From the Pastor's Desk

A MESSSAGE FROM FATHER MIKE…

It is the Fourth Sunday of Advent and our banner word is PEACE. If we look at the Gospel from Matthew and the infancy narratives, we see that he focuses on Joseph (ironically, Joseph does not say a word in this Gospel). You know the story: Mary is pregnant under unusual circumstances, Joseph wanted to divorce Mary. Imagine what he must have been thinking about his intended wife. He had every right to be angry.

In a dream an angel came to him and told him to take Mary as his wife. Joseph found PEACE in a very difficult situation. He did not divorce Mary. He became the foster father of Jesus. Things could have flipped horribly the other way, but Joseph found PEACE. This last week of Advent, turn away from the hype of the season to the PEACE of the season. When you find PEACE, you find God.

Every morning since the COVID epidemic, Father Mike has been sending out a spiritual message to everyone who signs up to receive it. Sometimes Father’s message inspires us or consoles us or often challenges us to put our faith into action. You can receive Father’s message by either email or text message. If you would like to receive Father’s daily message, call the office of Immaculate Conception parish at 570-636-3035 and give Janet your email address or your cell phone number. It’s a great way to start your morning!

Mass

Remaining to Mass Completion

Please make it a point to stay for the entire Mass unless you have an emergency.

Mass is almost always 50 minutes to an hour.  Certainly, we can afford to give this time to God.

Parking lot Mass

All weekend Masses are available over your car radio.  We ask that you park in the lower lot (to the left of the church) and tune your car radio to FM 98.3.  You will be able to listen to the Mass over your car radio.  At the end of Mass an Extraordinary Minister will come to the parking lot to distribute Holy Communion.

If you choose to bring your envelopes, they will be collected at that time.

Online Mass

You can watch all masses on line.  This includes weekday, weekend and Holy Days.  Please use the below links:

http://youtube.com/channel/UCRogmn_HRMsPzAq4XSysm3w

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=our+lady+freeland

CTV: Catholic Television Broadcasting Daily Masses

A private Mass will be celebrated daily in the Cathedral of St. Peter in Scranton and made available on CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton.  On weekdays, the Mass will be broadcast at 12:10 pm, 3:30 pm and 7:00 pm.

On weekends, the Saturday Vigil Mass will be broadcast at 4:00 pm and rebroadcast on Sunday morning at 10:00 am.

The Masses will also be streamed of the Diocese of Scranton’s website (www.diocesesofscranton.org) , made available on the Dioceses of Scranton’s social media platforms (Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram) and will be accessible on the Diocese of Scranton’s YouTube channel.

Presentation of the Gifts

If the Mass is for your intention, you are more than welcome to bring up the gifts. Please let one of the ushers/extraordinary ministers know.                        

Lehigh Valley Hospital – Hazleton

If you are a member of Good Shepherd Parish and are hospitalized at Lehigh Valley Hospital – Hazleton, please list your parish as Good Shepherd. Quite a few of Good Shepherd parishioners claim as their parish one that has been closed. Some people from Good Shepherd and other parishes are not visited because their parish priests, myself included, do not think to look under closed parishes for their own parishioners, and understandably so. A way to assure that you will be visited, if you so desire, is to notify the parish office.

Funerals

Eulogies at Funerals

The Church, in the past, has had a long standing prohibition of giving eulogies at funerals.  The Order of Christian Funerals states, “A brief homily based on the readings should always be givin at the funeral liturgy, but never any kind of eulogy.”  The homilist is to keep in mind the identity of the deceased, the circumstances of the death and the grief of the family.  The homilist is to preach on the saving mystery of Christ’s death. 

Today, the Church allows a family member or friend to speak on the deceased before the final commendation begins.  The words are to be brief, highlighting an aspect of the deceased’s life of faith.  If there is a desire for a lengthy eulogy of sharing memories, this should take place at the funeral vigil and not in the church.  Priests have a right to read, ahead of time, the text and outline of any eulogy and make changes in length and content when necessary. 

Funeral and Wedding Costs

We will follow the Diocesan recommended fee of $400 for both funerals and weddings. Baptisms remain a free-will offering of your choice.

Rite of Christian Initiation (RCIA)

Do you want to become a Catholic or know someone else who does? Are you a baptized Catholic and still need the Sacraments of Initiation such as Eucharist and Confirmation, or know someone else who does? Do you want to grow deeper and reconnect in the practice of your faith? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, the RCIA program is for you! RCIA stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Classes maintaining all safety protocols are in progress and registrations are being accepted. This program is being offered jointly between Good Shepherd and Immaculate Conception Parishes. All adults who have been baptized or not baptized are welcome. Please call the parish office at (570) 788-3141 for any questions, additional information, and to register.

Do You Want to Know More about the Annulment Process?

In the Diocese of Scranton, the annulment process is now more “user friendly” than you might expect, and there is no longer a processing fee. Please contact your pastor or the Diocesan Tribunal Office at (570) 207-2246 to begin a conversation. It is possible to get clear answers to these questions and to renew your connection with the Church.

Bulletin Sponsors

We thank recent bulletin sponsors.

The sponsorships do pay for the bulletin covers from Bon Venture which I feel are well done. More sponsors would be needed if Good Shepherd were to receive periodic rebate checks. If you would like to be a sponsor, please call the Parish Office, 570-788-3141. Again, we thank sponsors new and old. 

Dear Deacon Jim

Each week, Deacon Jim will be answering your spiritual questions about our faith that you always wanted to know, but didn't know who to ask. Email your questions to gsch@ptd.net or drop them in the collection basket. Deacon Jim will answer your questions in the bulletin. You do not have to put your name on your questions. What a wonderful way to understand our faith more fully. CLICK HERE to read the questions!

What is a Parish Life Coordinator? Read This to be Informed

What is a Parish Life Coordinator? In recent months, we have heard a great deal about Parish Life Coordinators and the shortage of priests. At a meeting of the deanery with Bishop Bambera at St. John Bosco on June 29th (2015), the bishop explained the role of a Parish Coordinator. Basically, a PLC is in charge of running a parish in the absence of a pastor. The bishop stated that a PLC should have a college degree and be a generally well-educated person. A short period would be necessary for learning the role, probably several months. PLCs would, at this time, basically be appointed to city or suburban parishes that are not at a distance from other ones. A priest would be assigned as a Sacramental Minister to the parish, providing full weekend services and confessions. Another priest would serve as a Moderator helping the PLC. The sacramental priest would likely be one who currently is a chaplain, one involved in school work or a retired priest in reasonable health. The priest may or may not live close to the parish of which he is the Sacramental Minister. This is why, at present, the bishop would not appoint a sacramental priest to a parish that is at a distance from others. A PLC, at present, would not be assigned to a parish a good distance from others since a priest would not be available for emergencies. A PLC would be appointed to parishes that are in reasonable distance of other ones. Priests from other parishes could handle emergencies. This would include anointings and perhaps funerals and interments. The cost of a PLC would not exceed the cost of a pastor, and a PLC would be appointed by the bishop just as pastors are. The bishop stressed that he would not be in favor of a PLC remaining indefinitely at a parish. A parish that had a PLC for a time would ideally go back to having a regular pastor. A parish is not a “PLC parish” for life. Those accepted into the PLC program would not necessarily serve in their own parish. The PLC is not something that should alarm any of us. It is common in dioceses throughout the country. Priests will not become “circuit riders” offering Masses in multiple parishes in Bishop Bambera’s plan.

Prayer for an End to Infanticide

The U.S. Senate recently failed to pass the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act – legislation that prohibits infanticide by ensuring that a child born alive following an attempted abortion would receive the same degree of care to preserve his or her life and health as would be given to any other child born alive at the same gestational age. Please join us in prayer for an end to infanticide:

“Jesus, Lord of Life, transform the hearts of all elected leaders to recognize that infanticide is wrong and must not be tolerated. Open hearts and minds to recognize and defend the precious gift of every human life.”

Tables and Chairs

These will no longer be available for parishioners, and non-parishioners alike, for family reunions, graduations, etc. Over the past summer, people who have borrowed them have returned them in a lesser condition than when they were taken out. Some of the tables were even left out in the rain. While we don’t give out our better tables and chairs, we still use the ones we have given out for larger gatherings. We are sorry, but due to the lack of care for our tables and chairs by a few, they no longer will be given out. I looked at the way our equipment was returned at the request of the Janitorial staff and Buildings and Grounds personnel and could clearly see how the tables, especially, suffered considerable damage.