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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News Briefing |
This Issue:
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Participation in United States Census |
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Lent Regulations |
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Fatima Center: Worth A Look! |
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Disabilities Awareness Sunday Set For March 7 |
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Pastoral Formation Institute Offering Programs |
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Mark Your Calendar |
Participation in United States Census |
The Diocese of Scranton has been asked
by the United States Census Bureau to encourage
all residents to complete the 2010 Census
Questionnaires which will be delivered by the
Unites States Postal Service in March. To
achieve an accurate assessment of the number and
location of the people living within the
nation’s borders, the U.S. Constitution mandates
a census of the population every 10 years.
The census population totals determine
which states gain or lose representation in
Congress. It also determines the amount of state
and federal funding communities receive over the
course of the decade.
2010 Census data will directly affect how
more than $4 trillion is allocated to local and
state governments over the next 10 years. For
this funding allocation to be accomplished
fairly and accurately, the goal of the census is
to count everybody, count them only once, and
count them in the right place.
The facts gathered in the census also help
shape decisions for the rest of the decade about
public health, neighborhood improvements,
transportation, education, senior services and
much more. |
Lent Regulations |
James B. Earley, chancellor of the
Diocese of Scranton, asks the faithful to be
aware of Diocesan Statute No. 41, which
addresses the penitential aspect of Lent:
“The season of Lent is penitential in
nature and during Lent penance should be not
only internal and individual, but also external
and social (Sacrosanctum Concilium, No.
5, 109). Pastors are seriously obliged to avoid
scheduling activities in the parishes which in
any way could possibly detract from the external
and social penance required by Lent.”
As with Ash Wednesday, Good Friday is a day
of fast and abstinence. The Fridays of Lent are
days of abstinence.
All of the faithful who have reached the
age of 14 are obliged by the law of abstinence.
On a day of abstinence no meat may be eaten by
anyone obliged by this law.
All of the faithful from the age of 18 to
the beginning of their 60th year are obliged by
the law of fast. On a day of fast, those obliged
by this law may eat only one full meal and two
partial meals unless dispensed or excused. |
Fatima Center: Worth A Look! |
Efforts continue to increase awareness
and use of Fatima Renewal Center in Dalton.
These include a new website that can be reached
directly at www.fatimarenewalcenter.org
or through the Fatima link on the Diocese of
Scranton website.
The website provides an overview of the
resources and amenities available at Fatima
Center. Diocesan offices, parishes and schools
are encouraged to consider Fatima Center for
their off-site meetings, events, retreats or
other types of gatherings. The facility is also
available to outside organizations and
businesses, and to other Christian faith groups.
Fatima Center offers meals, overnight
accommodations and a variety of other resources
in a beautiful rural setting. It is a close and
affordable option for a wide range of programs
and activities.
To learn more, visit the new website or
call 570-563-8500. |
Disabilities Awareness Sunday Set For March 7 |
“Developmental and Intellectual
Disabilities Awareness Sunday” will be observed
in the Diocese of Scranton on Sunday, March 7.
Bishop James C. Timlin will be the principal
celebrant of a special Mass at 10 a.m. in St.
Peter’s Cathedral.
This is a time for everyone to gather
prayerfully with our brothers and sisters who
have intellectual and developmental
disabilities, and to recognize the gifts they
have to offer to the Church and to the
community.
Our friends who have developmental
disabilities will actively participate in the
Mass as lectors, greeters, altar servers, and
gift and banner bearers.
Following the Mass, the ARC of Northeastern
Pennsylvania will host a continental breakfast
in the former Holy Cross High School building,
across the street from the Cathedral Prayer
Garden on Wyoming Avenue.
All are invited to attend the Mass and
breakfast. For more information, please contact
Sister Mary Beth Makuch, SS.C.M. at
570-207-2213, ext. 1101. |
Pastoral Formation Institute Offering Programs |
Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
Training
Deacon Gerard Carpenter will serve as the
instructor at three sites in February and March.
At St. Rose of Lima School Annex, Carbondale,
the training will take place on Feb. 16, 23, and
March 2, Tuesdays, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
The second training session will take place
on Saturday, Feb. 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at
St. John Church Hall, Susquehanna.
On March 9, 16, and 24, the sessions will take
place at the Diocesan Center, Scranton, from
6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Fee: $30 per person, materials included. To
register, call 207-2213, Ext. 1107.
Basic Skill Classes for Catechists
Two Basic Skills classes will be held at
two locations. These classes are for teachers in
the parish religious education programs and will
discuss: using a teacher’s manual, lesson
planning, classroom management, and methods of
prayer, among other topics. They will offer
practical ways in which the family can be
incorporated into the religious education
program, and will explain the importance of
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, The
National Directory for Catechesis, and
The Directives for Religious Education in
Parishes/Schools in the Diocese of Scranton.
The first class will take place at Holy
Cross High School, Dunmore, Feb. 25, March 4,
11, 18, 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. The instructor is
Mary Anne Malone. The second class will be held
at Bergan Hall (adjacent to St. Ignatius Loyola
Rectory), Kingston. Carmella Faust will serve as
the instructor. Dates are March 2, 9, 23, 30,
from 6 to 9 p.m.
Fee: $30 per person or a flat fee of $50
for any number of participants from a given
parish. To register, call 207-2213, Ext. 1107.
One’s Giftedness in New Parish Structures
Mercy Sister Jane O’Donnell will conduct an
evening presentation, entitled “One’s Giftedness
in New Parish Structures,” on Tuesday, March 16,
from 6 to 8 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist
Church Hall in Pittston.
Sister Jane’s presentation will focus on
the giftedness of individuals as they begin to
reorganize ministries within the new parish
structure or for those parishes who anticipate
the process of restructuring. Some of the
ministries may include religious education,
RCIA, and parish ministries such as societies,
youth programs, lectors and music ministers.
Sister will speak of transition as a time
of grief, loss and change, but also as a
valuable time for giftedness and connectedness,
and also as an opportunity for the building of
God’s Kingdom within parishes.
A pastoral/educator counselor at Mercy
Consultation Center, Dallas, Sister Jane directs
educational and retreat programs, support group
facilitations and transitional/grief workshops.
Registration fee for the program is $30 per
person or a flat fee of $50 for three of more
persons from one parish. For more information
and to register, call 207-2213, ext. 1107.
Dynamics of Youth Ministry
A two-part workshop on the “Dynamics of
Youth Ministry” will be offered on March 15 and
22 at the Diocesan Center in Scranton. Father
Cyril Edwards will serve as the instructor for
the workshop to be presented on the consecutive
Monday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m.
The course offering will present a
comprehensive approach to building a successful
youth ministry program in any parish, and will
prove helpful whether a parish is planning to
start a program or seeks to enhance an existing
one.
The first workshop session will focus on
the key concepts of creating a vision statement
that will guide all future activities. It will
also focus on selecting effective leadership
personnel. During the second session of the
course, a host of practical projects will be
presented that can work in any area of the
Diocese.
Course fee is $30 per person or a group fee
of $50 for three or more persons from one
parish. To register, call the Parish Life Office
in Scranton at 207-2213 ext. 1107. |
Mark Your Calendar |
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.
Support Group for Separated, Divorced and
Widowed Persons, Feb. 19 –– 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.
Retrouvaille Weekend, March 12-14 –– at
Fatima Renewal Center, Dalton. Sponsored by the
Diocesan Office for Parish Life/Family Life,
Retrouvaille is a weekend program for couples in
a stressed marriage. Led by a trained priest and
married couples who have survived marital
difficulties, the weekend does not consist of
counseling or group therapy. Focus will be on
healthy communication, trust/forgiveness issues,
and issues connected with intimacy/rediscovering
romance. A registration deposit is required;
donation is also requested. For more
information, call Bob and Nettie at 587-0415.
All calls are confidential. Registration
deadline is March 8.
Day of Reflection for Catechists: “Jesus as
Prophet, Priest and King –– Model for
Catechists,” March 20 –– 9:30 a.m. to 2:30
p.m. at Fatima Renewal Center, Dalton. Guest
presenter: Monsignor David Tressler. This
Reflection Day will lead catechists in an
understanding of how they, through faith and
Baptism, share in the Church’s mission of
service and how they are set apart as bearers of
the Word in their parish religious education
programs. Day includes celebration of Mass and
the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Fee: $20
catechist discount per person, includes lunch.
To register, call Fatima Center 563-8500.
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