Category: News

 

With Pennsylvania schools now closed for the rest of the academic year, many parishes across the Diocese of Scranton have worked to transition their religious education and faith formation programs to an online learning platform.

During this unprecedented time, the Diocese of Scranton Office for Parish Life has been working to bring Directors of Religious Education and youth ministers together on a regular basis.

Jacki Douglas, Director for WORD and Lifelong Faith Formation and Shannon Kowalski, Coordinator for Youth/Young Adult Ministry, have started to offer weekly video conference chats for parish faith formation leaders.

“We’re in a forum where you don’t have to speak. You can just be there to listen to what is going on and get filled up,” Douglas said. On Wednesday, April 15, 2020, a total of 26 religious education leaders from across the Diocese joined in the weekly discussion. They reflected on scripture and talked about the challenges and opportunities that the COVID-19 pandemic brings.

Kathy Stocki, Faith Formation Director for Saint Ann Basilica Parish in West Scranton, was one of the participants in the conversation.

“In so many ways, we as catechists have lamented that our reach was somewhat specific to the students who were enrolled in our programs and throughout this experience, our reach has become greater,” Stocki said.

Using the REMIND App, Saint Ann Basilica Parish has put out religious education resources to families to support not just children in their faith experience, but everyone, during the coronavirus crisis.

“The extension of the catechesis, I think, has been a blessing in some ways because it has extended our reach,” Stocki added. “Where they are, Church is.”

Sandy Czyczyk, Director of Religious Education at Saint Catherine of Siena Parish in Moscow, said her parish also uses the REMIND App to communicate with parents.

“I used the catechetical Sunday theme, ‘Jesus, Stay with Us,’ as an introduction to our first weekend of Gospel readings and letting parents know that information would be coming from the teachers for lessons each week,” Czyczyk said.

Without having students filling classrooms on a weekly basis, Czyczyk said she has spent her time researching videos that best explain the Gospel message for her different grade levels and coming up with questions for families to reflect on together.

“We are directing it to the family and I think it is really exciting that I’m putting the reading in the hands of the parents,” she added.

During Holy Week, Saint Catherine of Siena Parish encouraged families to make an “Alleluia banner” for their homes.

“We’re trying to continue formation in more creative ways. It is more challenging doing it online but parents are receptive to whatever they’re getting,” Czyczyk said.

Sue Burke, Director of Faith Formation at Our Lady of the Snows Parish and the Church of Saint Benedict, said she has been working to make sure her students, especially those involved in youth ministry, are supported at this time.

“We have a group FaceTime we try to do two times a week and we just try to stay in touch with them and stay positive for them,” Burke said.

In terms of seizing this moment as an opportunity, Burke said, “it has taken me back to the basics.”

The struggle of young adults is also being felt at Saint Joseph the Worker Parish in Williamsport, where youth ministry members typically met on Sunday night before the coronavirus.

“They’re longing for the Eucharist…They don’t know when this will end,” Makenzie Conner, Director of Youth Ministry, said. “That has been the hardest part, hearing how students are upset over not being able to go to Mass or confession. Holy Week was rough.”

At the Lycoming County parish, young adults are being encouraged to take part in online programming. One student has even started a Catholic teen blog during this uneasy time period.

“We’re really trying to push the domestic church, what are you doing as a family together? What does your home life look like every Sunday? People are posting pictures of how they watch Mass or posting what they did as a family. There has been a lot of great stories,” Conner added.

While there are a lot of uncertainties over the current health situation, including when things will get back to normal, Directors of Religious Education and youth ministers say every challenge presents an opportunity.

“I think it’s a wonderful time to really encourage all of our families to be united with our priests and our bishop and all those who are serving us in the faith and doing such a wonderful job bringing so many of these virtual and electronic resources to us in our homes,” Stocki said.

Any Director of Religious Education or youth minister who would like to join the weekly video conference discussion can email JDouglas@dioceseofscranton.org for the weekly link.

 

More than 300 people have made donations to the Diocese of Scranton Coronavirus Emergency Fund in support of parishes, Catholic Social and Human Services ministries and Catholic schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Donors to the Coronavirus Emergency Fund may support a specific parish in the Diocese, one of the Diocese’s food pantries, kitchens and shelters, or any of the 20 Diocesan Catholic Schools. More than $50,000 has already been raised so far with gifts ranging from $10.00 to $2,000.

“I am extremely grateful to everyone who has supported the Coronavirus Emergency Fund,” Bishop Joseph C. Bambera said. “Your generosity is of great help to our parishes and public ministries as we continue to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ during this critical time.”

Gifts to the fund support the increasing number of people in need at five food pantries in Carbondale, Hazleton, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, kitchens in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre and three homeless shelters in Hazleton, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre.

The Coronavirus Emergency Fund also provides an opportunity to support emergency tuition assistance for Catholic school families and support for faculty and staff. Donors can also contribute to any of the Diocese’s 118 parishes that have seen a reduction in weekly offertory contributions due to the suspension of Masses as a result of the COVID-19 health crisis.

Interested donors are encouraged to make gifts to the Coronavirus Emergency Fund online at www.dioceseofscranton.org/ emergencyfund.

If donors prefer, they can mail gifts to Coronavirus Emergency Fund, Diocese of Scranton, 300 Wyoming Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. Checks should be made to the Diocese of Scranton and list the gift designation – either the parish name, Catholic Human and Social Service program or specific Catholic School they wish to support.

 

As the national conversation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic shifts to discussion and coordination of gradually reopening some businesses, many faithful in the Diocese of Scranton are wondering when the suspension of public Masses will be lifted.

In our Diocese, leadership has started discussing ways to safely return to sacramental life and other parish activities, even if on a limited basis, but stress it is still too early to determine any timelines.

The Diocese of Scranton will rely on the guidance of both governmental and health care professionals as this process moves forward.

On Monday, April 20, 2020, Governor Tom Wolf extended the state’s stay-at-home order until at least May 8, 2020, which he set as a “target date” to begin opening parts of the state’s economy but reiterated the process would be slow and gradual.

“As time unfolds, people coming back into normal activities will probably happen a little more slowly than some might expect,” Bishop Joseph C. Bambera said. “We have to be extremely cautious that we do it in such a way that we protect those individuals entrusted to our care and that we do it mindful of our need to be good to one another.”

The Diocese recognizes that it will need to be cognizant of the important balance between allowing people the ability to gather while still protecting their health and safety.

“People have often said to me, can’t we do something to experience the sacraments? Isn’t there some way that we can participate in the life of the Church, especially the Eucharist? No one wants to gather to celebrate the Eucharist with the faithful of our Diocese more than me. Yet, I am also charged by God to care for all the lives that are given to me. Our faith is far, far more powerful and more significant than any other reality or power in the world. But God has also given us common sense and places us in the midst of the world to care for what we’ve been given. That’s why we must be careful during these particular days as we plan the best steps moving forward,” Bishop Bambera added.

 

CARBONDALE, PA (April 17, 2020) – Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton will hold an emergency food distribution on Friday, April 24, 2020 at Saint Rose of Lima Parish, 6 North Church Street, Carbondale.

The event will be held from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. and will provide assistance to individuals by drive-thru and walk-up services.

Requests for assistance in Catholic Social Services food pantries has continued to increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the month of March, the Catholic Social Services Office in Carbondale had more than 1,000 pantry visits by members of the community which is significantly higher than normal.

SCRANTON, PA (April 6, 2020) – Bishop Joseph C. Bambera announces the establishment of the Coronavirus Emergency Fund in the Diocese of Scranton to help support public ministries, parishes and school families amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Coronavirus Emergency Fund will allow individuals to financially support any parish in the Diocese, assist public ministries that operate food pantries, kitchens and shelters, or provide emergency tuition assistance for Diocesan Catholic School families. People interested in supporting the fund can make a gift to a specific parish, school, pantry, kitchen, shelter or relief assistance program.

“While this is a time of great challenge, I am encouraged to see so many people wanting to reach out in support of our families, our neighbors and our parishes,” Bishop Bambera said. “Due to the suspension of Masses, which was necessary to protect the health and safety of our community, our parishes and the Diocese now face the increased risk of financial shortfalls.”

Catholic Human and Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton operates five food pantries in Carbondale, Hazleton, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. It also provides hundreds of warm meals daily to people at its kitchens in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre and operates three homeless shelters in Hazleton, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre.

As the COVID-19 virus began to spread in northeastern and north central Pennsylvania, Catholic Human and Social Services has seen a significant increase in the number of people in need of help. During the month of March 2020, more than 1,000 individuals visited the Carbondale food pantry, which far exceeds the monthly average of 500 visitors. There has also been at least a 50-percent increase in homeless individuals seeking assistance at the agency’s three shelters.

The Coronavirus Emergency Fund is also expected to help Catholic school families who cannot afford tuition after a parent loses a job or any of the Diocese’s 118 parishes that struggle to pay their expenses with no public Masses scheduled.

Interested donors are encouraged to make gifts to the Coronavirus Emergency Fund online at www.dioceseofscranton.org/emergencyfund. If donors prefer, they can mail gifts to Coronavirus Emergency Fund, Diocese of Scranton, 300 Wyoming Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. Checks should be made to the Diocese of Scranton and list the gift designation – either the parish name, Catholic Human and Social Service program or specific Catholic School they wish to support.