Photo by Andy Telli Joy to the world · December 27, 2019 Tennessee Register 1 ... Dec. 18, to wrap gifts for about 300 families. The Halliday family, from left, Molly, Emma, Clare

Tennessee Register 1December 27, 2019

Pope approves procedures to investigate bishops … page 9 | Bishop re-consecrates diocese to Sacred Heart ... page 27Society of St. Vincent de Paul establishes council ... page 2 | White socks drive to help bring Christmas cheer to prisoners ... 5Pope approves procedures to investigate bishops … page 9 | Bishop re-consecrates diocese to Sacred Heart ... page 278-19 … page 10 | ith … page 16Pope approves procedures to investigate bishops … page 9 | Bishop re-consecrates diocese to Sacred Heart ... page 27Society of St. Vincent de Paul establishes council ... page 2 | White socks drive to help bring Christmas cheer to prisoners ... 5Pope approves procedures to investigate bishops … page 9 | Bishop re-consecrates diocese to Sacred Heart ... page 27es new hires … page 5 | owth … page 15Pope approves procedures to investigate bishops … page 9 | Bishop re-consecrates diocese to Sacred Heart ... page 27Society of St. Vincent de Paul establishes council ... page 2 | White socks drive to help bring Christmas cheer to prisoners ... 5Tennessee Register Readership Survey … page 6 | Mullins named Ryan athletic director ... page 15

December 27, 2019 | The Voice of Tennessee Catholic Life since 1937 | www.tennesseeregister.com

New community court brings justice to North NashvilleTheresa Laurence

As workers inside Room 23 at the McGruder Family Resource Center painted and hammered

their way to completing the new Bordeaux-North Community Justice Center, Judge Rachel Bell surveyed the progress, reflecting on the years of hard work it’s taken to make this a reality.

Since 2012, she’s set up temporary community courtrooms in borrowed spaces including schools, churches and

community centers, but “this is our per-manent space,” she said. “It’s better to have court in the community.”

In her courtroom here, a new approach to criminal justice will emphasize reha-bilitation, with reconciliation, community service and job training prioritized over jail time for low-level offenders.

“This court will look at the whole per-son,” said Alisha Haddock, director of the McGruder Center and an employee of Catholic Charities of Tennessee, which manages services and programming at

McGruder. “One thing Catholic Charities does well is walk alongside people when they need the most help,” she said.

As the new Bordeaux-North Commu-nity Justice Center gets off the ground – the official grand opening is Jan. 20, 2020, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Catholic Charities caseworkers will be walking alongside even more people who need help.

Catholic Charities will be a critical partner with the Justice Center, allow-ing it to get off the ground with wrap-

around services already in place. Community courts around the country

are often established as a courtroom first, then have to add the necessary ser-vices for participants to be successful.

By securing space at the McGruder Center, where services like a food pantry, financial literacy, workforce de-velopment and entrepreneurial classes were already in place through Catholic Charities, “this is a win-win for every-one,” Bell said. “This is an amazing

Continued on page 9

Photo by Andy Telli

Joy to the worldFor the last 50 years, parishioners at St. Philip Church in Franklin have distributed Christmas baskets of food and gifts to needy families in the community. This year, parishioners gathered on Wednesday, Dec. 18, to wrap gifts for about 300 families. The Halliday family, from left, Molly, Emma, Clare and Marty, were among the parishioners helping to wrap gifts. See story, page 8.

2 Tennessee Register December 27, 2019

Diocese’s 58 churches include parishes, missions, ministriesAndy Telli

In describing the Diocese of Nash-ville, people have used a variety of numbers of parishes within its

boundaries. The number has changed as parishes are established or as com-munities lose their official designation as a parish.

At the same time, some large and vibrant communities of the faithful that are not designated as a parish under canon law have been left out of the number.

“We’ve been in this confusing situa-tion for the recent several years,” said Father John Hammond, Vicar General and Judicial Vicar for the Diocese of Nashville and pastor of St. Patrick Church in Nashville.

To clear up the confusion, the diocese has settled on the number 58 churches, which includes all 52 parishes, three missions, and three stable faith commu-nities that are ministries of the diocese with their own priests and churches, Father Hammond said.

“This is a number that makes sense when we talk about the churches we operate in the Diocese of Nashville,” Father Hammond said.

“The 58 is based on the canonical term ‘church.’ which means something very specific,” Father Hammond said. Canon law states: “The term church means a sacred building intended for divine worship, to which the faithful have right of access for the exercise, especially the public exercise, of divine

worship.”The number of parishes in the dio-

cese has changed in recent years, Fa-ther Hammond said. For awhile, the community at Mary Queen of Angels Assisted Living Facility was designated as a separate parish, but is no longer designated as a parish, he explained.

The bishop of a diocese decides which communities will be designated a parish, Father Hammond explained. “It’s a process. Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is now a parish, began as a min-istry of St. Edward. It took on a life of its own, moved into its own church, with its own pastor, and eventually was designated as a parish.”

The factors in establishing a parish include things like the stability of the community, its financial independence and the availability of a pastor, he added. “A parish always has a pastor,” although he might not always been in residence, Father Hammond said. “Some priests are pastor of more than one parish.”

The number of churches in the diocese also includes three mission churches: St. Mary Margaret in Alto, attached to Good Shepherd Parish in Decherd; St. Michael Mission in Cedar Hill, attached to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Springfield; and Divine Sav-ior Mission in Celina, attached to St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Cookeville, “but for the last several years has been taken care of by the pastor of Holy Family Church in Lafayette,” Father Hammond said.

“A mission is a church with a commu-

nity which is a stable community of the faithful but is not big enough to be self sustaining, so it’s attached to a parish,” Father Hammond said. “A mission op-erates as an off-site part of a parish.”

There are three ministries of the diocese that serve communities of the faithful, including the Sagrado Corazon Hispanic Ministry, which is the larg-est church in the diocese and uses the church and office space at the Catholic Pastoral Center, Father Hammond said. “In many ways, it looks like a parish, which is why they’re in this number.”

“In addition to everything they do here, they also provide pastoral care and sacraments at several other par-ishes in the diocese,” he added.

“Like the missions, they are a com-munity of the faithful with their own identity, not a parish, nor a mission attached to a specific parish,” Father Hammond said.

The other ministries included in the diocese’s number of churches are:

• The Church of the Korean Martyrs on Lebanon Road in Donelson, which serves the Korean Catholic community in the area. “They have their own build-ing and their own priest provided by a di-ocese in Korea,” Father Hammond said.

• The Mother of Divine Mercy Cop-tic Catholic community, which serves families primarily from Egypt and cel-ebrates its liturgies in the St. Joseph Chapel at the Catholic Pastoral Center.

The community’s director, Father Elia Gawarge, who was assigned by the Coptic Catholic Patriarch in Egypt, also

helps the diocese in other ways, Father Hammond said. He is a bi-ritual priest who can celebrate the Mass according to both the Coptic Catholic rites and the Roman Catholic rites. He lives in the rectory at Holy Rosary Church in Donelson and helps celebrate the sac-raments there when needed.

Several other communities of faith-ful are not included in the number of churches in the diocese for a variety of reasons.

The St. Mother Teresa of Kolkata Syro-Malabar Mission, which cel-ebrates its liturgies at the Church of the Assumption in Nashville, is actually a mission of the Syro-Malabar Catho-lic Diocese of St. Thomas of Chicago, which covers all of the United States.

Although the Diocese of Nashville is supportive of and welcomes the Syro-Malabar mission in Nashville, “they’re not ours,” Father Hammond said.

A Burmese Catholic community “is a community of the faithful, but they don’t have a stable priest or church,” Father Hammond said.

The Vietnamese Catholic Community meets at St. Martha Church in Ashland City and Father Hung Pham is the community’s chaplain, but they are not included in the number of churches be-cause they don’t have a church building of their own, Father Hammond said.

By referring to the 58 churches in the diocese, it is hoped there will be no confusion going forward, Father Hammond said. “It’s a messaging consistency.”

Photos by Andy Telli

Walking with the poorThe Ladies of Charity of Nashville filled more than 700 Christmas food baskets to distribute to the needy during the holiday season. Suzanne Valimont, above left, of St. Stephen Catholic Community, reaches for a box of crackers to put in one of the Christmas boxes. Paul Ryder, whose mother Diane Ryder of St. Henry Church is a Ladies of Charity member, helps stack the Christmas boxes.


December 27, 2019 | Volume 82, Number 26

MAIN OFFICE

Catholic Pastoral Center2800 McGavock Pike

Nashville, TN 37214-1402(615)783-0750, (615) 783-0285 FAX

[email protected]

Tennessee Register website - www.tennesseeregister.comDiocese of Nashville website - www.dioceseofnashville.com

Tennessee Register® (USPS 616-500) is published bi-weekly, for $29.00 per year US, $30.00 foreign, by Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville, 2800 McGavock Pike, Nashville, TN, 37214-1402. Periodicals Postage Paid at Nashville TN and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Tennessee Register, 2800 McGavock Pike, Nashville, TN, 37214-1402.

Publisher Most Reverend J. Mark SpaldingEditor in Chief Rick MusacchioManaging Editor Andy TelliStaff Writer Theresa LaurenceAdministrative Nancy MattsonCreative Services Manager Debbie LaneGraphic/Web Design Yanel Pinto

MOST REVEREND J. MARK SPALDINGʼS SCHEDULE

Subscription Order FormPlease send this form with your payment of $29 to:

Tennessee Register, 2800 McGavock Pike, Nashville, TN 37214-1402

New Subscriber Renewal Change of Address

Name: ______________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________

City: ____________________________ State: ______ ZIP: ___________

Parish: ______________________________________________________

For change of address, please include old address.

December 31• Vigil Mass for Solemnity of Mary, Cathedral of the Incarnation, 4 p.m.

January 8• Taping of Issues of Faith at Channel 5, 12:30 p.m.

January 11• Mass and Mortgage burning, St. Henry Church, 5 p.m.

January 12• Mass with the Coptic Community, Catholic Pastoral Center, 9:30 a.m.

Follow Bishop Spalding on Twitter: @bpspalding

Ryan communityhonors veterans

Faculty, staff, students and alumni from Father Ryan High School gathered at the Middle Tennessee Veterans Cemetery on Saturday, Dec. 14, to place Christmas wreaths on the graves of veterans. The event was coordinated by Assistant Dean of Students Stuart Magness and 2019 graduate Jacob Wagner, who started the program in 2018.

The Diocese of Nashville’s World Marriage Day celebration will be held on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020.

Bishop J. Mark Spalding will celebrate Mass for couples celebrating their 25th or 50th wedding anniversary during 2020. The Mass will be at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Incarnation, followed by a light reception.

Each couple will receive a certificate recognizing their milestone anniver-

sary, and group photos with Bishop Spalding will be taken before the Mass.

Couples who plan on attending the Mass should inform their parish office, who will pass along the information to the diocesan Office of Family Life and Mar-riage, which will prepare the certificates.

For more information, contact Deacon Tom Samoray, director of family life and marriage ministry, at 615-783-0754 or [email protected].

World Marriage Day Massset for Feb. 9 at the Cathedral

1225 Gallatin Pike South Madison, TN

Academic Excellence in Catholic Tradition

Pre-K through 8th Grade

serving families from East Nashville, Madison, Hendersonville, Gallatin and more!

www.SaintJosephSchoolNashville.org


January

3 Friday† St. Genevieve

Holy Hour, 7 p.m., St. William, 719 N. Main St., Shelbyville.

4 Saturday† St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Padre Pio Prayer Group, 6:30 a.m., St. Edward, 188 Thompson Ln., Nashville. Ad-oration, confession, Mass; followed by ro-sary, snack, and talk. Info: 626-201-4810.

Morning of Prayer, 10:30 a.m., Carmel Center of Spirituality, 610 Bluff Rd, Lib-erty, TN. Mass, program, lunch. Info/RSVP: Bonnie 615-536-5177.

7 Tuesday† St. Raymond of Pennafort

JPII Alumni Luncheon, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., 117 Caldwell Dr., Henderson-ville. Info: [email protected].

9 Thursday† St. Adrian

Nashville Catholic Business League Prayer Breakfast, 7 a.m., Cathedral, 2015 West End Ave., Nashville. Speaker: Andrew Maraniss, nationally-acclaimed and award-winning author of “Strong In-

side” and “Games of Deception.” Info: www.catholicbusinessleague.org.

11 Saturday† St. Theodosius the Cenobiarch

Magnificat, for Catholic women, 8:30 a.m., St. Edward, 190 Thompson Ln., Rm. 211, Nashville. Info: 334-655-2069 or [email protected].

Cancer Support Group, 9 a.m., St. Jo-seph, Parish Center, 1225 Gallatin Pike S., Madison. Info: 615-860-0128.

12 Sunday† St. Marguerite Bourgeoys

Portuguese Mass, 1 p.m., Cathedral, 2015 West End Ave, Nashville. Info: [email protected].

Free Football Mini-Camp for 6th-8th grade boys, Jan. 12, Offensive Skills QB/WR/RB, 3-5 p.m.; registration 2:30 p.m., JPII, 117 Caldwell Dr., Hendersonville. Led by former NFL and Vanderbilt line-man and current JPII head football coach, Justin Geisinger. Registration: [email protected]. Include: player name, position, school and grade level.

13 Monday† St. Hilary of Poitiers

NFP Classes, Jan. 13, Feb. 10, Mar. 9, 6 p.m., St. Matthew, 535 Sneed Rd. W., Franklin. Registration: Franchelle Jaeger, [email protected].

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

JOIN US FOR OUR OPEN HOUSE!JANUARY 26 | NOON - 2 P.M.

RSVP AT STHENRYSCHOOL.ORG• Before/After Care Available• AdvancED Accredited• Weekly All-School Mass• Pediatric Nurse Practitioner• Resource Department• Enrichment Program• School Counselor• Accelerated Classes• National Math, History, Geography,

Spelling Competitions• Interactive Promethean Boards• Drone and Robotics Programs• Seven Competitive Sport Teams • Debate, Forensics, Theater, Band, Art • MTVA Choral Membership• Student Council & Class Service Projects

6401 HARDING PIKE NASHVILLE, TN 37205

615-352-1328 WWW.STHENRYSCHOOL.ORG

Andy Telli

Diocesan school officials will host information sessions about the state’s new Education Savings

Account program after the Sunday Masses on Jan. 12, 2020, at Sagrado Corazon Church at the Catholic Pasto-ral Center in Nashville.

“The goal is to inform families of school-aged children about the Educa-tion Savings Account and to teach them how to apply to the Department of Education when the application portal opens, which we anticipate to be in early February,” said diocesan Superin-tendent of Schools Rebecca Hammel.

During the last legislative session, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a law establishing the Education Sav-ings Account, which allows students in kindergarten through 12th grade who are zoned to attend Metro Nashville or Shelby County schools to use state funds to attend participating private schools.

Although the families must live in Da-vidson County, they can use the funds in their Education Savings Account at schools in other counties, Hammel said.

Each Education Savings Account will have about $7,100 in state funds, which can be used at vendors pre-approved by the state Department of Education for: tuition and fees at a participating K-12 school; fees for transportation to and from school; required textbooks; computers or devices used for educa-tional needs; school uniforms; tutoring services; summer or after school edu-cational programs; educational therapy services; fees for high school dual enrollment courses at colleges and universities; and fees for college admis-sion exams.

Families must fall below certain in-come levels to be eligible to receive an Education Savings Account: $43,966 for a two-person household; $55,458 for a three-person household; $66,950 for a four-person household; $78,442 for a five-person household.

All the guidelines for participating in the program still must be finalized by the state, but the guidelines as pro-posed can be viewed on the Education Department’s website. Visit tn.gov/education and search for “Education

Savings Accounts.”Families interested in using the Edu-

cation Savings Account program to send their children to a Catholic school will be invited to stay after the Masses on Sunday, Jan. 12, at Sagrado Corazon. The sessions will be led by Sister Mary Johanna Mellody, O.P., who works in Hispanic ministry for the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation and is fluent in Spanish. Hammel will also be on hand for the sessions.

The Sunday Masses at Sagrado Cora-zon are at 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The diocesan schools participating in the program will have informational materials available in Spanish to distrib-ute to interested families.

Sister Mary Johanna has already held information sessions at St. Ann Church, St. Ignatius of Antioch Church and with the Coptic Catholic commu-nity, and will be holding more, Ham-mel said. Marsha Wharton, principal of St. Edward School, also has led an information session for families in the Burmese Catholic community, Hammel added.

Diocesan officials hope to speak to families in several other ethnic Catholic communities, Hammel said. “We’re hoping to reach out to Sudanese fami-lies and the Vietnamese and Korean groups,” she said.

Families can also contact individual schools to get information about the Education Savings Accounts, Hammel said. All the diocesan schools in David-son, Sumner, Rutherford and William-son counties are expected to partici-pate in the program, Hammel said.

“We are encouraging families who are interested in the Education Savings Account program to start touring our schools to see if they are a good fit for their family, so when this becomes ac-tivated they can act on it immediately,” Hammel said.

Some schools have already started the application process for families in-terested in using an Education Savings Account, Hammel said.

Families will have to apply to the state to receive an Education Savings Ac-count and they also will have to meet all the admission requirements for the Catholic school their student will be at-tending, Hammel said.

Parents invited to sessions on Education Savings Accounts

Please participate inthe Register Readership Survey

The Tennessee Register is cur-rently conducting a Reader-ship Survey. As “The Voice

of Tennessee Catholic Life Since 1937,” the Register strives to offer relevant, informative, and educa-tional content to our readers in every issue.

We are interested in your feed-back about the topics you most enjoy and your reading preferences. We encourage you to take the sur-vey and help us collect information

that will allow us to serve you bet-ter.

A paper version of the survey will be available as an insert in this issue of the paper, and an online version of the survey will be avail-able at www.tennesseeregister.com.

You can submit the paper version via mail or through your parish by dropping it in the Sunday collection.

Thank you again for your participation!


Nashville priests take lessons from New Pastor WorkshopJacob Telli

Seven Nashville priests, relatively new to the job of leading a faith community, recently attended a

New Pastor Workshop to learn tools and tips to help run a parish community.

The priests who attended the work-shop, held Nov. 3-8 at St Mary’s Semi-nary and University in Baltimore, were: Father Benjamin Butler, administrator of St. Martha Church in Ashland City and St. Pius X Church in Nashville; Fa-ther Jacob Dio, M.S.F.S., pastor of Im-maculate Conception Church in Clarks-ville; Father Noble Dominic, M.S.F.S., pastor of St. Catherine Church in Mc-Minnville; Father Michael Fye, pastor of St. Ann Church in Nashville; Father Elia Gawarge, director of Mother of Divine Mercy Coptic Catholic Commu-nity; Father Gervan Menezes, chaplain of University Catholic in Nashville; and Father Bede Price, pastor of Assump-tion Church in Nashville.

Father Fye of St. Ann Church had three reasons for attending the work-shop, he said. The first was he was asked to by Bishop J. Mark Spalding. But he also wanted to attend for the camaraderie of his brother priests and the opportunity to better understand what he does not know, he said.

The days of the workshop were spent in a classroom, listening to presenta-tions by both clergy and laypeople on the ins and outs of being a pastor.

While talks on building and facilities management, human resources, and parish finances may not fascinate the average parishioner, the experience gave Father Fye a better understand-ing of just how demanding of a job has been given to him.

“I learned that I can’t do this alone,” he said. “I need the help and expertise of the laypeople who generously volun-teer for the church. I’m not here alone, and I have a lot of people helping to

check all the boxes.”Father Menezes, the Chaplain for

University Catholic, took home a forward-looking perspective from Bal-timore. “I think it helped me to think ahead. To know what to expect in the years to come,” he said.

“Despite not having the title of pastor, what I do every day is indeed the work of a pastor, taking care of the soul, my flock,” said Father Menezes, who leads a ministry for college students.

“And so, I think this retreat definitely helped me learn how to better serve my people.”

The workshop was intended specifi-cally for new pastors because becoming the leader of a community can be a dif-ficult transition for many priests.

Both Father Fye and Father Menezes noted the challenges of new leadership. “I think one of my biggest challenges is trying to manage people’s expectations and emotions,” Father Fye said.

While the content of the workshop was more nuts and bolts, the present-ers did provide some motivation for taking up the mantle. Father Fye re-membered explicitly when one of the presenters stopped and told the pas-tors, “You’re expected to lead, so lead. You can’t be afraid to lead the parish.”

The workshop provided valuable information for all the pastors, but the priests’ favorite part of the experience was the time they got to spend with each other. The seven Nashville pastors were able to enjoy meals and their free evenings together.

Before the weekend, Father Fye said he considered many of the other pas-tors acquaintances. Following the work-shop, however, he is happy to call them all friends.

Father Menezes felt the same way. “I think that was the better part of the days in Baltimore, to get to know my brother priests. We indeed have great priests and brothers in Nashville.”

Seven priests from the Diocese of Nashville recentaly attended a New Pastor Workshop at St Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore. The priests were, from left, Father Michael Fye of St. Ann Church, Father Gervan Menezes of University Catholic, Father Jacob Dio, M.S.F.S. of Immaculate Conception Church in Clarksville, Father Ben Butler of St. Martha Church in Ashland City and St. Pius X Church in Nashville, Father Bede Price of Assumption Church, Father Noble Dominic, M.S.F.S., of St. Catherine Church in McMinnville, and Father Elia Gawarge of the Mother of Divine Mercy Coptic Catholic Community.

“As iron sharpens iron,so man sharpens his fellowman.”

— Proverbs 27:17

Saturday, February 29, 2020St. Philip Church, 113 2nd Ave. S., Franklin TN 37064

Greg WillitsTools for Peace:

Rosary Army

Matt BirkWalter Payton

NFL Man of the Year & Superbowl

Champ

Gary ZimakAuthor of

Give up worry for Lent

Most Rev.J. Mark

SpaldingBishop ofNashville

&STRONGCOURAGEOUS

Info and Tickets:catholicmenoffaithconf.com

Info and Tickets:catholicwomenoffaithconf.com

Join 1,000 extraordinary womenfor an uplifting spiritual day!

Saturday, March 28, 2020St. Philip Church, 113 2nd Ave. S., Franklin TN 37064

ChristineWatkins

Founder of Queen of Peace

Media

Kelly NietoMiss America

Runner-up whohad life changingvision from God

Kathleen Beckman

Author ofWhen Women

Pray

Taylor TripodiAwakening

ConcertTouching Hearts


Volunteers prepare meals for low-income seniorsTheresa Laurence

On a recent Thursday morning, while most people were still en-joying coffee and breakfast, vol-

unteers from the Diocese of Nashville were preparing and packing up lunch and dinner meals of soup and sand-wiches to be delivered to the residents of Chippington Towers in Madison, an apartment complex for low-income se-nior citizens.

Right now, volunteers gather on Thursday mornings to prepare 20 meals in the commercial kitchen at the Catholic Pastoral Center.

“We’ve been doing this for a few months, we wanted to start small and manageable,” said Valerie Cooper, who just retired from her position as a case in-structor for the diocesan Tribunal Office.

Cooper had the idea to deliver meals and recruited friends from her par-ish, Christ the King, to help make the lunches, pack the boxes, and deliver the meals. Cathy Kelly and Patty Farmer work alongside Cooper Thurs-day mornings, with assistance from Kassie Hackler, who manages Holy Grounds, the breakfast and lunch café for Catholic Pastoral Center employees.

The diocese funds the meal delivery program through the Bishop’s Annual Appeal for Ministries.

In the new year, as Cooper steps away from her position with the Tribunal, she will continue to volunteer with the meal program and look at ways to expand it. “We’ll be looking to identify other communities that might need something like this,” said Cooper. “The focus is to reach out.”

Cooper identified Chippington Tow-ers, located in Madison behind St. Joseph Church and School, since it was fairly close to the Catholic Pastoral Cen-ter and had a senior population in need. Residents currently receive Meals on Wheels deliveries, but a volunteer at the complex helped identify 20 people who could use an additional meal. Each box is labeled for a specific apartment number so the people most in need will be sure to receive their meal.

“There’s a lot of programs out there, but people fall through the cracks,” said Cooper. She and her fellow volun-teers know this small meal delivery ef-fort won’t patch all the cracks, but they

are happy to help do what they can.“We’re not helping all of Nashville,

but we’re hoping to help a small part of Nashville,” said Farmer.

Those interested in volunteering can contact Cooper at [email protected].

My clients tell me the rate I got them was anywhere from.25% -.50% better than what their bank or other lender quoted them.

I will be glad to review what other lenders have offered youand give you a honest opinion on whether it is the best deal for you. Dare to compare.

Because I offer one on one service, your loan is only handled by me to ensure fast seamless processing of your loan.

If you are looking at buying a new home, let me get you pre-approved to buy that home. It is FREE so call me today.

Member of Holy Family Catholic Church, K of C 4th Degree

Certified Mortgage BankerPhone 615-377-0769 • Fax 615-376-9555

Fidelity Home loans, llCNMLS#894768

Better Rates, Faster Service!

Bob NolteCMB

NMLS #160882tHe

steCkelGroup

Kurt Steckel, ABR, GRI, CRS, Broker C: 615.804.2649 | O: 615.778.1818

[email protected] | TheSteckelgroup.com

Nici Steckel, REALTOR,HRA ’01/FRHS ’05

C: 615.504.8090 | O: 615.778.1818 [email protected] | TheSteckelgroup.com

Hot Interest Rates for a Hot Market! Reach out for a Free Market Analysis. Our reputation spanning 40 years comes from

successful negotiations every step of the way with attention to details, big and small.— All things crucial to today’s fast paced real estate market in Middle Tennessee.

Each Keller Williams Realty officeis independently ownedand operated.

Photos by Theresa LaurenceCathy Kelly, above center, and Patty Farmer, Christ the King parishioners and volunteers with Holy Grounds, the cafe at the Catholic Pastoral Center, prepare lunches to be delivered to residents of Chippington Towers in Madison, a housing complex for low-income senior citizens. Valerie Cooper, left, greets Becky Bell, a volunteer at Chippington Towers, when she delivers lunches for the residents. Volunteers from the diocese prepare lunches once a week for low-income senior citizens who live at Chippington.


Cindy Wooden CNS

VATICAN CITY. For Pope Francis, 2019 included his sixth anniver-sary as pope, and was a year that

saw him still confronted with the clerical sexual abuse crisis and with Vatican fi-nancial scandals.

He earned more points than ever on his frequent-flyer card, making seven foreign trips in 2019, traveling almost 52,000 miles to visit Panama for World Youth Day, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Romania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Thailand and Japan.

Continuing to push the idea of a “syn-odal church,” one in which all the faith-ful are asked to reflect on specific issues and then the bishops gather to discern practical responses together, Pope Fran-cis hosted a special Synod of Bishops for the Amazon and issued his postsynod document on young people, “Christus Vivit.”

He also declared that the third Sunday of Ordinary Time – Jan. 26 in 2020 – would see a global Catholic focus on reading and praying with the Bible with a new celebra-tion of the “Sunday of the Word of God.”

On the first Sunday of Advent, he issued a short apostolic letter on the meaning and value of Nativity scenes as a prompt for prayer and contemplation and a sim-ple but profound means of evangelization.

TIn early November, the “ad limina” visits of the bishops of the United States began; 15 regional groups of bishops are scheduled to make the weeklong visits by the end of February. Bishops in the first five groups reported spending more than two hours in a rather informal session with the pope, telling him about their dioceses and asking for advice.

Efforts to protect youthWhile continuing to teach about the

faith, especially about God’s love and mercy, through his homilies at his inti-mate morning Masses in the chapel of his residence, at visits to Rome parishes and in his Sunday Angelus addresses, Pope Francis also was forced to deal head on with the ongoing scandal of clerical sexual abuse and attempts by bishops to cover up allegations.

The year began with Pope Francis writing a letter to U.S. bishops who were attending a spiritual retreat he had sug-gested they hold before trying to work

out a specific system for handling allega-tions against bishops and holding each other accountable.

Writing to the bishops at the Jan. 2-8 retreat, the pope acknowledged that the scandal had created a “crisis of credibil-ity” for the U.S. bishops, led to divisions within their body and, he said, to a temp-tation to look for administrative solu-tions to problems that go much deeper.

Without a clear and decisive focus on spiritual conversion and Gospel-inspired ways of responding to victims and exer-cising ministry, “everything we do risks being tainted by self-referentiality, self-preservation and defensiveness, and thus doomed from the start,” the pope wrote.

The retreat took place before Pope Fran-cis’ summit on the abuse crisis, a meet-ing in February with the heads of every bishops’ conference in the world, the heads of the Eastern Catholic Churches and superiors of men’s and women’s reli-

gious orders. For four days, they listened to speeches and survivors’ testimonies, held discussions in small groups and cel-ebrated a penitential liturgy and Mass.

At the end of the summit, the pope pledged to continue work on eight priori-ties: the protection of children; “impecca-ble seriousness” in dealing with clerical sexual abuse; genuine purification and acknowledgment of past failures; im-proved training for priests and religious; strengthening and continually review-ing the guidelines of national bishops’ conferences; assisting victims of clerical sexual abuse; working to end online ex-ploitation of children; and working with civil authorities to end sex tourism.

Less than three months after the summit, Pope Francis issued “Vos estis lux mundi” (“You are the light of the world”), a set of revised and clarified norms and procedures for holding bish-ops and religious superiors accountable in protecting minors as well as in pro-tecting members of religious orders and seminarians from abuse.

The document’s title, from Matthew 5:14, frames the need for true account-ability and a serious commitment to end-ing abuse within the very mission of the Catholic Church. “Our Lord Jesus Christ calls every believer to be a shining ex-ample of virtue, integrity and holiness,” the pope wrote; obviously the opposite occurs when young people and vulner-able adults are abused or when bishops, priests and superiors use their position to harass or abuse seminarians and novices.

Three months after “Vos estis” was released, Pope Francis reached out to priests around the world outraged by what some priests have done and some-times being attacked publicly because of the crimes of others.

In the letter, published in August in conjunction with the 160th anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney, patron of priests, the pope said the crisis must

lead to a time of “ecclesial purification” that “makes us realize that without (God) we are simply dust.”

With the revelations of abuse and cover-up, he said, God “is rescuing us from hypocrisy, from the spirituality of appearances. He is breathing forth his spirit in order to restore the beauty of his bride, caught in adultery.”

Questionable financial practicesThe abuse crisis is not the only scan-

dal Pope Francis has been forced to confront in an ongoing manner since his election in 2013. Vatican financial scandals continue to hit the news, but Pope Francis said the latest scandal shows corrective measures put in place by Pope Benedict XVI and strengthened over the past six years are working.

At the beginning of October, Vatican police conducted a raid on offices in the Secretariat of State and in the Vati-can financial oversight office following complaints of financial mismanagement. Five employees were suspended and, as the year ended, an official investigation was ongoing. The case, flagged by the Vatican bank, involves a loan requested by the Secretariat of State to finance a property development in London.

Pope Francis told reporters in Novem-ber that the entire incident shows that the controls now in place to flag suspi-cious financial activity and possible cor-ruption are working.

At the beginning of the year, dealing with another case of questionable finan-cial practices, Pope Francis has placed the Sistine Chapel Choir under the direct supervision of the office of papal liturgical ceremonies and appointed an archbishop as financial officer.

But December heralded happier notes with the publication of the short apos-tolic letter on Nativity scenes, the pope’s 50th anniversary of priesthood Dec. 13 and his 83rd birthday Dec. 17.

Pope’s 2019: Preaching the Gospel globally, dealing with scandals

CNS photo/Vatican Media Pope Francis reviews papers Feb. 23, 2019, the third day of a meeting on the protection of minors in the church at the Vatican. For Pope Francis, 2019 included his sixth anniversary as pope, his 83rd birthday and his 50th anniversary as a priest, but it also was a year that saw him still confronted with the clerical sexual abuse crisis and with Vatican financial scandals.

Mon.- Fri. 9 am - 5 pm / Sat. 9 am - 4 pm535 W. Thompson Lane, Nashville 37211 • 615-255-4551

www.HearthandGrill.comSERVING MIDDLE TENNESSEE SINCE 1974

Sales • Service • Installation We specialize in gas and wood burning appliances, accessories,

grills, gas logs, outdoor kitchens, parts and so much more!

Your Grill and Fireplace Superstore!


St. Philip Men’s Club marks 50 years of spreading Christmas joyBriana Grzybowski

In December 1969, the Men’s Club at St. Philip Church in Franklin deliv-ered Christmas baskets of food and

gifts to six families in need, all of them St. Philip parishioners.

In the 50 years since, the Christmas basket program has grown into the par-ish’s largest annual charitable outreach event, delivering Christmas baskets to roughly 300 needy families in William-son County and care packages to local nursing home residents each year.

“This is my fifth year helping with the program, and it’s amazing to watch our parishioners pull it off every year,” said Mark Wenzel, president of the Men’s Club. “Everyone is so generous in shar-ing their time and treasure.”

The club begins planning the logistics for the program in September. Its mem-bers receive family names from Grace-Works, a non-denominational Christian organization in Franklin that provides material and financial assistance to families in need.

The club then determines who will be overseeing each task. And they order roughly $38,000 worth of food, trusting that their fellow parishioners will help them foot the bill once December rolls around.

“It truly is an act of faith for us to pull this off each year,” Wenzel said. “Every year we trust that the people of St. Philip will do their part to make our vision a reality and they never let us down.”

Once the financial donations for the baskets are collected, any leftover money goes to GraceWorks and other local char-ities that care for the poor and needy.

The program itself is a week-long undertaking. It typically begins the second or third week of Advent, with appeals at all the weekend Masses for Christmas gift donations for basket re-cipients and financial donations.

From then until the following Satur-day, activities are scheduled each day

of the week for parishioners of all ages to participate. The food supply trucks need to be unloaded. The Christmas gift donations need to be collected, sorted and wrapped. The food baskets need to filled. The nursing home resi-dents need to be visited. And the food baskets need to be delivered to their recipients.

Hundreds of parishioners show up every year to help in one capacity or another.

“I especially love the gift-wrapping day because that’s when the most kids and families show up,” Wenzel said. “It’s so great to see our younger

members get so excited about helping others.”

“It really is a team effort to get every-thing off the ground, and I’m moved every time to see our entire community pitch in to help out in different ways,” he added. “One year I came in to help with the gift wrapping, and I could barely walk because the parish center was crowded with people sitting on the floor. There’s always a great turnout every year.”

Wenzel is proud of all the Christmas basket program has accomplished over the last 50 years, and especially of the men who help put it together every

year. “It’s awe-inspiring to see an event that

started with such humble beginnings grow into something so big and mean-ingful for our parish,” he said. “I’m blessed to be part of a group of guys who make this a priority every year.

“It’s not always easy for the Men’s Club to meet and plan activities to-gether. We only meet once a month and not all of us go to every meeting because we’re busy with work and our families,” he said. “But a lot of us make it a point to help with the Christ-mas basket program and I love to see that.”

Photo by Andy TelliSt. Philip parishioners gathered on Wednesday, Dec. 18, to wrap gifts for about 300 families. St. Philip parishioner Eva Salinas wraps a gift.

Charlie Cruz, in photo at left, 9, and his mother Janet Cruz, wrap gifts. Patty Lawson, above, wraps a gift with help from her son Caleb, 5.


opportunity that God has presented us with to help a community in need.”

Neighborhood rootsBell knows the streets and the people

of North Nashville well. She grew up in the Bordeaux neighborhood and at-tended St. Pius X school until the sixth grade; she played basketball at the Mc-Gruder Center playground.

Raised in a family with deep roots in Nashville, a family that valued educa-tion and hard work, Bell excelled in the classroom and on the basketball court.

She was aware from a young age that not everyone around her had the same opportunities and family support that she did. “My parents made sure I knew all of humanity. … We learned to just be human and understand the needs that people have.”

Since she was first elected a General Sessions Court judge in 2012, Bell has placed a strong emphasis on preventative, restorative and diversionary justice prac-tices, both in and out of the courtroom.

“I want to swim upstream and see what the issues are,” she said, explaining the importance of addressing the underlying factors that fuel criminal behavior, and digging a little deeper with the men and women that pass through her courtroom.

Restoring justiceWith support from the Tennessee Su-

preme Court Administrative Office, the U.S. Department of Justice and the non-profit Center for Court Innovation, Bell has now created the Bordeaux-North Community Justice Center. The Center, located at McGruder, is designed “to help people find justice in their commu-nity,” Bell said.

The C.A.R.E (Creating Avenues for Restoration and Empowerment) Diver-sionary Court for ages 18-30 will have a special emphasis on serving the demo-graphic most likely to be incarcerated.

“We are holding offenders accountable,” Bell said, in new and different ways.

She foresees working with community partners like Gideon’s Army and the Oasis Center to effectively employ restorative justice methods such as letters of apology and peace circles, where offenders and victims come together in a moderated

space to meet and find reconciliation. “The community needs to feel restored,”

Bell said, and “the individual who caused harm needs to not feel ostracized.”

It’s estimated that 95 percent of people arrested for committing crimes in their community will return to those commu-nities.

By offering expungement clinics, driver’s license and voting rights rein-statements, community courts like the Bordeaux-North Community Justice Center can also help those who served time get back on their feet.

‘Can’t turn a blind eye’North Nashville’s 37208 neighbor-

hood, where the McGruder Center is located, was identified by a Brookings Institute study last year as the zip code with the highest incarceration rate in the country for men and women in their 30s. Expressing her astonishment at that data, Bell said, “We can’t turn a blind eye to that.”

That same study confirmed that the poorer one’s parents are, the more

likely one is to be incarcerated. Accord-ing to the report, “Boys who grew up in families in the bottom 10 percent of the income distribution are 20 times more likely to be in prison on a given day in their early 30s than children born to the wealthiest families.”

“People who are pushed to the mar-gins, often due to the circumstances of their birth, they have no access to re-sources or training,” said Haddock, who, like Bell, grew up in North Nashville. “We do not want to penal-ize people for being poor.”

“Folks caught in poverty and the criminal justice system are in a sticky web that’s hard to get out of,” Haddock said.

‘Path to economic mobility’Connecting offenders with wrap-

around services like a food pantry

and job training can give them just the boost they need to see another path forward. “It’s not a hand out, it’s a leg up,” said Bell.

“It’s harder to steal when you know there’s a food pantry a block away,” she said. “It’s harder for an individual to be marginalized when they have appropri-ate shelter and a job with a livable wage.”

In the future, the new court also plans to offer mediation between landlords and tenants, with a goal of preventing unnecessary evictions and keeping people from spiraling into homeless-ness. “As many issues as we can solve through community court, we’re going to tackle them,” said Haddock. “This community court will eliminate so many barriers.”

By housing the new Bordeaux-North Community Justice Center at Mc-Gruder and offering offenders access to Catholic Charities’ range of services there, “We want to provide the skills to help people out of poverty and on the path to economic mobility,” Haddock said.

New community court brings justice to North NashvilleContinued from front page

Photo by Theresa LaurenceJudge Rachel Bell, right, talks with workers as they paint and prep the new Bordeaux-North Community Justice Center courtroom at the McGruder Family Resource Center in Nashville. The McGruder Center, managed by Catholic Charities of Tennessee, offers a variety of community and social services, including food and financial assistance and workforce development training.

Judge Rachel Bell, General Sessions Judge, Division VIII, center, seated, is surrounded by local elected officials, court personnel, and community members at the soft launch of the Bordeaux-North Community Justice Center on Nov. 14. Renovations are still underway in the new courtroom and the grand opening will be Jan. 20, 2020, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Haddock


Robert Alan Glover

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, throughout its more than 185-year history, has been dedicated

to serving people in need. Today, that might mean helping a family avoid evic-tion from their home or paying a utility bill to keep on the lights and heat.

As it looks to the future, the organi-zation is focusing on not only helping people out of a crisis but also giving them the tools to be self-sufficient.

“The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has a 70 percent success rate and an excellent reputation in resolving short-term emergencies, such as evictions and utility cut-offs, etc.,” said Joe Bi-beau, president of the Society’s Nash-ville District Council.

During the 2018-19 fiscal year, the eight conferences at parishes that make up the Nashville District Council provided $439,674 in financial and in-kind assistance, including:

• $109,988 for housing assistance, primarily for rent or mortgage delin-quencies to prevent foreclosures or evictions.

• $126,679 for utility bill assistance to prevent the shutoff of electricity, heat or water.

• $69,033 in food assistance.• $19,004 in transportation assis-

tance.• $6,008 in medical assistance.• $9,723 in clothing assistance.• $9,906 in furniture assistance.• $65,490 in other assistance.The eight conferences handled 2,406

cases, helping a total of 4,079 people and conducted 536 home visits, 105 prison visits, and 82 eldercare and hos-pital visits.

Although the Society has been a significant source of aid for people in need, “We would like to address a more permanent, long-term change with the people that we help,” Bibeau said.

In the coming year, the Nashville District Council plans to implement the Society’s “Systemic Change” program.

The program targets people in the diocese “who are impoverished and live from day-to-day,” Bibeau said.

The Sytemic Change program was developed by the national staff of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA in conjunction with Phil Devol’s Bridges Out of Poverty organization, and Dr. Donna Beagles’ Poverty Institute.

Under the program, the Society’s members and volunteers act as men-tors and facilitators to help move people from dependence on govern-ment and charity programs to self-suf-ficiency. The program has a 70 percent success rate.

Through the Systemic Change pro-gram, the Nashville District Council is trying to address the issue of predatory lending, which can have a devastating effect on people living in large, urban areas and on minorities in particular, Bibeau said.

Predatory lenders typically offer title loans and payday loans that end up trapping the borrower into frequent, short-term renewals that require inter-est and fees up to 500 percent or more.

“We think that it’s a significant prob-lem (here in the diocese), and that it especially affects the living-from-day-to-day population,” Bibeau said.

Previously, the Society would try to

help people by paying off the entire loan, Bibeau explained. But that limits the amount of loans an individual con-ference can address, he said.

Instead, the Nashville District Council has made arrangements with Sumner Bank and Trust to serve as a conver-sion lender. The Society guarantees the loan, which allows the replacement lender to provide competitive interest rates of around 5 percent and extend the terms of the loan so the monthly payments are lowered to a manageable level, Bibeau said.

The new program includes budget training and allows the borrower to obtain a bank account and develop improved financial habits, which ulti-mately results in an improved credit score, Bibeau said.

Each person in the program, which the Society refers to as a neighbor, “has a mentor who steps in if it looks like he or she is about to default on their pay-ment,” Bibeau said.

The Nashville District Council also is

partnering with the American Job Cen-ter to help improve the job prospects of the people the conferences are helping.

“Many of those we serve are in con-tinual financial crisis because they are trying to support a family on a mini-mum wage job,” Bibeau said. “Many do not have a high school diploma and have no additional skills.

“The American Job Center, which is fi-nanced by generous government grants, is looking for candidates to train and prepare for better jobs in order to meet their grant commitments,” he said.

The American Job Center provides classes to help people earn their GED, computer skill training, job interview skills, job counseling, clothing to wear to interviews, work tools and clothing, and transportation to the training ses-sions.

The Society conferences can refer candidates to the American Job Center. “We are a valuable source to them for finding people in need (of job training) with whom they have difficulty locat-

ing,” Bibeau said.The Society of St. Vincent de Paul

currently has eight conferences op-erating in parishes in the diocese: St. Henry Church in Nashville; St. Chris-topher Church in Dickson; Immaculate Conception in Clarksville; St. John Vianney Church in Gallatin; St. Mat-thew Church in Franklin; St. Edward Church in Nashville; Our Lady of the Lake Church in Hendersonville; and St. Patrick Church in McEwen.

The Nashville District Council is hop-ing to start more conferences in the diocese so it can serve more people in need, Bibeau.

“We hope to engage St. Rose of Lima in Murfreesboro, St. Ann’s in Nashville, and are in the early stages of commu-nication with a few other parishes, hop-ing to bring them aboard next year,” Bibeau said.

If anyone is interested in starting a Society of St. Vincent de Paul confer-ence in their parish, contact Ron Sze-jner at [email protected].

Society of St. Vincent de Paul helping people reach self-sufficiency

Away ina manger

Lakehouse, the youth group at Our Lady of the Lake Church in Hendersonville, presented a live Nativity scene, with camels, goats, cows and donkeys on Saturday, Dec. 14. At right, Olivia Henderson and Seth Manor, as Mary and Joseph, are surrounded by the angels and the Three Wisemen. The baby Jesus was portrayed by 3-month-old Maddix Silvestri. Below, Jeremiah Davis holds up his daughter Amelia, 4, so she can pet one of the camels.

Photos by Andy Telli


When it comes to pope, social media comments don’t always reflect realityDennis Sadowski CNS

WASHINGTON. Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis has welcomed dialogue that has

led to often candid assessments from clergy and papal advisers about the path he is charting for the Catholic Church.

From discussions during the recent Synod of Bishops on the Amazon about the possibility of allowing mar-ried clergy to his handling of the clergy sexual abuse crisis around the world, the pope has not backed down from hearing people out – the good and the bad.

In some segments of the modern-day media, however, the emerging dialogue has been portrayed as a Church reeling in conflict.

Further, some outspoken Church observers have angrily criticized the pope as misguided in his ways and even as an “apostate.”

Disagreeing with the pope is fine, Catholic communication professionals told Catholic News Service as 2019 drew to a close. What concerns them is how disagreement is expressed because it creates uncertainty among Catholics in the pews.

The professionals voiced particu-lar concern for “the megaphone” of social media and its no-holds-barred comments and opinions that in the not-too-distant past would have stayed in the classroom or the rectory or an

occasional journal.“We are in a place where people use

social media really as a bully pulpit,” said Helen Osman, president of Sig-nis, an international association of lay Catholic communication profes-sionals. “The conversations I’ve had with fellow Catholic communicators is people are worried about how social media are being used to create dis-

unity or divisiveness. ... It does give the perception that we are a Church internally in tension and maybe even in division.”

Kim Daniels, associate director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at George-town University and a consultant to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communi-cations, finds the level of disparaging disagreement unfortunate.

“Instead of a family of faith, we sound like political partisans, and too often we let that drive our faith rather than the other way around,” she told CNS.

While David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University, described the number of papal critics as “much smaller than we think,” he said they are well-organized and well-placed to create a stir.

“They (are) influential in many cases because they have connections in powerful places in the Vatican, in uni-versities and in media,” he said.

The vitriol and at times misleading and even false statements from critics have not escaped Pope Francis’ attention.

At least three times in 2019, he took the opportunity to advise journalists, urging them to “unmask” destructive news, guard against reporting “fake news” and to undertake their impor-tant work with humility in the search for truth.

“At a time when many spread fake news, humility keeps you from ped-dling food spoiled by disinformation and invites you to offer the good bread of truth,” the pope told the For-eign Press Association of Italy May 18. “The humble journalist is a free journalist, free from pressures, free from biases.”

Aboard the papal flight from Mada-gascar to Rome Sept. 10, the pope told reporters that while the future of the news media is unknown, it will have no future if reporters and the public cannot distinguish between facts and fiction.

Less than two weeks later, he met with Italian Catholic Union of the Press members at the Vatican, urging

them to “unmask words that are false and destructive” and to ensure that their sources are credible while offer-ing the correct context, interpretation and importance of events.

U.S. bishops making their “ad lim-ina” visits to Rome in recent weeks have dismissed attempts by some media commenters and Church ob-servers to promote a wide divide be-tween them and the pope.

“Some people, and it’s a small group of people, are focusing in on him in these horrible attacks,” said Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville, Tennes-see, one of 37 bishops who met with the pope Dec. 3. He charged that the pope’s detractors hide behind Twitter accounts, “affiliated with the Church sometimes, and they spew out this opinion that is hate-filled.”

Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki of Milwaukee told a CNS reporter in Rome it would be impossible for Church leaders to “come together to move forward” if every issue being discussed is seen to be polarizing be-cause of differing thoughts.

“Open and frank discussions and occasionally proper ... criticism, not attacks, but criticism, are healthy for the Church,” he said. “Then ... this is the dialogue that moves forward. My sense is that this is what Pope Fran-cis wants to do. He wants that open dialogue and he welcomes it. But in welcoming it, there’s others who are going to interpret that as polarization.”

While the pope repeatedly has ad-dressed the role of journalists in cov-ering the Church, social media pose new challenges because it can be dis-ruptive, explained Jesuit Father Paul Soukup, professor of communication at Santa Clara University.

“What sells is more the fist-pounding views and what’s going to get atten-tion,” he said.

Father Soukup compared the widen-ing usage of social media to a non-native species of animal or plant that disrupts an ecosystem. He pointed to other disruptive forces in history, such as the development of the print-ing press that allowed for the wide-spread distribution of Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” in the 16th century and the growth of daily newspapers in the mid-19th century.

“We are dealing with a new commu-nication form. We haven’t developed rules for it. It’s disrupting politics the same way,” Father Soukup said of so-cial media.

In response to the disruption, the communicators contacted by CNS all suggested the faithful in the pews step back for a moment when reviewing critical comments about the pope and consider who is making them before outright accepting them as the truth.

“The response is to look outward, not inward, to focus on what we are called to do, our mission to the poor and sharing the joy of the Gospel rather than focusing on these conver-sations,” Daniels said.

For Gibson, the answer is rooted simply in being Catholic “and the idea that we should not hate each other.”

“Then let’s move on using basic Catholic tradition and practices and virtues of discourse, the idea that there is a common good.”

CNS photo/Paul Haring Pope Francis greets journalists aboard his flight from Rome to Maputo, Mozambique, Sept. 4, 2019. While facing sometimes angry criticism in social media, the pope repeatedly has encouraged journalists to “unmask” destructive news, guard against reporting “fake news” and to undertake their important work with humility in the search for truth.

Thursday, January 9, 7:30 a.m.Fleming Center • Cathedral of the Incarnation

cathol icbusiness lea gue.org

E m p o w e r i n g F a i t h • I m p r o v i n g Wo r k • F u l f i l l i n g L i f e

Andrew MaranissAuthor of Games of Deception and Strong Inside, winner of a RFK Book Award

Join Nashville’s largest, growing network of over 300+ Catholic professionals!

A morning chat with one of the world’sleading sports historians

A morning chat with one of the world’sleading sports historians

December 27, 201912 Tennessee Register

John Bosio

We’re about to begin a new year and many of us, moved by good in-

tentions, will make New Year’s resolutions. This as an op-portunity to introduce positive changes in our lives.

Many of our new year’s resolu-tions are about changing one of our habits. Our lives seem to be defined by habits. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, wrote: “We are what we repeatedly do.”

Unfortunately, as we know from experience, our good in-tentions do not often produce the results we want because our habits are stronger than our good intentions. George Santayana, a philosopher and novelist, wrote: “A habit is stronger than reason.”

Our habits are shortcuts that our brains create to make our lives easier. Our habits give us routines that we follow without much thought. Because of this, changing our habits is difficult. Our brain resists such change.

If we are serious about chang-ing a habit, we need to out-

smart our brain. We need to be strategic on how we go about implementing our New Year’s resolution.

Psychologists tell us that to change a habit we need to replace what we do with a different routine. They have discovered that every habit has three components: a cue (or a trigger for a behavior to start), a routine (the behavior itself), and a reward. The most effec-tive way to modify a habit is to change the routine, psycholo-gists tell us.

I once had a coworker who made a long commute each day and was in the habit of spend-ing his drive time on his cell phone. When he became aware of the dangerous distraction that the phone was creating, he decided to change his routine while driving. Whenever he got in the car, to avoid the tempta-tion to use the phone, he would lock his cell phone in the trunk of the car. He changed his rou-tine and changed the habit.

All of us have poor habits in our daily interactions with our spouse that we may wish to change. For example: we do not pay full attention when our spouse speaks; we check our text and e-mail messages during a meal with our spouse

and family; we express our disagreement with a sarcastic remark or gesture; we respond defensively when our spouse makes a suggestion; and other similar behaviors.

On the other hand, there may be positive habits that we want to introduce in our relationship. Pope Francis lists some. In the “Joy of Love,” he encourages couples to develop routines that strengthen their relation-ship: “These could include a morning kiss, an evening blessing, waiting at the door to welcome each other home, tak-ing trips together and sharing household chores.” (#226)

What do you want to change this year to make your mar-riage better? Think of some-thing very small and easy to do. The simpler the behavior the easier it is to change. Here are some steps for you to con-sider.

Change always begins with “me.” So, pray to the Holy Spirit to guide you and to give you the courage to take the first step. Don’t wait for your spouse to change. Resolve to act.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, identify a small behavior that you want to eliminate or one that you want to introduce.

For example, start the habit of kissing your spouse good morning each day, or stop your habit of interrupting your spouse whenever they are speaking. Instead, when you feel the urge to interrupt, take a deep breath and continue listening.

Repeat the new behavior every time the situation occurs. Do not feel discouraged if, at times, you fail. Persist. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the courage to be persistent. Soon a new habit will be formed.

When I was in junior high in Italy and studying Latin, I learned an expression writ-ten by the Roman poet Ovid: “Gutta cavat lapidem.” It liter-ally means: “The drop hollows the rock.” A small drop of water wears out the stone not by force but by repeated persis-tence.

Our behaviors done repeat-

edly shape our life, as Aristotle wrote: “We are what we repeat-edly do.”

Question for reflection: Is there one habit that you wish to change or a new one that you want to start this year?

John Bosio is a parishioner of St. Stephen Catholic Church in Old Hickory. He is the author of two books on marriage: “Happy Together: The Catholic Blue-print for a Loving Marriage,” and “Blessed is Marriage: A Guide to the Beatitudes for Cath-olic Couples.” John is a former marriage and family therapist. Find out more about his books at www.happy-together.net.

Gov. Bill Lee has decided to keep Tennessee’s door open to refugees

from around the world fleeing persecution, war, and violence. And because of the governor’s decision, families whose lives have been shaken loose from their moorings will now have the opportunity to rebuild their lives in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump issued an ex-ecutive order that required states and municipalities to opt into the country’s refugee re-settlement program before any refugees could be resettled in their community.

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Gov. Lee gave his consent for Tennessee to participate for one year in the refugee resettlement pro-gram, which is administered by the U.S. State Department.

In a separate letter to Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, the leader of the Tennessee Sen-ate, and House of Representa-tives Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton, Gov. Lee said: “The refugee population in Tennessee is small, and I be-lieve our consent to cooperate

and consult with the Trump Administration to provide a safe harbor for those who are fleeing religious persecution and violent conflict is the right decision. The United States and Tennessee have always been, since the very founding of our nation, a shining beacon of freedom and opportunity for the persecuted and oppressed, and particularly those suffer-ing religious persecution. My commitment to these ideals is based on my faith, personally visiting refugee camps on mul-tiple continents, and my years of experience ministering to refugees here in Tennessee.”

The Catholic Church in the United States has long been involved in resettling refugees, helping them to establish themselves in a new country and new culture and to become self-sufficient, contributing members of American society.

Catholic Charities of Tennes-see’s involvement in resettling refugees goes back to the 1960s when they helped reset-tle children sent to the United States by their parents to flee Fidel Castro’s Cuba. After the Vietnam War, Catholic Chari-ties helped refugees from that war-torn country find a new home. In the years since, Cath-olic Charities has welcomed refugees from every corner of the planet.

Refugees, who typically live in a refugee camp for years be-fore being resettled in a third country, are thoroughly vetted by several U.S. agencies before they are resettled. Once in the United States, Catholic Chari-ties and other resettlement agencies, which receive federal funds, provide medical assis-tance, employment services, social adjustment services, English-language classes and other services.

Most find jobs within three months of their arrival and are self-sufficient within six months. Numerous studies have shown that refugees, rather than being a drain on

local government services, are in fact a great benefit to the local economies where they are resettled.

But it’s not economics that spurs the Catholic Church to walk with these refugees. It is the Scriptural call to welcome the stranger. In the Gospel of Matthew, as Christ described the Judgment of the Na-tions, he said, “For I was … a stranger and you welcomed me. …’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, … when did we see you a stranger and welcome you …?’ … And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one

of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’”

The Church reminds us that we see the face of Christ in the refugee. In fact, Christ and the Holy Family were indeed refugees. Forced to flee from the terror of Herod, they found safety and refuge in Egypt.

In this most holy season, we celebrate the truth that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, took human form not as a powerful king, but as a poor and lowly child, who was clothed in glory not because of riches or military might but because he sacrificed himself for the salvation of others.

When we gaze upon the refugees of today and see the face of Christ, are we not looking at the poor and lowly child born in a manger in Bethlehem? When we see that face of the refugee, are we not gazing into a mirror and see-ing ourselves, sinful and bro-ken, desperately seeking the love, compassion and mercy of God? Does our baptism not impose on us the obligation to share Christ’s love and mercy with others, to welcome the stranger?

We applaud Gov. Lee’s de-cision to keep Tennessee a place where the stranger is welcomed, where they are met with the love and compassion of Christ.

The Tennessee Register is published by the Diocese of Nashville and welcomes your comments and opinions.

Please clearly mark letters to the editor and send to:

Tennessee Register2800 McGavock PikeNashville, TN 37214

You may fax your letters or comments to the Reg-ister at (615) 783-0285. By e-mail: [email protected].

Columns and letters to the editor represent the views of authors alone. No view-point expressed necessarily reflects any position of the publisher, of any Tennessee Register staff member, or of the Diocese of Nashville.

EDITORIAL

FAITHFUL MARRIAGES

Now is the time to change old habits, make a new start

We applaud governor’s welcoming to the stranger

Photo by Theresa LaurenceRefugee children, Shayesta Rahman, from Afghanistan, and Mawazo Natani, Mariamu Natani, and Prince Irakoze, all from Democratic Republic of Congo, participated in a summer program run by Catholic Charities of Tennessee.


Mary Margaret Lambert

It’s over. The presents have all been unwrapped, and the live trees, once so fragrant

and green, are beginning to drop their needles. They will be undecorated and hopefully hauled to the tree recycling lot where they will be ground up into mulch for walking trails.

All the department stores, once swarming with shoppers in search of the perfect gift for everyone on their list, now give out numbers to the crowds waiting in line for exchanges or refunds.

Santa is taking a well-de-served nap while his team of reindeer contentedly munch on hay and doze in the North Pole. They are understandably exhausted after their Christ-

mas Eve trip around the world.Christmas music, previously

played on the radio non-stop since Thanksgiving, has now been replaced by pop, rock and country tunes. Boxes are once more brought from their stor-age places awaiting the red and green decorations to be packed away until next December.

The outdoor lights, so bright and festive, must be unplugged and stored for 11 months be-fore they can shine again.

When our sons were much younger, we were in the pro-cess of converting a portion of our basement into a large fam-ily room. The project, originally scheduled for completion by Thanksgiving, had hit a few snags so it became painfully apparent to us that our eagerly awaited addition would not be ready before Christmas. When the general contractor, electri-cian, and the dry wall man all come down with the flu, prog-ress comes to a screeching halt

and there is nothing one can do except to make the best of the situation.

Because we got an insider tip that the boys would be get-ting new bikes that year, which would take up a good portion of available space in our living room, it was decided that we could only get a small tree. A card table was set up in one corner of the room, draped with a white sheet and we went shopping for a little tree.

After two unproductive stops at tree lots, we ventured a bit further from home to a Boy Scout operated location. We ex-plained our situation to one of the older boys and he led us to an area at the back part of the lot. There we saw a half dozen small trees, some full and lush and some looking rather pa-thetic.

After a few minutes of discus-sion, we convinced the boys that these were all “baby trees” and we were going to choose

one to take home and dress it up and admire it so it wouldn’t miss its family members so much.

We did such a good sales pitch that when the time came to toss the tree, nobody wanted to see the diminutive tree go. They had named it Greenie.

No one was able to walk in our living room on the morning of Christmas, but the shiny new bicycles were quickly moved outside where their proud owners rode them through the neighborhood to show their friends.

January came and went, and Greenie was still occupying a corner of our living room. By mid-February, when it was turning brown and most of its branch cover had been sucked up by the vacuum cleaner, I an-nounced that it was past time to remove the tree and move into our new room downstairs.

Reluctantly, my brood finally relented, and we removed all

the ornaments and tenderly wrapped the very dry tree in the sheet before loading it into the back of our station wagon. It was like losing a beloved family pet.

Vowing never again to go through this trauma, we elected to switch to an artificial tree from that time on to the present day.

As I pack away all things Christmas once more, weed-ing out the items that are broken or damaged, I recall all the ghosts and memories of Christmases past and tuck them securely within my heart to remain all year round.

With a wish for a very happy and healthy New Year to all my readers, may God grant you and those you love every blessing in 2020. Sounds like it might be the year for perfect eyesight.

Copyright © 2019 Mary Mar-garet Lambert

Msgr. Owen F. Campion

BACKGROUND. The weekend of Jan. 5, 2020, the Church invites us

to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, one of the most revered feasts in the Christian calendar.

Clear and distinct in the first reading from the third section of the Book of Isaiah is a bril-liantly triumphant note. Why? The long, dreary exile of the faithful Hebrews in Babylon has ended.

It was not all rejoicing, how-ever. For those who returned to the Holy Land, life was not easy. The land was decimated.

Despite this, the prophet in-sists, a new day will come! It is not necessarily a prediction of material success, although this would be a part of it. Rather,

the new day will come when the Chosen People will realize their vocation. Then, as they return to God, the world will see the majesty and power of the great God of Israel.

For its second reading, this liturgy presents a selec-tion from the Epistle to the Ephesians. In the first genera-tions after Jesus, as converts increased the numbers of the Christian community, great in-terest began understandably to surround the question of who were to benefit from the salva-tion secured by the Lord?

Prompting this interest was the fact that so many new converts were from pagan backgrounds. Very soon, these Christians outnumbered the Jewish Christians.

Part of the message of Jesus was that throughout the ages God had spoken through, and to, the Chosen People, namely the descendants of Abraham, the Hebrews – but also to the world. Gentiles could expect salvation.

This is the promise underly-ing this reading. The salvation procured by Jesus is open to any human being.

St. Matthew’s Gospel fur-nishes the last reading, the story of the Magi who came from the “East” to find, and then to adore, the newborn “king of the Jews”. The story is unique to Matthew. None of the other three Gospels re-ports such a visit.

The story situates Jesus, the newborn son of Mary, in the great sequence of God’s saving works. Jesus was born in Beth-lehem, the birthplace of David, who as king established his

own covenant with God. David ruled the Chosen People, but he was much more than a po-litical leader. His task was to bring the people to God, God to the people.

The Magi were searching for the “king of the Jews.” The title re-appears in the stories of Jesus offered in the Gospels. It is inscribed on the placard that was placed atop the cross as Jesus was dying. His entire life on earth was to complete the mission of divine salvation.

Finally, who were the Magi? No one knows exactly. Where was their home? We know only that they came from the myste-rious East. How many of them?

Tradition says three. The Gos-pel is silent.

The point is that they were searching for truth, for God, and they found both in Jesus.

ReflectionAt the time of Jesus, rely-

ing upon the divine revelation given the Jews through the centuries, salvation with its promise of God’s mercy and eternal life was seen as being primarily, if not exclusively, available to the Chosen People. After all, Jesus was a Jew, born of a Jewish mother. Could people of other nationalities expect to be saved?

The message of this feast,

drawn from these readings, is that all people may hope for salvation through Jesus. None is preferred. All are beloved.

Nationality is no longer so much the issue, but sin, fear, guilt, or indifference separates people from God and from a sense of being with God.

On this feast, the Church calls us to come to the Lord, born of Mary, the king of the Jews, the lamb slain on Cal-vary. He belongs to us all. He loves us all.

Msgr. Owen Campion is a former editor of the Tennessee Register.

Sunday, January 5, 2020Feast of the Epiphany

of the Lord

Readings:Isaiah 60:1-6

Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6Matthew 2:1-12.

Sunday, January 12, 2020Feast of the Baptism

of the Lord

Readings:Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7

Acts 10:34-38Matthew 3:13-17

NEXT SUNDAY

PINCH OF FAITH

Feast of Epiphany calls us to come to the Lord

Packing away another year of fond Christmas memories

CNS photo/Paul Haring Pope Francis kisses a figurine of the baby Jesus as he celebrates Mass marking the feast of the Epiphany in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican in January 2019.


DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCESDiocese of Nashville Mission Support Office, Nashville

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville seeks qualified candidates for the position of Director of Human Resources. This key leadership position in the diocese’s Mission Support Office (MSO) directly supports the human resources activities of the MSO. Moreover, the Director of Human Resources serves the parishes and institutions throughout the diocese by helping them acquire, develop, engage, and retain the talented workforce necessary to fulfil the Mission: Living and Proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ, Welcoming All!

Education and Experience:• Bachelor’s degree required, Masters’ preferred• Human Resources professional certification required, SPHR preferred• Ten or more years of HR experience required, including experience in Benefits

Administration and Employee Relations either in a Specialist or Generalist capacity

• Five or more years of department head experience managing and supervising the employees of an HR department

Interested candidates must send their resume with cover letter to:

[email protected].

POSITION AVAILABLE

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTDiocese of Nashville Mission Support Office, Nashville

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville seeks qualified candidates for the position of Administrative Assistant. This full-time position in the diocese’s Mission Support Office (MSO) directly supports the Chief Administrative Officer with routine and advanced duties. The MSO is in the Catholic Pastoral Center in the Donelson neighborhood of Nashville.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE• Scheduling appointments and maintaining calendars• Scheduling and coordinating staff and other meetings• Answering phones and greeting visitors• Preparing communications, such as memos, emails, invoices, reports and other

correspondence• Writing and editing documents, including letters, reports, and presentations• Creating and maintaining filing systems, both electronic and physical• Bookkeeping duties • Assisting with event planning

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS• Ability to make independent decisions daily, addressing the best way to handle

specific tasks.• Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with others.• Ability to keep self and others organized and to effectively prioritize tasks. • Proficiency in a variety of writing styles, from creative to professional to technical

and more.• Proficiency in the use of the Microsoft Office suite of products.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE• High School diploma or GED required, Bachelor’s degree preferred• Two or more years of experience as Administrative Assistant to senior management

Interested candidates must send their resume with cover letter to:

[email protected]

POSITION AVAILABLE

Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC.

• Member Holy Family Catholic Church• Men’s Club• K of C 4th Degree• Catholic Business League

Joseph G. Budd, CFP®, ChFC Managing [email protected]

Register for our seminars at BuddMelone.com

TRUST IS THE MOST VALUABLE ASSET ®

This Is What Investing Withouta Financial Plan is like.

615-567-3056 725 COOL SPRINGS BLVD. SUITE 600, FRANKLIN

Father Kevin Daniel McGrath, O.S.B., a Benedictine monk of St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Alabama, and a

native of Nashville, died suddenly, but not unexpectedly, on Nov. 23, 2019.

Daniel was the second son born to George and Evangelist Gaffney McGrath on June 18, 1947, in Nashville, where he attended St. Ann School as a boy. Both his father and older brother died when he was young, and his mother later mar-ried William Millard Choate.

Young Daniel formed close bonds with his maternal grandfather, a vice president of the L&N Railroad, who engendered in him a lifelong love of trains and the railroad system. It was on frequent rail journeys with his grandfather that he became acquainted with St. Bernard and later enrolled at St. Bernard Preparatory Seminary in the fall of 1961.

With the closing of St. Bernard Prep in 1962, Daniel transferred to Subiaco Abbey Prep School and finished his high school education there in 1965. Returning to St. Bernard in the fall of that same year, he studied at St. Bernard College for two years before entering the novitiate and receiving the religious name Kevin.

He professed his first vows on July 7, 1968, and then resumed his studies at

St. Bernard College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy. In the fall of 1970 he began his priestly studies at St. Meinrad Archabbey Semi-nary; in the summer of 1971 Brother Kevin professed his Solemn Vows. He received a Master of Divinity and was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Joseph G. Vath in the St. Bernard Abbey Church on May 27, 1974. Father Kevin celebrated his Mass of Thanks-giving on Pentecost Sunday at St. Ann Church in Nashville.

After a brief assignment as Associate Pastor to Our Lady of the Shoals Parish in Tuscumbia, Alabama, Father Kevin began graduate studies in Sacramental and Liturgical Theology at The Univer-sity of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indi-ana. Thus began an enduring devotion to all things Notre Dame, especially Notre Dame football. In years to come, he and Abbot Cletus would make an annual “pilgrimage” to “worship at the altar” of the Fighting Irish.

After studying at Notre Dame, Father Kevin was invited by his alma mater, St. Meinrad Archabbey Seminary, to join the faculty and teach sacramental theology. This he did for the next few years until he was called home to St. Bernard by Abbot Hilary to assume the Office of Prior. As Prior he also served variously as Novice

Master, teacher and headmaster of St. Bernard Prep School, and in pastoral as-sistance to the Diocese of Birmingham.

At the recommendation of the newly-elected Abbot Cletus, Bishop David Foley appointed Father Kevin as pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Cullman in 1995. In the late afternoon he could often be seen walking the parish campus and to the nearby Cullman Train Depot.

Serving as Pastor Bonus of the people of Cullman for nearly 15 years, Father Kevin was once again called home to take up the Office of Prior and Novice Master, offices he held for the next five years. In 2014 Father Kevin’s health began to decline and his mobility was increasingly limited. He remained faithful to the monastic horarium as

his health permitted and continued to enjoy the fraternity of communal life, never missing the chance to offer the “Irish Toast” when he found a glass of wine in his hand.

In the final months of his life, Father Kevin resided at the Folsom Center Nurs-ing Home where he could receive the skilled care he needed; he enjoyed regu-lar visits from his confreres. On Nov. 22, Father Kevin suffered cardiac arrest and was taken to Cullman Hospital. Having received the Anointing of the Sick, Father Kevin died early on the morning of Nov. 23 with Abbot Marcus at his bedside.

Father Kevin is survived by his sister, Johanna Choate Shadoin, and brother, Millard Choate Jr., and two nieces and one nephew.

Father Kevin McGrath, Nashville native, dies at 72

Consecrated Catholic Section Garden of Resurrection609 Bear Creek Pike, Columbia TN 38401(931) 840-4875

Give the most loving gift of all to your family......The gift of Pre-planning

By making these difficult decisions ahead of timeYou give your family peace of mind....a loving gift

PLOTS CREMATION NICHES MONUMENTS FUNERAL PLANNING

We can help you put things in place, so they won’t have to.


From staff reports

Retired Judge Randall Wyatt, a parishioner at St. Henry Church in Nashville and

a graduate of Father Ryan High School, was honored recently when his portrait was unveiled in his old courtroom.

“This has been a good ride,” Wyatt told the courtroom packed with judges, attorneys, elected officials, courthouse employees, family and friends at the unveiling on Nov. 14. “I’ve been so blessed.”

Wyatt retired in 2017 as a Criminal Court Judge in Davidson County, ending a 43-year career as a judge, including eight years as a General Sessions Court judge and 35 in Criminal Court.

When Wyatt retired, he was the lon-gest-sitting Criminal Court judge in the history of Nashville and Davidson County, said attorney Ed Yarbrough, a friend of the judge’s and the emcee for the unveiling ceremony.

President John F. Kennedy famously said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” Yarbrough noted. “If there is anyone in this room or this county who has fulfilled that ultima-tum, it’s Randall Wyatt,” he said.

After graduating from Father Ryan in 1955, Wyatt joined the Marine Corps. When he returned home from the Marines, he was a Metro Police officer and later a detective. While working as a police officer, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University and later graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School.

From law school, Wyatt served as an FBI agent in Minneapolis and De-troit. He returned to his native Nash-

ville to join the Davidson County District Attorney General’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney.

He was elected as a General Ses-sions Court judge in 1974 and in 1982 was elected Davidson County Crimi-nal Court Judge for Division II, a posi-tion he held until he retired in 2017.

After his retirement, a campaign was started to raise funds for the portrait. “Lots of people love Judge Wyatt, so it was not difficult to do,” said Debbie Franklin, his former assistant.

“For 40 some odd years you had the title of judge and your honor,” said attorney Jim Todd, who co-chaired the unveiling ceremony with attorney Lisa Naylor. “You take that title away, and you’re still the same man. A kind, gentle, caring and com-passionate man.”

Portrait artist Michael Shane Neal of Nashville was commissioned to do the portrait. Among his subjects have been President George Her-bert Walker Bush, Gov. Phil Brede-sen, Gov. Bill Haslam, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Sen. Bill Frist, U.S. Rep. John Lewis and actor Morgan Freeman.

The portrait will hang in the court-room for Division II of the Davidson County Criminal Court, Wyatt’s old courtroom, in the Justice A.A. Birch Building. It is now the courtroom for Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton, who succeeded Wyatt when he retired.

Wyatt thanked the many people who attended the unveiling cer-emony, especially his wife Kay and their five children. “She’s the high-light of my life,” Wyatt said of his wife of 56 years.

A video of the unveiling ceremony for the Judge Randall Wyatt portrait is available on YouTube.

From staff reports

Ann Mullins has been named as the new director of athletics at Father Ryan High School, mak-

ing her the first woman to hold that position in the school’s long history.

“This is a special place with a long legacy of outstanding students, and I am humbled by the trust the leadership has placed in me,” said Mullins, who graduated from Father Ryan in 2003. “I am looking forward to working with our coaches and the entire administration to build on our rich legacy, in and out of the classroom, to make this experience memorable and beneficial for all of our athletes.”

Mullins returned to Father Ryan four years ago to follow her high school coach and mentor, Jinx Cockerham, as the volleyball coach. In May 2018, she added the role of associate director of athletics for women. She has served as interim director of athletics this school year after Devin DeLaughter left to become head of school at New Hope Academy in Franklin.

As the permanent director of athlet-ics, Mullins will be responsible for oversight of all Father Ryan athletic programs in addition to athletic depart-ment support personnel. She will con-tinue as head volleyball coach for the Irish, where she has led Father Ryan to the state semifinals three of the last four years.

Mullins’ appointment as the director of athletics was announced by Father Ryan President Jim McIntyre.

As the school considered its options for director of athletics, Mullins’s work as interim director made it clear that she was the best candidate, McIntyre said.

“In interviewing Coach Mullins about this position, it was evident that in her short time as interim director she had demonstrated her ability to manage this department effectively,” McIntyre said. “She has the respect of our coaches, the confidence of our administration and the commitment to our students’ devel-opment, both as athletes and people. Combine that with her coaching success and her appreciation for the Irish legacy, and we know we have a director who will enhance the experience for all our athletes.”

“We are proud to welcome the first female athletic director in this school’s long and accomplished history,” said Fa-ther Ryan Principal Paul Davis. “Coach Mullins has had a significant and posi-tive impact on our programs and our stu-dents since she returned to the school four years ago. We are confident that her impact will only grow in this new role.”

Mullins started playing volleyball while a student at St. Edward School in Nashville where she fell in love with the sport. “It was such a fun sport,” Mullins told the Tennessee Register earlier this year. “It was about … learning the game for me.”

While a student at Father Ryan, Mul-lins played volleyball all for years for Cockerham. “It was such a great experi-ence for me,” she told the Register. “We made a connection. … I loved what she did. I loved coaching. … I spent a lot of time with her … wanting to be her.”

“She’s the first reason I love volleyball

and want to do it for the rest of my life,” Mullins said.

After being a three-year All-State player at Father Ryan, Mullins started her college volleyball career at the Uni-versity of Tennessee, where she made an appearance in the NCAA tourna-ment.

After two years at Tennessee, Mul-lins transferred to Lipscomb University in Nashville, helping to lead the Lady Bison to the program’s first conference championship and an appearance in the NCAA tournament. Her record-setting career at Lipscomb earned her induction in the Atlantic Sun Conference Hall of Fame earlier this year.

A defensive specialist, Mullins ranks second all-time in conference history and holds the record for Lipscomb with 1,969 digs. She was a three-time All-Conference selection, was tabbed the 2005 Libero of the Year, and was first team All-Conference in 2006.

Mullins still holds the league records for digs per set in a conference season (2006, 6.41), most digs in a three-set ASUN championship match (33), and most digs in a four-set match (43).

She graduated from Lipscomb Uni-versity in 2007 with a bachelor in sci-ence in psychology.

Mullins began her volleyball coach-ing career as a graduate assistant at Lipscomb University while getting her master of art in learning and teach-ing. Before returning to Father Ryan, she coached at Siegel High School in Murfreesboro and Ensworth High School.

Judge Randall Wyatt honoredwith portrait for his old courtroom

A portrait of retired Criminal Court Judge Randall Wyatt, a parishioner at St. Henry Church and a graduate of Father Ryan High School, hangs in his former courtroom in the Justice A.A. Birch Building. Wyatt served as a judge – first in General Sessions Court and then in Criminal Court – for more than 40 years before his retirement in 2017.

Ann Mullins, a 2003 graduate of Father Ryan High School, has been named as the new director of athletics at her alma mater. Mullins, who is the first woman to serve as director of athletics in the school’s long history, will also continue as the school’s volleyball coach. She has served as the interim director of athletics this school year. Her permanent appointment is effective immediately.

Ann Mullins namedRyan athletic director


To donate, go to www.dioceseofnashville.comFor more information, please contact Ashley Linville at 615-645-9768 or [email protected]

Dear Bishop Spalding, please accept my continued support of the 2019 Bishop’s Annual Appeal for Ministries.

Parish: ____________________________________________________

Name(s):__________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________

Email: ____________________________________________________

Phone:. ___________________________________________________

☐ Dear Bishop Spalding, in your prayer intentions, please include: ________________________________________

To pay by credit card, please complete the following; or go to

www.dioceseofnashville.com☐ American Express ☐ Discover ☐ Master Card ☐ Visa

Name as it appears on credit card ___________________________

Other Instructions: ______________________________________

Card No. ____________________ Exp. Date ____ CW/CID ____

Signature ___________________________________________________

Total Pledge: _______________Amount Enclosed: _____________I would like to contribute:

☐ Annually with my one-time gift

Bishop’s Annual Appeal Donor Societies:☐ $15,000 or more The Society of Bishop Miles☐ $10,000 to $14,999 The Shepherd’s Circle☐ $5,000 to $9,999 The Society of Angels and Saints☐ $2,500 to $4,999 The Society of Stewards☐ $1,500 to $2,499 The Society of Apostles☐ $1,000 to $1,499 The Society of Disciples☐ $500 to $999 The Society of the Faithful☐ $250 to $499 The Society of Sacrificial Giving

Check #__________ (Payable to Bishop’s Annual Appeal for Ministries)Stock Gift: Please call Ashley Linville, 615-645-9768. ☐ I/We are unable to make a contribution at this time to the 2019 Bishop’s Annual Appeal for Ministries but will pray for the success of the Appeal.☐ I have included my Church in my estate plans.☐ Please send information on how to include the diocese in my estate plans.

Please return this pledge card to your parish or mail to:Bishop’s Annual Appeal for Ministries, Diocese of Nashville,

2800 McGavock Pike, Nashville, TN 37214Thank you for your support!

2019 Bishop’s AnnuAl AppeAl

for Ministries

To whom much is given,much will be required. —Luke 12:48

Bis

hop’

s A

nnual Appeal for Ministries

D

iocese of Nashville

Thank you for your generous support of the 2019Bishop’s Annual Appeal for Ministries

To give stock or for more assistance with your year-end giving, please contact 615-645-9768

Please note that donations must be post-marked by December 31, 2019 to be included in your 2019 contributions letter for tax purposes.

Documents

Photo by Andy Telli Joy to the world · December 27, 2019 Tennessee Register 1 ... Dec. 18, to wrap gifts for about 300 families. The Halliday family, from left, Molly, Emma, Clare