Author Archives: Miller

Youth Chant Campers to Sing for Solemn Mass

Children and youth ages 7-18 will honor Our Lord on June 28, raising their voices in song for a noon Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form on the Feast of the Sacred Heart at St. Lawrence Chapel in Harrisburg. The Mass will be the culmination of the students’ efforts during the annual summer Chant Camp hosted by Mater Dei Latin Mass Community.

Last summer, more than 40 children attended Chant Camp, a weeklong day camp that immerses students in the world of Sacred Music while providing opportunity for Catholic fellowship, sports, games, prayer and lots of laughter. After a week of study and exercises, Chant Campers have a solid foundational knowledge of the purpose and importance of music in the liturgy and a heightened sense of the Good, True, and Beautiful. They also learn many practical skills such as reading chant and music notation, singing and blending in a choral setting, along with learning chants and hymns to sing for the Mass which concludes the camp.

Trinity High School Refurbished Chapel Blessed by Bishop

Home to weekly Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, club/team Masses, retreats, Advent and Lenten services and personal prayer, the chapel at Trinity High School in Camp Hill is spiritually and physically the heart of the school.

On May 18, Bishop Ronald Gainer blessed the renovated chapel – original to the 1963 building – during a Mass attended by dozens of members of the school community.

Art Show Exhibits Students’ Talents

The faith-based artwork of students from Diocesan Catholic schools was on exhibit in the Archives’ display cases at the Diocesan Center in Harrisburg this spring as the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis hosted the seventh annual art contest for students to highlight their God-given artistic talents.

Awards were presented to the top-three artists in a senior division for students in grades 10-12 and in a junior division for those in grades 7-9. Judges also awarded ten honorable mention ribbons.

2019 Golden Apple Recipients Reflect on Role of Forming Students

The Diocese of Harrisburg recognized seven Catholic school educators for their outstanding devotion through the 13th annual Golden Apple Awards on May 7 at the Diocesan Center in Harrisburg. The awards are based on nominations from school principals, parents, students and fellow teachers in acknowledgement of an educator’s professional excellence, leadership, commitment to Catholic values, and devotion to teaching in Catholic schools.

Fiat Spirituality

Recently, I was asked by a wife of a deacon in another Diocese to conduct a retreat for women in her area. When I agreed, I asked if she had a topic for the day. She said, “Saying ‘Yes’: Finding Your Unique Gifts and Purpose in Everyday Life.”

Honestly, when I read that topic, it made me pause to think and to pray. I said to myself, “How am I supposed to present that? Where do you start?” I looked at the title and prayed some more. I remembered a wise person who once said that the way you eat an elephant is one bite at a time. So, I began my reflection with the word, “Yes.”

Riding Into Safety with St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Bicycle safety was on full display at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Mechanicsburg on Sunday, May 19. The second annual Bike Rodeo, sponsored and organized by the Parish’s American Heritage Girls (AHG) troop, was a great way to remind parish and community children of bicycle safety, right in time for summer.

The AHG troop hosted their first rodeo last year, after several parents suggested the safety event. A huge success, the troop decided to continue hosting the rodeo.

St. Catherine of Siena, Quarryville, Celebrates 175 Years ‘with Endurance and Hard Work’

St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Quarryville is celebrating founders, saints and the handing on of the faith this year, the 175th anniversary of its presence in southern Lancaster County.

Bishop Ronald Gainer celebrated an anniversary Mass for the flock on Sunday, May 19 in their 20-year old church.

“This is an amazing birthday for your parish. Think about 175 years and all the faithful that have gone before you, passing on the faith to each generation,” Bishop Gainer addressed the congregation. “St. Catherine of Siena once said, ‘Nothing great has ever been achieved without endurance and hard work.’ That is the story of your parish – it has endured for all these years.”

Religious Sisters Celebrate Jubilees

Religious Sisters in the Diocese of Harrisburg marking milestone anniversaries this year were recognized and honored during the annual Sisters’ Jubilee celebration. The celebration was hosted by the Diocesan Secretariat for Clergy and Consecrated Life on April 27 at the Diocesan Center in Harrisburg The gathering to recognize the Sisters for their ministry and service began with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Ronald Gainer, and included photos with the bishop and a luncheon for the jubilarians in attendance, as well as members of their congregations who were present for the celebration.

Jim Forjan Remembered by York Catholic Community

For nearly 60 years, Jim Forjan invested himself into the York Catholic High School community, as teacher, coach, dean of students, principal and volunteer.

From his first year as a social studies teacher and boys’ basketball coach in 1959, until his last days there as a cafeteria moderator last fall, Forjan rightly earned the titles “Mr. York Catholic” and “the greatest legacy to walk the halls of YC” – accolades members of the school community have expressed since his death on Feb. 15 of this year. Forjan was 83.