Vocation Office of the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee

11/06/2023

National Vocation Awareness Week is an annual week-long celebration (Nov. 5-11) dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life through prayer and education. During this week, we also renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations. 🙏

06/13/2022

Calling young women - this one's for you!

The Office of Young Adult Ministry and the Office of Vocations will be hosting an Avow Discernment Group for young women discerning their vocation. The bimonthly group will be led by the Religious Sisters of Mercy in Knoxville beginning in August.

Avow is designed to create an atmosphere of freedom and openness for the authentic pursuit of the Father’s will. Join other young women (ages 18-35) for our bimonthly Knoxville group led by the Religious Sisters of Mercy, as we work together to discover what God's plans are for you! The group will...

11/19/2017

Born on June 18, 1914 in Midland, Pennsylvania, John Hardon grew up in a devout Catholic family and was greatly impacted by the fervor of his mother. Hardon’s father died from an accident whe…

11/18/2017

It’s not your job to turn your son into a future priest. It’s your job to teach your son to answer God’s call, whatever it might be.

08/23/2017

I am in the unusual position—for this century, anyway—of being the mother of a young woman who has seen four of her friends enter a convent in the past two years. Three of those women are postulants in cloistered Carmelite convents. Elizabeth has celebrated more wedding showers for brides of Christ…

06/03/2017

Rev. Christopher Floersh will be ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Richard F. Stika on Saturday, June 3 at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Knoxville.

05/29/2017

What an awesome idea! Introibo ad altare Dei...

It took a few days to find the perfect time to give it to him but we finally gave him his First Communion gift. My husband and I have given each of the boys a chalice to mark their special day. We tell them that if God calls them to the priesthood that they can use it then and if God calls them to marriage that they can gift it to the priest who celebrates their wedding Mass and he can hopefully use it for their wedding. Right now this boy is set on being a priest that grows food for the poor and also digs up dinosaur bones. 😊
(I can't take credit for the idea! I got it from a good friend of mine who did this with her boys and I thought it was beautiful!)

Edited to add: Just to clarify some assumptions I see in the comments, each of the chalices we have bought was around $100. While that isn't pocket change, we think it's a worthy use of our money for such an occasion and purpose. ❤️

05/26/2017

Members of the newest priestly ordination class in the United States were closely connected to the Church growing up through their Catholic school or parish, according to a new survey of the 2017 ordinands.

03/30/2017

Me wanting a gang member to have a different life would never be the same as that gang member wanting to have one.

01/25/2017

I walked into the sacristy and heard several of these boys excitedly talking about wanting to be priests some day. Pray that they - and countless others - continue to seek and follow God's call.

10/26/2016

The priests of the Diocese are on retreat - we'll pray for you, please pray for us as well!