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Bishop
Martino Makes Episcopal Visits To Scranton
Regions
Bishop Joseph F. Martino continued his
Episcopal Visitations with recent visits to
parishes and schools in the South and
Central regions of the City of Scranton.
The Bishop celebrated Mass in honor of Our Lady of
Guadalupe at Nativity Church on Sunday, Dec.
11. Later that evening, he greeted the
congregation at St. Francis of Assisi Church
and led Rosary devotions.
On Monday, Dec. 12, he visited faculties and
students at St. Paul and St. Clare
Elementary schools. He then celebrated the
12:10 liturgy at Immaculate Conception
Church. Afterward, he met with the clergy of
the two regions at a luncheon at Sacred
Hearts of Jesus and Mary Rectory.
At 6 p.m. that evening, Bishop Martino conducted
Evening Prayer in honor of Mary, (Our Lady
of Guadalupe), at St. Joseph Church in the
Minooka section. Dinner followed in the
Parish Center.
Bishop Martino continued his visitation on
Tuesday, Dec. 13, at Marian Catholic
Interparochial School and then celebrated
noon Mass at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and
Mary. Evening Prayer and dinner with members
of local parishes were held at Holy Family
Church.
On Wednesday, Dec. 14, Bishop Martino visited the
faculty and students at Bishop Hannan High
School.
During his homilies at the Evening Prayer
services, Bishop Martino referred to the
Mission Statement of the Diocese of Scranton
taken from a section of the Acts of the
Apostles: “They devoted themselves to the
teaching of the apostles and to the communal
life, to the breaking of the bread and to
the prayers…And every day the Lord added
to their number those who were being
saved.” (Acts 2:42-47)
The Bishop emphasized that we must be imitators of
the early followers of Jesus. “The 21st
century offers the Church of Scranton an
enormous challenge,” he said, “and so,
we need to restore this sense of missionary
spirit wherever we are through our fervent
prayer, through Eucharist, and through love
for God and one another.”
As an example for us to follow, the Bishop made
mention of the saints, especially Juan
Diego, to whom Our Lady of Guadalupe
appeared. It was during these visits that
the Church celebrated the Feast of Our Lady
of Guadalupe.
After the evening dinner in each region, Bishop
Martino’s reflection focused on the “new
evangelization,” a term referring to the
spread of the Gospel, and introduced by the
late Pope John Paul II in anticipation of
the new millennium.
“As Christians, transformed by the Risen Christ,
we follow the example of saintly men and
women who for 2,000 years proclaimed the
message of the Good News,” said the
Bishop.
He stressed that each person, called to holiness
through his or her particular vocation, is
challenged to preserve the image of the
Church. “For evangelization to enfold,
given the circumstances of the 21st
century, we must have the courage and ardor
to proclaim it; we must have the methods to
express it,” he continued.
One specific way for the “new evangelization”
to occur is within each parish, the basic
cell of the Diocese. Bishop Martino
addressed the importance of forming parish
pastoral councils that would address the
strengths and weaknesses of parishes based
on several levels: spiritual, human,
academic, and pastoral outreach.
In conclusion, Bishop Martino challenged the group
with a final question: What is the Church
calling me to do as part of the Diocese of
Scranton? The Bishop then invited them to
“come with me as we begin the work of
‘new evangelization,’ together in this
Diocese with one mind and with one
spirit.”
Bishop Martino will continue his visits to the
remaining regions of the City of Scranton in
the future.
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