Welcome to the Office for Parish Life Newsletter!  

Communicating important events and available resources

from the Office for Parish Life

Theology on Tap 

This Thursday!

Faith, Fellowship and Good Conversation

Join us for our Young Adult Speaker Series!  

We gather monthly in the fall and spring for an evening of connection, conversation, and growing together in faith.  

🚨 Sabatini's Bottle Shop, Exeter

🕖 7-9 PM | 💵$5 cash at the door

🎤 This month: Dan Cosacchi, University of Scranton

Across the country, a growing number of people are being drawn to the Catholic faith, and the surge is impossible to ignore.  

At St. Mary’s Catholic Center at Texas A&M, more than 650 people are currently participating in OCIA.  Read their remarkable story, then join us September 16 at Noon for a conversation about what these rising numbers mean for our parishes and how we can be ready to welcome those seeking a home in the Catholic Church.

Pennsylvania March for Life

Monday, September 21

Join the Office for Parish Life on a bus trip to the

Pennsylvania March for Life in Harrisburg. 

Pick-Up and Drop-Off Spots:

Divine Mercy Parish, Scranton

Saint Nicholas - Saint Mary Parish, Wilkes-Barre

Priesthood Sunday

is September 27

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.  

Respect Life September Prayer Guide 

This month’s Respect Life Prayer Guide invites us to honor the dignity and irreplaceable gifts of grandparents and older adults.  In a culture where many experience loneliness, isolation or the fear of becoming a burden, we can remind them through our presence and care that they are loved and never forgotten.  

Along with prayer and reflection, the guide offers a simple way to put faith into action: call or visit an older family member, neighbor or friend.

Find Your Way Back to Each Other

The Retrouvaille marriage program helps couples to rediscover love and rebuild communication.  

Program starts Friday! 

US Celebration of World Day 

for Grandparents and the Elderly

September 13

In 2021,  Pope Francis established the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, celebrated throughout the Church on the fourth Sunday of July, near the July 25 memorial of Saints Joachim and Ann, the grandparents of Jesus. 

The US bishops have approved the transfer of the celebration of World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly in the US to the first weekend after Labor Day (September 13, 2026) to coincide with National Grandparents Day in the United States, as many local communities, schools, and parishes have celebrated for some time. 

Pope Leo has chosen "I will never forget you" (cf. Is 49:15) as the theme for the 2026 celebration.  This promise reminds us that God knows and cherishes each person.  His faithful love offers comfort and hope to older adults who experience loneliness or neglect, assuring them that they are never forgotten-even amid the frailties of aging. 

Franciscan University Catechetical Institute Webinar

Parenting Small Children During Mass

Tuesday, September 15 | 2 PM

Bringing small children to Mass can be both beautiful and challenging.  

Parents, grandparents, and caregivers are invited to a practical webinar offering encouragement and helpful guidance for nurturing young children's participation in the liturgy.

Dr. Bill Keimig and Heather Keimig will share thoughtful "dos" and "try not tos"

The webinar is FREE. 

Help Couples Build Marriages That Last

Clergy and lay leaders who accompany couples through marriage preparation are invited to become certified FOCCUS facilitators.  This live virtual training will equip participants to use the FOCCUS process to encourage meaningful conversation, deepen understanding and help couples build strong, faith-filled marriages.  Two October training dates are available at a special rate of $99 plus shipping.

Note: The times on the flyer are listed in Central Time.  For our diocesan audience, please note that the sessions run:

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM Eastern on October 17 

and

1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Eastern on October 28

Watch the short video found at the link below to learn how FOCCUS works.

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. 

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.

Missionary discipleship doesn't require having all the right words.  It requires the courage to make room for the Holy Spirit to work.

You don't have to be an expert. You just have to be willing.

The Genesis Method gives ordinary Catholics practical tools to become more confident, attentive and courageous missionary disciples -- ready to recognize the opportunities God places right in front of them.

To learn the method contact: 

Regina Wright

(570) 207-2213 x1135

rwright@dioceseofscranton.org

Franciscan University to Host Sacred Music Leadership Summit

October 16-17, 2026

Two-Day Event will Equip Catholic Leaders 

to Strengthen Parish and School Music Programs

Franciscan University of Steubenville will host the Sacred Music Leadership Summit on October 16–17, 2026, for priests, parish staff, music directors, principals, parish council members, and other Catholic leaders seeking to renew sacred music in their parishes and schools.

Through presentations, hands-on workshops, collaborative planning sessions, and discussions, participants will explore practical ways to cultivate music that deepens prayer, enriches the sacred liturgy, and strengthens Catholic communities. The two-day summit will combine the Church’s theological vision for sacred music with practical instruction, helping participants develop clear and achievable plans for their own parishes or schools.

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

World Youth Day

August 1-10, 2027

Join us in Seoul, South Korea

Come with us to Seoul for World Youth Day 2027!  Experience spiritual awakening and Korean Culture along with other young Catholics from around the globe.  This is more than just a trip.  It's a life-changing encounter with your faith and with the world.

Catechetical Sunday 

September 20 

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me ... to bring good news to the poor"

(Lk 4:19; cf. Is 61:1)

The 2026 theme, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…to bring good news to the poor,” expresses the heart of Jesus’ identity and mission. Anointed by the Holy Spirit, Jesus is sent to bring hope, healing and freedom to the poor, the brokenhearted and the forgotten. 

This passage reveals a Messiah who comes not with earthly power or status, but with compassion.  He restores dignity, proclaims God’s mercy, and offers hope to those in need.   His mission becomes the mission of the Church, calling each of us to share the Good News and continue his work of mercy and love.

On Catechetical Sunday, those serving as catechists within our parish communities are called forward and commissioned for their ministry.  Catechetical Sunday also reminds us that, by virtue of our Baptism, every Catholic shares in the responsibility of handing on the faith and witnessing to the Gospel.  It invites the entire community to renew its commitment to this shared mission.   

Download resources from the USCCB at the links below. 

Monthly PCL/YM Virtual Meetings

Join Director of Discipleship Marianne Guarnieri in September for the first in a series of monthly virtual catechetical meetings for parish catechetical leaders and youth ministers.  

Two convenient meeting times are offered this month:  

Tuesday, September 15 | Noon

or

Wednesday, September 16 | 6:30 PM  

Choose the time that works best for you, register at the link below

and join the conversation! 

New!

We're excited to introduce Formation Fridays, a brand-new weekly virtual gathering for parish catechetical leaders and youth ministers!  Connect with others, share ideas and find encouragement as we grow together in the important work of forming others.

Click below to register for our first session on September 18! 

Becoming a Lighthouse: Five Capacities

Every Parish Needs to Evangelize Their Community

"We in Catholic pastoral ministry are living in an era of unprecedented advances in the ideas and theories concerning parish evangelization.  Over the past two decades, we have seen a proliferation of exceptional writing focused toward parish renewal and engaged Catholic evangelization.  Each of these texts has called us to recognize the historic importance of the times in which we live ...."

Click the link below to read the full article from the Catechetical Review. 

King's College to Celebrate 80th Anniversary Tonight

with Commemorative Mass

September 8 | 4 PM

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L, Bishop of Scranton will preside at the Mass commemorating the 80th Anniversary of King's College.  

During today's Mass, the College will recognize alumni representing different class decades and pray in thanksgiving for it's more than 24,000 graduates.  The College will give thanks for the generations of students, alumni, faculty, staff, administrators, families and friends who have carried forward the College's Catholic and Holy Cross Mission.  

Queen of the Apostles Parish warmly invites the faithful to gather to honor, remember, and pray for the brave men and women who serve our communities as law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, and other first responders. We'll also remember the first responders who have died this past year and the nearly 3,000 souls who perished in the September 11 attacks.

Before Mass, members of the Avoca Fire Department will lead a procession from the fire department on Main Street to the church. 

At the conclusion of Mass, Father Petro will bless the first responder equipment used by the Avoca Fire Department, including the fire engine.

A light social will follow in the parish hall.

NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE 

September 12 | 1 PM

Mount Olivet Cemetery

612 Mount Olivet Road, Carverton

The fourteenth annual National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children will be held on Saturday, September 12.  This pro-life gathering will take place at Mount Olivet's Wyoming Valley Knights of Columbus "Tomb for the Unborn," located on the top of the hill on the cemetery grounds.  During the memorial observance, the Rosary will be recited in remembrance of all aborted babies.

All the faithful are invited.

Toss To Save Lives Cornhole Tournament

Supporting Suicide Prevention Awareness 

& Mental Health Ministry 

Sunday, September 13, 2026

Divine Mercy Parish, Scranton

Saint Thomas More Parish invites people of all ages to deepen their understanding of the Mass during a two-part learning experience presented by Father Stephen Bosomafi.  

Sessions will be held at 6:30 pm on September 15 and 22 

at St. Thomas More Church, 105 Gravity Road, Lake Ariel

Please call the Parish Office at (570) 698-5584 if you plan to attend

Join the Parish Community of 

St. Thomas More & St. Mary's

for an All You Can Eat Dinner

THE ANNUAL ST. TERESA OF CALCUTTA FALL FESTIVAL

Everyone is invited

Save the Date 

Scranton Rosary Rally

Saturday, October 17 | 1 PM