Category: News

 

As he looked around the Cathedral of Saint Peter and saw hundreds of other young adults, Jonathan Mengoni, 22, was glad he decided to attend his first #LeaveaMark Mass in the Diocese of Scranton.

“It’s very nice seeing all the young people in the Diocese come together and worship together because I feel in the Catholic Church a lot of young people are leaving,” Mengoni said.

Mengoni, a parishioner of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Peckville, is part of a parish that has seen a lot of growth in recent years.

“We’ve had over 300 families join in just the last year and a-half to two years, we have a lot of kids coming to church. We have 210 kids, grades 1-8, in our faith formation classes now so there is an interest!” Mengoni said.

Mengoni said he recognized some of the people at the #LeaveaMark Mass but was excited to meet new friends.

“I’m running into a few friends here and there but there’s a lot of unfamiliar faces too with these Masses and retreats, I get to know more and more people throughout the Diocese,” he added.

The Diocese of Scranton’s fourth annual #LeaveaMark Mass was held on Sunday, November 3, 2019. The event brings together young adults, including public and Catholic high school students, college students, women and men religious, priests and youth ministers from throughout the 11 counties of the Diocese.

“It’s a fantastic experience getting to see everyone! You really get a sense of how alive the young Church is in our Diocese and it’s just a great experience to see everyone and is a lot of fun,” Tyler Osipower, 17, a parishioner of Saint Therese Parish in Shavertown said.

Osipower served as one of the lectors at the Mass. He has enjoyed getting involved in his parish and Diocese.

“I’m very involved with retreats throughout the Diocese but I’m also meeting a lot of new people. I’m seeing a lot of people that I’ve met before here, a lot of my friends, but am getting a chance to meet a lot of new people as well,” Osipower said.

The first #LeaveaMark Mass was initially inspired by Pope Francis’ words at World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow, Poland. The Holy Father said, “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 event has now become a popular tradition in the Diocese and some people travel quite a distance to attend the #LeaveaMark Mass.

Becky Goonan, Assistant Director of Religious Education & Youth Ministry at Saint Ann Parish in Williamsport, helped lead a group of eight students and chaperones nearly two hours to the Mass.

“It’s great for them to see and come and be excited for Church!” Goonan said.

This year’s #LeaveaMark Mass was the second Goonan has attended. She participated herself by signing in the choir.

“I like that it’s a Mass. Especially being a youth minister, that my students can come to and feel like it’s for them!” she added.

Goonan, 31, loves seeing so many young adults involved in their faith.

“The one thing that we always heard is they’re the Church of the future, but now they’re the young Church, they’re the Church now and they’re being called to leave a mark now. I think that message is really important for them to hear,” Goonan added.

Bishop Joseph C. Bambera was the principal celebrant of the #LeaveaMark Mass.

During his welcome, the bishop told the young people, “God is indeed here in our midst and God beckons every one of us to leave a mark for goodness in the world, to embrace the invitation given to us at our baptism, to live as his daughters and his sons and to indeed infect the world with the power, the presence, the love and the mercy of God.”

Father Ryan Glenn, Assistant Pastor at Saint John Neumann Parish in South Scranton and Assistant Vocation Director for the Diocese, delivered the homily.

“The good news today is that God will always love us as we are, broken and fractured, disjointed, with our gifts and talents, with our failures, God will always love us,” Father Glenn said.

Father Glenn was ordained to the Priesthood in June 2018. Since his ordination, he has been very involved in vocation, youth and young adult ministry. He encouraged the young adults in the crowd to have an intimate relationship with Jesus.

“Pray. Pray in the morning. Pray in the evening. Pray when you’re on the commute to school or work. Pray with the scriptures. Journal if you like. Go to Eucharistic adoration or daily Mass but whatever you do, deepen that relationship with Jesus. See yourself as Jesus sees you,” Father Glenn said.

Father Glenn also encouraged the young adults at the #LeaveaMark Mass to look at the examples of young Saints that have gone before us.

“Today, let us be emboldened to go back to our parishes and to our schools and to our universities. Let us jump right in to minister and serve wherever we are today. Let us challenge our professors and pastors, teachers and youth ministers, to listen to us, to get to know us, to know our needs, our struggles and our hopes,” Father Glenn added.

Father Glenn ended his homily by encouraging the young adults to support each other and to see goodness inside each other.

“My friends, this is our time, today is our day, today is a time for us to make bold choices and heroic decisions, today is our time to respond in love to this invitation that has been given to us through Jesus,” Father Glenn said.

Following Mass, a reception was held in the Diocesan Pastoral Center.

“Tonight is a great celebration of faith and action that affirms the readiness of young people to leave a mark here in our diocese,” Shannon Kowalski, Coordinator for Youth/Young Adult Ministry in the Diocese of Scranton said.

“The energy and enthusiasm of all who attended was joy-filled and promising for the future of our Diocese,” Father Don Williams, Diocesan Director of Vocations and Seminarians, said. “We wanted to kickoff National Vocation Awareness Week with this event once again this year as we encourage the young church to live as intentional and missionary disciples in our world today.”

During the reception, young adults could enjoy food and fellowship, play games, get information about various Diocesan programs and events and even take photos with Bishop Bambera in the #LeaveaMark photo area.

On one of the walls in the Diocesan Pastoral Center, students could write notes indicating how they plan to #LeaveaMark going forward.

“Volunteering at soup kitchen,” “continuing to be the best person I can and share the light of Christ with others,” and “live in the likeness of God” were just three of the notes taped to the wall.

Three ways, of many, that students can listen to the Lord, act upon His word and #LeaveaMark for good in our world!

 

 

TOWANDA – If Saints Peter and Paul Church considers itself to be the parish in the heart of the Endless Mountains, the heart of its people is focused squarely on helping members of the community.

“The people of the parish are very interested in supporting a whole variety of programs that are here in Bradford County. Rather than reinventing the wheel and creating things ourselves, we partner with a lot of the other churches and organizations to help and support people that are in this particular area,” Rev. Edward L. Michelini, pastor, said.

With assistance from a social justice grant from the Diocesan Annual Appeal, the parish is able to support the Towanda Area Christian Outreach (TACO), which provides emergency food assistance to members of the community.

“This food pantry covers three school districts: Towanda, Wyalusing and Northeast Bradford and that covers a very large area,” Ed Krauss, President, Towanda Area Christian Outreach Association, said.

Once a month, individuals or families in need area able to visit a warehouse to receive enough food to help sustain them for several days.

“We’re in a rural community and most of the time you feel, oh, there’s not that many people here that are in need but the people in this location are really hard-pressed for finding jobs,” Rev. Michelini said.

Parishioners also support the cause by volunteering to sort and distribute food. Many also bring canned food items to Mass to donate.

“At our door, as you enter Saints Peter and Paul Church in Towanda, there’s a basket and it’s designated for TACO. On a Sunday morning there may not be anything in it but at the end of the day, the basket is full and during the week people come and drop food goods off and supplies,” Rev. Michelini said.

The support is greatly appreciated by those in need.

“We have quite a few people that come in. I’ve been doing this 18 years and I get satisfaction out of it because we’re helping those that need help,” Krauss said. “It makes me feel good because some people that come in area homeless and they have absolutely nothing so we can help them along.”

Besides assisting TACO, parishioners at Saints Peter and Paul Church also help with other area organizations that help individuals with home repairs and general financial assistance.

“The people in the parish are very well aware that we’ve applied for the (Social Justice) grants and they’ve been given to those organizations and those organizations are constantly writing me, thanking me and expressing their gratitude,” Rev. Michelini said.

Social justice grants, which are funded by the Diocesan Annual Appeal, directly support parishes in their efforts to serve the needs of their communities. The grants are available to all parishes throughout the Diocese of Scranton.

 

DUNMORE, PA — Miss Kimberly Mecir, an educator at Holy Cross High School, is one of only four teachers in Pennsylvania being recognized with a 2019 Voya Financial Unsung Heroes Grant for Innovative Teaching.

Selected from a group of more than 650 applicants, Mecir will receive $2,000 to bring one of her educational ideas to life.

Mecir’s innovative teaching idea, “Mission to Planet X,” focuses on increasing student engagement and achievement in biology through a story-driven experience that challenges students to use creativity, problem-solving and biology knowledge to uncover signs of life on an “alien plant.” After learning scientific method, biochemistry, 3D design and coding through a series of lessons and labs, students will be tasked with the mission of designing and 3D printing fins for a rocket that will launch a rover to the planet. It is the hope that this project helps students connect to biology content by framing it in a real-life research area of astrobiology as well as learn future-ready skills of 3D design, coding and critical thinking.

Since 1996, the Voya Unsung Heroes program has awarded more than $5 million to help the nation’s educators turn innovative teaching ideas into reality. Grants are available to K-12 educators nationwide to honor innovative teaching methods and creative educational projects that have the ability to positively influence children.

“The program continues to be a catalyst for innovative learning. It provides educators with an opportunity to make an impact in their community, inspire their students and be recognized for their creative teaching ideas,” Heather Lavallee, president of Tax-Exempt Markets for Voya’s Retirement business said. “We’re honored to help Kimberly Mecir go above and beyond to prepare our leaders of tomorrow for their own successful futures.”

In additional to the grant Mecir has already won, she will now compete with other finalists for one of the top three prizes – an additional $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000 from Voya Financial.

 

 

October 16, 2019

A total of 799 young adults from across the Diocese of Scranton are being honored this fall for their commitment to their faith and service to their parishes and schools.

The 2019 Bishop’s Youth Awards have been handed out to 8^th grade and 12^th grade students at four Masses in which Bishop Joseph C. Bambera has served as principal celebrant.

The award ceremonies began on Monday, September 23, at Saint Nicholas Parish in Wilkes-Barre where 337 nominees were honored.

The Masses continued on Monday, September 30, at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Tannersville where 117 students received awards and the following evening, Tuesday, October 1, at Saint Paul Parish in Scranton, where there were 289 nominees.

The final 56 nominees were recognized at a Mass held on Monday, October 7, at Saint Boniface Parish in Williamsport.

The first Bishop’s Youth Awards were handed out in 1996.

“It’s very important to me because I get to see the Bishop,” Evan Stabinski, 14, of Scranton said.

“I serve at the Cathedral every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. and with my Boy Scout troop I occasionally do food drives and pasta dinners and I also help with the church dinners,” Stabinski said.

Evan’s twin brother Alexander also received an award and recognizes its importance.

“It’s an honor because of the fact they think I’m doing well serving God and serving my community,” Alexander Stabinski said.

The twins, who both attend All Saints Academy, find their faith in every aspect of their life, whether it’s in Church, home or their school.

“All Saints is like a family. Everybody is very close,” Alexander Stabinski said. “Faith is a big part of the education.”

Another eighth grade award recipient is Marcus Binner of Tunkhannock.

“I altar serve, sing in the choir and I was also in The Way with my brother,” Marcus Binner said.

As he saw all of the young people gathering at Saint Paul Church in Scranton to receive their awards, Binner was awestruck.

“It’s actually incredible how many people are here. It’s really cool. It’s really inspiring,” Binner added.

Marcus Binner’s older brother, Paul, a 12th grade student, was also honored with a Bishop’s Youth Award.

“I think it’s a pretty cool award because it shows how all these high-schoolers have been involved and they put a lot into their faith,” Paul Binner said.

Ethan Lehutsky, 18, a 12th grade student from Wayne County was also recognized with an award.

“I feel honored,” Lehutsky said. “I’m an Eagle Scout. I completed my Eagle project which was cleaning up the Glen Dyberry Cemetery after a tornado a couple years back hit Honesdale.”

After spending five weekends cleaning brush and fallen tree limbs, Lehutsky and several volunteers were able to help restore the cemetery.

“It definitely gives you a good feeling and it feels nice helping people take care of things,” Lehutsky said.

Serving the community is also something that Megan Winslow, 18, a parishioner of Saint Eulalia Parish knows about.

As a lector, choir member and volunteer at her annual parish picnic and monthly church breakfast, Winslow feels her faith is very important.

“It helps me through a lot of things in my life. I always have something to rely on and believe in when nothing else is there,” Winslow said.

Winslow previously attended the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) which brings together tens-of-thousands of young adults from across the nation.

“It was amazing. It was probably one of the best experiences of my life. About 25,000 people were there and we did different workshops,” Winslow said.

At a time when some people worry that young adults aren’t involved in their church or care about faith, Winslow says events like NCYC and the Bishop’s Youth Awards show otherwise.

“It shows how many people in the local community come together for religion!” Winslow said.

 

SCRANTON, PA — Following the release of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report in 2018, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera pledged to be open and transparent in the way that the Diocese of Scranton handles occurrences of child sexual abuse.

As a result, the Diocese announces two names have been added to its list of clergy that have a credible claim of sexual abuse against a minor.

In August 2018, the Diocese published on its website a list of all clergy, staff and volunteers who had been credibly accused of child sexual abuse. Eleven additional names were added to the online list in January 2019. Since then, additional survivors have come forward. After a review was completed in consultation with the Diocesan Independent Review Board, the two new names are listed below. We will continue to alert you periodically in the case that additional individuals are added to list.

The Diocese of Scranton urges individuals who have been sexually abused by a priest, deacon, religious, lay employee or volunteer of the Diocese to report abuse directly to law enforcement. If you are aware of additional allegations of wrongdoing or any information that should be included on this list, please contact our Victim Assistance Coordinator Mary Beth Pacuska at (570) 862-7551. If you have suffered abuse by clergy or anyone working on behalf of the Diocese, you are encouraged to contact Mary Beth Pacuska.

These names have been added to the original list of credibly accused individuals:

DIOCESAN CLERGY
Oldfield, Albert E. 

MEMBERS OF RELIGIOUS ORDERS
Gormley, James J. (S.J.)

 

Right before they received a blessing, Otis, 2, and Sir Lancelot, 8, sniffed each other and waged their tails like old friends.

The two dogs were the guests of honor at a pet blessing held on October 4, at Saint Francis Commons, an affordable, transitional housing facility for homeless veterans, which is operated by Catholic Social Services.

October 4 is the Feast Day of Saint Francis of Assisi. Saint Francis is remembered for his generosity to the poor and for his love of animals and nature. He is the patron saint of animals and the environment.

“We’re grateful that we have an opportunity to celebrate the gift of all creation in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi,” Father Jeffrey J. Walsh, V.E., said. Father Walsh led the blessing ceremony.

Thanks to generous funding from the Robert H. Spitz Foundation, which is administered by the Scranton Area Community Foundation, as well as the PNC Foundation, homeless veterans staying at Saint Francis Commons can have a support animal through the Curative Companions Program.

“He’s not my pet. He’s my lifeline and I need him,” veteran Toyya Durham said.

Durham is Sir Lancelot’s owner. Prior to arriving at Saint Francis Commons, she was living out of her car.

“I made a promise to him when I got him that I would never let him go,” Durham said. “He’s my baby but I think we help save each other.”

Robert Wolfe, Otis’ owner, feels the same way.

“He means everything to me. If I didn’t have him I would be lost,” Wolfe said. “I come home and he senses everything. If I’m in a good mood or a bad mood, or if I’m drifting off into a bad place, he knows it and he comes and lets me know that everything is okay.”

This is the first year that the Curative Companions program has allowed veterans at Saint Francis Commons to have pets. It is already making a difference.

“We’ve had four veterans with their animals transition from homelessness to permanent housing and this funding played a big part in that!” Ryan Pollock, Saint Francis Commons Program Supervisor, said.