Month: December 2025

PITTSTON – As Advent began on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, the three Catholic parishes in Pittston came together to continue a beloved tradition of providing help – and hope – to local families in need at Christmas.

The parishes of Saint John the Evangelist, Saint Joseph Marello, and Our Lady of the Eucharist collected toys and gifts that would later be distributed by the Greater Pittston Santa Squad.

The three parishes had been collecting new, unwrapped toys throughout November, but efforts culminated with a two-hour drop off event at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Center prior to a public tree lighting and living nativity celebration.

“Our parishioners in all three parishes have been preparing now for several weeks,” Father Joseph Elston, pastor of the three Pittston parishes, explained.

“Hundreds and hundreds of families benefit from this,” he added.

The Greater Pittston Santa Squad is a nonprofit that conducts a months-long effort to match toys to the specific wishes of local children. The organization interviews families, catalogs gift requests, and coordinates a major distribution day in mid-December.

In all, an estimated 1,700 children benefitted from this year’s effort.

“There is a great need in the area,” Father Elston said. “A lot of people cooperate and donate money and toys and time.”

Parish volunteers say the response from parishioners has been consistently generous.

“Every year, it amazes us how much we get,” Brandon Jopling, Director of Music and Liturgy at Saint Joseph Marello Parish, said. “They’re very supportive and very generous. We get a lot of good quality toys.”

Jopling said the parishes intentionally schedule the collection on the First Sunday of Advent as a way of grounding parish life in the true meaning of the season.

“It’s a way to kick off Advent and center our hearts towards the importance of what this season means,” he added.

Volunteer Lisa Wallace described the annual initiative not just as a charity effort, but as a visible expression of living the Gospel message.

“It shows that people care, people want to give, people want to help,” Wallace said. “Everybody goes through hard times, so there is always someone out there that can help.”

The Santa Squad uses the former Seton Catholic gym as workspace in the weeks leading up to Christmas. That is where volunteers sort, match, and prepare gifts for distribution.

While most parishes have a toy or gift collection effort, the Pittston parishes have embraced their partnership with the Santa Squad because of its mission and local impact.

“It has been a tradition for the past three or four years,” Jopling said, “and we can’t wait for it to continue.”

EAST STROUDSBURG– The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe was celebrated widely across the Diocese of Scranton this month, as parishes gathered to honor the Blessed Mother under her title as Patroness of the Americas.

Observed annually on Dec. 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe commemorates the appearances of the Blessed Mother to Juan Diego in 1531.

Her image, miraculously imprinted on the tilma of Juan Diego, became a powerful sign of God’s love and mercy, leading to the spread of the Gospel throughout the Americas.

Nearly 500 years later, her message continues to inspire prayer, unity, and hope.
The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, joined the faithful for three major celebrations in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and East Stroudsburg. Each event highlighted the deep devotion Hispanic Catholics hold for Our Lady of Guadalupe and the rich faith they bring to the Church.

Families Celebrate in Scranton

On Sunday, Dec. 7, Bishop Bambera celebrated Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Peter with the faithful of Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish. The Mass, held at 12:15 p.m., was followed by a festive cultural celebration across the street at the Diocesan Pastoral Center.

“The Hispanic members of our community have a great love for Our Lady of Guadalupe,” Father Jonathan Kuhar, pastor of Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish, said. “Even though she appeared in Mexico, it was for the benefit of all the peoples of America.”

“It is a big thing for us. We love it,” parishioner Esau Orellana said. “We all come together for this Mass. It was beautiful – the music and the songs. The Cathedral was full of people and we love seeing that.”

Throughout the afternoon, families gathered to share food, music, dance, and even a reenactment of the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“We’re showing the story on how this all started and how she represents Mexico, Mariah Coplin, who played Our Lady of Guadalupe, explained.

“It was a beautiful moment, especially for the young kids,” Luis Coplin, who played the local bishop, added. “It was very beautiful to have all the people see the history of their country.”

“At first, nobody believed Juan Diego. Everybody said he was crazy,” Jose Antonio Galdamez Cortez reflected, thinking about the character he portrayed in the reenactment. “We planned this for about a month. It was a lot of hard work.”

Citywide Witness of Hope in Wilkes-Barre

On Friday, Dec. 12, Bishop Bambera joined the faithful of Saint Nicholas-Saint Mary Parish in Wilkes-Barre for Mass at 6 p.m. at Saint Nicholas Church and a reception afterward.

The celebration began with a large public procession through city streets at 4 p.m., drawing participants of all ages who braved the cold weather to walk, pray, sing, and dance in honor of the Blessed Mother.

“The procession was just beautiful,” parishioner Adriana Sosa said. “It is our way to show our appreciation to her, showing our love for her in this cold weather.”

For many, Our Lady of Guadalupe represents comfort and hope, especially for those facing hardship.

“She appeared to Juan Diego. He was the poorest of them all. He was at rock bottom,” Sosa added. “She gives us hope that no matter who we are, she will be there for us.”

Parishioner Michelle Bazan noted the importance of teaching younger generations about the devotion.

“It has been carried on for nearly 500 years,” she said. “If we don’t pass that on to future generations, it will eventually get lost.”

“This is honestly one of my favorite days of the year,” parishioner Luz Castro added. “From the mañanitas in the morning, to the procession, to the Mass, and then having food and the community together, all to show our love to Our Lady of Guadalupe.”

Faith perseveres through the storm

Despite heavy snowfall and strong winds, the faithful of Saint Matthew Parish in East Stroudsburg gathered on Sunday, Dec. 14, for an outdoor procession followed by Mass with Bishop Bambera.

“It’s cold out – but it shows our culture and how we express it,” parishioner Adriel Lopez said. “I just like seeing everyone.”

Participants from many cultural backgrounds walked together, praying the rosary and honoring Our Lady.

“It makes me feel like we’re one big happy family,” parishioner Rey Pomaquiza Morocho said.

Deacon Angel Luis Rivera reflected on the deeper meaning of the celebration.
“She brought two cultures together – the Spanish culture and the Indigenous people,” he said. “She is our mother. It is bringing our faith to life.”

He also expressed gratitude for the Bishop’s presence in the Poconos.

“The Bishop is the father of the Diocese,” Deacon Rivera added. “It is so lovely that our Bishop has time to spend with us. I love the fact that he takes that time.”

SCRANTON – The Diocese of Scranton Catholic School System is turning a key pillar of its recently completed Strategic Growth Plan into action – by investing millions of dollars in long-needed infrastructure improvements.

With 19 schools across five counties, and many of those buildings approaching a century old, the Strategic Growth Plan made clear that deferred maintenance had accumulated for many years.

The Plan’s first goal – the development of a master facility plan at each school – underscored the need for updated roofs, windows, HVAC systems, electrical infrastructure, masonry work, and steady annual investments.

YEAR ONE: SUMMER OF ROOFS

After a comprehensive assessment of every school building was completed by an independent contractor, the Diocese of Scranton Catholic School System took the rare step of securing a major loan to accelerate capital improvements.

With the help of this financing, $8 million in renovations are underway across multiple schools.

“It was the summer of roofs,” Luke Alar, Schools Facilities Coordinator, said.

Alar joined the Catholic Schools Office in 2023 and has spearheaded the system-wide planning effort.

“The roofs were really the low-hanging fruit that needed to be done,” Alar added.

Five major roof replacements were completed or are substantially complete at Holy Redeemer High School, Saint Jude School, All Saints Academy, Holy Rosary School, and La Salle Academy.

In some cases – the projects were urgent.

Take for example the gymnasium roof at Saint Jude School in Mountain Top which was damaged in March 2025 during a major windstorm. The age and condition of the roof contributed to its ultimate failure.

“It almost looked like a monster came in and opened it like a blanket,” Alar explained. “These were projects that couldn’t wait. The whole theory and concept on how we came up with the first projects was building envelope – keeping the water out and the heat on.”

YEAR TWO: HVAC AND WINDOWS

Because the financing can be drawn over 18 months, effectively giving the Catholic School System two summers for work – Alar said crews will be “going as strong as we can” in summer 2026.

“We’re now switching to HVAC and windows,” he noted.

Among the projects already in the planning process are new boilers at Notre Dame Elementary and High School – which have shared a single boiler since construction – and Holy Cross High School, which still has its original boiler from the 1960s.

With some buildings dating back to the early 1900s, the Catholic School System faces what Alar describes as a “university-level” infrastructure situation. But rather than seeing the scope as overwhelming, he calls it a blessing.

“It’s exciting and I’m blessed to have this opportunity,” he said. “It is not a job. We are bringing children to Jesus. We’re making saints. We’re preparing their souls for heaven. That gives you more motivation and excitement to do what you’re doing.”

Alar added that the long-term goal – spelled out in the Strategic Growth Plan – is to establish a capital budget at each school so that investment becomes annual, consistent, and sustainable.

“This is not the end,” Alar emphasized. “We want people to look back and say we made wise choices and were frugal with how we spent the money.”

For Kristen Donohue, Diocesan Secretary for Catholic Education and Superintendent, the facility work is more than construction – it’s a promise to families being fulfilled.

“We completed our Strategic Growth Plan and identified deferred maintenance as a key component that needed to be addressed so we can continue to deliver our strong product for years to come,” she said. “We made it a priority.”

Donohue echoed Alar’s statements that the improvements focus first on the overall building envelope of all schools.

“We are making sure we have a sound structure in which our students, teachers, and administrators can work and enjoy their Catholic education,” she said.

Donohue praised Alar’s leadership, calling the work underway a “huge task for anyone.”

She also noted the close partnership Alar has forged with the Diocesan Office for Property and Risk Management – an office that has been invaluable in assistance with all the projects.

“There are needs within each of our school buildings,” Donohue said. “We are working to address as many outstanding issues as we can now and plan to continue addressing needs well into the future. Giving our students the best facilities we possibly can is paramount.”

ARCHBALD – Even with temperatures only in the mid-twenties, nearly 200 runners and walkers gathered for the 17th annual Saint Nicholas 5K Fun Run and Walk at Christ the King Parish on Dec. 6, 2025.

While winter is an unusual season for races in northeastern Pennsylvania, this beloved event has become an event that many local athletes and parishioners await each year.

“It’s an event that began as a fundraiser for our youth group and it has since become a huge social event here in Archbald,” Father Ryan Glenn, pastor, said. “It raises funds for our parish, and it brings together the running community and walking community.”

After the race, participants gather in the parish hall to enjoy hearty soups and baked goods.

“We usually have it around Saint Nicholas’ Feast Day, so people are really in the holiday spirit. It’s a really festive day and a lot of fun,” Father Ryan added. “It’s something unique to bring people together and to bring them to our parish community.”

Amy Hassaj, chairperson of the race committee, said the event embodies community spirit.

“We have runners from all over the Valley that look forward to this. This year was an awesome turnout,” she said. “Along with all the volunteers from the parish, people that donated soups and local businesses that donated soups and baked goods, it really just brought everybody together.”

For many runners, like David Schweitzer from Saint John Vianney Parish in Scott Township, it’s an annual tradition.

“This is my fourth year in a row running the Saint Nicholas 5K,” Schweitzer said. “Every year, this event seems to get bigger and better. The parish does more and more to make it a great day and worth coming out to. I always have a great time here.”

Schweitzer placed third in his age division and finished ninth overall.

“In past years, I’ve been able to run a personal record. That didn’t happen this year but that is okay. It’s a nice flat out-and-back, which makes for a quick run,” he added.

For younger runners, like Jack Kopa who is only a teenager, the race is an opportunity to track progress during the off-season and compete in a friendly environment.

“I’ve been doing it for three years now,” said Kopa, who took first place in the 15-19 age group. “I cut a whole minute off my time, so it has been positive.”

Since the 5K race has gotten so popular over the years, funds raised also now supports parish ministries like Christ the King’s clothing closet, pantry, and community outreach.

But for organizers – more than just the money raised – they welcome the opportunity to highlight the spirit of their parish.

“This is one of our flagship events at our parish. But for as much as it raises funds, it’s really a community building opportunity,” Father Ryan explained.

SCRANTON – Surrounded by family, friends, and fellow parishioners who supported them for five years of formation, eight men were ordained to the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese of Scranton during a joyful Mass on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter.

The day marked a profound moment in the life of the Church of Scranton, and a milestone for the newly ordained who will now serve the People of God in the ministries of Word, Liturgy, and Charity.

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, served as principal celebrant and homilist for the Mass, which drew clergy from throughout the Diocese.

In a homily rooted in the Gospel of Matthew, Bishop Bambera reminded the men that ordained ministry in the Church is not a place of privilege, but a call to radical service.

“To be a disciple of Jesus means to put ourselves in the humble, demanding role of servant to others, to intentionally seek the happiness and fulfillment of those entrusted to our care, regardless of the cost to ourselves,” Bishop Bambera said. “There is simply no other way to understand and manifest authentic ministry in the Church.”

Quoting Pope Leo XIV, the Bishop emphasized that perfection is not the requirement for ministry – credibility in witness is.

“God has called you to a vital ministry in service of the Gospel. Set aside your fears. Embrace your call with deep trust in Jesus’ promise to walk with you always,” he added. “Live the truth of the Gospel that is rooted in the person of Jesus. Follow always His example of selfless love and mercy.”

The men ordained included Fernando B. Alves, Francisco Castelan, Michaelangelo J. Colaneri, Frank A. Fanelli, Joel Marte, Jorge A. Roca, Rafael Sanchez Velasquez, and Christian D. Saunders.

The Ordination Mass featured the rich and ancient rituals of the Rite of Ordination of Deacons.

During the Election of Candidates, each man was called by name and presented to the Bishop, who formally affirmed their readiness for Ordination.

In the Promise of the Elect, the candidates declared their intention to be ordained and to undertake the duties of the diaconate.

As the cantor of the Mass chanted the Litany of Supplication, the eight candidates prostrated themselves before the altar – a powerful gesture of surrender and vulnerability.

For many ordinands, it was the most moving moment of the day.

“You put yourself in the absolute most vulnerable position and completely and totally turn everything that you are over to Him,” newly ordained Deacon Michaelangelo Colaneri said. “It is symbolic that you are dying to yourself and rising to Christ. When you are really in that moment, the symbolism takes true effect.”

The heart of the Sacramental ritual came with the Laying on of Hands and Prayer of Ordination, as Bishop Bambera conferred the Sacrament upon each man.

Following the prayer, the men were vested with the stole and dalmatic, handed the Book of the Gospels, and welcomed with the fraternal kiss by the attending deacons – a sign of belonging to the order.

Immediately following Mass, the emotional impact of the day was evident. As the newly ordained deacons greeted family and friends, many shed a few tears.

“It’s such a heart warming feeling to see friends and family that travelled for hours to come here. It’s such a moving experience,” Colaneri added. “This was beyond compare to anything I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

For Deacon Fernando Alves, who has been assigned to Saint Luke Parish in Stroudsburg, formation was both challenging and transformative.

“No one comes in thinking they know it all,” he said. “Most of us know that we’re not worthy to be here. We know we’re here because of what others have helped us with.”

But the journey was never solitary. Alves said he became close with his fellow deacons undergoing formation.

“We challenged each other and pushed each other forward,” Alves explained.

Deacon Joel Marte, one of three men who is being assigned to Saint Matthew Parish in East Stroudsburg, said the moment of vesting was unforgettable.

“When you get those garments, you see them and hear about them, but until you’re getting vested, that is when everything came together,” Marte shared. “That is when the tears came down.”

He, too, spoke of the deep bonds forged among the eight candidates.

“We have all become very close. We’ve shared our family, we share stories, faith, our backgrounds,” Marte said. “It is a bond I can’t explain.”

INDIANAPOLIS – Eighty-six young people and chaperones from the Diocese of Scranton traveled by bus to Indianapolis in late November to join more than 16,000 participants at the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC).

During the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, the event served as a major opportunity for Catholic teenagers to learn more about their faith and was a reminder that the future of the Church is vibrant, joyful, and deeply rooted in Christ.

Pilgrims from nine different parishes attended this year’s conference. The parishes included: Our Lady Queen of Peace, Brodheadsville; Saints Peter and Paul, Towanda; Saint Matthew, East Stroudsburg; Saint Luke, Stroudsburg; Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Hanover Township; Saint Catherine of Siena, Moscow; Saint Eulalia, Roaring Brook Township; Our Lady of the Snows, Clarks Summit; and Saint Gregory, Clarks Green.

“We were with 16,000 other Catholic kids. I’ve never been able to experience that before,” Edward Scavone, a junior from Our Lady of the Snows Parish, said. “That was so cool.”

Breakout sessions covered topics including discipleship, vocations, and social challenges.

Several Diocesan participants highlighted a session led by Bishop Joseph Espaillat of the Archdiocese of New York called “Faith Amidst the Storm.”

“His energy and his compassion for humanity – and for being so real with our kids – was incredibly moving,” Christian Brown, youth minister for Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Eulalia Parishes, said.

During the session, the young adults were asked what the world needs right now. While many answered peace, hope, love, or kindness – Bishop Espaillat challenged them that what is needed more than anything right now is faith.

Marinellys Marte, from Saint Matthew Parish, said the session encouraged teens to approach their faith with courage.

“We talked about how there are a lot of problems in the world and how we have to use the tools God gives us to fight our battles,” Marte said. “Saints weren’t wimps. They were strong people who leaned on God.”

Other participants repeatedly cited Eucharistic Adoration inside Lucas Oil Stadium – the home of the Indianapolis Colts football team – as a defining moment of the conference.

“It was very moving for me. There were 16,000 people all kneeling. I was trying to fight back the tears – but then everyone on the ground floor went up and kneeled as close as they could – and I started crying,” she said.

“It was a very beautiful event because we got one-on-one time with God,” Layla Reyes of Saints Peter and Paul Parish, added.

Going into the conference, Natalie Weidner of Exaltation of the Holy Cross Parish, was excited to participate in a digital encounter with Pope Leo XIV.

“I think it’s just great that I got to listen to him talk. Not a lot of people get that opportunity,” Weidner said.

As the conference ended, participants said NCYC renewed their enthusiasm to live and share their faith.

“The power of the Holy Spirit was present here,” Hannah Rocco, a senior from Saint Eulalia Parish who is preparing for college, stated. “I’m excited to see where God is calling me in the next steps of my life.”

VATICAN CITY (OSV News) – In one of the most anticipated U.S. episcopal appointments of his pontificate so far, Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York and named as his successor Bishop Ronald A. Hicks of Joliet, Illinois.

The resignation and appointment were announced by the Vatican on Dec. 18.

Cardinal Dolan was named archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI on Feb. 23, 2009, and three years later Pope Benedict elevated him to the College of Cardinals.

On Feb. 6, he turned 75, the age at which canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the pope.

Cardinal Dolan previously served as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and has held several national leadership roles, including chair of the USCCB’s pro-life and religious liberty committees. He served as chairman of Catholic Relief Services, and currently serves as a member of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches and the Dicastery for Evangelization.

Since Sept. 29, 2020, Archbishop Hicks, 58, has led the Diocese of Joliet, which includes Chicago’s western and southern suburbs, stretching into near-central Illinois. He will be heading the second largest archdiocese in the United States, which has 2.5 million Catholics, five times the 520,000 in Joliet.

The new archbishop will be managing a large-scale clergy abuse settlement among other work once he takes over his new assignment. Cardinal Dolan said in a Dec. 9 letter to his flock the archdiocese would be entering into mediation with 1,300 claimants over allegations of clergy sexual abuse. He said the archdiocese would need to raise $300 million toward settlements.

According to the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 report on clergy sexual abuse in Illinois’ dioceses, Joliet had reported 100 credible cases of abuse that took place from 1949 to 2004. It has paid more than $7 million in settlements in three instances, the most recent in 2019, a year before now-Archbishop Hicks was installed.

According to Deacon Dominic Cerrato, the new archbishop of New York is up to the task of leading a significantly larger (arch)diocese because “all of his skills” as bishop are “transferable and scalable.”

In particular, Deacon Cerrato, who recently retired as director of the diaconate at the Diocese of Joliet, said Archbishop Hicks is a “very prayerful man” whose spirituality guides his leadership.

“A humble man, in the sense that he always asks for prayers. He would be praying for whatever audience and say, ‘Please pray for (him),'” Deacon Cerrato told OSV News. “Without a doubt, he was clearly seeking God’s will as he shepherded the diocese. We would certainly always begin with prayer, but (his) demeanor bespeaks a man of deep spirituality.”

The diocese went through a restructuring in 2023, where 16 parishes were slated for mergers and closures. Officials cited aging buildings, fewer priests and diminishing Mass attendance but made no mention of abuse settlements for the consolidation.

In a 20-page pastoral letter about discipleship to the faithful in the Diocese of Joliet titled “Make!,” now-Archbishop Hicks laid out plans to carry out the vision he brought when he was first installed five years ago, of “putting catechesis, evangelization and faith into action.”

With a heartfelt admission that “vulnerably reflects (his) heart” in his diocesan website blog dated Sept. 30 about the letter the bishop wrote, “I love Jesus and I want you to love Him too.”

“The letter offers a clear path: conversion, confession, communion, commission, all held together by prayer. These are not abstract concepts but real, concrete steps that anyone can begin today,” he said. A website is dedicated to the plan with sections on these five areas on the path to making disciples of the faithful.

Deacon Cerrato described the bishop’s leadership style as one that “builds communion, strengthens mission, and reflects the gentle authority.”

He recalled Archbishop Hicks asking him what he thought the diocese should do during a meeting on one occasion.

“And I’m like, shocked because what I discovered is that he was very open to solutions if there was a challenge brought before him. He was open to listening to what might happen. So his governance wasn’t just high level, but he dipped down into the people. You could say, like, Christ he stooped low into the people to listen,” said Deacon Cerrato.

He said the newly named archbishop also spent a lot of time with the faithful at various events.

Deacon Cerrato said, “When you saw him, the smile, the availability. I mean, the guy would stand for pictures for hours with people. He just wouldn’t go to an event and then just leave. So in that respect, there was a sense of shepherding. There was a sense of caring. There was a sense of listening. That having been said, he certainly was a decisive leader in the sense that, if a decision had to be made, he would make the decision.”

Earlier, he was appointed vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich in 2015, and in September 2018, he was ordained an auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.

Archbishop Hicks was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 21, 1994. He served as an associate pastor at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Chicago from 1994 to 1996 and at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Orland Hills, Illinois, from 1996 to 1999. From 1999 to 2005, he lived and ministered at St. Joseph College Seminary in Chicago as the dean of formation.

In July 2005, with permission from Cardinal Francis E. George, then archbishop of Chicago, Archbishop Hicks moved from Chicago to El Salvador to begin a five-year term as regional director of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, or NPH, in Central America. NPH is a home dedicated to caring for more than 3,400 orphaned and abandoned children in nine Latin American and Caribbean countries.

From 2010 to 2014, Archbishop Hicks served as the dean of formation at Mundelein Seminary.

Like Pope Leo, he was born in Chicago. He graduated from Quigley Preparatory Seminary South in 1985. He received his bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from Niles College of Loyola University, Chicago, in 1989, and both his master of divinity degree in 1994 and his doctor of ministry degree in 2003 from the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois.

Archbishop Hicks serves on the USCCB’s Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations and as the conference’s liaison to the Association of Ongoing Formation of Priests and the National Association of Diaconate Directors. He has also been appointed to the USCCB’s Charter Review Workgroup. He also serves on the board of the Catholic Extension Society and the Mundelein Seminary Advisory Board.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (OSV News) – The violence that erupted at the Brown University’s campus Dec. 13 was more than a national headline; it was a deeply personal tragedy that struck at the heart of the Providence community.

The Saturday shooting at the Ivy League University, which claimed the lives of two students, Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov and Ella Cook, and injured nine others, prompted a response from Providence Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, who offered prayers for all affected by this tragedy.

The violence unfolded just after 4 p.m. during the university’s final exam period in the Barus and Holley building, which houses the School of Engineering and the Physics Department. As of Dec. 17, the police were still looking for the suspected shooter, and two victims had been discharged from the hospital. Seven remained hospitalized, with six patients in stable condition and one in critical condition but stable.

“As are many, I am deeply saddened and troubled by the senseless shooting today at Brown University in Providence,” Bishop Lewandowski said. “Let us unite in prayer for those who lost their lives, for the injured, for the Brown University community and all affected by this tragedy.”

“May God continue to guide our elected officials, law enforcement, and first responders as they work to keep everyone safe. The Diocese of Providence offers its resources, clergy and personnel, and charitable assistance wherever needed. May God bless us all and may Our Lady of Providence keep us in her care.”

Gaudete Sunday — the third Sunday of Advent, from the Latin word meaning “rejoice” — is meant to be a joyful shift toward Christmas for Catholics. Yet, for the congregation attending the Saturday vigil Mass Dec. 13 at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Providence, a few short blocks from where the shooting took place, that theme was dramatically challenged by the sound of sirens wailing in the background.

The news reached the pastor, Father Joseph Escobar, via a text message from a parishioner shortly before the 5 p.m. Mass. He chose to share the developing tragedy with his congregation.

“There were a lot of loud gasps,” Father Escobar told Rhode Island Catholic, Providence’s diocesan news outlet. “Some had seen police cars and ambulances on their way in, but didn’t know what was happening.”

In his homily, acknowledging the difficult truth the community was facing, Father Escobar encouraged his congregation to seek solace in their faith.

“In my homily, I tried to tie to Gaudete Sunday that in the midst of turmoil and crisis we still have the joy because that joy comes from our faith in God who is with us,” he explained. “We pray that they apprehend those responsible for this tragedy, and we pray for the victims and their families. We can’t allow ourselves to be paralyzed by these things, but nonetheless, we have to stay vigilant.”

The mood among the mood for the Brown/Rhode Island School of Design Catholic Community, or BRCC, was anything but joyful on Sunday, Dec. 14.

“It is sadly ironic that this is the day we light our third Advent candle, symbolizing hope,” said Dominican Father Justin Bolger, BRCC chaplain, during his homily. “When dark purple is infused with light, it turns pink, and today’s pink candle is meant to celebrate that hope. As we gather today, we still celebrate the light of God, even in this darkness.”

For a state so far unaccustomed to this type of violence, the events of Dec. 13 took a subject that many had become desensitized to seeing it in national headlines and made it tragically real.

It hit especially close to home for BRCC members, however, as one of the victims was a regular at evening Mass and the various events hosted at the Catholic Center during the year. Sophomore Ella Cook may have been Episcopalian, but she was “a very dear friend” to the Catholic community.

“Despite being from another tradition, Ella was very involved with the BRCC,” Father Bolger explained. “She had been spending time here since she got to the university a year and a half ago — coming to Mass with her Catholic friends, going on retreat with us, joining us for prayer and activities. I remember being impressed with her right away: She was very sweet and affable, but also a very courageous young woman who truly loved her faith and who was committed to living it out.”

The Mass on Dec. 14 was offered for the repose of the souls of Cook and Umurzokov, the other fatality. A table with a photo of Ella surrounded by candles and religious statues stood at the front of the Catholic Center. Several students stopped at the memorial table to pray on their way out, with a few remaining behind after Mass to say a rosary in front of it.

The shooting has sent shockwaves throughout Rhode Island.

The Dominican Province of St. Joseph (which serves the Brown/RISD Catholic Community) said they “feel this attack acutely and entrust the University and Providence communities to the maternal care of Our Lady of Sorrows.”

Both of Rhode Island’s Catholic colleges, Providence College and Salve Regina University, also released statements of solidarity with their colleagues and neighbors at Brown.

Deacon Timothy Flanagan, of St. Teresa and St. Christopher Parishes in Tiverton is a physician who teaches at Brown Medical School. He made the trip to campus on Sunday to attend Mass with the community.

“I just really wanted to be with the students,” he told Rhode Island Catholic. “They’re all feeling terrible pain, deep sorrow, and confusion after such an awful, heinous act. It’s a tight community, however, and they all care about each other.”

Deacon Flanagan’s point was illustrated by the sheer volume of students who turned out for Sunday’s Mass, which far exceeded typical attendance on Sunday evenings.

“We see people seeking rituals when faced with circumstances they can’t understand — even in a secular climate, you’ll see people engaging in rituals like candlelight vigils. So, it makes sense for them to come to the Catholic Mass, the greatest ritual and most powerful prayer of the church.”

Seeking understanding is natural in the face of evil, says Father Bolger, although the solution isn’t always clear.

“I visited the injured students at Rhode Island Hospital recently,” he said. “One of them just asked me ‘Why? Why did this happen?’ And I didn’t have a good answer. Something this unjust doesn’t make sense.”

In times of darkness, Father Bolger said he finds solace in music, including in the gospel standard “Poor, Wayfaring Stranger.”

“We are all ‘poor, wayfaring strangers’ as we travel through this world,” he explained. “For some of us our life on this earth may be long. For some, like Ella, it might be short. But Christ, who we follow, was no stranger to the darkness. At this time of year, we remember that he abandoned the bliss of heaven for the darkness of the stable and the manger because he loved us.

“And Christ’s love is the only thing that can light the darkness we encounter in this world.”

(OSV News) – After two gunmen targeted Jewish beachgoers at an event celebrating the first day of Hanukkah in a terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Pope Leo XIV said he is “deeply saddened” by the attack he called “horrific.”

In a Dec. 15 telegram signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the pope said he is praying for those recovering and those grieving “the loss of a loved one,” hoping that “those tempted to violence will undergo conversion and seek the path of peace and solidarity.”

“Enough with these forms of antisemitic violence!” Pope Leo said earlier on Dec. 15, speaking with the groups that donated this year’s Vatican Christmas tree and Nativity scene. “We must eliminate hatred from our hearts,” he highlighted.

In an overnight statement sent to OSV News Dec. 14, Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney said that “as we follow the horrific news coming from this evening’s shooting at Bondi Beach, let us pray for those who have been killed or injured, the many who were forced to run for their lives and our emergency service workers who are right now trying to keep people safe.”

Archbishop Fisher asked that “Our Lady, Queen of Peace, intercede for all affected, and for our beloved city at this time.”

In a Dec. 15 statement, Archbishop Fisher called for an end to an “atmosphere of antisemitism” in Australia.

“Any attack on individual Jews is an attack on the whole Jewish community and an affront to the Australian way of life,” Archbishop Fisher said as he called for an unequivocal condemnation of the attack and swift justice for the victims.

He also shared that he personally has Jewish heritage from his great-grandmother, and that as Christians, “an attack on the Jews is an attack on all of us.”

“We all share in profound grief and righteous anger following last night’s terrorist attack on Bondi Beach,” the archbishop said.

“That a celebration of the Jewish feast of Hanukkah could end in at least 16 dead, including a young child, and many more injured, horrifies ordinary Australians.

“The brazen and callous disregard for human life, and the hatred of some people toward all Jews, is an unspeakable evil that must be repudiated by every Australian.”

U.S. bishops also reacted to the attack.

The Catholic community of the Archdiocese of New York “prayed this morning at St. Patrick’s Cathedral for our Jewish neighbors and friends, who are suffering again after that terrible diabolical atrocity in Australia,” Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan said Dec. 14

“It gives us cause to intensify our advocacy for the defense of our Jewish friends and neighbors, and also brings to mind the message of Hanukkah and Christmas that light will always conquer darkness,” the cardinal stressed.

Bishop Michael C. Barber of Oakland, California, called the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach a “horrific tragedy.”

“We condemn such violence, especially violence in the name of anti-Semitism. In solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters we pray for God’s mercy and that He may change hearts and minds toward love of neighbor,” Bishop Barber said.

In New Mexico, Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe said, “The atrocious attack on those beginning to celebrate Hanukkah at Bondi Beach is incomprehensible, shocking, and evil.”

“Our hearts go out to our Jewish communities here in New Mexico and beyond,” he said. “May the lighting of the menorah during these eight days dispel the darkness of hatred and violence that has enveloped our world.”

At a press conference in Sydney Dec. 14, just hours after the shooting, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told journalists that 12 people were dead, including one of the gunmen, but later the death toll rose to 15, and The Guardian reported a 10-year-old girl, a rabbi and two Holocaust survivors were among victims.

The second gunman, police confirmed, was in custody and in critical condition.

According to authorities, over 40 people were wounded and taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital.

“What should have been a night of peace and joy, celebrated in that community with families and supporters, has been shattered by this horrifying evil attack,” Minns said.

“Our heart bleeds for Australia’s Jewish community tonight. I can only imagine the pain that they’re feeling right now to see their loved ones killed as they celebrate this ancient holiday,” he added.

The attack occurred in the early evening as hundreds were gathered for a Hanukkah celebration at Archer Park, a grassy area in Bondi Beach. A video circulating online showed a beachgoer tackling and disarming one of the gunmen while the other gunman fired from a nearby bridge.

At the press conference, Mal Lanyon, police commissioner for the state of New South Wales, said he could not confirm if there was a third offender, but wanted “to make sure there’s no stone left unturned.

“I cannot confirm there is a third offender, but I want to make sure there’s no stone left unturned,” Lanyon said.

He also confirmed that police located a vehicle near Bondi Beach that contained several improvised explosives and that “we have our rescue bomb disposal unit there at the moment working on that.”

In an address following the shooting, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attack was “an act of evil antisemitism, terrorism, that has struck the heart of our nation” and that an “attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian.”

“Every Australian tonight will be, like me, devastated by this attack on our way of life. There is no place for this hate, violence, and terrorism in our nation,” Albanese said.

“Let me be clear: We will eradicate it. Amidst this vile act of violence and hate will emerge a moment of national unity where Australians across the board will embrace their fellow Australians of Jewish faith,” he added.

Robert Gregory, the head of the Australian Jewish Association, criticized Albanese’s government, saying the attack was “a tragedy but entirely foreseeable.”

“The Albanese government was warned so many times, but failed to take adequate actions to protect the Jewish community,” Gregory said in a statement published on the association’s X account.

“Tonight, many Jews are pondering whether they have a future in Australia. Our thoughts are with our community and all the impacted, some of whom we are close to,” he wrote.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed his condolences to the victims and their families and called on the Australian government to act on rising violence against Jewish people in the country.

“We repeat our alerts, time and again, to the Australian government to seek action and fight against the enormous wave of anti-Semitism which is plaguing Australian society,” Herzog said.

Archbishop Fisher also condemned a rise in antisemitism over the past two years. “(It has) festered, leading to intimidation, division, and the normalization of incendiary language,” he said.

“Opposite my own cathedral in Hyde Park there have been weekly demonstrations where inflammatory messages have been regularly articulated which could only have ‘turned up the temperature’ and perhaps contributed to radicalization. This must stop.”

On behalf of Sydney’s Catholic community, the archbishop extended condolences to all those affected and said the archdiocese would redouble its efforts to combat antisemitism through education and preaching.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The Nativity scene and the Christmas tree are signs of faith and hope, Pope Leo XIV said.

“As we contemplate them in our homes, parishes and town squares, let us ask the Lord to renew in us the gift of peace and fraternity,” he said, calling for prayers for all those who suffer because of war and violence. “We must eliminate hatred from our hearts.”

The pope was speaking Dec. 15 during a meeting with the government representatives, artisans and donors responsible for providing the Christmas decorations in the Paul VI Audience Hall and in St. Peter’s Square.

Pope Leo thanked the Costa Rican artist who created the Nativity scene for the audience hall, titled “Nacimiento Gaudium.” Created by Paula Sáenz Soto, it features a pregnant Virgin Mary and 28,000 colored ribbons, each representing a life saved from abortion thanks to the prayers and support provided to many mothers in difficulty by Catholic organizations, according to a press release by the Vatican City State’s governing office.

On Christmas Eve, the statue will be replaced with a different statue of Mary kneeling in adoration of the newborn Baby Jesus, and 400 ribbons will be placed in Jesus’ manger containing prayers and wishes written by young patients at the National Children’s Hospital in San José.

“I thank the Costa Rican artist who, together with the message of peace at Christmas, also wanted to launch an appeal for the protection of life from the moment of conception,” Pope Leo said.

“The Nativity scene and the Christmas tree are signs of faith and hope,” he said to all those present. “Let the tenderness of the child Jesus illuminate our lives. Let God’s love, like the branches of an evergreen tree, remain fervent in us.”

The pope thanked those from a small town in the northern autonomous province of Bolzano who donated the 82-foot-tall Norway spruce weighing 8.8 tons that was to be lit in a special ceremony Dec. 15 when the large Nativity scene in the square would be unveiled.

“For pilgrims from all over the world who will gather in St. Peter’s Square, the Nativity scene will remind them that God draws close to humanity, becomes one of us, entering our history in the smallness of a child,” the pope said.

“Before every Nativity scene, even those made in our homes, we relive that event and rediscover the need to seek moments of silence and prayer in our lives, to find ourselves and enter into communion with God,” he said.

The Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square for 2025 came from a diocese south of Naples, not far from the Amalfi coast. Among the gifts being offered by the shepherds are agricultural products famous from the region, such as San Marzano and Corbarino tomatoes, walnuts, spring onions and artichokes.

Both the creche and the tree were to be in St. Peter’s Square until Jan. 11 — the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

The Vatican City State governing office said that the tree’s needles and green branches will be sent to an Austrian company to extract its essential oils, and the wood will be donated to a charity.

When Pope Leo met Dec. 13 with hundreds of people acting in a living Nativity scene being held at Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major, he said the creche “is an important sign: it reminds us that we are part of a wondrous adventure of salvation in which we are never alone.”

“Spread this message and keep this tradition alive. They are a gift of light for our world, which so badly needs to be able to continue to hope,” he said.