BISHOP’S LETTER
My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
I want to introduce you to Ellen, who moved to the East Stroudsburg area with her family nearly 30 years ago. As a young girl, Ellen attended church nearly every Sunday with her parents and five siblings growing up in the Bronx, but something was missing in her life. She never felt fully connected to the Catholic Church. The reason? Ellen was never baptized. Unfortunately, as years turned into decades, Ellen slowly stopped attending Mass – but she never truly lost her faith.
At the age of 57, Ellen recently felt the Lord calling her to pick up the phone. She called the Church of Saint John and asked if there were classes for adults who wanted to be baptized. She was thrilled to hear a YES on the other end of the line! She was even more grateful when the parish’s deacon set up a special time for her to take RCIA classes that would accommodate her busy work schedule! I am proud to tell you that Ellen was recently one of 162 people received into full communion with the Catholic Church this Easter in parishes throughout the Diocese of Scranton.
YOUR GIFTS ENABLE US TO:
FEED the hungry
SHELTER those experiencing homelessness
EDUCATE our young men and women in Catholic schools
SUPPORT our seminarians and retired priests
CHANGE the lives of our neighbors every day
SPREAD the Good News of the Gospel through multiple forms of media
TOUCH the lives of thousands of people through faith formation and social justice grants that support individual parish programs
What you may not know is YOU are instrumental in Ellen’s story – and so many others like it!
With the help of the Diocesan Office for Parish Life, which helps oversee and coordinate parish RCIA programs, Ellen was able to listen to the voice of the Lord speaking to her heart and say yes to His call to be baptized. Our local Church is doing the work of Christ in many ways. Through your support of the Diocesan Annual Appeal, you are able to make a profound difference in the lives of countless people just like Ellen.
I want to invite you to join us in our mission and respond to Our Call to Serve! I invite you to become the loving and compassionate Christ – who multiplied loaves and fishes and fed the hungry multitudes. Thank you for considering this most urgent request. We are most grateful for every single gift we receive. Together, we can continue to do great things in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
With assurance of my prayers and best wishes for you and your family, I remain
Faithfully yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L.
Bishop of Scranton