Category: Diocese of Scranton News

WILKES-BARRE – A crowd of hundreds gathered Jan. 12, 2025, to celebrate the final Mass at the historic Saint Mary’s Church of the Immaculate Conception on South Washington Street in Wilkes-Barre.

The church, which was founded in 1845, closed its doors for the final time at the conclusion of Mass, marking the final day of the first Catholic Church in Wilkes-Barre.

“It is a sad day, a very sad day,” former parishioner Stacy Moore said.

Moore, who grew up in Wilkes-Barre, moved to Scranton in 1990, but decided to come back to attend the closing Mass.

“I was baptized here, was an altar server here, and was confirmed here,” he explained.

As he walked through the doors of St. Mary’s Church for the final time, Moore reflected on all the memories the church building held.

“I used to sit up on the balcony, the second pews on the balcony,” he explained.
Father Joseph Verespy, Pastor, Saint Nicholas-Saint Mary Parish, was the principal celebrant and homilist for the closing Mass.

The long-time priest noted that “there is a lot of history” within the four walls of the church that needs to be celebrated. He said that over the last few weeks many people have approached him to share that the downtown church is where they received their sacraments, were married, or even their grandparents were married.

“This Holy place holds so many memories of encountering the Holy, right here,” he said.

Father Verespy also pointed out that over the last 180 years, many things have changed.

“Things that we never imagined are part of everyday life,” he stated.

What hasn’t changed, Father Verespy noted, is that by virtue of our baptism, we are all called to be holy.

He also noted that a church is “more than bricks and mortar,” adding, “we will continue to be God’s people, church, whether it’s here, down the street, or in Kirby Park.”

Following the distribution of Holy Communion, the Closing Ritual had Father Verespy make several stops at significant points of the church to give thanks to God for all the blessings that have been found.

At the Baptismal Pool, Father Verespy paused to remember all the baptisms celebrated over the many years at Saint Mary’s Church.

“We thank you and we praise you for the life of faith given to all who have passed through the waters of new life at this pool,” he prayed.

At the ambo, the power of God’s Word proclaimed in Scripture was honored.

“We thank you and we praise you for your Holy Word proclaimed here in faith and preached here in sincerity. May that Word always echo in our hearts,” Father Verespy stated.

Before the statue of Saint Mary, parishioners thanked their ancestors and Mary, the Mother of God, by singing ‘Immaculate Mary.’

Finally, at the altar, Father Verespy remembered all of the times the community has worshipped faithfully and been nourished with the Eucharist.

“Send us forth, O Faithful God, to be salt and light, to be a temple being built of living stones, a dwelling place for you, and a place of welcome for all your people,” Father Verespy prayed.

Before exiting the church for the final time, each person was invited to come forward and bow before, genuflect, or kiss the altar. The opportunity brought many to tears, and parishioners consoled one another with hugs as they made their way out of the church building for the final time.

Once outside, the doors of the church were locked one final time, and Father Verespy, followed by hundreds of parishioners, carried the Eucharist down the street to Saint Nicholas Church. Saint Nicholas Church will serve as the sole worship site for Saint Nicholas – Saint Mary Parish moving forward.

As the procession reached Saint Nicholas Church, bells tolled, and a group of Aztec dancers greeted the procession. Once inside Saint Nicholas Church, Benediction was celebrated with the faithful, followed by a reception at Saint Nicholas – Saint Mary School.

After several years of consultation and discussion, looking at various factors from declining Mass attendance, financial realities, and the maintenance costs associated with keeping two worship sites open, parish leaders last year made the difficult decision to close Saint Mary’s Church.

Mary Elizabeth O’Connor, a former Saint Mary’s parishioner who now lives in Allentown, made the trip back to Wilkes-Barre for the closing Mass.

“It was the parish of my soul and my sacraments were all there,” she explained.

O’Connor remembered moving to the city in 1943, in the middle of World War II, and noted how important faith and having a spiritual life was at that time.

She also reflected on the important role the Sisters of Mercy played in her life and acknowledged the changing times that now have Saint Nicholas and Saint Mary churches working together.

“When I was at Saint Mary’s (school), if you looked out the window and checked the time on the clock at Saint Nick’s, we were told, that is not something you do in my class,” O’Connor remembered with a laugh.

As the celebration came to a close inside Saint Nicholas Church – three words from Father Verespy resulted in applause from parishioners – wrapping up the entire day on a forward-looking note.

“We are home,” he stated.

ROME – On Jan. 12, 2025, Diocese of Scranton seminarian Jacob P. Mutchler was one of 34 men who received the Ministry of Lector at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

His Excellency John J. Kennedy, Secretary of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, conferred the Ministry of Lector in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception.

Addressing the new lectors in his homily, Archbishop Kennedy encouraged them to proclaim the Word of God with faithfulness and joy. He went on to say, “by the faithfulness and commitment in your proclamation of the Word of God, the faithful will come to know how strongly you yourself believe in the word that you proclaim.”

As part of the rite, Archbishop Kennedy placed the Holy Scriptures in the hands of each candidate and said, “Take this book of holy Scripture and be faithful in handing on the word of God, so that it may grow strong in the hearts of his people.”

The seminarians, currently in their first year of theological formation for the priesthood, will have three additional years of theological, spiritual, and pastoral formation before being ordained to the priesthood in their home dioceses.

The Pontifical North American College serves as the American seminary in Rome.

Founded in 1859 by Blessed Pius IX, the College has formed over 5000 priests near the heart of the Church for service in dioceses around the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The College strengthens the bonds between Rome and local Churches worldwide, and it allows its students a first-hand encounter of the Church’s rich religious and cultural heritage.

SCRANTON – The Diocese of Scranton joined other dioceses worldwide in celebrating the opening of the 2025 Holy Year on Dec. 29, 2024.

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, was the principal celebrant and homilist for a special Pontifical Mass to mark the Jubilee Year, which is themed “Pilgrims of Hope.”

Bishop Bambera began Mass at the back of the Cathedral, praying that God bless all who participate on the Holy Year pilgrim journey.

“May we enter into this year of grace filled with hope because of the love, mercy, and grace that God gives each of us,” Bishop Bambera said.

The prayer was followed by a Gospel reading from John 14, in which Jesus explained to His disciples His relationship to God the Father, and then a reading from the papal bull announcing the Jubilee Year.

A Jubilee – or Holy Year – is a special year in the life of the church currently celebrated every 25 years. The most recent ordinary Jubilee was in 2000, with Pope Francis calling for an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015-2016.

Jubilee years have been held on regular intervals in the Catholic Church since 1300, but they trace their roots to the Jewish tradition of marking a Jubilee Year every 50 years.

During his homily, Bishop Bambera said that every person is invited to celebrate this Jubilee Year and experience Jesus’ healing touch and come to a renewed spirit of hope.

“This great Jubilee Year reminds us that for all that confronts us in life, it is our ability to hope that gives us the strength to persevere in the midst of trials,” he said. “Hope founded on faith and nurtured by charity, more than anything else, enables us to press forward in life.”

Since the opening Mass for the Jubilee Year was celebrated on the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, which is celebrated on the Sunday after Christmas Day, Bishop Bambera also reminded the faithful that they can find hope by looking at – and learning from – the Holy Family.

“Like families of every time and place, Mary and Joseph experienced hardship and pain – from Jesus’ unexpected conception – to the burden of life lived in an impoverished land – to being forced to flee to Egypt to protect their newborn – to losing Jesus amid the crowds during their Passover visit,” Bishop Bambera explained. “They faced their fears, disappointments and uncertainty with a deep sense of trust in God and a selfless, sacrificial love that bound them together as a family and provided them with hope.”

Unlike the practice in the Year of Mercy, diocesan cathedrals around the world are not designating their own holy doors – but cathedrals like the one in Scranton will serve as places of pilgrimage for those who cannot travel to Rome.

WILLIAMSPORT – Saint Ann Parish has recently undergone a series of transformative renovations to enhance the functionality, accessibility, and beauty of its sacred spaces and campus.

The year-long effort included significant upgrades, from the sanctuary to the church’s exterior, demonstrating the parish community’s commitment to maintaining and improving their spiritual home.

These projects were carried out under the dedicated oversight of Father Shawn Simchock, Administrator Pro Tem, who began his leadership at Saint Ann Parish in September 2023.

One of the most noticeable updates is the repainting of the church sanctuary, restoring its vibrance and solemnity for worship. All exterior church doors were replaced, providing a renewed appearance and improved security for the building.

The long-overdue replacement of the handicap-accessible ramp has made the church more welcoming, addressing a critical need that had persisted for several years.

Outside, overgrown trees were removed, and the church’s façade received a fresh look through power washing, restoring its inviting appearance.

To improve safety and visibility, lighting around the parish campus was enhanced, creating a brighter and more secure environment for parishioners and visitors alike.

These projects were made possible through the overwhelming generosity of parishioners and friends, who contributed through various fundraising efforts.

Unique events like Rectory, Set, Cook! and the church’s involvement in Little League World Series concessions provided vital funding for the renovations.

In addition, private donations of materials and labor played a crucial role in bringing these projects to fruition.

The success of these efforts speaks to the dedication and faith of the Saint Ann Church community. Each dollar raised and every hour volunteered was an act of stewardship and love for the parish.

Under the leadership of Father Simchock, the parish’s renovation projects were executed with a clear vision and commitment to enhancing the church’s mission of service and worship. His oversight and coordination ensured the successful completion of each project, reflecting his dedication to the spiritual and physical well-being of the parish.

The renovations are not quite complete, with a few more projects planned for the spring to further enhance the main church’s aesthetic and functionality.

The leadership of Saint Ann Parish extends heartfelt gratitude to all who contributed to these projects, whether through financial donations, time, or expertise. These improvements ensure that the church continues to serve as a welcoming place of worship and community for generations to come.

Through this collective effort, the Saint Ann Parish family has once again demonstrated the power of faith, fellowship, and shared purpose.

The result is not just a beautifully renovated church but a strengthened sense of unity and pride within the community.

WILLIAMSPORT – Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships recently announced its continued support of educational and religious programs at Saint John Neumann Regional Academy with a very generous donation of $150,000 to the Diocese of Scranton Scholarship Foundation.

“The Saint John Neumann fundraising committee is extremely grateful to Blaise Alexander and of his family’s contribution and commitment to the families and students of Saint John Neumann,” Paul Rooney, Saint John Neumann Regional Academy Fundraising Chair, said.

The funding will go a long way to support student scholarships as part of Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program.

“With this EITC donation, we are able to serve many local families who request or who deserve financial assistance or scholarships to our Academy at all levels. This support sets us apart from the other schools around,” principal Alisia McNamee shared.

The Blaise Alexander scholarship funding is earmarked for tuition scholarships for local students, from pre-K to grade 12, who wish to attend Saint John Neumann Regional Academy.

The academy has three locations locally. Its pre-K campus is located at Saint Lawrence Church in South Williamsport. The Saint John Neumann Regional Academy Elementary Campus location houses kindergarten through 5th grade at Saint Boniface Catholic Church, and the 6th through 12th grade classes and Catholic Community Center exist at the High School Campus, 901 Penn Street, Williamsport.

“At Saint John Neumann, we offer competitive courses. We offer Advanced Placement (AP) Courses, Dual Enrollment with multiple local colleges and universities, and unique learning opportunities via online course work for our students,” Dr. Chad Greevy, Curriculum Director, explained. “Additionally, we keep our class numbers smaller than any other school in the multi-county region to provide better one-on-one attention for our students. This individualized learning philosophy is one more way that sets us apart from those bigger guys around us.”

Anyone wishing to donate to Saint John Neumann Regional Academy can contact the Academy via phone at (570) 326-9953 or email admissions@sjnra.org.

Saint John Neumann is a Catholic, faith-centered community dedicated to academic excellence, fostering personal and spiritual growth, the promotion of a life of faith, and the development of leadership expressed in service to others.

“Come check us out, see what we can do for your family,” McNamee encouraged.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis was wearing his arm in a sling during his meetings and audiences Jan. 16 after hurting his right arm in a fall.

“This morning, due to a fall at the Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis suffered a contusion to his right forearm, without a fracture. The arm was immobilized as a precautionary measure,” the Vatican press office said.

The note was published after Vatican Media had distributed photographs of the 88-year-old pontiff’s morning meetings in which he was wearing a sling that appeared to be made from an elastic bandage tied at his neck. While the photos showed shaking hands with his left hand, other photos showed him using his right hand to sign a document.

He also had fallen in early December, hitting his chin on his bedside table and sporting a significant bruise on the right side of his face when he created 21 new cardinals Dec. 7.

Pope Francis’ voice also has sounded hoarse for weeks. When he met Jan. 9 with ambassadors serving at the Vatican, Pope Francis read only the first paragraph of his prepared text. Explaining that he was “still suffering from a bit of a cold,” he asked an aide, Msgr. Filippo Ciampanelli, to read the rest of his text.

While his voice continued to sound rough, he had read his prepared texts himself since that audience.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – As Christian churches prepare to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will focus on affirming the Nicene Creed and its expression of the faith Christians share.

Materials for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Jan. 18-25 are prepared each year by the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches.

Pope Francis is scheduled to close the week with an ecumenical prayer service at Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls Jan. 25.

The pope and Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople also have expressed a hope to mark the anniversary together in May in Iznik, Turkey, the site of the ancient city of Nicaea.

The theme chosen for the 2025 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, underlining the importance of making a profession of faith, is Jesus’ question to Martha of Bethany: “Do you believe this?”

In the Gospel of John, Martha tells Jesus that if he had been there, her brother Lazarus would not have died. Jesus tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,” and then he asks if she believes. Martha responds with a declaration of faith: “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

In the materials for the week, the Vatican and the World Council of Churches said the Nicaea anniversary “provides a unique opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the common faith of Christians, as expressed in the Creed formulated during this Council; a faith that remains alive and fruitful in our days.”

The Creed was revised at the Council of Constantinople in 381, which is why many refer to it as the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed.

But the Creed, as recited by Eastern Christians and Christians in the West — Catholics, Anglicans and Protestants — has one important difference, which are the words, “and the Son,” a phrase known as the “filioque.”

Coming after a statement of belief in the Holy Spirit, “who proceeds from the Father,” the filioque was added to the Creed in the West in the sixth century to emphasize the divinity of Jesus and has been a point of disagreement ever since.

In preparing the week of prayer, the Vatican and the World Council of Churches suggested that the filioque be dropped from the Creed when it is recited at ecumenical celebrations.

“While the filioque clause remains part of the liturgical tradition of the Latin and some other Western Churches, Bishops of Rome omit it when reciting the Creed in ecumenical encounters with leaders of Eastern Churches,” the materials said.

The material also provided background on the Council of Nicaea, which was convoked by Emperor Constantine.

“The Church, having just emerged from hiding and persecution, was beginning to experience how difficult it was to share the same faith in the different cultural and political contexts of the time,” the material said. “Agreement on the text of the Creed was a matter of defining the essential common foundations on which to build local communities that recognized each other as sister churches, each respecting the diversity of the other.”

The council, it said, attempted to resolve several differences, including: “the nature of Christ in relation to the Father; the question of a single date to celebrate Easter and its relationship with the Jewish Passover; opposition to theological opinions considered heretical; and how to reintegrate believers who had abandoned the faith during the persecutions in earlier years.”

LOS ANGELES (OSV News) – Four days after Corpus Christi Church was incinerated in the Palisades Fire, Capt. Bryan Nassour of the Los Angeles Fire Department picked his way over a 6-foot layer of rubble in the ashen bones of the sanctuary and recovered the tabernacle Jan. 11.

“I did it because the whole community has been decimated — it looks like a nuclear bomb has gone off and nothing is standing,” Nassour told Angelus, the news outlet of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Nassour is a member of St. Francis de Sales Church in Sherman Oaks, and his brother belongs to Corpus Christi.

“My brother lost his home. I have close friends who lost everything but the shirts on their backs, and they belong to that church too. So, if I could save just one thing, let it be this, so they have something to believe in,” he said.

That Saturday morning Nassour, whose station in Pacific Palisades is across the street from Corpus Christi, had been up all night battling other fires. As he sipped coffee at his desk and gazed at the ruined church, he decided to check for valuables. He wanted to protect them from looters and perhaps return something meaningful to the parish.

Scorched bricks, tiles and hunks of debris filled the nave so high that he had to crawl under the top of door frames that no longer had doors. The roof had collapsed, a burned steel frame teetered above the twisted remains of a chandelier. The pews had been consumed. Only the granite altar remained, with the solid brass tabernacle atop it and a cross above. The Blessed Sacrament was intact.

Nassour was astounded to find that the tabernacle weighed more than 300 lbs. His crew helped him get it into the station house.

“It was one of the most uplifting things,” he said. “Not everyone is religious, but they saw that and they’re like, ‘This is awesome.’ We’re doing something – at least one thing – that we can salvage for the community.”

He made many calls before he was able to reach Msgr. Liam Kidney of Corpus Christi to tell him that the tabernacle was safe and undamaged.

“He was in utter disbelief,” Nassour said.

Nassour offered to search for other sacred objects and the priest told him where to find the chalices and patens. Firefighters from Station 69 helped dig for the crushed cabinet. The chalices and patens had been severely damaged. But the firefighters recovered other sacred objects, including three unbroken containers of holy oil.

Brass withstands high heat, but Nassour suspects more was involved in the tabernacle’s survival.

“Talk to any firefighter. In any religious building what usually survives is the cross and certain specific items that are highly religious, unless they’ve been specifically set on fire,” he said.

Gabe Sanchez, a retired FBI special agent who does contract investigations for the Los Angeles Archdiocese, was sent to retrieve the tabernacle. Firefighters helped him wrestle it into his car. He drove it to St. Monica Church, where Msgr. Kidney celebrated Mass for survivors the next day.

At that Mass, the tabernacle stood on a table by the altar. Msgr. Kidney recounted Nassour calling him to ask, “I have found this big gold box. What would you like me to do with it?”

The Corpus Christi parishioners burst into applause.

Nassour was unable to attend because he was fighting fires.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – While calling himself an “old man” and saying he never expected to be pope this long, Pope Francis said he still has dreams for the future.

“We must not stumble upon tomorrow, we must build it, and we all have the responsibility to do so in a way that responds to the project of God, which is none other than the happiness of mankind, the centrality of mankind, without excluding anyone,” the 88-year-old pope wrote in his autobiography.

“Hope: The Autobiography” was written with the Italian editor Carlo Musso beginning in 2019. The book was released Jan. 14 in its original Italian and in 17 other languages in about 100 countries. Random House published the book in the United States, and Penguin Random House Canada released it in Canada.

The original plan, Musso said, was for the book to be released after Pope Francis’ death. But Mondadori, the Italian publisher coordinating the release, said the pope decided in August that it should be published at the beginning of the Holy Year 2025, which has hope as its central theme.

In several chapters of the book, Pope Francis directly addresses readers, including when he quotes St. John Paul II’s words during the Jubilee 2000: “Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ!”

“If one day you are overcome by fears and worries,” he told readers, “think of that episode in the Gospel of John, at the marriage at Cana (John 2:1– 12), and say to yourselves: The best wine has yet to be served.”

“Be sure of it: The deepest, happiest, most beautiful reality for us, for those we love, has yet to come,” he continued. “Even if some statistic tells you the opposite, even if tiredness weakens your powers, never lose this hope that cannot be beaten.”

Much of the book contains familiar stories of Pope Francis’ past, his childhood and relationship with his grandmother Rosa, his vocation and ministry as a Jesuit, his service as archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and his election as pope in 2013.

Pope Francis acknowledged that he has made mistakes during his pontificate, usually because of his impatience, but he defends some of his most controversial decisions, including expanding the possibilities for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to return to the sacraments and, more recently, to authorize the blessing of same-sex or cohabiting couples.

He wrote about both of those decisions in the larger context of how the church should reach out to and welcome everyone.

“All are invited. Everyone,” he wrote. “And so: Everyone inside. Good and bad, young and old, healthy and sick. For this is the Lord’s plan.”

“It is our task as pastors to take others by the hand, to accompany them, to help them to discern, and not to exclude them,” the pope wrote. “And to pardon: to treat others with the same mercy that the Lord reserves for us.”

In late 2023, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published, with the pope’s approval, “Fiducia Supplicans” (“Supplicating Trust”), on “the pastoral meaning of blessings.”

The declaration said that priests can give brief, spontaneous, non-sacramental, non-liturgical blessings to individuals who are in irregular situations or part of a same-sex couple “without officially validating their status” or blessing their union.

In “Hope,” Pope Francis again said: “It is the people who are blessed, not the relationships.”

The blessing, he wrote, is a sign that the church wants to accompany everyone and that it does not exclude anyone because of “one situation or one condition.”

“Everyone in the Church is invited, including people who are divorced, including people who are homosexual, including people who are transgender,” the pope wrote.

As for his decision in the 2016 exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”) to open a possibility for some divorced and civilly remarried people to have access to the sacraments, Pope Francis said that decision “made some people throw their arms up in horror.”

“Sexual sins tend to cause more of an outcry from some people,” he wrote. “But they are really not the most serious (sins). They are human sins, of the flesh. The most serious, on the contrary, are the sins that have more ‘angelicity,’ that dress themselves in another guise: pride, hatred, falsehood, fraud, abuse of power.”

“Homosexuality is not a crime, it is a human fact,” the pope wrote. LGBTQ+ people “are not ‘children of a lesser god.’ God the Father loves them with the same unconditional love, He loves them as they are, and He accompanies them in the same way that He does with all of us: being close by, merciful, and tender.”

Pope Francis also discusses his health and asserts again that he has never thought of resigning, although like his predecessors he had prepared a letter early in his pontificate offering his resignation “in the event of impediment for medical reasons.”

“At the beginning of my papacy I had the feeling that it would be brief: no more than three or four years,” he wrote. “I never imagined that I would write four encyclicals, and all those letters, documents, apostolic exhortations, nor that I would have made all those journeys to more than sixty countries.”

But, he said, “the reality is, quite simply, that I am old.”

Pope Francis wrote that he will be pope as “long as God wishes,” and repeated his plan to be buried in Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major and not in St. Peter’s Basilica as most modern popes are.

“The Vatican is the home of my last service, not my eternal home,” he wrote. His burial site is “in the room where they now keep the candelabra, close to the Regina della Pace (Mary, Queen of Peace) from whom I have always sought help, and whose embrace I have felt more than a hundred times during the course of my papacy. They have confirmed that all is ready.”

“Though I know that He has already given me many blessings,” Pope Francis wrote, “I ask the Lord for just one more: Look after me, let it happen whenever You wish, but, as You know, I’m not very brave when it comes to physical pain — so, please, don’t make me suffer too much.”