Bishop to celebrate Mass for workers on May 1, will join fellow U.S. bishops in reconsecrating nation to Mary

 

 

In the midst of rising unemployment numbers and essential workers who are putting their lives on the line to battle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this Friday, May 1, will take on added significance with two different events in the Diocese of Scranton.

First, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera will celebrate the 12:10 p.m. daily Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Peter for the Feast Day of Saint Joseph the Worker. The bishop will pray for all workers – including essential workers, the unemployed and those seeking work.

In 1955, Pope Pius XII established May 1 as the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker, a day to celebrate labor and working people as well as Saint Joseph, a carpenter and the foster father of Jesus.

The Mass will be broadcast on CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton, in addition to the Diocese of Scranton’s website, YouTube channel and social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Also on May 1, at 3:00 p.m., Bishop Bambera will join other bishops from across the United States and Canada in renewing the consecrations of the two nations to the care of our Blessed Mother. Through a collective dedication or entrustment of a nation to Mary, an act of consecration is meant to be a reminder to the faithful of the Blessed Mother’s witness to the Gospel and to ask for her effective intercession before her Son on behalf of those in need.

The consecration on May 1 follows a similar action of the bishops’ conference of Latin America and the Caribbean, who consecrated their nations to Our Lady of Guadalupe on Easter Sunday.

The local prayer service, led by Bishop Bambera, will also be broadcast at 3:00 p.m. on CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton, in addition to being available on the Diocese of Scranton’s website, YouTube channel and social media platforms.