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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.

During Lent, we will offer Friday Adoration and Stations of the Cross, a virtual Lenten Parish Mission March 1 & 2, a penance service on March 15, and a food drive/collection in conjunction with the Solemnity of St. Joseph. The CSO will be offering concerts Palm Sunday weekend. We have made special accommodations to support the need for social distancing during Holy Week, and we plan to live-stream all the Holy Week liturgies. Click to see the calendar for details.

The traditional Ember Days of fasting for Lent 2021 are Wed., Fri., and Sat., Feb. 24, 26, and 27. While a fast is not obligatory on these days, it can be a worthy and traditional spiritual practice to fast or abstain in some way on these days. See https://www.fisheaters.com/emberdays.html

The Bishop’s Appeal 2021 begins with a mailing that many of our parishioners have received from Bishop Stika asking for a generous commitment to this year’s Appeal. Your gift not only funds many of the operations of the Diocese of Knoxville, but also services that are of great help to our local parish community. For example, funds support our Religious Education programs, Campus Ministry, Youth Ministry, Hispanic Ministry, Tribunal, and Catholic Charities. Please answer Bishop Stika’s request and make a commitment to the annual appeal. In-pew pledge commitment will be Feb. 6-7. Click here for more info and to make your pledge online at any time.

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. at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in downtown Chattanooga, will take registrations March 1 through June 15 for the 2021-22 school year. Classes begin August 20 for nursery-aged children through high schoolers. Classes offered include Latin, Spanish, Theology, History, Geography, and Science. Details and registration forms are posted on the Homeschool Co-Op page of the Basilica website (Click here.)

On Jan. 12, 2021, Fr. Carter interviewed Dr. Jimmy Turner, Basilica parishioner and Chief Operations Officer of Chattanooga Community Kitchen. Dr. Turner talks about the causes of homelessness, ways you can best help the poor, the Chattanooga Community Kitchen, other agencies that provide a support network, and even answers the question about how to answer honestly when you are asked for cash. The full transcript of the interview can be found on the Basilica’s website along with Fr. Carter’s Pastor’s Notes for Jan. 24, Jan. 31, and Feb. 6, 2021, accessible at stspeterandpaulbasilica.com/pastors-notes

We have developed a Frequently Asked Questions document to adress questions that have come up about the Under One Roof Campaign. We urge you to review this FAQ document carefully. It is our goal to make sure that everyone is well informed about the projects we are undertaking and how important they are to the future of the Basilica.

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.

La hermana Imelda Quechol ha sido honrada como líder comunitaria destacada en la publicación HEROES 2020 de La Paz Chattanooga, especialmente por sus esfuerzos abnegados el año pasado para coordinar y brindar ayuda a los necesitados en el área de Chattanooga durante la pandemia y después de los tornados. ******** Congratulations to Sister Imelda Quechol, MAG, the Basilica's Hispanic Ministry Coordinator, who has been honored as a featured community leader in La Paz Chattanooga's HEROES 2020 publication, especially for her work this past year to help the needy during the pandemic and following the tornadoes. Click to read Sister Imelda's leadership profile and see a short documentary, and the mayor's congratulatory letter.

Due to changes in the tax laws, the parish has mailed 2020 contribution statements only to donors who contributed $5,000 or more. Bishop’s Appeal and Home Campaign contributions are not included. The Diocese will mail a separate statement. If you do not receive a statement and would like one, regardless of amount, contact the parish office at 423-266-1618. Thank you for your generous financial support.

Select the title to view a list of our regular scheduled ministry activities, and then click the name of the particular ministry for more information. Please note that parish activities on campus are limited during the coronavirus outbreak. However, many of our groups have resumed on-campus and others are continuing to meet virtually, outdoors, off-campus, etc.  

The first phase of our parish “Under One Roof” capital campaign is off to a great start.  We have composed a campaign prayer. We invite you to pray it to help invoke God’s blessings in this important project. You can find it in our bulletin, website, and also taped into our pews so that we can pray it together at Mass. 

Dear Parishioners, A campaign planning study was recently conducted at Sts. Peter and Paul to assess the needs of the Basilica and prepare for a major fundraising initiative. Thank you to everyone who participated. Your feedback and insights were extremely valuable in determining our next course of action. I am happy to share this summary report which highlights the key study findings and recommendations for proceeding. (Click to view Fr. Carter's full report from the Planning Study...)

We are recruiting adult parishioners to join the Sacristan Ministry to set up the sanctuary for Mass. Our Sacristans serve on rotation (about once a month). No previous experience is needed, and step-by-step training will be provided. Please contact Amy Long through the parish office or myParish app.

Chant made easy! Many men never learned to sing after their voice changed. We have a new opportunity to rediscover your God-given voice and use it in His praise. Fr. Carter has begun teaching a Men’s Vespers Schola on Friday afternoons at 4:30pm, open to anyone whose voice has changed into the lower octave. Sung Vespers in English follows at 5pm. No musical experience is required; Father will show you everything you need. On most Fridays, we will meet in the church at 4:30. On First Fridays, we will meet in the Nursery at 4:30 for training, while First Friday Adoration is in the church. Then at 5pm we will move into to the church to sing Vespers. Click on the title above to see a video with the kind of chant we are singing. Our Vespers will be in English. We will start with very simple melodies and work our way up. However, newcomers are welcome any Friday. Contact music@stspeterandpaulbasilica.com with questions and to be added to the email list.