Pope Leo XIV grants the Eastern Synod of Bishops to remove Patriarchs ammending canons 106 & 126

 

The Apostolic Palace  (@Vatican Media)

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Pope Leo grants Eastern Synods the faculty to remove Patriarchs

With an Apostolic Letter issued motu proprio on 29 August, Pope Leo XIV provides the Synods of Bishops of Eastern Catholic Churches the faculty to remove their respective Patriarchs in order “to restore the wounded communion, even by removing him from office for grave cause”, in the event their “bond” is “irreparably compromised.” In such an event, the Roman Pontiff must grant assent to the Synod’s judgment.

By Vatican News

An Apostolic Letter in the form of a motu proprio by Pope Leo XIV, with the incipit Mutua concordia, which was published today, 29 August, amends canons 106 and 126 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches and grants the Synod of Bishops the power, through “an orderly procedure”, to remove a Patriarch from office should their relationship be irreparably compromised for serious reasons.

Without prejudice to the prerogatives of the Apostolic See, therefore, the Synods of Bishops in such cases are called upon “to restore the wounded communion” through a procedure which, in accordance with the norms, guarantees the Patriarch “the right to a full defence before the Synod”.

It will, however, remain for the Pope to “grant his assent to the synodal decision, to ensure that the Fathers’ full freedom to express their choice is guaranteed, free from any possible undue internal or external pressure”.

The Pontiff has ordered that a new paragraph, §3, be inserted after §2 of Canon 106, specifying that “should the Patriarch fail to fulfil the obligations” laid down by the Code itself “the Synod of Bishops of the patriarchal Church may be lawfully convoked by the Bishop who is the most senior in terms of episcopal ordination and who is entitled to vote; and if he too fails to proceed with the convocation, this power passes to the subsequent Bishops, who are more senior in terms of episcopal ordination, who are available to do so and who are entitled to vote”.

Canon 126 is also modified by the addition of a new paragraph stipulating that “for a grave cause recognized as such by the Synod of Bishops of the patriarchal Church, that same Synod—convoked in accordance with Canons 106 § 1, no. 3, and 108 § 3—may request the Patriarch to resign from office.”.

The following paragraph establishes that if, following such a request, “the Patriarch does not resign from his office, the Bishop who is the most senior in terms of episcopal ordination, and who is entitled to vote, shall arrange for the election of a new President by the Synod, which shall submit the removal of the Patriarch to a secret ballot of at least two-thirds of the members of the Synod entitled to vote, whilst respecting [the Patriarch’s] right to defend himself before the Synod itself”. It is also the President’s responsibility to inform the Pope, who must give “his assent to the removal, which renders the patriarchal see vacant”.

Given that in the Eastern Churches there exists a close relationship uniting the Patriarch – who presides over his patriarchal Church as father and head, tamquam pater et caput (CCEO, can. 55) – and the Synod of Bishops, which he himself convokes and leads, a harmonious relationship between them is essential for a fruitful ecclesial life, in the unity of the Spirit and in the sole interest of the Church itself, the motu proprio says.

However, the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, which governs the functioning and duties of the Synods of Bishops, made no provision for the event that “the sacred bond between the Pater et Caput and the other Bishops should be irreparably compromised”, resulting in ‘a grave wound requiring remedy, as also urged by numerous Eastern Prelates’,

With the Motu Proprio, therefore, a set of rules comes into force to be followed in the event of an irreconcilable rift between the Patriarch and the Synod, should the Patriarch fail to resign. It is established that it is the responsibility of the Synod to set out the serious reasons that led to the rift, to determine who is to convene the Synod in such a situation and how this is to be done, to specify the majority of votes required to bring the Patriarch’s term of office to an end, and to ensure that the Patriarch’s rights of defence are safeguarded.

The Pope’s provisions are intended to enhance the prerogatives of the Synod of Bishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches, endowing them with a new power consistent with their nature as Churches sui iuris and restoring to them that which originates within them, since they are better placed to understand and assess the situation, whilst reserving for the Roman Pontiff a role of guarantor. The provisions set out in the Motu Proprio also apply, by their very nature, to the major archiepiscopal Churches (cf. can. 152).

Remembering the death of St. John the Baptist

 

Ordinary Time: August 29th

Memorial of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist

The Church, having celebrated the earthly birthday of St. John the Baptist on June 24, today honors the anniversary of his martyrdom. Besides our Lord and our Lady, St. John the Baptist is the only one whose birth and death are thus celebrated. Today's Gospel relates the circumstances of his execution. He had the courage to blame Herod to his face for the scandal of his illegal union with his sister-in-law Herodias, whose husband was still alive. Herodias contrived to make Herod imprison him and took advantage of an unexpected oppportunity to obtain through her daughter Salome the beheading of the saint.

According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Sabina. The titular church of St. Sabina of the Aventine is a gem of Christian architecture. It owes its orign to the generosity of a Roman lady of the name of Sabina who gave to the Christian community the house that she possessed in this aristocratic quarter of Rome. The martyrologies also commemorate another St. Sabina who died in Umbria. The identity of name has caused confusion between the two women.

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Passion of John the Baptist
In addition to the feast of the nativity of St. John the Baptist (June 24), the Church, since the fourth century, commemorates the martyrdom of Christ's precursor. According to the Roman Martyrology, this day marks "the second finding of his most venerable head." The body of the saint was buried in Samaria. In the year 362 pagans desecrated the grave and burned his remains. Only a small portion of his relics were able to be saved by monks and sent to St. Athanasius at Alexandria. The head of the saint is venerated at various places. That in the Church of St. Sylvester in Rome belongs to a martyr-priest John. Also in the Dominican church at Breslau the Baptist's head is honored.
—Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

There is no doubt that blessed John suffered imprisonment and chains as a witness to our Redeemer, whose forerunner he was, and gave his life for him. His persecutor had demanded not that he should deny Christ, but only that he should keep silent about the truth. Nevertheless, he died for Christ. Does Christ not say: "I am the truth"? Therefore, because John shed his blood for the truth, he surely died for Christ.

Through his birth, preaching and baptizing, he bore witness to the coming birth, preaching and baptism of Christ, and by his own suffering he showed that Christ also would suffer.

Such was the quality and strength of the man who accepted the end of this present life by shedding his blood after the long imprisonment. He preached the freedom of heavenly peace, yet was thrown into irons by ungodly men. He was locked away in the darkness of prison, though he came bearing witness to the Light of life and deserved to be called a bright and shining lamp by that Light itself, which is Christ.

To endure temporal agonies for the sake of the truth was not a heavy burden for such men as John; rather it was easily borne and even desirable, for he knew eternal joy would be his reward.

Since death was ever near at hand, such men considered it a blessing to embrace it and thus gain the reward of eternal life by acknowledging Christ's name. Hence the apostle Paul rightly says: "You have been granted the privilege not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for his sake." He tells us why it is Christ's gift that his chosen ones should suffer for him: "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us."
—Saint Bede the Venerable

Pope Leo XIV meets with the United States SVDP' promoting prayer and social justice

 

Pope Leo XIV meets with a delegation of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in the United States  (@VATICAN MEDIA)

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Pope Leo: Prayer and social justice are inseparable

As he meets with several spiritual children of St. Vincent de Paul, Pope Leo XIV recalls the French saint’s teaching that prayer and action on behalf of social justice are complementary and inseparable.

By Devin Watkins

Pope Leo XIV met on Friday with a delegation from the St. Vincent de Paul Society of the United States of America.

Founded in 1833, the global organization seeks the sanctification of its members by personal service to the poor, and forms part of the Vincentian Family of Catholic organizations dedicated to St. Vincent de Paul.

In his address, Pope Leo thanked the group’s members for their devoted service to their brothers and sisters throughout the US.

“By freely offering your God-given gifts and talents,” he said, “you give eloquent witness to your faith in service to the building up of the Kingdom of God.”

The Pope encouraged them to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ, so that He may guide their service to those most in need.

“Saint Vincent de Paul demonstrated that prayer and social justice are not merely complementary but in fact are inseparable,” he recalled, inviting the saint’s spiritual children to follow his example.

Pope Leo pointed to St. Augustine’s teaching that care for the poor is centered on Christ and that God will always be generous to those who serve them.

“We therefore believe that caring for others, when motivated by love, not only helps those in need, but also opens the heart of the giver to God’s grace,” he said.

The Pope then urged members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in the United States to offer their time generously.

By serving Christ in the poor, he said, God’s grace will “steadily purify your hearts and minds, and you will more readily recognize Christ in your neighbor, both in those you serve and in those with whom you work.”

In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV offered his warm greetings to all members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and all those whom they assist.

Saint of the Day for Friday

 

St. Augustine of Hippo

Feastday: August 28
Patron: of brewers
Death: 430

St. Augustine of Hippo is the patron of brewers because of his conversion from a former life of loose living, which included parties, entertainment, and worldly ambitions. His complete turnaround has been an inspiration to many who struggle with habits or vices they long to break.

This famous son of St. Monica was born in 354 AD in Thagaste, a Roman-Berber city in the province of Numidia (present-day Souk Ahras, Algeria). At that time, Numidia’s capital was Cirta (now Constantine in Algeria), distinct from the neighboring Roman province of Africa, whose capital was Carthage in modern Tunisia. Augustine grew up in a Christian household, but as a young man he drifted into sin and false beliefs. His sins of impurity and pride darkened his mind so much that he could not see the Divine Truth, despite his brilliance.

Through the prayers of his holy mother and the preaching of St. Ambrose, Augustine came to see that Christianity was the one true faith. Still, he hesitated, thinking he could never live a pure life. One day he heard the story of two men suddenly converted after reading the life of St. Antony of the Desert. Deeply ashamed, he cried out to his friend Alipius:

"What are we doing? Unlearned people are taking Heaven by force, while we, with all our knowledge, remain bound in the mud of our sins!"

Full of sorrow, Augustine rushed into a garden and begged God for help. Suddenly he heard the voice of a child singing, "Take up and read!" Believing these words were from God, he opened the Letters of St. Paul and read the first passage he saw—a call to abandon impurity and live in imitation of Christ. That moment changed his life forever.

Augustine was baptized, became a priest, and then Bishop of Hippo Regius (modern Annaba, Algeria). He spent the rest of his life serving the Church as a preacher, defender of the faith, and one of the greatest Catholic writers in history. He founded a religious community, supported the poor, practiced great humility, and fought against powerful heresies. On the wall of his room, he had written in large letters:

"Here we do not speak evil of anyone."

When the Vandals laid siege to Hippo in 430, Augustine was on his deathbed, praying and entrusting his flock to God. His feast day is celebrated on August 28th.

Paying tribute to the Annunciation Parish shooting victims

 

Parish pays tribute to Annunciation shooting victims through sacred fresco

Through sacred art, a neighboring parish is paying tribute to the Annunciation parish community in Minneapolis after the deadly shooting last year.

Our Lady of Guadalupe with the unfinished fresco, left, and the completed Annunciation fresco, right. | Credit: Photo by Rámond Mitchell

By Kate Quiñones

August 27, 2026

When a deadly shooting devastated Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, 2025, a neighboring Catholic parish quietly provided support to the school, opening its doors for the parish school’s needs.

Now, Our Lady of Grace is memorializing that connection in a fresco by Minnesota-based artist Mark Balma.

Balma is in the process of painting two large frescoes at the altar of Our Lady of Grace. On the right, already finished, is an image of Mary and the angel at the Annunciation. Green and blue ribbons painted in the bottom-right corner pay tribute to the school and the community.

“In the centuries-old tradition of Catholic sacred art, images have always carried more than beauty — they carry the prayers, memories, and stories of the communities who create and encounter them,” Rámond Mitchell, director of liturgy for Our Lady of Grace, told EWTN News.

“Sacred art has a unique ability to hold memory, communicate faith, and invite people into prayer,” Mitchell continued.

“Because our two communities had walked so closely with one another through such a difficult time, we wanted to create a lasting remembrance within our own sacred space as a reminder of the people we accompanied, the lives that were forever changed, and the hope and faith that sustained us,” Mitchell said.

Meaning of the ribbons

Balma painted blue-and-green ribbons onto a vase within his Annunciation fresco as a tribute to the community of Annunciation Church and School.

Mitchell explained how blue-and-green ribbons were an important symbol to the community after the shooting.

“Following the shooting, people throughout the surrounding community tied blue-and-green ribbons to doors, trees, lampposts, fences, and other places as a visible sign of solidarity and remembrance,” Mitchell said.

“In the fresco, the ribbons are tied around a water jug beside Mary. We wanted the ribbons to feel integrated into the scene rather than separate from it,” Mitchell continued. “The water jug is an ordinary object, much like the ordinary details of daily life that surrounded Mary when the angel appeared to her.”

Close-up of Mark Balma’s Annunciation fresco. | Credit: Photo by Rámond Mitchell

“In that way, the ribbons become part of an ordinary moment that has been transformed by the presence of God and a reminder of the Annunciation community and of the sacredness of their lives and stories,” Mitchell continued.

Balma, who was in the Twin Cities at the time of the shooting, was asked to “find a way to honor the Annunciation community.”

“This tragedy really touched me, and I prayed for guidance at how to best honor the children and families,” Balma told EWTN News.

“As a painter I try to find within Scriptures a word or concept that might help me unlock a vision to reveal a fresh way to transform the words into images,” Balma said. “For instance, in the Annunciation fresco, the line ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord’ became the focal point of the imagery.”

“My concept for the Annunciation fresco is different than most historical depictions. They usually place an older-looking Mary in a room or cloister visited by Gabriel and the Holy Spirit,” Balma said. “As I studied the Scriptures, I found no reference to her being in a room.”

Balma pointed out that at the time of the Annunciation, Mary “was not that much older than the children” of Annunciation School.

“I imagined the 14-year-old Mary as carrying on her daily chores like going to the well for water,” Balma said. “So full of beautiful symbolism, the water vase then became the place I could attach the ribbons that were placed in the community in remembrance of the children.”

“Water is healing, and tying the ribbons around the vase seemed to be the heartfelt way to honor the children,” Balma said.

Sister communities

The community at Our Lady of Grace stepped up after the shooting; it was a tragedy that struck them deeply.

“Annunciation is not far from Our Lady of Grace, and there have long been many connections between our two communities,” Mitchell said. “Some of our parishioners attended Annunciation themselves, while others have children or grandchildren who attended the school. Our teachers knew teachers there, and some members of our parish community were neighbors or friends of students, staff, and families affected by the shooting.”

“Because of those relationships, the tragedy was felt very deeply at Our Lady of Grace,” Mitchell said. “In the aftermath, our parish and school community was able to offer a place of safety, hospitality, prayer, and support. Our campus became a place where members of the Annunciation community could simply be together when so much of their world had been disrupted.”

The principal of Annunciation was present at the live painting session when Balma painted the ribbons into the fresco, which was a particularly significant moment, Mitchell said.

“Having members of the Annunciation community participate in and witness the creation of the work has made the memorial even more meaningful,” Mitchell said.

Honolulu Diocese rallying to support victims of Hurricane Lala

 

Faithful across Honolulu Diocese rally after devastating hurricane

written by Lisa Dahm / Hawaii Catholic Herald 

A damaged sign is seen in front of Sacred Heart Church in Naalehu, Hawaii, Aug. 20, 2026, where cleanup efforts continued after Hurricane Lala barreled across the Hawaiian Islands Aug. 15-16. The parish office was flooded. (OSV News photo/Lisa Dahm, Hawaii Catholic Herald)

NAALEHU, Hawaii (OSV News) — As Hurricane Lala barreled across the Hawaiian Islands Aug. 15-16, several Catholic organizations kept close watch over one of the hardest-hit areas — Hawaii Island’s Kau district, home to Sacred Heart Church in Naalehu and Holy Rosary Church in Pahala.

Father William “Pila” Tulua — pastor of the two parishes, the southernmost on Hawaii island, also called the Big Island — stayed in touch with members of the Knights of Columbus, EPIC Ministry and the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem.

Father Tulua, who is also the senior chaplain for the Order of St. Lazarus, sent photos and provided an account of the devastation in the Kau district as it unfolded — until he ran out of power.

“During the hurricane, we were on the phone with him (Father Tulua) and texting with him and seeing his pictures and the last thing we heard from him was, ‘It’s getting bad.’ Then he dropped off, which was very scary,” said Steve Brock, leader of the order’s Hawaii cadre and chief marshal in the order’s national office, known as the Grand Priory of America.

Unearthed coffins in flooded cemetery

Through photos and other accounts, the groups learned that Sacred Heart’s parish office flooded, as did the local cemetery in Naalehu, resulting in unearthed coffins.

“There are walls missing (in residents’ homes). There are houses that were moved and smashed into the neighbor’s house,” Father Tulua told the Hawaii Catholic Herald, news outlet of the Honolulu Diocese. “At the hotel, the rooms were destroyed. … The new cultural center for Naalehu, that was destroyed. They just built it.”

Roads and bridges were washed away, with Highway 11 severely damaged; immediately after the storm rolled through, the area was completely inaccessible.

Homes flooded, families were displaced, and residents faced shortages of potable water and electricity. They could not bathe or use their toilets, despite the heat and high humidity.

Downed trees blocked the 12-mile road between the two parishes, creating a physical barrier for the peripatetic priest. Father Tulua had to rely on assistance from Michelle Andrade, Holy Rosary’s parish secretary, to organize the effort and maintain the Pahala church.

Rescue of residents begins immediately

EPIC Ministry member Tyler Johansen and his family, residents of Naalehu, began to rescue residents immediately. They used their farm tractors and bulldozers to begin the cleanup effort.

“The driveways were full of (about eight inches of) mud,” Father Tulua said. “The Johansens brought their skid loader, and they cleaned out the driveway. Otherwise, I would have been stuck.”

As soon as the Johansens freed Father Tulua’s car, the priest began assisting parishioners with rides.

“We are incredibly grateful to Tyler, his family and all those in Kau who did not wait for outside help but immediately began taking care of their neighbors,” said Dallas Carter, president of EPIC Ministry, in an email to the lay organization’s members.

After passing Hawaii island, Lala was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved beneath the island chain, according to AccuWeather.

Heavy winds and rain pummeled Maui, Oahu and Kauai through early Aug. 17.

During the storm, more than 25% of utility customers lost power statewide, with 65% losing power on Hawaii Island alone. Many people were left without power and internet access for most of the weekend; days after Lala’s worst impact, tens of thousands were still without power.

On Aug. 26, President Donald Trump signed a disaster declaration for Hawaii County — which covers Hawaii Island — making it eligible for federal assistance for storm recovery.

While Hawaii Island bore the brunt of Lala’s fury Aug. 15, on Oahu, members of the three groups pooled their resources. They managed to raise $17,000 within 48 hours.

“They’re going to see about getting these things done,” Father Tulua told the Hawaii Catholic Herald of his friends on Oahu.

For Anthony Selvanathan, a member of the Order of St. Lazarus, the disaster in the Kau district was deeply personal.

Priest’s deep commitment to people he serves

“Father William isn’t simply a priest serving an affected area. He is a friend and someone whose ministry I have supported and worked alongside,” Selvanathan said. “Through the Order of St. Lazarus and our shared life in the Church in Hawaii, I have come to know his deep commitment to the people he serves in Kau. His parishioners aren’t statistics on a damage report to him — they are people he knows, loves and serves.”

This is not the first time that members of these three fraternal and lay organizations came together to provide assistance during a disaster.

A truck is seen on damaged Kaalaiki Road in Naalehu, Hawaii, Aug. 20, 2026. The road, which passes Naalehu Cemetery and Punalu‘u Bakery, was badly flooded after Hurricane Lala barreled across the Hawaiian Islands Aug. 15-16. The cemetery and bakery on Hawaii Island were both heavily damaged. (OSV News photo/Lisa Dahm, Hawaii Catholic Herald)

The groups coordinated to gather much-needed immediate resources for survivors of the deadly Maui wildfires in 2023. They also provided help and resources in Waialua this past spring after back-to-back Kona low storms devastated the rural Oahu town — bringing generators, water, propane and satellite networks while providing physical cleanup and other assistance wherever they could.

To assist during Hurricane Lala, Brock from the Order of St. Lazarus and John Fielding, Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus Council 5000, flew to Hawaii island Aug. 18 to gather up and transport five containers of supplies that included potable water, gas, propane and propane burners for cooking, flashlights, generators and Starlink internet connectivity.

Starlink, satellite phone for emergency communication

Brock drove to Holy Rosary Church in Pahala to drop off the supplies and set up the Starlink internet connection. He also brought a satellite phone for Father Tulua to use as emergency communication.

“We want to make sure that he always has a lifeline out,” Brock said in a phone interview with the Herald before his flight.

Brock also conducted a needs assessment to see how the groups could continue service until power is restored to the area and the community recovers.

“We, as a people of God, will show the witness to the people in this community,” Father Tulua said. “We have been blessed. We’re still hurting, but it’s going to be OK. I think this is going to be a long journey in repair and healing.”

While Hawaii Island saw the majority of Lala’s force, other islands also were significantly affected. In addition to widespread power outages, the relentless wind and rain wreaked havoc on communities on Maui, Oahu and Kauai.

Tree falls through convent’s roof

At St. Joseph Parish in Makawao, Maui, a tree fell through the roof of the two-story convent there, according to a Hawaii News Now report.

Mass attendance was sparse across the diocese as wind, rain and loss of power kept parishioners away. (As Lala bore down on Hawaii, Honolulu Bishop Michael T.T. Castori granted a dispensation Aug. 13 for parishioners who would not be able to attend Mass due to the storm.)

At Sacred Heart Church in Honolulu, Father Ese’ese “Ace” Tui said that the early morning Mass on Aug. 16 was canceled due to heavy rain.

Father Tui, who is pastor of Sacred Heart, said conditions then improved, allowing the subsequent Sunday Masses to be celebrated.

“One surprising thing during the storm was the power situation,” he added. “With all the outages in our area, the only building on our campus that did not lose power was the church. The hall attached to the church lost power, as did the rectory and the school buildings, but the church itself had power throughout the entire storm.

‘A different kind of backup power!’

“One parishioner asked me, ‘Father, why does the church still have power? Do we have a generator?’ I jokingly responded, ‘Yes,’ and pointed to the tabernacle. Apparently, we have a different kind of backup power!” Father Tui said.

EPIC Ministry’s Carter, who works at St. Louis School in Kaimuki, said one storm event that hit particularly close to home for him was when a large portion of a student’s family’s roof in Kalihi Valley was torn off by the wind.

“Seeing a disaster on the news is one thing; knowing personally one of the children who went through it is another,” Carter said in an email to the Herald.

EPIC Ministry assisted the family, as well as that of another student whose home sustained damage, with a monetary donation for food and necessities.

“There are undoubtedly many more families across Oahu with similar stories that we simply have not heard yet,” Carter said.

EPIC Ministry has started a donation site for relief efforts at relief.raiselysite.com.

Lisa Dahm is a reporter at the Hawaii Catholic Herald, news outlet of the Diocese of Honolulu. This story was originally published by the Hawaii Catholic Herald and distributed through a partnership with OSV News.

The Diocese of Knoxville remembers Dolly Parton

 

East Tennessee diocese mourns Dolly Parton as ‘one of our own’

written by Gina Christian 

August 26, 2026

American country music star Dolly Parton performs on the Pyramid Stage at Worthy Farm in Somerset, England, during the Glastonbury Festival June 29, 2014. The iconic singer-songwriter-actress, whose glittering country music stardom was matched by her pop fame and popular parallel careers in film and TV, died Aug. 25, 2026, at age 80, after a brief battle with cancer. (OSV News photo/Cathal McNaughton, Reuters)

(OSV News) — The Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee, is remembering the late Dolly Parton — whose career as a singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman and philanthropist spanned decades — as “one of our own.”

Bishop Mark Beckman said he was “very sorry to hear of her passing” and “praying for those who are mourning her loss.”

“She made a wonderful contribution to our world and our community, and she will be greatly missed,” said Bishop Beckman.

Country music star Dolly Parton performs during the 37th annual Country Music Association Awards show at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn., Nov. 5, 2003. (OSV News photo/Tami Chappell, Reuters)

The 80-year-old Parton, whose many honors included 10 competitive Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a National Medal of the Arts, died Aug. 25 at Nashville’s Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, following what her representatives described as a “brief battle with cancer.”

Her late husband of 58 years, Carl Thomas Dean — whom she met at a laundromat in 1964 on her first day in Nashville — died in 2025 at the age of 82.

Born in 1946 in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, Parton — the fourth of 12 children — was “a daughter of Sevier County,” said the Diocese of Knoxville in an Aug. 26 statement. 

Parton spoke candidly about the poverty she and her family had experienced, as well as the faith and the musical gifts they shared in the heart of Appalachia.

Dolly Parton ‘never hid her faith’

As a child, she sang in both church and on television, even debuting at the Grand Ole Opry — the self-described “mother church of country music” — in 1959 when she was just 13.

“Dolly was born and raised in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains,” said the Diocese of Knoxville in its statement. “She first sang in a small Pentecostal church, long before the world knew her name. She never hid her faith. It showed up in the hymns she recorded across six decades, in how openly she talked about God.”

Parton’s choir-backed cover of Don Francisco’s song “He’s Alive” — which recounts the Resurrection from Peter’s perspective — galvanized fans at the 1989 Country Music Awards, with Parton often performing and posting the song on social media over the years.

As she ascended in the entertainment industry — finding success in the fields of country and pop music, developing a career in film, launching multiple business enterprises and supporting numerous charitable efforts — Parton’s impact spread.

“Her life carried the spirit of our mountain home far beyond the Smokies,” said the Diocese of Knoxville in its statement.

Dolly Parton ‘shaped by these hills and these churches’

In particular, the diocese noted Parton’s Imagination Library, which began in 1995 as an effort to provide books to children in Sevier County and now delivers free books to kids throughout the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. As of 2025, the library had distributed close to 305 million books in total.

Parton had launched the effort in honor of her father, a sharecropper who had never learned how to read or write.

“East Tennessee knew Dolly Parton as more than a world-famous star,” said the diocese. “We knew her as one of our own. She was shaped by these hills and these churches. Her life shows what can grow from faith, perseverance, imagination, and love for one’s neighbors — even from humble beginnings.”

Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.