WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception has once again been targeted by vandals. This time, a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the north lawn of the basilica grounds, located in an area known as Mary’s Garden, suffered severe damage.
At approximately 2:30 p.m. Feb. 15, a visitor praying the rosary in the garden discovered the desecrated statue. The individual immediately alerted the basilica staff, prompting an inspection. It appeared that the Blessed Mother’s face had been deliberately struck with a hammer, and the surrounding light fixtures, meant to illuminate the path for visitors, were shattered.
A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the north lawn of the grounds of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington was vandalized Feb. 15, 2024. According to the basilica’s rector, the damage appears to have been caused by a hammer and is being investigated. (OSV News photo/courtesy of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception)
According to Msgr. Walter Rossi, the basilica’s rector, this act of vandalism seems to have occurred shortly before its discovery, given the routine checks performed by the security staff.
This act of vandalism echoes a disturbing pattern of disrespect towards religious symbols at the national shrine. Msgr. Rossi recalled, in a statement, a similar incident on Dec. 5, 2021, when the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, an image of the Virgin Mary located in the Rosary Walk and Garden across Harewood Avenue from the basilica, was also vandalized.
The statue vandalized Feb. 15, “Mary, Protector of the Faith” by sculptor Jon-Joseph Russo, depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the child Jesus. According to the basilica’s website, it was erected in 2000 in honor of Bishop Thomas J. Grady, the fifth director of the national shrine, who oversaw the construction of the Great Upper Church.
Msgr. Rossi expressed concern and compassion not only for the sanctity of the shrine but also for the person or people responsible for the damage. “While this act of vandalism is very unfortunate, I am more concerned about the individuals who perpetrate such activity and pray for their healing,” he said.
The basilica is the largest Roman Catholic church in North America and one of the 10 largest churches in the world. The basilica welcomes nearly a million visitors annually.
The shrine’s security team is working closely with the Metropolitan Police Department to investigate the vandalism and bring those responsible to justice. Sources tell Our Sunday Visitor that the incident is being investigated as a hate crime. The Metropolitan Police Department has not yet returned Our Sunday Visitor’s request for comment.
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PHILADELPHIA OSV News) – As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine reaches the two-year mark Feb. 24, OSV News sat down with Metropolitan Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, recently returned from his latest visit to Ukraine, for his insights on the war.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Metropolitan Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia speaks during the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington March 14, 2023. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)
OSV News: After two years of full-scale invasion and 10 years of aggression by Russia, how would you describe the overall outlook of the Ukrainian people?
Archbishop Gudziak: It’s really quite amazing, because there’s so much devastation, there’s so much death, there’s so much displacement, and yet the people are pretty clear in their resolve. … There are principles we have to defend, and we really don’t have any choice, because wherever there is Russian occupation, there is genocide. So, if we don’t defend ourselves, we’ll be killed.
We know we have to get the job done. We need help to get that job done, but we know nobody is going to send troops to help us in Ukraine.
We gave up our nuclear arsenal unilaterally in 1994 (under the Budapest Memorandum), receiving security pledges and guarantees from the United States, Great Britain and Russia, who (promised) not only to not invade or demonstrate aggression, but to not even use economic power to shake the sovereignty or independence of Ukraine. … You had the global community applauding the first nuclear disarmament.
(But now) Ukraine’s territorial integrity, its sovereignty has been violated brutally. Ukrainians realize they have to defend themselves and they will do so.
OSV News: Western support has begun to lag over the last year, with some U.S. lawmakers actively opposing aid to Ukraine. How would you respond to those calls?
Archbishop Gudziak: It’s so important to understand what the consequences of further Russian occupation may be. … We’re at (approximately) 17% of Ukrainian territory under occupation. That has led to 8 million people crossing the border (with 2 million since returning). If, let’s say, even half of Ukraine came under a Russian occupation, you will have at least 10 more million refugees.
And the displacement of people, but also the (disruption) of global political, diplomatic, economic, food (and ecological) systems … has led to a hit on all of us.
Your pocketbook has been hit by the Russian invasion. Oil prices, food prices went up because of the Russian invasion. Hungry people are starving in Africa or the Middle East because of the Russian invasion.
If there’s an advance, it’s going to hit you in your pocket. It’s going to further affect and destabilize global security. And it will empower all the ruffians of the world, whether it’s North Korea, Iran or people who are not yet showing that kind of aggression, but (are) just waiting for a signal that nobody’s watching anyway.
I appeal to conservative Catholics who are concerned about subjectivism, who understand what Pope Benedict was saying when (as then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) he observed that we’re moving into a period of the dictatorship of relativism. This is what (Russian Federation President Vladimir) Putin wants. He’s not aiming to convince you of Russian righteousness. He just wants you to doubt democracy. He wants you to doubt the truth, to believe in nothing. And this is diabolical.
(Putin) has killed for almost a quarter-century — the vicious bombing of Grozny, the capital of Chechnya (in February 2000); the death of journalists and political opposition figures that have happened under his rule; the attack, invasion and annexation of part of Georgia in 2008. In 2024, this war (in Ukraine) is not two years old. It’s 10 years old.
We cannot be naive about this. Dear fellow Catholics — your fellow Catholics, your fellow Christians, Protestants and others will not be able to pray freely. Their churches will be closed (and) taken over by the Russian Orthodox Church, as it did with Ukrainian Catholic churches after the liquidation of (its) visible structures. The church can never be liquidated because it’s the Body of Christ. But the persecution of the church is something that follows us since the time of Christ, since the time of the Apostles.
I don’t know if people realize that (many of the popes in the first four centuries of the church) were martyrs. It’s not impossible that this godless brutalism can move into the Western European continent. It’s not impossible that a godless rule, an atheist, aggressive, anti-democratic rule could be in Rome and the bishops of Rome could again become martyrs.
There is no freedom of religion in Russia. Even the Russian Orthodox Church is fully shackled. And the head of the church, Patriarch Kirill, uses the language of Islamic militants — of jihad — to encourage participation in the war.
There’s not a single Ukrainian Catholic parish registered in Russia. Certain (faith) confessions are already illegal.
OSV News: Two joint reports from the New Lines Institute and the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights have concluded that Russia has breached the Genocide Convention. Yet the 153 nations party to the convention have been slow to take action. Why?
Archbishop Gudziak: People don’t understand because they use their own categories. They judge or perceive on the basis of their own experience. We have not had an occupation in the United States, really, in historical memory. We haven’t had bombs falling on us, except for 9/11, for example, or isolated acts, which really traumatize us.
There are bombs falling on civilian structures throughout Ukraine every single day — bombs, rockets, drones. And this is something we (in the U.S.) cannot relate to. If there’s a bomb or a mass shooting with 20 people killed, it is a great tragedy. And it happens at home, it’s close. But there are probably between 300 and 400 people killed in Ukraine every day. That includes the soldiers on both sides.
A lot of people (in the U.S.) say, “We don’t want to go into those long-term wars.” And they compare. But Iraq and Afghanistan are not Ukraine and Russia — it’s a bad comparison. Ukrainians are not giving up to the Taliban. They’re not running away. The president is there. The people are there. The government is there. The parliament is there. A million Ukrainians volunteered, joined the armed forces in the last two years. One million people are putting their lives at risk.
OSV News: How does the current war fit into the long record of Russian aggression against Ukraine and in particular the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church?
Archbishop Gudziak: It’s the present image of what happened in Bucha, Irpin, Borodyanka, Mariupol (sites of recent Russian mass atrocities in Ukraine). But it’s also the history. There were … millions killed by wars, genocide and genocidal policies like the Holodomor or the Holocaust.
All of this at the hands, in one form or another, of totalitarian powers, or wars that were generated by empires.
Putin has said there is no such thing really as Ukraine, there isn’t a separate independent Ukrainian people, (and) the Ukrainian language is just a dialect. All of that will be erased, and it’s not a question of hypothesis.
The Ukrainian Catholic Church gets eradicated as a legal, visible entity every time there’s a Russian occupation. It happened in the 18th century. It happened a few times in the 19th century as the Russian Empire grew or consolidated its hold on territory after the partitions of Poland. The Tsarists … came to Lviv (and) arrested and deported the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church to Russia. The Soviets did it in the 20th century.
And now we see it (happening) in the occupied territories.
OSV News: What can Catholics do to support Ukraine at this moment?
Archbishop Gudziak: First of all, we should pray. The Lord is the Lord of history. … And I’ve seen too many miracles. Our church was illegal for 45 years … it was decimated. Today, 35 years later, there are 3,000 priests again, and we have the youngest episcopacy and clergy in the world.
Second, be informed. There’s a lot of disinformation. Be careful of the Tucker Carlsons of the world.
Ukrainians are very grateful to all who pray, who advocate and who help. There’s a special respect for America.
(Ukrainians are) going to fight and defend God-given principles, God-given dignity, so that our children and grandchildren don’t have to suffer. … We have to stop (Russia’s aggression), no matter what the cost.
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February 12, 2024
WASHINGTON – At Masses on the weekend of March 9-10, Catholics across the United States will have an opportunity to help the most impoverished and marginalized by giving to The Catholic Relief Services Collection of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). This annual collection helps fund the U.S. bishops’ flagship international relief and development organization (Catholic Relief Services), but it also supports five other initiatives:
The U.S. bishops’ Office of International Justice and Peace, works to end conflicts and build just societies that respect human rights, religious freedom, and integral human development;
the Holy Father’s Relief Fund allows Pope Francis to send emergency aid to disaster victims worldwide;
the U.S. bishops’ Department of Migration and Refugee Services, promotes awareness of the plight of immigrants, migrants, refugees, trafficking victims, and people on the move, and assists with programmatic assistance and aid;
the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC), provides legal aid to immigrants and refugees seeking a legal path to work permits and citizenship; and
the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat on Cultural Diversity in the Church works to bring Catholics from various culturally diverse communities into fuller participation in the faith, life, and evangelizing mission of the Church. Its Pastoral Care for Migrants, Refugees and Travelers program ministers to the special pastoral and cultural needs of immigrants from Africa, the Caribbean Islands, and Europe, as well as itinerant people, including seafarers, traveling show performers, truckers and tourists, while its Asian and Pacific Island Affairs program engages Catholics from Asian and Pacific Island communities in the United States.
“The initiatives that benefit from The Catholic Relief Services Collection bring hope and change lives of the most impoverished and vulnerable among us,” said Bishop James S. Wall of Gallup, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on National Collections. “It is my hope that you consider the Lord’s graces and blessings at work in your lives and consider how you might make a difference in the lives of those who are struggling.”
This collection helped sponsor a conference to seek peace and justice between South and North Korea. And in drought-stricken Kenya, the collection underwrote the renovation of water systems that now bring life and hope to millions of people through Catholic Relief Services. A project funded by the U.S. bishops’ Department of Migration and Refugee Services trained thousands of parish volunteers to assist 21,000 refugees from countries as diverse as Ukraine and Venezuela as they were resettled in the United States and are adjusting to life in a new culture as they make a new start. The Secretariat on Cultural Diversity in the Church brought together young Catholics from many ethnic backgrounds across the United States to build bridges of understanding that heal divisions in our Church, our country and our communities. And for the last 35 years, CLINIC has supported the needs of immigrants seeking legal services at the local level in communities across the country.
Most dioceses will take up the collection in their parishes on the weekend of March 9-10, though some choose a different date. #iGiveCatholicTogether also accepts funds for the collection.
In his 2024 Lenten message to the Church, Pope Francis invites us to reflect upon the desert experience that is so prevalent in the life of Jesus and throughout the sacred scriptures. “Lent is the season of grace in which the desert can become once more – in the words of the prophet Hosea – the place of our first love (cf. Hos 2:16-17). God shapes his people, he enables us to leave our slavery behind and experience a Passover from death to life.”
Jesus is depicted carrying his cross in a mosaic of the second station of the Stations of the Cross at St. Thomas More Church on the campus of St. John’s University in Jamaica, N.Y. (OSV News photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)
Essentially, the sacred season of Lent encourages us to step apart from the frenetic pace of life that has consumed us and to reflect – in the desert of our hearts – what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and to embrace his life and saving grace. In the midst of a world fraught with upheaval and pain as a result of wars, political and social polarization, and far too many “isms” and “phobias” that have proliferated throughout the globe, resulting in discrimination, hatred, pain and suffering, we need to step apart to assess our own role in contributing to the breakdown of peace and respect for the lives that God has placed within our own. “If our celebration of Lent is to be fruitful,” Pope Francis asserts, “the first step is to desire to open our eyes to reality.”
In the liturgy of Ash Wednesday every year, we listen to the words of the prophet Joel, who sets the stage not only for the season of Lent but for our response to the Lord’s call to discipleship. And he does so by challenging us to change our lives – not merely by performing religious gestures and practices – but by peering intensely into our hearts to insure that our spirit is honest and pure and open to the transforming power and presence of God. Saint Matthew, in that same liturgy, reinforces the words of the prophet as he calls us to pray, fast, and to give alms in support of the poor – not because such behavior will make us righteous – but because such acts for the true follower of Jesus are simply the consequence of faithful lives rooted in Jesus, who teaches us how best to live.
Pope Francis puts these three pillars of our lives as followers of Jesus into perspective. “Today, the cry of so many of our oppressed brothers and sisters rises to heaven. Let us ask ourselves: Do we hear that cry? Does it trouble us? Does it move us? … It is time to act. … Love of God and love of neighbour are one love. … For this reason, prayer, almsgiving and fasting are not three unrelated acts, but a single movement of openness and self-emptying, in which we cast out the idols that weigh us down, the attachments that imprison us. … In the presence of God, we become brothers and sisters, more sensitive to one another. In place of threats and enemies, we discover companions and fellow travelers. This is God’s dream, the promised land to which we journey once we have left our slavery behind.”
By providing greater opportunities for prayer and reflection, Lent then becomes both a time for personal conversion and a favorable season for opening the doors to all those in need and recognizing in them the face of Christ as it challenges us to consider the gift and blessing of the Sacrament of Baptism in our lives.
On the First Sunday of Lent, we will welcome catechumens into the ranks of the elect; those from our midst who have begun the journey of conversion and who will soon experience the saving power of Jesus in the Easter mysteries of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Their “yes” to the Lord’s call gives us hope and should encourage us to recommit ourselves to the vows that were made at our own baptisms. Their “yes” reminds us that we too are called to look beyond ourselves to something more in life.
As we continue to give thanks for the singular gift of God’s presence in the Holy Eucharist during the third year of Eucharistic Revival in our land, I will once again celebrate a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament in each of our twelve deaneries throughout the weeks of Lent. I look forward to praying with many of you as we seek God’s healing grace.
Finally, I encourage all of us to avail ourselves of the Lord’s mercy and healing in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
My friends, in the desert of our hearts, Lent calls us to reflect upon our relationship with God and to recognize that God is ever faithful and present, particularly amid the challenges that envelop our broken world and fragile lives. May we be humble enough to open our lives to God’s merciful presence and walk with him on the life-giving journey of conversion and renewal.
Please know of my prayers for a fruitful observance of Lent.
Faithfully yours in Christ, Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L. Bishop of Scranton
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SCRANTON – During Lent, the Cathedral of Saint Peter offers several ways in which the faithful can deepen their relationship with Jesus and come to know Him in a more intimate way.
CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton will make many of these opportunities available to the faithful through television broadcasts and livestream opportunities.
Every Sunday during Lent, the Cathedral will be hosting Adoration and Evening Prayer following the 5 p.m. Mass.
Evening Prayer is part of the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office. In the Liturgy of the Hours, the Church fulfills Jesus’ command to “pray always.”
Through this prayer, the people of God sanctify the day by continual praise of God and prayers of intercession for the needs of the world.
During Lent, CTV plans to broadcast both the Sunday 5 p.m. Mass live as well as the Sunday Evening Prayer that will begin directly thereafter (around 6:15 p.m.).
The first broadcast of the Sunday 5 p.m. Mass and Evening Prayer will take place on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024.
Every Friday during Lent, the Stations of the Cross are prayed following the 12:10 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral. Catholic Television will broadcast the Stations of the Cross each week live with rebroadcasts following the rebroadcast of the Daily Mass at 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Accompany our Lord to Calvary and meditate on His suffering.
The Rite of Election and the Call to Continuing Conversion is when candidates and catechumens participating in OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) publicly declare their intention to fully enter the Church.
CTV: Catholic Television will broadcast the celebration live on the First Sunday of Lent, Feb. 18, at 2:30 p.m.
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The parishes of the Scranton and Williamsport Deaneries are inviting the faithful to participate in ‘Road to Resurrection’ events this Lent.
In Scranton, the faithful will be able to immerse themselves in scripture from the Gospels as they are guided through the events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection.
In the Lycoming County area, the weekly prayer opportunities will feature Eucharistic Adoration, Benediction and Vespers.
SCRANTON – For the third year in a row, priests from across the Diocese of Scranton have taken to the kitchen, recording themselves cooking a favorite recipe, to raise money for anti-hunger, anti-homelessness initiatives of Catholic Social Services.
Rectory, Set, Cook! III began on Feb. 13 and will run for six weeks, wrapping up on March 26.
“I’m on the phone at least once a week with Catholic Social Services for something – somebody needing heating oil, somebody needing food,” Father Mike Kloton, Pastor, Good Shepherd Parish, Drums, and Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Freeland, said. “The employee who works the phones there recognizes my number!”
A total of 37 priests have participated in this year’s fundraiser – making a total of 30 videos. Some of the priests are being assisted by Catholic school students and other young people because the theme of this year’s effort is “Collars and Scholars.”
“By doing this, parishioners get a whole different view of us,” Father Kloton added. “They just want to see us as regular guys.”
For the last two years, Father James Paisley, who admits he has no culinary talent, has finished on top of the friendly culinary competition.
“It is a fun way to do something that a lot of priests have a little difficulty doing, which is asking for money,” Father Paisley said. “This is a fun way for us to put a good cause out there and have a lot of fun doing it.”
This year, Father Paisley says he decided on the perfect recipe after traveling all over the world to find ingredients for an “International Pizza.”
“It doesn’t matter if you have culinary skills. People see the fun that we’re having doing it and they’re thrilled to be able to support it,” he added.
Here is how the fundraiser works.
People who view the videos are asked to “support” their favorite recipe or priest by making a monetary donation of at least $10 per vote. People are welcome to donate as much money as they would like and are able to support as many priests as they desire.
“I try to come up with a recipe that hopefully everybody will like,” Father Jerry Gurka, Pastor, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Larksville, and All Saints Parish, Plymouth, explained. “As church and priests, we feed people spiritually and now we can feed people physically, helping people to be fed as well.”
This year, Father Gurka focused his culinary efforts around a key lime dessert.
“Key lime was my mom’s favorite recipe,” he said. “We are so happy to do this for people.”
Several philanthropic sponsors help to make Rectory, Set, Cook! possible, including our presenting sponsor, Hawk Family Foundation, and our Sous Chef Sponsors, M&T Bank and Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services and Discover NEPA.
To view all of the videos and vote for your favorite, scan the QR code in the graphic on this page or click on Rectory, Set, Cook! on the Diocese of Scranton website at dioceseofscranton.org.
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SCRANTON – Practice certainly paid off for Gerard Wazeter, who served as a lector for the Mass for Persons with Disabilities which was held on Feb. 11, 2024.
“I practiced a lot. I felt comfortable,” he said.
This year was the fourth time the Trucksville resident attended the special Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton. He also served as lector several years ago.
“It made me feel great,” Wazeter added. “It made me feel special.”
Gerard Wazeter of Trucksville proclaims the second reading during the Mass for Persons with Disabilities on Feb. 11, 2024.
The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, served as principal celebrant and homilist for the celebration on the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. In his homily, he noted how Pope Francis offered his monthly prayer intention for people with disabilities in December.
Bishop Bambera quoted the Holy Father, saying, “People with disabilities are the most fragile among us. Some of them suffer rejection rooted in either ignorance or prejudice which then marginalizes them. Civil institutions need to support their projects through access to education, employment and places where they can express their creativity. Programs and initiatives are needed that promote their inclusion. Above all else, big hearts are needed who want to accompany them. It means changing our mentality a little and opening ourselves to the abilities and talents of these people who are merely differently abled both in society as well as in the life of the Church.”
Those words touched Patrick Cannon of Nanticoke, who has attended the Mass for Persons with Disabilities since it began.
“It was beautiful. I enjoy this every year,” he said. “It touches me because it helps people like me that have disabilities. It brings everybody closer as a family.”
Numerous residents of Saint Joseph’s Center bless us with their presence and participation in the Mass for Persons with Disabilities.
Several local organizations, including Saint Joseph’s Center, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community and the Order of Alhambra, local caravan Alhamar #4 in Wilkes-Barre, partner with the Diocese of Scranton for the Mass.
“We’re a Catholic organization that was founded in 1904 and we assist those with intellectual disabilities,” Ada Magni, Scribe of the Exchequer with the Order of Alhambra, explained. “We offer a summer festival each year. We have dinner dances for those with Special Olympics.”
Magni says the Mass for Persons with Disabilities is important because it shows that everyone has gifts and talents that can be used – especially in the life of the church.
Many people with disabilities served as greeters, ushers, lectors, and gift bearers for the Mass.
“It touches people’s hearts to really see their kindness and their goodness,” she said. “They shine through in so many ways. As much as we try to touch their lives, they impact us in so many ways!”
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HAZLETON – A native son of Holy Rosary Parish, who has served that community since his ordination to the permanent diaconate in 2015, is now taking on additional responsibilities.
Deacon Vincent Oberto has been appointed by the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, to serve as Parish Life Coordinator (PLC) of both Holy Rosary Parish, Hazleton, and its linked parish of Holy Name of Jesus Parish, West Hazleton.
“I am humbly grateful,” Deacon Oberto said after his formal installation by Bishop Bambera on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024.
The installation of Deacon Oberto took place during the 4 p.m. Mass at Holy Name of Jesus Parish and immediately repeated at the 5:15 p.m. Mass at Holy Rosary Parish.
“It really is a touching tribute to all of you, that from amongst you, came a man who chose to receive and listen to the call of the Church to serve as a deacon and now in this unique role to lead this parish community,” Bishop Bambera said at the conclusion of the Holy Rosary Parish Mass.
The Code of Canon Law recognizes that there exist parish situations in which the ministry of a permanent pastor may not be possible. Canon 517 states that, because of a lack of priests, a Diocesan bishop may entrust the pastoral care of a parish to a deacon or some other person who is not a priest. Recognizing that the administration of the Sacraments requires the ministry of an ordained priest, a Priest Moderator is assigned to work in cooperation with the Parish Life Coordinator.
During his homily, Bishop Bambera noted that while the Diocese of Scranton currently has roughly 90 active Diocesan priests, by 2030, it is expecting to have only about 60 priests. The Diocese of Scranton’s Vision 2030 Pastoral Planning Process is proactively working to ensure the pastoral needs of parish communities can be met.
“That is a big challenge for us to keep our parishes alive and vibrant. I want to thank you for your willingness to embrace this model that we’re beginning tonight with the Parish Life Coordinator in the person of Deacon Vince,” Bishop Bambera said.
The Bishop stressed the Parish Life Coordinator model of parish leadership is not a novelty for the Diocese of Scranton. Over the last decade, several parishes have utilized the model and been very successful.
“We are leading the way for the future in the Hazleton area,” Deacon Oberto told The Catholic Light in an interview about his new role.
“In the last two years, there have been six different priests, including Monsignor (Arthur) Kaschenbach who passed away, that the people have gone through in the two parishes, so we have to bring a calm to the storm,” Deacon Oberto said.
“Everything will be okay. It is a great opportunity … When the people start seeing how it operates and how we function, it will be okay.”
During his formal installation, Deacon Oberto promised to serve the people of both parishes to the best of his ability, serve the needs of both parish communities, and work with the people to share the faith and Good News of the Gospel.
As Parish Life Coordinator, Deacon Oberto will oversee the administrative and pastoral needs of both parishes. He will facilitate lifelong faith formation in collaboration with parish catechetical leaders, assist in planning and coordinating weekly liturgies in collaboration with an appointed Sacramental minister, oversee visitation of parishioners who are sick, and supervise parish staff, among many other responsibilities.
“The people have seen me in many of these roles already,” Deacon Oberto said. The new ministry team for Holy Rosary and Holy Name of Jesus Parishes will include Father Connell A. McHugh, who will serve as Sacramental Minister, Father Michael J. Piccola, who will serve as Priest Moderator, and Father Sergio Leon Pamplona Henao, who will serve as Assistant Pastor.
As Sacramental Minister, Father McHugh will assist the parish communities by celebrating Mass, sacraments and providing other needed priestly ministry in collaboration with the Parish Life Coordinator.
As Priest Moderator, Father Piccola, who will continue to serve as Pastor of SS. Cyril & Methodius Parish, Hazleton, will supervise the pastoral care that is provided to both parishes in accordance with Canon Law.
As Assistant Pastor, Father Sergio will serve the Spanish-speaking community at Holy Name of Jesus Parish but also provide assistance in celebrating Masses in both communities.
Holy Rosary and Holy Name of Jesus Parishes were most recently served by Father J. Duane Gavitt, who retired because of health reasons on Jan. 27, 2024.
“There is more to a church than just a building, a priest, or a bishop. The church is the people of God,” Bishop Bambera said during his homily. “You know what gives me hope tonight. There is a filled church with people celebrating their faith, smiling, giving thanks and ready to continue to go forward.”
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SCRANTON — The Diocese of Scranton has an uncanny way of looking out for its own.
That magnanimous spirit of care and concern has arguably never been more evident and on display than during the past month, when Diocesan parishes and Catholic schools answered the call to duty in coming to the aid of a native son.
Students at Good Shepherd Academy in Kingston proudly display a ceremonial check representing the $2,105 the school raised in support of Scranton police Detective Kyle Gilmartin and his family.
In the early morning hours of Jan. 11, Scranton police Detective Kyle Gilmartin was critically wounded by gunfire in an ambush-style attack carried out by a young assailant while Scranton law enforcement was summoned to the city’s west side.
Detective Gilmartin, 34, a native of the Pittston area and nine-year veteran of the Scranton police department, suffered life-threatening injuries and was rushed to a city hospital, where he began his recovery that many have termed “miraculous.”
The fact that Gilmartin was faithfully carrying out his duties came as no surprise to his former mathematics teacher at Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre, Maureen Janoski, who referred to the wounded officer as a “good and nice student,” always dutifully completing his course work.
“I remember him being a very kind individual,” Marcus Grudzinski, a classmate of Detective Gilmartin at Holy Redeemer where he currently teaches social studies, said of the Scranton police officer, who also attended the former Saint Mary of the Assumption Elementary School and Seton Catholic High School, both in Pittston. “He was always someone who would help if someone needed help with anything.”
The Wilkes-Barre Catholic high school quickly responded in kind by collecting donations for their alumnus from the Royal family and conducting a “dress down” day, whereby students offered $3 to attend classes in casual attire.
“The outpouring of generosity was tremendous,” Holy Redeemer Principal Cody Opalka related. “Normally, a dress down day might bring in a few hundred dollars. This collection brought in $3,500.”
“It just goes to show how much love and respect our school community has for those who wear a badge, but also to a family that suffered such a traumatic event,” Opalka added, noting that during the week of Jan. 15 the entire school donned blue as a sign of solidarity for Detective Gilmartin.
In Lackawanna County, Saint Clare/Saint Paul School sprang into action as students, faculty, administrators and families conducted a sale of “SPD STRONG” signs for public display, which thus far has raised nearly $650.
Kara Ware, principal of the two Catholic elementary schools in Scranton’s Green Ridge section, said, “Our commitment to supporting Detective Gilmartin and the Scranton Police Department with a demonstrative symbol like selling the yard signs made perfect sense as a means for both raising funds, and showing how much our school and neighborhood community cares about our local law enforcement.
“Over the years, the Scranton Police has demonstrated their commitment to a partnership with Saint Clare and Saint Paul schools. Those signs are a daily reminder of the commitment, sacrifice put forth each day by the men and women on the force.”
Rebecca Yeager, eighth grade student and Student Council president at Saint Paul’s, said that highlighting the police department in this time of need “shows our support for a man whose job it is to protect us.”
Eileen Rishcoff, principal of Wyoming Area Catholic School whose son, Tim, graduated high school with Gilmartin, along with Father Michael Drevitch, assistant pastor at the nearby parish of Corpus Christi in West Pittston, related how she reached out to the school community to show their support.
“When the donations started rolling in, we were overwhelmed with the amazing response of love and willingness to help that our school family offered,” she said.
“We were able to donate $1,000 to officer Kyle Gilmartin and his family. We weren’t looking for any recognition, but simply teaching our students to always do the right thing!”
Faithful who attended Masses at the Cathedral of Saint Peter during the Jan. 13-14 weekend contributed $2, 368 to a special collection that directly aided Detective Gilmartin and his family.
“We remain humbled by the generosity of our Cathedral family, especially in responding to the needs of a local hero and his family in a time of exceptional need,” Father Jeff Tudgay, Cathedral pastor, said. “Detective Gilmartin and his family continue to be in our prayers and his swift recovery entrusted to God.”
The weekend of Jan. 20-21 saw parishioners from Gate of Heaven Church, Dallas, and Our Lady of Victory Church, Harveys Lake, give $1,198 and $1,227, respectively, to special Mass collections resulting in checks (totaling nearly $2,500) Father Andrew Hvozdovic, the parishes’ pastor, personally presented to the Scranton Police Department.
“Once I learned of the unfortunate situation of Detective Gilmartin, I felt obligated to have my parishes do something to help,” Father Hvozdovic expressed. “My own father was a Wilkes-Barre city firefighter for 30 years and my nephew is currently serving in the Marine Corps, so I have first-hand experience of what it means to have a first responder in the family. Our prayers continue to be with the Gilmartin family.”
