Welcome to the Office for Parish Life Newsletter!  

Communicating important events and available resources

from the Office for Parish Life

U.S. Bishops Elect New Conference 

President & Vice President at Plenary Assembly

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) recently held its plenary assembly in Baltimore.  The bishops elected Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City as the new Conference president and Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville as the new vice president.  They take over from Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Military Services and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, whose terms have now ended. 

Both leadership positions were chosen from a slate of ten nominees.  Click the link below to read more and view their full biographies.   

U.S. Bishops to Consecrate Nation

to the Sacred Heart

As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary next year, the U.S. bishops have agreed to consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The decision was made on Nov. 11 during the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ fall plenary assembly in Baltimore.

Before the vote, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne–South Bend, Indiana, who chairs the USCCB’s Committee for Religious Liberty, noted that the consecration is scheduled for the bishops’ spring assembly in June 2026, which concludes on the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Thanksgiving gatherings offer a natural chance to witness to your Catholic faith with warmth and simplicity.  The Genesis Mission – developed by Fr. Jon Bielawski and Michele Thompson – offers a practical, relational way to share the faith that fits beautifully into family settings ...

Beginning the Church's liturgical year, Advent (from, "ad-venire" in Latin or "to come to") is the season encompassing the four Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to the celebration of Christmas.  

The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and to the anniversary of Our Lord’s birth on Christmas. From the earliest days of the Church, people have been fascinated by Jesus’ promise to come back ... 

As we prepare for the season of Advent, perhaps few realize the connection between St. Andrew the Apostle and this season. The first Sunday of Advent always falls on the Sunday closest to or on Nov. 30, St. Andrew’s feast day. The Gospel of John says that Andrew was among John the Baptist’s disciples ...

Click below to view the entire article used by permission of FAITH Catholic.

All are invited for a peaceful evening of prayer featuring candlelit adoration, reconciliation, music, and Scripture reflection.   

Step away from the rush of the season and prepare your heart for the coming of Christ.  We will await together in hope - opening ourselves to the light that breaks into our world and the grace that renews us.

Come and rediscover the deep joy of Advent.

An Advent Novena is prayed in the nine days leading up to Christmas from December 16 – 24.  Each day includes a particular reflection and prayer, often centered on the “O Antiphons,” which are Scriptural titles for Christ. An Advent Novena will help you focus on the expectation of Christ’s coming and God’s faithfulness. It can be prayed alone or with family and may be incorporated around the lighting of your Advent wreath.  

Click the link below for an Advent Novena from Dynamic Catholic.  

In the rush of this busy season, discover the gentle and enduring hope Christ offers in Advent. Take a moment to pause, breathe, and lift your heart to the Lord through Eucharistic adoration, praise and worship music, and Scripture reflection.  

Whether you enter this season feeling weary or expectant, you are welcome to rest in God’s presence and allow His peace to fill your heart.

Other than Jesus, there’s one figure we hear about more than any other during the season of Advent: John the Baptist. Many of the Mass readings during Advent feature John the Baptist or speak about his ministry. Here are four ways St. John the Baptist helps us prepare for Christ’s coming ...

Click the link below to view the entire article used by permission of FAITH Catholic.

Annual Diocesan Women's Retreat 

Early Registration Discount through December 5th

Join us for an immersive women’s retreat inspired by the wisdom of St. Hildegard of Bingen—Benedictine nun, composer, playwright, preacher, healer and Doctor of the Church.  Rooted in her vibrant vision of the feminine soul, this retreat offers a sacred space for renewal, creativity, and a deeper encounter with God.

We are honored to welcome Annette Bergeon, CEO of Endow, as our keynote speaker.  Annette will guide participants through Hildegard’s timeless insights on spiritual wholeness, community and the unique dignity of women.  Each participant will also experience the Endow study method firsthand and receive the Hildegard of Bingen study materials. 

Come be nourished in mind, body, and spirit as we explore Hildegard’s rich legacy through prayer, reflection and fellowship. 

Bishop's Youth Award 2026 

It is with great pleasure that we announce the opening of this year's nomination process for the 2026 Bishop's Youth Award.  The Bishop's Youth Award, a 30 year tradition in the Diocese of Scranton, celebrates current 8th and 12th grade youth who embody the spirit of the early Church who "devoted themselves to the teachings of the apostles and the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers." (Acts 2:42)

A Fairy-Tale Hope

A source of great hope to the very young can be fairy tales.  For this reason they should really be part of the essential reading for pre-school children and beginning readers.  For any who need convincing of their value in offering solid moral formation and encouraging the necessary values and help essential for enabling children to find 'reasons for living and hoping'  ...

Pre-Cana is a meaningful opportunity to strengthen your relationship, deepen your faith, and prepare for a lifelong commitment in the company of other couples preparing for marriage.

 Click the link below to view the 2026 schedule and register you and your fiancé for a Pre-Cana Marriage Preparation session.

On the Education of Children

A young married couple's three-year-old first-born son runs off in a crowded mall.  They call and then yell for him. Frantic. They cannot find him. Where did he go? Did someone take him? This is every parent's nightmare ... 

Faith and Family Night - WBS Penguins

On Friday, November 14^th, 128 Catholics from around the Diocese of Scranton came out to Mohegan Sun Arena to cheer on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins! In a nail biting turn of events, the Penguins roared past the Islanders in the third period with a comeback win, defeating Bridgeport 5-3!

We were so happy to see a great number of families, young adults, grandparents, and parish communities come together for this night of fellowship! We look forward to hosting more Catholic Family events in the future! Stay tuned!

Genesis Mission Information Session 

December 4 | 2 PM

Become more confident and effective in talking about your faith.

 The Genesis Mission teaches evangelization in a relational, conversational way. It’s the person in front of you that God wants you to evangelize. We learn to listen first and then speak into what's been shared.

The training is action-oriented, so by the end of the 7 weeks, it’s no longer an idea or a concept, you’re experiencing it and you're hearing from others in your small group who are doing it too!

Genesis Mission Testimonial 

Maria Arviza, a parishioner at Saint Ann in Williamsport, shares of her time in the Genesis Mission training:

"When I first agreed to be part of this evangelization training, I felt a wave of anxiety—wondering, 'What did I just sign up for? What is this going to be like? Do I even want to do this?' But it turned out to be nothing like I expected. 

I assumed it would be focused on apologetics—like, if they say this, then you respond with that. Instead, it centered on listening and helped me realize that I'm not supposed to be further along than I am. I'm exactly where God wants me to be, and that's enough. It was a very refreshing change of perspective .... "

Read more from Maria by clicking the link below. 

Representatives from nearly a dozen parish communities across the Diocese of Scranton gathered on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, for a Hispanic Ministry Convocation that marked a key step in the process of creating a new Diocesan Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry.

In between morning and afternoon work sessions, participants gathered for Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Peter. Bishop Bambera preached on the vital role that Hispanic Catholics play in the life of our local Church.

Calling the gathering “a day of great pride,” the Bishop thanked participants for their “hard work and effort” in shaping the pastoral plan and emphasized that the Hispanic community is “a vital part of our Diocese.”  “The depth of your faith both encourages and challenges all believers,” he said in his homily.

The Bishop reflected on the Church’s long-standing commitment to migrants and, drawing on the recent Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi te of Pope Leo XIV, reminded attendees that migrants and refugees are “brothers and sisters to be welcomed, respected, and loved.”

The Convocation, held at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Scranton, brought together parish leaders, pastors, and the Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, to review months of consultation and discern concrete goals and action steps for the growing Hispanic community.

“The purpose of the Convocation is the last, final step in the consultative process for our Hispanic Ministry Pastoral Plan that we are working on,” Felix Martinez, Diocesan Director of Hispanic Ministry, said.

Representantes de casi una docena de comunidades parroquiales de toda la Diócesis de Scranton se reunieron el sábado 15 de noviembre de 2025 para una Convocatoria del Ministerio Hispano que marcó un paso clave en el proceso de creación de un nuevo Plan Pastoral Diocesano para el Ministerio Hispano.
Entre las sesiones de trabajo de la mañana y la tarde, los participantes se reunieron para celebrar la misa en la catedral de San Pedro. El obispo Bambera predicó sobre el papel fundamental que desempeñan los católicos hispanos en la vida de nuestra Iglesia local.

Calificando la reunión como «un día de gran orgullo», el obispo agradeció a los participantes su «duro trabajo y esfuerzo» en la elaboración del plan pastoral y destacó que la comunidad hispana es «una parte vital de nuestra diócesis».
«La profundidad de vuestra fe anima y desafía a todos los creyentes», dijo en su homilía.

El obispo reflexionó sobre el compromiso de larga data de la Iglesia con los migrantes y, basándose en la reciente exhortación apostólica Dilexi te del papa León XIV, recordó a los asistentes que los migrantes y refugiados son «hermanos y hermanas a los que hay que acoger, respetar y amar».

La convocatoria, celebrada en el Centro Pastoral Diocesano de Scranton, reunió a líderes parroquiales, párrocos y al reverendísimo Joseph C. Bambera, obispo de Scranton, para revisar meses de consultas y discernir objetivos concretos y medidas de acción para la creciente comunidad hispana.

«El propósito de la convocatoria es el último paso del proceso consultivo para nuestro Plan Pastoral del Ministerio Hispano en el que estamos trabajando», afirmó Félix Martínez, director diocesano del Ministerio Hispano.

On Saturday, November 29, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in Saint Peter’s Cathedral, Scranton, Bishop Bambera will ordain the following men to the Permanent Diaconate for service in the Diocese of Scranton:

Fernando Alves

Francisco Castelan

Michaelangelo Colaneri

Frank Fanelli

Joel Marte

Jorge Roca

Rafael Sánchez Velásquez

Christian Saunders

Ordination to the Diaconate is a very important event and a joyful moment in the life of our Diocese.  Please attend this special celebration if your schedule permits.

Let's join with all our priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful in giving thanks to God for this wonderful day in the lives of these men and in congratulating them and their families.

Theology on Tap

On Thursday, November 13^th, more than 30 young adults attended the latest “Theology on Tap” session at Sabatini’s Bottleshop.

This month’s event featured the two newest priests in the Diocese of Scranton – Fr. Thomas Dzwonczyk and Fr. Andrew McCarroll – who answered questions about faith and their journey to the priesthood.

Please mark your calendar now to join us for this year's final Theology on Tap session on December 11^th featuring Rob Williams of the St. Francis of Assisi Kitchen.

We will be collecting shelf stable food items at the door for donations to the Kitchen.

The Well Conference - Philadelphia, PA 

On Saturday, November 15^th, 14 Young Adults from the Diocese of Scranton traveled to Philadelphia to attend “The Well” Young Adult Conference hosted by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

With over 500 Young Adults in attendance, the Scranton group was excited to participate in this life-giving event. They heard from well-known speakers, including Damon Owens, Jamie Baxter, and Heather Khym, listened to witness talks from Sisters of Life and other faithful Catholics, and worshipped the Lord in Adoration & Vigil Mass.

Stay tuned for more Young Adults Happenings this Fall & Winter!

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