Category: 2022 News

WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP – Several Holy Redeemer High School students are being credited for helping to stop their school bus Monday afternoon after its driver suffered a medical emergency.

Wilkes-Barre Township police were called to the 600-block of Blackman Street shortly before 3 p.m. after getting a 911 call from Lainey Conway, a Holy Redeemer student, who on the bus at the time.

The bus, Crestwood Bus #7 with 13 students on board, had just picked-up students at Holy Redeemer and was heading to Mountain Top when the emergency occurred.

When students realized the driver was in distress, students Ryan Martinelli and Kaden Ayre rushed to help – at first trying to apply the brake – and later successfully setting the parking brake of the bus.

During the incident, the bus did start rolling backwards. In response, several of the other students on board tried to signal to the driver behind the bus that there was an emergency. While rolling backwards, the bus did strike the vehicle directly behind it.

Emergency responders arrived on scene and stabilized the bus driver, who was transported to the hospital for treatment.

No students on the bus were injured. Crestwood Superintendent Rob Mehalick responded to the scene and offered assistance to all of the students on the bus. All of the students were released to their families.

“I am so proud of our Holy Redeemer students this afternoon, who used quick-thinking when they realized there was an emergency situation underway on their bus. They calmly worked together to respond to what was taking place. Our thoughts and prayers at this hour continue to be with the bus driver who suffered a medical condition,” Holy Redeemer Principal Doreen Dougherty said.

The current condition of the bus driver is not known at this time.

Wilkes-Barre Township police say no traffic citations will be filed because the crash resulted from a medical emergency.

SCRANTON – The annual Saint Patrick’s Parade Day Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 19, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton. All are welcome to attend.

The liturgy is traditionally held in conjunction with the city of Scranton’s annual Saint Patrick’s Day Parade. Following the Mass, the Saint Patrick’s Parade is expected to take to the streets of the Electric City beginning at 11:45 a.m.

Monsignor Joseph G. Quinn, pastor of Saint John Neumann Parish and Saint Paul of the Cross Parish, Scranton, will be the principal celebrant for the Mass. The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will welcome the crowd in attendance.

The Mass will be broadcast live on CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton and will be rebroadcast on Tuesday, March 22, at 8 p.m., and Wednesday, March 23, at 10:30 a.m. It will also be available for viewing on the Diocese of Scranton’s YouTube Channel. The Mass broadcast is sponsored by the Society of Irish Women.

This year marks the 60th Anniversary of the Saint Patrick’s Parade in Scranton.

Saturday’s Mass is being offered in memory of John Barrett, Jack Lee, and Judge James M. Munley, on this 60^th Anniversary of the Saint Patrick’s Parade in Scranton.

Jaime Hailstone, President, Saint Patrick’s Parade Association of Lackawanna County, will serve as lector for the Mass and Dana Boylan will serve as cantor.

The Offertory gifts will be presented by Dorothea Crowley, President, Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians of Lackawanna County; Michael F. Cosgrove, President, Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick of Lackawanna County; Chuck Schneider, President, Ancient Order of Hibernians of Lackawanna County; Jack McIntyre, President, Irish Cultural Society; and Lori Wagner, President, Society of Irish Women.

 

SCRANTON – The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will join Pope Francis and other Bishops throughout the world in consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The consecration will be a plea to God and to the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede on behalf of the people of Ukraine to end the current war.

Bishop Bambera will celebrate the 12:10 p.m. Mass on Friday, March 25, 2022, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton and will offer the Prayer of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The faithful are invited and encouraged to attend in-person. The Mass and Prayer of Consecration will be livestream on the Diocese of Scranton website and social media platforms and will air on CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton.

“I strongly encourage all Catholics in the Diocese of Scranton – and all people of Good Will – to make a special effort to attend the Cathedral Mass, or a Daily Mass next Friday for this special intention or simply take time to pray for peace in Ukraine in concert with the Holy Father,” Bishop Bambera said. “As we continue to see the violence and loss of life taking place in Ukraine – one of the most important things we can continue to do is turn to the Lord in prayer. This will truly be a wonderful moment for the Universal Church to be united with Pope Francis’ consecration.”

Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary during a penitential prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica. On the same day, the Vatican announced that Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, will carry out a similar consecration at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal.

According to the Vatican’s translation of the message of Fatima, when Mary appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima in 1917, she told them, “God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved, and there will be peace.”

Warning of “war, famine, and persecutions of the church and of the Holy Father,” Mary told the children, “to prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart.”

The Eastern- and Latin-rite Catholic bishops of Ukraine had been asking Pope Francis for the consecration.

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Below is a copy of the letter sent to clergy of the Diocese of Scranton from Bishop Bambera on Friday, March 18, 2022:

 

On Friday, March 25, 2022, the Solemnity of the Annunciation, our Holy Father Pope Francis will be consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary at noon, Eastern Standard Time (5 pm in Rome). The consecration, presided over by the pope, will take place during a penitential celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

The Holy Father is inviting Bishops throughout the world, together with their priests, to join in this act of consecration, at the same time.

In response to this request, I will be celebrating the 12:10 p.m. Mass on Friday, March 25, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton and will offer the Prayer of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The faithful are invited and encouraged to attend in-person. The Mass and Prayer of Consecration will be livestream on the Diocese of Scranton website and social media platforms and will air on CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton.

I would also extend the invitation to all priests of the Diocese to consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in their parish churches at either the same time, or during a Mass that might already be scheduled that day.

I strongly encourage all Catholics in the Diocese of Scranton – and all people of Good Will – to make a special effort to attend the Cathedral Mass, or a Daily Mass next Friday for this special intention or simply take time to pray for peace in Ukraine in concert with the Holy Father. As we continue to see the violence and loss of life taking place in Ukraine – one of the most important things we can continue to do is turn to the Lord in prayer. This will truly be a wonderful moment for the Universal Church to be united with Pope Francis’ consecration.

In the coming days, the Holy Father is expected to share the text of the Prayer of Consecration and I will pass that information along when it is received.

Our Lady, Queen of Peace, Pray for Us!

Faithfully yours in Christ,
†Joseph C. Bambera
Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L.
Bishop of Scranton

 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary during a penitential prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica March 25, the Vatican said.

On the same day, the Vatican said, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, will carry out a similar consecration at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal.

According to the Vatican’s translation of the messages of Fatima, when Mary appeared to the three shepherd children in Fatima in 1917, she told them, “God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved, and there will be peace.”

Warning of “war, famine, and persecutions of the church and of the Holy Father,” Mary told the children, “to prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart.”

The Eastern- and Latin-rite Catholic bishops of Ukraine had been asking Pope Francis for the consecration.

Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, head of the Eastern-rite Ukrainian Catholic Church, said March 16, “Ukrainian Catholics have been asking for this act since the beginning of Russian aggression in 2014 (in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine) as urgently needed to avoid the worsening of the war and the dangers coming from Russia.”

“With the invasion of Russia on a massive scale,” in late February, he said, “prayers to do this came from all parts of the world from our faithful.”

The country’s Latin-rite bishops published their appeal to Pope Francis March 2, telling him that their priests, religious and laity all asked that he “consecrate our motherland and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

In a brief March 16 statement following a two-day plenary in Irkutsk, Russia’s Catholic bishops welcomed the pope’s decision with “joy and gratitude,” and called on Catholic parishes and communities across the country to schedule “appropriate prayers” and individuals to combine prayer with fasting and “deeds of love.”

“We call on all Catholics, remembering that ‘reality is always higher than ideas,’ in the words of Pope Francis, to strive for mutual understanding and be heralds of the word of reconciliation,” they said.

Some groups have continued to argue that Mary’s wish at Fatima was never fulfilled or that it was never done properly because the pope consecrated the world and not “Russia.” The Vatican, however, has insisted St. John Paul II did so in 1984 when he led the world’s bishops in the consecration of Russia and the world. The late Sister Lucia dos Santos, the last surviving visionary and the one who received the instructions for the consecration, had said that it was properly performed.

At his Sunday recitations of the Angelus since Russia invaded Ukraine Feb. 24, people have been showing up in St. Peter’s Square with signs asking the pope for the consecration of Russia or of Russia and Ukraine to Mary.

The Fatima message promised: “If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated.”

But, the message continued: “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.”

SCRANTON – As the situation facing our suffering brothers and sisters in Ukraine becomes more dire by the hour, parishioners across the Diocese of Scranton lifted their voices and hearts to God to pray for peace this week.

At the request of the Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, churches in all 11 counties of the Diocese of Scranton held special Holy Hours for Peace and other prayer opportunities.

The bishop led a Holy Hour for Peace on Tuesday, March 15, at 5 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

“No war ever makes sense, no war and this war in which we find ourselves – not a military action but a war – makes no sense. It is borne out of greed, envy and a lack of understanding and appreciation and respect for the lives that God has given to our world,” Bishop Bambera said during his homily.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, an estimated 3 million refugees have fled the country. Billions of dollars in damage has been done to infrastructure, which includes maternity hospitals, schools, churches and apartment buildings.

Many in Ukraine say the psychological, social and economic devastation will take decades to heal.

“These past three weeks have destroyed families, they have torn apart towns and villages and have made no distinction between a disregard for an infant child in the womb and elderly, aged people, who can barely walk who are just trying to find some way to safety,” the bishop noted.

Dozens of people attended the Cathedral Holy Hour for Peace. Many more watched as the service was broadcast live on CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton.

For those attending in person, the Holy Hour was especially meaningful.

“When I watch what is happening in Ukraine, it is heartbreaking and I thought the very least I could do is to come out and share my prayers,” Kathy Bolinski of Clarks Summit said. “I think anytime we all get together for a singular purpose – which is prayer – it is extremely powerful and God will certainly be there listening to us and hopefully we can see the impact of it.”

“Coming together at the Cathedral is a great sense of unity that we all share,” Sister Mary Alice Jacquinot, I.H.M., added.

Chester Klobukowski of Duryea and his wife brought more than 200 rosaries to the Holy Hour. They gave them to the bishop in hopes of getting them to the people of Ukraine.

“My wife and I have been making rosaries for about 40 years and we send them all over to prisons and we wanted to send some to Ukraine,” Klobukowski explained. “We hope for an end to the war. This is unreal.”

Bishop Bambera acknowledged receiving the rosaries during his homily – emphasizing it is one of many signs of “good” and “hope” that has come from all the heartbreak and devastation.

“For as sophisticated a people as we are, for as bright and as brilliant as we have become, for as ingenious as we are, for as capable as we have become, our world is still filled with evil, hatred and sin,” the bishop noted. “When we turn away from God, we find ourselves in the midst of where we are today.”

The bishop also encouraged people to continue sharing three things: prayer, information about what is happening in Ukraine, and financial and material assistance.

“Somehow, in God’s wisdom, in God’s time and in God’s way, peace will come and peace will most especially touch the lives of those suffering souls in Ukraine for whom we pray,” Bishop Bambera ended his homily by saying.

Video from the Holy Hour for Peace is available on the Diocese of Scranton YouTube channel and website for anyone that would like to watch the service.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Appealing again for an end to the war in Ukraine, Pope Francis said those who invoke God to promote or justify violence “profane his name.”

“In the name of God, I ask: Stop this massacre,” the pope said March 13 at the end of his Sunday Angelus address.

With thousands of people gathered under the bright sunshine of a Roman spring day to pray the midday Marian prayer, Pope Francis turned their attention to Mariupol, Ukraine, a city named in honor of Mary; it has been besieged by Russian troops for two weeks.

The city, he said, “has become a martyred city of the heart-wrenching war that is destroying Ukraine.”

“Before the barbarity of the killing of children, of innocents and unarmed civilians, there are no strategic reasons that hold up,” the pope said. The only thing to do is “to stop the unacceptable armed aggression before it reduces the cities to cemeteries.”

“With pain in my heart, I unite my voice to that of ordinary people who implore an end to the war,” he said. “In the name of God, listen to the cry of those who are suffering and stop the bombings and attacks.”

Negotiations to end the war must begin seriously, he said, and the humanitarian corridors agreed upon to evacuate civilians and to bring basic necessities to people in besieged towns must be respected and secure.

With the U.N. Refugee Agency reporting that millions of refugees have already fled Ukraine since Feb. 24, Pope Francis thanked all the individuals and agencies in the neighboring countries who have welcomed them, and he encouraged continued generosity.

He also asked Catholic parishes and religious orders around the world “to increase moments of prayers for peace.”

“God is the God only of peace, he is not the God of war,” he said. “Those who support violence profane his name.”

Pope Francis led the people in the square, including several carrying Ukrainian flags, in a moment of silent prayer that God would “convert hearts to a firm desire for peace.”

After the Angelus, the Vatican used the pope’s English-language Twitter account to send, in 10 tweets, his entire appeal in Russian and Ukrainian.

BRODHEADSVILLE — “War is hell!” is the oft-repeated refrain of those who know first-hand about the brutality of international conflict.

Some say it is even worse than hell, since war also claims innocent victims along the way. None are more innocent than children, especially those already suffering from severe disabilities.

As war continues to rage in Ukraine, Sandie Flannery has been a much-sought after voice greatly valued by news media outlets throughout our region, given her closeness to the ever-devolving crisis.

Seven years ago, Flannery established the Ukrainian Orphan Outreach Ministry at her parish of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Brodheadsville. Since that time the ministry has provided much-needed aid to destitute Ukrainian orphan children and young adults — many greatly challenged physically and emotionally, and, under normal circumstances, subject to deplorable conditions.

Visit Plans Canceled

The ministry’s humanitarian efforts have led Flannery many times to the Eastern European country, which she had planned to visit once more at the beginning of this year.

“I wanted to spend Ukrainian Christmas with the orphans in January, but friends and family begged me not to go due to the threat of war,” she recalled. “I reluctantly canceled my plans and disappointed my friends and the orphans. In hindsight, I wish I had gone as it saddens me that I may never be able to visit with them again!”

During the first days of the war, Flannery reached out to the director of the orphanage in Zulachchia in Western Ukraine regarding the safety of the children. “A dear friend, Anton, who has helped our ministry coordinate some of our projects, together with Sister Metodyia, and a Ukrainian parent of a child with Mowat Wilson syndrome — like my daughter — who was now living in Poland, developed an evacuation plan,” she noted.

“The orphans from Zulachchia are near and dear to my heart and I pray for their safety,” Flannery continued. “If necessary, our ministry will help with the costs of evacuating them safely over the border and supporting them where they are. We will also help with food and basic supplies.”

She remarked that the ministry is also committed to paying for gasoline for the buses, if necessary, to evacuate the most involved and medically complicated orphans in Znamenka. The Ukrainian Catholic Church of New Jersey has been supporting Znamenka for more than 20 years and has evacuated 30 of the higher functioning children and adults.

Desperate Cries for Help

Recently, Flannery received an urgent message from one of the directors of the Baby House in Vorzel, north of Irpen in Ukraine. The Baby House was home to 55 children from infancy to age five, many of whom were disabled with severe medical complications.

“The town was bombed and surrounded by the Russians,” Flannery explained. “She was pleading for my help. As the days went on, her cries became more desperate. She talked of having no heat, electricity, and water. She was not in the building with the babies when the military invaded.”

Flannery noted there were 23 babies with two staff in one building, and 27 children and five workers in another.

“During this time, a mother whom I knew, reached out to me. I knew her from when she adopted two babies with Down syndrome from there 12 years ago,” she said. “Through my contacts with the orphanage personnel, and my friend’s contacts at the UN and the International Red Cross, God moved mountains and the babies were evacuated.  At the bridge crossing in Irpen, they were met by the Ukrainian Red Cross and transported to a hospital in Kyiv where they were treated, bathed and fed.”

The following day all were transported by train to Lviv and then to Chernivsti in Western Ukraine, and just days ago the head educator met up with them and they were ready to depart the war-torn country.

“Our ministry is ready to support the babies and staff financially once a secure connection is made. Many of the staff sacrificed their own safety and could have abandoned the children, but they did not,” Flannery noted. “Currently, we have no idea how the Department of Social Policy will be handling the situation and I want to be sure that the babies and staff have what they need.”

Nadiia’s Plight

Prior to the war’s outbreak on Feb. 24, Flannery shared that she had been “begging” her translator Nadiia to leave Ukraine, along with her husband Yarek and their baby daughter Ivanka, due to the buildup of the Russian military in the north in Belarus.

“Like most other Ukrainians, they thought that I was overreacting and that they were under the threat of war since 2014 and were not concerned,” she explained. “I pushed her to get her baby’s passport which they received only the week before the war!”

Ultimately, Nadiia and Ivanka had to leave their husband and father behind as they were about to cross the border into Romania.

Flannery currently is sponsoring Nadiia for her visa and has even offered her home 5,000 miles away to provide comfort and love to her and her baby daughter. As of now, Nadiia’s application for an “emergency visa” appointment was denied and she now must wait until May 23 for an appointment in Lithuania.

“She has been my travel companion and translator and has kept me out of trouble numerous times,” Flannery said. “She is a dear friend and like a daughter to me.”

Donations, Prayers Needed

Flannery has been effusive in her praise and gratitude for the support she has received from her fellow parishioners. With the blessing of Queen of Peace pastor Father Bob Simon, a massive parish and community drive is well underway to collect over-the-counter medications and baby formula.

“Our church office is starting to fill up. All donations will be sorted and transported to the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee in Philadelphia who will ship it to Ukraine,” she indicated.

Suggested medications include but are not limited to: pain relievers, antibiotic ointments, anti-diarrhea medications, cold and allergy formulas, pedialyte, first aid supplies, vitamins, baby formula (premade) and diapers.

All donations can be dropped off at Our Lady Queen of Peace parish office at 1402 Route 209, Brodheadsville. Donors can also aid the effort by mail at: P.O. Box 38, Brodheadsville, PA.

“I am worried about the orphans, all the orphans in Ukraine,” Flannery passionately stated. “I’m afraid that once abandoned by their parents, they will be abandoned once again without someone to advocate for them. I am trying to be their voice!”

She has been uplifted and gladdened by reports that numerous humanitarian groups are providing crucial aid to the orphans; however, many older and neurotypical orphans have been left on their own. She further noted that quite a few orphans have been hosted by American families during the summer and at Christmastime, and these families are willing to adopt them. Unfortunately, all adoptions have been halted.

“This war has affected me on a very personal and emotional level,” Flannery shared. “I have been scared, worried, angry, sad, frustrated and confused. I have spent days with only minimal amounts of interrupted sleep. Parishioners have dropped meals off for me because I couldn’t remember if I had eaten.”

Joining the chorus of religious faithful and their leaders crying out for constant prayer and supplication, Flannery also pleaded for prayerful intercessions for divine help.

“This evil will only end through prayer and consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary,” she implored. “We all need to pray the Rosary as our Mother Mary requested at Fatima. Pray to defeat the enemy and bring an end to the evil acts of an atheistic leader. We need to pray for the conversion of Russia. Pray the Rosary!”

Flannery also urged concerned citizens to contact their legislators to advocate for the establishment of official Ukrainian refugee status in America.

 

SCRANTON – The competition in the kitchen is heating up!

Less than two weeks after the launch of ‘Rectory, Set, Cook!’ – a culinary clash featuring 30 “pastor chefs” from the Diocese of Scranton – more than $100,000 has already been raised.

Each participating priest has a video featuring himself preparing a treasured family recipe or something he swiped off the internet. All of the videos are available to the public – and anyone can vote for their favorite recipe or pastor.

Each vote costs $10, with $5 going to the parish of the pastor chef and the other $5 going to anti-hunger initiatives sponsored by Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton.

At the beginning of his video, Monsignor David L. Tressler, pastor of Saint Ignatius Loyola Parish in Kingston, noted the importance of supporting the work of Catholic Social Services. With the help of his niece, Monsignor Tressler made Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.

“We continue to be so conscious of wanting to serve those who are less fortunate and in need of food. The Diocese of Scranton has a rich heritage of taking care of those in need,” Monsignor Tressler said. “We’re very happy to be a part of this.”

Donors are able to vote for as many recipes or pastors as they wish. They can also contribute any dollar amount they wish, as long as it is over $10.

“We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of community and corporate generosity that has already taken place in the first few days of this event,” Sandra Snyder, Director of Foundation Relations and Special Events, said.

Each of the “pastor chef” videos is unique and engaging.

After explaining several times that “fat is flavor” while cooking up an hour-long meat sauce, Father Seth Wasnock showed his culinary prowess by using several-foot-high-flames when making bananas Foster for dessert.

Some, on the other hand, didn’t have as much success. Father Brian J.T. Clarke not only burned bread crumbs but missed ingredients for a salad dressing he attempted to make. Father Jonathan Kuhar didn’t fare any better by mistaking salt for sugar in his recipe for cream puffs.

In addition to donor participation, support for Rectory, Set, Cook! is provided by the program’s Executive Chef Sponsor, The Hawk Family Foundation, and 14 other sponsors who helped the program get off to a strong start. Sponsorships are still being accepted and sponsors can also be featured in a commemorative cookbook that is expected to come out in May.

To view all of “pastor chef” videos, visit diocesescranton.org and click on the “Rectory, Set, Cook!” icon on the homepage.

Voting will continue through midnight April 10, with winners announced April 11.

 

SCRANTON – A Greek philosopher once said that change is the only constant in life. As local communities, schools and businesses are all forced to change, the Diocese of Scranton must adapt as well.

In 2019, well before the approaching COVID-19 pandemic, the Diocese of Scranton began a long-range pastoral planning process with clergy and parish leaders. The Vision 2030 Blueprint Process aims to look proactively at the realities of our local church in the present moment, while striving to meet the opportunities and challenges of the coming decade.

The goal of Vision 2030 is to create vibrant parish communities rooted in the life of Jesus Christ.

“As we strive to be a mission-driven church, we must all work together in a way that we best live out our baptismal calling in both a world – and local environment – that continues to change,” Bishop Joseph C. Bambera said. “Our Church faces significant challenges, among which are a fewer number of parishioners, financial sustainability questions, facility infrastructure needs and a diminishing number of ordained priests.”

A 12-page document entitled ‘Vision 2030’ was released in January in all parishes of the Diocese of Scranton. The document provides information on real and significant factors – known as priority drivers – which the Diocese of Scranton and its parishes must confront. The priority drivers will prompt the need for change in the coming years.

Among the most significant priority drivers is a declining number of parishioners supporting the mission of the Church. More than four decades ago, the Diocese of Scranton had well over 300,000 practicing Catholics. Due to numerous factors, including an aging population, young people leaving the area for employment and reaction to the sex abuse crisis in the church, Diocesan statistics show there are now only 224,075 registered in parishes.

Likewise, a diminishing number of clergy is another significant priority driver. In 2003, the Diocese of Scranton had 226 active priests. In 2021, that number had dropped below 100 priests. Because of retirements, the Diocese projects that there will only be 81 priests in 2025 and 62 priests by 2030 without a significant increase in vocations to the priesthood.

In recognition of all the Church of Scranton faces, the Diocese has been working with Pastors and Parish Pastoral and Finance Council members in several communities to establish new parish linkages to confront the changing times. There are various reasons why a linkage may be established – from the retirement of a pastor, to demographic, financial or infrastructure reasons, or even the overall needs of the diocese in regards to where clergy are most needed.

Announcements regarding new linkages planned for 2022 have been communicated to parish communities in the last several weeks. The announcement of a new linkage is just the very first step in a process that will involve the engagement of the laity. Whenever a linkage is established, there are many questions that will need to be examined and choices that will need to be made – and that is where the involvement of each church’s parishioners will be relied upon.

Among the parish modifications recently announced are:

• Corpus Christi Parish, West Pittston, will enter into a linkage with Saint Barbara Parish, Exeter, in May 2022. This linkage will have a single pastor and will become effective upon the planned retirement of Father Michael E. Finn, Pastor of Saint Barbara Parish.

• Saint Mary of the Lake Parish, Lake Winola, will join the current linkage of Our Lady of the Abingtons Parish, Dalton, and Saint Patrick Parish, Nicholson, in August 2022. All three parishes will share one pastor.

• Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Towanda, will enter into a linkage with Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Wyalusing, in August 2022. This linkage will have a single pastor.

• Saint Joachim Church, which is currently a worship site of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Wyalusing, will become a worship site of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Tunkhannock, in August 2022.

• All Saints Parish, Plymouth, will enter into a linkage with Saint John the Baptist Parish, Larksville, in August 2022. This linkage will have a single pastor.

• The Pastoral and Finance Councils of Saint Andre Bessette Parish, Wilkes-Barre, have begun participation in a consultative process to determine the best path forward given changing demographics in its community which have resulted in decreased Mass attendance and Sacramental participation, as well as a large debt which has been transparently shared with the faithful each week in the parish bulletin.

Whenever the need for a new linkage occurs, the Diocese makes available professionals in pastoral formation, financial planning, engineering and communication to help the new linkage in any way that is necessary.

As the Diocese of Scranton continues to confront changing realities, the bishop told each of the parish communities that will be involved in a new linkage, “While I know change is never easy, be assured of my deep gratitude for all that you and your families have shared, and continue to share, in furthering the mission of the Church. As you know, our mission is to take Christ into the world. I am confident that by working together we can ‘Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.’”

For more information on Vision 2030, visit dioceseofscranton.org.