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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Education In Faith, Discipleship And Witness |
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Two Native Sons to be Ordained Priests for
Diocese |
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Abortion Causes Mental Health Problems, Raises
Suicide Risk |
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Catholic Schools Nights at SWB Yankees |
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Mark Your Calendar |
Education In Faith, Discipleship And Witness |
Pope Benedict XVI inaugurated the
recent ecclesial congress of his own Diocese of
Rome. The congress theme was “Jesus is Lord,
educating in the faith, in discipleship and in
witness.”
In his address the pope pointed out that
the opening affirmation of “Jesus is Lord,”
provides “the tone and meaning for our congress.
... In Him, in fact, we discover the true face
of God, that which we truly need in order to
live.”
“Educating in the faith, in discipleship
and in witness means helping our fellow man, or
rather it means helping one another, to enter
into a living relationship with Christ and with
the Father.”
The Holy Father cited the great difficulty
encountered in transmitting the basic values of
existence and correct behavior to new
generations, a difficulty that involves both the
school and the family and, it could be said, all
other organizations with educational aims.
In this context, "the Church's commitment
to educate in the faith, in discipleship and in
witness to the Lord Jesus Christ takes on, as
never before, the additional value of being a
contribution to helping the society in which we
live escape from the educational crisis
afflicting it."
“A decisive contribution to Christian
education and formation comes ... from prayer
and our personal friendship with Jesus,” he
said. “Only those who know and love Jesus Christ
can introduce their brothers and sisters to a
living relationship with Him. ... Our
communities will be able to work fruitfully
towards education in the faith and discipleship
of Christ, if they themselves are authentic
schools of prayer.” |
Two Native Sons to be Ordained Priests for
Diocese |
Two young men who are native sons of
the Diocese of Scranton will be ordained as
priests for their home Diocese on Saturday, June
30, in St. Peter’s Cathedral.
Rev. Mr. Brian Joseph Clarke, 26, of
Ashley, and Rev. Mr. Gregory William Kelly, 27,
of Honesdale, will be conferred the Sacrament of
Holy Orders for service in the Diocesan
priesthood.
Bishop Joseph F. Martino will serve as
principal celebrant and ordaining prelate for
the 10 a.m. Ordination Mass in St. Peter’s.
Catholic Television (CTV) of the Diocese will
broadcast the morning ceremony live.
Rev. Mr. Clarke is a parish son of St. Leo
Church, Ashley, and Rev. Mr. Kelly is a native
of St. John the Evangelist Church, Honesdale.
Both ordinandi recently completed their
preparatory studies for ordination at St.
Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, the
seminary of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
On the day following their ordination —
July 1 — the new Diocesan priests plan to
celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving at their home
parish. |
Abortion Causes Mental Health Problems, Raises
Suicide Risk |
Doctors in England testifying before
the British House of Commons said abortion is a
serious risk to a woman's mental health and can
make her six times more likely to consider
committing suicide. According to LifeNews.com,
the doctors cited medical studies backing up
their assertions as they commented on a bill to
make the information available to women.
Dr. Trevor Stammers, who practices at St.
George’s University of London and teaches
medicine there, said he supported the measure to
make women aware of the risks and dangers
associated with abortion. He said that in 26
years of medical practice, all of which come
after Britain legalized abortion in 1967, he has
seen numerous women come to him with physical or
mental health problems resulting from their
abortion.
Dr. Robert Balfour, a consultant
gynecologist, pointed to a study of 5,000 women
in Finland conducted between 1987 and 2000
showing that those who had an abortion after an
unplanned pregnancy were six times more likely
to commit suicide than women who carried their
baby to term.
Also last year, a university researcher in
New Zealand conducted an extensive study on
thousands of women and found that 40 percent of
those who have abortions suffer from mental
health problems following an abortion. Those
problems included depression, addictions to
alcohol or drugs, sleep disorders, thoughts of
suicide and the problems were much greater than
those faced by women who had miscarries or
carried their pregnancy to term. |
Catholic Schools Nights at SWB Yankees |
The Diocese of Scranton’s Catholic
Schools are teaming up with the
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees to celebrate two
Family Nights at PNC Park in Moosic. The games
are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 17, and
Saturday, Aug. 18. All tickets will come with a
complimentary Yankee hat valued at $22.
Before the games all students are invited
to participate in programs on the field, where
they can greet the players, coaches and mascot.
Some students will be chosen to participate in a
skit in between innings of the games. A selected
student from the Diocese is also throwing out
the first pitch. Fireworks will follow each
game.
Tickets are still available to members of
diocesan schools, parishes and CCD
organizations. For information and to order
tickets, contact Kevin M. Haggerty at 877-5968. |
Mark Your Calendar |
Natural Family Planning Course –– series
of classes begins on July 3 at 7 p.m. at St.
Matthew Parish Center, East Stroudsburg. Course
instruction in the sympto-thermal method by an
NFP instructor approved by the Diocese of
Scranton. For more information/registration,
call 420-1319. Pre-registration required as soon
as possible.
Day of Reflection for Religious Sisters, July
17 –– 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Fatima
Renewal Center, Dalton. Guest presenter: Father
Paul A. McDonnell, OSJ, of St. Joseph’s Oblate
Seminary, Laflin. The day will offer those in
the consecrated life time and reflection to
appreciate more deeply their special call to
holiness through prayer, the evangelical
counsels, the charism of their congregations,
and their special service to the Church as women
Religious. 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.
Support Group for Separated, Divorced &
Widowed Persons, July 20 –– 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.
Day of Reflection: “The Emotional, Physical &
Spiritual Effects of Grief/Loss,” July 21 ––
10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Fatima Renewal Center,
Dalton. Guest presenter: Mercy Sister Jane
O’Donnell. Two-hour session will note the
effects of grief on the whole person, and
explain how one moves toward healing and new
life. Fee: $15, includes lunch. To register,
call 563-8500 or e-mail: Fatima@dioceseofscranton.org.
Retrouvaille Weekend, Oct. 12-14 –– at
Fatima Renewal Center, Dalton. Sponsored by the
Diocesan Office for Parish Life/Family Life, the
weekend program is designed for couples to
address marital difficulties. Retrouvaille helps
couples to communicate better, using a method
that can aid in building a loving and lasting
relationship. Call 655-1916 or 800-470-2230 for
confidential information/registration, or visit
the Diocesan Web site: www.dioceseofscranton.org/marriage
& family support/marriage enrichment.
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