MISSION STATEMENT
We the Catholic faithful of the Diocese of Scranton,
in union with our Holy Father, the Pope, are called
through baptism to share in the mission which Jesus
Christ has entrusted to the One, Holy, Catholic and
Apostolic Church. Priests, deacons, religious and laity,
under the leadership of our Bishop, cooperate to
proclaim the Gospel in accordance with the teaching of
the Church, to celebrate the sacraments, especially the
Eucharist, for the salvation of all, and to witness by
grace to the Kingdom of God so as to promote a culture
of life, justice and peace.
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to News Briefing |
This Issue:
|
| The
Silence of St. Joseph |
| Bishop
Martino Makes Episcopal Visits in Scranton |
| The
‘Gift’ of Pornography? |
| Couples
Invited To Wedding Anniversary Celebration |
The Silence of St. Joseph |
“In the days
prior to Christmas, it is more important than
ever to establish a kind of spiritual dialogue
with St. Joseph, because he helps us to
experience fully this great mystery of the
faith,” said Pope Benedict XVI to pilgrims
gathered in St. Peter’s Square last Sunday.
As reported by
Vatican Information Service, the Pope recalled
how the evangelist Matthew presents the saint as
the model “of the ‘just’ man who, in
perfect harmony with his wife, welcomes the Son
of God-made-man, and watches over His human
development.”
Pope John Paul II
was greatly devoted to St. Joseph, said the Holy
Father, and left us a meditation dedicated to
him in the Apostolic Exhortation Redemptoris
Custos (Guardian of the Redeemer), in which
the late Pope “particularly stressed the
silence of St. Joseph; a silence permeated by
contemplation of the mystery of God, in an
attitude of complete openness to the divine
will. In other words, St. Joseph’s silence was
not an expression of interior emptiness, but on
the contrary, of the fullness of faith that he
carried in his heart, and that guided his every
thought and deed. A silence through which
Joseph, together with Mary, safeguarded the Word
of God ... and continually compared it with the
events of Jesus’ life; a silence interwoven
with constant prayer ... and with unreserved
trust in Divine providence. It is no
exaggeration to say that from His ‘father’
Joseph, Jesus learnt – at a human level –
the vigorous interior life that is a premise of
true justice, the ‘superior justice’ that
one day He would teach His disciples.”
Pope Benedict XVI
concluded: “Let us allow ourselves to be
‘infected’ by St. Joseph’s silence! We
need it greatly, in a world that is often too
noisy, that does not favor meditation or
listening to the voice of God. During this
period of preparation for Christmas, let us
cultivate interior meditation, in order to
welcome and safeguard Jesus in our lives.” |
Bishop Martino Makes Episcopal Visits in
Scranton |
Bishop Joseph F.
Martino continued his Episcopal Visitations with
visits last week 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 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 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 Dec. 14, Bishop Martino visited the
faculty and students at Bishop Hannan High
School.
Bishop Martino
will continue his visits to the remaining
regions of the City of Scranton in the future.
For more coverage
of his most recent visitations, see the Dec. 29
issue of The Catholic Light. |
The ‘Gift’ of Pornography? |
The United
States Conference of Bishops has alerted us to a
concern regarding Christmas purchases for
children of certain electronic devices such as
video cell phones, iPods and PDAs. Currently,
there are no filtering or monitoring systems to
prevent children from downloading pornography
through these handheld wireless devices.
Children and teens
may access pornographic material with total
anonymity and without adults having any
knowledge. Inappropriate material can also be
accessed through satellite radio. In addition,
many video games contain violent and/or sexual
images.
Parents,
grandparents and others making decisions about
gifts for children this Christmas, and at other
times, should be aware of this danger. |
Couples Invited To Wedding Anniversary
Celebration |
Couples
celebrating their 25th and 50th year of marriage
are invited to participate in the Diocese of
Scranton’s Wedding Anniversary Celebration
scheduled for May 21, 2006.
Eligible couples
should give their name and a February mailing
address to their pastor by Jan. 10.
Bishop Joseph F.
Martino will celebrate Mass at 2:30 p.m. in St.
Peter Cathedral, where couples will renew their
wedding vows. After Mass the Diocese will host a
reception for the couples at Bishop Hannan High
School. This special celebration is being
organized by the Family Life department of the
Office for Parish Life.
Parishes are asked
to forward all eligible names by Jan. 20 to the
Office for Parish Life. |
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