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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Support The Family With Pastoral And Political
Initiatives |
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Diocese Preparing for Ash Wednesday and Season
of Lent |
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Lent Regulations |
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Rite of Election To Be Held Feb. 25 |
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“Developmental Disabilities Awareness Sunday” |
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PFI To Sponsor Pastoral Outreach Training |
Support The Family With Pastoral And Political
Initiatives |
Pope Benedict XVI extolled the virtues
of marriage and family during the recent
celebration of the Week for Life and the Family
in the Diocese of Rome.
This observance, he said, represents “an
important occasion to pray and reflect upon the
family, which is the ‘cradle’ of life and of all
vocations.” The pope recalled that the family
founded upon marriage “is the natural
environment for the birth and education of
children and, therefore, for ensuring the future
of the entire human family.”
However, the family is suffering “a
profound crisis and today has to face many
challenges. Hence it must be defended, helped,
protected and cherished in its unrepeatable
uniqueness. Although this is, in the first
place, the responsibility of husband and wife,
the Church and all public institutions also have
a priority duty to support the family through
pastoral and political initiatives that take
account of the real needs of the couple, of the
elderly and of the new generations.”
The Holy Father concluded his reflections
by calling, through the intercession of the
Virgin Mary, “for more respect for the sacred
nature of life, greater awareness of the true
needs of the family, and an increase in the
number of people who contribute to creating a
civilization of love in the world.” |
Diocese Preparing for Ash Wednesday and Season
of Lent |
Ash Wednesday, Feb. 21, will mark the
start of the solemn 40-day season of Lent.
Parishes throughout the 11-county Diocese of
Scranton will distribute ashes to remind
individuals of their mortality.
At St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton, the
Mother Church of the Diocese, ashes will be
distributed during the 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 12:10
p.m. and 5:15 p.m. Masses. Most Rev. Joseph F.
Martino, D.D., Hist. E.D., Bishop of Scranton,
will be the principal celebrant of the 12:10
p.m. Pontifical Mass.
CTV: Catholic Television, the diocesan TV
station, will begin its annual presentation of
the televised Daily Lenten Masses from St.
Peter’s Cathedral on Ash Wednesday. The Masses
will also air on WSWB-TV.
The Lenten Mass from the Cathedral will be
broadcast live at 8 a.m. weekdays. These Lenten
Masses will be rebroadcast at 12:10 p.m. and 7
p.m. each weekday on CTV, until the Wednesday of
Holy Week, April 4. In addition to the
broadcasts on CTV, the Lenten Mass will also be
carried on WSWB weekdays at 2 p.m. throughout
the Lenten season.
These Masses will be interpreted for the
deaf and hard of hearing by Sister Mary Beth
Makuch, SSCM, diocesan director of Ministry with
the Deaf and Persons with Disabilities. |
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.”
Ash Wednesday, February 21, and Good
Friday, April 6, are days 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. |
Rite of Election To Be Held Feb. 25 |
The Diocese of Scranton will conduct
the annual Rite of Election for people joining
the Catholic faith.
The ceremony will be held on the first
Sunday of Lent, Feb. 25, at 3:30 p.m., at the
Byron Center on the campus of the University of
Scranton. On that day, 86 catechumens and 134
candidates, including 25 children, will be
enrolled through the Rite of Christian
Initiation for Adults and Children. The
catechumens and candidates come from 63
different parishes and one college.
The participants in the Rite of Election
have been involved in a year-long journey of
preparation in their parishes. Their instruction
involved learning the basics of the Catholic
faith in preparation for receiving the
sacraments of initiation — Baptism, Confirmation
and Holy Eucharist— n the case of catechumens
who have never been baptized. Candidates who are
baptized Catholics, or members of some other
Christian church, are preparing to receive
Confirmation and Holy Eucharist.
The process reaches its culmination when
the catechumens and candidates receive the
sacraments in a single celebration at the Easter
Vigil on Holy Saturday.
The Rite of Election traces its origin to
the early Christian community. The process in
the early Church involved a long period of time
and involved those who had never been baptized
who wished to become Catholics. The Second
Vatican Council restored within the Latin Church
the “Catechumenate for adults,” as this process
of conversion to the Catholic faith is called.
Since the Rite of Christian Initiation of
Adults and Children began in the Diocese of
Scranton over 15 years ago, more than 6,500
persons have entered the Church.
The participants on Feb. 25 will be
presented to the Most Reverend Joseph F.
Martino, D.D., Hist. E.D., Bishop of Scranton.
Bishop Martino will ask those assembled to
affirm that the catechumens and candidates have
been faithful to prayer, study and living the
tenets of the Catholic faith. The ceremony will
be witnessed by families, sponsors, pastors and
parishioners who have been supporting the
catechumens and candidates throughout their
period of preparation.
Music for the Rite of Election will be
provided by a choir of 75 voices under the
direction of Linda Phillips Orseck, director of
music at St. Rose Parish, Carbondale. The choir
is composed of musicians from parishes
throughout the Diocese.
All of the faithful are invited to attend
the Rite of Election. |
“Developmental Disabilities Awareness Sunday” |
“Developmental Disabilities Awareness
Sunday” will be observed throughout the Diocese
of Scranton on March 4.
Throughout the United States, March has
been designated Intellectual/Developmental
Disabilities Awareness Month.” This is a time
set aside for everyone to recognize the
abilities and needs of all persons who have
mental retardation, autism and other
developmental disabilities.
In the Diocese of Scranton, this observance
also gives us an opportunity to become aware of
the many gifts they offer to the community and
to the Church in particular.
On Sunday, March 4, Auxiliary Bishop John
M. Dougherty will be the principal celebrant and
homilist of a special liturgy at 10 a.m. in St.
Peter’s Cathedral. The Mass will be televised
live on Catholic Television (CTV).
Adults and children with various
developmental disabilities will actively
participate in the liturgy as readers, altar
servers, gift-bearers and greeters.
Immediately following the Mass, the
Lackawanna ARC will host a complimentary
continental breakfast at Bishop Hannan High
School Auditorium, Wyoming Ave., Scranton.
For more information, contact Sister Mary
Beth Makuch, SSCM, at the Office for Parish Life
(207-2213, ext. 1100 v/tdd). |
PFI To Sponsor Pastoral Outreach Training |
The Diocese of Scranton Pastoral
Formation Institute will sponsor a Pastoral
Outreach Training as part of its continuing
education program for individuals who are
involved in parish ministry to the homebound,
and to those in hospitals and nursing
facilities.
The five-part training session will be held
on March 6, 13, 20, 27 and April 3 at Our Lady
of Mt. Carmel Parish Hall, Pittston, from 6 to 8
p.m. each night.
The Pastoral Outreach Training sessions are
recommended for parishes that have already begun
ministry to the homebound and sick as well as
for those parishes that are beginning these
programs. The sessions are also beneficial to
those persons who are caregivers to the
aged/sick in their own homes.
The sessions will be facilitated by Mercy
Sister Jane O’Donnell, who serves as a
pastoral/educator counselor at Mercy
Consultation Center, Dallas, where she directs
educational and retreat programs, support group
facilitations and transitional/grief workshops.
Having extensive experience in education
and growth development programs, Sister Jane
previously served as director of pastoral
outreach at the former Mercy Hospital in
Wilkes-Barre.
Sister Jane received a bachelor’s degree in
biology from College Misericordia, and earned a
master’s degree in counseling education from
Millersville University. She continued
post-graduate work at Boston College in
spirituality, scripture and counseling.
To register, please call 570-207-2213, Ext
1107. Fee is $30 per person or $100 for five
participants from the same parish of facility.
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