NEWPORT TWP. – The pews of Saint Adalbert Church in Glen Lyon were filled one final time on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, as approximately 350 faithful gathered at 2 p.m. for a Closing Mass for the affectionately-known “Church on the Hill.”

The Mass was celebrated by the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, with Father James E. McGahagan, a native son of the community and longtime priest of the Diocese of Scranton, serving as homilist.

A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary is seen in the foreground as faithful participated in the Closing Mass of Saint Adalbert Church on Jan. 11, 2026.

Throughout the liturgy, the voices of the Holy Spirit Parish choir echoed through the ornate interior built by hard-working Polish immigrants who sacrificed to establish a spiritual home for their community.

While the occasion was marked by sadness, the tone of the celebration consistently pointed toward gratitude, faith, and hope – themes echoed throughout the homily and remarks from Bishop Bambera.

“It is a bittersweet day – no doubt,” Bishop Bambera said following Communion. “But thank you for filling this church as it should be, to give honor and praise to God and thanksgiving for the blessing that this sacred space has been to so many of you.”

Saint Adalbert Church, founded 137 years ago when Glen Lyon was known as Morgantown, flourished for decades as a center of faith and community life.

Over time, however, demographic shifts, declining Mass attendance, rising costs, and mounting maintenance needs brought significant challenges. In recent years, average weekend Mass attendance at Saint Adalbert had declined to approximately 50 to 55 people, while an independent facilities assessment identified hundreds of thousands of dollars in necessary repairs that would be needed over the next decade.

As part of the closing ritual at Saint Adalbert Church, Bishop Bambera offered prayers at several locations, including the confessional. (Photos/Eric Deabill)

After several years of discussion and prayer through the Diocese of Scranton’s Vision 2030 Pastoral Planning Process, the decision was made to close Saint Adalbert Church and suppress Holy Spirit Parish, which had been formed in 2010 and included Saint Adalbert, Saint Mary Church in Mocanaqua, and Saint Martha Church in Fairmount Springs.

Under reconfiguration, Saint Mary Church has now become a secondary worship site of Saint Faustina Kowalska Parish in Nanticoke, while Saint Martha Church has become a secondary worship site of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Hunlock Creek.

Acknowledging the pain of the moment, Bishop Bambera reminded the faithful that the Church’s identity is rooted not in buildings, but in its people.

“This is a difficult day. Make no mistake about it,” he said. “We have to say goodbye to a cherished part of so many of our lives. It is not a day that any parishioner, any priest, or any bishop would ever relish – but we take hope in our faith.”

Bishop Bambera spoke personally of change and sacrifice, recalling his own experiencing presiding at a closing Mass of a church several years ago where his great-grandparents were founding members.

“Change is never easy,” he said, “and the loss of a treasured house of worship is particularly painful for all who have experienced the consolation of our faith within the walls of this church.”

Yet, he noted, change has always been a part of the Church’s story.

Pat Dule embraces Heidi Jarecki after reverencing the altar inside Saint Adalbert Church.

“If my great-grandparents – and yours – were unwilling to change in response to the circumstances of their lives in Poland over a century ago, they would have never ventured to this land,” he said. “They taught us that despite the heartaches and losses they endured, life goes on. For them, the most important legacy to pass from one generation to the next is the faith that sustains us.”

Father McGahagan, who began his homily speaking Polish, powerfully recalled the sacrifices of Saint Adalbert’s founders – many of them poorly paid coal miners – who built a magnificent church with little more than faith and determination.

“As we look around at the beauty of this church, we find it amazing to see what they were able to do when they had so little for themselves,” he said. “What a tribute to their faith, their generosity, and their desire to celebrate that faith.”

He reflected on memories tied to the parish – baptisms, weddings, funerals, Stations of the Cross, and crowded holy days – memories shared by nearly everyone gathered.

“All of you here have similar, emotionally charged memories,” Father McGahagan said. “Today, we have gathered in sadness with the realization that those days have passed.”

Still, he urged parishioners not to grieve without hope.

“At this moment, we must remember the words of Saint Paul when he wrote that he would not have us grieve like those who have no hope,” he said. “Because of our faith in Jesus, risen from the dead, we face this loss as we face the loss of loved ones, grieving – but not without hope. Brought low – but not crushed – drawing from Christ Jesus himself the strength to go on and remain strong and faithful.”

Throughout the Mass, the message was clear: the Church lives on in the people who carry its faith forward.

“This church has been a spiritual beacon in our lives,” parishioner Heidi Jarecki said. “As time went on, our population diminished and so that led us to today. It’s very emotional for a lot of us. We are very humble and grateful that our church has been here all these years.”

“It was a tough decision to make but it was one that had to be made and now we have to move on,” parishioner Joseph Hillan added. “On Christmas Eve we had a nice crowd of 175 people. If we had those 175 people every week, we wouldn’t be in this situation that we are today.”

At the end of the Mass, all parishioners were invited to reverence the altar one final time and then leave the church. At 3:52 p.m., the doors were locked one final time, and the Blessed Sacrament was given a police escort to Saint Faustina Parish.

“May our memories today be filled with gratitude and hope,” Bishop Bambera said. “Gratitude for all that has been, and hope for all that will be, through the grace of God present in our lives.”

ARCHBALD – From the window of the room where Austin Burke paints, he can see the spire of Saint Thomas Aquinas Church in Archbald, his home parish and spiritual anchor.

The view is not lost on him as he spends many mornings carefully sketching, mixing colors, and patiently bringing to life some of the most sacred and iconic church buildings across the Diocese of Scranton – one brushstroke at a time.

For nearly the past year, Burke has been quietly undertaking a remarkable act of stewardship.

Austin Burke works on his painting of the Cathedral of Saint Peter in his Archbald home on Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo/Eric Deabill)

The retired community leader has committed himself to painting Catholic churches throughout the Diocese, donating every completed work to benefit the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Scranton.

More than a dozen churches have already been captured on canvas, representing communities from Dunmore, Stroudsburg, Williamsport, Wilkes-Barre to Scranton, with more to come.

“I feel blessed. I really do,” Burke said. “God’s given me some talent, given me the health to go through with it, given me the community and the affirmation to say, ‘Austin, we like your stuff.’ I totally feel blessed and privileged to be able to do this.”

Annunciation Church in Williamsport, the primary worship site of Saint Joseph the Worker Parish, as depicted in a painting by local artist Austin Burke.

Burke, a native of Archbald, is well known across northeastern Pennsylvania for his decades of leadership in economic development. He served for 40 years with the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and later as Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Community and Economic Development under Governor Ed Rendell.

But while business and civic leadership have defined his professional life, art has long lived quietly alongside it.

“I’ve always had an interest in art,” Burke said.

That interest took a more serious turn in 1997 during a family vacation in Florida, when Burke borrowed a set of watercolors and began painting clouds.

“When I came home, I continued,” he joked. “I started slow. I painted trees for the next month.”

The painting of Saint Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre that will be auctioned off later this year.

After retiring in 2013, Burke audited art courses at Keystone College and immersed himself in color theory, perspective, and drawing.

“I ended up taking 15 art courses and that really upped my game,” he acknowledged.

Over time, his paintings of Scranton-area landmarks gained attention. But Burke found himself increasingly drawn to churches.

“I think the most iconic buildings that we have in Lackawanna County are all of our churches,” he said. “They are real treasures that we have.”

For Burke, churches represent far more than architecture.

“A church is where humanity encounters God,” he reflected. “Not only do you encounter God there, but you meet your community there, and that is important.”

That insight eventually led to an idea: using his talent to help raise money for the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Scranton. Burke offered to paint local churches and the artwork could be put up for auction online.

Austin Burke’s completed painting of Saint John the Evangelist Church in Honesdale.

Diocesan leaders embraced the idea – and encouraged him to expand beyond his home region.

“The Bishop said, ‘Would you mind doing a few more out in Williamsport, Muncy and Stroudsburg?” Burke recalled. “I was honored.”

Each painting is a significant commitment.

Most are 16-by-20-inch oil paintings, with the Cathedral of Saint Peter a little larger. Burke and his wife, Marianne, travel to each location, carefully photographing the church under ideal lighting conditions.

“Morning light is different from evening light,” he explained.

In his home studio, the process begins with days of sketching.

“If you don’t get the sketch right, you don’t know what you’re going to paint,” he said.

In total, Burke estimates that each painting takes about 200 hours from start to finish.

Saint Catherine of Siena Church in Moscow as depicted by local artist Austin Burke.

“These churches, they have great stained glass, stonework and buttresses,” he said. “Those lines often pull the whole painting together.”

Painting, for Burke, is a daily discipline.

“I like to paint most mornings,” he said, noting author Stephen King’s advice to work every day. “I would bet you that I paint four or five days a week for several hours.”

Some churches present unique challenges. He joked about the countless stones at Saint Catherine of Siena Church in Moscow but also acknowledged the joy that comes when a painting finally reveals a building’s true beauty – as what happened with Annunciation Church (Saint Joseph the Worker Parish) in Williamsport.

“All of a sudden – bang – you can see what a beautiful church this is,” he said, reflecting on the color he used for the columns near the church’s stained-glass windows. “That was one of the delights.”

For Burke, the greatest reward comes when others see the finished work.

“When you get it right, you bring joy to people that see it – and that brings joy to me,” he said.

Displayed in early January at a leadership donor reception for the Catholic Ministries Appeal, the paintings sparked pride among parishioners from across the Diocese.

Burke hopes his paintings also help people recognize the breadth and diversity of the Church of Scranton.

“I’d like to see people recognize how huge this diocese is,” he said, “and the variations (of churches) depending on where immigrants come from.”

As the Catholic Foundation for the Diocese of Scranton prepares for an auction of Burke’s paintings after Easter 2026, his effort already stands as a powerful witness. It is a reminder that stewardship takes many forms – and that the gifts God gives to each of us, when offered generously, can help build the Kingdom in unexpected and lasting ways.

“The Foundation is going to be great, and I hope this helps drive home the fact that we have one huge community,” Burke said.

 

SCRANTON – One of the Diocese of Scranton’s most popular and creative fundraisers is returning for a milestone season, as Rectory, Set, Cook! will launch its fifth annual competition next month – with the hopes of surpassing $1 million raised since its inception.

The 2026 Rectory, Set, Cook! campaign will officially kick off on Tuesday, Feb. 17, and continue through 4:00 p.m. on Friday, March 27, inviting everyone across northeastern and north central Pennsylvania to support priests-turned-“pastor chefs” as they cook – and compete – for a good cause.

Half of all funds raised through Rectory, Set, Cook! benefit Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton, specifically supporting hunger and homelessness initiatives, while the remaining half goes directly to the participating priest’s parish.

The new season will begin with a Launch Party on Tuesday, Feb. 17, from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Scranton. The 21-and-over event will feature food from local restaurants, musical entertainment from some of the pastor chefs, and a collaborative beer brewed by Breaker Brewing Company in partnership with Father Brian Van Fossen. Admission is $20 at the door.

Now in its fifth year, Rectory, Set, Cook! has grown into a signature fundraiser for Catholic Social Services, combining friendly competition, humor, and generosity.

Priests from across the Diocese film short cooking videos – sometimes solo, sometimes alongside parishioners, friends, or fellow clergy – encouraging donations and votes through an online platform.

For Father Michael Boris, assistant pastor at Saint Ignatius Loyola Parish in Kingston and Holy Family Parish in Luzerne, the competition is about much more than cooking.

“I really do think it’s important that we support Catholic Social Services,” Father Boris said. “As a priest, I have an obligation to do what I can to promote those services.”

Entering his third year in the competition, Father Boris this year is cooking Pan-Seared Chicken with Lemon Riccotta Pasta alongside several parishioners.

“Every time I do it, I’m impressed with how the people I work with come together,” he added. “I think it helps them appreciate what we do as priests – and I get to learn new skills.”

Monsignor Jack Bendik, who has participated in Rectory, Set, Cook! every year since its launch, said his continued involvement reflects an enduring commitment to service.

“I want to show that even though we’re retired, we still have a commitment to the Diocesan mission – especially to the poor,” Monsignor Bendik said. “Everything we receive is given to the poor.”

Monsignor Bendik will be joined by Father Phil Sladicka in this year’s video for the Villa Saint Joseph. The pair will share several simple, crowd-pleasing recipes, including a zucchini quiche that became a parish favorite in Avoca.

“Every time I had Bible study or a Sunday morning gathering, this was so easy to make that I would feed it to everybody and they loved it,” he said. “They kept coming back.”

Since its inaugural year in 2022, Rectory, Set, Cook! has steadily grown, raising $171,747 in its first year, followed by $197,412 in 2023, $218,001 in 2024, and a record-breaking $227,162 in 2025.

Proceeds have supported food pantries, kitchens, emergency shelters, and housing initiatives across the Diocese, helping Catholic Social Services respond to increasing needs in local communities.

For more information on Rectory, Set, Cook!, visit the Diocese of Scranton’s website or follow Diocesan social media channels.

It is also not too late for priests to participate in this year’s effort. For more information, contact Shannon Kowalski at Skowalski@dioceseofscranton.org.

SCRANTON – On the weekend of Jan. 24 – 25, 2026, parishes in the Diocese of Scranton will take the annual Collection for the Church in Latin America, which supports ministries among the poor in Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

“This annual collection exemplifies the spiritual journey of Pope Leo XIV, who was born in Chicago but spent most of his ministry serving the poor in Peru,” said Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, SDV, of the Diocese of Fall River, and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America, which oversees this annual collection and the grants it funds.

During the decade that then-Bishop Robert Prevost was Bishop of Chiclayo, his diocese received several grants from the Collection for the Church in Latin America.

With this support, the diocese improved youth ministry in impoverished parishes, promoted care for the environment and educated thousands of parents, teachers and catechists in the prevention of child abuse.

“The Second Vatican Council, which ended a dozen years before Robert Prevost entered the Augustinian order, encouraged Catholics to reach out in love across all national borders, especially those between the wealthy global north and the developing global south,” said Bishop da Cunha, a Brazilian whose diocese includes Portuguese and Spanish-speaking Catholics. “Pope Leo XIV’s faith journey embodies the spirit of why the bishops of the United States created the Church in Latin America program six decades ago to make an impact in Latin America.”

In 2024, gifts to the Collection for the Church in Latin America provided more than $8 million for 344 projects. Some sample projects are:

• Evangelization, faith formation and pastoral care of teenagers in the Archdiocese of Caracas, Venezuela, whose parents have migrated to work in other countries.

• Prison ministry in the notorious Litoral Penitentiary in Guayaquil, Ecuador, with 10,000 severely overcrowded inmates and frequent lethal violence.

• Forming hundreds of Haitian lay leaders in marriage ministry so they can promote strong families in a society that is disintegrating from poverty and gang violence.

• A conference for 1,500 Colombians to seek peace in a six-decade civil war through evangelization that emphasizes Jesus’s command to love our enemies.

• Preparing lay leaders in the Archdiocese of Havana, Cuba, to become evangelists in their communities, despite communist repression of the Catholic faith.

• An international gathering of 130 faith leaders in Mexico City to explore the continuing importance of the Vatican II document on Scripture, Dei Verbum.

“All of these projects represent the types of initiatives that inspired Father Prevost to go to Peru as a missionary,” Bishop da Cunha said. “In supporting the Collection for the Church in Latin America, we are able to honor Pope Leo XIV and, above all, serve the Lord who calls us to love our neighbors.”

SCRANTON – In celebration of the vocation of marriage and National Marriage Week (Feb. 7-14), the Diocese of Scranton is hosting a Swing Dance on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Scranton.

The Swing Dance, which will take place in the Pastoral Center Auditorium, will feature the Swing Fever Dance Band from Limekiln, Pa., a 17-piece traditional Big Band, and swing dance instruction from local instructors, Philip Spinka and Jill Wetzel.

The Swing Fever Dance Band is a non-profit corporation whose purpose is to perform and encourage the enjoyment of big band music.

Swinging since 1983, the Swing Fever Dance Band has been recreating the big band sound of the 1930s and 1940s and performing music selections that span over five decades.

In addition to performing throughout Pennsylvania, in 1992, the band performed in England and Wales. They were also invited to return in 1994 to participate in the United Kingdom’s official commemoration of the 50th anniversary of D-Day.

The Swing Fever Dance Band has several CDs, which include great selections like Take the A-Train, Eager Beaver, Moonlight in Vermont, and The Shadow of Your Smile.

Please mark your calendars now for this special event in Scranton.

All people over the age of 18 are welcome to join us from 4 – 5 p.m. for the dance instruction from our local instructors and then enjoy open dance from 5 – 8 p.m.

Tickets to attend will be $20 per person in advance, and $25 at the door.

Guests also have the option of reserving a table for their families and friends in advance for $10 for tables of 8 guests.

For more information or to purchase tickets now, visit dioceseofscranton.org.

All who are attending are welcome to bring their own food and drinks to enjoy at the dance.

If you have any questions, you may call Bridget Maille, Program Coordinator, Family Life, in the Diocesan Office for Parish Life, at (570) 207-2213 ext 1133 or email: familylife@dioceseofscranton.org.

SCRANTON – As many people continue to experience food insecurity, Saint Francis of Assisi Kitchen in Scranton has begun the 48th annual Host‑for‑a‑Day campaign to support its mission of feeding and clothing individuals and families in need.

For a donation of $100 or more, an individual, family, business, community organization or faith-based group can help to fund a day’s meal. Major sponsorship levels are also available starting at $500.

In effect, each contributor becomes a “host” for a day. Contributors may then select a date on which they or someone they designate or memorialize will be recognized as helping to provide that meal.

Saint Francis of Assisi Kitchen has launched its 2026 Host-for-a-Day campaign. Pictured from left are: Kitchen Executive Director Rob Williams, Advisory Board President Donna Barbetti, and Advisory Board member and Campaign Chair Michael J. Cummings.

Financial contributions to the Kitchen also help to fund other programs such as a Client-Choice Food Pantry and Free Clothing Store and weekly meals at parish locations and high-rise housing buildings in Carbondale and Olyphant, and also weekly meals at parish sites in Roaring Brook Township and Archbald.

In addition, the Kitchen is also now providing meals for Saint Anthony’s Haven shelter for the homeless.

The Kitchen’s Free Clothing Mobile Trailer visits various locations to bring clothing items to those in need who might not be able to come to the Scranton property.

Also, the Kitchen participates in the “Code Blue” initiative with the City of Scranton and Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton. When the temperature gets below 20 degrees, the Kitchen provides hot soup to those experiencing homelessness who are being welcomed at Weston Field.

Rob Williams, Kitchen Executive Director, noted that the Kitchen has been serving historic numbers of meals.

In 2025, the Kitchen provided more than 125,000 meals, far surpassing the approximately 95,000 meals in 2024 and 75,000 meals in 2023.

In recent months, the Client Choice Food Pantry and Free Clothing operation have also experienced higher visits by families in need.

“For a variety of reasons, we are seeing more people than ever coming to us for help,” he said. “There is nothing more basic than the need to eat, and we are privileged to be in a position to address this need for our brothers and sisters.”

Michael J. Cummings, a member of the Kitchen’s Advisory Board, is chairing the 2026 Host-for-a-Day campaign and leading the effort with his fellow board members.

“The Host-for-a-Day campaign is essential to the operation of the Kitchen,” he said. “The generosity of so many individuals and organizations within our community enables us to continue the mission.”

Recent contributors to the campaign are receiving an appeal directly from the Kitchen through the mail or will be contacted by members of the Kitchen’s Advisory Board.

Host‑for‑a‑Day gifts can also be made by calling the Kitchen at (570) 342‑5556, or sending a check to Saint Francis of Assisi Kitchen, 500 Penn Avenue, Scranton, PA 18509.

Donations can also be made online at: www.stfranciskitchen.org or facebook.com/stfranciskitchen or text SFAK to 26989.

The culmination of the campaign will be celebrated at Fiorelli’s in Peckville on Wednesday, April 29, beginning at 6 p.m.

Each contributor and a guest is invited to attend. RSVPs are required by April 15 to confirm attendance and an accurate meal count.

Those who would like to sponsor the reception are asked to call the Kitchen at (570) 342‑5556.

HARRISBURG – Statistics released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health show 2,466 fewer abortions occurred in 2024 compared to 2023. In all, 32,946 abortions occurred in the Commonwealth in 2024.

“Every abortion is a tragedy, but the decline in abortions in Pennsylvania is good news for women and babies,” said Maria Gallagher, executive director of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation. “The dramatic drop demonstrates that more women in PA are getting the support they need to bring their babies into the world,” Gallagher added.

“We are grateful to the many pregnancy resource centers in the Commonwealth, which offer comprehensive counseling and material aid to women in need. These vitally important centers charge nothing for their services, which are a life-saver for many women and their children,” Gallagher added.

The age group having the most abortions are 25-29-year-olds, accounting for nearly 28 percent of the total. The vast majority of abortions – 93 percent – were performed in ten counties: Allegheny, Berks, Bucks, Dauphin, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, and York.

“No pregnant woman in Pennsylvania should feel as if she has to abort her child. Many people stand ready to assist women and their babies to prevent the tragedy and trauma of abortion,” Gallagher added.


INDUCED ABORTIONS IN 2024 BY COUNTY

Bradford 11
Lackawanna 434
Luzerne 825
Lycoming 111
Monroe 385
Pike 41
Sullivan 8
Susquehanna 15
Tioga 4
Wayne 39
Wyoming 20

SCRANTON – The Diocese of Scranton formally concluded the Jubilee Year of Hope locally with a Closing Mass celebrated on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, served as the principal celebrant and homilist for the liturgy, which was held on the Feast of the Holy Family. Several hundred people were in attendance for the Closing Mass.

The Jubilee Year, proclaimed by Pope Francis and celebrated by the universal Church every 25 years, officially began on Christmas Eve 2024 with the opening of the Holy Door at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. While Pope Leo XIV formally closed the Holy Year in Rome on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, Jan. 6, Bishop Bambera noted that local churches around the world were called the mark the Jubilee’s conclusion with a Mass of Thanksgiving.

Parishioners fill the pews of the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton Dec. 28 for the Closing Mass of the Jubilee Year. (Photo/Mike Melisky)

“In his papal bull proclaiming the Jubilee Year, Pope Francis emphasized the theme of hope, a much-needed virtue in a time of uncertainty, war, and tribulation,” Bishop Bambera said. “Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring.”

Bishop Bambera noted that the Jubilee Year unfolded in ways few could have anticipated, particularly following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, just one day after his final Easter Sunday blessing.

“Not surprisingly, given the death of the Holy Father, the motto of the Jubilee Year – Pilgrims of Hope – took on a different light,” he said.

Citing Archbishop Rino Fisichella, organizer of Jubilee 2025 events, the Bishop noted that “Christian hope is not a sentiment, but a promise,” rooted in eternal life revealed through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Throughout the last year, the Diocese and its parishes across northeastern and north central Pennsylvania marked the occasion through both special events and everyday parish life.

While not a complete list, the Diocese celebrated Masses honoring persons with disabilities, vocations, mothers, priest and religious jubilarians, and married couples.

Additional celebrations included the Feast of Corpus Christi, a Hispanic Heritage Mass, a Respect Life Mass, and the ordination of two new priests and eight permanent deacons.

Two major Diocesan pilgrimages also marked the Jubilee Year. Nearly 100 faithful traveled to Rome in late August and early September, while more than 600 pilgrims journeyed to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 1.

Because the local Closing Mass of the Jubilee Year coincided with the Feast of the Holy Family, Bishop Bambera acknowledged both the blessings and struggles present in family life.

“No family is immune from life with its opportunities and its challenges,” he said, noting that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph themselves experienced hardship, poverty, displacement, and fear. Yet, he emphasized, they faced those realities “with a deep sense of trust in God and a selfless, sacrificial love that bound them together as a family and provided them with hope.”

Calling the faithful to carry the Jubilee forward, Bishop Bambera urged them to embrace the virtues outlined by Saint Paul: “heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience,” reminding them that “over all these put on love, this is, the bond of perfection.”

EAST STROUDSBURG — It was a year ago when the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, named eight churches in the Scranton Diocese as pilgrimage sites for the Jubilee Holy Year 2025.

The pilgrimage sites included the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Scranton; Saint Ann Basilica, Scranton; Saint Augustine Church, Brackney; Saint Boniface Church, Williamsport; Saint Gabriel Church, Hazleton; Saint John the Evangelist Church, Honesdale; Saint Nicholas Church, Wilkes-Barre; and Saint Matthew Church, East Stroudsburg.

During the Jubilee Year, those parishes whose churches were honored by the designation prepared their places of worship to offer a deepening spiritual experience for area Catholics, as part of the broader, global observance of the Holy Year, which takes in the Universal Church every 25 years.

“The Jubilee Year has been a blessing for our parish,” Father Don Williams, pastor of Saint Matthew Parish in East Stroudsburg, said. “During the course of the year, we made it a point to speak about the Jubilee Year of Hope in our homilies.

Father Williams added that Saint Matthew’s senior priest, Father Brian J.T. Clarke, prepared short Holy Year reflections offered before Masses and highlighted in the parish bulletin.

The Poconos pastor and his parish family played host to many visitors from parish communities throughout the Stroudsburg Deanery and various parts of Diocese. Due to its proximity to the eastern Pennsylvania border, Saint Matthew Church also drew faithful pilgrims from New Jersey and New York.

“We had many people who came each week for the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation,” Father Williams recalled. “What a privilege to offer God’s forgiveness and peace and a place of welcome and support to all those who came.”

Looking back over the Jubilee Holy Year, Father Williams fondly reminisced about experiences that provided a “tremendous source of blessing.”

One such occurrence came on the first Thursday of April when Saint Matthew’s hosted a regional Lenten Holy Hour, presided over by Bishop Bambera.

“We decided that it should be a bilingual prayer,” the pastor explained, indicating that copies of a Spanish-translated version of Bishop Bambera’s homily were provided for the congregation.

“The message was profound, spiritually touching the hearts and lives of all,” Father Williams related. “I felt a special grace was given since we could see and experience with our Bishop the universal nature of our Catholic Church, and also the diversity that is an additional blessing.”

Near the end of the Holy Year — on an Advent weekend in December — Father Marcin Fuks, pastor of Saints Bernard & Stanislaus Parish in Plainfield, N.J., contacted the East Stroudsburg parish to arrange for a busload of youth and adults to visit the pilgrimage site while they were on retreat in the Pocono Mountains.

“What a beautiful experience to see the pilgrims process from their bus in prayer and devotion passing through the doors of our church,” Father Williams shared.

He concluded, “As the Jubilee Year comes to a close, I pray that the Saint Matthew parish family and our Diocese can continue to experience a deeper sense of unity, faith, hope and love. I pray for a renewed commitment to living the Gospel as intentional and missionary disciples of Jesus.”

Father Kevin Miller, pastor of the newly created Parish of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina in Hazleton, served as the spiritual shepherd for the Jubilee Year pilgrimage site of Saint Gabriel Church.

He recalled that one group of several women from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, who had family connections in the Hazleton area, were regularly attending the Saturday morning Mass at Saint Gabriel’s.

“I remember two women who were coming to daily Mass during the summer told me their goal was to visit all of the jubilee pilgrimage sites in the Diocese during the year,” Father Miller said.

The Hazleton pastor also related that a pilgrim group of approximately 20 young men from a traditionalist Catholic organization — dressed in sport coats and ties — arrived for a daily Mass as part of their own pilgrimage.

“It was a great blessing for our parish and those in attendance to see so many young people worshipping at Mass in our church,” Father remarked.

Nearly a year ago — in February — Saint Gabriel Church was blessed to host the relics of the parish’s new patron, Saint Padre Pio, attracting numerous pilgrims from around the Scranton Diocese and the nearby Diocese of Allentown to visit the worship site for communal veneration and prayerful intercession.

“Only the Lord knows how many souls received the grace of hope during the course of the Jubilee Year,” Father Miller mused. “This was a great blessing to our parish, in the challenging times of parish consolidation, to be a place of mercy, love and hope.”

 

SCRANTON – A capacity crowd filled the Cathedral of Saint Peter on Christmas Eve as nearly 800 faithful gathered for the 4 p.m. Vigil Mass of Christmas, celebrated by the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton.

With every pew filled and worshippers standing in the back of the Cathedral, the joyful liturgy marked the beginning of Christmas celebrations at the Mother Church of the Diocese and was broadcast live on CTV: Catholic Television and livestream on Diocesan social media platforms.

At the beginning of the Vigil Mass of Christmas Dec. 24, 2025, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera blesses the crèche at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton. (Photo/Mike Melisky)

Later that night, Bishop Bambera returned to the Cathedral to celebrate Midnight Mass, and on Christmas Day he carried the same message of hope, humility, and compassion to residents of the Gino Merli Veterans Center in Scranton, celebrating Mass with veterans and staff.

In his Christmas homily, Bishop Bambera reflected on the humility and hope found in the birth of Christ, sharing a personal story of witnessing kindness between two impoverished men on a cold winter day. He recalled witnessing one homeless man carefully ensure that his elderly friend had food before worrying about himself. That simple act, the Bishop explained, reveals the heart of the Christmas miracle.

“For whatever baggage those two men carried, the kindness displayed between them gives us a glimpse of the goodness of God who reached into our broken lives on that first Christmas,” Bishop Bambera said, noting that God continues to offer “hope and a way forward amid the upheaval of our world.”

Quoting theologian and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Bishop reminded the faithful that “God loves the lowly” and is “near to lowliness,” choosing to dwell among “the lost, the neglected, the excluded, the weak, and the broken.”

That nearness, Bishop Bambera emphasized, speaks directly to the fears and struggles many carry today.

“In Jesus’ birth, we no longer have reason to be afraid,” he said. “God has accepted us and God has loved us – as we are.”

The Bishop also encouraged the faithful to recognize God’s presence in ordinary moments of compassion and human connection.

“The joy of God’s goodness is contagious,” he said, quoting Pope Leo XIV. “We just need to be wise enough to know where to look and to accept that joy.”

With the Christmas season now concluded, Bishop Bambera’s message continues to resonate: the light of Christ shines brightest when it is humbly received and generously shared, reminding all that Emmanuel – God with us – has already come.