Author: Eric Deabill

ST. PAUL, Minn. (OSV News) – A deadly mass shooting took place the morning of Aug. 27 at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis shortly after the start of the school day during an all-school Mass at the adjacent Annunciation Catholic Church.

The gunman shot from the outside of the church through windows at the Mass attendees with a rifle, shotgun and pistol, killing two children, ages 8 and 10. According to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, 17 others are injured, including 14 children.

The suspected gunman is also dead and believed to have taken his own life in the parking lot. Local police say there is no longer an active threat.

The nearby Richfield Police Department stated earlier that “a man dressed in all black and armed with a rifle was reported at the scene.”

The shooter is yet to be publicly identified. O’Hara described the suspect as in his 20s and dressed in black. He said an apparent smoke bomb had also been found.

O’Hara confirmed that at least two of the church’s exterior doors had been barricaded with two-by-four wooden boards.

Aug. 27 was the third day of the school year for the Catholic elementary school, which serves students in preschool to grade eight. Students were attending an all-school Mass that began at 8:15 a.m. local time. Authorities were alerted at 8:27 a.m.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey joined O’Hara in speaking to media on the scene. Dr. Thomas Wyatt, chair of emergency medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma center in downtown Minneapolis, also provided reporters an update on victims’ status. He said 11 patients were taken to HCMC, among them two adults and nine children ages 6-14.

“Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying,” Frey said.

Father Erich Rutten, pastor of nearby St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, arrived on scene this morning to pray with and comfort distraught and grieving parents at the school.

The priest told NBC News that parents were in “great, great anxiety and grief,” with some “wailing and crying, some stooping to the ground.”

He told the news outlet that he hugged those he recognized; several of them joined in as he prayed the rosary.

OSV News reached out to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and is awaiting comment. Staff from The Catholic Spirit, the archdiocese’s newspaper, were on the scene.

On its website, the archdiocese posted, “Please pray for all those affected by the shooting today at Annunciation in Minneapolis. Updates to come from The Catholic Spirit.”

Bishop Kevin T. Kenney, auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis who grew up attending Annunciation Parish, told a local news station that “it’s just unbelievable that this could happen, still today.”

It’s “very sad for the community, for the families, and very sad for the families who have lost loved ones,” said Bishop Kenney, speaking at HCMC.

“It’s a horrible, horrific way for all the students to begin the school year. Safety procedures were put in place, people come excited to go back to school, very excited about an academic year, feeling safe in south Minneapolis, and now look what happened,” he said.

“When I heard about the shooting this morning, I’m right down the street … I decided I better come over and just support the families and be here with them,” he said. “I have talked to a few (families) whose children are in surgery or being cared for. Just panicking, of course they’re in shock and worried, asking ‘why,’ so I’m just here to comfort … and to just walk with them in these hours ahead.”

Annunciation’s former interim pastor Father Robert Hart, 77, told NBC News that the shooting was “unbelievable.”

“It’s hard to believe that this could happen at a Catholic Mass,” he said. The priest described Annunciation as a “very close-knit and very supportive” community.

President Donald Trump said on the X social media platform that he has “been fully briefed” on the shooting.

“The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene,” he said. “The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!”

Also on X, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said that he has been “briefed on a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and will continue to provide updates as we get more information. The BCA and State Patrol are on scene. I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.”

Kristi Noem, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said on X that “DHS is monitoring the horrific shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. We are in communication with our interagency partners, and will share more information as soon as it becomes available. I am praying for the victims of this heinous attack and their families.”

Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, asked for prayers on X.

“Friends, this morning there was a shooting at Annunciation Catholic Parish in Minneapolis. Please join me in praying for all those who were injured or lost their lives — along with their families,” he wrote. “Let us also pray for the students, faculty, and entire parish community,” he wrote.”

Bishop Patrick M. Neary of St. Cloud, Minnesota, also expressed his grief over the shooting.

“Today, our hearts are shattered by the horrific act of violence that occurred at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis. Children were gathered for Mass. Teachers were beginning a new school year. Families were entrusting their loved ones to the care of the Church,” he said in a statement.

“I grieve deeply with the families, students, staff and parishioners of Annunciation. I grieve with our neighbors in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. And I grieve with every person who now carries the trauma of this senseless violence.

“As Catholics, we believe in the dignity of every human life. That dignity is destroyed when violence becomes routine,” he continued. “May Christ, the Prince of Peace, bring healing to all who are wounded, and may Our Lady of Sorrows intercede for us in this time of grief.”

(OSV News) – A new statue depicting Blessed Carlo Acutis is a message that conveys to the world that the Catholic Church is not an old institution but a young and vibrant church with a relevant message for today’s culture, said the statue’s sculptor.

Unveiled Aug. 15 outside the Shrine of the Renunciation at the Church of St. Mary Major in Assisi, where the soon-to-be-saint is buried, Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz said that “the church is for the youth and it’s a growing church.”

“I know that Carlo Acutis mentioned that he wanted to be buried in Assisi. I’m sure he would be delighted to know that not only is his tomb there, but now there is a sculpture that celebrates him, cast in bronze, that will be there for more than a thousand years,” Schmalz said in an interview with OSV News Aug. 22.

The 11-foot-tall bronze statue, titled “St. Carlo at the Cross,” depicts the young teen, who will be canonized Sept. 7 by Pope Leo XIV, kneeling beside Christ crucified. Contrary to more classic depictions of saints, Blessed Acutis holds a laptop in his hand that displays a chalice and paten.

Before his death at age 15 from leukemia in 2006, Blessed Acutis put his knowledge of computers to create an online database of eucharistic miracles around the world.

“I wanted to do a very heroic, large sculpture to show the connection between the cross with Christ, Carlo Acutis, and modern-day technology. So there are three essential elements in there that kind of celebrate the story of this modern saint,” Schmalz explained.

“Oftentimes, when I do a sculpture of a saint, I’m using very historical elements that the saint holds. So I was like, ‘Whoa, here he is holding a laptop! I’m actually doing a sculpture of a saint holding a laptop!’ That was absolutely amazing,” he added.

Schmalz is known for several works that are displayed outside St. Peter’s Square, including “Angels Unawares,” a 20-foot bronze statue depicting a boat carrying migrants and refugees from different eras in history.

The late Pope Francis admired the artist’s work and, before his death in April, approved the installation of a second statue — titled “Be Welcoming” — near the showers and medical clinic the Vatican runs for people in need.

Schmalz told OSV News that the statue was initially set to be unveiled that month in Rome to coincide with the teen’s canonization. However, it was postponed due to the pope’s death, and the Vatican shipped the statue to its permanent home in Assisi.

Another unique feature of the sculpture is the inclusion of a sling hanging from the side of the teen’s backpack. The Canadian sculptor explained that its inclusion was a reference to David and Goliath, a connection he said “was revealed to me throughout the process of the piece.”

“As I was working on this, the David and Goliath story was always with me, about how here’s this young young man that’s in a sense using our modern-day sling — which is our technology — to fight this ‘Goliath’ of mainstream media that oftentimes trivializes spirituality, Christianity, and especially Catholicism,” he explained.

The new statue’s location in Assisi and its most notable saint, St. Francis, also factored into its design. The depiction of Blessed Acutis kneeling at the foot of the cross was a “kind of nod to the traditional representation of St. Francis with Jesus.”

“His head is leaning on the cross, and his hand is wrapped around the cross. He almost merges as a part of the cross, and I wanted that emotion to be put there. Yes, he’s on his knees showing his being a very humble person, but I think it’s the reaching of it, the wrapping of the hand, and the gentle leaning of his head on the cross,” the artist explained.

Blessed Acutis “was so much in love with St. Francis,” Schmalz said, adding that he was certain the teen “would appreciate these elements that are put within the sculpture.”

“I wanted to show that intensity and that passion and that devotion, just like St. Francis of Assisi,” he said.

Schmalz told OSV News that the modern elements included in the sculpture, as opposed to the more traditional, saintly garbs in other statues of saints, were an important feature that showed that Blessed Carlo Acutis is “a contemporary.”

“No Roman skirts; just jeans, a sweatshirt and a backpack,” he said. “So, I do believe that this saint is here for a reason, and it’s to encourage and act as a role model for young people.”

(OSV News) – In a well-circulated photo, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati appears to pause during a mountain hike and leans against his walking stick, smoking a pipe. His posture is relaxed and confident.

For many, the visual takeaway is that Frassati is someone they could imagine among their friends, a soon-to-be saint somehow like them.

“The No. 1 thing I get with Pier Giorgio is relatability,” said Christine Wohar, FrassatiUSA executive director. “He shows us how we can … be holy in the normalcy of our lives.”

He was attractive, manly, rugged, humorous and athletic, she noted. He was devoted to the Eucharist and Mary and time spent in adoration and praying the rosary. He came from a wealthy family, but was also committed to personal charity, as well as larger social causes and faith-based activism.

But, Wohar said, he also had relatable challenges: His parents’ marriage was on the verge of legal separation, he struggled to balance his studies with other commitments, he wrestled with whether to date a girl he loved, and he was misunderstood by family members.

Pope Leo XIV plans to canonize the Turin native, who died in 1925, alongside fellow Italian Blessed Carlo Acutis Sept. 7. The date is a month after the one originally indicated — but not solidified — in November 2024 by the late Pope Francis, who said that Frassati would be canonized during the Jubilee of Young People July 28-Aug. 3.

Wohar had planned a group pilgrimage for that celebration, and when the date shifted, it was too difficult to reschedule. So she and others spent late July and early August visiting Italy’s Frassati-related sites before attending Jubilee events in Rome. There they venerated Frassati’s relics in the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, where his body had been temporarily relocated from Turin for the Jubilee celebration.

On that casket was inscribed, in his script, a phrase that many of his devotees have made their personal adage, stacked with spiritual meaning: “Verso l’alto” (“To the heights”). He wrote the phrase on another photo that had been taken of him mountaineering, gripping a rockface while looking towards the summit. It would be his last climb.

Pier Giorgio Michelangelo Frassati was born April 6, 1901, in Turin to Adelaide Ametis, a painter, and Alfredo Frassati, a newspaper businessman and politician who served as an Italian senator and ambassador to Germany. Even as a child, Pier Giorgio was engaged in Catholic groups and sought to receive daily Communion.

Fortified by a robust prayer life rooted in Marian devotion and the Eucharist, at age 17 he joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to care for the poor and the wounded soldiers returning home from World War I. He was known for giving money and his possessions to people in poverty, and even skipped vacations to the family’s summer home, saying, “If everybody leaves Turin, who will take care of the poor?”

His concern for marginalized and downtrodden people would persist throughout his short life. It influenced his decision to study mining engineering at Royal Polytechnic University of Turin, with the aim of ministering among the miners. Although he was smart, his studies suffered because of the amount of time he dedicated to helping the poor and political activism. In 1919, he joined Catholic Action, which promoted the church’s social teaching, especially as articulated in the 1891 encyclical “Rerum Novarum,” promulgated by Pope Leo XIII.

Two years later, he helped to organize in Ravenna the first Pax Romana conference, which aimed to unify Catholic university students to work for worldwide peace. In 1922, he joined the Lay Dominicans, also known as the Third Order of St. Dominic, choosing the name “Girolamo” after the fiery 15th-century Dominican preacher in Florence, Girolamo Savonarola.

Throughout his young adulthood, he was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed skiing and mountaineering, art and music, and poetry and theater. He regularly gathered together his friends and was known to be a practical joker, shortening his friends’ bedsheets and waking them with trumpet blasts, ultimately earning the nickname “Fracassi,” as in “fracas” — a noisy disturbance.

“He knew how to have fun,” Wohar said. “He was an explosion of joy. He was the life of the party.”

But at church, he was reverent and composed, “all business with the Lord,” she added.

“He made religion look fun and attractive,” Wohar said. “Stories are told about how he would make wagers, and if he won that, his friends would have to go to adoration or Mass or pray the rosary or something. He believed that the apostolate of persuasion was the most beautiful and most necessary to help your friends find the ways of God.”

Frassati also engaged in actual fistfights for his faith-based political convictions — on more than one occasion — in scuffles with Communists, Fascists and crowd enforcement during activist rallies.

Amid his studies, social life and political activism, Frassati continued to take seriously his spiritual life, charitable works and evangelistic efforts, wasting no opportunity to invite his friends to join him in prayer, Scripture reading or at Mass.

An often overlooked aspect of Frassati was the attention he gave daily to death, Wohar said. He committed to making some preparation daily for his own death, saying that he was “ambitious” to meet God, even as his judge.

“He was mindful of his eternal future, and that really shaped how he lived his present,” she said. “He wrote beautiful letters about this. He visited one day somebody who had just died in the hospital, and he said, ‘This is what’s going to happen to me in just a short period of time,’ which was almost prophetic.”

In late June 1925, Frassati began to experience symptoms of polio, likely contracted while visiting Turin’s sick and poor. However, his grandmother was also dying at his home, so he downplayed his illness and focused on her, as did his family. She died July 3.

As his suffering worsened, his mind was also on his friends and the poor. He implored his sister, Luciana, to deliver medicine and other promised items to those in need whom he regularly visited. She recounted this in her book “My Brother Pier Giorgio: His Last Days.”

Pier Giorgio Frassati died July 4, 1925, at age 24, and his funeral was attended by hundreds of his city’s poor, revealing to many, especially his family members, the fullness of his charity. He was initially buried in the family crypt in the nearby city of Pollone, but his body was moved to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin after his beatification in 1990.

At Frassati’s beatification, St. John Paul II described him as a “man of the beatitudes.”

“In him faith and daily events are harmoniously fused, so that adherence to the Gospel is translated into loving care for the poor and the needy in a continual crescendo until the very last days of the sickness which led to his death,” the pope said.

“His love for beauty and art, his passion for sports and mountains, his attention to society’s problems did not inhibit his constant relationship with the Absolute,” he continued. “Entirely immersed in the mystery of God and totally dedicated to the constant service of his neighbor: thus we can sum up his earthly life!”

While a cause for Frassati’s canonization opened shortly after his death, it stalled for a time. Wohar said she believes that his canonization this year — a century after his death — is part of God’s plan.

“The Lord, in his wisdom, knew we needed a Pier Giorgio Frassati, a St. Frassati, for a time like we live in now,” she said.

“If he had been canonized, say, in the 1940s, we might never even have him on our radar,” she continued. “He would have maybe gone into obscurity as one of the many, many, many Italian saints. The fact that he is being canonized in this Jubilee Year of hope, when we need hope in our culture, I think he presents a picture of hope for young adults — for everybody, but particularly for that age range.”

She added, “It’s God’s perfect timing.”

 

SCRANTON – Just over a week ago, you likely received a letter from Bishop Bambera inviting you to join us once again by responding to Our Call to Serve.

This year’s Catholic Ministries Appeal takes its inspiration from the Jubilee Year of Hope and invites each one of us to join together in helping our sisters and brothers supported by the many Catholic ministries throughout northeastern and north central Pennsylvania.

Gifts to the Catholic Ministries Appeal provide financial support to six critical areas of our local Mission.

They help:
• Form our future priests and care for priests who have retired after decades of service to the Diocese of Scranton.
• Proclaim the good news through Catholic Media
• Support Catholic Education in our 19 Diocesan Elementary and High Schools
• Strengthen Parish Life
• Provide critical funding to Catholic Social Services to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless
• Fund Faith Formation and Social Justice Grants awarded to our parishes working to expand the current reach of the Appeal in their local communities.

Our celebration weekend for this year’s Catholic Ministries Appeal is scheduled for the third weekend of September – Sept. 20/21 – though some parishes may move that to a weekend earlier or later, based on local needs.

We invite you to make your commitment to this year’s Catholic Ministries Appeal earlier this year with the hope of ending the active solicitation phase by December 31, 2025.

We have so much to celebrate and to be hopeful for this year!

In late June, two men, Rev. Thomas Dzwonczyk and Rev. Andrew McCarroll were ordained to the priesthood and there are currently 13 seminarians in various stages of formation for the priesthood – the most at any point in recent years.

The Diocese of Scranton Catholic School System is actively implementing its Strategic Growth Plan and has seen its highest enrollment in many years!

Dozens of our parishes have put together impressive programs that have been funded by Faith Formation and Social Justice Grants over the past year – ministries at the local level inspired by the unique needs of each of our parishes!

There are also great challenges – we saw increases in the numbers of individuals and families served by Catholic Social Services in our kitchens, food pantries and clothing closets; however, because of you and your financial contributions we were able to respond to these increased needs and help those who need help the most!

None of this is possible without you!

By increasing your commitment and notifying us earlier of your pledge this fiscal year (the Diocese of Scranton and all our parishes operate on a July through June fiscal year), you can send your gifts in installments at any point before June 30, 2026 – what matters most is to make your commitment early to help your parish meet its goal quickly! This will also help us reduce costs on mailing and postage.

Pope Leo XIV recently shared an important reminder with young people who were gathered for the Holy Mass for the Jubilee of Youth in Rome on August 3.

His words seem fitting as we prayerfully consider what we can give to this worthy set of Catholic ministries in thanks for all that God has given to us.

Pope Leo remarked that “the fullness of our existence does not depend on what we store up or […] on what we possess. Rather, fullness has to do with what we joyfully welcome and share […] And in this way we will grow in an ever deeper understanding of what it means that hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Please give generously to this year’s Catholic Ministries Appeal. You can mail your commitment to Catholic Ministries Appeal, 300 Wyoming Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503 or visit AnnualAppeal.org to make a gift through our secure online donation form.

You can also visit AnnualAppeal.org to follow progress for this year’s Appeal, and to view stories of impact throughout the year.

Thank you for responding to Our Call to Serve and for your participation in this critical call to stewardship. May God continue to bless you abundantly!

 

WEST PITTSTON – As the calendar hit mid-August, volunteers at Corpus Christi Parish were hard at work, assembling backpacks filled with essential school supplies for nearly 200 children in the local community.

With assistance from a $5,000 Social Justice Grant from the Catholic Ministries Appeal, the annual back-to-school drive is helping ease the burden for families while reminding them that the church is present and ready to help them.

“The parish is helping 175 families in the community with backpacks for their children to go back to school,” Beccie June, who works for the Robinson Counseling Center in Wilkes-Barre, explained. “They’re filled with everything a child could need – from notebooks, pencils, folders, extra paper, scissors, glue – and we also gather toiletries to go back to school with as well.”

Knowing only the gender and grade level of each student, volunteers tailor each backpack accordingly. While the younger students might receive crayons or safety scissors, older students are given binders and even calculators.

“Suppose you have a family with four children, at $25 a backpack, you’re talking about $100 for empty backpacks,” Mary Butera, a longtime member of the parish’s Social Concerns Committee, said. “Here you get binders, ink pens, markers, everything a student could need. We try to make sure they have whatever they might need.”

This project is just one example of how Corpus Christi Parish lives out its call to serve others.

Throughout the year, the parish is committed to a range of outreach efforts that address food insecurity, holiday assistance, and caring for the elderly and homebound.

Because of the Catholic Ministries Appeal, and donations from its parishioners, Corpus Christi Parish can turn compassion into concrete action.

“The Social Concerns Committee has a special place in my heart,” Butera added. “They help so many people – not just at back-to-school time, but all year long.”

In addition to the backpack drive, the parish hosts seasonal food and gift distributions for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, regularly serving more than 150 families throughout the year. Bags of groceries, holiday meals, and gift cards are regularly distributed to families who struggle with rising prices and food insecurity.

And every month, a dedicated team of volunteers gathers in the church hall kitchen to cook more than 90 quarts of soup from scratch – delivered with love to homebound parishioners and residents in nursing homes.

“When we started, the first time we were cooking for 28 (people),” said Cheryl Sempa Radkiewicz, who helped launch the soup ministry after retiring from teaching. “Now we’re up to 92.”

Volunteers like Carmen Altavilla and his wife, Debbie, are part of the team that makes it all happen.

“We have a group of 8-10 people that are here regularly and then another five or six people that fill in from time to time,” Altavilla stated. “It’s a great activity.”

Even kids get involved in all the efforts.

Krista Medico, who teaches eighth-grade Confirmation prep, makes sure her students understand the deeper meaning behind service projects like the backpack distribution efforts.

“I think it’s so important for our kids to be a part of this,” she said. “Knowing that a child is going to open each of these backpacks and smile, it makes a difference.”

Medico also emphasized the importance of the Catholic Ministries Appeal, which makes efforts like these possible.

“I think it’s important for our parishioners to know where their money is going and what a difference it is making,” Medico added.

For many of the volunteers, their efforts are simply about doing the work God asks of us.

“There are a lot of people that need this stuff. We fill that niche that is needed,” Altavilla ended by saying.

SCRANTON – On July 20, parishioners gathered in prayer at Divine Mercy Parish for a special Healing Mass – a liturgy that marked more than just the sacramental anointing of the sick.

It also highlighted a new and growing parish mission, one that seeks to minister to the mind and heart as well as the body.

With the help of a $5,000 Social Justice Grant from the Catholic Ministries Appeal, Divine Mercy Parish has launched a Mental Health Ministry program in its parish, with a full calendar of outreach, education, and healing events planned over the next year.

From grief support groups and suicide prevention efforts to caregiver outreach and addiction awareness, this ministry is answering a need that often goes unspoken but runs deep in every community.

“It has definitely grown organically here at the parish,” Rev. Paul McDonnell, O.S.J., pastor of Divine Mercy Parish, said. “It’s a great opportunity for people that are seeking any type of healing graces – physically, spiritually, emotional, psychologically – for them to be able to come to have that personal encounter with the Lord.”

Father McDonnell presided over the recent Healing Mass, which included the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Many of those in attendance came forward to be anointed, some for physical ailments, others carrying burdens that are harder to see.

“It was the most beautiful healing Mass I’ve ever been to,” parishioner Patty Grendel said. “From start to finish, everything was just so spiritual, so uplifting!”

Fellow parishioner Sharon Bender agreed.

“It was fabulous. I think it was wonderful, and I hope that the parish has more and more every year,” she said.

The idea for the Mental Health Ministry began to take shape several months ago, inspired in part by Deacon Marty Castaldi and modeled after similar initiatives in other diocesan parishes, including the Cathedral of Saint Peter.

“There is a lot of stigma with mental illness,” Deacon Castaldi explained. “We’d like to bring it to people’s attention through education and awareness.”

According to Deacon Castaldi, roughly one in five people experience some form of mental illness.

“It could be the person sitting right next to you that has emotional or psychological issues going on in their life and bringing it to our parish community is very important,” he added.

The committee behind the ministry has already hosted several events, including a “Blue Christmas” prayer service last winter for those dealing with grief or depression during the holidays. This year, they plan to expand their efforts dramatically.

The $5,000 Social Justice Grant, made possible through generous donations to the Catholic Ministries Appeal, is helping to bring that vision to life.

“Our Diocese has always been very supportive of any different type of ministry or different type of program on the parish level, and I think that really resonates with the people who are so generous with the Appeal each year,” Father McDonnell said.

“That money is going to go a long way. We have a very aggressive agenda this year and I think the money will be helpful to a lot of people,” Deacon Castaldi added.

And that is the heart of it.

Parish leaders know they will not be able to solve every problem – but can respond with compassion and the healing presence of Christ.

For longtime parishioner Mary Joan Gibbs, the Healing Mass held in July was deeply personal.

She came seeking prayer for leg pain but also carried the memory of losing her husband years ago while still raising young children.

“Christ took care of it,” Gibbs said.

Reflecting on the Mass itself, she added, “I loved it. It gives you peace and security.”

“This ministry is essential,” Deacon Castaldi emphasized. “When you have God in your life, you’re not facing it alone.”

For more information on upcoming events that the Divine Mercy Mental Health Ministry is planning, visit their parish website or call the parish office at (570) 344-1724.

 

SCRANTON – As the 2025-2026 school year begins in the Diocese of Scranton Catholic School System, two Catholic school communities are welcoming new principals – both of whom bring deep roots and a strong commitment to Catholic education.

Jason Tribett has been named the new principal of Saint Nicholas-Saint Mary School in Wilkes-Barre, while Brenda Quatrinni has been appointed to lead Epiphany School in Sayre.

Both leaders are no strangers to the mission of Catholic education. Each has lived it both personally and professionally.

For Tribett, taking the helm of Saint Nicholas-Saint Mary School is a homecoming of sorts.

“My kids have gone to school at Saint Nicholas-Saint Mary School for the past six years, so when the opening happened there, I felt a connection to the school from being a parent,” he said. “I know the history through tradition and the quality of the staff, and I felt like it was a good fit to come back.”

Tribett previously served as principal of Holy Family Academy in Hazleton from 2018 to 2021, and has held other various roles in education, including assistant principal, dean of students, athletic director, and health and physical education teacher. Most recently, he worked in leadership at a cyber charter school.

“I got into education to help children, and I felt like my most rewarding years were when I was at Holy Family (Academy), when I was principal there, and I wanted to get back to that,” he added.

As the new school year begins, Tribett looks forward to engaging with the entire school community.

“I’m just looking forward to meeting everybody as the educational leader of the school, figuring out what is going well and what things we might be able to do better, and trying to help our students continue to be the best versions of themselves they can possibly be,” Tribett added.

A new chapter is also beginning this year at Epiphany School after the recent retirement of Sister Kathleen Kelly, I.H.M., who led the Bradford County Catholic school for 33 years.

For Quatrinni, the transition from second grade teacher came after a lot of prayer and reflection.

“I’ve been at Epiphany (School) for 26 years. This will be my 27th year. I started there in second grade and I’ve been second grade ever since,” she shared. “When this opportunity came up, I decided, let’s try it, maybe I need a new challenge, maybe this would be good for me to be in a leadership position.”

Stepping into the big shoes of Sister Kathleen, Quatrinni says the transition has been smooth thanks to her predecessor’s organization and kindness.

“She left me lots of notes,” Quatrinni joked. “It has been wonderful because I know all the people. I know all the families.”

Epiphany School is known for its close-knit, family-oriented atmosphere – something that Quatrinni treasures deeply. While she’ll miss daily interaction with students in the classroom, she’s excited about the new perspective her role will bring.

“I know I’m going to miss the kids, being in front of them in the classroom, but I’ll get to see all of them that I’ve taught along the way, so that will be neat to see them in a different light and to see the teachers in a different light,” she added.

As the new school year begins, The Catholic Light offers prayerful best wishes to Tribett, Quatrinni, and all Catholic school administrators and educators across the region. May this year be filled with growth, learning, and joy – as our 19 Catholic schools continue to prepare our students to be faith-filled leaders and life-long learners dedicated to serving the church and society.

SCRANTON – All parishes in the Diocese of Scranton have been asked to take up a special collection for humanitarian aid to Gaza in the coming weeks.

On Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, sent a message to all pastors asking for them to hold the collection in their parish on a weekend of their choosing before Sept. 14, 2025.

“I write to you today with deep pastoral concern for the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza – a tragedy that continues to unfold with heartbreaking suffering for countless innocent families and individuals,” the Bishop wrote.

“Pope Leo XIV, like Pope Francis before him, has expressed great concern for the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where the civilian population is suffering from severe hunger and remains exposed to violence and death,” he continued.

In communion with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and other dioceses around the country, the Bishop said funds raised will be directed to two trusted Catholic organizations already on the ground: Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA).

“Both organizations are already actively providing emergency food, medical and psychological care, hygiene supplies, and shelter to those most in need – including children, the elderly, and the wounded. These agencies have longstanding partnerships with the local Church in the region, enabling them to respond quickly and compassionately,” Bishop Bambera stated in his message.

As of late July, Catholic Relief Services and its partners have already reached 1.7 million people in Gaza under near-impossible circumstances.

Since 2023, among the aid CRS has provided:
• Clean water, latrines, and hygiene support to 500,268 people
• Shelter assistance to 341,790 people
• Psychosocial support to 10,399 children and teens, and to 1,333 caregivers

 

SCRANTON – The annual Mass in Italian will be celebrated on Sunday, Aug. 31, at 10:00 a.m. in the Cathedral of Saint Peter. All are welcome to attend.

The liturgy is celebrated in conjunction with La Festa Italiana, which occurs over the Labor Day weekend, Friday through Monday, Aug. 29 – Sept. 1, on Courthouse Square, one block away.

Reverend David P. Cappelloni, V.F., La Festa Chaplain and pastor of Saints Anthony and Rocco Parish and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Dunmore, will be the principal celebrant and homilist.

Concelebrants will include Monsignor Constantine V. Siconolfi, La Festa Chaplain Emeritus, and priests from the Diocese of Scranton. Deacons from the Diocese will also participate.

The Mass will be broadcast live by CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton and will be rebroadcast on Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 10:30 a.m. and 8 p.m., and Friday, Sept. 5, at 10:30 a.m.

In addition to airing live on CTV, the Mass will be available on the Diocese of Scranton website, Diocese of Scranton YouTube channel and links will be provided on all social media platforms. It will also be available on demand after the live broadcast concludes.

This year’s Italian Mass is being offered in memory of all those members and friends of La Festa Italiana who passed away since the last Mass was celebrated, including: Catherine Alu, Samuel “Danny” Argo, Sarah Marie Barrese, George Bieber, Angela Costanzi, Ralph DelPrete, Craig Friedman, Ann Azzeroni Kania, Paul LaBelle, Ron Leas, Joanne Ligorio, James P. Minicozzi, Bonnie Rosati, Tony “Red” Summa and Guy Valvano, who led the ushers for decades at the Mass.

Music ministry for the Italian Mass will be provided by the choirs of Saints Anthony and Rocco Parish and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Dunmore, accompanied by a brass quartet, all directed by Joseph Moffitt. Dominick DeNaples, mandolin; Patrick Loungo, Nicholas Luongo, Eugene Mentz, organist, and Monica Spishock, timpani, will also accompany.

Ashley Yando-DeFlice is the cantor and the leader of prayer. The featured soloist will be T.J. Capobianco from the New York City Metropolitan Opera.

The lectors are Dr. Fred Gardaphe and Ann Genett. The Prayer of the Faithful will be led by Diane Alberigi, Atty. Frank T. Blasi and Joseph Guido.

The offertory gifts will be presented by Marlene Summa and family, the family of Guy Valvano, Robert W. Pettinato, the Honorable Robert Mazzoni and the Honorable Leonard Zito (Ret.).

Patrick Caramanno, Joshua Cillo, Carmen DiPietro Jr., Jonathan A. Eboli, Stephen A. Eboli, Richard Garofalo and Joseph Wentline are the ushers.

At the conclusion of Mass, members of The Italian Colony of Saint Lucy will process out with the statue of Saint Lucy onto the festival grounds to the Heritage Piazza on Spruce Street.

For news and updates, including the festival entertainment schedule, visit www.lafestaitaliana.org, Facebook: La Festa Italiana di Lackawanna County, Instagram: lafestascranton.

ARCHBALD – With prayers of thanksgiving and hearts full of gratitude, parishioners of Christ the King Parish gathered on Aug. 16, 2025, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the consecration and dedication of Saint Thomas Aquinas Church.

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, returned to his former parish to celebrate the special Mass, a homecoming that stirred memories and pride in the enduring legacy of the church community.

“For 150 years, this church building has been a house of prayer, a gathering spot for the community, and has served as a sign of deep faith here in the Mid Valley,” Rev. Ryan Glenn, pastor of Christ the King Parish, said. “We were thrilled and very blessed to have the Bishop come and preach and celebrate the Eucharist as we commemorated this milestone anniversary.”

The anniversary gave many in the community a chance to reflect on the last century and a half of sacramental life in the church, along with the steadfast faith of a community that has weathered hardships and embraced new beginnings.

Bishop Bambera, who served as pastor of the parish when the ceiling collapsed at Saint Thomas Aquinas Church in 2009, reflected on his personal connection to the community in his homily – drawing a warm response from those who remembered those difficult days and the restoration that followed.

“It really was an extraordinary celebration of the Eucharist,” Father Glenn added.

Echoing what Bishop Bambera said in his homily, “This anniversary is about more than just a building. It is about the community of faith that gathers and then goes out on mission.”

That sense of shared mission was felt deeply by parishioners like Ellen Faliskie, whose family history is woven into the very fabric of the church.

“Our family has been very blessed with the graces of this church,” she said. “We’ve had lots of happy memories here … and I’m here in thanksgiving for all the blessings that this church has provided for me and my family.”

The Anniversary Mass drew longtime members and newer parishioners alike, all eager to celebrate a hopeful future.

“It was a beautiful celebration,” Brenda Sokoloski, who joined the parish about 25 years ago, said. “This parish is very welcoming. It’s very inclusive. There are so many opportunities to be involved.”

Chris Tomaszewski, who joined the parish with his wife 16 years ago, echoed that sentiment.

“We fell in love with this parish and fell in love with this church. Through the years, both my son and daughter have been baptized in this church, and we quickly became part of its community. It’s such a welcoming, loving community,” he said.

As the celebration concluded with a parish social in the church hall, there was a powerful sense that the spirit that built Saint Thomas Aquinas Church 150 years ago is still very much alive.

“We continue to strive to be faithful to our mission,” Father Glenn said. “This was a beautiful moment to pause and give thanks.”