Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Oak Ridge Aug. 1. During his visit, the Bishop celebrated the Vigil Mass for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

In a letter to the faithful last month, Bishop Serratelli wrote: “Pope Francis has urged us to pray for an increased awareness of the ‘drama of persecuted Christians in our day,’ for religious freedom as an ‘inalienable human right’ and for the ‘end to this unacceptable crime.’ In response to our Holy Father’s urgent request and united with him in concern for all those suffering religious persecution, I am designating August as a diocesan-wide Month of Prayer for Those Suffering Religious Persecution.

As the summer starts, the exterior roof and masonry restorations are continuing and the results are evident.