Did you notice where the gospel ended today? It didn’t feel like the conclusion of other stories, did it? We didn’t hear the words “…and they lived happily ever after”! Instead, at the Easter Vigil, the gospel ended, “Their story seemed like nonsense, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb, bent down, and saw the burial cloths alone; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.” Hardly the happy ending we might have expected. Then this morning we hear John’s account ending with the words:...

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Vacation Bible School will be held June 16–20 from 8:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at the St. John Neumann Regional Academy High School Campus, located at 901 Penn Street in Williamsport. All children currently in Pre-K through Grade 5 are invited to join us for a fun-filled week of faith, learning, and fellowship. The cost is $20 per student, with a family maximum of $60 for households with three or more children. Early bird registration ends on May 31. Starting June 1, the cost increases to $40 per student. To register, please visit www.tinyurl.com/lycovbs25. We...

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We’ve come to a busy week.  A Holy Week for the Church.   And not just a Holy Week because these things happened to Jesus of Nazareth almost 2000 years ago. A Holy Week because our celebration builds up our faith and strengthens us for our witness to the world. And it only works if we show up! Let’s think about the moments when we need especially to be Church this week: Holy Thursday.  Our celebration of the Lord’s death and resurrection begins with the 7 pm Mass, the Mass that recalls the beginning of Christ’s Passion, his gift ...

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Thank you to everyone who helped make the Family Lenten Table at St. Lawrence a delicious and memorable evening! We’re grateful to the organizers, those who set up, those who served soups, and those who stayed to clean up—it was truly a team effort. A special thanks to all who donated such a wonderful variety of soups. It was a joy to sample so many delicious flavors and share in a fun, faith-filled evening together. Check out a few pictures of the evening at https://www.stbonifacecatholic.com/Parish-Photo-Gallery/AlbumID/24064-2273

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The planned linkage between Saint Ann Parish and Saint Boniface Parish, originally scheduled to begin in July, will now take effect in October. This adjustment is due to the timing of clergy personnel transitions at the diocesan level. To help guide and prepare for this important change, Father Glenn McCreary and Father Shawn Simchock have each selected transition team members: Saint Ann Parish: Tyler Berkey, Ron Carter, Bernadette DeLullo, Maggie Magagna, Christine Weigle Saint Boniface Parish: Noah Bauer, Eric Beiter, Heather Kriner, Stephanie Radulski...

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Remember spring cleaning? When the days grew longer and the temperature rose, people would set about cleaning their homes and their yards. Leaves were raked and gutters emptied out. Open windows let in fresh air. Winter sweaters were put in mothballs. Lighter clothing was pulled out of storage. Floors were mopped, carpets swept, and old food from the back of the fridge was tossed. Some of that spring cleaning is connected to Lent and Easter. People expected guests for the great holiday. Special foods needed to be prepared. We wanted our homes to look their best, our k...

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Last week I entertained the question “Father, how often should I go to confession?” This week, let’s think about the next question I usually get: “And, Father, what do I say when I get there?” Confession begins when we examine our conscience. And that begins with prayer. You don’t know what you’re supposed to say? Ask the Holy Spirit. After all, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would lead us to all truth. I imagine that includes the truth about ourselves. The Holy Spirit will reveal the truth to us. We might tend to beat up on...

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Starting in April, volunteers will serve as greeters at weekend Masses, extending a warm welcome to parishioners and visitors. This vital ministry fosters a sense of Christian community, emphasizing the importance of coming together in prayer. Thank you to all who have generously offered their time to serve.

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Father, how often should I come to confession? I get that question a lot. Sometimes from nonbelievers who want to understand this strange religious system of ours. Sometimes from people interested in becoming Catholic—they want to know just what they’re getting into. Sometimes from Catholics who are confused about the messages they’ve received— everything from “God doesn’t really care about sin anymore” to “Why aren’t you like Mother Teresa or John Paul II, who when to confession every single week?” The answe...

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Congratulations to four of our students who were honored for their leadership in Christian service and dedication to our parish community at a Mass celebrated by Bishop Bambera at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton on Sunday afternoon (3/23/2025). We are proud of seniors Ben Cappel, Anna Pritchard, and Sophia Reid, as well as 8th grader Evan Steele. We thank them for their service and pray for them as they continue to share their gifts with others.

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Last Sunday afternoon I was sitting in St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton. I had traveled over there for the Rite of Election—an important part of the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) which used to be called Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA). As I sat there waiting for the liturgy to begin, I realized just how long it had been since I last participated in that particular ceremony. For many years of my priesthood, I had to skip that rite because I had evening Mass responsibilities. Since coming here, my Sunday afternoons and evenings ha...

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Check out the March 11th edition of Our Faith…Our Diocese (news on diocesan and parish events): Highlights from the Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, marking a step closer for candidates and catechumens entering the Catholic Church. Bishop Bambera celebrated the first Lenten Holy Hour at Saint John the Evangelist Parish in Pittston. Saint Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre is a Jubilee Year pilgrimage site. Saint Leo the Great Parish in Ashley is among parishes holding Lenten food sales. Rev. Ryan Glenn of Christ th...

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I know I’ve driving home this pilgrimage aspect of the Holy Year pretty often. But, it’s a treasured part of our Catholic faith. I’d hate to have the next several months to pass by and have us think: “I could have participated, I could have done something…”  Now we are fortunate to have a pilgrimage site in one of our churches. But, that doesn’t stop us from finding other sites as well. Think of it this way: As we travel, for work or for vacation, we’re passing pilgrimage sites all along the way. After the Broadway sh...

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During the Jubilee Year 2025, the Holy Father invites all Christians to become “pilgrims of hope.” For this journey to be meaningful, each person must be grounded in God's grace and His mercy's fullness. Even those unable to make a pilgrimage to Rome are encouraged to participate in the spiritual movement of receiving an Indulgence during this special year. To obtain the Indulgence, the faithful within our Diocese are invited to take the following steps: 1. Visit a Designated Pilgrimage Site: Cathedral of Saint Peter, 315 Wyoming Ave, Scranto...

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From time to time, I hear people assert that the Church had done away with something. Friday penance or Sunday Mass obligation, confession, or indulgences. Usually, it’s accompanied by an appeal to an event (like Vatican II) or a person (like the Pope). “Didn’t Vatican II  get rid of that?” “Didn’t Pope Francis change that?” Truth: none of the aforementioned items have been changed. Not by a Council, not by the pope, not even by the synodal process. Check out how often Pope Francis has invited u...

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Parishioners and friends of St. Boniface Parish reflect on the daily readings during Lent in our "Pilgrim of Hope on our Lenten Journey" booklet. You are invited to read the Daily Mass readings that are cited before each reflection and let the message for each day soak into your heart and fill you with God's hope, God's peace, and God's love.Download the booklet or read it here online (PDF, 758KB).

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Lent

A couple of times in the past few weeks I’ve talked about the Holy Year—as part of a homily, in the bulletin. We’ve reflected on Jesus’ words in the Nazareth synagogue—“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…to proclaim a year of favor from the Lord.” We’ve talked about pilgrimages and shrines and holy doors. Imagine my surprise when I learned that the Bishop wanted to mark St. Boniface Church as a diocesan site for pilgrimage this year. Suddenly, Holy Years weren’t things that happen somewhere else&mdash...

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Remember the books we gave out at Christmas? Thin book. Grey and gold cover. The title is hidden in the middle of the artwork. Maybe you thought it was the worship guide for Christmas Mass—the place where we’d put the songs and readings. Maybe you picked it up right away— well, as right away as the day after Christmas when everyone went home—and started to read. Maybe you tossed it on the coffee table, the desk, the back seat of the car—with a mental note “later”. I’m included in that last category. That grey and gold...

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Haven't registered as a member of St. Boniface Parish yet? We invite you to officially join our parish community! By registering, you'll stay connected with important updates about faith formation, special events, schedule changes, and much more. It's quick and simple--register online in just a few minutes!

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One of the elements of a Holy Year in the Catholic Church is pilgrimage. The pope opens the doors of Rome’s great basilicas. From across the world people travel to pass through those doors—to gain the indulgence of the holy year, a particular expression of God’s mercy. But, every pilgrimage is more than a trip or a vacation. Lovely though it may be to see Rome or Jerusalem, Canterbury or Compostela, a good pilgrimage points to something deeper than holy places or sacred shrines. It tells us we’re pilgrims—from the moment of our baptism until...

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You thought today was just Sunday, right? Another Sunday like all other Sundays. If you were particularly focused on Church and Mass, you might have guessed it was Some Sunday in Ordinary Time—third, fourth, whatevereth? But, this Sunday’s a lot more. It’s Groundhog Day and if you’re reading this on Sunday morning, that rodent has already warmed or chilled our hearts with a prediction for spring. It’s the Presentation of the Lord—the fortieth day after Christmas when the Christ Child was presented in the temple, and one of those fea...

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Everyone is encouraged to experience the spiritual beauty of Eucharistic Adoration which is open to all on Monday evenings from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The greatest gift God gives us is himself, and Adoration is another way for us to recognize that gift outside of receiving the Eucharist at Mass. Come pray in silence in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. No signup or reservation is needed. “The time you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the best time that you will spend on earth. Each moment that you spend with Jesus will deepen your union with Him and make y...

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I couldn’t help noticing during the General Intercessions that there seemed to be a lot going on this past week. The Martin Luther King holiday. The Inauguration. The Day of Prayer and Fasting for the Protection of Unborn Life. The Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity. On top of it all, we continued to pray for vocations, for the sick and suffering, for people impacted by the California wildfires. As far as prayer goes, we had a great deal on our plate this past week. For those of you at the Saturday evening Masses, you’ll notice another wrinkle in our prayer...

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If you listen carefully to the prayers in today’s Mass, you’ll notice a focus on the Church’s unity. (Actually, you might first notice that they don’t exactly line up with the prayers given in publications like The Word Among Us and Magnificat.) This week each year the Church— along with other Christian communities, Orthodox and Protestant—invites us to pray that Christ’s believers might grow to be one as he so deeply desired—and himself so deeply prayed at the Last Supper. Let’s not forget that unity has always been ...

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During the Church’s Evening Prayer on Epiphany, the liturgy proclaims: Three mysteries mark this holy day: Today the star leads the Magi to the infant Christ; Today water is changed into wine for the wedding feast; Today Christ wills to be baptized by John in the river Jordan to bring us salvation. Usually, we stop with the Magi. The crèche is complete: Mary and Joseph, ox and ass, shepherds with their flocks, magi with their gifts. While everyone might leave the stable—the Holy Family to Egypt, the shepherds telling glad tidings to the villagers, the Magi...

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During the Church’s Evening Prayer on Epiphany, the liturgy proclaims: Three mysteries mark this holy day: Today the star leads the Magi to the infant Christ; Today water is changed into wine for the wedding feast; Today Christ wills to be baptized by John in the river Jordan to bring us salvation. Usually, we stop with the Magi. The crèche is complete: Mary and Joseph, ox and ass, shepherds with their flocks, magi with their gifts. While everyone might leave the stable—the Holy Family to Egypt, the shepherds telling glad tidings to the villagers, the M...

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Parishioners are invited to join our parish community in creating "2025 Daily Lenten Reflections" to be shared from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday. In connection with the Jubilee Year theme "Pilgrims of Hope," we invite interested parishioners to write a short reflection based on the daily Mass readings. Reflections will be made available during the Lenten season on the parish website and Facebook page, along with printed copies for others to read and reflect upon. Please contact Jack Houston at 570-326-4637 or email jhouston8@fordham.edu if you wou...

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Let’s embrace Catholic resolutions together for the New Year, strengthening our faith as families and individuals. Here are some thoughtful ideas to consider: Set aside consistent time for prayer. Join the Bible in a Year Journey with Fr. Mike Schmitz. Read more spiritual books. Commit to praying the Rosary more regularly. Attend Mass more than once a week. Spend time in Adoration at least once a month. Go to confession more frequently. Learn about the lives of Catholic saints. Explore saint-inspired recipes for family meals. Visit Catholic pil...

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I’ll be the first to admit it: Epiphany’s Mass involves a lot of words. Prophet and gospel are lengthy. Our best-known hymn for the day (written in Williamsport, mind you!) doesn’t really allow much room to sensibly skip verses. Throw in Eucharistic Prayer I, with its special texts for the Epiphany and we end up with a lot of words. There’s one more set of words we could add: the Announcement of Easter and the Moveable Feasts, a chant given to the deacon to proclaim after today’s gospel. We won’t be doing it, but here are the words: ...

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It’s still Christmas. It wasn’t Christmas the day after Halloween or the day after Thanksgiving. No matter what the radio played or what shops looked like, it just wasn’t Christmas. It really wasn’t Christmas during those hectic weeks of parties and concerts, shopping, and cookie baking. But now it’s Christmas, and Christmas sticks around for us as Catholics. We’re still celebrating Christmas today as we reflect on the Holy Family. New Year’s Eve and Day will be the Octave Day of Christmas (along with our celebration of Mary as M...

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We all know that Advent is about looking forward. Yes, we look forward to Christmas, to remember how God came into our world in the incarnation. Perhaps, more importantly, we look forward to his Second Coming when we enter into a new heaven and earth, where tears are wiped away, death is defeated and life—a perfectly happy life—never ends. While I certainly want us to seize the moment of each Advent day and hour, let’s look ahead to some things happening in our parish: Christmas Confessions: Last opportunities before Christmas on Mondays, December 16...

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We are updating our database! Please let us know if you have new contact information (phone number, cell number, email, etc.) We have found many phone numbers are out of date and disconnected. Call the parish office at 570-326-1544 or email stboniface@comcast.net with any changes. Thank you!

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Tomorrow—the Immaculate Conception of Mary: Shouldn’t it be today, December 8? How did it land on the 9th? But, on Monday, that day wouldn’t be a holy day of obligation, right? Yes, Mary’s conception is set for December 8— exactly nine months before the feast of her nativity. But, when it falls on Advent Sunday, Advent (just like Lent or Easter) wins over the feast. But, it’s an important feast because, obviously of Mary and because it’s the patronal feast for the United States. So, it gets moved instead of canceled. Rome has recent...

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I’m writing this column a full week before Thanksgiving. And I just got back from Hobby Lobby. It wasn’t really a fun trip. (No fault of the store, by any means!) I only needed candles for the Advent wreaths in the house. I know they had them last year. But, they’re not exactly in an easy spot to find. I had to plow through all sorts of Santas and trees, shiny ornaments and fake gift boxes (Why, for heaven’s sake, is that even a thing?), crowds of people piling up the stuff they apparently need to get before Thanksgiving arrives in 8 days. And, of co...

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Thanks to the generosity of St. Boniface parishioners, Sojourner Truth Ministries was provided with pumpkin pies, cranberry sauce, and rolls for the Thanksgiving holiday. The Thanksgiving Day meal, along with a leftover dinner the following day, served over 200 guests. Parish volunteers continue to serve meals every Friday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

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Sojourner Truth

This past year our parish Vocations Committee has brought some special days to our attention: International Marriage Day (around St Valentine’s), Good Shepherd Sunday (after Easter, when we pray for vocations to priesthood), Buy Your Priest a Beer Day (yes, that’s really a thing). We have one coming up this week—and one that may present an unfamiliar notion for us—Day of Prayer for Cloistered Life. This Thursday the Church celebrates the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin, the day when Joachim and Anne bring the child Mary to Jerusalem, where, as ...

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Last weekend we had lots of things going on. We put on the costumes for Halloween. We celebrated All Saints Day. We heard magnificent music at the All Souls Day Requiem Mass. We celebrated Sunday for the first time as one consolidated parish. But, we missed something during those days. The Church sets aside this week for prayer for vocations—vocations to religious life as sisters and brothers, vocations to the permanent diaconate, vocations to the priesthood, vocations to sacramental married life. We didn’t miss the moment entirely. We’re always pray...

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We’re in a season of change. Kids go back to school. Then the first chilly evening. The first frost touches the garden. The moment when we can’t find a pumpkin to carve because the store’s just put out the Christmas decorations. Today’s a change for us. We’re now St. Boniface Parish, in both St. Lawrence and St. Boniface Churches. We officially have a new territory—all of South Side until we near Bastress, the East End of Williamsport until we reach the borders of Loyalsock Township. And we have another project at the end: growing into...

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Not an easy read, the insert in today’s bulletin. It asks to change and change is never without its challenges. It’s written in rather technical, legal language. I can understand why we might stop reading and look for the easy version. But, I’m glad we have those words. They protect our rights and line our responsibilities. One set of words really struck me. It’s in the title— which I’m not sure I ever paid much attention to—for the Diocesan planning process. Vision 2030—that much I’ve known and used for years!--Creat...

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There are weeks when I wish the bulletin deadline weren’t quite so early in the week. And not because I’ve wasted time or been lazy or too busy to come up with an idea. But, because sometimes something’s just happened on a Tuesday and I’d like to reflect on it with you. Like this past week, when we had our listening session about the upcoming consolidation of St. Lawrence and St. Boniface parishes. As I write these words, that meeting hasn’t yet happened. I don’t know what people will say, what they’ll hear, what they’ll th...

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We’re always interested in names. Think about the conversations expectant parents happen over the options—Who in the family wants a namesake? Which names are in fashion these days—and do we opt in or avoid? We listen to hear the confirmation name a young person has chosen. At a wedding we want to know: Name change or not? Hyphenated for her? Or for both? And, of course, as our parishes move to a closer union, we know the name questions in the air. But, that’s not the name I’m talking about today. It’s the Appeal—what used to be t...

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Get the latest parish updates, events, and announcements. Our newest bulletin for the week of September 1 is now available! bit.ly/3XdCjqu

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In his final homily a few weeks ago, Deacon McCarroll asked the question: “Was it worth it?” He pointed that question in more than one direction, but it was rooted in the Eucharistic Revival, an American project that tried to counter indifference to the Eucharist and a time for conferences and talks, processions and days of adoration, a renewed focus on how we offer and receive this Sacrament. Of course, we’ve had the added blessings of a summer when we reflect on Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse from John’s gospel. And now all that&rsq...

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Get the latest parish updates, events, and announcements. Our newest bulletin for the week of August 18 is now available! https://bit.ly/3WP0T0J

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Get the latest parish updates, events, and announcements. Our newest bulletin for the week of August 11 is now available! https://bit.ly/3WBkW2w

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A couple of years ago, I joined some priest friends in reading and discussing a book called Words Without Allow, A Biography of the Lectionary for Mass. We were interested in the project that faced the Church in the 1960s when Vatican II called for more scripture at Mass. How does one expand a set of readings that had been set for centuries upon centuries? What scheme for including various parts of the Bible? What discussions happened in those meetings, around those tables? Honestly, it was some of the most tedious reading we’ve ever done. Well researched, carefull...

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Last weekend’s Sun Gazette featured a front-page article about the merger of two of our neighboring Protestant congregations. Like a similar article about us a few weeks ago, reasons for the transition were listed out. The vision for the future was described. I hope and pray it goes well for them. But, I could not help noticing a couple of things. First, whenever Catholics talk about changing demographics or the need to alter parish structures we get some advice. We hear people say: If the Catholic Church just lightened up, more people would come. If the Catholic C...

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A few days ago I was talking to a friend about the many blessings and challenges within the vocation of adoption - how a couple or single person comes to the decision to adopt a child or children. He brought up a point which has been stirring in my mind. He said, a child from birth is loved by their natural parents because it’s the natural response of the heart. But, an adopted child is loved by their parent(s) because of a discerned and active choice to love. Well, I thought of this because the Collect for this Sunday’s Mass says: “O God, who through t...

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Deacon Andrew

Take a look at this picture: a brightly colored bouquet in the middle of the rectory’s kitchen table. It’s literally a spiritual bouquet, a collection of prayers and charitable works offered on my behalf. A gift from our PREP students and catechists to celebrate the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests (observed on the feast of the Sacred Heart, this year June 7). Each blossom contributes to an assortment of prayers—Hail Marys and Our Fathers, rosaries and daily prayers, works of justice, and charity. As I approach my ordination anniver...

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Finally, the last two questions! What type of music do you like to listen to? I can answer that by naming the Sirius stations in my car. Classical, Broadway, Jazz—in that order. I sometimes dabble in popular music—a little Billy Joel, some ABBA, some R&B. Almost never Country. What attracted you to the priesthood? I can answer in one word: Jesus. As a Catholic, I find his life and message compelling. I wanted to be part of his mission—into whatever vocation that would lead me. In last weekend’s homily, I talked about how as Church we need t...

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What three words would you use to describe yourself? Honestly, this is a tough question for me to answer. I thought about it and really couldn’t come up with three words. So, I asked the 4th-grade students at St. John Neumann Regional Academy to help me out. These are three of the words that they came up with: funny, kind, and hardworking. What is your favorite movie? One of my favorite movies is the 1986 film The Mission, starring Robert De Niro and Jeremey Irons. This film follows the missionary endeavors of 18th-century Jesuits who try to save their mission to t...

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Deacon Andrew

Here’s the question I’ve been avoiding: What three words would you use to describe yourself? It’s too much like an awkward icebreaker at a meeting. Or a really annoying drinking game at a party. But, here we go: Introverted (which you must have noticed, but remember that introversion—just like its opposite—can be an asset). Creative (the part of me that values things like music and art, architecture and gardens, poetry and story-telling). Faithful (think of Dorothy Day’s description of faith as “a need to worship, to adore"). ...

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As Fr. McCreary mentioned in his “Pastor’s Corner,” our Vocation’s Committee is hard at work in promoting an awareness of vocations in our community – the ways in which God has called each of us to witness to our Christian faith. My hope is that you can see how Christ has been at work in the life of Fr. McCreary and myself in our answers to these 20 questions! What did your parents do? My dad was the owner of McCarroll Pre-Cast, a family concrete business that my grandfather started in 1966. A lot of my childhood memories took place there si...

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For a few months, we’ve had a Vocations Committee forming in the parishes. We’ve been looking at ways to encourage vocations—to the priesthood, to religious life, to Christian marriage—among our people, especially our young with their whole lives ahead of them. One suggestion was to have Andrew and I answer a list of 20 questions about ourselves. So, let’s begin—just a few questions at a time. What did your parents do? My mother was a schoolteacher. She taught what we used to call home economics (largely cooking and sewing). Now ...

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