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.
Subscribe to News Briefing |
This Issue:
|
|
Church In Africa: Arise! |
|
Tell Congress: Remove Abortion Funding and
Mandates from Needed Health Care Reform |
|
Cardinal Rigali To Celebrate Red Mass Nov. 6 |
|
Consecrated Life Office Can Assist With Parish
Positions |
|
Ladies of Charity Recollection Day |
|
Charismatics Announce Fall Retreat |
|
Mark Your Calendar |
Church In Africa: Arise! |
Last Sunday Pope Benedict XVI presided
at a Eucharistic concelebration with Synod
Fathers to mark the closure of the Second
Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of
Bishops.
In his homily, the Holy Father noted that
"The Church that is in Africa, through her
pastors who have come from every country on the
continent, from Madagascar and from the other
islands, has welcomed the message of hope and
the light to walk along the road that leads to
the Kingdom of God. ... Faith in Jesus Christ –
when it is well understood and practiced –
guides mankind and nations to freedom in truth,
or, to use the three words of the Synod's theme,
to reconciliation, justice and peace.”
After then highlighting how the Church in
the world is "the community of reconciled
persons, workers for peace and justice", the
Holy Father made it clear that "for this reason
the Synod has forcefully re-emphasised – and
expressed – that the Church is the Family of
God, in which there can be no ethnic, linguistic
or cultural divisions. ... The reconciled Church
is a powerful leaven of reconciliation in single
countries and in the whole African continent.”
Pope Benedict encouraged the Church in
Africa to arise. "Start down the road of new
evangelization with the courage that comes from
the Holy Spirit," he said. "The urgent
evangelizing action that has been much discussed
in these weeks also carries with it a pressing
call to reconciliation, the indispensable
condition for creating in Africa relationships
of justice among mankind and for building an
equitable and lasting peace while respecting
every individual and every people: a peace that
needs and opens up to the contribution of all
persons of good will beyond the respective
religious, ethnic, linguistic, cultural and
social affiliations.”
The Holy Father concluded his homily by
calling on pastors of the Church in Africa, when
they return to their communities, to "transmit
to everyone the call that so often resounded in
this Synod, of reconciliation, justice and
peace." |
Tell Congress: Remove Abortion Funding and
Mandates from Needed Health Care Reform |
Congress is preparing to debate health
care reform legislation on the House and Senate
floors. Genuine health care reform should
protect the life and dignity of all people from
the moment of conception until natural death.
The U.S. bishops’ conference has concluded that
all committee-approved bills are seriously
deficient on the issues of abortion and
conscience, and do not provide adequate access
to health care for immigrants and the poor. The
bills will have to change or the bishops have
pledged to oppose them.
Our nation is at a crossroads. Policies
adopted in health care reform will have an
impact for good or ill for years to come. None
of the bills retains longstanding current
policies against abortion funding or abortion
coverage mandates, and none fully protects
conscience rights in health care.
As the U.S. bishops’ letter of October 8
states: “No one should be required to pay for or
participate in abortion. It is essential that
the legislation clearly apply to this new
program longstanding and widely supported
federal restrictions on abortion funding and
mandates, and protections for rights of
conscience. No current bill meets this test…. If
acceptable language in these areas cannot be
found, we will have to oppose the health care
bill vigorously.” (For the full text of this
letter and more information on proposed
legislation and the bishops’ advocacy for
authentic health care reform, visit:
www.usccb.org/healthcare)
Congressional leaders are attempting to put
together final bills for floor consideration.
Please contact your Representative and Senators
today and urge them to fix these bills with the
pro-life amendments noted below. Otherwise much
needed health care reform will have to be
opposed. Health care reform should be about
saving lives, not destroying them.
ACTION: Contact Members through e-mail,
phone calls or FAX letters.
* To send a pre-written, instant e-mail to
Congress go to www.usccb.org/action.
* Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at:
202-224-3121, or call your Members’ local
offices.
* Full contact info can be found on Members’ web
sites at www.house.gov & www.senate.gov.
MESSAGE to SENATE:
“During floor debate on the health care reform
bill, please support an amendment to incorporate
longstanding policies against abortion funding
and in favor of conscience rights. If these
serious concerns are not addressed, the final
bill should be opposed.”
MESSAGE to HOUSE:
“Please support the Stupak Amendment that
addresses essential pro-life concerns on
abortion funding and conscience rights in the
health care reform bill. Help ensure that the
Rule for the bill allows a vote on this
amendment. If these serious concerns are not
addressed, the final bill should be opposed.”
WHEN: Both House and Senate are preparing
for floor votes now. Act today! Thank
you! |
Cardinal Rigali To Celebrate Red Mass Nov. 6 |
Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of
Philadelphia and Apostolic Administrator of the
Diocese of Scranton, will be the principal
celebrant and homilist for the Red Mass on
Friday, Nov. 6, at 12:10 p.m. at St. Peter’s
Cathedral in Scranton.
Historically, the Red Mass is attended by
judges, lawyers and legislators for the purpose
of invoking God’s blessing and guidance in the
administration of justice. Its traditional name
is derived from the color of vestments worn by
the celebrants of the Mass, symbolizing the
tongues of fire which indicate the presence of
the Holy Spirit. Moreover, the robes of the
attending royal judges were, in ancient days,
bright scarlet.
The tradition of the Red Mass originated
many centuries ago in Rome, Paris and London.
This beautiful ceremony has officially opened
the judicial year of the Sacred Roman Rota, the
Tribunal of the Holy See. In recent decades, the
judicial year of the United States Supreme Court
has begun with the Red Mass.
For the Diocese of Scranton’s Red Mass,
members of the 11 county bar associations and
the Diocesan Tribunal staff are invited to
participate. Concelebrants will include priests
who have earned a degree in Canon Law.
Music will be provided by a combined choir
from Holy Cross High School, Dunmore, and Holy
Redeemer High School, Wilkes-Barre.
The Red Mass Committee is comprised of
judges and lawyers from the Lackawanna and
Luzerne county bar associations.
CTV: Catholic Television will broadcast the
Red Mass live and air a rebroadcast that evening
at 7 p.m. |
Consecrated Life Office Can Assist With Parish
Positions |
The Office for Consecrated Life
welcomes the opportunity to connect members of
religious communities residing in the Diocese
who are available to fill ministerial/pastoral
positions in parishes with pastors searching to
fill such positions, especially as these
opportunities/necessities arise during the
implementation of Called to Holiness and
Mission.
Pastors and members of religious
communities are encouraged, therefore, to
contact the Office of Consecrated Life and
provide either a general description of the
position to be filled in the parish, or the
professional qualifications of an applicant for
ministerial/pastoral work in order that the
Office of Consecrated Life can assist in meeting
these needs. |
Ladies of Charity Recollection Day |
The Ladies of Charity organization in
the Diocese of Scranton will hold its annual Day
of Recollection on Saturday, Nov. 7, on the
campus of King’s College in Wilkes-Barre.
The day will begin in the King’s Chapel at
9:30 a.m., with a talk by Father Gregory
Loughney scheduled for 10 a.m. An opportunity
for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and private
prayer will follow.
The day’s Eucharistic celebration will be
offered by Monsignor Joseph Kelly, followed by a
luncheon in the King’s Sheehy/Farmer Campus
Center Building. The program will also include a
collection basket for pro-life donations.
Cost for the luncheon is $17 per person,
and reservations are required by Nov. 3. Checks
should be made payable to “Ladies of Charity”
and mailed to President Evelyn Raitter, 33 Oak
Drive, Mountaintop, PA 18707. Ms. Raitter can be
contacted for further information at 474-5192. |
Charismatics Announce Fall Retreat |
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the
Diocese of Scranton will sponsor its Fall
weekend retreat from Friday, Nov. 13, to Sunday,
Nov. 15, at Fatima Renewal Center in Dalton.
The weekend program of teaching, praying
and fellowship will be led by retreat master
Father Celsus Auguiste, Episcopal Vicar and
Vicar for Evangelization for the Diocese of
Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica. A guest
speaker at the 2008 Charismatic Conference in
Scranton, Father Celsus is a renowned preacher
and retreat leader, whose preaching ministry is
based on biblical evidence that supports
Catholic teachings.
For more information and registration forms
for the Charismatic weekend, contact Alex
Orvieto at 676-3499. |
Mark Your Calendar |
Beginning Experience Weekend, Nov. 6-8 ––
at Fatima Renewal Center, Dalton. Sponsored by
the Diocesan Office for Parish Life/Family Life,
Beginning Experience support groups for
divorced, separated or widowed offer an
opportunity for healing one’s loss in a caring
atmosphere. Cost: $150, includes non-refundable
deposit. For more information and registration,
call Mary at 629-0651 or Ann 587-2851.
“Rachel’s Vineyard”: Post-Abortion Healing
Retreat –– Nov. 6-8. Confidential weekend
retreat facilitates spiritual and emotional
healing for men and women struggling with the
pain of abortion. Exercises based on Scripture
are designed to help participants experience
God’s mercy and compassion, and to reconcile
with their church, themselves and their child.
The retreat concludes with a Memorial Service
and Mass of Resurrection. Participation is
strictly confidential; financial assistance is
available. For more information, including
registration, contact Denise Rowinski at
822-7118, ext. 307 or drowinski@csswb.org.
Day of Reflection: “The Eucharist: Heart and
Life of the Church,” Nov. 7 –– 9:30 a.m. to
2:30 p.m. at Fatima Renewal Center, Dalton.
Guest presenter: Father Philip Altavilla, V.E.
This Day of Reflection will explore how the
Eucharist renews and strengthens the faithful’s
incorporation with the Church and how, as the
Mystical Body of Christ, they share the fruits
of the Eucharist with one another. Day includes
celebration of Mass and the Sacrament of
Reconciliation. Fee: $30, includes lunch. To
register, call 563-8500.
Northeastern Pennsylvania Catholic Deaf
Association Interpreted Mass, Nov. 8 –– at
St. Joseph’s Oblate Seminary, 1880 Highway 315,
Laflin. Bible study 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. 1013 –– voice/tdd.
|
|
