Welcome to the Office for Parish Life Newsletter!  

Communicating important events and available resources

from the Office for Parish Life

Sarah Hart and Francesca LaRosa 

Offer Night of Peace Concert

Saturday, November 14 | 7 PM

Join award winning Catholic singers and songwriters Sarah Hart and Francesca LaRosa as they share an evening of songs and stories bringing peace and hope.

It’s an opportunity to pause and refresh, connecting with our Lord and our Lady, as we prepare our hearts for Advent and the coming of Christ. All are invited to join us for fellowship after the concert in the parish hall.

Admission: $10 a person

Click the link below for More Info and to Reserve your Seat

OCIA Leaders and Team Members are invited to join us for a complimentary pre-event gathering at 5:30PM in the Saint Maria Goretti Parish Hall.  

To Register Contact Regina Wright @ (570) 207-2213 X1135

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), founded in 1969, is the U.S. bishops’ social justice, anti-poverty campaign.

On the weekend of November 14-15, 2026, the universal Church will hold its annual collection.

When you support CCHD, you give hope to poor and low-income Americans struggling to build a better life.

Advent Begins

November 29

As November begins, many of us are looking ahead to Thanksgiving and making plans to celebrate with family and friends.  But just around the corner, on the Sunday following Thanksgiving, we begin a new liturgical year with the season of Advent.  

The links below offer helpful resources and practical ways to prepare our hearts and enter more fully into this meaningful season of anticipation and hope for the coming of our Savior. 

Who Inspires You?

Every parish has someone who quietly lives their faith through service, kindness, and love for God and neighbor.  Our Everyday Disciples column celebrates these ordinary people whose actions make an extraordinary difference.  

Do you know someone whose compassion, generosity, leadership or simple acts of kindness inspire others? Someone who reflects Christ's love in daily life?  

Nominate an Everyday Disciple today and help us share the stories of faithful men and women throughout the Diocese of Scranton who are making a difference, one act of love at a time.  

OCIA participants and team members are especially invited to join the Office for Parish Life and Saint Jude Parish in Mountain Top for “Behold the King,” a powerful evening of worship with Sarah Kroger during the Easter season.  

All are welcome!

Watch the Good News Notes for more details coming soon.

Team Initiation Offers Free Video Series for OCIA Teams

"Pope Benedict XVI wrote, "Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction" (Deus Caritas Est, 1). 

What seekers are looking for is an encounter with Jesus Christ, who knows their names, knows their fears, knows their dreams. Our job is to accompany them in a way that leads to that encounter.

That is what Jesus did when he accompanied the disciples on the road to Emmaus. He began by asking probing questions: "What are you discussing as you walk along?" (Luke 24:17). He listened to their answer. He listened not only to what they said, but what they felt. He listened to their hearts and responded from his own heart.

Doctrine still matters. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults calls for "a suitable knowledge of dogmas and precepts." And it also matters how we deliver that doctrine. 

We need to do it heart to heart, as Jesus did. We need to lead catechumens into an "intimate knowledge of the mystery of salvation" (OCIA 75.1). Pope Francis calls the approach the "art of accompaniment," which means listening patiently, asking good questions, and leaving room for the Holy Spirit to stir up curiosity (Joy of the Gospel, 169-171). 

That's why Team Initiation created the Catechumenate Starter Kit, a free video course of six short lessons for parish leaders who are new to this or feeling overwhelmed. Each lesson runs about 3 to 7 minutes. No login is required.

In the course, you will:

• Get a clear picture of the liturgical structure of initiation
• Learn the style of accompaniment Jesus modeled on the road to Emmaus
• See how to tap into the wider parish so the work isn't resting on you alone
• Gain the confidence you need to lead your catechumenate process

The course is free and open now

Pre-Cana offers engaged couples a meaningful opportunity to deepen their relationship, grow together in faith, and prepare for a lifelong vocation of love and commitment alongside other couples preparing for marriage.

Use the link below to view the 2026 schedule and register for a Pre-Cana Marriage Preparation session.

Respect Life Monthly Prayer Guide

"When faced with serious illness, some people, in desperation, tragically seek to end their lives through assisted suicide.  But they typically don't want to die. Their pursuit of assisted suicide is usually rooted in fears of helplessness, pain, or dependency.  They may fear ..."

USCCB Hope After Abortion Reflection on Hallow

The reflection, Hope After Abortion is now available on the free version of the Hallow app!  It is led by Bishop James T. Ruggieri of the Diocese of Portland, NE.  

Read the reflection or listen for free at the links below!  

The Ten Commandments for a Successful and Fruitful Marriage

"Love is a universal language needed by every human being. In expressing love toward another person, humans expect to be loved in return. This is what enable a man and a woman to enter into a mutual relationship. which in turn leads to marriage ..." 

Promote Your Event to Catholics throughout the Diocese!

We'd love to help you get the word out about your event in the Office for Parish Life's Good News Notes Newsletter!

To submit your event for inclusion in the Good News Notes, click the link below and complete the form at least 2 weeks in advance of your event.  Specific events can be promoted up to two months in advance of the event date or registration deadline.  We do our best to include all submissions but can't guarantee inclusion and may edit for length.  

Questions? 

Contact Regina Wright at

(570) 207-2213 x 1135

or rwright@dioceseofscranton.org

November 7 | 11:45 AM - 8 PM

17 parishes and 320 youth in grades 7-12 are registered for the 4th Annual Diocesan Youth Rally, "Do Whatever He Tells You."

Check-In opens at 11 AM this Saturday

Theology on Tap Returns November 19

Pray for the 21 Pilgrims from the Scranton Diocese going to World Youth Day!

November 5 | 7 PM

All are welcome to Holy Rosary Parish, Hazleton for a FREE Evening of Music with Catholic Musician and Podcaster Chris Brunelle. 

Join the Youth at Saint John Paul II Parish in Dunmore

November 15 | 6:30 PM

Saint Ann's Spiritual Support Group 

Next Meeting

November 15 | 5:30 PM

Saturday, December 5 | 10 AM

 Join Christ the King Parish for their 18th Annual Run & Fun Walk out-and-back on the Lackawanna River Trail in Archbald to support parish ministries. 

All runners and walkers are welcome in the Church Hall after the race for free homemade soup, coffee, hot cocoa, and other goodies! 

Registration is $25 before 11/13 and $30 after 11/13.

Join Saint Maximilian Kolbe Parish 

Sunday, November 15 | 12 PM

For the motion picture screening of the Maximilian Kolbe story:

Triumph of the Heart

A story of courage, faith and sacrifice

Light Lunch Included

The Event is Free, Seating is Limited

To Register Contact Tracy Stodnick (609) 351-4068