Category: 2022 News

SCRANTON – Daria Dolhy felt blessed being able to join with more than 150 other people during a prayer service for an end to the war in Ukraine on Sept. 25, 2022.

“It was beautiful and all the prayers go straight up to heaven and help with, hopefully, stopping the war and securing peace for everyone,” the Scranton woman said.

Dolhy, a parishioner of Saint Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church of Scranton, was happy to visit the Cathedral of Saint Peter for the prayer service.

“It gives me goose pimples whenever I go to something like this,” she said.

Father Myron Myronyuk, Pastor, Saint Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church of Scranton, who has several family members still living in Ukraine and fighting in the Ukrainian military, led the prayer service along with the Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton.

“It was a beautiful event and I think it brought everyone together to share in the need for prayer to stop the war in Ukraine,” Mary Beth Carson of Scranton said.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine reached its seven-month mark, Carson said she continues to have concerns about how long the war will last.

“I do have concerns about how the people of Ukraine will continue to be able to sustain themselves against the enemy,” she added. “That just underscores why we need to be here and we do need to work together in prayer.”

As he welcomed the crowd to the Cathedral, Bishop Bambera noted that with the passage of time many people have become “desensitized” to the ongoing war.

“We must continue to be vigilant,” the bishop noted. “Perhaps this is the most appropriate time to storm heaven with our hopes, our prayers and most especially our trust in God’s mercy.”

The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24. Thousands of Ukrainians have been killed in the conflict and many others, including civilians, have been wounded.

Father Myronyuk expressed his deep appreciation and gratitude for everyone who has been praying for his motherland.

“What is clear is that great suffering and a heavy cross have been placed upon many innocent people, who in all truth, have nowhere to turn expect to God – God, who is the comforter of the afflicted, the refuge of the storm,” he said.

The Ukrainian pastor said his brother, who is a member of the Ukrainian military, has gotten all of his fellow soldiers to pray. He said they have no fear in repelling their Russian aggressors.

“They all pray. They pray the rosary. Most of them, they don’t pray often but they know they need the help,” Father Myronyuk recounted.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Father Myronyuk noted that people in Lackawanna County have donated $200,000 to help Ukraine, including medications, winter pants, boots and much more.

“Churches, schools, hospitals, homes, orphanages, cultural centers, libraries, roads, bridges and parks are being destroyed,” he said. “But you know, because of your holy prayers, Ukraine is still standing!”

The prayer service came during a pivotal time. Just days prior, in a prerecorded video message, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial military mobilization that would call up roughly 300,000 reservists to the military. During the address, Mr. Putin also challenged the West over its support for Ukraine.

“Today, Ukraine is fighting for every nation’s right to exist,” Father Myronyuk added.

SCRANTON – Eight faith-filled men will take a step toward ordination as permanent deacons for the Diocese of Scranton during a Mass on Oct. 1, 2022, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

The Mass, which will be celebrated at 12:10 p.m. by the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will include the Rite of Candidacy.

During the Rite of Candidacy, Bishop Bambera will accept the men to formally enter the diaconate formation process as Candidates. Over the next four years, these men will receive spiritual, theological and pastoral formation, and upon completion, will be called to ordination as permanent deacons.

The Rite of Candidacy is the first official recognition of the positive signs of a man’s vocation to the permanent diaconate.

The men who will be participating in the Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders on Oct. 1 are:

Fernando B. Alves – Saint Luke Parish, Stroudsburg

Ernesto A. Capo, Jr. – Saint Ann Parish, Shohola

Michaelangelo J. Colaneri – Cathedral of Saint Peter Parish, Scranton

Frank A. Fanelli – Saint Ann Parish, Shohola

Joel Marte – Saint Matthew Parish, East Stroudsburg

Jorge A. Roca – Saint Matthew Parish, East Stroudsburg

Rafael Sánchez Velásquez – Saint Matthew Parish, East Stroudsburg

Christian D. Saunders – Saint Paul Parish, Scranton

A ninth man, Francisco Castelan, has been accepted this year into this formation class, but he has already received the Rite of Candidacy in 2013 in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

All are invited to attend Saturday’s Mass. For those unable to attend in person, CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton will broadcast the Mass and there will be a livestream available on the Diocese of Scranton website, YouTube channel and links available on all Diocesan social media platforms.

WILKES-BARRE – Three educators and two administrators in the Diocese of Scranton Catholic School System are being recognized for their commitment to Catholic Education and sharing the love of Christ with young people.

During the Diocesan Teachers’ Institute Mass, held Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, at Saint Nicholas Church, each honoree received the Saint John Paul II Award for 25 years or more of dedicated service to Catholic Education in the Diocese of Scranton.

The recipients include Diane Centrella of Notre Dame Elementary School in East Stroudsburg; Alisia McNamee of Saint John Neumann Regional Academy in Williamsport; Jennifer Olmstead of Notre Dame Jr./Sr. High School in East Stroudsburg; Ann Marie Rogers of Saint Clare/Saint Paul School in Scranton; and Christopher Tigue of Saint Nicholas/Saint Mary School in Wilkes-Barre.

Olmstead, who teaches French to students in seventh thru 12^th grade, reflected on what her teaching profession has meant after accepting her award.

“My school is like a family. When we walk in the door, we know that our kids are part of our extended family. Their families are also a part of it,” she said. “The teachers at my school are some of my dearest friends. The administration is supportive, so there is a lot that brings us back year after year.”

Centrella is now in her 26^th year teaching kindergarten.

“I’m always honored to teach the littlest ones. I’ve learned so much and they’re great teachers,” she explained. “Every day is different. It is creative and full of God.”

Centrella said her students get excited to learn about God.

“It is their favorite subject. They want to hear about Jesus every day. They want to hear stories, they want to talk about what Jesus would do,” she added.

After teaching at La Salle Academy in Jessup for nearly two decades, Rogers moved to Saint Clare/Saint Paul School six years ago. She has taught art, pre-school and first grade during all that time. She also coached track and field and cross-country at Holy Cross High School for more than a decade.

“I have been able to combine my love for Jesus with my daily work,” she said. “It’s nice to see the kids that you’ve had grown up and all their accomplishments, getting married. I now have kids of kids that I’ve taught in school!”

After starting his teaching career in Hazleton, Tigue spent time in Scranton and Dunmore before ending up in Wilkes-Barre. He is currently the principal at Saint Nicholas/Saint Mary School.

“We not only teach excellence, but we teach faith and passing that on is really what the mission is all about,” he said.

While all the educators receiving the Saint John Paul II Award have seen changes in technology, instruction methods and security, Tigue said one thing has not changed.

“The core values that we have haven’t changed,” he said.

That is a sentiment that McNamee, the current principal at Saint John Neumann Regional Academy in Williamsport, agreed with wholeheartedly.

“I am a product of Catholic education, actually in the buildings I teach in and lead right now,” she said. “The faith, morals and values are needed so much in today’s world and society.”

While she laughed while explaining that some of her former students are now part of her teaching staff, McNamee said one of the best parts of the job are when former students reach out and explain the lasting impact she has had on them.

“When they come up to you and tell you what you have meant in their life, it’s really overwhelming,” McNamee ended by saying.

SCRANTON – October is Respect Life Month and the first Sunday in October is designated as Respect Life Sunday. The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will celebrate Respect Life Sunday Mass on Oct. 2 at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

The Mass is open to the public. Faithful from across the Diocese of Scranton are invited to attend the Respect Life Sunday Mass and focus on God’s precious gift of human life and our responsibility to care for, protect and defend the lives of our brothers and sisters.

As Catholics, we are called to cherish, defend, and protect those who are most vulnerable, from the beginning of life to its end, and at every point in between. During the month of October, the Church asks us to reflect more deeply on the dignity of every human life.

During this special month, the faithful are encouraged to pray for the wisdom and courage to lovingly protect God’s gift of human life at every stage, in sickness and in health.

The faithful are also asked to pray for women and men suffering after abortion. Through Christ’s endless mercy, we ask that they find peace and healing, especially with the assistance of the Church’s abortion healing ministry, Project Rachel.

The faithful are also asked to pray for those nearing the end of life, that they receive care that respects their dignity and protects their lives as they place their hope in the promise of eternal life.

Students from the Diocese of Scranton Catholic School System and parish youth ministries have been invited to participate in the Respect Life Mass on Oct. 2 as readers, gift bearers and altar servers.

For those unable to attend in-person, the Mass will be broadcast live on CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton and the Diocese of Scranton’s YouTube Channel. The Mass will also be livestream on the Diocese of Scranton website with links provided on the Diocese of Scranton social media platforms.

 

 

 

HARRISBURG – As he finished marching around the State Capitol, Thaddeus Zielinski, 67, a resident of Chinchilla, said he was “thrilled” by the size of the crowd at the second annual Pennsylvania March for Life.

“I was very impressed, especially for a state march or gathering,” Zielinski said. “I’ve been to Washington, D.C. for the March for Life numerous years and I was very impressed with the Harrisburg March – thrilled actually – and I hope we send a clear message into the Capitol to the governor and whoever the next governor may be.”

More than 5,000 anti-abortion advocates filled the Capitol steps on Sept. 19, 2022, sprawling out onto the complex lawn and even onto North 3rd Street. It was the first official state March in the nation since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Churches from across the Diocese of Scranton had a strong presence at the 2022 March for Life. Numerous buses traveled from nearly every corner of the diocese, including Towanda, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Williamsport and Pocono Pines.

“Love life, choose life,” the Most Reverend Nelson J. Perez, Archbishop of Philadelphia, said as he welcomed the large crowd to an outdoor rally immediately before the march.

Other speakers included Ann McElhinney, producer and co-writer of the film “Gosnell – The Untold Story of America’s Biggest Serial Killer,” Jeanne Mancini, president of the national March for Life, and former U.S. Senate candidate Kathy Barnette.

Barnette told the crowd she is the byproduct of rape and her mother was just 11 at the time she was conceived.

“I am grateful that there were adults in the room, adults with a mind, with a heart,” Barnette said. “My grandmother couldn’t spell her name but she had enough sense to know that what was growing in my mother’s womb was not a broomstick and was not a clump of cells but a human. It was a life!”

Barnette’s story touched Mike Kilmer of Wyalusing, who arrived at the March for Life on a bus with 35 other people from the Towanda, Wyalusing and Dushore areas.

“Her story is like wow,” Kilmer exclaimed. “I know there were a lot of tears in the audience. What a powerful story. She wouldn’t be here if people subscribed to the theory, ‘Oh, you were raped, so you should abort your baby.’”

Many families and schoolchildren – including students from Holy Redeemer High School, The University of Scranton and Marywood University – attended the second annual Pennsylvania March for Life. They joined many Republican lawmakers who have proposed anti-abortion legislation in the GOP-controlled General Assembly.

“A lot of our representatives should be paying attention. We’ve noticed that several of the representatives won’t even acknowledge the fact that we’re out here and you can see that there are thousands of people. How can you ignore that?” Alex Piechocki, a resident of Towanda and parishioner at Saints Peter & Paul Parish, asked.

Carol Carroll organized a bus trip from Luzerne County’s Back Mountain with the assistance of a Social Justice Grant from the Diocesan Annual Appeal. That meant dozens of parishioners from Gate of Heaven Parish and Our Lady of Victory Parish could attend the March for Life.

“This year’s March was definitely bigger than last year. There was a lot more excitement too. It was great,” Carroll said.

“We’ve now got to go home and spread the word, not only to be here in Harrisburg but be in our communities and in our churches,” her fellow parishioner, Nancy Restaino, added.

Pennsylvania remains a state where abortions are still legal through the end of the 23rd week of pregnancy and allowed after only in cases of life or health endangerment.

Meanwhile, other states are passing laws or implementing restrictions on abortion in the post-Roe era where the legality of abortion is left up to each state.

The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, attended this year’s March for Life in Harrisburg. He also concelebrated the 1:30 p.m. Mass at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Harrisburg which was attended by hundreds of people, including many from the Scranton area.

“It is a great testimony and witness to the fact that at the heart of the belief of so many of our Catholics is this incredible respect for human life and it’s really consoling to me to see our people be willing to stand on what they believe and be willing to profess it so boldly,” the bishop said.

DUSHORE – Hundreds of people came together in prayer and thanksgiving on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of the first Mass said inside Saint Basil Church.

While the public celebration was delayed a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the faith and spirit of those in attendance was undeniable.

“Most of the community is here,” parishioner Hayes Clark said. “We have quite a Catholic community here in the Endless Mountains. It is just a good time for all.”

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, served as principal celebrant of the Mass.

During his homily, he reminded everyone that a parish is more than just a building, it is the People of God.

“Through our faith in the risen Jesus, we are bound to our mothers and fathers, to grandparents and great-grandparents, and to every soul that has ever worshipped in this wonderful church for its 150 years,” Bishop Bambera said. “We are bound together because of the Eucharist that we celebrate on this altar and because of the words of faith that we proclaim in its presence: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.”

The special Mass brought people to tears.

From baptisms to weddings and funerals, this church has meant so much to people.

“I started to cry in Mass because I was born and raised in this church, baptized in this church and now I’m raising my kids in this church. My daughter served in the choir for the first time today,” parishioner Megan Bohensky said.

Following the Mass, a special dinner was held in Saint Basil’s hall.

Two proclamations, one from the Dushore mayor and the other from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, were presented.

The history of Saint Basil Church is significant.

The beginning of Catholic life within the present boundaries of the Diocese of Scranton in the early 1800s traces some of its easiest roots back to the Dushore-area.

“It’s 150 years since the church was built. My granduncle, Father Xavier A. Kaier came from Germany. He traveled and said mass and then came here and was the first rector, I think of this parish. He’s buried outside the church,” parishioner Suzanne Kaier explained.

Numerous renovations have helped Saint Basil Church remain the ‘beacon of faith’ that it is today.

It’s most recent challenge came in 2019 when the church was damaged in an EF-1 tornado with winds of up to 110 miles an hour.

“We had a tornado that tore part of the roof off. A tree fell on the rectory and knocked Father Thom out of bed but when Father said ‘we need to raise money,’ everybody came through,” parishioner Bob Guglielmi said.

After more than a century and a-half of doing Christ’s work, celebrating life, teaching people about Jesus and the faith, and helping those in need, the people in Dushore show no signs of slowing down.

“We as a Catholic community really strive to help out wherever we can in the community and the community in general is just one wonderful community to live in,” parishioner Donn Tourscher said.