Category: Diocese of Scranton News

HAZLETON – The church where Rev. Jose Luis Batista Castillo, O.S.J., first encountered the spirituality that shaped his vocation became the place where that calling reached its fulfillment on July 1, 2026.

Before a standing-room only crowd at Saint Gabriel Church in Hazleton, the principal worship site of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina Parish, the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, ordained Batista to the priesthood for the Oblates of Saint Joseph.

The Ordination Mass carried special significance for the newly ordained priest, whose family immigrated to Hazleton from the Dominican Republic during his childhood. It was while the former Annunciation Parish was under the pastoral care of the Oblates of Saint Joseph that he first came to know the religious community and began discerning God’s call.

“Today I became more conformed to Christ, for the glory of the Lord and also for the service of His people,” Father Jose said following the Ordination Mass.

He explained that his vocation grew through prayer and a growing desire to give his life in service to God and the Church.

“I really wanted to give myself to God and the people. As I was praying and discerning in my life, I received the call to the priesthood. At first, it was a shock to me. But then, little by little, the Lord let me know He wanted me to give myself to Him,” he said.

The Ordination Mass included the ancient rites of the Church, including the Litany of the Saints, the Prayer of Ordination, the laying on of hands by Bishop Bambera and the concelebrating priests, and the anointing of the new priest’s hands with Sacred Chrism.

Reflecting on the Litany of the Saints, during which he lay prostrate before the altar, Father Jose described it as a moment of complete surrender.

“For me, that was a beautiful moment of just giving myself to the Lord and letting Him do the rest,” he said. “I asked for the intercession of all the saints to help me be open to the grace of God.”

One of the most emotional moments came at the conclusion of the Mass, when the newly ordained priest imparted his first priestly blessing on his parents.

“I’ve been in the seminary for a long time, almost 11 years now, and they were always asking ‘When are you going to be ordained,’” Father Jose explained. “For them to have the opportunity to witness my ordination, it was a very touching moment for me and also for them. When we are kids, our parents are the one who bless us and now I’m the one blessing my parents!”

Father Jose said he left the Ordination Mass with profound gratitude.

“I feel welcomed by God, by the Church and by His people,” he said. “Tonight I’m very grateful to God, and to the Bishop, and to all the people who made it possible for this to happen.”

On the evening following the Ordination, a Mass was Thanksgiving was celebrated in the Oblates of Saint Joseph Chapel in Laflin. Rev. Matthew Spencer, O.S.J., former provincial superior, who is currently serving at a parish in California, served as homilist for that Mass.

SCRANTON – For more than 70 years, Catholics found a spiritual home inside Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel in West Scranton, where they celebrated baptisms and weddings, mourned loved ones at funeral Masses, and gathered week after week around the altar in prayer.

On Saturday, June 27, 2026, those memories filled the small church one final time as approximately 150 parishioners gathered with gratitude, but also sadness, to celebrate the Closing Mass of the IHM Chapel, which was a secondary worship site of Saint Patrick Parish in West Scranton.

Father Richard E. Fox, Pastor of Saint Patrick Parish, served as principal celebrant and homilist of the 5:30 p.m. Mass. Concelebrating was Father Joseph R. Kakareka, a retired Diocesan priest, who has assisted at the Chapel for many years.

“Thank you all for coming and being part of this sad Mass,” Father Fox said in welcoming the faithful. “It is certainly not a happy occasion for anybody.”

The history of Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel dates back to 1953, when it was constructed at the direction of Bishop William Hafey, Fourth Bishop of Scranton, following a devastating fire that destroyed the nearby Saint Ann’s Maronite church.

In constructing the IHM Chapel, Bishop Hafey had hoped the new church would lead to a cooperative effort involving Saint Patrick Parish and Saint Ann’s Maronite Parish – but that did not materialize – with hundreds of letters exchanged between Scranton, Rome, Beirut, and Washington, D.C.

Fast forward to 2026, the decision to close Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel came after discussion and consultation through the Diocese of Scranton’s Vision 2030 Pastoral Planning Process. After examining Mass attendance trends, the significant financial challenges facing Saint Patrick Parish, and mounting maintenance needs at the Chapel, the recommendation was made to close the worship site.

Rather than dwelling on those realities during his homily, Father Fox encouraged parishioners to reflect upon the countless memories of grace they had experienced inside the church since its dedication in 1953.

“So, I have to ask this question,” Father Fox began his homily by saying. “Has anybody in this church been here since the first Mass that started way back in the early 1950s?”

Several hands rose throughout the pews.

“You’ve seen the span from the first parenthesis when it opened to the second parenthesis tonight,” the long-time pastor continued. “It certainly is a world of experiences. Certainly, a world of memories.”

Looking around the church, Father Fox invited parishioners to absorb every familiar detail one last time.

“This Mass not only brings back all those memories, it helps us to experience once again all of those times in our lives,” he said. “After tonight, you are expected to be able to take those memories and carry them in your hearts.”

Comparing memories to dreams that quickly fade, Father Fox encouraged the faithful to create what he described as a mental “reel” of the chapel so they can continue sharing its story for years to come.

“When people talk about this particular place … you can enter into that conversation with your particular perspective because you remember all the things that happened,” he explained. “I believe that we can keep that same technique alive here in our own day and age – to continue to tell the stories of what happened here at the corner of North Garfield and Oram Street.”

The conclusion of the liturgy provided parishioners with a final opportunity to say goodbye.

Father Fox led prayers throughout the church, stopping at the ambo, the cry room, the Marian statue and finally the altar before inviting everyone to come forward individually. Each person was encouraged to touch the altar, make the Sign of the Cross, and process out of the church one final time.

Among those given the honor of locking the Chapel doors for the last time were longtime parishioners John (Jack) and Paula Keenan.

“It is a sad day, bittersweet because we have been coming here for so many years,” Paula Keenan said.

She said she will especially remember the chapel’s crucifix and Marian statute as well as the atmosphere that made the church unique.

“It was so intimate coming to Mass here,” she reflected. “That is what I appreciated the most.”

Following the locking of the doors, the Blessed Sacrament was reverently transferred by limousine from Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel to Saint Patrick Church on Jackson Street, where the People of God will continue to carry the church’s mission forward.

SCRANTON – A total of 172 married couples from 69 parishes across the Diocese of Scranton gathered at the Cathedral of Saint Peter on Sunday, June 28, 2026, for the annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass which honors couples marking milestone anniversaries.

The liturgy was celebrated by the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, on the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time and included couples celebrating 10, 25, 40 and 50 years of marriage and beyond.

In all, the couples attending the Mass signified 6,580 years of married life.

In his homily, Bishop Bambera reflected on the Sunday Gospel from Saint Matthew, acknowledging that Jesus’ words about the demands of discipleship might initially seem surprising in the context of a celebration of marriage.

He noted, however, that authentic discipleship is rooted in selfless love, sacrifice and perseverance. Those are all qualities that also define a faithful married life.

“Your marriage has endured not because the years have been perfect, but because you have come to see marriage as part of something much bigger than yourselves,” Bishop Bambera said, pointing to the “mystery of God’s love discovered in your lives together.”

He encouraged all couples to recognize both the struggles and blessings that shape their vocation, and to see “the face of God abiding within the heart of the one you love.”

Following the homily, couples renewed their marriage vows and at the conclusion of the Mass, a reception followed the Mass at the Diocesan Pastoral Center across the street from the Cathedral.

Among those celebrating their 10th anniversary were Thomas (T.J.) and Christina Masteller of Saint Jude Parish in Mountain Top, who reflected on the grace they have experienced in their marriage.

“There is so much grace in celebrating the sacrament,” Christina said. “We know that there is strength in that, and Lord knows you need that in a marriage.”

Her husband added that forgiveness is essential.

“There are going to be ups and downs and trials,” Thomas added. “Nothing is easy, but being able to forgive one another is the most important piece.”

John Gablonski and Rita Ives of Saint Faustina Kowalska Parish in Nanticoke, who are also marking 10 years, spoke of the gift of finding one another later in life.

“We’re actually second marriages. We’re both widows and just the fact that we met each other and we’re able to be together in marriage is a great gift for us,” Rita said. “I never thought that we’d celebrate any type of milestone anniversary.”

“It was a pleasure to be able to do this,” John added. “It was very spiritual. It was amazing.”

Celebrating 25 years of marriage, Katherine and Diego Pelaez of Saint Luke Parish in Stroudsburg emphasized faith and communication as the secrets to a happy marriage.

“To have Christ first in your marriage,” Katherine said.

Diego added, “Having God in the center of our life, in the center of our lives basically to keep us together, along with communication, quick forgiveness and compromise.”

Those were very similar sentiments shared by Bishop Bambera, who indicated that marriage is sustained through faith, forgiveness and the daily decision to love selflessly.

Quoting Pope Leo XIV, the Bishop reminded couples that “Marriage is not an ideal … but the measure of true love between a man and a woman.”

SCRANTON – The story of Moses being rescued from the Nile River is one that many children read in the Bible. At Mary Mother of God Parish’s Vacation Bible School, youngsters were able to watch a reenactment of it unfold before their eyes.

On the final day of the parish’s four-day Vacation Bible School, held June 22-25, children walked just a block from the Holy Rosary Church to Leggetts Creek, where volunteers reenacted the Old Testament story of the infant Moses being placed in a basket among the reeds and discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter.

The memorable lesson helped the young children better understand how God protected Moses, who would later lead the Hebrew people out of slavery in Egypt.

“We don’t have too many mountains around here, but we do have Leggetts Creek and it’s moving just enough that it can move the basket down the river,” Father Cyril Edwards, Pastor of Mary Mother of God Parish, said. “I’m not a teacher by trade but teachers say, ‘Teach me and I’ll get it, but involve me and I’ll understand.’”

Father Edwards said using the creek will hopefully help the children experience Scripture in a way that they will long remember.

“I hope they understand that God works in mysterious ways. The baby being in the river was a one in a million chance that it would be found by Pharaoh’s daughter,” Father Edwards reflected.

The reenactment complemented this year’s Vacation Bible School theme, “Jesus Loves Us.”

“God never abandons his people,” Father Edwards added.

The parish’s Vacation Bible School welcomed preschoolers through fourth-grade students for mornings filled with Bible lessons, music, crafts, games, and prayer, while teenage volunteers helped lead activities and mentor younger children.

“I love working with my church,” volunteer Molly Fenwick said. “I have such a strong faith, and I love getting to share my faith with the younger generation in hopes that their faith is very strong too.”

“I like being with the kids and just helping and giving back,” volunteer Anna Woody said.

For fourth-grader Annabelle Converse, the creek activity became one of the week’s highlights.

“People were down there and they showed examples to help people picture it,” she said.

Along with learning Bible stories, children also took home lessons that will last well beyond the summer.

“We’re learning kindness,” Annabelle said.

Her classmate, Anna Belle Mackey, agreed.

“Always be nice to everybody,” she said.

DUNMORE – From making colorful necklaces and singing songs for Mass to learning about God’s gift of creation, children participating in this year’s Vacation Bible School in Dunmore discovered that faith is best experienced together.

Held June 15-19, 2026, on the grounds of Saint Rocco Church, the weeklong program welcomed children from Saints Anthony and Rocco Parish and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, just days before the two communities consolidated into what is now Saint John Paul II Parish.

Guided by teen and adult volunteers, campers rotated through music, craft, Bible stories, outdoor games, and hands-on activities, all centered around this year’s rainforest theme.

For Avery Shivock, who will enter fourth grade this fall, this summer marked her final year as a Vacation Bible School camper before she hopes to someday return as a volunteer.

“There are a lot of fun activities here,” Shivock said. “You make new friends and learn new things. It’s really nice.”

Among her favorite activities is the craft station, where campers created colorful necklaces on the opening day.

“You learn how to be helpful; you learn a lot about the Bible. There is a great variety,” she added.

Many of the volunteers guiding the young campers once stood in their shoes.

“I’ve been doing this camp since I was a little girl and now helping at it is a great experience,” high school volunteer Mollie Urban said. “I honestly love being able to help the children. It’s very fun and I love seeing the smiles on their faces.”

Anna Polishan, a senior from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, helped lead the music sessions, teaching songs the children would later sing during the closing Mass of Vacation Bible School.

“I want the kids to know that faith doesn’t have to be boring,” she said. “It can be fun and it can be joyful, and I think music is a really great way to do that.”

Throughout the week, children learned that God is present in every moment of their life.

Fifth-grader Grace Markovich said one lesson especially stayed with her.

“We learned that God is with us when we’re sad, happy, sick. He’s always with us, no matter what,” Markovich said.

For Sister Donna Cerminaro, M.P.F., Director of Religious Education, seeing former campers return as volunteers each year has become one of the program’s greatest blessings.

“We have been doing this for about 15 years,” she said. “We have many volunteers. In fact, our leaders are high school kids and seventh and eighth graders. They keep on coming back every year. They just walk through the door and say, ‘I am here to help.’”

Sister Donna loves to watch the program continue to bear fruit year after year.

“I hope they have a better understanding of God and a better understanding of the Bible,” she said.

WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other Catholic groups submitted public comments in opposition to a proposed government regulation that would expand insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization.

IVF is a form of fertility treatment opposed by the Catholic Church because it separates procreation from the marital act and often involves the destruction of human embryos, among other concerns.

The proposed regulation, announced in May by the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Treasury, aims to help implement President Donald Trump’s February 2025 executive order to expand IVF access, the departments indicated. It would establish a new category of limited excepted benefits, similar to limited-scope dental or vision benefits, the departments said at the time.

In a 17-page public comment dated July 13 and addressed to the Labor Department, the Office of the General Counsel at the USCCB stated that it “appreciates the Departments’ recognition of infertility as a serious matter and their intent to support family formation.”

“The Church affirms the deep desire of spouses to welcome children and supports medical efforts to address infertility. At the same time, public policy should not promote practices that undermine the dignity of human life or sever the connection between procreation and the marital act,” the comment said. “The USCCB therefore evaluates the proposed rule both positively and critically.”

The comment was signed by William J. Quinn, general counsel for the USCCB, and Daniel Balserak, associate general counsel.

After explaining the Church’s objections to IVF, they urged the government to consider promoting instead what they called restorative reproductive medicine.

“RRM approaches generally recognize that infertility is a symptom of an underlying condition, not a disease in and of itself; and they therefore seek to restore normal reproductive function by identifying and treating its root causes,” they wrote. “In contrast to restorative reproductive medicine, in vitro fertilization does not aim to treat the underlying causes of infertility but seeks to bypass them — in a sense, overriding the symptom.”

The USCCB also urged that the final rule “should clarify that no employer, having chosen to offer fertility benefits, must cover any particular service, and should proactively protect the religious liberty and conscience rights of employers and employees.”

The comment was submitted on the final day of the public comment window for the proposed regulation.

“The proposed rule represents a valuable opportunity to advance real solutions to infertility that respect the God-given dignity of parents and of children, born and preborn,” the comment stated. “We urge the Departments to refocus the rule on therapeutic, restorative treatments, and to abandon its inclusion of IVF, which is profoundly flawed both legally and morally.”

The National Catholic Bioethics Center, the Catholic Medical Association and the National Association of Catholic Nurses USA filed a similar public comment. They argued that the proposal lacks sufficient conscience protections, among their other objections to IVF.

(OSV News) – Damage from two back-to-back earthquakes that struck Venezuela June 24 is “a lot worse than expected,” said a Catholic Relief Services disaster response worker, who asked people to “keep Venezuelans in their hearts.”

Arriving in the Latin American nation July 9, Robyn Fieser — who is coordinating CRS emergency communications on the ground — found “there were literally blocks of buildings that were just pancaked onto themselves. There was massive destruction for blocks.”

“It looked a little bit like a war zone,” said Fieser, speaking to OSV News from Venezuela in a July 13 call.

At least 4,500 were killed during the 7.2 and 7.5 quakes, which took place just 39 seconds apart.

Thousands remain missing, with many survivors struggling to excavate the bodies of loved ones amid the rubble.

“I talked to one man who said he felt the earthquakes, immediately ran home, put his shoes on and went out to start helping,” Fieser said. “He was one of those just trying to help people get out any way they could.”

Electrical, water and sanitation infrastructure has been severely degraded by the quakes.

Catholic leaders and organizations quickly mobilized to provide aid, with CRS — the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ official overseas humanitarian and development agency — “working extremely closely” with its in-country partner Caritas Venezuela, CRS spokesperson Brittany Wichtendahl told OSV News July 8.

Both organizations are part of Caritas Internationalis, the universal Catholic Church’s global humanitarian network.

CRS and Caritas Venezuela have together distributed hundreds of emergency food and hygiene kits, along with tarpaulins for shelter.

“People have lost their homes,” said Fieser. “I met three nurses who are staying in tents in a little plaza right by their church.”

CRS and Caritas Venezuela are working to provide Venezuelans with the basic necessities for daily life as they work to rebuild, she said.

“They need food, they need water,” said Fieser. “We’re providing hygiene kits so people can wash and brush their teeth, and we’re taking care of diapers for their children. We’re providing blankets, food — they need everything, because they’re not home.”

The disaster compounds ongoing, multiyear crises in the Latin American nation. In a situation update posted to its website, CRS noted that prior to the two earthquakes, “an estimated 7.9 million people were already in need of assistance due to years of economic crisis, food insecurity and weakened public services.”

Current leader Delcy Rodríguez — who ascended to power following the U.S.’s January capture and indictment of then-President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores — has faced growing ire from many Venezuelans, who have pointed to her government’s slow response to the quakes.

Fieser said that the damage is far more than physical.

“Every single person that I’ve spoken to is traumatized — every single person,” she said.

One woman with whom Fieser spoke emerged from her apartment after the quakes to see “people covered in dust, people lying on the ground” as an alarm sounded on her phone.

Now, “any type of loud noise that even resembles an alarm scares her,” said Fieser.

Those who still have access to their homes remain wary, especially since “there have been a lot of aftershocks,” she said.

“I’ve talked to people who say they can’t close the doors when they’re showering because they’re too afraid to be caught in a room,” said Fieser, adding that some “are sleeping next to the front door of their houses because they don’t want to be caught.”

Still others “are just crying nonstop,” Fieser said. “The trauma aspect of this is extremely powerful. And I think that emotional support is as important, in some ways, as other life-saving things like food and water. People are seriously traumatized by this.”

Fieser admitted that, with bodies still under the rubble, “you can smell” decomposition.

Yet despite the horrific consequences of the quakes, she said, “what’s so impressive is that even though people are traumatized — and they’re living, obviously, next to buildings where there are bodies, and many people still don’t know where their loved ones are — there’s a spirit of coming together.”

She pointed to the three nurses who are living in a tent “but went right back to work the next day at the hospital to tend to the injured and the grieving.”

“I feel like people are really getting some kind of relief by uniting and helping and being together during this really tragic moment,” said Fieser.

Still, she said, “it’s a long road” to recovery.

“It doesn’t happen in a day, and the need remains very tremendous,” said Fieser, asking people to “keep the Venezuelans in their hearts.”

ROME (OSV News) – Under the Italian sun of Lake Albano and the shade of Castel Gandolfo’s Borgo Laudato si’ trees, Pope Leo XIV enjoyed lunch with people experiencing social vulnerability.

Around 200 people from the Diocese of Rome took part in the event on July 11. “Lunch with the Pope” was “a day of welcome and fraternity” within the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo, the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education said in a statement.

Before the guests, including nearly 40 children, enjoyed the guided tour through the gardens, the day begun with Mass celebrated by Cardinal Fabio Baggio, general director of the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education, and concelebrated by Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity.

“I came without a prepared speech, but I did come with hunger — hunger for justice, hunger for genuine charity, hunger for a Church that truly knows how to open its doors, to welcome and receive everyone; where there is love for all and no one is an enemy, where all of us know how to live reconciliation, forgiveness and peace,” Pope Leo said, welcoming those present, as reported by Vatican News.

Pope Leo recalled that one of the pope’s titles is the “Pontiff — a builder of bridges.”

“And today we too want to build a bridge with all of you, with your families, and with the society in which we want to live — a society marked by justice, where the causes of poverty can be eliminated and where the causes of the injustices that still exist in our world can be overcome,” Pope Leo said.

“This,” he said, “is the Church we want to be,” Vatican News reported.

Only a few months after taking upon the See of Peter, Pope Leo first met with people experiencing vulnerability from the Diocese of Albano. That meeting on Aug. 17, 2025, gave birth to an annual tradition of encounters with the underprivileged.

“Each year, a diocese will be invited to involve people living in situations of poverty, refugees, migrants, and others experiencing social vulnerability,” to let them experience ” the beauty of creation” and create an “opportunity to meet the Holy Father,” Laudato Si’ Center said.

Cardinal Baggio said in the July 7 press release that “Borgo Laudato si’ was created to show that the care of creation and the care of the human person are one and the same mission.”

“After Lampedusa, this day represents a new step in Pope Leo XIV’s journey towards the social peripheries of our time,” the cardinal said, referencing Pope Leo’s visit the prior weekend to an Italian island that serves as both a place of the hope of a new life and of the tragedy of those that never made it through the sea to Europe.

“At Borgo Laudato si’, the Holy Father meets people experiencing vulnerability, reaffirming that the Church is called to inhabit the places where human dignity calls for listening, closeness and hope,” Cardinal Baggio said.

The encounter embodies the Church’s service to the poor, Archbishop Marín, papal almoner, emphasized.

“The Holy Father’s choice confirms that charity consists of closeness, encounter and sharing. When the Church places the most vulnerable people at the center, it makes the Gospel visible and bears witness that no one is on the margins of God’s heart,” he said in the July 7 statement.

Pope Leo expressed his gratitude to those that organized the July 11 gathering, which included dozens of organizations that on a daily basis assist people experiencing vulnerability.

“Whenever we come together, whenever we share this spirit of encounter around the same table — the one table where Jesus is also present among us,” Pope Leo said, as reported by Vatican News.

“We are truly building a different world, a world of hope, a world that is a light in the midst of our own,” he added.

The pontiff urged that in a world fractured by “violence, hatred and discrimination,” communities need to “work together and strive always to be this kind of Church: a Church of justice, peace and love,” praying that in families of those that gathered in the Castel Gandolfo picturesque setting people “find peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.”

Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, said in the July 7 statement that the organizers “wanted the protagonists of this day to be people who are accompanied every day by parishes, Caritas, and the many ecclesial and social organizations of the Diocese of Rome,” adding that “the encounter with the Holy Father restores centrality to those who too often remain on the margins and calls the entire Christian community to the responsibility of welcome.”

Borgo Laudato si’ extended “their heartfelt thanks” to Ristorante L’Isola della Pizza in Rome, which “generously offered the lunch,” and to Bar Al Duomo in Albano Laziale, “which provided the welcome breakfast, contributing through their generosity to the success of the day.”

(OSV News) – A new mosaic of Our Lady of Gietrzwald was inaugurated in the Vatican Gardens in a June 30 ceremony attended by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, and Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, president of the Polish bishops’ conference, who said the installation could deepen ties between Poland and the Holy See.

“In inaugurating this mosaic, we believe it will contribute to an even deeper relationship between Poland and the Holy See,” Archbishop Wojda said, according to the Polish bishops’ conference press office. He added that “Poland and the Church in Poland are awaiting the Holy Father’s visit.”

A Marian sanctuary in the heart of northern Europe’s countryside — often called the “Polish Lourdes” — could soon draw global attention, as Pope Leo XIV has been invited to visit the site where the Virgin Mary appeared approximately 160 times.

The village of Gietrzwald (pronounced Gyetsh-vowt), in the picturesque northeastern Warmian-Masurian lake region — is preparing for major celebrations in 2027 marking the 150th anniversary of the apparitions.

“From this day forward, she who came 150 years ago to simple people in the land of Warmia will remain permanently present in this place, reminding the world of what matters most: prayer, conversion, and trust in God,” Archbishop Wojda said.

The archbishop noted that the apparitions at Gietrzwald remain a unique gift to the Polish nation. He recalled that at a time when the Polish language, culture and national identity were under severe strain, the Blessed Mother spoke in Polish to two young girls.

“It was a sign that God does not forget his children, and that Mary remains close to her sons and daughters even when history places them before difficult trials,” he said.

Archbishop Wojda said the mosaic is “much more than a work of art.”

“It is a sign of presence. It is a testimony to the faith of a nation that, for generations, has repeated: ‘Mary, Queen of Poland, I stand by you, I remember, I keep watch.’ It is also a reminder that the Church breathes with the richness of nations, languages and traditions, all of which form one family of God’s children,” he said.

He added that it is a great honor that the image of Our Lady of Gietrzwald, deeply rooted in Poland’s spiritual history, has found a place near the See of Peter.

“One could say that today Gietrzwald comes to the Vatican, and Poland brings to the heart of the Church a part of its history, its faith, and its spirituality,” he said.

“In inaugurating this mosaic, we believe it will contribute to an even deeper relationship between Poland and the Holy See. May it also serve as a warm and heartfelt invitation to the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, to visit our land in the near future and meet a nation that, for centuries, has cherished a special love for the Successor of Saint Peter,” Archbishop Wojda said.

Polish bishops, along with President Karol Nawrocki, who visited the Vatican in September 2025, have extended an invitation to the pope, raising the possibility that the quiet sanctuary could become the focus of international pilgrimage and renewed Marian devotion.

The events that took place in Gietrzwald in 1877 remain unique in the life of the Church. Over the course of roughly two months, two young girls reported around 160 apparitions of the Virgin Mary — sometimes occurring twice a day — making it one of the most prolonged and concentrated series of Marian apparitions ever recorded.

The Polish filmmaker Jan Sobierajski, who recently completed a documentary on the Gietrzwald apparitions, the shrine remains little known outside Poland despite its unique place in the church’s history.

“To this day, these are the only Marian apparitions on present-day Polish soil officially recognized by the Holy See,” Sobierajski told OSV News. He noted that, unlike other well-known apparition sites, the Gietrzwald visionaries engaged in a weeks-long dialogue with Mary that touched not only on theological questions but also on the practical concerns of everyday life.

Unlike better known sites such as Lourdes or Fatima, the apparitions in Gietrzwald were marked not only by their frequency but by extended dialogue. According to historical accounts, the visionaries engaged in multiweek conversations with Mary, addressing both theological questions — including the Immaculate Conception — and the practical concerns of daily life.

                                                                     July 9, 2026

It is with great sadness that I join the universal Church in acknowledging the painful division that has resulted from the Society of Saint Pius X’s (SSPX) decision to proceed with the unauthorized ordination of four bishops on July 1, 2026, without the proper pontifical mandate and against the will of the Holy Father.

Throughout the years, several popes have worked to restore full communion with the SSPX which is why these recent events have been so painful. Please join me in praying that these efforts may one day bear fruit and that the unity for which Christ prayed will be restored.

While the Society of Saint Pius X maintains a presence within the geographic boundaries of the 11 counties of the Diocese of Scranton, it is important for me to note that no parish, chapel, school, or ministry of the Diocese is currently administered by the Society or its clergy.

For any individual who has worshipped with the Society of Saint Pius X, or who may have questions about these recent developments, I want to assure you of my prayers and pastoral concern. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has issued guidance for both clergy and lay faithful who wish to remain in full communion with the Catholic Church.

Most importantly, in light of the formal schism of the SSPX, Roman Catholics who desire to remain in good standing with the Church should not participate in liturgies celebrated by bishops or priests of the Society of Saint Pius X or receive the sacraments from them, including Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Marriage, and Holy Orders. Canon law provides an exception only in the case of immediate danger of death.

I recognize that many Catholics who have attended the Society’s chapels have done so because of their deep love for the Church’s liturgical tradition, especially the celebration of the Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal. That desire for the traditional Latin Mass can be fully lived within the communion of the Catholic Church.

Here in the Diocese of Scranton, the traditional Latin Mass is celebrated regularly at Saint Michael Parish in Scranton by priests of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP), a priestly fraternity that is in full communion with the Holy Father and the Catholic Church.

At this challenging time, I ask all faithful to pray for healing, reconciliation, and unity within the Church, that we remain steadfast in our fidelity to the Successor of Saint Peter.

Faithfully yours in Christ,
†Joseph C. Bambera
Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D, J.C.L.
Bishop of Scranton