Diaconate candidates receive rite of acolyte
Transcription
Diaconate candidates receive rite of acolyte
“The Allentown Diocese in the Year of Our Lord” VOL. 26, NO. 10 MAY 15, 2014 Diaconate candidates receive rite of acolyte By TAMI QUIGLEY Staff writer “Each of us is called to be an apostle of the real presence – this is what the ministry of acolyte is all about,” said Bishop John Barres, who instituted 46 candidates for the permanent diaconate as acolytes at a morning liturgy May 10 at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown. Msgr. Michael Chaback, director of the diocesan Office of the Permanent Diaconate, concelebrated the liturgy for the Rite of Institution of Acolytes. Msgr. Victor Finelli was master of ceremonies. Deacon William Urbine, assistant director of the Office of the Permanent Diaconate, was deacon of the Eucharist, and Deacon Gerald Schmidt, associate director for personnel of the Office of the Permanent Diaconate, was deacon of the word. A reception ensued in the Parish Activity Center. “As we continue to celebrate the canonizations “Ask the Holy Spirit for a new of St. Pope John XXIII and St. rekindling and Pope John Paul new openness II, and as we celto experiences ebrate the Liturgy of the Institution of Eucharistic of Acolytes, we amazement.” all remember today that we are called to be apostles of the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist,” Bishop Barres said opening his homily. Bishop Barres said acolytes have a special responsibility to the Eucharist and the church, and are called “to live more fully by the Lord’s sacrifice and to be molded more perfectly in its likeness.” The bishop highlighted Peter’s awareness of the Lord’s identity, and noted St. John Paul II called us “to rekindle our Eucharistic amazement” in his encyclical letter “Ecclesia de Eucharistia” (Church from the Eucharist) of April 17, 2003. “For those who will receive the ministry of acolyte this morning and for all of us here with them, we are asked to rekindle our Eucharistic amazement in the real presence of Jesus Christ – body, blood, soul and divinity – in the Eucharist.” Bishop Barres explained when we rekindle our Eucharistic faith, awe and Left, candidates Richard Scrak, left, and Peter Schultzler come before Bishop John Barres at the Rite of Institution of Acolytes May 10 at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown. (Photos by John Simitz) Above, candidates stand as their names are called by Msgr. Michael Chaback. Please see ACOLYTES page 4 }} Bishop Barres to ordain four men to the priesthood By TARA CONNOLLY Staff writer Four seminarians for the Diocese of Allentown will become priests Saturday, June 7 during the Rite of Ordination to the Priesthood at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown. Bishop of Allentown John Barres will be the principal celebrant and confer the Sacrament of Holy Orders on transitional deacons James Harper, Daniel Kravatz, Kevin Lonergan and Mark Searles. “It is an exciting season in church history to be ordaining four young men to the priesthood of Jesus Christ. Pope Francis is emphasizing a deep, familiar intimacy with Jesus Christ as the foundation of a vibrant priesthood. The canonizations of St. John XXIII and St. John Paul II show how the consecration and mission of a priest unfolds in the power of the Holy Spirit and impacts history,” said Bishop Barres. Bishop Barres also said the church’s recent Harper focus on St. John Vianney and the Year for Priests is a reminder to reflect on the Gos- Kravatz Lonergan Voters Guide for Pennsylvania Primary Election Tuesday, May 20 starts on page 10 pel of Mercy and heed the call to conversion through the sacrament of penance. “These models of priestly holiness,” he said, “illustrate these words of motivation from St. John Paul II in the 1992 exhortation ‘I Will Give You Shepherds’ Searles Please see ORDINATION page 6 }} 2 The A.D. Times Diocese May 15, 2014 Pray the rosary with Bishop Barres Published biweekly on Thursday by Allentown Catholic Communications, Inc. at P.O. Box F Allentown, PA 18105-1538 Phone: 610-871-5200, Ext. 264 Fax: 610-439-7694 E-mail: adtimes@allentowndiocese.org President Bishop John Barres Editor Jill Caravan Staff Writers Tara Connolly Tami Quigley Design & Production Marcus Schneck Office Assistants Lori Anderson Priscilla Tatara Bishop’s Liaison Msgr. Alfred Schlert MISSION STATEMENT As part of the Catholic Press, The A.D. Times is the official newspaper for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown, serving Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill counties. The A.D. Times proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the People of God through evangelization, catechesis and the teaching of the Church, the extension of Christ’s presence in the world today. It endeavors to nourish, strengthen and challenge the faith of its readers by continually providing news information, formation, inspiration, religious education and Catholic identification. Under the patronage of Mary, Mother of the Church, The A.D. Times serves the Church so that the Kingdom of God might become a reality in our society transformed by His Good News. POLICY STATEMENTS The A.D. Times will consider all editorial copy and photos submitted in a fair and objective manner. The newspaper reserves the right to reject or edit any submission. Any advertising copy accepted does not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or endorsement of The A.D. Times and/or its publisher. The A.D. Times reserves the right to reject any advertising copy submitted. DEADLINES Advertising copy must be received by Monday of the week before publication. News copy must be received by Thursday of the week before publication. MEMBERSHIPS Catholic Press Association, Rockville Centre, N.Y. Catholic News Service, Washington, D.C. Catholic Press Association Award Winner 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 POSTAL INFORMATION The A.D. Times (USPS 004-111) is published on Thursdays, biweekly January to May; triweekly June to September; biweekly October to November; and triweekly in December, at a subscription cost of $20 per year by Allentown Catholic Communications, Inc. at 1515 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Allentown, PA 18102-4500. Periodicals Postage paid at Allentown, PA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The A.D. Times, P.O. Box F, Allentown, PA 18105-1538 A new podcast, available for download on the Diocese of Allentown website and on iTunes (link through the diocesan website www.allentowndiocese. org), features Bishop of Allentown John Barres leading a group in praying the rosary. On the Catholic calendar May is the month of Mary, the Blessed Mother of Jesus, and the rosary is a well-known Marian prayer. The rosary is a prayer made up of five groups of 10 prayers called the Hail Mary, separated by five prayers called the Our Father. Rosary beads are used to keep an accurate count of the prayers. Between the decades of the rosary a group of mysteries can be meditated upon. There are four groups of mysteries – Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and Luminous – each assigned its own day of the week. The podcast will include all four mystery groups. The appropriate rosary for that day will be posted on the diocesan website. Each of the five Fridays in May a new Bishop’s Video Blog is being posted; each will explore a different aspect of this popular prayer of devotion to the Blessed Mother. The bishop is hopeful that people will download the podcast and pray the rosary with their family. “My hope is that in a user-friendly way, we can all pray the rosary together, and in so doing open ourselves together to be instruments of the New Evangelization,” he said. Episcopal appointments Bishop of Allentown John Barres has made the following appointments to the Diocesan Review Board, for terms of five years, effective May 2. Dr. Eugene Decker to chair. Members: Msgr. Albert Byrne. Gwen Millets. Chris Moughan. Also appointed in the Secretariat for Catholic Education: Kimberly Ann Fetter of Ashland to assistant superintendent for professional personnel, effective Tuesday, July 1. Diocese May 15, 2014 The A.D. Times Witnessing to ‘Walk With Christ’ through Bishop’s Annual Appeal By TAMI QUIGLEY “This year’s theme for the Bishop’s Annual Appeal (BAA) is ‘Walk With Christ.’ What a beautiful image that evokes,” Teri Bishop shared as a BAA witness speaker May 3-4 at SS. Simon and Jude, Bethlehem. Bishop spoke on behalf of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Allentown, which she serves as a member of the board of directors. Lay witness speakers spread the word about the good works done by BAA on two weekends in May, shining a light on how the faithful in the pews can help those in need in their community. “Walking with Christ, sharing in his ministries, caring for his people … the BAA gives us the opportunity to ‘Walk with “Giving to, Christ,’” Bishop caring for, said. sharing She noted Bishwith othop John Barres reers in need. minds us, “It is in giving that we reThat’s what ceive.” the BAA is “Giving to, all about.” caring for, sharing with others in need. That’s what the BAA is all about,” Bishop said. Other speakers at parishes the weekends of May 3-4 or May 10-11 were Larry Johnson, Most Blessed Sacrament, Bally; Kathy Nevel and Renee Berkhammer, Immaculate Conception BVM, Douglassville; Mike Mizak and Mary Maher, tariat for Stewardship and Development; Sister Janice Marie Johnson, BAA ambassador, St. Ann, Emmaus; and Terry Novatnack, St. Anne, Bethlehem. Seminarians speaking included Matthew Thompson, St. Benedict, Mohnton; Jared Zambelli, St. Peter the Apostle, Reading; John Rother, Our Lady of Lourdes, Weatherly; John Hutta, St. Joseph, Jim Thorpe; Albert Camburn, St. Katharine Drexel, Lansford; Deacon Daniel Kravatz, Our Lady Help of Christians, Allentown and Holy Ghost, Bethlehem; Zachary Wehr, Holy Trinity, Whitehall; and Jeremy Leidich, Assumption BVM, Bethlehem. Also, Daniel Lisella, St. Anthony of Padua, Easton; Stephan Isaac, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Easton; Deacon James Harper, Sacred Heart, Bethlehem; Deacon Mark Searles, St. Patrick, Pottsville; Brendon Laroche, St. Ambrose, Schuylkill Haven; Deacon Kevin Lonergan, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Mahanoy City and the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown; and David Anthony, St. Michael the Archangel, Minersville. To learn more about opportunities for giving or to arrange a gift, call 1-800-831-4443 or make your gift online,www.2014baa.org. To learn more about opportunities for giving or to arrange a gift, call 1-800831-4443 or make your gift online,www.2014baa.org. Staff writer Seminarian Zachary Wehr shares a BAA witness talk the weekend of May 3-4 at Holy Trinity, Whitehall as Pastor Msgr. Daniel Yenushosky listens at right. (Photo by John Simitz) Holy Guardian Angels, Reading; Shelly Kreska, St. Joseph, Reading; and Pamela Russo, secretary of the diocesan Secretariat for Catholic Human Services and executive director of Catholic Charities, St. Francis de Sales, Robesonia. Also, Stan and Barb Swierczek, Carbon Deanery chairs of the 2014 Bishop’s Annual Appeal, St. Francis of Assisi, Nesquehoning; Paul Wirth, president of Catholic Charities’ board of directors, St. Thomas More, Allentown; Julia Leibensperger, principal of St. Joseph Center for Special Learning, Pottsville, St. Matthew the Evangelist, Minersville; and Mary Adams, principal of John Paul II Center for Special Learning, Shillington, St. Ignatius Loyola, Sinking Spring. Also, Michele Mullikin, diocesan director of stewardship and annual giving; Sacred Heart, Palmerton; Edward Moldonado, Holy Infancy, Bethlehem; James Friend, secretary of the diocesan Secre- Left, “Giving to, caring for, sharing with others in need. That’s what the BAA is all about,” Teri Bishop tells parishioners of SS. Simon and Jude, Bethlehem during a BAA witness talk at a May 4 Mass. (Photo by Ed Koskey) Below, Msgr. William Campion, pastor of Sacred Heart, Palmerton, greets Michele Mullikin after she offered a Bishop’s Annual Appeal (BAA) witness talk at a May 4 Mass. (Photo courtesy Terry Ahner) Seminarian Zachary Wehr greets Holy Trinity parishioners after Mass, from left, Margaret Cacciatore and her daughter Sally Burg. (Photo by John Simitz) Parishioners leaving after Mass at SS. Simon and Jude pass a BAA sign in front of the church. (Photo by Ed Koskey) 3 4 The A.D. Times Diocese May 15, 2014 Acolytes dling and new openness to experiences of Eucharistic amazement.” Bishop Barres said acolytes are chosen for a special ministry, as the source }}Continued from page 1 and summit of church life is the Euchaamazement in the truth of the real pres- rist. The institution of acolytes took place ence, our vocations are rekindled. Many other things are rekindled as well, such during the Mass; Msgr. Chaback presentas living the church’s teaching on respect ed the candidates to Bishop Barres. “Take the vessel with bread for the for life and social justice. “The Catholic Church’s doctrine about celebration of the Eucharist. Make your the real presence is not some antiquated life worthy of your service at the table pious fantasy. It is an objective truth that of the Lord and of his church,” Bishop we as Catholics are called to spread with Barres said at the words of institution for acolyte. missionary zeal.” During the rite, Bishop Barres told “All of you have your own personal stories of Eucharistic amazement,” Bish- the men, “In performing your ministry op Barres said, encouraging everyone to bear in mind that, as you share the one recall them and, like Mary, “the woman bread with your brothers and sisters, so of the Eucharist,” ponder them in their you form one body with them. Show a sincere love for Christ’s mystical body, hearts. “Ask the Holy Spirit for a new rekin- God’s holy people, and especially for the weak and the sick. Be obedient to the commandment which the Lord gave to his apostles at the Last Supper: ‘Love one another as I also have loved you.’” During the rite the candidates were instituted to serve at the altar, and to assist the priest and deacon. In particular, it is his responsibility to prepare the altar and the sacred vessels and, if necessary, serve as an extraordinary minister, and distribute the Eucharist and perform baptism. The acolyte was defined in Pope Paul VI’s motu proprio “Ministeria Quaedam” in 1972: “The acolyte is appointed in order to aid the deaCandidates Jose Ocampo, left, and John con and to minister to the O’Connell kneel before Bishop Barres at the rite priest. It is his duty therefore to attend to the service of the altar, and to assist the deacon and the priest As an acolyte, the deacon candidate is in liturgical celebrations, instituted to serve at the altar and to especially in the celebraassist the priest and deacon. In particution of Mass; he is also to distribute Communion as a lar, it is his responsibility to prepare the special minister when the altar and the sacred vessels and, if it ministers spoken of in the is necessary, serve as an extraordinary ‘Codex Iuris Canonici’ can. minister and distribute the Eucharist 845 are not available or are and perform baptism. prevented by ill health, age, or another pastoral ministry from performing this function, or when the number of communicants is so great that the celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged.” Please see ACOLYTES page 6 }} Above, Msgr. Michael Chaback expresses his thanks at the conclusion of the Mass. Right, Bishop John Barres, center, congratulates the candidates after the liturgy. Deacon William Urbine stands at left. Candidates enter the cathedral for the rite. Being installed as acolytes and their home parishes were: James Bardi, Immaculate Conception BVM, Douglassville. Gerardo Berrios, Holy Infancy, Bethlehem. Joseph Cannon, St. Katharine Drexel, Lansford. Ricardo Ceballos, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Allentown. Claudio Cruz, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Allentown. Thomas Drogalis, St. Mary, Hamburg. Francis Elchert, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Pen Argyl. Thomas Ely, Holy Family, Nazareth. Charles Giordano, St. Columbkill, Boyertown. Edward Girard, Sacred Heart, Palmerton. Isidro Gonzalez-Rivera, Holy Infancy, Bethlehem. Stephen Gorbos, St. Anne, Bethlehem. David Henninger, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Mahanoy City. Joseph Juhasz, Sacred Heart, Bethlehem. Maurice Kelly, Assumption BVM, Bethlehem. Christopher Kinsella, St. Thomas More, Allentown. James Kochu, St. Columbkill, Boyertown. Frederick Lanciano, St. Ignatius Loyola, Sinking Spring. Felix Lombardo, St. John Baptist de la Salle, Shillington. Lawrence Lonergan, St. Patrick, Pottsville. Christopher May, Sacred Heart, West Reading. Michael Meder, St. Thomas More, Allentown. Jose Ocampo, Holy Infancy, Bethlehem. John O’Connell, St. Lawrence the Martyr, Catasauqua. Charles Palmeri, St. Rocco, Martins Creek. Ronald Pasquino, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Bangor. Joseph Petrauskas, St. Columbkill, Boyertown. Sherwood Readinger, St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield. Edward Sanders, St. Ignatius Loyola, Sinking Spring. Edward Saukulak, Sacred Heart, Bath. Gene Schroth, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bethlehem. Howard Schultz, St. Columbkill, Boyertown. Peter Schutzler, St. Thomas More, Allentown. Richard Scrak, St. Anne, Bethlehem. Jeffrey Sells, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Allentown. Richard Sewald, Notre Dame of Bethlehem. John Stapleton, St. Margaret, Reading. Ralph Sullivan, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bethlehem. Bruce Swist, St. Catharine of Siena, Reading. Michael Toolan, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bethlehem. C. Miguel Vargas, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Allentown. Fred Wall, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Pen Argyl. James Warnagiris, Our Lady of Lourdes, Weatherly. Kevin Wasielewski, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Easton. Kenneth Weiland, St. Anthony of Padua, Easton. Joseph Wilhelm, SS. Peter and Paul, Lehighton. Diocese May 15, 2014 The A.D. Times Bishop Barres welcomes new members of Legacy Society By TAMI QUIGLEY Staff writer “Our members of the Legacy Society are outstanding Catholics who with foresight for the future of the mission of the Catholic Church in the world plan for the future of our parishes, schools and ministries through sacrificial giving and estate planning,” said Bishop John Barres, who presided at evening prayer with the Legacy Society April 10 at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown. “People around the diocese are learning about this opportunity progressively and embracing it enthusiastically,” Bishop Barres said. The Legacy Society Evening Prayer and Dinner recognized those who have included their parish, Catholic school or other diocesan ministry in their estate plans. Bishop Barres presented Legacy Society certificates and pins to new members at the dinner. Launched in 2007, the society has more than 300 members. “Welcome ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us this evening,” said James Friend, secretary of the diocesan Secretariat for Stewardship and Development, welcoming faithful from across the diocese at the dinner. “On behalf of diocesan schools, parishes, Catholic Charities and all the entities that are honored with your help, I am grateful for your commitment to carry on the Catholic faith beyond all our lifetimes,” Friend said. “I know firsthand as a pastor that the church has had a wonderful legacy of supporters and benefactors that have contributed to the ongoing mission of evangelization,” said Msgr. Andrew Baker, pastor of the cathedral and new Legacy Society member. “They made great sacrifices to assist the parishes, schools and other institutions of our diocese, and I wanted to be a part of that group of people. I also wanted to be a good example for my own people. If I’m going to ask them to share their legacy with the church, I should be willing to do the same.” Friend welcomed new Legacy Society members. Michele Mullikin, director of stewardship and annual giving, presented an overview of the Legacy Society. Msgr. Baker offered a Foundation Presentation and prayed the invocation. Bishop Barres concluded the evening with a closing prayer. New Legacy Society members and their home parishes are: Msgr. Baker; John and Rose Marie Gibbons, St. Joseph, Limeport (father and stepmother of Father John Gibbons, pastor of St. Margaret, Reading); Joanne Messenlehner, Holy Family, Nazareth; and Thomas and Alberta Siemiatkoski, St. Anne, Bethlehem. Those attending included Sister Janice Marie Johnson, a Sister of Mercy and Bishop’s Annual Appeal ambassador; and Judith Stewart, assistant to Friend and special events coordinator. For more information on the Legacy Society, contact Michele Mullikin, 610-871-5200, ext. 282 or mmullikin@allentowndiocese.org. For more information on the Legacy Society, contact Michele Mullikin, 610-871-5200, ext. 282 or mmullikin@allentowndiocese.org. Above, Bishop John Barres addresses those gathered for the Legacy Society Evening Prayer and Dinner April 10 at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown. (Photos by John Simitz) Right, Joanne Messenlehner is greeted by, from left, Bishop Barres and Msgr. Andrew Baker. Lower right, enjoying the festive evening are, from left, Father Eugene Ritz, chaplain of Berks Catholic High School, Reading; Anthony Balistrere, principal of Berks Catholic; James Born Sr.; and Bishop Barres. Below, Bishop Barres presents a certificate to Anthony and Evelyn Carfagno. Left, Bishop Barres greets Dr. Gaeton and Teresa DeMartino during the dinner. Above, Bishop Barres chats with Bill and Flo Coyle. History of the Legacy Society In January 2007 then Bishop (now Bishop Emeritus) Edward Cullen announced the establishment of the Legacy Society of the Diocese of Allentown to recognize individuals who have included a parish, school, diocesan agency or the diocese itself in their estate plan. The Legacy Society is open to anyone who has arranged for a planned gift of any size. To become a member, notify the diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development that you are planning to leave such a gift. These gifts can take a number of forms, including direct bequests, charitable gift annuities, trust arrangements, real estate, life insurance or retirement plan proceeds. Christian stewardship is recognizing that everything we have is a gift from a Members of the Legacy Society participate in evening prayer prior to the dinner. good and gracious God. Stewardship is a way of life – a caring attitude that builds a strong and vibrant church. With God’s help, gifts such as these will strengthen our diocese for many years to come. The Diocese of Allentown was founded 53 years ago upon a Catholic heritage that provides compassionate assistance to those in need. That legacy continues today through caring people who provide for parish communities, schools, vocations and youth in our five-county region in ways that make a real and lasting contribution to the lives of thousands of people. There is no question that all our parishes and diocesan services will be increasingly dependent upon planned gifts such as these. Anyone who has included a diocesan entity in their estate is encouraged to call 610-871-5200, ext. 282 with the information so you can be counted among those who have shown their commitment to the future of our diocese by their membership in the Legacy Society. 5 6 The A.D. Times Diocese May 15, 2014 Acolytes }}Continued from page 4 Permanent diaconate candidates are men 35 or older, married or single, who are called by God and the church from among its members to lead a life of service and spiritual leadership. Before the liturgy drew to a close, Msgr. Chaback thanked Bishop Barres for the trust he places in the candidates and the formation program. The monsignor thanked the priests – especially those who were pastors of the candidates, many of whom nominated the candidates for the diaconate. He also voiced gratitude to the deacons who are “guides and mentors” to the candidates. Msgr. Chaback especially thanked the married candidates’ wives and all the candidates’ families “for giving them the gift of love and service that come from family life.” The Folk Group of Holy Family, Nazareth, directed by Jerome Schwartz, provided music for the liturgy. Rose Laurito was organist. Ordination }}Continued from page 1 (Pastores Dabo Vobis): “The priest’s prayer life in particular needs to be continually ‘reformed.’ Experience teaches that in prayer one cannot live off past gains. Every day we need not Bishop of Alonly to renew our external filentown John delity to times Barres will be of prayer, esthe principal pecially those celebrant and devoted to the confer the celebration of the Liturgy of Sacrament of the Hours and Holy Orders those left to to transitional personal choice deacons James … but also to Harper, Daniel strive constantly for the expeKravatz, Kevin rience of a genLonergan and uine personal Mark Searles. encounter with Jesus, a trusting dialogue with the Father and a deep experience of the Spirit.” Bishop Emeritus of Allentown Edward Cullen will be principal concelebrant during the sacramental ceremony, which will include prostration, laying on of hands, anointing of hands, giving of the chalice and paten, and investiture with stole and chasuble. The rite will take place in the context of the Mass. The ceremony is open to the public and will begin at 10:30 a.m. James Harper Harper, 27, is the son of James and Mary Harper, Fleetwood and a parishioner of Holy Guardian Angels, Reading. He has two younger sisters, Melissa Filipinos to celebrate ‘Flores de Mayo’ The Filipino Catholic Community of the Diocese of Allentown (FCCDA) Bishop Barres, center, greets the candidates on the steps of the cathedral with, Deacon Urbine, front left, and Deacon Gerald Schmidt, front right. White and Sarah Zebert. Harper is a graduate of the former Reading Central Catholic High School and attended the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Conn. before entering the seminary in 2006. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia in 2010. During his diaconate year he was assigned to St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Easton. His hobbies include outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking while visiting state and national parks. Harper also plays the piano and organ, and enjoys movies, books, sports and making rosaries. Looking forward to his ordination, Harper said he was once skeptical about being called to the priesthood and is enjoying the final days leading up to becoming a priest for Jesus Christ. “I consider myself to be fairly calm while joyfully awaiting my ordination day. After eight years in the seminary, my classes are now over, and I find myself appreciating these final few weeks,” he said. “I can now focus more clearly on this great gift of the priesthood, which is soon upon me.” Daniel Kravatz Kravatz, 29, is the son of Daniel and Jennifer Kravatz, Reading, and a parishioner of St. Catharine of Siena, Reading. He has two younger siblings, Adam and Erin. Kravatz graduated from Exeter Township High School in 2004 and earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Millersville University in 2008. During his diaconate year he was assigned to St. Thomas More, Allentown. His hobbies include playing the trombone and sports. Anxious and eager to fulfill his journey to the priesthood, Kravatz said the will be celebrating its eighth “Flores de Mayo” and “Santacruzan” Saturday, May 31 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at St. Francis Retreat House, Easton. “Flores de Mayo” (“Flowers of May”) is a Filipino ceremony honoring our Blessed Mother, and “Santacruzan” is a procession commemorating the finding of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem by St. Helena. Assembly time will be 10 a.m. The program of activities will include Eucharistic celebration at 11 a.m., followed by potluck and fellowship gathering at the Mark Searles Searles, 28, is the son of Wayne and Patricia Searles, and a parishioner of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Easton. He has a twin sister, Colleen and a younger sister, Katie. Searles graduated from Notre Dame High School, Easton in 2004 and earned a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from “Having disthe University of Scranton in cerned well, 2008. I am confiDuring his dent that I diaconate year am precisely he was assigned where God to St. Patrick, Pottsville. wants me Searles ento be and I joys playing the am so eager trumpet, soccer, to serve swimming and him and the spending time with his family. people of He said he is God.” grateful for the time after graduation from the seminary and prior to ordination that is allowing him to reflect on the blessings in his life. “Looking back, there were certainly times of doubt and uncertainty when considering if God was calling me to be a priest. But as I wrestled with the decision even just to apply to the seminary as a college student, I felt a peace and a joy in my heart that this was a clear sign and a gift from God,” he said. “That peace and joy were clouded by many things and distractions that every young person faces in the world today, but thanks be to God, I had a wonderful and supportive family, great priest friends and mentors. I was also was moved to take the time to pray with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, which were all tremendous helps in hearing that God really was calling me to this awesome vocation,” said Searles. La Pieta Pavillion. Participants are asked to bring a favorite dish to share (appetizer, entrée, dessert, etc.). The previous “Flores de Mayo” celebrations have been a huge success. Organizers ask everyone to help uphold this Filipino tradition and continue to share their ardent love and devotion for the Blessed Mother. For more information, contact Anthony Catelo, 610-984-5156 or honytelo@ hotmail.com. six years of formation passed quickly. “It is strange to face the prospect of not going back to school after being in school for 25 years. It’s such a joy preparing to serve Christ as one of his priests, and I very much look forward to celebrating the sacraments wherever I am called to serve,” said Kravatz. Kevin Lonergan Lonergan, 25, is the son of Lawrence and Sharon Lonergan, Pottsville, and a parishioner of St. Patrick, Pottsville. He has an older sister, Liane and an older brother, Collin. He is a 2006 graduate of Nativity BVM High School, Pottsville and obtained a bachelor of arts degree from St. Charles in 2010. During his diaconate year he was assigned to the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown. In his spare time he enjoys assisting his uncle with mechanical work and maintenance of antique and classic cars. He is also a member of the Schuylkill Historical Fire Society, where he helps preserve and restore antique fire apparatus for museum displays. As he prepares for his new role during the final days before ordination, Lonergan said he is experiencing a range of emotions and is certain that the priesthood is part of God’s plan for him “With ordination to the priesthood only a few weeks away, there are many emotions swirling about. I would say that the best way to describe it would be a nervous excitement tempered with a peaceful joy,” he said. “Having discerned well, I am confident that I am precisely where God wants me to be, and I am so eager to serve him and the people of God.” Diocese May 15, 2014 The A.D. Times Highlights on the diocesan website www.allentowndiocese.org Canonization of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II – http://www.allentowndiocese.org/canonization/. Bishop Barres’ Rosary Podcast – www.allentowndiocese.org/podcast. Bishop’s Video Blog entry posted each Friday, along with podcast – May 16, The Joyful Mysteries; May 23, The Sorrowful Mysteries; May 30, The Glorious Mysteries – homepage. Bishop’s Annual Appeal – www.2014baa.org. 2014 Catholic Charities Gala video – http://www.allentowndiocese.org/catholiccharities/. May School Notes – http://www.allentowndiocese.org/catholic-education/. Father Ciszek page/documentary video – www.allentowndiocese.org/father-ciszek. Spanish and English versions of “Alive in the Holy Spirit,” a reflection on the Holy Spirit by Bishop Emeritus Edward Cullen, pdf available for downloading – homepage. “Fortnight for Freedom” page – http://www.allentowndiocese.org/fortnight-forfreedom. Hispanic events page – www.allentowndiocese.org/hispanic-events. Pope Francis page – http://www.allentowndiocese.org/pope-francis. Transfer Grants page – http://www.allentowndiocese.org/catholic-education/transfer-grants. Top 10 reasons to switch to an online subscription of THE A.D. TIMES 10. The online version is available right away, there’s no delay waiting for the print copy to be delivered to your home. 9. You can help the diocese save printing and postage costs. 8. It’s environmentally friendly, there’s no paper to add to your recycling pile. 7. You can zoom in to make the type larger and to look at the details in photos. 6. You can highlight an article, inspirational phrase or bingo listing and save it into a document on your computer. 5. You can forward the link to family and friends, so they can read the article you’ve been talking about. 4. If a picture of your son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter appears in the paper, you can print your very own highquality copy. 3. Even if you’re on vacation or away on business, THE A.D. TIMES will be accessible on your laptop or desktop computer. 2. After you’re finished reading THE A.D. TIMES, you can click on the previous window to browse other pages on the diocesan website. 1. You can brag to your friends about how tech-savvy you’ve become. You read THE A.D. TIMES online! To transfer your print subscription to instead receive an e-mail notification with a link to each new issue posted on the diocesan website, send the following information to adtimes@allentowndio- cese.org or fill out the submission form on the diocesan website, http://www.allentowndiocese.org/blog/, click under “E-mail subscriptions” at right. E-mail address Name Address Parish Daytime phone number Subscriber number (on line immediately above your name printed in the lower lefthand corner of this issue) 7 8 The A.D. Times Diocese May 15, 2014 World May 15, 2014 The A.D. Times ‘Black mass’ outcry leads to cancellation, prayers, impromptu event CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (CNS) – A Harvard University student group’s plan to conduct a satanic ritual “black mass” May 12 on campus brought a public outcry, leading to its formal cancellation and an apparently impromptu off-campus version of the event, as well as a wellattended alternative Catholic holy hour. (The Lehigh Valley chapter of Juventutem, an international organization made up of young Catholics especially interested in the traditional Latin Mass, was among groups responding to the black mass, by organizing a holy hour for reparation May 12 at Sacred Heart, Bath.) The planned event had drawn wide criticism from religious leaders, as well as students, alumni and faculty at Harvard. University President Drew Faust said earlier that she would attend the holy hour “to join others in reaffirming our respect for the Catholic faith at Harvard and to demonstrate that the most powerful response to offensive speech is not censorship, but reasoned discourse and robust dissent.” Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley told reporters May 12 that the archdiocese and the Catholic community took offense to the planned black mass but that “we have no way to prevent it other than to try and explain to people how evil this is,” he said. The cardinal said one could find out why it offends Catholics simply by looking up the phrase “black mass” on Wikipedia. “A black mass is a ritual performed as a sacrilegious parody of the Roman Catholic Mass,” the first sentence of the Wikipedia entry read. “That says it all,” the cardinal said. He added that he was disappointed in Faust’s statement, saying he hoped she would ask the group not to perform the ritual on university property. Faust’s statement called the club’s decision to sponsor such an enactment “abhorrent; it represents a fundamental affront to the values of inclusion, belonging and mutual respect that must define our community.” But she said she would not cancel or ban the black mass. “The decision to proceed is and will remain theirs,” she said of the student group. Faust added, “It is deeply regrettable that the organizers of this event, well aware of the offense they are causing so many others, have chosen to proceed with a form of expression that is so flagrantly disrespectful and inflammatory.” Harvard’s student newspaper, The Crimson, reported late May 12 that the Harvard Extension School Cultural Studies Club dropped its sponsorship of the re-enactment of the satanic ritual shortly before it was scheduled to take place in the on-campus Cambridge Queens Head Pub. The club first announced that afternoon that the event would be held off campus, then that it was canceled altogether. The newspaper quoted an e-mail from the club saying “misinterpretations about the nature of the event were harming perceptions about Harvard and adversely impacting the student community,” and led to the decision to move it off campus. The paper said negotiations with the alternative venue subsequently fell through. The 50 or so people who had gathered for the event then organized a scaled-down version at a nearby restaurant and lounge. Meanwhile, The Pilot, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston, reported that about 2,000 people attended a eucharistic procession to St. Paul’s Catholic Church and a holy hour organized by Catholics. Father Michael Drea, the senior Catholic chaplain at Harvard, had condemned the event, saying it mocks the “Holy Sacrifice of the Mass – the center of our faith Harvard University chaplain Father Michael Drea holds the monstrance during a May 12 holy hour at St. Paul Church in Cambridge, Mass. in reaction to plans for a satanic ritual “black mass” to take place in a pub on the Harvard campus. (CNS photo/Gregory L. Tracy, Pilot) and worship.” “As the university attempts to veil this ‘presentation’ under the guise of ‘academic freedom and expression,’ people of good will recognize it for what it truly is: an act of hatred and ridicule toward the Catholic Church and her faithful,” Father Drea said. In brief U.S. military chaplains around the world are receiving copies of new “Armed with the Faith” prayer books for Catholics in the armed forces. The pocket-sized booklets are described by the Archdiocese for the Military Services as “virtually indestructible, waterproof, flip-top prayer books, designed for use in the most rugged conditions, including hard battle.” The book has more than 70 prayers, including some for specific occasions such as time of war, or for one’s family. It also explains how to pray the rosary and a guide to the sacrament of penance. The book has explanations of Catholic teaching on subjects such as just war, the sacrament of marriage, and reference material on works of mercy, virtues and holy days of obligation. Its last few pages include an assortment of classic hymns, an appendix with a list of patron saints for the military, and new Mass responses adopted in the United States in 2011. Archbishop Timothy Broglio blessed the boxes of books in the loading dock of the pastoral center of the Archdiocese for the Military Services on May 8, said a statement from the archdiocese. He thanked the Knights of Columbus for providing the books and paying for them to be shipped. The knights have covered those costs since 2004, making about 500,000 booklets available in that period, the press release said. Catholics serving in the military have for generations been provided with similar booklets. Pope Francis will beatify Pope Paul VI Oct. 19 during the closing Mass of the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family. Pope Francis signed a decree May 9 recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of Pope Paul, who led the church 1963-78, and authorized publication of the Oct. 19 beatification date, according to a Vatican statement May 10. The miracle involved the birth of a baby in California in the 1990s. The family’s name and city have not been released, but according to news reports, a pregnant woman whose life was at risk along with the life of her baby was advised by doctors to terminate the pregnancy. Instead she sought prayers from an Italian nun who was a family friend. The nun placed a holy card with Pope Paul’s photograph and a piece of his vestment on the woman’s belly. The baby was born healthy. For Pope Paul’s sainthood cause, physicians continued monitoring the child’s health up to the age of 12 and everything was normal. Pope Paul’s connection with the themes expected to The Archdiocese for Military Services has begun distributing 100,000 copies of a new waterproof, flip-top book of Catholic prayers and catechetical information. (CNS photo/courtesy Archdiocese for the Military Services) be raised at the synod on the family Oct. 5-19 include the encyclical for which is he is most known, “Humanae Vitae.” The 1968 encyclical, usually described as a document affirming the church’s prohibition against artificial contraception, places that conclusion in the context of Catholic teaching on the beauty and purpose of marriage, married love and procreation. When St. John XXIII died in 1963, Pope Paul reconvened the Second Vatican Council, presided over the final three of its four sessions and oversaw the promulgation of all of the council’s documents. He also led the process of implement- In a letter published May 12 in the Crimson, the Rev. Luther Zeigler, president of the Harvard chaplains, said: “We do not think the issue presented here is primarily one of academic freedom. Just because something may be permissible does not make it right or good. Whether or not these students are entitled to express themselves through the ceremony of a black mass as a matter of law or university policy is a distinct question from whether this is a healthy form of intellectual discourse or community life. We submit it is not.” Rev. Zeigler, an Episcopal priest, added: “We urge the student organizers of the black mass to reconsider going forward with this event. If the event does go forward as planned, we would urge the rest of the community not to dignify it with your presence.” The Harvard student group promoting the black mass – said to be an “inverted” re-enactment of the Catholic Mass – was working with the New York-based Satanic Temple, a group known for promoting controversy such as pushing to have a Satan statue built outside the Oklahoma Capitol. While one of the concerns raised about the event was that participants would desecrate a consecrated host, Boston newspapers quoted representatives of the Satanic Temple saying it had not obtained one. The Boston Globe said nearly 60,000 students, alumni and faculty members signed a petition opposed to holding the event on campus. The Globe said the sponsoring club had said the event “was meant to be educational, not offensive.” The paper quoted a spokesperson for the group as asserting that many satanists are animal rights activists, vegetarians and artists with a strong sense of community. ing the council’s reforms. Born Giovanni Battista Montini in 1897 in the northern Italian province of Brescia, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1920 and was named archbishop of Milan in 1954. Elected pope in 1963, he died at the papal summer villa in Castel Gandolfo Aug. 6, 1978. The Supreme Court ruled May 5 that prayers said before town council meetings in Greece, N.Y., do not violate the Constitution. In their 5-4 decision, the judges noted a historical precedent to opening local legislative meetings with a prayer and stressed that the predominantly Christian nature of the prayers in the New York town were not coercive to those in attendance. Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, said the prayers delivered before public meetings in Greece, a suburb of Rochester, “evoked universal themes” such as “calling for a ‘spirit of cooperation.’” He also noted the historic precedence of such prayers, pointing out that the U.S. House and Senate have official chaplains and a majority of the states have the practice of legislative prayer. Kennedy wrote that the “inclusion of a brief, ceremonial prayer as part of a larger exercise in civic recognition suggests that its purpose and effect are to acknowledge religious leaders and the institutions they represent, rather than to exclude or coerce nonbelievers.” He said that unless the prayers “over time denigrate, proselytize or betray an impermissible government purpose” they will “not likely establish a constitutional violation.” He also wrote that because the town had followed a policy of nondiscrimination it was not required by the Constitution to search beyond its borders for those who could offer non-Christian prayers in an attempt to provide balance. Christian business leaders have felt the weight of the global economic crisis just like most workers have, but they must hold on to hope, increase their prayers and ask God’s grace so their decisions may benefit as many people as possible, Pope Francis said. “The Christian entrepreneur is urged always to bring the Gospel to bear on the reality in which he works; and the Gospel asks him to put in first place the human person and the common good and to do his part so that there are opportunities for work, for dignified work,” the pope said May 10. Pope Francis addressed his comments to business leaders and experts in Catholic social teaching attending a three-day international conference on “the good society and the future of jobs,” looking particularly at how solidarity can be part of business decisions. 9 10 The A.D. Times Voter’s Guide May 15, 2014 On the ballot: 2014 Pennsylvania Primary Primary Election day is Tuesday, May 20. Pennsylvanians will go to the polls to select the Democratic and Republican contenders for governor, lieutenant governor, U.S. congressional representatives, some state senators and all state representatives. In the gubernatorial race Republican Tom Corbett is the incumbent governor and former state attorney general. Prior to running for statewide office, Corbett was a teacher and a lawyer, both as an assistant U.S. attorney and in private practice. His challenger, Bob Guzzardi, was removed from the ballot May 1 by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court due to improperly filed documents. Democrats have a few more choices. Here is how they will appear on the ballot. Tom Wolf is former secretary of revenue under Gov. Ed Rendell and is CEO of a kitchen cabinet and specialty building products company. Rob McCord is state treasurer. Prior to his public service, he was the managing director of several venture capital funds. Katie McGinty sits on the boards of several energy and clean technology companies. She was a senior advisor on environmental matters to Sen. and Vice President Al Gore and President Bill Clinton, and was secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) under Rendell. Allyson Schwartz represents Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District and is a former state senator. Prior to elective office she was executive director of the Elizabeth Blackwell Women’s Health Center, a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference neither supports nor opposes any candidate for public office, but aims to educate Catholic voters about candidates and their positions on key issues. PCC sent a questionnaire to every statewide candidate, giving them an opportunity to state their positions in their own words. Corbett responded (read his completed questionnaire at www.pacatholic.org); the other Republican and the Democratic candidates did not respond. However, all the candidates have made public statements and published campaign materials that give clues about where they stand. These are a few, but certainly not all, of the issues that may be of interest to Catholic voters. Life and dignity of the human person Republican Corbett indicated on PCC’s questionnaire that he opposes legalized abortion, except when the life of the mother is in danger or the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest. All four Democratic candidates described themselves as “pro-choice” on the abortion issue during a debate at Carnegie Mellon University in January. Access to health care Corbett told PCC he believes Pennsylvania should use the additional federal funds under the Affordable Care Act to allow more people, including the working poor, to access the private insurance market. He has proposed a plan to this effect called Healthy Pennsylvania. All four Democrats say they would expand Medicaid immediately Please see PRIMARY page 11 }} U.S. CONGRESS * * 1. Do you support or oppose legislation to continue and expand current federal laws that provide educational benefits to students and teachers in private and religious schools on an equitable basis in comparison to the benefits received by public school students an teachers? 2. Which Statement reflects your position most accurately? A. I support legalized abortion; B. I oppose legalized abortion in all circumstances; C. I oppose legalized abortion, except when the life of the mother is in danger or the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest. 3. Do you support or oppose legislation that would permit undocumented immigrants who have lived in the United States for a number of years, have worked and built equities in our country, and who do not have criminal records to register with the government and take steps to earn legal status? 4. What is your position on providing a federal tax credit to businesses that donate to scholarship organizations that provide scholarships for low-income students at private and religious schools in grades kindergarten through 12? 5. Do you support or oppose robust funding for poverty-focused assistance to reduce global poverty and increase the percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) contributed in foreign aid? 6. Do you support or oppose robust levels of aid for refugees who are fleeing from persecution abroad and to provide adequate funding for the US refugee admissions and resettlement programs? 7. Do you support or oppose legislation to prevent federal agencies and states that receive federal funds from discriminating against health care providers who do not perform or participate in abortions (Hyde-Weldon Amendment)? 8. What is your position on legalizing same-sex marriage? 9. Do you support or oppose legislation that would guarantee comprehensive freedom of conscience for health care professionals, providers and institutions? 10. Do you support or oppose efforts to pass legislation (i.e., the Federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act) that would make sexual orientation and gender identity or expression protected classes that are equivalent to other protected classes (e.g., race, religion, sex, etc.)? Surveys Developed by: Pennsylvania Catholic Conference Surveys disseminated to candidates in contested races and November opponents of candidates in contested races only by: Office of Government Affairs, Diocese of Allentown Phone: 610-871-5200, ext. 265 Explanation of Symbols in Charts: S - Vote for; Support; Yes O - Vote against; Oppose; No U - Undecided Blank - No response * Comments to questions on file in the Office of Government Affairs Voter’s Guide May 15, 2014 The A.D. Times PENNSYLVANIA SENATE 1. What is your position on legislation that would provide direct grants to parents to choose the schools that they believe are best suited for their children, including nonpublic schools? 2. Which Statement reflects your position most accurately? A. I support legalized abortion; B. I oppose legalized abortion in all circumstances; C. I oppose legalized abortion, except when the life of the mother is in danger or the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest. 3. What is your position on legislation that would add state restrictions to existing federal prohibitions concerning the hiring of undocumented immigrants or providing healthcare or government services to the undocumented immigrant? 4. What is your position on legalizing same-sex marriage? 5. Which statement reflects your position most accurately? A. Pennsylvania’s anti-discrimination laws for housing, employment and public accommodation should include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” as protected classes, no exceptions; B. Pennsylvania’s anti-discrimination laws for housing, employment and public accommodation should include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” as protected classes but should contain exceptions in narrow circumstances to protect religious institutions; C. Pennsylvania’s anti-discrimination laws for housing, employment and public accommodation should include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” as protected classes but should contain exceptions in narrow circumstances to protect religious conscience for business owners; D. Pennsylvania should not amend its anti-discrimination laws to add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity and expression” as protected classes at this time. 6. Assuming there is money in the state budget, what is your position on increasing funding for textbooks and instructional materials for non-public school students at the same rate as increases in subsidies for public school students. 7. Which statement reflects your position most accurately? A. Pennsylvania should accept federal funds under the Affordable Care Act and allow more people, including the working poor, to participate in Medicaid; B. Pennsylvania should use the additional federal funds under the Affordable Care Act to allow more people, including the working poor, to access the private insurance market; C. Pennsylvania should not accept Affordable Care Act funds. 8. What is your position on the death penalty? 9. Which statement reflects your position most accurately? A. Religious child care and pre-kindergarten providers should be subject to government review of educational content. B. Religious child care and pre-kindergarten providers should follow state standards for health and safety of children, but be free to determine their own educational content based on the teachings of their faith tradition. C. Religious child care and pre-kindergarten providers should be free from government regulation. PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES S Primary }}Continued from page 10 if elected governor. According to his campaign website, Wolf would “take an active, aggressive role in expanding access to health care in Pennsylvania.” In addition to expanding Medicaid, McCord told Keystone Politics that he “would like to see Pennsylvania take an aggressive approach to promoting health care exchanges, especially to young, healthy consumers who will help spread out the risk and bring costs down for the rest of us.” In a campaign press release, McGinty said, “Numerous studies have shown the federal aid would not only cover hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians, but it would also boost economic activity, support job creation and generate real savings for state government.” Schwartz talks about her record in Congress helping to pass the Afford- able Care Act and in her campaign ads. School choice Corbett increased funding for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program and established the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) program during his administration. All four Democratic candidates told NBC 10 in Philadelphia that they oppose state-funded tuition assistance vouchers for private school students. A They also told the York Daily Record about their opposition to vouchers. Wolf has a plan to reform charter schools. McCord has a $1.3 billion education plan. McGinty has a multi-step plan to increase education funding. Schwartz details a “new road forward” for education in Pennsylvania. Please see PRIMARY page 12 }} 11 12 The A.D. Times Voter’s Guide May 15, 2014 Primary }}Continued from page 11 More information In addition to researching the candidates’ public statements on issues, reviewing a list of endorsements can also demonstrate a particular point of view. Catholics may consider reviewing campaign websites for the most up-to-date news about who is supporting the candidates. Tom Corbett – www.tomcorbettforgovernor.com. Tom Wolf – www.wolfforpa.com. Rob McCord – www.robmccord. com. Katie McGinty – www.katiemcginty.com. Allyson Schwartz – www.allysonschwartz.com. All these resources serve to educate voters about the issues and allow us to inform our consciences about which candidate will act in the best interest of the common good. As Catholic citizens, we have a moral obligation to participate in the political process. Mark your calendar for Primary Election Day on May 20. Visit www. votespa.com to find out where your polling place is. Visit the Pennsylvania Department of State’s website www.dos.state.pa.us to see who else is on the ballot. Then exercise your faithful citizenship and vote! The staff of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference contributed to this article. PCC is the public affairs agency of Pennsylvania’s Catholic bishops and the Catholic dioceses of Pennsylvania. Stay up-to-date with Catholic news and issues at www. pacatholic.org, www.facebook.com/ pacatholic, and www.twitter.com/pacatholic. (Answers highlighted in yellow) Diocese May 15, 2014 The A.D. Times Pro-life supporters rally for liberty at Reading March for Life By TARA CONNOLLY Staff writer “Today with our fellow Christians, and brothers and sisters of other faiths, we gather to pray and give public witness for the protection of the first right enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. What you might call the first right of Americans or the right to ‘life’ – let us remember that before there can be liberty and true freedom, before the human person can pursue happiness and fulfillment – there must be life,” said Father Eugene Ritz May 4 to an estimated 300 men, women and children at the Fourth Annual Reading March for Life. Father Ritz, chaplain of Berks Catholic High School (BCHS), led the rally in the school’s auditorium before men, women and children clasped yellow balloons “In marching and embarked through our on the 2-mile streets, even march. The march past a chamber was estabof death, we lished by the proclaim that late Msgr. Fehuman life is a lix Losito in gift from God, 2011 to provide a local that it is sacred opportunity and that we for people of have a duty to all ages, abiliprotect, defend, ties and faiths promote and to stand up for life. respect the In his redignity of every marks Father human perRitz pointed to son, born and the diverse reunborn, and at ligious faiths of the signers every moment of the Declawithout excepration of Indetion.” pendence and maintained Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Charles Carroll and Benjamin Franklin believed religious faith was the foundation of democracy. “Jefferson’s nature was to be a skeptic, Franklin was a deist and Washington, our first president, had his own pew in the Episcopalian church and attended services devoutly – and when he was a Please see PRO-LIFE page 14 }} Pro-life supporters carry white crosses symbolizing a life lost to abortion through the streets of Reading during the Fourth Annual Reading March for Life. (Photos by John Simitz) Above, Father Eugene Ritz offers the invocation to start the rally. Right, Georgette Forney speaks to pro-life supporters about her regretful decision to have an abortion. Knights of Columbus carry the Blessed Mother during the march. Marchers peacefully pass by Planned Parenthood during the 2-mile walk through Reading. 13 14 The A.D. Times Diocese May 15, 2014 Pro-life }}Continued from page 13 general he saw that every regiment had a chaplain and prayed together daily. And Charles Carroll of Maryland was the lone Catholic,” said Father Ritz. Father Eugene “For as varied as their Ritz pointed religious faith to the diverse was – they all religious faiths understood that of the signers it was vital to of the Declarathe life of a free people. tion of IndeThey knew that pendence and life, liberty and maintained the pursuit of Thomas Jefhappiness can ferson, George only develop in a society with Washington, virtue – that Charles Carroll firm disposiand Benjation to do good min Franklin – and virtue believed grounded in religious faith. religious Without it, the faith was the moral order of foundation of society breaks democracy. down,” he said. He also pointed to two moments in time that his faith has affirmed that life is absolutely sacred and not negotiable, “Believing the amazing reality that God took on our human flesh and be- Father Ritz, left, walks with pro-life supporters during the march. came one of us, became like us and to save us has serious implications. We believe that human life was always created by God. Life is at the heart of the message we proclaim to the world. This means that life itself becomes part of our identity and mission. It also tells us that the first you might call unplanned pregnancy to an unwed mother in salvation history is Mary and her child. “The second moment of religious Above, John Paul Kasperowicz and son Jacob lead praise and worship with music. Left, Rev. Dr. John Brown offers remarks during the Fourth Annual Reading March for Life. Right, Sarah McHale, Spanish teacher at Berks Catholic High School and member of the Reading March for Life Committee, welcomes marchers and pro-life supporters in English and Spanish. Far right, Michael Giles, committee member, instructs marchers on the peaceful code of conduct and the march route. faith I would like to recall is Easter Sunday, the day of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead,” he said. Like Jesus’ death and resurrection, Father Ritz said, life and death dueled again in the culture and in the chamber of the U.S. Supreme Court before abortion was legalized in 1973. “And make no mistake, they continue to clash dramatically. It is the same clash that a Christian believes played out on that hill at Calvary on Good Friday. This is a struggle of life versus death, good against evil, light scaring away the darkness and love triumphant over hate,” he said. He also told the marchers that they, too are in the midst of the same conflict in Reading. “We are challenged to put the reality of our religious faith into action in the public forum. In marching through our streets, even past a chamber of death, we proclaim that human life is a gift from God, that it is sacred and that we have a duty to protect, defend, promote and respect the dignity of every human person, born and unborn, and at every moment without exception,” he said. Silent no more Georgette Forney, co-founder of the national Silent No More Awareness Campaign, also spoke at the rally, where she shared the painful details about her decision to have an abortion when she was 16. “The baby was like an enemy to me. That tiny fetus scared me beyond words. That baby threatened my dreams and my future,” she said. She thought she had discovered the solution to her problem when her friend said an abortion would make her problem “go away.” “That lie got me into a lot of trouble. My life became a living hell,” said Fortney. Eventually the trauma from abortion became too much and she lived in her “safe place” of denial for 19 years. “I put on that smile every day and pretended nothing was wrong. I was afraid people would learn my secret and that God could never forgive me – so I erased it from my mind,” said Fortney. When she summoned the strength to take her abortion to God, Fortney’s healing began. “His cross is bigger than any sin. He took my abortion from me and I was able to start recovering,” said Fortney. And as for the organization that took her $300 without question and Planned Parenthood, which marchers passed along the route, Fortney said they fool people into thinking that women need abortion. “Women do not need abortion,” she said. “We need love and support. And when we receive forgiveness and healing – we become billboards for the truth,” said Fortney. After the rally supporters marched down Penn Avenue and Franklin Street, and passed Planned Parenthood on South Fourth Street before arriving at Cabrini Early Childhood Center, Reading. The day also featured praise and worship led by John Paul Kasperowicz and an Ultimate Frisbee Contest. Youth & Young Adults May 15, 2014 The A.D. Times 15 Theology on Tap ‘Summer Series’ For the second year, the Theology on Tap “Summer Series” returns to Allentown BrewWorks (812 W. Hamilton St., Allentown). Held from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first Mondays of each month – June 2, July 7 and Aug. 4 – Theology on Tap is sponsored by the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry (OYYAM). 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. The theme for this series, “What Do I Know of Holy?”, with guest speakers from among our diocesan priests, was chosen after feedback from young adults. “This series is intended to draw young adults more fully into the mystery and majesty of our faith, and to unpack the ‘why we do what we do’ as Catholics,” said Sue Matour, coordinator of OYYAM. “Young adults are thirsting for an authentic relationship with Christ and his church, to become more involved in their faith, and to learn how faith in Christ speaks to them on a daily basis.” Topics for this series are: Monday, June 2 Father Brian Miller, assistant pastor, St. Patrick, Pottsville, and formerly of the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown, will pres- ent “Holy Books: Whose Word Is It?”, leading us into a Catholic understanding of Scripture and the Bible. “In sacred Scripture, the church constantly finds her nourishment and her strength, for she welcomes it not as a human word, ‘but as what it is really is, the word of God’” (CCC 104). Topics for July and August will be “Holy Rollers: The Saints and Mary” July 7 and “Holy Actions: Smoke, Bells and Whistles” Aug. 4. In July the relevance and necessity of the communion of saints and our Blessed Mother will be discussed. “By her complete adherence to the Father’s will, to his son’s redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the church’s model of faith and charity” (CCC 967). The series will close with a discussion of how the liturgy can be strengthened through our understanding and participation. “The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life’ (CCC 1324). “A sacramental celebration is a meeting of God’s children with their Father, in Christ and the Holy Spirit; this meeting takes the form of a dialogue, through actions and words” (CCC 1153). For more information, call 610-2898900, ext. 231, visit the web at www. adoyyam.com, or on Facebook at “Diocese of Allentown Young Adult Ministry.” ‘Quo Vadis’ and ‘Fiat’ days planned for July “Quo Vadis Days,” a young men’s discernment experience, will be Sunday, July 20 to Tuesday, July 22 at DeSales University, Center Valley. “Fiat Days,” a new vocation discernment experience for young women, will be Wednesday, July 23 to Friday, July 25 at DeSales. Besides prayer and quiet time, participants will have the opportunity to take part in sporting events and other com- petitions, and interact with seminarians from the Diocese of Allentown and sisters from various religious orders working in the diocese. “Quo Vadis Days” is open to young men of high school age, and “Fiat Days” is open to young women of high school to age 25. For more information, visit http:// www.allentowndiocese.org/the-diocese/ vocations/. Camps for girls and boys grades 6 to 8 Youth in grades 6 to 8 are invited to gather for a day of fun and fellowship at “Boys of Borromeo Vocation Congress” and “Girls of Goretti Vocation Congress” (BBVC/GGVC) Wednesday, June 18 at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the day will conclude after dinner at 6:30 p.m. Girls and boys will be in separate camps for the day, which will include games/activities, meals, powerful prayer, Mass, and an opportunity to meet with seminarians from the Dioceses of Allentown and Philadelphia, as well as religious sisters from area congregations. Registration cost of $25 includes lunch, dinner, snacks and a T-shirt. Parents are also invited to stay for a day of recollection. This day will allow them an opportunity to “Take a Brake” from their busy schedule to spend time in reflection and prayer. Registration fee of $15 includes great talks, time for reflection, Mass, Eucharistic adoration, lunch and dinner. For more information, contact Msgr. David James, Office for Vocations, djames@allentowndiocese.org, or Susan Matour, Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, smatour@allentowndiocese. org. Registration forms are available at www.beapriest.com or www.adoyyam. com. Deadline to register is Friday, June 6. Diocese of Allentown CYO Declamation Contest The Diocesan CYO Declamation Contest was held May 4 in CYO District 2, at St. Michael the Archangel School, Colesville, hosted by Rick Wagner, District 2 commissioner. Students from four of the diocesan CYO districts participated. Each district was allowed to send their top boy and girl from their individual contests. The four boys and four girls were required to give speeches of 4 to 7 minutes and were judged by John Geist, Janis Geist, Judith Stewart and Marc Miles. Students with their plaques are, from left: front, Courtney Rodick, honorable mention, St. Jerome, Tamaqua, District 5; Mia Betancourt, second place, St. Anthony of Padua, Reading, District 3; Jane Karim, honorable mention, St. Jane Francis de Chantal, Easton, District 1; Megan Patt, first place, St. Thomas More, Allentown, District 2; back, Sean Huff, third place, St. Anne, Bethlehem, District 1; Patrick Deviney, first place, Immaculate Conception BVM, Douglassville, District 3; Nick Deschler, second place, St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield, District 2. 16 The A.D. Times Diocese May 15, 2014 Diocese of Allentown Financial Report to the Faithful OFFICE OF THE BISHOP Mailing Address POST OFFICE BOX F ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA 18205-1538 4209 WEST TILGHMAN STREET ALLENTONW, PENNSYLVANIA 18104 (610) 437-0755 Fax (610) 433-7822 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I am very pleased to provide you with this summary financial report on the financial condition of the Diocese of Allentown. This report provides you with a financial overview of our central diocesan operations as well as an overview of the separate financial operations of our parishes and schools. The purpose of disclosing this information is to allow you to understand the financial condition of the Diocese, to which so many of you have devoted your time, talent and treasure. Where is the Diocese Now? Financially, the “Central Diocese”—that is the operations of the Diocese itself and not its parishes, schools and other ministries, which are separate entities under canon law and civil law—might be described as being in “stable and improving” condition. As you will see in the Combined Statement of Financial Position, our “Net Assets” are negative, which means that on an accounting basis we owe more money than we currently have. This is primarily attributable to two factors: 1. An obligation called “Priests’ Post-Retirement Benefits Obligation,” which is an obligation that most, if not all, the Dioceses in the country have. 2. Despite ongoing efforts to control costs, inflation and expenses grew at a faster pace than operating revenues in prior years. What is the Priests’ Post-Retirement Benefit Obligation? The Priests’ Post-Retirement Benefit obligation is the Diocese’s responsibility to provide for retirement expenses and medical coverage for our priests during their retirement years. This liability, which is determined by an actuarial calculation, is more than $40 million. It is an estimate of the present value of future costs to provide housing, health care and living expenses for all our priests during their retirement after many years of dedicated service to the faithful of the Diocese at a minimal salary. In addition, we also face a large off-balance sheet obligation for our lay employee and priest pension plans. Dealing with those obligations will take many decades. The good news, though, is that this $40 million is not due today or anytime soon. Instead, it is a number that reflects the “actuarial present value” of that obligation. In other words, if we did have to pay it all today, it is how much more we would have to pay than the amount we have put aside. In 2012, the Diocese created the “Chosen, Blessed, Shared” appeal to help meet the funding needs for this long-term liability. The Diocese spends approximately $2.6 million annually to provide care to its retired priests. A little over 1/3 of this annual expense is funded by your generosity through the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. Looking at the Diocese’s yearly income and expenses, we are getting by and have not been borrowing to pay present bills. We have made significant spending cuts in recent years to achieve this stability and to make sure our bills continue to get paid. Parishes and Schools Some of our parishes have been doing relatively well financially despite the difficult economy of the last six years, but there are areas of the Diocese where our parishes are more challenged. Fortunately, most of our parishes have some financial reserves, but many of them also have “deferred maintenance” issues. In other words, they will be facing possibly large maintenance expenses in the near to medium future. Most of our parishes also directly subsidize parish or regional schools. We have many faithful Catholics in the Diocese who are on tight budgets Please see LETTER page 17}} Diocese May 15, 2014 The A.D. Times Diocese of Allentown Financial Report to the Faithful Letter }}Continued from page 16 themselves but who nevertheless manage to support their parish and its school. They are unsung heroes who help many children receive a Catholic education whose parents could not otherwise afford it. Overall, our pastors and administrators and their finance and parish councils have done a commendable job in managing the temporal goods belonging to their parishes through a very difficult economic period. What is the Diocese doing to improve its financial outlook? In 2010, we started a widespread and ongoing strategic planning process involving priests, the diocesan lay staff and numerous lay volunteers using the skills they have shared with us from the business world. I cannot praise enough the work of all of those who continue to assist in this effort. We have reviewed and made improvements in purchasing, real estate, capital improvements, and cash management. Our dedicated lay people working with our staff identified savings and ways to implement them, looked very hard at and improved many of our processes and helped create a prioritized and integrated financial planning process. The Diocese tries to focus on all of its needs and programs, and decides which are the most important and how much should be spent on each. With your assistance, support and commitment, we have made substantial progress in the last four years and want to continue that momentum in the following areas: 1) We are raising consciousness and are constantly developing strategies to reach out with mercy and compassion to the many inactive Catholics in the Diocese of Allentown. We see Pope Francis’ global communication of Gospel Mercy as a significant opportunity to make further progress. 2) We are engaging the hearts and minds of many young men to consider the priesthood and many young women to consider religious life. We are enhancing the spiritual lives, pastoral skills, charity, preaching and fraternity of our dedicated priests and deacons. 3) In our Catholic schools, we are experiencing an enrollment turnaround after years of decline through the efforts of those who served on the Bishops’ Commission on Catholic Schools (which has completed its work), the work of our diocesan administration and our principals, administrators, faculty and students. We continue to discern forward looking ways to deliver vibrant Catholic education in the 21st Century. In the past year we instituted a new governance model through a Board of Directors in many of our schools to engage the expertise of our laity and to create a long-term and sustainable school system. 4) We are unifying and strengthening our Hispanic Ministry and Evangelization efforts with a strong emphasis on reaching youth and young adults and promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life in the Hispanic community. We are in the process of expanding our delivery of Catholic education to the Hispanic community. 5) We are taking seriously Pope Francis’ call to serve the poor, those in crisis and those suffering from the wounds of life. Catholic Charities and our parishes do this quite inspirationally. Holy Family Manor and our Catholic Senior Housing efforts show how seriously we take the call to provide quality healthcare in a vibrant Catholic setting for the elderly. 6) Our three Special Learning Centers – assisted in their work by newly created Boards of Directors -- give vibrant witness to our belief in the sanctity of human life and the dignity of every human person. 7) Our Youth and Young Adult Ministry efforts are more focused and intentional at the diocesan, deanery and parish levels. We are in the process of implementing some cutting edge mission driven models of campus ministry that engage Catholic students, non-Catholic students, faculty and alumni. THE DIOCESE OF ALLENTOWN 8) Following Pope Francis’ lead, we have a group of social networkCOMBINED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION ing professionals discerning how best to use developing technology JUNE 30, 2013 and best practices to promote the New Evangelization. 9) Adult formation efforts involve a re-visioning of how we offer Marriage Preparation and Marriage Enrichment opportunities as well as whole community formation and catechesis. 10) We are engaging our dynamic laity in the life and mission of the Church through such lay groups as the St. Thomas More Society for lawyers and the Catholic Business Owners’ Alliance. Our active involvement with the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference helps promote awareness of political responsibility for issues pertaining to the poor, the sanctity of human life, religious liberty, immigration, Catholic education and social justice. To Summarize While we are working to put the Diocese on a firmer financial footing, because it is absolutely necessary to do so, our larger purpose remains unchanged—to continue to bring Christ to all people and to build, sustain and expand the mission of the Catholic Church in our five counties. None of this would be possible if it were not for your willingness to contribute your time, talent and treasure to your parish, Catholic school, Catholic Charities or through the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, and for that I am extremely grateful. Note: The diocesan financial statements include the Chancery office, the Secretariat for Temporal Services, the Secretariat for Stewardship and Development, the Secretariat for Education, the Secretariat for Catholic Life and Evangelization, the Secretariat for the Clergy, and the Secretariat for External Affairs. These offices direct the central administration of the Diocese. The statements also include the Bishop’s Annual Appeal Charitable Trust, Supplemental Health Care Benefits Trust, Diocesan Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust, Clergy Third Age Charitable Trust, Eastern Pennsylvania Scholarship Foundation Charitable Trust, and the non-profit corporation Allentown Catholic Communications Inc. The diocesan financial statements do not include the assets, liabilities, or activities of the Allentown Catholic Beneficial Association Inc., the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania; the Allentown Catholic Unitized Investment Fund Charitable Trust, the diocesan high school corporations, the individual parish charitable trusts (including elementary schools), regional elementary school charitable trusts, parish cemeteries, social services, pension plans, long-term care facilities, or the religious communities of men and women in the Diocese. More on pages 18-19 17 18 The A.D. Times Diocese May 15, 2014 Diocese of Allentown Financial Report to the Faithful ITEMIZATION OF TOTAL PARISH OPERATING INCOME 2012-2013 FISCAL YEAR Sunday Collections 59% ITEMIZATION OF TOTAL PARISH OPERATING EXPENSES 2012-2013 FISCAL YEAR Payroll Taxes and Fringe Benefits 8% ITEMIZATION OF TOTAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OPERATING INCOME 2012-2013 FISCAL YEAR School Subsidy from Parishes 33% Tuition 50% Other School Income and Fees 33% ITEMIZATION OF TOTAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OPERATING EXPENSES 2012-2013 FISCAL YEAR Payroll Taxes and Fringe Benefits 20% Salaries 59% Diocese May 15, 2014 The A.D. Times Diocese of Allentown Financial Report to the Faithful Upcoming issues of The A.D. Times Publication Date Advertising Deadline News Deadlone May 29 May 19 May 22 June 19 June 9 June 12 July 10 June 30 July 3 July 31 July 21 July 24 Aug. 21 Aug. 11 Aug. 14 Institute for Catechesis and Formation offering summer courses The following courses are being offered by the diocesan Institute for Catechesis and Formation. This is an opportunity to broaden your faith knowledge, or complete or work toward completion of your Catechist Certificate during the relaxed days of summer. The July classes will be Saturdays, July 19 and 26; the August classes Saturdays, Aug. 9 and 16; from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at various locations listed below. There is a $30 fee for each course taken. For more information or to register: 610-289-8900, ext. 221; www.allentowndiocese.org/icf; adultformation@allentowndiocese.org. St. Francis of Assisi, Allentown – July, The Creed with Ian Buterbaugh; Christian Anthropology with Sara Hulse; August, Classroom Application with Sister Lorraine Holzman; Old Testament with Sister Nancy Iampietro. St. Ignatius Loyola, Sinking Spring – July, The Creed with Father Kevin Bobbin; Christian Anthropology with Steve Bujno; The Church with Father Richard Brensinger; August, Classroom Application with Peggy Place; Old Testament with Father Kevin Bobbin. Nativity BVM High School, Pottsville – July, The Creed with Joan Wassell; August, Old Testament with Father James Ward. St. Ambrose, Schuylkill Haven – July, Christian Anthropology with Brent Potteiger; August, Classroom Application with Mary Ellen Johns. Men’s day of reflection focuses on Lenten sacrifices Above, men listen to the keynote address on Lenten sacrifices by Msgr. Gerald Gobitas during “Lenten Morning of Reflection for Men” March 22 at St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield. Msgr. Gobitas is diocesan chancellor and secretary of the Secretariat for Clergy. Approximately 65 men participated in the morning that also included reflection and Stations of the Cross. (Photos courtesy Mike Tully) Left, Father Guency Isaac, in residence at St. Joseph, leads the Stations of the Cross during the men’s day of reflection. 19 20 The A.D. Times Diocese May 15, 2014 Faith shines light in darkness of grief at We Are Remembered Mass By TAMI QUIGLEY Staff writer For close to a quarter century, those of all faiths grieving a loved one have joined together just after Easter for a liturgy that embraces faith, solace and hope. This year was no different, as hundreds poured into St. John the Baptist, Allentown April 23 for the 23rd Annual We Are Remembered Mass. “The more ‘days’ that are granted us, the more people we have to remember: those who have gone before us,” said Father James Torpey, principal celebrant and homilist of the evening liturgy. “It is very important to remember those who have loved us and those we have loved,” Father Torpey said. “Remembering them means letting their example cause us to live more fully this life as to share with them, we pray, the fullness of the life to come.” A total of “We imitate 503 names were Christ as we enrolled and rewalk the Road membered at the evening liturgy. to Emmaus.” We Are Remembered ministers to all faiths, parents who have lost a child and all who have lost someone to death under tragic circumstances. All who grieve the loss of a family member or friend are welcome. We Are Remembered reaches out to people at the time of the death of a child/ family member and at the annual Mass. The liturgy is always celebrated the Wednesday after Easter, when the Gospel proclaimed is “The Road to Emmaus.” Father Dominik Kalata, pastor of St. John the Baptist, concelebrated. Deacon John Hanni and Deacon William Urbine assisted. Father Torpey is advisor to the ministry. Rich and Eileen Badesso, who provide music to the ministry, coordinate the mailings/enrollment of names. The Badessos and the Ensemble of Sacred Heart, Bath provided music – much of which was composed by Rich Badesso. Above, Rich Badesso directs members of the Ensemble of Sacred Heart, Bath. Right, a family member reads the list of those enrolled and remembered at the Mass. Far right, families pick up their spring flowers at the reception after the Mass. Above, Father James Torpey, center, begins the celebration of the annual We Are Remembered Mass April 23 at St. John the Baptist, Allentown. Father Dominik Kalata, right, concelebrates. Assisting are, from left, Deacon William Urbine and Deacon John Hanni. (Photos by John Simitz) Left, “Life changes, it does not end,” Father James Torpey tells those gathered during his homily. The music of the ministry is available via iTunes. In a homily that showed compassion for the grieving yet was laced with the light of hope in Christ, Father Torpey spoke of the communion of the saints and the family of the living. “Our beloved dead can become part of our spiritual communities as we seek to improve this earthly community that is the family of the church and the human family.” “Remembering the dead is choosing their ongoing companionship,” Father Torpey said, noting this reflection is drawn from the writings of the late Father Henri Nouwen. Father Torpey highlighted the connection we enjoy in the Catholic family of faith with the communion of saints, especially with the canonizations of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II on Divine Mercy Sunday April 27. Their examples – as well as those of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis – can help bring us to a better understanding between the communion of saints and the family of the living. Father Torpey said perhaps St. John XXIII’s most influential words were in response to the question why call the church fathers and the world to the Second Vatican Council? “To make the human journey on earth less sad.” Pope John XXIII, who hailed from a large family of sharecroppers, served dying and wounded soldiers as a chaplain in World War I and saw the world endure World War II. Pope John Paul II lost his mother, brother and father before he was 21 and lived through World War II. “And then, as the world watched the effects of illness and age, he taught the world how to die.” Father Torpey spoke of the kindness and humility of Pope Benedict, and recalled how Pope Francis faced the unbearable pain of cysts on his lungs at age 21. A nun told him amid his pain, “You are imitating Christ.” “The companions of the dead, the communion of the saints and the family of the living teach us to have hope, and to pray for the ability to see through that ‘thin veil’ that connects heaven and earth,” Father Torpey said. They also teach us to believe “that the example of these and our loved ones who are in the family of We Are Remembered cry out to us to believe with all our hearts that ‘we are imitating Jesus’ as we walk the Road to Emmaus and find our hearts burning within us as he speaks to us on the road and in the Scriptures, and how he becomes known to us in the breaking of the bread.” “Life changes, it does not end,” Father Torpey said. “You are imitating Christ – this is the message for We Are Remembered. When the pain is unbearable, you are imitating Christ.” Father Torpey encouraged those gathered to express their grief through tears. Imitating Christ is not meant to take away the pain, but “it strikes us in the heart.” “These tragic deaths can strengthen our faith, but we have to put that faith into practice,” Father Torpey said. “We imitate Christ as we walk the Road to Emmaus.” Father Torpey thanked Bishop of Allentown John Barres for approving the ministry in the diocese and the late Bishop Thomas Welsh for approving the ministry’s beginning. He thanked Father Kalata for opening the parish to the ministry, the Badessos and the Sacred Heart Ensemble. Bulletins were done courtesy of St. Joseph, Jim Thorpe. Women of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall served at the ensuing reception, which gave those attending time to share memories of their loved ones, and receive a spring flower. We Are Remembered obtained the flowers from Hickory Grove Greenhouses, Catasauqua and its proprietors, the Eline family, who themselves lost a child. Before and after Mass those gathered had the chance to sign the Book of the Remembered, which was carried in procession and placed in the sanctuary. The book, which is continued year-after-year, affords participants the opportunity to write a note to their loved one. For more information, write to We Are Remembered Ministry, P.O. Box 20082, Lehigh Valley, PA 18002-0082. Diocese May 15, 2014 Twenty-third Annual Diocese of Allentown The A.D. Times We Are Remembered Mass Wednesday, April 23, 2014 St. John the Baptist Church, Allentown Mass was offered for children who have died and any who have died tragically. Especially remembered were those who died by murder, suicide or accident. All who grieve the loss of a loved one are invited to join the ministry. Edwin V. Adamczak Mary T. Adamec Kathryn (Messina) Ahearn Marcella F. Aigner Stephen J. Aigner Maureen T. Aneskevich Michael P. AnFuso Patricia Arey Jackie Arner John Arner, Sr. Madison Arner Paul R. Arnold John Ashner Jr. Robert J. Augustine Robert J. Ayers Philip D. Bachman Helen M. Balik Joseph F. Balik Anna Baransky Frank Barnak James Barnak Lucy Barnak Diane Bean Deborah Ann Bedics Cyndi Belcak James J. Bellizzi Eleanor M. Benek William I. Benek Carlos M. Berra Patricia Bertone Lillian J. Biely Stephen A. Biely Donald G. Biery Anna Billowitch Kathryn Blanar Edward Blasko Deborah Xedeas Bohr Joseph Bolinsky Jr. Michele Bolinsky Scot Borascius Stanley Borascius III Christopher D. Bowen David R. Bowman Augusta Boyer Al Bredbenner Brian Bredbenner Justin Bredbenner Bruce Francis Breiner Ellen R. Brennan Mike Brosky George Bruen Jr. Joseph David Bruno Brian Brusok Matthew J. Burns Laurie Lynne Buss Nicholas G. Caldarelli The Campo Family Charles H. Campton Arthur E. Canone Josephine Canone Mary L. Carney Nora Casani Christoper Castetter Thomas Brennan Cawthray Agnes Chaballa Andrew Chaballa Anne Marie Chaballa Bernard Chaballa Joseph Chaballa Mary Chaballa Ron Chelius August (Gus) Cherasaro Diane M. Cherasaro Rev. Richard N. Clewell Larry Cole Keith Creighton David Crepack Edward J. Crepack Jennifer Cresko Francis “Frank” Crugnale Ginny Csencsits David Cunningham John Curley Robert Curley Jerry Curran Sr. The D’Alfonso Family Eileen Marie Daumer James Danner Eugene Davis Lorene Davis Norman A. Davis Francine Dax Shawn Day Nicholas I. Deutsch John DiDonato David Dinnocenti Ronald A. Dinsmore John Doyle Vivian Doyle Charles Dragotta John Druzba Josephine Druzba Ronald Druzba Adam T. Duffy Joan Duffy Philip W. Durling Jr. Philip W. Durling Sr. Jeffrey N. Dziak Alice T. Eagan Daniel G. Eagan Jr. Edward G. Eagan John P. Eagan Craig Earnest Cindy Easton Edward Eckert Margaret Eckert Michael Eckert Susan F. Erich Edward Ernst Sr. Alberto G. Estrada James Evolo Ronald Falcone John Dorsey Fegley Mark Fegley Brenda Marie Fehr-Hatrak Bridget Janel Fertal Ethel Fertal George Fertal Roseann Fertal-Santoro Charles P. Fink Meg Finlan Blance C. E. Frantz Michael Frinzi Robert R. Fritzinger III Leonard M. Fry James F. Gallagher Kelly Gallagher Emma Gammer Frank Gammer Walter F. Gammer Kevin Garr Christopher Daniel Garrity Florence Garszczynski Eleanor A. Gavinsky Lisa Ann Giannott John Giba Daniel M. Gieniec Edward J. Gieniec Jr. Edward Gillette Pauline M. Gilmartin Matthew K. Ginther Katharina Glaessmann Michael C. Godley Thomas Godley Gwendolyn G. Goehringer Edward Gorman Mary M. Gorman Jacki Gornick Brian Grabus Linda Grady Christopher Graham Margaret M. Gregory Thomas R. Gregory Jennifer Grider CPL. Kyle J. Grimes Kenneth F. Groller Rita Guerrieri Donald Gutekunst John Carl Hafer Jr. Mrs. Katherine M. Haggerty Glenn P. Handwerk Lillian Hartman Mary Harvan Michael Harvan Mark Andrew Hebdon Stephen A. Hlavinka Harry L. Hofelich Jr. Jonathan Paul Hoffstetter James H. Holden Richard “Rich” Lee Hollabaugh Robert J. Hrebik Ernest J. Huber Katie Hudock Albert Janowiak Baby Boy Janowiak Joseph Janowiak Sr. Margaret J. Janowiak Olga Janowiak William F. Janowiak Jr. William F. Janowiak Sr. Betty Julo Joseph J. Julo Joseph Michael Kakalejcik Mary Tomchick Kakalejcik Christopher Karmonick Albert Kasdorf Rosemary Kasdorf Virginia Kasdorf Charles Keiser Irene Kemp Dots Kessler Jack Kessler Joseph P. Kmetz Jr. Louise A. Knecht Michelle Knecht Steven Kerry Koch Sr. Thomas Andrew Koch The Kociolek Family Robert “Bobby”G. Koehler Frances Kramer Leonard Kramer Bonnie Krause John S. Krempasky Julia Krempasky William Krempasky John “Butch” Kresge Faye Kromer Mr. & Mrs. Robert Kromer Sr. Richard Kruchinsky Daniel Krug Stephanie M. Krupko Catherine Kucharik Michael Kucharik Margaret Kucherich Laura Lee Kuebler Anthony Kulczycki Vincent Kulhamer Kathryn L. Kulik Richard J. Kulik William W. Kulik Frank J. Kurter Helen V. Kurter Joseph J. Kush Jr. Thomas J. Labert Arnold LaCarro Bill LaJeunesse J. L. Richard Landry Jr. Joanne Thompson Leonard Joseph Letishock Joseph John Letishock “Jaga” Lewis John F. Lewis Aloysius Lipovsky Bernard Lipovsky Helen Lipovsky Todd Lipovsky Joseph LiTehko Jr. Cheryl Hope Longenbach John J. Luzenski Catherine Lyston James Joseph Mahoney III Kim Manning Wellington Manning Olivia Josephine Markovitch Theresa Martin Joann Martin Hafer Dorothea Mascari Warren Mattrazzo John Matyas Mary Matyas Stephen Matyas Daniel D. Maxsim Maria K. McAfee Mark Francis McKiel Donald A. McDonald Sharon Locher McGarr James D. McGinley James L. McGinley John William McGorry Sheilah M. McGorry James McLaughin Vincent A. Memet William D. Mengel Alan C. Mertz Eric J. Mertz Kenneth E. Mertz Frank Michalowski David E. Midas Charles Miller Edward Miller Raymond Miller Sandra Ann Miller Susan Miller Vicki Mengel Miller Michael J. Milot Sr. Carol Minahan Irene Minetola Jim Minter Anita Molinatti Gloria Morgan Thomas Morgan Robert Philip Mulhern Anthony L. Natale Sr. Luke F. Natale Jr. Luke F. Natale Sr. Michael Neff Fred Nero Bryce Nerod William Neupauer Florence Nicholas Gertrude Noonan Richard J. Noonan Jr. Richard J. Noonan Sr. Thomas Noonan Sr. Francis S. Novak Patrick M. O’Brien John Toot O’Gurek Mary Ann Orlando John J. Orlando Jr. John J. Orlando Sr. Frank Oswald Hilda Oswald Nikki Overman Delores M. Paano Matthew David Paltjon Carl J. Paltjon Janine Palushock Gregory M. Parrish Glenn H. Paules Robert E. Peifly Francis J. Pengitore Louis J. Pengitore Sr. Louis J. Pengitore Jr. Andrew Pichini Loretta Piovesan Gregory Lawrence Polesko Patsy Polzer Robert Christopher Pontician The Popeck Family Bobby Pribila Edward Pudleiner Victor G. Quarato Sr. Matthew Allen Quinney David Rabzak Peter Louis Rappa Sharon Reeser Rev. Joseph F. Reilly Anna Reiss Christopher Reiss William E. Reiss Patricia Reynolds Rita Rich Rita Futchko Rickert Monica Ritter Pat Rivetti Joseph H. Rollman Scott G. Rothrock Frank Ruby Annette Marie Sabatine Susan Denean Salvatore Victor Sarmir Kelly Satterlee Elden Sawyer James J. Scanlon Amy Lynn Scharer Karlyn Nicole Scharer Thomas J. Schlemmer Elisabeth Schummer Erv Schummer Kevin Searock Dennis John Seburn Steven Thomas Seibert James Seng Mrs. Mary Seng Mary Rose Seng Mr. Ralph L. Seng Mr. Ralph Seng Jr. Atillio Serena Clara Serena Norman A. Serena Kelly Leonard Shaw Perry F. Shelton Sr. Edward Sherry Manya Victoria Shipreck Deacon Cy Simchick Roberta Simchick Pauline Simon Jimmy Smith Rachel Sninski Richard Sninski The Frank Snyder Family Frank “Jive” Snyder Wende R. Snyder Carlin Solomon Caroline Solomon Daniel Solomon John Michael Solomon Rose Solomon Tony Solomon Gertrude Somers Robert Somers Edna Somishka Frank Somishka Mike Somishak Duane Mark Sontheimer Lawrence Spina Eugene F. Stahlnecker Michael Stalter Baby Girl Stelzman Stephen W. Stelzman Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Stephens Helene Sterzen John Sterzen Joanna Stevens Joseph M. Stofanak Anthony F. Stoudt Mary Jane Stoudt Anthony Raymond Stranzl Rudolph S. Strapak Samuel M. Strohl Carl Strohl Blanche Surina Thomas Surina Joseph Sutjak III Michael A. Sweetana John Szerencits Travis J. Szerencits Ferdinand Tauber Carl G. Tershak Andrew Tkach Bernadine Tkach Matthew Allen Tobias David F Tobolla Jeff Tohill Elsie Tokarzk Michael Tokarzk Joseph F. Tomcho Sr. Michele Kathryn Tonelis Anna Toomey Catherine R. Toomey Madeline Torpey James F. Torpey James J. Torpey Jane Ann Torpey-Dinger Roxanne Tutko Rose G. Unger Kevin C. Vanblargan Stephen Varanko Susan Varanko Rose Venditto William Villa Barbara L. Vogel Susan Vogel Eleanor Wafer Donald W. Walker Robert J. Walker Steven S. Walker Margaret Walsh Thomas Walsh Maureen Walsh-Coyle Dorothy Walsh-Forsyth Evelyn Walsh-Pomianek Patricia Ernst Wartman Lynn Weaver Dr. Brett C. Weber Brett Weber Joseph F. Weber Sr. Randy Weber Gerd ‘fritz’ Weide Josephine Weiner Rick Weiss John R. Weiss Jr. Bishop Thomas Welsh Laurie Dawn Welsh David A. Werkheiser Gerald H. Werkheiser Anna Marie Werner Walter Werner Samuel A. Wesner Timothy D. Whetstone Teresa Wiessner Brian Scott Williams Isaac Williams Noah C. Williams Lois Wingle Jeff Wolf Sr. Anthony Wolinsky Adam D. Wolk Anna Woods Anna Xedeas Elaine Xedeas Harry L. Xedeas Janice Xedeas Thomas Xedeas John M. Yanchura Mary E. Yanchura Anna Marie Yanno James Yanno Helen Yanno Taylor Michael Yanno Anna May Yanochko John Yanochko Mark Yildiran Jonathan Yost Bernard “Butch” Yuhas Charles Zabroski Joan Zamborsky Donna Marie Zambrotta David Zentmeyer Bill Zeth Mary Elizabeth Zubia Margaret Anne Zywicki All Souls We regret any omissions/errors in our transcription. Contact us and we’ll make every attempt to correct them in future correspondence. Pass the word if you encounter someone who could benefit from this ministry. Join us on April 8, 2015 for the 24th Anniversary Mass at St John the Baptist Church, Allentown. We Are Remembered Ministry P.O. Box 20082 Lehigh Valley, PA 18002-0082 21 22 The A.D. Times Diocese Calendar 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. Sundays ■■Breakfast, parish center cafeteria, St. Michael the Archangel, Minersville, 7 a.m.-noon, $7. ■■Interpreted Mass, for the hearing impaired, St. Columbkill, Boyertown, 9 a.m. ■■Latin Mass, St. Stephen of Hungary, Allentown, 10:15 a.m. ■■Children’s Prayer Group, for children of any age, Perpetual Adoration Chapel, St. Patrick, Pottsville, 5 p.m. ■■Holy Hour for Families, Adoration Chapel, St. Francis of Assisi, Allentown, 7 p.m., all are welcome. First Sundays ■■Divine Mercy Liturgical Service, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, 600 W. Mahanoy Ave., Mahanoy City, 3 p.m., confessions before liturgy, Anointing of the Sick after liturgy and benediction. First and third Sundays ■■Interpreted Mass, for the hearing impaired, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bethlehem, 9 a.m. Second Sundays ■■Breakfast, St. Elizabeth, Whitehall, 8:30-11:30 p.m., adults $6, children $3, 610-266-0695, October to April. ■■Youth Mass, students in PREP and Catholic schools asked to participate as lectors, greeters, ushers, etc., St. Francis of Assisi, Allentown, 10:30 a.m. ■■Filipino Mass, Barnabite Spiritual Center, Bethlehem, 5 p.m. (during winter 3 p.m.). Third Sundays ■■Breakfast, St. Joseph, Summit Hill, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m., adults $7, children 7-11 $3.50, under 7 free, no breakfast July or December. Fourth Sundays ■■Breakfast, Assumption BVM, Northampton, 8 a.m.-noon, adults $6, children $3. Mondays ■■Eucharistic Adoration, Incarnation of Our Lord, Bethlehem, after 8 a.m. Mass until 3 p.m. followed by Divine Mercy Chaplet and concluding with benediction, also Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. ■■Eucharistic Adoration, chapel, St. Catharine of Siena, Reading, after 8 a.m. Mass until 9 p.m., 610-779-4005. ■■Scripture Classes, directed by Father Dennet Jung, St. Francis Retreat House, Easton, 9:30-11:30 a.m. ■■Monday Afternoon Bible Study, Coll Room, Assumption BVM, Bethlehem, 1-2:30 p.m., 610-867-7424, ext. 12, join anytime. ■■Scripture Class with Father Paul Marconi, Barnabite Spiritual Center, Bethlehem, 1-3 p.m., 610-691-8648. ■■Monday Evening Bible Study, Finnegan Room, Assumption BVM, Bethlehem, 6:30-8 p.m., 610-867-7424, ext. 12. ■■GriefShare Workshop and Support Group, St. Catharine of Siena, 2427 Perkiomen Ave., Reading, 7-8:30 p.m., 610-3701174. Second Mondays ■■Bible Reflection Group, Father Ciszek Center, 233 N. Jardin St., Shenandoah, 1-2 p.m., 570-462-0826, 570-590-5227. Fourth Mondays ■■“Kids Konnected,” support group for children with a parent being treated for cancer, St. Joseph Medical Center, Reading, 7 p.m., registration required 610-378-2602, www.kidskonnected.org. Last Mondays ■■Mass and Veneration of Relic St. Pauline Visintainer, Our Lady’s Chapel, St. Patrick, Pottsville, 5 p.m. Tuesdays ■■Tuesday Morning Bible Study, rectory basement, St. Paul, Allentown, 9:30-11 a.m., join anytime, 610-797-9733, ext. 14. ■■Catholic Charities Services, Annunciation BVM, Shenandoah, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., appointments 570-628-0466. ■■Parenting Support Educational Series, Catholic Charities, Annunciation BVM, Shenandoah, 11 a.m.-noon, free, for parents and grandparents of infants through toddlers, register 570-6280466. ■■Holy Hour with Mary for Religious Liberty, National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Immaculate Conception BVM, Allentown, 1:30 p.m. ■■Scripture Class with Father Paul Marconi, Barnabite Spiritual Center, Bethlehem, 7-9 p.m., 610-691-8648. ■■“Transitions,” peer support for separated/divorced meeting, new location St. Catharine of Siena, Reading, 7:30-9 p.m., 610-823-3886 or 484-706-0729. First Tuesdays ■■“Simply Prayer” mornings of prayer, reflection and sharing, St. Francis Center for Renewal, Bethlehem, 9:30 a.m.-noon, 610-867-8890. ■■ First and third Tuesdays ■■Catechism Classes for Men, Catholic Men of Good News, Franciscan Center (former convent), St. Francis of Assisi, Allentown, 7 p.m., 610-462-9700. Second Tuesdays ■■Cancer Support Group, Msgr. Gobitas Meeting Room, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Easton, 7 p.m. ■■Hoagie Sale, Knights of Columbus Cardinal Francis Brennan Council 618, $4, pickup 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 201 W. Cherry St., order 570-590-1188, 570-462-1430. ■■Rosary and Benediction, St. Joseph, Jim Thorpe, 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays ■■Spiritual Book Study, directed by Pat and Rich Kane, St. Francis Retreat House, Easton, 9:30-11:30 a.m. ■■Wednesday Morning Bible Study, Assumption BVM, Bethlehem, 10-11:30 a.m., 610-867-7424, ext. 12. ■■Scripture Class with Father Paul Marconi, Barnabite Spiritual Center, Bethlehem, 6:30-8:30 p.m., 610-691-8648. ■■Rosary and Novena, St. Patrick, Pottsville, 7 p.m. ■■Bible Study, SS. Simon and Jude, Bethlehem, 7-8:30 p.m., bring your Bible. ■■Wednesday Evening Bible Study, rectory basement, St. Paul, Allentown, new time 7-8:30 p.m., join anytime, 610-797-9733, ext.14. First and third Wednesdays ■■Joseph’s People, support group for unemployed and underemployed persons, St. Catharine of Siena, Reading, 7-8:30 p.m., 610-385-3699, 484-651-0498, kaf8860@dejazzd.com or jsenick@ptd.net. ■■Women’s Prayer Group, Sister Gertrude Room, Franciscan Center, St. Francis of Assisi, Allentown, fellowship and hospitality 6:30 p.m., prayer hour 7-8 p.m., 610-509-3167, gatheredingrace@aol.com. Second and fourth Wednesdays ■■God’s Bountiful Table, soup kitchen open for disadvantaged and those in need, St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Matthew the Evangelist, Minersville, at Father Anthony Ricapito Annex, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., volunteers needed, 570-544-2739. ■■Young Adults Bible Study and Dinner, parish hall, St. Stephen of Hungary, Allentown, 5:30 p.m., RSVP patrickfitzsimmons@ saintstephenofhungary.net, http://www.saintstephenofhungary. net/. ■■Rosary, Marian Prayer Group, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Easton, 610-253-3553. Thursdays ■■Bible Study, Wortmann Center, Holy Family, Nazareth, 9:3011 a.m., bring your Bible. ■■“Prayer of the Heart – Contemplative Prayer,” classes, St. Francis Retreat House, Easton, 9:30-11:30 a.m. ■■Scripture Study, SS. Simon and Jude, Bethlehem, 10-11:30 a.m., 610-867-1649. ■■Musical Entertainment, Christopher’s at Columbian Home, Knights of Columbus Calvary Council 528, Allentown, 7-10 p.m., 610-432-6333. ■■Faith Sharing, Allentown Bethlehem Catholic Young Adults, Assumption BVM, Bethlehem, 7:30-8:45 p.m. First Thursdays ■■Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Barnabite Spiritual Center, Bethlehem, 7-9 p.m. Second Thursdays ■■Lay Fraternities of St. Dominic, Chapter of the Expectation of the Blessed Mother, Notre Dame of Bethlehem, 6:30-8:30 p.m., 610-285-2288, 610-691-6761 or 610-865-9236. Second and fourth Thursdays ■■“On-Going Job Transition Workshop,” job transition group for those seeking employment or career advancement, St. Francis Retreat House, Easton, 9-11:30 a.m., free, 610-258-3053, mikesfrh@rcn.com or www.stfrancisretreathouse.org. Third Thursdays ■■Caregiver Support Group, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall, 7:30-9 p.m., register 610-504-8079. Fridays ■■Divine Mercy Chaplet, Bernardine sisters and associates, Father Ciszek Chapel, Shenandoah, 3 p.m. (except during Lent). ■■“Bukas Loob sa Diyos” (BLD), spiritual group encounter, Barnabite Spiritual Center, Bethlehem, 8 p.m.; first Fridays include Mass and rosary. First Fridays ■■Respect for Life Holy Hour, Adoration Chapel, St. Francis of Assisi, Allentown, 7 p.m. ■■Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Holy Family, Nazareth, 9 a.m.-5p.m. Second Fridays ■■Holy Mass with St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria Medical Society, Barnabite Spiritual Center, Bethlehem, 7 p.m. Saturdays ■■Holy Hour for Our Country, Adoration Chapel, St. Francis of Assisi, Allentown, noon. First Saturdays ■■Holy Hour for Vocations, Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown, begins with 8 a.m. Mass (except May and June). ■■Catholic Pizza, St. Stephen of Hungary, 510 W Union St., Allentown, pickup 2-7 p.m., plain $12, toppings $2 each, orders must be placed by Thursday of that week, 484-272-2007, catholicpizza.com. ■■Devotion to Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Francis of Assisi, Allentown, 4:05 p.m. Second Saturdays ■■Prayer Pilgrimage, Helpers of God’s Precious Infants; Mass, Notre Dame of Bethlehem, 8 a.m., followed by 15 decades of the rosary at Allentown Women’s Center, 31 S. Commerce Way, Bethlehem, 610-797-7403, hogpi@hotmail.com. Second and fourth Saturdays ■■Sacrament of Reconciliation, Barnabite Spiritual Center, Bethlehem, 11 a.m.-noon. Third Saturdays ■■St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria Medical Society meeting, Barnabite Spiritual Center, Bethlehem, 1:30-3 p.m. Friday, May 16 ■■Golf Tournament and Dinner, St. Joseph Center for Special Learning, Pottsville, at Mountain Valley Golf Course, registration 11 a.m., lunch 11:30 a.m., shotgun start 1 p.m., 570-6224638. May 15, 2014 ■■“Prints and Process Exhibit,” Sigal Center for Family Medicine, Sacred Heart Hospital, Allentown, Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m., featuring artwork created by second grade students from Dodd and Roosevelt elementary schools, through Thursday, May 22. Saturday, May 17 ■■Spaghetti Dinner, St. Nicholas, Walnutport, 4-6:30 p.m., adults $8, children 6-12 $4, under 6 free, 610-767-3107, www. stnicholaswalnutport.parishesonline.com. ■■Dance, Marian High School, Tamaqua, 7:30-10:30 p.m., advance tickets $15, at door $18, 570-467-0641, 570-582-0021. ■■Poppy Sales, Catholic War Veterans Post 454, Northampton, weekend Masses at St. John the Baptist, Whitehall; Queenship of Mary, Northampton; Sacred Heart, Bath; St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall. ■■Drop-Off for Attic Treasures, school hall, St. Francis of Assisi, Allentown, 9 a.m.-noon, also Saturdays, May 31 and June 14, 610-433-6102. Sunday, May 18 ■■Spaghetti Dinner, Knights of Columbus, Calvary Council, Columbian Home, Allentown, 4-7 p.m., advance $10, at door $12, children under 12 $5. ■■Introductory Session of Creighton Model of Fertility Care, St. Catharine of Siena, 2427 Perkiomen Ave., Reading, 7 p.m., free, information www.allentowndiocese.org/NFP, RSVP creightonmodel@gmail.com, 484-332-9084. Monday, May 19 ■■“Seniors in Action” meeting, Holy Trinity, Whitehall, 1 p.m., speaker Bill White, Morning Call columnist, 610-799-2353. ■■Mass of Healing, for those who have experienced trauma, St. Bernard Oratory, Easton, 6:30 p.m. followed by holy hour and benediction, concluding 8:30 p.m., celebrant Bishop John Barres, homilist Msgr. Walter Scheaffer. Wednesday, May 21 ■■“We the Living,” weekly grief support group, parish center, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, Hellertown, 6:30-8 p.m., Wednesdays through June 18, 610-838-6045. ■■Serra Club of Allentown, spirituality meeting, St. Thomas More, Allentown, rosary 6:45 p.m., Mass 7 p.m., celebrant Msgr. Daniel Yenushosky, meeting after Mass, speaker Father Guency Isaac of St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield. Friday, May 23 ■■Golf Tournament, Our Lady Help of Christians, Allentown, Southmoore Golf Course, Bath, registration and lunch noon, shotgun start 1 p.m., buffet dinner 6 p.m., 610-433-1592. ■■“Sister Act,” Holy Family School, Nazareth, 7 p.m., $7, also Saturday May 24, 3 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, May 25, 3 p.m. Saturday, May 24 ■■Flea Market, social hall, St. Peter, Reading, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., also Sunday, May 25 9 a.m.-2 p.m., 610-372-9652. ■■Mass for Memorial Day, Holy Savior Cemetery, 10 a.m., in the event of rain, please contact the cemetery, 610-866-2372, ext. 3 for location. ■■100th Anniversary of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Shenandoah, dinner-dance, Fountain Springs Country Inn, Ashland, 5:30 p.m., $45 per person, open to public, 570-4621916. ■■5K Run/Walk for Education, SS. Peter and Paul School, Lehighton, registration 8:30 a.m., race starts 9 a.m., free 1-mile kids fun run for kids 12 and under 8:30 a.m., http://active. com/running/lehighton-pa/5k-for-education-and-fitness-run-orwalk-2014, Maureen.mctague@friedmanelectric.com, 610-6574223, rsarnows@aol.com, 610-247-5956, dgalasso@ptd.net, 610-377-0498, buzzsawl@ptd.net, 570-956-2516. ■■Poppy Sales, Catholic War Veterans Post 454, Northampton, weekend Masses at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bethlehem; St. Peter, Coplay; Holy Trinity, Whitehall; St. Nicholas, Walnutport. Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day) ■■Pottsville Mile, running race conducted by Notre Dame Club of Schuylkill County, proceeds benefit St. Joseph Center for Special Learning, Pottsville, williamnkern@comcast.net. ■■“Kids Konnected,” support group for children with a parent being treated for cancer, St. Joseph Medical Center, Reading, 7 p.m., registration required 610-378-2602, www.kidskonnected.org. Tuesday, May 27 ■■Transfer Information Night, St. John Vianney Regional School, Allentown, 6:45-7:45 p.m., missrussell@stjohnvianneyscholl.org. Saturday, May 31 ■■“Run for a Nun,” 5K run/walk, Sisters of Christian Charity, Mendham, N.J., at Loantaka Brook Nature Preserve, Morristown, N.J., $25 until May 28, $35 after May 28, www.runforanun.com. ■■“A ’50s/’60s Music Celebration of an Era,” in memory of Bishop David Thompson, Notre Dame High School, Easton, 7-10:30 p.m., 610-868-1431, ext. 111, alumni@ndcrusaders. org, benefit Notre Dame Writers’ Scholarship Fund, www. ndcrusaders.org. ■■SPS Reunion, for anyone who attended the former St. Patrick School, Pottsville, The Pottsville Zone, 570-875-2917, lisabsw@ptd.net. ■■“Flores de Mayo,” Filipino Catholic Community of the Diocese of Allentown (FCCDA), St. Francis Retreat House, Easton, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Eucharistic celebration 11 a.m., followed by potluck and fellowship gathering at the La Pieta Pavillion, bring favorite dish to share, 610-984-5156, honytelo@hotmail.com. Sunday, June 1 ■■Breakfast, St. Nicholas, Walnutport, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., $6, children 5-under free, 610-767-1225. ■■Golf Classic, Trinity Academy, Shenandoah, Mountain Valley Golf Club, shotgun start 1 p.m., four-person team scramble format, $75 per player, 570-462-3927, ext. 5, trinitymike@ yahoo.com. ■■Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians “Get to Know Us Tea,” Please see CALENDAR page 23 }} Diocese May 15, 2014 Calendar }}Continued from page 22 for women of Irish Catholic decent 16 and older, Columbian Home, 15th and Greenleaf streets, Allentown, 1 p.m., 610-4810410, kerryrabold@outlook.com. Wednesday, June 4 ■■Diocesan Home School Mass, celebrant Bishop of Allentown John Barres, for homeschooling community and those considering homeschooling, St. Mary, Hamburg, 2 p.m., followed by reception in Ave Maria Hall. Sunday, June 8 ■■Golf Tournament, SS. Peter and Paul School, Lehighton, at Mahoning Valley Country Club, 610-377-4466. Monday, June 9 ■■Forty Hours Devotion, St. Anthony of Padua, Easton, Mass 6:30 p.m., continues June 10 and 11 8 a.m.-9 p.m., concluding June 12 with 6:30 p.m. Mass and distribution of St. Anthony;s bread, 610-253-7188. ■■“Wisdom Books of the Old Testament,” Bible study group begins, Assumption BVM, Bethlehem, 1-2:30 p.m., Coll Room, also 6:30-8 p.m. Finnegan Room, 610-867-7424, ldurback@ gmail.com. Tuesday, June 10 ■■“The Eucharist,” adult faith formation DVD series, rectory basement, St. Paul, Allentown, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 6:30-8 p.m., Tuesdays through June 24, 610-797-9733, ext. 14, ldurback@gmail.com. Wednesday, June 11 ■■Golf Tournament, St. Francis Retreat House, Easton, Green Pond Country Club, registration 8 a.m., shotgun start 9 a.m., four-person team scramble, dinner and awards program 4 p.m., $100, 610-258-3063, ext. 24, maryjanesfrh@rcn.com. ■■“Wisdom Books of the Old Testament,” Bible study group begins, Assumption BVM, Bethlehem, 10-11:30 a.m. Finnegan Room, 610-867-7424, ldurback@gmail.com. ■■“Untold Blessings: Three Paths to God,” adult religious education DVD series, Coll Room, Assumption BVM, Bethlehem, 1-2:30 p.m., 610-867-7424, ext. 12, ldurback@gmail.com. Friday, June 13 ■■Closing Ceremonies and Celebration Picnic, for school, parents, alumni and friends, SS. Peter and Paul School, Lehighton, Mass 8 a.m., picnic 10 a.m., opening of time capsule buried by class of 2003 6 p.m., 610-377-4466, principal@ ssppschool.org. Saturday, June 14 ■■Prayer Pilgrimage, Helpers of God’s Precious Infants, Notre Dame of Bethlehem, Mass 8 a.m., followed by 15 decades of the rosary at Allentown Women’s Center, 31 S. Commerce Way, Bethlehem, hogpi@hotmail.com, 610-674-6424. ■■Diocese of Allentown Day at Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom, $32.99 per ticket, coupons available in parish office, $3 of every admission sold with coupon benefits Bishop’s Annual Appeal. Monday, June 16 ■■“Let’s Campout with Jesus,” vacation Bible school, St. Michael the Archangel, Minersville, 6:30-8 p.m., through Thursday, June 19, 570-544-4741. Wednesday, June 18 ■■Brothers of Borromeo Vocation Congress/Girls of Goretti Vocation Congress (BBVC/GGVC), one-day camp for girls and boys grades 6-8, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., $25, questions djames@allentowdiocese.org, smatour@allentowndiocese.org; register www. beapriest.com, www.adoyyam.com. ■■“Take a ‘Brake,’” day of recollection for parents of children attending the BBVC/GGVC one-day camp at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia, $15, questions djames@ allentowdiocese.org, smatour@allentowndiocese.org; register www.beapriest.com, www.adoyyam.com. Saturday, June 21 ■■Collection for the Holy Father (Peter’s Pence), parishes of the Diocese of Allentown, through Sunday. ■■Flea Market, Women’s Guild, lower school hall, St. Ursula, Fountain Hill, 7 a.m.-2 p.m., donate items (no furniture) or rent a table for $10, 610-866-7765, 610-797-5703, 610-868-4270. Retreats 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.stfranciscenterforrenewal.org. 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, stfranrh@rcn.com, www.stfrancisretreathouse.org. Tuesdays, May 20, June 17 ■■“Living Contemplatively,” learning centering prayer, St. Francis Center for Renewal, Bethlehem, 6:45-9 p.m., free will offering, 610-867-8890, www.stfranciscenterforrenewal.org. Wednesday, May 28 ■■“Taize,” St. Francis Center for Renewal, Bethlehem, 6:45-9 p.m., $25, 610-867-8890, www.stfranciscenterforrenewal.org. Friday, June 6 – Sunday, June 8 ■■“Wise and Holy Women,” St. Francis Center for Renewal, Bethlehem, $160, 610-867-8890, www.stfranciscenterforrenewal.org. Wednesday, June 11 ■■“Love, Respect and Knowing Self,” twilight retreat, St. Francis Center for Renewal, Bethlehem, 6:45-9 p.m., $25, 610-8678890, www.stfranciscenterforrenewal.org. Sunday, July 6 – Friday, July 11 ■■“Into Great Silence,” week-long silent retreat, St. Francis Retreat House, Easton, each individual will determine his/her own schedule, $330, 610-258-3053, ext. 10, www.stfrancisretreathouse.org. Monday, July 14 – Wednesday, July 16 ■■“A Mission for Spiritual Healing: Principles of the Spiritual Life Within the 12-Step Program,” facilitated by Father Emmerich Vogt, Our Lady’s Missionaries of the Eucharist, Birdsboro, 610582-3333, www.olme.org. Thursday, July 17 ■■“Franciscan Solitude Days,” day of prayer and solitude, St. Francis Retreat House, Easton, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., $25, 610258-3053, ext. 10, www.stfrancisretreathouse.org. Sunday, July 20 – Friday, July 25 ■■“Windows to the Sacred: An Icon Writing Retreat,” St. Francis Retreat House, Easton, $440, 610-258-3053, ext. 10, www. stfrancisretreathouse.org. Friday, Aug. 1 – Sunday, Aug. 3 ■■“Caring for God’s People in the Spirit of St. Francis: Pope Francis and Dorothy Day,” St. Francis Retreat House, Easton, $195, 610-258-3053, ext. 10, www.stfrancisretreathouse.org. Friday, Nov. 7 – Sunday, Nov. 9 ■■“Growing in Your Spiritual Life,” facilitated by Sister Joan Noreen, Our Lady’s Missionaries of the Eucharist, at Ave Maria Retreat House, at Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Doylestown, 610-582-3333, www.olme.org. Festivals Friday May 30 – Sunday, June 1 ■■Festa, St. Anthony of Padua, Easton, at Holy Cross Park, Williams Township, Friday 6-11 p.m., Saturday 5-10 p.m., Sunday 4-9 p.m., 610-253-7188. Saturday, May 31 ■■Eastern European Food Festival, Slovak Catholic Sokol Hall, 411 Crestmont St., Reading, noon-6 p.m., hosted by Slovak Catholic Sokol, SS. Cyril and Methodius, BVM Ukrainian Churches and Polish American Heritage Society of Berks County, www.readingsokol.org. Friday, June 6 – Saturday, June 7 ■■Block Party, St. Mary, Ringtown, Friday 5-11 p.m., Saturday, Mass 4 p.m. followed by block party until 10:30 p.m., car show Saturday 2-7 p.m., registration starts 1 p.m. Thursday, June 12 – Saturday, June 14 ■■Carnival, Our Lady Help of Christians, Allentown. The A.D. Times 23 Friday, July 25 – Sunday July 27 ■■Parishes of Shenandoah Bazaar, grounds of St. Stanislaus, Friday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Saturday 4-11 p.m., Sunday 4-9 p.m. Socials 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, 12:45 p.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). ■■Bingo, Queenship of Mary, Northampton, 7 p.m. Thursdays ■■Bingo, Knights of Columbus Home Association, Reading, 6:30 p.m., doors open 5 p.m., nonsmoking. ■■Bingo, St. Katharine Drexel, Lansford, 6:30 p.m., doors open 5 p.m. Fridays ■■Bingo, St. Jerome, Tamaqua, 6 p.m. Sunday, May 18 ■■Bingo, Assembled Men, St. Mary Annunciation BVM, Catasauqua, 1 p.m., kitchen open 11:30 a.m., 610-264-0332. ■■Meat Bingo, social hall, St. John the Baptist, Allentown, 1 p.m., doors open noon, $10, 610-432-3505. Sundays, May 18, June 8, 22, July 6, 13, Aug 3, 17, Sept. 7, 21, Oct. 5, 19, Nov. 9, 23, Dec. 7 and Dec. 14 ■■Bingo, Knights of Columbus Cardinal Francis Brennan Council 618, Shenandoah, at St. Stephen’s Hall, 2 p.m., doors open noon, accessible to handicapped. Trips Monday, June 9 ■■ Seton Manor, Orwigsburg to Senior Day at Reading Fightin’ Phils, free admission and transportation to and from the game, 570-366-7645, 570-640-3331, Tuesday, June 24 ■■ St. Paul, Allentown to Resorts Casino, Atlantic City, N.J., $30, 610-966-0852, 610-797-3565. Thursday, June 26 ■■55+ Club, Notre Dame of Bethlehem to Mohegan Sun Casino, Wilkes-Barre. $23, 610-252-5638. Previously announced Wednesday, May 21 ■■ Golden Agers, St. Elizabeth, Whitehall to Mohegan Sun Casino, Wilkes-Barre, 610-264-3721. Friday, May 23 ■■Fellowship Group, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bethlehem to Mount Airy Casino, $20, 610-866-8723. Saturday, May 24 – Thursday, June 5 ■■St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield to “Journey of Faith to Italy” with Deacon Anthony Campanell, 610-395-0868. Wednesday, May 28 ■■Seniors, St. Patrick, Pottsville to “Tribute to the Coasters,” Mount Airy Casino, Mount Pocono, $55, 570-622-7229, 570449-8296. Wednesday, June 4 ■■Golden Agers, Holy Family, Nazareth to “Moses,” Sight and Sound Theater, Lancaster, $87, 610-759-0576. Thursday, June 12 ■■Notre Dame of Bethlehem to “Moses,” Sight and Sound Theatre, Lancaster, $93, 610-252-5638, 610-625-0994. Monday, June 16 – Friday, June 20 ■■Travelers, St. Matthew the Evangelist, Minersville to Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Mass., $650, 570-5445231, 570-628-5413. Sunday, June 22 ■■“Weird Animals Totally Catholic,” vacation Bible school, St. Patrick and St. John the Baptist, Pottsville, through Thursday, June 26. Friday, June 13 – Saturday, June 14 ■■Block Party, St. Michael the Archangel, Minersville, 5-11 p.m. ■■Parish Festival, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall, Friday 6-10 p.m., Saturday 5-10 p.m. Monday, June 23 ■■“Art and You,” camp for grades 5-8, Pius X High School, Bangor, www.piusxhs.org, 610-588-3291, ncaroprese@ piusxhs.org; through June 27, also June 30-July 3. ■■“Math and Me: Math Games,” camp for grades 5-8, Pius X High School, Bangor, www.piusxhs.org, 610-588-3291, ncaroprese@piusxhs.org; through June 27, also June 30-July 3. ■■“Camp Mad Science,” camp for grades 5-8, Pius X High School, Bangor, www.piusxhs.org, 610-588-3291, ncaroprese@piusxhs.org; through June 27, also June 30-July 3. ■■“Young Authors Camp,” camp for grades 5-8, Pius X High School, Bangor, www.piusxhs.org, 610-588-3291, ncaroprese@piusxhs.org; through June 27, also June 30-July 3. ■■Girls’ Basketball Camp, for girls grades 4-8, Notre Dame High School, Easton, noon-5 p.m., $125, through June 26, 610-248-6835, jkopp@ndcrusaders.or, 484-505-8673, kurtzs@ lafayette.edu. ■■“Weird Animals,” vacation Bible school, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall, 8:45 a.m.-noon, $20 per person or $30 per family, through Friday, June 27, 610-266-0695. Friday, June 13 – Sunday, June 15 ■■Parish Festival, St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield, Friday 6-10 p.m., Saturday 5-10 p.m., Sunday 5-9 p.m. Wednesday, June 25 ■■Golden Agers, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall to Resorts, Atlantic City, N.J., $47, 610-266-2874. Thursday, June 19 – Saturday, June 21 ■■Block Party, St. Mary Annunciation BVM, Catasauqua, 6-10 p.m. Saturday, June 21 ■■Treasures and Treats Food Fest, parish hall, SS. Simon and Jude, Bethlehem, noon-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 30 ■■ Fellowship Group, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bethlehem to “American Bandstand Show,” Ehrhardt’s Waterfront, Lake Wallenpaupack, $70, 610-866-8723. ■■Golden Agers, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Whitehall, to “Big Band Sounds of Dorsey, Miller, Goodman and Ella Tribute,” Staten Island, N.Y., $84, 610-502-0781. Friday, June 27 – Sunday, June 29 ■■Parish Festival, St. Francis of Assisi, Allentown, 5:30-10 p.m. each day. Wednesday, Aug. 20 ■■ Women’s Guild, St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield to tour of Pennsylvania Dutch sites, $70, 610-392-2957 Saturday, June 28 – Sunday, June 29 ■■Block Party, St. Joseph, Sheppton, Saturday 5-10 p.m., Sunday noon-4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8 – Thursday, Sept. 11 ■■Travelers, St. Matthew the Evangelist, Minersville to Outer Banks, N.C., $539, 570-544-5231, 570-628-5413. Friday, July 18 – Sunday, July 20 ■■Italian Festival, 100th Annual Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Shenandoah, Friday and Saturday 5-11 p.m., Sunday 6-10 p.m. with procession after 9 a.m. Mass and fireworks. Thursday, Sept. 11 – Thursday, Sept. 25 ■■St. Francis Retreat House, Easton, Franciscan Pilgrimage to major holy sites in Assisi, Florence and Rome, $5,600, 610868-4091, 610-258-3053. Saturday, June 28 ■■Food and Bake Sale, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Mahanoy City, South Catawissa Courtyard, 11 a.m.-sellout. Saturday, June 21 – Thursday, June 26 ■■Golden Agers, Blessed Teresa, Calcutta, Mahanoy City to Nashville, Tenn., $844, 570-773-1753. 24 The A.D. Times Diocese May 15, 2014 ‘Fast for Familes Across America’ urges immigration reform at DeSales rally By TARA CONNOLLY Staff writer An organization committed to immigration reform stopped at DeSales University, Center Valley April 1 as part of its mission to urge community leaders to vote on immigration reform. The bus tour, “Fast for Families Across America,” visited with DeSales students as part of its tour covering 30 states and more than 14,200 miles. The cross-coun“This is not try bus tour kicked about polioff Jan. 27 targettics. This ing more than 75 is about key congressional representatives and family is mobilizing advoand about cates from across people.” the political spectrum to act, pray and fast. Dae Joong Yoon, executive director of the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium, who abstained from food with other immigration leaders for 22 days on the National Mall as a call for U.S. Congress to embark on humane immigration reform, addressed the students. Yoon spoke to about 30 DeSales students in the McShea Activities Center, Dae Joong Yoon, executive director of the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium, speaks during a stop on the bus tour “Fast for Families Across America” at DeSales University, Center Valley. citing immigration reform as one of the most important civil rights issues of the time. As an immigrant who came to this country as a young man, Yoon emphasized that most immigrants to the United Sates are hard workers devoted to their families and the country. Students from DeSales participate in a prayer service for humane immigration reform. Upcoming topics on Bishop Barres’ video blog The Bishop’s Video Blog, now also available as podcasts, is posted each Friday on the homepage of the diocesan website, www.allentowndiocese.org and www.allentowndiocese.org/podcast. May 16 – The Joyful Mysteries. May 23 – The Sorrowful Mysteries. May 30 – The Glorious Mysteries. It pays to ADVERTISE in The A.D. Times For details, call 610-871-5200 ext. 273 “My mother is from North Korea and when she was 12 years old, she walked for days to South Korea with her mother and siblings. She didn’t know that it would be the last time she saw her father again. Sixty years since the Korean War, my mother does not know if he is still alive or not,” said Yoon. In 1978 his mother’s siblings went to America and she yearned to be reunited with them. His uncle filed a petition and they waited 10 years before they were granted permission to enter American. Their choice to leave did not come without sacrifice as the family was forced to leave behind Yoon’s 22-year-old brother who had surpassed the age requirement to immigrate. “It took another four years for my older brother to join us in America and until then, each family gathering such as birthdays or Thanksgiving were marked by his absence. My mother led each prayer by blessing all family members and when she got to her oldest son’s name, there was always a pause and sounds of her crying,” recalled Yoon. “Many people come to this country to pursue their hopes and dreams,” said Yoon, “but we have a broken system that separates families, and dehumanizes and criminalizes people.” Although heated controversy surrounds immigrants taking jobs away from American-born citizens, Yoon told the students the United States needs a larger workforce The crossto subsidize Socountry bus cial Security and Medicare. tour kicked Urging stuoff Jan. 27 dents to “open targeting the eyes of our more than lawmakers and 75 key conleadership,” Yoon asked them to gressional fill out postcards representato petition John tives and is Boehner, house mobilizing speaker, to steer advocates congress toward passing comprefrom across hensive immigrathe political tion reform by the spectrum to end of the year. act, pray and “This is not fast. about politics. This is about family and about people,” said Yoon. After the talk, the tour stop concluded with Mass at Wills Hall to pray for immigration reform. Junior psychology major Amanda Miller, campus organizer for Faith in Public Life, arranged the bus tour stop at DeSales. “It’s really great to see DeSales is on board for supporting major immigration reform,” she said. “People suffer to gain citizenship here, while we often take our rights for granted,” said Miller. “Fast for Families Across America” also held a press conference later in the day with Allentown elected officials, and faith and community leaders urging Rep. Charlie Dent (Pa.-15) to call for a vote on immigration reform this year. Diocese May 15, 2014 The A.D. Times 25 Couples reflect on relationships at marriage enrichment day Left, speakers setting up display tables at “Love and Respect: Marriage Enrichment Day” are, from left, Tony and Cathy Witczak and Father Emile Frische, members of the international ecclesial team for Worldwide Marriage Encounter, which presented the workshop April 5 at St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield. Father Frische is a member of Mill Hill Missionaries. (Photos by John Simitz) Right, couples participate in group discussion at the workshop aimed to revitalize marriages. It focused on tools for building and maintaining strong Christian marriages. The day was based on the WWME technique of loving communication and on the book “The Love She Most Desires, The Respect He Desperately Needs” by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. Alumni honorees selected for Pius X 11th annual Royal Gala Pius X Jr/Sr High School, Bangor has announced 2014 Alumni Award Honorees. Awards will be presented at the 11th Annual Royal Gala Friday, May 30 at Terraview at the Stroudsmoor Country Inn. For tickets to the gala, contact Nancy Caroprese, director of advancement, 610588-3291, ext. 302 or ncaroprese@piusxhs.org. Sponsorship and program advertising opportunities are also available. Honorees are as follows. Distinguished Alumni Award: Augie Pullo (posthumously), Class of 1973. Pullo was a band leader at Pius X and a member of the district and regional bands. He continued on with his musical endeavors at Mansfield State University, where he performed in England as part of the bicentennial celebration. He earned a bach- elor of science degree in economics from East Stroudsburg University and became part of the managerial training program at McDonald’s, where he worked for 17 years. His team consistently was in the top 3 percent nationally in performance. Combining his love for the restaurant industry and his passion for the Slate Belt area, he purchased and ran three businesses: Hidden Valley Inn, Augie’s Spare Time and Augie’s Two. Religious Education Award: Father Edward Quinnan, Class of 1974. Father Quinnan is a New York Province Jesuit, experienced in spiritual and retreat direction. He received a bachleor of science degree in biology and philosophy from Fordham University, N.Y. in 1981, and advanced degrees from Jesuit School of Theology, at Berkeley, Calif. and a doctorate Diocesan Advocacy Network alert For many years, the annual state budget for textbooks and other instructional materials for non-public schools had increased at the same rate as the increase in public school subsidies. Whether the students attend public or nonpublic schools, their parents are taxpayers, so treating all students equitably in regard to textbooks makes sense. While public schools received exponentially more funding from the state and federal government via our tax dollars, textbooks are a basic need that are given to the students, not the schools. However, in recent years, the public school students received an increase when the nonpublic students did not. In fact, even though public school enrollment has decreased for the past five years, the public school subsidy has been increased for four out of those five years. Nonpublic schools have received either a decrease or no increase for five consecutive years, while the cost of providing each textbook to the students has continued to increase. Education of our students is vital to the future success of our state. Investing today in textbooks will help shape community leaders for years to come, and those textbooks should be distributed equitably to all of the students in the commonwealth. To send a message today to your legislators in support of equal textbook funding, log on to https://www.votervoice. net/link/target/pacc/47Rf6qGF6.aspx. Help available for SNAP Do you have a loss of income due to unemployment or decreased work hours? Are you on a limited fixed income? You may be eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamp Program. Catholic Charities can help you com- plete and submit your SNAP application. For more information, call Catholic Charities: in Allentown, 530 Union Blvd., 610-435-1541; in Pottsville, 13 Westwood Center, 570-628-0466, ext. 308; in Reading, 400 Washington St., Suite 100, 610-376-7144. in marriage and family therpay from the University of Connecticut. He is now pastoral assistant to the provincials of New England and New York provinces, and formation director of the Jesuit Collaborative, traveling the East Coast to coordinate training programs in Ignatian Spirituality. Academic Hall of Fame Award: Alfred DeRenzis, Class of 1963. While at Pius X DeRenzis was president of the student council; lettered in baseball and basketball all four years; scholar athlete in 1963; and earned the rank of Eagle Scout as a member of Explorer Post 36. He earned a bachelor of science degree in natural science from Muhlenberg College, Allentown, where he was a member of student government and Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He graduated in 1971 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, became dental director of the Keystone Job Corps Center in Drums and opened a private practice. In 1974 he joined the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Dental Medicine and in 1982 earned an MBA from Loyola College. He then entered his second career as a stockbroker for the firm Legg Mason. He worked at Smith Barney and Morgan Stanley until 2013 when The DeRenzis Ford Group moved to Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, where he holds the title of senior vice president/ wealth management. Shroud of Turin program in June at St. Jane, Easton Corpus Christi is a special holiday in the Catholic Church that we celebrate to honor the glory of Christ’s presence in the Holy Eucharist. How is it that Christ’s presence seems so far from us, even though he is right among us, especially in the Eucharist? The “iconic’ image of Christ on the Holy Shroud reminds us of Christ’s presence among us. To celebrate this sacred holiday, St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Easton wants to share the gift of the image of the Holy Shroud with their faith community the weekend of June 21-22. The Rev. Thomas Drobena will travel from Torrington, Conn. to share his life-sized 4-by-16-foot copy of the Holy Shroud, along with its photographic image. His travels to Turin, Italy in 2010 with his son Thomas were a unique experience, as they were given unlimited access to photograph and study the Holy Shroud. He brings the information he has gleaned from his extensive study on this topic and shares it with us during his shroud programs. His copy of the shroud will be on display Saturday, June 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Rev. Drobena’s program in church at 6:15 p.m. It will also be on display Sunday, June 22 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by the 3 p.m. program in the church. For more information, call 610-2952552 or check the website www.stjanesofeastonpa.com and click on “St. Jane Events.” Everyone is invited. Free will donations will be gratefully accepted. Bill Sugra Memorial Fund accepting applications The Bill Sugra Memorial Fund is accepting grant requests from qualified Lehigh Valley nonprofit organizations assisting the needy and disadvantaged. The fund was established by the Sugra family in memory of Bill Sugra who was killed in the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. A graduate of St. Thomas More School, Allentown and Allentown Central Catholic High School, he was the son of parishioners William and Elma Sugra of Salisbury Township, and the brother of Tracy Sugra. The fund has distributed more than $400,000 in grants to local nonprofit agencies across the Lehigh Valley. Applications are available on website www.billsugramemorialfund.org. Send completed applications to: Bill Sugra Memorial Fund, c/o St. Thomas More Church, 1040 Flexer Ave., Allentown, PA 18103. Application receipt deadline is Tuesday, July 1. Grant recipients will be announced in September. 26 The A.D. Times Diocese May 15, 2014 Sunday Scripture March for Marriage in D.C. June 19 Will you stand with us at the national March for Marriage in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, June 19? The march is an act of faith ahead of the Fortnight for Freedom. Now is the time to march for marriage before it is redefined nationwide. Gatekeepers Program to help older adults Catholic Charities’ Gatekeepers Program is a collective community approach to connecting at-risk older adults to appropriate services to keep them living safely and independently. Many vulnerable seniors live alone, or have little or no contact with others, particularly people in social services. Often their increasing need for assistance with daily activities can go unnoticed. A gatekeeper is anyone who comes into contact with seniors through their work or daily activities and is trained to: recognize warning signs and red flags that indicate a senior may need some help or support, understand the protocol for obtaining information for reporting, and anonymously report their concerns to the Gatekeeper Program. For more information or to set up training for your parish, group or business, call Amy Angelo, 610-435-1541, ext. 302. There will be a rally at 11 a.m. on the Capitol grounds, followed by a march to the Supreme Court. For more information, visit www. MarriageMarch.org – because every child deserves a mom and a dad. Sunday, May 18 Fifth Sunday of Easter Sunday, May 25 Sixth Sunday of Easter First reading Acts 6:1-7 Responsorial psalm Psalms 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19 Second reading 1 Peter 2:4-9 Gospel John 14:1-12 First reading Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 Responsorial psalm Psalms 66:1-7, 16, 20 Second reading 1 Peter 3:15-18 Gospel John 14:15-21 Ad vertising in The A.D. Times? Call 610-871-5100 ext. 273 Sign up to receive Catholic Advocacy Network action alerts at pacatholic. org, “Subscribe,” “Advocacy Alerts” and click on the words “Sign Up.” Receive alerts for one, two or all the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference’s important public policy issues: Cathlolic education, religious liberty, life and dignity, marriage and family, social justric, health care, and faith and politics. Diocese May 15, 2014 The A.D. Times 27 Immaculate Conception School, Pen Argyl By TARA CONNOLLY Staff writer Background/history: Immaculate Conception School (ICS), Pen Argyl was founded in 1954 under the leadership of Father Michael Melley, pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Pen Argyl. He welcomed five Sisters of St. Joseph as the first teaching staff. In the early 1980s the Sisters of St. Joseph were assigned elsewhere and Msgr. Charles Moss, knowing the importance of trained religious sisters to Catholic education, through persistence, dedication and hard work was able to obtain “help from the Philippines.” In 1983 ICS welcomed six “little sisters” from the Congregation of the Dominican Daughters of the Immaculate Mother. It is through the excellent leadership of the sisters, as well as three devout Catholic lay teachers, that the school offers students a challenging academic curriculum and a strong religious foundation. ICS aims to prepare students for life by developing the spiritual, moral, social, emotional and physical qualities given by God. The school is also blessed by support from neighboring parishes, St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Pen Argyl and St. Rocco in Martins Creek. ICS is a regional elementary school that educates students from pre kindergarten through grade six. It welcomes children of all faiths, ethnicities and cultures to the school family. Students attend ICS from local school districts, including Pen Argyl, Bangor, Nazareth, Easton, Pleasant Valley, Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg. Enrollment: 144. Student-teacher ratio: Ratios vary by grade – 6:1 for prekindergarten, and approximately 14:1 for grades K6. Mission: In partnership with families, ICS places primary importance on the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ. The school strives for excel- Students from Immaculate Conception School (ICS), Pen Argyl perform classwork in the school’s computer lab. (Photos by Ed Koskey) lence in a Catholic Christ-centered environment by administering a challenging and well balanced academic curriculum, while developing fundamental life skills and strengthening patriotism for the United States of America. Principal and teacher biographies: Sister Maria Luz, originally from the Philippines, was named principal in 2000 and was honored by the Diocese of Allentown in 2012 for 25 years of service to Catholic education. She has been teaching at ICS since 1983. Sister Luz received a bachelor of science degree in education and taught at schools in her home country before moving to the United States to teach at ICS. Under her leadership, ICS has grown by leaps and bounds with the expansion of the computer lab and implementation of a very successful preschool program. Another vital component of ICS staff is Patricia Kessler, who has been teaching kindergarten since 1984. She is a graduate of ICS (class of 1968) and attended Pius X High School, Bangor. She graduated from East Stroudsburg University with a bachelor’s degree in education. She considers ICS her second home, and believes that the children she Students from ICS stand beneath the image of Father Michael Melley, pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Pen Argyl, who established the school in 1954. teaches “help keep her young.” Special programs/technology/extracurricular activities: ICS’s main school building houses seven classrooms, gymnasium, library and computer lab. All classrooms are equipped with SmartBoards, as well as at least one desktop computer with wireless, high-speed Internet access. The “St. John Neumann Computer Lab” is where all students have the opportunity to advance their computer knowledge and hone skills that will help them throughout their academic life. The fully functional lab houses 22 networked computers with high-speed Internet access, and is equipped with a SmartBoard. All ICS students are required to study “special courses,” which include art, computers, music, physical education and a foreign language (Spanish or Italian). Each of these “specials” is incorporated into the curriculum and taught once a week. After school ICS students have the opportunity to participate in children’s choir, ski club, math club, group art lessons, private music lessons and the “Young Dominicans Club.” The Catholic Youth Organization Little Royals Program provides team sports, including cheerleading, basketball, football and wrestling. -school programs include Special in school newspaper “The Immaculata,” All Saints Day parade, Christmas play, spring play, piano recital, talent show, science fair, spelling bee, Race for Education, career day, grandparents’ bingo, May Fair and field day. Pre-K and kindergarten programs: ICS offers prekindergarten for 4-year-old boys and girls. The classroom is located in the rectory at St. Elizabeth of Hungary across the street from the main school building. Pre-K students attend school Monday, Wednesday and Friday morn- ings. Beginning with the 2014-15 school year the preschool program will expand to include a 3-year-old program on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Kindergarten is a full-day program with a classroom in the main school building. Academic achievements and awards: ICS is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Each year ICS students routinely rank above the 90th percentile in the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Students have received numerous local, state and diocesan awards in recent years, including placing first in the Diocese of Allentown’s Art Contest. Diocesan high schools attended: Pius X and Notre Dame High School, Easton. ICS aims Colleges and universities atto prepare tended: The Cathostudents lic University of for life by America, Washingdeveloping ton, D.C.: DeSales the spirituUniversity, Center Valley; Duke Unial, moral, versity, Durham, social, N.C.; East Stroudsemotional, burg University; and physiFlorida State Unical qualiversity; Lehigh University, Bethleties given hem; Massachusetts by God. Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass; Muhlenberg College, Allentown; Syracuse University., N.Y.; and Penn State University. Financial aid availability and transfer grants: Scholarships are available through the Eastern Pennsylvania Scholarship Foundation, the Sister Maria Angelita Scholarship, and the Blue and White Scholarship. ICS also participates in the Bishop’s Commission on Catholic Schools Transfer Grant Program, in which students transferring into grades two to seven from a public or private school may receive a $1,500 grant. A flat tuition rate is offered to all students. School contact information: 290 W. Babbitt Ave., Pen Argyl, PA 18072; 610 863-4816; altnics@ptd.net; and www. immaculateconceptionschool.net. Social media: Facebook www.Facebook.com/ICS18072. School tours: Please call the office to make an appointment. Students executing a science experiment are, from left, Miranda Meek, Brooke Baker and Teresa Nadeau. 28 The A.D. Times Diocese May 15, 2014 Catholic view on end-of-life issues focus of seminar By TAMI QUIGLEY Staff writer We all face a time when difficult medical decisions must be made for ourselves or a loved one. It is helpful to have in advance a firm sense of the moral and ethical teachings of the church regarding end-of-life care. In light of this, the diocesan Office of Pro-Life and Social Concerns of the Secretariat for Catholic Life and Evangelization sponsored the seminar “End-of-Life Issues: What Does the Church Teach?” in cooperation with the Allentown Guild of the Catholic Medical Association April 26 at St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield. Topics included “Spirituality of Suffering,” “Ordinary vs. Extraordinary Care,” “Levels of Consciousness,” “ArtifiTopics includcial Nutrition, ed “Spirituality Hydration of Suffering,” and Palliative “Ordinary vs. Care,” “Dialysis, ArtifiExtraordinary cal RespiraCare,” “Levels tion and Organ of ConsciousDonation,” ness,” “Artifi“Advanced Dicial Nutrition, rectives” and a question-andHydration answer panel and Palliative discussion. Care,” “DiPresenters alysis, Artificial were: Msgr. Respiration James Mulligan diocand Organ esan medical Donation,” ethicist; Father “Advanced DiClifton Bishop, rectives” and a chaplain of question-andHoly Family Manor, Bethanswer panel lehem; Deacon discussion. Bruno Schettini, president of the Allentown Guild of the Catholic Medical Foundation; Dr. Joseph Galassi; Dr. Minh Nguyen; Dr. Russ Rentler; and Dr. Henry Schaier. Levels of Consciousness “Your faith impacts on how you care for a patient,” said Galassi, an anesthesiologist. Presenting “Levels of Consciousness,” Galassi drew from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services: Issues in Care for the Seri- Dr. Henry Schairer expounds on “Dialysis, Artificial Respiration and Organ Donation” during the informative session. Above left, Father Clifton Bishop discusses “Spirituality of Suffering” during the seminar “End of Life Issues: What Does the Church Teach?” April 26 at St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield. (Photos by John Simitz) Above, Msgr. James Mulligan makes a point while presenting “Ordinary vs. Extraordinary Care” during the session sponsored by the diocesan Office of Pro-Life and Social Concerns in cooperation with the Allentown Guild of the Catholic Medical Association. Left, “Life is a precious gift from God,” Dr. Joseph Galassi says during his talk on “Levels of Consciousness.” ously Ill and Dying,” issued in 2009. Galassi discussed differentiating between a coma, persistent vegetative state and brain death. He said the hardest things to face in the process of dying are dependency, helplessness and pain. “Effective pain management is essential.” Galassi emphasized avoiding the two extremes: useless or burdensome technology, and withdrawing technology to cause death. “Life is a precious gift from God,” he said, advising those gathered to obtain support from the hospital chaplain when a loved one is facing death in that setting. “Think about what your family member would want,” Galassi said, adding the patient should be kept as pain-free as possible. He also reviewed anesthesia: local, regional, general and IV sedation. Galassi expounded on states of unconsciousness: stupor, coma, persistent or permanent vegetative state and a lockedin state. He explained a persistent or permanent vegetative state is deeper than a coma and has sleep and wake cycles. The patient is not brain dead, rather is alive but unable to function at a conscious level. In a locked-in state, the patient is con- scious but largely unable to respond, often due to a neurological problem such as a stroke. Death, he said, is the absence of circulation, breathing and neurological functions, with the possibility that rigor mortis has begun. “The church leaves it to medical professionals to determine death,” Galassi said. He said St. Pope John Paul II said death is “the soul separating from the body.” Galassi said support for the dying and family members is available from the hospital staff and Catholic chaplain, the church and diocesan ethics committee. Galassi said death is not something we look forward to, but we must face it with grace with the knowledge we will be with God. Rentler said, adding today’s culture is biased against feeding tubes, though there are some cases when feeding tubes are not advised for medical reasons. Rentler defined palliative care as care “to relieve or lessen without curing, when a cure is no longer possible.” It is also given for chronic illness when the patient is not necessarily terminal. Palliative care is often prescribed for chronic congestive heart failure and obstructive pulmonary disease. “Compassion means to suffer with a person – not killing a person,” he said, referring to euthanasia. Rentler also spoke of hospice care, adding, “Hospice is not a dirty word for Catholics.” “The end of life is a difficult time, but that’s why Jesus died. He redeemed us and redeemed our suffering.” Artificial Nutrition, Hydration and Palliative Care Presenting “Artificial Nutrition, Hydration and Palliative Care,” Rentler said in St. Pope John Paul II’s statement on artificial nutrition and hydration, the pontiff said these are “not a medical act.” “Giving people food and water is not extraordinary, and not a medical act,” Those gathered listen to Msgr. James Mulligan speak during the morning program. “Hospice is not a dirty word for Catholics,” Dr. Russ Rentler says while presenting “Artificial Nutrition, Hydration and Palliative Care.”