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from the pastor…Fr. McHugh

No September Breakfast

We will not have a September breakfast since it is the Labor Day weekend and we do not want to take away time for vacation or time with their families, and also because the Labor Day weekend usually has a low attendance.

The Diocesan Appeal

September 8^th and 9^th will be the kickoff weekend for the Diocesan Annual Appeal. The Appeal video will be shown at all the weekend Masses. We do need a couple of parish volunteers to serve as representatives to the Appeal for our parish. This would entail attending 2 or 3 meetings and perhaps speaking on the Appeal if one wishes to do so one weekend at the Masses. Contact me if you would be willing to serve as a parish representative. Obviously, the Appeal will constitute a major challenge with the grand jury report. The kickoff luncheon for the priests will be held at St. Maria Goretti in Laflin on Monday, August 27, at 12:30 PM.

Confirmation and Diocesan Policy

The Diocesan policy is that Confirmation is a two-year program. Only those 14 students who came during the past 2017-2018 Faith Formation year are eligible to receive this year - no exceptions! Those students who opted not to attend the 7^th grade Confirmation class can begin their program in the fall, but will not be eligible to receive in 2019. This is an irreversible Diocesan mandate!

Faith Formation

This begins on Monday, September 10, at 4:30 PM. Please complete the registration forms as soon as possible and return them to the office. Registration forms are available on the table in the vestibule of the church and on the "Downloads" page of our website.

Labor Day Mass

Remember, this is at 9:00 AM on Monday, September 3^rd.

Diocesan Social Justice Grant

For the second consecutive year, the Diocese has granted our Social Justice Program $4,000. The grant is mainly for the work of The Shepherd’s Hands, but also includes other programs like the grief ministry, Companions on the Journey. We are grateful for the Diocese giving us a generous grant.

Praying With Scripture

1. What habits do you have that tend to lead you away from God?
2. Do you feel you both try to listen to the Word of God and put it into practice?
3. Examine your own language. Is it gentle and life-giving or sharp and hurtful?
   
   

TV Mass

Fr. McHugh will be the celebrant of the pre-taped channel 13 Mass this Sunday. The Mass will be shown on Sunday, September 2, at 7:00 and 9:00 AM and 6:30 PM.

Providence Place

Fr. McHugh is scheduled to offer Mass at Providence Place on Tuesday, September 4, at 10:00 AM.

New Biblical Commentaries

1. The Pauli st Biblical Commentary (PBC) is a one-volume commentary on all the books of both the New and Old Testaments. The Pauli st Biblical Commentary is due out on September 18^th. In addition to commentary on all the books, the PBC also includes pastoral and spiritual insights. The book is 1,686 pages and costs $149.95. I bought the commentary in advance for $99.95. Pr-orders had to be paid by the end of July.
2. New College ville Bible Commentary brings together commentaries that were previously published as individual books or groups of books. The new commentary book is a hardcover one that measures 7 by 10 inches with 1,552 pages and sells for $79.95. An alternate New Collegeville Bible Commentary is a two-volume paperback set that costs $64.95.
   
   

You Tube Scripture

I am always on You Tube for Scripture presentations. Simply type in “Fr. Connelly McHugh Biblical Narratives” to view them.

Volunteers Needed

1. Starting up the RCIA again
2. Parish Council
3. Diocesan Appeal representative
4. Faith Formation Teachers - proper clearances for child abuse and a criminal background check are necessary before beginning to teach
5. Building and Grounds chair - Helms Buchman will be stepping down after doing a wonderful job as interim leader. Besides a chair, we could use people willing to help by serving on the committee.
6. Finance Committee - we need one or two people
   
   

150^th Anniversary Pilgrimage

On Saturday, September 22, Bishop Joseph Bambera will lead a pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Buses will depart from various locations in the Diocese at 6:00 AM and arrive at the National Shrine at 11:00 AM. Among the scheduled events are a tour of the upper church, Rosary for world peace, opportunity for confession, and Pontifical Mass. There are also two hours of free time for lunch, touring, and private prayer. Buses depart the National Shrine at 4:45PM and arrive at the point of departure at 10:30 PM. The cost is $55.00 per person. If our parish has at least 50 participants, a single bus will be assigned and will depart from Good Shepherd. For smaller delegations, combined buses and points of departure throughout the Diocese will be arranged. Call or stop by the parish office 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.

Attendance and Contributing Trends

For countless years, Joe Yamulla has faithfully counted the attendance at each weekend Mass. Since July, Joe Dvornicich has averaged out these figures. From the beginning of July through the 2^nd week of November, the average attendances are: 4:00 PM - 207, 8:00 AM - 158, and 10:00 AM - 249, for a total average of 614 per weekend. The highest attendance for 4:00 PM was on the weekend of November 12^th with 237, and the lowest was on August 27^th with 182. The highest attendance at 8:00 AM was on August 6^th with 174. 10:00 AM has taken over from 4:00 PM as the best-attended liturgy with a 249 average. The highest attendance was on November 5^th with 358 people. The lowest was on July 9^th with 181. This year has also shown a decline in weekly collections. The offertory through November 12 has averaged $3,449. We averaged $3,722 for the previous year. Again, we have to reverse the downward spiral.

Areas That the Diocese Scrutinizes With the Ever-Dwindling Number of Priests

1. Is the parish solvent?
2. The number of parishioners
3. Does the parish support the Diocesan Appeal?
4. Parish activities and outreach ministries
5. The baptismal rate in comparison to the death rate
6. Mass attendance - some dioceses have a policy that weekend Masses should not be offered if they do not average 200 or more people
   
   

What You Can Do to Help Prevent the Reduction of Services

1. Attend Mass regularly and financially support your parish
2. Register as a parishioner if you have not already done so
3. Volunteer for some ministry or be active in parish projects
4. Support the Diocesan Appeal
5. Participate in outreach projects

If you do these things, you are casting a vote for not having services reduced. If you don’t do the above, you are voting for a reduction in parish services. It’s your choice!

Sponsor Requests

Recently, we had several requests for sponsors from people who have no affiliation with the parish. Please do not request a sponsor letter if you do not belong to Good Shepherd.

Parish Life Coordinator (PLC)

Unlike deacons, Parish Life Coordinators are usually assigned to parishes other than their own. Becoming a Parish Life Coordinator does involve considerable work. People with a strong background in ministries make the best candidates, such as parish Directors of Education, liturgy planners, RCIA personnel, parish finance administrators, etc. People who have a strong theological background also have an advantage.

Diocese of Scranton Certificate in Lay Ministry

I have applications for this. The Diocese is offering, through the Parish Life Office, in conjunction with Dayton University Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation, certificates to persons serving as DRE, RCIA personnel, Directors of Music Ministry, Parish Council members, catechists, outreach ministers, and Finance Council members opportunities to obtain these certificates.

Sunday Meetings and Activities

Please try to avoid Sunday meetings and activities if you wish me to attend. If one is to consistently offer all the weekend Masses, hear Confessions, conduct baptismal classes, perform baptisms, etc., other activities are just a bit too much. In addition, during the past year, I was involved in teaching Confirmation students.

Cry Room Usage

This is just a reminder that the Holy Family Room (Cry Room) is to be used only by people with babies or small children at the Saturday 4:00 PM and the Sunday 10:00 AM Masses.

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 (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.

Presentation of the Gifts

If the Mass is for your intention, you are more than welcome to take up the gifts. For weekday Masses, simply go to the table in the back after the Intercessory Prayer of the Faithful. For weekend Masses, just tell Joe Yamulla that you will bring up the gifts.

Regarding Bulletin Inserts

I ask all parish organizations and individuals to try to use the bulletin rather than an insert for most programs and events we have. Things like the calendar, the financial reports, and the festival are necessary. Other things could just be placed in the regular bulletin which is three pages most times, in relatively small type. I help those who stuff the bulletin almost every week and last week, we had four inserts in addition to the third page of the bulletin. Fortunately, we had 10 people, myself included, who worked on this tedious project, and we finished within a half hour. Sometimes, however, there are only 4 or 5 people and on occasion, 2 or 3. We have to economize in this area. Positively, I do not want more than 2 inserts in any one bulletin, and hopefully, only one. This will be on a first-come, first-served basis. We have driven up our bills for paper to a high degree. Certainly, I am grateful for all the projects initiated by parishioners, but not for the countless inserts which most people do not use.

Bulletin Articles

Please submit all bulletin articles to the parish office by 9:00 AM on Tuesday mornings. Articles submitted after the deadline will be published in the next week’s bulletin.

Bulletin Sponsors

We thank recent bulletin sponsors Bonomo’s Carpet and Flooring, JMJ Catholic Radio, Dr. David Portonova, Providence Place, The Knee Center, Tunnessen Radiator Inc., Tunnessen Supply, and long-standing sponsors All Care Home Care, Catholic Match, Patricia Spivak CPA, Sugarloaf Child Care and Valley Pharmacy. 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. Again, we thank sponsors new and old.

The Building or Purchase of a Rectory

The building of a rectory on the parish grounds or the purchase of a home will not guarantee a pastor for Good Shepherd - an increase of vocations will. Some parishioners seem to feel that once we have a pastor’s residence, this will assure us of having a pastor. Certainly, we should continue to collect money for building on site or purchasing a home. We also have to take into account maintaining the residence, which at the current level of collection average, would not be easy. The facts that we only had four seniors participate in the Graduation Mass and no one responding, as of this writing, to the call for altar servers does nothing to foster optimism in the area of vocations.

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.

Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)

If you or anyone you know wishes to join the Catholic Church, please call the parish office and leave your name and phone number. Adults who have been baptized or not baptized are welcome. We will start the RCIA program any time we have candidates. The program meets every other Wednesday night for one to two hours and at Mass every weekend for a discussion of the readings for that Sunday. We also welcome anyone who wishes to join as a catechist and help with our program which culminates at the Easter Vigil with the administration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. You need only be a practicing Catholic in good standing to help.

What is a Parish Life Coordinator? Read This and 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 29^th (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.

Baptism Preparation

Parents are required to attend the Baptism preparation class for their first child or if it has been three years since the birth of their last child. If you see that your child will be born shortly after a scheduled class, you may attend during your pregnancy.

Meetings

I would appreciate it if some meetings could be held in the morning since I am at the point now where I just can’t keep running back and forth so frequently to Good Shepherd. I know some meetings do have to be held at night, but not all.

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.

Bulletin Sponsors

We thank those who currently are sponsoring our parish bulletin: All Care Home Care, Booty’s Place, CatholicMatch.com, Patricia Spivak CPA, Sugarloaf Child Care, The Knee Center, and Valley Pharmacy. Currently, sponsorships pay for the bulletin covers. If we had a greater number of sponsors, the parish would receive rebate checks as well. If you are interested in advertising in our bulletin, please call Karen Owens at 1-800-364-0684, extension 92. The number of bulletin advertisers is low considering our parish membership.

Eulogies at Funerals

Since we have had involvement in 20 or more funerals to date, counting interments, and have had eulogies at approximately 40 to 50 percent of the Masses, now is a good time to comment on eulogies. 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 given 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 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 behalf of 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 or sharing of memories, this should take place at the funeral vigil and not in church. Priests have the right to read ahead of time the text and outline of any eulogy and make changes in length and content when necessary.

To Advertise in Good Shepherd Bulletin

Please call (800) 364-0684, extension 92. We are grateful for those who are already advertising.

Funeral and Wedding Costs

We will follow the Diocesan recommended fee of $300 for both funerals and weddings. Baptisms remain a free-will offering of your choice.

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.

Office: (570) 788-3141 | Fax: (570) 788-2916 87 South Hunter Highway Drums, PA 18222