Posted on 11/26/2025 7:52:25 PM PST by ebb tide
The Diocese of Knoxville under Bishop Mark Beckman will limit the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) to just one chapel at a retreat center once a month after previously announcing the suppression of all parish TLMs in the diocese, the bishop announced in a letter on Tuesday.
In the November 25 letter, Beckman emphasized that due to the overwhelming response from diocesan faithful devoted to the Tridentine Mass, he will allow a monthly TLM in a small chapel at Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton, which likely will not be able to accommodate everyone who wishes to attend. The bishop also noted that he will not request a dispensation from the restrictions of Traditionis Custodes, which he believes was inspired by the Holy Spirit, and underscored a purported need for just one form of the Roman Rite of the Mass to be celebrated in the diocese.
In October, the diocese had announced that all three parishes that currently offer the Mass celebrated according to the 1962 missal will transition to Masses celebrated in Latin according to the 2002 Roman Missal, but with traditional elements such as being offered ad orientem (facing liturgical east) and incorporating Gregorian chant by the end of the year, in accordance with Traditionis Custodes.
The traditional Mass celebrated according to the 1962 Missal has been offered at the diocesan parishes of the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, St. Mary’s Church in Johnson City, and Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville.
READ: Tennessee bishop to suppress all Traditional Latin Masses in his diocese by year’s end
“I realize your preference would be the continuation of this celebration in your parish church, and I am deeply aware of the suffering and loss you are feeling,” the bishop wrote in the letter.
Beckman stressed his belief that the changes to the Roman liturgy after the Second Vatican Council, as well as Pope Francis’ 2021 motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, which placed sweeping restrictions on the celebration of the TLM, were guided by the Holy Spirit.
“In my judgment, the wisdom of Pope Francis in Traditionis Custodes is… guided by the Holy Spirit and for that reason I have chosen not to ask for a dispensation from the prohibition of celebrating the 1962 missal in parish churches and chapels,” he wrote. “I ask you to trust in the Lord’s guidance of his church and his promise to remain with her until the end of time.”
While it’s true that Our Lord will remain with His Church until the end of time and the faithful should not leave His Church, several Catholic prelates have denounced the harsh restrictions of Traditionis Custodes, noting that neither the pope nor the bishops have the right to suppress the TLM.
Cardinal Raymond Burke has stressed that the Latin Mass was “never juridically abrogated” and that it is not permissible for a pope to pretend to wield “absolute power” to “eradicate a liturgical discipline.”
Bishop Athanasius Schneider, auxiliary bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan, has underscored that the Holy Father does not have the right to suppress the Tridentine Mass, which served as the liturgy of numerous saints, emphasizing that it is not disobedient to continue celebrating or attending the ancient Mass:
The faithful as well as priests have the right to a liturgy that is a liturgy of all the saints (…). Therefore, the Holy See does not have the power to suppress a heritage of the whole Church, it is an abuse, it would be an abuse even on the part of a bishop. In this case, you can continue to celebrate the Mass even in this form: It is a form of obedience (…) to all the popes who have celebrated this Mass.
In an X post, LifeSiteNews editor-in-chief John-Henry Westen noted the hypocrisy of Beckman writing that he cares for the faithful devoted to the Latin Mass and yet won’t even ask the Vatican for a dispensation to allow the Latin Mass at parish churches.
As extensively reported by LifeSiteNews, several bishops across the country have imposed heavy restrictions on the Latin Mass since the promulgation of Traditionis Custodes.
In recent months, Bishop Michael Martin, like Beckman, restricted the celebration of the Tridentine Mass in the Diocese of Charlotte to just one small chapel that could not accommodate all the faithful who wished to attend, citing Traditionis Custodes. Martin has also requested that altar rails no longer be used for the reception of the Holy Eucharist for Novus Ordo Masses.
In response to these restrictions, an SSPX church within the diocese has seen such an increase in attendance that it plans to build a new chapel to accommodate the faithful who wish to attend.
READ: SSPX in Charlotte plans for new chapel to accommodate growth after Latin Mass suppression
The Diocese of Knoxville did not respond to LifeSite’s request for comment as of publication time.
Beckman became one of Pope Francis' most recent dictator bishops; consecrated in July 2024.
Ping
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Mark_Beckman
Pope Francis appointed Beckman as the fourth bishop of Knoxville on May 7, 2024.[5][3][4] On July 26, 2024, Beckman was consecrated as bishop by Archbishop Shelton Joseph Fabre at the Knoxville Convention Center in Knoxville.[1] Beckman said that one of his goals was the healing of bad feelings in the diocese left its previous bishop, Richard Stika, who had been accused of covering up sexual abuse by priests and mismanaging the diocese.[4]. . .
Diocese of Knoxville looks to reassign priest after board finds evidence for ‘boundary violation’ complaints
KNOXVILLE (TN)
“The World,” PRI.org [Boston MA]
March 4, 2025
A board said it found evidence that the complaints were credible, noting evidence of “frequent boundary violations with both minors and adults.”
The Diocese of Knoxville said it is searching for a new assignment for a St. John Neumann Catholic Church and School priest who was placed on administrative leave in December.
Father Joseph Reed was placed on leave after a complaint of “boundary violations” was brought to the attention of the Diocese of Knoxville. The diocese had reported the complaint to state authorities and told Reed of the situation.
At the end of January, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office closed its investigation into Reed and said the allegations were unsubstantiated. Soon after, the Department of Children’s Services and the Diocese of Knoxville both confirmed they had opened investigations into the case.
On March 4, the Diocese of Knoxville shared a letter updating the community on the conclusion of the case into Reed.
According to the letter, a preliminary investigation began in mid-December when two people brought concerns directly to Mark Beckman, a bishop at the church. The two complainants claimed that behaviors toward them had made them uncomfortable.
“Given their ages and the fact that the behaviors described may have occurred when they were minors, this raised concerns about possible violations of not only our Diocesan Safe Environment Policy and Code of Pastoral Conduct, but also potentially violated laws protecting minors,” Beckman said in the letter.
The letter also said other behaviors were brought to the bishop by adults who directly witnessed them over time. According to the letter, these behaviors were reported to the Diocese last spring.
Beckman said the investigation by civil authorities found no evidence of a crime committed by Reed. However, the Diocese contracted an independent investigator to conduct its own investigation into the allegations in order to determine if policies had been violated.
The findings of the investigation were then brought to the Diocesan Review Board, which was tasked with deciding if any policy had been violated. This board, according to Beckman, was comprised of trained professionals, law enforcement, the legal field and medical and health care professionals.
The board said it found evidence that the complaints concerning Father Reed were credible, noting evidence of “frequent boundary violations with both minors and adults.” The letter also said the violations were “frequent and consistent, grave and unbecoming of the Holy Priesthood.”
“After reviewing the results of the investigation and the recommendation of the board, I concur that the evidence points to serious violations of our Code of Pastoral Conduct,” Beckman said in the letter.
Beckman also said he consulted the Priest Personnel Board for help finding a future assignment for Reed with a seasoned pastor and “to recommend both a temporary administrator for St. John Neumann as well as a permanent pastor going forward.”
The remainder of Beckman’s statement can be found below.
“I know this has been an incredibly painful and challenging time for your community and for Fr. Joe, and I have received many messages of support from you noting his wonderful priestly qualities. He is deeply loved by your community. I am Aware that his departure from your community will be deeply grieved by many. Please know that I will work diligently with our Priest Personnel Board in providing the best priestly care for your community.
All of you have remained in my constant prayer during these very trying weeks. Please know those prayers will continue.”
* * *
https://knoxvillenobility.substack.com/p/father-joe-and-the-lawsuit
Father Joe and “the lawsuit”
The Diocese of Knoxville may benefit by discrediting Father Joseph Reed as a key witness for the plaintiff in a pending lawsuit.
Jennifer Hay
Feb 03, 2025
Dear Friends,
The lawsuit against the Diocese of Knoxville which led to Bishop Stika’s resignation is now in the discovery phase, and Father Joseph Reed may be a key witness for the plaintiff. In prosecuting recent complaints against Fr. Reed, the Diocese has an incurable conflict of interest, because the Diocese stands to fair better in the lawsuit by discrediting Fr. Reed.
In 2022, a former diocesan employee sued the Diocese of Knoxville and Bp. Stika. Using the pseudonym John Doe, the plaintiff alleged that he had been raped on February 5, 2019, by a Polish seminarian named Wojciech Sobczuk. Doe claimed that the Diocese, under Bp. Stika’s leadership, failed to protect him and then attempted to cover up the assault.
A key claim of the lawsuit is that Bp. Stika and the Diocese had foreknowledge that Sobczuk posed a threat:
The Diocese either knew or should have known that there was a high probability that placing or retaining Sobczuk at the Cathedral would result in the sexual abuse of parishioners or personnel, such as Plaintiff (Doe vs. DoK and Stika, p. 41).
How could the plaintiff claim that the Diocese “knew or should have known” about Sobczuk?
Because the Vocation Director for the Diocese gave fair warning:
Stika accepted Sobczuk as a seminarian notwithstanding that he did not receive the recommendation of the Diocese’s Vocation office or Vocation Director. On information and belief, Sobczuk did not receive the recommendation of either because they believed he was not fit to become a priest, as he would be unlikely to live a celibate life and posed a danger of sexually harassing and sexually assaulting others (Doe vs. DoK and Stika, p. 9).
And who was the Vocation Director at the time?
Father Joseph Reed.
As Vocation Director, Fr. Reed interviewed Sobczuk and reviewed his history. With this information, Fr. Reed refused to recommend Sobczuk as a seminarian for the Diocese. Nevertheless, Bp. Stika brought him on board. . .
3 Comments
Write a comment...
⭠ Return to thread
Adam
Feb 4
Why are all of Stika’s crew still in leadership in the chancery? They enabled Stika when they should have blown the whistle on his misdeeds and engaged in bullying of other chancery staff (listen to Marcy Meldahl and Dave Wells—https://omny.fm/shows/the-hal-show-podcast/former-catholic-diocese-of-knoxville-staff-members).
All of Stika’s senior staff remain in their posts. I’ll believe Beckman is serious when he starts to clean house.
Like (3)
Reply (2)
Share
Jennifer Hay
Feb 4
Yes, I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one in the whole Diocese of Knoxville who knows about these things.
Like (1)
Reply
Share
Jim joey
Feb 19
Correct perception. The diocese needs to clean house. Any clergy either in direct employment of the chancery or at Sacred Heart are IMO completely compromised. I know of one deacon there who literally detailed his plan to become a deacon, then seek employment in the diocese because of the benefits. This will continue as long as even one is allowed to have a vote in any fashion.
Like
Reply
* * *
https://tennesseeconservativenews.com/knoxville-priest-subpoenaed-for-lawsuit-deposition/
Knoxville Priest Subpoenaed For Lawsuit Deposition
September 12, 2025
No Comments
Father Joseph Reed, Jennifer Hay, knoxville, Knoxville Nobility, Tennessee, Wojciech Sobczuk
Fr. Joseph Reed Has Been Subpoenaed For Deposition Testimony By The Plaintiff’s Attorneys In A Lawsuit Against The Diocese Of Knoxville.
Image: Fr. Joseph Reed, former Pastor of St. John Neumann Catholic Church and School in Farragut, Tennessee Image Credit: St. John Neumann & Canva
By Jennifer Hay [Knoxville Nobility] –
Father Joseph Reed, a priest of the Diocese of Knoxville, has been subpoenaed for a deposition by the plaintiff’s attorneys in John Doe (pseudonym) v. Catholic Diocese of Knoxville and Richard F. Stika (Case No. C-22-014622, Knox County Circuit Court). The deposition will take place in Knoxville on September 23, 2025.
The subpoena instructs Fr. Reed to bring with him “all electronic or physical documents, recordings, or photographs that refer or relate to the Plaintiff in this action or to Wojciech Sobczuk.”
The plaintiff in this lawsuit, John Doe, alleges that in 2019, Wojciech Sobczuk—a seminarian for the Diocese—raped him. At the time of the alleged rape, Doe was also an employee of the Diocese.
As former Vocation Director for the Diocese of Knoxville, Fr. Reed is likely being called to testify about his evaluation of Sobczuk and how that evaluation was received by the Diocese. According to the lawsuit, Fr. Reed was not in favor of accepting Sobczuk as a seminarian:
[Bishop] Stika accepted Sobczuk as a seminarian notwithstanding that he did not receive the recommendation of the Diocese’s Vocation Office or Vocation Director. On information and belief, Sobczuk did not receive the recommendation of either, because they believed he was not fit to become a priest, as he would be unlikely to live a celibate life and posed a danger of sexually harassing and sexually assaulting others (Doe v. DoK & Stika, § 62-63).
Bp. Richard Stika was bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville from 2009-2023. He resigned on June 27, 2023, citing health reasons. On March 8, 2025, Bp. Stika sent me a text message stating:
“I support fully Fr. Joe [Reed]. He never told me not to accept Wojtek. I did not include him as we had two previous seminarians that he recommended that I dismissed.” (Note well: “Wojtek” is a nickname for Wojciech.)
The information conveyed in a deposition is not normally made public unless it is used to justify an official request to the court.
Both the plaintiff and defendants in this lawsuit have agreed to a schedule that anticipates a trial in 2027.
* * *
Thank you Jesus for punishing us. We must need it for Your greater glory, and we will take it.
Loudspeakers outside?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.