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Bosco Joseph Paul Cooper, son of Kody and Deirdre Cooper, was stillborn April 20, 2021, 4lbs 4oz. He received the baptism of desire by his parents. A service for Bosco will be held at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul Saturday, April 24, at 1 pm, followed by burial at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Click to read what the Church teaches about the baptism of desire and to read a loving tribute to Bosco written by his father.

Dr. Philip Jerald Dugan, 84, former director and founder of the Cleveland and Athens Regional Cancer Centers, the Ocoee Regional Cancer Foundation, longtime resident of Birchwood, TN passed away Friday, April 16, 2021, at home with his family after a courageous 1 year battle with MD Syndrome. His funeral Mass will be celebrated at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul Wed., April 21, at 9am, followed by burial at Chattanooga National Cemetery at 11am.

On Mar. 18, 2021, Fr. Carter interviewed Corinne Henderson, Basilica parishioner and board member of La Paz Chattanooga, a social service organization with faith-based roots that serves and strengthens our Latino community via corporal works of mercy. Click to watch the video and read the interview, which is featured in Fr. Carter's pastor's notes for April 18 & April 25, 2021.

Patricia Pinson Woods, who was a lifetime member of Sts. Peter and Paul, died on January 5, 2021. A funeral Mass will be held for Patricia on May 6, at 11:00 am at St. Jude Catholic Church. Interment will follow. May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Click for Patricia's obituary.

Parishioner Katie Bird has organized a new Facebook group called "Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul (TN) - Buy Nothing Group." Basilica parishioners are encouraged to join and post items or services that they are offering to give away or looking to receive for free. The hope is to provide a convenient channel for practicing charity and solidarity within the Basilica community. Click for a link to the group.

Joseph Shramko, a 16-year old in our parish, suffered a serious fall on April 8, and he is in critical condition. He is unconscious and experiencing severe swelling of the brain. The Shramkos are praying for miraculous intervention for Joseph and they are asking for our prayers. They have set up a Caring Bridge site to share updates. We encourage you to use the Caring Bridge site to share your prayers and encouragement with them during this critical time. Fr. Carter, Dcn. Gaspar, and the family are asking that we invoke the intercession of Servant of God, Patrick Ryan, for Joseph's healing. You can access Joseph's Caring Bridge site here (follow the prompts to sign in or create an account as needed): https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/josephshramko

We have made special accommodations to support the need for social distancing during Holy Week. We plan to live-stream all the Holy Week liturgies. On Good Friday we will have two services. We will also celebrate a simultaneous spoken Mass in the parish hall on Easter Sunday to allow more people to attend in-person. Click for details and the full calendar.

Thanks to those who have donated flowers to adorn the altar during Easter at the Basilica. Click to see a list of the honorary donations by name.

Christopher Nelligan, 19, passed away at home in his sleep on Thursday, March 11, 2021. Christopher was born on January 15, 2002, to James and Denise Nelligan. A funeral Mass will be held at the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul on Saturday, March 27, at 10:00 am.

On March 17, 2021, Fr. Carter interviewed Nathan Bird, a Basilica parishioner who is engaged in understanding local politics, and the founder of the Chattanooga Civics website and podcast. Watch or read the interview here (as well as in the pastor's notes for March 28 and April 4). Note that Chattanooga has a run-off election for mayor and several city council seats on April 13, with early voting from March 24 to April 8.

Do you love classical education? Do you desire to homeschool within a supportive, faithfully Catholic community? Regina Caeli Academy, a university-style hybrid education program for preschool through 12th grade, has been invited to consider starting up a school in Chattanooga this fall. They are hosting an information session on Sunday, April 18 at 4pm at the Knights of Columbus Hall at 313 Sylvan St. Click here to find out more about Regina Caeli Academy, and contact Shannon Hinson at 423-991-8352 to sign up for the information session.

The USCCB, Bishop Stika, and Fr. Carter have recently spoken about the morality of the COVID-19 vaccines, with special considerations about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. See Bishop Stika's statement and the Chattanooga News Channel 9 interview here.

On Feb. 24, 2021, Fr. Carter interviewed Adam Foster, Basilica parishioner and active member of the Knights of Columbus Council 610, and discussed its history, mission, and opportunities to join and support this group of Catholic men. Click to watch the full 02-24-21 interview with Adam Foster and/or read the transcript.

Samuel Aníbal Ramírez Aguilar was born on October 29, 1991, and passed away on February 22, 2021, at the age of 29, in a car accident. Samuel’s funeral Mass in Spanish is being held on March 6 at 1:00 pm at the Basilica. Visitation will be held on March 7 from 2:00pm-4:00pm at Advantage Funeral & Cremation Services – Franklin-Strickland Chapel. Click for more information.

CATHOLIC MEN: The Tennessee Knights of Columbus welcome you to join the largest Catholic fraternal benefits organization in the world for free through June 30, 2021. We are Catholic men building a bridge back to faith, dedicated to lives of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism. Practicing Catholic gentleman, age 18 or older, join today using the discount code MCGIVNEY2020 at www.kofc.org/join!

Easter Flowers for our Altar: If you would like to help provide flowers to add our Basilica’s apostolate of beauty on Easter, please return this form with your donation to the parish office, use the Easter Flower Offering envelope (if you receive offertory envelopes), or make an online donation for flowers on WeShare and email the information to office@stspeterandpaulbasilica.com by March 31st to be printed in our Easter Sunday bulletin.

After years of faithful leadership, Rachel Wesson has graciously passed the reins of the Catholic Motherhood Ministry to Diane Tobin. To stay informed, mothers of all ages are invited to join the brand new email group from the Catholic Motherhood page of our website. Many thanks to several mothers who continue to lead various aspects of this thriving ministry that nurtures our parish.

SPEAK FOR LIFE! The Greater Chattanooga Right to Life 2021 Oratory Contest for high school students will be held March 27. This event involves researching, writing, and presenting a short speech. Entries must be received by March 23rd. The competition offers cash prizes and a chance to compete at the state and national level. Click for details.

On Feb. 5, 2021, Fr. Carter interviewed Sandy Pricer, Basilica parishioner and President/Co-founder of the RISE UP Cooperative, a social service initiative to help at-risk teens and young adults gain life skills. The interview is presented in Fr. Carter's pastor's notes for Feb. 14 and Feb. 21, 2021, and the full transcript and video are included below.

DYM, the Basilica of Sts. Peter & Paul's Downtown Youth Ministry, will be offering Wednesday in-person meetings 6-8pm and Sunday virtual meetings 6:30-8pm beginning in Lent! All 6th to 12th grade students are welcome! Click for schedule details.