True discernment requires knowing oneself, pope says

Pope Francis leads his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Oct. 5, 2022. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – To know oneself is a gift and a grace that allows Christians to properly discern between feelings and convictions, Pope Francis said.

During his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square Oct. 5, the pope said that knowing oneself requires “patient soul-searching” and the awareness of one’s “way of acting, of the feelings that dwell within us.”

“It also requires that we distinguish between emotions and spiritual faculties,” he said. “‘I feel’ is not the same as ‘I am convinced.’ ‘I feel like’ is not the same as ‘I want.’ Thus, we come to recognize that the view we have of ourselves and of reality is at times somewhat distorted. To realize this is a grace!”

Continuing his series of talks about discernment, the pope reflected on the element of self-knowledge that is crucial in discovering what one truly wants or needs in his or her life.

The pope explained that at times it is difficult to discern the path for one’s life “because we do not know ourselves well enough.”

“You have heard many times: ‘But that person, why doesn’t he or she sort out their life?'” he said departing from his prepared remarks. It “happens to us too that when we do not know clearly what we want, we do not know ourselves well.”

Spiritual doubts and vocational crises, he added, are often caused by “an insufficient dialogue between our religious life and our human, cognitive and affective dimension.”

Furthermore, “forgetting God’s presence” in one’s life goes “hand-in-hand with ignorance of ourselves,” he said.

Pope Francis said that much like computer programs requiring a password to access important and personal information, the spiritual life also “has its passwords,” words that touch one’s heart in a particularly powerful way.

However, he warned, the devil also “knows these passwords well.”

“Temptation does not necessarily suggest bad things, but often haphazard things, presented with excessive importance,” the pope explained. “In this way, it hypnotizes us with the attraction that these things stir in us, things that are beautiful but illusory, that cannot deliver what they promise and therefore leave us in the end with a sense of emptiness and sadness.”

That sadness, he said, is an indication that “we have embarked on a path that was not right.”

Pope Francis said Christians need to “know the passwords of our heart” to protect themselves from external manipulations and distinguish what is truly important from “current fads or flashy, superficial slogans.”

He also encouraged Christians to make “a general examination of conscience” each day in prayer to reflect on “what happened in my heart in this day” and “learn to note in our evaluations and choices what we give most importance to, what we are looking for and why, and what we eventually find.”

“Prayer and self-knowledge enable us to grow in freedom,” the pope said. “This is (what it means) to grow in freedom! They are basic elements of Christian existence, precious elements for finding one’s place in life.”

Candidates for the upcoming 2022 U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops presidential and vice presidential elections are shown clockwise from top left: Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services; Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City; Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of Bridgeport, Conn.; Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Va.; San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone; Seattle Archbishop Paul D. Etienne; Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio; Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas; Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori; and Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind. (CNS composite/photos by Tyler Orsburn; Archdiocese of Oklahoma City; Gregory A. Shemitz; Bob Roller; Dennis Callahan, Catholic San Francisco; Paul Haring; Bob Roller; Bob Roller; Tyler Orsburn; and Bob Roller)

WASHINGTON (CNS) – During their fall general assembly in Baltimore Nov. 14-17, the U.S. bishops will elect the next president and vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from a slate of 10 candidates nominated by their fellow bishops.

They also will vote on chairmen-elect for six standing USCCB committees.

The president and vice president are elected to three-year terms, which begin at the conclusion of this year’s general assembly. At that time, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles and Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit will complete their terms as president and vice president, respectively.

The candidates for president and vice president are, in alphabetical order:

— Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services.

— Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia.

— Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

— Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City.

— Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco.

— Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle.

— Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas.

— Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio.

— Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore.

— Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana.

According to the USCCB bylaws, the president is elected first by a simple majority vote of members present and voting. The vice president is then elected from the remaining nine candidates.

In either election, if a candidate does not receive more than half of the votes cast on the first ballot, a second vote is taken. If a third round of voting is necessary, that ballot is a runoff between the two bishops who received the most votes on the second ballot.

During the meeting, the bishops also will vote for chairmen-elect of six USCCB standing committees on: Canonical Affairs and Church Governance; Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs; Evangelization and Catechesis; International Justice and Peace; Protection of Children and Young People; and Religious Liberty.

The six bishops will each serve for one year as chairman-elect of their respective committee before beginning a three-year term as chairman at the conclusion of the bishops’ 2023 Fall General Assembly.

The nominees are, in alphabetical order:

— Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance: Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, and Bishop Alfred A. Schlert of Allentown, Pennsylvania.

— Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs: Bishop Joseph C. Bambera of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Auxiliary Bishop Peter L. Smith of Portland, Oregon.

— Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis: Archbishop Charles C. Thompson of Indianapolis and Bishop William D. Byrne of Springfield, Massachusetts.

— Committee on International Justice and Peace: Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia and Bishop Abdallah Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon.

— Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People: Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Virginia, and Auxiliary Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo of Newark, New Jersey.

— Committee for Religious Liberty: Archbishop Cordileone and Bishop Rhoades.

Because the elections for USCCB president and vice president are also taking place at the general assembly, if any of the candidates for committee chairmanship are elected to fill either of those higher offices, the USCCB’s Committee on Priorities and Plans will convene to nominate a new candidate for that committee.

Last November, the bishops voted for chairmen-elect for five standing committees. At the end of this year’s fall assembly, they will take over as chairmen of their respective committees on:

— Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations: Bishop Earl A. Boyea of Lansing, Michigan.

— Divine Worship: Bishop Steven J. Lopes, who heads the Houston-based Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.

— Domestic Justice and Human Development: Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.

— Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth: then-Auxiliary Bishop Robert E. Barron of Los Angeles, who now heads the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota.

— Migration: Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso.

Projected images detailing the life of St. Peter the Apostle are seen on the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Oct. 2, 2022. Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli sang for thousands in St. Peter’s Square as the Vatican inaugurated a two-week showing of a short film about the life of St. Peter. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – As thousands of people sat in the dark in St. Peter’s Square, they watched fish jump from the facade of the basilica, saw the word “no” form and dissolve three times and heard an actor reciting the part of St. Peter speak about the overwhelming love and mercy of Jesus.

They also heard tenor Andrea Bocelli sing four songs, including “The First Noel” from the soon-to-be released Christmas album he made with his children Matteo and Virginia.

The nighttime event Oct. 2 was the premiere of “Follow Me,” an eight-minute film about the life and faith of St. Peter.

Using “video mapping,” images of St. Peter from the basilica’s collection and that of the Vatican Museums were turned into 3D video clips and projected onto the facade of the basilica, which is built over the presumed tomb of the apostle.

The film was to be shown every 15 minutes between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. until Oct. 16.

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of the basilica, told viewers that one motivation behind the film was to help people understand that Peter was human, he worked hard as a fisherman – sometimes catching fish and sometimes catching nothing – and, although his faith wobbled when Jesus was arrested, he continued to answer Jesus’ call to follow him.

“Peter gives light to this place, gives light to the universal church and the world with his humanity, which little by little began to shine with divine light, divine love,” the cardinal said.

“He tells us, ‘Look, there is a path. I encountered the love of Jesus, who looked deep inside me, and my life was transformed,'” Cardinal Gambetti said.

Jesus had told Peter, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,” and despite challenges and opposition and human foibles, the cardinal said, the church stands around St. Peter embracing the world and all its peoples as brothers and sisters.

WASHINGTON (CNS) – It’s too early to tell the extent of the damage in the Catholic dioceses of Venice and St. Petersburg in Florida following a direct hit Sept. 28 by Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful hurricanes the state has seen.

However, organizations such as Catholic Charities USA said they have their response teams in place to deal with the aftermath of the massive Category 4 storm that lashed western and central Florida with winds of more than 155 mph Sept. 28 and 29.

Even in a state used to powerful storms, Ian’s destruction managed to shock, leaving mementos of its might in the form of cars battered by winds and water, left floating in flooded city streets next to uprooted trees and parts of roofs torn from buildings in the cities of Fort Myers, Tampa and Punta Gorda.

Dioceses that include those areas closed their churches, schools and other gathering centers. The Diocese of Venice posted a video of the Servant Sisters of the Virgin of Matara Sept. 28 as volunteers helped board up windows at St. Michael Church in Wauchula in the northern part of the diocese.

There were no updates on social media or on the websites of those dioceses early Sept. 29.

Bishop Gregory L. Parkes of St. Petersburg, which includes Tampa, and Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice had asked for prayers, knowing their diocesan territories were in the crosshairs of the storm.

Some other U.S. bishops kept an eye on the hurricane and offered solidarity with the people of Florida.

“We pray for all people in Florida, especially for people’s lives affected,” wrote Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of San Antonio on Twitter just before the hurricane made landfall. “May you, Lord, be their strength! We do not control everything.”

More than 2.5 million were left without electricity as the hurricane, downgraded to a tropical storm early Sept. 29, headed north toward Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Family members desperately posted on Twitter asking for updates on conditions in places such as Venice, close to where the storm made landfall and where many remain without communication.

Authorities began to survey the damage early Sept. 29, looking for those who had not managed to leave before the hurricane hit, but so far no fatalities were reported. They asked those who stayed in their homes to remain indoors as officials were conducting water rescues but still struggling to make their way amid debris and remaining flooding and wind.

Catholic Charities USA said in a statement that its disaster response teams “have a long history of mobilizing quickly to meet the needs of those affected by catastrophic events in the U.S. and its territories.”

The organization encouraged donations at https://ccusa.online/Ian for efforts to help those dealing with the storm’s destruction.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sept. 28 that recovery efforts need financial assistance, and asked people to refrain from sending items, such as clothes, to Florida and send economic help or volunteer instead.

He also said he asked President Joe Biden for a major disaster declaration for the federal government to pay for recovery efforts in the state.

SCRANTON – Daria Dolhy felt blessed being able to join with more than 150 other people during a prayer service for an end to the war in Ukraine on Sept. 25, 2022.

“It was beautiful and all the prayers go straight up to heaven and help with, hopefully, stopping the war and securing peace for everyone,” the Scranton woman said.

Dolhy, a parishioner of Saint Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church of Scranton, was happy to visit the Cathedral of Saint Peter for the prayer service.

“It gives me goose pimples whenever I go to something like this,” she said.

Father Myron Myronyuk, Pastor, Saint Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church of Scranton, who has several family members still living in Ukraine and fighting in the Ukrainian military, led the prayer service along with the Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton.

“It was a beautiful event and I think it brought everyone together to share in the need for prayer to stop the war in Ukraine,” Mary Beth Carson of Scranton said.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine reached its seven-month mark, Carson said she continues to have concerns about how long the war will last.

“I do have concerns about how the people of Ukraine will continue to be able to sustain themselves against the enemy,” she added. “That just underscores why we need to be here and we do need to work together in prayer.”

As he welcomed the crowd to the Cathedral, Bishop Bambera noted that with the passage of time many people have become “desensitized” to the ongoing war.

“We must continue to be vigilant,” the bishop noted. “Perhaps this is the most appropriate time to storm heaven with our hopes, our prayers and most especially our trust in God’s mercy.”

The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24. Thousands of Ukrainians have been killed in the conflict and many others, including civilians, have been wounded.

Father Myronyuk expressed his deep appreciation and gratitude for everyone who has been praying for his motherland.

“What is clear is that great suffering and a heavy cross have been placed upon many innocent people, who in all truth, have nowhere to turn expect to God – God, who is the comforter of the afflicted, the refuge of the storm,” he said.

The Ukrainian pastor said his brother, who is a member of the Ukrainian military, has gotten all of his fellow soldiers to pray. He said they have no fear in repelling their Russian aggressors.

“They all pray. They pray the rosary. Most of them, they don’t pray often but they know they need the help,” Father Myronyuk recounted.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Father Myronyuk noted that people in Lackawanna County have donated $200,000 to help Ukraine, including medications, winter pants, boots and much more.

“Churches, schools, hospitals, homes, orphanages, cultural centers, libraries, roads, bridges and parks are being destroyed,” he said. “But you know, because of your holy prayers, Ukraine is still standing!”

The prayer service came during a pivotal time. Just days prior, in a prerecorded video message, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial military mobilization that would call up roughly 300,000 reservists to the military. During the address, Mr. Putin also challenged the West over its support for Ukraine.

“Today, Ukraine is fighting for every nation’s right to exist,” Father Myronyuk added.

SCRANTON – Eight faith-filled men will take a step toward ordination as permanent deacons for the Diocese of Scranton during a Mass on Oct. 1, 2022, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

The Mass, which will be celebrated at 12:10 p.m. by the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will include the Rite of Candidacy.

During the Rite of Candidacy, Bishop Bambera will accept the men to formally enter the diaconate formation process as Candidates. Over the next four years, these men will receive spiritual, theological and pastoral formation, and upon completion, will be called to ordination as permanent deacons.

The Rite of Candidacy is the first official recognition of the positive signs of a man’s vocation to the permanent diaconate.

The men who will be participating in the Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders on Oct. 1 are:

Fernando B. Alves – Saint Luke Parish, Stroudsburg

Ernesto A. Capo, Jr. – Saint Ann Parish, Shohola

Michaelangelo J. Colaneri – Cathedral of Saint Peter Parish, Scranton

Frank A. Fanelli – Saint Ann Parish, Shohola

Joel Marte – Saint Matthew Parish, East Stroudsburg

Jorge A. Roca – Saint Matthew Parish, East Stroudsburg

Rafael Sánchez Velásquez – Saint Matthew Parish, East Stroudsburg

Christian D. Saunders – Saint Paul Parish, Scranton

A ninth man, Francisco Castelan, has been accepted this year into this formation class, but he has already received the Rite of Candidacy in 2013 in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

All are invited to attend Saturday’s Mass. For those unable to attend in person, CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton will broadcast the Mass and there will be a livestream available on the Diocese of Scranton website, YouTube channel and links available on all Diocesan social media platforms.

Three educators and two administrators from the Diocese of Scranton Catholic School System receive the Saint John Paul II Award for 25 or more years of dedicated service to Catholic Education in the Diocese of Scranton. The recipients received the awards at the Diocesan Teachers’ Institute Mass held at Saint Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre on Sept. 27, 2022.
Shown after the Mass are, from left: Michele Long, Assistant Superintendent of Schools; Ann Marie Rogers, Saint Clare/Saint Paul School, Scranton; Diane Centrella, Notre Dame Elementary School, East Stroudsburg; Alisia McNamee, Saint John Neumann Regional Academy, Williamsport; Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton; Christopher Tigue, Saint Nicholas/Saint Mary School, Wilkes-Barre; Jennifer Olmstead, Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School; and Kristen Donohue, Diocesan Secretary for Catholic Education/Superintendent of Catholic Schools.

WILKES-BARRE – Three educators and two administrators in the Diocese of Scranton Catholic School System are being recognized for their commitment to Catholic Education and sharing the love of Christ with young people.

During the Diocesan Teachers’ Institute Mass, held Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, at Saint Nicholas Church, each honoree received the Saint John Paul II Award for 25 years or more of dedicated service to Catholic Education in the Diocese of Scranton.

The recipients include Diane Centrella of Notre Dame Elementary School in East Stroudsburg; Alisia McNamee of Saint John Neumann Regional Academy in Williamsport; Jennifer Olmstead of Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School in East Stroudsburg; Ann Marie Rogers of Saint Clare/Saint Paul School in Scranton; and Christopher Tigue of Saint Nicholas/Saint Mary School in Wilkes-Barre.

Olmstead, who teaches French to students in seventh thru 12^th grade, reflected on what her teaching profession has meant after accepting her award.

“My school is like a family. When we walk in the door, we know that our kids are part of our extended family. Their families are also a part of it,” she said. “The teachers at my school are some of my dearest friends. The administration is supportive, so there is a lot that brings us back year after year.”

Centrella is now in her 26^th year teaching kindergarten.

“I’m always honored to teach the littlest ones. I’ve learned so much and they’re great teachers,” she explained. “Every day is different. It is creative and full of God.”

Centrella said her students get excited to learn about God.

“It is their favorite subject. They want to hear about Jesus every day. They want to hear stories, they want to talk about what Jesus would do,” she added.

After teaching at La Salle Academy in Jessup for nearly two decades, Rogers moved to Saint Clare/Saint Paul School six years ago. She has taught art, pre-school and first grade during all that time. She also coached track and field and cross-country at Holy Cross High School for more than a decade.

“I have been able to combine my love for Jesus with my daily work,” she said. “It’s nice to see the kids that you’ve had grown up and all their accomplishments, getting married. I now have kids of kids that I’ve taught in school!”

After starting his teaching career in Hazleton, Tigue spent time in Scranton and Dunmore before ending up in Wilkes-Barre. He is currently the principal at Saint Nicholas/Saint Mary School.

“We not only teach excellence, but we teach faith and passing that on is really what the mission is all about,” he said.

While all the educators receiving the Saint John Paul II Award have seen changes in technology, instruction methods and security, Tigue said one thing has not changed.

“The core values that we have haven’t changed,” he said.

That is a sentiment that McNamee, the current principal at Saint John Neumann Regional Academy in Williamsport, agreed with wholeheartedly.

“I am a product of Catholic education, actually in the buildings I teach in and lead right now,” she said. “The faith, morals and values are needed so much in today’s world and society.”

While she laughed while explaining that some of her former students are now part of her teaching staff, McNamee said one of the best parts of the job are when former students reach out and explain the lasting impact she has had on them.

“When they come up to you and tell you what you have meant in their life, it’s really overwhelming,” McNamee ended by saying.

SCRANTON – October is Respect Life Month and the first Sunday in October is designated as Respect Life Sunday. The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will celebrate Respect Life Sunday Mass on Oct. 2 at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

The Mass is open to the public. Faithful from across the Diocese of Scranton are invited to attend the Respect Life Sunday Mass and focus on God’s precious gift of human life and our responsibility to care for, protect and defend the lives of our brothers and sisters.

As Catholics, we are called to cherish, defend, and protect those who are most vulnerable, from the beginning of life to its end, and at every point in between. During the month of October, the Church asks us to reflect more deeply on the dignity of every human life.

During this special month, the faithful are encouraged to pray for the wisdom and courage to lovingly protect God’s gift of human life at every stage, in sickness and in health.

The faithful are also asked to pray for women and men suffering after abortion. Through Christ’s endless mercy, we ask that they find peace and healing, especially with the assistance of the Church’s abortion healing ministry, Project Rachel.

The faithful are also asked to pray for those nearing the end of life, that they receive care that respects their dignity and protects their lives as they place their hope in the promise of eternal life.

Students from the Diocese of Scranton Catholic School System and parish youth ministries have been invited to participate in the Respect Life Mass on Oct. 2 as readers, gift bearers and altar servers.

For those unable to attend in-person, the Mass will be broadcast live on CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton and the Diocese of Scranton’s YouTube Channel. The Mass will also be livestream on the Diocese of Scranton website with links provided on the Diocese of Scranton social media platforms.

More than 5,000 anti-abortion advocates attended the second annual Pennsylvania March for Life in Harrisburg on Sept. 19, 2022. This was the first official state March in the nation since the Roe v. Wade reversal.

HARRISBURG – As he finished marching around the State Capitol, Thaddeus Zielinski, 67, a resident of Chinchilla, said he was “thrilled” by the size of the crowd at the second annual Pennsylvania March for Life.

“I was very impressed, especially for a state march or gathering,” Zielinski said. “I’ve been to Washington, D.C. for the March for Life numerous years and I was very impressed with the Harrisburg March – thrilled actually – and I hope we send a clear message into the Capitol to the governor and whoever the next governor may be.”

More than 5,000 anti-abortion advocates filled the Capitol steps on Sept. 19, 2022, sprawling out onto the complex lawn and even onto North 3rd Street. It was the first official state March in the nation since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Churches from across the Diocese of Scranton had a strong presence at the 2022 March for Life. Numerous buses traveled from nearly every corner of the diocese, including Towanda, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Williamsport and Pocono Pines.

“Love life, choose life,” the Most Reverend Nelson J. Perez, Archbishop of Philadelphia, said as he welcomed the large crowd to an outdoor rally immediately before the march.

Other speakers included Ann McElhinney, producer and co-writer of the film “Gosnell – The Untold Story of America’s Biggest Serial Killer,” Jeanne Mancini, president of the national March for Life, and former U.S. Senate candidate Kathy Barnette.

Barnette told the crowd she is the byproduct of rape and her mother was just 11 at the time she was conceived.

Zach Houston, left, a sophomore at Marywood University, takes a photo with Bishop Joseph C. Bambera and Jordan Cook, a senior at Marywood, at the second annual PA March for Life. (Photos/Eric Deabill)

“I am grateful that there were adults in the room, adults with a mind, with a heart,” Barnette said. “My grandmother couldn’t spell her name but she had enough sense to know that what was growing in my mother’s womb was not a broomstick and was not a clump of cells but a human. It was a life!”

Barnette’s story touched Mike Kilmer of Wyalusing, who arrived at the March for Life on a bus with 35 other people from the Towanda, Wyalusing and Dushore areas.

“Her story is like wow,” Kilmer exclaimed. “I know there were a lot of tears in the audience. What a powerful story. She wouldn’t be here if people subscribed to the theory, ‘Oh, you were raped, so you should abort your baby.’”

Many families and schoolchildren – including students from Holy Redeemer High School, The University of Scranton and Marywood University – attended the second annual Pennsylvania March for Life. They joined many Republican lawmakers who have proposed anti-abortion legislation in the GOP-controlled General Assembly.

“A lot of our representatives should be paying attention. We’ve noticed that several of the representatives won’t even acknowledge the fact that we’re out here and you can see that there are thousands of people. How can you ignore that?” Alex Piechocki, a resident of Towanda and parishioner at Saints Peter & Paul Parish, asked.

Carol Carroll organized a bus trip from Luzerne County’s Back Mountain with the assistance of a Social Justice Grant from the Diocesan Annual Appeal. That meant dozens of parishioners from Gate of Heaven Parish and Our Lady of Victory Parish could attend the March for Life.

“This year’s March was definitely bigger than last year. There was a lot more excitement too. It was great,” Carroll said.

“We’ve now got to go home and spread the word, not only to be here in Harrisburg but be in our communities and in our churches,” her fellow parishioner, Nancy Restaino, added.

Attending the March for Life on Sept. 19, 2022, from Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre was, from left: Jeff Passetti, Sophia Fiedorczyk, Marcus Fiedorczyk, Lukas Kachinko and Megan Martin.

Pennsylvania remains a state where abortions are still legal through the end of the 23rd week of pregnancy and allowed after only in cases of life or health endangerment.

Meanwhile, other states are passing laws or implementing restrictions on abortion in the post-Roe era where the legality of abortion is left up to each state.

The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, attended this year’s March for Life in Harrisburg. He also concelebrated the 1:30 p.m. Mass at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Harrisburg which was attended by hundreds of people, including many from the Scranton area.

“It is a great testimony and witness to the fact that at the heart of the belief of so many of our Catholics is this incredible respect for human life and it’s really consoling to me to see our people be willing to stand on what they believe and be willing to profess it so boldly,” the bishop said.

SCRANTON – Later this week, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine reaches its seven-month mark, people of goodwill are being invited to come together and pray for an end to the senseless conflict.

A Prayer Service for an End to the War in Ukraine will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

Father Myron Myronyuk, Pastor, Saint Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church of Scranton, who has several family members still living in Ukraine and fighting in the Ukrainian military, will lead the Prayer Service along with the Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton.

The special Prayer Service comes at a pivotal time. In a prerecorded video message released Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial military mobilization that would call up roughly 300,000 reservists to the military. During the address, Mr. Putin also challenged the West over its support for Ukraine.

During Sunday’s Prayer Service in Scranton, everyone in attendance will be invited to offer prayers for peace in Ukraine and for the innocent people who continue to suffer in the country. A goodwill offering for those on the ground helping the Ukrainian people will be collected at the conclusion of the Prayer Service.

While in-person attendance is highly encouraged, the Prayer Service will also be broadcast live on CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton and livestream on the Diocese of Scranton website, YouTube channel and social media platforms.