Message to Young Adults in their 20s & 30s From Bishop Stika from Deacon Patrick Murphy-Racey on Vimeo.
A message for young adults in their 20s and 30s
Jul 26th, 2010 by admin
Musings on the baseball season
Jul 26th, 2010 by admin
Ministry of the youth
Jul 20th, 2010 by admin
Youth—and their special contributions—are a treasure of the Church.
The older I get, the more I appreciate Jesus’ words in Matthew’s Gospel about the necessity of becoming as little children (18:3). I must admit, though, I sometimes find myself agreeing with the artist Pablo Picasso, who said, “It takes a long time to become young.” But I hope to receive a lesson on this over the course of the next two weeks, when I will be visited by eight of my nephews and nieces.
Pope John Paul II is remembered as the pope of the youth, among many other things, and he often referred to them as a “special treasure” of the Church. He noted that as we get older, it’s not uncommon for us look down on youth and perhaps become overly critical of them. But this mindset limits us to a “ministry to youth” rather than also emphasizing a “ministry of the youth.”
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Truth and freedom
Jul 8th, 2010 by admin
Liberty is more than a political ideal: above all, it is spiritual.
History fascinates me, and every year as Independence Day approaches, my thoughts turn to the events that formed us as a nation. Of course, I love to celebrate baseball and hotdogs—two things that have come to define us as Americans—but there is something unique about our country and our liberty that sets us apart as a nation.
The first visit of Pope John Paul II to the United States in 1979 is etched in my memory. I had recently graduated from St. Louis University and was discerning God’s calling to the priesthood. I could not have imagined then that in 20 years’ time I would be in charge of coordinating the pope’s last visit to the United States, when he came to St. Louis in 1999.
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On pilgrimage
Jun 1st, 2010 by admin
Pilgrimages have always been an important part of the Catholic tradition and remind us that in this life our journey’s end is not found on a map but lies beyond. So it was a joy and blessing to be able to accompany 46 people from our diocese to Poland and the Czech Republic for a portion of their pilgrimage, which also took them to Germany. I also had the double blessing of visiting the Polish homeland of my mother’s parents as well as my father’s family, who came from Bohemia in the present day Czech Republic. I am grateful to Sister Albertine Paulus, RSM, for helping to coordinate this and all aspects of our pilgrimage.
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Flowers and crowns
May 18th, 2010 by admin
There is a long and beautiful tradition within the Church that I have very fond memories of participating in as a child. May is traditionally the month of Mary and is a time when many celebrate her Motherhood and Queenship by consecrating their lives to her and crowning her image with flowers.
As a young boy attending the church and school of the Epiphany of Our Lord in South St. Louis, I still recall the ceremonies and processions, with the statue of Mary and everyone singing the hymn, “Bring Flowers of the Fairest,” with its refrain, “O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today! Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May . . .”
All this came back to me again this past week as part of a pilgrimage to Poland’s famous shrine, Jasna Gora (literally, “bright mount”), where the icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa is enshrined. Icons are one of the great gifts of our faith and proclaim in line and color what Scripture communicates by words.
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Off to Poland and the Czech Republic
May 8th, 2010 by bishopstika
For the second time in my life I will be traveling to Poland and the Czech Republic. I hope to add some material to my blog when I return. Until that time however, God’s Peace!
Life and motherhood
May 5th, 2010 by admin
Gardens fascinate me, and what never fails to impress me is how suddenly the beauty of newborn life blossoms around us as if all of nature were celebrating the Easter season too. It seems no coincidence that Jesus’ passion began in a garden and triumphed in another. Even one of the women who first beheld our Risen Lord mistook him for a gardener. During this season when we particularly contemplate the mystery of the resurrection of Our Lord, my own reflections are drawn to what springtime gardens seem so naturally to celebrate: life and motherhood.
My mother, Helen, loved to garden, and with her caring hands, every springtime she skillfully nurtured a new garden’s life to maturity and fruitfulness. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why Mother’s Day is celebrated when it is: the season speaks so much to the nurturing gift that is particularly a mother’s.
My letter to parishes
Apr 19th, 2010 by admin
Bishop Stika's letter to all parishes in the Diocese of Knoxville 4-17-2010 from Deacon Patrick Murphy-Racey on Vimeo.
Here is the text of my letter, which was read at all DOK parishes the weekend of April 17 and 18:
My dear friends in Christ,
As the bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville, I want to apologize to you all. The sexual abuse of minors by anyone is a travesty of the greatest magnitude and is an abomination before God. Last Wednesday a report of sexual abuse was brought to our attention, and I want to outline the steps we took as soon as we learned of it.
On Wednesday morning, April 14, Warren Tucker met with our chancellor, Deacon Sean Smith, and a member of our Diocesan Review Board. Mr. Tucker accused Father Bill Casey, a retired priest of the Diocese of Knoxville, of sexually abusing him while Father Casey was pastor of St. Dominic Parish in Kingsport between 1975 and 1980. At that time St. Dominic was a part of the Diocese of Nashville.
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