Month: January 2023

SCRANTON — Faithful throughout the Diocese of Scranton will join with members of various Christian congregations of northeastern Pennsylvania for an Ecumenical Celebration of the Word of God on Thursday, Jan. 19, at 12:10 p.m. in the Cathedral of Saint Peter.

The event highlights the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity — celebrated each January since its inception in 1908 — which will be observed this year during Jan. 18-25.

The theme for the 2023 celebration is: “Do Good; Seek Justice.” (Isaiah 1:17)

Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will serve as leader of prayer for the traditional ecumenical prayer service. Past chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, Bishop Bambera was elected to reprise the role during the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops fall general assembly when he was voted chairman-elect of the interfaith arm of the Bishops’ Conference.

Guest homilist for this year’s prayer service is Protodeacon Sergei Kapral of the Orthodox Church in America. Well known for his involvement in ecumenical relations, Protodeacon Kapral attended the renowned Bossey Ecumenical Institute in Switzerland and holds membership in numerous organizations promoting ecumenism and concern for the environment.

Students from Holy Rosary School in Duryea will provide the music for the religious gathering, under the direction of David Tighe.

All faithful are welcome to attend the Jan. 19 Ecumenical Prayer Service at the Scranton Cathedral, as well as encouraged to participate in local Christian unity events throughout the weeklong observance.

The prayer service will be broadcast live at 12:10 p.m. on CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton. It will also be made available on the Scranton Diocese website and across all diocesan social media platforms.

As the universal Catholic Church, including local dioceses, immerses itself deeply into the call for a new evangelization proclaimed by Pope Francis through the 2023 Synod on Synodality, both ecumenism and interreligious dialogue have been given prominence in the discussion.

The Vademecum for the Synod on Synodality, the Official Handbook for Listening and Discernment in Local Churches, it is stated: “The dialogue between Christians of different confessions, united by one baptism, has a special place in the synodal journey.”

According to Monsignor Vince Grimalia, Diocesan Coordinator for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity provides not only an opportunity for prayer for Christianity, but a time to learn more about various Christian churches and communities while offering motivation and commitment for participation in ecumenical activities.

“It is an opportunity to renew and re-energize our commitment to Christian unity,” Monsignor Grimalia said. “In a world with so much disunity, there is a need to overcome divisions and polarization and work to get nations and various ethnic, cultural and language groups to work together.”

In accord with such strong beliefs for religious unity, the United Nations since 2010 has celebrated the first week of February as “World Interfaith Harmony Week.”

During the annual observance, an “International Day of Human Fraternity” has been designated by the U.N. for Feb. 4 to promote harmony between all peoples, regardless of their religious traditions.

SCRANTON – Just hours before the annual March for Life is expected to take place in Washington, D.C., the faithful of the Diocese of Scranton will join together for a Mass for Life at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will serve as principal celebrant and homilist at the Mass, which is being celebrated for a greater respect of all human life, from conception to natural death, and every moment in between.

Even with Roe v. Wade being overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022, which allows more freedom at the state level to enact pro-life laws, the necessary work to build a culture of life in the United States is not finished. Sadly, the number of abortions annually is still well over 900,000 each year, and that number is only expected to decrease by roughly 200,000 each year in a post-Roe America.

While some pro-life supporters from parishes and organizations in the Diocese of Scranton will be joining the March for Life in Washington on Friday, others are expected to attend Thursday’s Mass as a way to pray that every life is celebrated, valued and protected.

People attending the Vigil Mass for Life are encouraged to bring a new pack of diapers to be donated to either Saint Joseph’s Center Baby and Children’s Pantry or Shepherd’s Maternity House, a facility in East Stroudsburg run by Catholic Social Services that provides educational, emotional and material support to expectant mothers.

My Dear Friends,

In 1973, the United States Supreme Court issued its infamous Roe v. Wade decision, legalizing abortion throughout our land. For 50 years, committed Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, those of other faith traditions and some with no religious affiliation have labored, marched and prayed to overturn this decision in an effort to protect the lives of the most vulnerable among us – unborn infants in the womb. On June 24, 2022, just seven months ago, these noble efforts of so many bore fruit as the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in its Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision.

This year has given us all hope. Yet, brothers and sisters, for as encouraging as the past year has been, more than ever, we need to cling to this hope! For the task that we have engaged to build a culture of life in our land remains unfinished.

On Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, marchers from throughout our country will converge on our nation’s capital for the 50th annual March for Life. This year, however, rather than marching to the steps of the Supreme Court, where marchers have gone for decades to ask our highest Court’s Justices to overturn Roe v. Wade, participants will march to a new front in our battle for life: the steps of the United States Capitol.

The theme for this year’s march is Next Steps: Marching in a Post-Roe America. It reminds us of the shift and expansion of the focus of our cause that has occurred since the justices overturned Roe. It is not only incumbent upon us who treasure life to advocate for federal pro-life policies. Now, we must work for the establishment of life-saving protections for the unborn in our state legislatures as well. Given this new landscape in our work to preserve and cherish life, I was honored to join with so many of you from throughout our 11 counties in Harrisburg this past September – close to 6,000 pro-life Pennsylvanians in all – for the first state march since Roe was overturned.

Sadly, for all of the strides that have recently been achieved, the tension that is present in our land following the Supreme Court’s decision is palpable. As such, it is vital that we not only continue our advocacy efforts in Pennsylvania and throughout our country, but that we especially continue to support mothers in need as an integral component of our next steps in building a culture of respect for all of human life.

We need to acknowledge with humility that the Church not only advocates for life in the womb but also works tirelessly to support life in all its forms from conception to natural death. In addition to serving the countless numbers of suffering lives that make their way into our midst, the Church in the United States and right here in our own diocese has developed scores of ministries dedicated to helping mothers facing challenging pregnancies and those who may struggle to care for their children after they are born. Through pregnancy care centers and parish-based ministries such as Walking with Moms in Need – to Shepherds Maternity House in East Stroudsburg that provides a safe home and assistance for pregnant woman and mothers and their newborn babies – to ministries like Project Rachel that offer hope, healing and spiritual renewal to women and couples who suffer after participating in abortion, our Church continues to offer a way forward to those who seek to live the Gospel of Life.

Yet, my friends, remember always that we engage this noble cause not for political reasons but as people of faith. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who recently passed to his eternal reward, reminded all of us of what is foundational to the cause that we have engaged. “God’s love does not differentiate between the newly conceived infant still in his or her mother’s womb and the child or young person, or the adult and the elderly person. God does not distinguish between them because he sees an impression of his own image and likeness (Gn 1:26) in each one. … Life is the first good received from God and is fundamental to all others; to guarantee the right to life for all and in an equal manner for all is the duty upon which the future of humanity depends.”

Simply put, if we desire to live our lives as Christians with authenticity, we have no choice but to proclaim the sanctity of life. We cannot merely speak of our respect for human life or self-righteously criticize those whose beliefs may be different from our own. We must enliven our words with action. Yet, in the midst of all that we are charged to do as disciples of Jesus, his way must always be our way. We must engage a different kind of war – a different kind of battle – than that which has been engaged by many in our land, sadly on both sides of this cause. Jesus never addressed violence with violence. Nor can we! Recall the words of a contemporary prophet of non-violence, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

Brothers and sisters, ours is a noble cause rooted in faith and in the dignity of each human person – to bring to completion the unfinished work that has been engaged in our land for some 50 years so that the masterpiece of God’s creative work – the human person – will be respected and treasured from the moment of conception to its natural end. May we be guided by words of Pope Francis, as he challenges us to give witness to our faith, “Being Catholic entails a great responsibility … The Lord counts on you to spread the Gospel of Life.”

Faithfully yours in Christ,

 

Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L.
Bishop of Scranton

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – As the March for Life prepares to hold its 50th annual event later this month, the national organization is taking its first steps into a post-Roe landscape.

The March for Life first took place in Washington, D.C., in 1974 in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion nationwide the previous year. Pro-life advocates have gathered in Washington to march each year since then to protest the ruling, with a smaller-in-scale event during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

But the Supreme Court’s June 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that overturned Roe led some to question whether the national march would continue as a protest up Constitution Avenue ending at the high court itself.
Jeanne Mancini, March for Life president, told OSV News there was a “discernment process” about how the March would proceed, but it was clear they would continue the annual event.

“In a way, it was almost not a question because we have become the largest, longest running human rights demonstration worldwide,” Mancini said. “And the idea of shutting that down, while the human rights abuse of abortion is still sadly wildly rampant in the United States, just would make no sense.”

While the national event was tied to Roe, Mancini said, “the deeper foundation of the March for Life and its reason for being is to march in opposition to the human rights abuse of abortion and to witness to the beautiful, inherent dignity of unborn children and their mothers.”

While some changes were considered, Mancini said, such as potentially holding the March at a different time of year, March organizers “ultimately decided that we’re right where we should be, and we will continue to march in January.”

The 2023 March for Life’s theme is a nod to the pro-life movement’s new landscape: “Next Steps: Marching in a Post-Roe America.”

Speakers at the 2023 March for Life event, scheduled for Jan. 20, will include actor Jonathan Roumie, known for his role as Jesus in the biblical television drama “The Chosen,” as well as the musical group We Are Messengers.

Mancini said the March’s next steps include “the need to continue changing hearts and minds,” as well as enacting legislation and other advocacy work at both the state and the federal levels, and “increasing the safety net for families that are facing an unexpected pregnancy.”

“We really have our work cut out for us,” Mancini said.

The Dobbs ruling sent the issue of legal abortion back to the U.S. states to legislate upon – a possibility the March for Life prepared for prior to the Dobbs case by launching individual state marches. But abortion remains a national issue as well, Mancini said.

‘It’s not just a state issue, it’s both-and,” Mancini said, indicating the U.S. Congress’ and the White House’s roles in regulating abortion at the federal level.

This year’s March for Life underscores that point by physically switching its end point from the U.S. Supreme Court to the U.S. Capitol.

While pro-life leaders have hailed the Dobbs decision for overturning Roe, they have seen a series of ballot losses for the pro-life cause in its wake. During the Nov. 8 midterm elections, voters in five U.S. states with ballot measures concerning abortion either rejected moves to restrict abortion, or they voted to codify abortion access.

Winning hearts and minds, and the ballot box, requires making the case for pro-life policies with compassion, Mancini said.

HARRISBURG – The number of abortions in Pennsylvania rose during 2021, according to recent figures released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Statistics show 33,206 abortions took place in Pennsylvania in 2021, an increase of 1,083 abortions over the 2020 total of 32,123. Pennsylvania has been monitoring and reporting on abortion data since 1975.

In 2021, the largest age group having abortions was 25-29, accounting for 9,771 (29.4%). Individuals under age 20 accounted for 7.7 percent of all abortions and individuals under age 18 accounted for 2.1 percent. Comparatively, in 2020, individuals under age 20 accounted for 7.9 percent and individuals under age 18 accounted for 2.4 percent.

Similar to 2020, 92.9 percent of the abortions performed in 2021 were on Pennsylvania residents. Residents of other states, territories and other countries accounted for 2,352 abortions in 2021.

Of the abortions performed in 2021 in Pennsylvania, more than 92 percent were performed in nine counties: Allegheny, Bucks, Dauphin, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia and York.

In 2021, there were 322 reports of complications from abortions that were submitted by physicians; 34.7 percent more than the 239 reported in 2020.

“Every abortion is a tragedy, but the increase in the number of abortions in Pennsylvania is particularly disturbing,” Maria Gallagher, legislative director for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, the Keystone State affiliate of National Right to Life, said.

The Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation is a grassroots right-to-life organization with members statewide. The agency is committed to promoting the dignity and value of human life from conception to natural death and to restoring legal protection for preborn children.

“Imagine how many kindergarten classes the number 1,083 represents. We mourn the loss of these precious children, who never got the chance to see their mother’s face,” Gallagher added.

Induced Abortions Performed in Pennsylvania in 2021 by County:

Bradford: 7

Lackawanna: 479

Luzerne: 725

Lycoming: 145

Monroe: 385

Pike: 35

Sullivan: 7

Susquehanna: 18

Tioga: 2

Wayne: 47

Wyoming: 16

HAZLETON – The Hazleton Chapter of Pennsylvanians for Human Life will sponsor a bus trip to the annual March for Life on Friday, Jan. 20, in Washington D.C.

The details are as follows: 7 a.m. Mass at Saint Gabriel Church, 212 South Wyoming St., Hazleton, for those wishing to attend. The bus will leave from Saint Gabriel’s promptly at 7:30 a.m. Parking is available in the church parking lot.

The bus is expected to arrive at the National Mall in Washington between 11 and 11:30 a.m., where attendees will listen to the rally speakers. The March for Life begins at 1 p.m. Bus pickup for return home will be at 4:15 p.m. at the Indian Museum, located on Jefferson Drive SW between 3rd and 4th streets.

Cost is $50 for adults and $30 for students/children. Fee includes water and snacks on the bus and a buffet dinner stop at Mountain Gate Restaurant.

To reserve a seat, call Carol Matz at (570) 956-0817. Payment is needed to confirm all reservations. Payment may be mailed to: Pennsylvanians for Human Life, P.O. Box 83, Harleigh, PA 18225.

A limited amount of scholarships are available for anyone with financial hardship who wishes to attend.

Anyone wishing to participate but who may be physically unable to march is welcome to join the trip and spend the day in prayer at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

SCRANTON – Saint Francis of Assisi Kitchen in Scranton has begun the 45th annual Host-for-a-Day campaign to support its mission of providing a free daily meal and other services to needy men, women and children in the area.

For a donation of $100 or more, an individual, family, business, community organization or faith-based group can help to sponsor the day’s meal. Recognized sponsorships begin at the $500 contribution level.

In effect, each contributor becomes a “host” for a day. Contributors may then select a date on which they, or someone they designate or memorialize, will be recognized as the provider for that meal.

Financial contributions to the Kitchen also help to fund other programs such as a Client-Choice Food Pantry and Free Clothing Store, and weekly meals at parish locations and high-rise apartment buildings in Carbondale and Olyphant.

“These services benefit people of all ages, and the need is greater than ever,” Rob Williams, Kitchen Executive Director, said. He noted that in 2022 the Kitchen provided 75,000 nutritious meals.

In addition, the number of family servings in the Food Pantry grew from 300 to nearly 800 per month and there were more than 400 individual visits per month at the Free Clothing Store.

Mr. Williams announced that this year the Kitchen will launch a free mobile clothing trailer to bring clothing items to those in need in surrounding communities. Also, the weekly meal service currently provided in Olyphant and Carbondale will expand to Roaring Brook Township.

Dr. Tania Stoker, a member of the Kitchen’s Advisory Board, is chairing the 2023 Host-for-a-Day campaign and leading the effort with her fellow board members.

“Throughout the history of the Kitchen, we have received such generous support from the community and we are thankful that so many people recognize the need to help others. We are hopeful they will continue to participate in this campaign,” she said.

Past contributors to the campaign are receiving an appeal directly from the Kitchen through the mail or will be contacted by members of the Kitchen’s Advisory Board.

Anyone who does not receive an appeal through the mail can make a Host-for-a-Day gift by calling the Kitchen at (570) 342-5556 or sending a check to Saint Francis of Assisi Kitchen, 500 Penn Avenue, Scranton PA 18509. Donations can also be made online at stfranciskitchen.org or facebook.com/stfranciskitchen.

This year the celebration that concludes the campaign will return to an in-person gathering to be held at Fiorelli’s in Peckville on Wednesday, May 3, beginning at 6 p.m. Each contributor and a guest is invited to attend. RSVPs are required by April 3 to confirm attendance and an accurate meal count.

Those who would like to sponsor the reception are asked to call the Kitchen at (570) 342-5556.

LAFLIN — The Feast of the Holy Spouses will celebrated at the Oblates of Saint Joseph Chapel, Route 315, Laflin, on Sunday, Jan. 22, with a special Eucharistic liturgy at 3 p.m.

Guest celebrant and homilist for this year’s feast day Mass will be Father Jeffrey Tudgay, Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Scranton, who also serves as pastor of the Cathedral of Saint Peter.

The annual celebration of the Holy Spouses honors the spousal role of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, exalting the sanctity of marriage and family life within our modern world.

The special feast was approved by the Vatican for the Congregation for the Oblates of the Saint Joseph in 1989.

All faithful are invited to attend Holy Spouses celebration, which will conclude with a social.

For more information, contact the OSJ seminary office at (570) 654-7542.