Category: Diocese of Scranton News

 

SCRANTON (July 16, 2020) – On Wednesday, July 15, 2020, Governor Tom Wolf announced new mitigation efforts for COVID-19.

The order includes a limitation of no more than 25 people at indoor events and no more than 250 people at outdoor gatherings. In terms of indoor Mass capacity, Governor Wolf indicated that these limitations do not apply to religious institutions. As a result, there will be NO CHANGE to the current liturgical directives in the Diocese of Scranton.

The governor noted his changes are prompted by an unsettling climb in new coronavirus cases nationwide and concerns about a potential new surge in Pennsylvania cases.

“I cannot stress strongly enough the need for every parish to follow all safety protocols that have been put in place for the protection of our parishioners, clergy and community. Put simply, none of us can take these procedures for granted because this situation can change very quickly,” Bishop Joseph C. Bambera said.

While all liturgical directives can be found HERE. The most important liturgical directives include:

• Everyone attending Mass is required to wear a mask except during Holy Communion
• Pews are to be marked for social distancing and parishioners need to maintain six foot social distancing at all times while inside or outside a church
• Properly sanitizing pews and other high-touch surfaces after each Mass
• Encouraging anyone who is ill to stay home

“I emphasize this continued vigilance so that we hopefully will not have to suspend public Masses once again. Some parishes in California and Arizona are closing again due to spikes in COVID-19 infections. Additionally, several states that border Pennsylvania, including Ohio and West Virginia are experiencing spikes in the number of cases being reported,” Bishop Bambera added. “I also hope that prudence now will allow our Catholic Schools to safely resume in-person learning next month.”

 

2020 Novena Theme: ‘By His Wounds, We Are Healed’

SCRANTON – The 96th annual Solemn Novena to Saint Ann at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Saint Ann in West Scranton will begin on Friday, July 17, and continue with consecutive days of Eucharistic worship, devotional prayer and preaching, culminating with the celebration of the Solemnity Feast of Saint Ann on Sunday, July 26.

Very Rev. Passionist Father Richard Burke, rector of Saint Ann Passionist Monastery and director of the Saint Ann National Shrine Basilica, announces the guest preachers for this year’s Solemn Novena will include Passionist Fathers Mark Ward and David Colhour and Passionist Brother Andre Mathieu. Both Father Mark and Brother Andre currently are members of the Passionist religious community at Saint Ann’s.

According to Father Burke, the trio of Novena preachers have chosen “By His Wounds, We are Healed” as the overall theme for the annual ten-day devotion to Saint Ann – mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus.

“Their theme reflects the place of the Passion of Jesus in our spiritual lives and the continuing power of His Passion penetrating the circumstances of our lives, even today,” the Passionist superior said.

Father Burke also shared that the 2020 Saint Ann Novena celebrates the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Passionist religious congregation, whose charism is to foster perpetual remembrance of the Passion of Jesus among the Church’s faithful.

“The Passionists do so by teaching others to pray about Jesus’ Passion and see (it) as a forming foundation of life leading to new life,” he explained.

Father Mark Ward has embraced and shared in the Passionist ministries in the Diocese of Scranton since 2018. A native of Dunkirk, N.Y., Father Mark entered the Passionist seminary of Holy Family in West Hartford, Conn., in 1965. He was ordained a priest for the Congregation of the Passion in 1975 and prior to arriving in Scranton, served as rector of Saint Paul of the Cross Monastery in Pittsburgh.

A native of Hartford, Conn., Brother Andre Mathieu made his profession of religious vows in the Passionist order in 1962 and has ministered in various pastoral, formation and leadership positions in the Eastern Province of the Passionists throughout his religious life. For the past eight years, Brother Andre has belonged  to the Passionist community at Saint Ann Monastery, where he is the current Vicar (assistant superior).

Father David Colhour entered the Passionist congregation in 1988 and celebrated his 25th anniversary of ordination as a Passionist priest last year. The Loveland, Colo., native son has ministered to the faithful at Passionist retreat centers in Detroit, Houston, Citrus Heights, Calif., and Bangalore, India, since 1994. Father David recently completed theological studies to assume his appointment as local superior of the Passionist community in Chicago, as well as to continue his leadership in the religious congregation.

Father Burke commented that this year’s Novena preachers will specifically encourage their congregation of listeners to be mindful of the continuing healing power of Christ’s Passion in their lives. He said they will explore the following spiritual themes through their daily homilies:

Discovery: How do we discover who God is and what our relationship with God is called to be • Grieving • Living in hope through the turbulence of life • Challenge: What is my mission in life and where do I go from here? • Pruning, to bring about greater fruitfulness in life • Healing life’s hurts • Awesomeness: Seeing life in a new way • Praying: What is it really? • Making Love Work: Discovering the genius of God’s love in the Wounds of Christ • We Live All Alone & Together: Community of faith.

In addition, the Divine Liturgy of the Byzantine Catholic Rite celebrated by Bishop Kurt R. Burnette of the Passaic Byzantine Eparchy will be offered on Tuesday, July 21, at 5:30 p.m. in the Basilica of Saint Ann. The Solemn Closing of the Novena will be celebrated at 7:30 p.m. on Saint Ann’s feast day, July 26, with Bishop Joseph C. Bambera presiding.

Stating that the guest preachers will take their lead from the founder of the Passionist congregation – Saint Paul of the Cross – Father Burke noted that the general and daily themes for the Solemn Novena will strike a chord of relevance to the current COVID-19 global pandemic. “We have much to pray about these days,” he said.

Father reiterated that all recommended precautions for the coronavirus health crisis will be strictly followed, and that elderly devotees and those with underlying medical conditions are encouraged to remain at home and participate in the Solemn Novena via televised broadcasts.

The implemented changes in order to adhere to current restrictions and protocols for public gatherings include the required designation for seating to comply with social distancing guidelines, which will allow a maximum of 135 faithful in the Basilica church.

Hand-sanitizing stations are installed and congregants are requested to enter the Basilica through one front door and leave by way of an “exit only” door.

“Our goal is to pray fervently and pray safely throughout the ten days,” Father Richard said.

 

 

SCRANTON – In both a video message and a letter to the faithful at the beginning of July, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera stressed the importance of continuing safety protocols with the threat of COVID-19 still very present in our communities.

“With the virus surging in many parts of our country, we need to be more vigilant than ever in exercising precautionary measures to keep us all safe. While all parishes in the Diocese of Scranton are now able to hold in-person Masses, this is not the time for us to let down our guard. I want to thank you – our faithful people, as well as all of our pastors and parish life coordinators – for your continued patience in following all of the safety protocols in your parishes,” the bishop wrote.

The bishop said wearing masks at Mass and maintaining proper social distancing is really an act of charity towards neighbors.

“As a people of God, we always need to think about how our actions impact others. Maintaining proper social distancing and wearing face masks are vital in preventing the spread of this virus. They are also acts of charity, helping to safeguard our fellow parishioners, our community and ourselves. Right now, we do not have a vaccine for the coronavirus, but we do have something that is just as important: We have the ability to help keep each other safe,” he added.

The bishop also thanked people who have stepped-up and helped their parishes stay safe. He specifically highlighted those who volunteer to make sure people are properly welcomed and healthy and those who sanitize churches after each Mass.

The bishop also emphasized the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and while many have been able to participate in livestream Masses, there is no substitute for being in a church.

“While our capacity for attendance might be temporarily limited – the love of God knows no limits. If nothing else, this difficult time has helped to emphasize to us how important the communal celebration of the Eucharist is,” Bishop Bambera explained.

He added, “While the Sunday obligation to attend Mass remains suspended at this time – you and I know very well that nothing can replace coming together as a faith-filled community for the shared celebration of the Eucharist. These past months have reminded us that for as challenging and difficult as the journey may have been, Jesus alone is our light, our hope and our strength.”

Noting that many have been feeling burdened and stressed these last few months, faithful people always manage to find a hopeful way forward through the grace of God and Jesus’ abiding presence in our lives.

“As we continue to re-gather as a local church week-by-week, may the Good News of Jesus be the message that we spread far and wide. It alone has the power to provide hope and to impart lasting peace to those who open their lives and hearts to Jesus,” Bishop Bambera noted.

 

MUNCY (July 13, 2020) — After being in self-quarantine for more than a week, the COVID-19 test results for Father Glenn McCreary, pastor, Church of the Resurrection, have come back negative.

Father McCreary is now feeling better. Thank you to everyone who prayed for his recovery.

 

SCRANTON – As many parishes in the Diocese of Scranton faced declining financial contributions due to public Masses being suspended, several turned to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration for help.

Some recipients of PPP loans say between the drop in Sunday Mass offertory and Holy Week collections at Easter, in addition to the cancellation of major fundraising events, keeping all of their employees on payroll would not have been possible without the aid of PPP loans. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on operations of the Church and the economy and its long-term impact on parish operations remains uncertain for the foreseeable future. They stress the loans allowed them to protect jobs and continue vital human services across all 11 counties in the diocese.

The federal program was established during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide loans to small businesses to guarantee eight weeks of payroll-related costs and other defined non-payroll costs to help those businesses remain viable and allow their workers to pay their bills. The PPP loan program was developed as part of the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed by President Trump in the spring.

Businesses and all religious entities that have 500 or fewer employees were able to apply for loans.

In the Diocese of Scranton, the program helped not only parishes, but schools and social service agencies continue their critical ministries as the region struggled with the coronavirus and various stay-at-home restrictions.

The Diocese of Scranton itself applied for and received a PPP loan of $1.2 million which was used to fund payroll-related costs for employees. Prior to receiving the loan, the diocese had announced furloughs for more than two dozen administrative staff members in March. The federal money enabled the diocese to rescind those furlough notices, in addition to keeping other employees on the payroll to provide support to parishes and those in-need in our community.

In addition to the Diocese of Scranton itself, to date, 92 other diocesan entities have received loans totaling $10 million. Those entities include:

• Catholic Social Services
• 72 parishes
• 19 Catholic Schools

Parishes, schools and charitable organizations, such as Catholic Social Services, are separate legal entities from the Diocese of Scranton. They are like any other small business that employs local people, provides healthcare and supports the community. As such, each entity needed to apply for PPP loans individually and many received diocesan support and guidance in doing so.

The loans helped Catholic Social Services continue providing meals and shelter to vulnerable and at-risk members of the community, regardless of religious beliefs. For example, during only the months of April and May 2020, when the PPP loan money was available, the Saint Vincent de Paul Kitchen in Wilkes-Barre served 9,676 meals. During that same time period, the three homeless shelters in the Diocese of Scranton combine to provide 2,149 individual nights of emergency shelter to people in need. The impact of those federal dollars played a tremendous role in maintaining Catholic Social Services’ ability to continue its mission.

The drop in Sunday Mass offertory at parishes also put a strain on parishes’ ability to support Catholic education and the Diocese of Scranton Catholic School System. Tuition-alone does not cover the cost of operations.

Immediately upon the closure of Pennsylvania schools, the Diocese of Scranton Catholic School System transitioned to distance learning on the next school day. Monies from the PPP loan allowed the Diocese to keep hundreds of teachers employed and students learning during the pandemic.

Each parish made its own decision about whether to pursue federal assistance. While 72 parishes received loans, 46 others did not apply. The amount of loans for parishes that received funding varied widely based on payroll amounts and need. For example, one parish in Wayne County only requested and received a loan for less than $1,300.

In a May 20, 2020 article with Catholic News Service, Patrick Markey, executive director of the Diocesan Fiscal Management Conference, discussed the importance of the PPP loans.

“This was payroll protection, not church protection, not business protection. For small organizations – parishes, churches, synagogues are small organizations – they could apply for funding based on their payroll,” he said.

In short, Markey said, “this money went where it was supposed to go.”

No PPP loan money was used to fund the Independent Survivors Compensation Program for survivors of childhood sexual abuse in the Diocese of Scranton.

 

 

 

 

WILLIAMSPORT – “International students including myself never budgeted for a summer on campus.”

Those few words of Nidhee Seernaum concisely sum up his current plight and that of 27 foreign counterparts who find themselves still on campus at Lycoming College in Williamsport.

Due to circumstances beyond their control, the so-called “stranded students” at Lycoming began to suffer a somewhat lesser-known symptom brought on by the COVID-19 health crisis – hunger.

The global pandemic delivered a “gut punch” to the 28 international students when they realized they could not just simply “go home” like their fellow collegians, as the coronavirus spread with a vengeance forcing the long-term closure of colleges and universities around the country.

International travel restrictions forced the foreign students to remain in the middle of Pennsylvania, including Seernaum, a native of the tiny island nation of Mauritius, situated off the west coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.

Lycoming College responded to housing needs free of charge for their “stranded students,” but when the school’s cafeteria service closed on June 1 a stomach-churning reality set in. Most campus jobs had not reopened yet and spending money for students became harder to come by.  A food pantry was reactivated in the Academic Center’s Student Hub, but could not fully cater to the students’ dietary needs, including strict guidelines followed by those who practice the Muslim faith.

Fortunately, the crisis came to the attention of Father Bill Corcoran, pastor of nearby Saint Boniface Parish who also serves as the college’s chaplain. The students’ dire situation hit home with Father Corcoran, who knows full well about being a foreigner in a foreign land. For three years during the early 1990s, the priest served in a Vatican appointment as regional director of the Pontifical Mission for Palestine based in Amman, Jordan.

“I heard of the ‘stranded students’ through a professor of biology who is a parishioner (of mine),” Father Corcoran said. “I was shocked to hear that students were still living on campus, unable to go home. The school had nicely given them rooms and stretched the cafeteria closing date, but their conditions were rough.”

As Father explained, the college was supplying basic food stuffs through a pantry; however, the students were still struggling.

That’s when the parishioners of Saint Boniface came to the rescue. After speaking with Lycoming Dean of Students Dan Miller, Father Corcoran arranged for the church to donate a $100 Wegmans gift card to each of the 28 students. “The cards seemed ideal,” he said, “because each student then had the dignity of choosing his or her style of food.”

Extolling the compassion of his flock, Father Corcoran continued, “I was thrilled with our parish’s interest, though many were surprised that so many foreign students live in Williamsport. They were very interested in their backgrounds and couldn’t imagine the loneliness and boredom the students were facing.”

Not surprisingly, the students’ grateful reaction has been palpable.

“As a stranded student on campus away from home and family, this gift card didn’t only help me financially, but it also faded the feeling of alienation and loneliness I had,” said Aseel Tork, a political science major from Palestine. “It opened my eyes to a great community we have here in Williamsport.”

The Lycoming co-ed related how the generosity brought the students closer together as they used the gift cards to buy groceries and cook each other cuisines from around the world. “This made our summer nights glorious,” she said.

Seernaum’s fellow countryman from Mauritius, Vishesh Ram, a chemistry major at Lycoming, said, “The Wegmans card came as a blessing, given that work was scarce and we needed groceries. Thank you!”

Father Corcoran and his caring parishioners aren’t quite done yet. This Sunday, July 19, Saint Boniface will host a barbecue outing for the students on the church grounds, complete with a multitude of picnic foods.

“Most of the students’ families are not even of middle-class means, which is why several of the students needed scholarships to attend college,” Father Corcoran added. “Many come from countries severely hit by COVID, and some have had their family bank accounts frozen.”

He also related that these international students lost a great deal of money when they were able to begin their sojourns back to their native lands, only to have to return to America when they encountered further travel bans along the way.

“We will be forever grateful to Saint Boniface Church for this act of kindness,” Seernaum offered. “I felt supported and less lonely during such a chaotic moment away from home. I was able to buy nutritious food to get me through the break, instead of going for cheaper products to make ends meet.”

 

 

MOOSIC – The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may have thrown a curveball into traditional graduation plans for students at Holy Redeemer High School but it didn’t result in a strikeout.

On Wednesday, July 8, the Class of 2020 officially graduated at PNC Field, receiving diplomas after traveling down the first-base line and crossing a stage set up near home plate.

“I’m a softball player so I think it’s pretty cool that we get to graduate on a baseball field. I’m okay with the way things turned out,” graduate Meredythe Baird said. “We did miss out on a lot, that’s the nature of the (COVID-19) disease.”

A total of 114 students received diplomas during the 75-minute ceremony. In order to follow recommended guidelines for social distancing, graduates sat in several rows between the first-and-third base lines.

Graduate Joseph Delaney, who plans to go onto Mansfield University and study sports communication, was excited when he first learned that he would be graduating at PNC Field.

“I grew up at the baseball field learning things about sports, always wanting to become a commentator, and even doing little league color commentary at times. It’s definitely going full circle for me,” the 18-year-old student said.

Delaney admits he didn’t even know what graduation would look like at first during the height of the coronavirus.

“This year has been crazy. Honestly, it’s a little surreal that we’re finally able to graduate because it has been a rollercoaster of emotions,” he said.

While admitting that he was excited to get to see the Class of 2020 on the big screen at the stadium, Delaney said the most important thing was that his classmates got to come together one last time.

“We had surveys. They kept asking us ‘what do you really want,’ and the main thing I said is we wanted it to be in person, we wanted to be with everybody,” he explained.

Holy Redeemer principal Doreen Dougherty said administrators worked extremely hard to listen to what was important to both students and families.

“We did four separate Zoom conferences with all of our seniors invited to participate. We then had four separate Zoom conferences so all of our parents and guardians had the opportunity to weigh in as well. The input from those conferences helped us develop a survey to our senior class and invited them to finalize their thoughts as far as what they wanted Baccalaureate and Commencement to look like,” Dougherty said.

In addition to graduation being a special occasion for students, Dougherty added that it was also special for seven faculty members who retired at the end of the year after decades of combined service.

The valedictorian of the Holy Redeemer Class of 2020 is Brandon Gebenus of Wilkes-Barre. The salutatorian is Marissa Jason of Wilkes-Barre Township. Both addressed their fellow graduates during the graduation ceremony.

At the beginning of his speech, Gebenus discussed the coronavirus, encouraging his fellow graduates to remain strong, courageous and not be afraid.

“We all will have sad and challenging times to go through. The important thing is for us to stay strong and to keep faith in God’s love for us. We must allow God to guide our actions here on earth so we can make the world a better place and so we may somebody share eternal happiness with God in heaven,” he said.

As a graduating class born in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks, Gebenus stressed the Class of 2020 is destined for greatness because of the values learned at Holy Redeemer.

“We are a graduating class that knows now more than ever how much the world needs unity. We are a class that knows the importance of involvement in social, church, and community services. We are a class that knows we each have the responsibility as citizens of the United States of America to exercise our right to vote. We are a class that knows we have the power to help end racial discrimination and lead the efforts to combat disease, poverty and climate change,” he added.

During her salutatorian address, Jason looked towards the future but also reflected on her high school experience.

“Holy Redeemer teaches far more than academics. In that building, you learn kindness, faith, altruism, and how to have a little fun in class. Holy Redeemer has provided us with the academic, social and spiritual tools we need to thrive,” she said.

At the conclusion of the graduation ceremony students got to participate in the traditional cap toss because administrators ordered each student a second cap that wouldn’t need to be retrieved so that no one intentionally broke social distancing guidelines during the pandemic.

“It’s not every day you get to have a graduation at a place like this,” graduate Jack Daoud of Wilkes-Barre said. “We’re just blessed!”

Daoud plans to study architectural engineering at Penn State in the fall. He said he was excited to graduate at PNC Field. While he is a Mets fan, not a Yankees fan, he said that didn’t dampen the excitement.

“I remember growing up, playing baseball, how much fun I had. It’s awesome it came full circle and I get to graduate here. It’s definitely a unique experience,” Daoud added.

Following their high school career, a total of 99 graduates will be attending a four-year college or university, including 35 who will be pursuing higher education at a Catholic college or university. Eight students plan to attend a two-year college, four will enter the work force and three will be entering military service.

The Holy Redeemer Class of 2020 received a total of 474 scholarships, earning more than $26 million.