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Carlos Guerra lost his balance while taking a shower and seriously injured one of his knees. He has swelling, pain, and bruises. (He has knee replacement in both knees.) Carlos is working with a surgeon to determine the best plan for healing. We appreciate you including Carlos in your prayers for the sick in our Basilica. Carlos and his wife Viola and adult children, Carlo and Carol, have been parishioners at the Basilica for about three years. The family thanks you for your kind gesture and understanding.

A special advisory about PARKING: We appreciate the privilege to park in the lot behind the Carnegie Building directly to the west of the Basilica on 8th St., during our weekend Masses. The owners of that building have advised us that their parking lot is being re-paved and will be unavailable the weekend of May 7 & 8 only. Weekend parking will still be available next to the church, across from the church entrance, at All Saints Academy (310 E 8th St), and in the UTC parking lot across from All Saints.

Young Keely Jochym Briggs, daughter of Bill Jochym and mother of two-year-old Jack, was recently hospitalized in Atlanta with a severely painful bout of ulcerative colitis and a C-diff infection. Late in 2021, Keely moved back to Atlanta so that both parents can be with their son, Jack. Please continue to pray for long-term healing for Keely and for her son Jack. (Update 5/6/22: Keeley has just undergone two procedures following a flare-up.) Click to learn more about the trials Keely has suffered over the past year.

On May 8 and May 29, the Nursery will be open during the 9:00 Mass only. We expect to open the nursery for the 9:00 Mass through the 11:30 Mass for the other Sundays in May.

The Diocese of Knoxville Office of Youth & Young Adult Ministry is sponsoring GodCamps for rising 5th-8th graders this June. 7th-8th grade camp is June 20-23. 5th-6th grade camp is June 23-25, both at Harrison Bay State Park. Register by Friday, May 27, 2022 to avoid late charge. Click for details.

The Diocese of Knoxville Office of Christian Formation is offering the workshop "Diving into Baptism", Thursday nights in May 7:00-8:30pm on Zoom, presented by Rod Bennett. To register and receive the Zoom link email Chris Kite at ckite@dioknox.org.

Many thanks to all who donated flowers to adorn the altar for Easter. Click to see a list.

Our Under One Roof projects to replace the Basilica's roof and HVAC system are about to begin. Due to the sharp price increases since the projects were originally quoted, we are asking everyone to consider helping us reach our $500,000 Stretch Goal of additional pledges, by making a new pledge or increasing your pledge by contacting the parish office or picking up a pledge form in the vestibule. Click for more information on the campaign and the additional costs.

Mike Bennett learned on Holy Thursday (April 14, 2022) that his cancer has returned after 13 months. He will need to have 3 or 4 rounds of chemotherapy. Mike and Ashley Bennett are young parents of three children. The Bennett family joined the Basilica parish this past fall and are active in our ministries. Mike was able to be received into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil, prior to his chemo treatment. Mike is in the middle of his first treatment, administered at Erlanger, and he will have two more. Please pray for healing for Mike and strength for him and his family during this difficult time.

Bishop Stika issued a declaration on April 8, 2022, regarding three named Hispanic speakers, to prevent them from teaching within the Diocese of Knoxville until they renounce their previous statements that criticized Pope Francis and mischaracterized the Catholic faith. The purpose of the declaration is to prevent scandal among the faithful. Read the declaration and the Chattanooga Times-Free Press article here. **** El Obispo Stika emitió un declaración el 8 de abril de 2022, con respecto a tres oradores, para evitar que enseñen dentro de la Diócesis de Knoxville hasta que renuncien a sus declaraciones anteriores que criticaron al Papa Francisco y caracterizaron erróneamente la fe católica. El propósito del declaración es evitar el escándalo entre los fieles. Lea el declaración aquí.

+Felipe Ramos-Lopez, Basilica parishioner, died on April 2, 2022 at the age of 59. Survivors include his wife Maria Florinda Simon Ramirez, and ten adult children. A funeral prayer service will be held Saturday, April 9, at 12pm at Advantage Funeral Home on McCallie Ave. Please pray for the eternal repose of Felipe's soul.

Please pray for Tony Ackaouy, brother of Basilica parishioner Andrea Tarter. Tony was admitted tosurgical ICU with multiple organ failures following an accident he suffered in November.

Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting for adults age 18-59. Ash Wednesday and all Fridays are days of abstinence from meat for those over the age of 14. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. Those that are excused from fast and abstinence include the physically or mentally ill, including individuals suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes. Also excluded are pregnant or nursing women.

This past season in our parish, there have been several deaths of parishioners and family members, and we are grieving these losses as a community. We are expanding our St. Mary Magdalene Bereavement Ministry to provide accompaniment to all who have experienced the loss of a loved one. We have started a grief support program, offering meetings, prayer partners, and coping resources. If you would like to learn more and participate, click for details.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Chattanooga is looking for a full-time Bookkeeper. Must be an active member of a Roman Catholic parish. Interested parties should contact Robert Jones at OLPH 423-622-7232 or rjones@myolph.com.

After reviewing the results of the Papal Synod survey of Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul parishioners, we facilitated two listening sessions: one in English and one in Spanish. We produced a report to convey the fruits of the discernment in our parish. (Click to read the report.) This report was sent to be incorporated as input from our diocese, and our diocesan input will eventually make its way to Rome. We are grateful to our volunteer team and all who gave input!

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, over a million refugees, mostly women, children, and the elderly have fled to Poland along its 330-mile border. This sudden and unanticipated surge of refugees in such a short period of time has created a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. The St. John Paul II Shrine in Kraków, Poland is helping thousands of refugees by offering shelter and assisting with meals, clothing, and basic needs. Bishop Stika has asked that a special collection be taken on the weekend of March 19-20. Any assistance given will go to the St. John Paul II Shrine's support of Ukrainian refugees. Click to learn more about the help the Shrine is providing refugees.

Our immediate neighbors to the right (west) in the Carnegie Building generously allow us to park in their upper parking deck on the weekend. They have kindly informed us that the weekend of March 19-20 they are having work done on their parking lot and so it will not be available to us. There should be plenty of parking available in the other lots we normally use. Next weekend the Carnegie Building lot is expected to be available again.

+Marsha Conway Salter, a longtime Basilica parishioner, passed on Feb. 22, 2022, following a period of illness. She and her husband Jim had celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the Basilica in 2019. Visitation will be held at the Basilica on Saturday, March 19, at 12:30pm, followed by her funeral Mass at 1:30pm. A reception will follow in Varallo Parish Hall. Please pray for the repose of Marsha's soul.

Frank Villegas recently returned to the Catholic Church, along with his wife Jerry, a new convert, and he immediately became active in our parish, especially as an altar server. Frank began suffering from debilitating headaches, tinnitus, and memory difficulties in February. After nearly a year of waiting, Frank was able to see a specialist in Florida and has been diagnosed with a Eustachian tube dysfunction and is now awaiting Eustachian tube dilation surgery on March 18. Frank appreciates your prayers. Click for more info on Frank and please contact him if you would like to offer some spiritual support.