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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Follow Path To Christian Unity Without
Discouragement |
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Campaign Supports Immigrants In The Diocese |
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Diocese to Celebrate World Day for Consecrated
Life |
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Reminder on Charter Compliance 2007 |
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Deaf Association Interpreted Mass |
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Ash Wednesday Day of Reflection |
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Form 1099 Reminder |
Follow Path To Christian Unity Without
Discouragement |
“Unity,” said Pope Benedict XVI, “is a
gift from God and the fruit of the action of His
Spirit. For this reason it is important to pray.
The closer we draw to Christ, converting
ourselves to His love, the closer we also draw
to one another.”
The Holy Father recalled the theme of this
year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, taken
from the Gospel of St. Mark: “He even makes the
deaf to hear and the mute to speak.” This
phrase, he explained “by highlighting two
aspects of the mission of each Christian
community – announcing the Gospel and giving
witness of charity – also underlines how
important it is to translate Christ’s message
into real initiatives of solidarity. This
advances the journey towards unity because ...
all relief Christians together bring to their
fellows, however small, also contributes to
making their communion more visible.”
“The road to unity remains long and
difficult, but we must not be discouraged, and
continue our journey, relying on the sure
support of Christ” said the pope. He also noted
how he had had the opportunity to note, over
years of meetings with representatives from
other Churches and ecclesial communities, “and
in a particularly moving way, during my recent
visit to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I
in Istanbul, how deeply felt the desire for
unity is. ... That experience and others like
it, have brought hope to my heart.” |
Campaign Supports Immigrants In The Diocese |
The Catholic Campaign for Human
Development (CCHD) raises funds through a
collection each year in all Catholic parishes in
the United States. This year’s collection in the
Diocese of Scranton will be taken up this
weekend (Jan. 27-28).
Established by the Catholic Bishops of the
United States in 1970, CCHD provides funding for
anti-poverty programs which enable poor and
low-income people to attain a more sufficient
standard of life.
In recent years, CCHD funds have assisted
immigrant families who are arriving in
significant numbers in the Diocese. Funds are
used in the training of immigration law
counselors who assist eligible, low-income
immigrants with the naturalization process. Some
of the benefits include family reunification,
voting rights, employment, ownership of
property, and self-sufficiency.
“The new immigrants of today face many
obstacles as they struggle to assimilate
language, culture, and religion, and to deal
with poverty and discrimination, in a culture
with which they are unfamiliar,” said Bishop
Joseph F. Martino. “The mission of CCHD is
accomplished in accordance with the mission
statement of our Diocese and with the social
teaching of the Catholic Church.”
For more information on the local Catholic
Campaign for Human Development, contact David
Clarke at 570-207-2213. |
Diocese to Celebrate World Day for Consecrated
Life |
The annual World Day for Consecrated
Life will be celebrated in the Diocese of
Scranton on Sunday, Feb. 4, with a 10 a.m.
Pontifical Mass in St. Peter’s Cathedral.
Bishop Joseph F. Martino will serve as the
principal celebrant and homilist. The theme for
this year’s celebration is: “Becoming Followers
of Jesus.”
All women and men Religious and members of
various forms of consecrated life have been
invited to this special event, during which
professed religious Sisters and priests who are
celebrating jubilee anniversaries will be
honored.
A reception following the Eucharistic
celebration will be held at nearby Bishop Hannan
High School.
The Scranton Diocese views the occasion as
an opportunity to educate Catholics about the
consecrated life, and to note the many
contributions to the Church by men and women
religious and members of secular institutes.
“The women and men who are living out their
vocations in the consecrated life are extremely
important to the Church and this Diocese,” said
Msgr. William J. Feldcamp, V.E., Episcopal Vicar
for Consecrated Life. “They deserve our
recognition, gratitude and prayers for their
continued faithful service.”
Those men and women serving in religious
orders and ministering in the Scranton Diocese
are marking their jubilees of ordination or
profession of vows of poverty, chastity and
obedience. |
Reminder on Charter Compliance 2007 |
Gail Fromm, Diocesan compliance
officer, reminds all parishes, schools and
institutions about their responsibilities
regarding 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.
Representatives from the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops will be
scheduling the Diocese’s annual compliance audit
within the next few months.
Mrs. Fromm asks pastors and others to
review their VIRTUS Compliance Binder and make
sure that it is current. The contents should
include a Pennsylvania Criminal Background Check
(Act 34) and a Pennsylvania Child Abuse History
Clearance (Act 151) for all employees in
parishes and schools, as well as volunteers who
spend 20 or more hours per year with children.
The Pennsylvania clearances are good for three
years, so some individuals may need to be
updated. Copies of applications with attached
money orders from 2005 need to be replaced with
a copy of the clearance.
For detailed instructions and to download
forms, please go to www.dioceseofscranton.org,
click on Departments and Resources, then click
on Compliance Officer.
Pastors are also asked to remember to fax
in to the Compliance Office a signed copy of the
Safe Environment Verification which was in the
January pastor’s mailing.
Mrs. Fromm is making appointments to visit
all the parishes to assist with this process and
to answer questions. She can also be contacted
at 877-5965. |
Deaf Association Interpreted Mass |
| The Northeastern Pennsylvania Catholic
Deaf Association will gather for an interpreted
Mass on Feb. 11 at St. Joseph’s Oblate Seminary,
1880 Highway 315, Laflin. Religious information
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. 1100 –– voice/tdd). |
Ash Wednesday Day of Reflection |
| “Exploring the Discipleship of the
Heart,” an Ash Wednesday Day of Reflection, will
be held on Feb. 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
at Our Lady of Fatima Renewal Center, Dalton.
The guest presenter is Jesuit Father Louis
Bonacci, coordinator of Spiritual Direction for
Priests and Permanent Deacons in the Scranton
Diocese, who will speak on the disciplines of
Spiritual Formation and the New Evangelization.
Mass will be celebrated, with the distribution
of ashes; opportunity for the Sacrament of
Reconciliation and reflective prayer. Fee: $25
(includes lunch). To register, call Fatima
Center at 563-8500. |
Form 1099 Reminder |
| With the completion of 2006 parishes
are reminded that form 1099 should be issued to
any non-employee or unincorporated business that
receives $600.00 or more from the parish for
services rendered. This includes amounts paid to
priests for Mass Stipends and Mass Fees. Mass
Fees are payments made when extra priest
services are required. Both Mass Stipends and
Mass Fees are earnings subject to Federal income
tax and Social Security tax.
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