VATICAN CITY (CNS) – When Jesus called himself the “good shepherd,” he was telling people not only that he was their guide, but that they were important to him and “that he thinks of each of us as the love of his life,” Pope Francis said.

“Consider this: for Christ, I am important, he thinks of me, I am irreplaceable, worth the infinite price of his life,” which he laid down for the salvation of all, the pope said April 21 before reciting the “Regina Coeli” prayer with visitors in St. Peter’s Square.

Pope Francis waves at people gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican April 21, 2024, for his recitation of the “Regina Coeli” prayer. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Jesus was not just saying something nice, the pope said. Each believer should recognize that “he truly gave his life for me; he died and rose again for me. Why? Because he loves me, and he finds in me a beauty that I often do not see myself.”

Many people think of themselves as inadequate or undeserving of love, he said. Or they believe their value comes from what they have or are able to do.

In the day’s Gospel reading, Jn 10:11-18, “Jesus tells us that we are always infinitely worthy in his eyes,” the pope said.

To understand and experience the truth of that statement, Pope Francis said, “the first thing to do is to place ourselves in his presence, allowing ourselves to be welcomed and lifted up by the loving arms of our good shepherd.”

The pope asked people in the square to consider if they find or make the time each day “to embrace this assurance that gives value to my life” and “for a moment of prayer, of adoration, of praise, to be in the presence of Christ and to let myself be caressed by him.”

That time in prayer, he said, will remind a person that “he gave his life for you, for me, for all of us. And that for him, we are all important, each and every one of us.”

After reciting the “Regina Coeli,” Pope Francis told the crowd that he continues to follow the tensions in Israel, Palestine and throughout the Middle East “with concern and also with grief.”

“I renew my appeal not to give in to the logic of vengeance and war. May the paths of dialogue and diplomacy, which can do so much, prevail,” he said. “I pray every day for peace in Palestine and Israel, and I hope that these two peoples may stop suffering soon.”

He also asked Catholics to continue to pray for peace in Ukraine and for the people who are suffering because of the war.

 

 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Peace can spread and grow from “small seeds” like including someone who is left out of an activity, showing concern for someone who is struggling, picking up some litter and praying for God’s help, Pope Francis told Italian schoolchildren.

“At a time still marked by war, I ask you to be artisans of peace,” the pope told some 6,000 Italian schoolchildren involved in the National Network of Schools of Peace, a civic education program designed to teach the children to care for themselves, their friends, their communities, the world and the environment.

A teacher blows a kiss to Pope Francis at the end of an audience with about 6,000 Italian schoolchildren involved in the National Network of Schools of Peace, a civic education program, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican April 19, 2024. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

During the gathering April 19 in the Vatican audience hall, Pope Francis led the children in a moment of silent prayer for their peers in Ukraine and in Gaza.

“In a society still prisoner of a throwaway culture,” he told them, “I ask you to be protagonists of inclusion; in a world torn by global crises, I ask you to be builders of the future, so that our common home may become a place of fraternity.”

The pope drew the children’s attention to the U.N. Summit of the Future, which is scheduled for Sept. 22-23 in New York to draft a “Pact for the Future,” focused on promoting international cooperation and partnerships to ensure “a world that is safer, more peaceful, more just, more equal, more inclusive, more sustainable, and more prosperous.”

While government leaders and experts in a variety of fields obviously must get involved to make that hope a reality, the pope said, the pact will remain “just words on a page” without a commitment by all people of good will to take concrete steps aimed at changing harmful behavior and building communities and societies where everyone feels they are cared for and belong.

“This is a dream that requires being awake and not asleep,” he told the young people. The world can change for the better only when people are out in the world, “not lying on the couch,” using media to create connections and not just waste time, “and then — listen carefully — this kind of dream is realized by praying, that is, together with God, not by our strength alone.”

“Peace, in fact, is not only a silence of weapons and absence of war,” Pope Francis said. “It is a climate of benevolence, trust and love that can mature in a society based on caring relationships, in which individualism, distraction and indifference give way to the ability to pay attention to others, to listen to their needs, to heal their wounds, to be instruments of compassion and healing.”

INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) – Catholics will come to Indianapolis in the tens of thousands for the National Eucharistic Congress July 17-21 — some as individuals, some as couples, some as groups.

And some will come as families.

“The church is a family of families,” said Gabriela Ross, director of the Indianapolis Archdiocese’s Office of Marriage and Family Life. “It just makes sense for them to be here for the congress!”

Ross serves on the NEC planning team for the congress’s family track.

“We’ve tried to think of everything to make attending the National Eucharistic Congress as easy as possible for families,” she said, including offering free admission for children ages 12 and younger traveling with their family.

Ross spoke with The Criterion, Indianapolis’ archdiocesan newspaper, about the experience families can look forward to at the congress — and how families can prepare and be involved, whether or not they attend.

Families coming together to spend time focusing on the Eucharist is important, said Ross.

“The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith,” she said. “And marriage as a sacrament is an icon of God’s love.

“The vocation of marriage is to baptize and evangelize the family. If marriages are going to succeed in that vocation and mission, then they need the Eucharist as the source of their love, because the Eucharist transforms and purifies the family.”

The NEC website notes the same, stating, that “fostering a love of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist within our homes will have a profound impact on how we love others outside of our homes. … Eucharistic revival happens at the grassroots level, and the domestic church is an essential part of this movement.”

This message will be shared during the morning “Cultivate” family impact sessions during the congress. Speakers include Voluntas Dei Father Leo Patalinghug, founder of the Plating Grace international food and faith movement and host of EWTN’s “Savoring Our Faith” show; John Paul II Healing Center founder Bob Schuchts; and Damon and Melanie Owens, founders of the online Joyful Ever After marriage ministry.

Ennie and Cana Hickman, founders of the Del Rey Collective ministry, will serve as emcees, and popular Catholic musician Steve Angrisano will provide music at each session.

“It’s wonderful for Catholic families to encourage and support each other in their witness,” said Ross. “The family track has taken the time to anticipate a lot of those family needs – nursing, a sensory-friendly room, a family quiet room, volunteers at all entrances and exits, like a checkpoint in case little ones try to wander off.”

While the morning sessions are ticketed and have a capacity limit, all attendees are welcome to enjoy afternoon breakout talks and experiences.

“There are other family workshops beyond the talks,” Ross adds, including a “Catholic home experience that has Eucharistic adoration and activities for the whole family every day,” and an area offering “Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.”

Families also can enjoy some sightseeing in the afternoons. The Indiana Convention Center and neighboring Lucas Oil Stadium — the two NEC venues — are within walking distance of several museums, the canal walk, Monument Circle and more.

Whether planning on attending the congress or not, there are ways for families to be involved and focused on the Eucharist ahead of time, said Ross.

The National Eucharistic Revival website offers resources in English and Spanish for families and children of different ages at eucharisticrevival.org/revival-resources. Options include videos and activities on eucharistic saints, the Mass, small group discussions and more. Local opportunities can help families on the Eucharist, too.

“Join in a Corpus Christi procession, and invite other families to join you,” Ross suggested. The feast is celebrated June 2 this year.

Families also might participate in one of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage events from May 17-July 16, as eucharistic processions from the northern, eastern, southern and western areas of the United States make stops for adoration in parishes throughout the U.S. before converging in Indianapolis for the congress. Information on the four routes and parish stops can be found at eucharisticpilgrimage.org.

The most important action families can take is to pray, said Ross.

“Pray the Sisters of Life’s Eucharistic family prayer,” she said, which can be found at tinyurl.com/SOLFamilyPrayerCard. “Pray as a family in adoration. Talk with your parish about offering a family adoration experience.”

Ross invited families to include the National Eucharistic Congress among their intentions.

“Pray for the success of the congress, for those in attendance, for those planning the event,” she said. “And pray for renewal, that our country will experience renewed love for the Eucharist.”

Ross encouraged families throughout the country to come to the National Eucharistic Congress.

“This is such a unique moment in the life of the church,” she said. “It really is an incredible opportunity for families that will have a ripple effect. But it takes families to come to create those ripple effects when they go back to their communities and take their lived experience and witness to the faith.”

Ross acknowledges that planning any family trip can have its challenges.

“But in this case, everything is planned out for you — all you have to do is come!”

 

The University of Scranton announced medalists of its Earth Day Essay Contest for students in grades 5 to 12 at an Evening of Environmental Science event on campus in April. From left: Earth Day Essay Contest first place medalists Edie Hann, grade 9, Scranton Preparatory School; Colin Sickles, grade 5, St. Clare/St. Paul’s Elementary School; and Mark Murphy, director of the Office of Sustainability at the University.

Students from several Catholic Schools won awards at The University of Scranton’s Earth Day Essay Contest – with a theme inspired by the Pope’s call.

Three-hundred and fifty students in grades five to 12 participated in The University of Scranton Earth Day Essay Contest this year, which set a record for participation in the annual competition. Awards were announced at the University’s Evening of Environmental Science Event on campus in April.

This year’s essay theme was “Sustainable Living, Caring for Creation,” which was inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical letter “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home” and The University of Scranton’s commitment to join a coalition of colleges from around the world to develop, implement and evaluate initiatives around seven ecological goals over a seven-year period to meet the Pope’s call for integral ecology and to gain designation by the Vatican as a Laudato Si’ University.

The first-place winner of the fifth-grade essay contest was Collin Sickles, from St. Claire/St. Paul’s Elementary School. Aubrey Mace, from Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligence Charter School and Sophia Norton, from St. Clair/St. Paul tied for second place. Isabella Muso and Taylor Ebersole from All Saints Academy won third place medals.

The sixth-grade student that took first place in the essay contest was Sean Kiernan, from Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligence Charter School. The students who tied for second place were Ronan Keating and Katie Doherty, both from St. Claires/St. Paul’s Elementary School. Receiving a third-place awards were Nathan Dennis, from Fell Charter School and Griffin Maynor, from All Saints Academy.

All the seventh-grade essay contest winners were from St Claire/St. Paul’s Elementary School. The first-place winner of the seventh-grade essay contest was Preet Patel. The second-place winners were Madlyn McHale and Sage Michel. The third-place winners were Bennet Budow and Lily Reager. 

The eight-grade first-place winner was Sylvia Fahey, from Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligence Charter School. In second place were Elizabeth Rich, from Holy Rosary School and Raeleigh Reiss, from Howard Gardner. The third-place winner was Jonathan Fitzmaurice, from Holy Rosary School.

The ninth-10th grade essay contest winners were: Edie Hann, first place, Scranton Preparatory School; Anusha Thapa Magar, second place, Holy Cross High School; Anna Tringale, second-place, North Carolina; and Simon E. Madore, third place, Holy Cross High School.

The 11th-12th grade essay contest winners were all from Valley View High School. Coming in first place was Gabby Staback; in second place was Emma Miller and tied for third-place was Noah M. Nocek and Christian Sweeny.

University of Scranton students who work in the Jesuit school’s Office of Sustainability reviewed the essays submitted, in addition to organizing the award ceremony. University students Emily Burgers, an environmental science major from Wayne, New Jersey; Rebekah Thompson, an occupational therapy major from Bedminster, New Jersey; and Emma Warras, an environmental science major from Kinnelon, New Jersey; spoke at the award program. Mark Murphy, director of the Office of Sustainability at the University, has organized the Earth Day Essay Contest for a decade.

Information about next year’s essay contest will be posted to the University’s Sustainability webpage in January 2025.

 

 

St. Patrick’s newly confirmed are: Clare Barcia, Isabella De Meo, Lucas Eira, Patrick Fleming, Jack Kahmar, Adrianna Keller, Slawomir Kratochwill, Gianna Lake, Brooke Nielsen, Melissa Padula and Christian Sell. 

Eleven area students from St. Patrick’s Parish in Milford, PA received the Sacrament of Confirmation in a combined service with candidates from St. Vincent de Paul Parish, St. Joseph’s Parish, St. Ann’s Parish and St. John Neumann Parish.

The service, held at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Milford, featured  the Presentation of Candidates by Rev. Joseph Manarchuck, homily by Bishop Joseph Bambera of the Diocese of Scranton, and Laying on of Hands and Anointing with the oil of Chrism by Bishop Bambera. The event was rich in pageantry and liturgical beauty, including the presence and participation of the Knights of Columbus. Concelebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in addition to Bishop Bambera, were: Rev. Ed Casey, Rev. Joseph Manarchuck and Rev. Sudhir Toppo.

In the Sacrament of Confirmation, candidates (or Confirmandi), are sealed with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, reminded of their participation in the ministry and mission of Jesus, and strengthened to become strong witnesses of Christ.

 

SCRANTON – The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will celebrate the Diocesan Scouts Mass on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Peter.

All scouts and their families are invited to attend the liturgy which will recognize the value of scouting.

During the Mass, three scouts are expected to receive the Pope Pius XII medal. The emblem for this award reflects the ideal of the youth’s growing awareness of the Word of God as well as the scouts place in the world.

Seven scouts will also receive the Ad Altare Dei medal, which centers on the Sacraments and equips the scout to take their place as a maturing Catholic.

At Saint Catherine of Siena Parish in Moscow, the value of scouting was also recognized recently as members of BSA Troop 132, Troop 1132 and Pack 126 participated in their annual Scout Sunday Service. Father Thomas M. Muldowney and Deacon Frank Zeranski are pictured at the right with the scouts that attended the Mass.

SCRANTON – Some serve their parishes as altar servers and ushers, while others serve their schools and community by participating in service projects and organizing fundraisers. In all cases, however, they have contributed to the mission of our local church by reaching out and touching lives in real and meaningful ways.

This month – after being nominated by their Pastor, Parish Life Coordinator, Principal, Religious Education Director, or Youth Minister – more than 500 young adults received the Bishop’s Youth Award.

After presenting each individual award, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera congratulated this year’s award recipients at the April 7, 2024 Mass.

Two separate Masses were held to distribute the awards earlier this month. Students in the western and southern regions of the Diocese received their awards at the Cathedral of Saint Peter on Sunday, April 7, 2024, while students in the northern and eastern regions were recognized on Sunday, April 14, 2024.

“We’re all very, very proud of those of you who received an award,” the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, said during each Mass. “We are extremely grateful for your example and for the witness of your lives and for the hope that you give us all.”

Since 1996, the Bishop’s Youth Award has recognized young people in eighth and 12th grade for their exemplary practice of faith and for their commitment to serve others. Each of the students receiving the award were called forth this year by parish to receive a special pin as a symbol of the way they have contributed to the mission of the Church.

Paige Moss of Saint Robert Bellarmine Parish in Wilkes-Barre receives her award from Bishop Joseph C. Bambera. (Photos/Mike Melisky)

“It is just a great feeling being around all these other people that you know are dedicated to their faith in some sort of way,” Paige Moss, a 12th grade award recipient from Saint Robert Bellarmine Parish in Wilkes-Barre, said.

Faith is something that is very important to Raegan Czyzycki, a 12th grade award recipient, from Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Swoyersville.

“I think it’s important to stay close to my faith because it gives me a sense of support and guidance that I probably couldn’t find anywhere else,” Czyzycki said.

Brandon Makara, who serves Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Brodheadsville as an altar server, was excited to receive his award.

“I wasn’t expecting this honor and it makes me so glad that I was chosen for it,” the 12th grade student said.

Those same sentiments were shared by Lauren Shemansky, who attends Holy Family Academy in Hazleton and is a parishioner of Most Precious Blood Parish.

“I do youth group in my parish. We help make cookies and do things around Halloween for the little kids,” Shemansky said. “I’m also in the Students for Service club. We do gardening and a lot of collections for people who need it.”

While many of the 12th grade award recipients are preparing to head off to college, Peter Stec, who was recently accepted as the newest seminarian for the Diocese of Scranton, will be discerning a path to the priesthood. He also received a Bishop’s Youth Award this year.

Award recipients from Saint Eulalia Parish, including Amato Lynn, center, pray during the April 14th Mass.

“What I’m most excited about is being with all the youth of the Diocese of Scranton who are deeply involved in their faith, specifically their Catholic faith,” he said. “What has really fostered my vocation is Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament. If we can stick to that – then we can all be united together and have a future for our Church.”

Father Bert S. Kozen, Pastor, Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Bastress, and Saint Luke Parish, Jersey Shore, served as homilist for the first Mass. Father James J. Paisley, Pastor, Saint Ann Basilica Parish, Scranton, served as homilist for the second celebration.

At both Masses, the homilists acknowledged how important it is for the young adults to continue to share the gifts and blessings God has given them.

“Yours are the hands and heart of Jesus,” Father Paisley said. “Whatever gifts you have, today is a reminder to take them out of storage and share them enthusiastically … Don’t even think about tucking away your gifts for another day because we need them.”

“Receiving this award is a testimony to your willingness to live your faith – not only in word but more importantly and more powerfully – but in the manner in which your life is being lived,” Father Kozen said. “Jesus is in each and every one of us and if we recognize the Risen Christ in those means, then we can’t help but proclaim Him in that Easter faith each and every day of our lives.”

As she received her award, Lillie Kochis, a senior at Holy Cross High School and parishioner of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Dunmore, put her Bishop’s Youth Award into perspective.

“As young people, we have the opportunity to be the change that we want to see,” she said. “This all comes from how you bring Jesus Christ’s light into the world.”

After taking a mission trip to the Diocese of Gaylord to participate in Habitat for Humanity activities last year, Kochis now spends an hour each week volunteering at Saint Joseph’s Center.

“It’s just my little way of giving back. I know that an hour of my time, spending time with the residents and doing activities there may not seem like a whole lot, but to the friends and the people I’ve met, it means the world to me,” she said.

 

Bishop Bambera baptizes Nicholas Medina-Almanzar during the Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Peter on March 30.

The more than 170 faith-filled prospective members of parishes throughout the Diocese of Scranton rose to full communion in the Catholic Church when they received their sacraments of initiation during Easter Vigil ceremonies March 30.

In so doing, they joined their fellow Catholics in consummate celebration of the Day of the Lord’s Resurrection, described by the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, in his Easter homily as what “defines who we are as Christians.”

McKenzie Torres receives the Sacrament of Confirmation from Father Michael Quinnan during Easter Vigil ceremonies at Saint Luke Church in Stroudsburg.

“With the entire Church of Scranton, we give thanks today for 177 catechumens and candidates who listened to the voice of the risen Lord speaking to their hearts and said ‘yes’ to God’s invitation to be baptized and received into full communion in the Catholic Church,” Bishop Bambera further expressed.

At Saint Luke Parish in Stroudsburg, McKenzie Torres was among four future parishioners who received sacraments of initiation during the Easter Vigil liturgy.

Father Michael Quinnan, Pastor of Saint Luke Parish, Stroudsburg, gives Vincent Andrews his First Eucharist at the Easter Vigil Mass on March 30.

“Receiving my sacraments at the Easter Vigil was a feeling and experience I never could have imagined,” Torres shared after being confirmed and receiving her First Eucharist from Saint Luke pastor Father Michael Quinnan. “I felt the Holy Spirit so strongly that night and it was incredibly special to have my friends, family and parish members there to witness it.”

Now a fully initiated member of the Church, Torres added, “I have such an immense gratitude for this experience and cannot wait to continue learning and growing in my relationship with God. There is nothing quite like it, and I encourage everyone to do the same if they are considering it!”

Father Arbogaste Satoun presided over the conferring of sacraments bestowed on one catechumen and one candidate during the Easter Vigil Mass for the parishes of Our Lady of the Abingtons, Dalton; Saint Mary of the Lake, Lake Winola; and Saint Patrick, Nicholson.

Georgene DePrimo and Ashley Monetta receive their First Communion as they are welcomed into their parishes of Saint Mary of the Lake, Lake Winola, and Saint Patrick, Nicholson, respectively.

Georgene DePrimo now enjoys full membership as a parishioner of Saint Mary of the Lake Church, after receiving her Baptism, Confirmation and First Holy Communion.

“RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) has taught me so much about the Catholic faith,” she said, fully aware there is much more to learn as she continues to explore her new-found faith.

“After my induction into the Church, I was exhilarated and hopeful. It was such a happy experience,” DePrimo expressed.

Also extolling the merits of the RCIA process was the newest member of Saint Patrick Parish, Ashley Monetta, who, after receiving Confirmation and First Eucharist, remarked that the initiation experience was extremely helpful in understanding more fully what it means to be a Catholic.

“It was a wonderful feeling to finally, officially become a member (of the Church), and although I know there is still a lot to learn, I feel very solid and comfortable in my faith and where I am at this point in my journey,” she said.

 

Father Jose Kuriappilly, Pastor of Saints Peter & Paul Parish in Towanda, presides over the Sacrament of Baptism conferred upon David Landry (center) and Nicholas Odegard, accompanied by their Godparents, Jude Rabago and Angela Flynn. As catechumens, the two men received their sacraments of initiation — Baptism, Confirmation and First Holy Communion — to come into full communion in the Catholic Church during the parish’s Easter Vigil liturgy.

At Saints Peter & Paul Parish in Towanda, Wendy Singer’s journey to full communion in the Church — marked by both doubt and grace — culminated with her reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation at the hands of her new pastor, Father Jose Kuriappilly.

“At a time when I was struggling with my own Christianity, I started taking care of a woman and her husband (who) were devout Catholics,” Singer began, stating the wife, Virginia, “was so graceful in teaching more about the Catholic faith, and actually taught me the ‘Hail Mary’ three weeks before her passing.”

During the same time, Singer’s son Christopher informed her he felt a strong calling to begin studies for the priesthood. “I gained enough knowledge through Christopher that I yearned for more,” she said.

Singer credits her sponsor, Jude, in sealing the decision to complete her conversion as he “brought me home to Saints Peter and Paul in Towanda.”

“Since (my) Confirmation, as I face my own every day struggles, I have the faith to work through them,” she remarked. “I lift them up to the Lord every day and I am blessed to see things more clearly.”

Jenna Roberts joined Singer in receiving Confirmation during the Easter Vigil rites at Saints Peter & Paul’s.

“For a while I felt like something in my life was missing. I thought about getting back into church but…I couldn’t make the move,” Roberts shared, adding there was a sense of unworthiness when she occasionally attended Mass.

“It wasn’t until I (talked to) Father Jose at a Saint Agnes School function, where he told me that he felt that God told him to come talk to me. That is when he told me about the class and how I was able to be confirmed,” she said.

 

WILKES-BARRE – Saint Nicholas Church, 226 South Washington Street, will be the location for the Diocese of Scranton’s annual World Day of Prayer for Vocations Mass on Sunday, April 21, 2024.

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will be the principal celebrant for the 12:15 p.m. liturgy, which will be held in Spanish.

The purpose of World Day of Prayer for Vocations is to publicly fulfill the Lord’s instruction to, “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest” (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2).

While those in attendance will pray for all those discerning and living out their vocation, on this weekend the Church concentrates its attention on vocations to the ordained ministries (priesthood and diaconate), consecrated life in all its forms (male and female religious life, societies of apostolic life, consecrated virginity), secular institutes in their diversity of services and membership, and to the missionary life.

This year, 2024, marks the 61st anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

May Christ the Good Shepherd guide and protect us as we respond to our vocations in total surrender to Him!

In a hostile world, the vocation of Christians is to hope, Pope Francis says

Though the global situation risks plunging people into pessimism, Christians are called to pursue their vocation of becoming “men and women of hope,” Pope Francis said.

“As individuals and as communities, amid the variety of charisms and ministries, all of us are called to embody and communicate the Gospel message of hope in a world marked by epochal challenges,” the pope wrote in his message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations April 21.

Global challenges such as war, migration, rising poverty rates and climate change, in addition to personal difficulties encountered daily, “risk plunging us into resignation or defeatism,” the pope wrote in the message. He encouraged Christians to instead “cultivate a gaze full of hope and work fruitfully in response to the vocation we have received, in service to God’s kingdom of love, justice and peace.”

To be “pilgrims of hope and builders of peace” means “to base our lives on the rock of Christ’s resurrection, knowing that every effort made in the vocation that we have embraced and seek to live out will never be in vain,” the pope wrote.

Pursuing a vocation, he explained, is not an imposed duty but rather “the surest way for us to fulfill our deepest desire for happiness.”

“Our life finds fulfillment when we discover who we are, what our gifts are, where we can make them bear fruit, and what path we can follow in order to become signs and instruments of love, generous acceptance, beauty and peace wherever we find ourselves,” he wrote.

The pope expressed his gratitude for the “hidden efforts” of those who consistently respond to their calls in life, namely parents, workers, consecrated men and women and priests, and he urged young people to make room for Jesus in their lives in order to discover their vocation.

“Let Jesus draw you to himself; bring him your important questions by reading the Gospels; let him challenge you by his presence, which always provokes in us a healthy crisis,” he told young people.

The pope also highlighted the “synodal character” of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, noting how “amid the variety of our charisms, we are called to listen to one another and to journey together in order to acknowledge them and to discern where the Spirit is leading us for the benefit of all.”

Pope Francis encouraged people to prepare for the Holy Year 2025 by engaging in the current year of prayer, in which “all of us are called to rediscover the inestimable blessing of our ability to enter into heartfelt dialogue with the Lord and thus become pilgrims of hope.”

Prayer, he added, “is more about listening to God than about talking to him.”

The pope called on Christians to “open the doors of the prison in which we so often enclose ourselves, so that each of us can discover his or her proper vocation in the Church and in the world.”

“Let us be passionate about life and commit ourselves to caring lovingly for those around us in every place where we live,” he wrote.

NANTICOKE – A Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe will visit several churches in the Diocese of Scranton next month.

The Missionary Image is an exact digital replica (4’ x 6’) of the original Miraculous Image of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, which she left on Saint Juan Diego’s cloak (tilma) in Mexico on Dec. 12, 1531.

The Image was blessed at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico by Monsignor Diego Monroy, Rector, for the mission of promoting sanctity of the family, solidarity of the Church in America, a culture of life, and a civilization of love.

The Image visiting churches in the Diocese of Scranton in May, and others like it, have journeyed throughout the world. The Images have visited every state in the United States, including more than 1,000 parishes and have received the veneration of hundreds of thousands of people. There have been hundreds of Masses, Confessions, hours of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Rosaries in the presence of the Images.

Many signs, wonders, conversions, healings, reconciliations, and graces have been reported by the faithful who have venerated the Images.

In the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady appears as the pregnant Mother of God. She came to offer faith, hope, and consolation to the oppressed Aztec Nation. Our Lady put an end to the human sacrifice being offered to pagan gods and converted nine million Aztecs over the next nine years.

Pope Saint John Paul II recognized the evangelistic role of Our Lady of Guadalupe when he prayed that the Guadalupe Shrine would be a center “from which the light of the Gospel of Christ will shine out over the whole world by means of the Miraculous Image of His Mother.”

He also prayed, “Our Lady accompanies each one of her daughters and sons with her repeating what she said to her children in Cana, ‘Do whatever He tells you’ (Jn. 2:5). May she cross this continent bringing it ‘life, sweetness and hope!’ May she enliven and protect the work of the New Evangelization, so that Christians may live their faith with consistency and fervor, and that those who have abandoned it may return. May she promote the unity of the church, reuniting as in a new Pentecost those who believe in Jesus Christ and those who need to be renewed by the Spirit.”

The visit of the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is being sponsored by the ‘Living in the Divine Will Prayer Group’ in Nanticoke which was formed in March 2021. The prayer group is based on the writings of Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta.

PUBLIC VISITATION SCHEDULE OF MISSIONARY IMAGE OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE


Holy Transfiguration Ukrainian Catholic Church, Nanticoke
Friday, May 10: 10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy; 11:00 a.m. Talk; 11:15 a.m. Hour of Prayer; 12:15 – 2:00 p.m. Veneration of the Image
Saturday, May 11: Noon to 4:00 p.m. Veneration of the Image; 6:00 p.m. Divine Liturgy; 7:15 p.m. Talk

SS Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church, Plymouth
Sunday, May 12: 8:30 a.m. Divine Liturgy; 9:45 a.m. Talk; 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Prayer & Veneration of the Image

Gate of Heaven Parish, Dallas
Tuesday, May 14: 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration & Veneration of the Image

Our Lady of Fatima Grotto, North Street, Wilkes-Barre
Thursday, May 16: 9:30 a.m. Meet & Process with the Image to Planned Parenthood, 101 Main Street, to Pray for the Life of Unborn Children

Holy Spirit Parish – Saint Mary Church, Mocanaqua
Thursday, May 16: 1:30 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration & Veneration of Image; 6:00 p.m. Holy Mass; 7:00 p.m. Talk; 7:15-8:30 p.m. Veneration of the Image