Bishops issue statement on scheduled state execution
August 15, 2019 We, the bishops of the three dioceses in Tennessee in conjunction with the Catholic Public Policy Commission, clearly state our strong opposition to the state carrying out the death penalty today. Carrying out this execution does not serve the cause of justice and bucks the trend of states across the country moving away from the use of …
Bishop Stika responds to lawsuit
Bishop Richard F. Stika issued a letter to diocesan clergy and staff on Friday, July 19, making them aware of a lawsuit filed on July 18 by Mr. Michael Boyd in Knox County Circuit Court and naming the diocese as a defendant. The diocese is unable to offer additional comment until new information brought to light in the lawsuit can …
Vietnamese Catholic community established in Chattanooga
Further reflecting the continued growth and diversity of the Catholic Church in East Tennessee, Bishop Richard F. Stika has formally established a Public Association of the Faithful for the Vietnamese Catholic community in the Chattanooga area. The establishment of a Public Association of the Faithful is the first step in the canonical process that one day could lead to the …
Bishop Stika announces new pastoral assignments and a priest retirement
Bishop Richard F. Stika is pleased to announce the following new pastoral assignments and a priest retirement which were announced at respective parishes in late May and early June and, unless otherwise noted, will take effect in the Diocese of Knoxville on July 15: Father Dan Whitman is retiring from full-time ministry and will remain spiritual moderator for the Knoxville …
Bishop Stika statement on Archbishop Kurtz
Bishop Richard F. Stika has issued the following statement upon learning of the news of Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, former bishop of Knoxville (1999-2007), who announced this morning that he will undergo cancer treatment at the Duke University Cancer Institute. “I am requesting that all of the faithful of the Diocese of Knoxville join me in prayer for Archbishop Kurtz …
Growth and stability highlight Bishop Stika’s tenure as longest-serving bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville
It turns out that July 2019 will be a memorable month for Bishop Richard F. Stika. Three days before he celebrates his 62nd birthday on July 4, Bishop Stika reached another significant milestone. On July 1, Bishop Stika became the longest-serving bishop in the history of the Diocese of Knoxville. “I am grateful that Pope Benedict XVI, through the Holy …
Cardinal Rigali to represent U.S. Catholic Church at International Eucharistic Congress
Cardinal Justin Rigali, who is now in residence in the Diocese of Knoxville, will represent the Catholic Church for the United States at the International Eucharistic Congress in Budapest, Hungary in 2020. The appointment was made by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. As preparation for the Congress, Bishop Richard F. Stika invited parishioners …
Bishop Stika statement on USCCB actions on clergy abuse
The actions of U.S. bishops at our General Assembly this week demonstrate an ongoing commitment to improving the high standards we initially enacted almost 20 years ago to address the issue of clergy abuse. We have given clarity to the codes of conduct and accountability, set forth in 2002, that they now apply to all clergy, including bishops. I am …
Bishop to ordain new priest on June 8
Bishop Richard F. Stika will ordain Deacon Mark Schuster as a priest of the Diocese of Knoxville during a Mass of Ordination this Saturday, June 8, at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville. The Mass is open to the public and will be video streamed live on the DioKnox TV YouTube channel …
Bishop receives St. Maximilian Kolbe relic
Bishop Richard F. Stika has received a first class relic of St. Maximilian Kolbe, a martyr of the Church who died at the German WWII concentration camp at Auschwitz in 1941. Bishop Stika received the relic while leading a diocesan pilgrimage to Poland. During a visit to the Niepokalanów monastery founded in 1927 by then-father Kolbe in Teresin, just west …
Bishop Richard F. Stika statement on papal decree
Today, Pope Francis outlined concrete procedures that the worldwide, universal Catholic Church must now abide by in the response to the societal evil of sexual abuse. The Holy Father’s motu proprio makes it clear that abuse at any level in the Church, and the failure of Church leadership to report abuse and protect victims, will not be tolerated. I welcome …
Bishop Stika statement on Pope Francis’ decree regarding sexual abuse
Today, Pope Francis outlined concrete procedures that the worldwide, universal Catholic Church must now abide by in the response to the societal evil of sexual abuse. The Holy Father’s motu proprio makes it clear that abuse at any level in the Church, and the failure of Church leadership to report abuse and protect victims, will not be tolerated. I welcome …
Kai-Fu Lee, former president of Google China, visits alma mater St. Mary Oak Ridge
Dr. Kia-Fu Lee, the former president of Google China and a leading expert on global artificial intelligence, returned to East Tennessee on Monday, May 6, to visit the Catholic school in which he once learned, St. Mary School in Oak Ridge. Dr. Lee, the author of the recent New York Times bestselling book, “AI Powers: China, Silicon Valley, and the …