If you drive by the rectory later this week you might catch a glimpse of a menorah in one of our windows. You might wonder “Why?” The simple answer: it’s part of our prayer for peace and justice in the Holy Land. Yes, as I write these words hostages and prisoners have been released. We certainly hope that the ceasefire becomes a step toward lasting peace. But, just as disturbing as the terrorist violence in Gaza has been the antisemitic words and actions in North America and Europe. Those situations need to be part of our prayer as well. As Catholics, w...

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Join Seminarian Andrew McCarroll as he takes a closer look at the Advent passages in Isaiah regarding the Coming of the Messiah. December:  6, 13, & 20 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at St. Lawrence Hall. There will also be a session on Sunday, December 17 from 9:15–10:05 a.m. (during PREP) in the St. Boniface RAC. "Advent invites us to a commitment to vigilance, looking beyond ourselves, expanding our mind and heart in order to open ourselves up to the needs of people, of brothers and sisters, and to the desire for a new world." - Pope Fra...

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Advent

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, also called Immaculate Conception Day, celebrates the sinless lifespan and Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This Holy Day of Obligation will be celebrated on Friday, December 8, at 7 a.m. at St. Lawrence, 10 a.m. at St. Boniface (SJNRA Mass), and at 5:30 p.m. at St. Boniface. 

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Almost every year I like to retake the Myers-Briggs personality test, mostly to gain some insight and knowledge about myself. For those who are unfamiliar with the Myers-Briggs, it is a series of questions that determines where one falls in four categories: introversion or extraversion, sensing or intuition, thinking or feeling, and judging or perceiving. Although nothing changes drastically in my personality type from year to year, it is interesting to see certain percentages shift over time. Although it may be uncomfortable for me to evaluate and understand who I am as an...

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I don’t like to rush into Christmas. I think Advent is a great concept and I want us to keep Advent well—a particular challenge this year when Advent is very, very short! But, since a month from now we’ll be at Christmas Day itself, let me talk about the Mass schedule for December 24 and 25. This is our first year with one priest to celebrate Masses—for Saturday/Sunday, December 23/24 the 4th Sunday of Advent and Sunday/Monday, December 24/25 as Christmas Eve and Day! It’s a challenging conjunction of days every 5 or 6 years. Our schedule th...

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Every month, the YWCA's Wise Options Shelter and Liberty House provide safe havens for up to thirty children, many of whom are infants or toddlers, alongside their mothers. Last year, our parishes chose to extend a helping hand to these vulnerable young ones by hosting a "Baby Shower" in honor of the birth of Baby Jesus. This year, we invite you to join us once again in celebrating the spirit of giving with another "Baby Shower" in honor of Baby Jesus. Among the most needed items are: Diapers - all sizes, especially size 3 and up Toddler P...

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This year, Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday, impacting our schedule of Masses. Please note the following services from Saturday, December 23 through Monday, December 25.  Saturday, December 23: Masses will be held as usual at 4 p.m. at St. Boniface and 5:45 p.m. at St. Lawrence Sunday, December 24: There will be only one Mass at 9 a.m. at St. Boniface as the “regular” Sunday Mass (combined Mass for both churches) 4 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass at St. Boniface 6:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass at St. Lawrence Midnight Mass at St...

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Save the date for these upcoming events in our parishes. Look for more details online or in the bulletin as these dates approach. Annual Christmas Celebration Sunday, December 10 at 3 p.m. at St. Boniface Church "Blue Christmas" Thursday, December 21 at 7 p.m. at St. Boniface Church Join us for an evening of music and reflection to soothe our hurting hearts and souls on the darkest night of the year, the Winter Solstice.  Older Parishioners Appreciation Dinner Sunday, April 21, 2024

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These past few months I’ve been listening to Fr. Mike Schmitz’s Catechism in a Year podcast. It follows the same pattern of his Bible in a Year— relatively manageable readings from the catechism, context, and commentary from Fr. Schmitz, all accomplished in 15 to 20-minute segments. The other morning I listened to the section on the Eucharist and was reminded of a truth that I’ve long known, but one that bears repeated. Father reminded us that Eucharist is both a noun and a verb. The consecrated bread and wine, the body and blood of Christ is Euch...

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The Parishes of St. Boniface & St. Lawrence are again participating in the Salvation Army Angel Tree Program this year. Name tags will be available in the back of both churches starting the weekend of November 25-26. Please return all unwrapped gifts with the attached name tag in a gift bag to the back of the church by the weekend of December 16-17. Thank you for your generosity and support of this important program.

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Join Seminarian Andrew McCarroll as he takes a closer look at the Advent passages in Isaiah regarding the Coming of the Messiah on three Wednesdays in December:  6, 13, & 20 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at St. Lawrence Hall. There will also be a session on Sunday, December 17 from 9:15–:10:05 a.m. in the St. Boniface RAC.

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Mark your calendars for Sunday, December 10, at 3 p.m. for the annual Christmas celebration at St. Boniface. Following the celebration in the church, everyone is invited to the holiday social in the school gymnasium.  If you have a child who plays a musical instrument and would like to play a Christmas song as part of our event, please get in touch with Kristin Fisher at 570-220-1883 or email kristinfisher1@verizon.net by Friday, December 1.

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One of my favorite parts of ministry is that I have the privilege of visiting a variety of patients at UPMC each week. I am honored to minister to different individuals in their struggles, joys, and everything in between. However, one of the most common difficulties that I hear from many patients is the aspect of waiting – waiting to receive results, waiting for the next appointment, waiting for family or friends to visit, waiting to go home. All of these aspects of waiting are understandable and, if I’m being honest, I would probably respond the same way. Wa...

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No one needs to tell us we need priests. More priests. We know what Christians said from the beginning: No Church without Eucharist, no Eucharist without priests. But, as I learned when I went to our annual Priest’s Convocation a few weeks ago, sometimes we need to be told that we—the Church, after all—need to do some work if we’re to have the priests (and the religious sisters and brothers) we need. We need to pray for vocations (one of the few prayer intentions that Christ himself gave us when he taught us “to ask the harvest Master to send w...

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Thank you to everyone who helped to organize, set up, cook, serve food and tasty treat donations, and tear it all down at the end of the Mummers Parade SLPAC Food Stand last month. We are so thankful the rain held off and gave us a refreshing day for a parade. The initial reason we started the parade food stand was service to our neighbors. Thank you everyone for making this happen!

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Scary and fun. Journeys into darkness and light. This world and the next. The living and the dead. It’s all part of the three days that bring us from October into November: Halloween, All Saints and All Souls. Let’s not forget to pray these mysterious (in the best, the most sacred, sense of the word) days. We all know how to do Halloween. But, remember what lies behind the costumes, the tricks, and the treats. We’re delving into the dark side so that we can journey to the brilliance of the next day—All Saints. All Saints Day we celebrate and ask the ...

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Believe it or not, in high school I was part of the Chess Club. At first, I wouldn’t be caught dead in such a club, but I joined because a friend challenged me and said that I could never beat him in a game of chess. The competitive and rebellious part of me came out in full force, and I quickly became a fan of entrapping my opponents in the game. I would start by making a few irresponsible moves, allow my opponent to think they were in control, then unleash my hidden plan and win the game. However, once in a while, this strategy would tragically fail when a smarter o...

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We are collecting items now for our sale next summer! Toys, clothing, housewares, craft supplies, small furniture, holiday decorations, and more.  If you have questions, contact Janey/Mike 570-927-2932, Kelly 570-980-4494, or Mary 570-279-2519. All proceeds from this event will benefit Saint Lawrence Parish family activities, maintenance & general funds. The rummage sale will held in June 2024.

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Last week I gave you a glimpse of a couple of upcoming events. One of them—the one happening this week— may require a little more explanation. I’m talking about the 40 Hours Devotion. Some of you have asked: Just what is this? Why are we doing this now? First, 40 Hours Devotion consists of a few days (usually three—the “40 hours” more or less corresponds to the time Christ’s body was in the tomb) of Eucharistic Adoration. After morning Mass the host is placed in the monstrance. People are encouraged to visit the church for quiet pra...

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Have an upcoming baby/bridal shower, birthday party? Make the St. Lawrence Church Hall your event venue! The hall can hold up to 100 people and has a full kitchen that can be used for warming food. Contact the parish office for more details 570-326-1544.

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“Something old, something new…” So began the old adage about what a bride should have on her person on her wedding day. As a Church we’re looking at some new and old things these coming weeks. First, a reminder that today at St. Boniface we begin a new approach to how we come to the altar for communion. Let’s be patient with each other. Try to remember which way we’re supposed to go. Remember why we opted for this change: to offer a more reverent way for all of us to receive the Lord’s Body and Blood. Secondly, the Williamspo...

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The fall season always seems to be a busy and frustrating time of the year. Our relaxing summer has come to an end, days grow shorter and colder, schools are back in session, fall sports are well underway, and Notre Dame has already lost twice this season. Despite the beauty of autumn in central Pennsylvania, some of us would rather go back to the summer months, jump forward to Christmas, or wish for a better football season. We all can feel busy and possibly a little frustrated in one way or another. However, this isn’t unlike the parable that we hear in this Sund...

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The Diocesan Annual Appeal is the primary fundraising effort in support of the vital work of the Diocese to serve all those who come to us for help. Each year, thousands of donors generously give to the Appeal so that we may provide significant assistance through the Diocesan ministries of Catholic Social Services and Parish Social Justice Grants, Seminarian Education and Care of Retired and Ill Clergy, Catholic Education in Schools and Parishes, Parish Life and Religious Formation and Catholic Media. Consider making your gift today! https://annualappeal.org/

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Annual Appeal

When the American Bishops invited us to a Eucharistic Revival, they wanted us to experience more than words or ideas. Yes, we can talk about the right theology. We can remember what our second-grade catechists told us about bread that becomes Body, and wine that changes into Blood. They wanted us to reflect on how we pray this mystery, and how we celebrate our Eucharist. Next weekend we’ll start to see some changes— largely at St. Boniface Masses—in the way we come to communion. You’ll see a map for those changes in this week's bulletin.  We...

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The calendar for Mass intentions at St. Boniface & St. Lawrence is now open for January through December of the upcoming year. Please contact the parish office to schedule an intention. The office is open 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Holy Days and holidays. Intentions may be requested by a single sponsor for one Sunday or one Saturday Mass and up to two daily Masses. One request per person can also be made for St. Boniface sanctuary candle intentions. The candle will burn in memory of your loved one for one week. Additional requests can be m...

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My family and I would often say that the Bloomsburg Fair “is better than Christmas.” I suspect that many of us have experienced or at least heard of the Bloomsburg fair in some way. At one of my favorite apple dumpling stands the employees wore shirts that said, “Have you had your apple today?” Since then, I have been on a slight apple-binge. I credit my recent daily apple eating because I saw a shirt that reminded me to do so. We are constantly being given simple and unexpected messages that remind us to do something positive – simple or profo...

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This year, we will be starting an outreach program to the parents of our newly baptized children. We will be creating gift baskets for each family with books for parents and children, along with additional resources from our parish. We are looking for parishioners who knit or crochet and would consider making a baby blanket or a child-safe stuffed animal to complete the baskets with a personal and caring touch. A beautiful ministry that you can do at home and know that your creation has touched the lives of our young families. Please contact Karen Balestino at 570-419-...

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Baptism

When you are hungry but there isn’t food on the shelves or in the refrigerator and money needs to go to rent, heat, and electricity, what do you do? We offer a way to help families through this with our food collection boxes at St. Boniface and St. Lawrence. When we work together, we can help Sojourner Truth provide daily lunches and Salvation Army Food Pantry provide food for their more than 160 families. It takes all of us to make this happen. Please be part of this ministry by donating unexpired food into the collection boxes or helping deliver food to the min...

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Today, Respect Life Sunday reminds us each year of our deeply held Catholic belief that all life, from conception until natural death, matters. This year the Bishop’s Conference has chosen to focus on St. Joseph as “the protector of life.” I was particularly moved by a series of images on their website, pictures of Joseph as one who protects life. First, Joseph dreams about Mary’s unexpected and complicated pregnancy. Next, Joseph knocks on doors in Bethlehem looking for somewhere to stay. Then, Joseph with Mary and her newborn Son. Finally, Jos...

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As a kid, I had one big fear… it wasn’t a future career, the Mets losing the World Series, or even the monster underneath my bed… no, my big fear was being picked last. No kid wants to be picked last in gym class or on the playground. If this has ever happened to you, then you know how horrible it feels. You probably asked yourself: Why me? Why wasn’t I first? Don’t they know I play linebacker for the Lake-Lehman mini-football team? Well, luckily the kingdom of heaven isn’t a gym class or the playground. However, we as humans can often ...

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I’ve already written the check. Yes, I’ve already written my check to the Diocesan Annual Appeal. Why? To stop the flow of repeated letters inviting my donation? To help my parish communities reach their goal earlier? Well, in part, yes. But, it’s more about gratitude. I’m grateful for the education I was given in my seminary. I didn’t pay for that—you, the Church, did! And I thank you! I’m grateful that this Diocese continues to support seminarians—like Andrew—ensuring that we will have priests and Eucharist into our fu...

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Memories of my childhood are often filled with experiences and lessons from my family’s business. My father was the owner of McCarroll Precast Inc. in Lehman, PA – as was his father before him. Our family business was nothing particularly impressive as compared to larger precast plants throughout the Northeast. I often wondered why our family business – being rather small and simple for most of its 54-year history – never expanded and diversified as compared to others in this region. When I asked my dad this very same question, he responded: “i...

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The Mass intentions calendar for St. Boniface & St. Lawrence will open on Monday, October 2 for intention requests from January 2024 through December 2024. Contact the parish office to schedule an intention. Our office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday–Friday, except Holy Days and holidays. Please note that 2023 St. Lawrence Masses are still available. Intentions may be requested by a single sponsor for one Sunday or one Saturday Mass and up to two daily Masses. Additional requests can be made after January 1, 2024. One request per person can also...

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Middle of September: our time to gear up our Christian formation programs. PREP for our school students. High school group for the older kids. Adult programs all over the schedule—Monday evenings with The Chosen, Sunday mornings, Wednesday afternoons, and evenings (Check the bulletin for details about each offering!). We’ve made a commitment to helping people of all ages to learn their faith and to grow in appreciation of the sacred scripture and our Catholic tradition. But, if all we did were learn, we’d fall drastically short. Think of the two disciples ...

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Do you want to deepen your faith? Do you want to learn more about what it means to be Catholic? There are several programs beginning in early October that will be led by several parishioners, Seminarian Andrew McCarroll, and/or Father McCreary, that will provide adults from both St. Lawrence and St. Boniface outlets to explore the sacraments, the Eucharist, the Mass, and more. You are encouraged to learn about these programs offered at various times and locations, which are designed to help you live out your faith in the modern world. Drop...

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Last Sunday we were reminded that we all have crosses to carry throughout our lifetime as we strive to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. These crosses can present themselves in a variety of ways: grief, employment, burdensome tasks, economic pressures, and physical or mental illness. Often these crosses are personal issues – struggles that don’t really seem to stem from any particular person but ourselves. However, what if our cross is another person? All of us have encountered individuals whom we have found annoying, disagree with, or have caused us harm. These...

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If you work, live, or worship near St. Boniface Church, you’re used to our bells. They’re a prominent part of the landscape on Washington Boulevard. We hear them ringing the quarter hours for the best portion of each day. Lately, you might have noticed a difference. Too many peals, you may have thought, for the normal time-telling task. Perhaps something’s gone wrong with those familiar bells. But, no! We’ve reintroduced—and it’s largely our seminarian’s persistent follow-through that made this happen—the Angelus. Three set...

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THANK YOU... to everyone who contributed to the success of this year's carnival despite the weather challenges. Parishioners were instrumental in the carnival's success by working games, selling raffle tickets, preparing and serving food inside and out, donating baked goods, providing gift baskets, organizing (and shopping) the white elephant sale, supporting the kiddie rides, and so much more. A special thanks to all who helped set up for the carnival and will help tear it down. You were ALL seen and appreciated.

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Carnival

By now, most of us have seen the tweaks to the Mass schedule. A 5:45 p.m. Mass on Saturday evenings. No longer an 8 a.m. Mass on Wednesday mornings. I know those changes may make people unhappy or annoyed. But, know that they were made very carefully, with serious input from the Liturgy Committee and Parish Pastoral Council. Many factors had to be taken into consideration including the balance between our two parishes, the limits on how many Masses a priest can celebrate each day, pieces of my schedule beyond parish control (and beyond my control!), and the availabilit...

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The celebration of the sacred Triduum is most likely far from our thoughts and minds as we enjoy the end of our summer months. Yet, this Sunday we are reminded of Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection. We hear in the gospel (Matthew 16:21-27): “Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly… be killed and on the third day be raised.” We may feel perplexed as to why we are hearing such a message at this point in our year. After all, aren’t Lent and Easter over five months away? We hear this profound messag...

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Most mornings I read the news from the New York Times on my phone. Many mornings I’ll take a stab at the games the NYT provides—the crossword, the sodoku, the spelling bee. That last game invites us to create words from a limited number of letters: the more letters, the more points. But, sometimes I put in a legitimate word and it gets rejected—either because it’s a foreign word, a proper name, or just one that the game designers don’t know. Two examples: “cenacle” and “novena.” Real words. Actual words that play into th...

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Something’s puzzled me over the past several months. The summer Mass schedule change. I wasn’t clear on why we have it. We’re not resort communities that fill with worshippers for summer getaways or winter ski trips. We’re not cancelling a Mass because few people attend in the summer; we’re just moving them closer together. Why, I ask? I’ve heard all sorts of answers—mostly about people other than the folks I’ve asked. Summer Mass schedule is for the priests, for the musicians, for families with children, for golfers, etc. So,...

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We’ve sometimes called this Sunday “Low Sunday.” After all, anything compared to Easter would seem to fall into a lesser place. The throngs of people, the triumphant music, the fresh flowers, the families gathered to feast: all that seems to be last week’s story. But, in terms of the dynamics of the Church’s liturgy, that almost completely wrong. Last Sunday began Easter, it certainly didn’t finish it! We have fifty days of Easter, Sundays and weekdays that unfold the unimaginable power of Christ’s resurrection. And the high point r...

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Easter cards are a funny thing. Most of them are about rabbits and eggs—often with all sorts of puns and jokes involved. A few, carefully placed in the part of the rack identified as “religious”, show a cross or a picture of Jesus. I can deal with all of those. But, I’m wary of the ones that wish us “Happy Easter, Happy Spring!” As if those two things are the same. They’re not. Spring comes as just one more season, repeating itself over and over. As soon as it arrives, it leads to another summer, another fall, another winter. But, E...

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At Mass sometimes the priest has the option of saying things “in these or similar words.” Many times, no such option is offered— “This is my Body” has to be “This is my Body,” after all. We don’t always think of these sorts of options for the lay faithful, do we? There’s no “in these or similar words” option for the Sanctus or the Lamb of God. Parents with babies to be baptized and couples coming to be married have to say “I do!” to the questions. But, there is one place where all of us— lay...

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A few years back, we received a new English translation of the Mass. We’ve grown used to “and with your spirit” rather than “and also with you.” So, of course, it’s time for the Church to launch a new English translation for another sacrament: Reconciliation. When you come to confession this Lent and beyond you may notice—and, admittedly, the change is so small you can miss this—two small changes in the priest’s words. Now we tell you that the Father has “poured out” the Spirit and that the Church promises th...

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Important notice for Weekday Masses: If there is a delay or cancellation of area schools, please follow this Mass schedule: St. Lawrence will follow the South Williamsport Area School District closure or delay announcements.  St. Boniface will follow the Williamsport Area School District closure or delay announcements.  St. Lawrence Masses: Monday & Tuesday 7 a.m. services will move to St. Boniface at 9 a.m. St. Boniface Masses:  Thursday & Friday 8 a.m. services will move to 9 a.m.  Divine Providence Hospi...

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Snow Emergency