His Excellency, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, announces the following appointments, effective as indicated:
Reverend Sudhir Toppo, from Parochial Vicar, Saint Ann Parish, Shohola; Saint John Neumann Parish, Hawley; and Saint Vincent DePaul Parish, Milford; to Administrator, Most Holy Trinity Parish, Susquehanna, effective September 11, 2024.
Reverend John C. Ruth, from Pastor, Most Holy Trinity Parish, Susquehanna, to Administrative Leave of Absence, effective September 5, 2024.
Young adults are invited to join the Diocesan Vocations Office at the ninth annual Leave a Mark Mass on Nov. 3 to kick off National Vocation Awareness Week.
The Mass, which will be celebrated at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton at 5p.m., is an opportunity for young Catholics to worship the Lord, listen a bit more intentionally to his voice, and discern how they can leave a mark on the world.
Young adults discerning their vocation are encouraged to reflect upon Pope Francis’s words spoken at the 2016 World Youth Day in Poland, “Dear young people, we didn’t come into this world to ‘vegetate,’ to take it easy, to make our lives a comfortable sofa to fall asleep on. No, we came for another reason: to leave a mark. It is very sad to pass through life without leaving a mark.”
The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will be the principal celebrant of this Mass, and Father Alex Roche, Director of Vocations and Seminarians and Pastor at St. Maria Goretti Parish in Laflin, will deliver the homily.
There will be a reception following the Mass at the Diocesan Pastoral Center across the street from the Cathedral of Saint Peter.
His Excellency, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, announces the following appointment, effective as indicated:
Reverend Scott P. Sterowski, to Diocesan Coordinator for Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, effective September 1, 2024. Father Sterowski will continue to serve as Pastor, Blessed Sacrament Parish, Throop, and Holy Cross Parish, Olyphant.
August 28, 2024
WASHINGTON – “Our faith calls us to pray, work, and advocate for protections that allow all laborers to thrive,” said Archbishop Borys Gudziak and Bishop Mark J. Seitz in a joint reflection for Labor Day (Sept. 2). The bishop chairmen called for a more just economy that honors the human dignity of all who labor, inclusive of those who have newly arrived in the country, as well as those whose families have been here for generations. The bishops also addressed affronts to the dignity of children, who have been identified by some as supplemental sources of labor amid widespread worker shortages.
“The Church offers a vision for the future that does not require our society to choose between a thriving economy, economic justice, dignified conditions for all workers, and safeguarding the most vulnerable among us,” the bishops state, calling attention to the plight of those who work in industries without protections due to their immigration status.
Archbishop Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop Seitz of El Paso is chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration.
The full Labor Day statement is available here (Spanish).
Read more about the Church’s teaching and advocacy on immigration and how the Catholic Campaign for Human Development has been supporting immigrant communities for over 50 years.
The Knights of Columbus Council 8613 Conyngham/ Drums generously donated toward the pro-life educational efforts of The VOICE of JOHN Ministry. Presenting the donation were Grand Knight, Bill Pendziwiatr, along with Knight Tom Jones. Tom Jones recently chaired a Baby Bottle Drive at Saint John Bosco and Sacred Heart Weston Churches. Together they presented the check to Maryann Lawhon, The VOICE of JOHN CEO and Ed Pane, LCSW who serves on the Board of Directors.
The Knights of Columbus stands firmly with us in defense of the Sanctity of Human Life. Tom Jones spoke of how “the killing of the child in the womb destroys not only that child, but generations of youth”.
The VOICE of JOHN is a pro-life ministry which has taken a lead in education throughout the State by developing a curriculum for grades K – 12. More recently Lawhon spoke alongside Geri Featherby as they presented at Marywood University and Misericordia University, speaking of the post abortive healing journey and offering rape intervention from a pro-life perspective.
The mission of the Ministry is to reach out with compassion to men and women facing a crisis pregnancy, offer healing for those suffering from post-abortive syndrome, to offer guidance to those facing end of life decisions, and to advocate for children with Down Syndrome or other genetic anomalies. Lawhon is now a national speaker, educating on issues of abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, and assisted suicide.
To arrange for a speaker at your church, school, or civic organization, contact The VOICE of JOHN Ministry at thevoiceofjohn1977@gmail.com or call our office at 570-788-JOHN (5646).
Gate of Heaven Church, Dallas recently held its annual Summer Music Camp. The theme of this year’s camp was “On Pilgrimage with Jesus “.
During the week, campers participated in a mock pilgrimage to sites of Eucharistic Miracles in honor of the current Eucharistic Revival and in solidarity with the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which took place this past May-July.
Other camp activities included choir rehearsals, games, crafts, daily teachings, and snacks. The camp concluded with a youth liturgy in which music campers participated.
FAIRMOUNT SPRINGS – Holy Spirit Parish will hold its annual Festival and Chicken Dinner at St. Martha’s Church, 260 Bonnieville Road, Fairmount Springs, on Saturday, August 31 from 5:00 until 11:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 1 from 12:00 noon until 11:00 p.m. Mass will be offered at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday.
St. Martha’s Festival features Polish and American food, a café with cakes, pies, and coffee, as well as an ice cream stand, children’s games, a dime pitch, basket raffle, and a large indoor flea market. Barbecue chicken dinners will be available for outdoor dining or take out on both Saturday and Sunday. There will be live music nightly, with the Lance Thomas Band performing on Saturday and 404 Band on Sunday. The Festival will be held rain or shine under the big tent.
St. Martha’s Church, which is celebrating its centennial this year, has hosted Labor Day chicken dinners since the 1920s. In the early years of the church, local farmers donated chickens, which were dispatched, cleaned, and prepared by the women of the church. In 1980, the dinner expanded into the two day Festival that continues today.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/saintmartha or call Florence Brozoski at 570-864-3780 or the church at 570-864-8588.
Members for ‘Be A Catholic Man’ recently gathered to plan for its ninth annual Catholic Men’s Conference. This year’s theme will be ‘Come Follow Me’. The event will be held at Holy Redeemer High School, 159 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Saturday, October 5th, 2024, from 8 am to 3 pm.
Nationally known speakers will be: Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, John Edwards, Father Bill Casey, and concluding with Mass Offered by Bishop Joseph Bambera. These informative talks are conducive for fathers and sons, clergy, and men of every age.
Admission can be acquired by mailing $40.00 ($30.00 if mailed by Sept. 15th). Students are $15.00. Priests, Deacons and Seminarians are free.
Mail to: “Be A Catholic Man”, PO Box 669, Wyalusing, Pa. 18853. (Please write “Men’s Conference” on the check memo and include ones contact info, e-mail, and Parish.) Online registries: www.BeACatholicMan.com.
For more information, call 570-721-0872.
His Excellency, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, announces the following appointment, effective July 5, 2024:
Reverend William A. Asinari, to Parochial Vicar, Saint Jude Parish, Mountain Top, and Our Lady Help of Christians Parish, Dorrance.
Families need a Child Tax Credit that helps all kids thrive. This week, the Senate will vote on a tax package that includes a strengthened Child Tax Credit. Please urge your Senators to advance an improved Child Tax Credit that prioritizes the poorest children, so its benefits can be targeted to those who need them most. Every year, the Child Tax Credit (CTC) lifts millions of American families out of poverty and helps them live according to their dignity and with greater economic security. While the USCCB has long supported the CTC, the current credit must be improved because it excludes many of the poorest children.
Earlier this year, the House of Representatives acted with strong bipartisan support to pass a tax package that included a strengthened Child Tax Credit. Although this represented a compromise, the strengthened Child Tax Credit would take meaningful steps to support the well-being of families in need and is the best opportunity to improve the credit now, when it is urgently needed. Now is the time for the Senate to act. Please reach out to your Senators and encourage them to pass a strengthened Child Tax Credit. The benefits of the CTC help foster the welcoming of new life and the building of the family. The Senate must act to ensure these benefits are reaching the families who need them most.
As the U.S. bishops stated in their pastoral document, Putting Children And Families First,
“Those with the greatest need require the greatest response. This is the ‘option for the poor’ in action. While every family needs support, poor families and families facing discrimination carry the greatest burdens and require the most help. With limited resources, we need to focus assistance on those with the greatest needs.”
We will continue to advocate for a future improved Child Tax Credit that:
• benefits the lowest income families,
• continues to include mixed-status families,
• is available for the year before birth to help mothers in need welcome new life,
• ensures the credit does not undermine the building of families, and
• does not offset the cost of the credit by cutting programs that serve those most in need
Please urge your Senators to advance an improved Child Tax Credit to help support families and lift children out of poverty.
We encourage you to add your own personal story about why strengthening the Child Tax Credit is important to you.
You can read the most recent USCCB letter advocating for an improved Child Tax Credit here.
You can read Archbishop Gudziak’s statement welcoming the bipartisan Child Tax Credit agreement here.