Author: Dan Gallagher

 

SCRANTON – As the 2021-2022 academic year gets underway, the Diocese of Scranton Catholic School System is welcoming two new Assistant Superintendents after a nationwide search.

In addition to bringing extensive credentials to their new positions, both Charlene Krushinsky and Michael Slesinski are personally vested in Catholic education and are unwavering in their dedication to the transformative nature of all that Catholic schools offer spiritually and academically.

Krushinsky comes to the Diocese of Scranton with more than 30 years experience in education and a vast knowledge of the Catholic school environment as both an educator and administrator. Beginning her educational career as a fourth grade teacher, she spent the last nine years as a principal in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Phoenix.

The mother of three has a Masters in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University and a certificate in Effective Catholic School Administration from the University of Notre Dame and her principal certification from the state of Arizona. She has also been a principal mentor and presenter with the

Latino Enrollment Institute at the University of Notre Dame since 2014. The Institute focuses on creating a welcome environment in Catholic schools for Latino families.

“I’m blessed to be here,” Krushinsky told The Catholic Light.

Having never experienced snow or winter in the northeast, she believes God led her to this point in her career on the East Coast.

“God opened a door and here I am. I trust in God. It’s God’s will, not our will,” she said.

In just her first few weeks in the diocese, Krushinsky already visited all 19 Catholic schools and met with each principal. She will primarily be responsible for curriculum development and principal mentoring.

“I’m anxious and excited to meet the teachers and I can’t wait to go back and visit and meet the children,” Krushinsky said. “What I love is the history and the deep roots of Catholicism that are here in the Diocese of Scranton.”

As an instructional leader, Krushinsky is committed to a growth mindset and has worked with NWEA Map Growth to improve educational outcomes. She also has a proven record of accomplishment in enrollment and fundraising.

Having put three daughters through the Catholic education system, Krushinsky wants parents and families to know that she is always available to them.

“I would love for parents to know that my door is always open. Feel free to call or email with questions or concerns. We’re here to support parents in this journey in providing a Catholic education for their child. They are making the right choice, the best choice, they’re investing in their child’s future,” she added.

Michael Slesinski says he is “tremendously excited” to join the Diocese of Scranton’s Catholic Schools team.

After beginning his career as an educator more than 15 years ago, Slesinski most recently worked as an administrator at the district and Intermediate Unit level as a Supervisor for Special Education and Director of Special Services.

Slesinski previously worked in the Luzerne Intermediate Unit, East Stroudsburg Area School District, Mountain View School District and the New York City Department of Education. He attended Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New York his entire life growing up.

As the Diocese of Scranton works to enhance our offerings for students with exceptionalities, Slesinski hopes his knowledge will help all levels of learners in the diocese.

“The idea of being able to bring those tools to schools in our system, so that students who want to be a part of our system can succeed to the greatest extent possible is incredibly exciting for me,” Slesinski said.

Slesinski has a Masters in Educational Leadership from Lehman College in New York and anticipates completion of a doctoral degree in Administration and Leadership Studies from East Stroudsburg University this year. He also has obtained a PA Superintendent Letter of Eligibility.

“During the course of the past 15 years of work in education, one of the highlights for me has been working collaboratively with parents and allowing parents to feel comfortable with the different schools where I worked,” he added.

In his new role, Slesinski will also focus on technology and school safety initiatives.

“My goal is to take the wonderful things we’re already doing in both of those areas and continue to grow them,” he said.

 

Jeremy Barket and Cody Yarnall have been accepted as seminarians for the Diocese of Scranton and will begin the Program for Priestly Formation this fall.

Jeremy is a member of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Dupont. Cody is a member of Saint Matthew Parish in East Stroudsburg. They will attend Saint Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Md.

Let us pray for them, all of our seminarians and those who are discerning a call to serve our local Church as a Diocesan Priest.

 

PHILADELPHIA – Several teenagers from Mary, Mother of God Parish recently got what they call an “eye-opening experience” as they spent a week volunteering to serve the poor in Philadelphia.

The students, who are all involved in the Scranton parish’s youth group, spent the week of July 26-30 preparing and serving meals at Saint Francis Inn in the Kensington-section of Philadelphia.

“What I got out of it is an appreciation for what I have,” Ryan Legg, 17, said after returning from the service trip. “I have a new-found appreciation for what I have and what I’m given on a daily basis.”

Emma Woody, 14, was the youngest volunteer of the group. The incoming freshman at Holy Cross High School admits she was nervous about the trip until she arrived.

“I really enjoyed it. Going there, I didn’t really know what to expect. When I got there I was really surprised,” Woody explained. “Once I met the people, I found out they are really nice and we have common interests.”

Saint Francis Inn has been serving meals to the neediest individuals and families in Philadelphia since 1979. The facility serves a sit-down meal in its dining room every day. The meals are unique because they are served restaurant-style. Instead of walking through a line to get food, volunteers serve them right at their tables.

“While serving them, we have the opportunity to talk to them and get to know them a little bit,” Sean Kennedy, 17, a senior at Holy Cross High School, said. “Throughout the week, it is most of the same guests so you really get to have a good understanding of them and have a nice experience with them.”

Volunteer Julia Lidle, 17, was especially touched by a seven-year-old boy who relied on Saint Francis Inn for his meals.

“He liked to play tag with us. He is seven and he’s homeless and it brings him so much joy when we play tag with him around the soup kitchen,” Lidle explained.

All of the students say they felt the love and appreciation of the dinner guests – and that made their volunteer efforts worth it.

“One thing that stuck out was how grateful everybody was and how they all came up and thanked every one of us after their meal,” Madison Kranson, 17, a senior at Holy Cross High School, said.

“For dinner, there were usually around 170 people,” Ryan Burda, 16, a junior at Holy Cross High School, said. “Even though the people may have been down on their luck, they were just so appreciative of every little thing they have.”

Rev. Cyril D. Edwards, V.E., pastor, Mary, Mother of God Parish, leads the annual service trip. He is always touched by the stories of kindness, love and charity that the students experience.

Many of the students say they were so inspired by the service trip – they plan to continue volunteer efforts locally.

“I will try to volunteer more at local soup kitchens and try to get my friends involved,” Woody said.

“I feel like getting more people involved and getting more people to go on this trip so they can see how life is really different for some people,” Kranson added.

 

MOUNTAIN TOP – When you consider spending a week volunteering during the middle of July, young adults might think they are “giving up” part of their summer vacation.

That wasn’t the feeling of dozens of young people from Saint Jude Parish who took part in a “Week of Service” in their community from July 19-22, 2021.

During the first day, the students started by serving their parish by sprucing up the church grounds but then their ministry mission went on the move to non-profit organizations across the Wyoming Valley.

Volunteering at the Catholic Youth Center in Wilkes-Barre had a profound impact on Juliet Biscotti, a junior at Crestwood High School.

“I realized just helping out for a few hours can make a big impact. The children were so happy to have us there. It meant a lot to me to know that I helped add fun and happiness to their day,” she said.

Jack Scanlan, a Crestwood senior, agreed.

“The CYC had the most impact on me because I was directly interacting with the kids and it had an impact on their day,” he explained.

This was Scanlan’s sixth year taking part in Saint Jude’s “Week of Service.” He says he continues to serve because he wants to help people and have an impact in his community in a positive way.

“I will use the lessons I learned to benefit others by serving the community more. I plan on continuing to help the community through service in whatever ways become available to me,” he added.

Thomas Dugan, a freshman at Holy Redeemer High School, spent part of his week volunteering at Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen in Wilkes-Barre and the Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO).

“Working at the soup kitchen helped me learn how the soup kitchen operates from giving food, stocking shelves and cleaning dishes. At CEO food packing, we packed the boxes by using an assembly line that helped me learn how to be efficient so that we could pack the most possible boxes,” Dugan said.

The students filled 520 boxes of food at CEO, answering Jesus’ call to serve others.

“I think it’s important to help people in need and spread happiness,” Biscotti said.

This year, Saint Jude’s “Week of Service” was only four days because many community organizations are only starting to open up from the COVID-19 pandemic. Other places that benefited from the young people’s service include the MS Kirby Library, Brandon’s Forever Home and the residents of Mountain Top

Senior Care. The students sang Christmas carols (for Christmas in July) outside the facility and handed out handmade cards to all of the residents.

Each young adult vowed to take lessons learned from the “Week of Service” and continue to spread the love of Jesus to their neighbors.

“I can carry the lessons of this year’s ‘Week of Service’ by telling the people in the community and telling them to join next year for a first-hand experience,” Dugan explained. “I can tell this to people by continuing to do other service projects in my community that I intend to keep doing.”

“I can use the lessons that I learned to continue to do service in the community,” Biscotti added. “This year, I plan on teaching the kindergarten CCD class at Saint Jude’s. I love working with children and spreading the news about Jesus with them,” she said.

 

MOSCOW – From singing songs praising God to listening to bible stories and even learning composting – Saint Catherine of Siena Parish was buzzing with activity the week of July 19-23, 2021.

The weather cooperated as the Lackawanna County parish hosted its annual Vacation Bible School. The weeklong event was held outdoors for the first time to keep both students and volunteers safe.

“We’ve never been outside. It really worked out well,” Sandra Czyzyk, Saint Catherine of Siena Parish Director of Religious Education, said. “We could move from one session to another, getting some fresh air and the kids loved being outside.”

A total of 88 students attended the program. This year’s event was centered on the theme of “Earthkeepers.”

Czyzyk said it took 65 volunteers – many of them young adults – to make sure the program was a success.

“It means a lot to see the students grow throughout the week,” aide Samantha Bajor, 16, said. “At the start, the kids are always so shy and they don’t really want to talk to you but by the end of the week they all break out of their shell.”

After COVID-19 forced the parish to hold a virtual event last year, Bajor said she is glad everyone was able to gather in person this year. She helped to lead the fourth, fifth and sixth grade students during the week.

“I’m glad it’s back,” Bajor explained.

Fred Kloss, 15, agreed. The teenage youth group member also volunteered to help make this year’s vacation bible school a success.

“It was a great experience. I think it definitely brings younger kids closer to church,” he said.

Kloss believes the students he worked with learned a lot.

“Most of the kids liked the music a lot and the dancing. They learned songs and they sang the lyrics that teach them about their faith as well. A lot of them really liked the bible stories as well,” he added.

Czyzyk said vacation bible school is an important summer event to keep kids connected to the faith and let them see their pastor at their level having fun with them.

“Just coming out in the sunshine and being elbow-to-elbow with other young people, peers of their age, whether they’re 3 or 13 has just been so invigorating, physically and spiritually as well!” she said with a smile.

The reviews from the kids back up the week’s success.

“One little guy said to a teacher – this must be what heaven is like!” Czyzyk added.

Holy Rosary Parish in Hazleton also recently completed a successful weeklong vacation bible school program from Aug. 2-6, 2021.

With the theme “To Mars and Beyond,” 20 students participated in the nightly program at the parish.

“I wanted to start something that would get the kids into their faith, meet new kids and find other followers of Christ and that they could bond together with and spread the Gospel with,” Hailey Dudinyak said.

Dudinyak, a sophomore at Moravian College, put together Holy Rosary’s vacation bible school two years ago for a Girl Scout project and jumped at the chance to do it again this year.

“All the kids, they really put the energy in that we needed to have for it to be successful. I loved all the kids that came. They were just so energetic and they really enjoyed themselves. They all worked together beautifully,” she added.

Dudinyak, along with her brother and a few others, did most of the work for the event.

“Each day we started out with the kids seeing a skit between me and my brother. My brother was a robot called “EP3-20,” which stands of Ephesians 3:20, which was the key bible verse,” she added.

Each session also consisted of learning dances, bible stories and participating in craft projects.

“I actually just received a video from one of the parents of their kid doing the dances in their backyard by the campfire,” Hailey explained. “They’re continuing to praise the Lord and spread the Gospel, which is all we need, and that’s what the whole goal was!”

                           

WELCOME HOME!

As the Diocese of Scranton prepares for the Mass attendance obligation to be reinstated on August 15, Bishop Bambera is welcoming home Catholics across all 11-counties. The celebration of the Mass is the center of our lives as Christians. It is where we are drawn close to Jesus and receive His body and blood – his very life – in the Eucharist.

As this Sunday approaches, the Diocese of Scranton continues to prioritize the health, safety and spiritual well-being of all parishioners. If you need to find a parish or Mass time near you, you can visit the Diocese of Scranton’s website at dioceseofscranton.org.