Mary Stec, Office Manager at the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center, distributes the first meal kit to Liz Mattern and her daughter, Davita, on Thursday, May 20, 2021.

WILKES-BARRE – Amanda Ammermann and her five-year-old daughter love to cook. They often play Disney music and dance around their kitchen while baking cookies.

Recently, coming up with nutritious dinnertime meals has become challenging for the Luzerne County mother.

“I always tell my daughter that she is going to sprout feathers because all she wants is chicken nuggets all the time,” Ammermann joked.

The mother-daughter duo is hoping their participation in a new pilot program, launched May 20 by the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center, will help.

The Taste & See Meal Kit Program will provide fresh, healthy, locally sourced food to 25 families on a regular basis for one year. Working in collaboration with local chefs and other community agencies, each family will receive a recipe card and all of the needed ingredients to make a meal together at home.

Participants in the Taste & See Meal Kit Program receive a reusable tote bag which can be refilled with new ingredients for each meal preparation.

“I’m really hopeful we can find some new favorites,” Ammermann said as she picked up her first meal kit.

Liz Mattern also knows the struggle of having children who do not enjoy a wide range of food. Her family has also decided to take part in the Taste & See Meal Kit Program.

“We stick with what we know so it’ll be nice to have stuff thrown in that maybe we wouldn’t have ordinarily made,” Mattern explained.

Just hours after picking up their meal kit, Mattern and her ten-year-old daughter, Davita, made the first recipe, Ritz Chicken from Jonathan’s Restaurant in Wilkes-Barre.

“This is a lifelong skill she is going to need,” Mattern said. “This is a good way to spend time together and get some real education!”

As part of the Taste & See Meal Kit Program, participants receive a binder to store the laminated recipes they receive as they pick up their ingredients. (Photos/Eric Deabill)

In all, 94 individuals (32 adults and 62 children) will participate in the program’s first year.

“We saw a need for our families and children to have more nutritious meals at home. Our children love to be hands on and get involved in making things so we partnered with a lot of restaurants in the area and their chefs,” Mary Stec, Office Manager at the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center, said. Former restaurant owner Ruth Corcoran oversaw the recipe collection and selection process.

“We teamed with Hillside Farms for our meat and dairy, and we teamed with Rowlands Pennsylvania Produce in Falls for all of our fresh vegetables and produce. They do a remarkable job so the families are really going to get a treat,” Stec said. Hillside Farms is also an educational partner for the program and will offer hands-on programs for CYC families focusing on where their food comes from and the importance of local farms.

Joanne Padilla has five people in her family. She appreciates that all of the food is being provided so she will not have to run to the grocery store. She also is looking forward to a wide selection of recipes.

“I am excited because it might be something new that I’ve never had, so I am excited to try it,” Padilla said.

Just hours after receiving their first meal kit, Davita Mattern, 10, helped her mother prepare and enjoy the program’s first recipe, Ritz Chicken.

The Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center received a $15,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Farm to School Program to support the launch of the Taste & See Meal Kit Program. Additional funding from the Luzerne Foundation, whose Youth Advisory Committee chose the project as a winner in a grants competition, and the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation will ensure the program’s success.

“As a provider of more than 10,000 meals a month to children in poverty, the Catholic Youth Center is keenly aware of the challenges families face in terms of putting a balanced and nutritious meal on the table,” Ryan Smith, CYC Program Executive, said. “This innovative program will help each family become more aware of basic nutritional principles and habits.”

As they make the meals together, participating families will be encouraged to take and share photos, provide feedback on the recipes and complete educational family challenges while they learn more about nutrition.

“My hope is that it will bring families closer together as far as making meals and spending time together while also realizing the nutritional value of eating healthier as a family. It all starts by example,” Stec said.

“This program will really be a win-win, not only for the families participating but also the local farmers who are partnering with us and the CYC itself,” Smith added. “If our families are able to prepare healthier meals at home on a consistent basis, our entire community benefits. We’re excited to get this program started.”

As part of the program, the CYC also plans to expand its on-site garden so that the agency can engage all of its students in the acts of growing and cultivating their own food.

 

 

Rev. Gerard McGlone, Pastor of Queen of Angels Parish in Jessup confirmed his great nephew, Joshua Williams, on Pentecost Sunday.

Pictured from left are: Deacon Jerry Carpenter, Joshua’s Sponsor, Joshua “Joseph” Williams, Fr. McGlone, and Kathleen and Joseph Williams, Joshua’s Grandparents.

 

 

His Excellency, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, announces the following appointments, effective June 1, 2021:

Reverend Robert J. Antonelli, to Senior Priest Pro Tem, Saint Joseph the Worker Parish, Williamsport.

Reverend Brian Van Fossen, to further studies at Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, this summer.  Father Van Fossen will continue to serve as Pastor, Saint Joseph the Worker Parish, Williamsport.

 

SCRANTON – Valentine’s Day may have been more than three months ago but love will certainly be in the air at the Cathedral of Saint Peter on June 6.

Bishop Joseph C. Bambera will serve as principal celebrant and homilist for the Diocese of Scranton’s annual Wedding Anniversary Mass that recognizes married couples who are celebrating their 25th and 50th anniversaries in 2021.

This year’s celebration will take on special significance because it falls during the Amoris Laetitia Family Year.

Due to updated protocols for the celebration of Mass released by the Diocese of Scranton on May 14, all couples who have pre-registered will be able to attend the Mass in person if they are comfortable. There will still not be a reception after Mass.

The Mass will begin at 2:30 p.m. CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton will broadcast the Mass live and provide a livestream on the Diocese of Scranton website and all Diocesan social media platforms.

In addition to married couples celebrating their Silver and Golden anniversaries, at least one couple planning to attend the Mass is celebrating their 70th Anniversary. Two additional couples registered are celebrating 60 years together.

As couples registered, they were able to provide “then” and “now” photos as well as words of wisdom that they have gained through their married life together. Below are just a few of the submissions. All of the photos and submissions will be available on the Diocese of Scranton website and a slideshow will be featured before the Mass is broadcast on television.

Anyone with questions regarding the Wedding Anniversary Mass can contact Jen Housel, Director for Community and Family Development, at JHousel@dioceseofscranton.org or call (570) 207-2213, x1104.

 

After holding virtual meetings with past Quo Vadis participants for over a year, the Diocesan Vocation Office is excited to be preparing for this year’s in-person experience at Marywood University in Scranton June 20-22.

The camp is designed for Catholic men in high school to deepen their faith, learn more about all vocations, and better discern God’s call in their lives. It will feature dynamic talks, prayer, games, sports, activities and music.

Participants will have the opportunity to meet Bishop Bambera, priests, college students and young adults serving on the leadership team, and seminarians of the Diocese of Scranton.

Jimmy Lavan, a senior at Holy Redeemer High School, is looking forward to attending the camp this summer after not being able to last year.

“Quo Vadis Days was the best three days of my summer in 2019,” said Lavan. “I remember sitting and praying in the chapel during Eucharistic Adoration. It was in that moment I realized I only have one life, and I have to make the most of my time on this earth. I knew that becoming even more involved with the Church would help me become the person I want to be. I’m glad I am able to attend this camp again before going to college.”

Participants can register online at dioceseofscranton.org/vocations/quo-vadis-days-2021. For more information, call 570-207-1452.

 

 

 

WILKES-BARRE — On a cold night in March, parishioners of Saint Mary Byzantine Parish in Wilkes-Barre bid a virtual farewell on Facebook to Sister Theodosia Alishoski, OSBM, who had served in the parish for 27 years. She was the last Sister of Saint Basil to serve in the geographical confines of the Diocese of Scranton. Her companion in ministry at Saint Mary’s, Sister Regina Adams, OSBM, had died unexpectedly the month before.

The Order of the Sisters of Saint Basil the Great, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Province, Uniontown, had ministered to the faithful of the Scranton Diocese for almost 100 years.

Founded as a new province on Jan. 19, 1921, the Feast of Theophany, three Basilian sisters moved from Philadelphia to serve the pressing needs of the newly arrived Ruthenian-Carpatho Byzantine Catholics who had arrived in the Cleveland area. Because of the pandemic of 1918, there were many orphans, and the sisters set to work caring for them and forming many young women who came to join the community.

Under the leadership of Mother Macrina, a new branch of the Sisters of Saint Basil the Great was formed. In June 1923, all the Sisters were transferred to the Saint Nicholas Orphanage built by the Greek Catholic Union in Elmhurst, Lackawanna County, to care for the parentless Carpatho-Ruthenian children orphaned by the pandemic and many mining accidents. A portion of the building also housed the new community of sisters.

Later, to accommodate their growing numbers, the sisters moved to a larger facility in Factoryville. Finally they acquired an extensive property and established their Motherhouse at Uniontown. (Excerpted from the Golden Jubilee Commemorative Book for Holy Ghost, Cleveland, Ohio, 1959)

The young community of Basilian sisters was prayerful and hardworking, chanting the Divine Office every day of their lives. They oversaw the farm at Saint Nicholas Orphanage and cared for the many orphans entrusted to them. Finances were always a struggle, but they were fearless and focused women who seemed immune to adversity. At one point they lost all of their hard-earned, carefully saved money in a bank foreclosure.

A Scranton Tribune article from May 3, 1917, recounted the sisters’ focus on their mission at Saint Nicholas. The writer visited them and commiserated with the sisters over the loss of their money, but noted that they seemed unconcerned, believing that Providence would care for them. Their only concern was to obtain a college scholarship for one of their very bright orphans.

Through the years, the sisters did whatever was needed to support the growing Byzantine Catholic population. They became teachers to spread the faith, pastoral ministers to tend to the spiritual needs of the people, and liturgical musicians at the service of beautiful Byzantine liturgies; they took up ecclesiastical arts, iconography and the sewing of vestments and liturgical items. They became meticulous translators of the Old Slavonic prayers into English, and published many liturgical books. They were the custodians of the spiritual and cultural legacy of the growing Byzantine Church in the United States.

Much of their work and artistry is still in evidence in the Byzantine Catholic churches in the Scranton area. Lastly, the sisters began the Pilgrimage of Thanksgiving to the Shrine of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Since 1934, hundreds of Byzantine Catholics gather annually on the grounds of Mount Macrina, their Motherhouse, on Labor Day weekend to pray for their needs and celebrate their heritage. The Pilgrimage has become a major ministry of the sisters. This yearly event is credited with helping to unify the Byzantine Catholic churches in America.

As the needs presented themselves, the sisters were called forth to newly formed Byzantine Catholic parishes and schools that sprang up in the coal towns of eastern Pennsylvania. Many vocations came to the community from the parishes located in the Scranton Diocese. The sisters often took charge of schools founded by lay parishioners and built up the pastoral and educational ministries. They were industrious, talented and capable women, and their students thrived under their creative and innovative education and kept the faith of their ancestors.

As the population of the schools began to dwindle in the 1960s, a smaller group of sisters would often stay behind in the parishes to help with catechetical, pastoral and youth ministries — as did Sister Theodosia and Sister Regina at Saint Mary’s in Wilkes-Barre.

The faith-filled legacy of the Sisters of Saint Basil remains in the hearts of their students, many of whom remained lifelong members of their parishes, as the sisters staffed the small schools established in mining areas like Freeland, Pittston, Hazleton, Wilkes-Barre and Jessup. Some senior citizens may remember their early days at Saint Nicholas Orphanage in Elmhurst; some may even remember the fire that totally destroyed the barn on the orphanage farm. Many others may be grateful for the wonderful education and skills they received from industrious teachers whose commitment and hard work helped raise them out of poverty.

Today, in the borough of Jessup, stands LaSalle Academy — the result of a merged effort combining ten local parishes to provide Catholic education for their children. One school, Holy Ghost, was originally staffed by the Sisters of Saint Basil and became part of that merger; its building, plus an addition, houses grades three to eight. The process of this merger honors the legacy of the Byzantine Catholic Church and the sisters who formed the previous school and lived in the building. It allows the traditions of the Byzantine Catholic Church to be preserved for the students. Today, LaSalle Academy has the distinction of being the only bi-ritual (both Roman and Byzantine Catholic) in the country.

We extend our prayers of gratitude to the Sisters and honor them by our fidelity to the faith they taught us.

 

Pope Francis gestures as he leads his general audience in in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican May 19, 2021. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Those who overcome distractions or obstacles when praying learn the value of perseverance in times of trial, Pope Francis said.

“True progress in spiritual life does not consist in multiplying ecstasies, but in being able to persevere in difficult times,” the pope said May 19 during his weekly general audience.

“Walk, walk, walk on and if you are tired, stop a little and then start walking again; but with perseverance,” he said.

Arriving by car to the San Damaso Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, the pope was given a warm welcome by those in attendance, including a group of pilgrims from Mexico.

“Francisco, hermano, ya eres Mexicano” (“Francis, brother, you are already Mexican”), the pilgrims cried out as he made his way to his seat.

While the pope greeted the pilgrims from a safe distance, many ignored social distancing rules and crowded near the barricades in the hopes of seeing the pope up close.

In his main audience talk, the pope reflected on the difficulties that people may face when trying to pray, including “distractions, aridity and sloth” as well as the importance of recognizing and overcoming them.

Both in prayer and in everyday life, he said, the mind often “wanders all over the place” and some find it “hard to dwell for long on a single thought.”

“Distractions are not a fault, but they must be fought,” he said. “In the heritage of our faith, there is a virtue that is often forgotten, but which is very present in the Gospel. It is called ‘vigilance.'”

Citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the pope said aridity occurs when one’s heart “is separated from God” and leaves him or her “with no taste for thoughts, memories and feelings, even spiritual ones.”

While the reasons for that sense of aridity may range from physical ailments to inner turmoil, the pope said that often, “we do not really know the reason.”

“Spiritual teachers describe the experience of faith as a continuous alternation of times of consolation and desolation; there are times when everything is easy, while others are marked by great heaviness,” he explained.

While life is often filled with “gray days,” the pope said the danger lies in “having a grey heart; when this ‘feeling down’ reaches the heart and sickens it.”

“This is terrible: one cannot pray, one cannot feel consolation with a gray heart! Or one cannot emerge from spiritual aridity with a gray heart,” he said. “The heart must be open and luminous, so that the light of the Lord can enter. And if it does not enter, wait for it, with hope. But do not close it up in grayness.”

Lastly, the pope warned that sloth is not only one of the seven deadly sins, but also “a real temptation against prayer and, more generally, against Christian life” that can “lead to the death of the soul.”

Pope Francis said that at some point in their lives, “all the saints have passed through this ‘dark valley'” and would often recount “evenings of listless prayer, lived without enthusiasm.”

Nevertheless, believers, like the biblical figure Job, “never stop praying” even when their prayers may seem like protests to God.

“Very often, even protesting before God is a way of praying,” the pope said. “And we, who are far less holy and patient than Job, also know that in the end, at the end of this time of desolation, during which we have raised to heaven silent cries and asked, ‘Why?’ many times, God will answer us.”

 

SCRANTON – What started as a way to recognize Teacher Appreciation Week has snowballed into a large-scale effort to celebrate all those who have helped children and families during this extraordinary year in the Diocese of Scranton Catholic School System.

In early May, the Catholic Schools System launched its “Inspiring Excellence” initiative. The goal is simple: to recognize individuals who exemplify excellence in all that they do at one of the Diocese’s 19 schools and Virtual Academy.

Over the last several weeks, students and families have nominated nearly 200 principals, teachers, aides, maintenance workers, cafeteria staff, coaches and central office staff. The nominations are being shared on the Diocese of Scranton Catholic Schools’ Facebook page.

Joe Bayley, head of maintenance at Saint Jude School in Mountain Top, is one of the individuals who was nominated.

“It is a good feeling,” Bayley said of receiving the honor.

Bayley, who was been working for Saint Jude School for approximately five years, said he loves working with the teachers and central administrative staff to create the best educational environment for students.

“If you don’t enjoy what you do then you’re in the wrong line of work,” he explained.

Bayley was nominated by a parent who said he not only keeps the school running but he “treats the kids as if they were his own children,” adding he makes “the children all feel welcome.”

During this last year, Bayley has been instrumental in making sure proper sanitization procedures are followed and helping the students get outside more.

“We moved a lot of picnic tables that were sitting in the grove. It is a lot easier to have class outside and just get fresh air,” Bayley said.

Kathy Marx, a second grade instructional aide for the Diocesan Virtual Academy, was also nominated by a parent. Before assisting with the DVA, Marx has been at All Saints Academy in Scranton.

“I was really quite surprised and humbled but very appreciative of someone taking the time to write such nice things. Just like our students, we all enjoy the occasional pat on the back. We are always grateful for our wonderful, caring parents,” she said.

Marx has been alongside teacher Angelina Guco this year.

“I know as educators we impact children’s lives in a profound way. For me, as an instructional aide, being able to help an individual child or even the whole class with extra help is very rewarding. To see the light in their eyes and the smile on their face when they get it – priceless,” she said.

Marx says adapting to educating students in a virtual setting was “new and challenging” but she is proud of the year and all that the students have been able to accomplish.

“Having the children comfortable and safe this past year was a priority of the Diocese and every Diocesan school. All Saints Academy and the Diocesan Virtual Academy did an amazing job … It is our nature to go above and beyond!” Marx added.

Students and families can still nominate someone in their school for the “Inspiring Excellence” recognition. If you would like to nominate someone, please visit the Catholic Schools tab on the Diocese of Scranton website.

 

 

SCRANTON — When the coronavirus pandemic spiraled out of control in early 2020, the Diocese of Scranton needed to suspend in-person services, including faith formation activities and religious education for students and families.

Serving more than 317,000 Catholics, including more than 14,000 students, the Scranton Diocese — one of the largest in the United States — was faced with the daunting task of finding a virtual platform that was flexible and easy for parishes to use.

Religious education programs throughout the Scranton diocese were greatly aided when the Diocesan Office for Parish Life (OPL) decided to partner with Faith Alive! powered by Edmodo, a web-based learning management system, encouraging parishes to consider using it any way they choose.

Jacki Douglas, Diocesan Director of Word and Lifelong Faith Formation in the Parish Life Office, shared, “Like most of us, the Diocese never planned on extended closures of in-person services. The unprecedented stay-at-home orders was deemed a threat to the attendance and very way of life of parishioners and those dependent upon the Diocese.”

Douglas also recognized that while some parishes might have hoped to return to in-person faith formation classes, many wanted more flexible virtual options for continuing classes during closures or to enhance learning when in-person services could resume.

Finding quick success with a small group of parishes, the Parish Life Office quickly made Edmodo available to the whole diocese and is extremely pleased with its first experience.

The learning platform allows parishes to continue religious education online, including the ability to conduct classes virtually, manage lessons and curriculum, and make resources available to students and families. It also allows the flexibility to learn completely virtually or in a hybrid model and both in-person and online activities, while quickly bringing religious education communities online with easy, user-friendly tools.

As the Confirmation coordinator at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Brodheadsville, Terry Talbott is acutely aware of the many challenges the year 2020 presented to Catholic religious education.

“I was worried about how we could continue to prepare the students for the sacrament when forced to meet remotely,” she admitted. “Edmodo not only allowed us to host virtual classes, but also gave us the ability to make important forms and information accessible to students and parents in a secure, transparent way.”

Talbott explained how the parish’s DRE and she devoted great time and energy to “create classes,” focusing on getting families enrolled in the religious ed program. A step-by-step sign-up document was developed, allowing most parish families to “get connected.”

“We also had to present the information to our catechists and introduce them to the platform,” Talbott continued, commenting that while many parish religious educators were familiar with Zoom video conferencing, quite a few were apprehensive about teaching virtually.”

Talbott lauds those catechists who, though at first intimidated by using a virtual platform, were determined to continue in their ministry. “I am so proud of the determination and dedication of all our teachers during this year,” she remarked.

As the year progressed, Talbott explained, many catechists incorporated videos and worksheets into their lesson plans and were able to share websites such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB.org) during their classes to illustrate a concept.

“I especially liked the connection to my classes that I had between sessions because I would post follow-up information and instruction for parents on our class page,” she explained. “I also loved the library function because it was a central repository for all the necessary forms students needed, and I could direct them there easily.”

Talbott also extolled Edmodo’s “messaging function” and how, when Our Lady Queen of Peace transitioned to in-person learning for sacramental classes, the platform allowed the parish to continue to provide classes for the small percentage of students and families who chose to remain virtual.

“I’ve been super happy with how I’ve been able to use the platform,” she said. “We intend to continue to use Edmodo next year, even as we return to in-person catechesis. It’s a great tool for communication regularly to our families and supplementing the relational ministry with our students.”

Currently, more than 3,000 students, parents and religious education staff across nearly 120 Scranton Diocesan parishes utilize Edmodo to communicate and join in faith formation activities online — and to come together in a time when it’s needed more than ever.

 

 

FOREST CITY — Holy innocence was once again on display this May as First Holy Communions returned to their rightful place in the season of rebirth — fittingly being celebrated throughout the Diocese of Scranton during the glorious month dedicated to Our Lady.

Following a turbulent year marked by a global pandemic that resulted in First Communion ceremonies being held randomly based on health protocols and parish limitations due to strict guidelines, the 2021 “Mass” celebrations of young communicants experiencing the true joy of the Eucharist for the first time has been a most welcomed sight.

“We had to adjust and adapt to this ‘new normal,’ and because of that we had to get creative with how to not only keep our CCD program up and running, but to make the sacramental years interesting and special,” Jennifer Pearson, Director of Religious Education for Ascension Parish in Forest City, shared.

In preparing Ascension’s First Communion class for 2021, Pearson and her staff benefitted greatly from an engaging, user-friendly curriculum and were very thankful to provide some in-person instruction with the students.

“I also had extremely supportive parents who really took the time to be involved in the entire process,” she noted, “especially when the students need to do their lessons from home.”

The result, as has been the case throughout the Diocese, was the much-anticipated ceremony coming together as splendidly as it should — with wide-eyed, nervously excited boys and girls donning their best Spring finery to approach the altar and begin a lifelong Eucharistic journey of receiving their Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

The First Communion season not only presents beautiful, inspiring images of the Catholic Church at its best, but also provides an invaluable lesson for the children’s older counterparts in the faith.

So-called “Cradle Catholics,” who may make literally thousands of Communions throughout their lifetime, often take for granted the immense awe and wonder of physically receiving the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus  Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

This is certainly something that is not lost on Pearson and others who devote themselves to preparing their young students in parish First Holy Communion classes.

“I think it is so important for our students to continue to build their relationship with Jesus after they receive their First Communion,” Pearson explained. “I try to encourage them to find examples of how Jesus taught us and wants us to live, whether it is at home, school, the store or wherever, and to make good choices and model their own behaviors after those things.”

She related the children will soon realize that attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion will not always be accompanied by pressed blue suits, lacy white gowns and veils, beaming parents with cameras in hand, and parties with family and friends. But it is cause for much celebration, nonetheless.

“We can celebrate all of the wonderful things that Jesus did for us by receiving Him in the Eucharist,” Pearson concluded, “but we also show Him how grateful we are for His love and sacrifice by doing our best to love one another even when things are hard.”

To receive like a child. If only.