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Entries for November 2023
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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Remember the schedule we give you when a holy day of obligation comes up? The one that lists Mass times from first thing in the morning until the final evening Mass? I’m a huge fan of that schedule. Not just because it makes getting to Mass on a holy day a little easier for me. But, because it shows our parishes cooperating. At our Masses for All Saints Day, for example, about half the people present weren’t our parishioners, but our neighbors. That tells me that what’s important about our celebrations is that we gather for Eucharist. Maybe in our own buil...
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We honor the courage, sacrifice, and patriotism of our Veterans. To all who have worn the uniform of our armed services, thank you for your service, and welcome home.
The Archangel St. Michael is the patron saint of the warrior, who Catholics have designated as the protector of those who strive to preserve security, safety and peace.
Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle,
Be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil.
We humbly beseech God to command him,
And do thou, O prince of the heavenly host,
By the divine power thr...
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The St. Boniface Activities Association’s Turkey Raffle is on Friday, November 17. Each ticket costs $1.00 and gives you access to the turkey raffle plus each ticket has a chance of winning a $25 gift card from Tony’s Delicatessen. The Turkey Raffle will start at 7 p.m. and offers a night of food and drink, bingo, games of chance, and a sense of community. Volunteers are needed. Please get in touch with Sharon at 570-220-4611 if you can help! Mark your calendars and join the fun!
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Join us in spreading Thanksgiving cheer!
The Parishes of St. Boniface and St. Lawrence are partnering with Family Promise, Sojourner Truth Ministries, and The Salvation Army to collect Thanksgiving food items for those in need. Your generosity will help ensure that families in our community can enjoy a special Thanksgiving meal.
Items requested:
Boxed stuffing mix
Instant mashed potatoes
Canned or jar turkey gravy
Canned yams
Cranberry sauce
Canned vegetables
Canned pumpkin or fruit pie filling
Boxed pie crust mix
Boxed macaroni and cheese
P...
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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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Please join us at St. Boniface on Sunday, November 12, at 3 p.m. for an inaugural Mass of Remembrance. This special Mass will allow us as a parish community to pray and support our bereaved families from the past year. A time of fellowship will immediately follow. May we come together on this day to fulfill the great promise to each other that we are never alone in this life.
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Join us on Sunday, November 5 from 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m. in the St. Lawrence Hall for a delicious pancake breakfast with pancakes, eggs, sausage, scrapple, applesauce, and other tasty treats. There will also be a holiday raffle basket and Christmas mini-yard sale. Tickets are available at the door: $10 for adults and children under 12 are free.
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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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