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St. Ambrose Catholic Homeschool Co-op is happy to announce our annual Advent Candle fundraiser. St. Ambrose families will be selling candles after all Masses and before the 1:30 Mass the weekends of November 9/10, 16/17, and 23/24. Candles are $7 for a box of four 12-inch tapers. To pre-order candles, contact the co-op at [email protected]. Friday pickup is also available via pre-arrangement at the same e-mail address. Thank you for your support of this Basilica Ministry.

In 2022, Basilica parishioner Lynn Elverd, a veteran servant of our Altar Ministry, Religious Education helper, and Greeter, suffered multiple spinal fractures caused by cancer. After several months of chemo and a stem cell treatment, she has remained in 100% remission since 2023! She will need continued chemo. Thank you for your prayers for Lynn! (Click for more info)

On the Feast of Christ the King (November 25-26), we will recite the traditional Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at our Sunday Masses. It can be found in the leaflet at the entrance, and is also posted here. There is the opportunity for a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, for those who recite the prayer publicly on the feast of Christ the King.

Basilica parishioner Charlotte Latta passed away on June 22, 2023. She had been suffering from congestive heart failure. FUNERAL MASS of Christian Burial Saturday, July 1, 2023 at 1:00 pm at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. Please pray for the repose of Charlotte's soul. Click for more information.

Lent Ember Days of 2023 are Wed/Fri/Sat March 1, 3, and 4. While a fast is not obligatory, it is a worthy and traditional spiritual practice to fast or abstain in some way on these days. Click for more info at https://www.fisheaters.com/emberdays.html

Kimberly Russell is a recent convert to the Catholic faith. She and her husband Robert and two daughters joined the Basilica parish in 2022. Kimberly had surgery at Vanderbilt on January 24 and is thankful for everyone's prayers. Recovery has been painful, but she is back to her activities including church, and she and her family are preparing to complete their initiation into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. Click for details.

A children’s library is being established in our parish, as a legacy of Lorelei Truett, our 14-year-old parishioner who died of leukemia last December. Lorelei’s Library will be set up on the existing shelves in the hallway next to the church, near the Ombrellino Gift Shop. To help us make space for the children’s books, we invite you to stop by the bookshelves within the next few days and take home whatever books you would like. Books that are left after September 30 will be donated to charity.

The Diocese of Office of Vocations and The Office of Young Adult Ministry are hosting a discernment group for Catholic young women ages 18-35 starting August 30, 2022. Join the Religious Sisters of Mercy in discerning your vocation and finding your place in the Church. Click for details.

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.

Many thanks to all who donated flowers to adorn the altar for Easter. Click to see a list.

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.

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.)

National Vocation Awareness Week will be celebrated in our country November 7-13, 2021. Please ask Our Lord for more dedicated, holy priests, deacons and consecrated men and women. May they be inspired by Jesus Christ, supported by our faith community, and respond generously to God’s gift of a vocation.

Our Downtown Youth Ministry for 6th-12th graders is transitioning to new leadership. Kalista Bartee, who is expecting her fifth child, is passing the torch to Jenny Haug. The Youth Group continues to meet Wednesdays from 6-8pm in Varallo Parish Hall. Click here to find out more.

With deep sadness, we announce the passing of Dcn. Tom McConnell. He died at home peacefully in his sleep the morning of Sept. 28 at the age of 75. Please pray for the repose of his soul, especially the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Please remember Dcn. Tom’s wife Brenda and his family in your prayers. Click here for obituary, homily, and more.

Our hardworking Basilica sound technician, Mr. Kim Murfin, became extremely sick with COVID-19 and was admitted to the ER on August 26. After being on oxygen for several days, he was moved to Encompass Rehab Center, and on September 14 he was sent home to complete his therapy. He is grateful to have received the Anointing of the Sick and all the prayers. Please also pray that his wife Sheila, who has COPD, will not contract the disease.

Parents and other adults who serve in ministries that involve youth are now required to be certified under the “Safe Haven” program, which has replaced the previous VIRTUS Safe Environment program for the Diocese of Knoxville. The registration and training is available online (allow 2 hours). 

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.

We have an outstanding group of parishioners who have agreed to make up our campaign leadership team. (Click to see the list.) Please give prayerful consideration to serving as a volunteer if you are asked.