Daily Archives: January 7, 2021

Slideshow of Parish Christmas Photos Concludes Season

“We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”
Taken from Matthew 2:1-12, these are the words of the magi as they arrived in Jerusalem, looking for the infant Jesus to offer their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
As the Church marks the end of the Christmas season with the Feast of the Epiphany, we share photos from Diocesan parishes as they celebrated the Nativity. These pictures of stunning crèches, decorated sanctuaries and adorned altars were shared by parishes throughout the Christmas season.

Bishop McDevitt Students Ramp Up Efforts to Present 200 Gift Bags to Hospital Staff

The front-line staff at Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill received a well-deserved morale boost in time for Christmas, thanks to the generous efforts of students and staff at Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg.

Christian Charity Sisters Mary Joseph Albright, Vice President of Mission Integration at the hospital, and Carol Schuyler, social studies teacher at the high school, live in the convent at the medical center. They recognized that the staff could benefit from a pre-holiday pick-me-up.

Pope Francis calls for a commitment to ‘take care of each other’ in 2021

Pope Francis warned against the temptation to ignore the suffering of others during the coronavirus pandemic and said that things will get better in the new year to the extent to which the needs of the weakest and most disadvantaged are prioritized.

“We don’t know what 2021 has in store for us, but what each of us and all of us together can do is to commit ourselves a little more to take care of each other and of creation, our common home,” the pope said in his Angelus address Jan. 3.

In the live video broadcast from the Apostolic Palace, the pope said that “things will get better to the extent that, with God’s help, we work together for the common good, putting the weakest and most disadvantaged at the center.”

U.S. Catholic Bishops Call for Peace after Protesters Disrupt Capitol

Catholic bishops condemned pro-Donald Trump protesters’ incursion that penetrated the Capitol Building Wednesday as Congress debated the certification of the presidential election results, leading to the evacuation of lawmakers and – as of press time Thursday morning – the deadly shooting of one protester by law enforcement.

“I join people of good will in condemning the violence today at the United States Capitol,” Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Jan. 6. “This is not who we are as Americans. I am praying for members of Congress and Capitol staff and for the police and all those working to restore order and public safety.”

Diocese Upholds 86% Score in Annual Financial Transparency Rating

The Diocese of Harrisburg’s commitment to the highest standards of good stewardship, accountability and transparency in the financial gifts it receives from the faithful were reaffirmed with the recent release of the Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) Annual Diocesan Online Financial Transparency Study. This study, conducted each year by the independent VOTF organization, reports on the financial transparency of dioceses and archdioceses throughout the United States.

In 2020, the Diocese of Harrisburg received a total score of 86% out of 100%, maintaining its score from 2019.

Scott Udit Joins Diocese as New Buildings and Properties Director

The Diocese of Harrisburg is pleased to announce that Mr. Scott Udit has joined our team as the new director of Buildings and Properties. A member of Saint Theresa of the Infant Jesus Parish in New Cumberland and a third degree Knight of Columbus in Council 8921, Udit is looking forward to supporting the parishes, Catholic schools and the Diocese with their facility needs. Udit began his new role with the Diocese on January 4.