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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Lent: A Great Spiritual Retreat |
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Lenten Masses on CTV |
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Catholic School Employee Councils To Meet |
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Bishop To Celebrate with Youth on Palm Sunday |
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February Edition of “Our Faith, Our Diocese” |
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Catholic Schools’ Nights At Hockey Rink |
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Developmental Disabilities Awareness Sunday |
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CTV Airing Our Lady of Lourdes Pilgrimage |
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Mark Your Calendar |
Lent: A Great Spiritual Retreat |
In yesterday’s general audience, Pope
Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis to the
subject of Lent, which began with the rite of
the imposition of the ashes and which, he
observed, “is like a great spiritual retreat
lasting 40 days. Today, as every year, we
recommence the Lenten journey, stimulated by a
more intense spirit of prayer and reflection, of
penance and fasting.”
Lent, Benedict XVI continued, “helps us to
rediscover the gift of faith we received at
Baptism and encourages us to approach the
Sacrament of Reconciliation, placing our
commitment to inner conversion under the
protection of divine mercy.”
The Ash Wednesday liturgy, he noted,
reminds us that “we are limited creatures,
sinners in constant need of penance and
conversion. How important it is, in our own
time, to listen to and accept this call! When he
proclaims his complete autonomy from God, modern
man becomes self-enslaved, and often finds
himself tormented and alone. The call to
conversion is, then, an encouragement to return
to the arms of God the tender and merciful
Father, to trust in Him, and to entrust
ourselves to Him as adoptive children
regenerated by His love.”
Jesus’ invitation to take up the cross and
follow Him may seem a “harsh” rule that “quashes
our desire for personal fulfillment,” said the
Holy Father, going on to highlight that, in
fact, “the witness of the saints shows how in
the Cross of Christ – in love given as a gift,
renouncing the possession of self – is a
profound serenity that is the source of generous
dedication to our brothers and sisters,
especially the poor and needy. And this also
brings joy to us.” |
Lenten Masses on CTV |
CTV: Catholic Television is airing its
annual presentation of the televised Daily
Lenten Masses from St. Peter’s Cathedral.
The Lenten Mass from the Cathedral is
broadcast live at 8 a.m. weekdays. These Lenten
Masses are rebroadcast at 12:10 p.m. and 7 p.m.
each weekday on CTV, until the Wednesday of Holy
Week, March 19. In addition to the broadcasts on
CTV, the Lenten Mass is carried on the CW (WSWB-TV)
weekdays at 2 p.m. throughout the Lenten season.
The Friday broadcasts include The Stations of
the Cross.
These Masses are 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. |
Catholic School Employee Councils To Meet |
Representatives from Diocesan Catholic
schools chosen to serve on the new Employee
Councils will attend an orientation session
tomorrow morning, Feb. 8.
The orientation will be presented by
Diocesan officials as well as representatives
from Parente/HR Services, a human resource
consulting firm that is being retained to
specifically deal with the area of compensation;
and Elite Brokerage Services, Inc., a company
that will serve as a neutral expert to assist
all parties in achieving established health care
goals and objectives.
Faculty and support staff representatives
from the schools were selected by their peers to
serve on the Employee Councils in the Holy
Cross, Holy Redeemer, and St. John Neumann
Systems. The Notre Dame Board’s review of the
employee relations program is pending.
The Employee Councils will include Wage and
Benefit Committees, Health Care Sub-Committees
and Grievance Committees.
These groups will meet on a regular basis
with members of the Regional System Boards,
officials from the Diocesan Catholic Schools
Office and the Diocesan human resources director
to discuss wages, benefits, and grievances.
The employee relations program will ensure
that the employees will have a voice in future
discussions about wages, benefits and
grievances.
The employee relations program will bring a
consistent format to the entire school system.
It will cover teachers as well as aides,
administrators, office staff, food service and
maintenance personnel. Employees at all schools
will be able to provide input through their
representatives on the Employee Councils and the
various committees for wages and benefits,
health care, and grievances.
The program also will ensure that a strong
Catholic identity is maintained in the schools
within an atmosphere of meaningful dialogue and
sincere collaboration.
This program fulfills the Diocese of
Scranton’s commitment to fair and just treatment
of all of its employees. The provision of
affordable Catholic education continues to be
the Diocesan goal in which all are called to
cooperate. |
Bishop To Celebrate with Youth on Palm Sunday |
Young people from every region of the
Diocese of Scranton are called to join Bishop
Joseph F. Martino in the local celebration of
World Youth Day at a solemn Pontifical Mass on
Palm Sunday, March 16, at 12:15 p.m. at St.
Peter’s Cathedral.
This year, the International World Youth
Day is being held in Sydney, Australia July
11-15. Local Palm Sunday celebrations are a time
of preparation and solidarity for youth around
the world as that event draws near. All youth
are called to respond to the theme: "You will
receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you; and you will be my witnesses." (Acts 1:8).
This year, Bishop Martino is calling on the
youth of the Diocese to join him at the
Cathedral, the seat of the Diocese, on the first
day of Holy Week to remind them of their
responsibility to be active witnesses to their
faith and missionaries to others.
As a part of the Palm Sunday Celebration,
students in grades 8 and 12 from Catholic
schools and parishes who have received Bishop’s
Youth Awards for 2008 will lead the procession
from the Holy Cross High School (Scranton
campus), 330 Wyoming Avenue, to St. Peter’s
Cathedral before the 12:15 p. m. Mass. Young
people from parish youth groups and Catholic
schools of the Diocese are invited to join the
recipients for the blessing of the Palms and the
procession to the Cathedral.
The Bishop’s Youth Award is given to young
men and women who have distinguished themselves
in the practice of the Catholic faith in their
parish and school communities by serving as
lectors, altar servers, coordinators of
Eucharistic devotions, parish council members,
and performing other missionary and service work
Prior to Palm Sunday, the Bishop’s Youth Awards
will be announced in parishes and schools to
recognize the young recipients for their
devotion to the faith and witness to Jesus
Christ.
Every young person of the Diocese of
Scranton is called to participate in this solemn
pontifical celebration that marks the beginning
of Holy Week and commemorates World Youth Day
2008 on the local level. In this liturgy, Bishop
Martino and the youth of the Diocese will help
usher the faithful of the Diocese into the
sacred and solemn celebration of Holy Week.
For more information regarding this special
day, or if you wish for your youth group or
school group to participate in the procession,
please contact the Office for Parish Life at
570-207-2213. |
February Edition of “Our Faith, Our Diocese” |
In the February edition of “Our Faith,
Our Diocese” on CTV, host Dan Gallagher
continues his discussion with Bishop Martino
regarding the Diocese’s new pastoral planning
project, entitled Called to Holiness and
Mission. Bishop Martino tells us why prayer,
communication and collaboration are all
essential elements in our on-going efforts to
revitalize our parish communities.
Faithful across the Diocese of Scranton
will have the opportunity to help their less
fortunate brothers and sisters when a special
collection for Catholic Social Services is taken
at weekend Masses over the weekend of March 1-2.
Monsignor Joseph Kelly, Diocesan Secretary for
Catholic Social Services, explains that your
gift to Catholic Social Services is a tangible
way of helping those who can’t help themselves.
Holy Family Academy in Hazleton recently
participated in the annual celebration of
Catholic Schools Week, and CTV spoke with Holy
Family’s principal regarding the mission of all
Catholic educators: providing our children with
a quality education rooted in faith.
Father Charles Connor takes us to St.
Joseph’s Center in Scranton for a look back on
an institution that has a long history of caring
for the orphaned, abandoned and neglected
infants of our Diocese.
And Father Christopher Sahd encourages us
to take advantage of this Lenten season to grow
in our relationship with God and to deepen our
commitment to a way of life rooted in our
Baptism.
The February edition of “Our Faith, Our
Diocese” will air on Sunday, Feb. 10, 8 p.m.;
Tuesday, Feb. 12, 9 p.m.; Wednesday, Feb. 13, 4
p.m.; Tuesday, Feb 19, 9 a.m.; Friday, Feb. 22,
11 a.m.; Monday, Feb. 25, 2 p.m.; and Thursday,
Feb. 28, 10 a.m. |
Catholic Schools’ Nights At Hockey Rink |
The Diocese of Scranton’s Catholic
Schools are teaming up with the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey team to
celebrate two Family Nights for upcoming Penguin
games at Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre. The
games are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb.
29, and Saturday, March 1.
Diocesan Catholic school students and their
families will be eligible for special group
rates whereby fans can save more than $20 on
ticket prices. Catholic school ticket-holders
will be entitled to free refreshments and a
complimentary Penguins baseball cap.
The Penguins organization is also asking
that anyone who purchases tickets through the
special offer to wear some article of green
clothing for the games they will be attending in
support of Catholic education.
For more information and to order tickets,
contact Chris Sipsky, of the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, at 570-970-3607
or e-mail: csipsky@wbspenguins.com. |
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Sunday |
“Developmental Disabilities Awareness
Sunday” will be observed in the Diocese of
Scranton on Sunday, March 2.
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.
On that day, Bishop Martino will be the
principal celebrant of a special Mass at 10 a.m.
in St. Peter’s Cathedral, Scranton. Our friends
who have developmental disabilities will
actively participate in the Mass as lectors,
greeters, altar servers, and gift and banner
bearers. All are welcome to join in this
beautiful celebration.
Following the Mass, the Lackawanna ARC will
host a breakfast in the auditorium of Holy Cross
High School, across from the Cathedral. |
CTV Airing Our Lady of Lourdes Pilgrimage |
Bishop Martino led the faithful of the
Diocese on a local pilgrimage to Our Lady of
Lourdes Church in Montoursville, Lycoming
County, last Sunday, Feb. 3. The pilgrimage,
held in observance of the 150th anniversary of
the Blessed Virgin Mary’s appearance to St.
Bernadette Soubirous near Lourdes in southern
France, involved recitation of the Rosary
followed by celebration of Mass.
CTV was there to record the event and will
broadcast the entire two-hour celebration on the
following days and times: Thursday, Feb. 7, 8
p.m.; Friday, Feb. 8, 9:30 a.m.; Sunday, Feb.
10, 5 p.m.; Monday, Feb. 11, 9 a.m.; Monday,
Feb. 11, 1 p.m.; and Monday, Feb. 11, 8 p.m. |
Mark Your Calendar |
Support Group for Separated, Divorced &
Widowed Persons, Feb. 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 (held every third Friday) offers
support to cope with sorrow, doubt, anxiety and
loneliness after losing a spouse. For more
information/registration, call 342-5166.
Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend, Feb.
15-17 –– at St. Francis Center, Bethlehem
Allentown Diocese. Sponsored by Worldwide
Marriage Encounter, the program is an enrichment
experience that helps good marriages grow
stronger. For information & registration, call
1-800-787-7679, or visit the Web site:
www.wwme-nepa.org. Pre-registration required.
Intermediate Sign Language, Feb. 19, 26,
March 4 & 11 Tuesdays –– 6 to 8 p.m. at the
Diocesan Center, Scranton. A continuation of
“Introduction to Sign Language,” this course
will present the language of the Deaf Culture on
a higher and broader level of learning.
Presenter: Sister Mary Beth Makuch, SSCM. Fee:
$30. For more information & registration, call
207-2213 ext. 1107.
Lenten Day of Reflection: “The Seven Last
Words of Jesus,” Feb. 23 –– 9:30 a.m. to
2:30 p.m. at Fatima Renewal Center, Dalton.
Guest presenter: Father Charles P. Connor.
Spiritual program designed to enrich faithful on
their Lenten journey through a prayerful
explanation of Jesus’ last words before his
death on the Cross. Day includes celebration of
Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Fee:
$25, includes lunch. To register, call 563-8500
or e-mail: Fatima@dioceseofscranton.org.
Ministry of Consolation Training, March 1-2
–– at Fatima Renewal Center, Dalton. Sponsored
by the Diocesan Office for Parish Life, training
program of the National Catholic Ministry to the
Bereaved includes Order of Christian Funerals,
grief process, listening skills, grief support
groups, and development of parish programs.
Begins Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and concludes
Sunday at 4 p.m. Registration fee one-night
lodging, five weekend meals, manual and
additional materials: $225/person; $440/couple;
or $205/commuter. Pre-registration required. For
more information and to register, call 207-2213
or e-mail Parish Life Office at: mary-ann-paulukonis@dioceseofscranton.org.
Day of Reflection: “The Power of the Holy
Spirit in Our Lives,” March 8 –– 9:30 a.m.
to 2:30 p.m. at Fatima Renewal Center, Dalton.
Guest presenter: Monsignor John A. Esseff.
Offered by the Diocesan Office for Parish Life,
this Day of Reflection is designed to help
faithful grow in appreciation for the
transforming power of the Holy Spirit. The day’s
program includes celebration of Mass and the
Sacrament of Reconciliation. Fee: $25, includes
lunch. To register, call 563-8500 or e-mail:
Fatima@dioceseofscranton.org.
Northeastern Pennsylvania Catholic Deaf
Association Interpreted Mass -- Palm Sunday
Liturgy & Dinner, March 16 –– at Our Lady of
Mount Carmel Church, William St., Pittston. Mass
celebrated at 3 p.m., with Blessing of Palms and
outdoor procession weather permitting. Passion
narrative and Mass readings will be signed;
voice-over interpreting provided. Annual Palm
Sunday Dinner follows in the adjacent Mount
Carmel Parish Center. Reservations required; for
more information, contact Sister Mary Beth
Makuch, SSCM, at 207-2213 ext. 1013 –– voice/tdd.
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