Category: Diocese of Scranton News

 

WILKES-BARRE – Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen and Food Pantry will be holding a special Easter food distribution on Tuesday, March 30 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The Easter food distribution is open to anyone in need, no pre-registration is required. The food distribution will take place at the Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen and Food Pantry, located at 39 East Jackson Street, Wilkes-Barre.

Operated by Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton, Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen and Food Pantry have continued to meet the needs of local families, children and seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic on a daily basis.

“We have a lot of families that come to Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen so I’m hoping this will help them enjoy their Easter as a family,” Mike Cianciotta, Director of Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen, said.

The special Easter food distribution comes in addition to meals served at the kitchen every day of the year, including holidays.

On Easter Sunday, April 4, Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen will provide an Easter dinner to anyone in need. The ham dinner will include a starch, vegetable and dessert. There will also be assorted fresh fruit that clients will be able to take home.

The Easter dinner at Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen will be served in to-go containers (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., which is the same time that meals are served on a daily basis.

In addition, Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen plans to reopen its clothing room to the public next month. Starting Tuesday, April 20, the clothing room will be open on Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

“We will only be able to allow two or three people inside at a time, with masks and physical distancing measures, but we want to get it open to help people before summer,” Cianciotta added.

Anyone who has spring or summer clothing that they would like to donate to the clothing room can start dropping items off at Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen any day of the week between 9:00 a.m. and noon. We kindly ask that people refrain from donating winter clothing items at this time.

 

SCRANTON – Saint Joseph was a simple, quiet and humble man who listened carefully to the voice of God and we should all give thanks for the example of his life, his faith and his trust in God’s plan.

That was the message Bishop Joseph C. Bambera delivered in his homily during a Mass celebrating the Solemnity of Saint Joseph on March 19, 2021 at the Cathedral of Saint Peter. The Mass also served as the ‘Closing Mass’ for a Year of Saint Joseph celebrated in the Diocese of Scranton, which began exactly one year earlier.

“It is not at all by coincidence that while we in the Church of Scranton have dedicated this past year to Joseph, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, on behalf of the universal Church, dedicated a year to him as well,” the bishop said.

As the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and caretaker of Jesus, the bishop said Saint Joseph’s life speaks to our lives as well.

“Saint Matthew, in the opening chapter of his gospel, lays groundwork for the birth of Jesus. He reminds us that when Mary was engaged to Joseph – but before they lived together – she was found with child through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph was rightly confused about this and wanted to divorce her quietly, when suddenly an angel appeared to him in a dream saying ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife,’” Bishop Bambera said. “These are key words in the life of Joseph, ‘Do not fear to take Mary as your wife.’ With these words, God entrusts to Joseph – the carpenter of Nazareth – the mystery of salvation.”

As the result of Saint Joseph’s openness to embrace the mystery of God’s plan, Bishop Bambera told the faithful gathered at the Cathedral that he grew as a man of faith and found himself committed to his vocation.

“Saint Joseph teaches us so very much about our lives in relationship to God, doesn’t he?” the bishop asked. “Despite the fact that not a single word spoken by this great saint is recorded in the scriptures, he speaks eloquently through the example of his life, his faith in God, his generous embrace of his vocation as husband and father and his care for the lives entrusted to him by God.”

Bishop Bambera also mentioned Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde (With a Father’s Heart), that was released in late 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. In his letter, the pope explained how Saint Joseph, who lived in the shadows of the Holy Family, is like many others that often get overlooked like doctors, nurses, storekeepers and supermarket workers.

In Patris Corde, The Holy Father writes, “Each of us can discover in Joseph – the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence – and intercessor, a support, a guide in times of trouble. Saint Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation.”

As he has done numerous times of the course of the ‘Year of Saint Joseph,’ Bishop Bambera ended his homily by asking for the help of this important intercessor, simply saying, “Saint Joseph, pray for us.”

If you would like to read Bishop Bambera’s entire homily from the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, please click here. The Mass from the Cathedral of Saint Peter is available for viewing on the Diocese of Scranton’s YouTube channel.

 

 

 

On Friday, March 19, 2021, students from the Triboro Christian Academy came to Saint Francis of Assisi Free Clothing Store to drop off Blessing Bags.

During the month of February, students collected an array of items like hats, gloves, scarves, face masks, toothbrushes, toothpaste along with food (granola bars and instant oatmeal for example).

The donated items will be distributed to our brothers and sisters in need through our Free Clothing Store located at Saint Francis Commons, 504 Penn Avenue, Scranton.

 

 

 

Friday, March 19, 2021 is the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Solemnities are the highest rank of liturgical observance. Likened to a Sunday, the prescribed penance of Lent is not obligatory.

The Universal Law of the Church (Canon 1251) instructs that abstinence from meat, which is observed on the Fridays of Lent, is not binding when a solemnity should fall on a Friday.

Therefore, it is permissible to eat meat on March 19, 2021, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, without violating the Lenten discipline.

This year, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph takes on special significance in the Diocese of Scranton as the Diocese concludes its own “Year of Saint Joseph.” The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera will celebrate Mass on Friday at 12:10 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton to honor the patron and protector of the Universal Church. The faithful are encouraged to attend, watch online or honor Saint Joseph in some way.

For additional information on the Year of Saint Joseph in the Diocese of Scranton, visit: https://www.dioceseofscranton.org/about/about-the-bishop/year-of-st-joseph/

 

 

Scranton, PA – Mrs. Carol Mueller and Christina Mueller of the Mueller Family McDonald’s presented a check for $10,000 to Diocese of Scranton Scholarship Foundation.

The donation was a result of the fourth-annual Fry Fundraiser that kicked off National Catholic Schools Week January 31, 2021 and ended February 21, 2021.  All sixteen Mueller Family McDonald’s participated by donating a portion of every large order of french fries sold during that period.  Due to COVID-19 protocols, the Mueller Family McDonald’s were unable to host the traditional “School Activity Nights,” so instead embarked upon a Facebook campaign.  The campaign featured short videos highlighting how the Diocese is working to maintain the superior educational standard in spite of a global pandemic.

“Since we couldn’t host events inside our restaurants, we tried to think outside the box.  We were blessed to work with the great people at the Diocese to bring the Catholic School experience to our Facebook fans! As a result, donations actually increased,” states Carol Mueller, Mueller Family McDonald’s.

“We are so grateful to the Mueller family for their generosity and commitment to supporting families in need. This support is needed more than ever and ensures an excellent faith-based education is affordable and available to those desiring to attend one of our schools,” states Jason Morrison, Diocesan Secretary of Catholic Education/CEO.

With restaurants located in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Shavertown, Mt. Top, Old Forge, Clarks Summit, Dickson City, Eynon, Carbondale, Tunkhannock, Honesdale, Allentown and Bethlehem, the Mueller Family McDonald’s are deeply invested in their communities.

 

SCRANTON – A Saint Patrick’s Day tradition continued in Lackawanna County this year despite the ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 16 and 17, volunteers from the Shamrock Heart Foundation gathered at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Scranton to prepare 4,500 green carnations to be delivered to nearly 50 nursing homes, assisted living centers and hospitals in Lackawanna County.

“I like helping people,” Matisse MacLeod, 12, said as she prepared carnations on her birthday with her mother and siblings by her side.

The MacLeod family of Madison Township realizes that because of lockdowns, many of the seniors receiving the carnations have struggled with isolation over the past year.

“People can’t visit them as easily so at least they’ll have something,” MacLeod explained.

Volunteers wore masks and gloves while they prepared all the green carnations on March 16. On Saint Patrick’s Day morning, two dozen drivers then departed the Pastoral Center to spread some Irish cheer.

“I think it’ll make a big impact this year. Even though it’s been well received in other years, I think this year it will really brighten somebody’s day even more,” volunteer Cindy Cramer of Scranton said.

Cramer, who is Irish, has been volunteering with the Shamrock Heart Foundation for the least five years.

“I’m glad they were able to find a way to continue to do it this year,” she said.

This was the 28th annual carnation distribution for the Shamrock Heart Foundation.

 

 

EMMITSBURG, Md. (CNS) – The faded black bonnet with its gently ruffled frill once framed the face of the nation’s first American-born saint.

The black cap, a familiar sight in portraits of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, rested in a gray archival box back in Emmitsburg March 11 for the first time since 1822.

It is one of several rarely seen artifacts from Mother Seton’s life displayed as the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton prepares for an exhibit this summer to mark the 200th anniversary of her death.

The items – including St. Elizabeth Ann’s rosary, her wedding brooch and her daughter’s christening gown – arrived earlier in the week, donated by the Sisters of Charity of New York to the Maryland shrine for their display and preservation.

“They’re here to help us tell her story and make Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton more relatable,” said Rob Judge, the shrine’s executive director. He said the exhibit will open in July. No firm date is set.

The items, mostly objects of daily life, will be used to talk about her diverse life experiences, Judge said. She knew the joys and trials of family life, was faced with financial struggle, confronted death and found solace in the Catholic Church.

“She was fully human like all of us,” Judge said. “It gives people great hope and great faith.”

Among the donated artifacts are:

— St. Elizabeth Ann’s black cap, sent to New York in 1822, a year after Mother Seton’s death, and conserved about six years ago, according to Mindy Gordon, archivist for the sisters in New York.

— The crucifix and black glass bead rosary which she used in prayer.

— A delicate brooch in the shape of a bow with a chrysanthemum-like flower at its center, which she wore on her wedding day; her portable writing desk.

— Wedding miniatures of Elizabeth and William Seton; the

tea chest belonging to St. Elizabeth Ann’s father, Dr. Richard Bayley; and family photo albums.

— The Civil War-era commissioning certificate and epaulettes of her grandson, William Seton Jr.; and the christening dress St. Elizabeth Ann sewed for her daughter Catherine.

Only a few items were displayed March 11. The christening dress needs special care to be shown due to its fragility, while other artifacts, including the wedding portraits and family photo albums, need further restoration before the exhibition, according to Scott Keefer, archivist for the Daughters of Charity.

“We’re so very pleased that these artifacts have found not only a safe but a loving home,” said Sister Donna Dodge, president of the Sisters of Charity of New York. She was joined by other members of the order’s executive council via Zoom.

Several artifacts, including the tea chest and commissioning certificate, were donated to the sisters in New York upon the death of the saint’s great-grandson and last living descendant, Ferdinand Jevons, of New York.

The commissioning certificate recalls a moment of special significance to the sisters. Capt. William Seton III, the saint’s grandson, was wounded at the Battle of Antietam 30 miles from Emmitsburg. Sisters of Charity nursed him back to health at St. Joseph’s Military Hospital in New York. Only when he awoke did the sisters realize he was the grandson of their foundress.

“How powerful a moment that must have been,” Judge said.

Elizabeth Ann Bayley was born in New York City Aug. 28, 1774, to a prominent Episcopal family. In 1794, at age 19, Elizabeth married William Magee Seton, a wealthy businessman with whom she had five children. William died of tuberculosis in 1803, leaving Elizabeth a young widow.

After discovering Catholicism in Italy, where her husband had died, Elizabeth returned to the United States and entered the Catholic Church in 1805 in New York.

To support her family, she started an academy for young ladies in New York but later relocated to Baltimore, where she established the first Catholic school. She was the founder of what would become the Catholic school system in the United States.

In 1809, she moved her school to nearby Emmitsburg, establishing it on land purchased by a donor. A year later she founded what became known as the Daughters of Charity. She died Jan. 4, 1821. She was canonized by St. Paul VI Sept. 14, 1975.

Preparing for the transfer of the saint’s items from New York, Gordon discovered something she’d never seen before on the backs of 1794 wedding miniatures. “I had never touched them,” she said.

She found a braid of Mother Seton’s hair on the back of her miniature and a velvet cloth embroidered with her husband’s initials on the back of his. One of the canisters inside the tea chest still contains tea, enough for a cup or two.

Before the artifacts were introduced, Father Ted Trinko blessed them. A priest of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, he is the shrine’s chaplain.

“In many ways, these relics are going to bless us,” he said.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the national shrine has continued virtual programs and tours and is open for visitors with face masks and social distancing, said Tony DiIulio, programs director. Some 60,000 people visit the shrine every year, though numbers were down about 10% last year.

Commemorations also include a new film, “Seeker to Saint,” as well as virtual and in-person exhibitions and tours.

Note: For more details about the artifacts or to see the film, go to https://seton200years.org.