Dolly Parton was remembered for her deep Christian faith, charity and devotion to her community by the Diocese of Knoxville following her death on August 25 at the age of 80. Her death has been confirmed by her family and publicist.
“The Diocese of Knoxville joins the people of East Tennessee and countless admirers around the world in mourning the passing of Dolly Parton on Aug. 25. She was a daughter of Sevier County, and her life carried the spirit of our mountain home far beyond the Smokies,” said a statement from the Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee.
Parton, said the diocese, “was born and raised in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains”, and began her singing career in a small Pentecostal church. Even when reaching worldwide stardom, “she never hid her faith”.
“It showed up in the hymns she recorded across six decades, in how openly she talked about God, and in the millions of free books her Imagination Library has placed in children’s hands,” said the diocese.
Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in a one-room cabin. She was the fourth of 12 children, and her grandfather was a Pentecostal pastor. As a young teenager, she recorded her first single and later moved to Nashville to pursue a career in country music.
In 1995, through the Dollywood Foundation, Parton founded the “Imagination Library”, a programme that, with community partners, provides free books to children from birth until age five, regardless of family income. Parton was inspired to create the programme by her father’s inability to read or write.
The Imagination Library initially was limited to Parton’s home county of Sevier County, Tennessee, but quickly grew beyond that boundary and is now present throughout the United States. It later expanded to Canada in 2006, the United Kingdom in 2007, Australia in 2013 and the Republic of Ireland in 2019.
While Parton was not Catholic, “as Catholics, we entrust her to the mercy of Almighty God. We pray that Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life, will receive her into His eternal kingdom. We also pray for her family, friends, colleagues, and all who grieve her loss. May the Holy Spirit bring them consolation in this time of sorrow,” said the statement.
But for the people of East Tennessee, where the Diocese of Knoxville is located, Parton was “more than a world-famous star”.
“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 neighbours – even from humble beginnings,” said the diocese.
“May God grant her eternal rest. May perpetual light shine upon her. And may all who mourn find comfort in the words of Christ, ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.’”
