Diocese of Scranton www.dioceseofscranton.org News Briefing Vol. 8 # 5 3/29/2012 In This Issue Pennsylvania Bishops Declare March 30 a Day of Prayer, Fasting and Abstinence for Preservation of Religious Liberty Holy Week Services To Commemorate Passion of Our Lord MISSION STATEMENT We, the Catholic community of the Diocese of Scranton, are called through Baptism to imitate the servant leadership of Jesus Christ. In union with our Holy Father, the Pope, we proclaim the Gospel faithfully, celebrate the sacraments joyfully, and boldly promote life, justice and peace in northeastern and north central Pennsylvania. Subscribe to News Briefing Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land Pastoral Formation Institute Continuing Ed Programs 'Journey of Faith' Day of Reflection April 28 Saint Thomas More Society of the Legal Profession Real Estate Availability Pennsylvania Bishops Declare March 30 a Day of Prayer, Fasting and Abstinence for Preservation of Religious Liberty Bishop Bambera to Celebrate Mass and Stations of the Cross at Cathedral The Bishops of Pennsylvania have declared this Friday, March 30, as a day of prayer, fasting and abstinence for the preservation of religious liberty. The declaration was prompted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate that would force religious employers to violate their consciences by providing in their health benefit plans for services that are prohibited by the doctrines of their faith. While efforts continue to secure a legislative or judicial remedy to this unprecedented violation of our constitutionally guaranteed religious liberty, the Bishops are inviting the more than three million Catholics in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to "turn to God through prayer and fasting, as these practices allow us to grow closer to the Lord, inspire us to do His will and invoke His protection in answer to our prayers." On March 30, we are asked to dedicate our regular Lenten Friday practice of prayer and abstinence as well as the additional practice of fasting to the preservation of religious liberty. In union with his brother Bishops, the Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, encourages the faithful in the Diocese of Scranton to participate in this important state-wide observance. This Friday, March 30, Bishop Bambera will celebrate the 12:10 p.m. Mass in Saint Peter's Cathedral and immediately
following the liturgy, he will lead the Stations of the Cross. Both will be broadcast live on CTV: Catholic Television. As our bishops continue to lead and diligently work to rectify this First Amendment violation through regular communication with the White House and to advocate for legislative remedies that can reverse the serious implications of the HHS mandate, we are reminded that as Americans, we are blessed with religious liberty which safeguards our right to bring our principals and moral convictions into the public arena. To this end, Bishop Bambera also reminds us that, "Religious freedom is the sum and substance of our democracy; it is rooted in the dignity of every human person and it is the foundation of our faith. Let us continue to commit ourselves to prayer and to exercise faithful citizenship for the protection of conscience rights and the preservation of the First Amendment." Holy Week Services To Commemorate Passion of Our Lord Holy Week services throughout the Diocese of Scranton, which recall the passion and death of Jesus Christ, will begin Palm Sunday, April 1. The Masses on Palm Sunday will include the blessing and distribution of Palm branches, which play a symbolic role on this day since they were first used to commemorate the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into the city of Jerusalem. The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton, will celebrate the Pontifical Liturgy at 12:15 p.m. at Saint Peter's Cathedral. This Mass will begin in the Cathedral Prayer Garden with a blessing of palms and a Gospel reading, followed by a procession into the Cathedral. Palm Sunday Masses at the Cathedral will also be celebrated at 4 p.m. on Saturday and 6:30 and 10 a.m., and 5 p.m. on Sunday. Tenebrae: Song of the Shadows will be celebrated on Palm Sunday evening at 7 p.m. featuring the Cathedral Parish Choir. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week, Masses will be celebrated at 6:30 and 8 a.m., and 12:10 p.m. Confessions will be heard Monday, April 2, 7:30 to 7:50 a.m.; Tuesday, April 3, 7:30 to 7:50 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m.; Wednesday, April 4, 7:30 to 7:50 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m.; Good Friday, April 6, 9 to 10:30 a.m.; and Holy Saturday, April 7, 10:30 a.m. to noon and 2 to 3:30 p.m. Priests serving throughout the Diocese will gather at the Cathedral on Monday, April 2, at 4 p.m. for the Solemn Pontifical Mass of the Chrism, at which the Holy Oils used during the conferral of sacraments throughout the Church year will be blessed. Bishop Bambera will be the principal celebrant and homilist. Bishop Emeritus James C. Timlin and Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus John M. Dougherty will concelebrate the Mass along with all priests from the Diocese. During this Mass, priests and deacons, along with lay representatives from diocesan parishes, acknowledge the Bishop's role as the unifying symbol for Church governance and pastoral guidance. Priests will renew their ordination promises. After Mass, they will receive the holy Chrism, Oil of the Sick, and the Oil of Catechumens, which will be used in the celebration of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, the Anointing of the Sick, and the rites of the Catechumenate. The deacons of the diocese will assist in the blessing of the holy oils. The three most sacred days of the Church's liturgical year, known as the Sacred Paschal Triduum, begin on Holy Thursday, April 5, with the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper. In the Triduum (Latin for "three days"), the Church solemnly celebrates the greatest mysteries of our redemption, keeping by means of special celebrations the memorial of
the Lord, crucified, buried and risen. Holy Thursday marks the day on which Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist and the priestly Order and gave us the commandment concerning fraternal charity. At Saint Peter's Cathedral, Morning Prayer will be at 8:00 a.m. The Pontifical Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper will begin at 5:30 p.m. The Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will be the principal celebrant and homilist. During the Mass, there will be the rite of the Washing of Feet, which re-enacts Christ's washing of the feet of his apostles at the Last Supper. Following this Mass there will be the transfer of the Most Blessed Sacrament to the place of repose. Adoration will then continue until 9:00 p.m., when Night Prayer will be held. On Good Friday, April 6, and the following day (up to the Easter Vigil Mass), by a most ancient tradition, the Church does not celebrate the sacraments at all, except for Penance and Anointing of the Sick. At the Cathedral, Morning Prayer for Good Friday will be at 8:00 a.m. The Pontifical Celebration of the Passion of the Lord by Bishop Bambera will begin at 12:10 p.m. This solemn liturgy consists of three parts: the Liturgy of the Word, the Adoration of the Cross, and Holy Communion. In addition, the Stations of the Cross will be prayed at 5:30 p.m. Good Friday is a day of fast and abstinence. Holy Saturday, April 7, is the day that the Church waits at the Lord's tomb in prayer, meditating on his passion and death and on his descent into hell, awaiting his resurrection. Morning Prayer will be at 8:00 a.m. at the Cathedral. The blessing of Easter Baskets will take place at 1:00 p.m. The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night, by most ancient tradition, is the night of keeping vigil for the Lord (Exodus 12:42), in which following the Gospel admonition (Luke 12:35-37), the faithful, carrying lighted lamps in their hands, should be like those looking for the Lord when he returns, so that at his coming he may find them awake and have them at his table. This night's vigil is the greatest and most noble of all solemnities in the Church. Although celebrated entirely at night, this Mass of the Vigil is the first Mass of the Sunday of the Resurrection, and it is the center of the Sacred Paschal Triduum. Bishop Bambera will be the principal celebrant and homilist of the Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral, beginning at 8:00 p.m. This liturgy is arranged in four parts: 1) the Lucernarium (a service of light) and Easter Proclamation; 2) the Liturgy of the Word, in which the Church meditates on the wonders God has done for his people from the beginning, trusting in his word and promise; 3) the Liturgy of Baptism and Confirmation in which new members of the Church are reborn; and 4) the Liturgy of the Eucharist, in which the Church is called to the table the Lord has prepared for his people, the memorial of his death and resurrection until he comes again. On the Holy Night of Easter, 190 people, who have participated in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), will become fully initiated Catholics by the celebration of their Baptism, Confirmation, and reception of the Eucharist for the first time. This will take place at various Easter Vigil Masses celebrated in parishes throughout the Diocese. They join tens of thousands of other individuals throughout the world who will become members of the Church that night. Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord is the most joyous day in the Church year. This joy overflows into the 50 days of the Easter season, which ends at Pentecost. On Easter Day, April 8, Bishop Bambera will celebrate a Pontifical Mass at 10:00 a.m. at the Cathedral. Additional Masses during the day will be at 6:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. Since Christ accomplished his work of human redemption and of the perfect glorification of God principally through his Paschal Mystery, in which by dying he has destroyed our death, and by rising restored our life, the Sacred Paschal Triduum shines forth as the high point of the entire liturgical year. Therefore the preeminence that Sunday has in
the week, the Solemnity of Easter has in the entire year. CTV Covering Holy Week Services Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton (CTV) will provide live coverage of the following Holy Week services at St. Peter's Cathedral: the Palm Sunday Mass April 1 at 12:15 p.m., the Chrism Mass on Monday, April 2, at 4 p.m., the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, April 5, at 5:30 p.m., the Good Friday service commemorating the Lord's Passion on April 6 at 12:10 p.m., and the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday, April 7, at 8 p.m. CTV will also carry EWTN's coverage of the following Holy Week services from Rome and our nation's capital: * Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square with Pope Benedict XVI, live at 3:30 a.m., with an encore at 8 p.m. * Chrism Mass with Pope Benedict on Thursday, April 5, live at 3:30 a.m. * Mass of the Lord's Supper with Pope Benedict on Holy Thursday, live at 11:30 a.m., with an encore at midnight. * Choral Meditations and Mass of the Lord's Supper, from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C., on Good Friday at 6 p.m. * Celebration of the Lord's Passion with Pope Benedict on April 7 at 2 a.m. * Way of the Cross with Pope Benedict on Good Friday at 8:30 p.m. * The Seven Last Words of Christ with Father Robert Barron, Good Friday at 11 p.m. * Easter Vigil Mass with Pope Benedict on Holy Saturday, live at 3 p.m., with an encore at midnight. * Easter Sunday Mass with Pope Benedict, live at 4 a.m., with an encore at 7 p.m. * Pope Benedict's Easter Message and Blessing, live Easter Sunday at 6 a.m., with encores that day at 6 p.m., April 9 at 2 a.m. and April 14 at 6 p.m. Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land Parishes ofthe Diocese of Scranton will join with those across the world in support of the annual Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land. This pontifical collection requested by Pope Benedict XVI offers a direct link for parishioners to be witnesses of peace and to help protect the holy places, while also supporting Christians in the Holy Land. The Holy Land Franciscans have been charged with preserving Christian places, providing pastoral care and serving the needy in the Holy Land since 1209. Their tasks include maintaining and caring for the shrines and chapels, operating schools, caring for the poor by providing housing and health care, pastoral ministry, providing spiritual direction for pilgrims, and keeping Christianity alive. "On Good Friday, all Christians are united in a special way to the land that was made holy by God's plan," said the Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of Scranton. "The continued existence of Franciscan programs in the Holy Land depends on the blessing of faithful support they receive from us - their brothers and sisters in Christ. The Holy Land Franciscans are counting on our assistance. I am most grateful for your generous support of the Good Friday Collection." Pastoral Formation Institute Continuing Ed Programs
Discovering Parish Ministry for Maturing Adults The Pastoral Formation Institute will offer "Discovering Parish Ministry for Maturing Adults" as a Continuing Education program on Tuesday evenings, April 10, 17 & 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Diocesan Center in Scranton. Program presenters will be David Clarke and Brendan Murphy. Designed for parishes who seek to include opportunities for maturing adults within their parish ministries, this workshop will explore the three groups of maturing adults common to each parish community. Program fee (including the cost of the workbook) is $15 per person or a group rate of $50 for four or more persons from one parish. To register, call 570-207-2213. A Quick Journey Through the Bible (Ascension Press) Queen of Peace Church in Hawley will host "A Quick Journey Through the Bible," an eight-part series providing an excellent introduction and overview of the Bible, beginning Thursday, April 26. Presented by Brendan Murphy, Diocesan director of adult faith formation, the series will continue on the following Thursdays: May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 and June 7 & 14. The Bible study covers salvation history through talks that are complemented by group discussion, useful maps and charts, and information for home study. It makes the complexity of the Bible simple through an easy-to-follow narrative approach and a handy color-coded Bible timeline. The series is recommended for those who seek to learn about the story of our faith as it unfolds in the Bible. Registration fee is $30, including the $20 cost of the workbook. To register, call 207-2213, ext. 1107. Participants will also learn the 12 key principles that lead to forming a successful maturing adult ministry in the parish. An essential component of these presentations will center on the essence of spirituality. 'Journey of Faith' Day of Reflection April 28 In preparation for the upcoming "Year of Faith" proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI, St. Joseph Oblate Father Paul McDonnell will lead a Day of Reflection titled "Rediscovering the Journey of Faith" on Saturday, April 28, at Fatima Renewal Center in Dalton. The Holy Father has encouraged the faithful "to rediscover the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ." The reflection day will address ways in which, through various life situations, faith-centered people can deepen their own faith before sharing it with others. The program will also offer suggestions for welcoming others into the Church. Those involved in parish ministries or anyone seeking to deepen his or her faith will find the day's program especially rewarding. All days of reflection include the celebration of Mass and Sacrament of Reconciliation. Cost to attend is $30 per person, including lunch. For more information and registration, call Fatima Center at 563-8500.
Real Estate Availability The Property & Risk Management Division of the Diocese currently maintains a listing of real estate available for sale or use throughout the Diocese. If interested in learning about the available opportunities, please contact Ed Carlin, Property Assets Director, P&RM Division, at 570-558-4310.