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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Strong Societies Are Built on Strong Families |
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Diocese Will Observe Respect Life Sunday Oct. 7 |
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Be Wary of Internet Predators |
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Teachers’ Institute Will Be Held Monday |
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Diocesan Youth Retreat Set for Oct. 5-7 in
Dalton |
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Enthronement Guild to Host Conference |
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Mark Your Calendar |
Strong Societies Are Built on Strong Families |
Pope Benedict XVI, in a recent address,
emphasized the importance of the family and
marriage as its foundation.
“The family is the nucleus in which a
person first learns human love and cultivates
the virtues of responsibility, generosity and
fraternal concern,” he said. “Strong families
are built on the foundation of strong marriages.
Strong societies are built on the foundation of
strong families. Indeed, all civic communities
should do what they can to promote economic and
social policies that aid young married couples
and facilitate their desire to raise a family.”
The Holy Father said governments and
society should not be indifferent to marriage.
“The State must acknowledge, respect and support
this venerable institution as the stable union
between a man and a woman who willingly embrace
a life-long commitment of love and fidelity,” he
noted. |
Diocese Will Observe Respect Life Sunday Oct. 7 |
The Diocese of Scranton will observe
Respect Life Sunday with the celebration of the
Respect Life Sunday Mass (formerly the Rose
Mass) on Sunday, Oct. 7, at 10 a.m. in St.
Peter’s Cathedral, Scranton.
The public is invited to attend. The Mass
will also air live on CTV: Catholic Television.
Auxiliary Bishop John M. Dougherty will be
the principal celebrant and homilist. Students
from area Catholic schools and religious
education programs will serve in various
ministry roles.
The Respect Life Sunday Mass highlights the
Catholic Church’s respect for the sanctity and
dignity of life from conception to natural
death. It celebrates the life of the unborn,
persons with disabilities, the deaf, the ill,
and those in the last stages of earthly life. It
reminds us of the alternatives to abortion by
honoring those who have chosen adoption. The
liturgy is also offered for victims of abortion,
euthanasia, and the death penalty.
The Mass will provide an opportunity to
raise awareness about issues which the Church
vigorously opposes including embryonic stem cell
research, abortion, capital punishment, and
euthanasia.
Youth and young adults are encouraged to
attend this liturgy. The Mass will provide an
opportunity to foster and develop a sense of the
mission to uphold the sanctity and dignity of
human life, and to renew the Church’s commitment
to build a culture of life. |
Be Wary of Internet Predators |
Gail Fromm, Diocesan compliance
officer, cautions everyone that sexual predators
are using the internet to solicit potential
victims.
“The use of the computer and specifically
the internet has broadened and enriched our
lives tremendously. Of course, as with all good
things there are people who will abuse it for
their own gain,” she said. “Some of the new and
interesting ways our youth communicate on the
internet are easy targets for the offender to
gain access to children. Parents need to be
aware that sexual predators are online every day
searching for their prey (your innocent
children).”
Mrs. Fromm, who oversees compliance with
the U.S. Bishops’ Charter for the Protection
of Children and Young People, suggests ways
for parents to be vigilant regarding their
children’s use of the internet:
* Always keep the computer in a common room
where you can see it and what your child is
viewing.
* Talk to your child about this issue. Make sure
they are aware that not everyone is honest about
what they say or post on the internet.
* Place parental controls on your internet
provider system so kids won’t be exposed to
inappropriate content.
* Set specific internet ground rules for both
your own home and when your child is away from
home.
* Make sure your child understands that meeting
someone in person that he/she has met on the
internet must be with your permission and never
kept a secret.
“Our goal is to keep our children safe. The
best way to do that is to communicate with your
child about the good and the bad of using the
internet,” Mrs. Fromm said.
For more comprehensive information on
internet predators, go to
www.kidsafecyberspace.com or
www.virtusonline.org. |
Teachers’ Institute Will Be Held Monday |
The Annual Diocesan Teachers’ Institute
will be held this Monday, Sept. 17, at Holy
Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre.
Sister Clare Fitzgerald of the School
Sisters of Notre Dame will be the keynote
speaker. Her talk will focus on “Catholic
Education: Changes and Challenges of the 21st
Century.”
Bishop Joseph F. Martino will celebrate
Mass at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception
Church. All priests of the Diocese have been
invited to concelebrate.
Teachers who have served the Catholic
schools for 25 years will receive the Pope John
Paul II Award. The Principal of the Year will
also be named.
For more information, call the Catholic
Schools Office at 207-2251. |
Diocesan Youth Retreat Set for Oct. 5-7 in
Dalton |
The Diocesan Office for Parish Life is
sponsoring a Youth Retreat at Fatima Renewal
Center, Dalton, Oct. 5-7.
The Capuchin Sisters of Nazareth, known for
their retreat work across the country, will
conduct the three-day spiritual retreat.
The program will consist of several
conferences interspersed with times for communal
prayer, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the
availability of the Sacrament of Reconciliation
and the daily celebration of the Mass.
Parish religious education programs and
Catholic schools are encouraged to disseminate
information to the young people in their
programs about the event.
Janet Benestad, Diocesan Secretary for
Parish Life and Evangelization, expressed
confidence that young people who participate in
the retreat will find spiritual and personal
enrichment, and she cited the words of Pope
Benedict XVI: “Young people…Christ shows us the
way to great things, to what is good towards an
authentic human life.”
“Our young people crave for authenticity
and they have a profound sense of who Christ
is,” Mrs. Benestad said. “We need to nourish and
support them in their efforts to live the
Christian life. This retreat will give them that
opportunity.”
To register or obtain further information,
contact Sarah Mountain, director of youth and
young adults, at 570-563-8500. For information
on financial assistance, call Mrs. Benestad at
570-207-2213, ext. 1029. |
Enthronement Guild to Host Conference |
A Day of Reflection co-sponsored by the
Diocese of Scranton Enthronement of the Sacred
Heart Guild, the Men of the Sacred Heart and the
National Shrine of the Sacred Heart will be held
at the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart in
Harleigh on Saturday, Sept. 29.
The day will begin with Mass at 10 a.m. in
the Church. Talks will be given by Father Paul
Kelly, SCJ, of the Priests of the Sacred Heart
in Wisconsin, and Raymond de Souza, director of
the New Evangelization Office of the national
Shrine of the Sacred Heart. Father Kelly’s talk
is entitled “The Heart of the Matter: Living Out
Our Devotion to the Sacred Heart.” and Mr. de
Souza will speak on “The Twelve Promises of the
Sacred Heart.”
Father Daniel Toomey, pastor of St. Frances
X. Cabrini Parish in Carverton and chaplain at
College Misericordia, serves as spiritual
moderator of the Enthronement Guild. He will
celebrate the Mass and ending Benediction. The
Day of Reflection will conclude at 3 pm.
Registration is open to all who are
interested in spending a day in prayerful
fellowship and learning more about the
spirituality of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The
cost for the conference is $25 and includes a
buffet lunch. Bus transportation will be
provided for an additional $10.
Further information is available by
contacting Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister
Celesta Sinisi, moderator of the Enthronement
Guild at 570-330-0248. |
Mark Your Calendar |
Support Group for Separated, Divorced &
Widowed Persons, Sept. 21 –– 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, Sept.
21-23 –– in Shillington (Reading) area.
Sponsored by the Diocesan Office for Parish
Life/Family Life, the program is an enrichment
experience that helps good marriages grow
stronger. For information & registration, call
Butch & Trudie at 1-800-787-7679, or visit the
Web site: www.wwme-nepa.org.
Married/Engaged Couples Workshop: “Forever
Yes: Communicating for a Lifelong Marriage,”
Sept. 22 –– 9 a.m. to 12 noon at St. Joseph
Parish Center, Minooka (Scranton). Communication
skills workshop for all married and engaged
couples, sponsored by the Diocesan Office for
Parish Life/Family Life, to help build marital
commitment. Registration fee: $35 per couple.
For more information/registration, call Parish
Life Office 207-2213 or visit the Diocesan Web
site: www.dioceseofscranton.org/Marriage Care.
Natural Family Planning Course –– series of
classes begins on Sept. 25 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.
Introduction to Sign Language, Oct. 9, 16,
23, 30 Tuesdays –– 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the
Diocesan Center, Scranton. Continuing Education
course focuses on becoming familiar with the
language of the Deaf and Deaf Culture. Sessions
include practice in finger-spelling,
vocabulary-building exercises and signing of
sentences and phrases. Presenter: Sister Mary
Beth Makuch, SSCM. Fee: $30. For more
information & registration, call 207-2213, ext.
1107.
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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