March 3, 2016 - Diocese of Allentown

“The Allentown Diocese in the Year of Our Lord”
JUBILEE
OF MERCY
VOL. 28, NO. 5
MARCH 3, 2016
The official diocesan Door of Mercy at the
Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena,
Allentown. (Photos by John Simitz)
‘Doors of Mercy’
lead pilgrims
to forgiveness
Msgr. Victor Finelli, pastor of St. Francis
of Assisi, Allentown and judge for diocesan
tribunal, said the Holy Father requested that
every diocese establish a Jubilee Door of
Mercy.
“As the Holy Father chose the major basilicas of Rome to have a Jubilee Door, the
cathedral was chosen as the location for our
Jubilee Door,” he said.
In addition, Msgr. Finelli said, Bishop of
Allentown John Barres has also designated
all the confessional doors – affixed with a
“mercy cross” – in every parish as a “local”
door of mercy.
“The purpose of the ‘mercy cross’ on all
confessional doors in the diocese is to promote the understanding that through that
confessional door, one – in a real and tangible way – comes to experience, know and
understand the mercy of God, which comes
to us through the sacramental confession
of our sinfulness. The words of the cross,
‘Behold the Door of Mercy,’ give us the understanding that as one enters through that
door, it truly becomes a door of mercy,” said
Msgr. Finelli.
During holy years and jubilees like the
Jubilee Year of Mercy, the church seeks to
emphasize one of its profound characteristics and make it visible for all to understand.
The Jubilee Year specifically aims to highlight mercy, and welcome and forgive all
people in need of pardon.
“The faithful should focus on the great
mercy and love of God that is present always in our life and freely giving to all who
believe. That mercy, which comes from God
in the person of Jesus Christ, brings to us
great peace through forgiveness and love,”
By TARA CONNOLLY
Staff writer
Like the Holy Door of Mercy at St. Peter Basilica,
which Pope Francis walked through Dec. 8, 2015 to officially initiate the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy,
pilgrims can walk through a Door of Mercy at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown.
Father Francis Schoenauer, cathedral pastor, said the
cathedral was designated as the site of the official diocesan Holy Door of Mercy, which
is opened to pilgrims to experience God’s mercy.
“It’s a special
He also said Pope Francis
door that
broke the previous cycles of callpilgrims can
ing for a Jubilee Year every 25
years and has invited the entire
seek indulchurch to focus on becoming a
gences and
stronger place of forgiveness and
mercy when
merciful love.
they walk
“It’s a special door that pilthrough it. It
grims can seek indulgences and
mercy when they walk through
is a reminder
it. It is a reminder of God’s love,
of God’s love,
forgiveness and mercy for all his
forgiveness
people,” said Father Schoenauer.
and mercy for
Staff and parishioners at
all his peothe cathedral converted one of
the entrance doors to a Door of
ple.”
Mercy by affixing images of the
papal coat of arms and the Good
Shepherd looking for his sheep. The door is also draped
with sashes featuring the papal colors, and a sign explaining the meaning and purpose of the special door.
Please see DOORS page 3 }}
‘24 Hours for the Lord’
at parishes this weekend
Little Sisters of the Poor the public
face of fight against HHS mandate
Pope Francis stated in “Misericordiae Vultus” (“The Face of
Mercy”), the Official Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee
Year of Mercy, that he would like March 4-5 to be set aside as “24
Hours for the Lord.”
During this period, designated parishes in the five counties/deaneries of the Diocese of Allentown will host confession and conduct
services.
The following services have been scheduled beginning Friday,
March 4 and continuing through Saturday, March 5.
WASHINGTON (CNS) – Visuals often are much easier to grasp
than a complicated thicket of issues.
That may be why the Little Sisters of
the Poor have become the public face
of Zubik v. Burwell, which goes before the U.S. Supreme Court March
23.
Zubik is not just about the religious order’s legal challenge of
the Obama administration’s contraceptive mandate for employers. It
is a consolidated case also involving East Texas Baptist University,
Southern Nazarene University and
Geneva College, which is a Presbyterian institution, as well as Catholic
entities, including the Archdiocese
of Washington, the dioceses of Pittsburgh and Erie, Pennsylvania, and
Priests for Life.
Both sides on the mandate issue
have been working to attract public support. The Little Sisters, like
Priests for Life, have launched a
website explaining their side of the
issue, and of any of the cases the Little Sisters suit has received the most
attention.
Berks County/Deanery
St Ignatius Loyola, Sinking Spring – Friday 7 a.m. to Saturday 7
Please see 24 HOURS page 4 }}
Please see HHS page 5 }}
Rosary for religious freedom
The Bishops Commission for
Women (CFW) will be praying
a rosary Wednesday, March
23 after the 10:30 a.m. Chrism
Mass at the Cathedral of St.
Catharine of Siena, Allentown,
in communion with “Women
Speak for Themselves” and all women in the diocese concerned with religious freedom.
They are asking for your prayerful support in joining
them by offering a decade or praying a rosary throughout
the day for support of the Little Sisters of the Poor and
Catholic women nationwide whose religious freedom is now
at issue before the Supreme Court.
CFW will also offer a special prayer intention March 23
for the last day of the Novena for the Diocese of Allentown.
This novena will begin Tuesday, March 15 to pray for the
diocese and Bishop Barres’ aspirational goals.
You can sign up for the novena, which begins March 15,
by visiting http://tinyurl.com/CFWnovena. You will electronically receive the novena daily.
CFW is excited to promote “Women Speak for Themselves,” a movement for your unique Catholic voice, and
“share our feminine genius as women, daughters, mothers,
sisters.”
2
The A.D. Times
Diocese
March 3, 2016
Our Lenten obligation
Church law considers every Friday
and the season of Lent as penitential days
and times. The practice of penance is a
part of our faith and Christian life. When
we do penance, we imitate Jesus, who
himself recommended it as necessary to
his followers, and gave them the example
of his prayer and fasting.
The Lenten obligation, as determined
for Catholics in the United States by our
bishops, requires that fasting be observed
on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
The law of abstinence is to be observed
on Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays of
Lent.
older.
Can anyone be dispensed or excused
from fast and/or abstinence?
Design & Production
Marcus Schneck
Who must fast?
All Catholics who are between the
ages of 18 and 59. The obligation ceases
when one begins his/her 60th year on his/
her 59th birthday.
Advertising Contact
Lori Anderson
Who must abstain?
All Catholics who are 14 years and
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at P.O. Box F
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Phone: 610-871-5200, Ext. 264
Fax: 610-439-7694
E-mail: [email protected]
President
Bishop John Barres
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What does fasting mean?
The observance of fasting means that
those obliged may take only one full meal
on the day of fast. Two lighter meals (not
equal to another full meal) may be taken
to maintain strength according to one’s
needs.
What does abstinence mean?
The law of abstinence forbids the eating of meat, including poultry. Voluntary
abstinence refers to refraining from lawful pleasures in a spirit of penance.
Individuals for a just cause may be
dispensed by their pastor or by a priest
with the faculty to do so. In our diocese
all priests may dispense individuals who
are committed to their pastoral care.
Those who are ill or have a similar serious reason are excused from the observance of fast and abstinence. Catholics
are reminded that they should not lightly
excuse themselves from this obligation.
Are there other obligations we should
fulfill?
Catholics are obliged to fulfill what
has been called their “Easter Duty.” They
are required to receive Holy Communion
during the Easter time. In the United
States this obligation can be fulfilled
from the First Sunday of Lent until Trinity Sunday (Feb. 14 until May 22, 2016).
Those conscious of serious sin are reminded of the obligation to confess their
sins at least once a year during this time.
Catholics also are encouraged to make
Lent a time of more intense prayer and
to practice almsgiving and other works
of charity. Parishes are encouraged to
continue participation in Operation Rice
Bowl.
Nuestra obligación de Cuaresma
La ley eclesiástica considera todos
los viernes y el tiempo de Cuaresma
como los días y tiempo de penitencia. La
práctica de la penitencia es una parte de
nuestra fe y vida cristiana. Cuando hacemos penitencia, imitamos a Jesús, Él
mismo recomendó como necesario para
sus seguidores y les dio el ejemplo de su
oración y ayuno.
La obligación de Cuaresma, según lo
determinado por los católicos en los Estados Unidos por nuestros obispos, requiere que se observe el ayuno el miércoles
de Ceniza y el Viernes Santo. La ley de
la abstinencia se observa el miércoles de
Ceniza y todos los viernes de Cuaresma.
¿Quién debe ayunar?
Todos los católicos que están entre las
edades de 18 y 59. La obligación cesa cuando se haya cumplido los 59 años.
¿Quién debe abstenerse?
Todos los católicos que tienen 14 años
y mayores.
¿Qué significa el ayuno?
La observancia del ayuno significa
que los obligados pueden tomar sólo una
comida completa en el día de ayuno. Dos
comidas más ligeras (Que no igualen a
una comida completa) pueden tomarse
para mantener la fuerza de acuerdo a las
necesidades de uno.
¿Qué significa la abstinencia?
La ley de la abstinencia prohíbe el
consumo de carne, incluidas las aves de
corral. Abstinencia voluntaria se refiere
a abstenerse de los placeres lícitos en un
espíritu de penitencia.
¿Puede alguien ser dispensado o excusado de ayunar y/o la abstinencia?
Los individuos de una causa justa
pueden ser dispensados ​​por su párroco o
un sacerdote con facultad para hacerlo.
En nuestra diócesis todos los sacerdotes
pueden dispensar las personas que están
comprometidos con su cuidado pastoral. Los que están enfermos o tienen una
razón similar seria están excusados de la
observancia del ayuno y la abstinencia.
Se les recuerda a los católicos que no deben excusarse a sí mismos de esta obligación.
¿Existen otras obligaciones que debemos cumplir?
Los católicos están obligados a
cumplir con lo que se ha llamado su
“deber de Pascua.” Ellos están obligados a recibir la Sagrada Comunión durante el tiempo de Pascua. En los Estados Unidos esta obligación puede ser
cumplida a partir del Primer Domingo
de Cuaresma hasta el Domingo de Trinidad (14 de febrero hasta el 22 de mayo
2016). Los que tienen conciencia de
pecado grave se les recuerda de la obligación de confesar sus pecados al menos una vez al año durante este tiempo.
También se les anima a los católicos
a hacer de la Cuaresma un tiempo de
oración más intensa y de practicar la limosna y otras obras de caridad. Se anima
a las parroquias a continuar su participación en la Operación Plato de Arroz.
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VICTIM ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR
The Diocese of Allentown provides assistance to anyone who, as a minor, was sexually abused by a priest,
deacon or employee/volunteer of the Diocese/Parish
Parents, guardians, children and survivors of sexual abuse are invited and encouraged to contact the Diocese
of Allentown for more information about this program. The fullness of compassion should be extended to these
victims by the Church.
To speak directly to the Victim Assistance Coordinator, please call the direct line 1-800-791-9209.
To learn more about the Diocese of Allentown’s Youth Protection Programs, Sexual Abuse Policy and Code of
Conduct, please visit www.allentowndiocese.org and click on “Youth Protection” at top right.
COORDINADOR DE ASISTENCIA A LAS VÍCTIMAS
La Diócesis de Allentown provee asistencia a cualquier persona que, como menor de edad, fue abusado
sexualmente por un sacerdote, diácono o empleado/voluntario de la Diócesis/Parroquia.
Los padres, tutores, niños y los sobrevivientes de abuso sexual están invitados a contactar la Diócesis de Allentown para obtener más información sobre este programa. La plenitud de compasión debe extenderse a las
víctimas por la Iglesia.
Para hablar directamente con el coordinador de asistencia a las víctimas por favor llame a la línea directa
1-800-791-9209.
Para obtener más información acerca de los Programas de Protección de la Juventud,
Política de Abuso Sexual y el Código de Conducta de la Diócesis de Allentown, por favor visite
www.allentowndiocese.org y haga clic en “Protección de la Juventud” en la parte superior
derecha.
Diocese
March 3, 2016
Doors
}}Continued from page 1
said Msgr. Finelli.
“The faithful should also focus on
those corporal and spiritual works of
mercy that we are all called to follow
and practice in our life. This Jubilee Year
should bring to all the real understanding of Christ’s love for the world and all
people as, through his own merciful love
for humanity, he suffered and died so that
we may live in the fullness of his merciful love.”
Aside from the cathedral and confessionals, Sacred Heart School, West Reading has transformed each of its classroom
The A.D. Times
doors into Doors of Mercy to remind
students to experience God’s consolation
and pardon.
“We knew there would be a Door of
Mercy at the cathedral and that the confessionals would become special doors.
We felt it was important to integrate
Doors of Mercy at our school,” said Principal Katherine Napolitano.
“It became a great speaking tool and
an opportunity to talk about mercy, what
it looks like, and how to extend and receive mercy,” she said.
The Jubilee Year of Mercy will end on
the Solemnity of Christ the King, Sunday,
Nov. 20. The motto of the year is “Merciful like the Father.”
The Door of Mercy at the cathedral features the papal coat of arms, left, and
the Good Shepherd looking for his flock.
Deacon William Hassler, assigned to
the cathedral, prepares to open the
Door of Mercy before Mass.
Tom Doherty grasps the Door of Mercy before entering through the doorway with his wife, Rita.
A sign posted at the cathedral explains the special jubilee blessing
and indulgence received by pilgrims
entering through the Door of Mercy.
Right, the mercy cross designates a
confessional door at the cathedral as
a Door of Mercy.
Left, standing in front of a Door of
Mercy at Sacred Heart School, West
Reading are, from left, students Najya Howze, Alexander Everett and Ciaran Giles, and science and religion
teacher Danelle Parisi. (Photo courtesy Sacred Heart School)
3
4
The A.D. Times
24 hours
}}Continued from page1
a.m. Priests of the deanery will be present
to hear confessions throughout the entire
period.
Carbon County/Deanery
The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed in each location, and at the conclusion of their time period churches
will have benediction. Because of long
distances to travel, the deanery felt more
comfortable in hosting it in individual
parishes.
8 to 10:30 a.m. – St. Francis of Assisi,
Nesquehoning.
10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. – St. Peter the
Fisherman, Lake Harmony.
2:30 to 5 p.m. – Immaculate Conception, Jim Thorpe.
5 to 7:30 p.m. – Sacred Heart, Palmerton.
Diocese
7:30 to 10 p.m. – St. Joseph, Jim Thorpe.
10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. – SS. Peter and
Paul, Lehighton.
12:30 to 5:30 a.m. – St. Joseph, Summit Hill.
5:30 to 8 a.m. – Our Lady of Lourdes,
Weatherly.
Lehigh County/Deanery
St. Thomas More, Allentown – Friday
7:30 p.m., Stations of the Cross, followed
by Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament; Saturday 4 p.m., Benediction of
the Most Blessed Sacrament; 7:30 p.m.,
Closing Mass.
Priests of the deanery will be present
to hear confessions throughout the entire
period.
Northampton County/Deanery
St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Easton
– Friday 5 p.m., Exposition of the Most
Blessed Sacrament and a Penance Ser-
Lenten retreat and cooking with Father Leo
St. Columbkill,
Boyertown is presenting Father Leo
Patalinghug for a
three-day retreat
Sunday, March 13
through Tuesday,
March 15.
Father Leo is
host of EWTN’s
“Savoring
Our
Faith” and winner
of the steak Fajita “Throwdown!
With Bobbie Flay” on Food Network,
promoting his nationwide movement
known as “Grace Before Meals.”
He speaks about the importance of
family dinners by encouraging parents and children to prepare and enjoy meals together.
Father Leo will prepare a meal
Sunday at 5 p.m., followed by a retreat beginning at 7 p.m. on the theme
“Finding God.” He will continue his
retreat talk Monday and Tuesday at 7
p.m.
Father will also have copies of his
books available for purchase, that he
will sign Sunday evening.
For more information, visit www.
gracebeforemeals.com.
March 3, 2016
vice; Saturday, midnight, Benediction of
the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Priests of the deanery will be present
to hear confessions Friday 5 p.m. through
Saturday 5 p.m.
Schuylkill County/Deanery
Divine Mercy, Shenandoah
Friday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. – Confessions
heard.
9 a.m. – Mass followed by Exposition
of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
10 a.m. – Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
11 a.m. – Prayer Service by the children of Trinity Academy.
Noon – Stations of the Cross.
1 p.m. – Prayers for the Canonization
of Father Walter Ciszek.
2 p.m. – Taize Prayer.
3 p.m. – Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
4 p.m. – Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary prayed.
4:30 p.m. – Sorrowful Mysteries of
the Rosary prayed.
5 p.m. – Prayers by the Hispanic community.
6 p.m. – Prayers by the Hispanic community.
7 p.m. – Benediction of the Most
Blessed Sacrament.
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Mahanoy
City and St. Patrick, Pottsville
Friday 8 p.m. to Saturday 6 a.m. – Private prayer in the Adoration Chapels.
Divine Mercy, Shenandoah
Saturday 6 to 8 a.m. – Confessions
heard.
6 a.m. – Exposition of the Most
Blessed Sacrament.
7 a.m. – Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary prayed.
7:30 a.m. – Luminous Mysteries of
the Rosary prayed.
8 a.m. – Stations of the Cross.
9 a.m. – Benediction followed by
Mass.
‘The Role of Forgiveness’
to be discussed March 7
“Does forgiveness require an apology? Is anything unforgivable? What if I
can’t forgive someone?”
These are among the questions to be discussed Monday, March 7 during
“Faith and Spirits” at the High Gravity Lounge of Allentown Brew Works, 812
Hamilton St., Allentown.
The informal discussion “Father Forgive Them: The Role of Forgiveness”
will be presented from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. by Father Bernard Ezaki, assistant
pastor of the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown.
The diocesan Office of Adult Formation is offering the discussion. All adults
are welcome. Bring a friend or come yourself.
There is no charge for attending. Brew Works will have menus available for
ordering food and drink at participants’ expense.
For more information: 610-289-8900, ext. 21; [email protected].
Diocese
March 3, 2016
HHS
}}Continued from page1
In January, two Little Sisters sat in
the House Chamber for the State of the
Union address, invited by House Speaker
Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin. The religious
order also has been invoked on the campaign trail for the Republican presidential
nomination by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio,
R-Florida, and former Florida Gov. Jeb
Bush. Rubio and Bush, who is now out of
the race, pointed to the order’s mandate
suit as part of the ongoing fight for religious liberty.
Pope Francis met with some of the sisters in Washington last September during
his apostolic visit.
Once the high court hears oral arguments in Zubik v. Burwell, a decision is
expected before the court term ends in
June.
With the death of Associate Justice
Antonin Scalia, it is widely predicted the
result will be a 4-4 tie. In the 2014 Hobby
Lobby case, Scalia provided the deciding
vote in a 5-4 decision, and two private,
for-profit companies that objected to the
mandate on moral grounds prevailed in
their argument that complying placed an
undue burden on their religious freedom.
The court ruled that closely held companies -- meaning, with limited shareholders -- are exempt.
In all of the cases to be argued before
the high court in March, appellate courts
in various jurisdictions sided with the
Obama administration.
On Feb. 18, the 11th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled against
the Eternal Word Television Network and
three other Catholic entities. That ruling
also said the HHS mandate should not be
enforced until the Supreme Court rules
on the issue. One ruling that has gone against the
Obama administration was handed down
Sept. 17, 2015, by a three-judge panel
of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
in St. Louis. The panel upheld a district
court ruling that said the mandate does
burden the religious liberty of the plaintiffs, who include three Christian colleges in Missouri, Michigan and Iowa.
The Denver-based Little Sisters order,
which operates nursing homes for the
elderly poor, has been the symbol of the
case since Dec. 31, 2013, when Supreme
Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued a
stay hours before the order would have
had to comply with the mandate.
Under the federal Affordable Care
Act, most employers, including religious
ones, are required to cover employees’
artificial birth control, sterilization and
abortifacients, even if employers are
morally opposed to such coverage.
Churches and institutions that primarily employ and serve their own members
are exempt.
The Little Sisters, like the other plaintiffs in Zubik v. Burwell, object to doing this for their employees under their
health insurance plan, the Christian
Brothers Employee Benefit Trust. Citing
the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration
Act, known as RFRA, the religious order
says the mandate amounts to an undue
burden on their free exercise of religion.
To respond to religious objections, the
Department of Health and Human Services created an “accommodation.” Any
organization with religious objections to
providing the coverage must state that in
writing in order for HHS or the Department of Labor to direct a third party provide contraceptive to the organization’s
employees.
In its friend of the court brief filed in
the Zubik case, the government says the
case comes down to “whether the RFRA
entitles petitioners not only to opt out of
providing contraceptive coverage themselves, but also to prevent the government from arranging for third parties to
provide separate coverage to the affected
women.”
“It’s unprecedented for an organization to actually oppose the process for
which they are allowed to opt out of
something,” said Gretchen Borchelt, a
vice president at the National Women’s
Law Center, in an interview with Catholic News Service. The center, based in
Washington, is one of the organizations
that support the government’s stance.
The Catholic and other plaintiffs in
Zubik object to that third-party notification because they say they still would be
complicit in providing coverage they oppose.
The brief from the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops zooms in on the argument: “History is replete with instances
in which an individual went to his or her
death to avoid committing an act objectionable to the individual on religious
grounds, though thought by others to be
innocuous.”
As examples, the USCCB cites St.
Thomas More, beheaded by King Henry
VIII for not accommodating the king’s
demand for a divorce; Polycarp, an early Christian martyr burned at the stake
for his simple refusal to say “Caesar is
Lord”; and Eleazar, who, in the Second
Book of Maccabees, was recorded as
having been tortured and killed for refusing to eat meat not allowed by Jewish
dietary laws
Refusing to comply with the mandate
means substantial fines, which in the
case of the Little Sisters have been estimated at $70 million a year. According
to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty,
which represents the religious order, the
The A.D. Times
fines range depending on the nursing
facility run the order, which has close
to 30 homes for the elderly. Some fines
could run $2,000 per employee per year
or amount to $100 per employee per day.
The USCCB brief argues that the
Little Sisters order would face “financial
ruin” as a result. “No one benefits from
such an outcome -- not the organizations,
their donors, their clients, or their employees.”
As for “substantial burden,” the amicus brief from former state attorneys general in support of HHS maintains that the
onus does not exist, since religious organizations would not even be informed of
which of their employees are receiving
contraceptive coverage.
Other issues include claims of a financial burden on employees. As an
example, the National Women’s Law
Center brief maintains that the employees of the Little Sisters, without the accommodation, would have to pay more
for contraceptive measures. The alternatives they’ve put forward “remove
contraception from a woman’s regular
insurance system, and impose additional
administrative, logistical and monetary
burdens that would make it difficult, if
not impossible, for women to access contraception.”
Mark L. Rienzi, a lawyer with the
Becket Fund, calls that “a very strange
argument” since the government-operated health-care exchanges provide a
workable alternative. Those, he said, are
“generally praised by the government as
providing affordable, comprehensive,
easy-to-access coverage. In fact, that’s
precisely the way many employees of
small businesses get their insurance. So
the notion that it is somehow too hard,
too complicated, or too expensive for
employees of the Little Sisters is bizarre.”
5
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The A.D. Times
Diocese
March 3, 2016
Alvernia receives $2.25 million, establishes Neag Nursing Scholarship Program
Alvernia University, Reading has announced the establishment of a nursing
scholarship program, made possible by a
$2.25 million gift from Carole and Ray
Neag.
The first Neag Nursing Scholarships
were awarded Feb. 20 during a luncheon
for the incoming Class of 2020.
The Neag Nursing Scholarship Program will provide multiple scholarships
each year to students enrolling in Alvernia’s popular nursing degree program.
Carole and Ray Neag are among Alvernia’s most generous benefactors, with
a long history of philanthropic support of
the university.
Carole is a former emergency and maternity nurse who also worked to implement injury-prevention standards. She
previously served as a member of the
university’s Board of Trustees, and is a
trustee emerita.
Ray is the retired co-founder, vice
chairman and director of Arrow International, now Teleflex Medical, an innovator in the use of catheterization for diagnosis and treatment of cardiac diseases.
Health care and higher education
have been areas of particular focus for
the Neags’ philanthropic support both at
Alvernia and in the larger community.
“Their gift today brings together the
Neags’ two areas of special interest and,
at the same time, honors Carole’s passion
for the nursing profession,” said Alvernia
President Thomas Flynn.
“This is an important gift for Alvernia,
and it comes at a time when the university
is experiencing extraordinary progress in
developing its academic programs. The
nursing program, truly one of the university’s flagships, attracts interest from
students across the Mid-Atlantic region.”
“Ray and I share a strong interest in
nursing,” said Carole Neag. “By investing
in the next generation of nurses to help
them obtain outstanding training from a
values-based university like Alvernia, we
can make a positive difference in the lives
of so many others in the future.”
Of the multiple scholarships awarded
each year, one will be presented annually
to a top Reading Collegiate Scholar who
Carole and Ray Neag at the scholarship announcement.
is interested in entering Alvernia’s nursing program, establishing both the first
endowed Reading Collegiate Scholarships and the first ones to be aligned with
a specific discipline.
Launched in 2013, Alvernia’s Reading
Collegiate Scholars Program (RCSP) is
geared to prepare larger numbers of high
school students from Reading to attend
and succeed at the college of their choice.
“We remain humbled by the Neags’
continued confidence in the value of an
Alvernia education. Truly they understand and support our determination as
a distinctive Franciscan university to
develop ethical leaders with moral courage and graduates that leave our campus
prepared to do well and do good,” said
Flynn.
The Neags have a legacy of generously supporting Alvernia. In 2011 the
Neag Professorships were established to
recognize new or emerging faculty schol-
ars who have demonstrated excellence in
scholarship and distinction in teaching.
The endowed professorships are part of
a comprehensive effort to expand support
for the faculty’s teaching excellence as
well as scholarly and creative achievement.
Previously the Neags supported creation of Alvernia’s Student Center and established a scholarship for undergraduate
students interested in pursuing a Franciscan education at Alvernia. Importantly,
they helped establish the Neag Nursing
Faculty Development Fund, which has
made a significant impact on enhancing
the nursing curriculum, teaching pedagogies, evaluation methods and faculty
scholarship.
In recognition of their outstanding
support of the institution and their broader civic leadership, Alvernia honored the
couple with the university’s highest honor, its Franciscan Award, in 2002.
Just last fall, Alvernia acknowledged
the Neags’ philanthropy by inducting
them into its Bernardine Giving Society.
They are one of only five individuals/organizations to be recognized in that society, a distinction reserved for the school’s
most generous benefactors.
“The Neags’ philanthropy at Alvernia has been as visionary as it has been
generous,” said Flynn. “Early on they
made a special commitment to enhancing academic excellence at the university
through very targeted support of faculty
and student initiatives. Their impact has
been transformational.”
In addition, the Neags have been exceptional friends and benefactors to the
university’s nursing program, according
to Karen Thacker, dean of professional
programs and associate professor of nursing at Alvernia.
“Their most recent gift will make a
tremendous difference in patient care
by helping the next generation of nurses
obtain a bachelor’s degree from a valuesbased institution like Alvernia,” said
Thacker. “Their support of our students
and faculty, and how we shape caring and
compassionate nursing graduates, is so
impressive and directly links to quality
outcomes in healthcare.”
The Neags’ recent gift is providing critical support for the institution’s
growth in the broader health care science field, which will soon be realized on
an even greater scale with creation of a
planned state-of-the-art recreation, wellness, and health sciences complex, called
the Plex.
The Plex will support high-demand
health science programs that require additional flexible, general-use classrooms,
and additional specialized and integrated
spaces to support the growth of sports
medicine, athletic training and physical
therapy programs.
It will also enable new opportunities
for inter-professional teaching that integrates real-world training for students in
programs like occupational therapy, nursing and social work.
Death
Msgr. James Mulligan – former medical ethicist; head
of diaconate, programs for priestly life and ministry
Msgr.
James
Mulligan, 79, retired priest of the
Diocese of Allentown, died Feb.
29 at Holy Family
Manor, Bethlehem.
Born in Hazleton, Msgr. Mulligan was the son of
the late Edmund
and Rose (Dougherty) Mulligan. He
attended
Beaver
Meadows Public
School; Harman Junior High School,
Hazleton, and Hazleton Senior High
School.
He began his studies for the priesthood at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, where he received
a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy, and continued on to the Pontifical
Gregorian University, Rome, where he
received a licentiate in sacred theology.
He was ordained to the priesthood
July 16, 1961 at the Church of the
Twelve Apostles in Rome by Bishop
Martin O’Connor, rector of the Pontifical North American College, Rome.
Msgr. Mulligan’s first priestly assignment was assistant pastor, Immaculate Conception, Jim Thorpe,
followed by assistant pastor, St. Bartholomew, Brockton; professor, Mount
St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg,
Maryland; diocesan director of Programs for Priestly Life and Ministry,
with residence at Our Lady of Hungary
Rectory, Northampton; director, Permanent Diaconate Program; administrator, then pastor, St. Joseph, Jim
Thorpe; and director, Office of Priestly
Life and Ministry.
During the course of his priestly
ministry Msgr. Mulligan served as diocesan censor of books; director, Diocesan Health Affairs; and member,
Board of Directors, Holy Family Villa
for Priests, Bethlehem. Msgr. Mulligan had a pivotal role in the formation
of the Allentown Guild of the Catholic
Medical Association in 2009.
He wrote many articles and several newspaper columns dealing with
medical-moral issues, including a column titled “Moral Decisions” for The
A.D. Times 1989-2002. Many of the
columns have been compiled and expanded in a book titled “Choose Life.”
Other books by Msgr. Mulligan include “The Pope and the Theologians,”
“The Christian Experience,” “Theologians and Authority Within the Living
Church” and a Civil War-era medical
mystery titled “The Haystack.”
Surviving are his sister, Mary Mulligan of Lehighton; brothers, Eugene
and wife, Alice, of Jim Thorpe, and Edmund and wife, Martha, of Lehighton;
two nephews, five nieces including
Sister Rose Mulligan, a Sister, Servant
of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; two
grandnieces and five grandnephews.
Calling hours will be at Queenship of Mary, Northampton: Thursday,
March 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Friday,
March 4 before Mass from 9 to 11 a.m.
Vigil Service will be Thursday,
March 3 at 7:30 p.m. at Queenship of
Mary. Msgr. Daniel Yenushosky, pastor of Holy Trinity, Whitehall, and vicar forane of the Lehigh Deanery, will
preside. Homilist will be Msgr. Michael Chaback, retired priest, Queenship of Mary.
Mass of Christian Burial for Msgr.
Mulligan will be celebrated Friday,
March 4 at 11 a.m. at Queenship of
Mary by Bishop of Allentown John
Barres. Homilist will be Bishop Harry Flynn, archbishop emeritus of the
Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Main concelebrants will be Bishop
Emeritus of Allentown Edward Cullen; Msgr. Alfred Schlert, vicar general; Msgr. Gerald Gobitas, secretary
of the Secretariat for Clergy, chancellor, and rector of Holy Family Villa
for Priests; Father Patrick Lamb, administrator of Queenship of Mary; and
Archbishop Flynn.
Interment will take place in
Our Lady of Hungary Cemetery,
Northampton.
March 3, 2016
Diocese
The A.D. Times
7
8
The A.D. Times
Opinion
To push our limit to love
At the funeral for former Olympic athlete
Steve Prefontaine, Bill Bowerman, his coach and
co-founder of Nike shoes, stood up to speak. He
was expected to speak about Steve’s victories,
his world records and his discipline. Instead, he
told about a lesson he had learned in his time as
a coach.
“The real purpose of running a race is not to
win, but to push the limits of our heart,” he said.
As we approach the midpoint of Lent we can say
something similar. The true purpose of Lent is
not to win, but to push our limit to love.
Unfortunately for many Catholics Lent becomes a competition against ourselves or other
people. Many people use Lent and its practices
of prayer, fasting and almsgiving like a second
part of our New Year’s resolutions. We choose
activities that may be good, but are far beyond
our ability.
Then two things often happen. Either we abandon our penances midway, which leaves us feeling that we have failed God and our faith, or relying on our own strength, we carry them out until
Easter. Then worn out by our effort, we quickly
abandon these works until Lent rolls around
again.
To advertise in The A.D. Times
Contact Lori Anderson at
[email protected]
or 610-871-5200 ext. 273
But if Lent is about growing in love, this
changes everything – because love is not something to be won or lost, rather it grows and develops quickly or slowly depending on our openness to it. Nor is love something to be limited to
a single action or season of the year. Instead, love
is a choice that is made and renewed each day.
So with Lent half over, when some people
have already placed their penances aside and others feel that the burden is just too much to keep
carrying, how do we choose good activities?
How do we find penances that will deepen our
love for God and each other in the time remaining during Lent and through the rest of the year?
We start with the basics.
To love God is to know him at a deep and
personal level. And to know about him, the best
place to begin is Scripture. There are many resources available to introduce us to reading the
Bible, such as “The Order of Mount Carmel”
(http://ocarm.org/en/lectio-divina), which provides the Gospel reading for each day with a
helpful commentary to guide our meditations.
We can also turn to the lives of the saints and
great works of Christian literature to hear God
speaking to us through the lives and struggles of
March 3, 2016
By Father Joseph Ganser, assistant
pastor of St. Joseph and St. Paul,
Reading..
our brothers and sisters in the faith.
During this Year of Mercy in a special way
Pope Francis is encouraging Catholics to read
“The Divine Comedy” by Dante Alighieri, who
the pope has called “a prophet of hope, herald
of the possibility of redemption, liberation and
the profound transformation of every man and
woman, of all humanity.”
Or we can even turn toward modern technology with apps such as “Ipieta” (available on Apple and Android systems). With its collection of
over 10,000 prayers and devotions, it can help us
reach out to God in prayer whenever the Spirit
calls to us and in whatever place we might be.
Whatever God is inviting us to do during this
holy season let us never forget that Lent is not
about winning or losing. It’s about love, a love
that we pray may continue to grow here during
this holy season and throughout our lives until it
finds its true reward seeing God face-to-face.
March 3, 2016
Diocese
The A.D. Times
Operation Rice Bowl continues Lenten tradition of giving
unselfishly give their all to Christ so that
they may give Christ to all.”
Msgr. Murphy said ORB bore
The sight of a small, cardboard con- $159,344.61 last year. After $4,244.51
tainer shaped like a rice bowl placed in for expenses and $3,600 for reserve for
the dining room or kitchen has been a 2015, there was $151,500 for distribucommon sight during Lent for families tion.
in the Diocese of Allentown since OperaSister Lisa Valentini is a Missionary
tion Rice Bowl (ORB) began 1975.
Sister of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
A simple sight, a simple plan – but it (MSC) and a native of the Diocese of Alhelps so many people around the world. lentown. She serves her community as
That’s the miracle of ORB.
coordinator of mission appeals, travelIt’s become a Lenten staple that fami- ing among parishes speaking about MSC
lies or groups eat a simple meal one day foreign missions and asking for financial
a week during Lent and contribute the assistance. ORB contributed $3,000 to
funds that would have been spent on a Sister Lisa in 2015.
more elaborate meal to ORB to aid the
The ORB money will help Sister Lisa
world’s hungry.
share Christ’s love through the MSCs.
Together with a rabbi and three minisSister Lisa is an inspirational speaker
ters, Msgr. Robert Coll – pastor emeritus on the topic of the MSC missions, and
of Assumption BVM, Colesville, now spent many years in mission among the
retired to Naples, Fla. – first organized people of the Dominican Republic in the
ORB as an ecumenical response to the poor town of El Factor, where she ran
African drought of 1974-75.
two preschools. Today Sister Lisa conEach Wednesday during Lent, fami- ducts retreats for children and adults,
lies in Allentown would hold a simple and continues to benefit the people of the
meal and place the savings from the meal Dominican Republic by offering mission
into a “rice” bowl. The families would experience trips to El Factor.
then place their offerings in a special
American teenagers and adults join
bowl at their house of worship. Through Sister Lisa for mission experiences durORB, families or other groups enhance ing winter, spring and summer. For many
the Lenten experience through prayer, of the people who participate as mission
fasting, learning and giving.
partners, their lives are forever changed.
Since 1980, Msgr. John Murphy, di- By day, the mission partners complete
rector of ORB in the Allentown Diocese various tasks aimed at helping the comand director of the diocesan Pontifical munity thrive, and they offer Christ-cenMission Societies in the United States, tered arts and crafts activities for hunhas supervised the ORB collection in dreds of children.
the Allentown Diocese. Msgr. Murphy
By evening, Sister Lisa provides a
subsequently forwards the collection to time of prayer and reflection in addiMark Smith, secretary
tion to the celebration
of the diocesan Secreof the Mass. Students
tariat for Temporal Afand adults soon real“The people of the Diofairs and chief finanize there is much to
cese of Allentown each
cial officer, and then
be learned by opening
year generously, lovingly
to Bishop John Barres.
one’s heart and mind
“The cross tells
to Jesus’ Sacred Heart
and unselfishly give their
us of one who waits
present among the
all to Christ so that they
around the bend to
poor.
may give Christ to all.”
bear our burden or
The mission of Siseven to lift us up if we
ter Lisa continues to
fall, but he does not
enable God’s people to
force any person to follow his way. The open their hearts and to be transformed
choice is ours … it is mine, yours, up to so that they, too may strive to be the heart
each of us,” said Msgr. Murphy, pastor of of God on earth.
St. Thomas More, Allentown.
Other programs that received grants
“The cross continually reminds us from 2015 ORB were:
that the victim on the cross was God’s
Diocese of Allentown, $36,000.
only begotten son. He taught us to love
Catholic Relief Services, $71,500.
one another as he loves us.
Missionaries of Charity of Blessed
“There is one Gospel, one truth, one Teresa of Calcutta, which has some sisLord. And the same Lord who cried ters serving in Mahanoy City in the Dioout, ‘Father into your hands I commend cese of Allentown, $20,000. These funds
my spirit’ was the same Lord who said are used for caring for the poorest of the
‘whatsoever you do for the least of my poor in India and remember the gracious
brothers and sisters you do unto me.’
and charitable work that Blessed Teresa
“The people of the Diocese of Allen- of Calcutta – commonly known as Mothtown each year generously, lovingly and er Teresa – did in her lifetime.
By TAMI QUIGLEY
Staff writer
Missionary of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSC) Sister Lisa Valentini gathers on the beach in the Dominican Republic with college students and adults
who joined her for Mission Experience. (Photo courtesy MSCs of Reading)
Dominican Sisters of Thanh Tam,
$3,000.
Missionary Servants/Most Blessed
Trinity, $3,000. The missionaries work in
rural areas, inner cities, amongst the Latino communities, dealing with the aged,
at risk youth and provide social services
to the needy. They minister in the United
States and have missions in Puerto Tico
and Mexico. The Mission Advancement
Office is located in Philadelphia.
Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill,
$3,000. They are presently active in
Korea, China and Ecuador. They teach
in elementary and high schools, early
education centers, study halls for the underprivileged, and centers for runaway
youth and abused women. They also do
parish work with children with disabilities.
Sister Agnes Matthew, $3,000. She is
one of the Christu Jyothi Sister Order,
also known as “The Sisters of Christ the
Light” work in India with speech and
hearing impaired children. There are 100
children attending their school. Some are
orphans and others come from very poor
families. Classrooms, hearing aids and
special equipment are essentials for helping these children with special needs.
After completing school the children
are able to speak, read and write which
they never thought they could. Edward
Liszka, administrative assistant for the
Propagation of the Faith and St. Peter the
Apostle Fund in the Diocese of Allen-
town, met Sister Agnes when she visited
St. Thomas More and listened first hand
of their mission work in India.
Society of Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
Hyderabad Province, India, $3,000.
They provide health services, education
and orphanages and boarding homes,
adoption centers, shelter homes for rehabilitation, social services and centers for
pastoral and evangelization for spreading
the Gospel values to all.
St. Anne Middle School, India,
$3,000. Father John Santiago John Kennedy is the missionary that is working in
this area, Tamil Nadu, India. ORB supported them in 2014 for a much needed
school bus for transporting students to
the school. This year he is working on
putting up a compound wall around the
school property. The government requires the school to have a permanent
wall that gives the school protection
from unnecessary disturbance from local
people and stray animals.
St. James Catholic Church-Sunyani
Ghana, $3,000. Father Paul Agyei is the
pastor. He needs assistance to complete
the second phase of the church, which
includes columns, decking and a basement floor. A group from the Diocese of
Allentown met last year with Father Paul
about his project: Msgr. Murphy; Msgr.
Robert Wargo, pastor of St. Joseph the
Worker, Orefield; Father Joseph Kweder,
assistant pastor of St. Thomas More; and
Liszka.
9
10
The A.D. Times
Diocese
March 3, 2016
Lenten ‘adventure’ at St. Ann answers the question ‘Why Be Catholic?’
By TAMI QUIGLEY
Staff Writer
This Lent, unwrap your gifts.
That’s
what
Dr.
Marcellino
D’Ambrosio suggested at “Why Be Catholic?” which kicked off the three-evening
“An Adventure with Christ” Feb. 21 at St.
Ann, Emmaus.
Wait … did he mean Christmas?
Nope. D’Ambrosio said Lent is a wonderful time to unwrap the gifts God has
given us to use.
D’Ambrosio offered the three-night
opportunity to be inspired, renewed and
believe what the Lord has planned for
your life. The series launched with “Why
Be Catholic?” and continued with “Take
a New Look at Lent” Feb. 22 and “The
Year of Mercy” Feb. 23.
Msgr. John Mraz, pastor of St. Ann,
was among those attending the sessions.
D’Ambrosio recalled not long after
the Second Vatican Council he attended
a Thursday night Mass followed by a
prayer meeting. To him, it differed from
the Sunday Mass experience – “The
people looked joyful. They were talking
about God answering their prayers, interacting with them and walking with them.
They said God had a plan for everyone’s life – I’d never heard that before,
I thought a customized plan was just for
priests,” he said.
A nun told D’Ambrosio the problem
was God was always part of his life, but
God needed to be the center of his life.
She likened D’Ambrosio receiving the
Holy Spirit at confirmation to receiving a
credit card – you can’t use the card until
it is activated. So he prayed for the Holy
Spirit to be “activated” in his life.
“Now God is speaking to me when
I read the Bible. Now I’m on an adventure,” D’Ambrosio said. “As a former
rock musician I thought the biggest adventure was getting a record contract, but
this is hotter than rock ‘n’ roll.”
Soon after, a friend who had joined
a Pentecostal church asked D’Ambrosio
why he was Catholic – why did he need
a monsignor or a pope? He could go directly to God.
“At this time in the 1970s there were
‘Jesus freaks’ who would sing to Jesus
in the fields and baptize people in rivers, but they had no organized religion,”
D’Ambrosio said. He added in today’s
world there are those who say they believe in Jesus but don’t need organized
religion.
“Why not be a lone ranger Christian?”
D’Ambrosio asked.
He said Adam and Eve were supposed
to have the first unified family, but they
“Now God is speaking to me when I read the Bible.
Now I’m on an adventure. As a former rock musician I thought the biggest adventure was getting a
record contract, but this is hotter than rock ‘n’ roll.”
Msgr. John Mraz, right, listens as Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio makes a point
while presenting “Why Be Catholic?” Feb. 21 at St. Ann, Emmaus. The session was the first in the three-evening “An Adventure with Christ.” (Photos by
John Simitz)
“messed up” by sinning. “John’s Gospel
tells us Jesus died to gather into one the
children of God. The new unified family
is the church. The lone ranger Christian
is scattering, not unifying.”
Delving into why be a member of
the Catholic Church, D’Ambrosio said
two decades ago his family attended
Christmas Day Mass at their parish, but
attended Christmas Eve services at the
church of his business partner, Fellowship Church.com. This, he said, is “a
huge, evangelical mega-church” near the
Dallas-Fort Worth Airport in Texas.
The church was vibrant and the people
were wonderful. Approximately 15,000
people attended services on weekends,
and 25 percent of the members were
baptized Catholics. So why didn’t the
D’Ambrosios join?
“They had God the father, Jesus the
elder brother, and each other as brothers
and sisters. But what was missing? The
mother,” D’Ambrosio said, referring to
the Blessed Virgin Mary.
He recalled the Bible passage of Elizabeth telling her young cousin Mary, who
was with child, “Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?’”
“You can go to Jesus directly, but why
Vibrant Parishes as Schools of Prayer and the New Evangelization
The Diocese of Allentown is committed to pastoral and strategic
planning that cultivates vibrant parishes that are schools of prayer
and the New Evangelization.
• Vibrant parishes make a vibrant diocese.
• The diocese is a champion of the parish and respects the individual identity and charism of each parish (principle of subsidiarity) while seeking to
see the individual needs of each parish in the context of pastoral diocesan/regional planning, planning that makes the parish and the diocese
together prophetic catalysts of holiness and mission.
• Pope Francis: “The parish is not an outdated institution; precisely because it possesses great flexibility, it can assume quite different contours
depending on the openness and missionary creativity of the pastor and
the community…. In all its activities the parish encourages and trains its
members to be evangelizers.”
Above, many parishioners attend the Sunday evening session, during which
D’Ambrosio urged them not to be a “lone ranger Christian.”
Right, parishioners smile as D’Ambrosio uses humor in sharing his viewpoint.
not take Mary’s hand and take her with
you as a prayer partner?” D’Ambrosio
said.
“I want the whole family experience,
and that includes a mother.”
Catholic, he said, means whole and
universal. “It’s wholistic – it’s all of it.
There’s a holy greediness to it.”
D’Ambrosio contended this evangelical church also didn’t have the whole
truth. Scripture is the written word of
God, but you also need tradition, such as
apostolic succession found in the Catholic Church.
The third reason he embraces the
Catholic faith is that God communicates
with us with words and also body language, specifically receiving the bread
and wine, which become the body and
blood of Christ.
“So that’s it. I wanted the whole family, including the mother; I wanted the
whole truth, including tradition; and I
wanted all means of grace,” D’Ambrosio
said.
“But what good is having all this in
this treasure box if we don’t take the lid
off of it? We have to use it.”
“Lent is not only about denying yourself, it’s a time for spiritual feasting,”
D’Ambrosio said.
“God gave us gifts to make life joyful and we don’t use them,” he said.
“This Lent, pray and ask God, ‘What
gifts should I open? What gifts should I
unwrap and use?’” he said, noting it may
be, for example, a relationship with Mary,
reading the Bible or reading about the life
of the saints.
“If you ask him, I’ll bet he’ll tell you.”
D’Ambrosio is a co-founder of Crossroads Productions, an apostolate of
Catholic renewal and evangelization. His
talks are noted for being relevant, lively,
humorous and practical. He has been seen
on EWTN and was featured at the 2014
Catholic Men’s Fellowship Conference
in the Diocese of Allentown.
D’Ambrosio’s popular book, “Exploring The Catholic Church” and video
course have been used in hundreds of
parishes. He is a New York Times bestselling author with his “Guide to the Passion: 100 Questions About the Passion
of the Christ” ranking among the fastestselling Catholic books of all time.
March 3, 2016
Youth & Young Adults
The A.D. Times
Finding the joy of Christ in prison ministry
By TAMI QUIGLEY
Staff writer
Franciscan Sister Martha Zammatore
has a way of looking at life through a
prism of joy. That happiness in the Lord
spills over into her work in prison ministry and infused her presentation “Christ
in the Cell: Reflections on Prison Ministry.”
Sister Martha’s evening presentation
kicked off the new speaker series “Word
on the Street,” offered by Catholic Campus Ministry of Muhlenberg College, Allentown. It is designed to initiate discussion on topics of faith, seeking to draw in
those who are actively practicing Catholics as well as individuals who may not
normally attend a faith-based event.
“The goodness is there – it’s in all of
us,” Sister Martha said Feb. 16 at Moravian College, Bethlehem. The program
was also offered Jan. 28 at Muhlenberg.
Sister Martha is liaison for the diocesan Office of Prison Ministry. Her talk
brought to light the idea that God can find
a way to reach each of us no matter where
we are in our individual journey.
“We’re all part of a large world. We
think, ‘Who am I? What can I do?’” Sister Martha said. “Do what you can do
very well. Use your gift. That’s magnanimity.”
Sister Martha showed the well-known
image of Jesus knocking on a door corresponding to “Behold, I stand at the door
and knock: if anyone hears my voice and
opens the door, I will enter his house and
dine with him and he with me” (Revelations 3:20).
“Jesus never stops knocking on any
door, even offenders who have committed a crime – God is still knocking on
their door as for all of us,” Sister Martha
said.
Throughout her presentation Sister
Martha shared poetry by a woman who
began writing in prison when she met Jesus who was “knocking on her door.” She
had never known Christ before that.
The title of the woman’s poems include “Surrender” and “Liberation,”
which says, in part, “I sit imprisoned but
free at last, for we have broken the chains
of my past,” referring to Jesus breaking
the chains of her past.
“Jesus is our savior, but if we don’t
say ‘yes’ Lord, it doesn’t happen,” Sister
Martha said, noting we all need to say yes
Right, Sister Martha
strums her guitar as
she leads the group
in singing.
Below, those gathered listen to Sister
Martha tell them,
“When God chooses us he sees the
picture even before
it’s painted. He created us.”
Above, Franciscan Sister Martha
Zammatore speaks with students at
Moravian College, Bethlehem, from
left, Rachel Schafer and Julia DeFeo
after presenting “Christ in the Cell:
Reflections on Prison Ministry” Feb.
16 at the college. (Photos by John
Simitz)
Left, Jaclyn Hudak of the Newman
Association at Moravian introduces
Sister Martha at the “Word on the
Street” session offered by Catholic
Campus Ministry of Muhlenberg College, Allentown.
just like that woman.
“I was excited to go into prison ministry, but had no preparation. But I had
joy from my personal encounter with the
Lord.
“When God chooses us he sees the
picture even before it’s painted. He created us.
“I am who I am, and the person I am
is good. When you get into this ministry,
it shines.”
She recalled one day sitting with a
group of 20 men in prison. One man had
suffered all his life, having had an abusive father and then being in and out of
reform school. “It was so sad to hear him
talk. He saw no value for his life and
thought things would never change,” said
Sister Martha.
“I didn’t even have to say anything.
The other men ministered to him, shared
their own experiences and told him not to
give up. It was awesome.
“So many are in difficult situations,
but the important thing is God doesn’t
give up on us – not only prisoners, but
all of us.”
Sister Martha spoke of Pope Francis’
visit to Curran-Fromhold Correctional
Facility, Philadelphia, during the pontiff’s September 2015 visit to the United
States.
She said Pope Francis encouraged
them to look to Jesus, to wash their feet
from the dust of their journey in life.
“All of us have something we need to
be cleansed of, or purified from,” Sister
Martha said.
“God doesn’t ask us where we’ve
been. That’s our magnificent Lord.”
Sister Martha said people need to hear
we’re all in this together, and she emphasized the importance of being sincere
with persons in her prison ministry.
“There’s a lot of beauty in every person – it’s there,” she said.
Sister Martha said there’s more to
prison ministry than visiting the offender,
and in light of this spoke of “restorative
justice,” which brings the victim, offender and community together.
“Restorative justice focuses first on
the victim and the community harmed
by the crime, rather than on the stateagainst-the-offender model,” according
to a November 2000 statement of the
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
(USCCB).
Elements
of
restorative justice
include victim’s
“Jesus never
services, restitustops knocktion, community
ing on any
service, face-todoor, even
face meetings beoffenders
tween victims and
offenders, victim
who have
impact
panels
committed a
and skill-building
crime.”
classes for offenders.
“Jesus
can
heal,” Sister Martha said, also asking for
prayers for our justice system.
Sister Martha recalled the dying words
of St. Maria Goretti, speaking of the man
who had slain her: “I forgive him and I
want him in heaven with me.”
“We have to love one another, forgive
one another and follow Jesus’ example,”
Sister Martha said.
“I love it. I love the people and I believe,” she said of her prison ministry,
encouraging those gathered to consider
volunteering in the ministry.
Sister Martha also picked up her guitar and led those gathered in a few songs,
including “Change My Heart, Oh God.”
Alexa Doncsecz, Catholic campus
minister at Muhlenberg and Cedar Crest
colleges, Allentown, and assistant coordinator of the diocesan Office of Youth
and Young Adult Ministry (OYYAM),
welcomed those gathered.
All “Word on the Street” events are
free and open to the public. For more information, email Doncsecz, adoncsecz@
allentowndiocese.org.
Youth and Young Adults
• The Diocese of Allentown provides diocesanwide and regional
youth events throughout the year.
• Increase the service activities and spirituality of the Catholic
Youth Organization.
• Offer young adults opportunities to gather for community and
fellowship, which include service- and faith-based activities.Serve as a resource to parishes in the formation of youth and young adults as disciples
of Jesus Christ.
Dr. Robert Brill, right, Newman Association advisor, and association members
chat with Sister Martha after her presentation.
11
12
The A.D. Times
Youth & Young Adults
March 3, 2016
College students take a moment to ‘Be Still’ with God
A total of 24 students from six colleges attended a special retreat for college
students Feb. 6 at McGlinn Conference
Center, Reading.
Colleges represented were Albright
College, Reading; Alvernia University,
Reading; DeSales University, Center Valley; Kutztown University; Moravian College, Bethlehem; and Muhlenberg College, Allentown.
The theme of the retreat was “Be
Still,” encouraging college students to
take a moment out of their busy schedules to appreciate the stillness and be in
the presence of God.
Spiritual director was Father Ronald
Bowman, chaplain of the Bernardine
Franciscan Sisters and St. Joseph Villa,
Reading.
Also participating were Father Rich
Brensinger, chaplain at Kutztown and
Albright, and Susan Teaford from Kutztown/Albright Campus Ministry.
The retreat was initiated and run by
Muhlenberg Catholic Campus Ministry,
and opened up to all colleges within the
diocese as an opportunity for students to
meet each other and experience fellowship with Catholic students from other
schools.
The retreat included several activi-
Matthew Ruchlin of Kutztown University leads one of the stations during outdoor Stations of the Cross. (Photos courtesy Alexa Doncsecz)
ties encouraging students from different
schools to get to know each other, two
talks by Father Bowman, outdoor Stations of the Cross, lunch, breakout sessions where students could choose be-
tween a tour of the McGlinn Center with
Sister Shaun, praying the rosary and personal prayer time.
The day concluded with an opportunity for confession and 4 p.m. Mass.
Michael Vezzuto of Albright College
presents a reading during Mass.
Above, students listen to one of Father Ronald Bowman’s talks.
Left, participants gather for a group picture.
Scouts and troops invited to
Catholic Scout Activity Weekend
The annual Catholic Scout Activity
Weekend for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
in the Lehigh Valley will be Friday, April
22 through Sunday, April 24 this year.
Unlike the quiet prayer and meditation
of most religious retreats, this one will be
full of activities, excitement and fun.
It will start Friday night as the scouts
arrive at Trexler Scout Reservation and
set up their tents. Although the scouts are
tent camping, the retreat staff provides all
their meals in the dining hall.
The activities kick off that evening
and don’t let up until the final assembly
Sunday morning. Every year the program
is different although it follows the same
basic structure.
Friday night is get-acquainted time
with a fun icebreaker activity, then everyone breaks bread together, re-creating the
way the early Christians would gather,
and finally there is snack time (called
“cracker barrel” by Boy Scouts).
Saturday after breakfast the scouts
move through five or more stations, each
tied in to the year’s theme. This year’s
theme is “God’s Mercy,” inspired by
Pope Francis’ proclamation of a jubilee
Year of Mercy.
In past years, the scouts have met St.
Paul and the Blessed Virgin Mary, eaten
the foods Jesus ate, used GPS units to
find their way, made decoupage icon
plaques, candle lanterns or stained glass
souvenirs, and built and raced chariots.
By late afternoon the scouts are ready
to put on their uniforms, and there are
Boards of Review for candidates for the
“Ad Altare Dei” or Pope Pius XII awards.
After dinner, there will be Mass, celebrated by Father Eric Tolentino, diocesan
scout chaplain. The evening will end
with a game like “Bible Jeopardy” and
another cracker barrel
Sunday is for packing up, cleaning the
camp and a final flag-lowering ceremony.
Each participant receives a patch and a
pin to take home, along with his handmade souvenir.
This is a great weekend for Catholicsponsored troops to attend as a troop to
bring “A Scout is Reverent” to the forefront. Because all the meals are provided,
it is also a perfect weekend to invite the
Webelos along for a first camping trip.
Even if the whole troop doesn’t attend,
individual scouts are welcome to attend.
Arrangements can also be made to acPlease see SCOUTS page 13 }}
March 3, 2016
Youth & Young Adults
The A.D. Times
13
Youth rally ‘Rise Up: United’ slated for
April 9 at Berks Catholic High School
The diocesan Office of Youth and
Young Adult Ministry will host “Rise Up:
United,” a youth rally for teens in grades
eight through 12 Saturday, April 9 from 1
to 8 p.m. at Berks Catholic High School,
Reading.
Susan Matour, director of OYYAM,
said the rally will center on the Gospel
of John: “that they may all be one …
in us…. So that the world may believe”
(John 17:21).
“This is our largest outreach to teens
and celebrates our faith and love of the
Lord. We are planning for hundreds of
teens to gather for music, great speakers,
activities and Eucharistic adoration,” said
Matour.
Keynote speaker will be Mike Patin,
a full-time national speaker and “faith
horticulturist,” who has addressed youth,
adult and family audiences in more than
130 dioceses in the United States and
Canada.
Patin, who is from the Archdiocese
of New Orleans, La., is a member of the
National Association of Youth Ministry
Leaders and is a leadership team member of National Catholic Youth Organiza-
tion Sports. He has led retreats, parish
missions, leadership institutes and inservices, for clergy, seminarians, school
faculties, businesses, athletic teams and
hospital staffs.
In addition, he has authored and selfpublished two books: “A Standing Invitation” and “This Was Not in the Brochure:
Lessons from Work, Life and Ministry.”
He is the 2006 recipient of the National
Catholic Youth Ministry Award.
The rally will also feature Allen Austin of Ascension Press, who will serve as
workshop leader and focus on how persons are united in faith and love for Christ
and his church, and their unique role as a
member of the Body of Christ.
Sister Rose Bernadette Mulligan, vocation directress for the Sisters, Servants
of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Immaculata, will also present talks and lead
small group discussion.
Bishop of Allentown John Barres will
preside at Eucharistic adoration.
Cost for registration is $15 per person,
which includes dinner and a T-shirt. Families with three or more participants in the
immediate family are eligible for a dis-
counted rate of $10 each. Roundtrip bus
transportation is available from various
diocesan locations on a first-come-firstserved basis at the cost of $2 per person.
All priests, seminarians, deacons and
religious sisters are invited and encouraged to attend the rally as guests.
Registration is available online at
www.allentowndiocese.org/UNITED.
Deadline is Monday, March 21.
WYD Stateside to be celebrated
July 30-31 in Lancaster
‘Quo Vadis’ and ‘Fiat’ vocation
Youth of the Diocese of Allentown
who can’t get to Krakow, Poland for the
celebration of World Youth Day (WYD)
2016 with Pope Francis can gather with
others stateside and share the spirit of the
celebration across the Atlantic.
WYD Stateside will correspond with
the vigil and concluding Eucharistic celebration presided over by Pope Francis
Saturday, July 30 through Sunday, July
31 in Krakow. The venue for this celebration will be in the Diocese of Harrisburg
at Lancaster Catholic High School and
the Clipper Magazine Stadium, Lancaster.
Youth registration is by group only.
Joined by technology to the event in
Poland and supported by opportunities
for prayer, fellowship and the Sacraments
of Penance and Holy Eucharist, youth
and young adults will be able to catch the
spirit of WYD.
The two-day event will include: a 26hour overnight vigil; opening and closing Masses; adoration and holy hour;
confession; pilgrimage tent; connections
to WYD/Krakow, Divine Mercy and St.
John Paul; national musicians and speakers; Holy Father’s WYD message and
homily; one-and-a-half-mile pilgrimage
walk; and Stations of the Cross.
According to the diocese’s website
www.hbgdiocese.org/wydstateside,
“WYD Stateside is an outdoor, overnight
experience for high school youth and
young adults from the dioceses of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and our neighboring
and regional (arch)dioceses.
“In conjunction with WYD in Krakow,
Poland, we celebrate with Pope Francis
the theme ‘Blessed are the merciful, for
they shall obtain mercy’ Matthew 5:7.
“We understand that the cost, time and
distance of traveling to an international
WYD can be prohibitive to many of our
youth, young adults, schools and parish
groups. It is with this in mind, and in an-
Are you wondering what to do with
your life? Have you asked “What am I
looking for?”
If so, you are not alone. You are in
good company.
People like St. Andrew and St. John
the Evangelist had these same questions
and then found the answers in a man who
was baptized by John the Baptist and
called them to be “fishers of men.”
The diocesan Office of Vocations, in
conjunction with the St. Andrew Committee, will again be conducting its “Quo
Vadis” (for young men) and “Fiat” (for
young women) vocation camps. The
camps are open to young men and wom-
en ages 14 to 18.
The camps will take place Sunday,
July 17 at noon through Thursday, July
21 at 6 p.m. at DeSales University, Center Valley.
The five days of events will include
prayer and discernment, Eucharistic
adoration, Mass and other devotions, engaging speakers and talks on prayer and
vocation, sports, fellowship and other activities.
The $100 registration fee will be due
Friday, July 1. Scholarships are available.
To register: 610-437-0755 or www.
allentowndiocese.org/the-diocese/vocations/.
The Catholic Committee on Scouting
has sent registration forms for this event
to all scoutmasters, and they are available
at website www.adccos.org. For more
information, visit the website or contact
Fred Flemming, 484-350-2560 or [email protected].
Scouts
}}Continued from page 21
camps planned for July
swer to the call from the U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to provide
stateside events to engage our young people in WYD, that we present this overnight vigil in the Diocese of Harrisburg
and invite the young people of our region.
“We seek to present a series of events
similar to those that will occur in Krakow – a pilgrimage walk, Stations of the
Cross, opportunities for confession and
adoration, Mass, concerts, catechesis, an
outdoor overnight candlelit vigil. We will
also provide domestic pilgrims with a pilgrimage experience that will enable them
to ‘visit’ Poland, get to know St. John
Paul the Great, and learn about the Divine
Mercy Chaplet and Luminous Mysteries
of the Rosary.”
Registration is $175 when registered
by March 31, $190 when registered by
May 31; Sunday only $50 until June 30.
For more information or to register,
visit www.hbgdiocese.org/wydstateside.
commodate individual scouts who come
without adult leadership. The cost is $29
per person.
14
The A.D. Times
Diocese
March 3, 2016
Encontrando el Rostro Misericordioso de Dios en el
Sacramento de la Reconciliación y la Adoración Eucarística
“Siempre tenemos necesidad de
contemplar el misterio de la misericordia. Es fuente de alegría, de
serenidad y de paz. Es condición
para nuestra salvación. Misericordia: es la palabra que revela el
misterio de la Santísima Trinidad.
Misericordia: es el acto último y
supremo con el cual Dios viene a
nuestro encuentro. Misericordia:
es la ley fundamental que habita
en el corazón de cada persona cuando mira con ojos sinceros al hermano que encuentra en el camino
de la vida. Misericordia: es la vía
que une Dios y el hombre, porque
abre el corazón a la esperanza de
ser amados no obstante el límite
de nuestro pecado” (“Misericordiae Vultus,” No. 2).
“Misericordiae Vultus” (“el
rostro de la misericordia”) es la
bula que convoca el Jubileo de
la Misericordia. El Papa Francisco ha convocado este Año Santo
que inició el pasado año el 8 de
diciembre y concluirá el 20 de
noviembre del 2016.
El papa subraya que la misericordia de Dios es “eterna,” porque
“para el hombre la eternidad será
siempre bajo la mirada del Padre
misericordioso.” Durante este
Año Santo varias parroquias en la
comunidad hispana han extendido
los horarios para el Sacramento de
la Reconciliación, así como ha incluido días extras durante el Tiempo de Cuaresma.
La Oficina de Asuntos Hispanos les ofrece esta información
para que la comunidad hispana en
nuestra diócesis pueda aprovechar
al máximo las oportunidades disponibles en cada comunidad parroquial para el Sacramento de la
Confesión y la Adoración Eucarística.
El Papa Francisco nos dice que
“todos estamos llamados a tener
la mirada fija en la misericordia
para poder ser también nosotros
mismos signo eficaz del obrar del
Padre” (“Misericordiae Vultus,”
No. 3).
Les será útil recortar las tarjetas
con la información proporcionada
a continuación para su región y
ponerla en un lugar visible para
toda su familia. Que este Santo
Año de la Misericordia nos atraiga
a tener un encuentro más profundo
con el Padre Misericordioso que
espera por cada uno de nosotros
y que podamos llevar esa misericordia a cada hermano necesitado
a través de las obras espirituales y
corporales de misericordia.
Diocese
March 3, 2016
‘Passion and Purpose for Marriage’
to be presented April 16
What’s the most important word in
a marriage? What is really going on in
your wife’s head? What do you wish
your husband knew about you?
Discover key ingredients to a
healthy and happy marriage at the
“Passion and Purpose for Marriage”
event set for Saturday, April 16 from
10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at St. Joseph the
Worker, Orefield.
Participants will not have to share
their feelings with a group. They will
enjoy acoustical music by George
Lower and soak up what Dr. Allen
Hunt has in store.
Allen will talk about the “Five
Love Languages,” along with a variety of other topics and research bits.
He combines everything into three
faith-centered, compelling sections:
“The Five Things Women Need to
Know about Men,” “The Five Things
Men Need to Know About Women”
and finally “The Most Important
Word in a Marriage ... And It’s Not
Love.”
Cost to attend is $25. For more information or to register, visit www.
dynamiccatholic.com.
The A.D. Times
15
We Are Remembered Ministry
to celebrate 25th Annual
Easter Mass March 30
The 25th Annual Easter Mass sponsored by the diocesan We Are Remembered Ministry will be Wednesday, March
30 at 7 p.m. at St. John the Baptist, 924 N.
Front St., Allentown.
Bishop of Allentown John Barres will
be main celebrant for this special liturgy.
“Brought together through the common
bond of remembering our beloved dead,”
says the ministry, “we minister to parents
whose children have died, and to all who
have lost someone to death under tragic
circumstances. All who grieve the loss of a
family member/friend are welcome.”
Wednesday, March 23 is the deadline
to have the names of loved ones printed in
the memorial and the Book of the Remembered. This will ensure their inclusion in
the enrollment list appearing in The A.D.
Times after the anniversary Mass.
Participants need not contribute anything to have their loved one included in
this memorial list. A suggested minimum
offering of $5 can be made payable to We
Are Remembered. Names must be submitted each year.
“The Book of the Remembered” will
be available for remembrances from 6 to
6:50 p.m. and again after the Mass.
Friends from St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall are preparing some special
desserts this anniversary year. To help, email [email protected] (include your
phone number and e-mail address).
St. John the Baptist is 1 mile south of
the Fullerton Avenue exit off Route 22.
Fullerton Avenue becomes North Front
Street in Allentown. It is located on the
right; parking is in the rear of the church.
The ministry has the approval of the
Diocese of Allentown. Advisor is Father
James Torpey.
To register, see the form on page 5 of
this issue. Registration should be sent to
We Are Remembered Ministry, PO Box
20082, Lehigh Valley PA 18002-0082.
Do not send mail to St. John the Baptist.
Openings in adult day care program
Holy Family Adult Day Care at St.
Francis Center, Orwigsburg is accepting
applications for its day care program.
The program is licensed through the
State Department of Aging, and provides
social and activity programs, therapeutic
care and support services.
Other benefits include daytime sup-
Position Available
port for caregivers, and meeting the
special needs of adults with dementia or
stroke. Participants are provided a breakfast, lunch and snack.
Anyone 60 or older and who meets
program requirements is eligible. For
more information or to schedule a visit,
call 570-366-2924.
16
The A.D. Times
Diocese
March 3, 2016
Bishop Barres takes message of Christ’s mercy to Gracedale residents
By TAMI QUIGLEY
Staff writer
“I thank each and every one of you for
the mercy that is in your heart,” Bishop
John Barres told residents of Gracedale
Nursing Home, Nazareth, as he celebrated a Feb. 27 morning liturgy.
“You’re all in my heart every time I
celebrate Mass.”
Missionary of the Sacred Heart (MSC)
Father Kiaieta Joseph Kanimea, assistant
pastor of Holy Family, Nazareth, concelebrated.
Assisting were Deacon Michael Toolan, assigned to Gracedale and who also
serves Holy Family; and Deacon Fredric
Bloom, assigned to
Assumption BVM,
Slatington.
“Remember
Mass is celthe streamebrated bimonthly
at the Northamping mercy
ton County nursof Jesus
ing home. There
Christ.
are 141 Catholic
When we’re
residents, comprisin the dark,
ing 21 percent of
Gracedale’s popuin a vaclation.
uum, and
“I had the wonsuffering
derful opportunity
loneliness
at the deacon conand physivocation last fall to
speak with Bishop
cal pain,
Barres.
During
the power
our
conversation
of Christ’s
I asked him if he
cross
would visit us at
streams
Gracedale. He was
delighted,”
said
through
Deacon
Toolan.
us.”
In his homily Bishop Barres
asked residents to
think about the beautiful memories of
their families, the souls of their parents
and grandparents, and how we are beautifully connected to the communion of
saints.
The bishop spoke of how in this Year
of Mercy, “Behold the Door of Mercy”
hangs over every confessional in the Diocese of Allentown.
“Every time you confess your sins ...
you open the door of mercy.”
“Little children can be like theologians,” Bishop Barres said, relating the
story of a second grade boy in the diocese
Gracedale resident Ruth Lester prays
during the Mass.
Above,Bishop John Barres offers the homily while celebrating a Feb. 27 Mass
at Gracedale Nursing Home, Nazareth. (Photos by Ed Koskey)
Below, residents of Gracedale, their family members and volunteers listen to
Bishop John Barres impart his homily during the morning liturgy.
who, after his first sacrament of penance
told his parents, “I feel like I’m walking
on air.”
“He knew what the mercy of Jesus
Christ and the sacrament of penance is
Joining Bishop John Barres, center, at the altar during Mass are, from left, altar
server Emily Quist, Deacon Fredric Bloom, Deacon Michael Toolan and Father
Kiaieta Joseph Kanimea.
Right, Ryan Maxted, 8, parishioner of St. Ann, Emmaus, carries a chair from
near the altar after Mass. Maxted’s grandmother, Mary Ellen Erdie, coordinates the Masses at Gracedale with Renee Bosich, and Maxted is familiar to
residents as he often helps set up. He is hoping to soon be an altar server in
his parish.
all about,” Bishop Barres said, noting
residents know from their own children,
grandchildren and great-grandchildren,
how children can exude this faithful joy.
Bishop Barres also asked them to remember the parishes they grew up in and
the memories of going to Mass there, as
well as the parish family that loved them.
“Pope Francis has said, ‘Every Christian community should be an oasis of
charity and warmth in the midst of a
desert of solitude and indifference,’” the
bishop said.
Bishop Barres encouraged the residents to let the doors of their rooms at
Gracedale be doors of mercy.
“Remember the streaming mercy of
Jesus Christ. When we’re in the dark, in
a vacuum, and suffering loneliness and
physical pain, the power of Christ’s cross
streams through us.”
Bishop Barres said sometimes we
want to push the cross away, but Jesus
said, “Take up your cross and follow me.”
“Embrace the cross … open the door
of mercy to eternal life,” the bishop said.
Bishop Barres asked residents to think
of the picture of the Divine Mercy of Jesus. “Think of his face of mercy at the
moment of our death. Jesus knows everything we’ve been through in our life.
He has the ability to x-ray our souls and
apply the beautiful balm of his mercy to
every part of it,” he said.
Please see MERCY page 18 }}
Sports
March 3, 2016
The A.D. Times
17
Sports and spirituality workshop planned for CYO leaders April 9
All CYO coaches, personnel and
clergy are invited and encouraged to attend the workshop “Growing in Grace:
The Integration of Sports and Spirituality,” Saturday, April 9 at 10 a.m. at Berks
Catholic High School, Reading.
The half-day workshop is not a coaching clinic, but is aimed at educating leaders about opportunities in sports for evangelization, catechesis, and growth in their
knowledge of intimacy with Jesus Christ.
Featured will be national, regional and
local speakers.
Former coach, teacher and youth minister, and current national speaker Mike
Patin will present “Winner Takes All” –
the “win at any cost” attitude in our sports
culture and how Christian coaches can
weave a winning mentality with our faith.
Berks Catholic Athletic Director Bill
Hess and Chaplain Father Gene Ritz will
present “Coaches as the Face of God,”
practical ways a coach can include faith
and spirituality in daily interactions with
his/her team.
Jim Rogers, sports medicine consultant and former faculty member of the
Temple School of Medicine, Philadelphia, will discuss the connection between
physical and spiritual goals, and how to
use the gifts that God has given to each
of us, in “Celebrating Life: The Mystery
of Gift.”
Each program in the diocese is requested to send at least two persons to the
workshop.
There is no cost, but coaches and personnel must register by Friday, April 1 at
www.allentowndiocese.org/spirituality.
For questions, call OYYAM, 610-2898900, ext. 23.
ACCHS cheerleading team places sixth in state finals
The Co-ed Competitive Cheerleading Team of Allentown Central Catholic
High School is a 2016 PIAA Competitive
Spirit State Finalist.
The competition was held Jan. 29-31
at Giant Center in Hershey.
The team’s near-flawless routine advanced them through the preliminaries
and semi-finals Friday, advancing them
to the final Saturday. Facing strong competitors from across the state, the ACCHS
squad made its #vikingnation community
proud, coming in sixth place overall.
This school year, in addition to cheering for the ACCHS Viking football team
in the fall, the team has participated in
local competitions and garnered the fol-
lowing awards: 2015 Pocono Regionals UCA Game Day, 4th Place and a bid
for Nationals, Dec. 6; EPC Game Day
Cheering, First Place Champions, Dec.
9; Golden Hawks Cheer Challenge, first
place, Jan. 16; Phillipsburg Cheer Challenge, first place, Jan. 17; 2015-16 PIAA
District XI Competitive Cheerleading
Spirit Co-ed Division Champions, second
consecutive year, Jan. 9.
The team has dedicated this year to fellow cheerleader Alayna Velez, who was
killed in an automobile accident in August 2015. Before each game and competition, the team says a special prayer and
cheer for Alayna. The tagline for the team
is #makeIThappen4AV.
Wrestling alumni reunite at Notre Dame High School
Six decades of wrestlers attended
Alumni Wrestling Night Jan. 6 at Notre
Dame High School, Easton.
Prior to the home match against Bangor High School, alumni and their families enjoyed a prematch reception in the
school’s library.
Welcoming alumni were Principal
Mario Lucrezi, head wrestling coach
John McGuire and former head coach
Dennis Fenton.
All alumni were announced and recognized in the center of the mat prior to
the start of the varsity match. In attendance were:
Jared Cascioli, Class of 2003, PIAA
fourth place finisher and “100 Match Win
Club.”
Frank Morici, Class of 1992, PIAA
second 1991 and fourth place 1990 finisher and “100 Match Win Club.”
Santo Morici, Class of 1993, PIAA
sixth place finisher.
Carlos Negrete, Class of 1972, PCIAA
state champion 1972 and third place finisher 1970.
Timothy Rippert, Class of 1967,
PCIAA state champion.
Scott Salabsky, Class of 1994, PIAA
fifth place finisher 1993 and 1994, and
“100 Match Win Club.”
Robert Scheetz, Class of 1966, PCIAA
state champion 1965 and 1966.
Kevin Patton, Class of 2000, PIAA
sixth place finisher and “100 Match Win
Club.”
Mike Kresch, Class of 1984.
Kyle Messa, Class of 2001.
Eugene Sacarakis, Class of 1967.
Charles Blatnik, Class of 1969.
Josh Buskirk, Class of 2005.
Leo Fink, Class of 1967.
Jack Golden, Class of 1972.
Tony Morello, Class of 1981.
Reese Cornish, Class of 2015.
Vince Calantoni, Class of 1992 and
former assistant coach.
Jeff Thorne, former assistant coach.
Mike Buskirk, former assistant coach.
Tony Koury, former athletic director.
Chico Rodriguez, former assistant
coach.
Joe Blatnik, former trainer.
Charlie Patton, former assistant coach.
Diocesan speaker policy
The Diocesan Speaker Policy has been
revised in accordance with the State of Pennsylvania Safe Environment Requirements.
The A.D. Times will not accept copy for
programs regarding spiritual talks or services unless the advertisement request is
accompanied by the letter of approval from
the Secretary for Catholic Life and Evangelization.
The policy is available at http://www.allentowndiocese.org/the-diocese/youth-protection/policy-for-speakers/.
Questions may be directed to Mary Fran
Hartigan at mhartigan@allentowndiocese.
org or 610-289-8900 ext. 26.
Rick Thompson, former volunteer assistant coach.
Dennis Fenton, former head coach for
23 years.
Immaculate Conception Academy,
Douglassville to sponsor run/walk
The Home and School Organization of Immaculate Conception Academy (ICA), Douglassville will sponsor its
third annual ICA 5K Run and 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk Saturday, May 21 at the historic Daniel Boone Homestead,
400 Daniel Boone Road, Birdsboro.
Registration will begin at 7 a.m., with the 5K run beginning at 8 a.m. and the 1-mile event at 8:45 a.m.
Awards will be presented at the finish line at 9:30 a.m.
Proceeds will be used for new technology equipment, and fitness and sports equipment for the school.
Preregistration cost is $20 for the run and $5 for the walk; after Friday, April 29, $25 and $10.
Participants can preregister by visiting www.alphaandomegasports.com/race-calendar.html.
For more information or to make a donation, contact Sandy Jordan, race director, [email protected].
18
The A.D. Times
Diocese
March 3, 2016
St. Elizabeth of Hungary continues jubilee with parish mission
St. Elizabeth of
Hungary, Whitehall
will continue its
year-long 75th jubilee celebration with
a Parish Mission
Sunday, March 13
through Wednesday,
March 16.
Guiding the mission will be guest
speaker Father Angelus Shaughnessy, Order of Friars Capuchin, who is renowned
for his publications
and audio and video
tapes that inspire, instruct and perpetuate
the Catholic faith.
Father
For seven years
Shaughnessy
Father Angelus was
stationed at Eternal
Word
Television
Network (EWTN)
in Birmingham, Alabama, where he was able to preach to 128
million households throughout the world.
He now serves as national executive director of the Archconfraternity of Christian Mothers.
His theme will be “When the Lord
comes again, will he find any faith on
earth?”
He will give the homily at all weekend
Masses (Saturday, March 12 and Sunday, March 13), and celebrate daily Mass
Monday through Wednesday at 9 a.m.
Starting Sunday evening, he will have
a session at 7 p.m. with a different topic
each night:
Sunday – “If somebody asks you to
prove to them there is a God – can you
answer that question?”
Monday – “The most used, overused,
misused, abused word in the English language: love.”
Tuesday – “The only thing Christ asks
of us – cultivate the humble heart.”
Wednesday – The final night of the
mission Mass will begin at 7 p.m., with
Father’s homily topic “The greatest and
best thing about any woman is that she’s
a good mother.”
Campbell lecture to discuss Pope Francis
“The Poor and the Theology of Pope
Francis” will be the topic of the 2016
Robert K. Campbell Lecture on Christian
Unity hosted by the Lehigh Conference
of Churches (LCCC) Thursday, March
17.
The lecture will be at 4 p.m. at Dubbs
Memorial Community Center, 457 Allen
St., Allentown.
Keynote speaker will be Dr. Mary
Doak, associate professor of theology
and religious studies at the University of
San Diego, Calif.
Doak
teaches
courses in Christian theology and
specializes in topics
including theologies
of democracy and
religious freedom,
the goal of human
life, and history
from a Christian
perspective.
Mercy
}}Continued from page 16
“Think of the door of mercy into heaven – we don’t think about heaven enough.
“Think about the happiest moments
of your life, like meeting your husband
or wife for the first time and bringing life
into the world.
“All the joys of earth can’t begin to
come close to understanding the eternal
ecstasy of life in heaven with the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit forever. The eternal
ecstasy of heaven is forever – it’s the unending ecstasy with the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit.
“We were made for heaven and so we
can never be discouraged by the crosses
of this life. In this Year of Mercy let us
unite our crosses to the mission of the
Catholic faith around the world.”
Bishop Barres said during the World
Meeting of Families in Philadelphia last
September, Pope Francis said, “It is families that transform the world and history.”
“Thank you for the witness of your
families and the way you witness mercy
when carrying your cross.”
Above, Gracedale resident Anna
Barazzohl watches Bishop John
Barres during the liturgy.
Right, “Every time you confess your
sins … you open the door of mercy,”
Bishop John Barres tells residents.
Her research centers on the implications, both political and practical, of
the Christian faith,
namely in the modDoak
ern-day context of
the United States.
She is now exploring the challenges to discipleship faced
by the contemporary church, such as the
feminization of poverty, worldwide migration and ecological degradation.
The Campbell lectures are in memory
of Robert K. Campbell, a former chief
executive officer of PPL and devout ecumenist who actively encouraged Christian unity. Since its inception in 1993
the annual lectures have brought distinguished scholars and theologians to the
Lehigh Valley.
Cost for the lecture/worship is free;
dinner is $25; student dinner $10. Advance registration is required. For more
information or to register, visit www.lehighchurches.org.
World
March 3, 2016
In brief
Speaking out against exploitation and unfair wages
for workers, Pope Francis told benefactors to forget
about donating money to the church if their earnings
came from mistreating others. “Please, take your check
back and burn it,” he said to applause.
“The people of God – that is, the church – don’t need
dirty money. They need hearts that are open to God’s
mercy,” the pope said March 2 during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square.
God wants people to turn away from evil and do what
is just, not cover up their sins with gestures of sacrifice,
he said. Just as God derives no pleasure from “the
blood of bulls and lambs” slaughtered in his name, he is
especially averse to offerings from hands dirty with the
blood of another human being.
“I think of some church benefactors who come with an
offering,” he said, and sometimes that offering is “fruit of
the blood of many people, who are exploited, mistreated, enslaved by poorly paid work.”
The pope said he would tell these donors to go away
because God wants sinners “with purified hands” who
have changed course, avoid evil and work for what is
good and just, like aiding the oppressed and defending
the weak.
Especially during the Lenten season, everyone
should “redouble both their prayers and their generosity”
for the people of Flint still struggling with unsafe drinking water through the city’s water crisis, said Lansing
Bishop Earl Boyea.
“It is gratifying to see that Catholic communities in
Michigan and beyond have come forward to assist the
remarkable efforts of Catholic Charities,” he said in a
statement.
Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genesee Counties, based in the heart of Flint, “is on the front lines of
the relief and recovery efforts” in partnership with many
other community members, the Lansing Diocese noted
in a news release with the bishop’s statement.
“The roots of Flint’s difficulties are deep, and it will
take years of courageous, difficult, loving effort to
rebuild this community,” Bishop Boyea said Feb. 15.
“During this holy season of Lent, please take time to ask
the Lord, in a particular way, to guide those seeking to
help and to protect the children and the vulnerable.”
The Vatican newspaper said the Oscar-winning film
Position Available
“Spotlight” is not anti-Catholic, “as has been written, because the film succeeds in giving voice to the alarm and
deep pain” experienced by the Catholic faithful when
a team of investigative newspaper reporters in Boston
revealed the scandal of clerical abuse.
“Spotlight” won the awards for best picture and best
original screenplay. The film documents the Boston
Globe’s investigation into the scandal and cover-up of
the sexual abuse of minors by clergy in the Archdiocese
of Boston.
In the article published Feb. 29, L’Osservatore Romano said it was also a “positive sign” when Michael
Sugar, the movie’s producer, said he hoped the film
would “resonate all the way to the Vatican.”
In his acceptance speech at the 88th annual Academy
Awards Feb. 28, Sugar said the movie “gave a voice
to survivors, and this Oscar amplifies this voice.” He
expressed hopes this voice would “become a choir that
will resonate all the way to the Vatican…. Pope Francis,
it’s time to protect the children and restore the faith.”
The fact there was such an appeal, the newspaper
said, was “a positive sign” because it shows “there is
still trust in the institution (of the church); there is trust
in a pope who is continuing the cleanup begun by his
predecessor.”
In the second of his “Mercy Friday” gestures, Pope
Francis spent two hours with a group of young adults at
a Catholic-run residential drug rehabilitation center.
To the surprise of the 55 residents, Pope Francis
showed up in his compact Ford Escort at the San Carlo
Community Feb. 26 with just a driver. Archbishop Rino
Fisichella, organizer of the Vatican’s Year of Mercy
events, arrived separately at the community outside of
Rome.
“We were speechless when we saw the car with the
pope enter our community where every day our young
people fight their battle to return to life,” said Roberto
Mineo, president of the Italian Solidarity Center, which
runs the facility.
“The pope, like a caring father, spent a long time with
each person, listening to their stories and embracing
them one by one. Some of the young people showed
him photos of their families, their children, and the pope
had a word of hope and a blessing for each of them.”
Archbishop Fisichella said Pope Francis chose the
drug rehab center as a follow-up to his visit to Mexico
where he repeatedly denounced drug traffickers, and
urged Catholic pastors and parishioners to be close to
The A.D. Times
19
all those who have fallen prey to drug addiction.
In an early morning tweet Feb. 22, the Eternal Word
Television Network said its founder, Mother Angelica,
remains in a “delicate” condition.
Members of her religious order, the Poor Clares of
Perpetual Adoration at Our Lady of Angels Monastery in
Hanceville, asked for prayers for her.
In a new posting on the order’s website, http://olamnuns.com, the Poor Clares extended “a heart-felt thankyou” to all who have been praying for Mother Angelica,
who is 92.
“The many cards and promises of prayer she received
throughout this past Christmas season were a great
consolation and support,” the posting said. “Mother’s
condition remains delicate and she receives devoted
care day and night by her sisters and nurses.”
“In God’s providence, she was able to receive the special jubilee grace” of passing through the Door of Mercy
shortly after its opening for the Jubilee Year of Mercy, it
said. “Although she is most often sleeping, from time to
time mother will give a radiant smile. There is no doubt
that her heart must be ‘on things above.’”
Last November, a spokesman for the Poor Clares
said Mother Angelica was doing as well as could be
expected for someone her age who remains partially
paralyzed.
“From what I’m told, it’s not that she’s completely
unable to eat. It’s assisting her to get the nutrients she
needs,” said Luke Johnasen, director of pilgrimages at
the monastery. He confirmed that she had been fitted
with a feeding tube.
Pope Francis called for a moratorium on executions during the Year of Mercy and said the fifth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill,” applies not only to the
innocent but to the guilty as well.
“Even a criminal has the inviolable right to life, a gift
of God,” he said Feb. 21 after reciting the Angelus with
visitors gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
Marking the beginning of an international conference
“For a world without the death penalty,” sponsored by
the Community of Sant’Egidio, the pope expressed
hope that it will strengthen efforts to abolish the death
penalty.
Increasing opposition worldwide to the death penalty
as “an instrument of legitimate social defense” is “a sign
of hope,” he said.
20
The A.D. Times
Diocese
March 3, 2016
Death
Father Michael Briggman, pastor emeritus of Most Blessed Sacrament
Father Michael
Briggman, 73, pastor emeritus of Most
Blessed Sacrament,
Bally, died Feb. 26
at Holy Family Villa
for Priests, Bethlehem.
Born in Pottsville, Father Briggman was the son of
the late Joseph and
Irene
(Novacki)
Briggman.
He attended St. Patrick School and
graduated from Nativity BVM High
School, both in Pottsville. He attended St.
Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, where he received a bachelor of arts
degree in philosophy, and the Pontifical
Gregorian University, Rome, Italy, where
he received a baccalaureate in sacred the-
ology.
He was ordained to the priesthood
April 6, 1968 in Rome by Bishop Francis
Reh, rector of the Pontifical North American College, Rome.
Father Briggman’s first priestly assignment was assistant pastor of Sacred
Heart, West Reading, followed by St.
Joseph, Easton, and St. Ignatius Loyola,
Sinking Spring.
His first pastoral assignment was at the
former St. Francis de Sales, Mount Carbon. Father Briggman was then named
pastor of St. Joseph, Easton, followed by
pastor, Most Blessed Sacrament, where
he served until his retirement Jan. 28,
1997, when he was named pastor emeritus.
During the course of his priestly ministry, Father Briggman served as regional
director of vocations, Berks County;
member, Priests’ Choir; associate profes-
sor, Notre Dame High School, Easton;
chaplain, Boy Scouts Minsi Trail Council, Easton; member, Council of Priests;
advocate and notary, Diocesan Tribunal;
regional director, American Catholic
Overseas Aid, Berks County; chaplain,
Pottsville Hospital; chaplain, Serra Club
Forks of the Delaware Chapter; member,
Budget Board, Notre Dame High School,
Easton; member and president, Advisory
Board, Notre Dame High School; member, Budget and Audit Review Board,
Reading Central Catholic High School;
and spiritual director, Holy Name Society, Lehigh Deanery.
Surviving are his sister, Mary Kay
Mullen and her husband Lee, of Wyndmoor; brothers, Joseph Briggman and
wife, Kathleen, of Westford, Massachusetts, and John “Jack” Briggman, of
Charlotte, North Carolina; nephews, Lee
Mullen and wife, Clare, Michael Mullen,
and Salvador Briggman; grandnephews,
Thomas and Michael.
Vigil Service was March 1 at SS. Simon and Jude, Bethlehem. Presiding was
Msgr. Stephen Radocha, pastor of St.
Jane Frances de Chantal, Easton and vicar forane of the Northampton Deanery.
Homilist was Deacon William Urbine.
Mass of Christian Burial for Father
Briggman was celebrated March 2 at SS.
Simon and Jude by Bishop of Allentown
John Barres. Homilist was Msgr. John
Martin, pastor of St. Peter, Coplay.
Main concelebrants were Msgr. Alfred
Schlert, vicar general; Msgr. Gerald E.
Gobitas, secretary of the Secretariat for
Clergy, chancellor, and rector of Holy
Family Villa for Priests; Msgr. Edward
Coyle, pastor of Most Blessed Sacrament; and Msgr. Martin.
Burial took place March 3 in Calvary
Cemetery, Pottsville.
Deaths
Religious sisters
at Sacred Heart, West Reading; St. Anthony, Sacred Heart Convent and St. Joseph
Villa, all in Reading; St. Stanislaus and
St. Casimir, Shenandoah; and St. Mary,
Mahanoy City.
There are no surviving immediate
family members.
Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Feb. 23 at Sacred Heart Convent Chapel, Mount Alvernia, Reading with burial
following in the Bernardine Franciscan
Sisters’ cemetery, Mount Alvernia.
During her ministry as an elementary
teacher, retreat director, office worker,
principal, superior, secretary and clerktreasurer, Sister served in Connecticut,
Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island. and Washington, D.C. In the Diocese of Allentown
she served at St. Joseph Villa, Reading.
Masses of Christian Burial were celebrated Feb. 25 at Sacred Heart Convent
Chapel, Mount Alvernia, Reading and
Feb. 26 at Sacred Heart Church, South
Amboy, N.J. with burial at Sacred Heart
Cemetery, Parlin, N.J.
ber of the Sisters of Mercy Mid-Atlantic
Community, died Feb. 22 at McAuley
Convent, Merion Station.
She ministered as an elementary and
secondary teacher, and principal in the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia. In her later
years, she was a merciful presence as a
parish minister to the elderly in St. Laurence Parish in Upper Darby.
In the Diocese of Allentown she
taught grades one and two at St. Elizabeth
School, Fullerton 1954-56.
Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Feb. 29 at Convent of Mercy, Merion,
with burial March 1 in Sisters of Mercy
Cemetery, Merion.
Sister Aileen Bomba, 97, of the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters Third Order
Regular of St. Francis, died Feb. 16 at St.
Joseph Villa, Reading, where she had resided since 2008.
Born Helen Bomba in Lansford, she
was the daughter of the late Joseph and
Stephanie (Krustsick) Bomba.
During her ministry as a teacher and
tutor, Sister served in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
In the Diocese of Allentown, she served
Sister Mary Theresine Jablonski,
93, of the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters Third Order Regular of St. Francis,
died Feb. 18 at St. Joseph Villa, Reading,
where she had resided since 2012.
Sister Catherine Kealey, 85, formerly known as Sister William Mary, a mem-
Diocese
March 3, 2016
Calendar
Editor’s note: E-mail, fax or mail church-affiliated items for
the Calendar page (Calendar, Retreats, Socials, Festivals,
Bazaars, Trips) to: e-mail, [email protected];
fax, 610-439-7694; The A.D. Times, P.O. Box F, Allentown, PA
18105-1538.
Items must be received by Thursday of the week before
publication.
Please type or print. Please notify The A.D. Times if
bingos and other regularly listed events are cancelled for
the summer or other holiday periods, and again when they
resume.
The A.D. Times publishes only newly announced, churchaffiliated trips on a regular basis. The entire previously
announced repeating trip list is published only as space
permits. Please notify The A.D. Times when seats are filled
for a trip so it can be removed from the repeating list.
Please do not send items again after they are published.
For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call 610-871-5200, ext. 264.
Thursday, March 3
“Atheism and Agnosticism,” “Apologetics Forum: The Catholic Faith Explained” offered by diocesan Office of Adult Formation, St. Christopher Catholic Newman Center, 15207 Kutztown
Road, Kutztown University, 7 p.m., no charge, speaker Dr.
Gregory Kerr of DeSales University, Center Valley, [email protected] or 610-289-8900, ext. 21.
Saturday, March 5
Prayer to End Abortion, St. Jane Frances de Chantal,
Easton, at Planned Parenthood, 2407 Butler St., Easton, 11
a.m.-noon, 484-903-7172.
Sunday, March 6
Breakfast, Men of St. Francis of Assisi, Allentown, adults $6,
children $4.
Breakfast, Knights of Columbus, St. Ignatius Loyola School,
Sinking Spring, 8 a.m.-noon, adults $7.50, children under 12
$3.50, under 6 free.
Soup Luncheon, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Cathedral of
St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., adults $7,
children $4, children 3 and under free.
Easter Nut Roll Sale, deadline for orders, St. Francis of Assisi, Allentown, must prepay, $15, pickup Saturday, March 19
and Sunday, March 20.
Monday, March 7
“Father Forgive Them: The Role of Forgiveness,” “Faith and
Spirits” series offered by diocesan Office of Adult Formation,
presenter Father Bernard Ezaki, High Gravity Lounge, Allentown Brew Works, 6:30-8:30 p.m., free, 610-289-8900, ext. 21,
[email protected].
Charismatic Mass of Healing and Anointing, Holy Ghost,
Bethlehem, 7 p.m., Father Clifton Bishop celebrant and homilist, confessions 6-6:45 p.m.
Tuesday, March 8
Serra Club of Bethlehem, Monocacy Manor, Bethlehem, 6:30
p.m., dinner, speaker Father Vincentius Karoba.
Wednesday, March 9
Display of St. Sharbel Makhlouf Relics, Our Lady of Lebanon
Maronite Catholic Church, Fourth and Ferry streets, Easton,
through Friday morning, March 11, for schedule 610-252-5275,
www.ololeaston.org, [email protected].
Easter Holiday Roll Sale, order deadline, St. Theresa Guild,
St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, Hellertown, $15, pickup Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20, school lower level,
610-838-8330, 610-838-6102.
Thursday, March 10
Evening of Healing and Mercy, St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield, 6 p.m., confessions throughout the evening, Divine Mercy
Chaplet, rosary, adoration, Anointing of the Sick, ministry of
healing, witness talk by Janet DeBellis, 610-395-2876.
“The Young Messiah,” movie premiere, sponsored by
diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Carmike
16, 1700 Catasauqua Road, Allentown, must purchase tickets
in advance $5, limit of five, www.allentowndiocese.org/messiah,
[email protected], 610-289-8900, ext. 23.
Saturday, March 12
“Large Flowerheads,” classic rock act, church hall, St. Francis of Assisi, Allentown, 7-10 p.m., $10, tickets 610-433-6102,
no tickets at door.
Sunday, March 13
Breakfast, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall, 8:30-11:30
a.m., adults $7, children 4-12 $3, 3-under free.
Breakfast, Assumption BVM, Slatington, 9 a.m.-noon, adults
$6, children 5-12 $3, under 5 free, tickets available at door.
Spaghetti Dinner, Knights of Columbus Father DeNisco
Council, Council Home, 1680 W. Bangor Road, Bangor, 11
a.m.-4:30 p.m., adults $9, children under 8 free, tickets at door.
“Grace Before Meals,” parish mission, cooking demo and
talk by Father Leo Patalinghug, host of EWTN’s “Savoring Our
Faith,” St. Columbkill, Boyertown, 5 p.m., also Monday and
Tuesday, March 14 and 15 retreat talks 7 p.m., Father Leo will
also speak at all Masses the weekend of March 12 and 13.
“When the Lord Comes Again, Will He Find Any Faith on
Earth,” parish mission, speaker Father Angelus Shaughnessy,
St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall, daily Mass 9 a.m., evening
sessions 7 p.m., through Wednesday, March 16, 610-2660695.
“Jesus Christ the Face of the Father’s Mercy,” parish mission, homilist Father Keith Mathur, Our Lady of Mercy, Easton,
7-8 p.m., also Monday and Tuesday, March 14 and 15, 7-8
p.m., 610-252-7381.
“The Way of the Cross,” Donna Cori Gibson concert and
video experience, Queenship of Mary, Northampton, 7 p.m.,
free.
The A.D. Times
Monday, March 14
Friendly Fifties, social hall, St. John the Baptist Byzantine,
1343 Newport Ave., Northampton, 1 p.m., singers Karen Foster
and Robert Fahringer, canceled if Northampton schools are
closed or delayed.
“Band of Sisters,” movie screening in honor of National
Catholic Sisters Week (March 8-14), sponsored by Missionary
Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Missionary Sisters
of the Precious Blood and Bernardine Franciscan Sisters,
McGlinn Conference Center, Reading, 6 p.m., followed by
question-and-answer session with the sisters, http://www.
bandofsistersmovie.com/.
1, 610-289-8900, ext. 23, [email protected].
“Spring into Mission Starlight Eve Gala,” benefit Missionary
Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Berkleigh Golf Club,
Kutztown, 5:30 p.m., $60, www.mscreading.org, cwhitmayer@
mscreading.org, 610-929-2802.
Thursday, March 17
“Liberty and/or Law,” ethics breakfast, DeSales University,
Center Valley, 7:30 a.m., with David Bowman of C12 Group,
per person $25, table of eight $176, www.ethicsforum.org, lore.
[email protected], 610-282-1100, ext. 1244, ethics.
[email protected].
“The Poor and the Theology of Pope Francis,” 2016 Robert
K. Campbell Lecture on Christian Unity, speaker Mary Doak,
associate professor of theology and religious studies at University of San Diego, hosted by Lehigh Conference of Churches,
at Dubbs Memorial Community Center, 457 Allen St., Allentown, 4 p.m., $25, registration required, www.lehighchurches.
org.
Fridays of Lent
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Stations of the
Cross, St. Francis Assisi, Allentown, adoration after 8 a.m.
Mass to beginning of stations at 7 p.m.
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Stations of the
Cross, Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown, adoration after 8 a.m. Mass (or 9 a.m. school Mass) to beginning of
stations at 7 p.m.
Friday, March 18
“Annie,” Berks Catholic High School, Reading, 7 p.m., adults
$10, students/senior citizens $8, also Saturday, March 19, 1
and 7 p.m., [email protected].
Sunday, March 20
Family Bowl-a-Thon, Mary’s Shelter, Reading, at Berks
Lanes, Sinking Spring, session 1 12:30-2:30 p.m., session 2
3-5 p.m.
“The Passion According to St. John,” Bach Choir of Bethlehem, First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, 4 p.m., adults
$37, students $9, www.bach.org or 610-866-4382, ext. 110/115.
Friday, March 25
Good Friday Collection for Shrines of Our Faith in the Holy
Land, parishes of the Diocese of Allentown.
Monday, March 28
“The Gospel of Mark,” Bible study group begins, Assumption BVM, Bethlehem, 10-11:30 a.m., Coll Room; 6:30-8 p.m.
Finnegan Room; also Wednesdays 10-11:30 a.m., Finnegan
Room; 610-867-7424, ext. 12, [email protected].
Wednesday, March 30
“We Are Remembered Ministry 25th Anniversary Easter
Mass,” celebrant and homilist Bishop John Barres, St. John the
Baptist, Allentown, 7 p.m., enrollment deadline Wednesday,
March 23, see enrollment form page 5.
Thursday, March 31
Spring Musical, auditorium, Allentown Central Catholic High
School, 7 p.m., $8-$12, also Friday April 1, 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 2, 2 and 7 p.m., www.acchs.info.
Friday, April 1
Information Sessions, Alvernia University, Reading, 9:15
a.m.-2 p.m., 610-796-8269, www.alvernia.edu, also Friday, May
6.
Saturday, April 2
Catholic Charismatic Renewal Workshop, speaker Father
Edward Essig, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall, 8 a.m.-3
p.m., adults $20, students $10, bag lunch provided, [email protected], 484-268-7971.
Sunday, April 3
Breakfast with Family and Friends, Holy Family Club, Nazareth, 7:30 a.m.-noon, adults $7, seniors 65+ $6, children 5-12
$4, children 4 and under free, 610-759-0870.
Divine Mercy Sunday, St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield, 2:30
p.m., Eucharistic Adoration, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Consecration to Divine Mercy and veneration of St. Faustina’s relic.
Healing Service, St Catharine of Siena, Reading, praise and
music 6:30 p.m., service 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 6
Frank L. Marcon Lecture, speaker Michelle Malkin, senior
editor, Conservative Review, Billera Hall, DeSales University,
Center Valley, 7:30 p.m., free but tickets required, 610-2821100, ext. 1364, www.desales.edu.
Thursday, April 7
“The Chair of Peter: Papal Infallibility,” “Apologetics Forum”
offered by diocesan Office of Adult Formation, speaker Father
Bill Davis, Father Lyons Room, St. John Baptist de la Salle,
Shillington, 7 p.m., free, [email protected] or
610-289-8900, ext. 21.
Friday, April 8
“An Evening with Mike Patin,” Youth Ministry Professional
Development Days offered by diocesan Office of Youth and
Young Adult Ministry, Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena,
Allentown 7-9 p.m., no charge, wine and cheese reception,
610-289-8900, ext. 221, [email protected].
“Wonderful Town,” Bethlehem Catholic High School, 7 p.m.;
adults $12; students, seniors (65+) and military ID $10; also
April 9, 15 and 16, 7 p.m.; April 10, 2 p.m.; tickets available
main office or at door; reserved seats https://buy.ticketstothecity.
com/venue.php?org_id=207.
Marriage Encounter Weekend, through Sunday, April 10,
1-732-904-9636, www.aweekendforyourmarriage.org.
Saturday, April 9
“Rise Up: United,” diocesan youth rally for teens in grades
8-12, Berks Catholic High School, Reading, 1-8 p.m., $15, family discounts available, www.allentowndiocese.org/united.
“Growing in Grace: The Integration of Sports and Spirituality,”
workshop for CYO coaches and personnel offered by diocesan
Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Berks Catholic High
School, Reading, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., registration 9:30 a.m.,
lunch included, no charge, registration required by Friday, April
Sunday, April 10
Breakfast, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall, 8:30-11:30
a.m., adults $7, children 4-12 $3, 3 and under free.
Lenten events
Thursday, March 3
Holy Year of Mercy Lenten Program, Mass and speaker,
St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield, 7 p.m., Feb. 18 “God’s Rich
Mercy,” Feb. 25 “The Spiritual Works of Mercy,” March 3, “The
Corporal Works of Mercy,” 610-395-2876.
Friday, March 4
Lenten Fish Dinner, Marian Inn, Our Lady of Perpetual Help,
Bethlehem, 5-7 p.m., adults $10, children 10-under $5.
Fridays, March 4, 11
Lenten Fish Dinner, Knights of Columbus Father Jacob Post
Council 14464, auditorium, Sacred Heart, Bath, 4:30-7 p.m.,
adults $8 or $11, children $4, under 6 free, bring canned good
to be donated to local food bank.
Fridays, March 4, 11, 18
Homemade Pierogi Sale, St. Clare of Assisi, St. Clair,
11 a.m.-3 p.m., $7.50 per dozen, place orders by previous
Wednesday, 570-429-1040, 570-429-0629, 570-429-0343,
570-429-1942; also Holy Thursday, March 24.
Lenten Dinner, St. John the Baptist, Pottsville, 4-7 p.m.,
adults $13-$16, children (under 12) $8, 570-622-5470.
Lenten Pierogi Sale, lower hall, St. Mary, Reading, 10 a.m.-3
p.m., $8 per dozen.
Lenten Fish Dinner, Knights of Columbus Council 345,
Father Farrell Hall, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Easton, 4-7
p.m., adults $11, seniors $10, children $6, children 4-under
free, carryout available $11, tickets 610-330-2917, 610-4385112.
Tuesday, March 8 – Thursday, March 10
Lenten Mission, Holy Family, Nazareth, 7 p.m. each evening,
presented by Father Richard Kennedy.
Wednesday, March 9
“We Thirst: Lessons in Mercy,” course on addiction awareness, St. Rocco, Martins Creek, 7-9 p.m., free, all are welcome, registration 610-258-9059.
Thursday, March 10
“Evening of Healing and Mercy,” St. Joseph the Worker,
Orefield, 6 p.m., confession throughout the evening, Divine
Mercy Chaplet, rosary, adoration, anointing of the sick (7 p.m.),
witness talk and ministry of healing, 610-395-2876, snow date
Thursday, March 17 (see WFMZ for cancellation information).
Friday, March 11
Lenten Food Sale, parish center, St. Matthew the Evangelist,
Minersville, noon-3 p.m., place large orders Fridays 9-11 a.m.
570-544-5485.
Fridays, March 11, 18
Lenten Fish Bake, Knights of Columbus Council 4282, Nazareth, Holy Family Club, 515 W. Mauch Chunk St., Nazareth,
adults $10, children 6-12 $5, under 6 free, [email protected],
610-365-8877.
Wednesday, March 16
Lenten Dinner, Divine Mercy, Shenandoah, at church hall, St.
Stephen, Shenandoah, take out only, pickup 3-5:30 p.m., $8,
deadlines one week in advance, 570-462-1968.
Friday, March 18
Lenten Fish Bake Dinner, Knights of Columbus Council 8726,
St. Ignatius Loyola School, Sinking Spring, 5-7 p.m., adults
$10, children 6-12 $5, children under 6 free.
Fish Bake, Knights of Columbus, Cathedral of St. Catharine
of Siena, Allentown, 5-6:30 p.m., followed by Living Stations 7
p.m.
Palm Sunday, March 20 and Good Friday, March 25
Dramatic Stations of the Cross, St. John the Baptist, Pottsville, 7:30 p.m., doors open 6:30 p.m., preludes begin 7:15
p.m., free-will offering, all are welcome, 570-622-5470.
Wednesday, March 23 and Good Friday, March 25
“We Are Friends,” passion drama written by Msgr. John Murphy, St. Thomas More, Allentown, March 23 7:30 p.m., March
25 1 p.m., child care provided, 610-433-7413.
Good Friday, March 25
Devil Crab and Fish Dinner, Knights of Columbus 618, 201
W. Cherry St., Shenandoah, 3 p.m.-sellout, $9, takeout only,
leave message 570-462-1430, 570-590-1188, order deadline
Friday, March 18.
Pasta Dinner and Bake Sale, St. Joseph, Summit Hill, 4-6
p.m., $9.
Retreats
First Tuesdays
“Simply Prayer,” mornings of prayer, reflection and sharing,
Please see CALENDAR page 22 }}
21
22
The A.D. Times
Diocese
Calendar
}}Continued from page 21
St. Francis Center for Renewal, Bethlehem, 9:30 a.m.-noon,
free will offering, 610-867-8890, www.stfrancisctr.org.
Third Tuesdays
“Journey of the Heart: Introduction to Contemplative Prayer
Practices,” St. Francis Center for Renewal, Bethlehem, 7-9
p.m., free will offering, 610-867-8890, www.stfrancisctr.org.
First Fridays
“Retreat Day,” St. Francis Retreat House, Easton, 9 a.m.-2
p.m., $25, register by previous Monday, 610-258-3053, ext. 10,
www.stfrancisretreathouse.org.
Wednesday, March 16
“Prepare Your Heart for the Holiest Time of Year,” twilight retreat, St. Francis Center for Renewal, Bethlehem, 6:45-9 p.m.,
$25, 610-867-8890, www.stfrancisctr.org.
Monday, March 21
“Forgiving Injuries,” mini-retreat on one of the spiritual works
of mercy, St. Francis Retreat House, Easton, 6 p.m., $25, 610258-3053, www.stfrancisretreathouse.org.
Saturday, April 16
“The Face of the Father’s Mercy,” day of reflection, St. Francis Center for Renewal, Bethlehem, presented by Bishop of
Harrisburg Ronald Gainer, 8:30 am-3 p.m., $45, 610-867-8890,
www.stfrancisctr.org.
Tuesday, April 19
“A Journey into the World Within: Optimal Well-Being, Creativity and Possibilities,” twilight retreat, St. Francis Center for
Renewal, Bethlehem, 6:45-9 p.m., $25, 610-867-8890, www.
stfrancisctr.org.
Monday, April 25
“Showing God’s Love to Those Who Seek Him,” mini-retreat
on one of the spiritual works of mercy, St. Francis Retreat
House, Easton, 6 p.m., $25, 610-258-3053, www.stfrancisretreathouse.org.
Wednesday, May 11
“Mary – Our Lady of Perpetual Help,” twilight retreat, St.
Francis Center for Renewal, Bethlehem, 6:45-9 p.m., $25, 610867-8890, www.stfrancisctr.org.
Friday, June 3 – Sunday, June 5
Women’s Wellness Weekend, St. Mary by the Sea Retreat
House, Cape May, N.J., also Friday, Sept. 9 – Sunday, Sept.
11, [email protected], 800-482-6510.
Friday, June 10 – Sunday, June 12
“Calling All Creative Spirits,” St. Mary by the Sea Retreat
House, Cape May, N.J., $290, [email protected], 609-8848708.
Thursday, June 16 – Sunday, June 19
“12-Step Spirituality: It Works if You Work It,” St. Mary by the
Sea Retreat House, Cape May, N.J., $265, [email protected],
609-884-8878.
Thursday, June 30 – Thursday, July 7
“Nurturing Hope: Reclaiming Our Story,” St. Mary by the Sea
Retreat House, Cape May, N.J., $520, [email protected], 609884-8878.
March 3, 2016
Saturday, July 2 – Thursday, July 7
“Enfolded in the ‘Mercy Seat’ of God,” sisters’ conference
retreat, open to religious sisters of all communities, St. Francis
Center for Renewal, Bethlehem, $400, 610-867-8890, www.
stfrancisctr.org.
Tuesday, July 26 – Thursday, Aug. 2
“From the Heart of God, To the Heart of God, Through and
With the Heart of God,” St. Mary by the Sea Retreat House,
Cape May, N.J., $520, [email protected], 609-884-8878.
Thursday, Aug. 2 – Monday, Aug. 8
“Jesus/Christ and Your Spiritual Journey,” St. Mary by the
Sea Retreat House, Cape May, N.J., $455, [email protected],
609-884-8878.
Thursday, Aug. 25 – Thursday, Sept. 1
“Celebrating a Deeper Communion,” St. Mary by the Sea
Retreat House, Cape May, N.J., $520, [email protected], 609884-8878.
Socials
Sundays
Bingo, St. Joseph, Summit Hill, 6:30 p.m.
Bingo, Immaculate Conception School, Pen Argyl, 1 p.m.,
doors open 11 a.m., 610-863-4816.
Second Sundays
Bingo, Most Blessed Sacrament, Bally, 12:30 p.m., doors
open 11 a.m.
Sundays, March 13; April 17; May 15, 29; Jun 12, 26; July
10, 24; Aug. 7, 28; Sept. 4, 25; Oct. 9, 16; Nov. 6, 13; Dec. 4
Bingo, Knights of Columbus Council 618, Shenandoah at St.
Stephen Hall, 2 p.m., doors open noon, accessible to handicapped.
Sundays, March 13, April 10, May 15
Bingo, Annunciation BVM (St. Mary’s), Catasauqua, 1 p.m.,
kitchen opens 11:30 a.m.
Friday, March 18 – Sunday, March 20
Tricky Tray, Home and School Association, Our Lady of
Perpetual Help, Bethlehem, Friday 5-9 p.m., Saturday 1-8 p.m.,
Sunday 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Basket Social, Annunciation BVM (St. Mary’s), Catasauqua,
Friday, 6-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.-1
p.m., $5, 610-264-0332, 610-264-9383.
Sunday, April 3
Baskets and Bags Bingo, Bethlehem chapter of UNICO, cafeteria, Bethlehem Catholic High School, 1:30 p.m., doors open
12:30 p.m., $20, 610-866-8945.
Trips
Wednesdays
Bingo, Slovak Catholic Sokol, SS. Cyril and Methodius,
Reading, at Slovak Catholic Social Hall, 411 Crestmont St.,
6:30 p.m., doors open 5 p.m. (changed from Mondays).
Editor’s note: Trip listings include sponsoring group,
destination, cost and contact information. Call the sponsor
for other details, such as times, dining location, itineraries
and what is included in the cost. Send church-affiliated
trips to [email protected] by Thursday of the
week before publication.
First Wednesdays (April-May)
Bingo, Knights of Columbus Council 12886, St. Ann, Emmaus, 7:30 p.m., doors open 7 p.m., $20, light dinner included.
Newly announced
Thursdays
Bingo, Knights of Columbus Home Association, Reading,
6:30 p.m., doors open 5 p.m., nonsmoking.
Bingo, St. Katharine Drexel, Lansford, 6:30 p.m., doors open
5 p.m.
Fridays
Bingo, St. Jerome, Tamaqua, 6 p.m.
Thursday, March 10
Designer Handbag Bingo, family center, St. Thomas More,
Allentown, 7 p.m., doors open 6 p.m., $25, 610-739-2313,
www.stmchurchallentown.org.
Saturday, March 12
Casino Night, Mercy School for Special Learning, Allentown,
6:30-10 p.m., per person $30 couple $50, reservation deadline
Friday, March 4, 610-797-8242, www.mercyschool.org, tharper@
mercyspeciallearning.org.
Saturday, March 12 – Sunday, March 13
Tricky Tray, Notre Dame of Bethlehem, Saturday 10 a.m.6:30 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m., drawing 2:30 p.m., $5.
Basket Social and Bake Sale, St. Nicholas, Walnutport, Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.-1 p.m., $5, 610-767-3107,
610-767-9892.
Thursday, March 10
Golden Agers, Holy Family Nazareth to Mohegan Sun Casino, Wilkes-Barre, $25, 610-759-0576.
Tuesday, March 15
Outreach Committee, St. Francis of Assisi, Allentown to
Mohegan Sun Casino, Wilkes-Barre, $22, 610-515-5975, 610433-6102.
Wednesday, March 16
Golden Agers, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall to Mohegan Sun Casino, Wilkes-Barre, $25, 610-264-3721.
Tuesday, July 19
Seniors, St. John Fisher, Catasauqua to “Samson,” Sight and
Sound, Lancaster, $85, 610-264-0920.
Monday, Oct. 10 – Tuesday, Oct. 18
Father Sean Carpenter and St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish, Pocono Pines, pilgrimage to Poland; presentation with information
Monday, March 21, 6 p.m., 570-646-6424.
Tuesday, Dec. 13
Seniors, St. John Fisher, Catasauqua to “Winter Wonderland” Christmas Show, American Music Theater, Lancaster,
$80, 610-264-0920.
Visit the Diocese of Allentown online
Sunday Scripture
Sunday, March 6 Fourth Sunday of Lent
First reading
Joshua 5-9a, 10-12
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 34:2-7
Second reading
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Gospel
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Sunday, March 13
Designer Handbag Bingo, church hall, St. Francis of Assisi,
Allentown, 1 p.m., doors and kitchen open noon, advance $20,
at door $25, 610-433-6102, donate nonperishable food item
for Parish Food Pantry and receive a ticket, donate new pair of
baby socks or other small baby items and receive two tickets.
www.facebook.com/DioceseofAllentown
Sunday, March 13
First reading
Isaiah 43:16-21
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 126:1-6
Second reading
Philippians 3:8-14
Gospel
John 8:1-11
Fifth Sunday of Lent
twitter.com/AllentownDioces
www.allentowndiocese.org
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0EEfDEoYKtAoGMrCPKIqtA
https://instagram.com/allentowndiocese/
Diocese
March 3, 2016
The A.D. Times
23
MSC sisters unveil newly renovated chapel
By TARA CONNOLLY
Staff writer
Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus (MSC), Reading honored donors and volunteers Jan. 16 with
a special Mass and brunch celebrating
relationships and generosity that made
renovations of the community’s chapel
possible.
The Mass was celebrated by Father
E. Michael Camilli, in residence at Holy
Guardian Angels, Reading, which commemorated the rededication of the renovated chapel.
“It is very uplifting to celebrate the
Eucharist in this very beautiful sacred
space, enhanced by the brilliance of the
newly painted walls. The new acoustical
system that the sisters installed makes it
possible for the congregation to better
hear the Eucharistic prayers and readings of the sacred
Scriptures,” said
Father Camilli.
Through the
Having attendgenerosity
ed Holy Guardian
of grantors
Angels School,
such as CoFather
Camilli
was educated by
lonial Oaks
the MSC sisters
Foundaand was an altion, SOAR
tar server and an
(Support
acolyte in their
Our Aging
original convent
chapel, which was
Religious)
eventually demoland individished to make way
ual donors,
for their new main
the chapel
building with their
installed
new chapel.
“I recall ridnew air coning my bike from
ditioning,
Temple to Hyde
added new
Park on some earsound and
ly weekday mornelectrical
ings to serve their
community Mass.
systems, and
As a youngster
repainted
I also remember
the interior
well the new chaof the strucpel’s construction,
ture.
especially when
they placed the
statue of the Sacred Heart behind the main altar by lowering the gigantic statue down through
the roof of the chapel,” he said.
Through the generosity of grantors
such as Colonial Oaks Foundation, SOAR
(Support Our Aging Religious) and individual donors, the chapel installed new
air conditioning, added new sound and
electrical systems. and repainted the interior of the structure.
According to Father Camilli, the entire sacred space of the chapel envisions
the charism of any Missionary of the Sacred Heart: “May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be known and loved everywhere, now
and forever.”
“Their beautiful stained glass windows depict not only aspects of devotion
to the heart of Christ as Missionaries of
the Sacred Heart, but also picture various
aspects of evangelization through their
unique missionary activity,” he said.
Faithful participate in a special Mass honoring volunteers and donors in the
renovated chapel at Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Villa, Reading.
“The best innovation in my estimation is the installation of a bronze railing
that enables the elderly to come up to the
ambo to proclaim the Scripture readings,
as well as assist the celebrant to safely
make use of the marble steps leading
down to the assembly for the distribution
of the Eucharist,” said Father Camilli.
SOAR awarded the MSC community,
along with 61 other Catholic religious
congregations, grants totaling more than
$1.1 million.
The grants were distributed to Catholic religious congregations of women and
men in 22 states. They assist congregations of Catholic religious women and
men in the care of their aging sisters,
brothers and priests. The grants help fulfill very basic needs, such as the purchase
of therapeutic equipment, the renovation
of space for handicapped accessibility
and structural safety, and the installation
of fire alarms.
“The SOAR grant funded the sound
system,” said Carrie Whitmoyer, mission
advancement director for MSC.
The Colonial Oaks Foundation, Wyomissing, which is committed to strengthening and improving the quality of life
in Berks County, provides grants for atrisk youth programs, education, Catholic
initiatives, and health and human service
organizations.
As a result of the assistance of grantors and individual donors, Whitmoyer
said, more religious are able to continue
to age in place and remain at home with
their religious communities.
After the Mass, Father Camilli and
Deacon Edward Sanders, who serves St.
Ignatius Loyola, Sinking Spring, blessed
the renovations and new equipment.
“It truly was an inspirational Mass and
blessing ceremony,” said Whitmoyer.
The MSC sisters created Sacred Heart
Villa (formerly St. Michael Convent) in
2003 with the vision of providing a personal care home for the sisters and other
seniors of southeastern Pennsylvania.
Sacred Heart Villa incorporates the
spirit, love and care that have been the
foundation of St. Michael Convent, the
motherhouse of the MSC sisters.
The facility has two residential buildings, a remodeled dining room, a fireside
lounge, library, café and beauty shop. The
chapel remains in the middle of the facility “for it truly is the heart of the community.”
There are 57 sisters and approximately
40 senior residents (when fully occupied)
living at Sacred Heart Villa.
Sisters, volunteers, residents and donors celebrate the generosity of others and the newly renovated chapel
during a luncheon.
Relics of Maronite-venerated saint on display
The relics of a saint Maronite Catholics have venerated since the 19th century
will be on display Wednesday, March 9
through Friday, March 11 at Our Lady
of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church,
Easton.
St. Sharbel Makhlouf was a Lebanese
monk credited with miracles claimed
from Lebanon to the United States.
The display is part of a nationwide
tour commemorating the 50th anniversary
of his beatification by Pope Paul VI in
1965. He was canonized a saint by Pope
Paul VI in 1977, and Maronites celebrate
his feast day July 24.
Youssef Antoun Makhlouf was born
in 1828 in North Lebanon. Inspired by
his uncles who were monks, he left his
family in 1851 to also pursue a monastic
life and became Brother Sharbel. In 1859
he was ordained a priest in the Maronite
Catholic Church.
Father Sharbel spent the next several
decades living a strict, ascetic life, and
eventually became a hermit, until his
death Christmas Eve 1898.
After his death a light began to shine
from his tomb. His body was exhumed
several times over the next two centuries and found to be intact, bleeding and
sweating.
All are invited to attend and join the
parish community of Our Lady of Lebanon in veneration and fellowship.
The relics will arrive Wednesday at 3
p.m. and leave Friday after liturgy at 8:30
a.m.
For more information, visit website
www.ololeaston.org or call Father Simon
El Hajj, 610-252-5275.
24
The A.D. Times
Diocese
March 3, 2016
Sister Eloina ministers to the poor in Argentina and the United States
Editor’s note: This article is part of a
continuing series on religious communities in the Diocese of Allentown, to
commemorate the Year of Consecrated
Life, the weekend of Nov. 29-30, 2014
through Feb. 2, 2016, World Day of
Consecrated Life.
By TARA CONNOLLY
Staff writer
In 1970 Sister Eloina Alvarez left her
homeland of Argentina for the first time
and headed for the United States – specifically the Diocese of Arlington, Va. –
to serve God’s people in a nation she had
only read about in newspapers.
After entering the Poor Sisters of St.
Joseph when she was 16 years old, Sister
Eloina professed her final vows when she
was 20, and spent 15 years teaching and
mentoring students in her native country.
“Then I got the call that the sisters in
Virginia needed help at their convent and
with their day care,” she said.
“I love my family and the people of
Argentina. I did not
“I love this
want to leave them
country
but I knew it was
very much
God’s will.”
She cared for the
and I love
sisters, and provided
what I do.”
religious
instruction and education
at their day care in
Alexandria for nine years.
“The first year was very hard. I missed
my three brothers and three sisters very
much,” recalled Sister Eloina.
“Then I learned the Diocese of Allentown wanted help with their Hispanic
people.”
In 1979 she left for the city of Reading in the Allentown Diocese and went to
work helping Hispanic people with social
services and taught religious education.
Sister Eloina Alvarez, a member of
the Poor Sisters of St. Joseph, serves
the poor in the Diocese of Allentown
at Kennedy House, Reading.
“It was nice to be with the Hispanic
community. We understood each other
and we loved God,” she said.
In 2009 her ministry shifted to the
Kennedy House, where she directs food
distribution three days a week and over-
sees meals provided weekly at its soup
kitchen.
“We serve more than 300 people in
need of food each week,” said Sister
Eloina.
In addition, she coordinates parish flea
markets, coordinates altar cleaning and
seasonal displays, leads the parish youth
group at St. Peter the Apostle, and visits
the local immigration centers.
According to Sister Eloina, her ministry has grown deeper since her fellow
native of Argentina was elected pope.
Sister Eloina knew Pope Francis as
Father Jorge Bergoglio and met with him
during an eight-day retreat on a visit back
to her homeland in the 1970s.
“He is a smart man. He knows the suffering of the poor and wants us to help the
poor,” she said.
While her ministry is rooted in the
Diocese of Allentown, she hasn’t ruled
out returning to Argentina or travelling
to another land where people are in need.
“I prefer any place where there are
good families and good sisters,” she said.
“I love this country very much and I
love what I do. I was worried about coming here but God always gives me something good.”
About the Poor Sisters of St. Joseph
History: The Poor Sisters of St. Joseph (PSSJ) was founded in Mercedes,
a village near Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Mother Camila Rolon was the founding
mother superior for the religious congregation.
Camila moved out of her father’s
house Jan. 28, 1880. Accompanied by
two friends and 11 orphan girls, they
journeyed to the village of Mercedes to
begin their divine adventure to provide
care to orphaned children.
Leon Gallardo, a wealthy and generous man, heard about Mother Camila’s
orphanage and promised to erect a building that would serve as the motherhouse
for this newly emerging congregation.
This promise became a reality, in 1889,
when the motherhouse was established in
Muñiz, Buenos Aires. Hundreds of children found refuge in the loving care offered by the congregation.
Mother Camila continued to enlarge
the congregation in other countries and
helped establish schools, hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and missions with the
help of bishops, priests and benefactors
on behalf of the church.
Over the course of her life, Mother
Camila established 32 houses in Uruguay, Italy and Argentina.
She died Feb. 16, 1913 in Rome. In
1950 her cause for beatification was introduced and on April 2, 1993, Pope John
Paul II recognized the sanctity of Mother
Camila and was declared “venerable.”
In 1964 four sisters of the congregation came from Argentina to the United
States and established convents in Alexandria, Va. and Bethlehem. The sisters
began their ministry by providing social
services for the Spanish-speaking community and assisting in religious instruction.
Charism: The charism of the congregation is “Holy Evangelical Poverty.”
They practice indiscriminant charity to
all, with a particular devotion to caring
Courage and EnCourage groups
Persons with same-sex attraction
have always been with us. There is
now formal outreach from the Catholic Church in the way of support
groups and information for such persons.
The Diocese of Allentown conducts
Courage group meetings monthly for
those dealing with this issue.
Does a member of your family
have same-sex attraction? Are you
having difficulty dealing with the issue? Encourage is a ministry of the
Catholic Church giving faithful witness to Catholic teaching with compassion.
Group meetings are held monthly
in the Diocese of Allentown.
For more information on Courage
and EnCourage: 610-334-9147 or
www.couragerc.org.
for the poor, abandoned children and
young people, the helpless aged and indigent sick. They live a simple life with
joy and peace, great love to Jesus in the
Eucharist, Mary the Blessed Mother, and
St. Joseph. The also live in fidelity and
obedience to the pope.
Vows: Perpetual vows of chastity,
poverty and obedience.
Religious habit or attire: Their religious habit follows the traditional religious attire. Though their attire has been
renewed three times since Mother Camila, they continue to wear the veil and a
large habit since their first profession of
their vows.
Ministries in the Diocese of Allentown: The PSSJ sisters assist spiritually
and in a material way to the families,
youth and elderly at St. Peter the Apostle,
Reading. They visit families to evangelize and pray rosaries, support the grieving and leave the message of Jesus in
families that need spiritual support.
They organize activities for all age
groups but especially the youth. They
participate in Cursillo, Encounters of
Matrimony and vocation committees. In
addition, they operate Kennedy House,
Reading where they provide clothing,
furniture and food to those in need.
Number of sisters: There are 14 sisters in the United States and an estimated
200 sisters performing ministries in Argentina, Uruguay, Italy, Romania and
Madagascar-Africa.
Motherhouse: The PSSJ Motherhouse is in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The
U.S. House of Formation is at 4319 Sano
St., Alexandria, VA 22312.
Contact: Delegate for U.S. Communities: Mother Maria D. Gonzàlez, vocation
director, 703-354-0395 or [email protected]. Contact for the Diocese
of Allentown: Sister Eloina Alvarez, 610378-1947.
Healing after abortion
– upcoming dates
For the Year of Mercy there is going to be a particular day of prayer just
for men who have been affected by abortion, in English and Spanish.
“Healing After Abortion for Men: A Day of Healing and Forgiveness”
will be Saturday, July 9 (“Sanaciόn Después del Aborto Para Hombres: Una
Dia de Sanaciόn y Perdόn,” 9 de Julio).
There will also be a Rachael’s Vineyard Weekend Retreat for men and
women in English and Spanish, Friday, July 15 through Sunday, July 17.
For more information, call 1-866-3Rachel or 610-332-0442, ext. 19.
March 3, 2016
Diocese
The A.D. Times
Lecture analyzes communication skills of
St. Frances de Sales and Pope Francis
optimism and joy that come from living
in truthfulness,” he said.
“St. Francis de Sales always placed
“In every age the church has used himself in the shoes of those he adwhatever media are available to spread dressed. There is nothing more beautiful
the Good News,” said Father Thomas than when someone treats you like there
Rosica, CEO of Salt and Light Media and is no one else in the world,” said Father
liaison at the Vatican Press Office, Jan. Rosica.
28 during the R. Wayne Kraft Memorial
“His imaginative power is clearly diLecture celebrating St. Francis de Sales rected to a practical end. His writings
as a Doctor of the Church.
address the common needs of everyday
Father Rosica presented “Francis de people, and he teaches them that the proSales and Francis of Buenos Aires: Com- found mysteries of God’s love can be apmunicating the Gospel Today” at DeSales propriated in the virtues of everyday livUniversity, Center Valley to conclude ing,” said Father Rosica.
Heritage Week that celebrates the legacy
Like St. Francis de Sales, Father Rosiof its patron saint.
ca said Pope Francis emulates his pastoHe discussed the Bishop of Geneva, ral style in communicating to the world.
known for his gentle approach to reli“Few have made the connection of
gious divisions, and Pope Francis who Francis de Sales to Francis of Buenos
has become known as the “tweetable Aires. Both figures offer brilliant models
pope,” to draw attention to their methods of pastoral accompaniment and spiritual
of communicating the Good News to the friendship. Both are extraordinary compeople of their day.
municators,” noted Rosica.
He pointed out that St. Augustine
“Francis de Sales would be thrilled to
practically invented the form of the au- see Pope Francis in action today,” he said.
tobiography, the Renaissance popes used
From the very first moments of his
papal bulls and colorful frescoes, Fran- papacy, Father Rosica said, Pope Francis
cis de Sales wrote thousands of letters to stressed his role as “bishop of Rome,”
people, and the early Jesuits used theater who presides in charity, echoing the faand stagecraft to put on
mous statement of Igmorality plays for ennatius of Antioch: “To
tire towns.
suffer no restriction
“Francis de Sales would
“Dorothy
Day
from anything howbe
thrilled
to
see
Pope
founded a newspaper,
ever great, and yet to
Francis in action today.”
Jesuit Father Daniel
be contained in the tiLord jumped into raniest of things, that is
dio, Bishop Fulton
divine.”
Sheen used television to a stunning ef“Francis of Buenos Aires keeps in
fect, and now we have bishops, priests, mind and heart great visions and dreams,
sisters and brothers and Catholic lay lead- the larger picture, but at the same time,
ers who blog and tweet. How sad it would he urges us to reach down and out to the
be if we did not use the latest tools avail- peripheries, to serve the needy and vulable to us to communicate the Word of nerable,” said Rosica.
God,” said Father Rosica.
He maintained that Pope Francis is
In St. Francis de Sales’ lifetime, he teaching the church – once again – the
wrote more than 20,000 letters and pub- art of discernment and has brought to the
lished the letters in 1609 as “Introduction papacy a knack for significant gestures
to the Devout Life.” He also published “A that immediately convey very powerful
Treatise of the Love of God” in 1616.
messages.
Rosica said the letters revealed St.
Father Rosica cited some of his exFrancis de Sales’ spiritual counsel to pressions from daily homilies, addressmany people through episcopal decrees es and messages: “How I would like a
to pastors and abbots, canonical and litur- church that is poor and for the poor.” “I
gical instructions for reforms, short theo- want things messy and stirred up in the
logical tracts about the true teachings of church. I want the church to take to the
the faith or preparation for the office of streets.” and “An evangelizer must never
bishop, and detailed accounts on the po- look like someone who has just come
litical and ecclesiastical situation of his back from a funeral.”
diocese and his country.
He also said the most important
“If we remember Francis de Sales to- achievement of Pope Francis is his reday, is it not for the call to holiness for all branding of Catholicism and the papacy.
people in all walks of life – it is the ne“People are speaking about our leader,
cessity of living in the ‘present moment’ who is unafraid to confront the sins and
as the privileged opportunity to know and evils that have marred us. We have a pope
live God’s will, the goodness of creation, who is concerned about mercy, compasthe centrality of love and freedom in one’s sion and love, especially for the poor,”
relationship with God and the world, the said Father Rosica.
sanctity of the ‘ordinary’ done ‘passion“Whether we wish to admit it or not,
ately well’ and the gentleness, humility, Pope Francis has won over the media.
By TARA CONNOLLY
Staff writer
Save the date for ‘Latino
Recruitment Symposium’
Bishop of Allentown John Barres, the diocesan Secretariat for
Catholic Education and the Healey Education Foundation invite
those in school and parish leadership to “save the date” for a “Latino
Recruitment Symposium.”
The symposium will be presented by Father Joe Corpora, director
of the University of Notre Dame Catholic School Advantage Campaign, Monday, April 25 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at DeSales University Center, Center Valley.
Invitations will follow.
By no means is this an indication that the
teachings of the church and message of
the Gospel have been fully understood or
received by all.
“Nevertheless, something has shifted
in terms of church-media relations. Many
of my colleagues in the secular media industry have said that Francis has made it
fun to be a religion reporter and journalist again. He has changed the image of
the church so much that our prestigious
graduate schools of business and management could use him as a case study in
rebranding.”
In the nearly three years as leader of
the Catholic Church, Father Rosica said,
Pope Francis has opened the floodgates
of communication in an institution that
has been “effectively cloistered for centuries.”
“The world is listening to him because
Francis models a solid consistency, the
one between his words and deeds, and
that between its current papal mission
and life forever,” he said.
Father Rosica also listed five methods
of communication that have defined his
pontificate: “Gospel Joy,” “Urgency,”
“Nostalgia,” “Mercy” and “Laudato Si:
Instrument of Evangelization.”
“In ‘Evangelii Gaudium,’ Pope Francis invites and challenges all of us to
move beyond our ‘comfort zones.’ He
wants us to be warm, welcoming and forgiving. He wants us to eat with tax collectors and sinners. He wants us to forgive
the woman caught in adultery – while admonishing her to sin no more. He wants
us to welcome and respect foreigners –
even our enemies. And, above all, not to
judge others,” he said.
“Pope Francis invites us to become
witnesses, missionaries and disciples in
the world. That is our evangelizing mission today. It is not new. He has brought
new urgency, new passion and new authenticity and transparency to this mission.”
With the Year of Mercy in effect, Fa-
Father Thomas Rosica, CEO of Salt
and Light Media and liaison at the
Vatican Press Office, presents the R.
Wayne Kraft Memorial Lecture at DeSales University, Center Valley. (Photos by John Simitz)
ther Rosica said the year was the pope’s
way of encouraging faithful to “put on
Christ.”
“Francis wants this jubilee to go deeper spiritually and to be a far-reaching
Christian witness of mercy to the world.
Mercy is a theme very dear to Pope Francis,” he said.
He concluded by cautioning against
comparing Pope Francis to Pope Benedict.
“Without Pope Benedict – there would
never be a Pope Francis,” said Father
Rosica.
“What Benedict stored, Francis scatters. Francesco seeks a simpler church,
more closely identified with the poor.
“With Pope Francis, it’s the same story
we have heard for ages, but the packaging
has indeed changed. No wonder why the
world has noticed, listened and is taking
to heart what this pastor from the ends of
the earth is teaching us.”
Members of the Kraft family and faithful listen to the lecture “Francis de Sales
and Francis of Buenos Aires: Communicating the Gospel Today.”
Save the date for Commission
for Women retreat in June
The diocesan Commission for Women (CFW) is asking
women of the diocese to “save the date” for a retreat in June.
CFW will sponsor a day with our “Mother” Saturday,
June 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at McGlinn Conference Center,
Reading.
Topic for the day will be “Our Lady of Mercy – Gathered
Under Her Mantel.”
Spiritual director will be Father Ronald Bowman, chaplain for the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters and St. Joseph
Villa, Reading.
25
26
The A.D. Times
Diocese
March 3, 2016
Catholic University professor: 2015 synod opened ‘window to evangelization’
By TARA CONNOLLY
Staff writer
“Pope Francis has
put some of the hostility
in our culture on pause
and has gotten people to
look at the church. He
has opened a big window
for us to evangelize,”
said Dr. John Grabowski,
associate professor of
moral theology at The
Catholic University of
America, Washington,
D.C., Feb. 4 at DeSales
University, Center Valley.
Grabowski, member
of the Pontifical Council
for the Family who also
served as an expert auditor at the 2015 Synod on
the Family, presented the
lecture “Family and the New Evangelization: Understanding the Synods in Light
of the Ministry of Pope Francis.”
Sponsored by the Department of Philosophy and Theology, Grabowski discussed the 2015 synod, “The Vocation
and Mission of the Family in the Church
and Contemporary World.” It followed
the 2014 synod, “Pastoral
Challenges of
“We as a church
the Family in
need to recogthe Context of
Evangelizanize what a gift
tion.”
Pope Francis
According
is. We live in a
to Grabowski,
culture with a
Pope Francis
hostility to the
called
two
synods in two
faith – and he
years to seek
disarmed it.”
input
from
Catholics at
“all levels”
about how the church should respond to
sometimes difficult questions of modern
family life, such as divorce and remarriage.
“We need to remember synods and the
documents from the synods do not have
formal teaching authority. The documents are input given to Pope Francis for
his consideration,” he said.
During the Extraordinary Synod on
the Family, Grabowski said, Pope Francis
warned them about temptation to close
oneself within the written word and not
allowing oneself to be surprised by God.
“Those were not the voices of the Holy
Spirit leading the church. They were not
the voices we wanted to hear. The synod
is not a political or parliamentary discussion. The only method of the synod is for
the apostolic congregation to open up to
the Holy Spirit,” he said.
During the synod, Grabowski said, his
role as an auditor required him to take
notes at the general sessions and synthesize the materials for small group discussions in English.
“The task was to make the document
from the 2014 synod as good as we could
with amendments and proposals,” he
Left, John Grabowski, member of the Pontifical Council for the Family who
also served as an expert auditor at the 2015 Synod on the Family, presents
the lecture “Family and the New Evangelization: Understanding the Synods in
Light of the Ministry of Pope Francis.” (Photos by John Simitz)
said.
“What we came out of with the synod
was much stronger than what we came in
with.”
He confirmed that not everyone saw
eye-to-eye about the best pastoral responses to issues like the family role
in evangelization, the gift of children,
wounded families and same-sex marriage.
“The final report was significantly
improved. It’s not perfect. But it sees realities, judges those realities and acts on
how to move forward,” said Grabowski.
In addition, he said the document was
created with a commitment to the truths
of Catholic teaching.
“Mercy and truth are rightly understood. They don’t oppose one another. It
upholds that Jesus Christ is the mercy of
God and Jesus Christ is also the fullness
of truth,” said Grabowski.
Some of the fruits of the synod, according to Grabowski, were better formation for families and better support for
married couples and families.
“The people in seminary formation
or entering religious life are going to go
through 6 to 10 years of formation to
enter into a lifelong vocation, and then
they’re going to receive ongoing regular
formation after that,” he said.
“Marriage is also a lifelong vocation,
yet we give couples six weeks at the most,
or six evenings, or maybe a weekend or a
Saturday afternoon,” he said. “That’s not
enough.”
Grabowski said Pope Francis wants
to equip families not to be “objects” but
“subjects” of evangelization.
“Good pastoral practice should flow
from what we believe. Our pastoral practices and theology have to be coherent,”
he said.
Through the synods and his papacy,
Grabowski said, Pope Francis has displayed humility and simplicity, which
have effectively opened the window to
evangelization.
“We as a church need to recognize
what a gift Pope Francis is. We live in a
culture with a hostility to the faith – and
he disarmed it,” he said.
Above, the audience listens to the lecture, sponsored by the Department of
Philosophy and Theology at DeSales University, Center Valley.
Grabowski emphasizes Pope Francis’ desire for a “synodal” church.
Young adults attend the lecture focusing on the New Evangelization and recent synods.
Highlights on the diocesan website www.allentowndiocese.org
Resources for Lent 2016 – www.allentowndiocese.org/lent.
Year of Mercy – homepage.
Don’t be the last to know – Catholic local, national and world news – homepage.
Vocations information – homepage.
Continuing series on religious communities in the Diocese of Allentown to commemorate the Year of Consecrated Life – www.allentowndiocese.org/cl.
Bishop Barres’ Video Blog updated at least weekly – homepage.
Pray the rosary with Bishop Barres – homepage.
Welcome to inactive Catholics – homepage.
The New Evangelization – homepage.
Hispanic events page – www.allentowndiocese.org/hispanic-events.
Transfer Grants page – www.allentowndiocese.org/catholic-education/transfergrants.
Register for Marriage Prep Classes – www.allentowndiocese.org/catholic-life/family-life/marriage-preparation/.
Father Ciszek page/documentary video – www.allentowndiocese.org/father-ciszek.
2015 Bishop’s Annual Appeal – www.allentowndiocese.org/BAA and
www.2015baa.org.
2015 Catholic Charities Gala video – www.allentowndiocese.org/catholic-charities/.
Diocese
March 3, 2016
Priests
}}Continued from page 28
understand that we have achieved nothing on our own,” he stressed.
“Authentic humility is necessary for
anyone to desire God’s mercy. Authentic
The A.D. Times
humility joyfully asserts our ‘creatureliness.’ Humility delights in the sovereignty of God. Humility is the wellspring
of all virtue and is essential, if we are to
receive God’s mercy.
“And mercy is the form the divine
love takes in the face of our sin and brokenness.”
The day also included lunch, holy
hour, confession and Benediction.
Vocations
The Diocese of Allentown dynamically promotes vocations to the
priesthood and religious life.
• The diocese is reaching out to young people through social
media such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
• We are tapping into the energy and enthusiasm of our young
priests to find new ways to interest young men and women in the priesthood and religious life.
• The diocese has instituted a “Quo Vadis” program, a weeklong summer
program of prayer and discernment in which dozens of young men have
participated.
• A similar program called “Fiat” for young women discerning a call to religious life was debuted last year.
• The diocese also assists young adult men who are seriously contemplating
the priesthood through an Aspirancy Program.
• For more information, visit the diocesan website, www.allentowndiocese.
org/the-diocese/vocations.
Bishop Gainer, right, reconnects with his brother priests during the day, from
left: Father Leo Maletz, pastor of St. Matthew the Evangelist, Minersville; Msgr.
Robert Kozel, pastor emeritus of St. John the Baptist, Allentown; and Father
Stephen Maco, pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Bangor.
Right, Bishop Barres,
right, welcomes Bishop Gainer back to his
home Diocese of Allentown.
Left, materials for the
Day of Sanctification
“The Priest: Minister of
Divine Mercy.”
Lower right, Bishop
Barres raises incense
before the Blessed
Sacrament
during
Benediction to conclude the day.
‘Band of Sisters’
movie to be
screened
In honor of National Catholic
Sisters Week, March 8-14, the Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus, the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood and the
Bernardine Franciscan Sisters will
join together for a screening of the
movie “Band of Sisters.”
The screening will be Monday,
March 14 at 6 p.m. in the McGlinn
Conference Center, 460 Bernardine
St., Reading.
“Band of Sisters” focuses on the
life experiences and current-day
stories of more than a dozen nuns.
Many of them have been central
agents in the great social movements of our time.
The event will be open to the
public and will include the movie,
pizza and a question-and-answer
session with the sisters.
For more information, visit website www.bandofsistersmovie.com.
27
28
The A.D. Times
Diocese
March 3, 2016
‘Day of Sanctification’ stirs priests to receive mercy and reconciliation
Left, Bishop of
Harrisburg Ronald Gainer presents
“Priests
as
Recipients
of Mercy” during the Day of
Sanctification for
Priests. (Photos
by John Simitz)
By TARA CONNOLLY
Staff writer
“The challenge that Pope Francis
places before us on this day is not to tire
and recognize our need for mercy. It is a
day to open our hearts to God’s mercy,”
said Bishop of Harrisburg Ronald Gainer
during the Diocese of Allentown Day of
Sanctification for Priests Feb. 25 at DeSales University, Center Valley.
Bishop Gainer, who was ordained in
1973 and served the Diocese of Allentown for 29 years, returned to the diocese
to present the keynote address, “Priests
as Recipients of Mercy,” for his brother
priests.
Bishop Gainer said the annual day
was given to priests in 2002 by Pope
John Paul II to reflect on being stewards
of mercy and acknowledge their personal
need for mercy.
“The Sacraments of Eucharist and
Reconciliation are integral to the life and
ministry of priests. But we are not only
stewards of these mysteries, we are also
recipients. Today our focus will be on the
spring of divine mercy that flows in superabundance from the sacraments, not
just through us to others but for us,” he
said.
“Today we look in the mirror to see our
own need for mercy. It’s a time to focus
on God’s merciful love during this Jubilee Year with an accent on receiving the
Eucharist – where God’s merciful love
becomes tangible,” said Bishop Gainer.
Bishop Gainer pointed to the centrality of mercy in Pope Francis’ life and
pontificate, which began when he acted
on his desire as a teen to receive confession while walking past a church.
“After going to confession and as he
was saying his penance, he had an overwhelming experience of the tender mercy
of God. This mystical experience never
left him, and it remains the reason why
he is so preoccupied with God’s mercy in
his writings, preaching and teaching,” he
said.
Below, priests of
the Diocese of
Allentown listen
to the morning
talk at DeSales
University, Center Valley.
“That’s the driving force of his papal
ministry. This was a constitutive moment
for him.”
Not surprised that Pope Francis called
for a Year of Mercy, Bishop Gainer said
his teachings on mercy are endless and
“mercy” is how God meets the sinner.
“We priests received the power to absolve sins through the laying on of hands
and the prayer of consecration at our or-
dination, but the manner in which we celebrate that sacrament with our brothers
and sisters is shaped by our own encounters with God’s mercy,” he said.
He then reflected on Pope John Paul
II, who said “the priesthood is born with
the immense gift of Eucharist” during an
hour of a great battle in the upper room
on Holy Thursday.
“The great battle was the self-giving
love of Jesus Christ with humanity and
sin. It’s in that hour that the Eucharist and
the priesthood is born. As priests, you and
I were born in the upper room of Eucharist,” stressed Bishop Gainer.
“In choosing men like the 12 – it was
on them whom Jesus willingly set the
sacramental seal of the priesthood. He
has done that with us in our own brokenness.”
Bishop Gainer told the priests that the
Day of Sanctification urges them to rediscover the gift and mystery that has been
entrusted to them.
“We are invited to open our lives, our
minds and our hearts to receive this gift
more fully and to treasure the mystery
more profoundly,” he said.
In addition, he called the day a time to
encounter the Sacrament of Reconciliation as “the action of God moving toward
us.”
“It is clear in recent decades that there
is a crisis in the use of the sacrament. In a
sense this crisis is sort of an echo of Peter
not wanting Jesus to wash his feet,” said
Bishop Gainer.
“Peter was wrong to refuse Jesus
to wash his feet. But he was right to be
humble and to feel unworthy.”
He also shed light on the Parable of
the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in
the Temple (Luke 18:9-14) where the
Pharisees felt their own goodness was so
impressive that it could not fail to make
them acceptable to God. They held rigorously to the law and made a public show
of their religiosity to
be seen by other men.
Unlike the Phari“We have
see, who stood boldly
in the temple reciting
to come
his prayers of selfto more
congratulation,
the
profoundtax collector stood “at
ly una distance” unable to
derstand
lift his eyes to heaven
because of guilt and
that we
shame. Overcome by
have
his transgressions, he
achieved
beat his breast in sornothing
row and repentance,
on our
and appealed to God
for mercy.
own.”
“Neither man is
an evil person. The
Pharisee kept the law
and went the extra mile – beyond what is
required by law. But those good things result in a sense of superiority and distance
from others,” said Bishop Gainer.
“On the other hand, the tax collector had a deep sense of his own need for
God’s mercy. That is why he left the temple more spiritually enriched.”
Bishop Gainer suggested that two obstacles that prevent us from begging for
God’s mercy are self-satisfaction and the
need to feel received.
“We have to come to more profoundly
Please see PRIESTS page 27 }}
Priests reviewing resource materials are, clockwise from back: Msgr. Alfred
Schlert, diocesan vicar general; Msgr. David James, vice chancellor, vicar
for pastoral planning and director of the diocesan Office of Vocations; Father
Brendon Laroche, assistant pastor of Holy Infancy, Bethlehem; Father Jared
Zambelli, assistant pastor of Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown;
Father Mark Searles, assistant pastor of Immaculate Conception BVM and
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Allentown; Father Jason Stokes, assistant pastor of
St. Ignatius Loyola, Sinking Spring; Father James Harper, assistant pastor of
Notre Dame of Bethlehem; and Father Kevin Bobbin, assistant pastor of St.
Ignatius.
Above, Msgr. Gerald Gobitas, secretary of the diocesan Secretariat for Clergy,
diocesan chancellor and rector of Holy Family Villa for Priests, Bethlehem,
left, chats with Father David Kozak, center, assistant pastor of St. Peter the
Apostle, Reading, and Father Dominik Kalata, pastor of St. John the Baptist
and administrator of SS. Peter and Paul, Allentown.
Left, Father E. Michael Camilli, center, senior priest of Holy Guardian Angels,
Reading and chaplain of Holy Family Villa, enjoys conversation with Father
John Gibbons, left, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus and administrator of Assumption BVM, Allentown, and Father Thomas Bortz, pastor of St. Ignatius.