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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This Issue:
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Christmas: Opportunity To Reflect on Meaning of
Existence |
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Faithful Asked to Pray for Pastoral Planning
Success |
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Fight FOCA Postcard Campaign |
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Audit Confirms Diocese in Compliance With
Charter To Protect Children |
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March for Life Set for Jan. 22 |
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Pastoral Formation Institute Offers Religion
Courses |
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Mark Your Calendar |
Christmas: Opportunity To Reflect on Meaning of
Existence |
Benedict XVI dedicated the last general
audience of 2008, celebrated in the Paul VI
audience hall, to Christmas, “a universal
festivity.”
“Even non-believers,” he said, “perceive
something extraordinary and transcendental,
something intimate that touches our hearts in
this yearly Christian event. It is the festivity
that sings of the gift of life. The birth of a
child should always be a joyful occurrence.”
“Christmas is the encounter with a new-born
baby, wailing in a wretched grotto,” the Holy
Father added. “Contemplating Him in this crèche
how can we not think of all the children who
still today, in many regions of the world, are
born amidst such poverty? How can we not think
of those newborns who have been rejected, not
welcomed, those who do not survive because of a
lack of care and attention? How can we not think
of the families who desire the joy of a child
and do not have this hope fulfilled?”
Stripped of its materialist and consumerist
trappings, said the pope, Christmas can become
the opportunity to welcome, as a personal gift,
“the message of hope that emanates from the
mystery of Christ’s birth.”
“Christmas,” Benedict concluded, “is the
privileged opportunity to contemplate the
meaning and value of our existence. The nearness
of this solemnity helps us to reflect, on the
one hand, on the dramatic nature of a history in
which human beings, wounded by sin, are
perennially seeking happiness and a reason for
living and dying; on the other hand, it exhorts
us to contemplate the merciful goodness of God,
who has come to meet humanity that He might
communicate the saving Truth to us directly and
make us to participate in His friendship and His
life.” |
Faithful Asked to Pray for Pastoral Planning
Success |
Bishop Martino has asked that Sunday,
Jan. 4, 2009, the Solemnity of Epiphany, be
designated as a Day of Prayer for Called to
Holiness and Mission: Pastoral Planning in the
Diocese of Scranton.
This project, which began last January,
will foster the spiritual and pastoral renewal
of the Catholic Church in Central and
Northeastern Pennsylvania. After a year of
assessment, evaluation and broad consultation in
every parish, the final recommendations for the
future configuration of the parishes have been
presented to Bishop Martino.
The Bishop will discuss the recommendations
with the appropriate consultative bodies, e.g.
Council of Priests, and engage in a period of
prayer and reflection before announcing the
final decisions at the end of January.
Implementation will begin in July.
Concurrent with this process, all
parishioners are asked to pray for the success
of Called to Holiness and Mission, especially at
communal prayer services in their parishes on
Jan. 4.
While each pastor will decide how the
communal prayer will be offered in his parish,
the Diocesan Office for Worship has made
available to parishes several booklets as
samples to be used for this day of prayer.
These booklets are offered as suggestions
for communal prayer on Jan. 4. Pastors are free
to adopt them or they are free to design their
own prayer service for Called to Holiness and
Mission on that day. |
Fight FOCA Postcard Campaign |
Dioceses across the nation are
mobilizing for a campaign against a potential
federal law that would wipe out virtually all
restrictions on abortion.
This grave and unprecedented threat to
human life is the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA),
a sweeping anti-life bill that creates a
“fundamental right” to abortion throughout nine
months of pregnancy. FOCA would:
• Eliminate regulations that protect women from
unsafe clinics and unscrupulous abortionists
• Force American taxpayers to fund abortions
• Force every state to allow partial-birth
abortions
• Eliminate conscience rights of physicians,
nurses and hospitals that oppose abortion on
religious, moral or ethical grounds
• Eradicate parents’ rights and responsibilities
to be involved in their minor daughter’s
abortion decision
If FOCA becomes law, abortion will become
an entitlement the government must fund and
promote. There are approximately 3,700 abortions
in the United States each day. The number of
abortions now stands at 48.5 million since
abortion was made legal in 1973. Under FOCA,
these numbers will certainly increase.
FOCA was first introduced in 1993 but never
came up for debate or a vote in the U.S. House
or Senate. Pro-life advocates credit a
nationwide postcard campaign with helping to
keep the bill from advancing.
In response to this unparalleled threat to
human life, another national postcard campaign
will be launched in January. This endeavor of
the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will
send a message to Congress that the radical
policies of FOCA are contradictory to Church
teaching on the sanctity of life and must not
become part of our nation’s laws.
The Diocese of Scranton will participate in
the “Fight FOCA Postcard Campaign” on the
weekend of Jan. 24-25. Mass attendees will be
asked to sign postcards. The postcards will be
collected and sent on parishioners’ behalf to
the members of Congress who represent districts
in the Diocese.
To open the campaign, priests have been
asked to read a letter from Bishop Martino at
all Masses this weekend (Dec. 20-21). During the
weeks of January, information about FOCA will be
included in parish bulletins. |
Audit Confirms Diocese in Compliance With
Charter To Protect Children |
The Diocese of Scranton has again been
found to be in compliance with the Charter for
the Protection of Children and Young People,
enacted in 2002 by the United States bishops to
address the issue of sexual abuse of minors by
clergy.
The compliance was confirmed following a
visit to the Diocese by representatives of The
Gavin Group, Inc., which has been commissioned
by the National Review Board to conduct yearly
audits of all dioceses to ensure they are
adhering to the provisions of the Charter. The
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops formed the
National Review Board to oversee the
implementation of the Charter.
Each of the annual audits has confirmed the
Diocese of Scranton’s compliance with the
Charter.
The Catholic Church’s efforts to eradicate
sexual abuse, a problem that plagues all of
society, are having a major positive impact. In
2007, there were 12 credible instances of minors
being abused by clerics in the United States.
None of these occurred in the Diocese of
Scranton.
Diocesan policy requires reporting of all
allegations of sexual abuse of a minor to civil
authorities, no matter the current age of the
victim; and the Diocese has a clear policy that
addresses the process of dealing with
complaints, including a prompt preliminary
investigation and placing the accused priest on
administrative leave. The Diocese requires that,
when sexual abuse is admitted or established,
the offending priest is permanently removed from
ministry.
The Diocese has a comprehensive safe
environment program that includes a Victim
Assistance Coordinator to provide outreach and
confidential services to victims, a Review Board
that assesses allegations and advises the
Bishop, and a Code of Pastoral Conduct to ensure
that proper behavior is fostered whenever
children and all members of the faithful gather
for spiritual, educational or social activities.
All priests, deacons, candidates for
ordination, Diocesan and parish staff members,
teachers, coaches, and volunteers receive
training on how to recognize and report child
sexual abuse. Parents are also encouraged to
participate. Since the program was introduced in
the spring of 2003, the total number of people
trained by the Diocese now exceeds 17,800.
The Diocese has also implemented a safe
environment program for students in grades K-10
to teach them how to recognize and avoid
situations that could lead to sexual abuse. It
has been offered to students in Diocesan
Catholic schools for the past five years. A
similar program is provided in the public
schools as required by the Pennsylvania State
Educational Association. As of June 30, 54,868
students in Catholic and public schools have
received the instruction.
This fall the Diocese began introducing
safe environment lessons in its parish religious
education programs. Henceforth the program will
be offered in religious education classes to
complement the safe environment programs used by
public schools.
Another provision of the national Charter
is that all employees in parishes and schools,
as well as volunteers who spend 20 or more hours
per year with children, must have up-to-date
criminal background and child abuse clearances.
This includes coaches, who are reminded that no
practice may be held until these clearances have
been received.
Previously, the Diocese used the
Pennsylvania State Police and Childline
clearances to fulfill the background check
requirement. As of January 2008, the Diocese now
uses a more comprehensive background screening
process through ChoicePoint VolunteerSelect,
which provides a national criminal search,
social security verification, and a sex offender
registry search.
Gail Fromm was hired as Diocesan compliance
officer in 2006 to assist pastors and school
administrators to comply with this requirement.
Information packets have been provided, and
workshops were held in the various regions of
the Diocese to answer questions about the
acquisition of the background checks and
clearances.
Every parish in the Diocese is to maintain
a binder listing all employees and volunteers,
along with their clearances, background checks
and verification of their participation in the
VIRTUS safe environment program. Background
checks and clearances have been completed for
5,976 individuals in the past year alone.
For more information about VIRTUS training,
contact Sarah Mountain, Diocesan VIRTUS
coordinator, at 570-563-8500.
For information on the background checks
and clearances, contact Gail Fromm, Diocesan
compliance officer, at 570-207-2214.
NOTICE REGARDING SEXUAL ABUSE OF A PERSON
UNDER EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE BY ORDAINED OR LAY
PERSONNEL OF THE DIOCESE OF SCRANTON
Such an act should be reported to the
Diocese by calling the Victim Assistance
Coordinator (570-344-5216) or the Chancellor
(570-207-2216) or the Vicar for Priests
(570-207-2269).
Upon receiving a report of this kind, the
Diocese of Scranton is committed to assisting
victims or survivors of sexual abuse in their
pursuit of emotional and spiritual well-being. |
March for Life Set for Jan. 22 |
The faithful are reminded that the
annual March for Life in Washington, DC, will be
held on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009. Following is a
schedule of events to be held in conjunction
with the march. Parishioners, particularly the
youth and young adults, are encouraged to
participate in these events.
Vigil Mass – Basilica of the National
Shrine, Washington, DC
The Vigil for Life Mass will take place on
Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2009 at 7 p.m. at the
Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception. Please note that this
Mass begins one hour earlier than in previous
years. Seating for this liturgy is always at
capacity so please make arrangements to arrive
as early as possible.
Rally for Life and Youth Mass
The Rally for Life and Youth Mass will be
held on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009. Times and
locations will be announced soon. Seating is on
a first-come, first-served basis. Following the
Mass, 150, 000 friends will join together on the
National Mall for the noon National Rally for
Life.
March for Life
Participants will walk to the U.S. Capitol
and visit legislators. Contact the Office of
Social Concerns/Pro-Life for further information
at 570-207-2213, ext. 1130. Information
regarding transportation to the March for Life
will be available soon. |
Pastoral Formation Institute Offers Religion
Courses |
The Pastoral Formation Institute is
taking enrollment for its upcoming Level III
courses. These courses are for Catholic school
teachers, catechists, coordinators, or for those
seeking personal enrichment. The schedule is:
201 Fundamental Teachings of the Church
Sacred Heart Church, Peckville
February 17 – April 21 (Tuesdays) 6:00¬-9:00
p.m.
Mr. Brendan Murphy
201 Fundamental Teachings of the Church
Wyoming Area Catholic School, Exeter
February 23 – April 27 (Mondays) 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Rev. Gregory T. Finn, OSJ
301 Sacraments in General
Diocesan Center, Scranton
February 26 – April 30 (Thursdays) 3:15- 6:15
p.m.
Msgr. Dale R. Rupert
301 Sacraments in General
Holy Redeemer High School, Wilkes-Barre
February 17 – April 21 (Tuesdays) 3:15-6:15 p.m.
Rev. Brian J. T. Clarke
301 Sacraments in General
St. John Neumann High School, Williamsport
February 24 – April 28 (Tuesdays) 3:00-6:00 p.m.
Mr. Paul Ward
301 Sacraments in General
Epiphany School, Sayre
February 25 – April 29 (Wednesdays) 3:30-6:30
p.m.
Mr. Paul Ward
501 The Catholic Church through the Centuries
Notre Dame High School, E. Stroudsburg.
February 24 – April 28 (Tuesdays) 3:00-6:00 p.m.
Mrs. Helen Findlay
To register, call 570-207-2213, Ext. 1107
or e-mail sister-leonita-duhoski@dioceseofscranton.org
The fee to take a course for credit is
$150. To audit a course, the fee is $65.
Catholic Distance University and St.
Charles Borromeo Seminary will offer online
courses that will be accepted by the Pastoral
Formation Institute. Please check their websites
and call the PFI Office for confirmation.
Catholic Distance University: www.cdu.edu
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary: www.scs.edu/religious-studies |
Mark Your Calendar |
Northeastern Pennsylvania Catholic Deaf
Association Interpreted Mass, Jan. 11 –– at
St. Joseph’s Oblate Seminary, 1880 Highway 315,
Laflin. Bible study and Sacrament of
Reconciliation begin at 2 p.m., followed by Mass
signed and interpreted, celebrated at 3 p.m.
Refreshments follow. For more information,
contact Sister Mary Beth Makuch, SSCM, at
207-2213 ext. 1013 –– voice/tdd.
Support Group for Separated, Divorced &
Widowed Persons, Jan. 16 –– 7 to 9 p.m. at
St. Ann Basilica Parish Center, 1200 St. Ann
St., Scranton. Sponsored by the diocesan Office
for Parish Life, this “Beginning Experience”
monthly session offers support to cope with
sorrow, doubt, anxiety and loneliness after
losing a spouse. For more
information/registration, call 489-7769.
Weekend Retreat: “St. Paul and Our Call to
Conversion,” Feb. 20-22 –– at Fatima Renewal
Center, 1000 Seminary Road, Dalton. Guest
presenter: Father Richard J. Loch, V.E.,
Episcopal Vicar for Priests. In celebration of
the Year of St. Paul, the retreat weekend will
lead participants into personal conversion
through reflection on the life and writings of
St. Paul. Weekend begins with dinner at 6 p.m.
on Friday and concludes with lunch on Sunday
afternoon. Retreat includes celebration of Mass
and Sacrament of Reconciliation. Cost: $115 per
person; $95 per person for couples. For more
information & registration, call Fatima Center
at 563-1131.
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