July 21, 2016 - Diocese of Allentown

“The Allentown Diocese in the Year of Our Lord”
JUBILEE
OF MERCY
VOL. 28, NO. 14
JULY 21, 2016
‘Diocesan Family Festival’ Sept. 25 – order T-shirts now
The Diocese of
Allentown will host
a “Diocesan Family
Festival” Sunday,
Sept. 25 at Bethlehem SteelStacks,
101 Founders Way,
Bethlehem.
Everyone is invited to join others
in the diocese for
a fun-filled day for
the whole family.
The day will begin at 11 a.m. with
an outdoor Mass
celebrated by Bishop of Allentown
John Barres. The
festival will continue from noon to 5 p.m.
Be sure to bring lawn chairs. No outdoor seating will be provided.
There will be games, activities, music and food for family members of all ages.
Games and activities for all ages will include face painting, bingo, inflatable bounce
house, photo opportunities, crafts, scavenger hunt, obstacle course, Olympic team events,
family team competitions and more.
Musical entertainment will be provided by “Island Time” and several of our local high
schools and universities.
Ethnic foods will be provided by local
parishes – bleenies (potato pancakes), kiffles,
haluski (cabbage and noodles), tacos, empanadas, pierogis, apple dumplings and more.
T-shirts for the festival are available for
presale in both adult and youth sizes.
Only a limited number of shirts will be
available for sale the day of the festival, so
order yours now and wear it to the festival.
Cost is $10 per shirt for youth through
adult XL; $11 for adult XXL and XXXL. All
prices include shipping.
To preorder, go to www.allentowndiocese.
org/familyfestival or use the form on page 3
of this issue of The A.D. Times.
T-shirts must be ordered by Wednesday,
Aug. 24 to allow time for shipping.
‘Getting Grace’ a blessing for Becahi and Lehigh Valley
By TAMI QUIGLEY
Staff writer
It was “lights, camera, action” July 1 at Bethlehem
Catholic High School (Becahi). Well, maybe not quite,
but the excitement of Tinseltown definitely touched the
Christmas City.
Bethlehem Mayor Robert Donchez and director Daniel
Roebuck – a Becahi alumnus, class of 1981 – held a press
conference to celebrate the local actors that will be cast in
Roebuck’s upcoming feature film, “Getting Grace.”
Madelyn (Madey) Dundon, 18, a 2016 Becahi graduate,
will be cast as the movie’s lead. Approximately 10 Becahi
alumni will be involved in one way or another in the film.
“If you asked me
if it were harder going to the moon or
“This movie certainly
making an indepenis an affirmation of my
dent movie, put me in
belief that life must be
that space capsule,”
Roebuck said with
lived every day.”
a laugh, though it’s
clear this venture is a
labor of love for him.
“The support for this movie has been overwhelming.
This movie will be a love letter to the Lehigh Valley.”
The film is a heartfelt buddy comedy in which a teenage
girl, Grace, dying of cancer enters a funeral home to find
out what will happen after she dies and but ends up teaching the funeral director how to live. Although set in the
world of death, “Getting Grace” is an uplifting story. It’s
about living life to the fullest and making every day count.
Roebuck has gathered a professional cast for the production. Roebuck, who as starred in hundreds of movies
and television programs himself, will act in it, as well as
direct, just as Clint Eastwood, Jerry
Lewis and Sean Penn have before
him. Joining him are Marsha Dietlein, “Little Children”; Duane
Whitaker, “Pulp Fiction”; Lonette
McKee, “The Cotton Club”; and a
host of other familiar faces.
Roebuck has performed on the
Becahi stage many times and so,
with the assistance of Becahi Principal John Petruzzelli, it was decided
that it would be the perfect place to
make the announcement regarding
the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
for the cast of young and older actors to be discovered in their home
area of the Lehigh Valley.
“Friday was such an exciting
day for the Becahi community. It
was exciting to welcome back Daniel Roebuck ’81, but to find out recent June graduate Madey Dundon
had been cast as the lead in ‘Saving
Grace’ was unbelievable,” said PeDaniel Roebuck and Madelyn (Madey) Dundon field questions at a press
truzzelli.
“We are proud of both Danny conference announcing the cast of “Getting Grace” July 1 at Bethlehem
and Madey, not only for this film, Catholic High School (Becahi). (Photos by John Simitz)
but for the people they are, their
love for Becahi and their commitment to Catholic educa- Roebuck.
tion. We are so proud of the 10 Becahi alumni who are
However, Roebuck is most excited that he has come
working in some way on this film.”
back to his hometown to cast a number of key roles, inThe one role Roebuck did not need to find in the Le- cluding the title character, Grace, who is based on his own
high Valley was that of his character, Bill Jankowski’s daughter.
younger self. The character appears in a flashback and will
be portrayed by Roebuck’s own 18-year-old son, Buster
Please see FILM page 4 }}
Bishop appoints diocesan
Chancellor for Catholic Education
After an extensive search process, Bishop of Allentown John Barres – upon the recommendation of the Diocesan Board of Education and after a thorough process of interviews that included various stakeholder groups – has appointed John Bakey of Orefield
as the first Chancellor for Catholic Education of the Diocese of Allentown.
As chancellor, a secretary-level position, Bakey will be the chief administrative officer of the diocesan school system, coordinating the academic, financial, recruitment and
retention functions of the diocesan high schools, elementary schools, special learning
centers and parish religious education programs.
Please see CHANCELLOR page 2 }}
Bakey
2
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Diocese
July 21, 2016
On behalf of the Diocese of Allentown,
THE A.D. TIMES extends sincerest best wishes
to Bishop John Barres
on the seventh anniversary of his installation as
Bishop of Allentown July 30, 2009.
Chancellor
}}Continued from page 1
Dr. Philip Fromuth will continue
to serve as Superintendent of Catholic
Schools, a position he has held since
2002. He and the staff of the Office of
Catholic Education are beginning the
process of onboarding Bakey.
Bishop Barres spoke highly of the
new chancellor: “John Bakey’s deep
Catholic faith, his commitment to Catholic education as a parent and on the board
of St. Joseph’s School in Orefield, and
his global business background, make
him just what the diocese needs to work
with Dr. Fromuth, our diocesan staff, our
principals, our teachers, our students, our
parents, our boards and our alumni to
take the next dynamic steps for Catholic
education in the Diocese of Allentown.”
Bakey joins the diocese after more
than 35 years with Air Products and
Chemicals, Inc., where he served in a
number of leadership positions. In his
most recent assignments he led their
Global Product Management and Supply
Chain team, and ran one of the company’s North American business units.
Bakey is a graduate of Lafayette College, Easton and is himself a product of
Catholic education. He graduated from
Paul VI High School, Haddonfield, New
Jersey and St. John Elementary School,
Collingswood, New Jersey.
He and his wife Donna are parishioners of St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Orefield. They are the parents of four adult
children who attended Catholic schools
in the Diocese of Allentown.
At the parish Bakey serves as a lector and a member of the School Board of
General Jurisdiction. Previously he was
president of the youth sports program and
coached a number of teams.
He will begin service as chancellor
Monday, July 25.
“It is an honor to join a network of
people throughout our five-county diocese who are extremely passionate about
Catholic education,” said Bakey.
“When visiting Catholic schools
where my children were previously enrolled I distinctly remember feeling the
energy in the building and comprehending that something truly special was happening.
“With a new set of challenges we are
facing, it is important we establish breakthrough approaches that will sustain
healthy and vibrant Catholic education
for future generations.”
Across its five counties, the Diocese
of Allentown has six high schools, 33 elementary schools and three special learning centers. In the 2015-16 school year,
900 teachers served more than 12,000
students in the diocese’s schools.
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VICTIM ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR
The Diocese of Allentown provides assistance to anyone who, as a minor, was sexually abused by a priest, deacon or employee/volunteer of the Diocese/Parish
Parents, guardians, children and survivors of sexual abuse are invited and encouraged to contact the Diocese of Allentown
for more information about this program. The fullness of compassion should be extended to these victims by the Church.
To speak directly to the Victim Assistance Coordinator, please call the direct line 1-800-791-9209.
To learn more about the Diocese of Allentown’s Youth Protection Programs, Sexual Abuse Policy and Code of Conduct,
please visit www.allentowndiocese.org and click on “Youth Protection” at top right.
COORDINADOR DE ASISTENCIA A LAS VÍCTIMAS
La Diócesis de Allentown provee asistencia a cualquier persona que, como menor de edad, fue abusado sexualmente por
un sacerdote, diácono o empleado/voluntario de la Diócesis/Parroquia.
Los padres, tutores, niños y los sobrevivientes de abuso sexual están invitados a contactar la Diócesis de Allentown para
obtener más información sobre este programa. La plenitud de compasión debe extenderse a las víctimas por la Iglesia.
Para hablar directamente con el coordinador de asistencia a las víctimas por favor llame a la línea directa 1-800-791-9209.
Para obtener más información acerca de los Programas de Protección de la Juventud, Política de
Abuso Sexual y el Código de Conducta de la Diócesis de Allentown, por favor visite www.allentowndiocese.org y haga clic en “Protección de la Juventud” en la parte superior derecha.
July 21, 2016
Diocese
The A.D. Times
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The A.D. Times
4
Diocese
July 21, 2016
Film
}}Continued from page 4
“I met her and she was as much of a
loon as my daughter,” Roebuck said of
Freddy Award-winner Dundon, who recently won the Vic Kumma Award for
outstanding vocal performance for “One
Hundred Easy Ways to Lose a Man” from
“Wonderful Town.”
Roebuck said he directed Dundon’s
dad in a CYO production when he was
13. “How could you throw a dart and hit
this moment?”
“I’m insanely honored and humbled to
be given this part. I’m grateful and excited,” said Dundon. “As soon as I heard
about the movie I asked my dad to talk to
Dan and at least put in a kind word.”
Dundon is so excited she’s not even Guests listen to the introduction of the cast.
fazed at shaving her long
brown hair for the role.
Ana Raiola, a graduate of the Lehigh
“It doesn’t seem that imValley Charter High School for the Perportant.” She will donate
forming Arts, is creating a painting sigher hair to a worthy cannificant to the plot, which Raiola said
cer cause.
“will show the ambiguousness of life.”
Another
diocesan
Roebuck said the movie was schedstudent in the film is Aluled to begin shooting Tuesday, July 12
exa McFillin, 12, of St.
and wrap up approximately Friday, Aug.
Thomas More School,
12. The shoots – lasting 12 to 14 hours
Allentown who will pora day – will feature Lehigh Valley lotray another child with
cales, including Herron Funeral Home,
cancer.
St. Luke’s Hospital and Monocacy Park,
The cast also includes
Bethlehem; and Bushkill Park, Easton.
Jacob Williams, a junior
“People can come see us and have a
at Lehigh Valley Charchance to say hi throughout the process,”
ter High School for the
Roebuck said.
Performing Arts, Beth“This is a big little movie. I hope it’s
lehem; Colin Moore, 9,
the first of many movies I can bring to the
a student at Moravian
Lehigh Valley.”
Academy, Bethlehem; Felicia White, left, waits as Preston Jude Edwards
Roebuck said his character, who owns
Wyatt Root II, a student ponders a question.
the funeral home, “has no friends or faith
at Lincoln Elementary
in anything. Then this child teaches him
School, Emmaus; and Preston Jude EdAdult local actors cast include Diane life must be lived every day. She’s a child
wards, 4, of the Swain School, Allen- Wagner, Heather Reese, Felicia White who’s going to die and shows him the
town.
and Amy Mittman.
beautiful life God gives us must be lived
every day.
“This movie certainly is an affirmation of my belief that life must be lived
every day.”
“Getting Grace” was written by Jeff
Lewis and Roebuck. Roebuck is making
it with his fellow producers Mark Rupp,
Davie Cabral, Brian Glassford and Roebuck’s wife Tammy Roebuck. He is being assisted by local producers who have
been working with him for over a year to
help bring the production to the Lehigh
Valley.
“Seven producers are Becahi alumni.
This is what Catholic school education
does,” Roebuck said.
Roebuck was quick to thank the film’s
corporate sponsors, including St Luke’s
Hospital; Trans-Bridge, Inc.; The View
Inn and Suites, Bethlehem; Pastor Jennifer Bramble of Trinity and Salem Lutheran Churches, Bethlehem; Herron
Family Funeral Homes; PBS; Lehigh
Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts; Discover Lehigh Valley;
and Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation.
“If you want to be an extra, go to our
website. And even if you can’t donate
money, please give us your prayers,”
Roebuck said.
Because Roebuck and company are
creating their film independently, they are
still actively seeking any local help the
community can give, including meals,
the loaning of automobiles, manpower,
and extras for the cast. Information on
how to volunteer is at www.gettinggracethemovie.com or through “Getting
Grace the Movie” on Facebook.
Education
The Diocese of Allentown has a vibrant and vital 21st century
Catholic school system.
•
•
•
•
Our schools emphasize academic excellence and Catholic
formation.
Fully 96 percent of our high school students go on to college.
Our schools enhance evangelization.
When non-Catholics attend Catholic schools, the result often is the student and his or her family embraces the faith.
Madey Dundon, left, and Alexa McFillin listen to Daniel Roebuck discuss the
film.
Diocese
July 21, 2016
The A.D. Times
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Diocesan Anniversary Mass set for Sept. 18
Bishop of Allentown John Barres will
celebrate the annual Diocesan Anniversary Mass Sunday, Sept. 18 at 3 p.m. at
the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena,
Allentown.
Couples celebrating 5, 25, 40, 50, 60
or more years of marriage are invited to
join in the diocesan celebration.
A social will follow the Mass. (The
Mass will fulfill your Sunday obligation.)
Register online at www.allentowndiocese.org/anniversarymass or fill out the
form below and mail to: Office of Marriage and Family Life Formation, Attn:
Anniversary Mass, 2145 Madison Ave.,
Bethlehem PA 18017-4642.
Registration deadline is Friday, Sept.
9. For more information, call 610-2898900, ext. 228.
‘Save the date’ for women’s conference in October
“Save the date”
for a women’s conference in October
being offered by the
diocesan Secretariat
for Catholic Life
and Evangelization.
The conference
will be Saturday,
Oct. 22 at Holiday
Inn,
Fogelsville,
with the theme Alvare
“Woman:
God’s
Masterpiece.”
Speakers will be Helen Alvare and
Johnnette Benkovic.
Alvare is a co-author of the open letter “Women Speak for Themselves”;
professor of law at George Mason University, Arlington, Va.; consultor to Pope
Francis’ Pontifical
Council for the Laity; consultant for
ABCNews; chair of
the Conscience Protection Task Force
at the Witherspoon
Institute in Princeton, N.J.; and coauthor and editor of
the book “Breaking
Benkovic
Through: Catholic
Women Speak for
Themselves.”
Benkovic is founder and president
of Living His Life Abundantly® International, Inc., a Catholic evangelization apostolate; founder of Women of
Grace®, a Catholic apostolate for Christian women; executive producer of “The
Abundant Life” television program on
EWTN; and host of the call-in radio talk
show “Women of Grace Live.”
5
6
The A.D. Times
Opinion
Liberty and leadership
Recently I had the privilege to accompany several
high school students on a trip to Italy. Our trip was
concluding just as Great Britain was voting to leave
the European Union (EU). It was interesting listening to the reactions of Italians and other Europeans as
Great Britain sought to free itself from this association of member states and countries.
EU came into being as the result of the devastation suffered throughout Europe because of the Second World War. The political experts and theorist at
the time believed that European integration would be
an antidote to the extreme nationalism that led to the
devastation in Europe.
Generally speaking, people are not fond of EU,
and many support Great Britain’s vote to leave. Many
feel that in trying to eliminate extreme nationalism,
EU has destroyed the distinctive cultures and ethnicities that held countries like Great Britain, Germany,
France and Italy together.
It is worthy of note that Great Britain sees its departure from EU as a move toward liberty. It is ironic
that 240 years ago the leaders of our country sought a
departure from the rule of Great Britain in pursuit of
liberty. In a sense you could say that we know how
they feel.
Taking things for granted
Sometimes you have to go somewhere else to appreciate what you have. One of the things about living
in a place like America is that it is easy to overlook
and misunderstand what really and truly makes us a
great nation – especially if you have never been anywhere else.
Liberty is one of those things – in fact it is the thing
– that makes us great. So today as we celebrate 240
years of independence and freedom, it is important to
reflect on the concept of liberty and the actions that
make liberty so valuable.
In the beginning – freedom for excellence
The concept of liberty or freedom goes back to the
beginning of mankind and has a depth and richness
that is sadly misunderstood today. In the beginning –
the single most important gift that God grants to man
is freedom.
The Apostles and Church Fathers saw liberty as
freedom from the slavery of sin. In their experience
the only way one could appreciate the value of the gift
of freedom was to seek the truth, for it was truth that
makes one free. That truth was found in Jesus Christ,
who was and is the way, the truth and life itself.
The uniqueness of this gift of freedom was its personal dimension. It was particularly applicable to human beings and was rooted in the idea of excellence
as God sees it. It was being made perfect in God’s
image and likeness, with the purpose of becoming all
we were intended to be.
This sense of freedom is anchored in natural law,
virtue and self-discipline. It is freedom in its richest
and deepest sense.
Freedom from tyranny – and inalienable rights
A little over two centuries ago our founding fathers
were captivated by a sense of liberty that would allow
them to be free from oppressive restrictions imposed
by authorities such as government. As they saw it, this
was freedom from a tyranny that viewed its citizens
as subjects, and continued to demand more and more
from them.
The basis for this sense of freedom is anchored in
the truth that all men are endowed with inalienable
rights – under God – rights that cannot be taken or
given away by anyone or anything – rights that have
corresponding responsibilities to God and one’s fellow man.
Freedom of indifference
Sadly we have come to accept liberty today as the
power and scope to do as one pleases, where we are
creating a culture of license. This is the lowest sense
of liberty. It lacks honor and is unworthy of the human person. It is the right to do as one pleases without
regard for one’s responsibilities or the rights of others.
The basis for this freedom proceeds from our base
animal instincts. It is not anchored in human excellence, nor is it governed by human responsibility. It
despises law, rules, discipline and self-restraint.
Freedom – a gift from God
We must always remember that our freedom – our
liberty – is a gift from God. It is a gift given to us
(man) at creation. It is the first and most important gift
we have. And because it is a gift from God, it requires
stewardship. Stewardship is a particularly human endeavor, which requires proper leadership.
Who is the greatest?
And that brings us to today’s Gospel (Luke 22:2430), in which the apostles were arguing about who
was the greatest among them. Here we see the alltoo-human characteristics of those who are chosen for
leadership – the struggle for power and the right to decide the direction of the future. Interestingly it sounds
a bit like our current political rhetoric.
A different view
However, Jesus has a very different view of leadership. He starts by reminding the apostles of what leadership is not. Jesus reminds them that the pagan lords,
who were in power, liked to make that power felt. He
tells them that “this must not be so” with them.
Finally Jesus presents himself as an example to
them – “I am here among you as one who serves”
– one who minsters to the needs of others. To Jesus,
real leadership is service and sacrifice. Real leadership meant dying to self so that others would have
eternal life.
This is the kind of leadership we need to cling to
today. Sadly it is the kind of leadership that could
never cooperate with a sense of freedom as we know
it today – a freedom that anchors itself in the idea that
we can do whatever we want.
July 21, 2016
Independence Day homily
preached by Deacon Rick Lanciano at St. Ignatius Loyola,
Sinking Spring, where he serves
as a deacon. He is also Theology Department chair at Berks
Catholic High School, Reading,
and a regular presenter for diocesan marriage preparation and
the Institute for Catechesis and
Formation.
That is because it is the type of leadership that relies on responsibility for ones actions, and love and
respect of one’s fellow man. It is the type of leadership that is anchored in the rule of law, discipline and
self-restraint.
A spark still exists
Fortunately this type of leadership, though lacking
in our society and governing structures today, is not
lost. A spark of this type of leadership exists in our
hearts and in our history. It is part of our heritage as
a church.
When Jesus called the disciples to lead his church,
he did not promise them that their leadership would
make them powerful, rich or famous. He did however
tell them the truth. He said they would have to carry
his cross.
He left them with the knowledge that the right to
decide the direction of things came with the responsibility to lose one’s very self so that others might live
– so that others might come to know the truth. He
showed them what human excellence looked like and
the kind of impact it could have on the lives of others.
We are blessed
And as for us in these United States – we were
founded 240 years ago on a similar type of leadership.
We have been blessed beyond measure to be founded
by men and women who believed in God, the rule of
law, discipline and self-restraint.
We have been blessed by leaders who took their
responsibility for others seriously – even at the cost of
their own lives. For them liberty was not some political theory or idea, it was a rare and precious gift given
to them by God. For it they shunned power, wealth
and prestige, because they knew its depth and richness – and most important, its cost.
Their sacrifice for that depth and richness is noble
in the truest sense of the word. But most of all we
are blessed to be founded by men and women who
clung to the truth that every person is made for excellence and created equal in God’s eyes, with inalienable rights that no person or institution could ever
take away.
The standard of leadership
When we look to those who want the right to decide the direction of our future, that is the only kind of
leadership we should accept. Anything less profanes
the original gift we were given by God. God bless our
church, God bless our founding fathers and God bless
us – the United States of America.
Worship
July 21, 2016
The A.D. Times
Sunday Scripture
Sunday, July 24
First reading
Responsorial Psalm
Second reading
Gospel
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Genesis 18:20-32
Psalms 138:1-3, 6-8
Colossians 2:12-14
Luke 11:1-13
Sunday, July 31
First reading
Responsorial Psalm
Second reading
Gospel
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23
Psalms 90:3-6, 12-14, 17
Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
Luke 12:13-21
Sunday, Aug. 7
First reading
Responsorial Psalm
Second reading
Gospel
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Wisdom 18:6-9
Psalms 33:1, 12, 18-22
Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19 or 11:1-2, 8-12
Luke 12:32-48 or 12:35-40
Recommended to your prayers by Pope Francis
Apostleship of Prayer Intentions for August
Universal Intention: Sports. That sports may be an opportunity for friendly encounters between peoples and contribute to peace in the world.
Evangelization Intention: Living the Gospel. That Christians may live the Gospel,
giving witness to faith, honesty and love of neighbor.
Prayer requests for priests
Please pray for our Holy Fathers, our
bishops and these priests serving in the
Diocese of Allentown during each designated date of August.
Bingo License # 16-3469
Small Games of Chance License # 16-0015
1 – His Holiness Pope Francis
2 – Pope Emeritus Benedict
3 – Bishop of Allentown John Barres
4 – Bishop Emeritus Edward Cullen
5 – Father Eric Arnout
6 – Father George Aschenbrenner
7 – Father Achilles Ayaton
8 – Msgr. Thomas Baddick
9 – Msgr. Andrew Baker
10 – Msgr. William Baker
11 – Father Francis Baransky
12 – Msgr. Francis Barrett
13 – Father John Barron
In memoriam
Please remember these clerics of the
Diocese of Allentown in your prayers
during August, the anniversary month of
their death.
2 – Father Owen Donnelly, 1972
2 – Deacon Thomas Mullins, 2005
6 – Msgr. Joseph O’Donnell, 1986
9 – Father Joseph McGarr, 2004
12 – Father Joseph Radocha, 1969
14 – Msgr. Algimantas Bartkus
15 – Deceased priests
16 – Msgr. William Baver
17 – Father James Bechtel
18 – Father Joseph Becker
19 – Father Michael Beers
20 – Seminarians
21 – Father Frans Berkhout
22 – Father Clifton Bishop
23 – Msgr. Robert Biszek
24 – Father Kevin Bobbin
25 – Msgr. Ronald Bocian
26 – Father James Borbely
27 – Father Thomas Bortz
28 – Father Ronald Bowman
29 – Father Joseph Braudis
30 – Father Edmund Brennan
31 – Father Richard Brensinger
14 – Father Jerome Urbanski, 1984
15 – Deacon Rafael Cuevas, 2000
16 – Father Albert Cervella, 2008
19 – Father Stanislaus Fronczek, 1994
20 – Deacon Joseph Burda, 2007
26 – Father Thomas Courtney, 1996
26 – Deacon George Faller, 2007
27 – Msgr. Joseph May, 1974
27 – Father William Conley, 1987
29 – Father Michael Kakos, 1963
30 – Father Anthony Niemotko, 1981
31 – Father Frederick Loeper, 1996
7
8
The A.D. Times
Youth & Young Adults
July 21, 2016
‘I Thirst’ – teens open hearts and minds at Steubenville NYC
More than 160 teens, adult chaperones
and members of the clergy boarded buses
June 24, headed for St. John’s University
in Queens, New York for the annual diocesan Steubenville Youth Conference.
This was the second consecutive year
the Diocese of Allentown attended the
conference at its New York location. The
event is part of the same series of conferences that originated from Franciscan
University in Steubenville, Ohio and are
now conducted at locations across the
country.
“Thirst” was the theme for this year’s
23 high school youth conferences taking place in 14 states and two Canadian
provinces, throughout the summer, reaching more than 50,000 teens in only two
months. Conferences held at locations
outside of Franciscan University are hosted by Life Teen International.
This year’s diocesan group consisted
of teens and their adult chaperones from
12 parishes in the Diocese of Allentown
as well as five parishes from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Attending parishes from the Diocese of Allentown were Cathedral of
St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown; Holy
Guardian Angels, Reading; Most Blessed
Trinity, Tremont; Our Lady of Perpetual
Help, Bethlehem; Sacred Heart, Bath;
St. Ambrose, Schuylkill Haven; St. Ann,
Emmaus; St. Catharine of Siena, Reading; St. Clare of Assisi, St. Clair; St.
Elizabeth, Whitehall; St. Ignatius Loyola,
Sinking Spring; and St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield.
Archdiocesan parishes that traveled
with the Diocese of Allentown group
were Epiphany of Our Lord, Plymouth
Meeting; St. Isidore, Quakertown; St.
Philip Neri, Pennsburg; St. Rose of Lima,
North Wales; and St. Stanislaus, Lansdale.
Clergy from the Diocese of Allentown
were Father Brian Miller, assistant pastor of St. Catharine of Siena, Reading;
Father Jared Zambelli, assistant pastor,
Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown; and Deacon William Autrey, St.
Ignatius Loyola, Sinking Spring. Deacon
John Campbell, St. Rose of Lima, North
Wales, also attended.
The group was also joined by staff
of the Office of Youth and Young Adult
Ministry: Director Susan Matour and Assistant Coordinator Alexa Doncsecz.
“We are so blessed to be able to offer this opportunity for teens to gather
Above, Ali Salabsky, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bethlehem, second from
left, and other LEAD participants being interviewed by emcee Ennie Hickman.
(Photo courtesy of Alexa Doncsecz)
Below, Bishop Barres with OYYAM staff members Sue Matour, left, director,
and Alexa Doncsecz, assistant coordinator.
with their peers and experience the larger
church glorifying and praising God,” said
Matour. “This weekend reinforced for
each of us that God is so amazing and
continually reveals himself to us when
we open our hearts and minds to him.”
The Diocese of Allentown group wore
T-shirts featuring the words “I Thirst” on
the front, corresponding with the conference theme. The back depicted a water
droplet made up of the names of all 17
attending parishes emerging from a faucet. The matching shirts made the group
more recognizable amid the 1,600 teens
on campus for the weekend.
“We had six teens go with us to Steubenville NYC,” said Chris Anderson, a
chaperone for St. Rose of Lima. “It was
a real blessing to see each of them meet
God among their peers. And for the chaperones, we were touched not only to be
spending time with our teens and watching them grow, but seeing God work in
our lives over the weekend as well.”
The ministry team for the conference
included praise and worship musician Ike
Ndolo and band; emcee Ennie Hickman;
Catholic speaker, author and blogger Emily Wilson; Catholic author and speaker
Joel Stepanek; Father Joseph Espaillat,
priest for the Archdiocese of New York;
and Sister Miriam Heidland, SOLT.
Saturday morning Mass was celebrated by Bishop of Brooklyn Nicholas DiMarzio. On Sunday morning, Bishop of
Allentown John Barres traveled to campus to concelebrate Mass with Cardinal
Timothy Dolan and Auxiliary Bishop of
Brooklyn James Massa.
The events of the weekend were
centered on our thirst that can only be
quenched by God’s love. Speakers discussed some of the ways in which we
try to satisfy that thirst with things of the
world, but how ultimately we will never
be truly fulfilled apart from God.
“There was nothing better than having
a weekend of praise and worship for the
one who saved us,” said Alyssa Quiteles
of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall.
“The Steubenville Youth Conference
gives teens the opportunity to not only
strengthen their relationship with God,
but to also create new friendships with
other people their age who share the same
love for Christ. It is truly amazing to see
people arrive from different states and
parishes and form into one big community. I can’t wait to go back next year.”
Keynote talks and breakout sessions
strove to provide answers to the questions and moral dilemmas teens face in
their everyday lives. After a breakout session presented by Joel Stepanek about
the church’s teaching on same-sex attraction, one teen remarked, “I was very nerPlease see STEUBENVILLE page 9 }}
Left, Deacon Bill Autrey of St. Ignatius Loyola, Sinking Spring blesses participants before leaving for the conference.
(Photo courtesy of Sue Matour)
Above, participants gather with Bishop Barres after Sunday Liturgy at Steubenville NYC.
July 21, 2016
Steubenville
}}Continued from page 8
vous going into this workshop because I
wasn’t sure what I would hear. But I felt
relieved to know the church’s views and
that God indeed loves me as I am.”
Melissa Gallo, St. Isidore, summed
up her experience: “The Steubenville retreat has shown me that God has a plan
for each one of us, and he loves everyone
unconditionally whether we like it or not.
It has taught me that I can accomplish
anything through the help of my faith and
through prayer.”
Ali Salabsky, Our Lady of Perpetual
Help, Bethlehem, spent the week prior to
the conference participating in the Franciscan LEAD program, where teens learn
to evangelize and share their Catholic
faith with those around them.
“I really loved the whole week,” she
said. “I’ve come to open myself more to
God and the Holy Spirit. I love praying
every day now. It has become a part of
my everyday routine.
“It was a very powerful and faithfilled week for me, and I made so many
great friends that have become like my
second family. Steubenville has helped
me to grow closer to my church and my
God. I am so much more content with
myself and my life.”
“From the moment you step onto the
campus you can feel the workings of
the Holy Spirit,” said Donna Gates, who
served as a chaperone for teen participants from St. Elizabeth of Hungary and
St. Ann. “It is a feeling of unity. There are
few places where you feel this unity. You
can see God transforming lives right in
front of you.”
Gates went on to discuss the authenticity of the conference speakers. “They
deeply care about our young people and
want to provide a path, a spiritual road
map for them, as they journey through
their lives. They provide real ways for the
teens to incorporate their Catholic faith
into their lives beginning at the conference and continuing to when they leave
and go back into their life at home.”
Matthew Kuna, a chaperone for St.
Ann, was also encouraged by witnessing
the teens’ reactions to the weekend.
“From awesome live music to engaging and inspirational witness talks,
Steubenville NYC provided these young
people with the opportunity to take ownership of their Catholic faith and encounter Jesus alongside people their age from
across the country,” said Kuna.
“We can have great hope for the future
of our local church … because these students will carry the torch.”
Tom Devlin, who attended with his
daughter, Emma, from St. Catharine of
Siena, Reading, said, “One of the most
incredible moments had to be Eucharistic
adoration. To see all of the teens so alive
with the Holy Spirit helped to further
deepen my relationship with our Lord
Youth & Young Adults
and Savior.”
“Steubenville NYC was life-changing
and so inspiring,” said Emma. “I didn’t
know what to expect since this was my
first time going and it was amazing. I feel
so blessed to have gone and have my soul
set on fire with the Holy Spirit.”
In addition to being an enriching experience for both teens and chaperones,
Steubenville is also a gift for the priests
who give of themselves to serve those
present.
“Hearing confessions was a blessing
for me,” said Father Brian Miller who attended with St. Catharine of Siena, Reading. “Teens from all parts of the country
experienced God’s healing hand as they
let go of their pains, fears and shame that
burdened them for years. It was an honor
to be their priest.”
The closing Mass at a Steubenville
conference traditionally ends with an
altar call, where teens who are open to
considering a vocation to the priesthood
or religious life are invited to the front
of the arena to receive a blessing. Sherry
Mordosky, another chaperone from St.
Elizabeth, found this moment particularly
meaningful.
“The time at the end when they called
up young women and young men who
felt a call to either the consecrated life of
a sister or the ordained life of a priest was
my favorite,” said Mordosky. “So many
of the youth responded. I think my hands
still hurt from clapping so much.”
“Just as we thirst for God in our lives,
God thirsts for us, too,” said Rebecca
Homer, a teen from St. Isidore. “If only
we open ourselves to the boundless graces of his love.”
For more information on the Steubenville Youth Conference or other youth
opportunities, email the Office of Youth
and Young Adult Ministry, oyyam@allentowndiocese.org or visit www.allentowndiocese.org/oyyam.
The A.D. Times
Students and chaperones from St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield wear the Tshirts they made for the diocesan trip to Steubenville. (Photo courtesy of Sue
Matour)
One of four buses traveling to Steubenville NYC as part of the diocesan trip.
This bus included participants from St. Ignatius Loyola, Sinking Spring; St. Ambrose, Schuylkill Haven; St. Clare of Assisi, St. Clair, and Most Blessed Trinity,
Tremont. (Photo courtesy of Sue Matour)
Three bishops celebrate Sunday liturgy, from left: Bishop James Massa, Diocese of Brooklyn, New York; Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archdiocese of New
York; and Bishop John Barres, Diocese of Allentown. (Photo courtesy of Joe
Sanchez, Life Teen)
Above, Laura Cholko, St. Clare of
Assisi, St. Clair, left, and Amy West,
St. Ambrose, Schuylkill Haven, talk
during a break Saturday afternoon.
(Photo courtesy of Joe Sanchez, Life
Teen)
Left, Martin Schaeffer, St. Ann, Emmaus, receives Communion from
Cardinal Timothy Dolan. (Photo courtesy of Joe Sanchez, Life Teen)
First 2016-17 CYO Coaches Clinic planned for August
Online registration for the 2016-17
CYO Coaches Clinics is now open.
The first clinic will be Saturday, Aug.
27 at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of
Siena, Allentown. Deadline to register is Friday, Aug. 19.
Future clinics will be:
Saturday, Oct. 1 – Holy Guardian
Angels, Reading; deadline Friday,
Sept. 23.
Saturday, Nov. 19 – St. John the
Baptist, Pottsville; deadline Friday,
Nov. 11.
Saturday, March 18, 2017 – Notre
Dame of Bethlehem; deadline Friday,
March 10.
These clinics provide an overview
of insurance requirements, sports
medicine, coaching the child with
special needs, and the integration of
our Catholic faith and CYO.
All CYO coaches are required
to attend a clinic within one year of
starting to coach or they will be ineligible to continue coaching until this
requirement is fulfilled. No walk-ins
or substitutions will be permitted.
Cost for the clinic is $25. Coaches
can register at www.allentowndiocese.org/coaches and clicking on the
selected date.
For questions on registration, contact Dan Jones, assistant coordinator, CYO, 610-289-8900, ext. 30 or
djones@allentowndiocese.org.
9
10
The A.D. Times
Youth & Young Adults
July 21, 2016
Jóvenes Adultos del Ministerio Hispano / Encuentro del Equipo Timón
Por BERNARDA LIRIANO
El grupo de jóvenes adultos del ministerio hispano MIES (Misioneros de Esperanza) de Allentown y el grupo de jóvenes
adultos EPIC (Everything is Possible in
Chirist) de Reading, compartieron un día
de convivencia pastoral en un encuentro
coordinado por la Oficina del Misniterio
Hispano de la Diócesis de Allentown, el
pasado sábado 14 de mayo en Reading.
El encuentro brindó la oportunidad
para que ambos grupos de jóvenes se
conocieran y trabajaran en equipo. Así
como la oportunidad de momentos para
orar y meditar durante el encuentro.
Bernarda Liriano, Directora de la Oficina de Asuntos Hispanos, ofreció la meditación bíblica guiada durante encuentro,
donde les guió para entrar en un momento de oración en silencio. Los jóvenes
aprovecharon la belleza de la naturaleza
de la casa de retiro Mariawald, para reflexionar en la pregunta del Evangelio de
Juan, 1, 35-42. Los jóvenes meditaron en
la pregunta de Jesús, ¿Qué buscan? Y luego compartieron su experiencia personal
y las gracias recibidas con el grupo.
El lema del encuentro fue “Maestro,
¿Donde vives?” (Jn. 1,38). Durate el
día, los jóvenes compartieron dinámicas,
juegos, experiencias personales y trabajaron en equipo para planificar e implementar estrategias concretas para la pastoral
de jóvenes adultos del ministerio hispano
en sus respectivas regiones.
Las dinámicas estuvieron dirigidas por
cada grupo y los equipos de trabajo por
el coordinador regional de los mismos.
El Equipo de Jóvenes Adultos de
MIES y EPIC comparten del día del
Encuentro.
Jesús Tavares, fue el coordiandor para el
grupo EPIC, guiando la participación de
todos los miembros presentes, así como
Rosemary Rodríguez, lo fue para el grupo MIES.
La Hna. Adelina Rivas, P.S.S.J. acompañó a los jóvenes durante el encuentro con cantos de animación y guiando
la Coronilla de la Divina Misericordia.
También contamos con la presencia de la
Hna. Clara Luz Pichardo de la República
Dominicana, quien ha acompañado al
grupo de jóvenes MIES en Allentown en
sus inicios y nuevamente está de visita en
el área.
La oficina del Ministerio Hispano,
continúa brindando apoyo a los jóvenes
adultos en español en ambas regiones. El
encuentro también dio sus frutos inmediatos, al escuchar los testimonios de los
jóvenes al reconocer la acción de Dios
Los jóvenes se divierten compartiendo la dinámica dirigida por grupo de
jóvenes EPIC.
durante el dia. Cómo el Espíritu Santo
trabajó para llenar y sanar sus corazones,
fue una experiencia única, de agradecimiento y gozo para todos y para la gloria
de Dios. Los jóvenes plasmaron huellas
de pasos donde en acción de gracias ex-
presaron en sus propias palabras porque
le daban gracias a Dios durante el enceuntro.
La oportunidad de pertencer al gruPor favor mira MINISTERIO página 11 }}
El equipo comparte la enseñanza de la dinámica al trabajar en equipo sobre la
importancia de permanecer unidos.
July 21, 2016
Youth & Young Adults
Ministerio
}}Viene de la página 10
po de jóvenes, les ha abierto un nuevo
camino para cultivar amistades sanas, comentó uno de los presentes y para otro, es
tener la oportunidad de compartir y poder
expresar su viviencias y crecimiento en la
fe con otros jóvenes, después de tener a
toda su familia lejos de aquí, ya que se
hace difícil ser el único de la familia en
un pais extranjero.
Una joven expresó que fue vivificante
poder encontrase a solas con Dios en el
silencio una vez más, ya que las tareas y
labores cotidianas del diario vivir, muchas veces lo hace dificil, pero este encuentro le ayudó a reenfocarse en lo que
es verdaderamente importante, ya que lo
había hecho anteriormente en un evento
Hna. Adelina anima al grupo con una dinámica de apertura.
ofrecido por la oficina de Asuntos Hispanos en el pasado.
Ambos grupos de jóvenes da la bienvenida y acoge a todo jóven adulto de 18
años en adelante, que busca una comunidad de fe juvenil que hable su idioma y
que está enfocada en Jesús como modelo
de vida.
The A.D. Times
11
Brindando la oportunidad de compartir en un ambiente sano y divertido, pero
a la vez, que busca servir a la comunidad
y a los más necesitados. Entre sus metas,
está brindar apoyo a las parroquias en los
servicios que sean necesarios y apoyar a
instituciones sociales que requieren de
servicios voluntarios para dar el ejemplo de jóvenes católicos que buscan un
mejor futuro y un liderazgo enfocado
en el servicio a los demás sin buscar el
bien propio. Tarea que ya el grupo EPIC
ha venido haciendo y se comprometen a
continuar con esta labor.
Puedes obtener mayor información
de las reuniones de ambos grupos en la
página de internet de la Oficina de Asuntos Hispanos, visitando: www.allentowndiocese.org/oha o llamando a Bernarda
Liriano al 610-289-8900 X 34 para ser
parte del grupo de jóvenes adultos de tu
región.
Izquierda, De izquierda a derecha, Amy
Hernandez (MIES) y Mairely Guzmán
(EPIC), leen la lectura del Evangelio para
la meditación del día.
Derecha, Martha Campanur (EPIC) escribe en su diario de oración durante el
tiempo de meditación personal.
Abajo, De izquierda a derecha, del grupo
de Reading, EPIC, Jesús Tavares de la
parroquia de San Pablo y coordinador del
grupo, Jennifer Jiménez de San Pablo,
Martha Campanur, Mairely Guzmán de
Santa Margarita y José Romero de la Parroquia de San José.
Miembros del grupo MIES comparten ideas durante el trabajo en equipo.
El grupo de jóvenes se divierten durante la dinámica dirigida por el grupo MIES.
De izquierda a derecha, Jennifer Jimenez y Martha Campanur, presentan el
trabajo de planificación de equipo del grupo EPIC durante la plenaria del día.
El grupo reza la Coronilla de la Divina Misericordia durante el encuentro.
Jeremías Flores comparte su testimonio con el grupo y dirige la oración de
clausura. (Fotografías cortesía de Bernarda Liriano)
12
The A.D. Times
Youth & Young Adults
July 21, 2016
‘Tending God’s Sheep’ focus of Theology on Tap July session
By TAMI QUIGLEY
Staff writer
A week after the Fourth of July fireworks lit up the summer sky in Allentown, four speakers gathered with young
adults in the city’s downtown to share
lively recollections of their individual
roads to a religious vocation.
One had a self-described “vanilla” story albeit one filled with multiple graces.
One finds it helpful to chat with God –
aloud – while walking in the park, never
minding what passersby may think.
One even found inspiration in triumph
of good and evil in “The Empire Strikes
Back.”
And another was so surprised at
the vocation she wanted to pursue, she
thought incredulously, “Who has so much
fun with a bunch of nuns?” after spending
time with the sisters.
All this was weaved into “Tending
God’s Sheep,” the second session of Theology on Tap’s summer series July 11 at
Allentown Brew Works.
“I have never had an unhappy day because I made this choice to be a priest,”
said Msgr. Alfred Schlert, one of four
speakers who addressed the young adults
gathered at the event sponsored by the diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult
Ministry (OYYAM).
“Sure there are trying days, but not
because of the choice,” Msgr. Schlert
said. “Not every day is a bed of roses.
You have to recommit yourself to what
you do every day, just as in marriage and
religious life.”
Other speakers were diocesan seminarian Giuseppe Esposito; Sister Rose
Bernadette Mulligan, vocation directress
of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary (IHM), Immaculata; and
IHM Sister Melissa Mastrangelo of the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Sue Matour, director of OYYAM, welcomed those gathered. Those attending
included Mary Fran Hartigan, secretary
of the diocesan Secretariat for Catholic
Life and Evangelization.
Theology on Tap is designed to allow
young adults (21 to 35 years), single or
married, to come together in a comfortable and relaxed setting to share community, learn more about their faith and
discuss faith topics relevant to their life
experiences. It originated in the Archdiocese of Chicago, Ill.
Msgr. Alfred Schlert
Msgr. Schlert said this September will
mark his 29th year as a priest. He always
thought as a priest he’d be in a parish and
high school, but never imagined being a
college chaplain or vicar general. “I never
envisioned myself doing some of these
things, or that I had the wherewithal,” he
said. “That’s the joy and at the same time
mystery of religious vocations.”
Msgr. Schlert, a native son of St. Jane
Frances de Chantal and alumnus of Notre
Next in the series
“Building God’s Church,” the
final talk in the summer series, will
be Monday, Aug. 8 at 7 p.m. at Allentown Brew Works, 812 Hamilton
St., Allentown.
Speakers will be Deacon Rick
and Sheryl Lanciano of St. Igantius
Loyola, Sinking Spring; Dan and
Joey Moser of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bethlehem; and Brett
Kita of St. Jane Frances de Chantal,
Easton.
The series is sponsored by the diocesan Office of Youth Young Adult
Ministry. For more information, visit
www.allentowndiocese.org/oyyam.
Msgr. Alfred Schlert speaks as speakers listen, from left, Guiseppe Esposito,
Sister Rose Bernadette Mulligan and Sister Melissa Mastrangelo.
Young adults listen to presenters at the evening session sponsored by the
diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry (OYYAM).
Dame High School, Easton – where he
later taught for 10 years as a priest – began to think about the priesthood in high
school. He noted the positive influence
of the IHM sisters at St. Jane and Notre
Dame, as well as the Sisters of St. Joseph
as a student at Notre Dame.
“We had good priests in the parish and
school who took an interest in us. They
seemed so in love with their vocation.”
Msgr. Schlert said like many contemplating a vocation to the priesthood or religious vocation, he at first kept the idea
to himself. The monsignor subsequently
entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary,
Philadelphia after high school for his first
year of college.
Msgr. Schlert described his time
studying in Rome – alone and away from
seminary friends – as “a very defining
time for me. It was a great growth experience for me in my vocation. I really felt
God’s presence, how he carries you along
in your vocation.”
“The church helps us to discern our vocations and sustain them,” Msgr. Schlert
said, noting this applies to the priesthood,
religious life, married life and a chaste
single life.
“We’re never alone in discerning our
vocation and living it.”
Msgr. Schlert said there was no “lightning bolt moment” in his “vanilla” vocation story, but there were “a lot of graces
God was able to shower on me, including
a supportive family and good examples.”
“I see the whole process, to this day, as
a gift from God.”
Giuseppe Esposito
Esposito, a graduate of Marian High
School, Tamaqua, just completed his first
theology year at St. Charles Borromeo,
but was in the seminary several years ago
before leaving and boomeranging back.
He noted vocation is derived from the
Latin word “vocare,” which means “to
call.”
“God has put forth a calling to draw us
closer to him.”
One way he draws closer to God is to
talk to him during the day. Sometimes
this is in the park, when Esposito will say,
“God, I have this situation.”
“If you are self-conscious about walking by yourself in the park while praying,
you can always use a prop, like bringing a
dog with you,” he said with a smile.
After hearing a priest talk about serving the poor and bringing people the
sacraments while a high school student,
Esposito was “awash in this feeling this
is what I want to do.” A week later Espositio – who was usually dating – changed
his mind. While a biology major at DeSales University, Center Valley, he drifted from his faith.
“But then I started thinking, ‘if everything is materialism or a chemical reaction, what does anything matter?’”
The pendulum swung the other way
and brought Esposito back to God.
“I decided God gives my life meaning and value, so I wanted to give my
life to God.” Esposito entered the seminary during this “honeymoon period of
my faith” and was there for three years.
When things began going wrong – “like
in a relationship” – he left.
Esposito went to nursing school because he wanted to help people, and
“being with people at the end of life and
praying with them” caused him to think
about returning to the seminary, which he
did.
Sister Rose Bernadette Mulligan
“God knows what will speak to each
of your hearts, no matter your vocation,”
said Sister Rose, who has worked in vocations for nine years.
Sister Rose grew up in Jim Thorpe, and
recalled her parents’ devotion to the Eucharist, though they were not an “overly
religious family.” She said her fifth-grade
teacher, a religious sister at Immaculate
Heart School, “was so nice that I thought,
‘I could do that.’”
There were many nuanced nudges
along the way, such as in sixth grade
when her Uncle Jim – the late Msgr.
James Mulligan of the Diocese of Allentown – gave her “The Chronicles of Narnia.” “I thought wow, if Jesus is like that
lion, he’s wild, he’s not boring,” she said.
Later, while watching the movie “The
Empire Strikes Back,” Sister Bernadette
thought, “I want to help God fight the battle of good and evil with my light saber.”
While a student at Marian, Sister Rose
was excited and happy but also nervous
about the possibility of a vocation. She
wrote to a religious sister who suggested
she pray about it and then contact a sister who worked in vocations. Sister Rose
did just that, and attended a discernment
retreat.
“I love being a sister – deep down I
know this is what God is calling me to
do. Not every day is perfect, just as in any
vocation.”
Sister Rose recalled being a bit rattled
10 years after joining the IHMs when a
former boyfriend called and said, “Not a
day goes by that I don’t think of you.”
“I welled up – what if I was meant to
marry him?”
In the chapel, she talked to God about
it. “I felt inside as if God was saying, ‘Not
a day goes by that I don’t think of you.’”
Sister Melissa Mastrangelo
Sister Melissa is a “junior professed,”
meaning next month she will renew her
vows for two more years, at the conclusion of which time she’ll make her permanent vows.
In high school, Sister Melissa believed
her future was getting married and having children. She excelled in sports, being
a sprinter and playing field hockey. She
was drawn to community service and had
a strong faith, noting her family went to
Mass regularly but was not overly religious.
Sister Melissa earned a track scholarship as a sprinter to LaSalle University,
Philadelphia. “For sports, it was great
there, but my faith drifted.” She was
enjoying the college life, but eventually
knew she had to get her priorities in order.
“I made the decision my faith is important, so I had to do something about
it.” She returned to attending Sunday
Mass.
After college, Sister Melissa’s plan
was playing out perfectly. She was going
to marry her boyfriend, she had her own
apartment and car and a job. “But I was
forgetting God’s plan for me.”
“The breakup with my boyfriend was
hard, but when we were together I didn’t
feel genuinely happy. I was searching for
something.”
Thinking God was asking her to give
more of herself by becoming a theology
teacher, Sister Melissa returned to LaSalle to study theology. She became friendly
with a religious sister and was curious
about her life as a woman religious, often peppering her with questions on the
subject.
This led to spending a weekend with
the IHMs at Immaculata. “I had so much
fun. How can you have fun with a bunch
of nuns?”
Still wanting to be married with kids,
Sister Melissa didn’t call the IHMs for
three months, after which she spent more
weekends there and entered the community six years ago.
“Every day isn’t perfect. I live with 16
sisters – with 16 women living together,
believe me, God is involved,” Sister Melissa said. “We may not agree on everything, but at the end of the day we love
each other – we’re sisters.”and Brett Kita
of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Easton.
The series is sponsored by the diocesan Office of Youth Young Adult Ministry. For more information, visit www.
allentowndiocese.org/oyyam.
World
July 21, 2016
The A.D. Times
Bishop feels ‘deep ache in my heart’ after fatal shootings of police
BATON ROUGE, La. (CNS) – Baton
Rouge Bishop Robert Muench renewed a
call for a diocesan-wide week of prayer,
fasting and reflection after the latest fatal shootings in the city, which this time
took the lives of three law enforcement
officers.
He urged all to “work toward a lasting
peace in our communities.”
Early July 17, a former Marine fatally
shot three police officers, and wounded
three more, one critically, less than a mile
from the city’s police headquarters. The
gunman, later identified as Gavin Long
of Missouri, was killed at the scene, officials said.
Baton Rouge was still reeling from
the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling, 37,
by police during an altercation outside a
convenience store July 5. The first week
of July also saw the fatal shooting of Philando Castile, 32, in suburban St. Paul,
Minnesota, by police officers July 6, followed by the sniper shooting in Dallas
that killed five police officers July 7.
“Words cannot express the emotions
we feel for those who have lost loved ones
in the tragic events of this day,” Bishop
Muench said in a statement. “Their entire
lives have been unexpectedly and terribly
turned upside down.”
He said he and the diocese’s vicar
general, Father Tom Ranzino, visited two
of the families affected by the shootings
later that afternoon to share “prayer and
support in the midst of their shock, horror
and grief.”
“Prayer is a powerful path to follow
when tragedy happens, but even the most
devout of us sometime question: ‘What
good could come of this?’” the bishop
said. “Only the word of God has the answer to the questions that shake our faith:
The answer is our Lord Jesus Christ. In
Jesus, hope ultimately triumphs over despair; love ultimately triumphs over hate;
and resurrection ultimately triumphs over
death.”
In the neighboring Diocese of HoumaThibodaux, Bishop Shelton Fabre said
that “our tears are still falling and our
fresh and fervent prayers are still ascending to God” over the earlier violence and
loss of life in Louisiana when the law enforcement offers were ambushed in Baton Rouge, a diocese “very close to home
for us.”
“As a native of New Roads and a
priest of the Diocese of Baton Rouge for
17 years, I feel a deep ache in my heart
because of recent violence that has happened there,” said Bishop Fabre in a reflection posted July 17 on his Facebook
page.
“My sincere condolences to those who
have lost loved ones today or in the past
weeks in the violence that has occurred in
Baton Rouge, Minneapolis, Dallas, Istanbul and Nice,” he said. “Unfortunately, I
fear that we as a nation and a world are
becoming too accustomed to the tragic
events of violence and loss of human life
such as has occurred over the past few
weeks.”
He said in such times, he is drawn to
the Lord’s words to the prophet Isaiah:
“Comfort my people.” He said he also
chose those words for his episcopal motto
“because I feel that deep within the heart
of God is a desire to comfort us in our
pain.
“Each of us reacts differently to violent tragedy. Some of us may be angry.
Violence pierces our hearts and leaves us
in pain. Anger flows from pain,” Bishop
Fabre said. “For those of us who are angry, I simply remind us that underneath
the anger, in the pain, there is God wanting to ‘comfort his people.’
“Some of us may have questions like,
‘Will the violence and killing stop? When
will this end?’ Those are great questions.
There, in the questions and together genuinely seeking to find answers constructively, we will find God listening to us
wanting to ‘comfort his people.’”
He called on all people of HoumaThibodaux, regardless of their religion or
their history, to pray, whether in privacy
at home or at a large church gathering.
Bishop Fabre urged people to consider
three things in prayer: “First, to each personally pray daily for an end to violence.
Violence is a complex evil; however,
violence is often propelled by selfishness
and self-centeredness. We as people must
look ‘outside of ourselves,’ we must turn
to God, for it is in him that our true peace
lies.”
Second, he said people should come
together in prayer, and asked every Catholic church in the diocese over the next
two weeks to offer a Holy Hour “to pray
for an end to violence.”
Third, “let us continue to work together for justice and peace,” Bishop Fabre
said.
“As Pope Francis has indicated,” he
continued, “we must truly seek to ‘encounter’ those who are racially or ethnically different from us in a real effort to
appreciate the countless gifts that unite
us, and to seek to address and to solve the
problems that challenge and seek to divide us, complicating our lives together.
When we learn to ‘see’ people with the
eyes of the Lord, we will then move forward in justice and peace.”
In a July 18 statement, the president of
the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
offered his prayers for the officers and
families “affected by the horrible shooting in Baton Rouge.”
“We find ourselves amid a prolonged
prayer of lament as we join to console the
grieving and support the suffering,” said
In brief
Remembering the victims of the tragic terrorist attack
in Nice, France, Pope Francis prayed that God may give
comfort to grieving families and foil the plans of those who
wish to harm others.
“May God, the good father, receive all the victims in his
peace, support the wounded and comfort the families; may
he dispel every plan of terror and death so that no man
dares to spill his brother’s blood ever again,” the pope said
July 17 after reciting the Angelus prayer with visitors gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
The pope spoke after the July 14 attack during Bastille
Day celebrations along Nice’s seaside promenade that
killed 84 people. The French government declared three
days of mourning beginning July 16.
In a message after the attack signed by Cardinal Pietro
Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, the pope condemned
the Bastille Day attack as an “act of blind violence” and
expressed his “deep sorrow” and “spiritual closeness” with
the French people.
Before leading a moment of silent prayer at his Angelus
address, the pope said the pain in the aftermath of the
massacre in Nice, “in which so many innocent lives, even
many children were mowed down, is still alive.”
“I give a paternal and fraternal embrace to all the residents of Nice and to the whole French nation. And now,
all together, let us pray thinking about this massacre, the
victims, and the families,” he said.
Brian Bergkamp, a seminarian
from the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas,
who was studying at Mount St. Mary’s
Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland, is
believed dead after saving the life of
a woman who fell into the Arkansas
River July 9.
At press time, July 20, he remained
missing. Friends and family members
were holding vigils to pray for the
recovery of his body.
Bergkamp, 24, was among five
people traveling in separate kayaks
when all got caught in turbulent waters. According to The Wichita Eagle
Bergkamp
newspaper, Bergkamp jumped from
his kayak to save the woman before
getting pulled under himself. The
other kayakers made it to shore.
Msgr. Andrew Baker, a priest of the Diocese of Allentown
serving as rector of the seminary, remembered Bergkamp
Pope Francis plans to visit Assisi, Italy, Aug. 4 to
make a “simple and private” visit during the Year of
Mercy to the Portiuncola, the stone chapel rebuilt
by St. Francis, to mark the 800th anniversary of the
“Pardon of Assisi,” an indulgence earned by visiting
faithful who confess their sins and make a sincere
promise of repentance. Assisi is pictured in this
Sept. 6, 2011, file photo. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
as a “quiet, but very effective leader.”
“He was a thoughtful and prayerful young man,” Msgr.
Baker told the Catholic Review. “He was extremely reliable
and hardworking.”
Bergkamp had served as a sacristan at Mount St. Mary’s,
the priest said.
The circumstances of Bergkamp’s death show that he
knew the depth of what it meant to be a Christian and a
priest, Msgr. Baker said. “It was self-giving love. He didn’t
have to think twice before he acted (to save another’s life).”
Bergkamp had just finished his second year at the Mount.
He was the son of Ned and Theresa Bergkamp of Garden
Plain and would have been ordained to the transitional diaconate at the end of the upcoming school year. His brother,
Andy, was ordained to the transitional diaconate in May. He
is preparing for the priesthood for the Diocese of Wichita at
Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois.
“Brian’s death is a great tragedy and a great loss, not
only for his family and friends,” said Baltimore Archbishop
William E. Lori, “but to all who knew him and to the church
he was so generously seeking to serve.”
Recent comments by a high-ranking Vatican official
Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville,
Kentucky. “People are suffering because
their uniform is blue, suffering because
their skin is black and suffering simply
because of their station in life.”
The “temptation to respond to violence with violence is strong,” he said,
noting that even St. Peter himself lashed
out about Christ’s arrest. “Jesus’ response
was clear: ‘Put your sword back into its
sheath, for all who take the sword will
perish by the sword.’”
“As followers of Christ, let us always
embrace love and ask ourselves how we
can best invite all people of goodwill to
live with us in peace,” Archbishop Kurtz
said.
Against a backdrop of “complex and
varied” reasons for so much suffering, he
urged people come together “to address
the lingering evil of racism, the need to
safeguard our citizens from the present danger of extremism and the overall
breakdown of civility.”
The U.S. Catholic Church “will seek
out ways to foster this life-saving dialogue,” he said. “Answers will not come
easily nor as quickly as we need. We must
continue searching and listening until
they do.”
In addition to dialogue that “cultivates
a true respect for every human being,”
Archbishop Kurtz said, “we should also
seek ways, large and small, to be a sign
of hope in the everyday routines of life.”
“The next time you are pulled over by
a police officer or walk past one on the
street, thank him or her for their service,”
he advised. To those who work in law enforcement, he said, “The next time you
make a traffic stop, thank the person for
their time.”
He added, “The task of building a society upon the strong foundation of love
begins with each one of us every day.” have sparked questions about the direction priests should
face while celebrating Mass, but the Vatican spokesman
said Pope Francis has made it clear no changes are foreseen.
Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, urged
priests and bishops at the Sacra Liturgia conference in
London July 5 to start celebrating Masses “ad orientem,”
or facing away from the congregation, beginning the first
Sunday of Advent this year.
However, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican
spokesman, issued a statement July 11 indicating Pope
Francis met with Cardinal Sarah July 9 to indicate no liturgical directives will begin in Advent.
“Cardinal Sarah is always rightly concerned with the
dignity of the celebration of Mass, that it might adequately
express an attachment of respect and adoration for the
eucharistic mystery,” Father Lombardi’s statement said.
“Some of his phrasing has been badly interpreted, as if
he had announced new, different indications from those
now given in liturgical norms and the words of the popes on
celebration toward the people and the ordinary rite of the
Mass,” the spokesman added.
He recalled that the General Instruction on the Roman
Missal, which “remains fully in force,” indicated that the
altar should be built away from the wall so “that Mass can
be celebrated at it facing the people, which is desirable
wherever possible.”
Only through the memories of elderly people and the
courage of youth can people overcome a global throwaway
culture and broaden society’s horizons, Pope Francis said.
The 200th anniversary of Argentina’s independence
offers an opportunity for older and younger generations to
help continue “the pursuit of our destiny,” the pope wrote
July 9 in a letter sent to the Argentine bishops’ conference
to mark the occasion.
“I am convinced that our motherland needs to bring alive
the prophecy of Joel. Only if our grandparents dare to
dream and our young people dare to prophesy great things
can the motherland be free. We are in need of the dreaming elderly to drive the young who, inspired by those same
dreams, run forward with the creativity of prophecy,” he
wrote.
The letter, addressed to Archbishop Jose Maria Arancedo, president of the Argentine bishops’ conference, commemorated the anniversary of the country’s independence
from Spain.
The celebration, the pope said, “will make us stronger as
we journey on the path taken by our ancestors 200 years
ago.”
13
14
The A.D. Times
Diocese
July 21, 2016
NFP Awareness Week to begin July 24
“Natural Family Planning. Love, Mercy, Life. Opening the Heart of Marriage”
is the theme of this year’s Natural Family Planning Awareness Week, a national
educational campaign of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to
celebrate God’s vision for marriage and
promote the methods of Natural Family
Planning (NFP).
NFP is an umbrella term for the safe,
natural and effective methods of both
achieving and avoiding pregnancy. NFP
methods teach couples how to observe
and interpret the woman’s signs of fertility and infertility.
In the words of the Catechism of the
Catholic Church, NFP methods “respect
the bodies of the spouses, encourage tenderness between them and favor the education of an authentic freedom” (CCC,
no. 2370).
The dates of NFP Awareness Week are
Sunday, July 24 through Saturday, July
30.
These dates highlight the anniversary
of the papal encyclical “Humanae Vitae”
(July 25), which articulates Catholic beliefs about human sexuality, marriage,
conjugal love and responsible parenthood.
Diocese to host ‘Fearless Love’ event July 25
The Diocese of Allentown Office of
Marriage and Family Life Formation will
join with the U.S. bishops in highlighting
the benefits of NFP.
The office will host “Fearless Love”
Monday, July 25 at 7 p.m. at Allentown
Brew Works.
Dr. William Hamant, assistant professor of theology at DeSales University,
Center Valley, will present “Preserving
Human Sexuality Whole and Entire:
Spirit, Soul and Body.”
The event will be free and open to all.
Want to learn more about the methods
of NFP or local classes offered in our diocese? Visit www.allentowndiocese.org/
nfp.
Don’t have time to attend an in-person
class? Learn NFP in the comfort of your
home by contacting one of the NFP providers listed at http://www.usccb.org/nfp/
nfp-distance-learning.cfm.
The Catholic Church invites all the
faithful to embrace God’s plan for married love. Learn more about these beautiful teachings that support the use of NFP
in marriage at http://www.usccb.org/nfp/
catholic-teaching.
Everyone is invited to join the diocesan NFP team to spread the word about
Fireworks for Catholic education at IronPigs
The Diocese of Allentown Office of
Education is sponsoring the Fireworks
Display at the IronPigs game Saturday,
Aug. 13 at Coca-Cola Park, Allentown.
Bishop John Barres will be throwing
out the first pitch. Game time will be 6:35
p.m.
The Office of Education will be on
hand with five tables displaying our diocesan schools.
To get tickets for the game, contact
Janis Geist, Catholic school scholarship
administrator, 610-866-0581, ext. 3044
or jgeist@allentowndiocese.org; or the
Priest celebrates 25 years
Father Richard O’Nyamwaro
Order: Apostles of Jesus
Current assignment: Director of
mission promotion, Apostles of Jesus
Mission Office, Northampton.
Home parish: Immaculate Conception, Nyabururu, Kisii Diocese, Kenya,
East Africa.
Education: St. Joseph Nyabururu Primary School; St. Charles Lwanga, Kakamega and Nyakeiri High School; Apostles of Jesus Major Seminary, Langata,
Nairobi, Kenya; Urubania University,
Rome, Italy; St. Mary and Holy Family
of Nazareth, Chicago, Illinois; Loyola
University, Chicago.
Date entered order: 1982.
Ordination: July 19, 1991 at Kisii,
Kenya by Bishop
Charles
Tiberius
Mugendi.
Previous assignments: Apostles of
Jesus Uru Seminary,
Moshi,
Tanzania;
vice rector and financial administrator, Kiserian Minor
Seminary, Kenya;
rector, Apostles of
Jesus
Philosophicum, Nairobi; father-in-charge, Ikinu
Catholic Parish, Kiambu, Kenya; hospital
chaplain, Peoria, Illinois and Holy Spirit,
Camp Hill.
IronPigs directly and ask to sit in the
Diocese of Allentown section, www.ironpigsbaseball.com or 610-841-PIGS.
Unless the game is sold out, tickets
will also be available at the gate the night
of the game.
God’s design for married love and the gift
of life, as well as the methods of NFP. To
get involved, call Robert Olney, director,
at 610-289-8900, ext. 28.
Diocese
July 21, 2016
The A.D. Times
15
Death
Father Grembocki, pastor of Assumption, Slatington
Father Joseph Grembocki,
72, pastor of Assumption BVM
Church, Slatington, died July
11 at his parish.
Born in Coaldale, Father
Grembocki was the son of the
late Joseph and Agnes (Zaba)
Grembocki. He was preceded
in death by his brother, Chester.
There are no immediate family
member survivors.
Father Grembocki attended
SS. Peter and Paul School,
Lansford, and is a graduate of Lansford
High School, Lansford. He attended St.
Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, where he received a bachelor of arts
degree in philosophy and a master of di-
vinity degree.
He was ordained to the
priesthood March 27, 1971 by
Bishop Joseph McShea.
Father Grembocki’s first
priestly assignment was assistant pastor of St. Catharine
of Siena Church, Reading,
followed by assistant pastor,
St. John Baptist de la Salle
Church, Shillington; assistant
pastor, St. Paul Church, Allentown; and administrator, the
former St. Kunegunda Church, McAdoo.
His first pastoral assignment was at
St. Kunegunda. Father Grembocki was
then named pastor of Assumption BVM
Church, Slatington, where he served as
pastor until his death.
During the course of his priestly ministry, Father Grembocki served as chaplain, Catholic Scouting, Hawk Mountain
Council, Reading; area chaplain, Catholic
Scouting, Allentown; special advocate,
Tribunal; chaplain, Catholic Scouting,
East Schuylkill County; member, Council of Social Services; diocesan director,
Catholic Scouting; assistant diocesan director, youth ministry; member, Budget/
Audit Board, Marian High School, Tamaqua; and Member, advisory board, Marian High School.
A Vigil Service was held July 14 at
Assumption BVM Church, 633 W. Washington St., Slatington. Presiding will be
Msgr. Daniel Yenushosky, pastor of Holy
Trinity Church, Whitehall, and vicar forane of the Lehigh Deanery.
Homilist will be Msgr. Thomas Derzack, pastor of St. Nicholas Church, Walnutport.
Mass of Christian Burial for Father
Grembocki was celebrated July 15 at Assumption BVM by Bishop of Allentown
John Barres.
Homilist was Father James Bechtel,
pastor emeritus, St. Jerome Church, Tamaqua.
Main concelebrants were Msgr. Alfred
Schlert, diocesan vicar general, and Father Bechtel.
Interment will take place in the parish
cemetery.
Institute for Catechesis and Formation remaining summer courses
The remaining summer courses being
offered by the diocesan Institute for Catechesis and Formation, all 8:30 a.m. to
12:30 p.m., are:
everyone is invited to learn
more about what it means to
say “I believe….”
The Creed – CAT 1
Saturdays, July 30 and Aug. 6 at St.
Thomas More School, Allentown, with
facilitator Jennifer Shankweiler.
Saturdays, Aug. 13 and 20 at Nativity
BVM High School, Pottsville, with facilitator Joan Wassell.
This course provides catechists with
a foundation in the basic tenets of the
Catholic faith, and is a good starting
point leading to further study. The course
is highly recommended for catechists; but
Classroom Applications –
CAT II
Saturdays, July 30 and
Aug. 6 at St. Ambrose,
Schuylkill Haven, with facilitator Peggy Place.
Saturdays, Aug. 13 and
20 at St. Ignatius Loyola,
Sinking Spring, with facilitator Peggy Place.
This course has practical
information for catechists
on their role as formators in
the faith. It includes learning
to create lesson plans, communication with parents, and
how to engage them in religious instruction, material
delivery at age-appropriate
levels, and more.
The sacraments are intimate, personal
encounters between God and his people.
This course will present an overview of
these signs of God’s love for us, by which
he makes a personal connection with us
and conveys grace – his very life within
us.
The Sacraments – ICF 104
Saturdays, July 30 and
Aug. 6 at St. Ignatius Loyola,
Sinking Spring, with facilitator Deacon Rick Lanciano.
Saturdays, Aug. 13 and
20 at St. Thomas More, Allentown, with facilitator
Heather Maigur.
ICF courses are meant for any adult
looking to grow deeper and learn more
about the faith. There are no prerequisites.
Cost is $30. To register, visit www.
allentowndiocese.org/icf. For more information, call 610-289-8900, ext. 21 or
email adultformation@allentowndiocese.
org.
27th annual Mercy Golf Classic to benefit inspiring students
Golfers can enjoy a great day of golf
for a great cause at Mercy School for
Special Learning’s 27th Annual Golf
Classic Monday, Aug. 1.
Brookside Country Club will once
again host the event that benefits Mercy,
the Lehigh Valley’s only private school
for children and young adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.
Mercy has helped students from Lehigh,
Northampton and Monroe counties reach
their fullest potential for more than 60
years through a combination of academics, life skills, and community engagement.
Last year’s classic netted Mercy nearly $46,000 and welcomed 163 golfers.
Like last year, golfers this year have their
choice of playing in a morning (7:30 a.m.
shotgun start) or afternoon (12:30 shotgun start) round or both.
Cost is $175 per golfer for one round
or $300 for both, and includes a continental breakfast, lunch and dinner; golfers
receive round preference on a first-comefirst-served basis.
CrossAmerica Partners, Dunne Manning, City Center Lehigh Valley and IAI
Construction are among the principal
sponsors for the event. Awards will be
given to the top foursomes (men’s, women’s and mixed), longest drive and closest to pin. Event prizes include four major hole-in-one prizes, a 50/50 pot o’gold
and a 50/50 cash drawing.
The Mercy Golf Classic also is a
member event in the Landis Cup, which
is sponsored by the Landis Family Foundation.
For more information, contact Tom
Harper at 610-797-8242, ext. 14 or tharper@mercyspeciallearning.org. Participants and sponsors can also visit www.
mercyclassic2016.com to sign up to play
as well as sponsor the event.
For more information about Mercy,
visit www.mercyschool.org or www.
facebook.com/mercyschoolforspeciallearning.
16
The A.D. Times
Diocese
July 21, 2016
‘Celebrate Life Banquet’ to feature Archbishop Chaput
Archbishop Charles Chaput of
Philadelphia will be featured at the
2016 “Celebrate Life Banquet” of
the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation
(PPLF), Thursday, Sept. 29 at Hotel
Radisson Harrisburg in Camp Hill.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., with
banquet at 6 p.m.
The event will benefit the lifesaving work of the PPLF Education
Fund.
Archbishop Chaput is one of our
nation’s foremost pro-life leaders.
A prolific writer and a captivating
speaker, he is a tireless defender of
the rights of preborn children, preg-
nant women and families.
The first Native American Catholic archbishop in the United States, he
has earned the reputation of being a
prophetic voice on behalf of the sanctity of human life.
He received worldwide acclaim in
2015 for hosting the World Meeting
of Families in Philadelphia, which included a historic appearance by Pope
Francis.
Banquet tickets are $50 each; table
sponsorships are available.
For more information or to register, call 717-541-0034 or visit website
www.paprolife.org.
Save the date – Men’s Conference Nov. 5
The Spirit 2016 Men’s Conference will be Saturday, Nov. 5
at DeSales University, Center Valley.
Guest speakers will be Marcus Grodi, Bishop of Harrisburg
Ronald Gainer and Father Michael Gaitley.
The conference is being presented by the Commission for
Men and the Diocese of Allentown. For the latest conference
information, visit www.cmfda.org.
Grodi
Bishop Gainer
Father Gaitley
‘Feast of Santo Niño’ set for Aug. 21
The “First Summer Sinulog: Feast
of the Santo Niño” is being planned
by the Filipino Community of Berks
for Sunday, Aug. 21 at 1 p.m. at Immaculate Conception BVM Church,
905 Chestnut St., Douglassville.
Celebrant will be Bishop of Allentown John Barres.
The Santo Niño Mass celebrates
a devotion to the infant Jesus, whose
miraculous intercessions were instru-
mental to the Christianization of the
Philippines
RSVP is requested by Sunday,
Aug. 7 at isantos@ptd.net or call/text
215-313-8962.
Pro-life picnic
set for Aug. 21
in Hamburg
Everyone is invited to “Celebrate
America’s Future,” a pro-life picnic
sponsored by Pro-Life Berks, Sunday, Aug. 21 from 2 to 5 p.m. at St.
Mary’s Picnic Pavilion, 94 Walnut
Road, Hamburg.
The day will feature speakers,
food, music and games.
Deadline for reservations is Sunday, Aug. 14. Donations will be accepted.
To make reservations, contact:
Mary Alice Kuhns, kkpcserv@comcast.net; Carolyn Bonkoski, carolyn233@verizon.net; Helen Turner,
sunnyhelen@ptd.net; Kathy Kuhns,
krkuhns1@verizon.net or 610-3753395.
Diocese
July 21, 2016
The A.D. Times
17
Caring for caregivers at heart of event in Center Valley
Sister of Mercy
Janice Marie
Johnson said
the caregivers
voiced what
a wonderful,
peace-filled
and refreshing experience
the day was
for them. “One
participant
thanked me for
‘the gift of the
day.’”
The day included a presentation and blessing of
prayer shawls for each caregiver present.
Participants admire the prayer shawls given to them at “A Day of Prayer and
Care for Caregivers” of parents, spouses or children with an illness or disability
that drew 15 men and women caregivers from the Lehigh and Northampton
deaneries to Sacred Heart Villa, Center Valley June 25 for a daylong event.
Participants included Millie Mosella, parishioner of St. Joseph the Worker,
Orefield and Noel Gonzalez, parishioner of St. Paul, Allentown, third and fourth
from left. At right is Robert Olney, director of the diocesan Office of Marriage
and Family Life Formation. (Photos by John Simitz)
Jill Krafczyk, center, helps teach knitting to Joan Myles, parishioner of Immaculate Conception BVM, Allentown, left, and Millie Mosella.
Maureen Bernard gives a chair massage to Lee Bolmar, parishioner of St.
John Fisher, Catasauqua. The day was hosted by the Office for Ministry with
Persons with Disabilities of the diocesan Secretariat for Catholic Life and
Evangelization and Catholic Charities, Diocese of Allentown.
Ministries with Persons with Disabilities
•
•
•
•
Provides support to parish advocates in promoting active involvement of persons with disabilities in the life of the parish.
Interpreted Masses for the Deaf are offered in Berks County
and the Lehigh Valley on a weekly and biweekly basis respectively.
Supports pastors, religious education directors and teachers in the use of
appropriate faith instruction and materials for children with disabilities.
The You Are Not Alone Ministry is available to expecting couples who
receive a poor prenatal diagnosis.
Noel Gonzalez, center, and Marilyn Cassidy, right, pray while wearing their
prayer shawls.
Sister of Mercy Janice Marie Johnson, director of the diocesan Office for Ministry with Persons with Disabilities, leads participants in the closing prayer. The
event also featured presentations by Bernardine Franciscan Sister Christen
Shukwit, campus minister at Alvernia University, Reading.
Left, Cheryl Bacher gives a manicure to Noel Gonzalez. The day featured
pampering activities including manicure, chair massage, talk on skin care
and journaling.
18
The A.D. Times
Diocese
Calendar
July 21, 2016
ship of Mary, Northampton, 3 p.m., reflection by Msgr. Daniel
Yenushosky, pastor of Holy Trinity, Whitehall.
Wednesday, Aug. 17
Serra Club of Allentown, regular meeting, St. Thomas More,
Allentown, 7 p.m.
Editor’s note: E-mail, fax or mail church-affiliated items for
the Calendar page (Calendar, Retreats, Socials, Festivals,
Bazaars, Trips) to: e-mail, adtimes@allentowndiocese.org;
fax, 610-439-7694; The A.D. Times, P.O. Box F, Allentown, PA
18105-1538.
Items must be received by Thursday of the week before
publication.
Please type or print. Please notify The A.D. Times if
bingos and other regularly listed events are cancelled for
the summer or other holiday periods, and again when they
resume.
The A.D. Times publishes only newly announced, churchaffiliated trips on a regular basis. The entire previously
announced repeating trip list is published only as space
permits. Please notify The A.D. Times when seats are filled for a
trip so it can be removed from the repeating list.
Please do not send items again after they are published.
For more information, e-mail adtimes@allentowndiocese.org or
call 610-871-5200, ext. 264.
Saturday, Aug. 20
Golf Tournament, Assumption BVM, Slatington at Shepherd
Hills Golf Club, Wescosville, four-person scramble, tee time
8 a.m., per golfer $85, www.abvmslat.weconnect.com, 610-7672214.
Thursday, July 21
Spaghetti Dinner, St. Michael the Archangel, Minersville, 4-7
p.m., adults $9, children under 10 $5, 570-544-6853.
Tuesday, Aug. 23
Serra Club of Bethlehem, Barnabite Spiritual Center (basement entrance), 6:30 p.m., speaker Msgr. David James,
diocesan director of vocations.
Friday, July 22
Rock ‘n’ Roll Oldies Dance, Fellowship Group, Marian Inn,
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bethlehem, 6-10 p.m., $20, 610866-8723, 610-865-9392, 610-849-2179, 610-861-2924.
Saturday, July 23
“Clean-Out Sale,” church hall, Our Lady of Mercy, 131 Davis
St., Easton, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., electronics, household items,
furniture, books, lamps, folding tables, Christmas items, much
more.
Sunday, July 24
Car Wash Fundraiser, St. Francis of Assisi, Allentown, at
Tippy’s Car Wash, Sumner Avenue, Allentown, 9:30 a.m.-4:30
p.m., $8 per car, rain date Sunday, July 31.
Monday, July 25
“Fearless Love: Preserving Human Sexuality Whole and
Entire: Spirit, Soul and Body.” speaker Dr. William Hamant, for
Natural Family Planning Week July 24-30, diocesan Office of
Marriage and Family Life Formation, at Allentown Brew Works,
7 p.m., free and open to all, www.allentowndiocese.org/nfp,
610-289-8900, ext. 28.
Tuesday, July 26
Serra Club of Bethlehem, Monocacy Manor, Bethlehem, 6:30
p.m. (no dinner), speaker Father Daniel Kravitz, assistant pastor, St. Anne, Bethlehem.
“Conversando con el Obispo Juan Barres,” Llamados a ser
Discípulos Misioneros de la Misericordia de Cristo, Lehigh
Valley, Parroquia Santa Infancia, 312 E. Fourth St., Bethlehem,
7-8:30 p.m., más información Bernarda Liriano, directora de
Asuntos Hispanos, 610-289-8900, ext. 34, oha@allentowndiocese.org, www.allentowndiocese.org/oha.
Wednesday, July 27
“Shakespeare and Francis de Sales: Common Boundaries
and Common Ground,” DeSales University, Center Valley,
cocktail reception 6 p.m., presentation and discussion, 7 p.m.,
with Patrick Mulcahy, producing artistic director, Pennsylvania
Shakespeare Festival, and Father Thomas Dailey, director,
Salesian Center for Faith and Culture, free and open to the
public, www.desales.edu/salesian.
Thursday, July 28
Serra Club of Reading Dinner Meeting, Riveredge Restaurant, 6 p.m., speaker Deacon Frederick Lanciano.
“Conversando con el Obispo Juan Barres,” Llamados a ser
Discípulos Misioneros de la Misericordia de Cristo, Berks,
Parroquia Santa Margarita, 925 Centre Ave., Reading, 7-8:30
p.m., más información Bernarda Liriano, directora de Asuntos
Hispanos, 610-289-8900, ext. 34, oha@allentowndiocese.org,
www.allentowndiocese.org/oha.
Monday, Aug. 1
Mercy School for Special Learning Golf Classic, Brookside
Country Club, Macungie, shotgun start 7:30 a.m. and 12:30
p.m., one round $175, two rounds $300, questions tharper@
mercyspeciallearning.org, registration www.mercyclassic2016.
com.
Friday, Aug. 5
Blood Drive, Allentown Central Catholic High School, 9 a.m.2 p.m., in memory of student Alayna Velez, www.redcrossblood.org, oliviadeller@yahoo.com, 1-800-red-cross.
Saturday, Aug. 6
Garage Sale, social hall, Queenship of Mary, Northampton, 8
a.m.-4 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 9
Serra Club of Bethlehem, Barnabite Spiritual Center (basement entrance), 6:30 p.m., speaker John Petrucelli, principal of
Bethlehem Catholic High School.
Saturday, Aug. 13
Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima, World Apostolate of
Fatima, Blue Army Shrine, Washington, N.J., 10:30 a.m., confessions, outdoor rosary procession, Mass with Bishop Joseph
Bambera, Divine Mercy Chaplet, www.bluearmy.com, 908-6891700.
Sunday, Aug. 14
Musikfest Polka Mass, Festplatz Polka Tent (near Hill-toHill Bridge), Bethlehem, 10 a.m., sponsored by Sacred Heart
Hospital, Allentown.
Holy Hour and Recitation of Divine Mercy Chaplet, Queen-
Sunday, Aug. 21
Holy Family Manor Open Golf Tournament, Bethlehem Golf
Club, shotgun start 1 p.m., $100 per golfer, 610-997-9409,
development@cshhcs.org.
“First Summer Sinulog: Feast of the Santo Nino,” Immaculate Conception, Douglassville, 1 p.m., celebrant Bishop John
Barres, RSVP by Sunday, Aug. 7, isantos@ptd.net.
“Celebrate America’s Future,” pro-life picnic sponsored by
Berks Pro-Life, at St. Mary Church Picnic Pavilion, 94 Walnut
Road, Hamburg, 2-5 p.m., speakers, food, music and games;
deadline for reservations Sunday, Aug. 14; kkpcserv@comcast.
net, carolyn233@verizon.net, sunnyhelen@ptd.net, krkuhns1@
verizon.net, 610-375-3395.
Retreats
polka Mass 10:30 a.m.
Thursday, Aug. 11 – Saturday, Aug. 13
Festival, St. Rocco, Martins Creek, 6-10:30 p.m. rain or
shine, concluding ceremony Sunday Aug. 14, all stands closed,
11 a.m. Mass under pavilion and procession to the church.
Sunday, Aug. 21
Summer Festival, St. Matthew the Evangelist, Minersville, at
South Cass Fire Company Picnic Grove, noon-9 p.m., directions or information 570-544-2211.
Sunday, Sept. 4
End of Summer Picnic, St. Patrick, Pottsville, at South Cass
Picnic Grounds, Primrose, noon-10 p.m.
Parish Picnic, St. John the Baptist, Whitehall, noon-9 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 11
Church Picnic, St. Ursula, Fountain Hill, at Lower Saucon
Town Hall Park, noon-5 p.m.
Parish Picnic, Assumption BVM, Northampton, at Egypt
Memorial Park, Mass 11 a.m., with picnic following until 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 17
Fall Festival, Incarnation of Our Lord, Bethlehem, noon-8
p.m., 610-866-3391.
Saturday, Sept. 25
Festival for Families, hosted by Diocese of Allentown,
SteelStacks, Bethlehem, with outdoor Mass, music, activities,
games, food, more information to follow.
Friday Oct. 7 – Saturday, Oct. 8
Harvest Fest, St. Mary, Hamburg, Friday 4-9 p.m., Saturday
noon-9 p.m.
First Tuesdays
“Simply Prayer,” mornings of prayer, reflection and sharing,
St. Francis Center for Renewal, Bethlehem, 9:30 a.m.-noon,
free will offering, 610-867-8890, www.stfrancisctr.org.
Sunday, Oct. 16
Oktoberfest, St. Joseph, Jim Thorpe, at Jim Thorpe Memorial
Hall, noon-6:30 p.m.
Third Tuesdays
“Journey of the Heart: Introduction to Contemplative Prayer
Practices,” St. Francis Center for Renewal, Bethlehem, 7-9
p.m., free will offering, 610-867-8890, www.stfrancisctr.org.
Socials
First Fridays
“Retreat Day,” St. Francis Retreat House, Easton, 9 a.m.-2
p.m., $25, register by previous Monday, 610-258-3053, ext. 10,
www.stfrancisretreathouse.org.
Tuesday, July 26 – Tuesday, Aug. 2
“From the Heart of God, To the Heart of God, Through and
With the Heart of God,” St. Mary by the Sea Retreat House,
Cape May, N.J., $520, stmary@ssjphila.org, 609-884-8878.
Tuesday, Aug. 2 – Monday, Aug. 8
“Jesus/Christ and Your Spiritual Journey,” St. Mary by the
Sea Retreat House, Cape May, N.J., stmary@ssjphila.org, 609884-8878.
Thursday, Aug. 25 – Thursday, Sept. 1
“Celebrating a Deeper Communion,” St. Mary by the Sea
Retreat House, Cape May, N.J., stmary@ssjphila.org, 609-8848878.
Saturday, Sept. 24
Spirituality Day, Parish Center Hall, St. Michael the Archangel, Minersville, mini-retreat led by Father Dr. Luke Anderson,
8:30 a.m.-noon, $10, preregistration required 570-544-4741 or
570-544-6853.
Friday, Oct. 14 – Sunday, Oct. 16
Spiritual Retreat for Worldwide Marriage Encounter Couples,
“Mercy within Marriage,” St. Francis Center for Renewal, Bethlehem, $350 per couple, for any couple who has completed a
Marriage Encounter weekend anytime during their marriage,
directed by Oblate Father Joe DiMauro, sjaumen@comcast.net,
(not affiliated with Worldwide Marriage Encounter organization).
Festivals
Wednesday, July 20 – Saturday, July 23
Carnival, Most Blessed Sacrament, Bally, on grounds of St.
Francis Academy, Bally, 6 p.m.
Sunday, July 24
Family Festival, St. Peter, Reading, at St. Benedict’s Picnic
Grove, Plowville, noon-7 p.m.
Wednesday, July 27 – Saturday, July 30
Big Time Celebration, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, school
grounds, Roseto; Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 6-11 p.m.,
Saturday 6 p.m.-midnight; spiritual procession Sunday, July 31.
Thursday, July 28 – Sunday, July 31
Parish Festival, Holy Family, Nazareth, Thursday 5-9 p.m.
(Ethnic Food Night), Friday and Saturday 5-11 p.m., Sunday
4-10 p.m.
Friday Aug. 5 – Sunday, Aug. 7
Parish Festival, St. Joseph, Frackville, at St. Ann’s Picnic
Grove, 49 N. Line St., Friday 2-10 p.m., Saturday noon-11
p.m., Sunday noon-6 p.m., with Polka Mass 11:30 p.m. in St.
Joseph Parish (St. Ann’s church location).
Saturday, Aug. 6
Ethnic Food Festival, St. Richard, Barnesville, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Summer Festival/Chicken Barbecue, St. Benedict, Mohnton,
at parish picnic grounds, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., dinners noon-7 p.m.,
fireworks at dusk.
Sunday, Aug. 7
Picnic and Homecoming, St. Peter, Coplay, noon-10 p.m.;
Sundays
Bingo, St. Joseph, Summit Hill, 6:30 p.m.
Bingo, Immaculate Conception School, Pen Argyl, 1 p.m.,
doors open 11 a.m., 610-863-4816.
Second Sundays
Bingo, Most Blessed Sacrament, Bally, 12:30 p.m., doors
open 11 a.m.
Wednesdays
Bingo, Slovak Catholic Sokol, SS. Cyril and Methodius,
Reading, at Slovak Catholic Social Hall, 411 Crestmont St.,
6:30 p.m., doors open 5 p.m. (changed from Mondays).
Thursdays
Bingo, Knights of Columbus Home Association, Reading,
6:30 p.m., doors open 5 p.m., nonsmoking.
Bingo, St. Joseph, Summit Hill, 6:30 p.m.
Sundays, July 24; Aug. 7, 28; Sept. 4, 25; Oct. 9, 16; Nov. 6,
13; Dec. 4
Bingo, Knights of Columbus Council 618, Shenandoah at St.
Stephen Hall, 2 p.m., doors open noon, accessible to handicapped.
Trips
Editor’s note: Trip listings include sponsoring group,
destination, cost and contact information. Call the sponsor
for other details, such as times, dining location, itineraries
and what is included in the cost. Send church-affiliated
trips to adtimes@allentowndiocese.org by Thursday of the
week before publication.
Newly announced
Thursday, Aug. 25
55+ Club, Notre Dame of Bethlehem to Mohegan Sun Casino, Wilkes-Barre, $25, 610-866-0360.
Saturday, Sept. 17
St. Thomas More, Allentown to walking and eating tour of
Lower East Side and Tenement Museum, New York City, $88,
484-951-0440.
Thursday, Sept. 22
55+ Club, Notre Dame of Bethlehem to Peddler’s Village,
$76, 610-866-0360.
Saturday, Oct. 8
St. Thomas More, Allentown to Maryland at Penn State
(homecoming), $120 or $90, 484-951-0440.
Saturday, Oct 22
St. Thomas More, Allentown, walking tour of Harlem and
Zabar’s food emporium, $72, 484-951-0440.
Saturday, Dec. 10
St. Thomas More, Allentown to Dyker Heights (Brooklyn) light
tour, $70, 484-951-0440.
Thursday, Dec 15
St. Thomas More, Allentown to Christmas show, Radio City
Music Hall, New York City, $90, 484-951-0440.
Please see CALENDAR page 19 }}
Diocese
July 21, 2016
Calendar
}}Continued from page 18
Previously announced
Wednesday, Aug. 10
St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield to Resorts Hotel, Atlantic
City, New Jersey, $45, 610-392-2957, sue@jnsc.org.
Rock Lodge, $78, 610-759-0576.
Venice, $3,495, 610-767-3036.
Saturday, Sept. 17
St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield to the Bronx (Botanical Gardens, Mario Batali Kitchen Gardens, Little Italy), $65, 610-3922957, sue@jnsc.org.
Tuesday, Oct. 18
Golden Agers, Holy Family, Nazareth to Jimmy Sturr show at
Mount Airy Casino, Mount Pocono, $57, 610-759-0576.
Saturday, Sept. 24 – Saturday, Oct. 1
Trips and Tours, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Easton to New
England and Canada cruise, $1,089, 610-252-4233.
Thursday, Aug. 11
55+ Club, Notre Dame of Bethlehem to “Rock, Roll and
Soul,” Hunterdon Hill Playhouse, $87, 610-866-0360.
Wednesday, Sept. 28
Golden Agers, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall to “Rails
and Paddle Wheels,” Pride of the Susquehanna, Harrisburg,
$94, 610-264-3721.
Saturday, Aug. 27
St. Thomas More, Allentown to Yankees v Orioles, New York
City, $98, 484-951-0440.
Friday, Sept. 30
St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield, visit several local wineries,
$50, 610-392-2957, sue@jnsc.org.
September
Travelers, St. Matthew the Evangelist, Minersville to Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina, 570-544-5231,
570-628-5413.
Monday, Oct. 10 – Tuesday, Oct. 18
Father Sean Carpenter and St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish,
Pocono Pines, pilgrimage to Poland, 570-646-6424.
Wednesday, Sept. 14
Golden Agers, Holy Family, Nazareth to “Oktoberfest,” Split
The A.D. Times
Monday, Oct. 17 – Thursday, Oct. 27
Pilgrimage of the Franciscan Journey, with Father Francis
Schoenauer, to Rome, Assisi, Siena, Padua, Florence and
Thursday, Oct. 20
St. Clare of Assisi, St. Clair for Diocesan Pilgrimage to
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception,
Washington, D.C., $45, 570-429-0370.
Travelers, St. Matthew the Evangelist, Minersville for
Diocesan Pilgrimage to Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C., 570-544-5231.
Wednesday, Nov. 16 – Thursday, Nov. 17
Golden Agers, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall to Dover,
Delaware and Elvis show, $160, 484-264-7723.
Wednesday, Nov. 30
Golden Agers, Holy Family, Nazareth to Christmas show
at Candlelight Theater, Wilmington, Delaware, $95, 610-7590576.
Tuesday, Dec. 13
Seniors, St. John Fisher, Catasauqua to “Winter Wonderland” Christmas Show, American Music Theater, Lancaster,
$80, 610-264-0920.
Small Games of Chance License # 16-00163
19
20
The A.D. Times
Diocese
July 21, 2016
Carisma de sabiduría
Por DIÁCONO JOSÉ SANTOS
Para entrar al Reino de los cielos,
necesitamos la sabiduría de Dios. ¿Quién
es sabio? Sabio es el que se salva. Uno
puede poseer abundante bienes temporales y dones espirituales, y hacer muchos
milagros, pero si su alma va al infierno,
una persona así, era un tonto. A algunos
Jesús les llamó necios, a otros les llamó
hipócritas.
Ser sabio es, hablar oportunamente a
quien lo necesita. La palabra de sabiduría
viene en el momento que el Espíritu Santo
quiere. La sabiduría nos hace ver el plan
de Dios para una persona o comunidad.
Dice el apóstol: “Si a alguno de ustedes le
falta la sabiduría, pídala a Dios y la recibirá, porque él da a todos con generosidad
y sin reproches” (Stgo 1, 5).
La palabra de sabiduría, no se trata de
la ciencia del hombre, sino de un conocimiento espiritual sobrenatural, que Dios
Padre, Jesús y el Espíritu Santo comunican oportunamente para convencer a los
incrédulos.
En el evangelio según San Mateo
encontramos, “Cuando llegó Jesús a la
región de Cesarea de Filipo, preguntó a
los dicípulos: ¿Quién dice la gente que es
el Hijo del Hombre? Ellos contestaron:
Unos dicen que es Juan el Bautista; otros,
que es Elías; otros, Jeremías o algún otro
profeta. El les dijo: Y ustedes ¿quién dicen que soy? Simón Pedro respondió:
Tú eres el Mesías, el hijo de Dios vivo.
Jesús le dijo: ¡Dichoso tú, Simón hijo de
Upcoming issues
of The A.D. Times
Jonás, porque no te lo ha revelado nadie
de carne y hueso, sino mi Padre del cielo!
Pues yo te digo que tú eres Pedro y sobre
esta piedra construiré mi Iglesia (Mt. 16,
13-18).
Jesús mismo hace notar que la palabra
de sabiduría es revelada por Dios. El Padre revela a Pedro que Jesús es el Mesías,
en adelante sólo Pedro y sus sucesores
tienen autoridad para enseñar la verdad.
Jesús nos revela que Dios es Padre con un
rostro misericordioso, El Espíritu Santo
nos conduce a la verdad plena.
Por medio de este carisma, Dios comunica al pueblo, lo que necesita saber.
Nos ayuda para defendernos de los enemigos de Dios, nos permite enseñar con
autoridad y demostrar que estamos del
lado de la verdad, porque es Dios el que
está de nuestro lado, para asistirnos en lo
que se debe decir en cada momento de la
historia.
Este carisma es fruto de la oración y
del estudio, quien ora constantemente y
estudia la biblia, las cartas de los papas y
la vida de los santos recibe inmensa sabiduría de Dios.
Es importante señalar que la base del
carisma es el amor con que se ejerce, y
la humildad con que se recibe, para estar al servicio de los demás. El libro de
la Sabiduría dice: La sabiduría no entra
en un alma perversa ni vive en un cuerpo
entregado al pecado. El santo espíritu
que nos instruye huye del engaño, y se
aparta de los razonamientos sin sentido y
se aleja cuando está presente la injusticia.
La sabiduría es un espíritu amigo de los
hombres (Sab. 1, 4-6).
“Dios de nuestros padres, Señor de
misericordia, que todo lo creaste con tu
palabra y con tu Sabiduría formaste al
hombre para que dominara todas las criaturas, gobernara el mundo con justicia
y santidad y administrara justicia rectamente: dame la Sabiduría que reina junto
a ti, y no me excluyas de entre tus siervos.
Pues soy siervo tuyo, hijo de tu sierva,
hombre débil y de existencia breve, incapaz de entender el derecho y la ley.
“Por perfecto que sea un hombre, si le
falta tu Sabiduría, no valdrá nada. Contigo está la Sabiduría, que conoce tus
obras, a tu lado estaba cuando hiciste el
mundo; ella sabe lo que a tí te agrada,
lo que responde a tus mandamientos.
Mándala desde el cielo sagrado, mándala
desde tu trono glorioso, para que esté a
mi lado y trabaje conmigo, enseñándome
lo que te agrada” (Sab. 9,1-6 . 9-10).
San Pablo escribe a los Corintios:
“Porque el mensaje de la cruz es locura
para los que se pierden; pero para los que
nos salvaremos es fuerza de Dios. Como
está escrito: Acabaré con la sabiduría de
los sabios y confundiré la inteligencia de
los inteligentes.
“¿Dónde hay buen sabio, dónde un
letrado, dónde un investigador de este
mundo? ¿Acaso no ha demostrado Dios
que la sabiduría de este mundo es una locura? Como el mundo con su sabiduría no
reconoció a Dios en las obras que manifiestan su sabiduría, dispuso Dios salvar a
los creyentes por la locura de la cruz.
“Porque los Judíos piden milagros, los
griegos buscan sabiduría, mientras que
nosotros anunciamos a un Cristo crucificado, escándalo para los judíos, locura
para los paganos; pero para los llamados,
tanto judios como griegos, un Cristo que
es fueza y sabiduría de Dios. Porque la
locura de Dios es más sabia que la sabiduría de los hombres y la debilidad de
Dios más fuerte que la fortaleza de los
hombres” (1 Cor. 1, 18- 25).
Hoy necesitamos en la iglesia, perdir
esa sabiduría que asistió al rey Salomón,
que estuvo al lado de Jesús y de sus santos discípulos en la historia eclesial.
Que Dios bendiga a gobernantes y
pastores para que a ejemplo del buen Pastor, todo marche como el Señor de la historia quiere. Alabado sea Jesucristo.
Publication Date
Advertising Deadline
News Deadline
Aug. 11Aug. 1Aug. 4
Sept. 1Aug. 22Aug. 25
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Oct. 13Oct. 3Oct. 6
Diocese
July 21, 2016
The A.D. Times
Our Lady’s message at Fatima even more relevant a century later
By TAMI QUIGLEY
Staff writer
“The urgent message of Our Lady of
Fatima is peace, love and hope,” Larry
Maginot of the Blue Army of Fatima told
the faithful gathered June 12 at Our Lady
Help of Christians (OLHC), Allentown.
The diocesan Secretariat for Catholic
Life and Evangelization hosted the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our
Lady of Fatima at two diocesan locations
as part of the Fatima Centennial U.S.
Tour for Peace.
The afternoon at OLHC included
Maginot’s talk about the statue and the
message of Fatima, with adoration, rosary and benediction. The event also took
place June 13 at St. Joseph Villa Chapel,
Reading, adjacent to Alvernia University.
Mary Fran Hartigan, secretary of the
diocesan Secretariat for Catholic Evangelization, said a few hundred faithful attended at OLHC and more than 100 at St.
Joseph Villa.
“The diocese was very blessed and
honored to be able to host the International Virgin Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady
of Fatima,” said Hartigan.
“The main mission of this apostolate
is to bring the Blessed Mother’s message
of peace to the world. This was a gracefilled opportunity for people to venerate
the statue who may not have an opportunity to travel to Fatima, Portugal. Larry
Maginot gave a beautiful history of its
background and stressed that it was Our
Lady’s wishes that a rosary be prayed
daily for the conversion of hearts.”
Patrick Sabat of the Blue Army of
Fatima said the tour marks the 100-year
anniversary of the apparition at Fatima.
It is dedicated to the shepherd children,
Blessed Francisco and Jacinta and Sister
Lucia.
The Angel of Peace began appearing to the shepherd children in Fatima,
Portugal in spring 1916, and the Blessed
Mother – Our Lady of Fatima – appeared
in 1917. Her last apparition on Oct. 13 is
known as the Miracle of the Sun.
The tour, sponsored by the World Apostolate of Fatima USA (The Blue Army),
began in the Diocese of Metuchen, New
Jersey, where the National Blue Army
Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima is located.
It began March 21 during the Jubilee
Year of Mercy and will conclude Dec. 20,
2017. Sabat is statue custodian.
The tour coincides with the centenary
celebrations at the Shrine of Our Lady
Fatima in Portugal where Pope Francis is
expected to visit in May 2017.
The Blessed Mother appeared to the
three children on the 13th day of May
through October 1917, exhorting them to
be fervent in working for the salvation of
souls and conversion of sinners through
Larry Maginot speaks about the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady
of Fatima during the Centennial Tour for Peace June 12 at Our Lady Help of
Christians (OLHC), Allentown. Listening are Franciscan Sister Martha Zammatore, left, liaison for the diocesan Office of Prison Ministry, and Father John
Pendzick, then pastor of OLHC, now pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall. (Photos by John Simitz)
Many faithful gather for the afternoon event at OLHC. The tour continued in the
diocese June 13 at St. Joseph Villa Chapel, Reading.
prayer, especially daily rosary, and daily
penance. She identified the conversion of
sinners as key to peace in the world.
“The peace plan from heaven is true
peace comes from God,” said Maginot.
The Fatima message and the great
evils Our Lady warned about that marked
the 20th century – World War II, famine,
persecution of the church and the Holy
Father, and the spread of Russia’s atheistic communism around the world – are
closely linked to the Divine Mercy message given to St. Maria Kowalska Faustina in the 1930s.
Both apparitions involve visions of
an angel about to strike the earth with a
flaming sword, and request prayers and
penance for the conversion of sinners and
reparation for sin to prevent this.
Maginot explained the statue was
The procession with the pilgrim statue begins.
sculpted in 1947 by José Thedim, on
the precise instructions of Sister Lucia,
whose desire was that it represent Our
Lady’s position when she revealed herself as the Immaculate Heart to the Shepherds.
The statue was blessed Oct. 13, 1947
by the Bishop of Liera, Fatima and commissioned as the Pilgrim Virgin who
would carry the blessings of Fatima
throughout the world. The bishop prayed
that Mary herself accompany the statue
wherever it goes.
After its initial travels, Father Joaquim
Alonso, an official archivist at Fatima,
stated, “Never in the history of the church
have charismas descended in such abundance on the people of God as through
the Pilgrim Virgin.”
Maginot also shared quotes from Pope
Pius XII, St. Pope John Paul II, Pope
Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
In a radio address in 1951 to more than
a million pilgrims at Fatima, Pope Pius
XII said, “In 1946, I crowned Our Lady
of Fatima as Queen of the World, and
the following year, through the Pilgrim
Virgin, she set forth as though to claim
her dominion, and the favors she performs along the way are such that we can
hardly believe what we are seeing with
our eyes.”
After the assassination attempt on St.
Pope John Paul II, May 13, 1981, and his
subsequent study of the famous “third”
Secret of Fatima, he concluded, “Fatima
is more important now than in 1917.”
Pope John Paul II fulfilled the request
of Our Lady at Fatima to consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart on March 25,
1984, which was accepted by heaven, according to Sister Lucia. He released the
full text of the third secret May 13, 2000,
during celebrations at Fatima for the beatification of Jacinta and Francisco.
In his homily at Fatima May 13, 2010,
Pope Benedict XVI said, “Fatima is the
home from which Mary chose to speak
to us in modern times…. We would be
mistaken to think that Fatima’s prophetic
mission is complete.”
Pope Francis almost immediately entrusted his papacy to Our Lady of Fatima
in May 2013, and entrusted the world to
her Immaculate Heart in October 2013,
before the famous statue of Our Lady of
Fatima in the Capelhina at Fatima, which
was flown to Rome.
Parish priests who have hosted the image have reported long confession lines
and many people returning to sacraments.
Numerous conversions occur, especially
when people spend time before the statue
and look into her eyes. The statue has
been known to weep on occasion.
Maginot emphasized Our Lady’s urgent message of peace, love and hope
are very relevant in our time. He said we
have a call to holiness and underscored
the importance of devotion to Mary that
leads to Jesus: rosary, scapular, daily duties and First Saturday devotion.
As Our Lady of Fatima told the children, “My Immaculate Heart will be your
refuge and the way that will lead you to
God.”
“The calls of the Gospel are prayer,
penance and conversion,” Maginot said.
“We have an invitation to respond and
say ‘yes’ to Our Lady like her ‘fiat.’”
For more information, visit www.
bluearmy.com or www.fatimatourforpeace.com.
Faithful approach the altar to view the pilgrim statue.
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July 21, 2016
Corpus Christi procession renewed
Msgr. Edward Coyle, pastor, leads the Corpus Christi procession at Most Blessed Sacrament,
Bally. The parish renewed the practice in honor of the parish’s 275th anniversary. The faithful
processed to three altars, two outside the church and concluded inside the church at the main
altar with benediction.
Family Prayer Chalice at St. Matthew
Each Sunday at St. Matthew the Evangelist, Minersville, a designated parish
family or individual at the conclusion of Mass receives the chalice and paten
used by the priest at that Mass. During the week the family/individual uses
them as a focus for prayer – asking God to bless the parish and diocese
with the vocations needed to continue the work of Christ and his church. The
chalice and paten are returned the following Sunday and the prayer process
is repeated. In March St. Matthew celebrated the fifth anniversary of the inauguration of this program to pray for vocations. Pictured is Father Leo Maletz,
pastor, with Joe and Rosemary Skiebel as they prepare to take home the
chalice and paten.
July 21, 2016
Diocese
The A.D. Times
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Catholic War Veterans celebrate Memorial Day
Members of Catholic War Veterans For God and Country Post 454, Northampton celebrated Memorial Day, first with Mass at Queenship of Mary Church,
Northampton, and then at the Memorial Park. Pictured is the firing squad at
the park.
Gathered after Mass are, from left: front, John Bowen, Joan Glover, George
Smull; middle, John Schneck, U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Joseph Hudgins,
Richard Ebner, Adrian Wasko; back, Deacon Mike Doncsecz and Father Patrick Lamb.
Confirmation class
donates to Mary’s Shelter
The confirmation class at St. Matthew the Evangelist, Minersville raised funds
for the benefit of Mary’s Shelter, Reading. A total of $2,391.17 was raised
through their efforts for the maternity home that serves the needs of homeless, pregnant young women and their children. To learn more about Mary’s
Shelter, visit www.marysshelter.org. Members of the class are, from left, Isabella Lentini, Scott Schwalm, Cal Schoffstall, Adam Kelly, Max Wigoda, Carter
Melochick, Paige Truscott and Bella Kuehn. Not pictured is Dominic Agnello.
The parish also recently held its annual Festival of Lights May 29. Bob Laughlin, commander of American Legion Post 544, Minersville was guest speaker.
Approximately 400 votive candles were lit to honor our deceased servicemen
and women, and other faithful departed, at 6 p.m. the eve of Memorial Day.
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Diocese
July 21, 2016