Month: December 2025

(OSV News) – People have a deep desire to return to their lives despite the dire and complex situation in Gaza following two years of war, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, said at an annual Christmas press conference on Dec. 22.

Straying from tradition, the patriarch did not read from a prepared statement but said he would rather “have a dialogue” with the journalists. Cardinal Pizzaballa had just returned from a weekend Christmas visit to the Holy Family Parish compound in Gaza together with the general vicar of the Archdiocese of Jerusalem, Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali, where they celebrated Mass with the parishioners Dec. 21.

The patriarch and his small delegation also toured the neighboring area including tents of displaced families along the seafront, the Al-Ahli (Baptist) Hospital, a medical clinic affiliated with the Union of Churches, the Caritas Gaza Office, a Catholic Relief Services aid distribution point and Al-Azhar University. They also visited St. Porphyrios Greek Orthodox Church, meeting with the parish priest as a sign of Christian unity.

“There is stress about returning to life after two years of war. The conflict is still there. All the problems are still there, of course,” he said. After having lived in survival mode for two years, members of the tiny Christian community – now numbering only some 500 people – are beginning to ask questions about the future, he said.

“What we felt is the desire to return to life. So they want to talk about the future, our community. They wanted to celebrate Christmas joyfully. And of course, at the same time also all the questions they put aside in these two years now are coming out. What about us? What about the future? What about children? Now all the questions, also maybe the tiredness, of these two years are coming out,” he said. “And the questions about the future are there and very concrete.”

While some members of the remaining Christian community are beginning to think of emigrating, they are still waiting to see how the situation unfolds, he said, noting that life is not always necessarily easier for immigrants in other countries. Nevertheless, he said, he did fear the number of Christians who remain in Gaza would be much fewer than there have been.

As always, he said, he learned from the community how they are able to be “joyful despite everything,” especially the children.

Following a tenuous ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, which has laid out a complicated roadmap of sorts for disarming Hamas and rebuilding the Gaza Strip, it is time to “look forward and not remain focused on the negative consequences of the war,” said Cardinal Pizzaballa.

Both sides accuse each other of breaking the fragile ceasefire, with Israel still waiting for the return of the body of Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage remaining in Gaza. For its part Hamas, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, says almost 400 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the truce began.

In response to a journalist’s question, the patriarch said he hopes the “Trump plan will continue.”

“We know that it’s not … that simple as people think, but it’s the only roadmap we have, so we have to continue with this,” he said. The patriarch acknowledged that there would be a lot of “difficulties” and “misunderstandings” regarding the disarmament of Hamas, one of Israel’s conditions for the ceasefire.

“I think the Arab countries and those who are in relations with Hamas should work a lot in order to convince them about this. We are convinced that Gaza needs to turn the page and to have a completely different future.”

Noting that the church does not enter directly into political questions, he emphasized its opposition to the use of violence.

“We saw the result it brought and we are against all of this concerning the future,” he said.

Cardinal Pizzaballa and Bishop Shomali described a landscape of destruction with buildings left in rubble, mountains of garbage, people living in tents and many children in the streets because of a lack of open educational frameworks. Hospitals face a critical shortage of medical supplies — especially antibiotics — and properly sterilized instruments in hospitals leading to preventable deaths, they said.

At the same time some shops and restaurants are reopening – though sometimes with nothing to offer – and universities are attempting to resume classes under precarious conditions, Cardinal Pizzaballa said.

While there is no longer famine in Gaza, and food is available — many people are not working and have no cash. United Nations organizations, CRS and the Latin Patriarchate among others have been providing assistance for the needy, said Cardinal Pizzaballa. Providing needed medicines, equipment and antibiotics will also be a priority, he said.

“Things are changing every day so it’s very difficult to foresee what is necessary to do, because once you decide one thing, in a week, things can change again,” he said. “We have to be very ready to see what is necessary and to be proactive. Our role as the church also is to facilitate, to create this network with other organizations in order to be there and to support as much as possible.”

He said from a human perspective it would be difficult to speak about hope at the moment, but Christmas is the celebration of the meaning of hope.

“Jesus … didn’t wait for the history to be perfect and the human situation to be favorable. He entered history as it was. This is also a lesson for us,” said Cardinal Pizzaballa. “But in this reality we cannot limit ourselves just to denounce, accuse and blame, but also (we must) be committed to rebuilding, becoming those who want to … rebuild from the human devastation.”

(OSV News) – Catholics in northwestern Nigeria are celebrating just days before Christmas, as the last group of students kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri has been freed.

Church officials confirmed that the remaining 130 students were released on Dec. 21, ending a monthlong ordeal that began when more than 300 pupils were abducted from the diocesan school in Niger State. The school is owned by the Diocese of Kontagora and run by the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles.

“We thank God for the release of the remaining abducted children and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement and efforts. May God grant lasting peace and security to our country and to the world at large,” said the sisters Nigeria, in a post on Facebook.

It is not clear who kidnapped the children from the Catholic school or if any ransom was paid to secure their release.

On Dec. 21, Father Jatau Luka Joseph, secretary of the diocese, confirmed the release, while thanking all those who contributed to the safe return of the victims, including the government of Nigeria, the Niger state government and security services.

“We also extend our sincere appreciation to the parents, guardians, clergy, religious communities, humanitarian organizations and the wider public for their prayers, support and solidarity throughout this challenging period,” said the priest in a statement.

“The Catholic diocese of Kontagora remains committed to the protection, welfare and safety of all pupils, students and staff and will continue to collaborate with all relevant authorities to ensure a secure and conducive learning environment.”

Nigeria’s federal government welcomed the release of the children, saying it marked a fitting end to the year and that not a single pupil was left in captivity.

“The federal government empathizes with the parents and guardians of the pupils for the agony the abduction has caused them, wishes them a pleasant family reunion, a good healing process, compliments of the season, and a Merry Christmas,” said Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s minister for information and national orientation.

In his Christmas message on Dec. 20, Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna of Kontagora, who is also chairman of Niger state’s Christian Association of Nigeria, said this year’s Christmas served as a poignant reminder of shared hope.

“Just as the 2025 theme, ‘Heaven’s Greatest Gifts,’ the best gift the church can expect this year is to receive our children and the teachers still in captivity before Christmas Day,” said Bishop Yohanna. “At these times of trial, where most parents can no longer sleep or eat, let us extend our love by continuing in prayers, because it is over four weeks now that the incident occurred,” he said just two days before all children were released.

His diocese is part of the Kaduna ecclesiastical province, a region which has recently become the epicenter of ethnic, religious and political violence. In the state by the same name, gangs kidnap and kill for ransom, rivaling Borno state, the homeland of the infamous Boko Haram terrorist group.

On Dec. 14, captors had released the first big group — 100 — of the students, including 14 secondary school students, one staff member, 80 primary school pupils and five nursery school children. At least 50 of the children had escaped from the captors in November, right after the kidnapping.

(OSV News) – The holidays are here, and the Savior comes – but for many, it will still be a blue Christmas, and possibly new year, too.

Why? They’ll be lonely.

In 2023, former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared loneliness in America an epidemic – and issued an 82-page report warning of its dangers to “individual and population health, community safety, resilience and prosperity.”

The report – “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation” – advised readers loneliness is “far more than just a bad feeling”; indeed, it warned “the mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.”

Failure to address loneliness, Murthy added, will come at a price: “We will continue to splinter and divide until we can no longer stand as a community or a country.”

Which raises at least two questions: What can the Catholic Church do about it? And how can lonely people connect at Christmas?

“Loneliness is not just an issue of the church. Loneliness is a cultural thing,” Marcel LeJeune – president and founder of Catholic Missionary Disciples in College Station, Texas – told OSV News. “And there’s no one reason that people are lonely; it can come from a multitude of issues or reasons. We see it in people that don’t have good relationships – that could be, they don’t have good friendships; their marriages are struggling; they can’t find community.”

It’s part of LeJeune’s job to build that community — to, as the name of his ministry implies, help churches forge disciples. But the state of societal trust poses a challenge.

“What’s happened in our world – especially in the United States – we’ve seen the breakdown of community institutions. So there’s just little trust put into the church right now,” he explained. “People don’t see the parish as a place where they can find meaningful relationships. And that’s an unfortunate reality. Can you still find meaningful relationships in a parish? Absolutely — but you’ve got to work at it.”

The reason for that, LeJeune said, is “our institutions aren’t set up, for the most part, to address the issue of loneliness. What we’re set up to do is to gather people for the sacraments, for events and for programs. There’s nothing that’s wrong with that — in fact, flowing out of that, you might find friendship; connection; relationships. But the issue is,” he added, “that unless we intentionally try to help make that happen, it probably won’t happen in those places.”

LeJeune is not, however, discouraged.

“I do believe that the loneliness people feel in this culture … is also the greatest opportunity for the church in the 21st century,” he shared. “Because if we address the loneliness people feel – and we offer an antidote through community and relationships that are meaningful – then guess what happens? You’ve earned that trust that’s necessary to build a relationship wherein evangelization and discipleship can take place.”

And the template for that?

“We’ve got to go beyond just the norm of the average parish, which is stuck in the status quo,” LeJeune emphasized. “If we go back to what the grassroots methodology of Jesus was, he didn’t run programs. He had very few events, and he didn’t teach a class — even though he taught. So, what did he do?” asked LeJeune. “He gathered people together, and did meaningful things. They would eat together. They would travel together. They would pray together, and they would have conversations about things that mattered.”

In 2024, the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s “Making Caring Common” project released a four-year investigation of the underlying causes of loneliness.

“Loneliness in America: Just the Tip of the Iceberg” found people between 30 and 44 years old were the loneliest, with 29% saying they were “frequently” or “always” lonely. For 18- to 29-year-olds, the rate was 24%; 45- to 64-year-olds, 20%; 65-plus, 10%.

Men and women experienced similar rates of loneliness, and neither race or ethnicity appeared to have a role (although those with more than one racial identity had levels of loneliness at 42%). Income was a factor — Americans earning less than $30,000 were the loneliest — but not education. Busy and tired people (62%) also obviously have less time with family (66%).

Kevin Vost – a Catholic psychologist and author of “The Catholic Guide to Loneliness: How Science and Faith Can Help Us Understand It, Grow from It, and Conquer It” (Sophia Institute Press) – died unexpectedly in 2023. But when his book was published in 2017, Vost was already alerting readers “the prevalence of loneliness seems to be escalating at an alarming rate in our time.”

On the Dec. 19, 2017, broadcast of “Divine Intimacy Radio” — a show heard on EWTN Catholic Radio Network — Vost explained, “People who are lonely for a long time become more like people with depression. And there’s quite an overlap, and they can become very negative. They tend to remember just negative personal experiences or losses in the past. They might be hesitant to reach out to others, or they might fear rejection.”

He added that psychologists try to turn that thinking around.

“The psychological techniques — the most effective found in studies — are the ones that focus on that perception, the way we think about the situation, because they found most adults already do have social skills,” noted Vost. “It’s just this distorted thinking that’s preventing them to reach out. So one of the most important components in dealing with a person who is distressed by a loneliness is to try to train them to think more realistically and rationally about their situation.”

Regina Boyd – founder of Heartspace Therapy Center in Lake Mary, Florida, a licensed mental health counselor, and author of “Leaving Loneliness Behind: 5 Keys to Experiencing God’s Love and Building Healthy Connections with Others” (Ave Maria Press) – told OSV News while everyone seems digitally connected at all times, it’s a different kind of bonding than in-person communication.

“Even though we have this ability to connect online and develop relationships — which is a beautiful gift of convenience — I think it also shortens experiences in a lot of ways,” Boyd suggested.

“One person that I spoke to recently made an observation about birthdays — they get less phone calls on their birthdays because it’s so much easier to just send a text. Whereas maybe 30 years ago, they were on the phone throughout the day receiving phone calls from people. In a way, we’re connected — but also disconnected.”

The 2024 Harvard Graduate School of Education study also reported 73% of those surveyed selected technology as contributing to loneliness.

And as to the melancholy so many experience at this time of the year, Boyd thinks she knows why.

“The holidays sort of amplify whatever we might be experiencing or going through. So if we’re feeling joyful, it feels brighter during the holidays, but also if we’re feeling lonely, it feels heavier,” she observed. “And we have the experience of social comparisons. We see all of these beautiful images on social media, talking about togetherness and happiness.”

Changed routines, Boyd added, also allow for reflection.

“Emotional needs are coming to the surface — when maybe in our typical routines, we can put those emotions aside, and push past them. And when there’s loss — missed family members; people who are no longer present — the holidays provide that opportunity for grief, and reminders of those relationships that have changed.”

Her recommendation?

“It comes down to intentionality,” advised Boyd. “Rather than us waiting for a magical moment to happen, we need to take some more control back, and make moments happen for ourselves. And so maybe we have some intentional activities planned each week, once a week — taking a walk with a friend; going to that local Bible study; going to the holiday gathering you might have typically skipped. Or creating smaller, more seemingly meaningless connections — that brief conversation with your co-worker; with the employee across the counter; with your neighbor — just taking extra time to have those brief moments of connection.”

And set realistic expectations for yourself, said Boyd.

“We put so much pressure on ourselves – and it’s OK to not have the picture perfect holiday to feel connected.”

(OSV News) – As Christmas approaches and “Silent Night” begins to fill churches and homes across the world, it is worth remembering how unlikely its beginning truly was.

The world’s most famous Christmas carol – “Stille Nacht” in German – was not born in a peaceful, picture-book setting. There was no postcard village, no soft snowfall, no glowing atmosphere. Instead, it emerged from a small Austrian town marked by war, hunger and deep uncertainty.

Oberndorf, a community north of Salzburg, had endured almost two decades of upheaval from the Napoleonic Wars. The eruption of Mount Tambora – an active stratovolcano in Indonesia – in 1815 caused massive climate disruption and famine in Europe.

“After visiting the museum, most visitors are shocked by the living conditions in which people lived back then,” Martina Knall, a representative of the Stille-Nacht-Museum, told OSV News.

“They go in expecting an idyllic world, but then realize that it was quite the opposite.”

The Salzach River, Knall explained, split the once-unified town into two parts: one Bavarian and one Austrian. And on Christmas Eve in 1818, in the former St. Nicholas Church, where Silent Night Chapel now stands, assistant priest Father Joseph Mohr and schoolteacher-organist Franz Xaver Gruber introduced a gentle carol that neither man could have imagined would become a global anthem — a simple song that would one day be sung in more than 300 languages.

Knall told OSV News that both Father Mohr and Gruber came from poverty, and that their lives would have looked very different had someone not recognized their musical gifts early on.

“Josef Mohr was one of four children born to an unmarried mother,” she said. A Salzburg cleric noticed his talent and “made it possible for him to receive higher education and enter the seminary.” Without that support, Knall explained, his life “would have been marked by poverty.”

Gruber’s path was similar. “He was the fifth child of linen weavers and was expected to learn his father’s trade,” Knall told OSV News. But a schoolteacher saw the boy’s musical ability, arranged proper lessons and eventually persuaded Gruber’s father to allow him to pursue teacher training.

“Both received a chance for a better social life in childhood,” Knall said – an opportunity “rare for children of their time.” Their experiences made them particularly sensitive to the suffering of the people around them, Knall explained.

Mohr wrote a poem about holy stillness – a night when God comes quietly into a troubled world. Gruber responded with a melody that matched the text’s simplicity and depth.

“The melody is simple but creates a feeling of warmth and safety,” Knall told OSV News. “The text speaks of rescue from distress, hope and love — themes that speak to everyone.”

Together, she said, “the words and melody complement each other perfectly and stay in memory.”

Father Thomas Kunnappallil, who became pastor of Oberndorf’s parish in September, told OSV News he sees this same connection between vulnerability and hope every time the carol is sung.

“For me as a priest, ‘Silent Night, Holy Night’ is far more than a festive Christmas song,” he said. “It leads back to the deep mystery that God does not appear in the splendor and noise of this world, but in the silence of a child who gives peace and hope.”

He recalled a moment from a past Christmas Eve Mass that has stayed with him for years. As he told OSV News, “When the congregation began to sing ‘Silent Night’ at the end of the liturgy, I felt the power of this song. People who had come with very different questions, worries and longings found a moment of inner peace together. A deep sense of community arose that went far beyond words.”

For him, the carol reveals that “God is especially close in the quiet, vulnerable moments – unnoticed but comforting; silent but full of strength.”

Knall added that many common stories about the carol’s origin do not match the historical record. One myth appears again and again: that the organ was broken, forcing Gruber to accompany the carol on a guitar. Knall told OSV News this is not supported by any evidence.

“The guitar would have had to be used for all the songs during the Mass,” Knall said. “A guitar was a ‘low’ instrument and not worthy of a solemn liturgy. And there are no records that the organ was damaged.”

According to Knall, the first performance likely took place in a more intimate way. She told OSV News that it was common in the region for the figure of the Christ Child to be placed on the altar during midnight Mass and later carried to the Nativity scene.

“It was probably sung at that moment, in front of the crib,” she said.

For Father Kunnappallil , the carol reveals something about God’s way of acting in troubled times. “In a time of global uncertainty, the message of ‘Silent Night’ seems astonishingly current,” he told OSV News. “It proclaims that in the midst of a vulnerable world, God comes as peace, not as power. The ‘night’ is real — but it does not have the last word. What changes the world begins in silence.”

Father Kunnappallil, who comes from India, told OSV News that the song speaks to something universal.

“‘Silent Night’ touches people because it expresses the universal longing for peace, hope and love in a simple but profound way,” he said. “The melody is gentle and calming, the words are plain but full of meaning. The message of this song speaks of the coming of God into the world, and that is a message every person in every culture and at every time can understand.”

Through the Child of Bethlehem, he said, “the great God makes himself very small and becomes one of us.”

“He takes on human form and shows solidarity with us,” the priest added. “In doing so, God not only reveals his great love for us, but also shows us the dignity we have as human beings. In the incarnation, God made us human children into children of God. He has united himself with each of us and shared his divine life with us. That is the wonderful thing about Christmas.”

Each year, thousands of people still come to Oberndorf to stand before the small Silent Night Chapel built on the site of the original church.

This Christmas will be Father Kunnappallil’s first time leading the Dec. 24 service there. As he told OSV News, “The celebration … connects people from the region and from around the world in a moment of peace and hope.”

Dear Friends in Christ,

In words echoed by Saint Matthew in his account of the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah sets the stage for God’s redemptive plan: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means God is with us.”

On January 6, 2026, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, will conclude the great Jubilee Year of Hope by closing the Holy Door in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. In Catholic tradition, the Holy Door represents the passage to salvation – the entryway to God’s mercy which was opened to humanity by the incarnation of Jesus – the ultimate and supreme act by which He comes to meet people. Traditionally, Popes have closed the Holy Door as they proclaimed, “Deus qui in omni loco” (“God is here, everywhere”).

These words, which reflect those of Isaiah and Matthew, are the essence of the mystery of faith that we embrace as Christians and the heart of all that we celebrate during Advent and Christmas. They are both the foundation for our hope as believers in Christ and the motivating force of discipleship: “God is here, everywhere.”

In his homily for the First Sunday of Advent, Pope Leo reflected on the reality of God’s abiding presence in our lives, upon the hope that is ours through the incarnation and the responsibility incumbent upon all believers to live in the spirit of Christ’s redemptive love.

The Holy Father said, “The fruits of God’s action in our lives are a gift not only for us, but for everyone … serving as a reminder that the joy of goodness is contagious … We find in them an invitation to renew the power of our own witness of faith. Saint John Chrysostom spoke of the allure of holiness as a sign more eloquent than many miracles. He said: ‘The miracle happens and passes, but the Christian life remains and continually edifies … Let us therefore watch over ourselves, so that we may also benefit others.’”

The Holy Father concluded, “If we truly want to help the people we meet, let us keep watch over ourselves by cultivating our faith with prayer and with the sacraments, living it consistently in charity, and casting off works of darkness and putting on the armor of light.”

Sadly, however, while we are quick to embrace the hope that we are given through the birth of Jesus, we are often reluctant to heed his invitation to authentic discipleship. We fail to make as our own the message of salvation proclaimed throughout the ages by the life, love, mercy, and forgiveness of Jesus. We’re reluctant to heed Jesus’ invitation to walk in his footsteps. We wonder why we are unsettled and peace in our lives, our homes and our world seem so elusive. We question why God can’t provide us with a way out of suffering and pain in Ukraine, in the Middle East, in Nigeria, at our borders, in the lives of our immigrant sisters and brothers, in our neighborhoods, in our families and in our hearts. And we miss the treasure that has been given to each of us through faith.

My friends, for all the upheaval that we confront in our lives, the good news and blessing of Christmas is that “God is here, everywhere.” He has already provided us a way forward with hope if we are wise and humble enough to trust in his presence, to embrace the message of salvation born in Bethlehem, and to walk with him as faithful disciples, making the pattern of his life our own for the sake of a broken world.

During these cherished days, may we give thanks for countless numbers of blessings. May we pray for peace in our world and in our hearts. And may we open our lives to the grace and mercy of God won for us through the child named Emmanuel – God with us!

With gratitude for the privilege of serving as your Bishop and with prayers for a holy and blessed Christmas for you, your family and all you hold dear, I am

Faithfully yours in Christ,

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

 

SCRANTON – The faithful of the Diocese of Scranton are invited to gather in thanksgiving and prayer as the Jubilee Year of Hope concludes with a Closing Mass on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at 12:15 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

The Closing Mass will mark the final diocesan celebration of the Jubilee Year of Hope, observed throughout 2025 by the Universal Church.

All are welcome to attend, with a special invitation extended to those who participated in Jubilee events during the year, including the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Rome in late August and September, the Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 1, 2025, and the many special Jubilee Masses and prayer opportunities held across the Diocese.

The Jubilee Year has been a time for Catholics to deepen their faith, encounter Christ more personally, and renew their commitment to live as “Pilgrims of Hope” in a world in need of healing and peace.

The Closing Mass on Dec. 28 will offer an opportunity for our Diocesan family to come together and give thanks for the spiritual fruits of the Holy Year.

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will serve as principal celebrant and homilist for the Closing Mass of the Jubilee Year.

Throughout the year, the Diocese of Scranton marked the Jubilee with opportunities for prayer, pilgrimage, and worship, encouraging the faithful to reflect on the hope found in Christ and to carry that hope into their families, parishes, and communities.

The Closing Mass will invite Catholics to continue living that message of hope, faith, and discipleship beyond the conclusion of the Holy Year.

For those unable to attend in person, CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton will provide live coverage of the Mass. A livestream will also be made available on the Diocesan website, YouTube channel and all Diocesan social media platforms.

SCRANTON – Please see the graphic below regarding Mass times (both local and from the Vatican) for Christmas 2025.

SCRANTON – Through the continued partnership of Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton and the Friends of the Poor and Catherine McAuley Center, roughly 5,000 children in the greater Scranton area will wake up with presents under the tree on Christmas morning.

On Tuesday, Dec. 16 and Wednesday, Dec. 17, the organizations hosted their annual ‘Gifts for Kids’ distribution at The University of Scranton.

Pre-registered families were invited to shop for toys for their children at the event – which takes hundreds of volunteers to put together each year. The gifts are all donated by parishes, schools, individiuals and businesses throughout the community.

CARBONDALE – The basement hall at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church transformed into Santa’s workshop on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, as Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton provided early holiday cheer for many families in the greater Carbondale area.

Catholic Social Services welcomed families from across Lackawanna County’s Upper Valley for its annual Gifts for Kids distribution, offering toys, winter clothing, books, games, and stocking stuffers to the families of 284 pre-registered children.

Parents were able to shop for two brand-new, unwrapped gifts for each child – and for many, the chance to choose something personal made all the difference.

“It’s joyful,” said CSS caseworker Christina Hoffman, who spent the day walking with parents as they selected gifts. “We’re making it a positive event. It is all about gift giving and being here to help one another throughout the holiday season.”

For parents like Nate Jones, who shopped for two children, the help is essential.

“I’m on a budget – I get SSI – so this helps me out a lot,” he said. “I know their personalities.”

Danielle Pevec of Carbondale was shopping for her young daughter.

“My daughter is very tall and finding clothes for her is a little difficult, so being able to shop that way was very helpful,” she said.

Pevec even spotted a family game – Pictionary – that struck the perfect chord.

“Every day, I ask her a ‘question of the day,’” she explained. “Last night, I asked, ‘What is something you’d like to learn with me?’ She said drawing. I caught Pictionary out of the corner of my eye, and that’s why I picked it. We’ll be able to draw together and have fun at the same time.”

Longtime volunteer Trish Smith, who dresses each year as the ‘Grinch’ for the toy distribution, said the day never loses its magic.

“The smiles, the people – it just brings joy,” she shared. “I love the music. I love the people. It is something that brings smiles and a little bit of happiness to people.”

Behind the scenes, the toy distribution takes months of planning.

Jolette Lyons, CSS Director of Lackawanna County Offices, noted that planning begins in April, with registration in the fall, and toy collections throughout the year.

“Everybody wants their kid to have a nice Christmas. Everybody wants toys under the Christmas tree for their children and so the opportunity to serve the community like this is really wonderful for us,” Lyons said.

For families who missed the registration deadline, CSS offered a second chance distribution on Wednesday, Dec. 10, ensuring that no child in Lackawanna County’s Upper Valley goes without presents on Christmas morning.

Catholic Social Services in Hazleton will also distribute toys to hundreds of children in that community from Dec. 20-23.

SCRANTON – Despite cold temperatures, dozens of people gathered at Cathedral Cemetery on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, for an annual event to honor the men and women who served our nation and now rest there.

Families, volunteers, and area veterans all participated in the 2025 Wreaths Across America ceremony this year.

“This is a magnificent event,” Mary Alice Fenwick, location coordinator for the Cathedral Cemetery’s Wreaths Across America event, said. “This is our fifth year doing the event here. We are blessed to be able to try to pay tribute to the men and women who gave everything for us.”

The Fenwick family has helped to coordinate the Wreaths Across America effort each year at Cathedral Cemetery. Mary Alice Fenwick, along with her daughter Megan and granddaughter Molly.

“We were truly blessed to have this many people come out this year. We were fortunate to have so many wreaths. We have wonderful, generous donors,” Mary Alice added.

Wreaths Across America, which began in 1992 in Maine, has grown into a nationwide effort held annually each December. Its mission is simple but profound: to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and teach future generations the value of freedom.

“We have approximately 15,000 veterans that are interred in this cemetery, and every year, I feel like it gets a little bit bigger,” Megan Fenwick added. “The Northeast PA Marine Corps League comes every year for us. They are able to do the 21-gun salute and do the colors.”

This year’s ceremony began early, with volunteers setting up the City of Scranton show mobile and preparing for the formal program. Members of the Catholic community were joined by local organizations, including Girl Scouts, union members, and veterans’ groups, all united in a shared purpose.

At the heart of the ceremony itself is a simple but powerful act repeated thousands of times nationwide: laying a wreath on a veteran’s grave and speaking his/her name aloud.

“It is a great way to honor our veterans, especially at this time during the Christmas season,” donor Alice McDermott said. “My dad was a veteran. It’s emotional not having him here with us, but it gives us a time to stop and think about what they did for our country and the freedoms they gave us.”

McDermott, a parishioner at nearby Mary, Mother of God Parish, said she sees the event resonate strongly with children who participate.

“They don’t even know half of these people that they’re laying wreaths on – but they thank them,” she added. “Freedom is everything.”

Molly Fenwick, a Girl Scout Juliette, served as the emcee of this year’s ceremony.

“I started when I was around seven in Girl Scouts, and now I’m here coordinating my own event,” she said. “It’s a big event. People look forward to it every year.”

After all the wreaths had been placed on veterans’ graves, organizers reflected on both gratitude and responsibility.

“I’m just proud to be a part of this wonderful organization,” Mary Alice said.

“It’s important for the next generation to know this is why we have the freedoms we have,” Megan added.