Month: November 2019

 

No one should die alone.

 

That is why dozens of Notre Dame High School students traveled to Saint Matthew’s Church in East Stroudsburg on Tuesday, Nov. 19, to celebrate a funeral Mass for Edwin Carl Hughes, 68, of Stroudsburg.

Hughes passed away from pneumonia at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono on October 17, but his body went unclaimed.

Notre Dame senior Heidi Martens wanted to honor Hughes and organized the funeral service for him.

“I felt that nobody should die alone. I feel like, as a Catholic, we have to mourn. The Corporal Works of Mercy is bury the dead respectfully so nobody should have to die alone,” Martens said.

As her senior service project, Martens created the Saint Joseph Arimathea Ministry at Notre Dame High School. The ministry will provide volunteer pallbearers, readers and altar servers along with choir services to small families, indigent people or those who die alone.

Through her work, Martens learned as much as she could about Edwin Hughes.

“Edwin was in the Air Force for about two years and then he resided in Tennessee and was in the National Guard for about seven years and then he came back to live in Stroudsburg. There wasn’t a lot on him. I only had his papers from the Air Force to make the obituary,” Martens said.

Martens got some help from her classmates at Notre Dame to put together the funeral service.

“My grandfather was in the service, World War II and my father’s great uncle also died in France during World War II and just imagining this man as my uncle in France and honoring him with this service was just a right cause and the right thing to do,” fellow Notre Dame senior Patrick Carney said.

After hearing about Martens effort, the Monroe County Honor Guard attended the service to properly honor Hughes for his service. Fellow students served as readers, altar servers and choir members.

Father Jerry W. Shantillo celebrated the funeral Mass and was touched by the students’ compassion.

“They’re getting what our mission is all about,” Father Shantillo said following the Mass. “I think it reinforces our teaching that we believe that every human being is born and they’re created in the likeness and image of God and they have a great dignity because of that.”

Father Shantillo said he was pleased to see the efforts of Martens and her classmates.

“I saw the future of the Church. I see our young people who are really in love with the Church and their faith. Sometimes, maybe, some of their peers aren’t as interested in the faith but what I think I saw was that when they realize that they’re all together in this and they make up the body of Christ and they’re all on fire about their faith, it just gives us a lot of hope for our future,” Father Shantillo added.

Following the service, Martens felt satisfied she was able to honor someone she never even met.

“I just feel good. I feel veterans have done so much for us, it was our time to give back and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my community and school,” Martens said.

 

The Diocese of Scranton has once again been found in compliance with the U.S. Bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.”

The Diocese has passed independent audits of its child protection procedures every year since the policy was adopted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2002.

For the audit, the Diocese submitted data to Stonebridge Business Partners, a Rochester, N.Y. firm that is tasked with conducting compliance audits of the nation’s 195 dioceses.

The audit evaluates each diocese’s efforts to ensure the protection of children, including criminal background checks and educational awareness programs on recognizing and preventing abuse.

Among the information the Diocese of Scranton reported to the auditors: 13,120 students currently enrolled in Catholic schools in the Diocese or in parish religious education programs have received Safe Environment training.

A total of 237 priests who are in active ministry, along with 77 permanent deacons and 20 seminarians and candidates for the Diaconate have also received that training.

More than 420 educators and administrators in Diocesan schools, more than 1,750 employees of the Diocese or its parishes across 11 counties and 3,740 volunteers at schools, parishes and Diocesan facilities have also received valuable information to keep children safe.

Between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019, the audit period, a total of 83 in-person training sessions of the VIRTUS Protecting God’s Children Program were held across the Diocese of Scranton.

More than 3,300 individuals also completed training on Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse in Pennsylvania.

The Diocese of Scranton’s Safe Environment Office ensures that Charter standards are continually met.

For more information on the Diocese of Scranton’s Safe Environment Program, visit www.dioceseofscranton.org/child-protection-victim-assistance/

 

 

SCRANTON, PA – The 8th annual Run Against Hunger, which benefits the St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen, will take place on Saturday, November 9 at 9 a.m. The 5k/10k run and two-mile walk will take place at the LHVA River Trail, Olive Street trailhead, in Scranton. (Near the Ice Box Sports Complex)

Cost to pre-register is $25 for the 5k run or 2-mile walk and $30 for the 10k run. Registration for all events the day of run/walk is $35. It is free for children under the age of 10. Race day registration will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

The Scranton Running Company and AllOne Charities are hosting the event.  The presenting sponsor is Electric City Dental. Matthew Byrne, the founder and director of Run Against Hunger and co-founder of the Scranton Running Company will be available for questions. Rob Williams, director, St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen, will also be available.

The St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen, located at 500 Penn Ave in Scranton, is open seven days per week, 365 days per year, and serves more than 100,000 hot meals per year.

 

SAYRE, PA (November 7, 2019) – John and Joan Schoonover, Sayre, are serving the Diocese of Scranton as regional chairpersons for the 2019 Diocesan Annual Appeal, representing Bradford, Sullivan and Susquehanna Counties while Father Philip Rayappan, Pastor of Holy Name of Mary, Montrose, is serving as clergy chair for the region.

Mr. and Mrs. Schoonover are parishioners of Epiphany Parish and members of the Pastoral Council, the Stewardship Implementation Team and the choir. The couple have three children and four grandsons.

“When we are truly grateful for all God’s blessings, then we know that we must share them with others. God gives us gifts of time, treasure and talent and we, in turn, use them to serve others in His name,” Joan Schoonover said.

The Diocese established the Appeal in 1987 to support vital religious and social service ministries which now include: Catholic Social Services; Catholic schools; clergy education and care; parish life, social justice and faith formation programs; and Catholic media and communications. The goal of this year’s Appeal is $5 million.

“Giving to the Appeal is a great statement about where we should be and what we should be doing,” John Schoonover said. “Please continue your support of your parishes and the Appeal and please encourage your friends and fellow parishioners to do the same!”

More than 4,500 students are receiving a quality, faith-based education in our 20 Catholic schools. Catholic education is at the center of our commitment to pass on the faith to our children and is supported by the Appeal.

Feeding the hungry and providing clothing and shelter to the poor are at the heart of the mission of the Diocese of Scranton. Gifts to the Appeal help Catholic Social Services serve more than 300,000 people each year and fund grants to parishes to provide programs in support of those in need throughout the Diocese.

Father Rayappan added, “Individuals who depend on the Diocesan ministries and services need our monetary support. We have a responsibility for this work to continue…We have to shine as Christ’s light. We have to share our blessings through the Appeal and do our share, my share, because we love our Church!”

For more information on all of the Diocesan programs supported by the Annual Appeal, to view the Annual Appeal video in English and Spanish or to make a donation online, visit www.annualappeal.org. Gifts may also be made by calling the Diocesan Development Office at (570) 207-2250 or by sending a donation to: Diocesan Annual Appeal, 300 Wyoming Ave., Scranton, PA, 18503-1279.

 

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.