episcopal residence. Due to the alleged assault, diocesan officials appointed an investigator, who was dismissed by Stika seemingly for contacting diocesan and seminary officials with questions. The replacement investigator Stika appointed interviewed only Sobczuk before closing his investigation. In July 2022, the diocese successfully sought to de-anonymize the victim in court proceedings, going against prior diocesan policy to respect victim privacy. It also attempted to place internal church documents under clergy-penitent privilege and the pontifical secret, going against prior instructions by the Holy See. In April 2022, Fr. Anthony D. Punnackal, a priest of the Congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) serving in the Diocese, was accused of 'one count of sexual battery and one count of sexual battery by an authority figure' during a grief counseling session. COVID-19 response Public Masses were suspended on March 20, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 6, 2020, Bishop Stika issued a decree for the resumption of public Masses with protocols to reduce spread of the virus, including directives which prohibit the reception of Holy Communion on the tongue. Coat of Arms Bishops Bishops of Knoxville The following is a list of bishops along with their dates of service: Anthony Joseph O'Connell (1988–1998), appointed Bishop of Palm Beach Joseph Edward Kurtz (1999–2007), appointed Archbishop of Louisville Richard Stika (2009–present) Other priest of this diocese who became bishop James Vann Johnston Jr. appointed Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau and later Bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph Education High schools Knoxville Catholic High School (web page) Notre Dame High School (Chattanooga) (web page) See also Catholic Church by country Catholic Church hierarchy List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States References External links The East Tennessee Catholic Online Archdiocese of Louisville Christian organizations established in 1988 Christianity in Tennessee Catholic Church in Tennessee Knoxville Knoxville Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Louisville 1988 establishments in Tennessee Organizations based in Knoxville, Tennessee