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.

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.

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.

Después de revisar los resultados de la encuesta del Sínodo Papal a los feligreses de la Basílica de San Pedro y San Pablo, facilitamos dos sesiones de escucha: una en inglés y otra en español. Lo siguiente transmite los frutos del discernimiento en nuestra parroquia. Presenté este informe para que se incorpore como aporte de nuestra diócesis, y nuestro aporte diocesano finalmente llegará a Roma. ¡Estoy agradecido con nuestro equipo de voluntarios y todos los que dieron su opinión! -Padre David Carter

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. Please pray for the repose of Marsha's soul.

Rudy Marquez passed away the morning of 3/9/22 after pneumonia following COVID-19. Rudy was an active member of the Knights of Columbus Council at St. Jude. Rudy's wife Lupita was the Basilica's Parish Secretary for several years. Click for more information and to access a meal train for the Marquez family.

Looking for a Catholic homeschool experience with like-minded families? St. Ambrose Catholic Homeschool Co-op, meeting in person on Fridays from 8:30 to 11:45 a.m. We will also offer an afternoon option of life skill classes 1:30-2:30 on the 1st & 3rd Fridays each month. We meet at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in downtown Chattanooga. Registration is open March 1 through May 15 for the 2022-23 school year. Classes begin August 19 for nursery-aged children through high schoolers. Classes offered include Latin, Sign Language, Theology, Greek & Egyptian Mythology, and Biology/Animal Science. To schedule a visit or with questions, please e-mail stambrosecoop@gmail.com. Detailed information and registration forms are posted on St. Ambrose Homeschool Co-op page. Click here.

Bishop Richard F. Stika has removed all previously decreed COVID-19 restrictions and directives regarding the liturgy and celebration of the sacraments at Diocese of Knoxville churches, effective March 3, 2022. Click to read the full decree. 

Martha Rose Skelly, sister of the late pastor of the Basilica, Msgr. George Schmidt, and wife of Lawrence Skelly, passed away on 3/2/22, after several years with Huntington's disease. Visitation will be from 7-8pm Sun. 3/13/22 at the Chattanooga Funeral Home. Click to see Martha's obituary and photos.

We have finally been able to hire two nursery attendants for Sunday mornings! Provided that both our nursery attendants are able to be present, our Nursery is now open during the 9:00 and 11:30 Masses, as well as the class time between Masses, for children under 5 years old.  We are in need of gently used toddler-safe toys and board books. (Please no riding toys.)