May 22, 2005

Although the priests and religious profiled in this issue serve in the Diocese of Knoxville, we also want to honor those who serve outside the diocese. Below we list the names of priests, sisters, and brothers submitted to us by their family members in East Tennessee. (If we’ve left out your family member’s name, please let us know, and we will publish it in a future edition of The East Tennessee Catholic.)

Sister Mary Esther Steckler, OSB, Holy Spirit Monastery, Grand Terrace, Calif.; Father Kenneth R. Steckler, St. Matthew Church, Mount Vernon, Ind.—aunt and cousin of David Bender, Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa

Father Ed Steiner, Immaculate Conception Church, Clarksville—nephew of of Patricia Neligan Tohill, Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa

Abbot Martin Lugo, OSB, St. Gregory’s Abbey, Shawnee, Okla.—cousin of Richard Sanabia, St. Joseph the Worker, Madisonville

Father Joseph Michael Presley, Corpus Christi Church, Galesburg, Ill.—brother of Catherine Elmore, Sacred Heart, Knoxville

Sister Monica Walker, CDP, Allison Park, Pa.—aunt of Jim Walker, St. Thomas the Apostle, Lenoir City

Father John J. Riley Jr., St. Matthew Church, Spotsylvania, Va.—brother-in-law of Lindsey Riley

Father Joseph F. Perkins, Holy Cross Church, Garrett Park, Md.—brother of Ruth Ann Smith, Immaculate Conception, Knoxville

Father Paul Everett Fagan, MM, Bariadi, Tanzania, Africa—cousin of Nancy Hardin, St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade

Father Norbert Rackensperger, OFM Conv, St. Paul the Apostle Church, Coalinga, Calif.—uncle of Christine Smithee, Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa

Father Raymond Lettre, Weeki Wachee, Fla.—father of Ken Lettre, All Saints, Knoxville

Sister Mary Juanita Barto, RSM, Lake Grove, N.Y.—daughter of Millie Barto, Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa

Sister Joanne Blihar, OP, Center of Hope Sisters’ Residence, Newburgh N.Y.—sister of Paul Blihar, St. Joseph, Norris

Sister Suzanne Labelle, SMIC, Pont Viau, Quebec, Canada—aunt of Lisa Rodrigues, St. Augustine, Signal Mountain

Brother Silas S. Henderson, OSB, St. Meinrad Archabbey, St. Meinrad, Ind.—son of Mary Lou Nolan, Clinton

Sister Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz, OP; Sister Mary Theresa Bogdanowicz, OP, Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, Ann Arbor, Mich.—daughters of the late Walter and Penny Bogdanowicz, St. Mary, Oak Ridge

Sister Mary Reginald Lane, OP, Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, Nashville—sister of Elmer Lane and Ruth Littlejohn, St. Mary, Oak Ridge

Sister Jerome Hannifin, OP, Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, Nashville—sibling of Edith Jarnigan, Lucille Haltaman, and John Hannifin of Holy Ghost, Knoxville, and sister of Joe Hannifin, All Saints, Knoxville

Sister Emerita McManus, CPPS; Sister Bonaventure McManus, CPPS, St. Mary Institute, O’Fallon, Mo.—cousins of Clyde Brewer, Sts. Peter and Paul, Chattanooga

Sister Kathleen Marie Battersby, OP, St. Rose of Lima School, Murfreesboro—daughter of Kyran (formerly of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Chattanooga) and Janet Battersby, Ringgold, Ga.

Sister Theresa Marie McCarter, OP, Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Newport News, Va.—brother of Robert McCarter, organist at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Knoxville

Sister Mary Martin Palko, OP, Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation, Nashville—sister of Al Palko, St. Mary, Oak Ridge; Clem, Ed, and Joe Palko, Blessed Sacrament, Harriman; and Martin Palko, Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa

Sister Mary Elaine Kitts, OP, Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation, Nashville, native of Jellico—sister of Helen Roach, Sacred Heart, Knoxville

Father Christopher E. Henderson, FSSP, The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, Denton, Neb.—son of Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Henderson, Our Lady of Fatima, Alcoa

Father Donald Pelous, St. Rita Church, Catahoula, La.; Father Jody Simoneaux, Diocese of Lafayette, Church Point, La.—uncle, godfather, and cousin of Henry Usey, All Saints, Knoxville

Sister Mary Claudia, Monastery of St. Claire, Memphis—sister of Liz Barham, Sts. Peter and Paul, Chattanooga

Monsignor Stephen A. Bielen, Diocese of Metuchen, N.J.; Sister Sylvia Bielen, OP, Mount St. Mary College, Newburgh, N.Y.—brother and brother-in-law and sister and sister-in law of Alberta and Donald Bachman, Immaculate Conception, Knoxville

Father Thomas Kirk, St. Mary Church, Savannah; Father John Kirk, St. Philip Church, Franklin; Father Albert Kirk, Holy Spirit Church, Memphis—brothers and cousin of Anne Gallegos, Immaculate Conception, Knoxville

Sister Mary Maureen, SSJ-TOSF, Marymount Convent, Cleveland, Ohio; Sister Mary LeRoy Finn, SND, Notre Dame College, South Euclid, Ohio; Father Charles Ryba, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Columbia Station, Ohio—sisters and brother of Ben and Jackie Ryba, St. Francis of Assisi, Fairfield Glade

Father John Shramko, St. Peter Chanel Church, Roswell, Ga.—son of Sue and Bert Shramko, Sts. Peter and Paul, Chattanooga

Sister Mary Jacinta of the Precious Blood of Jesus, SSEW, Irondale, Ala.—daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl von Buelow, St. Therese, Clinton

Monsignor John Lyle Newfield, La Chateau de Notre Dame, New Orleans—brother of Marie Newfield Francis, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Chattanooga