SAYRE – A popular community meal, sponsored by Epiphany Parish in Bradford County, has taken on added significance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Offered on the second Tuesday of every month, some recipients say the meal has helped them during the financial instability of 2020.

“We’ve lost a lot of income due to COVID and it helps feed our family,” Laura Houseknecht said while picking up meals for her family recently. “Thank you to everyone that helps out with this meal. It has been great. We’ve been coming for years and thank you during this very hard time.”

Because of the pandemic, Epiphany Parish has been serving its community meal in to-go containers, instead of holding a sit-down meal, to avoid large crowds and help maintain physical distancing.

“We prepare a hot meal with dessert,” parishioner William Hillyard explained. “They just have to drive up, tell us how many dinners they need and we load up their cars.”

Everyone is welcome at the community meal sponsored by Epiphany Parish. Meals are served between 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

“It is open to the whole community, not just to our parish,” Hillyard added.

Epiphany Parish receives a Social Justice Grant from the Diocese of Scranton to help pay some of the costs associated with the community meal. Generous gifts to the Diocesan Annual Appeal help support the Social Justice Grant Program and the important projects that receive funding.

“We’d like to thank the donors who give to the Annual Appeal, which in return comes back to us so we can continue to put on this service for our community,” Hillyard added.

Parishioners James and Patricia Briggs stopped by the community meal recently to pick up more than a dozen meals, which they share with their neighbors and friends.

“We usually get 14 dinners and where we live in the neighborhood is where we pass them out,” Patricia Briggs said.

By handing out the meals, the Briggs ensure their neighbors get a warm, nutritious meal at least once a month.

“We would like to thank all the parishioners who donate to the Diocesan Annual Appeal. We think it’s a very important mission for the church and we definitely appreciate the contributions,” Patricia added.

“This truly does help the local people and the needs of our community,” Father Andrew Hvozdovic, pastor, Epiphany Parish, said.

The community meal is just one of several programs that Epiphany Parish has applied for funding through the Social Justice Grant Program. In previous years, the parish has received funding to help the Chow for Children Program, an ecumenical program which feeds roughly 45-50 families per week during the school year, the Knights of Columbus annual coat drive which helped nearly 400 children last year as well as the Helping Hands of Bentley Creek.

“If it wasn’t for the great generosity of the donors of the Diocesan Annual Appeal, we wouldn’t have these outstanding outreach possibilities here in Bradford County,” Father Hvozdovic added.

For more information on all of the Diocesan ministries supported by gifts to the Annual Appeal, to view one of the regional Annual Appeal videos or to make a donation online, visit AnnualAppeal.org. Gifts can also be made by calling the Diocesan Development Office at (570) 207-2250 or by sending a donation to: Diocesan Annual Appeal, 300 Wyoming Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503.

 

A social media campaign by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life aims to encourage young people to reach out to their grandparents and older people. You can participate in the campaign by using the hashtag #aGiftOfWisdom. (CNS photo/Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — One present young people should ask for this Christmas is words of wisdom from older people they know, a Vatican dicastery said.

“Today, in the difficult circumstances of a Christmas still overshadowed by the pandemic, we are proposing that young people post on social media a memory, a piece of advice or a ‘gift of wisdom’ they have received from one of the elderly people with whom they have formed a bond in recent months,” said the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life.

The invitation was part of a new campaign launched Nov. 27 aimed at encouraging young people to reach out to their grandparents and other older people, not only to help alleviate the isolation and loneliness caused by pandemic restrictions, but also to create new and creative bonds.

The unusual circumstances caused by the pandemic means “there is an opportunity for young people to receive a special gift” for Christmas this year, the dicastery said in a news release.

“Because of the pandemic, there are more elderly people who live alone. We can create bonds with each of them — this is a treasure waiting to be discovered!”

The Vatican office asked that people reach out to older people and ask for “the gift of their wisdom.” People can then take the advice, memories and nuggets of wisdom they collect and post them on social media using the hashtag #aGiftOfWisdom.

“Some of the best posts will be shared” on the dicastery’s social media accounts @laityfamilylife, it said.

“Unfortunately, in many cases, because of the health regulations in force, visiting can only take place remotely, via telephone, video calls and messaging. But it is possible to participate in this campaign” by sharing “the wise words of grandparents and the elderly on social media,” it added.

The latest campaign follows a similar effort the dicastery launched in July in which it “collected virtual hugs sent by many young people to both their own grandparents and to ‘adopted grandparents,'” it said. The effort was meant to encourage young people to show kindness and affection to older people who may be feeling lonely.

For other ideas and guidance, the dicastery has posted on its website, laityfamilylife.va, a free e-book, “The Richness of Many Years of Life,” which offers a toolkit in multiple languages “for the development of a true pastoral ministry that reaches out” and involves the elderly as active participants in the church.

The e-book includes the proceedings of the first international conference on the pastoral care of the elderly the dicastery held in January 2020 to promote a “renewed concern for the pastoral care of the elderly in every ecclesial community.”

 

Pope Francis places the red biretta on new Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory of Washington during a consistory for the creation of 13 new cardinals in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Nov. 28, 2020. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — One by one 11 senior churchmen, including two U.S. citizens — Cardinals Wilton D. Gregory of Washington and Silvano M. Tomasi, a former Vatican diplomat — knelt before Pope Francis to receive their red hats, a cardinal’s ring and a scroll formally declaring their new status and assigning them a “titular” church in Rome.

But with the consistory Nov. 28 occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pope Francis actually created 13 new cardinals.

Cardinals Jose F. Advincula of Capiz, Philippines, and Cornelius Sim, apostolic vicar of Brunei, did not attend the consistory because of COVID-19 travel restrictions; however, they are officially cardinals and will receive their birettas and rings at a later date, the Vatican said.

In his homily at the prayer service, Pope Francis told the new cardinals that “the scarlet of a cardinal’s robes, which is the color of blood, can, for a worldly spirit, become the color of a secular ’eminence,'” the traditional title of respect for a cardinal.

If that happens, he said, “you will no longer be a pastor close to your people. You will think of yourself only as ‘His Eminence.’ If you feel that, you are off the path.”

For the cardinals, the pope said, the red must symbolize a wholehearted following of Jesus, who willingly gave his life on the cross to save humanity.

The Gospel reading at the service, Mark 10:32-45, included the account of James and John asking Jesus for special honors. “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left,” they said. But Jesus reproaches them.

“We, too, pope and cardinals, must always see ourselves reflected in this word of truth,” Pope Francis said. “It is a sharpened sword; it cuts, it proves painful, but it also heals, liberates and converts us.”

According to canon law, cardinals are created when their names are made public “in the presence of the College of Cardinals.” While many Rome-based cardinals attended the consistory, more members of the college were “present” online.

The pandemic also meant the gathering was unusually small; each cardinal was accompanied by a priest-secretary and could invite a handful of guests, so there were only about 100 people in the congregation at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Also missing were the “courtesy visits,” a reception lasting several hours in the early evening when the general public was invited into the Vatican to greet the new cardinals.

In addition to some Rome-based cardinals, the congregation at the consistory included the pastors or rectors of the 13 Rome churches to which the new cardinals were associated. Cardinals are given a “titular” church in Rome, formally making them members of the Rome diocesan clergy, which is what the church’s first cardinals were.

In fact, the formula for the creation of cardinals, recited in Latin by Pope Francis, says, “It chiefly concerns the church of Rome, but it also affects the entire ecclesial community: We will call certain of our brethren to enter the College of Cardinals, so that they may be united to the Chair of Peter by a closer bond to our apostolic ministry.”

Cardinal Gregory’s titular church is Immaculate Conception parish on the ancient Via Flaminia in the Grottarossa neighborhood of northern Rome. The church was built in 1935 and became a titular church for cardinals in 1985.

Cardinal Tomasi’s titular church is the Basilica of St. Nicholas in Prison, a 12th-century church with a 16th-century facade built on the site of an earlier church that was constructed over the ruins of an ancient temple.

Mexican Cardinal Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel, retired bishop of San Cristobal de Las Casas, Mexico, told Vatican News Nov. 27 that the new cardinals are called to reconfirm their commitment to making Christ the center of their lives and “to collaborate with the pope in his ministry as bishop of Rome, and so we are assigned a parish in this city, as a sign of communion between that community and the one who presides over this local church, which is the pope.”

Maltese Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, was the first mentioned by the pope Oct. 25 when he announced he was creating new cardinals. As such, it fell to Cardinal Grech to address the pope on behalf of the new cardinals.

“Convoked in consistory at such a serious time for all humanity because of the pandemic, we want to turn our thoughts to all our brothers and sisters enduring hardship,” the cardinal said. He prayed that people would react to the pandemic as an “opportunity to rethink our lifestyles, our relationships, the organization of our societies and, especially, the meaning of our lives.”

Cardinal Grech also led the others in the recitation of the Creed and of an oath of fidelity and obedience to Christ and his church and to Pope Francis and his successors.

The new cardinals came from eight countries: Italy, Malta, the United States, Brunei, the Philippines, Mexico, Rwanda and Chile.

Cardinal Gregory, like the other new cardinals coming from outside Europe, was tested for COVID-19 before flying to Rome and again upon arrival. Even after testing negative, he and the others were required to quarantine for 10 days and were tested again immediately before the consistory. Cardinal Gregory stayed at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where Pope Francis lives, and his meals were left outside his door.

In an interview with Catholic News Service, the cardinal said he hopes Pope Francis will find him to be “supportive, encouraging and trustworthy” in his role as a cardinal, but his primary ministry is still to be the archbishop of Washington.

Of course, he said, he regrets that “my two sisters are not here, and the many people I know and love from Chicago and Belleville (Illinois) and Atlanta and Washington,” who were watching the livestream instead.

One of Cardinal Tomasi’s guests was the pastor of his boyhood parish, San Rocco in Casoni di Mussolente, a town of fewer than 8,000 people in northern Italy. In the past 80 years, the cardinal told CNS, the parish has produced more than 100 priests and religious sisters, “and now also a cardinal. I hope it will help to continue the flourishing of vocations from the parish.”

With the consistory the College of Cardinals now has 229 members, 128 of whom are under the age of 80 and eligible to enter a conclave to elect a new pope. Pope Francis has given the red hat to 57% of electors.

With Cardinals Gregory and Tomasi, who was born in Italy but is a U.S. citizen, the number of U.S. cardinals rose to 16; nine of them are cardinal electors.

Entering the college Nov. 28 were Cardinals:

— Grech, 63.

— Marcello Semeraro, an Italian who is prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, 72.

— Antoine Kambanda of Kigali, Rwanda, 62.

— Gregory, 72.

— Advincula, 68.

— Celestino Aos Braco of Santiago, Chile, 75.

— Sim, 69.

— Paolo Lojudice of Siena, Italy, 56.

— Mauro Gambetti, custos of the Sacred Convent of Assisi in Assisi, 55.

— Arizmendi, 80.

— Tomasi, 80.

— Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher of the papal household, 86.

— Enrico Feroci, 80, former director of Rome’s Caritas.

 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Pope Francis again insisted that all Catholics with disabilities have a right to receive the sacraments, and he suggested that Catholic parishes make real efforts to welcome and train persons with disabilities to serve as catechists.

“Creating a fully accessible parish requires not only the removal of architectural barriers, but above all, helping parishioners to develop attitudes and acts of solidarity and service toward persons with disabilities and their families,” the pope said in his message, published Dec. 3.

For the church, he said, “our aim should be to speak no longer about ‘them,’ but rather about ‘us.'”

The U.N. theme for the 2020 celebration of the international day was “Building Back Better: Toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 world.”

Pope Francis said he was struck by “the expression ‘building back better,'” which made him think of the Gospel story about a house built on rock or on sand.

When used in reference to the way society, and sometimes even the church, treats persons with disabilities, he said, the rain, rivers and winds that threaten the house in the Bible story “can be identified with the throwaway culture widespread in our time.”

In a throwaway culture, he said, “some parts of our human family, it appears, can be readily sacrificed for the sake of others” or simply pushed aside and ignored.

Such an attitude “ignores the inevitable fact that frailty is part of everyone’s life,” he said. And, in fact, some people “with even severe disabilities, despite great challenges, have found the way to a beautiful and meaningful life, whereas many ‘able-bodied’ people feel dissatisfied or even desperate.”

To “build back better,” he said, inclusion is key because “the strength of a chain depends upon the attention paid to its weakest links.”

For the church, he said, religious education programs must be available to those with disabilities, and every seminarian, priest and catechist should be educated about disabilities and familiar with “the use of inclusive pastoral tools.”

“Before all else,” he said, “I strongly reaffirm the right of persons with disabilities to receive the sacraments, like all other members of the church. All liturgical celebrations in the parish should be accessible to them, so that, together with their brothers and sisters, each of them can deepen, celebrate and live their faith.”

And, like all members of the church, they should know they are called to be “missionary disciples,” sharing the faith with others, he said. “Indeed, the active participation of people with disabilities in the work of catechesis can greatly enrich the life of the whole parish” by their witness.

 

 

Bishop Joseph C. Bambera has invited Father Joseph Elston, pastor of Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Joseph Marello Parishes, Pittston, and Paula and Joe Panzitta, parishioners at Corpus Christi Parish, West Pittston, to serve as this year’s Luzerne County regional chairs for the Diocesan Annual Appeal.

Father Elston is a native of Scranton and was a member of Nativity of Our Lord Parish, now Saint John Neumann Parish. Prior to serving in Pittston, he was Chaplain and Dean of Students at Holy Redeemer High School, Wilkes-Barre, and Sacramental Minister at Holy Family Parish, Luzerne.

“I am happy to be the Luzerne County Clergy Chair for the Annual Appeal. A very important part of the Appeal is the sheer amount of help a person provides by giving to the Appeal. The necessary monies raised by the Appeal reach so many people and are depended upon by so many areas of ministry and outreach all across our Diocese,” Father Elston said.

The Panzittas are active members of their parish. Joe is a member of the Parish Council, Building and Grounds Committee and Parish Bazaar Committee and is one of the ministry coordinators for ushers. Paula serves on the Parish Council and the Finance Committee and has been a lector for the past 27 years.

Joe has worked in his family’s contracting business, Panzitta Enterprises, Inc., his entire life and Paula works in the office. They have two sons. Matthew and his wife, Jennifer, live in Columbus, Ohio, and Andrew and his wife, Julia, reside in Dallas, Pa.

“I believe that giving to the Annual Appeal is an extension of the other volunteer work I do in my parish to share all that God has given to me,” Paula said.

“Following in the footsteps of my grandparents and parents, I believe if you give, you will receive,” Joe added. “I always felt that I was very lucky and fortunate to benefit from all that I have been given.”

 

 

Father Glenn McCreary, pastor of Resurrection Parish, Muncy, and Susan and Jim Dinsmore, parishioners at Saint Lawrence Parish, South Williamsport, are serving as this year’s Diocesan Annual Appeal regional chairs for Lycoming and Tioga counties.

Father McCreary was raised in Montoursville and grew up as a member of Saint Boniface Parish, Williamsport. He has served as pastor of Resurrection Parish for 19 years and was previously a parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception Parish, Scranton.

“I find attractive the sense that when I give to the Diocesan Annual Appeal I’m participating in the mission of the whole Church. We can certainly support our local food pantries and homeless shelters. In the parish, our support responds to the needs of those who come to us looking for food, for rent, for fuel assistance,” Father McCreary said. “But, the Appeal invites us to a larger vision. We can feed the hungry throughout the eleven counties of our Diocese. We can support parish ministries in communities far and wide.”

Father McCreary continued, “We’re helping men on the entire spectrum of priestly ministry – from discernment, through seminary formation, through those first assignments, into mature ministry and retirement. I’m tremendously grateful for my seminary preparation – and grateful for the people and the parishes that made it possible for me to experience that rich growth in faith and commitment.”

The Dinsmores are active in their parish. Jim is a Eucharistic Minister and Finance Council member and Susan helps count the collection and cooks at pancake breakfasts. They have been married for 27 years and have two sons in college, Ian and Joseph.

Jim is a wealth manager and certified financial planner with Evergreen Wealth Solutions, Williamsport. Susan is education director for Lycoming Nursery School, Williamsport.

In sharing their thoughts about support of the Appeal, Susan said, “When we give, we support our parish food pantries, social justice missions, Catholic education, and priest retirement, to name a few of the critical needs in our Diocese. Our contributions not only bring many blessings to others, we are blessed by our ability to give to them.”

“We know this year has been filled with many challenges emotionally, physically, and financially,” Jim added. “That is why any donation amount is gratefully accepted by the Diocese.”

 

SCRANTON – As they celebrated the Rite of Ordination, eight men who became permanent deacons in the Diocese of Scranton on Nov. 28, 2020, were reminded of the need to put others before themselves.

During his homily, Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, reminded the men that they have opened their lives to the Lord’s love and because of it, they seek to love him in return through service to His people.

“To be a disciple of Jesus means to put ourselves in the humble, demanding role of servant to others, to intentionally seek the happiness and fulfillment of those entrusted to our care, regardless of the cost to ourselves,” Bishop Bambera said.

The newly ordained deacons will join the ranks of clergy who minister to the faithful in parishes and other settings throughout the diocese. Their diaconal ministry is threefold: service to the Word of God, service at the altar of the Lord and service to the poor.

As deacons, the men will proclaim the Gospel, preach homilies, prepare the altar for the banquet of Christ’s sacrifice, distribute Holy Communion, baptize, preside at weddings, funerals and other prayer services and be the living and working expression of the charity of the Church.

“Your ministry, to be fully diaconal and unified, must include some form of direct service to the poor and to those most in need,” the bishop explained.

The men accepting the diaconal call and responsibilities include Eugene N. Blockus, Joseph J. Chmiola, John C. Jorda, Peter J. Lemoncelli, Joseph R. Marcellus, Gerard P. Pernot, Angel Luis Rivera and Joseph Sudano.

“My brothers, God has called you to serve the Gospel in an authentic and vital way. While your ministry will not always be easy, set aside your fears and embrace your call with deep trust in Jesus’ promise to walk with you always. Follow Jesus’ example of selfless love and mercy. And serve God’s people generously as you would serve the Lord himself,” the bishop ended his homily by saying.

 

SERVICE ALREADY INSPIRING

 

Deacon Gerard P. Pernot said he was drawn to the diaconate as a way to say thank you for everything he has received in life. Even before ordination, he has been serving the community by volunteering with a hospice organization and assisting local refugees.

“I’ve been blessed to work with a refugee family who came to our country with six children and one bag. I didn’t know what to think, honestly, when I had the opportunity to get involved with the refugees. I have gotten so much more out of it,” Pernot said.

For the last several years, Deacon Joseph J. Chmiola has been visiting nursing home residents and homebound parishioners from his parish, Saint Jude Parish in Mountain Top.

“I really enjoy visiting with the shut-ins…They are like family members. I’ve been with them about three years, I know who they are, I know what they like, I know what they dislike,” he explained.

The bishop’s words about being a servant leader resonated with Deacon Peter J. Lemoncelli, who has been serving in hospice programs, along with doing hospital visitation, outreach to the elderly and assisting refugees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he has come to a deeper understanding of the struggles many face.

“I saw the perspective that the homebound have, many of them being in their homes year after year, many of them with no relatives or family left,” Lemoncelli said. “It gave me a much stronger closeness to their needs.”

 

READY TO MAKE AN IMPACT

 

Deacon Angel “Luis” Rivera has been working with the Hispanic population across the Diocese of Scranton for several years. As a deacon, he hopes to continue welcoming their presence in parishes from the Poconos to the Wyoming Valley.

“We open doors. We made them feel welcome and I’m just there to serve them and if I can, bring them to a closer encounter with Jesus,” Rivera explained.

Deacon Joseph Sudano hopes his diaconal ministry will allow him to help people find relevance with the church in their lives. He recently had a very positive experience leading an RCIA group, bringing adults into full communion with the church.

“I’m Director of Faith Formation at Saint Nick’s in Wilkes-Barre so I’ve been blessed to be able to work in the church for the last few years. I think that becoming a deacon will only enhance that and really just bring further growth and further opportunities for me to reach people,” he said.

As a nurse and paramedic, Deacon Eugene N. Blockus believes he can serve God and do His will by serving his community.

“I worked emergency medicine so I saw more tragedy than I saw good,” Blockus said. “During those times, I would stop when it was possible and quietly pray with the families or with the patients and I knew there was more that I could do. I felt there was a greater calling because a lot of times they would be looking for a minister or a priest.”

 

CALLED TO THE DIACONATE

 

Deacon John C. Jorda admits he never even considered being a deacon until just a few years ago. He didn’t know any deacons and was unfamiliar with their duties. With both his parents and children battling health issues, he even got upset with God. It wasn’t until he got back involved with the church that he discovered his future ministry.

“I started praying and one day while praying to God, what do you want me to do for you, it just popped in my head and it was burning inside of me and I couldn’t get it out of my mind,” Jorda admitted.

Jorda says the amount of support he received from parishioners has helped him throughout the years of formation. As for the formation program itself, Jorda said, “it helped me learn more about myself…The material things don’t mean that much anymore. It’s all about helping people, helping people find their way like I found my way.”

Admitting that he is reluctant to try new things, Deacon Joseph R. Marcellus joined the Knights of Columbus and that move, unknowingly at the time, would help him find his path to ordination. As he began to meet more people, he became a lector and extraordinary minister of Holy Communion.

In his profession as an architect, Marcellus will now be able to help build God’s kingdom on earth, which we are all called to do through baptism. He credits the Diaconate program for opening his eyes to many different things.

“I build things, I design things, I put things together but probably the biggest thing I’ve gotten out of being in the Diaconate program is not what I’m building but what people build and give back to me. I’m constantly amazed when we try to help people or go out and do something or serve people, I am the one receiving, not the one giving,” he explained.

 

 

His Excellency, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, announces the following appointments, effective November 30, 2020:

Deacon Eugene Blockus, to diaconal ministry at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Hunlock Creek.

Deacon Joseph Chmiola, to diaconal ministry at Saint Jude Parish, Mountain Top/Saint Mary Church, Dorrance.

Deacon John Jorda, to diaconal ministry at Gate of Heaven Parish, Dallas.

Deacon Peter Lemoncelli, to diaconal ministry at Saint Ann’s Basilica, Scranton.

Deacon Joseph Marcellus, to diaconal ministry at Mary Mother of God Parish, Scranton.

Deacon Gerard Pernot, to diaconal ministry at Saint Ignatius Loyola Parish, Kingston.

Deacon Angel Luis Rivera, to diaconal ministry at Saint Matthew Parish, East Stroudsburg.

Deacon Joseph Sudano, to diaconal ministry at Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Wilkes Barre.

 

SCRANTON – As they celebrated the Rite of Ordination, eight men who became permanent deacons in the Diocese of Scranton on Nov. 28, 2020, were reminded of the need to put others before themselves.

During his homily, Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, reminded the men that they have opened their lives to the Lord’s love and because of it, they seek to love him in return through service to His people.

“To be a disciple of Jesus means to put ourselves in the humble, demanding role of servant to others, to intentionally seek the happiness and fulfillment of those entrusted to our care, regardless of the cost to ourselves,” Bishop Bambera said.

The newly ordained deacons will join the ranks of clergy who minister to the faithful in parishes and other settings throughout the diocese. Their diaconal ministry is threefold: service to the Word of God, service at the altar of the Lord and service to the poor.

As deacons, the men will proclaim the Gospel, preach homilies, prepare the altar for the banquet of Christ’s sacrifice, distribute Holy Communion, baptize, preside at weddings, funerals and other prayer services and be the living and working expression of the charity of the Church.

“Your ministry, to be fully diaconal and unified, must include some form of direct service to the poor and to those most in need,” the bishop explained.

The men accepting the diaconal call and responsibilities include Eugene N. Blockus, Joseph J. Chmiola, John C. Jorda, Peter J. Lemoncelli, Joseph R. Marcellus, Gerard P. Pernot, Angel Luis Rivera and Joseph Sudano.

“My brothers, God has called you to serve the Gospel in an authentic and vital way. While your ministry will not always be easy, set aside your fears and embrace your call with deep trust in Jesus’ promise to walk with you always. Follow Jesus’ example of selfless love and mercy. And serve God’s people generously as you would serve the Lord himself,” the bishop ended his homily by saying.

Look for additional coverage of the Rite of Ordination in the December 17 edition of The Catholic Light.

 

 

CARBONDALE – The need of local individuals and families was clearly evident outside the Catholic Social Services Office in Carbondale just before Thanksgiving.

On Tuesday, Nov. 25, the agency distributed 150 turkeys and food baskets to individuals in need of assistance. That number tripled the number of people who received help just one year earlier.

“The demand has been really, really overwhelming this year,” Michelle Santanna, Office Supervisor for Catholic Social Services Carbondale, said. “We try to help whoever we can.”

Wearing masks and remaining socially distant, individuals and families came to pick up food to make their own meals at home, expressing gratitude at every chance.

“I don’t know where I would have turned without this,” Harry Sinawa of Waymart said. “Normally I’m not the guy to come down to a place like this, I would leave it to somebody else, but this year with COVID, it knocked me out of the water.”

Sinawa, who owns his own small tree-cutting business, is used to helping people and giving away free services but during the pandemic his phone hasn’t been ringing as much.

“Some guys have work. Some guys don’t. It has been tough,” he explained.

Crystal Ondrako recently moved from Forest City to Carbondale. She also explained just how difficult managing COVID-19 has been with a husband in the healthcare field and a disabled mother living with her at home.

“We’re all healthy. We’re all doing good,” Ondrako said. “As long as we have each other, that is all that matters.”

As she received a turkey and all the fixings, Ondrako knows her family is not alone.

“It helps a lot especially when you’re trying to buy other groceries and then trying to fit this in, it’s a lot!” she said.

This is the second year that the Catholic Social Services Office in Carbondale has held a special food distribution for Thanksgiving. The agency received assistance from the Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 2 and the United Methodist Church of Carbondale.

“We have people who cry, who want to hug us but can’t this year. It’s heart-warming just knowing it takes such a load off of people’s shoulders,” Santanna explained.

Under normal circumstances, the food distribution would take place indoors where there is a waiting area. Due to COVID-19, all of the food items were distributed at the door.

“It is challenging but we’re managing,” Santanna explained.

Immediately after Thanksgiving, the Catholic Social Services Office in Carbondale will transition to registration for its Gifts for Kids Programs. Sign-ups are required. The registration period will take place from Monday, Nov. 30 to Friday, Dec. 4.