His Excellency, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, announces the following appointments, effective as indicated:

Administrator

Reverend James T. Tracy, from Assistant Pastor, St. Boniface, Williamsport, and St. Lawrence, South Williamsport, and Sacramental support at St. Thomas Parish, Elkland, and St. Peter Parish, Wellsboro, to Administrator, Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish, Jermyn, effective March 1, 2019.

Senior Priest

Reverend Christopher S. Sahd, from Leave of Absence, to Senior Priest, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Honesdale, effective February 25, 2019.

Assistant Pastor

Reverend Wilfredo Milan Mamani Cusicanqui, from Diocese of Corocora, Bolivia, to Assistant Pastor, Holy Name of Jesus Parish, West Hazleton, effective February 15, 2019.

The Diocese of Scranton will celebrate Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities Awareness with a Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton on Sunday, February 24, 2019 at 10:00 a.m.

Bishop Joseph C. Bambera will be the principal celebrant and homilist. The mass will be sign-language interpreted for the hearing impaired.

This liturgy prayerfully celebrates the many gifts those with developmental or intellectual disabilities bring to the Church and the community.

Partners in this celebration include Saint Joseph’s Center in Scranton, the Diocesan SPRED community (Special Religious Education), the ARC of NEPA, the Catholic Deaf Community and the Order of the Alhambra.

All are welcome.

CTV: Catholic Television will also broadcast the Mass.

 

The Catholic Women’s Conference is an annual gathering of Christian women in the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This year the theme is Come to Well and will feature Catholic speakers Theresa Tomeo, Jill Metz, Sr. Mercy Marie; music group His Own; and host Meghan Murphy. Mass will be celebrated by the Bishop Joseph Bambera, DD, JCL.

Marketplace vendors will also be available throughout the day.

Light breakfast and lunch are included in ticket price. Early bird ticket price is $40 until 6/9/19, when the price increases to $50. Student tickets are $20 and religious are welcome at no charge.

Click here for more information or to register.

 

February 13, 2019

The Diocese of Scranton launched a completely redesigned website on Wednesday, February 13th in an effort to streamline existing information and better promote its mission.

The new website, located at www.dioceseofscranton.org, is mobile-friendly and allows visitors to learn more about the 118 parishes, 20 schools and other services offered throughout the 11-county Diocese.

The new website represents all facets of the Diocese and provides easy navigation and search capabilities. The previous website for the Diocese had not been re-designed in approximately ten years.

“Our website is an important tool for not only representing the Diocese and its mission but more importantly it helps people live our faith fully and share it freely with others,” Bishop Joseph C. Bambera said. “The new site provides dynamic, specialized and relevant information to visitors.”

Besides captivating images of the Diocese and its faithful on the homepage, the new website easily allows visitors to find a parish, mass, school or clergy member in their community.

One of the top reasons people visit the Diocesan website is to find a mass or a parish. The parish search option allows Catholics to find a Mass based on zip code up to a 50-mile radius.

“Certainly our goal is to facilitate the most effective and timely communication with the members and leaders of each of our parishes,” Catherine Butel, Diocesan Secretary for Parish Life said. “This dynamic new website will be such a valuable tool in making these connections.”

The new website will also replace the former Catholic Social Services site (www.cssdioceseofscranton.org) providing people an easy and convenient way to access any of the 110 programs offered throughout the Diocese of Scranton.

“The mission of Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton is to serve individuals and families in poverty and hardship and respond compassionately to their needs. As a Catholic agency, we advocate for individual dignity and self-sufficiency and actively give of ourselves to replace despair with hope.  The

new website allows us to share information regarding the work that we do, with the hope that we continue to have the privilege to serve those in need,” Mary Theresa Malandro, Diocesan Secretary for Catholic Human Services and Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Social Services said.

By launching its new website, the Diocese of Scranton is also looking to engage visitors, whether through email, phone calls or participation in events. The goal is to encourage interaction among the people and parishes throughout the Diocese.

A unique feature of the new website also allows visitors to change the language and interact with the entire site in Spanish.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Eric M. Deabill
Secretary for Communications
Diocese of Scranton
Cell: (570) 237-6508
Office: (570) 207-2229
Email: EDeabill@dioceseofscranton.org

 

STATEMENT OF BISHOP JOSEPH C BAMBERA ON ABORTION EXPANSION

“The legislation that was signed into law in New York State is abhorrent. Similar legislation that was proposed in Virginia comes frighteningly close to infanticide.

While some lawmakers dispute that fact, what abortion advocates have said in the past would be “safe, legal and rare” now comes close to allowing abortion up to the point of birth.

We can’t let this moment pass in silence.

These bills should be a wake-up call to the faithful and call to action.

Our very existence is in jeopardy when injustices like this are allowed.

In addition to our prayers, advocacy efforts and the ability that we are given to express our values through the right to vote, Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton pledges the resources of our charitable agencies to any woman experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, to support her in bearing her infant. There are life-affirming choices available.

All of life is precious and disrespect for any human life, especially the most vulnerable, is intolerable.”

Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D.., J.C.L.
Bishop of Scranton

  • Originally posted on 8-18-2018

The Grand Jury today released findings following its investigation into child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania. As the community copes with the findings in this report, Bishop Bambera offers his deepest apologies to the victims who have suffered because of past actions and decisions made by trusted clergymen, to victims’ families, to the faithful of the Church, and to the community at large. No one deserves to be confronted with the behaviors described in the report. Although painful to acknowledge, it is necessary to address such abuse in order to foster a time when no child is abused and no abuser is protected.

The Diocese of Scranton cooperated fully with the Grand Jury because of its firm belief that child sexual abuse cannot be tolerated and must be eradicated from the Church. Now that the report has been made public, Bishop Bambera has released today the list of all of the accused clergy, staff and volunteers within the Diocese of Scranton. The Diocese shared the list of abusers with all 11 district attorneys within the Diocese in 2016 before it knew of the investigation, and then with the Grand Jury as part of the investigation. This is the complete list of names supplied to the Attorney General. It is posted on the Diocese of Scranton website: www.www.dioceseofscranton.org (Child Protection/Safe Environment Page).

For well over a decade, ongoing improvements have been made to the manner in which abuse allegations are addressed. The Diocese of Scranton adheres to a strict zero tolerance policy, immediately informing law enforcement and removing the accused from the community when allegations are brought forth. And while properly handling allegations is critical, the ultimate goal of such efforts is to stop abuse altogether. While the past cannot be changed, the Diocese of Scranton remains dedicated to keeping our children safe from abuse moving forward.

In response to the report, Bishop Bambera recorded a video message that has been provided to all parishes to be shown at all Masses in the Diocese this weekend. The video can also be viewed on the Diocesan website, and it has been posted to Bishop Bambera’s Twitter page and the Diocesan Facebook and Twitter pages.

Bishop Bambera’s Message

Bishop Bambera’s Message with Spanish subtitles

WASHINGTON–Late yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked Louisiana from implementing a law requiring doctors at abortion facilities to obtain admitting privileges at local hospitals. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals had previously ruled in favor of the Louisiana law. While the petition on the merits of the law has yet to be filed and ruled upon by the Supreme Court, it ruled 5-4 on an application for a stay in the case of June Medical Services, LLC v. Gee.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued the following statement in response:

“The fact that abortionists and their facilities cannot or will not meet basic health standards exposes the lie of their clever slogan that abortion is health care. The abortion industry’s objection to such a reasonable law, and this Court’s decision to temporarily prevent it from going into effect, is further evidence of how abortion extremism actively works against the welfare of women.

“Regardless of this disappointing ruling, the pro-life movement will continue to work and pray for the day when every legislature and court recognizes the brutal injustice of abortion—to women and their children alike—and our society sees abortion as unthinkable.”

—
Media Contact:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200

 

WASHINGTON— Timothy P. Broglio, Archbishop for the Military Services USA and Chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace has issued the following statement expressing solidarity with the Bishops’ of Venezuela.

The Archbishop’s full statement follows:

“On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I express our solidarity with the Bishops of Venezuela, and with all those working for a peaceful and just resolution to the crisis there. The humanitarian situation is dire. Severe malnutrition and death from treatable illnesses afflict a growing number of Venezuelans.

I am grateful for the United States Government’s pledge to provide desperately needed humanitarian assistance to Venezuelans. I urge the administration to help facilitate the provisioning of humanitarian assistance, and, where necessary, help coordinate safe migration options, in order to avoid more suffering. The Church in Venezuela, as its bishops stated on February 4th, acts ‘according to principles of independence, impartiality, and humanity,’ and stands ready to help distribute assistance justly and equitably.

May Our Lady of Coromoto, Patroness of Venezuela, watch over all Venezuelans as they strive for peace and prosperity in their country.”

—
Keywords: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, Military Services USA, Committee on International Justice and Peace., Venezuela, humanitarian assistance, safe migration, independence, impartiality, human dignity

Media Contact:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200