Author: Eric Deabill

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Participation in the Eucharist transforms believers into the Body of Christ and offers a remedy to the divisions affecting families and communities, Pope Leo XIV said during his weekly general audience June 24.

In his final general audience until Aug. 5, Pope Leo also encouraged young people to use the downtime of summer vacation to attend Mass, go to confession frequently, reflect on Scripture, go on spiritual retreats and pilgrimages and spend time with loved ones.

“Vacation is a time for rest and to seek signs of God in the beauty of creation,” he said in his remarks to Polish-speaking visitors. He also asked people to pray for students so that they may “choose wisely” the schools and universities they will attend and “discern with prudence their vocation.”

Continuing his series on the documents of the Second Vatican Council, the pope focused on “Sacrosanctum Concilium,” the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, explaining how the Eucharist draws the faithful into deeper communion with God and one another.

Receiving Christ in the Eucharist transforms believers into the Body of Christ, whose head is the risen Lord seated at the right hand of the Father, the pope said.

“Thus, the Eucharist is the sacrament of the Kingdom that is to come,” Pope Leo said.

The Eucharist teaches Catholics to adopt Christ’s way of self-giving love and to be “drawn day by day into ever more perfect union with God and with each other,” he said.

“This gift draws us into the dynamic of unity, offering a powerful antidote to the forces of division that undermine our world, our communities, our families, and our hearts,” he said.

The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy teaches that the faithful are called to “offer themselves in union with Jesus Christ” to the Father “through the hands of the priest and together with him,” the pope said. Participation in the Eucharist also means being formed by God’s word and “nourished at the table of the Lord’s body.”

The Eucharist cannot be separated from the Word of God, the pope said, noting that the liturgy and the Eucharist form “one single act of worship.” Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, he said Scripture illuminates and explains the mystery of the Eucharist, while the Eucharist opens believers to a deeper understanding of Scripture.

“This Word nourishes and sustains us together with the Eucharistic bread and leads us from the decay of sin to new life in Christ,” Pope Leo said.

Referring to the Second Vatican Council’s focus on giving Catholics greater access to Scripture, the pope pointed to the Lectionary — the book containing the biblical readings proclaimed at Mass — as a result of the council’s liturgical reform. The expanded collection of readings used in the Church’s liturgies today, he said, reflects the richness of the Church’s living tradition, combining “fidelity to tradition with openness to legitimate progress.”

“Dear brothers and sisters, let us draw with faith from this source of divine life and allow ourselves to be transformed by the mystery we celebrate,” he said.

PHILADELPHIA (OSV News) – As the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary, a number of faith and civic leaders will be on hand as Pope Leo XIV accepts – via livestream from the Vatican – a major honor for his efforts to promote religious liberty, along with freedom of expression and conscience.

The National Constitution Center will bestow its Liberty Medal on Pope Leo July 3 during a public ceremony outside its location at Independence Mall in Philadelphia, part of Independence National Historical Park, home to several sites of historical significance in the nation’s founding.

Established in 1988 to mark the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, and hosted by the center since 2006, the Liberty Medal honors both individuals and organizations “who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe,” said the National Constitution Center in a June 22 media advisory listing the event’s key speakers.

The center — a private nonprofit that promotes constitutional education and civic debate — had announced its decision to honor Pope Leo back on March 16, noting at the time that the ceremony will take place amid the Independence Week events set to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Vince Stango, the center’s interim president and CEO, described Pope Leo in that March announcement as a “consistent advocate for religious liberty, freedom of conscience, and human dignity.”

Pope Leo is only the second religious leader to receive the Liberty Medal, preceded by 2015 recipient the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet.

Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia — the city that was the nation’s capital from 1790 until 1800 — will be among the religious leaders addressing the crowds in person at the event, which will also be livestreamed on the center’s YouTube channel.

On June 11, the archbishop read a message from Pope Leo on religious liberty to attendees of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty’s 2026 Canterbury Medal Gala, held at the National Constitution Center.

In that message, dated June 4, Pope Leo described religious freedom as “the cornerstone of any just society” and “an integral part of upholding human dignity.”

The first U.S.-born pope noted that efforts to safeguard religious liberty “acquire particular significance as the United States of America prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its foundation.

“Indeed, we can recognize in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence an expression of the truth regarding the human person,” said Pope Leo in his Becket gala message. “Namely, the innate dignity of every man and woman, created by God in his own image and likeness, and the rights that stem therefrom.”

In March, Archbishop Pérez had described the bestowal of the medal on Pope Leo as “a fitting recognition of the Holy Father’s long dedication and fidelity to advancing liberty for all people throughout the world.

“In many ways, his tireless work as a priest, bishop, cardinal, and now shepherd of the universal Church has focused on lifting up the dignity of all people and building pathways to peace,” said Archbishop Pérez at the time.

Also on hand with the archbishop will be Imam Quaiser D. Abdullah, director of the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of Muslim Engagement; Reverend Carolyn C. Cavaness, the first female pastor of Mother Bethel AME Church, founded in 1794; Reverend Luis A. Cortés Jr., founder, president and CEO of the faith-based nonprofit Esperanza, which provides an array of services to Hispanic communities; and Rabbi Jill L. Maderer, senior rabbi of Congregation Rodeph Shalom in Philadelphia.

The choirs of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will also perform at the ceremony.

Past recipients of the Liberty Medal include Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Senator John McCain, U.S. Representative John Lewis and human rights advocate Malala Yousafzai.

The Liberty Medal is typically accompanied by a prize sponsored by philanthropists Ira Lubert and Pamela Estadt, with contributions from corporations, foundations, and individuals.

In a March statement to OSV News, the center confirmed that the medal “traditionally includes a $100,000 prize,” adding that “the Holy See has not yet indicated how it may be used.”

“Any decisions regarding the prize will be made by the Vatican, and we will share additional information when it becomes available,” the center told OSV News at the time.

(OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV has a message for American teens gathered this summer at the Steubenville Youth Conferences: True joy is not found “spending hours in front of a screen or endlessly scrolling on social media.”

In a video message released June 20 for the 50th anniversary of the conferences hosted by Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, the pope told young people his message is simple: “Only the love of God can provide us with true and perfect joy.”

“True peace and perfect joy are gifts from God that come when we open ourselves to him and trust in his power to transform us,” he said.

Pope Leo underlined that the hours spent scrolling social media often crowd out time better spent in prayer, building real friendships, being with family, studying or playing sports. He went further, warning that drugs, alcohol, promiscuity, or a fixation on image or appearance are not paths to fulfillment either, adding that even wealth, beauty, fame and health are fleeting.

For the pope, reflecting on the message of St. Francis of Assisi, the answer lies elsewhere entirely. He told the young Catholics that only God’s love can give them genuine and lasting joy, and that trusting in God is what allows people to remain steady even when life gets hard.

“If we have the profound conviction that God cares for us as his beloved children, we will not be flustered or discouraged, even in difficult situations,” he said.

The pope acknowledged that many of the teens have been told their whole lives that God loves them, but he asked them to reflect on whether they actually believe it and live like it.

“Many of you have heard since you were little that God loves you. But do you really believe it? You are precious in God’s eyes! You are unconditionally loved by Him! Are you certain of this?” he said.

Pope Leo added that the “secret to being able to face challenging circumstances with a smile” lies in having a real relationship with God, built through prayer and the sacraments.

“If you cultivate a trusting relationship with him, through regular prayer, through reception of the sacraments, if you abandon yourself into his hands, then anxiety, or sadness, and loneliness will fade away as his grace fills you and as his love inflames your heart,” he said.

Speaking directly to the thousands of American teens who will take part in the Steubenville Youth Conferences this summer, the pope also made a direct appeal for young people to discern and follow courageously the vocation Jesus Christ is calling them to.

“What can we give him in return for such great love, for such generous gifts? Nothing but ourselves!” Pope Leo said. “Today, the Lord needs missionaries to spread the word to those who do not know him, holy men and women to begin loving Catholic families, priests to be spiritual fathers and ministers of the sacraments as well as religious men and women to be witnesses of the true joy of his kingdom.”

“If you have a sense that the Lord may be calling you to one of these vocations, do not close yourself off or turn away in fear, but take a step forward and say to the Lord, ‘Here I am, send me!'” Pope Leo said. “At the same time, do not be afraid to talk to someone about it: a trusted friend, priest or religious sister.”

The people encouraged young participants in the Steubenville Youth Conferences to take advantage of moments of silence during the conference “to discover the peace of Christ that he promised to give to his disciples.”

The pope’s video message marks a milestone year for the Steubenville Youth Conferences, which Franciscan University has run since the 1970s and which have grown into one of the largest Catholic youth evangelization efforts in the country. This summer the university is hosting four sold-out conferences on its Ohio campus, with 15 more conferences taking place across North America, including the program’s first-ever event in Belize, held in March.

Conference locations this year include Georgia, Massachusetts, Florida, Illinois, Texas, Missouri, Washington, Colorado, Minnesota, California, Louisiana, Arizona and Nova Scotia, Canada. Speakers on this summer’s lineup include Father Mike Schmitz, Chris Stefanick, Father Leo Patalinghug, Paul J. Kim, and Katie Prejean McGrady. Franciscan University also runs summer conferences for adults alongside its youth programming.

According to Brian Kissinger, Franciscan University’s executive director of Conferences, 18% of priests ordained in the U.S. this year attended a Steubenville Conference as a teenager.

“We are humbled and honored by the many ways that God continues to reach thousands of young people each year through our conferences, and the profound impact that these events have on the faith and vocations of young men and women,” Kissinger said.

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Juneteenth and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence provided the context for a June 15 online discussion on the importance of acknowledging the nation’s racial history honestly so the work of justice and equality can continue.

“We actually have to have the courage to be truth tellers and to tell the full truth, the full story of who we are as Americans, and not be afraid to do so. … We have to make sure that in the story of America, all those who have contributed to this country are included, because all of it makes up who we are,” said Bishop-designate Robert P. Boxie III, an African American priest who on May 1 was appointed by Pope Leo XIV to become a new auxiliary bishop of Washington.

Bishop-designate Boxie — who will be ordained a bishop July 7 — was among three panelists in a dialogue on “250 Years Towards Racial Justice: Progress, Promise, and Challenges,” sponsored by the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University.

Presenting the “true truth” about the painful aspects of U.S. history is important, he said, because avoiding those realities “prevents us from healing. It prevents us from appreciating the richness of this country in order to solve the real challenges we face as a nation and a society, so as to realize the promises that were enshrined in these founding documents.”

The bishop-designate has served as chaplain at the Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Student Center at Howard University in Washington.

The other panelists were Melvin Rogers, the Edna and Richard Salomon distinguished professor of political science and associate director of the Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island; and Diann Rust-Tierney, an associate professor of law at the University of the District of Columbia’s David A. Clarke School of Law.

Moderator Kimberly Mazyck, associate director for engagement at the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown, provided the context for the conversation, noting the Juneteenth holiday marking the end of slavery in the United States and preparations for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4.

“While the Declaration of Independence states, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,’ enslavement did not end in this country until 1865, 89 years after the signing of this founding document,” she said.

Mazyck also pointed out how “it is important for us to acknowledge that Georgetown University exists in part because of the proceeds from an 1838 sale of 272 enslaved women, men and children,” a sale by the Maryland Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, to Louisiana sugar plantation owners that helped sustain the financial survival of Georgetown College, now the university.

The conversation was held four days before Juneteenth, which every year commemorates June 19, in 1865, when, more than two months after the Civil War ended, U.S. Major Gen. Gordon Granger issued an order informing the people of Texas that all enslaved people there were now free.

“To my mind, the 250th anniversary and Juneteenth, these things don’t stand in opposition, they’re not in competition,” said panelist Rogers. “The 250th, it is us acknowledging the ways in which the founders put in circulation these wonderful ideas of liberty, equality and self-government. And Juneteenth, it seems to me, is a reminder that we struggled and in some instances failed to extend those principles to all.”

He added that “these two moments should go together as part of our shared civic inheritance. … It seems to me a healthy, mature democracy should be able to do both of these things simultaneously, both acknowledge its achievements and be very honest about where it has fallen short, so it is clear the work it has to do going forward.”

In her introductory remarks, Mazyck said recent judicial and legislative actions have undermined landmark legislation promoting racial justice like the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.

She also noted how the Trump administration has taken steps against diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the country and has “taken steps to change the way schools and museums teach the history of racial injustice in this country.”

“Catholic teaching teaches us that racism is a sin, it’s a national moral failure and it’s a fundamental test of our faith,” she said.

The U.S. historical narrative is problematic when the role of African Americans in building the country is not acknowledged, Rust-Tierney said.

She noted how Frederick Douglass – in a famous 1852 speech to the Ladies Anti-Slavery Society of Rochester, New York, titled, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” — said, “The blessings in which you this day rejoice are not enjoyed in common.”

Rust-Tierney expressed concern that amendments to the U.S. Constitution offering the promise of a multiracial democracy, including the 15th Amendment, guaranteeing the right to vote will not be denied by race, now seem to be “under attack,” with similar historical arguments being made to erode those protections.

Asked about his reaction to the apology for the Church’s involvement in slavery that Pope Leo offered in his recent encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” Bishop-designate Boxie said, “I’m overjoyed, I’m relieved, and honestly, it’s about time. … Really, it’s a watershed moment for the Church, and) the whole world. So many countries benefitted from the transatlantic slave trade.”

Bishop-designate Boxie noted “how symbolic and meaningful that this pope has done this — Pope Leo, who has Black ancestry, who has African blood running in his veins.” The maternal grandparents of the Chicago-born pontiff were listed in census documents as Black or mulatto.

The pope’s apology can also spur “bishops and lay leaders to make similar acknowledgements and efforts toward reconciliation in their dioceses and parishes and their organizations. … The Church can lead in healing,” Bishop-designate Boxie said.

He noted how three of the “Saintly Seven” African American Catholics being considered for sainthood were once enslaved. Venerable Father Augustus Tolton from Chicago, who in 1886 became the first U.S. Catholic priest publicly known to be Black, was born in slavery, as were Venerable Pierre Toussaint from New York City and Servant of God Julia Greeley from Denver, who were known for their works of charity.

“While the Church and her members participated in this great evil of society, it did not deter these heroic and courageous men and women from staying and believing in the Church. And you can’t tell me that that’s not the stuff of holiness or sainthood,” Bishop-designate Boxie said.

The panelists also discussed how African Americans historically worked for racial justice and how that work can continue today.

Rogers — author of “The Darkened Light of Faith: Race, Democracy and Freedom in African American Political Thought” — noted that African Americans have relied on “social courage,” understanding that “one is able to bear the burden of injustice in part because you don’t bear it alone, you bear it with those who are standing beside you.”

Diann Rust-Tierney echoed that point, adding that “when you look at the secret sauce, the secret ingredient of our progress, it was the empathy that the broader society developed when they understood or saw what was happening … (it’s) the empathy that we develop that helps push our movements forward.”

Bishop-designate Boxie said, “The Church must and has to be on the side of racial justice and reconciliation in all of its forms. The Church is pro-life, and the USCCB (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) has labeled racism as America’s original sin, and this is the original pro-life issue in the United States.”

He said that advocacy for racial justice “means that the Church must use her prophetic voice, her magisterium, her social teaching, her moral authority, to bear on all of these issues, and use her ministries, her outreach, her teachings in the Church to dismantle these systems that perpetrate inequality inside and outside the Church.”

Confronting racism and working for racial justice, the bishop-designate said, “starts with us, within our own hearts, a personal conversion of heart. We need to pray that we become aware of these issues, that we are sensitive to the demands of justice and the dignity of every human person. That starts with us, in our own hearts.”

Bishop-designate Boxie said people need to educate themselves “on the history, the consequences, the causes, the harms of racism and injustice and not be indifferent or oblivious to them.”

(OSV News) – A new report shows more countries saw spikes in religious hostility by individuals and groups in 2023, the last year for which data is available — with the rise attributable in part to harassment of religious minorities and the ongoing impact of the Israel-Hamas war.

At the same time, more governments have been cracking down on religious belief and expression since 2007.

The findings were released June 15 by Pew Research Center in its 16th annual report on global religious restriction levels.

Pew researchers Samirah Majumdar and Vivian Jacobs assessed data from 198 countries and territories — representing “all but a tiny fraction of the global population” — drawn from 19 key sources, including countries’ constitutions, the U.S. State Department, the United Nations, the European Union, the FBI, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Data was then scored according to two metrics — a Government Restrictions Index, which tracked officially imposed religious restrictions; and a Social Hostilities Index, which measured acts perpetrated by individuals, groups and organizations, such as vandalism and physical attacks.

Pew noted that its summary statistics were not intended to determine which particular religious group experienced the most religious persecution, since even a single incident of harassment in a given country was counted.

Currently, there is no internationally accepted definition of religious persecution, which can take a variety of forms.

According to Pew, 55 of the 198 countries studied had “elevated (high or very high) levels of social hostilities involving religion in 2023,” up from 45 in the year prior.

At the same time, Ethiopia and the Philippines saw a drop in religiously based social hostilities that same year, moving from Pew’s high to moderate category for that index.

Belgium, Norway, Russia, Spain and Sweden all moved into Pew’s “high” category for the social hostilities index in 2023, along with Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand and Turkey.

Individual and group harassment of Muslims, Jews and Jehovah’s Witnesses drove up Spain’s score for the index in 2023, said Pew.

Norway also saw “repeated attacks” against Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as an “increase in hate speech” against Jews and Muslims following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the subsequent Israel-Hamas war, Pew said.

Mob violence in Russia against both Jews and Muslims helped to drive up that nation’s 2023 score in Pew’s social hostilities index. In one incident, “multiple Russian women attacked a hijab-wearing Muslim woman and her children in a playground” on the edge of Moscow, an incident in which “the attackers allegedly set their dogs on the family and assaulted them,” said Pew.

The research firm said that in 2023, “government harassment of religious groups (either verbal or physical) was one of the most common types of restrictions on religion,” continuing a pattern in recent years.

Pew said that such harassment “occurred in 185 countries,” or 98% of the total countries studied, in 2023, almost matching the previous year’s number of 186.

In addition, said Pew, interference with religious worship “was a very common type of government restriction,” seen in 175 (88%) of the 198 countries and territories it examined — “marking a new peak for the study.”

Among the world’s 25 largest nations, Pew found that those with the highest levels of government restrictions on religion were China, Iran, Indonesia, Egypt and Russia.

Among the same group of nations, “South Africa, the United States, Japan, the Philippines and the United Kingdom had the lowest levels” of government restrictions on religion, said Pew.

Importantly, Pew clarified that North Korea was not included in the study, although “the sources clearly indicate that North Korea’s government is among the most repressive in the world with respect to religion as well as other civil and political liberties.”

Pew explained that “North Korean society is effectively closed to outsiders,” and that “independent observers lack regular access to the country,” making data collection from that nation untenable.

Among the 25 most populous nations, “Nigeria, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Egypt had the highest levels of social hostilities involving religion,” said Pew, noting that except for Egypt, those countries scored “very high” on that index.

In contrast, said Pew, “China, the U.S., South Africa, Japan and Vietnam” had “the lowest social hostilities scores” among the 25 most populous countries in 2023.

Pew noted that over the years it has conducted the study, the median score for government restrictions “has gone up fairly steadily,” while the media for the social hostilities index has “fluctuated.”

That trend, said the research center, “suggests that governments have been clamping down on religious beliefs and practices in more ways than they were in 2007,” while “the number of countries with social hostilities has tended to rise and fall with events.”

Click Here to Submit a Prayer Intention to Bishop Bambera 

Haga clic aquí para enviar una intención de oración al Obispo Bambera

 

SCRANTON – This summer, the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will embark on a unique spiritual journey that he has never undertaken before.

Beginning July 13, Bishop Bambera will walk a portion of the Camino de Santiago, an ancient Christian pilgrimage route that has drawn believers from around the world for centuries. Over the course of seven days, through July 19, he will walk approximately 100 miles across northern Spain, traveling toward Santiago de Compostela and its cathedral, the traditional burial place of Saint James the Apostle, the destination of all those pilgrims who walk the Camino.

For many pilgrims, the Camino is much more than a physical challenge. It is a time of prayer, reflection, renewal, and a deeper encounter with God. Each step becomes an opportunity to slow down, listen to the Lord’s voice, and reflect upon the blessings and challenges of life.

Throughout his journey, the Bishop will be joined by Father Brian J.W. Clarke, Pastor of Saints Cyril and Methodius Parish in Hazleton.

As Bishop Bambera prepares for this pilgrimage, which has long been a personal goal and one that has special significance for him this year, having celebrated his 70th birthday and 16th anniversary as Bishop of Scranton, he would like to carry the people of the Diocese of Scranton with him in a special way.

The Bishop plans to pray for the intentions of parishioners, families, friends, and all those who call the 11 counties of northeastern and north central Pennsylvania home.

Whether you are praying for a loved one, seeking guidance, carrying a burden, celebrating a blessing, or simply asking for God’s grace in your life, Bishop Bambera invites you to share your prayer intentions with him.

Using an online submission form that can be found on the Diocese of Scranton website (dioceseofscranton.org) and all Diocesan social media pages, all faithful are invited to submit a personal prayer intention that Bishop Bambera will take with him on the Camino.

During his daily prayer and reflection, the Bishop will remember these special intentions and lift them up to the Lord throughout his pilgrimage.

As he journeys toward Santiago, Bishop Bambera asks for your prayers as well – that this time of pilgrimage may strengthen his faith, renew his spirit, and deepen his commitment to serving the people of the Diocese of Scranton.

All prayer intentions should be submitted online prior to noon on July 8.

EAST STROUDSBURG – When Rev. Mr. Jan Carlo Pérez reflects on his journey to the priesthood, he is quick to acknowledge that it was anything but a straight path.

Raised in a family that was not especially active in the practice of the Catholic faith, Pérez says his understanding of God developed gradually over time.

“It wasn’t until really my First Communion that I heard anything about our faith,” he recalled.

Years later, after enrolling at Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School in East Stroudsburg, he began to encounter Sacred Scripture and Catholic teaching in a deeper way.

“It was my first time hearing the stories about Adam and Eve, Moses and David,” Pérez explained. “I never got the Jesus part until later, until about sophomore year, but when I did, everything clicked.”

That newfound faith eventually led him to Eucharistic Adoration at Saint Matthew Church and a growing desire to know Christ more intimately.

“Over time, this desire to be like Jesus, to emulate the saints, just grew in me until it possessed me,” he said.

On Saturday, June 27, 2026, that journey will reach a significant milestone when the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, ordains Pérez to the Priesthood for service in the Diocese of Scranton during a 10:00 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

The Ordination Mass is one of the most significant celebrations in the life of the local Church. During the Rite of Ordination, Pérez will publicly promise obedience to Bishop Bambera and his successors, prostrate himself before the altar during the Litany of the Saints, and receive the laying on of hands and Prayer of Ordination. His hands will then be anointed with Sacred Chrism, setting them apart for priestly ministry and the celebration of the sacraments.

For Pérez, that anointing has taken on particular meaning as his ordination draws near.

“One of the most beautiful signs in the Ordination Rite is the anointing of the priest’s hands,” he said. “I just finished a retreat where a lot of my time was spent reflecting on this anointing – that these hands are going to be set apart to call down the Spirit onto the altar and transform the elements into the Body and Blood of Christ.”

He paused before adding, “That is incredible. This is what these hands have been preparing for, for years!”

Pérez’s vocation journey began years ago at Saint Matthew Parish in East Stroudsburg, where he first met then-Diocesan Vocation Director Father Donald Williams.

“I first met Jan Carlo when I was the Vocation Director and Director of Seminarians,” Father Williams recalled. “Father Jerry Shantillo was the pastor here at Saint Matthew and he called me and said, ‘I have a young guy who is a first-year student at Temple. I’d like you to come and meet with him.’”

What followed was a years-long process of discernment, formation, and spiritual growth.

“Jan Carlo very generously and wonderfully just opened himself to a discernment process,” Father Williams said.

Over time, Father Williams watched that openness mature into a deep commitment to Christ and the Church.

“What I have experienced in Jan Carlo as a disciple of Jesus is that he is a committed student,” Father Williams explained. “But what I’ve seen over the years is not just something residing in the intellect but in the heart. His heart has been transformed. He has been stretched – and perhaps broken open – and formed to become a priest for the People of God.”

Pérez expressed similar thoughts – agreeing that seminary formation challenged him in unexpected ways.

“It has been the experienced of being stretched constantly,” he said. “Thinking, ‘That was enough, I’ve grown this far,’ and then God takes me in a different direction and shows me, ‘You still have to work on this here.’”

As he prepares to begin priestly ministry, Pérez is especially excited about accompanying people through life’s most important moments.

“In the Diocesan priesthood, we have the privilege of being able to do a little bit of everything,” he said. “Baptizing children at the beginning of life, funerals at the end of life, weddings in the middle of life, leading worship, preaching, teaching perhaps in schools.”

Ultimately, Pérez says his vocation comes down to gratitude.

“In the end, I’m doing this because I think God has done something great for me,” he reflected. “And I really want to share that with other people.”

Throughout his years of formation, Pérez says he has been humbled by the support he has received from people across the Diocese of Scranton.

“I feel extremely blessed … Even by people I’ve never met before,” he said. “It’s just really humbling and incredible what kind of hopes people put into me.”

All faithful are invited and encouraged to attend the June 27 Ordination Mass. For those unable to attend, the Mass will also be broadcast live on CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton and livestream through the Diocese of Scranton website, YouTube channel, and Diocesan social media platforms.

HAZLETON – Saint Gabriel Church, 122 South Wyoming Street, Hazleton, the primary worship site of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina Parish, will be the setting for the Sacrament of Holy Orders to be conferred upon Deacon Jose Luis Batista Castillo, O.S.J., by the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

The Mass will take place at 5:00 p.m.

Concelebrants of the Mass will be Oblates of Saint Joseph priests of the “Holy Spouses” Province (USA) and Diocesan clergy.

A Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated the following evening, July 2, at 6:00 p.m. in the Oblates of Saint Joseph Chapel, Route 315, Laflin.

Homilist for the Mass will be Rev. Matthew Spencer, O.S.J., former provincial superior, currently serving at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Bakersfield, Calif.
Receptions will follow both the Masses of Ordination & Thanksgiving.

Deacon Castillo is a native of the Dominican Republic with his parents and family migrating to Hazleton in his childhood years.

He became familiar with the Congregation of the Oblates of Saint Joseph when the former Annunciation Parish was under the pastoral care of the religious Order from 2009 – 2023.

He entered the formation program of the Oblates of Saint Joseph located near Sacramento, Calif., with his academic formation at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia; and St. Patrick’s Seminary, Menlo Park, Calif.

During his diaconate year he has been serving at the Oblate-staffed parish of Saint Joachim Parish, Madera, Calif., in the Diocese of Fresno.

SCRANTON – The Diocese of Scranton’s annual Mass of Remembrance will take place on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

This Mass is offered for family and friends of those who have died in tragedy, especially through murder, suicide and accident.

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will serve as principal celebrant of the Mass.

CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton will provide live coverage of the Mass of Remembrance. The Mass will also be livestream on the Diocese of Scranton website, YouTube channel and across all social media platforms.

PECKVILLE – Hundreds of Catholics from across the Diocese of Scranton gathered in Peckville and Dupont on June 11 and 12 to celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, taking part in two special liturgies highlighting one of the Church’s most beloved devotions and its enduring message of God’s love.

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, first celebrated Mass at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Peckville on the Vigil of the Solemnity and visited Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Dupont for the feast day itself.

The celebrations coincided with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ consecration of the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as the country prepares to mark its 250th anniversary.

At the conclusion of the Vigil Mass in Peckville, Bishop Bambera consecrated the parish community to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and encouraged families to renew that devotion within their own homes.

“It was glorious to see so many people here,” Father Andy Kurovsky, Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Peckville, said. “When you know and you believe that you are loved, it becomes so much easier to act in a more loving way in your day to day lives.”

Throughout both celebrations, Bishop Bambera emphasized a simple but profound message rooted in Scripture: We love, because God first loved us.

Father Kurovsky said that message resonates deeply in a world often marked by division and uncertainty.

“There is too much division and what we forget is that we’re so much more alike,” he said. “That begins with God’s great love for us. His love is freely given to all of us.”

In his homily, Bishop Bambera reflected on the meaning of the consecration and challenged the faithful to allow Christ’s love to transform their lives. He reminded everyone that devotion to the Sacred Heart is not merely a prayer or image but a commitment to live with greater mercy, compassion, and concern for others.

“Our consecration challenges us to move into our world and embrace it with love, mercy, and respect,” the Bishop said. “It challenges us to feed the poor, to love our enemies, to live in peace with one another, to accept the immigrant, and to proclaim to our world that we are Christians not solely because of the words of consecration that we proclaim but because of the love we share with our broken world.”

Many who attended the celebrations say they offered a hopeful reminder of Christ’s presence amid the challenges facing society today.

“For all of us, the love of Christ has to come from our heart,” Christine Loyek of Saint Ann Basilica Parish in West Scranton said. “What better way than to be here when our hearts are joined with the Sacred Heart of Jesus?”

At the Mass in Dupont, Father Thomas Petro said the devotion remains especially relevant in today’s world because it continually calls people back to God’s mercy.

“I really do believe that our country and our world is in great need of God’s love and his healing power that begins in the hearts of each believer,” he said.

For many faithful, the large crowds at both liturgies served as a powerful witness to faith.

“Christ gives us the inspiration, the hope, the guidance, the love, the assurance, that in following him, we go along the path that we need to go to obtain eternal life,” Frank Suraci of Saint Joseph Marello Parish in Pittston, said.

“Jesus is always there for us. People come and go in our lives, but He is the one that is always here,” parishioner Mary Jo Salva said following the Peckville celebration. “He wants us to be happy, and He loves us no matter what.”