Source: Smokey Mountain News
http://www.smokymountainnews.com/issues/08_04/08_04_04/fr_wicca.html
On August 4, 2004 Smokey Mountain News reported, "Lammas ritual leader, Chris, adopted her Gardenarian Wiccan faith after renouncing her Catholic faith. She made the decision after being told that she was forbidden to become a priest (women are not allowed to serve as Catholic priests) and later, publicly chided for arriving late to Mass. She first read about Wicca in a book by Sybil Leek, then found a group where she was living in Manhattan with which to study and practice. At first, Chris chose not to tell her son, who is agnostic, about her change of faith. But upon moving to Waynesville a few years ago, Chris said she received a 'rude awakening' to the depths of the great Southern Bible belt and its bent toward Christianity and not much else. 'Now I’m just tired of lurking in the shadows,' she said. Drawing strength from the Appalachian mountain mysticism and what she found to be a strong new age presence, she put aside any fears of being ostracized and instead made it a personal goal to educate those willing to listen. 'I don’t talk to them about it until they ask,' said a Sylva store owner who wished not to be identified. 'It’s just a matter of not throwing it in people’s faces.'"