Additional Holy Week resources available in this edition of DioNotes
Additional Holy Week resources available in this edition of DioNotes
DioNotes 
a newsletter for our parishioners
April 3, 2020
A great Holy Week resource for you and your family
On behalf of Bishop Stika and all of our priests, deacons and religious, we are happy to share with you this wonderful resource. We hope you find it helpful and pray that it may enhance your celebration of Holy Week during this difficult time. Please continue to keep our priests in your prayers as I know they continue to pray for all of us. With prayerful good wishes for a blessed Holy Week, 
John Deinhart
Director of Stewardship and Strategic Planning
Bishop Stika issues special pastoral letter 
in advance of Holy Week
Bishop Richard F. Stika has issued a special pastoral letter encouraging participation in the celebration of Mass and the Act of Spiritual Communion through one of the many online or broadcast opportunities offered by the Catholic Church, the Diocese of Knoxville, or your parish. Bishop Stika is also asking parishioners to pray the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, April 10, which will be available for you to join through the YouTube channel of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Bishop Stika, more parishes offer live streaming
of daily, Holy Week Masses
Bishop Stika invites you to join him in the celebration of Holy Week Masses from his chapel on the Diocese of Knoxville's YouTube channel, Facebook, and at dioknox.org. Many parishes in the Diocese of Knoxville are also offering live internet streaming of Masses and prayers during Holy Week, allowing you an opportunity to participate in the celebrations. Please scroll down on this page for parish links. Some of the parishes have also requested that you hit "subscribe" (free) on their parish's YouTube page in an effort to build an audience to allow for streaming services.
Bishop Stika issues decree
for Palm Sunday,
Holy Week liturgies
On March 23 Bishop Stika issued a decree to assist the clergy and the faithful in the spiritual celebration of Palm Sunday and Holy Week. There will continue to be no public Masses that week. Masses will be celebrated without a congregation by the pastor/parish priest. The Chrism Mass, including the renewal of priestly commitment and blessing of holy oils, and the Rite of Christian Initiation and/or Reception into Full Communion will be postponed. Read the full decree here. 
Diocesan schools extend at-home learning to May
All 10 Diocese of Knoxville Catholic Schools will continue at-home learning through May 1. Dr. Sedonna Prater, superintendent of schools, sent a letter to parents on March 31. Decisions will continue to be made in coordination with health and government officials for the safety of the students and the community.
Support your parish with online offertory 
At this time, so many are in need of our support. Our families, neighbors, healthcare workers, or one of the countless organizations trying to make it through this uncertain time - all need our help. In a special way, your parish is among them. Even though public Masses have been suspended at the present time, parishes continue to operate, serving their communities. Did you know there is a safe, secure and easy way to continue to support your local parish by making your offertory commitment online? You can support your parish online by accessing your parish’s website directly or connecting through a secure link provided here. You can make a one-time gift or set up a regular ongoing donation. In either case, rest assured that all proceeds will go directly to your parish just as your regular offertory envelope or a gift in the offertory basket would. Our priests and parishes have always been here for us and will continue to be here for us, now and in the future.  Please continue to provide your support to your parish during this time so they can continue in their vital ministry.
The gift of Spiritual Communion 
The gift of Spiritual Communion is being offered to all of the faithful who participate in daily and Sunday Masses online. Spiritual Communion is not a substitute for receiving the Eucharist, but it does provide a way to unite ourselves to God through prayer. "Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come spiritually into my heart..." these are the words of St. Alphonsus Ligouri, and they are commonly used during the Act of Spiritual Communion which can be prayed at any time and in any place.
Resources from Youth and Young Adult Ministry
The Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry is providing links to several nationally-compiled resource lists that can help you or the young people you know during this unexpected time of quarantine and social distancing: 
Resources for Young Adult Ministry in response to COVID-19
Bilingual Resources for Youth Ministry amidst COVID-19
Bilingual Resources for Pastoral Juvenil Ministry during COVID-19
CCETN offering remote counseling services
Catholic Charities of East Tennessee is currently offering remote, telehealth counseling to help
address the mental health needs of people throughout the Diocese of Knoxville. Licensed counselors
are providing counseling via videoconferencing using a secure web-based service. Appointments are available Mondays through Thursdays, with a limited number of evening appointments available. Session costs are based on a sliding scale fee structure that takes into account a client’s income. To participate in telehealth counseling, a client needs access to a computer or smartphone with an internet connection. For more information or to request the first appointment, please contact our counselors at
counseling@ccetn.org. 
Visit these other diocesan sites 
Diocese of Knoxville
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