Stika is 'pillar' of community, state Senate spox says

“Bishop Stika has been a pillar of the Knoxville community and a respected Catholic priest for many years.”

Bishop Rick Stika faced local pushback this week after he delivered a prayer at the opening session of Tennessee’s state Senate on Tuesday.

But a spokesman for the state’s lieutenant governor defended Stika’s invitation to pray at the Nashville state house, emphasizing that the embattled bishop deserves the benefit of the doubt.

“Bishop Stika has been a p…