News Briefing
1/5/2015
MISSION STATEMENT
We, the Catholic community of the Diocese of Scranton,
are called through Baptism to imitate the servant leadership of Jesus Christ.
In union with our Holy Father, the Pope, we proclaim the Gospel faithfully, celebrate the sacraments joyfully,
and boldly promote life, justice and peace in northeastern and north central Pennsylvania.
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In This Issue
Diocese to Observe Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Follow Bishop Bambera on Twitter
Catholic Men's Conference Set for April 25
New Calendar Resource for Parishes
Office for Parish Life
Real Estate Availability
Mark Your Calendar
Diocese to Observe Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The Diocese of Scranton will again participate in the worldwide Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which is celebrated each year in January.
This observance, first organized by Father Paul Watson, S.A., in 1908 at Graymoor in Garrison, N.Y., seeks to gather together diverse communities of the Christian faith to express the degree of communion which the churches have already received, and to pray together for the full visible unity of the one Church of Jesus Christ.
The Diocese of Scranton will host an Ecumenical Celebration of God's Word on Friday, January 23, 2015, at 12:10 p.m. in the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Scranton. There will be no 12:10 p.m. Mass that day in the Cathedral. All are welcome to attend. In addition, CTV: Catholic Television will broadcast the service live.
The MostReverendJoseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, will preside, and the Reverend William W. Fairchild of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will deliver the homily.
Clergy and representatives from various Christian traditions and ecumenical agencies will be present. Liturgical music will be provided by the Junior Choir from Our Lady of Peace School in Clarks Green.
Reverend Fairchild, a native of Reading, is a graduate of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. He was ordained in 1974 and received his first assignment as pastor of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Freeland.
From 1979 to 1986 he served as assistant to two bishops of the Northeastern PA Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He was deployed to the northern tier of the synod and had direct pastoral care responsibilities for 70 parishes, their pastors and families. He was also responsible for world missions and ecumenism, and was the primary ecumenical representative of the bishop to area denominational jurisdictions, including the Diocese of Scranton.
Reverend Fairchild then served for 16 years as pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Conyngham, during which time he also served on many synodical and national church boards as well as many boards in the community.
He retired from active service in 2012 and now presides over Masses at area Lutheran churches as needed and also at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Hazleton. He serves on the boards of Catholic Social Services and the Hazleton Integration Project.
He resides in Sugarloaf with his wife Sandy. They have two adult children.
During the week leading up to the ecumenical service, Bishop Bambera will host dinner meetings for members of the local Polish National Catholic, Orthodox, Eastern Catholic and Latin Rite clergy.
The theme for the 2015 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is "Jesus said to her, 'Give me a drink.' (John:4:1-42).The encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman invites us to try water from a different well and also to offer a little of our own. In diversity, we enrich each other.
When Jesus says to her, "please give me a drink" it implies an ethical action that recognizes the need for one another in living out the Church's mission. It compels us to change our attitude, to commit ourselves to seek unity in the midst of our diversity, through our openness to a variety of forms of prayer and Christian spirituality.
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a privileged moment for prayer, encounter and dialogue. It is an opportunity to recognize the richness and value that are present in the other, the different, and to ask God for the gift of unity.
The traditional period in the northern hemisphere for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is January 18-25. Those dates were proposed in 1908 by Father Watson to cover the original days of the feasts of the Chair of St. Peter (January 18) and the Conversion of St. Paul (January 25) , and therefore have a symbolic significance.
For more information and resources for the 2015Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, visit the Graymoor Ecumenical and Interreligious Institute at:.
Follow Bishop Bambera on Twitter
Like many of his fellow Bishops and our Holy Father, Pope Francis, Bishop Bambera will now be sharing his thoughts and experiences as our shepherd via Twitter, the worldwide online social media network.
Twitter allows users to broadcast short posts calledtweets.Twitter members can follow other users' tweets by using multiple platforms and devices, such as computers and smartphones.According to Twitter, there are 232 million active monthly users of the service.
"The Church clearly recognizes that we must use a variety of means to evangelize and stay connected with each other," Bishop Bambera said. "I hope that through Twitter I can offer some insights and encouragement to you, and share some news of my ministry here in the Diocese of Scranton. I invite you to join me on our journey of faith!"
You can follow Bishop Bambera on Twitter by going to:
Twitter is the latest addition to our communication outlets - which include The Catholic Light, CTV: Catholic Television, the Diocesan website and the Diocesan Facebook page.Many people are already following us on Facebook. You can join them by:
- Go to our page at:
- Click on the "Like" button
- Go to the adjacent Message bar and from the drop down menu, choose "Add to interest list." You will automatically get Facebook updates from the Diocese through your News Feed.
Thank you for connecting with us!
Catholic Men's Conference Set for April 25
The First Annual Catholic Men's Conference for the Diocese of Scranton will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2015 at King's College in Wilkes-Barre. The event will feature two nationally known speakers: Father Larry Richards, author of Be A Man, and Damon Owens from the Theology of the Body Institute.
There will be opportunities for Eucharistic Adoration, the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation as well as devotional prayers. Additionally, exhibitors will be present with a full array of Catholic books and publications as well as CDs and ministry opportunities.
Fathers, sons, grandsons and friends are all most welcome to register for the event. Bishop Joseph C. Bambera will join with participants throughout the day and celebrate a closing Mass.
The idea for the event was initiated by laymen from various parishes, with the support of their pastors, in an effort to address challenging issues facing men in today's culture.
Further information may be obtained by contacting: Glenn Yanik, ( or 570-362-0417); Michael Kilmer ( or 570-746-0100); or by contacting Catherine Butel, Diocesan Secretary for Parish Life ( or 570-207-2213.)
New Calendar Resource for Parishes
The Office for Parish Life has published a very rich resource to assist parish marriage and family support endeavors. The 2015 Office for Parish Life Calendar, as you will see, opens with several pages of opportunities and resources of benefit for the full year. In addition, the monthly reflection pages have been developed based on the preparatory catechesis published for the World Meeting of Families.
Feel free to print the full calendar available on the Diocesan website at : (collating the monthly date pages with the reflection pages) for distribution as widely as you choose. Many parishes also find it valuable to publish it one month at a time, with the reflection and calendar inserted in your bulletin. The Office for Parish Life is also prepared to distribute bound copies for pastors, parish staff members, Parish Pastoral Council members - just give us a call (570-207-2213) or stop by the Office, now located in the new Diocesan Pastoral Center (former Bishop Hannan School Building).
Office for Parish Life
Lenten Preparation
The Office for Parish Life will be holding regional Lenten Preparation Meetings for all those involved with the preparation of liturgical seasons, especially Music Ministers, Liturgy Committees, Art and Environment Committees or anyone wanting to deepen his or her appreciation of the Lenten season. These meetings will be held at the following locations:
Monday, Feb. 2 at St. Peter's, Wellsboro at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 4 at Ss. Peter & Paul's, Towanda at 6:30 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 9 at BVM Queen of Peace, Hawley at 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 10 at Gate of Heaven, Dallas at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 12 at St. John Bosco, Conyngham at 6:30 p.m.
Regional Social Concerns Committee Meetings
Everyone is invited to attend one of the regional parish Social Concerns Ministry meetings! The meetings will provide an opportunity to:
--Learn more about parish Social Concerns Ministry in neighboring parishes
--Discover ways to collaborate with other parishes
--Plan and implement successful parish social ministry projects
--Share resources that are helpful in parish Social Concerns Ministry
The dates and locations for the meetings are:
January 12, 2015: St. Ignatius, Bergan Hall, 339 North Maple Avenue, Kingston
February 17, 2015: Diocesan Pastoral Center, 330 Wyoming Avenue, Scranton
March 24, 2015: Our Lady, Queen of Peace, 1402 Route 209, Gilbert
May 20, 2015: St. Joseph the Worker, 711 W. Edwin Street, Williamsport
Each meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will conclude at 8:30 p.m. To register for one of the meetings, please call Jennifer Andres in the Office for Parish Life at (570) 207-2213. If you have any questions, please contact David Clarke, Director for Service and Social Concerns, at (570) 207-2213, ext. 1130.
Theological Foundations Courses
For persons seeking to complete the six basic courses for Catholic School Teachers and for Catechist Formation, these are available in two formats shown below. Please know that anyone may take these courses for your own adult faith development.
- The University of Dayton online courses through the Virtual Learning Community of Faith Formation, OR
- Echoes of Faith - video based learning units
Extraordinary Minister of Communion Training
January 8, 15, 22 (Thursdays) from 6:30-9:00 p.m. at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, 116 Hughes St. Swoyersville.Please call the parish at 570-287-6624 to register.
January 27, February 3 and February 10 (Tuesdays) from 6:00-8:30 p.m. in the Bishop's Hall of St. Peter's Cathedral Rectory, Scranton. To register, please call St. Peter's Cathedral at 570-344-7231.
Please note that it is necessary for candidates to attend all three sessions.
Liturgy Training Publications Annual Resources
The Office for Parish Life has a limited number of the following annual liturgical resources available at the Diocesan Pastoral Center:
- 2015 Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers, and Proclaimers of the Word (also available in Spanish)
- 2015 Sourcebook for Sundays, Seasons and Weekdays
- At Home with the Word 2015
- 2014-2015 Children's Liturgy of the Word: A Weekly Resource
- The Catholic Handbook for Visiting the Sick and Homebound 2015
Real Estate Availability
The Property & Risk Management Division of the Diocese currently maintains a listing of real estate available for sale or use throughout the Diocese. If interested in learning about the available opportunities, please contact Ed Carlin, Property Assets Director, P&RM Division, at 570-558-4310.
Mark Your Calendar
Retrouvaille Weekend, Feb. 27-March 1
at The Ramada Inn in Clarks Summit. Sponsored by the Diocese of Scranton, Retrouvaille is a weekend program for married couples who may be experiencing tension, stress and loneliness in the marriage relationship. The program helps couples - even those separated and divorced - to communicate better and resolve conflicts in their relationships. Cost for the program is by donation and registration is required. For more information or to register, call (1-800-470-2230) or visit:. All calls are confidential.
For a listing of events around the Diocese, see:
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