Author: Eric Deabill

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – When Christians recite the Creed, it should prompt an examination of conscience about what they truly believe and what kind of example of faith in God they give to others, Pope Leo XIV wrote.

“Wars have been fought, and people have been killed, persecuted and discriminated against in the name of God,” he wrote. “Instead of proclaiming a merciful God, a vengeful God has been presented who instills terror and punishes.”

Publishing “In Unitate Fidei” (“In the Unity of Faith”) Nov. 23, Pope Leo marked the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and its Creed. He said he wanted it released in anticipation of his visit to Turkey Nov. 27-30 to celebrate with Orthodox and Protestant leaders the anniversary of the Creed Christians share.

The bishops who had gathered in Nicaea in 325 had survived anti-Christian persecution, the pope said, but were facing the fracturing of their communities over disputes regarding “the essence of the Christian faith, namely the answer to the decisive question that Jesus had asked his disciples at Caesarea Philippi: ‘Who do you say that I am?'”

“Arius, a priest from Alexandria in Egypt, taught that Jesus was not truly the Son of God,” the pope explained. Arius taught that “though more than a mere creature,” Jesus was “an intermediate being between the inaccessible God and humanity. Moreover, there would have been a time when the Son ‘did not exist.'”

The challenge facing the bishops, he said, was to affirm their faith in one God while making it clear that, as the creed now says, Jesus is “the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages … true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.”

The bishops, he said, knew “no mortal being can, in fact, defeat death and save us; only God can do so. He has freed us through his Son made man, so that we might be free.”

In affirming monotheism and the true humanity and divinity of Christ, the pope said, “they wanted to reaffirm that the one true God is not inaccessibly distant from us, but on the contrary has drawn near and has come to encounter us in Jesus Christ.”

“This is the heart of our Christian life,” Pope Leo wrote. “For this reason, we commit to follow Jesus as our master, companion, brother and friend.”

The version of the Creed recited by most Catholics at Mass each Sunday and shared with other mainline Christians is formally called the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, because it includes an article of faith inserted by the bishops at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 about the Holy Spirit.

Western Christians say: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.”

A footnote in the pope’s letter said that the phrase known as the “filioque” — and proceeds from the Father and the Son — “is not found in the text of Constantinople; it was inserted into the Latin Creed by Pope Benedict VIII in 1014 and is a subject of Orthodox-Catholic dialogue.”

Recent popes, including Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis and Pope Leo, have omitted the phrase at ecumenical prayer services.

In his letter, Pope Leo affirmed the Catholic Church’s commitment to the search for Christian unity and said, “The Nicene Creed can be the basis and reference point for this journey.”

And he prayed that the Holy Spirit would come to all Christians “to revive our faith, to enkindle us with hope, to inflame us with charity.”

“The Nicene Creed does not depict a distant, inaccessible and immovable God who rests in himself, but a God who is close to us and accompanies us on our journey in the world, even in the darkest places on earth,” Pope Leo wrote.

Reciting the Creed, he said, should prompt Christians to “examine our conscience.”

The questions they should ask, he wrote, include: “What does God mean to me and how do I bear witness to my faith in him? Is the one and only God truly the Lord of my life, or do I have idols that I place before God and his commandments? Is God for me the living God, close to me in every situation, the Father to whom I turn with filial trust?”

And, he continued with more questions: “Is he the Creator to whom I owe everything I am and have, whose mark I can find in every creature? Am I willing to share the goods of the earth, which belong to everyone, in a just and equitable manner? How do I treat creation, the work of his hands? Do I exploit and destroy it, or do I use it with reverence and gratitude, caring for and cultivating it as the common home of humanity?”

Believing that God became human in Jesus means “that we now encounter the Lord in our brothers and sisters in need,” the pope said. That is why Jesus said, “As you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.”

The Creed “does not formulate a philosophical theory,” Pope Leo wrote. “It professes faith in the God who redeemed us through Jesus Christ. It is about the living God who wants us to have life and to have it in abundance.”

(OSV News) – During the Nov. 23 Angelus prayer, Pope Leo XIV appealed for the release of over 300 children and teachers abducted from a Catholic school in central Nigeria.

He said he was “deeply saddened to learn of the kidnapping,” mentioning not only Nigeria, but also Cameroon, where six Catholic priests from the Archdiocese of Bamenda were kidnapped in Ndop, Cameroon.

“I feel great pain, above all for the many young men and women who have been abducted and for their distressed families,” Pope Leo said.

“I make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages and urge the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their release.”

He asked for prayers that “churches and schools may always and everywhere remain places of safety and hope.”

The number of children abducted from a Nigerian Catholic school on Nov. 21 has been updated to 303 schoolchildren, the Christian Association of Nigeria said Nov. 22. Twelve teachers also have been taken by gunmen. Earlier reports indicated that 215 schoolchildren had been abducted.

The students were both male and female and ranged in age from 10 to 18, CAN said in a statement.

Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna said 88 students were “captured after they tried to escape” during the attack and a final census carried out confirmed the number of kidnapped children is bigger.

The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora in Nigeria’s Niger state confirmed the kidnapping in a statement issued Nov. 21.

Signed by the diocesan secretary, Father Jatau Luka Joseph, the statement indicates that gunmen attacked St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, in the Agwarra local government area, between 1 and 3 a.m. local time on Nov. 21.

As they abducted students and teachers, the gunmen badly shot security personnel.

The diocese said it “strongly condemns the attack and expresses deep concern for the safety of the kidnapped children and their families.”

“Security agencies were immediately informed and have begun coordinated efforts to ensure the safe rescue and return of the victims.” Father Jatau said in the statement, assuring that the diocese “is actively collaborating with security operatives, community leaders, and government authorities.”

The diocese urged the public to remain calm, support security efforts, and continue praying for the safe and quick return of all those abducted.

The Christian Association of Nigeria also condemned the attack and expressed “deep concern for the safety of the kidnapped children and their families.”

“CAN also reaffirms our commitment to the protection of children and promises to provide further updates as verified information becomes available,” the statement said. “May the Lord grant quick release to those abducted and continue to protect his people from all dangers.”

Italian Prime minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the “renewed violence against Christian communities in Nigeria.”

“Religious freedom is an inviolable right: we call on the Nigerian government to strengthen the protection of Christian and all religious communities and to prosecute those responsible for these brutal attacks,” she said on X.

“Italy expresses its deepest sympathy to the victims and to the communities in Nigeria who today feel threatened because of their religious beliefs,” Meloni said.

Niger state’s Police Command said it had already deployed police to Papiri to ensure that the kidnapped students and teachers are freed.

“Police tactical units, military components and other security agencies have moved to the scene, combing the forests with a view to rescue the abducted students,” said Wasiu Abiodun, public relations officer for the police.

He said the goal is “to rescue the students unhurt.”

The Niger state kidnapping comes just five days after a similar attack in neighboring Kebbi state, where 25 girls were abducted from a government school. The vice principal of the school was killed during that attack.

On Nov. 19, attackers stormed Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, killing three worshippers and abducting several others, including the pastor.

No group has taken responsibility for the string of attacks, but advocates now say strongly that what happens to Christians in Nigeria is genocide.

“Is there anyone who can say that there is no Christian genocide in Nigeria?” asked Emeka Umeagbalasi, director of the Catholic-inspired nongovernmental organization Intersociety.

“There is a deliberate plan to wipe out Christianity from Nigeria,” he told OSV News Nov. 21.

The latest Intersociety report revealed that an average of 32 Christians are killed in Nigeria every day. The report published in August indicates that as many as 7,000 Christians were massacred across Nigeria in the first 220 days of 2025.

It said at least 185,000 people, including 125,000 Christians and 60,000 moderate Muslims had been killed in Nigeria since 2009.

The report, which covers the period from 2010 to October 2025, details the destruction of 19,100 churches and the seizure of 1,100 Christian communities by Islamic extremist forces allegedly protected by the government.

The NGO also issued an updated version, indicating that between Oct. 28 and Nov. 17, 113 Christians were killed in Nigeria and 135 others were abducted, according to Umeagbalasi.

The report also highlights a pattern of targeting spiritual leaders, with 600 clerics abducted and dozens more killed or missing.

“I just don’t know what to say anymore after this latest kidnapping attack in Niger State, Nigeria, at St. Mary’s Catholic School,” Sean Nelson, senior counsel of ADF International Christian advocacy group, said on X on Nov. 21.

“The terrorists want to destroy the futures of a generation of young girls & boys. They want to destroy Christians,” he said. “They are enemies of civilization,” he concluded.

Videos posted on social media indicated that a statue of Virgin Mary was vandalized and burned on the premises of St. Mary’s school, from where over 300 children were taken Nov. 21.

Nigeria returned to the U.S. list of countries of “particular concern” over Christian persecution with President Donald Trump announcing the designation Oct. 31 to protect Christianity, which he said was “facing an existential threat in Nigeria.”

He also threatened to halt all aid to Nigeria and launch military action if the government fails to stop the killings. He later instructed the Department of Defense, which he has nicknamed Department of War, to prepare for possible “action” — a move that brought mixed reactions from church leaders in Nigeria.

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – A lot has happened to the United States since the last visit of the relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, during 1999-2000.

The collective national shock of the 9-11 terrorist attacks and ensuing War on Terror; disbelief when the Space Shuttle Columbia broke into pieces as it streaked across the Texas sky in 2003; the devastation of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina in 2005; the 2008 financial crisis amid the 2007-2009 Great Recession; the stunned national mourning after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, a scenario repeated many times since then; the world coming to a halt in the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic; the near assassination of President Donald Trump in 2024 and the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk the following year are just some of the events that have left their mark on the country.

As St. Thérèse’s relics return to the U.S. Oct. 1 – Dec. 8, 2025, the country is in many ways changed. What do the plexiglass-enclosed bones of a 24-year-old French Carmelite nun who died in 1897 from tuberculosis have to say to a country that has been through so much?

On Nov. 19, those relics paused on a multi-city tour to rest at Catholic University’s Theological College in Washington. The next morning, they were escorted across a busy metro street by a phalanx of seminarians carrying candles and a crucifix, who reverently delivered St. Thérèse’s mortal remains to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

St. Thérèse’s relics were scheduled to remain at the basilica — the largest Catholic church in North America — until Nov. 22, when they journey on to the Carmel of Port Tobacco in La Plata, Maryland, site of the first Carmelite monastery in the original 13 U.S. states.

St. Thérèse (1873-1897) is most familiar to Catholics as a rose- and crucifix-clutching young woman with a sweet smile.

But those who have read her autobiography, “The Story of a Soul,” are also familiar with what is known as her “Little Way” — so-termed because of the words St. Thérèse herself who wrote: “I want to seek out a means of going to Heaven by a little way, a way that is very straight, very short, and totally new.”

This revolutionary Thérèsian spirituality — a spirituality that, on Nov. 20, attracted some 800 worshippers to morning prayer, Mass, and long lines just to spend a few seconds with her relics — is, like its young author, disarmingly simple: First, recognize our own weakness. Then, strive to grow in holiness. And finally — and perhaps most importantly — keep trusting in God’s mercy.

“I think the Little Way she taught is perennially relevant,” Father Steven Payne, a Carmelite priest, professor of historical and systematic theology, and chair of Carmelite Studies at The Catholic University of America, told OSV News.

“It helps people today realize how they can aspire to holiness within their ordinary circumstances,” Father Payne, president of the Carmelite Institute of North America, continued. “The main thing people need to understand about the Little Way is that it’s all about confidence and love — not confidence in ourselves, but confidence in God’s mercy. Then we don’t have to be anxious all the time. We can trust in the Lord.”

As the line of faithful inched closer to the relics — ensconced behind the basilica’s altar rail, but close enough to reach; to touch — there was a hushed excitement. Some held roses — a nod to St. Thérèse’s nickname, “The Little Flower” and her promise to “let fall a shower of roses” after her death. A multitude of religious objects were touched to the domed cover enclosing the reliquary: rosaries; holy cards; statues.

Lauds, as morning prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours is known, was recited, followed by a “fervorino” (a short reflection) from Carmelite Father Simon Nolan.

“Her Little Way of trust — her confidence in God’s mercy — was nothing more, and nothing less, than the Gospel lived literally,” Father Nolan, prior of Whitefriar Street Church and Priory in Dublin and a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at the National University of Ireland, told the visitors.

“People sometimes imagine that the shower of roses comes as miracles or dramatic favors,” he said. “But Thérèse’s shower of roses is first and always about love. Every time a soul begins to trust God more deeply, that is a rose. Every time a person forgives, instead of retaliating, that is a rose. Every time someone chooses hope, instead of despair, that is Thérèse’s promise, fulfilled.”

After recitation of the rosary, Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, the retired archbishop of Washington.

“Our veneration of Thérèse’s relics derives from our desire to capture some of the grace that led her to pursue God’s presence in such an extraordinary fashion,” Cardinal Gregory said in his homily. “Our religious veneration of the relics of the saints — as those of the Little Flower today — very much yearns for a share of those graces that animated Thérèse to inspire us to follow her Little Way of holiness to eternal life.”

There’s another purpose, too, he noted.

“Our spiritual veneration, actually, is a plea that God share with us some portion of the graces that made the saints so successful in holiness,” Cardinal Gregory said. “Catholics venerate the saints because we firmly believe that God has the power to transform us.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV urged U.S. high school students to be “intentional” with their screen time, their prayer time and their involvement in a local parish.

“One of my own personal heroes, one of my favorite saints, is St. Augustine of Hippo,” the pope told 16,000 young Catholics meeting in Indianapolis. “He searched everywhere for happiness, but nothing satisfied him until he opened his heart to God. That is why he wrote, ‘You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

With a livestream connection, Pope Leo spoke for close to an hour Nov. 21 with participants at the National Catholic Youth Conference meeting at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The pope responded to questions from five high school students: Mia Smothers from the Archdiocese of Baltimore; Ezequiel Ponce from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles; Christopher Pantelakis from the Archdiocese of Las Vegas; Micah Alcisto from the Diocese of Honolulu; and Elise Wing from the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa.

The questions were developed in meetings with other students and adults and were sent to the pope in advance.

Pope Leo did respond to a question and comment posed by Katie Prejean McGrady, who was moderating the event. She mentioned that she had given the pope a pair of socks some time ago and said she wanted to know what he used as an opening word when he played Wordle each day.

“I just want to say I only wear white socks, and I use a different word for Wordle every day, so there’s no set starting word,” the pope said, before turning to the young people’s questions.

Pantelakis asked for the pope’s advice on balancing the use of smartphones and social media with “making faith connections outside of technology.”

Pope Leo, using technology to address the students, listed many good things technology does. For example, “it lets us stay connected with people who are far away,” he said, and there are “amazing tools for prayer, for reading the Bible, for learning more about what we believe, and it allows us to share the Gospel with people we may never meet in person.”

“But even with all that, technology can never replace real, in-person relationships; simple things (like) a hug, a handshake, a smile — all those things are essential to being human and to have those things in a real way, not through a screen,” is important.

Pope Leo encouraged the students to follow the example of St. Carlo Acutis, who used technology to spread devotion to the Eucharistic but limited his time online and made sure he went to Mass, spent time in Eucharistic adoration and served the poor.

“Be intentional with your screen time,” the pope told the young people. “Make sure technology serves your life and not the other way around.”

Alciso asked for advice about using ChatGPT and other forms of artificial intelligence.

While Pope Leo has continued to push AI developers and governments to formulate ethical guidelines and include controls to protect young people, he told the high school students that “safety is not only about rules; it is about education, and it is about personal responsibility. Filters and guidelines can help you, but they cannot make choices for you; only you can do that.”

“Using AI responsibly means using it in ways that help you grow, never in ways that distract you from your dignity or your call to holiness,” the pope said. “AI can process information quickly, but it cannot replace human intelligence — and don’t ask it to do your homework for you.”

AI, he said, “will not judge between what is truly right and wrong. And it won’t stand in wonder, in authentic wonder, before the beauty, the beauty of God’s creation. So be prudent. Be wise. Be careful that your use of AI does not limit your true human growth.”

“Use it in such a way that if it disappeared tomorrow, you would still know how to think how to create, how to act on your own, how to form authentic friendships,” the pope said. And “remember, AI can never replace the unique gift that you are to the world.”

Responding to Wing, who asked about the future of the church, Pope Leo told the young people they are an important part of its present. “Your voices, your ideas, your faith matter right now, and the church needs you,” he said.

But, looking ahead, he asked them to ask themselves: “What can I offer the church for the future? How can I help others come to know Christ? How can I build peace and friendship around me?”

Smothers asked the pope if he ever finds it difficult to accept God’s mercy.

“All of us struggle with this at times,” the pope said. “The truth is that none of us is perfect.”

But, he added, it also is true that God always forgives.

“We may struggle to forgive, but God’s heart is different,” Pope Leo told the teens. “God never stops inviting us back. We experience this mercy of God in a special way in the sacrament of reconciliation; in confession, Jesus meets us through the priest. When we honestly confess our sins and accept our penance, the priest gives absolution, and we know with certainty that we are forgiven.”

“Do not focus only on your sins. Look to Jesus, trust his mercy and go to him with confidence; he will always welcome you home,” the pope said to applause.

SCRANTON – The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will ordain eight men as permanent deacons for the Diocese of Scranton at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

The newly ordained deacons will join the ranks of clergy who minister to the faithful in parishes and other settings throughout the Diocese.

During the Mass of Ordination, Bishop Bambera will ordain the following men to serve permanently in the Order of Deacon: Fernando Alves, Francisco Castelan, Michaelangelo Colaneri, Frank Fanelli, Joel Marte, Jorge Roca, Rafael Sanchez Velasquez, and Christian Saunders.

“For me, the deacon is the bridge between the sanctuary and the people,” Michaelangelo Colaneri, a parishioner of the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton, said. “You’re allowed to be right next to the mystery of God on the altar on Sunday, and then you’re able to take that majesty that comes from Him and extend it to the people in your parish.”

Colaneri calls his upcoming ordination a “tremendous responsibility and a beautiful call.”

“Being able to bring the blessings of God from the altar to the kitchen table is probably the greatest thing I could ever ask for,” he stated.

Both Frank Fanelli, a parishioner of Saint Ann Parish in Shohola, and Fernando Alves, a parishioner of Saint Luke Parish in Stroudsburg said their calls to the diaconate grew naturally from years of service to others.

“I was approached by Deacon Joe Connelly while feeding the needy,” Fanelli explained. “He felt that I would be a good candidate. I’ve been a Eucharistic Minister for many years, and I just felt the need to go further with my faith.”

“I first started teaching religious education, then helping in the soup kitchen. When the parish reopened after COVID, I helped as an usher and with the cleaning crew. With time, the desire to be a deacon started growing in me, but I never felt worthy of that,” Alves added.

All the men being ordained will complete a five-year formation program and become members of the three-fold ordained ministry that consists of bishops, priests, and deacons.

The upcoming Diaconate Ordination will be historic for the Diocese of Scranton – because several of the candidates speak Spanish as their primary language. All formation classes were held jointly in English and Spanish with assistance of real-time translation services.

With assistance from online translation applications, The Catholic Light was able to speak in Spanish with both Rafael Sanchez and Jorge Roca, both parishioners of Saint Matthew Parish in East Stroudsburg, about their reasons for becoming deacons.

“I heard the call many years ago and have been participating in the service of my parish ever since,” Sanchez said. “My purpose (in becoming a deacon) is to serve my community, to serve everyone in need, guided of course, by my priests and obviously by the Bishop.”

Roca said he looks forward to carrying Christ’s message to the communities where it is needed most and hopes other men will consider the possibility of a vocation to the diaconate.

“Very few answer Christ’s call when He calls you to serve. I think many of us are afraid at first, but you lose all that fear as you develop the spiritual formation you receive to walk in this ministry. This formation is very important in a person’s life,” Roca said.

A third man from Saint Matthew Parish, Joel Marte, will also be ordained. Through his ministry, he hopes to accompany others in their most difficult moments.

“If you have somebody that is going through a tough moment with their kids, with their spouse, with a loved one that has passed, being able to walk with them and be able to help them carry the cross and support them and bring them closer to Christ, that is what I’m looking forward to,” Marte stated.

A deacon’s service has three aspects: word, worship, and charity. He can perform certain ministerial functions such as administering baptism; serving as the deacon at the Mass, including proclaiming the Gospel, preaching the homily and distributing Holy Communion; bringing viaticum to the sick; presiding at wake services, funeral liturgies and burial rites and with permission by the pastor, may celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony.

Deacons also minister to the needs of families, single parents, students, the aged and infirmed, the imprisoned and those who suffer from poverty or addictions.

“I’m really moved by service to those that could never reciprocate,” Christian Saunders, a parishioner of Saint Paul Parish in Scranton, said. “I feel like that is service to Christ.”

Saunders said his calling to the diaconate began early in life.

“Since I was a teenager, I felt a call to serve God,” he added. “At the age of 40, I knew that I would not be able to ignore that call anymore.”

Francisco Castelan began his formation program in Brooklyn, N.Y. before moving to the Scranton area and attending Mass at Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish.

“I was not thinking about becoming a deacon, but in my (former) parish, five or six people said I could become a deacon,” he said. “I listened to call of Jesus and that is why I decided to be a servant of Him.”

All are welcome to attend the Ordination Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Peter. For those unable to attend in person, CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton will provide a live broadcast of the Mass. A livestream will also be available on the Diocese of Scranton website, YouTube channel, and across all Diocesan social media platforms.

The following are brief biographies of the Permanent Deacon Class of 2026:

Fernando B. Alves

Fernando B. Alves, 48, of Stroudsburg, is a member of Saint Luke Parish in Stroudsburg. He is married to his wife, Dina, for 14 years and the couple has five children.

Following graduation from Saint Mary of the Assumption/Elizabeth High School in Elizabeth, N.J., in 1995, Alves earned his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Rutgers University, New Jersey, in 2002.

The deacon candidate currently serves as controller for the Archdiocese of New York.

Francisco Castelan

Francisco Castelan, 49, and his wife of 30 years, Elena, reside in Scranton and are members of Saint Teresa of Calcutta Parish in South Scranton.
The couple has four children.

Michaelangelo J. Colaneri

Deacon candidate Michaelangelo J. Colaneri, 38, is a resident of Wilkes-Barre.
He and his wife, Kristine, have been married for six years and are parishioners of the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

A 2006 graduate of Scranton High School, Colaneri continued his education at Villanova University near Philadelphia, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in theology in 2010.

The ordinand currently serves as a territory manager for Lennox Industries.

Frank A. Fanelli

Lackawaxen resident Frank A. Fanelli, 61, has been married to his wife, Nancy, for 36 years. They are the parents of three children and are parishioners of Saint Ann Parish in Shohola.

A 1982 graduate of Nazareth Regional High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., Fanelli entered his law enforcement training at the New York Police Department/New York City Police Academy, where he graduated in 1987.

The future deacon is a retired detective with the NYPD.

Joel Marte

East Stroudsburg resident Joel Marte, 41, is a member of Saint Matthew Parish in East Stroudsburg, along with his wife, Ramona.

The couple has been married for nine years and are the parents of seven children.

The ordinand graduated from Northampton High School in 2002 and is employed as a general contractor.

Jorge Roca

Jorge Roca, 58, and his wife, Roselia Veronica, reside in Stroudsburg and are members of Saint Matthew Parish in East Stroudsburg.

Married for 30 years, the couple has four children.

The deacon candidate currently works in the construction industry.

Rafael Sánchez

Rafael Sánchez, 63, is a resident of East Stroudsburg.

He has been married to his wife, Flor Alina, for 43 years and they are the parents of three children.

The family is among the parishioners of Saint Matthew Parish in East Stroudsburg.

Christian D. Saunders

Scranton resident Christian D. Saunders, 45, is a member of Saint Paul Parish in the city’s Green Ridge section.

He and his wife of 17 years, Stefanie, are the parents of four children.

A 1999 graduate of the former Bishop O’Hara High School in Dunmore, Saunders earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Marywood University in 2003.

The deacon ordinand is currently employed as a licensed realtor.

SCRANTON – On the feast of the patron saint of immigrants – and a day after the U.S. Catholic Bishops issued a special pastoral message on immigration – a coalition of Catholic organizations held a second wave of prayer vigils across the country Nov. 13 for what organizers called a “national day of public witness for our immigrant brothers and sisters.”

The latest vigils – which took place on the feast of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, an Italian immigrant whose ministry to fellow immigrants ultimately led to her canonization as the first American saint – came amid growing concern from various faith communities and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops about the impact of hardline immigration policies.

The first round of “One Church, One Family: Catholic Public Witness for Immigrants” vigils took place in multiple locations around the country on Oct. 22.

In Scranton, the Nov. 13 witness began with a 4:30 p.m. Mass at The University of Scranton’s Madonna della Strada Chapel, celebrated by university president Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J. Following Mass, participants processed by candlelight – a challenge with gusty November wind – from the university campus down Monroe Avenue to Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton, where they concluded the evening with prayer, song, and personal testimony.

Organizers stressed that the gathering was not a political rally but a public expression of Catholic teaching on human dignity and solidarity.

“We are here tonight to bear witness to what is going on with our community, particularly with immigrants,” Joe Mahoney, Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Social Services, explained. “We find some of the actions of the government dehumanizing – and that is not what Christians are about.”

On Courthouse Square, speakers read the U.S. Bishops’ new pastoral message on immigration and shared quotes from popes and other Church leaders.

Mahoney recalled the words of President Abraham Lincoln at the end of the Civil War – “malice toward none, charity for all” – and urged those gathered to reject rhetoric that demonizes people because of where they come from.

“Why do we have to say that these folks are evil because they came from some other place?” he asked. “Most of our ancestors did the same. This is not a political issue. This comes right back to the Gospel.”

Dr. William Cohen, a professor of theology at The University of Scranton who directs the school’s Peace and Justice Studies program and coordinates “Christians for the Common Good,” said many residents have been personally affected by recent immigration enforcement actions.

“There are a lot of people in Scranton and the surrounding area that are really moved with pain and with concern about their neighbors, their friends, their children’s friends, who are being ripped from their community,” Cohen said.

He noted that many of those caught up in enforcement efforts have been working, paying taxes, and doing no harm.

“While we recognize the need for an immigration policy that is orderly, we recognize that the kinds of actions that have been happening locally are not upholding the dignity of people,” he continued. “All Catholics and people of goodwill should agree that every human being has dignity.”

Julie Schumacher Cohen, Assistant Vice President for Community Engagement and Governmental Affairs at The University of Scranton, said the vigil was rooted in Catholic moral teaching, not partisanship.

“Upholding human dignity is one of the core teachings that we’re taught in the Catholic church. We’re in a critical time when we’re seeing the devaluing of human lives – of our immigrant and refugee brothers and sisters – and we have to stand against that,” she said.

Scranton’s longstanding connection to Mother Cabrini and to immigrant communities was also highlighted.

“This is a community that has been home to immigrants since its founding,” Schumacher Cohen added. “Mother Cabrini actually came to Scranton in 1899. She came here six times, and she started a convent and a school. I think if she was alive today, she would probably be very much appalled at what is happening in terms of the closing of borders to refugees and the policies of mass deportation.”

For participants, the evening was a chance both to pray and to be seen.

“As Catholics, it’s important for us to voice our concerns for what is going on, because we could be next,” Anthony Farah, a parishioner of Saint Robert Bellarmine Parish in Wilkes-Barre, said. “It is good to see that there are people that care about these issues in our community.”

SCRANTON – In his recent Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi te, Pope Leo XIV reminds us of God’s abiding and enduring love for the poor.

His words come at a critical moment in the life of the Church and our world, for we are indeed a Church for the poor.

As we approach Thanksgiving and the hopeful season of Advent – a time when we naturally reflect on and give thanks for our blessings – we can also take to heart Pope Leo’s reminder that “there are many forms of poverty: the poverty of those who lack material means of subsistence, the poverty of those who are socially marginalized and lack the means to give voice to their dignity and abilities, moral and spiritual poverty, cultural poverty, the poverty of those who find themselves in a condition of personal or social weakness or fragility, the poverty of those who have no rights, no space, no freedom.”

Near the end of the document, Pope Leo offers an important clarification about almsgiving – one that is often misunderstood.

He notes that “the most important way to help the disadvantaged is to assist them in finding a good job, so that they can lead a more dignified life by developing their abilities and contributing their fair share.”

Yet he also cautions that “where this is not possible, we cannot risk abandoning others to the fate of lacking the necessities for a dignified life. Consequently, almsgiving remains, for the time being, a necessary means of contact, encounter and empathy with those less fortunate.”

The Catholic Ministries Appeal is our collective and unified response to this call.

Through the kitchens, pantries, and shelters of Catholic Social Services, in addition to parish food pantry social justice grants, it provides vital aid to those struggling with hunger and homelessness – needs that have increased significantly.

Your support likewise enriches parish life, advances youth formation, prepares seminarians for ministry, cares for retired clergy, and empowers parish initiatives and social justice programs.

We are ahead of last year’s pace; as of press time for this issue of The Catholic Light, we have recorded approximately $3 million in gifts – 65% of our overall goal. If you have not yet made your gift, we invite you to respond to this important call to stewardship today.

Contributions may be mailed to: Catholic Ministries Appeal, 300 Wyoming Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503.

You may also visit AnnualAppeal.org to make a secure online donation and where you can also follow this year’s progress and view stories of impact throughout the Diocese.

Every dollar committed to the Catholic Ministries Appeal stays here in northeastern and north central Pennsylvania – and each one of us in committing a financial gift to the Appeal helps to strengthen our Catholic ministries and outreach throughout all eleven counties of our Diocese.

No matter the amount, your gift makes a meaningful difference.

Thank you for supporting this year’s Appeal – a tangible expression of Our Call to Serve and to honor the dignity of all who face material or spiritual need.

SCRANTON – The City of Scranton and Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton formally announced on Nov. 13 that CSS will staff and operate the city’s Code Blue shelter at the Weston Field House for the 2025-2026 winter season.

The shelter, located at 982 Providence Road, opens on nights when the temperatures are expected to fall below 20 degrees or when winter conditions create dangerous windchills. Last winter, Scranton issued approximately 70 Code Blue alerts, with an average of about 15 individuals seeking shelter at Weston Field each night.

“We are proud to continue providing a Code Blue shelter here at Weston Field,” Scranton Mayor Paige G. Cognetti said. “The City and each of the partner organizations in our Unsheltered Task Force, which includes Catholic Social Services, remain committed to addressing the changing needs of those without stable housing in Scranton.”

Catholic School Services has served individuals experiencing homelessness in Scranton for more than three decades through Saint Anthony’s Haven, the city’s only year-round emergency shelter for adults.

In 2024, Saint Anthony’s Haven provided 5,567 nights of shelter to 549 individuals.

While the facility offers 20 beds for men and six for women, CSS officials noted that the additional space at Weston Field is essential on extremely cold nights.

“A shelter is one of our core programs. It is Gospel-based – this is what we do,” Joe Mahoney, Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Social Services, explained. “We provide emergency shelter 365 nights a year at Saint Anthony’s Haven, but on especially cold nights, we would need more room. Being able to house up to 50 (people) here will give us that space we need.”

Mahoney emphasized the collaboration required to launch the new partnership.

“Nothing happens in a vacuum,” he said. “We were able to come together and get this done.”

Representing the Diocese of Scranton, Father Gerald W. Shantillo, Vicar General, thanked the City and partner agencies for their cooperation.

“We are just so grateful that we could all work together to address this issue,” Father Shantillo said. “We are going to do our best to let people who are vulnerable and in need know that we love them as a community, and we’re going to help them get through the difficult times that they have.”

Jessica Spangenberg, Program Supervisor for Saint Anthony’s Haven, who will help organize the Code Blue shelter for Catholic Social Services, said the Weston Field location is well-suited for individuals who typically travel on foot.

“Most of our population is on foot. It’s not far from Saint Anthony’s Haven. It is also in a similar vicinity to the Community Intervention Center,” she noted.

Code Blue guests will have access to restroom facilities, hot beverages, as well as meals prepared by Saint Francis of Assisi Kitchen.

Spangenberg said volunteers will play a vital role in evening setup, morning cleanup, meal distribution, and laundry support. CSS personnel will oversee overnight staffing.

“We can use all the help we can get,” Spangenberg said. “Nothing is too small. An hour or two of volunteer time makes a difference.”

She also addressed common misconceptions about those experiencing homelessness.

“Anybody can be in this position. Most working-class people are one emergency, one crisis, one paycheck away,” she said. “Shelter, warmth, and food are not luxuries. They are basic human rights, and it takes a community effort to provide them.”

To volunteer to help with the Code Blue shelter, contact Spangenberg at JSpangenberg@cssdioceseofscranton.org or call (570) 342-1296, ext. 2715.

 

CARBONDALE – Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton reported a notable increase of new families and individuals visiting its food pantries this fall, mirroring a trend seen across Pennsylvania and the nation following recent disruptions to federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

Even before the temporary freeze in SNAP disbursements, the CSS Carbondale food pantry was experiencing a steady rise in new households seeking help.

In August 2025, the pantry served 39 new families and 794 returning families. That number grew in September, when 51 new families and 783 returning families came through the doors. In October, the pantry assisted 46 new families and 972 returning families – the highest monthly total this year.

“We’ve seen an increase in families coming in for help with the food pantry and the clothing room,” Jolette Lyons, Catholic Social Services Director of Lackawanna County Offices, said. “It is not what people typically think of as ‘the poor.’ It is the working poor. They are families that are struggling to keep their children fed and their households running.”

Dominique Draper, manager of the Carbondale pantry, echoed that sentiment.

“With the SNAP benefits being put on halt and with just the holidays in general, people are finding less food coming into their household and so they need us more,” she said.

The rise in need is not limited to Carbondale. Other Catholic Social Services food pantries in Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton are also experiencing significant increases in requests for food assistance.

At Saint Joseph Food Pantry in Hazleton, 24 new families sought help during one week – the week of Nov. 3, 2025, contributing to a total of 169 families and 515 individuals served in just the span of the three days that pantry was open during that week.

Community advocates anticipate these increases will continue until the federal food assistance funds stabilize now that the federal government has reopened.

Despite the strain, Lyons said the local community has responded generously.

“The Upper Valley takes care of themselves. They take care of their community. They take care of their neighbors,” Lyons said.

Draper added that community support makes an immediate difference.

“I’ve had people come in and say, ‘What do you need, let me go and grab it,’” she explained. “We’ve had so much support.”

Catholic Social Services encourages those who are able to donate non-perishable food, winter clothing, or to simply volunteer time. To make an online donation specifically for CSS food pantries, visit dioceseofscranton.org/css/catholic-social-services and click on the “Donate Now” tab.