Welcome to the Office for Parish Life Newsletter!  

Communicating important events and available resources

from the Office for Parish Life

"Advent invites us to slow down, pay attention, and make room for Christ. Yet the weeks before Christmas often become the noisiest of the year. One way to live this season more intentionally is
to let our everyday encounters—at gatherings, on the check-out line, around the table—become gentle moments of evangelization..."

Each year on the third Sunday of Advent parishes around the world celebrate Bambinelli Sunday, a tradition begun by Saint John Paul II, and consistently encouraged by the popes who've followed him.

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Families are invited to bring the Baby Jesus figure from their home crèche to Mass, where it is blessed as a reminder to welcome Christ into the heart of family life. This blessing helps children connect their home Nativity scene with the Church and encourages families to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Many place the blessed figurine under the tree to be opened on Christmas morning and set in the manger.

Ignatius Press offers a delightful children’s book on the subject featuring captivating artwork. Click the link below for a preview of Bambinelli Sunday by Amy Welborn.

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.

5 Tips to Care for your Mental Health during the Holidays

Catholic Mental Health Ministries offers suggestions for self care during the holiday season. 

This time of year can be beautiful and blessed, but it can also bring stress, grief, loneliness and emotional strain. Their guidance reminds us that caring for our mental and spiritual well being is not a luxury, it's an essential part of living our faith. By slowing down, honoring our limits, and inviting Christ into the business of the season, we create space for true peace.  These gentle reminders encourage us to receive the gift of Christ's love with clarity, calm, and renewed hope.

Click the links below to download the flyer or to visit their website where this and other holiday season tips can be found by scrolling down the page. 

Annual Diocesan Women's Retreat 

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)

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.

Respect Life Monthly Prayer Guide

"The Advent season is a time in which the Church invites us to prepare our hearts and minds for the second coming of Christ and the memorial of Jesus’ birth at Christmas. During this season of preparation, we can ponder the preparations Mary and Joseph were making to welcome the Infant Jesus ..."

How to Make Christmas About Christmas

"I wish I could say these were my ideas but I can’t. Although I don’t remember where I read them, I vividly recall how one brief article transformed the Christmas season in our home.  

About 23 years ago, our oldest was six and we were expecting our fourth son. The holidays were approaching and I was thinking back to the previous four Christmases when Santa and Jesus got just about “equal billing” in our home. As young parents, we were establishing family traditions and Christmas definitely needed improvement ..."

Genesis Mission Testimonial 

 The Genesis Mission trains you to share your faith through natural, relational conversations.  You'll grow in confidence and learn to talk about your faith more effectively.

Because the training is practical and hands-on, by the end of the seven weeks it won't just be theory - you'll have real experience, along with insights and stories from others in your small group who are practicing it as well.  

Click the link below to hear Leonard Hazel from Saint Joseph the Worker in Williamsport describe how the training has made a difference in his life. 

Dei Verbum, the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, celebrated its 60th anniversary three weeks ago.

A key document of Vatican II, Dei Verbum focused on how God reveals Himself through Scripture and Tradition and urges the entire people of God to draw life from the Bible so that the “word of God may dwell abundantly” in every aspect of Christian life. As we mark six decades of this landmark document, it's a fitting moment to recommit to Scripture, perhaps considering the purchase of a Catholic Study Bible this Christmas.  

Linked below are the 7-page Dei Verbum document from the Vatican website, and an Ascension Press article on popular Catholic Study Bibles.

Watch Pope Leo's Historic Digital Encounter with Youth at NCYC

In a historic first, Pope Leo joined Catholic youth at NCYC for a 45-minute live digital conversation, attentively listening to the hopes, concerns, and faith stories on their hearts.  His sincere engagement left a deep impression on all who participated.

Click the link above to share in the joy of this historic moment. 

Theology on Tap Meets This Thursday 

Join us for the final 2025 Theology on Tap session featuring guest speaker, Rob Williams from the St. Francis Kitchen, who shares with the young adult community how the St. Francis Kitchen stands as a living incarnation of the Gospel message of love and some of his joys and struggles of hearing and responding to God’s call to holiness and service. 

$5 cover charge at the door. 

Young Adult Winter Meetup Planned

On Saturday, January 17^th,  join the Young Adult Community for a ski-in / ski-out Bible Study and Fellowship at Montage Mountain.

 Not a skier? Not a problem! Simply join us for the study and fellowship portion of the day!

More details available soon, please Save the Date!

Pope Leo's December Prayer Intention

Pope Leo XIV has released his prayer intention for the month of December, inviting the faithful to pray, "that Christians living in the midst of war may be seeds of peace."  

The NEPA Chapter of Catholic Mental Health Ministries is offering a Blue Christmas Mass and Reception at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Peckville. 

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