Category: Diocese of Scranton News

BRODHEADSVILLE – The Diocese of Scranton will bring together Hispanic Catholics from across northeastern and north central Pennsylvania on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, for the sixth annual Hispanic Heritage Mass & Celebration at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Brodheadsville.

This year’s theme, “Unidos Somos Más” – “United We Are More,” reflects both the rich diversity of the Diocese’s Hispanic communities and the Catholic faith that unites them. Hispanic Catholics throughout the Diocese represent many countries, cultures and traditions, but together they form one community of faith and one Body of Christ.

The celebration will begin with a noon Mass, with the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, serving as principal celebrant.

A Marian procession following Mass will recognize the deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary found throughout Hispanic and Latino cultures. Different communities may honor Mary through distinct titles and traditions, but their devotion points to the same Mother of Christ and offers a beautiful expression of unity within the Church.

International Catholic evangelist and speaker Salvador Gómez will also be in attendance, sharing a message of faith and hope for families and young people.

The celebration will last well into the afternoon with fellowship featuring food, music, folkloric dance, cultural activities and a youth soccer tournament.

The gathering will take place during National Hispanic Heritage Month, observed Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. First established nationally as a weeklong observance in 1968, Hispanic Heritage Month took its current form two decades later, when Congress expanded the commemoration to a 30-day period. Its mid-September beginning also coincides with the independence anniversaries of several Latin American nations.

For the Diocese of Scranton, Hispanic Heritage Month provides an opportunity not only to celebrate where our communities come from, but also to recognize the gifts Hispanic Catholics bring to the life and future of the Church.

That is the deeper meaning of “Unidos Somos Más.”

It is an invitation to strengthen relationships across cultures and parishes, celebrate the traditions that make each community unique, and recognize that our shared faith in Jesus Christ is greater than anything that separates us.

SCRANTON – The 2026-27 Catholic Ministries Appeal marks the 40th Annual Appeal of the Diocese of Scranton, continuing a tradition of generosity and stewardship that began with the Bishop’s Annual Appeal and transition to the Diocesan Annual Appeal and, most recently, the Catholic Ministries Appeal.

While much has changed over four decades, the purpose remains the same: when we unite as one local Church, we can accomplish far more together.

This year, we see that impact in a special way with the reestablishment of Saint Pius X Seminary in the former Cathedral Convent in Scranton.

Through your prayers and financial support, the Appeal also helps care for those most in need, strengthens our parishes and supports vital ministries throughout the Diocese’s 11 counties.

For more on the many Catholic ministries funded by the Catholic Ministries Appeal, including Vocations and Seminarian Support, Catholic Schools, Catholic Social Services, Catholic Media and Communications, Parish Life and Parish Grant Support, refer to pages 3-6 of this edition of The Catholic Light.

As parishes celebrate Commitment Weekend, we invite you to join us in answering this annual call to stewardship and to prayerfully discern your gift toward this year’s $4.5 million goal.

Thank you for helping us celebrate 40 years of generosity, ministry, and shared mission!

To donate to the Appeal, or learn more about the Catholic ministries it funds, visit AnnualAppeal.org.

SCRANTON – The Diocese of Scranton’s annual Red Mass will be celebrated on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, at 12:10 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

Historically, the Red Mass is attended by judges, lawyers and legislators for the purpose of invoking God’s blessing and guidance in the administration of justice. Its traditional name is derived from the color of vestments worn by the celebrants of the Mass, symbolizing the tongues of fire, which indicate the presence of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, the robes of the attending royal judges were, in ancient days, bright scarlet.

The public is invited to the Red Mass to pray for those in the legal profession. Members of the county bar associations from across the 11-county Diocese and the Diocesan Tribunal staff are also invited to participate.

CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton will broadcast the Red Mass live and a livestream will be available on the Diocese of Scranton website, YouTube channel and links will be provided on all social media platforms.

WILKES-BARRE – For 25 years, Deborah Brady, Candice Lee and Jeanine Queralt have walked into Catholic school classrooms with a shared mission: to educate young people while helping them know, love and live their Catholic faith.

Their quarter-century of service was celebrated on Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, as the Diocese of Scranton held its annual Diocesan Teachers’ Institute at Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes-Barre.

The day began with Mass celebrated by the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, followed by a keynote address, lunch and breakout sessions for the educators.

At the conclusion of Mass, Bishop Bambera and Kristen Donohue, Diocesan Secretary for Catholic Education/Superintendent, presented the three long-time educators with the Saint John Paul II Awards, which recognize Catholic school educators who have completed 25 years of dedicated service in Catholic education in the Diocese of Scranton.

This year’s honorees were Brady of Holy Rosary School in Duryea, Lee of La Salle Academy in Jessup, and Queralt of Our Lady of Peace School in Clarks Green.

“Catholic school educators impart a distinctive character to the education profession,” Assistant Superintendent Christopher Tigue said in introducing the awards. “Most especially, they are witnesses to the faith, serving as sharers in the mission of Jesus Christ by leading young people to know, love and serve God.”

Brady, who teaches students in sixth through eighth grades, said she has seen a lot of changes since first walking in the doors of Holy Rosary School.

“I’ve seen a lot of growth. I’ve seen a lot of change,” she reflected. “To see the growth in the kids that you start off with … and they come back to visit you, it’s actually life changing to see that you can make an impact in somebody’s life.”

Brady previously taught at a public high school in New Jersey, but she said becoming part of Catholic education quickly became a calling. She said one of the greatest blessings has been the opportunity to share her faith with her students.

“What is the big hook for me? Sharing the faith,” she said. “I am very faithful and faith-filled, so to be able to present that to the kids, and live it, is incredible.”

Lee also began her Catholic school career at Holy Rosary School before spending the past decade teaching first grade at La Salle Academy.

For her, like Brady, teaching in a Catholic school is more than a profession.

“I feel Catholic education is truly my vocation,” Lee said. “Teaching in particular in a Catholic education system is my vocation. Just learning and living the faith and teaching it to the children and families.”

Her favorite part of teaching first grade is watching children grow throughout the school year.

“Just to get to see their smiling faces where they love school,” she said. “They walk in so young and they leave being able to read and so confident, I love it.”

Queralt currently teaches Pre-K at Our Lady of Peace School in Clarks Green. She spent 20 years at Monsignor McHugh School in Cresco before its closure during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Queralt’s own Catholic education experience helped shape her vocation. She attended Catholic schools beginning with Saint Patrick’s School, later attending Bishop Hannan High School.

“I couldn’t imagine teaching and not being able to talk about God,” she said.

At the Pre-K level, Queralt said faith formation often begins with something as simple and profound as kindness.

“How would Jesus treat other people? What would Jesus do?” she explained. “Just setting an example for them, modeling for them, it’s a lot about kindness at that age.”

And even at such a young age, she said, children respond to learning about their faith.

“They love hearing about God. They love religion class. They love to hear the stories,” Queralt said. “They quiet down and they’re so interested in it.”

During his homily at Mass, Bishop Bambera reminded all Catholic educators that their ministry extends far beyond academics.

“As Catholic educators, we entrust to you our most sacred treasure – our children,” Bishop Bambera said. “You sacrifice daily to give them the very best of what you have – your wisdom, your common sense, your patience.”

But he added, educators offer something even greater: the love they have received from God.

“At the heart of who you are, that is your greatest gift,” he said. “Thank you for sharing your love and thank you for sharing your faith.”

SCRANTON – The faithful of the Diocese of Scranton are invited to come together in prayer during a Rosary Rally at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

The upcoming gathering, sponsored by Holy Cross Family Ministries, follows two reflection sessions on the Rosary that the organization sponsored on Aug. 24, 2026, at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Scranton.

The afternoon and evening sessions invited participants to look more deeply at the Rosary as a way of encountering Christ and finding peace amid the distractions and challenges of daily life.

“The primary message is to share the power of the Rosary – that it is an encounter with Jesus Christ,” Craig Dyke, Director of Programs and Mission Outreach for Holy Cross Family Ministries, said. “We contemplate the face of Jesus by putting our prayers together with Mary.”

Dyke also encouraged people not to approach the Rosary simply as a prayer to rush through.

“Better to pray one mystery well than five poorly,” he said, encouraging participants to meditate on the life of Jesus and recognize His presence in their own lives.

Pat Williams of Our Lady of the Abingtons Parish in Dalton attended the August reflection and said it offered meaningful insights into the Blessed Mother.

“I think we need to do more praying, more rosaries,” Williams said. “She’s open and willing to listen.”

The upcoming Rosary Rally on Oct. 17 is open to all.

AVOCA – Beneath a large American flag suspended between two fire trucks, a procession of Boy Scouts carrying the colors and first responders in full dress made their way through the streets of Avoca to Queen of the Apostles Parish on Sept. 11, 2026.

Twenty-five years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the community continues to gather in prayer – remembering those who lost their lives, honoring the first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice and giving thanks for the men and women who continue to serve their communities today.

The annual Blue Mass and 9/11 Memorial Service at Queen of the Apostles Parish brought together local police, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, Scouts, elected officials, families, and parishioners for an evening of remembrance and gratitude.

“Since 1874, Christians have been coming to Saint Mary Church in Avoca to pray for their many needs,” Father Thomas Petro, Pastor of Queen of the Apostles Parish, said. “For the past 25 years, we’ve been gathering in prayer to pray for the victims and the heroes of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.”

The Mass began with a bagpipe escort and the presentation of the colors. Avoca Scouts Troop 316 and Pack 316 participated in the procession.

Inside the church, a framed photograph commemorating the FDNY firefighters who died on Sept. 11 was displayed near the ambo, serving as a visible reminder of the lives lost that day.

Father Petro said the annual Mass has become both an act of remembrance and a spiritual responsibility.

“We look forward to hosting this Mass as an act of gratitude and our own spiritual duty for those who have cared for us,” he said. “We wish to care for them spiritually and to remember them in our prayers.”

For retired Avoca Fire Chief Chris VanLuvender, continuing the tradition for 25 years has been an important way to honor both the victims and the heroes of 9/11.

“At the beginning of this, we thought it would be a nice tribute to have this every year and continue it every year,” Van Luvender said. “So far, it has been going on for the last 25 years.”

Donald Hudzinski, President of the Pittston Township Ambulance, said the Blue Mass provides an opportunity for the parish and emergency services communities to come together.

“Through this service, together we pray not only for our municipalities, but for the emergency service providers,” he said. “Not just for who they are, but for what they are called on to do.”

Hudzinski emphasized the critical role first responders play when others are in crisis.

“It’s a very challenging profession. But it’s very rewarding personally – that all these people carry out their duties with care, compassion, and service, and do it for people that they’ve probably never met,” he added.

The evening concluded with one of Father Petro’s favorite traditions: the blessing of emergency vehicles parked outside the church along Hawthorne Street.

“I feel like a little boy walking around those big shiny red trucks and saying prayers and blessing them,” Father Petro said.

The vehicles, Hudzinski noted, are more than equipment.

“They are an instrument of what we do,” he said.

WYALUSING – When the Most Rev. Ambrose Puthenveettil traveled from Kerala, India, to the United States for the first time as a Bishop, he came with a simple purpose – to see his priests.

But as he spent time visiting the priests from his Diocese, the Diocese of Kottapuram, who are serving across the United States, the Bishop said he left with something more: a renewed appreciation for the vibrancy of the Catholic Church in the United States.

“I came especially to greet and meet my priests,” Bishop Ambrose said following Masses Sept. 13 at Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Towanda and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Wyalusing. “I also wanted to meet some of the people.”

The Diocese of Kottapuram currently has 11 priests serving in the United States. During his pastoral visit, Bishop Ambrose traveled to meet priests in Florida, Iowa, Colorado, and Michigan, while also spending almost a full week in northeastern and central Pennsylvania.

Three of his priests currently serve in the Diocese of Scranton.

Father Shinu Vazhakkoottathil John is Assistant Pastor of Saint Eulalia Parish, Roaring Brook Township, and Saint Catherine of Siena Parish, Moscow. Father Dias Antony Valiamarathungal is Assistant Pastor of Saint Boniface Parish and Saint Ann Parish, both in Williamsport. Father Jose Joseph Kuriappilly is Pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Towanda, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Wyalusing.

For Bishop Ambrose, the visit provided an opportunity to see firsthand how his priests have become part of the communities they serve.

“He has come into their hearts, and he has become a member of their family,” the Bishop said of Father Jose Kuriappilly. “The people love him very much. They were telling me that they don’t want to let him go from this place.”

In Williamsport, parishioners welcomed Bishop Ambrose to celebrate Mass at Saint Boniface Church with Father Dias, calling the visit a reminder that the Catholic Church connects people “across countries, cultures and continents.”

The Bishop also celebrated Mass in Roaring Brook Township, where parishioners welcomed him alongside Father Shinu.

His visit to the Diocese of Scranton ended with Father Jose, celebrating Masses in both Towanda and Wyalusing. Parishioners gathered afterward for meals and had the opportunity to meet their pastor’s Bishop.

“It was a great day for me because my Bishop was with me in both parishes,” Father Jose said. “You see the people – they are so happy here today.”

Bishop Ambrose also had the opportunity to meet with the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, to help strengthen the relationship between their two dioceses. During their time together, the Bishops discussed the growing bond between their local churches and the continued need for priests.

Bishop Ambrose said his pastoral visit gave him a positive perspective on the Church in the United States.

“I have been a Bishop for two and a half years, and I got the impression that the Catholic Church has a future in the USA,” he said.

He pointed to the faithful he encountered at Mass and the young men discerning priestly vocations as signs of hope.

“I got the conviction that the Catholic faith is very vibrant,” he added. “Jesus has told us, don’t worry, I will always be with you. He guides His Church.”

Father Jose said that was one of the most important things he hoped his Bishop would discover during his visit.

“He experienced real faith in our American Church,” Father Jose said. “He has realized how the faith is growing here again. It is emerging and growing. I can feel that.”

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities is inviting Catholics to join a focused effort of prayer and action to stop the spread of abortion pills.

Launched on Aug. 18, the effort will continue through Oct. 31, which includes the month-long commemoration of Respect Life Month observed each October by the Catholic Church in the United States.

“Every abortion involves the death of a child and harm to the mother. Now with easier access to abortion pills, the abortion rate is tragically climbing, along with increased health risks,” Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said in joint remarks.

According to an estimate from Guttmacher Institute, a research firm for the abortion industry, 1.12 million abortions took place in 2025, marking a 21% increase from 2020. Guttmacher said 2020 marked “the last year of comprehensive national estimates” before the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. Dobbs overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and its related abortion precedents, returning the matter of abortion back to the legislative branch.

Guttmacher found the figures for 2025 were largely unchanged from the prior year, but suggested abortion numbers overall may be an undercount due to people acquiring abortion pills in advance or obtaining them by means other than U.S. abortion clinic providers.

Abortion rates in the U.S. bottomed out in 2017, when they were estimated to be just over 862,000, and began increasing again in the first Trump administration, which also approved the first generic for mifepristone, commonly called “the abortion pill,” in 2019. The pill is commonly used in combination with misoprostol for early abortion, although the same combination is also used in some miscarriage care protocols that were more recently recommended for consideration by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

More than six of 10 abortions in the U.S. are performed through a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol, according to recent estimates.

The Catholic Church teaches that all human life is sacred from conception to natural death, and as such, opposes direct abortion. Following the Dobbs decision, U.S. Church officials have reaffirmed the Church’s concern for both mother and child, and have called for enhancing support to those made vulnerable to abortion through poverty and other factors.

A federal policy permitting distribution by mail of mifepristone was first issued by the Biden administration following the Dobbs decision. The policy has thus far been left in place by the second Trump administration, which approved a second generic for mifepristone in 2025 to the shock of pro-life groups.

The Department of Justice, under the current Trump administration, has also sought to block state challenges to the policy pending a promised safety review by the Food and Drug Administration. But the status and timeline of the FDA review are unclear.

Archbishop Coakley and Bishop Thomas stated that the FDA “has enabled a nationwide mail-order abortion industry by allowing abortion pills to be prescribed in telehealth appointments and sold both at neighborhood pharmacies and online, circumventing state laws that protect life in the womb.”

“This leaves women vulnerable to suffering an abortion alone at home, without any medical supervision,” they said. “It also sets up additional opportunities for exploitation by violent partners or human traffickers.”

The bishops said that from the official start of the campaign through the end of October, when the Church in the U.S. marks Respect Life Month, “the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities is inviting Catholics to join a focused effort of prayer and action to stop the spread of abortion pills.”

They urged Catholics to seek “the intercession of St. Joseph, Defender of Life” as well as to send messages to pharmacies and pharmaceutical companies that are involved.

“We are setting up a simple on-line platform allowing users to click and send one message that will go to multiple entities, such as brick-and-mortar pharmacies and online pharmacies, distributors, and pharmaceutical companies,” Kat Talalas, assistant director for pro-life communications at the USCCB’s Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, told OSV News. “We are also developing educational resources about the abortion pill, which will help explain distinctions between miscarriage care versus ending the life of a child in an abortion.”

The Catholic Church teaches that all human life is sacred from conception to natural death, and as such, opposes direct abortion. Following the Dobbs decision, U.S. Church officials have reaffirmed the Church’s concern for both mother and child, and have called for enhancing support to those made vulnerable to abortion through poverty and other factors.

JESSUP – As the new school year began at La Salle Academy, students did something that few other Catholic school students in the country can say they have done: They began their school year worshipping in two Catholic churches, experiencing two distinct liturgical traditions, but being reminded that both lead them to Christ.

On Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, students began their day at Saint Michael Church in Jessup, the principal worship site of Queen of Angels Parish, which is located directly across the street from their school. The students gathered for a Roman Catholic Mass celebrated by Father Andrew Kurovsky, Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Peckville.

Father Roman Vasylynka, Administrator of Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church in Jessup, concelebrated the Mass.

But the morning did not end when the final blessing was given.

The students then crossed the street to Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church, located directly beside La Salle Academy, where they received a special blessing and an introduction to the Byzantine Catholic tradition from Father Vasylynka and Father Bert James Olechnowicz, Parochial Vicar.

The experience highlighted one of the things that makes La Salle Academy unique.

It is a bi-ritual Catholic school, where both the Roman Catholic and Byzantine Catholic traditions are recognized and celebrated. La Salle Academy believes it remains the only elementary school in the United States with this distinction.

La Salle Principal Shaina Aquilina believes the school’s Catholic identity is enriched by its bi-ritual heritage.

“Our students are blessed to experience the beauty of both traditions and to see that – although we may express our faith differently – both lead us to the same Christ,” she said.

The morning’s Mass gave Father Kurovsky an opportunity to reflect on another form of difference – the differences students encounter in one another.

Reflecting on the Gospel’s call to love others, including those who may be difficult to love, Father Kurovsky encouraged students not to dismiss people simply because they belong to a different group or see the world differently.

“Every day of our lives, in every class, at every assembly, during every minute, we’re given the opportunity to shine God’s light through us. Don’t miss it and don’t ever miss the opportunity to find that light – to see that light – in one another,” Father Kurovsky told the students.

After crossing the street and entering Holy Ghost Church, the young people got even more lessons in symbolism.

Father Olechnowicz introduced students to some of the distinctive features of a Byzantine Catholic church, including the icon screen, or iconostasis, which separates the sanctuary from the nave.

He explained that Byzantine Catholic churches engage the senses through icons, incense, and bells, noting that icons historically served as a way of teaching the faith to people who could not read.

“The important thing is we recognize we are all Catholics,” Father Olechnowicz told the students. “No matter how we celebrate – we come from Byzantium, the other side of the church comes from Rome – but we are all Catholic.”

He reminded them that Roman and Byzantine Catholics share the same Pope, Sacraments, faith, and theology.

“Whether you’re Roman Catholic or Byzantine Catholic, you’re always welcome here,” he added.

The students and teachers then received a special blessing and were sprinkled with holy water before returning to school.

Father Vasylynka said the morning represented more than a unique educational experience, it was a sign of two Catholic communities coming together.

“I believe it is a great sign and great example for other communities in this area as well,” he said.

Father Vasylynka also welcomed the opportunity to build on the relationship between Holy Ghost and La Salle Academy throughout the school year.

“We are the two lungs of the Catholic Church. It is nice to see both communities united in prayer and moving forward. We do the same things, we serve the same Catholic Church,” he added.