Saturday, June 02, 2007

Come, Holy Ghost

Many of you already know that this past Sunday was Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Easter. (Bonus points to anyone who can recite any of the lines of the song titled above. No Google-ing, please!) We had the opportunity on Sunday to go to Mass at a church who's feast day was Pentecost, Holy Ghost Church here in Knoxville. They are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year, and although we are not parishioners there, this celebration did involve us in a way.

One hundred years ago on Pentecost, at our current parish Immaculate Conception, the Bishop of Nashville (Knoxville wasn't it's own diocese until 1988) came to I.C. to announce that Holy Ghost would be formed. Knoxville's only Catholic church at the time was I.C., and the growth in the area made it necessary to have another parish.

One hundred years later on Pentecost, the current Bishop of Knoxville came to Holy Ghost to announce that a new parish would be formed out of Holy Ghost Parish. Holy Ghost had been opened in what was at the time North Knoxville, but now the growth of Knox County has extended "North Knoxville" much further north. This is of great interest to my family, since we live almost exactly five miles from where this new church will be located. It will be named St. Albert the Great, primarily after a saint (which unfortunately I know very little about), but also after a former pastor of Holy Ghost, Fr. Albert Henkel. He was instrumental in trying to find land for a new church in North Knoxville, so the bishop saw fit to name the new church after his patron saint. Clever, huh?

So, now that we will have a new church so close to home, we have been getting information about joining and becoming charter members. The new church begins it's existence on the 1st of July this year, and we will definitely be there. The future looks very promising for this new church, since it's pastor has been successful in creating the largest parish in the Diocese of Knoxville from scratch.

To end this post, I think I'll address the comment left by my grandfather the other day. We have become the "hooked" people you talked about. We have been to the Y at least eight times in the last two and a half weeks (I have actually been ten times, personally), and we are definitely hooked. We look forward to seeing you this summer, and showing off our new in-shape selves!

8 comments:

paulette said...

Come Holy Ghost, Creator blessed
and in our hearts take up thy rest.

Tim B. said...

Come with thy grace
And heavenly aid
to fill the hearts
which thou hast made.

To fill the hearts
which thou hast made.


Father Nickerson once came to our house for dinner (grandma and grandpas when we lived in Miami). He said that the 1st rule about singing "Come Holy Ghost" is that you must start it in as low a note as possible because it continues to rise in pitch as it progresses.

Think of the national anthem and how you strain for "rockets red glare" if you don't start low enough.

Bonus points to you if you can name the tune that our national anthem comes from, without Googling it.

Fact: it is an old English drinking song.

Anonymous said...

"Come Holy Ghost" was the theme hymn of the Holy Name Society. It was sung at every gathering.

Tim B. said...

"L" Baril sang it often at mass.
You remember, dad, the guy we sometimes referred to as "Ed Bared"?

He was a good "a capella" singer. LOL, a neighbor says she likes to hear people sing "archipelago".

paulette said...

I thought the Holy Name theme song was Holy God we Praise Thy Name.

Anonymous said...

Paulette, you are right. How could I have mixed it up.

Adrienne said...

How is blogging form home working for you? LOL

Sean M. said...

I guess not too well... I haven't been on here in quite awhile, but then again there's not really anything good to write about. I'll make sure to update this weekend, since I'll have two days off in a row.