The Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee, issued a statement on the passing of country music singer-songwriter Dolly Parton (1946-2026).
“She first sang in a small Pentecostal church, long before the world knew her name,” the diocese said in its statement. “She never hid her faith. It showed up in the hymns she recorded across six decades, in how openly she talked about God.”
“As Catholics, we entrust her to the mercy of Almighty God,” the statement continued. “We pray that Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life, will receive her into His eternal kingdom … May God grant her eternal rest. May perpetual light shine upon her.”