Dear Friends in Christ,
Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus who comes to give us hope!
As we begin a new Church year on this First Sunday of Advent, I am filled with gratitude for the support and care that you have shown to me during the short time that I have been blessed to serve as your Bishop. For fifty-four years, the Diocese of Scranton has been my home – a safe harbor filled with family and friends who nurtured my faith and strengthened my relationship with God – a community that welcomed me as a priest twenty seven years ago, supported me as Pastor, and then embraced me as a Bishop. Throughout this time, your deep faith and generous spirits have given me a great deal of hope. I know that we will continue to accomplish great things together as we open our lives to the power and presence of God in our midst.
Since my ordination and installation as Bishop, I have reflected a great deal on who we are as the Church of Scranton and who we might become in the months and years ahead. The purpose of this letter is to share my thoughts for your reflection and for your response as together we begin the task of formulating a vision for the Diocese of Scranton.
MOVING TOWARD A VISION FOR THE FUTURE
On the evening preceding my Episcopal ordination and installation, the opportunity to share with you a vision for our future first emerged. During my remarks, we reflected on the cherished Christian image of the shepherd and the sheep with these words, “God’s flock is in your midst. Hold it together. Keep it together. Nurture it. Give it a shepherd’s care.”
I also reminded all that while the celebration of my installation would end, the words of the Ordination Rite would echo in my heart forever, “With the charity of a father and brother, love all whom God places in your care, especially the priests and deacons, your co-workers in the ministry of Christ, but also the poor and the weak, immigrants and strangers. Exhort the faithful to work with you and do not refuse to listen to them willingly. Never relax your concern for those not gathered into the fold of Christ; they too are entrusted to you in the Lord. Keep watch over the whole flock, in which the Holy Spirit appoints you to govern the Church of God.”
On that day, I publicly accepted this responsibility as your Bishop and commented further that the same responsibility to serve and to love rests upon me and you as Christians.
These are challenging times – for our families, our communities, our country, our church and our hurting world. At times like this I am reminded of the Scripture passage from Proverbs (29:18) that “without a vision the people will perish.”
Since I became the Bishop of Scranton, I have been visiting parish communities throughout the eleven counties of our Diocese. I have been with many of you during joy-filled times and sorrowful moments. I have engaged in conversations with my brother priests, our deacons, women and men religious and lay faithful. I continue to be amazed by the depth of your faith, particularly as you have responded positively to the “signs of the times” and walked together during the difficult days of closing parishes and building new faith communities.
In every conversation, a common theme has emerged: the need for a vision of who we are as God’s people and who we wish to become. Common concerns have been raised regarding parish restructurings, the future of our Catholic Schools, and the financial hardships being faced by many of our parish communities. Common hopes have also been shared, in which many of you expressed a desire to grow in faith and to be supported as you seek a deeper relationship with God and one another.
With regard to the common concerns raised …
Restructuring our parish communities has taken a lot of energy. As parishes were linked or consolidated or where new partnerships were formed, so many of you, our priests, deacons and parishioners faced loss and uncertainty. Yet, despite the grief that emerged because of what was lost, with courage you have begun to build anew – just like your grandparents and great-grandparents did – with hopes and dreams for the future. While many of you understandably feel drained from the work, many of you are also invigorated to build anew.
Providing for the future of our Catholic Schools has also been a challenge as we strive to achieve a viable, sustainable and stable Catholic School System that is spiritually sound and academically excellent. We already acknowledged that economic challenges impact our families and our parishes in many ways, including our ability to fulfill our commitment to educate students and their families in the Catholic faith. Notwithstanding, we remain diligent in our pursuit to educate our children, teenagers and young adults in the faith and to build strong communities of faith in our parishes and in our Catholic schools, colleges and universities.
Reviewing our Diocesan organizational structure and the operations of our central administrative offices began in earnest this past August in order to allow us the opportunity to examine how our central Chancery offices interact with other Diocesan entities, such as our parishes and schools. This review was authorized with the intent to establish a solid organizational structure that supports the work being performed at every level of Diocesan operations. In announcing the review, I reflected on the fact that although I have long appreciated the work performed by Diocesan staff, every organization can uncover ways to improve and to maximize its ability to serve.
With regard to the common hopes shared …
My prayer-filled hope is that we in the Diocese of Scranton move into the future embracing opportunities to evolve, to grow and to flourish. In order to achieve this end, numerous priests and parishioners have asked me for my vision of the Diocese and my vision for parish life.
While I understand that many look to me to articulate a vision for our future, such a vision will best emerge not from me alone but from the entire People of God who are open to the Spirit and willing to collaborate for the sake of the mission of the Church and the proclamation of the Gospel. Thus, it is my sincere hope that our vision for the years ahead in the Diocese of Scranton will emerge through continued conversation with priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful. Rather than suggest new programs to implement, I suggest that we move together in the direction of constant growth and renewal, step-by-step, little by little. And so I offer elements of a vision for your reflection and response.
I envision …
- Every member of the Diocese of Scranton working together to become a beacon of hope as we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and seek to build strong faith based communities.
- Our worshipping together to celebrate the Eucharist and the other Sacraments with joy in our hearts, faithful to our Catholic tradition and adjusting to the changes in the new edition of the Roman Missal.
- Our responding passionately and compassionately in service to the hurting and struggling members of our community and our world, especially to the cries of those living in poverty or those on the margins of society.
- Our continued support of clergy, deacons, religious and laity in their ministries as well as our praying for and welcoming new vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, religious life and lay ministry.
- Our parishes focusing less on structural changes and more on profound spiritual and community renewal, honoring the principle of stability and giving our new network of parishes the time needed to deepen their commitment to living out the mission of the Church and to build a greater sense of unity among the diverse members of our Diocese.
- Our shifting the task of pastoral planning from present parish Implementation Teams to Parish Pastoral Councils in a slow but deliberate fashion.
- Our Diocese offering religious education to our children, teenagers and adults through parish and diocesan programs and through a sustainable and stable Catholic school system encompassing elementary, middle and high schools as well as in our Catholic colleges and universities.
CHALLENGES
Already recognizing the challenging times in which we live – and despite the economic, social and cultural difficulties we face, including high unemployment, divisions among people that separate us from one another and a society often focused on consumerism and individualism – as the Church, we must focus our energies instead on the Gospel message of love and on the call from Catholic Social Teaching for the dignity of each human person and action for the common good.
Given our present realities, highlighted are four challenges that I believe we must address in order to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ more faithfully.
- We need to embrace one another as brothers and sisters in the one body of Christ in ways that recognize that we all share a common faith and a commitment to be followers of the risen Jesus, which is far more important than the things that may divide us.
- We must take more seriously than ever our co-responsibility for the mission of the Church, including being faithful stewards of God’s gifts of human, financial and temporal resources, through the sharing of our time, talent and treasure and through our concern for the sustainability of our world. As members of both parish communities and a Diocesan Church, we must acknowledge our material limitations while encouraging one another to use well and wisely the gifts that all have been given for the building up of the Church and the advancement of its mission.
- We must recognize the call given to us to re-commit ourselves as members of our parish faith communities and to embrace opportunities for personal and communal spiritual renewal. More than anything else, we must see our response to this challenge as contributing to the transformation of our lives together as Church.
- We need to be a sign of hope to our world and to construct bridges to the larger community, including other ecclesial and faith communities and all people of good will, by our living Gospel values, building a more just society and truly creating a better world.
ACTION COMMITMENTS
The Gospel calls all Catholics to move faithfully from words to action. In this time of major transition in the Diocese of Scranton, I recognize from studying the Call to Holiness and Mission Annual Reports prepared by your parishes that many of you are doing fine work to implement the directives beyond simply “restructuring” parish facilities. I ask that you continue to focus on aspects of your work that will bring about profound parish renewal on behalf of our local Church.
In a spirit of mutual accountability I offer you a few of my own action commitments. I commit …
- To listen carefully to you when we are working together through struggles and challenges that undoubtedly will arise.
- To affirm on a regular basis all the good news I experience throughout the Diocese.
- To help us in every way I can to deepen our shared faith and to nourish our spiritual lives.
- To equip diocesan offices and structures to serve the growing needs of parishes as we seek to realize the mission of evangelization more fully in word, worship, community, and service.
- To help us heal from our many hurts and past losses.
- To support our common efforts to realize our hopes and dreams for the future.
- To be open to opportunities that the Church provides for parish leadership in the face of changing circumstances and to utilize our personnel resources in ways that are most appropriate.
CLOSING REFLECTIONS
As we begin our Advent journey to Christmas, the Spirit of God is at work within our Diocese. This great season of expectation and hope reminds us of who we are and all that we are called to be. It reminds us of our calling to create an environment in which all life is cherished and treasured – including your life and mine – because all life is created in the image and likeness of God and thus has value, dignity and purpose. It reminds us of our calling to teach the Good News of Jesus Christ and to encourage and support all people, especially our youth, as they seek to embrace and live the Truth. And it reminds us of our calling to build communities of faith in and through which the Lord is present. I am humbled and excited to make this journey with you.
I began this rather long but important missive by reminding you of the promise I made on the day of my ordination pledging to listen to your wisdom and inviting you to work with me as together we carve a path for our future. Now I need your help as I ask you to set aside some time as individuals or as members of parish organizations, councils or commissions, as ordained or lay Catholics, to respond to the reflection questions below. I especially hope that you will reflect upon these questions with your Parish Pastoral Councils as you plan for the future of your individual parishes as well as our Diocese. I promise to study and pray about your reflections which will ultimately contribute to the vision of the Diocese of Scranton that we will create together. I hope to be able to share that vision with you near the time of my first anniversary as Bishop in late April 2011.
I pray daily for each and every one of you. I pray especially that you will always feel at home in the Church of Scranton and that you come to recognize the presence of Christ within you and within the lives of all you hold dear. That is our greatest treasure and cause for joy.
I am so blessed to be able to share with you this defining moment as we plan for our future. I thank you for everything that you do for me, the Diocese of Scranton and for your parish family. Thank you as well for enduring the rough water of transformation and for making great sacrifices along the way. Your efforts do not go unnoticed.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, J.C.L., D.D.
Bishop of Scranton
QUESTIONS FOR RESPONSE
What do you appreciate most about being a member of the Diocese of Scranton?
What is your greatest hope or dream for your parish community, our diocesan schools and the Diocese of Scranton?
What will help you most in your own spiritual renewal as a faithful Catholic and as a member of a parish community?
How can we support each other in taking the next steps? What unique contribution can we each make?
What seed planted today would make the greatest difference in the future of our parish communities? In the future of our communities beyond the parish? In our world?
Meeting the challenge for profound spiritual renewal in our Diocese calls for some very practical considerations. What are they for you and your parish community?
EVERY MEMBER OF THE FAITHFUL IS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN ARTICULATING A VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF THE DIOCESE. PLEASE SEND YOUR RESPONSES AS INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS BY FEBRUARY 28, 2011 to:
VISIONING for the Diocese of Scranton
300 Wyoming Avenue
Scranton, PA 18503
OR COMPLETE THE SURVEY AT:
