OBITUARY
REVEREND MICHAEL JOSEPH RAFFERTY

Reverend Michael Joseph Rafferty, Pastor Emeritus of Our Lady of Sorrows, West Wyoming, died on the 24th day of September 2024 after having faithfully served the Diocese of Scranton for sixty-seven years.  

Father Rafferty, son of the late Joseph M. Rafferty and Helen L. Fursha Rafferty, was born in Scranton on October 15, 1930.  He was a graduate of Scranton Central High School and attended the University of Scranton where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree.  Father studied for the priesthood at St. Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, Pennsylvania and was ordained to the priesthood on July 15, 1957 in St. Peter’s Cathedral by the Most Reverend Jerome D. Hannan D.D., late Bishop of Scranton.

Father Rafferty received a summer assignment as Assistant pro tem at St. Mary of the Mount, Mt. Pocono in June 1957.  In October 1957 Father was appointed Assistant pastor at Gate of Heaven, Dallas and served until his appointment as Assistant Pastor at Sacred Heart, Plains in September 1966.  In September 1968, Father was appointed Professor at College Misericordia and Chaplain in September 1971.

Father Rafferty was appointed Pastor at Our Lady of Sorrows, West Wyoming in September 1975 and served for thirty-one years until his retirement and appointment as Pastor Emeritus in July 2006.

Father Rafferty is survived by a brother, Philip Rafferty, Dunmore, PA, a niece Karen Rafferty MD, JD, Cocoa Beach, Florida, and a nephew, Kevin Rafferty and niece, Erin Rafferty Cole, both of Columbus, Ohio.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Ronald J. Rafferty of Columbus, Ohio and Sister Mariel Rafferty MHSH of Baltimore, Maryland.                                         

Viewing will take place on Sunday, September 29, 2024 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Saint Monica Parish, West Wyoming.   A Vesper Service will be celebrated at 7:00 p.m.

A Pontifical Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by the Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, on Monday, September 30, 2024 at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Saint Monica Parish, West Wyoming, at 10:00 a.m.

Interment will be in Cathedral Cemetery, Scranton.

 

Father Thomas Sarnecki died Sept. 14, 2024.

He graduated from Plains High School in 1949, where he played varsity football and basketball. He served in the U.S.C.G. from 1949 to 1952. He graduated from King’s College in 1957. He worked as a teacher and psychologist in Detroit from 1957 to 1986. His advanced degrees included: M.Ed., 1969; Ed. Sp., 1975; Ed. D., 1992; M. Div., 2002.

Tom married Christine Serafin in 1956, and they had four children: Karen, Kristine, Nancy and John; eight grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

He retired from Detroit in 1986 and moved to Florida, where he worked for an additional 10 years. His wife, Christine, died in 1998, and Tom entered the seminary to study for the priesthood. He was ordained in 2002 for the Scranton Diocese.

Father Tom was made pastor of St. David’s in Scranton and St. Stanislaus in Old Forge, following a year at St. Mary’s in Dickson City. In 2005, he left Scranton to become a VA chaplain in Cleveland, Ohio. After one year he was transferred to the VA Bay Pines Hospital in Florida, where he served until 2014.

His Excellency, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, announces the following appointments, effective as indicated:

Reverend Sudhir Toppo, from Parochial Vicar, Saint Ann Parish, Shohola; Saint John Neumann Parish, Hawley; and Saint Vincent DePaul Parish, Milford; to Administrator, Most Holy Trinity Parish, Susquehanna, effective September 11, 2024. 

Reverend John C. Ruth, from Pastor, Most Holy Trinity Parish, Susquehanna, to Administrative Leave of Absence, effective September 5, 2024.

 

 

Young adults are invited to join the Diocesan Vocations Office at the ninth annual Leave a Mark Mass on Nov. 3 to kick off National Vocation Awareness Week.

The Mass, which will be celebrated at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton at 5p.m., is an opportunity for young Catholics to worship the Lord, listen a bit more intentionally to his voice, and discern how they can leave a mark on the world.

Young adults discerning their vocation are encouraged to reflect upon Pope Francis’s words spoken at the 2016 World Youth Day in Poland, “Dear young people, we didn’t come into this world to ‘vegetate,’ to take it easy, to make our lives a comfortable sofa to fall asleep on. No, we came for another reason: to leave a mark. It is very sad to pass through life without leaving a mark.”

The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will be the principal celebrant of this Mass, and Father Alex Roche, Director of Vocations and Seminarians and Pastor at St. Maria Goretti Parish in Laflin, will deliver the homily.

There will be a reception following the Mass at the Diocesan Pastoral Center across the street from the Cathedral of Saint Peter.

 

His Excellency, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, announces the following appointment, effective as indicated:

Reverend Scott P. Sterowski, to Diocesan Coordinator for Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, effective September 1, 2024.  Father Sterowski will continue to serve as Pastor, Blessed Sacrament Parish, Throop, and Holy Cross Parish, Olyphant.

 

 

 

 

August 28, 2024

WASHINGTON – “Our faith calls us to pray, work, and advocate for protections that allow all laborers to thrive,” said Archbishop Borys Gudziak and Bishop Mark J. Seitz in a joint reflection for Labor Day (Sept. 2). The bishop chairmen called for a more just economy that honors the human dignity of all who labor, inclusive of those who have newly arrived in the country, as well as those whose families have been here for generations. The bishops also addressed affronts to the dignity of children, who have been identified by some as supplemental sources of labor amid widespread worker shortages.

“The Church offers a vision for the future that does not require our society to choose between a thriving economy, economic justice, dignified conditions for all workers, and safeguarding the most vulnerable among us,” the bishops state, calling attention to the plight of those who work in industries without protections due to their immigration status.

Archbishop Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop Seitz of El Paso is chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration.

The full Labor Day statement is available here (Spanish).

Read more about the Church’s teaching and advocacy on immigration and how the Catholic Campaign for Human Development has been supporting immigrant communities for over 50 years.

 

Left to right: Tom Jones along with Grand Knight Bill Pendziwiatr, Maryann Lawhon, The VOICE of JOHN CEO, and Ed Pane, Board Member

The Knights of Columbus Council 8613 Conyngham/ Drums generously donated toward the pro-life educational efforts of The VOICE of JOHN Ministry.  Presenting the donation were Grand Knight, Bill Pendziwiatr, along with Knight  Tom Jones.  Tom Jones recently chaired a Baby Bottle Drive at Saint John Bosco and Sacred Heart Weston Churches.  Together they presented the check to Maryann Lawhon, The VOICE of JOHN CEO and Ed Pane, LCSW who serves on the Board of Directors.   

The Knights of Columbus stands firmly with us in defense of the Sanctity of Human Life.  Tom Jones spoke of how “the killing of the child in the womb destroys not only that child, but generations of youth”. 

The VOICE of JOHN is a pro-life ministry which has taken a lead in education throughout the State by developing a curriculum for grades K – 12.  More recently Lawhon spoke alongside Geri Featherby as they presented at Marywood University and Misericordia University, speaking of the post abortive healing journey and offering rape intervention from a pro-life perspective. 

The mission of the Ministry is to reach out with compassion to men and women facing a crisis pregnancy, offer healing for those suffering from post-abortive syndrome, to offer guidance to those facing end of life decisions, and to advocate for children with Down Syndrome or other genetic anomalies.  Lawhon is now a national speaker, educating on issues of abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, and assisted suicide.  

To arrange for a speaker at your church, school, or civic organization, contact The VOICE of JOHN Ministry at thevoiceofjohn1977@gmail.com or call our office at 570-788-JOHN (5646).

 

Gate of Heaven Church, Dallas recently held its annual Summer Music Camp. The theme of this year’s camp was “On Pilgrimage with Jesus “.

During the week, campers participated in a mock pilgrimage to sites of Eucharistic Miracles in honor of the current Eucharistic Revival and in solidarity with the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which took place this past May-July.

Other camp activities included choir rehearsals, games, crafts, daily teachings, and snacks. The camp concluded with a youth liturgy in which music campers participated.

 

         

 

Pictured are St. Martha’s parishioners and Festival volunteers. First row, from left: Josephine Shaul, Rev. Philbert Takyi-Nketiah. Second row: Leann Everett, Amanda Matysik, Samuel Matysik, Hannah Matysik, Abigail Matysik, Phoebe Clink, Madilyn Everett, Caroline Myers, Julia Myers, Allison Myers. Third row: Raphael Micca, Janet Romano, Rebecca Micca, Megan Howanitz, Ann Howanitz, Victoria Zultevicz, Krista Zultevicz, Sharon Telesky. Fourth row: Mary Dluzeski, Garrett Sutton, Joan Pauley, Mark Stransky, Dorothy Howanitz, Andrea Shaul, Ellen Shaul, Joann Ftorkowski, Barbara Simmons, Emma Zylo, Stanley Ftorkowski. Fifth row: John Dluzeski, Richard Matysik, Christopher Zultevicz, Bonnie Zultevicz, Gene Zultevicz, Donna Cragle, Ronald Narcavage, Joy White, Thomas White.

FAIRMOUNT SPRINGS – Holy Spirit Parish will hold its annual Festival and Chicken Dinner at St. Martha’s Church, 260 Bonnieville Road, Fairmount Springs, on Saturday, August 31 from 5:00 until 11:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 1 from 12:00 noon until 11:00 p.m. Mass will be offered at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday.

St. Martha’s Festival features Polish and American food, a café with cakes, pies, and coffee, as well as an ice cream stand, children’s games, a dime pitch, basket raffle, and a large indoor flea market. Barbecue chicken dinners will be available for outdoor dining or take out on both Saturday and Sunday. There will be live music nightly, with the Lance Thomas Band performing on Saturday and 404 Band on Sunday. The Festival will be held rain or shine under the big tent.

St. Martha’s Church, which is celebrating its centennial this year, has hosted Labor Day chicken dinners since the 1920s. In the early years of the church, local farmers donated chickens, which were dispatched, cleaned, and prepared by the women of the church. In 1980, the dinner expanded into the two day Festival that continues today.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/saintmartha or call Florence Brozoski at 570-864-3780 or the church at 570-864-8588.


 

(Shown are Committee Members, from Left to Right) Front Row: Dr. Chris Carr, Kurt Kushner, Tony DePaola. 2nd Row: Jim Biondo, Raphael Micca, Kevin Berli, Jack Walsh, John Brzycki, Joe Adcroft, Frank Socha, Father Brian VanFossen (Conference Chaplain). 3rd Row: Mike Kilmer (Conference Chairman), Dr. Lou Guarnieri, Paul Binner, Alex Piochocki, David Sutton, Joe Alinoski, Ralph Marino, Tim Pawlik, Deacon Marty Castaldi and John Leskosky. Also in attendance was Christopher Calore.

Members for ‘Be A Catholic Man’ recently gathered to plan for its ninth annual Catholic Men’s Conference. This year’s theme will be ‘Come Follow Me’. The event will be held at Holy Redeemer High School, 159 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Saturday, October 5th, 2024, from 8 am to 3 pm.

Nationally known speakers will be: Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, John Edwards, Father Bill Casey, and concluding with Mass Offered by Bishop Joseph Bambera.  These informative talks are conducive for fathers and sons, clergy, and men of every age.

Admission can be acquired by mailing $40.00 ($30.00 if mailed by Sept. 15th). Students are $15.00.  Priests, Deacons and Seminarians are free.

Mail to: “Be A Catholic Man”, PO Box 669, Wyalusing, Pa. 18853. (Please write “Men’s Conference” on the check memo and include ones contact info, e-mail, and Parish.) Online registries: www.BeACatholicMan.com.

For more information, call 570-721-0872.