Mass For Fallen Serviceman at Chattanooga Basilica…

… Diocese of Knoxville’s Bishop Stika offered mass today for the fallen serviceman who were murdered in the July 16, 2015 terrorist shooting in Chattanooga, TN. The mass was held at the Basilica of Ss. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga.

My friend, and phenomenal photographer, Stephanie Richer was in attendance and captured these moving images. Below she writes,

“Bp. Rick Stika offered Mass for the murdered servicemen this morning at the Basilica of Ss. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, in whose district the killings occurred, attended with his wife. A USMC color guard led the procession and followed the recession at the end of Mass.

The Bishop gavce a powerful sermon on the presence of evil in the world and the power of prayer by all of us to defeat it. This is personal for him – he has two brothers who served in the Marines and a brother who is a police officer, so he is acutely aware of the danger such people face.”

Click to enlarge.

Here’s Bishop Stika’s homily below.