Category: 2024 News

DALTON – A total of 62 women took a step back from the busyness of their lives recently to participate in the ‘Bold and Beloved Women’s Retreat’ sponsored by the Diocesan Office for Parish Life.

The Jan. 26-28 weekend event held at Holy Transfiguration Retreat Center gave each woman the opportunity to reflect, recharge, and find rest in our Lord.

“It was everything I expected and more,” Anne Jenkins, parishioner of Saint Nicholas/Saint Mary Parish in Wilkes-Barre, said. “The ladies have been just so welcoming. I’m making all the connections I had hoped to make.”

The weekend featured four different talks and time for personal reflection, along with two Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, and the opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

“There is something beautiful about women coming together. Our culture today seems to almost discourage it,” Grace Zelinka, parishioner of Saint Jude in Mountain Top, said. “While we’re all different ages and at different places in life, we all have our faith in common and have a lot of the same values.”

The age range of participants spanned from early 20s to a 92-year-old woman.

“It has been so edifying to see so many women having an experience of their faith with other women in our diocese,” Mary Hallman, Diocesan Secretary for Parish Life, explained.

Theresa Plishka of Forty Fort attended the retreat with her mother after deciding to give her the experience as a Christmas present.

“We have a big family and she has a lot of grandkids running around so I thought it would be nice for both of us to take some time away from the world, the headaches of all the things we have to do,” Plishka said. “I thought what a great way for both of us to grow in our relationship with each other and our relationship with God.”

Retreat organizers say they found many mother-daughter duos who signed up for the experience together.

“It has just been really moving to see how those relationships are being blessed by the Lord today,” Marianne Guarnieri, Diocesan Director for Discipleship, added.

The retreat was led by Kara Kardell and Fred Shellabarger, founders of Draw Near, a movement that draws people close to Christ and one another through prayer, music, and communal spiritual exercises. Many of the reflections and discussions revolved around the teachings of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.

“Saint Therese is a personal favorite saint of mine and having a weekend dedicated to her teachings, I felt would definitely help me grow closer in my faith,” Hannah Halliday, parishioner of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Peckville, said. “I definitely feel that I’ve grown stronger in my faith just in the last couple of days that I’ve been here. I’ve learned so much that I’m going to take home and will encourage my fiancé to join me in strengthening our faith.”

“It was amazing to hear Kara’s testimony and her connections with God and her authenticity,” Kathleen Swann Fisher, parishioner of Saint John the Apostle Church in East Stroudsburg, added.

Funding from the Diocesan Annual Appeal helped to make the 2024 Bold & Beloved Retreat a reality. Generous gifts to the Appeal each year help to fund Parish Life initiatives throughout the Diocese of Scranton. The Diocesan Office for Parish Life provides leadership formation, spiritual renewal opportunities and many resources to all 110 parishes in our 11 counties. Working in collaboration with clergy and lay leadership, the Diocesan Office for Parish Life aims to help all people live out their faith fully, share it freely with others and transform the world in Christ.

WILKES-BARRE – Holy Redeemer High School honored the legacy of its late principal by dedicating a new learning center in her honor Jan. 28, 2024.

In front of dozens of family members, fellow educators and friends, the Doreen Dougherty Digital Learning Commons was blessed and put into use.

“The day my mother came into Holy Redeemer, she saw the library and immediately had a vision for what it could be,” daughter Shaina Aquilina said. “To see it really come to life today has been something that is truly special and unique.”

Dougherty died last August after an illness. She had been working on transforming the school’s library into an environment that better met student needs at the time of her passing since she became principal of the building in 2019.

“The library was previously just somewhere you would grab a book and go back to class and now it feels like more of a community atmosphere. Every table has room for more than one person,” son Devin Dougherty explained.

The new space is filled with desks, sofas, smart boards, and computers – an environment better suited to help students engage in the digital era.

“The Digital Learning Commons really became a space for the future and a space where students can have that college feel,” principal Cody Opalka stated.

Opalka said Dougherty talked often about space, so naming it after her will forever highlight the lasting impact on those around her.

“Doreen was such a servant leader. She would make time for you even if she had a million things going on,” Opalka added. “Her dedication and passion for education made her the perfect principal for Holy Redeemer.”

For Doreen’s family, the word many repeated at the dedication ceremony was “grateful.”

“I’m so grateful that they put in the time, effort and dedication that it took to make this space everything she wanted it to be and more,” Aquilina said.

“I just want to thank everyone. It has been amazing to see the impact and legacy she has left and will continue to leave on everyone,” Dougherty added.

DURYEA – Cans of chicken noodle, vegetable and tomato soup weren’t just flying off store shelves recently. They were rolling down ramps in a heated competition inside Holy Rosary School.

As part of Catholic Schools Week 2024, the Duryea school held its annual ‘Soup Can Derby’ to benefit the Pittston food pantry. Students were invited to bring in cans of soup on Jan. 29 – and test how fast they would go down a plywood platform in the school gym against other student’s cans.

“It is truly exciting. We get to dress up and not only have fun with things like the soup can derby racing, but we also get to donate and give back to our community,” seventh grader Julianna Ciuccio said.

On only the first day, students collected 386 soup cans and had a goal of surpassing 450 cans by the end of the week.

“Throughout the year we do many service projects. We sent Christmas stockings to Janet Weis (Children’s Hospital) for kids that are stuck in the hospital during the holiday,” Debbie Brady, Holy Rosary’s 8th grade teacher, explained. “The students just made soup the other day and brought it up to Crossin Towers and Father Michael helped with that.”

Each year, Holy Rosary students enjoy challenging their friends in the ‘Soup Can Derby.’ They understand, however, that it benefits a very important cause.

“Jesus went out with His disciples and gave to those who needed it, so this is us going out, we’re doing what Jesus wants us to do and give to those in need,” seventh grader Haley Karboski explained.

As part of Catholic Schools Week, Holy Rosary students also got to participate in an Irish Step Dance class, talent show, and wacky activities. In addition to the soup cans, they also collected socks for those in need and sold candy to benefit the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters who have been so integral to the history of the school.

Jackie Keating, who is not only the 6th grade teacher at Holy Rosary, but a parent of three daughters at the school, said she is constantly amazed by how receptive students are to the Christian values they are being taught.

“I think the one thing that stands out to everyone is the foundation of Christ,” Keating explained. “My gets get to experience that and live that every single day and not just on Sunday at Mass!”

KINGSTON – Students at Good Shepherd Academy were jumping with joy and the gymnasium was filled with laughter Feb. 1, as a member of the Harlem Wizards entertained and educated the students during a Catholic Schools Week assembly.

“It was our first experience with the Harlem Wizards,” Jim Jones, principal, said. “They deliver an inspirational message, and they couple that message around athletics and basketball, and they interweave that message with our children. While they’re seeing something fun, they’re leaving with a message that they need to be good people, have upstanding values and need to treat others with respect.”

For an hour, the students were treated to comedic skits, ball-handling tricks and more.

“I always look forward to Catholic Schools Week as just a break from regular school,” eighth grader Chase Liska said. “You don’t have to worry so much about work and different projects.”

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Catholic Schools Week. In addition to the Harlem Wizards assembly, Good Shepherd also had a ‘Science in Motion’ presentation, talent show, spirit day and much more.

“It gives us a week to celebrate not only our academics, but we celebrate our teachers and our students, we celebrate our PTA, we celebrate our athletic associations, we celebrate everything that is good about Catholic education,” Jones said. “Everything at Good Shepherd, we begin in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These students are the future of our church. They’re the future of society.”

As she prepares to move onto high school next year, eighth grader Sienna Curry said she has been given both the academic and spiritual foundation to succeed.

“They definitely prepare us. We do a lot of service projects and work together,” she said. “This school is a family. It is a great community to be in.”

While Catholic Schools Week is always a fun experience, it is also a time to highlight why Catholic schools are great places of academic excellence and faith-filled mission.

“Here at Good Shepherd, we place our utmost trust in our delivery of the academics, the spiritual, emotional, social, and physical growth of children. We’re setting the stage for their futures,” Jones said.

DUNMORE – A central aspect of Catholic education is learning the importance of service to others. As part of Catholic Schools Week, every Catholic school participates in service activities to showcase how to make the world a better place.

At Saint Mary of Mount Carmel School, students wrote letters to their parish priests, collected personal care items for veterans at Gino Merli Veterans Center and held a cereal box domino event on Feb. 2, 2024.

“We started our cereal box domino during COVID. We did it upstairs in the hallway and it became a thing. The kids really liked it,” Maryelizabeth Shattin, principal, said.

Students are invited to bring in a box of their favorite cereal and the eighth grade set up all of boxes in a path that would have them all fall in the pattern of dominoes.

“It is really a great way for us to help others. We turned it into a class competition as well. The class that collects the most, in ounces, gets a dress down day,” Shattin added.

The whole school looked on and cheered as the cereal boxes all started to topple on each other.

More than just providing a few exciting minutes, all the cereal boxes were then donated to a worthy community cause.

“They are going to a really good cause. They are going to Saint Ann’s food pantry,” eighth grader Keira Lalli explained. “We do a lot of service projects throughout the year, and we give to people in need, and it shows that we care for people.”

Shattin said events like the cereal box domino are an easy, fun way to instill Christian values of service and giving in the students – with the goal of making them good Christians.

“We listen to the Gospel and listen to the things Jesus did, helping those around him, and we want to instill that in our students,” she said. “We want them to walk in Jesus’ shoes.”

WILKES-BARRE – There is no question that the eighth graders at Saint Nicholas-Saint Mary School appreciate their teachers – but that didn’t mean they would show them any mercy on the volleyball court.

On Tuesday, Jan. 30, the Wilkes-Barre school held its annual 8th grade vs. teachers volleyball game in the school gym as part of Catholic Schools Week 2024.

Leading up to the game, eighth grader Megan Ohrin, predicted a fun time.

“We’re going to get some good competition going between us,” she said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s going to be really funny.”

Patrice Perry, a third-grade teacher, said she loves Catholic Schools Week because there are different activities – like the volleyball game – that take place each day.

“The kids are thrilled to see their teachers out there – being one of the kids,” Perry explained.

The teachers – who wore black t-shirts with their name ‘Breakroom Bandits’ on the front – ended up taking home the win in the fiercely-fought competition in front of the whole school.

“We get so close with them,” eighth grader Lilah Hilal said of her teachers. “All the teachers have helped me so much.”

“We have great teachers,” Ohrin added. “Everyone knows everyone. Everyone is really close.”

Teachers are the backbone of Catholic Schools. While many think Catholic Schools Week is just for students, in reality, it also helps to honor teachers, administrators, staff and volunteers who help to create a family-like atmosphere in every building.

“We always call it our Saint Nick-Saint Mary family because that is what we are every day. Faculty, student, staff, everyone works together,” Perry explained.

HAZLETON – An estimated 1,500 people packed into the gymnasium at Holy Family Academy on Jan. 21, 2024, to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Altagracia.

The colorful celebration was filled with beautiful music and brought together several parishes in the greater Hazleton area that have Spanish Masses.

“What we had today was a big celebration, three parishes together and everybody as Dominican, but we also got people from other communities who are not Dominican because they enjoy gathering together,” Father Neftali Feliz-Sena, Assistant Pastor, Annunciation Parish, said.

Our Lady of Altagracia is the patroness of the Dominican Republic.

“She is the Queen of the Universal Church and the Hispanic people in particular have a great love for their mother. You see how mothers are revered and honored in their culture and it falls into line very naturally that the mother of God, who is our mother, would be the mother of Dominicans and all of us,” Father Kevin Miller, Pastor, Annunciation Parish, explained.

The Mass was filled with young people, multi-generational families, and many others coming together to celebrate their culture and heritage.

“They never want to forget how important it is to keep their language and to be able to practice their faith with love and joy,” Father Miller added.

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, served as principal celebrant and homilist for the special celebration. At the beginning of the liturgy, the crowds cheered and applauded as Bishop Bambera was presented with a handmade mitre for the Eucharistic celebration.

During his homily, the Bishop reminded the crowd that Mary was the first disciple of Jesus.

“Mary was not only a recipient of God’s mercy but also an instrument through which that same mercy poured into the lives of others,” Bishop Bambera said.

Jose Rafael Rodriguez, parishioner of Annunciation Parish, said he was amazed at the turnout for the celebration.

“The love for Altagracia is humongous,” he said. “We love her kindness and what she does for the Dominican people. She is our protector.”

SCRANTON – Just two days after the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., the faithful in the Diocese of Scranton gathered together at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton for the annual ‘Mass for Life’ on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024.

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, served as principal celebrant and homilist.

“The overturning of Roe has given the Pro-Life cause great hope. It has not, however, ended the work that still needs to be done to create a culture of life in our land. And that, brothers and sisters, is why we pray so intently at this Mass today,” Bishop Bambera said during his homily.

The bishop said we all must work to preserve and protect human life at all stages, from conception to natural death.

“Our greatest efforts in building a culture of life are discovered when we courageously speak the truth, as Jesus has proclaimed it, and when we, in turn, respond to those whose beliefs fall short of treating all lives with dignity and respect with respect, dignity and love,” he added.

Those who attended the Mass were encouraged to bring new packages of diapers and wipes to be donated to local mothers and babies in need.

Because of the generosity of the faithful, more than 2,200 diapers were collected at the Mass. The diapers were all given to the Providence Pregnancy Center in Scranton, Saint Joseph’s Center in Dunmore and Catholic Social Services.

All three organizations say they are always in need of donations. Currently, workers say their biggest needs are newborn diapers and newborn clothing. Donations can be made directly to any one of the three organizations.

 

SCRANTON – More than 100 people came together at the Cathedral of Saint Peter on Jan. 24, 2024, to observe the global Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christians were among those gathered at the Cathedral to uphold our commitment as disciples of Jesus, whose hope was that all of His followers may be one.

“As we put our faith into practice, we come to learn from one another, to see what we have in common and where we differ,” Monsignor Vincent Grimalia, Coordinator for Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations for the Diocese of Scranton, said in welcoming the crowd. “The parable of the good Samaritan teaches us to show love in spite of our differences as children of God.”

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, led the Ecumenical Prayer Service. Bishop Bambera serves as the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.

He urges Christians throughout the United States to unite across denominational lines and pray for peace.

“Given the paralyzing nature of polarization and tragedy of war that have spread throughout our world today, the importance of living the love of Christ in our own circumstances cannot be overemphasized,” Bishop Bambera said. “May Christians throughout our country come together across denominational lines to pray for peace in our world and an end to the sad divisions that prevent us from fully loving each other as Christ loves us all.”

The theme for this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was, “You shall love the Lord your God … and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)

The Reverend Rebecca Barnes of Saint Luke Episcopal Church in Scranton focused on that theme and the Gospel reading of the good Samaritan as offered a sermon.

“‘Who is my neighbor’ is a central question in our church, in our congregations and communities, in our ecumenical and interfaith conversations today. It is a question in our society at large,” Mother Barnes said. “Though we may not wish to admit it, I wonder how often do we think that people with whom we disagree or people who are different than us, don’t really deserve God’s mercy, don’t really deserve saving.”

In using the Gospel parable, she explained that “mercy is a gift freely given” by God, who uses it “for our weaknesses, our distress, our fear and our anxiety.”

In a world where that mercy might currently be in short supply, Mother Barnes challenged those in attendance to be like the good Samaritan and be courageous enough to act as each other’s neighbor.

“Together, we are called to be agents of God’s love, mercy, and healing. We are called to love God and love our neighbor. That is everyone – because we are all made in the image of God. We are all children of the one God – and so – we are all more than even neighbors. We are brothers and sisters, one of another,” she said.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity started in 1908 when Father Paul Wattson, SA, the founder of the religious order, the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, conceived of the idea of a Christian Unity Octave – an observation of eight days of prayer – for an end to divisions between Christians.

Since the Second Vatican Council, it has been co-organized by the World Council of Churches and the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.