Newlyweds Diego Fernandes and Deni Salgado kiss through protective face masks during their wedding ceremony with only witnesses and no guests in Naples, Italy, March 20, 2020. Public gatherings are banned as part of Italy’s lockdown measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. (CNS photo/Ciro De Luca, Reuters)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – While uncertainty in the world may deter young couples from taking the next big step in their relationships, the vocational call to marriage is a risk worth taking, Pope Francis said.

Marriage “is a challenging journey, at times difficult, sometimes even confrontational, but it is worth the risk,” the pope said. “And in this lifelong journey, the husband and wife are not alone: Jesus accompanies them.”

In a video message released by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network June 1, the pope offered his prayer intention for the month of June, which he dedicated to “the beauty of marriage.”

Acknowledging the belief that young people “do not want to get married, especially in these difficult times,” the pope said that marriage and sharing one’s life “is a beautiful thing.”

“Marriage is not just a ‘social’ act,” he said. “It is a vocation that is born from the heart, it is a conscious lifelong decision that requires a specific preparation.”

“Please, never forget! God has a dream for us — love — and he asks us to make it our own,” the pope said.

At the start of each month, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network posts a short video of the pope offering his specific prayer intention.

Reciting his intention, the pope prayed for “young people preparing for marriage with the support of a Christian community, so that they may grow in love, generosity, faithfulness and patience.”

The Pope Video was first launched in 2016 to encourage people to join an estimated 50 million Catholics who already had a more formal relationship with the prayer network — better known by its former title, the Apostleship of Prayer.

The prayer network is more than 170 years old.

 

Pope Francis greets people during his general audience in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican June 2, 2021. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Christians can rest assured that in moments of trial, suffering or even sin, Jesus is interceding for them before God, Pope Francis said.

“Even if our prayers were only mutterings, if they were compromised by a wavering faith, we must never stop trusting in him,” the pope said June 2 during his weekly general audience.

“Don’t forget: ‘Jesus is praying for me,'” he said. “In the moment of trial, in the moment of sin, even in that moment, Jesus with so much love is praying for me.”

Arriving in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, the pope spent some time greeting pilgrims, blessing children and religious articles.

Continuing his series of talks on prayer, the pope reflected on how prayer was fundamental to Christ and his mission, especially when it came to choosing his disciples.

Recalling St. Luke’s account of Jesus praying the day before he chose his disciples, the pope said that “judging from how those men were to behave, it would seem that the choice was not the best because they all fled, they left him alone before the Passion.”

However, “it is precisely this — especially the presence of Judas, the future traitor — that demonstrates that those names were inscribed in God’s plan,” he said.

Jesus’ moments of prayer on behalf of his disciples, especially for Peter who would deny Christ, were an act of love that showed that even in times of failure, “the love of Jesus does not stop,” the pope continued.

“Jesus’ love and prayer for each of us does not stop, indeed it becomes more intense, and we are at the center of his prayer!” Pope Francis said. “We must always remember this: Jesus is praying for me; he is praying now before the Father and he is showing him the wounds he bore, so that the Father can see the price of our salvation; it is the love that he has for us.”

Reflecting on other moments in the Gospels, including Peter’s profession of faith and the Transfiguration, the pope noted that the “great turning points of Jesus’ mission are always preceded by prayer.”

Jesus, he added, “not only wants us to pray as he prays, but assures us that, even if our attempts at prayer are completely useless and ineffective, we can always count on his prayer.”

Departing from his prepared remarks, the pope recalled a bishop who told him that during a time of great trial, he looked up in St. Peter’s Basilica and saw Jesus’ words at the Last Supper: “I have prayed for you, Peter.”

“That gave him strength and comfort,” the pope said. “And this happens every time any of us knows that Jesus is praying for him or her. Jesus prays for us. Right now, in this moment.”

 

 

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston greets newly ordained Deacon Bruce Flagg during an ordination Mass for permanent deacons at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston Feb. 20, 2021. Deacon Flagg, who is deaf, assists with deaf ministry in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. (CNS photo/James Ramos, Texas Catholic Herald)

WASHINGTON (CNS) – Based on responses to a questionnaire sent to all U.S. dioceses, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate estimates there are about 19,000 deacons in the United States today.

The number, though, is dropping, mirroring trends seen in religious life and the priesthood for the past half-century.

“Responding offices reported that 410 deacons retired from active ministry and 378 died. Another 587 were ordained to the permanent diaconate during 2020,” said the report, “A Portrait of the Permanent Diaconate: A Study for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops,” issued June 1. The trend goes back to at least 2014.

Deacons are getting older, too. The CARA report said 35% are 70 or older, 40% are ages 60-69, 21% are ages 50-59, just 5% are ages 40-49, and only 1% are under 40.

“Latin rite arch/dioceses reported having 12,292 permanent deacons active in ministry. The single eparchy (participating in the questionnaire) reported 11 active permanent deacons. Extrapolating to include dioceses and eparchies that did not respond to the survey, it can be estimated that there are 14,722 deacons active in ministry in the United States today, or about 78% of all permanent deacons,” the report said, adding the estimated number of all deacons is 19,008.

CARA also figures that, if 78% of deacons are in active ministry, then 17% are retired, 2% are on a leave of absence, 2% have been suspended from active ministry, and 2% inactive for other reasons.

Retirement age differs from diocese to diocese. Forty-two percent of dioceses have no retirement age for deacons. Of the others, no diocese requires deacons to retire until they reach at least age 70, while 88% require retirement at ages 75-79, and 10% mandate retirement at ages 70-74. One percent does not require retirement until at least age 80.

The archdiocese with the most deacons is the Archdiocese of Chicago, with 852, exactly twice that of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ 426.

Other dioceses and archdioceses with at least 250 deacons are, in descending order, the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, 367; the Archdiocese of San Antonio, 364; the Archdiocese of New York, 305; the Archdiocese of Atlanta, 299; the Archdiocese of St. Louis, 297; the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, 268; the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, 265; and the Archdiocese of Boston, 255.

But other dioceses have a much smaller ratio of Catholics to deacons. The Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky leads the way with a ratio of 508 Catholics per deacon.

Other dioceses with ratios under 900 Catholics per deacon, in ascending order, are the Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota, 640; the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri, 703; the Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota, 725; the Diocese of Amarillo, Texas, 747; the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota, 779; the Archdiocese of Anchorage, Alaska, 783; the Diocese of Savannah, Georgia, 871; and the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida, 893.

According to CARA, 93% of deacons are married, 4% are widowed, 2% have never married, 1% are divorced and have not remarried, and fewer than 1% remarried subsequent to diaconal ordination.

CARA said the racial and ethnic makeup of U.S. deacons is 72% white, 21% Hispanic, 4% Asian/Pacific Islander, 3% Black, and fewer than 1% Native American or other.

The report said 93% of deacons are incardinated in the diocese in which they serve, and 6% are incardinated in another Latin-rite diocese but serving with faculties in their diocese of residence. Fewer than 1% are incardinated in Eastern Catholic churches or as members of religious orders.

“One in nine active permanent deacons are financially compensated for ministry in 2020, a continuation of a downward trend from 27% in 2001, 26% in 2017, and 15% in 2019,” the report said.

Also, “87% of responding arch/dioceses and arch/eparchies require post-ordination formation for deacons,” CARA said. “Among those that do require post-ordination formation, the median number of hours required per year is 20.”

How dioceses deal with diaconal ministry also were questionnaire topics.

Eighty percent of responding dioceses say they have a plan for placement and ministry of deacons, and 93% have an active formation program for the diaconate. Of those that don’t, 78% said they were planning to establish one within the next two years.

Close to two-thirds of dioceses have an active deacon council or deacon assembly, and responding dioceses were about evenly split as to whether they had a formal policy for deacons who got divorced or separated after their ordination.

“As our world continues to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, permanent deacons provide an encouraging witness to the love and mercy of Christ,” said Bishop James F. Checchio of Metuchen, New Jersey, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.

In a statement accompanying the release of the CARA report, he emphasized the importance of permanent deacons to the church, saying: “They bring the light and presence of Jesus into many different areas of society — preaching the Gospel in their jobs, within their families, to the poor and among their broader communities.”

 

Bo Fuller, Assistant Chef at Saint Francis of Assisi Kitchen, receives a COVID-19 vaccination on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, during a special clinic at the kitchen held by the clinics at Scranton Primary Health Care Center.

SCRANTON – Guests of Saint Francis of Assisi Kitchen were able to receive more than a warm, nutritious meal on Wednesday, June 2. Visitors were also able to get a free COVID-19 vaccination.

Through a partnership with the clinics at Scranton Primary Health Care Center, Saint Francis of Assisi Kitchen was able to offer the Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine from 10:30 a.m. until 12:45 p.m.

After helping to cook the daily meal of stuffed peppers, mashed potatoes and green beans, Saint Francis of Assisi Assistant Chef Bo Fuller rolled up his sleeve to get the single-dose vaccine.

“It needs to be done. It was a personal choice. I decided to go with it,” Fuller said. “It was convenient and it was here.”

In addition to the vaccines distributed at the kitchen on June 2, free vaccines will also be available for anyone at the kitchen on Wednesday, June 9, from 10:30 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. No reservations are required.

“It was no problem at all,” Rose McIntosh of Dalton said after receiving her shot at the kitchen. “My doctor suggested I get it because I’m a diabetic and my husband has COPD.”

McIntosh volunteers with the Friends of the Poor and says having the vaccines available at Saint Francis Kitchen was quick and convenient.

“I’m usually always down here. My son lives in Finch Towers and I come down and see other people. I’m usually always down in Scranton,” she added.

One guest who received a vaccination – David – knows the importance of being immunized first-hand. He had COVID-19 in December.

“I don’t want it again,” David explained. “It was bad for almost three weeks, headaches and muscle aches, my whole body.”

It was only after walking in the door of Saint Francis Kitchen that David learned the free vaccines were available from Executive Director Rob Williams. David wasted no time in getting the shot, he received it before he even ate his meal.

“I didn’t know they had them. I had scheduled one and I missed the appointment. I tried to get another one and they didn’t have any available at that time and I gave up for a couple days,” David said.

Two weeks after receiving his vaccine, David will be considered fully vaccinated and he looks forward to that time.

“This will help me move around a little bit more with freedom,” he said with a smile.

 

 

June 2, 2021

WASHINGTON– Each year, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) observes Religious Freedom Week. Beginning with the feast day of Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher, and including the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, the week-long commemoration ends with the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

Religious Freedom Week will be observed this year from June 22 to June 29 and the theme chosen is Solidarity in Freedom. “Solidarity means much more than engaging in sporadic acts of generosity. It means thinking and acting in terms of community” (Fratelli tutti, 116). Religious freedom allows the Church, and all religious communities, to live out their faith in public and to serve the good of all.

The USCCB has prepared resources to “Pray – Reflect – Act” which may be found at: www.usccb.org/ReligiousFreedomWeek. Each day focuses on different religious liberty topics of concern for the bishops. These materials were prepared to help people understand religious liberty from a Catholic perspective, pray about particular issues, and act on what they learn by advocating for policies that promote religious freedom.

The USCCB’s Committee for Religious Liberty collaborated with the Office of International Justice and Peace to raise awareness and show solidarity with people throughout the world who suffer for their faith, from the persecution of Christians in Nicaragua to highlighting Pope Francis’s trip to Iraq this year. Domestically, a major area of concern continues to be freedom for Catholic institutions, such as schools, hospitals, and child welfare service providers, to carry out their missions with integrity.

Through prayer, education, and public action during Religious Freedom Week, the USCCB hopes to promote the essential right of religious freedom for Catholics and for those of all faiths.

Connect with the USCCB Committee for Religious Liberty.  Text FREEDOM to 84576 and sign up for First Freedom News, the USCCB Committee for Religious Liberty’s monthly newsletter.

 

WASHINGTON— After the Biden Administration released its federal budget proposal today, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, expressed deep concerns about its proposal to eliminate the Hyde Amendment and some related pro-life provisions. The Hyde Amendment, which has been in effect since 1976 with bipartisan support, prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Archbishop Naumann called on Congress to preserve it and “to work toward a budget that truly builds up the common good of all.” His full statement follows:

“No member of our great nation is weaker, more vulnerable, or less protected, than the child in the womb. There are aspects to President Biden’s budget proposal that will assist vulnerable people. However, Congress must reject the Administration’s proposal to subsidize the deaths of unborn children. For nearly half a century, the Hyde Amendment and related provisions have protected taxpayers from funding most abortions. These policies have broad support from Democrats and Republicans. They have been enacted and signed into law by congresses and presidents of both political parties and have been broadly supported by the majority of low-income women, including women of color.

“Taxpayer-funded abortion represents a failure to serve women in their maternity by funding despair and death instead of hope and life. All women deserve the resources to enable them to fully care for and nurture their baby, to welcome them in a loving, stable environment. These resources would be far better spent supporting women in crisis pregnancies and struggling new mothers so that no woman ever feels economic pressure to have an abortion.

“I call on all government leaders to work toward a budget that truly builds up the common good of all. This should include the many proposals in the President’s budget submission that seek to protect vulnerable people. And it must also preserve the Hyde Amendment and related provisions which have protected millions of unborn babies, and mothers in difficult circumstances, from the tragedy of abortion.”

 


In a letter published May 27 in The Catholic Light, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera took the opportunity to personally welcome and invite the faithful of the Diocese of Scranton back to Mass if they have not already returned.

Pointing to the Eucharist as the source and summit of our faith, the bishop encouraged the in-person celebration of Mass as we are “sustained with the life-giving nourishment of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

In his letter, and a video released to accompany it, Bishop Bambera encouraged those individuals and families who have resumed other activities to return to Mass, citing “no substitute for gathering together to celebrate the Eucharist and our faith.”

 

 

WILKES-BARRE – As a longtime board member for Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen, Chris Bedwick believes in simple, to-the-point missions, those she calls “the real deal.”

“People who need meals receive meals. Families who can’t quite make ends meet take food home to fill these gaps.”

That’s the message Bedwick, who signed up as a fundraising ambassador for the second annual NEPA Gives nonprofit fundraising marathon on June 4, is sharing with her friends, family and personal contacts as she offers up her time and effort to raise money for a Diocesan cause so close to her heart.

“Being hungry is a tough way to live,” the owner of Bedwick’s Pharmacy & Gifts in Wilkes-Barre wrote on her personal fundraising page created for the event. “But the Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen eases some of these hardships.”

She and at least 36 other fundraising ambassadors so far have created personal profiles on the Diocese of Scranton’s profile page on nepagives.org and taken up a challenge to raise as much money as possible in 24 hours come June 4.

The regional fundraising challenge event is spearheaded by the Scranton Area Community Foundation and supported by several other charitable foundations and organizations. NEPA Gives debuted last year and raised more than $500,000 for more than 100 nonprofit organizations, all of which engaged in friendly competition for significant bonus and match prizes provided by the foundations and organizations.

Last year, thanks to the support of 170 donors who made 187 online gifts in the 24-hour period, the Diocese raised $36,725 and secured the top two prizes: Most Dollars Raised by a Large Nonprofit Organization and Most Unique Donors to a Large Nonprofit Organization. The Diocese also won several other bonus prizes, and the total raised was divided among Diocesan charitable organizations, Catholic schools, and the Diocesan Vocations office.

This year, more than 200 nonprofits are already registered for the challenge, and the foundations are offering more than $400,000 in bonus prizes. The Diocese has joined the effort once again to support Catholic Social Services, Saint Francis of Assisi Kitchen in Scranton and Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen in Wilkes-Barre, Catholic school scholarships and the Vocations office.

This year’s additional new beneficiaries include several individual Catholic schools that have signed on with projects of their own as well as the Catholic Youth Center in Wilkes-Barre, which is in need of major pool renovations and a new child-transport van. The Diocesan Youth Ministry team, which is raising funds to send young Catholics to the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis in the fall, has also joined the effort.

“As of Friday May 21, we have 12 different Diocesan cause areas on our team page and leaderboards,” Sandra Snyder, Diocesan grant writer and director of the Diocesan NEPA Gives effort, explained. “Each of those cause areas is or will be championed by at least one fundraising ambassador, who will work to ‘get out the vote’ in terms of dollars for their chosen cause.”

Additionally, Snyder has signed up as a fundraising ambassador for the Diocese of Scranton as a whole and not only will be asking her own contacts for donations but is inviting others to join her as an ambassador for the Diocese. Funds raised for the Diocese itself will be shared among all the participating Diocesan organizations.

“Signing up as an ambassador is a great way to show your loyalty to our Diocese or to a treasured Diocesan cause,” Snyder said. “As a special thank you this year, we’ve ordered some great Diocese of Scranton beach bags and family beach blankets to reward our fundraisers. Those who register and raise at least $300 will receive the beach bag, and those who register and raise at least $600 will receive both the bag and the blanket.”

The Diocese also welcomes match challenges and gifts from businesses and organizations, which are an important component of the NEPA Gives effort, Snyder said. All gifts can essentially be doubled by a match challenge, she said, noting her appreciation for the Moses Taylor Foundation, which has already promised the Diocese of Scranton $2,000 after it raises $1,000. That generous offer will support the Diocese’s work to alleviate hunger in the community.

“Last year, NEPA Gives presented a special challenge as we were asking people for financial support during a particularly tough time in everyone’s lives, but we were overwhelmed with gratitude for how many people came through for us and propelled us to the top of that leaderboard,” Snyder said. “What a message they sent about their love for our Church and our Diocese. This year, we hope for an equally strong or better showing as we all together recover from the Coronavirus pandemic. We’re so grateful to the Scranton Area Community Foundation and the other foundations and organizations who have made this all possible. And of course we can’t thank our donors enough for showing up for us.”

Shannon Kowalski, Diocesan director of youth and young adult ministry, is equally grateful for the opportunity for her office to participate this year and to serve as a fundraising ambassador herself, along with young adults who seek to attend the National Catholic Youth Conference.

“The pandemic has significantly increased our costs to travel and attend this year,” Kowalski explained. The conference is such a worthy endeavor that we cannot turn down the opportunity to attend. We’re hoping the generosity of donors will make this trip possible for our young people.”

Schools, the various Catholic charities and the Vocations Office also are hoping for a big online turnout and encouraging people to check their emails and “tune in” to Facebook and other Diocesan social media channels throughout the day to participate in the excitement of the event. The NEPA Gives team will travel to various parish and Diocesan sites throughout the day to host several fun Facebook Live sessions to promote the event and the various causes.

“It was so much fun to donate last year, to rally others to donate, and to watch the Diocese move up the leaderboards and hang on to a top spot all day,” said Dominic Costantino, vocation program coordinator and member of this year’s NEPA Gives team.

Costantino also contributed his talents for the video posted on the Diocesan NEPA Gives page, singing “One Spirit, One Church,” chosen as the theme of and rallying cry for this year’s campaign.

“That song really captures what we’re all about as the wider Diocese of Scranton and the unified mission we are all trying to sustain when we pull together for something like NEPA Gives,” Costantino said. “We hope people will join us in this truly fun effort that shows all of us we can be philanthropists, even by making a $5 or $10 donation.”

IF YOU PARTICIPATE

WHAT: NEPA Gives 2021

WHEN: Midnight until 11:59 p.m. June 4

HOW: To count toward the challenge to win the bonus money, all donations must be made online via a link the Diocese will post on the Diocesan website and social media channels and send out via emails throughout the day.

CONTACT: For more information or to learn how to donate via check, contact Sandra Snyder at Sandra-Snyder@dioceseofscranton.org or 570-591-5004.

 

Gifts also can be mailed to:

NEPA Gives 2021
Diocese of Scranton
Attn: Sandra Snyder
300 Wyoming Ave.
Scranton, PA 18503

Checks should be received in the Chancery by Wednesday June 2 to allow time for processing and posting gifts online during the challenge period on Friday June 4.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:  www.nepagives.org/organizations/diocese-of-scranton

 

Mary Stec, Office Manager at the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center, distributes the first meal kit to Liz Mattern and her daughter, Davita, on Thursday, May 20, 2021.

WILKES-BARRE – Amanda Ammermann and her five-year-old daughter love to cook. They often play Disney music and dance around their kitchen while baking cookies.

Recently, coming up with nutritious dinnertime meals has become challenging for the Luzerne County mother.

“I always tell my daughter that she is going to sprout feathers because all she wants is chicken nuggets all the time,” Ammermann joked.

The mother-daughter duo is hoping their participation in a new pilot program, launched May 20 by the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center, will help.

The Taste & See Meal Kit Program will provide fresh, healthy, locally sourced food to 25 families on a regular basis for one year. Working in collaboration with local chefs and other community agencies, each family will receive a recipe card and all of the needed ingredients to make a meal together at home.

Participants in the Taste & See Meal Kit Program receive a reusable tote bag which can be refilled with new ingredients for each meal preparation.

“I’m really hopeful we can find some new favorites,” Ammermann said as she picked up her first meal kit.

Liz Mattern also knows the struggle of having children who do not enjoy a wide range of food. Her family has also decided to take part in the Taste & See Meal Kit Program.

“We stick with what we know so it’ll be nice to have stuff thrown in that maybe we wouldn’t have ordinarily made,” Mattern explained.

Just hours after picking up their meal kit, Mattern and her ten-year-old daughter, Davita, made the first recipe, Ritz Chicken from Jonathan’s Restaurant in Wilkes-Barre.

“This is a lifelong skill she is going to need,” Mattern said. “This is a good way to spend time together and get some real education!”

As part of the Taste & See Meal Kit Program, participants receive a binder to store the laminated recipes they receive as they pick up their ingredients. (Photos/Eric Deabill)

In all, 94 individuals (32 adults and 62 children) will participate in the program’s first year.

“We saw a need for our families and children to have more nutritious meals at home. Our children love to be hands on and get involved in making things so we partnered with a lot of restaurants in the area and their chefs,” Mary Stec, Office Manager at the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center, said. Former restaurant owner Ruth Corcoran oversaw the recipe collection and selection process.

“We teamed with Hillside Farms for our meat and dairy, and we teamed with Rowlands Pennsylvania Produce in Falls for all of our fresh vegetables and produce. They do a remarkable job so the families are really going to get a treat,” Stec said. Hillside Farms is also an educational partner for the program and will offer hands-on programs for CYC families focusing on where their food comes from and the importance of local farms.

Joanne Padilla has five people in her family. She appreciates that all of the food is being provided so she will not have to run to the grocery store. She also is looking forward to a wide selection of recipes.

“I am excited because it might be something new that I’ve never had, so I am excited to try it,” Padilla said.

Just hours after receiving their first meal kit, Davita Mattern, 10, helped her mother prepare and enjoy the program’s first recipe, Ritz Chicken.

The Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center received a $15,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Farm to School Program to support the launch of the Taste & See Meal Kit Program. Additional funding from the Luzerne Foundation, whose Youth Advisory Committee chose the project as a winner in a grants competition, and the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation will ensure the program’s success.

“As a provider of more than 10,000 meals a month to children in poverty, the Catholic Youth Center is keenly aware of the challenges families face in terms of putting a balanced and nutritious meal on the table,” Ryan Smith, CYC Program Executive, said. “This innovative program will help each family become more aware of basic nutritional principles and habits.”

As they make the meals together, participating families will be encouraged to take and share photos, provide feedback on the recipes and complete educational family challenges while they learn more about nutrition.

“My hope is that it will bring families closer together as far as making meals and spending time together while also realizing the nutritional value of eating healthier as a family. It all starts by example,” Stec said.

“This program will really be a win-win, not only for the families participating but also the local farmers who are partnering with us and the CYC itself,” Smith added. “If our families are able to prepare healthier meals at home on a consistent basis, our entire community benefits. We’re excited to get this program started.”

As part of the program, the CYC also plans to expand its on-site garden so that the agency can engage all of its students in the acts of growing and cultivating their own food.

 

 

Rev. Gerard McGlone, Pastor of Queen of Angels Parish in Jessup confirmed his great nephew, Joshua Williams, on Pentecost Sunday.

Pictured from left are: Deacon Jerry Carpenter, Joshua’s Sponsor, Joshua “Joseph” Williams, Fr. McGlone, and Kathleen and Joseph Williams, Joshua’s Grandparents.