Consider taking time on Tuesday, January 25 to gather on the Lycoming College Quad at 5:15 p.m. to participate in a vigil to remember those who have passed away as a result of COVID, and to honor all the healthcare and frontline workers who have valiantly faced the challenges presented by this pandemic.

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Our parishes have an increasing number of elderly who are facing life changing questions. Some need to move into a care facility, others are caring for a spouse with memory issues, and others are simply depressed. We can't solve those issues for them, but we could help refer them to the appropriate professionals. Navigating the bureaucracy can be daunting! Are there parishioners who are current or retired social workers or others who have some knowledge in this area? We would love to create a small team that could help guide bewildered parishioners. Contact Fr. Bil...

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The International Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be observed from Tuesday, January 18 through Tuesday, January 25, 2022. The Diocese of Scranton will celebrate a Christian Unity Service on Wednesday, January 19 at 12:10 p.m. and will be livestreamed on CTV and diocesan social media.  This year, the Middle East Council of Churches chose as the theme "We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship Him." from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 2. This expresses the Eastern Churches' tradition of joining Epiphany to the mystery of the Baptism of ...

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From 1960-63, my family lived in South Carolina. As the civil rights movement started to peak, local whites often associated it with JFK and Catholics. Being Catholic and from Massachusetts didn't help my parent’s popularity. And yet, we were not prophets. Black Catholics in our town were allowed to attend the "white" parish but only if they sat in the back. Thankfully, society has come a long way. But as we remember MLK, we still have far to go.

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At the beginning of a new year, it is natural to look towards the future. For the last several years, the Diocese of Scranton and its churches have been focused on the future with a pastoral planning initiative called the Vision 2030 Blueprint Process. Vision 2030 will help our diocese meet the many opportunities and challenges of the coming decade. The main goal of Vision 2030 is to create vibrant parishes rooted in the life of Jesus Christ. An example of what Vision 2030 includes are possible areas for discussion and pastoral planning that may occur in parishes over th...

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You can dedicate altar flowers at St. Boniface and at St. Lawrence in memory of or in honor of a loved one, and a notation of your request will be printed in the bulletin. Please note that the names of loved ones on Easter and Christmas flower contribution envelopes will not be placed in the bulletin. These holiday envelopes will be placed on the altar for prayers. Altar flower pricing for 2022 is $75 for one bouquet in front of the altar and $130 for two bouquets, one bouquet on either side of the altar. Requests for altar flowers can be made by calling the of...

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Tax season is approaching! If you would like a letter outlining your 2021 your charitable contributions made to the church, please contact the office to have your information mailed or emailed to you at the end of January.

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Dust off your favorite chili recipe and come join your fellow parishioners for a chili cook off on Sunday, Jan. 30, from 12-2 p.m. in the St. Boniface school gym. The cook off “favorite” will be determined by the chef participants. Contact Dave at 570-322-4336 or Connie at 570-974-8602 to RSVP. Watch the bulletin for further details.

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In 1985, our two parishes baptized 95 children. In 2021 we baptized only 9. That says a lot about the size of families but it also signals less people participating in the faith. And yet, when conducted during Mass, baptisms bring such joy and life to the parish. What will bring new energy to our community if there is no one to carry on in the future? Sometimes we get overly focused on the scarcity of priests and their age (Fr. Bob 72, me approaching 70). But look closer to home. Who are our servers, musicians and volunteers? The future is here.

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With the cold temperatures keeping us from venturing too far outside, now would be a perfect time to cozy up in front of your laptop and take a virtual tour of St. Boniface and St. Lawrence. Have you ever wondered about the meanings and uses of sacred vessels?  Want to know about what a priest wears for Mass? Want to learn more about the layout of either of churches? Enjoy this 30-minute virtual tour with Father Bill and Karen Balestino to find the answers to these questions and many more.  Originally created for the second grade First Communion cla...

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If you have changes to your contact information (phone/cell, email, address), please let us know by using the printed form found in the bulletin, or submitting the online registration/update form on our website. Many phone numbers and addresses in our system are no longer valid and we want to be sure we stay connected!  If you are an online giving participant and no longer wish to receive paper donation envelopes, you can call the parish office or email stboniface@comcast.net. Remember to sign up for our email Weekly News by filling out your inform...

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The Arabs have a way of saying "Happy New Year" that stresses: "May you be well and at peace."  Based on recent history, maybe their lower expectations are more realistic. Not knowing what we face in 2022, let's hope we do so with the inner peace that comes from our connection with Christ. Happy-ness can be fleeting but peace remains. May our prayer together elevate and restore you. May it carry you through the week. May it give you a reason to return to the altar. Despite everything around us, may Jesus be the Alpha & Omega that sustains.

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Second Sunday High School ministry will meet on most 2nd & 4th Sundays from 5-6:30 p.m. at St. Ann's Youth Center (the old convent near the adoration chapel). If you have any questions or would like to have your child join please email Jesse and Alisan Martin at JesseandAlisan@gmail.com. Any student in the area is invited to join us. We hope to see you there! Second Sunday 2022 Schedule: Jan. 9 & 23, Feb. 13 & 27; March 13 & 27; April 10 & 24; May 15

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Youth Ministry

Saint Stephen (died 36 CE, Jerusalem; feast day December 26) is the first martyr of the Church, and is the patron of stonemasons, masons, bricklayers, deacons, headaches, and horses. He is usually pictured in deacon's vestments, holding the symbol of martyrdom, a palm branch. Sometimes he has a stone in his left hand, to indicate his death by stoning. He is depicted in many images wearing a wreath, which refers to the origin of his name, the Greek word Stephanos meaning "wreath." In the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke praises St. Stephen ...

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And yet again, you have been incredibly generous to me & Fr. Bob but also to the families who are struggling this winter. That's exactly what we are striving to become...the sheep rather than the goats. The "givers" rather than the "takers". The ones who understood Jesus in MT 25:31 are those who create the peace-able kingdom. In the process, we feel much better about ourselves. And we show society... there is another way of living.

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We are closing our campaign for this crucial Diocesan fundraiser and are tying it up nicely before Christmas. While we will gladly accept any additional gifts, what we have collected so far has been outstanding. St. Boniface has reached 94% of its goal and St. Lawrence has reached 86% of its goal.  THANK YOU. These numbers are substantial especially as we are missing our usual attendance numbers from regular Masses. Particular thanks goes out to our appeal team: Sue Dinsmore, Noah Bauer, Carol Sides, and Jeff Kemmler.  We couldn't be more grateful.  ...

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Annual Appeal