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.
Subscribe to
News Briefing |
This Issue:
|
|
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity |
|
March for Life Plans Outlined |
|
Mark Your Calendar |
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity |
The Diocese of Scranton will again
participate in the worldwide Week of Prayer for
Christian Unity, which is celebrated in January.
This observance, first held in 1908,
gathers communities of faith to express the
degree of communion which the churches have
already received, and to pray together for the
full unity which is Christ’s will “that all may
be one,” as he and the Father are one.
The theme for the 2010 observance is “You
Are Witnesses of These Things,” taken from St.
Luke’s Gospel (24:48).
The Diocese of Scranton will host an
Ecumenical Celebration of God’s Word on
Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 10:30 a.m. in St. Peter’s
Cathedral, Scranton.
Bishop John M. Dougherty, Former Auxiliary
Bishop of Scranton, will preside. The Rev. Dr.
Barbara A. Smith, recently installed General
Presbyter of the Presbytery of Lackawanna, will
deliver the homily. Clergy from other Christian
traditions and ecumenical agencies will also
participate.
All are welcome to attend. In addition, CTV:
Catholic Television will broadcast the service
live.
As General Presbyter of the Presbytery of
Lackawanna, the Rev. Dr. Barbara A. Smith
oversees an area comprised of 59 churches from
Hawley in the east to Sylvania in the west, and
from Route 80 to the south to the New York
border.
With a shift from the former model of
“executive,” the Presbytery made a conscious
decision to call a leader who would spend much
of her time on the road visiting and resourcing
churches and pastors.
Born and raised Presbyterian, the Rev. Dr.
Smith entered seminary as a second career
student. While employed full-time as a paralegal
and sensing God’s call to ministry, she went
back to school part-time in the evening, earning
her bachelor’s degree in business administration
from Delaware Valley College in 1992. As a
commuter student, she earned her Masters of
Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Ordained to the Ministry of Word and
Sacrament in 1995, she has predominately served
in interim and redevelopment pastorates. Earning
her Doctor of Ministry degree in 2007 from New
York Theological Seminary, the Rev. Dr. Smith
was the recipient of the seminary’s first
Excellence in Ministry award for her project
entitled “Set Them Apart” focusing on the health
and self-care of pastors.
The Rev. Dr. Smith and her clergy husband
have blended their families which include four
children, and two grandchildren with a third
expected in the spring of 2010.
For resources and information on the annual
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, visit the
website of the Graymoor Ecumenical and
Interreligious Institute at http://www.geii.org/wpcu_index.htm |
March for Life Plans Outlined |
Pro-life advocates throughout
Northeastern Pennsylvania will join tens of
thousands of their counterparts from across the
nation for the 37th annual March for Life on
Friday, Jan. 22, in Washington, D.C.
Regional chapters of the Pennsylvanians for
Human Life (PHL) will offer round-trip bus
transportation. Bus reservations are requested
as soon as possible.
In Washington, participants will join
together with other activists in a peaceful
march to protest the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision
by the U.S. Supreme Court that legalized
abortion and has caused the deaths of more than
50 million unborn children.
Prior to the march, there will be a
peaceful rally at noon on the Ellipse, just
south of the White House. The march will proceed
to the Capitol and the Supreme Court building.
Afterward, marchers may visit their local
congressional delegations and demonstrate their
concern on behalf of legislative action for
pro-life issues, including the continuing effort
to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The PHL will sponsor approximately 20 buses
leaving from communities throughout the Scranton
Diocese. Departure times and costs vary. Details
on bus schedules and costs throughout the region
can be obtained from the following contacts:
CARBONDALE
Call Dorothy Tedesco, 679-2316.
HAZLETON
Call Colleen Yagalla, 636-2122.
HUGHESVILLE
Call Bob Stein, 584-2947.
MONROE COUNTY /POCONOS
Call Patricia Murray, 420-8083.
SCRANTON
The Scranton PHL Chapter buses will leave at
6:45 a.m. from Scranton’s Keyser Oak Shopping
Center and Marywood University, and are
scheduled to return about 11 p.m. The cost is
$30 for adults, $20 for students. Reservations
and information about sponsoring a student can
be obtained by contacting Anne Domin, 842-9653.
WYOMING VALLEY/WILKES-BARRE AREA
The Wyoming Valley PHL in Wilkes-Barre and the
Knights of Columbus Assumpta Council 3987,
Luzerne, will co-sponsor two buses that will
depart at 6:30 a.m. from the K of C Assumpta
Council Home, 59 Parry St. Cost: $40, adults;
$20, students. Cost includes bus transportation
and buffet dinner. Reservations must be made in
advance by forwarding checks include phone
number to PHL, 31 Hanover St., Wilkes-Barre PA
18702. Call Chris Calore at 824-5621 or Mike
Hrabovsky at 287-2687.
WILLIAMSPORT
Call Evelyn Rall, 398-0722. |
Mark Your Calendar |
Northeastern Pennsylvania Catholic Deaf
Association Interpreted Mass, Jan. 10 –– 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 and
Widowed Persons, Jan. 15 –– 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.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend, Feb.
12-14 –– in the Bethlehem area. Sponsored by
Worldwide Marriage Encounter, the weekend
program Friday evening through Sunday afternoon
is an enrichment experience that helps good
marriages grow stronger. For information and
registration, call 1-800-787-7679, or visit the
Web site: www.wwme-nepa.org. Pre-registration
required.
Ash Wednesday Day of Reflection: “Lent –– A
Time of Invitation and Response,” Feb. 17 ––
at Fatima Renewal Center, 1000 Seminary Road,
Dalton. Guest presenter: Father John Polednak,
V.E., Episcopal Vicar of the Southern Pastoral
Region, who will lead participants into the
Lenten season, defined as an invitation by the
Lord to draw closer to Him in a spirit of true
repentance, humbly acknowledging our sins and
opening our hearts to a deeper sense of true
conversion. Mass will be celebrated, with the
distribution of ashes; opportunity for the
Sacrament of Reconciliation. Fee: $30 includes
lunch. To register, call Fatima Center at
563-8500.
|
|
