All 10:30 Masses will be celebrated at St. Mary Magdalen instead of St. John the Evangelist until the end of August.

July 31-August 1

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Continuing with our reflections on the Most Holy Eucharist today we read from the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (2002) issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, entitled: “Visiting the Blessed Sacrament”

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a form of Eucharistic worship, which is widespread in the Church and earnestly recommended to her pastors and faithful.  Its initial form derives from Holy Thursday and the Altar of Repose, following the celebration of expressing the connection between the celebration of the Coena Domini (Supper of the Lord) Mass.  This adoration is a most apt way of expressing the connection between the celebration of the memorial of the Lord’s Sacrifice and His continued presence in the Sacrament of the Altar.  The reservation of the Sacred Species, so as  to be able to administer Viaticum to the sick at any time, encouraged the practice among the faithful of recollection before the Tabernacle and to worship Christ present in the Sacrament.

Indeed, this worship of adoration has a sound and firm foundation, especially since faith in the Lord’s Real Presence has as its natural consequence the outward and public manifestation of that belief.  Therefore, the devotion prompting the faithful to visit the Blessed Sacrament draws them into an ever deeper share in the Paschal Mystery and leads them to respond gratefully to the gift of Him Who through His humanity constantly pours divine life into the members of His Body.  Abiding with Christ the Lord, they enjoy His intimate friendship and pour out their hearts before Him for themselves and for those dear to them, and they pray for the peace and salvation of the world.  Offering their entire lives with Christ to the Father in the Holy Spirit, they derive from this sublime colloquy an increase of faith, hope, and charity.  Thus they foster those right dispositions that enable them with due devotion to celebrate the Memorial of the Lord and receive frequently the Bread given us by the Father.

I would like to express in my own name and on behalf of all our clergy and parishioners sincere thanks to those who have made the renovation at St. Mary Magdalen possible  We are ever grateful to Mary Kilgallon, Mark Hook and Jeanne Bentley for their remembrance of St Mary Magdalen Church in their bequests.  Without their generosity the work would not have been possible.  Those who executed the work are to be commended for outstanding expertise and superb workmanship.  Our own Wayne Earley served as general contractor with Grimm construction.  His going the extra measure and attention to detail is unsurpassed.  We are truly grateful.  Bill Edsall tended with utmost care the installation of the electrical maze necessary to accommodate the ac equipment.  Dave Kinzinger HVAC has made our former hot box into a most comfortable, quiet, and pleasant house of worship.  Bill Farrenge of Village Carpet installed the new flooring which brings a bright and clean and easy to clean freshness,  Bob Keck transformed our rickety old pews into what looks brand new, what a monumental job!  Fran Panzar and Eroh Schaffer reconstructed our High Altar as only fine carpenters can do.  The many workman (including our own John Lukan) used a lot of muscle in bringing our renewed church to its present glory.

We are most grateful to all of them and pray God’s blessing on them now and always.

With Blessings,

Fr. Langan

July 24-25

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our Faith is transmitted to us By way of God’s revelation, both Sacred Scripture (the 73 books of the Bible ) and Sacred Tradition (orally passed down from generation to generation but eventually transcribed in a compendium known as the Catechism of the Catholic Church)  Now let us contemplate a particular section of the Catechism entitled:  “The Eucharist and the Tabernacle”

#1378: Worship of the Eucharist.  In the Liturgy of the Mass we express our Faith in the Real Presence under the species of bread and wine by, among other ways, genuflecting or bowing deeply as a sign of adoration of the Lord.  “The Catholic Church has always offered and still offers to the Sacrament of the Eucharist the cult of adoration, not only during Mass, but also outside of it, reserving the consecrated Hosts with the utmost care, exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and carrying Them in procession.”

#1379: The Tabernacle was first intended for the reservation of the Holy Eucharist in a worthy place so that It could be brought to the sick and those absent outside of Mass.  As Faith in the Real Presence of Christ in His Eucharist deepened, the Church became conscious of the meaning of silent adoration of the Lord present under the Eucharistic species.  It is for this reason that the tabernacle should be located in an especially worthy place in the Church and should be constructed in such a way that it emphasizes and manifests the truth of the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

#1380: It is highly fitting that Christ should have wanted to remain present to His Church in this unique way.  Since Christ was about to take His departure from His own in His visible form, He wanted to give us His Sacramental Presence, since He was about to offer Himself on the Cross to save us,  He wanted to have the memorial of the love with which He loved us to the end, even to the giving of His life.  In His Eucharistic Presence He remains mysteriously in our midst as the One who loved us and gave Himself up for us, and He remains under the signs that express and communicate this love.

May our Eucharistic Lord continue to enlighten our hearts and minds with His abiding Presence.

With Blessings,

Father Langan

Attention Parishioners:

We need to update the bulletin prayer list.  Please call the office and let us know if we should keep your request on the list.  If we do not hear from you by July 27, we will remove names from the prayer list.

Donna Arnold, Thomas Arnold, Don and Linda Barney, Baby Mackenzie Bergh, Ann Bidwell, Heather Bidwell, Ann Billard, Isabella Black, Diane Bottjer, Bette Brown, Becca Bunnell, Henry Calenicoff, Dr. Lawrence Caruth, Pat Conte, Charlmaine Cordaro, Jack Corrigan, Jean Cruise, Jim Cruise, Jennifer David, Vincent Desam, Linda Dooley, Richard Downs, LuAnn Duffy, TJ and Clare Edwards and Family, Matthew Eisele, James Ficken, Kathy Fives, Garry Fritz, Randy Fritz, Charles Gerrity, Joseph Guinther, Vi Guttilla, Mr. & Mrs. Robert Hampton, Jerry Hessling, Nicole Jackson, Thomas A. Jankoski, Rita Jobst, Carol Johnson, Leon Kaczmarek, Riley James Kandrovy, Jack Kelly, William Kemmett, Dorothy Kieff, Patricia Kirkland, Robert & Lisa Klein, Florence Konwickie, Guenther Kopp, Tim Kopp, Marion Kowalczyk, Hazel Kuhn, Joseph & Stella Kurey, Kathy Lee Liu, Eric M., Alice Magalski, George Marcakis, Aileen Maurno, Raymond Mc Gee, Lillian McGreevy, Juanita Micucci, Marie Miller, Marge Monk, Bob & Joy Mulligan, Father Kevin Mulhern, Nicole Mullen, Renate Muller, Anne Nocera, Edward Nocera, Barnabas O’Driscoll, Kathleen O’Neill, Nancy Patterson, Ron Patterson, Charles (Bud) Peter, Louis Piazzo, Betty Post, Steve Rabel, Ashley Randolph, Lorraine Reitano, Ona Rechner, Joan Reifler, Michelle Rickard, Joanne Rolston, Wally Sasso, Steven Schiavello, Barbara Shevlin, Charles Siepiela, Kathy Sloneker, Eugene Smith, Ronald George Sporer, Christian Summer, Sean Sweeney, Eric Swendsen, Bob Timosek, Rebecca Van Breda, Joyce Vernborg, Mark Vernborg, Doris Washko, Henry & David Weldon, Ryszard Wiacek, Ruth Yanus, Eileen Zogby.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It has been so very gratifying to welcome parishioners and visitors back to Church after the long epidemic shut down.  Even though we are not back to pre-Covid attendance, one can see the longing people have to once again in the Holy Presence of Our Lord and to receive Him into their hearts and souls.  He gives the consolation and peace that the world cannot give.  During the “great absence” surveys have been taken regarding matters of Faith.  The results are not encouraging.  Some reports claim that less than 50% of the American people have a religious affiliation.  Also, the reports suggest that a high percentage of Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist.  The consequence of this error is that there is a collapse of Faith, of morals, of peace and of true justice.  If Catholics do not believe that the Son of God is true to His promise that: “I am with you always until the end of time, then what on this earth could possibly unite us with God and one another.  Practicing Catholics in the world keep this world from self-destruction.  We are the leaven that Jesus said we must be.  How then do we counteract this sad malaise infecting our culture, our nation, our world?  Personally, we must all renew our faith using our God-given intellect.

Over the next several weeks, I will include in the Pastor’s note the teaching of the Church regarding the most precious gift given to human kind: The Most Holy Eucharist. (From Sollemnis Professio Fidei, apostolic letter on the Credo of the People of God, proclaimed by Saint Pope Paul VI on June 30, 1968.

We believe that the Mass is the Sacrifice of Calvary rendered sacramentally present on our Altars.  We believe that the bread and win consecrated by the priest are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ enthrones gloriously in Heaven, and we believe that the mysterious Presence of the Lord, under what continues to appear to our senses as before, is a true, real, and substantial Presence.

Jesus Christ cannot be thus present in this Sacrament except by the change into His Body and Blood, leaving unchanged only the properties (outward appearances) that our senses perceive.  This mysterious change is called by the Church Transubstantiation.   The reality of the bread and wine have ceased to exist after the Consecration, so that it is the adored Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus that from then on are really before us the Sacramental species of bread and wine.

The unique and indivisible existence of the Lord glorious in Heaven is not multiplied, but is rendered present by the Sacrament in many places on earth where Mass is celebrated.  And this existence remains present, after the Sacrifice, in the Blessed Sacrament, that is in the Tabernacle, or monstrance (for adoration), the living heart of each of our churches.

And it is our very sweet duty to honor and adore in the Blessed Host that our eyes see, and Who, without leaving Heaven, is made present before us.

How can we thank the Lord for so great a gift given to us?

With Blessings,

Father Langan

July 3 & 4,

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The month of July is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ.  When we think of this vital substance that moves throughout our bodies we know that our blood needs to be healthy so as to be life-giving.  How much more so is the Blood of Our Lord life-giving to each one of us.  In the mystery of the Holy Eucharist and our worthy reception we receive both the Body and Blood of Christ.   In the Eucharistic Bread we receive the fullness of Christ’s Body, Blood , Soul, and Divinity.  The Most Holy Eucharist must be received with the greatest reverence and a person well disposed to approach Him.  That means we may not receive the Lord if we are in the state of grave (mortal) sin.  To receive the Lord in such a state is a sacrilege which imperils a person’s immortal soul.  A good Confession, with the intention to not return to a sinful state, is the remedy necessary before approaching our Lord in the Eucharist.

As many people are now returning to participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass it is helpful to renew our appreciation of the Lord’s Presence.  Though the live-streaming during the pandemic has been very consoling to many it can not take the place of being with the Lord.  AS we long for His Presence He surely longs for ours.  Reverent silence before and after Mass puts us in proper focus as we center our lives on Christ.  We listen to His Word with intensity and prepare our hearts to join with His in our receiving His precious Body and Blood.  We recall the importance of how we come  forward to receive the Lord.  We bow our heads before our  communion, respond with an Amen after the: “Body of Christ” and if receiving in the hand the communicant is to make a throne with their hands held before their heart, make one step to the right or left, immediately consume the Sacred Host and return to one’s pew.  Never should  the communicant walk away with The Blessed Sacrament.  If the communicant receives kneeling and on the tongue do so reverently.

In the month of July we commemorate two great feasts with Novenas.  First is the Feast of our Lady of Mt Carmel on the 16th.  Novena prayers will be prayed following Mass starting on  the 7th.  

The second is the feast of St. Ann and Joachim, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on the 26th.  Novena prayers will begin on the 17th also following Mass.

A Happy Fourth of July.  Let us give thanks to the Lord for the freedom we enjoy and those brave and selfless souls, past and present, who make it possible.

With Blessings,

Father Langan

If you are unable to make it to your holy hour, please try to find a substitute for your hour or contact your quadrant coordinator.  Sometimes the people before and after your hour will be able to extend their visit by half an hour.  You can also invite a family member or friends to spend an hour with Our Lord.  There are so many blessings that come from sitting before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  If you are still unable to find a substitute, please then call your quadrant captain.

Quadrant Captains are as follows:

6 AM to 11 AM                 Peggy Earley                      570-468-3532 or 570-253-2677

Noon to 5 PM                   Karen Burkavage              570-616-5608 or 570-253-6436

6 PM to 11 PM                  Angie Swendsen               570-352-8248 or 570-224-4281

Midnight to 5 AM            Theresa Diehl                    570-647-8017

“IF ANYONE IS THIRSTY, LET HIM COME TO ME”

June 26-27

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today’s Sacred Scripture asserts God’s power over death. In the Book of Wisdom God created all things that they may have life.   St. Paul teaches the Corinthians that just as our Lord graciously sacrificed His divinity, and in fact His life so that we might share in eternal life, we are called to follow likewise.  

Our Lord restored earthly life to both young and old that they may continue their journey to the life that has no end.  It is a poignant reminder to us that as much as we cherish and always seek to preserve and promote the earthly life entrusted to us it is preparatory for something far greater.

As we begin our summer routines, let us never lose sight of our final goal and give thanks to God always for our present blessings, which are a taste of things to come.

With Blessings for a Restful Summer,

Father Langan

June 20-21

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In today’s Gospel, Our Lord calms the raging sea as his disciples cling to the storm-tossed boat, terrified that they will perish.  They are confronted with a double storm.  There is the wind and rain that pummel them form without and the angst and fear from within.  In the midst of their conflict they, for a moment, forget that God is with them.  When they come to recognize the Divine Presence  they immediately become acquisitory: “Can’t You see we are about to drown?”  Must be God’s fault.  How many times Our Lord is the One to blame for all that goes wrong, whether it is the state of the world or the state of ourselves He becomes the scapegoat.  In fact He IS the scapegoat.  He Who is all merciful has taken upon Himself the sins of us all.  Once we realize that truth, the calm and peace we long for will put our storms at rest.

Just as we go to the Lord for rescue, many times in our lives we have gone to our fathers for rescue as well. They protect us, support us, set a good example for us and in troubled times make everything alright.  Today we honor our Dads, our Grandfathers, godfathers, uncles and all those men who have mentored us with fatherly care.  May God bless them in this awesome responsibility in modeling God the Father just as St. Joseph has done.

We priests and parishioners offer our congratulations and prayers for all our recent graduates from every level of education.  May you use the good things you have received to glorify the Lord in your works, expand your virtues and assist others in their journey through life.  All the best!

With Blessings,

Fr. Langan

June 12-13

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Within the next week or so many schools will begin the summer break.  During those 7-8 weeks families will vacation, travel or simply enjoy the weather outside.  Upon their return to the classroom in late summer, students will be greeted by teachers and administrators with remarks like:  What did you do so get so tall? Or, boy have you changed!  It’s all about the mystery of growth.  Growth is mysterious, hidden and surprising.

In today’s Scriptures we likewise hear about the mysteriousness of growth.  That which is alive grows, and to stay alive things must continue to grow.  Our Lord speaks today of the growth of the Kingdom.  That Kingdom advances not only externally, remember that the Church started with 12 and now there is over 1 billion, but also internally.  Did He not say, “The Kingdom of God is within you.”

So how well is that Kingdom advancing and growing within YOU?

Two years ago our parish subscribed to a very important and helpful resource to facilitate your continued growth in the wisdom and understanding of the Faith.  It is called FORMED.  To date only a few parishioners have taken advantage of this excellent online platform filled with over 4,000 Catholic studies, movies, audio dramas, talks, e-books, even cartoons for children.  FORMED has content from over 60 apostolates, including Augustine Institute, Ignatius Press and the Knights of Columbus.  As your pastor, I thought this would be an excellent means to keep you not only informed, but help to develop your understanding of what it means to be a Catholic.  It is a very expensive program and it would be unfortunate if it were to be discontinued for lack of interest.

For the time being our parish will continue to be using the material on FORMED to support our ministries and provide continuing education for staff members and parishioners, as well as outreach for our sick and homebound members.  You have easy access to all the material on FORMED.  It can be enjoyed on your computer or on your television with an inexpensive Roku device or Apple TV.  You can even listen on your phone.  Many relevant topics are covered.  Perhaps you are hesitant to return to the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) after a long absence?  Watch “Forgiven:  The Transforming Power of Confession.”  Or, would you like to be more confident in answering your teenager’s questions about the Gospels?  Watch “Lectio: The Case for Jesus.”  Have you despaired of finding good movies that your family can enjoy together on Friday night?  There are hundreds of engaging titles from which to choose.

My hope is that the content on FORMED will enrich, deepen and inspire your faith.  Please let me know if you are interested in continuing our subscription and how it has benefited your life.

With Blessings,

Father Langan