist orientationThe diocese’s catechetical formation program foradults also continues in 2010, with three catechet-ical days and one catechist-orientation session.

The program, presented in collaboration withAquinas College in Nashville, is intended forparish catechists, teachers in Catholic schools,ministry leaders, and other interested adults.

Each catechetical-formation session will takeplace on a Saturday and will include hourlongmodules on the Creed, the sacraments, morality,prayer, and methods. All sessions are offered freeof charge.

The orientation session will take place from9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 27, at St. MaryChurch in Oak Ridge. Those who have taken partin an orientation session need not attend.

Catechetical days, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (choose one)■ March 6, St. John Neumann Church, Farragut■ March 20, Notre Dame Church, Greeneville■ March 27, St. Jude Church, Chattanooga

For further details about both programs, con-tact Father Richard Armstrong at rarmstrong@dioknox.org or 865-584-3307. ■

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speaking for God, addressed that attitude. Theland of Israel is like a virgin waiting for abridegroom. When the marriage takes place,she will make him rejoice with many children.Thus, the land of Israel will be fertile when thecaptives return from Babylon. They will befilled with the bountiful produce of the land.

Jesus invoked the same theme when heblessed the couple at Cana with an abundanceof choice wine, even as people were noticingthe wine had run out. Yes, the wine of the OldCovenant was growing weak, until all that wasleft was water fit only for washing. Jesus wasbringing in the New Covenant. In comparisonto the water that was left, Jesus brought inchoice vintage wine.

In the present age of Christ’s New Covenanthis finest and greatest gift to us is the Holy Spir-it. It is the Spirit who makes us, the land andthe spouse of Christ, fertile. In the second read-ing Paul reminds us that we are all beneficiariesof Christ and therefore receivers of the Spirit’sgifts. Each of us receives spiritual gifts that areparticularly suited to our state in life. From ourown perspective we can rejoice in what we havebecome and thank God. If we had a view fromheaven, gazing on the church, however, wewould see a marvelous sight. It could be de-scribed as a lush, fruitful countryside. Or itcould be called a beautiful bride dressed andready to meet her husband. The whole worldrejoices in the new life that ensues. ■

Father Brando is a retired priest of the diocese.

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THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC JANUARY 10, 2010 ■ 7www.dioceseofknoxvi l le .org

Nourish the spirit

PARACLETE BY VONNIE SPICERfrom the

As you composeyour New Year’sresolutions, don’t

forget to include atleast one for spiritualhealth. The Paracletehas a selection of day-by-day-formattedbooks that take onlyminutes to read butkeep you centered inthe Divine Presence.

Day by Day WithFollowers of Francisand Clare (St. AnthonyMessenger Press,1999, $8.95) providesshort biographies ofFranciscans throughthe ages. Some will befamiliar, such as St.Anthony of Padua.Others may be un-known to you.

Juan de Padilla, aSpanish missionary,followed Coronado inhis search for the Sev-en Cities of Gold,which extended intowhat is now the south-western United States.He established thefirst Christian missionin the present-dayUnited States—Kansas—and laterwould become one ofthe first Christian mar-tyrs in our country. St.Louis of Toulouse re-nounced his royal titleto become a priest. St.Collette spent fouryears walled within aroom anchored to achurch before leavingto establish 17 monas-teries. St. Benedict theAfrican, the son ofslaves transported toSicily, became novicemaster of the Palermofriars.

The Daily Reader forContemplative Living:Excerpts From theWorks of FatherThomas Keating,OCSO, Sacred Scrip-ture, and other Spiritu-al Writings (Continuum,2003, $21.95) beginseach day with a prayersentence, a reflectionfrom a spiritual writer,and a Bible reference.

Victor Parachin pro-vides original inspira-tional narratives

relating Scripture toeveryday life, conclud-ing with prayers fromvarious historical andcontemporary au-thors—Edith Stein,C. S. Lewis, St. Au-gustine—in his DailyStrength for DailyNeeds: One Year ofBiblical Inspiration(Liguouri, 1998,$15.95).

Revelations of DivineMercy: Daily ReadingsFrom the Diary ofBlessed FaustinaKowalska focuseseach month on a par-ticular theme of St.Faustina’s diary—love,trust, humility, glory—while also providingbackground on her life(Servant Publications,1996, $14.99).

Ave Maria Presspresents SacredSpace: The PrayerBook 2010 (2009,$15.95), compiled fromthe website of the Je-suit CommunicationCentre in Ireland. Thepreface invites thereader “to make a sa-cred space in your dayand spend 10 minutespraying”; the bookprovides a prayerguide and Scripturequote for each day.

Grace in Every Sea-son: Through the Yearwith Catherine Doherty(Madonna House,1995, $14.95) gracesus with reflections andprayers from a greatpioneer of social jus-tice and the founder ofMadonna House, aCatholic community oflaity and priests dedi-cated to loving andserving Jesus Christ inall aspects of everydaylife.

It takes only minutesto renew and refreshthe spirit every day.Any of these recom-mendations can helpmake that possible.Happy resolutions!Happy New Year! ■

Call the store at 865-588-0388 or 800-333-2097.

our nature through his Incarnation. ThusChristianity can reconcile otherness and unity“without the personal self or the nature of acreature being dissolved or disappearing intothe sea of the Absolute.”

Contrast that with Father Keating’s statementthat “manifesting this infinite humility of Godinvolves for us the total loss of self. Not just thefalse self but any attachment to an identity thatis not God, and so if reincarnation really existsit’s not us [sic] who are being reincarnated butChrist or whatever term you have for God.”

That statement is at odds not only with thepresent document but also with several others.The Vatican document Jesus Christ: Bearer ofthe Water of Life clearly reminds us that theChristian faith is certain that reincarnationdoes not exist; the document Dominus Iesus as-sures us that Christ is not equivalent to “what-ever term you have for God.”

Some might argue that these errors do notnecessarily call into question centering prayeras a technique. That’s debatable, but the realquestion is, whom do you trust to provide sol-id instruction in prayer?

I spent hours watching Father Thomas Keat-ing videos from the last two years and compar-ing them with recent church documents.Although Father Keating is an engaging speaker,every video I watched was on some point signifi-cantly at odds with Dominus Iesus or the letteron Christian meditation. When those docu-ments were published, the Congregation for theDoctrine of the Faith was led by Cardinal JosephRatzinger, now Benedict XVI. I trust the pope. ■

Miss Hutton is a member of St. Mary Parish inOak Ridge and a full-time godmother.

WASHINGTON(CNS)—WheneverRobert Carlisle leaveshis modest apartmenton Cleveland’s nearwest side, he turns offthe heat so he cansave a little money onhis gas bill for a pairof shoes or a bus pass.He does the same atnight when he climbsinto bed under an ex-tra blanket.

Turning down theheat is an easy step totake, Carlisle said af-ter breakfast Dec. 30at the West SideCatholic Center, a fewblocks from his home.It’s especially impor-tant, he said, whenhe’s “budgeting downto every penny.”

What little moneyCarlisle earns fromodd jobs is used fornecessities, mainlyrent and utilities,leaving little for food.So he visits the WestSide Catholic Centerfor meals and even toshower. The moneyhe saves on heatingwater and on a lightbreakfast or lunchcan mean the differ-ence between havinga roof over his heador living in thestreets.

People like Car-lisle—those with lim-ited or reducedincomes—turned toplaces such as theWest Side CatholicCenter in increasingnumbers in 2008, ac-cording to the U.S.

Department of Agri-culture. They are ex-periencing what thedepartment calls foodinsecurity.

Barbara Taylor, cen-ter supervisor, toldCatholic News Serv-ice just before thenew year that peopleare seeking assistancenot just for a mealbut for clothing aswell. She has seenmore working peopletrying to stretch their

dollars for rent ormortgage payments.One man who comesalmost every day forlunch is a part-timeRegional Transit Au-thority bus driver,who, for now, is liv-ing in his van, shesaid.

“He said with hisdivorce and childsupport and his part-time work, it’s theonly way he canmake ends meet,”

Taylor said. “His onlyrequest for me was tohave a place to ironhis uniform a fewtimes a month so hecan keep his job andwork toward full-time employment.”

In a recent reportthe USDA said16.7 million house-holds—14.6 percentof all households—were food-insecure in2008 as the recessionescalated. That meansat some point duringthe year those house-holds lacked the re-sources to provideenough food for theirmembers. To cope,they turned to emer-gency kitchens andfood pantries.

About one-third ofthe households wereconsidered to havevery low food securi-ty, meaning somepeople ate less orchanged their eatingpatterns.

The overall numberof households facingfood shortagesjumped 11 percent in2008 to the highestlevel recorded sincesuch statistics werefirst compiled in1995. In 2007, 13million householdswere short of food.

The highest needfor food was in ruralareas and large cities,whereas suburban ar-eas fared better, theUSDA reported.

Pantries and food

what we’re all about,”he said. “We’re men-tal persons and phys-ical persons, andwe’re spiritual andacademic. With thisnew complex we cangive a superior edu-cation to all the stu-dents who come.

“Just think of allthe lives that will betouched over the nextdecades: people whowill build up theirbodies, their minds,and a relationshipdaily, becoming closerand closer to God. Itmight seem insignifi-cant—a gym,weights, a fieldhouse, or a football orbaseball field—butthey all contribute tothe education andformation of youngadults.”

The Farises in addi-tion were the princi-pal donors for theschool’s track. Mr.and Mrs. Faris, whoseFaris Enterprises op-erates several areaMcDonald’s restau-rants, also have sup-plied food for KCHSevents and con-tributed their time aswell as treasure, saidMr. Sompayrac.

“John and SondraFaris have given somuch to our schoolthrough the years,”he said.

“What a lot of folksdon’t see are thethings they do thatgo above and beyondthe monetary gifts tothe school.

Johnson Architec-ture and J. A. FieldenGeneral Contractorsled the buildingteam, along with Car-son Branum and Liv-ing Our MissionThrough Growthchair Father ChrisMichelson.

The capital cam-paign launched inNovember 2006 andraised $5 million to-ward a new academicwing, endowmentgrowth, and the ath-letic facilities expan-sion. Diocesanadministrator FatherAl Humbrechtblessed Schaad Hall,the academic wing, inJanuary 2008. TheFarises have a sciencelab named for them

in Schaad Hall tohonor their contribu-tions to that project.

A donation by thelate Isabel Ashe Bon-nyman (’39) helpedthe school completethe endowment-fundphase of the capitalcampaign.

The school alsothanked MonsignorPhilip Thoni, whotaught there in the1950s, and St. MaryParish in Gatlinburgfor their support ofKCHS. MonsignorThoni was the St.Mary pastor beforehis recent retirement.

“Monsignor Thoniis not here today, buthe has helped everytime I’ve said I needsome help,” said Mr.

Faris. “He driveshours to come to thegames. He’s always inour thoughts andprayers and has donea great job.”

Mr. Faris said hehopes KnoxvilleCatholic’s currentstudents will helpsupport the schoolafter they graduate.

“We’ve been in-spired and hope thatas these boys andgirls grow into youngmen and women thatthey’ll be inspired togive back, as we’veencouraged our boysto do,” he said. “Bish-op, thank you, andDickie, thank you foryour help and forgiving us the oppor-tunity to do it.” ■

LETTER BY DENNIS SADOWSKIwashington

STRETCHING DOLLARS Ernest Marshall, 67, is a vol-unteer at West Side Catholic Center in Cleveland. Hesaid he has seen more working poor turn to the centerfor assistance with food. People come for breakfast orlunch so they can stretch their limited budget to coverrent and utilities in order to avoid becoming homeless.

FIELD HOUSE GROWS Freshman Savannah Fox takes part in the blessing ceremo-ny. With her is Father Christopher Riehl. The Fox Family Head Coach’s Office, theJohnny Stallings Training Room, and the LoCascio Family Conference Room areamong the expanded Faris Field House’s new additions.

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More people struggle to make ends meetBecause of the recession, 16.7 million households needed help providing food in 2008.

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children to respect others, even when they aredifferent from us,” he said.

Multiethnic children have an advantage, hesaid, because the faces of the children “are aprophecy of the humanity we are called to form:a family of families and peoples.”

“The smaller these children are, the more theyelicit from us tenderness and joy for an inno-cence and brotherhood that is evident: despitetheir differences, they cry and laugh in the sameway, they have the same needs, they communi-cate spontaneously and play together,” he said.

However, the pope said, the smiles of toomany children are extinguished by suffering, andtheir hearts are poisoned by violence.

In them one can see “faces lined by hunger anddisease, faces disfigured by pain and despera-tion. The faces of these innocent little ones are asilent appeal to our responsibility,” the pope said.

Recognizing their helplessness, “all the falsejustifications for war and violence fall away. Wesimply must convert to projects of peace, laydown weapons of every kind, and, all of us to-gether, make a commitment to building a worldmore worthy of humanity.” ■

Copyright 2010 Catholic News Service/U.S. Con-ference of Catholic Bishops

THE EAST TENNESSEE CATHOLIC8 ■ JANUARY 10, 2010 www.dioceseofknoxvi l le .org

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IN TREATMENT An undated handout photo shows Ital-ian-Swiss national Susanna Maiolo. Maiolo, 25, wasarrested and taken to a medical facility after jumping abarricade in St Peter’s Basilica, lunging toward thepope, and knocking him down during the entrance pro-cession at the Christmas Eve Mass. The Vatican saidthe pope was not injured in the incident.

VATICAN CITY(CNS)—Pope Bene-dict XVI celebratedChristmas with a callfor unselfish charityand solidarity withthe suffering, under-lining the messagetwo days later bylunching with thepoor at a Rome soupkitchen.

The pope’s Christ-mas was marred by asecurity scare onChristmas Eve, whena mentally unbal-anced woman rushedthe 82-year-old pon-tiff and knocked himto the floor of St. Pe-ter’s Basilica. Thepope was unharmed,but French CardinalRoger Etchegaray suf-fered a broken hipwhen he fell in theconfusion.

The incident oc-curred as the popeprocessed into thebasilica at the start ofthe 10 p.m. Mass.Amateur videos post-ed on YouTubeshowed a womanwearing a red sweat-shirt leaping over thesecurity barrier andgrabbing the pope’svestments, as Vaticansecurity guardsswarmed abovethem.

The congregationinside the basilicabroke into applausewhen the popequickly rose to hisfeet and continuedthe procession downthe main aisle, look-ing somewhat shak-en. The liturgyproceeded withoutfurther incident.

Vatican sourcesconfirmed that thewoman was the sameperson who attempt-ed to rush the popeat Midnight Mass lastyear but was tackledby guards before shecould reach the pon-tiff. The woman, 25-year-old SusannaMaiolo, an Italianand Swiss citizen,was taken into cus-tody for psychiatricevaluations.

In his ChristmasEve homily the popesaid conflict in theworld stems from thefact that “we arelocked into our owninterests and our de-sires.” He said manypeople have become“religiously tone-deaf” and unable to

perceive God, ab-sorbed by worldly af-fairs and professionaloccupations.

“For most people,the things of God arenot given priority. . . .And so the great ma-jority of us tend topostpone them. Firstwe do what seems ur-gent here and now. Inthe list of prioritiesGod is often more orless at the end. Wecan always deal withthat later, we tend tothink,” he said.

Despite this men-tality, he said, a pathfor discovering andappreciating God ex-ists for everyone. It isa path marked withsigns, he said, and atChristmas God’s signis that “he makeshimself small; he be-comes a child; he letsus touch him and heasks for our love.”

On Christmas Daythe pope deliveredhis message andblessing urbi et orbi(“to the city of Romeand to the world”)from the central bal-cony of St. Peter’sBasilica. He prayedfor peace in troublespots such as theHoly Land, Iraq, SriLanka, and the Dem-ocratic Republic ofCongo.

In Europe andNorth America, hesaid, the church“urges people toleave behind the self-

ish and technicistmentality, to advancethe common good,and to show respectfor the persons whoare the most defense-less, starting with theunborn.”

The pope said thechurch began withChrist’s birth “in thelowly cave of Bethle-hem” and throughthe centuries has be-come a light for hu-manity, most recentlyas it has experienceda “grave financial cri-sis” and a more gen-eral moral crisis.

The pope then of-fered Christmasgreetings in 65 lan-guages, saying inEnglish: “May thebirth of the Prince ofPeace remind theworld where its truehappiness lies; andmay your hearts befilled with hope andjoy, for the savior hasbeen born for us.”

The pope’s Christ-mas message includ-ed a call for “anattitude of acceptanceand welcome” for themillions of peoplewho migrate fromtheir homelands,driven by hunger, in-tolerance, or environ-mental degradation.

On Dec. 27 thepope lunched with amostly immigrantgroup at a Romesoup kitchen and lan-guage school run bythe Sant’Egidio Com-

munity, a Catholic layorganization. Thewhite-robed pontiffcame with a carloadof gifts that he pre-sented to more than30 children served bythe center.

The pope wascheered as he enteredthe dining room for ameal of lasagna,meatballs, and lentils,followed by cake andspumante. He lis-tened during the mealto personal stories ofpersecution, arduousimmigration routes,and homelessness.

Among those seat-ed at the pope’s tablewas Qorbanali Es-maili, a 34-year-oldpolitical refugee fromAfghanistan; RoukiaDaud Abdulle, a 63-year-old Somaliwoman who came toItaly so her disabledson could receivecare; and Boban Tra-jkovic, 24, who livesin a Gypsy camp onthe outskirts ofRome.

The event in thepopular Rome quar-ter of Trastevere drewhundreds of resi-dents, who cheeredthe pope when he ar-rived and watchedvideo pictures of partof his visit on a giantTV screen outside.They applaudedwhen the pontiffgreeted 25-year-oldAniello Bosco, whogets around theneighborhood in awheelchair; he wasabandoned by hisfamily because of adisability.

“I am here to tellyou that I am close toyou and I love youand that your experi-ences are not far frommy thoughts,” thepope said in aspeech, before beingserenaded with aChristmas carol.

Outside the centerthe pope stopped topersonally greet manyof the residents whopacked the adjacentstreet. Despite theChristmas Eve inci-dent at the Vatican,no attempt was madeto keep people at adistance from thepontiff. ■

Copyright 2009Catholic News Serv-ice/U.S. Conference ofCatholic Bishops

Pope celebrates Christmas with call for charity‘Our own interests and desires’ lead to conflict in the world, Benedict says. By John Thavis

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URBI ET ORBI Pope Benedict XVI delivers his Christ-mas blessing urbi et orbi—“to the city and to theworld”—from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilicaat the Vatican on Dec. 25.

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programs across the countryhave seen significant increasesin requests for help.

At Catholic Charities ofSouthern Nevada in Las Vegas,the number of people seekingemergency food assistance hasdoubled to nearly 100 familiesa day, five days a week.

“People come to keep thehouse,” said Sharon Mann,community relations directorat the agency.

“Our clientele has changed.It used to be people whowould come on foot or bybus, truly the working poor,those just getting by or notworking. We’ve completelychanged now. Because Las Ve-gas was so hard hit by fore-closures and people who’velost their jobs, we’re seeinghusbands and wives coming.Some of our donors have be-

come clients. “It’s helping them keep un-

der a roof,” she continued.“We are now seeing peoplewho have never, never had toask us for help.”

Across the country atCatholic Charities of Brooklynand Queens in New York,Nina Valmonte said her pro-gram topped the one-million-meal mark for the first timeduring the fiscal year endingin June. A normal year findsthe program serving 600,000to 700,000 meals.

“Now we see more men onthe pantry lines,” Valmontetold CNS. “They have tradi-tionally been the majorproviders. Now the majorprovider has lost a job or hasreduced hours.

“It becomes a choice betweenpaying the mortgage or the

rent or getting food,” she said.Seeing a growing need, Val-

monte’s program initiated agrant program in 2008 to helpparishes improve their emer-gency outreach. “Guess what?Most of them said they woulduse the money to start or ex-pand a food pantry,” she said.

Similar increases in food re-quests have been reported inplaces such as Dayton, Ohio;Austin, Texas; and LakeCharles, La., according to themost recent Catholic CharitiesUSA quarterly survey of itsagencies.

Overall, the survey found 76percent of Catholic Charitiesagencies reporting an in-creased demand for food. ■

Copyright 2009 Catholic NewsService/U.S. Conference ofCatholic Bishops

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Papal secretary visits pope’sChristmas attackerBY CAROL GLATZ

VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Pope Benedict XVI’s per-sonal secretary visited the woman responsible forknocking the pope down during Christmas EveMass.

Monsignor Georg Ganswein, papal secretary,visited Susanna Maiolo at the psychiatric hospitalin Subiaco, outside of Rome, where she wastransferred Dec. 25.

The papal secretary made the private visit toMaiolo “to show her the Holy Father’s interest inher situation,” the papal spokesman, Father Fed-erico Lombardi, said in a written statement Jan. 3.

Although the Vatican did not specify when thevisit occurred, the Italian daily Il Giornale saidMonsignor Ganswein met with Maiolo on Dec. 31.

The newspaper said the monsignor brought hera rosary and told her the pope had forgiven herand believed she hadn’t meant any harm. Itadded that Maiolo, a dual Italian–Swiss citizen,had previously received extensive psychiatriccare in Switzerland.

A Vatican prosecutor was gathering informationfrom doctors evaluating Maiolo’s mental stateand from Vatican security reports. The prosecutorwas to make a recommendation to the Vaticantribunal, which will then make the final ruling.

She may be pardoned and acquitted of anycrime, handed over to Italian or Swiss authorities,or handed down a sentence, Father CiroBenedettini, vice director of the Vatican press of-fice, told Catholic News Service Dec. 28.

Maiolo, 25, jumped a security barrier at thestart of the Dec. 24 liturgy as Pope Benedictprocessed into St. Peter’s Basilica. As Vaticanguards tackled her, she grabbed the pope’s vest-ments, causing him to lose his balance and tum-ble to the floor.

The woman, who was not armed, was takenaway by papal guards. She showed signs ofmental instability and was taken to a psychiatrichospital about 45 miles outside of Rome for whatthe Vatican called “mandatory clinical treatment.”

The pope appeared unharmed after the Dec.24 incident, but French Cardinal RogerEtchegaray, 87, suffered a broken hip and under-went hip replacement surgery Dec. 27. ■

Copyright 2010 Catholic News Service/U.S. Con-ference of Catholic Bishops