“What’s your Name? What Church do you go to?” If you have been in East Tennessee for more than a month you have probably been asked these questions more than once. It is both wonderful and challenging to live in an area where faith is part of the fabric of our daily lives. The blessing is that we have opportunities every day to share our faith with others and the challenge is to know our faith clearly so that we can articulate our belief to many who have never experienced the Catholic faith before.
The Second Vatican Council called us to a vision of faith and worship where all of the faithful participate in a way that is, “Full, Active and Conscious.” This means that there are no spectator seats in Church. Attending the Holy Mass is not a box to be checked off of the list of things to do this weekend and Catechism classes are not just for kids. The Sunday celebration of the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith. All that we are and do flows from this experience of worship. That is why our theme this year is, “Come Let Us Worship.”
Every member of our parish has gifts and talents that the Church needs in order to be complete. We are many parts, but we are all one body. The diversity of our parish community is a gift that we celebrate and we encourage everyone to prayerfully reflect on where they are being called to serve the body of Christ. If you are visiting Sacred Heart Cathedral for the first time or moving to the area, we would love to welcome you to our family of faith. All are welcome here and we look forward to meeting you and getting to know your name. I encourage you to call or email us in the parish office if we can assist you in any way. Welcome to Sacred Heart Cathedral.