Stika has beenmore recently criticized for permitting a Knoxville seminarian to live in the bishops residence, work as his personal assistant with an office in the diocesan chancery, and remain formally a diocesan seminarian, even after the man was dismissed in February from a seminary outside the diocese, for multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, and was accused in 2019 of sexually assaulting a parish employee. Several sources in the diocese said diocesan leaders expressed to Stika their concern that relationships with young people, especially seminarians and other young men, involving excessive gifts, overseas trips, and the appearance of favoritism could become a problem for the bishop, and for the diocese. He currently serves at St Joseph Parish in Hills, St. Mary Parish in Lone Tree and St. Mary Parish in Nichols. Reverend Brian Eckrich, effective May 1, 2021, from Parochial Vicar of Cathedral of St. Joseph, Sioux Falls, to Parochial Vicar of St. Mary, Dell Rapids, St. Rose of Lima, Garretson, and St. Joseph the Workman, Huntimer. New assignments for priests, deacons Bishop Thomas Zinkula has announced 22 clergy assignment changes effective July 1. Father Moiss Moreno, parochial vicar and chaplain of the Hispanic community at the Basilica of Sts. Father Blatchford, who was ordained to the priesthood in May 2014, also has served as sacramental minister to the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Catholic Center and previously served as associate pastor at All Saints Church in Knoxville. Father Valentin Iurochkin, IVE, a Russian priest who joined the Diocese of Knoxville in October 2019 and has been in residence at the basilica, has been appointed associate pastor of the basilica and chaplain at the University of TennesseeChattanooga Neumann Center effective Sept. 9. He first studied for the priesthood with the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles and decided to become a diocesan priest in East Tennessee before his ordination. He served as pastor of St. Catherine Labour from 2014 to 2019, when he was appointed associate pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish. Father Rhodes Bolster is appointed an Episcopal Master of Ceremonies, to collaborate with the other Episcopal Master of Ceremonies, Father Gervan Menezes. Father OConnell is retired from active priestly ministry. Father Christopher Floersh has been named diocesan director of vocations and chaplain of Knoxville Catholic High School effective July 1. Father Moreno, who is originally from the state of Aguascalientes, Mexico, and attended seminary at Leon Guanajuato, accepted an invitation from then-Bishop Kurtz to join the Diocese of Knoxville. The sacramental needs of Pope John Paul II High School will be provided for by Our Lady of the Lake Church in Hendersonville for the 2021-2022 School Year, with the anticipation of a stable chaplain being appointed in the Summer of 2022. Richard Graham To be ordained June 5, 2021 . All Rights Reserved. Reverend Thomas Fitzpatrick, from Pastor of St. Nicholas, Tea, and St. Christina, Parker, to Pastor of St. Katharine Drexel, Sioux Falls. She started as the full-time diocesan Young Adult Ministry coordinator on May 1. Valentin Iurochkin, IVE Associate Pastor, Basilica of Sts. Effective June 8, 2021. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. He also will lead the Hispanic communities in those parishes. Reverend Gregory Tschakert, from Pastor of St. Katharine Drexel, Sioux Falls, to Pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Groton, and St. Joseph, Turton. WELCOME. Philip and James Parish in Grand Mound, St. Patrick Parish in Iowa City, Prince of Peace Parish in Clinton, St. Mary Parish in Wilton, Ss. He remains Pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Cookeville and Dean of the Northeast Deanery. Bishop Stika also announced that longtime diocesan priest Father Tom Moser has retired from active priestly ministry. Bishop Richard F. Stika has announced the following priest assignments with their effective dates: Father Colin Blatchford Associate Director of Courage International, Trumbull, Conn. for a 5-year term (Sept. 8, 2020) Father Andrs Cano Appointed Coordinator of Hispanic Ministry in the Five Rivers Deanery and sacramental minister to the Handmaids of the Precious Blood (Sept. 9, 2020) Father David Carter Re-appointed pastor of the Basilica of Sts. Father Sappenfield was ordained on May 30, 2008. Bishop Dolan is pleased to announce he has made the following priestly appointments. He currently serves as pastor at Assumption & St. Patrick Parish in Charlotte, Ss. Reverend Timothy Cone, from Parochial Vicar, Holy Family and Holy Spirit, Mitchell, to to Parochial Vicar at Sacred Heart and St. Mary in Aberdeen. They are not light matters, and they are being considered seriously, the official said, adding that it is a reasonable expectation that the congregation will grant metropolitan Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville power to investigate the situation. Mary & Mathias Parish in Muscatine and St. Mary Parish in Solon. (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text';fnames[3]='ADDRESS';ftypes[3]='address';fnames[4]='PHONE';ftypes[4]='phone';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); The Catholic Newspaper of the Diocese of Davenport. The Catholic Diocese of Knoxville has reached an out-of-court settlement with a Blount County man whose lawsuit alleged he was sexually abused as a child by two priests. He studied for the priesthood at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wis., before his 1994 priestly ordination by Knoxvilles founding bishop at St. Leo Church in St Paul. Father Torres also has served as deanery coordinator for vocations and master of ceremonies for diocesan Masses and as moderator of the Hispanic Marriage Encounter Ecclesial Movement. A native of Greeneville, Father Collins was the 40th priest ordained for the diocese in 2012. He has served as Administrator of the parish since Summer 2020. He has previously served as Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Springfield and at St. Matthew Church in Franklin. Father Andrs Cano, who has been serving as associate pastor at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Alcoa, has been appointed coordinator of Hispanic Ministry in the Five Rivers Deanery and as sacramental minister to the Handmaids of the Precious Blood contemplative community at their Cor Jesu Monastery in New Market effective Sept. 9. Prior to that, he was associate pastor of St. Thrse of Lisieux Parish in Cleveland. The signed file was then destroyed. He remains vicar general and a consultor for the diocese. Deacon Chris Kabat, while remaining a deacon at St. Wenceslaus Parish in Iowa City, also assigned as deacon at St. Bernadette Parish in West Branch. Father Resen came to holy orders after a long career in the legal profession. All but one of the assignments will become effective on Monday, June 28, 2021. Previously, Father Vick served as pastor of St. Bridget from 2005 to 2009 and has been coordinator of Hispanic Ministry for the Chattanooga Deanery. Patrick Parish in Charlotte, St. Alphonsus Parish in Davenport, St. Andrew Parish in Blue Grass, St. Peter Parish in Buffalo, Ss. Suscribe to the eRegister, our electronic news bulletin, and keep up with the breaking news from the Tennessee Register. Bishop Stika said he has nothing to hide and does not want to comment on those who might criticize his management style, a spokesman toldThe Pillaron Thursday. Plankinton, St. Mary, Stickney, and St. Peter, White Lake, to Parochial Vicar at Sacred Heart and St. Benedict, Yankton. Subscribe to the print and/or e-edition, or make aone-time donation, today! Following her time with NET Ministries, she attended the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., and graduated with a degree in theology and philosophy. Reverend Michael Schneider, from Pastor of Holy Trinity, Huron, to Retirement. The Voice of Tennessee Catholic Life since 1937. Father Sescon has been pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in LaFollette, St. Jude Parish in Helenwood, and Christ the King Parish in Tazewell since 2018. And the bishop pushed back. Father Mark Beckman is reappointed to an additional six-year term as Pastor of St. Henry Church in Nashville. Father Jim Vick Pastor, St. Bridget Church, Dayton (Oct. 1, 2020) Father Alex Waraksa Associate Pastor, St. Jude Church, Chattanooga (Sept. 9, 2020), The Chancery, Diocese of Knoxville 805 S. Northshore Drive Knoxville, TN 37919 Phone: 865-584-3307 Fax: 865-584-7538 Office hours: 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. His previous assignments have included serving as an associate pastor of St. Mary Parish in Gatlinburg, as pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Pigeon Forge, as associate pastor of Sacred Heart Cathedral and St. Mary Parish in Oak Ridge, and chaplain to the Hispanic community of St. Alphonsus Parish in Crossville. Father Miguel Vlez-Cardona, who has served as associate pastor of All Saints Parish since 2015, has been appointed parochial vicar of St. Patrick Church in Morristown effective Sept. 9. Priests in Knoxville toldThe Pillarthat issues go beyond personnel decisions. Reverend Ken Lulf, from Pastor of Holy Family and Holy Spirit, Mitchell, St. Martin, Emery, St. Mary of Mercy, Alexandria, and St. Stephen, Bridgewater, to Pastor of Sacred Heart, Eden, and St. Joseph, Grenville. Receive our weekly newsletter in your email inbox. Through a spokesman, Stika said that in 2017 he said he considered the deacon for ministry in the Knoxville diocese, but the deacon was not ultimately accepted. Knoxville diocese used top priest to take sex abuse complaints, not therapist For roughly 10 months after the death of the diocese's longtime victim assistance coordinator, the diocese. Father Scott Lemaster, 64, will become pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Brooklyn and St. Bridget Parish in Victor. This free, bimonthly newsletter includes the latest Catholic Messenger headlines, Copyright 2023 Diocese of Knoxville. Your email address will not be published. Father John C. Retar concludes his appointment as pastor, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish, Lorain and St. Vincent de Paul, Elyria. Reverend Larry Regynski, from Pastor of Sacred Heart, Yankton, to Pastor of Holy Trinity, Huron. Reverend Thomas Hartman, from Pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Groton, and St. Joseph, Turton, and Sacramental Minister of the St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center, Aberdeen, to Pastor of St. Michael, Sioux Falls. Ordained in 1995, he has served at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Bettendorf, Holy Family Parish in Davenport, Assumption & St. Patrick Parish in Charlotte, Ss. Father Theo Ebulueme is reappointed to an additional six-year term as Pastor of Holy Name Church in Nashville. He continued to serve as diocesan director of Worship and Liturgy with assistance from Father Joe Reed. Father Sturm, who was ordained to the priesthood in 1999, has served as pastor of St. Bridget Parish in Dayton since July 2007. Reverend Christopher Hughes, from Pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle, Faulkton, and St. Liborius, Polo, to Pastor of St. Mary, Clear Lake, St. Peter, Gary, St. Francis de Sales, Estelline, Holy Rosary, Kranzburg, and St. John, Castlewood. Ordained in 1979 he has served at Holy Family Parish and Assumption High School in Davenport, Assumption Parish in Charlotte, St. Patrick Parish in Villa Nova, Mater Dei High School in Clinton, Assumption/St. Father Forsythe was ordained on June 23, 2017 and has previously served as Associate Pastor at Christ the King Church in Nashville and Administrator of St. Christopher Church in Dickson. He was ordained a deacon in 2007 by Bishop Kurtz and then had to wait for nearly three years until Bishop Stika was installed as the new shepherd of the Diocese of Knoxville before he was ordained a priest in November 2010. But the bishop has not heeded that advice, they said. Father Thomas OConnell Sacramental Minister, St. Jude Church, Helenwood (Sept. 9, 2020) Father Jorge Ramirez, C.M. Father Carter, a canon lawyer, also was appointed earlier this year by Bishop Stika to lead the new Tribunal of the Diocese of Knoxville. Rev. Father Zachary Griffith, who also was ordained to the priesthood Aug. 29 at Sacred Heart Cathedral, is the new associate pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Chattanooga as of Sept. 9. New priest assignments are effective Monday, July 2. The Chancery, Diocese of Knoxville 805 S. Northshore Drive Knoxville, TN 37919 Phone: 865-584-3307 Fax: 865-584-7538 Office hours: 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Reverend James Zimmer, from Chaplain Sanford Hospital and Health System to Senior Priest. Sister Maria Juan Anderson, RSM, has transitioned from serving as director of Christian Formation for the diocese to executive secretary for Bishop Stika. ATLANTAArchbishop Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM Conv., is pleased to convey the following official announcements regarding priestly ministry in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Bishop Stika announces priest assignments July 2, 2021 Changes in ministry will impact seven parishes across East Tennessee By Bill Brewer Father Patrick Resen Father Patrick Resen, a former lawyer and judge who has served as a priest of the Diocese of Knoxville since 2007, has announced his retirement from the active priesthood. The settlement means. Effective July 1, 2021, the Most Reverend Donald E. DeGrood has decreed the following appointments which relieve the following priests from assigned ministry and thus permit them to retire: Reverend Jerome Kopel, from Pastor of Sacred Heart, Gettysburg and St. Pius X, Onida, to Senior Priest. Father Bob ODonnell, a Paulist priest who has been serving as associate director of St. John XXIII University Parish on the University of Tennessee-Knoxville campus, will be transitioning into senior ministry status on July 1, according to the Paulist Fathers. The bishop mentioned, in the presence of women, that a priests facemask reminded him of a womans bra. Father Anthony Stewart is released from the office of Associate Pastor of Holy Family Church in Brentwood, and upon canonical erection of the parish, will be appointed as Pastor of Mother Teresa Church in Nolensville for a term of six years. Sister Maria Juan, a native of Idaho, has been a member of the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma since 2012. He is relieved of his assignment as pastor at St. Bernadette Parish in West Branch and St. Joseph Parish in West Liberty. The official said the complaints were serious, and included seemingly questionable living arrangements made by Stika to accommodate the seminarian who was recently dismissed from seminary. Father Harvey also served as pastor of St. Alphonsus from December 2006 to 2011. Reverend Paul W. Brant, S.J., a priest of the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus, Parochial Vicar at Saint Therese Parish in Wilson, has been granted, by his Provincial, a request for a working sabbatical from July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022. Diocesan officials had concerns about that seminarian, priests toldThe Pillar, and were confused that Stika was insistent about keeping him in the diocese after objections were raised, even while the bishop was willing to dismiss other seminarians about whom similar concerns had been raised. Babu, Pastor, St. Pius X Parish in Owensboro. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. In the Diocese of Davenport he has served at Holy Trinity Parish in Richmond, St. Mary Parish in Riverside and St. Joseph Parish in Wellman. Stika, through diocese spokesperson Jim Wogan, declined to comment or answer a list of questions from Knox News for this report. He also studied at Quincy College in Illinois, the Franciscan Institute, and St. Bonaventure University in Olean, N.Y. Father Brant will remain in the Diocese and will continue to assist in priestly ministry as . Effective July 1, 2021, at the recommendation of the Pro Ecclesia Sancta community and the endorsement of their religious superior, the Most Reverend Donald E. DeGrood has decreed the following appointments: Reverend Yamato Icochea, PES to Parochial Vicar of the parishes of Holy Family and Holy Spirit in Mitchell. Father Moser has served in several assignments for the Diocese of Knoxville, including as associate pastor or pastor in locations ranging from South Pittsburg to Kingsport and from Chattanooga to Fairfield Glade. Sister Peter Miriam entered the Religious Sisters of Mercy in 2016. [icon name=file-pdf-o class= unprefixed_class=]View Printable Official Statement, [icon name=file-pdf-o class= unprefixed_class=]Message to the Catholic Faithful Explaining the Rationale of New He currently serves as pastor of St. John Vianney Parish in Bettendorf. All but one signed it electronically. Reverend Michael Kapperman, in addition to his current role as Parochial Vicar, Sacred Heart Parish, Aberdeen, to Parochial Vicar at St. Mary Parish in Aberdeen. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.